Well I snapped this picture from bed as Luke was leaving to document his first day of work, only... he came home 2 hours later. We all screamed excitedly and I kissed him a little, okay a lot. And then I said, "Were you fired? Why are you here?" Well apparently they didn't tell him he needed to get a TB shot, so he can't start 'till Monday now. It's a win for sure that we get Luke home for a couple more days, but no paycheck for months (besides mine) is really starting to wear on us. I will be glad to not be Luke's Sugar Mamma (as he calls me) anymore and hopefully quit soon. Cross your fingers that there won't be any more hiccups on this road to Luke beginning this great new part of his career. I am so proud of him. I know he is going to do great like he always does. Although the girls and I will sure miss his help at home. He is great at putting the girls to bed, cleaning up after meals, changing diapers, changing mom's plans and they way I do things (or atleast weighing in on them). We can't wait to bring you lunch and eat it with you in your new huge office. We can't wait for the days when you will walk in the door and surprise us for lunch. And we can't wait for the days when you say you are too swamped to come home and so we will wait eagerly to hear how you day ended up as we help you unload. Thanks Luke for working hard to support us girls and give us our wildest dreams!!
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
After 2 months of waiting, Luke got his SC license!
Luke got up for his first day of work this morning. His new schedule is 7am-4pm because he needs to be there to help his patients at the "Diner's Club." This is where people who have swallowing problems following a neurological injury, like a stroke or brain injury, and who are at risk for aspiration, aka choking, meet together during meals so Luke can help them learn to use strategies to eat safely. Luke loved the "swallowing" area in school, but he sure doesn't like getting up early. I guess Saturday will be a sacred sleep-in day! We think it will be good for us to try to get the kids in bed earlier so we can maybe be up with daddy. Don't bet money on it though, cause every time we try to become morning people it doesn't work. We have been putting our kids to bed between 9 and 10 since we moved here. We all have the same number of hours though right?
Well I snapped this picture from bed as Luke was leaving to document his first day of work, only... he came home 2 hours later. We all screamed excitedly and I kissed him a little, okay a lot. And then I said, "Were you fired? Why are you here?" Well apparently they didn't tell him he needed to get a TB shot, so he can't start 'till Monday now. It's a win for sure that we get Luke home for a couple more days, but no paycheck for months (besides mine) is really starting to wear on us. I will be glad to not be Luke's Sugar Mamma (as he calls me) anymore and hopefully quit soon. Cross your fingers that there won't be any more hiccups on this road to Luke beginning this great new part of his career. I am so proud of him. I know he is going to do great like he always does. Although the girls and I will sure miss his help at home. He is great at putting the girls to bed, cleaning up after meals, changing diapers, changing mom's plans and they way I do things (or atleast weighing in on them). We can't wait to bring you lunch and eat it with you in your new huge office. We can't wait for the days when you will walk in the door and surprise us for lunch. And we can't wait for the days when you say you are too swamped to come home and so we will wait eagerly to hear how you day ended up as we help you unload. Thanks Luke for working hard to support us girls and give us our wildest dreams!!
Well I snapped this picture from bed as Luke was leaving to document his first day of work, only... he came home 2 hours later. We all screamed excitedly and I kissed him a little, okay a lot. And then I said, "Were you fired? Why are you here?" Well apparently they didn't tell him he needed to get a TB shot, so he can't start 'till Monday now. It's a win for sure that we get Luke home for a couple more days, but no paycheck for months (besides mine) is really starting to wear on us. I will be glad to not be Luke's Sugar Mamma (as he calls me) anymore and hopefully quit soon. Cross your fingers that there won't be any more hiccups on this road to Luke beginning this great new part of his career. I am so proud of him. I know he is going to do great like he always does. Although the girls and I will sure miss his help at home. He is great at putting the girls to bed, cleaning up after meals, changing diapers, changing mom's plans and they way I do things (or atleast weighing in on them). We can't wait to bring you lunch and eat it with you in your new huge office. We can't wait for the days when you will walk in the door and surprise us for lunch. And we can't wait for the days when you say you are too swamped to come home and so we will wait eagerly to hear how you day ended up as we help you unload. Thanks Luke for working hard to support us girls and give us our wildest dreams!!
Saturday, January 21, 2012
27... wiser and spoiled too!
Man I am spoiled. I already have more than I need. My girls and husband and a warm place to live, who needs more than that. Apparently I do because I got a sewing machine and a piano for my birthday! Yes. I told Luke there is no way that I can tell people I got both of those for by birthday and he said "Yes, I can." So I guess it is the truth, so there you go. I am super excited for both.
