So, I'm really bad a blogging!! I guess living out in rural eastern Idaho and not having internet but on rare occasions when Mike leaves the computer at home and when we go to the library (with kids in tow so blogging there is near impossible!) is a pretty good excuse. Not to mention my crazy busy boys I have to keep up with! So let's get caught up on the Morans shall we?

We moved to Ashton, Idaho in July of 2014 from Champaign, Illinois (We miss you Illinois! More than we both thought we would!). Mike is set to graduate from BYU-Idaho in December '15 with a bachelors in Communication/Advertising!! Finally! I know right? I feel like we've been dragging out the education process forever! We don't have any leads on jobs after graduation yet, but that's a problem for future Mike and Aubrey (like my HIMYM reference? We actually use that phrase quite a lot! Hahaha). Anyways, Mike recently got a part time job working at Subway. we were really stressed about him not having a job and trying so hard to make ends meet with student loans and the gracious gifts of family members to keep our babies warm and clothed (Shout out to all who sent checks and helped us get through! Thank you so much! You will never know how much we appreciate you!). So, now with Mike working and student loans, we are much less stressed about our family's financial well being.

I am still adjusting to life with two babies. When I say babies, I guess I mean one baby and one kid...Jonas is three now and likes to always point out that he not a baby! "I'm a big boy!" he always clarifies when I call him my baby. :'( Jonas is active as ever and it takes quite a bit of energy to keep up with his shenanigans! Eli is 9 months old and becoming more and more active everyday! He loves to eat and try new foods. His favorites are sweet potatoes, carrots, diced apples, bread, oh heck basically anything you put in front of him! He recently learned to crawl, or his version of crawling, and it is the cutest thing! He is working on his third and forth teeth, and makes all kinds of noises trying to talk. Jonas is such a good big brother! He is always making sure Eli isn't eating things he shouldn't and of course like all big brothers, making sure he stays away from his toys (which is really hard to do since Eli is just in LOVE with Jonas and all he does! He just wants to be wherever Jonas is, doing whatever Jonas is doing!). Jonas loves going to the library and reading books. He loves playing with his wooden train set and helping me in the kitchen. His favorite thing to do is put the noodles in the pot when I'm cooking spaghetti. He is the cutest three year old I have ever met! Super cute story: we were driving home from the grocery store and we hear this sweet tender voice from the backseat saying, "Thank you for letting me go to the store with you." (we contemplated just one of us going without the children, but decided we all would go). He is constantly thanking us for little simple things and it sometimes makes me wonder who is teaching him this stuff?

Mike is the second Sunday Elder's Quorum teacher at church and I am one of two Activity Days leaders. (Elder's Quorum= men's class at church, Activity Days=8-11 year old girls twice a month class where we teach practical and spiritual lessons outside of regular church classes). I am really starting to get to know all the girls and really enjoy going! Not to mention my co-leader is really helpful and awesome! Mike has always loved teaching callings and he really enjoys teaching Elder's Quorum! Jonas just graduated from Nursery (class for 18 mo-the year of their 3rd b-day) in January and now goes to Primary with the bigger kids. He absolutely loves it! I'm not so sure that I like this growing up thing, but it is pretty amazing to see your child grow and become a little person.

I wanted to take a minute to talk about something that is really dear to my heart! Mike had to give a speech a couple weeks ago and he chose the topic of Jonas' birth and the power of the Priesthood. I have been thinking a lot about event and what a blessing it is to have Jonas in our family and that my husband is a worthy priesthood holder and honors it. For those who may not know, Jonas was born 6 weeks early due to a condition he had called congenital cylothorax. Which is basically just some fluid surrounding the lungs preventing them to develop fully in the womb. He was born 6 weeks before his due date via cesarean and lived in the NICU for a month after his birth. He was on a ventilator and oxygen for the first week or so. When my dad arrived a few days after his birth (we were living in Utah at the time), he and Mike gave our sweet boy a priesthood blessing that he would grow and develop properly and that we could take him home to be a part of our family soon. When we arrived in the morning to visit him, the ventilator was gone and the oxygen was gone the following day. I have such a strong testimony of the power of the priesthood. Our sweet boy may not be with us if my sweet husband had not been honoring the Priesthood he holds. I am so grateful for the many blessings The Lord has blessed me and my family with! Life really is awesome and there are so many more things I need to be grateful of and happy about instead of being sad and wallowing in my own pity. My family means so much to me, both near and far and I love you all! I pray The Lord will be with each of you and bless you like I have been blessed!

