Life

There have been many times in the past month that I have come into the living room to find Clayton laughing about something someone had posted on their blog. I have to say you all have inspired us to start working on our blog again. Thank you!

The past year has been a very busy one. Clayton has graduated. Shaela has passed her second year of medical school. Juliet is officially a toddler and two years old. And there is a new baby on the way! It is amazing how fast time flies. I think it is easier to gauge the passing of time when you have a child growing up before your eyes.

In the past month Juliet has started talking a lot more, too. She is beginning to move out of her shy stage, and she is starting to put words together. One of our favorite things is hearing her tell stories with her limited vocabulary and hand motions. She is very expressive and gets very excited to tell them. She even starts laughing in her stories about funny things she is talking about.

Her biggest stories are about the trip we took in the beginning of July to the Hill Cumorah Pageant in Palmyra, NY. She got to ride a plane for the first time, and she got to ride a boat for the first time (at Niagara Falls). So her story is about the "plane" that goes "up, up, up!" and "swim"ming on the "water" in a "boat" and how "Mom," "Dad," and "Grandpa" got all "wet." She shares the same story at least three times in one sitting, and you can tell she is remembering the experiences as she tells the stories.

Between taking care of Juliet and working on his business, Clayton keeps busy during the days. He is a great multi-tasker, and Juliet adores him. I love coming home and seeing them playing or just hanging out. They have a lot of fun together.

As for me, I have no choice right now but to study and prepare for my board exam. I spend about six hours on campus studying during the day...but compared to my classmates this is nothing. Some spend up to 12 hours studying. It is just hard for me to sit still long enough and be comfortable...One of the downsides of being pregnant :) I am trying to work up my endurance so that I can sit still and stare and a computer for my 8 hour test. Yuck. Let's just say I am glad I have a family to come home to. They help relieve my stress and make me feel human again. And they help me find a balance in life. Life is good.