Poor Thing

This was just to cute not to post. I was working until 8 pm tonight and only had about 20 mins left. Layne was gone because he had to run to practice for choir. So Julia was left to her own devices in the living room. Usually she will just watch a show on T.V. or just play in the kitchen or in her room. It was quiet when I was done with work so I went to check on her. I checked her room first....not there. So I venture out to the living room and I called out her name. Usually she will come running out from where ever she is but not this time. I found her in her little spot where she likes to sit and read most days. But this time she had found a pillow and was out like a light, sippy cup in hand. Good thing she already had her pajamas on!

Santa??!!

I guess this experience speaks for itself!! Its a before and after shot with our visit with Santa. I hope she grows out of it:)

Joy of Christmas

Oh, the wonderment of little ones!! It is so fun to watch Julia at Christmas. She is fascinated with the tree. She loves to touch and look at all the ornaments, until she pulled so hard on one that the tree fell over on her and now won't go near it.....I guess she learned her lesson. But she will see the stars and Santa's and call them out by name. I caught her one night lying down under the tree and touching the ornaments. Just the precious moments we capture. To see Christmas through the eyes of a child....how sweet!!

Disco Wonderland!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Holiday Season

We had a Wonderful Thanksgiving weekend!! We spent time with both sides of the family. Thanksgiving day was quiet and restful. Lots of food and great company. Then for the weekend we went to the Parker Christmas Party!! It was great to see all the extended family. We had a great time. Julia was just on "go mode" never stopping. We all came home and crashed. And when that happens it usually means we had a fun filled, exciting time.
Julia is begining to understand more and its fun to watch her learn new things. Its exciting to see her learn about the holidays. When see she's a Santa she will say "ho, ho, ho" but it comes out more like "oh, oh, oh!!" She is just too cute.
I'm excited for this upcoming Christmas season. A season to be thankful for our Older Brother, Jesus Christ, who sacraficed all! What a blessing! Let us all take time out this Christmas season to ponder the true meaning of Christmas.

Give Thanks!!

Well, with Thanksgiving this week I thought I would post a cute list that I came across. This just reminds us that we ALL have something to be thankful for!!

I AM THANKFUL FOR:
The mess to clean after a party because it means I have been surrounded by friends.
The taxes I pay because it means I am employed.
The clothes that fit a little too snug because it means I have enough to eat.
My shadow who watches me work because it means that I am out in the sunshine.
The spot I find at the far end of the parking lot because it means I am capable of walking.
All the complaining I hear about the government because it means we have freedom of speech.
My huge heating bill because it means I am warm.
The lady behind me in church that sings off key because it means I can hear.
The alarm that goes off in the early morning because it means I AM ALIVE!
The piles of laundry because it means my loved ones are nearby.
Weariness and aching muscles at the end of the day because it means I have been productive.

Count Your Many Blessings! Happy Thanksgiving!

Things on my mind........

Can I just say with everything that has gone on lately with the election and proposition 8 that things are becoming more and more chaotic. For me, it is definitely is a sign of the times. The saying, " Good will be Evil and Evil will become Good" is becoming more and more prevalent. For me its a bit scary to see these types of things taking place but I HAVE HOPE!!! In my reading of the Book of Mormon lately it just puts things into perspective. This book parallels our day so much. Prophets are rejected, the saints are being persecuted for their beliefs........sounds like 'today' to me?! Anyway, I am just so very grateful to have a living Prophet and Apostles that lead and guide us in our day. In this world, where things are growing more and more out of control, we need to look to them for guidance and direction. They receive revelation for us and will not lead us astray......this is what gives me HOPE!!! Even though we are called names and judged harshly for 'our beliefs' we need to keep in mind that they are standards of GOD....our church just didn't make up these 'standards' for just its members. God set forth these commandments and principals for us to live by. That is a 'standard' the world certainly doesn't live by...and it saddens me...thus again, just a sign of the times. Anyway, just something that has been on my mind lately....thought I would share it with you all:)

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Happy Halloween!

