I think I'm way over due for an update -
Between the awesome rain and thunderstorms of the last several weeks, a wonderful pattern of mid-week storms and beautiful sunny weekends has developed. Tis my favorite weather pattern for getting stuff done at home and for happy campers at work. Things have really started to pick up at work as the camping season really gets going again. Gratefully we have our big Regional Managers meeting completed and I can send them off on their way to train all our Area Managers now. Whew! Such a lot of work for two days out of the year it seems! Now back to the routine of phone calls and piles and piles of paperwork. I think I may start planning a camping trip of our own!
Last weekend we put in our garden and cemented in the arbor that we managed to obtain for Heather's reception (I love KSL.com ads)to mark the pathway between the garden and landscaping. It looks so cool! I'm loving it! We also added an additional wire at the top of our grapes since the are big enough to grow up that high. They will cover the full fence now and look good come August, we hope. They grow along the back of our yard in front of an ugly white chain link fence that borders one of our 5 backyard neighbors. It's late for the peas to be in, but hopefully they will grow up quickly too. I'm really looking forward to fresh herbs in our cooking for a while. And I love getting my hands in the dirt! We also starting planting a few of the small bushing pink petunias out by the cottonwoods in various tones to create Danielle's Obmre effect for the wedding. I sure am grateful for the ample time she gave us to prepare and start with seeds and small plants so they are less expensive, but will still be gorgeous come August. :)
We had an impromptu gathering of extended family on Easter Sunday with potluck at our house. It was great! And we colored about 50 boiled eggs. Everyone colored, but not everyone ate or took what they colored, so I've been eating boiled eggs for breakfast and egg salad sandwiches for lunch, deviled eggs with dinner . . . . Good thing we like eggs. I sure don't like to see them wasted, but good grief, I'm so done with eggs for a while!
Project for the week now - pavers around the fire pit. (With a break to go see Pippin at the High School - Lucas is in the Pit doing percussion with the Orchestra) Ron thought that we needed about 500 to complete the firepit patio space, but we could only afford 400 so we will see how far they get us. He has already been working on preparing the base sand foundation and he and Lucas have got about 1/2 of them down. Ron is really amazing to me with all the things he is willing to try and do with the yard and the house. If he doesn't know how to do it, he will learn how and try it anyway. And he always takes the time to do it right as much as possible, which means taking way longer than I like. But then it lasts forever instead of having to be redone a year or two later, so I must learn to be patient - some more . . . . I'm grateful in a weird sort of way that he isn't working so he can do all my "honey do" lists, but I know he's getting stir crazy. Gratefully we've been able to stay afloat with my work and his unemployment, but that it only going to last so long. Our emergency savings buffer is just about depleted, so I hope he does get back to work soon. Stanley Consultants, where he works (until this winter furlough again) has been slow to respond to his inquiries about when the next project is starting since they told him the middle of April, back in January, so he's starting to apply for work at other places. Oh how I long for a stable 8 to 5, M-F job for him, but I just don't see that happening. Perhaps I will need to apply more faith in this area, than I have. . . . We are so blessed that I have the job I do, and that even though the camping part of it is seasonal, that my job is steady and year round. Interesting times we live in indeed.
I'm also starting to get into my Primary Chorister calling. It's a lot of work every week, and some weeks I wish I didn't have to prepare something, but I'm always grateful and happy after singing with the kids each Sunday afternoon. They really are awesome. The next couple of weeks: practicing Mother's Day songs! Wahoo! (said sarcastically unfortunately, but whatever - they are what they are) And Stake Conference the week after - so glad for the break! Ron and I will be singing with the Stake Choir - which we love and guarantees us a soft seat up front. Lucas and Sara sit together on their own just fine. The days of try to keep young kids and small babies entertained and quiet for two hours feels like forever ago.
PS: Lucas decided to go to UVU close by here (in Orem, UT 20 minutes away, which will enable him to live at home and commute from there.) He tried out for the GreenMan Group (a drumline similar to BlueMan Group) and got accepted, which comes with a scholarship to pay for 3/4 of his tuition. Yay! We are proud of him. Sounds like he's going to have some fun to break up the tough pre-engineering classes he'll be starting in. And although we probably won't see much of him (which we already don't between school, work, band and other activities) It will be nice to have him at home until he goes on his mission in a year (July).
Well - until next time. Keep Smiling! :)
