Oh...that grandma

This morning I put Grandma Mamie's life history on my palm pilot. Throughout the day, in my spare moments, I have been reading parts of her life history. It is hilarious! I don't know if any of you have read it yet, but it is so fun to read - I mean, it is probably the funnest Auto-biography that I have read (granted, I am only on page 12) - and I have ready my fair share of auto-biographies.

There are so many things that I didn't know about grandma...That she was born outside while her mom was starting a fire - she just fell right out and her granny caught her. Also, where she got her name! That was funny - they didn't name her for weeks, and when they did, her brother came up with the name Mamie because that was the name of the girl he was dating...her mom didn't like the name but didn't know what else to call her. My goodness, this is fun reading!

Phase I....Done

Hello everyone! I thought I would write a quick blog to tell everyone that I received notification in the mail yesterday that I had passed phase I testing. They were very careful to state in the letter that "thousands of applicants are at the same stage in this process as you" and to realize that there are many stages of testing left. It is nice, however, to have cleared that hurdle. I could be tested for phase II within a couple of months or it could be up to a couple of years, depending on the critical needs of the FBI. I will keep you updated.

My house is getting pretty close to being ready to sell. I still have to paint around the trim in the extra bedroom and bathroom and paint my bedroom door and closet doors. I am hoping to have that finished by the end of the week. I will probably put the "For Sale" sign up next Monday.

I am excited to come home for conference weekend. It has been a while since I have been out there and it will be good to go home again. I am excited to see you all.

Update - by Mom

Hello family,
It's our turn to clean the whole church this week. Me and Lynn, Joe just came back from doing it. It was so nice to have Joe's help once again.
Lynn has just left for town to get a few things we need. The toilet drain has some broken flanges in it. They are plastic and just glued inside the drain. He doesn't know if he can get them out to replace them or if he will have to buy a whole new drain.
My boy's worked so hard yesterday. Joe's hand swelled up from swinging a hammer all day. His gloves he wore had a whole in them just by where the thumb and 1st finger join. The there was no cushion between his hand there and the hammer. So that is where it is swollen. It's still pretty tender today. HE is outside now burning weeds where he wants to put a garden.
I had told Lynn earlier that I wanted just a little space for a garden to grow Chard and some peas and carrots. Just a small one. We have had a hard time deciding where to put it.
We decided today and while Lynn is in town, Joe is burning the weeds off. I am so excited to have his help. He wants to plant some peas but it never seems we can get a garden in early enough to plant peas. With all Lynn has to do this year I know it couldn't happen that early. So, since JOe wants peas I know he will get it all ready. YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My only problem is he may get me too carried away and make it bigger than I want. HIs enthusiasum is pretty catchy.... BUT I MUST BE STRONG! Hee Hee.
I am going to get the church vacuum and start cleaning this dust dirty house. The furniture and everything is a mess. If anyone wants to make a comment to me and since I dont' get e mail, use the blog. Love ya all. MOM

I need my space

In our normal seating arrangment for dinner time, Aliece has the grand priviledge of sitting next to Amber. Well, lately, (or not-so-lately) Aliece has been very clingy with Amber and has been scooting right up next to her while they both eat. This invariably lends itself to red, slimy, and chunky food being transfered from Aliece's hands and face to Amber's nice white shirt.

Well, the other day, Amber had enough of it. She told Aliece, "Hey Aliece, I need some space! Scoot down to the bench a bit". She then "helped" Aliece scoot down a few feet away.

Well, two days ago, Aliece was really having a not-so-happy day. She was honery and not very obedient. As Amber related to me, Aliece did something that Amber had told her repeatedly not to do. So, Amber sent her to her room. Aliece wouldn't go, so Amber grabbed her wrist and started walking her to her room. All the way to her room, Aliece kept demanding, "Mom, let go! I need my space!"

Dumb or Just Inexperienced??

I bought a sewing maching in December and have only sewed on it a few times. I have been sewing on denim so it's heavy sewing but my maching is new and strong right?? Well. . . now there's a ticking noise in the bobbin area. I've taken it apart as much as I've dared and tried to clean it out and see if I could see any problems but couldn't see anything out of the ordinary (that I would notice). So today, I finally took it into the shop to see if they had any advice before I shipped it off to Florida to be fixed. They were very nice and said they would take a quick look at it to see if they could tell what was wrong. They sewed on it for a second, then took the needle out and compared it to a new needle and it was easy to see that it was worn down pretty good :) They put a new needle in for me and the noise was gone! It's amazing! They didn't charge me a thing but I'm sure they had a good laugh after I left. They did ask if I wanted to buy some needles, and how could I say no! I bought a few and went on my way!

