It's about Time!

We have been super blessed to have had soooo much go on this Spring and Summer. I have recieved many emails and notes from some of you about my delay in posting. I just want to say Thank You for caring. I got one post done for you today but plan on posting more in the next week of all that we have done so far this summer. Just after Adam's Birthday in May my Older Sister Amanda came to visit us and we were fortunate enough that she could also bring her two little kids Aidan and Mckenna. We had the most fun while they were here. We made a trip to the zoo, The John Deere Museum, the Family Museum the park, the ball pit and had many fun times just staying at home and playing outside. Aidan and Adam loved to wrestle around, well actually Aidan would just lay there and Adam would run up and tackle him over and over again. I am pretty sure Adam will always look up to Aidan as a good friend and cousin. Mckenna and Kaitlyn loved to play together, they had a little hard time here and there with sharing but overall they played well. I can't tell you how much I love my sister. With this visit my heart and mind were made up that after we are done with school here, I have to live close to her and her family. It kills me to think of all this time I am missing out on developing our Eternal Friendship and bond. I love spending time with her and our regular phone calls are what get me through till I get to go back home again. So, I've convinced Joseph that when we are done here we will head directly back to the Portland Metro area where my family is and set up a practice there. We are so excited to find a community to settle down in and be able to serve with Chiropractic Care. While I have been here I have learned a lot about Chiropractic and I just love it. I think it is a important contributor to our nations health and well being. I hope all of you get the chance to experience what Good Chiropractic care can do for you and your families lifestyle. We so enjoyed having my sister and her two kids come to visit. I am so greatful for that experience for Kailtyn exspecially because she can now remember names and faces of people she meets. She asks for Aidan and Mckenna and when I ask her if she loves them she responds with a very enthustiastic , "YEAH"! It makes my heart melt. There will be several more slide show's as the week progress's so come back and check them out soon. Love to you all.

Adamsaurus Turns One

Adam had the best birthday ever. His birthday was Sunday the 18th so we had a small family dinner with the missionaries. It was fun to have the missionaries here to help us celebrate, hopefully one day Adam will want to serve a mission as well some day. Serving a mission was the best thing Joseph and I have ever done besides have a family. I made Adam a cake but he was not interested so Kaitlyn had his piece:) We got Adam a bunch of balls for his birthday, he LOVES anything to do with sports gear. He was born with the ability to throw a ball, it's pretty amazing actually. He also tackles a football like a pro, and I'm not even kidding. He just automatically knows what to do with the balls it's really kind of weird. I am pretty sure he will be a sports nut. Then later in the week Adam had some visitors, his Aunt Trish and my friend Robin. I went up to Chicago to pick them up, a friend of mine was gracious enough to watch the kids for a day so I did not have to trek them up there and it gave me a chance to explore the city a little. Robin and I while waiting for Trish's plane to get in went and saw Navy Pier and went up the Sears Tower. It was awesome. Thank you so much Michelle, you ROCK!!! Friday we all got ready for Adam's party which originally was planned for a park but it was raining so we switched it to the Institute. It turned out to be so much fun, Adam had lots of friends come and he got some cool presents. Thank you so much everyone. My neighbor and I made him his Dinosaur cake which turned out awesome. I learned lots about cakes, they are fun to make. Saturday we all went to Nauvoo and went on a wagon ride of the city and then headed to Iowa City to go to the outlets where we all found a few new things for summer. Then on Sunday we all relaxed and Robin made us an amazing dinner. She has been taking some cooking classes and boy oh boy have they payed off. Yummy! Monday our guests had to leave, we were sad, we loved spending time with some of our favorite people. Trish and Robin and I laughed a lot and probably stayed up way too late for our own good but we felt we had to make the most of the little time we had. Trish is off to Spain for a month for a study abroad and Robin is back to work, she works hard. As for us, we are getting ready for a few other visitors. Amanda and her kids are coming on Saturday. Adam and Kaitlyn have no idea how much fun awaits them. I don't know how we got so lucky to have such good friends and family. Here are some pics of the last week. Happy Birthday Adam!!!

