Family Update

Okay...I know I have not posted here in awhile. Secretly, I lost my password. I guess it is time for an update on the things my family have been doing.

Of course, we are still remodeling our house. We are currently working on our main bathroom. Rob has been such a trooper supporting all of my crazy ideas. Hopefully we will sell it fast when it comes time. Robbie will be taking a journeyman test in December and then who knows where will end up from there. Rob's dad has also moved up to Evanston, not to be confused with moving in with us. Those who know him or about him know what a tremendous pain this will be. But, it will be better for everyone in the long run because we can keep a closer eye on him.

I have been doing some work with the Wasatch Range Writing Project, helping to teach teachers how to teach writing. I love it! I am not working this year, mostly because I didn't want to have to up and move in the middle of a school year and I don't want to stay any longer than necessary. But between Bob and the Writing Project, I am keeping busy. I finished working on my master's degree in education last December and have done practically nothing with it, but maybe I will get it paid off before I end my career. bhahahaa!

Taylor has become quite the little dancer. She loves school and is still the sweetest thing there is. She has finally reached the age where eye rolling is a consistant form of expressing her opinions. She also feels like she should have a dollar every single time she unloads the dishwasher. We finally settled on 2.00/ week, which makes us both happy.

And finally...Kaiden. Oh boy. What do you say about this child. His energy is that of an Olympic Athlete, unfortunately he is a little bit uncoordinated and his brain comes up with some really amazing ideas that usually result in a big mess for mom. I love him anyway and I can only pray that he will be an easy teenager.

Other than that...we are are just living the dream. Hopefully I will remember my password so I might be able to update a little more often than every couple of years!

Holiday Season

It is the end of the year already...I must say it has been a pretty rough one.  I am definately happy to see 2010 end soon. 

We have had some fun this year, despite the house flood.  July was busy with celebrations and time in Idaho finishing up my mom and dad's cabin.  Taylor started Kindergarten the end of August.  She has been going all day and is loving every minute of it. In September, we traveled to Colorado where we spent some time with Rob's aunt and uncle at their beautiful cabin. 

I have finished up another semester of school and I have about one year left before I will graduate with my Master's in Education. 

This summer, I spent time working with the Wasatch Range Writing Project.  I have presented at a couple of teacher education conferences and I am teaching writing to a 4th grade class in West Haven, Utah. 

I have also began remodeling the kitchen, while Rob is working on re-finishing our basement.  Hopefully we will be done with both projects by the end of the year. 

New Pics

Ok, here are some new pics.  Susan, I put some of the house in just for you. 

Christmas time

Christmas came. Christmas went. It was such a fun weekend. Taylor was so excited for Santa to come and leave her some presents. Kaiden still isn't quite sure what is going on, but one thing is for sure....he does not like Santa!!

I had to wake up Taylor around 7:30. I just whispered into her ear and she shot up out of bed. This for her is very unusual because she is alot like me and really hates to wake up in the morning. She bolted for the stairs. We were staying at Grandma Sue's.

Taylor had so much fun opening just about every gift under the tree. She helped Kaiden open his gifts. They took a little break in the middle so they could wrestle each other. They are so funny together.

One of Taylors favorite toys is her Smart Cycle. She was playing her racing game and decided that she needed to take a break. I asked her why she didn't want to play anymore. She looked at me and said "Mom, it feels like exercise to me". I laughed so hard. I think it will be good practice for her because she also got a new Barbie bike.

We are finally back to the comfort of our home in this ice-cold weather. I am a little bit disappointed that we don't have a little bit more snow, but I am ok about not driving in it.

Where I am now

It has been a very crazy summer! For all of you who don't follow me on facebook, here is the update.

In June, Robbie and I took a vacation to Mexico. It was so awesome. I love Cancun. Our good friends got married down there on the beach. It was beautiful. We also went on the Pirate Cruise that we used to watch last time we were there. It was the absolute BEST party in the whole world. We had sooooo much fun.

Believe it or not, my little afraid of the water and fish booty even went on an underwater sea trek at Xel-ha. If you go to Mexico, Xel-ha is the best place to go for the day! They had the best chocolate cake....not to mention chips, salsa, and guac...my favorites...mmmm..

