House Hunt

We have gone out with a Realtor 4 times now and looked through 5-6 house each time. So we have gone through about 20+ house. It has been a blur. We have liked bits and pieces of each house, but haven't been excited about one particular house. Except one. It was great! And even had a Hot Tub. But it just didn't feel right to me. Jared was kind of upset I was turning it down because it had everything, even a hot tub!! I don't know what it was, but it just didn't feel right. After looking at the map it turned out the house wasn't in the ward boundaries we are currently in. Could that be it?
The next day, at church Jared received his calling. Take one guess. .... .... Did you guess it? Jared has once again been asked to be the Scout Master!! This is the third ward in a row. People are right, you just can't move away from a calling. Oh and if you missed my last post, I am in the Primary teaching CTR 5 (RJ's class) I am pretty excited to be in the Primary again.
Well our Realtor called Tuesday with a new listing. I went out and saw the house. And it is PERFECT! Jared is on a business trip right now in LA. He gets back tonight. So I'm going to have him go take a look at it and see what he thinks. But it is in a great neighborhood. Cute landscape. Good size rooms. 4 bedrooms, 3 baths. Built in book cases (since we sold ours thinking we were moving to Belgium). Lg kitchen with with great updated appliances. New windows. Hardwood floor. Garden space. LG basement storage. It is great! I am so excited. And it is in the Ward boundaries!

Enjoying the Pool Time

RJ has taken swim lessons for the past three summers. He hasn't been able to swim on his own without some kind of floating device. As I watched him in swim class this past summer I noticed that he was still a little unsure of him self. I knew he could do it if some one worked with him individually and gave him a little more confidence. The HS swim instructors weren't going to really give him what he needed even in the small size swim class he was in.
After we moved to VA we were in a hotel for almost a week. The hotel had a pool. The kids LOVED it. We went every night. The first night, Jared worked with RJ one on one with his swimming and after 5 minutes, RJ final got it. He is so proud of himself and we are so proud of him that he can final swim on his own. Now we just have to get the bike riding down.

Savannah on the other hand has way too much confidence. She believes with all her heart that she can swim with or without a floating device. She has no problem what so ever jumping into a pool and going under. This girl has no fear. After her parents spent the first pool day saving her life every two minutes, we invested in a swimsuit/floatie vest. One of the best purchases we have made in a while. This things helps her stay a float and keeps us at ease while giving Savannah some freedom in the water.

Zachery spent some time in the pool as well. He kicked his feet a little but could really care less. As long as mommy was holding him.

Once we got into the apartment the kids were excited to find that there was a pool here as well. We have enjoyed this feature a lot. Here are some pictures of the kids at the pool here in the apartment complex. (These were taken the end of August)

Video: Jumping in and swimming back to the side.

Video: Swimming across the pool!!

A Good Night's Rest

Did my baby really sleep that long?? Jared came into the room at 6 this morning after his morning work out. I excepted him to be bringing Zachery in for his early morning feeding. But there was no baby and upon looking at the clock I realized I hadn't seen my little guy since I put him to bed at 8. That was 10 hours ago!!!!
Lately Zachery has been going to bed at 8 and getting up at 4 for a feeding. 8 hours has been very great. He goes back to sleep and is up again at 6. He spends some play time with Daddy in the morning and then Jared hands him off to me so he can continue to get ready for work. I feed him once again and then we start our getting ready for school routine with RJ.
So I was very surprised that it was already 6 am and I hadn't heard a peep from my little guy all night. Was he still alive? (That seems like the question every mother asks herself when her baby sleeps through the night for the first time). As I layed there wondering, it hit me. My baby monitor wasn't turned on. Zachery could have easily woken up at his usually time and I would have never heard him. I had been out last night for a Girl Night at TGI Fridays and hadn't gotten to bed till midnight, so I was definitely in a deep sleep last night.
I tip toed into Zac's room and realized that yes, he had woken up. He was completely turned around on the other side of the crib. Poor kid. Did he scream and cry himself back to sleep? or maybe he just talked and played for a little bit before falling back to sleep. I doubt it. I bet he was crying. For how long wonder? And I can't believe the other two kids didn't wake up since their room is right across the hall.
Zachery finally woke up at 7, all smiley and happy. I'm sure he was pleased that someone got himout of his crib this time. I was of course hurting, but well rested. So we had a nice long feeding session before the school routine.

