Deployment News

Glen has now been on lockdown at Camp Williams for 7 days and we're doing okay. The first few days of him being gone are always the hardest and then we start to get into a routine and things get a little easier. We were able to go have dinner with him tonight and spend some time which was really nice. After the 10 day lockdown he will be working and having briefings on a daily basis, but he'll be able to come home at night. Yay! I found out tonight he may also have some time off before they leave to go to Washington on the 24th or 25th, still not sure what day exactly.
The kids are handling things fairly well. We were pretty busy with the last week of school stuff, Ammon having his tonsils out, and Preston having tubes put in his ears over the past few weeks so I think they were too busy to really think about Glen leaving, but now with summer vacation we'll see how things go. Preston seems to be having the hardest time. He woke up in the middle of the night as usual a few nights ago and I brought him into my room, but then he woke up again about an hour later and looked over to where Glen normally is and said "Daddy?" Then he crawled out of the bed and ran down the hall calling, "Daddy!? Daddy!? Daddy!?" It was enough to make my heart break. I finally calmed him down and got him back to sleep, but he definitely misses Glen. He's kindof a momma's boy, but if Glen is around, that's who he wants. Isaac has been acting out a little, but I'm not sure if it's Glen being gone or something else. Over all things are a little tough, but going okay.

The Benefits of Facebook

My morning routine consists of getting breakfast for the kids and while the oatmeal/pancakes/eggs are cooking I flip open my trusty Mac and open up my e-mail. Ugh, junk. That's mostly what I get from e-mail now and it almost makes me wonder why I even check it on a daily basis. Of course if I didn't, the junk would pile up so much that it would overwhelm even the hint of a good e-mail and I'd be sure to scrap the whole thing and miss something important. However, now I have another vice to check up on - Facebook. My purpose with Facebook is mostly to see how other people's lives are way more interesting than mine . . . most of the time. I have to admit, I hate invites to Farmland, Flowerland, Heartland, and whatever other fluff there is on Facebook. Not to hurt anyone's feelings, but I ignore them all, hope you don't mind.
I'm not the type to keep so up to date on Facebook that I post something every day or all day long. If it's 10:30, 11:00 at night I figure most people are going to bed and don't care if I tell them that I am going to bed too. However, I love to get a good laugh and Facebook can occasionally be full of them. It's fun to hear the quirky things that people are doing and that their kids are doing. I'm a sucker for funny kid stories. The thing I like best about Facebook? I love finding old friends! People's names will pop in my head and I'll think, I wonder where they are now. I know! I'll see if I can find them on Facebook. I have found mission buddies, college roommates, High School friends and more. It's great. I recently got back in contact with my best friend from when I was eleven and living in England. It's crazy and fun to see where people I was so close to at one point have ended up and oddly look like they have barely aged. I also found my best friend from the 7th, 8th, and 9th grade. It has made my day being able to keep in contact with people I thought I would never talk to again.
I think life is about relationships. Those we have with our family, but also those we have with friends and acquaintances and the way those people can touch and enrich our lives make everything worth it.

St. George Trip

A while back we decided that it would be a lot of fun to plan an adult weekend getaway to St. George. We booked the timeshare and invited a few of our friends for a kids free weekend. We decided to go over UEA weekend and luckily my parents and one of my friends were able to take care of our kids. It was a lot of fun and a much needed break from real life. It was nice to feel like an adult again and have normal conversations. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy talking to Ammon about Thomas the train engine, spelling things for Ella, helping Isaac with his homework, and holding Preston non-stop, but I was ready for a little break. We headed north on Thursday, October 15th to drop off the kids, pick up Rob and Kendra Johnstun, who were dropping of their kids, and make a not so quick stop at the bank to get new debit cards. Then we were on our way. We met up with the rest of our group, Scott and Marci Taylor, Greg and Stephanie Whitney, Gene and Lori Smith, and Jacob and Anna Fechter in St. George that night at the timeshare.
Friday morning, a group of us went to the St. George temple to do sealings and it was really neat. It is a beautiful temple and the workers were so sweet. Glen's great-great-grandpa did a lot of the woodwork in the temple and it was special to be able to be there. Later some of the guys went to Mesquite to go golfing and the girls went shopping. Shopping without kids . . . incredible. That night we BBQ'd steaks and hung out together.
Saturday morning I went running with Anna on some of the bike paths and it was great. What a beautiful part of the state! The girls went for pedicures while some of the guys went on a bike ride and then we all met up for lunch. After that we split up to do some more shopping and just to relax. We made it back just in time for the BYU football game. That night Glen and I went with Anna and Jacob to Tuacahn to see Aida and everyone else went to the movies and then bowling. The play was amazing and despite all his complaining, I think Glen actually enjoyed it.
Sunday we headed home and even though it was nice to be away, I was happy to see our kids again. I really do miss them when I'm not around them.



St. George Temple on an absolutely gorgeous day.