April Update

Time is flying by really fast. Next month Adam will be one and Kaitlyn will soon be two. They are the gem's of our lives. It is so much fun watching them learn and grow. I think sometimes as parents we feel like we need to work so hard at teaching our kids things. We plan activities and try to read to them often, expose them to new things etc etc. It's amazing although how easy it is for them to learn at this age. Without even knowing it, you teach them things. I guess what I am saying is, I think as parents we don't have to stress ourselves out so much about what we are and are not teaching our kids and just live. They learn more from just watching what we do and from who we are then anything else I think. Kaitlyn has been learning more and more words each day. It's amazing how quickly children can pick up on words. I'll tell her the name of something once and the next day she will remember it. She loves to ask, "What's that?". She asks that question at least 20 times a day. I love it. Her favorite animal sound is a rooster and she loves this cute web site called Boowa and Kwala which has free games and songs for kids. She laughs so hard at some of the songs, which have animations to go along with them. It's a great site for kids, check it out...http://www.uptoten.com/kids/boowakwala-home.html go to the tab that says 58 songs and go through all the pages. We really like the Toucan Song the best. Adam is standing on his own now and can walk with a walker. He will be walking very soon I believe. Yay! He is such a kind little boy and has a very sweet demeanor. He loves his sister Kaitlyn and follows her around everywhere. He also has learned to climb the stairs so it's time to block them off once again. Adam's hair was getting super long so we took him to a local children's hair salon called "Cookie Cutters". It's so cute it has a play gym inside with chairs that are trains or cars for them to sit in while they get their hair cuts. The hair dresser was really nice and we had a fun time getting Adam's first real hair cut. You can see pictures below. Hope you all are doing well and enjoying Spring. We love and miss you all....The Shepro's

I'm Dreaming of a White Easter

This Easter was a white one for us. It started snowing Saturday night and then Sunday it snowed off and on. The weather is fairly warm though so it did not stick around very long. Saturday we went to a friends in the morning for a brunch and Easter Egg Hunt. Kaitlyn actually understood a little bit of what was going on this year so it made all the Easter activities fun. She knows that the bunny goes, "Hop-Hop-Hop"! I did not dare try Egg Dying this year but I hope next year we can start that tradition. I saw a cute idea in a magazine to dye easter eggs with chalkboard paint and then let the kids draw on them with chalk. It looked like it might be a little less messy for young kids then egg dying. Anywhoo, Saturday night we went to a chili cook-off and made a super yummy creamy chili, it did not win any awards but it sure was good. If anyone wants the recipe just let me know. Sunday we dressed the kids up in their Easter gear, and went to church and then that evening we went to another friends for dinner. It was a fun weekend even though Joseph had a super lot of studying to do. This trimester is turning out to be one of his hardest ever. Everyone says this is the hardest of them all so we are taking it seriously. Joseph comes home for dinner, helps put kids to bed and that is about all we see him. He does make sure to take a few hours each weekend to have family time with us which is nice. If it's not hard it's not worth it! Kaitlyn is learning words by the minute. Right now she loves to say Cockadoodledoo! We went to the zoo today and she LOVED it! I am so excited to go often this summer since it's only 20 minutes away. Here some pics of our Easter Adventure and of the Quillow I made recently. Cheers....

Spring Is On It's Way!!!!

This week was eventful. The previous routine I posted went way out the window (Thank Heavens)! The weather actually warmed up, the snow has all melted, the birds are singing and spring actually looks like it may happen. So, the kids and I played outside quite a bit. Kaitlyn LOVES to play at what I call the "Rock Pit"-it's behind the garages in our parking lot and Kaitlyn loves to find different kinds of rocks and then throw them as far as she can. When we are done I kick them all back into the pile. Lucky me! I started making a Quillow, which is a quilt that folds into a pillow..thus a quillow. I met Joseph down on campus for lunch a few days this week which was fun. Friday we all went to the YMCA for the first time. I am so excited to get into an exercise routine. The kids did awesome in the daycare (which is FREE) so I am going to add exercising to my routine on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings. Saturday we tried to go see the St. Patricks Day Parade but ended up leaving because it was a little chilly and the parade was getting off to a slow start, really we left because Kaitlyn wanted to run out into the middle of the street and also dig in the gutters which were full of cigarette buts...She is so curious I love it and usually I am all about letting my kids get their fingers dirty but I had to draw the line on this one. Kaitlyn is talking more and more. I think she talks more then I think because I have noticed what I thought was just babbling has now turned into actual words. It's AWESOME! There is something about your child learning to talk..it makes you feel comforted to know they are learning something from you (or maybe Sesame Street). Adam is pulling himself up onto things, almost standing. He is such an animal, he has fast hands. He can grab something like the speed of lightning. He also has started making a noise that sounds like a machine gun so we have started giving him the nick name Ammo. It is so cute. Joseph is really busy lately, studying and involvement at school and church. He is such a trooper. I think he thrives on having work to do. The cutest thing happened Saturday Morning. We went to get the kids up and brought them into bed with us to cuddle and play for a bit (one of my favorite times of day). It was cute though because Kaitlyn and Adam did not want to cuddle us instead they cuddled up to each other and held hands. It was the sweetest thing on earth. They looked at each other with such loving eyes. Adam has been following Kaitlyn around like a puppy dog and most days Kaitlyn will play nice with him. They are really becoming good friends and nothing could make me more happy. I am looking forward to Easter and hope everyone is enjoying the beginnings of Spring. Here are some pictures from this winter....enjoy!

