Wondering...

...why life is so bittersweet at times? I like dark chocolate, but I am ready for some smooth, creamy milk chocolate for just a while...

Spring in Eastern Idaho...

Yesterday was our 3 year anniversary of moving onto our little acre west of town. In some ways it seems like we have been here an eternity--in other ways it seems like things are still new.
It has been a really long time since I have been here in Blogland, so here is a little update:

John has been working really hard on our basement. It now has beautiful tile on the family room floor, texture and paint throughout most of it, and a wood stove. Next comes the trim and carpet...

Bethany and Todd are finishing up the semester at BYU-I and then going on tour with Dance Alliance to Texas for 2 weeks. They are doing well after their accident--just a little physical therapy for Bethany here and there.

Madi is the top high school clarinetest in the state of Idaho--she spent a few days last month in Seattle playing in the All-Northwest Band 2011--she was first of the 5 who were selected to attend from Idaho. All-Northwest includes Washington, Oregon, Alaska, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming.

Taylor is 12 now and attends Young Women's in our ward. Her favorite class at school is band--her instrument of choice is the baritone. She is hoping to spend a week with her cousins in Hailey this summer and attend Sun Valley Summer Music Workshop.

Elder Seth Hull will be 21 years old at the end of this month, and will spend his birthday with his companion and the wonderful people in Argentina. Hopefully he will get his birthday presents--the mail can be a little unreliable. He is in a place called Mercedes. Besides an occasional cockroach in his bed and a nasty bout with tonsillitis, we hear good news from him.

I have 2 and 1/2 weeks of school left. So ask me why I am updating my blog instead of doing my math homework? Well--of course I am procrastinating! I take being a student seriously, so I'm making sure I play the part well! Plus I have a little spring fever--imagine desiring to rake the dead grass out of my lawn! But here I am, homework sitting next to the laptop, trying to make myself endure to the end. I just have to keep reminding myself...in 3 weeks I will be free!
(To keep up the laundry, dishes, and all other general chores--by then I think my desire to rake will have worn off!)

Bethany's and Todd's wedding...

Please visit Todd's mom's blog to see some great photos of the wedding and open house

http://meettheschwieders.blogspot.com/

I was busy on that day with being Bethany's mom, so unfortunately, I don't have any pictures of my own. I am waiting anxiously to see the wonderful photos others took...and I happened upon these tonight!
Enjoy!

Elder Hull sends an update...

City center of 25 de Mayo

August 2, 2010

Hola!

I moved to the city! I now live in an apartment in the middle of Buenos Aires. The name of my area is caseros 1 (ka-ser-oes uno). There is a subway, and buses, and a train. And a lot of people. It is big and everybody moves fast. My new companion´s name is Elder Salazar, a Chileno.

It isn´t very cold here. It was freezing in the apartment in 25 de Mayo. Chilenos talk really fast and cut the ends off of their words, so my companion is more difficult to understand than the Argentines, for me anyways.

I am now senior companion as well. This is the second transfer for Elder Salazar. They went without a baptism this last transfer and he is not really excited. I am going to try to put some life into this area. He doesn´t know the area real well still, and we have few investigators.

It is getting hard to write things in English. I sort of sound like a caveman. The ward here has an average attendance of 130 and they tell me I will be fed well here. Vamos a ver.

Love y´all

Elder Hull

Photos in 25 de Mayo

Yes, I do still exist...

I finished finals on Thursday, went to Boise on Friday, did a bridal shower on Saturday, ran back home today---whew! Maybe life will slow down enough that I can keep this up a little bit--but we do have to get invitations printed, envelopes addressed and everything mailed by the end of this coming week...

Since January...

...I have experienced the following:
1--algebra homework
2--history papers, humanities papers, science papers
3--quizzes & tests
4--a son going to the MTC
5--various World dance; most recently Tahitian and African (I have learned to dance in a lava lava)
6--doing a barrel roll (in clogging shoes no less)
7--a daughter getting engaged
8--the Brahms requiem
9--the play, "Macbeth"
10--a son flying off to Argentina
11--FINALS and COMPETITION at the same time!

