Still kickin'

Just wanted to say we're still lovin' life! Super busy!

It's so funny that I thought I'd be blogging once a week. Remember that little plan? Ha ha ha ha ha haaaaa!!! That was BEFORE #2 came along. I do e-mail like once a week, facebook maybe every other week, if that. Oh, I dunno, did I blog last week? I can't even remember. It's all a blur. Well, anyway, I'm trying to improve scripture study and frankly, I need 10 min of scriptures way more.

Will my house ever be clean??? I was going to expound, but I'll leave it at that.

Richard is camping with the ward (boys). Starting Tues. Richard will have a final every other day for TWO WEEKS, Saturday included!!! ARGHLEBKLEGH!!!! Who is that lamer for him or me? Oh man, trust me, I'd rather be a mom/homemaker than a vet student! But I already miss his guts and finals haven't even started. Pity party for me. The Sabbath has never been a sweeter commandment. I'm so thankful he doesn't study on Sundays.

Isabelle and Wendell are doing well. He's actually sick -again-. But seems to already be getting better. I didn't get much sleep at all last night, but we three got good naps today. I think mine was longer than I shouldn't have let it be since it's after 11 and I'm still up! Not good!!

I'd better get to bed.

Wendell Rolls Over!

So-- my kids have grown up over night!

Isabelle used to call herself "Ah-bes" (like Isabelle, only putting the s at the end), and now she uses "Isabelle" a lot of the time. That alone just makes her seem so much older. She enunciates so well when she speaks. She used to call Dixon "Dickens" and now she says that right too. (It's funny because when she says Isabelle right, she sometimes follows it with saying "Dixon," like, "Look, here's the other tricky one I've mastered.")

Then tonight at dinner she out-of-the-blue said the prayer all by herself. She hasn't been praying at mealtimes for weeks. She's been saying she wants us to do it. Then tonight she prayed, "Heavenly Father, thank thee for the food. Amen."

And earlier today... Wendell rolled over by himself for the first time!! Then a few hours after that he started some crawling action!

I'd better get to bed.

Life is good.

Wendell's baby blessing

Friends Forever

(They really do really like each other!) Isabelle has come to be one of Wendell's favorite people. I wonder if that's one reason babys like high pitched voices so much- their fellow little people have high pitched voices. Isabelle doesn't have to use "parentese", she just naturally has this little bitty high voice. He just loves it, even when she's not trying to make him smile. She's become a lot more gentle and loving towards him too. (Thank goodness! She was getting really feisty there for a little while.) I can't think of many things that have brought my heart more joy than seeing my two beautiful children interact in joy and love. It really is a blessed sight. That alone truly makes all the little sacrifices worthwhile.

Isabelle has a fetish with stickers on her face lately. She was the hit at playgroup- other kids trying to take her stickers. A trend-setter from the start.

Seriously the cutest baby on the planet. (What? Me, biased?)

Visitors
Monday March 16th to Friday the 20th was Richard's Spring Break. We were lucky enough to have Grandma and Grandpa Brooksby (Brenda and Craig) and Great-grandma (Beth) fly out from Cali to visit from Wednesday the 18th to the following Monday. They were here for Wendell's baby blessing on March 22.

The following are some pictures from their visit:

It was a really neat experience to go to Liberty Jail where Joseph Smith and others were innocently incarcerated. This site is testimony that blessing can stem from trials; the Prophet Joseph received comfort and instruction as revealed through the Lord, which is recorded in the Docterine and Covenants scriptures.

City Park playground. Isabelle made a routine of running to Grandma after going down the slide.

Richard gave a little tour of the vet school. Complete with horses (Isabelle's favorite part) and a brand new foal.

Isabelle holds Wendell after church the day he received his baby blessing from Daddy. She was very interested in the concept of him getting a baby blessing and has talked about it on numerous occasions since the day. She links together when she got a blessing for health last month, when we use the word "blessing" or "blessed" and Wendell's baby blessing. I recently taught her more about the priesthood and the general authorities (as we prepare for General Conference.) It's really neat to see the little wheels turning in her mind as she learns about the gospel.

Just a happy little mini-man.

So windy! But I still like this picture. I wonder what the literal mathematical probability of getting a perfect family picture is? And by perfect, I really only mean, everyone's hair and clothes are nice and everyone is looking and smiling at the camera. Hmm... One day. Maybe. (It had better be before we have another one though because that probability drops with every addition!)

Brenda, Beth, Richard, Isabelle, Wendell, Amy. Blessing Day, Manhattan, KS, outside our apartment.

In our living room, Grandpa and Grandma Brooksby with their first two grandkids. (Two more on the way.)

4 Generations. (Grandpa) Craig Brooksby, (Daddy)Richard Brooksby, (Great-grandma) Beth Brooksby. Wendell is named after Beth's husband (and middle name is after Amy's Mom's Dad, Mac.)

Big sister, little brother shirts.

Mommy's tickling him. He loves it.

Richard must have gotten some of his baby-skills from Craig. Wendell is really comfortable with Grandpa-- (a mutual fondness.)

2kids, 2videos

Isabelle taking care of Wendell (2/28/09).

Wendell started laughing a couple weeks ago. This is one of his first laughs; (recorded 2/28/09). It's so fun. The doctor said that it's early for him to be laughing. We were also told he started smiling early.