1st Steps and Swimming Lessons

It sounds like you have all been having a good summer so far. Although we don't get any mountain adventures or trips to see the ocean we are enjoying our summer here in Lubbock. Garrison is just finishing up his swimming lessons this week. He loves to swim with his "floaties" on and it has been an adjustment for him to actually have to move his arms and legs to keep his head above water. During his whole lesson he keeps telling his teacher "don't drop me ok".

Darren took his first steps about 2 weeks ago and is now taking about 7 or 8 steps before he slowly lowers to his knees and begins to crawl. He is 9 1/2 months old and is weighing in at 24lbs. 11 oz. He weighs 4 pounds more than Garrison did at 9 months. He is such a big kid, and now that he is walking he looks so much older than he is. People don't believe me when I tell them he is only 9 months old.

Jared is enjoying his job and we have quickly realized how nice it is to be out of school. He is home by 6 every night and doesn't have to worry about studying once he gets home. We are really enjoying having him home more often.

As for me I am enjoying not being pregnant this summer! Jen I can totally relate to you. Darren was born August 26th so I was pregnant all summer last year. You forget how little energy you have until you get back to normal and actually feel like doing something. I have started helping with the flowers at the temple every monday morning which is alway a great way to start to week. Garrison enjoys riding his scooter around the temple while I work in the flowers. We love it!

Patty will be having her baby this morning. I think they were starting the C-Section at 8:00 am or so Mountain time so I am sure she has had it by now. I will post again as soon as I hear.

---Lisa

The Mitchell Summer

Well summer has officially begun for my family. Winters in Woodruff truly are miserable so we fill our summer days with as much fun as we can. We spent the last week at Anthony's family cabin up in the Uintas, no phones, no TV it was so much fun! The kids love running free. It did get a little chilly up there we had a few days of rain and snow but really enjoyed being with each other. we went fishing one day......That's Kaitlen in my jacket keeping warm :) It really is one of the most beautiful places in the world.

Just hang in there Jennifer, I totally feel for you....it does end and soon you will be feeling back to normal, even though it hard to even remember feeling normal is like. Anthony is going to be going to school at BYU during the month of July to get a drivers Ed endorsement (which means he can teach drivers education) So it will be fun to be down in Payson for a few weeks. Samuel isn't very happy that Jacob gets to live so close to Nanna, his solution is to cut up our house and put it in a dump truck, drive it to Payson and build it right next to Nannas house. If only things were that simple. - Andrea

stinson beach

i took the kids to the beach yesterday and it was a great trip (you'll have to check my blog for the philosophical reasons why we went). there is something inspiring to children about the beach. i can't get ethan to focus on anything for long at all and yet he sat on this beach playing with sand and water for a good 7 hours straight. i didn't get great pics of him because he just wasn't at all interested in posing (and this is VERY unusual for him). even sandbox play or swimming pools don't rivet him quite like the beach does. i would be smart to figure out what else inspires him while its still obvious.

we're all doing pretty well. slade has been almost completely unavailable since we took our trip to point reyes last month. he took another trip to mexico with a buddy (a well-deserved albeit untimely trip) the week following. he just got back from a young men's super activity a few days ago and is now totally focused on catching up at work and on kicking this new cold he is brewing. i want things to get back to normal so that we can start focusing on me. i say that jokingly, but really, i'm kind of serious about it.

me, my belly is getting bigger and bigger every day. i am certainly larger than i was with the first two and am feeling significantly more limited in what i can do. even walks around my neighborhood cause discomfort and phone calls leave me winded. 9 more weeks... sigh... someone remind me that time goes by quickly please! good news is that all is looking good and we can reasonably expect another healthy baby. for this, i am very grateful.

am attaching a few more pictures i took last week, when ethan was eager to pose for me (again. do you think i am over-inflating his ego by taking so many hundreds of photos of him???)

Dan's New Little

Dan and Cassie had their girl last night at 10.49 pm. Her name is Esme Cosette Stewart (pronounced Ez-mee). She weighed 9 lbs 1oz and measures 20.5" long. Dan says she looks a lot like Ava, with more hair. Cassie delivered her in a matter of a few hours, at home in a birthing tub. Doesn't that make Esme the first water baby of our lot? All went very well. Dan said Cassie didn't scream once, which makes her my new hero.

I think this little Esme is adorable and I'm awestruck at how good Cassie looks. Congratulations!!!

