You never know how much time you have in this life...

This past week has been a very sad one for me. On Monday we had a birthday party for my niece that passed away in March. We wanted to remember the beautiful life she lived. We had a balloon release. We released 13 balloons because she would have been 13 this year! She was so excited to be 13 so I imagine she was smiling Monday!
On Monday I learned that a friend at work passed away suddenly. She had a heart attack and she was only 47. I am going to miss her so much. She always had encouraging things to say and a smile on her face. She was always so kind to everyone around her. I can't remember her ever being mean even when you could she was stressed at work. I am so sad that I will never see her again. I can't remember the last time I worked with her. I wish I could go back and tell her how much I appreciate her friendship. When I had my baby she made me a beautiful afghan and she was always doing things for others. I will always keep that afghan and remember Robbie as a kind and loving person. I am so glad I have that afghan to remember her. So good-bye my friend and remember that you will be missed very much! I am a better person for knowing you! I know that you wouldn't want us crying but it is very sad at work without you. In time it will get easier but you are very missed.

The rest of the story!

Recently Annie went on a field trip with her 1st grade class. They went to Albion and visited several places including the bank, fire station, llama farm. We soon realized that Annie has quite the imagination! She told us that there are elephants at the llama farm. She told us that she got to ride horses and even the baby elephant. She told us that the llamas spit on Ms. Convery and her best friend Landon. Soon Ms. Convery posted pictures of the field trip on facebook and Chris asked about the elephants. Ms. Convery replied elephants? We thought this was strange so we asked Annie were there really elephants or are you thinking Emu's? Well she said there were elephants. I asked her what color they were and she said that they were grey with a nose that went down to the ground. A week later I ran into Ms. Convery at the store and asked her if they rode horses and she said no. I asked her if a llama spit on her and once again she said no. That's when I realized that my little Annie had quite the active imagination. We thought this was cute. Although it is turning into her making up stuff alot so we will have to keep an eye on that. Hopefully I can get the point across the difference between imagining and lying. This stuff about the field trip is harmless, but she has told us that Burke called her a bad name when he didn't and it makes it hard to know when she is telling the truth. Hopefully I can instill in her the right way to go. Being a parent is hard sometimes and you never know what they are going to do! WHAT AN ADVENTURE! I LOVE IT!

A moment to stop and think!

Today at work as I was working very hard ;) I met this fabulous lady ( I don't remember her name and I don't think she knows of the impact she had on me). This lady came up to the service desk and asked about wiring money. Everything I do at the service desk comes so naturally for me now that I just hand the papers over and give a brief ( and depending how long my line is) and rushed explanation on how to fill out the form. I did this tonight and then continued to help the customers behind this lady. There were only a few so I had finished helping them by the time she was done filling it out. when she gave it to me it wasn't complete so I promptly returned the form and told her what information she still needed to give. As I was entering her information into the computer she apologized about it taking longer to fill out the form. I of course reassured her that it wasn't a problem. She then told me that she had a stroke a while back. And that she was doing so much better. We talked for a few minutes and I said that I wished there could be little fairies that came and fixed us. And she looked me in the eye and said it would be nice but that we should all take responsibility for our actions (which I 100% agree with.) I finished her transaction and we talked for a few more minutes and another customer walked up, but for some reason she didn't leave. After I was done helping this customer she said you know my stroke could have been so much worse. My neurologist had a stroke and he became paralyzed. I am so grateful that I am not. She then looked me in the eye and said we just need to be grateful for what we have. I don't think that she will ever know of the impact that she has had on me. I really feel she was the lords mouth piece. She could have left but when she went she hesitated and she stayed to tell me that. I don't know if I will ever see her again but how thankful I am to her and her willingness to tell me her story. It goes to show that we can never know when the Lord might use us as his mouth piece. I am so grateful that my path crossed this Lady's path today! I hope that I can be aware of the promptings of the holy ghost enough to know when I need to be the Lords mouth piece!

Looking to the future!

