Stages of Life

This is a more of a journal entry than an exciting news post.

We all go through stages of life. As a new parent, you worry about your newborn or toddler and think a certain stage may never end... pacifiers, not sleeping through the night, clinging to mom, etc. But soon you learn to not fret so much because it all passes and new stages start. Here is a snapshot of our family's current stages of life:

Carly

*Imitates everything her sisters say and do
*Is a jabberbox (I told her that was her name a few weeks ago, sometimes when someone asks what her name is, she says Carly Jabberbox)
*Changes her clothes a few times a day and is very particular about what she wears, only wants to wear her favorite clothes
*Yells "I don't have to go" while she sits on the toilet going

Lucy

*Asks every day if she can play with a friend
*Prefers to not wear jeans, she is okay with wearing them to school, but at home she wears sweat pants, shorts or skirts
*Loves to play barbies
*Is a bit slow in getting ready to go, although she is getting better
*When we say, we are going to go to .... she says, I don't want to go. Then when it is time to leave .... she says, I don't want to leave.

Hanna

*Still has a big imagination - she loves to go outside and explore as a pioneer, an Indian, or Amelia Earhart.
*Loves to play the Wii
*Prefers not to clean, stuffing things under beds and in closets is better (although she has improved the last few weeks)
*Playing basketball, riding horses and entering rodeos, in the school choir, enjoying activity days at the church

Jill

*Is taller than her Mom, developing into young lady, worrying about her appearance (face, hair, clothes, getting braces this week)
*Extremely book smart, does awesome in school - lacking common sense on occasion (she will even admit that)
*A standout on her basketball team (she is tall, aggressive, understands the game, becoming a good shooter) - not always graceful the rest of the day (walking into walls, tripping on stairs)
*Self-motivated, she has been in Young Women's for 6 months, she is almost half way done with Personal Progress
*Has a quick wit, but also likes to bug her sisters

Kaylynn

Kids, Church, Exercise
*Most of my life is spent helping my kids and husband (cooking, cleaning, doing hair, driving them to places) - I love it
*Church also takes part of my days (I am the Relief Society secretary, visiting teaching, etc)
*I am on a fun exercise kick right now. I have always enjoyed exercising (fair weather walking/running/biking, cold weather- Denise Austin or Biggest Loser exercise DVDs in my living room. I enjoyed 1 1/2 years of aerobics at the church in Hyrum. Current schedule: run 3 mornings a week inside the junior high with some other teachers, once a week Yoga class at the junior high, 2 mornings a week going to a kettlebells exercise class at the church, doing my DVDs on the off days in my living room, plus an occasional women's basketball game on Thursday night. I could really be skinny if I stopped making cookies:)
*Social networking is part of my current stage, too. I check email, blogs and facebook a few times a day so I can feel like I had a conversation with someone

Austin

*Adjusting to his new principal job with only 300 students, learning to understand the Native American culture (1/3 of his students), refereeing junior high basketball games (Still missing his old school and friends)
*Riding horses EVERY day. He is riding colts for Dixie, which takes a few hours every day. He rides our horses and ropes. He helps our kids ride and rope and barrel race and tie goats, etc. He teaches junior roping once a week. He helps at the rodeos in Cardston.
*1st counselor in Young Mens - just spent this last weekend camping in the snow
*Making jokes and keeping our family always laughing and happy