update

We've been busy! And I'm new at this blogging thing, so I kinda forgot about it!

We moved back to the first house we ever bought. It's been a blessing to have it, but we are very sad to leave the ward we were in! Truth be told we are still attending the old ward. But as soon as the primary program is over we will run out of excuses to stay! As I told Josh last night, we CAN DO hard things! We will make new friends and get to know some old ones again, and stretch and grow a bit.

School started as we were finishing our move. Thank heavens that didn't change! Everyone (most everyone) was excited about getting back to their friends, and meeting the new teachers, and stacks of crisp, clean school supplies. I used to love the newly sharpened pencils, the look of a brand new box of crayons, all that clean white paper, etc. Ok, I still love that. It's such sharp contrast to what comes home at the end of the year!

Tucker played and WON his first football game of the season. He's a sophmore this year and is playing for Queen Creek High on the JV team. I think he plays right tackle, on the offensive line. He also does some special teams. This football stuff is relatively new to me. I haven't ever been a close follower of the game or how it's played. None of our boys had ever done Popwarner or youth football up until about 3 yrs ago. We let Tucker play in a small league out here that his cousin was playing in and he fell in love. So we signed him up for another round. He was doing great, the coaches liked him, and he earned a starting position. He was so excited. Then the first game came. The first 5min. of the first game, on the first play, he broke his knee!! I was a little late getting to the game with all the other kids, so all I saw was a couple of people helping him off the field. Then the game was called for lightning!! That kid went to EVERY practice, and EVERY game on crutches. He was determined to be able to get to be in at least one play in the final game of the season, and he did! Needless to say (almost) watching an entire season go by not being able to play, only fueled the football fire in him. Now as his mother, I think he is spectacular, but I have to say he is so fun to watch! Win or lose you can see his love and intensity for the game just oozing from his very being! One of my favorite football memories thus far was last year. I was taking him to school and noticed he looked very irritated. When I asked him what was wrong, , he said, with just a hint of a embarassment, "Mom, it's game day". He then told me he was just tryng to get in the proper frame of mind to go win a football game! He's a nice, mild mannered boy! So weird to see him go all 'football' on me! As Jackson, his cousin and teammate would say " he's a maniac out there!". Their next game is tonight. Looking forward to it!!

Josh seems to have found a new outlet. He has taken up running. Lots of people do it, not so many people like it. He has been trying to get up early in the morning to go run. We all know that's a hard one. But has really enjoyed being out when it's a little cooler outside. And really enjoys when they have to run for distance in P.E.. I'm very grateful to a great P.E. teacher who seems to be giving him a lot of encouragement. I hope he sticks with it and learns to love it!

Lyndee started ELP this year and LOVES everything about it! We all get to hear about all the things she is doing there. She also just has a great love for school. She loves all her teachers. She loves that she gets to start learning the violin this year. Thank you Grandma Kathy and Grandpa Dennis for the violin! She thinks it's great that it has such history. So many people in our family have played that little violin at one time or another. I wish I could have half the enthusiam she has for EVERYTHING she does!

Talmage needs some of Lyndees' enthusiasm, too. He is so excited to have Mrs. Papa this year. Even if it has been a bit of a rough start. I know he'll get it. Because if he doesn't I'm taking my babies to daycare and sitting with him at school everyday!! No Joking! He is doing great at scouts and has earned his Wolfe rank. He is enjoying being a Bear and working toward that. We have great Cub Scout leaders! And I'm sure he will have great leaders in our new/old ward also.

Lincoln, Jane, and Grant our my three amigos. Lincoln, at 41/2yrs old, may be, almost positive, pretty sure, is finally completely potty trained. He is looking forward to preschool, as that was the propmised reward for all his hard potty training work! He is also now my biggest helper during the day when everyone else is at school. Jane is independant to a fault! Could quite possibley drive her mom cRazY! Josh sometimes likes to see just how far he can push her stubborn streak. I'll tell you how far, right over the edge! Hers and mine! But we love her when she is sweet and kind and very often, very funny! She loves to dance and twirl, and has been obsessed with her "pink" birthday that isn't until November, since almost last November. We will be overtaken by all things PINK come November. Grant has almost figured out how to walk. He has been very brave this last week, and it won't be long now! His first birthday was simple and fun. We did the obligatory 1st birthday cake of his own. Only it was an oversized cupcake I had baked in a extra large soup mug. I sort of had to reshape the top of the cupcake myself, so it looked like a cupcake. But it was quite cute frosted with one very tall candle in it. He enjoyed destroying it and made quite a mess as they all do/did. I have pictures but I still need to figure out how to post them. I will eventually figure all this blogging stuff out. The pics are a good portion of the fun. So sooner rather than later would be nice.

Brad is working very hard these days. Both to earn a living and to keep me sane! Because apparantly, according to him, I am slowly slipping into my own little funk. But, this to shall pass. I can do hard things, too. I can find the bright side. I can be happy in my trial, whatever it may be!! These are the lessons of the day/week/month and year around the Holyoak house.