Behind again!

Oh man, since it is spring I have a million things going so it's a struggle to sit down and write! Here is an update post:

• I got part of my garden in and all of the irrigation system back up and working.  I planted more tomatoes, peppers including bell, jalapeno, banana, and Anaheim chiles, and every year I like to try something new that I have never planted before so this year it's eggplant.  I still need to get into my seeds and get that stuff planted, but at least it's a start.  Of course now there is a storm moving through and it is threatening to get down to freezing at night, it figures!  We typically never have storms this time of year, it's usually very dry here until the monsoon comes in June/July, but this is an odd weather year.

• We had a great weekend!  Saturday we went to two parties, we are such socialites these days.  The first was a mid morning birthday party for one of Austin's buddies who turned two.  Austin had a great time and had a lot of fun.  For a while Austin used to be a little stand-off-ish with other kids and would be a little mean, but now he's moved on from that phase and seems to enjoy playing with other kids.  That evening we went to a going away BBQ for one of Dustin's co-workers.  There were a ton of people there and the food was wonderful.  It was potluck, so you never know how that will turn out, but man the food was good.  I think I ate three plates and still had dessert.  Ok, just to clarify I did share my three plates with Austin, and he ate a ton too, so I'm not a total piggy.  My favorite was someone brought a pasta salad, but instead of just the usual vegetable additions it had shrimp and avocado in with rotini pasta and other veggies.  YUM!

• Dustin heard back from the last job he applied for.  They had 12 highly qualified candidates, six of which were at the same grade as him.  Dustin got his promotion about 2.5 years ago, and since the other five have likely been at that grade for longer it is hard to compete.  BUT on an exciting note, just yesterday a new job came open in one of our desired towns, so I hope the other 10 candidates who did not get the other job don't jump over and apply for this new job too. The bonus, if we get this new job, we will live a mere 25 miles from Brandi @ Life of a New Mommy, who is a great friend from college and mom to Marlee who is four days younger than Austin and had so much fun playing together when they came to visit in March.  My mom would be about 5 hours away and Dustin's parents would be about 14.5 hours, so much, much closer than they are now.  So cross your fingers for us, and if you pray please offer one up for us.  We are really longing to be closer to family.

• We got our concert tickets to go and see Soundgarden in Colorado at Red Rocks Amphitheater.  It's in July and I am ecstatic to get to go home again so soon.  We are definitely going to pre-order our tonneau cover for the truck so we can have it installed on that trip.  Dustin may also look at rims and wheels while we are there.

Austin at 27 months

It's been a while since I did an update about what Austin is up to so this is a summary of what he is doing:

• He is conversing now and using words to relay his message.  He still only uses 3-4 words at a time.
• He can count, sort of.  He has got 1-3 down pretty good because somewhere he learned to say "1,2,3 Go" before throwing a ball.  The rest of the numbers are hit or miss, but he does pretty good.
• He is attempting some letters, but not really in the order of the alphabet.
• He loves to play games on the computer and can work the touchpad mouse all on his own.  He's been clicking the mouse for some time, but within the last few days started moving the cursor with the touchpad.  We love the games on Disney Jr.'s website because they have a lot of counting, colors, shapes, and letters.  He will come up and say "Me Mow" which is asking to play Mickey Mouse Clubhouse games on the computer.
• He loves to be outdoors and we are loving having the daylight to take him out after dinner.  He sleeps so much better when he has a lot of time outdoors.
• He has decided that he is too big for the booster seat at the dinner table.  He kept messing around during dinner and was getting to the point of throwing a tantrum when we would put him in the booster.  Tonight I set his plate at a big chair and let him go and he got in the seat and ate the meal.
• He is wearing 3T shirts and jammies and 2T pants.  Size 7.5-8 shoes.  I have been debating getting him 3T shorts for the summer, but haven't decided if I think they will fall off of him.

So spoiled!

I am so spoiled loved!  My boys took great care of Mommy this weekend.  Saturday we went all the way (80 miles) to St. George so I could go to the spa and get a pedicure.  I am 32 years old and proud to say that I have now had a professional pedicure for the very first time!  It was fabulous, my feet were so pampered.  I now have grape juice colored sparkling toe nails, so pretty that I had to buy new sandals to show them off.  Ok, honestly I have ugly feet, but they are the prettiest they have ever been.  We also had lunch at Red Lobster where I dined on crab legs, my all time favorite food!  We did some shopping and grabbed caramel frappes on the way home, so delish!

Today we went to church, got groceries and then hung out at home.  It was such a nice weekend and I feel very loved! 

