Another Cool Story

I have to share another story from the history of Joseph Smith book I'm reading.  There are many amazing stories in there and it really helps me understand a lot of the back story behind the tales I've been hearing since childhood.  One story I'd never heard before was about Joseph's brother Samuel.  Right after the Book of Mormon got published, the older boys from the Smith family went out proselyting to try and sell the books and spread the message of the new church. 

Samuel was trying to be a good missionary and knock on a lot of doors, but was often turned away because many people had heard about Joseph Smith and thought he was either crazy or trying to take people away from other religions (leaving their pastors without a job) and other things like that.  One night, Samuel went to an inn where he tried to talk to the owner.  He presented the book as a history of where the Native American people came from and when the owner asked him how he got such a book, Samuel told him that his brother had translated it from a manuscript given from God.  The owner called him a liar and said many other bad things and kicked him out of the inn.  Samuel walked a little further down the road and spent a cold, uncomfortable night sleeping under an apple tree.  The next day he met an old widow who gave him food and he shared his message with her, which she was very receptive to.

A couple of weeks later, Samuel and his parents came to that same town.  His parents wanted to see this inn where the man was so rude to their son.  However, when they got close to the inn, they saw it was closed up because of a smallpox outbreak.  They found out that the innkeeper, his wife, and their 2 children had died because of it and it was brought there by a man who had stayed there a few weeks earlier.

Now I'm not saying that people who are mean to you are going to get a horrible disease and die, but Samuel was saved from that fate.  I'm sure while he was sleeping under that apple tree that he wasn't too happy with God and thought that he was forgotten.  But he was saved and was able to spread the gospel to those who might not have had the chance to hear it otherwise.  It's a good lesson to remember: even when we are going through hard times and think that we're being punished for a sin or that God has forgotten us, it will be for our good in the end.  We will have learned something, or our lives might even have been saved because of it.

Just Believe

We're getting down to the wire here!  David's concert is a week from today, which means he will be a fully qualified teacher!  I'm thinking that will help a little bit in the job search.  Hopefully.  I don't know about David, but I'm getting very worried about where we're going to be in January.  I really hate moving, but I know in the next month, we're going to have to move at least twice.  Once back to Rexburg where we'll be for Christmas, and then once when we find a place to stay.  I really really hate being homeless.  David's applied for many jobs but hasn't had any luck.  Some places I don't feel really comfortable applying to, like places where the population of the town is about 500 or where there is a lot of people under the poverty line, but we apply anyways because some job is better than no job.  David might have to work with my brother, David, in Wyoming.  He drives these huge trucks for the coal mines there.  It pays really well!  But isn't the most stimulating job.  You work 4 days on, 4 days off and have 12 hour shifts.  They work night and day, almost every day of the year. 

It's very frustrating for David not to have a job because I feel like we have both been doing all we can to make it happen.  David's been working on getting a lot of contacts in this area in case a job opens up, and I've been looking online for job postings and helping him fill out applications since he is usually gone from 6:45am till about 4:30pm.  I've also been praying A LOT about this and fasting as well.  When I get especially worried about it, I just get the answer that Heavenly Father will take care of it.  That things will work out.  That is the most frustrating answer for me!  I like to know what's going to happen, especially with something this important.  I like to have a plan.  I guess He's just testing my faith.  And boy is it a big test. 

Something that has helped put things into perspective for me is a book I'm reading.  I found it on one of the bookshelves here.  Grandpa and Gayle have soooo many books!  And about 99% of them are religious.  So when I needed an uplifting book to read, I didn't have to look long!  I'm reading "The History of Joseph Smith by His Mother".  It's an amazing book and I'm learning so many things about their family.  I learned that Lucy Mack Smith's brother ended up being a "faith healer" and basically disappeared for 20 years and nobody knew where he went.  Her family was also very religious.  And I also learned that early in their marriage, Lucy and Joseph got the same revelation (although not in the same way) that Joseph got about the many religions of the day.  That there was no religion that had the fullness of the gospel.  No denomination had any more truths than the other.  It got me thinking about how God really did prepare the way for Joseph Smith, by providing him with religious parents who understood that there was something more for them to learn.  And that got me thinking about our situation.  I honestly hope this is the lowest point (financially) in our lives.  It is so stressful, and takes such a toll on you.  It's always in the back of your mind.  But now I know what it's like, to have that awful feeling.  And I know what a blessing it is when other people reach out to help you!  So I just have to trust that God is preparing us for better things, when we are in a situation to help others because we know what it's like.  So I'll just keep saying my prayers and have faith that since we are doing all that we can do, we will be taken care of.

Stories

I remember when having a blog used to be the big thing!  When someone got married, everyone would ask them if they had their new married person blog set up yet and when they did to be sure to put a link to it so everyone could keep up with their lives!  But that time is gone.  Most people don't use blogs anymore because there are many other ways of sharing your life, such as Facebook, Instagram, etc.  But I really miss the blogs.

