March Newsletter & Jan-Mar Slideshow

Well, it's been a life-changing past month for the Hamilton family, for sure. In March, we had a great time exploring our new surroundings - finding new parks, the library, running paths, stores, etc. We have enjoyed getting to know the people in our neighborhood & ward, who have been truly wonderful & welcoming. We enjoyed going down to St. George a few times to visit my grandparents, Aunt, and the Hamiltons to celebrate Camri's birthday and also to go to the temple and go out with some friends and family. We bought a 2005 Toyota Sienna (a.k.a the Swagga Wagon). We got to have a get-together with some wonderful friends, the Barons. And we had a great ward Hawaiian Party at the end of the month. We've looked at schools, homes, at building lots. Still have a lot of decisions to make. But we are together. And we are happy.

I spent a lot of time putting together a slideshow for Jan-March, but for the life of me, I cannot get it to finish uploading. If I can in the future, I'll put it on here, but for now, here's the newsletter:

JASON: Jason is excited to be starting his new job. He really likes his boss and is more than excited to be able to go to work in jeans and a goatee (he hasn’t had a job in the past 11 years where he could wear jeans!). Also – his work hours are very flexible and he’s close enough that he can come home for lunch sometimes. It will take him a little while to learn the systems, terminology, and structure of the Forest Service, but he is a fast learner. On the 22^nd, Jason got to take Ireland out for her date that she earned. They had fun at McDonald’s.

HEIDI: Heidi has really enjoyed Cedar City so far. From the first Sunday, she felt welcomed & like she fit in. Heidi has been training for her ½ marathon. It was a slow-go at the beginning with all the unpacking & not knowing where to run – and the unpredictable weather, but she did her 12-mile run last Saturday & is feeling good about the upcoming SLC half in a couple weeks. On the 19^th, Heidi went to the Cedar Stake Women’s Conference – and was blown away with the amazing women and leaders in this area. Wonderful talks and workshops. On the 24^th, Heidi took McKinley to McDonald’s for their date that she earned. We had so much fun throwing hoops, playing air hockey, playing on the slides, and eating ice cream & cookies. Heidi also enjoys getting back into the tradition of baking bread on Sundays. She also got called into Activity Days, which she is excited about.

McKINLEY:

-McKinley has done pretty well with the move overall. She truly does miss her cousins & especially asks about Michael all the time, but she is very good at making new friends. We go to playgroup & she loves playing with Parker Johnson (who she says reminds her of Michael) and she’s had play dates with Kayla Clawson and Allie Porter. One day, she had a play date lined up & had another girl call to play with her, too! She’s already popular! She also loves her new dance class & says she loves her teacher. They are learning a dance to Animal Crackers in My Soup.

-We’ve been busy and prayerful about what to do about McKinley’s schooling next year since it’s sign ups right now. We went ahead & signed her up for the local school, but we’ve also toured the Montessori Charter School. And we still haven’t ruled out home school. We hear good things about the local public school – East – and we’ve heard some negative things about the Charter School. And then with home school, we can feel better about having God in her schooling, so we are still being prayerful about it.

-For some reason (maybe the name), McKinley really thinks Ireland is a leprechaun!

-McKinley had a lot of fun going to McDonald’s with mom for the date that she earned. She was so excited the whole day & when we left she said “Mom – I’m just so excited!” We had a great time talking & playing basketball & air hockey & she even met a new friend there.

-One Sunday morning, we were hanging out in our room & the girls were giggling. We looked over to find them helping each other try on mom’s bras.

-We watched some America’s Funniest Home Videos & afterwards, McKinley was on a mission to find something funny. Mom let the dogs in one day & they were licking Kezia’s tray & McKinley said “Hurray Mom! Get the camera – take a video for AFV!” Mom said she didn’t think it was super-funny. McKinley said “But mom! It might be funny to some children!”

-McKinley likes to dip her PB&J sandwiches in ranch.

-Apparently, Tiarra has told McKinley that some stuffed animals are really real & now she is convinced that all her toys move around & talk when we’re not looking & she said her dog told Tiarra that it didn’t eat but it wanted water to drink.

-We haven’t been as consistent with homeschooling this past month, but what we have done has been really good. McKinley is reading really well. In fact, her real issue is getting impatient with sounding out. She knows so many sight words that if she sees a word that has most of the same letters, she’ll just assume it’s that word. We’re learning about Benjamin Franklin in History, and she’s doing really well with her skip counting, adding & subtracting. She also memorized Matthew 2:16 this month & the 1^st article of Faith.

