Garn family blog

Eleven Months Old on Valentine's day

2019-02-14T19:52:00.000-05:00

Two standing babies!

I can't believe that Ian and Evan will be a year old in another month. The times has both flown and gone so slowly.

Happy Valentine's Day

Ian continues to crawl on his hands and knees, but pulls up to cruise around more. On occasion, he will let got of the sofa with both hands and look at a point a little farther away. I'm pretty sure he's thinking about walking, but still nervous about it. He will often laugh when he's cruising around--I'm sure he thinks it's awesome. But he laughs often and is just a happy kids. He prefers to feed himself now and has eight teeth (four on top and four on bottom), but if I use a metal spoon (which makes a noise when he bites down) he will sometimes let me feed him. He also likes to put whatever he can find in his mouth while he crawls around--so I often find him with a toy, bottle, binky (though that's more rare), and small pieces of whatever. I'm constantly pulling stuff out of his mouth. Josh and I both think that he's starting to understand more and more of what we say, but we're not sure he's speaking yet. A couple of times he's said something that sounds little like "uh-oh" and he calls both of us "da da da da da."

Happy Valentine's day!

Evan has started to crawl only on his hands and knees this month and has gotten really fast. He is fascinated by brooms, the trashcan, and other things that I don't want him getting into. He's pulling up a lot, but not cruising much yet. He thinks it's funny when I try to get him to stand on his own and inevitably catch him when he falls. He's started to try to "scare" us and will make a short "ah" sound when he jerks his body and then watches our reaction. He loves it when we try to scare him back (and Ian is usually around and will laugh too). Evan also likes to make Ian laugh and will do his "scary noise" while flopping forward toward Ian. There have been several giggle sessions because of this. Evan also calls both Josh and I "da da da da." I sometimes think he's telling me all done ("ah dah") when he wants me to hold him because he's done playing with something. He's understanding more and more too and will stop what he's doing when I say "no," but then will return to his previous activity without a worry.

Both babies had ear infections this last month. Evan was the first and when I was taking him to the doctor I was wondering if I was just going to be told that he has a cold and he'll get over it. I was glad I went in and got the antibiotic. He seemed better within 24 hours. I asked the doctor to check Ian at the same time, but he got a clean bill of health. I took Ian in a week later to find out that he had a double ear infection. Meds worked wonders again and he appeared better really quickly as well.

Two babies laughed hysterically when they found each other again (Ian was done eating and crawling around)

They both continue to grow really well and are growing out of 12 month clothes. They enjoying being around each other and will generally stick close together to play. When they do separate for a bit they will both get excited to see each other again.

Ten months old

2019-01-14T18:50:00.000-05:00

Evan and Ian have had an exciting month. They were both glad on Christmas to be able to play with the wrapped presents under the tree, but were happy with the first one or two and then wanted to be free.

Ian continues to crawl really well and has started to crawl on hands and knees more and more often. He likes to pull himself up and try to grab things off of the sofa--especially the Xbox controllers. Once or twice he has let go of what he's holding on to and stand on his own. I think he's a little nervous about it, but it's exciting progress. He likes to pick up his food to feed himself. Every so often his babbling sounds more like he's trying to talk (more variety in his sounds). He's started sleeping longer at night and I think if Evan wouldn't wake him up in the morning he would sleep even longer. This sleep was a little disrupted during our travels this month, but is starting to get back on track. He's generally a happy kid and will smile at them from a distance, but he isn't so sure about being held by people other than his parents and sometimes his siblings. He did get sick around Christmas time, but is almost better.

Evan has gotten really good at scooting around. For a while he was pausing to kind of lean to one side. Then one day from that position he got himself into a sitting position. He is sometimes a little nervous about getting down from this position, but is starting to get the hang of it. He is also enjoying the variety of foods he gets to feed himself during meal times and is still okay with mom feeding him. Sometimes when he's talking to me he becomes very adamant about it. Evan's been struggling some with sleeping during traveling, but starting to get back on track. He has also been sick since Christmas and we're hoping both boys recover soon. He is very content to watch people and is okay to be held by them, as long as mom or dad are nearby.

I finally put them both in the real bath together, since they are both sitting well. They thought this was the best thing ever and enjoyed splashing like crazy. Our house was full of giggles while they played in the water.

Ian and Evan also got to try popsicles for their first time ever on their 10 month birthday. They were somewhat unsure about these popsicle things.

Christmas break 2018

2019-01-12T19:29:00.000-05:00

We decided to spend Christmas morning here and I'm glad that we did. Christmas Eve we all opened new Christmas jammies and sang songs.

It was nice to wake up in our own house on Christmas morning and start (restart?) some of our own traditions. I got up earlier than others in order to get ready, but I always take so long. The kids were happy to help get babies ready and go down to check out their piles of presents (Santa leaves them in separate piles so everyone can tell who's is who's).

Lizzy is such a nice big sister to help her little brothers open their presents.

Matthias, Elizabeth, Ian, and Evan received a trip to Disneyland from Grandma and Grandpa Garn and from Grandma and Grandpa Teichert. Matthias and Lizzy were pretty excited and Ian and Evan were excited about the balloon. Ian and Evan also received this ball pit (which also came with a rocket ship tent and a tunnel) and balls. They were pretty happy babies.

I received quite a bit of make up and skin care, which I was pretty excited about.

Josh received a bunch of biking gear, including this helmet and goggles. He also received gloves and pads. We're glad that he can be protected from future crashes... and hopefully there are no more crashes.

Matthias received a number of guns. Both he and Lizzy received BB guns for Christmas. Lizzy gave Matthias the nerf gun and Matthias got at least 3 rubber band guns from Grandma Lewis.

Lizzy received books, clothes and a couple of LOL surprise dolls. I can't believe I forgot to get a picture. But she was so happy with all of her presents.

We had eggs, bacon, chocolates and french toast casserole for breakfast. After breakfast we quickly cleaned up so that we could try to arrive in time for Christmas breakfast in Burley.

