Goodbye 2012

  2012 has been quite the year for us. We started out the year unemployed and desperately searching for a new job. We we're scrambling to finish our basement with the little bit of money we had. I had just had a baby, and I was still recovering from my c-section. Things
looked really bleak and unpromising. Shawn had searched all over the Utah Valley area so we could stay in our house, but there was not much out there and nothing was promising.
I had hoped that somehow, someway, we would get to stay in Payson. We were slightly upside down on our house so selling would hurt us also. The more we looked into the prospect of moving, the more we realized renting would be our best option.  We secured a job in Albany, Oregon and moved there in February. We soon learned that the schools were a lot worse than originally thought. It took more time to get them in school than it should have and the schools were very lowly funded. For the first time as a mother, I felt like I was making the worse decision I've ever made. I looked into other options, but nothing else was better. I prayed things would work out, but I was so unhappy.  Shawn wasn't enjoying his job either and the negative energy there played off at home also. We we're not happy and we kept asking why the answer to our prayers were to move to Oregon.
  This year we have experienced miracles. Because we moved to Oregon we broadened our area of search for purchasing a clinic. In June, Shawn saw a listing in Wyoming and thought about it for a while. I didn't even know he had requested information, or was even looking at a practice. When we looked at the listing together, it became clear the the biggest down side was location, or so we thought. We wanted to be closer to family, but this wasn't going to make that happen. After visiting, we knew what we needed to do. There were so many miracles in the process of purchasing the clinic in Laramie, WY and so many times  right before the miracle, we thought things wouldn't work out. Time after time we experienced the Lord's hand making a way for it to happen.
  The school here is awesome. The teachers truly care, and put in the time to show how they care. Our ward has been welcoming and encouraging. Shawn's staff is amazing and so helpful. As we get to know them more we feel so blessed to have such wonderful people working for us. We know that with out Shawn being laid off in Utah, disliking Oregon, and everything in between, we would not be here. The Lord opened our hearts and helped us achieve our dream and he placed us in a place that we can raise our children and feel safe. With gratitude we say goodbye to 2012 and all the trials, struggles and hardships that really were miracles and pray 2013 is just as good to us.

Moving to Wyoming

As we were packing the house and getting things ready to move, I asked Emma to make a list of things we needed to get done. She came up with quite a list. 

 We packed the moving truck and cleaned the house Wednesday November 7. The missionaries in our ward asked us if they could help with out move and as the time came closer we realized that moving on a Wednesday, we were not going to have much help. We called the Elders and they sure got some help. We had a few guys from the singles ward that showed up, a few high priest's from our ward, and 8 Elders. I don't think I've ever seen the house get emptied so quickly. They were a lot of help. I don't want to think about where we would be with out them. 

We pulled out of Tangent around 8:30 am on Thursday, November 8, only for me to have to turn back and retrieve Carter's blanket out of his room. Lucky for us, Shawn left the back door unlocked and I was able to get in, a tender mercy of the Lord.  We got back together around Troutdale, Oregon and decided we'd stop for lunch at Multnomah Falls. It was an over clouded, humid, drizzling day and there were hardly any people there. It make for good parking and even better sight seeing.  Emma found some of the biggest leafs we've ever seen. We wish we would have pressed it in a book cause the car dried it out and it wilted as it dried.

The Salmon in the stream we huge and we talked about how awesome it would be to catch something that big on a fishing trip on the Columbia River. 

Everything we own we fit into a 26' UHaul ,a 8'x10' utility trailer and our Expedition. Something about packing ones belongings into truck, trailer, and car made me grateful that the most precious things I owned we surrounding me and we're not just packed into a box in a truck.

 We got to Nampa, Idaho and stayed there from Nov. 9- Nov. 11. We were able to go to the Boise Idaho LDS Temple open house on Friday November 9 with our family, my Grandparents, parents and Jodi, who had come home from her mission the day before. It was special to share the temple with our children, and to be with my grandparents for their first time in the temple. 

After the open house we went to Lunch with everyone. My grandparents have their walkers and my kids love to sit on the seat and ride around. Great Grandpa and Grandma love doing it too.

 Emma was next to Grandma's side most of the time. She adores her and I know that Great Grandma loves her attention and love also. They are so cute together.

 Sunday morning, November 11 we loaded up again and headed out to Evanston, Wyoming were we would stay that night. Just outside of Boise, we pulled over to a weigh station and weighed the truck. The truck weighted 16,240 and the trailer alone weighted 2400. 

