Let it snow...

We have had our first official snow. Three of them actually and maybe more to come. No snow in the valley's, but the mountains have snow on them again and look gorgeous. We really want to do some snow skiing this year. Hopefully we will get to go. I haven't gone in like four years and it has been even longer for Rick. It is kinda like riding a bike though. You don't really forget how to...just need to practice some.

Charlie has been enjoying the snow. He didn't like when the weather got cold, he didn't want to stay outside. Then the snow came. He loves running around and sniffing all the snowy spots. He has been very lonely now that Jessie and Lola are back at my parents house. We think from time to time about getting him a little playmate, but haven't decided definitely one way or the other.

Rick was on nominating committee this year. We have both been signed up for a few more jobs since last year. We will still be the young adult leaders this year. Please keep our class in your prayers. Rick and I have been really discouraged with it lately. We had quite a few young people coming and the last month or more it has been just us really. We want to see the young adult portion of our church grow, so we ask that you keep us and our class in your prayers.

We are still working with the banks regarding a loan. If it doesn't work out we will just stay where we are, renting the house from the conference.

The beginning of November we are having evangelistic meetings at the church. We are doing a mass mailing to all of Butte. Hope to get a good turnout. Please keep these meetings in your prayers as well.

We hope you all are enjoying the fall weather. We love and miss you all.

Sabbath Hike

Sabbath we were invited to a couple from the church's house. We had lunch and then went for quite a strenuous, but amazing hike. We were able to see some gorgeous views. We are sad we forgot to take our camera, but we will be able to go again sometime soon hopefully. The couples family owns 160 acres of land and is divided up between the siblings. We hiked back to a resevior that was built by her father. Once we got up to the top of the mountain we were able to see gorgeous views of the surrounding area. I can't even describe. But it was amazing. We had a wonderful time but were quite exhausted afterwards.

Today we are cooking out with family. It is cooler today than it has been, but the weather should be warming nicely for the week.

My parents are leaving for the east coast on Thursday which means we are going to have a houseful of dogs. I know Charlie will be happy and hopefully the weather will be wam enough for them to play outside most of the day.

This Tuesday and Wednesday we are going to be in Bozeman celebrating our anniversary. We are going to wander around old Bozeman and then go to the spa for a couples massage. We are really looking forward to not moving this year on our anniversary as we have done the last two years.

We hope everyone has a happy Labor Day weekend.

9/9/07

Life has been very exciting lately, lots going on. We don't have internet at the house anymore, so that is why we haven't been updating lately. I think we left off somewhere in June. June wasn't a very exciting month. Just work, sleep and a little bit of play.

In July Rick went back east for a work conference. He was able to go home and see the fam, which he enjoyed greatly. I still wish I had been able to go. My aunt, Froggie was here to visit in July and we went camping in Yellowstone. Rick and I actually braved the wildlife and stayed in a tent. I was a little terrified that a Grizzly might find me for a nice little snack, but thankfully made it through alive. Yellowstone is always a gorgeous place to visit and we love to go there from time to time, even if it is just for the day.

On the third of July we had a cook out and played horse shoes at mom and dads, then later we set off our own fireworks and watched the Butte fireworks from their house. We had a great view.

Our Sabbath school class has been doing well. We just went white water rafting on the Gardiner river last week with the young adult group. It was very fun and for most of us our first time. No one in our boat went over in any of the rapids.

Rick got to take Charlie camping on the church camp out. I had to work that weekend. They had a nice time and Charlie is starting to warm up to people he doesn't know very well.

Dad and I have been walking about 3-5 miles on my days off. We take Charlie most of the time. He loves to chase the ducks into the pond. Rick goes to the gym early in the morning, but I can't find the motivation to get up that early. Plus it is so nice to be outside in the warm weather while I can because winter is coming sooner than I would like it too.

We have been working at the church trying to get things looking a bit nicer. We helped my dad a little with landscaping and I painted our sabbath school room (well my dad did most of the work) which we have had many compliments over. The church is really starting to look nice.

We are looking for a little sister or brother for Charlie, but no luck so far.