Back to School Night

I meant to bring my camera and snap a few pics of RJ with his teacher, desk, etc. But I spaced it. I'll try to remember the camera for Parent/Teacher Conference in October.

Last night was Back to School night. Can you believe it! We are old enough to attend Back to School Night as a parent! Jared almost started a mid-life crisis when the thought hit him. My mid-life crisis will probably hit me in two years when I turn 30.

Anyway, it was nice to finally see RJ in his school surroundings. We enjoyed meeting his teacher and getting to hear how the school day "really" goes. If any of you are thinking..."What this was your first time meeting with the teacher and seeing the school." Well yes it pretty much was.

We met his teacher very briefly at orientation and at the time we weren't sure if she would be his permanent teacher. The school was in the process of hiring another kindergarten teacher since they had so many students. We saw a little of the school that day, but that day was also our first day in Lynchburg so everything was a bit of a blur. Because the school sits on a busy street, walking isn't encouraged. Buses are the easiest way for the child to get to and from school. I could drive RJ myself but I would just be dropping him off at the back door where a teacher greets the students, instead of being able to walk with him to class. I had a real problem with that because I had envisioned taking RJ by the hand to his classroom every day or almost everyday. But with the announce of sitting in the car to take your turn in front of the school just to drop your kid off, we opted with the bus. So anyway, we hadn't been into the school since Orientation so back to school night was a real treat.

I take that last line back, Jared did go into the school last week and had lunch with RJ. Parents are allowed in the school, it isn't completely closed off. But it is kind of a pain with two other young kids in tow.

So anyway, we gathered in the cafeteria and the super intendant rattled off a bunch of numbers on how the school ranked in the state and federal testing. We thought the numbers were all very good, all above the requirement. But of course it wasn't good enough for Virginians, they want it higher. I think the intent of No Child Left Behind is good but I'm not sold on schools pushing testing and curriculum just to get high numbers.

So after the numbers we got to go see the class room. RJ was so excited to show us EVERYTHING! It was nice to see his excitement. It was fun to see some of the friends he has talked about. I was able to meet a mother of one of his new best buddies and get a phone number, that was nice. We enjoyed talking with his teacher. I like her much better now that I have actually talked with her and she has explained things a little more.

I got the scoop on quiet time. This is the part of day that RJ hates and we were hearing stories such as everyone had to lay their heads down on their desks for an hour. Now I know that it is a time for each table to us the bathroom and get a drink. While a table is up, the other tables are to sit quietly and unwind from recess. It takes 15-20 minutes depending on how many kids need to use the bathroom. And there is a bathroom right their in the classroom.

After meeting RJ's teacher and seeing his classroom. We gathered back into the cafeteria for dinner. Now how many schools do you know feed that many families dinner??? Maybe a lot do, but I haven't heard of it before. It was just hot dogs and chips, nothing fancy. But I was still impressed.

RJ has perked up a little bit more about school. I haven't heard as many negative comments. And I am much more relaxed now that I have had a conversation with his teacher. So that's, that!

Weekly Update

Let's see where do I start.... how about with Zachery .....

Our little munchkin is of course the cutest little guy around. He loves to sit up, always has. And now is sitting up very well unsupported. He entertains himself very well when we sit him up in front of a few toys. Everything is going into his little mouth so we have had to talk to the kids plenty of times to keep their little toys off the ground. Zachery is really into the rolling and can get around the room pretty good just by rolling. Not too much longer and he will be crawling and I know he is going to be a mover and will be getting into anything and everything just like his sister. YIKES!

Next on the list moving up is Savannah....

