March of Dimes Walk

So my Young Womens President asked me to join her team and I figure, why not, I can walk! So if any of you are interested in joining or donating to our cause please go to my site at http://www.marchforbabies.org/mlssltmr. Of course the more help the better, every penny matters when saving the lives of infants. The walk isn't til April so lets do this!

Team: Babysavers
Event location: Liberty Park, 900 S. 700 E., Salt Lake City
Date: April 25, 2009
Time: 10:00 AM

HE GOT THE JOB!

For those of you whom don't already know Jon got the job with ADP! YAY!!! He starts on Monday December 15th. He is struggling finishing off this week because it seems they are even more rude to him now, as if that was at all possible. He also started new classes last Monday, which was good, he needed a change. So life is great now at the Latimer home! We have also decided I won't be working, unless we find a family that really needs child care for a low price. As of right now I am occasionally taking care of the boys, that I have began to love like brothers over the passed year. Also their mother is like a sister to me so that helps alot also. We are still unsure what is happening for Christmas due to the fact that Jon isn't sure when he has time off.

JOHN STARTED THE BATHROOM!! YAY! Once it is done will be so great! For us and Jeri. I'm sure she would like to not have my stuff all over the place. Well besides the cold that has filtered through our family nothing else is really going on around here. Hope all is well!

HE DID IT!!!

I knew he would, he is amazing but last night I was very frustrated with it all. So this afternoon McKenna had a doctor appointment and here is how it went:
She is 20 lbs. 13 oz. Yes still small but gaining weight! YAY! She is 29 and 1/4 inches long. She got her shot and she did great. She came home and is napping which is needed! I have a job interview tonight and tomorrow with a day care. I hope something comes from one of them. I would prefer the family but a day care wouldn't be bad either. We will see, wish me luck!

Just in Case You Ever Wonder

Just In Case You Ever Wonder

Max Lucado
Long, long ago God made a decision-a very important decision...one that I'm really glad He made. He made the decision to make you. The same hands that made the stars made you. The same hands that made canyons made you. The same hands that made trees and the moon and the sun made you. That's why you are so special. God made you. He made you in a very special way. He made your eyes so they would twinkle. He made your mouth so you could smile. He made your laugh so you could giggle. God made you like no on else. If you looked all over the world-in every house-there would be no one else like you...no one with you eyes, no one with your mouth, no one with your laugh. You are very, very special. And since you are so special, God wanted to put you in just the right home...where you would be warm when it's cold, where you'd be safe when you're afraid, where you'd have fun and learn about heaven. After lots of looking, God sent you to me. And I'm so glad He did. I'll never forget the first time I saw you...your eyes were closed, your fingers were curled in two little fists, your cheeks were puffy and round. I knew in my heart God had sent someone very wonderful for me to take care of. Your first night with me, I heard every sound you made: I heard you gurgle, I heard you sniff, I heard your little lips smack. I heard you cry when you wanted to eat, and I fed you. You're bigger now, and you do more things. You can walk and run. You can play and talk. You can eat and sing and look at books. You're not a little baby anymore. But as you grow and change, some things will stay the same. I'll always love you. I'll always bug you. I'll always be on your side. And I want you to know that...just in case you ever wonder. Remember I'm here for you. On dark nights when you hear noises in your closet, call on me. When you see monsters in the shadows, call me. On hard days when kids are mean and don't treat you like they should, come to me. If your grades are bad and your teacher is mad, come to me...'cause I love you. And I always will, just in case you ever wonder. Most of all, I'll teach you about God. He loves you. He protects you. He and His angels always watch over you. And God wants me to make sure you know about heaven. It's a wonderful place. There are no tears there. No monsters. No mean people. You never have to say "good-bye," or "good-night," or "I'm hungry." You never get cold or sick or afraid. In heaven you are so close to God that He will hug you, just like I hug you. It's going to be wonderful. I will be there, too. I promise. We will be there together, forever. Remember that...just in case you ever wonder.

2 AMAZING YEARS

That is right we have hit two years! Happy Anniversary Jon! OK so it was Tuesday but today is our celebration. Jon is amazing and grounds me so much. He has strengths were I am weak and the other way around. He makes me want to be better. He is an amazing daddy and an even better husband! Tonight we are going to Hollywood Connections in Salt Lake, we wanted to do something that we could actually interact whereas if we went to a movie we couldn't really talk. Two years ago was one of the greatest days of my life. I not only married my best friend but the love of my life that I really don't ever remember being without.

