Gavin's 2nd Birthday!

So I'm having a hard time getting the pictures on here, so I'll just have to add those later.
For Gavin's 2nd Birthday this year we celebrated on his actual Birthday even though it was in the middle of the week. Steven was working at the Utah Shakespeare Festival 6 days a week in the evenings, so no matter what his party was going to be earlier in the day anyway. So why not celebrate it on his actual Birthday!
Since we were right in the middle of getting ready for our Yard Sale and figuring out Visa's and things for Scotland I didn't have time to do a whole lot. We pretty much invited all of Gavin's "Big" friends (basically all of our Theatre friends) over for some cake and to watch Gavin open his presents. He only had 2, one from us and a tiny one from my Mom since we're moving to Scotland soon. He will be getting Giftcards to buy something over there when we get there. But the present we got him was a Toy Story gift box set. There were 7 figures in it, all of them about 6 inches. It came with Woody, Buzz, Jesse, Bullseye, Rex, Ham, and an Alien. Gavin is a HUGE Toy Story fan and it was so cute to see him getting so excited to open them. He had seen the box at the store months earlier and had tried to open it then so Steven and I had to get it for him. Its fun to finally let them open something when you've had something for months. =)
My Mom also got him a little container of 14 Dinosaurs. He has recently really gotten into Dinosaurs. He holds them up to people and roars. Its quite cute and really enjoys his little dinosaurs. I just hope that we don't lose any before we make it to Scotland.
My Sister Kati and her husband Blake also gave Gavin money to buy a Tart at the Greenshow that night, so we also took Gavin to that. He was being weird and actually didn't eat the tart, but Rhys was really excited to eat it for him. However, he loved the Greenshow and running around the Courtyard. Since our friend Kaitlin came with me, I was able to chase Gavin around which he loved and so Kaitlin could stay with Rhys.
It was a fun day, but honestly I think Gavin's favorite part of the day was that night. After the Greenshow we took him to the fountain at the front of the Festival and Kaitlin held him up so he could play in the waterfall the fountain made. He LOVED it and of course got completely soaked in the process. I felt bad for poor Kaitlin who also got pretty wet, but she said it was worth it for Gavin. He was so wet we had to get him in his diaper for the car ride home and his shoes didn't dry out for 2 days, but he loved it. I think its the fastest he has ever fallen asleep. I put him down, left for about a minute and then Rhys came out to get some water. Gavin was already asleep. It was a very fun but exhaustive day.
I can't believe my little baby is 2 already.. the time is just going by way too fast. How do I stop it? =)

San Diego Trip!

So, for months now we have been looking forward to our San Diego trip. Since my parents moved there, we've obviously been there a few times, but THIS time we were going for Steven's family! Steven's Poppy was turning 80 and wanted the whole family there to attend his 80th Birthday Party. So, we all got to come. (Except for Braden who is still serving his mission in Alaska until next month. He was missed, but we are all very proud of him.)

Our little family ended up leaving on Wed. the 27th at 7:00 at night and driving through the night. We arrived at my parents house, (where we were staying since Grandy and Poppy's house was already so full) at around 1:00 in the morning. Not too bad of drive, and the boys did great.
Thursday, the 28th, we all got together at Grandy and Poppy's house and decided to go on a picnic. It was crazy, there were 19 Grawrocks all hanging out in a park. Definitely my way of hanging out. =) Grandy and Poppy also treated us all to dinner, which was amazing of them. We went to the Soup Plantation, which was delicious. I've also decided that the best way to eat with a lot of kids is at a Buffet. Then they don't have to wait impatiently for the food.

Friday was DISNEYLAND! Since we wanted to make the most of our time there, we had to leave at 6 in the morning to get there by 8. Well, since we were staying with my parents, we actually left their house at 5:40 in order to get there, so we were extremely tired. But, it was SO worth it.

