Michael

This is an old pic of Michael but its one of my favorites.  Michael was hinting to me that I needed to update the blog, and so I decided to do one on him.  We are really excited that Michael recently got accepted into the PA program at Rocky Mtn College in Billings, MT.  We plan on moving there some time next summer so he can start school in August.  Michael is one of the most patient people I know.  He'd probably be even more patient if my incredible amount of INpatience didn't rub off on him. lol  Michael has always been interested in the medical field and jumped through a lot of hoops to try to work towards this.  He had a couple interviews for medical school when we lived in Laramie and just had Stetson & Kandace.  After that fell through, we came back to Lovell where Michael has worked as a medical technologist at the hospital in Powell.  Michael works with all. girls.  He is the perfect fit for his job becasue he is so easy going and just good to the core.  People request him all the time and there might be one patient at the care center who affectionately refered to him as "big sexy" WHAT??!?! Yeah its true.  Last year Michael applied for a few PA schools  (he wanted to apply for more but didn't have all the pre reqs like taking the mkat).  He got 2 interviews, one in Whichita and one in Chicago.  Whichita flat out said no but Chicago sent us an upbeat letter informing him of his placement on a waiting list.  We patiently waited every day for some sort of work (I got giddy every day when the mail came) and we were THRILLED when they called us out of the blue one morning and said we were in.  We quickly started making plans and talking about calling people when just an hour later, they called and said it was a mistake and that they had pulled the wrong list.  I really don't know who was more upset, Michael or me.  I know that I really had to dig deep to put on a happy face and go on after that.  I knew we had to embrace this season of our lives and make the best of it, which we've tried hard to do.  Michael works very hard at his job and is well liked and respected for his work and the kids I are staying busy in church and community things.  Instead of throwing in the towel, Michael studied hard for the mkat, took it and applied one last time to PA school.  He got an interview for Billings last Fri and they emailed him yesterday saying he's been accepted.  I'm excited for a new chapter.  Sad to move, but so very happy for my husband and this opportunity.  I think he does great at everything he does and I think this new experience will be no exception.  I'm so glad he'll have something to do that he's truly interested in.  We drive each other nuts sometimes but at the end of the day I am crazy about this guy and love him for all he does.  Congrats Michael.  I love you.

girls

When I was in 6th grade in Mr. Rivera's class at Strawberry elementary in SR I wrote my first autobiography.  I remember asking my mom lots of questions for the assignment.  She told me a lot about how incredibly different and shocking it was to go from 4 boys to a GIRL...she said she couldn't get over how different it was in so many ways.  She said when I came home from school I would go on and on and provide every detail of the day.  I can totally understand what she meant now that I have had a girl after having a boy.  This girl is SUCH a girl.  She has been doing dance moves all over the house for months now, with no promting from me (really).  I can't speak for her uncle Daniel though, who taught Kandace how to do a "C" jump and a pirouette.

 

So when I took her to her first dance class yesterday, it was no surprise to me that she ate it all up.  I went to highschool with a lot of the moms whose little girls were there so it was fun to see the next generation.  A lot of look alikes!! :) 

 

Later on that night Michael grilled up some steaks and we had a delicious dinner on our little padio.  We always said we'd do this more often but this is only like the 3rd time we have.

Kandace's turn at CRC

My little princess pea started her first day at CRC today.  She is going to get some extra help with her speech and have really good time in the meantime I'm sure.  She has been wanting to go to "preschool" so badly ever since Stetson started going.  She used to pack her backpack and pretend she was going, and she'd talk about it ALL the time...in her silly, totally iillogical conversations.  She was so happy to get to go this morning. She didn't even look back.  And Janelle and I didn't know what to do with ourselves with 2 hrs to ourselves.  Actually Janelle took her morning nap and I cleaned like a mad woman and am now blogging.  Stetson now goes to kindergarten for a full day.  I'm sad about it.

journal entry

Yesterday my oldest brother Michael was sustained and set apart as bishop of the Cowley 1st Ward.  His couneslors are Mike Allred and Casey Crosby.  We snuck in a little late and sat in the overflow and couldn't hear that great, but I think I heard the most important stuff.  People around town had been joking and speculating for a while about who it was going to be.  Michael said he "hated knowing" because its hard to lie. :)  Pres. Caldwell and his counselors were all there for the occasion.  Pres. Caldwell talked about how our leaders are called of God and that these are the men Heavenly chose and that pres. Caldwell had no doubts that the Lord would sustain these men.  I was so touched by the spirit.  I love feeling the spirit--it motivates me to be a better mother and wife, serve in my calling better and do all those things I should.  I wish I could bottle up that feeling and have it with me all the time.  I know the church is true.  I wish I was better.  I am so inspired by the great people in our community and the way they live their lives.  I grew up in the other Cowley ward but I respect and admire the Cowley 1st warders just as much.  Michael's gpa Monk was 1st counselor in the out-going bishopric.  These men give up SO much time to serve in these callings.

