Changes

I have much to catch up on still, but I have two posts I have to do first.

First, after nearly 15 years in our home we are moving!  When we built this home, we really thought we would only be here 3-5 years.  I still remember the day I realized I wanted to move.... December 26, 2001.  OK it was a actually a few weeks after that.  On December 26th of that year, Corry tore his ACL.  After his surgery a few weeks later, I knew I didn't want to ever go through that in a split level house again!

Also, I knew the longer we stayed the harder it would be to go.  But it wasn't right.  The next time I wanted to move was early January of 2005.  I walked down the stairs and my knees hurt.  Didn't think much of it until it became a frequent thing.  No more stairs!  But moving was not to be again.

About 2 years later, after dear friends moved away, again I felt it was time.  It wasn't.  Then the economy crashed and financially things were tough.  I was so grateful we hadn't moved!  After that, we had the foster boys and our house was a bit cramped.  We didn't keep them and we didn't need to move.  I was content to stay.  But, this is still not a house I can stay in long term.  As it is, there are days I come home and crawl up the stairs into the bathtub to soak my not as young body!

Corry has not been on board with moving, but after we exhausted the options in our own neighborhood, we found a development a few blocks away with a floor plan we love.  Corry is not only on board, but he is spearheading this venture.  A vast shift in dynamics.  Plus I think he is loving tweaking the floor plan to make it our own!

Although this has been something I have wanted for 11 years, now we are 15 years vested in our neighborhood and it is going to be hard to go.  My next door neighbors are the best I could ask for.  Telling them was the hardest thing to do.  I am going from the greatest neighbors to a new development where right now I don't have any neighbors.

Overall I am excited, with tears in my eyes.  I am excited for my lot, with a third acre to garden and play in.  I am so excited for a rambler with a basement.  I am excited to only be a few blocks from those I love, although living in Utah I am not only in a different ward (church congregation) but I am in a new stake (a grouping of wards).  I am so excited for a big family room.  If any of you have ever been to my parents home, you know of their fantastic family room.  I have always dreamed of having that for family and friends to hang out.  I am excited for main floor living with a mud room and a laundry room on the main floor.

So here's to this new adventure.  Here is to kids Alli's age.  Here is to a place for our kids to always come home to, bringing friends and future families of their own.  Here's to making a new house a home!

First Day of School 2012

Although I was funned out by the time school started, I still wasn't excited for them to go.  I like having them around and I especially like no homework!  But, I know it is what is best for them, so they go!

Missy's first year in high school

Sophomore

Fuzzy still in junior high

8th Grade

Alli who has one of my favorite people - Miss Connell

2nd grade

Scotty who has his best friend's mom, his former Kindergarten teacher, and his next door neighbor - Mrs. Austin

4th Grade

Here is to another great school year!

Fuzzy's Project

Because Fuzzy is in an advanced math class, she had homework packets to do over the summer plus a project.  Her project was to take something and shrink it or enlarge it to scale.  She chose to take this perfume bottle and enlarge it in the form of rice crispy treats!

She and Corry got super creative and ingenious by lining the inside of this box with tin foil so it was easier to remove.

They had a lot of fun doing this project together and it took way more rice crispies than I had anticipated, so I had to run to the store to buy more!

It looked great, then it settled and lost some height overnight!  Luckily she had some more rice crispy treats and just added another layer to the bottom!  I told her it was fine, just tell her teacher what had happened, but she wanted it perfect and fixed it!

Dance Auditions

I think I was more nervous for dance auditions than the girls were this year!  Missy has just had a really hard year and I was worried how she would handle not making something she wanted, again!  We had a lot of talks about trying your best, that that is enough.  We talked about how if you didn't move up, then you would get more of a chance to shine, as you would be on the top, instead of on the bottom.  We talked a lot, but I was still so worried!  

Thankfully she made the highest group and was mostly thrilled!  She got really down after because she felt like she was a dancer on the borderline because they asked her so many times to do the dance.  She was strong, but got a little teary saying that she just thought she was better than being on the edge of not making it.  My heart hurt for her, but I reminded her that her awesome director wouldn't have picked her if she didn't believe in her.  She is not the type of person to pick someone because she feels bad for them or wants them to be with their friends.  She picks the best.  And she saw something in Missy that said she should be with the best!  Anyway, these are the cute girls she gets to be with this year!  I know most of these girls and LOVE them!

Fuzzy also made what she wanted to.  She moved up a jazz group and gets to work with these cute girls and Margaret again!  Fuzz was also elected president of this group!

Missy was so exhausted.  We had to be there at 7:45 AM because I was running the registration for the day.  Fuzzy's auditions weren't over until 4ish, then I stayed and registered girls and helped clean up, so it was a very long day!

Fuzzy's last audition was for ballet.  She debated whether or not to try out for Senior ballet or to spend another year in junior.  She opted for junior and I think it was a wise choice.  She will get to shine this year.  They also started a new apprentice program this year so their are TONS of girls which she doesn't really love, but she loves all the girls!  I have had a few moms of the younger girls come up and tell me how much they love Fuzzy an how she has made them feel loved and included!  Love to hear those things!

