Welcome Baby Jaxon!

YEA!! Our first FELLINGHAM Grandbaby boy!!! David & Jackie had a 7 lb. 7 oz. baby yesterday. 20 inches. March 30, 2007. Isn't he beautiful? Angela took some great photos!

Update

I know I've been delinquent in my updates - but there's not really much to say...other than I'm busy and I'm tired. No one wants to hear that - so I'll give you the better news...my sister-in-law is in the hospital....having a baby boy! Yea! We keep saying quick prayers for her that everything will go smoothly (and quickly!). Angela and I and Caitlin and Zach are heading up there for a quick trip this weekend to welcome the new little guy into the world...the boys (Steve, Kenneth, Daniel, Darrel, Alex, Johnathan) are going boating.

Layton Update

Well, life here is good. As I was telling Elise yesterday, I'm in a "good place" with each of my children right now and we've been having happy times with Kenneth off track. I'm not working as much as I should - but I'm working just about as much as I can. Kenneth started baseball this week and he's VERY HAPPY! He just loves baseball. Daniel is riding his bike better and better (and more and more) and changing into a little man so fast! Caitlin is SO MUCH MORE VERBAL than the boys were at her age (I know that's normal, but still amazing to me!). She says just about anything she wants to and most of the time we understand her. She's getting along with her brothers really well, and Kenneth has been doing great with her, especially. When we go to the park (just about every day) he's been taking turns with her and playing with her, and it means the world to me! She wears dresses or skirts most of the time, and I got her some cute bows (I'll have to take photos - should have taken one today - she was so cute!).

I took Kenneth to a piano concert Saturday night and he really enjoyed it. It was Jon Schmidt. Kenneth asked him to sign his baseball hat after the concert. The concert got long (for me), but Kenneth loved it! He's still talking about it - so that's good. He wants to start learning the piano.....

Funny......really funny

Well, I get a lot of things through email - some funnier than others. However, I thought this bit was really funny, so I thought I'd share it with you.



Words Women Use:
1.) FINE: This is the word women use to end an argument when they are right and you need to shut up.

2.) Five Minutes: If she is getting dressed, this means a half an hour. Five minutes is only five minutes if you have just been given five more minutes to watch the game before helping around the house.

3.) Nothing: This is the calm before the storm. This means something, and you should be on your toes. Arguments that begin with nothing usually end in FINE.

4.) Go Ahead: This is a dare, not permission. Don't Do It!

5.) Loud Sigh: This is actually a word, but is a non-verbal statement often misunderstood by men. A loud sigh means she thinks you are an idiot and wonders why she is wasting her time standing here and arguing with you about nothing. (Refer back to #3 for the meaning of NOTHING.)

6.) That’s Okay: This is one of the most dangerous statements a women can make to a man. That's okay means she wants to think long and hard before deciding how and when you will pay for your mistake.

7.) Thanks: A woman is thanking you, do not question, or Faint. Just say you're welcome.

8.) Whatever: Is a women's way of saying "TO HECK WITH YOU!"

9.) Don’t worry about it, I got it: Another dangerous statement, meaning this is something that a woman has told a man to do several times, but is now doing it herself. This will later result in a man asking "what's wrong", for the woman's response refer to # 3.

Weekend Update

I had a great weekend in Santa Barbara. I got a lot of work done, and I read a book! I read "Push Not the River" by James Martin Conroyd. It's about a countess during the time of the Polish uprising. (1790's). It's based on the diaries of the Countess and her cousin. It was an OK book, but it had a kind of a Romeo and Juliet storyline and that drives me crazy.

Steve's weekend is still going....and going....

he left with the kids Saturday morning and got to Fresno to his mom's house at about 3pm to discover that she was at Target. So - he took the kids to Target and told them to go find her. He surprised her and they had a great afternoon/evening together. He left there at about 9 this morning to go surprise his brother in Elk Grove. Then he went on a scenic drive (rather than coming straight home). He just now got back to Fresno (it's after 9pm). I encouraged him to stop and sleep for a while before continuing on, so we'll see them sometime tomorrow. It sounds like they've had a wonderfully adventurous weekend.

