(I apologize in advance if the formatting on this post is wacky, I swear I've tried to fix it!)
So, I suppose I should be embarrassed that it has
been almost 5 months since I updated the blog, but the truth is ... I'm not! :)
As you know, over the last few years my blogging has become more and more
sporadic, so it's not really too much of a surprise that I fell off the face of
the earth for a few months. We have been too busy living and enjoying life for
me to blog about it, I guess. But, in case there are any of you out there still
checking the blog from time to time, I figured I better get crackin' and fill
in the December-to-May gaps for you.
Just some quick highlights:
Disneyland!
In November we took another trip to Disneyland. It
was fun, as always, but I have to admit that it wasn't our favorite trip. It
was a little more crowded than we're used to (the weather was great, and since
we're used to Disneyland in the rain, everything else seems crowded). Still, we
had a wonderful time and we especially enjoyed the new Cars Land. I could
probably spend several days just hanging out in Flo's Diner, watching the
people walk through Radiator Springs. Just writing about it makes me want to go
back!
Natalie
Natalie is finishing up her last year of elementary
school, and I'm not sure how I feel about that! She was accepted into an
International Baccalaureate middle school about 25 minutes away from our home,
so next year will be quite an adventure for all of us. Natalie is also
finishing up her second year of baseball. She is the only girl on her team and
in fact, the only girl in her division. Although she has decided that baseball
isn't her thing, she has stuck with it throughout the year and held her own! We
are proud of her.
Natalie has also continued with both the choir and
strings program at school this year, although they both required early mornings
(which she is not fond of). She will continue violin at middle school next
year. Natalie's main love is acting and singing, and she is very excited for
the upcoming Rock & Roll Show that the 5th and 6th graders put on. She and
her class will be performing to "Jailhouse Rock," and Natalie also
has an acting role in the show. I have been impressed with her willingness to
audition for different things throughout the year. Often she doesn't even tell
me she auditioned, and I only find out about it when she tells me she got the
part. :) It has definitely been a blessing to be at a school with a strong
music and arts program.
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| Natalie as "Dolly Madison" in the 5th Grade Patriotic Play |
Beatrice
Beatrice recently turned 9 years old! I can hardly
believe it. She decided she wanted a "Pioneer Party" for her
birthday, so that's what we did, complete with butter making and homemade
bonnets. We had a great time. I will probably post about that separately,
because there are just to many cute pictures to keep to myself. :) Bea has been
doing well at school and absolutely adores her 3rd grade teacher. Earlier in
the year she stole the show as "Pluto" in the 3rd grade solar system
play. It was adorable.
However, Beatrice's main love is baseball. This is
her second year, and she cannot get enough of it... practicing, playing,
watching, talking about it ... she loves it all. She is one of only two girls
on her team (and in her division), and the other one happens to be her good
friend from church, which has been nice. Even though her team has struggled a
little bit, Bea has loved playing. She is quite good as well, if I do say so
myself. :) She is a good little hitter, and even had the walk-off hit
in a game against the only undefeated team in the division (well, not undefeated anymore :)). She most often
plays first or second base, although first base is her favorite. Because
she loves to play so much, we are considering moving her to softball, but she's
not too keen on the idea. She wants to play baseball, she says. So we'll
see what happens.
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| Bea in her natural habitat |
Dexter
In April, Dexter turned 6 years old, and we celebrated
with a Wreck-It Ralph party. Again, I’ll probably have to blog about that
separately, just to discuss the cake Jay made. It was pretty amazing. (Yes, Jay
is the cake decorator around these parts.) Dexter is also doing well in school
and has loved Kindergarten. They held a “Mother’s Day Tea” for us on the Friday
before Mother’s Day, and he was so proud to be up on stage, singing to me. He
was even more proud to pull me onstage to do the chicken dance with him!
This is also Dexter’s second year in baseball, and
he has loved it. This is his final year in tee-ball, and he is excited to move
up to the next division next season. His favorite part of baseball is hitting
(naturally), but he also likes playing first and third base. He does not enjoy
the outfield, and if that’s where he is for an inning, you can usually see him
standing there, chewing on his glove or chatting with the coaches. There is not a lot of action for an
outfielder in tee-ball!
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| Dexter showing off his painting during Open House |
Calvin
My “baby” Calvin is now a 4 ½ year old boy. It’s
still hard for me to believe sometimes! He is a goofy and funny little guy, and
loves to get our attention by making us laugh. We have been participating in a
little co-op preschool with some ladies from church, and that has been fun. For
the most part Calvin likes it, though he is a little bit of a homebody so every
once in a while he gets really sad about going to preschool (even if it’s only for
2 hours once a week). But once he’s there, he loves it. Cal has also been
continuing with speech therapy and now goes twice a week. He has made such huge
progress this year, and it’s all due to his new teacher. They really connect …
he even named one of his stuffed animals after her.
Cal doesn’t play baseball yet (he could have, but
we held off), but he’s excited to play next year. His favorite things to do at
home are play with legos, play outside, and of course, play the Wii. He would
play Star Wars Legos all day long if I let him!
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| One of Cal's many amazing outfits |
Jay
& I
Jay and I are doing very well, and trying our best
to keep the household running smoothly.
I have to admit that although we love baseball, we are looking forward
to the end of the season and a summer of relaxation. Jay has been serving on
the baseball league board, which has been a fun way to get involved in the
community. Of course we are also involved in the community through church,
where Jay serves in the Young Men’s program, and I serve in the Relief Society.
I am no longer running my sewing business, because it was just too much to
handle on top of everything else. I do miss it a little, so maybe in a few
years when all the kids are in school I’ll pick it back up again. We’ll see. In
the meantime, we’re plugging along, enjoying life. Yes, there are up and downs,
but definitely more ups!
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| At the Space Needle during our February Road Trip, which I'll blog about later :) |
Thanks so much for sticking through this long
recap! We miss all of you, our sweet friends and family, and hope that you know
you are in our hearts and our prayers. We love you!
