An Update on the Whitmers- but Mostly Lydia

The past few posts have been an update solely on Lydia so I figured I would give a quick update on Justin and me. Justin has been at his job for a little over two months now. He is working at a geo-technical engineering firm in Bluffdale. Geo-technical engineering is what he focused his masters degree on so he is loving be able to do things that he learned in school. People always ask what a geo-technical engineer does; well, mostly they just play in the dirt. From my understanding of it, they test the soil and such before you can build things. (Yes, this is why I went into accounting instead of engineering.

Justin has been living away from Lydia and I because I was committed to finish out the month of April with work. I was glad when April 15th finally rolled around and I am very grateful for my little tax deduction.I realized I was a nerd when I got excited to find a onesie that said "Tax Deduction" on it. I bought it according to how old she would be on April 15th also. My mom has been so great as to watch Lydia for me while I go to work.
My parents have let me stay in their basement for the past two months. What great parents I have. I am still working at Cook Martin Poulson and finishing up quarterly reports. I have one more week left. I am super excited to be a stay at home mom, but at the same time I am really sad to be leaving such a great company. I have made so many good friends there and I love working and I love taxes. It is very bittersweet for me.

Another big change for us happened on April 11th. Justin has served the past year and a half as second counselor in the bishopric of our ward. About a month ago, Bishop Cook was called to be in the stake presidency of a singles stake so the bishopric got released. It has been such a great experience for us for Justin to have the opportunity to serve in the bishopric. He learned so much from Bishop Cook. Bishop Cook and Sister Cook are two of the most amazing people I have ever met. They are so welcoming and truly love everyone. They really have been great examples of what Christ like people should be like. We were definitely blessed to have this opportunity. We also learned so much from the second counselor, Nate, and his wife Julienne. Julienne and I were visiting teaching companions and I really had so much fun with her and learned so much about being a true friend and being genuinely concerned about people. I am going to miss our ward so much.We formed some really good friendships in that ward. We are looking forward to moving on and attending a family ward again, but at the same time we think it will take a little bit of adjusting for us to get used to it again.

Well, that is pretty much the update on Justin and me, so here is the update on Lydia. She is an awesome baby. She loves to be sitting up. If you position her just right she can sit up by herself (or balance herself on her little belly). She likes to hold onto my hands and she'll try to pull herself up into the sitting position. It is so cute. Another cute thing she does is if I try to give her a binky and she doesn't want it, instead of just moving away she starts to make a gagging sound until I move it. It is really funny.Lydia was able to meet the last of the grandparents. This is my Grandma Rowley ad Chester. They have been in California since the first of February and hadn't had a chance to meet her yet.

Lydia is growing day by day. It is amazing how much she has changed and grown. She loves to just lay down and kick her legs and move her arms all around. She is such a cutie!
In this picture Lydia is sleeping like how I sleep. So cute!
Lydia all ready for church. Notice her booties. They are made to look like little pink Sunday shoes with white socks. Our good friend Joan made them her. She is one of the most talented people I have ever met.This is Lydia relaxing after working all day. My dad bought her the Carhart shirt and pants (yes with a hammer holder and everything). He calls it her work clothes. Notice the cute shoes. Yep, they are little cowgirl boots, also made by the talented Joan. She also made a pair of booties that look like tennis shoes. I will have to post a picture of those later.
Isn't she the cutest little flower ever. My cousin picked this out for her. It is absolutely adorable!!Here is she taking advantage of the daddy snuggle time she can get while he visits for the weekend.
All dressed up and ready to go to church. My parents had been talking about her to people in their ward so we decided to go to church with them so they could show off their cute little grand-daughter.
Nathan has been staying at my parent's house too because Cammie has been in the hospital with pneumonia. I bought Lydia this bumbo chair and Nathan pulls up his booster seat and sits next to her every time I put her in it. What a good cousin he is.

Justin and I know that even though things have been a little crazy for us the past two months, that we have been blessed with so many things and have been given some great opportunities.