It has been a tough week for Jonathan. He has learned what "busy" really means. He is on the wrestling team, debate team, & on a committee for an upcoming youth conference for our stake. Wrestling practice is everyday after school from 3-5;30 pm, except on game day, then they start at 6am. Debates are every other Friday- Saturday. Then there is homework, & Young Men... you get the picture.
Well last week was very busy for him. 2 wrestling matches back to back that lasted until 10pm, 4 essays to write, & a jaunt up to Sundance on Saturday with the stake to check the place out. Needless to say, he was busier than he has ever been in his life.... and stressed. Finally, on Saturday afternoon, he had time to write his papers. He was so exhausted & brain dead, that every sentence was "pure torture."
As he was finishing up, Steve told him to print out the paper & put it in his backpack so he would have it. "Nawwww" he said, "I'll put it on my flash drive, print it at school, why waste paper?" Steve just rolled his eyes & let it go.
Yesterday, I picked Jonathan up from practice. I love picking him up, because it is the only time of day I have to talk to him, & he usually has a lot to say. As we were chatting, he said, "I couldn't get my flash drive to work at school today & now my paper is late. great. Next time, I'll just print it at home."
Hmmm, what a great idea. It seems I heard it somewhere before, but I bet Jonathan hadn't. Teenagers & their selective hearing! I told Steve last night & he laughed. He reminded me of when Jonathan was 6 months old, & we used to feed him beets just to watch him make a face that we found hilarious. 14 years later, Jonathan still continues to entertain us!
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Annie Oakley Jr.
Last Friday, Jonathan & a reluctant Kaitlyn went to our ward's annual Turkey Shoot.
"Who wants to get up early in the morning, stand in the cold, to shoot a round thingy?" was her response when Jonathan asked her to go with him.
"C'mon Kait, it'll be fun!" Jonathan said in his most convincing voice.
"I don't think so, I'd rather sleep in." Kaitlyn said.
Well, Jonathan either didn't hear her, or ignored her, & woke her up for the Turkey Shoot, reassuring her they would have fun. Kaitlyn adores her big brother, & decided if he really wanted her to go, she would.
Well, they both had a ton of fun! Kaitlyn came in 1st in her age group & brought home a frozen turkey. Her dad & papa John are very proud of her. Jonathan bragged about her win for the next two days. They are calling her Annie Oakley Jr.
Jonathan was thrilled to come in 3rd & win a box of corn dogs! It takes so little to please a 14 year old as long as food is involved.
Stephen was bummed he had to work & miss it. Next year, if he has to work, he'll schedule it as a day off.
Hannah is just very relieved to have finally figured out they aren't shooting live turkeys up there! She is still kind of worried about "Clay" the pidgeon though!
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Black Friday Online
As I mentioned in my last post, I don't enjoy Black Friday shopping, but I am such a cheapskate, I feel compelled to shop them. I had the kids make their Christmas list in early November, & I have been shopping for bargains all month.
By accident, I discovered what a great place Ebay is to shop! I looked all over Utah County one day for an item on Jonathan's list, only to come home empty handed. Well, not really, because I ran into great deals on stuff for the girls. But, the item Jonathan wanted is now considered vintage, and very hard to find. Who knew? So I looked on Ebay, & found it at a great price!
So, we opened up the Black Friday ads & compared them to online stores & Ebay. We found one item that was deeply discounted on Ebay for $2 more than the black friday sale, including shipping. So much better than getting up a 3am & fighting the crowds!
One store had a great sale on printers & the two other items we wanted for the girls. We arrived two minutes late (literally), & the item for the girls was gone! We did get the printer though! I was pretty bummed, because the other item was #1 on both Hannah's & Emily's lists, but I didn't want to pay full price for it. When I came home, I checked the store's website, & found them at the sale price!! I did pay shipping, but even with that, I purchased both items for the price of one!
So the thing I learned this year is to sleep in, & shop on Ebay & through the store's websites on Black Friday!
By accident, I discovered what a great place Ebay is to shop! I looked all over Utah County one day for an item on Jonathan's list, only to come home empty handed. Well, not really, because I ran into great deals on stuff for the girls. But, the item Jonathan wanted is now considered vintage, and very hard to find. Who knew? So I looked on Ebay, & found it at a great price!
So, we opened up the Black Friday ads & compared them to online stores & Ebay. We found one item that was deeply discounted on Ebay for $2 more than the black friday sale, including shipping. So much better than getting up a 3am & fighting the crowds!
