Little, Little Ladybug - Keira

Keira Christina Eve

Keira was born right when I wanted her to. With only a 3 hour labor she was born on May 19, 2008 at 12:34 pm. She weighed 7 lbs 10 oz., with a head full of long dark hair. My first child to be born with hair. No one took to Jake as immediately as she did.

As a baby she did everything early. She started smiling at 2 weeks. When other babies were starting to roll over she was starting to crawl just at the end of 4 months, she rolled over at 2 months.

Keira is what we call a charmer. She bats her eyelashes and gives you a smile and then she can get anyone to do anything for her, especially be picked up. She is partically good at working her magic on Grandpas. When she isn't working her charm magic, she is in a permament scowl. Just ask Aunt Becky all about it. I fequently have poeple ask me if she hates them. I tell them "No. She just looks like that with everyone."

She loves to play dress up. She really loves playing with Barbies. She spends hours in her room playing with her Barbie house, undressing and redressing her Barbies. It is also her favorite thing to do at Grandma's house. Her favorite movies are anything that has Barbie in it. She always chooses "Magic of the Rainbow" first.

Keira just turned 3 and is going to be going to preschool in the neighborhood this year. She is really excited to get a new packback and go to school like the big kids. I'm really looking forward to having a few hours to get my sanity back.

Keira's best friend is her kiki (pink blanket) and her sister. Anytime I tell her she has to leave her kiki behind she says "But I love her.". Keira would wear a dress or skirt evey day if it were up to her. She really likes to wear stretch pants underneath them too. Despite having the girly dress gene, she hates to have her hair done. Anytime I give her a ponytail she has pulled it out within an hour. She once told me she likes having her hair in her eyes. I don't get it.

When I asked Keira what she wanted to be when she grows up she looked at me with a look of duh and said "Tall". May she take after her sister and aunts.

Keira is a very snuggily girl. When you sleep with her she must be touching you. If you start not touching she just keeps scuching over until she is right in your back. And when she looks at with her emerald green eyes, you just melt. She can be the sweetest girl or the biggest brat. You never know what you're going to get, but I sure do love my sweet little ladybug.

My Ethan Bug

Ethan Michael Leman

Ethan decided to come on one of the hottest days of the year. He was born on June 11, 2006 at 12:29 pm. Ethan was my biggest weighing in at 7 lbs 14 oz. And finally I had a baby that looked more like me than Jake. Unfortunately he was born with cataracts in his left eye and had to have surgery to get a new lens at age 2. He now has to wear glasses that I can never get him to wear.

Ethan has always wanted things done in a certain way, his way. Everything must be just right or he has a mini melt down. Ethan loves to make up and sing songs. Our favorite game to play is "Know what I love?". The answer is always the other person, but we have fun guessing. He also has an odd love for long sleeve shirts, even in the summer.

He loves to play with his brothers and sisters but is just as happy or happier to play by himself. He is also very competetive. He really likes playing with his DS. Ethan's favorite thing is taking pictures and altering them on his DS. He really likes building things with Bionicles and Legos. He is really creative. He also loves being outside. He likes playing store in the playhouse.

When I asked Ethan what he wanted to be when he grew up he told me a monster truck driver. I can totally see it. Then he said he wanted to be a boy dancer (he really, really liked watching Carli and Jordan ballroom dancing).

Ethan is the best helper. He is really fast at cleaning up his room, when I can get him to start. He likes to stay up late and clean his room so he can have extra privileges the next day. He mainly just loves to stay up late and is always the first one awake. He just doesn't seem to require as much sleep as most people.

Now that Ethan is 5, he can't wait to start school. Kindergarten here he comes. I think he is most excited to be going to the same school as Jacob and Amara. He is really good at colors and we've been working hard on learning to recognize his numbers.

Ethan is a really sweet Mama's boy and I love it. He has a really big heart and wants to share it with everyone. I'm really going to miss him when he goes to school.

Pretty, Pretty Amazon Princess - Amara

Amara Noelle Jill

Amara started things off in her own way. She was born December 18, 2003. She was due on Christmas Day (Noelle), but we had her induced a week early. Amara was born at 4 pm weighing 7 lbs. She was very exact. She was delivered by 5 nurses (the dr. went Christmas shopping and missed it) with no pushing. The first thing everyone said when they saw her was what a pretty baby she was. Even teen boys said it too.

Even from a very early age Amara has been a care taker (she takes after her aunt). Amara and Jacob would play for hours in their own little world "twin talking". Amara was the only one who could understand him. Amara did everything early. She crawled early and walked well before she turned 1.

