Turning over a new leaf...

I just got home from a service project where I sat with three other women tying a quilt. We basically sat there laughing and tied three quilts in several hours. Not quick workers but we had fun.
I share this because I love that when you sit with other women, you get the best ideas for things you can do. And because they do it, in most cases I feel like I can too, it's realistic. So two of the three are bloggers. One mentioned that her new goal is blog more often to better record the life of her family. It made me feel so guilty. I've not taken that opportunity. I even set it as a goal last year and didn't do it once. So I'm gonna try again. Here goes.....

Baylee is a sophomore at Bothell High School, go Cougars! She played for the JV soccer team this past fall and was chosen to be the team captain. She's very involved in ASB (student government) and spends soooo much time on various projects at the school. Poor thing had to get braces on again, set #2, hopefully this one will be quick. She's only 15 and won't turn 16 until the end of the summer so no dating for her this year:( But she still went to Homecoming with a group of friends. She completed drivers ed last month and is working on meeting her parent supervised hours so she's ready to get her license come August. I am so ready for her to be driving. I spend hours in the car driving her back and forth between home and school. She started tennis this past week and really likes her JV coach. He reminds her of her Grandpa McDougal who she has a special bond with; plus the coaches name is Bob. She's a great example to us all. She attends early morning seminary. (Shout out to Chris for getting up and taking her every morning at 5:45) She also started taking piano lessons this past fall after Grandma and Grandpa McDougal made the trip up to bring my piano. She's done really well and enjoys picking songs from the radio and seeing if she can find the music. She's so fun to be around and a great help to me, very willing to let her little brother or sister hang with her and her friends.


Kaitlyn is in the 6th grade this year. She is the most involved kid at Canyon Creek Elementary. She plays Marimba, sings in the choir, is in Math Club, runs track and cross country, is a crossing guard and volunteers to be in charge of many 6th grade activities. She and I got to go to 6th grade camp this year. It was so fun to see her with all of her friends having fun! She also started playing the piano this past fall. She was one of the main reasons I asked my parents to bring the piano and I'm so glad it worked out. She has such incredible natural talent. It is so fun to listen to her play. She's getting very good. Her teacher is very impressed. She loves to read! She takes after her mother and grandmother:) If ever she disappears you can almost always find her curled up on her bed with a good book. She is also into crafting. She likes to make cards or scrap book pages with her cricut. Kaity is a computer junkie. She's the best at keeping in touch with family because she'll text or skype or IM her cousin's in UT almost everyday. She's so good to her younger brother. She walks him to school everyday and always watches out for him after school to make sure I get him before she goes to her various activities.



Josh is all boy! He's in the 1st grade at Canyon Creek Elementary. He loves to play video games, shoot hoops, run and wrestle with the dogs, hang out with his Dad, roller blade/skate board/bike. Anything and everything to expell energy. He's so much like Chris. He loves science. He loves to learn about the solar system and space and can pour over huge books on the subject with Chris and never get bored. He loves animals; he checks books out at the library about all different kinds and loves to read facts about them and repeat them to us. He likes to tell jokes. He's also taken to checking out joke books. One of his favorite activities is taking apart old dvd players or radios and seeing what's inside. Chris will give him a screw driver and let him go nuts. They'll talk about what's inside and what it does and how it works. He loves to build fires in the back yard pit or while we're camping and loves when Chris will let him be in charge. He's a family kid. He's happiest when we are all together hanging out doing the same thing. He loves to have family game night or sit around watching American Idol. He and his sisters are currently watching the series Lost and he gets so excited when he gets home from school if they don't have homework so they can all pile on the couch and watch an episode together. He loves music. Justin Beiber is his current favorite, that's why his hair is long now. He likes to sing and can sing each song word for word. He just finished his second Bball season and was so proud to have his Dad and big sister Bay be his coaches.


Chris and I are same ol' same. He's still working in Bellevue. Because he leaves so early in the a.m. to take Bay to seminary he's able to get home a bit earlier and avoid the commute traffic most days. He loves to spend time with the kids and goes to every activity possible. He's a fabulous father, very involved! He got a road bike last fall for his birthday so when the weathers good he'll bike into work from the downtown trail. His back is still troubling him but when it's good he'll play ball a few mornings a week with some guys from the office. I'm back in school, the never ending story.... I'm just wrapping up my first quarter back. I'm taking some classes to certify for CAT Scan but will also apply to the BA program at Bellevue College this next week. My goal is to get my degree before Baylee does. I'd hope to finish before she starts college but I don't think that's realistic:) I've actually adjusted to being a stay at home Mom. I volunteer at the school, do my church calling and run the house and go to school myself. I also work about 10 hours a week as a companion to a friend who's wheelchair bound. It's crazy how much time all of that takes up.
Life is good. We're all healthy, happy and blessed.