The Earl Family

I can walk the dog (all by myself)!

2011-09-05T07:25:00.003-06:00

So I have SOOOOO many things to post and update. Hopefully I will get to everything, but honestly who knows! I had the pleasure of having my sister, Asha, and nephew, Layne stay with me a few times this summer. Layne LOVED walking Jack. Here are a couple of pics of Layne walking Jack here at our apartment in Orlando.

I LOVE this little boy!!! I miss him so much!

Our Apartment

2011-09-05T07:20:00.004-06:00

So this is not the first time Brent has lived in these apartments. So far we like it. Here are some pictures for you to enjoy!

We have a lake in the middle of the complex. We like to walk Jack around it.

This is our back door. It is nice because we can park right by it (if nobody else is parked there).

Orlando!

2011-09-05T07:05:00.003-06:00

So we are in Orlando now! I moved in on August 8th and Brent got here a week ago today. I was able to get a teaching job. I am teaching Kindergarten at Palm Lake Elementary in Orlando! It is so nice to have less students and get to teach them all day! Brent is working for Disney again and is currently working on the Tower of Terror. Probably my least favorite ride but Brent likes it.

So here are some pictures I took the day I got hired. They had the classroom already set-up with other people's things because it was Meet the Teacher night and school started on Monday so they had to make it look like a classroom. I am starting to change things out and will be moving some of the furniture around soon. But it shows kinda what it looks like!

This is the playground for Kindergarten. You can see it out my window.

They didn't have small chairs yet so those are the bigger chairs. We have since switched all the chairs and lowered all the tables.

I kinda miss all the storage I had in my class room in Utah. I have less students but we are able to do more. There isn't much storage space.

We are lucky because we have 5 computers for students and 1 for me!

It is way cool because I also have an Elmo type thing in my classroom. It is a different brand but the same thing. It is hooked up the projector. Also, we have tv, radio, dvd, etc that runs through it as well.

My First Car Wreck

2011-06-20T18:08:00.006-06:00

So for those of you that didn't hear about it, just over a month ago I was in a car wreck on I-15. I was driving to work on a rainy Thursday morning. I was almost to the Pioneer Crossing exit, which was the exit I needed, when all of a sudden I started to hydro-plane. I started fishtailing before slamming into the concrete barrier that was on the yellow line on the right side (I-15 is under construction). Coming off the barrier, the car went up on two wheels before slamming back down and doing a full 360. I than fish-tailed again and slammed a second time into the barrier. The car hit both times on the passenger side of the car, thank goodness I was by myself. I also got lucky that I didn't hit ANY other cars during this whole ordeal. When I finally came to a stop in the far right lane, because as I said before there was no shoulder, I was beyond freaking out. I was hysterical and now afraid that someone was going to smash into me from behind. I got lucky that a construction worker happened to see the very end of the accident and called his safety person who than called 911. I couldn't think straight and didn't even think to call 911. I called Brent who was still asleep. Being hysterical freaked Brent out because he could do nothing about it because he was in St. Louis. A very nice cop on his way home, pulled up behind and turned on his lights so that no one would hit me. He determined my car was undrivable and stayed until the highway patrol got there. Ironically enough, the officer handling the accident was the father of one of the students I taught last year. After everything was taken care of, I decided it would be best NOT to go to work seeing as how I was still freaking out. The cop drove me home in a cop car while my car got towed away. I only had slight whiplash that went away. But let's just say that it hurts worse the second and third day than the first. After over a month of being in the shop, the car is now finished being fixed. I am flying back to pick it up in July because I am already going back for my friend Cindy's wedding. Below are the pictures of the damage done to the car. There was also a little damage on the roof.

Both passenger side tires had gashes about 1 to 2 feet in length.

It popped the speaker up on the passenger side of the dashboard.

NOT fun.

Asha's New Diaper bag

2011-06-20T16:27:00.004-06:00

So my sister Asha had this great idea to make a diaper bag out of her husband's old military shirts. She cut everything out and I sewed it all together. I think it turned out awesome and the bag is huge!

This first picture shows the inside of the bag. You can see the bottle pockets on both sides on the inside (and they are on both sides on the outside as well).

The back of the bag.

The next two pictures are of the front of the bag.

I Know...it has been forever!

2011-06-20T16:09:00.003-06:00

So a lot has happened since I last posted, obviously! So I am hoping to do several posts over the next few weeks but they will be in random order...just so you know :) Also, in case you haven't heard, we are living in St. Louis this summer.

How did I make those baby things? Find out!

2010-06-21T08:36:00.004-06:00

Thanks for all wonderful comments about the gifts I made Asha! I am still in the process of several more things. It turns out that I have more fabric than I originally thought I did! Always a good thing. Some of you expressed interest in how to make the things so here are the blogs where I got the tutorials. Now, some of them I didn't follow exactly but that's okay! For the most part, all the tutorials are REALLY easy, even for inexperienced/new sewers! Here they are:

Carseat canopy/cover - I looked at these two websites to make Asha's

http://makeitdo.wordpress.com/2010/01/11/baby-car-seat-cover-tutorial/

http://just-because-i-am-me.blogspot.com/2010/02/car-seat-canopy-tutorial.html

Diaper changing pad clutch (This website also has other versions of the clutch. Some are super cute!)

http://smallfryandco.blogspot.com/2009/02/changing-pad-clutch.html

This tutorial is for a diaper clutch without the changing pad. I would suggest putting the Velco a little higher on the part that the flap attaches to. Mine won't quite hold the hard wipes travel cases but not a big deal. I am giving it to Asha and she can use it for organizing her diaper bag :)

http://thequiltingdiaries.blogspot.com/2009/01/diaper-clutch-tutorial.html

The following website is where I got the instructions to make the crib sheet. One note on this is that you have to make sure that it is 45 in wide. I washed the flannel before making it and it got stringy and took off 3 inches total. But I sewed ribbon to the edge to make it the right size again.

http://www.luvinthemommyhood.com/search/label/mommyhood%20baby%20bonanza?updated-max=2010-05-13T05%3A00%3A00-07%3A00&max-results=20

The cloth rings and wee wee wigwams are from this website (they are under her baby tag):

http://www.makeit-loveit.com

Now this is what I am making today: Burp cloths!!! I got the idea for the type I am making from this website:

http://www.prudentbaby.com/2009/12/diy-burp-cloth-how-to.html

Now these are some really fun websites and I love looking through the other stuff they make!! They have some really cool things on them so you should check them out! Enjoy! I will post more pics of finished things when I finish them!