The reason I want blogs back is mainly for the stories!  It seems like on the other social media sites, all you get is a snapshot into someone's life.  Just the highlights.  Don't get me wrong, I love seeing those snapshots!  I love seeing the random pictures of something little that happened that day or a little thought you've had that you wanted to share, but you don't get to hear many stories about life anymore.  I miss being able to take a look through different eyes, to see how other people think and react.  I can understand that some people want to keep things private, that they don't want to share those personal moments, and that's just fine!  But I love to see how other people deal with frustration and happiness and I especially love to hear about growing moments.  When you have something happen that helps you grow as a person.  When I read those stories, it helps me want to be better myself.

I know life is busy, and it's hard to set aside an hour or so to compile a whole list of things to put on your blog.  But maybe once in awhile, write down something you're thankful for.  Or something that made you smile.  Sometimes when I write a post, I realize all the good things I have in my life.  I also realize some of the bad things in my life.  But when I write, it gives me an opportunity to take stock of what is going on and I can really see what I need to do to make my life better.  It doesn't happen every time, but often enough that I keep writing my posts!  I'm not the most consistent writer, but I have made it a goal to keep things on here updated enough.  So, for those few who actually still check this, take a second and think of me (if nothing else)!  Give me something to read!  Give me some entertainment!  And I'll try to give you a little back in return.

Those Special Moments

Motherhood is so different than I thought it would be.  I honestly thought that mothers with only one child were just being wimpy when they said they were tired and drained all the time, especially if they got to stay home all day!  I was terrible at judging mothers and looking down on them.  I see the error of my ways now!  I am that mother who stays at home all day and doesn't get anything done besides feeding both of us and maybe getting a few dishes done (although I am trying to be better!).  I am tired all the time.  Even though Asher still takes 2 naps, I still feel like I don't get enough time to myself.  I go crazy if I'm home for too long and the only conversation I have is a running commentary that Asher gets to enjoy.  I will be the first to admit I was wrong about motherhood!  Even though I still feel all those things, I love it (most of the time....)

It's really hard being in charge of Asher sometimes.  When I haven't slept well and he's really grumpy, I just want a break and a chance to go on a vacation for a week.  But it's also at those times when I feel most like giving up that one of those special parent-child moments happen.  Last night I had one of the best moments!

I was laying in bed, trying to fall asleep.  I had been feeling kind of depressed all day and really just wanted a good night's sleep, but it wasn't happening.  I had been laying in bed for about 2 hours when I heard Asher start screaming.  I could tell something was wrong, so I went in there and sure enough, he had his legs stuck between the slats in his crib.  He does that all the time!  And he gets it stuck almost up to his hip so I really have to push and wiggle to get it out.  When I finally did get his leg out, he needed some cuddling to calm him down (which I was more than happy to give!).  This boy loves to cuddle!  If I'm sitting on the floor, most of the time he'll come over and either stand leaning against me or climb up on my lap.  He loves people. 

So I was holding him and rocking him a little with his head on my shoulder and he gets the hiccups.  Not great news because I know he's going to be up for awhile because of it.  I could tell he was so tired and really wanted to fall back asleep, so I sat in a chair in his room and he put his arms around me and leaned his head on my chest.  I started massaging his head (he loves that) and his hiccups went away!  But the most amazing part was he fell asleep while I was holding him.  He never does that anymore.  It was so sweet and he was so perfect that I remembered one of the reasons I really did want to be a mother.  I wanted to be that person that my children came to for help.  That they wanted to tell about their day to.  That they wanted to cuddle up to when they couldn't sleep.  I miss Asher being a little baby and being so adorable, but I also love that he knows who I am now!  That he wants me to comfort him instead of whoever happens to pick him up!  Sitting in the dark, holding my little boy, I was so happy that I could've lived in that moment forever.  When I got up and put him back in his crib, he just looked up at me while I put his blanket on him and looked so peaceful.  It was one of the greatest moments in parenting for me.  I know every day isn't going to have those moments, but I sure do love it when they do. 

A Little Update

Well, we've made it half way through student teaching!  I am very ready to be done.  David's grandpa has been extremely nice to let us stay here, but I am ready for our own place where I can control the temperature, open the windows, see the sunlight, and have a little bit more privacy. (they really try to give us as much privacy as they can, but they're food storage is downstairs and they use it a lot)  Not much has changed for us, but I just wanted to give a little update on Asher!  Here are a few things I want to remember about this age:

• He is such a happy boy!  Most of the time, that is. I always have people comment on how happy he is.  Unless he's tired, he usually has a huge grin and is jabbering up a storm.  It's adorable!  I get to see those dimples of his all the time!
• Speaking of jabbering, he always has to talk himself to sleep.  And it's not just talking, it's making squawking noises, blowing bubbles, jumping on his mattress, the works.  It actually makes me laugh when I hear him in his crib doing that, even though I know he should be sleeping.  We had some men from the ward over the other night while Asher was doing that and one of them couldn't stop laughing because he thought it was so funny!
• He is so active!  I know most parents of toddlers say that, but this boy is so busy all the time!  In the morning, I'll usually sit on the couch and he'll walk around the living room for about and hour and a half, usually dragging something behind him.  He hardly even stops to play with his toys!  He just likes to be moving all the time.  My mom says that if I need to get some exercise, all I have to do is follow him around for a few days! 
• His favorite movie is Toy Story.  Usually if I turn a movie on, he'll glance at it once in awhile but mostly ignore it.  But if I turn on Toy Story, he'll sit there and watch it almost all the way through!  We only have the first one, so I don't know if it's the same for the other two.  I don't turn the tv on very much, but that is a nice thing to have on those days when I really need a break!
• He's still very friendly and loves to be around people.  When we go to the park, if there are other kids there he'll just follow them around and not even really play on the toys.  I think it makes some of the kids feel weird because he's kind of a creeper when he does it and just stands there and stares at them, but he just wants to be apart of the fun!
• Bath time is still the favorite time of day and he still makes a big huge mess because he loves splashing around!  I wish we had money to go to a pool because he would love it if we went more often!
• He does not like landlines!  We were upstairs because I was doing laundry.  They have a ton of phones all around their house (I actually disconnected all the ones down here...)  While we were upstairs they got a call and about 4 phones all started ringing.  I forgot that Asher had probably never heard a real ring on a phone (both of our cell phones have little tunes instead of a ring), and it was so loud and sudden that he immediately started crying!  That's something that I guess my kids will never really know because most everyone now just uses cell phones!
• He has a new fascination with climbing into things.  For example:

And here are some more pictures for your viewing pleasure!  That's all I have for now, but I'm sure more will be posted soon!

I put the oven mitt on him because he was so interested in what I was making.  He then spent about 2 days like this, with the mitt up to his elbow!

I brought his booster seat in to adjust the straps.  He spent a long time just sitting in it!  Oh, and he usually has some sort of cooking utensil.  That's one of the drawers I don't mind if he gets in to.

This was the first time he got to step on crunchy leaves and he loved it!  He was so messy after and had leaves in his shoes, shirt, and diaper, but he had such fun that it didn't matter!

 

Weekend in Rexburg

Warning: This is a very long post!!!

Last week, David had Parent-Teacher Conference on Wednesday and Thursday.  It made for a very long two days for both of us because he was at school from 7:30am-8:30pm and I was in charge of Asher all day by myself.  We both managed pretty well, but were very glad when David had Friday off!  The school wanted to give the teachers a break after PTC so they had a 3 day weekend.  We decided it would be fun if we drove up to Rexburg to see my family, if nothing else than just for a little break from our routine.  

Friday morning hit, and David was exhausted.  So I managed to get all the packing done so he could sleep in a little and we headed out around 10:30.  I was hoping that Asher would sleep most of the time because that's when his morning nap is and it's usually pretty long.  We needed gas before we left, and when we stopped, David found out his card didn't work at the station.  So he had to call our bank and see if there was a problem with our account, and luckily it was just that his card is old and the magnetic strip wasn't working that great.  So off we headed (again)!  Asher slept about half way, and I did my best to entertain him the rest of the time.  Needless to say we were all glad when we pulled into Grandma's house!  Asher was so excited to be somewhere new, that he played and played all day long, completely skipping his afternoon nap.  Later that night, David and I wanted to go see a movie.  My brother works at the theater, so we get his discount, which is super amazing!  We saw the Maze Runner, which we both really liked.  And we got 2 tickets, 2 pops, and a giant popcorn for $3.50!  My family all wants Andy to work there forever....

When we got back, I was so tired I went right to bed.  David stayed up a little later.  We were sharing a room with Asher, which I thought would be fine because we've done it before with no problems, but not this time!  At 4am, Asher woke up crying.  And since we were in the room and he could hear us, he kept crying until I picked him up.  He was so upset that it took an hour for him to calm down enough to go back to sleep.  

He woke up the next morning at about 8 (his usual time) and it was so hard to get up with him!  But my mom was also up so she helped me stay awake enough to take care of him.  At 10, he started acting tired, so I tried putting him down for a nap.  When Asher started fussing before falling asleep, David (who was in the room asleep) thought Asher was waking up for the day and got him out and brought him to me.  I was not exactly thrilled about that, but it was an honest mistake.  So Asher got to skip his morning nap!  We tried watching Conference, but with a toddler in a new house with lots of toys, it wasn't easy!  I'm going to have to watch all the sessions again because I think I only heard about 3 talks out of the 2 days it was on.

