It's time!!!!

Over 3 years ago we decided to try and sell our home so we could be settled before Carlie started Kindergarten. When that didn't happen and Carlie got into the Charter school, we decided we still wanted to move so we could be closer to the school since both her and Cayden would now be going there for the next 10 years! This started the vicious cycle of constant showings, sometimes 1 a day if not more than 1 some days!! I had to keep everything in perfect "showing" condition (or at least be able to look that way in 10 min. or less) 24/7! This becomes very waring on a person especially when you have kids. It didn't matter what was going on in our life, if someone wanted to see our house we let them and always made it look like I had spent hours cleaning and made everything look "perfect" (even when I had just had my tonsils out or just spent 3 horrible days in the hospital after hernia surgery). That is what you do when you want to sell your home, you never know when that one person who wants your home is going to come!! Well 7 months and 7 days ago (August 2nd 2011) we got the offer that ultimately, after much drama and falling through 3 times was the one!! We lived out of boxes and slept on the floor for over 2 months waiting to see if things were going to work out! Then we lived in a 2 bedroom apartment for the rest of the time while our new home has been built. It is finally time!!!! We moved in this past weekend and finally can feel "settled" and live our life again!! It has felt for a very long time now that our life has been "on hold". Waiting for our home to sell, then waiting for the sale to go through, then waiting for our new home to be built!! We had one more abstacle before we could move in!! Friday, before our house could record and fund the county server caught on fire!!! Nothing would be able to record until everything was fixed! It was looking like we wouldn't be able to move over the weekend after all. After it was determined that it wouldn't be able to record Friday, the builder was very kind and gave us the keys anyway!! You NEVER, EVER get the keys to your home until everything has funded and recorded!! Our agent said she has never seen that happen where Richmond has given the keys without that happening! We were so grateful:)

A new chapter.....

It all started in January when I applied for an instructor position (teacher's assistant) at the kids school for Fall (I am a planner)! Both kids will be in school all day in the Fall and it only makes sense for me to work at the school. I will still be home when the kids are home and I won't have to worry about what I will do with the kids in the summer! They said that I should do the substitute training because that is where they choose from first when hiring. So that is what I did. It was a week of training alongside another teacher learning how to teach reading groups. When substituting I would have to teach a reading, math and spelling group (that is what every teacher and instructor does). After that you just help the main teacher with whatever they want you to do. At the end of the training I had to teach the reading group all by myself in front of 2 administrators!! It was a little stressful and overwhelming trying to learn so much in one week! I already was feeling overwhelmed after not working for the past 6 years (wondering if I was crazy and underqualified trying to do this, it's not like I have a teaching background or degree in this subject and have never had any jobs related to teaching)!!! Everything went well and I have been an official substitute now for over a month!! The hard part is never knowing from day to day if I am going to get called in or not. I am too organized and like to have a schedule:) I have learned though how to get ready in 30 minutes or less and not worry about leaving everything a "disaster" until later!! It is also a little more difficult right now with Cayden having afternoon Kindergarten since that means he has to go somewhere in the morning until time for school. Thankfully our parents have been wonderful to help (the few times I have been called in) and my mom then brings him to school. Hopefully in the fall I will get hired on as a full time Instructor and this substituting will have all been worth it:) If you would have told me 6 months ago that I would be doing this I would have thought you were crazy!! I have never considered myelf a "teacher" and would have never thought I would be working at a school. It is amazing though how when you put your mind to something and if you work hard enough, anything is possible!! You never know the path your life is going to take you. I have loved it though and feel like this is where I should be (so hopefully that means everything will work out)!! :) It wasn't very long ago that I was a stay at home mom, going to the gym everyday, having play dates at the park with Cayden's little friends! Now I have both kids in school, there is rarely time to have social time with friends, if at all and I am working again. It is just crazy to think how quickly your life changes! It doesn't seem that long ago that Cayden joined our family and now we are starting a new chapter in our lives.........once again!

Not ready for Stars on Ice!!