 When we got to Evanston, the wind was blowing and it was SO cold. We got settled into our rooms, ate dinner and packed the kids up to go play in the pool. We all slept good and we're so thankful for warm showers, cozy beds and a warm breakfast the next morning. 

As we started out on the 12th for our final leg of the move, It was 17* outside. The wind, thankfully, was not blowing. 

 The kids we're all bundled into the car and had their moving playing. This would be the shortest drive our whole move, but we had to cross the whole state of Wyoming.

 When Shawn first graduated Vet School in 2009, he interviewed at a clinic in Evanston and the Dr. who he interviewed with took him to Bear River State park where they have a buffalo herd and a small elk herd.  We decided to drop in for a short drive thru visit. After all, the temperature was reading 14* at the park. The kids were thrilled at seeing the buffalo and the elk, and the snow on the ground made me feel like it was almost Christmastime. 

 When we got to Laramie, we drove to the house that we thought we were going to rent. After walking through the house, we realized that it wasn't the house for us. It was dirty, and a lot of things were either broken or missing, ie: light fixtures, vents, trim. There were really big stains in the carpet and it just didn't have a homey feeling to it. Shawn and I knelt in prayer in the master bedroom and I just knew we were not suppose to be there. We walked through another townhouse that evening that the same landlord had, but I just wanted to look a little more. So we moved into Hotel AmericInn and stayed 2 nights before we had keys to a house and were moving in on Wednesday, November 14. Our stay in hotel was nice and all but we were so thankful to be moving into a house. 

I hope this is our last really big move and that our next move will be to our forever home that we are not just renting. We are so thankful to the guidance of the spirit and both of us have gain stronger testimonies of following ones impressions and trusting in the Lord.

Day 23: A Home

This year I've had 3 homes. All of them have given my family and I a place to lay our heads, a place we are protected from the evils of the world, a place to play, laugh, learn, love and care for one another. I am grateful that I have a home. It may not be everything I want in a house, but its home because there is love, caring, laughter and tears shed as we as a family work to become a better family.

Catch up

Today has been an awful day. Emotionally and mentally I'm drained. Maybe the stress of this whole messy move is finally catching up to me, but I think I need to think about what I am grateful for. I'll do a recap of the things I thought about while I was without Internet.  Here goes:

November 14:  We FINALLY got keys to a house. It's a 4 bed, 1 1/2 bath with a little cubby for my craft room. I don't think a bed would fit in that room...actually maybe. It is about the of little room I lived in for a time at my parents house before it was tuned into the laundry room...not kidding. We had help moving in from a few men in our new ward. They even helped put the beds, the table and the dressers together. It was so nice to sleep in our own beds again.  The kids think the house is amazing. There is a crawl space under the house that you can access from a closet in the hall.  Shawn opened it up to check out the water heater and furnace and the kids all think that this house is the coolest we've lived in yet. The house was built in 1975 and the rooms are bigger than any house we've lived in, but the kitchen is about as small as our trailer kitchen was in Pullman. It will take some adjustment on my part. When I take some time to take pictures, I'll post some. I think I'll wait till all the boxes are gone...almost.

November 15: I am thankful that my Dad is here to help me. Shawn is out with the current owner of the Clinic meeting the clients of the Buffalo herd he will be working with. My dad has helped me unpack and move boxes. I don't know how I would get anything done with out his help.

November 16: I am thankful that both Mason and Emma started back and school today and so far I am in love with the school. It was the most pleasant experience registering them yesterday as I met most everyone I needed to and I went home with who their teachers were and what they needed to bring to school the next day. Thinks are looking up for their education.
I am also thankful for a chiropractor who helped me start moving again. Paige slept in our bed night before last and since I've been having troubles breathing and moving certain ways kills me. I'm pretty sure I had a rib out and after adjusting me and getting me back to normal, I feel I can start functioning like a human again. Sad my Dad flew home today, but glad he made it safe. The Laramie Airport is teeny tiny!

November 17: I'm thankful we took a break from the unpacking today and got out. We went to Cheyenne and did some shopping and comparisons. Cheyenne is smaller than Nampa is population wise and has just about everything they have in Nampa. It's a nice little town.  It was so good to get out.

