End of Summer!

I can't believe it. Summer is winding down and school starts again this Monday. Sometimes I feel like I'm "supposed" to be bummed that school is starting again, but to be completely honest, I am very excited. Jason and I really like being in school. We keep busy and we challenge ourselves. We have both been pretty lucky with our classes and teachers in the past, so we are hoping that this coming semester will be the same. We are both taking 18 credits, and while that seems like a lot, it will help us to just get done that much quicker.
This summer has lasted forever it seems! But we have had so much fun travelling and visiting friends and family. Two weekends ago, I was able to go to my friends KT and Will Scarlett's wedding in Las Vegas. It was just absolutely beautiful and so much fun to see them, Whitney, and Bekah. It was my first time being actually IN the Las Vegas temple, and it was beautiful. They had so many friends and family at the sealing. The spirit was felt, and lots of tears of joy were shed. I love being in the temple. Whether it is for a sealing, or to do work for the deceased, you can always feel the spirit and can always receive answers to prayers and inspiration to guide your life. I am sure I wasn't the only one that felt the spirit so strongly that day.
My family is in Hawaii right now...so jealous! But I'm so happy for them that they get to relax and get some R&R. They have been working so hard lately, and deserved the break! Number one reason they are there is to check out BYU Hawaii for Haley. It is one of her top choices of schools for when she graduates next year. I have had lots of friends attend BYU-H and only have the best things to say about it. What better place to go to school?
Jason and I got to thinking (with a little help and prompting from Haley and Mom), what it would take to finish off our bachelor's there in Oahu. Why not? It is a church school, tuition is just barely over what we are paying now for a community college, we would be with Haley, and we would be in HAWAII! I'm having a hard time finding any cons to this choice, and only a whole bunch of pros, but we will see. I tend to make very crazy spontaneous decisions like that, while Jason tends to keep me grounded. He thinks it's a good idea too, just wants to make the best decision to fit our needs and for our future. We will keep you updated on what comes of that! But for now, I just need to focus on the schoolwork at hand, and do well in my classes so that I will have an easier time transferring to a university. Not to brag, but I made the dean's list this past school year...first time ever in college! Pretty excited about that, can't you tell?
Our job is...well, our job, and while we get paid very well and are learning valuable life lessons, I have come to the realization that I can't do this forever, and probably not even for another year. It is very difficult on me mentally. I have too much invested of myself in this job, which leads me to be disappointed every time something goes wrong, which is pretty much every day, as many of you may know. From residents running away to relapsing into their pasts of drugs and alcohol, it has become exceedingly difficult to do our job to keep them safe, all while not worrying too much about it and not taking it personally. I, being the emotional girl that I am, have a slightly more difficult time than Jason does, but that's to be expected. I'm not really complaining per se, just because it is such a great opportunity that we will be very grateful for later on, but it is just so hard sometimes! You start to care so much about these people, and then you are constantly disappointed by bad decisions that they make that effect their health and safety...oh well, enough of that!
Today we went to a barbecue that our boss hosted for all of his homes' staff and residents. It was fun, a little awkward, and veeeery hot outside. I got sunburned on my chest and arms just from sitting outside for 45 minutes. All the rain has melted (rain melts? who knew!) though, and houses are being repaired for miles and miles throughout Minnesota. For those of you who have not heard, Minnesota has had some pretty bad flooding the past week or so...not AS much here in Rochester but up North, many people lost their cars and houses due to the flash floods and heavy rains. Jason's parents lost half of their back yard in a mud slide, and our basement just got a little flooded, but nothing too serious. And boy am I grateful. If we owned a house that got damaged, we would NOT have been able to afford some of the repairs that other people have had to pay for. Luckily, our condo is on the third floor. So...if the water ended up reaching that high, we'd probably have bigger problems to worry about! =)
Oh! Recently, we purchased a weight bench/exercise machine at a secondhand exercise equipment store...such a good deal! It came with free weights, a lifting bench, and a "leg lift" attachment. That's not the technical term, but I don't know what else to call it! We have been on a strict exercise routine, haha. I'm actually quite proud of us because, while we ran a lot, it had been a while since either of us had lifted any weights...and boy have we been sore. But reeeeealllly good looking, so it's worth it. Just kidding. Jason is my personal trainer and helps tell me what to do since I'm pretty much lost when it comes to weight training, and even though he tells me what exercises are called, I end up just making up other names for them, like "Madonna Arms," which helps me remember what they are going to make me look like. Haha. You just wait...give me a few months and I'll be the female version of Ronnie Coleman. And if you don't know who that is, you don't wanna know! haha.
So that's about all that is new in our lives. I'm so excited for our future! I am finally being able to "glimpse" at our life in a few years, and I like-a-what-I-see! Oh no. I better stop now before I go completely Richard Simmons on you. Love you guys!

