Hey Everyone! Happy 2010!
Life has been pretty fast and furious around here for the past few months. You know the saying that life happens when you're making other plans? DARN straight!
In September the boys started at Rainbow Preschool. Five days a week, Mom and Dad get a two hour break where Jake and Sam go to "Miss Miriam's class" and have a ball. We are soooo glad that they enjoy school so much and always are bursting with ideas and learning when they get home. We're hoping the five day program gives them both time with other kids, a chance to get ready for kindergarten, and a little time away from parents!
Starting in October, we had a few changes. Craig, after spending COUNTLESS hours and effort at The Place Who Must Not Be Named was asked to leave in a very unkind and untimely manner. You see, we had planned our Disney vacation for MORE THAN a YEAR and they chose to drop the bomb right before we were supposed to leave. Well...
Lucky for us that Craig is the greatest guy (and one AWESOME nurse) and everyone who knows the real Craig is the one person in the world you would want to have on your team and at your back--so he had another job 15 minutes after he left The Place...(you get the picture). So we decided to "skrew'em" and we went ANYWAY! Yeah!
We had a FANTASTIC time in California! We celebrated Sam's 5th birthday in Disneyland. He was in heaven with a birthday badge, birthday wishes from all the characters and a special birthday dinner at Goofy's Kitchen. Craig and I also got to celebrate our wedding anniversary two days later while there and, thanks to the greatest sisters-in-law a girl could have, we got to have a night just the two of us. We had the best steak (honestly. The best I've EVER had!) at Steakhouse 55 and spent a few hours being a goofy couple in the happiest place on earth. None of us wanted the fun to end...but alas, the real world comes calling so we returned home and then got ready to host the annual Ford Halloween party.
We turned our house into a haunted pumpkin patch, had soup in pumpkin bread bowls and played Pumpkin games. A grand time was had by all!
Craig's new job is actually an old job, since he returned to SDCH and now works evening shifts. It does get old when one of us is always working (opposite scheduled days to accomodate child care) but we do get the mornings together. The good thing about this schedule is that we have to plan our date nights and family activities so they are all the more important. Craig is relieved to be free from stupidity, late night phone calls, and is happy to leave work at work and not have to be on call or spend countless hours doing monotonous, thankless tasks for just a straight salary. Now he is compensated for all the extra time and care he gives (which is the way it should be in any reputable company). He also spells my counterpart and one of our good and loyal friends whenever there is need in the supervisory role.
Thanksgiving and Christmas passed in a blur. We got all our "volunteer hours at the North Pole (ie-shopping) done before the rush so we spent as much time as we could as a family. The boys got their Rocky the Robot trucks (they've only asked for them since last May). Miley got a kitchen! Craig and I splurged on matching bands to wear, since, uh, neither of us can wear our wedding rings right now...but we hope to, soon! (Craig has had trouble since he broke a finger playing football, me, I've had three kids!)
January has been fun. Jake celebrated his 4th birthday this month. We took the boys to their first movie in a theater (Alvin and the Chipmunks) and then to Chuck E Cheese for pizza and games. Later that night we had cake and ice cream with Grammy and Poppy and Jake got a remote control car!
Right now as we head into February we're excited to see Uncle Wade in a few days. He's coming for a week before he deploys in March. We also are working with Jake on potty training, and as of this post, he's gone three days in Big Boy Pants! Way to Go Jake!
I hope no one is offended by my comments about what happened in October. I want everyone to know--even though it didn't work out, and yes, I have been angry at what I see as a slight against someone who was doing everything he was asked and more, giving up precious time and energy to truly making that particular dream of another work, that I believe everything happens for a reason. I know that there is a meaning to this, one that we may not see until much time has passed. I am working everyday to forgive and forget. I am working everyday to resolve my own feelings (what can I say? I'm a fighter. When I think someone I love is hurt I come out with claws and teeth) and to return the peace to my life. I admit that I was somewhat relieved, because Craig would've stuck it out even though he was unhappy, overused and overqualifed for what they had him doing and he would have suffered for it. This way, we can be a family again and I don't have to ask him to throw in the towel for the sake of everything we hold dear. It's things like this that teach you what is most important. Family. Faith. Love. Friendship.
So it's with that in mind that I face the new year and all the as yet unknown challenges it will present. I am returning to the basics and returning to excerising this simple and proven mantra: "With God All Things are Possible."
Life has been pretty fast and furious around here for the past few months. You know the saying that life happens when you're making other plans? DARN straight!
In September the boys started at Rainbow Preschool. Five days a week, Mom and Dad get a two hour break where Jake and Sam go to "Miss Miriam's class" and have a ball. We are soooo glad that they enjoy school so much and always are bursting with ideas and learning when they get home. We're hoping the five day program gives them both time with other kids, a chance to get ready for kindergarten, and a little time away from parents!
Starting in October, we had a few changes. Craig, after spending COUNTLESS hours and effort at The Place Who Must Not Be Named was asked to leave in a very unkind and untimely manner. You see, we had planned our Disney vacation for MORE THAN a YEAR and they chose to drop the bomb right before we were supposed to leave. Well...
Lucky for us that Craig is the greatest guy (and one AWESOME nurse) and everyone who knows the real Craig is the one person in the world you would want to have on your team and at your back--so he had another job 15 minutes after he left The Place...(you get the picture). So we decided to "skrew'em" and we went ANYWAY! Yeah!
