Blog Update

So Catherine and I have been wanting to update our blog but just haven't gotten around to it. Our time together during the day is limited and frankly I don't want spend that time writing a blog. However, Catherine had the idea that I could be in charge of the blog since I work graveyard and don't have anything better to do. I guess she has a point.

So Gwen started walking about 3 weeks ago. When she was only 3 months old my mom had her on her feet trying to walk.. so, naturally, I thought she would be a walking-at-8-months baby. But she wasn't and after 13 months of life my daughter is finally walking, whoo-hoo!!

As you may (or may not) know, I've been working at a residential facility for post-adjudicated youth. That's another way of saying, kids that have been convicted of a crime. The biggest adjustment has been working midnight to eight. It took about a month for my body to adjust but I feel like it's finally working for me. I love working with these kids. Despite their legal issues they're busting out with potential. Sometimes I just want to dropkick a couple of them but for the most part I get along with them and they do what they're asked. I want to do more to help them but I don't know exactly what to do. I'm leaning toward something that focuses on education.. maybe a non-profit or mentor group. President Hinckley said that education is the key to opportunity. I think these boys would benefit from pursuing more education. If I do a mentor group, which is what I'm really thinking, I want to pair adults from a spectrum of professions with kids who have the same professional interests. In other words, if a kid wants to be a doctor or a machanic I would pair him with a doctor or a mechanic so that he could get an idea of what it's like and what it would take to achieve that level of success. I have a friend who is willing to help with the legal paperwork and I figure it might be a good idea to take adnavtage of that while I can. I'll keep everyone posted.

Catherine is doing really well. She tends to stay pretty busy with raising our daughter, taking care of the home, doing her calling and reading books. She recently finished a book about mormon pioneers living in Palmyra. She loved reading the book and couldn't put it down. After that she started reading Camilla Kimball's biography. Right now she's reading excerpts from President Hinckley's biography. I love that she takes an interest in these types of things when so many women around her don't. I mean, to each her own; I'm just glad my wife has interests in learning about these great people.

So, being a social worker isn't the most lucrative profession, especially at the bachelor level. Catherine never ceases to amaze me with the creative ways of saving money. The other day when we sat down for lunch I noticed that we were eating on paper plates. Since I had never seen paper plates in our home I made a comment about them. Catherine explained that, to save money, she pulled out paper plates from the dumpster. I nearly choked as I took the first bite of my sandwhich; she reassured me that there was no need to worry because she had thoruoghly washed and sanitized the plates. Seriously, I know we're strapped but, come on; really, you washed paper plates that you got from the dumpster?!! I don't care how much you sanitized the plates, that's nasty. Anyway, I love my wife and her commitment to save money but I don't want to get ecoli or some other type of germ from eating reused paperplates.

Just joking:) My wife does work to save money and I am genuinely impressed with her creative approach to frugality but even she would never do something like that. However, instead of buying magnetized letters for Gwen to play with, she is making them. Catherine, you're awesome:)

Anyway, that's my blog update. Just a couple of last things: 1) we're getting used to the heat, 2) we have friends now. Life is good:)
-JP