It was Julia's first Trick or Treat experience. We went to 2 different "Trunk or Treats." Friday night Julia and I went to the Trunk or Treat we had at work. She went right along and picked out her candy and put it in her bucket. The first thing she got was a sucker.....she saw that and there was no stopping her. It was in her mouth!!! She was more interested in her sucker than finishing 'trick or treating'. It was fun to see her stop and look at everyone dressed up, she couldn't quite figure out what was going on?!

Saturday night we went to our ward Trunk or Treat. Daddy was able to come with us and join in the festivities:) At the carnival, Julia and I did the cake walk. She walked right along and enjoyed the music. She was dancing more than walking:) She loved to walk around and see everyone dressed up. She kept walking up to all the other kids and kept trying to grab their plastic pumpkins. We had a great time as a family. It was a great trick or treating experience!! She was certainly a cute little bug!!

Enjoying the Fall Weather!

On Saturday we all made a trip down to Thanksgiving Point to enjoy the festivities going on. We went to the Barn Yard Boo where they have all the farm animals to see. We took Julia around to look at all the barn yard animals. She was excited and wanted to pet all of them. She loved the horses the best. We had a good time as a family and really enjoyed the great fall weather. Below are some more pictures of our day.

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I LOVE this time of Year!!

Its my favorite time of year. The feeling of Back to School (even though I'm not in school or sending anyone to school) College Football , Halloween, All the Fall colors. I put up my Halloween decorations the other day and so the House feels like Fall. And it feels like it is finally Fall. I was out on a walk with Julia the other day and it was so beautiful outside. It was the perfect cool temperature. The tips of the mountains had snow on them and you could see the colors changing on all the trees. What a great time of year. The Holidays are approaching fast but despite all the hussle and bussle, its a great time of year to be with friends and family. To enjoy the spirit of the season. To give thanks and serve! And enjoy the true meaning of the Holidays:)

ABC TAG

My sister Kristy tagged me again .......so here it goes......enjoy! A few of the letters were left out so I don't know what the questions were so that's why they are blank.
A is for age: I'm 33
B is for burger of choice: I like my own homemade burgers!!
C is for car you drive: I have a gold saturn but I usually drive my husbands Toyota Highlanger so we can save on gas.
D is for your dogs name: Don't have a dog......yet anyway.
E is for???
F is for favorite TV show at the moment: The Office
G is for favorite game: Scattegories
H is for home state: Utah
I is for instruments you play: Don't really play any.....wish I played the guitar
J is for favorite juice: grape or orange
K is for???
L is for last restaurant you ate at: Brick Oven
M is for favorite muppet: I kinda liked Beeker from the muppet show
N is for number of piercings: one in my right , two in my left, but I only where one earring
O is for overnight hospitals stays: Since Julia was born in Aug 2007 I have stayed overnight 4 times.....not fun. But over my life time it has been to many to count!
P is for people you were with today: Julia and Layne
Q is for what you do with your quiet time: Rest when Julia is down for a nap and read
R is for biggest regret: Not trying to get a Softball scholarship to go to college
S is for status: Married 2.5 yrs
T is for time you woke up today: 4:30 am to go to the bathroom but to get up for the day 8: 30 am
U is for what you consider unique about myself: freckles and I don't look my age :)
V is for veggie you love: green beans and corn on the cob
W is for worst habit: talking to myself out loud
X is for xrays you've had: On both of my knees
Y is for yummy food you ate today: Waffles and bacon
Z is for Zodiac sign: Gemini

I dont' know if I have 5 people to tag but I will tag Casey, and Vanessa :)

I've Been Tagged!?

5 things people don't already know about me??? That's a tough one but I will see what I can come up with.