J.

Alexanders checking in

Hello from the Alexanders, we have had our new addition for about a week now. Her name is Sophia Cate, she was 8 lbs 9 oz. and was 19 inches long. it wasnt a very long labor as it only took about 4 hours. It was also nice to have my own personal anesthesia guy in the room, Colby did my epidural which worked great. I went from a 6 to a 10 in about 30 minutes. So it was a lot different than my previous 22, and 8 hour labors. We are happy to have her here!

Brady also had his pre-school graduation this last week, the picture is of him and his teachers (no wonder he liked school). He loved it. He is reading simple little books and is excited for kindergarten this fall.

Catie & Colby's blog

So apparantly Catie and Colby have their own blogsite, which they have neglected to tell us about (at least, they never told me...). I am linking their site on the sidebar for those of you, like me, who were out of the loop but who do not wish to be. If they are not happy with this link-age, too bad.
I was happy to see that bunch again. Congratulations on new baby Sophia! And while we are at it, rounds of congratulations are due all over the place:

1. Baby Sophia
2. DeeAnn's new house
3. Cody's graduation
4. Jeff's graduation
5. pending: Cassie and Dan's baby (she is now three days overdue...)
6. Parry for getting online

Am I forgetting anyone? Hope you are all very well.

Jen

the Florida Stewarts (really no joke!)

Well I finally made it! still don't have an account yet, my invite had expired. could someone send a new one please? Anyway things are going along fine down here, the fires are not too close and we are all healthy. Sydney is growing like a weed and has her first tooth coming in. as soon as i figure out how I'll post some pics. Cory is fine, although still laid off. I think he is enjoying the time baby sitting and riding his big new motorcycle. pics to follow. so now he has two babies to fawn over. lol. Lora's mom is in town so they are enjoying each others company Lora enjoys her job and works several nights a week, while he plays Mr. mom.
finally I am getting my revenge on him! thats it for now I hope you all have a safe memorial day.
LOVE
Parry

Busy month of May

Laynie had a birthday on the 13th. She wanted a "High Musical" party. She is obsessed with Disney's High School Musical. She and cousins Olivia & Albie enjoyed using the front porch as their stage for Kareoke.

Curt finished the Ogden Marathon last Saturday. This was his second marathon and he made his goal of finishing under four hours. His race time was 3 hours and 53 minutes. I have no idea how marathoners do it. What a challenge.

Derek also graduated from preschool and is ready to go to the "big" school.

Alexa is doing great. She is really putting on the baby chub. I am enjoying all the sweetness a baby brings. My favorite thing is her "content coo."

Jill

From the Austin Stewarts

Hello everyone,

Dawna, we received your letter w/the pamphlets, thanks so much. Do let us know when you have a new cell phone. We also just got the DVD and will take a look at it in the next few days. I just got back from Chicago, I left on the 17th on business and got an opportunity to meet up w/Ashley and catch up. Kerbey is keeping busy with teaching medical assisting, they are long days but he gets half a day off on Fridays so that helps the weekend seem longer. I'm taking a class a couple of evenings a week and then we both attend men's only and women's only meetings once a week in the evening at church and we have Mariah on Wednesday evenings also which is so cool, so it keeps our schedules pretty full.

The University of Texas is out for the summer (that's 50K students not on the road) and the regular schools are out this week here in Austin and you can tell for the traffic is already much lighter on the roads which is SUCH a treat.

This weekend is our 1st year wedding anniversary are we are really looking forward to celebrating it, it is nice that we also have Monday off so it is a long weekend. We keep waiting to hear the call that Cassie has delivered and it is exciting to be on waiting mode wanting to see the new little one, we expect to be the same way soon with Jennifer's delivery. Everything is so perfect this time of year, all is bright and green and beautiful and new lives about to arrive, sigh... I think I have spring fever.

Love,

Isabella

New Camera

Patty got a new camera, so expect more pictures. Today is Jeff and Cody's graduation. It's gone by fast.
Last week we helped mom move into her new house. Curt, Cody and a few other friends joined in to get it done fast. Mom's excited and her house will be perfect for her. I think Jeff even likes it. We are just a few days away from full swing summer here in Utah. The mornings are still crisp and the days are just right. Maya and Jacob play outside most of the day with friends they have made on our street. Hope you all have a great day! Jesse