39 Weeks

Friday marked 39 weeks. May 1 is this week, the due date is upon us! I realize it can be any day now but I have been telling myself to hold tight, there is a good chance this little one will want to show up late. I am excited to meet this little one that has been enjoying my abdomen as home for so long now. I will also be grateful for fully expandable lungs. It's hard to wrap your mind and heart around the transition that is about to happen. So many changes, so much to learn, and yet so exciting (and scary)!

39.2 weeks

This weekend has been cooler and rainy. We need this kind of weather more often. It's just been so warm and dry for months now. April has proven more wintery than February. I had to break out tights, boots, and scarves for church this morning again. I wish it would stay cooler, my maternity wardrobe is quite limited and is mostly geared towards cool days.

Friday was my last pre-baby shift at work. Granted, we haven't worked out all the post-baby work stuff yet. We'll see how that plays out. But as for now, I am on leave. I have to say that I am glad to have a break but I also felt a little sad. I enjoy most of nursing, it can be quite rewarding. Also, I enjoy having some sort of useful skill to society, even if it's not the most extreme nursing job. I think I always want to be doing a little bit of nursing work as long as I can still make family and child raising a priority.

she is our only baby right now, but that is about to change.

We got a few things finished around the house this weekend. We did our usual things as well, like a long walk for Ingrid, laundry, and a slow Saturday morning. Saturday afternoon we went to Les Madeleines, a bakery and cafe sort of place. We enjoyed some special coffees and baked goods.

of course a food picture. city hall in view.

We sat outside and chatted. The weather is identical to the weather most of our time in Germany and Austria. The city hall in downtown SLC seemed very European at the moment. While sipping on a nice (decaf) latte, we reminiscenced over our trip. Everything about that moment but the busy road brought us back to that trip. We definitely desire to keep having adventures of all kinds. We also want to be very purposeful with our lives and where we currently live. There is a fine, delicate balance to that sort of life.  We don't ever want to squander time because we are so busy trying to find and do the next best thing. While we are open to all sorts of things but right now, maybe having a baby is just a fine thing to focus on.

it flurried off and on today but this as nothing to do with that.

It seems lately Davis and I, probably mostly me since Davis tends to be eternally optimistic, have been experiencing growing sadness, frustration, annoyances and so on with our current situation. First of all, let me just say I realize in the scheme of life we really have nothing to complain about. None-the-less, it's easy to get stuck in a pattern of seeing negatives and missing the everyday joys. This pattern of negativity tends to fuel itself into more negativity and can easily be spread from person to person. Let's just say we have been passing back and forth our frustrations, allowing each other to sink deeper into "despair", for a lack of better wordage. Of course we missed the opportunity to show each other truth and love, we missed countering our hopelessness with God's perfect hope.

But let me set this post up a little here. I am frustrated by work. No surprise here, it's often the theme of my woes. Growing anxiety, frustrations, and just a lack of enjoyment have fostered a festering bog in me. The jury is still out on what I will do but I may be cutting back to just one job soon. Also, as previously mentioned, we feel like we are losing our family here in Utah. We peer into the future and it seems lonely. We want the comfort of these quality friends to spend our time with. In April, we had three different sets of visitors. Mostly my family and also a friend of mine who has been in my life since I was fourteen. We enjoyed them all so immensely. These most recent visitations pushed more on our hearts, all our families are plane rides away. We don't always sense it, but we are lonely out west because they are all so far away. Finally, one which I won't go into much detail over, but we have been focusing on the faults of our local church here. It's very easy for us, in our pride, to assume we are the most awesome, giving, serving Christians in the whole state of Utah. I have been so consumed in pride and self-glorification I have hardly noticed how much this has become a problem. I am often to blind to my own sins as I lay in bed at night bashing this and that about others and situations.

As I write this, I feel nearly sick to my stomach. I am so sorry I have not loved anyone well because I have only served myself lately.

God is good. Despite me often being an impossibly slow learner. The RUF pastor, Bryce Hale, preached this Sunday on why Christian should love the Church. And while this isn't perfectly applicable to all my woes, it sure did snap me back to reality and renew my heart. It made me realize I often view the church and really the whole wide world  as how they can serve me and promote me.  Here are just a couple of truths gleened from the sermon on Psalm 87.
1. God loves to be in the presence of his people, the church.
2. God makes his presence known through his people, the church
3. The church is made up of God's former enemies. God spared no expense to rescue his former enemies by sacrificing His son.
4. God exists in the Trinity (mind blowing yes) A God in three persons. He has always existed in community. He also makes his presence known to us through community, his Church.
5. The community that is his Church is the answer to my (our) self-centered, prideful, sin bent ways.

