I feel like I have so much to say, and absolutely no clue how to say any of it.

Maybe that's why I never blog anymore.

candles

Last week I turned 24. I'm still having a hard time absorbing that. Cognitively, I know that 24 is still actually quite young, and that I have my whole life ahead of me. I guess my problem is, to be honest, I feel like I'm 19 or 20. Nevermind the fact that I'm married and I've been through college, etc etc. I do not feel 24. Maybe it's because I spend so much time around kids. Maybe it's because the last five or six years of my life have been so crazy that my brain hasn't really processed the time. I don't know. But the calendar says I'm 24, so I guess I'll believe it.

I am definitely not one to get worked up about birthdays. I think the last birthday party I had was when I was 13. I always do something fun or enjoyable on August 18, but I feel no compelling reason to 'celebrate' me. That being said, this year I did feel the drive to look back at my past birthdays:

One year ago: I hadn't ever broken a bone. I just completed my first season of camp. I didn't know whether I would have a year-round job.

Two years ago: We were living in Arizona (in a hotel actually). Ahhh, Arizona. We were in the midst of a very unsuccessful house hunt at the time, we only had one little puppy, and Travis was just starting at Midwestern.

Three years ago: Taking summer courses, getting ready to start our last year of college, just the two of us living in a small apartment with no air conditioning. Our first year of marriage.

Four years ago: My first birthday with Travis. I was working at Musco, living in my apartment in Osky. Travis and I had been dating all summer, but weren't engaged yet. Getting ready for a big change in our lives.

Five years ago: I was single and working at theatre camp, where I was directing my future camp counselors.

Ten years ago: Getting ready to start ninth grade. Nowadays that would be high school, but when I was in school, it was still junior high. Just a few months before my sweet puppy April passed away, before we moved to our new house, and before the illness that changed my life.

Fifteen years ago: Going into fourth grade. Just starting piano lessons, and taking up the violin. Two very influential decisions of my young life.

Twenty years ago: Splitting my day between Jack and Jill preschool and my mom's daycare. Life was good.

Twenty-four years ago: After years of hoping, John and Diane Ottosson welcomed a baby girl at St. Vincent's hospital in Indianapolis on Tuesday, August 18 at 12:12 p.m., after a grueling 14 hours in the hospital.

....yeah, now I feel old. =)

Wide-eyed wonder

Working with children all day (every day) has its obvious pros and cons. There are times when dealing with the younger ones is extremely tiring and frustrating ("Can you tie my shoe?" "Is it time for lunch yet?" "She cheated!" "Someone poked me!")....having 30 kids constantly talking to you like this gets overwhelming.

That being said, there are several of my kids that I love to pieces, and I know I'm going to be crying (or sobbing) at the end of this week when camp is over and I no longer get to see them everyday. ...like I said, pros and cons.

The things that come out of these kids' mouths are some of the funniest things I've ever heard in my life. The kids that come through our program are so energetic and enthusiastic, and haven't yet learned the concept of thinking before they speak. I don't know if I've ever been so entertained.

I tell my counselors a lot that life is so much better after high school - which it is. The freedoms that come with 'adulthood' are wonderful, and I would never go back to high school. At the same time...I look around at these kids at camp and think....what I wouldn't give to be 10 years old. When meeting Justin Beiber is your life's dream (or Justin Timberlake, as was my case)...when your biggest concern in the world is whether the 11-year-old across the table told his friend that he thinks you're cute...when you fall down, get hurt and cry for two minutes, then jump right back up and start running around again...when you're so excited because you found a quarter on the floor and your director said you could keep it....

Everything they do is with this wide-eyed wonder. Even our older kids that have been doing this for a while...the happiness in them, their fun and their spirit and their light-hearted nature...it makes my heart swell and ache at the same time. They're not weighed down by jobs, debts, family troubles....and the pitfalls of life. They're just...light. Happy. Unburdened.

It's beautiful.

Maybe it's because they haven't actually experienced "life" yet. Maybe it's because they're too young to understand. ...I'm not sure. What will they be like when they grow up? I hope they're just as happy. Unfortunately, I think a lot of the time, we tell kids it's time to grow up, and what we mean is "get serious" "stop goofing off" "no more footloose and fancy free" etc etc.

But I think the only way we can deal with life [happily] is to not take it too seriously. How much happier would everyone be if we dealt with every trial, every debt, every demotion, the same way a seven-year-old deals with a scraped knee? ...cry about it for a minute, put on a bandaid and up you go! Within minutes it's all but forgotten.

I love my kids. And watching them every day....I pray that they'll always be as happy and carefree as they are right now. I also pray that I can have the strength and the wisdom to be more like them. To let the bad things roll off in a matter of seconds, and to just enjoy the good - to have fun and be silly and just not worry so much. We can take responsibility as we grow older without losing the child inside of us. In a society that's so cynical, it takes a lot of work, but I truly believe it can be done. I'm not there yet, by any stretch of the imagination...but I want to be. I'm trying to be.

We always talk about how our children need to learn from us...and they do. They absolutely do. ...but we need to learn from the children as well. Look at us. Look at them. Who's happier? ...Maybe they've got the right idea.

Theodore Geisel [also known as Dr. Seuss] once said "Adults are just obsolete children - and to hell with them."

I agree.

magic

Roald Dahl said the following:

"And above all, watch with glittering eyes the world around you, because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don't believe in magic will never find it."

I believe. And I'll never stop searching. I hope you don't either.

A peek at my week...

It's every girl's dream to grow up to become a princess, right? ;)





This week was really long (code word for frustrating) in a lot of ways, but....I have to say, this was the most fun I've had with any of my little onstage things I've done with camp. (For those who are wondering, we did Chronicles of Narnia this week, and my staff and I were the grown-up versions of the kids). It started out as a joke, but the kids loved the idea of us being them...so we went with it! Too fun!

