Dear Roman, Happy Birthday!

Dear sweet Roman Lawrence,

I am sorry I cried when I found out I was pregnant. If you are ever living in your in-laws basement and find your wife pregnant with your fourth child, 11 months after the third, and having just applied to graduate school you might have a better idea of how I was feeling. I hope you are never in that position but please don't take the crying personal. Never doubt that we love you!
You were my hardest labor. You did not want to come out. Maybe you sensed that our time together would be short as nine days later I would be starting school again. After seven hours you were convinced to come out. What a beautiful baby -- and Adelle was there to witness it all. You nursed for the first two hours of your life and let us know for the first 24 that you were not happy about coming out. But after that you were the sweetest baby.


You father blessed you in September in the adorable outfit from Grammy. You smiled up at Grandpa during the prayer.
You were content to have me carry you everywhere I went but we were so often apart that it made me very sad. Daddy and Grandma took great care of you while I was away though.
And we got to take a trip to Ireland together. Just you, me, and Daddy. It was such a wonderful time. You were a fantastic traveler.
You were not excited about baby food at first but have come around to it. Now you eat like a Remke guy-- non stop!
Our computer crashed and we lost a lot of photos. We did another baby blessing photo shoot. The outfit is a little smaller but your laugh makes it perfect!
We spent your first Christmas in St. George, Utah with the Dahles. You got to be baby Jesus in the Nativity play but you weren't excited about holding still on the manger. You had learned to crawl and there was no stopping you.
I am pretty sure we did not let you ride on the four wheeler but only pose for this photo. But my memory is pretty much shot so who knows-- you were the fourth child!

January

(sorry about that plastic box I left on the floor--that is quite the scratch)

February

We took you to New Jersey with Grandma Donna for spring break to meet your great grandma Jenneth. I carried you all over NYC. Too bad you won't remember it.

You started walking during General Conference weekend in April. You really wanted to keep up with Jude. All of your siblings love you so much. What a joy you are to our family.

We did it! I graduated and we walked down the hill together. And one week later you are one. Happy Birthday sweet boy!

Thanks for finally sleeping through the night, being willing to go to most everyone, taking a bottle without a problem, and giving me a big smile when I come home at the end of the day.

I love you Roman!

Boys

My little twins are so adorable! It is fun to watch them playing together now. Though Jude is teaching Roman all his wild tricks. Roman is climbing all over everything but at least he has learned how to climb down feet first instead of head first. I love that they are little buddies. I think that I handle energy better than drama as a mother. I am very grateful I was blessed with these two boys!

Easter Photo Shoot

I love Easter, Spring, pastel colors, my kids (especially when they are being cute and cooperative!) I really like how theses photos Joel took turned out.

Last Spring Break Post-- West Virginia

On the way home from New Jersey we drive through Morgantown, West Virginia. The pictures above are of the Baptist church where Joel's parents were married. She was a senior at WVU and he had joined the military. They got married over the weekend, then he shipped out and she went back to class. It was fun to drive around campus and see their old stomping ground. West Virginia is beautiful. Joel's people are from this part of the state and the southern part of WV. I thought the KU campus was hilly but WVU is amazingly hilly.

Here is the dorm where Bruce and Donna had their first kiss on the front steps. And look where they are now-- 5 kids and 12 grandchildren later!