BREAKING NEWS!!!

OUR OFFER HAS BEEN ACCEPTED!!!! WE NOW HAVE A PLACE TO CALL OUR OWN!!!! :D

Now the real fun begins... paying the bills.

:)

Have a wonderful day!

Decisions

This last week Randy and I made another grown up decision! We put an offer on a 1970's mobile home. We are still waiting to hear if the sellers have accepted our offer- hopefully by the end of this week we will know. We have done a lot of looking around at different apartments, mobile homes, duplexes, etc. Living in Pullman (I believe it is this way near any college campus) is really expensive. We did some number crunching and found that it will be cheaper to buy something then to rent. This whole process caused me to stress out! However my sweet husband was patient with me and gently reminded me that Heavenly Father is going to help us, everything is going to work out, and we will end up where we are supposed to be.

Here is the link of the listing of the mobile home if you are interested.   Pullman Home

We really like this property because it has a fence (for Mitch), a pellet stove (cheaper heat! yay!), its near a bus stop, extra storage (2 sheds!), and has space for friends and family to stay. However- there are some changes we would like to make. We want to paint the kitchen cabinets to brighten up the place, change the counter tops, add some more lighting, and change the paint in the master bedroom. Actually I am really excited to have the chance to mold this place into something that fits our style!
If by chance we do not get this property, we are keeping an eye on a few other rental properties that will fit our needs.

This weekend my mother-in-law and I and possibly Randy will be heading over the mountians to the west side of Washington. I need to visit my fantastic dentist uncle to have more work done on my mouth. (I'm 99% sure my uncle sees my mouth more often then any of the rest of my family combined).  We are also going to empty out Grandma and Grandpa Stratton's house and I get a chance to pick out furniture that Randy and I need/want. Yay free stuff!!!

The following Wednesday (a week from this Wednesday) our wonderful friend Stephiane will becoming to visit for a week! We haven't seen each other since our wedding day. We meet my first semester in the same class riding class were I meet Randy. She is a lot of fun and we planning to do a lot of horseback riding, hiking, and exploring the Spokane area.

Oh I forgot of mention that my beautiful amazing talented mother came to visit me last month all the way from Florida!!! This was the first time she was able to see where we have been living. It  was great to be able to spend a few precious days with this incredible woman. I have the BEST Mom!

Counting Blessings

This last week has been full of tender mercies and gifts from Heavenly Father.

1. I got ANOTHER job! :D I am part of the barn crew for McKinlay & Peters Equine Hospital. This is the hospital where I completed my internship for my undergraduate degree. I clean stalls, feed the horses, clean the exam areas, basically keep the facility looking spiffy clean six times a week. It takes me about 3 hours per shift to get everything done, but I am loving it! I am really tired when I finish, but as my stamina improves I should be able to work faster and not be so sore. As it is spring time there are lots of mamas and babies!!! It is sweet to be able to spend a few minutes with these 80 pound newborns.

2. Randall had the opportunity to release Sharp Tail Grouse last week. This required getting up way before sunrise, but he enjoyed the new experience. We are very grateful that he has this job, for the new experiences, the learning opportunities, and the chance for networking. He is still looking and applying for jobs after this WSU job finishes.

3. The little girl I babysit is wonderful! She is the easiest sweetest little 2 year old I have ever watched. She takes about a 2 hours nap every day which allows me 2 quiet hours to just sit and read. I haven't had the chance to just sit and read for a while now.

4. Last Saturday mom, grandma Grace, and I went down to Pullman for Mother's weekend to spend some time with Shannon. Every time we go to the school I think to myself "I can't believe I get to go to school here. This place is soooo awesome!" I feel so lucky to be able to attend a school where I feel I will be successful and welcome. I still cannot believe that my childhood dream of becoming a veterinarian is going to come true!

