The break is almost over! :(

Zac starts school this Wednesday and Teagan and I are very sad! We had two weeks to play with just us three and get used to this new place and now it's almost over. We have gone to the pool almost every day and we love it there.

Side note: I think the Chlorine is not good for poor Teag's skin because he broke out in a really bad rash on his back and neck. We haven't changed anything about what touches his back except the pool water so it's my only solution. Did anyone else have this problem with their children? We are gonna take it easy on the pool and see if the rash goes away.

Anyways, Zac has been awesome to have home. He gets us to go for long walks, play games, and the best thing is that we can take turns taking care of Teagan when he is grumpy so that neither one of us has to go crazy.

Side note again: One of Teagan's top teeth is almost in! His gums are SO swollen and red and he has really been fussy and clingy and tired and warm lately. I'm so grateful Zac has been here to help keep him distracted and happy! Thanks Rebekah for the frozen pancake suggestion! It kept him happy and entertained for 30 min!

We will be sad to have Zac gone all day but the BEST news is that we were misinformed about his schedule. We originally thought he would be in class from 7:30am to 7:00pm but then we found out last week that they gave us the building schedule for all three classes (1st,2nd and 3rd year) instead of just Zac's classes. We were thrilled to find out that he is done by 3:30 or earlier every day and only has one class on Thursdays! I was worried that I'd never see Zac again, but now I am definately comforted. He will have plenty of time to study and be with us!

Zac's parents went to the Cayman Islands for vacation and brought us back cute presents! Teagan got the lizard in the picture that he loves. We asked him what he wanted to name it and he pointed at his toes and looked up at us, so the lizard's name is "Toes."

Teagan's sweet hat from Grandma Packer. I have no idea what he's lookin at.

Free Stuff and Funny faces

I got this new adorable planner to keep track of tutoring appointments (I have had 2 calls already!!!) and when I was transfering stuff from my purse to the planner I found a bunch of coupons for Idaho stuff. Since we no longer live in Idaho we obviously have no use for them. If you want any of them just post which one and I'll mail it to you or something...maybe email me your address if you don't want to post it online.
Coupons:
2-2admits at the Spud Drive In in Driggs
1-Free lunch special at the 5th st. Bagelry in Pocatello
1-Gift certificate for Center Twin or Paramount in Idaho Falls. Includes 2 adult tickets, 2 16 oz drinks and 1 large popcorn.

I can't believe we didn't use them, it is a little depressing, but hopefully someone can get good use out of them.
And the next few pictures are all from yesterday. Teagan just kept making the funniest faces in every picture I took and it was cracking me up!

:)

Sorry if I tricked some people with my sarcasm! Teagan isn't actually walking, he just looked like he was taking a step in one of the pics and I couldn't resist saying it. He'll take steps while we are holding his hands, but he definitely isn't "walking around." hehehe Someday he will, but I've decided that my cousin Heidi is right, why would I want him walking or crawling yet, he is busy enough as it is! Sorry for the trick, but I have to admit that the comments made me laugh. :)

Mom, you were right all along.

All through highschool my mom always ranted and raved about aptitudes. She said that everyone has aptitudes for different things; writing, math, teaching, singing, organizing, exercising...She would always say that you will be happy and feel satisfied when you are filling your aptitudes. I always heard, but didn't really listen and now I've discovered she was right all along.

I'm applying for a job as a Precalculus and calculus tutor and I have to take a little test to make sure my skills are up to date so I pulled out my old Calculus book and started working through problems last night. I went through like 3 chapters and I just couldn't stop, I literally was on a math high and was so happy. I was getting close to being giddy and Zac was just crackin up. I kept saying "oh I'll never get this one, this one is rediculously hard" then I would work and get it right, eventually, and I'd get really excited. It was so fun and I just felt so happy.

You are probably reading this thinking that I am a complete lunatic, except Julie and Mom, you guys are probably already planning on getting your books out, but I am still just happy as happy can be. Some people get their high from reading, or writing, or reorganizing a few cupboards, or smoking pot, but I get mine from doing math problems and I'm sure it's that aptitude I'm fulfilling.

I just keep thinking about how it is probably one of the gifts I've been given from Heavenly Father to enjoy math and I'm so grateful that everyone gets a different gift to share with everyone else. Everyone is so different and it is simply remarkable. :)

What is your "high." I'm just curious to see what puts everyone else in their happy place. Any Calculus lovers out there?

