Life Lately...

Has been busy. Anyone else out there swamped with all the end of the school year activities and field trips? With four kids in school it tends to be a bit much but I know this is a fun time for the kids. The 6th graders have about two field trips a week this month and Gwen has had fun going golfing, going to a Salt Lake Bee's game, the planetarium, Lagoon Amusement Park, Layton Surf n' Swim, and so on. It amazes me that school is almost out. It has snuck up on me so fast that I haven't had much time to even think about summer break other than the two family trips we have planned. Ryan has been keeping busy with work at the farm and spends most of his days in the tractor plowing, hauling manure, and I don't know what else. They're trying to get corn planted as soon as possible so he is much needed there. He is also still interpreting at the hospital on Fridays. Christian thrives off of going to the farm before school each day and sometimes after school too. He's such a little worker and is totally in his element there. Baseball season officially began last night with Pierce's first game. Once again he is on the Yankees with the same coaches and most of the same boys as last year, but after the draft a few of them got taken away and we got a few new boys. He is old enough to do kid pitch now and the games are a little longer. I enjoy going and soaking in the sunshine in my comfy camp chair. It finally feels like summer here and we're all just completely loving it. Last year Pierce's team went undefeated and never lost a game. Last night they came close to losing but won at the very end with a score of 7-5. I realized how spoiled we were last season with them never losing, how competitive I had become. I like to think that I'm not one of those annoying parents who hollers at the referees or the umpire all the time, but I do get a little anxious and stressed and scream towards the players when it's a touchy play. The important thing is for Pierce (and me!) to have fun and to remember that it's okay if they lose. So we have games twice a week and practice twice a week which means a lot of running around but it's only for a short time and before we know it baseball season will be over. Good times.

Ryan and I are enjoying our morning runs. The temp has been perfect lately. It's very invigorating. We are running 3 miles each day and might work it up to more. We'll see. We are all enjoying being outside more, tending to the small garden that we have, watering the flowers, roasting marshmallows over the fire pit, and enjoying the smells of summer like the hay when it's freshly cut. Along with this comes allergies for the kids and Ryan but you can't have it all, right? Work is good and I still look forward to it each day. It helps me feel productive. Gwen played her first sacrament meeting violin solo on Sunday: "Joseph Smith's First Prayer" and did a beautiful job. I accompanied her and really enjoyed this one. A beautiful arrangement that I found that just came natural to Gwen. I'm very proud of her and the fact that she is playing high school level pieces that kids in high school use to apply for scholarships and she's only 11. A God-given talent that's for sure. It's nice to know that all the money and time we have invested in this is paying off. Me and the girls have also been busy trying to learn a bunch of fiddling pieces for the 4th of July celebration. It's going to be a group thing and so awesome! I used to not be much of a fiddling or bluegrass lover but I am now! These songs are so fun for the girls and a nice change of pace from their other classical violin pieces. It's fun music that just makes you want to stomp your feet and clap your hands. Gretel is getting a couple down good now and it's great to see her jam with Gwen.

So life is rapidly moving onwards and forwards. We are still anxiously awaiting Ry's MCAT score but try not to think about it too much. Ryan's been working on his AMCAS application and is doing a great job on all the essay questions and his personal statement. He portrays himself very well and I hope that those people who will read his application will be able to get a good idea of who he is and be impressed. I think and wonder every single day what's going to happen and where we are going to end up. I've checked out many cities online to try to get a feel for different places around the U.S. I've even checked out rental houses in a few different cities we're interested in. Our patience and faith is being tested greatly through all of this and I can't tell you how much we are looking forward to what comes next, but are patiently trying to enjoy each and every day right now. Life is good.