I Should Be Doing Dishes

But I really, really, really don't want to.  
I use to find so much joy in housework.  When it was just Trent and myself, the house was usually kept in good condition.  Now, it is a constant tornado and it is making it more discouraging to keep it in order.  Literally, Porter's favorite thing is to take everything out.  He loves emptying all the cupboards, and all of his toys, and his drawers, and the bins, and the baskets.  It is his favorite thing. He truly is Wreck-it-Ralph.
We registered Trent for the GRE.  He is taking it October 5th.  That seems like forever away.  But in reality, it is less than two months.  When we get that score, we plan on applying to ASU, BYU, and Texas A&M.  Our first choice is ASU.  I feel pretty confident that I could find a teaching job there. (I keep telling myself, only one more year.  But that "one more year" has yet to happen.) It also might be easier finding someone to watch Porter because of our connections.  But in reality, we will go wherever we get a scholarship.
Also, Trent started a new business. I told that to a co-worker and she said, "Of course! Because teaching, Porter, managing apartments, bishopric, and engineering isn't enough."  I laughed out loud at that one because she was right.   But it has been going pretty well.  Everyday, someone new is interested and that is exciting for him.  And he is super adorable when he is that excited.
I officially go back to work on Thursday.  I have had to go back to work for a few days during the summer for some mandatory meetings, but it officially begins Thursday.  This is my last year at Adams Elementary and if I speak it, I will sob.  I wish with all my might they had a Master's program here at BYU-I.  I do not want to leave this place.  Trent is ready to move out and move on, but I am more apart of the community than he is.  He is part of that tough, college atmosphere. I see the community aspect of Rexburg.  I get to experience the services the community provide, the way the educational system is run, and the people.  Rexburg is a unique place and I love it. Also, I could not have a better boss or co-workers.  We are a family.  We do parties together, our children play together, we cry together (lots of crying), we laugh together (lots and lots of laughter), we are comrades.
But Porter is still my number one.  My end goal. But let me tell you.  I got a taste of toddler motherhood over the summer and it makes me want to give him away for someone else to raise.
In my opinion, being a working mom is much easier than being a full-time mom.  I have experienced both and they are both hard in their own ways.  I mean teaching?! THAT is hard. Seriously. But being a mother means no breaks, little adult interaction, keeping up with the household chores, meals, meshing three different schedules, discipline, stimulation, etc.  It can be overwhelming to say the least.
Overall, the Thompson's are happy.  Our apartment still doesn't feel like home for some reason, but we are working on fixing our attitudes and adding some touches. Trent and I have started going on dates recently, and it has changed our marriage.  Actually, the cruise changed our marriage, but the dates have kept us going strong.  Porter has been a little crazy, tantrum throwing, yelling, unsettling child lately. But hey, we will still claim him.  He has some redeeming qualities too.
I just love keeping this journal.  I love sharing my life with others.  The good, the bad, and the ugly.  I love reading others experiences.  I love feeling connected with others and reading their advice and encouraging words.  Or even if it's not always encouraging. Some days are good, and some days you are just trying to make it through.  But we are each doing something important. I really believe that.

TM Takes Mexico

This cruise has been in the making for a little less than a year.  I remember talking about it the first time during a ritual card game.  It was Kayla's idea, of course.  And the rest is history.  We basically swore on our lives that we would follow through.  There were a few moments as it got closer that we almost chickened out.  We tried other vacation venues.  But the cruise was really the cheapest option.  So.  Less than a month before, we booked it. And honestly, I am so glad we did! Unfortunately, I took absolutely no pictures the first day.  I hate when I do that.   First of all, the drive there was epic. Of course.  Lots of catching up and story telling, laughter, and giddy excitement.  I had cotton candy for breakfast.  That's when you know it's going to be a good day. 

We got to the cruise ship around 1:30.  The first thing we did was go to your rooms.  We had an ocean view room, and it was just beautiful.  It was so surreal being on that ship. I kept picturing the Titanic song in my head.  Not the Celien Dion one, but the one when they introduce the ship. You know... Da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da,... You know?! 

Alright, moving on.

The first day was a blur.  But I am pretty sure the hot tub was involved, because that place was always involved.

The next day we woke up around 8 and headed out to Catalina Island,  There we rented a golf cart and went all over the island. 

Did you know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints also meet on Catalina Island?  Pretty cool, right?