We only have three weeks of camp left, which is insane! Maybe I'll get to breathe a month from now. Maybe.

Update...?

Well...I don't have much time today, so I'll leave you with two thoughts:


Camp is rocking.


Money sucks.




This coming week is my week off, so hopefully I'll be able to say something with a little more substance soon.

Till then!

what do i say?

I'm always really perplexed when it comes to this blog....I feel the desire to write quite often (apparently I just like listening to myself ramble), but I never really know what to write about, or what others would have any desire to read.

So many of my friends write about the fun things they do with their kids, which is GREAT, and I love hearing all the funny stories, but...obviously I don't have kids, so that's out. And I've tried writing about some of my 'family happenings,'...but I guess I just feel like I'm a really boring person in that respect. =]

And I don't want to be someone who just goes to her blog when she wants to vent and complain because, even though it's really therapeutic, it just makes me seem angry and depressed. =P

Plus, I don't want to bother everyone with my drama! We all have enough of our own!

And that leaves me in blogging limbo...I try to think of really important/thought-provoking things to discuss or comment on, but I'm rarely inspired that way. Which may be part of why I don't update very often.

So I suppose I'm here now trying to define what this blog is for me....and I guess I'm still not sure. I think the best description is a potpourri of my thoughts, opinions, events, and the occasional left-field comment.

I'm going to try to not take this blog so seriously, I think...I'll still have those meaningful, philosophical posts, because I can't help it; it's just who I am. But I'm going to remind myself that every post doesn't have to be like that...I think I'll worry less about being insightful and more about just making sure everyone gets a regular splash of Katy in their lives. =]

Hope you enjoy!

chasing the happy

...here I am, 3:30 a.m. at my in-laws, laying on a recliner while everyone else is asleep. I've got Bourne in the dvd player, but I am just not feeling it. And I really want to blog, but I don't have anything important to write about...

So I get on facebook, the ruler of time-wasters that I am eternally addicted to. And pretty soon I come across something that inspires me to write.

Now, I'm really worried about some people taking this the wrong way. So please, hear me out.

I have a friend that has the following as the one and only quote listed under 'favorite quotations' on his profile:

"What do we do, now that we're happy?"

I've actually come across this quote of his a lot as I'm randomly stalking people on the social network, and it always makes me stop and think. Depending on my mood, I sometimes find this a very cynical way of looking at life...but mostly I find it a very provocative line of thought.

Again, please don't get me wrong. I believe that everyone should be happy. Not just sometime down the road, but right. now. If you're not happy, change something. One of the many reasons that we are on this earth and in this life is to find happiness....so find yours. You should always, always, ALWAYS, have happiness in your life.

My point perhaps is that, at least in my own personal experience and the experiences of my friends, even if in the overall scheme of your life, you're blissfully, overwhelmingly happy, there's always something that you might prefer to be a little bit....improved....in your life. Whether it's in relationships, personal or family goals, spiritual needs, financial aspects, career or educational ambitions, 'bucket list' fulfillments...there's always something that could be better.

Say it that way, and it sounds as though we're ungrateful for what we have. And there are certainly people out there that are. That's not how I prefer to see it, though. This is where my brain goes (and maybe I'm crazy, but you're reading this, so that means you're at least somewhat interested in my opinion):

Our lives are, in great part, overwhelmingly motivated by our desires to achieve the aforementioned goals that we have. ...Try to imagine your life if you literally, without exception, had every. single. thing. that you wanted. Maybe you think that'd be great. I think...I wouldn't know what to do with myself.

Life is meant to bring us happiness. But it's not meant to be paradise. It certainly sounds wonderful to be satisfied in every aspect of your life, but then....what's the point? To continue to grow and develop as human beings, we need to be reaching for something, working at something, trying to become better people or doing better things. If we suddenly had every single thing that we wanted, we would become complacent, stagnant.

That's not a life I want, even if I dream of, well...all my dreams coming true. I'm of the opinion that it's very difficult (if not impossible) to be an outstanding person if you are a complacent one. And think about it: have you ever known someone who truly had everything they wanted (and reach beyond all the superficial things here. I, for one, have never known someone who wanted for nothing).

Throughout all the joys and triumphs of our lives (and especially through the trials and heartache), we should be continually striving for more. Not ungratefully, but hopefully, eagerly.

So what am I saying, that we should be enjoying the long, hard path to what we're searching for? Ideally, yes. But that is, in fact, an ideal. I think the more important factor is that we just recognize that we're not failing because we don't have everything, we don't do everything, we haven't achieved everything we wanted to. We should all have something to work toward. And hopefully we all have something that makes us extremely happy as we continue to reach for more of our dreams.

So I'll ask it again: "What do we do, now that we're happy?"

I'll let you know when I find out.

frustration

After seven long weeks I've finally been given the okay to slowly begin walking. And by slowly I mean something like this: With crutches, try walking with both legs for five minutes, three times a day. Then build up to 10 minutes each time. Then 15. Then try five minutes without my crutches....

This is good news! So why am I not happy? Siiiigh. I feel like I should be really excited or relieved that I'm making progress, that I should be thanking my lucky stars that I'm not going into the hospital four times a week for physical therapy (or that I was never staying in the hospital at all, for that matter). But I'm not.

Listening to my doctor recite my walking regimen, I could just feel myself get more and more discouraged. "Five minutes, 10 minutes, 15 minutes. Three times a day, four times a day, five times." I think my smile faltered a little with each increment.

I don't really know why - you'd think if I was going to be discouraged it would've been when I first fell and found out I wouldn't be able to walk. As I'm thinking about it now, I think I was so wrapped up in everything else that was going on (i.e. the fact that I still had two shows to put on in the next three days), that this whole not-walking thing took a backseat. I know that sounds crazy, and somewhat impossible for that to not be the center of my attention, but....you'll just have to trust me that it wasn't.

