Your Book Faves

People want to hear about books and movies and games and FHE ideas and kids stuff.  My, aren't we a greedy, yet amazingly diverse group?  So, I'm starting with books.  Post and let us know what books you've enjoyed lately, heard about, or remember loving in days gone by.  If you can, tell us a bit about them.  After the posting flurry has subsided, I'll compile them into an easy reference list that can sit on the blog page for a while.  I'm excited to hear!

Memory Monday

So, it just happens to be Monday and I want to share a memory that was recently stirred up during my several sojourns in Texas.  I've related this to Dad already, so you don't have to read it if you don't want to, Dad, but I wanted to share it around as a piece of our family history.  Houston is filled with this lovely little restaurants called Taco Cabana, as you can clearly see in the photograph.  Each time I saw one I tried to figure out why I knew them, and what the significance of their familiarity was to me.

Then a few days in it hit me: Breakfast.  1996.  Saturday mornings.

After the family moved to Colorado and I was commuting weekends, I would leave early Saturday morning and catch the early flight to Denver.  Dad would meet me at door 2 or 4 or 6 (sorry, the memories not that clear) and we'd head home, often stopping first for Huevos Rancheros or some other Mexican specialty at Taco Cabana.  These were good times, a chance for a strange teen and his Dad to touch base, share and reflect on the week past and the week ahead.  Had I stayed in Houston, I'm sure I could've persuaded Dad to fly down and I'd pick him up on Saturday morning and we'd do breakfast at the The Original Mexican Patio Cafe.  Although I don't regret leaving, I'm sad we didn't get to relive one of those moments.  Alas, memories are just that because they don't happen everyday.

Photo Friday

Hello all!  I didn't have a recent picture to post (we went camping and forgot the camera...), but I thought you would all enjoy this one!  Well, school has started again: summer term.  We both have about 8 credits of classes, and still work at our respective jobs about 20 hours a week.  Sometimes it's tough being so busy, and we wish we had more time with each other.  We're loving our new ward.  I just met with the Relief Society President today and she gave me my visiting teaching assignment and asked me to pick and lead the music in Relief Society for a couple of months.  It should be fun.  Justin's doing physical therapy for his shoulder and so far it hurts.  It also doesn't help that he likes to ride his bike everywhere, that hurts his shoulder too.  I just started a weight lifting class and I've really been enjoying it.  I thought if Justin loved it so much I'd give it a try.  Hopefully I'll have some pretty impressive guns to show for it :)

I think I'm going to make Michelle's chicken pockets for dinner tonight.  Then we're going to do something fun together.  This morning Justin said to me "Can we go on a real date tonight?"  I said sure, so we'll see what we'll end up doing.

Photo Friday

Hi family. I am on the phone with Marquie, who is SUPER BORED at Michelle's house, (else why else would she call me?) Bryce is working on the house, Michelle and the kids are helping him....hmmmm.....I wonder what Marquie should be doing? Anyway, we decided we would blog together today, since she has no blogging equipment. She is in SLC for an LDS Music workshop with Jenny Phillips, Tyler Castleton, et al. She is pretty excited about it, but it doesn't start until 3:00.

I'm sitting at home, pretty bored, all by myself, looking up homes, again in Virginia and McHenry. Marquie says I've really gotta stop that.

I also looked up ways to clean and repair the garage floor. It is doable. Wow, I think I will have to get a job or a really great hobby. Unlike James, I have read some books lately. None that I really recommend. We did enjoy the Stephanie Meyer vampire series. Marquie will finish it when I find the third book (I think packed in a box) again.

Dad's flight home cancelled this morning. So, he will try to get home this afternoon during our forecast severe thunderstorms. This is getting really old.

Anyway, Marquie says I am wasting her time, so I will browse and find a fun picture and let her go because Bryce is making a lot of earsplitting noises. Have a great Photo Friday!

New Poll

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PHOTO FRIDAY!

WE ARE SO NEGLIGENT IN OUR PHOTO FRIDAY DUTIES!  So, I'll be the good example and start this day off right!  All our love!

