ZEN & the Art of Home and Family Maintenance: 2012

Inspired by family asking to send updates on the kids, I have returned to blogger!!! And it feels good to be back! Looking at the last pictures that I posted, I realize how fast our family changes. This is a great way to document our changes and adventures, so here goes...

Paul GRADUATED from the U of U with an MBA in May!!!!! We are so proud of him, and so happy for the blessing of being able to make it happen! The kids are so happy to have him home more and freed from the chains of homework and study groups! We have been able to spend so much more time together doing the simple fun things that we spent two years missing. He is still running Capital Financial Global, and plans to stay with it.

Elizabeth is going to kindergarten in the Fall! I cannot believe how fast the time has gone! She is a crazy fun girl with many interests and talents. She is learning to read and do beginning math, she loves doing homework and workbooks. She soaks up information as fast as we can give it to her. Hopefully her love for learning will go with her to school :-) She had her second dance performance in May, and also performed a karate routine at her 4 Year Old Preschool Graduation. She had a great time with spring soccer, but HATED having to take her earrings out to play! This summer we have spent way too much time at the pool already, but Elizabeth is loving every second!

Hailey is as sweet as ever, with a personality all her own! She is stubborn and spirited, while also shy and meek... what an interesting combination!!! She is less interested in coloring and writing, but loves to problem solve. She asks WHY?? about a hundred times every day. She is also very talented with varied interests. She performed in May with Elizabeth at the Winner School Dance Concert, but also had a great session of gymnastics! Hailey is super flexible and has natural musicality, gymnastics really helped give her some strength. She learned some great tricks, but her favorite was the balance beam.

Johnny is an animal!!! or actually (if you ask him) a SUPERHERO!!! He loves to run and chase the girls all around the house screaming and growling, then jumping down the stairs and ending with a "cartwheel". He is very vocal and has great pronunciation! He is amazing on all our electronic devices, especially the iPADS. He is a creature of habit and loves to have things just so. His big event was POTTY TRAINING at the beginning of the summer. We were so proud of him and he is already sleeping through the night dry! Johnny loves to play with his trucks, dinosaurs, tigers, and dance to music. He also did gymnastics with Hailey. He has a surprising strength to weight ratio and can hang on the bars forever!