Trip to SLC, Kattie's Shower and Haley and Dallin's Visit

Hi!  You have my deepest apologies...I just now got a new face mask for my c-pap machine and can sleep at night.  Yay!  I'd been having soooo much trouble with the one I was using, and I couldn't get any sleep!  It's heavenly to be able to sleep now.  And think!

So, here's what's been happening: we went down to SLC for the interview on the Pocatello job.  They'd had quite a bit of snow there, and it was really piled high beside the roads and sidewalks.  Fortunately, we didn't encounter much snow going down, and it was clear going back home the next day.

 (Just random scenes of snow in SLC)

We met up with Julie and JR for supper that night, and they took us to an incredible little Chinese restaurant with the best food!  The pot stickers were almost like pasta, they were so creamy and delicioso.  We also had won ton soup, sweet and sour pork, chicken with green beans (so good!), spicy beef with mushrooms (one mushroom, however, had all the spice in it, it seemed, and it really shocked my throat, haha), fried rice, and a couple of other things.  It came in family-style servings.
Anyway, it was great to see them!

We got to see Susan and Mike and Amy again, which was great.  They were all doing well.  We so much appreciate their hospitality!  And the next morning we left fairly early for Mark's lunchtime interview.  He met the three people at a sports-type restaurant, while I went to Hobby Lobby, practically next door!

Things went well, and he was one of four final candidates, but we found out last week that he didn't get the job, as another candidate "was a better fit for the people they have in place already," or something to that effect.  Okay, so that must not be the thing for us right now.  We'd fasted and prayed that it would go however it was supposed to.  We weren't too discouraged.  We just keep applying!

Since then, not a bunch has happened (my eyes are getting better and better - affected by my hydration more than anything).  Tut and Leto are fine.

The exciting thing is that Dallin and Haley and kids are here this weekend!  She surprised Kattie at her baby shower Saturday afternoon (which was another exciting event).  Here is my blurry picture of Kattie:

She is due in a couple of weeks, and you can just tell that she's pregnant.  Her tummy is a cute little ball.
The shower was at Kelsey's parents' house, and, of course, the food was outstandingly good.  (Her mom fixed a plate for Mark to take; they are always so thoughtful!)
It was an open house, from 2-3:30, and quite a few people came by, many of her friends from the Singles Branch, plus Sis. Baird and Sis. Stevenson, their former leaders (and great friends - Bairds are like her second parents, lol)
Ava Muezet (the baby) received so many cute outfits and sleepers, a sweater, some blankets (several homemade), cute crocheted, tiny shoes, washcloths and a towel, baby supplies, teeny hair bows, a 2-way nursery monitor, and other darling presents.  Ava will be so decked out!
Kattie says her nursery is painted and set up now.  I can't  wait to see it!  They are finishing their downstairs for the boys' bedrooms and a family room, with carpeting from the neighbor and help from another friend/relative, so, once again, they make their place more wonderful through their hard work and thriftiness.  Just like our kids do, too.  You all are great examples to me.

We had a potluck that night, and Marks fixed a roasting pan full of spaghetti, plus cherry Jell-O with Sprite and Mandarin oranges.  There was plenty of food, and Melinda had a make-a-Valentine with a Tootsie-Pop activity for the kids.  As usual, I made some too (when I see that there are supplies left over).  It was fun.

And last night (Sunday) we went over to Melinda's for root beer floats with everybody.  Phillip was there too, and the kids were well-behaved.  He kept them entertained, and Linda read to them, so they were really quiet.  Now, today, Haley is dropping by with her kids to visit us for an hour or so.  Then they'll be leaving, as soon as Dallin's interview and 3-hour(!) test are over.  I'll be leaving for an eye appt. as soon as Haley leaves here, and then I'll finish my eye drops on the 28th.  Whew!  Mark and I will be glad when they're done!  (4x a day).

So that's the word for now.  Tomorrow is Seth's birthday.  Happy 20th birthday, Seth!
And Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!  And thank you for the Valentine and pictures, Haley!  And thank you, Audrey, for your cute card and note!  Those were awesome!  And thank you, all of you, for all the thoughtfulness, letters, phone calls, visits, pictures, etc.  And for being you.  I don't know any people I would rather be with in a disaster or emergency, if that means anything to you.  It says a lot about you, in my book.  : )


Take care!  We love you!
xoxoxo

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

Newses

I have some sad news and some glad news:  the sad news is that Mark got an e-mail from the lady in Ohio, and someone who'd been with them before applied for the job and, due to their background with the company, they got it.  So we keep looking and applying.  Whatever it takes, right?  It does seem like things are being kept this way on purpose.  Hmmm...wonder why...no telling, from this end of the telescope!

And the good news is that Linda had thought that her folks had sold Buddy.  Turns out, it was another horse!  Super-yay!!  That makes me so happy!  I love Buddy.

PLUS:
Within hours of the email from Ohio, after praying and talking and fasting a little, we got a call from a facility in Pocatello,
and Mark will be meeting with some people over that in SLC next Thursday!
So, that was kind of a stunning turnaround.  : )
And we're just thankful for the encouragement!

Also, remember that Seth's birthday is on Feb. 12th, as is Mark's dad's - Jeanne would probably appreciate it if you could send her a card or note.  I know Seth loves to hear from you, too.  

Contact us for addresses, if you need them.

And then what else?  Well, let's see...oh, Kattie came over on Wednesday afternoon and just hung out with us for a while.  I love to do that.  She brought a baby quilt along, that Ben's mom had made.  It is darling!  Also, she'd made matching blanket sleepers and receiving blankets - so soft and fuzzy and cute.  All the colors were Kattie's favorite soft, vintage look.  A  great, classic look that I love, too.

Kattie also brought some clothes that she has purchased (just a few, she said) with that same look.

Darling!

And she showed us some nursery wall decor that she made herself, out of shoebox lids!  She found the idea on Pinterest, she said, and she did Ava's name in big letters, with decoupaged collage fronts that she made with scrapbook papers.  Can't wait to see everything together on the wall!

(She probably wants to do pictures on her blog, so I'll not spoil the surprise, tehee.)

The next evening, Thursday, we went to Ben and Linda's to add some ideas for the roadshow, which Linda is in charge of (facilitating?).   Mark brought some fish to bake, along with cheesy potatoes and green beans.  Yum!  Ben and Linda chipped in orange juice, donuts, and ice cream, so we had a feast!

Beth fed herself, which was amazing to me.  And Josh helped with feeding her ice cream.

Wow.

They are growing so big.

!

And that's about all.  Hope you are well.  Everyone I know has been sick, but seem to be better now.

We're doing fine, and my eye is slowly healing.  It's great as we get to reduce the appts. 

frequency of eye drops.

Take care, and we love you!

xoxoxo