I am thankful for my kind, patient, helpful, dish-doing husband who supported my endeavors. I am also indebted to my Father in Heaven for answering my desperate pleas for help during various stressful times this semester.

I now have one week off.

This evening we will be going over to Bethany's fiance's home to meet and have dinner with his parents. I have made Laura's salad to share (the kind with sugared almonds, cranberries and poppy seed dressing). Another new happening for us...

Finals week is here...

...and I'm ready for a break!

Our eventful yesterday...19 years in the making

Left Rigby at 7:12 am...

arrived in Provo at 11:30 am
Lunch at Pita Pit...
wandering Provo...
ending up at the parking lot across from the MTC.

Taking our turn for photos in front of the "Missionary Training Center" sign...
a little walk down the street...Back into the truck,
driving out of the parking lot to do the "drop off"
Jump out of the truck--
grab the luggage out of the back.
Lots of helpers. Tears, hugs, kisses.... he's on his way.
Heart to heart from Provo back to Rigby...
humbled to have a son serving a mission to share the gospel of Jesus Christ.

LIFE 101--Summary of the last couple of weeks (just keep swimming, swimming, swimming)...

• Dec. 30--returned from Boise, skied Thursday and Friday at Kelly Canyon (have to use up the pass!)

• Jan. 2--started at 9 am moving Bethany out of our downstairs over to Rexburg; ended at 9:30 pm

• Jan. 4--took Christmas down; cleaned the house

• Jan. 5--started back to college--Tues-Thurs classes: Dance 170, Math 206, Religion 122, Science 203. Found out I am in the wrong Math class--move to Math 110. Do homework.

• Jan. 6--2nd day of classes--M,W,F classes: History 202, Humanities 101, Dance 371. Find out I am still in the wrong Math class--move to Math 100B (I can't remember any algebra). Start back with clogging classes from 3-7:30. Do homework.

• Jan. 7--new T-T schedule: Dance, Math Lab, Religion, Science. Arrive home. Do homework.

• Jan. 8--new MWF schedule: History, Humanities, Dance, Algebra1. Arrive home. Do homework. Go skiing.

• Jan. 9--Do homework. Clean house. Prepare for company and dinner for 20 on Sunday. (Seth's farewell) Company arrives.

• Jan. 10--scrub potatoes, chop tomatoes and cucumbers (Thanks Elise!), set out Rhode's Rolls (good bye homemade!) before leaving for church at 11:00am. Seth speaks (an excellent talk on Agency). We finish up the block and arrive home at 2:15pm. Dinner starts at 3pm. Family starts leaving for home at 4pm. Everyone's gone by 5pm.

• Jan. 11--2nd week of school. 6:20am. In the shower I move just the wrong way and throw out my back. I crawl out of the shower to my bed. I ask John to ask Madi to make her own lunch. I contemplate my dilemma. I send John off to work. I work on getting up out of bed. I get dressed, blow my hair dry, and leave for school a couple minutes late. I hobble around school. I arrive home. Do homework.

• Jan. 12--Crawl out of bed and eventually stand up straight. Get to school. Make an appt. with Bethany's massage therapist roommate for after school. Hobble a little less through out the day. Go to Bethany's appt. for massage. Natalie (Bethany's roommate) works me over good, but can't figure me out (I should make a Dr. appt. ASAP), and I head home. and do homework.

• Jan. 13--It's a little easier to stand up this morning. I get to school. I teach clogging. I do more homework. Dr. will have to wait until Monday (Civil Right's Day)

• Jan. 14--Back hurts, but it is not extreme. Took my first B of M quiz. First math test tomorrow. I made an appointment with the Dr. for Monday morning. I had better get off the computer and
  

do my homework!

P.S. Just a funny thing that happened...my brother Aaron (state trooper) pulled over John's parents for speeding on the way here (won't tell you how fast they were going :-).

Continued...

John and I went skiing at Kelly's today. It was nice--I felt somewhat confident half of the time. I need to leave the "snowplow" stage one of these days, however.
The above photo is of John's family at the train depot in Boise. Thanks Nichole and Ampersand!