Our little princess is getting the hang of using the potty. She is doing extremely well and I will be looking into dance classes shortly. (I promised her when she used the potty all the time she could go to dance classes again). We have had a few days this week with no accidents. I am very impressed with her attitude towards the potty. We still aren't completely there but almost. Hooray!!

And RJ is something else....

We have been having problems with his attitude lately and I am not sure what to do. He has been whining and complaining A LOT and he has been very slow to obey. I'm sad to say that I look forward to school everyday so I can have a break. However he seems to be doing very well in school. The teacher has a behavioral system and the kids come home with a stop light each day. If it is green they have been good if it is red they have not. Yellow means there were a few warnings given. RJ has had nothing but green lights since the first day of school. We are very proud of him. He says it is hard to get green lights because he has to be quiet all the time and he hates it. But at least he is trying hard and is disciplined at school. Just wish he could be more disciplined at home... Hmmmm... I think it is just hard on him having such a long school day. The bus picks him up at 8:30 and he gets home at 4. He gets one recess for lunch, crazy!!! This school however does have the funding for Music, Art, and PE so they do have that extra break time from the curriculum in the afternoons. Every morning RJ complains about not wanting to go to school. He hates that it is so long. He misses his friends from Idaho and it just breaks my heart. But once he is at the bus stop he is fine. He gets on the bus with little problem and gets off the bus with a smile. I have such a hard time reading other peoples blogs about their kids loving school and so excited to go back the next day. RJ looked forward to kindergarten and school for so long. We thought he would be much more excited about it then he has been. It has just been kind of sad and hard for us all.

Anyway on to me....

I have been getting back into my Scrapbooking, I have A LOT to still get caught up on. I have been getting to know the neighborhood a little bit more. We found the library the other day and signed Savannah up for Story Time activities. It starts on Tuesday and we look forward to that. I have been pretty good at my exercise and eating better goal. I am happy to say I have exercised everyday this week even though one day was only for about 5 minutes, but I did get it in. I wasn't really good about the eating at the beginning of the week. I still snacked a lot. But I got better as the week went on. I am tyring to eat more fruits and veggies and I have succeeded in adding more to my diet and less cookies and ice cream. I am happy to report I have lost 2 pounds. Now the goal is to keep those two pounds off and keep losing more.

Last but not least .... Jared ...

Jared has been really enjoying his new job. Each day he seems to like it more and more. We have been really blessed here and feel that moving to Virginia was the right thing for our family. Doug Merrill was in town this week and Jared and him went to lunch. (How fun was that, he got caught up on the happenings of Iona ward :) Jared has discovered the fun of extraction work. Every night after the kids have gone to bed, Jared has been on the Internet extracting names from the census records for temple work. I have thought about doing this myself but haven't found (or made) time for it yet. And looking over his shoulder, it seems much harder then I thought it would be. He has been looking at census forms with names from Poland and other forgien countries. And it is hard to read some of the writing. Anyway, he is enjoying it and has extracted over 500 names this week!! He has also made time to exercise every morning. He has started a new routine and wakes up at 5:30 to exercise. Then he showers and reads his scriptures while having some breakfast and heads out to work. He enjoys having the quiet morning to read and ponder the scriptures. Sometimes RJ gets up before 7 and has a bowl of cereal with him, he enjoys that. And Jared has lost 3 pounds this week, good for you!

Other news ....

We had stake conference today. This is the first time we have ever had to drive over an hour to get to our stake building. It is a curvy ride over the hill, luckily no one got car sick. We enjoyed the service and uplifting messages. The kids did very well and we are glad we made the effort to attend.

And..

We got our house on the market to sell just before labor day weekend. And 3 days later we had a buyer!!!!! We asked for $125,000 and sold it for $122,000. Out of everything that is wrong with that house, the only thing they request is a replacement door. The loan requires a metal door between the garage and the house. So we are filling out our finally papers this week and the house is off our hands. Time to start the house hunting here. The adventure continues!

Oh, one more thing. I was called to the primary in our new ward. I will be teaching RJ's class, CTR5. He is looking forward to having me as his teacher and I am looking forward to it as well. I love being in the Primary. Jared gets Zachery for the last two hours of church and so far it has been good.

