I dedicate this entry to my favorite, one and only Aunt Debi. The only reason I'm posting anything is because she reminds me quite often that I need to update this blog. I love writing in my journal. It's one of my favorite things to do, but I do not feel the same about keeping an online journal. It's just not the same thing to me, plus it's so difficult for me to work out the writing and where the pictures go, it takes forever to download....what work! So I really have to have motivation in order to post anything on here. Thanks Aunt Debi for the motivation...for that reason this post is dedicated to you!

Where to begin.....well, we're moving! Actually, to state it correctly, we have moved. Yes, we moved out of our dear little #601 apartment a few days before Christmas. We loved it there...two years, what fun we had, but 495 square feet will only work so long with a little baby crawling around. The last two months it finally got to the point that I couldn't handle Kaylee in our room at night anymore and I wanted to train her to sleep through the night without waking up and needing mommy and food. We started moving her play pen out in the living room at night. I slept much better once we did that because I stopped waking up to her little whimpers here and there. If she ever woke up in the night I would go in and stroke her forehead and talk to her for a bit and then let her put herself back to sleep, but I never put her to sleep myself. In my parenting class I learned that it's important to help your kids learn to soothe themselves so they can learn to handle their emotions instead of expecting mom to come and make everything alright when the tears come. After two months of doing this many times it is now paying back. She no longer wakes up during the night and wants to be fed. I get a wonderful nights rest and if she does ever start to cry she quickly puts herself back to sleep. The work was worth it.

Going back to moving...I've never ever cleaned so hard in all my life. It took me three entire days to scrub every inch of that tiny place. I left it as clean and polished as I possibly could and by the time I was done I was spent with no energy left. I don't ever want to move again. Yikes! We're moving across the street (we don't move far do we!) into a two bedroom apartment and boy are we excited. We'll stay in the ward, which we're so grateful for. Jared and I are still enjoying our callings, which continue to keep us ever busy, especially when the semesters change, which happens every 13 weeks...new callings within the R.S and priesthood, re-arranging home and visiting teaching, meetings and more meeting, and visiting the new couples that move into the ward. We have about 80 couples in our ward and every thirteen weeks at least 1/3 if not 1/2 move out...crazy busy but what fun! (most of the time).

It's been wonderful to take a break from everything and spend Christmas with my family. We went sledding on Christmas Eve and Kaylee even went a couple of times. Then we came home and made gingerbread houses, then watched Muppet's Christmas Carol and then all of us kids fell asleep together in the room next to the living room. I had fun staying up a little later with mom and Jason, stuffing the stockings and laughing for another hour or so. That was probably one of my favorite parts.

Kaylee, Kaylee, Kaylee. We love her so much. She is sooo easy to love and take care of. She continues to a content, easy going, and happy little girl. She's not really a baby anymore, especially not now that she crawls everywhere and wishes she could walk. What a cutie pie.

Right now we're in St. George for the week. Angie's getting married a couple of days after we get home, on the day school starts up (thanks Ang), and then we are going back to Rexburg, moving into our bigger (;->) apartment (we couldn't move in until Jan 1st so we put our stuff in a storage area during the break), moving Ang and Austin's stuff into their apartment too while they're on their honeymoon (since they are missing school for that entire week), and get busy with school, Jared with work, and lots of church stuff to do with the new semester. WHew! But we are so happy! We love having purpose in our lives. We got married two years ago on the 28th and have found so much joy in the journey we've created together. There just isn't much more we could ask for in life.

Alright Aunt Debi...did that work for you?