We enjoyed our time in Burley, which included playing in the snow, playing games with family, and a visit to the dentist. Lizzy and Matthias both had teeth pulled by the dentist and have been pretty happy with it. We're hoping big teeth grow in soon and we're saving for braces.

Josh has to bring his bike everywhere. He enjoyed sliding around in the snow.

After a week in Burley we drove down to Alpine to spend about two days with the Lewis side. Grandma Lewis was away helping Grandma Janice (after her recent fall), so we were glad to spend a relaxing couple of days hanging out with Grandpa Lewis and Uncle Tall Paul. We were also able to see the Webb Family. It was a busy time with sick kids, so I didn't take many pictures. We did go to eat New Years Eve dinner at Pizza Pie Cafe and won best parents of the year, which only lasted a couple of hours.

New Years Eve dinner

We were able to meet up with Kirti at IHOP for a New Years breakfast. It's always so wonderful to see her and Matthias is always excited to tell her all about whatever he's thinking about.

We then drove down to spend a couple of days in St. George. Since this was still work time for Josh, the kids and I had fun exploring different parts of St. George.

Matthias and Lizzy loved the scavenger hunt at the Dinosaur Museum.

I made all of my kids dress up in the Children's Museum.

Visit to the St. George Temple

We were able to do several family things while in St. George as well. We went swimming in our in door swimming pool a couple of times. We also did a small hike through Snow Canyon, which Ian and Evan enjoyed by napping in the stroller.

We also found a place where the kids could learn how to shoot their BB guns. Josh was really good to help them learn about gun safety and practice hitting targets. It was tricky at first, but they got pretty good at it in the end. Ian and Evan also napped through this adventure.

After St. George we spent some time in Southern California. I was able to chat with Grandma Janice for about an hour. It was nice to see and hear how she's doing. Poppa Paul took a bunch of pictures, which meant that I forgot to take any.

We spent a full day with Alicia and family. We went to a park together and Ian and Evan got to swing for the first time. Evan loved it and Ian liked it.

On January 8, Aunt Alicia watched Ian and Evan while the rest of us went to spend the day at Disneyland. We rode on a bunch of favorite rides and stood in a lot of lines. Lizzy was lucky to talk to Alice and the Mad Hatter while we had a quick lunch. We left around 6 because we were tired and wet (we saved Splash Mountain for last) and so we could get back to rescue Alicia from a long day with three babies.

I spent the next morning watching Leeshy's kids so that she could go to the temple. Not quite a far exchange, but I'm hoping it was nice for her to have a kid-less break. :) Her kids are so cute and fun.

Dan, Ian, Evan, and Lacey enjoying a snack on the floor. Lacey needed her space.

That afternoon we traveled up the Castaic, CA to spend time with the Goates who have been our friends for 8 years. They were nice to let us stay at their house and take us with them to Six Flags. Lizzy and Matthias are apparently adrenaline junkies and loved the fast, crazy rides. Matthias commented several times that Disneyland was just a warm up for Six Flags. During this time Lizzy and Joyce became good friends and loved doing everything together.

The X2 was a bit intense... maybe we should have skipped it.

The next day we drove the whole way back to Reno. We did a lot of driving this vacation, but it was so fun to see family and friends and go on adventures as a family. We also got home so that we could have a weekend getting unpacked and ready for real life again.

Nine Months Old

2018-12-14T17:35:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas. Ian and Evan aren't so sure about this bearded old man.

Ian now has his two top teeth and his two bottom teeth. He's also started to crawl on both his hands and knees and has started to prefer that to army crawling. He's also really good at pulling himself up and has started to cruise around on the furniture. He recognizes his name and is good to turn around and look at us when we call his name and tell him not to touch something. He also recently started to wave and clap and thinks it's funny when we do it back to him.

They've started holding hands sometimes when they eat. It makes them both really happy.

Evan still just has his bottom two teeth and all he wants for Christmas are his two front teeth. I think he actually has several more that will make an appearance in the next week or so. He likes to tilt his side to side and see if I will copy his actions. He thinks it's hilarious. He's started army crawling just by pulling himself with his arms, but then started looking more like an inch worm as he lifts his butt and then pushes himself forward with his legs while pulling with his arm. He's a good sitter, but has trouble getting down on his own from a sitting position. Lizzy and Josh have said they've seen him get into a sitting position by himself, but I haven't seen it yet.

Sitting up while grocery shopping.

They are interested in the Christmas tree and presents, but haven't explored too much. I hope they enjoy Christmas this year.

Thanksgiving

2018-11-22T18:37:00.000-05:00

This year my mom invited us to join her, my dad, and Paul for Thanksgiving day. We drove up on Wednesday and made it at a decent time. It was nice that my mom and I weren't busy cooking all day on Thanksgiving. We had fun playing games with the kids and playing with the babies. Dinner was tasty and fun.

On Friday Josh and I left early on Friday to attend the Temple together. We don't get to do it that often. We went to the Mt Timpanogos Temple and did sealings, which was really nice. My mom was kind to get up early and rest on the sofa listening for Ian and Evan. Luckily they slept the whole time they were gone so it was easy for my mom.

We spent the day spending time with family again. Then my mom offered to watch our kids that evening so Josh and I could go on a date. We drove around (including a drive by our home in Provo) and then stopped at a Jamba Juice for a fruit smoothie. It was just a simple date and nice to spend some time together.

On Saturday we drove up to Garland to have a dinner with the Garn side. It was fun to see Josh's parents for a bit and chat with some of his cousins. We were also able to say hi to Josh's Grandma Garn.

Eight Months Old

2018-11-14T17:32:00.000-05:00

The only picture I could get of both babies looking at the camera and holding still

This last month has been an exciting one. Evan started out this month by getting his first bottom tooth. He wasn't too happy about it at first. It was quickly joined by his other front bottom tooth. We're still waiting to see if more teeth show up. He's also becoming an expert roller and sometimes can move a little bit, but we haven't figured out how. We're thinking that he must roll over a couple of times to get somewhere. He can also sit for a bit on his own. He also seems happier and will smile super easily and laugh more and more. He gets especially excited to see Matthias and Lizzy.

