Blessing in Disguise??

Our washer broke on Monday, right in the middle of a load!! Yep, the water hadn't drained, and there we were with a washer full of Gracie's clothes and about 4 or 5 more loads to be done and we had absolutely no washer!!

Now, many of you know Deryk and know that he's pretty handy. And he is. He had already repaired the darn thing once before, a week or two previous to this disaster, but there wasn't much he could do about a slowly dying machine! It was just a matter of time. So today, out of desperation, we went on the hunt. The search for a new washer was the first priority on our things to do list. We went to Hookers Appliance, a small community owned place near Smithfield. Having been a former employee of such a place in Pocatello for three years, Deryk feels it is best to always try these places first. Lucky for us, they were having a washer/dryer sale AND a ding and dent sale. We found one for 300 dollars off! CHACHING!! PLUS, while we were there, Deryk was asking all the questions and sounding all know-it-all which made the saleswoman inquire further about where he got his wisdom. When she found out Deryk had worked for a place like theirs before doing delivery and what-not, she immediately called the owner of the place over. Long story short, Deryk ended this day pulling up to our house in the Hooker's delivery van!! Yep, he was out pulling a two hour shift to see if it would work out. AND to sweeten the deal, they gave us another 75 dollars off--way to welcome a perspective/new employee!!!

So now, I'm making my way through the massive pile of laundry that grew while we were washerless and feeling oh so grateful for a large capacity washer that is making its way through this overwhelming pile in world record timing!! YAY for fresh and clean clothes!!

I think our desperation for a new washer was actually a blessing in disguise for us! Deryk has really hated working as a night custodian and welcomes a new job where he can be home with his family at night. And boy, does that make me happy as well!

Deryk's Spring Break Project

It is Deryk's Spring break (yay for him--Lucky him!!). But of course, he can't just relax with nothing to do, Deryk has to have a project to keep him busy (can be both a good and a bad thing at times). I had told him a few weeks ago that I would like a bench for our kitchen table, mostly because I get tired of pushing in chairs all the time--my OCD can't stand them to be out from under the table--LAME... just get over it, Joanna...right!!? Well, anyway, i picked out a bench I like online, and happened to find a beauty at pottery Barn

http://www.potterybarn.com/products/benchwright-bench/popup/more-views.html

I Loved it and the Whole set it goes with. You can find the whole set here:

http://www.potterybarn.com/pbimgs/rk/images/dp/products/201012/0065/img66m.jpg

Someday, I would like to have the whole nice set, built by Deryk, of course! After all who can afford to spend over 300.00 smackeroos on a bench??? Not Me! so here is Deryks completed project

Doesn't it look great!! I'm so grateful for a husband who's motto is, "I can make that for less than I can buy that!" (Really that is probably Deryk's most commonly said phrase and I adore him for it). Thanks for the bench Deryk, hope you're ready for the next challenge of the Pottery Barn table and Dining Server. (You don't have to get started right away, I'll let you have the rest of your spring break to yourself...maybe!)

Gracie's first Hair Cut!

Grace's hair does not grow fast AT ALL!! But I have heard that a trim can help the hair grow faster and healthier. So I decided tonight to give her a little trim to see if it might help. Here's hoping! She really does have such pretty hair and I would like to see it long. The hair cut sure has made it curl up more than usual, though! Kind of cute! (Still wish it would grow long)

The Ultra Sound News!!

Its a BOY!!!

Yes, we are having another baby!! And he's due July 5th!! We are so excited to have the experience of having one of each!! It will be fun to find out for ourselves which is truly easier--everyone has their own opinion, and now we can form our own and add it to the many so willing to share! :)

We have some ideas of what we want to name the little guy, but we're open to suggestions...got any?

One Lost Memory Card Now Found; Leads to Picture Post!

We finally found our memory card and now I can post all the cute pics I've been wanting to post for a while.

Just a cute pic of Gracie--Look at that huge smile!!

(Have no clue why this is underlined--I can't figure out how to get it to stop or change it back to normal! FRUSTRATION!)

Grace's Christmas Dress! Doesn't she look so grown up?? Oh I lost my baby to the toddler! But she is a cute toddler, so I welcome it!

Grace's hair is finally long enough to do fun things with!! I'm having tons of fun experimenting with it! (Poor girl got my natural curl, cute on her, but just doesn't seem to grow to fast)
That is enough for now, I'll post more fun stuff soon!

Student Teaching at Sunrise Elementary!

