Backyard Zoo

This guy in Tyndall has this awesome backyard full of exotic animals that you don't usually run into outside of a zoo! We want on a walk with our friends yesterday to enjoy the weather and went to visit the animals. Fortunately, the owner was home and he gave us a personal tour! He had peacocks, camels, mini donkeys, and other things I can't even remember! But Cache had fun looking at all the different animals. I guess he's old enough for a petting zoo! He got to help feed them treats too! The guy used to have a wallaby, but he's had bad luck with them so he didn't have him anymore.

Night shifts...

Well, here I am working a night shift, and trying to stay awake (so hard!!) but it's midnight and half over, so I'm on the downhill slide. I just had a few pictures that I thought would be nice to share since they are cute and fun....and I have time between checking on patients and studying for TNCC (trauma nurse core course).

Snuggly morning. I couldn't resist

Cache helping shovel the deck! He actually did that whole section :)

Enjoying the snow...before he got too cold

He is such a big helper. Here he is helping daddy while he works on the electrical. He's handing him anchors...faster than he can use them :)

That's all for now! Back to studying!

Fun with boxes!

Who needs toys when you have huge boxes? A friend brought over these huge boxes he salvaged from the recycle at his work. Of course cache loved them just as they were...boxes...but I wanted to be creative. So they turned into little buildings! It was a fun activity while we were watching Tyler. :)

Heat Wave in January!

It was an unusually warm day for January, here in Tyndall. It got as high as 65! What is going on? In the morning Cache helped me paint the fireplace room. Mostly he just ran around with the spraying vacuum attachment saying, "TSH, TSH" like he was imitating a spraying sound.

Before getting dressed

All dressed! Doesn't he look like a mini man?!

Checking himself out in the mirror

Then we headed to the park! He got to ride in his wagon today! Lots of fun and all the other  kids at the park were curious about it too. :)

Such a cutie :)

Going down the slides like a big boy!

Sioux Falls Science Center

We had time on Tuesday and needed to head to Sioux Falls to do some shopping and it was fortunate that my friend Jill  and her son Tyler were able to go with us. We actually got a lot accomplished and even ate at the Pancake House, a first for us, and it was a hit! Who doesn't like pancakes. :) After a long day of shopping (thankfully both the boys napped on the way down) we headed to the Science Center there in Sioux Falls to let the kids run around and have fun. It was a really cute place and even though 1 of the 3 floors was closed, it was worth it to see them have so much fun! I have to say that it is totally a different experience as a parent. :)

Watching the hot air balloon go up!

Tyler playing at the water table

I caught a fish!

Cache being an astronaut...from behind...

He just LOVED this keyboard! It lit up and played notes as he ran across! He spent the most time here...

Bottom of the race track!

Ready, set, GO!

Cache Astronaut from the front

Happy new year!

So to start off the new year with a bang, Jared decided to give us a little scare. We have been collecting firewood for obvious reasons so today we went out with the goal of getting the rest of what we need for next winter. Of course being that it's January, it was COLD! 19 degrees with a breeze to be exact! So Cache sort most of the time in the warm truck playing with knobs and steering wheels. I came out to help when I could and went back to defrost when I was frozen. What do I find when I come out one of those times? Jared pulling at his pants...and the brand new holes he put in it with the chainsaw!! Thank goodness for flannel lined pants! It went through both layers of pants and his underwear but didn't touch his skin! Someone was sure watching over him. Here's to keeping our legs attached!

A Year in Review

Every now and then, I think it’s a good idea to just give a simple update about our lives. I know that when I find random things that have moments recorded from “back in the day” I am almost taken back to that time and can remember things that maybe I’ve forgotten. I suppose it’s a good thing I filled in all those blanks in my yearbook about what music was popular, who I had a crush on, who my best friends were, and such things that meant a lot to me at the time. In that spirit, I find myself tempted to go find those yearbooks and take a walk down memory lane again by posting them here, but being that they are most likely still in boxes in the basement, I will have to just move on for the moment.

2011 was full of change for us. Jared got a new job here in South Dakota and started in February. Cache and I moved out that spring.  We do miss our Utah friends a lot, but we have tried to look at this as a life experience and enjoy the positives. This year marked our 6^th wedding anniversary and 10 year dating anniversary and Cache’s first birthday! There has been a lot going on between moving and adjusting and we are still feeling the tail end of it. Can’t wait for tax season…Ugh. We have made some friends, Major and Jill, Jason and Carol, and Morgan and Katherine, who all live reasonably close and have kids so that helps a little.  So, with that, here it is.

All about Jared (28)

He is currently working at the Fort Randall Dam in Pickstown, SD as a mechanic trainee 1. He has his test in February to become a trainee 2. Wish him luck! This will also be his one year anniversary at the Dam…one down, three to go! He’s first counselor in our little branch of about 12 people and he says it’s a good thing it’s so small. He works hard to make sure this house stays warm and we have food in our bellies. We appreciate you! 

All about Randilinn (26)

I am currently working at St Michaels Hospital Avera in Tyndall, SD (two blocks away) as an RN on the Medical floor/ED on the casual staff. I’m thinking of applying to work casual in Scotland which is about 20 minutes away. We will see how that goes. Spend most of my time chasing Cache and taking care of things at home. I’ve started to pick up hobbies such as home renovation and decoration…much to Jared’s dismay lol. 

All about Cache (18 months)

He is such a little sweetheart. I don’t know what I ever did before he came around. We have our routines during the day. In the mornings we get up and snuggle on the couch for a little while and watch Sesame Street. When he gets hungry he drags me to the kitchen for breakfast. We play and he helps with the laundry. This usually involves me taking things out of the dryer and him putting them back in or replacing them with toys. Whenever I fold something he just grabs it and runs off with it. Lol After naps it’s about the same routine. I love the snuggle time and it’s always over too quickly.

Favorite thing to do: Run around like a bandit, growl at people (mostly Tyler), push the step stool around and see what we’re doing, help cook, wave at just about anyone, hollering “Dada!” when he’s running around looking for daddy, play in the bathroom (plunger goes everywhere and toilet paper goes in the toilet of course!), rub anything cosmetic on his cheeks and belly (lotion, soap, shaving cream…), dragging mommy or daddy around by the fingers if you need something, get tickled by daddy

Favorite foods: waffles, pizza, mac n cheese, chocolate, dehydrated strawberries from Trader Joes, fruit snacks, cheetos

Favorite things to watch: Toy Story movies, Blue’s Clues, Harry the Bunny, Curious George

Favorite things to say: “Uh oh”, “Dada!”

New skills: helps get dressed, knows to lie down on the carpet when it’s time for a diaper change (and he knows when he’s stinky!), brushes his teeth (mostly just sucks all the toothpaste off!), giving proper kisses when asked

Taking a nap with Mommy while we watch Harry Potter

Here's to 2012! I hope it's a good year!