Nothing really to post

My goal was at least once a week and well as you can see I am not doing so hot. I don't really think anyone actually reads this thing so this is where we will post exciting news so that we can find out who really reads it! Just kidding.
First exciting news is Jon got a 95 % as his final grade in his English class! YAY! He has worked so hard this term and applied himself so much so I am very proud of him. As his reward he got to wake McKenna up last night when he got home to play with her even though she had been asleep for an hour. Oh well, she missed her daddy and he missed his girl.
Next yesterday was our anniversary, but due to Jon's crazy schedule, me being sick and a shortage in the bank area we decided to wait til this weekend to do something. We aren't sure yet as to what it will be but it will be something.
McKenna is getting 3 more teeth which will bring us to a total of 11! I can't believe it. She is getting so big so fast its just crazy. Time for the dentist I guess. . . That should be fun!
I got a new visiting teaching list on Sunday. I have a feeling this one will work much better then the last and I am very excited. I am really trying hard to be involved in this ward, I'm just so shy and not outgoing at all. Oh well. I will for sure let everyone or whoever reads this know if and when anything happens, promise.

Happy Halloween!

So McKenna and I dressed up as lady bugs! I wasn't going to but last minute decided I had nothing better to do. Jon mixed up some clothes in our closet and dressed up as a geek. He won funniest costume, which still cracks me up considering his proffesion. He got a pumpkin full of candy and a fourty dollars to Applebees. McKenna looked so cute! We went to our ward party then just visited with some friends, nothing to exciting but nice. Hope you are all well.

I love my husband!

So if you took the time to read my last blog you will see that life around here lately has just been crazy. On Wednesday Jon and I were talking (on the phone of course) and decided it was long passed time for us to go on a date. Or just to be alone for that matter. So I talked with one of my good friends and decided Saturday was best for everyone. Well it ended up she offered for McKenna to stay Friday night which meant Jon and I could sleep in! Wait, no we didn't I had Young Women in Excellence and Jon had school. Oh well, sleeping in is over rated I've decided. Anyways, when I got home Jon and I weren't sure what to do. So we debated over it and ended up going to Layton and just walking around the mall, we did grab some dinner which we spent more then we wanted but considering we haven't been out forever we decided it was ok. We found out Old Navy was having a killer sale and found Jon a shirt for 3 dollars and me one for 6! Also we found Jon some flip flops for next year for a dollar each!! Nothing beats a good deal. After we went and met our friends and picked up McKenna we headed home and ended up meeting up with some friends and watching a movie while the kids played. Headed home around ten and went to bed. Well Sunday none of us woke up til 10:15! Now McKenna is pretty reliable on when she wakes up but I guess yesterday was an exception, she has to be growing or something. All she did yesterday was sleep. Well I got ready and went to Young Womens and had a lesson on Service in our Community and decided that we really need to do something even if it is just once a month. So thats my goal today is to find a place to donate my time. After I got home from church McKenna went back to sleep and so Jon and I watched Tron, ok I fell asleep and Jon watched it but still. Once it was over we made soup then went and walked around temple square. We went and saw the family display which always makes me cry. We also saw the Cristus and McKenna kept waving at it and blowing kisses. I wish I could be as close to the spirit as I know that little girl is. She is such an example.

How do people do it?