All I ask for now is that Rick is right that 27 years is when you gain all your wisdom and not 47 years like he was unsure about. I can't wait for 20 more years to be wise. That would be 27 years of being unwise and that just won't do.
Earlier in the week, two ladies in the ward (Heather, Anna) were so nice to surprise me and take me to Chili's for dessert and to get to know each other.
I got my piano delivered on Saturday from a nice guy on Craigslist 45 minutes away for a whopping $100. I have named the piano Black Beauty, inspired by others' suggestions because I haven't really named anything before, because of the story Black Beauty. Pretty much, just like the horse, this piano is an awesome beautiful instrument that has been abused and been through a lot, and now its rescued, cleaned up, and in a home that will love it. (Note the birthday cards on top, thank you to everyone who thought of me on my birthday. I need to be be better at doing that.)
This picture is after I took 2 hours of elbow grease (muscle) and furniture polish to rub off all the white paint scuffs, dried gooeyness, and food galore. The close up shows you better of the water damage and abuse the wood has taken. Maybe refinishing is in Black Beauty's future? I will probably put $200 into tuning and repairing it to get it up to par. That way I can stay in my budget I hope. I am really fortunate to have made friends with a piano tuner here who helped me scour Craigslist for the right candidate for my cheap budget but still have beautiful sound. 
We love it already and Luke and Gracie have had 2 mini lessons and are doing excellent. Today I played Chariots of Fire, Tea for Two, and Time in a Bottle and Gracie came running in from watching a show to play with me. Katie was already on my lap. AND I LOVE IT! If you do not play the piano you would not understand but there is just some special connection, it is truly like a romantic connection with your fingers and the keys and the sound that comes out that is so soothing and provides so much solace. I love it. I played "Olive Tree" and the spirit was so strong in me and my house. I love music and I love the piano. I hope that I can get my skills back and more in the 7 years I have not played.
On my birthday, I woke up to this...
Then we took a easy day, played the piano, did laundry, didn't have to work because of MLK (thankyou), and then we went to Chilis for a free dessert again that night.
Then on Wednesday... Gracie wanted to make me cupcakes. So she made them Pink Lemonade Cupcakes (interesting) by adding koolaid to the cake and then lemon frosting. Gracie decorated them too. Katie learned how to blow and that was probably the best memory during my birthday. She was stinkin' cute. That is why there is so many pictures. Now Katie says "Haaaawwwt" in addition to dad and yeah all the time. Love it.
27 is a great birthday! Thanks to everyone who made it so special for me, including phone calls, cards, emails, FB messages. I feel very grateful to have my health, my family and friends (old and new), and my testimony that God loves me, He has a plan for me, and that life is short so we need to try our best to do our best to love other people and become more Christlike each and every day. 
Here is to being 27, 37, 67, 77, and I don't 97 too. It's a good age!
All I ask for now is that Rick is right that 27 years is when you gain all your wisdom and not 47 years like he was unsure about. I can't wait for 20 more years to be wise. That would be 27 years of being unwise and that just won't do.
Earlier in the week, two ladies in the ward (Heather, Anna) were so nice to surprise me and take me to Chili's for dessert and to get to know each other.I got my piano delivered on Saturday from a nice guy on Craigslist 45 minutes away for a whopping $100. I have named the piano Black Beauty, inspired by others' suggestions because I haven't really named anything before, because of the story Black Beauty. Pretty much, just like the horse, this piano is an awesome beautiful instrument that has been abused and been through a lot, and now its rescued, cleaned up, and in a home that will love it. (Note the birthday cards on top, thank you to everyone who thought of me on my birthday. I need to be be better at doing that.)
This picture is after I took 2 hours of elbow grease (muscle) and furniture polish to rub off all the white paint scuffs, dried gooeyness, and food galore. The close up shows you better of the water damage and abuse the wood has taken. Maybe refinishing is in Black Beauty's future? I will probably put $200 into tuning and repairing it to get it up to par. That way I can stay in my budget I hope. I am really fortunate to have made friends with a piano tuner here who helped me scour Craigslist for the right candidate for my cheap budget but still have beautiful sound. 
