Family By Divine Design:: July 2011

26 July 2011

Who does Enoch look like?

Baby A

ENOCH - one week

Baby B

Baby C

Baby D

The top two are the same baby, but the rest are not. For right now, I'm going to let you guess which baby is which. :) So let's put it to a vote (see sidebar). Enoch is the one in the brown-striped onesie: does he look the most like baby A, B, C, or D?

25 July 2011

Trying to keep the husband busy


Before

After

I think David did a great job, don't you? I like it so much better - plus this was a really inexpensive way to make our bedroom set match. :) I love having my room more coordinated. Just so you're not confused, there was not a drawer missing before; David had just already taken a drawer out to get started on before I decided to take a picture.

11 July 2011

Welcome, Enoch!

Just a few minutes old. Still all covered in wax - it was so thick in some places you could have scraped it off with a spoon! I'm not even kind of exaggerating.

I expected David to zoom in so I wouldn't exactly be in the photo - just the kids. I wanted a shower first! But we actually never got a hospital photo with me looking and showered. Oh well. :D

Checking Enoch out with Dad. Now this picture is worth looking at all the subjects.

Kate kissing Enoch. Or at least I tried to get it exactly while she was in contact. Her kisses are swift! haha

02 July 2011

Changes

I'd like to explain my recent changes to the blog. If you are viewing this post directly on the blog (as opposed to some kind of news reader) - you see that new thing on the side that says, "I'm a Mormon"? I've recently created a profile on mormon.org and I wanted to be able to link this blog to my profile for anyone who views it. In order to protect myself and my family I felt that I needed to remove all remnants of our last names and specific location. But I'm rather pleased with the changes.
I personally don't intend to make this blog a journal exactly, but I do like that the changes are very reflective of our beliefs. The domain name was inspired by The Family: A Proclamation to the World. The new title is a phrase from D&C 64:33, which reads:

Wherefore, be not ^a weary in ^b well-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of ^csmall things proceedeth that which is great.

This scripture currently hangs in my laundry room and it's kind of become a motto of sorts for me, in addition to a few other scriptures. It's appropriate that it hangs in my laundry room - a room that represents all of the mundane, daily tasks that I have to keep our home well-organized, clean, and pleasant. It gives me perspective on doing those little chores. Sure I get tired of them sometimes b/c the work never ends, but I'm creating an atmosphere in our home; and these things, while not the most important aspects of creating that atmosphere are still important.
In short, while the focus of my blog is not changing, it is going to become broader. I'll probably post some testimony-oriented things occasionally. So, keep on reading!

David's Bio

I grew up in southeastern Idaho moving at age one from the center of our town to the outskirts. This home had approximately ten acres and much of my youth was spent outdoors both playing and working with my grandparents on their farms. I enjoyed sports throughout my life and was active in wrestling and football throughout junior high and high school. My junior and senior years at high school a sweet young girl even convinced me to join the ballroom dance team. I graduated from high school and attended BYU where I earned my Bachelors degree in Biology in April 2007. Having been raised in the gospel it has always been an influence in my life.

Rachael's Bio

I lived in south central Idaho on a two-acre property in a three-story home until the fourth grade. We moved to Idaho's capitol where we lived until I was in eighth grade when we moved to south eastern Idaho. This move affected my life greatly. It helped me to gain and solidify my testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ as well as helped me decide how accurately I was going to live the gospel. This is also where I met David who was to become my best friend and husband. After graduating from high school in 2001 I attended BYU for four and a half years and graduated with a B.A. in Modern Dance, shortly before giving birth to our first child. Through all of my experiences my faith in the Lord, Jesus Christ and my dedication to living His gospel with integrity has increased. My greatest desire is that I will be able to help my children live and love the gospel.

Our Love Story

Rachael and David met first in their ward after Rachael moved in at the age of fourteen. Rachael's family had just moved across town to a home more suited to their needs than the original duplex. Both of their families were active in the church and Rachael and David both served in leadership positions of their respective YM/YW groups. With that constant exposure to each other was added the fact that they went to the same high school and were in the same graduating class. They found each other to be attractive and dated each other quite a bit near the end of their senior year and the summer afterward. After his freshman year at BYU David went on a mission to Russia - Rachael wrote him about every month and a half, just as an "interested" friend. Rachael was at home working for the summer when David returned from his mission and immediately felt that she wanted to date him again, so she asked him to go see the Phantom of the Opera in Salt lake City; thereafter followed about six months of courtship before they were married in Logan, Utah. Now they're both "the luckiest."