One store had a great sale on printers & the two other items we wanted for the girls. We arrived two minutes late (literally), & the item for the girls was gone! We did get the printer though! I was pretty bummed, because the other item was #1 on both Hannah's & Emily's lists, but I didn't want to pay full price for it. When I came home, I checked the store's website, & found them at the sale price!! I did pay shipping, but even with that, I purchased both items for the price of one!
So the thing I learned this year is to sleep in, & shop on Ebay & through the store's websites on Black Friday!
Thanksgiving
We made half of Thanksgiving dinner on Wednesday so we could enjoy Thursday as much as possible. Emily made the pumpkin pie for her first time all by herself & it was delicious! I made all the usual stuff & Steve made all the snacks.
Now, I am not a Black Friday shopper. Well, I guess I should say, I wasn't! Now that the kids are older and want more expensive things for Christmas, I am getting into it. One thing I learned real well while Steve was in nursing school is how to stretch a dollar, & those habits have stuck with me. Why pay $50 for something, when I can get it for 75% off?
So, Steve & I woke up bright & early on Thursday to go to KMart to get something for Emily at a deeply discounted price. We were very surprised at the big line of people there at 6:30 am. As soon as the door opened at 7am, people flocked inside the store. I told Steve to go ahead, & I would catch up. He went ahead, & by the time I made it to that part of the store, 2 minutes later, the item was sold out!! Fortunately, Steve was fast & made it in time to get one. It was crazy!
We came home & went back to bed. When the kids got up & noticed we were still in bed, they called us "lazy old people." Ha Ha, if they only knew.
Steve started the turkey & then we played Monopoly with Jonathan. Now, I always win & suspected nothing less from this game. I took Jonathan out fairly easily, but Steve was in it to win, & was absolutely giddy when he won for the first time ever!
We spent the afternoon watching movies & eating. We had dinner around 4, and it was delicious! Kaitlyn said she enjoyed the day because we are usually so busy with school, work & church, that we never have time to just hang out. I couldn't agree. more!
Now, I am not a Black Friday shopper. Well, I guess I should say, I wasn't! Now that the kids are older and want more expensive things for Christmas, I am getting into it. One thing I learned real well while Steve was in nursing school is how to stretch a dollar, & those habits have stuck with me. Why pay $50 for something, when I can get it for 75% off?
So, Steve & I woke up bright & early on Thursday to go to KMart to get something for Emily at a deeply discounted price. We were very surprised at the big line of people there at 6:30 am. As soon as the door opened at 7am, people flocked inside the store. I told Steve to go ahead, & I would catch up. He went ahead, & by the time I made it to that part of the store, 2 minutes later, the item was sold out!! Fortunately, Steve was fast & made it in time to get one. It was crazy!
We came home & went back to bed. When the kids got up & noticed we were still in bed, they called us "lazy old people." Ha Ha, if they only knew.
Steve started the turkey & then we played Monopoly with Jonathan. Now, I always win & suspected nothing less from this game. I took Jonathan out fairly easily, but Steve was in it to win, & was absolutely giddy when he won for the first time ever!
We spent the afternoon watching movies & eating. We had dinner around 4, and it was delicious! Kaitlyn said she enjoyed the day because we are usually so busy with school, work & church, that we never have time to just hang out. I couldn't agree. more!
O Christmas Tree
We had a really nice holiday! It was so nice to take a break from the norm, & enjoy time as a family! Here is a recap:
Wednesday- I was soo thankful for the spectacular weather! About a month ago, Steve & Jonathan drove up to Soldier Hollow at 3am in the morning to buy a permit to cut down our own tree. Stephen had Wednesday- Sunday off work this week, so we decided to make the drive to Daniels Summit to chop down our tree.
We found a little mountain ledge to hike into that had a grove of trees. The plan was to hike up, look at the trees, & if we didn't like them, to look somewhere else. Steve took one look at the terrain, & suggested that I wait in the van as I am still not 100% better from a fall I had in March. But, of course, I became stubborn & insisted on going. If I didn't, who would take the pictures? So, we started out, and as Steve suspected, my body is still not ready for that tough of a hike, & I ended up falling a pulling a muscle. What I love very most about my husband is instead of saying "I told you so," he helped me to a tree I could lean against, & then continued on up the mountain with the kids in search for a tree. He found the best one there, although not perfect, cut it down, & then had Jonathan drag it out while he helped me hike back to the van. I've learned my lesson this time! Next time Steve tells me to stay put, I will!
