First day, again

Sarah went back to school today, but to a new class.  Last week a note was sent home informing us that the first grade classes were too big & a new teacher had been hired & anyone wanting to move their child to the new class could, then the vacant spots would be assigned.  I really liked Sarah's teacher & did not want to give her anymore changes (a new school was enough, I thought).  I did tell her about the note, just so if something happened she would not be totally surprised.

Anyway, Friday she came home & told me the principal had pulled her out of class to tell her she would be in the new class.  She said she wanted to cry, but pretended she was happy.  Another girl from her original class & two boys were also moved.  She said that her desk was moved into the new room & she got to meet her teacher.

Today she was a bit nervous to go back to school.  I did not blame her!  I talked to a mom at the bus stop who helps a lot in the school.  I told her about Sarah's new teacher.  She said I was lucky, she'd heard great things about the teacher & the class was going to be small.

Sarah came home very excited.  Her class only has 18 students (super small for around here!), which was not her favorite part (fewer friends she says) but her teacher was really nice & she was so excited about birthday week spotlights (that was what she'd been most sad to leave behind in her old class, sounds like this teacher will do it up just fine).  So, maybe this move will be for the best.  We'll see how tomorrow goes!

Today Sarah started a ballet class.  It had six girls in it, three with the name Sarah.

She also started piano lessons from a high school senior in our ward.  She was pretty nervous to go, but happy when she came home.  Now she has to start practicing, hmmmm.

First day of first grade

Sarah started first grade today at Highland Elementary. She was nervous until last Friday when she got to meet her teacher at the open house & walk through her new school. Then she decided first grade might be ok.
Today she was so excited, she was up at 6:30, even though she did not need to catch her bus until 8:50. Last night Sarah laid out her new school things to pick out her outfit. Yes, I know, the floor is terrible!
Sarh ready to go. She decided 5 minutes before she left that needed to take her lunch so we hurried to pack her one. I think she was nervous to try school lunch, she'd tried the "I'll eat school lunch but take a snack too" trick, but since I would not let her take a snack, she decided to play it safe.
Sarah with her friend Kylee. Kylee is in second grade but her classroom is right next to Sarah's, so she had fun showing Sarah how to get to it after the busride.

Sarah on the bus & on her way! Yeah!

10 years today!

Todd & I have been married 10 years today, wow!
Here's a not so brief synopsis of us.

We met in July 1997 at a young adult ward service project. We were both home from BYU for the summer.
We dated a little that summer, then a little at BYU. I asked Todd to preference in March of 1998 at BYU, then we got pretty serious. We were engaged June 15 (Todd had picked out my ring & surprised me, little did he know I'd already purchased my dress!). We got married 9 weeks later on August 18 in the Bountiful Temple. We went on a quick honemoon to Snowbird, then came back for our reception on August 21.

We moved into a studio basement apartment (we moved upstairs to a one bedroom a month later) at BYU. I had one year left in the nursing program, Todd had two in biochemistry.

I graduated in April 1999. I was working at a nursing home, then switched to UVRMC on the telemetry floor.

Todd graduated in April 2000. We moved to Arlington, Virigina in August of 2000, right before our second wedding anniversry.

I got a job at the George Washington University Hospital in downtown Washington, DC & Todd started medical school there. We sure weren't in Provo anymore!

We bought a condo in Oakton, Virginia in May of 2001. It was a bus ride plus a 25 minute metro ride to downtown compared to our previous walk then 10 minute ride, but the area was much nicer.

Sarah was born October 8, 2001, during Todd's second year of medical school.

I worked nights at the hospital until Sarah was 9 months old. Then Todd started his third year of med school, which meant he would be at the hospital all the time & would not be able to be home with Sarah at night. I was not too sad to quit, I was ready to be a full time mom. I was a little bored at first & painted our entire condo.

We had some crazy times in Virginia. We only had one car, so I had months when I'd drive Todd to the hospital at 4:30 am because the metro was not running yet. Or, some months Todd would drive the the metro, catch the 5:30 am train, then I'd walk the mile or so to the parking garage & pick up the car so I'd have it & so we would not have to pay for parking (payment started around 2 or something). Then we had months where Todd would need to be at a hopsital in Maryland & I would just be carless. Good thing there was a park around the corner!

Todd graduted from GW in May of 2004. We sold our condo & moved to Centerville, Utah for thd year while Todd did his internship at LDS Hospital in Salt Lake City. It was a BUSY year, I did not see too much of Todd.