For those of you who actually read this it won't be exciting, ites really just me complaining about nothing at all. Not that what I just said made ANY sense. Sorry its late and I'm tired, just trying to stay awake til Jon gets home.
So lately I feel like I am piling and piling it on and have no idea how to keep myself afloat. I know that there are so many out there that do so much more then me but I really think I have hit my breaking point.
Starting Monday morning I go pick up the kids from school around eleven thirty, take them to my house to feed them and try to catch up on random things around the house. After that once McKenna wakes up we go to the kids house til the older kids get home then I head to Jon's work to meet my mother in law for a financial planning class we are going to. Get home around nine at the earliest, talk to Jon for an hour and head off to bed.
Tuesdays and Thursdays are very similar except I meet Jon's mom at his work on Tuesdays so I can go home for the night while he is in school and Thursday I just try to do something so I'm not home alone. Plus I have to go get the youngest kid I watch at eight thirty instead of eleven. Jon usually gets home around ten those nights and we try to talk in bed which usually lasts til I fall asleep so I really don't know how late we stay up. Wednesdays I pick up the kids at eleven thirty and my days are similar to the rest of the week except that I try to have dinner ready for Jeri and Jon when they get home because I have Young Women's those nights so I head there and usually get home a little after nine, talk to Jon til ten then off to bed. Friday nights Jon and I try to spend at home together but we usually end up making dinner and cleaning it up, showering then bed cause we are both just so exhausted. Saturdays Jon has morning classes so McKenna and I play in bed with him til he has to leave then her and I usually try to find something to do around the house to keep us busy til Jon gets home. Most of the time once he gets home he is so worn out he wants to just be home but for me I am home all week and just want to leave. Usually ends up just hanging out at home which isn't a bad thing. Sundays we have church at nine, then NAP TIME!! YAY!! Then just time together, I love Sundays. Its the one day I am with Jon from the moment we wake up til we go to bed and I love it. We are both so busy that we have kind of missed each other theses passed two weeks. Actually its been the passed month since I started this class and he has Saturday classes. We both know that the beginning is tough so we are trudging through and we will make it, we are both to stubborn not to! Sorry if you are still reading, I told you nothing but me complaining, but now reading over it I realize that I should be getting at least eight hours of sleep, but I don't feel like it. Maybe its time to see a doctor and get my thyroid checked out again, something somewhere isn't right.

Getting so BIG

So its been one year, one year since McKenna was blessed. There is something about a baby all dressed in white that I can't explain. A feeling of such purity and innocence and such a closeness to God. I remember being so stressed due to having so many people at my house but so at peace, because I knew that my little girl was being blessed by her daddy. Something that I have always always prayed I would get. I love my husband so much and the love that he brings into our home and shows McKenna and I. I know every day that Jon and I have a connection that I could never imagine having with someone else. Thanks Jon, for being amazing, wonderful, and just you!

I am so very greatful for my family and Jon's and everything that they do for us. There is such a bond in Jon's family and so often I just sit and watch and think about how blessed I am. I love my family dearly also. I know that sometimes I just miss them so much but it makes the time we are together so much more valuable I think.

I GOT IT!!!!

YAY! I start Tuesday! There are four kids ranging in age from 12-4. I pick the little ones up from Pre-School and Kindergarten at 11 and the older ones get one around 4 so I only have the four of them for an hour. It will bring in some extra money which will help greatly! We will get stuff paid off that we really need to get taken care of. I will miss being home alone with my baby girl but right now it truly is what is best for our family.

Wish me luck!

So for the passed little while Jon and I have been trying to figure out how to get some extra income so that we can get out of debt faster. Today I got a random phone call from a lady that said taht I had contacted her about babysitting, I totally don't remember but I guess I did. She said that she had someone fall through at the last minute. So she was calling messages she had never responded to and I guess I was one of them. YAY for me! So within the next hour I am going to go meet her and hopefully have a new job!! I will let you know how it goes.

Not much to post

McKenna is just getting so big, I love her so much. She is such a helper and loves babies. It always just makes me smile. She has this new infactuation with books, she will bring one up to you sit on your lap and just wait til you show her the pictures, very rarely will she let you actually read them. She loves her nightime routine with Dad. Its the small time they get together during the days so I know it means alot to them both.

Recently we decided we would really like to try to move out and have no debt but student loans by April, (High hopes but I really think we can do it!) Then hopefully get our own place by next summer. I totally appreciate everything my mother in law does for us. She really is a saint, yet I miss my own place, I miss my dishes, and just my stuff. That is silly I know especially since we live here for next to nothing. I just sometimes feel like we are a burden on my mother in law.

Jon and I also want another kid. We have felt for awhile like it was time but we don't want to have to put any more burdens on Jeri. We feel like it is coming time that another one is in our near future. There is just no way we would put Jeri through that.

So yesterday I got together with one of my friends and looked in the paper and I have a job interview on Saturday with a cleaning company. The main problem is I won't have someone to watch McKenna from 8:30-12:00 every day. I'm sure I could find someone in the ward or something. Its just if I go to work I want to be able to use the money to something besides just day care.

I love my husband dearly, I so often miss him during the weeks and now weekends with him having Saturday school but he is doing it for us and I know that. I'm excited for the holidays, nothing better than serving and being with our family. I hope Jon can get a break and enjoy it this year. We for sure aren't driving to Idaho and back in the same day though. NEVER AGAIN!!!

