Orals

I passed my orals!

5 Second Post

Here is a five second post for anyone who still checks this. I know it's been a while since I've posted last. I'm finishing my last year of school and hopefully will graduate in may. With an externship in the summer. My placement this semester has been in the hospital and I have loved it. So I'm leaning towards working with adults. For those of you that don't know we are having another baby and this time it's a girl. The due date is March 22, (thus the "hopefully" graduate in may) and we couldn't be more excited. I'm excited to finish school and move on with my life. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, this baby will have to work pretty hard to keep me from finishing.

Well I exceded my 5 seconds. I'd like to say that I'll write again soon but we all know that it would be a lie. Most likely it will be to announce the baby arrival or my graduation. The graduation is going to be such a big achievement I hope you all make plans to come up and celebrate with us!

Thanks for continuing to update your blogs it is nice to know how you are all doing and how your lives are progressing. See you all later.

Oh! just as a side note- the bonsai tree died- I think I loved it to death. Don't worry I'll try again some day.

First Bonsai Tree

Okay I got my first bonsai tree. It is called a dwarf mugo pine. It's kind of cute. Since it is a dwarf it grows really slow, only an inch a year. Currently I am only keeping it alive. I still haven't decided how I am going to shape it. It is living inside but starting this summer it will begin living its life outside.  Anyway, here's a picture of the little guy. 

It still needs a nice pot but this one will have to do for now.  

I plan on getting a maple in April. I have to wait until the nurseries get them in for summer. 

Anyway this is the first bonsai. I'll keep you posted.

Bonsai

I love trees. Whenever I am in the car I always enjoy looking at all the different trees that I drive pass. It is always so sad to see a tree that hasn't been taken very good care of or has a disease. I am so excited for this spring when I get to start my yard and plant my own fruit trees, I also have some oak trees to add to the lineup. I have two cherry trees and a pear tree coming. The peach that I ordered won't get here until next year (bummer). Anyway, I've decided to start a new hobby. I'm going to grow a bonsai tree or two. I am so excited. I have been learning a few things about them before I decide which tree I want to try and grow, these are a few things I have learned.

• Bonsai trees are not genetically altered trees to grow small, they are regular trees that are kept in a pot and the roots and branches are trimmed to keep the size and shape that you want the tree to be.
• It is recommended that the trees are kept outside (which I am still a little bummed about) since they are regular trees.
• you grow trees that are suitable for the area you live in.
• You can grow fruit trees bonsai style! cool huh.
• The tree is all about the art and design. It is the goal to make it look as natural as possible, a lot of the trees are manipulated with to make them look older than they really are.
  

Here are a few pictures of some amazing trees.

This one is probably my favorite. I love the maple trees and the little scene below is so fun. I can just imagine driving by this scene. Too bad it's only 5 feet in length, a foot in height.


This arrangement is so pretty, all it needs is a tent in the middle of all the trees, just kidding. I want to grow a forest arrangement out of aspens, like the mountains in this area.


The maple is the tree that I am leaning towards starting on. Wouldn't it be fun to grow a maple tree and then add a little wooden swing into the scene.

These trees below are in the US National Arboretum in Washington, DC. They are just so old it is amazing. This tree looks like the tree that Rafiki lives in from the Lion King.

This one is just really old and cool.

So, I'm going to start growing a tree. I'll let you know how it goes.

Ok, ok, I feel like it's probably time to add a little post. Catch everybody up on what has been going on in the lives of the Richardsons.  

Mark- Mark continues to work from home doing freelance work. 3-d stuff. If you want anymore detail than that you are going to have to ask him.  He is always  busy on the computer and Coleman and I have to come in and poke him to get any attention sometimes.  He is the best little daddy and spends alot of time making Coleman laugh.  Everytime Mark walks into the room with Coleman and I, Coleman will laugh and jump at the same time in anticipation that he gets to play with daddy. 

Me- I have been calculating and I am now on my 13th semester of school. That is 6 1/2 years of school.  I technically should have been done with six but I didn't make it. I am counting down and after this semester I will have 2 left before I get to graduate!  It is so exciting and I know I can do it.  I continue to look up to my Aunt Denise, who has been going to school for much longer than I have, and I know she understands what it takes to get a degree and the hard work that is put into school work.  I have a lot of respect for that lady and all the work that she has done for her education.  She has a doctorate in English and I can only imagine the work that she has done.  I like to go to family get togethers when I get to see Denise because I know I can talk 'school' with her. I feel like going to school for this long has left me unable to converse about anything but school. It is so sad. 

 It is a little depressing as I watch all the girls I have been going to school with for the last 4 years all graduate without me but I know that I can do it.  I don't regret my decision to slow down to be with Coleman for one minute.  I am so proud of all those girls for finishing. YAY!

