Wee update

Well, I wrote this massive email to family yesterday and sent it...so if you're family you already got this. But I figured I'd just go ahead and copy and paste this baby on over, for the few people who read this who aren't family. Yup.

We moved in with Darren and Loalee at the very end of February, so we've been here...almost two months, now. I've had a harder time totally un-packing here more than anywhere else, funny enough. I think because I'm still unsure of how long we'll be here, and just like our last place we've moved in somewhere that is completely furnished (though there's much more room here than the last place). Shout out to Mike and Chantale for not seriously bugging us about a lot of our stuff being in their basement. It won't be there forever, I swear! 

Jori loves the space. For those who don't know, the Hatch's built this house with their bare hands about...17 years ago, doing almost all the labor themselves and only hiring out on a few jobs. Maybe I'm exaggerating but I'm always super impressed when hearing about that time. So because of that they have a fair sized house, perfect for visiting family and, in our case, an adventurous toddler. Jori loves the space to run around, and LOVES the pets they have here: two cats (one which I swear doesn't actually live here), three dogs, and four horses. There's also a neighbor dog that started coming over all the time when Millie, their miniature poodle, was in heat, but he--Teebo is his name--and Jori are total partners in crime. Makes me smile-they stick together like glue when he comes over. I just don't smile when they start running down the driveway for the road--booo. That's a constant struggle. Little stinkers. 

I made a school schedule for myself, since the lack of deadlines was a serious detriment to me making any progress toward graduation. If I'd stuck with it perfectly, I would be done on May 4th. Unfortunately, I fell off the wagon a bit this week when the amount I'd hoped to accomplish each day just wasn't happening. Since then, I've revised it so that it's more doable (hopefully), and am now hoping to be totally done with the last of my schoolwork by the end of May rather than the beginning, and then walk in graduation in August (8 months pregnant :) ). The first week I did great and finished my D&C class, so I now only have 7 credits left-3 in each of my two Psychology classes, and a 1 credit temple class that I totally underestimated. Ha.

Our taxes were a nightmare this year, since...long story. Basically I still think Sam's past employers are villians, now. But a friend of a friend who has a Master's in Accounting took pity on us and did them for us, and I was thrilled and surprised to find that we would still be getting a refund back. No idea how that happened but I'm delighted! We're still waiting on those employers to send us the last of what Sam is owed...in five days it will have been two months since Sam's last day. Yeah, they're lame. Another long story and I shouldn't get into it since really...this is a perfect opportunity for me to exercise forgiveness, and I've not been wanting to and just wanting to stay mad at these people. Whatever-the check should be on its way so hopefully we'll be done with it, then.

We sold our '96 Camry! I had mixed feelings. I hated that car in so many ways, but it still got us around the first three years of our marriage. We had thought it would have died long ago so honestly I'm glad we were even able to sell it. And, it went to a guy who knows tons about cars, so I feel happier about that because if it gives him trouble he'll be able to handle it. It was kind of a funny thing that brought all this about, though: Darren, Sam's dad, still had the Camry's title in his name. This was just laziness on our part: they'd paid the insurance on it for us, so we didn't see the need to officially receive the title. Well then their 2001 Chrysler 300M, the transmission went out and their first estimate they received for a repair was like, 2-3000 dollars, which they didn't want to pay. So, they got a 2009 (I think) beautiful blue Lincoln instead, and the Chrysler sat there. I think they'd planned to sell it. Then Darren and Sam got chatting, and got estimates from other places for the repair and it wouldn't cost nearly as much from some of these other places. So basically, the money from the sold Camry paid for the repair on the Chrysler and 6 month's car insurance, and we're now driving that. Eventually we'll buy the title from them, but for now it's our un-official car. Yay! Even being 12 years old it's a lot fancier than our last car, so that's kind of fun. And by fancier, I mean the radio works. :)

As probably all of you know by now, we found out we're having a boy a few weeks ago, too! That was crazy-I went in for my first appointment at my new OBGYN, and there was an ultrasound machine in the room. My doctor was super nice and she asked me if I wanted to take a peek, just since it was there, so I said of course. Then she asked if I wanted to know the gender which I was NOT expecting, but said of course and lo and behold! A boy! For the Hatch side, in case you forgot: in 2011 there were three boys and Jori born on that side, but on my Christensen side Jori was one of four girls born. Well in 2013, our son will be the fourth grandson that year! Crazy. What are the odds of that?! (Ike this is where you can chip in.) 

