Grateful

Tonight I feel completely grateful, which is not something that I thought I would feel at the end of the day today.  My day started at 5:40am when my alarm went off.  I got to work at about 6:55am with the plan that I would be working a longer day, but would be going home around 6pm.  Well, things kept piling up and as I am leaving town, I have to get a lot of stuff done before I leave.  I ended up leaving work at about 7:45pm.  As I started to drive down the road, I thought it felt a little rough.  But then I thought about how I live in Cleveland and all the roads are rough.  I got on the highway and was talking to Josh on the phone.  I told him that I think I might have a flat tire.  He asked how I didn't know if I had one or not.  :)  I thought I was fine, but a little further down the road, I thought I better stop and check.  Sure enough, my back passenger tire was completely flat.  Oh great...here I am again with a flat tire and Josh out of town.  I called Josh back and he said he was going to try to call a few people to see if they could come change it.  With a lot of our friends being out of town for the holidays, I wasn't sure that he would be able to get ahold of anyone.  I told him that I would try to change it myself, but wasn't sure that I would be able to see well enough as there were no city lights where I had stopped. 

Luckily, I found a little flashlight in our glove compartment.  I cleaned out my trunk, got the spare tire out and the jack.  I struggled a little trying to lift the car up with the crappy jack I have.  I looked something like this...but it was dark and COLD and wet.

Just as I was starting to try to get the lug nuts off (and they were on TIGHT), a pickup truck pulled up behind me. A woman about my mother's age, got out and asked if I needed some help.  I told her that I had a flat tire and yes, I did need help.  She then motioned for her son and husband to come and help.  They changed my tire for me...I would have been stuck there for quite some time trying to do it on my own.  I felt truly blessed that they had stopped.  The mom told me that as they drove by, their son said "Hey, I think that was a girl.  We should stop."  He seemed a little embarrassed as he said "well, it's different if it's a girl."   I laughed and said I totally understand.  So they turned around and came back to help.  The mom said something to the effect that she got out first so I wasn't scared by a man approaching me on the side of a dark highway.  They seemed like such a nice family and I'm so grateful they stopped to help.  It's good to know that there are still those nice people out there.  Tonight wasn't the best of nights either; it was cold, the ground was wet and it was completely dark and really foggy, but they still stopped and helped anyway.  It reminds me how much our Heavenly Father looks after us at all times.  I know that I am truly blessed and I know that he sent this nice family out to help me in my time of need.  It was a great experience and a great reminder that there are good people out in the world still and that our Heavenly Father is continuously watching over us.  I feel so grateful for this family, for the way they approached me, for changing my tire and for their kindness.  I hope that next time Josh wants to stop and help someone, I won't complain and will be happy to help them in their time of need.  Tonight, I am truly grateful for this family that took 20 minutes out of their evening to help me.  I just hope that next time I get a flat tire, Josh will be in town :)  Good night everyone!

December 2011, Thus Far

I can't believe how fast this month has already flown by!  Time really must go faster as you get older; but with that, I am worried how fast time might fly ten years from now.  We have had a great month thus far.  I LOVE Christmas!  I really have to hold myself back from getting tons and tons of Christmas decor.  We did, however, get a new tree this year.  We had an old Charlie Brown tree that we had gotten for free and gave it away at a garage sale we had this last spring.  We weren't planning on buying a tree this year because we don't want to have to move it; but since we are going to be home, I talked Josh into getting one.  I absolutely LOVE the tree we got.  It's prelit and has both pine cones and berries mixed within the tree.  We got a great deal on it too, 50% off!  I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it! 

I wanted to do a few Christmas crafts this year too.  Because we got a new tree, I decided to do a tree skirt.  I absolutely love how it turned out.  Here is a picture of our beautiful tree with the unfinished tree skirt.  I was just wanting to see how it would look.

Josh surprised me with an early Christmas present.  It's this tree topper with the nativity in the center.  We saw this in Amish country earlier this year and I haven't been able to stop thinking about it since.  I LOVE it!

My mom wanted to see some pictures of the tree skirt.  Don't look too closely to any of the seams.  I still have MUCH to learn about sewing.  I'm really not that good.

Here is our finished Christmas tree!  I love it and I think the skirt looks great underneath and the star looks BEAUTIFUL on top.  Santa even came a little early to our house and dropped off a few presents for us.

And just some random pictures I took of the tree.

Early this month, we were able to go to a hockey game.  Cleveland has a minor league team called the Lake Erie Monsters.  Its been a long time since I have gone to a hockey game.  We had soo much fun though and I hope we will be able to go again soon.  I didn't bring my camera, so only a few pictures from my phone.

We can't believe how fast time has gone already this month, but we are hoping that it will continue to fly by, at least for a little while.  We are anxious to find out where we will be for residency and we don't find that out til April.  That's all for now.