Evan was happy to find and play with my foot.

Ian quickly followed Evan by getting one of his bottom teeth and later got one of his top teeth. He continues to army crawl and tries to get up on his knees. He's started to move around to other rooms of the house and explore. He's also doing some of his own yoga--he does a downward dog followed by putting his left foot up in the air. From this position he's started to figure out how to sit up and then can get back down into a crawling position. He is also a happy baby and has started to express his opinions a little more.

Yoga by Ian

Ian and Evan have started to try to chew more. They've tried chewing on bread and later during the month they tried some of the store brand puffs. They're both doing pretty well with these foods.

Happy babies in the morning

It has been so fun to be their mom. They are so cute, happy, and learning and growing so well.

I tried to get a picture of them sitting up, but Ian crawled away and Evan fell over.

Halloween 2018

2018-10-31T18:01:00.000-04:00

We had a fun and busy Halloween time and coordinated our costumes as the Justice League.

I feel like we celebrated Halloween several times. We spent one evening at a friends' party and we truck-or-treated both at our ward and my mom's ward. Matthias and Lizzy loved it and it was fun to show off the twins in their costumes.

Superman meeting Clark Kent

Superman using his super powers

Josh was out of town for a conference at the beginning of the Halloween week, flew back late Halloween night.

Matthias and Lizzy are getting older this year and are starting to want to spend more time with friends. Matthias was able to spend the evening with Tanner (his best friend from school). They went to a party at Summerset for pizza and then trick-or-treated through the neighborhoods. He had a great time and got a ton of candy.

As Lizzy and I were making dinner in a pumpkin when she was whisked away down the street for a neighborhood party and she enjoyed pizza there too. So I was the lone mom with the dinner in the pumpkin.

Wonder Woman helped decorate our pumpkin as Harry Potter.

Lone mom with the ready dinner in a pumpkin

Since Josh was out of town, we left the bowl of candy outside with a note from Lizzy saying that each person could take two candies.

"Please take tow. Happy Halloween."

Lizzy then enjoyed walking up and down our street trick-or-treating with her friend Aubrey from school. I then drove those two around to trick-or-treat at some ward members houses. They had a lot of fun together.

Seven Months Old

2018-10-14T19:36:00.000-04:00

These babies are growing fast.

Ian is know crawling all over the place. He started out this last month just exploring the room that he was put it, but has now started to venture out of that room to find whatever he can. He also becomes very interested in whatever Evan is holding and will quickly crawl over to try to take a "turn." When he's put on his tummy he seems to start out in almost a plank position, but them will go all the way down in order to army crawl. He has started to try to put his butt up in there air, but can't sustain it.

Hanging out at church

At his last appointment (about 6.5 months), he was measured as 28 inches long, 17 lbs 7 oz, and a 17.75 inch hat size. The doctor always comments about how long and lean he is and that he's likely to be a university professor because of his big head.

After I wrote their 6 month post, Evan start rolling from his back to his tummy more. He did it about 3-4 times in a row the morning after I last wrote. He was inconsistent about doing it, but was confident when he would so it was almost like he just didn't want to be on his stomach and was choosing not to be there. When on his tummy he got really quite good at rotating around to explore right around him. If Ian was close, he would often try to touch him. Evan has also just started babbling. He's so cute with his little "da da da" and "da doo wah."

At church hanging out in the foyer

At his last appointment (about 6.5 months), he was measured as 29 inches long, 19 lbs 8 oz, and a 17.5 inch hat size. The doctor said this he's likely to be a basketball player and university professor. He's also really please with both boys catch up growth as Evan is now in about the 95%ile for height.

Fall Break

2018-10-07T19:18:00.000-04:00

Matthias and Lizzy got a week off of school at the beginning of October. We decided that we should do a couple of fun things with them while they were off from school.

On Monday the kids and I rode our bikes down to the park. It's fun to be able to pull Ian and Evan on the bike. We brought balls with us in the hope that we could play some basketball while there. Matthias and Lizzy decided that they just wanted to keep riding bikes around the park. They did a couple of loops and then Matthias came running back to me telling me that Lizzy got into an accident. Luckily, Matthias had left his bike in the path where Lizzy had gone off, otherwise I wouldn't have see her at all. She was being really tough, but felt pretty stuck. I got her bike out first and then she was able to climb out. We then rode home and had a relaxing afternoon.

She was not very happy after her accident and wasn't willing to smile.

On Tuesday, Josh took the four kids out to a place near Truckee, CA for some trail riding. He said that they were all really good and had a great time.

On Wednesday, I drove the four kids 2.5 hours out to Apple Hill. We had a great time at Boa Vista Orchards trying samples, eating lunch and choosing pumpkins. We had a great time out there and Matthias asked if we could go again tomorrow.

On Thursday and Friday I was exhausted from all of the adventures of the beginning of the week. So we laid a little low cleaning, reading, playing games, going to the library, and playing minecraft. Still fun times, but not as crazy exciting as the other days. On Friday, Lizzy and I did use the peaches we'd purchased at Boa Vista Orchards for making a pie. She made a a great pie crust pretty much on her own.

Immediately after the library. Books need to be read!

Beginning School

2018-09-25T21:50:00.000-04:00

Matthias and Elizabeth are busy with school and other activities. They started school on August 6 this year (the day after we returned from vacation) and have stayed busy with a lot of things. They were happy to do this and kept commenting about how it's the same thing we did last year (moving the day before school started).

SECOND GRADE

FOURTH GRADE

We're trying to keep them active in different ways this year too. Lizzy started a beginning jazz class. She has reported that she has learned jazz walk and is working on doing the splits. She's really enjoying this class and is lucky to have a dad that will take her to class every week.

First day of dance--Mom took a picture through the window

Matthias is still busy in scouts and was able to help with the flag ceremony a couple of weeks ago. Since babies took over mom's brain for the last year, we're a bit behind in his requirements, but trying to make up for lost time.

