Nampa, ID 2012

Well, we did it! We moved out of Utah. It was something we had to do as a family. It was something we had to do to deepen our relationship with God. And we are doing it! I graduated of course. I got a job as a PSR (Psychosocial Rehabilitation Specialist)a couple weeks later. It took us a month to get on our feet. We are so grateful for the help of Michelle and Nathan Kingsford, our cousins. They let us live with them for a month until we found our apartment. Now we're in and living. Art's gone through a couple of jobs to try and find one that fits. He's working at a bakery right now. They like his work, but the hours are frustrating. Art has started school and Pheonix University. He's working on a 5 year Bachelors in Business with an emphasis on Accounting. That will keep us here for a few years at least. He's excited. They do one class at a time and he goes into the classroom once a week. They have "learning teams" of students that work together on assignments and help keep one another on track. It seems to be a good environment for him. The kids are growing up and strong! Sara is learning to be more and more persuasive with her words. She also believes she is the boss of Mitchell and has no problem telling him what to do! She's been a great help looking out for him though. Mitchell, the little Havoc, is causing all sorts of messes! He is a boy!!! He grabs anything he can get his hands on: Pitchers of juice, knives from the dish washer, and a whole bucket of flour, etc. He also has quite the vocabulary. He is very talkative for 18 months. He says words from Ma! Da! and please, all the way to Tickle! Tickle! He is a handful. With all the entertainment they provide us with, it is hard to imagine, but very true: I am pregnant again. I do know how it happened, but I wish it had happened a year from now. We have been struggling financially and I've had to cut back my hours with the exhaustion and nausea. I'm 18 weeks along, almost half way! We'll find out in 9 days what the gender is. Everyday I get asked if I know what the gender is. I promise, I will let everyone know when I know! It's either a girl or a boy! We do enjoy living in Nampa. We haven't spent as much time with family as we would like, but everyone is very busy. We live in a little apartment complex and have really nice neighbors. Sara loves playing with the other girls and Mitchell loves chasing Sara. We have a fabulous Bishop who is understanding and caring. I have a calling as a primary teacher and Sara loves seeing me in there. Mitchell can start nursery finally! Art might get a calling if we can get him to church! (it's hard to work when you get home at 5:30 am after a 14 hr shift.) I love my boss and all the wonderful people I work with at Allied Mental Health Services. I am blessed by what they add to my life. God has sent us hear to learn so much and we are trying! I pray we are able to live up to his expectations and pass on his truth as we are examples! I am so grateful for his love and guidance these past months. He knows what is best for me and my family. I just have to take my hands off the wheel and let him steer. He's the one with all the right lessons after all! I will put pictures up as soon as I can. Love you all and hope your lives are as blessed as mine!

And my last semester begins!

This is my last semester of my Bachelor in Communication Studies degree. I will be graduating May 4 or 5. Not sure how that works yet. HOORAY! I am very excited. I am very scared...I do not know what I am going to do! Actually, I'm thinking I'll write up a proposal for the school district to create a consulting job to implement peer mediation programs in all of the schools! This will be a handful. I just have to get all the gumption...I'm very intimidated about the idea of going higher educated administrators and telling them why they should create a job just for me, a little bachelor student. Pray for me, please!

Sara is continuing to add to her vocabulary. While she still adds "uh huh" and "mmmhhhmmmm" when she doesn't know the word, she is starting to catch on more and more. She loves to play with Mitchell. They play peekaboo and dance...and tonight she wrestled with him on the floor...scared me, but they were both laughing so I let them.

Mitchell has pulled himself up on to his feet a couple times. He then cries because he can't sit back down. Crazy little boy. He is crawling on his knees now! Growing too fast, little man. He insists on sitting in the hallway and talking to Sara when she's playing in the bath.

Art has had his hours cut. We're hoping it picks up next month. We are hoping to get him into school again. If we can get him through Bridger, then we will both be more marketable in jobs and hopefully we can move that much sooner! He is off probation and we are looking into lowering his felony to a misdemeanor. It seems simple enough, just a few signatures and then presenting it to the judge. Just gotta take the time!

Well, we are overall doing ok. It's still tight on money, but we are happy. I love my little family. They are the best thing since whatever was best before sliced bread! :) God is good to us.

Lots of Plans

Well, summer is coming to an end, doesn't mean we're not going to sneak in a few more fun days, but it is getting close.

I have to focuz on my internship and get a strong hold on that mediation program for Bridger Elementary. It's going to be hard with 3 classes, but Art is going to be there with me the whole ride. I have 2 business classes and 1 Speech Communication class. Hopefully the elementary school can find a little extra money to give me a bit, because this is going to be tough. I am not sure I know how to teach little kids. I know all the concepts, but how to teach a 1st grader? I am not sure...

