Twins Missionary Letters for the week - Update

Things here are still going ok. We are always busy with something and I really am not liking that to much right now. I suppose it is good to be busy though, but I think it makes me or Dallas grouchy at times! Its a lot of work to start up your own business and takes a lot of money too! Okay Debbie downer (that's me). It is nice to have Dallas home more so that's a good thing right!

I work at the gym once a week and Shanda takes the kids, then on Friday I take her kids and she goes to class. Now you know me, the ever sensitive mom (rats, I know). For some reason Sydney is petrified of babysitters and she doesn't want anything to do with them or them with her. She would rather come and sit with me in a chair for two hours then go with one. Well she had to be babysat by Shanda once....and Sydney yelled at her, then she was babysat by a younger girl at our house. When we left Sydney went running into her room and so the girl followed her to comfort her. Well good ol Syd yelled, "Get out, get out of my room now!" I don't need no babysitter." Well she got into some serious trouble. But that is about how babysitting has gone for the last while.

Well last night I thought it would be a good idea to prepare her for going to Shanda's. NOT A GREAT IDEA. She talked about it all night. She went to sleep talking about it, she woke up in the middle of the night...talking about it, she woke up at 5:30 this morning talking about it and finally I let her hop into bed at 7:00a.m. I thought she felt really warm and she pulls the Mom I am sick card (without me saying anything). Well she did feel warm, I was sick Sunday and Kenady has been sick Monday and Tuesday, maybe she really was sick. But I didn't want her to get her way again.

So I said, "Well A. Shanda has a lot of fun things planned, Kenady gets to go over, you don't have to but sick girls have to stay in there beds all day so they can get better. I have to go to work but Ill get a babysitter to come and check on you".

She wasn't happy about the babysitter at her house but she was fine to lay on her bed for the next two hours. Finally she called to me as I walked past and said. "Mom I got an idea, this babysitter who is coming by, how about if she doesn't come into my room, she doesn't talk to me, she just knocks on the wall and I knock back to let her know that I am ok!"

Are you serious my four year old just asked me that! But I said I would think about it. I went in to take her temperature and it was a whopping 98 degrees. Again are you kidding me! So I told her well Syd it looks like you are all better. I need to call the babysitter back and tell her you get to go to A. Shanda's. She was quite worried about going back to A. Shanda's but...she was happy to be out of her room. Finally two minutes before we leave she comes in and whimpers, "Mom, I might be ok at Shanda's today." and that was that. I dropped her off and she had a great time. I only hope next week will be the same! Crazy girl! So that is Sydney in a nut shell, still the same, keeps me on my toes (I am not very good at toe balancing) and a lot of fun!

Kenady is so easy going, she doesn't have quite as many far fetched tales. She enjoys a good Curious George movie (Dallas got that for her for Valentines day), she is totally potty trained, she amazingly did it all by herself. It was awesome. Even naps and nights. She has quite the bladder :)

She loves to talk, in fact, while Sydney or Dallas talk to me she says, " Mom, I need to talk, mom can you heeeeaaaarrr meeee, Mom listen." I tell her hold on a second and she puts her hands behind her back and sways. Sometimes she remembers to tell me something, sometimes not but she loves to talk. She also likes to push limits. I say Kenners sit right here and point and she has to sit 2 inches farther away and say, "right here Mom, right here is okay...right?" She does that quite a lot.

I am sorta like a, what would you say, a whale. I still have two more months but most people say you are due any day right! Some of the time I just smile and say yes. Okay I am exaggerating but I have had people say that!

Overall things are going well. I miss Mom a lot but I couldn't be happy for her, to be in such a great place, looking out for us. Everything I read says that she is able to watch out for us and help us out so much more there then she could here, with us. She helped us out a lot here, so I can only imagine. Sometimes I think I want to call Mom to ask her this, and it makes me sad, I went to a funeral last week and I didn't realize how hard that would be. It really wasn't to bad until the end when they all walked out, I had a hard time with that. But overall I do okay. I hope Dad is okay. I know this has to be quite a struggle for him. They were always together and I hope that throughout his day he finds little pieces of comfort, he sure is great. Well I love you. You are awesome. Let us know how things are going and know how much we love you!

