Long Time, No Updates

I just realized that this month marks 2 YEARS since we moved from St George back to northern Utah.  I can't believe how quickly time is flying!  It seems like yesterday that we were packing up 2 trailers with all our belongings, and saying goodbye to friends. 

 

We had a wonderful holiday season and Jack was spoiled rotten by Santa and family.  Its really hard to not spoil your ONLY child, especially when you have very few other people to shop for.  I guess that's the joy of being a parent though, right?!  Right. I thought so.

 

Jack is growing up SO much and is truly my little buddy. I feel so lucky to have him as my child(despite the times when I'm crying about how to parent him!). He is enjoying this year of preschool and LOVES learning spanish in his class.  His obsession with sports and numbers is at an all time high these days.  I never know if I should be proud of him or concerned about it. I have to check all the local sports scores before I go to bed each night because I know its the FIRST thing he will ask me in the morning.  We went to a Jazz game the other night and he spent the entire game figuring up the scoring differences for each team and each player. He told me the other day that his favorite toy is his calculator.  Um, okay. Got it at the dollar section of Target.  We've also been working so much on reading this year.  He is doing so well and loves it.  I admittedly love hearing him read and find so much pride and joy in listening to him.  I love seeing his mind in action!

 

Our lives are continuing on as normal. Busy, but normal.  I am still working full-time at St Marks in Salt Lake, and can't wait for the winter to end and to have an easier and safer commute to work.  I honestly feel blessed everyday that my car is still running.  245,000 miles and still running flawlessly. I couldn't ask for anything more.

I am also still working PRN at Park City Med Center.  (that means whenever they ask me).  I take a lot of call there and get to work a few shifts each month.  I really love it and wish they needed me full-time!  Between the two jobs, I stay way more busy than I'd prefer.  I would never be able to do it if I didn't have such a wonderful family that helps me out EVERYDAY!  It is such a great reminder of why we moved back.  There is nothing like having family around.  I am SO grateful to them for everything they do.  We usually sleep over at someones house at least once a week so I can take call and they all welcome us every time.  I am grateful for Jack to grow up with all of his cousins and to have the close influence of his Grandparents and Aunts and Uncles on a daily basis.

 

Being a single Mom is hard.  Even 3 years later, there are still so many challenges that come up.  I am eternally grateful for the abilities and blessings my Father in Heaven has given me.  I wouldn't be able to survive and keep my head above water without them.  I can't imagine trying to do it without a good job, family, friends and good health. It seems like life takes us on such a roller coaster ride, yet for me the one thing constant is knowing that Heavenly Father knows and, love me and wants me to be happy.  When I keep that in mind, it makes weather the storm much, much easier. 

 

Here's a few snapshots of the last little while....

ice skating, Jazz game, Christmas presents, donning a headband, and labeling his bathroom door "man" since he is so deprived of using the men's restroom(his over-protective Mom DOES NOT allow him in there alone) in public. 

 

We have a had a jam-packed last few weeks at our house.
Someone turned 5 and continues to think he's an adult.
Someone turned 30 and cried like a baby.
Both of us went to Disneyland! (and had a BLAST).
Plus....trick or treating, Gangman Style dancing and the zoo.

Captain America at Preschool Halloween Party

Trick-or-Treating with Cousins

For Jack's 5th birthday, our cousins came with us to the zoo. It was our first time seeing the Rocky Shores and the cute Polar Bear.  We loved it.

I can't believe Jack is 5.  Too big!  He's such a smarty pants and tries to be so grown up, that is, unless he is throwing a total temper tantrum(which seems like everyday).

He is reading so well and LOVES coloring. He is so interested in math and numbers and wants to know everyone's birthdays and ages.  It is such a joy and blessing(and total challenge, sometimes) to be this sweet boy's momma.

The week after our birthdays, we took a road trip to Disneyland!  I am embarrassed to say that I haven't been there since I was Jack's age...25 years ago!

We hit the beach before 3 days of Disneyland and California Adventure.  The water was so cold, but the kids didn't care at all.  They dug for sandcrabs and built sand castles while I laid on the beach like a bum.

Waiting for a wave......

Here it comes.....

Run, run, run!

Mini Baywatch Moment:)

Sadly, I do not have a single picture from Disneyland. Sad face, I know.  Maybe we will just have to go back soon and relive it!

Jack loved it.  I think I loved it more.  He was big enough to go on almost every ride, and totally surprised me by loving even the scary rides like Tower or Terror.  Thunder Mountain is his favorite, and he is still talking about it non-stop.  I see why its the happiest place on earth.

Jack's "Active Hour" class got to dance at Fright Night.  They danced with the older girls, performing their version of Gangman Style.  They stole the show!!!  It was AWESOME.  I think I have never been so proud of my lil' man. 

He's on the far right......to die for!

Here's the link for their dance....prepare to be amazed at these lil' guys skills!

