Wow, it's been a long time since I posted anything on here! I got onto Blogger to start writing letters to my niece, Talia, and I realized that I already have this little blog going. I will post some updates now!
MATT
Matt is still working as an apprentice electrician. He enjoys the work, even though the extreme hot/cold temperatures here in Utah make it especially difficult. Most of his jobs are outdoors, working on drilling rigs, so his sunburn/snowburn are pretty constant. He completed his "first year" apprentice schooling, and he passed the test with flying colors! He will start his "second year" classes this fall.
It will take 4 years of school total, for him to receive his Journeyman Electrician License, and he is working hard to get there. Right now, he is working 12-hour days, 6 days per week. It is hard to have him gone so much.
When Matt does have a day off, he likes to go golfing and catch up on yard work. He has been taking Dayton golfing with him, and Dayton loves it!
NATALIE
Last year, I started fostering litters of homeless kittens for an animal rescue here. It started out as a little hobby, and it has turned into a huge part of my life, every day! I take in kittens or cats that are strays, orphaned or sick (or wild!), and I give them what medical care I can give, keep them clean, and in some cases, I even work on taming them! When the kittens are healthy and socialized, they go to adoption events to find permanent homes.
It is hard to see so much suffering every day, because so many come in sick, injured or starving. But it feels so good when they find homes that are loving, and I know that I helped them to be ready for that home.We built a room in our basement for them to live in. It has shelves and ramps all over the walls for them to play and climb. Last week, I had 13 foster kittens living in that room! Today, there are only 10.
I am thinking about going to school to become a veterinary assistant. I would love to know more about animal health, and it would be great to have more training in how to care for my foster kittens!
DAYTON
Dayton is 6 1/2 years old. He is enjoying his summer break, but he is very excited to start school again. He will be going to first grade, which means that he will be able to ride the school bus! Last year, Dayton attended kindergarten and did very well. He had no trouble keeping up with his kindergarten studies, although he did have trouble with being quiet in class! He talks and talks and talks!
He is very interested in small details and scientific things. I am amazed by how good his memory is! He loves animals and insects; he is especially interested in butterflies. We found a chrysalis and brought it inside in a jar; yesterday it hatched into a butterfly! Dayton was so excited to show me the proboscis, and to teach me how butterflies drink. He even identified it as a "painted lady"! He proudly released the butterfly in our backyard.
Dayton likes rocks, seashells, and fossils. He builds with his Lego set every day, and he likes to write his own books and staple the pages together. The books are simple sentences, and he hasn't figured out how to tell a story with a beginning, middle and end, so it makes for some funny reading.
EXAMPLE:
This is a cat.
A sun cat.
Cat flings past sun.
A cat in a shower.
Dayton was so excited to see "How To Train Your Dragon 2" this summer. The first "Dragon" movie is his favorite movie, and he has a collection of toy dragons, which are his prized possessions. He has a little book and a movie describing the attributes and special abilities of these dragons, and he has memorized the details! It is fun to hear him giving lectures about the dragons: "The Deadly Nadder is a 'Sharp Class' dragon that can shoots spikes from her tail. To train it, you have to come up behind it and gently smooth down its tail spikes until it trusts you. It has the hottest fire of all the dragons!"
As you can see, I am learning lots about dragons, too! Hahaha! Well, that's all for now! Have a great day!
