A smile never to be forgotten!

Right before Tatem and I went to Ohio and Indiana, we made a stop in Utah to visit our family and friends. One family we visited was Coby and Tiffany, and their boys (their monkeys) Corbin and Jackson. They are our best friends from our Michigan days. Dinner didn't turn out quite like Tiffany was expecting so Coby ran to Wendys and brought home some burgers. One soda was shared between all of us, Jackson making sure his portion was in his favorite cup with a straw. We enjoyed a fun dinner while we all stole fries from Cobrin. Well, I know I was eating fries that weren't my own.


The next day Tiffany and I took our kids to the Gateway Olympic Fountain. Corbin and Jackson ran around in delight as the water splashed all around them. Corbin would let the water spray him in the face, while Jackson kept his face toward the sky drinking his empty bottle. Tatem got a kick out of watching both of them giggle and squeal being soaked and amused by the dancing water. I got a kick out of watching Tiffany! She was giggling and squealing just as much as her boys were. I remember thinking 'now there's a mom who knows how to have fun with her kids'. I think Cobrin and Jackson enjoyed every adventure that much more because they knew their Mom was enjoying it too.

A week ago we received the devastating news that Jackson drowned and passed away later at the hospital. The heavens opened for a brief moment and allowed the angels to take home our friend, little blue eyed baby boy, Jackson. My heart ached for Coby and Tiffany. I cried knowing their pain must be so unbearable. With broken hearts, yet with renewed assurance of the peace and hope the gospel brings, Ian and I held Tatem a little tighter that day.

We were able to attend the funeral services for Jack and were honored to learn more about the life and mission of this sweet boy. I also felt honored to be associated with, and to give a big hug to Coby and Tiffany knowing they are the parents of a very choice, noble son of God. Though they may have been feeling broken and empty inside, I could feel an indescribable strength that came from the both of them when they were standing together.

It's at times like this that the Gospel becomes so real to me. The Atonement really happened. God gave his only begotten Son. The covenants we make in the temple are binding. Our families can be forever! Thank you Coby and Tiffany for your examples of courage, selfless love, faith, and commitment to your personal testimonies. Thank you Jackie for your signature smile, your energy, your laugh, your curiosity, your joy!

If I could stop time...

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

My sister OLDER sister MARCI celebrated her 39th birthday (in Utah), then two weeks later my OLDER brother JEFF celebrated his 38th birthday (in Weiser). We were lucky enough to be there for both parties!

Jeff requested sweet and sour meatballs for his birthday dinner. We all happily dished up plate fulls and overstuffed ourselves. At the end of the meal Jeff and Becky announced the meatballs were made with...ELK and DEER and MOOSE and RABBIT and WORMS and ANCHOVIES...and...well, I can't remember really what they said but I know it was some of the stuff mentioned above. "Gee, that's great bass!"

Highlights of our trip to Weiser:

• Jeff and his amazingly obedient dogs in action.

• My niece Ashley in the High School marching band.

• Ian and Adam returning home from a trail run with about a million mesquito bites each leg - then seeing a large poster warning of West Nile Virus in the area posted in the church foyer.

• Adam. Just Adam. He's very entertaining.

• Mom. Just Mom. She's very entertaining.

• Dad sitting in his rocking chair with a cookie in one hand and a Popsicle in the other.

• Cookies. And lots of 'em. Too many of 'em, huh Adam!

• Football on Mom and Dads new flat screen.

• Kaiah and Brennan getting an education on gofers from Grandpa. "We are the gofer girls, we always gofer guys, they never gofer us. We wonder why? fffft, ffft, ffft"
• Skip-bo with Jeff and his kids. 7 year old Brook saying "Aunt Natalie, I'm going to let you win" and with that she layed down a 12 to clear away a full pile so on my next turn, I could play my 1 and win. What a sweet angle! And as if it were slow motion, Brook then took the last card in her hand and layed it down...it was a ONE!! She laughed like an evil villan!
  

Lip smacking good!

Tatem loves to suck in her lips going from top to bottom lip about a hundred miles an hour. It makes a funny noise and I think she likes the way it feels on her gums. I always thought it was cute and pretty funny...until yesterday when I noticed her poor little runny nose had reached her lips. SICK!! Not that cute anymore!

We're having a PAJAMA DAY!

Ian spread his sick-o germs every where
and now Tatem has a Man Cold.
She's our mouth breather of the week!

First time

MOM and DAD: Hey Tatem - do you want to try some solids today?
TATEM: * raspberry *,interpreted means, "Oh, you mean the single grain rice cereal fortified with iron that all my friends have been talking about? Sure! Bring it on!"

Oh my gosh, Re-do Re-do, I wasn't ready!

now what? no seriously... now what?I'm . not . sure . you . realize . how . much . I . . . I . . .. . . I love this stuff!Here! Put it in here! Come on, come on! You're too slow - let me do it myself!I love it, I love it, I love it!

Dad - Mom - have you guys tried this stuff? I can't wait for you to see what my poopies
are going to look like after this!
Thanks guys!

OH NO !!

