Ch..ch...changes....

Thurm is done teaching!!! YAY! And I was done on Wednesday. We've been packing and cleaning. We are packing to spend the summer in Idaho. And also for the fall--- because if we stay we'll be moving apartments and if we go we'll be moving towns. So regardless, we'll need to be packed. So our house is half packed and we'll pack the rest in August.

The biggest and only perk (that I can see) of teaching is summers off. That is so cool-- I am SOOO excited to have the summer to hang out with my family, play with our new baby, go hiking and camping. I mentioned to Thurm that potentially I could be done working for the rest of my life. I saw fear creep into his eyes as he realized he might be the only bread winner. Haha : ) I was mostly teasing because I can't see myself being at home after my kids are in school. I'm not really the scrapbooker type.... I don't craft...I don't bottle my own fruit....

Ideally I'd like to have a photography business out my home. I still have a long way to go, but I think after a few lighting seminars I might be able to pull it off. And actually I've gotten quite a bit of professional experience here in Wendover. But I will need to have something to do or I'll go crazy. And it might as well be something that will bring in extra money.

A few women that I go to church with and work with, threw me a baby shower on Wednesday. We got alot of cute stuff, toys, diapers, outfits, blankets, etc. I'm always so impressed by how generous people are. I was talking to my friend and she asked me if we had anything for the baby yet. She told her husband, "Knowing Natalie, she probably doesn't have anything and the baby will be sleeping in a box." Haha-how well she knows me. When we were roommates, I had a mattress on the floor and some lockers I got from the DI and painted red. I just hate collecting material crap and hauling it from apartment to apartment. Having couches(given to us by a neighbor, whom I'm sure felt sorry for us sitting on the floor) and a queen bed is killing me : ) Once we are settled into a house, then I'll buy some furniture. We actually haven't bought the baby anything except a "I Heart NYC" onesie. We are getting alot of hand-me-downs from my sister-in-laws and now we have shower stuff.

Last weekend, a weekend of bordem, Thurm suggested that we watch my DVD's of "Dawson's Creek." I told him I didn't think he'd really like it. Much to my surprise, we've watched almost the entire first two seasons in one week. I think I'm going to get him a "I Heart Dawson's Creek" shirt. We were driving somewhere the other day and out of the blue he says "so tell me what you think about Dawson..." and before he could finish I burst out laughing. Either he is REALLY bored or his snobberies aren't above a little teenage soap opera.

Ana

Man Hands

My feet and hands have been so swollen the last couple weeks. I keep catching glimpses of my man hands and hobbit feet. Not pretty.

Instigator

Somehow I always end up being the leader in whatever cause my fellow co-workers are fighting. In Taiwan, my fellow kindergartner teachers and I felt very strongly about how the secretaries at the school disciplined the kids. Everyone felt really strongly, so I wrote up an email, had the other teachers read/agree with it and sent it. This action pegged me as a trouble maker from the beginning. I guess because I don't like JUST complaining, I want action taken. I can think of two other jobs where I stood up for a righteous (in my mind) cause.

This week I've heard nothing but complaints from the teachers I work with about our housing. The school district provides cheap apartments for the teachers who come here, which is awesome. However, there are lots of things that need to be fixed or maintained. Almost every apartment has a leak, appliance that is broken, bugs & ants, etc. So after listening to everyone complain for 2 days, I asked if anyone had ever gone to the district about it. Nope-its easier just to quietly complain. So I've taken it upon myself to write up a list things that need to be fixed in each apartment and we are sending it into the district tomorrow. I'm a little afraid there might be repercussions or that I might be pegged again as a trouble maker. I'm just trying to help things get done. The good part of this, is that my boss is going to send the email, so maybe my name won't be linked: )

23 days till my due date
10 days till school is over
3 teaching days for Thurm
14 days till we move to Idaho for the summer
3 days till the weekend!
4 hours till bedtime

This is Isabel- she has a softball scholarship to a small college in California. She was beautiful and so easy to photograph.

A few things:

-Thurm suggested we name the baby "Kicky Kickerton."

-One of my 3rd graders noticed my belly for the first time aparently on Thursday and with wide eyes said "WOW THAT IS THE HUGEST BELLY I'VE EVER SEEN!"

-I got a pedicure on Friday and the petite, little Asian pedicurist told me how swollen my feet were and wondered how much weight I've gain in my pregnancy so far. Nice. Alot alright.

