The Alleman Family

Joshua is 4!

2012-01-10T11:17:00.007-07:00

Our silly boy turned 4 on December 18th. We had a pretty quiet day, attending church that morning and then having dinner and a little party that evening with my sister and her family and her brother-in-law and his wife.

First off, we took a family picture in front of the Christmas tree:

Maggie (my niece) had a lot of fun with the static-y balloons:
I asked Joshua a couple months before his birthday what he wanted, and all he answered with was, "A red balloon." Wish granted!

Any guesses on what Joshua's favorite color is?

See that big smile on his face? I think he liked his presents...haha

ANGRY BIRDS!!!!

Then, of course, he had to line them up, because he's silly like that. I seem to remember his Uncle Kendall doing the same thing with Easter eggs when he was younger...

What's in THIS one? :o

We have played this game almost every day since his birthday (except for when we were out of town). He loves it.CAKE!!!!

Hah...he looked so thrilled:

And a short video (Uncle Rich took it for us):

Let's see, what can I say about my silly boy? Probably the biggest thing people notice about Joshua these days, other than his size (which is huge--99.76th percentile for height, I think), is that he is an incredibly loving little boy. He gives the best hugs and kisses, says "I love you!" all the time, and loves to cuddle (or lay on people, which doesn't always seem super loving, but you get what I mean).

Joshua has tons of energy and loves to run around. His current obsession is Angry Birds, in case you couldn't tell from the pictures, and he enjoys building things and throwing things back and forth. He loves Play-Doh but would rather watch others make things with it than make things himself. He can recognize the entire alphabet, can write his name and most letters, and he got some beginner books for Christmas that he's learning to read ("BOB Books," I think they're called). He loves to sing and enjoys making up his own lyrics to songs.

We just love him and couldn't imagine life without him. Happy birthday, Joshua Logan!

Thanksgiving!!!!

2011-12-15T14:03:00.004-07:00

After four years of hosting Thanksgiving at our house, my sister graciously offered to host, since they now have room to do so. We had a great time! It was the three of us, plus my sister and her husband and daughter, plus our other sister, plus my aunt and her friend. We ate good food and enjoyed each other's company. Good times! Of course, we have to post pictures of the event.

First off, the turkey. I used a turkey oven bag a couple years ago and have decided it's such an easy way to go, and the turkey ends up beautiful, brown, and juicy:

Me and Joshua, anxiously waiting for Uncle Rich to finish carving the turkey and Aunt Brianne to finish with...something (you can see them both in the background):
Our table! Everyone looks so thrilled to have their picture taken...

After dinner, Cody and Joshua played Wii Swordfighting (or whatever it's called). Basically, they throw an object in front of you and you're supposed to slash it a certain way. Cody used a Wii remote and Joshua used his cousin's stuffed giraffe:

Me and my love:

Our family!

The Lees:

The girls! L-R: Brianne, Maggie, Kirsti, Carina, and Jan:

Seesters!

It was a fun day. Thanks to Kirsti for hosting and thanks to everyone for spending time with us. I know it's a little late, but I just want to say, for the record, that I am thankful for my family, my God, and my new life. It's been amazing.

Snow Day!

2011-12-15T09:53:00.003-07:00

I'm really behind on blogging. I've had a bunch of pictures that I've been saving and thinking, "I need to write a blog post about such-and-such event and post these pictures." Well, I'm finally buckling down to it, thanks to a little downtime at work (gotta love finals week! It's dead around here!).

So! We had our first (and pretty much only REAL) snowfall a few weeks ago, the Saturday before Thanksgiving. It wasn't much, but enough that Joshua wanted to go outside and play for a little while. Here he is all bundled up beforehand:

See, there really wasn't a ton of snow to speak of...and it was rather wet snow...but to a 3-year-old, it was magical.
Probably his favorite part was walking around making footprints.

He made a snowman! You may have to look really, really closely to see it. But it's there.

The snow was so wet and easily compactible (is that even a word) that it just kept sticking to my boots, to the point where I was suddenly 4-6 inches taller. Platform boots, anyone?

He played so hard that, by the time we got back inside, that kid was SWEATY. And I just love those rosy cheeks.

We haven't had much snow since then, and certainly nothing that has stuck longer than an hour or two, but it was still pretty fun. I'm sure we'll be sick of snow eventually.

I Know the Scriptures are True

2011-11-13T13:59:00.002-07:00

Joshua participated in his first Primary Program today as part of the services for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He said his part very well ("We have four books of scripture") and sang quite enthusiastically. And he was very well-behaved, I'm hear...I couldn't really pay attention to him, as I was on the other side of the chapel, directing the Senior Primary kids. But it was a wonderful program--the kids bore their testimonies well, both through saying their parts and through beautiful songs. It was very sweet and I love how precious these kids are.

Here is Joshua, looking all dapper with his hair actually combed (you can guess how much gel we had to use to get it to actually go where we wanted it to...):

Joshua and Daddy:

Joshua and Mommy:

What a wonderful Sabbath day!

Punkins!

2011-10-29T23:16:00.003-06:00

We carved our jack-o-lanterns today. I am somewhat proud of them this year, not because they are amazing designs or anything, but because we used pumpkins we actually grew in our garden (technically this was the only thing we grew in our garden, and we didn't even plan to do a garden...Joshua planted these seeds during a Primary lesson at church in February, and somehow the plant just flourished). That's why one of them is still partially green, by the way. We couldn't wait for it to turn orange :) Joshua requested a scary face and a silly face. Results are as follows:

He is SUCH a ham.

I love how this one ended up--Joshua just happened to look to the side as Cody snapped the picture:

Ward Halloween Party

2011-10-29T23:00:00.001-06:00

Thanks to my sisters and their creativity, we all had costumes this year! We had already planned on Joshua being a fireman, but somehow we ended up with all in theme. Starting off, we have Joshua's lovely candy bucket:

It's so hard to get him to smile for pictures sometimes...

Can you tell what Cody was? Hint: the rectangles on his shirt are red and blue. And he's holding what he's supposed to be in his hand (and yes, that is a Transformer).

Daddy and son:

Wish I had a full-length picture of me so you can see my white shirt all covered in spots!

Mommy and son:

We had a great time at our ward's Halloween party last night. We had good chili and cornbread, played games, trick-or-treated to the doors in the building, and enjoyed the company of our ward members. Happy Halloween, everyone!

FHE at Cornbelly's

2011-10-17T22:53:00.008-06:00

We went to Cornbelly's for FHE last Monday night along with my sister and her cute family. Despite it being pretty cold and us arriving a little too late to really take advantage of all the fun stuff there before the kids got tired, we had a good time. We started the night off with take-out dinner at the picnic tables while Joshua ran around and played (that kid rarely eats...how he is as big as he is, I will never know). Then we took a ride on the little tractor train thingy, did the kiddie corn maze, and took tons of pictures. Here are a few of them!

Joshua the truck driver

Joshua the ship captain:

The slide at the bouncy house (and some girl who wouldn't get out of the way...):

Our fun family:

This is the best smile he could come up with:

My sister, her husband, and their adorable daughter Maggie:

Before we went into the corn maze, we tried out the hay bale one:

Corn maze! Not sure what that look on my face is, but yeah...

They have these little spinny wheel thingies every so often in the kiddie corn maze, and you're supposed to spin them and do that action until you find the next spinny wheel thingy:

A sample of one of the wheels:

Mommy and Joshua:

Cody being Cody:

Joshua loved this little spider web:

Help! I'm caught!

Sliding out of the castle:

Swingin'--whoa, those are big feet:

Once again, Cody being Cody, and Joshua calling for me to come up in the castle with them:

Joshua the train conductor:

Random carousel horse:

That's a big pumpkin!

Cody doing a little jig on stage in the Princess Fairyland area:

Joshua wandering among the pumpkins:

Daddy and Joshua in the fire truck--perfect considering Joshua's costume this year:

Me on the big bouncy balloon thingy:

We had a great time...at least we know that, next year, go earlier so it's not so freezing! Hah!

Long Hair

2011-09-18T15:55:00.002-06:00

"Mommy, I have long hair, just like you!

...except mine has animals all over it."

(please excuse the ketchup all over his face...didn't get a chance to wipe that off before I took the picture)

Duality

2011-09-14T08:59:00.003-06:00

Cody takes me to work three days a week so that he can have the car to take Joshua to daycare and go to class. To get to the building where I work, we have to bypass a gate, where a BYU police officer sits and checks the ID of everyone who comes to the gate. This morning, I flashed my ID as usual, but apparently she couldn't see it, so she asked Cody to roll down his window.

"Are you a faculty member?"

I replied, "No, I'm a staff employee."

"Okay, I just couldn't see your ID very well. Thanks!"

And we drove on.

Then, from the backseat comes a little voice: "You're a staff employee? But I thought you were my mommy!"

I'm both, my son--both those things and many, many more. But it's comforting to know that, to him, I will always be, first and foremost, his mommy.

Animals and Dinosaurs

2011-08-27T22:49:00.003-06:00

We took Joshua to the Hogle Zoo today. It was a brief trip, very hot and tiring, but he had fun. Some highlights:

Mommy and Joshua checking out some monkeys.

Look, it's an elephant!

They're doing some construction on the bear pavilion, so they had these little shovel thingies that the kids could play with. I think Cody had more fun using it than Joshua.

Giraffe!

My cute little (big) boy :)

Look, a dinosaur!

Love this gorilla.

ROAR!!!

Yeah, we were all tired and sweaty when it was over. Still, a pretty fun trip. Joshua had no problems going straight to bed when we got home :)

Five Years!

2011-08-26T22:01:00.003-06:00

Then:

Now:

Then:
Now:

It's been a wonderful five years, full of highs, lows, and a lot of fun. We celebrated by doing some proxy sealings at the Mount Timpanogos LDS Temple, then having some yummy crab at Red Lobster. Good times. I love you, my dearest love!!!

Special Day

2011-08-20T22:33:00.002-06:00

Today was a very special day for the Alleman Family--and I'm not talking about just our little family of three. Chad, Cody's older brother, was baptized today into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and he asked his little (big) brother to perform the ordinance. It was Cody's first time performing a baptism, and it was humbling to have it be for his big brother. What an amazing privilege for both of them! It was a very spiritual event.

Chad and Cody in their white jumpsuits

Our family plus Chad and his wife, Ivy

They had a great little brunch after the baptismal ceremony--here's a lot of the family :)

The Alleman brothers, their dad, and their grandma

The Alleman crew!

The Allemans, plus Chad and Cody's maternal grandmother and her husband

Tomorrow we'll head to Springville again to be there when Chad is confirmed and receives the Gift of the Holy Ghost. It's exciting to be a part of these basic ordinances--the first ordinances of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I love it.

Joshua the Artist

2011-08-18T21:20:00.005-06:00

Joshua's creativity is really coming out these days. First off, his toy sculpture:

Next, Joshua the photog:

(Thanks for the flattering angle, Joshua)

And finally, his drawings, which just a week or two ago really started becoming recognizable as actual things:

This one is awesome. He drew a bunny, asked Cody to cut it out, and then glued it onto another piece of paper. The nose? A piece of couch stuffing (our couches are falling apart...).

A train, of course.

This is apparently a self portrait. Can't you tell?

Some of these are a little freaky-looking, but...yeah :o

And he even tried to write his name! Without help! I'm so impressed :)

The past couple of days when I've come home from work, he has been so excited to show me his latest creation ("Mommy, cwose your eyes! I gotta show ya somethin'!"). I can't wait to see what he makes for me tomorrow.