I got motion sick on the air plane on the way home. I can't remember the last time I got that nauseated...I came home and took a long nap, and now I'm feeling marginally better. Hopefully by tomorrow morning it'll all be through me and I'll feel much better.

World Travelers (or maybe just state travelers)

Just a quick update on our travels this weekend...I'm leaving tomorrow morning for a weekend with a client in Santa Barbara (yea, I know...it's rough). Steve's taking off Saturday morning with the kids (like 2am he says) to spend 2 days with his mom & sister in Fresno. So - we should have more to report come Monday morning...I don't know about you but I'm looking forward to the Dancing with the Stars opener on Monday! :)

I've been reading "The Work and the Glory" series by Gerald Lund. It's an historical fiction series taking place during the time of the restoration of the Gospel to the Earth. It has opened my eyes to the hardships of the pioneers in general, not just the church members. It has also opened my eyes to the prejudice against the Church in the early days. (I think that's putting it mildly). I'm on book 4. The last 2 days I've read about the massacre at Haun's Mill and the looting and savagry that occurred in Far West shortly thereafter. It saddens my heart to know what those good people endured. I have a greater appreciation for the early leaders of our church....and for their wives. I feel like I did when I was reading Fire of the Covenant (historical fiction, also by Gerald Lund, depicting the Martin and Willey handcart companies traveling to Utah late in the season); I feel like I'm experiencing it with them. I feel better connected to my pioneer forefathers. I guess that's why we're told to do family history work: because the more we learn about people and their lives, the more we appreciate and love them. It's very true.

Fun weekend

Steve took the kids to Mt. Charleston this weekend, and took some fun photos (see below). I've also posted one of my Caitlin with my sister's Emily...aren't they cute? Emily is 3 weeks younger than Caitlin...Elise & I really have fun with those 2! Today was busy with work - then cleaning. Angela saved my bacon by taking Caitlin while I cleaned. She became very clingy and whiny just as I needed to get my rear in gear. I got a lot done, and I feel much better about me and my house now. Tomorrow I'll concentrate on laundry....and I need to bake more bread. I'm still loving my new bosch. It's amazing. I actually use the blender a lot, too! I borrowed my friend's wheat grinder while mine is in for repairs, and it's amazing. If you ever need a wheat grinder - get a Whisper Mill. They're SO quiet (hence the name :) ) and SO fast! It's amazing. I'm learning more and more about wheat. Red wheat is more dense than white wheat. It's fun to try different recipes with the different wheats and discover the differences. I finished Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand tonight. Wow - what a book! It was over 1100 pages - my personal best by far - and it was an amazing book. I really enjoyed it. It's amazing to think that it was published in 1958. Her ideas must have been quite radical at that time. I haven't decided whether or not to read the precurser to that book, The Fountainhead. Not for a while, anyway...I've got to get caught up in other areas of my life, first! :)
I found out tonight that one of our friend's father had a stroke. His name is Ernie Lea. Please say an extra prayer for Ernie tonight. He has surgery tomorrow morning.
This blog is kind of random tonight - but I have HAPPY NEWS!!! Our friends, Debbie & Nancy, from Texas are COMING TO VISIT US!!! We are SO EXCITED!!! They're coming over the Memorial Day weekend and we're already counting down! Yea! We haven't seen them for over a year (well, I saw them last April, but the boys didn't). Anyway, we're very excited to see them SOON!!!
Angela got her back yard graded today - it looks awesome - they took out all the big boulders...what a big difference! I'm sad that they might move, but I'm trying to keep a level head about allowing them to do what they think is best without making it harder on them. I so enjoy having them so close!
Kenneth & I went to the library this evening - I had to renew Atlas Shrugged for my friend to read before book club. Anyway, they're having a program where kids 4-12 can read 5 books from the public library and earn a free burger from In-N-Out. Kenneth read his 5 books before we even got home! He gets to earn up to 3 burgers, so we'll have to go back and get him 10 more books to read. He is a good reader, and I can hardly keep him stocked well enough right now. I ordered $40 of chapter books from his last bookorder and he's almost through all of those already. I go to the library a lot these days.
We got the information in the mail about Steve's commencement at the University of Idaho on May 12th. I'm pretty excited. He's worked very hard for this. I know he's nervous about the class he's taking now, but I'm sure he'll be great - just like always. This is a goal he's had for a long time, and I'm excited to see him accomplish it.
Well, Steve just came up so I guess I'd better be finished with my rambling. We're all doing well, and grateful for our blessings every day.