Nothing really important to post, just some things I had on my mind and needed to get out. Thanks for reading (if you still are)

DUMB DOG!

So my mother in law has a dog, that we all love dearly, but she has a huge problem that needs to stop or I just might lose my mind! She chews on everything while we are gone. Never does it when we are home and it is just so frustrating. I know puppies chew on stuff but we really need this to stop. Since I have been home from Idaho (so two weeks) we have found 3 of my flip flops, a onsie, a brand new pair of McKenna's pajamas, my tennis shoes, a bib, a dress, baby doll has lost her toes! That is just our stuff, she has also ruined one of my mother in laws quilts, her tennis shoes, her church shoes, and our nieces soccer cleats! WHAT DO WE DO?????

Family Pictures

K, So I told you I was updating and so that is exactly what I have done! We also had some family pictures done by our sister in law Cindy and here are some of our favorites. . .

Over the Mountains and through the fields . . .

McKenna and I got to go see Grandma Hurt! YAY! I missed my mom and family terribly so it was a great change of scenery! My mom came down here for work stayed with us and McKenna, Grandma and I left for Idaho.
We stayed up there for six days and loved it, although I did miss Jon and my bed. We got to go to dinner with Great Grandpa and Great Grandma Olson, we spent time with Great Grandma Hurt and Great Great Aunt Janet, and McKenna's favorite, lots of time with Grandpa Bubba's Dogs.

Once Jon got up there we went on a date and McKenna got to play with Grandma and Grandpa, Thanks guys!

We also got to go to Spud Day, McKenna was in awe over the parade it was funny, much different then the Fourth of July. We bought a bunch of ribbon to start making our own bows, I will have to take some pictures once I finally get around to making them.

my fav pic that whole week

This is the Place

So on Labor Day this year Jon decided to work to get some over time while McKenna and I went to This is the Place park here in Salt Lake. It was neat. I have never been there before and its always fun to be places you have never been. Plus its great to have family and cousins around to do fun stuff with! Here are a couple pictures, I will try to upload more later.


Here is from left to right McKenna's cousins, Katelyn, Analyse, Isaac, and Hailey. One day I will get her to take a picture without looking around, promise!
and this one was just way to cute not to post!










Treck next year will be fun!

A much needed update!

I love Jon and McKenna so much but for some reason lately there has been such a void. I feel like I am all alone. Jon works and stays really busy with school which is great because his grades this term are amazing its just I miss my husband.

I try to stay busy. I have started going to a financial planning class with my mother in law which is interesting so we will give it a try! Nothing wrong with becoming debt free! I have still been watching the Reynold's boys and they are just adorable. That family was such an answer to our prayers. I have started working out, haven't seen much result yet I really need to change my eating habits. Also I am in the Young Women's in our ward! It happened awhile ago but I have been horrible at keeping this thing updated. I am the Mia-Maids advisor. I love my position even though I often wonder why I was called. The girls have much more to teach me then I could ever teach them.

We have had a lot happen lately. McKenna turned one about a month ago. Hard to believe but she is growing up. She is my pride and joy, no doubt about that one. Her party was fun for everyone I hope. We were blessed to be around some of our closest friends and our family. She is almost twenty pounds finally! She gained two pounds in one month! She loves her babies and drawing, takes after her daddy there.

As for Jon he is just busy with work and school, he is pulling amazing grades this term and McKenna and I couldn't be prouder! Our anniversary is coming up and we still aren't sure what we are doing. We have been so blessed and are so thankful for everything that we have!

Doctors sure love us!

So the mom in me I guess decided at the first of the year that once a month until they were done Jon and I were going to have our annual checkups, whether it be for the doctor, dentist, whatever.

In February we went the dentist, found out that both Jon and I had more than one cavity. The day we were supposed to go get our fillings we ended up not going for one reason or another. Yes we still need to go get those fillings, honestly I feel as though we need a new dentist because I have had a tooth bothering me for about 2 years yet he says nothing is wrong. I just don't know how to find a good dentist. . . Oh well onto March