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart...

2011-07-06T09:46:00.002-06:00

...and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

All of us must remember this scripture and apply it in our lives. It's a perfect illustration of the fact that we need His guidance over absolutely everything we do. It's hard, sure, but sometimes we are given a swift reminder that we need His help. This can come gently or it can come like a hard blow to the head, like it was for us yesterday. We're still recovering from the shock...

After just five short months, Cody was laid off yesterday. The company is currently "evaluating its changing needs" and his job "has been affected by this reduction in force." The termination is effective immediately, though they are paying him through the end of the week (how kind of them!). Nor was he the only one--we know a few others that were also laid off, including two entire departments. Guess the company wasn't doing so well.

We're not sure what this means for our family. In a way, we feel strangely blessed, because at least we know that I have a stable job (which wasn't the case even just six weeks ago), and plus we're using the healthcare benefits from my job, not Cody's, so our insurance coverage won't change. But this is quite a loss of income, needless to say, and things are going to be tight for us once again. At least we've done it before, so we should be okay. It's just going to be an adjustment...I'll be honest and say I really enjoyed living somewhat comfortably and even putting some money away. We'll need to use that little cushion now.

Joshua is now home with daddy again, at least for the time being, and I just know he's going to really start missing all his daycare friends and the fun activities he did there. And I feel badly that this will affect Maren's income as well, but like she said yesterday when we told her, "It is what it is." Hopefully another job will come along, if only something part-time, that will enable Joshua to return. He's had a great time there and I hate to see it end.

So for now, we're praying to know the Lord's will in all of this. Should Cody plunge headfirst into more schooling to get his bachelor's? That seems like a good idea. Or should he try to find another FT job in a field already over-saturated with fresh college graduates? Or should he try to just find whatever kind of job he can? His income will be sorely missed, so that last one is tempting. This is where prayer comes in, I suppose.

In the meantime, we just need to remember to trust in the Lord with all our hearts. He will direct our paths. I just hope we can see that clearly and recognize His direction when it comes.

Joshua's first talk

2011-06-21T15:53:00.002-06:00

Joshua gave his first talk in Primary on Sunday (for those who aren't familiar with that, a "talk" is basically 1-2 minutes, with the subject being gospel-related, and Primary is the Sunday School that children ages 3-11 go to). I was one proud mommy! He had no fear, just got up there, showed his pictures, and repeated the words I whispered in his ear. He is one adorable kiddo and I think he made his daddy happy, too (it was Father's Day, after all!).

BIG news...

2011-05-27T08:48:00.003-06:00

Well, things have happened so fast that I'm not sure what to think--but yes, I have been offered a new job and will be moving to a different department at BYU, with me training there part-time as early as next week! I will be the Department Secretary for the Department of Political Science. It sounds similar to my current job, but there are many new responsibilities I will learn that will make me more marketable, and I will also receive a significant pay raise. I am super excited.

Of course, I will miss all my friends in the School of Technology and in the rest of the college, with whom I have worked for the past almost five years, but I'm so grateful for this opportunity and am looking forward to getting to know new people and experiencing new challenges. And it's also great to know that my position with the university will be permanent and secure, something that I have not yet experienced as a full-time employee there (my original position was based on research funds and was therefore always in jeopardy, and my current SoT position has been uncertain for the past two years due to the hiring freeze). I really feel blessed.

Oh, and just in case anyone was wondering, yes, I took the blog off private for the time being--so if you want notifications in Google Reader that I posted, then you may need to delete this blog and re-add it. Thanks for reading! :)

Is there a new job in my future?

2011-05-25T15:13:00.002-06:00

Awhile back, I blogged about how I got a new job due to the hiring freeze at BYU. I've been in this new job for a little over two years now. Well, the freeze ended in December, and since then my future status as a BYU employee has been uncertain. The job I had before in ACERC has been eliminated, so there's no job for me to return to there, and now the university is requiring my current position to be posted, so that the general public has the opportunity of applying and interviewing for it. The job hasn't been posted yet, but it will be soon, or so I'm told.

Of course, I have been informed I am welcome to apply for the position, but I have no guarantees that I'll keep it (though I would like to think that, being fully trained for it and everything, that would be a huge plus in my favor). After a lot of thought and prayer, I decided that, in addition to applying for my current job, I would see what else is available across campus and apply for those jobs as well. Maybe this could be an opportunity to make myself more marketable or even get a higher salary. There aren't a ton of jobs posted on BYU's job website, but a couple weeks ago there were three positions posted for which I feel well-qualified, so I went ahead and submitted my résumé for all three.

So far, I've had two interviews for one of the jobs (second interview was yesterday and I should hear back soon), and I have an interview set up for the other two as well--one tomorrow and another next Tuesday. That means I'm 3 for 3, at least when it comes to scoring an interview. Not too shabby, eh? =) Though it would definitely be easier to stay in my current job, I am excited about the possibility of a new place and new responsibilities. We'll just see if any of these interviews actually lands me an offer of employment.

Wish me luck!

Mothers - Doing the Best We Can

2011-05-13T11:58:00.002-06:00

I found this blog post this morning and it really spoke to me. I never saw myself as a working mom--in the predominant culture where I live and the religion that I practice, stay-at-home moms are praised and portrayed as the ultimate ideal for all mothers. Working moms are few and far between, and one gets the impression that they only are working to put their husbands through school or because their husbands are out of work, never because they truly want to work. If a mother truly wants to work, it's seen as going against the counsel of our leaders, almost as evidence that you "don't love your children enough" to stay home with them.

I have gone through countless hours of guilt for working full-time since my son was born over three years ago. I cried the night before my maternity leave ended, wondering how I could ever leave this little 4-week-old baby, even though his father would be caring for him at home. And then I began to resent my job, because at the time, it wasn't fulfilling for me and I hated not being at home with my son.

Then things started to change. I got a new job, one that I find challenging and sometimes even exciting. It gives me adult interaction and a sense of purpose and fulfillment. So now I'm a working mom and will likely be for the foreseeable future--and I don't feel that guilt anymore. I'm not sure that my family will ever be able to financially survive on a single income, and that doesn't fill me with dread anymore. As long as I have a good job that doesn't bore me to tears, I think I'll be okay working during the day--maybe part-time, maybe full-time--even while I have young children.

Would I like to be a stay-at-home mom? Honestly, I have mixed feelings about it now. I feel like my son has a great time playing with his friends at daycare, and he loves the activities they do and the games they play. He still comes running up to me with a huge smile and a "Hi, Mommy!" when I pick him up. He gives me the best hugs and kisses, and we have a great time together in the evenings (when he's not playing Angry Birds on Daddy's phone, his current preferred activity) and on the weekends. This may all change when I have another baby, but for now, I'm okay with working and I actually almost prefer it. We're more financially stable and Joshua gets the friend interaction that I wouldn't be able to give him if I were at home.

So anyway. I'm not sure where I'm going with this post. Basically, I liked that post and I do believe that mothers, whether working or those staying home with their kids, are generally all trying to do the best we can. After all, the goal is to raise a righteous generation, right?

I'm 29!

2011-05-04T20:58:00.005-06:00

My birthday was last week...the big 2-9. Kinda weird that I've only got a year left in my 20s. It was a pretty quiet day, as my birthdays usually are. We didn't have any big plans since usually those type of plans involve some sort of restaurant trip (usually Tucanos...I miss that place!) and I can't really do that anymore, at least not for awhile.

But it was a good day. I felt well-celebrated by the end of it. Joshua enthusiastically told me, "Happy Birthday, Mommy!" as he handed me his Easter basket, which contained several open plastic eggs (with no candy inside, as he'd already eaten it all) and a half-empty jar of peanut butter. Best present ever. And Cody got me a few things--the Hunger Games trilogy (I'd only read the first one and am now half-way through the second), Harry Potter 7 pt 1 on DVD, and a "coupon" to go to a spa and get whatever pampering I want. I feel like I need some pampering, especially considering all that I've been through this year, so I'll probably go get a pedicure and something else, not quite sure what yet. I have to wait for my toenails to grow out a bit first, though. I can't really have cake, but I do love carrot cake so Cody got just a slice from the store, and we all shared it (I only had a few bites). Here's a video of the birthday singing:

Oh, and I got my hair highlighted on Saturday. I wish I had time to straighten it like this every day, but at least it looked good until I had to wash it again!

Hoppy Easter!!!

2011-04-24T21:03:00.011-06:00

This was the first year that Joshua really understood what was going on during Easter festivities, so that was quite fun. Here's a few pictures of our egg-dying yesterday:

Our silly-faced eggs:
The Easter bunny came while we were at church. He brought an awesome basket for Joshua:

We did our best to make sure we explained to Joshua the real reason we celebrate Easter, and I think he sort of got what we were saying. It was a wonderful day--I'm so grateful to my Savior for His life, His death, and His resurrection. I would not be who I am without that faith I have in Him.

I accompanied our church choir today while they sang "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross," which is one of my favorite Easter songs. It expresses my feelings a lot more eloquently than I could, so here are the lyrics:

When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss
And pour contempt on all my pride.

Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
Save in the death of Christ, my God;
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to His blood.

See, from His head, His hands, His feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down.
Did e'er such love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?

Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.

Happy Resurrection Sunday, everyone!

It's a time tower!

2011-04-05T22:04:00.002-06:00

This is the Alumni Center at BYU--or, according to Joshua, the "time tower" and "time castle." What goes on in that kid's head, I have no clue. I just love that he has a good, active imagination.

Welcome, Baby Maggie!

2011-03-15T10:08:00.003-06:00

No, she's not mine! (obviously) She's my sister Kirsti's! Maggie (Margaret Anna) was born yesterday morning. She's so adorable and makes the cutest little baby grunts. I am one proud auntie. Congrats to the new parents!

Oh, and awesome new Joshua quote: Prior to visiting his new cousin last night, Mommy was trying to teach him a little bit about babies. When asked, "Where do babies come from?" he responded knowingly, "From Aunt Kirsti's tummy!" =P

Happy Love Day!!!

2011-02-14T21:22:00.003-07:00

We had a quiet Valentine's Day around here, but it was just right for us. Dinner was Café Rio (I had black beans, fire-grilled chicken, and salsa...soooo yummy), and then we exchanged gifts after Joshua went to bed. First is the spread I made for Cody. That's sweet sushi on the left, made from twinkies, fruit roll-ups, and swedish fish, regular sushi in the middle, and red velvet cupcakes with peanut M&Ms on the right. Hey, if I can't have it, at least somebody in this house should get a little bit of the goodies that make up part of Valentine's Day tradition:
Close-up of the sweet sushi. I was pretty proud of myself:
Cody loved the sushi goodness:
And, of course, what Valentine's Day would be complete without flowers for the lady? :)
Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!!!

Great news!

2011-01-13T16:32:00.002-07:00

I fail at blogging. The last month has just flown by...we were in CA for about 10 days and had Christmas with my parents, then we came back and I got distracted by the next semester and all of the work that comes with that, plus needing to prepare myself for time off after my surgery (see my personal blog for more information about that)...anyway, now we're fully into January and I haven't even said anything about Christmas.

But we just got some good news that couldn't wait for catch-up. Cody got a job! And it's a paralegal job, too! He'll be working for a company called iMergent, and it's only about a mile from our house. We're just so excited that he'll finally be able to quit his night job and start working in his chosen career. He starts January 31st, so that gives us a little over two weeks to figure out what we're going to do as far as daycare for Joshua. While we don't relish the thought of both of us only seeing him for a few hours every day, I think it will be good for him and for us as well--he'll get stimulation and social interaction.

