Ace's New Job

Here is D and I at the Utah game. So Ace started his new job at Van Orden's today and he loved it! Yeah! I am so glad, because after he was so miserable at ISU I didn't know how he would make it through a bad day. I am so proud of him because I know it is hard to persevere to meet your goals sometimes. It was hard today, though, when I went to lunch by myself and realized that not only could he not have lunch with me, but he was in a different city! Granted it is only 20 minutes away, but I still felt a twinge of OH NO! Don't worry I am fine now! Suck it up Princess as I always say.

We are still working on Dallas's potty training at the moment. Let's just say that it is really tough. My mom says he is doing well, and she should know, but I was a little frustrated when we still had not got it down by day three. I know many of you are laughing right now and saying way to be realistic Jyl. What can I say! Part of learning as a mom is that just because I am determined it is going to work and do everything I can, does not mean that it will work! Dallas actually has to decide for himself and make a choice. Man that is a tough one! But he is doing well and I am learning a lot from this experience as well, so in the end that is what life is all about.

Democracy means that anyone can grow up to be president, and anyone who doesn't grow up can be vice president.
Johnny CarsonUS comedian & television host (1925 - 2005). So funny huh!

Never continue in a job you don't enjoy. If you're happy in what you're doing, you'll like yourself, you'll have inner peace. And if you have that, along with physical health, you will have had more success than you could possibly have imagined.
Johnny CarsonUS comedian & television host (1925 - 2005) I hope that this is something that we can all achieve is some shape or form. Love you all, Jyl

Life at the Call House

I have two funny stories to tell about Dallas Jay. The first one was his first all day day at the farm. Ace was helping move Grandma Call and so Dallas went out with Dallas Senior that day. He loved every minute of it and would not come home, even though Nana tried! When I went to pick him up all I could see was Andrew driving in the tractor and something hanging down from the fork on the front of the tractor. As Andrew got closer I could see that he was holding Dallas Jay in his arm and driving the tractor. Andrew opened the door and there was Dallas Jay asleep in Andrew's arm with a swim diaper on and no pants. I asked Andrew where his pants were and he told me to look at the front of the tractor. Dallas's pants were hanging on the fork because they were wet! Dallas was so tired that he was finally ready to go home when I asked him. I also found out that on that same day he had been with Uncle Jesse by my parents home and had fallen and landed on a cactus. So Dallas came home with bloody arms, no pants and a swim diaper and I bet if you asked him that was his favorite day ever!
My second funny story is when Dallas decided that his Toy Story figure, Woody, needed a bath. He took him into the bathroom and washed his head with soap and then told me he needed to brush his teeth! Then he asked me for lotion to put on Woody's face and he got out a q-tip to clean Woody's ears! And that in a nut shell is our routine.

Changing Jobs...Again?

Well, a year after the first interview, VanOrden, Lund & Cannon, PLLC, called me back for a second interview. This time, they invited Jyl, also. They are an accounting firm in Blackfoot that handles all facets of small business accounting. Well, they offered me the job and starting June 2, I'll be their newest staff accountant. I'm not looking forward to the commute, but this firm has some incredible experience and I am very much looking forward to the education.

Jyl and Dallas are doing well. Jyl has bought a book, Potty Train them in 3 Days or we'll buy your child, or something like that. She is determined that it is going to work. Dallas has not yet been interested at all, so we'll see how that goes. I'm on Jyl's side. No more dirty diapers!!!!! Plus, he's almost tall enough to get his learner's permit, and I think you can't get one if you're still in diapers...I'll have to check the state regs on that one. I think he's not going to love those three days, but I have faith in Jyl, and as a Ward, once she sets her mind to it, well excuse the saying, hell or high water she'll get it done!

We've been working in the yard which always seems like a never ending process. However, tonight we had dinner at our picnic table on our deck, and it finally feels like we've been here forever. It always seems to me that when I get comfortable in a place, I can't imagine not having lived there. I'm finally there here (somehow I hope that makes sense).

I'm wrapping up another semester, hallelujah. I am going to tackle the CPA exam this summer, two classes in the fall, one in the spring, and then I'm done studying-forever. Lots of people go to school for twenty-two years, they're called doctors. While there was a brief moment in time that I considered a PhD, I figure an MBA and CPA are sufficient. After all, I'd just be a long string of initials, A.C., M.B.A., C.P.A., and then PhD? Don't thinks so. I'm already going to sound like some code name for the military.

We're so excited for Liz and Dallas to move into their new home. This will be the fifth move I've helped with in the last 9 months. That's not counting when I forget to check the caller ID before I answer a call from the Elder's Quorum President. I think I about have enough time under my belt that I could be licensed and bonded as a professional mover. However, for those of you that are considering me as help, I am hanging up the belt and enjoying a sabbatical of at least 8 months!

Well, Jyl and I really appreciate all of you and what you mean to us. Thank you for sharing with us your lives, as we share with you ours.

cute picks of d

Dallas with his cousins! Peyton, Julian, Paige, Ellie.

Make a scrapbook - it's easy!

Make a scrapbook - it's easy!

dallas at work

Dallas Jay has been busy at work helping his dad! If Ace has a tool Dallas has a tool. It's good to see he has a good work ethic already! Hopefully it continues on into his teenage years. Not to much to report here in Pocatello. We are excited for my parents to move into their beautiful new home. I think they are too! Ace is working hard on his MBA and will only have 3 classes left after this semester! We are so excited. I am keeping busy at work. Dallas has started going to play group with Grandma Bailey and loves playing with the kids. He also loves nursery too, which is nice for us to be able to enjoy church. Poppa Ward loves to take him out to ride in the tractor. The last time he took Dallas out, Dallas Jay fell asleep! Nanna has been teaching him how to lasso and winnie and wyatt and scooby are not enjoying this new trick, but it's pretty cute. Winnie (our lab/ border collie mix) and Dallas Jay are attached at the hip and the other day I caught them both peeking through the fence watching our neighbor work in her yard. I guess the apple never falls far from the tree, because when Jesse and I were little and we lived in Blackfoot we would peek on the people that rented the basement from our parents, so what can I say! Dallas has learned the alphabet, but we are still working on the potty training thing. I hate it and truthfully so does he, so we just mostly talk about it and he tells me no he does not want to be a big boy and sit on the potty. I can't blame him I guess.

I don't know about you, but I loved conference. I loved the talk where Elder Haight talked about how Heavenly Father had created a symphony and loved every instrument in the symphony, not just the piccolos. It's good to know that there is love for those of us who march a little to their own drummer, such as me. I also thought Elder Bednars talk about active prayer was a wonderful refresher. It's so easy, at least for me, to get into a routine and remove the thought process. If you didn't get to hear the talks you can go to lds.org and read them. That's all that's new at the call house for now. Btyl (blog to you later)!