Dancing Girl

Savannah has always LOVED to dance. She started dancing on her first birthday where, out of no where, she climbed on top of one of her larger presents, put one arm in the air, and began to twirl and sing to herself. Since then she hasn't stopped twirling. So this past summer, Dance Tech, offered a summer dance and gymnastic class once a week beginning at age 3. The first class happened to be on Savannah's third birthday. I of course had to enroll her to see how should would like to be in an actually class. She of course LOVED it and looked forward to Tuesday. It was a fun away to break up the lazy days of summer.

Now that we have moved she has asked when she gets to go to dance class again. I have bribed her with potty training. We started the potty training last week, which ended up more of a training for mommy to get the hang of potty training. Now we are in the really deal and I think she may be finally getting it. I might just have to go look for some dance classes here in Lynchburg (that are affordable of course).

Here are just a few more pics of Savannah at dance. My cousin Heather made this purple TuTu for her for her birthday and she loved wearing it to class.

During the 10 week course the kids learned some ballet steps, a dance routine, and some basic tumbling. Savannah was of course the youngest in her class but she did an excellent job. On the previous post I posted a video of her dance routine and one of her doing a stratall (sp?) roll.

Dance & Gymnastic Viedos

Natural Bridge

On of our first tourist attraction that we went to here in Virginia was the Natural Bridge. We spent a day here while we were still in the hotel, before we moved into the apartment. (I still have a lot of posting to update). This spot is about 40 minutes outside of Lynchburg. And it was beautiful. I can't wait to go back in the fall. The Natural Bridge is an actually Bridge used that is completely made by nature. It is 215 feet high, 40 feet thick, and 100 feet wide. It is estimated to be 500 million years old.
It and the surrounding area was breathtaking. A side from the hot humid weather we enjoyed the mild hike in and out.

There is a rock wall that runs along the creak. We happened to see a snake sunning itself on the rock below. As we peered over the rock wall RJ suddenly backed away screaming. This little fellow apparently popped up just inches from his hand. RJ was terrified of getting a snake bite the rest of the day.

I got to carry Zachery on the way out (which by the way is up not down).

There is also a cave close by. About a fourth of the way in Zachery had enough and Savannah wasn't being very obedient. I decided to hike back out with the two while Jared and RJ enjoyed the rest of the guided tour. It was a little eerier hiking back out of the cave completely alone. Thankfully the kid's screaming made it not so spookyly quiet.

10 lbs. by Christmas

She: My back really hurts. Each day I feel like I am getting older.

He: I hear ya. I ache just going up and down stairs at work.

She: We aren't even 30 yet! Why do we feel so old?

He: We aren't old, we are just out of shape.

She: So true. You know I have been thinking about making a goal to lose 10 lbs by Christmas.

He: How do you intend to do that?

She: I not only want to lose weight but I want to get in shape. I am going to make time each day to get on that Wii fit. I am hopefully going to make use of that gym we have in the complex before we move out. At least once a week, if the baby will cooperate. I am going to lay off the snacks. No more ice cream at night.

He: Well, maybe just once a week.

She: Ok, once a week. But definitely not going to eat much after dinner. And I'll make it a point to drink water more often. I just want to feel good in my clothes again. So are you on board with me? 10 lbs by Christmas?

He: Yeah, I think I can do that. I would like to feel better in my clothes too.

And so we are going to offer an invitation to you as well. 10 pounds by Christmas. That's only 1.5 pounds every two weeks. I plan on weighing in each week to track my goal. I only ask for your cheers. If you would like to join us, I will definitely cheer you on as well. Try weighing in each week and document it on your blog. It is much easier to loose the weight and get in shape when you know you will be accounted for it. So who is with us?

Lynchburg, Virginia and our apartment

If you have never been back east before then here is just a glimpse of what you may see.Trees! and Lots of them!
People always told me that the east is covered in trees but you really can't understand how covered in trees it really is until you have seen it. I am just loving the scenery here and can't wait till the fall.