So HOORAY! Cody got a job! Sound it from the rooftops--Cody got a job!!!!

Joshua is 3!

2010-12-19T22:13:00.002-07:00

Well, three years ago yesterday we welcomed little Joshua Logan Alleman to our family. He was 7 lbs, 14 oz, and 20 inches long. Now, three years later, he is more than five times that starting weight and over twice as tall--41 lbs and 41 inches tall, to be exact. No wonder my back starts hurting when he wants me to hold him for awhile. And what a bundle of energy he is! I don't know how he keeps it up!

We couldn't find our camera yesterday, so we relied on my sister Kirsti and her husband Rich's camera for pictures...and then we didn't upload them to our computer before they went home. So this will be a picture-less post, sadly. But we did have quite a full day of activities!

One of the highlights of the day that will live in infamy and probably be mentioned at every birthday party he ever has is this: Joshua made "pancakes" for Mommy and Daddy. How? By pouring water on the cake layers of his birthday cake, which were still in their pans, waiting to be frosted. Thank you, son, for requiring me to run to the local grocery store and buy your birthday cake. We did get an awesome Cookie Monster cake out of it, but still.

Uncle Rich and Aunt Kirsti came over and made enchiladas while we watched BYU kick the trash out of UTEP in the New Mexico Bowl, and then the birthday boy opened his presents. What did he get? A new potty seat and underwear! Oh boy...heaven help us as we embark on this exciting adventure of potty training. He also received the complete works of Curious George, which will make for some good bedtime stories.

Then we drove up to SLC to look at the lights on Temple Square. It wasn't too cold, which was nice, but the main battle was trying to keep Joshua from running away. He's so fast and has absolutely no fear in running really far away from us. Kind of scares me! But Daddy and Uncle Rich got pretty good at chasing after him while pregnant Kirsti and I strolled along behind them. We topped off the night with a visit to Leatherby's Family Creamery, which most of you reading this blog will understand why =)

It really was a good day. I'm glad to be his mama--I can't believe he's 3 already. He'll be a Sunbeam in just two weeks, and he's already the size of a 4-year-old. Guess he takes after both Mommy and Daddy. We love you so much, Joshua Logan!

Carina's on a Journey...

2010-12-06T14:31:00.003-07:00

Just wanted to announce that I (Carina) have started a blog to document a big change coming up in my life in the next couple of months. If you're interested, I'd love your support and comments over there. I started it a month or so ago, so start from the very first post if you want to know what's going on. I've also decided not to make it private, at least for now, so if you know of anyone else that would be interested, feel free to send them the link. Thanks, everyone!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-25T22:49:00.003-07:00

I hope you all had a very lovely Thanksgiving! I'd just like to state how thankful I am for this little guy...
He is one of my two main reasons for living, and I am so thankful and blessed to be his mommy!

The World According to Joshua

2010-11-25T22:23:00.007-07:00

After Thanksgiving dinner today, Joshua grabbed the camera and proceeded to give us a little glimpse into how he sees things around him. Enjoy!

Can of chicken broth on the counter:
The tops to the sparkling cider we purchased:
Side of our desk. Wow, it looks old.
Aunt Brianne's legs and feet:
This duster is one of Joshua's favorite toys:
Aunt Brianne is silly...
Very silly.
Joshua loved "helping wash the dishes"...
Yes, this is the current contents of our kitchen trash.
Close-up of our carpet.
Daddy is not amused by Joshua's incessant photo taking...
Catalogs littering the floor...
You'd think we were preparing for Black Friday, but we really weren't.
His toy box!

Joshua says...

2010-11-22T22:01:00.002-07:00

It's been a few weeks since I last posted...things have been so busy lately, and I apologize. I did want to post some of my current favorite Joshua sayings:

"Night night, Mommy! Go put your jamas on and go sleep with Daddy!"
"Do you want to race this, Mommy Daddy?" (he is OBSESSED with racing and will "race" almost anything)
"There's a other one tar (car)!"
"What are they are?" (no, that's not a typo...that's how he says it)
"No, I not!" (in response to comments about him looking tired)
"It's tickle time! Tickle me, Mommy!"
"Let's read this one."
"I want a big hug!"
"1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20!" (yes, he skips #13)
"That's a funny one!"
"I want a sawdish (sandwich) with peanut butter and jam."
"Please have some milk, please?" (that's him asking for milk)

That's just a sampling. I'm so grateful that his speech has improved so much over the past six months. Love that kid.

A few Halloweeny videos

2010-10-31T22:16:00.003-06:00

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T20:49:00.010-06:00

We had a lovely Halloween season this year. Main activities included our ward party and carving pumpkins. This was the first year we really had a pumpkin for Joshua, although of course he did not actually carve it himself. I'm really not sure what's up with his face in this picture...but anyway, here is "Josh-a's puntin." He was so proud of it!When we asked Joshua early in October what he wanted to be for Halloween, he quickly responded with "A tiger!" So, luckily, Old Navy had a cute tiger costume on sale and we bought some facial crayons to round out the outfit. Here's my attempt at tiger makeup:
And here's the tiger! He was so good at roaring at everyone :)Mommy and Joshua...Cody's and my 2-minute costume consisted of dark blue shirts, khaki pants, and white Ys painted on our faces. Yay.Sadly, we weren't able to take Joshua trick-or-treating because it was raining...there's always next year. We didn't really need all that candy around, anyway :P Hope everyone else had a great holiday!

Tagged!

2010-10-18T16:22:00.005-06:00

My cousin-in-law (is that even the correct term? anyway, she's my cousin's wife) tagged me to do this survey, so I figured I might as well. Here goes!

1. Whats your favorite thing about your spouse or significant other?
Okay, picking a favorite thing is so hard to do...but I gotta say I love it when he hides under the sheets with only his eyes showing and gives me this cute little, "Hi." If we're talking big-picture type stuff, I would say my favorite thing is how he is so devoted to and protective of me and our son. I love it.

2. What is one of your proudest moments?
Several are worth mentioning: graduating from BYU and also being asked to sing at my college's convocation ceremony; walking out of the temple, hand-in-hand with my eternal companion; hearing Joshua call me "Mommy" for the first time...

3. Out of the jobs you've held, which one was your favorite? why?
Honestly, I'd probably say the one I have right now. I enjoy the people I work with and find satisfaction in a lot of my responsibilities. Plus, this one feeds, clothes, and shelters my family. What's not to love?

4. What's one of your "not so obvious" talents? How did you discover it?
That's an interesting questions...let me think. Maybe my typing skills? I think I can do around 100-110 wpm. It wasn't really discovered but more has always kind of been there, though I do remember having people in my computer class back in grade school who always wondered how I got through the assignments so quickly.

5. What is your earliest childhood memory?
I'm not sure if this is my earliest one, but I remember walking down the hospital hallway to peek in the window of the nursery and see my new baby sister. I was almost 4 at the time.

6. All time favorite book? why?
That's a loaded question. I'd have to say the Book of Mormon, because it changes lives and has changed mine. Religious books excluded, I'd probably go with Anne of Green Gables. Good memories of reading those books!

7. So far in life, what is the biggest lesson you've learned?
No matter what you do, no matter how hard you try, you can't please everyone. And there will always be someone out there who doesn't like you and you can't change that fact. But above all, know that that doesn't matter, because there is One who can make up the difference for you, and He loves you with a love beyond measure.

8. How did your spouse propose to you?
I was planning on getting a ride home from work when he called me and told me he wanted to pick me up. We were planning on leaving for CA the next day for my sister's H.S. graduation, and we had ordered the ring a couple of weeks ago, so I knew it was coming--just didn't know when. Anyway, when he picked me up, he said he wanted to go walk around the temple for a bit (this was a regular thing of ours, drive up to the temple to talk or walk around). While walking around the fountain, I asked about the ring and he said it still wasn't ready, which disappointed me because I had wanted to have it before we went to CA. After about half an hour, he said he needed to get back because he had some laundry in the dryer, but that before we left...and he dropped to one knee. I don't remember much of what he said, but it was an amazing moment. Too bad the ring didn't fit and we had to get it resized! :P

I don't even know if many people read my blog anymore, but if so, I tag Brianne, Jill, Ivy, Wendy, and Shara. Here are your questions:
1. What is the most ridiculous thing you have ever done in your life?
2. Describe your perfect vacation. Where, who with, what would you do, etc. Doesn't matter the cost!
3. If you could automatically become fluent in one language, which one would it be and why?
4. You are stranded on a desert island and only have five books to read for the rest of your life. What are they?
5. You have the day off work/school and have no pressing responsibilities. What do you do with yourself?
6. What is your dream job? Do you think it's realistic?
7. What is your favorite thing about yourself? Any particular reason?
8. When you log onto the computer, what is the first website that you go to (after email or Facebook)?

Ready...GO!!!

Powerful Beyond Measure

2010-10-13T16:03:00.002-06:00

I've heard this quote many times before, but I came across it again today and it hit me very profoundly. I'm not sure who to attribute it to (various internet sources credit Nelson Mandela, Marianne Williamson, and others), but I wanted to share. I liked it so much that I printed up a nice little Word doc of it and put it on the wall in my office. I hope you enjoy.

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves: Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be?
YOU ARE A CHILD OF GOD.
We are all meant to shine, as children do.
We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

Exploring our Great State

2010-10-06T21:32:00.009-06:00

My parents were in Midway for a week at the end of September, and we spent a lot of time with them out there and had some good adventures. I think I said I would post pictures from that time, and now that we've been back for two weeks now, it's about time I did that. Fail. Anyway, prepare to be bombarded with Joshua adorableness and the beauty of the great state of Utah!
First up, we took the scenic lift up at Sundance and, while pretty scary (especially considering Joshua kept wiggling and we were really afraid he would just slip right out from under the safety guard), it was totally worth it. Here is on the way up:

We got off at the top of the lift and walked around for a bit (Grandma stayed at the bottom):

Cody decided to be adventurous and hike up a pretty steep hill at the top. He saw some awesome views up there.

This is the hill he hiked up. It doesn't look very steep in this picture, but trust me, it was.
On the way back down:

After we safely made it back down the mountain and joined Grandma, we drove the Alpine Loop. I had never done it before...it's gorgeous this time of year. We didn't take too many pictures, but here's one of my favorites:
Joshua found a flower and wouldn't let it go. Silly kid.
The next day, we drove to Dairy Keen in Heber City and Joshua had a great time playing on the train:

Beautiful fall colors at the park near the resort where we stayed:
Grandpa and Joshua had a fun time at the playground:
And Joshua and Daddy fed the ducks:

And walked around, jumping over little streams and just enjoying the scenery:

I think we'll probably take more trips up the canyon after this. It was great to be outside and just enjoy the fall weather and the beauty of God's creations. Thanks for visiting, Mom and Dad! Sorry I don't have more pictures of the two of you, but we took plenty in our hearts :)

Surprise!

2010-09-24T09:29:00.004-06:00

Sorry for the lapse in posting, but things have been busy. My parents came into town last weekend and we spent a few days with them out in Midway (will post about that later). Cody and I had to come back to work on Wednesday, so we left Joshua with my parents so they could get some more time with him.

I've discovered that it's really hard to be away from him! Cody and I took a trip to St. George last year for our anniversary and left Joshua with my mom, so I figured this wouldn't be hard at all...but it's different to be at home and have Joshua not there. Coming home from work, walking in the door, and not seeing him at the top of the stairs and eager to tell me about his day (Mommy, I built a train!)...it's rough.