Since I was not able to hike up the ledge, I didn't get a picture of Steve & Jonathan cutting down the tree, I took a few pictures at the van. Other than feeling like I had been run over by a truck for a few days, the fall wasn't that bad, thank goodness!
Wednesday- I was soo thankful for the spectacular weather! About a month ago, Steve & Jonathan drove up to Soldier Hollow at 3am in the morning to buy a permit to cut down our own tree. Stephen had Wednesday- Sunday off work this week, so we decided to make the drive to Daniels Summit to chop down our tree.
We found a little mountain ledge to hike into that had a grove of trees. The plan was to hike up, look at the trees, & if we didn't like them, to look somewhere else. Steve took one look at the terrain, & suggested that I wait in the van as I am still not 100% better from a fall I had in March. But, of course, I became stubborn & insisted on going. If I didn't, who would take the pictures? So, we started out, and as Steve suspected, my body is still not ready for that tough of a hike, & I ended up falling a pulling a muscle. What I love very most about my husband is instead of saying "I told you so," he helped me to a tree I could lean against, & then continued on up the mountain with the kids in search for a tree. He found the best one there, although not perfect, cut it down, & then had Jonathan drag it out while he helped me hike back to the van. I've learned my lesson this time! Next time Steve tells me to stay put, I will!
Since I was not able to hike up the ledge, I didn't get a picture of Steve & Jonathan cutting down the tree, I took a few pictures at the van. Other than feeling like I had been run over by a truck for a few days, the fall wasn't that bad, thank goodness!
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Cheeseball/ Dip
I am making dinner for tomorrow & I just realized I forgot to post this recipe for my old roomies! I made this for our get together last Saturday, & they all loved it! Though Steve ate what I brought home & said it was a bit to "rich"
2 pkg cream cheese
1 pkg Ranch dressing mix
3 pieces of bacon, finely chopped.
You can add shrimp to it, but I didn't for the party. You can also form it in a ball & roll in nuts.
Heidi, I ate a one of the cookies you made for ME on the way home, & I am glad I did, because I set them on the table, then went to go put away my shoes & coat. BIG MISTAKE! By the time I walked back into the kitchen, they were gone, & the kids were exclaming how good they were!
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!
2 pkg cream cheese
1 pkg Ranch dressing mix
3 pieces of bacon, finely chopped.
You can add shrimp to it, but I didn't for the party. You can also form it in a ball & roll in nuts.
Heidi, I ate a one of the cookies you made for ME on the way home, & I am glad I did, because I set them on the table, then went to go put away my shoes & coat. BIG MISTAKE! By the time I walked back into the kitchen, they were gone, & the kids were exclaming how good they were!
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Teenagers= Stress!
I have to say, I LOVE being a mom of teenagers, they are so fun to talk to & hang out with! But once in awhile, they stress me out!
Jonathan is on the high school wrestling team. He started practice last week... everyday after school from 3- 5:30 pm. So, going to pick him up has become part of my daily routine. No big deal, it's a 10 minute drive there, & a 10 minute drive back home.
Yesterday (Saturday), I had to take him to the high school because the wrestling team was going to Pleasant Grove for a hydration test. It's about 40 minutes from here. We pull into the high school drop off, & Jonathan says, "Mom, I forgot my ID at home & I have to have it" Great. So he gets out of the van, asks the coach how much time there is until the bus leaves. The coach says 10 minutes! So, I have 10 minutes to drive home & back to school! Impossible? No, I did it, but all I can say is I'm glad there were no police around!
So, he gets back, & says, "Mom, I need to re-test again on Tuesday at 6:30 pm, in Pleasant Grove, & I'll need you to drive me." OK. Well, Emily has Gymnastics in Springville until 5, I have to pick him up from practice at 5:30, then run & pick up Hannah at home, then we can head off to Pleasant Grove for the hydration test. I just need to arrange a ride for Kaitlyn to Young Women's. When we get home, I look at the calendar to make sure I haven't forgot anything going on Tuesday. I had... It's Young Women's In Excellence & I need to be there.
So I ask Jonathan, "is there any other time you can do the hydration test?" And in a very casual voice he says, "Um, yeah. I can take the test in Springville on Thursday."
Oh good, glad to know that!
