One Door Closing

Four years has brought much change.... Four years ago, I moved to Country Manor as a newly-single mom of a five year old and three year old....

Now I sit in Allegheny Arms in the home that will see my seven and nine year old start 2nd and 4th grade.

2 Nephi 8:3 For the Lord shall comfort Zion, he will comfort all her waste places; and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the Lord. Joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving and the voice of melody.

I came upon this scripture when I was first praying for confirmation about moving to California and as I read it I knew that it is where we needed to be, I trusted that through the Lord we would be blessed here. I have recalled this scripture many times over the past few weeks as we have begun to settle into our new home and prepare for things to come. Our home feels so comfortable and safe. We live in an area that has green trees and bushes and there are homes with grass and the school has a wonderful field and playground. Even though it is the desert and dry I truly feel that we will be blessed with joy, that we will have singing and gladness here. I am grateful to be marrying my best friend and partner and that we will begin to build our life together here.

Moving to California & Sophia Turns Seven

Birthday Girls

Sophia outside the NICU at Primary Children's Medical Center

Seven Years Old

Happy Birthday Sophia (7) & Molly (34)

We had a party at the Petty's the night before driving to California

Aaron lighting fireworks with the kids

Funny faces and filters

Ice Cream at Charlie's

Driving to California

Monday morning we set off to Apple Valley, CA and our new home. Aaron was driving the U-Haul trailer and the girls and I drove my car. We met in St. George for lunch and then continued on.

Scipio Petting Zoo

When we reached California we stayed at the Phelan house for a few days while we waited for our fridge to be delivered but we did move all of our stuff inside and spent the days unpacking while Aaron was at work.

Of course the girls had to go into the pool!

 It seems like Sophia's birthday lasted for weeks! She had a party in Herriman with the Kirschman's, then a party in Phelan with the Jackson's and a party in Nibley, after the wedding, with the Knight's, but we were able to go out for a birthday lunch on the 8th at Panda. Happy Birthday 7 year old!

Blowers!

Birthday cake at the Jackson's

The balloon got caught on the air vent and Sophia was pretending to be a unicorn!

May 2015

April showers usually bring May flowers but this year there have been many May showers! It has been a wet month and I have been soaking it all in because rainstorms will be few and far between in the desert. I love the smell of the wet pavement and the sound of the drops as they hit the window and how the rain has turned everything green and beautiful. 

We have been researching Apple Valley and have found a few areas, with good schools, that we'd like to rent in. 

Allegheny Arms Apartments that we like

A house we like in Apple Valley

Lists of information

This month we have also been taking care of the dogs and house for Adam and Hillary. We head up there everyday after school and feed the dogs and walk them, when it's not raining. 

Howard and Charli

Normon

Mom and I watched the boys while Em and Russ were on a road trip. Even though sometimes having four kids was overwhelming, but we had a blast with water balloons, bubbles, good meals and snuggly bedtimes.

water balloons at Grandma's

Building a block zoo

Elliott's sweet art 

Watching the soccer players

California Girls

Aaron accepted a job today.
In California.

Victor Valley Global Medical Center.
RN.

It's the real deal! Aaron has worked so hard to get here and now that we're here the relief and happiness is overwhelming. I've been smiling all day!
But this decision has not been made lightly, it has come after much searching, praying, reading and listening. It has been a roller coaster of emotion. We are supposed to spend some time in California. It will be an adjustment but Evelyn calls it an adventure! So that is what we will call it.

Our California adventure.

I could get used to this view...

Family Weekend

So many changes happening in our family. Adam and Hillary are moving to Florida and so we all got together for one last party weekend and we spent most of it together! We celebrated Ashley's graduation from USU, two new nieces coming this fall, and Aaron passing the NCLEX. We ate meals together, played games and had sleepovers, talked and laughed. 

On Sunday we drove up Providence canyon to the waterfall but as soon as we got out of the cars it started to rain! There was thunder and lightning and we were finding blankets and umbrellas to cover ourselves with! But as quickly as it started the storm stopped and we were able to enjoy a walk by the river. Making Memories! 

Heading to Florida

February 2015

As I lay here, in the dark, I can hear the breathing of my daughters. Slow and rhythmic, punctuated by the occassional sigh or inhale. All three of us are sleeping in the same room as we approach moving day and I will secretly admit that I love every moment. Each night is a game of musical beds and I laugh as the girls decide upon which bed to sleep. Most nights one or the other decides to sleep in my twin bed, putting me in the queen with the other and I treasure these moments of sleeping next to their small, warm bodies. Evelyn sleeps very still. All night she never stirs and she stays completly on her side of the bed. Sophie is a wiggly-cuddler. When I crawl into bed, far after she has fallen asleep, she gravitates next to me and contentedly stays there.
Tonight they are together in their bed and I am alone in mine contemplating the time when that will no longer be the case.

July 18

Aaron asked me to marry him.

I said yes.

Of course.

We were walking hand in hand along the shore. It was low tide and the water had left a wide, wet stretch of sand as it receded. We had just finished sausages and fries from the stand in Venice Beach and Aaron had tossed the crumbs to the gulls who swarmed all around him, catching the scraps in mid-air. The sun was low in the sky, casting long shadows as he stops, looks into my eyes and asks if I will marry him. I answer "yes".

October 2014

Autumn has arrived and a brisk, Sunday afternoon is the perfect time to head up to Spring Hollow for a walk. We walked up to the spring and found our favorite leaves and collected some for Aaron.

Crunching in the fallen leaves

Spring Hollow

At the spring

When you are part of the Kirschman Clan attendance is mandatory at theater productions. We decided to all get tickets to see Jekyll and Hyde at the Centerpoint Theater and it was incredible.

Mom - Hillary & Adam - Max & Ashley - Emily & Russell - Me

All of the sudden I blinked and Sophia is so big! This girl has had a wiggly tooth for weeks, maybe even months and she finally decided it had gone on long enough and pulled it right out (it was literally hanging by a thread) She was SO excited! My baby lost her first tooth....this is big stuff.