Sunday, September 28, 2008
Hi family,
It is Sunday - Russ' birthday - HAPPY BIRTHDAY, RUSS. Leave it to Grandpa to figure out that this is the only time in his lifetime that he will be celebrating his 28th birthday on the 28th of the month. Sorry, Doug, you were 2 when that happened! But Angie can say that next year. Just a point of interest.
I guess you have figured out on the topic of employment that no news means just that... no news yet! When there is, we will happily share the excitement! The family run business that does industrial labeling is still a possibility and I think the one he is hoping will work out. He will probably know the final outcome of that later this week. That company did hire Brian Heintz so Dad is very grateful to have been able to help there. Now that he is seriously looking, it does feel like there are good opportunities out there and some here in the Portland area so we are feeling good about it all. Truly this would be a very different experience without the peace that the spirit brings. We feel and appreciate your prayers and feel confident it will all come out better than we could have planned ourselves. It has been wonderful to have him at home and I know we will look back fondly on this time together.
This week should also bring to close the majority of the house painting project. I can't wait! The painters are coming tomorrow and Tuesday and the weather is supposed to be dry and hot so the timing looks good. We will be doing the trim that isn't dangerous to reach ourselves, but that won't be bad. Dad has spent hours and hours powerwashing the roof and house and both of us many hours caulking, etc. Our hard work will pay off and that will feel good. I think of Nikki and Jason often when working.
I had a wonderful experience this week with Linnell. We went to Wamic, OR Tuesday - Thursday where a friend of hers lives. He has 80 acres with access to like 30,000 more on government land. The Mikkelsens have a few of their horses there and their friend has several others. Linnell and I rode for several hours Tuesday and Wednesday. We loaded up the saddle bags with Cheetos and peanut M&M's and drinks and off we went. We collected wild turkey feathers along the way, saw some deer and an eagle, crossed streams, rode in beautiful green and golden meadows with the Cascade mountains (including Mt Hood) as our backdrop, felt like The Man From Snowy River as we decended a very steep mountain, and sang the tune from Bonanza as we went. I was in heaven. It is hard to put into words what I was feeling. The second day I chose to ride a horse named Jake. I saw him the day before and felt an instant connection. He has a little more spunk than Norman (my Tuesday mount), but it was more than that. I felt like that old connection was back. You have probably heard me say that my love of horses is more about the relationship with the horse which is like no other animal because you are working together. A horse is big and powerful yet controlled by just a touch of a rein or a leg, and by voice. Jake and I connected and it touched in me something I haven't felt in a very long time. I have always felt my love of horses it a gift and have felt deep gratitude for the unique opportunities I have had in my early years to enjoy that gift. It was exciting to discover the gift is still there. When I picture living in the celestial kingdom, it includes rides like these on horses I have loved. Maybe Casey will be running beside as well. Those are some of my happy thoughts.
I love you all!
MOM
It is Sunday - Russ' birthday - HAPPY BIRTHDAY, RUSS. Leave it to Grandpa to figure out that this is the only time in his lifetime that he will be celebrating his 28th birthday on the 28th of the month. Sorry, Doug, you were 2 when that happened! But Angie can say that next year. Just a point of interest.
I guess you have figured out on the topic of employment that no news means just that... no news yet! When there is, we will happily share the excitement! The family run business that does industrial labeling is still a possibility and I think the one he is hoping will work out. He will probably know the final outcome of that later this week. That company did hire Brian Heintz so Dad is very grateful to have been able to help there. Now that he is seriously looking, it does feel like there are good opportunities out there and some here in the Portland area so we are feeling good about it all. Truly this would be a very different experience without the peace that the spirit brings. We feel and appreciate your prayers and feel confident it will all come out better than we could have planned ourselves. It has been wonderful to have him at home and I know we will look back fondly on this time together.
This week should also bring to close the majority of the house painting project. I can't wait! The painters are coming tomorrow and Tuesday and the weather is supposed to be dry and hot so the timing looks good. We will be doing the trim that isn't dangerous to reach ourselves, but that won't be bad. Dad has spent hours and hours powerwashing the roof and house and both of us many hours caulking, etc. Our hard work will pay off and that will feel good. I think of Nikki and Jason often when working.