Like a lot of parents, I occasionally let Joshua play with my cell phone. It's a touch screen, and he's learned how to access pictures and videos, plus he'll sometimes explore and do things like change the name of my daily alarm. Anyway, I was looking through my phone yesterday and came across something that cracked me up. While editing my address book, I found that he had assigned a picture to one of my friends. What made me laugh the hardest was the expression on his face--it's almost like he's saying, "Haha, Mommy! Look what I did!"
It totally made my day and made me miss him even more. I just love this kid. Can't wait to see you tonight, Joshua!

Happy Birthday, Daddy!

2010-09-12T16:11:00.002-06:00

It's an old picture, but you get the idea.

Happy Birthday to my dear, sweet, wonderful Cody, my husband and father of my child. Thank you for loving me, for supporting and lifting me when I am down, and for being a great daddy. Joshua's cries of "Happy Birthday, Daddy!" have been so fun to hear around the house all day! Let's hope the marinade works out for this salmon and we have a scrum-diddlyump-tious dinner tonight, and that we enjoy having a Sunday night together, free from work and other cares :)

A shameless plug...

2010-09-03T13:17:00.004-06:00

Hi everybody, Cody here. So, I was checking out CNN.com this morning when I saw a rather interesting statistic regarding an article by Stephen Hawking. It's not the title of the article that is fail, I couldn't care less about that. It's the number of shares... Click here to see what I mean...

So I guess this means atheists from other planets subscribe to Dr. Hawking's theories too, eh?

Thanks!

Four Years!

2010-08-26T22:17:00.002-06:00

It's been four years since we took this picture. What an amazing day that was, and what a rollercoaster ride we've had since then. We've lived in three houses. Cody has had four different jobs and has earned a college degree. I have had three jobs, four if you count being a mommy. We have one of the cutest 2-year-olds ever. And we're still just as in love as we were that first day! It's hard to not have as much time together as we used to, but I think it almost makes the time we do get together even more special. I'm so grateful to be married to my best friend, someone who makes my happiness a priority. He compliments me often, reassures me when I am feeling down, and is a wonderful father to our son. I love you, Cody Alleman, and I can't wait to spend eternity with you!

Failbook

2010-08-20T09:14:00.002-06:00

So, I often read this website to get a little laugh once in awhile (warning: some things are rated PG-13), and I caught this little gem the other day that made me almost snort water up my nose. I hope you find it entertaining as well :)

My poor kid...

2010-08-17T13:18:00.002-06:00

At least it's not swollen anymore. We took the bandaid off overnight and planned to just use the butterfly, but this morning, Joshua grabbed Cody's water jug and conked himself in the head with it and it started bleeding again. Sigh. I'm sorry we doomed you to a life of klutziness, my son! I had hoped that genetic defect wouldn't be passed on, but oh, well....

A picture is worth...well, a lot!

2010-08-15T23:59:00.003-06:00

It's been awhile since I posted pictures, and since I finally found the cord to download pictures off our camera, I'm taking advantage. First off is Joshua reclining on the couch, drinking out of his sippy cup (which he had to put in a red plastic cup for some reason...):
Our ward Pioneer Day celebration included face painting, so Joshua got a sun and a dinosaur on his face, as well as some chocolate from the cookies, of course.
We were fortunate to be able to drive down to Hurricane, Utah for the funeral of Michael J. Ferrin, the father of my sister-in-law, Shelly. It was a very tender experience, and we are grateful we could be there to support him. Here are most of us at the luncheon following the funeral. L-R are Joshua, my dad, my brother Kendall, my sister Brianne, Kendall's wife Shelly, their daughter Audrey, my mom, and Cody. I'm taking the picture, of course.Joshua loved the rolls.Probably one of my new favorite pictures of me and Joshua:My mom with her youngest granddaughter, Kaitlyn:
Kaitlyn again. Grandma was having fun feeding her carrots:Kaitlyn snuggled up to Cody so willingly! It was adorable. She just laid into his shoulder, smearing her carroty-face all over his white shirt, and it seems Cody loved it. I can't wait to see him holding our daughter someday (and no, that's not an announcement...):The finale to our quick trip to southern Utah was a traumatic crash into a children's kitchen set at the Ferrins' after the funeral, resulting in a nasty cut across the eyebrow and black eye for our little guy:A little blurry but you can see the lovely shade of purple on his eyelid:Don't worry, though, he's okay. He's actually been in really good spirits and enjoys mentioning that he has an owie and wears a "ban-aid." I'm just glad it wasn't anything more serious.

That's it for pictures for now. We really should be better about them, but you know how it is! Love you all!

Life: just the blink of an eye

2010-08-09T20:25:00.002-06:00

I am so saddened to hear of the passing of Michael Ferrin, my sister-in-law Shelly's dad, this morning. As far as I know, it was a heart attack in his sleep--very sudden and very out of the blue. My heart is aching right now to think that some members of my family are hurting so very much. I know that my little nephew and nieces loved their grandpa, and I can only imagine the pain that Shelly is feeling. She's my age, and her father was about the same age as mine...I guess that's what is bringing this home for me. Life is so fragile, you know? It can seem so long while we're living it, but in the eternal scheme of things, it passes by so quickly. I'm so glad that we know about our Heavenly Father's plan for us. This is not the end of everything. You will see him again, all thanks to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Our prayers and thoughts are with you, Shelly, Kendall, Damon, Audrey, Kaitlyn, and the rest of the family we know and love, especially Carolyn (his wife), and their children, Liz, Mike, Becky, and Lindsey. We love you and pray that you will find comfort in the Spirit of our Lord at this very trying time.

Going Private...

2010-07-26T14:43:00.003-06:00

So, a couple of changes are happening on the Alleman blog. First of all, you may have noticed I changed the background. Not necessarily my choice--I just went to my blog this morning and the background was blank. I think the one I was using expired or something, not sure. I like this background better anyway because it reminds me of California and Brazil, two things which have been on my mind a lot lately. I hope you like it :)

Secondly, I've been debating making this blog private for awhile now...especially since I get at least one random comment in Chinese for every post I make (and always from different people, not people I know, and they're often somewhat judgmental in tone), and it's really starting to get on my nerves. I don't like the idea of random people reading about my family, so we're going private. I'll invite everyone that I know normally reads this blog, but there may be some of you who read but don't comment. If you want to be invited, please either leave a comment or send me an email. Thanks for understanding--hopefully this doesn't deter anyone from reading about us in the future!

Note: Unless you are family or you and I email regularly, assume that I do not have your email address and thus cannot invite you. You can either email me (carinamenina at gmail) or leave a comment with your email address in it (I won't publish it so as to protect your privacy). Thank you!

It's Friday

2010-07-16T15:13:00.002-06:00

My apologies about being sporadic with the blog posting lately. A few things going on in our lives right now:

Cody has his LAST CLASS/FINAL for his AS degree tomorrow morning! He is so ready to be done and we're excited to have our Saturdays back (he's had a Saturday class every semester since last August). He's had a few interviews here and there, but no job offers yet. We're praying something comes soon.

I actually just finished a round of interviews with my job--I needed to hire two new afternoon assistants. There were so many good applicants! I had a hard time narrowing it down, but finally made a decision, and both of them will start in the next couple of weeks. I wish we didn't have to let student employees go once they graduate. I'm enjoying my job, and I'm glad that it pays (some of) the bills.

Joshua is talking more and more, and it thrills us to no end. Some of his favorite phrases these days are: "Are you ready to race?" (imagine a high voice going even higher toward the end of the sentence), "I think it's funny," and "I did it!" Oh, and "Thank you, thank you" as he bows to the right and to the left. He sings along with us to his favorite songs, such as ABCs, Teach Me to Walk in the Light (ah walk-a light), I am a Child of God (chy-da God), and I'm Trying to Be Like Jesus (wike Jesus). He loves to help clean up--when he wants to--and is becoming more aware of bodily functions...I think potty training might be coming up sooner than we think. He gets a kick out of nursery and spending time with his aunties, and he loves having daddy home during the day for the time being. I can't believe he's growing up so fast.

I hope to post pictures/videos soon. Hope you and your family are happy!

Scuff Mark Bug

2010-07-07T12:18:00.003-06:00

A recent text conversation with my sister Brianne (she was watching Joshua at her apartment while Cody had a job interview):

Brianne: Joshua just had a mini freak out… He thought there was a bug on my kitchen floor when really it’s just a scuff mark from shoes, of which there are many on my floor. He was hiding in a corner and wanted me to kill it, and he wouldn’t believe me that it wasn’t a bug…he finally left the kitchen but he keeps talking about it =P

Carina: Hahaha…wow. Where did this fear come from? Silly kid!

B: He was telling me to get a shoe, so I did, and I kept hitting the spot where he pointed it out (there was nothing there, but he wouldn’t go near it)… Eventually I had to switch back and forth between “there’s no bug” and “it’s gone, I killed it” to get him to leave the kitchen =P

C: Hehehehe…oh, wow. I sure do love that kid =P

B: What a silly pants.

C: Quite. I thought little boys were supposed to love bugs.

B: Yeah, I dunno. He was occasionally shrieking , and started to cry when I left the room to get the shoe he wanted… Heaven forbid I leave him alone in the room with a scuff mark bug… =P

C: Ahahaha…I shouldn’t laugh at my son’s fears, but wow…haha

B: Hahaha well the spot was kinda big ish, so that could have contributed to his fear. Has he ever shown fear or anything like that before? Or do you or Cody do so around him? =P

C: He is currently afraid of ants…wouldn’t even walk on our front lawn on Saturday, even though I didn’t see any ants around. We don’t get bugs much around here, so it seems to have come out of nowhere…

B: Interesting. Perhaps he saw Arachnophobia on tv. =P

Just a brief glimpse into the current life and fears of Joshua Logan Alleman.

Farewell, little Kia...

2010-06-22T22:28:00.002-06:00

Anybody remember the oil change fiasco we had a year and a half ago? Well, ever since then, our little Kia has been sitting out in front of our house, gathering dust. I don't know why we let it go for so long, but we finally put it up on www.ksl.com on Sunday night. Less than 24 hours later, it's been sold! Hooray!

It was kinda weird to say goodbye to that car...it holds so many memories for me. First of all, it used to be my brother Dana's car, and I remember taking a road trip in that car, along with my brother Kendall, his wife Shelly, and my sister Kirsti, from San Francisco down the PCH. This was right after Dana's wedding. Then, while I was on my mission, my sister Kirsti and I decided to buy it from Dana, and we shared it for the 2005-2006 school year while we were roommates. Cody and I had a lot of dates in that car. We drove to the temple to get married in it, took our honeymoon in it, eventually brought Joshua home from the hospital in it...you get the idea.

But anyway, it's gone now, so we are moving on. Here's to you, little Kia Sephia!!!

Master Builder

2010-06-19T22:15:00.002-06:00

We keep finding these little block cities all over the place. I wonder if someone wants to become an architect or something someday...He's so proud of his creation!
And he's not just stacking blocks, either. The other day, I heard him get into the fridge. By the time I got there, I found this little tower (the yeast, sliced cheese, and mayo just above his head):
He laid the ice cream toppings in between the breads, too. Apparently everything has to be "just so" with him... And here's a random picture we took this morning while Daddy was in class. Sorry about my hair being all wonky.
I sure do love that kid!

Kinda disturbing, yet so very adorable

2010-06-04T12:28:00.000-06:00

I saw this commercial on one of those "Top 20 commericals of such-and-such year" kind of shows, and it was brought to my attention again today...isn't it awesome? Enjoy! :)

These are kinda cute...

