In the dirt

Well unbeknownst to me we're allowed to plant flowers in our yard even though we're just renting from David's grandpa.  As soon as I figured that out - research was done, flowers were purchased, gloves and shovels too... and one evening I pulled weeds, turned the dirt over, and planned annuals!  It was great.  I've never planted flowers in my life, you see AZ is just too hot, and since being in UT I haven't had anyplace to call "my dirt".  David helped too when his night class was over and especially as it got dark and I couldn't dig and plant w/out a helper.  Funny to do planting at night, but you do what you gotta do with work and so much other crazy going on.

BEFORE:

 AFTER:

We bought geraniums, impatience's, and marigolds.  We didn't go all out since - who knows if I have a green thumb :).  But I learned a lot and can totally identify several types of flowers.  Go me!  I can't wait to someday have a house of our own to plant all sorts of green and colorful flowers.  Just give us about 8 years and we may just have a place to call home.

Isn't it amazing how flowers just pretty much grow and survive on their own?  I've been watching them for the last couple weeks and see that even with cats, pine cones falling daily from above, too much rain... That they are still surviving!  And now the sprinklers are working - meaning I don't have to do anything except maybe weed every once in awhile.  Wow, I'm spoiled, if I ever get needy plants, I'm not sure they'll survive!

Corn Dogs

I had a craving for corn dogs this past week...  What a random craving, but I think I know why.


Anyone know Ryan Shupe & the Rubberband?  I think I've mentioned them before.  I'm a fan of this local bluegrass band and I go to their show every year.  Well, we just went and they happen to have a song about the yumminess of corn dogs.  I think we're going to go out and buy some soon.  Even though they aren't healthy and "you could die of a heart attack but they still taste real great" - as stated in their lyrics.  This year people brought corn dogs to sway back and forth like lighters, hahah

When I was a boy I walked into this store I think they call it the 7 Eleven
I saw something underneath the glass, it looked just like manna straight from heaven
I asked the clerk behind the counter what was in them and he said it's just one of life's little mysteries
But I knew my love for corn dogs was surely destiny
Corn dogs, corn dogs, they are so good to me
Corn dogs, corn dogs, they are so good to me
Good when they're hot, good when they're cold
Good when they're fresh, good when they're old
Corn dogs, corn dogs, they are so good to me
I had a date with my girlfriend but I was feeling just a little bit down on my luck
But then I heard they were selling corn dogs down on the corner store three for a buck

Then the realization came that this was just a test for me to see
That if my girl don't like corn dogs, she ain't the girl for me

Kaylyn can eat corn dogs for breakfast, Kaylyn can eat corn dogs for lunch
You can even eat corn dogs for dinner, you can even eat corn dogs for brunch
I say no meal is complete without a helping heaping of corn dogs sitting there on your plate
And you might die of a heart attack but they still taste real great

Corn dogs, corn dogs, they are so good to me
Corn dogs, corn dogs, they are so good to me
Good when they're hot, good when they're cold
Good when they're fresh, good when they're old
Corn dogs, corn dogs, they are so good to me

Anticipation...

It's official, we've submitted David's dental application!!  From now until December we'll be waiting for dental school interview requests, phone calls, mail..... And just sitting at the edge of our seats.  I haven't figured out what the word p-a-t-i-e-n-c-e means, even after 26 years, I think I'm un-developing patience...

December is 6 months away, guess we better do something else to distract ourselves right??  I'm sure we'll find something to do.  Oh yes, we have, we're always busy huh?  Although this past week I've caught myself thinking - maybe I can start looking for rental places or cities close to the dental schools, but then I realize, oh, where are we going?  We don't know yet!  We just applied to around 20 different places all over the US :)


That's the update on dental school stuff.  For the summer David has a full school load, even 3 night classes, which gives me time to watch TV and eat bon bons at night... or run busily around myself.  Work is busy for me with lots of  - we've spun out as our own company now, but we need systems and processes - how many projects can we do at once?  So, yeah that's busy.  My boss is gone and we're looking for a new VP, which is okay by me.  I'm busily doing database updates on our ancient SAP system, becoming a pro at that system, even advising our HRIS systems person, also busy creating an internal website (intranet) for the company with HR info - it's coming along nicely and I actually like this project since it's more media based...  I'm also trying to get training programs brought in to train our unskilled managers, but with our budget continually getting cut ($ to be used elsewhere) it isn't working too well.  Heck I may have to teach training, which is funny as I'm not licensed, although I'm sure I can get up and ramble and teach something the managers don't know.  Especially as the other day we had a manager ask some "no no" questions in an interview!  David is getting ready to quit work as his school load is becoming more and more crammed so he can finish at the U in time for dental school.  So I'll be the sole provider, yippee... :)

Other than school and work we're continually busy with visitors, family parties, planting a garden, cleaning...  And some summer wishful thinking includes mainly swimming and camping.  Wish we had a pool.  Oh, and boating, definitely boating right???!!!???

Yep, that will keep us busy for awhile.  Want to take a guess where we'll be moving to in about a year?  Here are the ones that I can think of: AZ, TX, CO, OR, CA, NE, OH, IN, Penn, MD, AL  ... Here we come... somewhere...