Rhys and Gavin were absolutely amazing at Disneyland. Rhys had done it before when he was almost 3, so we figured he would do well again, but this was Gavin's first time. He figured out the lines, was patient with us, and even took a nap. We're very proud of him. Rhys went on all the big rides he could, including Space Mountain, Star Tours, Splash Mountain, and Big Thunder. He was our Daredevil and would go on anything everyone else was going on. The only one he wasn't tall enough for was Indiana Jones, so maybe next time.

Rhys also got to meet Rapunzel and Flynn from Tangled. We had to wait a little bit, but they were such good characters. They played with Rhys, and Rapunzel even tried to get Gavin involved (He was just too shy) At one point Flynn crouched down and asked Rhys to give him a high five. Rhys did, but Flynn told him he could do it harder then that, and to really dig into it. Rhys did, and Flynn fell over backwards. He told Rhys to warn a guy that he was so strong, he wasn't expecting that. Rhys' reply, "Yeah, I am strong." Everyone in the room thought it was hysterical... that's our Rhys for you. =)

Gavin's favorite ride was either the Teacups or Dumbo. We tried to spend as much time in Fantasyland as we could so that Gavin would get to have fun as well. I think it was a successful trip, and we can't wait to take the boys back there again.

Saturday was Poppy's party, and it was a lot of fun. We got to meet all of Poppy's friends and enjoy a delicious dinner. Grandy and Poppy were kind enough to invite my parents as well, so it was fun to get to have them at our table. It was fun hearing some of the stories Steven's Dad had to tell about Poppy and it just made me love him all the more. I'm extremely honored to get to be a part of the Grawrock family.

Saturday night was probably the most memorable moment for us since we went to put the boys to bed at my parents and then just went back to Grandy and Poppy's house to visit. Just the two of us. All of the Grawrock's were there, except obviously Braden, and we just spent the evening reminiscing about old stories. It was fun because there were a few things that I actually remembered. Its kind of fun being a small part of the family for such a long time. =)

The hardest part was leaving that night because we had to say good-bye to everyone for who knows how long. We're not sure when we'll be back from Scotland, and we don't know when and if any of them will be able to come to us. I'm just really glad that we got to see everyone one more time before we left. I've also decided that going on big family vacations is a wonderful bonding experience and when Rhys and Gavin get married I hope to take all of us on one. Who knows if it will actually happen, but its the plan for now.

On Sunday since all the Grawrock's were gone, we just hung out with my family. They have a brand new back yard, so we barbecued and played some lawn games. Rhys LOVED Bocci ball. He was pretty good, although he did cheat a little. Gavin's favorite thing to do was throw the white ball, but keeping him away from all the other balls was a challenge. We also played Crochet. Rhys needed help with his mallet, but he at least got the concept. Gavin liked to "Help" Daddy on his turns. It was pretty cute.

Monday we ran a few errands with my Mom and then drove home.

It was such a fun trip, and we were really sad when it came to an end. But, at least we know we have even more fun things in store for us.

Great things are happening!

So, we've still got a lot to do before we are ready to move to Scotland... in 43 DAYS!! But things are moving along nicely so I thought I'd give an update.

First of all, we found out TODAY that Steven received a Scholarship from RSAMD. We are THRILLED about this! They also said that since Steven will be a Scholarship student that he will be expected to participate in certain events that will enhance both his and the academy's profile and reputation. So, this will mean only good things for his resume and for our budget!

Next, we might have found a flat to live in! Its a really nice flat, reasonably priced, in a nice area. We had some friends go check it out for us and they said that it was even nicer looking in person then the pictures show and that its surprisingly big. Its close to grocery stores, banks, subways, and a Primary School that Rhys could go to. All in all, its just what we need. We're working with the Realtor now, but hopefully we'll be able to put a down a holding deposit so that it can be ours. We're keeping our fingers crossed.

