Joseph loves Pumpkins

Looking to the sky
Oscar Mayer posing for the camera
With his pumpkin.
Joseph loves pumpkins. He is trying to say "pumpkin" but it comes out as "pa-pum". It is so cute.

We voted.....did you?

Papa and Joseph after voting. And yes Joseph actually voted. Josh selected the candidates and Joseph pushed the final "vote" button. We are so proud of Joseph for doing his part too.
Leaving the voting stations pleased with our decision.
Was there any question that we would vote Republican?
I love living in Virginia where I really feel like my vote counts.
Proof that I did my part

The best kids show on earth!

All snuggled up ready to watch his 1 tv show a day...................."Bear in the big blue house". This is a very special 25 minutes that Joseph is very serious about. He loves this show so much, and I actually love it to. Great music, very positive, and great humor......what more could a parent want?
So here is the one tape we own of "bear in the big blue house". It has a Halloween and Thanksgiving special. Joseph doesn't mind that he has to watch the same two shows over and over......I guess he gets that from Uncle Stephen.
In the zone.....I can't believe this is the only way to keep a child still for 25 minutes.

Here is the one and only video that we own that Joseph absolutely is obsessed with. During the day he will point to the VCR to let me know that he wants to watch the episode again.

Hillbilly Halloween

In our backyard dressed as hillbillies for our Halloween Party.
My pumpkin that Joseph and I carved. Josh took some spooky pictures in the basement.
The pup joins our family photo.Yes I created this masterpiece. Amazing huh?


A close up of our Halloween costumes.

Trunk or Treat

Here we are Halloween night about to go trick or treating.
Forget candy!!! Apples are way better than that sweet stuff!
In the parking lot trunk or treating.
With Grandma.

We decided to take Joseph trunk or treating at the ward Halloween party this year. He had a blast!! He thoroughly enjoyed being in the parade, eating way too many sweets, and running around like crazy in his cookie monster costume. What a cutie!!

Going to the corn maze

My mom and decided to venture out to Christiansburg, Virginia to Sinkland Farms to give my mom a Halloween experience. It was her first corn maze and fall festival trip. We had a blast, even if we got rained on the majority of the time.
Joseph and I in the middle of the corn maze. We got lost a few times but managed to get through ok.
Mom, Joseph and I at the start of the maze. Oscar also attended the activity and helped sniff our way out.
I ran into a dear friend, Tommy Ingram, from high school at the corn maze. It had been years since we spoke or saw each other. It was great to catch up and introduce Mr. Joseph to him.
Debating on whether or not to get a pumpkin or not. Joseph attempted to say pumpkin, but it comes out as "Pa Pa". Josh is thrilled that he can say his name now, even if he is trying to say "pumpkin" instead of "dad".
Posing in front of the camera for mama!

We got to see Mit Romney!!

Mit with some friends of ours
Campaign signs
Joseph T and I blending in at the rally

Today Joseph, Papa, and I went to a political rally for a few republicans running in Virginia. Mit Romney made an appearance too. Last time was saw him, Joseph was in my tummy and was only 4 months gestation. It was so warm and nice out for a pep rally!!

Not again!!

So Joseph has found a new obsession.... He loves toilets. Everything about them he loves. He loves to pull on the roll of toilet paper, he loves to splash in the water, he loves to flush the toilet multiple times a day....but today we have another to add to the list.
Today I was using the toilet, and being the excellent mother I am, I kept the door open to watch my son in case he decided to do something naughty while I wasn't looking. Joseph decided to walk in to check on me and make sure I was doing fine. He entered in carrying a little paper notebook that I keep lists of "to do's" in. It all happened so fast at this point....He darted around the side of me and quickly slipped the notebook behind my bum into the toilet!!!!! I didn't even have time to react. I pushed him out of the room while trying to get myself together and then I managed to chase him to his room. The notebook is ruined.....but the memory will always be there.

I love this baby!!!

Joseph and I at the Greek festival in September. Aren't we cute?
Us about to ride the big pony that my friend tabitha owns.
A year ago at the beach.
Aren't my toes just yummy!!
Mr. Yellow is my comforter!!

Today I just wanted to make a post to say how much I love this baby! He is the sweetest baby I have ever met. He makes me smile all day. He keeps me running every second and entertained every moment. His newest word is "Jesus" and my mom taught him "bad bird" tonight. I just wanted to say that I am so grateful to be a mother. It is definitely the most challenging task yet, but the rewards are so great. Today I left him in the basement with Josh and as I was walking upstairs he cried "Mama, Mama, Mama"...........it completely melted my heart. What a blessing it is to have such a sweet spirit in the home.

