That's life

Well, here we go.  It's about that time to do an "update" post.  More like a journal entry or maybe just a way to chronicle the little pieces of my life.  I have so many saved drafts in this blog.  The ones that never get published are usually the most personal.  I guess I tend to only show the shiny side of life to the general public.  But life isn't always shiny.  So I end up posting bland little updates, or funny pictures or amusing one-liners from Abby.  Why do I have such a hard time really putting myself out there?  Sometimes I wish I could be more comfortable in my own skin.  Maybe someday.  Until then, here is another post about life that will probably only talk about the shiny stuff.

So the past few weeks have felt so strange to me.  Do you ever get those times in your life when everything just seems so weird?  Like nothing fits or feels normal.  Like you are looking at yourself from behind a camera and thinking, "Is that what I really look like in real life?"  I don't know, I can't explain it very well, but there ya go.  That's me for the past few weeks.  Just feeling off.  Maybe it's because the season is changing, kids are back at school and I am looking at the next 6 months with a definite feeling of, well, trepidation.  There is always so much to think about and so much going on.


Shawn is back in school for what we are hoping is the LAST semester.  Oh, I can't even tell you how this makes me feel.  But I will tell you how it makes Shawn feel:

And this is just a two-year nursing program.  I think about my sister's husband who went to dental school, or our friends who went through anesthesia school and it blows my mind.  How, how, how?  You have my undying admiration.  Plus you all had to move to another state in the process.  Our little adventure is really just that in comparison.  But I am so grateful we have had the opportunity and I am hopeful that it will bring positive changes to our lives.

But here is what is happening in the present, outlined just for you in order of birthright:

Alex just started 10th grade.  High school, folks.  Geez, I am freaking OLD.  But let's admire how cute he is for a moment:

You know what really gets to me?  The fact that I can remember in excruciating detail my first day of high school.  Plus the fact that I met my husband my sophomore year.  Yikes.  It is only a few short years before this kid is off doing his own thing.  He recently auditioned for a really amazing jazz group and he made it!  They want him to be in two bands--one called Voodoo Orchestra and a new Ska band called Kingston Winter.  It's kind of expensive, so he originally auditioned for just Voodoo, but they offered him a tuition scholarship if he wanted to be in the other as well.  So he is going to be pretty busy this year.  But I figure, hey, it's ok--less time for dating. ;)

Nate is off to a great start too.  He started 8th grade and is...hmmm...tolerating it?  Lol.

I think we have his classes figured out so that he won't be as stressed and can concentrate on the subjects in which he excels.  He LOVES his band classes, of course, and he has a geology class and science class that he seems to be pretty fond of as well.  Mostly because they get to blow stuff up occasionally, but you know, whatever gets them excited about school.  Ha ha.  We also finally made him try talked him into trying a swim class at the high school.  I can see that it is going to be tremendously helpful to him in so many ways.  I can already see a difference in his confidence and attitude towards life.  Plus, I swear that kid was born with gills.  He is a freaking fish.

Seth is in 5th grade now and I realized the other day that he is the same age now that Alex was when Abby was born.

So weird!  He is starting to lose that little kid face and is becoming a young man.  When did this happen?  Seth!  You were supposed to be my little buddy forever, dude!  What the heck?  Seth also brought home a shiny new trumpet last week.  Yes, we are going to have our jazz trio...well, in maybe 2 or 3 years!  I think Seth is very excited to finally have an instrument that is his very own to play and learn.  After so many years listening to his brothers, he gets to be part of the action.  I think he would still like to learn piano, too, but we'll see how things go in the next few months.

Abby is in her last year of pre-school and she loves it, of course.

Every day she asks me if it's a school day and how many days are left before she goes to school and how many hours are left before we leave for school today.  What was I thinking when I put her in the afternoon class?  Really?  Now I get to listen to 5 hours of constant updates on how much more time we have before we leave.  She is just such a social child. I'm afraid I don't understand how that feels.  How do you parent a child who is the complete polar opposite of yourself?  I mean, she wears leopard print for cryin' out loud!  What am I going to do with her?  ....sigh....  One thing I do know---she really is my sunshine.  There have been many times when she has saved me from sinking too deeply into darkness, without even knowing that she does it.  Even though I am supposed to be the one who saves her and teaches her, she is constantly the one who rescues me.  Shall I stop there before I start breaking out into some sappy, country music song?  Yes, I shall.

So where does this leave us?  Hmm...how about a gratuitous picture?

At the Brigham City temple open house, looking all sorts of happy.  Or sort of happy...something like that.

And there you have it.  Life.