The Quinby Family

This first year teacher gets a "F" in blogging.

2010-10-28T21:12:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure if I still have any readers out there, but thought I should update on our busy summer. The last time I blogged was in May after I found out that I got my first teaching job. I'll give you a short version of what we were up to this summer.

At the end of the school year, we celebrated the retirement of both my parents. After 30 years of teaching, they decided it was time to start a new journey. I still can't believe they aren't teaching...even though I have taken over for my mom and teach in what was her room for 15 years. I am happy for them, and sad for the kids that don't get to have them as teachers. I can't keep track of how many times I get complimented on my parents. :) I'm proud to be their daughter. Here's a picture from their retirement party. What a fun night celebrating with all of their teacher friends!

After finishing up the school year, I got to help my mom chaperone her last Washington D.C. trip with a group of 8th graders. We visited NYC, D.C., and Philly. The kids had a blast, and I must say, I did too!
We got home (barely...thunderstorms made it a close call) and two days later, we flew to Colorado to be with my mom's family for the 4th of July. We got some good hang out time in, visited Rocky Mtn. National Park, and got to see fireworks over Lake Loveland on the 5th of July! Yep, they were canceled on the real holiday due to thunderstorms. Notice a theme? All in all, it was a GREAT visit. Just as I suspected, Jeremy LOVED Colorado and proposed that we move there immediately.
Upon arriving home, I started working at the migrant summer school in town. I got to work with 4th graders, which was a nice change. I LOVED my summer job and am really hoping that I can do it again next year.

At the end of July, one of my very best friends, Lindsey, finally married Ethan. She looked gorgeous, as always, and we all had the best time. At the rehearsal...
Getting dressed...
Me and Holly...don't think we got one of the three of us...
The Barskes...holding their name cards. Linds was freaked by seeing "Lindsey Barske" :)
And I had to throw this one in. Us with Ang and Sam and our new friends from England, Gareth and Jenny. These two were such a blast that Jer finally wants to visit England! Can't wait for that! We had such a great time dancing the night away. What a fun celebration!In August, Jeremy took his final class of A & P. He passed and started paramedic school in September. He also now works rescue shifts every third night at the fire dept.

We celebrated our third wedding anniversary, but apparently forgot to take a single picture. We went out to dinner at Portland City Grill...awesome food and an amazing view of the city!

We attended yet another wedding of a high school friend, Grant. More fun was had on the dance floor.

For the life of me I cannot remember what else went down in August besides preparing for my first year as a classroom teacher. Lots of anxiety and stress over that one! Next, updates on the house and my first year teaching.

Life is good.

2010-05-26T19:00:00.000-07:00

What a month May has been. It has been quite a roller-coaster and I just couldn't blog about it while going through it. Now that I've made it to the other side, I am able to look back on the past month with a little better perspective.

As most of you know, I spend the majority of my time substitute teaching at one of the middle schools in town. It also happens to be the middle school I attended, and my parents teach at. Both of my parents are retiring this year (which will probably be a blog post all on its own!). They are excited, and I am happy for them (mixed with sadness). The retirement of three teachers in the building meant the opening of positions in the building. I applied for the language arts/social studies/reading positions, and at the beginning of the month, learned that I would be interviewed May 5th.

The interview went well and I had support from the staff, but was told that I was not moving on in the process. This was quite the controversy and I won't go into details, but I will say that I wasn't the only one shocked and upset.

It turned out there had been some miscommunication and I was called the morning of the 12th to come in for a 2nd interview (and hour and a half later!). At that point, I really didn't expect that I would be getting a job, but a week later (the 19th, or last Wednesday), I was told by the principal that he was sending my name on to the Superintendent as recommendation for hire.

So, on Monday, I met with the Superintendent and was officially offered a part-time position teaching 6th grade CORE!! I am hopeful that there will be opportunity to add time to my day, but if not, I'm just happy to finally have my foot in the door.

I should add to this update that during this process I also quit my 2nd job at Pier 1. I wasn't happy there and I felt like I had been burning the candle at both ends for quite a while. Coincidentally, I put my 2 weeks in the same day of my first interview, and worked my last shift the same day I was offered the job. I am waiting to see if I got a position I have applied for for summer work, but either way, I am so happy to be done with retail!

So, that is the update on my situation. I am starting to plan for next fall already. I'm really excited to meet my students and start my dream job!

Fireman's Wife

2010-05-26T18:42:00.000-07:00

Here's another post that is long overdue. I apologize!

It is finally official. Jeremy completed his probationary year as a volunteer firefighter with Newberg Fire Dept. last March. In April, he and the other former probies were officially sworn in as members. Here are some pictures of the event.

I got to pin his badge on him. :)
I am very proud of him. He has put in a lot of time and hard work. I am so excited to watch him reach his dream. Jer is currently pulling shifts every 6th night and working hard in paramedic school. He really his blowing me away. His stories are unbelievable. I can't imagine what it is like to be a first responder, but I am so thankful that we have the men and women that we do in Newberg. They are beyond dedicated to their job and the people in this town. We are lucky to have them!

Houston, we have a sidewalk!

2010-04-26T09:08:00.000-07:00

This post is long overdue. So long in fact that I can't even remember when this actually took place. Back in April, I think. Oh well, what's important is that we finally have a completed sidewalk and approach to our driveway!! I am in love and super happy with the finished product. This was just another project where my handy husband could show off his talents. I'll let the pictures do the talking.

Here's one last before...
Jeremy and Reese (a friend of ours, fellow fireman, and concrete installer!)

Ta-Da!Ooops! How did that one get in there? You're welcome.

And just because I was outside with the camera...an update on the house behind us (which is already outdated!) and a pic of the new window sign Jer had made for the company truck.
It took over a year to come to an agreement with our neighbor and the city. But the stars aligned and the project is finished. Now, if our tax return would just get here...we would get that front and side yard in!

So, this one time...

2010-04-26T08:46:00.000-07:00

our furnace stopped working. We're not quite sure how long it had been. We realized we were making the "it's kinda cold in here!" comments more and more often. After a couple days of the temperature not raising above 62, the husband sprung to action. When something like this occurs, I usually stay far away in an effort to not add to the frustration and/or cursing. So, I was safely inside snuggled under a blanket (because our house was freezing in April), watching t.v. After a good half hour of him banging around in the garage, I hear, "I think I just figured out the problem!" He yelled for me to grab my camera. Reluctantly, I left the warm blanket behind and headed for the garage to see what could possibly need the attention of my camera. That's when I saw it.

When Jer had taken the last possible pipe apart, this is what he found.
So, he grabbed some gloves and pulled it out.And found that a bird had somehow managed to either fly or be sucked down the very small tube on our roof that takes in fresh air for the furnace. And that's where he met his fate and turned our house cold.It was the funniest/grossest/craziest outcome, but the moral of the story is our furnace is now working and we didn't have to pay a repairman to come out and see why!

Egg-citing Easter!

2010-04-05T20:03:00.000-07:00

Thought I'd do a quick post with pictures from the Newberg Easter Egg Hunt that the fire dept. puts on every year. The egg hunt is set up at Jacquith Park which is right across the street from us, so I walked down to visit with Jeremy and take some pictures of the event.

Jeremy directing parents and kids on where to go.
Carson and Uncle Jeremy. Notice Carson has his own set of turnouts on :)Carson and Papa searching for eggs.McKenzie brought Hayden down...the boy we've babysat for since before he could talk and now he's 6!Another one of Carson and Uncle Jeremy in front of the ladder truck.

Hope you all had a wonderful Easter Sunday! Ours was busy with church, lunch, and visiting Grandma Quinby, who happened to be celebrating a birthday on that day.

twenty-four

2010-04-05T19:32:00.000-07:00

I celebrated my twenty-fourth birthday a week ago today. Actually, it was more of a birthday week. My actual birthday was uneventful as I had to work and Jer was at the fire station all night. I did celebrate with some cake and a bubble bath though, so I can't really complain! :)

Holly was in town for an extended weekend and we had a "girls night" with Linds; except for the fact that Jeremy crashed our dinner. We got cupcakes and rented a movie to celebrate all three of our birthdays.

I rounded out birthday week with family dinner at Chevy's. I got a yummy strawberry margarita and fish tacos....and we had more cake! ha! I've had enough cake to last me quite a while!

With birthday money in my pocket, I made a trip to Ikea with my friend Brittany. We recently purchased a really inexpensive side table at Fred Meyer and I was looking for a cute and inexpensive lamp to place on it. Mission accomplished!

Close up of the lamp shade with the light turned on...I also found the perfect curtains for our master. I'm planning a post on our bedroom updates, but for now, here's a sneak peak of our curtains...I have mixed feelings about turning 24. While I know it is by no means "old," I feel like there's no more messing around. My list of life goals to hit by the big 3-0 is becoming even more real. I REALLY hope to check off a big one on the list this spring/summer and finally get a full-time teaching job.

I've done a lot of reflecting in the last week on where my life is at and where I hope to be a year from now. I am very blessed to be married to my best friend and the most amazing man I know. We are fortunate to own two houses...one of which we are lucky enough to rent out and cover the mortgage payments. We own two vehicles. We have both found the professions that we feel called to do. Now, we just have to get those jobs! I'm really looking forward to the year ahead and knocking out some of those goals!