Disneyland

We planned to go to Disneyland months and months ago with Jas, Shanda and their family. So just a few weeks ago we were off. It was a really nice break, the kids loved it, and I always like family time. We left. Saturday, stayed the night in the valley with Josh and Kristin (I got a much needed Costa Vida sweet pork salad). Then Sunday morning I talked Jas into going a little later and we left the Valley at 7:00a.m. We got to Disneyland around 1:00 and played the day away.
(Pirates of the Caribbean was our favorite ride. Kenady had to warm up to it but we went at least twice a day)

Monday was quite the day. We got there and Dallas realized (a first for him, it is ALWAYS me, I had to laugh, he can't get quite as mad at me anymore) that he left the tickets at home. We decided to go and see if Disneyland could do anything for us. So I waited in line at guest services for over an hour. Jas and Shanda were SUCH good sports, they should have gone in but they stayed and waited for us the whole time. When I got to the front they said there was nothing they could do, but then wallaaa. Out comes a little old lady who is amazingly computer savvy. She breaks into the old Disneyland accounts and prints out our old tickets. We all stayed together that day and Jas and Shanda showed us the ropes. By days end I was grouchy so we went before the park ended.

(Kenday loved toon town. The houses were awesome)

(Sydney in time out, remember I got grouchy ) Tuesday we decided to split up, Crew weren't to excited about waiting in line to see the Princess'. We played all day, met up for the Pixar parade and then went to Fantasmic (something like that) to finish off the night. Can I tell you that Fantasmic was one of the coolest things I have EVER seen. I can't wait to go back just to see it. They play it at night before the park closes. Most of it has to do with the movie Fantasia, but the mix in a lot of the other Disney movies. They use water, a projector, dragons, the Disney Characters, it was just AMAZING and I smile thinking about it! Go see it! (We waited for about 1.5 hours to see the princess') (They were pretty good friends, it was fun to watch them)
(Waiting for the parade to start)

Hello everyone. I am sorry that I have not been great about commenting back on your blog but I want you to know how much I appreciate you and your kind words, and thoughts, and prayers. It really means a lot to us! Also thanks so much for those of you who helped for the funeral and during that first week, and those that came to the funeral. It really made it easier to have so many people we love there and to see so many people who loved our Mom. She sure is an amazing lady. I miss her a lot, but I know it was her time to help out on the other side, and I couldn't think of someone more qualified to be there! I know she is looking out for us!

Nanette Stradling Whiting (4/20/54 - 1/19/09)

Nanette Stradling Whiting (Jaymi’s Mother) of St. Johns, Arizona passed away on Monday the 19th of January 2009. . She was born to Larry and Peggy Stradling, April 20, 1954, in St. Johns, Arizona. She married Edwin Marion Whiting in 1976.
Nannette was an involved member in her community and local church organizations. She touched the lives of many through her positive encouragement, sweet smile and laughter. Nanette was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and loved to share her sweet humble testimony of her Savior, Jesus Christ, to all those who would listen. She was very involved in investigating her ancestry as she felt this knowledge was essential to understanding the wonderful gift that she had been given to be in such a blessed land during such a wonderful time. She is the wonderful mother of five beautiful children who through her efforts and wonderful example have become successful and honorable individuals in their lives.

Nanette is survived by her father Larry Stradling, her husband Edwin Whiting and five children: Jason Whiting, of Snowflake, AZ; Jaymi Whiting Davis, of Snowflake, AZ; Julie Whiting Nielson, of St. Johns, AZ; and Cord and Tyson Whiting, currently serving missions for the LDS church in Tennessee and Montana respectively. She is also survived by her 3 siblings and 5 grandchildren.
A viewing will be held at 6 p.m. Friday the 23rd at Burnham’s Mortuary in St. Johns, AZ. A memorial ceremony will be held in her honor on Saturday the 24th of January at 11:00 AM at the LDS stake center in St. Johns, AZ.

We will miss you for a short time Nanette and look forward to seeing your sweet smile when we meet again.

Family Pictures

Hello Everyone. Merry Christmas. My little sister Julie makes the best calendars and she needs some of our family pictures....I cant send them through email, for some weird reason so I am posting them on here!

We had a great Christmas! We love you all. I may get out New Years cards, or something like that! Love ya!

This Frightful Halloween week!

Hello everyone. I finally get on here to post and I see that someone already has! Who knew Dallas even knew how to get on here! He is pretty cool, he got home from working on the gym at 2:00.p.m and took the time to post. Got to Love. Him. Just a few more weeks and maybe we will get to see him more! Thanks for everything!