I had a wonderful experience this week with Linnell. We went to Wamic, OR Tuesday - Thursday where a friend of hers lives. He has 80 acres with access to like 30,000 more on government land. The Mikkelsens have a few of their horses there and their friend has several others. Linnell and I rode for several hours Tuesday and Wednesday. We loaded up the saddle bags with Cheetos and peanut M&M's and drinks and off we went. We collected wild turkey feathers along the way, saw some deer and an eagle, crossed streams, rode in beautiful green and golden meadows with the Cascade mountains (including Mt Hood) as our backdrop, felt like The Man From Snowy River as we decended a very steep mountain, and sang the tune from Bonanza as we went. I was in heaven. It is hard to put into words what I was feeling. The second day I chose to ride a horse named Jake. I saw him the day before and felt an instant connection. He has a little more spunk than Norman (my Tuesday mount), but it was more than that. I felt like that old connection was back. You have probably heard me say that my love of horses is more about the relationship with the horse which is like no other animal because you are working together. A horse is big and powerful yet controlled by just a touch of a rein or a leg, and by voice. Jake and I connected and it touched in me something I haven't felt in a very long time. I have always felt my love of horses it a gift and have felt deep gratitude for the unique opportunities I have had in my early years to enjoy that gift. It was exciting to discover the gift is still there. When I picture living in the celestial kingdom, it includes rides like these on horses I have loved. Maybe Casey will be running beside as well. Those are some of my happy thoughts.
I love you all!
MOM
Friday, September 26, 2008
We're back to the 21st century
As of 10pm last night we have internet access at home again! It's interesting how quickly some technologies become necessities. We tried to think about not having cell phones and only having dial-up internet, but there were just too many cons like trying to pick up Jason from the train but not knowing for sure which train he caught, what if the van broke down and we were stuck somewhere without a way to get help (which we hear would be very serious in a Chicago winter), not being able to do internet banking, download online books and artcles for Jason's homework, and the greatest tragedy...not being able to upload or view pictures or videos on the family blog or picture site! Sometimes I feel like technology is telling me what I need instead of the other way around.
I don't quite know how to comment on these last two months. Honestly, it feels like a nightmare we're just coming out of. I feel like I identify with the pioneers more when they say that first Winter Quarters winter was something they didn't want to talk about or remember (Bekah and I have been reading her Church History kids book she got from Nana a while back). There were times I felt so extremely helpless and hopeless, mostly during the 3AM feedings when I was all alone...except for the reason I was awake. Many other times I was just in survival mode not really aware of what's going on around me. There were so many things that went wrong I couldn't possibly remember them all and I really don't feel like remembering them anyway for a long time. But the wonderful thing is there have been so many blessings and miracles at the same time that I can't recount those either, nor do I even know what they all are. I have been so humbled.
And James and Bekah have been troopers through it all. I'm so glad Bekah has kindergarten to look forward to. There are at least ten reasons we've realized we're glad we're in this house and this area and if the only one was so that Bekah could have Mrs. Kallaus for a teacher it would be worth it to me. Mrs. Kallaus is a very gifted teacher and she really gets the kids excited. For instance, the school sent home a CD about keeping our bodies clean and healthy with songs to listen to as part of their health class. Bekah listens to this daily and of her own accord asks to shower almost each day, and she wants to brush her teeth (instead of us forcing her to) because she wants to do what her teacher asks! I can't explain the joy I feel when Bekah comes home from school and is so excited to show me what's she's learned. It's very fulfilling. I would never have been able to duplicate Bekah's learning experience if we'd chosen to do home school had we lived in a not-so-good area of Chicago.
