Joshua's Birthday

Our little Joshua is now officially two years old! He's been acting like a two-year-old (in a good way) for so long, it's nice to have his age finally catch up with him. We went to Organ Stop Pizza (at Southern and Stapley in Mesa) for a fun birthday dinner on Saturday, then had Grandma and Grandpa Strickland over for cake and ice cream on Sunday. Joshua missed his nap on Sunday and was so tired he fell asleep before my parents got here, and slept through most of their visit! But he still had a good birthday.

At Organ Stop:

This was so fun for the boys. They thought the organ was so cool, and clapped with everyone else after all the songs. You'll notice we don't have any good pictures of Joshua looking at us...that's because he wouldn't look away from the organ long enough to get his picture taken. He loved it. And the pizza was good, too, of course.

On Sunday:

Adam blew out the candles for Joshua first. (Joshua was asleep, he couldn't exactly do it.) We all had our cake and then visited for a while, and then when Joshua woke up we sang to him (again) and put candles in his little piece of cake for him to blow out. It took him a few tries, because well-meaning family members kept trying to show him how to do it and accidently blowing out the candles, but eventually he got it.

We are so glad to have this sweet boy in our family! We love him more than we can say, and he brings such happiness into our home. Happy Birthday, Joshua! We love you!

Irrigation!

We got irrigation on Saturday, and the boys (all three of them) had a good ol' time playing in it. I was camerawoman. In this video, John was throwing baby oranges (that had fallen off the tree) up in the air and the boys thought it was so cool! We especially love Adam's laugh there. What a fun boy. Here are some more pictures:

That picture of Joshua is my favorite. What a cutie!

FYI- Adam's not chasing Joshua with that stick, he's running next to him. I think they're probably chasing John.

Good times, good times!

Finally!

Anna wanted to wait until I had a job so she could report all the good news at the same time. So, I'll start back on Monday where I was working before we went to Idaho. The difference now is that it'll feel more temporary, even if I stay longer than I did before. I have my degree and I'll eventually be able to leave. For now though, it's an income, with benefits, which is better than waiting until I find something better.

We need to appologize to all our Idaho friends that may have wondered if we even made it safely to AZ. We're here and we're happy and healthy. Anna and I are currently serving as Sunbeam Teachers in our ward. We loving being Adam's teachers. We got to be Joshua's teachers in Rexburg and we loved that too.

Anna also has good news for those who didn't already know. We will be welcoming our third child to our lives and hearts this coming July/August! We're so excited for our family to grow more. We don't know yet whether the child is a boy or girl, but perhaps we'll find out soon.

I wish I could think of more news, but it's late and I can't think strait right now. Maybe Anna will post something if she thinks of anything else.

Thankful Sunday #5

We are packing up and moving back to Arizona this week! So this will be the last of this series of thankful posts for the time being. I am thankful for:

1. Boxes. Boxes. Boxes. I am thankful for good boxes that we got from the cannery in Mesa and are still, three moves later (working on the fourth), good and sturdy. And I'm thankful that so many of them are packed and stacked against the wall in our bedroom. Many more will join them this week.

2. Getting to church this morning with no bad feelings or sad kids. We weren't on time...but we were all happy, which was an improvement over some other occasions. Joshua decided this morning, as we were hurrying to get him dressed, that he did not want to wear diapers any more. Suffice it to say, it took a little longer to get him ready than we had anticipated. But it was okay. And Adam did great getting ready, which was very helpful.

3. Life experiences that give perspective and understanding.

4. Painters. They didn't paint our apartment before we moved in, so hopefully they were already planning on painting after we move out :). We've done really well at keeping the walls clean, until today, when Joshua got ahold of a red Sharpie marker and added this lovely artwork to my closet door:

Turns out even Magic Erasers don't take that stuff off! But what a cute artist. We sure love him.

5. Simple Christmases. This year will be a little different because we're moving in the middle of December, but you know, I think it will be just as nice. We'll be together, and we'll be with family, and it will be a good opportunity to remember what Christmas is really about, without getting caught up in the details. I love to remember our Savior, that he began life even more humbly than we, that he gave us a perfect example, that he went through all that he did, for us. I love him, and love the chance to celebrate his birth with my children, and teach them about him.

6. The gift of song. I have always loved to sing, and now that I've become a mother, this talent has become even more special to me. I love to sing to my children, and I'm grateful for a voice that was made to sing lullabies.

7. Great movies. We watched one of my favorites, It's a Wonderful Life, on Friday. I am grateful for the chance to share movies like that with my children. They lift me up and help me remember what is most important.

Love you all! Merry Christmas!

Thankful Sunday #4--Only One to Go!

1. Prayer. I am so thankful that I can pour out my heart to my Father in Heaven, and I know that He hears and answers my prayers.
2. Inspiration. Those little whispers that tell me what I need to know and do to be a better mother and wife (and everything else). I'm talking mainly about little things, like when it occurs to me, all of a sudden, that the reason Adam isn't cooperating is because he's tired, not just disobedient. I believe those flashes of knowledge, wisdom or understanding are a gift from a loving Father in Heaven who knows I'm doing my best but still really need His help.
3. Low gas prices. We went to Utah for Thanksgiving for about $20 round trip. Amazing! (Hopefully they'll hold steady until we drive to Mesa in two weeks....)
4. True friends. Thank you!
5. Plants. Greenery always makes the world seem like a brighter place. And I love having a husband who takes care of all of our plants, even the ones that are "mine". It's so nice of him!
6. Enough. We've always had enough. We have food to eat, clothes to wear, a car that runs, everything we really need (and more). What a gift it is to have enough!
7. Richness. We are rich in love, life, and family. We may not be rich in money, but I think this is better.