Here goes

Hi everyone. I honestly don't know how many people will read this. Maybe three. But, it's been fun reading other people's blogs, so I thought I would hop on the bandwagon!

I am back home in Cedar City! Yeah! Panguitch was fine, but as Dorothy says, "There's no place like home." I'm sure some find the simple life of Cedar quite bland, but it's perfect for me. We have been here since November and are attempting to purchase our first home. It's a townhome in the Cedar Park area. It's smaller than where we are now living and it doesn't have a garage, but they are new, inexpensive and they will be OURS! No more wasting rent every month. After doing that for 11 years, Ben and I are ready to settle down. We haven't finalized anything but we have an appointment Friday to look at one of the models that will soon be finished. We should have a more secure plan of what we're doing by this weekend.

Ben is still teaching in Panguitch at Silverado Boys Ranch. It is a therapeutic boarding school for boys who have trouble functioning in a regular school system. Many of the boys there have substance abuse problems. He is truly enjoying his work. He has always wanted to be a teacher and Silverado has given him the environment to truly teach. Not discipline spoiled kids in a school where discipline is non-existent. He commutes during the week by leaving Monday mornings and coming home Thursday evenings. Most people thought we were crazy to make this living arrangement, but it has worked for us. I've said before I was living in Panguitch, but my life was over here. We felt our kids were missing opportunities they could have if we moved to Cedar. I think it's lonely for Ben sometimes, but we work it out, and it's so cute to see how excited all of us get on Thursday afternoons!

I am going back to SUU this fall. It's something I have always wanted to do. I attended one semester and then half of another before we moved to Vancouver, WA. I actually loved college. I didn't apply myself like I could have in high school, so I always thought I wasn't very smart. But that first semester showed me that when I work hard I can get things done. I have been accepted into the music program at SUU. I have kept up my flute playing on and off since high school and had the opportunity to play with the Orchestra of Southern Utah for one season before we moved to Panguitch. I was really nervous for my audition, which I didn't know I had to do until after I decided to do a music major. I decided, why not go for it? I know it will be a lot of work, but music has always been something I love. You can learn so much more than just music by studying it.

Melanie is nine and in 4th grade. It doesn't matter how old she is, whenever I say how old she is it makes me feel old! She is a smart girl who loves to read, write, and draw. She is such a good helper around the house, unless she is acting like her mother and sasses me. Ben just sits back and giggles sometimes when he listens to us together. He says it reminds him of me arguing with my mom. I remember what I was like when I was a teenager and I am NOT looking forward to another me! But, my mother cursed me when she said, "I hope one day you have a daughter just like you!" Thanks, Mom.

Carter is five and will be starting kindergarten this fall. We delayed his enrollment because we felt one more year to emotionally mature would be good for him, and I'm glad with the decision we've made. He is such a sweetheart. He has such a loving and tender nature just like his dad. He can play rowdy games with his friends, but turns around and says, "Mom, guess what? I love you." He is also the one to translate for me what Riley says when I can't understand him.

Speaking of the terrible twos....there's Riley! For as cute and funny as he is he is equally frustrating. He is the curious child who has to touch everything. He wants to see what happens when he straight out dumps a full glass of milk on the table. He isn't concerned with my reaction to his choice, he is just watching to see where the milk goes. I think he is going to make me go gray earlier than I would like.

Well, I think that sums things up for now. One day I'll get handy and figure out how to download pictures onto my computer and post them with a blog. But one thing at a time. I'm not as young as I used to be!