Thankful #2

I am thankful for my husband, who is working so hard for us.  There are many days that I am alone in the evenings, and this is why:

He teaches high school at 2 different schools two counties away from us, which means an hour commute each way. 

He also teaches online for BYU-Idaho, teaching 2 classes and being a teaching group leader.  So when he gets home from teaching high school all day, he sits down and grades all night. 

He also teaches occasionally for Argosy University, which is one night a week. 

And now he has started teaching drivers ed, which involves teaching after school and taking the students on drives. 

He does all this to take care of us and pay for the tings we need. He started the drivers ed to pay for The Teenager’s mission, which is coming up in less than a year.

I am so lucky to have him. 

41

The Doctor is 41 years old, but just like me, I think of him as 23, the age he was when we got married. Here are some reasons why I love him.

1.  He takes such good care of me.  My mom has gone so far as to say he spoils me.  And he does.  I have to be very careful because I can get him to buy me just about anything.  He just wants me to be happy.

2.  He is a hard worker.  Right now he is teaching full time in public education.  He teaches at 2 different high schools.  He also teaches part time for BYU-Idaho, teaching 2 online classes.  He is also a teaching group leader for some other online teachers, and he is helping to develop a drafting class to be taught online, which he will teach as well.  He is also teaching part time for Argosy University, teaching a class every Tuesday night.  He has also had several articles published in our local newspaper.  I don’t know how he does it.

3.  He is an awesome cook.  He can look through my fridge and create an amazing meal with ingredients that I didn’t even know I had in there!  And they are complete with vegetables, and they are pretty. 

4.  He has the same morals and values that I have.  We believe in the same things, and we feel the same way about things (raising children, obeying the prophet, etc.).  That makes marriage so much easier.

5.  He is a good kisser.  ‘Nuff said.

I look forward to spending the rest of eternity with him.

Working on Christmas break

The week between Christmas and New Years 2008 I had to work.  It sucked.  2007 wasn't bad because my hubby had to work too.  But now he is working as a teacher again, so he had the week off.  So I was the only one getting up and working. 
Little did I know how sweet my hubby would be.  He made the meals and got the kids to clean up and took such good care of me.  He kept asking me if I needed anything or wanted anything. 
Then my sisters called and invited my kids to spend the night.  All 4 of my kids.  With her 3 kids.  Along with my brothers 4 kids and my other brother's 5 kids.  And they ended up staying for 3 days and 2 nights.  Wow. 
So other than working, it was a nice week because I was so taken care of and loved.  It made the week bearable! 

My Favorite Building in the Whole Wide World

The Idaho Falls Temple. Today is our 17th anniversary. We were married in the Idaho Falls Temple on June 19, 1992. I love this temple so much. Here are a few of the pictures I took on a recent trip to Idaho.

Happy Anniversary honey! I love you!

He Passed!!!!!

The Doctor passed his Praxis test!

The Praxis is the joke of a test that all educators have to take in order to get their teaching license. It is extremely hard and you have to know all about theroists and and how their theories apply to teaching, blah, blah, blah. Everyone hates it, but everyone has to take it. Many have to take it multiple times to pass.

He had to pass this test before the end of teaching 3 years. He did it before 1 year was up! And by passing this test, it means he now advances from a Level 1 to a Level 2 Professional Educator License.

I am so proud of him.

Sweet Nothings

So last night, as we were getting into bed, my dear husband leaned over to me.
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I waited with anticipation.
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His breath tickled my ear as he whispered:
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"I'll try not to throw up in the middle of the night."

True story.

This is no April Fools!

You know that little college in Rexburg, Idaho? The one that used to be Ricks and will always and forever be Ricks in my heart?
The one where the Doctor and I met and fell in love and got engaged...all in 3 1/2 weeks?
This is our first date!
Well, my dear sweet darling husband just got offered a part-time job teaching an online class for them! He is so excited!
It is our dream that someday he can teach there full time. Yes, I know it is cold, but it would be so fun!
So Saturday night at 6:00, when you come for his surprise birthday party, feel free to congratulate him on getting a third job. Don't ask me how he's going to do it all. But I know that he will!

DO NOT COMMENT ON THIS POST!

Okay, The Doctor's birthday is this Saturday, April 11th. He is going to be 40!

I am going to have a surprise party for him at 6:00. Come and enjoy German chocolate cake (his favorite) and vanilla ice cream (his favorite).

If you need to respond or ask a question, call me. He reads the emails and will find out if you reply to this.

So Saturday at 6:00. Hopefully it will be nice so we can send the kids outside!

Oh, by the way...

...APRIL FOOLS!