Jeremy's Graduation

2010-03-21T13:23:00.000-07:00

Jeremy officially graduated with his EMT Basic on Thursday night! I'm very proud of him for accomplishing this first major step. Next, he begins his A&P class April 24th and will be on track to start Paramedic school in September. Congratulations Babe, you amaze me!

Probie No More!

2010-03-16T21:52:00.000-07:00

As of Monday night, Jeremy is no longer on probation...with the fire department that is! The probies were voted in and are now official volunteer firemen. I can't believe it's been a year of involvement with the fire department. It's been a huge commitment, but a lot of fun for both of us.

Part of the voting in process is that the probies present a gift to the fire department. Jeremy and my dad made a podium for the class' gift. Here's a picture of the hubby and his handy-work before he loaded it in the truck to take it down. I love having handy men in my life...what a blessing!

What's for dinner?

2010-03-15T20:40:00.000-07:00

Thought I'd share a favorite recipe in the Quinby house. This is beef stroganoff made in the handy-dandy crockpot. I LOVE crockpot meals! There's nothing like coming home from work to the smell of dinner waiting. :) Okay, here's the super easy recipe...

1. Place 4 cups of beef cubes in slow cooker.
2. Cover with 1 can of cream of mushroom soup.
3. Cover and cook on high 4-5 hours.
4. Before serving, stir in 1 cup of sour cream (I go for the light stuff).
5. Serve over cooked rice, pasta, or baked potatoes.

It doesn't come any easier (or tastier!) than this! Enjoy!

Today = Success

2010-03-15T13:59:00.001-07:00

Although I didn't have a sub job for today, I feel really successful. Currently, dinner is in the crockpot. I have completed two loads of laundry and have two more currently washing/drying. I went to the gym and cleaned the main level of our house. Jeremy is out pouring concrete and I'm headed up to make another large dent in the office. Today= success.

Just chuggin' along...

2010-03-09T19:16:00.000-08:00

Thank you so much for all your kind words on here and facebook! I really have the best family and friends, so thank you! So far, so good here in the Quinby home.

I cannot believe the amount of time that Jer and I have been able to spend together. It's been awesome and yet productive! I've been working away on the office so that Jeremy has an organized, workable space. There's been lots of filing and tossing. So, hopefully in the next week or so, I'll finally have an "after" picture of the office for you.

Jeremy has done really well in the last nine days with his company and I'm so proud of him. Continued prayers are appreciated though since there is no guaranteed income when owning your own business. <----This is the most stressful thing for me, but I'm really working hard on trusting in God and my husband (who is the hardest working man I know, by the way!). Thanks again for your support; it is much appreciated! xoxo

Well, that was unexpected!

2010-03-06T16:35:00.000-08:00

Looks like I've managed to miss the entire month of February in blogland. Wish I could find the time to do more frequent updates, although I'm afraid they would be fairly boring since all we do is work! :) So, I'll catch ya up on what went down in February and the first week in March. February was mostly spent working. Unfortunately, I even had to spend Valentine's day and night at Pier 1 working. Maybe some year we can take a mini-vaca or something...it's a long shot, but maybe! ;)

We did however find one Sunday that month that neither of us had to work, so we ran to the beach with Toby in tow. Considering Bailey's hip and knee problems, we had to leave her at home. The beach is her favorite place, but we couldn't afford another $300+ vet bill. So, she watched over the house while we were gone.We decided to go to Cannon Beach- where we got married. There wasn't a cloud in the sky and it was unbelievably warm for February. We couldn't believe our luck! I cannot stress enough how much this little trip was needed. I was so happy to spend time with my husband! Most of the time was spent with me lounging on the sand while Jer and Toby tried their best to tire each other out. I was so proud of how Toby did. We took him off the leash and he just stayed by us, not minding the other dogs and most importantly the kids (he LOVES kids). He also did pretty well retrieving tennis balls which he's usually too lazy to do!

After beach time, we did some window shopping, grabbed some pizza-by-the-slice, bought Jer's favorite fudge, and stopped in the doggy shop so that Toby could get a treat. It was so relaxing!

In other news, Jim started building a house on one of the lots behind us. We knew it was coming, but it's still a bummer. I'm not so much bummed about the house, but about the fact that the deer haven't been around since building began and I'm afraid they won't come back. :( Here's a look at the house from our back deck a few weeks ago. I should take an updated picture though because as of this week, the roof is on and today they put the windows in. I'm looking forward to taking a tour though. I love the house building process! It's so interesting to me to see how they are put together and since my big hobby is decorating, I love to imagine how I would set up the home.That brings us to March. And the biggest news of the year. We found out Monday, March 1st that Jer was laid off from his commercial construction job. It was completely unexpected, but we feel very blessed that he had the job for as long as he did! We were really concerned back in December 2008 that he would lose his job and luckily, he was able to work more than a year later.

We could have freaked out, but decided to look at this as a blessing. No more crappy job that Jeremy hated. No more working over-time every day for no extra pay. No more 45 min. commute each way. No more cranky husband because he had to deal with one of the worst bosses he's had (and there have been a few doozies!).

We decided that it was time for Jer to focus on Quinby Construction and really put his all into it. I truly believe in him and know that he has all of the skills necessary to be successful at this. One of his biggest stresses the last few months was that he desperately wanted to make his business successful, but just didn't have the time to put into it. Now, he has been given the answer to that question. He has the time, and this week he actually loved his job!

Another benefit is that now we don't have to be careful about sharing his professional goals. Not only is he striving to make his company successful, but I can finally post about his plans to become a firefighter. He is in school now to receive his EMT basic and has been accepted to Paramedic school. Upon graduation, he will be testing to get a job as a fireman/paramedic. He absolutely loves it and we are both looking forward to the day where he has his fire job (on shift every third day) and can do his business on his days off.

While we're scared financially and for the unknown (and can always use prayers!), we are very much looking forward to what's in store for us as a couple the next few months, and the year ahead. So, that should bring you up to date and I hope to be sharing about our lives a little more regularly now!

Downsizing...

2010-01-29T17:02:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I mentioned that we are in the midst of downsizing at the Quinby home. So, I thought I would do a quick post about what exactly that entails for us. This has become our New Years Resolution because 2009 was so stressful for us and we needed to take back some control over our lives (or over what we CAN control in our lives).

Step 1: Cars. We traded in our Tacoma (finally!) and actually made money on the deal which was AWESOME! Jeremy and Eric make a great team and basically ran circles around the car salesman...haha! Then, we purchased a '98 Honda Accord for me to drive. It's a nice car and I'm glad to be back in a Honda. The plan is for this car to last three or four years and then I will get some sort of SUV. Finally, we sold our Hyundai privately and again got quite a bit of $ out of what we (and everyone who has ever seen it) described as a piece of junk car. YAY! Now, we no longer have three vehicles, but instead, two reliable ones. :)Here's a picture of the new car. You will notice that it is impossibly close to our freezer. Which leads me to step 2.

Step 2: Clean out the unnecessary junk in our lives. Exhibit A:Our garage is scary. This is what happens when your husband has a construction business and no shop to keep all of his tools in. On Sunday, we plan on re-organizing (yet again) this space. The freezer needs to move so that the car can easily fit in the garage. We also need to go through the tools and extra materials and figure out a better plan for housing everything. Wish us luck cause we're gonna need it!

This cleaning out the junk thing can be seen in nearly every inch of our home. We got a new desk for Christmas, and as a result, my first inside project of the year has been our office. I'm going to be brave and post the most outrageous "before" picture on here simply to provide me with the motivation to finish this task this weekend so that I can post the "after" picture by Sunday night.Oh my word! That's a lot of JUNK! I do have to say that the current state of the office is not nearly as bad, but I'm glad I took a picture at the worst moment so that when it's done, I will be relieved and thankful for my newly organized and CLEAN space!

Alright, so there you have it. The first two steps to our downsizing resolution. I hope to be back Sunday night with some awesome "after" shots. I hope everyone has a fun and/or productive weekend ahead of them!

much needed update

2010-01-02T12:52:00.000-08:00

Hey All,

Sorry for the lack of blogging over the last (two?) months. Since I started my second job in November, I have been more than busy! I can't believe Christmas has come and gone already! What a crazy whirlwind this year has been. Even though I was not at all prepared for the holiday (presents were wrapped xmas morning right before they were unwrapped, and while we got a tree, it was never decorated!), we still had a fantastic holiday with all our family.

Christmas Eve (which is also Jeremy's birthday) was crazy busy. I worked that night until 8:30. Jer went to his aunt and uncle's house for his family's celebration and we both met at the Housgard/Hanset house later in the evening.

Christmas day was much more relaxing though! Jeremy surprised me with a Cannon dslr camera and I am really looking forward to learning how to use it along with editing my photos! We spent the morning/early afternoon with my family. Mom made brunch, we opened presents, played around with my new camera's self timer, and watched "Christmas Vacation." Next, we hit up Allison and Ben's house where we celebrated with Jeremy's family. We ate an amazing dinner, visited, and opened presents. I'll include some of the pictures that I took and messed around with on the editing.

