Is there ever a time in life when things start to feel normal? I'm beginning to think no.
There is so much chaos going on right now in my family- but I guess that is our normal. Chaos is probably a strong word, but we are definitely busy.
Sierra has been dancing with Odyssey Dance Theatre in the O2 company. For the entire month of October she had shows every night and twice on Saturday in the production "Thriller". It was a good taste of the professional performing dance life. Doing the same show night after night. She really enjoyed it and did such a fantastic job. She was a zombie for the lobby as the audience was arriving, then would change makeup for the "Marie Antoinette" routine her company performed with the main cast, changed again for the Ghost routine, and then back into the zombie makeup for the Cast finale. It was rigorous and she learned a lot about make-up and putting shows together. Not the most challenging choreography, but she looked great doing it. Now they are preparing for their Christmas shows. She is really enjoying being in this scholarship program. Her training is intense & I feel like she is really being pushed in a good direction. I'm very proud of her.
She is really missing Mark. He was recently transferred to Ireland as a missionary. She religiously writes him letters on Sunday night because his P-day (preparation day) is on Mondays. That's when they do laundry and run errands, and don't do missionary work. She usually gets an email from him as well. He is doing well and adjusting to missionary life- but they miss each other and it's obvious. I think a few more months and they will be feeling more comfortable doing their own things. I really hope that she will try to date a little, even a few times, so that she will know for sure that Mark is the one for her. But for now, she doesn't even want to entertain that thought- which is admirable.
Montana is busier than a lion at a BBQ lately. She has gotten intensely involved in soccer again and could not be happier. Their summer season has ended, but they are continuing with indoor practice and games. She is learning so much. Sometimes she feels like she is struggling and doesn't know what she's doing, but I think that's a good sign that she's being pushed into new territory. Her team is great and they really work a lot on skill building. She is improving and she is a lot of fun to watch. She is so passionate and aggressive.
She is also still cheering...kind of tolerating it at this point. She loves it when they are learning new things, but she tires of the girls and their constant complaining. She had made up her mind not to try out next year, but now is talking about it again. She is hopeful that all the negative Nelly's will move on to high school and new girls will move in. I guess we will see how it pans out, but I'm kind of hoping she will not try out. Not because she's not great at it- because I am so surprised at how awesome she is, but because I know her heart is not in it.
She has also started some therapy. Her dad and I agreed that she has a lot on her mind and needs an impartial person to talk to. With moving so often, the divorces, split time between her dad & I, her feelings of anger, and her anxiety attacks, she needs someone to vent to. And she loves it. She is so happy after her sessions. I can tell a lot of weight is being lifted off her shoulders, even if only for a little while. I think little by little she will find her way out of her gray cloud. She is extremely happy for the most part, but when she's down- she is really down. I'm afraid that's genetics though :-(
Justice is doing really well at school. Just had an excellent conference with his teacher and was a bit surprised at how much she raved about him! He talks a lot (not surprising) but she said he is really well liked, really works hard and is a model student. ??? My kid??? The same one I had to beat last year to get him to finish one worksheet of homework? JK-- but seriously? I cannot believe his turn around. His teacher is just the right mix of strict and fun. She motivates him in a way no one has been able to . He is really excited about his school work- even when he's off track. Maybe that's really what he needed, was the on/off schedule. Whatever it is- I'm happy for him! He was elected president of C track, and has lots of new friends. All girls, but whatever makes him happy :-) It's fun to see him loving school.
He is still living in a digital world with his video games, texting, internet surfing, and tv. He's making a big effort to go to the gym every night with me and to start watching his calories. It's a start. He's gained a bit of weight- and it worries me, but I think it bothers him more. I know exactly how he feels. He's doing a science project on calories and weight loss. I think it will get him going in the right direction, and hopefully the rest of the family too! His birthday party is this Friday--turning 12!!! Gads. Next year his voice will be changing and he'll have grown another foot.
