Rosie 2.5 months

 

When we were home at Christmas we had a friend of Mark and Michelle take a few pictures of Rosie. They turned out pretty cute. Here are a few of them. Enjoy!

The Joy of Parenthood

 

So when you are pregnant everyone tells you how awesome parenthood is, what a blessing children are, how there is nothing that will bring you more JOY...those people forgot to mention that these "joy's" also go through a little stage known as the "Terrible Two's"! They also didn't tell you how to deal with the embarrassing moments they will bring to you when having what I like to call "a two moment".

I'm sure you are wondering what spawned this, right? Well, let me just share a little story with you....a horrifying story...

Last night I had the opportunity to go sing at a baptism. I was really excited, because I haven't had a whole lot of opportunities to sing lately and I really miss it. Well, Taylor has finals this week and so he wasn't going to be able to come to the baptism to help me with the kids. Most people would have said no, but not me. I thought, "oh, I can do it. I will just have someone hold Rosie and I will have Cruz bribed with any snack, candy, or toy that will please him." BIG MISTAKE!

We practiced for about a hour prior to the actual meeting and so I figured Cruz could get some of those wiggles out (obviously not all of them). Then we hurried down to the meeting just a few minutes before it began. We were on the program to sing at the beginning, but there was a mix up and they accidentally skipped us and we were moved to the end of the meeting (the perfect storm). By the time it was our turn, Cruz was getting very tired and antsy!

Well, we got up to sing and there was NO WAY this two year old was going to let me go up and leave him by himself on his chair with his toys and cookies and gum and candy and everything else I was using to occupy him! So, I took him up with me. I figured he could stand there and hold my leg while I sang "How Great Thou Art" for a few minutes, right? WRONG!

Needless to say, moments into the song he is having a major meltdown! He is asking for daddy, crying for mommy, opening the doors behind me, and THEN trying to flash everyone by lifting up my skirt! I tried ignoring him, I tried picking him up (he wanted down) I tried setting him down (he wanted up), and on and on and on.

Luckily, I was able to pretty much hold it together despite be mortified in front of the crowd of 60 or so! I kept thinking, someone in the crowd would come to my rescue and take this monster out...but no one did. As soon as the song was over I scooped him up like he was a football and exited oh so gracefully and speedily as I could!!!

OH THE JOY'S of motherhood!

I came home in tears wondering where in the world I have gone wrong as a parent that my child cannot sit through a 2 hour meeting quietly like all the other children. I felt like I was a failure! I was completely embarrassed and knowing that I felt like a bad parent I figured everyone else in the room had the same opinion! When we sat down to explain to Taylor why his wife was having a complete and total melt down we looked to Cruz for an explanation and he says, with his hands on his face, in the oh no position...

"Daddy, I a BAD boy!"

I guess maybe he learned something, right? I hope so anyway. I know I did. FHE will be much stricter and we are going to teach this kid to sit still somehow!!! Right? HAHAHA I know...good luck!

Thank goodness we can laugh!

I LOVE being a mom!

Love,
Josie

Chile: Examples of Gratitude

An account of the Earthquake in Chile

A friend sent me this great article about the Santiago East Chile Mission. It isn't the exact mission Teigan is in, but it is truly an amazing story. I am sure his experience was much the same as the mission president and his wife had in Santiago. I would encourage you all to read it and think about your life. Are you prepared? Is the spirit with you at all times, and do you act upon it? What are you thankful for? This story brought me to tears and truly touched me. I hope you have the same experience.
Love you all!

Josie


Editor’s Note: President Larry Laycock and his wife, Sister Lisa Laycock head the Santiago Chile East Mission and had spent the two weeks prior to the 8.8 earthquake visiting each missionary apartment and preparing them for an earthquake. They brought specific instructions on what to do, supplied water purification bottles for the missionaries, told them how to create a 36-hour kit for emergencies and how to stay in communication should an earthquake strike. They prayed with each missionary and dedicated their apartments. Why? Because of a special experience that alerted them to what was coming. They told their missionaries, “If ye are prepared, ye shall not fear.”

