Shanandy

Fortifications to the pillow fort. June 13, 2010

It’s been a long while since we posted. So long in fact that I’m embarassed.

To recap the past year would take too long. Lets trim down the time and just say we bought a house we started a garden and we’re trying to adopt.

Each one of those topics rightfully deserves its own posts but again we are notoriously bad at posting lately.

Our new house is in Ivins just south of Tuacahn. It’s 4700 sq feet and just barely big enough for the two of us. Home repairs and fixes literally command as much time and effort as our once loved hobby of mtn. biking. We patched shingles on the roof, replanted the grass in our backyard, fixed a swamp cooler and decorated our basement. Shan finally has a dining room table.

We planted a garden this year after Dean helped us setup an irrigation system and K. Condie donated a soaker hose. We planted all sorts of vegetables and due to a snap cold spell everything froze but one zucchini plant. We replanted again and now we have squash and tomatoes as well. Hopefully next year we’ll start off a little better.

The best for last, adoptions. Shans been dreaming for years of having a child, me not so much. Over the past few years though we’ve realized we are ready and the search is on. We are planning on adopting from China but its about a 2 year process at the best 4 years at the worst. We also started the process with LDS adoptions this week as well. If people would keep an eye out for us, we hear that sometimes its all about who you know. If you know someone looking to give a child up for adoption let us know.

We’ll update some more in the next few days, I’ve typed this out on my phone in sacrament meeting. Church doesn’t seem so boring now and we get something from giving right? Enjoy.

Where does the time go? November 10, 2008

We’ve been really bad about updating our blog lately so here is quick review of the past five weeks.

We have continued to ride our bikes all over.  As we have been riding the trails I realize how much of Southern Utah I haven’t seen.  I have also forgotten how beautiful it is around here.  Sharla and Jeremy have started joining us on the rides along with the regulars Ryan, Owen, and Joel.

I love family traditions.  One of our newest family traditions is the Witch’s Party that my Aunt Karma has been hosting for the past couple of years.  All of the girls in the Barton family dress up and have a great time hanging out and talking.  We missed those of you who live out of town or couldn’t make it.

Andy also enjoyed driving up to Jeremy’s house and seeing a new Lamborghini in the front.  Andy immediately wanted a picture with the car.

Boredom < Update September 10, 2008

Well, for an update I’m literally a day and a half away of finishing my training up here in Provo.  I’m a little excited that I’ll actually be let out of the gate, and I’m a little sad to be leaving the friends and co-workers in Provo.

I figured out the other day that I’ve actually spent more time in the Provo office working than I have down in St. George.  It’s a little unsettling actually.  I feel like I’m part of the groove here, the daily momentum, I’ve filled some niche.  I do often get told that I feel like I belong up there, I fit in with the others.  I know Provo likes me, but frankly St. George isn’t as friendly.

Either way I’ve got a job to do and I’ll fit in eventually I suppose.

On a happy note, the Provo Marriott scored me some free tickets to the pioneer league baseball team for Orem, the Orem Owls.  I’m not a huge sports fan, but honestly it was a lot of fun to go to a live game.  I ate a footlong hotdog, and actually clapped and cheered for the guys.

Even when things go so well though, something always seems to go wrong.  I secured my place in hell that night by stealing some handicapped guys chair.  It was one of those chairs all alone, so you can wheelchair up to it and sit with a friend. I picked it because I didn’t want to talk to anyone really, but man was that guy upset when he asked if he could have the chair he paid for back.  I probably shouldn’t have replied oh you mean this one, when there really was only one. I didn’t even pretend to be in the wrong seat, I think my comment was more sarcastic than it should have been, but how do you come back from stealing a handicapped persons chair?  I’m guessing next time I steal a chair, I’ll be more ashamed.

Anyway here are some great pictures from the game, I couldn’t help but admire the scenic background, and the bright colors of the game. The game was held at the field on UVU campus. On a side note, whats up with UVU, I always thought they were even a stupider school to attend than Dixie, had I seen their campus I probably would have gone to UVU, it was beautiful up there.

I’ve really enjoyed my time up in Provo, and frankly I wouldn’t mind living here.  I can’t help but keep thinking that the only thing that would make Provo better is if someone cut the cancer that is BYU out.

I wish I could convey in this blog how frankly creepy BYU students are sometimes. Shan thought I was exaggerating until someone at a fancy restraunt next to us was telling his date about Book of Mormon stories. The very next day we hiked up to Timpanogas caves, and sure enough people on the trails kept talking scriptures, even Shan started to get creeped out.

To further push my point, I visited the Provo library thinking I could check out some DVD’s and that it would be cheaper than the local video store.  I found movie after movie, or should I say musical after musical, but sadly nothing worth watching.  I honestly think they only had video’s that were rated PG or G… yeah its that creepy.

I do have a hair update for all my bald brothers, and I do mean that literally.  I’ve been growing my hair out for almost 4 months now I think.  Behold the fruits of my labors!

It comes in two flavors, combed, and wild.

I’ve been soft with the updates, like Ryan’s gut,  I’ll update more when I return to the pillow fort.