It's fun being the mom of this crew. They are so busy that it takes 4 people to get them where they need to be, but we make it work! I feel bad that I can't be everywhere they need me to be, everytime- but hey, I'm only one person! I'm happy they are doing what they love and seem to have what they need in their life. This little family truly loves each other. In those moments when they let it show, my heart wants to burst with happiness. They sing and dance and act silly together- it's so awesome! All I need is smiles on their faces and no whining!! haha-- maybe someday :-)
Monday, November 11, 2013
Thursday, September 19, 2013
Death & Divorce
Nothing gives you perspective on life quite like going to a funeral. My aunt Beth died this week and her funeral was last night. She was married to my uncle Jerry a very long time ago, and she was the mom of his two oldest boys, my cousins. They divorced ions ago and both remarried, a couple of times. So I never really saw much of her over the last 30 years or so. I would hear about her from my cousins (Jared & Jason), see her briefly on occasion, and see pictures. But we were not very close. I wanted to go to her funeral to support my cousins. I can't imagine loosing my momma, so I was thinking they must be terribly sad about it.
I'm not really sure how she died and didn't want to ask...but no one seemed surprised as her passing, and frankly, not that sad. I know grief is weird and it's hard to be sad in front of people you may not know or see very often. So I'm sure it was not the real picture. I know they loved her very much.
I saw a lot of family at the funeral. It's always great to see my uncles, aunts, cousins, and their kids. Seriously, my family is awesome. We hardly ever get together except our annual Christmas Eve party, but even most of them don't come to that either. Baptisms, Weddings, Funerals, random parties. Most of my interaction with them is on Facebook. Gotta love it! If it wasn't for that, I really would have no idea what was going on in my family. Sad and awesome at the same time. But whenever we do get together it's as if no time has passed (except our kids keep growing up ;-) We can laugh and talk for hours. Love them so much!
Anyway, back to the story. So my uncle Jerry who was married to Aunt Beth, (or Liz as she goes by now) was being a sweet guy and hanging around to greet guests and support his boys. It really was sweet. He and his current wife Pat, and my parents were talking about going out to eat after and he was saying he thought he should stay until the end of the funeral. I told him he didn't have to stay, but he said he felt like he should. That really struck me.
Like REALLY struck me. I left the funeral with so many mixed feelings. Happy to have seen my family. Sad about the passing of Aunt Beth (she'll always be Beth to me), sad for my cousins and her current husband, her husband for several decades. I know they miss her and are wondering how to get on with their life with out her.
My mind was stuck on ex-husbands. My funeral. Who would come. Who would pay respects and leave. Who would feel like they needed to stay the duration to meet my friends, neighbors and loved ones. Surely my parents & grama will be gone. (although I don't even want to begin to think about that.) Who would be there to support my kids. Their future spouses, my future grandkids :-), my ex-husbands?? The thought of my ex-husbands hanging out at my funeral...that did not sit well with me. I don't mind them coming to pay their respects, but I don't want them hanging around my funeral and acting like they care about me. Telling who knows what kind of stories. They never gave a shit about me when we were married. Both of them couldn't wait to get rid of me and move on to the next.... I cried and cried about this. They've both moved on with their lives with out caring about what happens to me. Walking away from our family like it was an option. Like I was something they had grown tired of , and traded me in for a newer, shinier version. What the hell? Why was this bothering me so much? I don't know-- I guess there will always be baggage that shows up unexpectedly. I don't normally think this negatively. I'm happy to have moved on out of unhappy marriages. I'm happy to be single and living a life I love! I'm grateful for my kids and that I was able to raise them with no negative vibes in our home. I'm just upset that I couldn't give them the traditional. I know it's silly. But I'm still bitter about it.
I slept on it. Talked to Sierra about it. She said "Of course my dad will come! He cares about you. He would be there for me too." Then my heart started to soften. I started to think that if one of them died (Eric or Chris) I would definitely want to be there. Greeting friends we had in common, comforting family, especially the kids. They are great fathers. Better than I could have ever hoped. And they have cared for me in the best way they could as an ex-wife & baby momma. I owe them a lot. They really did help me through this crazy life and that needs to be respected. I guess we are tied together in some ways forever. I had never thought this far ahead about my life and it shook me up. The inevitability of death and those left behind.