Asha's Baby Gifts!

2010-06-19T15:12:00.007-06:00

Here is the first installment of pictures of things I have got/made for Asha's little boy that will soon enter this world!

These first pictures are of a diaper clutch/changing pad. It is a changing pad that folds up to hold a couple of diapers and wipes.

This is what it looks like when it is unfolded.

These next pictures are of a carseat canopy for a baby. It blocks the sun, cold, rain, etc.

This next thing is a fitted crib sheet.

These are the shorts I got for Layne.

This next thing is a little pouch I made. It was originally to hold diapers and wipes, but she can use it for anything she wants. It can't hold the hard travel wipes case and still velcro shut (my fault, I placed the Velcro in the wrong spot) but it can hold one of those refill wipes things after some of the wipes have been used. I think it would be good to hold toys or snacks or something as well so the diaper bag can be all organized!

These are wee wee wigwams. You put them over little boys treasures when you change him so that he doesn't accidently spray you in the face. Not sure how well they work but they are easy to make and I had scraps of material so I thought Asha could try them out!

These are cloth chew toys that babies can play with. I showed them to another child out here in Cleveland and she went nuts for it so I guess to a baby they are fun!

Enjoy! I will post more things that I make as I finish them! I am hoping to make some more things tonight but we will see!!

Love you Asha!

5 year Anniversary!

2010-06-19T13:37:00.005-06:00

So I know this post is long past due, but the laptop I am on does not have all the pictures I want to add and I am way behind, so I figure I should start somewhere. Hopefully this will lead to the posting addiction I tend to get after I get going again. I always think there is too much to do and never get started... Well that is not going to happen today!

Our 5 year wedding anniversary was on January 14, 2010! I can't believe we have been married for 5 wonderful years!!! Brent and I decided to go to the Melting Pot in SLC because he had won a gift card there during the summer and we had never been. It was AMAZING!! At first, we were like fondu? That doesn't sound too cool, but TRUST me it was! We had three courses: 1st was a cheese sauce that we dipped bread, veggies, and believe it or not apples! 2nd was a broth in which we dipped lots of different meats. 3rd was a chocolate fondue! Let me tell you that is amazing!!!

This is me doing the fondue thing with the cheese course!

This is what the broth looked like (with some potatoes cooking).

There were so many choices! It took us a few hours to have the whole meal but it was worth it and VERY relaxing! It is kinda pricey but wonderful!

Family Pictures!!!

2010-01-02T09:54:00.005-07:00

So I know it has been forever, but I am really busy with teaching and everything else that I forget. Also, I think I overwhelm myself by thinking I have to catch EVERYTHING up so I don't do anything. Well...not today!

Our wonderful friend Ashley took some awesome pictures of us for Christmas and they will work as our five year anniversary pics too (which is in two weeks!). Here are just a few of them! Thanks Ashley!!! We love them!

Parallel Parking

2009-08-13T12:36:00.002-06:00

So this may seem strange to those of you who have known me for a long time, but I parallel parked for the first time ever yesterday!!! It was kinda fun but hard. It wasn't a tight space but it is hard to get the whole car close to the curb. One of the teachers on my team at school helped me!! Thanks Cindy!

I have had a driver's license since I was 14, but haven't driven too much until the last couple of years and have never had a need to parallel park. I guess as I do it more, it will get easier!

2010 Scion xB

2009-08-06T20:32:00.005-06:00

So for those who haven't heard....we got a new car!!!! We looked at several different options before buying our new xB. I LOVE IT!!!! Brent took care of EVERYTHING over the phone. I just went in and signed the papers at the dealership and bank. What a wonderful husband!!! He also picked out the color and such but I like too!

Funny story though, as you will notice in some of the pictures, the hub caps are missing (and what you can't see, is the radio was also missing). So I guess the new xBs don't come with either one since the car is so often customized. Normally they come in a few days after the car which is generally not a big deal EXCEPT the dealership hadn't received them yet!!! However, today, I went back up to SLC to get both of them installed and now the car is even better!!! (I picked up the car on Monday).

Enjoy the pictures!!!

One of the best things about the car is that it comes with a port for an iPod to be plugged in AND the cord to do it with!!!

I love this car!!!

Jack and the Skunk

2009-08-02T09:01:00.000-06:00

This post is to explain how Jack got sprayed by a skunk. I have had a few people ask and so I thought I would post it, plus the pics I am posting with it are cute.

It all happened about two weeks ago...

Jack was having a good morning and than all of a sudden he started limping. He wouldn't walk on his back right leg. We were concerned that he had something stuck in his paw but we couldn't find anything. Jack wasn't his normal playful self, instead he slept most of the day. It was rainy (of course) so it worked out well because he didn't whine about going out. The slide show below shows him throughout the day as he is sleeping.

So when Daddy came home, I took Jack at to go to the bathroom and to meet him. I didn't concern myself with putting his leash on him because he wanted to be carried and still wasn't walking on his back right paw. I didn't think he could get into that much trouble. ... I was wrong...

I set him on the ground and he took off running! I was shocked. Now you need to know two things 1. it is very dark and there aren't many lights (and most of the ones they have don't work). 2. a skunk (and other small critters) like to hang out by the dumpster.

Anyways, I set him on the ground and he took off running. The next thing I hear is him wrestling an animal but I still can't see anything. I start yelling his name and he comes to me. But starts rubbing his face into the ground. At this point I begin to smell that nasty skunk smell. However when I picked Jack up, he smelled different. Just so you know skunk smell up close doesn't smell the same as the far away smell. It smells like wet, hot, nasty garbage.

We took Jack inside and started giving him baths. We even used dish soap (which did help quite a bit). He got a bath a couple of days in a row but it wasn't going away all the way. However, it got to the point where you can only smell it when he is wet and hot. It is hard to scrub him because he was sprayed mostly on his face.

The reason we didn't soak him in tomato juice is because we couldn't plug our tub and because he would jump out. But it is turning out ok now.

So this summer, Jack actually caught a woodchuck (that is for another day) and a skunk! Now you all know the story of the skunk!

The Rope Swing!

2009-08-01T21:26:00.000-06:00

I can't believe this is my fourth post today!! I am doing better!!! Today my wonderful friends Cam and Emily took me to the rope swing. It is located just outside of Mona, Utah (If you don't know where that is, don't worry, I didn't either - It is just south of Nephi). It was a beautiful day and perfect for getting wet! Here are some pics of our adventure. (sorry there are no pics of Emily we will have to get some next time we go!)