Aubrey <3

So I realize that I suck at this whole blog thing. But I'll go ahead and give it another try. ;)
We moved across town about a month ago now. It is a really nice place! Clean, friendly neighbors and management, beautiful grounds, gated, and not to mention Jonas' favorite the Coy Pond! Though it has been a month, we are still no where close to being completely moved in and unpacked. half of my living room is overrun by boxes, there is less storage in the kitchen than what we were used to so there is stuff everywhere in the kitchen, and don't even get me started on the bedrooms! It's tough to get it all done when Mike and I both work about 25-30 hours a week. And some days only see each other for maybe an hour or two. But we are slowly getting everything put together. (We may have to pack it all up by the time we get it all unpacked! ;))

Jonas is almost two years old. Can you believe it?! It seems like it was just yesterday that he was born! He eats everything! He loves fruits and veggies!! Bananas are his favorite! He also loves frozen peas, peanut butter, milk, and anything that mom or dad are eating. He helps me do some chores around the house like putting things in the trash, checking the mail, putting laundry in the dryer, picking up his toys (with MUCH guidance), and putting dirty dishes in the sink. he loves to race you places! He loves running and being outside. He talks way too much! ;) He is making more sense out of his words though now, but sometimes I still don't know what he wants.

Mike and I are doing well. Work has been a little hectic lately because they have fired a lot of people recently so everyone is walking on eggshells trying not to ripple the pool. But with that have come a few openings that we have applied for (all full-time by the way). So we will see where that takes us. Mike starts school this coming week and will be spending a lot of time doing his online studies. I am still Visiting Teaching Supervisor at Church and Mike is now the Second Counselor in the Elder's Quorum Presidency. Jonas is loving Nursery and getting better at sitting still in Sacrament meeting. Our lives are pretty good at this moment in time and we can't really complain.

I am grateful for the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the healing power of the Priesthood. I am even more grateful to have my husband, a worthy priesthood holder, in our home. My Heavenly Father has blessed me so much lately and I haven't really noticed it or acknowledged it. I know that my Redeemer lives and that through Him I can gain eternal life! Have faith through these trying times and the Lord will bless you with what you need to get through!

Aubrey <3

What Is This Thing Called Again? ...A Blog?!

It has been WAY too long!! Sorry for my horrible blogging skills. Life has just been crazy busy in the Moran household this year!

To start things off on the update train, Jonas is almost 18 months old! So you know what that means? He's going to nursery in like two weeks!! Mike and I are so excited to actually be able to sit in class and get to listen to the lessons and get more spiritually fed on Sundays at church! For those that don't know, Nursery is a class for the 18 mo-3 year olds where they have little lessons about Jesus and how to be good kids and play with other kids reverently at our church. And as some of you may know, trying to keep an 18 month old occupied and not bored at church for three hours can be very challenging. So in two weeks Jonas will be going to nursery and we are so happy that we get to go to church and actually learn something instead of wandering the halls with a busy body 18 month old.

Aside from that, Jonas is doing well. He is learning so many new things everyday and is getting so much better at talking. He says probably close to around 50 words (I kinda lost count...), like mama, dada, mo (more), nana (banana), car, cup, pa (puppy dog), RAWR, ball, ba (binky), bye bye, bwa (bread), hhhaaa (hot), and the list goes on and on. He is walking like a champ and starting to run when he gets really excited about something. We went to the park the other day and he was running down the hill giggling (faceplanting every now and then), it was the cutest thing you have ever seen! He also drinks from straws and is learning to eat with a fork. He loves to help me clean. He especially loves helping me get the clean dishes out of the dishwasher and put them away! An interesting fact about Jonas: he wears an 18 mo size top and a 12 mo size bottom...strange I know, but he has short legs and a little waist.

Mike is still working at Home Depot. He works in the garden department now, and things have gotten really busy for them over there. It's pretty tough and physically demanding (loading 30 bags of mulch per customer). But he loves the fast past work and being constantly busy. He especially loves being outside. And seeing and having to water all the plants doesn't hurt either. ;) He's usually up at 5 am every morning. He such an amazing guy! Sometimes I wonder how I was so lucky. Mike reapplied to both BYU and BYU Idaho. He was accepted to both and decided to go to BYU Idaho. We have already been there so we know how the school works and the area. We also wouldn't have to worry about credits not transferring either. Mike was assigned the Spring/Fall track at BYUI and starts classes in Sept. So we are now faced with a dilemma. Do we leave our awesome jobs and move once our lease is up here in August? Do we stay and resign here for a whole other year (they only do yr leases...) while Mike does online classes for two semesters? Or do we find another place in Champaign that will sign a shorter lease while Mike does one semester online? The choices are tough. But I think we have decided to stay and Mike will do at least one semester online. I just don't know whether or not I want to move to another place in Champaign and then like six months later move to Idaho. But we'll do whatever we need to do I guess.