We've also found a Storage Unit to store the few belonging that we are going to keep here in Cedar City. Its a nice size, 8X10, and its only $20 a month to rent. I'm pretty happy about it. Its one of the things that has been on my mind to get, so I'm happy to check that one off my list. I'm starting to pack up the apartment, so now we can just start loading up the storage unit as we go. It will be a lot less we'll have to do all at once.

We're still working on Visa's, but its a continual process. Hopefully it will be something that I can report on soon.

We're just trying to stay positive and enjoy our last few weeks here in the United States. =)

Making Headway!

So, we're slowly making progress on our road to Scotland and while I'm still a little stressed, things are getting a little better. All of our Financial Aid has gone through, so at least we know how we're going to pay for all of this. =) We've also got out eyes on a few flats that we really like and our friends that live over there are checking them out for us. So, hopefully we'll get all that figured out soon.

We're still working on our Visa's, but we are in the process of figuring it out.

Since it is now July.. HOLY COW.. we are getting ready to put our Escort up for Sale. I'm really hoping that we can sell it sooner rather then later, but we'll see how it goes. First we have to get the side mirror fixed because someone hit us while we were parked at Wal-Mart. But, once we get that fixed we'll be posting it.

We're also still figuring everything out for our Yard Sale. The pile of things we're going to get rid of is just growing and growing. I really hope that this is a success because it will help us out a ton.

Anyway, so on to some other news. Yesterday was the 4th of July and it was SO much fun. We had a barbecue with some friends and then I took the boys to the Greenshow and they got to see Daddy a little bit at work. It was really fun. Sadly we didn't do fireworks because Steven works evenings Monday-Saturday, but we are planning on lighting some off on the 24th again since Steven will be home. So, the boys will get to see some eventually.

My Mom and Dad also drove down for the Day on Saturday and it was really fun. We just hung out and I made us all dinner and then we went to the Greenshow with them as well so they could buy a Festival Tart from my Sister. There are only 2 more times that we'll get to see my Parents before we move, so it was both fun and sad at the same time.

I can't think about saying good bye to our families yet, or else it makes me sad. We actually have a family trip to San Diego with Steven's family coming up in a few weeks and its going to be so much fun. We're very excited to get to see almost everyone. We're sad to miss Braden who is still on his mission, but he'll be with us all in thought. =)

Anyway, I'll keep updating things as we know them, so I hope the suspense doesn't kill you. =)

STRESSED!!

So I think the stress of getting everything ready for Scotland is finally getting to me. At this point we have our passports, the Visa we need is currently in the first stages of application, Financial Aid and Scholarships are applied for, Airplane ticket is purchased to get us over there, and I look every day to find an Apartment for us online. At this point the ONLY thing I can actually do anything about is the Apartment, but even that has its limits. Since we still have almost 3 months until we get there, we really can't apply for one until we're closer to August. So, for now I just look and wish.

I'm also currently going through EVERYTHING that we own. We're planning on having a HUGE Moving Sale in August so I have to go through and decide what we're keeping to store, and what we're selling. So far I've been putting everything that we're okay with getting rid of in boxes in our bedroom. The pile of boxes is getting HUGE. In some ways its comforting. I'm putting everything in boxes so that if we don't miss it in the next 2 months then its okay to get rid of it. But, at the same time its frustrating to see your house getting less and less full of things. The funny thing is, its not even all of it yet. When it comes to Rhys and Gavin's stuff, I have only been picking a few things in each category to put aside so they still have stuff to play with. I don't want them to go into withdrawals because all their toys disappeared over night. As it is, we've decided that they need to not be here when we have the sale. I think its asking too much of them to see people walking off with their toys. Its better to have them just disappear I think. Luckily we can still take some of them with us.. but the verdicts still out as to which ones are coming.

So yeah, mainly I'm stressing about everything that needs to be done, with no way to relieve the stress. But, it does feel surprisingly better to get all of this out there. Thanks for listening.. and hopefully as we hear about our Visa, Financial Aid, Grants, Etc. the stress will just go down from here. One can hope.