And then after the shows...I think the last seven weeks I've done a really good job of not wallowing in self-pity. I think it might be because I've known a lot of people who just blow their own problems way out of proportion and milk them for all the sympathy and perks they can get, and that always drives me crazy. I was determined not to be one of those people. So I tried to go about my day as normally as possible (which, really, became a completely different day than normal, but I still tried to function) and not broadcast my situation to anyone within earshot. I was happy to find I did a good job with that part when just yesterday a cousin of mine noticed on facebook that someone posted asking how I was doing, and she (the cousin) wondered what was going on. That made me smile. I don't know why, really. But I was not going to be one of those people complaining about all their problems on facebook, so I was pleased to know I had kept that promise to myself.

Sorry, that was a bit of a tangent. The people I have interacted with over the last several weeks have been so sympathetic and kind. And they always say "Oh, that must be so awful" or "How terrible, you must be miserable!" ...and I've always responded by just saying that it could have been so much worse. Which it could have, no question. But I think I was more just trying to deflect the question about how I was dealing with it.

Again, I think I've handled this really well. Being on 'bed rest' for three weeks. Sleeping in a recliner. Not being able to use my own bedroom or bathroom or desk. Not being able to drive. Going out in public in a wheelchair. Not to mention the pain. Which, now that I bring it up, was and continues to be intense. But that's not my point.

Maybe last week's experience at the theatre just wore my patience thin, maybe it's the fact that summer camp is only four weeks away but...I'm just done with it now. I guess I've worn out all my tolerance for this situation. Which is why, I suppose, now that I've actually got 'good news,' I'm nothing but irritated. Part of me wants to smack myself upside the head for being frustrated, but....I think I've just decided that at some point during this process, I'm entitled to be mad, and if I want to save it till the end, then that's completely fine. Heh. So that's what I'm doing!

I'll just hope that as I starting 'walking' and actually make some progress I'll get more encouraged. I think that's quite likely. It's also quite likely that I'll just be irritated that I can't run from the stage to the booth in ten seconds. Oh well....

But now, the real downside of being cleared to start walking?

No more motorized scooters at the stores. -_-

a busy week

This past week was a busy one for us! Now that I've been taken off bed rest, I've been trying to go out and about more often. Part of that included heading up to Des Moines to visit Travis's family (we haven't been able to see them since my fall). Of the last eight days, we spent four of them in Des Moines, and it was an awful lot of fun.

Part of our time up there consisted of redoing the family's living room! I had been asked by Travis's dad to spruce up/makeover the main floor of their house, and we started with the front room. We actually got all the work done while Travis's parents were out of town over the weekend, which put us on a REALLY tight deadline, but it was a lot of fun, and really rewarding. This wasn't a complete overhaul - no new furniture or decorations, but I still think it's a dramatic change and am really happy with the results (and more importantly - so is the family!). So, here are the before shots:

And....here are the after shots (with accompanying cute puppies....you'll see)....voila!

Pretty nice, eh? It's amazing what a fresh coat of paint and new drapes can do! Taking down the wallpaper was definitely the worst of the project, but it was all fun once we started painting. I did almost all of that too, which was really nice - it's not often nowadays that I'm able to feel really productive. I did a lot of it from my wheelchair and the rest by standing on one leg, supporting myself with my left arm and painting with my right. Ha! A little tricky but I managed! Clearing out some excess accessories and switching out some furniture pieces also made a HUGE difference. This was a lot of fun for me, and I'm looking forward to starting on a new room this weekend! Woooo!

And as if those intense two and a half days weren't enough, we saw Les Miserables in Omaha on Saturday! Omaha is a three hour drive (one way) for us, so couple that with 3+ hours in the theatre as well as the drive back, and you can imagine I was pretty uncomfortable....I also had an extremely negative experience with the theatre staff...you'd think they'd never had anyone in a wheelchair come to their venue before. All I wanted to do was find a restroom before the show started - we talked to three different ushers, none of whom knew where to send me and they kept shuffling me around. Finally they sent me to the basement to an "accessible" room....which had two pull-open doors - if I had been by myself I never would have been able to get in. Then when we entered the auditorium, there were stairs to get down to my seat. We had called ahead to make sure I would be able to access my seat, and we were assured it would be no problem. They were about to just stick me in my wheelchair way in the back, separate from my family, when they decided I could enter through a different door, wheel all the way down to the front by the stage, and then come back up to my seat. When we tried to go through that other door, we were almost denied access because it was getting close to starting time. And I was close to tears. I'm not sure I've ever been so frustrated and, quite frankly, humiliated (although I do realize that they're the ones who should feel badly, not me). I've never had a worse experience with customer service.

All that being said, the show was wonderful. The music is beautiful and all the actors did an incredible job. Even with the pain and nuisance, I'm very glad we went!

Now I'm just trying to recuperate before the next weekend! Things are starting to really pick up again - it hit me today that camp starts in exactly five weeks, which has me feeling quite overwhelmed (particularly because I'm still in a wheelchair). My last visit to the doctor left me really disappointed, but I'm getting another x-ray in a week, so I'm hoping for better news then. Fingers crossed! I can't be wheeling around the auditorium all summer long!

my list

Everyone has a 'bucket list,' right? For some reason, I don't really like calling it that, but I have been slowly creating a list of my own. And I feel like sharing (or at least part of it; it's pretty lengthy). Some of the items are big, lofty goals, and others are pretty small things - but they're all things that I'd like to do at some point in my life.

Enjoy! And, if you don't already have your own life list, I highly suggest you start one! It's a fun exercise, and I think it really helps you realize what's important to you and what you want from life (even subconsciously, perhaps)...