I am very thankful that I was able to go to my Aunt and Uncles homecoming yesterday! They gave beautiful talks. My life is very difficult sometimes and the spirit of their talks raised me up and helped me know that I could get through another week no matter what it brings. I get frustrated sometimes because Chris doesn't wear his cpap mask as much as I would like. He has made a lot of progress. I just need to remember step by step we will get there. I need to show patience and that is something that is very hard for me. Patience has been one of my biggest down falls my whole life. I expect results now and I want what I want sometimes. I know this attitude is not ideal, but at least I recognize I need to change. Sometimes its frustrating because I can see the end result and I know our lives will be so much better if he could just get used to the darn machine. Sorry I will get off my soap box now. But my Aunts and Uncles Ward really gave me the boost that I needed to face another day. I hope to be able to say that I have learned patience in the end, but I guess we will just have to wait and see.

At work I feel pretty good about things. I got my eval. Saturday and it was a really good eval. I have some stuff I could work on but overall it was really good. I will get another raise in June. That will really help out. I look forward to this next year and wonder what it will bring. Hopefully some really good things. Hopefully Chris can get back into the work force. Hopefully we can get into a bigger place so we don't feel so scrunched. I look forward to all these things and I hope it all comes to past. I don't know where we will end up but as long as we are together and happy that will be good enough! :)

Alexis Kay Walquist Story

In my previous post I told Graycee's story but her story wouldn't be complete if I did not tell the story of her little sister, Alexis. My saddness was great after Graycee. We were told that we needed to wait two months before trying to have another baby. Well since it took two years to get Graycee we were scared that it would take that long to have another baby. So we decided not to prevent it and 5 weeks after I had Graycee we found out we were expecting again. I was so nervous and scared that something would happen. My pregnancy went very well, but Alexis was my most quiet baby. She hardly ever moved and that really scared me sometimes and I was a jumble of nerves. We had tons of non stress tests done. the last five weeks I was pregnant we had them done twice a week. It was really relaxing listening to her heart tones for a half an hour or so. There was only once that she scared us to death and wouldn't move. I drank cold water, ate something with sugar and she just wouldn't move. I was sent to the hospital to have an ultra sound stress test done and she was fine. What a relief that was. Well the last week I was pregnant my doctor had planned a trip to peru. I had my last drs. appointment with his partner and he told me if he was my doctor he would do an c-section. Well that really upset me so when I started having contractions regularly i put myself on bed rest because I didn't want anyone else delivering Alexis. Well my doctor made it back and we had plans to induce the day after he returned. So on April 2nd we went to the hospital and we had Alexis. I don't remember a lot about my labor with her. Once again when I had the epidural my blood pressure bottomed out and it was worse than before. I was numb up into my chest. I was so thirsty but couldn't swallow. I got sick to my stomach, I could barely breathe. Chris tells me they called respiratory and that brought in a cart to incubate, luckily they didn't have to do that. I remember my doctor standing next to the bed watching the monitors saying Jessica are you still with us. It was so scary. But we got her here and we were overjoyed with her. Alexis has such a calming spirit. She brings joy to all that meet her. She has comforted me so much. i love her so much. The moment I saw her I was head over hills in love. I am so grateful that she is a part of our family. Our family would not be complete with out her!

Graycee's Story

This is a bit hard for me because Graycee is someone so special to me that I don't share her with just anybody. Graycee is my little angel that I got a glimpse of in this life and I look forward to getting to know her better in the next life. The little glimpse I did get was enough that I sit anxiously awaiting for the time I can be with her again. She has helped me to love and appreciate my family so much more. I have come to realize that this life is so fleeting and that just because you think it won't happen to me it really can.