Sorry, I just couldn't resist. I called my mom this morning to warn her, and she was mad at me. She tried to get me to retract earlier, but I love a good joke. My kids and I have been playing jokes all day. When my sister's found out this was a joke, they hung up on me. LOL

So thanks to all of you who commented and expressed their support. And I am sorry if I made you mad now! Please forgive me!

Why?

He lost his job today. I thought we were okay. They don't have enough numbers to be able to keep him on full time. They offered him part time, but that won't pay the bills or the gas to commute. He will finish out the school year, but that's it. I have to get all the kids to the doctor and dentist as soon as possible because we will lose our insurance too. I don't understand why this keeps happening to us. Why? I am going to be sick.

All about Us

What are your middle names?
The Doctor's is James and I don't have one. I hated that growing up. I was so excited to get married so I could use my maiden name as a middle name. Lame, I know.
How long have you been together?
17 years and 7 months.
How long did you know each other before you started dating?
About 1 1/2 months.
Who asked whom out?
I asked him out to the girls' choice formal in October 1991. I got sick during supper and spent the evening throwing up in the bathroom at the dance. We couldn't leave because he had been asked to give the closing prayer. I know, I know, he could have asked someone else to fill in, but that's not how he thought.
How old are each of you?
I am 36, and The Doctor turns 40 in 3 weeks.
Whose siblings do you see the most?
Mine. The Doctor's family all lives out of state except one, and my family all live here in the valley.
Which situation is hardest on you as a couple?
Money. We are a lot alike, so when we get stressed, we spend and use the credit cards. So then we get more in debt and that stresses us out more.
Did you go to the same school?
Um, the same colleges!
Are you from the same home town?
Nope. He is from small town Idaho, and I lived in 4 different cities in 9 different houses.
Who is smarter?
Wow. Nothing loaded about that question. When we were first married, I would have said I was, but I later learned that he didn't have good grades because school wasn't emphasized in his house. He is extremely smart in different ways than I am. I would say we are equals.
Who is the most sensitive?
Again, I would say we are both equal. He has a very tender heart and I love him for that.
Where do you eat out most as a couple?
Texas Roadhouse and Applebee's.
Where is the furthest you two have traveled together as a couple?
We went to Kansas City a few years ago for a drafting competition. His student took 2nd in the nation and we got a week's vacation without any kids! It was great.
Who has the craziest exes?
Neither. We haven't seen or heard from any since we got married.
Who has the worst temper?
Me. Definitely me.
Who does the cooking?
I do most, but he is amazing in the kitchen. He can get in the fridge and make a delicious meal with anything he finds in there.
Who is the neat-freak?
LMBO Definitely me!
Who is most stubborn?
I would have to say we are equal here as well.
Who hogs the bed?
We have a king-size bed, and so we pretty much stay to our own sides. I love it. Now, if you want to talk about hogging the blankets...
Who wakes up earlier?
He does on weekdays because he leaves for work at 6 a.m. I do on the weekends and I let him sleep in.
Where was your first date?
The girls' choice dance I mentioned earlier.
Who is more jealous?
Neither.
How long did it take to get serious?
Well, we were engaged 3 1/2 weeks after our first date, so it didn't take very long!
Who does the laundry?
Me. He's not allowed to touch it anymore because he keeps shrinking my shirts!
Who's better with the computer?
Again, I would say we are pretty equal.
Who usually drives when you're together?
He does. He just naturally gets in the drivers seat. Most of the time I like that, but sometimes I want to drive. All I have to do is say something and he will move and let me drive. He is sweet that way.

We are a "Smart" family

In January, The Doctor's car was starting to show signs that it wasn't going to last much longer.

(I can't find a picture of just the car! I am so sad. So I had to zoom in on a picture.) It was a 1997 Dodge Avenger. Red. Cute. It only cost us $5,000. We bought it in 2003 and it ran and ran and ran. At one point The Doctor was having to travel for work and he put many miles on it. Then, when he was going to school to get his Ph.D. he took classes a state away. 200 miles. Each way. He drove there and back once a week for an entire year. When we sold it, it had 174,000 miles.
Because The Doctor commutes an hour each way to work, we wanted a car that had really good gas mileage, but wouldn't break our wallet. That is when we became "Smart."

The Doctor had been researching on which cars get the best gas mileage and he discovered the Smart car. It gets 45 mpg. That is not a typo. 45. There is only one dealership in our whole state who carries them, and when he called last August, they had a year waiting list, and you had to pay $100 to get on the list. So we waited.
In January, he called the dealership and they said they had over 20 on the lot right now because they weren't "exactly" what the people on the waiting list wanted. So we went down to look. We looked. And test drove. And bought. In 3 hours. The Doctor was so excited, and to get a blue one...well, that's another story for another day.