Driving the golf cart around was one of my favorite parts! I mean, look at those pictures! It was absolutely gorgeous. Also, if you decide to live in Catalina Island, a car is not really necessary.  Most of the locals, just had golf carts as transportation.  It was kinda cute! After the golf cart, we went snorkeling in Lovers Cove.  I had never been snorkeling before.  At first, I was using a broken snorkel and the struggle was real! Trent kept saying, "Just breathe through your mouth!"  And I was. And literally swallowing the sea water in the process. Which is salty and disgusting.  But, once I traded snorkels with Trent and gave him the crappy one, I had so much fun! We were literally swimming with the fishes.  There were really pretty orange ones and fatter gray ones.  There were fish everywhere.  I just looked and them and tried to stay out of their way.  But the rest of the gang were trying to catch them. I am so sad we didn't have our Go Pro to take pictures or video of it.  It was seriously so cool!

After snorkeling, we ate at a some a local restaurant.  Before that, we had stopped a quaint marketplace that had the smallest isles.  It was so fun! After our eating adventures, we went kayaking.   Basically, we kayaked in the vicinity of that bottom right picture above.  It was so much fun.  We also went out deeper into the middle of the ocean.  I was afraid we were going to get run over by a ship, and Kayla was afraid of their kayak sinking.  It led to the men capitalizing on our fears and colliding our kayaks together.  We also didn't get a picture of that.  

I really swear we did all those things.

The next day, we headed out Ensenada, Mexico. We left pretty early again.  The days at the port go by so quickly that leaving early is a necessity.  The first thing we did was rent a little Nissan car for $45 for the entire day.  It ended being about $25 per couple. It was nice to be able to lock our valuables in the car and go exploring.  We were also able to explore so much more because we had a car.  Best idea. We decided to head out to La Bufadora.  It's a tourist attraction. It's a crevice in a mountain where the water shoots up like a geyser. 

On the way, we stopped at Walmart.  Had to pick up some beach towels - that we never used.  But it was about the experience. Like buying boxers for $148 (pesos).  You have to do that at least once.

  After we reached La Bufadora, we had to go through a very long line of tourist shops to actually get to the attraction.  But I am not complaining because that is one of my favorite parts.  I even bought a fake Michael Kors bag for $40! You can only do that in Mexico, you know? By the way, he tried to sell it for me for $120 at first.  I love bargaining with people.  Let me rephrase that, I love making Trent bargain for me with people. 

Also, I totally met Nala from the Lion King.  Seriously folks.  The pictures you are about to see are those of REAL female African Lions. And yes, I did play with her and her baby. It was such a neat experience!

We also ate at restaurant that had a slide and a Jaguar to play with.  That one was a little too sketchy for us, but the food was pretty good, but overpriced.  But the slide was fun!

After we saw La Bufadora, we headed back towards the beach.  By that time, we only had two hours left of our day and there was one last thing I really wanted to do,

Horseback riding on the beach (for $15 and hour - pretty good!), was beautiful.  Unfortunately, my horse had a mind of her own.  She was the leader of the back and would not stop when I asked her to stop.  Or when I pulled into the reigns.  It was giving me a heart attack.  Especially when she wanted to run, because I didn't know how to do that.  When we got back to the base, a baby horse immediately attached. The poor Mama just wanted to get back to feed her baby.  I felt pretty awful.  But I also was also trying to lower my blood pressure and anxiety.

There was mixed emotions.

I loved the little boy who tagged along with us. He was so funny! When he asked him what the horses names were, he went up to the horses and said, "Whats your name? Painted. What's your name? Chantaquina?" He went down the whole line and did it with all the horses. It was hilarious. 

After that, we returned to the car. The boys played a mean trick. And we went back on the ship! 

The last day was a "Day at Sea."  Too bad there were 28 mph winds and the waves were pretty big.  I was pretty dizzy, and Trent gets motion sickness very easily.  So he was struggling.  But then, we found out something magical.  In the middle of the ship, you can't feel anything!  The wind was mostly gone, and the boat was completely still.  So of course, the party was back on.  We went down slides, relaxed, read books, and I ate about 6 ice cream cones. So it was a great day.

I learned a few things.  First of all, you have to go on a cruise with your friends.  It makes everything 10x better.  Luckily, we went with people who know us better than anyone else. Really.  They were there during the first 3 1/2 years of our marriage. Who do you think knew I was pregnant right after my mom, Kayla and Chad.  They were the first ones to know that I had gotten my teaching job.  Kayla has given me a lot pep talks.  Teaching with Porter has been hard, and she has always pulled through. And Chad is seriously like a brother to me. We even fight like siblings.  Have you heard of Avalohem, Arizona? It's like right before Buckeye.  You should go there sometime.  And they have seen Trent and I at our best and worst.