These are from our adventures from the past two weeks.  There's Liberty Jail, that crazy RLDS/CC Temple in Independence (the locals call it the Jesus Slide because that's where he will return, of course by sliding down the absurd spiral) a car shot from the trip to Houston, and a most precious shot of a very tired Joshua on our last night there.  Happy times indeed.  What are yours?

Quick note

I added my personal blog to the links at left, and was just checking to see if anyone else has a personal blog that needs to be added.  Anyone?  Jodi, are you still using yours?  Anyone else?  Well, let me know if you're hiding one somewhere or if you decide to add one so we can keep it linked in.  We love links—they make it so we can find those other blogs!  Love you!

A Memory...

Once upon a time I lived in Taipei.  This picture is not from Taipei, but from one of the most beautiful places I have ever been in my life: Hualian, Taiwan.  It is on the east coast, about half-way down the island. We went running along the beach every morning for our exercise, rode our bikes for an hour to get to a member's home, and spent large portions of our days on trains to go on exchanges with other missionaries that were five hours away by train.  Here is a little memory of my time there...I don't know what it is, other than it being the remains of some type of grain.  Don't know what they use it for, but it was for sale, and they find ways to use everything that is left over from anything!

That being said, this has to be the most boring blog week EVER.  Yes, I know, I am partially to blame for this.  It seems everyone is busy.  Jodi and I started school this week, both with eight or more credits for the summer.  We are both working, as well.  We are grateful to be back in school, and we are grateful for our jobs!  We are very reliant on Heavenly Father for all we stand in need of.  He has blessed us greatly with allowing me to pick up some extra shifts at the MTC.  My traffic school is done, and, along with my ticket, paid for.  Glad to have that done.  Though it was a financial burden, the traffic school course was actually quite educational.  It is lame that you are expected to know the traffic laws in whatever city you are driving in any where in the U.S., even though they are all different!  For example, in the state of New York you can't turn right on red if you are in a city with a population over 1 million.  How would I know that?!  Anyway, here is a picture to at least brighten up the blog a little!  Love you!

And we stop

After three days of the slowest sheetrocking known to man, (seriously, they only have one room done), we stop. Why? one would ask. He cut his finger yesterday and had to get 7 stitches. He figures he shouldn't work alone while on heavy pain medications. I would have to agree. He actually came back after getting his stitches and worked several more hours without meds. I felt really bad about it, but decided it was his decision. He will be back Thursday to work again, because his son can come with him. He is doing a great job, just very slowly. On a more humorous note, Ethan covered himself in mud yesterday. So what? It was during my lessons. Still, so what? After throwing him in the shower and finishing my lesson, I walked her outside. What did I find? Mud all over the door, the siding, the post, and HER CAR! Yes, he had thrown wads of mud all over the side and back of her PT Cruiser. Thankfully, she has a sense of humor and I was able to give it a quick wash. I'm also very grateful he threw it instead of smearing. (It was full of rocks!) After we rid the house of mud inside and out, it was a little late to make dinner. We had a quick F.H.E. then went to Pizza Hut. All in all, not to bad!

House Hunting

House Hunting. Now, just what pictures does that conjure up in your mind--especially when you're hunting in Virginia. Well, this week, we pulled out our guns and went house hunting, determined to bag that house and get on with our lives. Our aim is off. After a full and tiring day of viewing empty, spider laden homes with grass to our waists and driveways to rival a roller coaster uphill, with bedrooms the size of our master bath and smells like rotted basements, passing rusted trailers posing as homes, we failed in our hunt. It was annoying, but peaceful. We have this feeling that we just need to let the Lord be in control.

Because James and Liz asked us to fast with them today, we decided to piggy back on this and see if we can't discern the Lord's will. It seems every step we've taken, the Lord has put a stop sign in front of us and suggested we go another way. We just haven't discovered which way, yet.
After our day of fasting and prayer, we have determined, much to our disappointment, that we just need to continue petitioning the Lord to help us sell our home, in a market where homes are not selling, and to stay put until that happens. We are grateful to know that the Lord is in charge and knows much more about our future than we do.

