The J & J Moffitt Fam

Tyler continues to recover.

2011-07-23T20:07:00.003-06:00

Yesterday, Tyler was moved from the cardiac ICU to the "floor." He still has his drainage tubes and can get uncomfortable when his pain medication wears off, but overall he is doing quite well. This evening, especially he was giggling and playing - huge progress. We are hopeful he will have his drainage tubes removed soon so we can get that much closer to bringing him home.

Fortunately and unfortunately, his brothers and sisters won't be around when he comes home. His grandparents are taking them to California to stay for a couple of weeks. While we will miss them immensely, it will really help Tyler to have Jamie be able to focus on him during his recovery.

Again, we are immensely blessed that he is recovering so quickly. It hasn't all been perfect. There have certainly been some scares, but his overall progress has been so much greater than what we expected prior to the surgery. We give much credit to all you that have fasted and prayed for our little guy. Heavenly Father has listened to and answered those prayers. Thank you so much for your support.

UPDATE

Sunday morning and we learned that Tyler will have his chest tubes and pacer lines out tomorrow morning. Although it's probably not going to happen, there is a chance he could go home tomorrow night. That would be awesome!

Way too long between posts!

2011-07-21T16:45:00.002-06:00

It's been well over a year since our last post. Most (if not all) of you follow Jamie and/or me on Facebook, so it was easy to fall in the habit of letting "status updates" suffice. It's a lot harder to share all of your thoughts and feelings that way. We need to get back to blogging to provide the kind of detail that the important moments in life deserve.

As many of you know, our youngest son Tyler just went through heart surgery once again. This was the third of three surgeries to provide a palliative "fix" to his heart defect Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome. This surgery was the Fontan procedure. I don't have all the medical and anatomical terminology down pat to explain it. Essentially, they built a wall to keep the red and blue blood from mixing, and they put in a larger shunt to allow better blood flow as he grows. Hopefully, this allow his heart to last into adulthood.

Tyler is recovering well and is even a little ahead of schedule, We are so grateful for all your prayers on his behalf. We know our Father in Heaven is looking out for this special boy. We have truly seen miracles from above.

I hope to update more frequently. I apologize for not having any pictures, but the wi-fi spot isn't great where we're at now.

2010-06-01T20:52:00.003-06:00

KAYLIN

After a four month sabbatical we are finally updating our blog again. Instead of trying to catch up on what's been going on, we decided to continue with our "spotlight" series. Next on the list is our wonderful four-year old Kaylin.

Born in March 2006, Kaylin has filled our lives with lots of laughs. She never ceases to amaze us with the things she learns. For instance, today I found out she wants "to be a billionaire so freakin' bad." Other than Steven's spontaneous bursts of opera singing, Kaylin is easily the most vocally apt of the children. She loves to sing church songs and to sing along to the radio. It's always fun to catch her when she doesn't realize anyone is listening.

Jamie really appreciates Kaylin for all the help she gives around the house and taking care of Tyler while the kids are in school. Jamie has loved the alone time she gets with Kaylin. Although she's still over a year away, Kaylin is looking forward to the day she starts kindergarten.

Now that summer vacation is back in session, Kaylin has started gymnastics (or "tenastics," as she likes to call it). Today was her first day and she thoroughly enjoyed it. She is very excited to go back next week.

Kaylin is the ultimate girl. She loves dressing up, painting her nails, putting on make up and all those other things that girls like to do. She is definitely "mommy's little girl." Fortunately, she does like to play catch with dad, too.

We are very excited to see Kaylin continue to grow up. She is a blessing to our lives with her wonderful and happy personality.

Celebrate Life

2010-02-23T22:13:00.003-07:00

Jamie and I went to the Paul Cardall "Celebrate Life" concert in Salt Lake City for V-day this year. Paul is a local musician with a congenital heart defect. After a year+ on the waiting list, he had a heart transplant in September last year ( His surgeon is the same one that performed both of Tyler's surgeries.). This was his first public performance since the transplant. He is an excellent pianist and Jamie and I had a great time.

We doubled with some friends in our ward who recently found out that their baby is going to have HLHS, like Tyler. It's amazing how many people CHD's affect, but it's even more amazing that medicine has progressed so far that these conditions are treatable. Now if my brother Mike, who is a biomedical engineer, would just invent a cure for Tyler's condition :)

Only negative from the evening - We went to Texas Roadhouse for dinner beforehand and then topped the evening off with cheesecake from Cheesecake Factory afterward. It was great in the moment, but I ate way too much and had horrible indigestion throughout the night and the next day. I guess it's another sign I'm starting to get old.

CHD Awareness Week!

2010-02-08T21:36:00.004-07:00

This week is congenital heart defect awareness week. I still can not believe that my family has been affected by this terrible disease. Every day I have hope for my sweet little Tyler who was born with a severe heart defect. Just to give you a better idea of how many kids are affected by heart defects here are some statistics:

*Every fifteen minutes a baby is born with a CHD.

*Congenital heart defects are America’s #1 birth defect. Nearly one of every 125 babies is born with a CHD (almost 1% of all children born each year!).

*Congenital heart defects are the #1 cause of birth defect related deaths. 1 in 3 children who die from a birth defect have a congenital heart defect.

*This year almost 40,000 babies will be born with a congenital heart defect.

*In the U.S. twice as many children die from congenital heart defects each year than from all forms of childhood cancer combined. Yet funding for research of pediatric cancer is 5 times greater.

*From 1993 to 2003 death rates for congenital heart defects have declined by 31% due to advances made through research!

*There is not yet a preventative cure for any type of congenital heart defect.

*Of every dollar the government spends on medical funding, only a fraction of a penny is directed toward congenital heart defect research.

Hopefully by helping to bring awareness we might be able to find cures and give new hope to all of the sweet babies who have to fight and struggle so hard to live.

Here are a few pics of our heart baby over the last 11 months of his precious life!! We love you!

Tyler - March 6 ,2009, just a couple of hours after he was born.

March 9, 2009 - First open heart surgery, the Norwood Procedure

Recovering from the Norwood in the ICU

Our little blueberry - post Norwood. Feeling good!!

July 29, 2009 Tyler had his Glenn Procedure. Poor little guy - trying to recover.

Happy to be back home with no surgeries for a while.

Our sweet little Tyler at 10 months - happy as can be!!

Just a little update

2010-02-03T16:54:00.003-07:00

Everything has been going so good here in the moffitt household! By good, I mean that we have been staying away from the germs! All of the kids have been pretty healthy so far this winter season. Steven had some asthma trouble and a weird infection in his neck, but other than that we have all been well. I keep my fingers crossed every day that we don't bring anything horrible in this house so that we can keep our little Tyler as healthy as possible. I think a few prayers and some blessings have helped as well! The kids still love school and are doing great! kaylin loves going to the library for "story time", they also do singing and some activities and give homework. I do this once a week and try to keep Tyler away from the kids. I think it has been going well so far. Tyler has been doing so much better since our last post. He is eating better, but still hasn't gained any weight, over all he is doing so good!! I am so grateful every day, grateful for all that I have and thankful for all that we have been blessed with!!

The latest on Tyler

2010-01-03T18:25:00.004-07:00

As some of you already know, Tyler went to the UCLA Hospital while we were on vacation in California. He has been having problems with periodically throwing up over the last week or so. In conjunction, he also hasn't been eating well. It started the Saturday after Christmas, but Tuesday was the worst day for him - he drank only a four oz. bottle in the morning and nothing else. Obviously, that was quite concerning to us. Oddly, except for him not eating as well, he seems fine between his episodes of vomiting. There are no other symptoms of an illness. If any other "heart moms" are reading this and have experienced something similar, please share any thoughts on this with us.

Tyler seems like he is doing better now, but he still doesn't quite have his normal appetite. We will definitely be in touch with his docs this week. Other than these recent concerns, he has been doing very well overall and keeping us very busy.

2009-12-06T13:42:00.002-07:00

KYLIE

Today we will be spotlighting Kylie!!! She was born on March 13, 2004 in the Jordan valley hospital. She was our one and only child to be born with a head full of hair!! Kylie was a great baby who has 2 great big brothers to watch over her! Kylie is one of the sweetest little girls I know! She loves to dance and sing and especially loves to color!! She loves everything princess! Kylie recently told me that she has decided not to be a dancer for BYU so she can stay home to be a mom! That was a happy moment for me!! I did tell her she could dance until she did have children to take care of!!

Kylie is currently in kindergarten and loves school so much! She said that her favorite part of school was recess and that she likes to play chase with the boys, she said the girls have to run and scare the boys!!!