Here I am complaining about church because I am selfish. The church is means of grace to get outside of myself and serve. It helps me see my place rightly, with God most glorious and to be praised. Also, complaining about life can be put into a better perspective when I consider I am one of God's former enemies who Jesus gave his life for me to be made whole again.


I don't think I really did much justice on the beauty in that bit of scripture and God's truth which provides infinite hope for the soul. I think there may have been several side rabbit trails my brain and heart went through to come out the other side. I am just thankful for truth proclaimed and that God loves me even if I was once his enemy. I definitely am more refreshed and renewed.


And if you made it this far, here are some pictures that you maybe did or didn't want to see. I don't have many from this week.

high quality selfies.

coffee, lazy pants, doggie and Davis (not pictured)
these make a girl feel at home

So other updates: Two a half weeks before we have the vacation to Europe and the garden is sprouting.




Here is the link to the sermon, not the one from Sunday but when he gave it at RUF. It's the one dated 2/5/14 Things Christians Love; the Church

enjoy the toil

As a part of living a life more fully, I began thinking about my job. I took it because I wanted good hours which can be hard to come by as a RN. But the more I worked (or less since I get canceled a lot) the more I realized I was just trying to survive. Nursing is a tough world but the good thing is there are many different areas you can go into, basically like changing careers, but somehow you are mostly qualified with a RN license. Same Day Surgery was a different kind of stressful for me, I was/am having a hard time not getting the hours I need and working with personalities I find somewhat cold or abrasive. I really thought long and hard about how I will probably be working for at least three more decades, Lord willing, and maybe it's a little to early to just try to survive. We should try to enjoy our "toil". We were created to be productive and to create beauty and order. We should desire to bring restoration to a broken world not just jump in our bunkers and eat canned beans and play Uno until the war is over. Why not take a little time to figure out something I could enjoy working in? I have no idea what it feels like to really enjoy my labor. Sure I have great days and I have terrible days but apart from needing money and believing I maybe should use my degree for a little while, I probably would prefer not to go to work. This makes me sound lazy but I don't want to work because I currently enjoy being a dog mom to Ingrid more than being a nurse. It's the whole working/living for the weekend so many people often fall prey to and I do not want to do that anymore. Of course there should be a balance and I certainly do not have a good balance. Since there is such a variety in nursing, I figured now is the time while our responsibilities are at a minimal to see if there is something I can enjoy.


On a whim, I applied to a part time Labor and Delivery job. I've done Rehab, Med/Surg, Neuro, Short Stay Surgery but nothing since nursing school with anything L&D related. Crazy enough, I immediately received an interview offer. I explained to them in the interview exactly where I was in my career and that I wanted to work in L&D because so many people who do love it. Instead of just getting through my current job, I want to see if I love L&D too. Even though it will be a huge change and massive learning curve to switch, I believe I can do it and need to try to do it. It was probably the most honest you can be in an interview while still trying to sell yourself to future employers. Surprisingly, the interview went really well and I found it quite satisfying and pleasurable to talk the potential future bosses. 

A few days later, I received a phone call saying they wanted to hire me. Of course, I am  terrified to be so novice in this particular set of nursing skills. Some nights of restlessness have followed as I struggled to trust God in the entire situation. I took the job needless to say and a week from today will be my very first day. I will still be working some at same day surgery occassionally but I am excited to see if I can enjoy the toil of L&D.

changes!

things and food

As our life settles into a pattern, I have less to write about. Or perhaps the daily living just does not seem as interesting as exploring, processing, and change. The changes are slowing and everyday we work, eat, sleep and so on. In other words, this post will be fairly boring.

So, today I was basically kicked off orientation at work. Not in a bad way, they said I was doing great and ta-da you are off orientation! I am not sure how I feel about it. It is not that I can't handle the patient care and all the paper work associated with healthcare. It is just that I am slow and still on the steep learning curve.  The pace and requirements are very different from floor, which is what I am used to. I am not experiencing anxiety, fear, and/or dread, I just hate the period where you know you could be better, faster, and stronger (Daft Punk shout out for Davis) but it will only come with more time. Patience is not a strong fruit in my life...

