Monday, January 19, 2009

Outside the New Digs


Here's the exterior of the new place....
It has a really little back yard, but the side yard is big enough for the trampoline or a garden. We might even be able to get a dog. The front is all gravel, not my favorite, but I am sure I will like it when the water bill comes in the summer.

The new Digs





The new place...living room has hardwood floors, That's Lauren's room with the corner windows, which she loves, the master is the one with the bay window and the beautiful kitchen. There's a family room off the kitchen where Lauren is standing, then another bonus room off of that.





Christmas 2008. Calvin and Lauren were still asleep at 8am. in the loft, so I had to wake them up. Funny piano face!

Snow in St. George, Dec. 19, 2008

Who'd a thought I'd be shoveling snow in St. George? I didn't even have a snow shovel, so had to use a little one.

Sunday, January 11, 2009

Mad Scientist


Jan. 11, 2009

The holidays are over, the Christmas stuff put away.  They zipped by so fast, I'm not sure they even happened.  We lazed around, getting up at 9 or 10 for so long, that now getting back to work and waking up at 5:45 seems like the middle of the night.  

We are spending time recovering from vacation time, and looking for a house to buy....maybe.  The interest rates are finally down, some prices are down, and the search is on.  I feel like I am looking for a needle in a hay stack, however.  Hopefully something will click.  There are a few programs that help "first time homebuyer," which I now am, even though this is the 5th house I have purchases.  In order to be considered a first time homebuyer, you have to have not bought a house in 3 years.  The programs I am seeing also qualify people on income, often to help teachers, police, firefighters and nurses.  Bummer for me---I actually make just a tad more than the qualifying income, but not enough to be rich enough to get the house I would like.  So much for helping teachers!  Oh well, the thought was nice.

Health update:  Doing great, in remission still, feel great, other than the winter gambo.

Divorce update:  Just a few more cross the t's, dot the i's things, then a judge signature and I'm a free woman.  Then I can go to the single dances and dance with 65 year old 5'5" men with bald heads and paunches. 

Lauren update:  Doing well, smiley as ever, getting kind of sick of having Mom around at every turn.  I'm a teacher at her school, in the Beehives at church, where she is, at home about when she gets home from school, have all the holidays she does.  As a young kid, that was cool.  Last year when she'd see me at school she'd give me a hug.  This year she hopes I don't see her and embarrass her somehow.

Calvin update:  Enjoying Tucson with Elisha and Phil, works at Pizza Hut part-time which he likes.  Amazingly he doesn't get tired of their pizza.  Graduating this year.  He's trying out for the high school baseball team, don't know how that will go as he's a Sr., but I think it's cool he's giving it a shot.  Spends time texting and playing x-Box live with friends up here and all over the world, I think.  I don't really know how that all works, but he seems to be saving the world shooting at aliens with friends.  Just like those who save us from terrorists while we sleep, there is Calvin saving us from aliens and the evil halo things as we sleep.

Elisha and Phil and Ben and Brooke have their own blogs which are pretty cool, so I won't give you their updates.  I will also try to link Danielle's mission blog to this if I can figure out all that high tech stuff.  I may have to have my technician, Lauren, help me.