Our Vandal Home

 Our new place is located on a street named Vandal Drive. Fitting because David is a University of Idaho Vandal. Unfitting because we don't live on or very near campus & we aren't vandals, like as in criminals. haha! Anyway, here is our beautiful new home:

 our bedroom

I realize that wall is very white and boring... I haven't found the right thing yet!

the "Master Bathroom"

 the office

the hallway

Our very own washer & dryer!!! We are definitely moving up in the world;)

the guest bath

our spacious kitchen!

 the dining area/backdoor

My newest creation- I found the inspiration here http://choosetothrive.blogspot.com/2011/08/wheat-wreath.h.  Although, I didn't use wheat. I used some sort of weed that is all along the roads here...

the living room

All Things Purple

Once upon a time we bought a table for ten dollars at D.I. It was an ugly, but usable table.
After two years I decided it was time that it wasn't ugly anymore. I came up with an elaborate plan to make it beautiful again.

First, I sanded the table. Next, we primed the table. (I forgot to take a before picture. Shame on me.) Then we decided to try out the Kona Brown paint we had purchased to make the table dark brown. David realized we didn't have a stirring stick and pretended to be one of those paint shaking machines.... He ended up shaking the paint can out of his hands. It landed on our carpet, shooting the lid off (although it had never been opened), and splattering a quart of DARK PURPLE paint all over the carpet with some speckling on the linoleum. Yes, the "Kona Brown" was actually very purple and now all over our floor. Panic mode kicked in and we didn't take a picture of the disaster, but now we wished we had.

It looked kinda like this wonderful artist's rendition:

The Horror!

Being new to Moscow, our bishop had set up to come meet us with a member of his presidency this night. They showed up in their suits right after the paint splattered. We all got to work keeping the paint wet and getting as much as we could up out of the carpet. I looked up Rug Doctor's and found that they rent them at the nearest grocery store. Luckily, they were on special! ha When I returned, bishop was gone and David was still at work. We filled up the Rug Doctor and David went over this carpet about 10.3 billion times bringing up more and more purple paint.

I also haven't taken an after picture, but we are happy to report that you cannot tell that there was ever purple paint on the carpet! I maybe can a little bit, but you can't! On another happy note, our table is coming along quite nicely. I will show you when it's all finished. :)

Speaking of purple, we turned our fingers purple picking blackberries in a tiny town called Julietta. Julietta has a walking/bike path all the way through it with blackberry bushes along both sides. One Friday after school and work we ventured down there and picked a big bowl of blackberries. We could have gotten more, but those darn bushes are evil and one ripped my finger open. I made David leave so I could wash my finger at a super clean gas station. Haha! We had enough to make some jam. Yum!

Things We (I am speaking for David, I guess) Will Miss About Utah:

• Food- Tucanos, Bombay House, J-dawgs, Magleby's, Kneaders, Cafe Rio, Texas Roadhouse, Gandolfos, Zubs, Happy Sumo... It's probably a good thing we've moved away now that I've started this list.. we like too many out-to-eat places!
• BYU sporting events
• Spanish Oaks Elementary
• Our Utah friends and family
• Our first apartment.
  
• Pysch! We won't miss that. We are loving our new, bigger & better apartment!
• Costco
• Having two cars
• Target
• the mountains
• being within walking distance of all the necessities
  
• Mariah's hair salon (I know David will miss this!! ha)
• Cable
• Warmth...seriously, it is not warm here people! I am nervous for winter.

There is probably more, but this is kind of depressing. Anyway, the past five years have been fabulous, Utah. Growing up I always heard about "Utah Mormons" and how horrible it would be to live in Utah. I learned it isn't true. I loved Utah. It's a beautiful place to live and I enjoyed my time there.

Our Big Move

 Our friends, the McEwens, gave us boxes from the firework stand they ran this summer. They were great! Thank you!

This is all our our stuff before the move. Tuesday we had some wonderful people help us load up our 17' Uhaul. Garett, Presley, Justin, Blake, Sean, and Alif were lifesavers! Thanks guys! 

 Early Wednesday morning the Snows came and checked us out of our Utah apartment and then we were on our way. David drove the big Uhaul and I followed in our Honda. I had my camera sitting on the passenger seat next to me & decided to document my exciting trip each hour.

6:30 AM

7:30 AM

8:30 AM

9:30 AM

10:30 AM

11:30 AM

12:30 PM

1:30 PM

2:30 PM

3:30 PM

4:30 PM

5:30 PM

5:30 PM AGAIN! We changed time zones... We are back in good ole Pacific Time.

6:30 PM We were in lots of construction! It seems like we rarely went over 45 mph. The Uhaul didn't have cruise control, which was a bit annoying to follow. BUT, I only used a tank and a quarter of gas. Normally on a trip this length I would have gone through at least two tanks!