So what else are we up to? We are slowly making and building connections. To be living in an area of over a million people, we actually run into familiar faces often in our community. Salt Lake City itself is not very large, so we've been walking Ingrid or at a store and run into people we actually know.  Our neighbors are all nice, we've met most of them but can't say I remember all their names. Even if I can't remember all the names of people we've met through work, church, and neighborhood, I hope we can be salt and light to those we encounter. We are trying to collect contact information (thanks to libby's encouragement) and throwing ourselves out there and inviting people for meals. We've hosted small group a few times. Ingrid loves the influx of people to visit. Our days fill up fast and life is flying by still.

One of our favorite pleasures in life is food. Davis and I try to adhere to a primal/paleo type diet. We are not super strict but cooking at home we usually do fairly well. We do a weekly date night and alternate between less or more pricey as well as whose turn it is to pick. When we started this, we had a hard time deciding on where to go so we established the turn system and if it is not your turn then you do not get to complain about the choice. We still consider each others desires but clearly you can see it was Davis' week.

German food in downtown SLC

it did not disappoint young german lad, davis

Davis did a little internet research and found a german butcher/deli type place. He was super pleased with the results and immediately decided we needed to frequent it. It was quite good. We will have to go back just for their assortment of german chocolates and candies.

best ice cream sandwich ever

 We've been exploring the different little shops tucked in throughout the neighborhood. There is a tiny but adorable and pricey unique grocery store that sells a variety of unique beverages, cheeses, meat as well as the traditional apple and potato. This little goodie caught my eye and I couldn't resist (see not super strict with the primal thing). It was well worth it too. So refreshing and delicious for a hot Saturday afternoon snack. Oh, by the way, I am loving not working on weekends!

delicious miracle

Now, it may not seem like a big deal, but this strawberry represents victory to me. I have planted strawberries the past three summers. This is the first whole berry I have been able to eat. The first year, they would be almost be ripe and would go to the garden to pick them and some critter had already eaten half. Last year I planted no joke about 20 baby strawberry plants. Nothing ever came of it until this year but I am not there to eat them. (Libby, I am glad my strawberries converted young Viola!) So when my plants this year started producing fruit I guarded and watched them carefully. This berry survived Ingrid's explorations, weather, bugs, and our poor gardening skills. One day when our roots are more permanent, I want a huge strawberry patch.

cauliflower tortillas

 Tonight we tried some new recipes. The cauliflower tortillas turned out better than expected and actually held together about as well as a corn tortilla. Living far from the ocean, we often crave seafood but rarely buy it for various reasons. We became even more serious about our meal planning recently and added a seafood night into the rotation. They turned out quite tasty for not being super traditional. We will be perfecting these in the future.

fish tacos on cauliflower tortillas

After dinner, Davis went to a manly gathering with church folk. I took Ingrid for a walk. The sunset was stunning behind the silhouetted buildings. It has been quite warm recently but it cooled off a bit this evening and lighting  was perfect. As I climbed the steep streets, I am always thinking. Either about who lives in that house/apartment and what it looks like on the inside or about living faithfully in all the big and little things of life. I know I've written about it before, but what does it look like to live in grace. How can we be warm, loving, patient and generous in even the most basic things? Most of our Christian life isn't stunning or heroic. I have been praying about this a lot lately. Just some thoughts.

good evening SLC

Anyways, that is all for today. The 6 am work start has made me quite sleepy.

holding pattern

The new job began last week. I had been thinking of this time as now my holding pattern. But when I looked up what the term actually means, it's not really true. I am not circling around the air waiting to land or to arrive at my next destination. In a sense, I don't need to be looking for the next "good" thing or step to give me meaning and joy while I work. Work of some sort will always be a part of my life.  But since I am not interested in a better title, there it is.

upside: good badge picture!

disclaimer: this gets into the icky bits of my heart, read at your own discretion


So new job. Who doesn't love being the new person? I am very much a prideful person with huge expectations of perfection and very little grace for myself if the perfection is not met. Today, I just discussing the inward sinful stuff, but I am sure that has massive implications on how I could use some sanctification on my outward relationships as well. (Just ask Davis) Anyways, I am terribly hard on myself and new job especially bring about much anxiety. I am constantly worried about how I am perceived and therefore criticize myself for every little thing. This can also turn into being very defensive and hiding behind walls of pride and insecurity, trying to preserve this pride. Nursing, in a new position more so, is about the perfect storm for my sinful insecurities and pride. One being, patients are watching and have expectations spoken and unspoken about what I am capable of doing. Two, employers are watching and have expectations spoken and unspoken about what I am capable of doing. Three, doctors and other order-giving care providers are watching and have expectations spoken and unspoken about what I am capable of doing. And finally, I have expectations spoken and unspoken about what I am capable of doing and I cannot like myself or have satisfaction and confidence in my job if there are any mistakes or room for improvement. There are only a million big and little things to need to be completed perfectly at any moment.