Pratt Family Reunion 2007

Hi everyone (aka just my family and Lisa). I was getting complaints that I wasn't writing in this often enough, so I will attempt at an update. We just got back from a wonderful trip to Washington to see my family and attend the annual Pratt Family Reunion. We had an absolute ball playing games, jet skiing, tubing, swimming, watersliding, movieing, shopping, laughing, fighting, and of course eating. I look forward to the reunion every year. We missed last years because we had just gotten married and were touring the country, but mostly visiting Detroit. =) It was very difficult for me when my family dropped me off at the airport. It gets harder and harder every time. I don't get it, since i have been away from home for a few years now, but it doesn't get any easier. Maybe I just love them more now. Just kidding. But they really are my heroes. Jason and I love talking with my parents and getting advice from them. We could talk to them about just about anything, and walk away from the conversation feeling enlightened and more at ease. They are both so smart and so caring, and they really watch out for us. I feel so lucky. I am so grateful for righteous parents whose roots are deep within the gospel, and who help me along the way no matter how many mistakes I make. Haley is doing great. She is getting more beautiful by the second, it kind of scares me! She is preparing to apply to college - probably all three of the "BYUs." She is going to visit and tour BYU Hawaii in August with my family - little jealous, but it's all good! I am so proud of her - she is really turning into such a beautiful, smart, wonderful girl. Eli is a little cutie, and apparently a "lady killer." Not really sure what this means, but he seemed to be happy about it, so I'm in full support. He is such a sweetheart, and Jason and I love the time we get to spend with him. He makes us laugh. Tiana is just the more adorable little girl - of course, she is looking more and more like me every single day. We'll see if that's a good thing or not! She has the cutest little personality, and she is so independent - my mom said that she can play for hours by herself. This week she had lots of playmates though at the family reunion. Watching all those little girls reminds me of family reunions past. All in all, I couldn't feel luckier. When I am with my family, I feel complete. They give me so much strength and make me feel like I can do anything. We can't wait to move back to Washington. We picked up a few real estate pamphlets, and are going to be perusing them shortly. If I could live anywhere in Washington to be closer to them, I'd be happy. I can't wait to raise a family there, and have my family all together again. I belong to an amazing family - immediate and extended. They have created such a legacy of hard work, sacrifice, and commitment that I am so proud to be a part of.

BACK TO REALITY:

We got in to Rochester this morning around 7:30 am, and I went right to bed. I had not slept for quite a while, but I am still lacking in the sleep department. I will catch up tonight. Things seem to have gone pretty smoothly while we were away. We talked to our boss this morning, and he mentioned that he feels so lucky to have us, because he said this week was a struggle for him. We are so lucky to have such a great boss. It makes us have feel goods when we know that we are appreciated for the work that we do. This job has taught me so much patience and endurance, I cannot complain in the long run. I can't say I missed the guys terribly, but they seem to be happy to have us back. This job challenges me, but I believe that I will come out of it a better person.

I suddenly feel very optimistic about my future. I don't know what it is, but talking to my family, and seeing all of my cousins and their cute, new little families, really just makes me feel like everything is going to be okay. For the first time in a long time, I feel like I have control of what happens to me and Jason. Don't get me wrong, my career goals are still a bit foggy, but I really feel that I can do anything that I put my mind to. My creative juices are flowing right now for sure. I feel like I am going to invent something or write something that no one has ever seen before. Sounds weird I know, but even if it is innacurate, I will enjoy this feeling of optimism while I can.