So moving on to myself I guess. I got a job. I am also working at Home Depot! I am a paint associate. I love mixing paint! When I worked for my parents at Longfellow Building Supply in CA, it was one of my favorite things to do! My dad would kind of put me in charge of paint stuff and have me make sure all our bases were in stock, the color chips were all organized and put in the right places, the colorants were all full and the machine was working properly, and of course I would mix the paint for customers all the time too. So I guess Home Depot saw all of my experience there and figured I was a good fit for the position. It is so nice having to paychecks coming in every payday instead of one. We are actually saving money now. We paid off our credit card debt with our tax return and actually have money in savings (which is kind of a first for us)! I really do like my job a lot. I get to interact with people and be out of the house for a few hours. But I will say that I do feel a little sad that I'm not with my baby all day everyday like I used to be. He used to cry when I left for work and it would break my heart every time I closed the front door. But he has gotten better and doesn't cry when I leave anymore. Which is good for him and his development, but makes me a little sad that my baby doesn't need me as much as he used to. He is just growing up too fast!!

-Aubrey

Here we come 2013!

Well it has been a LONG time since I have updated the blog!! Life has been so crazy that I can't keep up! So let's see...what has happened since the last post? Here are some pictures from throughout 2012 of our family.

From left to right/top to bottom: Me and Jonas when he was about 6 months or so, Jonas riding Mike's shoulders in the park (he loves being up there!), Jonas lookin sharp for church, Jonas showing off his pumpkin on Halloween, me and Mike on the beach in Alabama, daddy holding Jonas after a tiring walk around the park, and us looking at the Christmas lights in Alabama.

 

Let's see this summer Mike lost his job at Chase bank. Long story short he didn't smile enough...whatever. So he then got a job working in the lumber department at Home Depot and is still there and enjoying it tons! He now works in multiple departments and loves the work and enjoys the people there too (which is more than he can say about any of his other jobs here in IL). Mike also is reconsidering his education. Not whether or not to pursue it, but where and what kind of degree to pursue. Being here at the U of I has been a real eye opener for the both of us. We didn't realize how good our lives were at BYU-I until we left. The schools themselves are complete polar opposites of each other. I guess I could say that we miss the safety of "The Bubble" that we lived in. Though we enjoy being out in the world and not completely surrounded by members, it's still nice to be in a place where you know your standards won't be questioned or anything. Along with that, finishing his undergrad here makes other things like putting food on the table and a roof over our heads a little difficult. Mike is a non-traditional student. A university like this one is not meant for non-traditional undergrads, not to mention the cost!! Mike has also taken some of the classes required for food science degrees and he has realized that there are a lot of things that go into food science that he isn't quite interested in doing (like all the chemistry...he has recently discovered is dislike for the subject...) So we've been doing a lot of thinking and praying to decide what we should do. Mike has re-applied to BYU-I and BYU. We are in the final stages of the application process and hope to hear back soon as to where he gets in (I'm feeling pretty confident he'll get into both :) ). So it is a pretty likely possibility that we will be moving back out west again, though we don't know exactly where just yet. There are a lot of things to take into consideration once we get the news. So suffice it to say Mike has dropped out of the U of I and will be continuing his degree at either BYU-I or BYU.

So on to myself I guess. I am hoping to finish up my Bachelor's. I am going to wait until Mike gets settled into a school (whichever it may be) and then figure out online or actual classes (depending on where we end up). I am also currently seeking employment right now so that we can save up enough money to make the move out west. I have a few leads so we'll see how they play out in the next week or so. The extra source of income will help a lot, even though I do not want to spend any time away from my baby. But it is something that is quite necessary at this point so I;m gonna have to buck up and do it. I spend most of my time playing with Jonas and feeding Jonas. And when I say feed I mean FEED! He eats like crazy!! But we'll get to him in a moment. I'm hoping to start some new sewing projects soon and make some fun toys and gifts for all my friends that are expecting. :) But basically I am a stay at home mommy and I love every minute of it! :)

So the moment you all have been waiting for....(drum roll please)....the Jonas update.