Proof of the fun we had with the self-timer:

I can't believe that 2010 is already here! 2009 was a good, but stressful year for the Quinby family.

-We built and moved in to our first house.

-The economy tanked and we lost a significant amount of money that the house was worth between when we started and finished the building process.

-I unsuccessfully searched for a teaching job.

-I continued subbing and took another graduate course on teaching with technology.

-Jeremy decided that he wanted to become a fireman and started volunteering with the Newberg Fire Dept.

-Jer started school to get his EMT Basic (and is half-way through the program...while earning 100% on his final!).

-My friend, Kristina, from PLU moved in and is renting our basement bedroom/bathroom.

-Jer got his construction company off the ground and we have a good friend, Eric, working with him.

-I have taken over the finances...both personal and with the company.

-And finally, we have started taking the steps necessary to down size. (Look for a post about this in the near future!)

We are really looking forward to 2010 and all of the positive changes that are in store! I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year!!

still alive...

2009-11-22T22:54:00.000-08:00

Small update. I made it through the weekend. Yes! So, let the week of two sub jobs plus 31 hours at Pier 1 begin. Gosh, I'm so NOT looking forward to the hours I will be working there. Especially because 80% of them will be after the store is closed. Plus, I've never liked driving at night. So, driving home at midnight three nights this week should be fun. (note the sarcasm)

Anyways, vent over. I'm gonna put on my happy face and try to think about what I'm thankful for since that's what this week is supposed to be about. I am thankful that my sis will be home tomorrow for the week. Hopefully I'll get to squeeze in some sister time with her.

I'm thankful that both me and my husband have jobs and that we have cars that run, an amazing house, and plenty of food in our pantry. (I realized today that I need to clean that thing out!)

I'm thankful for my friends and family who are too amazing for words.

Last, but not least, I am thankful for my husband. He works WAY harder than me and never complains about it (hmm I should learn from this, huh?!) He loves me more than anything and would do anything to make me happy. Yep. I love him.

Never hurts to write out some of the things you're thankful for. Helps put the annoying things in life in perspective. Okay, off to get some much-needed shut-eye!
Hope you all have a great week!

no time to blog!

2009-11-17T21:28:00.001-08:00

Sorry for the lack of updates! I got the second job at Pier 1 and they didn't waste any time throwing me in head first. I am now super super busy.

This week for example, I am subbing Tues-Fri, working 5-9 pm Weds night at Pier 1, and Saturday all day. On Saturday, I'll get my schedule for Sun thru next Sat. I expect it to be crazy since it is Thanksgiving week and the dreaded Black Friday. My manager has already informed me that everyone in the store will be working Weds. before turkey day and Friday and Saturday. Boy oh boy, I'm tired just thinking about it.

I'm not really sure how I feel about the job yet, but at the very least, it will give me some extra money and a discount for the holiday season.

As you may have guessed, Jer hasn't slowed down one bit either. He continues to spend all his free time outside of work and class working on our business or down at the fire dept. I sure do appreciate him and all of the hard work he puts in to everything that he does. I really lucked out in the husband department, that's for sure!!!

For now, that's all of the updates. I don't expect to be able to update much until after turkey day has come and gone. So, I hope every one of you has an amazing and blessed Thanksgiving day and I will catch up with you soon! xoxo

happy weekend!

2009-11-07T11:57:00.000-08:00

Couple updates from the Quinby family are in order. Jer is still busy with work and the fire dept and class. He is currently at a Saturday lab for EMT class. He is #1 in his class and has a 98%. I am so proud of him and glad that he is actually enjoying being in school ;).

I have been subbing regularly in Newberg with a few days in neighboring districts. I worked in Canby last week and got to see some of my students from my student teaching experience. They are now 8th graders and all taller than me. I love getting to catch up with them and I always leave on an emotional high.

In other news, I have been applying for second jobs. Anything that I could work after school and on weekends. I have an interview on Monday at Pier 1 Imports. I'm hopeful that it will work out. I love the store and would get some extra money and a nice discount! :) I also have an app. in with a restaurant in town that just re-opened. So, we'll see if I can get anything.

Last night, we went to the NHS vs. Mac football game. It was fun...always good to beat your rival. In the 29 (I think?) years that Eric has been the head coach, we've only lost 3 times to them. Dad was happy to get the win even though they didn't play their best.

I have a bridal shower tonight for a high school friend and I'm really looking forward to catching up with her. She is just an awesome person and I'm sad that we don't get to spend enough time together. She teaches at an elementary school in Corvalis and does an amazing job...she's such an inspiration!

I've gotten involved with the fire dept. auxillary (wives group) and am looking forward to volunteering next weekend at the Turkey Carnival at station 20. Look for updates on that after next weekend!

Other than that, not much else to report. I'm sitting here listening to the pouring rain and thounder as flashes of lightning light up the room. Think I'll go make some cocoa...happy weekend! :)

Pumpkin Patch Pics

2009-10-29T18:15:00.000-07:00

I've got a few pictures to share from our trip to the Pumpkin Patch two weekends ago. I was babysitting all day, so we brought Hayden with us. We met Allison, Ben, Carson, and Lori at Fir Point Farms.

The Quinby Family Pumpkin

Me and Hayden with the pumpkin he picked out. It was his 28th pumpkin...no joke. He had 27 at home.

I'll leave you with this pic of Jer. He was such a good sport that day! More updates to follow after this weekend. Happy Halloween!!

Update: Camera Found!

2009-10-15T19:12:00.000-07:00

Good news! Jer found my camera. So, it's time to update with pics of our fireplace decorated for fall/autumn.
Yes, we still have some work to do to finish the fireplace. I'm hoping to have it done by Christmas. Is that a reasonable goal? Not so sure. But, here's hoping!

I love autumn and we have been really lucky with the weather up until this week. The rain has come, but I'm hopeful that it's just temporary. My favorite thing to do lately is light my pumpkin pie candle every night after I clean up the kitchen. There's something about it that relaxes me.

I'm finally working tomorrow which I'm very thankful for. I hate not being able to work when I want to. We also have a big high school football game tomorrow night. I'm looking forward to going and supporting the team and my dad. They looked so good last night and I know they can beat 'em! Last, but not least, one of my best friends, Holly, is coming home this weekend. I'm so excited to see her and get some hang out time in!

Hope you all have a great weekend! :)

I lost my camera.

2009-10-13T13:08:00.000-07:00

Or rather, Jeremy took it hunting with him and never returned it to me. I cleaned out the truck and looked through his hunting bag, but couldn't find it. I'm hoping he will find it soon because I want to share my fall decor.

Not much new going on with me. This is a slow week for me subbing wise...especially because the teachers only had a three day work week last week. I'm doing the usual chores around the house, and working on stuff with the business. Some day I hope to get paid for my work with Quinby Construction! ;)

Jeremy is even busier than ever...and I didn't think it was possible! He continues to work long days at his HSW construction. He just had his year-end review and received a lot of positive feedback. I'm so proud of him and how hard he works even though he knows he won't be there forever.

Jer also started EMT Basic classes a few weeks ago. They are going well and he has his first big quiz tonight at class. He's home today for his required one day off a month (with no pay) so we're studying together. If anyone watches Brothers and Sisters our morning has been very similar to Justin and Rebecca...he points outs all of my arteries etc.

So, Monday through Thursday and some Saturdays, he has fire/emt stuff going on. I don't mind being home because I get to watch my trashy reality tv shows without him bothering me! ;)

In other news, our neighbor continues to make our lives difficult. I seriously hate him and pray that one day he messes with the wrong biker dude or somethin. Last night he threatened me when I went outside to take out the trash. I hate having to be cautious every time I go outside MY OWN house! Jer called the police to see if I could get a restraining order and unfortunately, harrassment doesn't get you one...unless they are a family member. boo! So, I guess I'll just continue to be cautious. I can't wait until we can afford to move to the country where we won't have any neighbors!

On Sunday, we had the fire dept. rib feed. It was fun to hang out with friends and eat lots of food. I was looking forward to having this Sunday together and maybe going to the pumpkin patch, but I have to babysit. I may try to get out of babysitting on Sundays since that's our only day to spend together and babysitting really isn't worth the money any more.

That's about it for the updates in the Quinby household. I'll update again as soon and Jer finds my camera!

busy weekend wrap-up

2009-09-28T09:57:00.001-07:00

Well, it was another busy weekend in the Quinby household! On Saturday, I spent the majority of the time doing a deep clean of the house. I won't go into the boring details, but I'll just say the house looks MUCH better. :)

Jer spent the morning with his dad, running errands for their house building project. We were also able to watch the Ducks dominate on the football field!!

Saturday night was date night and we went to Famous Dave's BBQ which was A-mazing! If you haven't been and there's one in your area, you must try it!

On Sunday, Jer and I had a busy day spent together. It started with Jer stopping by his parents' house to check on the men roofing the house. It's looking good!

Then, we headed out to Beaverton to check out a job that Quinby Construction poured earlier in the week. Here are some pictures of the driveway and walkway to the front door.

