What's a job?

Chod's days at Utah State are coming to an end. He is still working on his PhD, but with Phil's retirement goes his funding. And while he could still be employed through the end of the year we realize that job squatting really isn't the best way to go. So he's been job hunting.

I have tried to explain to the boys that Dad will be getting a new job...

The first thing they want to know is what the new job's team will be. As in football team. You know, right now it's the Aggies, so what will the next team be?

1. Not every job comes with a football team.

2. Once an Aggie, always an Aggie.

Next, they're curious about what Dad will be studying at his new job. You know, learning.

3. Not every job is a graduate degree. 

It's at this point that I realize that they don't get it. And it is time for us to leave college life behind and introduce them to the job scene.

Instagram v. 42

1. Bret showing his ninja skills
2. Then the rain came.
3. Followed by the sun. A family that plays together stays together.
4. Chod looks for any excuse to ride the boys bikes.
5. A blue fish for the birthday boy!
6. Old Navy's newest mannequin. Right before he got yelled at.
7. Crafting Chicks survive Vegas public transportation and a downpour.
8. Our matching Donny shirts.
9. Tri School Trot. Bentley set his goal to run 12 laps, or 3 miles and he did it!

Instagram v. 41

1. Sick kids and no milk in the house = Friday night escape.
2. Run Chod Run. Top of Utah Half
3. Hard at work
4. Game day. Flag flying and a the driveway already for the 1st Aggie football game of the season.
5. I've been an Aggie fan long before they had a winning season. Flashback to Utah vs USU 1999.
6. Wilkins Reunion at Peterson Barn.
7. Wilkins Ninja Warrior
8. Lincoln climbing the net
9. Derek using every ounce of strength in his toe nail to complete his challenge

Maiden Kayak Adventures

We spent Memorial Day weekend on the river. We rented kyaks from the ORP on campus and spent Friday, Saturday, and Monday at Benson Marina kyaking. We had never been kyaking before, and didn't know what to expect. But the most intimidating part was visiting the ORP. Friday night, Chod and I went kyaking for our date. Then on Saturday we took the boys with us. And then Monday we took everyone, including Gracie.
 

I liked it a lot, but Bentley LOVES it! He was all over the place, and as always, had no fear of the water.

He went out by himself on Saturday and on Monday, and I can't wait to tell his OT about it. We even talked about buying kayaks (that's how much he liked it), but after doing a little math decided we'll stick to renting them for now.

 

We didn't take cameras out with us because we weren't sure how steady the kayaks would be, but it was fun to paddle around the marsh and see the birds, and have fish jumping around us. Bentley said his favorite was when we went under the bridge that was covered in Swallow nests with birds flying all around. It reminded me of floating the canal next to our house growing up. 

 

 Lincoln had fun as Chod's ship mate. He's still too little to paddle on his own, but did well as skipper. And Gracie....well she did great for the first 20 or so minutes. Just long enough for us to get a good distance from the dock before she decided the sitting still business wasn't for her. I tried a lot of tricks to distract her, but settled on wrapping my legs around her to keep her from wiggling out (since both hands were needed for paddling) and paddled as fast as I could back to the dock. She seemed happy to lose the life jacket and was content to sit in the car and watch Curious George. And Bentley was more than willing to take over my kayak.

 

 

 Pretty sure it will be something we do again.

Instagram v.29

1:: Handsome Linky
2:: Papa's circus act
3:: "Where to boys?" After many hours in her carseat Gracie took over the wheel at a gas station,
4:: Multnomah Falls
5:: Grace loves Tillamook ice cream, and cheese, and fudge.
6:: The Baby Loaf
7:: We learned all about cheese-it starts with the cows.
8:: Sometimes when you want cookies you have to take matters into your own hands.
9:: Craft fail.

