Other Happenings This Month

This month has also been filled with performances, museums, games, and milestones.

We have listened to Josh perform with his school band and also an honor band through Weber State.

Emmie performed in her Christmas concert. (Sorry.  We were so far back that the picture we took was terrible.  So use your imagination on what another choir performance looked like!)

And Olivia performed with a newly formed elementary school concert.  We are really missing the Iowa music programs in school.  There each grade has one or two concerts a year, to really get comfortable with performing.  Here, singing is a new concept until jr. high.  I am thankful the kids have had exposure before that.

I also joined Olivia for a field trip up to the Museum of Natural History at the U.  As much as I don't like the U, I have to admit that it was a pretty cool museum.  And the kids had a great time.

Jack, Kris, and I were able to catch a BYU basketball game when they traveled to Weber State--and won.

And Kris and I hit a milestone this year.  On Dec. 21, 2012 (yes, the day the world was supposed to end), we celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary.  Hard to believe I have been with him longer in my life than I have been without him.  We got married when I was 19 so hitting the 20 is a big step.  He can't say the same until we hit our 24th (+ 1 month) anniversary.  I love him so much and can't wait to spend eternity with him.

Temple Square

I have really been missing my time with the Des Moines Choral Society since moving to Utah.  Thankfully, my sister-in-law Michelle let me be part of a group she has that performs at Christmas time each year.  We had the great opportunity of singing on Temple Square this week--at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building and the Family History Library--with a 40 minute program.  It was really a special holiday treat that I hope to repeat.

We also took the family to Temple Square to see the lights--along with HALF the state of Utah.  It was beautiful, but we really felt like sardines as it was so crowded.  Note to us--don't go on a Saturday night when the weather is mild.  Everyone else has the same idea.

Back to Basics

This year, with most of our belongings still taking out residence in boxes in our garage, we have had the opportunity to get back to basics with Christmas.  Gone is our tree and all its trimmings.  Gone are our other decorations.  Gone is our box of favorite Christmas stories (which we truly do miss).  Gone is our advent calendar.

In their place, we found a real tree and have been adding one ornament a day, thanks to a very timely and valuable Christmas present from our aunt and uncle--25 days of Christ (a great reminder each day of some part of the Savior's life, with scripture references, video references from the Bible Videos found on LDS.org, and ornaments included).  We added some stockings and one other decoration we found.  That's it.  Simple is best.  It has really felt good.

Of course, we have kept our tradition (get the back story here) of homemade gift giving alive for Christmas Eve.  Gifts are steadily making their way under the tree in preparation for our gift exchange.  We are all excited for what we have created to give.

Christmas Card 2012

Dear Family and Friends,

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!  We hope this Christmas wish finds you and your family well.  We have had a crazy year this past year, but we are so grateful for all our many blessings.  It seems like with each passing year, the Christmas card becomes more outdated, as we stay in touch through social media and email and the like.  But I still like the old-fashioned feel of watching for the mail truck every day to see if we got another card from another friend.  So hopefully I will get my cards in the mail soon so I can watch with anticipation.

Our year started out pretty crazy as Kris intensified his search for a job closer to family.  After 17 years away from home and several attempts to make it happen, we finally got something to work out.  Kris started a new job with Wayfair.com in Ogden in April and it set our family on a crazy course for the rest of the year.

I stayed back in Iowa to finish out school and then we all headed to Idaho for the summer (still waiting for our house to sell).  Once we got an offer in July, we were off and running.  After scouring all of Davis County, we decided to build to get the schools and the house we wanted.  So then the fun (I say with my tongue firmly in my cheek) began.

Since that time we have been learning the joys of sharing lots of small things--space, bedrooms, bathrooms, etc. And with the majority of our belongings living in boxes in our garage, we are also learning the joys of the simple life.  (Christmas decor is rather sparse this year, among other things.)  But it is all for a good cause.  We feel really lucky to be here, close to family and making good friends. We were able to spend Thanksgiving with both our families this year--something that hasn't happened for about 8 years and something that has only happened about 4 or 5 times since we've been married.  What a blessing that was.

Josh is enjoying his junior year at Layton High.  Emmie is in eighth grade and Legacy Jr. and Olivia and Jack are adjusting to sixth and third at Ellison Park Elementary.  I'm sure you can relate the busy schedules we enjoy, even with trying to keep things simple.  But it really is good.

We hope to be in our home by the first of February.  Until then, it's a lot of driving, back and forth to schools, church, and various other activities that occur closer to our new home and a little further away from our rental.  But we are very grateful that things have gone relatively smoothly with this move.