New photos at: http://blog.joshuafarnsworth.com/

See all the photos at: http://blog.joshuafarnsworth.com/

Calling in sick for the night....

So today is a big day for me........it is the first day I have called in sick for work the entire year!! I contemplated this decision all day about the pros and cons of actually going into work today.....but I finally came to my senses and did what I had to do (I don't think carilion would be too happy about me coming to work with NICU babies sounding the way I did), I called in sick. I came down with a cold/sore throat/cough the other night at work and it has just gotten worse in the past two days. My voice has gone from it's sweet sound to either a high pitched whispering woman or a deep low voice of a man depending on how I manipulate my vocal chords. I attempted to call work today and it took me 5 attempts for the charge nurse to understand that it was Laura Farnsworth on the phone and that I was calling in sick. Once she got the point she laughed and said "yes, you better stay home tonight......and get back in bed!!". I had a wonderful evening resting up by eating waffles and by making pumpkin sculptures (pictures soon to come). I am feeling a little better......with a good night's rest......I will be as good as new tomorrow morning. Goodbye for now!!

Can I ask forgiveness?

So I am finally pleading for forgiveness. I am being called to repentance for not ever updating our blog. I know I have been pretty pathetic, but I am going to try to be better. After seeing the movie Julie and Julia a few weeks ago, I came to the realization that I could find alot of happiness in writing a blog and in pursuing new hobbies.....like cooking. I have never been that great of a writer, but I suddenly felt like I could use this as an opportunity to slow down and catch the small important moments of the day by recording them on our blog. So often a day comes and go and no record is kept of the events. I have been a horrible scrapbooker, but maybe blogging could become a new record keeping attempt? Do any of you wonderful bloggers have any tips of staying motivated or keeping your blog updated and interesting. Please send your tips my way. Anyways.......here is my official declaration..............."I now will be better about keeping up on our family records, starting today!!"

A field trip to Dixie Caverns with Josh's parents

When Josh's parents came out to visit us in September, I decided to plan a few fun activities. One of which was to visit Dixie Caverns. I hadn't been there in years and couldn't remember much about it. It ended up being extremely entertaining and gave us wonderful memories. If you are ever in the mood for a redneck cavern experience............then Dixie Caverns is the place for you.


Inside the cave.
Yes....believe it or not....the tour guide volunteered to touch a bat in the cave so I could get a good picture to show to others.
Before going in to the wonderful caves.

Group shot..................Everyone SMILE!!

A trip to UVA for a doctor's appointment for Joseph

Joseph still needs to go for check ups for a medical condition he has called Hydronephrosis. He most likely will grow out of this problem, but in the meanwhile he has to visit the Nephrologist every few months.Joseph got the royal treat of a bottle of milk to calm his nerves before seeing the doctor.
Running around UVA's campus afterwards for fun.



The ultimate treat of seeing his girlfriend Olyvia and eating lunch after his doctor's appointment

My trip to Time Out for Women in Richmond, VA

Triple Trouble!!! Having dinner in a sketchy restaurant in the middle of the Ghetto in downtown Richmond.
Part of our Relief Society.
Proof that we made it!
More women from our stake.
A bunch of crazy groupies posing with Mark Mabry (photographer for "reflections of Christ").

Stephen's wedding July 2009

4th of July Celebrations

Some of my fabulous YW that are the greatest.
The whole clan including the love birds (aka Stephen and Savannah)
An attempt to take a family picture.
Can you believe this.......................Amazing......I wish I were this creative.
A local turkey we met at the festivities.

A hiking trip up Tinker Mountain

Starting off the hike already looking tired!!
I used to hike this mountain as a child, but didn't remember the unimpressive view from the top....
It started raining on the way down and Oscar Mayer got soaked!
The tough guys, Josh and Joseph.
Hiking just makes me so tired........good thing I have a good papa to carry me.

Laura decided to get her hair cut off. Doesn't it look beautiful?

Laura & Joseph at the Palmyra temple

Joseph doing a little reading at the Hill Cummorah


Josh's new portrait, by Laura

Funny!

Amazing !!! You've gotta watch this!

Socialized Healthcare protest at Democrat "town meeting"

Drive-through Zoo

This is the best zoo in the world! Josh's sister Heather & her family drove down from Washington DC to visit & we took them to the zoo. You can drive your car through the zoo and Joseph & his cousins loved it. If you come visit us we'll take you, since it's an hour from us in Virginia! http://www.virginiasafaripark.com/

Sunset Beach, North Carolina (A hidden treasure)

This is one of our favorite vacation spots back east. White baby powder sand, very warm water, very hot sun, historical sites...much better than the west coast!

