cancun

We went to cancun this last weekend. It was the first time we have left our children. It was so much fun. Eric's company earned 6 free trips to cancun from Contempo Tile. It was so much fun. The hotel was awesome. (Newly remodeled, swanky urban hotel) The food was great. (Guacomole, anyone?) We went with fun people. (Doug & Patti Burnett, Kat & Steve.) We had a stowaway. (Craig) We met tons of great people that we loved being with! (Jennifer, Jessica, Ryan, James, Dustin, Clint, Trace, etc. etc.) No trip is complete with out a wallet being stolen. (doug) Lots pictures. (200, I think!) Yummy breakfast! (missing that waffle with berries and cream!) Sun and Sunscreen. (I was the mom of the trip, aka sunscreen supplier.) Funny stories about drunk people (no names here, just know that i was in none of the stories!) Jungle tour to go snorkeling. (Not sure why it is called the jungle tour, there was no jungle!) Coming home to snow. (wish we had brought the sun home with us!)

I will post a slide show at a later day. So many pictures!!!

love this girl!

We left our kids for the first time. I was hard, I am not going to lie. I think it helped that Danielle was going to be the one to watch them. Thanks Danielle!! I am so happy to have you for my sister. Thanks for being a mom to my kids while I was away. I appreciate your willingness to help me out. I had a great time! I am so lucky to have a great sister like you to help me out. Your turn is next!!!

ps. i know i already used this picture, but i couldn't find a cuter picture of just you. we need to work on that!

so much....

....to do, say, and snow!


to do: unpack, blog, laundry, hug kids, thank danielle, thank yous to contempo tile, grocery shop, adjust to reality!

to say: wow! can't wait to blog all that happened.

snow: don't you love coming home from a warm get away to a lot of snow on the ground. i do. it makes the trip that much more special!

we are home. mexico was a blast. you will hear more later. i promise. i think that stories will be coming from this trip for the months to come!

love these girls

I can't help it but I love these girls! They make me smile everyday, sometimes they make me cry too. But mostly they make me happy. eric makes me pretty happy too! He is a great dad. Olivia has become a daddy's girl. She can now say "dada" and looks at eric and laughs. She totally is working him. Get ready daddy, you are about to be wrapped around another little finger!!

Side note: I don't hurt my child but she is a little accident prone. I think that is from my side of the family. If you know me or my sisters, you will agree!

Snow Day

It is snowing today. Lots and lots. It hasn't stopped. I convinced Savannah to let me put her in the snow and take a picture. It was kind of funny. There is so much snow. I don't want to leave the house. It is nice to not have anywhere to go.

Walking

Olivia is walking. Savannah was walking at 11 months so I knew it was coming early. She began taking more than just a few steps about two weeks ago. She now prefers to walk over crawling. The only time she crawls is when she is in a hurry to get some where. She is so proud of her self. She just smiles and laughs! So cute! The funniest part is that every time Savannah sees her walking, she begins to scream, "Olivia is walking!" Like she has never seen her do it before. It is crazy to see Olivia's little body just walking along and acting all grown up. Time is just flying by!

All Done!!!!

That is right, I am all done! Finished! What you say? Olivia is totally on a bottle. I breastfed her for the last time on Sunday. It is hard to believe but I did it. (I nursed Savannah for a record 15 months!) She loves her bottle and I love her taking a bottle. Makes life so much easier!! I was worried about how she would react but she has handling the transition very well. I can't wait so wear normal clothes and have a smaller chest!! I think that is what I am most excited about!!

Savannah is a Sunbeam!

Savannah started primary a few weeks ago! I meant to take a picture and post it but well I didn't. I will try to remember this Sunday! She was so excited to start! She went right in and sat next to "her Ayden". She already knows her teachers well. One is the mom across the street and the other was her nursery teacher. I have had several Primary workers tell me how cute she is and how reverent she is. It makes me so proud of her. I can't believe she is growing up. Funny side note -- in her class there is a Hannah and Anna. Makes it kind of funny, huh? Savannah, Hannah and Anna. Both of the other girls moved in after they were born.