Ian has a MAN COLD !
"poor little bunny"
click for youtube video of MAN COLD

The Davidson Family

Over Labor Day weekend we were able to go meet

Sweet Baby Payton

and visit with her sisters...
Sydneyand TaylorTheir Daddy, Collin, and Ian served their missions together in the Micronesian Islands.And the adorable mommy of this beautiful family is Anita. She's Wonder Woman! Tatem enjoyed her time playing with the big girls while she waited for Payton to wake up...which she never did! So, I guess we will just have to come and visit again.

And we will for sure be going back to Fire House Pizza for another one of those amazingly delicious cookies with ice cream on top! I think it's a "must visit" for every time we go to Utah now! Thanks for the fun time Davidson Family! We love you guys!

What More Could A Girl Ask For?

Not only does Ian enjoy* fixing dinner, doing the laundry, vacuuming the house - he also enjoys* canning apple sauce! Some have been heard saying, "Poooor Eeeeeean!" But I say, "LUCKY ME!"

* "enjoy" used loosely

Our awesome friends, Wendi and Spencer, helped us can apple sauce for the first time. I swear, Wendi is one of those people who knows how to do everything. AND, she has ROCKBAND so you know she's WAY COOL! We spent the day at her mom's house canning, watching football, tennis, and golf, canning, eating, canning, laughing, canning, and working ourselves to pure exhaustion. I had to laugh at the above pictures because I'm supposed to be photographing the fruits of our labors, but all you can see: SODA and CHIPS!! I also had to laugh earlier in the day when Wendi's dad, Pat, popped his head into the kitchen and announced, in the midst of our hard work, "Hey, you know they are having a case sale on applesauce next week!" NOW I know why bets were placed on Pat or Ian to see who would work the hardest (interpreted as "the lest").

What do I enjoy most about canning applesauce? The mushy peels, cores, and seeds that come out in a nicely formed poop log. However, the job of Plunging and Churning are up for grabs next year - I've already spoken for the job of Overseeing Manager because I'm seriously not enjoying my tight, sore shoulder muscles today. We were canning at a home on the golf course, with a beautiful garden - I had to take advantage of the photo opportunity with my Ian and Tatem. The Fruits of our Labors!

Now I know why people take pride in doing this domestic activity. I was feeling really good about our work! Take notice of Wendi's Apple Pie Filling!! Definitely on my list of things to can next year! Or, at least figure out how to can the smell of it!!

Thanks for letting us visit!

WE MISS HANNAH ! ! !

WE MISS AUNT LINDSAY!

WE MISS UNCLE KEITH!!!

Thanks for letting us come and read books, and swing, and play,

and most especially,
THANKS FOR LETTING US BE
PART OF "THE BAND".

We love you and miss you!
(dont hate, Lindz!)
P.S. to all of our fans: Please feel free to watch our Music Video again and again. It gets funnier every time, I promise. And, by the way, we are looking for a new lead guitarist since Keith never shows up to band practice. He's always doing something less important, like working at the hospital or something. Whatev! Try outs are on Saturday.

Tatems 4 Month Doctors Appointment

Remember, this blog is also my journal so please don't judge me for the things I report. It's simply for record purposes. However, at the end of this post, if you feel my baby is advanced for her age, then I wont stop you.

We miraculously arrived on time for our appointment, the nurse took us to the back and had us strip Tatem down to her onise and a dry diaper in preparation for weighing in. Well, once again, her outfit did not consist of a onies, so she was naked in the cold dr's office sporting only a cute hair bow and a diaper.

She weighed in at a whopping 13 pounds!

She has moved from the 5th percentile in everything to the 25th percentile in everything. And like a good mother, I have no idea what that means.

While waiting for the Doctor, Tatem ripped to shreds the ineffective germ protecting butcher paper that was pulled over the examination table. And, like a good mother, I didn't stop her.

And just as the Doctor came into the room, I picked Tatem up off the table only to find that the table was completely soaked and the butcher paper was now a consistency of paper mache, the kind that makes a great pinata! (We must have used one of those liquid repellent diapers that seem to surface every once in a while.) So, like a good mother, I let the daddy clean it up. And like a good daddy, he made use of a good 40 feet of the butcher paper to mop up the wetness. Are we white trash, or what?

We were given a sheet of paper titled "4 month milestones: what all babies should be doing by their 4th month" We were to put a check by all that applied.

say mama
sign mama
say mama in Chinese
sign 12 barnyard animals
say moo and meow
walk with limited assistance
eat steak
do own laundry

Well, crap, my child doesn't do all that!

So, I guess as punishment for her lack of advancement they gave Tatem some kind of awful tasting medicine they expected her to swallow, and three shots. She was ticked. But I guess it's her own fault for only knowing how to sign 5 barnyard animals and liking chicken instead of steak!

When asked how she liked her trip to the doctors office today, Tatem had this to say:She's making the spitting raspberry sound because she can do that even though it was not on the list of things a 4 month old should be able to do. SEE! Isn't she so advanced for her age?

I don't even know why she has such large peepers!
Doesn't really need them since she uses her tongue like an insect uses its antennae.

Just checkin' things out.