Kylie's favorite color is pink. Her favorite food is pizza and anything chocolate! When kylie grows up she wants to be a mom! Something you may not know about her is that she may appear to be very shy, but once she warms up she loves to crack jokes and act like a crazy goofball!

We love our silly little kylie! She has brought so much joy to our family and also so much laughter! Our family just wouldn't be the same without her! I will never forget one special night when I was pregnant with her and Brandon said in our family prayer, "Please send us a baby sister"!! I am so thankful our Father in heaven answered his prayer and sent us our beautiful daughter!! Kylie is also such a great little mommy and helper for Tyler! He loves her so much! We all love her and are greatful for everything she does to make our family happy!!

Family Spotlight - Steven

2009-11-29T22:22:00.008-07:00

STEVEN

Little Steven James was born January 5, 2003. He is the only one out of all the children to be born in California - in fact, in the same hospital as Jon. Always happy and content, Steven can enjoy himself doing almost anything. He's progressed from being a fan of Barney to Thomas the Train, to now being a big BYU and Lakers fan, much to Jon's delight.

Steven enjoys school and is currently the top reader in his first grade class (the picture above shows him holding his very first "chapter" book). He loves to learn and insists he knows how to do everything by himself, which doesn't always go well with trying to help him with his homework.

His favorite color is blue and his favorite thing to do is to go outside and ride his bike, which he learned how to do without training wheels this past summer. When we are inside, his favorite game to play is Lego Star Wars for the Wii, but he also enjoys a good game of Trouble. He is very competitive - definitely an attribute he got from his father. When he grows up, he wants to be an astronaut.

Something you may not know about Steven is that he loves to sing (and sing, and sing). He especially loves to sing to his baby brother Tyler, who he loves so much.

We are so glad that Steven is part of our family. He is a great big brother and is very sensitive to other people's feelings and does not like it when others are upset. We love him so much.

Family Spotlight - Brandon

2009-11-22T15:31:00.003-07:00

I decided that I wanted to begin spotlighting each one of the kids. I just got to thinking how important each one of them is and wanted share a little bit about them and how special they are to our family. Since Brandon is the oldest, he gets to be first.

BRANDON

Brandon is now ten years old and in the fifth grade. It is amazing how much he has grown over the years. He enjoys school and loves to play sports. He recently played flag football over the summer and is looking forward to playing basketball this winter. He has also been such a great help with his baby brother Tyler, who he loves so much. He even said he would give Tyler his heart if he could.

His favorite colors are red, black and blue. Brazilian chicken, pizza and buttermilk chocolate cake are some of his favorite foods. When he grows up he wants to be a basketball player, an astronaut, or a lawyer. Something you may not know about Brandon is that he is a good artist and writer, but he's very private about his work. :)

We love having him in our family. He is a great big brother and a great son. We look forward to watching him grow in to the wonderful young man we know he will be.

Busy day today

2009-11-21T23:39:00.003-07:00

Errands to run in the morning, BYU football game in the afternoon. I got see my friend Blair, his wife Jenny and Blair's parents as they were gracious enough to watch Tyler while I went to a portion of the game. Thanks to Blair for letting me use his tickets as well.

In the mean time, Jamie was out with the kids seeing A Christmas Carol. Apparently, it's pretty frightening for kids. Kylie said she would never, ever (repeat ever 15 times) see it again. The kids were interested to learn that I once played Jacob Marley's ghost in my 5th grade class play. Do you remember that, Mom? I digress (as usual).

After I got home from the game (and some brief Christmas shopping), Jamie went off with the housewives of the neighborhood to see New Moon. I took the kids to Wally World to get some milk and baby wipes. Jamie's not home yet. I'm sure she'll be drooling all over Jacob's abs when she gets in. Everyone else on Facebook is, anyway. Good thing I'm working on mine. Oh Yeah! (You gotta say that in the Randy Savage voice from the old Slim Jim jerky commercials).

After the kids went down, Brandon I stayed up and watched GI Joe. Silly, mindlessly entertaining flick. Probably wouldn't watch it again, but worth one viewing, I suppose. Unfortunately, probably the most interesting thing for me was seeing which LOST and 24 characters were in the movie. I counted 3, but there could have been more. Dennis Quaid totally mailed that flick in, but I digress again.

Sorry, no pics today. I thought about putting a Christmas Carol image on here, but then I started thinking about copyright laws and yada, yada, yada. So ya'll are out of luck. Peace.

Update on our little Tyler

2009-11-15T17:05:00.002-07:00

Tyler turned 8 months last week and I just can't believe it! He is getting so big and for the most part doing well. He had a cardiology appointment last week. Dr. Everett said that he is looking really good. He was able to come off of his lasix (his medicine to help with fluid overload). But he did have to go up on his blood pressure medicine. I was really hoping she was going to take him off of it, but his blood pressures are still high, hopefully we can get it under control. Other than that he is in good over all health and I hope and pray he will stay that way!! The kids continue to love and spoil him, he is so lucky to have so many little mommies around!! Anyway, lets all hope everything will continue to stay nice and calm around here!

UPDATE: We just found out Tyler cut his third tooth. He's been fussing all day - that must be why.

Halloween!

2009-10-31T21:38:00.003-06:00

I can't believe October will be over in a couple of hours. This month has just flown by. A lot has happened and we've been slacking a the blog. Jamie and the kids went to Disneyland and the beach last week and had a blast. Work has been busy for me. I think Facebook is the biggest culprit though.

The kids were very excited to go trick-or-treating tonight. Brandon was a Blues Brother, Kaylin and Kylie were ballerina's (Jamie made the tu-tu's herself), Steven was the Sith Lord himself, Darth Vader, and Tyler was a firefighter. Jamie and I went as Adam and Eve, fig leaves and all. Just kidding. Neither of us had a costume for the occasion.

Here are some pics of the kids.

The camera was tricked by the reflective parts of Tyler's costume.

The kids and their cousins.

Tyler really wanted some candy.

Christmas is already just around the corner.

Temple in Concepcion, Chile

2009-10-04T08:55:00.005-06:00

President Monson of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced yesterday that the church would be constructing a temple in Concepcion, Chile - where I served my mission from 1996-1998. I am extremely excited for the members of the church down there. During my mission, church leaders were looking for the right spot for a temple. So this announcement has been in the works for at least a decade.

Here's a view of Concepcion. You can click here if you want to learn more about the city (and I know you do).

I can't wait to see what it's going to look like. I've told Jamie that we're going to go there some day.

Here's a picture of the Santiago Temple - the only other Temple in Chile.

Confession

2009-09-24T21:04:00.005-06:00

Okay, so we don't really have a friend in the ward that does wax sculptures. That picture below is really of Tyler. It just turned out so he looked rather fake. For those that fell for it (cough, Angela, cough), ha ha ha. I mean - sorry for the joke.

Oh, and to Anonymous (James), you're brain has a shell on it.

Wax replica of Tyler; Jon and the kids

2009-09-22T21:50:00.004-06:00

This guy in our ward does wax sculptures and offered to do one of Tyler. He made him look very happy. We put the sculpture in the high chair and took this picture. Pretty realistic, huh?

Jamie took this picture of me, Steven, Kylie, and Kaylin during "halftime" of our football game in the back yard.

Til we meet again

2009-09-13T11:01:00.002-06:00

This week was tough for Jamie and I. Our friend Brittney Drakulich passed away on Wednesday after a long struggle with cancer. As her husband, Steven said, however, cancer didn't beat her; she beat cancer. She was an inspiration to many lives and her gentle spirit touched all those around her until her last earthly moments. She will be greatly missed.

I can't comprehend what Steven is going through. The strength he has shown throughout this trial is amazing. Fortunately, our loving Father in Heaven has made it possible for families to be eternal. We know that Britt is not gone forever, but is waiting for Steven and their children while in the Savior's presence.

Happy 32nd!

2009-09-04T21:50:00.003-06:00

Yes, this is a little self-serving, but I did have a birthday this past week. I guess one positive about 32 is that it's one of the best pro athlete numbers. Magic Johnson, Shaq, Sandy Koufax, Jim Brown, Marcus Allen - just to name a few.
It was a great birthday and Jamie did an excellent cake, implementing some techniques she learned from Cake Boss (great show, by the way). It tasted as good as it looks and no trademarks were infringed upon. Sorry it's sideways. I was too lazy to rotate it. If you want to see it vertical, you can click on it, save it and rotate it all by yourself. Ha!

Recap of Tyler's 2nd surgery

2009-08-30T14:56:00.001-06:00

Thanks to Jamie'd dad for putting this together yesterday. Enjoy!