Jori cute moments: 

We've taught Jori "I'll be right back," to calm her when we have to leave the room but only momentarily. She trusts us now when we say it, so it's a valuable tool to keep her calm when this is necessary. Well a couple weeks back Jori really wanted Sam to go get her a treat, so she was 'ugnn'-ing and tugging at his finger, then she said 'Ahbarighback.' And had a satisfied look, like she'd solved the problem. She was telling him to be right back. With her treats. Chop chop. :) 

She does it herself, too, which is so cute I about die every time. I love when she gets a mission in mind and says that. 'Ahbarighback.' And dashes away. 

She also says "One more," in the same tone we do. Not correctly, of course--she always thinks there will be infinitely more 'one more's.

I guess these are all sayings...she has started saying "I carry you" when she wants you to carry her...which can be hard to resist. This girl is so spoiled. Not for much longer-the larger the belly grows the more difficult it is for me to give in! 

As I said earlier, Teebo and Jori are good pals. I appreciate him for that. I think in age he's equivalent to a teenager, for dogs, so he's very playful still. He's just pain to be around when he's horny. Jori also REALLY loves Twixie, the cat that we do see frequently (since the other I never see). She'll follow her all over, and to her credit she hasn't yet scratched Jori. Jori will also try to lay her head down on Twixie, then she moves, then Jori tries again...it's a sweet little cycle. Silly ladies. 

She's still a little mimic, trying to say just about anything you ask her (and some things you don't! She's said shoot and 'Oh gosh' a few times cause of me...I've gotta be careful with it). The other day at the table she discovered the word cute, but says it 'coot.' She was so pleased with herself and gave this cheesy grin, between saying it over and over. Maybe you had to be there...

Also at the dinner table, she was trying to say "Strawberries" a couple nights ago and instead said "Stabebebebeies? Stabebebeies?" several times. Not even trying to be silly, just decided that's how it was done. :) 

She can be SO sweet. We went to the store yesterday and she got a little treat since she was good, and when she was eating it in the car (unprovoked, mind you!) she said "Day-to, mama! Day-to, mama! Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!" until he responded, then "Day-to, daddy!" (Which is thank you.) Melts my heart. 

Oh, other recent commands are "Come on, mama! Come on, daddy!" or "Let's go!" SO high. Young voices, I'm tellin' ya. They get up there. 

Sam has been diligent in basically the pursuit of our future, for lack of a better way to phrase. He shadowed a couple of different speech pathologists, and has contacted others but a lot of them require a connection to a school program, in order to let people shadow. So Sam will be starting pre-requisite courses for a Master's in Speech and Language Pathology through USU's online program early May, and we hope that will give him the connection needed so he can shadow more professionals and decide for final whether this is a good fit, or not. He's also looking for jobs, mainly in Cache Valley since cost of living is so much lower and we're hoping he'll get into USU's Master's Program, since they have accreditation the other two universities in the state with a program in this (BYU and U of U) don't have. So it'd be nice if we wouldn't have to move again once school started. We'll see how everything works out...basically, if you're curious, these are our only main requirements: he needs a job that would be conducive to him succeeding in school. So like, concrete laying for example, wouldn't work cause it's very hard on the body and he'd be too exhausted to do school too; or an alternating graveyards shift job probably would too. And then it needs to be enough for us to live on. Of course. So the search continues...

besides this, Sam has spent a lot of time in Darren's wood shop lately, which I'm totally pumped about. In case you forgot,

 this is what our dresser looks like now, after we painted it 8ish months ago. Recently, Sam also finished the framing on the doors that I'm turning into headboards (one for us, one for a bro and sis-in-law) so they're ready to be painted, I just need a kick in the fanny. Here's a poor-lighting picture of ours, with the other behind it:

 and the very most recent thing, I showed Sam (and Darren) this picture of a nightstand I found while cruising pinterest and better homes and gardens online: 

 and since then Sam has been cruisin' on their construction, and is almost done! Woot woot! Here's a pic of where they're at right now: 

 woot woot! I'm thrilled. All that's left are the drawers, and then I get to paint them and choose knobs. I've been WAY into all these home organization, renovation and decoration ideas, both for our own stuff and others lately since I'm ridiculously nosy and that's fun for me. Man I'd love to be professional organizer. I think I could really get into that. 

Well there you have it family, the past month for our lil fam. Only took an hour to read. :) Oh, and I cut my hair, about a foot off on my birthday. Forgot to mention that. Shorter suits me much better! I'm a happy camper in that department. 

Well cross your fingers on me finishing school and Sam finding a job. Especially the job--school is probably overrated, but Sam gets really down because of our current situation. I hate that--he shouldn't, he needn't. He's doing all he can and I hate not being able to boost his spirits. So yeah...that'd be great. Love and snuggles, -Ariel