Yes, we are still alive!

I know, I’m officially “The Worst Blogger on the Block” (haha, get it?). Since it’s been awhile (okay, the whole summer) since I blogged, I decided to give everyone a little update on how we’re all doing. Then, to avoid a heinously long blog post, I’ll post pictures of our summer adventures separately.

Let’s start with Kris: He just started his last year of the MBA program at the U of U. Hurray! He is working so hard for our family and doing so well in school. This year is going to be incredibly busy for him, though. He is currently involved with the Utah Entrepreneurship Challenge and The Entrepreneurship Club, plus an independent study and a field study, plus work part-time for USTAR. PLUS just being a husband, dad, and dog-owner. His plate is definitely full!

Tiffany: She continues to stay at home and manage the dog (Molly) and Kasey. She just attended her first yoga class and loved it, and just joined a bookclub, which was one of her life-long dreams. J Otherwise, she stays busy at home trying to figure out how to use her food storage (dried beans – help!), keep the house clean amidst two master-minds of mess (Molly and Kasey), and keep up on the ever-building pile of laundry. She loves being home with Kasey, especially now that we have a sandbox, swing, and baby pool!

Kasey: He is growing so fast! He is almost 11 months old, and just as curious and active as ever. At 9 months his record was 10 steps, and since then, all he does all day long is walk, and walk, and walk (like the pioneer children J)….For awhile he would pick up one toy, walk with it for some time, drop it, pick up another toy or household item and walk with it, etc. all day long! Now, he takes the occasional pit stop to play. He is getting fast, though. I blink and he’s gone! His most recent achievement was climbing up the ladder of a Little Tikes slide and going down – all by himself! (Well, I did have to sit him down at the top of the slide to prevent him from walking down it.) Recently he has started to imitate everything we do. He has learned to clap, give high fives, turn pages, imitate sounds and words, and “Go Crazy!” (which means shake your head from side to side and say “Ahhhh!”). He also has two bottom teeth. He jives when he listens to music, and he points at things and says “Woooow!” Whenever we mention food or he sees food, he says, “Mmmmm!” His current favorite activities include walking, climbing, swinging, eating/playing with dirt, exploring outside. He is getting more and more fun all the time, and we are so happy to have him in our home!

Molly, the demon/dog: She is growing like a weed. She finished her Obedience Class, and even passed her Obedience and Good Citizen dog test (she had to sit, stay, come, etc.) at 5 months old! Kris keeps reminding me that she is such a good dog. She doesn’t run off like most dogs, minds fairly well for a 5 month old dog, and so far she’s been very friendly, well-mannered, and playful. We now let her in the rest of the house (instead of just the kitchen), and she does really well with Kasey. She licks him to death, but Kasey also grabs and pokes Molly to death (thankfully she tolerates it extremely well!), so they are even. Often I still think we’re crazy for getting a dog, but I’m sure Molly will become a wonderful family addition in time. I call her Master-Mahan-maulster-Molly, but really, it’s just me getting used to having a puppy. Perhaps it’s because she destroyed my favorite flip flops and Kasey’s best sandals, left feces (repeatedly!) in the attic after she was already trained, and has permanently destroyed a section of the grass (pee spots, ew!). I guess I haven’t quite forgiven her yet. J

Summer Adventures: What have we been up to this summer? We’ve taken a couple trips to Lake Powell with both our families (Kasey had his first boat ride, tube-ride and waverunner ride). (For a more detailed account of one of our Lake Powell adventures, see entry: “The Best and Worst Hike Ever” which will be forthcoming.) We also took a trip to St. George with Kris’ family and visited Lagoon. Kasey had his first swimming lessons, in which he learned the important skills of splashing and going under water. Tif and Kasey flew to Virginia with Grandma to see Heather (sister) and Javan (husband of said sister). They showed us the sights in DC and we had the best time. We miss them! We’ve been on a couple bike rides and park visits. What a busy and wonderful summer we’ve had! We’ve been so blessed and everyone is doing just great!