Cute

This is my new cute office with yellow walls and the piano!

2 years today

Andrew and I celebrate 2 years today...

mwa ha ha

Andrew left on another hunting trip this last weekend and left me home to entertain myself and feed his pets. I had a plan this time. I decided that while he was gone I was going to paint me office/piano room GOLDEN yellow. I wasn't certain how long Andrew's trip would be, so first thing Monday I pulled out the paint and started my first coat. I was about 3/4 of the way done when Andrew texted me and said that he was on his way home and that he would be home in 3 hours. I had to book-it to hurry and get the rest of the room finished plus clean up the brushes etc. at 12:30 I felt like we were done enough that I could go to bed and he came home about 20 minutes later. He razzed me a little for painting without telling him, but the room looks really cute/better and he knows it, so he really didn't care. I knew he wouldn't especially when I said "you went on a hunting trip for the weekend, I painted the office". He knew he couldn't argue with the fact that he got to do what he wanted to do, why shouldn't I? And that was that. I will post some really cute pictures to follow. I haven't put the room all the way back together yet.

Other good news....okay, there really isn't any except I get 2 screens at work now because of some new software we are getting and it is really spiffy.

Ha ha, last week (along with my great painting idea) I decided to get a mousepad printed with a picture of Andrew and I and I brought it to work. Ha ha ha, Andrew just rolls his eyes, but I think it is cute :). Plus I smile everytime I look at it. Mostly because I have a mousepad with our faces being scrolled over constantly and for some reason that is really funny to me. Okay, plus if you saw the picture I chose...maybe I will take a pic of that too.

New Painting/Job

Hi Ya'll, just wanted to let you know that my newest painting is up on my portfolio. www.deannaleeshaw.blogspot.com.

AND I wanted to share the good news about my job. I was promoted to a Title Officer at my office and will be working on getting my title license in the upcoming months! YAY! I am currently going to be working on "on-the-job" training...the stuff that you REALLY need to know and then will take the test with my boss (office manager, not a title officer) and another co-worker, but I will be one of two main title officers in my office. The great thing about this is, that with the new programs they are getting all of our work is going to be paperless and online, so I can essentially do my job from home ...which is great news if we need more hours even after I have a baby. I know I know all of my sisters are shaking their heads and saying that I need to dedicate 100% to my future children, and I will...but there are some things that just need to get done and when they are done I won't work, who knows maybe it will even be before I get a kid.

I am really excited about this and think it will do a lot for my resume and ability to get future jobs. All I need to do now is study so I can get my license!

Dogs, Tomatoes, and Work

Yesterday was a bit of a trying day at work. I have mentioned before how many of my co-workers are completely computer illiterate. It is still true. My office has decided to merge to a new software for our filing/operating system and this has meant transitioning all of our old templates and codes to the new system. As you can imagine I have been blessed with this job. I have spent nearly 2 weeks converting our old templates and creating new codes and trying to explain to some co-workers how to do it so they could help. In the end I had to go back and redo some of the stuff they helped me with (it's the thought that counts right?). I was so fried after work yesterday having been staring at the computer screen for hours on end that I was on the verge of tears (partly because I realized I had to redo all the help of my co-workers...they didn't really get very much done, but it meant that I did the ENTIRE thing by myself). I even told my boss that I expected a $2.00 raise after this was done and that I was completely serious. I don't know if he took me seriously or not, but at least he will have an idea of how much work this really has been. I don't think I will actually get a $2.00 raise, but David (my boss) is pretty generous in saying Thank You for "extra" help being done. Sigh...okay, I am done venting.

Our adorable puppy Duke also spent the day at the Vet yesterday. We found out that he had an umbilical hernia...which means that the hole in his stomach from the umbilical chord never closed. Apparently this is genetic. The only way to fix it is surgery and it is a necessary surgery. SO, after my super awesome day yesterday, Andrew and I picked up our puppy and 309 dollars later, he no longer has a hole in his stomach. Duke seemed to be doing very well, but even after surgery he was so full of energy we couldn't handle having him watch a movie with us and he is so whiny that Andrew cleaned out the little pen in the garage and our recovering patient spent the night where he wouldn't be whining. (We aren't as big of softies after 4 puppies)

The good news in all of this is that we have finally been able to enjoy some beautiful tomatoes from our garden that taste wonderful. So, anyone that has good recipes for Tomato soups, salsas, chili, spaghetti or pizza sauce. I am asking you to please send them my way

Oh and by the way, thank you to the suggestions on my last blog..as luck would have it, Andrew has some other stuff to do and we didn't end up going hunting, but I will definitely be ready for my response for next time :)

Benson

I really think that living in Benson is just the right place for us...well mostly Andrew. My new visiting teaching companion's name is Michelle, she lives across the street. We are also in Young Womens together. We had a funny conversation on Wednesday as we compared our Non-hunter wives vs. Hunter husbands and the results of such a combination. She, as well as me, never hunted, had a husband who did, got a gun for Christmas, was "urged" to go (meaning practically forced) and because she wanted to spend time with her husband she went. She grew up in Randolph, so even though she didn't hunt, she was surrounded by it and was a bit of a country girl anyway.

