appliance revolt?

Yesterday the fridge/freezer quit being cold and the freezer was melting and freezing intermittently. We realized something was amiss when Sarah took out a carton of ice cream and it was the consistency of pudding. Gratefully we have a spare in the garage we use for extra milk/eggs/etc. until we can get someone out here.
Of course, the fridge in the garage will freeze all the lettuce and other veggies, so this can't last too long.
This year we have already had to fix the stove, trash compactor, and washing machine.

Meh.

Sarah's world

In My World

Everyone has there own little world.

Someone’s world could just be black and white or it could be all colorful with pink ponies.

Well in my world nothing ever goes wrong.

Everyone is kind and we all help each other. If this is the way I should put it everything just goes with the flow. In my world, school is wonderful The playground is almost like the biggest park in the world! We have monkey bars, slides, swings, sand boxes almost everything you can imagine!

In my world. The people there are also very interesting too! They don’t have TV, internet, video games etc. Everyone is always happy and entertained! In my world. Everybody has a pet no matter if it’s a turtle, dog, cat, bird or snake! If you go on a vacation, there’s no choice you have to take your pet with you. In my world. Everything is cheaper than the normal price is.

At night time when you’re about to go to sleep you walk around the neighborhood and say “good night I hope you’ve had a good day!

Written by Sarah Mitchell

For the John family...

Started this blanket in February, after the baby was born in January.
So I made it big enough for a toddler:)

"My Math Attitude"

This is what Nathaniel drew for his geometry teacher today
The top says "Create a visual of some kind using this paper that describes, explains or depicts your feelings about math."

This is SO Nathaniel--a kid who has to talk to me with his eyes almost closed because of the incredible strain of talking at all.

Art City 2009 School Year

Remember the commercial for Office Max (or some place like that) where the dad goes skipping and dancing through the store to the tune of "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year..." stocking up on school supplies with the kids trailing back in mourning behind him?

Love that commercial.

Schedule for today:
7:00-8:30am Get kids off to school
8:35 Go back to bed
10:22 Tell John to get his own breakfast

11:30 Get up, clean in PJ's
12:41 ignore knocking at front door
1:25 post on this blog
1:35 Hurry into shower to fake that I've been super-productive all day.
(Guess I'd better do that, it is now 1:37)
2pm Pick up kids for early-out Wednesday's

Hair cut, check. Paper/pencils, check. Schedule, check. Giant CTR ring?
Check!
Nathaniel is such a good kid when he wants to be:)
Love you kids!!

hair again

Recently I cut my own bangs. Maybe not my best choice, but I'm game for any kind of hair help. Haven't had bangs since 1989 maybe? For summer school it was great because I didn't have to mess with the front of my hair and just clipped up the back.
It wasn't my best look, but desperate times I guess.

A couple of days ago I had it cut short again and colored crazy red.
I feel a bit punkish.

Gotta love my self-portraits. I can't believe how the flash brings out the freckles.

I forget I even have them sometimes.

I figure if you can't have good hair, at least you can have some color.

I'd feel sorry for him, but I'm not that nice...

Advice from Peter: When riding at top speed down a hill on a mountain bike it is best not to let go of the handlebars, even if you are really thirsty.

Last day of school

Say hello to my Spanish 105 class

Today was finals. (7 credits down!) I went into Spanish with an 88%, so I planned on having the liberty to bomb the final, which I did successfully today.
BUT WHO CARES??!! Who thought I could possibly get a "B" in this bleeping hard class?
The other kids dismiss my test scores as they lament about theirs because they think I "always get good grades." Maybe they think Spanish grammar is inborn. This is when I look at them and say, "Umm, and I study more than all of you combined."
So you can all be sure now that there is a God because not only have I passed this class, there is a good probability I'm getting a "B."
I hear the choir a singin' already...

I have never actually lived in Utah before, unless you count before my memory. I've heard lots of things in my day about what a “Utah Mormon" is. I have always taken the view of undecided on that one--until I moved here.

In the two-and-some years we have lived here there has been many a time we have shaken our heads at our fortune. The schools are better, the neighborhood is idyllic, and the temple is fifteen minutes from my door. Fifteen minutes. We walk to church, my son is on the fast track to Eagle Scout, and my girls are involved in Stake plays, school programs, and have two separate Achievement Day activity groups. Our Young Women sang in a General Conference session last year and this year the General YW President actually came to our Girl’s Camp. I thought surely we had moved to Zion itself.

But it hasn't been like that. Take my neighbor "Jane."

I have never hit the right cord with Jane it seems. I don’t spend all my time educating my children from the best books or creating stimulating activities for their minds. I have been known to drop by unannounced with a something sugary and/or chocolately and expect adult conversation. We play loud music in our garage, our lawn is known to have an excessive buildup of toys (and other miscellaneous things) and I have been known to throw in the very occasional “hell” here and there in conversation. Very occasional. Really.

But I have tried with Jane. I have really tried. I’ve offered to watch her kids, taken over a cumulative kitchen of food in various forms and made a general effort to be friendly. Yet still I cannot get a spontaneous “hello,” or “how are you?” or even, “Man, those scones you brought over on Sunday that were still piping hot to thank my husband for going to scout camp were incredible.”

I saw her in the library again the other day and she didn't even acknowledge me. And yes, she did see me.

There is a reason I have failed to fit in here—which is simply because it may not be possible.

It is likely I’m not the first to be blinded by idealistic expectations of unconditional sisterhood and acceptance in this area of the country. I swear sometimes I think I am invisible in this house. Not once in the three months when Peter was gone this tax season did someone actually come over to ask me how I was doing. Don't misunderstand, it wasn't that I wanted anyone to actually do anything. I realize lots of people are struggling right now. It is just the idea that someone even knows I'm here. I already feel like enough of a freak at school, thank you very much. I don't really need it elsewhere. Interestingly, it seems when I ask others how they are doing they look at me like I've just grown an extra appendage right in front of their eyes. I guess people just want their privacy?
Have you ever felt like standing out on your lawn and yelling, "Hello??? I'm here!! Doesn't anyone just want to go to Target with me and talk about that new movie with (insert hot guy movie star)?"
I'm guessing not. But I have.

I’ve decided it isn’t really important to me what a person's personal choices are, I can still be friendly to them, especially when they live feet away from me. I personally don't believe there is only one way to practice your religion. However, I do think that a genuine sisterhood applies across the board, whatever your religion is, just by virtue of being neighborly. Some of the people I have known with the most integrity have been those who claim to be atheist. So what gives?

I've lived here 2 1/2 years. I'm giving it 4. After that I've concluded that most of my friends are likely to be colleagues at my future job.