Update on The Family

Yep... I still stink at blogging and updating stuff, but if your interested here is the update on our family.

We currently live in Bayport, NY .... it is on long island. I though yeah this will be a great adventure, What I didn't know is how much of an "adventure" I was really in for. Needless to say packing up and moving across the country with 4 small children has been quite the adventure!

We have lived here for about 16 months now. So that my handsome husband could complete his education and become a Physician Assistant.

My family August 2016

We moved here in June 2016 and celebrated by going to NYC and seeing the Macy's Day Fireworks.... yep they were awesome. We enjoyed getting settled and meeting our ward. 

School started for Josh and Briella the beginning of September. I could not believe that my little girl was going to school!

 I love fall and we had lots of fun. We raked up and jumped in leave piles (which are huge here).... We carved pumpkins, went the the aquarium for Lily's birthday and Briella enjoyed school.

Christmas came and Josh finished his first semester of PA school.... as he would say barely alive. Neither of us expected how amazingly intense this program would be. Gratefully, we have been blessed to have him pass and learn so much.

After Christmas, Josh hit the books and returned to school Briella returned to kindergarten. It was about that time we started to notice some odd behaviors and issues with our beautiful, usually helpful Briella girl. I though with 3 toddlers in my house, that temper tantrums were something I was totally able to manage, but she tossed a whole new level of tantrum into that. She also was wetting her bed multiple times, but had a yeast infection. I started to suspect she may have diabetes, but did not want to face the music, as there were many other things going on that could have caused the symptoms she had. She also had just had a checkup in January when I had talked to her doctor about the bedwetting.

When it does snow here... it really snows.

After a particularly frustrating day, and a huge fit over a bowl of applesauce I broke, I couldn't take it anymore. Where was my daughter? It was Friday night and by some miracle Josh happen to be studying at home. I told him to give her a blessing or something, cause I couldn't take it anymore. We decided to go get a glucometer and hopefully rule out diabetes. Josh went out while I finished dinner and came back with the dreaded machine. He took her and tested her sugar levels, and unfortunately instead of ruling out diabetes, the glucometer came back saying her sugars were too high to read. Josh headed to the children's hospital while I looked for someone willing to take care of my other 3 very tired children as it was now 7 at night.

We met up at the hospital and answered question after question on why we thought she had diabetes, and what had been going on. The nurse brought in her glucometer and said the same thing, her sugars were to high to read. Eventually, they found Briella a turkey sandwich, as she had not eaten dinner and everything in the hospital was closed. Then her bloodwork came back. We were actually surprised her sugars were not higher, but she was in the high 600's. Shortly after that we met with Dr. Lane, who is now her endocrinologist. He talked to us about family history and officially admitted Briella into the hospital. We were there 3 days learning how to deal with shots, injections, Lantus, Novolog, carbs and all that fun stuff. Briella was a trooper as she learned to have many shots throughout the day.

Just a week or so after arriving home, we realized that Briella had gotten lice.... from what we figure from the hospital. Gratefully, the sweet sister missionaries happen to be at my house that night, and went and go lice shampoo for me, then proceeded to help me treat and comb through everyone's hair. One of those times having lots of girl hair is not so fun. We were able to rid ourselves of the dreaded life with persistent lice treatments and combing hair to kill the little buggers every night for a while.

Also, due to lack of confidence in the school system and the people who would be taking care of my daughter, as well as much prayer we decided it was better to homeschool Briella until she had a CGM and pump, and was more confident in her ability to manage her new condition.



Things got a little better, we were able to visit Utah, and the kids loved seeing everyone. I was exhausted as I had just started a new job teaching English, and was getting up at 4:30 am to cute Chinese kids. But, it was all worth it as we got to see grandparents and great-grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and the girls were able to fill loved and remembered.

Upon returning home, we got settled back into a routine, spring came, Briella learned to ride her bike without training wheels and Kaylee learned to ride a bike.


Josh had finals week around Mother's Day. It was around that time I started to notice some obvious symptoms for myself and realized what was probably going on. Sure enough, I took a test and WALA... pregnant. My feelings on the matter were super conflicted, sure I wanted more kids, and had even talked a bit to Josh about it, but with still trying to care for Briella's diabetes, getting up and night with her, and having virtually no husband (he generally leaves around 5-5:30am and returns 9:30 at night), I was thinking it would be another good few months before I would really want to try. Plus, I had to consider Josh's feelings on the matter... which were along the line of super tired stressed out husband/PA student,..... you can imagine the rest. We also had decided to wait until the end of his program anyway, so we got rid of a lot of our baby clothes and some other things. Then there was the fact I had to tell Josh.... and we were preparing to go to Utah yet again as my brother was getting married.

It was about a week I knew I needed to wait before telling Josh, seeing as it was finals week and all..... and unfortunately the morning sickness had started to hit, and the early morning teaching was not helping, but, I was managing. The day he took his last final, I met up with him and snuck in my little surprise. Since then, we have come to terms and are excitedly looking forward to meeting our next little girl.

Below are some pictures of our trip home from Utah. The trip there was rough, I was 5 weeks, and pretty sick. Josh drove most of the way, we didn't stop and once we arrived I got into bed and stayed there for almost the whole trip. I managed a few activities though. Once I was managing better, we left to come home. We took a church history tour, which was probably better as long periods in the car were hard on me and the kids. It was fun and we learned a lot, but we were SUPER happy to make it home.

 Here are some pictures from the 4th... it was lame here. Fireworks are illegal, we definetly were not going to the city, but we had a little BBQ, celebrated Cleo's b-day and had slip n' slide fun..

 Josh's birthday... He was in full swing study mode, but I managed to get his attention with a deep sea fishing pole, which he was able to enjoy periodically through the rest of the summer with scouts.

 I think that pretty well catches us up. I am now 26 weeks pregnant. OB life here is definitely not like it is in Utah, and NY should be mandated to take lessons. But, baby is healthy and moving. She will arrive sometime in January.

I am still teaching English.... and look forward to the day when I don't have to be a morning person, because honestly I am totally a night owl, but mornings do have some perks like the only time my kids are quiet :).
Pregnancy is going.... I am more tired than I ever thought possible, but the Lord is with us, and somehow I manage to get out of bed every morning.

The kids are still being homeschooled. They are learning a lot. Briella is a great reader. Kaylee LOVES science and can probably tell you something cool about any animal or something in nature. She is an outside girl all the way and is often found in the top of a tree. ( I am waiting for her to break a limb doing that....!!) Lily is 4, she is sweet, smart, loves learning her "Doggy book" (preschool) and does some math with her older sisters. Cleo.... well she is my whirlwind. She is often found secretly with some chocolate... I need her finding skills... or other treat. She also loves to draw with toothpaste, paint, playdough, desitin, makeup, or any other really sticky, slimey, or hard thing to clean up. She also tell me often :NOOO NAAAP.... but is the queen of sleeping in odd places... some picture included for pure enjoyment. She also can almost sing her whole alphabet but particularly love the end "Q, R, S, T, U, V, now I know my ABCs"... yep she is positively a hoot. Her conversations with daddy sound like this J: Cleo you are yogurt... C: NO dad, you are!!! She also adds her own prayer to any meal, family prayer, or other praying event because to her... its always "No my turn say it".

  Lily enjoying her Lion King birthday cake!!!! Happy 4 years Lily!!

 Well.... that should about cover everyone for now!!! Bless you if you read this whole thing!