They have 171 full-time proselyting missionaries in this mission.

Special thanks to the Laycocks for allowing Meridian to publish this letter that Sister Laycock sent to her family shortly after the earthquake sharing their remarkable experience of kindness from the Lord. They are in Chile with their son, Landon.

The picture of the missionaries on the cover and in this article were taken at a March 1st gathering. These are post-earthquake smiling faces.

Dear Everyone,

I am writing to let you all know how very grateful we are for your prayers, concern, and love. Please keep praying! We need the Lord's help and guidance in order to do all He would have us do to learn what He would have us learn from this earth quake tragedy, and to minister in the way He would have us minister.

During the past few days, we have witnessed many events which serve to remind us that the Lord is in charge and that as missionaries and members of His church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we are performing His work, and as President Monson teaches, "When we are on the Lord's errand, we are entitled to His help." I want to share with you a few miracles that will help you to understand our profound feelings of gratitude.

When we were set apart for this calling, Elder Scott of the Council of the Twelve Apostles taught us many important lessons. He spoke from personal experience when he was a mission president in Argentina. One message that he shared with us is this: "At times, during your mission, you will be awakened in the middle of the night or the early morning hours with thoughts of specific things you should do for certain missionaries. Do not ignore these thoughts. They are promptings from the Holy Ghost who will communicate with you in the stillness of the night or the peace of the early morning hours. He will speak to you then because that is when you are still enough to hear."

Elder Scott further instructed us to keep a notebook beside our bed so that we could record these precious promptings. He said that by the next morning, we would be likely to forget the promptings if we didn't write them down.

We have been astonished at the fulfillment of Elder Scott's prophetic words. We have received many promptings in the exact manner that Elder Scott described. We are so thankful that Elder Scott taught us how to recognize and act upon these precious promptings. Had he not taught us, we may not have given these promptings the attention they require.

Nearly two-and-one-half weeks ago, I was awakened at around 4:00 AM by just such a prompting. I did not hear a voice, but the thought was as clear as if it had been in the form of spoken words: "There is going to be an earthquake. Prepare your missionaries." I sat up in bed and immediately remembered Elder Scott's counsel. That morning I told Larry what had happened. He immediately set to work organizing our missionaries to prepare for an earthquake.

In talking with our office missionaries to arrange for them to put together a list of everything we would need to prepare...in both Spanish and English...we discovered that the Lord had also let two of our office missionaries know of the possibility of an earthquake (in the form of dreams) and the need to prepare our mission.

We set a goal and arranged our schedule so that we could visit every apartment in the mission to check for safety and to review with our missionaries what to do in case of an earth quake. What a wonderful experience we have had as we have met with them and shared scriptures with them about being spiritually and physically prepared. "...if ye are prepared, ye shall not fear" (D&C 38:30).

We instructed every missionary to have a "go-bag" (36 hour kit). We reviewed our emergency action plan with them of where to go and what to do if they had phone service and in case they did not. We gave everyone a paper with all instructions in English and Spanish, and we reminded them that "this life is the time to prepare to meet God" (Alma 34:32-34). We shared with them our thoughts and feelings about the need for spiritual and physical safety.

Some of them became frightened and asked us if we knew something they didn't know. We smiled and repeated "...if ye are prepared, ye shall not fear." We didn't want to unduly alarm them, but we did want to impress upon them the need to be prepared. We tearfully reminded them of our recent transfer conference where we had shared our feelings about our dear Elder McKay Burrows who was unexpectedly called home in January while serving his mission in Romania...how he was prepared in every way to meet God. We reissued our challenge to "be prepared" in every way. Then we knelt with them in their apartment and dedicated each apartment, asking for a blessing of safety and security to be upon every apartment.

When the earthquake came, we were prepared. We did not experience the panic that many felt. We knew we were prepared. Because of the words of the Lord's chosen Apostle, Elder Scott, we had listened and heeded the quiet, but clear promptings of the Holy Ghost. We were blessed with peace in the midst of chaos. We learned an important lesson: our preparation helped us to avoid panic and fear, but the Lord, in His wisdom, allowed us to experience enough discomfort to know that He has all power. He is in charge. We are nothing without Him. We are dependent upon Him for every breath we take. Only He can save us from death and destruction. He is the way, the truth, and the life. He is our perfect example. If we follow Him, we will be saved through obedience to the laws and ordinances of His Gospel.

