A year ago today....

As i sat here last night, just thinking about everything that has happened this year, and the biggest change in our lives has been the birth of our baby boy! After hours of walking around the hospital, (and about 2 weeks too late) Curtis was born at 1:11 in the morning. It's hard to think that he almost didn't make it, with his cord in a true knot, and wrapped around his neck twice. The doctor was truely amazed that Curtis was alive. We love our little boy and don't know what we would do without him! He's walking and showing off his new tricks everyday. We have so much fun with our little boy and are loving every minute of him. We are looking forward to getting to know him better, and sharing his life. I had a baby a year ago, and now he's a toddler! Happy Birthday Curtis!!

Sorry...long time no blog

Things have been busy the last couple of weeks, but that is still no excuse for not updating my friends and family on what has been happening in our lives. We have MANY new things that have gone on, i hope that i can get it all in.
~Janiel~
I love my job. I have so much fun with the volleyball girls. It certainly doesn't pay what it should (for the hours i put in) but i love it. From time to time, I get frustrated with the girls only because I want to get out there and play...but my time has passed. Now I enjoy loosing my voice twice a week yelling at the palyers as if they cannot hear me.
I have my Commercial Drivers Licence Permit. Driving the bus will give me a great opportunity to make more money for our family. I will be making minimum wage plus 35 cents a mile. A one day trip (up to Mesa and back) I will make about $150. Plus $30 for food per day. Tournament trips is where the money will be made for sure. Hopefully I will be able to take my driving test soon so I can be driving and making the money!
Because I am the only one working (thank heaven for student loans), I have been doing some side jobs as well. I teach a class at the college called Beginning Body Conditioning. I get paid per person, so I have mom, dad, Clifton, and a bunch of other people in there that have never shown up. Oh well!
~Clifton~
Nursing classes have begun and I think he really likes it. He is one of 3 men in the program and is having a good time (so far). He's been taking some classes online which leaves time for him to watch Curtis while i'm out of town on volleyball trips. Our scheduals work out really nice.
Clifton has been also focusing on our house. Things are running slowly and we are getting kind of worried about it. We still dont have a closing date, and are hoping things will get finished up soon!
~Curtis~
Many milestones have happened and he has learned a ton of new things! Curtis started WALKING about 3 weeks ago and hasn't stopped! Leah brought the twins over and a switch turned something on in his head..."they're little people, and I can walk too!" Ever since then, he's been cruising everywhere. He runs in spurts and hardly crawls. My baby isn't a baby any more!
Curtis points at everything and says some little phrase I can't understand. Sometimes I cannot stand how cute my kid is! His words consist of dad, mom, nana (banana), ball, dut (that), and sign language for ALL DONE! He also does sign language for milk but to him that means 'bye,bye'.
Sorry there are no pictures, but i cannot find the cord that connects the camera to the computer. As soon as i find it, i will post a picture frenzy! Also, sorry for the grammar and spelling...done in a hurry! Much love to all!

Cool Dude!

Curtis loves sunglasses! He gets this silly hypervetallating laugh that cracks me up. He's getting so big these days too. I can see the changes happening every day. Today he took a 3 hour nap from 10 to 1 and then fell asleep again from 2:30 to 4:30. A nap total of 5 hours today. Growing boy needs his rest!

Happy Birthday to me!

Thanks everyone for the Birthday wishes. I had a good birthday...who wouldn't if they were playing volleyball all day? Anyway, I would also like to say congrats to my friends Stephen and Lisl Quinn on the birth of their baby boy on my birthday! So fun, but weird because i just went to her baby shower last weekend (note the pictures below)! Yeah for Birthdays!

The Diaper Cake

I went to Sierra Vista today for one of my best friends (Lisl Quinn) baby shower. There were fun games with prizes to be won, and lots of BLUE presents. I had a ton of fun making this Diaper Cake for her last night. I dressed it with binkie's and linka-do's and ribbon. It was a big hit at the party!