We're Moving to Scotland!!!

So, a little over a year ago I posted a blog about Steven's upcoming Grad School Auditions. Obviously since I didn't post anything after, they were not extremely successful. He had one school that said they liked him, but they still had a lot of auditions to go and they eventually found someone they liked a little more. Lets just say, it was a slightly dark time at the Grawrock house. Things did cheer us up though when we heard that a lot of people need to audition for Grad schools several times before getting in. That was the light at the end of the tunnel!

After much prayer and talking, Steven and I decided that we were going to give Grad School auditions one more shot before throwing in the towel. But, this time we were going to limit our options a little more and not apply to quite so many schools. He did, however, apply through URTAS which is a program that lets you apply to about 40 different schools at one time. Not too shabby. Steven's dream school (The Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama or RSAMD) were the ones that told him they liked him, so that was the one school he specifically wanted to audition for again. Having the wonderful parents that he does, they decided they wanted to fly him to Scotland so he could actually audition in person this time. I'm not sure if it actually helped his chances or not, but I know that it gave him a little more confidence. So, in early February Steven auditioned for URTAS and The University of Birmingham School for Acting because they were having open auditions in San Francisco and he figured, WHY not? Well, we found out on Feb. 21 that Steven was accepted into the only URTA school there from England. East 15 in Essex, England. As you can imagine, we were THRILLED. He not only got into Grad School, but Steven had always wanted to study abroad. Steven then flew to Scotland for his Audition knowing that he had already been accepted into Grad School, which I think relieved some of the pressure. He had a WONDERFUL audition in Scotland. One of the best he's ever had and he felt really good about it. When he came home he had an e-mail from them telling him that they were putting him on the list of people they were considering, but that they wouldn't know for sure until they finished all their auditions. This alone was exciting. But while we were trying to decide if we should accept East 15's offer while we waited to hear from Scotland we got word that Steven was accepted into the Birmingham School for Acting that he had randomly auditioned for. So, Grad school number 2 accepted him. YAY!

At this point we were just trying to decide between East 15 and Birmingham since we hadn't found out about Scotland yet. We both felt strongly that Birmingham was the better choice, even though we hadn't heard of either school before. So, we turned down East 15 and asked Birmingham for an extension while we waited. They were so nice and went ahead and told us they would wait.

We ended up waiting 2 months, but we FINALLY heard from Scotland and he Got in!! We can't believe it. Steven has wanted to go there for 4 years now and we're still in shock that he got in. The Alumni list is amazing and since we've accepted we found out that its ranked number 4 in the world for Theatre Schools. Steven laughs at me, but I like to brag that we also found out that Birmingham is rated number 8 in the world, so he was accepted into 2 of the top 10. That's just incredible to me and I am SO proud of him. Now we're just trying to get things ready to move at the end of August. (Aug. 30 to be exact, since we now have the plane tickets) I'm excited to keep this blog up and to keep everyone informed on the progress of this move. Its an extremely exciting and nerve racking time. So, keep tuned for more updates on the Grawrock Family adventure!

I want the Give-a-way

Okay, so I haven't posted in a REALLY long time and this is giving me incentive to do so. However in order to get more points for a Give-a-way that my Brother-in-law is doing on his blog, I need to post this. So here goes.

My Brother-in-law Josh writes this hilarious blog. It is so funny that you are seriously missing out if you don't read it. Here's the link.

http://www.joshweed.com/search?updated-min=2011-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&updated-max=2012-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&max-results=5

But, he finally reached 100 followers and so to celebrate he's doing a give-away and the prize is a White elephant gift he received along with a Giftcard to the Cheesecake factory. The White Elephant is A Little Thumper massager. Yes.. that kind of Massager. I think its hilarious, and while most of the people commenting to win really only want the Giftcard, I'm thinking both would be kind of fun. =) So, here's hoping that we win! Oh... and read the blog. SOOOO funny!