So this is our Smart FourTwo. Weird name, great car! We call it Super Smart...another story, another day. He still has to fill it up as often as his first car, but that' because Super Smart only has an 8.7 gallon tank. Last September we spent over $500 on gas. Between the price of gas going down and the gas mileage on Super Smart, we now spend less than $200 a month on gas. So it's paying it's own car payment (which is less than $300 a month).
It only seats two, but the inside is surprisingly roomy. The engine is in the back. It doesn't have power windows, you actually have to "roll" them up. They also don't come with cruise control.
But The Doctor loves it. And that is what is important.

Blast from the Past

June 19, 1992 - Idaho Falls Temple

My wedding day. Oh my gosh, I was so young! I was 19, The Doctor was 23. My parents are next to me (Mom in purple, Dad next to her) and The Doctor's parents are next to him. The cute little girl in pink in front? Is now 27 and has 3 kids of her own. The cute girl hiding behind me in the black dress with white polka dots? Just turned 30 Saturday and is the best aunt ever to my kids!
I am amazed at how fast life goes by.

How well do I know my husband?

Here's a chance to see how well you really know your husband. Cut, paste and fill in the answers, then forward. The real challenge is to send it to your husband to see how right you really are.

1. He's sitting in front of the TV, what is on the screen? Superman, or SuperFriends, or Justice League.
2. You're out to eat; what kind of dressing does he get on his salad? Whatever kind of dressing they put on a Caesar salad, because that's the kinds of salad he is eating!
3. What's one food he doesn't like? Cream of Wheat.
4. You go out to eat and have a drink. What does he order? Water with lemon.
5. Where did he go to high school? Burley High School
6. What size shoe does he wear? Between and 11 and 12.5, depending on the shoe.
7. If he was to collect anything, what would it be? Anything Superman, the older the better.
8. What is his favorite type of sandwich? Club on wheat.
9. What would he eat every day if he could? Tacos
10. What is his favorite cereal? Frosted Mini-Wheats or Raisin Bran
11. What would he never wear? A dress.
12. What is his favorite sports team? Whoever is winning...we watch very little sports.  I guess he always roots for BYU.
13. Who did he vote for? I stay out of politics.
14. Who is his best friend? Me!
15. What is something you do that he wishes you wouldn't do? Probably talk under my breath when I am mad.
16. What is his heritage? Polish (hee, hee, hee.  I grew up on Polish jokes, and now I have Polish children!  LOL)
17. You bake him a cake for his birthday; what kind of cake? German Chocolate. 
18. Did he play sports in high school? He played one year of football just to get the letter.
19. What could he spend hours doing? Playing video games
20. What is a unique talent he has? He can go in the fridge and make a delicious meal out of whatever is in there.  It's amazing!

The Big 4-0

So my husband turns 40 in April.

He hates parties, he hates surprises, and he hates celebrating his birthday.

So I thought I would have a big surprise party for him! LOL

Put April 11th, a Saturday night...which is his actual birthday, on your calendars. And keep it a secret.

Now I just have to figure out how to get him out of the house. Any ideas?

Jobs

3 years, 5 months, and 5 days is how long we went from having one good stable job that The Doctor was happy at, to having another stable job that he was happy at.

1254 days.

30,096 hours.

1,805,760 minutes.

108,345,600 seconds.

I thought I should go through and make a list of the jobs he had during this time.

April 27, 2005 – let go from UVSC

July 8, 2005 – drafting job for Gold Medallion Homes

August 12, 2005 – Left Gold Medallion Homes

September 22, 2005 – electronics department at Wal-Mart

October 28, 2005 – Left Wal-Mart

October 31, 2005 – telephone survey job

November 3, 2007 – left telephone survey job

November 7, 2005 – Started working for Sysco

March 8, 2007 – let go from Sysco

March 2007 – teaching at Eagle Gate College

June 2007 – left Eagle Gate

June 21, 2007 – drafting job at TechniGraphics

September 7, 2007 – lost job at TechniGraphics

September 20, 2007 – Assistant Dean of Faculty at Utah Career College

March 2008 – lost job at UCC

May 2008 – substitute teaching

June 24, 2008 – photo department at Wal-Mart

June 25, 2008 – hired at Weber School District to teach drafting

August 9, 2008 – left Wal-Mart

August 12, 2008 – started at Weber School District

October 1, 2008 – got first paycheck for teaching (finally!)

As I look back on it now, it went by so fast. But during? Not so much.

I really struggled with understanding why this was happening. He is such a good man. Why didn't anyone want to hire him? I know that we didn't get some jobs because he wasn't qualified for them. I also know that we didn't get some jobs because he was over-qualified. He didn't care, he just wanted a job that would pay enough!

