We're still here :)

It has been a while since we've updated this blog...so today is the day to get caught up. (guest writer Lyn here, since Caleb is quite involved in work--50+hours a week) Caleb is so tired when he gets home from work, but finds it a little difficult to nap...not sure why...The last bit has been very interesting weather-wise. It snowed the end of March, a week later it got into the high 70's, then it snowed the next week for three days (along with hail and thunder...odd!) I think the kids are getting spring fever--whenever the sun shows up Henry yells, "the suns out! let's go out in the [wading] pool (or blow bubbles, or work, or ride trikes)!!!" Luckily today the sun stayed out for a while and we were able to play outside, weed, cleanup stuff and plant ferns. Fern attempted to eat a berry from the sarcacocca shrub (which happen to be poisonous--but she is OK since she spit most of it out--lovely...i disposed of the rest of the berries while she napped...) Henry splashed around in the wading pool with his boots and helped plant ferns. It was so nice to be outside!!!

We have had some fun times visiting with family the last couple of weeks. We went to Ephrata where Caleb's whole family was together (except for Caleb's brother Logan). Later on Kaynie, Audrey, Carli and Jenna came over to visit us in Woodinville and we all went to the Tulip Festival and Deception Pass. Henry and Fern had a lot of fun stomping through the muddy fields and dipping discarded tulips in mud puddles in Mt. Vernon. Deception Pass was a rock throwing paradise (just watch out where you stand...) On the way back we stopped by an alpaca farm as an afterthought and that ended up being the most talked about event...funny how that is!!!Fern had her first experience with painting...and what a lovely time she had! The paint was initially on the paper until she discovered how nice it felt to paint on her face...and hands...and oh, wouldn't it be nice to squish it between the fingers...finger painting was discovered and very much enjoyed! This is what she looked like before I (carefully) put her in the tub.One other funny tidbit: Fern likes to pretend to be a cat. She crawls around making a funny whining noise similar to a newborn baby/cat and as soon as you acknowledge who she is she will come up to you and want you to stroke her hair and snuggle. It is very sweet.

The kids just woke up, so I've got to run :) --time to play.

April start-off

Well there is not alot to write about, I just go to work, after 9-11 hours I come home. Weekends are all the same too: chores on Sat, church on Sun. Although conference was quite awesome this weekend. I really love President Monson, what a great guy. Best quote from conference ; "The face of sin too often hides behind the Halloween mask of tolerance". -Monson
The thing that I most wanted to share with you was that on Thursday my first landscape design (with this company) was completed. It was a remodel of a front yard with some sprucing up around the rest of the yard. Total cost $23k. I am quite proud of it. The client was thinking of cleaning up his beds,and planting some shrubs, but I suggested that we totally rip out everything including all the lawn and do one big bed with semi-native plantings. "Great" he said, so here's what it ended up like.
Keep in mind that almost nothing is leafed out yet, like the trees and the flowers, but I think that it still looks pretty good, although it will look great when all the wild flowers come in.
It was brought to my attention when I was wondering out loud why no one leaves any comments (besides Terrie & Riley) that perhaps it is not clear HOW to. Right below here, on the right/center, there is a thing that says "__comments". You click on that and you can see what others have commented and then you can leave your own, thereby letting us know that you are alive and kicking, and reading our blog and sharing communication with us and loving us and our monumental efforts to bring you the very best that the blog world has to offer and... (well maybe not the very best, but I do try hard to make it fun and insightful. )
Well, until next time that something cool happens.... Caleb

March wrap-up

Well, there has not been alot that has happened in March. I have been very busy at work, it's not even the busy season yet. I really love my job. It is really great. I get to do lots of design work, but in addition I get to meet with clients (which I like) and I get to interact daily with the Latinos (which I love) Alot of them are Hondurans who speak similar to Salvadorans so I get to practice my Salvadoran accent. I get to be outdoors about 1/2 of every day. This job is better than I could've imagined.
My fingers are better. The Doc said most stitches stay in for about 10 days. Some of mine where in for 21 days. It's been 24 miserable days since I cut them.
You can see where the blade went thru. I now have 95% full use of my fingers. I need to wait a little longer for the internal sutures to dissolve to be able to really use my hand with confidence, right now I'm still a little hesitant to really yarf on on em. The weather has been quite pretty and everything is in bloom. I wanted to post this pic:But then this happened:What month is it anyway? I took Henry to see "Horton Hears a Who" last night (his first time to a theatre. He loved it by the way. After the movie we went out and it was nearly blizzarding. We walked over to Jack-in-the-box for some fries and we stopped to play in the snow. then when we got home (at 10:30pm) we made a big snowman. We had alot of fun. Even though we are freezing! Well, till April, here is a parting shot of us (well most of us, someone had to take the pic)

Great /slash/ painfull start.

