Year in Review (August 2005-2006)
Editor’s note: Tami’s family publishes a sort of yearbook/family history so that the expanded family can keep current. It just so happens this is also a good entry for the blog.
Hello Johnson family! Since our last installment our family has grown! Daniel Brent Nef was born September 16, 2005. The score at our house is now 3 to 1. Boys officially rule…. Who are we kidding? Mom rules no matter what! Danny came 3 weeks early and still weighed in at 7 pounds 11 ounces. I’m glad he didn’t go the full forty weeks! Danny’s birth was a dream – fast, easy, and pretty much painless. Nothing like Jacob’s birth – which was closer to a nightmare. I loved my doctor, had the perfect epidural, great nurses and I even got to “catch” Daniel myself. Brent and I were shocked at the difference. It is fun to compare the pictures from the two births. After Jacob we both look like we’d been run over by a bus, but with Daniel we’re all smiles and look like we’re headed out for a night on the town. We hope the next baby decides to follow in Danny’s footsteps.
Since then the two boys have kept us consistently busy and probably looking like we’ve been run over by a bus. There is never a dull moment at our house. Jake is going on 3 and has really lived up to the terrible twos. He’s got about one of the cutest little faces you’ve ever seen and has more facial expressions than a cartoon character, but man can he throw a tantrum. I joke that Jake must have inherited the drama queen gene that floats somewhere through the Cox family (Kenny and David have it) because he is so funny and entertaining but if the switch is flipped… look out. I often say he reminds me of Kenny when he was little. The kid’s energy knows no limits. Jacob’s big accomplishments this year include becoming a big brother (Jake says Danny is his best friend) and successfully completing potty-training. His vocabulary (along with his imagination) is also growing by leaps and bounds, so much so that Jake will often stutter because his mouth just can’t keep up with his brain. He likes to tell us stories and ask about 8 million questions a day… Why? Why? Why? Jake is currently working on learning how to share better with his brother and the kids at nursery, and on keeping his hands to himself. His favorite foods are macaroni and cheese (“mac cheese”) and cookies. Jake is a movie junkie and would watch them all day if we’d let him. He adores his Grandma and Grandpa Cox, Uncle Greg, and any of his multitude of cousins. Jacob is our little energizer bunny. Life would be a bore without him.
Danny is 10 months old now and hardly a baby. He is close to walking and doing his best to keep up with his big brother. He is our little surfer boy – with white blonde hair and blue eyes and a real affection for the beach (as opposed to Jake who is currently terrified of the ocean…) Danny has been a hearty eater with a hefty build since he was born. He is just big all over and loves to eat. Daniel has been more easy going than Jake was as a baby, though he also has had to deal with acid reflux and a whole lot of spitting up. Still no fun for anyone, but at least this time around Mom and Dad weren’t so perplexed, and were a lot more relaxed. Thankfully the spit-up stage is about over. He’s been a great sleeper since he was born, which we count as one of our many blessings! Danny’s recent accomplishments are saying “Mama” and “Hi.” He also loves to climb the stairs and show his two-teeth grin. We are enjoying watching Daniel turn into a real little person and play with his big brother.
As a mother, I’ve especially enjoyed watching my two boys interact and grow together. One of my favorite things is waking up in the morning to Danny and Jake cracking up over the baby monitor. Often Jacob will wake up and climb into Danny’s crib and then entertain them both until I come in to break up the party. What fun it is to have a brother. One of my best days was last week at the dentist’s office, where the two boys were playing in the waiting room and the dental assistants were all oohing and aahing and Jake proudly announced to everyone, “I love my brother.” Another memorable moment was the Sunday that Jake loudly proclaimed during the passing of sacrament, “I have to go POO POO…” Both episodes were equally classic. That said, of course there are several times a day that I am pulling my hair out and wishing for Scotty to beam me up. But for as many temper tantrums Brent and I suffer through, we enjoy twice as many “I love you’s”, hugs, and hilarious moments. We love our kids, and just hope and pray we are doing a decent job raising them.
In addition to the boys and keeping up house, I’m kept pretty busy with my calling as Ward Primary Chorister. I love this calling and love those kids… but it really is work! After having (barely) pulled off last year’s program (I was in labor 4 days later) though, I can tell you it’s worth it. The whole process strengthened my testimony and touched my heart. I also stay sane by going to the gym almost everyday for a good long, sweaty workout. I take the kids to the nursery there, which they love – so it’s a win-win situation. Everyone gets a break and Mom stays feeling fit.
At times this last year it seems like we’ve hardly seen Brent. Between working full-time as a software engineer, going to school part-time to get his MBA and being ward mission leader (until recently) – Brent has had quite a full plate. The arrival of summer provided huge relief though, as he was released from his calling, had the summer off school, and switched to an every other Friday off work week at his company. We have absolutely loved having Daddy around so much more. He loves to cook big breakfasts for us whenever he is home in the morning and is by far everyone’s favorite friend.
It will be hard to adjust when school starts up again. But we’ve taken advantage of the summer with several small trips and one big, expensive one for just Brent and me to Maui. We thought we deserved an early 5 year anniversary present and so spoiled ourselves with a week long stay at a posh hotel where all we did was sleep in, read, sunbathe, swim, and eat out. It was very relaxing and actually quite a shock to come home to so much work. My mom and dad were incredibly generous by coming to Temecula for the week and playing house with our kids. They all had a great time and I didn’t even worry at all. What awesome grandparents!
We are excited for our upcoming Yosemite trip with a humongous chunk of the Cox clan. Jake has been shouting “I’m going CAMPING!!” for months now and is ecstatic to be able to spend so much time with his cousins. (We haven’t had a big get together since we celebrated Christmas 2 days late at the new house in Alpine) 7 of the 9 Cox kids and their families will be there, plus some “adopted” members too… Yikes! What a zoo! But what fun! We thrive on chaos and absolutely love these big family events. Hopefully the heat lets up a little and the old motor-home makes the trip!
It’s sad to think another year has come and gone, but with it we always feel such gratitude and love for life. We are so grateful for FAMILY and for the knowledge that it is forever. We love the gospel and we love having such good examples in all of you.
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