I am intrigued by February 29. It’s a strange day. It’s a weird phenomenon to think about—having one extra day of your life every four years. I love this quote... What you do today is important, because you are exchanging a day of your life for it. ~Unknown
Here is a look back at the last several leap years of my life.
February 29, 1988--I was a freshman in college at BYU, in the middle of winter semester, taking all General Education classes and working at a cafeteria on campus. I was dating a cute boy in my ward, and completely freaked out because he was a returned missionary and I was NOT ready for that! I broke up with him soon afterwards.
February 29, 1992--I was a newlywed, we had been married for a year and a half, both of us full time students at BYU. I was a student teacher at Franklin Elementary in Provo, in my final semester before graduation. I was pregnant with our first baby...but still unaware of it. We were very poor but so happy and in love.
February 29, 1996--I was a stay-at-home mom with 3-year-old Rachel, and Braden, age 1. Kent was in his second year of teaching at Oquirrh HIlls middle school in Riverton, we had moved to Lehi, Utah in a cute lower apartment on 500 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 a stay-at-home mom, teaching piano lessons on the side. Kent was teaching P.E. at West Hills Middle School in West Jordan.
February 29, 2004--Rachel...age 11 in 5th grade at Snow Springs Elementary. Braden...age 9, in 3rd grade, and Stefanie in preschool, age 4. We had moved into our new house in Lehi just a few months before. Kent was still teaching at West Hills Middle school, coaching boys basketball at Bingham High School.
February 29, 2008-- Stefanie was 8-years-old, in 3rd grade. Rachel was 15, in 9th grade at Willow Creek Middle School, and Braden, was 13 in 7th grade at Willow Creek and playing lots of club soccer. Kent was head varsity boys coach at Copper Hills and I was in my second year at Saratoga Shores.
February 29, 2012--We had three teenagers… Stefanie--almost 13, Braden--17 and Rachel--19. I was the Primary President of our ward, in my 7th year of teaching at Saratoga Shores. Kent was in his fifth year as varsity head coach at Copper Hills, he had just taken his team to the final four in the state tournament. Braden was a junior at Lehi High, the soccer season was about to begin. Rachel was a freshman at SUU in Cedar City. Stefanie was 12, in 7th grade, a beehive in YW, dancing and playing the violin in her middle school orchestra.
February 29, 2016. Stefanie was 16, a junior at LHS and working at Greek Souvlaki. Braden was 21, a recently returned missionary, playing soccer at Western Wyoming in Rock Springs. Rachel and George had been married for 2 years and were living in their basement apartment. George had just gotten a new job at 4Life. I was in my second year of teaching at Lehi Elementary. Kent was teaching Human Anatomy at Copper Hills, and had just finished coaching his first year of JV girls basketball.
And that brings us to today!
February 29, 2020: Rachel and George are building their first home in Eagle Mountain and expecting baby #2 in about 10 weeks. Ivy just turned 2-years-old and is the light and joy of our lives. Braden is living in San Francisco, moving up the management ranks at Enlight Energy. Stefanie is living in Sugarhouse, dating Erik and working at Dillards in Provo.
It is interesting, thinking about how much changes in four years in the lives of a family. As I think about each time period, I would not have missed any of them, but I would not want to go back. I can’t help wondering what our lives will be like in four more years.
My predictions for February 29, 2024:
I predict I will still be teaching 2nd Grade at Lehi Elementary. I hope Kent will still be coaching basketball with a state championship title under his belt. I hope Rachel and George will still love living in their beautiful home in Eagle Mountain raising Ivy, age 6, and baby boy, almost 4. I hope Braden will have a successful career, traveling the world with his cute little adventurous wife. And I hope Stefanie will be happily married, a Utah Jazz season ticket holder, working in a fabulous career she loves. And I hope and pray we will all be walking together on the covenant path.
And that is my Leap Year Time Capsule!