I decided that I need to give a little update of Teagan and his cuteness. Julie was surprised to see him sitting up last week and I realized that I never posted about it. Teagan is definately a full time sitter upper and now that he has discovered sitting he really hates to be on his back or tummy, which has really put a stop to his learning how to crawl.When Zac saw a baby about Teagan's age scooting and crawling around he started boot camp. hehe It is so cute to watch Zac work with Teagan and try to teach him how to scoot around. Just after a few days of making him lay right on the floor instead of sitting or being in the bouncer Teagan is rolling and twisting all over the living room. Tummy time is true. :)

This video was a few days ago and he is getting way better all ready!

Teagan started walking around today, it was a little unexpected, but we are really proud of him. This was Zac's shirt when he was little and the pants were given to us from a lady at Zac's work, pretty good for hand-me-downs if you ask me.

Teagan LOVES to be outside at the pool or on swings or just sitting in the grass and eating dirt.

Teagan is eating tons of solids these days. Depending on dinner he just eats bits and pieces of what we eat. He loves his rice/oatmeal cereal, yogurt, peas (not the baby food kind though), carrots, bread, icecream, puffs and pretty much anything. He just started doing the "fish out of water" impression while he is eating between bites. He likes to rub the back of his head back and forth against his highchair too. This kid is a crackup!

He found his nose! He loves to stick his finger in it, but only when he is eating. He ends up shoving food up there, but I figure it will eventually work its way out.

Honey moon part II

So we were driving to Zac's school (trying to find a way to get there without going on the freeway) and we got a little lost. We ended up driving through this really pretty forrest with ginormous houses and then we were like "wow that golf course goes across the road, wasn't there one like that at the hotel we stayed at on our honeymoon???" After driving right past the hotel we stayed at we started recognizing street signs and upon exploring we realized that it was the exact same place in the middle of nowhere where we had stayed after we got married.

You may think that this isn't that cool, but three years ago (when we got hitched) neither of us had ever been to San Diego and we didn't think we'd ever go back. When we moved here we had NO idea we live so close to where we were staying on our honeymoon. The hotel is not even in a city, it's kind of outside of all the towns. For some reason I was really excited about it so we stopped and took a picture.

These are pictures on our honeymoon, it was amazing, we walked out our door onto a golf course. I really hate the picture of me, oh well.

These pictures were taken this afternoon, not much has changed, except our cheeks. :)

San Diego

I love it here! The beach is 17 minutes away from our apartment, we timed it yesterday. We've already been twice and I'm sure we'll go again because it is so much fun. My wonderfully kind mother let us borrow her boogie boards and Zac and Jess got to try boogie boarding for the first time. I found out that I am not a good teacher of the waves, I just couldn't explain it to them. Luckily they are athletic and they figured it out after a bit and we all had a really fun time. I have to admit that I was really excited to finally be better than one of the Daniels' at something athletic. I kept saying, does this mean that I finally have an athletic bone in my body?!? It won't last long so I'll enjoy it while it does.

We switched off watching Teagan trying to stop him from eating the sand. Any tips for taking babies to the beach??? I'm sure there have got to be secrets that lead to good experiences with babies at the beach and I really need to learn them. For example, how do you get all the sand off of their sticky faces??? He didn't seem to mind and just loved watching the waves and playing in the sand.
The sun was starting to go down so you can't really tell, but that is Zac.
Me and Jesse catching a wave. I am sad that me and Zac didn't get any pictures boogie boarding together, we'll have to wait until visitors come to the beach with us again!
Teagan wasn't so sure about boogie boarding, he just wanted to try though, so I had to let him. Yes, I really am that white. As you can see the upper portion of my leg has actually never seen the sun. Or maybe I just have really tan arms...

Here are the oh so talented and wonderful Daniels brothers in action!

Las Vegas Baby!

Well we are officially in California now. We drove through Vegas and stayed over night to have a little fun. We stayed at the Imperrial Palace (across from Ceasar's). That night we met up with some of our awesome friends from BYU-I, Lee and Jamison Mitchell . Me and Jamison stayed at the hotel while Teagan slept and the boys went out to eat at a buffet.

The next morning we all went to a delicious breakfast buffet and then walked around Ceasar's Palace shopping center and looked around.