1. Well, I work at home for 1-800 Contacts and I work super early in the morning for most people. I tend to get out of bed 15 mins before my shift and work in my pajama's all morning. Definitely beats getting dressed and driving 30 mins to work!!

2. Lately, I do a lot of reading in the bathroom:) Good time to read the Ensign:)

3. T.V. shows that I can't miss, a guess I have a few guilty pleasures. One Tree Hill, America's Next Top Model ( I really just watch it for the photo shoots and the final results), and Project Runway!!

4. I think out loud and do most of my problem solving talking to myself while either driving in the car, taking a shower, of just getting ready in the bathroom. My husband will occasionally ask who I'm talking too?!

5. My husband and I love to watch the "Office" together on Thursday nights. We usually wait until we can both sit down together for the evening and watch it. We record it and a 30 min show can last 45 mins-60 mins because we rewind it so much. We love that show.....Hilarious!!

Well, I did it, 5 things.....its hard to come up with something people don't know about you??
Well and here is a 6th thing I will include in this tag:)


6. Health Update:
Well, I don't have Celiac Disease, which is when you are allergic to gluten and wheat products....so I won't need to change my diet to much. I guess I am still border line for Chron's disease and we are treating it as such. I still don't have things completely under control. I am doing intravenous treatment called Remicade, every 2 months now and we will see if that helps.
The doctor might think that I have an infection because of all the previous antibiotics I have been on so we are doing tests and waiting for results for that. If they are negative I am scheduled for another scope to see if things are healing at all and then I guess we go from there.
I am still trying to build up my iron because it is really low at the moment. I am doing a round of iron infusions to try and speed up that process along with iron supplements.
So I am trying to hang in there and trying not to become overwhelmed with this disease. Its just really hard to get things under control when you've had such a bad flare up as I have had. It certainly gets discouraging and frustrating for me but I try and take one day at a time. Slow and Steady wins the race!!!
Thanks to all my family that have helped me out!! I wouldn't be able to do it without you!! Love and appreciate all of you:)

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Julia Turns the Big # 1

Julia Elizabeth Cromwell turned ONE on Aug 13th. I can't believe its already been a year. We had a great day. I attempted a birthday cake that didn't turn out quite how I wanted it to but she seemed to like it. We got some pictures taken at Sears and she was a big ham like always. Then we had a birthday party with cake and presents!! She enjoyed every minute of it. She didn't know what to make of the cake but once she got it in her mouth it was all down hill. She would just squeeze the frosting and cake in her hands and then eventually try and eat it. She had a nice bath with her new toys afterward. A big thanks to everyone who made the day so special. She especially liked when Grandma and Grandpa Cromwell sang the family birthday song!!

Julia is growing up so fast. At her yearly check up the doctor said she looked great!! She loves to eat and is certainly not a picky eater. She has a tendency to scream now when she wants her way. Everybody says she has a great set of lungs on her. She doesn't like to be tied down or in her car seat. She just wants to get out and move. Not walking yet but its on the horizon!! Can't wait:) She is finally learning to do sign language and she has a few signs down to help me and dad know what she wants! What a great year its been with our little girl.

(more pictures to come of the big celebration...camera malfunction so I was limited!)

Our Trip to Michigan

Our trip to Michigan was wonderful!! We left for the airport on Aug. 1st. I was worried how Julia would do on the flights but it all went well....the 1st flight it was a matter of just keeping her quite and entertained but the second flight we all got some well needed sleep!! She was a trooper. We landed in Detroit and then drove up to my Aunt Jill's where Kristy and the kids were all waiting for our arrival. It was a great reunion, to see our aunt and cousins and of course Kristy, Kate and new baby Caleb!!

