Hey friends,

So, we are now in our new (50-year-old) home! We like the community (most people do) - we’ve found that most people living in Davis county, are from Davis county. I don’t blame them, because I think it’s a great part of the SLC area.

This is part of our backyard and these are our new pets (awesome, low maintenance pets – they take care of themselves). My father-in-law took this picture and said he counted 16 mule deer living in our backyard! This backyard is going to be absolutely breath-taking in a few weeks with new spring– I’ll post pictures of the view from our living room windows.

Aaron – Aaron loves having a yard to take care of finally – lawn to mow, trees to prune, leaves to rake – he really does love it (lucky me). We also have a piano here, so he’s been playing the piano more and we all love it! He’s been going to bed early, waking up early, and taking long bus rides. Aaron’s commute is a BIG one – 1 to 1½ hours one way. He’s usually home by 6pm, so it’s not too bad (for me and the girls). Work is really slow right now and they just did some more layoffs and cut more hours. So, he’s down to a 4-day week. It’s nice to have him around more and this will give him more opportunity to do his own work with residential designs. Luckily our insurance premium is being lowered quite a bit, so we’ll still be taking home as much money each month. We’re just really hoping that he can keep his job (just like we’ve been hoping and stressing about for the last year). Aaron is so talented so we’re hoping that if he does lose his job he’ll be able to make enough money doing his own work and networking with other design/build companies.

Camile – I have been dedicating myself to trying to make our days here at home a little smoother and happier (lifelong goal). Having a bigger home has not cured Carly and Ellie of sibling rivalry like I was hoping. I don’t think that they know how to separate themselves from each other very well – even if they are totally annoying each other, they are still stuck like glue! So, I’ve started making a loose agenda for each day so that I feel a little more organized. I’ve been scheduling time for doing preschool with the girls and going to the library or park. I plan what we’ll have for each meal and what chores need to get done that day. It seems so simple (and maybe a little too overboard), but for me if I don’t have it written down and planned it just doesn’t happen a lot of the time. Well, this has helped us all A LOT – my stress level is a lot lower and I think we’re all happier. Another thing that has helped my stress level is having a bigger kitchen – our last kitchen was claustrophobic so I hated being in it. A picture of me with our top-of-the line-fifty-years-ago oven/broiler. The cutting board below actually pulls out and that is where our stove top hides – pretty cool!

Carly – She has been such a sweetheart lately! She is so sensitive to other people’s feelings (unless Ellie is driving her crazy). I especially appreciate that she recognizes my efforts to be a good Mom. She has made a new best friend here – Rosie (our 10-year-old neighbor). Carly is very outgoing and makes new friends very easily – whenever we go to the park she makes a new friend. She also just started a music class through a program called MusikGarten. Carly is so musically talented and she is just loving it! She’ll be going to the elementary school just 3 blocks from our home in the fall and I think we are all really excited for that day.

Ellie – She has recently informed us that she likes to be called Ellise (with a hard “e”). She had her 4th birthday in January. I planned a big family party for her on MY birthday (kind of a stressful way to spend a birthday – but it ended up being a lot of fun for everyone). I worry about the second child – they have so much to live up to! Her and Carly are so close in age that they compare themselves to each other (and I think Aaron and I do too sometimes). She is also doing a music class and we specifically put her in a different class than Carly so that they can become more independent from each other. Ellie took naps up until she was almost 4 (I realize that’s pretty lucky), but the afternoons get to be pretty rough for her still. It will be really nice to have Carly in Kindergarten next year so I can spend more one-on-one time with Ellie – our relationship needs it.

Aubree –

Look at those cheeks!!!

She turned one in February. She is still our little baby, but is starting to do things that are showing us how fast she’s growing up. She says, uh-oh, doggy, ma ma (for me and Aaron), thank you, baby and hi (not with perfect pronunciation, but we know what she’s saying). She folds her arms for prayer (or when she wants food), she loves to talk on the phone and she also loves to wash her hands with soap – so cute! She stands alone and walks along furniture, but she has not even attempted to take a step alone – but that’s okay, because I still want her to be my baby for as long as possible because we probably won’t have another baby for a LONG time. She sleeps in until at least 9:30 in the morning and takes one nap in the afternoon. I’m still nursing her in the morning and at night (she wants absolutely nothing to do with milk in a cup or bottle). Aubree brings so much joy into our family – she is at such a cute stage and makes all of us smile whenever she’s around! I can totally understand now how the youngest in a family gets spoiled, you just want to keep them a baby for as long as possible!