Our Summer

So far our summer has been great. We've been having a lot of fun getting to know a new area. The weather has been perfect. Well, once it started raining and the fires got put out anyway. The first few weeks here we had to have our humidifier on 24/7, it was so dry.

Claire took a dance class at a local center. She had fun I think. At first she acted like she didn't want to go, but she later warmed up to it and enjoyed going. She still loves to dance her tap routine for us.

We worked very hard at getting a birthday party together for her. We had only been here three weeks, but managed to get three guests from her primary class at church to come. It was a Rapunzel Party as requested by Claire. The boy guests didn't seem to mind.
We made Pascal party blowers. We played hit Flynn Ryder with a frying pan. We at cheeseburgers (Claire's favorite food). We made a pinata and made a super long Rapunzel braid out of yellow yarn. It was a lot of work, but it was fun and the party was a success. I just can't believe she is 5 already and will be starting kindergarten in a few weeks.

Noel and Claire are taking swimming lessons right now at the community pool. They enjoy splashing their teachers and each other. I think Claire is getting really close to being able to swim on her own.

Noel has had the roughest time with the move, I think. He got a baby brother, then moved into a new house in a new town, then was forced to become potty trained. There has been a lot going on in his three year old life. Aaron and I love his smile and his sweetness, and are trying very hard to remain positive and hopeful during his testy times that they will be short lived.

Alex remains the best little baby. He is 3months old already and very sweet natured and cries very little. He has started sleeping more at night and less during the day. He loves for us to look at him and talk to him. He tries to speak back and he coos and gurgles. His giggle is the best cure for any time I'm feeling down.

I am feeling very homesick for family. Everyone here seems to have a strong support group of family close by. Being far away from our families seems harder than ever before.

I finished the summer semester. It was no small feat. The workload felt enormous. Now I have two more classes to complete and I will have a masters of early childhood education in curriculum and instruction. I'm trying to round up some three year-olds to have a little preschool group with Noel starting after Labor Day. Hopefully it will work out!