Can we start the new year over?!?

I can't believe December is gone and so is January!  Well, I won't tell lots of stories, but we'll just do the highlights this week and then hopefully get back on track next week (not making any promises!).

Christmas was great.  We took fun pictures and then Scott's SD card crashed and they are all lost.  I was sad, but oh well...  We got to Skype my parents, Derrek, and Alec who are all serving missions.  We were on Skype for at least 5-6 hours that day, and if any of you know me...I don't like doing Skype, but I was so happy to see them and talk to them.  We had fun.  We tried to set it up so that Alec and Derrek could Skype each other, but Derrek couldn't hear Alec and so they were just able to wave to each other, which I thought was just as cool.  I think Alec called Derrek later.  Alec was VERY homesick that day.  It was really hard for him, but he made it and is doing good (go see his blog!).

We just hung out for Christmas break.  Scott and I had to work and so did Calvin, so Dallen and Ashton did what they do most...Dallen hung out outside and Ashton inside!  There is NO snow here, and it is almost eerie in a way.  Last year, the kids were sledding and having a great time, but not this year.  Dallen went on a Klondike campout with Scouts and there was NO SNOW!  I have NEVER heard of a Klondike campout without snow.  They raced their "sleds" in the dirt.  So crazy!  He had fun, though, and that's all that counts.  We do hope we get some moisture (snow or rain...we don't care at this point).  I hope we do because this area has been known to have some pretty nasty wildfires and lightening storms that start them.  We'll see what happens.

Calvin lost his job with Celebrations a couple weeks ago.  He handled it like a champ.  I really was SO impressed with his maturity in the whole situation.  He talked with his boss face to face and they both came to a mutual agreement that it was time for him to move on and he just told her that he really appreciated getting the opportunity to work for her and the things he's learned and just asked that she would give him a good reference.  She agreed to that.  I don't know all the details and I only hear his side of things, and even though he didn't feel it was completely fair with how he was let go and why, he handled it so much better than I have seen some adults handle it.  It was really a privilege to watch.  Someone said, "way to go, mom" and that is not correct...it was all Calvin.  We just found out today that he now will be working for Sonic in town.  I told him that my boyfriend in high school worked there and his hands always smelled like onions.  Funny the things we remember!  He thinks he'll be a cook and he's excited to start earning money again.  He likes the freedom.  That's the other thing, too.  He seriously has been amazing to watch through all of this.  He knew that he had one last paycheck to get and didn't know when his next job would be.  So, he chose to ride the bus to school and not waste his gas.  It's things like that where I think, I am pretty sure I would have thrown a fit!  Like I said, he has just been so fun to watch and I love seeing the young man he is.

Ashton turns 16 next week.  He's so bummed that he waited to get his permit.  We just left it in his hands as to when he was ready to take the test and he chose to do it 2 months after he was allowed.  So, he will get his license in April and believe me...he's counting down the days.

Work was CRAZY for Scott during the holidays.  It is interesting to see that people wait until they get through Christmas or New Years and then decide they are done.  We had a great Christmas day.  It was quiet and we really were able to enjoy it.  Then Friday hit and I think Scott had 7 cases between Friday and Monday.  Then New Years was kinda quiet and then the same thing.  I almost lost my job with  my neighbor because during the week of New Years, I was gone to Tuscon for trips every day.  One of the Police officers at the Medical Examiner's office in Tuscon said "I think I have seen you more this month and people I work with!"...he wasn't lying.  It was crazy.  So, I had to have a heart-to-heart with my boss and it was good.  I really needed it and so did she.  It was one of the hardest things I have ever done because there was a real fear of losing my job and it really is perfect, but I understand that my mortuary runs do take a toll on her, especially when we are so busy.  Everything is back on track for now and I am a little more conscious of her needs and she realized a lot of things, too.  She's a good person.

Okay, one last little story.  Last Sunday I was getting ready to walk out the door and this is what I almost stepped on...