5. I have the best husband EVER! I know most wives believe they have the best husband ever- but I REALLY do! He remembers the little things. For example- the other night while I was at work he made dinner and finished the laundry. Dinner was hot and ready as soon as I walked in the door. And then he pretty much told me go to bed and he went out and finished the evening chores.

Count your many blessings name them one by one :)

Happy Easter

Happy Easter Everyone!!!

Today while sitting in church, I was thinking about my feelings towards my Savior- Jesus Christ. As I was trying to put the words together to best explain how I feel, the man who was speaking related the following story from President Gordon B. Hinckley. This touching story does a beautiful job of expressing my love I have for my Savior.

 (I looked it up and the story is from Dec 2000 First Presidency Message and can be found HERE)

I have a simple story I would like to recount. It is something of a parable. I do not have the name of the author. Perhaps it will have special interest for our children. I hope it will be a reminder for all.

“Years ago there was a little one-room schoolhouse in the mountains of Virginia where the boys were so rough that no teacher had been able to handle them.

“A young, inexperienced teacher applied, and the old director scanned him and asked: ‘Young fellow, do you know that you are asking for an awful beating? Every teacher that we have had here for years has had to take one.’

“‘I will risk it,’ he replied.

“The first day of school came, and the teacher appeared for duty. One big fellow named Tom whispered: ‘I won’t need any help with this one. I can lick him myself.’

“The teacher said, ‘Good morning, boys, we have come to conduct school.’ They yelled and made fun at the top of their voices. ‘Now, I want a good school, but I confess that I do not know how unless you help me. Suppose we have a few rules. You tell me, and I will write them on the blackboard.’

“One fellow yelled, ‘No stealing!’ Another yelled, ‘On time.’ Finally, ten rules appeared on the blackboard.

“‘Now,’ said the teacher, ‘a law is not good unless there is a penalty attached. What shall we do with one who breaks the rules?’

“‘Beat him across the back ten times without his coat on,’ came the response from the class.

“‘That is pretty severe, boys. Are you sure that you are ready to stand by it?’ Another yelled, ‘I second the motion,’ and the teacher said, ‘All right, we will live by them! Class, come to order!’

“In a day or so, ‘Big Tom’ found that his lunch had been stolen. The thief was located—a little hungry fellow, about ten years old. ‘We have found the thief and he must be punished according to your rule—ten stripes across the back. Jim, come up here!’ the teacher said.

“The little fellow, trembling, came up slowly with a big coat fastened up to his neck and pleaded, ‘Teacher, you can lick me as hard as you like, but please, don’t take my coat off!’

“‘Take your coat off,’ the teacher said. ‘You helped make the rules!’

“‘Oh, teacher, don’t make me!’ He began to unbutton, and what did the teacher see? The boy had no shirt on, and revealed a bony little crippled body.

“‘How can I whip this child?’ he thought. ‘But I must, I must do something if I am to keep this school.’ Everything was quiet as death.

“‘How come you aren’t wearing a shirt, Jim?’

“He replied, ‘My father died and my mother is very poor. I have only one shirt and she is washing it today, and I wore my brother’s big coat to keep me warm.’

“The teacher, with rod in hand, hesitated. Just then ‘Big Tom’ jumped to his feet and said, ‘Teacher, if you don’t object, I will take Jim’s licking for him.’

“‘Very well, there is a certain law that one can become a substitute for another. Are you all agreed?’

“Off came Tom’s coat, and after five strokes the rod broke! The teacher bowed his head in his hands and thought, ‘How can I finish this awful task?’ Then he heard the class sobbing, and what did he see? Little Jim had reached up and caught Tom with both arms around his neck. ‘Tom, I’m sorry that I stole your lunch, but I was awful hungry. Tom, I will love you till I die for taking my licking for me! Yes, I will love you forever!’”

I will be forever grateful for the immense sacrifice that was offered in my behalf in the form of the Son of God. I heard once when I was a youth a saying that went something like this- If we didn't have an Easter, we wouldn't have a Christmas. Happy Easter!!!