Going de Cumming...

Our next Home!

Yep ... we are MOVING to Cumming, Georgia - where Jonathan will work in Alpharetta and Suwanee! We are very excited about out new home which we will be renting for the next year! It is a little bigger than our home now - and there is a pool and tennis court in the neighborhood ... and sidewalks ALL around! Hopefully I can get some use out of that tennis court after the baby comes!

Family Room with a GAS fireplace (not electric!)


Family room and french doors to the office ... and stairs up to the bedrooms!


Our home will have 4 bedrooms and 2 & 1/2 bathrooms ... and will have a REAL living room, dining room, family room and an "office" which I think we are planning to use as our little playroom! FINALLY! (And a BIG walk in closet!!) We are SO excited. We will start moving stuff April/May ... but officially move-in after Jonathan graduates and we have a new little guy to take with us!

Kitchen ... although there is a microwave where that vent is ... and a BIG pantry!


The upstairs ... the boys rooms will be on one end ... and ours on the other!


We will miss all of our friends in Grovetown ... but we are excited for our next adventure in life!

Hot Atlanta!

Things are looking up for us to move to Atlanta! Jonathan has been able to work at the dental office this week that he will most likely be working at starting in June! He/we have a few more questions ... but we are planning to move in late May after the baby comes! We've started looking at homes to rent in the Alpharetta/Cummings/Suwanee areas of Atlanta - which is the NORTH part of Atlanta! I've had to learn a little more Atlanta geography! We are really excited and know that the Lord continues to bless us with the best opportunities in this life! We'll keep everyone posted on the baby... graduation... our new address and everything in between!

Favorite Recipes ... small UPDATE!

Just wanted to share a few of my new tried and true favorite recipes ... although I have SEVERAL others - it's just late and I can't stay up to type more!

The most REQUESTED is the homemade blueberry muffin recipe! So here it is... and they really are 100% delicious!

http://rachelowensrecipes.blogspot.com/

A few of the others are "Kraft" recipes ... that I've tried and LOVED!

Enjoy!!

New York - New York!

A trip to REMEMBER ... just the ladies ... to see THIS LADY...

I had the most WONDERFUL time in New York City with my mom, 2 sisters and sister-in-law. It was a little cold at times - and lots of walking -but that was just part of the wonderful experience.

My most favorites were:

1. Manhattan Temple - the inside was AMAZINGLY beautiful - I loved the stained glass windows, beautiful paintings and the sweet ladies!

2. Mary Poppins - We went to the Broadway show ON Valentine's - and I thought it was FANTASTIC!

3. Super YUMMY food ... including eating at: La Bonne Soupe (French) - best Caramel Creme for dessert, Malatesta Trattoria (Italain), and Cafe Ino - for a yummy brunch and the BEST hot chocolate. We also enjoyed yummy pizza, paninis and bakery desserts!

4. Seeing all the AMAZING sites, museums, and sounds of New York City ... couldn't have asked for a better LONG weekend!

A special thanks to Jonathan and his Mom for helping with Benjamin so I could GO ... AND a BIG thanks to my Mom and Dad for such a fun gift - just for the girls!

Utah at Last!

Our family ski trip to Utah was WONDERFUL this year ... although it was again right at the 72 hour mark for the length of our trip - we couldn't have asked for a better time. We made wonderful memories - and it is so exciting that Benjamin is starting to enjoy the sites that we love so much in Utah and a hobby that Jonathan and I have enjoyed together ... I guess now it is a family hobby!

A big thanks to Jonathan's dad for inviting us and all that he did for us!

Benjamin knows that it is TRADITION ... to get his picture taken in front of the Salt Lake Temple! He was thrilled to be able to walk all over the snow - since there was no grass to run on this time of year!

* A sweet moment - Benjamin looking up at the Christus statue and telling me "I want Him to hold me" as he tried to climb under the little rope. I think he thought that the statue was REALLY Christ - so of course I started crying at the thought that he really did know and felt the loving OPEN arms of our Savior.

Here are a few pictures from our trip ...

Owens at Temple Square.

Skiing pictures ...

Jonathan and Benjamin ... and they DID indeed get to ride in the sleds behind them ... what a great dad to find someone to give a little guy a ride! (S0litude)

Jonathan and Benjamin skiing at Alta.

Benjamin done for the day ... and asleep literally within 1 minute!

Jonathan and Benjamin skiing hand in hand!


Rachel, Benjamin and Jonathan at Alta!

Benjamin and I went on a DATE to the BYU vs. Wyoming Basketball Game (THANKS LYNETTE and JUSTIN!!) ... and had a blast ... especially because BYU played awesome!

A few highlights NOT pictured include:

1. Taking Benjamin to the Draper Temple Open House

2. Seeing a few friends and family -- but sadly we weren't able to see everyone - I'm HOPING (hint hint to Jonathan) that we can go for a few more days next year!

3. Eating LOTS of yummy food

4. Me getting to go shopping to a few of my favorite shops and to the Bountiful Temple while the boys skiied

5. Benjamin CRYING and CRYING because we had to leave the ski resort and hardly ever complaining (for a little guy at least) that he was cold ... DEFINITELY his Father's child!

6. Benjamin DID get to go to the TOP of Alta ... what a lucky little guy - and I wish I could tell the story as good as Jonathan ... but basically: Benjamin's foot was hurting on the chairlift - luckily Jonathan happened to be holding his ski when he wiggled his foot out over the cliffs ... close call - or Jonathan would've been skiing off the cliff to get Benjamin's ski and BOOT ... while Benjamin hung out with the chair lift operator :) - next year we will just duck tape his boots on!