Get your Hankie ready

Joseph's true love

what a weiner dog will turn you into...

santa in march?

What feeding an infant chocolate will do

Warning: infant eating chocolate

The Giggle monster

some more pictures

Fun photoshoot

Here are some fun photos that Josh took in the studio and then some are just some we took at home. Joseph LOVES to get his picture taken.

Easter!!!!

Where did the Farnsworth Family blog go?

Believe it or not.....our family is still alive. I know many of you thought we dropped off the face of the planet since we have not updated our blog in 5 months. Our family has had a series of ups and downs....and blogging didn't jump to the top of my list during alot of these moments. Here are a few of our highlights from the past 5 months.

www.joshuafarnsworth.com

Josh has finally got his photography business up and running again here in Virginia. His website is: http://www.joshuafarnsworth.com/ and his blog is: http://www.blog.joshuafarnsworth.com/
If you've got any friends on the east coast, please email them his websites, in case they know of someone getting married this spring or summer!

Christmas Photo Shoot

Last night I shot these photos of my little family and with Laura's parents. Merry Christmas to everyone!

Our home is almost finished!

We've had requests from several people to see what our home looks like now that we're nearly finished remodeling. Please excuse the mess! We haven't included the master bath & bedroom, since it is full of Christmas messiness. About all we have left to finish is the crown moulding and a few electrical outlets and switches.


What we see when we answer our front door (living room to the right and dining room to the left...half bath door just on the left).




Hallway from living room to laundry room & kitchen



Josh has always wanted a blue kitchen with colonial white cabinets!

Stairs down to our walkout basement (the only carpeted room)

Entryway stairs to go to our 2nd floor

Joseph's bedroom & bathroom

Our dream closet!

The office/3rd bedroom (3 bedrooms in all and 2.5 baths).

Driving & Hiking the Blue Ridge Parkway

For those of you who don't know, we live in the middle of the Blue Ridge Mountains. There is a world famous scenic byway, called the Blue Ridge Parkway, that runs through Tennessee, North Carolina, and Virginia and happens to be several miles from our home. People come from all over the world to see the amazing autumn colors.

We met some wonderful Chinese people who were driving to see the Parkway.

Hiking the Appalachian Trail!! (Nov 8th)

Josh has wanted to hike on the Appalachian trail since he was a boy!

Apple Orchard Falls, along the Appalachian Trail.

Finally! Gass dropped below $2.00!!! (now it's $1.39 in Roanoke!!).

Halloween 2008

Halloween just so happens to be one of the Farnsworth's favorite holidays!

This was our first Halloween party in our new Virginia home (well, our first party ever in our home).

Annie & Ned Diviney are such cute kids

Brent & Laura Williams and Matt & Jess McBride

Pugal & Sheila Selvaraj & their kids

Correy Diviney and Laura's brother Stephen

Laura spent hours making these "pupcakes" since Halloween is Oscar's birthday

Our ward Halloween party. Josh has a Gorilla mask, but couldn't wear it here. His costume, he is sure, will come in handy in the future...heh, heh, heh...

Greek Festival

Every Friday night Laura's parents watch Joseph & Oscar so we can go on a date. Since Roanoke has soooo many fun family things going on all the time, we found an anual Greek Festival. They had great Greek food, Greek dancing & Greek music. We've gotta go to Greece!

Please listen to this...Glenn Beck and Ezra Taft Benson

Prophetic Warnings Coming True

Baptism of Howard Parker

Josh was asked by his friend Howard Parker to baptize him into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. His wife Lavonne, Elder Hamren, and Elder Mills (full time missionaries for the church) are pictured above. Howard said this was the most special day in his life. If anyone has any questions about our beliefs visit: www.mormon.org or www.lds.org

Visiting Our Dear Friends the Binghams in Norfolk, Virginia

We had a great trip to visit our wonderful friends, the Binghams, in Norfolk, Virginia. They moved 5 hours from us for Josh to go to Medical School, so we are so excited to be able to visit them. Josh Bingham reads the scriptures with Brody every night before bed.


Cami took us aboard the USS Wisconsin, a warship that fought in WWII, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the 1st Gulf War. It was exceptionally fun! Josh made this photo look like it was taken during WWII on Photoshop.


Brody really enjoyed seeing the ship from his stroller.