School & Sports Activities, Dating, Weddings, College, Grandkids, Funerals. The exes and I will be there for all of it. Til death do us part...even after divorce.
I'm not really sure how she died and didn't want to ask...but no one seemed surprised as her passing, and frankly, not that sad. I know grief is weird and it's hard to be sad in front of people you may not know or see very often. So I'm sure it was not the real picture. I know they loved her very much.
I saw a lot of family at the funeral. It's always great to see my uncles, aunts, cousins, and their kids. Seriously, my family is awesome. We hardly ever get together except our annual Christmas Eve party, but even most of them don't come to that either. Baptisms, Weddings, Funerals, random parties. Most of my interaction with them is on Facebook. Gotta love it! If it wasn't for that, I really would have no idea what was going on in my family. Sad and awesome at the same time. But whenever we do get together it's as if no time has passed (except our kids keep growing up ;-) We can laugh and talk for hours. Love them so much!
Anyway, back to the story. So my uncle Jerry who was married to Aunt Beth, (or Liz as she goes by now) was being a sweet guy and hanging around to greet guests and support his boys. It really was sweet. He and his current wife Pat, and my parents were talking about going out to eat after and he was saying he thought he should stay until the end of the funeral. I told him he didn't have to stay, but he said he felt like he should. That really struck me.
Like REALLY struck me. I left the funeral with so many mixed feelings. Happy to have seen my family. Sad about the passing of Aunt Beth (she'll always be Beth to me), sad for my cousins and her current husband, her husband for several decades. I know they miss her and are wondering how to get on with their life with out her.
My mind was stuck on ex-husbands. My funeral. Who would come. Who would pay respects and leave. Who would feel like they needed to stay the duration to meet my friends, neighbors and loved ones. Surely my parents & grama will be gone. (although I don't even want to begin to think about that.) Who would be there to support my kids. Their future spouses, my future grandkids :-), my ex-husbands?? The thought of my ex-husbands hanging out at my funeral...that did not sit well with me. I don't mind them coming to pay their respects, but I don't want them hanging around my funeral and acting like they care about me. Telling who knows what kind of stories. They never gave a shit about me when we were married. Both of them couldn't wait to get rid of me and move on to the next.... I cried and cried about this. They've both moved on with their lives with out caring about what happens to me. Walking away from our family like it was an option. Like I was something they had grown tired of , and traded me in for a newer, shinier version. What the hell? Why was this bothering me so much? I don't know-- I guess there will always be baggage that shows up unexpectedly. I don't normally think this negatively. I'm happy to have moved on out of unhappy marriages. I'm happy to be single and living a life I love! I'm grateful for my kids and that I was able to raise them with no negative vibes in our home. I'm just upset that I couldn't give them the traditional. I know it's silly. But I'm still bitter about it.
I slept on it. Talked to Sierra about it. She said "Of course my dad will come! He cares about you. He would be there for me too." Then my heart started to soften. I started to think that if one of them died (Eric or Chris) I would definitely want to be there. Greeting friends we had in common, comforting family, especially the kids. They are great fathers. Better than I could have ever hoped. And they have cared for me in the best way they could as an ex-wife & baby momma. I owe them a lot. They really did help me through this crazy life and that needs to be respected. I guess we are tied together in some ways forever. I had never thought this far ahead about my life and it shook me up. The inevitability of death and those left behind.
School & Sports Activities, Dating, Weddings, College, Grandkids, Funerals. The exes and I will be there for all of it. Til death do us part...even after divorce.
Friday, September 13, 2013
Traffic
Here I am sitting in the Traffic department at work. Today is slow, and that's weird because it's usually chaos on a Friday. So I thought I would write a little about my job and what I do. I'm the Traffic Coordinator/Continuity Specialist. I work for FOX 13 KSTU television in SLC, UT. I've been in my position for 16 mos now. Traffic is not what you think, it has nothing to do with cars on the road. It's part of the sales/advertising machine.
