Merry Christmas from me too!

Hi everybody!! I hope you are all well and that you are enjoying this Christmasy time. We are headed to Atlanta Christmas morning--leaving the airport at 5:50 am--yucko!! But, hey, once we are there it'll be fun. Make sure y'all do a blog or 2 during the break--I like to hear about those wonderful holiday adventures!! Bekah--so good to hear from you! Love the pic:> Anyway, I don't really have anything to say but wanted to wish y'all a very very Merry Christmas!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Just wanted to say Merry Christmas before we scatter the the four corners of the world....not that we're not scattered already!! We leave for PA on Christmas Eve...everyone else will already be there, but we've decided that a week with either family is the max! But it should be fun. I hope you guys all have a great Christmas. I'm grateful for this time of year...it's always so nice to reflect on the Savior's birth and His atoning sacrafice. The last couple of Christmases I've been struck with how Mary must have felt as she prepared to give birth. There she was, knowing that she was carrying the Son of God, the Savior of the world...and she ends up spending that important night, a night that she probably planned and planned for, in a stable. I don't know what she thought about that...she could have thought "This is not what I planned!" or she could have seen the significance...which is probably more likely. But, every now and then I get to thinking that about my life. "This is not what I planned!!" We don't have kids, don't know when we will, I help my husband run a magic company and we're in debt up to our ears...yadda, yadda, yadda. And then I remember Mary and I think, goodness, if she could give birth to the Savior of the world in a stable and everything turned out ok there, I think I can deal! Anyway, that's my little insight for the Christmas season.
This picture was the front of our Christmas card...a card that never went out, by the way, so don't feel bad that you didn't get one! But we tried to take pictures of all three of us in front of the tree, but Puga didn't want to cooperate, so we used this one instead! He's a cute puppy.

OK! Merry Christmas!

Lesson

Hi all...
I am trying to get a lesson ready for Relief society for Sunday. This lesson is such a good talk that I think that you should all read it, especially because this it will be Christmas Eve. It is a talk from the last conference. I remember listening to it, but reading it and feeling so busy right now, it made me think about why we celebrate the season. I think that you should all take a minute and read it! And by chance if you have any ideas about teaching the lesson that would be nice to hear also. I hope that everyone is having a good day! Merry Christmas!

I guess I should tell you what the talk is... It is Discipleship by President Faust.

A first:>

Eli is getting his 1st tooth!! I don't know if I am ready for this:<>

News

So the most exciting thing happening in our family right now is. . .we're expecting! I'm about three months along. We had our first appointment with the midwives last week. It was great to hear the baby's heartbeat. I'm never sure if I'm really pregnant until I hear the heartbeat. The baby is due June 18th. We don't know yet if it's a boy or a girl, Morgan really wants a boy. Apparently he's had enough girl time with me and Grace, and my six sisters. ;) So, that's it. Wow, can you picture Grace as an older sister, weird. Brandy, you'll have to give me some pointers on handling two kids. :)

Well... Hello Guys

Hello... How are all of you? I am great... I will give you an update of what I am doing and things. Now get cozy... A long time ago like maybe 10 months I met this guy and fell in love. We decided to get married july 1 and soon after we got married we moved to Japan and that is where i am living now. I love it here. it is really fun. I live about an hour outside of Tokyo. And to add a little more to the story when i got here i started looking for a teaching job and got interviews and offers but nothing seemed right. Well just a little while after that i started getting very very sick. Well i am now 17 weeks pregnant. Woooah you all say... yes I tell you your life sure can change and change fast! In 10 months.. in kelly's words... met someone got married moved out of the country got pregnant and i couldnt be happier! My mom just came to visit and left the other day. We are getting ready for Chrsitmas and I am very excited. I am also get this... The scout committee chairman over all of scouts... HAHAHA i know nothing about scouts! But we had this things this week called "Christmas Around the World." Well the scouts did Mexico. So they made some cookies and made some prok dish. (my house is a MESS!!!) I found out the night before that i had to decorate for it.... I have nothing from Mexico with me. So i went to the 100 yen store.. Even better than a dollar store... It is 5 floors and has everything you could ever want or not want so much. Well i found some things that kind of looked like they were from mexico and wow.. we had a great table from mexico.. BUt the night of the event no one showed up.. Sad:( oh well... I had to get a presentation on the stage and i had fun! I dont know about anyone else! Well that is about all here... Alison taught me how to post something on here.. I am a little slow when it comes to computers. So now i can do it. I also remember my password now. Yea... Go Julie.. Let me know when you are coming to visit. We have a guestroom for you.. it is waiting for visitors!
Have a fun day! I am going to get ready for bed now... I am sleepy!

julieinjapan

I think you should give us all an update on your life Ms. Julie!!

