Hi all! I am now going to join the ranks of the "bloggers" out there and open up my world for everyone to see. I guess it's somewhat similar to Facebook, but anyone can look at it. Things in our lives are going well. Mike is continuing work at Wheeler Machinery, and enjoying it for the most part. He is having trouble with the politics of being in management, but I think with time, he will learn to make things work. His biggest issue is learning how to let things not affect him personally and letting things roll off his back. That will come with time, I hope! During his spare time, he loves being out in his garage even if it's just cleaning. He tries to get sleep when he can, but it's pretty rare since when he's here, the kids are all over him trying to get his attention. Audrey recently turned eight and was baptised! We were all so excited. It was a great program, lots of planning on my part, but everything went smoothly. She was thrilled to be an official member and lots of her friends and family came to join us. She didn't really have a big party since we had the baptism, but we had a family party after the event and celebrated both her and Emma's birthdays. I can't believe my baby is eight years old! It seems like it wasn't really that long ago she was born, and then that we moved to Utah when she was still three. Hard to believe that as well. She is enjoying 2nd grade and thriving as expected. She is reading on a fourth grade level, and everything else on a fifth grade level. I am extremely proud of her. We just finished reading "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" and we are trying to decide what to read next.
Dallin has started Kindergarten, and he is really liking it a lot. He is slowly learning his letters, but excels in math and numbers. We had some behavioral issues at the beginning, but with time and a chart at home, we are improving in leaps and bounds in that area. He has made a few friends, but has trouble remembering their names. His teacher is Miss Gifford and he really likes her a lot. I am grateful for that. He tries to be helpful at home, and does a good job making sure his dog, Turbo, is fed every day. Again, another child I can't believe is five and a half already!
Emma just turned three on the 22nd of September. We are working on potty training, but not having much success. Even candy and a star chart aren't helping! I keep thinking I need to just let her decide when she is ready, but in the meantime, I just need to be patient. She is such a sweet little girl for the most part, always trying to fit in with her big brother and sister. I have started watching two little girls every day, one of which is about a year older than her. They get along pretty well, so it's nice for Emma to have a friend to play with every day.
Claire, our baby, is 16 months old and finally walking! It took her a while to reach all the milestones, but she is thriving now. She loves to keep up with all her older siblings, and she is constantly smiling and bringing such a sweet spirit into our home! We love to have her around and love seeing her discover new things every day. She is learning words, and learning that all she has to do is scream her little banshee scream in order to get her way. We are trying to nip that one in the bud right now!
As for me, I am staying home yearning for something new. I love to be able to be with my kids, but I am itching to go back to school or something--something different. But, until that's possible, I am enjoying my daycare kids and keeping house. I love watching my kids grow and change every day, and I really enjoy our reading time together and our homework time. I also love to talk with friends and family on the phone as a means of a connection to the outside world, but since I don't have long distance, that's kind of hard. So, Mike and Samantha get called a lot since they are local numbers! Well, I think that's it for now. We are coming up on the holidays which we can't wait for. Then, Mike and I will be celebrating our ten-year anniversary in January! I can't believe how much has happened in ten years and how fast it's gone! I look forward to all the wonderful things yet to happen in the next ten years!