1. See Billy Joel live in concert (I love the Piano Man!)
2. Visit Sweden (My father was born there; I've always wanted to go.)
3. Live in New York City
4. Write a novel
5. Go to Disney World (That's right, I've never been.)
6. Learn to ski
7. Learn to play tennis WELL (I've got the basics, but I want to become a good player, and then Travis and I will have a way to be active together when we're old and wrinkly. =] )
8. Act again (I'm obviously heavily involved with theatre, but I really do miss acting. Directing is wonderful, but at some point, I want to get back on the stage.)
9. Break 200 in bowling (I haven't bowled for years now, but when I was a teenager I bowled a 193. I'm determined to break that barrier!)
10. Go horseback riding (again) (I went once when I was very young and my horse was being led by an instructor. Ha! I want to really ride.)
11. Learn to ice skate (Yet another ordinary thing that I have never done.)
12. Take up yoga (I've dabbled in it a little, and what I've done I've really enjoy. I want to do more.)
13. Learn to play the harp (I think that would be amazing. And with my string and piano training, I think I've got a head start!)
14. Teach piano lessons (One day, when I'm staying home with kids, I will.)
15. Self-teach the viola (I really loved playing the violin, but if I were to do it all over again, I'd play the viola.)
16. Raise a family (My most important goal.)
17. Learn to really play chess (I've beaten Travis a few times, but I think that was just pure luck!)
18. Become a photographer (I am fascinated by good photography. Not just pictures. Beautiful art that captures a moment in time and shows us something we didn't see before. That's the kind of photographer I want to be.)
19. Release feelings of inadequacy (A lifelong struggle for so many of us.)
20. Buy something from Bloomingdales (Just because!)
21. Have a second honeymoon
22. Be actively passionate about a cause (I'm not sure what it will be yet. But I'm determined to find some service project/cause that touches my soul, and then do something about it.)
23. Be informed and politically involved
24. Go to the Super Bowl (I'm just now becoming a big football fan, but for some reason, it's something I really want to do.)
25. Find The 3 Tomatoes's baked mac and cheese recipe (You may think I'm crazy, but that may be the best food I've ever eaten, and now the restaurant has closed down. But somehow, I'm determined to find it!)
26. Have a (virgin) cocktail party (For funsies!)
27. See a psychic (I don't know why.)
28. Visit Katy, Texas (Yes, there is such a place. Awesome.)
29. Taste fresh pineapple from the Dole plantation (I love fresh pineapple. That is like the Holy Grail of pineapple.)
30. Flip a house
31. Spend months living in foreign countries (Travis and I want to do something like this - go to Europe for a total of about two years; spend 3 months in Italy, 3 in Spain, 3 in France, 3 in Germany, etc. That way we really get to know the area and live more like locals, rather than just spending a week and only doing the touristy things.)

And there you have it! That's my list! Now to get moving...

once again

Hello, blogger world. Oh how I've missed you.

I truly enjoy blogging. I heard somewhere recently that 'blogging is cheaper than therapy.' That little catchphrase is meant to be funny, I'm sure, but there's a certain amount of truth to it. Not only do I blog to keep people updated on my life, but also often to vent my frustrations, dream about my ambitions, and muse about life in general. I like writing, talking, and telling stories. And this is my perfect way to do it without annoying anyone. =]

Which is why, as I said already, I truly have missed this. My job has kept me unimaginably busy for months on end, forcing my hiatus from blogging. Fortunately though, I have a little downtime now, so I'm making it a priority to catch up on my life here (this entry will be pretty short and sweet, and it's really just to get me going again).

Now, I have this downtime for two reasons. The first is because we just wrapped our last performances of the school year and are now in preparations for summer camp (which does actually keep me extremely busy as well, but not as much so as being in session). But the main reason I'm actually able to sit down and write regularly is because I'm on bed rest. And I'm on bed rest because I broke my pelvis the week of the show by falling off the stage 8 feet down into the concrete orchestra pit below. It was quite the event. More on that later.

I'm not very good at bed rest - I've been going pretty crazy not leaving the house, and I simply cannot stay in bed. But I'm finding ways to occupy myself that are pretty low-key. In addition to planning camp, I've learning how to sew. It's something I've always wanted to do, and I'm taking to it quite well, if I do say so myself. I've already made a fabulous little dress and am finishing up a skirt this week. Sometime soon I'll post photos.

So now I'm looking forward to using this time off to get back to something I truly enjoy - writing about my life, thoughts and feelings. I hope you enjoy it too.

I'll talk to you soon...

dreams

Wow. I'm finally back.

Life has calmed down some since the summer ended and I was never updating the blog, but now I've started up an after-school program that keeps me from ever updating my blog. Oh well.

I absolutely love my job, even though it can be quite frustrating at times. It's what I love to do, and I must be somewhat good at it, because we're having more success now than the program has ever had before, which is obviously a good feeling.

And I love, love, my kids. They are amazing. It's like I suddenly just got 30 new little brothers and sisters; and they're all so smart and funny and talented...just good, good kids. It's great.

This week, the auditorium I work for brought in a one-man show called Runt of the Litter, which stars former NFL safety Bo Eason. His main performance was Saturday, but he was here all week going around and talking to students at different elementary schools, high schools, colleges and whatnot. The focus of his shows is, in my own opinion anyway, making your dreams come true.

His show is based on his own life. He was a scrawny little kid who had an extremely talented older brother that outshined him constantly. One day, little 9-year-old Bo decided he wanted to play in the NFL, and he drew up a plan on how he was going to get there. And for the next fifteen years he followed that plan...and guess what? He got there. He was the first safety picked in the NFL draft the year he graduated from college.

