Updates

I have been waiting to update everyone on school, but seeing as how the last person to turn in Eric's letter of recommendation thought we were applying for Spring semester, and was planning to get it to us by November- we just got that last letter turned in. They have had the rest of Eric's application since last Monday however, so hopefully we'll learn pretty quickly whether he's accepted or not as school starts on September 8th. And it's a 36 hour drive to Springfield Massachusetts. :)

But we do have some definite things happening in our life! For the most important- we found renters! They signed a year lease last Saturday, and we told them they could move in after September 1st. So that will at least give us options even if school doesn't work out for a job anywhere. (Thanks for all your prayers by the way, we really are feeling them, and we know we were blessed with renters because of your prayers of faith!)

Also Jack has been super cute as of late. He has started saying words such as go for dog and apparently any animal and dow for down and whe z it? for where is it. (He also puts his hands out when he asks that question.) Climbing is one of his favorite activities, and since he has learned to turn around and go feet first off things, even stairs, this makes me a lot calmer than I would be. This is what he figured out how to climb up today.


This past month has been really fun, but really busy. Here are some things we have done.

Eric went to a weeklong leadership training camp for cubscouts. He learned SOOO much, and they kept him so busy he literally was up at 7 and going until 2 AM every night. He had lots of fun though, and he's so glad he was able to go.

While Eric went there, Jack and I went camping up near Mirror Lake with my family for two days. The food was amazing- it always tastes better cooked outside, Jack loved playing with his uncles and grandma and grandpa and my brothers had a blast in our inflatable kayak. I was too cold to get in the water, and considering my brother Seth tipped the Kayak twice, I wasn't about to try getting in with such a wild driver!

Jack has also been teething for the past few weeks with two teeth to now show for it. He has had a break from the runny nose, and diarreah for five days, but it's starting up again, so I think we have more teeth coming in the future. (Considering he hasn't gotten any teeth in since he was 6 months old, I'm feeling o.k. that he's going through a teething spurt right now at 14 months.)

We went up to the Heber Valley Girl's camp with Eric's family for one day, and had fun canoing and paddleboating and doing their ropes course. The food was delicious, and it was great spending time with his extended family.

The next few days were Education Week at BYU. I had debated to go or not this year considering all that was going on, but I decided to do night classes because I likely wouldn't get this chance for a long time. It was incredible. I went to mainly classes by Patrick Degn and Merilee Boyak, and a few by Anthony Sweat, Eric's dad Larry, and John Hilton. Wow. I was definitely humbled unto repentance with Patrick Degn's class in that I felt so behind on my knowledge of symbolism in the scriptures. He was flying by principles and ideas that I was frantically trying to keep up with in my notebook to dwell on more later, that he assumed we had a very firm grasp and understanding of. And can I say Jonathan in the Old Testament ROCKS! His story of faith is definitely better than his buddy David's when David slew Goliath. Check it out. Regardless, I am on a spiritual high and trying to do everything I can to keep it that way.

I have also been reading the last few books of the Work and the Glory series recently. That has been really fun, and I am learning so much about church history that I never knew or was aware of before. For example, I'm sure most of you knew but after Joseph Smith died it was almost TWO YEARS before the saints left Nauvoo. I thought it was a few months before they finished the temple and left, it sure seems that way in Legacy and everything else I have seen/read/heard about that era, but it was years before they started making the exodus. I enjoy the American history throughout it, and I think I'll read a biography or another historical fiction novel about early American history next. Maybe John Adams I hear that's a pretty good one.

And of course we have been in the midst of packing. I have to say I love my food storage, but it is not very fun to pack, and decide what to take and what to leave. These two counters were strickly from three shelves only.

And of course here's Jack "helping" us pack while sitting in the box.

Last but not least, Jack has loved playing with this bucket. He enjoys the blocks that go inside of it as well, but not as much as putting the bucket over his head and walking into things. (Thanks mom for the birthday present!) Here are a few pictures of that.


Mainly though we're loving the time we get to spend together right now. Jack thinks mom and dad need to always be around him now and cries when either one of us leaves to go outside or run an errand. If Eric does get into this masters program, I know we won't see him very much so we are really trying to take advantage of this quality family time now.