adventures in april...

Bethany came up for conference weekend, and we went for a little hike to the top of one of the Menan Buttes. It was supposed to have been a little hike, anyway, but it turned out to be much more challenging than we thought it would be. Only a couple of us actually made it to the top...it was a great break in between sessions on Saturday, and it was beautiful to look out over the valley.
I have been substitute teaching for different schools around here. So far I have taught kindergarten, 1st grade, 2nd grade, 7th grade social studies & drama, 7th grade language, and elementary PE. I have taught at Harwood Elementary, Jefferson Elementary, Midway Elementary, and Midway Middle School. I have signed up to teach English at Rigby Jr. High in a couple of weeks. Hope I'll be ready! I am not going to try high school for awhile yet...

We have been contending with a bird at our house. Every time I go outside to use our gas grill, I open it up and there is a nest in it. In one week's time I cleaned out 3 nests! Leaving the lid open is the only way we have discovered to keep it out. I don't blame it for wanting to build in there though--the wind is relentless here.

We finally have a smoothed out front yard, and we are working on getting a little fill dirt for the back. Then will come the sprinkler system, fence, grass seed, trees... and I put the numbers on the house yesterday. Now if you come out to see us, you'll know which house is ours!

march in rigby...

March in Rigby is not like March in Boise. We closed on our new home on March 21, the first day of spring. It was hard to get up the front steps because the ice was so thick. Just when we think it might warm up a little--surprise! we wake up to white again...

However, the snow has begun to melt, and in a couple of the yards in our neighborhood, they actually have green grass! Next year it will be us. We ordered a whole bunch of trees yesterday to plant around the perimeter of our property--they will look like twigs for the next five years, but we will be patient. We are enjoying our new home; we can finally unpack boxes. I haven't found my pizza peel as of yet, and I accidentally broke one of my pizza stones moving across town #:- ( , but other things are slowly turning up! We have a jetted tub in our master bath, and we have been taking turns lounging in it. Taylor's barbies have had their turn as well. And we love our gas fireplace, even though it is fake. We think we might put a wood stove in downstairs, some day.

We have changed wards, so we are new again. We are looking forward to getting to know everyone--and hoping that they will let us use the talks we just gave in the other ward when they ask us to speak in this ward. Just kidding--we are glad to prepare on whatever topic we are assigned (sigh).

John's parents brought Seth over for a couple of days and we celebrated his 18th birthday. We put them up in our unfinished basement (I made walls in the bedrooms out of unpacked boxes), and they survived despite the fact that it is not yet heated. We took them to Charlie's for dinner while they were here, and also to the local bowling alley (They actually took us--just try and pay for anything with Grandma Jean and Grandpa John around!!!).

Seth started working at Maggie Moo's at 8th Street on his birthday. Go by, have some ice cream, and remember to tip well!