What the...

So this is where we live. Well not exactly i guess, this is only the Office and the pool but if i took a picture right behind me, then that would be where we live...Anyway, this is not the point of this post, my only point is that here's the pool and the parking lot right next to it. See that black fence that goes all around it? Well, i want you to remember it for future pictures... This is a turtle. The Turtle is just hanging out right by the black fence. ITS HUGE! Me and some girls were walking back from the pool when Brittany says "is that real?" So we all stop and look at it and sure enough it really is a turtle! I couldn't believe it, we didn't know this was a semi-normal thing for the east coast so we try to let everyone in the pool know that: A TURTLE HAS ESCAPED FROM THE ZOO! or something because this isn't normal. Well the man in the pool informed us that this is a normal thing and that he's just probably trying to get to the water in the pool to cool off. Either way, seeing a HUGE turtle the middle of a city and NOT in a zoo wasn't normal for me so i took pictures....
I wanted to capture the size of this thing so that is a size 8 flip flop next to the big turtle.

I was pretty excited about this turtle and i knew John would be just as excited so i called him to tell him, this is how the conversation went:

Elise: Uh, Honey, sorry to bug you. i know your out there working hard but i just had to tell you something.

John: What? (in a worried sort of, and understanding way)

Elise: I just saw a turtle

John: Did you catch it?
Elise: This isn't one of "those" kinds of turtles

John: What do you mean you? So you didn't catch it?
Elise: This kind of turtle wouldn't be much fun to try to catch.... its been sitting in the exact same place for over an hour....honey, this turtle is probably at least a foot long and will most likely be in the exact same place in 6 hours when you get back home..

John: A FOOT??? (he thought i was exagerating) Well awesome, i can't wait to see it!

I'm hoping its still there when John gets home, but if its not, i've got pictures and friends to prove it!

Rhode Island!

Yesterday we decided to go on a little day trip after church over to Rhode Island. It was fun and BEAUTIFUL! We drove into Newport and they have fun streets that will need exploring next time we go, it smelled amazing there like yummy fish and fresh ocean. First we headed to the "Cliff Walk" which is a sidewalk on the side of the ocean cliffs and it walks right past all these old (turn of the century) mansions that were built as summer homes. They were incredible. Here's the ocean side of one of them:

John posing for a pic, i think he's cute, Everyone was worried for his safety up there but i know he's got the balance of a gymnast.

The ocean, it was beautiful!



This one is John touching the ocean, don't worry, he splashed some up on me so i could touch it too, such a sweetheart!

After the Cliff Walk we drove down Ocean Drive, i guess its the same road that's in the movie "Dan in Real Life". The one he drives down on his way to the cabin thing. Kinda cool and super pretty! More mansions with beautiful views.

After our exploring we were invited to our friends grandparents house for dinner. They were so sweet and hospitable! We had fun, this is there awesome huge deck and the next picture is the view from the deck.

It was so much fun to be someplace so beautiful! The water is a salt-water river that empties into the ocean, it was so pretty and perfect weather. Not too hot, and not too cold. We'll for sure have to go back though, we didn't a chance to try any seafood by the ocean.... next time!

I did it!

I did it! This is the Viking 320, and it sews! And it was a great deal. I'm very happy with it, and i've already started sewing! Below is my first project: Burp Clothes for the little one. Can you see the design? I knew as soon as i saw it i had to get it, yes John loves them.

Thanks for all of your suggestions on sewing machines! I guess i really didn't follow any of it but they did help with research! I guess vikings are up there with bernina's on quality so i was excited to find a great deal on a used viking, more projects coming! (i mean seriously, what else do i have to do?)

Buying a sewing machine...

So i'm looking to get a sewing machine, I've wanted one for a long time and my mom wanted to help get me one as a graduation gift so i'm looking into them, but i don't know what kind to get, whats good? I need mostly the basic's but i want it to last, to work, and to not be breaking all the time. The only brand i know is good is Bernina because my mom's had one FOREVER and it still works great and is lifetime warrentied but they are so expensive! Anyway, if any of you know anything about sewing machines i'd love to learn from you! Thanks!

So, i'm finally getting around to getting some pictures up of our gorgeous surroundings! First is on of John on our Sunday adventure, we went into our backyard FOREST exploring. This is John next to a little stream we found, i'm thinking he was posing like he was going to dive in... After walking through the woods for a while, we came to a meadow that smelled amazing because of these little purple miracles of nature.