Three down, two to go!

2009-08-27T22:17:00.003-06:00

Our little Kylie started kindergarten this morning. It seems like yesterday she was a 6 month old with Elvis sideburns and little hair on the back of her head. She's growing up into such a beautiful girl. She had a great time and even said she wants to go back tomorrow. Always a good sign!

First day of school and a visit with Grandma M.

2009-08-23T23:03:00.009-06:00

Last week the boys started school. I'm sure most of you are keeping track, but for those that aren't, Brandon is in 5th grade and Steven is now a first grader. They both really like their teachers - so far. We'll see if that changes once they start getting homework.

Kylie will be starting kindergarten later this week. She had her assessments last Friday and did very well (of course!). I'm sure Jamie will miss having all five kids around all day long.

Tonight we got to go see my Grandma M. who was up at my aunt and uncle's house in Park City. Two of my cousins were there as well. Even though we had already eaten dinner, we couldn't resist Uncle Dave's great cooking. I hadn't seen my Grandma in at least a couple of years, and my cousins for even longer. My cousins both recently had babies so we took some pictures of Tyler and their kids together. Little Addyson must have thought she could get some milk out of Tyler because she kept trying to suck his arm.

The kids thought the highlight of the night, though, was the cat licking Uncle Dave's hair. They were mesmerized, seriously. Click on the picture and it should enlarge enough to see the cat's tongue.

Cabinets and Haircuts

2009-08-16T09:57:00.006-06:00

Yesterday, Jamie and I began installing knobs and handles on our kitchen cabinets and drawers. We got all the hardware we needed FOR FREE. We found it in the dumpster at a construction site. Just kidding. Inside joke. Jamie actually got everything at good old Costco. Anywho...so the knobs were fairly easy to install, but we found we need longer screws for the drawer handles. Either that or a drill bit that will make part of the hole bigger so we can get the screw in further. Other than this cabinet over the stove, we thought we did a pretty bang up job.

I'm turning into quite the handyman. Riiiight.

Oops! The screw came in at an angle and split some of the wood. We still put the knob on, but its a little crooked, so we'll have to fix this one.
Close up of a finished pair.

They certainly add a nice touch to the kitchen.

Earlier in the week, Jamie took the girls to get a haircut. The next day, Jamie played stylist/make-up artist with Kaylin. Kaylin loved it so much, she cried when her hair got messed up from her nap and made Jamie redo it.

Post-Surgery Thoughts

2009-08-11T21:01:00.006-06:00

It's hard to believe that it's been two weeks already since Tyler had his surgery. Although, time also seems to go by slooooow now that he's not sleeping through the night and more fussy than before. We suppose he's trying to get back in the swing of things. We have to give him a lot more attention than a "normal" baby, which means you don't get to enjoy as many blog posts. We are tired!

However, we also feel very blessed. Everything has gone as well or better than we could have imagined. We have also had so many people help us in different ways. We greatly appreciate everything. The Lord has truly blessed our family. We know that His hand is in all things. Jamie found this picture on another blog that really expresses how we feel.

We also wanted to share this video of Tyler that Jamie took today on the digital camera. Such a cute little guy when he's not crying (but even that is kind of cute).

There's a lot more things we'd like to share - ventures in the mountains, trips to the Highland water fountain park and Raging Waters, hanging out with our folks. Unfortunately, we didn't take any pictures. Sort of reminds me of the Weird Al song where they go see the biggest ball of twine in Minnesota and the dude steals the family camera. Just like that family, "at least we have our memories."

Congrats to cousin Angela on her new addition! Can't wait to see the pics of little Addyson.

On a sad note, we offer our condolences and prayers to the Hall family back in Ridgecrest for the passing of Sister Hall. I've known her for as long as I can remember. She was a great person and I know she is in our Father in Heaven's rest now.

Tyler is home

2009-08-05T19:37:00.002-06:00

He came home Monday, but I've been too busy with work to post. The other kids are with their grandparents, which has helped as Tyler still needs a lot more attention than usual. I don't know where the camera is right now, but I'll try to post some pictures later tonight or tomorrow. Thank you all for your prayers on Tyler's behalf. I have no doubt that they have been heard.

Out of the ICU

2009-08-01T14:50:00.002-06:00

Tyler was moved to the main floor today. I'm here at the hospital with him, so I don't have any pictures. He's doing really well. No more constant lines in him - just monitors and a couple of IV inserts to be used as needed. They haven't told us yet how much longer they expect him to be here, but I can't imagine it being more than a few days.

Pics of Tyler

2009-07-29T21:35:00.005-06:00

Here he is yesterday. Poor little guy didn't know what he was getting into today.

They gave him some cozy p.j.s when he got to the hospital this morning.As sad as this looks, if you go back to our pics from the last surgery, this isn't nearly as bad. He has the breathing tube out now and is getting oxygen through his nasal cannule (spelling?).
You can tell his color is a lot better.

Update on Tyler

2009-07-29T17:06:00.002-06:00

Tyler had his surgery today. Everything went very well. The surgeon was very pleased. They tried to take his breathing tube out shortly after we were able to see him. Unfortunately, he was still drugged up and they quickly found he needed the extra breathing assistance. They'll try again later as he starts waking up today or early tomorrow.

He looks pretty good, but swollen - especially in head and arms. The rerouting of the arteries created more pressure in the upper body, so that will take some time for him to get use to. He should look better in a couple of weeks. His extremities have a lot more color than prior to the surgery and we're hopeful that he won't need to be on oxygen at all by the time he comes home.

We have pics, but we're still at the hospital and don't have the cable to upload them. As soon as we can, I'll post some.

July 29th

2009-07-07T19:09:00.003-06:00

The hospital called today and set Tyler's second surgery for July 29th. The procedure is called the Bi-directional Glenn or hemi-Fontan Procedure. Click here if you want to get the lowdown on exactly what will be done. Essentially, it

"involves redirecting oxygen-poor blood from the top of the body to the lungs. That is, the pulmonary arteries are disconnected from their existing blood supply (e.g. a shunt created during a Norwood procedure, a patent ductus arteriosus, etc). The superior vena cava (SVC), which carries blood returning from the upper body, is disconnected from the heart and instead redirected into the pulmonary arteries. The inferior vena cava (IVC), which carries blood returning from the lower body, continues to connect to the heart."

It's pretty amazing they can do this sort of thing. After this surgery, he'll go another couple of years or so before his last surgery (not counting a potential heart transplant some day).

Barring any complications, he should be in the hospital less than two weeks. He's been a tough little guy so far, so we don't expect him to be in recovery more than a week. At least, I don't. Jamie might have a different opinion.

Tyler Laughs

2009-06-16T20:42:00.004-06:00

It's not very often that we have multiple posts in a day, but we wanted to share a video of Tyler laughing for the first time. He got started when I told him that some meat head on ESPN.com actually picked the Magic to beat the Lakers in the NBA Finals. Okay, not really.

Back on the Oxygen

2009-06-16T08:41:00.005-06:00

Last night, we noticed Tyler looking pretty blue. Probably bluer than he's ever been. Jamie took his saturation levels and they were pretty low. We had to hook him up to the oxygen again. Tyler hated it. Unfortunately for him, he'll probably need it until his next surgery.

On Saturday, we took the kids to Liberty Land, a new play center in Lehi. Jamie's sister in-law works there and hooked us up with free tickets to play Laser Tag and have the kids go on some of the rides. Here's a picture of them on the "Frog-hopper" - a kids version of the Tower of Terror. It's a little blurry, but you can still tell they are having a blast.

No. 15!

2009-06-14T22:31:00.004-06:00

I thought about posting more about the Lakers playoff run this year, but decided against it. I didn't want to make my mother in-law upset. :) Tonight's game was a little anti-climatic. The Magic didn't put up much of a fight in the second half until the waning minutes, but it was too little, too late. I wish the Lakers could have got revenge on the Celtics, but a championship is a championship. I do have to admit that Kobe and Fisher's post-game celebration hug was quite lengthy. Good thing their wives showed up to break them apart.

For the record, I picked the Lakers to win in 5 before the series started.

Now the Angels and the Cougs need to follow suit and make this a perfect sports year.

Another wedding

2009-06-13T08:47:00.006-06:00

This time it was my good friend from Ridgecrest, Blair. All I can say is, it's about time. Just kidding, Blair. I was able to go his sealing at the Salt Lake Temple and Jamie & Tyler met up with me for the luncheon afterward. All of us, (sans Brandon who is going down to a beach house with his Grandma in California) went to the reception, which was held at this garden place in Orem. The big moment of the night was when Jenny's (Blair's wife) dad's pants fell down during the father-bride dance. Sorry, no video footage.