Clarification

No Joseph is not pregnant (see last blog post).

Under Construction

Be patient with me while I try to figure out how to make my page more interesting. I have a minute or two here or there to work on it. Currently Adam is at my feet whimpering for some love but I just wanted everyone to know that I am working on it-slowly but surely-I am working on it. Please don't be offended either if you don't see your name in my friends list anymore....I still love you-I just have to re add everyone. We are doing good, Joseph starts his second trimester tomorrow so we are gearing up for that, everyone says the second is the worst so this may be a trying 4 months. Adam is now rolling across the floor as if he might die and any minute due to lack of attention....so better run...

Blog Betrayal

I have betrayed my blog. I don't update it near enough and I apologize for those of you who check my blog regularly only to find the same old pictures and boring monologues. I am making a new resolution to be a better blogger and hope you all will continue to send me your notes and messages. I love to hear from you more than I enjoy updating you on my ever so routine life. One of my good friends said she does not get an idea of what life is like for me from my blogs so here is the day in the life of Robyn:

6:30 am wake up- don't need an alarm, I wake up at 6:30 am on the dot every morning without fail. The first thought in my head is..."are the kids awake yet"..and I listen for Kaitlyn who usually is talking to Adam and making him giggle. Yep they sleep in the same room now and they sleep mostly through the night. WE DO NOT go get them if they cry, I am a firm believer in the "cry it out method". It has worked wonders for us. Anyways, I think it's funny how much my mood changes between when I put the kids down for bed and when I go to get them up in the morning. At night I can't wait to put them down and in the morning I can't wait to pick them up.....mothers are quick to forgive I have found.

7:00 am put on some sweats and feed the kids breakfast. It takes extra long b/c I still have to feed Adam his cereal. I can't wait till Adam feeds himself, although it will get messier so I guess I'm not sure about that. I usually always watch the news in the morning although, sometimes Kaitlyn watches Sesame Street. We are still teaching Kaitlyn not to throw her food on the floor when she is done, she is slowly getting it but usually every meal includes an intense pick up of Kaitlyns leftovers.

8:00 am Depends on the day, Most days it's time to get ready, other days it's time to veg on the couch while the kids play. It just depends...

Getting ready is fun with two babies. It used to be easy b/c I could put both kids in the shower with me every morning, which makes it easier b/c I know where they are and what they are doing. But it's been so cold here, that a shower every day makes their skin dry so lately I jump in the shower as quickly as possible and leave the kids in their room hoping that when I get out their dresser drawers aren't emptied all over the floor or that Kaitlyn is not sitting on Adams head. Then by this time Kaitlyn is mad that she can't play in the toilet or climb up the toilet to the sink and or get into my makeup and Adam is super upset that I am not holding him and or that he cant play with the cord from the heater. (He LOVES electrical cords) So I get ready while I listen to them cry and whine, every so often I try to find something to entertain them but for some reason at this time they have short attention spans and they just want Mommy so either I am able to finish getting ready or I give up and just make do.

9:00 Whew, I made it to Adam's first nap. He goes down and I give Kaitlyn her nebulizer treatment for asthma. She watches cartoons to distract her, usually Elmo's world and then it's time to play. Depending on my mood I will be creative with the kids or I will let them just wonder and play on their own which they are good at. Kaitlyn loves to get into the kitchen drawers and play with the utensils, we read books a lot and make forts with the kitchen table. We also love to put on music and dance. But I'll be honest, I usually have shows recorded on my DVR that I want to watch so sometimes I play with them sometimes I watch one of my shows. The shows I tape are, American Idol, Project Runway, Lost, Oprah, Supernanny, Biggest Loser...I am waiting for the new Top Chef..yay.

10:30 Snack Time...yes all of us get a snack. This is usually when I start getting excited b/c after snack time is NAP Time...yay! My favortie time of day, only b/c I cuddle Adam while he sleeps for like 2 hours. Just the most precious time of day. He is so cute and I love to just wrap my arms around him and watch him sleep. When he wakes up he smiles so big at me and we play a little bit. He is such a sweet heart. I sometimes take a nap with him but most of the time I watch T.V. while he sleeps. If I have "things to take care of" I'll set him down and get them done but to be honest, all my bills are on automatic bill pay, I don't have a lot going on that requires attention and my crafts I do at night so anyways, I don't have a lot of pressing issues to deal with. It's not necessarily a good thing, I like having stuff to do, so it's weird to not have a pressing to do list. I miss it.