Next is just John and me, we are our own photographers.

This awesome picture is our balcony! We love our balcony, there's a little yard there below us that hardly ever gets used and then all there is is forest. John and i love to sit out there in the mornings and read, its so beautiful and peaceful and the birds are ALWAYS singing to us. Here's John reading to me his latest book on sales... We are on the second floor of our appartment complex and we love it here. Our mornings have been full of just hanging out, exploring, playing tennis, exercising.... its just been fun to be able to relax for a few hours in the mornings together. This morning we found a mansion. We'll have to go back and take pictures but its called Wadsworth Mansion and its a historical site of somekind. We're not quite sure yet who this Wadsworth fellow was or why he built a beautiful mansion but one of these days we're going to go back and get a tour, we're excited for that. There is also a mysterious Freedom Trail. Someone at church told John it goes all the way to Boston, it's kind of a big deal, but every time we try to get to it it is impossible to find. it's weird because there's signs on our main road but as soon as we turn the direction the signs point, then there are no more to guide you there....weird but we're still on the lookout, one of these days we're bound to run into it. The place we are living is just a cute little place, there's tons of winding roads to get lost on that all look the same to me...beautiful houses and lots and lots of trees. I am starting to feel more comfortable about finding places and exploring but still, i find myself lost quite often. So far there has been a lot of rain, i don't mind much, i love the rain, but i guess it isn't very much fun to knock doors in but everyone around here has swimming pools in their back yard, so it makes me think that the rain will go away and that maybe this is what spring is supposed to be like, lots of rain before the heat. Anyway, i'll quite rambling now and i'll post more about this place later ;)

Happy Mother's Day!

A couple of days ago i got a text from my little sister, she asked "if you could describe your mother in just three words what would they be." She asked me kind of randomly but i thought about it seriously and these are the words i came up with; Faithful, Sincere, and Selfless. As you move on in life, you start to realize all of your imperfections. You start thinking of things you would have done differently if you knew then what you know now. I always regret treating my parents disrespectful or ever getting angry with them because now i know that they were only doing EVERYTHING they did, for me. Parenting is the most selfless act we all may have the privilege of doing. I'm so grateful for my selfless mother with is the most Faithful, and Sincere person that i know. She's has truly always been an amazing example to me and i am so grateful for all that she's done for me.

Since being married, I've also been lucky enough to share my husbands mother as well. She too is the most selfless person, never thinking of herself and ALWAYS thinking of others. I'm am so grateful for her for being who she is, her example and her love. Thank you also for raising an amazing son and for giving him to me, he's the best thing in my life and i'm so grateful for the mother who raised him.

At church today in our new ward out here in Connecticut, one of the speakers, a woman, spoke on what is means to be a mother. I loved how she pointed out that like Eve, our first mother, we too are the Mother of All Living. Not only are we as women the mother of our children but we have the motherly instincts to take care of all children, to take care of flowers, gardens, animals, our families and our homes. Each one of us, whether or not we yet have children are Eves. We are the mother's of all living things and people. It is part of our divine role to take care of and provide motherly love to all we meet, to all that may need it. What a huge responsibility and a big THANK YOU for all of the women in my life, my mothers, grandmothers, sisters, aunts, cousins, friends and complete strangers, together we can take care of all of the living, just like Eve. Also, a huge thank you to my husband who made this mother's day for me so incredibly special, i love him and am so grateful to him for my amazing life.

We're not in Kansas anymore....

.....or Utah, or Wyoming, or Nebraska, or Iowa, or Illinois, or Indiana, or Ohio, or Pennsylvania, or New York, or Massachusates but we were! (all except for the Kansas part) and its been an adventure. The drive was actually awesome. I was worried about it since i complain about driving from Logan to Manti but this was fun. It was fun to be with John for that long....all day everyday.... we had a good time. We took I90 up through the top of New York, it was awesome because we were able to stop in Kirtland Ohio and Palmyra. We walked through the sacred grove and it was so neat. We also were able to stop by the temple for a few pictures. It was a good trip but last night we were sure ready to be done and then we were! We arrived around 11:00 pm and moved into our awesome new nice apartment. We're excited to be here and John was excited to go out and start selling today, i guess we'll see how that went when he gets home! Anyway, here's a few pic's of the drive, this is what our car door looked like before we left. I didn't take a picture of it at the end but i'll just way all of that stuff was gone the first day and now the door is stuffed full of maps...