Lizzy took this spy picture while Mom was trying to calm babies.

Matthias also started honor choir this year. So he gets to school early on Wednesdays so he can practice. Lizzy was hoping to join this year too, but can't start until 3rd grade. Maybe next year they can do honor choir together.

We've also been better this year about reading the scriptures first thing in the morning and Lizzy and Matthias are both good to get their piano practicing done before school starts.

Six Months Old

2018-09-14T21:37:00.000-04:00

I can't believe that we've already made it half way through a year. The time is going quickly and slowly at the same time.

Ian is really active. As soon as he's laid down, he will roll over and start exploring his environment. He's also started a little bit of an army crawl; he's slow in moving forward, but he can do it. It also loves the ball and kicks his legs and moves his arms to try to get it. He's a happy kid, who will smile super quickly. He's become really interested in faces and will reach out to touch (a.k.a. scratch) any face in front of him.

Taking a break at church

Evan has become more smiley in the last month. We're wondering if his tummy is feeling better because he doesn't spit quite as much (though he does spit) and smiles so much easier now. He's also getting stronger core muscles and is easier to hold when walking around with him. He's really good at rolling from his tummy to his back, but will only go from his back to his side (and not all of the way to his tummy). When on his tummy he can rotate in a circle.

Taking a break at church

These babies are also starting to notice each other more and more. When feeding them they watch each other taking bites. Ian has also started to "crawl" towards his brother so that he can touch his toes, face, or whatever else he can get his hands on. This also means that Ian has started to grab the toys that Evan is holding. If Ian is close, Evan will also reach out and get his brother. They are funny to watch.

Evan got a hold of Ian's cap and made him roll over onto his back.

Five months old

2018-08-14T21:10:00.000-04:00

Ian and Evan are both growing well and are happy babies.

Ian can now roll from his back to his belly, but sometimes forgets how to roll back, which makes him sad. He loves listening to singing. He loves eating fruit and will tolerate cereals and most vegetables. He's sleeping well through the night and loves his binky. At his last appointment (at four and a half months) he was 26 inches long, 14lbs 4oz, and 17 inch hat size.

Evan can roll from his belly to his back, but also sometimes forgets this. He's very observant and watches things around him, but might lose track of where you are if you get too close. He also loves fruits, enjoys orange vegetables, makes the funniest faces when eating peas, and will tolerate cereals. He generally sleeps well through the night, unless he gets unwrapped. At his last appointment (at four and a half months) he was 26 inches long, 16lbs, and 16.5 inch hat size.

Fun Summer 2018

2018-08-05T22:13:00.000-04:00

Summer break started out with crazy chore charts and trips to the park. We were also able to go to the splash park a couple of times in Reno.

The babies were blessed at the beginning of July and we were able to have a fun time with family that weekend. This included a trip to Tahoe as a family.

Since Josh's job allows some flexibility in where he works over the summer and since he had a research contract through the University of Utah, we decided to spend about a month playing in Idaho and Utah this Summer. Our trip started with a fun Lewis family reunion at the Alpine retreat. It was fun to see everyone and let the cousins all play together. Matthias and Lizzy had a great time being the oldest cousins and being followed or chased by different cousins.

We then traveled up to Burley, Idaho to spend time with Garn family. The kids and I also had fun playing the various board games (that Grandma Garn has kept for her grandkids) and Josh and the kids enjoyed wresting with Grandpa. Our time in Burley also included a fun time at Harris Pond for the Keith Garn family reunion. It was fun to spend time with our kids and with extended family.

After a fun week in Burley, we headed back to Utah and dropped Josh off at the Salt Lake Airport. He took a work trip (with the University of Utah) to Pakistan. The kids and I had fun chilling at Grandma Lewis' house. We took a couple of trips down to Provo to visit with friends and a couple of trips to hang out with Aunt Rachel and her kids.

It was also during this time that Ian and Evan seemed to start to notice each other. Such funny babies.

I'm a twin?

While Josh was still away we took a day trip up to Cokeville for the July 24th celebration. Matthias and Lizzy loved the parade and all of the activities of the day.

We spent another week split between the Garns and the Lewises and then spent our last week of vacation down in Moab for the Val Garn family reunion. We had the best time with all of the cousins and aunts and uncles. We did a bunch of different activities, swam in the pool a bunch, and ate a lot of good food together.

We drove back on Aug 5--the day before school started.

Four months old

2018-07-14T19:16:00.000-04:00

Ian is a smiley 4 month old and has started laughing a little bit. He likes to observe the world and seems to really think about things. He's a really calm kid and will just continue to look around when his brother is screaming next to him. He will roll over at least once every other day. Some days he's on a roll (pun intended) and will roll over several times from front to back. If we help him balance he can support his own weight for a while when standing.

Ian received a name and blessing on July 1. Josh gave the blessing and Val Garn, Jared Garn, and Bishop Peterson were in the circle. In his blessing he was told that he will develop a personal relationship with his Savior. He was also told that he was blessed to come to a loving family who waited a long time for him to join us. His blessing also noted his kind and loving personality.

Evan is also a smiley 4 month old and has started laughing occasionally too. He is also pretty chill unless he needs something. Then the screaming goes from 0-60 in less than a minute. He's rolled over several times, but still seems very surprised by it. He startles fairly easily, but will smile quickly afterwards. He wants to sit up and is often doing crunches to improve his abs. He also cannot stop moving--arms, legs, and now head are constantly in motion.

Evan received a name and a blessing immediately after Ian on July 1. Josh gave the blessing and Val Garn, Jared Garn, and Bishop Peterson were in the circle. In his blessing he was told that he was blessed to come to a loving family and that he and Ian will be good friends. He was blessed to be an example for good and to understand the connections between spiritual and temporal knowledge. Finally, he was blessed to receive all of the sacred ordinances in the temple.

I sure love these little boys.

Three months old

2018-06-14T14:00:00.000-04:00

And I've finished the fourth trimester. We are definitely sleeping better. Both boys are consistently sleeping 7-8 hours a night (well, at least for the last week), which has made my life better. We're working on figuring out the rest of the schedule now that they are sleeping better. They still both take a really good afternoon nap.