Jonathan is on the high school wrestling team. He started practice last week... everyday after school from 3- 5:30 pm. So, going to pick him up has become part of my daily routine. No big deal, it's a 10 minute drive there, & a 10 minute drive back home.
Yesterday (Saturday), I had to take him to the high school because the wrestling team was going to Pleasant Grove for a hydration test. It's about 40 minutes from here. We pull into the high school drop off, & Jonathan says, "Mom, I forgot my ID at home & I have to have it" Great. So he gets out of the van, asks the coach how much time there is until the bus leaves. The coach says 10 minutes! So, I have 10 minutes to drive home & back to school! Impossible? No, I did it, but all I can say is I'm glad there were no police around!
So, he gets back, & says, "Mom, I need to re-test again on Tuesday at 6:30 pm, in Pleasant Grove, & I'll need you to drive me." OK. Well, Emily has Gymnastics in Springville until 5, I have to pick him up from practice at 5:30, then run & pick up Hannah at home, then we can head off to Pleasant Grove for the hydration test. I just need to arrange a ride for Kaitlyn to Young Women's. When we get home, I look at the calendar to make sure I haven't forgot anything going on Tuesday. I had... It's Young Women's In Excellence & I need to be there.
So I ask Jonathan, "is there any other time you can do the hydration test?" And in a very casual voice he says, "Um, yeah. I can take the test in Springville on Thursday."
Oh good, glad to know that!
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Fall Break Flop
I have been looking forward to fall break for a month now! I made the following plans
Thursday: hang out with Malissa, Lisa Joy, Darla, & Heidi at Malissa's farm, eating delicious cinnamon rolls & taking the kids to pick pumpkins at a nearby pumpkin patch.
Friday: Visiting Aunt Arlene with Stephen, and then going to the Jordan River Temple.
Saturday: Taking Emily & Kaitlyn shopping for new church dresses, shoes, & winter coats.
On Tuesday, Kaitlyn woke up terribly sick. We think she wasn't completely well from her cold last week, & suffered a relapse. Malissa emailed to say strep throat was visiting her house, & with all the illness, we decided to cancel our get together. When Thursday came, Kait was still under the weather, so we decided to just hang around the house.
See the posts below to read about Friday & Saturday!
Thursday: hang out with Malissa, Lisa Joy, Darla, & Heidi at Malissa's farm, eating delicious cinnamon rolls & taking the kids to pick pumpkins at a nearby pumpkin patch.
Friday: Visiting Aunt Arlene with Stephen, and then going to the Jordan River Temple.
Saturday: Taking Emily & Kaitlyn shopping for new church dresses, shoes, & winter coats.
On Tuesday, Kaitlyn woke up terribly sick. We think she wasn't completely well from her cold last week, & suffered a relapse. Malissa emailed to say strep throat was visiting her house, & with all the illness, we decided to cancel our get together. When Thursday came, Kait was still under the weather, so we decided to just hang around the house.
See the posts below to read about Friday & Saturday!
Emily's Accident
Thursday night, Stephen was feeling sick, so we decided not to go see Aunt Arlene & go to the temple. We realized Jonathan & Kaitlyn would both be gone next weekend, so we decided to go to the Red Barn to get pumpkins on Friday..
We kind of took the morning slow on Friday, I was folding laundry, Steve was reading a book/ resting. We had lunch & I told the girls to do the dishes, get dressed & brush their har so we could go to the Red Barn. Steve went to lie back down & I went back into my room to clean out my closet.
About 10 minutes later, Kaitlyn said, "mom, come quick!, it's serious" Now, at times like this, I wonder why they don't call their dad. HE is the registered nurse. Emily was in the bathroom & there was blood everywhere! I wanted to panic, but knew I couldn't. So I told Kaitlyn to get dad, who was downstairs in the family room napping. I started to access her: the wound was on the bottom of her foot, it is very deep, she cut it on the fence post Jonathan cut out last week & was supposed to bury, but didn't well enough.
Steve came up & worked on stopping the bleeding, while I called the dr. At first, they were at lunch. We talked about driving her to the ER in Orem or Provo, but decided it would be faster to wait for the dr to get back from lunch. We called 10 minutes later, & they were back & we went right in. At first, the DR thought it was so bad we would have to go to the ER. But once they cleaned it out, he was able to sew it up. Steve assisted, which I think helped Emily.