Anyway. Bo also came to talk to my two groups of Stage Academy (my middle schoolers and elementary schoolers meet separately during the year). They were all in complete awe of him, which was fun to see, and he was so good with them, and so encouraging of what they're doing.

At one point, he said there are three things you need to do to be able to realize your dreams. And here they are:

1) You have to have a dream. This one made me stop and think for a minute. How many people don't really know what they want to do with their lives? How many people are just floating around, or wind up in a job they don't' really care about, because they don't know WHAT they want? Far too many. I was one for a while.

My own opinion is that not everybody may know what they want to do, but everybody has something that they LOVE. And I guarantee you'll be a lot happier in life doing something that you LOVE than something that you're only lukewarm about. So start with that. Figure out what you love.

2) You have to have a plan. This is where I think a lot of people lose sight of their dreams. They say something in a idealistic way, like "Oh, I'd love to be an actress," or "I'd like to travel the world someday." And these are things that they really want to do. But they never DO anything about them. You can't just say you want to do something, and *POOF* have it happen.

At the same time, there's absolutely no reason to think that you can't have your lofty dreams fulfilled, either. I used to think that nobody really lived their dreams. That that was more of a fairy tale, that it didn't really happen to normal people. But it can. If you're willing to put in the work. You determine what happens to your life. Act. Don't be acted upon.

And finally,

3) You have to surround yourself with people who see greatness in you. A support system. So when you get discouraged, like everybody does, it doesn't mean the end of the road. You have people to help you back up when you fall.

I love that when he's talking to these groups, he never once mentions a need for talent or skill. ....

Sure, talent helps. But you can have all the talent in the world, and if you don't do anything with it...what good is it to you or anybody else? But if you have a dream, if you have the drive, you can make it happen. Whatever you want. I truly believe that now. The world has enough mediocrity, now more than ever. We need to people with dreams, with passion. Find yours.

Bo asked my kids how many of them wanted to go on to do theatre as a career, and several of them raised their hands high in the air. That made me so happy.

Not just because it's something that I love. But because I'm helping them on the road to their dreams, while at the same time fulfilling my own.

Now that's what I'd call a win-win situation.

M.I.A

...I can't believe it's actually been over two months since I've posted! And, unfortunately, this post is going to be pretty short. I just wanted to update everyone that I am, in fact, alive.

Travis and I had a WONDERFUL trip to New York at the end of May, and I'm still pining for the big city. I've posted probably about 200 photos to my facebook page, for those that are interested.

A week after we got back from our trip, summer theatre camp started, and that's why I've been MIA. I absolutely love my job, and it's going fantasticly, but it keeps me SUPER busy. We're talking 60 hours a week, minimum.

Even with the crazy hours, though, I couldn't be happier with what I get to do. I've got the two best counselors I could ask for, and I'm doing what I love. We've got some fabulous kids at camp, and it's been so fun to get to know them.

We've completed three weeks of camp, and so far our plays have been Sideways Stories from Wayside School, Toy Story, and Witnesses (which was a wacky whodunnit show where each witness's account of the event - a hold-up at a lemonade stand - got zanier and zanier). The shows have been hilarious, and I'm always so impressed with what the kids can do. I'm excited for the next six weeks of camp!

If you're at all interested in seeing a few photos from camp, you can go to the program's blog/website - www.dailyyouththeatre.com. I update that much more than I update my own blog right now.

I'll do my best to keep up here!

home

...and, three and a half weeks later, I'm back.

Goodness.

A quick update that we have officially returned to Oskaloosa, for those that don't yet know. We actually headed back less than a week after my last post (which was much earlier than people were expecting - only our parents knew that we were coming so soon). It was fun to be able to surprise everyone, and we're adjusting very easily to being back in Iowa.

But enough with that. =] What I'm really excited to talk about is my new job.

I'm back at the George Daily Auditorium in Oskaloosa (this is huge for me, by the way)! I could not be more thrilled.

[Again, for those that don't know, the Daily is a "state-of-the-art" (I put the quotes there because I think that phrase is kind of funny, but everyone uses it, so I shall too) auditorium in the middle of little Oskaloosa that brings in the same professional shows that tour all the major venues across the country. For example, earlier this week I was privileged enough to work Cabaret, and in the past I've done shows like Fame, Grease and Man of La Mancha. Fantastic. This is also the same auditorium where I performed all of my plays, concerts, etc during high school, and where I previously ran the summer theatre camp program. Up to speed now? Good.]

Around the time of all the med school decisions, I was discussing with Travis how very much I missed theatre. It really is my passion. You know how some people have that drive, that love, that attachment for something? You can just see it in their eyes, when they're doing what they love...they're complete. That's what theatre is for me. It's a part of me, and I've been dying to get it back.

We'll skip through the specifics of the process but, to sum up, the auditorium's current children's theatre director was leaving, and after expressing interest, they offered me the position. I'm ecstatic. What makes it even better is that I was able to select two of my favorite people to be my counselors this summer. Huzzah!

The camp starts as soon as school gets out, and runs basically until school starts back up again in August. It's for kids in the area who are 7-15 years old, and it runs Monday - Friday from 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Kids sign up for one week at a time (but they can come as much as they want - last time I did this I had two kids that were there every week all summer long). Besides playing fun games and teaching kids about both acting and the technical side of theatre, my counselors and I write a script for the kids on Monday night, and by Friday they're putting on a half-hour performance for the parents and friends! It's amazing what these kids can do. It's a really stellar program, and so much fun.