Grandma's New Place

I think I've written about my grandma a couple times...  Well, she's found a new home, more like her sons have found her a safer place with her dementia.  She's living in a Memory Care facility home in Taylorsville.  While she may not feel at home yet fully, it's been really nice to have her close and know that she's safe and taken care of.  Those last couple months were getting a bit scary when I'd visit her - just hated to leave her not knowing what she may get herself into.  Now Grandma has a room of her own and has about 10 other residents that live in that area who eat and do activities together.

I thought I'd show some pictures for family who aren't as close and can't visit Grandma Ginny so often.  (Hello to the all the Everts!)  Just so everyone knows, Grandma is doing very well!  She's healthy, just can't remember too much.  She's stuck back in the 1960's and thinks her children are young so we talk about that a lot when we visit.  The care nurses are taking good care of her, helping her with all of the daily activities.  The area has a patio and a big fish bowl and tv and couches, but isn't sure what to do with it all yet, or what to do with her neighbors.  She loves visitors and continually asks when her family is coming to visit or if she could go see them.  This is a nice change as for the last 30 years she's loved being a home-alone body and if she visits family she wouldn't stay too long due to all of her house chores.  Anyone feel like coming to UT to visit, let me know and we'll come give you a tour!

Here are a few pictures from entering the facility, the halls and her room with her items:

These pictures were from our first visit - Jeri has added a few more things to make her room even more home-y and we were trying to take the pictures conspicuously so sorry they aren't the best but shows what life's like for Grandma at the moment :)

Future lessons to remember

I started creating this list in my head and decided it would be best to capture it somewhere else as my memory comes and goes :)  Being around all types of individuals I've watched and collected a lot of sound advise for myself.... at least I hope so!  Someday I may want to do or not do these things myself as a mom or wife or friend.  I've been adding to this list all 2011 but now that I'm writing it down I also remembered several other lessons from the last ten years or more

• When staying-at-home I want to try and have one day a week be the "clean-up-the-house-laundry-etc" day.  Right now I just do it various times or Saturday's when David's studying, but when Saturday becomes the day David's home I hope it becomes more of a family day of activities for us.  And rather than doing house chores all week and never accomplishing anything (at least I feel like that sometimes), I can instead have Monday's to clean, get up early and work hard, and then the rest of the week can be focused on other projects.  I like the idea of this routine and having days of not cleaning.  I'm sure dishes and vacuuming may be more often but everyone can help out with that...
• I always want to go to the temple with David every month, and also I want to go out on a date every month.  I don't think they should be the same activity always, cuz then that means I get 2 date nights!
• Reading my cousin's blog, while pregnant she makes sure to attend the temple and noted that she loves knowing her little one is there with her - makes it even more special and to her it felt like they were there getting to experience the peace and happiness too.  I just love that idea!
• Buying a house - remember to check out all the little nuances like where the outlets are, how doors swing open, get counters that we can see if they are clean.... maybe a way to know what to look for will be for me to visit other home owners and ask them for what drives them crazy in their house that they wish they knew to notice!  Although I may be too picky at this point and not even find a house that works... ha ha ha..
• I'd love to create picture books for my children - one with each family member and also another as an alphabet book with fun pictures or toys they like with the alphabet - it may even be the same book all together.  I've seen this done with family and friends and it's just awesome!  The kids love it too
• And another book for each child will hopefully be at least their first couple years book from blog posts or somehow gathering that information throughout the year and voila there's a book easily!  Yeah I'm sure it will take more time than that...
• Someday cook a big thing of meat like turkey, ham, etc and freeze it for use as needed - first I'd need to find recipes for those meats as I don't seem to cook with that yet, but it seems like a great timesaver and even food storage!
• Something funny, but I don't think I ever realized how much of a teacher a MOM really is!  I've always thought yeah I will care for the babies physical needs and then send them off to school someday.  HA HA (I'm sure those who are moms are busting up) I guess it just didn't click that it's my opportunity to also do so much else besides those basics of eating, potty training etc!  For example, if I want to help my children be smart right off the bat - I will need to help them learn different sounds, zoo animals, alphabet, how to write, and emotionally pray, read and know who Jesus is in pictures!  I guess I knew some of this but it hadn't really hit me till this year!  I know I'm silly...  But I'm excited to do this - lesson to remember - in all that I do with my future children, try to make it a learning activity.  Funny I always wondered what mom's did at home all day besides play legos/blocks....
• In a work setting or really in any social setting too - if I need information from someone or want to talk with them - it's best to make an appointment or ask when a good time would be, etc.  Rather than just approaching them and assuming they don't have anything important going on.  (My CFO just set up an appt with me not too long ago to learn about Cobra process - I felt respected so much more than when my other finance friends come and interupt me all day at work!)  I should probably do this now rather than filing the advise away for sometime later....
• As a mom, try not to say "No" too much to our children - this makes sense to me too as I've watched my sister-in-law and some other friends do this - while my future child may still learn the No word and say it to me, he won't hear it from me unless it's serious.  Hopefully that will make it important to them.
• Learn how to use bleach... and also white vinegar and baking soda for cleaning - I know it works really well on clothes.
• When I have a really big food storage, make sure to date everything so I know to use them before it's too old - with just 2 people this is a bit easier but I still forget how long some of our cans have been there....

Well, now I can't think of too much more - haha, I know there is, so I may make a second list later on.