Getting There

I have a husband named Jason- remember him? He doesn't get a lot of time on this blog because, let's face it, he's just not as entertaining or cute as Leah. No offense, of course. But he is about to make life really interesting for all of us, because he's started applying to PhD programs! He'll be done with his Masters in Genetics and Biotechnology next summer, and then it's off to more school for all of us. We've always known the day would come when we moved away from good ol' Utah, and it is rapidly approaching!

I'm thrilled, of course, being the dutiful military child I was raised to be. However, military life also means you are told where you're moving to and for how long, whether you like it or not. This time around, I get a say. I'm a little baffled, but very excited. We've narrowed it down to 5 schools, listed here in no particular order.

University of Nebraska, Lincoln

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University of Minnesota, St. Paul

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Cornell University, Ithaca, New York

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North Carolina State University, Raleigh

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Purdue University, Lafayette, Indiana

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Jason has a good chance of getting into any of these schools. He's getting a Masters in Genetics, he's working with cutting edge technology, and despite what I might have said above, he is actually quite cute. And apparently he's pretty smart and very good at what he does. We don't talk about these things around our house, as our conversation is generally focused on poops and sleep. We'll have to see what each school has to offer, and find the one that is best for our family.

Any thoughts on our choices? Likes or dislikes from personal experience? I'll try to keep the blog updated on our decisions as we go.

These pictures are all from Jason's various projects at BYU.

A Homemaking Milestone

I made bread today.
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From scratch.

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With yeast and wheat germ and everything.
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It was delicious.

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And now my house smells like homemade bread, for the first time ever!
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Yummy!

A New Week

Thanks to everyone who offered helpful suggestions for getting through Sunday meetings. Yesterday went pretty well, as I was armed with a bag full of books and snacks and church-appropriate activities. We also sat next to a no-kids couple, and I think a healthy dose of stranger anxiety kept Leah pretty calm. In addition to the ideas I got from you guys, I also got some ideas here

http://ldscoloringpages.net/

and here

http://www.mormonchic.com/crafty/filefolders.asp

In other, more upsetting news, we seem to have lost our camera. Leah was the last one seen with it. And while she is full of ideas about where it might be, none of them have been the correct one yet. Jason even went digging though the trash this morning in hopes of finding it, to no avail. This is getting a bit ridiculous. I mean, our house is not that big, people! Don't you hate how things just seem to disapear?

Character Overload

Leah is starting to get really into characters- Disney princesses, Sesame Street, Dora, Curious George, even Hello Kitty. The funny thing is, she has no idea that most of these characters are on TV- she just thinks they are fun books and toys... and shoes... and cups... and placemats... It's hard to get away from them!

I'm just amazed at what she picks up on, with very little exposure. I am proud that she can pick out book characters with the same speed- Charlie and Lola, Olivia, Fancy Nancy, Tea for Ruby, the Pigeon, Duck on a Bike and David (that crazy-looking little kid that's always in trouble).

Dilema

How do you keep an almost two-year-old engaged and quiet during sacrament meeting?Ours starts at 12:00, after two hours of nursery and right at lunch/nap time.

Keep in mind that Jason does not go to our ward.

And I'm not interested in letting my child wander all over the chapel or spreading the entire contents of my diaper bag all over the floor- I'm trying not to distract others!

What works for you?

Be Still, My Heart

From the bedroom this morning, I heard Leah exclaim, "I'm ready, Mom! I'm ready!"

This is what I found in the kitchen-

Any suggestions on taking babyproofing to the next level?!

Trick or Treat!

Halloween night was lots of fun. Jason took Leah out trick-or-treating, and I stayed back and handed out candy (at my mom's house). I'm not sure how I ended up without any pictures of Jason and Leah- he did the hard work that night, but got paid with lots of candy!

Roxy the bumblebee!

Leah got pretty good at this!