This first pic shows the two platforms that most people swing from. You can also swing from the ladders up to the platforms or other branches. We think the short platform is about 9 or 10 feet from the water surface. As you can see it is a little higher than the gentleman standing below it, but the water is at least one or two feet lower than that because the tree is on a hill. The other platform is about 15 or 20 feet from the water's surface.

This is me swinging on the rope over the water. There is a method to doing this. You step off and lift your feet NOT jump. Trust me. I know. It is way easier to hold on!

This is Cam jumping off the really high one. Emily and I were not brave enough to attempt this yet but Cam was!

We had a lot of fun and next time we will bring an actual camera and have it the whole time. It is a wonderful place to have fun!!

Go Fetch!!

2009-08-01T19:20:00.000-06:00

So this summer Jack learned to play fetch! We have tried to teach him but it never happened before. Well playing with Patch helped him learn to play, and now he LOVES it! Is this a good thing? Yes and No. It is easier to play with him and I can throw the ball when I am doing other things and it tires him out. But...sometimes he doesn't want to stop or give you the ball to throw it. Here are some pics of us playing ball outside since we have been back in Utah! (This ball squeaks and so that makes it all the better!)

Look how happy he is!!

Jack caught the ball and is bringing it back to Mommy!

This face says, "Mom throw the ball, please."

This is happy face. I got to play ball!!! YAY!

Baby Kaden!

2009-08-01T19:09:00.000-06:00

So I know I haven't put up most of my fun adventures from this summer yet, but the thought of that is overwhelming to me right now so I thought I would just start with now and slowly go back and post those updates. So here begins my time back in Utah!

My beautiful friend Tasha had a healthy baby boy back in May, but since I was already in Atlanta, I never got to meet him. Well, yesterday, Tasha and Kaden came for a visit!!! I was so excited and I was able to hold him for a long time. Jack was a little jealous but it was okay. The next few pictures are of Kaden. Sorry I don't have any pics of Tash and I together or me holding Kaden, but I am sure I will eventually.

Isn't he so adorable!!!

More of my projects!

2009-08-01T18:52:00.000-06:00

I finally downloaded more of the pics, so here they are! The first two pictures show the new alphabets I made. They are flatter and so they are easier to make and read.

The next picture is of Mariah's birthday present this year. I designed the purse myself and so I know I it is not perfect. Also, the gold stitching was the first time I had ever used a decorative stitch on my sewing machine so it also needs some work. However, all that said, I am really pleased with how it all turned out and so is Mariah. I know, I know, it is not her birthday yet, but I am going to miss it again this year so I wanted her to have her present before I left!

The first picture is of all the letters in her purse. The next two pictures show the letters and purse separately.

Enjoy!!!

Utah!

2009-07-30T22:18:00.000-06:00

I am now back in Utah!! I know a shock, I wasn't supposed to be back for another few days but I am back! Someone else booked my flight and I got my itinerary last night just after 8:00 pm (CT time) and it says that I am flying out TODAY at 1:45 pm. So my wonderful friend Ashley helped me pack and clean while our dogs played. We left for the airport at 11:00 AM (CT time) today and landed in SLC at 7:00 pm (Utah time or 9:00 pm CT time). It was a long day but not that bad. Jack and I miss Brent but we know this is for the best.

A funny thing did happen on the flight though. Jack has always been perfectly calm on the plane and doesn't get too upset with flying. He never barks but he does fight getting into his carryon kennel (man that do has STRONG legs!!). The first flight from Hartford to Cincinnati was fine but not long into the flight from Cincinnati to SLC, he started trying to scratch his way out of his kennel. He has never done this before! I got him some ice because he was thirsty and that helped a little. But than it happened again and I got him calmed down. And it happened again! I finally realized what was happening, every time this one stewardess came over the intercom he freaked out. I don't blame him, she like blasted her voice so loud it would shock you sometimes. If anyone else came over he was fine just not with her! He is so happy to be home he just misses his Daddy.

Another funny story: So Jack remembered right where our house was and where things were in the house. He expected everything to be the same. He walked over to the Madsen's place to see Rico not realizing that Rico isn't home yet!

Well it is getting late cause I am still on Ct time! I am going to try and do updates more frequently. We will see how that goes!

Recent Projects!

2009-07-29T17:16:00.000-06:00

So as many of you know, I have been working on different projects. I know, I know, I need to keep this blog up to date and hopefully I will get better. So this post is of several projects I have recently finished. I have a couple others that are not here but they are on another camera and so they will have to wait.

This is a neck travel pillow I just made. It is super soft and I like the way it fits my neck better than the ones you buy at the store. It was super easy and fast!

This next picture is of some shapes I have made. In a previous post I showed some letters I made out of felt. These are similar but they have quilting batting in them instead of pillow stuffing type stuff (it helps them lay flat). I am hoping to use these for several different activities in my classroom. I am going to make at least one more set in green and maybe add more shapes later. I only show one of each in the picture, but I have three of each shape in each color. I have also made two more sets of letters (red and blue) that are made with the quilting batting because I like that they lay flatter. (I don't currently have a pic of those on here but will soon!) Thanks Asha for your scraps of quilt batting!!

I made my first apron! I love it! It is only a half apron and I got the pattern from the blog Make It and Love It. The first picture shows the cute little pleat I put on the ties. Sorry it is blurry. The next picture is the whole apron. I want to make more! I know the pics aren't the best but they will do. I need a good, cute, easy pattern for a full apron!

The last picture, I know it is side-ways, is of a reversible bag. I got this pattern from Skip to My Lou. The inside is peaking out and as you can see it is striped.

I hope you like them!

Hartford, CT

2009-07-03T13:15:00.000-06:00

So I know I keep saying I am going to update, and it will happen! I sat down to do it yesterday but I kept getting error messages so I decided to give a little update today. For those of you who don't know, we were transferred to the Hartford, CT office about a month ago. There are tons of fun things to do around here but it rains all the time! I hope to post pics of some of the places we have been to. Jack is happy with the decision (minus the rain) because we live right next to a golf course where he gets to run and play and his best friend, Patch also came to Hartford with us! As a matter of fact the two of them are wrestling right up against my side as I type this! Well if this works, I might get around to blogging more today!