At least the cut is in the shape of a V. Emily says it means V for Victory, that she survived the ordeal! She has 13 stitches, & the worst news is no gymnastics for 2-4 weeks. Poor Em!
We kind of took the morning slow on Friday, I was folding laundry, Steve was reading a book/ resting. We had lunch & I told the girls to do the dishes, get dressed & brush their har so we could go to the Red Barn. Steve went to lie back down & I went back into my room to clean out my closet.
About 10 minutes later, Kaitlyn said, "mom, come quick!, it's serious" Now, at times like this, I wonder why they don't call their dad. HE is the registered nurse. Emily was in the bathroom & there was blood everywhere! I wanted to panic, but knew I couldn't. So I told Kaitlyn to get dad, who was downstairs in the family room napping. I started to access her: the wound was on the bottom of her foot, it is very deep, she cut it on the fence post Jonathan cut out last week & was supposed to bury, but didn't well enough.
Steve came up & worked on stopping the bleeding, while I called the dr. At first, they were at lunch. We talked about driving her to the ER in Orem or Provo, but decided it would be faster to wait for the dr to get back from lunch. We called 10 minutes later, & they were back & we went right in. At first, the DR thought it was so bad we would have to go to the ER. But once they cleaned it out, he was able to sew it up. Steve assisted, which I think helped Emily.
At least the cut is in the shape of a V. Emily says it means V for Victory, that she survived the ordeal! She has 13 stitches, & the worst news is no gymnastics for 2-4 weeks. Poor Em!
The Red Barn
Emily insisted that we go to the Red Barn, even though she was in a lot of pain & couldn't walk. Our fall break had been so dissapointing so far, we decided to go. The weather was beautiful, & we needed the fresh air. We had so much fun!
Hannah at the pumkpin patch
Maybe because she is the smallest in our family, she had to have the biggest pumpkin!
We also went to a new resturant we have been saying we will try for years, The Family Tree. The food was ok, the prices expensive.... but the kids loved it!!!!
On Saturday, we didn't go shopping, Emily still couldn't walk too well. We stayed home & cleaned the house while Em propped her foot up.
Oh well, if life went exactly as planned, life would be boring, right? But you all know I never give up, so I am planning a fun Thanksgiving break already!
We also went to a new resturant we have been saying we will try for years, The Family Tree. The food was ok, the prices expensive.... but the kids loved it!!!!
On Saturday, we didn't go shopping, Emily still couldn't walk too well. We stayed home & cleaned the house while Em propped her foot up.
Oh well, if life went exactly as planned, life would be boring, right? But you all know I never give up, so I am planning a fun Thanksgiving break already!
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Catch-up & the circus
Life is really busy right now & this poor blog is being so neglected! Here it is October & I haven't changed the background or updated in about two weeks.
Let's see....
Jonathan, Kaitlyn & Stephen have been working the BYU scout games at the football stadium, so most Saturdays they have been gone. Speaking of BYU, Emily declared herself an Utes fan recently & Jonathan is, well, a true blue BYU fan, and responded by saying, "My own Sister!"
We have been working on our landscape, very, very slowly & finally have most of what we wanted accomplished before winter finished. Yesterday, because there wasn't a BYU home game, Steve, Jonathan, & my dad pulled out the front fence. It looks so much better!
Next project: new windows & doors. Again, another slow moving project. Our windows are almost 30 years old & very drafty. The all need replaced. After getting several bids, we opted to go with a company who would do a pay as you go plan. So, we saved up for two windows, bought them in early September, and waited 6 weeks for them to be installed. They did a beautiful job, & we will be using them again. Only 10 more windows to go!
A few weeks ago, we attended the baby blessing of John William Perrin, son of Brian & Lisa Joy Perrin. He is a beautiful baby boy! I didn't get a picture of him as I'd hope.... he decided he's rather go upstairs & eat! But I did get a few pictures of the cakes & a shot of Lisa Joy, Malissa, & I:
Speaking of Malissa, my old college roommate & dear friend... after 15 years, she finally made her way to Utah & I am very happy to have her close! I am looking forward to seeing her more and watching her kids grow up!
And finally, here are the circus pictures!:
Let's see....
Jonathan, Kaitlyn & Stephen have been working the BYU scout games at the football stadium, so most Saturdays they have been gone. Speaking of BYU, Emily declared herself an Utes fan recently & Jonathan is, well, a true blue BYU fan, and responded by saying, "My own Sister!"
