dance dance

Joie has become a dancing machine. When music comes on she cant even control herself...she just has to dance. It is so funny. She stands right in front of the TV and just bends her knees and bounces up and down and sticks out one of her arms and waves it up and down. It is so cute and so funny! Oh I just cant get enough of her!

auntie courtney

Well I am going to be a real auntie for the first time. I mean, I totally consider myself an aunt of 9 on Andrew's side of the family, but it just isn't the same! My awesome older brother and his adorable wife are having a baby girl in about 2 months and I am so excited! Her name is going to be Vivien and I'm sure if she looks anything like Jared or Liz she will be sooooooo pretty! We just cannot wait to meet her!

Joie Lowie's first swim

Joie went swimming for the first time today. Although the pictures may not show it, she had a blast! She was just kicking her legs and splashing the water with her hands and laughing so hard! I just cannot believe how big she is getting. She will be 9 months next weeks and there are days I still don't feel like a mom. Although, I do finally understand what my mom tried to tell me my whole life. Even though we are so poor and our schedules are so crazy and hectic, I have never had so much fun. I never thought the highlight of my day would be sitting in the front yard on one of those cheap camping lawn chairs and talking to Andrew because the baby finally went to bed, or how excited I got because Joie learned to dance. I just want to spend everyday enjoy each moment because it really does just go by way too fast.

Miss Joie

I just cannot believe how big she is getting! I am about to go out of town by myself for the first time since I had her and I am going to cry my eyes out having to leave her for 4 days! Fortunately she likes Daddy best so she probably wont even notice I'm gone! I now have advice for any future mommies out there. When you have a baby, especially your first, everyone is going to try and tell you how you have to take care of your baby and what you are doing wrong. Don't listen to anyone! Once you are a mommy you will know how to care for your own child. As long as that baby is fed, warm, clean, and loved then they will be just fine. Just be the mommy you want to be and don't let anyone else get in the way of that.

much to my suprise

I never fail to be suprised by how everything in life works the way it does. Everyone has a different name for it, but one thing is true in every culture. Call it Karma, call it the Golden Rule, call it whatever you want but I know for a fact that you will be the happiest you can be if you spend your time serving others. Ghandi said "The best way to find yourself, is to lose yourself in the service of others". I think that this universal, eternal truth is the reason that I find myself now happier than I have ever been when most of the circumstances of my life and more challanging than they have ever been. I think you learn to love someone so intensely in a marriage because you are constantly doing things for them, even just really small things.
I always knew that a parents love for their child was strong and special but I didnt fully comprehend that until now....actually I think I still don't fully comprehend that. I just know that as a mother I am almost suprised at how much I love this little person who really is just a lot of work! I realized that was the reason why I loved her so much, because I spent all of my time serving and caring for her.
It has helped me with the commandment "Love thy nieghbor as thyself" and "Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart". I didnt understand before how to learn to love my "nieghbor" (meaning everyone around me) but now I know that I will love them as long as I serve them. Which covers the next part too....I will love the Lord more while serving my nieghbor because "when you are in the service of your fellow beings you are only in the service of your Lord"
Im just so grateful that I have gotten the chance to learn this. It has made me look at everyone that I meet differently. Life just teaches us these tender little lessons when we need them most and when we least expect.

too long...oops

It has been far too long since I updated my blog. Life just seems to get better and better every day. Andrew is done with school until July so we have been seeing so much of each other. He goes to work at 8 and gets home at 5 but I feel like we are spending more time together than we have since we got married. Joie is just growing like a weed. She is almost 8 months! She is crawling, standing up by her self, and starting to talk. She is so fun. I can't even imagine our family with out her!

sad

Oh my goodness, I am so sad! I was just watching the news and saw that the HBO show "Big Love" about polygamy is airing an episode where they are planning on showing everything that happens in the temple! I know that other people don't understand how sacred that is to us, but I just wish that people had respect for others beliefs. M. Russell Ballard and Robert D. Hales came out with a statement and said that members of the church should handle this situation simply by conducting ourselves with dignity and thoughtfulness so I guess thats what we will do!