Lunch at Texas Roadhouse.

Inside the timeshare. We booked the penthouse and it was well worth it. The jacuzzi on the deck was a nice perk.

Anna and Jacob had already left, but the rest of us took a couple fun group pictures.

First Day of School

Isaac started the 2nd grade at Eagle Valley Elementary School on August 20th 2009. The day before school started we went to the school and found out his teacher would be Mrs. Jackson. However, when we went to his new classroom which is in one of the portables, we found Mrs. Martin. Mrs. Jackson had just had a baby and would be on maternity leave for six weeks. I was a little worried because in the 1st grade Isaac's teacher, Mrs. Dunkin left to have a baby at the Christmas break and decided not to come back. Isaac's second 1st grade teacher, Mrs. Boyd was great, but Isaac never really got over having a different teacher. Mrs. Martin seemed really great though and Isaac was excited when he found out that his best friend, Wade, was in his class.

The weather was great and Isaac was ready to ride his bike to school.
Outside of Isaac's new classroom.
Isaac and Ella in front of the school.

Ella started Kindergarten on August 27th and she was very excited. I think I was more nervous to send her to school than I was Isaac, but maybe that's because she's my only girl. She wasn't nervous at all. We went the week before to meet her new teacher, Mrs. Spaulding and Ella did an evaluation with her. She was right up to speed and she was in the same classroom Isaac had been in as a Kindergartner. Incidentally, Ella's teacher is also expecting a baby. I guess it comes with the territory of all these young teachers.

Ella with Mrs. Spaulding.

So far the year has been going really well. Mrs. Jackson came back and Isaac is doing really well with her. He's reading a grade ahead which we figured he was at and Ella is already becoming a good reader.

Projects

Around our house many projects are started . . . few are finished. I suppose I could blame it on my husband, but it's not always his fault. Other projects begin to take precedence, life gets crazy, kids get in the way. Whatever the reason, things remain undone. We started painting the house about a year and a half ago and the kids bathroom, my bedroom, and my bathroom have yet to be finished. The problem is now the other rooms all need to be touched up as well. In February we started another large project, the floors. We had carpet in the dining room and it just wasn't working with four small children (can't imagine why). For a couple of years I had been wanting to take it all out and put down laminate flooring and we finally did it. Well, Glen did it and he did a great job, but like most projects, it remains slightly undone. It's just the baseboards and the transition strips, but I look forward to the day when a project is done completely. Though not finished, I absolutely love the floors and we put them in just in time. Preston now feeds himself and one-third of his food always ends up on the floor. It was interesting teaching piano lessons in the entryway while the floors were being worked on, but I managed. Here are some slightly unfinished pictures and hopefully some day soon I can put a completely finished picture. Of course there are still the curtains I need to get, the accessories, the . . .

The before picture. It's hard to see, but there are stains, everywhere!
Light carpet + Kids = Disaster

Pulling everything out and realizing that we are going to have to put in a sub-floor to match the kitchen and entryway.


The kids thought it was a blast, except for Preston who was confined to his high chair most of the time.


Glen was hard at work pulling up the linoleum, that stuff can sure stick!


Great job on the sub-floor, Glen! And the floor is coming along!


The almost finished project! We love it!

Crazy Life

Is it just me or does life seem to be flying by and I'm holding on with the tips of my fingernails? This summer was too short and crazy, but I'm actually glad that school is back in. I feel like I'm better organized when the kids are in school and consequently I have more free time rather than less. Weird. By the way this post is especially dedicated to my darling cousin Cara who keeps reminding me what a slacker I am. Hee hee, thanks Cara. OK, so here's a quick update because I have the Kindergarten carpool today and it's early day out. Glen is alive! This may sound weird, but he has been pretty sick lately and it's been quite the medical mystery. After multiple cat scans, ultra-sounds, a colonoscopy (fun!), an endoscopy, and lots of blood tests, they think there's something going on with his gallbladder, but it's going to stay in for the time being.
I'm back with all my piano students, plus some new ones. I'm up to 15 now and I'm hoping I can manage. With two little ones at home still and all the running around that accompanies kids in school, soccer, and dance, I stay very busy. I do find some time to read, play the piano, and hang out with friends and Glen which is nice. I have a new friend from Chile and I've been able to dust off my Spanish and surprisingly it's not quite as bad as I thought!
Isaac is in the second grade and loving school again. He still loves playing with friends more than school and homework is just not fun, but he's doing well. He continues to be an amazing reader and speller.
Ella started Kindergarten and she loves it! She loves drawing, coloring, and playing with new friends. She loves writing her whole name and other random letters that she likes. She's still in dance and says that dancing all day is her favorite thing to do.
Ammon is a little lonely with Isaac and Ella in school, but he tries to play with Preston. His trains are his ultimate toy and we have train tracks going down the hall on a daily basis. He is still very forceful and energetic and yet very sweet too.
Preston is getting bigger, although he is definitely our smallest kid. I think he might have hit 20 pounds finally at 13 1/2 months. He has quite the little personality and loves to make people laugh. His big brown eyes draw the attention of many strangers and I think he really likes the attention.
Check out our latest pictures! These are in no particular order.