Then, we spent the remainder of the afternoon painting our deck railing white. We still have quite a bit to go, but we ran out of paint and time.
Lastly, we went to dinner at my parents' house. The food and company was fantastic and on the way home, we dropped off the new truck at the dealer because we are having the running boards installed today. Updates to follow...

another reason I love our house

2009-09-26T09:48:00.000-07:00

Deer are frequent visitors in our backyard. When I opened the shades in our master bath this morning, I saw four deer happily eating grass out back.

These photos aren't the best, but this one is of a momma and two babies. They were taken a month ago from our bathroom window, so they're not real clear. I just love seeing them in the morning!

The Whirlwind Month

2009-09-22T20:38:00.001-07:00

Well, as it turns out, September has been quite the whirlwind! We'll see if I can do a quick re-cap on this crazy month. (I can't believe it was August the last time I blogged!)

So, the month started off with my family taking my little sister to college. She is attending PLU (Go Lutes!) and we're all very happy that she chose WA over Cali. It was so awesome to be back on campus. I have so many happy memories from that place and I'm so excited for Kenzie to experience all that that place has to offer!

Next, school started! Yipppeee!!! I was very ready to get back to work...as was my pocketbook! So far, I have been keeping really busy. This week for example, I work Tuesday through Friday. The kids have been great so far and I am being reminded that I have chosen the best profession. :)

With school starting, football season has also started. Jer and I have gone to the home games to support my dad who is a coach and we'll most likely head to some away games once league starts. I'm also looking forward to hitting up some middle school games to support my students.

Jeremy is keeping busy with work and his business and firefighting. His business has really been picking up. We have both Ben, our brother-in-law, and Eric, a good friend, working with us. They are such a help since Jer has to spend his days at work. (Trust me, he'd rather be out there working for himself, but we need the steady income.)

Lastly, I want to brag a little about my wonderful husband. Last week I was working at the middle school. I walked in to the lunch room and there was a beautiful vase of flowers with my name on it. Jer was so sweet and sent me flowers with the nicest note about wanting to make my day a little better. Gosh, do I know how to pick 'em or what?! Love him!!!

Momma's Got A New Ride!

2009-08-31T18:20:00.000-07:00

Look what I'm drivin! Jeremy needed to get a bigger truck...one that could haul a lot more weight than the Tacoma. The biggest reason is that every time that Jer's company has to rent equipment, they are charged a $250 delivery fee. So, we bought a 2008 Dodge Ram 2500 that can now haul a bobcat or other equipment that is needed...essentially saving us money.

I love the Tacoma and am a little sad to see it go, but the new ride is really nice. Plus, it's a four door which will be nice down the road for kiddos. We have a friend who is working for Jeremy that wants to buy it. If he backs out though, we know we can get more than the loan we have if we sell it privately since Tacomas are great trucks and always in high demand.

Anywho, I'm pumped because I will actually be the one driving it most days. Since Jer has quite the commute, he'll take the small car and I will drive the truck just down the road to school. YAY! I'm thinking about going out driving tonight and practicing parking in an empty parking lot! haha...I had to have one of the salesmen at the dealership back it up today when I picked it up because I was not about to wreck my new truck! I'll letcha know how that goes!!

Marriage Survey

2009-08-30T21:29:00.000-07:00

Marriage Survey
1. When is your "engagement" anniversary? I have no clue...some time in May (2006)
2. When is your "marriage" anniversary? August 12, 2007
3. How long have you known your spouse? since 2000 (8th grade)
4. How long did you date/court before you were engaged? 6 years
5. Where did you meet your spouse for the first time? uh, we knew of each other b/c we went to middle school together, but one of our first memories together is our 8th grade DC trip.
6. What is your spouse's full name? don't really want to put that out there on the internet...
7. Do you have any children? nope, just the puppies!
8. How many - boys/girls? n/a
9. Do you have any house pets? Toby and Bailey our two labs
10. Do you own a house or rent? We own our house and have another property that we rent out.
11. Do you live in the country or town/city? in town
12. What is one of your favorite activities together? Watching our tv shows together, just hanging out as there are very few opportunities where we're both home with nothing to do.
13. Do you have a favorite vacation spot? I feel like we haven't gone very many places so this answer is going to have to wait.
14. When did you first kiss? Christmas time 2000
15. What church do you attend? we don't have a church. it's been hard to find one that we both like. plus, jer works most sundays so it's very rare that we have a sunday where we can go. when we do, we're always trying new churches as we hope to find one we like.
16. Did you get married in a church? Where? Nope. At the beach.
17. What town is your current address at? not saying...you know, just in case there are any crazies reading this.
18. Do you work or stay at home? work
19. Where did you go on your honeymoon? Oahu, Hawaii
20. What was the funniest gift you gave when dating? I'm not a funny gift-giver...more of a sentimental type.
21. How long have you been together? Nine years in one month!
22. How long did you know each other before you started dating? couple months -ish
23. Who asked who out? He asked me out. :)
24. How old are each of you? 23
25. Where do you each work or go to school? He's in construction and training to be a firefighter. I'm a teacher.
26. Which situation is the hardest on you as a couple? Lack of time spent together. Jeremy works his butt off and I get lonely. But, we're hoping that the hard work now will pay off later!
27. Did you go to the same school? Yep. since middle school.
28. Are you from the same home town? I guess you could say so. Jer moved around a bit but was always in the area.
29. Who is smarter? Depends on what subject!
30. Who is more sensitive? Um, no doubt about it. ME!
31. Where do you eat out most as a couple? I don't know. It varies, but maybe cooperstown just b/c it's close.
32. Where is the furthest you two have traveled together as a couple? Hawaii
33. Who has the craziest exes? I don't have any and I don't know if his count since he was in middle school at the time...ha!
34. Who has the worst temper? Probably me, but he can get angry too!
35. Who does the cooking? Cooking? What's that? When we actually cook, I do it.
36. Who is more social? Hmm, hard question. He gets along with everyone, but I'm the one who wants to spend time with friends.
37. Who is the neat-freak? I am FOR SURE. He could care less about how clean the house and car are. I freak out about that stuff!
38. Who is more stubborn? We're both pretty stubborn, but I'm probably more so.
39. Who hogs the bed? Definitely HIM! He's a big guy and flails in his sleep!
40. Who wakes up earlier? He does...has to drive 45 min. to work each morning.
41. Where was your first date? I don't know. It was too long ago! Maybe to the movies.
Not sure where 42 went. :)
43. Do you get flowers often? Nah...for special occasions :)
44. How do you spend the holidays? The holidays are crazy for us...we juggle both families.
45. Who is more jealous? neither of us.
46. How long did it take to get serious? Ummm probably three or four years. hard to say.
47. Who eats more? HIM!
48. Who does the laundry? For the most part me. He's not allowed to touch my clothes and I do his b/c he's never home to do his own. I'm awesome like that! ;)
49. Who’s better with the computer? He's kind of a computer geek ;)
50. Where do you see the two of you in ten years? He'll have a job as a firefighter and his construction business will be makin bank! I'll have a job as a middle school teacher. We'll have one or two kiddos and maybe live on some acreage by then!

That was fun! Copy and paste if you want to play!

Positive Thoughts

2009-08-28T20:00:00.000-07:00

It can be depressing to be on the job-hunt. Especially for a teaching job. So, it's always nice to hear some encouraging words...especially when all the doors seem to be closing in your face. So, I'm writing this post mostly to myself, to remind myself about the positive words of affirmation I've heard the last three days.

There is nothing like having students that you adore begging you to be their full-time teacher this year.

There is nothing like getting those hugs, high-fives, and fist pounds.

There is nothing like being around students and having them turn toward you for answers.

There is nothing like having parents tell you how much their children enjoy having you for a sub.

There is nothing like being told you are appreciated.

And finally, there is nothing like being told that someone can tell I love my job and love my middle school students.

I know that perfect job for me is right around the corner, and until that day comes, I plan on making the most of my year ahead. I feel like I have an awesome opportunity to touch students' lives and I LOVE working at the same school and getting to know the kids.

I feel like just as I was really starting to get down, God gave me some positive affirmations that I am on the right path and I will be rewarded. What a learning experience this has been and I am back to positive thinking and looking forward to the beginning of the school year. Bring on September!

Makin' Memories

2009-08-24T20:44:00.001-07:00

Jeremy had just left the house for the fire dept. tonight and I was left wondering what I should do with my free time. I decided to finally put together the shadow box that I had been planning for quite a while. So, here is my creation....full of memories from our wedding. :)

And up close. I put our invite, program, garter, hanky, diy coaster, the cork from the champagne we drank in our hotel room that night, my hair pin, a six pence, the box that my tiffany's necklace Jer bought me for the day came in, a swatch of ribbon from the bridesmaids' dresses, and a sand dollar that I found at cannon beach this year (whew!).

The plan is to hang it in our bedroom on the other side of the door from where it is in the first picture. I'm in love...we'll see what Jer says when he gets home! What do you think???

More Prayers Needed!

2009-08-19T16:55:00.000-07:00

Good news! I made it down from over 100 applicants, to the preliminary interview, to the 2nd interview. So, I could use every good thought and prayer that you have that the interview goes well tomorrow and if it's meant to be, I could have a job as soon as Friday. I'll keep everyone updated! Thanks so much!!