Wedding Gifts

2009-06-28T22:53:00.000-06:00

So I forgot two projects that I have completed! I made a little decorative thing for both my brother, Ryan and his new wife Cheryl's wedding and one for my little sister, Athena and her soon to be husband Matt. I couldn't take much on the plane so this is what I decided to make!

The "B" is for Ryan and Cheryl and the "E" is for Athena and Matt.

Harford, CT

2009-06-28T22:26:00.000-06:00

Ok, so for those of you who don't know, at the first of the month (of June) Brent got transferred up to Hartford, CT. So we moved with several other couples up to Connecticut and that is where we are currently living. I will give more info and more updates soon! I promise it won't be as long this time.

My latest projects!

2009-06-28T21:58:00.000-06:00

So I have been promising to update my blog but just haven't taken the time to do it. I thought I would start with the most requested subject...the projects I have been working on. I still need to finish some but here you go! (Sorry they loaded in backwards order. The first pic is the last project I am working on.)

The first two pictures below are my first attempt at making a purse. I am not quite finished yet but I am still trying to figure what else I want to do. It isn't perfect but I learned a lot from making it and learned things that I would do differently.

The next picture shows some the letters I have been making. I got the idea from Make It and Love It, but instead of making them bean bags, I am making them stuffed so they aren't as heavy. I am going to make a few more sets so that I can give them to my class and they can spell words with them. They don't take long to make and mine aren't perfect but good enough!

The next several pictures are tutus that I made. My friend Ashley and I made a bunch one day. They are fun and easy to make! I think I want to add more ribbon and stuff to several of them. All of these are different sizes as well, even though you can't tell from the pictures.

Below is the picture of my first project. While I was student teaching, my cooperating teacher used "Mr. Spacemen" for the students to help them space their words correctly. I decided that I really like the idea and so I made enough for my classes plus some for classroom use. I think they are super cute. I will have the students color theirs' with crayons (not markers because that will rub off as they use them.)

So that is all I have for now! I will post more as I get them. Enjoy!!!

Atlanta!!!

2009-05-19T13:51:00.000-06:00

So for those of you who don't already know, we are currently living in Atlanta, GA! The weather has been nice so far, a little rainy every know and than but not too hot yet! We are still working for APX and hope this summer goes as well as summers in the past. We will be here in the south until the end of August. Well Brent will be, but since I have a job now in Utah, I will be going back at the beginning of August.

I HAVE A JOB!!!

2009-05-14T16:33:00.000-06:00

I got a job teaching Kindergarten at Pony Express Elementary in Eagle Mountain!!!! I can not wait to start! I will post more details and everything when I get a chance and when I know more! This was my first choice in schools and grade so I am pretty happy right now. I hope to post updates of our summer soon with pics, but we are doing fine right now!

Also, we are having fun having my sister Athena and her fiance, Matt here. It is fun to spend some time with them!

An Interview!!!

2009-04-30T17:52:00.000-06:00

Hello All! I know it has been awhile, but hopefully I will be updating very soon. With Graduation tomorrow and my parents coming in tonight and both of our birthdays, I have a lot to catch up on, but for now, I have some exciting news! I am going in for my very first teaching interview tomorrow! Now it is not my ideal job, but at least it is a start. It is for a half time Kindergarten teaching position. I would prefer full time, but we will see how things turn out! I am so excited, but also VERY nervous! I have NO CLUE what they will ask in the interview tomorrow. It is only a few hours after graduation so tomorrow will be a busy day.

Brent leaves for Atlanta tomorrow afternoon and Jack and I fly out on Saturday morning. We are so excited to get out to Atlanta!!!

Boy Crayon Roll

2009-04-13T16:21:00.000-06:00

My friend Tasha saw the crayon rolls I made and decided she wanted to make some for her family! So she is enlisting my help. Laster this week, we hope to get together so I can teach her how to make them. This is the first one I haven't made using the "fat quarters" but it looks pretty good. Not perfect but pretty good. I am going to make another one that will hopefully look better! Here are some different pictures of it! (Sorry the pics aren't the best. I took them on my phone!)

Crayon Rolls

2009-04-09T09:51:00.000-06:00

Hello All! These are the first things I sewed on my new sewing machine! I modified the directions given on the Make it and Love it website to make the crayon rolls. The larger one is probably going to be used to hold all my crochet hooks so I don't loose them! Sorry the pics aren't the best but I downloaded them from my iPhone. Enjoy! Sorry the pics are sideways but that's what I got!

The first pic shows all three. The third one is rolled up at the bottom.

This next pic is the rolled up one open. It shows what it will look like with crayons in it.

These were a lot of fun to make! They didn't take much time either so that was good! I used the "fat quarters" (as my sister calls them :)) for quilters. To make the crayon rolls, I cut the material in half length wise (so it is still 21 inches long) for the outside and for the pocket I cut the half in half again (or a quarter of the "fat quarter"). Does that make sense? Anyways, that is how I got my sizes for my cloth, but after that I followed the directions on the Make it and Love it blog. Let me know if you have any questions.

NO More School!!

2009-04-09T09:06:00.000-06:00

As most of you know, last night was my very last day of school! That is unless I go back for a masters or doctorate but that will be by choice when I am ready! It is so nice to be done with my undergraduate. For those of you thinking you want to take time off before finishing, I suggest REALLY thinking it through because it is REALLY hard to go back! I took a total of two years off and transferred universities. I am glad I did though.

So you might be wondering what I will be doing until graduation on May 1st.... Well pretty much whatever I want. I am applying for teaching jobs in Alpine school district and just waiting to see if I get called in for any interviews. Hopefully I will get a job before leaving for the summer. I know, everyone keeps telling me I am a great teacher and will for sure get a job, but the school districts aren't really hiring this year. Alpine is hiring less than a third of what they normally do, and as of right now Provo isn't hiring so that makes the jobs few and far between for the number of students graduating. At least I am confident that I am prepared and qualified! I want to teach Kindergarten and first would be okay but I will teach any grade that I can get! It is not a time to be too picky!

Until I get called in for an interview, I am going to start by cleaning and organizing the house. I haven't had time to do this very well since moving in so this is going to be good! I am excited to get started! I am also trying to go through a lot of my stuff and get rid of everything that I am not using or won't be using.