When we found out we were expecting Graycee we were so excited. We had been trying for two years to have another baby so when it finally happened our joy was overwhelming. Everything seemed to be going ok, other than a few aches and pains I felt great. When I was about 18 weeks along we decided we would get the blood test done to check for spinabifida, down syndrome, and another thing. Well the test came back positive for spinabifida. We were sent to Boise to go to a specialist there so we could get a really good ultra-sound to check Graycee out. During the ultrasound I watched for the spine and she looked great to me. Her spine was normal I remember feeling such relief, but when the doctor came back in he gave us the bad news. Graycee had something called mphalicil hernia. This is when the organs are on the outside of the body. The next decision we had to make was to do an amnio or not to check and see if she had down syndrome or another chromozone disorder where they have an extra chromozone. We decidied to go ahead because we wanted to know exactly what we were facing and wanted to make sure we were ready for her when she got here. When we left the hospital I remember sitting in the car and crying. I remember feeling so numb. I couldn't believe it. I remember not wanting to be around anyone. It took a week to get the results of the amnio and it was good news. This was not a genetic condition for her. Something happened while she was developing and it just happened. We started going to Boise every 2 1/2 - 3 weeks. They did an ultra sound every time. When I was about 23 weeks along I got really sick. I had a really bad cold and an ear infection. At this time Graycee began to get less active and in my heart I knew there was something really wrong but I was so scared that I kept my fears hidden. I started having contractions on June 8th and I went home and rested, but the next morning she wasn't moving at all. I called Boise and they told me to go to the local Doctor here in Burley. I knew she was gone and at the doctors it was confirmed my baby girl had returned to Heavenly Father. While I was in the hospital they treated me so kindly. We had some very neat experiences there with family and a few close friends. I was able to have a beautiful priesthood blessing that gave me some understanding of why Heavenly Father took her home to be with him. She would have been such a sick baby. She would have been in such pain I am glad she didn't have to suffer, but I am unbelievably sad too. I miss her so much. She had such a fighting spirit and she gave me such a feeling of peace. I look forward to seeing her again. I will enjoy my time here and hopefully live my life in a way that I can be with her forever. I never quite an understanding of the atonement before. The things I learned because of Graycee have changed my life forever. My eternal perspective has widened. I understand that Jesus did not just die to save me from my sins but through his atonement he suffered all my sorrows to so that he could understand completely so that I wouldn't be alone in my sorrow. Every person experiences the sorrow in different ways and I know Jesus understands me completely. I am eternally grateful for all that I have learned. I know that families can be together forever and that the Book of Mormon is the word of God. I know that I belong to the church of Jesus Christ and that he is the true leader of our church through our wonderful prophet, Thomas Monson. I am so grateful for the teaching of the church and the hope that it gives me. I know that as long as I do my part I can be with my family forever.

A Light Bulb Moment

Have you ever felt like you were walking in a fog and you were so scared to take the next step because of fear that you might fall or roll your ankle or get hurt in some way. Lately that is how life has been for me. I have been walking in a fog not knowing which way to go and which is the best place to turn. Part of the reason is that I have been harboring hurt feelings for the past couple years and at times it doesn't bother me but sometimes I have huge flair ups where I feel like I am walking in a fog. It seems like I am crying all the time and can't stop it. My life is not horrible but there are many places in my life that I wish things were alot easier. We'll save my wish list for a later entry, but sometimes my life gets so overwhelming and I feel the pressure almost to where its unbearable. Well I had a huge eye opening experience last night. Now we are no where perfect with scripture study as a family but last night even though I really wanted nothing to do with it (I know that is a really BAD attitude) we had our evening scripture study. We read 1 Nephi 8 about Lehis dream of the tree of life. Well it came to me that the mist of darkness isn't necessarily sins but it can be all the "noise" we have in this life. It can be that thing that really hurt our feelings and we can't let go of, it can be that we didn't get that job promotion, or it could be that we have really bad anxiety. It can be anything that blocks our view of our Heavenly home and keeps us moving towards it. The next thing that came to me I already knew but it was reiterated in my mind. It was that no matter what if we hold on to the rod of iron then we have no reason to fear when we are taking our next step because the Lord will be our eyes. Anyhow these are just a few of my thoughts that came to me while reading the scriptures with my wonderful family. I felt like I needed to write them down so I can always remember them. I have regretted in the past when I have had light bulb moments and haven't written them down and then later trying to remember them and I can't. I am so thankful for the Book of Mormon and the wonderful teachings it has in it. I know that Heavenly Father watches out for us and that he loves us so much. I am so grateful for an older brother that loved me enough that he agreed to walk the same path that I walked in my life and is willing to carry my burdens so that my load might be lighter. I am so grateful that He was willing to die for me so that we can ALL return to our Heavenly Father again and be together as a family forever. I so look forward to seeing my little Graycee again. I look forward to seeing her and holding her close. I look forward to laughing and crying together someday. I am so excited for the day that I can see her again. I know that she is with two other wonderful girls right now and I look forward to seeing them again someday. I look forward to seeing my beautiful sister again that I never got to meet in this life but look forward to a wonderful relationship with her in the next life. I look forward to seeing my wonderful niece and hugging her again and being able to tell her how much I love her and that I think she is the most amazing person I know! I look forward to seeing these three wonderful girls again someday!

