Latest Update

Wow, it has been forever since the last Wanstrom Family update. Alot has changed. Mikes job that we moved back to Idaho for did not work out so we had a major change of plans. Mike worked for a temp agency for a while but is now working for a framing company based out of Utah. He is working on two LDS churchs and will be starting a new one in January. He is still looking for a better job that he can use his degree in but we are thankful for the work that he does have. I am also working part time as a social worker at a partial care. I work with kids with behavior problems between the ages of 5 and 7. It is a challenge but I like trying to make a difference. I had a hard time taking Sadie to daycare but she stays with a sister-in-law that runs a small day care and is very good with her. Sadie loves going to Dawn's house to play and doesn't seem to care when mom leaves. Sadie is growing so fast and is such a smart girl. She had a mischevious streak and loves to wait until mom is looking then does something she knows she is not supose to and takes off running. She had just started to climb and will push her little table around the house, climb up on it, and get into things. She is talking alot although most of it we have yet to understand. Her faviorite words are "uh oh" and "no no no". She is almost 17 months old and his such a doll. We have a hard time keeping up with her.
Well I will try to update more but if I don't before Christmas we wish you all a wonderful Christmas season.

Moved to Idaho

A lot has changed since my last post. The weekend of August 23 we moved back to Idaho and are now living in Idaho Falls. We found a very cute house we are renting that is small but just right for our family. Mike is working at a temp job while he waits for security clearance. Once he gets that clearance he will be working at the INL and will actually get to use his construction degree which we are really excited about. But clearance could take up to 3 months so hopefully it is sooner rather than latter. I just started working a part time job today which is a huge change since it is the first time I have worked since Sadie was born. I am working at partial care running a group of 6 and 7 year olds that have been in domestic violence homes. I think it will be a lot of fun as well as a big challenge. Sadie get to play at my sister-in-laws house while I work. She has a small day care and lives only a few blocks away so I worked out really well.

Wild Fire

We have just had a very exciting and scary weekend. On Friday a wild fire was started about 3 miles south of us in Spring Lake by a fallen power line. Sadie and I heard the sirens and saw the smoke around 3pm. Then at around 8pm we started for a walk along the route we always take but the road was closed because the firefighters were using the elementary school along that route as refueling base. At that point we saw the fire up on the mountain but it looked like it was contained. By the time we got home from our walk, the flames had grown higher and the wind had picked up and was blowing the fire toward our house. I was starting to panic and Mike was not home from work yet to calm me down. By the time Mike got home around 10pm we could hear the police on a loud speaker telling us to evacuate. The fire was at the edge of the orchard and was less than a mile away. We threw our pictures and clothes in the car and went to Mike's sisters house in Midvale because we were going to help her on Saturday anyway. There aren't words to express my feelings as we drove away from our home knowing that all our earthly possessions could be gone in the morning.

We got back late Saturday night from Mike's sisters so it wasn't until this morning that we saw the damage of the fire. No homes were burnt but the fire came within 200 yards of our house and burnt all along the edge of the orchards behind our house. I guess they turned the water on the orchards so they acted as a barrier between the fire and all our homes. Everyone evacuated is within our ward boundaries so we had a very thankful fast and testimony meeting at church today. I think that the fire is mostly out now. It was burning on the other side of the mountain but we can no longer see it. We did see a huge helicopter sucking up water from the irrigation pond right across the street from us all day today. Sadie enjoyed watching the helicopter. We watched it suck up water than ran to the window in back of our house and watched in spray the water on the mountain. At first it was exciting to see all the action but it quickly got old because the helicopter was so loud.

Needless to say, we are very grateful that we still have a home to live in and grateful that everyone in our ward is safe.

July

Well we have had a very busy month with a lot of exciting news. Mike just received and accepted a job offer at INL as an associate engineer. Therefore, we get to move back to Idaho!! The only draw back is that Mike has to get clearance before he can start working which could take up to three months. So we don't know went he will start and what he will do until then. oh, we also have to move again which I am not looking forward to.
Another big even this month was Sadie's birthday. We are now living with a 1 year old. She turned 1 on the 29th of July. We had a big birthday party for her last Saturday with family members. Sadie and I made her a teddy bear birthday cake. Sadie enjoyed the frosting more than the cake. She was spoiled by her grandparents and aunts. We also celebrated on her birthday by inviting her friend Isaac over to swim in a kiddy pool, eat Popsicles and play with Sadie's new birthday toys. They had a lot of fun together.

What's up with us

Well we are still living in Payson, UT for the time being. Mike has finished up his internship and is in the process of applying for jobs. He is working a temporary job in the afternoon and evening while looking for something else. I am grateful that he has work but I miss seeing him in the evening. He usually doesn't get home until 10pm. He has an interview next Wednesday in Idaho Falls so we are hopefull. We would really like to move back to Idaho to be closer to family. I guess we are home bodies. It is hard for me to be in limbo as far as our future is concerned.
Sadie is growing like crazy and will be a year old on the 29th. It is amazing how time flies. She an walk very fast and is getting into everything. I am trying to be patient and enjoy the moments even when she throws everything on the floor that I just picked up. She is a smart and beautiful little girl and we love being a part of all her new experiances.