We then drove to the old neighborhood where we use to live in Fenton. Things haven't changed much. The trees are most certainly bigger, the road is still long and dad's fruit trees were huge!! After seeing the old neighborhood we drove Up-North to Frankfort, Michigan. As kids we would go up almost every summer and stay on Crystal Lake. Many great summers spent running up and down the sandy beach and playing all day in the waves. We rented a cottage in Frankfort for the week which was just a short walk away from Lake Michigan and from down town. Its comforting to know that things do really stay the same, just as you remembered it as a kid:)

The beach was beautiful and the weather was gorgeous the whole week!! We spent time on Lake Michigan and playing in the sand and water. Julia was a little uneasy with the sand. She would stand on the beach like a flamingo. One foot in the sand and not knowing quite what to do. It was cute. She did finally get use to the sand and the water and just loved it. We also went to visit my Uncle Chris at his cottage on Crystal Lake. It was great to see everyone. All of our aunts and uncles, cousins and all the new additions/kids to the family. What a sight to see. Our Family is exploding!!! We spent some time out on the crystal blue waters, went out to the sand bar for a swim and enjoyed the beautiful view!! Just breathtaking and a little piece of Heaven here on earth!!

We shopped around Frankfort and visted all the sites like when we were kids. Point Betsie lighthouse, the lighthouse on the pier of Lake Michigan, the cemetary to visit our relatives, Gwen Frostics, a windy day at Elberta beach, Crystal Lake, and the old cottage where we went as kids. It was so nice to make new memories and have family there to make those memories with. Layne wasn't able to come but we sure did miss him!!! Julia probably won't remember the trip but I was so glad she was able to experience a little bit of what I did while growing up. It was a wonderful trip back to the place I grew up. Lots of memories and good times were had by all. Beautiful and Green as always!! I hope to be back soon!

There are more pictures below of our trip :)

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A night out of the House!!

We decided to get out of the house the other night. We went to Applebee's for dinner and then stopped by a little fun park in Lehi. Needless to say it was HOT (even at 6pm it was still in the high 90's)and we stood in front of the mist fans most of the time. I think Julia liked that the most. We let Julia ride some kiddie rides and we got in on the action as well. It was a nice, fun night out!!

Eating and Drinking

Julia has been eating real food for a few months now. She refuses to be spoon fed. We tried Macaroni and Cheese and the first few tries she let me feed it to her but now she has figured it out that she isn't feeding it to herself so it just ends up flying everywhere as she spits it back at me. So we have altogether stopped spoon feeding her. She loves to do it by herself!! She is very good at getting it into her mouth but occasionally misses:) She loves her fruits and veggies (peas&carrots). She will eat just about anything you put in front of her. The sippy cup is also another fun item we have tried. She will drink from it but the last swallow doesn't quite get in and it flows down the front of her as she spits a wonderful liquid spray everywhere. Hopefully this is a stage she will just pass through!! We are also weaning her from formula to cow's milk!!! We have a trip coming up and I didn't want to have to pack it let alone pay for formula. Hopefully she will just LOVE IT, like everything else, and we can stop buying the expensive cans of formula!!

The 4th Celebrations

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Happy 4th of July!

We decided to be All-American and go to a baseball game! We got everyone together and drove to Salt Lake for the game. We don't have a major league team so we enjoyed the Salt Lake Bee's minor league team. While the National Athem played they had a bald eagle that was displayed and an Appache helicopter flew over head. (Made me think of Jerry!!) What a great Nation we live in. To be FREE....! Well, we ate hot dogs and watched a great fireworks show at the end of the game. It was a great way to celebrate the day. Everyone really enjoyed themselves and so did Julia. She was wide awake for the entire evening. I was worried she would be scared of the fireworks, because earlier that day we went through the car wash and she started to cry. But she loved them. She watched them all and would point up to the sky when they went off.

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Day at the Pool!

Saturday we took Julia swimming for the 1st time! She loved it. She is certainly in her element, in the water that is! She didn't hesitate at all and was soon splashing and kicking her way around the pool. Looks like she loves the water. I can tell most of our upcoming summer days will be spent at the pool, keeping cool and Julia entertained!!