I don't know how Jason has survived so far, and I don't think he does either. Somehow he's been able to keep going even though he sore and tired and worn out. His schedule some days is unbelieveable. Mondays and Wednesdays he leaves the house at 7:30am to teach three sections of English writing at McHenry County College (MCC) from 8-11am. Then he has a required office hour until 11:50am. Then he rushes as fast as he can to the Crystal Lake metra station to catch the 12:10pm train so he has enough time to walk the 15-20 minutes from Ogilvie station to University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) so he can attend two of his classes that don't get done until 9pm. Then he has to hurry back to Ogilvie to catch the 9:30pm train back to Crystal Lake, and he doesn't walk back in the door until 11:15pm or so. (This is if he makes the 9:30 train since it only comes once an hour at night.) Some Mondays his evening class is at University of Chicago (UC) since it's team taught between the two locations so he has to leave his previous class slightly early to catch a cab to UC where he's a little late to that class. Then he has to get back to Ogilvie station to take the 10:30pm train, in which case he wouldn't get home until 12:15am. For two more weeks on Tuesdays/Thursdays he catches the 7:30am train back to UIC to observe a class he's required to attend and gets home about 1:30pm. Fridays he teaches at MCC again from 8-11, so all his homework, lesson prep, working on the house time has to be fit in on Tues/ Thurs/Fri afternoons and Saturday and Sunday. (He just got called to teach Course 15 Sunday School, though, so even Sundays he's doing more lesson prep.) It's truly amazing what he's gone through. Had we known his schedule would be this busy this semester, he wouldn't have accepted three sections at MCC. But come December this semester will be over and he can teach less at MCC and hopefully have more time to get to where he needs to go.
The house is coming along. Yesterday Jason was able to get the gas dryer that came with the house fixed and the washer working so we can do laundry again! (I've been doing laundry at a ward members house.) He also installed a thermostat recently and got the furnace cleaned out so we can get it inspected so we can have working heat. We also hung up some blinds and installed some closet organizers in our new closets so we can hang clothes up. And I mentioned we got internet (and cable since AT&T requires cable if you have internet and it was cheaper than Comcast) set up last night. We stained a kitchen cabinet today and started painting the kitchen so we can start hanging cabinets so we have somewhere to put dishes away. So things are coming together.
It's nice to be able to read the blog again. For a while now I've felt really out of the loop. Bekah woke me up early this morning because she really wanted to see the new videos of Kaylee and Ashlynn as soon as she could. So we're getting back in the groove.
Well, I need to go pick up Bekah from school. Thanks for all your prayers and support.
We love you.
Nikki
I don't quite know how to comment on these last two months. Honestly, it feels like a nightmare we're just coming out of. I feel like I identify with the pioneers more when they say that first Winter Quarters winter was something they didn't want to talk about or remember (Bekah and I have been reading her Church History kids book she got from Nana a while back). There were times I felt so extremely helpless and hopeless, mostly during the 3AM feedings when I was all alone...except for the reason I was awake. Many other times I was just in survival mode not really aware of what's going on around me. There were so many things that went wrong I couldn't possibly remember them all and I really don't feel like remembering them anyway for a long time. But the wonderful thing is there have been so many blessings and miracles at the same time that I can't recount those either, nor do I even know what they all are. I have been so humbled.
And James and Bekah have been troopers through it all. I'm so glad Bekah has kindergarten to look forward to. There are at least ten reasons we've realized we're glad we're in this house and this area and if the only one was so that Bekah could have Mrs. Kallaus for a teacher it would be worth it to me. Mrs. Kallaus is a very gifted teacher and she really gets the kids excited. For instance, the school sent home a CD about keeping our bodies clean and healthy with songs to listen to as part of their health class. Bekah listens to this daily and of her own accord asks to shower almost each day, and she wants to brush her teeth (instead of us forcing her to) because she wants to do what her teacher asks! I can't explain the joy I feel when Bekah comes home from school and is so excited to show me what's she's learned. It's very fulfilling. I would never have been able to duplicate Bekah's learning experience if we'd chosen to do home school had we lived in a not-so-good area of Chicago.
