Hello ~ you probably wonder where I've been...Well, I've been super-sleepy because of dehydration (inadvertent and not a real problem), my eye was bothering me (he took some stitches out, plus we were missing one of the drops somehow), but is fine now, I looked a lot on Pinterest (which I love), and I watced a bunch of tv (between bouts of falling asleep). 
As I correct the dehydration and my eye is so much better, I can get back on track.  Life is what happens while you're busy making plans, right?  And I really have plans, if we get this job!  I'll share them with you, just for fun, but you have to promise not to tell anyone, okay?

Well, if we go back to our house...I've talked to Mark and I've thought this through, and, of course, our goals will be the same, no matter what happens: to keep the commandments the best we can.  Pres. Hinckley said that if we do our best, everything will work out.  And to have a twinkle in our eye and a smile on our face, but to have great purpose and strength.  (There are so many great quotes on Pinterest!  One shows a picture of the temple and says, "If this isn't your castle, then you're not my prince."  Isn't that fantastic?  For boys, just insert "princess.")

So, that's the overall, overreaching plan, no matter what.  With that in mind, if Mark got this job and we had a steady, fair income, I would try to budget well and be really thrifty and purposeful.  I would try and have a place for things, so I could clean easily (or my aide could).  We'd have to get a washer and dryer, and we'd make any little repairs, and so on, that might be necessary.  Then we'd start on a list of projects and go on from there, working to clean up the yard and make the house sound and warm or cool, and putting the shelves up in the garage, and so on.

We would, over time, secure more food storage (we've been working on that this past year, a bit at a time, and Mark has made some real strides in the plan, but there's much still that can be done, for sure).   I'd want to get more fishing supplies, too.

I'd want to improve the soils and plan for the best land use for our little place.  I'd want to be sure that our trees are cared for, and that we are good stewards of what we have.  We'd want to fix the irrigation and make sure that the drainage was good around the house (like installing guttering!).
Wouldn't that be fun?  That's what a regular job can do for you.  ; D

After we had things in good shape generally, then we could decide what the next steps would be.  Those might include things like having the pasture reseeded or the yard leveled, planting more fruit trees and/or grape vines and berry patches, putting in square foot gardens, wheelchair paths and ramps, getting softer water indoors, redoing fences, building structures for storage or chickens or whatever, doing window boxes off the porch rails, putting a swing on the porch, putting a lantern, curved walkway, etc., in the front, making cold storage and other improvements in the basement, getting or making compost bins, and so on.  Just things to make improvements, step by step, as we are able to.

We would make a plan for prioritizing, of course, so that our wants didn't rush ahead of our needs.  All this securing and preparing would, I believe, enable us to help others, too.  I think it would be great if we worked to help our neighbors with preparedness, also.  And, of course, our family.  I see our family leading the way, and I've been influenced by their examples. 

Anyway, that is my fantasy and plan, for if Mark gets this job.  Plans give me energy and help me to progress.  Usually turns out some different way, but progress, nonetheless.  It's amazing what daily prayer and effort can accomplish over time, isn't it?  To paraphrase a saying, you're not growing a garden, you're building character.  We always seem to be in situations that are just the opposite of what we'd planned for, but the habit of looking for what we can do, and praying for help with it, can make whatever is important happen anyway.

Okay, so I'd better get going.  We're leaving for Salt Lake City soon, and tomorrow a.m. Mark meets with the people!  Say a prayer, okay?

Love you!
xoxoxo