Somehow, we also managed not to take any pictures of Blair and Jenny. But you're not completely out of luck, as we did get some pics of me, Jamie, and the kids.

Kaylin didn't want her picture taken - silly girl.

Daddy and the boys (well, most of them at least).

Kaylin, still moping, opts out of the picture of my beautiful girls.

By the end of the night, she was happy as can be. I'm sure the cheesecake helped.

Oh, by the way - saw Terminator Salvation the other night. That was a pretty sweet flick, but I'd venture to say it's a lot better on the big screen than it would be on a regular TV. The special effects were pretty awesome. Lots of stuff blowing up. Good times, good times. My only complaint is that the dude who played Ham Tyler in the V series should have had more screen time and shouldn't have been confined to "central command." If he doesn't have a gun and explosives, he's being underused.

UPDATE!!! - Here is a picture of Blair and Jenny that my friend Zeke took. Aren't they a good looking couple?

This is June??

2009-06-11T16:04:00.005-06:00

First off - Happy Birthday to my sister Amy. She's 21, married and pregnant. I feel old.

Today was an interesting day weather-wise. It's been rainy most of the week, but today took the cake as far as intensity in our neighborhood. Not only was it pouring, it was hailing also. Check these pics out.

Maybe next week it will snow.

The Week in Review

2009-05-30T12:18:00.005-06:00

Yesterday was the last day of school. Brandon has completed 4th grade and will be a big, bad 5th grader in the fall. Steven finished kindergarten and his class had a commencement to celebrate. Both boys did very well with their grades.

Steven threw his hat way off to the side. I gotta work with him if he's ever going to be a big league pitcher.

.....
After one summer of growth, our strawberry plants are now producing. They look a little small, but we have to pick them off before any critters get them. I'm looking forward to making strawberry milkshakes and having strawberry shortcake. Jamie will probably want to use them for something healthier. Whatever. :)
....

Here are some pictures of our beautiful girls. They are growing up so fast. It's hard to believe Kylie will be starting school in the fall.

Brandon is a believer!

2009-05-23T11:56:00.005-06:00

If you have any bigfoot stories, Brandon would love to talk to you. Lately, he's really been into cryptozoology - Bigfoot, Nessie, chupacabras, and the like. I can't say I blame him. I like reading about that stuff too. I'm trying to get him started on UFO conspiracy theories by watching UFO Hunters with me, but Steven likes that more than Brandon. I digress. So Brandon drew a picture of the Sasquatch he saw. Just kidding, he didn't see one. But he did draw a picture that he wanted to share with everyone. For the record, he believes that Bigfoot exists, but he thinks Nessie would have died by now. As of this posting, he hasn't told me if he believes in chupacabras. Personally, I think chupacabras are alien/wolf hybrids that scientists created at Area 51. Okay, not really.

UPDATE! - Brandon does NOT believe in chupacabras.

Notice anything different?

2009-05-20T22:50:00.003-06:00

Here's some pics of Tyler we took today. If you didn't guess by looking at them, he has his oxygen tube off. His saturations didn't change whether or not he had it on, so the Doc said to just keep it off. We still have all the equipment just in case he starts tanking, but hopefully he won't have to have it on again except when he's recovering from his surgery.

Here he is when I told him that the Cavs blew a big halftime lead and lost Game 1 to the Magic.

This is when I told him the Angels lost 1-0 to the Mariners.

Asleep during the American Idol finale (I'm not kidding about this one)

Bridal Veil Falls

2009-05-16T16:49:00.004-06:00

We went to Bridal Veil Falls today. We brought lunch and had a family picnic. Unfortunately, it was pretty crowded and all the tables were being used. We sat on a large cement access box and it worked out pretty well. The kids loved playing in the water below the water fall. Tyler was a very good baby. He loves being outside. He's doing very well, all things considered. His blood pressure is a little elevated and his saturations are down, but the cardio is keeping a close eye on him. These things are to be expected with his condition, especially as he gets closer to his next surgery. Here are some pics for your viewing enjoyment.

A 'Suite' Lakers Victory!

2009-04-26T10:11:00.009-06:00

Game 4 - Lakers v. Jazz. In all my years of living in Utah, I had been to a few Jazz games, but never when they played the Lakers. So when my Aunt Sherrie texted me and said Uncle Dave got a suite for game 4 and there were two seats for me, I was ecstatic. Jamie, Tyler, and I made the inter-county trip to the Energy Solutions Arena and were treated to first class food and accommodations. More importantly, we saw the Lakers emphatically pound the Jazz into submission and take a commanding 3-1 series lead. I couldn't outwardly enjoy the victory too much, though. I was the only Lakers fan in the suite (well, the only cheering one. Sorry, Jamie :) ) and I tried my hardest not to gloat. Uncle Dave kept giving me a hard time about cheering for them, though.

Tyler did not like the loud noises of the pre-game introductions or the cheering crowd (to be fair, I ddin't like the cheering Jazz fans either, j/k) Jamie had to take him out of the suite for a while. During half time, I got some earplugs and we used some bandages to keep them in his ears. It actually worked and he slept through most of the second half. I know in the corner recesses of his brain, he'll always remember his first Lakers game. If you look closely, you can see the bandages over his ear in the picture below.

Here's Uncle Dave and Aunt Sherrie. A big THANK YOU to them.

Tomorrow night is game 5 and there will be two 24's on TV. The only question is who will be more lethal - Jack Bauer or Kobe Bryant. I wouldn't bet against either of them.

Another big even yesterday - Kaylin got her first real haircut. Jamie did the honors. Doesn't she look beautiful?! All the nursery boys are going to go nuts :)

Steven, master of the hoop.

2009-04-14T22:07:00.008-06:00

While Steven is away in California, he's picking up a new skill. Here is the link to the video. It's kind of long, so I didn't want to put it directly on the blog, but you will definitely want to check it out. Thanks to Grandpa Jones for editing and posting it.

Birthday Party at the Hospital!

2009-04-11T19:13:00.003-06:00

There's no better way to celebrate a birthday than at the hospital. Just ask Brandon. Instead of regular ice cream, we bought some Dibs (a registered trademark of the Nestle Corporation). Brandon was creative enough to use the Dibs as a substitute for the candles. It was a little disappointing that the other kids weren't here (they are in California with Granny Jones), but we had a good time.

Brandon was so excited to get his Nintendo DS, he started shaking when he was unwrapping it.

Tyler Update

2009-04-11T12:29:00.004-06:00

Tyler is recovering well. For those that haven't heard, he was diagnosed with a low red blood cell count. It appears he was losing blood due to an injury in his bowels - likely caused by his formula. Since Monday, the doctors have not allowed him to eat - he has only had nutrients through an IV. They've also given him antibiotics to help heal the injury. A few of his IVs have broken. One caused his left hand to swell up and turn red. It was pretty nasty. It looks much better now. I know Jamie took a picture on her cell phone. If we have one on the camera, I'll upload it later.

Today he will finally be put back on formula (a different kind than he had been drinking), but through a feeding tube. It will be a slow process to build him back up so he probably won't be home until next Saturday.

One positive note is that Tyler is doing really well without receiving additional oxygen. His saturation levels are right where the doctors want them to be. There's a chance he may come home without oxygen.

We also want to wish a happy 10th birthday to Brandon. He's growing up so fast. We'll probably be celebrating at the hospital. Hopefully we'll get some pictures of him in the next little while, too.

RIP Nick Adenhart

2009-04-09T19:18:00.005-06:00

Unfortunately, it often takes tragic events to put life in perspective. As an Angels fan, I was very shocked to hear that rookie Nick Adenhart was killed last night by a drunk driver who ran a red light while driving with a suspended license. Adenhart, 22, was the Angels top pitching prospect and had thrown 6 shutout innings against the A's only hours before the accident. I was looking forward to following his bright future. It's a shame that he died because of the someone else's reckless decisions. I wish I could be the prosecutor on that one.

I got the news while I was in the hospital holding Tyler in my arms as he continues to recover from his current setback. Our little Tyler is a constant reminder that life is fragile. I think it's made me a lot more sensitive to the difficulites others are facing. Twice while Tyler was in the ICU I saw parents the moments after they received news that their child had passed away. It's a very sobering experience, espcially when we really don't know how long Tyler's little heart will last. We can't take for granted any moment that we have with him - or with any of our other kids for that matter.

Tyler's Baby Blessing

2009-04-07T21:35:00.005-06:00

After LDS general conference on Sunday, I had the opportunity to bless Tyler. As most of you know, that would normally be done during a regular church meeting, but because of his condition our Bishop allowed us to conduct it when we did.