I don't know how Jason has survived so far, and I don't think he does either. Somehow he's been able to keep going even though he sore and tired and worn out. His schedule some days is unbelieveable. Mondays and Wednesdays he leaves the house at 7:30am to teach three sections of English writing at McHenry County College (MCC) from 8-11am. Then he has a required office hour until 11:50am. Then he rushes as fast as he can to the Crystal Lake metra station to catch the 12:10pm train so he has enough time to walk the 15-20 minutes from Ogilvie station to University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) so he can attend two of his classes that don't get done until 9pm. Then he has to hurry back to Ogilvie to catch the 9:30pm train back to Crystal Lake, and he doesn't walk back in the door until 11:15pm or so. (This is if he makes the 9:30 train since it only comes once an hour at night.) Some Mondays his evening class is at University of Chicago (UC) since it's team taught between the two locations so he has to leave his previous class slightly early to catch a cab to UC where he's a little late to that class. Then he has to get back to Ogilvie station to take the 10:30pm train, in which case he wouldn't get home until 12:15am. For two more weeks on Tuesdays/Thursdays he catches the 7:30am train back to UIC to observe a class he's required to attend and gets home about 1:30pm. Fridays he teaches at MCC again from 8-11, so all his homework, lesson prep, working on the house time has to be fit in on Tues/ Thurs/Fri afternoons and Saturday and Sunday. (He just got called to teach Course 15 Sunday School, though, so even Sundays he's doing more lesson prep.) It's truly amazing what he's gone through. Had we known his schedule would be this busy this semester, he wouldn't have accepted three sections at MCC. But come December this semester will be over and he can teach less at MCC and hopefully have more time to get to where he needs to go.
The house is coming along. Yesterday Jason was able to get the gas dryer that came with the house fixed and the washer working so we can do laundry again! (I've been doing laundry at a ward members house.) He also installed a thermostat recently and got the furnace cleaned out so we can get it inspected so we can have working heat. We also hung up some blinds and installed some closet organizers in our new closets so we can hang clothes up. And I mentioned we got internet (and cable since AT&T requires cable if you have internet and it was cheaper than Comcast) set up last night. We stained a kitchen cabinet today and started painting the kitchen so we can start hanging cabinets so we have somewhere to put dishes away. So things are coming together.
It's nice to be able to read the blog again. For a while now I've felt really out of the loop. Bekah woke me up early this morning because she really wanted to see the new videos of Kaylee and Ashlynn as soon as she could. So we're getting back in the groove.
Well, I need to go pick up Bekah from school. Thanks for all your prayers and support.
We love you.
Nikki
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Long time, no blog
Emily and I thought we would speak from the digital dust and resurrect our interaction with the family! We were just called as Primary teachers so we can knock a couple more percentages off from the amount of time we spend apart. We teach 10 CTR 6ers. Last week we tried hard but in the middle of the class, one girl said, "this is boring!" So this week we tried to mix things up.
Friday Emily and I got to see George Winston in concert which is special because his Kannon in D is the first song Emily and I ever talked about. He is pretty timid on stage but it was still really magical.
I also thought I would share that we are pretty sure which schools we will apply to. Does anyone know someone that went any of these?
Rhode Island School of Design
Yale
Virginia Commonwealth
Maryland Institute College of Art
School of Visual Arts (NY)
California Institute of the Arts
Art Center College of Design (CA)
Parsons New School of Design (NY)
Rochester Institute of Technology
Canby Intitute of House Painting
Most of the due dates are mid January. We are excited at where our future could take us! We love you all!
Friday Emily and I got to see George Winston in concert which is special because his Kannon in D is the first song Emily and I ever talked about. He is pretty timid on stage but it was still really magical.
I also thought I would share that we are pretty sure which schools we will apply to. Does anyone know someone that went any of these?
Rhode Island School of Design
Yale
Virginia Commonwealth
Maryland Institute College of Art
School of Visual Arts (NY)
California Institute of the Arts
Art Center College of Design (CA)
Parsons New School of Design (NY)
Rochester Institute of Technology
Canby Intitute of House Painting
Most of the due dates are mid January. We are excited at where our future could take us! We love you all!
Monday, September 15, 2008
David & Goliath
Yesterday we decided, with Kaylee's help, that our FHE lesson tonight would focus on the story of David & Goliath. This morning Kaylee and I were discussing the upcoming lesson, and she was assigning parts for all of us to play. She was going to be David, and Dad (Russ) would be Goliath. I asked her who Ashlyn could be. Kaylee's response . . . "the stone".
As interesting as that casting would have been, we ended up making a few minor adjustments before the final production this evening.
(P.S. Good job to Mom for all of your recent posts!)
As interesting as that casting would have been, we ended up making a few minor adjustments before the final production this evening.
(P.S. Good job to Mom for all of your recent posts!)
