April Recap

I can't believe that April is just about over!  Where did the time go?  Actually I am very thankful it went by as fast as it did.  I'm just hoping that this next month goes by just as fast.  Josh has finished his rotation in New York.  He will be home soon and will be here til Sunday morning then off to Kansas City.  I have actually been very busy this month and have been able to see Josh every weekend.  I have been very fortunate and this first month away hasn't been too bad.  Busy with just me being home by myself?  Yes, that's right.  Here are some of the things I have done.  I have been doing a lot of job searching.  Things at work have been a little rough this month, so I have started a search.  I'm not sure that I will actually go through with it as I only have a year left here and I'm hoping that I can make my current employer last at least that long, but I'm not sure that I can.  I have done a lot of searching online and have had 2 in person interviews and 4-5 phone interviews.  I have also been busy with my calling.  I've had a few meetings and have to make sure I have teachers, etc, etc...I have also been able to do a few things that I enjoy.  This last week I started reading a book that I really enjoy.  Tonight I made sugar cookies for Josh. 

Yes, they are feet.  We like feet around house...hopefully soon they will start making us money :) 

I made this birthday wreath, which I love: 

I have also done a little sewing.  Not much, but some.

I mowed the lawn for the first time.  I actually really enjoyed doing it.  I had my iPod going with headphones so I could hear and mowed away.  Luckily our lawn is small, but I did enjoy it.  I also got the car's oil change and new brakes installed for the car.  About 4 hours later and too much $$$, my car feels much better :)    I'm proud of myself.  Overall, I feel like I have gotten a lot accomplished this month.  It's been hard being away from Josh, but I have definitely kept myself busy enough that it hasn't been too bad.  Now I need a few projects for this coming month...Any ideas???

Birthday Weekend

Ok, Ok...I know I'm a little late on updating, but after this post I should be all up to date.  I really had a great birthday.  I know that as I get older that birthdays really just aren't the same any more; but this year my dad, Nola, Brayden and Jenna all came up to Ohio to come celebrate with me!  It was their first time to come visit us in Ohio; yes, that's right it took them just about THREE years to come visit me and they fly free!!  :)  It's ok, I'm so glad they came and we had such a great time.  It all started with me getting to leave work early on Friday!  WooHoo!!  That alone could have made my weekend :)  But I was lucky and my weekend continued with greatness.  I left work at about noon and went straight to the airport to pick up Nola and Jenna  (Dad and Brayden got stuck and ended up on a later flight).  Then us girls went out for lunch at Penn Station, our favorite sandwich place here in Cleveland...YUM!  We came back to my place and just talked and hung out until we got the call from Dad.  Then I left to go pick them up.  To continue with the Dill family tradition for dinner  we had pizza.  We enjoyed Donato's Pizza...our favorite pizza place in Ohio.  Even Jenna enjoyed a little bite :)

Happy Jenna:  She hardly fussed at all the whole time!

Josh came home late Friday night then we all went to bed.  Saturday was suppose to be our fun day of adventure in Cleveland, but the weather rained us out.  It pretty much rained all day.  We drove up to Lake Erie and just drove by because it was raining so hard.  Then we went off to Brandywine Falls.  It was still pouring and we all got soaked, but it was fun and worth it.  Josh and I have been there several times and have never seen the waterfall so full; I guess there is an upside to going while it's raining.

Here is Brayden in the "rock cave:"

Brayden & Dad:

Then we went on to Amish Country.  By that time it was a little late in the day so we didn't get to see too much as they close at 5pm.  But what we were able to see and do was pretty cool.  We stopped at a furniture store....BEAUTIFUL!  Their woodworking is AMAZING...and expensive :)  Then as we were driving into the town we saw a free petting zoo; so we stopped and finished our tour of Amish Country there.  Brayden loved all the animals.  And we all had a great time at their stores and even with the animals.

This horse was HUGE!  If I remember correctly, it weighed 3000 lbs!

So they had this GIANT rocking chair outside.  It you can't tell by my face, I was a little freaked out sitting in it.  It totally feels like you are going to fall and flip backwards.

After Amish country, Dad ad Nola took us out for a birthday dinner at LongHorn Steakhouse.  It was pretty good, but we were all sooo exhausted by our long day.  By the time we got home, we were all ready to go to bed.