Is it possible that it has been a year?

A lot can happen in a year especially when your not paying attention. This year has flown by so quickly for me for tomorrow my baby girl turns 1! Alexis is one of the bright spots in my life! She has such a comforting spirit about her. There is no doubt that she came to our family at just the right time. When I thought my heart was breaking and would never recover Heavenly Father sent me such a wonderful gift! My heart still hurts and the hole in my heart will never be filled but my heart was able to grow so much when my baby girl was sent to me from above! Alexis is a little gem as grandpa likes to call her! She has touched everyone that has come into contact with her! It seems that wherever she goes people are drawn to her! If you are a stranger she will usually give you a sly little grin and then hide her face in my shoulder. Although there have been times that she cries and cries when she sees someone that scares her. Like when my dad makes silly faces at her she cries and cries. I didn't know my dad could be so scary until I saw him through my baby's eyes! JK! I love my dad and he is always goofing around with the grand kids and Alexis is no different for him, Alexis just hasn't come to appreciate it yet! :) LOL! Sometimes you have to really be persistent and patient with her if you want to hold her. Well I better go for tonight! Happy Birthday my little one year old I love you very much!

7 things I love about my LuLu!

7~ I love it when you say sassily "It doesn't matter!"

6~ I love it when you give me a great big hug when you know I'm sad!

5~I love it when you smile and there is a mischievous sparkle in your eyes!

4~ I love it when you write me notes!

3~ I love it when you laugh!

2~ I love that you are a wonderful sister to Burke and Alexis!

1~ I love that you are my wonderful daughter!

This is a little late! Annie turned 7 on March 26, 2010. She is such a wonderful daughter and is always so loving. I love her beautiful smile and the fact that she is a wonderful daughter and sister! She is always trying to get Alexis to smile. Annie I hope you know just how much I love you and that I think you are a fabulous young lady!

Miss Annie's Story

We were excited yet surprised to find out we were expecting Annie. When Burke was one we decided we would try to have another baby. Well then Chris got layed off at work and we decided to move back home to Burley. Chris actually got a job and moved to Burley and I ended up staying in Logan for six more weeks before moving. My little sister came and stayed with me to help take care of Burke while I worked. I guess I was a little grumpy because she complained to my dad about how grumpy I was and my family kept asking me if I was pregnant and I kept telling them that I was just stressed out with the move. Well we finally got moved and after a few weeks and my Dad of all people keep telling everyone that I was pregnant we found out i really was pregnant. Annie was due April 17, 2003. Yes I know her due date is just 11 days after what Burkes was :). We were pleased when we did find out. Her pregnancy was easier because I wasn't so sick with morning sickness, but I did have preeclampsia again and it was alot worse the 2nd time around. My last Doctors appointment before I had her was scheduled on Burkes birthday and I quickly changed that because I didn't want to be put on bed rest on his b-day. So we had our doctors appointment on the 19th and Dr. Dowdle promptly put me on bed rest. I was retaining water, and my ankles were huge. We were ok on Chris days off, but I decided Burke and I would go stay with my parents on Sunday so I could have some help with Burke. That night I became very sick. I couldn't keep anything down. The next morning I left Burke with my parents and went home so I could rest and not worry about Burke. Well I decided that since I couldn't keep anything down that I wouldn't drink anything either. It seemed logical to me at the time, but looking back it wasn't the wisest decision because I started having contractions and I ended up in the hospital that night. The contractions were coming regularly and the doctor said that I could have Annie if they kept going but I was so exhausted from being so sick that I let them give me something to relax and go to sleep. Well whatever it was it stopped my contractions. The next day when Dr. Dowdle came in to check on me he said it was to early for me to be induced without doing an amnio. He told me that he recommended the amnio because my blood pressure was so high and it would be better to have the baby sooner rather than later. So we decided to get the amnio done. We got the results that her lungs were developed and that it was ok to induce. Well by the time we got the results to the amnio it was to late in the afternoon to induce so we decided to induce the next morning. I remember they induced about 4:00 am on the 26th of March, but after I got the epidural everything is a little sketchy. My blood pressure plummeted and I had a reaction to the epidural. The nurse had never seen anyone react that way. I got so sick. I remember that the nurse call button didn't work in the room I was in but they couldn't move me because of the epidural and because of how I was doing they had to fix the button so the tech came in and fixed it. Annie arrived around 12:45 pm on March 26, 2003. She was 5 lbs. 15 ozs. She was so tiny. The doctor said because of the stress my body had been under that she had stopped growing and her lungs developed faster because I was under stress. We were so glad that she was a healthy baby girl. Her full name is Annie Luella Walquist. She is named after her great grandma Walquist. I am so grateful for a doctor that was on top of things and took very good care of me. The nurses at the Burley hospital were also very amazing.

