Brad and Courtney: Good News...We're Still Alive!

I realize it's been a good 2 months since I blogged anything substantial. I finished my March "blog every day" challenge and then pretty much dropped off the face of the earth. But let's face it...life can tend to get a little hectic. Sometimes I feel like a jerk saying that I'm so busy, because I know there are people out there way busier than me. Like this mom, who has two children whom she stays at home with all day to entertain and teach AND gets dinner on the table in time for her wonderful hardworking husband when he come home each night. Let me also mention that she has her own photography business and is one of the most thrifty people I've ever met. Or like this mom, who also has two kids at home and finished her college degree at the top of her class and is currently planning a huge move across the world to further her education. Or like this soon-to-be mom, who is going to grad school, working, growing a baby, and taking care of two dogs and four chickens (easier said than done). Or like these parents, who work their tails off, live the gospel much better than I do, and keep their little baby happy and healthy all with smiles on their faces. Oh, and all these previously mentioned individuals take time to blog. Some once a day, some once a week, but all more often than me.

Anyone want to hear how busy I am? Today I woke up at 9:30 and didn't get out of bed until 10:30, had lunch with my husband at 12, started dinner in the crock pot (so hard) around 1, and now I'm writing this long overdue blog post. I know, hard life. But really, my life has only been like this for two days, and I can honestly say I've enjoyed every minute of it.

Want to hear how busy I was before Memorial Day? Probably not, but I'll tell you anyways. Feel free to scroll down to the pictures. I woke up everyday no later than 6am. I got ready for work, made lunches, and started dinner. I dropped Brad off at work at 8 and arrived at the preschool by 8:30 (most days). I worked until 4pm, drove home, and picked up Brad at 4:30. Then I drove another 45 minutes to school to get to class by 5:15. Tuesdays nights I wasn't done until 10:30pm. Every other night I finished at 6:45. Then on Wednesdays I went to Young Women's. On the days I made it home before 9pm, I was working on homework and thinking about how I would feed my husband for the next week when I would hardly see him. Most weekends I had a youth activity to attend or a work meeting to sit through. Only once in a blue moon did I actually get to sleep in until 8 on Saturday mornings. Then on Sundays, we have to be to church by 7:45 for ward council, and we have to each teach lessons. When we got home I finished dinner, or we drove up to the in-laws and came home to yet another thing that had to be done.

My life for the past [school] year has been hectic and more stressful than I could have ever imagined. I was working at a job with a boss who I despised. Harsh words, but true. Many mornings I would cry because I knew she would be at my campus that day, and I just didn't want to go to work. I wanted to avoid her as much as possible. Some of you know the awful things she did and said to me, and some of you don't. Let it suffice it to say that she has no idea how to manage employees. Now that preschool is done, I am so much happier. I really miss the kids, but I'm getting to see them every once in a while which is nice. But I seriously cannot even begin to describe how much better things are that I don't have to deal with a terrible boss. (For those of you wondering what I did about such an awful boss, I'm writing a letter to the school board about her.) So with both of my school years coming to an end, I let the blogging slide a little. Don't worry I've been reprimanded. So prepare for an information overload. Even though our lives have been crazy busy the last two months, we have still made time for some fun things.

April 3 - 10: CRUISE

I promise I will be dedicating a whole post to this one event very soon, but for now...enjoy these pictures.

April 14: We finally finish re-doing an old dresser we bought at a flea market. By "we" I actually mean Brad. I think the extent of my helping was two brush strokes.

Aren't these the nastiest things ever? Gold flowerish handles painted white. I don't know about you, but this was pretty much my dream come true.

April 15: Killer somehow manages to steal a granola bar.

This should be an ad for Nature Valley.

April 15: Still mad that we took her granola bar away, Killer tries to stuff as much as she can in her mouth.

That's a pair of my socks, one of Brad's socks, and a rope. Pretty impressive I must admit. She definitely has a strong personality. She knew we wouldn't like her taking the socks, but as soon as she got the chance she grabbed them. Then she taunted us with them.

April 30: I get new shoes! Think I needed them?

May 2-3: I get flowers from the kids at school during Teacher Appreciation Week.

I feel so appreciated.

May 4: Killer meets her first raccoon and successfully jumps into the river by herself to fetch her ball.

May 6: Our Anniversary!

I just realized (seriously just this second) that I had a post in the making for this, but never published it. I must do that. Stay on the look out. But just so you don't die from sheer wanting, I'll tell you the gifts we got each other. I got Brad (drum roll, please)...a new camera! I know you're saying to yourself, "Wait, didn't she just get him a new camera like not that long ago?" Well, you're right. I got him an underwater camera for his birthday in February. That was a pretty big deal, but this camera is a really big deal. See?

He pretty much LOVES it! I'm trying to learn how to use it too, so maybe the pictures I post on here can start looking a little nicer.
Brad got me this:

A pink breast cancer awareness airplane! No, not really. But I totally need to fly in this plane some day. He actually bought us both tickets to see my best friend Sara in Utah. We went over Memorial Day weekend and it was fabulous, but you'll have to keep reading to find out more details. Because, you see, I'm going in chronological order of everything you missed reading about since I never blogged about it. You've still got three more weeks before Memorial Day comes up.

May 7: Anniversary hike with Killer

I'm printing this picture, framing it, and hanging it in our house. I think it's wonderful.

Fort Mountain State Park, GA.

This is funny.

May 7: later that day on our way home from camping we stopped at Woofstock (a dog party in the park). Killer had a great time and we got lots of free dog stuff.

She got tired of this dog trying to play with her, so she started barking at him.

Sniffing all the smells.

May 9: Jeff's birthday.

Happy Birthday Jeff!

May 11: Killer takes a nap in the laundry basket...the clean laundry basket.

May 15: We spend $522 on new tires. The day before at church we noticed that one of tires was flat. Brad was in a meeting, so the missionaries put on the spare tire. We drove home and decided I would take care of it after work Monday. Monday morning I walk out to the car to go to work and notice that another tire is flat. Long story short, the tires were irreparable, and we had driven on them for 60,000 miles, so we bought new ones.