Projects...

Ok, I'll admit I've been a slacker on my blog. But, we've had some nice weather when it quits raining so I've been outside! Here are some pictures of what we've been up to. I finally figured out if I take the step stool I have in my kitchen outside, I can weed a little bit easier! I know we probably won't get grass this year, but at least I'll have some flowers!

This is out in the backyard. You can't really tell on the picture, but Travis has dug a trench & put in some 2x10's to partition off my flowerbed. I planted all these hostas last Oct. & wasn't sure if they'd survive or not since we had deer in our backyard all winter. And, I'm happy to announce, the fern I thought had died has finally got green showing! Travis is mad at me because I "ruined the tree." I told him I didn't even touch the tree! All I did was stuff underneath it. He was quick to point out that under the tree is the best part of the tree. Oh well. Guess I can't win that one!






This is up against the back of the house. You can actually see the partition in this picture. This flowerbed isn't finished yet. My mom gave me some hollyhock starts that I've put in along with about 6 strawberry plants & 1 yucca plant. I am hoping to get a bridal wreath start from my grandma to put in at the far end when the rain finally stops again!
















This is our attempt at a garden this year. We've put this along the west side of the house. We've got 1 watermelon plant that Samantha picked out at the greenhouse & had to have but I think has died, 1 pumpkin planted that I'll be surprised if it sprouts, 3 tomatoes & 2 pepers (thanks mom)! I figure if nothing else, at least we gave it a try!














This is our front yard. The dirt pile has gotten considerably smaller. And, now it is all in one place instead of a small mountain over the entire front yard! I have another flowerbed against the fence & a long one against the entire front of the house & one down the side of the driveway. Travis hasn't made it to these flowerbeds yet, but they are on the list to be partitioned off soon!






Another view of the fabulous front yard!


As you can see, we've been busy. Hope it's raining less where you are!

Old Ephraim Mountain Man Rendezvous

On Saturday we walked down to the park with the kids because it was the first time since Monday that it wasn't raining. While we were at the park, I had the idea that we should take the kids & go to Willow Park (our "zoo"). Travis suggested we take them to the Mountain Man Rendevous instead. I had never been & neither had the kids. Travis went several times when he was in high school and thought we had gone with the kids once before (I was kind enough to remind him that he was building a house 2 years ago & last year he was crazy insane with work during the summer).
So, we headed back home and loaded up the truck. We weren't sure where to park when we got there so we just parked where we saw vehicles first. Turns out we had to walk 1/2 a mile after we parked! Travis said he knew we could park farther up but he knew I needed the exercise (I told you the pregosaurus comments would kick in soon!)
There weren't a whole lot of people there (we didn't get there until about 4 or so). The kids were pretty excited to see all the people dressed up like cowboys, mountain men, pioneers & Indians. Our neighbors (whose daughter Samantha would be attached to at the hip if I let her) participate in the rendevous every year. Samantha was pretty excited to see her little friend Jolie dressed up like a little Indian girl. At one point we even saw a lady with the carrying contraption on her back with a baby (papoose) in it. Samantha thought that was pretty crazy to carry a baby on your back like that!
We walked around for awhile and the kids got a kick out of seeing all the stuff for trade/sale. Somewhere they were shooting guns & occassionally a cannon would go off. Nash wasn't too sure about the cannon! We ended up getting Nash a wood machete (I'll take slivers over lost appendages any day!) & Samantha picked out a butterfly ring. Travis found himself a powder horn that he can take hunting with him this fall. (Did I ever mention he drew out for the big game draw? He's still grinning ear to ear about that one!)
Anyway, we had a good time and if it hadn't rained all week I think there would have been a lot more people there (personally I'm glad there wasn't more people there!).

Pre-School Graduation

Samantha had her preschool graduation tonight. I realized when her class stood together for their class picture that she is almost the tallest one in the class! There are only 2 other kids in the class that will be moving on to Kindergarten next year. Samantha has had lots of fun in her class this year and I think she will be sad to move on to Kindergarten (even though I know she'll enjoy it). It's a good thing Miss Kathryn just lives 3 doors down!

A Job! A Job!

I have a job! I guess I haven't been blacklisted after all!
I was offered a job on the spot at my job interview with Quest Academy today. They are a Charter School in West Haven (down by Roy - about an hour long commute). It is a brand new school so I'll have new everything (how nice is that?!). My class size will be about 25-27 and I pretty well had my pick of grades. I will be teaching 3rd grade & there are 3 classes of each grade up to grade six. I will be starting out at a second year teaching pay scale (trust me, significantly more money & WAY more money than Cache or Logan district offers). First day of school is Aug. 25th for the kids & I will start about a week prior to that. My mom said I'd better hope the baby comes a bit early so I have time to recover before having to set up my classroom. No worries here! I called Trav on my way home & he was shocked I was coming home with a job (he was feeling I was blacklisted too). He said the best he had hoped for was a really good interview. I told him that was what I had hoped for too! As he so kindly reminded me just the other day, "Positive thinking yields positive results."
Anyway, had to share the exciting news! Hope your day is going great!

30 Weeks

Well here is another fat girl picture. Yes, I'm letting Charlotte use my belly as a table. Every night she snuggles up to my belly & gets quite offended when I move her so I can roll over! Notice the ankles have now become kankles. Travis hasn't started calling me Pregosaurus to my face yet, but I'm sure if I give him a few more days he'll be right on top of that. We go to the dr. tomorrow. I get to meet a new dr. I found out my dr. isn't delievering any more after June (yea - SO not happy about that). I did realize the other day that I've already gained as much weight as I did when Nash was born. This is either going to be a really big baby or I'm going to have to work really hard afterward to get rid of all that "at least you have an excuse to gain weight" weight!


Trav has been a sport & has put in 2 of my flowerbeds out back. By putting in I mean he has boarded them off so grass won't get into them as easily. I still need to plant! I then proceeded to go out and shovel & weed (so I could plant) in them while we had some warm weather. To which his reply was, "If your mother sees you out here doing this, she'll kick my butt." I told him his mother probably would too! Guess it's either a bad year to be pregnant or a bad year to put in a yard. Either way, neither one is willing to wait! At least I'm not shoveling snow while I'm 7-9 months pregnant this time! My mom was REALLY unhappy about that one!!

As of Monday at about 10 am this week Nash had managed to put his teeth through his bottom lip twice already. Yea, think it's shaping up to be a good week. Boys. I did mention to Travis after last week's episode that we can't name the baby Travis Jr. (TJ) because I can't handle another child that's any more like him than the one we've already got!

I have a job interview tomorrow for a position at a Charter school in West Haven (think Ogden). They are called Quest Academy. I was getting a bit desperate on my job search so last week I faxed/emailed my resume/application to the Ogden & Weber districts. I mapquested directions for all the schools that had openings and all are within 57 min. So, I figured what the heck, I can't keep waiting on the districts around here to call & beg me to come work for them! I am still waiting to hear back from Thomas Edison South Campus and I asked about applying for an ESL position at Greenville Elementary. The principal there used to be Trav's parent's neighbor & was actually his brother's principal in high school and he really thinks the world of my in laws. I was fortunate enough to interview with this guy when I did my interview for Cache School District. Anyway, I figure I might as well apply for anything within an hour north & south of here because it's getting to the point that I can't be too picky any more! Besides, I keep telling myself all this rejection is a good character builder (not to mention all the "invaluable" interviewing experience it's giving me, right?).

Anyway, we're doing good here. Hope you are having a great week (at our house that means all appendages are still attached by Saturday!).