I'm Back

Don't have a heart attack, but after 5 month away, I think I am ready to start blogging again!

The highlights and some updates of the past few months:

Gabriella started 3rd grade. She love it - as always! And loves to read! I love that my kids take after me in those ways (yep, I was pretty much a nerd! loved school, loved to read!) I have often caught her with a book in bed, reading in the semi-dark! She has started taking dance again and has a lot of fun with that. She read the Book of Mormon, on her own, in 2010. She has discovered the world of Webkinz and loves taking care of Sally the Seal. Her new best friend is Makelle and they love making up silly words and talking in even sillier voices with each other. I just wish Makelle lived a little bit closer, that playing together happened more often. As it is, by the time kids are home from school and homework is done, I am fixing dinner (or should be!) and playing with friends just doesn't happen. And most important of all, Gabriella turned 8 and was baptized in October! She wants to be an artist when she grows up.

William is my sweet 1st grader. He loves school and reading almost as much as his big sister does. He especially likes non-fiction books - anything to do with bugs and science stuff or the body fascinates him. He loves doing crafty type art projects. He, too, has discovered computer time and tries really hard to keep his room clean so that he can have his time each day and play with his Moshi Monster. He almost accomplished learning how to ride a bike. I am positive that this summer he will get it in no time!

Tabitha loves to be my little baby girl and talk in a little baby girl voice and be carried around. Sometime I indulge her. Other times it just annoys me to no end. She will be 5 in only a couple of weeks. She loves going to preschool (we joined a co-op a high school friend of mine and some of her neighbors were doing) and every week we go to storytime at the library. And, after wanting to for over a year, she is now taking dance lessons as well. She never ceases to get us laughing with some crazy, off the wall thing she has to say. She really does live in a fantasy world all of her own, where things just happen of some made up person did some totally random thing, or she'll go off in a monologue of something a friend or sibling did and she is very detailed about it (and non of it ever really happened, but she believes it with all her little princess heart!).

Jackson is now officially a toddler. At 1 1/2 he is all boy. I have never had a child who could get into so much, so often, and who climbed on everything, the way this boy does. I love him. I love him with all of my heart. And I am often repeating this to myself thru out the day, as I discover yet another mess that he has left for me. He really does bring so much to our family. I love his laugh. I love his silly smiles and the way he smiles with his bottom lip pulled in, his front teeth hanging out the front, like a little beaver. I love how he likes to play kitties with me and will meow and come cuddle up underneath me. He likes to play cars and makes all sorts of fun car nosies. He loves dogs and his bear and his stuffed mouse. He is learning more words everyday and is such a good little helper with laundry, cleaning up his toys, throwing away his stinky diapers. He loves his big brother and sisters. He loves his daddy and often asks for him thru out the day. And I love how he blows kisses and loves to give kisses.

Rick is still enjoying his job. He just auditioned for, and got into, a choir - the American Festival Choir. The director/conductor is Craig Jessop (previously director of Mormon Tabernacle Choir). He is excited for this. And I am hoping it will get him singing around the house more! He has been busy with several little projects about the house. He has his own shed for all his fun projects now and recently built some shelves in them. He built a princess castle bunk bed for the girls, shelves in the storage room, small bookshelves to put in the kids closets, and is soon going to make a couple of nice bookcases to go in our family room.

And me. I find it hard to write about myself. Just yesterday, I received my first calling in our ward. I am the new secretary in the Relief Society. It will be a great way for me to get to know all the ladies in the ward. I have loved this ward. Though we've only been here a few months, I feel as at home here as I ever did after 5 years in our ward in AF. I know a lot of it has to do with me, and my outlook and attitude. That doesn't mean I have all sorts of wonderful friends. I don't. But I feel very comfortable here and the warm welcome we received when we were brand new made such an impact on me. I needed it. I've done some painting - a couple of bathrooms, the 3rd one is still in the process (I can't decide what color to do), I painted the laundry room. I really want to do something with the downstairs family room, but it's so big and I don't know what to do! What I need now is some motivation! I've also been trying to get my Usborne Books business going. I did a few booths at some events before Christmas and now just following up on leads from those.

Overall, things are good. We are happy and healthy and looking forward to what this new year brings!