I didn't get to show pictures from Halloween Sydney my little Bat Girl and Rowyn my little Dora. What a fun night! And these pictures are a few of my favorite that Cathy ( a dear friend of mine in PA took right before we left PA.) They are so special. So much to be thankful for right now. These girls keep my perspective in line. I may be anxious to be without a home...but as long as I am with my family....I am home. (Thank you Josh and Jalee for making sure we have a roof over our heads until we get our home) :)

New Life

It has been a crazy couple of months. We have been extremely blessed above all to know that we are where we are supposed to be. We are days away from buying our home. We were supposed to have it last week....but you know how crazy things are when you are buying a home. We are really anxious to get in...clean it....and get settled. We are buying a home in an amazing neighborhood, but it has been vacant for about a year. Everyone in our ward is super nice and helpful. I think they are just really happy that someone is moving in and fixing up this house. Our Mayor lives right around the corner and informed us that if we need anything that we can just come over and rummage through his garage. I love our neighbors already. I have never had such nice neighbors. They even have the awesome neighborhood parties that have seemed to be exstinct in most parts of the country. So we were watching on craigslist for appliances because this house doesn't have ANY. So we found a woman in cedar city who was remodeling her whole home. We went and got .... A fridge, Stove, dishwasher, microwave, couch, loveseat, coffee table, 2 side tables, and matching lamps.....for.....wait for it. $1000. We were thinking we would spend that on just the fridge alone. YAY!!!! Now just give me a house. :)

Halloween was awesome. The girls were Batgirl and Dora (thanks to Shandra) I was the Rosy Riveter from the womans liberation pictures....you know the one with her arm in a muscle man pose. Mark was a professor. He is so excited to be one already. :) I am loving being home again. I do miss PA though. I miss you all so much.

New Job/Moving

Hey Everyone.....

Mark got a job teaching at Dixie College/University...???... He is teaching/Marketing/Recruiting. I think this is his dream job. So So So So excited. We are hopping in our car, and moving van, and we should be there a week from today. We ask all of you to keep us in your prayers as we cross this great country. Hopefully the girls will travel well. We have loved PA. I will greatly miss the wonderful friends and family in this part of the country. The ward here is absolutely amazing. I don't know that I will ever be a part of a ward that is this much a family. Thank you all for being my family & dearest of friends. I hate that I will miss so many sweet babies...blessings...baptisms...singing times....mission calls...visiting...parties...and just everything. I will miss all of my sweet primary kids. I love them so so much. :'(. But I am so anxious and happy to get to St. George and see what we can be there.

Thank Pennsylvania...for giving me the best 8 years of our lives. I am having a much harder time leaving than I thought I would.

I love you guys. Thanks to everyone who has watched my kiddos and come and painted and come and made us waffles. You are such wonderful people. I wish you all the very best.

nope nope nope

Well, to all of you who know us well enough to know what is going on...Mark didn't get the job he was interviewing for in St. George. My heart hurts over it but all will work out. We are still moving forward and feel that the Lord is directing us in the way we need to go. I love all of our good friends who have been fasting and praying for us.

Love ya.

Waiting

Waiting, Waiting, Waiting........I am not good at waiting. I think I have eaten 6 bowls of Ice cream...with super yummy homemade hot fudge sauce, I never realized that I am def. an nervous eater. Caught up with some great old friends of ours. It is crazy how our lives intertwine and others really shape our lives in so many ways. Great memories...and great stories to tell our kids. Everyone keep Mark in your prayers as we are waiting to hear back on an awesome job opp.

The kids are great. Sydney is learning to read, and Rowyn is talking more and more everyday. This past week as we were passing a bunch of scroungy road workers she yelled at the top of her lungs, " Hey strangers, We are going to geegys to play in the water." She was so proud of herself. Cute stuff. I love this age.

Everyone have a great week and much love goes out to our friend Jasen....who is finally getting MARRIED!!!! YAY!!!!

Life is good

Life is good. We are still waiting to find out about interviews. Mark is working hard to get the house fixed up. We had a cute young couple drive past our house and ask if it was for sale....we said....yup...in the next few weeks it will be. funny. Heavenly father is bringing them right to the doorstep. So keep us in your prayers.

frustrations

Hey there,

Sorry it has been so so so long. We are so busy. Work, house, kids, church, camping, living eating. It all just adds up and it is crazy around our house. The whole house seems to be under construction. Boxes and bins of thing everywhere. But even when we are stressed and crazy, we are ever so happy to be a family. We went camping a few weeks ago and had a wonderful time. Poor Rowyn got a nasty spider bite but I think she was the only casualty.

Rowyn had a birthday....I can't believe she is 2. Time flies. She is growing into such a beautiful sweet girl. We have really enjoyed watching....and listening ( oh boy does she make us laugh) to her grow. Pictures....of course. Enjoy.

Eye openers

Have you ever had a moment that breaks you down to the point you see clearly. I had one just last weekend. a few months ago I was watching a movie that I almost always cry too.....but nothing....I tried to remember the last time I cried......I couldn't.....maybe the last time my mom was here. 2 years!! It had been 2 years since I had really cried. So I was a bit worried...that I might be getting too introverted. I really do keep my emotions bagged up. So imagine my surprise this past weekend when something quite silly happened and I just happened to offend a little girl. My heart was broken. I cried for about 5 hours straight. I couldn't stop the tears....i couldn't stop the heartache. All of the things I have been repressing came rushing in. All I could think was I need to go home. I need to be surrounded by more of the people I love. I need my mom and dad....whom I haven't held in my arms for a year now. It all hit hard and my sweet husband felt overwhelmed that he couldn't comfort me enough to help me stop crying. Needless to say I feel much better now and I am glad that all that repressed frustration with life is out.