Our Josh chatted with this Navy Veteran who fought in WWII, the Korean War, and Vietnam!!! We are so grateful for people like this man.


Two friends goofing off...what's new? Cami and Laura are such great friends from the "Provo days."


Another multi-war Veteran that Josh made friends with.

Josh shot this photograph of what he thought was a Naval induction.





Joseph loves laying down in his stroller.


Following is a touching series of photographs documenting the joyful process we see every night as we put Joseph to bed (this is in the Bingham's crib).

Virginia Beach with the Binghams

Following is a frame-by-frame series of images, shot by Laura, capturing the joys of parenthood in a slow motion documentation...this'll make you laugh! All you parents will totally relate with this.


Stage 1: "Bliss"

Stage 2: "Ignorance"

Stage 3: "Surprize"

Stage 4: "Disgust"

More Laura Photos

Josh's favorite baby photo of Laura.

As promised, Laura's "amazing" days of braces bangs, and round glasses! This is the woman that fellowshipped Laura's family into the church.

More "amazing" days of Laura!

Laura's special day: February 1st, 1984

Don't look too close at Laura's questionable pose in this picture...yikes!

Doesn't this explain so much? This is where it all started!

A little History: Laura

Laura & Stephen ready for school at Roanoke Catholic private school.

Doesn't Laura resemble her grandmother Rucker slightly?

We haven't scanned many of Laura's photos yet, but check back & we'll have more goodies (i.e. the bangs, glasses, & braces!!).

A Little History: Josh

My sister Tara was almost always mean to me...

...but sometimes she was nice.

Always a true blue BYU Cougar fan!!

Don't I look a lot like Joseph?

One of my first tragedies!

I have many memories as the youngest of 10 children. Can you find me?

This was where I grew up, in Anabella, Utah...hicksville, but a dream come true for a child!

This is before my family built a Navajo hogan as an east wing. Notice the thousands of acres between my house and the mountains. That was my "play ground"!

This was the day I got baptized into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (http://www.lds.org/) by my dad (March 1988). This was a very special day for me.

Our Little Puppy Dog!

Josh shot these photos of Joseph on our back deck just after Joseph's bath today...How cute!!

Our living conditions for the past 3 months

For all of you who have been dying to see where we have been living for the past 3 months since we moved to Virginia. I finally took pictures the day we moved out. This is the bedroom I grew up in since I was 4 years old. Now as a 24 year old woman, I have been living here again. Not by myself but now with two roommates. Living in a tiny room with in a tiny double bed (which broke after the first week living there......I guess putting over 300 lbs in an antique bed would surely break at least one part of it?) with a six foot two husband and a newborn baby was quite the adventure. Now we are living in our beautiful new home with much more room. I will post pictures later this week.
I was worried that Joseph would never let go of his pack and play to transition into his real crib.
Someone was supposed to be sleeping.....but Mama found someone just playing around instead.
That face is to die for!!!

Some random photos

Grandpa teaching Joseph to box.
Joseph in his brand new room!!
Joseph loves playing with Papa. Papa is the one that makes him laugh the loudest!!
Enjoying the swing that sweet Auntie Heather let us borrow.
Playing with Grandma on the ground

Are you sure we aren't in West Virginia?

Well, I thought we were a pretty civilized family until last weekend. My mom made a lovely turkey dinner for our weekly sunday gathering. Afterwards Josh inquired about letting Oscar have some. Instead of a few pieces of turkey, he put the entire turkey carcass out in the backyard. Let's just say it made the pup's entire year.

Grandma's rock!!

Grandma's are awesome. My mom is constantly thinking about ways to make us all happy. She is a nurse at a doctor's clinic and works with another nurse that owns this cow. This isn't any ordinary cow though. This cow taps it's foot and sings "don't worry, be happy". She instantly thought how much Joseph would enjoy this crazy stuffed animal and asked to borrow it for the weekend. We about ran the batteries out because of how funny it was......and joseph absolutely loved it!!
Still a little nervous about his singing friend!

My gratitude goes out to my amazingly entertaining family!!

Uncle Stephen is definately one of Joseph's favorites.
I know this looks funny........but unfortunately this child has been cursed with the most horrible genes for eyesight. I wouldn't be surprised if Joseph were wearing glasses in a few years....so sad!
The entertainment just kept coming and coming!!

Late photos of the beach trip

Catching some rays at the beach!
As a mother it is my duty to try to encourage my children to have as much fun as I am having. In this case, convincing Joseph to dip in the New England ocean didn't go over as well as I thought it would.
At the Agricultural Fair at Martha's Vineyard
My favorite exhibit.....the veggie contest!!
Bless those creative minds out there!!

