And just because it has been a while....

Some pictures from the last few months.

Visiting the new Natural History Museum of Utah. Amazing. What an improvement!

Nana with Chase and Esther. Esther adores her Nana! And she also loves Nana's ipad which makes what is happening in this picture a win win for girlie.

Making Daddy so proud by playing with a light saber.

Possibly Esther's favorite person in the world. Anytime Grandpa is home she runs after him yelling, "Pa!". It's really sweet. Grandpa is equally enamored with her.

Mustaches!

Dressing herself. She rather enjoys doing this. Please notice her crayons that she has shoved in her sock too.

Playing with some of her loot on Christmas. She also stole two of Aunt Cassie's new socks which she is sporting under her dress here.

Christmas morning on our way to church with Grandma. (Grandma wasn't actually ready for church yet. I promise she doesn't wear bathrobes to church).

Cheese!

A new hat from Aunt Sharon.

A new hat made out of whatever she wants to put on her head.

And spending time with Great Grandma Mare.

The Times They Are A-Changin

The gales of change have begun to gust in our lives. We knew this year would be full of change, but until recently we weren’t sure as to what those changes would be. Although many of the transitions that are coming are not quite here yet, we are looking forward to all of them with enthusiasm. So, what are these changes I am talking about?

*Student teaching. Jack is currently student teaching at Copper Hills High School. He is mainly student teaching in English classes but has a period of Spanish as well. When he finishes up in about 6 weeks the last thing he’ll have in his way to graduation is an international trip to Nicaragua with his cohort in April. Really, he is getting school credit for that.

*After a long grueling process of interviews and online assessments Jack was accepted into Teach for America. It is an extremely competitive program and only 11% of their applicants are accepted. They assigned us to Denver! So, come May, we are packing up and relocating our little family.

*Jackie got a job! KIPP Collegiate High School, a school that often uses Teach for America teachers, contacted Jack at the beginning of this month. He had a phone interview and then was contacted about a week later to fly to Denver and do sample teaching with a Spanish and English class of theirs. They had initially told him that they would get back to him the following week but by the end of the day they had no doubt they wanted him in their school and offered him the job on the spot! These schools are all over the nation and are doing amazing things for low-income students.

*Last but certainly not least, we are expecting Baby #2. I’m 15 weeks and due mid-July. We are planning on having the baby in UT due to insurance reasons, which means that there is a possibility that Jack may not be here for the birth of #2. Not ideal, but it could definitely be worse.