The day before we left for Mexico, we got an offer on our house that we had been trying to sell. We took it and moved to Evanston, Wyoming the week after we got back from Mexico. We decided that we didn't want to buy yet, so we rented a house. It is the biggest piece of crap and really makes you appreciate owning. It is looking a lot better since I painted, but still....not the same.

After finishing up last school year, Rob and I decided that I would stay home with the kids for a couple of years. Any of you that know me well, knows that I can't JUST stay home. I was bored before summer even ended, so the week before school started, I decided to go back to school to get my Masters degree in Education. So...I went to Weber, talked to the department, got a scholarship, financial aid, signed up for classes, bought books and started school the next week. It is perfect. I go stay at my mom and dad's with the kids for a night or two a week, I get to see them all day and get a little break at night.

Those of you who know me well also know that I am somewhat of a nerd and I LOVE SCHOOL. I could be a full time student if I didn't have to pay so much to be there. I love learning and I love learning how to be a better teacher. I definatley miss the classroom this year, but I know in the long run it will be worth it.

Not only am I going back to school, but Rob is working through a second apprentiship with Rocky Mountain Power. He has been working so hard but he is still home by 3:30. I love it, except when I want to be lazy all day. It used to be that I could lounge around until about 5:30, hurry and shower, clean, and have dinner ready by the time he got home at 7....those days are gone. It is for the best. :)

We have also decided that we are going to buy a house now. I know...we have only been here for 3 months. Renting is so crappy, so we got ourselves prequalified and found ourselves a house. Evanston is so weird...you can't find anything for less then 275,000 that is decent...everything less then that you have to do major work to. We got lucky and found us a little house that will work for now, that doesn't need a lot of work, but that is in a good neighborhood. We even qualified for a rural development loan, which doesn't require a down payment...which is nice considering how much we lost selling our last house.

So now, we find ourselves going back and forth making sure everything is koesher before we sign the papers. We should close on that house on September 25. Happy Birthday Month to me!!!

Oh...even more important, my little sister Amy is FINALLY getting married. October 17....some temple...somewhere....something to do after...good times.

That about sums it up. Hope all is well with everyone.

Moving..and More

I have now finished 2 5-K races this year. It is so much fun and we have another one next week...yep...Race for the Cure is here.

There is only 4 more weeks left of the school year. I cannot believe that it has gone by so fast. My class is so great. I am really going to miss them. Everyday brings something new and funny. I am not teaching for a couple of years after this year....but I will definatley miss it.

We finally have our house up for sale. It is under MLS 881651. Check it out! I think the pics turned out pretty good. We are selling it through Remax...or you can check it out on UtahRealestate.com. We have been working so hard to get this to where we want it...but now we have to leave. Very sad...

I am still planning on heading to Mexico...I promise I won't kiss any pigs while I am there....We have about a month left until we leave...hopefully the "SCARE" will be over. (rolling my eyes). I think it is a little crazy that people have been so crazy about this. Hopefully I will reap the benefits with a cheaper trip!!!

Oh...my brother finally left for England. He is going to the Leeds mission...but he went straight to the MTC in Preston. I hope that this will be a good experience for him and that he will have a chance to really grow up. His life will be some much better if he learns a few things.

Little Kaiden is getting so big. Nine months and 4 teeth....where did the time go? He is so funny. He rolls all over the place. He has learned to open drawers and he really likes to chew on stuff...especially cords and shoes....nasty. He is still such a happy little man. He is hardly ever crying...and if he does it is because he needs to be changed or he is hungry. He is so easy to put to sleep. I can lay him in his bed and shut the door. As long as he has his cookie monster and bink...he is out in no time.

Taylor is getting funnier every day. She knows all of her letters and she is sure that she knows how to read. She loves visiting Grandma and Grandpa and she is constantly taking in new information. She likes to try and negotiate her wants...and if she doesn't agree, she will tell you no deal. Oh...and she is sure that she will have a baby sister when we move back to our old house. I am assuming she means to our next house...but I am sure that it will be awhile. I still remember how much it sucks being prego!

Rob is really loving his new job. He is commuting every day...but it is worth it for now. He is learning so much and can't wait for us to all get up there so he doesn't have to make the drive. Taylor is very excited about getting fireworks on her birthday. Little people are so easy to please.