I can now see how much growth both he and I went through during this time. And I know there will be more challenges in the future. I love this quote by Stephanie:

"Life is full of changes and many of them make us sad and uncomfortable. But they always make us grow. I do look forward to the growth if not the growing pains."

Thanks Stephanie. I couldn't have said it better myself.

Useless!

So the other day we popped in the Disney movie "Treasure Planet." It has been a really long time since I have seen it and it was fun to watch. And then Delbert Doppler says the funniest line. I fell on the floor laughing.

"Dang it, I'm an astronomer, not a doctor! I mean I am a doctor, but
I'm not that kind of doctor! I have a doctorate, it's not the same thing! You
can't help people with a doctorate! You just sit there and you're useless!"

Hee, hee, hee. Ho, ho, ho. Oh man, I needed that laugh so bad! My stomach hurt from laughing! It was great!

Funny picture at the end!

I am allowed to make fun of my husband once in a while, right?

Here goes.

Last June, The Doctor had a pimple on his nose. No big deal, we all get them, right?

RIGHT?

Thank you. :-)

So he pops it and goes to bed. The next morning, his nose is red and a little swollen.

The next day it was really red and a lot more swollen. We had no health insurance, but we found a health clinic that we got him in to. They said he could possibly have cellulitis and prescribed an oral antibiotic. I took him home and then filled the prescription.

Which by the way was when I ran into Liz Rushton.

Anyway, that evening, his nose was huge.

I'm talking bigger than Karl Malden!

I took him to the InstaCare because we were really worried. The doctor said it was definitely cellulitis.

This is what I found on the Internet about cellulitis:

Cellulitis (sel-u-LI-tis) is a potentially serious bacterial infection of your skin. Cellulitis appears as a swollen, red area of skin that feels hot and tender, and it may spread rapidly.
Skin on the face or lower legs is most commonly affected by this infection, though cellulitis can occur on any part of your body. Cellulitis may be superficial — affecting only the surface of your skin — but cellulitis may also affect the tissues underlying your skin and can spread to your lymph nodes and bloodstream.
Left untreated, the spreading bacterial infection may rapidly turn into a life-threatening condition. That's why it's important to recognize the signs and symptoms of cellulitis and to seek immediate medical attention if they occur.
Cellulitis occurs when one or more types of bacteria enter through a crack or break
in your skin. The two most common types of bacteria that cause cellulitis are streptococcus and staphylococcus.
Although cellulitis can occur anywhere on your body, the most common location is the legs, especially near your shins and ankles. Disrupted areas of skin, such as where you've had recent surgery, cuts, puncture wounds, an ulcer, athlete's foot or dermatitis, serve as the most likely areas for bacteria to enter.
This reddened skin or rash may signal a deeper, more serious infection of the inner layers of skin. Once below the skin, the bacteria can spread rapidly, entering the lymph nodes and the bloodstream and spreading throughout your body.
In rare cases, the infection can spread to the deep layer of tissue called the fascial lining. Flesh-eating strep, also called necrotizing fasciitis, is an example of a deep-layer infection. It represents an extreme emergency.

So this was a lot more serious than I thought. Anyway, they put him on another antibiotic, and gave him 2 shots in his, ahem, tushie. And he went the next day for another shot. It worked and the swelling went away.

I know it could have become a lot worse, and I am so grateful that it didn't.

However, he looked so funny with his nose all swollen! The following pictures were taken before it got even bigger!



I have always loved the fact that he has such a nice sized nose, and I was seriously worried that it wouldn't ever go down! But it did!
And I will try really hard not to make fun of him ever again!

Decisions, decisions!

So, The Doctor has a definite job teaching high school in Ogden, and will work as an adjunct teaching college at Argosy University. With that and me still working, we could finally start to pay off our student loans (and you really don't want to know how much we owe, just trust me that it's way more than any of you owe!).

Last week he flew to Boise to interview for a State job. Great benefits, not so great pay. We would be making what we had been making here, but I wouldn't have to work.

Next week he flies to Wisconsin to interview with a job at Lakeland College that pays more than either job, and I wouldn't have to work. But we would be far away from family, and I just don't feel that it's time to move.

I'm not saying this to brag, but to ask for your prayers. After so many years of no options, to have 3 amazing options that we have to choose from is a little overwhelming. Granted the other two jobs haven't even been offered to us yet, but just for The Doctor to know that someone finally wants him (3 different someone's at that!) has been amazing for his ego, which has definitely taken a lot of hits over the last 3 years.

I will keep you updated!

16 years and counting...

Happy Anniversary, my love!