Year in Review

Yes, I know I've turned into the worst blogger in the world.

Yes, I know my header is reeeally in need of a makeover.

Life has been B.U.S.Y.

A little catching up...

Between school and work, Tom is pretty much always working on something.  This last semester he helped teach a Women in the Bible class, and this next semester he is teaching Intro to Islam. He loves his students and will do pretty much anything to help them succeed, if they are willing to put in the work.  He is on campus a lot, and even when he's home, he's not really home because there is always so much to do.  As always, I am so proud of how hard Tom works.  I'm even more proud of him for how hard he tries every day to spend time with me and the kids.  He is always trying to balance work/school and family life.  I think he does a pretty good job at it.

Joni is still enjoying Kindergarten.  I am amazed at how well, and how quickly, she learns (yay for English!).  She's definitely got her daddy's brain, not mine.  Her teacher says she's very observant of all that goes on around her.  If she (the teacher) starts to get flustered or upset, she'll look at Joni to see if she needs to calm down.  Her teacher says she's friends with everybody, and makes special efforts to be nice to the kids in the class that everyone else seems to have a hard time with.  At the end of each school day, she loves to give me a play-by-play of all that went on.  Joni is a very special little girl, and we are so blessed to have her in our family.

Jackson... ohh, Jackson.  He's my crazy little 3 year old.  He loves to cuddle and give kisses, but then other times he will come up to me and say, "Mom, I just want to HIT somebody."  And he does.  He has tormenting his sister down to an art.  But he's so darn cute, we can't help but love him.  Another one of his favorite phrases is, "Mom, you're ruining my LIFE!!!"  I'm pretty sure he learned that from a Barbie movie we rented one time when the kids were sick.  Jackson knows all of his letters and their sounds, and he loves to count.  He also LOVES anything with wheels - cars, trains, trucks, tractors... you get the idea.  When it's his turn to pray at family prayer, he prays that Percy, Thomas, and James will be able to stop on the tracks on time and that something (can never understand what) will get out of the way.

As for me, I received the shock of my life several weeks ago when our bishop asked me to be the Young Women's President in our ward.  I have never felt so shocked and dismayed.  I still wonder sometimes what the heck the bishop was thinking.  I'm much too big of an idiot to be in charge of 42 teenage girls.  There were audible gasps in the ward the day they called me - no joke.  I still feel like a fish out of water, and probably will for some time, but I just keep plugging along.  I no longer know what free time is like on Sundays or Wednesdays, and Joni and Jackson do not like all the meetings I have.  I'm slowly getting to know the girls, and they thoroughly amaze me.  They are so much more put together than I was at that age.  I'm pretty sure I am in this calling to learn from them.

We have had a great holiday season as a family.  Joni and I made a big Thanksgiving feast together.  She was horrified at the "rotten chicken" we were brining and cooking.  I think I've traumatized her for life.  Tom's parents gave us a surprise visit about a week before Christmas.  It was a short visit, but we really enjoyed seeing them.  Since then, we have all managed to get sick with colds and flus, but it was still one of the best Christmas holidays we have ever had.  We are so happy to have each other, and to have a Savior that was willing to be born on this earth and fulfill His mission.

It has been a good year.  Coming home from Jerusalem has obviously been a lot easier than going there in the first place.  I still feel like I need to pinch myself sometimes when I am driving around shopping, or when I am able to share the gospel with somebody.  I appreciate everything so much more, and I hope that doesn't go away.

Year in review, in pictures.....

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYBODY!

Joni's thoughts

A conversation I had with Joni today....


Joni:  You know, mom, when Heavenly Father gives you goals, you have to use them really good or He will take them away.


Amy:  What do you mean goals?


Joni:  You know, like, when Heavenly Father gives you something like how He gave me a good memory.  Or if you're good at ballet or you know, doing stuff.


Amy:  Oh, you mean talents?


