The Allen Family: 2012-2013
So what has happened with our family over the past year? Let me see. . . First I'll start with the kids. This time last year MayLynn was 5 months old. Since that time she first learned how to sit up, then crawl, then walk, and now she dances around the room - sometimes even on her tip-toes. She has always had a very charismatic personality and is friends with everyone. But not only is she friendly, she's stubborn too. MayLynn prefers to do things on her own, and it's fun to see her try to sweep the floor with the dustpan or put the dish soap tablet into the dishwasher. She's even learned how to say "no" and does so whenever we are doing something that doesn't fit into her idea of what she wants to be doing at the moment. I am looking forward to spending more one-on-one time with her this fall while Owen is in school.
A year ago, Owen was starting preschool. I was nervous and excited, and I'm pretty sure he was too. He did fabulous though, and it was a great experience for him. He loves numbers, patterns, and puzzles and it is so much fun watching him use the skills that he developed this past year as he faces everyday life. Other things that Owen really likes right now are superheros (his favorites are Captain America, Iron Man, and Batman), transformers, and riding his big-wheel tricycle. When he turned 5 this past June he was given his first "real Lego" sets and now he LOVES playing with his Legos. It is fun to watch him put together the sets using the instructions and to see what he creates with his loose Legos. He has quite the imagination - especially when it comes to vehicle type creations. The next big milestone in Owen's life will be Kindergarten. He gets to start school on August 20th and although he's ready, I'm not quite sure that Mommy is.
Next comes Bryce. He has now been an Assistant Professor, Technical Director, and Sound Designer for Saint Louis University for 3 years and will start his fourth year in a couple of weeks. He's discovered that a smaller theater department means more work for him personally, but that he gets to know the students he works with better. We don't know for sure how long he'll stay here in St. Louis, but we do know that he won't leave until he has found something better. He definitely loves teaching and working with the upcoming generation though, both at work and at church. He's the secretary for our Stake Young Men's group and he is loving every minute of it. This past May and June he got to be a major part of our Stake's annual Youth Conference, and he helped them achieve 3 days of reenactments from The Book of Mormon. With his work at the university, in the community, and at church, Bryce is definitely a busy man, but I think the moments he enjoys the most are when he gets to play with the kids. I can't describe the look of joy that he has on his face when he is playing Legos with Owen, stacking blocks with MayLynn, or playing Tickle Monster with the two of them. I really appreciate all that he does to support us.
I guess you all want to know about me too. The majority of my life is spent chasing my kids and husband and trying to keep them well fed and taken care of, but there have been two things that I have done and will continue to do for myself. First of all is my health. About three years ago I stood on the scale and cringed at the number that appeared and I promised myself that I would do something about it. I made some progress at first, but then I got pregnant with MayLynn and although I improved my overall health during that time, my weight didn't decrease. So. . . this past March I finally found something that worked. I got a pedometer and started to walk. In the past four months I have walked over 600 miles, lost 20 pounds, and dropped from a size 16 to a size 8. I feel so much better and have so much more energy to do everything else that I need to do. The second thing that I do to help me be myself is teach piano lessons. Last August I started with 3 piano students, and by the end of the school year I had 7. Now for this upcoming school year I am going to have 14 students and I am very excited! I love being able to not only share my talent, but to teach it to others as well.
Our little family of 4 has had a lot of fun over the past year. We enjoy living here in St. Louis, Missouri, and although we miss being near our families (and Bryce would like to add "the mountains"), we feel like we are filling our little niche here in the Midwest. We miss all of you and wish we could come to the family reunion, but know that our love will be there, even if we aren't.
Love you all!
Bryce, Jennie, Owen & MayLynn Allen
This has been the month of fun activities and cute smiles. After two weeks of school, MayLynn has learned that she really likes having Owen around. She seems to like walking him to the bus stop in the morning and waiting with me for him at the end of the day. She likes to chase him around when he's home and play with his toys when he's gone. One of her favorite things to do every day is to say goodnight to Owen. After he is in bed, she climbs up after him, pounces on top of him and then gives him a big hug while she grins from ear-to-ear.