Burkes story

Well I thought it would be fun to tell everyone about all of my kids in a post and how they came to be a part of our family. We were so excited to find out we were expecting Burke! When we found out we cried because we were so happy. We lived in Logan at the time and life was wonderful! Looking back I think that his pregnancy was the easiest. Even with the horrible morning sickness that I had with him overall his was the easiest. When I was six months along I went into to preterm labor and the doctor almost didn't let me travel to Burley for Christmas but he finally relented and told me as long as I promised to take it easy he would allow me to go home for Christmas. About a month later my blood pressure started to rise and they watched it closely. Six weeks before I actually had Burke Dr. Avery put me on bed rest. I was retaining water and they diagnosed me with preeclampsia. It was kind of scary but we made it through. I was so anxious to have Burke here that I continuously asked the Doctor when he would think about inducing. He always said not anytime soon. Burke was due April 6, 2001 and on March 15th I thought my water broke so I went to the doctors office and when he checked me to see what was going on I passed out. I woke up to Chris and Dr. Avery standing over me looking very worried. My water had not broken but Dr. Avery decided he would induce me on Saturday which ended up being Saint Patricks day. I heard all the jokes about names... Patrick... Lucky... ect... Well at about 6:15 that night I was ready to push and Burke was born at 6:45 pm. He was such a beautiful baby. He was such an easy going baby. He was ok to do whatever. Burke is very proud to be the unique one in our family since everyone else in our family was born in Burley.

9 things I LOVE about Burke

9. I love your eyes. They are so green its a very fitting color considering

your birthday is St. Patricks day.

8. I love your love of sports. I can see the passion you have for sports.

You know so much about sports even things from before you were born.

7. I love that you love Monster Trucks. You know who drives what truck and everything.

6. I love your competitiveness. With this you can go far, just remember

to go for your dreams and that you can do anything!

5. I love that you can be a little dare devil sometimes. When you are on

your bike there isn't anything your not willing to try!

4.I love your grin it usually means you are up to no good! :)

3. I love that you value your friendship with family over your friends at school!

2. I love that you are a wonderful big brother. Annie and Alexis absolutely adore you!

1. I love that you are my son! You are joy to have in our family!

Catching up

The last couple months have definitely has had its ups and downs. Everything has been kind of hard. The hardest thing has been that Ashley has been so sick. She was such a great example of love and compassion. She was always worried about everyone around her. I think I really got a dose of her pure love a couple years ago when I was six months pregnant and we lost our baby Graycee. This sweet little girl who fought to live everyday was devastated and said she would gladly trade places with her because she had ten years and Graycee didn't even get a day. That moment touched my heart. It has been really hard knowing that Ashley had been so sick and there was nothing any of us could do. Two weeks ago our little miss Ashley returned to her very loving Heavenly Father. My life will always be better because I knew her here on earth even if it was just for a short moment. At least that is what it seems like. Ashley continuously worried about everyone around her and how her sickness affected them. She was never worried about herself but about her caretakers. Its comforting to know that families can be together forever. I know that I will see my baby, Graycee once again. I will be able to hold her and watch her grow into a beautiful young lady. I am comforted to know that Ashley and Graycee are together again and I can't wait to see them once again.