It will be nice that this year we won't be moving for our anniversary, since we have done that the last two years. We plan on just spending a nice day together, not sure what we will be doing exactly. But we will think of something fun.

Rick is looking into going back to school. Maybe starting next year sometime. He found a pretty good program he can do on-line for pretty cheap. We will keep you updated on that info.

I am sure that more has gone on in the last few months, but time is going so quickly that I forget what has happened.

We love you all and miss you. Hope that the end of your summer is going well.

May

Well the month of May passed entirely too quickly. Rick and I were just sitting here trying to remember everything we did in May. We had a lovely Brunch for Mom on Mother's day. Tried some new recipes from the food network which everyone seemed to love including the girls.

The weather has been warmer. I have started mowing the lawn about once a week. We planted a bunch of flowers in pots. Don't want to do any landscaping to the house since it isn't ours and we probably aren't going to buy this house. Speaking of....

We are still house hunting. We were considering buying the house we are in now. Since my parents have bought their own home the conference wants to sell this house. The house was appraised for a little more than what we want to pay for a house, so most likely we won't be staying here.

We are pretty sure Charlie is done growing. Now we are trying to decide if we are going to have him neutered or if we want to try to stud him out. There are so many dogs here at the shelters and in the papers to be sold that I just want to have him neutered. I have been begging Rick to find him a mate at the shelter because he gets so much more energy out and has a better day when he has a mate to play with...specifically Lola. He has been spoiled lately and goes over to Grandma and Grandpop's house frequently to play with Lola. Also we have found a new walking trail over by their house and he loves walking on that trail because there really aren't any other people or dogs (which tend to frighten him at times). He is terrified of strollers and bikes. When they come by he lays down and absolutely will not move. He growls and his hair stands straight up. He loves to play in water dishes. We joke we are going to get him a kiddy pool to play in. At mom and dad's house you have to be careful when walking into the kitchen because you never know if Charlie has splashed water everywhere. Which he tends to do frequently there and at home.

Work for both of us is about the same. It has been really hectic for me our census during the day is all over the place and it seems like in the afternoons everything just goes crazy. Rick is still planning on going to the conference in PA in July.

We celebrated my birthday at the end of May. I had to work on my birthday and so we celebrated Sunday after we worked at the work bee at church. We got a good bit of stuff done. We are going to paint our young adult sabbath room soon. Anyway, we went to Bozeman and saw the movie Up and went to eat at Outback.

For Rick's birthday we went out to eat at a local restaurant for breakfast. They have awesome donuts. Afterwards since I have been sick the last few days I laid down on the couch (and really didn't get up til bedtime since I was so sick) and Rick and my dad went to the driving range.

Life is passing so quickly. Since I work every other weekend I feel like I hardly ever get to see Rick. Although it is better than working night shift. We have a few things planned for the month of June. Nothing too exciting though.

Hope you all are enjoying the summery weather. Love ya.

A little more winter

Well it looks like spring isn't going to see us here in MT for a little while longer. It has been snowing non-stop since last night. The ground isn't frozen anymore so we just have a few inches, all the roads and sidewalks are pretty clear though. Everyday you see more and more people outside doing yard work. So I guess it is spring, just different than we are used to. Charlie enjoys the snow. It is always good to eat and roll around in. 

We heard it was 98 degrees in Baltimore yesterday. I can't say I miss the humidity and the heat, but a little warmer weather would be nice.

Nothing too exciting going on here right now. Just work and trying to decide if we are going to do a summer vacation.  Also looking for a playmate for Charlie. He misses having Lola and Jessie here with him. Rick had a nice turn-out for Sabbath school this past week (I was working). We are still working on getting a consistent group to come, but we believe all in due time the class will grow to where God wants it to be. 

Well we hope you all are enjoying the spring weather. We love and miss you all.