11:00 Nap time....

1:00 Lunch Time....usually at this point I am thinking what can I do for the next 4 hours to get me through until Daddy get's home.

2:00 I battle myself, try NOT to turn on the T.V. I wish more then anything I could just take the kids outside but it's SOOOO Cold and we have only one car so usually I don't have transportation to go anywhere so I have to be creative at home. As of late Kaitlyn likes to stand on a chair at the sink and play with water, dance, bubbles, play upstairs in her room and look out the window, slide around on a blanket, jump on me, get into everything she's not suppost to, Play in her playhut, climb the stairs and read. Adam loves to just crawl around and find electric cords to chew on. He follows Kaitlyn around and usually gets squished by her.

3:00 Adam goes down for his last nap and I spend quality time with Kaitlyn. Lately by this time Kaitlyn is really "spirited" and so to calm her down and keep her from waking up Adam I'll put on a movie..her "FAVORITE" is Finding Nemo. She LOVES it.

4:00 Think about dinner and start it while Kaitlyn and Adam climb at your feet. It's a challenge to make dinner. If your smart you plan out strategically how each child will be entertained while you make it. Usually Kaitlyn is at the sink and Adam is having a bottle in his high chair. But often I am fighting to make dinner and keep from stepping on Kaitlyn who "needs me NOW".

5:00 Hope that Joseph is home and ready for dinner. He stays at school and studies so that when he get's home he can help put kids to bed and give me some attention. We eat dinner as a family which I love and then it's time to start the bedtime routine.

You know the routine....usually a bath, lotion, pj's and then we play with them until 7pm and then whew say our prayers and time for bed. Then I walk down the stairs, exhale and decide what I want to do with the rest of my night....Below are my options..

Clean
Food shopping
Craft store
Relief Society Activity
Internet Surfing and Blogging
Sewing ( I've been making these cool nursing covers for friends)
Little crafts
Watch T.V.
Talk on the Phone
Go see a friend

I usually get to bed by 10:30pm....I try to always read some scriptures and have been as of late reading a book called Temples and Cosmos by Hugh Nibley...

Well there you go my life in a nutshell. I do have fun...I have lots of good friends who help make life interesting. Joseph is so busy all the time but he still finds moments to make me laugh. My life has never been so routine but it also has never been so full of joy. Kids are awesome they just bring pure love into your life and teach you so many important things. I feel blessed that I can stay home with my kids and watch them grow up. I know it's a blessing and I feel like sometimes I fail to give them all they need. But I have watched myself grow as I have overcome challenges, found ways to be creative and learned how to be more patient. Maybe some of you can relate to my life...I hope this may comfort a few out their, just to know that they are not along in this world in the daily routine. I am here with you girls and we are doing it together. Yay for stay at home Mom's. I am excited for this next week..Joseph has a break so watch out world here I come...

Christmas 2007

We were so blessed to be able to fly home for Christmas. My sister Amanda flew over here to Iowa and helped me get ready to leave and then flew back to Oregon with the kids and I. Joseph stayed behind for a few weeks and finished school and then joined us just before Christmas. I feel so grateful for a family who is so supportive and caring...everyone pitched in to make our stay amazing. Joseph and I even got to get away for 3 days while family watched our kids. We went snowboarding and I got to go clothes shopping. Yay! It was so good to see friends and family and to just feel "at home" again. My sisters and I went to a spa and had massages, manicures and pedicures. I think every Mom deserves some pampering every once in a while. I felt like a new woman after four hours of pure relaxation. I love to be with my sisters too. They always make me feel good. Amanda is a Mom of three and makes sure she is deeply involved in all of her kids lives. She is always on the run, doing things for others and trying to better herself. She has this amazing ability to know what others are in need of and fulfilling it. She is always anxiously engaged in service for others. My other sister Trish just started Law School and survived her first trimester, way to go Trish! She is always there to add a fresh perspective on things and is so intelligent it makes me feel like we come from different gene pools. She has an amazing sense of fashion and keeps my sister and I young. Despite her sophistication Trish will always be the sweet little angel we all loved to cuddle when we were younger. She is so precious. I love my sisters to pieces. While were in Oregon my brother Tim and his wife had their first baby. He is so cute and they are besides themselves with joy. I am so happy for them. It was a long road of up's and down's but now looking back it all seems so right. Little Sam came at the perfect time. My other brother Mark and his family were finally able to move into their newly remodeled house (my parents old house) and are having lots of fun with all the extra space. My parents recently moved into a new condo in Lake Oswego. They love living in the city and have really found themselves a nice place to live. My parents work together doing Financial Planning and are super busy managing a Beneficial Life office there in Lake Oswego. I've never seen them so busy, but then again, I've never seen them so happy either. Well, there is an update on my family for those of you who know them. I love them so much and am so glad I got to be home for Christmas this year. Hope everyone's year has gotten off to a good start. We are excited to plow through this year and make it a good one. Here are some pictures of our Christmas Break...

