Merry Christmas from snowy Utah!

Well, we're here in Utah and Lincoln and Shawn are enjoying the snow; Monica, not so much. As we speak we're getting hit by a huge winter storm! The roads are a total mess but the backyard is spectacular. This morning, we all went out and played in the snow. Shawn showed Lincoln the fine art of snowball making. . .and throwing, and helped (forced) Lincoln to make his first snow angel. It was awesome!

Throwing snowballs at Grandpa Jensen

A few moments before Monica retreated to the warmth of the house

Lincoln's First Snow Angel

A few of our Favorites

Wearing Uncle John's shoes

Showing us his teeth

Using Uncle Joseph's hand grips

Lincoln wants to make sure he gets to go on Daddy's next trip!

Watching TV

Introducing....

Lincoln's smile. Up until now, we have never been able to get Lincoln to look directly at the camera. We have tons of pictures of Lincoln's profile or the top of his head. I am sorry to say that Lincoln will most likely have all of my dental problems, but it is a darling smile, none the less.

Happy Thanksgiving

Lincoln had his first play date on Tuesday. I was babysitting for a neighbor in our ward (child not pictured) and I wanted to make sure that we had fun activities. I was REALLY nervous about having 2 kids. I decided to be a little crafty and after a couple of phone calls to Nelay, Sara and Cat I was able to figure out how to make these little candy turkeys and get ideas for what we should do all day.

I would like to say that Lincoln helped make these, but really he just helped eat the gum drops.

Lincoln and I really enjoyed coloring this turkey. Interestingly enough, I found the coloring to be surprisingly therapeutic.


Lincoln is still eating gum drops in this picture!

All in all I think it was a fun play date. We chased each other around the house, played cars, colored, went to the park, made cookies ( the pre-made, pre-shaped, frozen kind you just put on the pan), obviously the candy turkeys and coloring. I think it was a good day.

I don't know....

That has been Lincoln's phrase for the week. He spreads his hands and says "I don't know", in Lincoln. The other day Lincoln came to me with an oven-mit on his hand. He wanted me to come help him open the oven. When I came into the kitchen there was a pot up on the counter. I guess he wanted to cook. Also he has been wanting to take his shirt off when he eats and then just hang out. He pounds his chest like a monkey. He just makes us laugh!

The other day I was laying on the carpet playing with Lincoln. He ran into his room got a book and came and sat on my back. Then he started "reading" the book to me! Such a funny kid!

20 Months

30 lbs heavy

32.5 in tall

Right now, Linc doesn't like to eat his veggies, unless it's V8. I kind of like drinking my veggies also.

Linc has perfected the enunciation of the word "No!" and has begun using it quite frequently . . . to our great pleasure.

He has begun telling us when he needs to poo. He does it by pointing at his bum and saying "poo!" and then he pushes real hard and his face gets really red, and then we laugh, and then we smell it and suddenly, reality sets in: Someone's gotta change him. Rock, Paper, Scissors. Anyway, we decided it was time to move the next step and get him a potty. Linc's been intrigued by it and treats it mostly like a toy. It has this soft, squishy seat you can take off and he likes playing with it more than he likes sitting on it. Oh well, it's a first step right, or a first seat I guess.

Cookie Time

Lincoln is such a GOOD helper. He loves to help with everything. The other day he wanted to help me make cookies for my Young Women's mutual activity. He helped by holding the mixer and of course he was more than willing to lick the beaters!

Shawn is trying to get Lincoln to look @ the Camera!

Linc's Vacation

While Mommy and Daddy were livin it up in Hawaii I got to spend the week at my Grandma and Grandpa Bullen's house. And I got to go back to school at Kid's Inc. My teachers were very happy to see me!! Here are some fun pics of me this week with my grandparents and uncles.

Getting into something I shouldn't :) I gotta explore my surroundings right?


Designing my future house


Uncle John is trying to teach Grandpa how to smile in pictures


Me teaching Grandma how to read


Me teaching Uncle Joe how to look good


Uncle John and his friend Erin took me to the park


Me and a bag of cookies. . .mmm!


Looking for leftovers under the table

This week I also learned a few new words: apple, Goma (Grandma) and Papa (Grandpa) and Jaw (John).

I had a really fun week. I was really happy to see Mommy and Daddy again on Friday. Yay, Family!

