It's a New Year! 2015 Review Part 1

We are already to a new year! Last year was incredible. It was very, very full, tiring, fulfilling, exciting and somewhat unpredictable.

Edward turned 3 on Valentine's Day (so he is now almost 4!). He is gentle, kind, and has the biggest heart. He loves playing on the computer these days (his favorites are snail bob and wheely and watching Dean and Walter play Castle Crashers), and watching/memorizing/reciting cartoons such as Clifford, Charlie and Lola, and Curious George. He is in my Let’s Play Music class this year and has been doing great even though he is technically too young for the program.

What a sweet and thoughtful brother!

On his birthday. He wanted a tool cake. This was the best I could do.

First day of Red Balloons for Let's Play Music!

In February I was able to attend my first training for the program I would teach in the fall. It is called Let's Play Music.  It was exciting to get my first taste of what teaching would entail.

Vivian is now 1 ½ years old. She is probably my most independent child yet, and she has a knack of getting into anything. Though she is our smallest child, she does not lack for bravery, curiosity, or ingenuity, and sometimes those all combine for the perfect storm of mess, broken things, etc. She can get into just about anything low or high (she makes great use of stools, chairs, piano, and countertops, to reach what she wants) and makes great use of her facial expressions when she gets in trouble. She loves to dance, climb, read with mom/dad and dismantle my purse.

This sad face! 

She sure loves her daddy.

Basically...nothing is safe in my house.

While we were renting in Cedar Hills we were building a house in Pleasant Grove.  We visited about once a week and it was fun to see how much (or little) progress was made in that time. Here are a few photos along the way.

There are tons of rocks in our yard. It's going to be super fun to landscape...

We closed in May and I had about a week to paint as much of the interior as I could before we moved in. I was able to finish the piano room, two bedrooms, and a living room wall. After moving in I painted the master bedroom as well.  It was so nice to know that we shouldn't have to move again in a very, very long time. We've moved a lot in the last few years. Our 3 year old has lived in 4 houses and our not yet 2 year old has lived in 3 houses!

Moving kind of threw me for a loop. I felt so disorganized, alone, frustrated, and excited all at the same time. It took me a few months, but once most of the boxes were unpacked, it started feeling real and like home. In June I was able to go to a corporate symposium in San Diego for Let's Play Music and had an absolute blast. It was a perfect weekend getaway to clear my head of all the stress of moving and summer. It was extra fun because I was able to go with two of my cousins who are also teachers.

At Symposium with my cousins. This is a FUN company if you can't tell!

In June I ran a half marathon down the American Fork Canyon. I signed up for it thinking it would motivate me to run more consistently, but I didn't get the amount of training I needed. Between moving and my LPM symposium, I was grossly under-trained. I rocked the first 8 miles and was set for an amazing PR. Then the sun came up and I was feeling massively too hot and dehydrated despite drinking water, powerade and dumping water on me at every station. By mile 11 I was feeling HORRIBLE. I ended up sitting in a chair at mile 12 at a water station and dumping 4 cups of water on me. Once I felt like I wasn't going to pass out, I got up and finished the last 1.2 miles, 2 minutes slower than my personal record. So even with the obstacles and poor training, I was super close to my best time. Man, to think how it would have gone if I'd trained properly!

End of Part 1