Ian has the cutest social smile. He is generally a happy kid and really likes to try to have conversations with people. He's holding his head up higher and higher during tummy time. He's still on oxygen, but we're hoping to test again soon and get him off of that. At his last visit (to the pulmonologist) he was 23.25 inches and 10lbs 15oz (getting close to doubling his birth weight).

Evan also has the cutest social smile. He was happier at the time of pictures, so his smile was more easily captured. He really likes people paying attention to him and wiggles like crazy whenever he's awake and watching someone. He only likes being in the swing when we're watching Doctor Who as a family. He hasn't had another recent appointment, so we're not sure his weight and height, but he's definitely continuing to grow.

Rollan Melton Elementary School

2018-06-11T13:27:00.000-04:00

School started for Matthias and Lizzy the day after we moved to Reno, Aug 6. I can't believe how early school starts here. The kids mentioned that they missed Wasatch, but they also seemed really excited to go back to school and make new friends. Over the summer Lizzy had mentioned that she was nervous about whether or not she would be able to make new friends, which is funny because she is such a friendly girl.

We were happy to see each kids' classroom and hear that they had great teachers. This made them a little more excited.

The kids took school pictures in the Fall. We remembered which day was picture day this year and so they were dressed well and looked great.

Lizzy had a great first grade year. She has become such a wonderful reader and enjoys math. She has also enjoyed some of the different science experiments that they did in glass. She also told me that Ms. Feller is one of her role models.

First day of school picture!

Watching the Solar Eclipse

Christmas PJ party

Presenting work for classmate critique

Dress up like your favorite book character

Crazy hair day!

Writing samples from the first and last days of school

Matthias also had a great 3rd grade year. He's gotten really good at multiplications and has a brain for figuring out math. His reading has also improved and he's started reading the Harry Potter series on his own. Everyday he would tell us that his favorite thing about school was recess.

Field trip!

Science experiments

Working in groups.

Ready for the end of year dance performance.

End of year Lemonade Stand to raise money for Buddy Benches. Tanner (one of his best friends) is in orange

At the end of the school year the students put on a multicultural dance. The dances are very simple, but the kids have fun performing. Lizzy's class did a Mexican based dance and Matthias' class did a dutch based dance.

The school also had a field day with some small events.

Girls beat the boys in this relay race

Girls enjoying popsicles on field day

Matthias enjoying field day events

Lizzy's class also put on a poetry cafe, at which they performed different poems. Lizzy performed as a villager in the 'Boy who cried Wolf' poem. Ms. Feller also showed an end of year video.

Two months old

2018-05-14T14:00:00.000-04:00

How did this happen? Two months felt like forever and also no time at all. I can't believe how quickly time is going.

Ian has done one or two smiles that look like social smiles. We're still waiting for the consistent social smiles, though. He's started to hold his head up better. He's getting into more of a schedule, which consists of one longer and one shorter stretch of sleep at night, early morning awake time, two good size naps and some smaller naps throughout the day. He's a good eater. He's now 21.5 inches and 9lbs 4oz.

Evan has also done one or two smiles that are potentially social smiles. He also smiles a lot in his sleep. He holds his head up really well. He has a similar schedule to Ian, but likes to sleep after his early feeding and have a later morning awake time. It's given me some individual time with each baby, but also means less gets done around the house. :) He's now 22.5 inches and 10lbs.

Parent Lunch Thursday

2018-04-26T19:00:00.000-04:00

Most of my days are spent caring for the twins, but I want Lizzy and Matthias to feel important too. Matthias has been reminding me all week that I could come each lunch with him at school today. His teacher has a "Parent Luncheon" once a month and I've always been sad that I used to always work during that time and was not able to go do this. So after feeding babies, getting ready for the day, feeding babies, and grabbing some things for lunch, I was able to go visit Matthias during his lunch time today.

He had told me that the parents usually bring things like McDonald's for these lunches. He knows how to get what he wants, because I totally fell for it and brought him Burger King. I didn't see any other kids with fast food. Oops. But it was easier than me trying to figure out something to make and bring, so I will count it as a win.

I was almost 10 minutes late to his lunch and felt really badly about that, but he was so happy when I walked in pushing the stroller with the babies. He ran right over and gave me a hug. The rest of his class started to gather around the stroller. I had the covers over the car seats and quickly told the kids not to touch. They were all really good. Matthias was happy to open each cover and show off his brothers really briefly.

It was really fun to have lunch with my big kid. After eating he went out to play with his friends. I slowly followed him out to see if I could find Lizzy out there too. Matthias was playing a tossing game with his friends. I realized we hadn't taken a picture, so I quickly took one to document our lunch.

Once the bell rang I was able to spot Lizzy running toward her class line. It was fun to give her a hug and she showed off her brothers to some of her friends too.

This evening, Matthias told us that during music he was sitting at one end of the semi-circle. He said that every time his teacher would turn her back to him he would flip around and start pretending he was making out. Then he showed us his moves.

Also, the babies were matchy-matchy today in "Mommy Loves Me" onesies.

One month old (4/14/2018)

2018-04-14T01:07:00.000-04:00

Ian is a good sleeper and eater. His cry has a little high pitched squeal to it. He has two dimples, but the one on the left cheek is more obvious. Although he likes his binkie, he doesn't really want to have it to fall asleep. He came home on oxygen and will stay on the oxygen for a while. He had a little chemical burn on his left wrist in the NICU that has been healing up nicely. He now weighs about 6 lbs 3 oz.

Evan is also a good sleeper and eater. He can have mad little cry if I'm not helping him quick enough. He also snorts a lot when he cries. He loves and needs to be wrapped up tight and be sucking on his binkie to fall asleep. He's accidentally rolled over a couple of times during tummy time. He's still on his heart medication and we anticipate that he'll be on the medication for at least a year. He now weighs about 6 lbs 5 oz.

