Updates, but no pictures

Today marks 3 weeks since we loaded up our trucks and moved from Mesa to Kaysville.  It feels much longer, and yet I can't believe it's already been 3 weeks.  Life has been a constant teeter totter, shifting from one side to the other.  With both good and bad, often equal, sometimes unbalanced.

On the good side:

• really friendly neighbors, with multiple kids Thane & Sage's ages within a couple of doors of us. 
• Welcome to the neighborhood treats and loaves of bread coming out our ears!
• Sage & Thane both love their teachers & classes at school, and have made a pretty painless transition.
• Snow has it's own kind of beauty.  There's a tranquility that comes in sitting with a steaming cup of cocoa, snuggled in a warm sweater or throw, and watching those fat white flakes float down in the darkness of the early morning that's hard to duplicate.
• I had lots of help unpacking-the three oldest kids still haven't started school.
• The house we found at the last minute has everything we need, and some things we didn't need, but wanted!  What a blessing finding this home was.
• There are loads of youth in our neighborhood-so many kids, and teenagers it's a great place for our kids to make new friends.
• Quinn was DELIGHTED to discover he can get his driver's permit NOW-you can get it at 15 here in UT, guess where we are going tomorrow?
• Wrestling season doesn't even start here for another month, they are just doing conditioning workouts right now, happy happy Quinn!

The other side of the teeter totter:

• Jeff's still working in Denver for most of week
• It took me 3.5 hours to register 2 kids for Jr. High last week, still have Kiefer to register tomorrow-ugh!
• None of my technology has been working properly since we moved here-not satellite, not internet, not phones, nothing! (Hence the lack of blogging & the continuing absence of pictures!)  It's been driving me batty, obviously I was way too dependent on all that to keep me busy.  I even find it harder to focus on studying my scriptures without the handy lds.org just a click away.
• It has snowed 2-3 times a week since we've been here-this weekend was a first-it rained instead, melting some of the snow.  I won't let Kiefer drive on the icy roads yet- got to get some practice in-so I have an unhappy 16 year old.
• 4 weeks of no school makes for VERY bored 13, 15, and 16 year old boys!  They are soooo ready to get back to doing something besides sitting around this house.
• Graduation requirements are different here, making registration for school somewhat of a maze.  Even non graduation standards are different-like science.  Biology was a common class for 9th graders in Mesa, it was offered at least 5 out of 6 hours of the day, here there is only 1 class.  In contrast, most honors 9th graders are in Algebra II, Geometry was the standard in Mesa for those same 9th graders, making Q feel like he's behind his peers.  World History is a 9th grade class in AZ, it's a 10th grade class in UT.  They also have required Financial Literacy, Keyboarding, and Fitness for Life classes most kids take in 9th or 10th grade that Kiefer will have to fit into his Senior year.  Not making for a happy kid to think of taking those classes with 10th graders instead of crusing through his last year.  I'm looking into summer classes and on line classes to take care of those, we'll see.

All in all we are moving right along, and I'm sure will continue to catch our stride as all the kids get back in school and involved in activities.  I think I'm going to look for a job, I already shudder to think of how long Wednesday will be with all the kids in school and no activities, committees, classrooms or callings to help fill my time.  So, if you know of anyone hiring around Kaysville, give me a call! :)