Hello, I am a ball of pride and stress living in impossible.

No human is awesome enough to be without mistakes.

My new job is fairly straight forward and has not been terribly hard to catch on so far with my previous experience to help. But everyday I feel nearly crippled with this mindset. This is no new struggle for me. School, tests, performances, sports and so on.  How could I not desire and look forward to the next "good" thing when daily I struggle finding joy in work and feel so much pressure? Now, I like to have things to do. Also,  I do actually love nursing, it's so rewarding but so incredibly hard mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually.  It is also a means of God revealing grace to me by challenging this deep rooted sin I have where I try to find my worth is myself and abilities, apart from God. There is only joy and grace from God when you know your worth is from Him independent of anything you can do. From myself, I give only condemnation, fear, anxiety, and self loathing.

Yucky yuck.

laying in the park sunday, getting distance from work

Sunday, we walked to a nearby park. Lying in the grass, I thought about this mess I live with and the sermon from the morning. Why is it so hard to live a life marked by joy? Because we rarely are resting and trusting in God's love. It's our sin nature, always at battle in our hearts. We struggle against trying to be god of our perceived universe. It is our default. It is this side of glorification sin mode. I always feel like I should do something about this and fix it. Trying to take control again, see what I did there? It is definitely not resting and trusting in God's love. I am praying for joy and peace that comes only by resting and trusting in God's love. I am no theologian and I surely wrestle daily with these sins. I am thankful God is infinitely bigger in every way than my woes. I'll be honest, driving into work today was a big long string of slightly intelligible prayers to find joy in Christ.

my family :)

It also helps to have these two handsome/cute cheerful creatures around. So, that probably wasn't what you thought/wanted to read about my job and current happenings. But there it is.

Quick details: my job is a same day surgery unit in a hospital and I work PRN for pre-op and post-op. so far, I am being trained in post-op. No weekends, nights, or holidays!


So now, the honeymoon/adventure part of the move is over. It is hard to think we are settling in and trying to make this more like home. Finding joy in our daily and mundane lives.



ps. if this doesn't have much clarity I apologize, my heart and it's outpourings are quite messy

signs of life

Another week has flown by. People have asked if this time of pre-employment has gone by slowly. Not at all. I cannot believe I have had a month now since we moved to just dink around the house. Of course, being my mother's/grandmother's daughter/granddaughter, I don't really do nothing.  I find plenty of little tasks and ways to make the time fly by. I am now on the two week count down until starting the new job. So much anxiety accompanies me into these situations unknown. I am trying to remain calm and confident but all this newness is starting to wear on me a little.

However, one of my favorite things to dink around in is the garden. I find it so thrilling to put little seeds into dirt and with a little water and sunshine, things grow! It's even better when they are edible things because we enjoy eating, as true southerners do. It is comforting to see signs of life.

little sprout, grow big and full so we can eat you!

  

Ingrid really loves to accompany me to the garden. Mostly so she can protect our vegetables from birds but also because she is our little shadow. 

I think this is a lettuce mix... should have labeled things...

Other than watering the garden since we basically live in the desert, I have been doing more of the cooking. Ladies, it is fabulous when a man loves cooking as well. Davis used to do the majority of the cooking. During this time I have been the primary cook and am trying to expand my go to recipes.

One of my new favorites

Since eggs are primal and fairly inexpensive, I've really enjoyed trying quiches lately. The problem with primal however is flour crusts are a no-no. We try to obey more closely at home to this way of eating but if people cook for us or we go to restaurants, we don't adhere as closely. Anyways, this is one of my new favorite recipes, a goat cheese quiche with sweet potato crust. I got it from this website: CLICK ME FOR DELICIOUS RECIPE. The first time I made it, I followed the directions almost entirely. The second time, pictured above, I went a little rogue. It was well worth it too! One of the best things about this besides an all-in-one meal, it works for any meal, even snacks. All-in-one meals/one dish meals are my favorite.