Growing twins

2018-03-27T17:43:00.000-04:00

Josh and I were hopeful that we can add more children to our family. In 2016, I learned that I have continued to have problems and had another surgery to remove another cyst. We hoped that this would make it easier to get pregnant, but we still had no luck.

We decided to try another route at the very beginning of Summer 2017 and started looking into IVF. After some additional testing and discussion of IVF routes we could take, we started the real process at the very beginning of July 2017. My sister Rachel was so helpful during this whole thing--she was so kind to watch Matthias and Lizzy on several occasions when I had appointments up near her house.

The process was hard (especially on me with all of the shots and hormones), but hopeful. Retrieval was the hardest appointment which left me in some pain.

At the retrieval appointment. You can tell how we are both feeling.

About a week after we were set and went to our transfer appointment. This was much easier than retrieval and Josh was all gowned up so he could join us for this appointment.

We decided to transfer two embryos since this increased our chances of getting pregnant with one baby. We knew this also increased our chances of multiples, but we were happy to take that chance.

Look at how happy we are.

First picture with new babies

Our healthy little embryos.

Then the waiting game began. It was during this time that Matthias was baptized, our house was packed up, and we moved to Reno. It was hard because I wasn't allowed to lift things during this time.

After waiting about two weeks I took a pregnancy test and we were so excited to see that sometime worked and we were now expecting. The question was, were we expecting one or two?

On August 30, we had our first ultrasound. We brought Matthias and Lizzy with us to this appointment, so that they could see We were very happy to see that both embryos had attached. It all felt very miraculous and we were all very excited.

Two babies!

We set about figuring out how to best announce to everyone our good news, but it was hard to wait. We used all of the syringes (that I'd saved--a few were missing) and two cute onesies (that say made with a lot of love and science) to create our image. Then we sent the following poem along with the picture to our families.

We prayed for another to add to our crew,

God laughed instead and blessed us with two!

This was such a happy and exciting time. I didn't get too sick while pregnant (I only threw up once and it seemed like a fluke), but got tired quickly. I also started to show really quickly. It felt like I got huge quickly too, but I didn't know what huge was at the beginning.

Two babies growing (end of September)

Small twin baby bump at the beginning of October

Slightly larger twin baby bump at the end of October.

When people found out we were having twins, I quickly made a couple of twin mom friends. One of my friends told me that it felt like she was straight from first trimester symptoms to third trimester symptoms. I was really hoping that I would get the energy boost at the beginning of the second trimester, but, even though the nausea abated a little bit, the fatigue and achy-ness started. And I was still so tired.

At 20 weeks we brought Matthias and Lizzy with us to the ultrasound appointment to find out if we were having two girls, two boys, or a boy and a girl. They really enjoyed watching the ultrasound for a time. I thought for sure we were going to have a boy and a girl (and felt certain that baby A was a girl). I laughed out loud when we learned that both babies were very clearly boys. After learning this Matthias fell asleep in his chair and Lizzy tried to identify the rib cage, heart, and other things as the doctor was going through the full check. The babies were growing well and measuring well at this point.

Baby A's (Ian's) placenta was also in a really low spot for the first couple of months of my pregnancy and I had been diagnosed with placenta previa--making it necessary to deliver by C section. At my December appointment we learned that this had resolved somewhat and my diagnosis had changed to partial posterior placenta previa. This still meant delivery via C section, but reduced risks for other complications. Josh and I both felt really relieved.

It was during this time that I realized it was going to be more and more difficulty to keep up with me 32 hour work week (also there were problems with insurance since I was on my own plan and would need to switch to Josh's family plan). I started talking with my boss about reducing my hours and changing the end of my contract (to the end of March instead of the end of May). She was super nice and flexible about it. On December 1, I switched to working 19 hours a week and only coming in on Tues, Wed, and Thursday. This worked out really well and I was generally able to manage my fatigue a little better.

Sleeping also became a problem earlier with this pregnancy. Every position was uncomfortable. Luckily, Josh saved the day by getting me an awesome pregnancy pillow for Christmas, which helped me sleep so much better. It also reduced the aches in my hips and lower back. He also got me a pregnancy massage for Christmas, which was amazing.

Despite all of these things to try to make myself more comfortable, I was still really uncomfortable. My doctor never put me on bed rest, but frequently suggested that I decrease my activity and lay down every couple of hours to rest. This wasn't always possible (like at work), but I did my best to relax.

Beginning of January belly

Josh wanted a picture too. :)

End of January belly shot (about 6 months pregnant)

During the last month (or so) of this pregnancy my right foot hurt a lot and it became very hard to walk for long distances. I had to park about 3/4 of a mile away from work and could no longer walk that far to my office. I found that the campus shuttle made it possible for me to get to and from my car with minimal walking (my steps goals went down to 5,000/day, but I was happy if I made it to 3,500).

Middle of February belly (about 7 months pregnant)

The babies continued to grow nicely. It was great to be able to see them at each appointment.

The week before Ian and Evan were born the doctor ordered non-stress tests. This was supposed to mean that I would sit in a comfy chair for about an hour while they listened to the babies' heart beats. It ended up being only a 15 minute appointment because both boys' heart rates responded exactly as they should really quickly. That's a great thing, but it also meant that I needed to get up again sooner.

Set up with two heart monitors for the non-stress test.
I had to post this picture because my skin was so uncomfortable
I often sat with my belly hanging out.

I could see the numbers on the scale growing and could definitely feel myself becoming heavier, but didn't realize how huge my belly got until I saw these pictures of myself near the end of my pregnancy. No wonder I was so uncomfortable.

Beginning of March

Nothing fit, so I wore comfy pants under my dress to church.

Eating snacks and trying to pay attention in Sunday School.
I had my own little table. Beginning of March 2018

Choosing to Move to Reno, NV

2017-08-08T14:26:00.000-04:00

Josh applied and interviewed at a lot of schools during the 2016-2017 application cycle. Since he was finishing his post-doc we had planned that he would now look for an assistant professor position at a university. He had a great interview at the University of Nevada, Reno, despite interviewing when the university closed due to flooding. He got an offer pretty quickly. We were hoping that things with BYU might work out, but felt that we should still consider Reno.