 I mean let's be honest, he is way more interesting than we are. Jonas turned a year old on October 21st. Mike's parents came for his birthday from Virginia. We had a fun weekend! We went to Springfield to go to the zoo, but they were having a Halloween carnival thingy and all the animals were put away...and there was no way of knowing that until we got there...so that was a bummer. So we found a cool pumpkin patch that was on the way home that we stopped at and picked out a few pumpkins. Jonas loved riding around in the little wagon along side the pumpkins. The next day after church we packed up a picnic lunch and went to the park for a birthday picnic. After we ate lunch, we went for a walk around the park and Jonas played in the grass and had a grand old time. Once it started getting dark we headed home and opened presents and ate cake. All in all Jonas had a pretty fun first birthday!

So moving on, Jonas is a walking fool. He walks all over the place and has this sense of independence these days. He has to do everything by himself. He doesn't want any help, but if he somehow gets in a pickle and needs help he isn't afraid to let you know! (If you know what I mean...) He still only has his two bottom front teeth so eating can be a challenge, but he acts like he has all his teeth and can eat anything he wants. Jonas has started dancing recently too. Whenever music comes on the radio or the tv he bounces a little and sways from side to side. It is actually quite humorous, but every time I try to take a video of him dancing he stops and looks at the camera with a look on his face like, "What are you doing mom?"

I cannot believe how much has changed in our life since last year. How much each of us has changed and grown and developed. Obviously the physical growth of Jonas and the way he becomes more and more aware everyday. His growth and development amazes me! Mike and I have learned a lot this last year too. There were some things we had to learn by moving 1,500 miles away! But if we were given the opportunity we would do it all over again...probably :P We have had such an amazing year and we can't wait to see the adventures that lie ahead in 2013!!

Above: Christmas 2011 Right: Christmas 2012
The change and growth is just amazing!

The Aquarium and So Much More

Wow! It has been a long time since I have blogged! So let me catch you up on all the happenings here in Illinois.

Mike's parents came for a visit on Memorial Day weekend. We went to the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago. Jonas loved the fish and all the fun shows. I think his favorite was the penguin show. They were so cute and Jonas couldn't take his eyes off of them. They also had a jellyfish exhibit. I think that was my favorite exhibit we saw. The aquatic show with the dolphins and beluga whales was pretty fun too. :) After our day in the city we went out to Island Lake, IL where Mike was born and raised and visited their old neighborhood. One of their old neighbors was out watering flowers so we stopped and they all talked and got reacquainted. Then we went out to dinner at an old family favorite restaurant Village Squire. We also played Monopoly and Mike would like to claim his victory. Monopoly is his favorite board game and he enjoyed playing with a slightly larger group. It was a fun weekend we had together.        

Well let's see here....Mike quit is job at Walmart back in April and is now a bank teller at Chase Bank. It is a much less stressful job (at least in a different way), better pay, better hours, closer to home...need I go on? Mike finished up his first semester here at UIUC. It was a little tougher than what he is used to. But is moving on better prepared for his future here at UIUC.

Jonas is growing up so fast!! He is almost eight months old. He now has a great interest in toys, actually anything he can get his hands on! He loves the TV remote. He makes a lot of noise too. He babbles and tries to tell you what is on his mind all the time! He has finally discovered the power of rolling. He rolls across the floor whenever you set him down. And even worse when you are changing his diaper...yeah, what a mess. We took him to the doctor a while ago. He is in the 20 something percentile in height, 50 something percentile in weight and like 87th percentile in head circumference. He has a big head!! Just like his daddy! At the appointment when the doctor said that about his head size Mike says, "I wonder where he gets that from?" The doctor looked at each of us then back at Mike and said, "Yeah!" and laughed a little. For those of you who don't know, Mike has a bigger than average size head to say the least. :p Jonas eats solid foods now too. He loves vegetables. He eats the fruit but, doesn't like it as much as the veggies.

Me...well I don't really think there is anything to report. I'm just a stay at home mom with a pretty normal daily routine. Mike and I teach the 5 year olds at church. They are rascals, but we love them and their spirits and spending Sunday afternoons with them. So I spend a lot of time at home with Jonas and working on our lessons. I do enjoy the time Jonas and I spend together, but I do get a little lonely for my husband's company and it will only get worse once he starts up school again. But such is the life of student's wife.

