The Next Phase

Well, we've figured out what to do for an income for the next two years.

STUDENT LOANS!!! WOOO!!! :P

Jason has been accepted to the Masters of Social Work (MSW) program at Arizona State University, and he starts August 19.

Yeah, of THIS year! Crazy, eh?

We figure this must be the reason his job didn't work out, because we're pretty amazed at how this school thing DID work out. Jason called the school amidst his other job-hunting efforts just to get an idea whether it could be an option in the near future. He found out their deadline was extended and that with his other qualifications, if he really busted his tush to get everything in, he could start school next month--and he did, and was accepted, and we have qualified for enough in student loans to get us through.

Now, if the Lord wouldn't mind letting us get into a special program where we qualify for resident tuition instead of out-of-state (which would cut it in HALF), and into another program where Child Protective Services will pay for Jason's degree in return for him working for them for two years after he graduates (even just one of these programs would help greatly), I might actually be able to take a deep breath.

We really are happy and excited and very grateful. There have just been a lot of stressful things happening lately, and...yeah. This doesn't solve everything, but it gives us something to look forward to and work toward.

Well, a modest, celebratory going-out-to-dinner was mentioned, and since I totally don't feel like cooking, I'm gonna go see about that.

Shoes, shoes, shoes

Jamie is getting into the stage where he's always trying to do what we do, and he loves getting his little feet into our big shoes--no matter how sweaty and nasty from a recent trip to the gym they may be.

This was last Friday.


(I had the camera turned the wrong way because it was already vertical from taking pictures that way. Leemee alone. :))

Conversely, he likes shoes in general. When he gets his hands on any of his own shoes, he'll bring one to me with an imploring, "Eehhh?" and then sit in my lap and give me his little foot, trying to be helpful by putting it in the shoe, watching the process intently. He can often be seen walking around with just one shoe on. If we try to take them off before he's ready (often because he's climbing on us with those hard little rubber soles), he gets so mad! He'll start fussing, bring the shoe over again, and bug you until you put it back on him.

This morning it was Daddy's shoes, and the next picture is...

...quite possibly the cutest EH-VER!

Jamie's Blanket and Bedroom

I used the leftover material from Jamie's curtains to make a matching blanket, and thought I'd post a few pictures for the heck of it. I had one long skinny piece, so I cut it in half and carefully pieced it together. Then I bought a bigger piece of flannel and some batting.

You can't tell, right?
I think, besides it matching the curtains (not a lot of our stuff matches--we're poor, so it's mostly castoffs or hand-me-downs), I'm proud of it because I made it twice.

Wha?

Well, the first time I got the flannel all lined up, pinned, and sewn, I used a darker blue thread and a straight stitch, which really just did not work very well. It made the fabric bunch horribly instead of laying flat, and I ended up spending something like two hours ripping it out.

On the second try, I used white thread and a zigzag stitch, which worked SO much better.

I went to take pics of it actually in Jamie's bed, and I put him in it so you'd get the full effect. He didn't like that so much.

Here's the curtain.

Here's a horribly blurry picture of the awesome, fabulous blackout material doing its job. You should see it in our room, where it's just tacked over the window on the wall above. Ghetto, but SO good for the AC bill and for getting to sleep past sunrise, as the sun blasts our window in the mornings.

I made this for Jamie a few days before he was born. It hangs by his door.

Bigger picture.

I wish I could decorate more, but I do the best I can.

Silver lining to insanely hot temperatures

Okay, how cool is this?

I made my OWN YOGURT!

Yes, I am definitely over-excited about this. I'm a dork like that. But it was such a fun project, and so satisfying to see when it worked! (I get excited about seeing the first little sprout from a seed come up, too.)

Check it out over on my recipe blog!

And here's a picture of Jamie from today, because he's cute and I love 'im.

A special experience that I want to remember

This is the picture in Jamie's room, called "Consider the Lilies."

This is the picture of Christ we have in our living room. (details here)

Jamie has a picture of Christ with two children in his bedroom, and for the last few weeks, I've tried to remember to periodically take Jamie to the picture and point out "Jesus." He smiles, points also, and makes a sweet, questioning-sounding "Aaahh?" as he does so. (He makes the same sound when he points to other things I've just pointed out.) This morning, I thought for the first time to do the same thing with the picture of Christ in our living room. I pointed, said "Jesus" a few times, and Jamie smiled and pointed at Him.

Tonight Jason and I decided to have a quick, non-planned Family Home Evening before we put Jamie to bed, because we're usually slackers and don't do it at all. So we thought we'd start by singing a hymn, "Choose the Right." Jamie liked that, dancing, clapping, and generally running around happily while we sang.

When we had sung all three verses, we decided that it had been so nice, and we could feel the Spirit in the room so clearly, that we would sing another one. (This usually happens when we sing a hymn.) As we were talking about which one to sing next, all of a sudden, Jamie went over to the corner wall, looked up, pointed at the picture of Christ, and said, "Aaaahhh?"

That was the first time he'd paid attention to it today, besides the once when I pointed it out--and we spent most of the day in the living room.

It's amazing what will come "out of the mouths of babes." It was no coincidence--we felt it--that Jamie chose that moment to point to the picture of Jesus, Whose name is not specifically mentioned in "Choose the Right," but Whom it is about, and Whose Spirit it invites.



Click here to see a beautiful website about Jesus Christ, with art, talks, downloads of doctrinal books, and more.

Elder Holland strikes again!

Okay, maybe I'm not supposed to have favorites of our church leaders,

but

ELDER HOLLAND IS MY FAVORITE.

They're all wonderful. But he's the wonderfullest. Or at least the one I relate to best.

Mothers, please watch this. You will feel understood and strengthened.

(If it cuts off part of the picture, just click on the title in the upper left hand corner and it will take you right to the YouTube page where you can watch it properly.)

Did you watch the last one I posted?

Watch it! Right now!

Crappy Giveaway

I'm entering this terrible giveaway. But, um, you shouldn't bother entering. It's nothing special. I'm just way poor and try to get free stuff. It's only for, um, a free pack of Skittles.

Yeah.
















DON'T ENTER, I WANT TO ACTUALLY WIN SOMETHING!