As for me...not much has changed. I found out that I have a B-12 deficiancy which accounts for my exhaustion. I started getting B-12 shots and I finally feel normal. It is great to have the energy to clean and make dinner...any day to day task that used to be so difficult.

Race for the Cure

Ok everyone....I have officially started a team for Race for the Cure. It is happening on May 9th downtown Salt Lake City. It is such a great event. We started a team so that our faculty could join to help with their fitness goals...but we would love to have a ton of people show up to support our team and our cause. Go to the Race for the Cure website http://race.komenslc.org/site/TR/Race/General?fr_id=1000&pg=entry

Then...search for Team Rose Springs Elementary...or you can search for my name. I am the team captain. We would love to raise a lot of money for this reseach...you can also donate online without having to move a muscle...

Hope to see you there!!!

PASSED!

YIPPEE!! I passed my test. I am so happy that I don't have to take it over again. After all of that stress, I have now decided that I am going to take a few years off and stay home with my cute little kids. I am very excited about it.

Rob also passed his test that he took and we are now just waiting to hear what is going to happen with the out of state job that he is interviewing for. We are crossing our fingers and hoping for the best.

Taylor just turned four. She is getting funnier every day. The other day I asked her what she ate for lunch. She told me that she ate fish sticks. Then she told me that she didn't like them, but she ate them anyway and then she asked to be excused from the table. It was so funny!

Little Kaiden is doing great. He is getting so big. He is now 18.4 pounds and he is 27 inches long. What a GIANT! He has been fighting a cold and he has been getting some teeth. He is such a trooper and he is still such a sweet boy.

Test Day

IT IS OVER!!! That last stinkin test that has been hanging over my head since my days of college. Hopefully, I will pass it the first time so I don't have to retake it. It came down to the final 20 seconds or so. I threw my last thoughts on paper, writing as fast as my fingers could go. The anxiety is enough to kill you! But....the Praxis is FINALLY over.

Not only was it my test day, but Rob had a big test today, too. It will take about 4 weeks before either one of us truely know how we did. I am sure we both did great!

Now...we look forward to our vacation!!! Oh, yeah, Valentines is coming up first. That will mark the 2 year anniversary of when Rob proposed...awww...how sweet. Great story. And then...OFF TO CANCUN!!!

Happy New Year!!!

Wow! December went by SO fast! I can't believe it is already 2009. I hope this year is as great as last year! Christmas was a lot of fun. It snowed like crazy, but we were still able to make it to both grandparents houses. When we got up to Ogden, we decided to make a sled hill for Taylor out of the back yard hills. THAT IS SOME HARD WORK!!! We managed a half decent hill and we looked all over Ogden for a sled. Every store was sold out. We finally found the little blue plastic carpets. That was ok, but she kept getting mad because she would get snow in her face. So, we went on another search and found another cheesy sled. This one was a little better, but still, not that great! Well, maybe it was just the windblown snow. Anyhow, I will post some video and pics when I get them transfered to my computer.

With the start of the new year, of course we all have some new goals. Rob and I have decided to tone up for our next fabulous vacation to Mexico. Back to Cancun we go!!! This school year, I have been designated the Gold Medal Schools Coordinator for my school. This is a BIG job, but not too bad. We have started a Fitness Challenge at my school. It is so fun to have almost everyone on board. I get some great motivation from the staff and my principal is so great to help us with whatever we need.

Hopefully this year will bring all of you all of the great things that you hope for.

Christmas is coming!!!

I love the holidays. That would probably explain why Taylor loves them so much. A couple of weeks ago we got a Walmart toy magazine in the mail...addressed to my brother in law by the way!! I thought it would be fun to let her look through the book and circle the things she wanted for Christmas. Needless to say this was really a funny activity. When she finished choosing the items that she would like, she proudly brought me back the book. Rob and I started to flip through it just to see what kind of things she might be wishing for. It all started out pretty normal. A baby doll. A doll house. The Tinkerbell movie. As we moved through the pages we noticed that she is also wanting a new TV for her room, a CD player, a mini-moped, a huge remote control dinosaur, some of the best Dora toys on the market and let us not forget the V-tech video game...in pink...not orange.