I remember early in 2017 praying for about an hour about what we should do. I remember feeling strongly that we should continue to pursue a move to Reno. Even though I felt strongly about this, I still personally held back and wasn't really ready to fully do that.

As part of this pursuing the Reno option, we went to Reno as a family for a few days to explore and see if it could be a possibility for our family. We were able to meet with Josh's potential colleagues and ask a lot of questions. I felt some peace during that meeting that this could be a good fit for all of us. We were able to go rock climbing, drive around Reno, and drive around a little with a realtor to get an idea of the housing market. We also enjoyed one of the buffets at Circus Circus and Matthias was introduced to lobster claws (he's a fan and also a silly kid).

When we got back from Reno, I wrote this in my journal.

March 19, 2017

We got back from Reno, NV last night. Josh has an offer at UNR and I was just invited for an initial interview. I have mixed feelings about this, because it is exciting and it's a beautiful city, but I love my job and my life here. And I know I can't ask Josh to wait for BYU--it's not fair and it's not the right thing.

I prayed and wanted to write down some of my questions and answers. One main question is, what does God want our family to do and where does he want us to be next school year? I also wanted to know what He might want from me in particular.

These are some of the thoughts I had while praying. First, I need to get more sleep. I was also reminded to do those things that bring balance to my lifer--sleep, exercise, do my best in all that I'm doing (including delegating or letting things go), say my prayers, and study the scriptures.

Second, I was able to express my concerns about Reno more fully--specifically the differences between Reno and Provo and whether or not I could get my license in Nevada (which would affect my job prospects). The Lord told me that I need to do my research on that second part. I was also reminded that I think I already know we're going to Reno. So from there I changed to asking for blessings specifically for housing, school, friends, Chinese programs, and my work. I also had the impression that Josh should ask Reno about potential part-time jobs for me.

Sometimes prayer feels like my own counseling session. I need to do that more often.

End Journal Entry

We found out not long after that that BYU Health Sciences had finished their voting and Josh and come in second. We decided that we would not wait it out and told this to BYU. After praying again, Josh accepted the offer at UNR.

Even though I knew this was the right choice, I still struggled with it. I also struggled with the idea that I might end up as a stay at home mom with two kids in school full time (I had found out that I didn't get the full time job). What would I do with my time? I spoke with several family members about this. Rachel had some great advice on how to keep busy and how my SAH mom experience should have come when we were living close so we could just hang out all of the time. :)

I also called and chatted with Jonathan, who thought for sure I had butt dialed him. He had great advice about finding additional values in my life--as my life is not just my work and my kids. It was really helpful to talk to him and really helped me shift my perspective about how nice this could be. When I was eventually offered a 3/4 time position at UNR, I was both excited for the opportunity and also saddened that I wouldn't have as much time at home to grow in ways that I had started envisioning after talking to Jonathan. It also meant putting off our book club.

I also chatted with God about this. One night as I was reflecting on our decision to move and how my life had worked out up until this point, I remembered that God always had a better plan than I ever did. So one night I was up late and praying and had this conversation.

Me: You have something better planned for us, don't you?

God: Yes

Me: Then I will go, but I will still be a little sad about it.

God: That's okay

Me: Okay, I'll stop throwing a fit about it then.

God: Great!

We went out to Reno again in June to look more seriously at houses and go camping at Lake Tahoe. We generally enjoyed looking at houses and Matthias and Lizzy liked trying to decide which room would be theirs in each option. After looking at one particularly weirdly organized house, we drove away and realized that the street was called Centre Pante Court (said center pantie). The kids loved that.

Lizzy was disappointed that we didn't want to buy the house in SW Reno that was almost completly pink inside. It was a nice house, but would have needed a lot of upgrading and we just weren't feeling up to that after updating and then leaving our last home.

We found a house in the new NW area of Reno that is fairly close to the elementary school and UNR. It also has great access to Peavine Mountain (and mountain biking), so we put in an offer.

We then headed out to D.L. Bliss campsite. We had a great time in the out doors. We went on hikes and played in the water. Tahoe was so cold in June, but we had such a great time together as a family.

At the beginning of August, the day came to finally pack everything up and move to Reno. This time was both sad and also exciting. Packing up a whole house worth of stuff was a big job, but the kids helped and then we had a bunch of family come to help us load up the truck.

Lizzy rolling a box to the truck. I hope it's not fragile.

Matthias had a great Star Wars room that he was sad to leave.

Lizzy had an awesome pink room that she was also sad to leave.

We packed the truck on a Saturday, went to Sacrament meeting on Sunday, and then drove off to Reno. On the way out of church, Lizzy poked her head into primary and said a loud bye to everyone. Grandma Lewis got this picture of her right afterwards.

Saying good buy to our house. We ended up switching cars--the van was pulled behind the truck (driven by Josh and Jake) and I drove the car with the kids. We made it to Reno late Sunday night to start our new adventure.

Matthias' Baptism

2017-08-06T23:57:00.000-04:00

Matthias turned 8 this year and had the opportunity to be baptized. For the first half of the year we spent a lot of Family Home Evenings learning about what covenant means and what covenants Matthias will make at baptism. We also practiced how he would stand and what dad would do in the water.

He was pretty excited about all of this.

Matthias was baptized on August 5, 2017 in the Oak Hills Stake in Provo, Utah. Bishop Devin Taylor said some really nice things about watching Matthias for the last two years as our neighbor across the street. He mentioned watching Matthias prepare himself for baptism. I'm very proud of this big kid choosing to be baptized.

Finishing the School Year 2017

2017-05-31T13:56:00.000-04:00

Matthias and Lizzy loved being at Wasatch Elementary in Provo this year. Lizzy attended Kindergarten with Ms. Whitaker. It was her last year there and she was a fabulous teacher! Matthias was in 2nd grade with Ms. Perry and Ms. Wang. He has learned so much Chinese.

Wasatch also has a really fun art program. Here are the kids showing off some of their artwork at the art show.

