I have wanted to sit down several times and update this blog. So much has happened since my last post. So here are few highlights of the things that stand out to me.
February 14th Was a pivotal day in our lives. It has nothing to do with the fact that it was Valentines Day. It was the day I caught the bug. Not the six legged icky kind, not the sick kind, the I think I am going to move kind.
I picked D-man up from his JR High dance and went across the street to some home builders model homes that I had driven by every day. I told myself it was just to get decorating ideas. We lived in our house for over 11 years and it still looked like a newly married poor couple lived there. We were so close to paying off our house and dreaming of remodeling and decorating jobs in the near future. Well, the next day I went to walk trough a model home near our neighborhood. This time studying floor plans and talking with the agent there. I finally told my husband what I had done. Our whole life we never planned to move. My hubby a bit more adamant abut that fact than me. So the next day when he went to one of the model homes that I did and came home to "talk" with me I was shocked. We sat down and had a serious conversation about what we could do to make our existing house become a dream home that could last us into retirement. There was nothing. So we jumped in head first and took the plunge. We scoured floor plans we drew up floor plans, we dreamed floor plans. finally after much searching and drawing and planning and taking to many agents we picked a custom builder and his agent found us our lot. It was hard to come to terms with the lot location. We did not want to leave West Jordan. It felt more like home than anywhere else had my entire life. We listed our house and it was sold/ under contract in 3 days. We moved out memorial weekend 2012. I will not lie, I cried like a baby when we left that house of the last time. That house held so many memories. I cry even now (a year later)as I think about what I left behind.
We were blessed by the generosity of Brent's parents who let us invade their home for about 6 months while our house was being built.
We started the children at their new schools at the beginning of the year. So it was a bit of a commute each morning and afternoon.
Our children have had many mile stones happen in this last year as well that I have failed to write about.
last Summer Aubrey was baptized. I was so proud of her! I had hurt my back a couple days before and was heavily medicated just so I could walk and sit and be apart of her baptism. Aubrey has thrived in her new school.
She has made several friends too. While her strong will and determination to be her own person may be the cause of my early death. She knows just how to push my buttons and try me and causes me much exasperation. But in those same moments she is one of my most loving children. She bring just as much joy as she does frustration. I am constantly learning and growing as a mother as I try to learn what kind of mother she needs. She is so different from her brothers.
Dallin started working on his Scout Eagle project. Everything else is completed. When we moved into our new house, Dallin was called to be in the deacon's quorum presidency. First as the secretary then as the 2nd counselor. This spring Dallin turned 14 became a teacher in the Aaronic Priesthood and became a home teacher. He even prepared and gave the lesson last month. It is amazing to see him grow up and be so amazing. He still struggles with his trial of Autism but he has made extreme progress this year and shown a big step in his responsibility. It is shocking and exciting as we register him for high school courses and seminary my boy is sure growing up.
James spring 2013 earned his Arrow of light and is now loving the 11 year old scouting program. He has such a desire to do good. He is slowly coming out of his shyness shell and trying to demonstrate some leadership skills. He set a goal to read the entire book of Mormon. On his own he started reading it daily as part of his daily reading minutes for school. He loves to share what he has learned,or ask questions. He has shared insite about verses I had never thought of. He teaches me often. He seems to be a very old spirit in a small boys body!
A few weeks after we moved in Brent and I were called as primary teachers to serve together in Aubrey's class. We started out with a large class that has continued to grow. I know we are where we are supposed to be because there is a boy in that class that has a similar degree of autism as Dallin and we are a good match for him. He has a service dog who accompanies him so this presents an all new challenge to the dynamics of the class. Our class has continued to grow and we now love all 19+ dog in our class. There is talk of them splitting the class into 2. that makes me sad as I have come to love all of these sweet 8/ 9 year olds. They are hard we come home many Sundays exhausted from trying to keep so many lively souls reverent for 2 hours tho.
We have been on 2 vacations since the last update. We traveled up to the Oregon coast during the Summer of 2012 and a Disneyland/California trip spring 2013.
Oregon was beautiful and California was fun. If I have another chance to sit down and catch up I will add more highlights about our trips.
For now know that life is good, we are good. We love but are still adjusting to our new life here.
Dad's pumpkin from the carving contest for pumpkin alley at work.
.My pumpkin is gining you the evel eye
