Getting Ready for Kindergarten

Ellie has worked hard to learn lots of things before she starts kindergarten next Wednesday (address, phone number, etc.), and the one she is most excited about by far is being able to tie her own shoes!

It takes lots of concentration...

So proud of herself!

Her teacher sent her a letter last week telling her about what they will be doing in her class, and Ellie was over the moon excited.

Her backpack came today, and she loves it. I was pretty proud of the one I found on amazon. It's small enough not to dwarf her like the ones at the store but big enough for a folder and other things she needs, durable enough to last a few years until she needs a bigger one, and of course her favorite color - pink. The best part? It was less than $10. When we looked at backpacks at the store I couldn't believe how expensive they were!

This Wednesday is kindergarten registration, next Tuesday she gets to tour her classroom, and then Wednesday is her first day. I can't believe it, but she is ready!

We Are Alive!

So guess what? We are alive, we just have no internet - which has made doing homework difficult. I wouldn't recommend taking a 1- and 2-year-old to the library if you plan on getting anything done.

Anyway... So until our internet is hooked up next week, adios!

Post for Tami

Dear Everyone Who Reads This Blog,

Sam and I (mostly Sam) just got off the phone with his mom, who informed us (mostly me) that we needed to update our blog. So, because Sam has the pictures from our trip on his computer - which he is using for homework right now - I will just write a little bit about what's going on in our lives.

School has started up, and it's been great to be back on schedule. Sam is taking 18 credits so he's busy, busy, busy. As for me? I'm only taking 12. (auditing 4 and retaking 8 so I don't rack up any more credits than the 48 I'm allowed to have when I apply to the Nursing Program again)

We've also started as managers of Apple Tree Apartments. Mostly it's been maintenance around the apartment, Sam riding herd on the 8 boys to clean, check-ins and check-outs, manager meetings, and painting parking lines in the parking lot by hand. Though it's been busy, it's been good to help things get back to the way they should be as BYU-I approved housing.

This weekend we are going to be spending lots of time with family. Ben is going to be leaving for Iraq on the 21st (I think) so we are going to Twin Falls to spend time with all of the Brubakers except for Joe who's doesn't get home from Mexico until March. It will be a weekend full of good memories. Even before we leave for Twin Falls on Saturday, though, Adam, Marci, Joseph and Isaac are coming to stay with us on Friday night! It will be fun to have them be the first visitors in our new apartment.

After we all spend time together in Twin Falls, Jacob will be the second visitor in our apartment! He'll stay until he goes home to Placerville on October 1st. He's going to have to sleep in my old flowery bedding, but at least it's soft and warm, right?

Overall we're really happy right now. Life is good, the weather's great, we're enjoying school, and my favorite holiday is only 101 days away!!!

I hope you will all forgive me for my sparse posting lately! Again, I promise to be better. There will be some fun pictures from Arizona and California coming your way, so be excited!

See you soon, Brubakers!!

Love,

Heidi

Nursing Program Results

On Friday I got an email from the head of Nursing that I needed to pick up my results letter Monday through Thursday of this week. So naturally I went the first possible minute I could. Sam dropped me off at the Clarke building and sat in the parking lot while I went down to the office. There were tons of other people waiting in line, so as I was talking to the girl in front of me she mentioned that there were 110 people going for 30 positions.

I finally got up to the desk and gave them my name, and they couldn't find my letter for a while... So that freaked me out! But I finally got the letter and went back out to the car to open it. I couldn't open it since my hands were shaking so much, so I made Sam do it. Then I read it, and I didn't get in for Fall semester. So I was bummed, but I really tried not to cry. :)

I was doing pretty good until we got home, and Sam said, "You don't have to try to be strong." So then it just all came out. He sat there and held me while I cried, and it was so perfect. He didn't try to fix any problems, he just let me get it all out.

Then I took him to class, and when I came back I called my mom. I thought I was good emotionally, but when I told her I started to cry again. How embarrassing. :) But she's my mom so she just listened.

After I hung up with my mom I decided to just sleep since I had class that afternoon. I slept for about 2 hours, and when I woke up I felt so much better! I picked Sam up from class and we talked more about it and figured out what I'm going to take next semester, how I'm going to meet with the head of the department to ask questions about what I need to do to get in, but also get my name circulated around the department. So I was bummed for about 2 hours, but since then I've been fine! And I really can say that I am happy with the decision that has been made.

I took Sam to work later that afternoon after we had talked and figured some things out, and when I came back I had flowers waiting by my door! Thanks Mom!!!

Then an hour later I went to work and told my friend, Sally, that I didn't get into the nursing program and she was disappointed for me, but said "Oh no... If you didn't get in, then I have no hope."

So I've already applied to the program for Winter semester, and I'm hoping that my GPA and my meeting with the department head improve my chances of getting in for Winter! We'll just have to see!