-One day McKinley was outside & she came in & said that she was building a slide for the bugs. Sure enough, there was a little slide made of sticks so the bugs wouldn’t miss out on the fun. She also loves to collect interesting rocks from the backyard & mom will find them in random places inside.

-McKinley still LOVES experiments - though now some of them are actually edible. She made a pretty good salad the other day and she made some dipping sauce with ranch and ketchup & mustard that daddy actually really liked!

-McKinley kept asking when they were going to see Michael, so mom helped her make a count-down chain & she colored pictures on each chain of her & Michael. Every day when she wakes up, the first thing she wants to do is take off a chain.

IRELAND:

-Ireland seems to have the hardest time out of any of us with the move. At 3 years old, she doesn’t understand what’s really going on. She has felt out of control, so she feels like she has to control everything else that she can. From her clothes to the bowl she eats out of to her shoes to where she sits at the table, she is SUPER-picky. She was always picky, but after the move, she just freaks out when she doesn’t get her way. Mom tries to choose her battles, and therefore has let her go out with dresses & snow boots and the like just to have some peace. She also misses Joshua & Sienna. She doesn’t understand why they can’t just come over right then.

-One day after dinner, daddy blew his nose. Then he said “hey Ireland – come here & let me clean you off!” Ireland said “NO!! That has boogers on it!”

-Ireland has loved the (sometimes) warmer weather. She asks every day to go to the park. And she even asks to go the park after we’ve already been!

-Ireland’s thing lately is saying “Ewww! Dis-gust-ing!”

-One of the girls’ wands says “There’s magic in the air!” Ireland had a fun time dancing around the house spreading magic. When she went to bed, she said “I need my magic in the air!!”

-Ireland has missed her daddy a lot when he’s at work. She asks where he’s at & mom will say he’s at work & Ireland will say “No! But he isn’t! He wasn’t wearing a tie!” We keep telling her that he doesn’t need a tie for this job, but she doesn’t believe us yet.

-Ireland had such a fun time going on a date to McDonald’s with her daddy. They had ice cream and played games.

-McKinley’s two front teeth are still loose & she will talk about it & wiggle them with her fingers. Ireland will try to pull hers out & say “My teeth are STICKIN!”

-Ireland loves to find matches. She calls them matchy-matches.

-At the ward Hawaiian party, they had some Hawaiian guy dancers who danced in their skirt things. Ireland says (loudly) “But Mom – why are they NAKED?”

KEZIA:

-Kezia has done OK with the move. We kept her in the portable crib, so she seems to do well – although she still seems to wake up before 7 & then again at 7am. When we Skype with family, though, she points to people (especially grandma) & kind of whimpers “gama!” “gama!”

-Since the doors in this rental home are the lever kind, Kezia has learned how to open them easily. We really have to watch her especially with the bathroom. She loves to take things out of the trash & put them in the toilet. She also loves to pull out the T.P.

-Another one of Kezia’s new tricks is getting on the kitchen table. She thinks it’s so fun to climb on the chairs and get up there & dance.

-She also is a drink dumper. Once she’s done drinking any drink, she will turn it upside down & shake.

-Kezia loves to say “Dora!” and “Daddy-o!”

-One day mom found Kezia in the bathroom with a toothbrush – dipping it in the toilet & sucking on it. EWWW!

-Kezia loves to sing “Happy Birthday to you!”

-She still loves watching Signing Time and Baby Einstein.

-The girls love Kezia – they fight over who gets to sit by her at mealtimes.

-It’s been fun having the dogs closer – they get to come in & clean up the floor & Kezia just laughs & giggles & says “Tundra!” “Sydney!” as they clean up around her & her tray.

-Kezia is still changing between 1 & 2 naps, depending on when she gets up in the morning.

-Kezia is really struggling with the concept of taking & sharing. At Sunday School, she will find the nearest baby & start taking their toys one by one & bringing them to us. And when we try to give them back, she shouts “MINE!”

-Kezia’s molars have finally been coming through! We are so glad to have that part of teething over with!

-She’s started to do the fake cry. If one of her sisters is hurt & mom is comforting, she will come with her fake cry to get some loves, too.

-She LOVES to be outside – even when it’s cold. We can’t wait for the warmer weather when she can play in the water because right now she’s always getting into the dogs’ water.