Friday, February 13, 2009












Who
Loves
Cori?










Cassie and Mike Love Cori.








Grandma Iris loves Cori.










Adam loves Cori.











Boots the pig loves Cori.








Esther and Brett love Cori.









Monroe and Eric love Cori.










Nika loves Cori.









Liza and James love Cori.







Christ loves Cori.









Dad and Mom love Cori.











Ava and Jonah love Cori.












Katrina and Daryl love Cori.




We all love you Cori!

Love


John 15:13 "Greater love hath no man that this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."
John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
As tomorrow is Valentine's Day and my heart is hurting over some personal matters in my family, and Daryl and I went on a great date tonight, I have been thinking about love. Love is sacrifice without complaint. Love is losing yourself serving other and therefore finding yourself. Love is holding hands and giving long hugs. Love is freely giving sincere compliments. Love is calling people to see how they are. Love is standing up a few stairs, just to give your tall husband a kiss. Love is putting your hand in the small of my back. Love is wildflowers in the highway median. Love is making someone chicken, when you don't eat meat. Love is staying up all night with a sick baby. Love is getting a surprise letter in the mail. Love is listening with yours eyes and your ears and your heart. Love is forgiving. Love is praying for others. Love is sacrifice.
p.s. thank you Adam for the picture.

Friday, February 6, 2009

We are alive and well



I don't know who even reads this besides my family but just in case other people do, I wanted to let you know we are alive and well:) Obviously having two kids is a lot different than having one and much busier, so that is my excuse for not posting sense Jonah was born. We are having so much fun though with two. It is amazing to see how much those two love each other. Jonah was definitely born at just the right time.
Jonah has just been such a sweet baby. He is very mellow and calm and loves to smile and laugh and explore. Occasionally he sounds like a male teapot (Ava was a girl teapot when she was a baby), but we all just think it is funny. He loves to roll and scoot around on his belly to get whatever object that looks like it would fit in his mouth. He chews on everything so we are having to be careful what gets dropped anywhere near him. Jonah helps me gain perspective when on a more than a few occasions I am frustrated about something and I look over at him and he is just smiling away at me as if to say, "it is okay mom. everything is great". You are right son, it is. He is still a great eater and a month ago weighed 16 lbs 6 oz, so I am pretty sure he weighs quite a bit more now. We will find out at his 6 months appointment in a few weeks. I really can't believe he is almost 6 months old already! I don't know what we did without him. He really shines bright and completes our family.
Ava is an amazing little girl who also enriches our lives so much. She teaches me so many important things every day. Ava loves to read books, do starfall.com and the LDS friend magazine website, eat fruit and cheese, pretend like she is going to school or doing homework, dance, play the "pah-piano", do chores so she can put stickers on her chore chart, take baths, color pictures, build block buildings and temples, give her brother toys, get diapers and wipes for me to change Jonah, help me empty the dishwasher and put every dish on her head like a hat, watch little einstein, go to nursery at church, play with any of her wonderful cousins, read the LDS friend magazine, read her scriptures (kid versions), pray, look at pictures, sing songs (many days she sings more than she talks, and that is a lot!), help me cook, call her dad on the phone, make grocery lists, pretend to use the big potty, push her stroller around, carry purses and bags all over, be a mommy to her doll, etc. Recent quotes; "let's get me in the bath mom", "dot com dad, starfall dot com", as she ran to the bathroom "I have to go number three!", "thanks for helping me clean up my mess mom", "it is okay mom, it was an accident. I am sorry", "we don't play with poo poo and we don't play with fire, right mom?", "we don't pull hair Jonah", as she was reading a book "once upon a time a little Ava was born. she not in heaven anymore", to Jonah in the car "hi buddy! how you doing?", "I make Jonah happy mom! I make him smile". She is also such a bright light in our lives and we feel extremly blessed to have both of them in our little family.
As for Daryl and I. We are both going to school. Daryl is going super full time (29 credits) and I am taking 6 credits. It is a hard thing to balance, but we are learning a lot, praying a ton, and it is working out. We are very excited to both keep on a plan so we graduate together in spring of next year. You are all invited to our graduation!
Life is great and we are so grateful to a loving Father above who watches over all his children. Thanks for reading this and I will try to post more often!