PRIVATE

Just to let you know, I am making my blog private this week. Hopefully I got everyone on the list. I hope you all continue to view my blog and check up on my family.

Yum Yum!

Jackson had his first taste of baby food this past Sunday. We decided to start with squash in the hopes that he will become a vegi-lover like his sister. He did pretty good for his first time, although the bulk of the food ended up on his bib and up his nose. He's getting better every day and his diapers are getting stinkier. It's fun to start feeding your baby solids, but man does it make the dirty diapers worse! Oh well, whatcha gonna do?

Here are some random pics of the kids that I've been meaning to post...

Andrew came to visit and he and Lexi decided to swap clothes. I'll spare you the picture of Andrew wearing Lexi's clothes, but I'm sure you can imagine a 16-year-old wearing a 3-year-old's clothes. Luckily he wore his boxers underneath.

Getting ice cream as a family. What's up with kids always wanting sprinkles? Seriously yuck! We were actually surprised because on this trip she went for mini m&m's. Maybe her tastes are maturing.

Jackson and his cousin Olivia. It is so nice living close to family so we can get together and hang out.

As many babies do, Jack started sporting a mullet as his baby hair began to fall out. I have a strict no-mullet policy and so had to pull out the clippers and take care of the problem immediately.

WITH MULLET

WITHOUT MULLET

Much better!!!

Lexi is always happy to pose for the camera. She's defintely our little actress.

My Last Will and Testament

In my attempt to lose the last 30 pounds of post-pregnancy weight I've decided to do the P90X workout program. It's basically 90 days of sheer torture. I started yesterday and am already sore to the max. So, if I die from a heart attack or my body is rendered useless from the pain, please tell my family that I love them. On the other hand, if I make it through the 90 days I should be one buff chick!

Mission Beach

I am recommitting to blogging and since I am so behind with my posts, my next several entries are going to be a little out of order.

First of all, I should give an update on how our family is doing here in Arizona. We are still living with my parents and will probably for a while. Jeff got a job at a local chiropractor's office that he hasn't been too enthusiastic about, but again our family has been blessed and he got an offer to work in a clinic that focuses specifically on his field of chiropractics. This new job will provide him with amazing opportunities to learn and grow before we open our own clinic. He starts working there next week and is ecstatic.

So, on to the actual topic of this post. Last week my parents rented a beach house at Mission Beach in San Diego for a Nielsen family reunion. The house was literally right on the beach about 75 yards from the ocean. The entire family was there including my sister Jerilyn's 3 boys. It was great to get everyone together and exciting to take Lexi to the beach for the first time. She loved playing in the sand and had no fear of the ocean.

This is a picture of us on the trip down. We had the car packed so full we were busting at the seams. It was a little crazy for the first few days because both Jeff and my brother Eric had to work and so didn't come until later in the week. It was definitely rough being a single parent for those 5 days. (Notice Jackson and Savannah in the very back seat).

Jack loved hanging out in his pop-up tent. He even napped in it. Of course the second I would get him to sleep, Lexi would decide that she wanted to go back to the house.

Lexi flying the very popular $3.00 Spongebob kite.

On the second day Lexi woke up with a sore ankle and refused to walk at all. Instead, she spent the whole day crawling everywhere. It was pretty funny. The next morning she was fine. Weird. Maybe she just wanted the attention.
London was our little sand princess. She spent more time on the beach than anyone else. She never wanted to come in. She was happy to play in the sand all day.

Matthew smiling (or growling) for the camera
My dad is the king of sand castles and this is the one he created this year (will the help of the grandkids of course).
Lexi was one of the few kids (or adults) who actually got in the water. She's a fishy like her mommy.
Lexi and London really enjoyed playing together. They are only a couple months apart in age so it was great to get them together to bond.

At the aquarium. Notice that I'm missing from the picture. That's because I stayed home and slept all morning.

Privacy Time

I've decided to make our blog private for a variety of reasons. There are just too many creeps out there that I'd rather not have looking at my beautiful babies and reading my most personal thoughts. If you would like to continue to view my blog all you need to do is give me your email address and I will add you to the list of people who can view my blog. Either leave a comment with your email address or send me an email. Sorry for the inconvenience but you just can't be too careful these days!

We're Still Here

Things have finally settled down enough that I have time to post an update about what's going on with the Schramms. We are now living very comfortably in my parents home in Scottsdale, AZ. Alexis and Jackson are definitely getting spoiled from all the attention and love the grandparents are giving them, and I'm certainly not complaining about having some extra hands around to help with the kids. Jeff is working in a chiropractic office in the area while he makes plans to open his own practice most likely in the Mesa area. We have our good and bad days, but on the whole life is treating us pretty okay. We are just so grateful for the support and help from family and friends. I've got lot's of pictures to post so check back soon.

Mother's Day Thoughts

This mother's day has given way to much thought and reflection. A mere 3 weeks ago, Jeff graduated from chiropractic school and we relocated our family to Colorado to pursue a very prestigious internship. We had just settled into our beautiful new home and Jeff had begun working when we got some awful news. Jeff did not pass his part III board exam and as a result is unable to get a chiropractic license in Colorado. This forced us to make the difficult decision to pack up our family AGAIN and move in with my parents in Arizona. We had eventually planned on moving in with my parents and settling in Arizona but have had to bump up our timetable. We have therefore spent the last 4 days packing up our beautiful new townhome (thankfully rented) and are planning on making the drive to Arizona this week. We are hopeful that Jeff can get a job in Arizona since the licensing laws are slightly different there and that we'll be able to get back on our feet soon.

Although this has been one of the worst weeks of my life, I must reflect on all the wonderful blessings that I have in my life. I have two healthy and beautiful children that are too young to be affected by any of this drama. I have a husband who has been my rock and provided endless hugs through my near constant crying. I have parents who have a home that we can live in while we get on our feet. And we have countless other relatives and friends that have provided financial and emotional support. I know the Lord has a plan for my family and that we will get through this difficult time.