From Grace to Grace

Oops!  I seem to have had some technical difficulties with the last post, so I apologize that for some of you it has been a while since there was an update... again, I'm not a good blogger:)  It is now visible to all, I hope.

The Todd family is still progressing forward, bit by bit.  Somewhat surprisingly, a few days ago, I caught myself having the thought that I really like living in Lehi.  Furthermore, I think we can all  say that (with one possible exception:))!  Considering how much we loved Colorado... our home, our friends, our closer proximity to the Todd side of the family, our church congregation, etc... I am amazed at how quickly we have been able to embrace the new environment and feel like we like it!  Lehi has been a friendly, happy place, with great conveniences.  I've been able to find the shopping places we need and doctors we like, that aren't far, along with some fun recreation.  We are situated in a good spot, geographically, with our alma mater (BYU) just 20 minutes south of us and Salt Lake City just 20 minutes north.  My parents, siblings, grandparents and many cousins and friends are all within an hour and a half's drive.  It has been so fun to be here by all of them!  We like the schools and the neighborhood and the social dynamic here.  Derek's job has been exactly what he needed right now and he really does love it.  It seems to be a much better fit for his skill set than was his last job.

Someone asked me last week if we are glad that we moved when we did, with two months left in the school year, or if we wish we would have waited until school was out and the Colorado house had sold.  First of all, when we moved here we had no idea when or if that house would sell.  It was such a huge blessing for us that it sold when it did... thank you for all the prayers offered to that end!  Also, we felt strongly that we needed to be together as a family during that time and I am glad we were.  We also wanted the kids to get to know people and be here in time to try out for various extra curricular activities before the summer, so that they wouldn't get left behind in the Fall. This has also proven to have been a wise decision.  Tanner and Matthew have found good groups of kids to spend time with and they are having a lot of fun.  It has also allowed them the opportunity to understand the different requirements for graduation so that they can make sure they are in the right courses for next year... it has taken much tweaking, but I think we've almost got it.  Matthew has participated in the Marching Band program this summer, and has been here to be involved in all the pre-conditioning and training for the Cross Country season.  He loves that and we might not have known about it if we waited to come here.  The boys were also able to participate in an awesome High Adventure trip with the scouts and they would have missed out on that if we had waited to come.  In the end, I answered that without a doubt we were glad that we moved when we did.  It has not been smooth and easy, but it was the right thing for our family and we are seeing the fruits of that now.

We are still not completely settled in the new house, but we are getting closer.  The renovations in the basement should be completed enough by next week that we can paint.  I am not completely looking forward to painting the entire basement, but I'm excited to have it be done!  After that, the tile and carpet will be laid and we will be able to move everything out of our garage and my bedroom and into that basement.  It will be wonderful!  

In the last two weeks we celebrated Haddie's 14th birthday and she was able to go back to Colorado for a visit with friends... she loved that!  Derek and I celebrated our 18th wedding anniversary.  Austin had his 12th birthday and then his priesthood ordination yesterday.  He looked sharp in his black suit and bright green tie!:)  We also have been participating in the events of the Lehi Roundup Week... actually very cool.  We even attended the rodeo, which was an adventure. Savannah and Normandy have many friends in the neighborhood and spend a lot of time making sure they play with everyone equally so that nobody's feelings are hurt... they are always very tired by bedtime:)

Derek is still doing extremely well with the chemotherapy... considering he is undergoing chemotherapy.  He now has 9 treatments under his belt and 3 more to go this summer.  We will all be happy to have those completed, but he just keeps getting through them... he's been a trooper!  Nobody would know, if he didn't tell them, that he has been fighting cancer.  It's still very surreal for us to realize that it is really happening.  While in Colorado, at this time every year, Derek was on a Relay for Life team with his employees, walking for cancer research and to celebrate those who have faced that disease.  This year there will be a lighted bag at that event with his name on it.  It definitely doesn't fit into the image we had painted for ourselves, but either did living in Utah, and here we are, liking that.  I don't think I will ever like the fact that Derek was diagnosed with Stage 4b Colon Cancer, but it has opened our minds to new potential and understanding.  We just continue to pray that we will endure it well and learn what we need to learn to make us the people we have the potential to become, bit by bit.