Elder Simpson (Udall)

Here is Elder Udall as a Simpson...and suprisingly, i didn't have to make any adjustments. All I did was upload the photo and this is how it turned out! Enjoy!

Simpsonize ME

How would you look as a member of Springfield? This was fun to do during Curtis' nap!

Video Attempt, but no such Luck

I tried to post the video of my sisters and I performing our rendition of "Africa", but I just cannot figure it out. So to satisfy the need to hear this song (or at least hear it in you head) here are the lyrics that we made up to "Africa by Toto".

We feel the love around here tonight.
We’ll each take turns engaging in a final conversation.
He’s leaving on a 10:30 flight
Headed for the MTC to learn about salvation.
After months of learning Portuguese,
Hoping to find some long forgotten words or ancient melodies
They send him off as if to say, Hurry Boy they’re waiting there for you.

CHORUS:
It’s gonna take a lot to keep the mission rules
Don’t drink the water, you’ll get runny poos.
Baptize a town down in Africa
Gonna take some faith to do the things he knows are true.

Living the missionary life
Rising early, praying, reading, serving, loving, teaching.
We know that he will do what’s right
As sure as Kilimanjaro rises above the Serangetti
He’ll seek to change what’s deep inside, helping those around him find the truth.

CHORUS

(Instrumental break)

Hurry boy, they’re waiting there for you

It’s gonna take a lot to bring you home to us
We will be missing you so very much
Sing with the natives down in Africa
May find a black girl down in Africa
Stain a lot of white shirts down in Africa
Wear through some shoes down in Africa
Be the tallest white guy down in Africa
When he comes home, we’re sure to find he’ll be a better man.

First Hair Cut

Shaggy boy! He really needed this one...it was hard to let go at first because he had the beginnings of curls in the back of his head, but it was OUT OF CONTROL. I couldn't maintain the beast any longer. So here are some before and after shots! Who would have thought that he would be so blond? Enjoy!

Cute Boy

Sorry it's sideways, but i just thought this was too cute to wait to figure it out! I'll put up more pictures of these moments later.

Busy but Fun

This week, I have been working with 3rd - 6th graders, and 7th-8th graders on their volleyball skills. It has been so much fun, but stressful. My cousin Sarah has been watching Curtis for me. He loves Sarah! There are few people he will reach for, and she is one of them.
Volleyball camp is wearing me down. My shoulder is not what it used to be and i really need to get it back into hitting shape. I'll be hitting the weight room for the next couple of weeks before we start pre-season training...those two weeks will kill me, but I am so looking forward to it! I plan on working out with the girls and helping them train for the season (you know, showing them how it's done)!
We still have another full week of camp next week with the high school kids, but they (hopefully) wont be as clingy as these younger girls. So Much FUN!

Take me out to the Ball Game

Last night (Saturday the 14th) My dad's company had a party and bought tickets to the Diamondbacks game for all its employees and family members. The entire family (including the Kids) was there. They also fed us dinner. We had decent seats behind left feild about 30 seats from the wall, but we couldn't see the jumbotron. We were too far under the overhang/balcony. We were losing until we left at aobut the 6th inning. Then the D'backs pulled it through. It was so much fun! Thanks Grandpa!

Such a big helper!!

So, my mom has kind of been stressed out with Chris leaving on his mission, me moving in, etc. Plus my mom is one of the busiest ladies I know...she didn't get home last night until 8:30. Anyway, I thought since i am living here now for a while, I would help out around the house. Project 1) Painting the Kitchen...we did this about 3 weeks ago and it looks fabulous. Thanks Leah for the idea.

Project 2) CLEAN the kitchen floors... I mopped a couple of days ago, and it really helped, but i thought it wasn't clean enough. Last night I went to Wal-Mart and bought some cleaning suplies to really get a deap clean in the grout. It makes such a difference!

