39 Weeks - Any Day Now!

Gardening Summer 2012 and New Neighbors

We have really enjoyed gardening this summer (especially after working all last summer to put our garden beds in - with a lot of help from the missionaries).

 

We have discovered that lettuce really likes to grow in pots and is somehow protected from all of our friendly neighborhood rabbits that are so happy to share our harvest with us. We planted some in our front yard garden in the ground, and we often look out the window to find one of these rabbits just chomping away at the lettuce (and they like beet greens and carrot greens too). But they haven't messed with the lettuce in pots. We've also learned that the lettuce doesn't like it to be 105 degrees. It all got scorched last week.... so maybe we'll plant again later for a fall crop. Before it got scorched though, it was really the best lettuce I've ever had.

For mother's day, Seth got me a bunch of flowers so we could plant a flower garden that I can look at out our kitchen window. I have loved having it there! (Above is a shot of it when we first planted, and below is what it looks like now. - Pretty nice! And as you can see, our tomatoes and peppers are doing pretty well in the back yard)

We also learned that the birds really like to eat strawberries, and they ate them all before we could build a cage for them.... so hopefully next spring we'll have some, and we will protect them this time!

 More tomato plants. We have 12 all together. I'm so excited!

The 3 pictures below are of our garden that we put in the front yard - good sun out there, and our landlords don't mind, so we are very happy renters. We are growing lettuce, carrots, beets, tomatoes, squash, zucchini, eggplant, cucumber and onions.

 Below are the squash and zucchini, and we have already had a bunch grow really big. Apparently they like the heat. They got huge though, and the instructions we had were wrong. They need more than 2 feet between them! Now we know for next year :)

And we are so excited to have new neighbors, Beth and Bob. They are a young couple from Cincinnati, and they are going to have their first baby in September (a girl). We have already had so much fun getting to know them, and they are the nicest, most friendly and helpful neighbors ever! We are so blessed. And next year, we can all work on the garden together :) and they can help us eat these tomatoes, because I think we have a few too many :)

Intensive English Language Program

Since I finished my master's in 2010, I've been working as a teacher in the Intensive English Language Program at Cleveland State University. I have really enjoyed my job. There have been many challenges - mostly the attitude of entitlement that some students have - but it has been so fulfilling to get to know wonderful people from all over the world, and to help them reach their goal of learning English well enough to study in an American university. I have taken the summer off, and I will also be staying home with our son in the Fall. I think I will start teaching 1 class 2 days a week when the spring semester starts. It is great to be able to do a job that can be so part time. 

Many of my co-workers have become close friends and a great support to me. Top left: Dawn, Dave, Sean, Ilya, Eva, me, Michele (my boss, wearing red), Joe and Alevtyna. Bottom left: Pat, Halina, Karen, Linda, Maggie, June and Miran. Below are some of my most dedicated, bright students (and they happen to be some of my favorites :)

Bushra, from Saudi Arabia

Hassan and Yasmeen, and their daughter, Hawra, from Saudi Arabia

Amlak, from Saudi Arabia

Adriana, from Venezuela,  was a practicum student who did the same master's program that I did. And her mom, Graciela is a student in the IELP.

Linda was my mentor when I started, and has become a great friend to me. This was her last semester before retirement, and I am glad we got to share it together.

Memorial for Grandpa Wagner

See all the photos of the reunion HERE

Baby Showers and Our Last Temple Shift

In June, I had a few baby showers. Everyone was so kind, and it really helped us out. They were all nice and low key, and it was fun to spend time with everyone and not have to deal with silly shower games (not my forte). A big THANK YOU to everyone, and even to those who couldn't make it who have been so kind to help us get the baby things we need and who have prayed for us.

My friends, Kjirsti Foutz and Emily Barker from church had one for me at Kjirsti's. (below)

Above is Jen and Adele Polley (who to the group pic)

Left top: Mindy Byrnes, Lisa Call, Myrtle Alexander, Lauren Janus, Katie Taylor, Emily Barker, Jen Madsen, Diethra (Landrum?), Bottom Left: Sarah Palfreyman, Lacey Cope, Me, Maggie Cope, Kjirsti Foutz

Then, my friends, Emily Keller and Kathy Christensen helped out to throw a shower at my house so that some of my co-workers, former students, and neighbors could come.

Me and Bushra Ahmsanei

 Amlak Alturki and me

Mary Pickett is in red, and unfortunately I didn't get a picture of Delta Stacey and Kathy Christensen

 Theresa Bynum, Fay Williams and (below) Linda Huxel

My co-workers, June (bottom right), Linda Holtzheimer, and friend, Emily Keller above

And we had a wonderful Shepard get-together in Columbus, OH, and we got to see a lot of my Dad's family. This is my Grandma, Phyllis Shepard.

And these are 2 of our very favorite people, my Aunts, Laura (left) and Candi. They threw the party for us, and we always love staying with them when we go down to Columbus to visit family and serve in the temple.

My Aunt Kim was the photographer that day, so I am hoping to get more pictures of the family to post later.

 Seth and I have had the honor and privilege to serve as temple ordinance workers at the Columbus Ohio Temple for 2.5 years. This has been one of the greatest blessings in our marriage. The temple is a place of peace, joy, comfort, and revelation. It is a place where you can feel the love of God so strongly. We have developed close friendships with the wonderful people who serve in the temple. They truly are elect people. We will miss them!

 There have been times in the last couple years that have been very difficult and discouraging, times when I have experienced much sorrow and grief, and in the temple I have found solace and comfort. I have felt that things would work out. I have gained insights into how keenly the Lord is aware of each one of us, and how He desires to bless us with all that He has (and that is a lot!). I have been able to learn more about why we are here on the earth, where we came from, and where we are going after this life. I am so grateful that Seth and I could build this foundation now, before we've been blessed with children. I know it will be a blessing to us and our family now and far into the future.

Find out more about temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints HERE

35 Weeks - June 17th

I meant to post this ages ago, but the blog has taken a back seat to preparing for the baby to come :) I started this paper chain when I had 100 days left until due date. It started with 4 big loops - getting shorter!