Tag

Can't we play Red Rover, Red Light Green Light or Sardine's even? I suck at tag. I am super slow and have no endurance. But whatever, I guess I've been tagged so watch out I'm coming to get you.....(Please sense my sarcasm...)
"Tagged" RULES:
1. List the link to your tagger and also post these following rules.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog - some random, some weird, etc.
3. Tag 7 people at the the end of your blog also leaving the links to their blogs
4. Let them know they are "TAGGED" by leaving a comment on their blog.

Alison Bevans Tagged me the little stinker. She even commented that I may not even check my site to notice....well Miss Bevans...I want to set the record straight. I regularly, weekly at least, check all your blogs. I love to keep up on all the goings on with those who have meant so much to me in the past. What did people do before blogging? We would be left to wonder how our good old friends or "kindred spirits" were doing and hope that maybe one day there would be the off chance of running into them and that you could somehow catch each other up on the last 10 years. Thank you Blog inventors for your genius and inspiration, making it possible for all us Bloggers to enjoy our friends and families from a distance. I've come to the conclusion although that I'd much rather check your blogs out then update my own. By the time I've read all your blogs, I'm tired and ready for bed usually. I am going to try harder to post more regularly and please send your comments because I'd love to know who is checking out our Blog and I'll comment more often so you all know that I've been peeking in on yours as well...

Let's see seven facts about myself....

1) I tell myself I'm not good at crafty stuff, but the more stuff I try the more I realize, I'm not half bad at it...I've taken up card making, sewing, Relief Society Craft Night's and want to get into photography. Not as a business but just so the family pictures I take can look a little better. By the way you all are amazing photographers!

2) I like to watch reality T.V. I recently got hooked on Wifes of Orange County. It's one of those shows you tell yourself you would never watch but then one day you somehow watch a little and the next thing you know your DVR'ing the next couple episodes to watch later...don't think less of me please.

3) I am a major "To Do" list person. I have a master To Do list, then I have a smaller list I take around with me that has the immediate items to be done on it. Then I sometimes have more lists depending on how much is going on. One thing I hate though is that before I can cross off everything on my list, I update it and erase all the things I've done and add more. My list pretty much always stays the same size. I also hate the items that never leave the list like, clean house, do laundry, pay bills, buy diapers.......you get the picture.

4) Is it ok that I like to take pretty much every opportunity to leave the kids at home with Joseph so I can have a break. I am involved in every Relief Society Enrichment Group not only because I like to be social but mainly because it means I get a night off with the kids. Am I a bad Mom?

5) I worry a lot about everything. I wish I could be more like my husband who is so calm, collected and knows how to relax. I guess I have a worry wart, but I can't find it anywhere, it must be hidden somewhere inside me but man I wish I could burn it off!

6) I actually like to give talks in church and or give lessons. I try to act like I don't because that is what everyone else does and I don't want to seem like I have a big head but I like the process of studying and learning and then getting passionate about sharing what you've learned. Maybe that's why I want to be a teacher.

7) I LOVE TO COOK! Yes people this is a new passion of mine. If I could go back I would have started learning a long time ago. I don't even like to go out to eat anymore because well it's not as fun and usually not as good. Not because I'm a good cook as much as there just isn't a lot of options here and going out to eat with a one plus year old....yeah most of you I'm sure know my pain. Cooking really isn't that hard, you just have to learn the techniques and know how to follow a recipe. I love to get recipe's from Food Networks internet site and to try new things. Today I made a lentil soup with Kielbasa Sausage...it was YUMMY! I also think it's fun to share recipe's so if your a cooker too, we should do a recipe swap. I have some good ones!

Well hopefully you all still like me....I'm kind of a sarcastic person so please read everything I write with that in mind. I try to be funny but most of the time no one gets my humor but me. I'm one of those people that is funny because I'm not funny...if that makes sense....

I tag...

Amy: coatesfam.blogspot.com
Garth: adriaandgarthtingey.blogspot.com
Bethany: davemadden.blogspot.com(Dave you will have to sit her down and make her do it)
Jodie: jodhubmorrisonfamily.blogspot.com
Heather: donaldson-family.blogspot.com
Mandy: tay-tay-young.blogspot.com
Anna: fowlerfam.blogspot.com

Hello From Iowa...