Also, we got to attend my cousin Levi Pratt's farewell yesterday. It was so wonderful, and I am so proud of him. His testimony is so strong, and it is obvious that he has prepared extensively for this time in his life.

Signing off....

p.s. Here are some pictures from the reunion...

It was so fun to see my little Lisa Marie while we were there. I love her to death, and am so proud of her! Turkey leg...

Little Update

For all of you devoted Jason and Emily blog readers, here's a little update from when I wrote last:
Still doing the job. It has become a very, very full-time job with the new guy, Richard moving in. He is a sweetheart, but just creates a different dynamic in the house. All of this male dominance and alpha-male attitude all together in one house creates for some interesting conversation and/or conflict. But, Jason was able to quit his Olive Garden job so he is there to help me all summer. Which is good, because they listen to a 25 year old male better than a 21 year old female (that looks like she's 12, haha). Richard has diabetes and so needs constant care and reminding what to eat, but mostly what NOT to eat. Because of his brain injury, he tends to forget that it is a bad idea to just chow down on doughnuts, but sometimes I think he's just milking his brain injury for all its worth. Haha, that's mean of me I know. I'll be better.
So...it's mother's day today! Jason and I send my mommy something in the mail, but unfortunately it won't get there until sometime this week. I feel like a bad daughter, but I know she'll like it. I have the best mom ever. That's all. She's my best friend, and I couldn't ask for a better example of being a perfect mother and wife.
Today, we got to go to ALL THREE HOURS of church, a luxury that we haven't had for a couple of months because of the job. Our boss, Steve, hired a cute little lady to come be here with the guys every other Sunday, so we can have three hours to go to church. It was so nice to finally get to go to all the classes. There are some interesting people here in our ward, that's for sure. But I was very spiritually uplifted today. Especially in sacrament when the little kids went up and sang. That always gets to me. They are so sweet and innocent, and their little primary songs always make me cry. I'm such a baby when it comes to kids!
Schools out...forever!!! Just kidding. But for the summer at least. We got out last Thursday. I got all As and one B this semester...math....ugh... haha. But it was a good semester. I absolutely loved my classes and teachers, and look forward to taking some classes from the same teachers starting in August. Jason and I signed up for a humanities leadership class just for fun in the fall with my English teacher...he is such a great teacher and so inspiring. His class has definitely made me want to start writing again. I am working on my English/liberal arts degree before we can transfer up to Western within the next two years, and Jason is working on his business management degree. I am so proud of him. He is going to be so good at whatever he ends up doing. I am pretty sure that English is what I am going to pursue. It has been my passion ever since fourth grade, and I don't know why it never occurred to me to keep going with it. Jason has encouraged me to do it, and who knows...after that, law school? Just kidding... kind of. Family first, though. =)
Other than that, we are just enjoying the summer so far. We are in the process of planting our very first vegetable garden together, which will be interesting, but I am so excited to see how it turns out. Despite the belief of my parents who had to beg me growing up to weed the garden, I am actually enjoying it! Sh...don't tell them.
We are also in the process of fixing up and renting out our condo. The seller's market is pretty bad right now, so we are going to rent it out until it starts getting better, and then sell it as an investment property. Do I even know what I just said? No, haha. But Jason does, so that's all that matters. It's fun learning all this new stuff about mortgages and equity and investing. It all sort of goes in one ear and out the other, but Jason is really good at being patient with me and not laughing when I ask what a mortgage is. Haha. Just kidding...sort of.
Tonight we are probably going to watch a couple of the movies we rented this past week... Oh yeah, and Jaclyn, mine and Jason's sister in law, just had a beautiful baby boy named Breydan Nathaniel Wilson...he was 6 lbs and 14 ounces, and just as cute as a bug's ear. We love him already, and I can't wait to go see him again this week and hold him. See?! I'm a sucker for babies. He is just precious and snorts a lot, but is so perfect and pink, and adorable. Good job, Chas and Jaclyn. =)
So...now I believe I hear something going on upstairs. I should go see what's going on. But, thanks for tuning in. Until next time...

p.s. I am going to take some pictures of the most beautiful tree in the world that is in our front yard. It's like a Japanese cherry blosson or something, but I absolutely love it and it smells so good. I could spend all day just sitting under there. More pictures coming soon...