Last time I did the camp (four years ago now - wow), there was a group of about half a dozen kids or so that I got to be really close with, and I was able to see them shortly after getting back to Oskaloosa. It was so fun to catch up, and I was even happier that they all were saying they wanted to somehow be involved this summer now that I was back (talk about an ego boost, huh?). After doing some brainstorming (as these kids are now 16 & 17 and too old for the camp), we've decided we're going to have an evening program for high-school-aged kids that lasts throughout the summer, where they'll be putting on a full-length play. They're also going to be building their own sets, hanging their own lights, everything. I'm so excited about this! I seriously get to play all summer long, do what I absolutely love, with people I absolutely love, and get paid to do it. Amazing.

I'm already at work planning camp and its promotions, which just has me so excited (why can't it be June already??). I also got back in town just in time for the auditorium's last professional show of the season, Cabaret, as I mentioned earlier. It felt so good to be back in the auditorium, on the catwalk, hanging lights...I can't say it enough - I love it. I'm home. I absolutely loved Arizona, and I certainly miss it. But this is what I need to be doing right now, and it's working out beautifully for Travis as well (he gets to start school in just over a month - yay!).

more changes...

Sorry for the delay there! The last couple of weeks have been truly insane (and we thought that things would calm down after Travis stopped medical school!). But this time it's been a good insane.

We made a quick trip up to Utah to visit my cousin Codie before he enters the MTC (this week!). I can't believe he's old enough to go on a mission! Wow. He's going to Mexico, and I know he's going to be awesome, so here's to Codie! =]

As for the next crazy step in our lives, here it is...we're moving back to Iowa. More specifically, Oskaloosa.

What?

This was not something I ever (mind you, I really mean it when I say this), ever expected to do. I was happy with my upbringing, but I've always been a big city girl, and absolutely despised the weather, too. Especially after we fell in love with Arizona so much, we never imagined that we would leave it (particularly so soon).

BUT. Once Travis started looking into nursing programs, we realized that all of the programs here in the valley had a waiting list. A long one. As in, a minimum of one year. Ugh.

That being said, we were still planning on staying here, and Travis would just work for that one year. Simple enough, yes?

Then, for completely unrelated reasons that I will at some later point reveal, we started looking at the Indian Hills program near Oskaloosa. Just to see. And we found out that there was, in fact, no waiting list for their program. He can start June 1. That's only two months away!

We were a little shell-shocked. Was this divine intervention leading us back to Iowa? We didn't know what to make of it. But the pieces were just falling into place too quickly and too perfectly for it to not mean something.

So. We prayed and talked and prayed and talked. And we're moving to Oskaloosa! Wow. The both of us are extremely excited about this too, which is also a sign to us. We figure we're feeling this way for a reason. =]

So what of the house? We're in talks of either renting or selling it. And we'll see how that goes. But everything has worked out so well for us this far...we have complete faith that this will work out too. We'll be living with my parents until we get this house squared away, which will be fun. We're excited to be back near both of our families, and to see all of Travis's siblings' sporting events and concerts (there are two still at home, and one will be attending UNI next year and playing rugby). Hooray!

Oh, and another part of our motivation came from the fact that I have landed my perfect job. Really! I can't even begin to express how excited I am! BUT. I'm not sure if I can really make it public news or not yet, so I'll have to keep you waiting! It's worth its own post anyway. =]

Until then!

crazy...

Oh goodness me. It's been a solid...two and a half months since I last wrote. I've thought to myself several times that I should get on here and update, but I obviously was never motivated enough to do so. Until now. =]

It has been a whirlwind few months for our little family. In a somewhat traumatic, ultimately very good way. A few very major things have happened...and even bigger things are in the very near future.

Where to begin? I'll suppose I'll just tackle them one at a time, post by post.

So, the bomb? Travis is no longer in med school (before anyone gasps in shock and dismay, please note: this is a good thing). I don't think I'll worry too much over the details here, but expect something on my other blog in the next few days. What is important to know, though, is that this was a very carefully considered decision, and one with which we're very comfortable. Something else important (that I want people to know)? This isn't because it was too much for him. He was doing just fine with the coursework. This decision was based entirely on different factors. And we're very much at peace with the new direction our life is taking.

When making the decision to withdraw, we obviously had to figure out what career path Travis would pursue instead. Because he does still have a great interest in medicine, he's decided to pursue nursing. He'll do a two-year program to get his RN, and then, because he's already got his bachelor's degree, he'll be able to go right into getting his master's. Fortunately, most master's programs are offered online, so he can work while he does it. He'll get to his career sooner than he would have as a doctor, certainly be making more money sooner (without anywhere near as much debt), and, most importantly, he'll still be able to spend time with our family.

Short and sweet, eh? In my next post, I'll discuss the even crazier decisions that have been made in the last week. Our heads are spinning right now, but we're both happier than either of us has been in a long time (and that's saying something!).

december's done

It seems like December is always a busy month for everyone. I'm sure that's mostly to do with the holidays and vacation time, but there's always something else going on too.

For us, there were three main things that dominated our December, so I'll focus on those.

First, of course, was the house. Omigosh. I already updated you on a lot of that, so I won't have to do a full run down now. Which is good, quite frankly, because I don't think I have the energy for it (and I don't think you want to hear me complain anymore, either!)!

We were told we absolutely would be able to close the week of Christmas. And we almost did. We actually went to the title company Christmas Eve morning to sign the paperwork, hoping to get access to the house that day (the office, by the way, is pretty far south in Mesa, so it was an hour drive. Not a huge deal, but not exactly convenient either). When we started going over paperwork with the escrow officer, I noticed that our bank (who else?) had the property address wrong. I mentioned it, not sure whether it was really that important.

It was.

The escrow officer (poor dear. It wasn't even her file; she was just filling in for someone else who was already on vacation) called Wells Fargo just to check, and they said that they would have to print out all new documents. The biggest problem? Travis's dad is cosigning the loan, and he has to sign the same documents that we do. Which meant that instead of getting everything done that day, we had to overnight them to him in Iowa again, and he would have to send them right back (again). And with the holidays, that wouldn't all be finished up until  Monday or Tuesday (another four or five days).