After that, I get to start on some projects!!!! Yay!!! Brent bought me this awesome sewing machine and I have already started using it, but have decided that I need to get the house clean and organized before starting anything else. I am also hoping to update the blog with LOTS of pictures but most of the new pics are on Brent's laptop and he has school until the end of April so that might not happen until the summer! We will see. If I get a teaching placement soon, I will start working on things that I can use in the classroom. I will try and blog everything I make!

Well this update is longer than I first thought it would be!!! I will end here, but hopefully will be back MUCH sooner this time!

P.S. if you look down at the very end of my blog lists, there are two craft sites that have some pretty awesome projects. They are Skip to My Lou and Make it and Love it!

It's My Birthday!

2009-04-07T09:23:00.001-06:00

I know I need to catch up on a lot of things, including Brent's birthday, but I thought I would do a quick post! Thanks Cheryl for the picture! Brent got me a sewing machine for my birthday!!!! I am so excited! I have wanted one for a really long time and now I have a pretty cool one!!! Thanks everyone for the birthday wishes! I hope to catch up the blog soon since tomorrow is my last day of college ever!!!

Have a great day!

Atlanta Here We Come!!

2009-02-22T18:31:00.000-07:00

Thanks everyone for the get well wishes! I am doing much better.

In case you haven't hear, we have made a decision on what office we will be going to this summer. We will be going to Atlanta, GA! We are going to be in the Atlanta North office with Jared! This summer is going to be so much fun. I am excited to be working with my friend Ashley in the office. Also, so many of our friends are going to be there as well! Two of Jack's best friends are also going to the same office, Patch and Rico. We think it is going to be a great summer all around!

Strep Throat is No Fun!

2009-02-18T23:20:00.000-07:00

Sorry I still have no new pictures to add. We aren't putting any of the new pics on this laptop anymore and since we are both in school, Brent generally has the other one. Hopefully one day I will get some fun ones up. Maybe I can find some old ones on this laptop to share with everyone.

Anyways... It seems as if my lovely Kindergartners gave me strep throat! How fun. Not really. We thought I had the flu because it started with being tired, chills, and a high temperature. However, when Brent got better and two days and I got sicker, we realized that maybe something else was wrong. Added to that my throat got sore and became swollen so that it was hard to swallow. So I started feeling under the weather on Sat, yes that was Valentines but illness does not notice holidays (sadly). After that, the symptoms really kicked in on Sunday and by Monday (yes another holiday) my temp. was ranging between 102 and 103.6 all day long. We decided I must see a doctor Tuesday. That is when I got the news, one look at my throat and the doctor knew I had a "severe case of strep" but she did the throat swab and surprise of all surprises it came back positive.

It is pretty rough because now my schedule is all messed up. I am not sure how I will be able to get up early on Friday. Being sick totally screws everything up! Like for example, on a normal day I would already be falling asleep.

Now I love the Kindergartners I work with, but this is just not fun. I was told I could not go back into the classroom until Friday, even though I am feeling fine now that the medicine is in full force. I guess my immune system is too beat up to take being around kiddos right now. I sure do miss them though! But the saddest part is now I have to make up my three missed days when my sisters come to visit! I hope we can still have so much fun though!

The good news about the situation: I am getting homework done early so I will have less to do later! Hopefully I can get a good chunk of it done so that I won't have the added stress later. Also, I am getting a few extra things done, well as much as I can do before I get tired. Like tonight I put up a little coat rack on the wall next to the back door. I did it all by myself! But now I am tired.

Sorry if this post is complainy but it really sucks being sick. And now I am slowly feeling better but can't get back to my normal schedule.

Busy Busy Busy

2009-02-02T18:07:00.001-07:00

Sorry there has been no update lately. I just wanted to update everyone and let you know that we are doing well. Brent and I are both in school. I am in my last semester so I am really busy student teaching. I absolutely LOVING being in Kindergarten!!!! Jack is growing and is now a whopping 11.5 lbs! Can you believe it???

Soon we will be picking a new place to live for the summer for Brent's job and that will be exciting for us. But other than that we are just super busy with school and the rest of our life! I hope to do another update soon!

Dog Park!!!

2008-12-27T14:04:00.000-07:00

So Jack loved Phoenix, partly because of the HUGE dog park they had. He loved playing with the bigger dogs and swimming in the lake. It was a little muddy because it had actually rained a few days while we were there, but Jack didn't care. I wish we had a place like this near our house because Jack LOVED it!

There were three parts to the park. One part had the lake in it and one with out it. The third part was for "timid or shy" dogs - definitely NOT Jack!

Arts and Crafts

2008-12-27T13:40:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I am going to start putting our Phoenix pictures up, but it will take a few posts and I might not get them all done right away, but eventually they will all be here. These pictures are of cool crafts and stuff. This post is for the girls.

This first picture is of a couple of things my friend Crystal has made. In the background there is the three squares that spell out JOY. She used wood, Mod Podge, wrapping paper, and letters. Isn't it cute!

The next two pictures are of decorations that Crystal and I made while on our trip. Aren't they awesome! They were so easy to make too! We used a board, Mod Podge, black craft paint, scrapbook paper, a wooden letter, and a picture frame. We got everything at JoAnn's Fabric and Home Depot. Enjoy!

Jack's New Haircut

2008-12-27T13:30:00.001-07:00

Okay so this picture is not from too recently (November 25th), but isn't Jack so cute! He needs to get at least a trim on his face and feet, but we are waiting a little while. It is kinda cold outside! We love how he looks after he gets his hair cut and they always put these cute bandannas on him.

Way Home From Phoenix

2008-12-27T13:18:00.001-07:00

So we went to Phoenix for Thanksgiving. I promise to add those pictures soon. These two pictures were taken with one of our phones while we were driving home. Jack slept on my lap for the majority of the trip there and back, while Brent drove. Look how cute Jack is cuddling with one of his favorite squeaky toys. In case you are wondering, we keep his harness on so we can always keep a good hold on him in case something happens, and so he can't jump out the window when it is down.

Isn't he adorable!!!!

Rubber Lizards

2008-12-27T12:57:00.000-07:00

So I got these little rubber lizards for a project I was doing, but they didn't work out. I decided to see what Jack would do with them. So I gave him one. He LOVES them! These videos are from Dec. 4, but it was not his first experience with them. He goes CRAZY when he plays with him. This first video kinda shows the fun he has with them, but he gets camera shy and would run circles or do his full scale attack on the lizard. You can get the idea though. Letting him play with them works out well though when we have something we have to get done, but Jack wants to play. He won't let you play with the lizard with him. He snatches it from you and runs away and plays by himself. If you come close to him, he runs away. That is why in the second video he is hiding under the table.