This is all in Kirtland, when we got there all the missionaries were in church so we gave ourselves a tour, it was fun ;)

This is the Palmyra temple above and below is John and I in Joseph Smith's home

Someday i'll take some pictures of our new home but for now, we'll call this good. Just know that it is absolutly beautiful! We've got a forest in our backyard and its been wet and rainy since we've been here, it just makes everything so green. We're loving the new scenary and i even ventured out by myself today to the grocery store, it was fun.

Hartford, here we come!

Wow, hhave i been? I guess after we found out about the little boy i've just lost my mind....but i just wanted to do a quick update and say GOODBYE! We're leaving, in the morning bright and early. Our car is packed with a new set of tires...am i forgetting anything? I sure hope not, but whatever i am forgetting, i'm sure we'll just be able to live without. Today we celebrated John's birthday (between all the packing and cleaning) and we had a little BBQ with the neighbors, we're going to miss everyone here but we're excited for our new adventure! I don't know when i'll be able to post again or when i'll have internet again, but i'm sure it won't be long. Wish us luck!

I'm not sure i know how to do this....

But john and i are so excited to find out!!!

Most recent aerating adventure...oh wow

So, this is how aerating goes: we pick a neighborhood that looks good, mostly ones that have small yards, John and I knock doors until one of us gets a house that wants an aeration, John starts aerating and i keep knocking and set up a few more appointments for him to keep him busy for however long he wants to be. Its been working pretty well for us but today was another story...I'm just knocking the doors like usual after John's started aerating and a guy answers a door. Before he gets there i can hear the dog barking so i'm just waiting, unalarmed (everyone has dogs around here) well he comes to the door and its this old fat guy without a shirt on, i'm a little shocked/embarrassed that he opened the door in the first place so i temporarily forget about the mean growling HUGE dog behind him. Well, i didnt' forget for long because before i know it he's broke free of the homeowners grasp and his teeth are clamped around most of my upper thigh. I scream, of course what else do you do? The homeowner yanks his, let me remind you, HUGE dog off of my leg, smacks his nose, tells him he's a bad dog and then asks me if i'm okay. Of course, i say i'm fine... i really think i am just my leg is throbbing, but my pants didn't rip or anything so i figure it can't be too bad. Mostly i'm just shocked, maybe a little shook up but mostly just...pregnant, you know, overly emotional? Well i assure him that i'm just fine, we don't need to go in the house and strip off my pants just to make sure and then i leave. I held the tears in til i see John, by now my leg isn't even hurting anymore but it scared me! (and i'm pregnant)John is so loving and worried and he's just hugging me asking what in the world is the matter. Well i just keep crying hysterically and for some reason i can't stop, in the middle of all my crying i'm laughing at myself for being such an idiot and crying for no real reason. Anyway, i explain to John what happened and we take a look at my leg. Honestly, it is pretty bad, i'm just hoping that dog didn't have rabies or something but mostly i think its bruised...my leg, and my pride.

My Hot-Hard-Working-Husband

Gosh John's amazing ;) This was the first day since quitting Macey's that he's actually been able to Aerate because of the weather! Yay, it was pretty exciting, he did 4 lawns in just a few hours and we got to start working on our tans :) Tomorrow's going to be the big day with lots of appointments. Well, we learned a few things today; Aerating is HARD work, chains on aerators come off when on slopes and really wet grass, and water and tools are always good things to have on hand, oh, and one more thing my husband is HOT when he's working hard! (But maybe we already knew that...)

If anyone in the area would like their lawn aerated John's definitly the best around! And we'd love to do it (he's the cheapest too :), thats always a plus!) Just contact V's Aerating (AKA me or John) and we'd love to hook you up!

Conference Weekend!

Meg, Bruce and Parents came for conference weekend and it was so fun to have them here! Of course we took a walk on the parkway between sessions on Sunday and it was pretty nice

Bruce levatating. I know you all knew he was cool but now you know HOW cool he really is :) Amazing....

Thanks for the fun weekend guys! Sorry we didn't take more pictures but we had a great weekend with great talks, great company, fun puzzles and good laughs. Thanks guys!