We now have an 18 year old! Hard to believe he is so old With him going to friends houses to watch them open mission calls and planning out college classes and arranging prop - it all feels a little surreal. We had his birthday dinner a day early - steak, fruit salad and chocolate milk with ice cream cake - as Wednesday night was our mutual night. Luckily his very kind "mission presidents" stuck a candle in his cannoli for him. This weekend he had a combination Christmas/birthday present with going out for sushi with Jeremy and then going to a Panic at the Disco concert at night. He had a great time. He jammed his knee which we learned by loud screaming one morning when he couldn't stand up or walk. Luckily we have a knee expert in our house and a few hours later things shifted and he could bend his leg again. But it did mean a few days of no exercise for him which made us all really appreciate him going to cross fit on a regular basis.


Jeremy had his company's Big Outdoor Expo last weekend.  Lots of work leading up to it with design and advertising.  Allison worked both days for him taking tickets and Spencer worked all day Saturday before leaving to work at Chubby's (I figured out he worked 15 hours straight that day - it was awesome).  Robyn, Taylor and I just got to go enjoy all the booths.   In fact Robyn liked it so much she had me take her and her friend back again in the afternoon.


The girls had their piano recital.  Both were disappointed on how they did but I thought they did wonderfully.  Allison had a piano festival she competed in as well.  Allison is starting to do some really tough pieces which makes for lots of practicing.  Allison also had her big choir concert and she and Robyn have started the busy season for their play.  So they are staying busy and music is filling our house.



Robyn had battle of the books at school this week where she competed with teams to decide who knew the most trivia for the books their grade has read this year.  We have gone in the span of 2 weeks from Robyn reading books by the fireplace with hot chocolate and dunkers:


to her having a group of friends over for a spring is here party of painting pots, planting flowers and making muddy buddies.


Odds and ends of the weeks are Taylor breaking his Daffos and the visits needed to fix them, Jeremy's studio being sold so looking for a place to move to and Jeremy having some photo gigs.

Biggest news was that I got a job for next year.  I have interviewed at a couple of schools and all of them I could see working at.  But the one school I really, really wanted offered me a job at a local Jr High and I accepted.  I knew since it was mentioned as a possibility in January that that school just felt and sounded right.  So that is what I have been praying and hoping for.  Lots of really nice people and some little miracles and it all came together for me.  Big stress of my shoulders.  I have two more weeks to finish up all my school work and get it sent in for review, one more graded observation and then I just get to enjoy teaching for a few more weeks.  So close.

I notice that my posts are getting fewer and fewer.  Mostly because the days seem to just blur together.  I was talking to a neighbor and she was saying that life for her is work, kids, church and sleep but if that's all her daily life consists of for the rest of her life she would be content.  It was a good reminder for me to remember how blessed I am and to enjoy this new routine of our life.  It doesn't make for very exciting blog entries but it makes for a happy life.

School is going well.  The teaching part is just a lot of fun.  I even enjoy the prep part, I just never have enough time it seems like.  Most of my week nights and weekends are spent preparing lessons and doing assignments.  I got to go up to Logan last weekend with a fellow cohort member who lives in Payson.  We drove up Sunday night and stayed in the hotel on campus because we had a class at 9 am and were worried about snow.  So we were all dressed and headed to breakfast at 8 am when we got the call that because the canyon was closed to all but 4 wheel drives with chains they had cancelled the day.  So we spent the morning meeting with our professor, waiting for the canyon to clear and then came home.  I beat kids home from school which made us all happy.  Right now I am in the middle of applying to schools to teach and I am really appreciating the efforts of many friends to help me get a good position at a near by school.

We have had a few fun things these last weeks.  I took Spencer, Allison and Robyn one night to see Peter and the Starcatchers at Hale Theater.  Allison loved those books as a child but I had never read them so didn't know what to expect.  It was an awesome play and very different than those we had seen before.

One Saturday Robyn, her friend Jill and I took Jasper up to the Humane Society to get his shots and worm medication as well as pet all the animals there.  I wish it were closer because our kids would live there on weekends if possible, especially Robyn.  Robyn has been enjoying doing Student Council at school as they help organize the Battle of the Books.  They finished reading a book about a book scavenger hunt so she quickly printed out scavenger hunt instruction and had to run to a park to hide it.  She has been enjoying her drawing class every week especially learning how to use pastels.

Saturday night with Spencer at work the rest of us got to go enjoy a Vocal Point concert while Jeremy took photos.  Their version of Nearer My God to Thee just brings me to tears every time.  Throw in some milk shakes and fries on the way home and Dad's night out was a huge success with the girls. 


Allison has been busy practicing for her piano recital and festival this coming weekend, doing choir, practicing for the play and doing tons of homework.  She and Jeremy both caught a cold which left Jeremy sniffling and coughing for two weeks but made Allison pretty wimpy and miserable for a few days.  Luckily she has a friend who is willing to spend a weekend watching a princess movie marathon with her.  I did get to go with her and the YW to watch a BYU volleyball game along with Spencer and Jeremy.  Robyn, our anti-volleyball member of the family babysat Taylor for us instead.



On President's Day the kids and I headed up to SLC to see the new Family History museum.  Unfortunately it was closed so Allison and Kaori hit up the mall and the rest of us did a tour of the conference center.  Spencer is still a little bitter about it.

Jeremy and I were able to go one night to the Police recognition dinner.  It amazes me how much the police in our community do in return for so little.  He has enjoyed being a part of the Honorary Colonels and getting involved in the community.