This video is a little calmer just because he is trying to hide from me.

Snow, Snow, Snow, and Guess what, More Snow!!!

2008-12-27T12:42:00.000-07:00

So it has been snowing a ton here! These pictures were taken on December 16th. The snow hasn't been too bad this year, probably because it started snowing later, and we don't have to shovel. That makes life WAY easier. This first picture is a look from our front door before the snow had been shoveled or plowed that day.

This next picture is of Jack in the snow. He is wearing his new coat by itself. Now when it is really cold, we put another coat over this one. Jack LOVES to eat the snow.

Brent and Jack about to leave on a walk. Look how bundled up they are!

They plowed soon after this picture was taken. It looks so pretty outside when the suns starts to go down, even if the sun goes down too early.

Beautiful picture. You can see the mountains in the background.

Below is a video of Brent and Jack playing in the snow. Brent likes to throw snowballs at Jack, who will than attack or get annoyed.

Christmas Eve

2008-12-27T12:26:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I know these are out of order, but I wanted to make sure I got some Christmas pictures up first. I am now going backwards in time, to try and update as much as I can. I guess it is good because as you read down, you are reading in order. Here are some pictures that Brent took on Christmas Eve. You can see how much snow we have had, and yes it has snowed more since than. Right now there is a nice little layer of ice too.

This picture is of Jack ready to leave for a walk. He wears two coats because it is so cold and it helps him from getting too wet. In this picture he has his back leg sleeves on too, but we normally leave those off. Doesn't he look adorable?

These next two pictures Brent took from our bedroom window upstairs. This is not the same neighborhood as ours, but our house faces it. It is called Pemberly and they are in our ward. You can see the snow falling in these pictures.

This is a picture of our house, from the front. At least we don't have to shovel the snow!!!

The next two pictures are of snow creations that some of our neighbors made. This is an igloo that one family made. It is still standing too!

This is a snowman family that another family made. There is a snowman for each person in their family. In this picture you can only see three of them, but there are six all together. The others are a lot smaller and the smallest two you almost can't see anymore because of all the snow we have had! Oh! The first snowman is a little taller than me.

Jack on Christmas Morning!

2008-12-27T12:17:00.000-07:00

Ok so Jack LOVED Christmas! I don't think he actually fully understood what was going on, but boy was he excited! He couldn't wait for daddy to wake up and get out of bed. He was running and jumping in circles. Jack knew that there were presents under the tree for him (we had kept them up so that he couldn't smell them and get into them before Christmas). Here is a video of him waiting not so patiently for the festivities to begin.

As you can tell, Jack was too excited to wait for Daddy to get the Christmas music playing. This next video is of Jack opening his first present (with Daddy's help).

Needless to say, Jack had a WONDERFUL Christmas.

Christmas!

2008-12-27T12:02:00.001-07:00

As most of you know, we stayed in Utah for Christmas this year. Also it was Jack's first Christmas!!! We loved all the presents we got and we had fun spending the time together with our little family. Here are some of the highlights of our day.

This first picture is of our Christmas tree on Christmas Day! Jack was really good and left the tree and presents alone.

Brent handed out the presents so he got to wear the Santa hat.

So we had presents just for Jack. Jack had a blast opening them, ripping the wrapping paper up, and playing/eating his presents! Below is Jack helping Angela open one of his presents. This one in particular is treats for him.

This picture is of Jack being impatient while I tried to get the treats open.

This next picture is of all the presents we received! Thanks to everyone!

We hope everyone had a Merry Merry Christmas!!!

I don't mean to brag, but....

2008-12-16T17:46:00.000-07:00

I aced the Praxis II exam!!!! For those of you who don't know what this is, it is the first Praxis test that elementary teachers take as part of becoming certified. It is the general content knowledge section. I can't believe how well I did! I have always been good at taking tests, but I wasn't expecting to do as well as I did. I was tired and more worried about teaching than about the test. But I was able to still kick butt!!!! I score a 195 out of 200!!! Can you believe it!!!!

Sorry I haven't added any pictures in a while, but that is coming...this just warranted a post before I try and catch up on everything else!!!!!

Winter is Here!

2008-12-15T09:45:00.000-07:00

Hello All! I know, I know, it has been forever since my last post. Things got busy in the month of November and still have not calmed down! I am hoping to catch the blog up during this winter break. Finals are over this Thursday and I will have lots of free time since we are staying in Utah for the holidays.

While I am here though, I thought I would tell everyone that it SNOWED!!!! Yes, even I was excited. It doesn't seem like Christmas in Utah if it doesn't snow. This year has been nice for Brent and I because it stayed warmer than normal up until now. Hopefully we will have a white Christmas!!

Jack's Winter Coats!

2008-10-24T13:07:00.001-06:00

I know I haven't added anything for awhile. We have been busy with school and going to Disney World (those pictures are coming in a later post) Anyways, we got a new laptop and it has most of the new pictures on it and Brent currently has that computer. So I am doing a post with pictures from two weeks ago!

Jack got his hair cut two weeks ago. The day he got his hair cut, the temperature dropped and it got really windy! Jack was SOOOO cold we decided we needed to do something about it! We went and bought him a sweatshirt to wear in the house, a jacket and a winter coat! Here are some cute pictures! At first he didn't like wearing the coats, but he understands now. Sometimes when he gets cold, he will walk over to wear we keep his sweatshirt and will pull it down and whine until we put it on him! He is so smart!!!

Daddy and Jack wearing their matching coats! This is actually Jack's jacket. It is sleeveless.

Aren't they cute! They took a nap on the love sac. This is Jack's sweatshirt. It has a hood too. Sometimes it will fall down when he is walking or playing and he will just stop and wait until we come an uncover his eyes! On the back it says Harley Davidson.

These two pictures are of Jack in his coat. This is the one he likes the least because he only wears it when it is REALLY cold. It has sleeves to cover all four legs. We have taken off the back ones for now, until it snows. If we are carrying him and he is wearing this coat with the hood on his head, from the back it looks like we are carrying a baby!!!

Wedding Receptions

2008-10-12T21:28:00.001-06:00

In the last few weeks Brent and I have gone to a few wedding receptions....Here are a couple of pictures from those!

This is from Diana and Steve Pyper's reception and the one below is from Bre and Brian Woods' wedding reception.

