Well, I have been told that I have been spending incredibly too much of my free time on facebook and that I should really spend that free time on updating the blog! It has been a very long time since I have updated the sight and I am going to try my very best to get back into the groove of doing it.
Here it is October…MID October to boot. Summer literally FLEW by and before we knew it Gary and I were back to school. Annika had a great summer. I think she spent most of it in her car seat, but I do think she enjoyed it. We took a trip back to Denver in July to visit Gary’s brother Mark. Mark was in an accident in May leaving him quadriplegic. He spent a few months in Denver at a rehabilitation hospital. We made it a fun trip taking in the Denver Zoo (Annika’s first zoo trip) and my favorite, The Coor’s Brewery. We also spent a lot of time in the valley with family and friends, including 4th of July in Warrenton with Pam & Kelly (Gary’s sisters).
Two weeks before the school year began I found out my job was changing and I would have to teach part time in a classroom in another charter school in Sisters. This brought Annika to have to go to daycare full time as I no longer would be working any full days from home. It was a difficult change (and still is) to have her go every day, but we love our daycare provider so it is assuring to know she is in a safe and happy environment (and right next door!). I am still working for the web academy half time, but most of those days I am traveling and making home visits. Gone are the days with the 2 minute commute to my upstairs office in my PJ’s. Gary is still at the high school and working with the alternative education program. He is also teaching a high school math class and will teach a couple science classes throughout the year. He has almost completed his first year in his 2-Year Administrative Program. This is so he can be a Principle and make the big bucks so I can stay home with Annika—YEAH RIGHT!
Annika is really starting to communicate and has gained such a large vocabulary. Often we catch her singing Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star. And though you cannot understand each word in the song, she has the tune down pat. Advice: Don’t even think about trying to sing with her! For if I start to sing along she will say, “No, Mama I do it!” She also thinks it is really fun to count to 5! She does know what FOOTBALL is and she is having fun going to the Outlaw games. She actually enjoys watching the game and will sit in her stroller intently watching until half time. I tell Gary she is watching the cheerleaders, NOT the game. I am hoping the weather will improve so that we can go tomorrow night. There are no covered stands here and I am not sure I want to brave the rain and cold. My husband is probably reading this and saying, “boo hoo.” However, he gets to sit in a covered area with a heater!
We are looking forward to the holidays this year. Annika is dressing up for the first time this Halloween and will be trick or treating at a just a few friends. We plan to hit the pumpkin patch in Terrebonne this Sunday afternoon after church. Growing up in the valley it is so hard to imagine going to a pumpkin patch with NO MUD! Although, with this snow and rain these past few days we just might encounter a little bit this year. Sisters has a community parade on Halloween afternoon—the kids all meet in the park and trick or treat the businesses in one large parade. I have never seen it, but it sounds very fun.
Have a safe and happy Halloween weekend!
-The Hedins
Annika singing Twinkle, Twinkle. I think she stole this mic from
Kenny & Dolly at the Big Birthday Bash!
Sittin' pretty--one of the last pics of the summer!
