Random thought....

After reading The Golden Compass I don't think I will ever think of polar bears the same way again. Every time I see a drawing painting or picture of one I get nervous. Go figure.

Updates on Life

We received exciting news yesterday.  Cory was accepted into BYU's general business management program!  That means at least 2 more years in "Happy Valley" (aka Provo) for us.  I am glad since it's a great buisness school but also it is a great blessing so that we don't have to apply for other colleges and then programs while preparing to move and have another baby.  It is nice to know he will be able to finish his schooling from where we are currently settled as we have a great apartment, fantastic ward (local church congregation) and amazing friends. 





David is 14 1/2  months old now and has grown in leaps and bounds over the last few months.  His transition from baby to toddler is near completion and I am constantly going back and forth between wanting him to slow down and being so excited as he learns new things.  He has mastered walking and every now and then he will take a good stab at running. (I am okay if he takes a while longer to master running) He talks and signs so much I love it!  He now has over 30 signs (ASL) down and uses them constantly to communicate what he wants or even what he is excited about.  My favorite is how he says "Jesus."  In his room and around the house are pictures of the Savior and every time he sees one he says, "susus" and signs Jesus.  He doesn't get the sign exactly right but it is close enough to know what he is saying.  His eyes always light up when he sees the pictures of the Savior and I love it!  He loves to climb and is on top of anything and everything in sight with huge smiles.  He talks all the time without using any real words and he gives long elaborate speeches compete with arm gestures.  I can't wait for him to master more English so we can understand all of his talking.  He is also really into animals right now.  He greatly enjoys anything with ducks or cows, both of which he will say in English and sign with great enthusiasm when he sees them.  It has been such a joy to watch him grow and learn over the last 14 months.  I feel so blessed to be able to spend every day at home playing with him and taking care of him.  He brings so much joy to Cory's and my life.

Starting a blog...

There are a few reasons I wanted to start a blog.  Probably the most important of them being that I liked the idea of having a place online to store family memories, pictures, and adventures.  While journal writing is great and something I still plan to do, I see a blog as a great way to preserve family stories that can be enjoyed for years to come.  I love the idea of little Spiderman coming onto the blog in 25 years to see what it was like when his little sister joined our family as he is preparing for one of his own children to come into the world.  Not that I am expecting that exact scenario to play out but I really hope that this is something my children will cherish as they grow.  Another reason is the obvious one of having a way for friends and family not near by to still be able to know what we have been up to and keep in touch.  The third reason is that in general I am a fairly shy person.  I don't often talk a lot and when I do it is rarely about those things I feel emotionally connected to or about personal opinions. (Unfortunately, life experiences have taught me to be very guarded when it comes to my personal opinions and emotions.)  For that reason I have wanted to include random insights I have into life or rants on things I feel strongly about.  I would love to have a way to express those ideas and thoughts, other than to my poor husband who gets to hear them on a regular basis, and I look forward to using this blog for that as well.  I hope that you enjoy reading about our adventures and I look forward to sharing them with you.  As a side note, I am a terrible speller.  This is something I have struggled with my entire life and while I do my best to get everything right and use spell check I often am told by others that there are still many errors.  Please be understanding of my struggle with spelling and try not to be bothered if I make too many mistakes.