What Are We Currently Doing?

The other day I realized it has been a while since I've just given a basic update on our family. What are we currently doing?

Beau

He is currently finishing up his masters research and will be starting to work on his thesis at the end of the summer. He will be finishing up a few classes and hopes to be able to defend this upcoming spring. He then plans on continuing with his plans to get his doctorate. The tentative graduation plan is Spring of 2010. It's ironic that I graduated from college in 2000? How did this happen. I swore I was done!;)

We recently moved into a new ward (church congregation) where Beau recieved a new calling of Bishopric 2nd Counselor (One of the 3 main church leaders over a ward of 400 members. He is in charge specifically of the Young Men and Women ages 12-18, and the scouting program, as well as helping lighten the load of the Bishop any chance he can. So most nights are spent in meetings, with the teenagers, or doing an extra sacrament meeting for a retirement home that is in our ward boundaries.

When he has spare time he likes to go mountain biking, play racquetball, read, and hang out with his family. He is also currently building a business on the side with his three engineering buddies. They have huge plans for it, and I am pretty excited about it actually. It has huge potential, and it's fun to see them all get so excited about it.

Shalae

Right now I love being the stay at home mom to three crazy kids. They are so much fun and definitely make life exciting around here. I planted a little garden out front which we have been watching bloom all summer and are actually harvesting some beans, peas, zucchini and tomatoes out of it. It's fun to see the kids get excited about it as well.

During my spare time (which usually is after the kids are in bed, 5:30 in the morning and Monday afternoons when Beau takes the kids and gives me personal time) I have lots of fun! I am currently a designer for ScrapGirls.com where I design digital scrapbooking products. I can't tell you how much fun this is. I get to use my art skills in so many unique ways. I've been able to design kits, write ebooks, teach online classes, create layouts, be published in magazines, and have got to know some incredible people from all over the world. It's the perfect opportunity. I can do it whenever I want, as often as I want, and whatever I want. It is truly play! It's interesting how you can make such good friends, and have such a bond with the other designers, when we live all over the world and have never met in person. I am excited for the opportunity to be able to fly to Minnesota at the beginning of October, where I get to meet our other designers, and good friends for the first time.

I am currently the Relief Society teacher (a church class for the women in our ward) once a month. We are studying the prophet Spencer W. Kimball. I also love having the chance to read on my own, play with the kids and keep up on my blog.

Savannah

She turns four at the end of this month. She is our oldest and has somehow inherited that first child attribute of being the mother hen and boss of everyone younger than her. She has that natural mother instinct. She can be shy at times and very outgoing at other times. She loves dancing and will start a basic dance class this upcoming fall, which she is so excited about. She keeps asking if she will learn how to be a ballerina. She loves dressing up as a princess. She is very dramatic and could take up acting, as there is always something dramatic going on with her and Mirian or her dolls. She packs Isaac around like he is her baby and takes care of him quite well. She is very smart and has an incredible memory. She can remember things in amazing ways. We can travel somewhere once, and if she ever goes in that direction again, she can specifically tell you where we are going and how to get there. She has a keen sense of direction. She is learning her alphabet and how to write her letters and name and is so proud of herself.

Mirian

She has also been known as Merlin. She turned 2 this last April. I love Mirian, she has a personality like no other. She can be very sweet and observant, but can turn around and be furious and angry in a second. She is passionate! Ever since she was little she was passionate about what is right. If anything is unfair, especially when playing, she lets you know about it. If you deal fairly with her she is the sweetest person in the world, but watch out if you don't! She is full of energy, lots of spirit. She is often reserved and would rather sit on moms lap and observe things. It takes her a while to warm up to things, and yet sometimes she gets out of that shell and just goes for it. She is daring, and loves jumping off of things, and being rough with dad. She has a laugh and a smile that will just melt you.
Right now, she is learning her letters too, since she has to do everything that Savannah is doing. She can point them out to you and tell you what they are (not all of them yet) and can tell you what sound they make. She is our spirited one.

Isaac

He's 8 months now and I could just eat him up. He is just the most adorable guy you've ever run across. He has a killer smile, and the girls are going to fall for him. He has nonstop energy...go, go, go. He doesn't stop unless he's asleep and lately it's been hard to get him to stop for a minute so he will go to sleep. He's got 5 teeth and even though he's been belly crawling for a month already this last week he figured out how to work his knees into it. He is one happy kid too. He is always smiling, playing and happy. He's only ornery if he is starving or tired. He is a momma's boy (which I'm happy about:)) and takes a minute to work up to strangers, especially if he thinks your here to babysit him. He's got a great laugh which we hope to get a video of soon, and post here. I love the stage he is at right now, and he is so cuddly, fun and just so wrapped up in everything around him.

Well that's us right now. I hope I didn't bore you. I know this is a long entry, but since I never write letters anymore, and rarely get an email out to everyone I thought this would be the next best thing.