We have been working on our landscape, very, very slowly & finally have most of what we wanted accomplished before winter finished. Yesterday, because there wasn't a BYU home game, Steve, Jonathan, & my dad pulled out the front fence. It looks so much better!
Next project: new windows & doors. Again, another slow moving project. Our windows are almost 30 years old & very drafty. The all need replaced. After getting several bids, we opted to go with a company who would do a pay as you go plan. So, we saved up for two windows, bought them in early September, and waited 6 weeks for them to be installed. They did a beautiful job, & we will be using them again. Only 10 more windows to go!
A few weeks ago, we attended the baby blessing of John William Perrin, son of Brian & Lisa Joy Perrin. He is a beautiful baby boy! I didn't get a picture of him as I'd hope.... he decided he's rather go upstairs & eat! But I did get a few pictures of the cakes & a shot of Lisa Joy, Malissa, & I:
Speaking of Malissa, my old college roommate & dear friend... after 15 years, she finally made her way to Utah & I am very happy to have her close! I am looking forward to seeing her more and watching her kids grow up!
And finally, here are the circus pictures!:
Sunday, September 27, 2009
My Birthday
Thanks for all the kind birthday wishes on facebook, phone, email, & here! I have been blessed to make a lot of good friends through the years, and through the Internet, stay in touch! I had a fabulous birthday! Stephen made a yummy omlette, then had the kids clean the house. I must be getting oldER, because I find myself making a "Things I Want To Do In My Lifetime" list. One item I can check off is going to the circus. I had never been before! I don't don't know what I enjoyed more.... watching the show or watching the kids faces as they watched the show!
As far as pictures go, it has been kind of a feast or famine here. I haven't taken many pictures the past few months, then I took 100 pictures this weekend.
Here are a few pictures of the kids in Salt Lake City, just hanging out before the show. I packed a picnic lunch & we sat on the lawn across from the city & ate before going to the circus. I think what I enjoyed most about my birthday was no school, no work, just a relaxing day with Stephen & the kids!
Someone is REALLY excited about the circus.
Stayed tuned for circus pictures later this week!
As far as pictures go, it has been kind of a feast or famine here. I haven't taken many pictures the past few months, then I took 100 pictures this weekend.
Here are a few pictures of the kids in Salt Lake City, just hanging out before the show. I packed a picnic lunch & we sat on the lawn across from the city & ate before going to the circus. I think what I enjoyed most about my birthday was no school, no work, just a relaxing day with Stephen & the kids!
Someone is REALLY excited about the circus.
Stayed tuned for circus pictures later this week!
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Do I blog anymore?
I just realized it is the 16th (I think) and I haven't blogged at all this month. That can only mean one thing: I'M BUSY!
Here are the highlights (and some lowlights) of the month:
1. Computer crash- yep, it was bound to happen, but quite upsetting when it did. You would have thought a child was critically injured by the way Steve & I reacted by loading it up in the van & rushing to the computer doctor! He pronounced it dead upon arrival, & we ended up buying one we could afford, thank goodness, but not the top of the line one I think I need. So, this will do for now, but we are saving up. Oh, & thankfully I had all my pictures on CD from the day I started taking digital until June 2009. I posted some pictures from July & August, so I only lost maybe 250 pictures total. Which for me is nothing! It could've been so much worse.
2. New Business- In July, I decided to start my own online store selling advertising packages to digital scrapbook designers. In short, I advertise their products online & help generate traffic to their store. Being an Entreprenuer was on my 'things to do during my lifetime' list, so I just decided to go for it. It is going well & my main priority is to never let it interfere with family life. Steve has been really supportive & as usual, I couldn't of done it without him.
3. School- The kids are doing really well & for the most part, enjoying it. Emily & Hannah have a fair amount of homework, but I think it is much more reasonable than last year. Jonathan is taking all pre AP classes, hardly has any homework, & has very good grades. Leaving me to in shock & awe. He is so incredibly smart. Kaitlyn has homework every night & is very dilligent about getting it completed, which is paying off. She has straight As! I am taking a Photoshop class every Thursday. Stephen is the only one not in school or taking classes, & loving every minute of it!