Sales people sell the commercial time, my boss (who is in Kansas City) decides which commercials will go where and when, my local boss decides how much the commercials are going to cost during which show/day, and the client tells me which commercial they want to air for which show/day, and for how long (a day, a week, month, etc), and I get to make sense of it all. I mostly do data entry type stuff. But it's also my responsibility to get the commercial from the client, make sure it's the right length and content, relay all that information to our operations department (that I used to work in), make sure it's ready for air when needed, and coordinate all that information to needed parties. I process the finalized "Log" or playlist and send it to our automation that puts it on TV for you to enjoy (haha-ya, we all hate commercials). Bottom line, if the wrong commercial goes to air, or the right commercial doesn't air, or there is any sort of problem with commercials--it's my butt on the line.
Previous to this position I worked in Operations (Master Control/Ingest/and Camera). Compared to this job, it was seriously a piece of cake, although it was challenging. Mostly because I worked graves and no one bothered us. We did our job and still had A LOT of free time to just watch TV, chit chat, and goof off. While still monitoring everything of course ;-) Coming to this position was a huge blessing, a bit more pay, a day schedule (what I had been praying for), my own office, and tons of responsibility. It's been a very hard adjustment. I'm used to doing my job, going home, and not worrying about work until the next day. Now I'm on call 24/7 and believe me, they call me at all hours about problems, or things missing, or computer issues. It's a huge change. I love it most days. But some days I worry that this job is too much for little old me. I'm a lot more confident in my job, but I feel like such a slow learner. Every mistake is a huge loss money wise, and requires meeting after meeting. It can be very discouraging and depressing.
Fortunately, I rarely make mistakes now, but in the beginning it was very hard learning the ropes and mistakes seemed to be a daily occurrence. But, they do still happen occasionally. That's life.
I really like the people I work with. We laugh, we have fun, we joke. But most of the day it's quiet in the office and I'm listening to my headphones. Kinda boring.
So that's my job in a nutshell. So completely different from my dance studio days...but it pays the bills and keeps my family fed. I'm grateful to have a job period.
Sales people sell the commercial time, my boss (who is in Kansas City) decides which commercials will go where and when, my local boss decides how much the commercials are going to cost during which show/day, and the client tells me which commercial they want to air for which show/day, and for how long (a day, a week, month, etc), and I get to make sense of it all. I mostly do data entry type stuff. But it's also my responsibility to get the commercial from the client, make sure it's the right length and content, relay all that information to our operations department (that I used to work in), make sure it's ready for air when needed, and coordinate all that information to needed parties. I process the finalized "Log" or playlist and send it to our automation that puts it on TV for you to enjoy (haha-ya, we all hate commercials). Bottom line, if the wrong commercial goes to air, or the right commercial doesn't air, or there is any sort of problem with commercials--it's my butt on the line.
Previous to this position I worked in Operations (Master Control/Ingest/and Camera). Compared to this job, it was seriously a piece of cake, although it was challenging. Mostly because I worked graves and no one bothered us. We did our job and still had A LOT of free time to just watch TV, chit chat, and goof off. While still monitoring everything of course ;-) Coming to this position was a huge blessing, a bit more pay, a day schedule (what I had been praying for), my own office, and tons of responsibility. It's been a very hard adjustment. I'm used to doing my job, going home, and not worrying about work until the next day. Now I'm on call 24/7 and believe me, they call me at all hours about problems, or things missing, or computer issues. It's a huge change. I love it most days. But some days I worry that this job is too much for little old me. I'm a lot more confident in my job, but I feel like such a slow learner. Every mistake is a huge loss money wise, and requires meeting after meeting. It can be very discouraging and depressing.
Fortunately, I rarely make mistakes now, but in the beginning it was very hard learning the ropes and mistakes seemed to be a daily occurrence. But, they do still happen occasionally. That's life.