New hair

Well, I cut my hair. I guess that's the only big news around here. The weather has been lovely and we've been at the park almost every day - I believe it was close to 80 on Wednesday. Tonight I turned on the A/C for the first time this year...it was 77 degrees in our upstairs - and Steve would NEVER sleep in that! :) Here are a few photos (courtesy of Angela, of course) from one of our park visits...

Selective Memory

Well, I guess men aren't the only ones with selective memories today...

It only took me 6 days to forget ear plugs for Caitlin in the bath. Holy cow! It was only her 2nd bath since surgery and I completely forgot ear plugs. Now that's something my friends, Julie & Sean Buckley, would have NEVER done!

Caitlin seemed to survive, but I'll try to be more diligent. The ear plugs are still on my bathroom counter, for crying in the soup! No excuse.

Today it's a little chilly in Vegas. It was only about 50 degrees, and so we changed play group to be at my house, rather than at the park. We had a record turnout and the house was very full! We had a great time, though, and no major damage was done, so it's all good. Steve came home toward the end of it ( a few ladies had already left, but it was still a madhouse ) and he just grabbed what he needed and took off...never even saw the other 15 people in the entertainment room! :)

The big news for me today is that I used my new bosch for the first time. I got a new bosch and I love it! It's got twice the capacity of my old one (which is still running, but dying a slow death). I made 3 loaves of bread in one batch - WOO HOO! I also made strawberry daquiris with the blender part. It's totally cool! The only bummer is that the dough hook is not dishwasher safe, but I guess I can handle that.

Angela was in charge of the blue and gold banquet tonight at church for the cub scouts, so Zachary came to play. Another little boy, Jordan, also came to play while his mom and 4 siblings attended the event. The kids all played together fantastically well, and I was able to get some reading done even! It was a low key evening with Steve at a church activity as well. Catilin is finally getting old enough to play with her brothers and give me a break. It's very nice. She comes over periodically for lovings, but then she goes off and plays again. That's a very welcome change from her constantly being attached.

I'm going crazy with my computer lately. It's all of a sudden EXTREMELY SLOW! It's just about driving me to drink, so I'm spending tonight dumping programs, and trying to get to the bottom of the issue. This is when I wish I didn't live so far away from my IT guy...well, if I can't figure it out I'll give him a call, because I know if I've got IT, he can fix IT! :)

I guess that's just about it for now.

Ear Tubes....done

Well, after sending Kenneth and Daniel to a friend's house last night, and waking up with Caitlin at 5:30am to get her to the hospital, I'm relieved to say we're home and everything is OK. Caitlin's surgery was quick and there appear to be no complications, etc. Her ears were infected, so we'll probably have to extend the ear drops, but that's small potatoes. I guess they're making an ear goo or something now to use in the bath and in the lake, so we'll have to pick up some of that. We got Daniel, and shared the breakfast leftovers at my friend's house, then came home and rode bikes out front adn Daniel wanted to go to the park so we loaded up his bike and both kids and went to the park to wear them out. Caitlin is now sleeping and I hope it's a long nap for her sake.