On the Move

Julia is finally crawling. At the beginning of May she was still just pushing herself backwards and with 2 weeks she was up and crawling. And she is on the move! She never could just sit still while sitting or lying down.....always kicking her legs and moving the arms like she is going to take off flying. So now its offical.......SHE'S ON THE MOVE.......non-stop!!! Completely wears me out. I have to put her in her saucer, swing or high chair just to get a break sometimes. She hasn't mastered pulling herself up yet but she is close. She gets on her knees and then will get stuck ......just doesn't know quite what to do next. Its fun to see her learning each day......but now its all down hill.....Julia is mover and a shaker......WATCH OUT WORLD.......HERE I COME!!!

Summer Fun!

I took some pictures of Julia today in her new swim wear. Each Grandma sent her a new bathing suit and some cute flip flops. She loves her bath time so we'll see if she likes to swim once it gets a little warmer out!

9 months already!!

It's hard to believe Julia is 9 months old already!! Time flies!! She is getting 4 top teeth all at once and isn't very happy about it. She is also trying to crawl. She will start from a sitting position and then flop to her stomach. She won't go forward though, she will just push herself backwards. She does pretty good at standing by herself too. It won't take her long to learn and then we will certainly be in trouble! She is a mover and has been since birth!! Her favorite things lately are to watch the Wonder Pets on T.V. Every time I start to sing the songs from the show she just lights up and gets a huge smile on her face. She is getting more hair and finally getting into her 9 month clothes. They are still a little big on her. She is starting to talk more, da da, ba ba and ca, ca are the things she says the most. I try to get the ma, ma sound but she refuses, ba, ba comes out instead. She also loves to have a bed time story read to her. It's just fun to watch her grow and learn new things each day. Every day is a new adventure for her!

The Animal Park

We went to Logan over this last weekend to spend time with Layne's family. It was such a gorgeous weekend that we spent most of it outside. We went to a little animal park that had lots of birds and ducks. Julia gets so excited and doesn't want to miss out on anything. We even saw some wolves and she went crazy. She loves dogs and every time she sees one she gets so excited.

We went over to the playground next to let the kids run around for awhile. Julia had her 1st ride on a swing and got a BIG push from Grandpa. Grandma had to come the rescuse and slow things down a bit but Julia loved it. Its so fun to see Julia explore the world around her.

We are new to this whole thing but thougth we would give it a try!! We are the Cromwell's, Layne, Karrie, and Julia! A little bit about us to start.......we currently live in Eagle Mountain (The Ranches to be exact) and it is approaching one year since we moved out here. We love it! A great community that still seems like it gets you away from the hussle and bussle of life!

Layne: Goes by the nickname of Leno to friends (and some of his family). Originally from Preston, Idaho (home of Napoleon Dynamite). And is one of the biggest sports nuts I know! Favorite teams include: Duke, San Fransisco 49er's and Giants, and of course BYU and the Jazz. He is gearing up for the NBA playoff's. He currently works for Advance Insurance, in Orem and is working on getting his insurance licenses. He is quite a funny guy and keeps Julia and I laughing!!

Karrie: Originally from Michigan! GO BLUE! Graduated from BYU in Physical Education. So that makes me a huge UofM and BYU fan. I am a sports nut too but not to the extreme Layne is. I currently work, part time, for 1-800 Contacts and I am able to work from home which is a huge blessing at the moment. I tend to like the girly stuff like spending time shopping and going to lunch with my mom and sisters.

Julia: The newest addition to our family. Born August 13, 2007. She was so excited to get here she came 5 weeks early. She had to spend about a month in the NICU but she is doing great and is certainly a mover and a shaker. Its hard to believe she is 8 months old already. She is a very happy and content baby! The best thing is she has slept through the night since she was 3 months old and still continues to do so. I think it is because she wears herself out moving around all day! We love her and she is a great addition to our family!