Good morning Mama and Papa

This is the face I wake up to every morning. Am I dreaming or what? He is my sweet little prince.
Joseph loves his once a day "naked time". I do not lie when I tell you this........but this was how he positioned himself this morning. Can you tell he enjoys posing for the camera?

The thermostat is not working?

So a week ago we finally moved into our somewhat finished house. The thermostat was broken and since it was still nice weather we weren't in a huge hurry to replace it. Well mid week we had lots of rain storms that has now lasted about 4 days. So we have been bundling up to keep warm. I kept Joseph in PJs for 3 days straight hoping that would keep him snug.
I even broke out my good old freshman BYU hoodie that most girls at BYU have at least one of to keep warm.

One of our first date nights

Josh and I went out one of our first dates a couple of weeks ago and left Mr. Joseph with Grandma and Grandpa. He was so smiley and happy when we got back that I had to take a few pictures.

A smooch from Joseph's Number One woman in his life..............His pretty Mama!!!

The Lounge Lizzard showing off his tummy.

Joseph letting me know exactly how he feels about me leaving him to go have an enjoyable night with Papa.

My disapproval.

Joseph is my newest dance partner. We sing "Dance Baby Dance Dance Dance!!" and he shakes it and laughs.

BATH TIME!!

One of Joseph's first baths. It's a fun time for him to wiggle around and splash in the water. Grandma Nanz was my wonderful assistant.
That face just makes my day!!

Josh's New Photography Blog

We've posted some of Josh's favorite photographs that he's taken over the years at a new blog: http://farnsworthphoto.blogspot.com/

Please let him know which photos are your favorites as he's trying to narrow them down for gallary submission. The blog address is also linked at the top left of this blog.

New England Summer

Laura & Joseph at Walden Pond, Mass.










We let Mother Nature take care of Joseph for the night on this lovely forest bed! JK. Who would leave their 2 month old baby in Sleepy Hollow Cemetary?

In Sleepy Hollow Cemetary, Josh found some possible relatives.

We had a nice time at the Minuteman National Park in Concord, Mass.

We visited the home of John & Abigail Adams in Quincy (Braintree), Mass.

We got on a ferry & spent a week on Martha's Vineyard island. The beaches were great & we had hot sun all week! Below is sunrise at a beautiful town called Vineyard Haven.

This is our favorite home on the island. We seem to take pictures of it every year when we return.

The Farnsworths, Laura's family & cousins, and the Polleys (great friends who live on Martha's Vineyard.

Joseph's 1st Official "Photoshoot" by Papa

Joseph's Papa finally unpacked the studio equipment for Joseph's 1st official photoshoot. Oscar is an old shoe at this sort of thing (as you'll notice in older posts).

Joseph's Birth Video

We are excited to share video from Joseph's birth.  It has been edited for content and time.  This is very special to us and hope you find it special too.

Sunset Beach, North Carolina 4th of July

We took our newest little beach bumb to Sunset Beach in North Carolina for the 4th of July weekend. He really loved laying under the umbrella while his parents & Grandma Rucker soaked up the sun.


Josh & Laura boogie boarded in the warm, shallow water while Grandma watched Joseph. The sand at this beach is nicer than Mexico. It feels like baby powder.

We caught Joseph smiling in his sleep......wonder what he's dreaming about.

How NOT to buckle a baby in a baby bike carrier!

When Papa Josh saw this mess, he fixed things immediately, which made Joseph a lot happier! He slept most of the bike ride across the island.

Laura's brother Stephen, still being a single bachelor at 26, by default falls to the bottom of the "seat chain" (like food chain...sometimes I've got to explain my humor). So ladies, please give him a call asap to prevent this neglect: (801) 592-2705

Joseph was so happy to get the sunscreen & sand washed off.

At the beach again! The tide came in so quickly that the water swept under Joseph. Luckily his Papa grabbed him before he got any water in his face.

Joseph's Blessing

In our church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (http://www.lds.org/) instead of baptizing babies (we wait until they're old enough to choose for themselves) the father, or another worthy man gives a Priesthood blessing to the baby. This was a special time for our little family.


Josh's sister Heather drove from Washington D.C. & brought her husband Colby & daughters Olivia (left) & Samantha (right). We sure love these little cuties!


Laura's Aunt Kathy, Uncle Ron, & cousins Lisa & Michelle also drove down from Washington D.C. for this special event. It sure was special having them here.