After a laughing and comparing stories and realizing we had quite a bit in common, the trouble began. She then starts telling Andrew and I about her hunting experience with an Elk and how she didn't think she could do it, but that she really liked it and got a really big Elk. She, like myself, has only ever shot 2 other things (birds). She had also explained that she was the only girl among all these guys out hunting...yada yada yada. Because of this story, Andrew now believes that I would love going and would really like getting myself an Elk. EVEN THOUGH I keep telling him I don't think I could do it, I think I would feel really bad and it would not be fun for me to shoot such a big pretty animal, let alone scare me to death. He believes this is because I have never done it before and don't know what I am missing.

I don't really know what to do. I don't think that he will let me NOT go, without a big fuss/argue until he has convinced me that his point is the only true and living point. If I do go, I think I will be so nervous and scared and unwilling to actually shoot the thing that I will completely chicken out, save the life of the Elk and Andrew will be really mad. You know, I can go and I can watch Andrew do it, but for me to do it myself, I take it too personal and start thinking about its family and all of its friends and wonder if Heavenly Father is going to be mad at me for killing it.

What should I do?

Funny Blog

Here are the rules: you have to take 10 pictures of the following things and you have to do it right away. No straightening, cleaning or wiping your child's nose (I mean it!). Then you tag six others.

1. Kitchen Sink: Those are some tomatoes we are hoping will ripen.

2. What the kids are doing: Up to no good.
















3. Bathroom: We just cleaned..I got lucky

4. Self Portrait:


5. Fridge: eh...its a fridge


6. Closet: the closet could use a little work...and square footage.


7. Washer: Nothing exciting here.


8. Favorite Room:
















9. Favorite Shoes: It's all about comfort :)


10. Dream vacation: Amazingly Andrew and I both really want to go to Africa


I tag: Sheena, Katie, Jenny, Carillisa, Jenny Miller, and Betsy

Food!

Yesterday for dinner Andrew and I had corn on the cob, a sliced cucumber, some carrots and zucchini bread...! All from the garden. Andrew also had a grilled cheese sandwich. I was pretty excited to pay pretty much nothing for our dinner. I have actually lost weight in the last few months and I wouldn't be surprised if it was because of all the vegetables I have been eating. Oh oh, and we tried a huckleberry pie with all the huckleberries and it was pretty good! Having a garden is so rewarding. I have all kinds of plans for next year.

Today I get to go on a bike ride with the Laurels. It is a progressive dinner from one house to the next. I am pretty excited, I really love being in Young Women's, I feel so much more comfortable there than in Relief Society. It is interesting how things have changed since I was a Laurel. We text all the girls to let them know about the activities, and when I got in they all exchanged phone numbers with me.

GOOD NEWS, my Mom and Dad are moving and they have to get rid of their piano. To my surprise all of the stars aligned just right and I am the lucky one that gets it. I have already picked the spot for it in my house and have planned the decorations accordingly. How much does it cost to get them tuned? We will have to make some changes when a baby comes, but until then this will work out beautifully. I am so happy to be able to play again.

Some sad news at our house. My niece Lauren had surgery yesterday for an infection that she spent a week in the hospital for a few weeks ago and it got a lot better, but made a bad turn and was causing more problems. Poor Lauren is only 4 and can't figure out why these nurses are "poking her again!" with all the IVs etc. :( I hope she is doing OK. It just makes you heartsick to see her so sad and not feeling well. She is such a sweet loving little girl, it just seems so wrong for her to be sick.

Summer Ending

I have noticed, as I am sure many of you have, that the blogging world has slowed significantly since the summer began. I myself have blogged far less than usual and am sorry for it; however I had a garden, and good weather, how could I not be outside (especially since I consider myself part lizard and only get warm with direct sunlight).
BEFORE


AFTER

I love the before and after pics. I am pretty excited about the garden..unfortunately we haven't gotten any tomatoes yet, but when we do, I have a feeling that we will be in over our heads.
I am also trying to make a huckleberry pie today out of the bushes we started this year and I am interested to see how they turn out. It has been a very educational year!




On another topic, Andrew took me deer hunting with him the other day and we went hiking up a canyon called High Creek ...it was beautiful. The coolest part however were the Moose that we saw. I don't know if I have ever seen them before especially that close! They were probably 250 yards from us and we got a great look at them, luckily we had the video camera with us as well and we got some really neat video.
We continued hiking FOREVER after that as Andrew searched for his deer and honestly I am going to have to learn to be more patient because I got so annoyed every 10 steps when we stopped and waiting then walked again and stopped and walked and stopped. SHEESH lets just get to where we want to be already. We finally headed home and on the way we got a call from Andrew's brother Marcus who shot an elk. The last thing Andrew wanted to do was go hike another 6 miles, but duty called and he went to help Marcus. The next day all the Shaw brothers got together and helped butcher the elk so it wouldn't go bad and got it done and in the fridge.

After we got back from Marcus' we found ourselves in the dark. At about 5:00 the power went out (in the middle of us baking stuff too) by 7:00 we went to Oakridge at Kevin's apt where they had power. The power didn't come back on until about 8:00 this morning. Now Andrew is begging me to go dove hunting with him and shoot clay pigeons and is begging me to get off the computer....he is so impatient. welp cya later