Major Breakthrough

We have been potty training Savannah for months and months. Those of you around me have heard all the potty stories. I haven't post any of them since I am really just sick of potty training and, well, poop! We are having a few accidents here and there but Savannah is getting it. She makes it through preschool, dance and now primary. I have thrown away more underwear than i can even count (or want to!) But last night, for the first time, Savannah woke me up so that she could go potty! Eric was confused and really kind of asleep, but I was so excited! This is great! She is getting it! Of course, it was just Sunday that she peed in her room on the floor but she is getting it! I will be so glad when I can say we have gone 1 week with no accident! I know that day is coming soon!!!! I can't wait!!

The Work and The Glory

It was a goal of mine to finish The Work and The Glory series last year (2007). I did it. I finished on December 28! I know it really shouldn't have taken me so long but did I mention I had a baby. I really resisted even reading the books. Eric "suggested" that I read them like 5 years ago. Last February, I was stuck in St George and needed a book to read. Well, that weekend I read the first two. It was before Olivia and we were watching Lexi while Kris and Paul were at some training thing. I got hooked. I finished a few more after Olivia was born. But that last one was the hardest for me. I don't know why. I think that poor Steed family was stuck in Winter Quarters for way too long. I finally finished and was so happy when they made it into the valley. (like I didn't know they would!) I really enjoyed reading this historical fiction. I think it helped put into perspective all that happened to the early Saints. While reading I found out that I had ancestors that were at Winter Quarters. They were part of the group that was asked to stay and raise crops. It helped give me an understanding that was not there before. I also think that it help strengthen my testimony of Joseph Smith. I know that it is fiction but I can't help but feeling like the stories allowed me to briefly be a part of the early restoration of the gospel.
Another trivial little thing about the Steed Family. The oldest son Josh has two daughters Savannah and Olivia. Our savannah was named after this. She has bright red hair. When I was pregnant with Savannah we both were convinced that we would get a red head. Wrong, Jorgensen light brown is what we got. Eric won on the name anyway. When it came time for Olivia to be named we went to the hospital with totally different names. But she was so calm and relaxed, we felt it was just Olivia. I had to say that I was not yet to the part in the books where Joshua meets Olivia and her mom so really it wasn't after the books at all.
Back to the stories. Has anyone else read the books? Do you ever feel like historical fiction makes the stories come alive?

Taco Tuesday Lives On

Last Tuesday for Taco Night, we celebrated Steve's birthday. We had most of the Jorgensen's over. It was a fun night. Everyone loved the tacos and the brownie sundaes. Savannah loves Steve a lot. She really likes that his name starts with a Mama S too!

an easy way to serve

as a mom with young kids, I want to serve but I have found that I can't really do service projects or structured things like that. I do find that I can make dinner for those who need it. a friend in my ward just had surgery, so I made dinner for her. Simple and easy. Yet, I know that when I get a dinner brought to me it is a lifesaver. Takes so much off my mind to not worry about dinner. I hope that this is way I can serve others. I just hope they like my cooking. And I plan on doing it more and more. (unless someone tells me to stop with the terrible recipes!!)