House Tour

2009-08-17T15:54:00.000-07:00

Last night we had a very successful house warming/open house/bbq. I thought I would do a little house tour on here for those of you that couldn't make it. Alright, let's get the tour started from the front door. This is the living room.

Another shot of the living room from the stairs.

This is the dining room all set up for the bbq...lots and lots of food! Also, let it be noted that the painting really is level...bad angle!

Our signature mats that my dad framed and hung for us! Also in the dining room.

Hallway from the living room to the family room/kitchen. This is the photo wall that we recently put up.

Kitchen from the family room. Accidently caught mom as she was helping us get ready for the party.

Pictures of the family room and fireplace and current mantel decorations.

Powder bath....the blue paint is a lot darker in person.

Now, going upstairs....the laundry room is at the top of the stairs.

Welcome to the organized chaos that is our office. Some day we are hoping to just be organized, no chaos!

Master bedroom. I have curtains...they hust have to be hung! :)

Master bath. We are currently working on the beadboard around the tub and then I will paint it white and finish the paint touch-ups in the rest of the room. You can see the walk-in closet to the right of the bathroom too.

Going down to the basement...this is the man cave or games room.

Last, but not least, the basement bathroom. I did not take pictures of our two spare rooms and the extra bath upstairs because they aren't decorated. My friend, Kristina, will be moving into the basement bedroom this week and will do her own decorating. And later on down the road when we start a family, I will show you the other bedroom and bath upstairs as I am not decorating either until that time.

Okay, hope you liked the tour. We wish you all could have come to the open house, but hopefully this makes up for it!

2nd Anniversary!

2009-08-14T15:52:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday, Jer and I celebrated two years of marriage. We went out to dinner in Portland and witnessed a beautiful sunset.

To my husband,

Thank you for spending the last two years with me (ok really, the past 9 years...but who's counting, right?!). You were most definitely created just for me. There is no one else that I could imagine spending all of my time with. You are so kind and patient with me when I am a ball of stress (which happens more than either of us would like!!). And I know that without a doubt, you would do everything in your power to protect me and our family. You have the most amazing work ethic and you love me more than I could ever ask. I love being married to you and I look forward to what life has in store for us!

Love you,

your wife

In need of prayers...

2009-08-14T15:50:00.000-07:00

I just turned in an application today for a high school social studies position that is open in a town nearby. If you have a moment, please pray that I get an interview! Good grief it's been a long dry spell and I NEED a job!!

Beach Weekend

2009-08-10T10:02:00.000-07:00

This weekend we went to Pacific City with my family. We had a great time relaxing and it is always nice to get out of town!The husband and I are nearing our 2nd anniversary (on Wednesday!). So, we decided to celebrate for a week, starting with the beach trip. :)

We did a lot of walking...

And playing on the beach...

And hung out as a family...

And did a lot of laughing!
The beach is my favorite place to go and we had so much fun. Thanks to my parents for inviting us to go with you! Love you!

August 1st!

2009-08-01T19:50:00.001-07:00

Holy Moly, it's August! I can't even believe it. This has been a really good, but busy summer. I'm gonna be honest though, I am really looking forward to the school year starting. I want to get back to work and see the kids and be back in the classroom.

Anywho, we have lots more planned in August. Today we had LD's wedding (Jeremy's step-brother). I forgot my camera, so no pictures. Then, we came home and Jeremy has been hard at work on organizing our garage. I hope to post pictures tomorrow or Monday of the finished product. We built shelves, with the help of my dad, and have been organizing all of Jeremy's things.

Next weekend we are going to the beach with my family. I am really looking forward to it! We will be staying in a rental house that my momma found online and we're bringing the puppies too. :)

We have some finishing up to do on the bedroom in the basement. Then, Kristina (a friend from PLU) will be moving in at some point in August.

August 12th brings our 2nd wedding anniversary. I can't believe it's 2 years already! We decided to just do a stay-cation and go out to eat somewhere nice downtown. We're really looking forward to celebrating 2 years!

AND on August 16th we are having our house warming open house. We still have lots of people who haven't seen the house and still others who haven't been over in so long and will see all the updates that we have done over the past few months. Alrighty, that about does it for this post. Here's to August being one of the best yet!

Lots of Fun

2009-07-24T21:53:00.000-07:00

This has been a fun but busy week! My dad was out of town this week for football camp at Gold Beach so I spent quite a bit of time with my mom and sister. We went out to dinner both Monday and Tuesday nights with fellow coaches' families. It was nice for me to get out since Jeremy works such long hours these days.

As always, Jeremy has been working a lot at OHSU and then spending hours meeting with people and on the phone for our personal business after work. This weekend is bound to be very productive too. Tomorrow (Sat.) we are having the extra dirt from Jeremy's parents' lot brought over so that we can build up our yard. Then Sunday, we are cleaning out and organizing our garage. yippeee!! Can't wait to be able to park my car inside and have everything in its place.

Also, good news Kristina! Our bedroom in the basement is also supposed to be cleaned out so that Jeremy can get to work putting the room together for you! We still need to finish the trim, casing around the closet, and the closet doors need to be installed. Then, I can paint all of the trim and it should be good to go!

I think that is all for now. I'm just hanging out at home. Jer is down at Old Fashioned Festival working. Since he's a volunteer firefighter, he had to work the festival and will be down there from 6-12 tonight. I'll try to update again throughout the weekend as we accomplish some stuff around the house and have some fun with friends.

Not much to report...

2009-07-13T15:30:00.000-07:00

Well, there isn't a whole lot of exciting activity to report from the last two weeks. Jeremy has been working hard at both his job and with his business. I've been spending my time cleaning and doing small projects around the house. Last week I had coffee with an old friend from high school who I had hardly seen or talked to since we graduated. It was great to see her and catch up. Exciting future plans include: going to the beach with my family, spending our 2nd anniversary at the beach, and going to a friend's wedding.

Updates on the House

2009-07-05T15:18:00.000-07:00

Well, our laundry room is coming along. I spent some time last week painting the new shelf that Jeremy installed in the laundry room. Here are some BEFORE pics.

Obviously it's messy, but that's because I had already taken everything off of the shelf...I swear it was messy, but not this messy before!

And the AFTER shot! I just need to purchase a few more orange boxes from the Container Store, drapes and a curtain rod, and get Jer to finish the backsplash and build the platform for the washer and dryer.

And here's the ikea ironing board from college that I used as the inspiration for the orange accent color. I really love how this room is coming together and am glad that we're one step closer to being done with it!

Next up is the Family room. I finally purchased the rug from Target that I had been eyeing since we moved in. I also got two blue pillows to match. I am in LOVE with the aqua color.

Last but not least, Dad and I stained both of our decks this last week. They look great, and I don't have to worry any more about the sun bleaching out the boards! I didn't take any close-up pics, so this will have to do.

I ordered the invites for our house warming open house/bbq today so I'm looking forward to getting those and having people over to see the house. Hope you all had a great 4th of July! We had fun on the river, at the pool, and the drive-in.

June in Review

2009-07-05T14:49:00.001-07:00

Well, since I totally slacked the month of June, it's about time I do a review of June. We had a very busy, but awesome month of June! First up was McKenzie's graduation.

My little sister graduated from high school and we are all sooo very proud of her and everything that she accomplished her four years at NHS. I'm looking forward to having another lute in the family, as she has chosen to go to PLU next year!

My grandparents were in town from Colorado for two weeks to help celebrate Kenzie's graduation. It was great to see them and have them around for such a long time. :) Here are some pics from graduation. We were able to sit in the press box with the Anderson family (family friends). One of the perks to having a Dad who is a football coach! ;) In the first pic, you can see Kenze (she's the furthest right of the graduates) And the second pic is just a cool one of quite a few of the kids.

After graduation, the festivities began with attending graduation parties. We had three coach's kids graduate this year (leaving just one left to go!) so we went to those parties. It was a good time with friends and LOTS of good food.

Me and Kenze before her party began.

I was able to spend one whole day with my grandparents at the beach. It was really fun...I love going to the beach any chance I get and it was fun to go exploring with the grandparents. We made it to Cannon Beach, Seaside, a Lewis and Clark museum, and Astoria.

Jeremy's business has really taken off this summer and we are really thankful for that. He has our brother-in-law, Ben, and a good friend, Zack, working with him and they are busy all the time. They are really great people, and hard-workers, and we both really trust them so the arrangement has been working out quite well. Here's a pic of one of the projects before it was finished.

Towards the end of June, we headed to California to celebrate Jeremy's Grandpa's 90th birthday. It was the first time that I met most of the family and we had a great time. We stayed with Jer's cousin Ryan and his wife, Kristina. We really enjoyed our time with them! As you can see from the picture below, I was well taken care of after Jeremy left me behind! Not sure I mentioned it earlier, but Jer had to leave on Sunday b/c of work and I stayed until Tuesday. It wasn't a problem though because I enjoyed my time with Kristina and the rest of the family.

I came home to find baby raccoons in one of the trees in our backyard one morning. I got some great pics from our family room window. Here you can see the little guy hugging the tree. So Cute!! I just hope they make their way down the creek so that we don't have to deal with adult raccoons!

That just about hits the highlights of June. We spent quite a few nights with family and friends and are looking forward to an awesome July!