Instagram v. 28

1:: All hands on deck to make soil tins.
2:: The best free stop in town. A clean ring for me and Oreos for the boys.
3:: Oh he is cute.
4:: Strapped on the snowshoes to check on the chickens.
5:: Gracie loves snowshoeing.
6:: Race to the car.
7:: How we survive Sam's Club. Yes he has on shorts and snowboots.
8:: Can't decide which room to use this fabric in.
9:: Let the room and she snatched the bowl of carrots from off the table.

Christmas 2012

It snowed all day Christmas Eve. Chod shoveled the driveway...a couple times. The snow just kept coming. And as usual, he finished his Christmas shopping with the boys, while I finished the last of Santa's projects.

They built their own Frosty in the front yard. All of the rocks were covered, so they used a carrot for the snowman's eyes, buttons and nose.

 We took a late night drive to the university to check on Chod's soil column and tried to find Santa's sleigh in the sky. The boys were sound asleep by the time we got home.

 After Santa had come.

 New Christmas jammies.

 Lincoln had fun opening his presents.

Bentley deemed it "his worst Christmas ever" because Santa didn't bring him rocket boosters or a jet pack.

 Gracie's first Christmas.

She was much more interested in Lincoln's car than she was her doll.

We made another stop to check on the soil column before heading out of town.

The boys were shepherds in the Wilkins nativity.

And Grandpa let Gracie take a nap. (Ever since she was a newborn she covered her face like this when she gets tired.)

 Dalanie loves babies.

 Not enough iPads for all of the grandkids.

 Grandpa's favorite trick.

Instagram v. 25

1:: Chod had this football signed by #25 Kerwin Williams for Bentley and Lincoln.
2:: The boys with Capt. Aggie (our neighbor Andy) at the Potato Bowl.
3:: Cheering on their Ags.
4:: Gracie has a rough life.
5:: Christmas card picture.
6:: Love this girl.
7:: Bentley rearranged the tree ornaments.
8:: Christmas came a few days early.
9:: Tennis lessons as SARC

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl

 Chod had this football signed for the boys by running back Kerwin Williams.

Santa gave Levi (our elf) a secret mission to get the boys' Christmas present to them before Christmas. He left clues to build anticipation. The first clue was a bag of Idaho Potatoes. After reading the clue Bentley said "Oh that's easy. THE IDAHO POTATO BOWL GAME!" but the next clues were a little tricky. Clue 2: Hand Warmers. Clue 3: Roadtrip snacks Clue 4: Aggie sweatshirts and Clue 5: Drive to Grandma and Grandpa Parishes house and tell them Kerwin Dowdy Loud and Rowdy. Grandma then handed over bowl game tickets.

I was expecting a bigger reaction--but I think they liked it! Grandma and Grandpa piled in the car with us and were headed to Boise. We dropped the boys off at the game and the girls hit the mall.

Their tickets happened to be right next to these kids. (Bri's brother Jeff, Brian, Garrett, Alex Haynie, Katelin, Baylee, and Bret)

 Our neighbor, Captain Aggie was there too.

 Bentley loved that his Aggies won.

 And Lincoln got a good nap during the game.

 Bring home the trophy. Bentley's all about trophys.

Instagram v.12

1. They build their own jump. Looks like an accident waiting to happen.
2. They requested Chod build them a 'kicker'.
3. Our first Lowe's Build and Grow--building an onion carriage.
4. Sunday baking
5. No words can describe this character
6. Taped 3 cutting mats together to get a long enough stencil!
7. The chicken coop decorations
8. Autumn sunset and a cardi kind of night.
9. The family graffiti artist struck-luckily the tagging stopped here.

Instagram v.11

1. Lincoln's first time on a horse. On the Stephens Boy Horseride.
2. Bentley and Lincoln goofing off in the tent.
3. Cassia County Rodeo.
4. Freezing corn.
5. Brigham City Temple open house.
6. Smith and Edwards. I fed Gracie in the surplus section and Chod let the boys climb on the tank in their church clothes.
7. Bentley's first day of 1st grade!
8. Lincoln can't wait to go to school.
9. Gracie and her paracord bracelet!