Things

On Tuesday, we met the third guy that will be moving in with us. Oh boy. He seems like a sweet guy with a big heart, but it was really overwhelming for me. I went from being a new wife to a new mom (two times over), and now someone else is moving in. Don't get me wrong, I am still very grateful for this job, but it's just sort of scary. The past week or so with just the two of them has been difficult, so we'll see how the dynamics of the house are with a third. This job is so good for me, because it forces me to have good time management and to have a list of things that I need to get done each day, which I usually do, and then collapse on my bed at night, haha. The guys have a problem with listening to me when Jason is gone. I don't know if it's the whole "machismo" complex or what, but they definitely don't' seem to have very much respect for women, especially ones that are thirty so something years younger than they are. Understandable, I guess. To them, I am just a kid. But it's frustrating to have them not listen to me, and do the exact opposite of what I ask, and then when Jason gets home, he will tell them the same thing, and they will do it without any problems. I need to work on having a more manly voice, I think. It's not their fault, but it really does wear on me to work so hard and be treated like that in return. Like I said, I guess I know what it feels like to be a mom now - but I wasn't quite ready! Oh well, I guess I am now. =)

Today I will be working on my final project for my interpersonal communications class. It is a video that a girl in my class and I are making, and it should be good. I'm not real technologically savvy - that's where Jason comes in. Hm....let's play hi-lo.

My high(s) (of yesterday, we'll say, since this day has just begun):

Getting my wedding ring re-dipped and cleaned....looks just like new! All sparkly and glittery!

Jason and I jammed on the guitar last night, which was fun.

Lows:

Recording two hours worth of film for our movie, and then finding out that the tape didn't work...........of course!

One of the guys won't eat anything.... hasn't eaten a real dinner for the past two nights, which scares me because he has a lot of health problems and needs to get some real food into his system. He has suddenly decided that he doesn't like pizza, potatoes, chili, vegetables, or fruit. Wow, nice. Just likes cereal and oatmeal...not necessarily the food pyramid.

Welp, folks, probably signing off now. I need to go get Jason up for work. And make breakfast. And clean up everyone's messes. Haha. Just kidding? Have a great day. =)

Oh, what a great day!

Today was a very busy day. I had school all day, and did my final presentation in Honors English. It went really well. It was about family history, mainly, and the drive and motivation that you can get from stories about people before you, especially your ancestors. I passed pictures around of and told a story about my great grandmother Pratt and how her husband passed away at forty, leaving her with six kids to raise on her own. She didn't have a college degree, and at the time (1930s), women weren't exactly equals in society. She had no desire to re-marry, and so she and her children started a turkey farm - the largest one in Whatcom County! With an upwards of 2,000 turkeys, they were able to sustain themselves and live comfortable for the next forty years. Pretty amazing, given the time period and circumstances that she was in. She actually died quite a wealthy, successful old lady. It's stories like that that, first of all, make me proud to be a Pratt, but second of all, keep me grounded and put me in my place when I start to feel sorry for myself. She was an amazing woman!