We are doing good out here in Iowa. Last night there was a Severe Thunderstorm, strong winds and lots of rain. It was a tid bit scarry but I hear it's nothing compared to what is to come. We recently had JJ, Alisyn and Sione (who are Joseph's Sisters and Nephew) to visit. We had tons of fun with them, we went to Nauvoo and also saw Carthage Jail what an amazing experience. I feel so lucky that the closest temple is the Nauvoo temple. Joseph and I got called as Temple Patrons so we have to go each month, oh darn right?! We also drove around Davenport and went to our local zoo, which is actually really good. You can get super close to the animals and they even have a great petting zoo. Joseph is a week away from finishing his first trimester here. He is excited because next trimester will be his first in the Chiropractic Program. Finally he is going to start learning what he is interested in. We are having a good time here, lots of wonderful families and events to attend. The relief society here is really good about doing enrichment groups so I have joined I think all of them. I love to get out, can't stand sitting at home all the time so I try to do everything and anything. I recently bought a sewing machine and started sewing nursing covers like the "Hooter Hiders" you can find online. They are super easy to make and are Fabulous for nursing. I just make them for friends, I also have been making cards. I also thought I'd try knitting something this year. Yikes, I'm getting crafty, never thought I would but I must admit it's kind of fun. I think I spent almost 2 hours at the craft store the other day, and actually enjoyed it. Kaitlyn and Adam are growing up so fast. Adam is pushing his chest up off the ground, starting to grab and play with toys, starting to talk a lot more and is almost ready I think for some cereal. Kaitlyn is still cutting her two front teeth so is VERY cranky and not her usual fun loving self. She loves to be outside though so whenever it gets to be too much for her we go to the park or play out back. She is pretty easy to please. She is beginning to talk but is a little shy about it and is currently addicted to her daddy. She wants to play with Joseph all the time and gets upset when he has to leave. I do to actually:) We are doing good and are so grateful for the gospel and it's teachings. We feel sheltered from the many storms that come, not just the thunderstorms but the storms of life as well. We love and miss you all a ton. Hope Fall is as beautiful where you are as it is here. The Shepro's

Just a Slide Show

One Long Blog Ago....

It's about time, Right? One long Blog ago, we used to keep this thing updated. It's been hard with both babies to keep all my different accounts going. I have friends with Blogs, friends on Myspace and even some friends on Facebook. I wish I could get everyone I know to be in one place. Just for your information my myspace url is http://www.myspace.com/rshepro and you can find me on facebook as well. Anywhoo...What is going on with the Shepro's. Well we had Kaitlyn's 1st birthday part at Silver Creek Falls Park. It was lots of fun. She is just now walking, at her own leisure, and starting to do sign language and copy whatever I say. So, I've had to watch what I call her b/c the last thing I need her to do is to start calling people "stinker butt". My favorite thing Kaitlyn does is when she has to go to the bathroom, she stops whatever she is doing and gets a very serious look on her face and makes grunting noises. It is disgusting I know, but oh so funny. If you don't appreciate potty humor, sorry for that comment. Adam is now almost 3 months old. He is getting more and more charismatic as you can see by the photo above. He likes to smile and laugh and is holding his head up well. He has been such a good baby despite the scary start we had. Thank goodness for his patience b/c having two so close together has not been the easiest. And now that I said that, he just started crying, I'm going to have to feed him. Why is that whenever you say something nice about one of your children they have to go and instantly prove you wrong. For instance every time I say how well one of my kids is sleeping- that night they will sleep terribly. It's almost like they hear you and think to themselves, "oh ya-ya think so. Well we'll see tonight won't we". So we moved to Davenport Iowa. It's right on the Mississippi River, part of the Quad Cities, which means it's part of 4 cities so it's actually quite busy here. Lots of good ol' American roots, it's nice to experience a different culture. Davenport is full of art, music and sports. Everyone seems to run, besides me of course.. just kidding I run, when I have too. I do like going on walks though and they have the absolutely best trails for walking. 7 miles worth in fact that run through different parks and even take you by the new public library. Can't get much better then that when your a "mommy". The trail goes right by our apartment too. We love our town house. It's very large, well maintained and is surrounded by other LDS couples going to Palmer (the chiropractic school) and they all have young kids like we do. I know I'll make some good friends here. There is also an Institute at the school so I am taking a course independently. Joseph is studying hard, he is currently taking some classes to get his Bachelors in general science and Organic Chemistry. He will start the Chiro program the beginning of November. He is loving it, definitely in his element here. I love watching him learn and get excited about his career. So, besides missing my family and friends a TON, this place is turning out to be pretty amazing. Plus the corn is to die for. Even if none of you come to see us, you got to come just so you can have some corn. (you all are welcome anytime! anytime!! I mean it anytime!!!!!) We love you all to pieces and hope life is bringing you lots of good things. We are so grateful for the Lord and for the Gospel. It has brought us to many great places in our lives and I'm sure to many more.

