My projects…

While Nick is away I have decided that I need to have lot’s of projects to keep me busy. So I have set some goals for myself of things that I want to accomplish. They are as follows:

1. Learn to quilt and complete a quilt
2. Master a new piece on the violin
3. Train for and run in the Couer D’Alene triathlon in July
4. Catch up on my scrapbooking
5. Learn some Spanish
6. Learn how to use Nick’s camera (I signed up for a class that starts next month!)
7. Read a book a month
8. Cook something new once a week

So far I have started working on all of these except the cooking…sorry Mom! I need to start helping cook more often around here!

Here is the beginning of my quilt: (it still needs a border, back and then the hard part, quilting it)

2 years on 2/22


Happy Anniversary to us! 2 years and counting. I love you so much Nicholas, no matter what! Maybe next year we’ll be together on our anniversary!

Two years ago today we got married under less than perfect conditions. It was not the wedding I had always dreamed of. But I have since realized that the wedding is not the important part, the marriage is. And while I do not profess to have a perfect marriage, I can tell you that it just keeps getting better and better. Nick, you are so good to me and for me. You are kind, loving, funny, gentle, a good father, handsome, intelligent and talented. You are my better half in so many ways. I am terrible at telling you how much I love you, but I do. I love you. Happy anniversary babe! And when you get back, we are gonna take that long awaited HONEYMOON!!! I can’t wait.

I’m afraid of mice!

Ok so I’ve always considered myself pretty tough when it comes to mice…I’m not a screamer. That doesn’t mean that I particularly like mice, I just don’t scream when I see one. And I have seen plenty. (Actually I even had a pet mouse when I was little…) SO my parents left me in charge of everything while they are gone, which includes cleaning out the mouse traps at the store. Well wouldn’t you know it, the first day they are gone there is not one but two mice caught at the store.

I went to find one of the traps and it wasn’t there. I looked around and several feet away, there it was, with a mouse’s butt in it. The mouse had ran away with it. Well I was sure it was dead so I reached down to grab it and take it outside. It’s little eyes suddenly opened and he started squirming. AAAAAAH! If there was ever a time to scream this was it…but I had customers in the store so I had to keep it together. (Usually people don’t come in right when we open but on this day three cars pulled up as I unlocked). I stood there shaking, trying to pull myself together and get this mouse out of there before anyone saw it….yuck. Finally I got up the courage and took him outside. But i couldn’t finish him off…I just couldn’t do it. I thought maybe he could live…but he died.

Unlike this mouse….
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKd7oQYdJdw

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Nick: Since you still haven’t given me your mailing address I guess you’ll have to see your Valentine’s here. At the store we have a bunch of Valentine’s from the 1930’s, these two were my favorite.


I love you honey bunny!!! Now go eat some chocolate and pretend it’s from me. Do you have chocolate over there? If I had your address you would!

p.s. THANK YOU for your wonderful surprise call this afternoon. It was very thoughtful of you to call the minute it was Valentine’s over there…that was so sweet.

I’m so sorry!

I am sad to announce that for the first time I missed one of Nick’s phone calls…Nick! I am so sorry! I was on the treadmill and Jonah was screaming his guts out trying to get my attention, and I had left my phone in my room. I’m so sorry I didn’t get to talk to you this morning. I love you.

As far as a “Nick update” he can’t tell me much so I don’t know much! I do know that he has sounded happier the last few times I’ve talked to him…he finally seems to be busy which helps.

Growing…




Today I put Jonah in his “train conductor overalls” and for some reason he just looked so grown up to me in those overalls. He is moving so quick now, I just look away for a second and he’s halfway up the stairs or down the hall. Oh man…Nick we miss you and your extra pair of eyes and hands! But thank goodness for my family and all their extra help!

Jonah gets a black eye


Jonah has been getting a few battle wounds lately from all of his new tricks. Including his first “black eye” Doesn’t he look tough?

Every time Jonah sees someone drinking he expects them to share. He prefers to drink straight out of a cup…no sippy cups for him.

Checking it out

Jonah is very observant and likes to check everything out very thoroughly. Like this dresser that he is examining.



Jonah is constantly taking everything in. He loves to look around and wants to be sure he sees everything. Lately he has been very serious and kind of shy. He tries very hard not to laugh when anyone tickles him. And he smiles and turns away when strangers talk to him.