Joni:  Yes, talents.  When Heavenly Father gives you goals and talents, you better use them because if you don't, He'll take them away.


Amy:  Where did you learn that?


Joni:  *rolling eyes* Well, they should be teaching me that at school, but they didn't so they had to teach me at church.

Jackson's preschool

Some women from church asked if Jackson and I would like to participate in Joy School this year and we jumped at the chance.

He's LOVING IT!

(he's the second one from the right)

University of Texas shooter

I'm guessing it is hitting national news by now, so I thought I'd let you all know that Tom wasn't up on campus yet this morning when the gunman showed up.  Campus is closed so he won't be going there at all today.

We keep getting texts from the university and it sounds like they're looking for a possible second suspect.  Please pray for all involved.

Looking back at August

A horrible thing happened today.  I somehow erased the contents of my photo card.

That's what I get for procrastinating getting my photo organization done for, well... months.

I got a bunch of it back, but certainly not all.  I tried... oh, how I tried.

I lost the month of July in its entirety.  So, you'll just have to picture dance parties with all the Balderree grandkids and lots of swimming at Willard Bay.  We had some good times.

So although I have backed up all remaining pictures, I feel the need to quickly blog about our crazy month of August.  It felt like we were all over the place.

We did lots of driving, and saw beautiful scenery... (the spots you see are my dirty windshield)

We got to see a bunch of Tom's family, including his grandparents on the Montoya side...

And his grandparents on the Sowards side...

Finally landing in Austin, getting acquainted with all of our old things, and feeling at home in a nice, new, non-crusty, non-moldy apartment, WITH air conditioning.  August saw us become quite comfortable here....

Fun flash back

I've been neglecting my photo memory card for a while now, so it's time to do some organizing.

I found three short little videos left over from our time in Jerusalem.  It was so weird to watch them.  I thought I'd post them here so I always have them.

This first one was taken on accident.  I meant to take a picture, but my camera was on video setting.  It's looking down into the cave where Christ was born.  It was about a million degrees too hot because there were way too many people.  A tourist group is just getting done singing songs....



I really wish this next one was longer.  When I was finally able to take Tom to Bethlehem at the end of our two year stay, a Christian Palestinian wedding party was coming in just as we were leaving.  So cool....



And this last one I took the day we packed up to come home.  The kids were at a friend's house (hi April!) so we could do all the last minute packing and cleaning.  I was waiting for Tom to come down after locking up, and decided to take a quick video.  It starts out looking around outside, then I walk up the stairs a bit to get one last look at our crusty old front door.  I won't lie - my heart started to pound a little when I watched this.  It's very weird to suddenly go back to the place you went through so much....

Playing catch up....

Three things -

1)  School

Both kids are now in school for the year.  Joni is in the local kindergarten all day and she LOVES it.  It's such a contrast to what school was like for her last year in Jerusalem.  Every single day was a huge struggle.  But now she gets excited when it's bed time because it means she's that much closer to going to school the next day.  When people ask her if she is liking school, she often says, "Yes, it's in English!"

First day

Also, some moms in the ward asked me if I would like to do Joy School with Jackson, so I jumped at the chance.  He loves it so far.  He feels all grown up.  Speaking of Jackson...

2)  Jackson's birthday

My baby is 3!  I can't get over how big he has gotten.  He loves to say hilarious things like, "Yes, sir!", "Oh my gosh", and "What-ev-er".

For his birthday he got a Superman costume, a train set, a new swimming ring floaty, and a little Cars container to hold his all important goldfish crackers.

This picture taken while he was opening his presents pretty much summarizes how thrilled he was all day.

Whenever Jackson or Tom is in need of a haircut, their thick hair starts sticking up in weird ways, especially first thing in the morning.  Joni says it looks like they have plants growing out of their heads. :)

The race car birthday cake

3)  Free time

If we ever have free time (and if Tropical Storm Hermine isn't crashing down on us), the kids' first preference for fun is swimming.  They LOVE it.