Now I got on here because I just wrote my brothers and thought atleast I could post what I wrote to them on here. I hope to get a little less busy, I know everyone says that life just gets busier but come on, a new business, a new partnership, a new baby (well that sickness that will go along with a new baby and makes you feel like you cant even walk....getting better though) and a busy season with vinyl.....it has to slow down soon. Atleast for awhile right! I PRAY it does, my kids need their Dad's fun side back! Well here is the post. Sorry no pictures. I need to find a cable to download them first!

Hello Elder Whiting,

How are things going? Happy Halloween this week! This is a very fun week for us. There are lots of reasons why. Today was the primary program and Sydney and Crew did so well. They were pretty good on the stands, they sung all the songs and rememberd part of what they were supposed to say. It was so fun to have a kid old enough to be there and we are really proud of them. We should have taken a picture of her today. I forget to take pictures these days but Sydney loved being up there. Then Tuesday it is Sydneys birthday. We got her a doctor kit which she will love, and I think we might get her a mermaid. She is old enough that she will have fun with a friend party but we asked her if on her birthday she would rather have a birthday party or go with mom and dad on a special date to the movie and she said movie, all the way! So that settles is. We will leave Kenners with Jas and Shanda and head to the movie. She will be AWESTRUCK, when she realizes that it is High School Musical 3. She has a High School Musical shirt and backpack, needless to say she really likes to watch is and she has no idea a new movie is coming out so that will be a whole lot of fun. She also wants tacos and strawberry shortcake. Both easy request. We are excited for Tuesday! Wednesday we have our ward trunk-or-treat. I love Halloween so I am excited for not one but two days of celebrating and wearing costumes. Sydney is going to be Dorthy and Kenday is a scarecrow. I wish I had more time because Dallas would be the tin man and I would be the lion. Things are just so crazy right now and probably will be for another month but atleast we will have the kiddos all dressed. Then Friday night they have a town carnival for the kids. Before we go in we are going to put flyers on everyones car for the new gym that will open next week! Then go to the carnival, maybe hit a few houses (trick-or-treating) and then off to the last home game of the season. It is getting pretty cold, if it is to cold we might not go, but I am sure we will hand out a few more flyers on the way.

Then....next Monday will be the first day the gym opens, or maybe Tuesday. It doesnt feel like we are ready....as a matter of fact we are not ready. This week is a hustling week to finish all the small details. Are billing system will come in, all the free weights and machine and we need to do the decorating before it is complete. We have worked hard on it though, I mean really hard for the past two months. I do say it is mostly Dallas. For one I have been really sick with this pregnancy and sometimes it is hard for me to even get around, and two on top of being sick right now is my REALLY busy season with vinyl. Luckily it has only been crazy the last month and it looks like it could slow down...and Shanda has been helping me and she is a LIFESAVER. In past years it didnt slow down until Christmas. I would rather not have the money and have something a little slower paced in our lives for right now. Dallas has put in good hard hours. He comes home from work goes straight to the gym. We go and eat dinner with him and then he works late into the night. It will be nice to have him home again, oh wait who am I kidding trying to run a new practice and a gym I am sure we wont see him much for another few months but we sure appreciate how hard he works for our family and it is in hopes that soon we will have a little more family time!

Starting the first week of November he will work 3-10's in Showlow and Tuesday and Thursday's here. So we can even go and have lunch with him. It will be nice, nice, nice. We can't wait. So that is all the new news. I know it sounds much the same but we are so near to the end. I just cant wait!

We love you. Can not believe how time flies. Let us know if you need anything!

Love, us!

BIG NEWS

Hello All. I know it has been a long time since Jaymi has been able to get on here an give an update. We have been working hard to get out new Fitness Center and Physical Therapy office open in November. It is almost ready. But I just wanted to take a second and tell Jaymi how much I appreciate her. She works so hard as a mother, business woman and wife. Sometimes I wonder how she does it all. I am not sure if Jaymi has told everyone, but she is pregnant with our 3rd child. As if life wasn't already busy enough. We are so excited and look forward to having him or her in our home. Well, it is 2:30 in the morning and tomorrow we have our 10 year high school reunion, man we are getting old. HAHA. Thanks again Jaymi, you mean the world to us.