Leaving on a Jet Plane...

2009-06-18T10:21:00.000-07:00

Well, it looks like I'm going to have to do a wrap-up on the month of June once we get back from California. That's right, we are leaving tomorrow for California where I will be meeting some of Jeremy's family for the first time and celebrating his grandpa's 90th birthday. I haven't checked the weather yet, but I'm hoping for verrrry hot and sunny weather. :) Unfortunately, I'll be staying down there two days without Jeremy as he has to get back for work on Monday. BUT I will be sure to finally get my blogging on when I get back.

In other news, I'm getting sick. :P This happened to me the week before Spring Break, but this time it hit three days before we leave. I'm hoping I won't be miserable on the plane ride (please pray my ears don't explode!) and while down there. I'll let ya know how that goes. Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Ohh Emm Gee

2009-06-15T20:17:00.000-07:00

All I can say is holy cow! I have been reading about the 30 day Shred DVD by Jillian Michaels for months on different blogs. It's super cheap... read less than $10 and has three levels of work-outs so you can progress at your own pace. Everyone who has done it has raved about what a good work out it is and I have to agree. My legs are jello. So much so that I thought I would fall down the stairs several times today because my legs would just buckle. A-mazing what a work-out I got this morning! I am looking forward to seeing the changes in my endurance, and hopefully my clothing too! Updates to come as Jillian continues to kick my butt!

P.S. I know I never posted about Kenzie's graduation, but I'm waiting on pics from my momma

So much to say, so little time

2009-06-11T21:12:00.000-07:00

I have SO many updates and so little time to blog about them. We have been extremely busy with my sister graduating from high school and my grandparents being in town. Today was my first day of summer vacation. Tomorrow I am heading to the beach with my grandparents and Saturday we are having a party to celebrate McKenzie's graduation. I'm hoping that I'll be able to post about the graduation at some point on Saturday. Thanks for sticking with me until then!

Outdoor Updates

2009-06-03T16:37:00.001-07:00

Since we have a fresh coat of paint, I thought I'd do an outdoor update. First up, the porch. I am in love with our porch. I think it's such a great space and really makes an impact on the front of the house. Here's a current picture of the space.

Jeremy's parents were nice enough to hand us down this cute outdoor set. It's currently a dark green color and I have plans up my sleeve to paint it black to match our outdoor lights. I bought the cute aqua (shocker, I know!) cushions at Pier 1 a few months ago and am considering purchasing outdoor pillows to lean against the backs of the chairs. Eventually, I'd love a set like this...

Something a little more bulky and I love the look of wicker. My ideal set (not the one pictured) can be purchased from good ol' Pottery Barn. Unfortunately, that may not happen for a looooong time. Oh well, a girl can dream!

Moving on. I finally went to Al's and purchased some lovely flowers and a new small turquoise pot. I love having some color around the front of the house. It helps tide me over since our lawn is currently a large, blank, dirt canvas.

Close-up of the flowers that I planted last night. Love how the pots I bought last summer look with the new paint color!

Well, that's all for now. We have a busy week or two or three ahead. My little sister graduates from high school this weekend and we are so excited and proud of her. My grandparents are in town and we are looking forward to seeing them. It's been two years (our wedding) since we've seen them. The school year is winding down and that means a lot is going on at the middle school. We're looking forward to the talent show, yearbooks, and locker clean-outs. While I'm excited for summer, that means finding a job needs to happen immediately. grrr...and I thought I was done with having to find summer jobs. Think good thoughts that I'll find something to do that pays well and I don't absolutely hate! More updates soon. :)

Finished Product!

2009-06-01T10:40:00.000-07:00

Well, after lots of planning and two long days for our awesome painter, Josh, we finally have a painted house! I am thrilled with the outcome. It finally looks like a finished home and not like a construction zone. As Jeremy put it, hopefully this will tide me over for a while. Until we have the money for the next project, that is. :) So, the moment we've all been waiting for: pictures! The first one is at the beginning of the process, so you can see the old "color" and the new.

Beginning of day two. Today was mostly touch-up and trim work.

The finished product!

The front of the garage will have rock on it some day, so that's why the trim doesn't go all the way down. View from the street.

The king and his castle (although you can barely see the king on the deck!).

Last night we were able to finally enjoy the outside of our house. We spent some time out on the back deck and just relaxed. It was really nice until a bat dive-bombed me!! That was my cue to head inside...but it was great while it lasted!

No news is good news.

2009-05-25T21:28:00.000-07:00

All I can say is this was a crazy-busy, but good week. I worked all five days and Jer was busy with work and fire commitments. We got a lot done around the house this weekend which was much needed. We finally have mirrors up in all but one bathroom. Jer also put up another curtain rod in the basement. I'm really excited by how our basement is looking. It is really close to being finished and it's exactly how I pictured it looking. Today we had the awesome opportunity to go out on Jeremy's parents' boat. We were out for about 4 hours and unfortunately both of us got sun burnt! :P We had a lot of fun though and it was nice to just relax on the water and spend a little time with family. We came home and took a little nap...boy the sun sure zaps ya! We went out to eat and came home to work around the house. Jer caulked the siding, since our house will be painted next weekend (YAY!!) and I cleaned around the house, inside and out. We're looking forward to a short work-week and some fun next weekend.

Decisions, Decisions...

2009-05-19T16:52:00.000-07:00

The good news: We are finally at the stage in the game where we are ready to paint the outside of our house!!! eeeee!!! I can't wait to have paint on the siding! WOOT!!

The bad news: Now I have to pick a paint color.

That's where you come in! I spent some time last Sunday buying some paint to test on the outside of our house. I came home today from work and took some pics so that I could post them on here and get some opinions. I really like both colors. I want a shade of gray, and they are pretty close to each other, but one has more green undertones and one has more blue undertones. The first picture is to give you some perspective of our house. So, ready to play help Brittany choose a paint color??? Okay, here we go!

The colors look pretty close on here, but I want to hear your opinions! The left one, or the right one? Thanks for playing along!

YES!!

2009-05-18T19:57:00.000-07:00

I am over the moon excited because last weekend, Jeremy officially finished fire academy! YES!! I'm so happy to have my husband back and I'm hoping it lasts for a little bit. :) He's getting ready to start building his parents' house, which will be a huge and stressful project. EMT Basic classes also start in August. While I'm worried about how he'll manage everything, I'm going to focus on the positive...the fact that I have my husband all to myself on the weekends for now.

I have been extremely busy subbing. I have so many days booked already, that there are just a few left until the end of the school year where I'm not scheduled (yet!). This is a really challenging time in the school year to teach. The students have all forgotten how to behave, and the hormones have definitely kicked in. On the other hand, I feel really confident when teaching at CV. I know all of the kids really well and know which ones to keep an eye on etc.

In other news, things with the house are moving right along. Holly is home from law school and wanted to go to Ikea to get some things for her new apartment. Of course I jumped at the chance to go...even though I was just there! We had a lot of fun and I found even more things that I just HAD to have. ;) I picked up another $20 mirror for our basement bathroom, pillows to stuff into some pottery barn covers that I had picked up on sale, some curtains for our bedroom, and some organizational boxes etc. for the office. Looking forward to an exciting week; hope you have a good one too!!

Lots of Love,
Britt

Cleaning Schedule

2009-05-16T11:29:00.000-07:00

Okay, I finally came up with a cleaning schedule that I think I can live with. I got the original schedule from Katie at The Hyper Homemaker blog. Unfortunately, she took down her blog due to a new job and upcoming book deal. It was an awesome blog with lots of fabulous ideas on how to have a clean and organized house, host parties, and set and reach goals for your house and life. I made changes to reflect our needs and am looking forward to having a much more organized home and life. I wanted to do a lot of small tasks nightly instead of spending hours on the weekend cleaning. Hmm...there's an idea; actually relaxing and having some downtime on the weekends! :) Hopefully my list will be helpful for some of you. Let me know if you have any tips on how to have and clean and organized home!

Daily Cleaning List

Kitchen:
-Load dishwasher and wipe down sink
-Wipe down stovetop
-Wipe down all the counters
-Swiffer or sweep the floor

Bedroom:
-Make the bed
-Put clothing away where it belongs in the closet
-Straighten out nightstand

Living areas:
-Sweep floors
-Wipe down couches, and fluff pillows
-Dust entertainment center, picture frames, and mantel
-Straighten up coffee tables and stray items

Weekly Cleaning Schedule

Monday: Laundry
Tuesday: Kitchen
Wednesday: Bathrooms
Thursday: Living areas
Friday: Bedrooms
Saturday: Laundry/Outside
Sunday: Off

Weekly Cleaning List

Kitchen:
-Wash hardwoods
-Wipe the cabinets, backsplashes, and appliances
-Wipe the switch plates
-Wipe the inside of the garbage can

Bathroom:
-Scrub the tub, showers, and tiles
-Mop the floor
-Wipe switch plates, doorknobs, and doorjambs
-Empty and wipe out wastebasket
-Wipe down the sink, counters, and faucets
-Clean toilets
-Clean mirrors
-New towels

Living Areas:
-Dust all surfaces - including electronics, books, picture frames, window sills, ledges, and tops of door frames
-Vacuum floors and rugs
-Wash hardwoods
-Wipe switch plates, doorknobs, and doorjambs
-Shake out/vacuum doormat
-Vacuum HVAC vents

Bedroom:
-Change the sheets (when laundry is done)
-Dust all surfaces - including electronics, books, picture frames, window sills, ledges, tops of the door frames, and ceiling fan.
-Vacuum floors and closets.
-Wipe switch plates, doorknobs, and doorjambs
-Wipe and disinfect telephone

Monday, Monday

2009-05-11T20:51:00.000-07:00

Today turned out to be quite the surprise. I am booked all week for different classrooms at CV, but when I arrived this morning, I learned of a change of plans. The workshop that the teacher was going to ended up being cancelled. So, I covered her first period class since she comes from out of town and the workshop wasn't cancelled until 7:00 a.m. Then, I ended up helping the 6th grade teachers out...taking down bulletin boards, putting new ones up, helping a student, making copies, and correcting papers.