Down of the Mississippi River...

Pumpkin Patch and Kaitlyn's Blessing

Well, it's already November and Christmas is right around the corner. I can barely believe it. Time is flying by so fast. Joseph is working hard in school, learning lots about anatomy, physics and chemistry. He is really busy with school but somehow still finds time to be a good Dad and husband. He is "Super Dad"! We just moved to Albany, across the street from LBCC where Joseph goes to school. That has made life a little easier for us. We are lucky enough to have some friends in our new ward and so we felt right at home. We went to an orchard to pick out our pumpkin for Halloween. It was a lot of fun, the fall colors are so beautiful here in the Willamette Valley this time of year. Kaitlyn was blessed a few Sundays ago. She was beautiful in her white dress and she was so quiet for the blessing. We had a big party for her and her cousin David who was blessed the same day as well as for the many Birthdays that were in our family this time of year. I think we celebrated six birthdays. Kaitlyn is getting soooo big. She is over the 100th percentile for weight and average for heigth. She is laughing and giggling and is almost sitting up. She also likes to try to stand. Her favorite pass times are watching Baby Einstein and playing "peek-a-boo"! We love her tons and are so excited to see her grow. We are also excited because we are expecting a little brother or sister for Kaitlyn. Yep, I am prego again. It wasnt exactly what we had planned on, and it's going to be really hard, but if any family can do it-we can! (Or at least that is what I'm telling myself) We love you all so much. We would love to hear from each of you. Have a very happy Thanksgiving!

Our Photo Gallery

Hey guys, just wanted you to know we set up a link from our blog here to our Kodak photo gallery. See the links that are on the right of this page. The photos are on a cool web site put out by Kodak where you can easily share a lot of photos at once with family and friends. It is a lot easier then trying to post a lot of pictures on the blog or through email. Check them out if your interested. Love you all lots. The Shepro's

Kaitlyn Joan Shepro

Here she is, our "Sweet Little Angel-Sent From Heaven". She arrived July 5th at 1:30pm weighing in at a whopping 6lbs 11ounces. She came as a surprise (2 1/2 weeks early), we were not ready, but I guess who really is their first time? We were scheduled for a weekend lamaze class the weekend after she was born so we had no formal training :) but we saved $70 bucks by not taking the class and we did just fine without it. That is of course thanks to my sister Amanda who coached me through the about 12 hours of intense contractions and then about 35 min of pushing. YIKES! I did it all without any drugs (not by choice) and do not reccomend it to anyone who does not enjoy severe pain. IT HURT! I plan on making sure I get an epidural next time. But once our beautiful Kaitlyn was here it was all worth it, the whole thing, and yes I will have more kids despite how awful pregnancy is!

Joseph did a fabulous job, he was right there with me the whole time, cheering me on and stuff. What a man, what a man, what a mighty good man.....here is a sweet picture of him...as you can see he is really excited to be a new Dad!

It has been fun and challenging to learn all that comes with being parents. We are developing many new skills, like being able to function on little to no sleep and change a diaper in less then 30 seconds. We also have learned that it takes just a little bit longer to get ready to leave the house, we can't just up and go anymore. But those precious moments, staring into your little childs eyes are priceless and unforgettable. I am doing great, had a quick recovery and have a hard time staying at home. I take Kaitlyn out everywhere and have shown her many new things. She is such a good girl and is growing up so fast. It's been almost 6 weeks already since she arrived and she has definately developed tremendously. She is starting to smile, coo and hold her head up while on her tummy. She is a quick learner. We love her to pieces and honestly believe she ist he cutest baby in the world :)

We recently arrived in Juneau Alaska and will be here for the rest of the summer. This is Joseph's parents first grand baby so we had to come and let them enjoy her. We had an adventure getting here. We stopped in Seattle for a few days and visited Joseph's Grandma and Cousin. It was neat for Kaitlyn to be held by her Great Grandma and to spend some time with them. The day after we arrived in Juneau, Joseph's sister, JJ, had her baby boy. So Kaitlyn got to meet her cousin and they have enjoyed taking naps together and such. They are the cutest. I will post some pictures of them together soon. We are glad to be here in Juneau with Joseph's family and send our love to all of you. We hope everyone is doing well. We will post more often now that the storm has settled. Love lots, The Sheprosaurus's