I don't know what the next project is, but i'm sure i'll figure something out...Maybe i'll paint the family room!

Before the Deep Clean...

And After!!!

"my new favorite toy"

A couple of days ago we were at "Autie Leah's" house and Curtis found this Push-along toy. HE LOVES IT!! Almost too much...I have to hide if from him because he wants to walk with it all the time. But there is one thing about Curtis that you have to understand...He has this competitive nature (who knows where is got that from) where he wants to do everything right the first time! So ever time he runs into a wall, or hits a couch, or gets snagged in the carpet, y'all better watch out cause somethin' fierce is comin' your way! He's only 10 months old and I'm not ready for him to walk yet! Don't you just love his chiken legs?

Rub-a-dub-dub!

Curtis loves his baths! This is in Grandma's old kitchen sink in the laundry room (the perfect tub for babies). Every time i try to get him out of the bath, he cries. He can sit there and play for an hour. Unless he's bathing with his cousins, then he sits in the corner and watches them play. What a cutie!

One thing about Curtis' hair, the majority of the growth is on the top. He has a comb-over that is so sweet! Just like an old man.

So Long, Farewell

Well, we sent Chris to the MTC yesterday. All of the family was there at the airport to send him on his way. A few tears were shed, but there was this calm assurance in my heart. I felt peace knowing that he was doing the Lords will. Good Luck Elder Udall, we will be praying for you!

What's up with THAT? sorry no pictures

You know what happens, when life happens? You fall behind on your blog…or at least I do. It’s been about 2 months since I posted and I don’t even know where to begin with an update, so forgive me if this post seems a little long winded.
At the end of May, we began negotiations to purchase an acre of land in Thatcher, because as many of you know, Clifton got accepted in the nursing program at EAC so we get to move back HOME!!! With the way the market is down there, we have found out that it is cheaper to pay a mortgage than rent. Thus began our search for a place to live. My mom found several pieces of land that seemed to be a great deal and so we put an offer down and the owners accepted! Now what do we do with the land? We found a company in Chandler that builds manufactured homes and sells them at factory prices. This has several perks because we got to choose our own layout, size, additional options, colors, etc. We found a model that we liked and it just happened to be on sale (about $11,000 off the original price)!!! I just got back from the factory last Friday, and it is in process and we have set a tentative date of delivery in the beginning of September!!! Until then, my wonderful parents have offered to let us live in their house until ours is finished. After all, Chris is leaving on his mission in a week, so there will be an empty house!
Chris got his mission call to the Mozambique, Maputo Mission in AFRICA. He will be speaking Portuguese and he reports to the MTC on July 11th. We are all anxiously waiting to get rid of our little brother and send him to a foreign country!!! Just kidding Chris…We love you!
Things have been a little crazy the last couple of months…we have had family parties, family reunions, trips to the hospital, trips to Arizona, the joys of moving, the joys of buying a home, several milestones (like sleeping through the night!), and some bumps and bruises, but we’ll make it through okay!
Last Wednesday (June 27th) I was visiting my family in Mesa, and also ordering my home. Curtis was playing well with his cousins for about 5 minutes…he was supporting himself on a cruiser/walk along toy with wheels. One of his bigger cousins wanted that toy so she just walked away with it. Curtis fell down bonking his head on the ceramic tile. He screamed for a second, and then I picked him up. The next thing I knew, he was dead weight. I looked at his face and his eyes had rolled in the back of his head and he had no response to his name or any other noise. Lucky for me my brother-in-law Doug was there with me to reach for the phone to dial 911. However, before he could dial the numbers, Curtis came to. I was shaking so bad that I could barely stand. Never in my life have I experienced such terror. To feel your own child in your arms, go limp as if he had no life…I get sick just describing it. After regaining some composure, I called every medical person I knew, to ask what I should do. They said take him to the emergency room…so I did…at 9 pm. Everything checked out fine with Curtis…he plays normal, acts normal, and now we know that passing out is common. However, because it was related to a head injury, you can never be to cautious.
Speaking of Curtis, HE IS SLEEPING THROUGH THE NIGHT!!! We had a family reunion in Flagstaff a couple weeks ago, and Curtis woke up and wanted to play in the middle of the night. After that weekend of hardly any sleep, I decided that was enough. It’s been two weeks and he is sleeping like a BABY! And so am I!
Curtis wants to walk so badly. He has just started cruising and standing tall from a squatting position. I have no doubt that he has the strength, but his balance could use a little more work. Give it another week or two and I’ll be chasing him around!
Clifton and I are doing just fine. Currently, we have moved all of our belongings to Thatcher, and are living separately. Mostly because his job is too good to leave Grants, and my job begins in a week in Thatcher. It will take some getting used to, but I think that we will survive a month and a half!
We are just looking forward to our new home and a fresh start in Thatcher. We feel so blessed that Clifton got into the nursing program (by the way, he just took a medical calculations test and got 95 out of 100). We have many things to look forward to here in the near future and we just could not be happier!

