Solutions

Over the last little while, several things have led Matt and I to rethink how we are parenting our children. We have decided to make some changes. Through lots of prayer, we keep coming back to the idea of doing a preschool type of thing at home (just with our kids), by structuring some of their playtime and doing educational activities with them for a couple of hours every day (not necessarily all at once, though - especially at first). For example, if we do a jungle animals theme, we could sing songs, do a craft of some sort, read stories, make a snack or treat, act like/pretend to be an animal, etc. all pertaining to jungle animals. The goal is to make it FUN to listen to instructions, obey, build self discipline (as much as possible with very small children), build a foundation for later education, build positive memories, and build self confidence. It will take a lot of work to get things going the way we envision (especially since neither of us have done this type of thing before), and probably won't be as formal as I laid it out to look, but I think it will still be very worth it if we stick with it.

If any of you who read this have done something like this, please leave comments as to what works, what doesn't, and any other suggestions you may have. Thanks. We are excited to make these positive changes.

Joseph

On the 27th, we celebrated the one year anniversary of the surgery I had in which a very large mass (11 lbs. 9 oz.) was removed from my abdomen. I've been in love with him ever since! Happy birthday, my sweet "little" Joseph!

This is his very first picture and has proven to be THE trademark photo that everyone remembers!

Joseph is such a joy to have in our family. At age 1, his personality is still developing, but here are some of the things that I love about Joseph so far.

• He is the BEST little snuggler! And, he likes to snuggle frequently. He puts his thumb in his mouth, wraps his little arm around my neck, lays his head on my shoulder, and tucks his little knees in, and then stays there! I love that he's such a great snuggler! I melt every time!
• Joseph is very observant and intelligent. He watches EVERYTHING that we do, especially Darren, and then tries to imitate it (with some things, he's successful after only seeing it once!). He's currently trying to figure out how to jump and walk backwards (thank you, Darren)!
• He always wants to be a part of what's going on. Especially at the dinner table. He KNOWS when he's eating something different than the rest of us, and makes sure that we know he doesn't approve!
• Joseph is very strong-willed and stubborn. When he's made up his mind about something, there is NO deterring him. This can serve him well in the adult world, but it also means there will probably be great challenges between now and then.
• He is very responsive to music. Whenever I turn some music on, or start singing, he stops what he's doing, gets a big smile on his face, and listens for a bit. It doesn't matter what I put on, his reaction is pretty much the same. He's a boy after my own heart!
• One of my favorite things about Joseph is his smile. When he looks into your eyes and smiles, it somehow penetrates your soul. I have often referred to him as my little angel baby, partially for this reason.

I love my little Joseph to pieces, and I can't believe he's already 1!! Here are some pictures from his birthday.....

His own personal cake for him to demolish

The cake for the rest of us.... Darren helped me decorate it! See the little finger swipe that goes from the tree to the edge of the pan? Well, I'm sure you can figure out what happened!

Checking out the cake... he wasn't sure what to think at first.

He decided the cake was yummy, and the mess wasn't TOO bad!

Getting washed up/stripped down (sticky mess), with AMAZING hair! The hair happened when we took off his shirt.

The boys playing with Joseph's new birthday toys

Modeling the latest fashion accessory....... He did it himself, and walked all over the house like that for awhile! It was really funny to watch live!

Florida Beaches

I grew up in Salem, OR, and at LEAST once every summer, my family would plan a day trip and go to the beach. While very beautiful, the Oregon coast is frequently foggy and cold. A hoody of some sort ALWAYS came along, and no one would get anything besides toes wet because the water was always very cold. I've been to the beach in ALL of the western states, but none of them (including California) are quite like the beaches in Florida. I LOVE the beaches here! Soft sand, great waves, very beautiful, relaxing (when you're not chasing toddlers!), and the water is WARM!! Evening is our favorite time to go: no sunscreen required, less crowded, and it's very easy to come home, put the boys in the tub, and put them in bed.

This last weekend Darren and I hit the beach for a little Mommy/Son time, and to see how big the waves were. The forecast predicted that we would have extra big waves because of Hurricane Bill. The waves were bigger, but not astronomically so -at least not when we went. However, the tide was much higher than I had seen it before. I'm not sure if was timing, or an effect from the hurricane. Either way, it was very beautiful. Especially with the sunset. Who knew you could see a beautiful sunSET in the Eastern sky!

A surfer, so you can get an idea of how big the waves were that night.

Boxes....

The best part about moving (aside from being TOTALLY done) is playing with the empty boxes! A couple nights ago, Matt brought a few in from the garage, and made a big tunnel/fort for the boys to play in. Of course, they LOVED it! Here are the pictures to prove it!

Joseph ALMOST standing up too soon.

Darren crawling out of the tunnel

Having a good time!

Joseph having a good time!

Darren's expression cracks me up.

Matt kept messing with it, claiming it had to be PERFECT so that it would last a long time. What a great Dad!

Brotherly love!

Darren opened the "window" so I could get a picture of all of them enjoying the tunnel.