As the earthquake became more violent, the mission home groaned and wailed. The power died, so the whole city was black. The windows made a hideous screeching sound, and flying objects banged against swaying walls. The printer/fax machine, books, book ends, and fifty-pound television burst from the entertainment center and crashed to the floor, cabinets emptied, drawers flew open, the refrigerator moved, water sloshed out of the toilets, the floor jolted up and down as we ran across it trying to hold onto the walls to keep from falling down, and the piano toppled over like a small toy. As we made our way to the back yard, I remember thinking, "God is all-powerful. He is our only refuge from this horrible mess." I prayed and prayed for Him to still the earth.

When we reached the back yard, we watched in terror. By the light of the moon we could see the swimming pool water form giant waves and crash out onto the rocks. House and car alarms screamed into the night...some from being crushed by falling debris and others, I guess, from the bizarre movement of the earth. I am not sure if the intense rumbling sounds came from the earth itself or from everything else that was shaking so violently. Finally, it stopped.

When the calm came, we had to sit down because our legs were weak and unstable. My legs stayed wobbly all day and night yesterday. Today the muscles in my legs hurt like I ran a marathon. The aftershocks have been extremely unsettling. Each one begins like the one last night started. We just close our eyes and wait to see if it escalates or dies down. .I have never experienced anything like this!

We were awakened this morning by a very strong after shock. Larry jumped out of bed and yelled, "Welcome to another glorious day in Chile!" We just had to laugh. We moved a mattress into the floor in our bedroom and made Landon sleep in our room. He was in his room with the door locked the night before and we couldn't wake him up. He never locks his door, but he was playing a joke on Larry because every morning Larry wakes him at 5:30 AM for seminary by tickling him unmercifully. So Landon had decided to stop him.

When we couldn't open his door, in the middle of the quake, we thought he was trapped, so we screamed and banged. Landon thought that everything was falling off the walls because we were banging so hard on the door. I think we scared him more than the earthquake did!

Today, we attended a strong ward where Larry was invited to speak. The entire chapel and beyond was filled. People were so humble and so teachable. Larry taught the importance of doing the small things. He taught about Jesus Christ and the opportunity we have to love one another and to share what we have with others.

It was a great blessing for us to be with these beautiful Chilean people. Some have lost their homes...or at least parts of their homes. But they are strong and they want to serve the Lord. He taught of the scripture in Luke 21:11,13 which says, "and great earthquakes shall be in divers places...and it shall turn to you for a testimony." He also welcomed the sweet young woman who was in the congregation with the missionaries...her first time attending church...and then he invited her to be baptized from the pulpit. He asked her to please invite us to her baptism, and she said, "I will." The Lord always knows what His people need.

Landon was reading in Alma 15:17 today. He said, Mom listen to this. This is what is happening here in Chile just like in happened in Ammonihah. The people were humbled and "checked as to the pride of their hearts and began to humble themselves before God, watching and praying continually that they might be delivered from Satan, and from death, and from destruction."

Our hearts are filled to the brim with gratitude for all of the blessings we have received in the Chile Santiago East Mission. We see miracles every day. In the midst of great pain and suffering, we can always find our Savior. He stands with His arms open, pleading for all of us to humble ourselves and come unto Him. He loves us. He invites us to accept His gift...the atonement. He invites us to repent. He wants us to love one another and to serve one another. He wants us to bring our families and those we love to Him. We can do it. We can do all that He asks, no matter how difficult it may seem. "With God all things are possible"

We are having a devotional tomorrow for all of our missionaries to talk about the last week of Christ's life in preparation for Easter. We want to remind our missionaries to teach and preach with increased vigor of Christ. Last Monday in our office meeting, Larry suddenly stopped in the middle, and said, "During the prayer, I had a very strong impression that March 2010 is going to be our best baptizing month we have ever had in this mission."

