post sans photos

I've been having some difficulty with my computer's power cord (as in, it doesn't work) so we'll have to do an update with no pictures. Boo.

Why I love summer:

- WORKING. Being productive! Making money! Right now I'm teaching a few lessons a week as well as regular barn work. Camp starts in a couple weeks and then I'll really get busy. 24+ kids in the barn at once- sounds like a good time. PetSmart grooming was kind enough to take me back part time until camp, so I've been back with the doggies twice a week. I smell delicious.

- Time for new hobbies. Beau and I picked up tennis, something we'd never really done before. I mostly like it because I have a chance at beating Beau.

- Riding! Oh, and I even have a photo for this one. Killian is my lease for the summer, and he is fantastic.

Beau likes my game face in this one. You'd look like that too if you knew you had to halt from a hand gallop after this fence. We got a third in this class!

- Our transient lifestyle. We split our time between my house in Ashburn and my boss's house in Purcellville. We like the idea of becoming professional house sitters, as we enjoyed our time at two family's homes while they were away.

- Family! Living with the Holmes's has been splendid. Adriel's catch phrases have made it into our regular vocabulary. And it's okay with me that the girls like Beau better than me. We've been to the Tagg's for Sunday dinner twice, and we got to have a sleepover with Zack and Jocelyn.

- Summer fruit sales. I have eaten more strawberries with sour cream and brown sugar than ever imagined. Try it.

- Realizing on Sunday that your make up bag is still in the car from last Sunday. And that your straightener and blowdryer haven't been unpacked. And that you didn't bring any heels home from Utah.

ch ch ch check it out

How good are you at recognizing a criminal?

Hours of entertainment!

http://picktheperp.com/

"SYKE" -- spring

Spring has brought us such a nice surprise!

Snowflakes falling right before my eyes.


10 points if you noticed the familiarity in the above words with the lyrics of "popcorn popping". Beau thought of this himself. He is very proud.

Happy finals week!

BABIES!

I meant to post this earlier, but my sister Page had her baby last Saturday! Everett Dickson Otto:


I'm so excited to see him when we go back east in 2 weeks!

ALSO..... My sister-in-law Alyse is expecting her second in October. Babies everywhere!! We are so lucky to have family close by.

Beau the brownie monster.

Happy birthday Beau! (yesterday)

He requested enchiladas for his birthday dinner. I believe this was the first thing I ever cooked for him, when we were dating. I've only been a disappointment since.

At first he wanted cheesecake (which I love to make) but on second thought, he chose brownies and mint chocolate chip ice cream. Easier, cheaper... sounds good.

After coming back from class/work today this is what was left:

Now you know why I hide treats from him.

Just kidding. I wouldn't do that. I think.

--------------------------------------------------------------------
Overheard on Campus
Guy 1: Yeah, my high school was crazy... Like three kids got arrested in the parking lot, and there were drug busts all the time.
Guy 2: That's awesome! All we had were lesbians.

weekend.

I've been working a bit at a home for at-risk youth in the area, to start an equestrian program. They have three (ugly) old horses, barbed wire fences, and a couple run-in sheds. And that's what I have to work with. We spent a few hours there the past couple Saturdays working with the kids on building some stalls.


Crude, but it works.

Dirty horse #2 eating hay in her new stall:

Some of the girls enjoyed decorating the new "barn":



Our lovely kitchen table and chairs were left to us from the previous tenants, and we soon discovered that they're not the most sturdy. But hey, they were free, so what do we care? Anyway, Beau sat down the other day and the chair completely fell apart:

We have a couple folding chairs (we bring out the big guns for guests) so don't worry, I didn't make Beau stand for meals after this.

So, we added a trip Ikea to our list of things to do Saturday. Neither of us had ever been to Ikea before, and HOLY CRAP IT'S HUGE. Seriously, I felt like one of the little mice the graduate students experiment with on the 12th floor of the SWKT. After aimlessly wandering around the displays, we found ourself at the warehouse portion where we picked out an almost identical replacement chair. Many thanks to Zack and Jocelyn for the gift card. :)

Then we went to a session at the Timpanogas temple, which I'd never been to before. It's fun to see the differences in each temple. I especially liked the chapel windows. I've heard the Draper temple is fantastic, but we have yet to go there.


After a quick stop to for Petey, the horse I feed every night (Beau found it amusing to see me working with a horse in a skirt and heels. I assured him it was not the first time.), we went to Red Robin to use yet another gift card. Those bottomless steak fries are dangerous.


Oh, one more thing! Apparently, it was our 2 monthiversary the other day. We were driving to something, and Beau kept asking about what I would be okay with splurging on for a dessert. I thought he was just interested in my calorie-watching hobby, but no. I returned home later to find this:


An apple pie! He scoured the pie section to find the least fattening one. Cute.

OH NO SHE DIDN'T!

Oh, Tanya Harding.

"All publicity is good publicity?" Do people, as she says, still pay to see her?

I would pay to see those bangs.