So I drug Jon to the doctor for a physical and boy am I glad we did. I went in first, the nurse walks in and asks me if I had any concerns. I asked her to check my thyroid because my family has a notoureous history of issues with their thyroids. She looks over my chart, looks up, and says, this explains your weight. (or it may have something to do with the fact that I just had a baby 6 months ago!) Well I guess the average person has a thyroid level of 2, well mine is 33. Which means that my brain is sending the chemicals but my thyroid does not know what to do with them and isn't working properly. Nothing a realitively cheap pill can't fix.
Then Jon came out with a perscription, now since he "didn't need to go to the doctor cause he was perfectly fine" I was shocked. We get out to the car and he thanked me for taking him in. That scared me even more. He proceeds to tell me that his tryglycerides are severly messed up, to the point that they asked him if he drank alot. He laughed and said that he had never drank. Well I guess when your tryglycerides are messed up your liver is what works trying to fix it. An average persons levels are 200, well Jon's is 1200. The doctor told him if he wanted to see McKenna get married he better take care of it. So we are both on medication now, I can tell a difference in mine some days, others not so much.

One a better note, we went in for McKenna's six month appointment, she was playing Peek-A-Boo with Dr. Witt, scooting around, laughing, just being herself. He informed me that she is very ahead of schedule and doesn't want us to come in at our nine month visit. YAY little Miss McKenna! Got her shots, barely cried. She is so amazing.

Things are great for us. Jon is taking the term off of school due to financial aid confusions but will be back again in June!

McKenna's Grand Entrance

Thats right, three days late but she is here. Early early Friday morning I was having really bad contractions, they really started Wednesday night Thursday morning but when we went in the sent us home. So Thursday I went about my normal life, shopping, helping my mother in law pack and just being myself. I can't say it was easy since my contractions were close to every seven minutes and hurt like hell! Jon finally talked me into going to the hospital again Friday morning so they could at least give me some sort of pain medication to temporarily spare me of the pain.

When I got to the hospital they checked my cervix and I was dilated at a one. Since the day before at the doctor I was still a zero this was much anticipated news. They kept me on monitors for an hour and checked my cervix again, no more progress, yet again they were sending us home empty handed. . . I asked to use the restroom and they told me to wait until they checked the monitors again. This time the monitors were not showing her heart beat. They could not find it. They called in a second nurse who also could not find her heart beat. One of the nurses then went and got an ultrasound machine and we saw her heart was beating, but very very slow.

The next little while was a blur. We realized her heart rate dropped about 6:20 A.M. and by 6:47 she had been delivered by a c-section. I have never been so frightened in my life. They did a nerve block instead of an epidural because that was all we had time for, I guess epidurals take time to actually kick in. Jon was with me which kept me as close to calm as I could have been.

We found out later that there had been an abruption, which means that the placenta just started removing itself from the uterine wall because although I had been contracting for almost two days at this point nothing else was happening. She was ready to come I guess and for some reason decided she had to scare us to do it. Now that she is six months old we realize she is a bit of a drama queen but worth every minute of it.

She was born 7 lbs 11 oz and was 21 inches long. She was having problems sucking so feeding is difficult right now but we figured hey she is a Latimer she will get the hang of it. Which she did put I never produced enough to feed her, or even an ant for that matter, but she sure took to the bottles great.

Mom and baby are doing great. The doctors were amazing and it is a relief to finally have McKenna in my arms instead of in my belly!

Our story

For those of you who only know one of us,

Jon is a very funny sarcastic guy who loves to make people laugh and is very laid back. He graduated from Smoky Hills High School in 2003. In March 2004 he left for his mission, New Zealand Wellington Mission. He comes from a family of seven, five older brothers and two younger sisters. Right now Jon is in school at ITT Tech for Computer Networking. He will have his associates in August 2009. Jon works at Unisys in North Salt Lake doing Desktop Support. In his free time he plays RPG's and spends time with me and McKenna.

Melissa is very high strung and stresses about EVERYTHING. I graduated from Shelley High School in 2004. Right now I am a stay at home mom and I love it. My daughter and husband means the world to me. It does get lonely sometimes with Jon being gone but he makes up for it when he gets home. Jon and my mom are my best friends, I trust them with everything.

Jon and I met April 2006, shortly after he got home from his mission. He knew right away that this was it, I wish I could say the same but it took me more time. We were engaged June 2006 and got married on November 11, 2006 in the Idaho Falls Latter-Day-Saint Temple. During Thanksgiving Jon found a job in Salt Lake so we moved back here. About three weeks after we got married we found out we were expecting. We were very shocked and didn't think we were prepared but we have grown a lot over the year and in August were blessed with a beautiful baby girl.

That pretty much brings us up to date. Things are great, just busy, but thats the way we like it!