Did you hear that?

It was a BIG sigh of relief by Mark and I as we found out today that Mark does have his job for next year.  I'll say it again, prayers are answered. On Wednesday Mark's school district announced how many jobs they were cutting this year, 143! 11 million dollars! CRAZY!!  That is not all teachers of course but there will basically be no support for teachers so good luck to parents with children who have special needs.
I do not want to go into all the messes Mark's school district (or public education as a whole) are in. I could not in good conscious encourage any college student to go into education currently. We are just so relieved and thankful that he has a job.  Now we just have to wait and see how much our insurance goes up while he is still on a pay freeze.
At his old school, the one he liked, there will likely be 2 Social Studies positions available (I don't' understand how there could be job positions when they just cut so many people but I guess they got rid of teachers they should have like ones who really do not teach well) so Mark will definitely apply to them.  It's sort of annoying that they hired him, then he had to move to fix their miscalculations and now if there was a job he would still have to interview for it instead of just getting his original job back.
Anywho, the point of this was to just to say how thankful we are that he has a job!
*As a side note, I did not get up early to watch the Roayl wedding but loved her dress! It was fun to look at pictures. History can be exciting!

Its a small world...

if you're Mormon and have lived in Egypt.

I went to the Dentist today and met our new Dentist, Dr. Crisler.  As I heard his name I thought "I wonder if Crisler is a common last name?"  The reason I wondered this is because a few weeks before Mark and I arrived in Egypt a young LDS couple went back home to the states.  They were the Crisler's.
As Dr. Crisler and I were talking he asked a series of questions that were pretty common but also slightly leaning towards common Mormon questions as the conversation continued.  Such as:
Dr:  Do you have kids?
April: Yes a little boy. 
Dr:  I ask because my wife is due any day now with a boy and we can't come up with any names.
April:  We named our son Jared Hyrum, is this your first child?
Dr.  No fifth.  (April slightly suspicious I mean, 5 is a good amount for Non LDS people.) Is that a family name? (Dr slightly suspicious of name especially the Hyrum part he tells me later)
April:  No, not really we just wanted a name that wasn't too weird but not super common either.
Dr:  Where are you from?
April: Northern California, a great place called Yuba City
Dr:  Where is your husband from?
April: Turlock, CA
Dr.  Where did you go to school?
April: BYU Idaho
Jack pot!

He mentioned he was LDS and that his brother went to BYU Idaho.  As he was trying to figure out the years his brother was there I asked is your brother's name Randy?

Jackpot again!

I told him how Mark and I got to Egypt right after they left and they actually lived on the street behind ours.  Some branch members had told us where they lived. We totally could have been neighbors in Egypt and now his older brother is my Dentist. Although we have not actually ever met the (other) Crislers' we still  feel like we know them because we have the common bond of Egypt.  What is even more coincidental is that his brother Randy is a middle school teacher in Idaho Falls!  Dr Crisler spent a semester at the Jerusalem Center in 1997.  I told him how Mark and I loved visiting there. It was a fun visit except for the getting a cavity filled part. 
It really is a small world once you have been overseas. We can't wait to go back. Somewhere, it doesn't have to be Egypt but it could be if that is how it worked out.

Easter

We had a very nice Easter.  I had so much fun doing my sharing time and once we got home from church we had a fun little Easter Egg hunt with Jared.  Inside of course since it snowed Easter Eve and was cloudy/rainy Easter day. I heard someone say "You can count on a green Christmas and white Easter in Colorado Springs. Very accurate thus far. We went to some friends house for dinner and then I went to an Easter Concert that was AMAZING!  Each year Sally Deford who lives here in the Springs (Cool huh? she wrote the new theme SONG for the Primary Program if you have heard it well, I might as well link to it, you know how I love my links) conducts and often writes a new, Easter Cantata.  I love her arrangements of existing hymns and her original pieces.  It was so moving.  I know a few people who often sing in it so it was nice to see some people I knew participating in this amazing performance. I think music is the most powerful way to feel/invite the spirit. I am so glad that I went.