I really like the people I work with. We laugh, we have fun, we joke. But most of the day it's quiet in the office and I'm listening to my headphones. Kinda boring.
So that's my job in a nutshell. So completely different from my dance studio days...but it pays the bills and keeps my family fed. I'm grateful to have a job period.
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
Home Sweet Home
Last night I tucked my kids into their beds and sat in the kitchen by myself. I looked around at all of my things...my things...in my home. Our new home. A wonderful feeling. So happy I can do this for the kids. I know they are really loving it and it makes it that much sweeter. We still have so much to do, but the main floor is really coming together.
I let the girls have the master. The room itself isn't that much bigger than the others, but they have their own bathroom and a GIANT walk in closet. They have soooo many clothes, bags, shoes, jackets, belts, etc. It just made more sense. They have always been seriously messy. I'm hoping this will inspire them to take care of their stuff... or at least keep it contained in their closet. So far, we have a looooooong way to go. But in their defense we just got it all in the house. So I will give them a few days to figure things out. And then, momma's gonna drop the hammer.
Justice's room isn't too much better, but at least his clothes are hung. We will really tackle the rooms this weekend.
My room is put together, but it doesn't feel right yet. I need to personalize it somehow. I've never been a great decorator, but I finally feel the need. I'm really feeling hopeful and excited about the future. Free from my past!
So thankful for where we are at that we have this opportunity.
I let the girls have the master. The room itself isn't that much bigger than the others, but they have their own bathroom and a GIANT walk in closet. They have soooo many clothes, bags, shoes, jackets, belts, etc. It just made more sense. They have always been seriously messy. I'm hoping this will inspire them to take care of their stuff... or at least keep it contained in their closet. So far, we have a looooooong way to go. But in their defense we just got it all in the house. So I will give them a few days to figure things out. And then, momma's gonna drop the hammer.
Justice's room isn't too much better, but at least his clothes are hung. We will really tackle the rooms this weekend.
My room is put together, but it doesn't feel right yet. I need to personalize it somehow. I've never been a great decorator, but I finally feel the need. I'm really feeling hopeful and excited about the future. Free from my past!
So thankful for where we are at that we have this opportunity.
Saturday, August 24, 2013
A Fresh Start
It's only been about a year since my last post. Just pitiful! But here we are, ready to get back at it.
We sold our house on Roxborough Park in March 2013. It was a very difficult decision for me, I really wanted to stay there and so did the kids. But I was trying to make things square with Eric. He wanted it sold, and I just wanted to put the past behind us.
So we put it on the market at it sold very quickly-surprisingly. Only 1 week on the market. I was happy for that, because I kept wanting to change my mind. It was hard packing up all of our stuff not really knowing what the plan for the future would be.
We moved in with mom and dad. It's been a real blessing. They are so good to us. We are spoiled with laundry, cleaning, and a roof over our heads. It's been an easy adjustment :-) It has been hard to give up our independence and having a feeling of ownership.
I found a townhome in West Jordan, UT we are going to lease for 2 years. Very nice and just the right size for my little clan. It's very close to mom and dad. They help out a lot with the kids so I don't want to be too far from them. Justice's elementary is by their home and I want him to finish school there. So we are very excited to be moving back into our own place. I wish I was buying a place, but I'm not quite ready for that yet. Financially I think renting is perfect for us. Someone else is responsible for repairs and upkeep. Since it's a condo- the yard work, outer home structure, and snow removal are taken care of. We will have a pool, club house, exercise room, volleyball court, basketball court, and a little playground for us to enjoy. We are pretty excited. Two more weeks and we can start moving in. I know two years will go by in a flash. Hopefully we will be ready to buy a place by then. Moving is really a pain.