Well that is all the happenings I can think of to report...the Lord is great and the blessings we have received in our little family are so great that words cannot express the gratitude we feel. Love to all and have faith. The Lord knows our trails and will help if we but ask.

Springy

The weather the past few days has been unseasonably warm here. So I felt the urge to change the look of the blog. I love spring time and the bright colors and sunshine :)

Speaking of sunshine, my little sunbeam is growing so fast!!! He smiles every time Mike and I look at him and he giggles all the time now! He is so big already wearing size 6 mos at only 4 mos old! we've been practicing sitting and he's done pretty well. I can't believe how fast he is growing! He was SO little, and now he is so big! He is such a strong little boy and wants what he wants when he wants it. He has quite the personality. It seems like he is walking a thin line of happy and sad. It seems like one minute he's all happy, smiley, giggly Jonas and the next he's screaming his head off. He is so funny and so cute I just love him so much!!!

Mike is loving school! Except for his Chemistry class...he is struggling a little with chem and some of the concepts, but a sister in our ward has offered her skills as a chem tutor, so she might be getting a phone call soon... Mike got promoted at Walmart to Deli!!! He is making 50 cents more there than as a cashier. When we were opening new checking accounts at Chase Bank, the personal banker said they were hiring part time tellers. Mike filled out an application online and got a phone call and has an interview tomorrow afternoon. We don't know what we are going to do if they offer him the job, but keeping our options open is a good thing right? So we'll see how it goes and maybe have to make a really tough decision...

Me, well I'm just trying to adjust to our new life here in Champaign. I finally finished filling out the Medicaid application so hopefully we can get that all in order soon so we can finally get Jonas to the Dr. I've been trying to find some time to do some sewing on my new sewing machine I got for Christmas. Mike and I were called as the CTR 5 primary teachers at church. We teach the little 5 year old's Sunday School class. Last week was our first lesson and Mike had to work. I had fun and it will definitely be easier with two of us.

Life is good for the Moran Family. We love and miss you all! :)

Happy in Champaign

Our little family

Christmas 2011

Well it has been too long! This is honestly the first chance I have had to sit down and actually update our blog basically since Jonas was born. Our lives are so crazy and busy now it is ridiculous!! Being a mom is tough, but I love every minute of it! Jonas makes getting out of bed in the morning a little easier. (But not so easy in the middle of the night...) He is doing so much better with sleeping and eating. He sleeps until about 5:30 in the morning now and then must be fed every 3 hours there after. He eats 5 ounces or so every three hours, so as you can imagine he is gaining weight like there is no tomorrow! (Plus the fact that he is on 22 calorie formula probably doesn't help) I would venture to say that he probably in the ball park of 14 lbs. (We haven't been to the doctor since we have moved)

Speaking of moving, for those of you who don't know, we have moved out to Champaign, IL for Mike's school. He loves the school and his classes. Although only one class from BYU-I transferred. But what his counselor said was to gather syllabus's (syllabi?) from the classes he took at BYU-I and she can set up a meeting with the dean and maybe they can get some of those classes transferred.
It is a really old campus so all the buildings are old brick and really neat to look at and walk through. But it is very different from BYU-I! I took Jonas to campus one day with Mike in his stroller...we looked really out of place!! Not too many married undergrads with children here... We love our new ward as well. They are so friendly and we are starting to make a few friends as well. But most of the other married students are post-grad students...

Mike was able to transfer to the Walmart here in Champaign. Though the process took much to long. To make a long story short, the Walmart in Utah screwed everything up and they basically had to start all over with the transfer process, but they finally got everything all straightened out and Mike started work on Saturday. He is working as a cashier part-time. But there is a chance that they will move him over to close deli. Which would mean being paid $9.15/hr rather than the $8.65/hr he's making as a cashier. Plus he could work a closing shift into his school schedule better than the cashier job. But nothing is set in stone, but we are hopeful.

Reece moved out here with us too. It is really nice to have him around to help out with Jonas! He just applied at Pizza Hut as a delivery driver so hopefully they hire him and he can start making money to contribute to the community pot! :p

Life in Illinois has been pretty good so far. The weather is unseasonably warm. I'm told the winters here are a lot like the winters in Rexburg, but you couldn't prove it! It was in the 60s today and has been in the 50s for almost a week...I'm starting to believe in this whole global warming thing... :p I am just grateful that we are all safe and happy and healthy. Just remember that yes there are things in life that get us down, but there are so many more things in life to be grateful for and things that make us happy! :)