A few days of rest in Roanoke

Laura's dad recently sold his little old airplane & bought a slightly bigger old airplane. It is a Bonanza V-Tail 4 seater plane from the 1950's. Josh's parents, Paul, & Josh had a fun flight over Roanoke, Lexington, Washington & Lee University, Virginia Military Institute, & Southern Virginia University. They landed in Martinsville for burgers, and then flew back to Roanoke.




Josh's parents joined us at the Floyd Country Store, a famous spot for Bluegrass music and clogging.

Watch this amazing video Josh took. You'll want to come to Floyd! We live about 20 miles from Floyd. Before playing this video, make sure you pause the music play list at the bottom of the blog.

We had a fun time showing Josh's parents the Mill Mountain Star, "the largest man-made star in the world." (As opposed to the largest non-man-made star in the world???..go figure!)

Evil blood sucking vampire?

No, it's just Gramps Rucker holding his first grandchild, Joseph Taylor Farnsworth at Joseph's welcome party.

Joseph's "welcome to the world" cake that Grandma Rucker bought for his party the night before the blessing.

Quick Historical Trip to thank Josh's parents

We had a very fun time visiting Monticello (Charlottesville, VA), estate of 3rd U.S. President Thomas Jefferson. We took Josh's parents on this few day trip to thank them for helping us move across the country.


Josh's parents, Mel & Renee, in Williamsburg, Virginia


Laura was a bad girl at Williamsburg, so she had to pay for roudiness!

At Jamestown in an indian house.

Moving across America

So we left Lehi, Utah to move across the U.S.A. to Roanoke, Virginia. Joseph was only one week old when we left, but the doctor said it was alright. He slept most of the way...we even caught him sleeping at the wheel a couple times! Oscar did great too.

Wildflowers for the new mama



We stopped off in Omaha to see Josh's Sister Sabra & her family, who had just returned from living in Italy. Josh & Sabra holding their new babies, Joseph (1 week) & Isabella (3 months). Joseph was almost as big than Isabella! Sabra's husband Cliff was too camera shy, so you won't see him.

Oscar needed some more doggy food along the way

More Hospital Photos

Joseph's Papa Josh decided to get him his first big present, a 4 foot tall Giraffe! It goes well with his Safari room.

Dr. Richard Holmes did an incredible job delivering Joseph. He stopped by on Joseph's birthday after we all had a chance to get some much needed sleep.

Josh, Cammie, & Broady Bingham were our second hospital visitors (Josh's parents were first).


The Binghams brought Laura's absolute favorite food in the world: Pepperoni Pizza! This was heaven to Laura.

Our great friends Ryan, Cristina, & Teague Fritzsche also stopped by the hospital to see Joseph. Cristina picked a bouquet of beautiful wild flowers for Laura.

Joseph loved the nursery. He was born at a very busy time, as you can see in this row of "small" babies.

Dr. Holmes performed the Circumcision on baby Joseph. He actually didn't cry at all during the procedure.

Three best friends and One new family

Proud Papa

Papa's two Angels finally at home

The world's newest BYU football Fan!

Joseph Taylor Farnsworth Born June 9th, 2008 at 2:20 am

Announcing baby Joseph Taylor Farnsworth, born Monday June 9th, 2008 at 2:20 am at the Utah Valley Regional Medical Center in Provo, Utah. This boy weighed in at a whopping 11 pounds - 2 ounces!!! He was the most popular baby in the hospital! Joseph came out with the cord around his neck and a knot in the cord. Joseph also had Meconium staining, but that was cleared quickly. We're calling Joseph the miracle baby.



Inducing takes quite a while!




The whole labor was around 6 hours, with 2.5 hours of hard pushing. He was induced around 1pm on June 8th.




The Resident Doctor, Spencer, from Hawaii suggested we take some fun photos before the real pushing began.
This is the real pushing. I held one of Laura's legs & counted for the nurse & doctors.

Baby Joseph's first ever photograph (non-ultrasound photo, that is).

Joseph liked the heat lamp bed. I couldn't stop staring at him. I felt so bad for Laura because she had to get stitched up while I was looking at our beautiful little sumo wrestler.

Here's the proof! 11 lbs. and 2.1 oz!!! All the staff were so excited!

Finally Laura got to hold this little man after the placenta was delivered & she was stitched up.

The most proud Papa in the whole world!

The nurses were all amazed at this big 11 pound 2 ounce boy. The word spread around the hospital about this huge baby & Joseph sudenly became a superstar that all the nurses wanted to visit!

