Still Alive

For anyone out there still following my blog (if there is anyone), I thought I'd give a little update. Not too much going on or different from the usual, but here are the "highlights" of our lives right now.

- Ryan is working hard. Still doesn't have a full-time job, but keeps very busy (almost to full-time hours) with the two jobs he has now. We're still looking for that full-time one and hope it comes soon.

- Alex doesn't really like his school. He tolerates it fine, but doesn't love it like his old one. He has made some good friends here and met some not-so-nice ones. He got punched in the eye a month or so after we moved here and thankfully that kid has moved now. The kids are rougher and meaner than we're used to and we've absolutely decided this is not where we want to be for good. Alex is, however, excelling in school right now. He was the only one in his class that got straight 3's (or A's) in his class. His reading already way surpasses what he should be doing by the END of the school year. We're trying really hard to get him into soccer up here, so that when spring soccer starts, he'll have that to do. He is the only kid in his scouts group right now, so it's been really hard for him to get involved and do his wolf. I'm hoping we can help him accomplish that before his birthday... but we don't have very long!

- Darek is doing okay. I think he is very lonely. He is loving having Alex off-track right now so he has someone to play with (other than his boring mom). And he loved having his Uncle Nate here for the past couple days to play with. But he isn't really friends yet with any church kids, he isn't in preschool yet and the kids around here aren't very nice to him. Because of all of this, we've had a lot of crying and tantrums. It's been really hard having patience with him and a lot of the time, I end up losing my patience. But I've recently really been trying to hear him and be a little more tolerant. I hope we can get him doing something soon, because he needs it a lot (as do I). But our little dude is still the funniest kid around. I love his belly laugh so much. A simple laugh can brighten my whole day. I just want him to be happy.

- I am doing fine. I am bored. Now that I'm not volunteering at the school all the time or doing daycare, I'm finding myself extremely bored. It hasn't totally affected my self esteem or anything, but I'm losing my energy because I'm just not doing anything outside of the home. I'm thinking about school and/or a job, but then the issue of daycare is there. So I don't quite know what to do with myself right now. I've been proud of myself keeping a good schedule so that our home is clean the majority of the time. But I've gotta find something else to do. So we'll see what happens there...

As you can see, we've had a lot of adjustments to make. Overall, we are really happy. We've had so much family time that we are loving so much. I can't wait for better weather so we can go on more walks and enjoy the outdoors more. We have a vacation next week down to St. George for my nephew's blessing, Alex's birthday to look forward to soon, and in 82 days... another trip to Disneyland!!! It will just be our little family this time and it can't come soon enough. We've figured out that Darek is now tall enough for a lot of the "big rides". So we'll get to try him out on Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, Tower of Terror, Soarin' Over California and many more. He has grown so much in a year. Last year when we went in March he was just barely (and I mean barely) 36" and right now he is 42"! He really seems to be getting taller by the second! So this will be like a whole new experience with him as he goes on these rides for the first time.

So that is us for now. I'm always trying to blog more often, but honestly there isn't too much going on and I'm rarely taking pictures. I'll have to try a little harder I think... cause I miss this!