April and May Newsletter Submissions

What a lucky girl I am, my husband said he would write the newsletter submissions for me this month. I missed April, so we did a combined one. He did a great job getting the really important stuff and saved me from the headache of trying to do both months. Thanks to the blog, he also had a little bit easier time remembering what happened.

We have had a fully eventful last two months, so I’ll apologize now if our retelling of the events sounds a bit abbreviated. April began with Ellen’s sixth birthday. She wanted a princess theme (she’s had this theme planned out since she was three), so we invited a bunch of her friends from her primary class and held the party in our ward’s cultural hall. We had a great time playing “Pin the Crown on the Princess” (a game thought up by our own princess), having mini-manicures (thank you Aunt Audra), and just running around with friends. We are so happy for each day with Ellen. She is so bright and full of energy and loves the stories of the gospel. A few days later, after much anticipation, we heard back from Landon’s interviews in Salt Lake City that he was the final candidate for one of the positions he was up for. This set in motion the plans we had been making for months about selling our home and moving on to a new phase in our lives. We starkly aware of our Heavenly Father’s love for us as our house was only on the market for three weeks before we had settled on a selling price with buyers that were excited to move into our home. We just had to find the place where we could call home next. We have felt since spending time in the town earlier that we wanted to move to Tooele. With the help of Heather Roxburgh and the patience of our children (and dog), we looked at a few handfuls of houses and decided to make an offer on two of them. We were sure that one would come back quickly as we were offering what the bank was asking, but the one that responded was the one we were hoping to get a better price on. Interestingly enough, this house was also in the first neighborhood that Katie and I drove through and felt strongly that this place could be our home. It is a beautiful house with room for us to expand and we hope that we’ll be able to host each of you as you visit.

Levi had his second birthday in the midst of this craziness. We actually celebrated his birthday twice, once with family and then with the kids from our date night on his actual birthday. What a beautifully sweet Diddle man we have. Kate and I also celebrated our seventh anniversary (and nothing’s itching). We’ve just loved watching our ever-expanding family growing and amazing us everyday.

I began working in SLC shortly after this. We have the greatest family! Because we didn’t know how long it would be before we sold the house or would be able to find housing in Utah, I asked our aunts and uncles in Utah Valley if any of them might have room for me while I was separated from my family. Every one of them responded with an enthusiastic “YES” and I decided on staying with Mark and Carol as Lehi is closest to SLC. They were incredibly gracious allowing me not only a place to sleep, but I ate meals with them and attended family functions with them (got to see Jessica’s choir concert). They also had offered the apartment below Mark’s business offices and as our closing date was fast approaching (and I was a whining mess missing my beautiful family) we decided to move the whole family down here and spend the interim time in the apartment. Katie was amazing and, with loads of help from Mom and Renee, got our whole household packed and separated so we could store the majority of it and still have a functioning home in the apartment. It has been an incredible blessing, thank you Mark and Carol!! We also received tons of help from Eric, Steve and Landon’s friend Justin. Also Jason made our move happen with both a strong back and expert real estate power. During this whole move we experienced unnatural amounts of rain and I said several times, “If the weather is the most difficult part of this move, it will be totally worth it.” Kate and I weren’t actually ever released from our callings while we were attending the Meadowbrook Ward so we served out all the way to the end with Katie teaching the Father’s Day songs to the primary and I teaching the presidency lesson for our final Sunday. We will miss that ward so much. We have made great friends and felt truly at home in that neighborhood. We have met our soon-to-be neighbors and think we may have just as good an experience with this ward.

This move, however, has not been without its tragedy. It seems that is to be the lot with the Kunz family. We found out that Kitty has a rare type of cancer called Neuroendocine carcinoma. It is a small-celled cancer that most likely originated in the small intestine. Prognosis does not look good. Depending on the type, which will be clearly defined soon, she is likely to succumb anywhere between three and eighteen months. This alone would be a devastating blow, but this also means that it is possible there could be a genetic abnormality within the family increasing the likelihood of another occurrence in our family again. We are trying to exhibit faith in our Heavenly Father’s plan, but we still are hurting and are already missing our Mom and Grandma Kitty. We know that The Plan is true and it is nice to know that going home will also mean happy reunions.

Kindergarten Graduation

*Disclaimer* Lots of video on this one again. Sorry! This is so that the Grandparents far away will be able to participate to their hearts content.

The end of school this year was one that Ellen both looked forward to and dreaded. She talked to us for months about being excited to not have school because she wanted to sleep in. But she also dreaded the end of the year because she knew that meant an end to her friendships she had made at the Academy and a move to Utah.

For the last day of school her teacher set up a Kindergarten Graduation. She had robes for all of the kids with hats and they had prepared a presentation for us of poems and songs they learned throughout the year. Ellen was a little distracted during this part because her hat would not stay on. You can tell in the video that she is holding her head kind of funny to try to keep the hat on.














After they sang their songs and said their poems for us they were able to receive a Kindergarten diploma from their teacher Mrs. Turpin.

I am very appreciative to Ellen’s teacher this year. I was able to work with Lori Turpin a couple of years ago in her class and made a good friendship with her. She has worked so well for Ellen and made sure to keep me informed of what she was doing as well. She also gave me really good advice on how to handle the ADD tendencies of my little girl. In fact, Lori attended a Love and Logic class with me after I complained of not knowing how to be my little girl’s mom without yelling at her. Mrs. Turpin was a fantastic Kindergarten teacher and we could not have asked for better.

After the graduation there were snacks to be shared and goodbyes to be said. Ellen had started to make a very good friendship with a little girl from her class, Madi. Madi’s mom and I went to high school together so we were able to set up a few play dates for the girls and they were very sad to say goodbye.