2010-06-03T14:27:00.002-06:00

When I first saw these, I wasn't too impressed. It just seemed somewhat frivolous. But the more I see them advertised, the more they've grown on me. I'm not sure how much more expensive they are than regular diapers, but I'm kinda curious as to how they'd look on Joshua...if I do end up getting a package, I'll be sure to post a pic!

Block cities and other randomness

2010-05-26T13:00:00.002-06:00

Joshua has rediscovered the blocks that he got for his birthday last year, and has now taken to building cities all over the place, as you can see:
This one, built last night, was his masterpiece. He was so proud of that tower.

Can you believe that, the day before this next picture was taken, we had around 1-2 inches of snow on the ground? That's Utah for ya...

Aww, Mommy and Joshua...

In other news, Cody is three weeks into his final semester and we are so looking forward to him being done. Now, if only he can find a job! =P

"Age Appropriate"

2010-05-20T15:06:00.003-06:00

Because it has been six months since Joshua's first evaluation with Kids on the Move, he was again evaluated on Monday night to see how he measures now with his speech development. Well, come to find out, he's now considered "age appropriate," and they are going to exit him from the program! I was so surprised. I mean, I know he's been improving, but I had no idea he'd progressed that far.

I'm so proud of my (big) little guy. Joshua has come so far in the last few months, from grunting and saying only a handful of words to now having a vocabulary of over 50--maybe even 100. I haven't counted in awhile. He's saying 2 and 3-word phrases, too, like "Mommy, fall down!" when one of his cars "falls" off the couch (meaning he knocked it off). And he repeats words, which is incredible to me.

I'm not sure he's quite at the level of some other 2.5-year-olds we know, but he's getting there. And considering where we were six months ago, it's a miracle. I guess we'll never know if it was because of the services with KOTM or if he simply blossomed on his own, but whatever it was, we are very grateful and consider ourselves blessed. Hopefully the improvement continues throughout the next six months! We're so proud of you, Joshua!

New Car Seat

2010-05-14T08:20:00.002-06:00

Makes him look kinda small, doesn't it? Hopefully this one will last until he's big enough to not need one anymore! =)

Mommy's Day

2010-05-09T23:47:00.003-06:00

Today was my third official Mother's Day as an actual mother--fourth, if you count the one when I was pregnant. But nobody other than me and Cody knew then (we actually found out I was pregnant the day before Mother's Day 2007, but didn't tell anyone until after my first doctor appointment), so I don't really count it. Anyway, it was a decent day...kind of lonely, honestly--Cody had to sleep because he's working tonight--but at least I got to enjoy Joshua. And after all, he's the reason I am a mother!

I would write a big ol' sappy post about how grateful I am for my own mother and how much I love my son and all that, but it's late and I'm tired. I really am grateful for my mom and all she has done for me--becoming a mother myself has only increased my appreciation for her. And of course, I am infinitely grateful and honored to be Joshua's mama. He brings me so much joy. He's growing so fast--literally, too--and I'm amazed at how far he's come in the past 2+ years.

And now, a few photos. First up, Joshua created a piece of art this morning on our bed as Cody and I got ready for church. Seems like he just scrounged around my side of the bed and arranged some random things together. In case you can't tell what the items are (sorry it's blurry--cell phone pictures aren't always the greatest), there are two swim diapers (from last summer...not sure why they were under our bed), a couple of candles, some bobby pins, earrings from my nightstand, and my birth control pills. Yeah. Kid's gonna be an artist someday, don't you think?
He is so proud of his creation. Just look at that satisfied look on his face.This one is from a couple weeks ago. He rarely falls asleep anywhere but his own bed these days, so I just love it when he falls asleep in the car or somewhere because he's just so peaceful looking. This was after a long afternoon at Aunt Kirsti's. What a cutie.Happy Mother's Day to all you women out there! =)

Brianne the Graduate...oh, and I'm now 28

2010-04-30T21:51:00.004-06:00

I promised I'd upload pictures of Brianne the graduate. Turns out, I only have a three of them. Oh, well. Enjoy anyway!

First up, this is Brianne crossing the stage, right after receiving her "diploma" (really just a case for it...she won't get the actual one until sometime in August or September). We were really far away, and though I tried to time it so that I got her just as she shook hands with the Dean or whoever that is, she was just too quick for me. Oh, well. Trust me, that's her:Aww, sisterly love:We left Joshua with a babysitter during the ceremony--good thing, too, since it was over two hours long. But anyway, here's Brianne with her favoritest sister and brother-in-law (sorry, Kirsti and Rich--you weren't there =P):Congrats once again, Brianne! Good luck with grad school this fall!

Oh, and I turned 28 on Wednesday--28 on the 28th! Hah. That day also marked four years since I graduated and five years since I left Brazil. Cool. It was a nice, quiet day. Here's my cute family before Cody and I went out to dinner that night:

Family!

2010-04-27T14:41:00.002-06:00

My parents came to town last week because my sister, Brianne, walked for the April graduation ceremonies at BYU (she still has two classes she's taking spring term and will official graduate in August). It was good to have them visit, even though we had tons of things to do and it didn't seem like we got much time to just enjoy each other. I know they really loved playing with Joshua, who had so much fun with "Papa," "Keesee," and "Bran". Still working on getting him to say something for Grandma. Too bad they had to go home already!

Anyway, I really should have taken more pictures, but you know me, slacker as always. I did get a few on my camera, but it's at home. I'll post them later. Happy Graduation, Brianne! How crazy to think that my little sister is (or will soon be) a college grad. She's starting grad school in the fall, so she'll be more educated than me. Great. =P

Hopefully we can make a trip down to CA sometime this summer. I hear the beach calling my name...

On a lighter note...

2010-04-20T15:22:00.006-06:00

Thanks to everyone who read my venting post from Sunday! It's good to hear others' thoughts and I really appreciate all your insight. Here are a few pictures that I probably find a lot more amusing than you will, but I'll share them anyway. First off, here is where I found Joshua Saturday afternoon: Secondly, Cody texted me this picture yesterday morning. Since Cody had worked both Saturday and Sunday nights, he was pretty tired Monday morning and fell asleep on the couch. Joshua then proceeded to organize all his toys along the top of said couch (notice they're all facing the same direction):

I love that kid.

1pm Sacrament Meeting = Oy...

2010-04-18T20:09:00.002-06:00

VENTING TIME! Be forewarned. If you don't want to read my ramblings, then please come back another time when I'm in a better mood. For those who enjoy reading rantings and/or want to offer any words of comfort or advice, I invite you to read on.

I'm going to assume you are familiar with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. If not, then suffice it to say that we have a 3-hour block of meetings on Sunday, and this year our ward (congregation) meets from 1pm-4pm. I used to love having church at 1pm. It meant we could sleep in, have a leisurely morning, take our time getting ready, and all that fun stuff. But since our ward now meets at 1pm and we have to deal with a 2-year-old, I've begun to re-think my preference. I now cannot wait until next year when we should be meeting at 9am. I think most of you know exactly what I'm talking about.

This is the problem: during the week, Joshua takes his nap from around 1-3pm. It's hard enough to try to keep him busy and quiet while still trying to pay some attention to the talks during sacrament meeting, but to try to do it when he's tired and cranky is 10 times worse. And now that he's talking more, he asks for milk, Mommy, or a number of other things over and over and over. He jumps all over the place, crawls under the benches, and throws the hymnbooks around. We bring books, which he'll look at for all of 5 minutes, and then cast them aside. I don't like pumping him full of milk and snacks the whole hour, but sometimes nothing else works. Nursery time can't come fast enough.

Today was especially difficult. Joshua was being really noisy, and usually the people around us are pretty good-natured about it because they can see we're trying the best we can to keep him quiet. I got a little upset today when a woman in the row behind us today thought it would be a good idea to "shush" Joshua. That really irked me! Couldn't she see that I had been trying to keep him entertained for the past hour already? Why did she think that her "sshh!" would make him calm down, when I'd been doing that off and on for the entire meeting? It made me even more flustered, and I soon after that took Joshua out to the foyer as he proceeded to throw the mother of all tantrums. Ai, ai...

Anyway, I really understand now what our home teacher said when we first got married: make sure you have a testimony before you have kids, because once you have them, your ability to pay attention in meetings basically goes down the drain. He's totally right. I love Joshua, I really do. I just wish he were a little less rambunctious, and I really hope we're able to have a calm sacrament meeting at least once this year...

Disappointment...

2010-04-16T22:15:00.002-06:00

Many of you know that I went to an open casting call for The Biggest Loser a few weeks ago. I didn't get a callback, and so I went ahead and sent in a video. I was told that, if I advanced in the casting process, I would be notified by today. Unfortunately, it's now 10:18pm and I really don't think I'm going to get a call. It's a little disappointing--I thought I had a pretty good chance. But hey, I can't sit around waiting for something like The Biggest Loser. I have to start battling now. It's going to take a long time, but that's okay. My life is worth fighting for.

Oh, and I plan to apply again the next time they're casting. Who knows, maybe persistence is key =) Thanks for all your support!

Obituary

2010-04-07T09:15:00.001-06:00

In case anyone is interested in reading it, here is the obituary for LaVell. He was a great man and will surely be missed.

O death, where is thy sting?

2010-04-04T22:55:00.005-06:00

On this Easter Sunday, we commemorate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Almost 2000 years ago, He broke the bonds of death and rose from His tomb to live again. Knowing that this occurred has brought me much comfort throughout my life, and I'm sure it will continue to do so for the rest of eternity.

Cody's grandfather, LaVell Brown, passed away this evening after a long battle with cancer. He essentially was the main father figure in Cody's life, and his passing leaves an absence in our lives. Though I have only known LaVell for a few years, I grew to love this strong, caring man who was such an influence on my husband's life. I'm so grateful that he was able to participate in Joshua's baby blessing. I'm blessed to know that he has gone on to the spirit world, where he has been reunited with friends and family that had already passed on. I know that death has no hold on him, for one day he will live again.

This is LaVell holding Joshua for the first time.
Goodbye until we meet again!

Words! Actual, real words!

2010-03-25T09:59:00.002-06:00

So, work has been crazy lately and I need a break...so I've decided to take the time to jot down the words that Joshua is saying now. As most of you know, he's got a bit of a speech delay. Most kids his age (27 months) at least use 2 or 3-word sentences, but he's still getting into the habit of actually labeling something instead of grunting. So, without further ado, here is his list!

hi
bye
this (dis--sometimes DI-ih-IS!)
yes ("dess")
no
please (beez)
ma (what he calls me)
home
house (always said in a whisper)
eye (also said in a whisper)
God (gahs)
ten
nine
eight (ace)
bed
mine (min)
milk (mils)
up (uh)
down (dow)
in
out
off
yay
hand (han)
day
duck (guck)
hen (we've been reading The Little Red Hen a lot lately)

That's all I can think of right now...but hey, that's like 27 words! We're out of the >10 range! We're still working on getting him to say them all spontaneously instead of having to be prompted like he does with most of this list, but I know that will come in time. I'm so proud of my little guy. It's been a long time coming. Now to get all of these words on video...

Dressing himself

2010-03-23T08:58:00.008-06:00

This is what happens when you let your 2 year old pick his own clothes :o

Cody texted me this picture and caption this morning. We Allemans definitely have some fashion sense. Oh, yeah.

BYU most popular?

2010-03-12T11:13:00.003-07:00

I just came across this article from U.S. News and World Report. I'm actually surprised that BYU ranked 1st in popularity in the entire country! Who knew?

