Blessing Day!

Such a special and wonderful day. One of James' brothers is in our ward and they blessed their new baby as well, so it was fun to share this day with them and to have most of the Jarman family there as well as my two brothers. I just really missed having my own parents there, which made me pretty emotional. I'm just so grateful for such a supportive in-law family!

One month old and easter fun!

One month old today, and getting chubby! Gotta love it.

The Easter Bunny came Saturday morning and the candy overload began (as well as the wiping off of the sticky, chocolate fingerprints on every wall!)

We all enjoyed the traditional Jarman family Easter egg hunt at James' brother's house with the Jarman clan. There were around 40 grandkids there and about 20 adults. We sure missed those who were out of town! The kids look forward to it every year and it is so much fun to be with all the cousins, aunts and uncles.

Just breathe!

Anyone ever feel like the woman in this picture? I had one of those evenings. Here it is in summary form...
1. James gone to a meeting
2. Joseph, Hannah and Josh in bath
3. ALL HAPPENING AT SAME TIME: Joseph out of bath and I am putting cream on his dry skin while Josh is dumping water by the cupfuls out of the bath while Hannah is getting herself dressed and accidentally pulls her entire dresser and mirror over on top of her while Daniel is in my room screaming because he is hungry.
4. Take a big breath and help Hannah (thank heavens she was not hurt), pull Josh out of the tub with the now water soaked bathroom floor, then feed Daniel.
5. While I am feeding Daniel, I hear Joseph yell "Oh No! Josh, what did you do? Mom you need to come see what Josh has done!" - Not the words anyone wants to hear
6. (Wish I had a picture to show the mess) Joshua into Joseph's Cetaphil cream and SMEARED it all over his newly washed hair, hands, feet, pajamas and into the floor while making white lotion handprints in the carpet.
7. James comes home and I hand him Daniel, clean off Josh and the carpet, and shove all 3 kids at James and I go into my room, lock the door and watch American Idol. Got to have some kind of release, right? American Idol is mine. (Good thing it was Tuesday).
My mother-in-law has a saying on her fridge that says "I barely survived yesterday and it is already today". Well, today (mostly tonight)was one of those days! Thank heavens they don't happen everyday, or my sanity would be in jeopardy!

The perfect housewife

My friend emailed this out and I thought it was one of the funniest things! It is good things times have changed, or I would be a terrible wife according to this criteria! Many of you have probably already seen it, but for those who haven't, it is worth the read for a good laugh!

How To Be A Good Wife
(From a 1952 High School Home Economics Textbook)

HAVE DINNER READY: Plan ahead, even the night before, to have a delicious meal on time. This is a way of letting him know that you have been thinking about him and are concerned about his needs. Most men are hungry when they come home and the prospect of a good meal is part of the warm welcome needed.

PREPARE YOURSELF: Take 15 minutes to rest so that you'll be refreshed when he arrives. Touch up your makeup, put a ribbon in your hair, and be fresh looking. He has just been with a lot of work weary people. Be happy and cheerful and a little more interesting. His boring day may need a lift.

CLEAR AWAY THE CLUTTER: Make one last trip through the main part of your house just before your husband arrives; gathering up school books, toys, paper, etc. Then run a dust cloth over the tables. Your husband will feel he has reached a haven of rest and order, and it will give him a lift too.

PREPARE THE CHILDREN: Take a few minutes to wash the children's hands and faces (if they are small), comb their hair and, if necessary, change their clothes. They are little treasures and he would like to see them playing the part.

MINIMIZE THE NOISE: At the time of his arrival, eliminate all the noise of the washer, dryer, or vacuum. Try to encourage the children to be quiet. Be happy to see him. Greet him with a warm smile and be glad to see him.

SOME DON'TS: Don't grieve him with problems or complaints. Don't complain if he's late for dinner. Count this a minor compared with what he might have gone through that day. Make him comfortable. Have him lean back in a comfortable chair or suggest he lie down in a bedroom. Have a cold or warm drink ready for him. Arrange his pillow and offer to take off his shoes. Speak in a low, soft, soothing, and pleasant voice. Allow him to relax and unwind.

LISTEN TO HIM: You may have a dozen things to tell him, but the moment of his arrival is not the time. Let him talk first.

MAKE THE EVENING HIS: Never complain if he does not take you out to dinner or to other places of entertainment. Instead, try to understand his world of strain and pressure, his need to be home and relax.

THE GOAL: Try to make your home a place of peace and order, where your husband can renew himself in body and spirit.

Danny is a gonner!

Any American Idol fans out there? All I have to say is "Wahoo!" This guy, Danny Noriega, is a gonner on American Idol! I don't think I could have watched him perform one more time. He just made me cringe. I am totally rooting for David Archuleta, the mormon kid from Murray, Utah. He is the cutest kid with an AMAZING voice! I also like the Australian guy and Brooke, the other mormon girl from Arizona.

Joseph lover of FOOD!

So, James has all of a sudden decided that he likes to cook. He doesn't cook the everyday meals I do, like lasagna, enchiladas, chicken and rice, etc. He does the gourmet stuff. Crazy, I know. So, he TiVo's shows from the Food Network and likes to see what they do. He also gets stuff to make from Bon Appetit magazine. Like I said, not the easiest of meals to just whip up. One his favorite Food Network shows is Everyday Italian with Giada. So, I have been watching the recordings of it lately while I am feeding the baby and Joseph has been watching it with me. Now Joseph doesn't have normal taste buds for a 6 year old. For example: the one thing he asked my mom to bring him back from Germany was a bottle of Rotkohl (red cabbage) because he loves it so much. Hannah asked for a bag of candy. He also loves all German food, chinese food, lettuce wraps, and can eat more than me sometimes, but yet has not once of fat on his little body! See what I mean? Very mature liking of food. So, he will sit and watch Giada make Italian food and will honestly sit and ooh and aah over everything. It is just hilarious! Then, Joshua comes in and says, "Oh, Food Network" and he make the same "mmm" sounds Joseph is doing. It cracks me up! I think Joseph will grow up to be one of those restaurant food testers. He would be perfect at it. He just better not get used to wanting James' gourmet meals every night because I certainly can't cook like that everyday, especially with 4 kids to handle! He'll just have to be content with my everyday food during the week and eat James' gourmet food, such as spinach and sun-dried tomato stuffed chicken breasts when James cooks on Sundays. I do have to admit it is fun watching James discover a new passion for something and we all enjoy the creations he makes!

Baby Daniel

Joshua, asleep at the hospital, is not quite ready to give up his place as the baby of the family.

Daniel has been such a blessing. I forgot how much I love having a newborn! I now remember why I wanted to be pregnant in the first place. I wasn't quite sure why I did it again until now. The end result is always priceless and worth the misery of 9 months! I love the feeling of looking at your newborn for the first time and having that amazing feeling that you are now reunited with one of your children again!


The kids are so excited to have a new baby brother! They have all been so gentle with him and all fight over who can hold him next! Sometimes I have to lock my bedroom door to get a little peace. Joshua has been almost a little "too" loving, but I will take that over him resenting the baby. He loves to pet Daniel's head and says over and over, "he's so cute." He also calls the baby, "baby Damiel". Makes us laugh. It is so fun to watch the nurturing side of little children! Joseph loves having his little "jobs" to help take care of the baby.

We loved having my mom around for 9 days. We hated putting her back on the plane to Germany!