Another thing we are continuing to try to deal with is Chris's anxiety. Chris was in a car accident a year and half ago and he has never been the same. His anxiety blew up it was like he was a time bomb and the accident really set him off. Life has been extra hard since then. Chris doesn't have a job right now and its really hard being the one that has to carry it all. I never know when something might set Chris off. He also has sleep apnea and he isn't doing anything for that. I know his c-pap machine is very scary for him but I truly believe that its the link to his happiness. I know when I don't get enough sleep I am a mess. He truly hasn't slept well for at least seven years. That is a VERY long time and once we get him to the point of being able to wear his machine at night we will be on the road to recovery. I am so grateful to Chris parents because they have been very supportive and I could have never lived through this past 1 1/2 years without them. I am so grateful I married into the family I did. The Walquist family truly knows how to love unconditionally and I am a better person just for being in their family. I hope that I can carry on the name for them. I truly hope that we can get Chris past this point in his life! Please keep him in your prayers.

My kids have truly kept me busy! Burke turned 9 just yesterday! I can't believe it! It seems like it was just yesterday that yesterday we were bringing him home from the hospital! I am so glad he is my oldest because he truly sets a good example to my girls. Burke LOVES sports and he is very good at them. His favorite is basketball and football. Although we have learned that sisters are breakable after he tackled Annie last Easter and broke her arm. He is VERY good at kicking the football and he is also great with a basketball. He gets very good grades and his teacher says that its with him putting very little effort into it and that if he can just put all his effort into it that he could have a 4.0 his whole school career. He would really like to play sports in High School and College and we talked to him about the importance of having good grades now and keeping it up because the only way to get into college to play sports is to have good grades along with being good at sports.

Annie will be 7 in a week and I can't believe that either. She is so wonderful and she is also doing great in school. I truly love being her mom even when she tests my patience! This she does very well. She has so much energy and I have no idea where she gets it from. She hates going to bed and often stays awake until i fall asleep so she can sneak into our bed. Its more often than not that she is able to stay awake past me. Annie often tells you how it and doesn't hold anything back. She lets you know when she is mad or sad. She keeps our home hoppin'!

Miss Alexis turns 1 in two weeks. She is doing so many new things. She pulls herself up on furniture and is proving to be a little monkey I caught her on my mother in laws end table the other day. She was so proud of herself. She was looking at a picture of Connie and Jason whom she LOVES very much. She has three teeth now and is getting some more. She says Mom, DAD, babababa, hi, bye-bye and has even said boo a couple of times. She loves playing peek-a-boo. Its funny when she tries playing peek a boo with a small toy and she puts it high above her head and looks at you expecting you to say peek-a-boo! I love her smile and laugh.

Over all our life is good and I hope I haven't given anyone the idea that its not. We definitely have our trials but who has a perfect life? I hope that life will get better! Right now we need to get Chris back to his old self! Keep him in your prayers and I know that anything is possible.

Love Letters

You might think that I am going to write about my husband in this post but I wanted to write about my Annie. Annie is a very sweet young lady. When she first started reading and writing she would write notes to everyone that said "I "HEART" YOU." She loves writing letters to people and is really proud of them also. Annie recently wrote me a love letter that I thought was so sweet. It reads "Mom I love you. I bet dat dad loves you Love me Love Annie." This swelled up my heart. She is always thinking of others. I really enjoy her notes and I hope she continues to write them to me. I love my kiddos!

Alexis Kay Walquist

Alexis is our baby girl. She is currently 9 1/2 months old and has become VERY busy in the past week. She started crawling this past week and she gets into everything. We have a basket that we put our socks in and I can't tell you how many times she has emptied it now that she can get to it. She is our caboose in the family and what a joy she has been. She loves to make sounds. She has made growling noises. She makes this one noise that I can't describe any other way except that it sounds like she is hawking a lugi. I know it sounds disgusting but it really is cute ESPECIALLY in sacrament meeting. She loves to copy sounds. Except the word mama. I have been telling her mama since she was a newborn but can you guess what her first word was? Yep, it was dada! Every once in a while she says mama but really her favorite word is dada. She is such a wonderful addition to our family. I look forward to watching her grow and see what kind of interests she has. We love her so much!