I went home at 11:30 and surprised my not-so-happy husband who had the day off and was planning on wasting the day away in bed/in front of the t.v. Just kidding...I'm sure he was thrilled to see me! ;) We watched some DVR'd "Rescue Me" and then got to work. I cleaned, organized etc. and Jeremy worked on things for his parents' house and cleaned up our yard (or where the yard will be some day!). We finally got rid of our trash pile on the side of the house! I am ecstatic about this because this pile included a busted air conditioner and toilet. Hmm, not exactly the impression you want to give of yourselves to your new neighbors!!

Tonight, Jeremy is at drills again and I am enjoying "The Hills," doing the dishes, working on homework, and considering going downstairs to workout. I am still working on the cleaning schedule. I found a great list that I'm working off of, but am having trouble nailing myself down to certain chores on certain days...especially since my schedule is so fluid with the nature of my job. Tomorrow night I have my final Teaching with Technology class which is awesome! I am looking forward to being done with the class, but in the meantime, I have some homework/ a final project to complete. Yikes...I better get out of here! Happy Monday! Hope you have a great week!

Whew! What a weekend!

2009-05-10T16:25:00.000-07:00

Well, the end of the week turned out to be much more busy than I anticipated. Good busy though as there was lots of time spent with new friends. Both Jeremy and I are really enjoying his time with Newberg Fire Dept. Maybe one of the best perks are the new friends! We have met some amazingly kind people and look forward to continuing to meet people and gaining a support system.

Thursday night Jeremy was at drills. I ended up hanging out with another NFD wife, Elyse, and watched Grey's Anatomy. It was nice to have some company, even if the dogs were crazy excited all night by the presence of a new friend!

Friday night we met up with Elyse and her husband Travis at Abby's and then rented a movie to watch at our place. We were prepared for Jeremy and Travis to have to leave us to help with last minute set-up for the burn-to-learn, but the call never came through the pager. No complaints here!

That brings me to Saturday...the day that Jeremy has been waiting for since he started his training with the fire dept. All day Saturday was the burn to learn. He arrived at the station at 5:45 a.m. I showed up at the duplex at about 10 to 10:00 which ended up being perfect timing because they started just after I arrived. I ended up taking 157 pictures that day and tried to capture everything so that Jeremy would have some great memories from the day to look back on. For those who don't know, a burn-to-learn is when someone in the community donates a building to the fire dept. and they use it as a learning exercise. They spend all day going through different exercises and in the end, they let the building go and burn it to the ground.

Getting ready to start. Jeremy is in the middle, in yellow (because he is a probationary firefighter).

Jeremy's in the middle again.

Taking on the fire.

Me and the husband.

There's not a whole lot that I can say about it besides I don't think I've ever seen Jeremy so happy as he was that day. He had the biggest grin on his face and looked completely in his element.

Happy man.

I will admit that I was nervous at first about watching my best friend run into a burning building. Luckily for me though, our next door neighbor, Ryan, was there (although he was on shift and ended up having to leave for several calls). He talked me through everything that was happening and assured me that it was safe and going exactly as planned. Dan and Libby were also there and it was nice to have them and their experience there...such a comfort! Elyse and I stuck together...trying to get the best view and pictures for the guys. It was very interesting to watch and we had lots of fun together. :)

Letting the fire go...

All the probationary firefighters...Jeremy is bottom middle.

I ended up leaving at about 4:30 and Jeremy got home at 6:00. It was a long, but exciting and fun day. I am so very proud of Jeremy and look forward to many more years of his involvement with the department.

Today is Mother's Day and we met up with Doug and Kay for breakfast at 8:00. Doug and Jeremy have worked together in construction since Jeremy's house-building days and Doug was a huge help with our personal house this past year. After breakfast, we went to Jeremy's parents' church. We came home and Jeremy got to work outside...getting rid of weeds, fixing the back deck etc. I made a run to Target to pick up some more things for the house. My list is getting smaller, but I'm not sure if I'll ever really be done! ;) In just a bit we will be headed to my parents' house for dinner.

What a busy week we've had, but we have enjoyed every minute of it! Next week I am looking forward to working all five days in a different classroom at CV. Jer has Monday off and will do small jobs around the house/sleep a lot. Next weekend is the final weekend of fire academy for Jeremy. YES!! We are both excited for him to get his weekends back, even if it's just for a short time until EMT Basic classes start. Hope your upcoming week goes well!

Lots of Love,

Britt

Funny Story

2009-05-05T10:27:00.000-07:00

So, I wrote last about our Ikea trip being ruined by the swine flu. When Jeremy got home from academy that day, he played the message from the 800# and it said that the children's play area was closed due to the swine flu, but the department store was open regular business hours! So, we quickly changed clothes and hopped in the car.

First, we grabbed some dinner at Nacho Mamas in Tigard...they have yummy fish tacos! Needless to say, our Ikea trip was successful! We got the rest of our hardware for the cabinets in the bathrooms and laundry room, a mirror for our powder bath, a dresser for our bedroom, and a book case for the office. I can't wait to go back...there are so many things that I love and want to add to our home.

Sunday Jer was at academy until after 7:00. I spent the entire day cleaning the house. I can't get over how much time it takes to clean four bathrooms! I am going to be attempting to set up a cleaning schedule today or tomorrow with the hopes that it will help me spread out the chores and not get quite so overwhelmed. So, look forward to those updates coming soon!

That night we had our usual dinner with the 'rents and then came home to put our dresser together. I will be taking some pictures soon so that you can see Jeremy's handywork.

On Monday, I worked at CV teaching 6th graders. Jeremy had drills at night and I got together with a new friend, Libby. She is another significant other of a Newberg Fireman, so we decided to get together while our men were away. That really helped the time go by faster and was really fun to just hang out and watch the Hills (of course!). Not quite sure what's in store for today, so we'll see...

Stupid Swine Flu!

2009-05-02T14:28:00.000-07:00

Turns out the week ended better than it started! Friday night was fun because we had Jeremy's family over for dinner (Mom, Dad, his sister Allison, our brother-in-law Ben, and nephew Carson). I felt a bit like a chicken with my head cut off because after getting off work at CV, I ran to the store to grab supplies for dinner and then had to quickly put everything together for the meal. I made crescent chicken, salad, and cut up strawberries. I was so thankful for Allison because she showed up early and helped me do a quick cleaning of the house...I am SO appreciative of her! Anyways, dinner was good and we had fun spending time together.

After dinner, we watched "Marley and Me." It's my favorite book, and Jeremy gave me the movie for my birthday. Such a great movie! If you haven't seen it, you must!!

This morning I had some girls over for a Mary Kay color party while Jeremy was away at fire academy. We had fun trying on make-up and learning some new techniques. Then, we were planning on going to Ikea tonight after Jeremy got home. I want to get some book shelves and supplies for our office (still workin on putting that room together!). Unfortunately, when Jeremy called to see what time they closed, they told him that Ikea stores are closed due to the SWINE FLU!! Can you believe that? I mean how crazy is that?! I am not worried in the slightest about this stupid flu, and I am certainly not going to just sit at home until the whole thing passes over. How lame! I just hope they aren't closed for long...I was looking forward to the new stuff that I was planning on purchasing!!

Hope you all are having a fabulous weekend and thanks for all the kind words regarding the last post! I really appreciate my friends and miss those of you that aren't close enough to see very often. I'm going to try to talk Jeremy into going out to dinner and maybe shopping somewhere else?? I was set on going out, so we'll see!

Adios, Britt

Bad Times...

2009-04-29T20:33:00.000-07:00

I haven't felt much like posting the last few days as I've been going through an emotional rollarcoaster. I thought birth control pills were supposed to keep your hormones in check, but I have no other explanation for my crazy emotions. Life is stressful and everything tends to build up until I lose it. While I am looking at the positives of moving, it is still a hard thing to do. We spent almost our entire first year of marriage wrapped up in this house. It was incredibly stressful and Jeremy and I never saw each other. It is sad to have to let this thing go.

It is also frustrating that we still aren't settled into the house. It may appear that way (despite the many un-finished details), but our upstairs and garage in particular are filled with boxes of crap that quite honestly I don't think we need. I mean, if it's still in a box after what 3 months? of living here, do we really need it? I don't do well when my space is chaotic....