Carlie went ice skating a couple weeks ago for a birthday party and said she "loved" it and couldn't wait to go again!! So we decided to take the kids and try it thinking if Carlie could do it after one time then we could do this! I haven't been ice skating since I was a teenager:)

We barely go onto the ice and this is what my kids look like!! Carlie is clinging to the wall and Cayden isn't going anywhere!!

After about an hour of clinging to the wall I was able to convince Carlie to let go and hold my hand! She did pretty good just letting me pull her around! I don't think she left the wall during that birthday party she went to but still managed to think it was the best party ever!! :)

Cayden had a little harder time and I had to pretty much hold him up on his skates because he couldn't balance himself and skate around. We won't talk about the part where he didn't keep his feet together and we both fell down!! Lance and everyone else got a good laugh, especially since Lance got it all on tape!!

In the end I think I am the only one who got a workout!!

End of basketball season....

Can't wait for next year!!

It is almost finished!!!

only 34 more days to go............

V.I.P.

Carlie was the V.I.P. on her dance team for January!! She got to have her picture in the lobby of the dance studio all month so everyone could see!! She is such a hard worker and always does her best!! Way to go Carlie!!

Serious business.......

My parents gave Cayden this wood train to paint for Christmas. He woke up this morning and decided he was going to paint it, goggles and all!! He is so funny sometimes!! He had a great time painting it and was very proud when it was finished!

Christmas 2011

Every Christmas Eve Lance's family gets together and the grandkids all dress up and the Christmas Story is read. Cayden was a Wiseman and Carlie was the Angel this year. A new grandchild was born a week ago so we even had a real "Baby Jesus" this year:)

all of the grandkids (minus 2 that couldn't be there)

Christmas morning we made them sit in the hallway until we were ready for them to come see what Santa brought!

Santa pulled off a miracle and brought the pink camera with a purple case!!

My friend and I risked our lives to get this on Black Friday and needless to say the kids were VERY excited!! Cayden is going to have to teach us all how to play it since he knows more than us about the Wii!!

Cayden got his remote control helicopter from Santa that he has been waiting for!

Lance was so sure Santa would come through with Cayden's request that he bought his own so they can play together! Luckily Santa makes very good quality toys that can withstand repeated crash landings, Lance didn't have as good of luck with his "store" bought one!!

Christmas morning after opening presents and having our traditional breakfast of cinnamon rolls and hot chocolate, we went to church with my parents. We knew we had a better chance of making to to church at 11:00 instead of 9:00 on Christmas morning:) Afterwards we had brunch with my family!!

Christmas Magic

{9}

We surprised Carlie for her 9th birthday and stayed overnight downtown!! This was the view from our hotel room!!

We walked around downtown and looked at all of the pretty lights

We wanted to take the kids ice skating at the Gallivan Center but it was closed for a private party:(

Her favorite gift (besides her American Girl Doll) was the Barbie Pet Dr. dog she has been wanting! She wants to be a Pet Doctor when she grows up:)

We spent her birthday doing all of her favorite things: Swimming, donuts for breakfast, shopping at Claire's and Toy's R Us, eating at her favorite places Panda and Rumbi and eating Ice Cream of course!!

Christmas Concert

I was fortunate enough to get invited to the Christmas Concert at the Conference Center by my good friend Lynda:) She had gotten tickets which are distributed randomly, and had an extra one. We got up early on Sunday morning to go but it was worth it and was a wonderful concert!! It featured guest artists Jane Seymour and Nathan Gunn with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra!!

Dance Recital/Annual Italian Party 2011

It was bound to happen one day!! Carlie's Christmas recital was on the same day, same time as the yearly Christmas Italian Dinner!! We haven't figured out how to be in 2 places at once yet:) Originally Carlie was supposed to dance at the beginning so we thought no big deal this can work out. A couple days before they CHANGED the lineup and she was 28 out of 30 dances in a

1 1/2 hour show!! Luckily we made it (barely) right before Santa Clause arrived which was the most important part anyway:)

Carlie asked for a PINK camera with a PURPLE case

(we are getting very specific the older we get:))

Cayden asked for a remote control helicopter