Tuesday, August 30, 2011

First Day of School! 2011

I can’t believe summer is over already!  I’m not ready for my kids to be back in school. Sad smile My Seany started Kindergarten today!  I can’t believe is old enough.  Here’s hoping things go well… let’s just say it’s a good thing his sisters went to this school before he did… LOL.  Bless his little heart!

Doesn’t he look handsome??  It’s hard to believe he ever does anything wrong with that sweet little face…

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We had Belgian waffles for our first day of school breakfast.  Yum!

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Here’s my little Emily.  She’s off to 2nd grade today!  She has Mrs. Hagedorn again this year, and she is so excited!  Isn’t she pretty?

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And here is my Liah.  She is in 3rd grade this year.  She is so excited to be in one of the portables.  Not sure why… and her teacher is Mrs. Vera.  Liah is so excited that she has a pretty teacher.  Clearly, in her mind, this is what makes a good teacher.  Last year, her teacher wore hoop earrings, and she was so excited.  This one wasn’t wearing hoop earrings, so we’ll see if she lives up to Liah’s standards.  LOL.

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Here is Sean in his line next to Mrs. Sisemore!  Both the girls had her, and she is fabulous!

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Sean and his new friend Cole.

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Addy starts preschool in one week!  I can’t believe it!

Still another hour until I pick up Sean… what to do, what to do…

Happy First Day of School!

Sunday, July 10, 2011

It’s all about me… till 10 after 3…

Today I’m 30. (*gag*) There. I said it. I may or may not have almost cried when I thought of my life already being one third over. Today, I’m embracing it and I’m going to reflect on my life so far. Here it goes…

My first 10 years:

Amy 2Amy 4Amy 8Amy babyAmy 7 i thinkAmy kindergarten i think

I learned how to play the piano, how to ride a bike, got baptized, played endless hours of Rose and Julie with my favorite sister, danced to countless Beatles records with my dad, made a best friend and had some close calls with bangs. All in all, I deem this decade a success.

My next 10 years…

I got a camera and discovered how much I loved photography, sunset 1sunset 2

learned to play the clarinet, broke my arm falling off my bunk bed, somehow survived junior high school, played in the marching band, concert band, orchestra, jazz band and drum line in high school,

burros band 1 burros band 2burros band 3

played in the Beatlettes with my friend, beattlettes 1beattlettes 2beattlettes 3

“played” soccer (I was sooo bad, but it was fun! We may or may not have only won one game… due to the other team forfeiting),soccer

went to music camps at BYU,

music campmusic camp 2

taught piano lessons, graduated high school,

Junior picture

got accepted to BYU, moved away and somehow survived my freshman year of college,

HH 99talent show 99 (singing “Wide Open Spaces” at our ward talent show)

oakland 99

(don’t be jealous of my overalls)

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worked at China Lake Naval Base installing computers,2000 base

worked for my dad and got to relax in Pat Boone’s office (don’t be jealous),

pat boone

got accepted into the School of Music at BYU, marched in the BYU Cougar Marching Band, met Jeremy, got engaged and got accepted into Music Education.

Jeremy and Amy Feb 2001

The past 10 years… my 20s:

I got married,

Wedding 1wedding 2

had a baby,

Liah 1Liah 2

learned to sew, graduated college,

my BYU grad

moved to Washington, bought a house, had 3 more babies, tried to be the best mother and wife I could be,

Emily 1Emily 2sean 1sean 2Addy 1

Addy 2

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taught about 30 kids to play piano, took up running, ran a 10k, 3 half marathons and a full marathon.

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Marathon finish

In the past 10 years, I have learned more about life and about myself than I ever knew. I have gone through so many hard things. But I am so blessed. Looking back on my life so far, I remember having struggled, but I don’t feel the pain of the things I struggled with. What stands out to me are my accomplishments, the good times I had, the things I have learned and the relationships I have formed. Nothing is more important in this life to me than my family. I love my husband and my kids and I couldn’t imagine life without them. My sister, who I was frenemies with all growing up, became my best friend. The most rewarding part of running my marathon besides finishing was that I did it with my sisters (Kristen and Kimmie, I mean you too!). Sometimes I forget that I even lived before these last 10 years. 20 or even 10 years ago, I couldn’t have guessed what the next 10 years would hold for me. So what now? Who knows! Bring it on!

Here’s to my next 30 years!