Sara and Mitchell are growing so fast. Sara is always trying to take care of herself. She pushes a chair around in the kitchen to get what she wants and knows how to get in the dishwasher when she can't find a cup or plate...so helpful, she is! She can put movies on for herself, as well. Oh, I heard a bump in the bedroom, better go see what she's getting in! I better start planning her 3rd birthday soon!

Mitchell is talking and smiling a lot more. He is so chatty! He has such a different personality than Sara, though. He doesn't sleep too much, but does well at night, gives me 6 hrs at a time at least. Soon he'll be rolling around, I can't believe he is almost 3 months!!

Art is working like crazy, I think we not go out and play a lot, but we'll be happy on what income we have. a few more hours at the coppermill and less at the pizza hut should help. I really admire him, he is so strong and hard working. He will be off probation at the end of the month and we will celebrate! Then we will get to work on preparing for the temple! :)
Hope all is well on your end. Love you to the moon and back!

Crazy Changes

I'm not sure who all has heard, but my Aunt Kelly went missing on May 24th. Her body was found on May 28th. Her ex-husband of about 13 years is being charged with her murder. My cousins, Jes and Tanner, had her cremated and we celebrated her life June 11th with a memorial that was attended by over a hundred of Kelly's friends and our family. This definitely caused my world to quake. I love her and miss her very much! Her smile and crazy life will go on in stories to my children.



With my aunt missing, we decided to induce labor. Mitchell was born May 26th at 10:26. He weighed 7 lbs 6 oz and was 20 in long. It was only a 5 hour
labor which was crazy for an induction, but I was grateful, because the epidural wasn't working. Mitchell Joseph will be blessed on the 3rd of July. Let me know if you want to come!

So, somehow I fit that all in two paragraphs, not bad, lol.

Art is working at the Coppermill as a prep cook/line cook. He enjoys it there. He's also a driver at Pizza Hut. So he is very busy. On top of all his work, he has school! He's amazing, what can I say? I am trying my hardest to keep him sane and healthy.

Sara is learning more and more words. She keeps getting in to things and causing mischief, but I'm sure that's just her age. We've had a hard time keeping her happy
this last month. What with all the changes going on. The 8 hr drive to Montana was hard on her and she did not want to sit still for anything after that.

Mitchell has had a rough couple weeks. He was on a bilibed for his jaundice. That lasted a week. Then he got an eye infection that doesn't seem to want to clear up. All in all, he is however a healthy baby boy. He sleeps an average of eight hours a night with only one feeding in the middle and is not an overly fussy baby.

For Father's Day, Art received a Nightwish CD, a book with our hand outlines in the front cover, Daddy Lotto tickets, and we all went to Sacrament on time!

Happy Father's Day to all those other dads out there!

Easter and Anniversary

Everything has been crazy, as life usually is.
Art took a short leave from school. He got a second job to catch up on bills. He's now working Pizza Hut at night as a driver, and Coppermill all week as a cook. He enjoys both. The Coppermill has surprised him in how relaxed it is. He was not looking forward to another Aggy's experience. Thankfully, there is less swearing and more team work at the Coppermill. We're still weighing options on which job he wants to keep when he starts school again after the baby is born.

I started working at Opinionology (Western Watts)a couple of weeks ago to help with the bills. It is not really ideal. I am tired and sore. With school and work, I've been more drained. I really just want to stay home and be with my family. (Art says that is all he wants to do as well.) It will be nice when we have our own business that the kids can come and help us with. Then we can earn money and be with each other! School is out next week and I may be done working by then as well. We'll see how things go. This pregnancy has been really hard.

Art and I are receiving subpoenas, apparently. There was a reckless driver we called in a couple of weeks ago and he is trying to fight it. I think he's ridiculous for trying. There was another witness that called him in as well. Three against one is not a good ratio to fight. The day it goes to court is May 24th. I am due June 2nd and the doctor was talking about perhaps starting my labor a week early (May 26). Only time will tell when this baby is coming.

Sara is talking all the time. Her new thing is to call everyone "hun." We often get tapped on the shoulder with a, "hey, hun!" Then, dragged to see what she's interested in. She now asks to watch shows by the character in them. Her favorites are Diego and Pingu. It use to be Animals and Penguin! She's a handful. Every time we turn around there is another mess.

