Jaclyn's and Mariska's Party

Last week (11/30), a few days before Jaclyn's real birthday, we threw a joint party with some friends. They, too, have a little girl. Her name is Mariska and her birthday was Nov. 28th. Since Jaclyn's was Dec. 6th, we figured, hey! Why not celebrate together. The neatest part of the night was seeing how differently the two girls approached their cakes. First, this is our dainty little lady. She stared at the cake for a minute, then cautiously tasted it with her fingers. I don't even know if she actually ingested any cake. I think all she tried was the frosting. After a few more minutes, she lost interest and wanted down. Ho hum.




Now take Mariska. This little girl didn't waste any time. The second her mom placed the cake in front of her she went to town! It was so funny!! With mounds of cake in both fists, she gobbled up her cake in no time. She meant business, folks!! Yummy yummy!!! Isn't she cute with cake all over her face?!?!

Happy First Birthday Jaclyn!!!

Jaclyn on a 4-wheeler

Jaclyn, one day old

All smiles on Easter Sunday


Look at that hair!!

Jaclyn feeling the breeze from a fan with her tongue

Tuckered out after lots of bouncing!

Today is Jaclyn's 1st Birthday!!! What an exciting day at our house. Jaclyn, of course, is oblivious, but Josh and I took a few minutes to reflect on the past year and share some of our favorite memories made with her this year. I think all of you with children would agree that these kids grow up way too fast. Jaclyn is the greatest blessing to our family. She is so smiley and happy, easy-going and "low maintenance"--all perfect qualities in a second child!! (Especially when she came just 15 months after her older sister, Joanna.) Here are some of our favorite memories of Jaclyn:

1. Jaclyn was born on Dec. 6, 2006, at 11:33 a.m. That whirlwind morning is forever etched in my memory; not because I was the one experiencing the labor pains, but because of our crazy trip to the hospital. My labors progress rapidly. Contractions quickly became extremely intense and so I said to Josh in a slightly psychotic voice, "We need to go NOW!!!!" Josh seized the opportunity to speed a bit recklessly through town. (We had a legitimate reason, right?!) He whipped out of our apartment complex, blew through two stop signs, and drove 40 in a 25; all before being pulled over by a policeman. The cop gladly let us go but gave Josh a warning to watch his speed. I couldn't believe he didn't give us a police escort to the hospital, though.
2. Jaclyn was the easiest newborn!! All she did during the first two months of her life was eat, sleep, and poop. She loved to snuggle and be held. In fact, in the hospital she insisted upon sleeping next to me in my bed. Every time I swaddled her and put her in her bassinet, she'd wake up and fuss.
3. From about 4-8 months of age, she'd feel the breeze from a fan or the wind outside by sticking out her tongue!! It was so funny to watch.
4. Jaclyn's hair stuck straight up for the first 6 months of her life!! No matter what I did to comb it down, it always had a mind of its own and stood straight up again.
5. She loves her bouncy chair. She catches air in that thing. She also loves to bounce on people's laps.
6. At 3 months, she came with me to see the high school theatre department perform "Beauty and the Beast". She slept and ate through the whole show!
7. When she was 6 months, we took a 15-hour trip to North Dakota for my 10-year high school reunion. I couldn't believe how great she and her sister did driving there and back. She also didn't mind it when she got passed around the room where ever we went. What a trooper!!
8. Jaclyn began to army crawl at 7 months. I think because she wanted to keep up with big sister, she'd scoot herself with her arms and drag her body across the floor. She decided to crawl on her hands and knees at 9 months.
9. She loved it when I sang "There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly". I don't know why she loved that song, I guess I have a pretty voice?! ;-)
10. We all went to the Woodland Park Zoo this summer and Jaclyn had a great time. I couldn't believe how alert she was and how much she loved to look at all the animals.
11. Jaclyn still isn't walking on her own, but she's getting there. She loves it when we hold her hands and walk with her. She even steers us by pulling our hands in the direction she wants to go!!
12. Jaclyn is a thumb sucker. Heck, even an ultrasound picture shows her sucking her thumb en utero! To this day she'll pop that thumb in her mouth when she soothes herself to sleep or when she gets upset.
13. This summer when we went to Utah to visit Josh's family, we got to ride 4-wheelers. Even Jaclyn got a turn! Josh slowly drove around with her on his lap.
14. Jaclyn dressed up as Yoda for her first Halloween! She looked so cute.
15. Last Friday we celebrated her birthday with some friends who also have a little girl the same age. John and Chantalle's daughter is named Mariska, and she turned one last week. Chantalle made each girl their own mini cake to eat and destroy. Mariska voraciously ate her cake, grabbing double-fisted hand fulls of chocolate cake and gobbling it down. She loved it!! But Jaclyn, on the other hand, barely touched her cake! I couldn't believe it. She poked it and stared at it for a few minutes before daintily eating a few small bites. (She definitely did not get that trait from me!) We took lots of cute pictures of the birthday party, but I'll have to post them another day. The pics are still on our digital camera and our usb cable decided to bite the dust.

