I'm back.... kind of

1. So it has been forever since I have blogged, I'm really behind and it makes me really overwhelmed to think about.  Everyone is asking for a blog update especially since we have had so much change in the last two months. The reason I'm behind is because we have no computer, which is a huge inconvenience but hopefully soon we will be getting one.  Until then I'm using my tablet which means no pictures from my camera and no frequent updates because it is a pain to type on the tablet.
2. We are really enjoying Iowa, that doesn't mean we don't miss Henderson like crazy but so far Iowa has greeted us with open arms. I know Heavenly Father guided us to be here and then blessed us with a really great neighborhood and ward (well it has nothing on the shadow canyon ward but it is still pretty great).  Our neighbors are great and so friendly and we have enjoyed several bonfires, barbecues, and parties with them plus all the time we have spent hanging out in the backyard or chatting over the fence.

3. I was so lucky to get to speak in church this past Sunday, no thanks to my husband and him making me step up to the bishops request that one of us speak, I'm still not very happy with him.  But at least it is over and went well. I also got called to be the compassionate service leader assistant, I'm pretty excited about it except for all the phone calling.
4. Our kids handled the move pretty well.  Leila had some difficult days, I'm talking bawling her eyes out, can't catch her breath hard days but she is doing much better and has made a whole bunch of friends.  There are 11 kids in he primary class and they are all girls, so talk about options plus she has a little friend just a couple houses down from us.  Greydon has done just fine but I knew he would because he is my roll with the punches kind of kid.
5. Asher, lets just say great baby except when it comes to sleep. So now that I'm beyond EXHAUSTED and don't know what else to do, I started making him cry it out at night, but he is quite stubborn.  Hopefully by tonight he will start sleeping.
6. I am so ready for kindergarten to start, i am tired of hearing Leila say, "I'm not having any fun" or "I'm bored".  I can entertain her for hours but the second I have something I have to get done she starts in.  And then the sibling fighting is going to drive me crazy. I feel like I am always yelling at them, putting them in time out or taking privilege's away. Only to more weeks until the first day of school!
7. Adjusting to residency has been ok.  Residency is hard but I pretty much expected that. Paul has been on night float this entire month.  Which means he is working Sunday through Thursday and then two Fridays.  He leaves around 4:20 pm and gets home anywhere from 7 am to 11 am.  He then sleeps all day, I literally get like 15 minutes of conversation with him each day.  I think the worst part is trying to keep the kids quiet during the day which I failed miserably at, Paul never complained but it stressed me out.  we would try and go do an activity for a couple hours everyday so that he could at least get a couple hours of uninterrupted sleep.  Needless to say I'm glad this month is over.
8.  Paul is enjoying residency so far, and I think he has done a really good job trying to balance work and family in his few days off.  He makes sure to play with the kids, lets me sleep in and even agreed to travel to Nauvoo with us.
9.  There is plenty more to write but this has already taken way too long.  At least I got a little update written and hopefully more will follow soon.
And here are some random tablet photos

Nauvoo in July

Back in July my friend Robyn emailed us to see if we wanted to go to Nauvoo with them and watch the Nauvoo Pageant.  Paul just happened to have that weekend off so we decided to go.  The drive to Iowa City is between 1 1/2 and 2 hours.  But we stopped at the outlets on the way there to do a little school shopping for Leila.  We made it to the Larson's home just before dinner.  Robyn of course was the perfect hostess.  She had dinner all planned and ready to go and it was delicious too.  The kids had a blast together and it was so fun to just hang out and talk all evening. 

Leila, Abby, Greydon and Eliza laughed and played all through dinner.

After dinner they played in the pool and enjoyed the warm weather.

Robyn was seriously the  best, she had our room and bed all set up.  All of our kids ended up wanting to sleep in our room, which was fine except for some reason Asher did not sleep well, he was up most of the night which meant none of us got much sleep.  In the morning Robyn planned a delicious waffle breakfast and then the kids played in the basement, painted and we went on a walk to the pond near their house. 

 

After lunch we drove to Nauvoo and all the kids napped in the car on our way there.  Chris and Robyn did a quick session at the temple while we watched the kids.

 

We toured the bakery and then went to the Family Living Center where we learned how to make bread, rope and wool

 We checked out the Mississippi River and let the kids throw rocks in the water.

 Next we played at the Frontier Fair.  There were so many fun pioneer games for the entire family to enjoy.  Our entire family minus Asher raced in potato sacks, pretty sure Paul won but I wasn't far behind. 

The kids watched a puppet show and got puppets of their very own

And the men pulled us in handcarts

And finally what we came for the Pageant.   It was so good, I thoroughly enjoyed it and all the kids did really well.  Leila crashed out by the end and Greydon really wanted to fall asleep but just couldn't get comfortable in the chairs.  The drive home was long and very late,  although I don't remember much of it since I was asleep so I owe a big thanks to Paul for driving the entire thing plus letting me sleep instead of keeping him company.  It was a quick trip but totally worth it. 

 

7 and 8 months

 

 

All these pictures loaded out of order and I don't want to go back and fix them.

This pictures were taken at about 7 1/2 months and I'm writing this about 4 months later so I don't remember everything. But her is what I do remember.|

Asher is crawling like crazy and by the time he was 8 months old he was pulling himself up on things. 

He has his two bottom teeth

He loves baby food especially banana blueberry.  I still make all his baby food and he pretty much likes every combination that I have given him except vegetable spaghetti. 

He does not sleep well, he wakes up about every four hours and will only go back to sleep if I nurse him.

 

 

 

 

He is really happy during the day unless his brother and sister start bugging him

He does not like Greydon and Leila to get to close.

Loves to blow raspberries

 

He laughs a lot

Mimics the sounds his siblings make

Loves his mama, definite mamas boy

Spent most of the photo session trying to pull the sticker off

and is in need of a haircut, he totally has a comb over but we love him so much and think he is just the cutest thing!