Compound this with the fact that Jeremy has Z-E-R-O free-time at home, I have not been in the best place. There are so many things that I would like for him to help me with around the house (Like going through boxes of his stuff for instance.), but there is literally no time to do it in. Tonight, for example, it's currently 10 to 9:00 and I saw Jeremy ten min. about a half hour ago when he got home. He quickly scarfed down dinner and took off for the pool to do a work-out with one of his ff friends. I am proud of Jeremy for putting his all into this firefighting thing, but I am definitely looking forward to his fire academy ending so that I have maybe a little more time with him at home to help me finish this god-forsaken house.

Lastly, (ok, maybe not lastly. I could go on and on about the political issues that have me riled up right now, but not tonight!) I am mad about my job prospects. In reality, there is a 0% chance of me finding a teaching position anywhere within driving distance in the state of Oregon for next school year. It might not even happen the following year after that. I am frustrated with this economy and the fact that some people do not value education as one of the pillars of our society. Education in the state of Oregon should not be in such a bleak state. Districts should not have to cut millions upon millions of dollars. Teachers shouldn't be losing their jobs due to loss in funds. Class sizes should not be rising. I am very frustrated. I don't even know what else to say about that.

Alrightly. Now that I vented and got all of that off my chest, I'm not sure if I feel better or worse. On a positive note: my kids were EXCELLENT today! I mean, seriously. They were awesome. Such a joy to be around and were exactly what I needed to remind me that despite the frustrations, they are the reason why I love being a teacher. There is nothing like seeing the light bulb go off, or making personal connections with students. I never get tired of hearing "Hi Mrs. Quinby!!" in the hall and seeing a smiling kid happy to have me as their sub. :) I just need a few more happy moments this week to balance out the stressful ones.

I hope all of you are having a great week and are riding a much gentler rollarcoaster than I am at the minute!
Lots of Love,
Britt

Weekend Wrap-Up

2009-04-26T20:15:00.000-07:00

Welp, yet another weekend down the drain. Time never seems to slow down when it's the weekend. Saturday night Jer came home from fire academy and a retirement dinner at about 9:00 and brought with him his probie friends (and a wife!) for a movie night. It was fun to just hang out with friends. Today Jer was at fire academy again. I decided to go shopping for the dogs this morning. I got them much-needed new collars and a couple new toys. Here they are playing with a new bone.

Here you can see their new collars: Bailey got a pink one and Toby got a teal one. Both are reflective, so they're kinda hard to capture with a flash.

Then, this afternoon I went for a walk with my mom. We went to an open house near where my parents live. It was a nice house, but still needs some work, and we really don't want to have to do any work after this last experience. Plus, I have a house that I really like, so all houses are compared to that...and it just doesn't compare.

Jer came home just in time for Sunday night dinner at the Allen home (always a treat!). We came home to watch the Blazer game (boy it's a nail-biter and I hope they can pull out a win!), BUT the pager just went off, so Jer took off for the fire house...another structure fire...still getting used to the life of a volunteer firefighter. Hope you all have a great week ahead of you!

Lots of Love, Britt

Sleepy Saturday...

2009-04-25T14:27:00.000-07:00

Not much goin on around here today. Jeremy is at fire academy and I'm just hangin out at the house. I stayed in my pjs until 12:30, and have done nothing but watch movies all day. I'm not complaining though! It's much better than unpacking boxes or finishing up the painting that needs to be done around the house. :) Here's some pictures of my company today on this sleepy saturday.

Toby in his usual spot: my lap.

Bailey sprawled out on the floor.

Good News!

2009-04-22T20:16:00.001-07:00

Had our meeting with the real estate agent and it went well! We have our list of things to finish on the house and it was everything that we suspected for the inside and less than we thought for the outside. She really helped me figure out where we can save money and how to get the most bang for our buck. It feels good to have an expert tell us that we have a beautiful home and that I did a really great job on choosing paint colors and decorating(!). Yay! So, we're feeling good about everything and off to get some food (it's only 8:20!). Have a great night!
Britt

Happy Hump Day!

2009-04-22T10:56:00.000-07:00

Yay for Hump Day! For those that don't celebrate, hump day is wednesday b/c once you get over the hump that is weds., the rest of the week is all down hill! We (the Allen family) have celebrated this day for a long time. I remember my dad waking me up for school when I was young with a greeting about hump day.

Anyways, I am grateful today because I have the day off! Normally, I would not be happy about not working, but today I have a LOT to get done. Tonight we are having a real estate agent over to critique our home and help us come up with a game plan for finishing the house and making the best decisions for it to sell (and quickly at that!). So, I'm running around cleaning and doing chores. Speaking of which, I have never been one to want an outrageously huge house, but somehow have ended up with a three story home. My advice for those who think they need a big house is to really think about how much cleaning you will have to do! It is seriously KILLING me trying to keep up with this house. I am very much looking forward to down-sizing!

Another great thing about tonight is that I will actually get to spend some time with the husband. :) On Monday, we spent about 30 mins. together before he left for a meeting and drills at the fire dept. On Tuesday, we spent 2 hrs. together watching the Blazers (awesome game by the way!) before he left to go running with his fire dept. buddies. They then spent some time with one of the guys who is going through a rough patch in his personal life. Needless to say, I am looking forward to having him all to myself (and a real estate agent!) all night! I'll actually be able to go to sleep with him home...Yay!

I'll post an update after we have our meeting tonight. Hope you have a great hump day!

Lots of Love,
Britt

Weekend Wrap-Up

2009-04-19T16:45:00.000-07:00

Even though Jeremy has been busy with fire academy all weekend, we've managed to have a great couple of days. First of all, the sunny, warm weather has been so amazing and I'm convinced it makes everyone in a better mood. Saturday night was our first official fire dept. funtion: the crab feed. It was a little intimidating at the beginning, but it turns out that an old friend who I played basketball with in high school is part of the wives club! So, we had a lot of fun catching up. There was a ton of great food and lots of fun. Jeremy had to stay to clean up so I came home to watch the last half of the Blazers game. I won't say much about that...let's just hope they get it together for game 2!

Today, I decided to go shopping at Bridgeport so that I could take advantage of a coupon that expired today and use the gift card I received for my birthday from Mom and Dad. I stopped at my parents' house first and McKenzie said she would go with me. What a beautiful day to do some outdoor shopping! Our first stop was Ann Taylor Loft (my favorite!). I got lots of cute clothing for work and play. We ate lunch outside and then headed to DSW to go shoe shopping. Hooorrraaayyyy for new shoes! I was so excited that I came home and cleaned out my shoes (5 pairs to Goodwill!)

Now I'm just waiting for Jer to get home so that we can go to my parents' house for our weekly Sunday night dinner. Looking forward to a beautiful week!

Introduction and an Update!

2009-04-18T15:50:00.000-07:00

Hello and welcome to my first blog post! I'm so excited to be starting this new way of keeping family members and friends up to date on our busy, busy lives! I had a blog for a short time in college, but because of my priorities at the time, I wasn't that great at keeping up with it. This time, however, I am optimistic that I will be able to stick with it. As an introduction, I'm going to give the short version of what Jeremy and I have been up to the past 20 months.

The biggest project in our lives has been the construction of our first house. Holy smokes has that been quite the project! We were lucky enough to find a lot in town that still has the feel of being in the country...complete with five deer who visit us often. We went from this...

To this...

Ok, so this isn't the finished product, but apparently I never bothered to get an "after" of the outside! Although, to be honest, the outside is far from being finished. We still need to paint, pour the sidewalk, and put in landscaping. All three are going to be huge projects that we're hoping to be able to complete after we get our tax return.

In other news, Jer and I were finally able to head back to Palm Springs, CA with my family for Spring Break '09. I was so happy to see the sun! It had been a loooooonnnnggg 2 years without going down there and we were glad to be able to make it. For those who don't know, my family has travelled to Palm Springs every year for Spring Break since I was 16. We go with the Carlson Family who are great family friends and so much fun to hang out with.

This year, both families rented a house to share. It was super nice and relaxing to have our own pool and hot tub and not have to worry about getting out there early each morning to save chairs! I can't say enough about how grateful we were, and still are, to have been able to stay with everyone and enjoy the vacation time with family and friends. We're already looking forward to next year!

Professionally, Jeremy is still working in commercial construction. Unfortunately, due to the economy, we're not sure how much longer his job will be around, but trying to stay hopeful that it will last. Jer has also decided to begin volunteer firefighting in town. This commitment means he is gone Sat. and Sun. at fire academy as well as having drills on Mon. and Thurs. nights. He is 2/3 finished with academy though and then he will be able to respond to calls. In the mean time, I get to hear that aweful pager go off in the middle of the night! He loves it though and I am very proud of him!

I have been substitute teaching all school year, mostly in town. Most days you can find me at my parents' school teaching 6-8th graders. I know I'm crazy, but what can I say, I love that age group (most days!). :) Just recently, I started working at the elementary level too and have enjoyed that as well. It is very very different from the middle school, but each have their own set of challenges.

Hopefully this was a good update for everyone. I am off to get ready for one of many fire department events...the crab feed!

Lots of Love, Britt