As I think about this past year, I am reminded of the story in the New Testament when Christ was walking on the water toward the boat holding his disciples.  As soon as Peter recognized him (something we each have to do in our lives), he wanted to go to him--immediately.  Even across the water.  So he went.  And as he kept his focus on the Savior, he walked on water too--never mind the billowing waves all around him.  It wasn't until he took his focus off the Savior to assess the waves that he began to fall.  And yet the Savior was there, nonetheless, to reach out and rescue him.  So it has been with us.  We have had our share of billowing waves this year.  But when our focus has been fixed on the Savior, we have walked on water.  And there have been times when we have shifted our focus and felt the sudden drop.  But he has been there always to pick us up again and encourage us forward.  And so we continue on--our focus firmly on him--and know that through him 2013 and beyond will be great.

We wish you a Merry Christmas and hope your year has been full of love.

Please make note of our new address:
898 N 2700 W
Layton UT 84041

Brief House Update

So, I am trying to exercise patience in this whole house building thing.  And let me tell you, it is requiring a fair amount.

Here is where our house stands as of today. (Notice the lack of workers?  They're apparently at lunch.)

Some progress, I admit.  But it sat for an entire month as a foundation during gorgeous weather.  And now we have snow.

And to make matters even worse for me.  See this house?  With the guy busily preparing the roof for shingles? And the windows installed?

It's our same house, in our same neighborhood, being built by the same builder--for another new family in our ward.  AND it was dug 3 weeks after ours.  So why the delays for us?  Your guess is as good as mine. I get no clear answers when I ask over and over and over again.

Here's to hoping we will still make our deadline because the weather only goes down hill from here.

Playing Catch Up

What's been going in our house over the last couple months?  Here's the recap in pics.

**Kris took a little jaunt to Ireland--some time I hope to join him.

**We Successfully completed another Pine Wood Derby and came in respectably in the middle of the pack (YAY! only two more--EVER!).

**We spent a day on BYU campus hanging out and catching a women's soccer game.  They were AWESOME!

**We had family pictures taken by our wonderful brother Adam.  We figured it was time since both Emmie and Josh are taller than me now.  Here's just a sneak peak until we send out Christmas cards.

**Emmie performed in her first Utah choir concert.  She was beautiful.

**We got a freak snow storm in October that didn't make me jump for joy.

**Good thing the weather warmed up to a record-breaking 75 for Halloween.  We were able to get our annual FHE pumpkin carving in on Monday before trick-or-treating on Wed.  Big on the list of costumes this year was Josh's Dead Mou5 (pronounced dead mouse--a musician Josh likes) head.  He built it entirely by himself over about a month.  And the biggest kick of the night was counting how many little kids thought he was Mickey Mouse.  He also had comments about it being Stitch from Lilo and Stitch and a bobble head.  But he still thought it was pretty cool.

What hasn't been happening?  Our house!  It has been sitting for almost a month with no work done.  After a lot of follow up, we finally started seeing action this week.  We have a first level floor and framing for a garage wall.  We'll take it.  Any progress is good.  Still shooting for a Feb. move in.

And Now the Fun Really Begins!

I remember when Josh was little, he LOVED watching trucks and diggers work.  It didn't matter what they were doing, it was fun for him.  He watched videos, he watched live trucks, and he played with trucks all the time.  It was even the theme of his 3rd birthday--complete with truck cake, truck books, and, of course, trucks of all kinds.

Well, today, I am just as excited to see trucks and diggers work.  It's kind of like Christmas for us.  (OK not kind of--it is Christmas, as this will be it this year!)  After about two months of delays, changing lots, and changing plans to fit the city's mess ups on lot dimensions and requirements, we have begun the process.

This should be an adventure, but we are looking forward to it.

And We're Off...

We've been waiting a long time for this to start.  It's been an anxious month of waiting, waiting, waiting for school to start so the kids can finally make some friends and start to feel at home.  And I'm happy to report that after day 1, things look good.  Everyone seems generally pleased with their new surroundings, despite the fact that it will take some time to cozy into new friendships.  But no melt downs and no disappointments, which is always a great start to a school year.

This has definitely been a year of change for our little family.  Change of state, change of house--twice, change of friends, change of church (well--at least congregation), change of schools, change of family (we're a lot closer now to the rest of them), and change of life.  So naturally, our theme for this school year needed to address and compliment our bevy of changes.  That said, we chose Change of Heart as the theme and goal of the year.  We hope that through all our changes, we focus on the change that really matters--the change that brings us closer to and more like our Savior Jesus Christ.  It takes a house full of humble kids to take on the changes we have thrown at them this summer, especially with the generally great attitudes they have given us.