On top of all the classes the girls are taking, they are teaching a class of 5-10 year olds (ballet 2/3).  After only a few weeks of classes, they are maxed out with the number of girls they can accept into their class!  I am so proud of them and love that they get to do something they love, but also they get to pass that love onto these little girls!  So proud of my beautiful daughter!

Oh yeah... the best part is they are going to Disneyland in February to perform!!!  Hooray!

Fun with the Peppers

Jana came for a visit and we were actually in town!!!  Hooray!  My kids have missed their cousins!  

Alli was so excited to share her room with Aubrey!  She love pretending, playing house and reading to her.  I think Alli really likes not being the littlest sometimes!

Aren't they so cute!

The next morning, it was brownies for breakfast again!  But I also found these adorable baby grapes and they were delicious!  (Although a little time consuming to get the small little things off the vine!)

Aubrey liked making Fuzzy up

I think Scotty and the boys were off so much I could never get a picture of them.  Jana and I had a great, very relaxing day.  We went for a walk, ran to the store, but mostly just sat around and visited.  So fun!  We love to have people stay with us and it doesn't happen very often!  

The next week we had Haley for a couple days and it was so fun to have another cousin come stay!  And it meant more brownies for breakfast! 

7 Peaks with the Stewarts

The next week we headed to 7 Peaks Salt Lake with the Stewarts!  I sure do love hanging out with cousins!  We had a great time and the kids decided they liked the SLC one better than Provo.  I think that was just because it was different.  Anyway, we had a great time!

I love all these kids, but I especially love Chase.  He is almost 3 years older than Scotty, but he loves to play with him.  There aren't many boys that like playing with younger kids.  I love that they are great friends and love to be together!  

I am seriously so lucky to have such great cousins for my kids!  I love these guys!

The bad part of the day came on the ride home when Missy PUKED all over my seat and floor of the car!!!  We have never had a puker in the car before and I gotta say, I thought we never would with all the kids being older.  Who new the first one to do it would be my 15 year old!!!  YUCK and smelly.  I drove home fast and then immediately took the car in to be detailed.  My dad told me I should thank Missy for getting me to do something I had been thinking about doing for awhile!

No one else seemed to get it and Missy was super stressed over a bunch of drama with some girls so I chalked it all up to that.  Then a few days later Fuzzy was babysitting for my friend and threw up right after she had put them to bed!  Ahh!!!  At least none of her kids got it!

We went to 7 Peaks a ton this summer, usually with someone, but I don't have any other pictures.  Not only am I blessed with great family, but I am also blessed with great friends to have for me and my children!  I love the people I get to associate with!  Some are as dear to me as my own family!

Tracy Aviary

Monday we headed to the Aviary.  With our pass of all passes, we could go for free on Mondays, so I thought we would try it out.  We didn't have a ton of time, but that turned out to be great, because you didn't need much time.  It also passed off Scotty's last requirement to earn his Bear in CubScouts!  Wahoo!

Being the bird!

My flock of flamingos

It was so hot so we stood in the misters for awhile cooling off!

After we were done, we headed to the splash park and played for about 10 minutes.  Then it was home so we could watch Mrn and Chad's kids.  We had a lot of fun with cousins this summer!!!

Camping with Friends

That Friday night we went camping with a big group of friends and neighbors!  So much fun, but I have to admit, at this time I am starting to feel a little funned out!  So I took Alli home that night to get some real sleep since I was done with tantrums!  Anyway, I packed really fast and only ended up putting 3 sleeping bags in the car.  Oops.  Corry got a lousy nights sleep, sorry babe (in my defense, Scotty told me there were 4 and I believed him)!

There really wasn't much we did, just talked and laughed!

Mel and I ended up starting the fire again.  Go us, mini-pyros!

So we set Julane and Cole's tent up

but then later they decided to move it!

The hammock was a big hit again

But the ropes didn't look so good...we thought we might have a repeat of the year Missy broke her clavicle!

But, food beckoned me!

Mmmm - tin foil dinners!

More swinging in the hammock...

Until...

Yup, another casualty and it was my kid!  Not to worry - I had more rope!

Brave women coming up with their babies!

Love these people I get to associate with!

Hahaha!  There was a certain age group of kids, about 3, that I just had to capture on film!!!

Aren't those cute kiddos adorable with all that dirt!

Mel tried to clean up Addi!

I actually was there!  :)

Aspen and Scotty hung out a lot in the hammock.  At one point Jill asked me if when we should start worrying about stuff like that.  I am not sure, but not today!

We also realized something really important (wish it was a better quality photo), Trina and Corry are the same height, when Corry is sitting!

This is the best part about camping!  

The next morning, Scotty and Aspen took the little camera around.  Love what they decided to capture!