February Nuts and Bolts

Here's our latest family newsletter post, covering the month of February!  Makes it look like we had a busy month or something...


Stockton had the most momentous month of any of us. Let’s see…he learned how to roll over onto his stomach, smile constantly, and loves a good giggle session. Don’t think anyone can top the magnitude of these grand accomplishments! He is a wonderful baby, so sweet and mild-mannered. He has demonstrated more clinginess to his parents, but still lets strangers hold him. Stockton loves lying on his play mat and is ever so patient when his sisters wish to shower him with love. He is always getting compliments, thanks to his high scores on the adorability charts. We’ve heard many a time, “he’s the cutest boy we’ve ever seen.” Because we’re polite, we try not to argue with any such assessments.


Tayah is again, the indomitable red-head in our family. She loves letting her fiery spirit show many times a day. She is so much more stubborn and temperamental than Kadence ever was, but that is why each child is different. Tayah can be very sweet and loving and enjoys keeping her parents company. She showed some potty training interest, but that interest was short-lived. We’ll keep plugging away. She is learning to do different things each day. She adores Kadence and follows her around, imitating all that big sister does—good or bad. She loves her Nursery class and teachers and says great prayers. We love our Tayah.

Kadence is such a sweetie. Not that she doesn’t have her moments, because she does; she just has so many less than child #2. She is so smart and loves letters, numbers, coloring, drawing, creating things, and reading books. She can write family members’ names and enjoys making cards and letters for us. The biggest news for her was turning four. Is that possible? We celebrated with a friends’ mini party, complete with an Aurora cake. We went out to Red Robin and IHOP for her dinners and she received some fun presents. We had a big shindig to celebrate our family’s February birthdays—Kadence, Aubrey, and Dad. She still enjoys preschool and play dates with friends, especially her best pal Maili.

Elizabeth was our basketball all-star this month. She enjoys playing with the ward women’s team. They won nearly every game they played and she was one of the top players. She had a few games of 16 or 18 points and made a game-winning shot in the stake tournament semi-finals. They won the stake tourney and moved on the regional games in March. There were a few testy games, not a surprise in Church ball (David refed a few games and will never do so again…terrible experience! Coaching was much more rewarding.). She is so patient with the little ones, especially a baby who struggled in the sleep category this month. He gets up at least two times each night. She attended both the ward and stake Relief Society meetings (Enrichment). She enjoys getting together with ward friends for various activities. She is always reading a new book, working on little projects around the house, and has been on an exercise kick—working out at home or zumba classes. She helps out with Young Women basketball and had some fun activities with the girls. She went to Emily’s baby shower.

David had a busy month at work, at home and at church. I spent a week out in Laie for BYU-Hawaii’s first official student giving campaign. It’s always wonderful to be out there, as I absolutely love the spirit there. Great students. Did a few fun things while out there, but missed the family (Elizabeth and the kids spent the week up in Pocatello with Elizabeth’s sister Marie and family. They had a wonderful time). I am still enjoying writing for the Jazz, usually submitting two entries a week. It helped that they had a fantastic February! The All-Star weekend was anticlimactic, but covered the three-point shoot-out for the website. I enjoyed a great afternoon with one of my best friends, Patrick Dinsmoor, who was out for work. I conducted a baptism, went on Home Teaching and bishopric visits, and am so grateful to serve in my calling.

Other activities and events: Lost season premiere (yes, we’re addicted), participating in the ward choir, attending stake conference, had a new ward created in our stake (now four units meeting in our stake center, causing us to switch our 9:00 block to sacrament meeting last; should be fun!), celebrating Valentine’s Day (dinner and a Young Ambassadors concert), the Blue and Gold banquet, fun family home evenings and outings for dinner or fun, etc. We are planning a trip this spring to Disneyland and just love being together. There is nothing better than family!