Merry Christmas!

We wish you all a very Merry Christmas! Love Larry, Mindy, James, and Johnathan

Johnathan loves food!

Johnathan has loved to eat even before he was born! And as soon as he could nurse, he did w/ no problems! And he's been a great nurser, much to my relief! So, what of solids?! Let's just say that he started off trying to suck the food off the spoon, but after a few days, he got the hang of it! Now, he won't let me forget to feed him his food! At dinner, he's right there with the rest of us!

Johnathan is a much messier eater than James, mostly because he has to suck on his fingers (his built in paci) in-between bites!

He's growing up more and more every day! Larry, James, and I are so excited with all of Johnny's little personality coming out! He's turning into quite the talker (razzing) whenever James isn't talking (which James does almost all the time)! So our house is a-buzz with little voices! Sweet music to my ears!

This is a classic "Johnny look!" That tongue, if it's not sucking fingers, it's sticking out of his mouth! Those blue eyes, I just can't get enough of them! How blessed we are to have this "sweetest little fellow" in our family!

Halloween 2010

James will be our "Knight in Shining Armor." He's 4 years old!

Johnathan will be our little "Lion Cub" for his first Halloween. He's 5 months old tomorrow!

Baby Blessing Weekend

This weekend was Johnathan's baby blessing weekend! We had a great time with both of our families!

We had an early celebration for James' 4th birthday with his cousins and the whole family at a park.

We all went up to Pilot Mountain and hiked around the rocky ridge knob at the top. Here are most of the Foxes and my Dad and sister Amanda.

The Baumgarten family side, including Laura Fox (Larry's younger sister in pink).

James with his cousins and Aunt Amanda taking a rest during the 1 mile hike.

This is our little family after the wonderful baby blessing earlier that day!

My trip to Utah

During the last weekend in June, I went out to Utah to visit my family. It had been 2 and a half years exactly since Larry, James, and I had last been out there to see them. I came out with baby Johnathan while Larry and James stayed in VA with the Foxes. The paramount reason I made this trip was to support my brother Joshua and his wife Kristen in the baby blessing of their daughter Eliza. In addition, I had the chance to see all of my brothers, their spouses, children, my aunts, and my grandma, and they had the chance to see Johnathan, who was just 4 weeks old!

Here are some of the pictures from this one-of-a-kind trip!

I stayed with my brother Joseph, his wife Martha, my two nieces Maggie and Janie, and my new baby nephew, Jack. They are such an amazing family, and I am so grateful to them for their hospitality and generosity!

Here is Johnathan and Jack - twin cousins born on May 27, 2010, both weighing 8 lbs. 7 oz. They are still about the same weight and length, even at 4 weeks! Which one is "Johnny-cakes" and which one is "Jack Jack?" They may be twins, but they don't look anything alike!

My Aunt Julie and Aunt Susie came over to visit us at Joseph and Martha's house, that first evening. They each had a baby to hold, much to Martha's and my relief! That is, until Johnathan or Jack got hungry!

On Saturday, June 26th, my brother Joseph and his daughter Maggie drove me to Vernal. We met up with my aunts and sister at the Vernal City Park where there was a softball tournament fundraiser event being held to benefit Josh's family plus two other families in need.

Here is my niece Maggie holding Johnathan. She is almost 5 years old, and she became my little buddy the whole weekend! I learned that she loves the Disney Princesses, dolls, Barbies, reading, tracing, Sunny Delight, dancing, her baby brother Jack, her sister Janie, and her parents, of course! She also loves her Vernal cousins- Kimball, McKay, Benson, and Eliza. I love you and miss you, Maggie!

Here is my oldest nephew, Kimball holding Johnathan. Kimball was also born in May, and he is Josh and Kristen's oldest son. I enjoyed watching him and his brothers jump on their trampoline and play with their Transformers. Kimball is very good at transforming Optimus Prime! Uncle Larry can't wait to play Transformers with you and your brothers, one day soon, Kimball!

Here is my sister-in-law Tamera next to our nephews McKay holding Eliza and Benson holding Johnathan. The boys were extremely loving and gentle with the babies! You trained them well, Kristen! Tamera was so sweet to help out with the babies, too. Thanks, Tamera! You're going to be an awesome mom, one day soon!

Here is a 4 generation picture with my Grandma Baumgarten, my dad, myself, and Johnathan.

