Is This Kid Cute Or What?

So I just love this picture of Ethan even thought it's blurry. He color-coded his tower! I'll say, "Ethan, you're so smart." And he'll say, "Yes, and cute."

Uncle Tyler, Brookie, Lauren, Bennett, Dad, and Ethan
Ethan loved swimming with his cousins
Here's Ethan with "Super Mike." That's what he calls Uncle Mike now.

Welcome to Holland

I can best describe my feelings today by relating the following story by Emily Perl Kingsley.

When you're going to have a baby, it's like planning a fabulous vacation trip - to Italy. You buy a bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum. The Michelangelo David. The gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It's all very exciting.
After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, "Welcome to Holland."
"Holland?!?" you say. "What do you mean Holland?? I signed up for Italy! I'm supposed to be in Italy. All my life I've dreamed of going to Italy."

But there's been a change in the flight plan. They've landed in Holland and there you must stay.
The important thing is that they haven't taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. It's just a different place.

So you must go out and buy new guide books. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met.
It's just a different place. It's slower-paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you've been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around.... and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills....and Holland has tulips. Holland even has Rembrandts.

But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy... and they're all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life, you will say "Yes, that's where I was supposed to go. That's what I had planned." And the pain of that will never, ever, ever, ever go away... because the loss of that dream is a very very significant loss. But... if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn't get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things ... about Holland.
(The End)

Today is Oliver's due date, and although I'm heart broken, I am trying to understand God's will, as well as all the beautiful things I have in my life. Things in Krista's life have always gone according to plan, but I guess it's safe to say that this doesn't always happen. Because of it, I am learning and progressing as I suppose is needed. And for that I am glad.

We love you Oliver!

A Weekend to Remember

I had a great time at Women's Conference a week ago. I went with my mother-in-law and my 7 sisters-in-law. We stayed at a cabin in Sundance and had a great time. The classes were very good, and I'm so glad I was able to go. We also did a "favorite things" party, and I came away with some cool gifts. It was wonderful to be on BYU campus again. It reminded me of all my good times there - very nostalgic. So all these things were great, but I must confess that I absolutely loved being there without Ethan. I felt independent and free! Thanks to friends and Steve for helping to make this happen. Of course, I was ecstatic to get back to Steve and Ethan.

I also got to see two of my sisters, my mom, and dear Grammie. We had a great lunch together in Meg's yellow house. It was wonderful to be with Grammie.

Here's a picture of Dear Grammie Elen with Ethan when he was 10 weeks old. I just want to let everyone know that my Grammie is an amazing person and I love her. Happy Grandmother's Day yesterday!

So another amazing person is dear Momma. She graduated ... again. Two years ago, she finally got her BA from BYU. Well, now she has her master's in counseling, and she did the three-year program in two years. Three cheers for Mom! All the sisters are here, but other spouses and granchildren are missing from the Jorgo family picture. (Left to right: Meagan, Johann [John], Amy, Mom, Dad, Bethany and Brooke, and yours truly.)