We wanted to go to the park with my sister and her little boy after the first session, so after it was over we all packed up and headed over!  Asher loves the park, and he also loves playing with his cousin!  They're 10 months apart and love to get into trouble.  We stayed at the park for about an hour and then Asher was acting very tired so I was hoping he would take his afternoon nap.  We got home, and about 10 minutes later, David's friend told him to come over for a bit.  David went out to the car, turned the key...and nothing happened.  Our car had died in the 10 minutes we were in the house.  He tried cleaning the cables, checking the wires, and we even tried jump starting it but nothing worked.  We tried calling all sorts of repair shops, but at 2pm on a saturday, we weren't having much luck.  I finally found a place that said they would at least be able to find out what was wrong, if not fix it by the time they closed that night.  So we called my dad, he came home, and we towed the car over.  In case you didn't know....I HATE TOWING CARS!!!!!!  I've done it many times and it almost makes me sick how stressful it is.  So I was glad when my dad told me to take my brothers car and just follow them over.  While David and I were driving back, we did hear Elder Holland's talk about looking after the poor.  It seemed fitting.

So all we could do at this point was wait.  David borrowed my mom's car to go see his friend, and I stayed home and watched Asher not take his afternoon nap.  At about 5:30, Asher was so tired that I knew I'd have to put him down for a late nap (which I hate doing), or try to distract him until bedtime.  I chose distraction!  I thought a walk would be good because Asher LOVES going on walks.  My mom has a stroller at her house, so my mom, dad, Oscar (their dog), and I went on a walk.  Asher lasted about 5 minutes before he fell asleep in the stroller.  I wasn't even afraid of that happening because he never falls asleep in the stroller!  Oh well.  

While we were on the walk, I realized it was getting close to 6, which is when the shop was closing that had our car.  I had David call them, but when he did, he found out that they had all left already.  So our car was in the shop and we were stuck.  My family was very happy about that because it meant we were staying longer!  My dad knew one of the guys that worked at the shop, so he texted him and asked if he knew anything.  They hadn't even looked at our car.  So we would have to wait till at least Monday before we could leave.  That schlumped both of us because David had school and we both knew it would probably cost us a lot of money to fix.  We needed something to distract us!  My mom again agreed to listen for Asher while we went to another movie.  I was so tired from being up the night before and all the stress of the car and watching my little boy terrorize my parents house that I'm surprised I didn't fall asleep!  But it was a good movie (Edge of Tomorrow), and it was nice to relax.  That night we slept in a different room from Asher and we all slept better.

On Sunday, Asher decided he wanted to wake up at 6:30.  I was not excited about that.  But he went down for a nap (YAY!!!  first one since we got there) at 8, so we both went back to bed till 10.  I again tried to listen to Conference, but again, I know I missed a lot of the messages.  Yay for the internet where I can listen to them later!  That afternoon, my sister brought her family over and Asher had his partner in crime again!  At one point during the weekend, David found them playing in my parents wood stove.  Ledger had crawled inside and Asher was opening and closing the door.  They were having tons of fun and got very dirty!  We'll have to block that off next time....

David, on a whim, asked his brother if he would come pick him up.  I was very surprised when he said yes!  But he would like it if we could meet him half way.  I ended up taking David to Malad, where Brian picked him up.  My mom put Asher to bed while we were gone.  One thing I miss about Rexburg is I had an awesome babysitter pool!  So I drove back to Rexburg and David went to Orem.  

The next day was pretty quiet.  My mom, dad, and Andy all went to school (my mom works at the college and my dad teaches 7th grade), and Asher and I stayed home.  When I put Asher down for a nap, David called and said he got a call from the mechanic.  It was the starter.  And a cable that needed to be replaced.  And we had a brake light out.  Almost $400 to fix.  I've really been trying not to think about it.  When you don't have any income, that's a big deal.  But we'll make it work.  We have to.  It's a good thing we have so many people who are incredibly generous to us!  I honestly feel like we are never going to be able to pay any of these people back.  

I had to wait until my brother got out of class to get my car, so in the mean time, we went to play with Ledger some more!  Asher is going to be so bored with just me at home!  Those two are thick as thieves!  But we got the car, and at 6pm, we started the drive home.  I was worried about the drive because I was exhausted from the weekend and I've never driven that far with Asher before.  And I knew if he woke up, it would be hard for me to drive and entertain him.  But it actually went really well.  I had an audiobook to listen to (I love audiobooks!) and Asher fell asleep about an hour and a half into the drive and slept the rest of the way.  It was very hard getting up this morning and I took a nap when Asher took his morning one.  But all seems to be back to normal now!  Thank you family for helping us this weekend!  Whether it was feeding us or letting us borrow your car or having a fun conversation (that might have been my favorite part) or entertaining my child!  I'm so grateful for all of you!  I can't wait till we can get together again, but hopefully with a little less drama.

My mom found this toy.  It took awhile for Asher to figure it out, but when he did it turned into one of his favorites!  Besides chasing the animals around.

I wish I would've gotten more pictures of these two!  This is the best I could get with the few I did take.  Those two were always on the move!

Grandpa reading with Asher.  I love this picture.

Library

Well, we've almost made it half way through student teaching!  It has not been easy, but with help from family we are making it!  We really appreciate all the help that has been given to us, you have no idea how much we appreciate it!  Hopefully in January, we'll be able to start getting back on our feet and not have to rely on the kindness of others quite so much.