We dressed him in a little white outfit that we bought when Steven was a baby. He was a very handsome little dude. It was nice that both Jamie's and my parents were able to be there. My dad and Jamie's parent's both made whirlwind trips to be able to be there. Not to get too sappy, but it was a very special occasion that I don't think we could ever forget.
Tyler's beautiful, very happy mother, who you can tell he adores.

Back at the hospital

2009-04-05T23:09:00.002-06:00

Tyler was looking very pale today so Jamie and I brought him back to Primary's. It is sloooooow. We've been here for 3 and a half hours and the doctor finally saw him about twenty minutes ago. He looks a lot better now, but not his normal self still. I brought my computer because I had some last minute trial prep to do. Fortunately, they have internet.

Tyler's baby blessing was today. I had planned on posting pictures, but I won't get to it until tomorrow at least.

2009-03-31T17:01:00.003-06:00

I Know it is another post of our little Tyler, but,I have felt that I should post as much info about Tyler and what it is like to bring home a baby with this condition. He has been home almost a week and it has been a big adjustment. I am so glad to be home and to have him home. The first pic I have posted is to show you the color of Tyler's hands, they are almost always a blue-purple color. The second pic is of him crying, his whole body will turn dark purple (although you can't tell in this pic I just thought it was cute!), very typical for a hlhs baby. The last pic is him with his home medical equipment, a sat. monitor, oxygen and feeding pump and bags of supplies. Tyler keeps me very busy and worried all the time, but he also brings so much joy to my heart. It is funny because even though he has a lot going on with his health, he still just seems like a normal sweet baby! I know that there are people that have veiwed our blog looking for info on HLHS, so I hope this helps give you an idea of what it is like to bring home a baby with this condition.

Home at last

2009-03-25T21:47:00.002-06:00

After almost three weeks, but well ahead of schedule, Jamie brought Tyler to home sweet home yesterday. The home health care team dropped off his oxygen tanks, feeding tubes, and pump for the little fella. A nurse came by later to show us how to use everything. It's a lot of work, but, as you can see, he's definitely worth it.

He's gonna have a few scars. Good thing chicks dig them.

Not to be forgotten - today is Kaylin's birthday. She is now a bona fide 3 year old.

Almost home

2009-03-22T19:09:00.003-06:00

Tyler was discharged from the ICU last Wednesday and will be coming home on Tuesday! He is way ahead of schedule and we couldn't feel more blessed. Thank you all for your fasting and prayers. We are grateful for you. Here are a a couple of pictures of him since he's been out of the ICU. You can see he has almost all of his tubes out. All that is left is his oxygen and feeding tubes.

Finally!

2009-03-17T22:18:00.003-06:00

Today, after a week and a half, we at last got the opportunity to hold Tyler. Neither of us wanted to put him down. He was so peaceful when he was being held. Now we really can't wait to bring him home.

Breathing Easier

2009-03-16T22:18:00.003-06:00

Tyler had his breathing tube removed today. I'm sure he was thrilled about that. the last couple of days he had been seen trying to push it out with his tongue. Now he just has a "regular" oxygen tube that leads to his nostrils. He continues to make progress. We should be able to hold him for the first time tomorrow!

Awake!

2009-03-12T21:10:00.007-06:00

This morning they took Tyler off his muscle relaxer medication and let him wake up. He was only up for a little while, as they put him under again so they could close up his chest. He did wake up from that, but was pretty groggy. You can see that he has a much smaller bandage on his chest.

The doctor's say he is "above the curve," despite the lower lobe of his left lung being partially collapsed. We are very thrilled with his progress.

P.S. - Anyone else watching this Syracuse - UCONN game? They are about to start their SIXTH overtime! (Update: Syracuse won in the 6th OT)

Tyler and Basement Updates (Viewer discretion is advised!)

2009-03-11T18:44:00.006-06:00

Tyler is doing well in his recovery so far. He's still being closely monitored, but the doctors are optimistic. They also hope they will be able to close his chest up tomorrow. They don't close it up after the surgery because the heart swells. The other kids got to see him for the first time yesterday. Brandon got upset at what he saw, so we covered Tyler with a blanket so the other kids wouldn't be so disturbed. You can see he has a lot more tubes and such than he did pre-operation. It's a very sad sight.

As for the basement, other than some finishing work (door knobs, finish caulking and sanding some of the baseboards, electrical outlet/light switch face plates, and some paint touch up, we are essentially finished with the basement. A big thanks to the Harvest Hills 8th Ward, who helped with the painting Monday night. Without them, we wouldn't be close to finishing right now. Also a big thanks to my neighbor Kenny Frasure and to Steven Drakulich, who spent hours helping me out late at night so we could finish things up. Here are a few pics of what's happened since Monday.

Update on Tyler

2009-03-10T09:35:00.003-06:00

Just a quick note. Tyler did very well during his surgery and is recovering. The surgeon thought his heart did great. Now is the delicate time for him to heal. He will be in the ICU for another couple of weeks. I'll try to have more later, but it's been crazy.

All new pics and a video!

2009-03-07T11:15:00.005-07:00

Here are a couple of pictures of Tyler and even a video that we took of him in the NICU. Tyler will have his first surgery tomorrow at 9:00. It will take between 5-6 hours to complete.

More Pictures of Tyler

2009-03-06T16:59:00.003-07:00

Here are a few more picture of Tyler. The first two were taken when he was in the transport "tube" on route from the University hospital NICU to Primary Children's NICU. BTW, he was 19.5 inches long. He's had a little trouble breathing (hence, the breathing tube), but other than that, he's doing well.

Tyler Craig Moffitt is Here!

2009-03-06T12:41:00.001-07:00

Presenting Tyler Craig Moffitt. Born this morning at 11:50 a.m. 8 lbs (we haven't been told the length yet. They wisked him off to the NICU right after he was born. In fact, our room has a window to the NiCU, so they passed him through that. About fifteen minutes later, they let me go in and see him for a few minutes and take some pictures. They say he's doing well. We know he's in good hands, because Susan Yee, a family friend from Ridgecrest, works in the pharmacy department for the NICU here. (Cue "It's a Small World"). It's tough not being able to have him in the room with us. Hopefully we'll find out soon exactly when he'll have his surgery. More info to come (I'll probably just edit this post, so check back to see if there are updates.

He's coming!

2009-03-06T10:51:00.001-07:00

We are at the hospital right now. Jamie is in labor. They are going to break her water pretty soon. I should have some pictures up later today.

Basement Update #2

2009-03-02T22:18:00.003-07:00

The drywall was delivered and installed today. Tomorrow they will tape it, mud/texture it, and put the corners on. With any luck, we'll be putting the primer on and painting tomorrow night. Then it will be baseboards, doors and carpet. Hopefully, I'll remember to take pictures of each stage now.

Jamie found out today that she is dilated to a 3, so we'll really be lucky if we get this done before the baby is born. But we're definitely making progress. No matter what happens we should be finished by the end of next week. Here are some pictures. Sorry they aren't very good, but some of the lights aren't hooked up and it was dark when I took them.

This will be the boys' room.

Here is the family room.

Here is another shot of what will be the family room.

We'll turn this into a closet for the boys and probably use the small crawl space for additional storage.

Basement Update #1

2009-02-22T17:41:00.000-07:00

On Monday, we bought the lumber to frame our basement. We hired a friend from an old ward to do the framing. He started Tuesday evening, worked a few evenings during the week and finished Saturday morning.
Our electrician came out on Saturday afternoon. It's coming along. Ideally, we'll have it done before the baby is born, but that's going to be cutting it close.

You never know who you'll run into at the Subway

2009-02-21T10:00:00.004-07:00

So Jamie gave me a Subway gift card for V-day. She knows that quickest way to a man's heart is through his stomach. Last evening, Jamie had to run out to Orem with the kids, and wasn't going to be home until around 7. It was the perfect opportunity to get a $5 footlong at the local Subway. I thought about going through the drive-through, but I didn't want to waste the gas and decided to wait in line in the store. Not three minutes later, who walks in? Jared from the Subway commercials. Just kidding. It was none other than President Eyring and his wife. I got to chat with him for a little and asked him how the missionary work was doing in Chile. His eyes lit up and he said, "Very well! We just got a report today." He asked me if I went to Santiago on my mission and I told him that I had two brothers go to Sanitago, but I went to the Concepcion Mission. He said, "Even better then!" That's right, Matt and Kevin, Concepcion! Mas alto, mas fuerte, mejor! :)

The whole time I was thinking, I'm at Subway standing next to a prophet of God! Only in Utah :) By the way, he ordered an Italian Sub. His wife had the sweet onion teriyaki chicken. I know you were wondering.