I have a cute story to share because I don't want to forget it. Last night Steve brought his church kids over (9 boys ages 14-15). I prepared by baking cinnamon rolls, brownies and bread. I spread everything out on the table and was upstairs with Caitlin before they came. I was laying on my bed reading when it was time for them to leave and I heard Steve saying "Let's go". One of the boys said "Where are we going?" and another boy replied "We have to go back to reality now." My heart was touched; I'm glad they feel happy and safe and well-fed in our home. I hope they know they are welcome here any time. :)

Another Update

Well, we're getting back in our groove after Elise & Emily left. We were very sad to see them go, but we're excited that the next time we see them there will be 3 of them! :) Emily taught Caitlin 2 things while she was here (well, Caitlin learned from Emily...I know Emily wasn't trying to teach her)...Caitlin now kisses you on the lips (melt my heart!) and Caitlin says "Mmmmmm" after she eats or drinks something....then she waits for you to say "Mmmmmm" back to her. It's very cute. Emily couldn't have taught more adorable things.

Caitlin is scheduled to get tubes put in her ears on Thursday morning. I am very disappointed that the surgery precludes me from going up to visit Missy again, but I'm very ready for my happy girl back. Caitlin has been pulling on her ear - putting her finger in her ear - and putting warm things next to her ear all weekend and so far this week. I don't think her ears are clear, and I'm sure that contributes to her chronic crabbiness.

Steve is spending a LOT of time on his class this semester, and it's pushing him. It's a lot of heavy duty math and he's having to brush up on a lot of old learning. We got him another book and it seems to be helping a bit, but he's spent a lot of time and is not encouraged. I don't want him to drop it, but I know that thought has crossed his mind.

Daniel hasn't exactly been 100% lately. He's not running a fever, he's not got a runny nose or cough, but he seems to have less energy than usual and is sleeping more than usual. I'm hoping he'll feel better soon.

We got to see my cousin Britta play volleyball over the weekend. I got to watch 2 matches (best 2 of 3 - both sets went to 3). She's amazing. She's a sophomore in High School and plays on a club team with mostly juniors and she's really good....they all are. It was a pleasure to watch her and to see my cousin Brooke and my Aunt Diane and Uncle David. I'm so glad they invited us to come watch.

Well, I guess that's about it for now....

ANOTHER ear infection! Actually, 2!

Well, Caitlin had an ear infection that was diagnosed 2 weeks ago today. She finished her antibiotics last Wednesday. On Thursday she started acting sick & crabby. We struggled through the weekend...she looked miserable. I started using some homeopathic remedies, but I think it was too little too late. She was too far gone. She had 2 raging ear infections today and her cough is something awful. She's got drainage like she's sprung a leak. The doctor gave her a shot of Roceffin (sp?) and sent us home with prescriptions for Zithromax, a numbing ear drop, and a cough medicine. She's sleeping well tonight (so far) for the first night in several. We have an appointment with the ENT on Thursday at 6:30pm....this after they originally told me their first available appointment was on March 7th. That wasn't soon enough. In other news, we're having a great time visiting with Elise & Emily. It's a pleasure to have them both around...I wish I weren't doing so much running around, but tomorrow we're piecing 3 quilts, so we'll get lots of quality time. Here are a couple of photos from last Friday.

She really did feel lousy - as evidenced by our doctor visit today, but I still think this picture is funny.
You can really tell the difference in the girls' phisique in this photo...Emily is lovingly the "Tank" and Caitlin is more petite. Emily has so many entertaining facial expressions...I think Caitlin was taken aback by this one where Emily was "smelling" the rose petal.
This is a classic and made the whole shoot worthwhile! Isn't she a doll? Too bad Caitlin wasn't more cooperative.

Is it Spring?