Basically, during the cruise if we wanted to go to bed early, there was never pressure.  We didn't have to entertain each other or feel obligated to do everything together.  I felt like Trent and I still had our time together, but it was SO much more fun with friends. 

Which is why we are planning TM Takes Hawaii for 2017 or 2018.  It's in the works.  A new family tradition, if you will.  And maybe by that time, our circle of friends will have grown and other families can join in on the fun! Because really, the more the merrier!

 You just have to commit to karaoke. It's a rule. 

A Two Week Party

My brother and sister came to stay with me for two weeks.    I really loved having them here.  I don't get to see my siblings very often so having them here for two weeks was a dream come true.  They left today and I was so sad to see them go, but it is nice having our routine and lives back again.  Also. I don't want teenagers and a baby at the same time.   I learned that real quick. No, thank you.  

We started off the our adventure with a fourth of July parade.  This was the only picture I got of the four of us the entire day. So lame! Provo does a pretty good parade.  It is also super long.  But overall, we enjoyed it. 

Porter kept pushing Trent away and tried to swim on his own. You are out of your mind, child. 

The rest of the trip included bowling, movies, bonfire, paddle boarding, river adventures, temple baptisms, Color Run, game nights, family gatherings, shopping trips, splash pad, the gym {okay - we only did that once}, the Zoo, and too many trips to Maverik and Sodavine.  I adore my family. 

 



 

 

The only bummer is that Trent was hardly there.  I think I have seen my husband for five hours this week. It's ridiculous. But, it's finals week. I shouldn't be surprised.

 

Also. TWO MORE SEMESTERS! April, April, April. I am so excited for more options.  I don't know what we are doing and for once - that excites me.  Until now, the path has been laid out for us. And now it is time to make a decision and I feel like there is no bad choice, but there is a better one for us.  And we just need to figure out what we should do.

 

Can I just be proud of us?  Every time a semester closes, I get so sentimental.  Probably because every semester I say, "We can't do this any longer." And then we do. With divine guidance and mortal help, we get through each semester.

 

In two weeks, I will be on a cruise with three of the greatest people I know. I will be in the best of company with the best of people, and I already have the books picked out that I will be reading while tanning on the deck. 

 

So bring on finals week and the madness that comes with it.

 

The Zoo

Porter and I went to the zoo today. That little guy turns ONE in two days. I can't believe it.   So.  To celebrate his birthday, we have tried to do something fun every day this week.  And tomorrow we get to see the Thompson Family and pick up my brother and sister at the airport.  When my mom asked my little brother, Tanner, what he wanted to do for his summer break, he said, "I just want to go hang out with Chelsea and Porter in Utah." What 15 year old says that?  And of course, my mom couldn't just send up my brother.  Ashlyn had to join the party too.  I plan on creating a hashtag like #dukesiblingsummer and creating a Chatbook of our two week summer together.  Then, as a surprise, I will send each of them a Chatbook.  I am SO excited!   Anways, back to the purpose of this post. The zoo! I will let the pictures speak for themselves.   We went to the zoo with our good buddy, Ty.  I work with Kelli and our babies were born six weeks apart last year.  It has been so fun raising our boys together!

 

Porter was a little nervous about the goat at first.

And by the end of it, you could not get him out of that pen.  He LOVED it!

 

 These baby goats were the perfect size for Porter. He just followed them around the pen. It was adorable.  

Life is so much more fun, when you have a buddy to go exploring with.

I have no idea what this animal was.  It was the mixture between a cheetah and cat.  But porter loved watching it play with the ball.  He wanted to join in, but Mom wouldn't let him. 

Oh. Hey there, handsome.

Porter and I looking at the zebras!

And that's my kid. Playing with the skull of a giraffe. 

We had the BEST time!

 

But by the end, we were so tired and hot.  We drank a half gallon water jug in the matter of two hours!

 

I love his funny faces. Those lips!

  Porter loved, loved, loved the zoo! I did not expect him to be so involved as he was.  He loved pointing to the animals as they moved.  And when I would say the animals name, he would try to repeat it. Like "camel" was "mel." His favorite word was, "WOW!" He said it the entire time. It was hilarious!  His favorite animals are the camels and monkeys.  He cried when we left the camels.  And he kept laughing so hard as the monkeys went from tree to tree and jumped around.  It was so funny! I love how involved he is getting.  This is everything I dreamed for.  I am so lucky I can claim this cute face.