Saturday afternoon, we had family pictures taken. Afterwards, for fun, I asked my 4 brothers to participate in a "Baumgarten brother" family tradition that dates back 2 generations before theirs. Our Grandpa Jack Baumgarten and his 3 brothers (Ed, Jim, and David) used to clown around a lot whenever they got together, especially as they grew up and would get together for reunions and such. My Grandma Baumgarten has a few pictures of them posing just like my brothers are doing here in this one. Each brother stands for one of the following moral virtues: "See no evil." "Hear no evil." "Speak no evil." and "Do no evil." I think I was able to convince my brothers to get as goofy as they could get.

That evening, we all went out to Mexican. Here is my brother Joshua holding Johnathan for me so I could eat. Thanks, Joshua!

Here is the Princess Eliza with Johnathan, the morning that I was to leave back home for VA. Those two look so peaceful. I think they have a slight resemblance to each other. Maybe??!! Goodness, not even James looks like Johnathan!

Here we are posing one last time before I have to leave. Josh and Kristen with Eliza, along with Johnathan and I. I truly loved having the chance to visit with Kristen (and you, too, Joshua.) Kristen, you are truly an amazing woman. How lucky is Joshua to have you as his wife and your children are to have you as their mother. Hopefully, Larry, James, Johnathan, and I can all come back to Vernal very soon and get to spend some time with you all. I love you!

Introducing our newest Fox: Johnathan Lawrence Fox!

Johnathan Lawrence Fox was born at 7:59 am on Thursday, May 27, 2010. He weighed 8 lbs. 7 oz. and was 20 3/4 inches long. He has lots and lots of brown hair with red highlights. He is a very good baby, and we are thrilled to have him in our family!

Fun at the Farm

In April, our preschool group went to a farm on a field trip. It was a blast, although there were moments when James wasn't so sure about the animals! Enjoy the pictures!

James with his friends at the beginning of the tour!

James in the chicken coop. He's nervously watching out for those chickens and holding onto that egg!

Here we are at the milking station. James wanted nothing to do with the mother cow or even to attempt to try milking her. He clung onto me for dear life! Poor kid, not much of a country boy.

We went on a beautiful ride in a wagon pulled by the farmer driving his tractor. We stopped for this photo op and to watch the longhorn cattle graze.

Here's James with one of his buddies and mother who were on the trip with us.

James pretending to drive a tractor with one of his classmates.

James and I posing before the sign of the farm after we ate our picnic lunch.

We really enjoyed our preschool group, this year. It was a lot of work, but it was worth it to work with the kids and to see how much they were able to progress! James really loved it! Thanks to all of our friends for making it a success!

"Because He Lives"

I have nothing to complain about in my life. Things are going fairly smoothly, and the Lord continues to help us keep the roof over our heads, the bills paid, and Larry's job is not in jeopardy. All of us are fairly healthy, too, and that's something I have been especially grateful for, in light of the news that one of my brother's has recently been diagnosed with brain cancer. My prayers have been more earnest than in months (something I feel badly for-that a crisis in my family would cause me to pray more sincerely than when all is well...). I pray for his well-being and that of my dear angel of a sister-in-law, his wife, who is 34 weeks pregnant with their 4th child. I know the Lord is with them, and I know that they are passing through the "refiner's fire", something we all must eventually pass through if we are to truly become like our Savior.

And speaking of our Savior, Jesus Christ, He is the One I have definitely been thinking more upon, in the wake of this Easter season. Larry is preparing to sing a song (a duet) for church in a couple of weeks. The more I've tried to help him learn his part and the music, the more the song has penetrated my heart! Excellent timing to assist bringing me a little comfort and reminding me of the eternal perspective that I need to always live with each day.

I've included the web link to the lyrics and the MP3 recording of the song Larry is going to be singing, entitled: "Because He Lives." http://www.defordmusic.com/becausehelives.htm

(click on the Allyse Smith Taylor version)

Behind the eyes of a 3 year old

James got a "kid friendly" digital camera from his Grandparents Fox for Christmas. He's taken over 600 pictures so far, and most of them are fuzzy or overexposed. But here are a few highlights from the eyes of our 3 year old photographer that I've just figured out how to upload!

"Mommy!"



"Daddy!"

James' space shuttle "Lantin" (named after the space shuttle Atlantis) on its launch pad of mega blocks.

James' 4 toy cars he pretends are the characters from "Super Why" on PBS. (from left to right:

"Super Why," "Princess Presto," "Alpha-Pig," and "Wonder Red."

Lego duplo fire station...




Basketball hoop

Red "Toilet bowl" for a marble run game.

"Radio tower with strings"--wrapping paper with yarn taped to the top and tied to wooden blocks on the floor.


Thomas the train and friends...




Today, during "Quiet Time," James took about 20 pictures of himself! Here are the best!