November 18: I am grateful I attended church. After being gone from regular church meetings for 3 weeks due to having Stake Conference before we moved, it was good to be in our regular meetings again.  The Bishop and one of his councilors came to visit and we enjoyed getting to know them. Shawn said he feels old in this ward as there are a lot of students and the Elders all talk about class schedules and school. There are a few good families who are here for jobs and we hope to get to know everyone soon.

November 19: I am grateful for the kids' school councilor. She has everything in place for Mason's testing that needs done and has already scheduled his IEP meeting. She is on top of things and I know that nothing is being swept under the rug cause they don't want to deal with it.  I am also grateful I had Shawn with me for the morning to help with the grocery shopping and to get things ready for Thanksgiving dinner.  Much better to shop with a friend than by yourself.

November 20: I got the kitchen unpacked and started working on the office.  I put our desk and computer together again by my self.  I did that when we moved to Oregon.  I am glad I won't have to do it again for a while.  I love that the hall from the family room to the kitchen is finally box free.  

November 21: I am thankful that the pumpkin pie I made looks like it will work. I didn't adjust the recipe at all for the elevation change, and had to adjust the cooking time after I cooked it for the time the recipe called for and it was obviously not done. I'm going to have to do some research and learn the high elevation cooking tricks.  That was probably the only good thing that happened today....like I said, it's been a hard day.  Oh, and I'm grateful we finally have Internet again. and a home phone and TV...the last one though, it's a big deal to me.  Shawn will get to watch what ever is left of the Boise State football season though and that makes me happy cause he's happy.

Chalk Hands

Last night, while Shawn and I watched the final night at the National Republican Convention, the kids were doing this.

 I should have taken pictures of the kids when they were done. The ones I took of them, was when they were just getting started.  The sidewalk in the back yard was wet, and they made chalk paint and painted their hands on the side of the house, the side of the garage, the BBQ grill, Luckie's roof to the dog house, the yard waste can and on each other. We recorded a video to put on our yearly family video and some day they will laugh at what they did. The hand prints were so cute, and it made it that much harder to tell them not to do it.

We had to get the brush out and wash the side of the house with soap. The pink chalk left a small imprint and needed some extra care.  You should have seen the tub water when they were done being washed up.  Paige still had purple in her hair after I scrubbed her and Emma and Paige still had gray hands till this afternoon.  We are just so grateful it wasn't real paint.

May fun in the Sun

One of our favorite things to do in the summertime is to play in the water. Since we don't have a pool, or a community pool close, we improvise. The kids have these super soakers that are easier to use than guns, and shoot a lot further than a squirt gun would shoot too.  They love playing with them, and love shooting each other.  I think that of all the kids, Mason loves it most and gets the most joy from doing anything with water, but when it hits him just right, loads of contagious laughter is bound to come with it.

 Filling up can be a challenge at the same time, especially if they are using a bucket. They have mastered the art of it though since they know that if they wait, their going to get wet while filling.  It took Mason and Paige a while to figure out house to fill up, but once they got it, they we're good as gold.

 And today, Dad just came home at the right time to join in the fun. Too bad he had papers and a computer in hand.  We really could of soaked him up good.

*May 15,2012- Tangent

Done just in time

You may remember this post, and this one also. Well here's the unveiling you've all been waiting for. The basement was finished just days before our big move. In no good order, here's the final product that many people put labor in. Seriously, thanks for both our parents, Shawn's sister and her husband and my sister for all their help in finishing this with the deadline we had. We couldn't have done it with out you.

Basement Bedroom #2 was suppose to be our guest room. My Dad slept in it for the last 3 days we were in the house. TOO bad isn't wasn't able to sleep more than just him.

The closet is split with space to hang stuff and additional shelving. Shawn did an amazing job getting this to come together.

In the corner of that room there are additional shelves that will house book, trinkets or what ever your heart could want it to.

Coming out of bedroom #2 you face the linen closet in front of you, and the bathroom on the left. The hall goes to the right. The closet is a mirror image of the one upstairs.

Bedroom #1 was suppose to be my long awaited craft room. I'll get to wait longer.

The hall looking towards the bathroom. Bedroom #1 is on the left and bedroom #2 is to the left of the door at the end which is the bathroom.

Opisit of the last picture is this door. It is the utility room/cold storage. The utility room has a extra washer/dryer hookup, the furnace and the water softener. This space will be missed.

It turned out so good. We only wish we could have enjoyed it after we finished it. We are happy that someone else will.

The End of More Than Just a Year

As 2011 comes to an end, so does many other things. Many things that we loved, and took comfort in. We have had our challenges like so many others have, but we have also had a huge share of blessings. We count our blessings daily as we gear up for the many changes 2012 has in store for us.