We love you Jaclyn!!

In Remembrance of Kay

Kay Pladson

Me with Michele

My best friend growing up in Dickinson, ND is Michele Pladson. We attended first grade together, and have been best friends ever since. During the summer months I think I spent more of my time over at her house than at mine! Well, last Friday afternoon I got a call that Michele's mother, Kay, had died in her sleep early that morning. Her death came as a complete shock to all. She seemed perfectly fine the day before she passed, and she was only 51. A few hours before she died she awoke one of her sons to request a back/shoulder rub. She told him that her neck, shoulders, and lower back were incredibly sore and that her arms were tingly. The family is still awaiting the official report from the coroner, but it seems that she might have died from a heart attack or a brain aneurysm.



I wanted to be there for Michele, so I literally packed a few things and ran out the door in a matter of a few hours and caught an early morning flight to Dickinson. Josh stayed home with the girls and received some much needed help from his sister, Lauren, who flew up from Utah until I returned home. In addition, my brother, Derek, stayed and helped out for a day or so. It was relieving to know that the kids were in good hands while I was gone. (On a side note, the 4 days I was gone was by far the longest I'd ever been away from my girls! It was hard.)



Michele's family came together to mourn and make sense of Kay's death. Kay was the glue that held that family together. Michele and I discussed that perhaps this was the Lord's way of relieving her from so many stresses placed upon her over the last year, as well as an opportunity for the rest of the family to grow on a number of levels. This trial will certainly make all involved stronger and more faithful.



To be honest, prior to this weekend, I'd been less diligent at reading the scriptures daily and doing my part to stay close to the Lord. As is the case with all serious trials in our lives, we tend to draw closer to our Savior in these times of great distress and sadness. I have been reading scriptures and praying like crazy this week, and my faith has grown tremendously. I had prayed to have opportunities to share my testimony regarding the plan of salvation and the Savior's atonement with Michele's family. My prayers were answered! I had countless opportunities to witness to them and share my firm testimony that they can be with their beloved mother again. This experience has reassured me that we WILL live beyond the grave. This mortal life, when our eternal spirits are coupled with a physical body, is but a temporary, probational state. We are here to prove ourselves to Heavenly Father. We are here to make daily choices--some big, some small--all of which will show Him just how willing we are to make sacrifices, obey His commandments, serve our neighbor, and become more like Jesus Christ.



If it wasn't for Jesus' supreme sacrifice, none of us would live beyond the grave. And death would be the end of our existence. But how grievious and pointless would that be!! The Holy Spirit has testified to me that our spirits DO go on existing, and that we WILL be with our most cherished associates made in this earthly life. I am so grateful for the Savior! He alone provided this blessing to us all--whether we accept Him as our Savior or not--it's a gift to every child of God. So this Christmas season, as we celebrate his humble birth, let's take time to thank God for sending Him to us. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life." John 3:16.



Here is a link to Kay's obituary: http://www.stevensonfuneralhome.com/obits/Pladson%20Kay.pdf