 

He loved the pinwheel!

 Once he noticed there were eggs all over the place he really got into the Egg hunt.  I am sure we will do a few more this week before I put away the Easter stuff.  It is really cute to watch him look for the eggs.

We also had fun dyeing Easter eggs.  LAST year Jared wasn't too involved but this year he did a great job dyeing eggs he almost always dropped them in softly.  We tired to take a REPEAT picture of him with his bunny ears but he was really not interested in wearing them.

 

The Green one that says JAM stands for Jared, April, and Mark.  Can you spell something with your families initials? We will be in trouble next time we have a baby because what can you spell with a L or T or C + J A M?

I love making new traditions.  I wanted to make sure I stocked up on the mini-Cadbury eggs and had to go to 4 different stores to find them.  But I prevailed and got three bags.   So good.
Too bad there is not a big, decorating holiday again until July!

April Fun

I love holiday baking and do not think it should at all be just at Christmastime.  I realized that I didn't really have any special things I liked to bake at Easter so I quickly rectified that situation. My most favorite Easter candy are the mini-Cadbury Egss, not the creme ones those are just gross to me but the delicious hard shell chocolate ones. So when I saw a RECIPE for Chocolate Cadbury cookies you could bet I was interested. They turned out so good, yum!

Then I saw a recipe for BUNNY BUNS!  And how cute were they.  When I found out they were orange flavored I knew I had to make them.  I made them today and am so impressed with them.  You know how you look at food blogs and then you make the food and it looks nothing like the pictures on the blog?  Well I am thrilled to report that my Bunny Buns came out looking just like the picture!  And they taste amazing.  They will for sure be made every Easter.

Jared and I have also been making lots of fun Spring, Easter and Earth Day crafts including finger painting a paper bunny with chocolate pudding to make it look like a chocolate Easter Bunny. Jared mostly just wanted to eat the pudding (he had never had it before) but we did a little finger painting with it too.  

 

And lastly at my Primary Presidency meeting we made some super cute flower pens.  I have always wanted a flower pen so we made some for our teachers and some extra ones for the Presidency. The card says "Thanks for growing with us"

Who needs to know how to sew to be crafty? Just kidding well, kind of.  I think it would be really great if I knew how to sew or had a sewing machine.  If I had a sewing machine I might try to sew and then I could be super crafty but until then it will be lots of glue.

Have a Happy Easter!

18 months!

Sunday was an exciting day for Mark and Jared.  Jared went into Nursery for the last 2 hours of church and Mark got to listen to the last 2 hours of church. A great time was had by all.

Mark took him in after the first hour and he just walked right in and played.  No tears!

(This picture doesn't show it but he was happy to go)

We would also like to give a shout out to Jared's Aunt Cathryn who sent Jared a box of clothes last week.  He is looking super stylish now.  At his 18 month check up on Friday Jared checked in at 25 pounds (38 %) and 34 inches (91 %).  Sounds like he is shaping up to look just like his Dad.  He also got his last round of  shots so he is good to go. Here's to hoping we can manage any tantrums that might come our way.

Let's Go!