Day 2

We are in day two of sheetrock. I'm so excited! The ceiling in the toy room created some problems yesterday, but they think today will go faster. They are prepping the ceiling in the family room now!!! I'm leaving for the day, but when I get back, I will take some pictures and blog the progress. I would love to hear how the house hunting is going!

Thank Marquie

At the request of our youngest sister, the template has been changed.  Go ahead—let her know what you think of it.  :)

The whole story

This has been kind of a whirlwind of events for us with little snippets of updates here and there, so I thought I'd share the whole story and hope it answers any questions.

This last few weeks has been such an adventure for us.  Two weeks ago we went to Arkansas to find a house in the little town where Teach for America placed me.  It was also a fun opportunity, starting a new high school choral program, and we found a beautiful home to rent (perhaps the only one in the town!) and slapped down our deposit.  Last week I headed to Houston to start my training with them, and as I continued, I felt more and more uneasy, questioning more and more if I was doing the right thing.  On Thursday night Liz and I decided that our fortunes lie elsewhere, and I returned home Friday.  It was (and is!) a little scary as we plunge forward, racing our rental contract to a new job—we're out of here on July 15, and we'd really like to know where to go when we load that truck!  The best part is that we have no regret, no questioning feelings as we move ahead.  Resigning that position was exactly the right thing to do, and we trust that and look forward with faith.  Faith is good, and I'm working as I speak on strengthening mine.  As a special bonus, our then-future landlords agreed to nullify the contract and return our deposit.  That was a lucky one, that was!

So there you have it.  It was the wrong thing and we both knew it, so I came home, driving all the way through the night, and now we're plugging away.  The good news is that right before I left, but after we'd decided to pull the plug, I had a phone interview with a small liberal arts college just 30 minutes from where I am now.  They have this crazy choral director/voice/piano/history/theory position I applied for right before our trip to Arkansas.  I applied mostly for the experience of doing it, but partly because my grad advisor pretty much expected me to.  I didn't really expect anything to come of it, but sure enough, I passed the phone interview, and they called me tonight to arrange an on-campus visit next week.  I'm one step away from being a freakin' COLLEGE PROFESSOR!   And there you go.

We're heading to Houston this week as part of a pre-planned trip to visit, well, me.  Liz's sister, Rachel, is flying into Kansas City on Wednesday and flying out of Houston next week, so we're pretty much cemented into this one.  It will be fun, I suppose, except the four day trip with two days of driving.  Oh well.  I think we're going to fast on Sunday for this interview, and we invite and and/or all of you to join us.  If this job comes through, it will blow my career right into overdrive, which is exactly what we're looking for.  As always we appreciate your prayers and support and look forward to hearing from you as the days go by!

The interview. GOSH!

It was good.  It seemed to flow well, and I enjoyed the time, which just flew by!  I should know within the next few days if I'm invited to campus or not.  Today I also applied for another position, well, basically the same position, but at a college in Southern New Hampshire.  We cannot, of course, afford to live there, but one must move forward!  Thanks for your thoughts and prayers.  I promise to keep you updated!

Hello james....

I'm posting a question today, in hopes of getting an answer. HELLO... HOW WAS THE INTERVIEW? I'm pretty sure I'm speaking for everyone. Unless of course everyone already knows, in which case, how rude!

And you wanted a Photo friday?

Before we can get started with our Photo Friday, Jodi has requested that we first share a dream.  This is not our dream, nor is it aspirations for the future...just a dream Jodi had last night about Michelle and Heather.  Michelle, you are beautiful.  Heather, you are getting your law degree and on a diet.  That is all.  Oh, and we got our Utah driver's licenses today (even with my outstanding speeding ticket...oops).  AND, Jodi's official name, legally, in the eyes of God and the government, is Jodi Lanae Hutchings.  

Alright, now we can get on to our Photo Friday!!  Here is a little taste of our photo Friday:

You are going to need to head over to  Steven's site to enjoy our photo friday!!  (Caution to Safari users, you may need to use another browser to view the slideshow.)  Enjoy the slideshow, the music is pretty good, and pictures are wonderful!  If there are any images that you would like, we have the rights to them and would be more than happy to send them (email) to you!  We love you!