Now we know why he received that feeling. We are going to prepare to bring many souls to the waters of baptism in March. Please continue to pray for us and for the people of Chile. Please pray for the missionaries to have strength and courage to do all that is being required of them, even in difficult times.

We are so thankful that the tsunami did not turn out badly in Hawaii. Who would ever think that an earthquake in Chile could threaten the shores of Hawaii? Thankfully, the Lord is in charge. He is the one to whom we must turn for refuge from every storm. He has the power to save us.

Editor’s Note:

The letter ends here, but President and Sister Laycock told us:

“We’ve never experienced anything like the earthquake. We have had 90 aftershocks, some stronger than others. Our legs are wobbly. It is a scary feeling to experience an aftershock because it brings back all the feelings we had during the earthquake.

“We love being with our missionaries. Because they were prepared, they were immediately able to turn their attention to helping others. They were never concerned about themselves. They were concerned with those who need help and by mid-morning the day of the earthquake, we were able to dispatch them to help others. We told them to investigate the needs of their neighbors and help in any way they could.

President Laycock noted, “The Spanish translation of Luke 21:13 says that there will be earthquakes in many places, and it will give you the occasion to bear testimony. We met with 10 sisters this morning, and one of them mentioned a neighbor next door whom they always asked if she would have time to speak with them, and she always said no. Yet in the crescendo of the toll of the earthquake, she was speechless with fear and not prepared. When the sisters said, ‘Could we pray with you?’, she answered, ‘I have time to pray with you.’ It opened the door to a teaching opportunity to share the gospel.
President and Sister Laycock said, “Everyone we talk to has been so willing to talk about Christ and God’s power. We’ve been sharing God’s love with them. We are seeing God’s love everywhere. People are reaching out to one another. They are serving one another. The news reports looting. We are seeing a different side. We are seeing people who want to communicate with God, who are sincerely looking for the truth.”

Here is the link:

http://www.ldsmag.com/churchupdate/100303chile.html#_begart

The "Lovely" Month

Another month has gone by way to fast (unless you ask Taylor and he'll say not fast enough:)!

It has been freezing cold, so we have had a LOT of time to spend inside together (Cruz, Rosie, and myself) driving each other bonkers!

Here a few of the fun times we've had this past February!















I was lucky enough to get the flu...twice! That is when Taylor took the lovely picture of Cruz and I. Cruz was so sweet, he really wanted to give me loves, but the last thing Tay and I wanted was Cruz puking along with mommy.






We all had a great Valentines day! Cruz loved his new bath crayons and Rosie looked so cute in her little outfit (Thanks Nana and Papa!)
Cruz also came home with a battle wound from Nursery...a scratch on his forehead. He had to wear the band-aid all day long!

Rosie is growing like a weed. We took her to the doctor last week and she weighed in at a whopping 12lbs. and 25 in. long! She also got another round of shots and she HATES them! She is less than fun to be around for a good 48 hours following:( She is also working on rolling over as well as giggling! One of her favorite times of the day is...bath time with Cruz.












Cruz is the sweetest little man! He is keeping us on our toes. His new thing, is that he hates when there is any arguing or contention! Even if we are not fighting and Cruz thinks we are...he is yelling at us to "STOP IT NOW!...STOP IT!" He is starting to talk in full blown sentences and it is so nice to be able to have a conversation with him.

My sweet husband spoiled me on Valentines Day too! He was a busy man. He cooked me dinner and took care of the kids! He also bought me some new jewelry! He is so sweet to me...I am a lucky woman! I am so thankful for him and all that he does for me!

Well, we are both VERY busy with our church callings and Tay with school! The kids keep my schedule full and interesting. We are adjusting to life in Tennessee and are looking forward to a sunny Spring! We miss you all!

Love You!

Are YOU working on your food storage?