Gangman Dance

(They start about halfway through)

And lastly, I turned 30. I wasn't happy about it.  But, my amazing family and friends made the day so wonderful for me, that I didn't even have a chance to be sad. I have to keep reminding myself, that although my life is not exactly what I thought it would be like at 30, I am still so blessed.

I was recently reading one of the conference talks about regrets. Part of the talk spoke about happiness and making our lives happy now, instead of wishing that things were a different. The talk has stuck with me since and I am so grateful.  I'm so happy to have the perspective on life that I have because of my faith and beliefs.

Despite being so busy, we are loving life and all of the fun times we get to have with our family and friends.  Whenever I start to feel sorry for myself, I just get to look at how blessed my life is, and I know we can get through anything that life brings us.  

Pumpkin Patch

We had so much fun harvesting our pumpkins yesterday. The plants froze before they finished turning orange, so with a little sunlight, hopefully they'll finish ripening soon! 

My little farmers were so cute and excited to help.

I LOVE fall! 

Speaking of pumpkins....there will be a pumpkin patch, craft booths, yummy food, kids games, 5K run, FREE kids race, petting zoo and lots of FUN at the Woodland Chokecherry Festival this Saturday, September 22nd in Woodland on Bench Creek Road(Just up the road from the Woodland Church). 

It will be SO much fun and a great way to celebrate fall! 

Click here for more details!

Preschool

Jack couldn't wait till preschool started this year, and asked me everyday for a month if it was time to go back. When we pulled up, he jumped out of the car and ran in, and I had to chase him down to try to take some pictures. He knew right where to hang up his bookbag and wasn't scared or hesitant at all about me leaving. He immediately sat down at the table with another boy, and I went to give him a hug and a kiss, and he REFUSED my kisses! He got this look of embarrassment on his face that his mother would DARE to kiss him in front of other boys. 
I was crushed. CRUSHED. 
How do they know its not cool to kiss your mommy in front of other kids? When did he get that big that he cares what other kids think? Ugh. I'm so not ready for him to grow up yet. Wipe his own bum? Yes, but refuse my kisses? Never. 
So I did what any good mother would do.....smothered his face in kisses and embarrassed the heck out of him. Then got in my car and cried that my baby is not a baby anymore. 
Here's my big preschool baby, who is WAY too cool for kissing his mom.....

Dear Bear Lake

Thank you for beautiful blue water and sunny skies,
For sand castles and hot tubs,
For wakeboard wipe-outs and ruptured eardrums,
For 'round-the-clock eating and 5 lbs weight gains,
For 2am card games and living room campouts,
For family togetherness and bonding,
For the perfect end to summer.

The {un}Lazy Days of Summer

We have been busy, busy this summer, checking off our bucketlist.  I don't think we've had a single day where we haven't had anything to do.  If we even THOUGHT about being bored, we'd have our cousins come play and enjoy the warm summer days.  I thought it would be a great idea to get a second job, so between both hospitals, and trading babysitting with Olivia, we've never had a dull moment.

It wouldn't be the 4th of July without the Oakley Parade and Independence Day festivities.

These 3 boys have spent almost everyday together this summer.  Popsicles and sprinklers kept them cool this day!

Jack did ACRO camp, Action Hero Camp, and Preschool Camp this summer.  Sadly, this was the only day I was able to come and take pictures of him, because of work:(

He learned how to do a headstand against the wall, and push up into a handstand.  Quite impressive!

We tried to make it to Seven Peaks a few times.  This day, most of our cousins came with us. 

Jack has been begging me to take him fishing this summer, so when I came home from work and saw THIS.....I was so happy that I didn't have to go and bait those slithery worms myself!

The boys went to tend the water with Grandpa.  He had to shut off the water from the river to the canal so it could be repaired.  When the water levels went really low, all these fish were swimming around their ankles, and they could reach down and catch them!  

Well, apparently Jack didn't dare catch them, but Grandpa and Noah did.  

What a catch!

I did get the unfortunate opportunity to prepare the fish to cook.  Yuck.  I've never done that before.  It was extremely tasty, though!

For the 24th of July, Kamas does a Kids Parade, where each community has a float.  The kids can ride it or their bikes down Main Street.  Jack was so excited to be in a parade and he rode his bike the entire time!

Playing in Grandma's backyard creek on a Sunday afternoon.  Jack was covered from head to toe in mud.  

Boy + Mud = FUN.

Hauling Hay on Bench Creek.  

I love hardworking men. Period.

Our Garden!

We are loving our garden and eating fresh veggies everyday.  We've had an overabundance of lettuce and spinach, which is great for Jack, the self-proclaimed "Salad Lover."

We yielded a few carrots.  Our zucchini and squash are plentiful, which is great for our family, since we do not like it, and it looks like we'll have a lot of pumpkins, too.

As much as I love summer, I have been feeling myself longing for fall for the past week.  I know it's right around the corner, so we better take advantage of these last few weeks to finish our Bucketlist!