The bank made new documents right away and emailed them to the escrow officer, so we could at least sign them since we were already there. When the new documents came through, they had Travis's dad listed on the deed as well, which he wasn't supposed to be on. When we called the bank again, they said he had to be on it (...but he hadn't been on it the first time around!). Wow. So we were calling everyone we could think of (at 11:45 on Christmas Eve morning...when everyone was either already closed down, or 15 minutes away from it) trying to get this figured out before the holidays.

Eventually, we did. And we signed our part and went home and tried to not worry about it so that we could have our little Christmas.

Which, by the way, was wonderful! We decided that our Christmas Eve tradition was going to be making homemade pizza (we thought it would be nice to actually have the whole family cooking together, rather than the mom slaving away in the kitchen all day!).

So we made one regular pizza and one lobster pizza (see above). I know it sounds strange, but Red Lobster makes it, and we've always been intrigued, so we decided to make our own. And it was fabulous! We'll definitely be making it again (we also made an apple dessert pizza later that evening). Yum. All in all, I'd call the evening a wonderful success!

It was fun for us to be able to have Christmas in our own home too (even if we didn't make it into the house in time). Our biggest present this year was the television (which is amazing, by the way!), but we still got a few things from family. We had a great day just playing games and watching Christmas shows! Hooray!

Three days later, of course, we celebrated another momentous occasion - our two year wedding anniversary! On December 28, 2007, we got married in the Mount Timpanogos temple at 11:00 a.m.

It's certainly been a whirlwind two years for us, but we wouldn't trade it for anything! I love my man, and he still treats me like a queen!

We were hoping that we'd get to move into the house that day (what an anniversary present, huh?), but no dice. We did get to go out to a nice dinner, though, at Cheesecake Factory, which was amazing.

Neither of us had ever been there before, and were totally surprised by the atmosphere, but we love it! It is now, hands down, my favorite place to eat. If you haven't been before, go. If it's been a while, go back (fyi, their pineapple upside down cheesecake is to die for!)!

The next day, we were really, seriously, major league hoping to get the house. We were told there should be no problem (is it sad that we were still believing them?), and so we went ahead and loaded up the Uhaul in the morning (scary, I know!), and huzzah! at 2:00 p.m., we got the call! It was officially recorded at county, and we were homeowners! And we drove right to the house to start unloading.

It was exhausting moving in, but who cares? We have a house! It's so beautiful, and having our things in it has made it even more so. We're really settling in, and we could not be happier here. We're down to just the little things that need to be unpacked now, and we're going to take that slow...



Oh, and I can't forget one more exciting thing that happened this month. We booked our tickets to New York City this summer (and yes, I'm very excited)!

This is going to be Travis's last summer off, and it's also going to be the last time he can take any vacation for, oh, about ten years, so we wanted to make sure we did something special. We both love the city (me more than Travis, but he still really wants to go), and we are soooo excited. We leave the day before Memorial Day, and have five days and four nights there. Aah!

There'll be plenty more updates on that event in the coming months, I'm sure.

We can't wait to see what January brings!


Happy 2010!

are we done yet?

Argh!

That basically sums up my thoughts on this whole housing process. We really thought when our offer was accepted so quickly that it was going to be smooth sailing from there.

Wrong.

We really should've known.

Our bank has been completely ridiculous about the amount of paperwork they wanted from us (and hey, even Travis' dad, who's like the head of the division, thinks they're being totally unreasonable), which slowed us way down. We originally were going to close over the Thanksgiving break, but had to move it back. We were expecting then to close the week after we got back into town.

Sure.

The appraisal, which was done on December 2, came back low. Like, $15,000 low. Which meant we had to talk the seller down in price, come up with 15 grand, or walk away. Not cool. We thought the seller was going to flat-out walk away from us at one point, because he was not happy about the appraised value. Which is understandable, I suppose, but it doesn't change anything. Just deal with it and move on, man.

After several days, though, we were able to come to an agreement. We're buying the house for $2,500 more than the appraised value, which means we have to come up with that cash, since the bank won't cover it. But it's worth it. This house is gorgeous, and the only reason it's anywhere near that price in the first place is because we're in a recession. So we're not worried about it.

But that meant more paperwork. And more questions. And going back and forth with the seller's agent who, quite frankly, is a real pain. They are not quick to respond, which is crazy because they've been the ones pushing for a fast close from day one.

At this point, we're basically just waiting for the seller to turn on the water to the house so the final inspection can be done, and then we should (maybe? hopefully?) be able to close next week. But to be honest, I don't like the fact that we're waiting on the seller now...he's been extremely not helpful through this whole process. I'm hoping we'll hear something tomorrow.

According to our contract, we have until December 30 to close, but everyone involved wants to just get this done. If the seller will just do his one little job, we should be fine.

And hey, what a Christmas present, eh?

My parents are coming out for the holidays too, which means we have built-in moving help! Yay for that! =]

Honestly though, one of my biggest problems with this wait (besides that it's just plain annoying) is the fact that it's delaying my getting my Christmas cards out. *major pout*

I know that may not make sense, so I have to admit something. I sooo wanted to be on the ball this year with my Christmas cards, so I wrote out our little newsletter before we left for Iowa in November (and printed all like 80 copies). Knowing that the cards weren't actually going out until December, and knowing (or so I thought) that we would close on the house while we were in Iowa, I wrote the letter as if we'd already moved in.

Big mistake.

Now I've had my cards completely ready (signed, addressed, stamped) for two weeks, and I feel like I can't send them out! I was so determined to get our Christmas cards out early this year, and now I feel like I may not get them out at all. I'm seriously depressed about it.