I really need some direction right now. Utah is our destination.....where, when, how, and why....are in the lords hands now. Please keep us in your prayers as we try to sell our house.

:)

New Calling

So....I never did tell ya'll what my new calling is. I am now the Primary chorister....or as they call me the singing time lady. It is a bit stressful. I feel like I am there entertaining them for an hour. It is draining....and I need loads of ideas. So give em up....all of those fun ideas you are all holding....give them to me. I need more time and creativity if I am going to be able to pull this off and get those little ones singing these songs.

No laughing.

Today I found some old photos from when I worked for the Utah Shakespearean festival. Oh what I would give to have that body back.

The first one was super fun. Lots of dancing.




This was me studying my Organic Chemistry test while waiting for the indian scene in Peter Pan.



We were quite the dangerous group of indians




and Mermaids. I loved flying with the mermaids. Someday....I want to do that again.



I love memory lane.

new calling

So, I haven't been getting any replies on posts these days. I'm not trying to guilt anyone....I know I do it all the time, look at someone's life and then move on to the next blog to see what all the other people in my life are doing. Besides, this blog is meant to be a journal of our life, and I shouldn't need feedback, Right? But I must admit...when I don't get comments I often think I am silly for blogging at all. So if you are out there in the big wide world...let me know your there. I love to hear from you all.
I feel a bit isolated her in PA. You see I can go a full week without seeing a fellow member of my church until I go to church....and If the kids are sick I can go a full month. That may not seem like a big deal to many of you....but I long to be around members who love the lord, who respect him, who live as though they are trying to be like him. Here, well lets just say christian doesn't stand for much to many these days.
I never thought I would miss Utah so much. I miss working, playing, shopping, camping, and just existing along side so many wonderful loving people. I didn't know it until I was so far away from it....It is a bit of a secret heaven there in Utah and other saturated Mormon Communities.

Don't get me wrong....I have an amazing ward here in Pennsylvania. So many wonderful people....but our ward covers nearly 30-40 miles of communities...and needless to say if I want a playdate for my kids...I can't walk there...it is a bit of a drive.
I can't let my daughter out in the neighborhood because the kids have horrible manners and mouths that would make a sailor blush. Our next door neighbor has tried to teach sydney....she is only 5.....about puberty, gays, swear words, and even sex. Heaven knows how many times I have had to kick that girl out of the house. yikes.
So Yes....I miss you all, and long to know how you are. Even the little "hi" comments are so cherished. Love you all out in that abyss. :)

By the way....for journaling's sake, I got a new calling. I was released from my secretary in the RS calling to something new and a bit overwhelming. I can't say what ....but it is very intimidating and a bit nerve racking. wish me luck.

Sorry everyone,

I know it has been ages since I blogged. Life gets hectic around here. I am working long hard weeks...Mandatory overtime is not my favorite. Life is never as easy as it seems when all is well. But All's Well that Ends Well. We have new pictures that i wanted to post.

Birthday cake. For those of you who know me know that I have pledged to make every single Birthday Cake for my kids....unless something awful happens to the cake and I have to go buy one. Or if I am sick or something...I have given myself some reasonable outs. Never the Less...Sydney is 5 and Rowyn 1 and I haven't missed one yet. Sydney turned 5 Feb 1st and the theme for her birthday was Wizard of OZ. Here is her cake. It was fun...not to elaborate....but super fun to make. I am going to take some classes this year. :)




So when we aren't celebrating birthdays we are haveing a good old time. Sydney thinks she is a fashion model and likes to pose a lot.




Rowyn is growing at about the speed of light...





and this is their favorite babysitter Abbey...she is also our little acting and singing student.

Good luck with the auditions this week Abbey... you will be a perfect Alice.

GUESS WHO IS FIVE

GUESS WHO IS FIVE.

Time just flies. My beautiful Sydney is now Five. It seems like yesterday that she blessed our life, and now she is so excited for school. But she says she can't go to school till we go to Utah. I feel the same way. I must say she is a character. Mark says it is my fault that she is so Melancholy, it is from all of the Pride and Prejudice. She loves Mr. Darcy....she even says it with an english accent.....Mista Daaahcy. She makes me so laugh. Her birthday this year is Wizard of OZ theme. She is so excited to have her friends over. With all of the snow we are getting...1 1/2 ft....we are waiting another week for the party. She is my little lady. She is really becoming a beautiful young lady. I hope she stays the sweet wonderful little lady forever.

We love you Syderbug.

holidays are over

sydney with Katie and Chris Rowyn with Uncle Cecil

Christmas was great this year. We had two very happy little girls jumping around and squealing over dolls. New years was fun as well as we did the first night event with Mark's family. It was cold but the girls were troopers and it was fun. Rowyn was in the backpack all night and she was so great. I honestly did'nt know how long she would last. Here are a few pictures....more to come. :)