So I've been student teaching in the second grade at Sunrise Elementary for a month now! I just had my first observation by a University Supervisor today. I would love to say it went well and I was happy with the children and how well they behaved...sadly, I cannot. I must admit, it was less like a lesson on literature and more like a lesson on how to avoid an unavoidable train wreck. Yes, my dear family and friends, it was a gruesome train wreck! I started with one major strike against me, the kids had just completed their loud, noise making music lesson! Getting them to CHILL was next to impossible! So I plowed through the best that I could. I'll admit, I had to fight back tears after I thanked the advisor for coming and said goodbye. Mrs Croft, the amazing teacher and support that she is, was so upset with the students, and boy did she make it known. I'm grateful she knows what I'm capable of and supports me. She ran into my supervisor later in the hall and defended me and the lesson.

Oh well, I guess the positive to all this...my observation responses will only improve from here!

On a very happy note, I do love the school I am in. I love my cooperating teacher, she has a lot of faith in me and has put a large amount of trust in me very early. The students are usually very good and so fun, we've hit a bit of a rough spot the last week as far as classroom management goes, but I'll get it figured out, just as I have every time I've run into this problem in the past and then we can start having fun again.

So here is to the 93 days left I have until graduation!

Poor Baby Gracie

Gracie is sick today! She slept until 11:30, woke up long enough to have a little breakfast and lots of water and milk, went back to sleep for an hour and a half and is now just veaging on the couch drinking a sippy of milk! Poor Baby!!

Story Time!

I just adore these pictures! Gracie loves her books, and loves them more when Daddy reads them with her!

Moving is fun...

For those who don't have to do any of the work!

Whew! And now for a little R&R!!!

Another semester's end!! It always feels good to be done with a semester, but this time it seems even better than all the other semesters end! It sure has been a crazy semester! But in the end everything has turned out for the good.

I have lots of pictures I'd like to put up of the move, the new place, and of course of Gracie. But my darn cord is lost, so they will have to wait.

So, I know it is already more than half way through the Christmas season, but we wish you all, Friends and Family, a very Merry Christmas. We hope your Holiday season is going well, that you and your family will have the chance to enjoy the christmas spirit and the love of the Christ Child! Now that this semester is over, I think we can finally settle down and concentrate on the Reason for this Happy Season! I'm looking forward to this Christmas more than most. It will be fun to see Grace and her reaction to the Christmas tree and presents on Christmas morning!

We'll post pictures soon.

Some Halloween Fun!

what a super fun halloween we had this year! we went to a carnival at the institute on friday night with my sister miriam and her cute little cowgirl and cowboy. (i hadn't finished gracie's costume yet so she was the cutest and smallest little giraffe) the carnival wasn't as big and exciting as we thought it would be, but we still had a good time and gracie won a fish! which later i put it in the toilet for deryk to discover...hehe!

Gracie's Haloween costume finally complete and already falling apart! But she sure was the cutest little lamb I've ever seen--For Sure!!!

Gracie and her cousin Ayva, the Lamb and the Duck, at Malta's Trunk or Treat. We had fun helping out Deryk's family and spending some fun time with them.

Porter, Eva, and Gracie at the carnival. We never got a good picture of Grace as the Giraffe, she just wouldn't stay still long enough. Miriam made Eva's cowgirl costume, isn't it adorable!? She's an amazing seamstress!

A Little More Than We Thought We Were in For!

Okay, so any of you who watch America's Got Talent you might remember the brothers from last year who played the violins? So they came to ISU and i was super excited to see them. So Deryk and I, and my sister Miriam and her husband got Tickets. So this is what we were expecting

ya, it was not like this at all!!! They totally

rapped three or four songs and the lyrics were somewhat crude! it was kind of shocking!! They only played 3 MAYBE 4 songs on their violins!

Kind of disappointing and definitely not what

we thought we were getting ourselves into!!!!

A little somethin'

Enjoy this little ditty! This is my favorite homework companion!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIADdtY9pQA

Blogger Slacker!

Wow! I've Really gotten behind on a lot of things lately! Getting the house on the market has taken priority over almost everything lately! So here is a quick picture catch-up of what else is up around here.Gracie's birthday cake for the birthday party with grandparents. We had a good time and were so glad our parents (Gracies grandparents) could come party with us!

The bathroom project. Deryk and his Dad put down new tile (it looks fabulous!!) and I painted and antiqued the sink cuppord, mirror, light fixture, clock, and trim of the bathroom. I also painted behind the vanity. Turned out pretty good, I must say so myself! ;)

Just a darn cute picture of Gracie taken recently

Our labor Day trip to the Bad Lands in Wyoming with Deryk's family. Don't worry Grace only rode the four wheeler for a few short minutes, just when we needed to get to the other side of the mountain.