We went to baby animal days at the historical farm for Easter. She wasn't afraid of any of the animals. The ducklings were her favorite. She held them very gently and only made one of them squeak. She liked the rabbits and the turtles as well. For some reason the baby chicks were not as fun as the chickens or ducklings. She got to pet the calves and ride the pony. The train was a must for her. She kept yelling out, "choo choo!" By the time we were done, I was sun burnt and she was passed out on the ride home. Art said it was very enjoyable up until she was ready for a nap.

We're celebrating our 3 year anniversary tonight. I can't believe it's been that long and yet, of course, it feels like there was nothing before that day. I'm so grateful for such a loving husband and companion through these crazy times. He is amazing and continues to amaze me. Even when I don't feel I can talk to him, we get through it and he isn't even upset! I've definitely learned a lot through these years. I am looking forward to many, many more!

I will post pictures of baby animal days, but at this time I am not able to. Hopefully tonight though. We got some great pictures!

Congrats to us!

Sara is going to be a great big sister! She is always wanting to play and hold the little little babies. She's so gentle, most of the time. :P She does great with Gisborne. He's our new kitty. Art's birthday present.


I can't believe our baby is 2! And Art is 25! It makes me feel old. I know, I know, there are older people out there saying how young I am, but I'm hitting some major life points! Our second baby is due on the 15th of May. Not a Fall birthday!!! Yay!


Sara has been very very talkative. She is getting a few words more and more. Of course she thinks everything that comes out of her mouth means something. I just gotta figure out what it means!! She's great at cleaning up and taking care of herself. We just have to help her with the more difficult stuff. She's not ready for a toilet yet. I wish she would and I hope it happens in the next 7 months!

Art is going quick through BATC's Accounting Program. He should be done by the time the baby is born. Which I will be quite thankful for! Next week he will start the tax classes. Sounds like he's going to be the only one in the Liberty Tax class, but after he gets through it, we're hoping they will take him on for the tax season and beyond.

I have 3 semesters of school left. I'm hoping I can take classes during the summer, but it depends on what they offer. I want to take the baby to school with me, but Art doesn't like that idea. I figure the babe is going to sleeping the whole time. And this way I can feed him when I need to and not worry about pumping or anything.

Hope all is well out there. Have a nice day!

School

School has started. It's making us all kinda grumpy. That is because we're breaking our late schedule though. We're all up by 8 and back in bed by 10. Whether we're asleep or not is a different issue. It will get there though.

I'm excited for all of my classes. I have Infant through childhood Psych, Intercultural Communications, Communication Criticism, and Marriage and Family Relationships. I love each class, but I know there is going to be a lot of work soon. So I might just start writing the papers now rather than wait til they're explained...lol.

Art is cruising through his classes. He got an excellent on his last project and now his teachers are expecting more and more out of him. I'm sure he won't disappoint them. He is getting stressed with the typing class, but it will only take time and patience. Next week he starts a new class. I think it's about every other week he does...crazy to keep up with!

Sara is being watched by our good friend Jana during my classes. From what I've heard it's gone well. If only we could work out the napping schedule, it would be fabulous! :)

We got Sara's 2 yr pictures done last weekend, so next Wed I can start putting together birthday invites! :) I'm excited. I'm sure she has no idea, of course.

Well, I better get back to her...she just poured out her water and now is tearing everything off the shelves. She is not in a good mood today!

School, Work, housekeeping, and child care...

So, Art started school this week! It's really exciting! he's done a months class in one week! so he starts a new class on Mon. It's the accounting program he's doing at the tech school here in Cache Valley. He loves math and all that goes with it. Crazy man...




He's also working now. Which is really good, but also really tiresome. He doesn't get to see me or Sara much. He told me today he misses his little girl. He's 3rd in command when it comes to the kitchen at Aggy's though. His boss loves him!


Because Art is at school 8-2 and work 5-1, he doesn't have time or energy for much. So I am trying my hardest to keep the house clean. Sara, however, has other plans. She took all the powerades and toted them to one place in the house, lined them up, then toted them to a second place, then toted them to me, and lined them up. Then, after I ran around gathering laundry, she emptied the whole tote for me, in the middle of my living room. Needless to say, I am very tired.



I'm trying my hardest to be there for Sara. I play games with her, dance with her, color, and am even trying to teach her the alphabet and numbers. Somehow, I can't keep up with her. I'm so tired with the house work, and changing her diaper and cleaning her messes. She can keep things clean, but she'd rather cause mischief. My patience grows thin. I really need to get in a better schedule! I wake up with Sara at 10, but stay up til 2 with Art. His isn't better, he is probably much more exhausted than me.