We have very limited choices on places we can go because we have so little money.  We haven't gone to a movie or bought clothes or basically been able to let loose because that costs money.  So I've been trying to come up with places to go that don't require money.  Asher and I go on a lot of walks and spend quite a bit of time at the park.  We also go to Wal-Mart and Target and sometimes even the pet shop!  But it's depressing going into a store knowing you can't spend any money.  I remembered my sister suggested that we find the library and go there.  I had no idea where the library was, but I looked it up and found that it's not too far from where we live.  So yesterday Asher and I headed out!  I've only ever been to the library in Rexburg and a random one close to Salt Lake, and they are both just regular square buildings, 1 story, full of books.  That's what I was expecting here.  Wrong!  This was the building I saw when we pulled into the parking lot:

This is just one building, it actually connects to another building.  Both are 3 stories.  I love that spiral staircase!

After we walked in, I was just amazed at how big it was!  I don't know how most libraries are, but this one was so cool.  When you walk in, you start out in the children's section.  All 3 stories in this building were for children.  I wish I would've taken more pictures because they had the cutest decorations.  But here are the ones I did take: 

They had a pirate ship!  It was huge and had so much to look at!  Asher loved it.  They have speakers on either side of the boat so I imagine they put on a little show every once in awhile.  They also had a puppet theater for kids to play with right next to this.  I can't believe I forgot to take a picture of it!

This is after you get past the check out desk and the pirate ship.  It felt like I was in a cathedral.

This is at the back of the building.  It's a stage area where they do story time (which is unfortunately right during Asher's nap time otherwise we'd be there every day), and probably music programs too because there's a piano in the corner.  And I thought the stained glass window's were awesome too!

This is my favorite part!  After you walk past the stage, you come to a side room with more books.  And this!  It's for puppet shows!  It is so beautiful and I could see if they actually use it or not, but I thought it was amazing.  It's pretty big too!  I would guess it's about 10 feet tall!

I just thought this was interesting.  You don't see these very often!

So that was our adventure yesterday.  I actually think Asher's favorite part was walking around outside picking up leaves that had fallen, but when he gets older we'll have to take him back so he can see everything!  I guess I need to start going to libraries more often if there are more that are as fun as this one!

David's "Job"

We've made it to September!  It feels like we've been here a lot longer than we have, mostly because it's taken us a long time to get settled into our routine because of all of David's beginning of the school year stuff and taking a trip back to Rexburg and finally getting this place toddler-proofed.  But we did it!  Last night, David had to stay at the school pretty much all day because after his regular classes, he had a meeting with his student teacher group and only had 45 minutes between that and having to be back at the school for instrument rentals.  Mr. Monroe has Summerhays (at least I think that's who brings the instruments) come to the school and bring instruments so all the parents and kids can come there to rent instruments/buy books/etc. 

So since David wasn't going to be able to come home, Asher and I made the trek (during a rain shower and during rush hour, I might add) to meet David for dinner.  We stopped at a sandwich place called The Village Baker, which was a lot like Great Harvest, and had delicious sandwich's and a gigantic cookie!  Asher really liked the cookie.  We went back to the school to eat there and I met Mr. Monroe!  He's about 5'5", slightly balding, nice little goatee, and has a very outgoing personality.  He was cracking jokes and talking the whole time.  I can see why David likes him.  While I was there, he had nothing but good things to say about David.  I was a little worried when he came up to me and started out "You know the trouble with David is....that it's hard for me not to have him do everything for me while I sit in the back and surf the web and drink my Diet Coke!"  He said David is a real go-getter and tries to be very proactive.  He said when David was sick last Friday, all the kids kept asking where Mr. Clay was!  He said (more than once) that David is going to be a great teacher.   So David has done well to get a good start on his career! 

I know David really likes working with the kids, but he does get a little frustrated.  He  keeps telling me that he's ready for his own classroom so he can run it the way he wants.  One thing that is good about student teaching is that you get to see what you do or don't like in how a class is run.  David has told me many times different things he wants to implement in his class.  The other major thing that frustrates David is that he does all the work of a regular teacher, but he doesn't get one penny to do it!  Teachers really do get the short end of the deal.  But part of my job being at home all day is to keep my eye out for positions that are going to open up in January, after David finishes his student teaching.  It will be hard to find something in the middle of the school year, but we'll just keep trying!  If anyone hears about anything, be sure to let us know!  Anyways, here are some pictures of David's room.

This is the building where they have orchestra.  There are a whole row of these trailers outside the actual school.

This is the view when you walk in the door.  Half the building has table for a classroom setting and the other half is where they rehearse the orchestra.

Mr. Monroe's desk.  That's David with Mr. Monroe facing out the door.

The orchestra space.  They moved all the chairs to make room for instrument rentals.