The biggest change we were not anticipating, but Shawn had impressions it was coming. November 2 Shawn was notified that he would be laid off from his job. He had 2 different options (which was nice of his employer) as to when he would leave. 1) He kept his current pay, and schedule and be done November 30. 2) He take a reduced pay option, not receive his emergency pay, loose his benefits and stay on till December 31. After much consideration he choose option 2. Shawn got to work right away and starting looking at clinic's hiring and those that were for sale. The week before Thanksgiving he took off to Idaho, and Oregon to look at some clinics. The Tuesday before Thanksgiving he went to Wyoming and visited a clinic there. After pondering and praying about the clinics he knew which one was a no, and which one he wanted to pursue. We are in that process and hope this week we will make some head way on buying a clinic. In the mean time, his boss here in Payson offered him some work twice a week, paid on a daily flat rate. It isn't great and things are tight, but we both feel that things will work out and that the Lord is mindful of us and our situation.

Because of the change in Shawn's employment, and the pending move, December 11 I was released from my calling as Primary President. I am really sad about the change and will miss serving in the primary, but I know that there is a season to every calling. For now I get to enjoy Carter and finally get to attend Sunday School and Relief Society.

We had our realtor out on Friday and they gave us some comparables for the area in home sales and it was not good news. Unless we want to take a $10,000 loss on our house, we will probably rent it out. We will have it listed for sale by owner and see if we get any hits on it, but if not, we will look at renting it out. Our realtor said he'd help us out with contract agreements, and gave us some good advice. We will be finishing the basement, and hopefully working on finishing the back yard before summer. These are things we had hoped to finish and enjoy while we were still here, but that just wasn't in the plan. I hope the changes awaiting us go smooth and that the stress of change is minimal.

On positive note, Paige ended her time in diapers and is now potty trained during the day time. She talks about not going in her pull up at night, but hasn't successfully been able to stay dry at night. It is good timing on her part to finally be done with diapers during the day and to not have accidents continually through out the day.

I am thankful for the tender mercies that I have felt the last few months and the peace I have had in all the chaos around me. I am grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who calms, comforts and promises us blessings when we are obedient to His commandments. I pray that 2012 is a good year with lots of blessings, but I know we have some hard things to do during this year. I also know that we are not alone in the hard things and that we can do hard things if we work together.

Project: Basement Bathroom

You may remember this post from last year. And then this post from February. I wanted to include some pictures of the process of finishing a bathroom. It was no small undertaking.
After we got all the framing the next step was hanging the sheet rock. That was no small feat, but much easier than taping...which we came to learn.

We got the kids involved and let them help where ever they could, and when they wanted. I think this was the only day Mason showed any interest in helping. After we would cut the sheet rock, he would hit it and laugh when the extra piece fell. It was so fun to watch him work with his Dad. He even got his hands on the drill and thoroughly loved the sound and the spinning of the bit.

Emma got into the mess when she got home from school and had some fun screwing the screws in place.

ALL of the kids wanted to help tape, and we let them a bit, which is why I have no pictures of this. It took all 4 hands Shawn and I have to keep the mud on the wall and not on the floor. I really wish I had taken pictures of Paige. She wanted to help so badly, but when we let her, she ended up covered. It was great.

After the taping and the texture was done (which seem to take forever), Shawn tiled the floor. About this same time I started my bout of morning sickness, so I don't have any pictures, which again, I wish I did. He did an awesome job. We got the primer out and started painting. Before we get the tub surround put in, we needed to have the wall painted so the glue stuck better.

I believe it was the day after we got the blue paint up that Shawn called me and said he goofed up in the bathroom. We didn't keep the drain pipe available to hook up to the sink. So Shawn took a guess as where is was in the wall, and was dead on. He couldn't have guessed any closer.

We installed the toilet, and vanity, then waiting for the tub surround to be installed.

After the tub surround was installed, came the bath faucet and shower head. We learned that you should plumb the pipes exactly as the faucet box tells you.

We got the bathroom decor up. The shelf and towel rack was made by Shawn's brother for this bathroom.

Can we just say, we're glad its done. Now we have to start working on Potty training Paige.

All we have to do now, finish the rest of the basement. Our goal, is to have the hall and guest bedroom finished before December when our new little one will join the family. My craft room is last on the list, we'll see how long it takes to finish completely.