Well we did it.  We bought a house.  In November.  It was hectic and crazy and I don't think I could tell anyone how to actually buy a house still but we did it and we've been loving it ever since.  We love the location, the ward, the size, everything.  The kids have a nice room to share, Kate has her own little nursery-ish room.  We got the master bathroom we wanted (so I no longer have to share a bathroom with my kids lol) and we can drill holes in the walls to our hearts content, change light fixtures and jump up and down on the second floor all day long.  It really has been nice.

 

We got this HUGE yard as well.  I'm not kidding when I say huge, our house is on a third of an acre which, when coming from an apartment is gigantic.  We love it, I wanted a yard so badly.  BUT with the warm winter we had, Lehi is in an extreme water shortage so residents can only water a few days a week.  For a while it was only two, now it's three.  Also, there was a learning curve with our new sprinkler system and only half our yard was getting watered.  We didn't realize it because our system was set to water at like one in the morning. So our yard has seen better days.  Oh home-ownership.  We will figure out this landscape business thing yet.  I'm just glad I didn't try to do a garden this year.  We did get a ton of strawberries which have been wonderfully yummy.  BTW, these pics were taken back in November or December or sometime, not recently, so the lawn is pretty and lush, not dry.

Kate turned one.  She is adorable and precious and I love her to death.  As do our other children.  They love to play with her.  Right now she loves to give hugs.  She will wrap her arms around so tight.  Yesterday she got a kick out of pulling Claire to the ground by hugging her neck.  It was sweet.  It is such a blessing to be able to raise these children at home.

Jack has been assigned to afternoon kindergarten and he starts in August.  I cannot believe it.  He is going to be going to a charter school so he gets to wear a uniform.  I am pretty excited for him.  I hope he enjoys school.  I think he will.  We visited one of the charter school campus' and he was showing off for the kindergarten teacher, reading all the signs on the walls and counting up to twenty.  He was pretty proud of himself.

 

Claire is four.  She is a little social butterfly and loves our neighborhood.  There are SO MANY children Jack and Claire's age here.  They walk around trying to find people to play with.  She loves to play with friends and cousins.  I'm glad.  She is a great helper.  Her favorite thing to do is help with her newest cousin Olivia.  She loves little babies.  I'm sure she will be making bank as a little babysitter one day.  

Kyle and I just celebrate eight years of marriage.  That was pretty exciting.  We actually went out ha!  It was nice to get out of the house and we've been doing that a lot more, now that there are more youth in the ward to babysit.  Eight years is not long in an eternal sense but it is an accomplishment I think.  I am thankful to have an eternal companion and life partner that is patient and level headed.  One that balances me out and is willing to listen to what I have to say.  Life isn't always easy but it sure is easier when you go through it when married to your best friend.