So that where David spends his day!  Asher and I spend the day at home.  It's a lot more boring.  I have a few things that I've noticed about Utah that makes it different:

• The sidewalks (at least around here) are all very uneven.  Asher gets mad if I take him in the stroller and I walk to fast because he gets bounced around a lot!
• When driving, you have to be really aware of the road because lanes end at random times!  It's taken me a long time to get used to that.
• It rains a lot.  I don't know if it's the time of year or what, but it has been raining almost every day.  A lot different from Idaho where it rains about once a month!
• It's warmer here than in Idaho.  When we went to Idaho a couple weeks ago, I was surprised at the difference!  I forgot that fall in Idaho is about 50 degrees while fall here is apparently about 80 degrees.
• Driving is awful.  I don't like driving.  Every is so frantic all the time.  If you're not going 10 over the speed limit, everyone will be passing you.
• People here are generally very friendly.  I always have people talk to me while I'm at the store or at church.  And they love to talk to Asher!
• Gas here is about 20 cents cheaper than Idaho.  Yay for that!
• I don't know if it's just an Idaho thing, but in Rexburg, stores would start putting up the next holiday no matter how far away it is!  My sister said they've already put up Halloween stuff.  I miss that!  I haven't seen very many holiday decorations out.  Hopefully when we get closer I will!

That's about all I can think of for now!  Here are some pictures of Asher:

When I'm cooking, Asher will get spoons or spatula's and try to help me cook.  When he does that, I usually get an empty pot and put random stuff in it so he can stir a pot too!

David found this at Wal-Mart and wanted to let Asher try it.  Elmo is sitting next to him.  He didn't really like when it moved, but he loved playing with the steering wheel!

He spent about 15 minutes trying to fit into our little cooler.  It was very entertaining for me!

This was a video of Asher's first Carousel ride!  This place has a lot of history with our family.  That was my first real job, most of us kids have worked there, and it's been around since we were little!  So it was neat to watch Asher participate in that little piece of history.

London Lyn

My sister had a beautiful little girl in July and she asked me to take her newborn pictures.  Here are some of my favorites of little London Lyn!

She has the longest toes and fingers you have ever seen!

Asher is a walking boy!

Here is the video David got of him walking:



And here is one I found on his phone from awhile ago.  Asher loves the piano!  And he gets very involved in it.  You can see how hard he's concentrating!  This was from back in May.

Utah Life

Well, we made it to Utah!  It's been quite a week.  There won't be too many pictures on this post, so it's going to be boring words...sorry. 

Last Monday David met with his mentor teacher, Mr. Monroe.  He sounds like a very enthusiastic music teacher, if not a little rough around the edges.  Their meeting was just a get-to-know-you meeting, and David said all they did for about 2 hours was talk about how great the music program was there.  So David will probably be very busy!  There are 7 class periods in a day and I guess most teachers only teach 4 or 5 of those, but Mr. Monroe teaches during all 7.  The last class period is an art class, so he told David that he could use that hour for prep.  I'm kind of sad about that because I was looking forward to David bringing me home some awesome art projects!  They've been in inservice since last Wednesday and school starts tomorrow.  David will probably be observing for the first little while and then slowly work his way in.  I think he's going to like starting school, because I know he's sure sick of all the meetings he's had to go to!

As for Asher and me, we've been trying to keep down the fort.  I feel weird not having to go to work...or anywhere for that matter.  I realize now why mothers kind of lolly-gag their way through stores.  You don't really have much to do at home, so why rush through the store?  Although I have had a lot to do at home.  I've been trying to unpack everything and I have to re-iron all of Davids clothes (they've been packed up for about a month, so they are super wrinkley) and I am a really slow iron-er.  I'm still getting used to being home so much.  I have to go out at least once a day.  Usually on a walk with Asher, to the store, etc.  If I don't get out I start feeling a little claustrophobic. 

We are staying with David's grandpa, which is extremely nice of him to let us be here.  They have a downstairs apartment with it's own entry, which is nice.  And they did get us a new fridge that's a little bigger, and I'm very glad about that!  When we first got here, they had a little mini-fridge which did not hold much.  I am looking forward to getting our own place again, though.  It is a lot bigger here than our other apartment, but it's always nice to have your own  stuff.  I really miss our bed.  We had a nice bed.  We put all of our stuff in storage until January,  or until David can find a job. 

Asher is the talk of the town here!  Every single time we go to the store, some lady will come up and talk to him and play with him and make him laugh.  And he loves all that attention!  He had a hard time adjusting to the new place, especially since there was a clock in his room that chimed every hour and kept him up (which took us a few days to notice) and everything is very nice here, which means I spent the first few days here baby-proofing everything.  But he loves all the people!  He's also learning how to walk, not just take steps!  David got a video of it, I'll have to put it on here sometime.  The last few days, especially, he prefers walking over crawling.  Things are about to move at a lot faster pace, I'm thinking! 