I'm proud to say that I graduated from BYU and that I have worked there full-time for almost four years. BYU has blessed my family immensely, both the one I grew up with and the one I have now. I know there are things about BYU that could and probably should be changed, but it still is a great institution. It'll be weird to someday not have such ties to BYU--I mean, I'm sure that we'll eventually move away from Utah County (even if it's just to SLC), I'll no longer work at BYU, and BYU football won't be so prevalent anywhere else. But anyway, just wanted to say that I'm grateful for BYU and it makes me happy to see it getting national recognition =)

My not-so-little-anymore boy

2010-03-08T21:05:00.006-07:00

Just a few random pictures of Joshua...watching TV:

And all dressed up for church yesterday--we finally found a white collared shirt that fits him! =)

Moose!

2010-02-25T23:13:00.004-07:00

I promised pictures of Joshua yesterday, so here's one. Just trying to whet your appetite =P

My sister and brother-in-law went to Yellowstone over Valentine's Day weekend, and they brought back a moose puppet for Joshua. As you can see, he loves it. Thanks, Aunt Kirsti and Uncle Rich!

We're alive...

2010-02-24T19:00:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to reassure everyone that we are still alive (though I hope most of you already know that). Things have just been really busy lately, what with school, jobs with opposite schedules, Cody's internship, classes at KOTM, us being sick...maybe someday we'll find time to catch up. I'll try to post some pictures of Joshua one of these days--that should make up for it, right? :o

Dexter Law

2010-02-04T16:14:00.003-07:00

Cody decided late Saturday night to send his resume to a random law firm (he really needs an internship to complete his degree). The firm he chose was Dexter and Dexter, which is right here in Orem. Well, one of the Dexters (I believe they're brothers) called Cody Monday morning, they met on Tuesday, and he offered Cody an internship right there. Yay! It's unpaid, but will be great for his resume. The hard part is Cody has to put in 150 hours before the end of this semester, which means he needs to work about 15 hours a week.

So...we've been scrambling like mad, trying to figure out what kind of childcare situation we want--and can afford--for Joshua. We toured a daycare place but decided the pre-school setup was a little too advanced for Joshua, and his speech delay wouldn't get the attention that it needs in that setting. My sister Kirsti has been so sweet to offer a few hours on Fridays, and our neighbor Sarah may be able to do Mondays. I met with a few women this morning, and I think we've found someone to watch Joshua on the other days. So hooray, problem solved (almost--just need to work out a few details)!

Cody starts tomorrow. He's nervous, I can tell, but also excited to get a chance to work for such a versatile firm. Hopefully it'll give him great experience that will then land him a great job offer this summer!

Silly bathmat!

2010-01-28T22:43:00.002-07:00

A lot of people have already heard this story, but I had to document it here too. I injured myself! It's kind of embarrassing, but the truth is, I slipped in the shower. We have a bathmat that doesn't really stick that well to the floor of the bathtub, and it totally went out from under me on Tuesday night. I have a wicked-looking purpley bruise on my tailbone and a bluish one on my left arm. I would post pictures, but...yeah, not exactly an ideal area to display publicly. I'm much better today than yesterday, no need for ibuprofen, so that's good. It's just hard to keep Joshua from touching me near there, because it's super sensitive...

Side note: Joshua said "car" tonight! It sounded more like "gawah", but I knew what he was trying to say. And he mimicked a few consonants, which is huge for him. He really is making progress! =)

Progress...step by baby step

2010-01-21T10:39:00.004-07:00

I know it's only been a few weeks since we really started working with Kids on the Move, but I can't help wishing things were going faster. I know I should be patient because such a significant delay will take awhile to overcome, but I really want to see huge progress NOW. I want my son to talk to me! I want him to let me know that he recognizes what things are around him instead of just grunting or making (while still very adorable) animal noises. I want to point to a picture in a book and ask him what it is and have him at least attempt to name the object. I want to hear him call me "Mama." I want to be able to talk with him, not just to him. Is that too much to ask?

Well, I've learned in the past couple of days that yes, it is too much--for now. Joshua IS making progress, and I need to recognize that fact. He can sign a few things already, and we're trying to teach him more and get him to sign without being prompted. And he understands so much of what we say. It helps that he's really curious, so he's pretty responsive to new things. It's good to know that he is able to communicate with us, even though it's not in the ideal method yet.

Realizing this, I have come to a conclusion: as much as I want to see the huge steps forward immediately, I need to be satisfied with what progress he is making. And I need to count my blessings, because he is such a sweet, loving little boy, and he brings such joy to my life. So if you ever hear me complain about the situation, remind me of how fortunate I am to have such a son. And I'm sure that, within a year or two, he'll be talking so much that I'll wish he would be quiet for a few minutes. At least, that's what I tell myself now during the frustrating times.

Brianne's 22!

2010-01-16T22:48:00.004-07:00

My little sister turned 22 today! Happy Birthday, Brianne! I know she rarely reads this blog, but I just wanted to take the time to say how much I'm glad we're sisters. We're six years apart, so we weren't really all those close growing up (I mean, how much in common does a senior in high school have with a sixth-grader?), but since she came to BYU, we've become really good friends. I know things didn't really turn out the way she planned as far as schooling, but I'm really glad she moved to Utah and we were able to get to know each other as adults. And she's an awesome aunt! Seriously, this girl is amazing...she's a great musician, a wonderful listener, and, to be honest, one of my best friends. So here's to you, Bri! I hope this next year is even better for you than the 22 before it!

This is Brianne and Joshua before his birthday party last month:

And this is Brianne and my other sister, Kirsti. We went out to breakfast at Kneaders this morning. Should have gotten a picture of the three of us, but it was super crowded and people were wanting our table:

Joshua the Giant

2010-01-12T20:39:00.002-07:00

We had Joshua's 2-year check-up today (yeah, I know we're a few weeks late...that's what happens when your kid is born around the holidays), and hoooooly cows...this kid is huge! He's just under 34 pounds, which puts him in the 96th percentile, and he's almost 38 inches, which is in the 99 1/2 percentile. I can't believe how big he is! He's almost doubled his length since birth, and he's more than quadrupled his weight. No wonder my arm goes dead after carrying him for 5 minutes. But hey, anybody who has seen his parents knows he didn't really have a chance at being on the small side...

So, I think it's pretty apparent he's a healthy kid--at least the doctor isn't concerned about his picky eating habits. Somehow he's gaining weight! Everything else looks good, and we don't need to go back again until he's 3 (unless he gets sick, of course...knock on wood). Hooray for healthy, hefty Joshua! =P

Mr. Potato Head

2010-01-11T23:07:00.004-07:00

Joshua received a Mr. Potato Head from the Lees (my sister Kirsti's in-laws) for his birthday, and he loves it, obviously...Need I say more?

Welcome 2010!!!

2010-01-03T22:43:00.007-07:00

Wow, I can't believe it's 2010 already...time is just flying by! I hope everyone else had a great holiday season. It's strange to think that it's over already, isn't it?

We traveled to my parents' house in CA for Christmas, and it was so nice and warm and so very enjoyable to be with family. Of course, we neglected to take pictures with our own camera (we often unintentionally rely on Kirsti and Rich to take pictures, since they have the better camera...I need to get copies from them!), but it was a great time, trust me. It was a much-needed trip, and it was wonderful to be there for Christmas Day--our first time since 2006. Good thing we got back to Utah before the huge snowstorm hit...

2009 was a good year for us. Cody has been doing well in school, I transferred to a different department at work and have been much happier with my new responsibilities, and our wonderful little Joshua continues to bring us joy with his adorable little antics. What exciting things will 2010 bring to the Alleman Family? Only time will tell!

Just before we left for CA, we finally got family pictures taken, something that we had never done before. I won't overwhelm you with all 70+ pictures, but here are a few of our favorites:

Aren't we all just so photogenic? Happy 2010, everyone! :)

Has it really already been 2 years? :o

2009-12-20T22:18:00.011-07:00

Joshua turned 2 this past Friday...can you believe it? We had a small get-together with some friends and family, with a few presents for Joshua and, of course, birthday cake. Enjoy the pictures!And here's a short video of the devouring of the birthday cake...much cleaner than last year!

I'm so grateful to have this little guy in my life. Thanks for coming to our family, Joshua Logan! WE LOVE YOU!!!

Almost Done!!!

2009-12-17T08:47:00.002-07:00

Cody is almost done with his finals! It's been a long semester, and I'm sure he's so happy to be just about finished. The only thing that's left is a little memorization for his Saturday math class, and then he's done for the next two weeks! I'm sure he can't wait to have no school for a little bit...he's been going almost non-stop for a year now. Keep it up, my love! =D

O Christmas Tree

2009-12-06T23:34:00.002-07:00

Would you believe we found this 6.5' artificial tree, pre-lit and everything, for only $35? That's like the cost of a real tree! So yay, we are now officially decorated for Christmas! I apologize for the poor quality of the picture...this one was taken with my cell phone. We got some better pictures with our digital camera, but I can't find the cord to upload the pictures to the computer. I guess this one will have to do for now.

Oh, and it snowed last night and a little bit more today, so it really feels like Christmas now! Funny how this native southern California girl, who never had a white Christmas until a couple of years ago, is so excited for snow, huh? I'll like it until January, probably. Then the novelty wears off.

Side note: the gift card from "The Human Fund" from my last post? There was no balance on it. We found out while trying to use it to buy this tree. Luckily we had funds in our bank account, but still. Sigh. I'm hoping it was just a mistake and not a cruel joke...

The Human Fund

2009-11-30T14:15:00.003-07:00

We received a mysterious envelope in the mail on Saturday. The return address said simply, "The Human Fund" (anyone who recognizes this from Seinfeld, I have no idea if that is what inspired this letter or not). Curious, we opened it to find an American Express gift card. We have no idea who or where this card came from--the postmark was in St. Paul, MN, and I'm pretty sure I don't know anyone in that area--but it came at a time when it was sorely needed. Thank you, The Human Fund. We are very grateful. What a great way to kick off the Christmas season.

Early Intervention

2009-11-18T09:56:00.004-07:00

For anyone who doesn't already know, Joshua is significantly behind in his speech development. At 23 months, he only says a total of about 5-6 words. We've been a little concerned, but had up until recently thought he was just one of those "late talkers" and that at some point he'd suddenly explode with vocabulary and start chattering away. Unfortunately, this hasn't happened yet, and our concerns have grown. We finally contacted Joshua's pediatrician, who referred us to a group called Kids on the Move.

Kids on the Move is an organization that conducts early intervention with young children who have developmental delays. We had someone come out to evaluate Joshua, and she confirmed our concerns. He is currently in the 10th percentile as far as expressive development goes, and if he doesn't make leaps and bounds in the next month, he will drop to the 3rd percentile. This means he qualifies for their assistance. We don't know yet what that will involve, be it home visits, classes at the KOTM building, a combination of the two, or what--we are waiting for them to call us back and set up an appointment to discuss the particulars. Hopefully we'll get started soon.

We really hope and pray that this program will help Joshua learn to express himself better. It's almost heartbreaking to see him point at something but only give a little grunt, or call our attention and then just say "Unh" because he can't let us know what he wants. Here's hoping our little guy will soon learn to say more words and start really talking with us!

Happy Birthday, Dad!

2009-11-12T14:42:00.005-07:00

I'd like to take this time to wish a very happy birthday to my dad, Greg Burr. He's been a great father to me, a great father-in-law to my husband, and a wonderful grandpa to my son, and we are so grateful for all he is and all he does for us.