In effort to convince as many people as we can to visit us and because where we live is actually pretty awesome, we go out adventuring a few times a week so we can be good tour guides. And it is fun for us. The weather has been spectacular and it stays light outside for so long that we have until after 9pm to explore.  This week after work, we walked 6 miles up City Creek Canyon. 

Long shadows in the evening

It is a great, easy, and beautiful walk very close to home. Most people were biking up, but we sold our bikes so we used our legs :)

discrimination

way back, losing sunlight

Parts of the walk I could almost imagine myself back at Ridge Haven. The area was mostly green and lush for a desert like climate and there is a creek sharing the canyon. But then we'd see very western looking peaks and rock formations and we were reminded Utah is not North Carolina at all.

On Saturday we decided to try the popular Living Room trail, only 5 minutes from our house. It is a great little hike with an excellent view of the valley. People have taken large flat stones and created furniture. So once, you reach the living room, you can sit down and relax and enjoy the view! 

family!

Ingrid and I shared a seat so she would stop sniffing the other hiker's bookbags. 

family again :)

A view to the south east

I hope these pictures are putting a bee in your bonnet or lighting a fire under your butt to come see us! My sister, the fresh college graduate, is coming tomorrow to spend eight days with us! You don't have to come for eight days, but we love visitors.

Another very very very very very very very very very very x a million exciting thing happened this weekend back in Virginia. 

they are engaged!! my older brother, Richard, and his fiance, Angel

These two beautiful/handsome people got engaged! Sorry, I stole this picture of facebook. That is legal right... ? I am super excited to have a new sister and to have another sibling experience the wonderful challenging adventure that is marriage. I am a sad they are all the way in Charlottesville, VA. Maybe my picture will convince them to come visit :)

So we are slowly meeting people. We actually had dinner out with another couple Saturday night which was such a blessing. Sunday we met a lot of new people at church and ended up having a picnic lunch in Red Butte Gardens with a couple who had moved here from Charlottesville... small world. This same couple invited us to a game night at their house, just a few blocks from ours, and we met more people around our age.  We are very happy to finally be making connections. However, in my anxieties and fears, I fall prey easily to lies. It is hard for me to not compare these people to our friends in Fort Collins. Also, to not long for the familiarity of relationships more established. I even can believe that they are only being nice to us because they feel sorry for us being new. I know this is wrong. I needed to admit it. We are praying for relationships and to be able to love and serve our community. It is easy for me to believe relationships should serve me and meet my needs for comfort and security. This is wrong as well. People are sinful and even in our best efforts we can fail, my identity and true comfort must come from Christ. I need to remind myself of that in every way and every day.

Well, I made myself a to-do list, so I am going to get started. Tonight we are going to the opera, part of that under 30 ticket deal. I've never been to one and it's the famous Barber of Seville, so I'll recognize parts of the music. It sound so fancy to say we are going to the opera.

life as of late

hello fellow people


It's a Monday morning. Ingrid is on nap number three already. I've had my coffee and now am enjoying relaxing in the bedroom with the windows open, listening to birds chirping, and reflecting. Mondays right now are sweet but sad for me. A whole week has to go by to get Davis back from work to spend a full day together. My free Mondays are dwindling however. Last Thursday I was offered a as needed position for same day surgery at one of the hospitals in town. The hospital is actually called LDS (Latter Day Saints) Hospital but it is a part of the much larger Intermountain Healthcare system. Funny though, I had not actually been to see where the place was until yesterday. The interview was at the employee services center south of downtown. Honestly, I am not sure what I want to do in nursing. My job search primarily consisted of looking for normal hours. So, I can pick up any number of shifts but will never have to work weekends, holidays, call or nights. That was the selling point for me. Today is nurses day and maybe all week is nurses week. Hugs to all my fellow nurses. It's kind of odd being in between jobs during this week.