It will be great to be starting fresh and leave all the past in the past :-)
Sierra has had so much going on . She tried out for "So You Think You Can Dance" our favorite dance show. She tried out in Detroit and made it to the very last round before getting cut. She was so close that we really wanted her to try again. So she headed to LA. She made it through to the next round in Vegas-the Final Rounds! It was so thrilling and we were so very proud of her. She was on television for several weeks. We would pause the tv on our dvr and take pics with our phones and cameras. She was on quite a bit! But she was eventually cut in the Vegas rounds. It ended up being for the best. Which I'll explain later. She went on to audition for Odyssey, a professional company here locally that puts on "Thriller" around Halloween which has had phenomenal success as well as many other productions and world-tours. She didn't make the company, but was selected for O2, which is the training team for Odyssey. She is basically on scholarship for her classes (20-30) hours a week, and trains for a few classes with the Odyssey company. She is getting a first class training- which she really lacked last year while with UDC (Utah Dance Company) at the U of U. So she has done a 180 and is on her way to being at the top of her game. She just had surgery on her knee due to some bursitis above her knee cap. She had it drained, but it filled right back up. They decided to operate and removed the bursae sack on top of the knee cap. She was in a knee brace/stabilizer for the past 4 weeks. Then she got the ok that her stitches had dissolved and she could begin bending it gently. We are hoping she will be able to bounce back quickly and get right back at it. This made us realize it was a good this she didn't make the SYTYCD show or Odyssey just yet. She will be healed in time to really get serious rehearsing for Thriller and gear up for next year. Whatever she decides to do, we are ready to be her cheering section.
She also just sent off her sweetheart Mark Lesuma to a mission in Scotland/Ireland. We absolutely love him and are trying to rally behind them both during this exciting time for him, and hard time for her. He's been gone a month. It's fun to see her writing him letters, sending him packages, and put stickers on her countdown chart. Brings back a lot of memories. It's a very special time for them both.
Montana tried out for cheerleader at Bennion Jr. High and was so thrilled to make it. It has been a very hard adjustment for her. She had planned to continue with soccer also, but the majority of the girls on her "Fusion" team decided to go to other teams and her coach decided to dissolve the team because they only had 3 girls left. :-( We really couldn't afford to do any of the other teams out there. They were double and triple the price of Fusion. So we made the decision to just focus on cheer this year. Well she has had a hard time fitting in with the girls. She is more of an athlete, and these cheer girls are in a completely different mind set. She goes crazy when the drama starts up and they seem to be upset about nothing. They have good days where she loves it. I can see her progress and the pride on her face when she wears her uniform. I hope she will grow to love it. She has some soccer friends that live close to us that she still hangs out with. I can tell she misses soccer so much. She went to a practice with the "Utah Glory" soccer team, that a lot of her friends play for, and of course the coaches loved her and would love for her to be a part of the team. She told them that we couldn't afford the fees, and the coaches told her to tell her parents "Not to worry about the money". I'm not sure exactly what that means. She could play for free or reduced fees? Or maybe they would work on a long term financial plan with us. At any rate, she is going to practice again Monday and I will talk to the coach and get all the information. If we can work it out, I would love for her to keep it up- as I think that is really where her heart is. She's in 8th grade this year, and 9th graders can play up a year for soccer and play with the high school. I know she would love that. One day at a time I guess.
Justice is enjoying 6th grade at his new school and was just elected as his class president. He has a whole crew a friends that are girls. They draw to him like flies- it's pretty adorable. I wish he would make more guy friends but he seems to relate to girls better, and always has. He is making plans to run for school president, campaigning begins in two weeks when they go back on track. Also band will begin. He will still play the saxophone. He still loves it and it will be great to see him learn more and have more experiences. This program at his school seems much more intense and organized. He is still my cuddle bug and loves to hang on me and craves my attention. Which I love.
Eric and Corilynn got divorced. A total surprise to everyone. It's been really rough on the kids as they really loved Jillian and McKayde as well as Lynn. They moved out of their Mapleton house and back in with Uncle Jerry & Uncle Bruce. It's only been a month or so and so things are still kind of up in the air. It's been great having him living in Salt Lake again. I hope he can stay here. It makes shuffling the kids back and forth a lot easier. I feel bad for him, but I feel worse for the kids. Why does life have to be so complicated?
