November Update

Here are some updates since the last post in March:

• Dani and I graduated! Dani got a BS in Dietetics, and I got a Master of Accountancy and BS in Accounting. We are so excited to be done with school, although it doesn't quite feel like I'm done with school because...
• I've been studying for the CPA exam. The exam has 4 parts (Financial Accounting and Reporting, Business Environment and Concepts, Regulation, and Audit). I finished the fourth part on Friday (95 on FAR, 96 on BEC, no score yet on REG or AUD).
• We spent about two weeks staying with Cindy and Chad after we graduated so I could continue to work at my on-campus job (they kicked me out two weeks after graduation). We had so much fun hanging out with their family! Logan and I became good buddies, and I was glad because we helped watch him in Santa Rosa a few weeks later, and he only seemed to want to hang out with me. Brylie had so much fun playing with real toys for the first time in her life.
• We moved from Eagle Mountain to live with Dani's family in Pismo Beach, CA for a few months. I began studying for the CPA exam there, and Dani was very busy watching Brylie, planning and preparing meals to pay our "rent," painting, and looking for homes online in Santa Rosa. We took a couple trips to Santa Rosa, one to babysit Cami for a week (what an adventure) and one time so I could take my first exam and we could spend time with the visiting Stoddards.
• Side note on babysitting Cami: First of all, I have so much more respect for Mom and Dad for taking care of Cami all the time (but mostly more respect for Mom, since Cami does almost anything Dad asks of her without fighting much). Second, I was amazed at how much Dani loved and helped Cami. I assumed I would do most of the work and Dani would take care of Brylie, but Dani did a lot to take care of Cami, and she was so patient. I'm lucky to have such a wonderful wife.
• Pismo note: We loved spending so much time with Dani's family, including her mom and dad, James, Gran and Pop, cousins and their families, and finally Devin when he got home from his mission.
• We moved to Santa Rosa about a month ago. Dani is sad to be away from her family, but she distracts herself with house-hunting (she's really good at it).
• I start my new job at Burr Pilger Mayer, Inc (BPM) tomorrow! I’m really excited, but for the next week it means a return to commuting (two days riding the bus into San Francisco, three days driving to Walnut Creek). After next week I should be in the Santa Rosa office.

Brylie Updates:

• Brylie learned to crawl at six months. It wasn't long until she was getting into everything, chasing the cats and dog, pulling herself up on furniture, and crawling up the stairs (I probably shouldn't have taught her that one).
• At 7 1/2 months she took her first steps, and we got it on video! For the next two months she didn't shown much desire to walk without us prompting her, but on Halloween she finally decided it was time. She has been walking all over this week. I love seeing her toddle around the house with a toy or two.
• She loves to crawl around and then sit up and start clapping. It is so funny to watch.
• Brylie has started playing her first real game with me. When she starts crawling away from me, I get on my hands and knees, say "I'm gonna get you," and start crawling loudly after her. The first few times we played she would shriek and crawl away from me. Lately she just sits up, waits for me to reach her (grinning the whole time), and finally starts crawling away after I've tickled her.
• She loves eating food, especially what we're eating. Some of her favorites are tangerines, strawberries, and tomatoes (she grabbed a big tomato at the McOmber's last month and gnawed a hole through it before we really noticed). She loves eating with her hands, and not so much with a spoon. She also loves getting a drink of water, but sometimes she just spits the water back out and then asks for another drink (or just dumping the water onto her tray and playing in it).
• Even though it’s still 2 ½ months away, we’re excited that we get to have Michelle and Cindy and their families come to Brylie’s birthday party!

Pictures/videos will be posted soon…