Swinging Cats

On Friday the 1oth, we went to the park to play and Lincoln finally swallowed his fear and allowed himself to be placed in a swing. He's never really tasted the thrill of swinging through the air on a chained piece of plastic. Voila the results:

This morning, Monica and Lincoln were looking at a book with a bunch of animals and Lincoln pointed at a cat and said "meow!" This is as close as we'll ever get to having a cat in the house!

Just a moment ago, Lincoln also barked.

He's also become very fond of kissing people on the cheek, as well as the little orange pumpkin lights we have hanging up in our kitchen.

19 Months

Lincoln is officially on his way to Toddlerhood. The past few months have been particularly entertaining for us. A few of Linc's achievements up to this point are:

• Pointing out things like: house, sign, tree, light, park, rocks, bush, shoes, head, hands, eyes, ears, mouth and nose, mouth and nose, mouth and nose, book, pumpkin, airplane, flag, Batman (Yes!), cat, dog, gorilla, monkey, giraffe, bird, elephant, alligator and a plethora of other words. He doesn't actually SAY most of these words but he points them out when he sees them.
• He knows where his bellybutton is. Which is a really important skill for a child to have!
• He can bark like a dog, moo like a cow, pwop his mouth like a fish, clap his hands together like an alligator's mouth (SNAP!), and do that chest pounding thing that gorillas and loinclothed jungle men do.
• He walks with his hands behind his back.
• He runs. . .sort of. He likes to race, which usually ends up with him falling down but he loves it anyway.


• He likes to put on other people's big shoes and walk around in them, like Monica's ruby red heels.
• He likes to hug and kiss (especially if Mom and Dad are already kissing).
  He recognizes friends and family, Jesus and President Monson in pictures.
• He just learned LOUD and quiet.
• Wow, this is a lot!
• He dances and moonwalks to the King of Pop, Michael Jackson's Billie Jean and Beat It.
• He cups his hands to the song "Bringing Home a Baby Bumble Bee" and moves his fingers to Itsy Bitsy Spider. He leads (waves his hands) music at church.
• He loves Ring Around the Rosies, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, and Nursery Rhymes.
• He "has" to be holding his remote when you turn the TV on or off (we have an old remote we gave him).
• He builds and knocks over lego towers.



• Linc loves walking on the treadmill. He'll walk a 10th of a mile!
• He raises his hand and points at himself when we ask if "someone" likes, wants, or did something. Example: "Who pooped?"
• He likes his teddy, Bearrison Ford.
• He really likes knocking on doors (it's all we can do to keep him from knocking on every door in the neighborhood when we go on walks).
• He can clap his hands and stick out his tongue.
• He says vroom vroom and makes other car noises when he's playing with his cars.
• He gives High 5s and Knuckles.
• At night and at nap times, he tells you when he's ready to go to bed by walking over and practically rockclimbing up his crib to get in.

To Monica's great and enduring pleasure, Lincoln also puts his books away, helps empty the dishwasher, vacuums, aligns his shoes perfectly together along the wall, starts the washer and dryer, and ensures the sidewalk is clear of any random rocks and pebbles that might be cluttering the walkway. He also wipes his mouth and hands and helps dust the furniture. Yes, he seems to have inherited Monica's "clean gene".

Lincoln is drawn to technology, such as cell phones, remote controls, computers, ipods, cameras, and anything with an "on/off" switch and flashing lights. Guess he has a Shawn gene as well :)

As far as talking goes, Linc always babbles with purpose but has learned these words: cow, dog, duck, Ma (Mom), Do (Dad), Mo (Grandma), Pa (grandpa), wow, hi, hello, bye bye, ow, moon, truck, ball, ding dong, waoooo (water), uh oh, Jo (doubles for both uncles, John and Joseph), gawoooo (This is airplane. . .yeah!), iono (I don't know), mine! and (Shawn loves this one) poo!

8-9am has now been officially dedicated to the watching of Sesame Street. Linc really likes Elmo and Monica really likes "Murray had a Little lamb". To be quite honest, we all kind of look forward to Sesame Street. That Jim Henson was a genius!

Lincoln loves to swim. Just put his floaties on his arms and he's off. Really! He doesn't like to be held in the pool. He's quite independent and really likes to do what he wants, whenever he wants to. We so look forward to the terrible twos! :)