So this past week, I finished painting the red room blue. I love the color. It seems classy and antique. I picked "dutch blue" due to my personal connection to it plus it's down right pretty. Once I get everything in order I will put up more pictures of the transformation. Though, that may take a long time, so here is one until then.

it's in progress still :)

While painting, I had a lot of time to listen to sermons. It was so good for my soul to be encouraged in the gospel. Lately, I've been really thinking about living fully and loving where you are. Back in high school, I probably would have called myself a more radical christian. Only because I wanted to and felt the need to go live in a hut in Africa, forgoing all earthly comforts, in order to be an awesome Christian. It's really easy to place those who are called to a life less mundane in a higher category of christian awesomeness from us who work at medical device companies or hospitals. One can certainly feel guilty or less for not living so radically. It is great if you are called to that and if one day I am, I'll happily, although terrified, go. There have been several sermons, articles, and books lately that have really encouraged my heart to be serving God and loving neighbors where I am. And to cheerfully support those who do go.  Let's be honest, I am not very good at it now, so why do I sometimes think shipping me off to another country where I don't even know languages or cultural customs would make me a better witness and a more holy Christian? Davis and I have been praying lately to be salt and light in our community, where we have been given jobs, a roof over our heads, and so many people around us to love in the day to day activities.  Saturday, we spent the day working in the garden and the flower beds. Driving to pick up more seeds, I read this article: new legalism and was very encouraged. It is crazy though how sinful our hearts are that we can turn so many good things into idols. I often turn exotic types of Christian living into idols. So, as we picked out more vegetables than we could ever eat, we became very excited to hopefully harvest plenty to give away. Sunday, the pastor preached on Matthew 28:16-20. He really emphasized the fact Jesus tells us to go and make disciples. That doesn't mean you have to move to the far reaches of the earth to do this, though it is an option. Most encouraging, God is with us to the very end. Maybe I am just new to this mindset, but I am so encouraged and my eyes have been more aware of my surroundings when I realize God has redemption plans for everywhere.  TMeaning, wherever we go and whatever we do, we live for Jesus not ourselves.

........

Last Friday I spent the afternoon making shrimp creole for Davis the real way, at least according to this lady on the internet. It took awhile but Davis said it was delicious. I have no idea if it tasted like the real thing but lots of love went into it.

homemade shrimp stock

I even made the shrimp stock from scratch and have some left over. I am really excited to see what else I can make with the left overs.

lots of wandering to do, who wants to join us?

Saturday we picked up these books. We want to fully enjoy all the beautiful creation around us. It's also a great way to meet people. One book has a section for hikes with dogs, so yesterday we picked the closest and Ingrid friendly hike for the afternoon. It was a super easy, beautiful walk that starts literally in a park downtown and then all the sudden you are up in the mountains. It was just a few miles from out house.

state capitol building... looks familiar, eh?

We started across the street from the capitol building and headed down into City Creek Canyon/Memory Grove Park. You can go quite a ways up into the canyon but with Ingrid's bum knees (and I needing to callous up for chaco season) we only went part of the way.

Tulips at an events building in Memory Grove Park

Davis and I are both obsessed with all the tulips right now. Their colors are so vibrant. Also, the lilacs are starting to bloom. They are a personal favorite of my mine. I added a little lilac bush to the backyard on Saturday, just couldn't say no.

cooling off in the creek

The walkway follows a creek. There were lots of dogs and people enjoying the beautiful weather and sunshine. Ingrid enjoyed jumping in the water to cool off. She doesn't stay in long, just enough time to be refreshed. I climbed in the creek with her and froze my toes off. This southern girl still has to get used to cold mountain water, it's not like the bathtub lake water around Augusta :)

see the tiny capitol?

We ventured off City Creek Canyon onto Bonneville Shoreline trail. Before we knew it, we looked behind us and the city seemed so far away.

the great unknown ahead of us

To be only a mile or so from the heart of downtown, it sure felt like the wilderness, except we shared the trail with a dozen other sunshine seekers and mountain bikers.

the best friend

Davis loves these kind of walks. He does not enjoy when I take him wandering around neighborhoods to look at old houses. Love that man.

the mountainside was half alive

Spring is still in progress here. The farther up the canyon and higher in elevation we went, the less spring had made progress. We are in no hurry for all the blooms to disappear and summer to be in full swing. These long days with cool evenings and flowers galore are precious and few.

After we returned home, we debated about dinner. I coaxed  Davis into a quick trip to trader joes for some salsa and chips. We had to celebrate Cinco de Mayo, right? So, we ate chips and salsa for dinner with some Utah beers on the front porch. It was a lovely evening. That salsa verde is yummy! While we enjoyed the front porch, we met some neighbors. The wife is a nurse and the husband and engineer! We agreed to enjoy some front porch beers in the future.

happy cinco de mayo

Now, back to Monday. Have a lovely day friends.




ps. it's my favorite when ingrid wags her tail while she is napping. happy dreams?

there are things that have happened

I dropped my mom off at the airport yesterday. It was so sad to see her go. I had someone to explore and enjoy the new place with while Davis worked. Having mom around was just good for the soul too. It's been a week and there are things that have happened! This will probably be long but I'll try to include pictures galore.

