4 Weeks in Transition (and counting)

I usually use my blog to keep family and friends updated on how my kiddo's have grown and mostly use pictures. Our camera has been sent in for repairs and so I have decided to just let you use your imaginations. (I do have a lot of old pictures to post, but will work on that later.) Wednesday marks 4 weeks that we have been in Logan. We have been finding our groove and enjoying new things. Last night Paul came home and shared a song he heard on the radio that day during his 2 hour commute (1 hour each way). We listened and danced and my heart melted (as well as my eyes - a rare moment). Here is the youtube link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tN7_qbOpuWs&feature=related

Dancing has always been a passion of mine and somehow it has been passed on to Ella - so, I totally relate to the song. The part I found most touching was the reality that these moments with my children would become distant memories one day. Well, actually, the part I really found most touching was that this song impacted my sweet husband. I love watching him love my children and seeing how they adore him. Yes, I do find it a little hard to swallow that they all love Paul more than me - but, mostly, I am complimented in my choice of finding them a great father.

So, on the note of memories, I thought I would post a few of ours. I think I will just list them for sake of time.

New things:

1. Cute little Zoo 10 minutes from our house - our whole family got in for $3.50 and we parked 10 feet from the entrance.
2. Grant's school allows kissing (but, luckily, Grant has entered the 'girls are yucky' stage.)
3. Living close to Paul's cousin and trading babysitting. We even got to celebrate Thanksgiving with them and Paul's Aunt Sara and Uncle Des.
4. Gossners dairy factory. They make milk that can sit on the shelf for a year in all different flavors (evcn rootbeer). I am lactose intolerant, so I think it made me a little sick but my kids liked it.
5. Providence library. Just think of a small town library and you get the picture. I would estimate that it is no larger than 1500 square feet. The librarian's are very friendly and one even pulled out 15 different 'LDS culture' videos for me to pick from when I asked what they had available.
6. The canyon. I've only really seen it in the car, it's even pretty when it's covered in bare trees.
7. Parks. On the warm days we have ventured to several parks in Logan.
8. Carpooling to Grants school each day. We only started this yesterday, but it has been a life saver. Getting the kids all ready, down 3 flights of stairs and to Grants school by 8:45 proved challenging. Now, I just pick up in the afternoon.
9. Dream Dinners. A local make and freeze dinners store. They actually were sweet enough to compile the dinners for me and they are pretty tasty but more work than I anticipated. Also, I tend to set of the fire alarms whenever I broil. (Paul's work is paying for our food this month, so I decided to try something more healthy than eating out.)
10. Paul and I have new callings in our new ward ... joint Sunday School teachers (15-18 years).
11. Dallin has been to the nursery 3 times and only got upset on his first visit.
12. Apartment living and trying to keep our little herd from annoying the tenant underneath us. He is very tolerant and understanding - we apologise whenever we see him and he never complains.
13. Grant and Dallin share a room and do wonderfully. We tried to let Ella share with Grant and she kept him up (and us) for hours - this is a much better arrangement.
14. Great Harvest Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread. Yum!
15. I have joined the masses and have my very own Cell phone, but not a lot of minutes so I've really only used it on the weekend when minutes were free.

I think that is enough for the new stuff. Another fun list I would like to document is the injuries (and potential injuries) we have sustained in such a short time:

1. I rolled my ankle on the bottom of the stairs. Seriously thought I had broken it because of pain (I know, I am a wimp). This doesn't sound so terrible until you think of the 3 flights of stairs I had to get Dallin up and down twice a day (before we started the glorious carpool).
2. Dallin had a serious case of 'bottom burning diahrrea' flu. It lasted 5 days. We spent a lot of time in the bath and watching Baby Einstien movies while his bottom dried out. Needless to say, he is now a movie addict and requests them all day long.
3. Ella punctured her eardrum with a Q-tip. If you want all the details, she would be more than willing to tell you. Basically, she convinced me she was old enough and obviously wasn't.
4. Grant has a cough that doesn't want to leave.
5. Paul has been perfectly healthy.
6. Okay now for the potential injuries - Ella has eaten and fed chewable vitamins to Dallin (only 2 for Ella and one for Dallin but he had two in hand). Ella has also been caught with one knee up on our balcony (remember that we are 3 stories up) with cement patio awaiting her fall. Also, she was trying to climb our balcony a second time - just feet on the wall, but still. And a few days later, Ella was kneeling on her window seal with the window open and touching the screen (still 3 stories up but with bushes awaiting her plummet).

On with the adventure!