Chores for Change

Cole has recently fallen in love with the Dinoco Trailer from the Cars movie. We decided to have him do chores to make money to buy it himself. He gets 25 cents for each extra chore that he does. Dishes, dusting, moping, sweeping, etc. are types of chores that he has been doing. It has been a really good lesson for him, but I think I have learned more than he has. I've learned that I haven't taken the time to teach them HOW to do simple chores -- it was easier to do them myself. With Cole helping I have also had to learn how to let him do it HIS way, not mine, and to be happy with the results.

So, Cole is learning the value of hard work and money (not to mention the 10% tithing to be paid before he buys the Dinoco Trailer). Aren't life lessons great!!

Mopping -- isn't he the cutest worker?!


Sweeping - he asked me, "How do you get under the table?" I guess he figured it out!


Wiping off the table -- I think it might be dirtier after his feet have been on the table, but at least he was able to reach all of the spots!!

Home Sweet Home

We are finally starting to feel settled in our new home and city. We never would have imagined that after six years of dental and orthodontic school that we would still be in the mid-west. But, we are really enjoying it here and have been so surprised at how wonderful our neighbors and ward have been. I already feel at home at church and know a few girls that I feel comfortable calling. We're not sure why the Lord pointed us this direction, but we are glad to be here!!

Cole and Garrett have already become friends with all of the neighborhood kids. They are the youngest, so we have built-in baby sitters whenever they come to play. Garrett has a crush on our little neighbor Kierstie and thinks she is the best thing since sliced bread. She carries him around and dotes on him and will be the perfect baby sitter. Cole's favorite friend is Peter and I think the two of them might become a little mischievous. I'll have to keep my eyes on the two of them!

I am enjoying having a house of my own (I'm thirty and it's my first home -- FINALLY!) and have all sorts of projects planned in my head. If only the funds were unlimited, I could have some real fun! The best thing about our house is that it feels like home and has since the day we moved in. I love how it "feels" and know we are in the right place.

Here are a few pictures of our house so far. We have a living room with no furniture, the master bedroom and bathroom that needs some paint, and Russ' office is still a mess (he is in bad need of a book shelf), but the rest of the rooms are looking pretty good and are done for now. Now it's time for "real life" and we are all looking forward to getting back into a routine.

Cole's room - my mom and I had fun painting the stripes. The teepee isn't usually in there, but was the day we took pictures. I love the stripes and his name. We are planning to put up a cork board for all of his preschool pictures.


I love Cole's bedspread, but he definitely needs a bed skirt!!


The family room (sorry the sun is so bright) right off of the kitchen.


My mom and Garrett painting - I think my mom smelled enough paint fumes that week to last a life time. We painted five rooms while she was here. My mom is such a hard worker. She totally wore me out! At sixty-one she can work circles around me!!


Garrett's room. We just moved him into a "big bed" with rockets and stars. He even has glow-in-the-dark stars on his ceiling (thanks Aunt Teresa!).



The toy room - hopefully someday it will be a baby's room, but for now it is an awesome playroom. The walk-in closet also has my scrapbooking table up in it. It is a great multi-purpose room!!


The kitchen - I love how open and spacious it is. It gets the morning sun which I love!



The wall of black and white pictures - one of my favorite things in my house


Russ failed to take a picture of the basketball court and hoop in the backyard. He had to buy a new basketball as soon as we moved in. He has loved shooting hoops. We put a little hoop up for the little boys so they won't feel left out. We also have a playset for the boys in the back. They have loved playing on it. Our neighborhood also has a community pool, so we have spent a bunch of time playing in the water as well. We sure are enjoying our new home! Feel free to stop by for a visit!!

What Happens In Vegas...

Before moving to Indy we are going to make a trip to Utah. Russ has fishing trips, horse rides, camping outings all planned and I decided that it's my turn to have a little fun. I called me darling friend, Kelsie, who lives in Vegas and asked if I could come for a visit. It wasn't very hard to convince her -- I think she is as excited as I am! She said she might even make a chain and pull one off each day until it arrives (only twenty days away!).

I have NEVER done anything like this before. Going to see a girlfriend, ALONE, without kids, without responsibility, with only FUN to be had. I can't wait! Thank you, Southwest, for a quick direct flight, thank you, Russ for being so willing (and agreeing that this should become a tradition), and thank you, Kelsie, for allowing me to visit. Maybe I will agree with the saying that what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas!!

Colts, Pacers, Bulldogs, Motor Speedway....

INDIANAPOLIS...the next stop on our adventure.

Russ just signed his contract in Indy, so it's official.

We found a house and put in an offer today.

I guess we get to be "real people" now with a mortgage, student loan payments, and a job with a paycheck.

Ironically the only time I had been to Indy was for my marathon last November. Russ and I commented as we were leaving, "This is a great city. It would be fun to come and visit sometime." I'm sure the Lord got a little chuckle. Little did we know...

We never dreamed we would be moving farther East after orthodontic residency, but are excited for the next chapter in our lives. Who knows, Russ might even become a Colts fan (anything to get him to stop cheering for the Cowboys!!).


P.S. - I am SO proud of Russ and his dedication in getting us through dental school, ortho residency, and to provide our family with a great future. He just found out today that he passed his ortho boards. He has so much to be proud of - graduating number one from dental school, getting into a great orthodontic program, and landing a great job. I love you, Russ, and am so proud of you!!

I...Am....So.....Tired

Last night I found Cole like this:



The poor little guy got up in the night to go potty and couldn't make it back to bed. There is something sweet about a child sleeping, even if he isn't all the way dressed!

Want to Share?

I am wondering if any of you have a fabulous dinner recipe that you would be willing to share. I am so tired of the "same 'ol thing" and wondered if you've stumbled across a new recipe that you have enjoyed. You can post it here or email me.

Or, do you have favorite cooking blog or website that you visit often?

I don't really love cooking, but I enjoy it more when I have something tasty to make. If I don't plan a menu I look through the cupboards, hoping that a hired cook will hop out and offer to cook for me. I would really love to have some of those elves from Harry Potter that make incredible meals and work for free! Hiring a cook isn't even a possibility, so I might as well buck up and do it myself! Any help you can offer will be greatly appreciated (and I'm sure Russ and the boys will appreciate it even more!).

Happy Cooking!!

Navuoo and Carthage

This past weekend my brother and his family came to visit and we went to Nauvoo and Carthage with them. Nauvoo is only an hour and a half from our house, so we figure we better take advantage of it while we still live so close.

The temple was closed while we were there, so that was a bummer, but it is still so amazing to see. They are cleaning and getting ready for the summer rush that is just around the corner.

Russ took this picture while we were on the wagon ride - a beautiful sight!


Carthage is one of my favorite places and has such an amazing spirit there. It testifies to me of Joseph Smith and the life that he lived and the sacrifices he made for the restoration for the gospel.

In front of the statue of Joseph and Hyrum -- I love their brotherhood


A bullet hole from the mob in the door is still there


We were able to see some of our family friends that are in Nauvoo on their mission. They were in a play called "Rendezvous" which we really enjoyed. It was fun to visit with them after and see how much they are enjoying their time there. Garrett was fascinated with the songs - they kept his attention, which is really saying something!!




It was so fun to be with family on this little trip. We are both moving separate directions the summer, so this is the closest we will probably ever live from each other. Our kids are the same ages, so it's lost of fun to have cousins around.

Cole, Garrett, and Sarah making a rope (with a little help from Russ!)


Munching on popcorn at the hotel after their swim in the pool -- doesn't swimming make you have the munchies?!