Lots to do. It's only going to get busier. I have 40 credits to my Bachelors. I'm going to take 15 credits this fall and then again in spring, and then I'll only need 10 during the summer. I will have graduated with a higher degree than everyone but my father. Hey! Mine will be equal to his! cool...but still, a lot of work.

I will plug along! Love you all! Wish me luck!

Tubes

I guess for any first time parent, any time someone is talking about your baby and surgery, it's an uncomfortable situation. We have been so worried about Sara. They told us she'd need tubes in her ears, which is a simple procedure for a child who knows what's going on. For a toddler, they have to be under anethesia.

Art's mom told us all about Art's experience with tubes. The plastic tubes had a bad reaction. So they traded them for the steel tubes. When they tried to wake him for the anethesia, his heart rate slowed down. Basically, he was brought back from the dead. As if he didn't have enough health problems as a child, and we didn't have enough worries about Sara. We began to fret.



The night before the surgery came. We were told she couldn't eat anything after midnight. That's fine, cuz around 10 she started throwing up. Art and I both had the flu the days before, guess it was her turn. Insert more worry. Could they do the operation? Would she affixiate? Would we have to reschedule another two weeks down the line? etc.

I sat up with her and cleaned her up after a couple more episodes. She pretty much slept through the whole thing. After 1 a.m., I was sure she was done, but just in case, I went to bed with her. 3 hours later, I couldn't get comfortable, so I went to my own bed. 3 hours later, the alarm goes off...

Art and I were exaughsted and Sara was hungry and thirsty. She ran all over the house trying to find a spare cup of water. She stood on tippy toes trying to get one off the counter. Unfortunately I saw her. So she didn't get any. We got dressed and drove to hospital.

They gave us all the warnings and told us it would only take 10 mins. Then she'd be in recovery for 15 mins. She didn't even cry when they took her out. She just went content to be leaving the small room. The kid next to us cried the entire time.

Sara got back and they told us she would probably wake up and be upset about the anethesia. She wasn't. She just sat with me and guzzled her apple juice. Bad idea with an upset stomache that is just waking from anethesia as well. It went all over me...Good thing Sara had a change of clothes...I would have to wait til I got home though.

Art wore the little cap they gave us on the ride home. I thought if someone saw him, they might wonder if he should be driving. He did look as though he need to be hospitalized...

We all took 3 hour naps today. And we're all ready for bed before midnight.

Here ends a long day, but it all seemed so easy compared to our worries. We are blessed with a truely amazing little girl.

Easter Excitement

There's always a lot going on. We've been sick for quite a while it seems. Sara is going to need tubes in her ears. It's a scary idea, made even more scary when Art's mother told me about his experience. Apparently, not only was he allergic to the plastic tubes they put in, but he didn't want to wake up from the anesthia. All things we will have to discuss in the doctor's consultation.



Art has found work again! We are so blessed. Iggy's is opening its doors in May, as Aggy's Sports Grill. He will start out at the same pay he had when Iggy's closed. Yipee!!! Until then, he's helping them clean the place up and get it ready. This seems to have lightened his spirit considerably.



Sara accompanied me to School on Thurs. She did really well in English. No one was interrupted, until she started laughing. Then everyone had a small laugh before returning to the subject. After that we ran up and down the hall of the hyper building, so I was exaughsted by the time Karate started. Sara on the other hand, was ready to learn the kicks. She made me hold her almost the whole time. Every time we had to kiai, she also hollared a HU! Everyone thought she was adorable. Sensei called her The Great Master. At the end, while everyone was rounding up for role call, she wanted to kick the bag, so Sensei held it while she kicked it. Very cute!



I am still looking into what I want to do after college. I'll have my associates this semester. I'm going to start my bachelors. I really want to be a mediator for teens and parents. It's something I wish I had, it might have helped my mother and me understand each other a long time ago. So, I'm going to work for a bachelors in speech communications and a minor in family life. I'll talk more to the counselors and see if it's going to work for me. It sounds exciting though. I'd really like to work for the church, perhaps. We shall see.

Chris, Art's mom, is still living with us. She's looking for jobs and getting ready to go back to school. The best part is, she's getting baptized this month. Can't wait!! :)



We're excited for Easter. Sara has a pretty new dress and she loves the eggs. We're going to dye some tonight, and then have a small hunt tomorrow. This year I'm sure she'll want to find some. Then tomorrow night we'll have a nice ham dinner with a group from the ward. We've started having dinners and game nights with about three other couples and it has been a lot of fun. They are amazing people and a lot of fun to play games with.

Until next time!

Update on the fam

Well, it's way past Christmas...so I'm slow!