Arizona

So we are back from Phoenix now. The trip was fabulous. We had so much fun. We got into Phoenix after a rough layover in Denver. The weather was horrible there. There was a huge storm system. The landing was rough and when we got in we were already late to board the plane. It turned out though that our plane was late boarding...of course we found this out after we ran from gate A 60 to A 24.  We landed in Phoenix only 15 minutes late, to gorgeous weather. After we met up with Erin and Dean we headed to In-N-Out burger for the best fast food burgers there ever was. Yummmm.

Friday we just relaxed, since Thursday night we didn't get in and get to sleep until around 2 AM. Went to Target and got a few things we forgot, got some groceries, and ate at a very tasty Mexican restuarant.

Saturday we played at the pool, where we tried that new (well not very new) spray on suntain lotion. This didn't work out so well for me. I must not have sprayed it on very well because I came out of the deal very splotchy and quite a bit burnt in certain areas.  Late Saturday afternoon we played a little golf. My favorite part of that was driving the golf cart. Rick did really well even though he hasn't played or been to the driving range in quite a while.

Sunday we went to the spa at the Fairmont. We all had massages and facials. The spa there is an entire experience, they have hot tubs, sauna's, steam rooms, a pool and much more. It was Rick's first massage and he quite enjoyed himself as we all did.

Monday we drove to Sedona, it is beautiful there with all the red rocks. It was a nice little trip out there.

We got home Tuesday evening and now it is back to work for us. Hope you all are enjoying spring weather.

Easter and Mackenzie's Birthday

I had Easter off this year, which was nice since Rick and I haven't had a Sunday together in about a month. The Easter bunny visited our house this year. Brought lots of nice candies. 

This is Charlie wondering where his easter basket is. Rick and I were able to get quite a bit done around the house. Rick was on poo patrol. Now that the yard is finally thawed we have been able to clean up the back yard. After three dogs living here and using the yard as there facilities you can only imagine the amount of poo to clean up. We are trying to get things clean and ready for us to leave this Thursday.

Later in the  afternoon we planned to celebrate Mackenzie's birthday. Mackenzie had choosen to go to Mackenzie River Pizza Company. Well when we got there we found that they were not open due to it being Easter. So Mackenzie decided on The Montana Club instead. We had a lovely meal and then drove back to their house to have ice-cream cake and open presents. 

The puppies think they are going to get some of the cake...silly puppies.

All in all it was a very lovely day. We hope that everyone had a pleasant Easter Sunday.

Less Than A Week

We leave for Phoenix in less than a week. Next Thursday to be exact. We will be meeting Erin and Dean(Erika's cousins) down there. It should be a nice relaxing fun time and we are looking forward to seeing them since it has been nearly a year since we saw them last. Since Rick and I have been together we have gone on a little getaway with them every spring. We are going to go to Sedona for the day, golf, go to the spa and just relax by the pool. The weather has been in the 80's and 90's. A nice change from the 40 degree weather here in Butte. Charlie will be staying with Mom and Dad on the 2 acres with his best friend Lola. They are both getting so big. 

Speaking of Charlie, he has discovered that the bath tub full of water is a wonderful thing. He loves to drop his toys in that float and fish them out. He desperately tries to get in the tub with me when I take a bath but just isn't quite brave enough. He will jump up on the side and and bark and whine at me and then start splashing his paws in the water. He loves to splash the water in his water bowl all over the floor. He has gotten in the shower with us a few times and will just sit there at the end where the water doesn't quite hit him. We are pretty sure he is going to be a water dog.

Well we have officially moved to the upstairs of our house and are out of the dungeon as we have jokingly named it. We had been looking for a home and found one we were interested in, but FHA changed it's guidelines, so it looks like it might be towards the end of summer sometime in fall that we buy a home. That is our hope anyway. We will be staying in the parsonage until then, instead of moving to another rental and then moving again. The conference has graciously allowed us to stay.

Our Sabbath school class has been going pretty well. The first week we had a surprising three people, five if you count Rick and I. We were very surprised and very happy. The class went very well. The people that came seemed very interested and very excited about the fact that the church was offering something that was less informal. We provide a light breakfast each week. Just some fruit, hot beverages and some sort of danish or muffins. We hope and pray that the class grows, we know it will take some time, but it is much needed here in Butte. 

