He Passed!

Good news! Steve passed the test he took for work at the end of April. He was sure that he had failed it. He even finished an hour and a half early because he was so confused he just gave it his best guess (not what a teacher wants to hear). Now, he's one step closer to being a real engineer! :) The best news is he won't have another test for a few years!

Colorado

Here are some pics from our Colorado trip last week. We had a great time with 3 other couples from Marshall. We spent a week in Steve's parents' cabin in Middle-of-Nowhere, Colorado. :) Since there is nothing much to do in the area, we had a blast relaxing, eating, playing cornhole, watching movies, playing cards, hiking, laying out, and eating some more.

As for Moose? Well, he stayed home with Steve's aunt, uncle, and four cousins. I'm sure he was spoiled and had a lot of fun playing, but he was happy to be home.
(yes, folks, that is an adult LARGE t-shirt he's busting out of)

School's Out for Summer!

I finished school yesterday. So in my little world, today is the first day of summer! Woo hoo!

When Steve asked me what I was going to do today, I said, "NOTHING!" My plan was just to lay around on this rainy day and be a bum.

This morning, that's just what I did, but after lunch I....balanced the checkbook, cleaned out my car, picked up around the house, did dishes, did laundry, unpacked all my stuff from my classroom and put away TONS of clothes. So much for doing nothing!

Oh well, there's always tomorrow. I will try again. :)

Ahhhh...

....7 more days of school!

How do I know?!

Well, first, I made it through my first trip to Makinac with 8 classes of fourth graders and their parents. I love that place!

Second, my lilacs and peonies are in bloom...at the same time! I am a lucky girl.

AND, third, I got my teaching assignment for next year. TECHNOLOGY! It may not be my ideal position, but it sure beats a "pink slip", and, you never know, I might just love it. :)

Last, I am up to my EYEBALLS in paperwork! So, this will be my last post until SUMMER...7 more school days. :)

Handy Hubby

So many of my posts include cool stuff Steve has made. (He also fixes stuff, but that isn't too exciting.)

Here's some more stuff! (I'm a lucky girl.)

During my spring break, we made these benches. Well...I painted....he did the rest. He also dug our new firepit and added the rocks. I love this spot...especially with a s'more in my hand.

Then, he made some boxes for a horseshoe pit, dug some holes, and added sand. Horseshoes, anyone?

For my birthday, we bought some great deck furniture. Steve didn't make it, but he put it together. :)

Memorial day weekend Steve started making his laest creation. While I was in Mackinac with my students he finishd it....a shuffleboard table!

What's next? Well, he's working on some cornhole boards and fixing a pinball machine. Who wants to come to Woods' Family Funland!?!?!

Settling In

It seems like since spring is here we are settling in to our "new" house all over again. It's been warm(ish) for the past month or so. We've been spending lots of time working outside an discovering our yard and plants (or lack thereof).

I decided this time I am just going to post a bunch of pictures and few words, but I can't forget to mention this:

SCHOOL IS OUT IN 12 DAYS! WOO HOO! :)

I've still been sewing and making jewelry as often as possible. Recently, Steve's mom gave me some old ties. I decided to experiment and make Moose a collar out of the tie. It's soooo cute! Yesterday, I made him red/white/blue one to wear to the parade today. He looked pretty handsome! On a related note, I am going to be selling my jewelry at a local hair salon this summer. I am so excited!

A week or so ago our house/yard got struck by lightening. It fried our cable, garage lights, garage door/sensors and our invisible dog fence! The fence guy came out to fix it and wanted to take the transmitter back to the company because he has never seen one blown into so many piece. We were/are so lucky our house didn't catch on fire!

We are continuing to work on our yard. We didn't have many plants at all when we moved in. Luckily, Steves mom loves to garden and was hoping to clear out many of her flowerbeds. So, we are contiuing to get more plants every weekend. I did pick up a few annuals and pots for the front porch. I just love my collection of pots. :)Our lilacs are blooming about a month later than all the other lilacs in town. That's ok. I'm just glad they finally bloomed!

Update

I'm not very good at this blogging thing. I know. It just seems that there aren't many interesting things going on in our lives.

Spring has sprung in Michigan...sort of. It MIGHT be safe to say we won't have any more snow. My tulips finally bloomed a few days ago, and the trees and bushes are getting leaves. The day lillies (at least that's what we think they are) have gotten really tall and thick throughout our front yard, and the myrtle (ground covering) has tiny purple flowers all over it. Steve built us a new bench for our backyard using some old stairs that the previous owners left behind. It curves around a new firepit he dug. He also planted 100, yes 100, white pine trees in our yard. His next project is the horseshoe pit and dog house/kennel. Steve LOVES working outside which is a good thing because he has plenty to do! This summer we are going to powerwash and seal our house as well as paint the doors and part of the house. Talk about a good time!

Last weekend we went to Illinois so Steve could take a test for his structural engineering stuff. He claims that he failed but we won't find out for 4 more months. At least that means he won't have to study for 4 more months and we can work on the house!

Moose is getting big. I would estimate that he weighs about 110lbs. We switched him over from puppy to adult food...not because he isn't still growing...but because the puppy food pieces were just way to small for him and he was making a HUGE mess. He is more calm than he used to be and tires out very easily. He loves to play outside but quickly finds a place to lay down and watch Steve work. The invisible fence is WONDERFUL, and I am so glad we had it fixed for Moose. I love sending him out after work and not letting him back in until I am ready to play with him, and he loves it too.

He's SO spoiled. I know I spoil him, and sometimes I have to remind myself that he's just a dog, but he's great company, and sometimes it gets boring up here in the great white north.

No, he's not really drinking a McDonald's iced coffee! I wouldn't share that! He's just chewing on the straw because he LOVES coffee. Don't worry...I didn't drink after him.

While we were in Madison during my spring break, we stopped by the coolest dog shop. We picked up this bull for Moose. He loves stuffed animals and tears them up quickly, but this one is nearly Moose-proof. I would definitely recommend this brand of toy for dogs that tear EVERYTHING up. If you want more info, let me know.

We went to my parents house for Easter. Moose loved looking out the door/windows because he doesn't get to be on the floor of our house that has low windows. When I took these pictures he was waiting for Steve to get home and didn't budge until he was back. It's safe to say that Steve is his favorite.

While we were in NC, Moose got to "play" with Dixie, my sister's dog. Moose did a MUCH better job than when he saw her at Christmastime. He would either lay down or "bow" down to get on her level to play with her. It was pretty cute.

We took the truck on the trip which meant Moose had to ride in the tiny backseat along with our luggage and his stuff. He did a great job and slept most of the way. He didn't have much room to stretch, but didn't complain. We are lucky that he travels well.

Steve won't let me put clothes on Moose, but when I saw this robe in my garage sale pile, I couldn't resist. After Moose's bath I snuck this on him. Of course, he didn't mind and proudly walked around in it. It was so funny to see that Steve couldn't get upset. It fit perfectly!

So, he just curled up and went to sleep in his new robe.