May's Update

OLIVIA is still crawling around, standing up on everything, but is starting to "cruise", meaning that she's walking along the couches, chairs, or whatever she can stand up on. She's such a fun little girl with a BIG personality. She gets very jealous when Emma and I are cuddling - she wants to be on it too and starts to hit. She loves to bite her daddy's fingers and "groom" him, like she's a mother gorilla or something. It's really funny. She loves to crawl around with Alex & Emma, playing "puppy". She's great at playing peek-a-boo and singing "Itsy Bitsy Spider". Adorable doesn't begin to describe that cute baby girl.

EMMA is starting preschool tomorrow! I've been doing things with her at home, but it's time for me to allow her the opportunity to make some friends outside her siblings. Our stake was recently re-organized and we still don't know which ward we're in, so my chances for making more friends at church have been limited. I'm really excited for her, I know that she's going to love having fun with other kids. She's a very sweet, tender-hearted beautiful little girl, and thinks her big brother is the coolest person ever. Emma follows Alex around everywhere, I love it.

ALEX just finished first grade! I can't believe it, he's growing up much too fast. He's going to be attending a reading group put on by the school district four days a week for the month of June. I'm really excited for him. His reading level was tested towards the end of school and most kids scored between 35-40 and Alex scored at 82. I signed up both he and Emma for the town summer reading program and Alex has read 7 books in the past two days. He's really excited to get the prizes! Alex and I will also be meeting a friend of mine and her kids for movie days once a week as well. He's working on memorizing the Articles of Faith, he has the first two down pretty well so far, not bad for a 6 year old anyways! He's such a good boy and we love him very much!

TONY is officially enrolled in college. He's got a very full schedule and we're really excited to start this new adventure. For the month of June, he's taking English 101 and Intermediate algebra. For July, he's taking English 102 and maybe Sociology (hopefully his prior credit will transfer so he doesn't have to take it!). And we've already enrolled him for fall classes - starting August, he's taking College Algebra and Biology 101. And we don't have to pay a cent. Because of his income and our family size, he qualifies for the Pell Grant, which has/will paid for his tuition, books and some supplies (like a $200 calculator he'll need soon) for at least the next couple of years, and probably towards future years. Unfortunately, little, if any, of the law enforcement schooling that he did in academies will transfer towards a biology degree. Such a bummer. But we have a course plan set out for the next 2 1/2 years, which after that he'll transfer to a university as a junior and do probably two more years there, if not a semester less. And then he plans to apply for med school. We've discussed the possibility of dentistry, but he's also interested in anesthesiology. We've considered Stanford (Anesthesia) as a goal. Seriously. I know that it sounds like a long ways off, but the next 9/10 years (Stanford would add more) are going to fly by. He'll be working full-time the next 4ish years until med school, then he'll have a full school schedule and won't have the time to work, so we'll have to live off loans for the med school years. But the way we look at it (and what well educated friends in the same situation have told us, is that) paying $1300.00 a month in student loans when you're bringing home $12,000.00 a month (dentistry; more than double that if he goes for anesthesiology, which is min. $315K/year). So it will be time well spent. . But what is exciting is that he will be making great money being his own boss and getting to spend more time with our family. Oh the fun we'll have together. And the money that we'll get to put away for retirement/traveling. And we plan to pay for our kids' mission(s; Alex, and the girls if they choose!) & at least each of their four-year degrees (but we're hoping for scholarships!). And showing our children that education is important to us - that will be a priceless lesson to teach/show them. We've got goals. And they're awesome :)

ME . . . I'm busy trying to keep it all together, taking care of the usual, taking care of it all while my hubby is working hard on our future. I admit it, I'm pushing him pretty hard to do all of this schooling, but he and I both want a better future...and honestly, my hubby is a super smart guy, his intellect is very impressive and it's time he puts it to good use. :) I really appreciate and admire his willingness to work so hard to better our family situation. I feel so much better about our future now that we have some goals set. We just wish we had set these goals 5 years ago! But NOW is a good time to start on them. :)

So that's the Reese's as of May 25, 2010. It's going to be a very busy and stressful and wonderful and exciting next decade or so, but we're going to take it day . . . by day. . . by day. Good times :)

So many blessings, so much to be grateful for. Our future is bright, and we're very excited to get started :)