The Truth

The truth is that life is pretty great right now.  After a year of living in Utah, we're finally starting to settle in.  The business has taken off and Braden's got more work than he can do which means we've hired 4 employees.  There are certainly growing pains, but we've been blessed.

I'm finally starting to feel like I have a place in this ward and neighborhood.  I have friends, the kids have friends, and Braden has friends.  Things are a lot different here than anywhere else we've lived, but I'm getting used to it.

More than anything else, I feel like I'm finally coming into my own as a mom and as a woman.  A big part of this is probably because I'm finally out of the survival stage of motherhood.  My youngest child is 3.  She is potty trained, sleeps through the night, and gets herself dressed.  She can make her own bed, clear her own dishes, and put her own bike away.  All of this makes my life so much easier!

My life is busy, so busy.  We've got soccer for 3 kids, piano for 2, gymnastics for 2, volleyball for 1, running club for 1, Activity Days for 1, preschool for 1, playgroup for 2, etc.  The thing is, I love it. The kids are figuring out who they are, what talents they've been blessed with, and what they enjoy doing.  They're making friends and learning how to work with others.  It's so fun to watch all of this play out.

I could go on and on.  Although I certainly have  my moments, life is good, I've been blessed and have a lot to be thankful for.

summer

It seems like summer is just around the corner and so I've been thinking a lot about what I want this summer to be. Last summer was tough because we never really got into a good routine. We moved across the country and I really want to give the kids as much space and time as possible to make friends. Now that they have PLENTY of friends I need some structure. We've talked a lot about what everyone wants to do and so there are plans in the works for piano camp, tennis lessons, swim lessons, and camping. The tough part, what do I want

to do this summer? I've made a few goals for myself:

1. Summer of the 10k- I knew I wanted to run some races this summer, but wasn't sure which distance. Another half is surely calling my name, but for this summer my goal is to drop 6 minutes off my 10k time. I've never really tried to get faster before, but I'm up for the challenge. Speed workouts here I come!

2. Summer of sewing- Last year I was part of a really fun quilting bee. Now I have 20 blocks that I LOVE just waiting to be pieced together. Finishing the quilt this summer is at the tip of my list of things to do.

3. Summer of gardening- Gardening in Florida scared me. Last summer we had a great garden thanks to the owners of our house getting everything started. This summer it is all up to me! So far I've got peas and carrots in the ground. I've got tomato plants, pepper plants and some herbs just waiting for the weather to warm up a bit before they can be planted outdoors. I'm also planning on planting some watermelon and pumpkins.

Here's to sunshine, warm weather, and a schedule!