We spent a lot of time walking around the part of SLC near our house. Ingrid enjoyed mom's visit because she got a lot of time to explore and sniff. I love walking and exploring and this probably came from my mom.

We checked out Liberty Park, which became a favorite. We returned several other times. The old Brigham Young farm house and barn are still on the premise. His house is quite nice with a huge porch, fairly southern looking if you ask me.

The pond at the park.

central walk way. it will be very lovely with leaves!

During the weekend, we took Davis down to the park minus Ingrid. We explored the Tracy Aviary, a bird zoo essentially. I can't wait to take my sister there. She loves birds. Just kidding. She is terrified of them :)

Birds! I think these were from Argentina...

Davis and I at the pond, very fitting a bird would be in the picture this day.

Mom and I also made the trek out to Antelope Island in the Salt Lake. We hiked a bit in rocky terrain, saw a few buffaloes/birds/jack rabbits, and were eaten by tiny black flies. It was barren and beautiful. But we would like to know when the flies are gone for going back!

mom on the island :)

views are lovely from the island. it was just a tad hazy that day.

beautiful landscape. flies, you sure were a downer.

Our backyard has three little garden beds. This feature was very important to Davis and me. While mom was visiting, we turned the soil, added a little compost, and planted the cold crops. It was quite warm and sunny this weekend, making it tempting to plant everything. Glad we didn't though, this morning was in the 30s again.

Ingrid intensely studying the art of seed planting.
It looks like this could be a Normal Rockwell painting.

During all the fun, I also went to a job interview. I feel very at peace about the job search, whether I get the job or not. It is nice to not be in a hurry. While I was leaving for the interview, I received a call saying that I was one of their top candidates for the first job and they wanted my references. We shall see!

We visited the Red Butte Botanical Gardens. Most of the plants were yet to be in full bloom but it was still beautiful. The views were amazing! Plus there was this awesome kids area, I wanted to come back and play in it when it's covered with leaves again.

flowers and foothills

enjoying the sunshine... terrible light angle for the picture

Mountains to the west.

There are many trails in the foothills/mountains. Several start from the botanical gardens so you could essentially explore for hours and hours and never see the same thing twice.

We visited a newer museum called The Leonardo. No, there is nothing made by Leonardo but it is all inspired by his love of art and science. Most things there are hands on, great for kids or Davis :) We were hoping to see the mummy exhibit too but another day!

 Davis made some stop animation at the Leonardo

Inside the city public library

park in between the library and the leonardo

The Leonardo is in the old library building. We stopped inside the new one, "library of the year 2006", for coffee. It is a pretty cool building even though I am usually not a fan of modern architecture.

Park City is about a 20-30 minute drive from SLC. Mom wanted to see the Olympic site at Park City. So we made a quick trip into the Wasatch. We had a lot of fun exploring the Ski and Olympic museum.

Giant buffalo head from olympic ceremony

davis did a little skiing.

mom did too.

 They have great form in their matching ski suits!

We still need to get him some sunglasses...

It was super windy outside although not very cold.  We saw were you can pay a lot of money and learn to ski jump. I guess you learn by landing in a pool first.

baby jumps into the pool

mom and I at olympic park

 Also, we took mom to Temple Square and City Creek Mall. The grounds are beautiful with flowers everywhere. On Thursday, you can listen to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir practice. So we stopped in for a bit. Apparently it is a popular activity. Their organ is incredible, one of the best in the world supposedly.

Looks like the inside of an egg with the ceiling.

Over all, it was good for my heart to have my mom here. I did not feel so disconnected from people to have a companion all day. Tonight we are going to a small group, hopefully some friendships in the making. On Sunday, our friends back in Fort Collins welcomed their baby girl into the world. Lucy Jane Angert finally arrived. I may hold a small grudge against her for waiting until we moved to come. I am so happy for Morgan and Lauren but sad to miss this huge occasion. Now we have to plan a trip back!

I suppose I should get to painting. The red room has been primed and now it must be painted!

and those are the happenings!