While Mom was here, we decided to visit the Portland Temple grounds. We had been talking about taking the kids again, and with her here, it was the perfect opportunity. It's amazing how peaceful the grounds are with a major freeway right next to it. We all really enjoyed walking the grounds and made it back to the car just as it started to rain. (True Oregon fashion. :)

Mom/ Nona and the kids next to one of the water features.

I can remember visiting the Oakland Temple as a child and the fountain (and the roof garden) were my favorite things there. My kids are the same way...water water water.
Our family of FIVE!

The fountain. So beautiful!

Jemma and Carter.

Jemma

Jemma & Carter

The Portland, Oregon Temple.

On the way home, we sang the primary song, "I love to see the Temple".

"I love to see the temple. I'm going there someday to feel the Holy Spirit, to listen and to pray. For the temple is the house of God, a place of love and beauty. I'll prepare myself while I am young. This is my sacred duty.

I love to see the temple. I'll go inside someday. I'll covenant with my Father. I'll promise to obey. For the temple is a holy place where we are sealed together. As a child of God I've learned this truth, a family is forever."

How grateful I am for my knowledge of temples and of their significance as it pertains to eternal families. How blessed I feel to live so close to one of these sacred edifices and to be sealed to my own sweet heart and children.

One Week Mark

Gavin was due today. We're sure glad he's already been here for 5 days.

Last year when these fields of fuchsia flowers appeared, I was

IN LOVE!

We're pretty sure they're just a cover crop-one tilled into the dirt and used to fertilize the soil for the "official" crop. Interesting, huh.

I get my love of flowers from my mom...so with these magnificent clover fields in bloom, we had to take my mom out to see them.

GoRgEoUs!!

Welcome Gavin!

Gavin Stone Reed was born Thursday May 20th, 2010 at 1:05 pm.

He weighed in at 7 lbs. 13 oz. and measured 19 1/2 inches long.

He is PERFECT!

Here are a few pics from the day.

Jen...checkin' out the menu...(what to eat when all of this is over!)

Brandon...ready to be a dad of 3!

Look at those lips!!!

Carter & Jemma with their new brother. Jemma has been SO excited about this new little guy and loves to hold and help out with him. Carter, on the other hand, is 2 and otherwise occupied most of the time. :)

Carter...a new big brother.

Jemma, big sister x2!

Mom got here late Thursday night and we are SO grateful for her help.

Carter sporting one of Gavin's hospital caps...

We are so grateful to have Gavin here.

I am always blown away by the miracle of birth, of the tangability of the spirit that accompanies them, and of how thin the veil feels during those first moments with this brand new mortal.

We couldn't feel more blessed to have this new addition to our family!

Still Prego...

What an emotional roller coaster I've been on the last few days!!!

"You're scheduled to be induced May 18th...never mind. We have an emergency C-section we have to do instead...wait, we could squeeze you in in the afternoon...oh, your Dr. said Thursday? That would be so much better...let's plan on that...go to Dr.'s Appointment on the 18th instead of to the hospital for induction...You decided to wait until Thursday then?..we brought someone else in today for an induction cuz the nursing staff said you wanted to wait...I'm happy to still induce you this evening. Let's strip your membranes, I'll talk to the hospital and we'll call you...no phone call...meanwhile, contractions start...I call the hospital...We're full. I thought you didn't want to come in today. If you're water breaks or you go into labor, come on it"...(duh!!)...contractions taper off...

STILL PREGNANT!

If nothing else, this gives me a chance to catch up on some blogging I meant to do DAYS ago.

Many months ago, two good friends, Molly & Kristina, approached me about throwing a baby shower...there are like a GAZILLION women pregnant in the ward and this is my THIRD baby. I felt a little glutenous, but they, being the WONDERFUL friends that they are insisted and came up with the idea of a Diaper Shower. BRILLIANT!! I didn't feel as bad about that. So, last week, they threw me the most ADORABLE shower. They are so crafty and clever it BLOWS MY MIND! They made the tiered food trays out of platters and candle sticks, an adorable diaper cake (now in the "nursery") and those super cute hanging balls (not sure what to call them) out of tissue paper (now hanging in Jemma and Carter's room over their little table and chairs).

There were so many good friends who took the time to attend, even though there had been like 3 other showers within like a week.

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

Me with Kristina (left) and Molly (right). I LOVE YOU GIRLS!

Their adorable spread...It has Martha Stewart written all over it!

