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.

Fall Break 2012

During Fall Break I put the boys to work. First, we cleaned inside.

And then we headed outside, cause this mom had a crazy idea to put a flower bed along our south fence.

 So we dug up grass.

 And loaded the grass into the wheelbarrow.

 Then we emptied the wheelbarrow and went back for more.

It seemed to take forever. We called it a day when we had filled up our green waste container and topped off the wheelbarrow. And then we realized we were only 1/3 of the way done!

As my mom always said, "A break from school is not a break from life!"

Will Work for Cars

Bentley and Lincoln have been so excited to see Cars 2. So excited that I decided it would be the perfect time to help them learn about working and saving towards a goal. I gave them opportunities around te house to earn money. Things like washing the baseboards and returning the shoes scattered throughout the house back to the right closets. And their lemonade stand money went in their Cars 2 jar.

Turns out they had earned enough money to see it in 3-D and buy popcorn!

Almonds and Oil

Last Saturday we loaded into the work van and headed to California. Chod had work to do and we weren't letting him enjoy the sun by himself.

We made it about 10 miles out of town before the van made a weird noise and lost power. We turned around and crawled back at about 15 mph before it quit and we called a tow truck.

Four hours after starting our journey we were once again on the road--in a rental van this time.

We spent the night in St. George and continued the rest of the way to almond orchards and orange groves the next day.

Chod was taking measurements in an almond orchard. The boys enjoyed hanging out in the mini tractor helping Dad.

I enjoyed seeing green.

On his last day of work, Chod used the 4-wheeler to take some different measurements of the soil. Lincoln loved the 4-wheeler, but Chod said he was less than helpful pushing buttons so Bentley got to do most of the riding.

Almond blossoms ready to break bud. It will be months before we start seeing buds. Months!

We enjoyed seeing California's Central Valley farmland and oil land. We passed through an oil field and I explained to Bentley what the oil pumps were doing. Hours later he said he just wanted to go home. I asked what he would do at home. "Build an oil pump."

"How?"

"My Papa can just help me."

What every 4 year dreams of...their own oil well.

My happy Lincoln. We've come to the conclusion that he gets car sick. Not so much fun to take on a roadtrip, but at least he isn't the mad puker we thought before.