4. Home- Well although no one knew about it, we have been trying to decide if we should sell our home or not since Stephen graduated from nursing school. It was a decision that took us months & months of thought and prayer. We almost decided to sell, but everytime I drove down the street, I started to sob. The thought of starting over in a new neighborhood just made me sick. I knew the kids would hate it, & honestly, so would I. Financially, we felt really good about selling & I already had a few homes picked out. Steve said if it came down to what I wanted, he felt like it would work either way. I kept going back & forth between feeling good in the fact that we could afford a newer home & wanting one, to feeling absolutely terrified & sick over leaving the neighborhood. This went on for weeks. Finally, we set a deadline to make a decision. It was driving me crazy!!! So I made the decision to agree to sell & prayed to feel comfort that we would find a good neighborhood & I would feel peace. The feelings of sadness & worry only intensified. Finally I realized (duh) that was the answer! We are supposed to be in this neighborhood & it isn't time to sell yet, & it was then that I felt total peace.
So, we may be here another 5 years or another 25. Either way, the house itself is not my dream home, so we have decided to remodel. Currently, we have dug out a flower bed in front, & contracted to replace windows to make it more energy efficient. We found a guy willing to do a few windows at a time. So we are saving up, buying a few windows until the we are finished, hopefully by next summer. I am studying different flower bed designs & know I have to decide soon if we want to plant bulbs. We are getting rid of our front fence, which I am thrilled about. No more weeding around it! Stephen is going to repaint the exterior doors & we are going to buy new interior doors & repaint some rooms in the house. Who knows, by the time we are finished, maybe I will never want to move!
Thats the update!
Here are the highlights (and some lowlights) of the month:
1. Computer crash- yep, it was bound to happen, but quite upsetting when it did. You would have thought a child was critically injured by the way Steve & I reacted by loading it up in the van & rushing to the computer doctor! He pronounced it dead upon arrival, & we ended up buying one we could afford, thank goodness, but not the top of the line one I think I need. So, this will do for now, but we are saving up. Oh, & thankfully I had all my pictures on CD from the day I started taking digital until June 2009. I posted some pictures from July & August, so I only lost maybe 250 pictures total. Which for me is nothing! It could've been so much worse.
2. New Business- In July, I decided to start my own online store selling advertising packages to digital scrapbook designers. In short, I advertise their products online & help generate traffic to their store. Being an Entreprenuer was on my 'things to do during my lifetime' list, so I just decided to go for it. It is going well & my main priority is to never let it interfere with family life. Steve has been really supportive & as usual, I couldn't of done it without him.
3. School- The kids are doing really well & for the most part, enjoying it. Emily & Hannah have a fair amount of homework, but I think it is much more reasonable than last year. Jonathan is taking all pre AP classes, hardly has any homework, & has very good grades. Leaving me to in shock & awe. He is so incredibly smart. Kaitlyn has homework every night & is very dilligent about getting it completed, which is paying off. She has straight As! I am taking a Photoshop class every Thursday. Stephen is the only one not in school or taking classes, & loving every minute of it!
4. Home- Well although no one knew about it, we have been trying to decide if we should sell our home or not since Stephen graduated from nursing school. It was a decision that took us months & months of thought and prayer. We almost decided to sell, but everytime I drove down the street, I started to sob. The thought of starting over in a new neighborhood just made me sick. I knew the kids would hate it, & honestly, so would I. Financially, we felt really good about selling & I already had a few homes picked out. Steve said if it came down to what I wanted, he felt like it would work either way. I kept going back & forth between feeling good in the fact that we could afford a newer home & wanting one, to feeling absolutely terrified & sick over leaving the neighborhood. This went on for weeks. Finally, we set a deadline to make a decision. It was driving me crazy!!! So I made the decision to agree to sell & prayed to feel comfort that we would find a good neighborhood & I would feel peace. The feelings of sadness & worry only intensified. Finally I realized (duh) that was the answer! We are supposed to be in this neighborhood & it isn't time to sell yet, & it was then that I felt total peace.
So, we may be here another 5 years or another 25. Either way, the house itself is not my dream home, so we have decided to remodel. Currently, we have dug out a flower bed in front, & contracted to replace windows to make it more energy efficient. We found a guy willing to do a few windows at a time. So we are saving up, buying a few windows until the we are finished, hopefully by next summer. I am studying different flower bed designs & know I have to decide soon if we want to plant bulbs. We are getting rid of our front fence, which I am thrilled about. No more weeding around it! Stephen is going to repaint the exterior doors & we are going to buy new interior doors & repaint some rooms in the house. Who knows, by the time we are finished, maybe I will never want to move!
Thats the update!
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