Photo Friday

All is very quiet here. Marquie is gone to youth conference and Dad is working in Washington, D.C. And, I've spent the last hour reading everyone's blogs--Hutchings, Hutchings, Workman's, Matt and Angie, and it is not raining. Soni, however, is barking--outside. My flower pots are growing madly, they're beautiful. I could take pictures, however, I would have no clue as how to download them. I am rather technologically inept.

I stained the front deck and walk this week, between storms, but who knows when the back deck will get done. We still need someone to buy our house, and Dad still comes home only on the weekends. I could be preparing a talk (Dad and I are speaking in church on Sunday, father's day). All is well.

photo friday!

This is me talking to Dad this morning as I prepare my interview today.

What? Interview?  Yes, I'm interviewing today for a position with Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri.  It's at 12:15 CDT, so pray for me, pray for me, pray for me!  In relation to that, but not connected at all, I am resigning my position with Teach for America.  After a week of hard prayer and study, Liz and I have decided that this is not the right direction for us.  We're not sure what is, but we're moving ahead and prayerfully considering our options as we consider what lies ahead.  We'll let you know as soon as we do so you know where the reunion is!  We're still planning for it!  It was a very difficult decision to give up employment entirely, but we're comfortable and confident as we move ahead.  Such is life for us—never  dull moment.  I'm glad everyone survived the tornadic blast of midwestern summer.  We'll all make it through!  

and the saga continues

Seriously, this is a first. I will elaborate a bit on Marquie's blog. At 12:17 a.m., I hear a bit of what may have been hail. I checked the clock and was relieved to see the time. You see the weather channel told me strong storms through 12:00. I take this very seriously, so I wasn't very worried. Not two minutes later, lightning and then a siren. Luckily, we had our window open (we were melting from lack of a.c.) and had no problem hearing it. We of course glanced outside hten raced upstairs. Collin thought our hour in the basement was a delight! Yes, an hour. Our sirens went of more than once. Sometime after 1:oo, we were able to return to bed. Not before the kids had to have a snack though. We continued in a watch until 2:00, without incident. After research today, I found we had 1 tornado just south of us and 9 just north in Wisconsin. I'm feeling very blessed today. I have lived in this crazy state almost 4 years now and have never had a repeat of last night. This is one crazy year and I expect it isn't over. Since I don't have a picture of our pow wow in the basement, I thought this was pretty. That and it is the only picture on this sad little laptop. Hope you like it. I think it is something Joe designed. He is so cool!!

we ARE alive!!!!

That is all I have to say after spending the night in the basement. i know, probably a bit over the top for ALL night, but what can I say, I was freakin' scared! Honestly, who wouldn't be when you are having a nice grand sleep, and your dear sister calls at 12:40 in the morning...."Hi. How are you sleeping? Oh that's good, well, you have a tornado warning...." Gee thanks! (Yes, really, thanks!) So, we went downstairs, and sure enough, the sirens went off. It couldn't have been really that bad, though, because the power never even completely went out. So my wonderful mother, after it was already pretty calm, went back and slept downstairs with me. Super nice! Anyways, off to Youth Conference today! Looks like the weather should be okay. (hopefully!) Love ya'll! I love hearing from everyone!

All alone. . .

That is the last thing you expect to hear from a mother of three boys, but even with three boys life is lonely without the one you love.  So, how is life as a single mother of three you might ask?  Well, actually it isn't too bad.  The first day was rough but I didn't get much sleep with sending James off at 4 AM and boys up in the night, so it was my fault.  But then I started something glorious. . . we have a cup with two lines on it.  One says special desert (about halfway up the cup) and the other says "Kung Fu Panda" (near the top).   The goal is to fill the cup with beans to reach those lines, so they can have the reward.  They are working together to meet this goal so as to avoid unnecessary competition . . . the goal is peace.  How do they earn the beans you ask?  When asked to do something they just need to say "yes, I would love to" and do it.  To earn extra beans they say it with a smile.  Also, they can do things without being asked.  Joshua loves the game and has had his pajamas on every night before being asked.  It has been great!  They help with everything and do it with a smile!   Life is great and everyone is happy . . . even if we miss daddy!  

