New Year...YES!!!

I'm so grateful for this new year. It HAS to be better than last year (it just has to be). I actually woke up feeling different today; like a new leaf had really turned.

2010 was a difficult year. We struggled throughout the year with our decision to leave our home in Utah. The move was difficult and so has adjusting to our new home. We miss our family and friends. We miss familiarity. We're trying to acclimate and find our place in this new state.

For the new year I've resolved to abandon complaining (verbally) and sugar! So from now on, I resolve that if I have a headache, feel tired, feel cold, hot, have a hang nail...I will keep it to myself. I will no longer be a Debbie Downer. I'll just deal with whatever, without hoping those around me might feel sorry for me. I realized that the reason we share our ailments (physical or emotional) might be because we want others to feel sorry for us and thus expect less. So I resolve to buck-up, like a pioneer woman (minus the handcart).
Also, I've said goodbye to sugar. I've run my body down with this shiz. It's only been a few hours. I can do this, I can do this, I can do this!

I'm gonna try my best and not crucify myself if I fudge.

Starting this year I'm also going to enroll in a Texas Teaching Credential program. I'm starting to go stir-crazy at home. I've been a stay-at-home-mom for 9 years. I might even get a little part time, no brainer job.

Yeah for new beginnings! Happy New Year Ya'll

Christmas 2010

On Christmas Eve we got dressed-up fancy for frozen lasagna at Gigi's house. After we ate all we could we went into town for Mass. Some day we'll make it to midnight Mass, but until the Littles are older we'll have to settle for 8 o'clock Mass (aka imitation Christmas Eve Midnight Mass).

When we got home each Little opened their traditional first gift which consists of a pair of jammies and a new ornament for the tree.

Christmas Morning

Nathan spent the entire day in his room (away from his sisters)

putting together his Lego set from Gigi.

Thanksgiving 2010

Our first holiday in our new home

We were homesick for family and friends, but we made due with our traditional festivities. I cooked (for what seemed to be an eternity), David wore his colorful-striped-holiday sweater, we took a walk and Sophia made the traditional leap into the pool. It was a chilly day; we made it worth Sophie's while by offering her a whopping $2 for her feat.

This year we asked The Littles if they'd rather have a real turkey instead of Tofurky. We told them we could find a farmer that hand raises and humanely kills their turkeys. But they all insisted that eating meat was not an option. It's inspiring when you teach your children and they come to own the principles for themselves. We always joked that when Nathan was old enough to make his own choices he'd be first in line for a meat platter. But, now Nathan understands for himself why our family chooses to not eat meat. Pretty neat.

Halloween 2010

Rachel eats markers (among other things).

She ate a huge green marker just before we left...lovely.

Love this girl!

Sophia insisted on wearing her Scooby costume for the 3rd year in a row.

I informed her that it seriously didn't fit.

Her spirit ROCKS

Halloween arrived soon after we moved in. The house was swallowed-up by our boxes, but I managed to get out some decorations and last year's costumes.

We live amongst the elderly so we had to load up the minivan and head to a "kid" hood (I'm one of those people now). But we had a great time. I couldn't have done it without controlling Rachel with a leash...thank you to whoever invented the toddler leash!

The Move

Our journey from Utah to Central Texas was not for the faint of heart. We traveled with 3 cars, 2 trailers, 4 adults (incl. my disabled mom), 4 kids, and 7 pets! In my care alone I had 2 kids, a bunny, a dog and 2 turtles (the smell was incredible)!

The trip took us 4 days. We travelled up to Colorado, across to Kansas, then down through Oklahoma and Texas.

Drawing by Nate
Somewhere in CO I got a flat tire
Finally Made it!

Settling in

Fred the Utah garden gnome

The littles played on the swingset for days

...and caught geckos and lizzards

our across-the-street Utah neighbor took the drive with us.

Tom was a huge help!

Soon after we arrived we unearthed a large wasp colony.

This was a job for the bee professionals

I still haven't recovered from this trip! But we're settled and life is going well. The kids are happy here and we love being around SO MANY trees!