On a more personal note I love being a mom and love the time that I get to spend with my little bug. Every day I look at him and think how did I get so lucky to get such a smart and fun kid. I love him so much!  and he is only getting cuter.  It is so funny to see him walking around.  He is so short and small but he loves to walk! I can't image what he is going to be like during the "terrible two's" because he is already into everything and running around into every room and pulling every thing off the shelf. Not only that but he hates laying down to sleep, puts up such a fuss when he doesn't get his way.  But I still love him.  

That leads me to Coleman.  As I mentioned earlier he is walking around.  He also says mama and more.  On occasion when you ask him where his nose is he will point to it but he doesn't seem to like that game very much, he would much rather play tag and tickle and peak-a-boo.  He also has decided it is very funny to cram himself in tiny areas, such as cupboards and under the bed. Anywhere he can find that is just his size.  He especially loves the closet.  

While he wanders around the house he will carry a walky talky that his grandpa got him for his birthday and talk and talk and talk.  It is so cute! He will then shove it in my face and expect me to say something back.  He isn't picky though, he will hold a remote up to his face, the camera, anything that he can get his hands onto that looks like he should be able to talk into it and has buttons, he will carry around and jabber away. 

I am waiting for the day that he has enough hair that I can do it.  He has a few long hairs in that back that could probably be cut, But I can't bear to take away some hair while I'm waiting for more to grow.  I've tried to give him a mohawk a couple of times but even with hairspray and gel  it still only lasts about 2 minutes.  oh well, that's my boy. 

Also! Our new little house! I love it so much. It is so nice to be in our own home! I think my mother-in-law likes it better too.  I always think how funny it is that our culture has brought us up each family living in our own homes.  When other cultures it is expected to live together.  So when we are in a situation where we need to live together it can be a very uncomfortable thing. Anyway I like living in my own home, it has been wonderful.  

Here are a few pictures of our past little while.

This is Coleman reading a book. He is so funny, he will go into his room and pick a book from the shelf and just start reading to himself.  He really loves books, but we have to be careful or he'll love them right into pieces. 

Coleman got this for christmas. He thinks it's pretty cool. He even has learned how to walk with it underneath him.  

This is Coleman in a cupboard, he thinks it is so funny to climb in and then shut the door and play peek-a-boo!

 This is a little clip of Coleman's new skill, Walking. 

 I just had to add this little video, he is so funny. This is one way that I can clean the kitchen with him around. He loves to play in the sink so I stick him in there and he will play for sometimes 20 minutes.  He likes to take the oranges off the counter and play with them in the water.  

New House

I am so excited! We have been house shopping for a while now and we found one that we like! We had a very nice (and patient) realtor that has been helping us out named Jason.  Our little home is in a cul-de-sac (spelling?) with one other neighbor at the moment. I hope they like us! The rest of the development is not finished yet and with the economy the way that it is who knows when it will be. But we like the quiet street and there is a street lamp close to our home. 

I love the master bathroom and closet and the laundry room is on the main floor, which I love, so those are good. As a girl those were things I looked into. Also the yard is little but nice, there will be enough room to  grow a garden, some raspberries, and a few fruit trees along the side. (And if I'm nice maybe a sandbox for Coleman ;)) 

Anyway we are very happy and excited to move in.  The hope is to move over thanksgiving break. I am excited to slowly decorate my own home and have our own space. More on this later I am sure! 

Pictures

These are just a few pictures of our week.

This is Coleman in the cupboard.  It was pretting amazing. He has started to stand up on his own for seconds at a time when walking along the furniture.  So as Coleman was opening the cupboard he was balancing all by himself while he opened the door.  It is amazing to see what he learns each day.   Colemans will also sit with a book on his lap and turn the pages and "read" to himself and put a phone to his ear and "talk".  It is so cute. 

This is Coleman and his dad drawing with a pen. He has recently learned how to write with a pen and loves to scribble on paper (and whatever else he can reach). Today he had a marker and wrote on his grandmas wall before I caught him and took it away, he wasn't very happy with me.  

Halloween night we went to "boo at the zoo" it was really fun.  The three of us were all pirates. Coleman was so cute.  I was so proud of him,he didn't touch his hat all night and left it on his head, once he saw his daddy and mommy with something on their heads as well. (he's a smart kid). This is a picture of him with his grandpa. Coleman wasn't sure he wanted to go to grandpa looking like that but once he figured out who it was, Coleman didn't want to go to anyone else. 

Boo at the zoo was a fun place to go trick or treating.  Businesses from around town set up around the zoo and hand out candy. There were just little families running around, not a lot of teenagers, it was a very safe place to go. Because you have to pay admittance it limits who comes and there were also security guards walking around keeping an eye on things. My parents were there giving out candy which is the reason we went.

I just have to say, I have never seen a warmer halloween in Idaho. It is usually so cold everyone has on their coats over the costumes and this year it was warm enough that no coats were needed. It was so nice!

A few more pictures of all of us. 

Our little pirate family and then

Dad, Mom, Me, Coleman, Mark, Clay