On the flip side, Chris is getting married to his long time girlfriend Lynn who is also a flight attendant. (What's with all the Lynn's? lol). Not sure what the official date is but it sounds like this fall sometime. Sierra likes her and her 2 little boys. They have bought a house in Texas together and are living there. Chris comes to Utah for about 1 week a month. He finished his basement in the Utah "Vacation" home and is trying to rent it out. He did a great job, it is really nice. I worry about Sierra living there with someone we don't know- so hopefully we can get that worked out.
So plenty of changes going on in our world. But that seems to be the one constant for us...change.
I'm still at Fox working in the Traffic department. I've learned a lot and am finally feeling comfortable and confident in my job. It's been 15 months and it's still a constant stress and 24/7 on call for emergencies. Overall things are good. I just got a raise and another week of vacation starting in 2014. Not too shabby.
I'm enjoying the single life and my kids. They are my world and I honestly don't know how I would fit anyone else in at this point. The kids talk about me needing to date- but I just don't seem to care or want to. I hang out with my friends and my family and that seems to be plenty for me :-) Life is crazy enough!
Everyone is in good health, spirits, and really looking forward to what the future will bring us.
We sold our house on Roxborough Park in March 2013. It was a very difficult decision for me, I really wanted to stay there and so did the kids. But I was trying to make things square with Eric. He wanted it sold, and I just wanted to put the past behind us.
So we put it on the market at it sold very quickly-surprisingly. Only 1 week on the market. I was happy for that, because I kept wanting to change my mind. It was hard packing up all of our stuff not really knowing what the plan for the future would be.
We moved in with mom and dad. It's been a real blessing. They are so good to us. We are spoiled with laundry, cleaning, and a roof over our heads. It's been an easy adjustment :-) It has been hard to give up our independence and having a feeling of ownership.
I found a townhome in West Jordan, UT we are going to lease for 2 years. Very nice and just the right size for my little clan. It's very close to mom and dad. They help out a lot with the kids so I don't want to be too far from them. Justice's elementary is by their home and I want him to finish school there. So we are very excited to be moving back into our own place. I wish I was buying a place, but I'm not quite ready for that yet. Financially I think renting is perfect for us. Someone else is responsible for repairs and upkeep. Since it's a condo- the yard work, outer home structure, and snow removal are taken care of. We will have a pool, club house, exercise room, volleyball court, basketball court, and a little playground for us to enjoy. We are pretty excited. Two more weeks and we can start moving in. I know two years will go by in a flash. Hopefully we will be ready to buy a place by then. Moving is really a pain.
It will be great to be starting fresh and leave all the past in the past :-)
Sierra has had so much going on . She tried out for "So You Think You Can Dance" our favorite dance show. She tried out in Detroit and made it to the very last round before getting cut. She was so close that we really wanted her to try again. So she headed to LA. She made it through to the next round in Vegas-the Final Rounds! It was so thrilling and we were so very proud of her. She was on television for several weeks. We would pause the tv on our dvr and take pics with our phones and cameras. She was on quite a bit! But she was eventually cut in the Vegas rounds. It ended up being for the best. Which I'll explain later. She went on to audition for Odyssey, a professional company here locally that puts on "Thriller" around Halloween which has had phenomenal success as well as many other productions and world-tours. She didn't make the company, but was selected for O2, which is the training team for Odyssey. She is basically on scholarship for her classes (20-30) hours a week, and trains for a few classes with the Odyssey company. She is getting a first class training- which she really lacked last year while with UDC (Utah Dance Company) at the U of U. So she has done a 180 and is on her way to being at the top of her game. She just had surgery on her knee due to some bursitis above her knee cap. She had it drained, but it filled right back up. They decided to operate and removed the bursae sack on top of the knee cap. She was in a knee brace/stabilizer for the past 4 weeks. Then she got the ok that her stitches had dissolved and she could begin bending it gently. We are hoping she will be able to bounce back quickly and get right back at it. This made us realize it was a good this she didn't make the SYTYCD show or Odyssey just yet. She will be healed in time to really get serious rehearsing for Thriller and gear up for next year. Whatever she decides to do, we are ready to be her cheering section.