We're doing well, just got taxes, felt rich for a few minutes, but then realized it was already spent. That's ok though. We're blessed with a roof over our head and food in our bellies...

Sara is a crazy loon. She is a tornado...goes around after us undoing our cleaning. We're trying to use discipline. Anyone have a good way of doing so? I don't want to tramatize her, just teach her.

Art is preparing to go back to school. USU prolly won't let him in, so we're trying to decide where else to go. Maybe BATC...dunno.


I'll get my associates at the end of this semester. Haven't decided if I want to send out announcements of not, but I will get the diploma, and that's what matters! Maybe I'll throw a luau...lol.

We are still in Logan, at least until Art is done with probation. We're trying to hustle him through therapy...that's all he needs to finish really.


Art still doesn't have a job, but he has two leads. Two of his Iggy's managers are looking out for him. What a blessing!

Pampered Chef is going slow, but I expect things to pick up. I just need to find out how to command a show. I'm not very good at controlling it...so stressful.

Hope all is well with your families!

Christmas

Christmas is coming, and we're busy to put it together. A lot of stress in the air with Art's niece. First she was coming, and now she's not...crazy and frustrating.

Sara already opened a few presents...gotta put them further out of reach, I guess. Art thinks he should be able to open his presents too...silly boy.

Lots of fun snow! hehe...

Merry Christmas Everyone! I'll post our Christmas card soon!

Chaos

Since my last post things have been crazy. I got a job at Hobby Lobby, and started going to school full time in August.
September is always a crazy month with at least 4 birthdays and probably 6 parties to celebrate them.
Art turned 24. Sara and I made him a little banner and we went out to the new Texas Roadhouse. It was an interesting experience. Our server was prolly the loudest most annoying server I've ever met! He told Art to yell if it was an amazing steak, when Art wouldn't the server did it for him, calling Art by name. The server also repeatedly said, "Texas Roadhouse will change your life!" and left us with, "come back again and we'll change your life another time!" Weirdo...
On the way out, a million ppl asked how our experience was...I clutched Sara to me and raced through as if for a touch down...where we'd be safe from creepy smiles!


Sara turned one! She'd been walking for a month already. We took her to the mall to play on all the foam toys...her favorite place! All the kids showed up and she loved it! We set up a cardboard castle for her! She loved that too! Of course she had it torn up after 3 days, with the help of her cousins of course! hehe.

By one Sara:
could walk,
had four teeth,
danced,
loved Shrek,
could drink from a cup on her own,
and much more!

She now loves Babe the movie, has 11 teeth (3 big molars)! and has said her first understood and recongizable word! BOO! She loves Peekaboo.

We're doing well. We hope Art will get back on at Schribers next month.

Art pulled a Bryan!

So, if you know Bryan, you know what this means: stiches or cast. This time, it was stitches. Art cut his thumb half way through. It was at the tip and through the nail! Obviously, there was plenty of power behind his chop! Don't worry, all those eating at Iggy's were not served contaminated green onions. He grabbed the closest rag to stop the blood from spreading. It may have been an oil-nasty-all-day-used rag, but the important thing is, there was not a lot of blood at his station.

The manager drove him to the hospital and I get a text at 10:30 "Get a car and go to the hospital i cut my hand". That won't make a wife nervous! So, my half asleep baby was woken. I called Shelly and asked her to watch Sara. I didn't want to drag her to the hospital in only a diaper and then carry her around who knows where at all hours of the night.

It all worked out though. Sara went to sleep for Shelly and Art only needed partial fingernail removal and 7 stitches. His thumb will live to see another day! As for my nerves, if they die with him it shouldn't be so bad with the kids, right? hehehehe....ya right.

Pioneer Day with Grandma Best

We decided to go to the Jenson Historical Farm since we didn't have any big plans. They were letting people in for free and Mom wanted to take Sara. Shelly and Jared joined us! Mom bought Sara a little buffaloo hand puppet, Sara laughed at.


Sara and Art were able to pet a mini goat. There were some just Alex and Sara's size! They all seemed to be very friendly, but mostly uninterested.

There were too many kids to get a chance at panning for gold, but we got to try a homemade sugar scrub and walk through a bunker. It was hot, so Mom bought us all cold waters! I couldn't talk Art into going through the sprinklers they had going; they looked like firemen hoses. :)

We went through the old house and Art was impressed with how steep the steps were. It was a lot of fun.

We'll have to go back when we have more time. Art needed to be to work. Sara and I went out to Mom's AC temp house. :)

All in all, it was a very successful day; Art had more fun than he expected.