All the diapers are stashed away now...in every nook and cranny known to man! I seriously think I received enough diapers and wipes to keep me goin' for six months. I'm NOT kidding.
What a HUGE blessing.
Thanks again Molly and Kristina for making me feel special and taking the time to help me celebrate this new little one!


Here's a close up of that diaper cake...SO CUTE...it's on the dresser in the nursery now...which is a perfect transition into my next blog post...

"The Nursery"

I had NEVER intended to redo anything in the room the baby would be moving into (once it's out of me and Brandon's room)...but somehow, I ended up finishing all my projects and felt up to the task...so, the crib was the first thing to get a make-over.

I decided that the bumper needed re-doing...Carter had really done a number on the one I made for him...so, trying to keep it simple, I just used white fabric and appliqued branches, leaves and one bird onto it. Then came the sheets. Molly (ya, that crafting genius) taught me to make my own sheets, so I made a couple...green with white polka-dots and tan with white polka-dots. But I couldn't stop there. It needed a new bed skirt too, so off came the old one, and I decided I just wanted a clean, white ruffle skirt this time around.

Then, after seeing my bumper, Kristina (the other craft genius) told me she had the perfect mobile for me to make...Is that not ADORABLE! She directed me to a free online pattern to make the birds and then told me how to attach the birds to the sticks and the sticks all together with fishing line. LOVE IT!

There's a view of the nursery from the doorway...it's a little tricky getting a decent shot through there into such a little room. But anyway, there you go!

(There...now, if nothing else, still being pregnant allowed me to do a little catching up on my blogging...)

Ground Breaking for the Forest Grove Stake Center

It's been several years now since the Forest Grove Stake was formed, but ground breaking for the new Stake Center only JUST took place this last Saturday. Brandon and the kids attended this monumental event and took LOTS of pictures so that I could see what happened.

The four men in two of the pics are the members of the Stake Presidency and the Mission President for the area. It's hard to see, but Brandon said that they were using "Golden Shovels". :)

Jemma and Carter participated in the ground breaking with their Dad as well...actually, Jemma did a little digging, and Carter just observed really. (He had his fire truck to entertain him.)

ps. If you havn't noticed, I have found a new picture editing software...(it's been SUPER fun to play with). A friend recommended Picasa and I have been quite pleased! (Hence my new obsession with collages and other cool effects...THANKS HEATHER!)

Happy 2nd Birthday Carter!!!

We actually celebrated Carter's birthday last Sunday (May 9th) because Brandon's parents and grandparents were in town, and let's be honest, a birthday really is more fun if you have a crowd! Carter got TONS of fun stuff; both Buzz & Woody, a REAL trike from Nina & Papa, an AdOrAbLe quilt from Nona & Papa (made by Nona), cars, clothes, & a little motorcycle. I made his cake with a little road on it and Jemma got to place the cars on it...it looks a little like a traffic jam. :) He LOVED it all!

2 Years with Carter!

I was browsing through pictures of Carter and when I saw this one, I COULD NOT believe he was EVER this small!!! This little guy is SO much fun, we just couldn't imagine our family without him!

Just a heads up, I had a hard time narrowing down the pics, so enjoy like 15 or so of the last 2 years; Carter's life.

Just a few weeks old...already Daddy's boy. :)

About 6 weeks old.

3 1/2 months old.

5 months old...doin' the traditional family trick of standing in the palm of Daddy's hand.

Carter's first Christmas - 7 months old.

Snack time - 8 months old.

11 months.

13 months.

16 months.


17 months.


20 months.

21 months.


22 months.

23 months.

Today...on his birthday...2 years old exactly!

Happy 2nd Birthday Carter!

When Brandon's parents and Grandparents came up for the White Coat Ceremony, the camera WAS NOT out enough...lame. However, the few pics that were taken, I thought, deserved to make it onto the blog.

Saturday, Brandon, the kids and Pop & Gram headed to the coast for most of the day. I, on the other hand, stayed behind to do some serious cleaning (trust me, it was long overdue...and I'm not gonna deny that I was possibly trying to send myself into labor...so I'm sick of being pregnant...who can blame me...but as you are all aware, the deep cleaning didn't work...), make a birthday cake for Carter's b-day celebration with family Sunday night, and prep for my first piano recital as "piano teacher". Brandon snapped a few shots of them on their hike down to Cape Mead to see the light house and then at Oceanside Beach.

Brandon's parents flew in on Sunday...here's an AdOrAbLe shot of Jemma with her Nina the day they arrived.

Like I said, we didn't get enough pics...at least not of the kids with their grandparents.

We sure loved having you guys here. Even if it was a quick visit. Thanks for making the effort to be here!