Lost and Found

I am a terrible blogger. Almost as terrible as I am about keeping a journal. But here I am to give it another try. Thank you Heather for the reminder that I need to be keeping up with this! So much has changed in our world. Family: We went to Disneyland one year ago (that's right I am only now saying anything about it). It was an amazing trip. Darn and Papa (my grandparents) joined us for 3 fun filled Disney Days. Hannah, who was not even 2 yet, still talks about it. She really wants to go back to go on the Ariel ride "but not the train, it's too scary. I don't like the Dinosaurs". Wow-what a memory on that one! Grace was our thrill seeker. Her only complaint about the trip was that she was too short for the big rides. We are living in Salem and have adjusted to our life here. We spent almost 2 years looking for a house but finally found the perfect one last Fall. We got our keys the day before Thanksgiving and thanks to our amazing family and friends had almost everything in by that night. I was overwhelmed by the number of people who came to help us, on short notice, in the cold! The house is nearly 100 years old. Not a cookie cutter by an means as it is a converted barn and sits on almost 1/2 an acre with a creek in the back yard. Yes, I am as in love with it as person can be with an inanimate object. Our biggest news is the addition of another little girl into our clan. Emily will be here at the beginning of May. We are so excited to meet her. This pregnancy has been the most difficult but I am sure I will forget that once she is here. I seem to be very good at blocking out negative experiences in my life. Genny: I am a Mom, a housekeeper, a personal chef, a personal shopper, a taxi driver, a friend, a sister, a daughter, an aunt. It keeps me busy, but I would not things any other way. I was called recently as the Secretary in the Primary Presidency. It is the first Presidency I have served in for the church and I am enjoying it very much. I spend every other Friday morning in Gracie's class at school. I feel so blessed to be able to be involved in school. I feel like there should be more to say but my day to day is just me and my girls living life. Zach: Zachary has moved from Jive Software to Thomson Reuters. He has been there for almost 7 months and seems to be enjoying it. His office is in Lake Oswego now, so he is closer to home and he works from home once a week. He got a new camera for Christmas this year and enjoying learning how to use it and making a hobby of Photography. He has also been playing Ingress (If you are a geek you probably know what this is, if not, it is game that is beta for Google that is suppose to help them make their walking/biking maps more accurate). He is still very involved with the girls and I feel so lucky to have a husband who thinks it is so important to be a father. He is serving as a scout leader and an Elders Quorum teacher at church. Grace: 5 years old and loving it. She is in kindergarten and has 3 other girls from our ward with her, which is wonderful. She is loving learning to read and write although she seems to find the social aspects of school to be a bit overwhelming. Sometimes she gets in the car and says "mommy, I just don't want anyone to talk to me for a few minutes. I am tired of people talking to me". She is taking a dance class once a week and likes to teach her moves to her little sister. She is very into princesses right now. She has Princess barbies, small dolls and several dress-up dresses. It is all she really wants to do. She has mellowed a lot over the last year. She is very helpful and considerate. She is just a lot of fun. Hannah: Entering the terrible twos. She is still a delight, but a much more dramatic one :) She has been speaking in full sentences since she was 15 months old and once she figured out communication she has not stopped. She can't wait to go to school although we keep trying to tell her she can't go until she can use the potty, which she has no interest in. She loves her nursery and is a social butterfly. She LOVES everyone. There is the down and dirty update on the happening of our lofe. I hope you are all well and I promise (Heather) I will try to be better at updating this little blog of mine.