Letter to My Missionary Part 6

Sunday, January 6^th, 2013

My Dearest Brother,

I wish that I had more to report to you but, unfortunately, our life has been pretty uneventful lately. Abrielle came down with a nasty flu last weekend and spent the entire week sick with a temperature fluctuating between 99 and above 101. We were holed up in the house for New Year’s Eve with cranky and tired kids and couldn’t enjoy any of the fun festivities. Mom even bought me a lot of special treats and I couldn’t enjoy them. It was really hard and I was pretty sad about it. Jake and I salvaged what we could of the evening and made Chicken Tacos and watched Psych together while eating insane amounts of air popped popcorn. It is my newest obsession. I buy the kernels and we air pop it each night and add various spices to it. Our current favorite is pure maple syrup, chili powder, cinnamon and sea salt. AMAZING!

Abrielle, sick in bed, eating her soup and toast

We also came to an important decision about Jake’s schooling after much pondering, talking and praying – he won’t be going to the University of Utah. The more we thought about it the more it just didn’t feel like the right thing. We have decided to move forward with him going to an online University called Western Governors University. It came highly recommended to us by some of my friends who are going there and it has gotten great reviews. It is the only online university that is “sanctioned” by the federal government which means that we can still apply for Pell Grants to cover his education. He will be able to go into their Business program and finish his Bachelor’s degree in Business. Ideally speaking it is not exactly what he wants – he wants to go into computers – but he already has his Associate’s degree in Business and changing at this point seems fruitless. We are moving forward with this decision and so far we feel good about it.

He has also decided to start more actively pursuing another job within the Church. He met with a manager in the Tech department this week and this man told him that if he applied for a tech job and put him as a reference that he would give him a great recommendation. He really wants to work in the tech department and I know that if the time is right that the Lord will guide him where he is supposed to be.

I have only one week left before starting school again. I am a little bit nervous about it but that is normal for me. I am sure that once I get into a good groove that it will be manageable and enjoyable. I still plan on attending the gym in the morning when I am not in class so my exercise schedule will look like this: Monday – Boot Camp (6 am), Tuesday – Powerflex (5:30 am) and I need to run on this day too to prepare for the half marathon in April, Wednesday – Boot Camp again, Thursday – Running, Friday – Cardio Interval (5:30 am), Saturday – Running. Hopefully I will have the energy to pull through! The marathon is April 20^th and I am pretty much panicking at this point after being set back so badly with my injured heel and my health problems. I am going to ask Jake to give me a school blessing tonight so hopefully that will help me to know what I should do.

Piano is going alright. I lost a couple of students at the beginning of this month. The economy is hard and is hitting families strongly. With the increase in payroll taxes that will hit Jake’s checks this month things are going to get tight but I trust that the Lord will bless us and help us to pull through.

Abrielle is finally doing better and getting back to her normal sick. The same day she got totally better Nathan came down with the flu. So, once again, today we are holed up in the house instead of enjoying dinner with the family. I think it is harder on me than anyone else. Although I am a homebody it is hard to not get to do the things we normally enjoy so much like Sunday dinners with the family. Abrielle is very happy to be back in preschool after the Christmas break and I cut her hair again today as it was getting kind of long. It looks very cute and she looks very grown up and sophisticated. Today was her first day in Primary as a Sunbeam and I think that she really enjoyed it. I wish that I had been there with her but I stayed home with Nathan today.

First day of Primary with her new haircut - looking very grown up!

Nathan is doing really well although he is sick right now. He is talking more and more and is still as cute as ever. He likes to copy the things that we do and say and still loves music.

Poor sick baby

I hope that you are doing well, dear brother. I love you very much and I hope that you had a great New Year celebration. I hope that 2013 is one of the best years of your life. Make it a good one!

Love always and forever,

Shayla

Enjoying a bowl of spaghetti (before he got sick). Playing with mommy and daddy.

Playing with his new hard hat

Smiley boy with a daddy photo-bomb

At the movie theater on Christmas Eve

Driving the simulated car game

Abrielle wearing Nathan's new hard hat - Christmas morning

Abrielle with her new horses

Nathan wearing his new tool belt - Mommy photo-bomb

Nathan with his new bike from his Cookie

QUESTION FOR MY DEAR READERS: What did you do for New Years? What are your biggest plans for the new year? Leave me a comment letting me know! I love hearing from people!