-Thurm went to Provo for a state track meet this weekend, so I went and spent the night at my grandma's, who lives in Provo. We sat in the shade on the grass and watched her garden grow. She told me about living during the depression. I took a nap. I balanced her check book. Thurm helped her dig some of her garden. She fed us a TV dinner.

-I have three senior picture sessions lined up for Monday & Tuesday. I am really regretting not charging more.

So far in this pregancy, I think the thing that has thrilled me the most is feeling little feet (or what I think is a foot) push out. One Sunday in church, I could almost reach out and grab it through my belly. Thurm felt his foot the other night and then started playing "this little piggy." He makes me laugh.

The last month has been nothing but track meets for Thurm and baby appointments for me. We have been in SLC every weekend for the last four weeks and will go every weekend until the baby is born. I'm not complaining though. Its alot of gas money, but its fun to have something to do every weekend. I've also been taking lots of photos---senior pictures, dance pictures, day care pictures. If we stay next year, I think I have a small reputation and maybe will get more clients.

Thurm & I took a birth/labor class in SLC at LDS hospital where I deliver. They went over things like real labor vs Braxton Hicks contractions, medicine options, a tour of the hospital labor & delivery wing, lamaze, etc. We probably didn't need to take it, but it was fun and it made the whole process seem less mysterious.

We went to a Real Salt Lake soccer game a few weekends ago. They played L.A., so we got to see David Beckham score two goals. Our team worked so hard to get their goals and then Beckham just seemed to tap the ball in at the precise moment. Though he was on the rival team, the crowd couldn't help but be impressed both times and cheer wildly. I've decided soccer is WAY more fun to watch than alot of sports.

I turned 29 on May 9th and some of my family met us in SLC for dinner. It was really fun to spend some time with my family. We ate at Thaifoons and it was delicious. This year's b-day came and went, however, with not much thought. I went to work, drove to SLC for a baby appointment, met my family for dinner. The thought, "wow, 29!" crossed my mind and that was it. That is an OLD number--it really snuck up on me. I was just 26, how did it jump three years?

More senior photos. Both these girls were natural posers. I love when I don't have to pose people. The one with the white background was at the "Last Chance" dance at the high school. I hated the white and will never use it again--what am I going to do with all that white fabric?

My friend, Megan, designed a these cool logos for me. She has a great eye---megnmemories.blogspot.com
She makes cards, invitations, etc.

I bought some white fabric for a background...I'm not sure if I like it. It sort of has a look of someone's curtains. I asked for Thurm's help to pose for me. He came out of the bedroom in a cowboy get-up. His sense of humor kills me sometimes.

I just found this picture and there is something so cute about it. These cousins couldn't be more different, but somehow get along really great.

Meet McMillian and Cotton Mouth, our fish. They had a rough ride home from Tooele today, so we'll see if they live through the night.


This beautiful tree is blossoming in our backyard! YAY! Life!

More senior photos

Salt Flats

Mountains, sand & sun making a beautiful scene.

Salt Lake Marathon 2008

Thurm ran his first marathon this last weekend! He did great. This is a picture of him at the finish line.

Thurm and another teacher, Carlos at the starting line.


2,000 marathon runners.


Sunrise at Sugarhouse Park


14 mile mark--as you can see, he is still in good spirits.


20 mile mark--hitting the wall.

How could you not love Bono?

Differences.
Sure Thurm & I seem pretty different from an outsiders view. In public, I am a conversationalist and Thurm can barely squeak out a yes or no. But really, when its just the two of us, we couldn't get along more perfectly. We see eye to eye on pretty much everything. We like alot of the same things. We spend all our time together doing stuff we both enjoy. We can talk and talk about everything. But I've found how we are truly different:

He hates Bono. I don't know how this is possible. How could you not love Bono? He has put out great music for three decades. He has an Irish accent. He uses his money and fame to help the world's poor and afflicted. He's a family man. He's religious. You never see him on the red carpet. I know hardly anything about his personal life. He wrote "With or without you." What's not to love? This baffles me.

Senior Pictures

I got Photoshop Elements 6 for Mac a few weeks ago and I'm pretty disappointed. It doesn't have some of the features that Elements 6 for PC has. And I didn't realize how much it couldn't do compared to the full Photoshop. I've still been using my iPhoto to do all my editing because it goes so much faster than photoshop. It was $400 cheaper, but I'm sort of regretting my purchase. I think I need to figure out a better process so that using Elements will go faster, but right now its a pain.

Anyway- these are some senior photos I've taken the last couple weeks. I don't think they are fantastic, but they are probably better than the school photos they are used to getting.