I'm hoping that we can close on, say, Monday, and I can drop the cards in the mailbox immediately after. *sigh* That's what I get for trying to plan ahead. Word of advice: never plan ahead when buying a house is involved. Unless, you know, you're buying it with cash.

We're supposedly at the end of the road here, but you know what they say,

"It ain't over till it's over."

Wish us luck!

no more november

Ah, a return to my blog! I have missed this, really. I suppose I've been delaying my return partially because I have so much to catch up on...and I didn't know if I wanted to type that much!

So to make it simpler on me, I'm combining news of my trip with my monthly wrap up. And we'll take it from there...

I've got to rewind a little past our Iowa trip to begin with though, and revisit why we were even able to travel in the first place -- Travis finished his first quarter of medical school! Now, that obviously included an insane amount of stress (even more so than usual for med school) and lots of tests, but when it was over, we had two weeks free! It was an amazingly liberating feeling when he came home from that last test Friday morning. Ah, freedom. And yes, as soon as he did get home, we hopped in the car and started driving...

And the weird thing was, we encountered the worst weather while we were still in Arizona (and a little bit in New Mexico). We got poured on from Phoenix to Flagstaff, and then it teased us into thinking it was going to let up. But no. It continued, with serious winds, basically until we got to Albuquerque. It was crazy! I had no idea it could rain that much in the southwest! Fortunately it eased up after that, and we were able to find some ways to entertain ourselves along the drive....

I freakin' love this because it's so skeezy. This is at the old Jack Rabbit Trading Post (calling it 'old' makes it sound like it's closed down now...it's not), which used to be a major attraction along Route 66 (legendary, apparently). But to be honest, I wasn't that impressed. I was happy to show off my mad jack rabbit riding skills, though. And speaking of Route 66....

Yay. I was so adament about getting my picture taken on Route 66. I'm not sure why....

I definitely want to travel it (or what's left of it) someday when we can take our time (and do it all during the daylight hours). Fortunately though, the Route goes right by I-40 most of the time, so we hopped out and took our pics. It made me happy.

That drive to Iowa was also exciting because....

We finally got Chloe's baby sister (Trixi)! We picked her up in Oklahoma (which, by the way, really showed me the positive side of growing up in Iowa) on the second day of our journey. We took them to a little park right after we got her so that the two of them could get acquainted for a little bit. It took Chloe a little while to figure out that this tiny thing was actually a real puppy, but then they started having a grand old time.

The funny thing though was that as soon as we put them both in the car, Chloe started acting very...aloof...toward Trixi. She loved playing with her, but I think she got concerned when Trixi suddenly was in her space and using her toys. She was very hot and cold toward the little girl for most of the ride up. But don't worry, she got over it...

They completely love each other now. They play like crazy, and snuggle like two little babies would. So sweet.

Oh, and on that trip up, we also had the worst drive-through experience either of us has ever had. In our lifetimes. Seriously. We spent 20 minutes trying to order our food. And another 15 trying to actually retrieve it at the window. I know Missouri has some winners, but really, people! Never, ever, go to the Steak 'N' Shake in Joplin, MO (don't worry, the food was still amazing. At that point I was just so hungry that I ate the box it came in, too...no, not really).

Omigosh! I cannot tell you how excited I was to see RENT live at the Civic Center the day after we got into town! And not only RENT, but RENT with Adam Pascal and Anthony Rapp. It was completely amazing, and I'm still kinda in awe that I actually got to see these two live. Such a fantastic opportunity. Thanks, honey, for letting me go! =]

We also got to catch a couple of Penn games while we were home, which was way fun (and also meant I got to see a few old friends). My favorite was their face-off against Grinnell. These guys play crazy basketball (or don't even play basketball at all, according to my dad). They go hard and fast, and shoot within seconds of taking the ball downcourt. And after about two minutes of play, they sub in all five players. It's insane. Want more proof? Final score: Grinnell 101, Penn 133. Seriously. Madness.

And yes, we saw the midnight premiere of New Moon. We went in Pella, which was actually fun because I ended up seeing another of my theatre camp kids, and it really was not very crowded at all. And yes, I chose an Edward poster because...that point where Bella meets him in Italy? From there onward is the only reason I can enjoy New Moon. Really.

That being said, I thought the movie was fantastically done (leaps and bounds above Twilight), which really kind of depressed me. I really wish they had had Chris Weitz direct Twilight too, because, sadly, the first is probably my favorite book, and the Twilight movie just wasn't done well. I'm really hoping for a remake.

We also helped my parents set up their Christmas tree, breaking our normal rule of not setting Christmas decorations up until after Thanksgiving. But it was very fun and, hey, I don't mind putting up two Christmas trees this year!

Oh, and we bought a big screen tv (50" to be precise)! We had been saving up for a little while, and asked for Christmas money to help, too. We ordered it on Black Friday, and got a real steal! We set it up over the weekend, and it's fabulous (but don't worry, we don't actually watch golf on it). I swear it takes up half of our living room right now, but you won't hear me complaining! =]

On the way back we also stopped at my favorite little Indian shop in New Mexico (and yes, it's a favorite because we've stopped at several), and got our Christmas presents for everybody! We love this place. It's called Indian Market, and it's about 40 miles from the Arizona border (either exit 42 or 47...there are signs). It's got some of the best stuff. We're saving up to get a couple of nice pieces of black and white pottery for our home next time we drive through.

And we managed to get home just in time to catch the Holy War, BYU vs. Utah. It was a great game, and I'm so glad our Cougars came out on top! Go Blue!

And just as the month came to a close, we started settling back into our routine. Back to school, back to work. But knowing that at the same time, things were about to be changed up all over again (holidays, house swapping, visiting family). All absolutely wonderful things, but things that keep us on our toes all the same! Bring on December!