We love it already and Luke and Gracie have had 2 mini lessons and are doing excellent. Today I played Chariots of Fire, Tea for Two, and Time in a Bottle and Gracie came running in from watching a show to play with me. Katie was already on my lap. AND I LOVE IT! If you do not play the piano you would not understand but there is just some special connection, it is truly like a romantic connection with your fingers and the keys and the sound that comes out that is so soothing and provides so much solace. I love it. I played "Olive Tree" and the spirit was so strong in me and my house. I love music and I love the piano. I hope that I can get my skills back and more in the 7 years I have not played. On my birthday, I woke up to this...
Then we took a easy day, played the piano, did laundry, didn't have to work because of MLK (thankyou), and then we went to Chilis for a free dessert again that night.
Then on Wednesday... Gracie wanted to make me cupcakes. So she made them Pink Lemonade Cupcakes (interesting) by adding koolaid to the cake and then lemon frosting. Gracie decorated them too. Katie learned how to blow and that was probably the best memory during my birthday. She was stinkin' cute. That is why there is so many pictures. Now Katie says "Haaaawwwt" in addition to dad and yeah all the time. Love it.
27 is a great birthday! Thanks to everyone who made it so special for me, including phone calls, cards, emails, FB messages. I feel very grateful to have my health, my family and friends (old and new), and my testimony that God loves me, He has a plan for me, and that life is short so we need to try our best to do our best to love other people and become more Christlike each and every day. 
Here is to being 27, 37, 67, 77, and I don't 97 too. It's a good age!
Nostradamus was wrong and we are excited for 2012!
Hey to break it to you Nostradamus, the world did not and will not end in 2012. And we are psyched about that. 2012 is going to be a good year. It has already.
Now if Luke could just get his license so he can start working and bring some money in. We are glad I haven't quit my job yet so we have at least a little income. We are hoping it will be next week.
Gracie loves doing cheers, so our Lehi neighbor's Becca's gift was perfect for our little New Year's Eve celebration. I told Gracie we were going to have a party. She said, "Who's coming over?" I said, "Nobody. We can have a party with just us." She did not think it was possible. But it was. We loved being just us.
We had a veggie/cheese/ham/crackers/fruit tray with dips, and a dessert tray with nutella and peanut butter for dipping. Santa brough us poptarts that we hadn't eaten. And yes we cut them up like little cookies and dipped them too. We had to do something to push the limits this New Year. Ha ha. 
Oh and we let Katie sit on the table. I don't care who you are, that is pushing the limits right there!
3 goals I am working on this year: 1- Read scriptures better 2- Love from the beginning, openly, and without judging. Have charity toward all men regardless of... anything 3- Be more bold in saying what I should when I should when I know it is the right thing (strategy is to use humor and make fun of myself to share the point I know is right- may not make sense to you, but it does to me- can't wait to nail my first opportunity to have no regrets, standing up and saying what I should have and I will share when I do.) Happy new year> it's going to be a good one.
Now if Luke could just get his license so he can start working and bring some money in. We are glad I haven't quit my job yet so we have at least a little income. We are hoping it will be next week.
Gracie loves doing cheers, so our Lehi neighbor's Becca's gift was perfect for our little New Year's Eve celebration. I told Gracie we were going to have a party. She said, "Who's coming over?" I said, "Nobody. We can have a party with just us." She did not think it was possible. But it was. We loved being just us.
We had a veggie/cheese/ham/crackers/fruit tray with dips, and a dessert tray with nutella and peanut butter for dipping. Santa brough us poptarts that we hadn't eaten. And yes we cut them up like little cookies and dipped them too. We had to do something to push the limits this New Year. Ha ha. 
Oh and we let Katie sit on the table. I don't care who you are, that is pushing the limits right there! 
3 goals I am working on this year: 1- Read scriptures better 2- Love from the beginning, openly, and without judging. Have charity toward all men regardless of... anything 3- Be more bold in saying what I should when I should when I know it is the right thing (strategy is to use humor and make fun of myself to share the point I know is right- may not make sense to you, but it does to me- can't wait to nail my first opportunity to have no regrets, standing up and saying what I should have and I will share when I do.) Happy new year> it's going to be a good one.
Christmas in Kentucky!
We loved having Christmas in Kentucky @ Karl's house. We loved how they make us feel a part of the family. We loved going to church on Christmas with them. We loved our Christmas gifts from them. We loved Carson for giving up his bed and room for us. We loved getting to play volleyball and dodgeball. We loved getting out of the car for a few days. We loved that they fed us, clothes us with pajamas, and even showed us how to cut letters with a jigsaw. We loved that Santa always finds you no matter where you are. We loved that we got this beyond awesome train set from a neighbor in Lehi who gave it to me to give to Gracie for Christmas. We loved the true spirit of Christmas that was there. We loved reading scriptures by candlelight every night. We loved having fun with them. And we love that Christ-like charity is what we are all striving for.