Why did the lawyer cross the road?

2009-02-12T18:39:00.003-07:00

Lawyers get a bad rap, but deservedly so. Coming out of law school, I naively believed that the majority of attorneys were decent folk that were trying to make a living helping people out; only a few slimeballs give the public reason to view us no better (and maybe worse) than telemarketers and used-car salespersons. Sadly, as a result of interaction with opposing counsel over the past few days, I realize that I was mistaken. Most lawyers* are conniving sharks, while a few of us practice with integrity and respect toward our adversaries.

So, I invite you to send your best lawyer jokes. Mock us. Deride us. Make us feel like the scum-sucking leeches on society that we (mostly) are. I'm game for it. Do your worst, but keep it clean - Lisa Jones, I'm talking to you :p

*Of course, I'm referring to private practice, not those who work for a pittance in the public sector. If all lawyers were like Atticus Finch, the world would be a much better place.

The author reserves the right to change his opinion regarding his general view of the members of his profession at any time.

Daddy - the Wonder Chef!

2009-02-08T16:00:00.000-07:00

About a week ago, Jon was trying to help me and decided to cook a delicious meal. So what did he make? Frozen Pizza! Albertson's "special" brand to be exact. I got it a few days earlier because they had a "BOGO" deal on it. As our pickiest eater, Steven was actually eating his pizza and he was raving about how good it was. He liked it so much, that after he finished two pieces, he announced, "Daddy is a really good cook! He should have his own cooking show." While this might be just little bit of a stretch, we were very happy that Steven ate his dinner. I just love the innocence of our little children.

Big win in Beantown

2009-02-05T22:38:00.000-07:00

Last year, the Celtics swept the regular season series against the Lakers and went on to win the NBA Finals 4-2. With their OT win in Boston tonight, the Lakers returned the favor. Is this a sign of how the NBA Finals will turn out this year? Let's hope so.

Though he didn't have a great shooting night. Kobe did hit 3 three-pointers in the last 5 minutes of regulation to help the Lakers force overtime after trailing almost the entire 2nd half.

In other basketball news, our ward basketball team clinched a playoff spot with a win tonight. Aww yeah!

Oh - and the Mavericks are getting absolutely stomped on by the Jazz.

A day of basketball

2009-02-01T15:06:00.000-07:00

Yesterday morning we all went to Brandon's youth league game. Although Brandon is still learning, he's becoming quite the defensive force. Last week, he was playing such good defense on the kid he was guarding that the kid started pushing Brandon with his elbows out of frustration. This week, he played good defense once again and also made great assists.

Here are a couple of pictures from this week's game.

Later that afternoon, I took Steven, Kylie, and Kaylin to the BYU game (Brandon was at a movie with a friend). The tickets were only a buck, but they were in the nosebleeds - as you can tell from the picture below - that's as far as the camera would zoom in. BYU hammered Wyoming. We were up 20+ with about 8 minutes left so we ventured across the Marriott Center to see our friend Blair and his fiancee and her new rock and then left to beat traffic. When Steven realized we weren't going to watch the rest of the game, he got very upset. The tears were flowing. Poor kid. I'll have to take him to another one.

31 weeks and counting!

2009-01-27T20:04:00.000-07:00

Jamie had a doctor appointment today following her foray to the hospital Saturday night. The doctor wants her to limit her activity so she doesn't go into labor too early. Of course, that would be bad for the little guy inside. Here's a picture of how big he is getting. He's measuring 33 weeks and three days. For those of you who aren't math majors, that's two weeks ahead of schedule :p

We are Proud of You!!

2009-01-23T17:14:00.000-07:00

Report cards came out this week and we just wanted to recognize our boys on a job well done!! Brandon is in the 4th grade and has earned all A's! He is pictured here with some legos he bought with his reward money. Steven also did very well, he got all 4's except for one 3!! He loves school and loves his teacher! He is pictured on his new bike he got for his birthday on Jan. 5! We just want the boys to know that we are proud of them and are greatful for there example to their younger sisters and soon to be brother!!

Amy is getting married!

2008-12-07T19:20:00.000-07:00

So my sister Amy is getting married. She got engaged a couple of weeks ago. Originally, she was going to get hitched on February 13, but they moved the date up to December 30 for "logistical" reasons. Or so she says. Wink, wink. Her sealing is at 3:00 p.m. at the Mount Timpanogos LDS Temple.

The Christmas Tree and the Zoo

2008-11-29T10:43:00.000-07:00

I'm posting this as one blog entry for convenience. The Christmas tree and the zoo really have nothing to do with each other. But I'd hate for anyone to have to scroll down to find a separate new post :)

As yesterday was the day after Thanksgiving, we set up our Christmas tree. Here I am, lifting Kaylin up to put the star on top.

Unfortunately, the tree couldn't support the weight of the star.

After a few minor adjustments...

Voila! A perfectly decorated Christmas tree (if we do say so ourselves)

As for the zoo...

The day before Thanksgiving, while I was slaving away at the office, Jamie took the kids to Hogle Zoo in Salt Lake. They had a blast. When they saw the Cougar, theystarted chanting BYU, BYU! I've raised them well :) Here are a few pics:

Nice Job, Hall. NOT!

2008-11-22T20:05:00.001-07:00

BYU was good enough to beat the Utes today. Unfortunately, Max Hall blew it for the rest of the team. 5 Interceptions and a fumble. Even though the defense didn't play well, Hall didn't give them a chance .When the other team score 28 points off turnovers, you aren't going to win very many games. What's real disappointing is that even after the third turnover, we still had the opportunity to take the lead. Then the fourth turnover happened. Then the fifth. Then the game was pretty much over. I guess there is always next year. Now I know how a Jazz fan feels after then end of every season.

The Holy War!

2008-11-19T19:16:00.000-07:00

BYU@ Utah. This Saturday afternoon. Two teams. One undefeated. One with a sole defeat. A BCS bowl, the conference championship, and bragging rights on the line. Only one will emerge victorious. For your viewing pleasure (or pain, depending on your perspective), here is one of the greatest moments in the BYU v. Utah rivalry:
2006, at Utah. BYU trailed by 4 with over a minute to play. Methodically, they marched down the field. On the eleven yard line and three seconds left in the game, the Cougars had one last chance for a touchdown, and to stop a four-year losing streak to the Utes. "Snap to John..."

P.S. Ute Fans, Harline is still open.

Jamie & Kaylin: in 3-D!

2008-11-19T18:55:00.000-07:00

We thought this picture was pretty neat, considering it was completely accidental. Jon was just trying to take a picture of me and Kaylin. She decided to swing her arm out at last second, whipping my hair around my head and it turned out kind of cool.

Brandon the Mountain Man

2008-11-17T20:43:00.000-07:00

Brandon had his 4th grade Utah history program at school last week. His class was assigned to dress up as Mountain-persons (to be politically correct). As part of the program they learned some folk dancing. He also got to dance with a girl - he was not thrilled about that. Unfortunately, we didn't get any video of it. We enjoyed watching him and are proud of him! We love him so much.

A broken heart :(

2008-11-08T19:38:00.000-07:00

As some of you know already, our unborn baby has been diagnosed with a heart condition. Specifically, Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome. It's one of the more serious congenital heart defects a baby can have. You can read more about the condition here. While he's in the womb, he should still be okay. It's when he's born, that it will be most life threatening. The kind of surgery he will need depends on how well the heart grows between now and when he is born. The specialist Jamie saw said it was most likely that he will need three surgeries to correct the problem well enough for him to live, but he won't ever be completely cured - at least, not in this life. Unfortunately, the odds of him surviving the first surgery aren't great.

We are sad and disappointed, but are trying to be as optimistic as we can. We appreciate your thoughts and prayers on our behalf.

A night of Jazz

2008-11-02T08:25:00.000-07:00

Steve and Britt Drakulich invited Jamie and me to the Jazz vs. Clippers game last night. - FRONT ROW SEATS! It was a blast. We got to go to the "100 Club" dining room for dinner before the game. It was an all you can eat buffet with really, really good food. During halftime, there's a snack room for the 100 Club ticket holders, so we got free nachos, drinks and cookies.

We sat at the end of the Court, very close to the Clippers' bench. Of course, I was rooting for the Clippers so I would get a chance at them throwing me some of their gear after the game. They didn't disappoint. Ricky Davis tossed me his sweaty headband and I picked up his armband after the game. I still need to wash them. They are pretty gross.

