An Email from My Future Self

Happy April Blog Friends!  I know it's been April for a while, but I'm just really glad it's no longer March, that April is half over and that it will in 2 and half short months it will be Rich and I's 1 YEAR ANNIVERSARY!  We are planning on going to visit The Poconos (which, Pam and Roy visit together in the early seasons of The Office - which we are currently re-watching.  If you haven't watched it ever, I HIGHLY recommend it.  I also recommend watching it over and over if you've already seen all 9 seasons.)  Anyway, The Poconos are in Pennsylvania and there are several romantic hotels there.  We're also planning on taking a quick visit to Scranton (where The Office takes place) as well.

And here's a picture of  6 of my favorite entertainers.  The.  Office.

This past week was Teacher Appreciation back at Manila.  I saw several pictures from my coworkers posting cute stuff from their students and room moms.  It made me super school-sick (I just created that word).  I am learning how difficult it is to get a job here!  I have reached out to a few principals who have told me that they don't have a current need teachers, even in the coming school year!  I feel like the need for teachers is very different in UT.  But - I'm not giving up!  I just...really want to get back in a classroom.  Even if I'm not teaching.  I need the interaction with those littles!

Also, Rich and I talk a lot about how much we miss our friends.  We miss playing games with other people our age.  It's really hard not having anyone that we've "hit it off" with.  We have been invited to dinner a few times though - which that has been really great.  It's nice to get to know people (ward members) in their homes.  

Last weekend I went babysitting at a ward member's house.  They are the sweetest, cutest kids.  They were having a sleepover with a girl for the first time EVER (the mom was super apologetic...explaining that they never have sleepovers and that Ella was sleeping over as a favor to her mother) so the kids were all wound up and when it was time for bed, they all had a hard time going to sleep.  We watched "Spy Kids" which I remember being OBSESSED with as a kid.  Turns out it's actually totally scary.  Brooks, their youngest, can't do scary and when he started closing his eyes at the "Thumb Thumb"s we had to turn it off.  Anyway, they have a beautiful home.  I felt like I was in a hotel.  This is their master bathroom.  

It's....pretty much beautiful. I want to live in a home.  But for the time being, I'll just babysit in some perfectly manicured and worked in by maids homes so I can get ideas for the future! 

Last weekend it was cold BUT sunny.  Saturdays are our adventure days with Bilbo so we went to a new park called Winslow in Westport  (which is  CUTE CUTE little beachy town, we'll be taking some trips there in the summer).  

When we were there we met an English Mastiff - which if you are unfamiliar with dog breeds - that is a MALLAFALLA HUGE DOG!!  His owner told us he was barely a year old and weighed - get this - 180 LBS!  That's more than I weigh!!!!  He was also saying that he will GET BIGGER and he eats 12 CUPS OF FOOD PER DAY!!! He was huge.  Slobbery, slightly cute and huge.  We're glad we have our Bilbo pup who is only about 55 lbs.  (if you think he's big, just be glad he's not an English Mastiff - we're glad he's not).

Anyway, Winslow is a pretty big park and there's lots of cute trails that go behind and around these adorable and very nice (probably million $$$) homes.

This is what most houses look like out here.  Really nice.  Mostly perfect.  Pool.  Typical.

This little house/shed/greenhouse thing is the cutest!  Rich and I both noticed it while we were walking Bilbo.  We're not really sure what it is....we think it might be a guest house in the backyard of another one.  We fell in love with it.  It's just CUTE and Wilkins sized.  It'd be perfect for me, Rich and Bilbo.  

There was this CUTE Golden Retriever strutting around with this massive stick.  He was so proud of it and would NOT put it down.  His owner made a few rounds and we saw this dog not once, but TWICE making laps with the same stick!  I had to get a pic - it was too cute.  Miss you Lucy!!  (she's our Golden Retriever back in Spanish Fork)

Anyway, the past few weeks haven't been all that exciting....which is why I haven't posted a blog in a few weeks.  I did however get an email from my future self....  

It reads:

Dear sweet Tata,

We start going by that name in 2025 I think. This is an email from yourself from the future.  Please allow me to enlighten and warn you.

