Jim's Contribution

I thought I'd better get on this blog and add a few things for the guys. The pictures of the kids are good and everything, but some guy stuff is good once in awhile. We went for a drive today (Sunday 12-7-08) and saw this nice buck laying down about 20 feet from the fence line. Of course Regan is the only one that can shoot it. And of course it's with her camera.

Regan and I went to a Christmas dinner on Saturday night. We got one of my students to babysit for us. When we got home at about 9:45 both girls were zonked out on the couch and this is how we found them.

Birthdays

The girls had their birthdays this last week. Saree was so cute about opening her presents. She would take a little strip off at a time and then throw it in the garbage, come back and rip some more off. Jaycie just tore into hers. They both loved their gifts. On the 29th we went to the Anasazi Heritage Center, free in the off season, can't beat that!! Anyway, it was really interesting and had a neat museum with it. It then had a hike up to a look out and some ruins. I think we all enjoyed it, even if it was a little cold. The little snowman was funny. Someone built it on the bench and had put a great deal of work into it.

I thought Grandpa & Grandma-Grandma would like to see the girls in the pretty birthday dresses. They both loved them. Jaycie told everyone that it was her birthday dress and made sure that they noticed the matching shoes. (I'm still wondering if I didn't get one of Shannon's kids on accident).

We spent Thanksgiving with Bro. & Sis. Clark, and Morgan & Trina. We all enjoyed it and of course indulged too much. Saree finally warmed up to Bro. Clark and let him hold her toward the end of the night. We then had all of them over for cake and ice cream on Saturday. With all of that cake around the house we needed help eating it so we wouldn't eat it all ourselves. (Jim's watching is girlish figure you know).

The girls both blew out their candles, Jaycie twice. Jim had no sooner lit the darn things and she blew them out before we could sing to her. Saree got to blow candles out twice too. With the missionaries over for dinner on the 28th I was a little flummoxed and forgot to get a picture of her with her cake so I just took one of her with Jaycie's. (Bad Mom award).

The Holidays Are Upon Us.

Things here are the same, sort of. I'm watching 2 little boys during the week now. Koa, and Shawn. Koa is 9 months old and Shawn is 3 months old. They are both good babies and so cute!! I definitely want another one. Anyway, Jim and I had toyed with the idea of going down to San Antonio at Christmas break but decided that we just can't afford it yet, so we are going to stay here.

The girls are doing great. They are excited for their birthdays this week. Saree is almost potty trained, she just hasn't quite figured out that she needs to tell me she has to pee and then go to the bathroom. Right now it's as it is happening.

Thanksgiving was great. We ate at the Clark residence. The food tasted wonderful and as usual I ate too much. The girls had a lot of fun too. The tryptophan is kicking in and I'm goin to go to bed now. I have a lot to do tomarrow. It's Saree's birthday and the missionaries are coming over for dinner.

Halloween

Well, our Halloween definitely wasn't as eventful as Shane & Danielle's, well, Danielle's more so. Shane was along for the ride (kinda). Anyway, I dressed the girls up and put makeup on them. They loved that. It is so hard to get makeup on two squirming giggly girls, but they loved it.

Our ward had a four ward trunk or treat and then a chili and cinnamon roll dinner following the trunk or treat. The girls made out like bandits, Jaycie in particular, she made the round 3 times.

The next night we went to Mancos to a retirement center for a trick or treat. By the time we were finnished there the girls had enough candy to fill one of my sugar cannisters (it holds 10 lbs). Needless to say we won't need candy for a long, long time.

Now what?

Well, Community Connections didn't pan out. I got the job, even passed the background check (hard to believe ha-ha). But, I discovered that the 40 hours of training that they wanted me to do had at least 30 of it that wasn't on line and some of it was in Durango. Not too bad except that all of it was during the day, all day. Day care here runs about 25 per child and 8.50/hr doesn't pay 50/day daycare and other expenses. So now I guess I'll apply at the grocery store. Can't tell you how excited I am about that one.

I got two callings in the ward now. I am the Ward web-site administrator & I teach the 10-11 year-olds in primary. Jim is the secretary in the young mens group & is in absolute heaven. Why can't I get a calling like family, home, and personal enrichment person? I could actually do things that I'm comfortable teaching people, the gospel not being one of them. That is probably why they keep putting me in those positions. Anyway, I also somehow got talked into playing the flute as part of the Christmas program. The only stipulation there was that Mom and Dad had to find it first in the storage unit. Then I was thinking there was no way I could because I would probably need my fingering chart, it has been so long, and I have no idea where that is. Of course looking for something else I found it, so there went my backup excuse.

Jaycie has a boyfriend, I know he isn't really a boyfriend, but they hold hands all the time and go from sacrament meeting to primary that way. His name is Thayer and he is the bishops son. He just barely turned 4, he is so cute. Jim is already worrying though. At least Nathan and Shannon are much closer to that reality than we are. Tums anyone?

Saree is a real fighter. Trust me when I say I end up pulling her off of Jaycie more than I pull Jaycie off of her. Jaycie will tell her she can't do something and Saree will run full out to get to her and start whaling away. I pity the fool who gets on her bad side.

We really like it here and hope everyone can come for a visit, preferably not all at once, though. Our apartment is about the size of Mom and Dad's kitchen.

Scrap happy!

As some of you know I've turned into a total digital scrapbooking addict. It becomes quite difficult for me to get off the computer to do dishes, etc. I thought I might add one of my favorites so far.

Jaycie has started breaking out in hives again. This is the first time she has broken out because of fabric softener. The last time she broke out was because of laundry detergent. Oh well, more laundry to do.

. . . . Okay. . .are we living on the bad side of town?

Well, we were on our way back from the park on Sunday evening, we had just fed the ducks. (That is fun, by the way. These ducks were practically in our laps. Saree had a couple of pieces of bread clutched in her hot little hand and the only goose there was brave enough to come and get it, against her will. She screamed!) Anyway, as I was saying, on the way home we passed the apartments on the end of the block just before ours and there was a cop car parked out front and crime scene tape all the way around the building. In the paper the next day we found out that there was a murder there. They arrested the guy, he lived there and so did his female victim. I don't know why or how or what, but it was pretty grusome.

Jim asked the school cop if we should be concerned and he said that murder is pretty uncommon here, but since we live close to three trailer parks there is a lot of foot traffic and this side of town sees more home invasions than the rest of town. Great!! I'm now locking the doors all the time.

I also got hired on at Community Connections, it's a community outreach program for adults that are developmentally delayed. I'll mostly be helping people in their homes with cooking and cleaning. I'm hoping not to have to bathe or wipe bums, I get enough of that at home (Jim wants me to stipulate that it's not him that I'm bathing or wiping. He does, however, want to be bathed).