LIFE IS GREAT: The Newest Member of our Family

Valkommen Paula!

On August 24th we picked up the newest member of our family, Paula Lietta Sander. She is our wonderful exchange student from Malmo, Sweden. We had been planning and getting the boys excited for weeks for her arrival. They were so excited to go to the airport, paint a sign, and hold balloons to welcome her to our family. We were told to go to the new terminal 3 to pick her up. It was so nice and clean and quiet and a little confusing. We weren't really sure where she would be coming from so we stood at the bottom of the escalators that had people coming but after awhile we realized that there were people beginning to gather at the baggage claim. We were standing by another family there to pick up their student from Norway so we were both very confused. We finally we and asked the people where they were coming from and they said they had landed at the other terminal and were being shuttled over to this terminal to get their baggage. So Dan began wandering holding her welcome sign and we waiting by the baggage area. As we were standing there she found us! Thankfully she had checked our blog and recognized us. We were so happy to finally talk in person instead of via email!

Although she had just arrived we had a very busy day planned for her. She arrived on a Friday which was the last day for her to get registered for school before school started on Monday, and she needed five more vaccinations before we could do the registration(clark county requires tons of extra vaccinations). We left the airport and headed for a vaccination clinic at a walmart. We waited in line for two hours got her her shots and made a quick pit stop at home so she could unload her bags and Dan could head off for some important meetings. We ate a small lunch and dashed to the high school before they closed for the day. She was so excited to sign up for classes it made me wonder why it was always kind of a pain for me when I was picking my classes way back when.

Upon completion of the registration we again headed home for an hour or so then off to my softball game. We got to the ball park early so we could eat dinner and then Paula and the boys could watch the game inside where it is air conditioned and with food in front of the boys to help keep them in one place. Remember I mentioned Dan was at a meeting so Paula got the chance to be introduced by FIRE to three little boys. Drake went one direction while Logan went the other and Hank was screaming in his car seat. I had to leave my game twice to sprint the park trying to locate Drake and/or Logan. Well Paula we meant it when we said WELCOME to the family!

Luckily Paula didn't ask to be dropped back off at the airport after the game and she has had a chance to get a little better acquainted with the boys and we are doing better. Of course, Dan thought it was only fitting for the newest member of the family to have a softball glove so he was sure to have one waiting for her and had her out playing catch Saturday evening. Monday morning she was up early to head to the bus stop(it isn't far but the bus comes anywhere between 6:15am and 6:30am). I was a good 'mom' and took her first day of school picture and I took my camera with me to the bus stop and get a picture of her getting on the bus. She was so excited to ride a real yellow school bus like she sees in movies. She wanted me to take a picture but then as there got to be more and more kids at the bus stop she decided it would be to embarrassing to have to make her stop on the stairs for a picture so I only got to take one as she walked toward the yellow bus. Her first day of school was a success and we look forward to a whole school year of FUN!

Waiting patiently at the airport

Hank welcomed her in his Swedish crowns outfit compliments of one of my mission companions Ulrika Gliessman

She found us!

The boys giving her a big hug(Dan in the background as he was wandering trying to find her)

She's HERE

Catching

Throwing

Ready for her first day of School

Getting on the bus

Drake Preschool

Drake was so sad last year when we had to move and leave Miss Robin's class and he no longer got to go to school. Miss Robin was wonderful and sent packages to him for Christmas and for his birthday and he was so excited to have homework to do. We did some things at home but he needed more social interactions with people other than me and Logan. So we were so excited to get him signed up for school this year. He will be attending preschool at the rec center not far from our house on Tuesdays and Thursdays and then some ladies in our ward started a Joy school with a lot of the kids his age in sunbeams on Wednesdays. It has only been a week and he is loving it. In fact he wrote his name for me just the other day. I can't believe how smart his is!!

First Day of Joy school

First day of Preschool

Logan

Logan decided the other day that he wanted to start wearing underwear so we are in the middle of that lovely(sarcasm) part of our lives. I was busy in my room the other day and peeked in to see how he was doing and this is what I saw. I was laughing so hard I had to get the camera out. Isn't he cute!!

Annual trip to Beaver, UT

For Labor day weekend we were headed to UT for our annual family reunion in Beaver. Thanks to the kindness of Buck Hurst we were able to stay in his cabin with all our people. Paula has never been to Arizona or Utah so we stopped to get a picture of her at the Arizona sign(we missed Utah but hey we'll be there enough to get another chance). It is always fun to get together and play card games, go fishing, watch the deer, play volleyball, a little air soft, squirt guns, horseshoes, swing sets, and the best of all celebrate my parents 40th WEDDING ANNIVERSARY! It is always a great time to be together and catch up with family make announcements, not me Eric and Heidi announced they are expecting baby #2 in April. We are all looking forward to next year!