2009 May: North

Since our last installment we have moved in with my grandparents. They live just a couple of blocks from our previous apartment. We are living in a spare bedroom downstairs. We are saving a bunch of money on car insurance...wait that's not right...we are saving a bunch of money on rent and food (phew, I was afraid I was stuck in a Geico commercial there for a minute). Right now all our stuff is boxed up in a large, unfriendly pile in their basement. I can't believe how much stuff we have. During the day both Becky and I work, but we get our evenings to be together, which we enjoy.
We just celebrated our 2 year anniversary. Again, I am suprised at how quickly it has come. I am pleased at how our lives are going. Becky has made me a better man. I am grateful for her friendship. She has changed me forever.
As a combined graduation/anniversary present we spent a couple of days in Salt Lake. Sorry Jason and Rob, I would have contacted you, but we visited a couple of Becky's missio friends on the trip, and I wanted to leave some time for just she and I. We stayed at the Plaza hotel just off of Temple Square. We visited the Planetarium, the Zoo and the Temple. It was fun to get out of Dodge for awhile and be with each other. If any of you are looking for a good sandwich near down town SL look for Moochies on your way to Hogle Zoo from Temple Square, they make a mean Philly Cheese steak sandwich!
Well we wish you and your families all the best.
Stewart and Becky

2009 May: Hope

In the merry month of May we had a crazzzzzzy time. The first of the month was just like any other one; day to day normal routine. Then I started another semester at school. This semester is the half way in the schooling (YES). I am taking Dental Materials (we get to know what the dentist is using and what it is all made of), Geriatric (how to take care of the old and crazy farts), Oral Diagnosis (here we learn what can grow in the mouth from fungus such as thrush to your run of the mill tumors), PP Goals (no not learning how to aim when going PP, it is just personal goals when done with school), Public Health (just knowing how to go out into the community and help out), Research (this is a big wast of time so far we have had to find 10 words that start with our last name so mine was H that has to deal with something in dental, then find 5 different sources with definitions for each word and so it ended up being 50 total, then for each word we had to make up our own definition and a paragraph explaining why we used the words we did......a big wast of time), Then finally the best and one that I have been looking forward to Local Anesthesia (getting people numb) it has been a great class right now we are just learning out of the book about what each item is made up with and how much we can give each patient without killing them (yes people have died due to to much anesthetic, it is sad but it mainly happens to children and very stupid people), then later in the month was Kyles 3rd birthday that was coming up......we about a week before we found that water was under our cabinets and was growing mold on the inside and just at the right angle so you did not see it when getting something out, so we had to clean all that up which was big mess, we had landlords mad at us and we mad at them until it was done, but we had to get rid of some stuff due to the mold damage. Well we had Kyles party outside, it was a good time he had lots of fun with family and a couple of friends over, he is starting to be a little stinker. They both got a bike and they are now wanting to spend every waking moment out riding on them. Scott got done with his first time at pre-school, he is going throu Bus withdrawal. But now we are looking at other apartments and all that fun stuff, Well I hope all is well and well is all hope I Well. Talk to you all later.

2009 May: Bates

Well this months has been a hectic one. Tamara's sister Leah was preparing to leave on a mission March 13th. So we were doing fun things every day until then. In all this fun I managed to break my foot. We went to a trampoline store called "Jump on it." It was really fun (minus the injury).

We also went to a Rennaisance fair for Tamara's BDay. They had stores, a magic show, nerf-sword fighting, large quantities of greasy-roasted meat, and live action jousting. We had quite a good time (despite all the really creepy people who hung out there).

For our 2nd anniversary we went to Eden, Utah. It was a lot of fun. We saw a moose, and went on a hike along a trail lined with Marijuana (no it wasn't cinquefoil). We attending the ward up there, and it was quite pleasant to be in a ward where I have zero responsibilities. I could sit and snuggle with my wife while being uplifted by the good word of God. It was great.

Then, our plans changed rapidly: Leah got engaged. So, we went from full time fun, to full time trying to get Leah ready for her wedding in July-ish. It's been a busy month, but a great one.

Then, at the end of the month, I was called as Assistant Membership Clerk. Apparently we have stacks & stacks of old records that needed to be input into the computer, and they heard I was really good at menial computer labor. It was a match made in heaven. I actually enjoy the calling. I have been primary pianist so long, that I forgot what it was like to have a calling I was actually good at (slash qualified for).

Well, we hope you are all doing great,
The Bateses

2009 May: Robertson

Hello Everyone,

Okay, so I am trying to remember what happened during the month of May. Starting at the beginning of the month, I finished my crazy, hectic semester at school. I was a bit nervous coming out of those classes, but I managed to pull everything off. So, half way through my master’s degree, I still have a 4.0. I hope that I will be able to maintain this trend. So over the summer I will be working on two different internships (neither paid) for the university. Both aimed at building my resume. I have the first assignment that I need to work on for my comprehensive tests next spring. I need to get going on studying for those tests.

After school let out, I started helping different individuals move. During the month, I moved three different individuals/families. At least I know that I’m needed. During all of this moving of furniture, we were able to get Morgan’s parents’ old wooden table. I stripped the damaged finish off of it and have spent the past few days with Morgan refinishing the table. It is looking really nice.

One weekend I took the boy scouts on a 15 mile overnight camping/hiking trip. Friday night, it rained pretty constantly all night so we didn’t do a lot of hiking. Instead we sat under a tarp and kept warm by some hot coals. Saturday we ended up taking a wrong turn and going cross country for a few miles. Cross country ended up being hiking up and down ravine after ravine and through some heavy marsh areas. We eventually found our trail again. Our final destination for our hike was an old town site that was abandoned in the 1920s. The town was flooded (according to our map) 23 times in one year by the neighboring river. I don’t blame anyone in the town who packed up and left. On our hike, we were able to stop at a really old cemetery belonging to a family of homesteaders. It was interesting to see the little cemetery (only 9? graves) tucked away in a ravine. I doubt very many people even know of its existence. It was a good trip. I surprised myself by how well I was able to do with the long hike. I guess all of the walking I have been doing during the last year or so paid off.

Other than that my church calling has been keeping me busy and mostly out of trouble. Kyla and Daria, on the other hand, find trouble to be the ideal state to be in. They are constantly creating messes or fighting or demanding something (most of the time they want fruit snacks). When they are not terrorizing each other or us, they are really sweet. They like to give hugs and kisses. They are starting to say “please” and “thank you.” And both are starting to police the other when it comes to folding arms for prayers. Prayers will usually turn into both of them scolding the other for not folding her arms. It gets rather funny at times.

This month Morgan has fully admitted to herself that she looks pregnant. She brought out her maternity clothes and “had” to go and get some more. I just got a look for putting that word in quotation marks. She enjoyed having a primary activity this month where the children planted seeds, went article of faith fishing, and figured out other puzzles and games. She seemed to like the activity – even if it was sparsely attended.

We attended two wedding receptions this month in Rochester for some of Morgan’s friends from high school and growing up. It was nice to be able to spend some not so stressful time with her family. Other than that, Morgan is getting ready for the baby. She has gone garage sale hopping once so she could get some boy clothes for the little one. She can see her stomach move now when he kicks hard. Some of his kicks have led to some interesting jerk reactions. At least no one has been too badly injured from his actions. All and all, we are happy and doing well. We hope that everyone is doing well. We miss and love you. If anyone wants a road trip to the Midwest this summer, our door is open.

Derik, Morgan, Kyla, Daria, and Captain Obvious

p.s. as you can tell, we are still looking for names. Any suggestions would be great.