Presents from our cats.  To the left is the bunny's head, then the body and a mouse.  I love our kitties.  They are awesome hunters, but please don't leave them at the door!  If you look close, you will see the guts of the bunny coming out the top (it looks like it's the head, but it's not...remember, that's to the left!).  Anyway, we came home and it was gone!  Licked clean!  So, now we think the cats were bringing gifts to Shep and Angel because that's who cleaned up the mess.  Dallen was glad because he was the designated cleaner of the mess because he has the most animals, but the dogs did it for him.  So gross!!!  Good ole' country life!

This week we get to go down to Phoenix and Mike and Laura are coming with their family and new addition, Marcus.  We are so excited to see everyone down there.  We get to go through the Gilbert Temple open house, too.  Calvin has to stay home because he has too many absences at school and now he has a new job he is starting.  We will miss having him, but grateful for the job.

Well into the Holidays!

Let's see...some things that have happened since I last wrote (I'm getting lazy!).  I got to go to Time Out for Women in Phoenix.  That was fun.  I hitched a ride with a lady in our ward and her sister and mom.  It was really fun getting to know them.  Her poor mom was sick on the way down and we had to stop a couple of times so she could do some business on the side of the road.  Luckily it was from her medication she was taking and not an actual bug!  I got to hang out with my friend from Mesa.  She just recently got divorced and so it was good to spend time with her and see how things are going.  I am just reminded how lucky I am to have a husband that continually wants to do what is right and do his best and even when he finds out he's wrong, he does everything he can to make it right.  I really am blessed!  Anyway, it was fun hanging out with the girls (Scott's sisters and cousin).  We always like to hang out :)  A couple weeks later, we went down to Phoenix for Thanksgiving.  We had a good Thanksgiving.  We went to Phoenix.  We really enjoyed our time there.  I think because we can't go anywhere as often as we used to be able to, we seem to soak up the time we are able to be with family and friends.  It is hard, though, because it never seems like we have enough time to sit and chat with everyone individually.  The girls didn't do their annual shopping and breakfast because we recently found out that some of the guys really don't like when we do that (haha...I don't know why?!?).  So, instead, we decided that we would rather sleep in and go shopping that night instead...so we did.  Around 10:00 pm some of us went.  I went to Khol's and the line was ridiculous!  It was probably an hour and a 1/2 wait in line.  It was PACKED!  Anyway, I found my nieces in line and gave them my extra debit card and they purchased the items for me so that we could go to Target and Walmart.  That was so nice!  It seemed good because the next day we were able to hang out more with everyone, although, Scott and I went and saw his dad for 3 hours.  It was good and he is happy.  His wife, Ivy (or Terry), is very musically inclined and she played some of her music that she has written.  We enjoyed our visit.  It definitely is different than it was with Ruth, but I realized while sitting there that they are happy and being watched over, and for that I am grateful.  We went and saw "Frozen".  It was entertaining and cute.  We also found out that Chris and his new wife (married in July) are expecting their first child 3 months after Amy (Chris's mom) is due!  We are excited for them all.  Here are some pictures from Thanksgiving...

Calvin entertaining himself while waiting to eat 

Ashton sitting with Heidi's neighbor, Will, who joined our family for the day

Played lots of Volleyball and other sports

We were conversing about reading Grandma Bowler/Jacobson's personal history...great read!

The spread 

Some of the cousins (Dallen in the middle of them)

Ashton showing off his volleyball skills

the players (most constant ones, anyway)