Now at 7 she thinks she knows it all. She loves getting her hair done and she loves to braid any one's hair who will sit still. (Keira is a very good sport about it.) Last year she donated 12 inches braided hair to Locks of Love. She is currently growing out her hair to do it again. She wants me to do it with her this time. Amara loves babies and spends a good portion of her day holding Soren or "taking care of" Keira. She loves to do crafty things especially painting and has a wonderful imagination. Amara has taken dance and tumbling but has come to love playing soccer. She also enjoys being active outside - riding her bike, hiking (she just hiked to the Timp Caves with her aunt, Brenda), jumping on the trampoline, and just playing.

Amara is a wonderful student. She really loves to practice writing. Her favorite gifts are a cute notebook, pens, and a purse to carry them around in. It usually only takes her about 2 weeks to fill a notebook.

Like most girls, Amara loves playing dress up and princess. She always talks about her tea party princess party she had when she was 5. And asks when she can do it again.

When asked what she wants to be when she grows up she says a mom and a dancer, like Aunt Krista (she just watched Carli dance).

Amara is such a beautiful girl. She has always been very tall. She's had a hard time being a head taller than almost everyone in her class. She is my Amazon princess. (Definition of Amazon - A tall, beautiful woman) If it holds true that you're half your height at 2, she'll be at least 6 ft tall. I adore my Amazon and am so looking forward to seeing her grow and make decisions.

My oldest angel - Jacob

Jacob Woodruff Jr.

Jacob came into this world right on schedule. Born on May 23, 2002, right on his due date. He was born at 9:58 pm and was 7 lbs. and 8 oz., 19 1/2 inches long. (I think they measured wrong because at 2 weeks he was 23 in.) He was the best baby. He slept great, smiled a lot, and hardly ever cried. (I couldn't find my disk that has his baby pictures.)

As a little boy, he was the sweetest child. He loved helping, especially helping with his brothers and sisters. He loves to play by the rules.

Now at 9 years old, he is going into the 4th grade. His favorite color is blue. He loves building things out of legos and bionicles with his brother, Ethan. His favorite show is Ben 10 and he can quote and tell you everything about every episode. He doesn't like school at all, but he is really good at math. He is usually the top of his class in math. Jacob has a great imagination and loves to play with his siblings. He loves the outdoors. He recently hiked to the Timpanogas Caves with his Aunt, Uncle, cousins, and Amara. He loves to ride his bike, jump on our new trampoline (he has been practicing flips), and playing in the playhouse. He is a great help and takes out the trash and recycling.

Jacob is in scouts and has earned his wolf and is currently working to getting his bear.

When asked what he wants to be when he grows up he answered - a sciencetist.


His favorite past ime is playing video games. I can barely get him off his DS. Jacob is currently saving all his money to buy a DS 3D.


Jacob is a great boy who always wants to do the right thing. He hates it when people cheat. He believes everything should be fair. I love him so much and am so curious to know what is going to be when he grows up.

Back ground

I thought I would start by doing some background. I thought I would do Jake and I first, then one child a day till I reach the baby.

I was born and raised in California. Oh how I miss the beach. My favorite things to do are scrapbook, read, and be with my family and friends. I'm as girly girl as it gets. I love high heels and ruffles and pink and shiney things. I love being a mother and am so glad I get to stay home and attempt to keep some form of order in my home. I don't enjoy cooking, but I seem to have a talent for it, especially meat.

Jake claims he is from Minnesota. His favorite things to do are watch tv, read, karate, play Magic, and being with his family. He has worked 10 years as a systems engineer. So, in otherwords, he is very smart. Jake's least favorite thing is the color "school bus" yellow.

Jake and I met in September of 2000, but didn't have our first date until December. Jake first asked me to marry him on New's Year Eve of that year and then made it offical with a ring in January 2001. We were married in the Salt Lake Temple on June 30, 2001. In 2002 we moved to Saratoga Springs and after one move we are still there living in our dream home.

We have now been married for 10 years and have 5 children. So in other words we are very busy with life, soccer, karate, dance, scouts, church, work, cooking, and ect.....(the list goes on and on and on and on)

Back from the dead

So after a few years, I'm ready to get back to my blog (which only had like 3 posts anyway). But now I need to change the title, we've had an S addition. So now it's Jake and Jill and J.A.K.E.S.

It's about time

After much harassment, I have decided to at least put a semi updated post.

My sister Diana and her family is coming for a visit (the first in 3 years). I am very excited to see her. I even get to make Thanksgiving dinner. I wish I at least had some nice plates or decorations, but alas I'm pretty simple and cheap and would rather spend my money on new clothes and scrapbooking.

Give me a couple more weeks and maybe I'll post some pictures.