My Little Man

My oldest is my one and only boy. When he was a baby we called him our little man. He is so wonderful to have in our family. His name is Christopher Burke and since his father is Chris he goes by his middle name. He is in 3rd grade this year and I can't believe he is so grown up it seems like it was just yesterday that we were bringing him home from the hospital. I remember when he was about ready to start 1st grade he told me he wanted to go by Christopher. I was very open with that option but as soon as I told him that he would have to learn to spell Christopher he said he was okay being called Burke. Whenever we take pictures of Burke he usually does goofy faces. He loves to take self portraits. Sometimes when I start looking through my pictures on my camera I'll have hundreds of shots of him making such goofy faces.

Burke is a wonderful big brother to ALL of his younger sisters. When we were pregnant with Alexis and we would have to go get another ultrasound done he would always say maybe she has turned into a boy. Well even though she didn't he is such a wonderful brother to her. Out of everyone in the family he is the one that can make her laugh. I have been amazed by this. Sometimes he can just walk into the room and when she sees him she giggles. Sometimes he will fall down and yell out "OWE" and she will go into a fit of giggles! Burke and Annie are also very close. Not to say they don't have their spats because they do, but they are super close and they rely on each other at school. I love my little man very much and I hope he knows how proud of him I am!

Annie Luella

My oldest girl is Miss Annie Luella. She is such a fun little girl, but she can also be the most stubborn girl I know. I say she gets it from her father, but he says she gets it from me. I guess unless you know us you will never know the truth! JK. One of the most frustrating things is bed time (although she has gotten a lot better). She has started to come out and asking if it was morning 30 minutes after she goes to bed. We know that she has not gone to sleep because she has never gone to sleep that easily. Its just a funny thing she has begun and I wonder how long this new stage will last.

Annie is a very high spirited young lady. When she was a baby she was dubbed the energizer bunny because she literally just kept going and going and going and going...... She is my child that LOVES to go to bed late and sleep in. Annie is a wonderful little girl that has a will that tells me she can accomplish anything she puts her mind to.

Annie has a love of horses and she has always loved them. She does not like My Little Ponies she like horses that look like the real thing. When she was two or three when she first started really liking ponies we learned real fast not to get the horses you can't stand up without them falling over easily. There were many times that she would throw the biggest fit because her horse wouldn't stand up by itself. I actually miss those days.

I look forward to seeing Annie continue to grow. She is going to be an amazing person when she gets older. She has a very compassionate loving heart. She has a beautiful smile and the mischievous twinkle in her eye keeps you guessing about what she will do next!

I hope Annie knows how proud I am of her! I love her very much!

A little about our Family

Chris and I (Jessica) went to the Rupert Singles Ward once. We met eachother and it was over. We went on our first date on July 20th and were engaged July 24th. We were married in the Bountiful, Utah temple on November 26, 1999. The last ten years have been the best and the hardest of my life. We lived in Logan, Ut. the first 2 1/2 years of our marriage where Chris worked. When he got layed off in 2002 we decided to move back home to Burley, Id. We have been here in Burley ever since. We have four beautiful kids. Burke is our only son. He was born March 17, 2001. Annie came to our family on March 26, 2003. We then had a beautiful baby girl who was stillborn. We named her Graycee Elizabeth Walquist. A short 9 1/2 months later we were blessed to have Alexis come into our family. Alexis was born on April 2, 2009. We love and enjoy all our kids. They each bring something special into our home. Chris is currently looking for a job and watching Alexis while I am at work. I work at Wal-mart and I am going to CSI part-time. When I grow up I would like to be a teacher. Burke and Annie go to Mountain View. Burke is in 3rd grade and Annie is in 1st. We have been lucky to have such wonderful teachers teaching our kids. Alexis brings such joy to us. She is a bit spoiled but she has a very good tempermant. She is nine months old and just barely got her first tooth and she isn't quite crawling yet but since she is my baby I don't mind that she is moving a bit slower than Burke and Annie did.