At church this morning I fell in love with one of the passages in the first reading from Acts:
"You will fill me with joy in your presence"
I have been thinking a lot about that and how true that is for me since we live in the middle of no where and far from friends and family.  When I am reunited with friends and family I am completely and totally filled with joy.  It also seems like such a compliment, to give someone joy by being there with them, it seems like a goal worth striving for. 

Fishing fun

20 Years and Counting

Today is the 20th anniversary of my sorority at Colorado State University.  The Nu Chapter of Sigma Alpha was founded May 4, 1991.  That was the purpose of my trip last week to Colorado, we gathered in Fort Collins to celebrate on Sunday with a picnic.  Other than being super cold, it was a great time.  Our alumni are spread across the country from Alaska to the east coast, so we did not have a huge turn out, but those who were there had a great time.

Grilled rib eyes, yum!

The raffle, my real life sister won the quilt I made.  We raised over $100 for our founding sister’s van ramp. 

Easter photos

I know I’m a little late on getting out the Easter photos, but I was busy finishing up that quilt. It was a great Easter.  We went to a friends house for a brunch and Easter egg hunt.  The kids had a blast playing together and the grown ups munched on yummy food while sipping mimosas, yum!

The quilt

Ahhh, I love waking up in Colorado!  I didn’t have time to post before we left on our trip, but since I am sitting in the hotel here in Grand Junction with internet access and waiting for the little man to wake up I will try to get this post up.  The raffle quilt is 95% done, I just need to tie it after I buy some green ribbon.  I am no quilting expert, but here is how I did it.

 

Take a piece of muslin or other fabric for the backing and cut it to size.  I marked an X across it from corner to corner to mark the middle and keep my lines straight.

Put the middle piece on the fabric.  Then lay a strip over the top right-side facing down and sew it on.  Then cut the strip to be even with the middle piece and iron it out.

Keep adding strips around.

I fold the strips back down on themselves to make the cut.

And here it is:

I had 14 of the squares done from back around 2000.  I had to whip up 6 squares, put it together and put on the back.  The back is the same as the green around the border, I used a full sized sheet and folded the edges up and sewed them to the front.  The final dimensions are 50”x61”, so a throw sized quilt.

I also sewed a “quillow” pocket to the back so you can fold the quilt down and tuck it in to make a pillow.

Front

Back

In all the craziness of getting packed and ready to go I almost left it in my living room, but remembered it before we got out of town.

Five Question Friday

I am trying out a new meme this week.  If you want to participate head on over:

1. What is your favorite Easter tradition?

When I was a kid we would go to Red Rocks Amphitheater for sunrise service.  We don't really have too many Easter traditions yet as a family.  We live in an area where our religion is way in the minority, so there are not a lot of options.

2. Are you a "shower" or a "long, hot bath" kind of person?

I shower daily, but love a good hot bath once and a while.  I have a garden tub, but my husband got me a spa mat that I love to use.

3. Can you parallel park and if so when is the last time you did it?

I don't really see the big deal, it's not rocket science.  I can, but don't have to since I live in a tiny town with a pop. just over 1,000.

4. What is your favorite Easter candy?

Reese's peanut butter eggs.  LOVE THEM!

5. Easter: do you go all out with the Easter Bunny or focus on the religious part of the holiday?

Austin is only two so this is his third Easter.  So far we haven't really taught him much about the religious aspect other than taking him to Church.  I am not anti Easter Bunny so we will have both, but definitely emphasize the importance of Jesus' sacrifice and glorious ascension.   I did order a Veggie Tales video about Easter, but it may not get here in time.

Show me the Money!!!

I had a training at work all morning, but I stopped off at my desk to check email/messages before I left for the day.  My EPA Project Officer called to tell me that my project was selected for grant funding!!!  It's funding to renovate the tribe's fishing pond so that it has better water quality.  It's something that tribal members have been talking about since I started here, and I landed the money to get it done.  I am so exited, it is such great news!  It is a national competition for the grant and limited funding, so I am very grateful.  Not to mention how great it will look on my resume that I landed over $200,000 in grant funding for one year!

Yeah Spring!

I have been feeling much better and keeping super busy. 

I am working on a quilt right now and on a deadline so I have been trying not to spend too much time on the computer.  I will post pictures of it when I am done.  It will be for a raffle for my sorority anniversary celebration.  One of the founding members of my chapter has a son who at 3 months of age started experiencing SIDS.  They were able to revive him and he survived, and now at age 8 has some physical challenges from that.  They are trying to raise money to have a ramp installed on their van, so we are trying to help the cause and thought our celebration was the perfect time to do it.  So I have to have the quilt done ASAP!  I'm almost finished with the top and I'm keeping the quilting super simple.  I hope to have it done by Wednesday. 

