When September Ends

It may be 100 degrees, but it's fall. Kevin "harvested" his sunflower seeds this weekend. We cut off the heads, they are drying out now, then we'll soak the seeds, and bake! We already had a little sampling and they were AMAZING. This was a first for both of us...and now here we are, Mammoth Sunflower growers!

May

August

September

Pretty cool, if we say so ourselves. Can't wait for seed-baking/eating time. Special, very special, thanks to our best friends Jenn and Daniel for watering these babies when we had abandoned them for Pleasanton over the summer. They were troopers and made it through the Chico heat!

During a landscape observation project this weekend, I was lucky enough to get 2 flat tires. My fault of course since I went biking through walnut and almond orchards instead of staying on the somewhat paved roads. Anyways, saw some really awesome farm houses and ranches--and put some well-earned miles on my lovely cruiser.

Oh, and of course we had to make a Sunday evening Walmart run (ugh), to buy new tubes so that I can actually ride to school this week. Thanks to Kev for cleaning up my bike and pumping up my new tubes, ready to ride again!

Speaking of bike rides...we went garage saleing around the neighborhood Saturday afternoon and decided to put Tasha in my basket and take her with us. She did great! Oh, and Kevin bought a telescope from 1967 for $1. And it works! He's stoked.

 

The best part of this weekend has been getting to know Tasha. The more time we've spent with her, the more we just adore this little girl. She is SO well behaved, and loving, and loyal. We finally heard her bark (not really much of a bark, lol) as the Chico Air Show jets whizzed by overhead. We gave her a bath today after she decided to attack the hose water Kev was using. So much fun...

 

After all the excitement, it was time for a nap...

We are so impressed by this wonderful dog, any family would be lucky to adopt her. But for now, she is just reveling in all the attention. We haven't been away from here for more than an hour, and she was SO excited to see us when we got back you'd think we'd been gone for days. She is just do darn cute.

Another weekend done, another (HOT) school-week ahead.

tasha.O

Meet our new foster pup, Tasha!!

She is from the Orland Town and Country Humane Society. She was taken there on Wednesday by her owner, sounds like she has been bullied by another dog in her home and finally retaliated. She is very timid and shy, probably from not being able to display her personality. She was fixed just this morning, so she is still very groggy and needs rest. She seems a little unsure of the house, but is checking everything out on her own time. She is 1 1/2 years old, and a Pug-mix. She is ours to smother with love and kindness until she finds a permanent home. She had a great car ride home and is just adorable. The Humane Society provides everything she needs, food, medical, a bed, collar, leash, etc. We are just providing a great home and some love to build her confidence.

Big day for us and Tasha! Now, for a hot weekend filled with homework.

Here goes!

So here goes - an update!

Kevin and I are both still in Chico, still undergrads, and still happy. I'm not insinuating that there is anything wrong with "still" being an undergrad. I love it. I always thought I would "get in and get out" so that I could start teaching right away, but what do you know...I'm still here, by choice.

I am now majoring in both history and geography. I planned on minoring in geography, but changed my mind and am so glad. I feel much more well-rounded and believe it or not, I think I love school. No one likes homework and writing papers, but I love school and I love Chico State. I am back at the Child Development Lab (Children's center on campus) for my fifth semester. I love, love, love my job. I don't make much, but I love going to work everyday - yes, Monday through Friday. I work with some great young ladies, teach some amazing children, learn so much everyday, and laugh all the time. I am working on an honors project in Geography - when I graduate in May of 2011, I will graduate with honors in the geography major as well as magna cum laude. Then, I don't know. I am looking into a Masters in Social Science Education program here at Chico State as well as a Social Science Single Subject Credential Program at Cal State East Bay. To be honest, I want to stay here in Chico. I don't know for sure that I want to go "home". We'll have to wait and see. Thinking that far into the future just stresses me out just a tiny bit, I'm JUST getting by right now with schoolwork.

Kevin is still a Construction Management major, he will hopefully graduate in December of 2011, but if not, May of the next year. The major is very, very difficult. It is one of the highest-unit majors at Chico State and it is very rare for a student to graduate from the program in 4 years. He is doing very well so far this semester - some great grades on midterms so far. He is the busiest I've ever seen him, in the library all the time finishing hw - it's great to see him doing so well and trying so hard.

We are now living in our tiny little cottage that I lived in with my roommate, Casey, last year. We even have our own rooms, lol. It's great. He really likes it here - a little ways away from the downtown party scene. It's quiet, and country, and serene, and private, and still so close to school. I have always loved it here - I know I won't want to leave when it is time. And the house has only gotten better with time, it is just so darn cute. We have really worked hard to decorate it on a budget, and I have to say we have done a pretty good job. It does not look like two college students live here, besides the piles of books on our desks and the homework spread all over the living room!

 

I have so many more pictures of the house - but I don't know how to post vertical pictures without them getting flipped automatically :( But anyways, we spent a lot of time in the beginning of the summer decorating, salvaging, thrift storing (our favorite) and garage saling. It has really come together, I love it. There's just one big, loving, adorable thing missing.

We let her go on June 19th. To be honest, it wasn't a hard decision. It was so obvious that she wasn't living the life that we had always provided for her. When we found out her thyroid gland had a cancerous lump in March or April, I honestly thought we would have much more time. A few days before I left Chico to move to Pleasanton for the summer, she started looking very weak. I thought it might have been because her "doggy advil" had run out, but really it was the real beginning of the end. I moved home on a Sunday. By Friday I called my mom to let her know it was time. That same morning she had e-mailed everyone in our family (save for me) to let them know she thought it was time. And it was, we both knew it. Most of my family didn't really get to say 'bye'.  My dad got to see her a week or two before in Chico. Brothers offered to help, but we had it covered since Kevin had come home from Chico for the weekend to be with us. Although it seemed like an easy decision at the time, and I handled it surprisingly well, I wish she was here with me. She had a great last year in Chico, and now she is so lucky to be spoiled by Grandma in heaven.

It would be fair to say that the last two summers have not been especially kind. But so many wonderful things have alleviated some of the pain. I am lucky to have a wonderful job with the Pleasanton Unified School District. Bryan and Lynnon got married in August, only three more to go! I have spent so much wonderful time in Grants Pass, OR - I have pretty much decided that I want to live in Oregon someday, hopefully sooner rather than later. I have spent quality time with Grandpa, one of the most amazing men in this world and have made many visits to Angels Camp to visit my Dad. He has also come to Chico a few times and really seems to enjoy it. Our family is blessed by two of the cutest little munchkins, Gaby and Dominic. They make me feel like the luckiest Auntie. 

So here we are, in our super-senior years at Chico State. Just loving this town, this house, and every minute not spent doing homework. More, shorter, blog posts to come!