yearly update

So- I noticed I posted something in December... and that doesn't feel like too long ago because we've been so darn busy... but it was 5 months ago- so I guess it's time for a post. We lived in Mesa with Justin's parents for 3.5 months & it was wonderful to be there because the Hunts love my kids so much & they are so kind & my kids LIVED outside in their acre backyard... and there were horses next door they would feed through the fence, and 9 sheep across the street (that birthed 5 more while we were living there... so cute!) and Justin;s sister Tiffany & I are great friends & her 4 kids play so well with my 4 kids... so cousin time is ALWAYS fun & hard to leave... and it was great to spend time with Diane as she's been recovering from her heart attack, and my grandparents were a mile away & we saw them weekly... and Mesa is so familiar. Everything about it seems like home. And we go to go to the temple A LOT... and the Easter pageant was being set up while we were there & I took my kids to the temple grounds just to smell the flowers & watch pageant practice... so many wonderful memories crammed into 1 quarter of the school year. Taylor (our Kindergartner) started school at Hale Elementary (where I went briefly for 1 year while my family was in transition too) and the moms there were so nice, and the teacher was great- and I cried & cried that she had to be the new kid in the middle of the year... but she held up pretty well. And the details of the emotional roller coaster we were on while we were there, I will spare you from- cause it was a dark time for me. We almost lost our house & ended up spending every penny to our name (and then some) to get out of it, and dealing with banks and Realtors & government programs- and putting HOURS EVERYDAY into a job search headed to nowhere... plus a gazillion other emotions- they are not fun to write, or read- so I'm done. But we DID get a job, in Pharmaceuticals, and Justin loves it... and it moved us back to Tucson, into our old neighborhood where we had friends, and our kids have friends... and we got right back into the swing of things... we are living again after feeling guilty for "living" for over a year of no income & no job. Justin is dating me every other weekend and I LOVE IT!!!! We trade with a fun couple who have fun kids- and so every other weekend it's our turn to go out- which is something we never did before because of the cost of a babysitter. This works out better anyway! We are in a dinner group- where I cook on Thursdays for a 2 families, and Tues & Wed. meals are brought to us- delivered hot to our door right at 5pm- it is awesome cause my kitchen stays so much cleaner & I don't have to hate cooking so much on a daily basis. I am in an exercise group in the mornings where 5 moms take turns watching kids while the other 4 moms go work out for an hour- my kids love the play time- it gets them out of the house once a day, and I get to exercise without stopping to tie shoes, get water bottles out for the kids or stop to pet the dogs walking around the lake with the kiddos. I LOVE IT! It helped us feel a part of something again, when for so long life didn't flow that way (not because of any other reason than I had a husband home full time for over a year- that kind of cuts friend time down significantly... you know how hubby's are- at least mine... if he's home, he wants me there too... oh I was going CRAZY!) So- we moved back to Sahuarita to start Taylor back in her old kinder class with her old teacher & old friends... thank heavens- I would've had a mental breakdown if I had to make her go to 3 kindergartens... even though I did when I was little & I survived fine... she & I just have a little different personalities & I saw it was affecting her in a way I couldn't find a solution to & it ate me up inside. But- she made it through, and now that life doesn't feel like we are in fast forward so much anymore... I think we are all doing really well! We planted a garden *& it is doing AWESOME!!! Which is good, cause I really needed to be good at something for the moment... and it forces us to stay ion town and water it (cause we don't have a drip system) and to slow down & enjoy the lush green of the squash & zucchini plants & the 7 ripe tomatoes that have come off our vines... and I my kids & I are just LOVING it! Porter turned 5 in Mesa, and we had a killer party for him at his cousin's house- with a killer cake (a fire breathing dragon... I was so proud of it! Porter is hilarious & says the greatest things- I write em down when I remember- or post them on facebook- but I could have a whole blog about him- he is great! Justin just took off his training wheels & Porter learned in 20 minutes how to ride- with NO bloody knees or elbows... but that didn't last long. On day 2 of knowing how to ride he started jumping curbs & THAT'S when we got the blood! And Paige just turned 3- and for the last 6 months has been asking for earrings- so- we DID IT! Luckily Claire's had 2 girls working so we could do 2 guns at once because the way she yelled at those girls when they were done... we would have NEVER gotten the second ear pierced. She also has been stealing Porters bike & it's a big fight- but she wanted to ride a big girl bike soooo bad- so we got back Taylor's mini bike from a friend who's been borrowing it & Paige wakes up asking to ride at 6am every morning. We are an outdoor family- we LOVE to be outside & the weather has been so dang nice here it's been great for our outdoor habit! We went camping with 5 families to Mt. Lemmon a few weeks ago & froze a bit- but our kids caught horny toads & burned marshmallows & Porter had a minor head wound & Paige got food poisoning- but it was a super fun trip (and the eternal optimist in me refuses to acknowledge the undesirable parts as anything more than humorous... )and we'd probably do it again if I wasn't so HUGE & PREGNANT! Our 4th baby will be here soon (July 14th)- he's a boy, nope- we don't have a name picked out (not even close) but we do know the kids are sooooo excited for him to come & I have delighted in having my new OB's office close to the outlet malls- cause I've been able to shop alone & get stocked up to prepare for this kid! As of 2 weeks ago he weighed 4 lbs. 12 oz... and though that means he's projected to measure "full term" on June 28th... the doc said unfortunately that doesn't necessarily mean he'll be early... maybe just really big. YIKES! I could've done without that news. Also- since Jul of last year I was on a committee called TEAM RYAN HESS ( www.teamryanhess.blogspot.com) for a friend that I went to college with & coincidentally ended up living a mile from down here in Rancho... 12 years later... and we raised awareness of his battle, and did fundraising. Well- he fought a hard fight & his wife was phenomenal through it all, but the world lost him last week & he returned to live with our Heavenly Father... and I truly believe that with all my heart. And it brings me peace, and comfort to know that... but even knowing what I know- I am still saddened that Margie went through that & that his kids (6 & 3) will be raised without him, and also that he suffered so much over the last year... even though there were NUMEROUS miracles along the way- but cancer is a nasty disease, and it is a scary disease... so If I was weird & organic before... you better believe I am still on high alert... and not that it defines me, but I am very mindful (or try to be ) of what goes into my families mouths. I don't believe we are immune to it, but I'm not gonna open the door & invite it in. (Neither did Ryan- I am just saying- my awareness has been heightened)... So we will all miss Ryan, and I pray for the Lord to comfort his family daily... and I know that this is part of growing up... having to deal with real life issues... but it doesn't mean it's fun or easy, or that I know the right things to say or do, or how to be a good friend through any of it... but I do know he and his wife have inspired us in many ways to be better people, enjoy the little things, don't sweat the small stuff and "live like you were dying"... crossing things off your bucket list as you go along, not waiting for an excuse. For that- and so much more- I am forever grateful to them :)So- that's us in a nutshell- at least for the 1st half of 2010. I will probably post when the baby comes. I will find a computer cord to add photos too. Life is good, and the people in it make it even better! Thanks for being a part of ours!