Conference Weekend!

2008-10-06T09:55:00.000-06:00

This weekend was nice and relaxing. We were able to watch every conference session at home, well Brent had to go to a building to see the Priesthood session. It was nice to hear from the Prophet and apostles. It was uplifting to hear what was said.

Jack, however, did not enjoy this weekend too much. It rained and rained this whole weekend. Jack does NOT like the rain!!! Not only was it raining, but it was also pretty cold! At first, he would only venture out into the cold drizzle to pee for just a second. He looked sad and stayed under the covered little front patio. By the end of the day, Jack couldn't take not going on a walk, nor could he hold his pee any longer!! So we ventured out on a little walk. I stayed under an umbrella but Jack did not. He was so excited to be out of the house that he just wanted to run and use the bathroom! It was the same again on Sunday, but since it wasn't raining as hard, he went out more often. He was so bored this weekend he started to rip up his favorite toy, froggy!

We also got a Wii this past weekend. We got it on Friday night when our friends Cam and Emily came over. This was a nice break during the conference sessions. We were getting a little stir crazy too! With the rain, it also cooled down the temperature too. I think fall is here for good.

Our Mississippi Boat Ride!

2008-10-06T09:49:00.000-06:00

When I was in St. Louis, before we went to the top of the arch, we went on a riverboat "cruise" along the Mississippi. It was very relaxing and cool to hear about some of the history along that part of the Mississippi. Here is a little slide show of some of the pictures we took.

St Louis Arch

2008-10-05T09:10:00.000-06:00

We are going to take a trip back in time... In July, I was able to go and visit my family in St. Louis, MO and than we went to Arkansas. Brent had to work, so I went by myself. I thought I would start putting pictures on here from that trip. So to start with, I am going to put up a few of the pictures we took while at the St. Louis Arch. I went with my sister Asha and her husband Grant. We were going to go on Friday and showed up there but the lines were WAY too long for us to get through before we had to be at the temple for an endowment session. So, we decided to come back after my cousin Emily's wedding, the next day.

Asha and Grant in front of the Arch.

Asha and I in front of the arch. Aren't we so cute!!

From the side, it kinda looks like the Washington Monument, only taller!

We also went up to the top of the Arch. Here are a few pictures of that!

This is the tiny cart that you go to the top in. Yes, it is smaller than it looks. It holds five people and it is only about three feet tall or so. You have to be careful cause you hit your head if you aren't!
Here is Asha and Grant at the top. Sorry it is a little blurry. The arch slightly sways when it is windy when you are at the top. It isn't really noticeable at all.

Asha and I at the top of the arch, and yes we are really 630 feet high!!! Here is a slide show of some of the pictures I took from the top of the arch!

Where I have been!

2008-09-30T08:57:00.001-06:00

This is kinda random but here it is anyways! These are the states I have been too and several of them I have actually lived in. Brent has also been to Hawaii and a couple other places that I have not been too! Enjoy!

visited 30 states (60%)
Create your own visited map of The United States or determine the next president

My sister Athena

2008-09-30T08:44:00.000-06:00

For those of you who don't know, my sister Athena joined the Army National Guard. She has been at basic training and AIT ALL summer long! Actually she is still there at Fort Leonardwood (sorry I don't know how to spell it) until November. Here is a picture of her at her basic training graduation. Isn't she cute?!?! She is the one on the right. The other girl is one of her battle buddies.

Strike's 1st Birthday!

2008-09-28T08:42:00.000-06:00

On Friday, Sept 26, Strike had a little birthday party. He turned one the day before. Jack, Rico, and Strike all had a great time playing together, hating the party hats, and loving the treats! Here are some pictures of all the fun we had!

Jack is not too happy about the party hat. This is the only picture of him facing the camera!

We kept trying to line the three up to take a picture of them, but they wouldn't stay long enough for us to get a picture! Jack is the dog in front and Rico and Strike are sitting next to each other.

They decided to try and help each other get the party hats off! Teamwork gets the hat off faster!

This is the closest we ever got to getting a picture of the three of them in a line. Rico is standing in front of Strike! Yes, all three are Yorkies. Rico lives next door to us and Strike lives the next house over.

This last thing is a video of Jack trying to get his party hat off. This was before the party started!

The Office Girls...And Ben!

2008-09-18T10:34:00.001-06:00

As most of you know, during the summer I work in the office doing paperwork and scheduling and everything else! Well this summer I got to work with some awesome people! (Not that you girls in the past haven't been fun...I just don't have any pics of us all together!) It is nice to be able to work while Brent is working as well. It keeps the summers from being too boring!

Ben was wonderful enough to take us all out to lunch before we started leaving to go home at the end of the summer. We went to Red Robin and it was a blast!!!

From Left to Right - Ben, Jenny, Bre, Amber, me, and Paula

The Day Angela Went to Work With Brent

2008-09-18T10:34:00.000-06:00

I am going back in time just a little bit, but on August 9, I went knocking with Brent. It was the day before Jack and I flew back to Utah. Brent has been trying to get me to go knocking with him for the last four summers. Sometimes I was too busy with work, the guys were working too far away, or (let's be honest) sometimes I just didn't want to go! So finally I went.

I knocked with Brent for about 3 or so hours. My experience was not Brent's typical day at work. We got two sales really quick. One was a call back and one was someone we met. However, we were in houses three times. Nobody was rude or mean to us, which is not normal! Sometimes these guys run into people that are terribly mean to them all day long! Anyways, here are some pictures that were taken that day!

Labor Day Fun

2008-09-16T08:35:00.000-06:00

Ok, so I know there is a ton of things I haven't blogged about but want to. However, instead of just doing old things, I figured I would add some more recent fun that we have had! (Even though it was about two weeks ago still!) Eventually maybe we will be totally caught up with posting everything!

On Labor Day, we went to our friends' house, Cheryl and Spencer. We enjoyed delicious BBQ and had tons of fun just catching up with everyone. Then the fun really started when we started playing Rockband! The following is some pictures from this adventure. Now remember neither Brent nor I had ever played Rockband so we had to concentrate pretty hard when it was our turn!

Ben's Birthday (July 6) Part II - The Surprise Party

2008-09-07T08:03:00.000-06:00

Everyone else continued on, after we went home. We all got back together, and more of us came, for Ben's surprise party that Annie did an excellent job arranging. We did a really good job keeping it a secret! Ben was so surprised! Here are some pictures from it.