The graduation for me was a fairly emotional one. It meant the end to my involvement in the Academy at Roosevelt Center, a school that I truly believe in and put a lot of time and effort into helping start. I began working with Annie and the other founders when Ellen was 6 months old with the full intention that my children would be able to benefit from the wonderful Harbor Method and curriculum. Instead, I was only able to see Ellen go to school there for one year. Over the years I have really grown to appreciate and love the people at the school and it was a hard goodbye for me to make. I think I was far more emotional about it than Ellen was.

But, as Ellen keeps reminding me, On to First Grade!

Gateway Foundation Spring Recital

Both Ellen and Trevor were able to participate in the Gateway Foundation’s Spring Recital. Ellen did Kindermusik this last semester and learned to play the glockenspiel. Her class played a couple of songs and she did great.



Trevor did tumbling this year. He really benefited from being in a class setting and got really pretty good at doing some of his tricks. He can do a somersault very, very well and actually likes doing them off of the arm of the couch onto the cushions. They also started trying to do just some stretching and cartwheels. His class was soooo cute and he did fantastic. Landon and I couldn’t wipe the grin off of our faces. He especially loved his uniform, he called them his Golden Shorts.

We are so very blessed to have the three wonderful children we have. The Lord has truly given us the best gift. I am also grateful for the talents that they have been given and that they were able to share them this night.

Trevor's Preschool Graduation

Trevor graduated from Preschool in the middle of May. He was soooo excited to be in preschool this year and really thrived. His preschool teacher, Miss Leslee, was fantastic with him and had just the right patience to help my sometimes disconnected little man learn. He learned all of his letters and their sounds this year and also learned how to write his name. He also learned to color a little more discriminately. Rather than just coloring everything the same color or scribbling on the page he has started coloring different objects different colors and stays remotely in the lines.

His Preschool graduation was set for an evening program the first week that our Daddy was gone to Utah. I tried to take lots of video and pictures to make up for Landon’s absence.

They did a couple of songs for us to start things off.

After the songs, Miss Leslee presented them all with a poster that they had helped fill out about themselves. It asked things like their favorite color (Green), favorite food (Pizza), what they want to be when they grow up (a Choochoo train), and if you had one wish what would it be (to be turned into a dragon.)

After all of the posters had been presented the kids had put together a play for us. They had practiced “Where the Wild Things Are” and acted the whole thing out. Trevor was a “wild thing” and did a fantastic job. My favorite was when he showed his terrible teeth and claws.

The end of the program was the receiving of their preschool graduation certificate. Miss Leslee had graduation caps for all of them to wear and then gave them a certificate and a book.

We are so proud of our Trevor man and all the things he learned from his first year of preschool. Here’s to a lifetime of learning.

Random Pictures from May

Just a few random pictures of my cute kids from May. Ellen took the previous picture of Levi as well as this lovely self-portrait.
This picture of Levi has become one of my favorite. He hung on this bar for about 20 minutes laughing at himself. He would fall off and then ask, "Up again, up again!"

Levi's 2nd Birthday

May 6, 2011 brought with it Levi’s 2nd birthday. This year we celebrated his birthday with family a little early. The Sunday before his birthday we gathered together at our house for a Toy Story Birthday. I let Levi help me choose most of his decorations and things for his cake. He was very excited to see “Woodys” everywhere. For dinner we had Chili cheese dogs, well at least the adults did, the kids just had hotdogs.


For his birthday cake I was able to find edible stickers of Toystory to attach to the cake. They made it very easy for me to decorate. (A plus since I am artistically challenged.) We also got ToyStory tattoos that all of the kids got to put on. You can see Levi’s Woody on his arm in some of the pictures.

He loved getting to open all of his presents and really enjoyed all of the presents he got. He spent equal time on them all, even the cards and clothes.

The computer from Mom & Dad did end up being the big hit in the end. It always makes you feel good as a parent when you score with a present.

Levi’s actual birthday fell on a Friday this year. It just so happened that Landon and I ended up with date night at our house that night as well. We planned up a second cake and ice cream to do with all of the date night kids and they were all excited to get to be a part of a birthday party.

I saved half of his presents from his Grandparents as well as half of them from Mom & Dad to open on his actual day. Once again, he got soooo excited to open more presents.
Trevor wanted to give Levi a blue Wonderpet cape. Trevor helped me pick out the fabric and sew it for him. Levi loved it!!!

After opening presents he was able to play with some of his new toys with the date night friends.

Some fun things about our little 2 year old Levi man:

You speak very well for a 2 year old. You know how to express yourself and even have fairly good diction.

Anything that your older brother is doing you like to do as well. You are a very good copycat.

When you get tired at nap time you will make yourself a bed wherever and fall asleep. Many times that is on the couch, but you have also been known to go back to your bed and crawl in and go to sleep.

You tend to narrate our lives for us, or an English to English translator. You are constantly telling everyone what they are doing or explaining what you are doing.

Your two favorite characters are Woody from Toy Story and Thomas the Train.

You are a little monkey. You will climb anything including drawers to get on the counter, the entertainment center to get to the remotes, and way too high on the park toys.

You are obsessed with Wii remotes.

You love to be outside no matter what you are doing.

You are not afraid to go down any size of slide as long as you can go down on your belly, feet first. You love to jump on the trampoline and hold up against your siblings fairly well. You will ride your bike outside for hours just walking yourself around on it.

You are still a momma’s boy and give the best snuggles. Often you like to sit next to me and hold my hand, intertwining fingers, all initiated by you.

You are such a healing and peaceful baby and have blessed our home with the spirit you bring. We love you so much Levi and can’t wait to continue to watch you grow.