We went out and bought an elliptical (a very simple and basic one) yesterday for an early Mother's day gift.  I have wanted one forever!  Just ask my sister Susanna. We used to go work out together while we were at BYU Idaho. I loved having my sister as my roommate.  As we worked out we joked that one day we would live next door to each other and work out together on our matching elliptical machines.  I would help her kids be on time to things and she would do my kids hair (if I had any girls). Unfortunately, she lives in Idaho and I am in Colorado but one day it could happen and now if it does I have my Elliptical ready. Love you Sister! 
As I menitoned in my last post the weather is getting nicer here but the problem is that the wind won't stop blowing.  I went on my jog the other day and was facing like 30 mph gusts of wind.  Yuck!  I hate the wind with a passion.  So now if I can't (or don't want to) go outside or if I was too busy in the day I can still workout.  Elliptical machines are my favorite way to exercise.  This one is kind of  a miniature one so it fits nicely  in our room.  I would have liked it in the kitchen but I really like Jared's play space and now we won't have to worry about him messing with it and potentially getting hurt.  I used it last night and loved it.  I thought I would just do 10 minutes because it was already like 9:20 by the time we got is set up but I decided to keep going because it felt so good and I knew I had to enter in my information into myfitnesspal and I ate a lot of macaroni and cheese with my dinner.  Man, that really ruined my totals for yesterday.  I am super excited to use my elliptical.  Its nice to know that I have something ready for next winter too! I do like to plan ahead...

*Susanna do you notice a slight tilt to my head in that picture? I did it for you. ♥

My Fitness Pal

So now that the weather is almost consistently nice out I have begun walking again.  And this year I have even started jogging.  I haven't jogged, and I use that term loosely in years!  So now I jog Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday and take walks Monday, Wednesday and Friday.  It's been great.  Although it will be awhile before I can jog the whole length of my "route" I am already getting better (i.e not gasping for breath half way up the hill) from the last 2 weeks. I also just set up a profile on myfitnesspal.com and am excited to start using it. It has you enter your exercise for the day and you enter in what food you ate that day.  Today I was 300 calories over my limit which was set at 1320 calories a day based on my weight loss goal.  Although I didn't know that was my limit when today started.  I will certainly miss those Costco French toast muffins! Each one alone is 710 calories which is more than 1/2 of my allotted calories for the day. Too bad we have like 12 in the freezer.  I think I will let myself eat 1/2 of one. I would like to lose 10 pounds before we become pregnant again. It's also too bad that there are now 2 frozen yogurt shops within 5 miles of us...  good thing they are self serve so I can get just a little. Wish me luck!  And if you want we can become friends on my fitness pal too and cheer each other on!

P.S. Here is a cute picture of the little boy to thank you for reading this post. Mark had to hold him because it is becoming increasingly difficult to get a picture of him standing still.

Hide and Seek

Lately a few items have been missing around our house.  Fortunately I have figured out Jared's favorite hiding spots.  He particularly loves my travel alarm lock, as do I.  I have had it forever and a few weeks ago Jared took it and hid it.  Wanna know where...

Yep.  Under his crib mattress.

I hate not knowing what time it is when I am sleeping so we went out and bought a small alarm clock and he decided to hide it also.

Another favorite spot, the drawer under the oven.

Today I found the same alarm clock in the dryer?

We normally do a really good job keeping our bedroom door shut so all alarm clocks are safe but some days he slips in.  I am just glad we haven't found any items in the toilet, knock on wood.

An Easter Egg Hunt in a Library?

Today we went to one of the libraries here in town to hunt for Easter Eggs.  It was SO fun!  The librarians hid 1,000 eggs all over the library and then let kids (0-12 years old) come search for them and decorate the egg cartons and eggs.  I am sure I have mentioned before how much I LOVE libraries but now I love them even more.  It was so fun to watch Jared search for eggs and to just see Easter eggs hidden all over the Library. Each participant got to find 6 eggs.  Jared did really well finding the eggs and was really sad when it was time to leave.  We have some eggs at home that we have just started playing with so when he found his 6 eggs Jared was excited to sit down and open them.

Found one!

Hunting For Eggs

He was slightly distracted...

Let the Easter festivities begin!

Anyone need a toddler model?

I think he could pull it off.

He can run, crawl, walk backwards and forwards, jump, clap and do hand movements to:

5 Little Monkeys Swinging in a Tree

The Itsy Bitsy Spider

Popcorn Popping on the Apricot tree

He can also point to his hair, eyes, nose, toes, fingers and belly.
And does a mean elephant imitation.

We think he's pretty amazing!