She also just sent off her sweetheart Mark Lesuma to a mission in Scotland/Ireland. We absolutely love him and are trying to rally behind them both during this exciting time for him, and hard time for her. He's been gone a month. It's fun to see her writing him letters, sending him packages, and put stickers on her countdown chart. Brings back a lot of memories. It's a very special time for them both.
Montana tried out for cheerleader at Bennion Jr. High and was so thrilled to make it. It has been a very hard adjustment for her. She had planned to continue with soccer also, but the majority of the girls on her "Fusion" team decided to go to other teams and her coach decided to dissolve the team because they only had 3 girls left. :-( We really couldn't afford to do any of the other teams out there. They were double and triple the price of Fusion. So we made the decision to just focus on cheer this year. Well she has had a hard time fitting in with the girls. She is more of an athlete, and these cheer girls are in a completely different mind set. She goes crazy when the drama starts up and they seem to be upset about nothing. They have good days where she loves it. I can see her progress and the pride on her face when she wears her uniform. I hope she will grow to love it. She has some soccer friends that live close to us that she still hangs out with. I can tell she misses soccer so much. She went to a practice with the "Utah Glory" soccer team, that a lot of her friends play for, and of course the coaches loved her and would love for her to be a part of the team. She told them that we couldn't afford the fees, and the coaches told her to tell her parents "Not to worry about the money". I'm not sure exactly what that means. She could play for free or reduced fees? Or maybe they would work on a long term financial plan with us. At any rate, she is going to practice again Monday and I will talk to the coach and get all the information. If we can work it out, I would love for her to keep it up- as I think that is really where her heart is. She's in 8th grade this year, and 9th graders can play up a year for soccer and play with the high school. I know she would love that. One day at a time I guess.
Justice is enjoying 6th grade at his new school and was just elected as his class president. He has a whole crew a friends that are girls. They draw to him like flies- it's pretty adorable. I wish he would make more guy friends but he seems to relate to girls better, and always has. He is making plans to run for school president, campaigning begins in two weeks when they go back on track. Also band will begin. He will still play the saxophone. He still loves it and it will be great to see him learn more and have more experiences. This program at his school seems much more intense and organized. He is still my cuddle bug and loves to hang on me and craves my attention. Which I love.
Eric and Corilynn got divorced. A total surprise to everyone. It's been really rough on the kids as they really loved Jillian and McKayde as well as Lynn. They moved out of their Mapleton house and back in with Uncle Jerry & Uncle Bruce. It's only been a month or so and so things are still kind of up in the air. It's been great having him living in Salt Lake again. I hope he can stay here. It makes shuffling the kids back and forth a lot easier. I feel bad for him, but I feel worse for the kids. Why does life have to be so complicated?
On the flip side, Chris is getting married to his long time girlfriend Lynn who is also a flight attendant. (What's with all the Lynn's? lol). Not sure what the official date is but it sounds like this fall sometime. Sierra likes her and her 2 little boys. They have bought a house in Texas together and are living there. Chris comes to Utah for about 1 week a month. He finished his basement in the Utah "Vacation" home and is trying to rent it out. He did a great job, it is really nice. I worry about Sierra living there with someone we don't know- so hopefully we can get that worked out.
So plenty of changes going on in our world. But that seems to be the one constant for us...change.
I'm still at Fox working in the Traffic department. I've learned a lot and am finally feeling comfortable and confident in my job. It's been 15 months and it's still a constant stress and 24/7 on call for emergencies. Overall things are good. I just got a raise and another week of vacation starting in 2014. Not too shabby.
I'm enjoying the single life and my kids. They are my world and I honestly don't know how I would fit anyone else in at this point. The kids talk about me needing to date- but I just don't seem to care or want to. I hang out with my friends and my family and that seems to be plenty for me :-) Life is crazy enough!
Everyone is in good health, spirits, and really looking forward to what the future will bring us.
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