Instagram v.10

1. Chubbalicious
2. Can't get enough of this girl!
3. The taste of August--Peach Dessert
4. Went on a Sunday drive and forgot Gracie's blanket. Bentley offered the shirt off his back to keep her warm.
5. Gracie and the Bumbo.
6. Spotted: Chod using my Washi tape to hold the computer together
7. Lincoln was as excited for my Kaboo bag as I was!
8. Dinosaur Park
9. Golf lessons and the recalled Bumbo. Not sure which concerns me more.

Fair and Corn

I guess you can take the girl out of the fair, but you can't take the fair out of the girl? Pretty sure we've made home to the Cassia County Fair and Rodeo every year we've been married. This year we made it in time for Chod and Bentley to procur some famous maple bars from the Declo Stake booth, and Lincoln and I walked through the livestock before the rodeo began. Chod is a huge fan of fair food (read: fried dough).

The next day everyone dug in and helped freeze corn for Tameka and us. A lot of helping hands makes the job go quickly!

And Lincoln got to ride Papa's horse with the girls. Now he really wants a horse of his own.

Instagram 8 and 9

1. Crafting Chick kids dancing at EVO closing party.
2. It's zucchini season!
3. Lots of Aunt shirts in the stores, non in Gracie's closest.
4. Waiting at the doctors. They asked me to come in 2 hours early, then we waited for 1 hour.
5. The Tillamook mini loaf.
6. Mack's Inn Theater in Island Park.
7. Chod was picked out of the audience to be part of the show.
8. Never fun to be sick on vacation, but he got to skip church and had the 3D TV to himself.
9. Linky Boodle and Ruby Duby playing in the waterfall.

1. Breakfast at Herm's Inn.
2. iPhone surgery. iPhones don't swim.
3. He fixed it! Kind of.
4. Thinking of cutting Lincoln's hair like the Great Britain gymnast.
5. Lots of Olympic watching at our house-even Gracie likes it.
6. Mixed media mass production. Getting ready for activity days.
7. New shopping cards at Lee's. So sporty and much easier to handle.
8. Chod cooked dinner.
9. My vegetarians plate after he had already eaten the broccoli and tomatoes of course. Did I mention he ate this over the dessert pizza setting next to him? He did.

House Update

We've lived in our house for almost 11 months, and our to-do list is still growing. But it is nice to look back at pictures and remember how far we've come.

First up, the master bedroom.

This is the listing photo, and obviously, they used it as the baby's room. For a reason I don't remember right now, we decided to turn it into the master bedroom.

Basically, we gave it a new coat of paint and put a bigger bed in there. Oh and I believe we (mom) changed the baseboards with what used to be in the front room.

And the room that I think has improved the most, but still has the most to go. Downstairs.

This is the listing photo and the room actually looks like it might be a little bit liveable, even if it is straight from That 70s Show. This picture was taken in 2011, despite what you might think.

But the room was so scary. Ugly paneling, nasty blinds, hideous wallpaper, wallpaper that had been partially removed but tore off the sheet rock paper in the process, holes in the ceiling. Really nasty. Even though we couldn't afford to do what we really wanted to, I told Chod we had to unscary-ify the place or it would never get used.

 This little room used to be a sewing room, but it became our toy room. Nice wallpaper huh?

After removing the rest of the wallpaper and the 1 bajillion nails that were all over the place we filled in the paneling and textured over the top. Eventually we want to tear out all the paneling and redo the walls--so this is just a big band-aid.

After it was all textured we primed and then painted and painted and painted. I think this section of the house was the last wood I covered up. Every last bit of wood has now been painted.

The climbing wall in the toy room.

And the backyard:

 In the beginning.

 Removing rocks,

 Watering the grass seed.

 And grass! We also added a shade tree, a peach tree, and 2 apple trees. Oh and a chicken coop.

Yep, I forget how far we've come.