Zack the Scouter

I'm pretty sure this is how Zack appears out on the mountain tops of Massachusetts today. I can picture it now, Lady Liberty's got his back! He is on a scout camp today much to his dislike. Well he doesn't dislike the scouts themselves, just the act of camping and "scouting" as it were. His Young Men are attempting to do a 50 miler involving hiking, biking, and whitewater rafting. Sound fun? Unfortunately it has been pouring rain on them. Poor guys. Just the fact that Zack is at a scout camp is a big deal for him. His idea of roughing it involves a dumpy motel near a forest. Not really scouting material, but he's trying. He isn't actually staying with them except one night and then to follow them in a car while they ride their bikes tomorrow, in case something happens and they need help. I'm sure there will be horror stories to tell when he returns. That's my man!! Hope he has fun! What I wouldn't give to be a fly on the tent wall! he, he, he :)

Reading in bed with Grandpa

Not only did Oliver get up every morning with my Mom while in Utah, but often he got to read books before going to bed with my Dad which Oli loved!! Talk about the royal treatment as parents!! Sleeping in everyday for 2 months!! Heavenly! Oliver had a blast! Sorry I got you in your PJ's Dad!

Catching Up the Blog

WE'RE BACK!!! (Okay so this picture isn't really us coming back since we flew, but seriously it felt like we had that much luggage at the airport! Good thing the person picking us up had a mini van because it was FULL!!) So I know, I know, it's been a while since I've posted anything on our blog. This is largely due to the fact that we were in Utah for 2 months. Yes 2 months, visiting family and just getting out of Craziville for awhile. It was a much needed break and we really enjoyed it. I could have been blogging all a long there, but instead I sort of went on a computer hiatus and just relaxed and thought I could catch up when I got home. But then we got home and I didn't really feel like doing anything on the computer for awhile, and then I did, but I couldn't get the computer to download all our pictures from Utah, so then I thought that it wouldn't be as good to tell about what we did in Utah without the pictures.....so here we are. I will just have to do some catching up. So bear in mind that when you read most my posts in the next few days it will sort of be in flashback fashion.
As for being home in Craziville? Well it's still Craziville. In true Craziville fashion we went to pick up our cars the night we got home (we had parked them at our Bishop's house to keep them off the streets for 2 months) and the Toyota wouldn't start. Dead battery. UGH.....which then took us 4 trips to their house to finally get a new one installed. Two trips were just dumb, and 2 trips were us just being dumb and forgetting things like tools to get the old battery out and the new one in. Duh. But finally today the Toyota is up and running again with it's new battery! Now Zack said it's making a funny noise. Cars. It's always something.

We also have an endless construction going on right outside our house. I mean right outside our house. It's been going on since the day we got home and there is no end in sight. Zack actually heard one of the workers say this morning that they just wanted to give up on the project and just let it sit there. Not a good sign that they will be leaving anytime soon. So from 7am to 5pm we have our trusty workers beeping and pounding away out there. Luckily Oliver has been able to sleep through it all. Thank goodness. And actually Oliver has been in his own little boy heaven because anytime during the day he can look out our windows and see dumptrucks, backhoes, concrete crushers, and whatever else is out there. Plus our own personal policeman. So he has been loving it! He will just sit and watch them sometimes, it's pretty cute.
Otherwise, not much else going on here for us. Just getting back into the old routine. It's been exactly a year since we moved to Craziville, MA and I can't really say it's been a good year, but it's been an interesting year. I'm just hoping it will get better and not worse in year #2 here. At least fewer car related incidents! Here's to hoping!!

You scream, I scream, we all scream for.....

Here are some fun pictures of us having some ice cream on a semi-warm day. I think Oliver was really enjoying himself. It's pretty rough as a kid! :) He likes ice cream just a wee bit!