November 2011

Things have been absolutely crazy around here.  Time is flying by as usual this time of year and it doesn't help that I have been working overtime for the last 6-7 weeks with no end of it in sight.  I don't know how some people work well over 40 hours a week on a continuous basis.  The most I have worked is about 50 hours and I have been completely exhausted.  But other than that work has been going pretty good.  I still love my new job.  It is the perfect job for me, which is something I never though I'd find :)

Josh has been busy going to clinic, lots and lots of church things (3 baptisms in the last month) and studying for the fast-approaching boards and interviews.  This month he is out on externships and is completely ready to be done with this chapter in our lives.

Here's a small recap on November:

We got some family pictures taken by a friend. We took some of their family and they took a few of us.  We were lucky to get them done before all the leaves fell for the season.  Our favorite one is the one above used as our blog header.

We had a GREAT Thanksgiving.  We spent it with some of our best friends here in Ohio.  I wish I would have taken pictures as this is our last Thanksgiving with them.  But it was fun!  I don't know how some women do a whole Thanksgiving by themselves though.  I made homemade rolls, green bean casserole, fruit salad and a pie.  I was completely exhausted after that.  I can't imagine adding a turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and everything else added to that!  It was great food with great company.  We spent the afternoon/early evening eating, chatting and playing every one's new favorite game, Telestrations!  We LOVE that game!

We also had a very successful Black Friday.  I can't believe how many stores opened so early though.  I feel bad for the employees.  I went with a friend to an outlet mall near by; it opened at 9pm!  But I was able to get a few things.  It didn't seem to be too crowded until we were leaving.  Most people must not have realized how early it opened.  Josh went out really early Friday morning and got a few things too.  We spent more money than we probably should have, but oh well.

In November, my grandpa passed away.  This was a day that everyone in my family has dreaded the most.  He was the best grandpa anyone could wish for.  I loved him very much and I hope he knew that.  I don't have a single bad memory of him.  He always had fun with us, never forgot a birthday nor a Christmas card.  I miss him so, so much already.

Love you, Grandpa!

November is a month full of Thanksgiving.  We have so much to be thankful for.  I am very thankful for the wonderful husband I have.  I'm thankful for my job and how it all seemed to fall into place.  I'm so very grateful for the gospel and the peace and happiness it brings into my life.  I love and miss my family.  I'm grateful for the bond that I have with my siblings.  I am truly blessed to have the in-laws that I have.  They are such wonderful people who I love and care for.  I don't think I could have asked for any better in-laws.  I am very thankful for my grandpa and for the life that he lived as well as the happiness that he brought into mine.  Hope you all had a great November full of Thanksgiving!

Coverage Bridge Tour

So, I'm pretty sure that I have the best husband out there.  Josh was able to spend a few days in Indianapolis with his family.  He had a great time and I totally wish I would have been able to go with him.  He came back on Saturday afternoon and after his five hour car ride, when he got home, he hopped right back in the car and went on the covered bridge tour that I have been wanting to go on for quite some while.  It was mostly spending lots of time in the car, but it was the perfect date.  We had a blast.  Here are a few of the many many pictures I took and the description of each bridge found in our little brochure.  Don't feel like you have to read them, you can just look at the pretty pictures :)

Doyle Road Bridge:

"A 94 ft long Town lattice bridge built in 1868.  Doyle spans Mill Creek.  Mill Creek is a tributary of the Grand River.  This bridge was renovated in 1987 when a laminated arch was added." 

This is a few of the views from the Giddings Road Bridge:

Giddings Road Bridge:
"Pratt truss construction was used for this 107 ft bridge built in 1995 with funding from an ODOT Timber Grant.  It cross Mill Creek in Jefferson Twp."

Just a pretty barn that we saw along the way.  I love how you can see the shadows of the trees on the barn.

Netcher Road Bridge:
"The bridge is constructed over Mill Creek in Jefferson Twp and features a timber arch with inverted Haupt walls.  The 'Neo Victorian' design structure is 110 feet long, 22 feet wide, and 14 feet six inches high.  Construction was funded by an ODOT Timber Grant and was opened to traffic in 1999."

This one was probably my favorite that we saw.  It just had so much character.  I love it!

South Denmark Road Bridge:
"Built in 1890 this Town lattice bridge spans Mill Creek.  The 81 fr structure was bypassed in 1975 but is easily accessible.

This one was off the main road way but you could still drive through it. 

Just another country picture I took.  The country out in that area is just absolutely beautiful!

Caine Road Bridge:
"This first Pratt truss bridge in Ohio was built in 1986 in honor of Ashtabula County's 175th Anniversary.  The 124 foot long bridge traverses the west branch of the Ashtabula River in Pierpont Twp."

We had a fun time at this one too.  We got out and did some climbing and exploring here.

Graham Road Bridge:
"The Graham Road Bridge, which was built from remnants of a bridge washed downstream in the 1913 flood, now sits in a small park on the south side of the road.  The 97 ft Town truss was over the west branch of the Ashtabula River in Pierpont Twp."