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Our new window
Hi family,
I thought you might like to see what went on here on Saturday. We love our new window, though in this picture it is hard to really tell what happened other than a big mess! That is Marlin Harker (the installer with Dad's help) on the other side of the window. We are getting used to having more light in our bedroom and being able to see what is going on out front. We are still debating on a paint color. The one Dad and I liked (gray) got outvoted by Marlin and Linnell, whose votes count more than ours! (They both liked the color you picked on the blog). So, consider yourselves color experts!
Love, MOM
I thought you might like to see what went on here on Saturday. We love our new window, though in this picture it is hard to really tell what happened other than a big mess! That is Marlin Harker (the installer with Dad's help) on the other side of the window. We are getting used to having more light in our bedroom and being able to see what is going on out front. We are still debating on a paint color. The one Dad and I liked (gray) got outvoted by Marlin and Linnell, whose votes count more than ours! (They both liked the color you picked on the blog). So, consider yourselves color experts!
Love, MOM
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Trabajo
So, Angela just got a job. Yay. She is the newest front desk secretary at Nomen Global Language Centers, located in Provo. She is excited about the position because:
1. It's a job and she is really happy to have something scheduled for each day
2. She feels very comfortable with the people there and it is a good job in general
3. She gets to use her Spanish!!!! which is by FAR the part she is most excited about.
Angela just thought you would all like to know since people seem to like to know what is going on in her life and she is happy to actually have something to report. !
1. It's a job and she is really happy to have something scheduled for each day
2. She feels very comfortable with the people there and it is a good job in general
3. She gets to use her Spanish!!!! which is by FAR the part she is most excited about.
Angela just thought you would all like to know since people seem to like to know what is going on in her life and she is happy to actually have something to report. !
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Good morning, family. There is hope for me yet in becoming a blogger. What has yet to be determined is whether that is a good thing or not. Of course it is good if it means we are communicating as a family. Aren't we glad Anne hasn't given up on us yet?!
It looks like everyone likes the first color I posted. We are still looking at options but that is my favorite of that group as well. I did start caulking yesterday... just long enough to remember what a messy job that is! But we are enjoying perfect outdoor working weather, making it so pleasant to have an outdoor project. How blessed we are to live/ have lived in such a beautiful place. I anticipate that one of my future hard moments will be to close the door on this home for the last time. And so it should be.
Today is a big day at Nikki & Jason's "new" home. The carpet is being installed, which means the painting is done (for now). They have decided to tackle the kitchen later and I think they even invited us at Christmas to help! Let's see... Florida or Chicago? Which would you choose?! Let's talk about it, Angie. Dad is not in the space of being willing to plan that far ahead. How was it, Anne, that you got him to commit way in advance before?! The crazy summer is still too fresh for him and that small detail of a job also has something to do with it. Anyway, back to Nikki and Jason - we hope you can get moved in soon and life can find some kind of normal. We look forward to pictures. Bekah tells us she likes kindergarten. So much going on in their family.
Well, I must get going on my day. I was just thinking of you all this morning and thought I would ramble a bit. Have a wonderful day!
Love,
MOM
It looks like everyone likes the first color I posted. We are still looking at options but that is my favorite of that group as well. I did start caulking yesterday... just long enough to remember what a messy job that is! But we are enjoying perfect outdoor working weather, making it so pleasant to have an outdoor project. How blessed we are to live/ have lived in such a beautiful place. I anticipate that one of my future hard moments will be to close the door on this home for the last time. And so it should be.
Today is a big day at Nikki & Jason's "new" home. The carpet is being installed, which means the painting is done (for now). They have decided to tackle the kitchen later and I think they even invited us at Christmas to help! Let's see... Florida or Chicago? Which would you choose?! Let's talk about it, Angie. Dad is not in the space of being willing to plan that far ahead. How was it, Anne, that you got him to commit way in advance before?! The crazy summer is still too fresh for him and that small detail of a job also has something to do with it. Anyway, back to Nikki and Jason - we hope you can get moved in soon and life can find some kind of normal. We look forward to pictures. Bekah tells us she likes kindergarten. So much going on in their family.
Well, I must get going on my day. I was just thinking of you all this morning and thought I would ramble a bit. Have a wonderful day!
Love,
MOM
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