Summer, here we come!

I feel like so much has been going on lately but in the best way possible.  I am going to break up stuff into several different posts.  Layton finished up his first year in the Architecture Program at the University of Utah.  That was two very long semesters (at least for me).  He often rode the bus to school but we were together a bit in the mornings, then he'd get home in the evenings, we'd have dinner and time together as a family, get Wes ready for bed and put him to bed, then Layton would work on homework all night (often staying up until midnight or 1 and usually later).  It was always such a treat to go to bed together at the same time haha.  It's things like that that help you realize what a luxury is to you.

Winter break was nice, but now that we have the whole summer ahead of us (summer school, no thank you), I am realizing how short the winter break actually was.  Layton has goals and things he wants to work on during this summer, but it definitely feels different knowing we have until August and no. more. classes until then!! We have a trip to California planned just the two of us! I am so excited and I know it is needed.  We will miss Wes soooo much but I am a believer of breaks to be a better parent. Then we are going to Lake Powell later in August and we actually won't have Wesley with us then either.  We'll be sure to do tons of fun stuff with him though (which basically includes playing outside 24/7 >_<).

Layton entered the Berkeley Prize Competition at the beginning of the year.  It's an essay contest for Architecture Undergrad students all over the world.  They are given a prompt and then write a proposal responding to the prompt of what their actual essay would be about if they were chosen.  Layton was one of 26 semi-finalists (and remember, this is a worldwide competition).  He wrote his essay about the Provo Tabernacle.  He was then notified a few weeks later that he was one of 9 finalists.  We hoped and waited for a few weeks before finding out that he won 4th place and $4,500!!! We were soooo ecstatic! It was an incredible thing to experience and be a part of and I am so proud of him.  Celebration is our trip to California.

He also won an award at school for his final studio project which was an awesome surprise as well.  Overall, he did incredibly well this semester and I am super proud of him and for how hard he worked this year.  One year down, one more to go and then on to the masters.  While I am looking forward to this part of our lives coming to a close (I just want Layton to be done with school, but I know life only gets busier), I am trying to enjoy it for what it is right now because it is a time in my life and I don't want to wish it away.  Now, summer, bring it onnn!! We are stoked to partay.