We have been enjoying a bit of warmer weather. Not quite ready to pull out the short sleeve shirts and shorts, but you don't have to wear a coat at all times. We are looking forward to the warmer weather where we can go hiking and camping.

This last photo is one from the back deck of Mom and Dad's new home. It was a bit cloudy as we were in between storms, but is absolutely gorgeous out there. We miss and love all of you. Happy Easter everyone. 

Flying Time

Months are passing so quickly now, I thought we had just posted an update but it turns out it was over a month ago again. Quite a bit has been happening lately. Charlie is growing bigger and bigger, his personality is so perfect for us. He is cuddly and full of energy. He is now 6 months old and hopefully soon we will post some pictures. 

Coal now had the run of the house that Lola and Jessie are gone. Charlie doesn't pay him any attention. The family has moved to a lovely house right outside of Butte in a town called Rocker. It has gorgeous views and a huge yard that all three dogs love. Charlie will be spending his days there when we are both at work. 

Work at the hospital has been going well. Things have calmed down a bit and our patient load has been steady. I am enjoying learning things that I was not able to do in Charlotte just because of the type of floor we were on. I do miss my "neurotic crazy" patients. But it is nice to learn new things and feel more experienced.

Rick has been putting in longer hours at the computer lab so that he has time saved up when we go on vacation in April. 

We are going to Phoenix and are quite looking forward to some warmer weather. Although warmer is all relative now, days that are in the 40's feel pretty good. It should be an enjoyable little getaway. 

In other news we are searching for a house again. We are pretty sure it will take us a while since it takes us a while to agree on things. We found a few nice little ones but of course there was something with each of them that would be unlivable or something we didn't agree on. So the search continues. We are going out again with our realtor next Thursday. 

Tomorrow will be our first young adult sabbath school class. We are very excited but also very nervous. We will let you all know how things go.

We hope this note finds you all well. We miss you all and love you.

Well it has been quite a while since we have updated everyone. Over a month. Quite a bit has been going on. For starters, Rick and I accepted a position in the church to head up the young adult class and socials. We will be starting the class mid-March and hope to grow the young adult group of the church. Rick also accepted a deacon position. Now we both hold a board position. Rick took the board meeting tonight. Should be interesting to hear his perspective.

We took a nice little trip over to Bozeman on the Sunday before President's day. We stayed the night and just bumbled around the town on Monday. It was very nice to get away from Butte for the day. Butte is a nice town, but nice to get away from every once in a while.

The puppies are getting bigger and bigger. They are growing so fast. I was looking at old picture of Charlie the other day and can't believe how small he used to be. He is quite enjoying his walks every chance he gets. There is a great trail here that we walk on as much as possible. The county always keeps it clear of snow and ice, so it is a great place to walk. Plus the views of the mountains all around are spectacular.

Every time we leave he thinks that he gets to go too and is quite disappointed when he doesn't get to go. He loves to play fetch, and will whine at your feet if you don't play when he thinks you should. On the walks he has taken to barking at everything in site that just doesn't seem quite right to him. If he especially doesn't like something (for example: people on bicycles) he will lay down on the ground and will not budge until they pass. He is still bringing much joy to our lives.

We are learning that disciplining is not easy. We woke up the other morning to find that Charlie had chewed a nice little chunk out of our wall. I am beginning to feel like Marley and Me (for those of you who read the book or saw the movie, by the way, the book is much better). Rick and I get to practice our parenting skills for when we have real children.

We have been exploring new restaurants here. I got quite a few suggestions recently from a patient who prided himself on knowing that the good places to eat in town are. There is a great place here called Noodles and Wraps. Great food. I crave and miss Panera bread like crazy, but I am learning to deal without it.

Work is work. Not much to say there. Things are going well, we have had a ton of kids in with RSV, bronchiolitis and a few with the flu. I am amazed at how some of the parents will just leave their children like we are providing a day care service, but hey... I will just leave it at that. Rick's labs are running more hours than they ever have in the past, so this is a pretty great accomplishment.

