Happy Spring!

Trying out the new baby backpack on a short hike. It was a little cold for Peyton's liking!

Well, thought I'd give an update in what's going on with us! First of all, we are moving. Not far- just the next town over. After a winter of utility bills THROUGH THE ROOF, way, way higher than I thought was possible, we decided to get a different apartment. A family in our ward is moving out of the second floor of a house, and after looking at many, many apartments, condo's, houses, etc., this one ended up being the absolute best value. It is in Greenwich, CT right on the border of New York, and only about a 40 minute drive to NYC. It's about a 15 minute drive to Scott's work, so a bit more of a commute than his usual 5-10 minute walk. I am most excited about being walking distance from Costco, the beach, the library, and playgrounds! Oh, and a wonderful family in the ward with young children will be living on the first floor. I'm excited for a change of scenery although we will miss living in downtown near all the excitement!

In other news, Scott and I are getting ready to run our first race together- the Ragnar Relay! It is a relay race with 12 members per team, covers 200 miles between Yale and Harvard, and spans about 36 hours. We're looking forward to having a great time (and hopefully not dying in the process) with some of our friends, enjoying the New England scenery. I'm running 15 miles broken up in 3 different legs, so I don't think it will be too bad (crossing my fingers). It is a challenge for me to get my training in since Scott studies pretty much every waking hour (literally) for his upcoming actuarial exams- both in May. Since I don't have a jogging stroller and it's still a little cold to take Peyton anyway, I have to squeeze my runs in wherever and whenever I get the chance! I will be very happy to no longer be a single parent after these tests are over!

I also got called as to teach Sunday school to the 16 and 17 year olds at church. Last Sunday was my first lesson, and It went okay but I learned really quickly that I need A LOT more practice as a teacher! I made a comment to Scott afterward that I just realized I am bad at writing on chalkboards- my handwriting stinks and I go way too slow. He was like "wow, you really haven't taught before, have you?" I guess I haven't- it's a lot harder than I thought it would be! I am looking forward to this challenge though and especially the opportunity to learn from the scriptures. Hopefully the Lord will help compensate for my weaknesses and somehow allow me to impact the lives of these kids.

Now, for Peyton news. Peyton is such a bright spot in my life. He brings us so much joy. After 16 months of life, he has finally started walking! He is all over the place now, tearing apart everything within his reach apart. I love his curiosity and try to embrace the mess that results. He doesn't really say any distinguishable words yet, but he certainly understands what is going on and can identify the following items correctly: banana, carrot, nose, ear, head, mouth, toes, belly button, ball, dog, cat, sun, moon, eyes (gets this right about half the time), rock, milk, socks, shoes, bath, blanket, and book. He is working on using a fork to eat, but still has a ways to go with that. All in all, we are a pretty happy and content bunch, just taking life a day at a time and trying to appreciate the small pleasures in it!

Here are some pictures from Peyton's 15 month "photo shoot" I did (he's 16.5 mos now- I know I know, I'm a bad blogger.) I tried my hand at editing them- what do you think? Isn't that face to die for?

I love the serious face

Tiny little teeth! Now he has 12! TWELVE TEETH! Where is my toothless baby?

Throwing rocks into the river - a favorite activity

P.F. Chang's for dad's birthday dinner. Happy 27th Scott!

Dad and Peyton taking a walk in front of our place.