Yeah!

Thanksgiving was great, wasn't it? Katie, I am so glad that you had some adventures, although I really wish you had made your own dinner, because there probably would have been some great stories. . .well, everyone, I got a job. It's true, I got hired at the San Antonio Food Bank, and I love it. I'll be doing an outreach program that is government funded. We'll be going to the rural counties surrounding San Antonio to help them apply for govenment programs with which they can receive aid. I'm excited. . .it's probably similar to what you do Erin, kind of. So, it looks like I'll be in San Antonio for a bit!

hi all!!

Hi everyone:> Hope you all had a nice break...not too long until we get another one!! I can't wait. I love Christmas. Did anyone have crazy adventures during the Thanksgiving break? We had a great time especially since my little sister came to visit us for the break from BYUI. Eli loved being with his aunt. We planned to make the big feast ourselves but Jeremy's Aunt Sue in Logan insisted that we all go to her place for the day. Although we had a great time at her place it would have been a major adventure to make the dinner ourselves--next yr. I guess. However, I did make the amazing pumpkin squares--thanks to the kitchen family--and they were a real hit! I think they are my new favorite dessert. Anyway--hope everyone is having a fantastic week--oh and by the way, great BYU football game eh?! We loved it and we are pretty sure that the reason they won is b/c Eli was wearing his jersey! Yeah Eli. That's all for now.

You made my day Al:>

Alison wins the prize for filling out her profile--way 2 go--I am so very happy:> :) ;) I don't know what the prize is though--I'll have to think of something--however, maybe Erin deserves it since hers was already done--I've decided that I am really "--" happy and use "--" whenver possible and even use "--" incorrectly--but, hey I love those little dashy thingys!! Have a happy week everyone--eat a whole lot of turkey!! There I go again with the --! I am out of control.

Still in Provo

Well, I thought maybe it was about time for me to write something. I don't really have anything exciting to say. Grace and I hang out every day counting the hours till Daddy gets home. When Grace sleeps I get some work in. I'm still working from home for the Church History department, which has been really nice for us. Morgan is finishing up his last year at the Y and then we'll be off to who knows where for grad school. Then about 5 to 7 more years of school. Yipee! And now, what everyone really wants to know about. Grace. She's learned to stand up in her crib this past week. She loves walking everywhere as long as she can hold on to your fingers. She pretends to eat food out of your empty hand and will even share it with you. ;) She's so much fun and stinkin cute. Anyway that's all from here.

Books??!!

Hey Gals--Jeremy and I would love to know about any good books that you have read lately. We want to get some good reading in during the Thanksgiving break. Any recommendations ladies? Let us know--we are always ready for a good book:> We'll be waiting on those titles!! Hey or even favorite authors would do. Toodles for now:>

Cape Fun!!

Here we are Kelly--like I told ya--we look great!! Cute kids too eh?!! And, I couldn't resist putting in a few more of my little Eli! He loves adventure, books, and poor innocent little creatures!

Profiles:>

Bekah--I just want to congratulate you on doing your profile!! I mean--letting people know your gender is an important thing!! Just teasing:> Hey everybody--do those profiles eh?!! I love learning about everybody:> Have a happy day:>

In trouble with the law, again

Well, since I have nothing else to do, I joined the Book Club in my Relief Society. Last night it was just the girl who runs it, me and my roommate(she hadn't read the book, but I made her come along for fun). How did anything function before I came here? We read The Color of Water(good book). On the way home, we missed our exit so we did a U-turn and promptly got pulled over. . .in that sassy tone policemen always seem to take with me, he told us U-turns weren't allowed on the highway (does a highway have stoplights? Supposedly in Texas, they do) and that a car needs to have TWO headlights (novel idea). Since he knew we were from out of town, he gave us a break, making this my second escape from the law, the last time being when I got pulled over for not having a light over my license plate and had no license, no insurance, and no registration. At least this time no one was threatening to impound my car. Hey, I would love it if EVERYONE posted things on here. . .thanks Bekah, for telling me all about life, and no, I haven't seen the fireants! I know you are all alive, and live everyday, so there have got to be things you can put on here!