So here's to a great year, one filled with Changed Hearts and people growing and getting better.  Bring on 2012-2013!

At Home in Utah!

Really so much to say, but do you really want to read my 5-page journal entry of the saga that has been, well, the last year and a half of our lives?  Didn't think so.  So here's the bulleted version so you can get up to speed.

• November 2010--Kris came home from work with a new "assignment" that would begin January 2011.  He had concerns going in, but after the first couple weeks, he knew it wouldn't be a good fit long term.  Concurrently, we had been feeling the pull to move closer to family, after many years out on our own.  So we actively began our search for something out west.

• 2011--Fast forward through an entire year of difficult work days, 5 bosses, watching others be laid off, not finding much that would fit in a new job, and waiting, praying, and exercising great amounts of faith and patience in the Lord.

• February 2012--A call from a new (10-year young), little (at least by the Wells Fargo/AIG standard of business) online home furnishings company based in Boston with a new call center in Ogden, UT in need of someone to whip up a training program for a growing workforce.  Hmmm, the location was right, the timing was right (seriously at the end of our rope), and the job sounded refreshing after a heavily regulated financial industry for too long.  So we pursued it.  And thanks to a loving Heavenly Father, it worked out.  Check out all our new job has to offer YOU!!! It's really a great site--the Amazon.com of the home furnishings world.

                                                                      Wayfair.com

• Easter Sunday (April) 2012--We spoke in church Sunday morning and then Kris loaded up his trusty little Corolla with all he needed to live with his Brother's family and headed to Utah.  Good bye Iowa for him.  The rest of us stayed in Iowa to finish out the school year and sell the house.

• April, May, June, 2012--The waiting game begins.  Keep the house spotless.  Be a single mom of 4 kids.  Teach early morning seminary every day.  Keep up my choir job.  Help prepare for a choir fundraiser.  Keep up with school activities.  Show the house (with fresh baked cookies) often with no offers.  Frustration. Tears.  Blessings and council from Priesthood leaders.  Faith. Patience.  Encouragement from family and friends (which I COULD NOT have done without!)

• June 8, 2012--Pack up the kids and leave the house in the hands of the Lord (fully furnished except for our clothes) to find a buyer while we travel to move in with my parents in Idaho indefinitely.  Still not together with Kris (who has been living with his brother's family for a long time--how grateful we are for them), but at least within driving distance.

A goodbye party that turned out to be for Emily too as the McKellars followed us west.

• July 4, 2012--National holiday, 20th anniversary of our first date, and we got an offer on our house.  It was an excruciating day as the offer was very low.  But at the end of the day and much back and forth, we decided to take it, trust the Lord, and move forward.  We couldn't be together and get settled in Utah without selling our house in Iowa.  Oh, and they wanted a close date of July 30th, so we had less than a month to figure out where to land with our family.

Mid-July, 2012--A week of looking at many, many houses in many, many areas of Davis County and finding nothing that fit with house, price, schools, neighborhoods, etc.  So we decide to take the scary route and build a house in the schools we like. So ONE day to find a rental home that would work for the next 6 months.  Seriously led by Heavenly Father to find somewhere that would work for less than a year lease and be clean and close.

• Mid-July 2012--Because we didn't have enough going on, Josh started and finished his Eagle Project and Eagle Board of Review.  Way to go Josh!!!  Now you can drive.

• Mid-July 2012--Head back to Iowa (with all 4 kids) to pack up the house, get Josh's driver's license, take Emmie to girls' camp, and close out our time in Iowa.  And hear from Kris that we lost the lot for our house and now nowhere to build.

• End of July 2012--Close on our house, find a new lot in a different neighborhood with new elementary school and ward, and follow our moving truck to our rental house.  At last our family is back together.  We are going to be living in West Layton, Utah--a good half way mark between Ogden and SLC and super close to two of Kris's brothers' families.  

•  August 2012--Lots of time getting adjusting to our new surroundings--doctors, dentists, orthodontists, schools, band, ward, mutual, school shopping, unpacking, filling our garage to the brim with unpacked boxes, internet, phone, TV, all while supporting Kris in his new job and helping the kids adjust to all new everything.  Whew, I'm tired.

Josh in the band--a little smaller than Waukee

• August 20, 2012 (tomorrow morning)--Kris heads to Boston for a week and we continue to settle in.  In a couple weeks school starts for the kids and Kris heads to Ireland for a week. 

Well, I guess I did add a 5-page journal entry as it was.  Now I am going to be better keeping this blog updated.