Sniff, Sniff, Wiping a Tear for Summer Past!

Can anyone actually tell me how you spell Teer or tear? They both look wrong to me and I'm to lazy to find our dictionary that has been bannished to some unknown box!
Anyway, today is the last day of summer vacation. I'm almost crying so hard I'm convulsing! Oh how I mourn the loss of our summer! It has been a great one though! We accomplished so much! Here is a short summer check list

• Finished the siding on our house
• Finished Painting and trimming both bedrooms
• Grew a garden (we did it, but we weren't very persistant about weeding and things got a little out of hand in the last month or so)
• Re-cemented our front porch
• Re-tiled our bathroom floor (I will be painting the bathroom soon!)
• took and passed three major tests needed to graduate
• Completed 12 credits
• Camped
• Went on lots of fun bike rides--my favorite is still the one from Pomerell to Malta
• Spent lots of time with family and met up with old friends that I've been missing
• and finally, prepared for a new school year!

(HUGE thanks to Joe (Deryk's Dad) for helping us accomplish our summer "to do" whish list!)

Yep, it's been a great summer! I'll miss our summer vacation, but I look forward to this school year! With it brings a closing of an era for me! At the end of the next nine months I will be a college graduate! I will no longer be the student but can finally take my place as an educator. SO with that, I look forward to this new school year that will bring adventures in moving, a new program and school for Deryk, and Student teaching for me! Its going to be a great year--I can feel it in my aging student bones!

Good luck to all of you who are students, have students, or are starting new and exciting carreers! I'll see you on the flip side (if I survive)!

Birthday Pics

Gracie is ONE!
Yay! We had a great day celebrating her birthday as well as our anniversary. here are a few pics. Yummy Cake! We just couldn't wait to see Gracie dive in!
And YUP! Gracie uses a cup now!The Birthday outfit that is a little too big! But darn cute huh?Gracie throwing a fit while I was trying to get pictures of her!
Ya, she's fake crying!

(HUGE Thanks Suzi and Braden for taking Gracie Swimming while Deryk and I went out on a date--just the two of us!!)

One Year ago!

This is Grace Clare the day we took her home from the hospital one year ago.

THIS is Gracie the day she turned one (yesterday)!

WOW! Big change huh. Our little dark haired baby turned blond! We love it and think it suits her well.

Its been One exciting year with Gracie! She has quite a personality and we absolutely love it! I am thankful every day for the blessing she is in our home and family!

Who knew a Tool Box Could Provide so Much Entertainment?

I was using Deryk's tool box for an object lesson for sharing time in primary.(Absolutely love my new calling!!) I had emptied it out to put tools in it that represented the scriptures, but Gracie liked it empty the best!

Change of Plans!

Well, I guess it is about time to update family and friends on what Deryk and I have been brewing up for the past month.
Deryk and I have been talking a lot about our future lately. I graduate next year and Deryk would be starting the education program here at ISU this semester, so naturally we've been pondering what we want for our family and out of life. I was some what worried about Deryk persuing his degree here at ISU because the program is going through some not-so-positive changes and it seemed as though Deryk wasn't really all that thrilled about his prospective future in teaching math. When ever Deryk and I have talked about it he has expressed a desire to teach more of a vo-tech program, but ISU doesn't offer that program here. We looked into it, and found the program that fits into Deryk's interests perfectly! But it is offered at USU which offers a few obstacles we have had to consider and decide if it is worth persuing. Ultimately we decided to just move forward, put in applications and see what financial aid, grants and programs we could get some help from. So a month later and we found out last night that Deryk has been accepted into the Engineering program at USU where he can persue a degree in Engineering Technology education. He has been so super excited about the program ever sense we found it! Which makes me thrilled as ever.
So we have had to make some changes in our near future plans, but we look forward, with great anticipation, to the adventure that lies ahead of us!

Our New Baby Sitter!

My nephew Trevor has been baby sitting Gracie for an hour in the morning for the last three weeks. I can't believe how grown-up he is! I still see that cute little two-year-old chasing after "loons" (baloons) with those chubby cheeks bouncing in his delight! He is a great care-giver (like his mom)! He is so attentive to Gracie and keeps her entertained in that hour they are together--she never fusses! Now that is a sign of one attentive babysitter. So, thanks Trevor!!! I appreciate your willingness to help and your sweetness with Gracie. And truthfully, it is the cutest thing in the world to me when I pick up Gracie and Trevor has her all ready to go-- Gracie in his arms and the diaper bag in hand! I love you Trev!!