As for the last post, I don't know what more I can explain. These job interviews are out of control. . .or maybe its just me. I guess I have been known to do something a little crazy every once in awhile. I always thought it was all of your influence, but I guess it really was just me. Well, this week was even crazier than last week. There wasn't any progress in the job search, but I met this guy who is only in San Antonio for three weeks because he is on medical rotation at the air force base. And basically, I have spent way too much time with him. He gets bored, and I live close, so he keeps calling me. . .he has become something of an older brother to me, which probably explains the extreme sass that seems to just jump from my mouth everytime I am around him. People keep asking us if we are dating. . .gag me, maybe if I felt like dating a grandpa. On Saturday I went to help this girl move, and I ended up being the only girl who came, with seven guys from the Elders quorum. That's right, I represent! I really impressed the Elders Quorum with my abnormal strength and my neverending energy as we moved things from 8:30 until 5:00 that afternoon. By the end, everyone was in love with me. Some may call it luck. . .I like to call it alluring beauty and bewitching charm.

Hello!

Just thought I should support the effort to stay in touch. Alison mentioned that someone really wants everyone to put pictures up, so I thought I'd try doing that. These are pictures from Halloween! We had a fun year with Puga. His costume really glowed in the dark, too. And Brian put red lights and smoke in one of our window wells and blue lights and bubbles in the other, so the house looked pretty cool, too. :) We even took Puga trick or treating - we got some little dog treats and gave them to our friends, then we got Puga a treat bucket and went over and let him get his treats! He loved picking out whatever he wanted that night.

Anyway, life is good and I hope this helps us all keep in touch better!

Love,

Bekah

CEO, here I come!

So, I just interviewed for this job that might possibly be the craziest thing I have ever been connected with in my life. . .it was like stepping into a movie. So I interviewed to be the Administrative Assistant for the National Sales Director of a multi million dollar company. I would basically be the connection between him and thousands of workers. . .it was a little overwhelming. It's too bad he was turned off by the fact that I can't spell his company's name and I am too "buddy-buddy" to be working in a professional office like his. Well, we all miss opportunities. . .I guess I have missed the boat to climb the corporate ladder in a Fortune 500 company. I'll have to settle for being a cowhand on the neighboring ranch. . .

Howdy Friends!! I am excited about this whole BLOG thing. I hate losing contact with everyone so this should help me out!! Life is wonderful. I am having a great time learning to be Eli's mom. He is 6 months old now and is very active. He rolls all over the place and has recently learned how to sit up on his own. Jeremy and I predict that he'll be crawling within a few weeks. Jeremy is busy with school and work and then when he gets home Eli and I do our best to use up any energy that he has left!! I miss teaching my little fourth graders but I am happy to be at home--I am sure being a mom will help me to be a better teacher in the future--at least that is my hope.

Is everyone loving the Fall weather as much as I am? I think I might cry when true Winter hits, I wish that Fall would last like 8 months of each year.

So, ya...I don't have much else to say right now...but I sure would love if y'all would do your profiles and if you'd post a pic or two every now and then!

Exciting news from Salt Lake

Well, not much is going on in my life right now. I graduated from BYU in August and moved back to Salt Lake with my family. I decided not to get a job for awhile, just to see what it was like to bum around. I spend my days reading, writing, cleaning, and have become a fan of Oprah. The most exciting news in my life right now is that I just bought a ticket to Paris for the first week of December. City of Lights, here we come. If anyone has any French advice for me, please let me know.

Well, Texas is everything I thought it would be. The sky is big, the people are friendly, it doesn't matter if you are 5 or 85, everyone calls you mam, the Texas flag is displayed absolutely everywhere, and surprisingly enough, I haven't seen one person wearing a cowboy hat. So my dreams of moving to Texas to marry a cowboy that owns his own ranch has already been destroyed. I was tempted to move home right away and then I decided I should stick it out. I guess I just have to look in the right places. Erin, your grammar is appalling. I have never heard of the verb "google", though I have been known to use it once in awhile. By the way, when are you joining me out here? Brandy, I am so excited y'all are moving into your own apartment! Tell your family hi. I love you all. . .

Welcome Back!

Hey everyone. A couple of people have mentioned to me that they would like me to do that newsletter again. Remember how about two or three years ago I had everyone email me a paragraph on their life? And then remember how I was going to do it about twice year? Oops. Anyway, I thought this might be a more fun way to keep in touch. We can post updates on our lives or just any fun thing we want to talk about or show everyone. Enjoy!