We had a FANTASTIC time in California! We celebrated Sam's 5th birthday in Disneyland. He was in heaven with a birthday badge, birthday wishes from all the characters and a special birthday dinner at Goofy's Kitchen. Craig and I also got to celebrate our wedding anniversary two days later while there and, thanks to the greatest sisters-in-law a girl could have, we got to have a night just the two of us. We had the best steak (honestly. The best I've EVER had!) at Steakhouse 55 and spent a few hours being a goofy couple in the happiest place on earth. None of us wanted the fun to end...but alas, the real world comes calling so we returned home and then got ready to host the annual Ford Halloween party.
We turned our house into a haunted pumpkin patch, had soup in pumpkin bread bowls and played Pumpkin games. A grand time was had by all!
Craig's new job is actually an old job, since he returned to SDCH and now works evening shifts. It does get old when one of us is always working (opposite scheduled days to accomodate child care) but we do get the mornings together. The good thing about this schedule is that we have to plan our date nights and family activities so they are all the more important. Craig is relieved to be free from stupidity, late night phone calls, and is happy to leave work at work and not have to be on call or spend countless hours doing monotonous, thankless tasks for just a straight salary. Now he is compensated for all the extra time and care he gives (which is the way it should be in any reputable company). He also spells my counterpart and one of our good and loyal friends whenever there is need in the supervisory role.
Thanksgiving and Christmas passed in a blur. We got all our "volunteer hours at the North Pole (ie-shopping) done before the rush so we spent as much time as we could as a family. The boys got their Rocky the Robot trucks (they've only asked for them since last May). Miley got a kitchen! Craig and I splurged on matching bands to wear, since, uh, neither of us can wear our wedding rings right now...but we hope to, soon! (Craig has had trouble since he broke a finger playing football, me, I've had three kids!)
January has been fun. Jake celebrated his 4th birthday this month. We took the boys to their first movie in a theater (Alvin and the Chipmunks) and then to Chuck E Cheese for pizza and games. Later that night we had cake and ice cream with Grammy and Poppy and Jake got a remote control car!
Right now as we head into February we're excited to see Uncle Wade in a few days. He's coming for a week before he deploys in March. We also are working with Jake on potty training, and as of this post, he's gone three days in Big Boy Pants! Way to Go Jake!
I hope no one is offended by my comments about what happened in October. I want everyone to know--even though it didn't work out, and yes, I have been angry at what I see as a slight against someone who was doing everything he was asked and more, giving up precious time and energy to truly making that particular dream of another work, that I believe everything happens for a reason. I know that there is a meaning to this, one that we may not see until much time has passed. I am working everyday to forgive and forget. I am working everyday to resolve my own feelings (what can I say? I'm a fighter. When I think someone I love is hurt I come out with claws and teeth) and to return the peace to my life. I admit that I was somewhat relieved, because Craig would've stuck it out even though he was unhappy, overused and overqualifed for what they had him doing and he would have suffered for it. This way, we can be a family again and I don't have to ask him to throw in the towel for the sake of everything we hold dear. It's things like this that teach you what is most important. Family. Faith. Love. Friendship.
So it's with that in mind that I face the new year and all the as yet unknown challenges it will present. I am returning to the basics and returning to excerising this simple and proven mantra: "With God All Things are Possible."
Then, we went to Lagoon for TWO days! The first day was actually the Riley family reunion (Craig's mom's side) and we got to spend time with cousins from near and far and enjoy the cooler summer day at the park. The boys had a blast in Kiddie Land. Then, we bounced back with my family for another day of fun and frolic. It made for some great memories but a very tired family!
We decided to go check out Promontory Point and Golden Spike this past weekend. We had fun watching the train demonstration and walking the tracks. The boys remembered the ranger's run down of the train whistle signals and loved telling us what each and every blast meant. They thought it was great fun to mash souvenir pennies, too! (I guess we have a new thing to do at all national parks and places!) While we were out there we went 16 miles due west to Rozel point and braved the 4 wheel drive dirt roads out to the Spiral Jetty. I have always been fascinated with the descriptions of it and really wanted to see it. I don't think the kids were very impressed (they were done with dirt and rock roads after our excursion over debris, rocks, brush and sand) but I was able to see it. What impressed me was the complete solitude and total silence out there, a silence so solid you felt like you could grab it with your hands. I didn't get as close to the jetty as I wanted but plan on returning one day without cranky kids in tow. 
September: We celebrated Craig's birthday this week with a trip up to Rainbow gardens and dinner with family. Of course we HAD to watch our boys in Red win on Thursday, too. Miley got into the spirit when she found Dad's tie! Next week the boys begin 5 day a week preschool and are super excited! (So is Mom!!) We also are in the process of prepping the interior of our home for a house-wide painting project and redecorating. AND my tomatoes are loaded so I need to pick and can them. So it will still be busy...is it ever NOT busy? Not my life!
I can't believe she is a whole year old! She's got six teeth, zooms when she crawls, cruises the furniture and takes steps on her own. She has now figured out how to go down the stairs (she's been going up for months and sits at the top and squawks until someone comes and rescues her). She has strawberry blonde hair that's curly curly. She looks like a kewpie doll with all the curls on top of her head. Her favorite person in the whole world is her Daddy and Sam can always get a giggle out of her!
