We've never had a month like February before, and it was quite an adventure. Throughout our marriage, we've known several friends who've hosted exchange students. We would ask them a lot of questions, and had considered hosting too, but it was mostly just a thought and not action. Well, at the end of January, a host coordinator reached out to us stating that she got our information from a family she currently works with. There was a situation where they needed a new home for a student, and both Jake and I felt immediately calm and good about it. We talked with the girls and made a decision to apply and see how things worked out. We finished our application on Sunday, and by the following Friday, Daniel from Germany was moving in! It's been a fun experience for all of us. We've had fun learning German words, and I'll never stop being amazed at how much teenage boys can eat.
Gwen has been playing basketball this spring, and her defense is incredible. A player's mom will shout out "GWEN DEFENSE" to encourage other teammates to play defense like Gwen! We love it. Coach Patterson has been wonderful to learn from. She was a college coach and her experience is so apparent. She teaches skills and drills that are so pertinent and I love watching her from the sideline. She encourages all the players in a way I haven't seen before. Coach is such a great leader and I'm thankful Gwen gets to learn from her. G is also learning how to care for our other newest family members, the chickens! She was nervous at first but warmed up and can catch them now!
We are chicken tenders--we tend chickens. Haha! We found a chicken crossing the road on Matlock on Valentine's Day, and after we couldn't find the owner we went full commit! We have a great neighbor, Kristen and Dan Shumway, who've helped us learn how to chicken tend in many ways😂 We have 5 chickens total as of today. The one we found in the road is Linda-- the others are Devin Clucker(she's a hen, don't let her name fool you), Ms. Frizzle, Ginger, and Holly.
Emily has had some school drama and started a club for people who don't like another person. 😬 Because of this, we've had a lot of great conversations about not needing to like everyone and still being kind. They were doing a back and forth thing, and it was confusing and hurtful. The consequence on our end was no more play dates set up by parents. Emily has been playing so much better since then and knows that everyone has feelings, not just her. In other news, Emily is a seriously skilled tree climber! She can climb the skinniest trees with ease. She's a natural with the chickens and takes good care of them. I'm proud of that sweet and sour woman.
I found a new hair girl and got my hair done by her. She completely rocked it, and after our consultation she gave me exactly what I was hoping for. I also had my last silver (amalgam) filling replaced. It looked gnarly and I'm proud to have a new white filling to match my tooth.
Jake is doing great with life. Basketball at the high school level is over, so he's got a lot more free time. He has been Mr. Do-It-All lately. Building coops, repairing bathroom vanities, work travel to the east coast, and then coming home and fixing lights...he's the best and we are so lucky to have him!
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| Best buddies. |
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| An egg from Linda. |
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| G playing ball. |
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| G at activity days. |
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| Jake and Gwen forever! |
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| After removing my old filling, before filling with white material. You're welcome everyone. |
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| Emily at activity days. |
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| When your mom is activity days leader, you get double the activity nights. |
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| Proud Wadeypoo. |
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| Look out, we've got a driver on the road! |
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| Triplets. |
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| Tree climbing extraordinaire! |
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| This is Daniel! He loves Wade. Wade loves him. Bromance. |
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| Corn is covering Wade's cheeks. He likes spice and isn't afraid to show it. |
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| We saw this truck in real life. It was better looking than I expected, but I still hate it. |
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| My new hair. |
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| Gwen crying, holding Linda. Scared out of her mind, but also such a cuddler that she can't be afraid. |
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| He's just the craziest. |
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| This outfit is a track jumpsuit with Toy Story. It's the best. |
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| Daniel did a polar plunge! |
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| Building the coop shirtless. |
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| Dates at the gym with Lily. |
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| Emily on Valentine's Day. |
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| Daniel, Verity and Wade with Linda. Daniel was so stressed holding that chicken. hahaha! |
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| Omg. The squish. |
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| 💗 |
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| The boys at brunch. |
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| Crackers and Co. crew! |
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