Early May Update

I never thought that I would live in a place were it snowed in May. We woke up yesterday to flurries all morning long. I thought that I could put away all of my jackets and stuff (because thats what I would have done in Thatcher) but today's high is 55 degrees. BURRR!
Yesterday, after talking with my mom, she asked if we had checked our mail (mom has an inside look, now that she works in the registration department at EAC). Naturally, we went straight for the post office and sifted through the envolopes hoping to find one addressed to Clifton from EAC. We did find that letter and opened it on the spot. The first words read "Congratulations"...We realy didn't care to read after that (although we did). After 3 longs years of struggling to get into any nursing program, we have recieved the answer to our prayers. Mom said that Clifton was in the top ten students to be picked for the program. We never thought that we would move back to Thatcher ( at least not this soon), but we are coming home! It's gonna be weird though. We've only been gone a couple of years and it is not the town I grew up in. But I still love it.
So here are our plans...we have found some land for sale that seems like a pretty good deal. We are hoping to get finaced to purchase that land, and then put a Mobile Home on it. I know, a Mobile Home is not the best thing, but by the end of the summer we might be able to pay cash for one, and then all we will have is the land payment....which will be cheaper than paying rent somewhere. FYI, rent in Thatcher is CRAZY! The first place that we lived in, when we were first married, was $285 a month! Now, the same tiny place is $400 a month! So if all of our plans go well, we will own a piece of land, a home, and have payments cheeper than rent!!
My trip to Thatcher last week was full of excitement.
1) Chris got his mission call to MOZAMBIQUE, AFRICA!!
2) Curtis started to get the hang of crawling, and as soon as he did, he learned to sit up
3) I confirmed my job for next year as the Assistant Volleyball Coach at EAC
It's going to be nice not to travel as much to be with my family. Looking forward to that very much.
More about Curtis: These photos were taken by my sister Leah on her kitchen table. Isn't he CUTE with tiny butt crack? He is currently getting one of his bottom teeth in and is grumpy all of the time. After having 4 cousins to watch run around, he doesn't like playing alone. If I even get up out of my chair, he cries. He has started to throw tantrums, and hope it is just a phase. But when he is happy, he is a fun baby to be around. He giggles pretty easily, and loves to play peek-a-boo. What a cute kid!
We are so excited to have a missionary in our family. Chris is the only boy so it will be weird not to have him around at the family stuff, but we know that he will do well. We are looking forward to writting him...i've never really had a missionary to write too!
That's all from here in NM! Much love to all!

Happy Birthday Leah & Doug

Sorry I don't have a picture, and sorry i'm a day late, but I thought that i would wish you happy birthday! Hope you had a great and marvelous day!

Just some favorite pics

Curtis does this pose a lot when he's reaching for something. Look at the form!

My litle Jail Bird!

"I'm gonna get you Mom!"

Such a Big Boy!