At church, we thought we would be the only young family there (because this is kind of a retirement area), but there were a few other couples in basically the same situation as us.  They were living with their parents/grandparents while finishing school and most of them had toddlers about the same age as Asher, so it was nice to know we aren't the only ones!  Asher did pretty well during church, but he is a pretty active child and he's in a phase now where he loves to squeal at the top of his lungs.  But everyone was very nice about it and I could see them smiling at us while trying to keep Asher from stealing the hymn books of the people behind us and jumping on the pew during the Sacrament.  The only bad thing about this ward is apparently they are pretty strict about not letting kids into nursery until 18 months.  So I guess church will be our exercise time for a little while longer!

I think that's about it on our update for now.  I can't think of much else.  I'll try to be better about posting now that I have a little more time on my hands! We'll see what this next week brings!

Asher Turns 1!

I am going to use the old cliché', but this past year has gone by much quicker than I thought it would!  My little baby isn't a little baby anymore - he's a toddler!  I love that little guy more than I thought possible.  He is so smiley and happy (most of the time...) and makes me laugh every day!  I haven't been good about blogging the last few months, but here are some things about him that I want to remember:

• Whenever he sees anyone he knows, no matter how grumpy he has been, he will break out into a huge grin!  He loves seeing new people, which is why when I leave him at someone else's house to babysit, he is so happy to see someone new that he doesn't really notice me leaving. 
• He loves to get his picture taken!  Whenever someone puts their camera or phone or any picture-taking device in his face, he will break out his adorable smile!  If he's crying and you try to take a picture, he'll stop, smile for the picture, and when you're done he'll go right back to screaming.  He did not get that from his dad!  I can't ever get David to take a picture without a weird face or lots of complaining.
• He's kind of a picky eater.  He loves vegetables, but doesn't really like fruit.  He doesn't like apple juice.  He loves to suck the salt/seasonings off of things (pretzels, chips, etc.) and then spit the rest out.  And when he doesn't want to eat, he lets you know!  He'll bat away anything that gets close to his mouth!
• Although he is a very happy boy most of the time, he knows how to throw a tantrum!  If he gets put down before he's ready, he'll slunk to the floor while screaming and bury his head in the ground.  If we're putting him in the carseat when he's upset, he'll squirm and buck, while screaming bloody murder.  It's almost comical how upset he gets...if I weren't afraid someone was going to call the cops on me...
• He loves people!  He loves to be held and played with and loves to climb all over whoever is there.  He usually has to be in the same room as you and will follow us all around the house.  If we're on the couch and he's on the floor, he'll climb and wiggle his way up!  He also loves being around other little kids, especially his cousin Ledger!  It took awhile for Ledger to warm up to Asher, but now they chase each other around the house and are great buddies!
• Bath time is the best time of day!  All I have to do is turn the faucet on in the bath and Asher will come into the bathroom and start climbing into the tub...clothes and all!  I recently gave him a bubble bath for the first time the other day, he loved it!  He also loves to go swimming!  We have a little fishy on our hands!
• He is so active!  He's not crazy like Ledger, but he is always moving and doing things.  This makes church...difficult.  No one knows how glad I am David is going to church with us again!  He takes half the exercise away from me so I can get a little peace!  But he loves to get in everyone's business and see what they're doing, what's in their purse, and where they're going.
• I mentioned he loves being around people, well the same is true for animals!  Anytime he sees a cat, dog, or anything on 4 legs, he wants to touch it!  He gets really giggly and happy when he sees those furry creatures!  We may have to get a dog when we move back to our own apartment...
• He loves music.  He loves to make it, he loves to listen to it, he loves to watch David play his cello, and he loves to dance to it!  Yay for musicians!  
• He is a very pretty boy.  David hates it when I say that, but he is!  Between the pretty eyes, long eyelashes, dimples, and curly hair, you can't help but say the same.

I'm sure I'll think of more things later, but those are some of the biggest things that I want to remember.  He is so fun, I love that little boy so much!  Now here are lots of pictures and videos from the last few months!

Aunt Julianne sent these adorable PJ's! Too bad Asher grew out of them so fast!

Babies love Andy

While we were waiting to see Aunt Joy!

His favorite thing to do in the car is suck on his toes. It's hilarious to watch!

My mom set up this little pool in her yard.  The first time Asher went out there...he wasn't so sure about it and just wanted to drink water out of the hose.  Now he jumps right in!

I made this hat for him for this winter.  He's not a fan of hats, but hopefully I'll get him to wear it a little bit!

The first time he went down a slide - he loved it!  It did take a little convincing to get David to go down it though...

My babe is 1!

He loved making a mess of the cake...just not the eating part.

They played together for the longest time.  Come visit us again Max!

Asher loves the pool!

He also loves talking into fans!

Birthday part 2!

This is my favorite picture of his second party!  I forgot my flash was on...and we were in a dark bowling alley...so I kind of blinded David.

My pretty boy!

He also got a bubble bath for the first time.  That was a big hit!

I never get tired of that laugh!



This is what happens when Dad gives the bath.




And just in case anyone forgot where we started, here's a look back at Asher when he was less than a month old.  I kind of miss my little puppy sounds!




This is one of my favorite videos.  He is such a sweet, funny little boy!  I am so glad he came to live with us!