This picture is about 3.5 years old, taken at my graduation from BYU. It's the most recent one I could find of just the two of us. Thank you for everything, Dad. I hope you have an unforgettable birthday this year. Love you!

Playing with Daddy

2009-11-11T22:46:00.002-07:00

Joshua likes to sit in the computer chair with his daddy. The two of them are so cute together!

I include this last one because it's amazing to me to see how big he's getting. Seriously, I can't believe how much he's grown.Oh, and good news: My brother found a job! He's been unemployed since March or April, so this is definitely a blessing. We are so grateful they have been blessed so much!

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery

2009-11-09T22:36:00.002-07:00

There have been several times in the last few days when Joshua has laid out prostrate on the floor or couch, face-down, and made this guttural sound, almost like he was clearing his throat. I was kind of confused as to what he was doing, but figured he was just being silly. Tonight, it finally hit me. He's trying to be like his daddy!

You see, since Cody's working on Sunday nights, he is exhausted when he comes home (just in time for me to dash out the door), and he often ends up snoozing on the couch while Joshua plays and semi-watches Playhouse Disney. So, Joshua, being the adoring son that he is, has decided it's fun to pretend to be Daddy, lay on the couch, and "snore." Seriously, it's hilarious. As soon as I realized what he was doing, I couldn't stop laughing--and considering I have a migraine tonight, that was saying something. I hope to capture it on video at some point, but for now your imaginations will have to suffice. I love that kid.

There's a fungus on my back? =\

2009-11-06T11:20:00.005-07:00

I had a mole semi-removed this morning--they're sending it for a biopsy to check for cancer (the doctor didn't seem too worried, so I'm not. Either way, I'll hear back from the lab in a week or two). Anyway, after they removed the mole, the attending nurse remarked that it looked like a tiny mushroom.

I'll never be able to look at edible fungi the same way again.

Words that touched my heart

2009-11-05T13:41:00.002-07:00

I wish I'd come across this quote when I was writing my post on Dedication last month. Better late than never, I guess. These words spoke peace to my heart this morning, and so I wanted to share them with you. They come from Gordon B. Hinckley, who was the Prophet and President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for most of my teenage and young adult years:

"I recognize...that there are some women (it has become very many, in fact) who have to work to provide for the needs of their families. To you I say, do the very best you can...It is well-nigh impossible to be a full-time homemaker and a full-time employee. I know how some of you struggle with decisions concerning this matter. I repeat, do the very best you can. You know your circumstances, and I know that you are deeply concerned for the welfare of your children.

To you women who find it necessary to work when you would rather be at home, may I speak briefly...I honor you and respect you for your integrity and spirit of self-reliance. I pray that the Lord will bless you with strength and great capacity, for you need both. You have the responsibilities of both breadwinner and homemaker. I know that it is difficult. I know that it is discouraging. I pray that the Lord will bless you with a special wisdom and the remarkable talent needed to provide your children with time and companionship and love and with that special direction which only a mother can give. I pray also that he will bless you with help, unstintingly given, from family, friends, and the Church, which will lift some of the burden from your shoulders and help you in your times of extremity.

We sense, at least in some small degree, the loneliness you must occasionally feel and the frustrations you must experience as you try to cope with problems that sometimes seem beyond your capacity to handle. Sometimes you need food for your tables, and we trust that bishops will be there to supply food and other goods and services under the great program which the Lord has provided in his Church. But we know that more often your greater need is for understanding and appreciation and companionship. We shall try a little harder to cultivate these virtues, and I urge you sisters who are in a position to do so to reach out with greater concern to those who find themselves in these less fortunate circumstances."

Thank you, Heavenly Father, for speaking to my heart and my spirit through the words of one of Thy servants. I really needed to hear this today.

Trying to be healthier

2009-11-04T12:50:00.000-07:00

I had a doctor appointment last week that scared me. Don't worry, I'm okay, but it was a pretty severe wake-up call to how unhealthy I am right now. As a result, Cody and I have committed to making changes in our lifestyle and eating habits, so that we can both get healthier and live a good long life together.

To kick this off, we started making a few small changes. For instance, we didn't take Joshua trick-or-treating nor did we hand out candy of our own, so there's no leftover candy around. We also left the cookies we made on Saturday at my sister's house so we're not tempted to eat them. And we resolved to include vegetables with dinner more often...so instead of just chicken and rice, we'll add some broccoli and cauliflower, or heat up some peas and carrots to go with the mac and cheese. I'm also bringing Lean Cuisine lunches to work more often instead of going off campus for fast food. You know, small things--and all those small things together will help, right?

Here's to a good, healthy lifestyle! We'll get there eventually!

What does the Joshua say? RAWR!!!!

2009-10-28T23:14:00.005-06:00

We had our ward Halloween party tonight. It was fun! The best part was dressing Joshua up, of course. He's a dinosaur this year, and it's perfect--if you ask him, "What does the Joshua say?" he'll roar at you. It's pretty adorable. Here's a video for proof (and by the way, he keeps flashing his cheesy "I'm cute, so take my picture!" grin because he thinks Daddy's taking pictures, not video):

And here are some pictures of him, both before we left and during the actual event. He's quite the handsome little T-Rex, I must say!

He LOVED this balloon, by the way...

We plan to dress him up on Halloween night too, though we don't plan to take him trick-or-treating. It's been ridiculously cold around here lately, so I think we'll just stay home and hand out candy. But hey, that's fun too!

Night Watchman

2009-10-27T13:32:00.005-06:00

For anyone who doesn't already know, and for those who do know but want more details:

Cody has a job!!!!

He's been looking for awhile, just something part-time so our finances aren't hurting so severely. And he was seriously looking everywhere...but of course it's really hard right now. Anyway, a friend of his mentioned an opening where he worked, and Cody sent over his resume, and he was offered a job! He's working as a night watchman at this placed called Maple Lake Academy. The hours aren't great (Sunday and Wednesday nights from 11pm-7am), but we think it's going to work out. He already worked his first night on Sunday/Monday morning, and luckily didn't feel too tired all day yesterday.

So yay, Cody has a job now! He'll keep looking for something else, maybe better hours and/or something more related to the legal field, but for now, at least he's bringing in some much-needed income. I'm so grateful that he is willing to sacrifice to help our family. =)

Some fun video clips :)

2009-10-20T22:06:00.003-06:00

First of all, thank you so much for your comments on my last post. All your words meant so much to me, and I am so privileged to know such good people. I want to respond to each of you individually, so look for an email from me. =)

We broke out the video camera on Sunday. It had been laying dormant on our bookshelf since...well, for a long time. Joshua has been being a lot more interactive these days, and so we tried to capture some of his latest talents on film. First up, singing with Mommy and Daddy (please forgive the horrible out-of-tuneness that is our duet):

You may have noticed that he pointed at the video camera and said, "Ah-DEE!!!" Well, "Dee" is what he calls practically everyone right now. I think it's his own form of "Daddy," and he hasn't quite grasped the concept that he only has one Daddy and everyone else has a different name. So far my efforts to get him to say something similar to Mommy have proved unsuccessful.

And, second, here is Joshua performing some of his animal sounds. Some of them are a little hard to tell, but he does make them sound almost like the real animal. It's pretty cute.

Thanks for showing off, Joshua!

Dedication?

2009-10-13T14:00:00.007-06:00

I've been thinking a lot over the past few days and decided it was finally time to write some of my thoughts done. So, I decided to take advantage of my lunch break, and here I am. This post is prompted by an assignment given by my RS President last week, and that was to share a few of my thoughts regarding a portion of the Relief Society Declaration, more specifically this sentence:

"Dedicate ourselves to strengthening marriages, families, and homes."

Honestly, I was kind of puzzled that I was assigned this part of the declaration, mainly because I'm far from the ideal wife and mother. And I don't mean that as a slight to myself--I'm referring to the current situation of my family. It had always been my plan to stay at home with my children. That's what I envisioned would happen when I was growing up and even up until a few months after Cody and I got married. But that's definitely not what actually did happen.

Most of you know that I currently work full-time away from home and part-time from home (amounting to 9 or 10 hours of work each day), and that my husband stays home with our son and goes to school in the evenings. This is most definitely not the norm in Mormon culture. The norm, as I see it, is usually the following: if the couple marries while the husband is still in school, the wife works while the husband finishes his degree, and they delay having children until he graduates and they are more financially stable, and then the wife can then stay home once they have children. If children come before the husband graduates, he takes on a full-time job and takes classes in the evenings so that the mother can stay home.

Obviously, this is not the case in the Alleman Family. And I'm really not trying to complain about it--we know without doubt that we were supposed to have Joshua when we did. But I do have to admit that it hasn't been easy, this being a working mother. I went back to work full-time when Joshua was just four weeks old, and though I was able to bring him with me for a few hours each morning, I still resented the fact that I had to work when he was so tiny. As Joshua's birth drew closer, I can remember feeling so jealous of the women around me who were also pregnant and looking forward to quitting their jobs just before giving birth. I often thought, "Why wasn't this going to happen to me? Why can't I stay home too? Did I do something wrong?"

So when I was assigned this topic by my RS President, I didn't quite understand what made me an authority on dedicating myself to marriage, family, and home--I could think of many other women in our ward who spent more time focused on their marriages, families, and homes. They had it all down pat and could offer tons more than I could. I don't even remember what I said, though I do know I tried to avoid talking about myself and my current situation because I just didn't want to get into it all. As the lesson wore on, there were comments made about how grateful some sisters were for their hard-working husbands who make it possible for them to stay home. And try as I might, I could not help but feel the jealousy burning once again.

But as I've thought more about it since church on Sunday, I realized something: yes, my situation is not ideal, but it works for me and my family. My husband has gained so much from staying at home with our son--and he often mentions that, once he finishes school and works so that I may stay home, he will understand how hard it is to care for children and that he will help out as much as he can. And I like to think that I treasure more the few hours I get with Joshua every day. Would I change things if I could? Of course I would. I would love to stay at home. But resenting it and being upset about it doesn't help anything.

So, I guess I will conclude that I dedicate myself to my marriage, my family, and my home by working hard to provide for them. It is my labors that help us survive, that pay our rent, that allow us to purchase the things we need. Working makes me treasure the time I have with Joshua so much...and even though he can't read yet, I want to apologize to him for not always giving him my complete attention for the 2-3 hours I see him every day. I will try to be better.

I'm grateful for my jobs. I'm grateful for the income they provide and that they give me satisfaction. But I look forward to the day when I can say that my full-time job isn't a paid position with healthcare benefits--it's being a wife and mother, which pays more and gives more benefits, emotionally and spiritually, than any other full-time job could ever hope to give.

Those of you out there who do have the chance to stay at home with your children, please do something for me: give each of your children a hug and a kiss and tell them how grateful you are for being able to stay at home with them. I know it's hard, but please treasure the time you have. I hope you realize how lucky you are.

What a Hot Dog Day!

2009-10-05T20:25:00.000-06:00

Have you ever watched Mickey Mouse Clubhouse? It's got this song that plays at the end of every single episode, and I have to say, it's one of those songs that just gets in your head and doesn't leave. But, of course, Joshua LOVES this song, so we found the closing sequence on YouTube and played it over and over (at his request) one night. After about the fifth time, we knew we had to get a video of him...this one isn't actually as good as the first runthrough that night (maybe he got tired of dancing to it, I dunno), but it's still super cute.

