The first big Shake Up came in January when I was released as our ward Primary President. After serving for almost 3 years this was a big shake up for me. So many emotions and so many treasured memories.
Oh those years were so stretching for me. I grew so much in that calling and hopefully helped others to do so as well. That is the beauty of callings. They are meant to help us learn and progress. It was a wonderful experience I will always cherish, along with all the many, many people that I served with. We had a big primary which required a lot of helpers. My heart will forever be grateful to all those that helped me carry the load - in big ways and small.
The next big "Shake" came for Trev. In June he decided to take a severance package and leave his company, Merck Pharmaceuticals. He has been a Pharmaceutical Sales Rep for 10 years now, so this was a MAJOR change! He left to start his own home health care company.
It has always been his dream to own his own business, coupled with his expertise in the healthcare industry and his love of people - this was a perfect fit.
He passed over lots of other really great, cool, lucrative jobs to do bring his dream to reality. So far it is going really well. They are almost ready to start seeing patients and we could not be happier.
He could not be happier - and that makes me happy too.
What a neat adventure we are on!
The next big change came at the beginning of August.
That was when we decided to move out of our lovely home and neighborhood where we have lived for the last 8 years to go and live with Trev's mom in Draper.
This decision came after a few promptings over a few months, and then one crazy week of deciding, de-cluttering, cleaning, and pretty much working ourselves to the bone to be out within a week and get our house listed on the market.
It was a total whirlwind but felt so good at the same time.
We knew it was right. We chose to act. We worked so hard. We made it happen. The Lord strengthened us and provided so many, many miracles to make it happen.
This brought on a big "shake" for everyone.
The kids all were going to be going into new schools.
After being at the same school the entire time with everyone you have grown up around this was such a big change for them.
Luckily we saw a few familiar faces in their new environments, and we talked extensively about making new friends; but we still knew this would be so expanding for them.
I was honestly a little nervous, but they have been absolutely superb at just taking things by the horns and reaching outside of their comfort zones. Here are the pictures of getting them ready to start the next chapter in their academic careers.
Prepping:
Visiting their new schools to meet teachers and acclimate to new surroundings: (I didn't get any pictures of Morgan's...dang it! She is attending a charter school - Mountainville Academy)
This cute teacher sealed the deal for Jake. He was so against going to a new school...until he saw the picture of his new teacher. He has always been a lover of beautiful girls. After he saw her he was much more on board. :)
The big first days:
Each year, Trev takes the kids out to breakfast on their first day of school, then drops them off.
They look forward to this almost as much as school. It is just a tradition that is woven into the back to school hoopla - and I love it!
Here they are all gussied up and ready to go.
The little girls started Kindergarten a week later and you would have thought time was standing still for them. They have been looking forward to this day for a long, long time! They are almost 6 and could not wait to start.
Each day they would ask if it was their turn to go to school.
Well, it finally came. They got their first crack at Back-To-School Breakfast with dad and loved every sweet bite of it from what I understand. Only problem was that they are afternoon Kindergarten so they were ready to go at about 7:30 am. It was a long morning of waiting. So I just made them take more pictures. :)
Here they are heading off hand-in-hand to their big adventure they had been dreaming of for so long.
I came home to a quiet house and did something I love - made a slideshow of the summer's Cub Scout happenings.
My thoughts spun as I contemplated the "Shake up" year we are having.
The dust is still settling and we are trying to get our systems back in place and begin our new normal.
Family jobs included. Much to the chagrin of my children.
We are so excited about all the "shakes" and especially all the neat, expanding, growing experiences we are having with them.
And it's not over yet...we have another big "shake" coming that I can't wait to share - but that will have to be paused for another day.
Suffice it to say, we feel shaken and are loving every minute of it.
This life is sure a fun ride with lots of twists and turns. I feel so alive and blessed to be experiencing all the thrills of mortality with those I love the most - my God and my family.
Happy Labor Day!