Planning our shopping trips

We really had a good time.  Then we went home and it seemed like the world was falling around us for the day!  Our car broke down on the way home.  We found out it was the power steering pump (didn't know there was such a thing) and that was $400.  Then we went to check on the animals and found out that all but two of the chickens had been eaten.  Something broke through the chicken wire and ate them all.  One that was injured, died in the coop and the kid watching our animals tried to save it, but Shep was protecting it and he couldn't, so it died.  The other two were injured, but seemed to be doing okay.  Then the next day, I came home from work and the chicken pen was open!  I had specifically told the kids to leave them in so that they could heal.  We had no idea where they were.  Then Dallen went to the neighbor's house and their dog had half our chicken.  We didn't know how she got it and we had no idea where the last one was.  Around 9 that night, we checked to see if she had tried to come back to the pen, and sure enough, there she was.  She was injured REALLY bad.  She ended up dying a couple days later.  We learned that the neighbor dogs had learned how to open the pen through the door that we have and they got in again, after I had gotten some more chickens on Facebook (for free!).  Two more down!  So, now we have the pellet gun out and these chickens squawk really loud, so we know when something is there.  Sure enough, today, I heard them squawking and Dallen ran out there with his gun and started shooting at the dumb dogs...they were back.  I am not sure what we are going to do, but for now this is working.  I'm hoping that with enough pellets in the butt, they will get the message.  If it's not the neighbor dogs, it's the coyotes or the hawks...joys of living in the country!  The poor kid watching the animals felt so bad.  He thought it was his fault...what?!? Shauna got out (phone call on the way home from Phoenix) and he thought that was his fault, too, but the strap we had holding the gate broke, and so his father helped him make something more secure.  Crazy week, for sure!  We were sad that all the chickens were gone.  We really liked collecting the eggs.  These new ones are more wild and they look like a cross between a road runner and a chicken.  They haven't started laying, yet, and I'm not sure when they will.  They are about 9 months old, but they are a different breed than before, so I am not sure what to expect.  But, they were free and if anything, we'll have some nice chickens for food storage :)

Boys are doing good.  Calvin is playing basketball (well, hopefully...he had a fall-out with the "friend" that is in charge of the team and he hasn't been telling Calvin when the games are...kind of a bummer).  Ashton is getting good at driving.  Only 6 more months until Scott takes his Funeral Director license exam.  I am excited that it will be more "final".  We are so grateful for all of this experience, though.  It's been one of our hardest, yet best journeys!   

This last month...

Time really flies!  First, let's start with my birthday :)  I turned 41 this year (yay!).  I have amazing friends here and was SO touched that they would want to surprise me for my birthday.  I had planned on going to lunch with Brittney (not shown in the pictures because she was the one taking the pictures!) the day before my birthday and so I worked that morning and then went to lunch with her.  Just before I left work, my boss, Tamra, sprinted out the door (which she does often) and I didn't think anything of it.  Anyway, we went to Celebrations (one of my favorite places) and I walk in and there were about 10 of my friends that came to celebrate my birthday with me.  I was so surprised and didn't expect it at all.  Scott told me later, that my friend, Rinda, had been planning it for a month.  I was so excited because I got a couple Willow figurines and some hand soap and a lot of my favorite candy/chocolate.  It was such a good time.

Then the next week, Scott was AMAZING because he and Dallen collected (pulled out and removed) t-posts and fencing and then came to our house and installed it all so that we could get the horse over on our property since she was still at our neighbor's house (3 weeks longer than we thought she'd be).  We were able to install 650 ft of fencing for $10.  What a blessing!!!  If people don't believe in tithing, then they need to come talk to us!  We are living proof that it works and never in ways that you would imagine.  We just kept praying that there would be a way for us to come up with the money to provide a fence for the horse and then Scott's boss was getting rid of all his fencing, but didn't want to pull it because it wasn't worth the trouble, but we were motivated.  It is so awesome!  