We went to church on Sunday then went to Kirtland.  We didn't stay at Kirtland for too long and the kids were ready to go, but it was fun to go.  Josh left from there to go back to New York.  When we got home, my dad grilled some hamburgers and I made some corn on the cob!  It was yummy!

They left early Monday morning.  It was a short trip, but I am so thankful they came.  It was nice to be able to show them around a little and really just to see them.  Thanks Dad & Nola!

Just so that I am totally caught up now,  Josh came back this weekend as well.  I have been very fortunate that we got to see each other every weekend this month!  I won't be that lucky next month :(  This last Saturday, we went down to the Columbus Temple.  It was an amazing experience to be able to do sealings for family names, including my great grandparents.  We didn't really have a chance to do anything special for Easter. We just went to church, came home, ate hot dogs then Josh left to go back up to New York to finish his month out there.  But Happy Easter to everyone!

Bizzzzzy

Oh my gosh!  Seriously, where has the time gone???  This last month has gone by so fast.  It's like I blinked and it is now April!  Josh and I have been SUPER DUPER busy lately.  I have read most of your blogs, but haven't commented cause when I do sit down at the computer I rush to read everyone's updates for the last week or two.  I honestly don't know where to begin and unfortunately I'm not sure what all we did....so here's March of what I can remember.

Some time at the end of February to beginning of March, I was released from my calling in Primary.  I had mixed emotions about being released.  Happy to have the pressure gone, but sad to not be teaching the children any more.  They are such sweet kids and I enjoyed teaching them once a month for sharing time.  A few weeks later, I was told the Bishop wanted to talk to me.  I knew I must be getting a new calling, but I never thought that I would be called as the first counselor in RELIEF SOCIETY!  Yep, that's right.  Actually the day that I was called, I was sitting on the stand as I was giving a talk that day.  It was fun to see some of the shocked faces of some of my good friends :)  I too was very shocked.  To be honest, I have never really enjoyed Relief Society and I wasn't too shy about it.  But I will say that I know it's where I need to be at this time in my life.  I have already grown a huge appreciation and love for the sisters in the ward and I know that will continue to grow.  Needless to say, this calling has kept be VERY busy this last month :)  For some reason, I feel much busier than my Primary calling, but I am happy to do what I can. 

Josh is still the Ward Mission Leader, which has also kept us very busy.  We have had two baptism in the last month.  The first was for three young girls in an amazing family.  The second was a guy married to a great lady who is a member.  Both baptisms were amazing and filled with the Spirit.  Josh also helped a kid in our ward with him Pine Wood Derby car.  They didn't win, but did a great job.  I went and took a few pictures.

I don't know how these parents feel about pictures of their kids online, so just pictures of their cars.  But these boys were all super excited the whole night.  It was fun to see them all and have them race their cars...plus there was lots for dessert :)

On March 27th, we had the opportunity to go to the Kirtland Temply for a special fireside celebrating the 175th aaniversary of it's dedication.  It was such a neat experience.  I'm so glad that we were able to go.  No one could leave without feeling the Spirit and only a few left with dry eyes.  It was an amazing fireside. 

At the end of March, Josh finished his first rotation as a fourth year podiatry student!  We are both so excited to just have one more year left of school/rotations!  This month, Josh is on rotation in Johnson City, NY.  He is really like the program up there and the area.  I drove up there this last weekend and we had a blast.  It was fun to explore this new town with him and just be able to see each other.  We didn't do anything too exciting as Josh was on-call all weekend, but it was nice to see him.  I didn't realize how much he does for me until he was gone!  He is such an amazing guy who has done our dishes by hand for the last year and a half!  :)  I do miss him terribly, but I'm doing ok.  Sorry...back to our weekend.  We just did a lot of exploring of the town and shops.  Josh only got called in to do/see one surgery, so it wasn't so bad.  On Sunday, we drove down to Pennsylvania.  This whole area is just so beautiful!  Most of the pictures that I took were wile we were in the car driving around, so not the best quality and I don't feel like editing them to look any better :)

Trying for a picture of the sunset:

So, I thought Oklahoma had a ton of deer, this place has more than I have ever seen!

Pennsylvania did a great job of welcoming us...New York, not so much (couldn't get the camera out in time)

The Susquehanna River...BEAUTIFUL, my picture does not do it any justice....Guess we should have gotten out of the car:

We stumbled upon our DREAM house.  One day we will be living in a house quite similar to this...It was AMAZING!!

Just a cool barn that we drove past: