I'm Back!!

 Where have I been? Not really sure. I've been trying to clean and organize my life like crazy. I'm a pack-rat trying to turn minimalist and it is crazy. I've rid our household of hundreds of items. I've thinned down kid's clothes, we gave away our toy kitchen, gave away  bunch of toys and ratty stuffed animals, I've parted with a lot of older clothes and shoes that were just taking up space and I've begun packing. YES, packing. I've packed about 8-10 boxes of toys, frames, kitchen stuff, and extra linens. And my house is far from feeling bare. In case you are wondering, we don't plan on moving until May or June, but I get major anxiety when I think of listing and selling and SHOWING our house. So... I'm starting now:)

 Gracie loves school. She is learning a lot and it is so fun to see her make progress in reading and writing. She is sounding out a lot of words to write and it is fun to get little notes that she has written all on her own. She reads a lot of little books from school and is still in the beginning stages, but she is improving each day and I love it each time she comes home with new words. Gracie is my great helper and I miss her when she is gone all day for school.

 Gunner is loving pre-school and is my organizer. He asked me the other day, "Mom, should I clean my room so impressive that everyone will be amazed?" Yes, Gunner. Yes you should. He asks a lot of questions and likes very specific answers. He asked me one day how old Maisy is. I told him she is almost two and he said, "But how old is she?" He wasn't satisfied until I told him, "twenty three months". Gunner loves to say, "Mom, this is what my cutest smile looks like". He gives me lots of cute smiles. He wears his boots almost every day and just started wearing his size 4 pants.

Maisy is busy and a little destructive right now. We had left the laptop on the couch the other day and Maisy started picking off the individual keys. She drew on her door with marker, found some lipstick and drew all over with it, finds gum in the most obscure places... and the less obscure places (like my purse). She learned how to climb out of her carseat the other day, She gnawed the edge of our zagg ipad protector (does she sound like a dog?). I know this list sound like I'm not a very attentive mother, but she just gets into things and destroys so quickly. Just this morning, she climbed up on the table and started scattering all the beads that Gracie and Gunner were working with to make some halloween bracelets. This too shall pass:) She makes up for it by repeating so many words and smiling and giggling like crazy.

Justin is staying busy at the hospital and in school related excursions. He came home last Monday and told me he had to leave in an hour for 2 nights/3 days. He left again today for 5-6 days. He is headed to Wyoming to the handcart ranch (owned by the church) and Sheridan, Wyoming. They will test some cows. I think he will have fun. He takes his NAVLE (North American Veterinary Licensing Exam) on December 3rd. We will be excited to have that behind us.

Hopefully I will be able to post a few more updates in the next few days.