The Inevitable

At some point, babies cross that threshold where they leave their infancy behind, and become a new addition to the toddler world. I think my sweet little Joseph is at that point. Of course it's inevitable at some point, but I was still enjoying his infancy! He's officially been walking for about a week now. By officially walking, I mean using his feet more than his hands and knees. Not merely just a few steps. Watch this video clip to see my 2 toddlers walking/running/dancing. I love Joseph's little booty shake - it's short, so don't blink or you'll miss it! He is so proud of himself and is so much fun. We're still working on moving in, so ignore the mess.

Darren

Yesterday, my fun, sweet little Darren turned 3 years old! In his 3 years, he has brought so much life, fun, and excitement into our family! Here are some of my favorite things about Darren (sorry for the inconsistent format - I couldn't get it fixed):

• He is such a loving and affectionate child. He gives hugs and kisses to almost everyone, his toys, his clothes, the car, the house, and even his food (that can get messy!). He still frequently snuggles with his Mommy, too (which I LOVE)!
• Darren has an INCREDIBLE memory! He STILL talks about people and events from Alaska, and he wasn't even 2 1/2 when we left. He frequently asks for his favorite babysitter from there! He remembers DETAILS from a visit with his cousin Aleia, Aunt Dixie, and Grandma Deeben 6 months ago, and that Grandma Kathy came to visit on an airplane! I don't prompt him - he brings it up out of the blue. Just yesterday, he started talking about SPECIFIC vehicles we passed on the freeway on our move here, to include a combine. Who remembers THAT stuff?! Darren, that's who!!
• My boy has a brilliant mind and pays close attention to detail! He can tell you details about all kinds of cars and trucks, and correctly identify various types of construction vehicles from a ways away (like a bulldozer, skid steer, excavater, etc.) When he plays with something, you can literally see the wheels turning in his head as he figures out every detail, masters what its intended purpose is, and then tries to reinvent what to do with it. He picks up on things very quickly. We have to be VERY careful with EVERYTHING we do and say, because it WILL be repeated!
• Darren is such a WONDERFUL big brother! He pays close attention to Joseph and is so good about trying to include him in whatever he's doing. When Joseph has a toy he wants, Darren will give Joseph one of his favorite toys as a trade, and then take the one he wants. He's gotten pretty good about sharing, and LOVES to make Joseph laugh! These two boys are already best buds!
• My son is a boy after my own heart. He LOVES music, and can often be found singing a song he knows, or even making one up. Darren also asks to listen to music everyday, and loves it when I sing to him!
• Darren has such a great sensitivity to things of a more spiritual nature. He asks to have family home evening multiple times a week. As we gather for family prayer, he frequently asks his father for a priesthood blessing. He loves to hear stories from the scriptures, and currenlty loves all things about Nephi, and stories about Joseph Smith (particularly the one where his leg has to be operated on as a boy). He likes to look at pictures of Jesus, and when he was younger, would call anyone with a beard, Jesus. Darren has ALWAYS been particularly drawn to people who are living the gospel of Jesus Christ, and I believe he can see it in their countenance.

Part of reason we named Darren what we did, was because of the meaning. His full name is Darren Matthew Coleman. Darren means "Great." Matthew means "Gift of God." So, I firmly believe his name is a perfect fit for him. He is very much a Great gift of God. This child has so much potential, and is truly amazing! I love him more than I know how to express.

Darren's birthday was an almost perfect day for Darren. We let him open presents right after breakfast, so he could spend the day enjoying his new toys - and he did! We also went for a family bikeride, which is one of his favorite things to do. A tradition we have at our house, is that the birthday person gets to pick the dinner menu! Darren picked hamburgers, corn on the cob, and watermelon! Pretty yummy! Another tradition is that the birthday person gets to pick what kind of cake and ice cream they get, and how it's decorated. Darren wanted a chocolate cake with a monster truck on it!

Darren playing with some of his new vehicles. Look at the concentration on his face, and notice the bulldozer is on the bed of a truck.

The monster truck cake. The dirt/messy look is on purpose. Darren LOVED it!

My boy and his cake!

Singing "Happy Birthday!" He blew out the candles too soon!

Opening presents!

Finally Home!

After being "homeless" for over a month, we are FINALLY in our new home! Our original plan was to buy our first home when we got here. However, after doing lots of research and looking at several homes, we decided to live in base housing. We were able to get a much nicer, newer, and bigger house this way. We had to wait a few weeks for the house to become available, but after being inside, it was more than worth the wait! We LOVE it!! Matt and I are still in shock/awe that this house - not duplex or fourplex - is enlisted military housing! Probably needless to say, we feel so incredibly blessed to be in such a great house.

Our house! This was taken at dusk, and the camera lens kept fogging up - darn humidity!

Living room! The boys were already making themselves at home!

The front entry.

Kitchen/part of family room. Since when does military housing have GRANITE countertops?!!

Front of the house on move-in day.

We are still in the unpacking/getting settled process, but every room is functional at this point, and we are totally out of our suitcases. After about 8 months of being in limbo, it's such a wonderful feeling to have a place to call home.