We did not love the extra stress we put on them (notice the pictures of how tired Karl was - please note, he just graduated from dental school, woo woo!). We did not love leaving except to get to SC and see our new home. We did not love that we missed making these awesome gingerbread houses from saved Halloween candy. We are going to have to add some of their traditions to ours. :) Thanks Chandler fam for a very merry Christmas memory.
We did not love the extra stress we put on them (notice the pictures of how tired Karl was - please note, he just graduated from dental school, woo woo!). We did not love leaving except to get to SC and see our new home. We did not love that we missed making these awesome gingerbread houses from saved Halloween candy. We are going to have to add some of their traditions to ours. :) Thanks Chandler fam for a very merry Christmas memory.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Packing/Moving is over!
We are so glad to be done moving, packing, and unpacking. We have had a busy year and a half in Utah and we are exhausted. This little town of Greenwood that isn't really growing or thriving, seems like the perfect fit for us right now to just take it easy, and enjoy just being us. We have laughed (really laughed) more in 2012 already than we did probably in the whole year of 2011. And it feels good!
I feel sorry for everyone who saw me our last week in Utah. Christmas party included. I looked awful. Yes I am wearing dress pants with an unmatching brown shirt and my hair is not combed. Couldn't find anything else after getting thrown up on. We were packing. We were moving and saying goodbye. We were sick. And I was still working. You can see how Katie feels that we were done packing and actually sat down --- on the floor.
Gracie had fun playing in our empty house for a little while and eating chili out of mugs with plastic spoons.
We will miss the inside of our house and our few friends.
This was the outside of our house for 3 days! It was a huge eyesore, but definitely the way to go. ABF was great to work with and it was the best move we have ever had.
You only pay for the space you use and then they fill up the rest with other freight to ship to the same area. It was very affordable. We had the YM come help us load it, and then the 2 awesomest YM leaders stayed to help us restack things higher so we didn't take up as much space. They saved us $400. Here is the view from the top.
Here is the view of the bottom. Yes I did run out of boxes, so I used black garbage bags last minute much to Luke's dismay. They did "okay." But definitely not as good as boxes. I don't think I will do it again even for the soft stuff.
Here is how much room we had left in our trailer. They helped us save over $400.
Luke snapped this happy pic of Kate while packing. I had just cut her bangs even.
As you can see I worked on a quilt for my friend Molly and her first baby. It was like putting a puzzle together with no picture of what it was supposed to look like.
Molly lost her mom not too long ago to cancer so I really feel for her, not being able to share her kids with her mom and have her to help her learn to be a mother. I think that is why I stayed up till 4am doing this one night in the middle of moving. When she told me her colors were purple, I remembered that Lenna had given me all of these awesome triangles and squares in coordinating purple fabrics that her ward had cut just waiting to be turned into a quilt. I knew they were meant for her. I used a high loft batting instead so it made it puffy and comfy. Biggest mistake was the light squares were supposed to be in a 5 grid pattern. Somehow got that mixed up going too fast. err! I didn't see it till I was binding it!
I also took pictures for the McNinch's family Christmas photo at a cool location (not pictured in these because we got kicked off cause we didn't pay a photo shoot fee), but I tried to take Katie's 1 year photos at the same time. Way too cold. Way too dark. She was not happy, but she still looked cute.
I guess we are going to have to settle for the place in Walmart here real quick.
She is already 14 months.
This was on our drive, Luke wanted me to take a picture. We have been this way before when we moved to Pennsylvania for the summer. It is a covered bridge monument thingy over the freeway in Nebraska.
Here is a picture of the famous arch in St. Louis, MO. It would be fun to come back and spend some time in this city.
The girls had a lot of fun sleeping in hotel beds with us for 2 nights and of course eating their breakfast and hot chocolate in the morning. The first night we stayed in a divey Days Inn in Ogalala NE, so the second night we stayed at this nice big conference sports center hotel in Columbia, MO. Night and day! Our longest day in the car was 11 hours and our longest leg with out stopping was 5 1/2 hours. That is EXCELLENT, considering a 3 year old, a 1 year old, and Luke's record the day before of stopping like every hour to go the bathroom about 4 times in a row. I have to tease him because it was super funny. The girls did so well in the car, we could not believe it. That my friends is why you don't just use the DVD player even if you have one. You hold off and teach your kids that they can entertain themselves until you really need it. We would only use it at night, after dinner and it was dark so they couldn't play and see each other.