You just never know when disaster might strike. I was truly touched as I was watching the news after the earthquake in Chile this past weekend. This particular disaster hit home for us, as our brother and friend, Teigan, is serving a mission in Chile very near the epicenter. We were all extremely worried and shocked by this tragedy. It was so stressful not to know where Teigan was or how he was doing. However, we were so thankful for our faith. It was comforting to know that even though he was in the middle of this horrifying event, he was in the best hands possible...the Lord's. As we knelt as a family to pray for Uncle Teig. we were filled with the peace and comfort that the Lord would take care of him. A few hours after the quake we found out that all of the LDS missionaries were accounted for; finally, last night we received a short email from Elder Lies himself bringing us confirmation that he was safe.
As I was watching the new coverage of this event and the warnings of the tsuanmi that would follow, I was alarmed by the coverage of the immediate empty shelves and long lines at grocery stores of people trying to get food and water to sustain them. We have been warned for YEARS that we need to get our food storage. This was just another testimony to me that we MUST be prepared. Our families food storage is definitely nothing to brag about, but we are working on it. You never know when you are going to need it!
Anyway, I don't want to be preachy, just thought I would share my thoughts:) Again, we are so thankful that Teigan is safe and in the best hands. Work on your food storage...even if it is one box of rice and a bottle of water, you have to start somewhere!
Love you all!
Josie

"Oh Crap"

(PROLONGED, LOUD, ...GIGGLES... FART, then) "Oh CRAP, there was a SPLATTER with that one! I really need to master the art of FARTING like Daddy does it!" (Sniffs) "I'm NOT short on smell howeva'." (wiggles in poop) "Hey... a little HELP ova here!"

OH CRAP...

For those of you who haven't heard...this is Cruz's new favorite saying. His imagination is growing everyday and lately he is playing on his own more and more. I have so much fun listening to his little conversations he has with himself. He drops a toy...oh crap. He trips over a toy...oh crap. He stubs his toe...oh crap. He totally cracks me up. However, I am afraid to admit that this little saying, "oh crap" came from me. I am swiftly becoming more aware of the things that I say. Oh Cruz...you are such a great teacher!

Another funny thing...

Cruz has the sweetest, most tender little spirit. Taylor and I were playing the Wii the other day and were getting quite frustrated that we couldn't beat a certain level (yes Taylor should have been studying and I should have been cooking dinner or something more productive, but we couldn't quit until we beat the level) on Mario. Well, apparently we were "expressing our frustrations" and Cruz thought we were fighting with each other. He was very quick to reprimand us for our bad behavior. He immediately began yelling at the top of his lungs "Daddy, Mommy, STOP IT!" Aren't children wonderful?

Anyway, I needed something to chuckle about and this came to mind. Hope you enjoyed it!

An Update...

Growing and ever changing...

almost a smile...

so much fun...

those big, beautiful eyes...

Rosie cracks us up, because she will be sitting up in the corner of the couch and the next thing we know...she's snoring. It is so adorable!

Once he's in...you can't get him out! Cruz loves taking a bath...usually:)

Thanks to our friends the Evan's from back home, Cruz got some of the cutest little Bee slippers!

Cruz is always wanting to hold Rosie.
He holds her and kisses her continually. He is such a sweet big brother!

While we were home in Montana, we blessed our new bundle. Here are a few pictures, but I am hoping to post a few more.

A Proud Daddy...

Rosie looks so beautiful.
Just for those who didn't know, she got to wear my blessing dress. I thought that was pretty cool:)

We love our daddy and had so much fun spending the holidays with him.
Now that were are back in Tennessee, both kids are daddy's kids.
Cruz gets so excited when he hears the front door unlocking; Rosie gets goo goo eyes every time Taylor looks at her...me to0!

Grandma and Grandpa-Great spoiled us all!
We love them and had so much fun spending time with them.

Thanks to all the helping hands, Taylor and I were able to get out on our own a few times. This particular excursion was ice skating...naturals!

The plane rides went well going both directions.
Thank heavens for DVD players!

Rosie and Daddy on the plane.

Our trip home was successful and so much fun!
Thanks to all those who helped make it a stress-free trip...and a trip at all!
We love you all and can't wait 'til the next go round!

Just a side note, but church got canceled, because we got so much snow. Believe it or not it is actually a winter wonderland out here today!
ENJOY!