Lizzy's class had a program near the end of the year. She got to stand next to Jared (whom she said was the cutest boy in her class). She also had a short solo part and rocked it!

Matthias has a Chinese program in which they had to recite things in Chinese and dance to the music. Matthias was the best one there. Several parents commented on how well he did all the moves.

Since Kindergarten is only a half day in Utah, Lizzy was signed up for two Kindergartens (we did this as several people recommended it for working moms). So she was also able to go to BYU's Kindergarten and several days a week I would pick her up from Wasatch and we would have lunch together in my office. I will have so many good memories of our time together.

While I was at BYU, I was able to teach Career Exploration with a focus on Women's Issues. I loved this class and the ability we had to talk about concerns that might come up for women in seeking out a career. My favorite part was inviting fabulous women to come and talk about their career journeys. During this semester, my aunt Norah came to talk about her career. Uncle Terry came to help. Her talk was amazing as she used flower arranging as a metaphor for all of the things you need in life to find balance. My aunt Norah has always been an inspiration to me.

I also invited a supportive husbands panel to come and speak to the class. There are always a few men that accidentally sign up for this section of career exploration, but I think it's important to for all of my class participants to understand this "shift" in perspective from multiple people. Josh was kind enough to come for this class. He talked about how it has been hard for both of us to get PhDs and seek career opportunities. Then he quoted President Hinckley quoting his wife about their relationship, "You have given me wings to fly, and I have loved you for it" (The Women in Our Lives, Oct 2004 General Conference). I definitely feel Josh has done this for me.

Also during this time I finished everything to license as a Clinical Psychologist in Utah. Yay! What a relief.

Josh also had a busy semester. Not only was he trying to finish up post-doc projects and watching kids most afternoons, he was also working to obtain future funding and get a job. More on that in the next blog post.

During this semester we were also able to celebrate Easter with the Webbs. It's so fun to be close to family.

Matthias and Lizzy participated in soccer again this year. Matthias made a lot of improvements and Lizzy had fun making friends.

Rachel, Matthias, Lizzy, and I drove down to El Paso, TX in May to surprise Alicia for her birthday. She was seriously surprised and was so good to show us around El Paso. We had fun at the zoo, seeing the border, and swimming at their pool. Also, the food was amazing. But my favorite part of this trip was chatting with my sisters! They are some of my best friends!

Checking out the wild life

Matthias took piano lessons from Melody Storey this year and finished with a piano recital.

At the end of the year, Wasatch has a dance party in which each grade learns and performs a dance. My dad came with me this year. Josh was busy that morning with phone calls so was able to run in right before it started. Lizzy performed the jello dance and Matthias performed in "In the Jungle."

Christmas 2016

2016-12-22T21:23:00.000-05:00

It has been a wonderful and eventful year for us. Here is a brief update on what we've been up to.

Elizabeth: Lizzy graduated from pre-k and started Kindergarten this year. She attends two separate half days of kindergarten. She is in the morning kindergarten at Wasatch and in the afternoon at BYU. She loves eating lunch at mommy's office and getting treats from the receptionist. Lizzy loves everything pretty and creative. She is a kind, loving, and feisty girl.

Matthias: He finished 1st grade and started 2nd grade. He is in the Chinese immersion program and he and mom have fun speaking in Chinese secretly. He understands, speaks, and writes pretty well for only having practiced for a year and half. He had his tonsils out and got glasses this year. He loves mindcraft, legos, and spending time with friends. He will stand up for those that he loves and has a kind heart.

Josh: He has been busy publishing papers, presenting his research at conferences, and writing grants. He works from home, which means he is able to spent a lot of time with the kids (which the kids love). He has taken up rock climbing this year and has encouraged our whole family to get involved. He also is finishing up our kitchen renovation, which is looking really good.

Cheryl: In March, she successfully defended her dissertation and got hooded in May. It was such a relief to be done. She started her new job as Assistant Clinical Faculty at BYU's Counseling and Psychological Services, where she works with students, teaches classes, and completes research on mindfulness and mental health outreach. She enjoys spending time with her family and wishes there was more of that time.

That's our family update.

At this time, our hearts and thoughts turn to our Savior. We see His hand frequently in our lives--helping us, sustaining us, and guiding us to achieve and grow. We are grateful for his birth, life, death, and resurrection. No matter the trials and uncertainties in life, we know that we can turn to Him.

We love you all and hope all is well as you celebrate this joyful season. Merry Christmas!

Summer Fun 2016

2016-08-22T14:55:00.000-04:00

I just wanted to write up a few memories from Summer 2016 so that they are not forgotten.

At the end of May we celebrated Lizzy's 5th birthday with lots of friends. She wanted a Cinderella themed party, so we did a lot of blue themed things and then just let all of the friends play together in our front yard. We had bubbles, sidewalk chalk, and music. Lizzy was very happy with how it turned out.

The extended Garn Family reunion was at Harris Pond. We enjoyed spending time with family and all of the water activities.

In June, Matthias had his tonsils out. He used to snore like crazy and we were worried about sleep apnea. I was anxious to have him go through surgery, but the hospital and nurses did a great job explaining what was going to happen and making him feel comfortable. They even gave him a little "buddy" doll that was also wearing a hospital gown. The first picture shows Matthias drawing his face on the doll.

After surgery he was a bit groggy, but happy to see us and to hug his tigey. He was also very happy to have slushy after surgery. For the first couple of nights afterwards I would go into his room to make sure he was still breathing while sleeping because he was now so silent!

As a joint birthday gift, the kids received an XBox and a couple of games. Here they are trying out the dancing game. We also have several other games and the kids have loved having this.

And later in the Summer, Grandma and Grandpa Lewis came and danced with us!

Matthias also celebrated his 7th birthday with a soccer theme. We went to the park to play soccer with friends and eat cupcakes. Josh even got out there and played with all of the kids. It was a great day.

Throughout the summer we did some camping in Southern Utah, learned to rock climb in Rock Canyon and spent a lot of time together.