A lesson from my Mom

Since being in Utah, I have listened to A LOT of talk radio!! Not because I like talk radio, but because my Mom has a bit of an addiction to it. If it's talk radio, it's for her. So of course most of them have been talking politics and immigration, gas prices, etc... I guess the usual subjects that are going around right now. But yesterday a caller made a comment that really struck me because I had been thinking a lot about it lately. I think they were talking about gas prices and how some people were really struggling because the prices were so high. And this caller commented something to the affect that maybe we are all getting a slice of humble pie because now were are having to cut back and take a better look at our spending and our priorities. And he went on to talk about how so many people now really confuse needs and wants, and that what people think they need now, it took our parents or grandparents a lifetime to acrew. So that got me thinking about all the little luxuries that we enjoy now that we consider to be needs, but in reality, they are totally wants. Sure it's hot outside and air conditioning is nice, but didn't we get a long without for many a year? Fans. Sure having new furniture that all matches is nice, but does it really matter? If it's comfy, it works just as good matching or not. Sure an epilady would be great to allow me to not have to shave my legs as often, but should I run out and get one today because I decide I want one? I guess I can shave for awhile longer. Anyway you get my point. Another reason I've been thinking about this is being with my Mom, and not for talk radio this time. She's a funny lady, she often has a really strange Christmas or Birthday list that includes things that honestly most of the time I think to myself, why did you wait until Christmas to ask for an oven mitt? Just go and buy one at the store, I mean they are like $5. Or she had an small umbrella on her list for about 3 years in a row, again you would think she would just go and buy herself one. But instead, Zack and I finally broke down last year and got it for her. (Mostly I think because we were all sick of it being on the list!) It was a happy day!! So I've been thinking about that. It made me realize that I have become spoiled. Okay, not outlandishly spoiled because I think that would be hard considering we live on a student income right now, but in reality, I am. I wouldn't have thought twice about just picking up a new oven mitt or umbrella, or pair of socks at the store for no particular occasion. But I should. I think it's the consumer hungry society that we live in now that tells you just to buy, buy, buy. There is no need to go without something, just get it. What happened to waiting and putting something on your birthday list? Or saving up for something? Okay, I'm not saying I would save up for an oven mitt, but I should for a kitchenaid, or food processor that I seriously wanted and was just going to buy for myself given the opportunity. I think back when I was little, and we didn't just get a new toy whenever we wanted, or new clothes, or whatever. Those things came on gift giving holidays and rarely inbetween. And we survived just fine. So I've been thinking that I might need to gear my thoughts back to that way of thinking rather than filling my cart with my wants during my weekly store visits. Just a thought. I'm glad I can still learn a lesson or two from good old MOM! (Whew, that was long!)

Boston Baked Beans

I thought I would post some pics of our few adventures before coming to Utah. We went to Boston one day to have some fun and in true MA fashion, of course nothing goes smoothly since we moved there, we ran into a few snags. We had picked out a subway stop to park at and go into Boston on. But of course once we got there, it was closed down for the day. ARGG.....but luckily a worker was there to help guide us to somewhere else and it ended up that we could catch a bus into the city a little further. And then we found out that the subway was still running in Boston, just not in the outer areas. Whew, disaster averted. So finally we got there, and managed to have a really nice day. And for once, the weather was nice which hasn't happened once on an outing so far in MA. We went to the Christian Science center something, something....which has this really cool 30 foot world globe made out of stained glass built in the early 1900's. It was really cool, but we couldn't take pictures of it inside. But you stand in the middle of the globe on a clear bridge, it's pretty fun. Then we walked along some of the fun streets in Boston with all the shops, went to a park, and then made it in time to see a little of the Fine Arts Museum before it closed. All in all it was a fun Family Day!!

A really pretty picture outside of the Museum.


Talk about a big baby head!


Oli having some snacks out side the Museum, Me having a big yawn.

This is inside the globe place at this great hall they have with all sorts of ispirational quotes floating around the room. It was kind of cool. This picture is actually of the light fixtures they had in the room. I thought they were neat.

This is the Church next to the Christian Science whatever.

In the Land of Milk and Honey!

Hey all, it's been awhile since I've posted anything. This is largely because Zack finished up his first year of Grad school in MA and so has been home more to play with us! It has been great! Then shortly after that, we took the first plane out of Crazyville and headed to Utah for some fun in the sun! We are enjoying being in Happy Valley once again with all the things it offers, mainly FAMILY! After having no family or friends around and living in a gross dirty city, we sort of feel like we have come to the Land of Milk and Honey here in Utah. It's great! I haven't seen one piece of trash lining the streets and people actually have yards! Not to mention the fact that they have some delicious mexican food, and lots of icecream! And I haven't seen many run down factories which is always a plus. I haven't downloaded any pics yet of our trip here, but I will. Oliver is having the time of his life with 2 sets of grandparents to adore him and cousins to play with. I think he may have even forgotten that Zack and I exsist! Anyway, here's to Utah: A Pretty Great State!