Sunday Six - 8/19/12

1. it has been ONE WHOLE YEAR since my last sunday six.  in theory it seems simple...just write down six things each week to sum up your days or muse about anything really.  i have often thought on monday morning, "i forgot to do my sunday six" and just never got around to it.  i think i'll try harder now that we're finally settled in colorado.  but don't hold me to it...

2.  my thoughts on colorado so far:  everyone here is very nice and dare i say *gasp* nicer than the southerners of north carolina.  don't get me wrong - i met a lot of nice people there - but here, everyone greets with a handshake and i have yet to have an awkward conversation.  i'm not sure how to explain it - i think that people in NC are generally very guarded.  our tragic NC neighborhood experiences are a perfect example of that.

i'm in love with our new ward.  again, don't get me wrong - we spent many wonderful years with our ward family in NC, but i feel more at home here than i ever did out there.  there are a lot of young families which is nice, but i've quickly found myself in the middle.  i'm not having babies any more but i'm not old enough to have teenagers yet and that's ok.  i have a calling now - sunday school teacher to the 12/13-year-olds.  it's a class of 5 boys with a reputation that precedes them.  earlier this year they glued their teacher to her chair.  i will have to have my guard up but am very anxious to get to know them better.

i'm in love with our new neighborhood. it's a strange feeling though, knowing we're only in this house for a year or so, to want to be involved but not get too settled.  i definitely would consider purchasing a home here.  i love the location - close to parker and close to convenient shopping near highlands ranch and centennial.  i had intended on down sizing when we began our search but the rental market here was so inflated!  there were a lot of crummy homes, in bad condition, asking ridiculously high prices.  we were lucky enough to get into this house before it was ever advertised online and i feel grateful to be here.  it's definitely a lot to keep up and hopefully that will get easier once the boxes are all put away.  we live very close to a park and the big kids can ride their scooters down and play with the oodles of kids.  it's like a dream come true after the solitude of the NC home.  i feel very blessed and my kids are happy.  it's awesome.

i'm in love with our new schedule!  no bus stops for us in the dark this year!  the kids get on the bus at 8:15a and return home just before 4:00p.  after that there is just enough time for playing at the park, homework, classes, dinner and prayers.  before school the kids are able to do their daily routine.  it used to be their "three things" but now it's their "four things", since we have the laundry room on the main floor.  they make beds/tidy rooms, get dressed, brush teeth, and sort their clothes in the laundry room.  we even have time for scriptures and prayers before leaving to the bus.  it's heavenly!

3.  marissa update:  marissa has decided to get back into dance.  she's taking a ballet class and tap class - both an hour each.  she's in 5th grade with mrs. giraldes and having a blast so far.  the bus picks up just around the corner and i think she's loving being one of the older kids.  her school goes thru 6th grade but she definitely has a height advantage over any older students.  we will (hopefully) be getting her into an orchestra class, playing the violin or cello.  she'll do that before school twice a week.

4.  dylan update:  dylan has had the hardest adjustment with the move i think.  he has been out of sorts from time to time, but seems to be doing better now that school has started.  there are plenty of boys in the neighborhood and on the bus and he's started Tae Kwon Do and really enjoys it.  we will definitely get him back into the piano this year and hopefully a sport or two in the fall.

5.  eli update:  eli is awesome.  there is just no two ways about it.  he's got the best personality and he's always listening in and commenting on conversations.  he likes calling himself "chewbacca" and currently loves playing with trains and dump trucks/diggers of any kind.  the neighborhood we live in has a lot of developing going on so he can wake up in the morning and watch the whole production from his bedroom window.  he LOVES dylan and is always trying to get him to wrestle with him.  the other day eli's head made contact with dylan's face.  he got him pretty good and i think dylan realized that eli might be his little brother but he can definitely hold his own.  i love eli's sweet smile and his non-stop commentary about everything.

6.  phil update:  the week we moved here we got the great news that phil would be getting promoted to technical director.  it was a shock - we were not expecting it at all.  it is an answer to prayer!  he will no longer have to travel to the race track each weekend but will have the luxury to pick and choose his races.  that means more time at home, more time with family and the opportunity to serve in the ward.  he has been called as a ward missionary and we had the chance to meet the sweet little elders serving in our ward.  they're both canadians!  we had a good laugh about that.

phil's latest adventure involves a puck, a stick and big sheet of ice.  that's right - he's playing hockey now!  he's been putting in time at the rink and will start a class in the coming weeks, and then start league play.  it's a good outlet for him and i personally love hearing about his adventure learning to play a new sport.

now i just need get myself signed up for something!  but where will i find the time for that!