After we spent some time with Joseph on the 5th floor's Labor & Delivery unit, I went down to the nursery for a physical (for Joseph, not me) while Laura was moved to our new room. This was an amazingly special hour for me to hold my wee boy's hand & rub his soft tummy.

Eye medicine wasn't very fun!

A night of many firsts: Joseph's first bath. He turned red during this fun time.

Almost every baby immediately stopped crying once they started having their hair washed.

Does this give you some perspective? The little hispanic baby (Jasmine) behind Joseph is a normal size of 7 lbs. Our baby is huge!!!

Oscar's Lazy Days

Food Storage

So we thought we'd try something new to get baby Joseph to come faster since running hills didn't work...canning food storage! We are so grateful that we were finally able to get our food storage bought, canned, & boxed. Now when the price of food sky rockets or when there's a food shortage, we'll be safe. The church sells the food in bulk at cost and then loans the food canner out for free! You can see more about the church's self-reliance program: http://www.providentliving.org/

Josh's Sister Tiffany's Birthday Party

My sister Tiffany & her daughter Asia happened to be staying with us for Tiffany's birthday, so we threw her a small party.

Memorial Day: Television Inventor

We visited the grave of Philo Taylor Farnsworth, 1st cousin of Josh's Grandpa and inventor of the television. I'll bet you didn't know you had the Farnsworths to thank for your endless wasted hours!

Laura's Baby Shower

Laura Reeder and Cristina Fritzsche (Laura's two best friends) threw a spectacular baby Shower for my lovely wife. I wasn't invited, but I sure got some amazing leftovers!

Left to Right: Cristina Fritzsche, Laura Farnsworth, and Laura Reeder.

Laura Reeder flew from Mesa, Arizona to give this amazing shower for my wife. Thanks Miss Reeder!

Isn't my wife Laura so cute as a pregnant woman? I think so!

Baby Joseph's coming soon!!!

We haven't made a post in a while. This little boy has been kicking & ready to come. His due date is June 3, 2008. We are so excited to meet him!

Oscar Mayer Farnsworth

This our puppy "Oscar Mayer Farnsworth." Laura swore she'd never have a dog, but her heart melted and now she's in love! What a great way to prepare for parenting. We have had several "know-it-alls" correct us on the spelling of Oscar's name, telling us it should be spelled "Meyer", so I decided to kindly prove them wrong! That's why the Oscar Mayer logo is now on the blog. And no, we didn't pay for professional photos of our dog...we're not that weird! I took them with my studio lighting.

Laura passed her Nursing Boards !!!

Happy Mother's Day Laura!

Roanoke Move

Our new home in Roanoke, Virginia

Laura after hiking to Apple Orchard Falls in Virginia

Bluegrass & Clogging at "The Floyd Country Store" in Virginia. This place is soooo much fun!

Stephen Rucker's BYU Graduation

Laura's brother Stephen graduated from BYU April 24, 2008 in Spanish...now if he could only find a good wife...we're currently accepting applicants...

Snowed In!

It snowed so much & the wind was so strong that the highway to our house was closed. Laura had to stay at Uncle Newell's house in Highland while Josh stayed home & played Mike Tyson's Punchout!

Josh & Paul's Flying Fun

Josh went flying again with Laura's dad Paul Rucker in Roanoke. We flew over Smith Mountain Lake at Sunset! Wow!

Cookie making with Fritzsches

Laura & Cristina going crazy in the kitchen while Ryan & Josh play a video game



Our little Oscar just killed Jack, an American Bulldog!

Our February Birthdays

We had a 80's birthday party to celebrate Laura's birthday (Feb. 1st) and Josh's birthday (Feb. 5th).




The Cheesecake Factory for Josh's Birthday

Laura's Mom Visits Utah

Visit to the Salt Lake City Temple (http://www.lds.org/temples/geographical/0,11380,1899-1,00.html)

Nancy wanted to see Las Vegas, and did she SEE Las Vegas!!!

Laura & Nancy with Josh's parents Mel & Renee in St. George, Utah

Christmas: Philadelphia, New York, Massachusetts, & New Hampshire

I LOVE ROCKY !!!! (Philadelphia)

The actual spot where Rocky Jumps up and down!!!

Independence Hall where our great

nation began.

Josh & the Dalai Llama at the Liberty Bell

Laura at the Liberty Bell exhibition center.

Burial place of Benjamin Franklin

"City Tavern" where founding fathers like John Adams

& Benjamin Franklin ate...Est. 1773

This is really good food.

