Leap Year Time Capsule:
I am intrigued by February 29. It’s a strange day. An extra day. Here is a look back at the last several leap years of my life.February 29, 1988--I was freshman in college at BYU, in the middle of winter semester, taking all General Education classes and working at the Morris Center. I was dating a cute boy in my ward, and a little freaked out because he was a returned missionary and I was NOT ready for that!
February 29, 1992--I was a newlywed, we had been married for a year and a half, student teaching at Franklin Elementary in Provo, in my final semester of college. I would have been about a week pregnant with my first baby...but obviously unaware of it. We were very poor but so happy and in love.
February 29, 1996--I was a stay-at-home mom with Rachel, age 3, and Braden, age 1. Kent was in his second year of teaching at a middle school in Riverton, we had moved to Lehi, Utah in a cute lower apartment on 5th west.
February 29, 2000--Now I was a mom of three! Rachel was 7, in first grade at Lehi Elementary, Braden had just turned 5, and Stefanie was 9 months old. We were living in our first home we had built in Lehi. I was teaching piano lessons, Kent was teaching P.E. at a middle school in West Jordan.
February 29, 2004--Rachel...age 11 in 5th grade at Snow Springs. Braden...age 9, in 3rd grade, and Stefanie in preschool, age 4. We had moved into our new house a few months earlier, the same week Grandpa Smith passed away.
February 29, 2008-- Stefanie was in 3rd grade, age 8, Rachel was 15, in 9th grade, her last year of middle school, Braden, age 13 in 7th grade and playing lots of soccer. Kent was head coach at Copper Hills and I was in my second year of teaching music at Saratoga Shores.
February 29, 2012--I was soon to be the mother of three teenagers...almost 13, 17 and 19. I was Primary President, teaching music at Saratoga. Kent was in his fifth year as head coach at Copper Hills, about to take his team to the final four in the state tournament. Braden was a junior at LHS, the soccer season was just about to begin. Rachel was in her first year of college in Cedar City at SUU. Stefanie, age 12, in 7th grade, a beehive in YW, dancing and playing the violin in her middle school orchestra.
Which brings me to February 29, 2016. Stefanie is 16, a junior at LHS and working at a cute Greek restaurant, Braden is 21, a returned missionary, going to college and playing soccer at Western Wyoming. Rachel and George, both 23, are living here in Lehi in a basement apartment at his parent's home, working and playing--George just got a new job at 4Life. I am in my second year at Lehi Elementary, just released as primary president. Kent is teaching Human Anatomy at CHHS, trying his hand at coaching girls basketball.
It is interesting, thinking about how much changes in four years in the life of a family. As I think about each time period, there are some experiences I am grateful are past and some I wish I could have back. I can’t help wondering what my life will be like in four more years. What will I miss, what will I be glad has passed?
My predictions for February 29, 2020:
I predict that I will still be teaching at Lehi Elementary. I predict that Kent will be a high school head basketball coach again. I predict that we will have gone on amazing family vacations around the world. I predict that each of my kids will be doing well: Rachel and George will be living in their own home, having started their family. Braden will be finished with college, beginning his career and married to a cute little blondie. Stefanie will be working and going to school, dating up a storm, maybe serving a mission.
And that is my Leap Year Time Capsule!