I'm excited to start sewing again and to be sure it fixed my problem but I'm pretty sure it did.

Thanks for the pics mom! Wow. . .they look like they've already done a lot! Way to go Joe and Dad! I'm excited to see it!

Love you all!
Jen

It is sad to see change sometimes

Amber and I stayed in Spokane after the cruise until Sunday morning. We headed back on Sunday. We stopped for Gas in Pocatello and drove by Lou Avenue. I parked the van and walked around the brick and cement remains of what once was Grandma and Grandpa's house. Since they had removed all the wood portions of the house, only the chimney was left standing - almost as if it were a tribute to the years of Grandpa's heavy use of building his warm fires. It was wierd to search for the covered sidewalks that so often we would use as we would walk up to the door to visit Grandma and Grandpa. I stood and tried to picture the green grass and the flowers in the flowerbed. Fond memories of the peppermint plant in the corner of the flowergarden just outside the door reminded me of the first time I had tried a leaf from a peppermint plant. I also noticed the faint rows of the vegetable garden harvested long ago.

As I stood there on the empty foundation of the house, I fought back a few sentimental tears. The empty basement reminded me of another foundation that I viewed on that same spot when I was only a few years old. I remembered helping the family tear down the old white house that we lived in for a time. Once we had torn down that house, I remember standing by the old foundation with curiosity and wonder at the new house that would be built for Grandma and Grandpa. Now, as I looked at this second foundation, there was less curiosity and excitement for the new, rather a lump in my throat as I remembered times gone by and days soon to be forgotten.

I turned from that spot and walked slowly back to the van. I let my mind wander and I tried to picture how Lou avenue looked some 25 years ago. I wonder if my kids will ever really know how it was to walk from Lyda's house, down the lane to the old white house. Or how it was to live in the red house next door to Grandma and Grandpa's house. They probably won't be able to look at the shopping complexes and comercial buildings and imagine acres of pasture with horses and other animals that we would see as we strolled from one relative's house to another on Lou Ave.

I guess it is progress. I should understand that word, I am in a business that promotes and thrives off of change and adapting to the latest inventions. But deep down, I am a sentimental one. It is hard to say goodbye to so many icons of bygone days and cherished memories. I am glad, however, that they are all memories that I want to hold onto rather than forget.

So, as I stop and look at the foundations, chimneys, and desolate flowergardens of years gone by, I am grateful for the good memories that I can treasure in my heart. It is time to bid farewell to Lou Avenue. Thanks for the memories and good times had along your short span of road.

Here is a pic of Cami (and me) getting a pic of ourselves. I held the camera out and took it myself :). I'll have to send a better one later. 

Souvenirs Anyone?

It has been quite a while since I've given many of you the 'dating' update. I met this girl, Cami, at a Valentines Day dance and we've been out quite a few times since then. I think you have heard about that. Well, I took her out on Saturday night and she gave me a post card from Provo that she had written on saying that she hoped I had fun and that this is a little souvenir that she picked up from a place she was visiting (aka Provo).....kind of cute, I liked it. Well, I just thought, "Oh, no! I didn't pick up anything for her in Mexico!" I about died. I told her that I had something for her in the pickup so I took her to it, opened it up and gave her some Mardi Gras beads that I had picked up or bought somewhere. She seemed pleased and I think I got off the hook. Close one, I know.

On the same topic, t omorrow is Shantell's b-day andI really wish that I had picked up something for her as well. I have no idea what I should do for her on her special day when our relationship is at the state that it's in. Any ideas? If so, please put in a comment ASAP! I might just call her up and wish her a happy bday.

I went to another tile laying class on Saturday (at Lowe's this time) and I feel like I am ready to start laying tile any time now. However, I think that I should probably paint first. If my power painter arrives by this Saturday, I might see if I can begin then. If not, maybe I'll start painting next week. Amber and Jenny said that they'd help, so I'll have to see what days/time is best for them. I will be nice to fix up the place a little. I still have to find a place for the bowflex until I sell the place. I'd like to keep it if I could; I'd even let someone use it for free while it's in their garage. Everyone would win. Let's see if there are any takers.....

I love you all.