First of all, you have already made the best choice ever in marring Rich. He is quite the beast because of size,appetite, and hairyness. I must warn about the scare you have after your 3rd anniversary when he is hospitalized for triple bypass surgery after reaching roughly the size of a baby killer whale!  Remember to watch what he eats and keep him fit. Not to worry though, he eventually snaps out of it and loses 400 pounds and finishes his first marathon at  the age of 30! We are very proud!

Second, enjoy the East while you can! After a couple years you ship off on another adventure. I don't want to give too much away, but make sure you speak wookie.

Next,  I have a mission for you should you choose to accept.  Well you better! It's the reason I am writing you.  Donald Trump becomes President in 2016 and you must stop him! Yes I'm talking about you know....JFK all over again. He is our final president and the main reason we have to eventually abandon the earth in 2040!

Lastly, make sure to stock up on the cheez itz! There is a shortage in 2023.

Stay sweet and good luck!

Tata

It kinda made my week.  It obviously wasn't written by....my future self.  *cough husband cough*  On the same day I received this email I also received a red rose....so I think I'll keep him!  :)

I babysat a new family this week, the Dupaix family.  They live in Norwalk in an apartment.  I was sitting for them this past Wednesday so that they could go see JIMMY FALLON (oh yeah...we live an hour away from New York so that's a thing people do around here).  Their kids were adorable.  We watched "Holes" on Netflix, which of course is the movie based on the book by Louis Sachar -AMAZING (don't worry - I made sure all 3 of them committed to reading the book).  The kids loved it - particularly the little boy, Gunner.  He's in 2nd grade and immediately after the movie was over he wanted to go outside with his toy shovel and go play "holes".  We were outside and I didn't realize I was being included in his game and he asks me "Do you know how I got here?"  I was thinking he was actually asking me how he got outside...and I didn't know what to say.  He said "I stole some shoes."  Then my heart melted when I realized he was pretending that he was Stanley Yelnats.  <3

The weather out here has FINALLY started to lighten up.  This past week, I was asked to check up on a ward member's dog (they actually watched Bilbo for us when we went to Washington DC).  They have a beautiful home here in Wilton with a pool and an awesome and totally haunted (not really....but it looks like it could be in The Ring - oh yeah they also have a well) shed.  I took Bilbo up there a couple times to play in the woods and with Ginger (their dog).  They also have a cat - guess what the cat's name is?  Guess!!  Guess!!  Ok I'll tell you....their cat's name is.....Basil.  Basil is their cats name.  So their pets are named after spices - which I thought was pretty cool.  Bilbo had a good time playing around their house and in the woods surrounding.  He really loves living out here - there is so much for him to do!  We spent some evenings going to Cranbury Park and playing fetch.  Fetch is his FAVORITE GAME!  See for yourself.

Also - Rich is wearing some joggers that he bought at Old Navy last night.  I think they look GREAT on him, I kept telling him all day today how much I liked them.  This video was taken at Lake Mohegan - it's a big dog park that's like 20 minutes from where we live.  The weather was absolutely perfect today so we hat a lot of fun there today.  It was our first trip out to that park (we were itching to do something outdoorsy) so we had lots of fun venturing in the meadows and in the water.

Here are some pictures for you viewers to enjoy.

  

This was taken at the "cascades" of Lake Mohegan.  It's like a little waterfall/rapids.  There were several dogs there.  Bilbo is such a good boy.  He was off leash the entire time and we didn't lose him once.  He was very obedient...there were actually a few other dogs who took off after Bilbo instead of the other way around.  He's learning to listen when we call!

This was taken right before we left.  Rich threw the ball in the water and when Bilbo got to it....the ball sunk.  So he swam around aimlessly (and slightly stressed) looking for his ball.  After his attempts were futile, he came back to us with a heavy heart.

This is the BEST pic of Bilbo.  This picture captures the essence of everything Bilbo loves.  Water. Balls. Outdoors.  Rough housing.

So that's pretty much the update.  It's mostly a lot of pictures of Bilbo - can you tell we love him a lot?

I took this about 30 minutes ago.  This is our sleeping boy.  He sleeps in the STRANGEST positions but he was just absolutely knocked out!!  His little front paws were twitching and flopping as if he were dreaming of swimming at Lake Mohegan (he probably was).......

Amy and Brandon Price will be coming in to town this next weekend and we're planning on visiting the city with them on Saturday so that will be fun!  Love you all.  Until next time.