I like how this one said it was in a park...It's not...the "park" is just the bridge on the grass which has a picnic table inside it.  That's it.

Root Road Bridge:

" A 114 ft Town lattice built in 1868, Root crosses the Ashtabula River.  It was raised 18in during the rehabilitation in 1982-1983 and new laminated girders and a center concrete pier were added."



Middle Road Bridge:

"This 136 ft Howe truss bridge was built in 1868 over Conneaut Creek, which is the longest river in eastern Ashtabula County.  It was reconstructed in 1984 with the help of three volunteers and four college students."

This is just another barn we saw on the way.  Josh LOVED it.  It's a hexagon barn.

State Road Bridge:
"Containing 97,000 ft of southern pine and oak, the State Road Bridge was erected in 1983 across Conneaut Creek.  The 152 ft Town lattice span was the first covered bridge designed and built by County Engineer John Smolen, Jr.  A four foot tall window extends the length of the bridge showing the Town lattice construction.  The dedication of the bridge in 1983 was the forerunner of the Covered Bridge Festival."

We did see a few other bridges but it was getting to be too dark and none of the pictures really turned out.  We had such a great time and it was just gorgeous being out in the country especially this time of year.  I love fall out here!

Weekend in Michigan

My mom was in Michigan last week visiting her mom and sister.  Luckily, I was able to go up there for the weekend and see them.  It was a fun weekend, but as always it was too short.  We mainly just hung around eating and talking.  On Saturday, we did drive up to Houghton Lake to go to this amazing craft store called Arnie's.  I could have spent A LOT of money there and had to limit myself majorly.  It was definitely fun.

So it was a little windy right by the lake and it was COLD!!!  The wind makes them look a little scary in the picture below, but I still like it :)

It was a beautiful drive especially this time of year.  If only fall could stay around much longer...

My mom drove up to Michigan, so I was FINALLY able to get the painting she did for us.  It's huge and I LOVE IT!!  She's been done with it for probably a year now and I'm so grateful I have it now.  She did such a good job.  Here's a picture of it:

It was a fun weekend!  I can't wait to be able to see my mom again.  I don't get to see her enough.  Thanks for the fun weekend and the beautiful painting :)

*Darcy*

A few weeks ago, I was able to see a part of my family out in Utah for a funeral.  It was a sad occasion as my aunt passed away.  She was such an amazing person!  She touch so many people's lives.  She is missed by all who knew her.  I am so glad that I had the opportunity to go.  Love you, Terry!

It was great to be able to see my family even though it was a sad time.  While I was there, I was able to take a few pictures of Darcy.  She's such a happy girl and I had a ton of fun playing with her throughout the weekend.  

The next weekend, Josh & I went to Cedar Pointe with a few of our friends.  Sorry, no pictures.  I didn't want to have to carry around a camera all day.  It was so much fun!  By far the best amusement park.  It was SUPER crowded though.  We waited an average of two hours per ride waiting in line; but the rides were totally worth it.  Next time, we won't be going on a Saturday; that's for sure.  On one of the rides, it takes you from 0 to 120 mph in 4 seconds.  You go straight up and come pretty much straight down.  It was awesome.  Love all the rides that we went on.

Labor Day Weekend

I started this post about two weeks ago and I'm just now getting back to it...so sad...For Labor Day, I went up to Detroit and spent the weekend with my friends Valerie and her kids.  Our husbands?  They decided they needed to go to the opening BYU game down in Mississippi.  I am glad they got to go.  Josh had a great time.

We girls had a fun time too.  We watched "Justin Beiber: Never Say Never" while we painted our toes :)  Yep, we totally felt like we were back in 7th grade.  But it wa fun and actually a pretty good movie.  I wasn't very familiar with him before; but I definitely have Beiber Fever now :)  I even downloaded his lastest album...

We also went to one of the Ford's homes.  This was actually Henry Ford's only son's house.  It was HUGE.  If I remember right, it was something like 30,000 square feet and amazing!

My favorite thing was probably the fact that they have a little "doorbell" in EVERY room, that they would push to have the butler come to them and see what they needed....I think I totally need one of those!  Here are a few pictures.  I didn't have my camera, just my phone, so none of them are very good...

 The grounds there were absolutely beautiful.  Every room in the house has an amazing view of the lake.  Then they had an awesome swimming pool, rose garden and even a play house that had a working bathroom, a living room and a small kitchen...everything was 2/3 of a the size of a normal toilet or whatever it was.  Perfect for little kids.  It was just an awesome place...I wouldn't mind living there.

 Thanks Waters for hosting us yet again :)  We headed back home kinda early on Monday.  We went to a little BBQ with some friends that night and then got ready to get back to reality :( 

Things have actually been pretty good for us though.  I finally got hired on as a permanent employee!  YAY!  Great benefits here I come!  And I got a decent raise too :)  Life has been great...we can't complain.  We have a busy next couple of months, but it should be a lot of fun.