Mason was born December 9, 2004, during internship, not a great time to have a baby! Good thing we had family around!

We bought a house in Rochester, Minnesota & moved in June of 2005. Todd started and anesthesia residency at the Mayo Clinic.

Emma was born November 13, 2007, during Todd's final year of residency. When she was two weeks old Todd was offered his job at UVRMC. So, the moving process began....

We sold our house in the spring & moved to Highland, Utah in June of this year. We will be in this house until June (or sooner) when we buy a house & hopefully stay put for a while!

We've had some great adventures & look forward to many more!

Saturday we went out to celebrate. Todd bought me an anniversary band & we went to dinner. Becca, my neice babysat. She's the one in the picture smelling my bouquet. She was 2 when we got married.

Emma babes is 9 months!

Emma is 9 months old today, wow! It's gone fast!
She's crawling all over the place & getting into things. Yesterday she discovered the magazine rack & tried to do some reading. Last night she started opening a cupboard in the kitchen. Fun times ahead! She also pulls up on anything she can, chairs, tables, my legs, she just likes to be up.

Snowbird

Todd's family has had a timeshare at Snowbird since he was about 3. This week is Snowbird week. His sister Jen came from Alaska, we've not seen her for 2 or 3 years, I don't remember!

We did some hiking on Saturday. Mason & Sarah loved it. Emma enjoyed it too, since she was in the bjorn with mommy (she's turned into a total mommy's girl & wants to be held all the time). Sarah & Morgan on the hike.
Mason strolling along. He was a real trooper.
Emma with mom, her favorite place to be.
Mason, Andora, Morgan, & Sarah taking a break (the adults needed it more than the kids!)

Brett with Adaline & me with Emma
Emma & Todd at Cecret Lake.
Andora & Mason at the lake. Funny side note...while at the lake Mason needed to poopie, so he dropped his pants & was ready to go, right on the trail. Luckily we caught him & caught IT in a diaper!

Jen, Emma & Todd

The kids at the Snowbird Center after the hike.

Swimming at the Iron Blosam lodge.
The "fort" the kids were playing in.

Emma with Grandma, ready to swim for her first time.

We are hoping to get to Snowbird again this week to ride the tram & alpine slide, but who knows! It will probably have to wait until next year since Todd is low man on the totem pole at work & can't take any time off yet.

Lagoon

We braved Lagoon last week. The kids had a great time! I've not been there since Mason was a baby & Sarah was 3, right before we moved to Minnesota. Of course, Todd was busy at the hospital & did not make it. We are really looking forward to next year & him being able to take some time off!

Mason loved the rides. He wanted to do a big roller coaster, maybe next year!
Emma fell asleep shortly after we got there, which was very nice. She did pretty well, considering she does not love being in her stroller. Ava & Liam did pretty well too, for such a long & hot day.

Mason was in the "I won't crack a smile" mode, even though he was enjoying the rides.


I don't think Isaac is too scared here on Puff, he'd braved Wicked before this.

Sarah & Mason braved the Tidal Wave. They thought it was great!
Mason loved the cars.

Mason went on the bumper cars 5 times in a row. He was good at steering & did not get stuck in a jam at all. He would have kept going, but we convinced him there were other good rides to try.

Little Scamp

Emma is quite the kid! She started crawling on a Friday & by Tuesday she was pulling up to things. I went in her room after her nap & she was standing in her crib screaming. My oh my.
She's also managed to find the stairs. Sarah found her one day on the second step down. Yikes.
She's also decided to be a newborn again & wake up every 2-3 hours at night. She'll just sit in her crib & scream until I come in & hold her. Not so fun! But she sure is cute!

PS. The boxes in the background are not still from unpacking, but from Sarah & cousins building something out of them.

Swimming Lessons

Sarah took swimming lessons this summer. She's never been afraid of the water, but she's never been really daring in it either. The lessons went well, for the most part. On day 6 of 8 she decided she was done, she did not want to go because she did not like jumping into the 5 feet deep. I forced her to go & when we got there her class started in the 5 feet. Oh dear. She ended up loving the lesson (they used life jackets part of the time) & basically flew out of the pool & could not wait to go back. It was one of those "I told you so" moments for me, but I kept it to myself. I was just happy she did it & had fun! Mason can't wait for his turn.