Lynchburg, VA is close to the middle of the state. It is a college town, think Rexburg except much bigger in population. There really isn't a whole lot happening there but the people are very friendly and the majority of the population is a student during the fall and winter season. I didn't realize this until we went to Super Walmart the weekend before school started and I swear I was back in Rexburg again.
The area is very religious, however unlike Rexburg where everyone is of the LDS faith, Lynchburg is predominantly Baptists. The largest university in the area is a private Baptist University called Liberty. I say largest university in the area because there are 6 colleges here in Lynchburg alone. Like I said, serious college town.
But we are enjoying it. We have learned not to shop at Super Walmart during the weekend and especially not around the first few weeks of school. We have loved the weather. It is similar to Idaho as we have had many summer thunder storms and light rain showers. The humidity doesn't bother me at all, however Jared as had problems with allergies and I believe it has affected Zachery as well. Hopefully, they will get used to it. RJ loves his teacher and is enjoying his new school. He can now tolerate quiet time because he finally found something to do (count all the people who have to use the bathroom during this time) and he is very excited to be doing something other then putting his head on his desk for the short break.
We have made a few friends in our Ward and have even been invited over to dinner with another young family in the area. It has been nice thus far.

Here is a little tour of our apartment.

When you first walk in you see our little dinning room on your right

And on your left is the kitchen

From there the apartment opens up to the living room and sun room

Our sun room has been turned into our play room

Living room (the double doors holds our washer and dryer)

And look, I got a new couch!!!!!! If any of you saw my old couch you knew I was in great need of a new couch. I am so excited to have new furniture!

To match the couch we got this over sized chair and ottoman as well.

Off the living room is our bedroom

And the best part of the apartment is our very own bathroom! We have had only one bathroom in the last three places we have lived, it is so nice to have two bathrooms, especially with the kids!

On the other side of the living is a small hall leading to two bedrooms and the second bathroom.
Here is Zachery's room

And RJ and Savannah's room. (Since these pictures were taken we put the beds together to form a bunk bed so there is much more play space now.)

Zachery James

Zachery is officially 5 months old as of last Friday, the 4th. He is such a sweet happy baby and we couldn't imagine our family with out him. We all love him to pieces I can't even tell you the amount of kisses he receives each day.

At 5 months Zachery .....

... is learning to share with his brother and sister....

...loves to sit up and play on his own (however the sitting up only last about 30-60 seconds before he topples over) ....

... is educating himself with good books....

.... and is enjoying his 1st foods way too much!

August 24th: The Big Day for All

August 24, 2009 was a day I both dreaded and looked forward to. It was the day Jared started his new job. It was the day RJ started Kindergarten. It was the day I got the keys to the new apartment and the moving truck arrived and unloaded all our stuff. It was a crazy day! But it went much better then expected aside from the bus incident.
Jared left the hotel bright and early to start his first day at B&W. He is enjoying his new job. However he is missing the excitement his INL job held as well as the world traveling opportunities. We are happy that his new job ends at 5 o'clock and nothing comes home with him. He isn't on his Black Berry 24/7 and it has been nice.

After breakfast we checked out of the hotel with plenty of time to get to the new apartment complex where RJ's bus would pick him up. However, once in the car I couldn't get the GPS to work and had no idea where I was going. I was unable to get a hold of Jared because cell phones are not allowed in his office building and I didn't know his work number yet. I played around with the GPS searching for previous locations. Just before giving up and heading back inside the hotel to ask for directions, I found the address I was looking for. RJ was panicked that he would miss his bus. I assured him we still had some time, even though it was a lot later then I would have liked it to be. We made it to the bus stop two minutes before the bus pulled up. I was able to get a hurried couple of shots with the camera. However, the sun was in RJ's eyes and it wasn't the first day of school pictures I dreamed of taking. But the good news is, he did make his bus.

RJ with two bags full of school supplies heading to the bus stop.

Getting on the bus. It is hard to tell but he is the last person climbing on with the blue back pack. We were in such a rush I didn't get a hug good bye. I cried! Savannah cried too. She was so upset RJ got on the big yellow bus without her and he didn't even say good bye.