While we were shopping we went into a golf store and they had mini golf carts. Teagan LOVED it. He knew just what to do except that he kept standing up out of excitement.
f.a.o. Schwartz was the best store there! It lots of fun giant stuffed animals and tons and tons of really cool legos, superhero action figures, and girly stuff too. My favorite was the giant piano, you can hear me play a very lovely version of heart and soul. I took a nice bow, but Zac turned off the camera seconds too early :)

On the way out I gambled my first dollar away and walked away with 10 cents! Luckily Zac walked away with $2.15 from his dollar and he won my money back for me. :) I am happy to say that we walked away 15 cents richer than we arrived. I guess we're just lucky.

Goodbye Durtschi Family

We had a fun party on Saturday that was a joint Birthday party for Rachel (my little sister) and a going away party for us. We went to Tautphus park and then Leo's place afterward for lunch. It was so fun to see a lot of the family and enjoy one last day all together.

He finally was big enough to sit on the chicken in the petting zoo by himself. Woowhoo!

Teagan loved the water fountain (although you can't actually tell that from this picture). I love the classic "Stick your head in the lion drinking fountain."

Here is the extremely cute and photogenic Birthday Girl Rachel. Happy Birthday Rach!

My cute Nephews Grant (3) and camera shy Ethan (4). They are so sweet and fun and they always give me lots of luvs and I will miss them so much!

Elise, Sasha, palmer, Garth, poopy diaper, Alicia, and Dad/Grandpa. Fun Fun!

Too Funny

So I received a letter a little while ago that I wrote to myself my senior year in highschool in a Humanities class. I thought it was such a crack up and since it talks about some of you in there I thought I would include a little blurb from it. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!!!

The letter:

Dear Melissa,
Well you should be getting this when you are about 22 or 23. It's so weird to think that as of right now (my senior year) I haven't even kissed someone, but I might be married in 4 years. I'll either be married or on a mission or just graduating. If I'm married I better not have any kids and if I do I've broken all the promises to myself about waiting until I've graduated from college. Your husband should be a nerd or at least smart and sweet. You should be married in the temple. The order of my friends getting married: Christine, Kim, Jennie, Ashley. Brittney, Erin, Annette. I wonder if Adam and Erin will get married. ..... Julie will be married, maybe Jeff??? She would have such cute little kids with him. Alicia and Garth will be married by now and maybe even have a kid. Robert and Rebekah will have 1 maybe 2 kids. Brian and Elise will probably have 3 kids and still live in South Carolina. Jake and Angie will finally have a kid.
I hope that you will have gone to all 4 years of college. You will probably still be close friends with Kim and Erin and you will have helped each other through thick and think. Right now your major is Math Education maybe in 4 years I'll be a psychologist. I hope you still have a strong testimony of the church and if you don't you should get back on the rigt track. Good luck on that first kiss (if it ever happens) and I hope it goes well for ya. Be a nice mom.

Love Melissa as a senior.

I was right on with my family (except Robert and Rebekah) and WAY off with my friends, I thought it was really funny to hear the voice that I had in highschool. I'm wondering how I could write another letter to myself so that I get it in 4 more years. Maybe I could do a timed email...any ideas?

PS: Apparently I was a little obsessed about getting kissed...I did get kissed eventually... by Zac my one true love!

To Christine and Brittany---Did you guys get your letters back? Were they funny?

Eight days and Counting...

I've been working on packing up Teag's room and it was fun to sneek a peek at the outfits from my shower that he's yet to grow into. Thus, the pumpkin costume in August. My mom got it for us (Thanks mom!!) and I was afraid that the costume wouldn't fit at Halloween so I had to put it on him and take pictures. He hated it at first, but I acted like a goofball to get him to smile for at least a couple pictures.



Teagan is such a trooper! He is cuter than ever and he follows his schedule like a champ! We love him to pieces!
Moving is so stressful. I want to have a garage sale since we are getting rid of so much so that we can make a little money instead of just giving everything to D.I., but it seems like it will be so much work! I'm trying to go through everything we have as I pack, trying to get rid of what we don't need. The problem is that I get rid of too much! I get into the zone and I loose all sentimental attachments. Zac has to stop me from getting rid of heartfelt gifts from people. I just hate junk, and if I don't use something at least once a week I feel like it's junk. I still have 8 days until we pull out so hopefully everything is packed by then.