CONGRATULATIONS in order!

I just wanted to say a HUGE

CONGRATULATIONS

to Jonathan ...

We've been waiting so PATIENTLY (well trying at least ...although everyday at 11:15 - I'd get a text message ... no matter what Jonathan was in the middle of, asking if the mail came yet that day) to get his scores back - and the final scores came in on Saturday!

So here goes for his board scores:

Manikin (taken October 2008): 98

ADEX (taken December 2008): 90

Part 1 (taken August 2007): 85

Part 2 (taken December 2008): 82

So I would have to say he did AWESOME! He is now trying to get an externship (anyone know the difference between intership and externship) with a dentist that he is thinking about working for in NORTH Atlanta (emphasizing the NORTH part!!) We are excited to move and get started with the next phase of our life. Heavenly Father has certainly blessed us! THANK GOODNESS ... all of those BIG tests are over ... one more "live" board - on a real person ... which hopefully will go well ... and then we're home free!

Benjamin and I feel so blessed to have Jonathan in our lives. He has worked so hard with school and different jobs and been a great dad and husband at the same time - WOW! We can't wait to be with him when he walks across the stage -maybe even with a little one to help cheer his dad on! We'll keep you posted!

Choppersticks!

My parents took us to a Japanese restaurant called Taki in Macon when we went last weekend! This was Benjamin's first experience and he was in "awe" of the cooking in front of us ... and LOVED the food. He probably ate more than I did. He thought it was awesome to use the "choppersticks" which he refered to them as a couple days ago - not remembering EXACTLY how to say the name. It was a LOT of fun! Sorry for the blurry family picture ... someone at our table took it - and I hated to ask for a "retake"! Still no baby tummy pictures ... but maybe we will take some this weekend! Several people have asked - he is DEFINITELY in there now ... and just as active as Benjamin was. I'm still trying to run everyday -- and trying to stay around the 20 pound MAX ... that I had with Benjamin... time will tell!

Benj eating with his chopsticks ... and quite well I might add... maybe we should try this at home!

Drinking the soup with the soup spoon:

Newest 2009 Home Improvement!

After putting too much money into our dying car... we decided to get a NEW one! So... here's our newest "home or car" improvement...

A white CAMRY XLE with gray leather interior ... we LOVE it!

Of course, those of you who know Jonathan ... probably know he got the best deal possible ... including our windows tinted for FREE, a lifetime warranty on the drivetrain, $500 off the day we bought it because they were supposed to have it to us the previous day, 0% interest for 3 years ... which means we have NO incentive whatsoever to pay it off early as our money will just sit in the bank and EARN interest ... and who knows what else!

It is REALLY fun to drive and smells so nice and new! We're hoping to keep it in the family for AWHILE ... as our Honda - though still running strong, is aging as well!

Christmas for the TWEETERS!

Benjamin and I had a blast making Christmas presents for the birds the Monday before Christmas. We collected the pine cones at the trails near our house ... then tied the strings on, "painted" the cones in peanut butter ... then rolled them in birdseed! The best was making our little tree so cute with the pine cones treats we made for our bird friends!

Painting with Peanut Butter!

Notice that he's not trying to get dirty ... at least not yet! The bird seed did end up bouncing EVERYWHERE - but we swept the extra up and tossed them out in the grass!

Remembering the Holidays!

I can't believe that Christmas and New Year's came and went so fast! We had a wonderful time visiting with almost all of our family!

We started Christmas at our house on Sunday morning, since Jonathan would be busy studying and taking his last board on Monday and Tuesday. We then spent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in Florida at Jonathan's mom's ... and had a blast! Then a quick trip to the beach for the weekend to spend with my family... we were ALL there - and enjoyed being together. Lastly a New Year's Eve celebration at Jonathan's dad's watching the annual Owens's fireworks display (the finale is always the BEST), watching the ball drop and watching lots of football!

Here are a few favorite pictures! Somehow I didn't take ANY pictures at New Year's ... probably because we were so exhausted from Benjamin's 5 days and nights of a fever... we DID finally take him in to the doctor ... double ear infections and possibly pink eye! Thankfully he's better now!

Here are a few pictures of Christmas at our house:

Grammy and Grampy (aka "Drampy and Drammy") are definitely two of my favorite people! They are so attentive to Benjamin and really make his world when we are in town to visit! Here is Grammy reading to Benjamin...

and Grampy and Benjamin digging holes!

Our Christmas Eve Party... which included Benjamin dressing up as ALL of the nativity people ... because the other little cousins were crying! Benjamin within 3 minutes was: Joseph holding baby Jesus (a towel wrapped up... and he couldn't figure out where the baby was!), a wise man, an angel, a sheep and I'm probably leaving something else out! Pretty funny!

Aunt Tammy helping Benjamin get dressed:

A "wise sheep":

Benjamin loves Nana - he always gets her undivided attention!

Christmas Morning at Nana's:

Doesn't Santa bring every dentist's kid a toothbrush and toothpaste!

Here are a few fun beach pictures... my sister Laura running ... with Daisy trying to keep up, and Benjamin trying to CATCH UP to both of them!

Benjamin excited to see his shadow on the sand!

I have to NOTE ... that my two favorite moments were:

1. walking hand in hand with jonathan at night on the beach - seeing the millions of stars above and knowing that my marriage is eternal with him...

2. walking hand in hand with benjamin (with baby brother in tummy) and having the best conversations with this little guy ... and knowing we are an enteral family!