Year End Update

For those of you who actually look at blogs or happen to be on my email list,

This has been yet another year of excitement, challenge, and big change for our family. We are pleased, however, to report that there have been no moves and no new additions for 2011. This is quite an accomplishment for us!

It has been an exciting year for the kids, though. Jackson turned 8 this year and was baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints! He is growing up fast now and even makes pancakes for the whole family on occasion! (Or, as we call them, "mancakes"!) Brooklyn was excited to start kindergarten this year. She is learning her letters and how to count up high. It won't be long before she is reading and writing. (Who knows, by next year maybe I'll have her write the Christmas letter.)

Dakotah and Levi have been spending the year fighting over Mom's lap and discovering new kinds of mischief together. Between the scolding and the laughter we are getting through each day.

I have been busy this year learning the art of couponing, blogging my heart out, and babysitting our new little friend, Chloe, twice a week.

This biggest change this year is also turning out to be our biggest challenge. Dayne has gone back to school in pursuit of a degree in mechanical engineering. We have had to adjust some of our plans and expectations to accomplish this goal. It is a difficult task to go to school while working full time and caring for a wife and four small children. The wife is doing her best to handle the caring part on her own. The wife has also been tutoring Dayne in math, and it is paying off slowly (very slowly). But it won't be long before Dayne surpasses my ability to tutor him.

Since UVU, the school he is attending now, does not offer a mechanical engineering degree, we will have to transfer to another school soon. We are planning to submit his application to BYU-Idaho at the beginning of next year. If all goes as planned, we will be moving up to Rexburg next fall. While we are not excited to relocate our family again, we feel like BYU-Idaho is the best place for Dayne to finish his degree quickly.

We are in the midst of some of the most challenging times of our lives, and the greastest lesson we have learned is that we don't have to wait to live our lives until everything is perfect. When money is tight, when time is pressed, or when stress is our constant companion we don't have to put off the joy of family and friends. And we have the best family and friends!

Merry Christmas to you all and a Happy New Year!

Minor plumbing turns to Bathroom remodel

It all started with a wet wall downstairs. Dayne had to tear out the shower wall to find out if the leak was coming from the faucet in the tub. It wasn't. But, on the upside, now we have a new shower wall!

 The downside was that bright red line going all the way around our new shower wall. My father-in-law tells me it is some kind of waterproofing but I think it may have been some kind of practical joke. Needless to say, I had to paint. And as long as you have to paint you may as well choose a whole different color, right? ...And while you're at it, maybe fix up the vanity with a paint job of its own and maybe some new hardware. Oh, and the mirror should match the vanity...

Long story short, here is the before...

... And THIS is the AFTER!

 There were a few nervous moments, and I was actually sick the day I painted the walls. But, hey, I'm a mom. When has being sick ever stopped me? I'm especially proud of the vanity. I think it looks like new. A great accent to the whole room. Now I just have to do a little touch up work and re-hang the naked baby picture and our house will be back to normal again.

Best Date Night EVER!!!

On Friday night Dayne and I went out for a few sliders. We came home and settled in for the night. We were talking about remodeling our kitchen (my own personal favorite conversation) when Dayne suggested we go look at the kitchen to help us make some decisions. The next thing we knew, it was 9:30 at night and Dayne was getting his power tools out.

 This is Dayne measuring once and cutting twice...wait...I mean...well, you'll see.

 We removed our penisula that has been the cause of so much frustration and traffic jams. I think Dayne was enjoying this a little too much.

 Everything was going great. Then we hit a snag. Ladies, when your husband gets you all excited because he's about to spontaneously take care of some project you have been dying to get done, be warned that if he runs into any trouble, he will inevitably blame you and say that he just couldn't take all your nagging anymore and now look what we have gotten ourselves into!

 Luckily, in our case, it was easily remedied. All those electrical wires were easily accessed through the laundry room below and rerouted behind the cupboards. This is the finished product...Ok, it's really only phase I, but it's liveable until we move onto phase II and I am so happy with all the new space in the middle of the room. Now I can have the refrigerator and the dishwasher both open and still have room for people to walk through! Thank you, Dayne! (Doesn't he look happy too!)

 Oh, and on a side note, Saturday morning Dayne put in two fence posts with concrete and that night finished off the rock work in the front yard! Now I just have to get some thyme growing inbetween the rocks and by next summer it will look awesome!

Back to School!

Three out of the 4 people in this picture is about to start school this fall! Can you guess? Well, some of you may already know that Dayne has decided to go back to college. He is excited and nervous at the same time, and so am I. I have heard lots of scary things lately that remind me this will not be a walk in the park. Thanks for all your warnings. What we really need right now is encouragement!

Dayne will be going back for a bachelors in mechanical engineering. We are not planning on leaving our home and he still has a good job, but we haven't got it all figured out yet. If anyone can give us some good advice on how to go back to school with 4 kids and a mortgage, we'd really appreciate it. We know others have done it, so please fill us in on how its done.

Christmas in July is Over!

 Yes, we have so many celebrations in the month of July that it rivals Christmas at our house. Besides the 4th of July and Pioneer Day (really big where we live), we have three birthdays. Many people have asked me how we managed to have 3 children all born in the same month. I just tell them, "My husband's work is seasonal."

Brooklyn's birthday comes first. She got a real party with an ice cream cake. One of my most treasured moments was right after she blew out her candles. She looked at me with all the joy her heart could hold written on her face and threw her arms around me. That was the the best "thank you" I've ever received!

 Next, we had a double birthday for Jackson and Dakotah. Don't ask me how we managed to get them on the same day. I think it had something to do with pregnancy being closer to 10 months than 9! Anyway, they don't mind sharing. Dakotah had the longest one-sided conversation she had ever had with her Grandma on her birthday. It went, "It's my birfday! I get presents! I fwee!"

This picture was actually taken a few weeks before but I realized I didn't get any pictures of Jackson on his actual birthday. But he looked pretty much the same as this. He turned 8 this year and will soon be baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. My first baby is passing another milestone of his life. We are super proud of him.