Our only mishap is pictured in this photo. Gracie gave Katie the cheetos in a baggy that was open while I was sleeping. When I woke up I asked Katie to hand them to me, which she did just upside down!! So they went all over in her lap and her carseat. The only one not happy about it was me. Minor, minor mishap. Cute girl but tired. Katie cried less in the car on the trip than she does with me everyday! What a blessing.
And that leaves us with Christmas in Kentucky at my brother's for another post. We had very Merry Christmas.
I feel sorry for everyone who saw me our last week in Utah. Christmas party included. I looked awful. Yes I am wearing dress pants with an unmatching brown shirt and my hair is not combed. Couldn't find anything else after getting thrown up on. We were packing. We were moving and saying goodbye. We were sick. And I was still working. You can see how Katie feels that we were done packing and actually sat down --- on the floor.
Gracie had fun playing in our empty house for a little while and eating chili out of mugs with plastic spoons.
We will miss the inside of our house and our few friends.
This was the outside of our house for 3 days! It was a huge eyesore, but definitely the way to go. ABF was great to work with and it was the best move we have ever had.
You only pay for the space you use and then they fill up the rest with other freight to ship to the same area. It was very affordable. We had the YM come help us load it, and then the 2 awesomest YM leaders stayed to help us restack things higher so we didn't take up as much space. They saved us $400. Here is the view from the top.
Here is the view of the bottom. Yes I did run out of boxes, so I used black garbage bags last minute much to Luke's dismay. They did "okay." But definitely not as good as boxes. I don't think I will do it again even for the soft stuff.
Here is how much room we had left in our trailer. They helped us save over $400.
Luke snapped this happy pic of Kate while packing. I had just cut her bangs even.
As you can see I worked on a quilt for my friend Molly and her first baby. It was like putting a puzzle together with no picture of what it was supposed to look like.
Molly lost her mom not too long ago to cancer so I really feel for her, not being able to share her kids with her mom and have her to help her learn to be a mother. I think that is why I stayed up till 4am doing this one night in the middle of moving. When she told me her colors were purple, I remembered that Lenna had given me all of these awesome triangles and squares in coordinating purple fabrics that her ward had cut just waiting to be turned into a quilt. I knew they were meant for her. I used a high loft batting instead so it made it puffy and comfy. Biggest mistake was the light squares were supposed to be in a 5 grid pattern. Somehow got that mixed up going too fast. err! I didn't see it till I was binding it!
I also took pictures for the McNinch's family Christmas photo at a cool location (not pictured in these because we got kicked off cause we didn't pay a photo shoot fee), but I tried to take Katie's 1 year photos at the same time. Way too cold. Way too dark. She was not happy, but she still looked cute.
I guess we are going to have to settle for the place in Walmart here real quick.
She is already 14 months.
This was on our drive, Luke wanted me to take a picture. We have been this way before when we moved to Pennsylvania for the summer. It is a covered bridge monument thingy over the freeway in Nebraska.
Here is a picture of the famous arch in St. Louis, MO. It would be fun to come back and spend some time in this city.
The girls had a lot of fun sleeping in hotel beds with us for 2 nights and of course eating their breakfast and hot chocolate in the morning. The first night we stayed in a divey Days Inn in Ogalala NE, so the second night we stayed at this nice big conference sports center hotel in Columbia, MO. Night and day! Our longest day in the car was 11 hours and our longest leg with out stopping was 5 1/2 hours. That is EXCELLENT, considering a 3 year old, a 1 year old, and Luke's record the day before of stopping like every hour to go the bathroom about 4 times in a row. I have to tease him because it was super funny. The girls did so well in the car, we could not believe it. That my friends is why you don't just use the DVD player even if you have one. You hold off and teach your kids that they can entertain themselves until you really need it. We would only use it at night, after dinner and it was dark so they couldn't play and see each other.
Our only mishap is pictured in this photo. Gracie gave Katie the cheetos in a baggy that was open while I was sleeping. When I woke up I asked Katie to hand them to me, which she did just upside down!! So they went all over in her lap and her carseat. The only one not happy about it was me. Minor, minor mishap. Cute girl but tired. Katie cried less in the car on the trip than she does with me everyday! What a blessing.
And that leaves us with Christmas in Kentucky at my brother's for another post. We had very Merry Christmas.
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