  My neighbors when I was growing up in Cowley were Ken & Carol Banks.  Carol passed away last Fri.  Ken Banks is the nicest guy I ever knew.  Whenever I saw him he acted like were were best friends and always had a huge smile and nice things to say.  Every summer when I came home from college he'd yell from across the street "did you get smart yet?"  or something to that effect.  When Michael bore his testimony he mentioned that it was hard going to church that day and he'd joked around with his boys about skipping.  His youngest, Adam said "no dad, I think you need to be there this time."  Michael said that he'd bet his kids a dollar that Kenney banks would still be there this morning passing out programs, and that if Kenny was there, Michael could be there, too.  Kenny was there passing out programs.  I gave him a hug, told him we loved him and that he was in our prayers. 

Its hard knowing what to say when someone gets a new calling, especially like this.  I don't know if "congrats" is the right word.  I know that a calling like this takes a lot of time and adds stress and heartache to your personal life, but I know that faithful bishops and their families are blessed.  I was happy for Michael because a calling like this is a reflection of how you live your life. 

soccer

goalies gotta stay good and stretched out!

 Last Th I took the kids to watch my nephews' last soccer game. All 4 of them were playing at the same time so I didn't get pics of all of them but it was fun to watch them!  Soccer is huge in northern Ca, kinda like football in Texas.  I have great memories of playing soccer on the Annadel soccer league in SR.  I wasn't very good but I sure felt cool in my cleats, shin guards and jersey! ;)

Trav in the white and Zach in the navy blue

fun with stickers and yard sales

Our neighbor has had 2 huge yard sales in the last few weeks and they asked if we wanted to bring some stuff to sell so I bought some yard sale stickers and I went through our massive amount of kids' clothes and took some stuff over that we didn't need.  So far I've mad over $50! wahoo!  Stetson has been paying close attention to all this yard sale business and has even been on several yard sale trips with me this summer and he decided he should have his own yard sale. I didn't take a pic but he'd gathered a bunch of his toys and "priced them" with my stickers and put them on the picnic table for his sale.  So funny this kid.  Later on the girls had too much fun with the leftover stickers we had.

good day

During this time of year, I tend to want to take the kids to the park a lot because it seems like in a blink it will be fall then winter and we'll be cooped up inside.  This is Stetson's 2nd week of school and its going good so far.  For the first week his favorite part was putting his name under "hot lunch."  Today his favorite was going to the library (actually it was a tie between library and computer lab).  He's always happy when I drop him off and pick him up so far. I still don't like dropping him off.  He definitely takes his sweet time walking over to the playground so I usually drive a block past the school then turn around and drive down Shoshone to make sure he made his way over and he's not just standing there by the parking lot still.  I always have the urge to just sit there and watch hin as long as I can and see what he's doing. I would sure love to be a fly on the wall in his classroom. I hope this gets easier!! :)   

annual labor day picnic

Yesterday was our annual labor day picnic at sheep mountain.  This year was extra awesome because we had a huge canopy that Daniel & Kasi brought--it was sure nice to keep those babies in the shade.  Thanks Daniel!  We had hamburgers, hotdogs, chips, beans, watermelon, potatoe salad, rice crispy treats and it was all delish.  After lunch we all took a short hike to where the fossils are.  Gpa helped Stetson pick some out to take for show n tell today. 

 Janelle sported a sock all day to hopefully help her little bumps get better.  She was a pretty good trooper.  I remember last year she was just a newborn and she slept all the way up (which is one scary ride) and then screamed the whole time we were there.  I'm glad she likes our labor day picnics now.



workin it

here in the wild wild west we even let our grandmas shoot guns lol

on our way to get fossils

Kandace loved the "square cheese"

salsa

This was our nella in the worse phase of her sickness...we thought it was a yeast infection gone to her mouth (thrush) but we're starting to think its hand n food or whatever its called.  She's almost all better with the exception of her little thumb which has some blisters on it so we keep a sock on her hand.  Its awesome.

 Our garden is giving us lots of tomatoes and peppers of all sorts so we thought we better make some salsa!!  We get a little faster and more confident in salsa making each year and this year I think we got a pretty good batch.  I'm hoping to can some spaghetti sauce and quartered tomatoes this year.  We're getting some peaches today that we ordered from our RS pres.  I am SO excited.  We all love peaches.