I know this will surprise you Northerners...but I planted my garden this weekend. 6 strawberries, 6 broccoli and 3 tomatoes. We'll see how it goes. I pulled out our dead lemon tree (didn't make it through the freeze). We are thoroughly enjoying our back yard. I got this really cool bubble machine that makes THOUSANDS of bubbles and the kids love it. Angela gave us this really cool little cube with a slide that is perfect for Caitlin and she loves it. It was 72 degrees here on Sunday - it's supposed to be 64/65 through the rest of the week and this weekend. Elise comes tomorrow (HOORAY!!) with Emily. I've got 3 matching dresses to get the girls' photos in...and my local client is a photographer and said I could borrow a back drop! So, hopefully I'll have some photos to post before too long. Steve & Angela made a bet over whether or not the port-a-crib would fit in our laundry room and Steve lost, so he's making Chicken Enchiladas Verdes for dinner tonight (Yummy!). Well, Steve & I are both fighting colds, Caitlin is still on an antibiotic from her ear infection last week, but the boys are healthy as can be.

News News News

Well, my birthday weekend was wonderful! Steve surprised me with a night at the Aladdin after our dinner & show. Kenneth had a basketball game on Saturday and he did great. I got to go shopping and lunching with my sister for several hours! It was great fun! Then, we went to the baptism of a friend. Baptisms are always wonderful. I dressed up Caitlin like my little doll (literally)...it was so fun. I changed our her ear rings, and now she lets me change them every day. Sunday was church and rest (yea - I love morning church!). Kenneth had an "It's great to be 8 fireside" where they talk about all the programs that start for the kids when they turn 8. He's very excited to start scouts and his "Faith In God" program. The Bishop talked to them about reading their scriptures and praying every day - and Kenneth took that to heart. Sunday night he wouldn't go to bed without reading his scriptures, and yesterday, when he was in timeout (for 22 minutes because he kept talking back!) he came out quoting his new "favorite" scripture (1 Nephi 3:7). Anyway, it was a great day. Yesterday I worked all day (thanks, Ang for watching the kiddos). Then, as soon as I got Caitlin back I took her to the doctor. She had been running a fever and when she came home with me she wouldn't stop moaning. The doctor said she has another ear infection (darn it - that's 7 since last February). She wants us to go back to the ENT. Today Caitlin is dragging and pretty much my little attachment. I just laid her down for a nap, which is how I snuck in to write this. Here's a photo of Caitlin before the baptism:

My 20's.....

Well, after tonight I'm officially in my "30's". It's been a good 3 decades so far...this most recent decade began with a marriage proposal, and ends with a marriage that's still going strong....and a family that's grown by 3! It's good, very good. I'm grateful for the "sheltered" life I've led. I have wonderful parents, great siblings, and a fabulous spouse & kids! What more could a woman ask for? Thanks to all the wonderful people who have befriended me along the way, too. I would be lost without my friends! Here's my life so far "at a glance":

• Jan. 26, 1977 6:34am Utah Valley Hospital (Provo, UT) Joy Kristine Fellingham is born.
• Approximately 6 weeks later I fell extremely ill with viral pneumonia. Doctors didn't give me one chance in 10 of surviving.
• 9 months later our family moved to Sequim, Washington
• Sept. 1989 we moved to Bellevue, Washington
• Sept. 1990 we moved to Provo, Utah, shortly to move to Lindon, Utah
• Jan. 1995 we moved to Lehi, Utah
• May 1995 I graduated from Pleasant Grove High School with a 3.995 GPA. (One A- ...darned Mrs. Giles!)
• Sept. 1995 I started my BYU education
• Oct. 1996 I met my sweetheart, Steve
• April 1997 I was married to Steve for eternity in the Jordan River Temple
• Jan. 4, 1999 I started working at Ernst & Young in Austin, Texas
• July 27, 1999 Kenneth Warren was born
• August 1999 I graduated with my Bachelors and Masters degrees from BYU
• November 1999 I passed the CPA exam (Yea!)
• November 1, 2002 Daniel LaVelle was born
• October 31, 2003 was my last day working at Ernst & Young in Austin
• December 2003 I started my own business as a CPA working from home
• August 3, 2005 Caitlin Joy was born
• August 2005 we moved our family to Las Vegas, Nevada

When Steve asked my dad for my hand in marriage, Dad said "Joy is young, but she has always been well beyond her years." I did life early...that's how I like to say it. My life is good, though, and I wouldn't do it any other way. This year we celebrate my 30th birthday, our 10 year wedding anniversary, and Kenneth will turn 8. It's a big year for us.

