Isabella Is a Double Digit Starting With a 2 - Happy Birthday!

What's your favorite thing to do?

* Probably read or play wrestle with Braunson

What do you want to be when you grow up? 

* A teacher/a mom

What is your favorite food?

* Pancakes (of all time, go to - but instinctively that doesn't feel right)

Who do you like to hang out with?

* Braunson

What do you do really well? 

* Talk about everything

What makes you laugh?

* Hanging out with my friends - especially Kaitlin

What is the best time of day?

* The mornings, not early but 8 or 9am, especially lately because the weather has been beautiful and temperature is perfect.

What are you afraid of?

* I don't know what I am afraid of, but there are things I feel afraid when I think about - stressful things, serving a mission, etc...

What do you like to do with your family?

* When we go on walks or sometimes board games or movie nights, top golf.

What do you like to learn about?

* I like learning about classroom management has been really interesting and it feels exciting to think about applying that.  My major has become so much more fun as I get excited to apply all the things I am learning - building student excitement.

Where do you like to go?

* Outside - I think I always forget how much I like being outside until it starts to get warm and then its all I ask my friends is to hike, walk, or go to the park.

What is your favorite book?

* I don't know if I have one. Let me check Goodreads and see if I have one.  Oh okay, it's like a short story, but it's called The Emperor's Soul. It's by Brandon Sanderson, Braunson made me read it, but it was really good.

If you could have one wish, what would it be?

* Just more time in general.  I always feels like each day could use more time.

I'm So Excited For Her/I Don't Want to Let Her Go

Returning Isabella to college brings out the bipolar in me.  My emotions range from one end to the other and often I can be experiencing both simultaneously.  After coming home during the Spring semester and then staying home for the Summer Semester, I wasn't prepared to get used to her living at home again just to send her back.  But alas, I am excited for her, but I am sad for me.  I want to see her spread her wings, but I will miss my buddy. 

So in a massive send off we went to visit some places we hadn't been before.  We went to Colorado Springs, Manitou Springs, Pike's Peak, Breckenridge, and then into Utah and Idaho to visit friends and family.  Touring with just one kid is super fun and gives them so much control to pick what interests them.  

Last leaving is always a tear filled goodbye. Both on her part and mine. In the end though, I know she is exactly where she needs to be doing exactly what she needs to do. So Travis, Isabella, and I spend the last few days trying to stock pile as many cuddles as we can to last us through the separation.  Love you Princess Pei Pei.

Isabella Becomes An Adult

What's your favorite thing to do?
Watch movies with my roommates

What do you want to be when you grow up? 
PA - Physicians Assistant

What is your favorite food?
Uhhh, I hate this questions, mmm - a lot of foods.

Who do you like to hang out with?
My roommates

What do you do really well? 
I...um....I can cook really well.

What makes you laugh?
Stupid stuff, when me and my friends do stupid stuff that is funny.

What is the best time of day?
A little after midday, but not yet the evening or morning.

What are you afraid of?
Just falling short of my goals.

What do you like to do with your family?
Ummm, hang out with them and play wrestle with my brothers.

What do you like to learn about?
Biology, the body, stuff like that.

Where do you like to go?
The beach, the woods, on walks, wherever I just like being outside.

What is your favorite book?
Oooo - probably The Death of Ivan Ilyich

If you could have one wish, what would it be?
That my future family will be happy!

Sweet Sixteen Never Looked So Lovely

What's your favorite thing to do?

• Hang out with friends, mostly because I have a car, so it's easier to do it

What do you want to be when you grow up? 

• Executive of Humanitarian Relations at an International Company

What is your favorite food?

• I don't know, I eat a lot of new stuff now, so I don't have a favorite food

Who do you like to hang out with?

• Ana Sofia, Shannon, Caitlain

What do you do really well? 

• Procrastinate and pull off decent grades

What makes you laugh?

• Portugal, the man - Feel it Still (the laughing part of that song) I just think of when they recorded it and what must it have been like

What is the best time of day?

• Morning, like 15 to 30 minutes after I wake up

What are you afraid of?

• How stressed I'll be next year

What do you like to do with your family?

• Cuddle, one on one time

What do you like to learn about?

• Different Languages and people's views on different social and political aspects of life

Where do you like to go?

• Everywhere, I have a list of places I want to visit

What is your favorite book?

• Little Women

If you could have one wish, what would it be?

• Infinite Wishes, but if not that...that I could be happy all the time, but not all the time, because then I wouldn't know what happy is, so a happy life, happy about my overall decisions

It's A Wrap

So October is over.

It brought new friends and joint family home evenings.

Kids Congo Line

 Neighborhood Night Out

A national event, that I have never before celebrated.

I love that they do it here.

We got a bounce house, food, and everyone came out!

 Activity Days is one of my callings.

It has been so fun.

These girls are amazing!

 A new first...

While out with my daughter, a guy hit on us.

Yes, he thought we were friends not mother/daughter.

 Homecoming.

Sadly different than PA.

The dance is "lame" and no one "cool" goes.

But they have this awesome Mum tradition.

National Honor's Society...

In Texas here,

you can be inducted into

National Honor's Society

in 10th grade.

 

At first Isabella was told,

 she couldn't be because,

we had just moved here.

 

This was not the first time,

we felt penalized in this area

because of moving.

 

They changed their minds.

She applied.

She was accepted and inducted.

Nana and Grandpa came.

 

They took us for Dairy Queen after.

Way to go Isabella Whitney,

we are so proud.

Even if they spelled your name wrong!

 



She Runs

Isabella runs cross country.  Next year Issac and Wyatt will join her.  It will be nice to stream line all the sports.  Meets from middle school and high school are still different times. 😡  This year she wasn't varsity at the new school.  I didn't know how she would react to that, but she takes it in stride.  Get it, in stride!  She has a great attitude and just loves the fitness.  I love her for that!

Birthday Wrap Up and Review

So much love.  The kids are responsible for their own gifts for one another.

Sometimes they get me to take them to the store.

Sometimes they give cash,

sometimes homemade gifts.

But almost always they do good work.

All the love, you can see it.

Not only in the gifts, but the thought behind it.

Her party with friends was fun. 

They decorated cupcakes.

Her friend got her a cicada pin.

It's her nickname.

Her joy is my joy.

May she always be happy, this year and 100 more to come!