Gripes ahead... but there's a silver lining.

Math has put a big fat rain cloud over me today....
UGH! I feel like crud today. My left arm feels like it's almost been yanked off. The reason why? I carried my math book all around with me this weekend hoping for even small portions of time to study for a big exam I had on Monday. Did I find time? No. Did I pay for it? Yes. Did I pass my test? No. I got a 57%. YIKES! I haven't done that bad since... well, never in my college education.  It hurts. It hurts inside and I hurt outside. Note to self: when carrying something heavy, use both shoulders. If carrying a book at work, leave it in the car, you'll never even get to crack it open. I did stay for tutoring today and plan to work really hard to catch up and stay caught up. Thankfully I also found out that my grade only dropped to 81%, and I still have a homework to turn in, so I'm not in the C's yet!

And the weather isn't helping....
It's cold again. Not winter cold, but cold enough that I don't want to sit outside in it.

People are telling me to get my seeds going soon. I don't know what I want to plant! Joel was looking up renting a sod cutter this morning. I'm not sure what it's going to cost to rent. We want to start a big space this year. Even if we don't grow in all of it we can prepare some of it for next year with fertilizing and weed control.  I have a friend whose offered me her seeder with plates, sounds really interesting! Might make my job easier!

I also am getting anxious to get some flowers going and clean up my flower garden. I have some weed control to do there, and also on our stone steps and stone patio (if you can call it that, it's only maybe 6'x8') where Joel put up my new love swing. I'd love to sit out on that with my BB gun and wait for that rascally gopher to pop it's head out so I can.... well, you know.... keep my yard from looking like a mine field.

But there is a silver lining...
I am so thankful that it's conference weekend! I need the upliftment! I also invited a family that lives nearby for dinner after the last session on Sunday. They have bunch of kids that are close in age to ours, and they live really close. I'm excited to get to know people in our ward better.
Small world... the lady Joel and I HT and VT knows my nephew in Oregon! crazy small world.

This last weekend I had a wonderful weekend. I worked this weekend, and it was tournament time for the Special Olympics! I got to take two of our guys, to play basketball with their teams, down to St. Thomas in St. Paul. Their teams played so great! Although it was fun, it was a very exhausting and I came home early last night very worn out.
Today I had a math test that I was not very prepared for. I had hoped to have time at the tournament to study, but ended up not having any time for it. I tried to study this morning, but nothing on the test looked like what I studied this morning.
I am very disappointed. I wish that I had done better today. I am not sure if there is much I can do to correct the damage it is going to do to my grade.
Tomorrow I have an art project due. I am excited about how this image turned out. I will have to share a picture of it soon! I am really glad I took drawing and have this weekly outlet for my artistic side. I hope that he grades me ok on it, I know that he was wanting me to do more on it than I had time for, but I think it turned out pretty good.
I haven't seen Jacob very much in the last few weeks, I am excited that he promised me he would come up next weekend and spend Sun-Tuesday morning with me!
Also, this week we bought the kids a trampoline from a friend who is moving and doesn't want to take hers with them. We also got her pool, the kids are so excited about it! I hope this summer is going to be better than they thought it would, because they are really upset with me that I have to start at my new school this summer, even though I promised them I wouldn't last year. But then I didn't know we'd be moving to such a fun house!
Tonight the children were fighting and so I decided that we should get out our scriptures and read. I'm sad to report that we have not been very good at family scripture study since we've moved. But tonight as we read, I could feel the Spirit re-enter our home and the children have been playing with each other so well since then. I am so thankful for the changes that happen when we invite the Spirit into our lives.

On the horns of a delema

I have a big decision to make this week. I have taken classes the last couple of summers and it's made for a not so fun summer for my kids. I promised them no more classes in the summer again. They are holding me to it. But that was before I knew that the program I wanted to get my Bachelor through is a 6 semester program that requires summer classes. Most are online, only a few are on campus, but still, that means me doing homework while the kids entertain themselves. Not fun, and they are already crying about it.
So do I keep my word and drag my graduation out for a couple more years, which, may I remind you I am already a bit old to be starting this venture....
Or do I make the best of it I can and take the classes anyway and try to minimize the effect it has on our summer?
The answer is not an easy one to find.

The weather is so beautiful here this week! The weather people are saying we are a month ahead of schedule and that we should be able to be in our gardens a month ahead. That would be nice to have an extra month of growing season. YAY!

Starving Artist

I am loving my art class very much, it has given me a great outlet for my creativity, but it hasn't been enough. My next art project is Photorealism in pencil. I have to pick a photograph for the project. Looking through my images on my photography blog has got me missing my photography so much. I didn't know I'd miss my photography this much!  The other day I drove past a pond that has been half melted. In the open water sat several swans. I wish I'd had my camera! Hoping for some sun tomorrow so I can get a shot.  I need to figure out some way to feed my hunger.