(http://www.citytavern.com/)

"Martha Washington's pot pie"

Philadephia's China town

Get your "bling" in downtown "Philly",

ya know what I mean"Dawg"..."word."

At Broadway for "The Farnsworth

Invention" (about Josh's relative) with

good friend, and local, Gene Murphy.

Ground Zero

Looking at New Jersey in background

Gene Murphy (lives on Long Island) gave us a several day tour around Manhattan. It was such a fun few days.

Time Square was sooooo crowded, but amazing.

Braintree, Mass. Home of my hero John Adams

Burial tomb of John Adams in burial tomb of

Unitarian church in Braintree, Mass.

Cousin Beth Hinchliffe & her amazing dad Bob Hinchliffe, veteran of WWII.

Josh reading with Henry David Thoreau at

Walden Pond, Concord, Mass.

Josh breaking the ice for a swim in Walden Pond?

We got to meet Mitt Romney, Ann Romney, and some of his family at a restaraunt in Concord, New Hampshire during the 2008 primary elections. We were on TV, radio, and newspapers.

The Amerscot Bed & Breakfast at Stow, Mass. was a

little piece of heaven (http://www.amerscot.com/)

We spent a very family-friendly New Years in Boston, Mass. our favorite U.S. City.

Christmas Trip: Washington D.C.

Joshua Taylor Farnsworth next to statue of Television inventor

Philo Taylor Farnsworth (Grandpa's 1st cousin)

Josh & Laura at WWII memorial in Washington D.C.

Josh's brother Stephen at Whitehouse (on leave from Army Basic training)

Samantha, a.k.a. "Sammy" putting treats out for Santa Clause.

Sammy & Olivia's Christmas doll house

Josh, Stephen, and Colby (Josh's brother-in-law) on a private tour of the whitehouse. Colby works at the Special Forces Legislative Affairs office in Washington D.C. & got us VIP access to the Nation's Capitol
!

Stephen resting his feet in the Capitol.

Laura and Brigham Young in Capitol.

Laura & her mom Nancy at national arboretum

Steve & Sammy sleeping after a long day of walking.

Washington D.C. Temple (http://www.lds.org/temples/main/0,11204,1912-1-52-2,00.html)

Smithsonian Air and Space Museum...way cool!

Sammy about to get rabies from dirty squirel.

Pre-Christmas in Utah

Temple Square Christus statue. Left to Right: John Avery & Girlfriend Cheryl, Laura, Josh, & Pugal Selvaraj (Josh's business partner)
Pugal's 2nd time to Temple Square in Salt Lake City

Laura Reeder & Laura at Nursing dinner

Cutting Christmas trees with Cristina & Ryan Fritzsche

"Geez Oscar! My mouth was open!!"

Laura & Josh exercising their 2nd amendment rights!

Christian's and Mo's Halloween Party

Another Halloween party that we attended. We were lucky enough to take part in a competitive cookie decorating contest. My cookie won the "best Halloween themed" cookie and Josh's won "most random" cookie. We were very proud of these accomplishments. When there is competition at Halloween, Josh and I are always the first in line to sign up.

Our Halloween Party

We had sooo much fun at our Halloween party. Good friends and good food always make a great time. We carved pumkins and played games together. I always fall more in love with Josh every Halloween, due to his willingness to always embarass himself with his costumes to make me happy. Josh was a bumble bee and I was a pretty flower.

Drive on the Aspen Loop

A trip to the Alpine Slides

Adventure to timp caves part 1

Adventure to timp cave part 2

We found a few dates for our ancestors

The newest addition to our family....the GUN!!! part I

The newest addition to our family....the GUN!!!

We did it!!!!!!!

Fun with the polleys

Look at us go!

Deep sea fishing

Stephen and Josh Slaying them!!!!!

Crazy pops

Sweet!!
Keep Reeling!!!!
Competition between the men.

Riding the horses at Martha's vineyard

Woo Hooo!! Riding cow boy and girl!!




















Go get them stephen!!

I was so excited that Josher Posh was home. I couldn't resist making a sign to welcome him home from montana.

A few more goreous picturs of Glacier National Park

Our amazing trip to Glacier National Park in Montana. What do you think.....pretty gorgeous huh?

Josh's love for his hobby of fly fishing. I enjoy laying out by the shore, catching some rays and watching my sweetheart fish in the water.

Biking up in Montana!! Such a fun adventure

Here is our first post. Thought we would try this out and see how it goes. Here are a few pictures of us in our trip to Norway. We had so much fun and really enjoyed the relaxation we got.