On a fun scavenger hunt with some of our friends.

Ammon coloring in the tent at the Hardy Family reunion.

Isaac looking very handsome in his new suit.

Ella's first day of school.

A Daddy and kids sandwich!

Little Preston who just loves to have his picture taken.

Preston again, playing on the couch.

Ella's first day of school.

Isaac's first day of school, which was actually a week before Ella's. He's in a portable that is right next to the playground, sweet!

Ammon and Preston playing and actually getting along.

What happened to us?

Wow, it has really been a while since I blogged. However, today the washer is broken and so I can't do laundry which means I have a couple extra minutes. Actually I should really be showering since it's 11:01 and I'm still in my pajamas, but oh well. I'll give some quick updates and then plug in some pictures.
Glen - has been a little under the weather and he's also trying to lose weight before April 1st or he's out of a job. We're not too worried because they really need him, but it's always a little scary. His job has been fine. He took off almost the whole month of December which was nice, but I'm sure he and I both wish he could have gotten more things done around the house. The projects just keep piling up, but it's hard to do things when the kids want to spend time with him. Now we're back to the feast and famine. When he's teaching, he leaves before we wake up and sometimes doesn't get home until after the kids are asleep, then he'll have like four days off in a row. We've learned to adjust pretty well.
Me - Still as busy as ever with kids and piano lessons. I set a goal to read 20,000 pages last year and I didn't reach the goal, but I still managed to read over 12,000 so I felt great. I really missed reading and it got me back in the habit. One of these days I'll list my favorites for suggestions. The holidays were great and once again Glen surprised me with a gift that was not in the budget, but he'll figure out how to pay for it (anyone want to buy a gun?). He bought me a new Mac laptop and it has been nice to be able to check things on the Internet in the kitchen where I can keep an eye on the kids. You would think I would have been able to blog more too, but I still have to keep my sessions on the Internet quick.
Isaac - Continues to love school. His teacher decided not to come back after she had a baby over the Christmas break so he came back to a new teacher, but after a few kinks, I think things are going well. He continues to be more independent every day and loves to go play with friends. He walks home from school with a couple other kids and although he takes a lot longer coming home, I think he really enjoys the freedom. He's lost two teeth so far and thinks it is just the coolest thing.
Ella - Oh, our little princess! She had a blast at her dance recital and cracked us up as she ran from one side of the stage to the other. We think she stole the show during her number. Glen cut her hair a week or so before her recital and even though I thought he was just going to trim it, he asked her how she wanted her hair and she said like Snow White. Two seconds later she said Sleeping Beauty instead, but the damage had already been done and Glen had chopped it into a bob. It looked very cute, but Ella was extremely upset. I assured her that it would grow back and we wouldn't cut it short again so she could look like Hannah Montana (her other favorite). Well, the day after her dance recital we went to some friends house for dinner and their son came running up from the basement to tell us that Ella had cut her hair. "Yes, we know." "No, Ella cut her hair!" I'm sure all you parents can understand the panic that set in as we stood in shock wondering how bad it was. She came upstairs and her bangs were gone . . . gone. "Don't worry, Mom, it will grow back.", Ella calmly told me. From the mouth of babes. It is finally starting to grow back and one day we'll look back and laugh, but needless to say I haven't wanted to do family pictures so Christmas cards are going to be really late . . . maybe they'll be Easter cards.
Ammon - Loves his baby brother Preston, maybe a little too much. I am constantly dragging him off of Preston as he loves to lay on top of him or gets right up in his face. He is still a bit of a bully and watch out when he pulls out one of his push toys. Isaac and Ella run screaming from him all the time, despite the fact that they're bigger than him. He is also the biggest sweetheart. I think we named him appropriately because of any of my children if he were told to protect some one's sheep he would definitely chop off some people's arms and then teach about Christ. He'll be a great missionary. He loves to talk and he gets better every day.
Preston - Just keeps getting bigger and cuter. He loves to puff through his nose and thinks it's hilarious. He had some ear infections and that kid does not like medicine. The minute I would even take it out he would purse up his little lips and refuse to open his mouth. He loves his siblings and his Dad so much. He lights up when Glen comes home. He still wants to be held 85% of the day which makes things interesting, but he's also figured out how to drag himself around on the floor. It's not quite the army crawl and it takes a great deal of effort, but if he sees a toy he can usually pull himself over to it. He's rolling over everywhere too, but still not sitting up on his own. Of course if he did sit up, Ammon would probably knock him over. He also likes to say Dadadada and can squeal and shrieks louder than all the kids combined.
Overall we're doing well and looking forward to warmer weather. First lost tooth!
Cute with bangs!



Our solution to no bangs.
My happy boy!