It seems like apples have swallowed up my free time.  It takes so long to peel, core and cut up apples...I started with 2 boxes a month ago, got down to 1/2 box, then added 3 more boxes over a week ago and I still have 3 boxes left.  I have seriously spent all my free time cutting up apples.  It will all be worth it, I hope.  Canning applesauce, drying apples, apple butter, apple pie, apple muffins, etc.

So I recently have been inspired by other's blogging efforts and decided to update our blog. It's been a while, so I thought I would let everyone know what we are up to.

ART-
Art's in school at BYU and we were getting ready for his junior year when he changed majors(from French to Graphic Design). Depending on whether he does a BFA or a BA he will either be in school for 3 or 4 more years. Fun. But worth it. Eventually he wants to teach in the church education system, but that is a super competitive program, so we'll see how it goes when we get there. He is really enjoying this semester at BYU and he is just so good. I don't have any pictures of this semesters work, yet, but here are a few pictures of work in his portfolio:
Impressed? I certainly am. I consider myself to have some artistic abilities, but next to him I look like I make a mockery of the arts. Anyway. Art still loves to play guitar and be with us and he does a good job fitting everything in. He gets up every morning at 3:30 to go to work, so I am very lucky to have such a dedicated husband. We are forever trying to get his paperwork for a greencard in, but it's confusing and we don't want to/can't pay for a lawyer. Some day.

Naomi-

I just applied to BYU and was denied. Good grades, but no dice. I was really sad about that, especially because I told so many people I was hoping to go because I was so excited. Now I hope no one asks. I am in at UVU and depending on how much out of pocket we will need to pay I may be going back this winter. We'll see. They do have an ASL major, where BYU doesn't, so maybe that's why I didn't get accepted. They also have a dental hygiene program, which I could go through when the timing is right.

I started a day care this past September and had a few kids and things were going great for a while, but one of the families found someone closer to where they work/live/go to school and so now I only have two kids each for only a few hours a week. I would love to have kids all day everyday and so would our budget, but the networking isn't really there, I don't think. Most of our friends don't have any kids, so it's hard to get the word out. It's so much fun with the kids I do have, though. They both are so fun and Hyrum yells excitedly when he hears them coming to the door. It makes me happy. I love my sweet little boy and I love these kids too.

I am a free finder. I like free things that are to my advantage. Like this week I found someone who wanted their apple tree cut down, so I wrote to them asking if I could come pick the apples first, so now we have 3 full boxes of apples(we gave one of the original 4 to my sister Charity)! I have already canned some applesauce, made apple pies, dehydrated apples, made apple fruit leather and am planning to do all of those things again and more. It's great to be a little more self reliant for free. I am a fan.

I would love to have a full blown etsy shop. I want to knit scarves, hats, mittens, gloves, etc, make jewelry, make stuffed animals, bags, quilts, clothes, etc, etc. I want to, but I want to spend time with Hyrum more. I have been making our home homier by painting and such and I feel much better about that. The mending is half way done, and I am almost at the point where I could do some of those really fun projects. I really want to.

Hyrum-

He is so incredibly smart. I can hardly believe the things he does and says. He is hilarious and so intelligent. Today at church I was just amazed at his puzzle doing abilities...he has this pooh book with magnets and they have a spot for them when they aren't being used..there is no indication where the pieces go, they aren't cut out in the exact shapes and they kind of blend together. An adult would have a hard time figuring it out. Hyrum, without hesitation, just started putting them back in the correct spots. I was amazed. He sings "clean up, clean up, everybody everywhere, clean up, clean up, everybody do your share!" when he puts things away(even without being asked!). He has memorized so many songs, like baa baa black sheep, twinkle twinkle little star, I am a child of God, book of mormon stories, popcorn popping, john jacob jingle heimer shmidt, are you sleeping?, three blind mice, etc, etc, etc. He loves to sing and it's so cute when he does...I think I will try to get him to sing on video(the only problem being that he always wants to see a picture of a horse when he sees the camera...).
He knows his colors and most of his shapes, he memorizes books, he helps clean up, he knows sooo many animals, he knows soooo many asl signs. He is amazing and I could go on and on, but I will just leave it with one story:

The other night Art and I had put Hyrum to bed and 20 minutes later we hear him yelling something over and over again. We couldn't figure it out. Art thought he was saying eat water, I thought he was saying eat burger. After discussing this Hyrum yells MOMMY!!!! EWE BOOGER!!!!! I open up the door and there he is with a booger on his finger. I love him. He is so stinkin cute. I spank him all the time to let him know just that.



Long entry, but there is a small update!!