The Good, The Bad and The Quirky

Salutations! It's a weird and busy time in our home since I last posted so here are the highlights:

Steve got a job! He's contracting again and it may be for as little as 3 months but it's a job. He's in Ogden working for a solar power company. We have hope because this company has a contract with the Tooele Army Depot to install some of their product. It could lead to something permanent for him. That means a move? We'll cross that bridge later. 

Emily is installed at BYU and is adjusting pretty well. She's always been such a homesick little dear (sorry Em, you know it's so true) but big brother and sister Christopher and Christina are only 3 blocks away. They have Sunday dinner together every week. And then her Aunt Marianne and Uncle Dee are only 25 minutes away. She's not alone! And now that Steve is less than 2 hours away, she's a happy camper, uh, college student. Emily has 2 roommates that are quieter than she is (what? strange but true!) but they're nice girls. She has been called to be on the music committee in her ward and will be leading music this week. And trust my funny girl to find the Juggling Club on campus. She is enjoying that one and amazing folks that she can pick up new skills so quickly! And, bonus! She may actually get to learn to ride a unicycle!

I've been teaching a lot and it's nice to be busy. While tiring there are little rewards. For example, I was in a 7th grade L.Arts class this week and was explaining their work when I heard a "click." I looked down and a boy in the front row had taken my picture.

     Mrs. Faria:  "Why do you have a camera in class?"

     7th grader (reassuringly): "It's okay I'm on the yearbook committee."

     Mrs. Faria: "And...?"

     7th grader: "Well, I figure since you're every ones favorite sub I'd try to get you in the yearbook."

Awww, shucks. A few other very trying groups this week had me really praying for a snow day today. All the little heathens I was teaching prayed to. It worked! Blizzard baby! Alli and I both had school snow days! Downside? No honey of a hubby here to shovel snow :(  Upside? Alli and I had finished half and were really beginning to slow down when my Home Teacher and his son showed up and we finished quickly! Downside? It's still snowing like crazy so while we got rid of the foot of snow that was there this morning there will probably be another foot by tomorrow morning. Upside? Moisture!

Now I bet you've been wondering what that picture is. Sigh, funny story, that...  Mom was making herself lunch last Saturday and chose a Hot Pocket. In the sun room, working at my desk I notice waves of smoke billowing through the doorway. I'm yelling "Mom! What are you cooking!?" Rushing in the kitchen she started exclaiming things like "OH!" and "What happened?" I was right behind her and ran into a wall of smoke. It was filling the kitchen dining area and had filled the large living room with the vaulted ceilings. It was bad. I was choking and throwing open doors and windows. Above you can see what was left of her lunch. She had misread the instructions (the print IS very small) and had mistaken the "&" in the middle of "1 & 1/2 minutes" for an 8. So now we know what a ham and cheese Hot Pocket looks like after it's cooked for 8 minutes in a 1000 watt microwave. Lots of scrubbing and cleaning later I still couldn't get rid of the smell and it had morphed from burnt toast to charcoal to chain smoker. The microwave? It was a goner. While I was at Home Depot buying paint for ceilings (Yes! I have them all done! Fun day off) the appliance folks showed me a lovely special order microwave that had been ordered incorrectly so I got a nice, custom Maytag with stainless steel interior for the cost of a nice base model in the store!  The Elders in our ward had asked if they could help me with anything since Steve had left and I grabbed them to help me remove the offensive smelling microwave. I thought they'd just help me lift it out and hook the new one back in. Didn't work out that way. I got to sit and watch them, and fetch tools and be in charge of the circuit breaker, while they did everything! And as you all know there is always more to a home improvement project than meets the eye. They were awesome! I took pictures of them with my phone and texted their Mothers, telling them they had raised lovely men.

That's all. Gotta go finish cooking the chili and make cornbread!