Segeberg Scoop - April 2013

So, I missed March. Oh well. I'm here now. So, that's good, right?

March was a great month! I can't remember a lot of the small details, but I remember one big event: Tanner turned one! We didn't have a huge party, but Tanner loved his gifts and trying out the cake. He really is just the sweetest little guy. He's pretty mellow and chill, until Clayton "plays" with him ("He fell over by himself, Mom!"), someone takes his toys (usually Clayton), he gets fenced in, or it's between 5-6 p.m. on a weekday. He's quite smiley and will even try to engage strangers just so he can smile at them. He was my smallest baby, and he's still a tiny little guy. He was the first of 14 babies born in our ward within about 10 months, and he's still one of the smaller ones. (Some of the other kids passed him up in size by the time they were 2-3 mos. old!) Within the past couple of weeks, Tanner has really taken off with the cruising. We got him a little push walker and he loves that thing! His legs are still a little awkward, but it looks like it's all coming together. Probably another month or two before he'll be a stand-alone walker, though.

Also in March, our girls got to go to a "Daddy Daughter Sock Hop" put on by our ward. They had the greatest time! Kallie participated in the hula hoop contest and came in third. The girl who came in first was so sweet--she didn't want the hula hoop she won, so she gave it to Kallie. Of course, Kallie was THRILLED about that.

Toward the end of the month, Ryan attended a BBQ class through Seattle BBQ University. He learned a lot--and we're looking forward to trying out all his new tricks this summer!

Now to April...my in-laws came home from their mission the first week of April. They were supposed to finish their mission in August and meet us in the Baltics--but due to some health concerns, they needed to come home sooner. We were lucky enough to have them stay here with us for a few days as they were getting everything taken care of. They've also been here nearly every weekend. It has been especially fun to get to see them so often!

A lot of people have asked if that means we won't be going to Baltics anymore. But, the plane tickets are purchased, the reservations are made--so Ryan and I will still be going to the Baltics in August. We'll miss having Ryan's parents there, but are looking forward to touring my mission areas. It's hard to believe it's only 3 months away! I can't wait.

April was also a month of decision for us. At the beginning of the month, we interviewed at a local school in the interest of getting Kallie in next fall. Within a couple of weeks, we learned that she had been recommended for our district's "Highly Capable" program, which meant that she would switch to a completely different school. It took a bit of thinking and time to determine the best course of action for her at this point--but we decided to go ahead with the HighCap program. We're excited to see how things will go in the fall!

It seems like I should have so much more to say--because things felt much busier than just a couple of paragraphs. But, I suppose that's the reality of having a "large" family. (Hearing that always makes me laugh. I think our family is rather average-sized, but comments from strangers tell me otherwise.) Until the end of May...