The six-month update... (super long post)

I'm attempting to make up for the lack of posts in the past six months by putting them all into one big post. Have fun!In September, Jonathan went on his annual Walkabout. He was sad not to be able to continue his trek along the Appalachian Trail. He went to a nearby State Park. There were a lot of poorly marked (or completely unmarked) trails so he got lost a few times.

There was a good variety of woodlands, prairie, ponds, and even some cow pastures.

This is a pretty typical place to find me, especially in winter. I love doing research on the computer with a hot cocoa by my side.


For Halloween Jonathan and David were cowboys; Isabelle, Miriam and I were matching witches and Emily was our black cat.

We celebrated several birthdays in the fall and the kids liked leaving the decorations up.

A friendly game of 4-player Wii Tennis on our tiny TV.

We had an Elder's Quorum Presidency social at our house. Here Jonathan is with Michael Shelton playing Dance Dance Revolution.

The kids learned how to play "Set" and they love it.

Pregnancies are exhausting. Notice Eli's bed on top of me.

For Thanksgiving we had a bunch of friends come over. We were thrilled that Dan and Miranda (and baby Camden) were able to visit.


Jonathan gave our turkey, Josephina, a lovely massage.

Yummy desserts! Can you tell Miriam did her own hair? Her view is the more stuff in her hair the better.

We played Wackee Six a lot and Isabelle was so excited that we deemed her capable enough to play a game with the adults. The other kids watched jealously.


All the men who came over for Thanksgiving chipped in and helped carry the piano up the stairs. The next day Dan helped me set up our new TV. Hooray!

December started with decorating the Xmas tree.

In the fall our neighbor delivered a bunch of trees for us. Jonathan spent many hours all through fall and winter cutting the trees with a chainsaw. His old chainsaw didn't do a very good job, so he was thrilled that I let him buy a Stihl saw. I helped out too by splitting the wood with our wood splitter.

Even Isabelle and Miriam chipped in by stacking the split wood.


We made gingerbread houses using graham crackers and store-bought cake frosting. I figured if we waited for me to make home-made stuff, it wouldn't happen.

The finished houses... Miriam's, David's, Emily's (with Mommy's help), and Isabelle's.

Watching TV together.

Our family picture. Eli refused to be left out.

My handsome boys. :)

Jonathan helped the kids make Santa cookies.

Ice skating on our pond. Only Jonathan and Isabelle were brave enough this year.

This year we traveled to South Dakota where we rented a cabin with my sister and her family for Xmas. The car was packed to the gills.

Eli was happy to have a little space.

At the cabin the kids all had fun together. Here they are playing the Wii.

Wwweeeeeee!

Don't I have the handsomest man?

Pretty girl.

Fast as a speeding bullet.

Sleds are for sleeping, not racing.

Emily gives Eli a little too much love.

Miriam's new marble run was enjoyed by all.

We tried to go to Church on Sunday but the roads were so slick we couldn't even get both cars out of the driveway. We had a wonderful experience holding a Sacrament meeting the cabin. Everyone ended up sharing their testimonies, even Isabelle, Miriam, and David, none of whom had given a testimony previously. After we played games.

Happy sisters.

Jonathan queueing up music... again.

The kids all agreed that their favorite part of the trip was going on walks outside with their cousins.

Here Jonathan is modeling the Sari that his parents sent us from Africa.

Our chickens enjoyed winter in the barn. We moved their coop inside the barn and occasionally let them out to play in the hay.

Emily and Miriam wanted their hair cut. I made it through Emily's but part way through Miriam's I got sick (pregnancy nauseous). At first I sat down and then I laid down right where I was on the wood floor. Jonathan was on the phone with his parents in Africa and the kids went running to him, "there's something wrong with Mommy, she's laying down on the floor!" so he quickly got off the phone, helped me to my bed, and then he finished Miriam's hair cut. Two thumbs up for a good husband. :)

Miriam and Emily were "stamping" and then they had to wash the stamps out.