Get it? Wait just a sec.
So my first week at my new job was fabulous. I heard nary a curse word the whole week: which is unheard of in my industry. My boss is Mormon and one of the other Project Managers is / was too. I got a nice Ford F-250 extended cab to drive. I got my business cards and phone already. In contrast other companies have taken months to do the same. My laptop will be delivered tomorrow. This is the first job where I feel that I am neither "in over my head" nor "wasting time and talent". I return calls from people looking for our services, meet with them, design/ determine the program, put a crew on it, make sure the crew does it right, order materials, and help with the technical stuff. I love it. This is also the first company where I can see a long term future.
Well you are probably dieing to know why I said a "painful" start. Well Thursday I was teaching the crews how to prune hedges the right way. "look is that a rabbit?!" [name that movie] I was working with motorized Hedge Shears. They function like Hair Clippers but for hedges. Ther were 2 pairs, both turned off. I was trying to start one, and I couldn't do it. As I let go of the cord my hand slipped backward into the 2nd set. The freshly sharpened set! Any how it hurt my thumb, as I looked at my thumb I felt something warm on the back of my hand, I turned it over and saw 2 Hollywood style large gashes or slashes (get my joke?) on the back of my 1st and 2nd finger. Well after forcing myself out of shock, I cleaned them up in the garden hose and determined that I would need stitches. I called my co-worker to come get me. While He was getting there I finished lining the crew out on the job. To shorten things up I ended up getting 19 stitches; 3 in my thumb, so 8 on both fingers! Don't worry it hasn't slowed me down hardly at all at work. A cute anecdote: Henry found a Band-aid yesterday and put it on. He said to Lyn "I need this, I hurt my finger." "How" replied Lyn. "I cut my finger, real bad!" "really?" Lyn said. "yeah with pruners... Wanna see it? it's pretty gross." Wow I knew Henry looks up to me, but even to the point of pretend wounds!? Wow!
Well that's it for now.
.........................There is a picture below in the picture section IF you want to see my stitches, otherwise your imagination will suffice.

Trip to Utah

I'm trying this new way to post pics; within the text. Let me know if you like it or hate it or just leave a comment for fun.
Well alot has happened but not alot to write about. We flew to Utah last Friday and stayed till Friday the 29th. We visited with Mom and Dad Tidwell, Grandparents, brothers and sisters (on both sides) and old friends from school. It was pretty cold down there. When we arrived there was almost two feet of snow on the ground. It was sunny most of the time we were there although it was not very warm. The kids had a blast, and got very little sleep and got colds too. :) oh well! I enjoyed seeing my old professors and friends from school . Two of them took jobs with the University. Seeing my bother and sister was a high point. I am trying to get them to move to WA. [Audrey, you know you want to be up here, think of all the hiking... :) ] On Thursday we went to a cool park and had a great time. It had some toys that were even fun for adults. It was sunny and peaceful.
Well church was nice today, I bore testimony in front of the congregation to the fact that God knows each of us and is aware of our sufferings and blesses us, usually through the kindness of other people. Like the song says "I have no hands but yours".
I start my new job tomorrow. I am very excited, yet very nervous at the same time. I will have a lot of responsibility, more than I have ever had, and while I know I can do it, it still makes me nervous. Life is going well. In addition to this great new job, we cannot describe the happiness that we feel for the blessing that it is stay in our lovely house and in our great ward. I put up a new light fixture in my kitchen and it transformed it. It completes the 'Retro' look that I was going for. It also adds more depth to the room while improving the lighting. I get so excited about aesthetics; inside, outside, home, garden, or auto. I am turned on by enhancing things. This house has been alot of fun.

Hurray!!

Yep, You guessed it. I am now gainfully employed. I had a job interview last Saturday with a company in Snoqualmie, and I received a job offer on Tuesday. The name of the company is American Pro-scapes. The owner I found out in the interview is Mormon! I had several questions for the owner so I meet with him yesterday[Thursday] and got them figured out. I feel really good about this position. Today I called him and accepted his offer.
I will start March 3rd as a Sales Project Manager. This position will have alot of design, but more project management. I will have the luxury of overseeing the installation of my designs, which is something that very few designers actually get. The position pays considerably more than the previous and I will also have a company truck which will eliminate commuting costs. The best news to us is that we can stay in our house and near our wonderful friends. I was very sad at the thought of having to leave my shady hammock trees behind :( and my garden too!
Thank you to everyone for keeping us in your thoughts and prayers, I know that the Lord watches out over us and will never leave us stranded. It might appear that way but we just need to have faith that there is a master plan that we fit into.
Well there is not much more to write about so, until next time...