I realized that my baby is no longer a baby. She is starting to be a cute little girl. She suprised us both by not circling everything in that magazine...but only the things that she really wanted. Of course this will be a keepsake that I am sure she will enjoy way down the road. Maybe if she is lucky...Santa will bring her a few of those things on her wish list.

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving EVERYONE! What a great day! We just lounged around the house and then about 4:00 went to dinner at my mother in laws house. Rob was just happy to actually have a hot meal this year instead of having to heat up left overs.

We put up our Christmas tree and all of our cute decorations. I am so excited that our house is actually big enough to put up our tree without having to relocate furniture to our even smaller office. Let's just say the last couple of years have been real interesting. Our new living room is perfect. We even have a fire place!!! Taylor is so excited for Santa to come that she asks me everyday if he is coming tonight. I can see this is going to be a long month!!!

Cute little bugga boo has also been sick. She sounds horrible but keeps insisting that she is not sick. It seems like a high temperature and loss of voice is not quite enough to slow her down. She even has time to shop off the Christmas tree!!! Pics of our cute decorations soon...

Big Enough Winner

Ok...so Mesquite was a success. I don't care who you are...you have got to love Wheel of Fortune!! I won 450.00 on one of those beautiful machines. Lucky for me I was already up $100 bucks. So I gave 500 to my trustworthy hubbie and made him promise not to give it back until we were leaving town. Needless to say we both had a great time and we came out ahead. Not too bad for about 4 hours in town.

Cedar was also pretty fun. I can't believe that gas is only 1.85 there. It makes me feel like I am getting ripped off at 2.07 up here!!

Weekend Getaway

Halleluia the weekend is here again!! We are off to Cedar to watch the UFC fights. This should be a great time! Then off to Mesquite...ok it is only for a little bit, but long enough to be a big winner! I have high hopes. You gotta get lucky sometime. I will try to put some good karma out there to get some in return.

FRIDAY!!!

I love Friday!!!! I have two whole days until I need to go back to work. I have a lot of ambition, a ton of plans, and I probably won't get a single thing done because there is always something else that I want to do. I really think that we should have a few more days on the weekend. My vote is to have Friday, Saturday, Saturday, Saturday, then Sunday. That way I have two abolutely lazy days and two days to get stuff done.

This weekend will not be without waste. I am planning on hitting the gym in the morning for an awesome Butts and Guts class. I did a cycle class last night. I hated every minute, but I always feel so good when I am done.

Hope you all have a great weekend...maybe I can talk my hubbie into taking me out to Wendover or down to Mesquite soon. I have some slots calling my name!!! (Is it bad when you start dreaming about them??) I guess Idaho would do. The scratchy lotto cards are almost as much fun.

Oh, by the way...just in case you haven't checked it out yet...go to www.sodacreeklodge.com and check out my mom and dad's projects. I am hoping they start posting some pics of their new little cabin soon. I am sure it will look as great as the first.

Halloween

It is just getting better every year! Rob and I went to a Halloween Party hosted by a friend of ours. It was so fun. Nothing is better then singing Kareoke with Cher!!! Taylor was very excited to go trick or treating as always. It is something about the free candy that really gets her excited. Kaiden was just happy to be here as he always is. What a easy going baby. Here are some pics from our party and from our fun day.

Jumping on the Bandwagon

Ok Sue...you win. I have decided to break down and create a blog, as if I don't already have enough to do. Between being a mommie of 2 awesome kids, teaching 5th grade full time, going to the gym, and trying to finish decorating my house, I don't know how much time I will have to keep this thing up! I will do my best.

Right now, I am trying to decide if I should go ahead and take the next class toward my reading endorsement. The trouble is that I am already in charge of the Gold Medal program at my school that requires a bunch of training. I am also attending training classes for our districts literacy program. Not to mention that I just finished up a writing class.

Rob is thinking about taking a position with a company out of state, so we may end up moving sooner then later. Will it be worth taking these classes or should I wait until next summer? I do know that if we end up moving to Wyoming, I will start persuing my masters degree. EEEKKK...so much to do. Life is just rushing by.

My little Kaiden is already 3 months old. I can't believe how fast these few months have gone. Taylor is 3 1/2 going on 12. She is so smart and she is always saying things that catch me off guard or make me bust up laughing.

Well, I am off to buy some Halloween costumes for a rockin party tonight!!!