Some friends from Church moved in two doors down (hooray). They loved coming over and playing on the icy pond with our kids.

Playing "Sleeping Queens."

Sometimes Emily waked up from her nap and sneeks out of her room, into my bathroom. Then she lines everything up in a row across the countertop. It was cute the first time. Then she did it three days in a row. It was no longer cute having to put everything away every day.

In preparation for the coming of the baby, Miriam moved in with Isabelle and Emily moved in with David, freeing up a room for the baby. As a result, we had to buy a bunk bed set. I went ahead and repainted their room as well to get rid of the ugly turquoise color.

There is an annual free Chocolate fest in Des Moines. Jonathan and I took David and Emily (the girls were in school). Basically, you walk around getting various chocolate samples from booths. We ate chocolate samples for an hour until even the kids didn't want anymore. So we put stuff in a bag and took it home for the girls. Free chocolate, who can ask for more?

Jonathan was going through some old memory boxes and he came across his old High School Year Books. The kids loved seeing what Daddy looked like when he was young.

In January, we received another addition to the family, Louie, a Great Pyrenees Livestock Guard Dog. Unfortunately, he eats chickens when he is bored. Fortunately, he adores Eli and our cats.

Jonathan grew out his beard after Xmas.

Louie has proven to be an escape artist. We put up 3 foot high electric netting. He jumped it. So Jonathan put up some fencing along the railings of the barn. He dug underneath. Jonathan then put stakes every foot along the fence. It worked. He's stuck in there. He can't wait until our woven wire fencing gets put in so he can have a few acres to roam around in. Unfortunately we've had so much rain this spring that the ground has been to wet to put fencing in. Hopefully in another week or two it will be done.

As you know from my last post, Zachary Thomas Fox was born February 26th.

What is it about sleeping babies that makes everyone else sleepy?

Miriam loves to paint. She is my artsy, creative child.

Our friends, the Bowens, came over one Saturday and helped catch fish in our neighbor's pond to stock our pond with. We caught 14 Large-mouthed Bass. Good job Isabelle!

My sister Shauna, and Jonathan's sister Miranda came at different times to help me out with the new baby. My kids took full advantage of having Aunts willing to read books to them.

My two boys. Do they look alike?

Jonathan feels the love (and saliva).

Isabelle is a great baby holder.

Louie had a cut on his chest and we couldn't tell how bad it was, so we figured we better wash the area off. We put him in a tub. It is a good thing he is such a sedate dog. We were still soaked by the end.

Might as well brush his teeth while we're at it.

This is one of the two heifer cows we just bought. They are half Galloway Beltie and half Dexter. They are one-year old so we will breed them in the fall. They don't have names yet, but I'm voting for Minnie and Moo, based on the children's books series.

One Sunday we looked out the window and there was a parade of tractors going down our dirt road. We have no idea why, but there were about 30 tractors.

Emily thought she could put the toothpaste on the toothbrush by herself. You can't see it very well here, but about two weeks after Zachary was born, Emily fell and bonked her chin against a metal shelf. She ended up with about 8 stitches.

In the past month, Miriam has started doing Emily's hair as well.

Isabelle put Zachary down in his Bumbo with a blanket she is crocheting as a headrest. Apparently he liked it enough that he fell asleep.

Is it a birthday? Nope, it a cleaning party!

Jonathan and the kids had fun cleaning to party music and then eating treats. Notice, Miriam did Emily's hair again. These "Whaley" pajamas are Emily's favorites.

It's Easter egg dyeing time. We actually had to buy eggs for the first time in many months since brown eggs don't dye very well.

Yesterday, we had a new tree put in our front yard. We are hoping that it will help block the afternoon sun that comes in the large family room window. You can also see that the chickens have moved back outside and they are happily eating away at the bugs.

So that is it for now, but DSL finally came to our area and we made the switch so hopefully with the faster internet connection I will post more frequently now.