7:30 PM in MOSCOW, ID our new home.

Our new residence. It is an over/under duplex and we are on the top.

David checking things out.

David and I unloaded almost everything the hour and a half after we arrived. Then my parents & Kamille came. We went to dinner and then crashed. Dad helped carry the rest in the morning. David's parents came the next morning and everybody helped us unpack and organize a bit. It was so nice to see family and have all of the support. Thank you!
Our new place is MUCH larger than our first apartment. After we finish cleaning up I will post some pictures.

Summer Reading

I LOVE to read. I don't hardly make time for pleasure reading during the school year. I already do tons of reading to be prepared as a teacher. But in the summer time, I read all I want. Summer is the best idea anyone ever had! I was trying to come up with one statement to describe why I love reading so much, but I couldn't come up with it.
I read to escape the worries of real life. I read to see new perspectives. I read to learn. I read to live vicariously through other people. I read to daydream/let my imagination wander. I read to take me to new places & meet new people. I read for entertainment. I read because it's FUN!
I love the author Avi's books The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle and Midnight Magic, so I decided to read some more of his books this summer. I read:

1. The Seer of the Shadows- Soooo creepy, but I had to keep reading! I honestly thought I'd have nightmares, but luckily I have not.
   
2. The Secret School- Cute book, easy read.
3. Barn- inspiring.
   

The author Laurie Halse Anderson was recommended by a couple of friends. I read one of her books and decided to try out some more! Her books are so easy to read.

1. Fever 1793- This is about the yellow fever epidemic in Philadelphia. It was interesting to think about daily living in such a different time.
   
2. Speak- This book is about a sensitive subject, but I appreciated the outcome of the hard situation.
3. Chains: Seeds of America- This book made me so grateful I live in the time I do. I am seriously SO blessed. Again I loved taking on the perspective of life from a completely foreign (to me) time period.
   
4. Forge- This is the sequel to Chains. The beginning was slow for me, but in the end I liked it.
5. I started a couple more, but both seemed a little racy for me so I didn't finish.

I also reread the Harry Potter series. Well, almost. I am packing for our move and accidentally packed my reading, but I will finish.

I know summer isn't quite over, but it's already August!! Can you even believe it?! July went by waaaaay too quickly!

Next week we make our big move to Moscow, ID and then on the 15th David starts law school!

This sums up life right now...

Vacationing/Moving?

I went to my first Law Family Reunion July 16th-20th. We stopped along the way to spend time visiting with Grandma and Grandpa Larsen and Aunt Heather. We also got to attend my cousin's little boy's third birthday party. I loved the excitement as he opened his gifts! Highlight's of the reunion:

• Lots of singing and guitar playing
• Lots of food
• Swimming with the nieces and nephew
• Crashing on Jen's hotel room floor
• Wandering around the small town of Idaho City, Idaho
• No cell reception
• Lots of game playing- two new family favorites are called Guillotine and Euchre
• Sneaking away to play tennis with Amy and Shani in Boise
• Trudee's cheesecake
  
• Family testimony meeting
• Painting & bracelet making
  
• Talent Show- Our talent was the "singing at the party" scene from Nacho Libre with Jenny and Kent
• Mustaches
• Adele helping me learn "Miss Molly"

After the reunion we drove up to Moses Lake to visit our hometown and families. We played tennis with Shani and Lori, had mom's beef stroganoff, steak dinner with the Laws, lunch with Jill and Gwen, celebrated Dad's birthday, watched "Captain America", David went golfing with Kent, I picked raspberries with Mom, visiting with family, etc.

One of the days we made a trip over to Moscow, ID. We were happy to discover that the drive only takes a little over two hours. Kamille came with us. It looks like David will be attending law school at the University of Idaho this fall. We went apartment hunting. Palouse Properties showed us three places. David and I chose the third place we looked at. We will be moving on August 10th. TWO WEEKS FROM TOMORROW! I am a little freaked out. It is a two bedroom over/under duplex on a private street. Our apartment is the top. We will have a washer/dryer and dish washer for the first time in our married life! It also has a little patio for grilling and two full bathrooms! We are excited for the bigger/nicer place.

I sadly resigned from my job here in Utah today. We still haven't heard from BYU law, so I felt it was the best thing for us to do. I loved teaching at Spanish Oaks Elementary and I loved the support my principal gave to me. I loved the kids and the people I got to work with. It is sad to move on, but hopefully the best for our family.

I applied in Moscow for the only elementary opening I've seen posted all summer in the area. The job is open through this week. I hope I will be given a chance to interview and hopefully be considered for the job. I guess technically it's "jobs" because there are two sixth grade positions. Pray for me!