Here is just a fun photo for photo Friday . . . enjoy!

Update...

So, after a slight break the saga continues. As I was driving home from Mom's, I watched a massive storm develop over Harvard. Thankfully, it moved on right before we got home. Watching it iIwas pretty sure it was going to produce a tornado. Sure enough, just north of us 6 counties are under a tornado warning. I feel so very blessed in this crazy time! Our watch of course continues until 8 and I'm sure will be extended. Gosh, don't you just love it here..... I leave in less than a month! Of, course, I wouldn't be surprised if there was an earthquake while I was there. It just kind of seems to happen to me. Love you all!

DOODAHDOODAH!

i have a 4.0!!!! doodah, doodah! i have a 4.4 for the sem/Q4! doodah! doodah! 4.0 is cumulative! doodahdoodah!!!!!!!!DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!woot woot for me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
B- in Chemistry (C+ w/ extra credit on final 81%)
A+ in Choir (i'm assuming A+ on final he never tells us)
A- in Gym (whatever) ( no final--Q4 test was C i think)
A- in English (A on final)
A- in Spanish (A on final 94%!!)

wootwoot i am so happy! doodah, doodah!!!!! HEY!

THE FONT SIZES DIDN'T QUITE WORK RIGHT...SORRY!HAHA!

A world upside down and on its way

This world I speak of is, of course, not my own, but that of Bryce and Michelle, our dear siblings without internet. Jodi and I spent most of our Saturday with them and had quite the time working with them on their home and enjoying a great dinner and a good movie. I took my camera and had Michelle take some pictures that she would like posted for the family to see. Here they are!

Michelle is very proud of her new arch taking you from her living room (in the very front of the house) into the family room, which leads into the kitchen area. Bryce and I worked together on the arch, and made Michelle very happy.

The Packard's garden. It didn't look like a garden when we started with it Saturday morning, but when we finished we could actually see the plants!

Michelle is even more proud of her flowers. She is just waiting to plant the two grocery-bags worth of iris that she got from someone...

POST 230

RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I hate freakin' tornadoes!
seriously, i need to go to bed, and I'm all freaked out, and we have more storms coming, and a tornado watch until 1 a.m. POOP! I have my english final tomorrow, I got a C on my chem final, and a B- for the semester. YES THAT IS GOOD!!! It's NOT a C!!! WOOTWOOT! So, It's 10:50, I have a final tomorrow, I'm super duper tired, and that's all I have to say. Pray for no more tornadoes! (Sadly, i don't think it'll happen.) I LOVE you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Goodnight, guys!

Yes, unbelievably, we are still here......

HELLOOOO..... I'm getting kind of tired of reading my stuff (despite it's humor). A little help please. I just wanted to give you an update on our never ending midwest saga. We are in our fourth day of tornado watches.... Uhh hmmm. Need I say more. Joe's uncle came and recharged our a.c. and it is working beautifully. We are literally sucking it for everything it is worth. they found a nice sized puncture on the outside of the unit. We aren't sure yet if it repairable or if the whole thing will need to be replaced. Figures. Tune in tomorrow for the next episode of.... TORNADO WATCH.

I'm melting...what a world

Hey, it's me again. So, I decided I will melt before I die of tornadoes. It is currently 78 degrees with86% humidity. No big deal you say.... Did I fail to mention my a.c. is NOT COLD. Grrrrrr...... All my kids are sleeping in their undies. They actually think this is superb. I hope all of you are fairing well in the world of weather a little better than here. If not, do share so I can be a part of your misery. He He!!!

still going....

Yep, that picture from dad was great. That was our super water slide fun after the dumbest sacred cow festival parade ever. Unfortunately, we had to come in due to the weather. Seriously, third day in a row of tornado watches and tomorrow looks to be the same. We actually had a warning yesterday, but luckily no touchdown. Again I say, is it time to move yet? We shall yet live to see another day....of tornadoes. Blah, blah, blah. O.k., going to go eat our yummy grilled dinner now. Turkey and banana kabobs and also a little venison kabobin going on!

It Has Been Busy

I haven't forgotten to write, just have not done it but I sure do appreciate all of the blogs that help keep us up to date as a family. I do like this. OK, not going to spend a great deal of time, just thanks again.