In other news, we are planning a little getaway for April. Will be meeting Erin and Dean in Arizona. We are looking forward to the warmer weather that we will find in Arizona.

Well we have said enough. We love you all and miss you.

The sickness

So Rick had been praying that he and I would be able to spend a nice day in bed. Well he got his wish. Only not exactly what he had been praying for. Thursday evening Rick came down with a fever, nausea and vomitting. By Friday morning I had the same. So we were able to spend the day in bed. Rick was worse than I and didn't get over it really until Saturday afternoon. He stayed home from church and slept most of the day trying to recover. Saturday I taught Sabbath school for the juniors and quite enjoyed it. Rick and I are slowly getting more involved with the church.



My mom and dad left Sunday afternoon for a pastors meeting that is going until Tuesday afternoon so Rick and I have been taking care of the girls. We went to pizza hut Sunday evening and then came home and played clue. The girls are having fun and I am sure the parents are enjoying some time to themselves.



The puppies have been rotten the last few days. They are getting into everything. Today they had a bath assisted by Brooke and Mackenzie. They smelled like rotten eggs. Not sure what they get into outside but they sure do love it out there. Well, Charlie likes it until the neighborhood dogs start barking. Then he is more than ready to come inside.



Well that is the news for now. Hope all is well wherever you are at the time of reading. We love you all and miss you greatly.

Charlie

Just wanted to share a few new pictures of our little guy. Hope you guys enjoy them!

Update

So it has been over a month since we have updated you on what is going on in our world. The holidays were nice. I was sick for most of it. I was sick on Christmas day and spent the day in bed. Then I worked New Years Eve and New Years Day. So Rick and I stayed up to watch the ball drop in Times Square which they showed live, so here it dropped at 10 pm. Then we went to bed.


The new year has started off very nicely. Work has been going well for both Rick and I. We have been doing a little house hunting just to get an idea of what we like in a house since it takes us so long to pick things out that we both can agree on. We figure we will try to buy something late summer-early fall. By then we can have saved up a nice down payment. Although the way the economy is right now I don't know if we would be able to get a loan or not. Guess we will have to see when the time comes. Here are two that we both really like. I am more for the second one:
It is brand new and we could finish the basement at our own leisure. It is just a great starter home.


The first home is very nice and roomy, but it would need so much work as everything inside for the most part was last updated in the 70's, and we would probably have to get a second loan to do everything we would want to do to make it to our taste in floors, paint and such. There is only one good picture of the first home and that is of the outside. This house is in a community that was built in the 70's. It used to be the country club area.






This is the second house. It is in a little town right outside of Butte called Rocker. The views from this little community are breathtaking. You are surrounded by mountains. The house since on 1 -2 acres of land. Not quite sure how much.

Not too much else is going on right now. The puppies are getting so big. Lola is bigger then Jessie now. Charlie is just a little bit smaller then Jessie. This is how we are marking their growth for the time being. Charlie is so vocal. He hurt his paw Sunday evening and was limping around the house. When I came home from work on Monday I was petting Lola (now mind you, he had received love before Lola) when Charlie had to remind me that he had hurt himself the day before and needed more love and attention now. While I was petting Lola he tilted his head down and looked up with sad eyes. Then he lifted his hurt paw and made a very sad throaty noise to let me know it was still hurt. The vet says he probably just has a very bad bruise. He loves to play and play and play. Balls, frisbees, stuffed animals, kongs, he loves them all. He is not too sure about car rides, so we try to take him to different places at least once a week. He is getting better and doesn't whine as much. He is the love of our lives and brings us so much joy.

The weather has been warmer the past couple of weeks. Not warm enough that you want to play outside. I am missing the snow. I could use a couple more feet. Not sure we are going to get it though. It seems like the storms just miss us.

Rick and I are planning on going away for our birthdays. They are a week apart so we thought we would do a nice little trip for the two of us. We can't wait until it gets warmer and we can take Charlie camping with us.

Nothing else new to speak of. We hope that everyone had a lovely holidays season and that the new year is going well for everyone. We miss you all.