Just about us . . .

Okay so are you tired of photos yet?!? Okay how about some "stuff"? Like what we've been up to the last few weeks, besides, work and traveling to Ridgecrest? I (Karen) am in the last and final class to complete my master's degree!! Yahoo!!! I can hardly believe it!! I finish July 24th and I am so excited! I can finally get my life back again. Woohoo! You have NO idea how much I am looking forward to having some time just to do what I WANT to do (and have to do!) around the house. Whew! Nearly two years later, I am finally nearly DONE!! Bill and I are flying to Phoenix to attend my graduation on July 29th. We are spending a few days back there, and while we are there we will visit Bill's parents in Tucson. Unfortunately, their health precludes them from attending. The two-hour drive to and from Phoenix is just too much for them. My (Karen's) parents are planning on going to Phoenix to sttend the graduation, too, which I am very excited about! I'll post (MORE!) graduation photos after we return!

Other news: Bill and I joined a gym! We decided that in our "old" age (depends on your perspective!) we had better get our lazy butts off the couch and get moving, before we were to the point where we couldn't get up anymore! We joined Chico Sports Club and have availed ourselves of the services of a personal trainer (sounds rather la-di-da, doesn't it?!?). But we wanted to make sure that we were being effective with our exercise, doing it properly and not hurting ourselves!! Our trainer, Garrett, is somewhere around the age of 12 (okay he's about 25, but you know what I mean!). Nice kid, but its weird getting "bossed around" by someone half (or nearly half) your age!! All I can think about is, "oh no, he's young enough to be my son!!" Mom tells me that this only gets worse the older you get! LOL We've been doing this about a month now, and have seen a difference already. We don't huff and puff simply climbing the stairs in our house! Its a lot of fun, although its another addition to my already overburdened schedule, but this will lighten up in FIVE weeks when I'm DONE with school!! (Gee, can ya tell I'm excited?!?)

Mark has managed to hold onto a job at Lowe's for about a month. So far so good, and we keep our fingers crossed!! He (and we!) hope he can move out in the next few months. Woohoo!!

Scott has landed a job doing inventory for RGIS, something he likes because of the odd hours and several of his friends work there, too. They are working him full time until he returns to school in the fall, where they will work around his schedule. I am very excited, because Scott has decided to become a history teacher! He's always been interested in history and will make an excellent teacher (once he settles down!). He begins his journey at Butte Jr. College this fall. He will do two years at Butte, then switch to Chico State to do his final two years for his BA and his year of student teaching. Its a lot, but he can do it if he stays focused!

Michelle, as I mentioned earlier, has taken a job as a bank teller in Ridgecrest. She really is enjoying this job, even though it meant she couldn't go on the cross-country road trip with her mom and sister, but this job is a good opportunity for her.

Jessica plans to attend school to become a dental assistant. She plans on looking for a part-time job when they return to Ridgecrest from their trip. They should be back about June 25th.

That's about it for now! I'll update more as time permits . . . may not be until July 24th!!!

Hope everyone has a wonderful summer!!