Chem is OVER!

WOOTWOOTWOOT!!! Not sure how I did, but i'm done now. I just hope the scantron machine reads all my bubbles correctly. Some of them weren't filled in very well. I was in a BIG hurry!This is how I felt last night:


This is how I feel now:

Photo Phriday

I give you Lee County High School!  This is where I'll be teaching in the fall.  Sorry the shot is blurry, but we were in motion!  I'm excited for everyone to come this December and partake of the Arkansas goodness!  You're going to like it.

Or something like that.  :)

You guessed it!!!

Photo Phriday

Just a reminder from your favorite Mom (well, some of your favorite). I want to SEE those posts!
(It is Friday, isn't it?) By the way, it's also Phinals Phriday at our house! AAAHHHHHH!!!!

We're going to die.....

So, have I mentioned recently how much I love the midwest...... We are currently in a severe thunderstorm very likely to produce tornado like damaging winds. Oh yeah, there is also the ever present tornado watch. Is it time to move yet? We are just hanging out here in the basement, hoping it will pass. The power has only gone out once so far..... o.k., going to send now, while I can. Love you all!

nothing

Hi.
I got an A- in calc.
everything is lame.
my chem final is on friday.
i hope i no get c in class.
everything is lame.
i don't get it.
i need a hug.
rrrrg.
i liked your entry jodi.
this is so lame.
i got new shoes.
grrrrr.
this is how i feel.
i got a finals survival kit.

"save the humans"

school should be done.
no more math this year.
really.
i got my AP American History book.
and summer assignments.
i didn't do gym today.
i think it was the last day.
i have 3 lunch periods.
no math.
no math final.
everything is so lame.
i wish i was a super pianist.
bye.

Honeymoon :)

After reading Mom's blog, I've decided to make my first Hutchings blog contribution as the newest member of the family, and let you all know what's going on with us.

We just got back from our honeymoon really late Friday night. We got to stay there for about a week and it was seriously a lot of fun. We saw Mystere, a production by Cirque du Solei (an acrobatic group), traveled to the Hoover Dam, went to a dissected bodies exhibit (Justin especially loved this one because of his recent anatomy class), and spent plenty of time on the Strip, shopping and doing free activities like visiting the lion habitat and watching the water show. On our way back we stopped in to see my sister that lives in Henderson, close by Vegas, to return some things we borrowed and to pick up her Zion's National Park pass that she said we could use for our drive home. We stopped at Zion's on the way home and had fun. We were REALLY tired and didn't stay long, but it was beautiful. The picture on the right was quite the feat - Justin set up the camera on a rock, set the timer for 10 seconds, and then scaled the rocks to get to where I was to take the picture in time. It took a couple of tries.

Now we're back to work. Justin missed the MTC and was happy to go back this morning, and I started my work as a TA yesterday for a new teacher. So far the work is interesting but tiresome. The good news is that I have several projects to work on and don't have spend too much time on this first one. We'll both start school again at the end of this month. Oh, and I cut my hair really short. I usually do about this time of year for summertime, and waited until the day after our reception to do it.

Thanks to everyone for all of your hard work on everything: open house, wedding, dinner, and reception!! We really appreciate it, and it all turned out just perfectly.

So you all know, Justin and I have a blog now and the web address is http://happyhutchings.blogspot.com/

there isn't anything on it yet, but will be soon. Love you all!

Almost Lost in the "Wedding"

I was looking at some of the 1,000 pictures Marquie has taken in the last month and noticed a severe deficit in our family blog.

def·i·cit n.

1.

a. Inadequacy or insufficiency: a deficit in grain production.

b. A deficiency or impairment in mental or physical functioning.

c. An unfavorable condition or position; a disadvantage: rallied from a three-game deficit to win the playoffs.

CONGRATULATIONS MASTER JAMES!!!!!!

Arkansas Trip

Well, folks, you're about to be seriously entertained.  We're blogging our little road trip over on our family blog, and you are welcome, nay, encouraged to check it out as we daily blog our meanderings through the Arkansas wilderness.  WOO HOO!