18 months

Our little Sara is 18 months now. She went to nursery at church today for the second time. She didn't cry a single tear when we left her and she stayed the whole time. She has blossomed from a tiny infant who screamed when someone besides family held her at church to playing in the nursery for two hours without fear.
Sara is a social little gal. She loves her aunts and grandparents. She loves to wave to neighbors and sometimes complete strangers.
Sara is curious and loves to take things apart..
She says mama, dada, ba (for ball), and baby. She loves to 'talk' on the phone. She holds the phone to her ear and tilts her head to her shoulder just like her mom.
Sara adores her siblings. They make her laugh constantly. The relationship each of the kids have with her is so sweet. She gets so excited when it's time to pick the kids up from school.
Sara eats cherry tomatoes from our garden like candy. We can't pick them fast enough for her.
Sara loves her daddy. We have one car in our family right now so we take Todd to and from work. Before he gets out of the car each morning she sticks out her chin and says, "ah..Ah..." as if to remind him she needs a kiss. Then each evening as we approach his building to pick him up, she starts to wiggle her legs and make noises because she knows her daddy is coming home.
Sara is a sweet baby and we can't get enough of her. We are so grateful for the joy that she brings to our family everyday.

Transitions

We have been back in the States for 3 months now. Sometimes I feel like we never left. I'm slowly transitioning back to the life I once knew. I'm able to drive on the right side of the road without thinking too much about it. We are becoming accustomed to Costco sized packages again. We love being so close to our church and temple.

And then I start to panic because I don't want to go back to life before we left. I loved everything about living overseas. The thrill of discovering a new sight or a new food or a new word. I loved the accents and I loved being different. It was easy to strike up a conversation when someone asked about my accent. Our family was unique and we felt needed in our church and community.

My heart aches when Mary asks me when we can go to Australia to visit Ruby. I come close to tears when I unpack a box that reminds me of London.

Don't get me wrong. I love my new life. Our house is great. The kids enjoy their school. We are very blessed. I know that my feelings are all part of the transition. I will be forever grateful for our overseas experiences. Our family has been forever changed because of the people we've met and the friends we've made. I feel extremely grateful for the experiences we've had and for the memories we've made. I look forward to many more great experiences and wonderful memories.

Kennecott copper mine

We owe many of our fantastic travel opportunities to Rio Tinto. So when I saw this Rio Tinto world map, I had our kids point to where we've lived-- if Sara were able to get her little finger near where Benjamin and Mary are pointing, we'd have it covered.

 My parents joined us on our visit to the mine. A good time was had by all.

Look who's walking

Sara started walking at 16 1/2 months. Light saber lessons soon followed.

 Things disappear and show up again in the strangest places now that she is walking. 

Preschool

Luke started preschool in August. He was so ready to go since he missed his Australian school and his older siblings had been in school for a few weeks already. Here's a few tidbits about this awesome kid;
Luke loves to talk. I never have to wonder what is going through his mind. Our home is far too quiet when he is at school.
Luke is a little sponge. His expanding vocabulary amazes me. Every day he comes up with a new word or fact and I wonder to myself how he picked up on that.
We love you Luke!

Company party

Todd's company party was held at "This is the place" park in August. The company provided us with tickets to ride the TRAX train. It was great to do homework with the kids on the train instead of driving.

 At the University of Utah station, we transferred to a chartered bus that took us to "This is the place". Ah, we always love to see our alma mater.

 The kids sporting their Rio Tinto glasses.

 "This is the place" is a favorite spot of mine. I love watching our kids discover what pioneer life was like. We had a great evening. Thanks Rio Tinto!

The Ross family

My older sister and her husband and girls were sealed in the Portland, Oregon temple in August. That means that their family can be together forever now. For more information about Latter-day Saint temples click here. It was a beautiful ceremony and I was so happy to be able to attend.

 It's difficult to describe how great it was to be with all of my sisters in the temple. It was truly a memorable day. Thanks Kim and James!

First day of school...again this year

It rarely happens that kids start school on the first day twice in the same year. Our kids started the Australian school year in January and the U.S. school year in July.

Michael entering his 4th school on the first day of 5th grade. He is such a brave boy and has adapted so well. The biggest adjustment? His classroom doesn't have windows. A big change from the open campus feel in Australia.

 Benjamin on the first day of 3rd grade at his 3rd school. He is also such a brave kid. His biggest adjustment? Missing his group of soccer buddies at recess in Australia.

 Mary in her third school on her first day of 1st grade. While her U.S. peers are adjusting to 'all-day' school, she has been going to school 'all-day' for 2 years already. The U.K. and Australia start 'all-day' Prep a year earlier than Kindergarten. She is so brave and loves her teacher and new school. Her biggest adjustment? Life without her dear friend Ruby.

Patriotic parade

One of the best things about arriving in the Summer was being able to celebrate the 4th of July. We couldn't wait to be part of the neighborhood parade and light fireworks. God bless the U.S.A.

Not just a check-up

Soon after we arrived in the U.S., I took the kids to the doctor. I assured them that this was just a check-up and they wouldn't need shots/jabs/immunizations. After careful review of their records from 3 different countries, it was determined that Mary needed 2 shots, Luke 4 shots and Sara 3 shots. 9 unexpected jabs and 2 overly concerned older brothers was not a pretty sight. I didn't know who to comfort first. This photo was taken during a review of the records. There were lots of tears and no time to take photos after we received the news.

Air shipment

In Mid-July our air shipment arrived. We were so happy to receive more clothes and toys than what we brought in our suitcases. Also in this shipment-- our high chair for Sara and our swimming goggles. Hooray!

 The empty boxes attracted neighbor kids and provided hours of entertainment.

Storage items

When we moved overseas 4 years ago, we placed some items in storage that couldn't be shipped or we didn't think we would need overseas (U.S. electrical items). There were some things I missed over those 4 years like my Halloween decorations-- I still don't understand how they went to storage- but I'll give myself a break since Luke was a brand new baby and this was our first overseas move.

On a hot day in early July, our storage shipment arrived. I'll be honest, I almost had a heart attack when this massive truck pulled up to our house. I didn't remember placing that much stuff in storage. Turns out they placed our shipment on the back of another shipment headed to Idaho. Whew!

 I was thrilled to see our piano after 4 years. Todd was happy to see the lawn mower again. The kids can't wait to fire up the Christmas train.