Even without Deron Williams, the Jazz pulled away in the second half and won by 22. It was pretty close until midway through the 3rd quarter.
That ref was nice enough to toss me the ball during one of the timeouts. It was a lot slicker than I thought it would be.
During another timeout, the Jazz mascot, the Bear, played follow the leader with these cubs. When they were done, the littlest guy didn't want to go of the court and started running off. The bear had to chase him down. The crowd and the players got a kick out of it.

Ricky Davis took the loss pretty hard. He had a towel over his head for several minutes before I took this picture. I wanted to ask for his shoes, but I was too chicken.

Thanks again to the Drakulich family for inviting us!

It's official - he's a boy!

2008-10-30T21:45:00.000-06:00

Jamie had an ultrasound today and the tech confirmed the suspicions from the ultrasound several weeks ago. Even though Kylie and Kaylin were pulling for a baby sister, they are happy and excited they'll have a new baby brother. Jamie is 19 weeks along, so not too much longer until the little guy plops out.

As you can tell from this picture, he's going dressing up as Skeletor for Halloween.

Below he is doing an Alfred Hitchcock impersonation.

Although we have some ideas, we are still open to suggestions for names.

One down, ninety-seven to go - including the playoffs.

2008-10-28T23:23:00.000-06:00

Now that's the way to kick off the regular season. 96-76, Lakers over Portland. I thought the Trailblazers would be more formidable than they were tonight. In fact, I think they're a sleeper to finish in the top 4 in the West. Losing Greg Oden certainly didn't help them tonight, but this game was over when Joe Pryzbila (or however you spell it) gave Kobe a forearm in the chest a few minutes into the 3rd when Portland was getting back into it. Kobe got riled. Game, set, match. Bring on the Clippers tomorrow night. I'll be disappointed if we aren't 2-0 to start the year.

I liked that no one had to play a whole lot of minutes. Nobody dominated the statistical category (though Kobe had solid numbers). Everybody contributed. It's going to be hard to stop us this year. If they keep up their defensive intensity, it's going to be a great season.

UPDATE - The Lakers certainly didn't disappoint against the Clippers, winning 117-79. Now that's a smackdown!

TRUNK-OR-TREAT!!

2008-10-25T22:05:00.000-06:00

Today was the ward Halloween Trunk-or-Treat. Fortunately, the weather was perfect, because everything was outside. The ward provided hotdogs (until they ran out) and then all the kids went from car to car to get candy. Our kids were very excited to dress up in their costumes. As you may or may not be able to tell, Brandon was Anakin Skywalker, Steven was a policeman, Kylie was a snow princess and Kaylin was just herself (our little princess). We wanted Kaylin to be the Joker, but she refused. The kids had a lot of fun and are looking forward to going Trick-or-Treating on Friday.

Here's a story of a lovely lady...

2008-10-07T22:09:00.001-06:00

We had a better picture of Kaylin, but, unfortuantely, one of the boys "enhanced" it with their photoshop skills. Kaylin is destined to play Florence Henderson when Hollywood makes a biopic about her.

P.S. No, I'm not going to dwell on the Angels losing to the Red Sox.

A visit from Amy

2008-10-04T12:06:00.000-06:00

Amy decided to come down to visit during conference weekend. It's fun to have her around, although she probably thought Friday night was boring since both BYU and the Angels were playing. This morning, she was eager to take notes on conference talks for some of her BYU-I classes. You can see from the picture that she was very attentive.

Number 7 and on the rise!

2008-09-28T17:07:00.000-06:00

After a flurry of top ten teams lost this week, BYU jumped from #11 to #7 in the latest polls. It might be three weeks before they get tested again (@TCU) so who knows, they might be in the top 5 when the BCS standings come out. It's a great time to be a Cougar fan.

In baseball news, the Angels won 100 games and finished with the best record in baseball for the first time in franchise history. The playoffs start Wednesday at home against the Red Sox. We're healthy and rested. Things should go much better than last year, when they lost 3 games to none. The Red Sox are the ones banged up this time, but I don't feel sorry for them at all.

GO ANGELS!!!

Sports vs. Family

2008-09-24T19:59:00.001-06:00

Several months ago, back when the Lakers were making their run in the playoffs, my mother-in-law commented that she wanted to see more posts about family. Well, I have noticed that we were getting more comments on my sports related posts than we have been on our family related posts. I cater to the people, so it's about time to publish a sports related post again.

As a sports fan, I couldn't be happier right now. BYU is ranked #11 in football, the Angels are on the verge of clinching homefield advantage throughout the playoffs, and the Lakers are about to gear up for another shot at the championship with a completely healthy team. Sorry, Jazz fans, you're going to have for the proverbial "next year" once again. BYU has a bye week this week, but next week, I'll be sure to have regular updates of the Angels in the playoffs starting next week (hopefully we can beat those blasted Red Sox this year) and BYU football. Don't worry, Lisa, we'll be sure to still do the family posts, too.

BYU is poised to make a run at a BCS Bowl. Utah State is in trouble next Saturday.

Our trip to Fairview

2008-09-21T17:36:00.000-06:00

We went to my boss' cabin in Fairview this weekend for a work retreat. The drive was incredible as the leaves are chanigng the color. This picture doesn't do justice to the vibrant colors (Though it's not bad for being taken inside of a moving car).

The kids had a blast. The cabin has a big playroom with slide. They wore themselves out going up and down the ladder leading up to it. For some reason, Kaylin got scared of the slide the next day so I had to climb up the ladder to get her, or climb up the slide and convince her to come down.

Here we are roasting marshmallows at the fire pit.

I might have one of these in twenty years, so you guys should be nice to me :)

Our Bell Peppers

2008-09-05T09:09:00.002-06:00

I had to share a pic of our peppers we were able to grow this summer! I have never really tried to grow anything you could eat, so I was very excited to see these come in!! Tonight's dinner will have something with bell peppers!!

It's a boy! Maybe.

2008-09-04T22:01:00.000-06:00

Jamie had an ultrasound the other day. Even though the baby was only 11 weeks old at the time, the technician said she thinks he's a boy, but she can't be 100% certain. I guess we can still be surprised.

Jamie thinks he already looks like a Moffitt. Honestly, I can't tell.

This is our Kylie

2008-08-30T09:43:00.000-06:00

A couple of nights ago, we went up to check on the kids before we went to bed and we found that Kylie fell asleep after she had put her shoes on. We weren't surprised, though. She always falls asleep with toys and books in her bed.

By day, she's a sweet, wonderful little girl.

Moffitt brothers begin fall semester

2008-08-26T19:56:00.000-06:00

(ANYWHERE, USA) - By Jonathan Moffitt. Brandon and Steven started the 2008-2009 school year recently, in the 4th grade and kindergarten, respectively. Brandon,began classes on August 18. Steven, did not start until August 25 due to student assessment tests the week before.
Teaching Brandon will be Ms. Smith*, a recent graduate of Brigham Young University. In kindergarten, Steven will learn from Ms. Wilson.
"My favorite part of school is learning to read," said Steven.
In the 4th grade, Brandon enjoys math. "But spelling is a close second and homework is dead last," Brandon said.
After a struggling with his teacher during 3rd grade, Brandon is optimistic for this year's campaign.
"My teacher seems much more organized than last year," Brandon said. "She's also nicer. The school year has kicked off quite nicely. I can almost guarantee straight A's."
A few doors down, Steven is embracing his new daily activity.
"I'll miss my mom from time to time, but I can't wait to learn. I have to take advantage of kindergarten because I know 1st grade is just around the corner."
At home, Jamie Moffitt is adjusting to life with only half of the children with her during the day.
"It's wierd," Jamie said. "I had to fight back tears when I dropped Steven off at his class. At the same time, though, I'm glad to spend some quality time with my girls."
Kylie and Kaylin Moffitt could not be reached for comment.

*names have been changed to protect the innocent.

She's having a baby!

2008-08-03T15:22:00.000-06:00

That's right boys and girls, Jamie is pregnant with number 5! She's about 6 weeks along right now. The due date is late March, so that means the baby will come around the first or second week. I just hope it's healthy and Jamie doesn't have to go on bed rest again. Since we have 2 boys and 2 girls we are probably going to get surprised on this one. The Holy Ghost has told me that it will be a boy, but Jamie doesn't believe me. She feels like it's going to be a girl. Of course the children are similarly divided. Brandon and Steven want a baby brother. Kylie and Kaylin want a baby sister. I suppose we could have twins and there could be a boy and a girl, but I'm rooting for just one or the other. I'll take it has a huge compliment from the Lord if he thinks I'm ready for a two for one deal.