I had a great weekend.  The weather was SO NICE!  I went to a baby shower for a girl in the tribe I work for on Saturday.  All these people around me who are pregnant are starting to really give me the baby bug.  It's just hard right now because we would have like to have moved before trying to conceive so I am not preggers and stressed about moving.  So I will wait, hopefully my day will come and I will get to have one more sweet baby. 

We went to church on Sunday and it was wonderful.  Austin does pretty good considering his age.  He mostly stays glued to me the whole Mass.  After church and the fellowship brunch we went to the park and played for quite a while.  It was a little akward as a bunch of people from our daycare showed up and were attending a birthday party.  We were a little miffed thinking we weren't invited until they gathered for a pinata and I noticed it was all little girls there. 

Awww- the grass is green and my tulips, hycinths and daffodils are all blooming.  I LOVE SPRING!!!  I need to get going on my garden, but haven't taken the time with everything else going on.  Maybe this weekend.

So now I am off to work on my quilt. 

Have a blessed Holy week to those of you who seek the light of Christ!

Emotional haze

I have been quiet over here for a couple of weeks and I guess it's about time to get back with it.  I know that I have it good and there are a lot of people in this world suffering and in really bad situations, and that in the big picture I am truly blessed.  The last couple of weeks have just been a bit of a downer and I am trying to pull myself out of it.  I hate to be negative so I have just been silent about it. 

This whole government shutdown was super emotionally draining for me.  Had the government shut down we would have been ok for a couple of weeks financially, but it was still scary none the less.  It also made me sick to see how so many people in this country feel.  I know there are some in the federal government who are basically unnecessary, and those who milk the system, but there are plenty of good, honest, hard-working people too and it really bothered me to see so many eager to have the shut down.  I heard people saying "well why should they have a job when we don't" and to that I think it's not like I don't want anyone else to have a job, in fact I really wish the economy would get going again and everyone would have a job and times would be good again.  It's hurtful that people would wish suffering upon others when there is no need or benefit.  My husband and I both worked hard and went to college to earn our degrees and continue to work hard in our jobs.  Both of us have received merit awards and recognition.  If people want to reform the government, fine, it could definitely use it, but realize there are many people who do a good job and truly earn their pay.  I am so happy they came to an agreement and averted the shutdown.  I hope and pray that they don't continue to hold up decisions in the future because politicians refuse to compromise.

I've also been frustrated with our house.  It seems like it is always something and there have been a lot of money sinks lately.  Some days it's wonderful to be a home owner and be able to make decisions and make it into your own, and then some days things break or stop working and then it is such a drag. 

Our visit with my in-laws was fine, I'm sure they enjoyed themselves.  We went on a hike and played outside a lot while they were here since the weather was so nice.  I have to admit though that it drains me when I am around them.  They are very different from me and we don't have a lot in common.  I suppose that should be ok, but I don't feel like they are mutually respectful about our differences.  Since we only see them a couple of weeks out of the year for now it is ok, but I know that if they had their way they would live next door to us, and plan to move accordingly when my mother-in-law retires.  I do worry about the future and what it will be like if they are around all the time.  They are good to Austin though and I know they deep down they do care, especially my mother-in-law.  I just have to remind myself to be patient and forgiving. 

I also have been really suffering from spring allergies.  It developed about half way through the in-laws visit and has not let up.  I am stuffed up unless I take an antihistamine, and then if I take one of those I get a dry hacky cough.  I hope that what ever is in the air clears up soon!

So to not end on a negative note, there are many things coming up that I am really looking forward to and will help greatly in lifting my spirits. 

• We are going to Colorado in three weeks!  My sorority is celebrating 20 years at CSU and we are having a celebration luncheon.  People are starting to RSVP on Facebook and I am exciting that we are getting a good response.  A lot of our members live out-of-state so we weren't sure how it would turn out.  We are also figuring on stopping at my brother's new house along the way.
• We got invited to an Easter brunch/egg hunt at some friends of ours.  It will be fun to spend the holiday with others.
• My friend Wendy is pregnant with twins after trying for over five years to become pregnant.  I am beyond ecstatic for her as it took 5 IVF procedures to get there.  She is about 12 weeks now and due October 18.  I told her that twins usually come early and that she should shoot for my birthday on October 8.
• I am going to a baby shower this Saturday for a girl that I worked with a few years ago. 

Now hopefully I will feel up to blogging more often.  I will try to post more pictures soon.

Grandma and Papa’s visit