Our friend came with his tractor after being at his kid's soccer games and dug holes for the corner posts and moved them around for us.  It would have taken Scott SO long to do and it was such a blessing.  He then moved a whole truck load of gravel that we found on the property, which was also a huge blessing because we needed to protect the asphalt driveway.  So, Scott did most of it and Dallen and I helped for about 1/3 of the fencing.  You can kinda see the fencing here with Dallen and Shauna.  She is liking her new home :)

Speaking of tithing working...Dallen needed glasses and so we called the insurance to see where to take him.  The closest place was Flagstaff!  By the time we paid for gas and everything, we would have paid the same amount as just taking him to Wal-mart in Show Low.  I was discouraged and just decided that we would need to just sacrifice something in order to get it done.  We have an optometrist in our ward and Scott was by his office in Pinetop.  He just wanted to see what they charged because half the ward goes to them.  His wife said "I would love to trade Amy's bread for Dallen's glasses"...what?!?!  Heck yah!!!  So, that is what we are doing.  It seems like a lot of bread, but considering I make it weekly anyway and they only want a couple loaves a week (they like it fresh), it will take less than a year and I am fine with that and she is super happy!  What a blessing!!!  So, Dallen is wearing contacts now and so happy he can see.  He has glasses, but NONE of his friends will wear them and so he won't.  But, that's okay...at least we have them just in case!

 Then, it was Calvin's birthday.  He turned 18!!!  He decided that he wanted to go to a Phoenix Suns vs the Oklahoma City Thunder pre-season game in Phoenix. One of his favorite players is on the Thunder and he wanted to see them.  I will have to get pictures from him with that.  So, he got his birthday money early and bought the tickets and was so excited.  He and two of his friends were having a long weekend in the Valley for his birthday (it was Fall Break).  So, the morning of his birthday, we got up and had a birthday breakfast and sent him on his way...He went shopping and saw family while he was there.  He had a really good time.  It will be a birthday he will NEVER forget.

 Then came our next project.  I had seen on Pinterest (Scott's favorite words!) a barn made from pallets.  Pallets are everywhere around here and people and businesses are always giving them away...so Scott was, again, AWESOME and rounded some up so that we could build a barn for Dallen's saddle and tack and then a place for Shauna to go if the weather was too bad (which this year is supposed to be bad and I REALLY spoil our animals...I just can't help it!).  So, the smaller picture is the pile (that was only 1/2 of what was gathered!), then next picture is 1/2 built by lunch time.  The chickens were even liking the new place!  We had the cats, dogs, chickens and horse hanging out with us while we were working.  It was pretty entertaining!.  By dinner, we were done for the day.  We still need to put up siding and paint it, but that will have to wait until this next weekend or so.  I will post pictures of the finished product.  I then found out that it is a little bigger than what is allowed (we built 13 x 10 and we are allowed 10 x 10).  So, we will need to go talk to the County about having it there and how we didn't realize it needed a permit.  Hopefully they will be understanding?!?  Mostly we have to do that if they neighbor makes a complaint and then it is backed by having already filed it with the county.

Below are pictures into our funny life.  At least we think it's funny!  This is what was going on while we were building the barn.

Chickens letting us hold them

Collecting eggs :)

This is for Alec...this is his chicken

This is for Alec, too...don't you just miss this face?!?

Cats and chickens hanging out together

Happiest dog on earth :)

Here the happiest dog is with his new best friend (whether she likes it or not!)

the horse, chicken, and dog all sharing alfalfa pellets (weird dog!) 

Ashton and Dallen...just starting

  Yesterday we carved pumpkins.  Scott did a tribute to Pinterest considering he had learned some new tricks from Pinterest on how to carve a pumpkin and then also all the projects I have him doing from the site.  He really gets worried when I say "I saw this cool thing on Pinterest", but it can't be all bad because he still does them for me :).  Dallen did a headless horseman and then funny thing is that when he was printing off the picture, he asked Ashton "Where's his head?", not realizing that he was doing the "HEAD LESS" horseman.  We had a good laugh.  Calvin did his favorite band's album cover and Ashton messed up on his and decided to destroy the pumpkin.  

this is what Scott learned from Pinterest

Pinterest logo :)

Ashton and Calvin

Dallen

Dallen's pumpkin (headless horseman)

Calvin's pumpkin (Common Courtesy - from A Day to Remember)

I think that catches us all up.  Storms are starting to blow in and winter is getting closer.  As you can see, we are doing well and keeping our heads above water :)