I also talked about the power that little, insignificant things, done significantly, can have a great impact and invoke change. For example, there is one scene from the movie, "Children of Men," that really stuck out to me as a perfect and beautiful illustration of this idea. The movie is set in the future, 2027 to be exact, the world is going up in smoke, no woman has been able to have a child for 18 years, and everyone is at war. Miraculously, one young girl from Africa gets pregnant. You can imagine the issues that she faces. Everyone wants this baby for science. People are basically hunting her, and her unborn child, and she must find somewhere to keep her and her miracle child safe from the tainted world. The scene from the movie that I showed in class shows her and her child (a girl) hiding out in a warehouse, waiting for the right moment to escape. Bombs are going off everywhere, and people are being shot and killed right and left. She tried to hide her little girl under a blanket, because no one knows still that she has it, but the baby starts to cry, grabbing the attention of all those around. She makes her escape, baby still crying. Instead of violence, everyone around her grows silent as they listen to this little one cry. Old women look longingly and lovingly at the child. People start crying. She makes it outside, and the soldiers yell to cease fire. They go down on one knee, amazed at the simple innocence of the cry of a baby. One man emotionally proclaims, "I had forgotten what that sounded like. It's beautiful. They're so beautiful and tiny." It's a very powerful moment in the movie, because everyone is, for a short moment, unified in this baby. It invokes in them feelings, once lost, of the love for family and compassion. Great movie - if you haven't seen it, I would strongly recommend it!
I also read the book Harold and the Purple Crayon to the class. You can gain some surprisingly mature, philosophical insights from that simple children's book. I then passed out purple crayons to all of them, to remind everyone that we are in charge of the way we draw our own world and the way that we make it back home. We will probably get lost along the way just like Harold, maybe even a few times, but with our purple crayon, we will all make it back home, into our soft warm beds, and draw up the covers. Cute huh? Haha... =)

This evening our boss came over and watched the guys for a bit so Jason and I could go out to our favorite restaurant, the India Garden...yum! We went with another younger couple from our ward at church, the Joslins. They are from Arizona. He is a middle school math teacher, and she is applying to med school. Sometimes I feel so inadequate around people like that! When asked what I am studying in school, I often reply everything, because that is mainly true. I applied to the radiography program, got rejected, and am having a hard time redirecting myself or picking one thing to study. I still love to write, and I don't think that will ever change, but I don't know if I want to be an English major.... suggestions are strongly appreciated! All I know is that I am taking life as it comes, and trying to enjoy everything that comes my way. I am enjoying school so much, and so right now, I'm in no hurry to quick decide. My English class and teacher are probably the best I have ever had. And I have had some pretty good ones!

On a more serious, not so happy note, a girl from RCTC (my school) got murdered last week in her home. This hit closer to home than usual for me, because she was in my ethics class last semester, and was a very sweet girl. She was about my age and married. They still haven't found out who did this, which is I guess what makes me uneasy. You can't walk around being scared all the time, and you can only protect yourself so much from things like this happening, but it really, honestly scared me! She was a young girl just like me, and just the thought of something like that happening around here, about two blocks from where I live, is really eye-opening for me. I walked around today, feeling rather unsafe because of this and also because of the recent tragedy in Virginia. But, then I got mad at myself, because I can't let things like this force me to live in fear my whole life. Then I become a prisoner to my own fear, letting it win. Jason says that this is why he thinks I should get a license for a handgun to carry around with me....what did I say to that? For those of you who know me well know that this is NEVER something that I would resort to. I would even probably feel more unsafe walking around with a gun, then I would without one. My life isn't worth killing anyone else, not even to me. But...I might invest in a spray can of mace. haha.

So...those are some random, some depressing, and some lighthearted thoughts from my day. Sorry to end on a rather negative note, but life really is good! I have been in a good mood lately because I am trying to plan a trip to go somewhere with my best friend Whitney this summer, possible soon. School ends May 10th, and I just can't wait to take a little break! Now, I must go take some pepto bismol because that Indian food doesn't seem to be agreeing with my stomach... uh oh! Signing off...

Archetypes

I just watched a movie in which the family in it would sit down every night together and play a game called "hi-lo" where each member would go around and say their "high" of the day, and, you guessed it, their "low." I thought this was a great idea, so here it goes for my "hi-lo" of the day.

High:
Tie between sleeping in a little bit (sooooo nice) and watching the movie Deja Vu with Jason (great movie - I would recommend it!)

Low:
My pork roast cooked a little too fast today, so it was a bit tough, but still alright.
Writing a paper about what archetype of Greek God or Goddess I am. This is a low right now, but will be a high when I finish it.

What a fun game! Now I must get back to writing my paper and doing the rest of my homework. Maybe I'll post my paper when I'm done...maybe.

Love you!