Selected!

My goodness, I can't seem to stop counting my blessings. For some reason, Fam Och has been very very lucky in these things. We submitted our names and an application form to participate in a National Military Family Association program called Operation Purple.

Only those who have deployed to the Middle East during a specific and limited timeframe are eligible to even apply. But, it is open to those who have deployed from not only the Air Force, but also from all the other branches of the military, to include Guard and Reserves nationwide. And WE got selected!

There are several of these retreats every year in various locations throughout the nation. The one we applied to is going to take place in Jackson Hole, WY. The only thing we are responsible for is the transportation costs (we will drive, of course)...but we will also receive a $200 stipend to offset it ( I think we will actually make a profit from this). Lodging, daycare, activities and equipment, and ALL meals are provided. We will be housed in the Teton Science School Campus and we will participate with other military families in both outdoor and indoor activities to include rafting float trips down the Snake River and exploring the Grand Teton National Park.

It will take place during the 4th of July weekend, so although we regret not hosting the annual circle fireworks this year...we may just make up for it for Pioneer Day. :-) Loving the life!!!

Book Review

Coming straight off a historical novel in the "These Is My Words," I had initially sought out a book setting in the more modern era. I read a couple young adult books, and finished the latest Sookie Stackhouse. I loved the novel "Garden Spells" by Sarah Addison Allen and "The Girl Who Chased the Moon" by the same author. But, in the midst of reading all of those, I found myself searching for yet another historical novel.

"The Reliable Wife" by Robert Goolrick was just the remedy. I had spotted this mainly because of its cover, then I discovered the stellar reviews it had received. Besides, the e-book was on sale for $6.00. So right into my Nook it went. It was finished later in that day as I snuck ten or so pages in between chores, and whenever the children did not demand my attention. The silent pleadings of my schoolwork remained ignored.

Usually, I have an excellent sense in that I can gauge which way the plot would lead. This kept me guessing through to the very end...as in the last paragraph. I loved it!

It's a tale of regret and vices, loneliness, desperation for redemption, and forgiveness. It's dark, especially when you get to peek into the characters' minds, their most shameful and dirty thoughts revealed. But, there is the constant glimmer of hope in its pages that drives you to keep your nose in it.

Lovely read.

It is DONE

Check it out, peeps! The Mister and I put THIS up! Can you believe it? We had purchased all the materials for it from a list we improvised off others found through Google. There were a couple adjustments and last minute plan changes we had to make plus two Home Depot runs. Also, we discovered the power drill battery refused to keep juice and so we had to rely on the neighbors' to continue with the drilling.

It took a day and a half since Saturday rained on and off and, frankly, keeping those posts plumb in the wind was a b!tch. A friend came over to help Sunday. Just in time, too, 'cause I had reached that point that all I wanted to do was anything OTHER than screwing those things up.

We are excited to start using it like we had always planned when we initially requested the deck built along with the construction of the home. It's finally here. Now if only it would stop raining...

Biggest Project Yet

THIS is what we'll be doing this weekend. Come rain or shine (forecast predicts rain) it will be going up. The lumber is sitting in the garage, ready for me to roll my sleeves up and stain the suckers the same color as the deck.

This is, by far, our most ambitious project yet. It looks simple enough, but it is still intimidating. So intimidating, in fact, that it took us five years of going back and forth on it before actually committing to it.

We were told because it is just being bolted to the deck and not the house itself that it doesn't need a permit. So that is one step done at least.

Wish us luck...and if you are around on Saturday, you can stop by and lend some muscle to lift these babies up on the beams. :-)

Outside the Box

Yesterday was Sophia's Kindergarten End-of-Year Assessment. Fortunately, Little Liv was on her best behavior so mom and li'l sis were able to sit in and observe the testing process. Her teacher, the wonderful Mrs. Graham, had smiled and said, "I am certain she'll do fantastic. Sophia is a very smart girl!'

And she did great. Letter, word, and number identification were so so easy for her. She sped through each exercise and immediately seeked out the next one. Then came the reading comprehension...

