It's been 3 months already?!?!?!

OK .... I've done a really lousy job at updating over the past three months. But once again I have new resolve to be more regular about posting. In the meantime, here's the re-cap of our last three months.
After returning from Utah, Zach began taking singing lessons. He also participated in a one-week choir camp, which was exhausting but fantastic.
Zach and Parker spent every spare minute they could playing outside with friends, catching toads, frogs, fish, etc. And they both finished off a fun and eventful summer with two weeks of swimming lessons.
School started mid-August, and we were thrilled to find out that both boys got exceptional teachers for this year. They are both doing great and loving school. Parker enjoys the fact that his teacher doesn't believe in giving much homework, so he tends to have lots of extra playtime after school. Zach, however, is quite the opposite. Being in 5th grade, with teachers that are trying to prepare them for the rigors of middle school, he tends to have quite a bit of homework each night. In addition, he can't seem to pass up any 'opportunity'. So he now participates in band (trombone), choir, voice lessons, chess club, student council, cub scouts and a book club. There are definitely not enough hours in each day to complete all he wants and needs to do, so something (or things) will have to be dropped from this list quite soon.
One of Zach's biggest accomplishments this year is auditioning and making it into the OPUS choir. Each year there is a statewide audition held for students to be accepted into this choir. Zach was excited for the opportunity and worked really hard to learn the required music. And it paid off. He was the only one chosen from his school, and one of only four from the school district that were selected to participate. This week, we will attend his concert at Iowa State University. We are so proud of him!
As I said before, Parker is enjoying his lack of homework and excess of freetime after school. He still loves to build out of Lego's and is truly a young engineer in the works. He still thinks the job he wants when he grows up is to design and build Lego structures for Legoland. He also enjoys playing with his many friends, playing Wii, and trading Pokemon cards (uuhggg!!!). His eyes twinkle when he smiles, and he has an infectious laugh. He is constantly tortured (followed around and imitated) by Aiden, who adores him and wants to be wherever Parker is. This, unfortunately, includes sitting in the exact same spot ('move over Parker'), reading the same book ('my turn Parker') and playing with the same Lego's!
Aiden is two and a half years old now. But lucky for us, we haven't seen much of a 'terrible twos' streak. He loves to talk, and he speaks so well that we don't have to deal with the temper fits and frustration caused by lack of communication and understanding. In fact, like Parker, his vocabulary is amazing to even us (way above his age level). He loves to color, read books, be a helper in the kitchen, and especially, play outside with the big trucks in his sandbox. It doesn't matter to him that the daytime temperatures are barely in the 50's, he still insists on spending hours playing outside with his trucks. And my favorite thing now ... although he has been speaking fluently for months, his stubborn streak held out and he would never say "I love you". This was a little frustrating to me, but I never pushed him to say it. Now finally, he says it loud and clear. In fact, in church last week, right in the middle of Sacrament Meeting, he kept saying over and over (louder and louder), "I LOVE YOU MOMMY! I JUST LOVE YOU!" Music to my ears!!
Garrett is ALWAYS busy!! He has traveled way too much lately due to some changes going on at work. And being Elder's Quorum President at church leaves little of his 'free time' free. But we enjoy every minute he does have available. And regardless of the long hours, he has a good job with a good company. We are so grateful for that!
My past few months has been filled with the flu, the flu again, a bronchial infection, laryngitus, and a plain old head cold. After all of that, I wondered if I really still needed a flu shot, but decided to get one anyway. Hope that ends this not-so-fun cycle! Somewhat bittersweet .... I was very recently released as the Primary President at church, and asked to be a Relief Society teacher. Hooray!!! Though it's hard not being with the kids anymore, I'm very excited for this new opportunity.
Well, that's it in a nutshell. A big nutshell, I guess, since it was such a long post. :)
But more is soon to come!