More Work Stories

Next week will be my last week at work!  So I thought I should share another story about the people I have gotten to know while working here.

A few weeks ago I had a man come in to buy a $45 box of chocolates.  He comes in about once a month so I recognized him, although I never learned his name.  As he was paying, he told me this: "I started a bad tradition..." I hear this a lot!  Especially around Christmas.  People will buy their kids chocolates for holidays and the next year, their kids will keep asking for the chocolates and be very disappointed if they don't get them!  So I told him that I hear that a lot.  So he told me "I started buying these chocolates for my mother, who I thought was going to die any day.  That was 30 years ago.  She turns 100 next week!"  I was laughing so hard!  I told him the chocolates were probably keeping her alive!  So lesson learned, if you want to live to 100, just eat lots of chocolate!

Almost Done

David was complaining that I haven't written on my blog in awhile.  He is probably one of about 3 people that actually read this, so here you go David! 

I've been thinking about writing about this for a little while.  As pretty much everyone who reads this already knows, we'll be moving to Utah in August.  I'm not really looking forward to having no income for 5 months while David does his student teaching, but I am excited to get a fresh start somewhere new!  Right now, our lives are very hectic.  David is going to school, teaching cello lessons, and goes to a singles ward on campus as the ward clerk.  I am working one job (and a half if you count doing a job for my mom), I have 2 callings in our ward (because they didn't think I was busy enough taking Asher to church by myself.  I'm the ward music chair and a relief society pianist), and all of this while we're trying to figure out moving half our stuff into a storage unit and half of it with us to Utah.  But we get to drop all that and start somewhere new!  I'm kind of excited to have a break from working (I've had one type of job or another pretty much since I was 16), but I'm also sad because I've been at my job for 6 years.  After that long, you tend to think of your co-workers as family!  It's been so fun to get to know these women that work there.  I've decided I wanted to share a few stories from working there. 

One lady that works there is named Connie.  I think she used to be LDS, but not so much anymore.  She has a tattoo, she swears, she drinks coffee, but she is so hilarious!  I love her.  When I had been working there for about a year, she told me a story about her son, Jesse.  One night when Jesse was driving home from work, he decided to stop at a local gas station.  It was about 11 pm, and when he got out of his car, a teenage boy came up to him and asked him if he would go buy him some beer.  Jesse, being a smart man, said "I can't give it to you in the parking lot!  Give me some money and then go wait at the park around the corner and I'll bring it to you.  That way we won't get caught."  The kid thought that sounded like a great idea!  So he handed Jesse a $20 bill and got in his car to drive around the corner.  Jesse went inside, bought his Mountain Dew, and on his drive home he called his mom and told her that he just made $20!  Connie told this story to her friend that was a cop and the cop said that if more people did that, they wouldn't have any problems with underage drinking.  I was laughing so hard when she told that story!  I have another story she told me about Jesse, but that will have to wait till next time.  I think I'm going to miss all those ladies!

My little boy.

I sure do love this little boy of mine.

 

 

Happy Father's Day!

I had to do a post today because I think it's so very important to build up fathers!  I didn't really notice how much men are put down until David started pointing it out to me.  During General Conference, women get told how great we are and men get told how horrible and sinful they are.  The first year we were married, on Mother's Day all the talks were about how great everyone's mom was and Father's Day was about how men need to live worthy of the priesthood.  On the classical music station this week, in honor of Father's Day they did a segment on all the evil father's in opera.  I think it's sad how much men are put down!  My friend wrote a blog post about this and I thought it was excellent.  If you want to read it, here's the link: http://livehappythoughts.blogspot.com/2014/06/fathers-we-need-them.html  So this post is all about how wonderful fathers are!

One of the first things I fell in love with about David is how much he loves children.  I knew it from the very beginning!  He had pictures of all of his nieces and nephews on Facebook and on his phone.  And the way he talked about them, you could see the love he has for each and every one of them.  When I flew out to North Carolina, little Chloe called him and he talked to her for a good 15 minutes all about the time she did his hair and how he has a girlfriend and whatever else came to mind!  I knew he would be an amazing father, and he sure is!  I know Asher loves me and likes to be with me, but you should see his face when Dad comes home.  You never saw a baby more excited to be chased, thrown on the bed (very gently...), eaten, and generally rough-housed by someone!  I play with Asher, but I know that he has 10 times more fun with Dad!  David has been so great with Asher.  He changes diapers, he takes over when I get too tired, he has Asher for 4-5 hours every day when I'm at work, and is so patient and loving.  I'm so glad that David gets to have this bonding time with Asher.  He probably won't get as much time once August hits, but we'll try to make the most out of it!  Thank you David for being such a loving, fun, and great example of a father!

This is one of my favorite pictures of my boys.  David was so happy to become a father!

I had to include this picture.  It wouldn't be fair to not have a picture of Asher screaming!

I'm so glad we have Asher in our family and am even more glad that he has a wonderful father like David!