Ben is opening his presents!

We all chipped in and got Ben a Playstation 3 and a game. He loved the presents!

Below are pictures of some of the guest at the party!

Matt and Steve just relaxing.

Hangin' out on the couch are Devin, Emily, and Joe

Annie, the wonderful surprise party planner! You did a wonderful job!

People just hanging out at the party. There were quite a lot of people there. Ben is one important person in our office!

Overall I think Ben had a great time at his party! We all had fun!

Ben's Birthday (July 6) Part I - Loch Raven Reservoir

2008-09-07T07:38:00.000-06:00

Hello Everyone! This time I have a really good excuse for not updating so much sooner! I was without the computer for three weeks!!! Brent was still out East working and I flew back to Utah to get ready for this semester. Then when Brent got back with the laptop, we were already in school!!! Jack just woke me up at 7:00 am to go to the bathroom and we don't have to be up for at least another two hours! I figured I would use this time to add to my blog. There is stuff from before the sixth that I want to add but I figure I should stay with the progression I have already started! One day I will get back to the other stuff!

So I know Ben will kill me if he sees this, but oh well Ben! Ben's birthday is actually on July 5th, but we were under strict orders not to celebrate it on his birthday.....Ben forgot that he never said anything about not celebrating it on the day after his birthday! He already had sworn several of us to secrecy on even the date of his birthday....it wasn't me that told!

After church, several of us went to Loch Raven Reservoir. It looked like it was going to rain, but we decided to venture out anyways. Brent and I still were watching Rico, so we decided to take both Rico and Jack with us. They love to be outside! We were thinking that we would pull up to the lake and be right there. We were picturing an open area with picnic tables and the such. However, this is not the part of the Reservoir that we were going to. We hiked in, and it was beautiful, and we kept hiking. We were about halfway where we thought we needed to be when it started down pouring! The rain was so cold! We decided to continue on. We stood under the trees for awhile waiting for the rain to slow down. Than we turn around to start climbing the mountain behind us. (They wanted to go cliff diving). We started following, but it was really muddy and it was rather difficult with the two dogs. We decided that we needed to turn around and go back. It was nice having a walk with just Brent and I and the two dogs!

This picture is of us when we first got on the bridge and started to cross it. Jack was having so much fun!

Look how huge this place is! The other side is just as big only it is more open.

Jack and Angela on the bridge!

It got so dark right before it started to pour! This is from the other side of the bridge. You can see it goes way back.

This is some of the guys that came with us. They are all techs that we worked with this summer. (Left to Right) Matt S., Dusty, Ben, Joe, and Brady.

Jack and Rico: Best buds

2008-07-30T11:03:00.001-06:00

Becky and Brandon had family in town during the 4th of July holidays. They went to NYC and so we watched Rico! Rico is scared of fireworks so Jack decided he would lay next to Rico to comfort him while he was scared! Jack loved having Rico over for the weekend! Here are some of the pics of them laying on the couch together:

Jack giving Rico some love when he was really scared.

Tired little doggies!

July 4th!!

2008-07-30T10:49:00.000-06:00

So as you probably guessed I am going back in time again! Brent and I both had to work on the fourth but we were able to get off a little earlier. So a few of us wives decided that we would meet the guys in Harrisburg, PA where they were working so we could go out to eat and see some fireworks! For those of you who don't know, Harrisburg, PA is about an hour and a half away from where we live in Owings Mills, MD. If the guys had come home, we would have missed all the fun!

This first picture is of Alicia Jolley and I on the ride up there! It is so much fun to spend time with the girls!

This next picture is of the wives waiting for the guys to get there. We ate at the delicious Texas Roadhouse! The pic is of Tasha, Me, Steph, and Alicia!

So some single guys ended up coming and joining the fun too! Here is all of us enjoying our meals!

After we ate we went to the river to enjoy the fireworks! It was wonderful! It was nice to be able to spend some time with our husbands!

Jack's First Swim - June 15, 2008

2008-07-07T20:39:00.000-06:00

I know, I know, I am terrible at keeping this blog updated, but I am going to try harder.

On June 15, we decided to go for a drive with the Brown's (Tasha and Ryan). On this trip we were heading to the beach.....well the "beach" we went to you had to pay to go on and Jack couldn't come with us. We didn't want to swim, but just walk along and enjoy the day. After walking around the little boardwalk for a little while, we decided to just drive along the coast and find a free beach or a random private beach. We ended up at a small resort type thing and enjoyed the beach there. It was a beautiful day and we all enjoyed it.

This picture is of Ryan and Tasha relaxing in the sun with us.

Now at first, Jack was a little weary of the water because of the tide. I think he thought it was alive! But after he took his first step in, he LOVED it. He jumped right in and went swimming. Jack loves the beach!!! That is just perfect for us!

Of course, that was until he met a girl dog.....Brandy....Jack is such a little lover boy! Look at him fly through the air!

Needless to say, our family loved the little day trip!

Philadelphia

2008-05-25T20:46:00.000-06:00

So today was our first trip to Philadelphia with our awesome friends the Madsens. It was a beautiful day! There are so many cool things to see there that Brent and I are going to go back again (hopefully) before we leave. We spent quite a bit of time at the Philadelphia art museum which is totally awesome!!! I would recommend it. It is a little bit different than most art museums in that it actually has rooms set up from different places and time periods. Also, they have a section on medieval armor! It is way cool where you can see the different swords and stuff that the guys would use during battles and jousts. The picture is of us at the Rocky statue in front of the museum.

Jack's First Bath

2008-05-22T19:44:00.001-06:00

A little about us....

2008-05-16T19:53:00.000-06:00

We are currently living just outside of Baltimore, Maryland for the summer. Brent is doing the door to door thing again and I am working in the office. Jack likes to come to work with Angela, so it is fun.

Today is Jack's four month birthday!!!! He is getting so big. I can't believe he is already 6 lbs 2 oz!!! The vet says he is a little underweight and needs to eat more!!! He loves being outside even if it just for a little while.

We are a happy little family. And in case you were wondering, Jack is our little baby!

The first picture is of Jack right after we first got him at the end of March and the second one is of him right before we left Utah at the end of April.

Our first family blog!

2008-05-16T19:42:00.001-06:00

I am so excited! I have decided to start a blog for our family - you know, Brent, Jack and Me! Hopefully we will be better at posting on it and adding pictures than we are writing letters and e-mail! Enjoy!