If you have any good name ideas, feel free to suggest them. For a not so small fee, we will name the baby after you. The rate will depend on how much we like your name.

In lieu of gifts, please donate to the Baby Moffitt Fund.

Christmas in July?

2008-07-28T21:10:00.000-06:00

DO NOT READ IF YOU STILL BELIEVE IN SANTA! (THAT MEANS YOU, ZEKE)

Well, the truth is out! Last night, Jamie and I told Brandon about the true nature of Santa Claus. He took it pretty rough. We thought it would be easier for him coming from us than his classmates. Apparently, we were wrong. The poor kid questioned pretty much everything about Christmas. He's doing better today, but I was worried we were never going to get to bed last night. Hopefully, it will help him understand the true meaning of Christmas (crossing my fingers).

Why so serious?

2008-07-22T20:11:00.000-06:00

Jamie and I saw The Dark Knight last night. Excellent, excellent movie! I thought it was better than Batman Begins and that was a great flick. Heath Ledger was phenomenal, and haunting, as the Joker. I haven't seen Iron Man, so I can't compare it to that, but for me this blew Indiana Jones out of the water. Dad, if you haven't seen it by the time you come to Utah next month, I'll let you treat me to it.

It did deserve its PG-13 rating (not like Superman Returns - totally a PG movie with a PG-13 rating). It was very intense throughout and although there was little or no graphically portrayed violence (the Bourne movies were more violent than this), there were a few people getting shot at close range - but no blood- and other acts of implied harsh violence . Also, the tone of the movie is fairly dark. I would not recommend taking the kids. Brandon is disappointed that he can't see it, but those are the breaks.

Time Flies!

2008-07-20T19:17:00.000-06:00

I didn't realize it's been a month since our last post. No, I'm not still bitter about the Lakers losing, and that's not the reason why it has taken so long to post another entry. It's just been busy, busy, busy with family in town, work, and just life in general. We got to see Kevin and his family this weekend. They were out for Kevin's friend's wedding and stayed the night at our house Friday night. We got some good Halo 2 action. Maybe at the family reunion next year, Matt and I can bring our X-boxes and we can have a Halo 2 tournament. Brush up on your skills, people!

Kevin's daughter Emma is much bigger now. Also, Kevin is not Catholic. The picture was taken in the hospital. >>>>

We also got to see Zeke and his family a couple of weeks ago, and Jamie's parents came into town for the 4th of July. That was good. This coming Saturday, we'll get to see Matt and Ami. I didn't realize how popular we are :)

Well, we just wanted to let everyone else know we are still alive and kickin'. In a couple of weeks, we might have an announcement to post, so stay tuned.

I'm embarassed to be a Lakers Fan

2008-06-17T22:20:00.000-06:00

But not as embarrassed to be a Nuggets, Spurs, or Jazz fan. How in the world did they lose to LA? Now that's embarrassing.

The Fat Lady Hasn't Sung Yet

2008-06-15T23:28:00.000-06:00

There is still hope. Not much with the series headed back to Boston Tuesday, but it's something. Now Thursday's loos burns a little more. We should be up 3-2. Nobody has ever come back from a 3-1 series deficit in the NBA Finals. But hey, there's a first time for everything. As Journey would say - "Don't Stop Believin'." Let's go, Lakers!!

No more Miley

2008-06-13T19:09:00.001-06:00

Well that experiment didn't last long. The kids were disappointed, but we decided to sell Miley. Unfortunately, Jamie was so eager to get rid of her that we sold her only for what we bought her for. But, she sold in less than a day. Brandon took it especially hard. She was a cute dog. I hope her new owners are good to her.

It's a series!

2008-06-10T22:03:00.000-06:00

Whew! That was nerve racking. The Lakers held on 87-81 to take game 3 and cut the series deficit to 2-1. It wasn't pretty, but I'll take it. Props to Sasha Vujacic. He was HUGE off the bench. I still think the Lakers need to utilize the Fisher, Kobe, Vujacic, Radmanovic, Gasol lineup more. It spreads the floor out, making it harder for the Celtics to double up on Kobe when he drives to the hoop. Game 4 is Thursday. Let's even things up!

Meet Miley

2008-06-08T17:12:00.000-06:00

This is our new dog Miley (I wanted to call her "Stain," but everyone vetoed that). She is a Yorkie-Chihuahua mix. As you can see, she's not too big, which will make it a whole lot easier for me to accidentally squish her. She's a cute dog, and if she doesn't pan out, we can probably sell her for about three times what we bought her for. Cha-Ching! You can probably tell that I'm not as excited about the whole dog thing as Jamie and the kids, but since I'm the one doing the blog, I can say what I want.

Crooked necks

2008-06-08T16:06:00.000-06:00

No, Kaylin and Kylie don't need to see a chiropractor. For whatever reason, they just like to tilt their head to the left when they have pictures taken of them. It must be a girl thing. Probably from the Jones side of the family :)

Father & Sons outing

2008-06-08T13:44:00.000-06:00

Our ward had its Father & Sons outing this past weekend at Vernon Reservoir. As the crow flies, it's probably 20 miles or so from where we live, but you have to drive an hour to get there. It was a nice camping spot. Unfortunately, it rained all Friday night. A lot of people got soaked and took off early in the morning so breakfast was canceled. We were okay in our tent, so we took our time and left around 9 a.m., which was later than almost everyone else. The ward will be hosting a Father & Sons breakfast this coming Saturday to make up for it.

Brandon loved the fire - just like every other kid his age. Steven and I hiked up a small hill next to the campground, but Brandon wanted to stay and burn things. We all had a great time. I just wish Grandpa Moffitt would have been there to tell the story of Mazuki.

Special thanks to Grandpa Jones for letting us borrow his camping gear.

Flash from the Past

2008-06-07T10:48:00.000-06:00

Zeke emailed this picture from 1986. Jamie thought it was funny. I was the first baseman and he was the second baseman. I'm clearly reaching over the other player to catch the pop fly. In my defense, the pop fly was about half way between us and we both ran over to get it - he just got there first. It's not like I ran all the way over to second base to steal it from him. I did catch it, and we won the championship (as the caption indicates). That was the 2nd of three consecutive championship teams I was on.

It's only Game 1.

2008-06-05T22:26:00.000-06:00

Disappointed - yes. The Celtics looked very beatable, but we couldn't hit a shot in the 4th quarter. As bad as we played in the second half, and as poorly as Kobe shot the ball, we were within striking distance until about 1:40 left. In 1985, 1988, and 2001, the Lakers lost game 1 of the Finals and still won the series. So we lost one on the road tonight. A win on Sunday will give us all the momentum going back to LA. Keep your heads up fellas.

2008-06-05T19:21:00.000-06:00

The other day we decided to put some sponge rollers in Kylie's hair. I thought it turned out really cute! She just loves to have her hair done (as you can tell!) She is such a sweet and fun girl! I love having her in my life!!

2008-06-05T09:41:00.000-06:00

Here you go April!!

Names I go by:
Jamie, Mom and Sweetie!

Two things I am wearing rigt now:
Sweatshirt and black comfy pants

Two of your favorite things to do:
Spend time with family, going shopping (of course) and going on trips.

Two things you want very badly at the moment:
To sell my house and to sell my house!

favorite pets:
I don't have a favorite pet, but I did love it when our cat had kittens and our dog had puppies when I was growing up.

Two people that will fill this out:
Maybe Jon and Matt (Jon's brother)

two things:
took care of a sick little girl and watched a movie...27 dresses, Jon was out playing basketball!

Two things you ate today:
Chocolate honey bunches of oats and water, it is on 9:58 in the morning!

Two people you last talked to:
Jon and Brandon

Two things you will do tomorrow:
Hopefully sell my house and hopefully sell my house!!!

Two longest car rides:
going to Ca. from Utah and getting stuck in traffic in the middle of summer, and coming home from a dodgers/angels game and getting stuck in traffic!

Favorite Holidays:
Christmas, especially now that I have kids and Easter is also fun, the kids love decorating eggs and going on easter egg hunts.

Two favorite vacations:
The first time we went to Utah as a family when I was 9, it was the first time I went to Temple square and I also loved going on trips to go see my Grandparents in Nevada growing up. One time I remember me and my brother went and stayed with my grandma and grandpa for a week or two when I was about 13 or 14. I didn't want to sleep by myself in the family room and my brother wouldn't sleep in there either because he wanted to watch the TV, so we ended up sharing the pull-out bed. He was not happy about it, but still I think he felt bad for me!!

Two Favorite drinks:
Chocolate milk and kool-aide

Yeah, I'm done! That was hard to do with all the kids around!!