The story read out to her went something like this...a mama bear was setting out to make lunch for her and little bear. The little bear stepped outside and fell asleep by the tree. Mama bear couldn't find him and asked little bear's friends if they had seen him, all of whom had replied in the negative. She eventually found him and the happy reunion signaled the end of the story.

Sophie answered the questions right...all except for the hypotheticals.

Hypothetical question #1: If Mama Bear asked more of Little Bear's friends if they had seen him, what would they say? (I assume to coincide with the theme of the story, the correct answer would be that they would say they didn't see him, either.)
Sophie's reply: (shrugs) I don't know. They could have seen him; the story doesn't say.

Hypothetical question #2: What do you think Mama Bear and Little Bear do next after they find each other? (Since Mama Bear was making lunch before the fiasco, the correct answer would be that they would go home and eat lunch.)
Sophie's reply: They went to Boondocks!

She did have to be marked down for those two questions, but I am loving the fact that this little girl refuses to be boxed in. After all, if the story didn't specifically state so, then anything is possible, right?

In any case, Miss Soph is officially considered ready for first grade!

Book Club

I had always wanted to be part of a book club. At the rate that I read books (I'm on my tenth book of the MONTH) it really appealed to me to be able to discuss what I've read with others. Simply telling my hubby that I liked it or not didn't quite meet requirements of intelligent conversation (Mister is NOT a reader).

My neighbors organized the first meeting of the area with the assignment to read this:

What a fantastic first selection. I had assumed western/frontier fiction wouldn't strike my fancy, and I had approached the book with a bit of trepidation, unsure how this experience would pan out. How pleasantly surprised I was! Aside from the predictable plot, Nancy Turner has a gift of bringing life to the characters in the book. There was even a point I yearned for a much simpler life much like the one Sarah lead, living off the land, and revelling in basic pleasures.

The meeting itself was great fun; any excuse to go meet with a bunch of gals and not talk about potty training and cleaning projects is a good enough excuse for me! I specifically appreciated everyone's differing opinions and views of the story, fascinated by how a single work can aspire such varied interpretations. It would be great to have a meeting twice a month (like I said, I rip through books like they're going out of style). But once a month gives everyone else enough time within their busy lives to fit a great story in. I simply have to put off reading the book until about a week prior so I'm not dying to discuss it.

Our next selection is The Help by Kathryn Stockett. I downloaded the free sample to my Nook just to preview it and I've already fallen in love. This book has become a club staple across the nation, and I'm eager to get started on it.

I have a never-ending list of "wanna-read"s and hopefully I can present several at the next meeting to choose from. :-)

Determined

Throughout the years, the Mister and I would sit in front of the telly and remark about those who are in the show "Designed to Sell". We would poke fun and wonder why these people waited until the very last minute to improve on their homes only to turn it over to a new resident. Well, the tables have turned, and the impending move in the next twelve months have shifted Fam Och into a new gear which up until this point had remained unbeknownst to us.

Lately, we have obsessed over the landscaping aspect of our home. The Mister and I had grand plans from the very start. We were going to install a pergola here....flowerbeds here...playground area there...pondless waterfall in the other corner...But eventual disinterest, more probably incensed by the sweltering heat of a Utah summer and continually shrinking funds, would set in and work so enthusiastically taken on in the cool promise of spring would lie unfinished until the following year's tulips emerge again. It was an ugly cycle, and our backyard has suffered the brunt of the abuse.

Yes, it may be late. And we are officially THAT couple who waited until the last inning to finally buck it up and finish what we started. I'm very excited to say it is almost done! Not in the strategical theoretical work in progress almost done. I mean come-this-Tuesday-EVERYTHING-will-be-DONE done!

We've had to hire outside help for the hard labor (my back hasn't been up to snuff lately) but the Mister and I have done all the planning and finishing work. The time has finally come for the Fam Och household to host the backyard BBQ! Finished pics very soon!