Remember when I wanted to be a photographer...

I do.  I'm not a professional by any means, but I enjoy taking pictures, and I usually end up with some pretty great ones.  I don't have a expensive/fancy camera, because....well there are many reasons.  I got home from Utah  and intended to do a Christmas post so I uploaded my pictures and realized I took exactly 2 pictures on Christmas day and none of anything after that.  I've no idea how that happened. So...oops.  No memories this year for Paul.

In other news, here is our new year update.
Jared has started running again and has committed to running two 5ks in the early spring and a 10k before it becomes blazingly hot in our fine state of Texas. So happy for him to being doing something he loves! The beautiful thing of Texas is the outside exercising season is quite long, even in the summer you can get up early before it gets too hot. Being the awesome wife I am, I finally got him a great birthday gift and he was able to have a one hour flight lesson in a single engine plane.  It. Was. Awesome.  I got to sit in the back as a silent observer. (My headset didn't work.  Not sure if this is instructor's wish so as not to not have a lot of chatter from the backseat.) Until the instructor told us how much exactly he spent getting where he was as a pilot, Jared was having dreams of pursuing that.  Maybe someday when he's rich. He continues to be the Bulletin Board Coordinator (I think that is his official title.)  in our ward.  He is an awesome watchmaker and supports our family so I can stay at home if I darn well please.  This makes me more grateful than he will ever know.

Paul is at the tail end of three, and yes, still wearing pull-ups.  I go from "He'll do it when he's ready" to "What did I do wrong?" on a regular basis, and sometimes within in the same thought process.  Just to show I'm not totally focused on that one thing (Why won't he just do it, he knows how?) he enjoys preschool most of the time, has become my why, what, how does it work child.  Today he wanted to know how the window rolling down in the car work.  Uh....you push a button and it works.  Going to have to buy The New Way Things Work by David Macaulay and Neil Ardley. (LOVE this book.) He started sunbeams last week, and after letting me out of his death hold, he had a great time.This week he had a fever and a runny nose so no primary for him.  He has a fantastic memory which I love sometimes, but at other times I have to be super careful what I say, because he remembers that I told him we would go to McDonald's after __________ even if that happens to be several days later.  We often joke that he is all boy.  Trucks, trains, construction vehicles all make his heart go flutter.  He's my little bookworm too. When we are doing marathon potty sitting, we will sit and read for an hour and half and he never tires of books.  Yes, I'm tickled over this.  Yes, I may exaggerate.  Sue me.


I am working full time at Kindercare in Bedford, Texas.  I like the women I work with, I like the kids (just starting to be able to get their individual things that make them tick) I don't love the hours, so I'm hoping to go part time at the end of January.  This will give me a chance to still practice my craft of teaching as well as get a paycheck - going toward debts mostly, got two cards paid off in two months! - but also be able to get things like laundry and dishes done on a more regular basis without being so dead dog tired all the time. Plus it has the benefit of spending precious time with Paul in the afternoons without feeling like I already spent the whole day with kids. I am still doing some real estate work for my cousin Lucy which I enjoy immensely.  I was able to create business cards plus her companies Christmas card using Photoshop last November/December and it's been fun to use my analytical side for something besides planning and executing dinner. I was released from my Activities Committee calling when they were disbanded churchwide.  I'm not sure when I became a big baby about being cold, but it's dipped into the 50's here recently and I have to go out to the playground with 4 layers on as my preschooler's happily shuck their coats about three minutes after we have been outside. I am dedicating myself to achieve 30 goals by the time I turn 30 in about 8 1/2 months along with my cousin Shayla.  So far I have done 1.  


2011 is going to be a great year.  We are stoked at the possibilities it brings us.  We are thrilled to be in a new place, with new jobs, and happy to enjoy the blessings we have been given.