a new calling

I recieved a new calling in church this week. I am a Sunday School teacher. I have to say I am really excited about it. I have never taught sunday school before and I am not really great at teaching but I am happy to feel apart of something and be able to serve. I have struggled with where I fit in at my ward. We have lived here for six years and at times I have felt like I am starting all over. Let me explain. My first calling in this ward came six months after we moved in. That was hard on me. I had just come from a ward where I was the 2nd counselor in the Young Women's and I really didn't want to leave the ward. I loved it! I was trying to figure out a way to stay in that ward. Trust me I tried. Back to my calling. I was called as a primary teacher to seven 9 year old boys. Yep! And I was alone. It was the hardest thing I think I have ever done!! (those boys just left Eric's deacons this last year!) The new year came and I was moved to a new class (nicknamed the dream class) and they were angels. I was also called as an Activity Days leader. I enjoyed all that until I was called to be the primary secretary. I loved this calling. It was great! I think I met more people during that calling then I have in any other calling. It was great. The hardest thing for me was to ask to be released after the birth of Savannah. I just couldn't do it with her. She was very difficult her first few months and I had very little support from Eric. I don't blame Eric, it was our first kid and he was busy too, but I felt very alone at church because he had something to do and I had to take care of Savannah. I was then called to Activity Days. I had this calling for two years. It was great, I loved the girls I worked with. They were so cute! (Two are now in my sunday school class!) After two years, I was feeling forgotten. I know that is terrible but I was. I knew what I was doing was important but I just felt like I could do more. I was then called to the Activities Committee. I loved this. Parties are right up my alley! I loved this calling. Unfortunately, I was joining the committe when I was pregnant and the leader was about to be released. We had two amazing parties. And that was it. A new leader was called. And not a lot was done for the ward parties. Actually only the Pioneer Day breakfast and well that is another story. A year later here I am. I hadn't done anything except cut fruit since Olivia was born. I know it is hard with two small children to give your all but I know that I can. I also know that I need Eric to support me in this calling. I cannot do it with out him! Sorry for the novel but this has been on my mind. I felt like I have so much to give yet I was stuggling for a place to give it. This calling came at the right time. I am really excited to teach for so many reasons. This year is the Book of Mormon and I am so excited to learn and study and teach others about the importance of this book and how it can change your life. I can't wait to get to know the 12 year olds of our ward better. (they might be sick of Jorgensens though since Eric gets the boys the first hour for Deacons.) I think the only way I was able to get through the last few months of not feeling relevant in this ward was the I knew my Heavenly Father loves me and has a plan for me. I just had to keep telling myself this. I also knew that my job was to support my husband as he is serving in the young mens. I feel like I do that. He is away a lot with them, especially in the summer, but I know that he is needed there. So sorry for the long ramble. Many thoughts running through my head right now.

Savannah as Stephanie

For those of you who have kids you know about Lazy Town. Well, Savannah saw this Stephanie dress up outfit when we were out running errands and she had to have it. I agreed simply because I wanted to leave the store and she wasn't budging. But isn't it so cute. She loves it. She has been walking around saying she is Stephanie. It is so cute!!

Eric's New Toy

Well, if you really know our family, you know that Eric is usually the person who vacuums in our house. I hardly ever do it. In fact, Eric picked out our last vacuum around the time I had livvy and well I didn't even know how to turn it on (or even where he put it) for a really long time. We made a deal when we got married that he could vacuum and I would do laundry (although he no longer remembers this deal). So a few days ago Eric brought home a new vacuum. It is the Dyson Stowaway. He was so excited. He has been wanting a Dyson FOREVER! He waited until after dinner to open it. It then became a family party. Olivia loved it. Savannah had a blast. Eric was in heaven and I got an freshly vacuumed house! What could be better?

New Year Resolutions

I don't usually make resolutions. I usually try to make myself a better person year round. But this year I am trying to make things better now. Here are a few of the things I want to achieve/accomplish this year.

Read Book of Mormon at least once this year.
Family Prayer and Scripture Reading each night***
Eating smarter as a family and individually
Completing projects (not just starting them)
Better blogger (more interesting and thoughtful)
Controlling my temper with my girls better
Finish decorating my house! (and try to do it for each holiday!)
Being a better wife/mother/daughter/sister/aunt
Remembering to send thanks yous for the little things that people do for me
Being a better visiting teacher!! (For some reason I have struggled with this one this last year! Let's do it right Allison!!)
Finish de-junking house
Be a better neighbor
Gossip less and serve other more
Make one quilt for each of my daughters
Finish Scrapbooks for each of my daughters for their first year (way behind!!)
Spend quality time with Eric at least once a week!

I have lots more things I want to do this year but I think I will just do them and post about them later!!

***Okay, we haven't been the best at this in the past but that is all changing. We have done it for 3 nights so far. Last night (jan 2), we sat down to read the scripture and eric and I asked whose turn it was and Savannah didn't miss a beat! She said it was her turn. I helped her "read" the scripture. She then immediately got on her knees and got ready to say the prayer. It just amazed me that after only one night she had caught on to it and was ready and willing to do it. She has never been willing in the past. I was so proud of her! She did the same thing tonight! She knew that is was my turn to read and pray. She even took the scriptures out of eric's hand and gave them to me. I can't believe how grown up this make her seem to me!

Happy 30th Steve!!

Happy Birthday to Steve!! Hope your next 30 years are just as great! I am happy to have you as a brother! Thanks for always being you! I love that I can tease you and be honest with you! You are a great friend and brother! Hard to believe we have known each other for 9 year!!! Time flys! Welcome to the 30's!!