First, to get the full effect, you have to see how Mickey and Minnie and all them dance, so click here first. Then, watch this video of Joshua:

Silly kid likes to wear big people clothes :o

2009-10-01T22:52:00.003-06:00

I haven't posted pictures of Joshua since Cody's birthday, so I think it's about time again. The past few days, he's really enjoyed wearing my clothes--I got a new shirt from the company I transcribe for, so he wanted to wear it...I love this smile:I got some new shoes in the mail today--I haven't had new shoes in a really long time, and it was way overdue. Joshua somehow got them on and was trudging all over the house in these boots:Yeeeah...I love this kid =)

I love autumn!

2009-09-28T21:33:00.006-06:00

I gotta say, I LOVE this time of year: all the leaves changing colors, the air turning cooler, the anticipation of all the holidays coming up. I'm so looking forward to Halloween, Thanksgiving, Joshua's birthday (holy cows, I'm going to have a 2-year-old! That's crazy!), Christmas, New Years...what's not to love?

Okay, I'll admit, I'm not really liking the idea of the 30-degree drop we're going to have from Tuesday to Wednesday this week, but I think I'll get over it. Plus, as much as it annoys me after awhile, I do think snow is beautiful. And I can't wait to watch Joshua play in it. For now, though, I think I'll just sit back and enjoy our view of the beautiful reds and oranges all over Timp. =)

*I should mention that no, I didn't take that picture...but it does very much remind me of the view from our kitchen window.

America is full of pedophiles...

2009-09-23T23:09:00.002-06:00

...or so certain people would have us think. Why, you ask? I came across an article on a news website that totally floored me. The basic gist of the story: about a year ago, a couple from Arizona took their photos to Walmart to be printed. While processing the photos, a Walmart employee felt that some of the pictures of the couple's three children (girls ages 5, 4, and 18 months), which were taken at bathtime, constituted child pornography. They turned the photos over to the police, who then went to the couple's home and searched it, while Child Protection Services seized their children and put them in foster care. They got them back after a month, but not before both mom and dad were labeled as sex offenders and mom was suspended for a year from her job. There is now a legal battle going on between the parents and the state, the city, and Walmart for the pain and suffering caused this poor family.

Someone help me out here. Who DOESN'T have pictures of their kids, or even pictures of themselves from when they were little, taken during bathtime? I can think of several pictures we have of Joshua's little bum (he has a very cute one, I have to admit). Would this be considered child pornography? Why does nudity automatically mean pornography? Okay, I admit, not all of the photos have been released, and the police claim that the ones that have not been made public include "provocative poses" by the girls, who they claim could have been "sexually exploited." But that does NOT justify doing what they did to this family!

I don't understand America. Sometimes I think our society is waaaay too loose with its morals, way too immodest in its dress, and pornography is much too accessible. But then I see a story like this, and I think...um, wow. Now they're being much too uptight, much too overprotective. Were the photos pornographic? Maybe to one or two people, but I think most out there would agree that naked bathtime photos of small children are found in almost every household in America, and that this small piece of "evidence" of "child exploitation" was not nearly enough to justify what took place. It scares me that someone's perception of what I am doing with my child could allow government officials to come to my home and take him away. I don't like it, plain and simple.

Thanks for letting me get that off my chest.

Welcome, Baby Kaitlyn!!!

2009-09-23T15:42:00.003-06:00

I wrote awhile back about my soon-to-be born niece Kaitlyn and the surgery she and her mother went through to help with the spina bifida. Well, I'm happy to report that Kaitlyn arrived this morning, just 6 weeks early! She was 5 lbs 1 oz, and is just as cute as can be. I thought about posting a picture, but then I decided it's the parents' privilege to distribute pictures as they see fit. There are a couple of pictures on Facebook that you can see if you're friends with Shelly, and here is a link to their blog (they haven't yet updated it as of this post, but you can check back and maybe they'll post pictures there too). I'm so excited to meet her someday. For now, we just pray that Shelly recovers quickly, that Kaitlyn is active and gets to the point where she can leave the NICU soon, and that the whole family enjoys their time together. We love you!

Happy Birthday, My Love!!! (one day late)

2009-09-13T22:00:00.004-06:00

Cody's birthday was yesterday...to say that I was too busy celebrating to wish him a happy birthday on this blog would be an overstatement, but it was a great day nonetheless. It was pretty quiet. The night before, my sisters and brother-in-law came over Friday night and we played Munchkin, so that was fun. I made pancakes and bacon for breakfast yesterday morning, then he went to class, then we watched the BYU game (we're now ranked #7--go Cougars!), and then had Tucanos for dinner (oh, so good). We spent the evening playing games, just the two of us. I'm pretty sure he had a fun day, so I'm happy.

We also took the chance to do some laundry while the game was on, and Joshua really took a liking to his laundry hamper. He actually started to throw a fit if we took it off of his head. He probably walked around like this for a good 20 minutes, even following his daddy down the hallway a few times. He had to have his water cup inside the hamper with him, too. He's very particular. Probably his favorite part about it was running into the couch and enjoying how the hamper would bounce him backwards.

RAWR!

2009-09-07T22:51:00.002-06:00

We spent a few hours at the Hogle Zoo in SLC today...it was pretty fun! Pretty crowded too, but it was still enjoyable. Joshua loved all the animals, especially the elephant, the bear, and some of the monkeys. He did some of the animal sounds he knows, too, including the elephant noise (it's kinda hard to type out what it sounds like, but suffice it to say he also moves his arm up and down like a trunk) and the "RAWR" which is for a lot of different things, like bears and lions. He also really enjoyed the turkeys that were wandering around and even walked up to the rattlesnake pen (while his daddy stayed safely a few paces away =P). There were a lot of baby animals there...I guess the zoo has been pretty busy this summer. All in all, it was a great day!

We are the worst picture takers...but here are a couple that we managed to take. Sorry none of them have actual animals in them.

Vacation in the desert...

2009-09-02T14:26:00.003-06:00

Life has been super busy lately, so sorry about not posting in awhile! It seems like, as soon as we got back from our trip, we just got thrown into all this back-to-school stuff (literally for Cody, and for me as well since I work at BYU) and have barely had time for anything. But before I talk about any of that fun stuff, let's go over our trip!

We said goodbye to Joshua before putting him to bed on Wednesday night (Aug 19th) and then drove down to St. George, arriving around midnight. Our room was nice and quite spacious--on the third floor, vaulted ceilings, full kitchen and front room, private deck, king-size bed, the works. The "jetted tub" was kind of a disappointment (picture a regular-sized tub with four little jets...there was barely enough room for Cody, let alone the two of us), but that's okay.

Thursday, we slept in, then decided to go exploring and get some food for our stay. We ended up at the St. George Temple, first of all, and toured the visitor's center there and spoke with the missionaries, which is always fun. Of course, we forgot our camera at home so we were limited to my cell phone camera (thank heaven for those!):
After leaving the temple, we got some groceries and returned to the resort, where we ate dinner and went swimming, then finished up the night with a movie, The Dark Knight.

Friday, we slept in again (hey, we had to take advantage of not having Joshua, the human early morning wakeup call) and then ventured out to the movie theater, where we saw G.I. Joe. Decent flick, I thought. Then we brought In N Out back to the resort and lounged around. We attempted to Skype with my mom and Joshua back in Orem, but something was wrong with her camera, so we couldn't see him, but apparently he got a huge smile on his face when he saw us :) Then we watched Wall-E and went swimming before bed.

Saturday we had planned to go to Zion's, but after learning the pricetag of even a trip up Kolob Canyon, we opted for the much less pricey Snow Canyon. It was super hot and we realized just how out of shape we are and how silly we were for not bringing water with us, but it was still fun. It's a beautiful area down there!
We made it home in time to avoid the huge rainstorm that came through late that afternoon (seriously, wind blowing sheets of rain all over, chairs almost blowing off our balcony, 3-foot-wide gutters), but it calmed down enough for us to go to the temple again, where we saw the Joseph Smith movie. Such a good one. And I love this temple at night! Isn't it gorgeous?
We drove back early Sunday morning and arrived just in time to see Joshua before his naptime...it was so good to see him. We missed him tons. But it was definitely good to spend time with just the two of us--we've been married for three years now, can you believe it? Thanks, Mom, for being willing to come up and stay with Joshua. I'm sure you enjoyed it immensely...he's an adorable kid. And to my dearest Cody, I love you! Here's to another three years, and hopefully many, many more!

Yay, Mommy time!

2009-08-17T13:02:00.006-06:00

That's what Cody always texts me when I tell him I'm on my way home from work. Well, this week it's got a new meaning--my own mom is on her way here from California! She's agreed to watch Joshua later on this week so Cody and I can get away for a few days for our anniversary (which isn't actually until the 26th, but school will have started by then...). I'm excited to see her! She came up early so Joshua can get used to her, which gives us a few days of play with her before we leave Wednesday night. It's going to be fun! =)

I tried to get Joshua to take a picture with me a few days ago. This is what came out:
I was trying to get this smile out of him:Apparently he'll give the cheesy smile when it's just him, but he'd rather furrow his brow when he's in the same picture as his mommy. Silly kid.

Make new friends, but keep the old!

2009-08-10T22:20:00.004-06:00

We had a little reunion of sorts last night! One of my very good friends, Wendy, was in town with her husband Paul and their almost-5-month-old son, Reece, so we took advantage and had a little get-together with them and Shara and her husband Craig. Nothing fancy, just catching up and enjoying the company of good friends.

Wendy, Shara, and I were all roommates for a few years from 2001-2003, when we all left on missions for our Church (me in Brazil, Shara in Taiwan, and Wendy in Albania). When we returned in 2005, we ended up in the same apartment complex for a year...then Wendy got married in May '06, I got married that August, and then Shara tied the knot earlier this year in April. These girls are seriously awesome. I have so many good memories with both of them and they have impacted my life greatly. I'm so glad that we've kept in touch and still get together when we can. Thanks, ladies!
Joshua really seemed to enjoy "playing" with Reece. It made me excited to see him as a big brother...no, I'm not announcing anything, but we are planning on it sometime in the future. :)

Joshua, the computer nerd

2009-08-06T22:10:00.003-06:00

We just can't keep him away from the computers for very long...he even uses the mouse correctly!Oh, and I did manage to get a picture of Joshua cozying up in bed before going to sleep, as I mentioned in my post from a couple days ago. The blanket/quilt was made by his Grandma Kari--thank you! As you can see, he loves it! =)

Sleeping preferences

2009-08-04T13:08:00.002-06:00

Joshua has been a stomach sleeper practically since birth. It took a lot of persistence to get him to sleep on his back, and when he would nap with Cody he would always lay on his stomach. Once he learned how to roll over, I didn't worry much about it anymore. I guess I just assumed he was going to be like his mommy and be most comfortable on his stomach.

A few months ago, we put a blanket in his crib, along with the stuffed bear we gave him for Christmas, but he never really did much with them, just moved them around in the crib while he slept on his stomach. Now, though, when we put him in the crib, he lays down on his back, makes it clear that he wants the blanket put over him, gets a huge smile on his face while he pats the covers, and then reaches out for the bear, which he hugs until we leave the room. I'm not sure what he does after that, but that's now the ritual. He's very particular, it seems. And adorable. I should get a picture of him laying there like that, but he'd probably be too eager to lay hold on the camera to go to sleep--and as all the parents of young ones out there know, we want to do as little as possible that would disturb his sleep.

By the way--I made it to work five minutes early again today by taking that alternate route. Yay! And thank you, Shara, for reminding me that construction people especially need work these days, and we should be glad for the snow that tears up the roads so badly they need to repair it every summer. :)