Batman Surprise

My older sister Amanda's son Aidan turned three last week. Anyone who knows Aidan knows that he is one special kid. He loves Batman, as you can see he even sports the Batman clothing line. For a few weeks before his Birthday his Mom and I arranged for Batman to come to Aidan's birthday party, but only if he started to go pee pee in the potty. We made a few phone calls to the Batline and had Aidan talk to Batman in anticipation of his birthday party. Batman told Aidan he would only come to the party if Aidan went pee pee and poo poo in the potty. Well, Aidan did start using the potty and he talked about Batman and his birthday party for weeks until finally the day came. Aidan's party was at my house, we had a Batman cake and everything. About half way through, Batman really did arrive at the door for Aidan's party. Aidan was in awe. He hardly believed his eyes, he really believed it was Batman. When it was time for Batman to go and get back to fighting crime, he made a extravagent exit, leeping from the balcony with his cape flowing in the wind and all. Aidan was left with his mouth wide open and feeling content that truly Batman had just come to his party. It was a day to remember. Batman's true identity still is not yet known, although I saw something in his eyes that looked remarkably familiar. Poor Joseh missed seeing Batman, he mysteriously disapeared just before Batman arrived. Hmmmm....

Fancy Feet

We had an exciting Mothers Day Weekend. All the ladies in the Clements family got together Saturday morning and got spa pedicures. Mother Clements had never had one and the rest of the girls were definatley in need of some pampering. We all laughed and giggled and talked about girl stuff. I highly recommend it to all you woman out there who work hard and need a break!

Chillaxin in the Sun

Watch out! It's the Maddens.......



















Spring is here and we could not be happier. We planted a few things in our small garden and have been watching them slowly grow. We have tomatoes, cucumbers, a variety of herbs, a gerber daisy (one of the most happiest flowers) and some snapdragons (which are fun to play with because you can make them talk and sing). Joseph is working hard in school and getting good grades while I am recently with out a job and finding myself with a lot of extra time on my hands. I started a prenatal yoga class, which I LOVE, and have been helping my sister with her kids while she gets ready to go back to work. I am attempting to get started on making a baby blanket and finally getting to all those pictures that need to be organized, they go as far back as high school (I have ALOT of work to do). Something about scapbooking and me just don't get along. I just got my invite to my 10 year high school reunion which is kind of scarry but at least I'll have had the baby by then and had a little time to hopefully shed off some of the baby weight. The baby is growing fast and packin quite the punch. It loves to sit on my bladder which is lovely when you are nowhere near a bathroom. I have had to waddle my way to the car quite a few times and head to the nearest restroom. I am on my 30th week and am getting really excited to meet this bundle of joy that has been inside me for the past 7 months. Plus I am excited to have something to do that is as worthwhile as being a Mom! Well, we have not taken any pictures recently but here are some from the wedding and so forth for those who havnt seen them. We love to read about all of everyones stories and news here on the blog waves. You all are so wonderful. We are looking forward to Memorial Day weekend because we get to go see Ben Harper and Bedoin Soundclash in Bend. We are also going to camp the weekend out, if we can find a campsite that is. (If anyone knows of a good campground near Bend that is first come first serve, let us know..thnxs) Till next time....over and out.

The Prehistoric Sheprosaurus's

We finally are waking up to the world of Blog. Who came up with that name anyways, "BLOG", whoever it was, was a genius! Just say it a few times, it's fun...Blog Blog Blog. Well, anyways Joseph and I are doing well. I am now 5 1/2 months pregnant. It's been a weird experience, at first I felt invaded and couldnt help but feel like I was in the movie Aliens and that any minute this weird creature was going to explode through my stomach, but now I am slowly coming to terms with the fact that, that probably won't happen. No really, I am learning to find joy in the nausea, back aches, weight gain, flatulence, heartburn, headaches and all the other fun things that come along with being pregnant. All you other mom's know what I am talking about I am sure. It's all worth it though when you feel that little thing squirm inside you. It's a miracle really and we are so excited to be parents. I am sure all the suffering will be worth it in the end. Joseph is working hard in school, he is studying general science right now heading to Chiropractic School here in the near future. We are both working part time and making all the pennies count. Joseph has helped me learn to hate the mall-we have saved a lot of money since. We hope you all are enjoying the beginnings of spring and are finding joy and happiness in life. We are loving more than anything being married and starting a family. We miss terribly all our family and friends who are far away and wish you knew how often we thought of you. We will keep blogging hope you will let us know how you are doing. Blog On...Blog On my friends...