Thank you to all of you (anyone reading this) who have touched my life and affected it for the better. You have each played a part in helping me fill my life with happy memories and bright hopes for the future.

Goals I have yet to complete:

• Learn Spanish
• Learn to play each hymn in our hymnbook (on the piano)
• Make myself the kind of person/mom/wife that everyone respects and who touches others in a positive way. I want my kids to remember me as a happy, nice mom - not a mom who yells all the time. I want my husband to think of me as a kind, loving person, not a naggy wife who complains. I want my friends to feel like better people because they were my friend. (Steve says this isn't a real goal because it doesn't have a definite "completion", but it's my biggest goal nonetheless.)

Well, here's to my 30's! Bring it on!

Thawing Out

We're home safely from our trip to Utah, and we're still thawing out. HOLY COLD! Wow....we're glad to get back to above-freezing temperatures. We had a WONDERFUL trip and we're very glad we went, but we were very cold. We got to witness the baptism of my nephew, Johnathan Webb, which was very special. Then we got to hang out with our friends the Joneses...such good times...Kenneth & Daniel even got to play in the snow! Then we saw my brother, David, at Cabella's (where he works) and he gave us a tour of the place. Then we went to dinner and played games with all the adults! It was a very full day packed with good memories. Yesterday Angela & I sang with my mom in 2 different church meetings, then we headed home. All in all we're very glad we went, and we're glad to be home safely.

It's COLD here!

Well, it froze last night. This morning Tasha's water was frozen solid. I found her a dog house on Craig's list and Darrel kindly picked it up for me yesterday. I've put a blanket in it for her. We're going to stay inside as much as we can for the rest of the day. We cleaned a bit this morning, then went to Kenneth's basketball game. He scored 1 basket! Yea! His team has a very hard time scoring...they often shoot 3-4 times without making it before the other team gets it away from them. They seem to have a good time, anyway, though. I'm glad they don't keep score yet. We ran to the grocery store after the game, so now we have no need to venture out.

Steve says he's coming home tomorrow - no word on what time, though. Cross your fingers.

Hum Drum Friday night

Well, Steve has spent this week in New York, battling a cold/flu. He's been detained, and was unable to return home today. :( He is hopefully coming back Sunday night. He's been sorely missed. The boys are playing a new video game I bought them (for my sanity's sake) and Caitlin is already in bed. We've had a good week, and it should be a slow weekend except for Kenneth's basketball game and church. I'm finally starting to get over my cold, and the kids all seem to be healthy. Work is picking up rapidly and that stresses me out, but what can I do? It's what I signed up for....

Nevermind

I guess it wasn't nerves...he's had a relapse, and he's feeling sick again.

Nerves

I believe Kenneth has had his first case of the nerves....

He had his first basketball game this morning and shortly after he woke up he vomited. I told him he couldn't go to his game and get his friends sick and he insisted he wasn't sick and that he felt all better. We loaded up and went. Steve & Kenneth jumped out of the car (we were running a little late) to go down to the bball courts while I parked. Kenneth went running down to the courts and came right back up again....he couldn't quite make it to the bathroom. He vomited in the hall at the multigenerational center. I walked into all of this. I got some rags, cleaned it up, we talked to him again and he insisted he wasn't sick. He played 2 quarters of the game and he did great. They lost, but that's OK. Johnathan made a basket and Johnathan and Kenneth had a great play together - Johnathan rebounded the ball, dribbled it across the court, passed it to Kenneth, and Kenneth shot the ball...and missed. But it was fun. We went to breakfast afterword, and Kenneth ate fine and seems to be OK now. I guess it was just nerves.