Once the bus left we got the keys to the apartment and met the moving truck. The moving went well. I LOVE the fact that we had people to move us in and unpack for us. They set up our beds and placed our furniture where we wanted it. It was fantastic! We have a storage unit on the site so half our stuff is in there but we are enjoying the apartment thus far.

Here are a few pictures of RJ's school.
Isn't this play ground awesome!! I was so excited when I saw it.
Probably more excited then RJ was.

So after school I went to pick RJ up from the bus stop. The bus pulled up and all the student got off, except RJ. I PANICKED! Jared was back from work at this time, thankfully. We tired to get a hold of the bus transport people, but the lines were so busy we couldn't get through. I searched in the car for the phone number to the school with no luck. I finally left the kids with Jared and drove over to the school. On my way I got a call from the Principal letting me know that RJ was at the school. Apparently he didn't know which stop to get off at. Poor kid. It was so fast in the morning I didn't have time to explain where he got off at. He thought he was going back to the hotel.
It was so hot outside that afternoon and we waited for the bus inside the air conditioned car. Once the bus pulled up I got out of the car. RJ looked for me, didn't see me and didn't really recognize the stop so he stayed on the bus. Once the bus pulled away, he saw me and started crying but the bus driving wouldn't stop, she just took him back to the school. Luckily, he didn't cry for long because our stop is the last stop and then the bus reports back to the school.

Tuesday went well. Wednesday went well. I told RJ we might be in the front office the next day because it was so hot outside.
So Thursday, the bus came and RJ wasn't on the bus at all! The bus driver even double checked the bus for me. The kids and I had walked down to the bus stop, which was a 10 minute walk. I threw Savannah on top of the stroller and rushed back to the apartment to get the car. We hurried over to the school. I am freaking out like crazy.
The school doors are locked. I ring the buzzer. A kid lets me in. There is no one in sight. No one in the office. All the teachers are gone. I find a janitor and ask if anyone is around. A teacher hears my panicked voice and says the Principal is in a meeting. She escorts me to the principals office and we interrupt the meeting to explain that my 5 year old son is lost somewhere in Lynchburg and he and I are absolutely unfamiliar with the area. She gets on the phone and starts making frantic phone calls to the bus department. In the mean time a man from the meeting tries to comfort me saying that his daughter was lost from a bus mishap once and they found her. It wasn't till 6:30 that night, but they found her. It wasn't that reassuring. Luckily RJ was only lost for a half hour. While I was at the school I got a phone call from our apartment complex saying that RJ was there.
So here is his story. He got off the bus at the stop before ours at another apartment complex. He started walking towards the office and then saw the park and realized it wasn't the same park. By this time the bus started pulling away. He started crying and started to run after the bus. Luckily a mother saw him and stopped him. Once he explained to her that he got off at the wrong stop she took him to her apartment and gave him a Popsicle and tried to calm him down. She asked for his address. He didn't know it. She asked where he lived. He had no clue. She asked for his phone number. He gave her my cell, but he didn't know the area code. Useless! Finally she had him get in the car and they drove up the street until he saw something that look familiar. He saw the apartment and they went into the office and were able to get a hold of me. Once I got there, the lady stressed that I really need to teach my son his address and phone number. I explained we just moved in and yes I will work on it. In this crazy scary world, I am thankful a nice lady picked RJ up and helped him home. It could have been so much worse.
I was so certain I wouldn't let RJ on the bus again. But the Principal assured me it wouldn't happen again and RJ really wanted to ride the bus. So I let him know that if this happens a third time, no more bus. Luckily so far it hasn't happened again. And RJ has his address and all emergency phone numbers in his backpack. We are working on getting him to memorize his info.
Other the that, he is enjoying Kindergarten. It is an all day Kindergarten. His bus picks him up at 8:30 and he gets home at 4:15. He is pretty tired at the end of the day. He has met some new friends and loves his teacher. He is learning to say "Yes, Mame. " I Love it. The only thing he doesn't like is quiet time. Crazy Kid!