Here’s the scoop.
Brian got his braces off, turned 15, is nearing the end middle school, and will be driving soon. Consider yourself warned. Handsome as ever, he is now a solid 6’2” (at least four feet of which is leg) and must bend over to kiss his mother, which I’m grateful that he still does. If you ask him, school pretty much sucked with the exception of his social life, which is blossoming. Although he did well in his classes, he had a hard time investing himself mentally so he probably achieved a typical junior high education. Remember, the most important things are learned in Kindergarten, so he should be fine. He’s very much looking forward to becoming a Mustang at Herriman High School next year. His electives should be very fun, and will cater to his hands-on tendency that began with a toaster and a 2-year-old. He’ll be taking woodworking, auto shop, drawing, and digital design. Brian will also be in Spanish 3, World Civ, Biological-Agricultural Science, and the normal ‘core’ classes. He has a group of four boys that he spends most of his free time with, the preferred activity still being media-related.
Sarah finished her first year of college. She’s re-evaluating her decision to attend community college because she’s missing the ‘college experience’ with football games, sororities, and dorm life. So, the application process has begun – again – looking at both in- and out-of-state schools. Sarah still works at Mimi’s Café as a hostess, and really enjoys the work and the people. The drive is killing her and her car, as it is a good 45 minutes from home. Hopefully she’ll get more hours over the summer to make the drive more worthwhile. She’s planning a trip to Colorado this summer and is graciously taking her ‘little’ brother. They are both really excited about seeing old friends, hitting their favorite stomping grounds, and living their old life for a few days. Fransesca, Sarah’s best friend (in the equine sense), is gorgeous, healthy, sassy, and a lot of fun to spend time with – very much like her Master, as a matter of fact. :) They are together as much as Sarah’s schedule will allow, which is not nearly as much as she would like. I think that, when she grows up, Sarah would like to be in the horse business. She’s discovering daily how much professionalism is lacking in trainers, facilities, and shows, and is quite certain she could raise the bar substantially. Fall will bring another round of classes for her, at whatever school she decides on, still plugging away at her general education in anticipation of starting in a nursing program the following semester or year.
Swiftly flow the days.
Dave’s job is going well. Of course, employees are a pain, but he’s enjoying the freedom that being in a ‘satellite’ branch of sorts brings without the headaches and stress of ownership. Business is kind of slow right now, which makes the days long, but he likes his staff and doesn’t seem to mind going to work. There are lots of projects on his ‘me do’ list (he doesn’t have a honey-do list), including installing four new windows in the house where there is currently a solid wall, putting in a fireplace, adding a built in entertainment console, and lots of additions in the yard. He recently added three new trees in the front, which officially finishes that part of our landscape. His pond keeps him very busy, as he is continually improving filtering systems, plants, the waterfall, and the health of the water and his Koi fish. He’s hoping to get back into golfing now that our weather seems to (finally) be turning into summer.
I am enjoying my new job, and am finishing up my sophomore year in college, both of take way too much time away from my family and keep me very busy. That’s about it for me. :)
We are excited for a family trip back east this summer to visit Elizabeth and Meher. The boys haven’t been there before, so we’ll be doing all the touristy stuff including D.C., New York City, and Philadelphia. We will be gone for 13 days. Other than that, we’ll probably be home most of the summer.
Sadly, we’ve lost two important family members recently. My uncle Larry, who my last Life . . . Gibson Style featured, passed away at the beginning of April. He was 93. Rest in peace, Uncle, and enjoy the time you now have with Florence. We love you both. Additionally, we recently found a new home for our wiener dog, Oscar. He decided to be the alpha dog and that the time to exert that new desire was while Dave and I were out of town and the kids were home alone. Our other dog, Mante, ended up at the vet with stitches, and we were unable to put the two back together without lock-jawed battles ensuing. We were very sad to see him go and hope that he is happy now as an only dog. We miss you, weenie.
That’s it for now! Peace out.