Archive for April, 2008

Toolson’s Rental Properties…

April 29th, 2008 / posted by Lindsey

So I thought I would give this a shot, as all of you know Jake has been the family blogger. So I decided to prove to Jake that I could also write creative posts. Don’t get too excited, I doubt they will be as entertaining. Maybe because I am writing this in between changing diapers, filling bottles, cups and making snacks or could be that I am just not as funny! I will let you be the judge! So I thought I would get you all updated on a project that i worked on for an entire month. Jakes parents own a few rental properties in the area so I help them when it’s time to turn them over and get new tenants. Well they have been really lucky with this one house that they own, the tenants had lived in the house for about 20 years. So that meant that the challenge was left in my hands to turn over a property that had not been updated in at least twenty years. I thought oh no it will be easy. Well, I was not entirely prepared for the challenge that it became, however, I did learn a lot about maintenance and people amongst other things. I learned to stick with what I know works and no favors! Well, there were a few jobs that had to be done over and over again to get them right, but we worked up until the last minute and finally it was completed. It was defiantly a challenging experience for me, but i am prepared to take on the challenge of the next one. So if any of you are planning, oh, I don’t know… to install a new shower, scrape your ceilings, paint, update all of your flooring, put in new appliances, toilets, vanities, window coverings, cupboards, closet doors… I may be able to offer some expertise (haha) as for plumbing…leave it to the professionals!

we camp?

April 23rd, 2008 / posted by Jake

Growing up, if anyone were to mention camping to my family we’d laugh and ask, “you’re joking, right?” I mean, as a kid what was there for me to enjoy in camping? I would get filthy in a matter of seconds, freeze at night, eat gross food, and just be miserable the entire time.

So when Jesse invited us camping a few weeks ago, I was quick to recite my line: “you’re joking, right?” But after some convincing, we decided to give it a shot so we went and purchased all the necessary camping equipment and what we didn’t have time to buy we borrowed. We were straight forward in letting Jesse know that “the kids will probably be grumpy and will not sleep well so don’t be disappointed if we leave early or during the night.”

Well rather than going into detail of our camping events, let me just sum it up: Surprisingly, we LOVED it. The kids slept better than ever before and I do not exaggerate. On a typical night, Tyler wakes up anywhere from 2-5 times a night as does Kaitlyn. While they fall back asleep after we comfort them, it’s still draining. But for whatever reason they slept completely through the night which was such a relief. During the day, Tyler ran around making new discoveries every couple minutes or so while Kaitlyn enjoyed watching. After all was said and done, we determined that we would go camping regularly.

So…. what did we do last weekend? We went camping again at the same location. As soon as we pulled up to the campsite Tyler realized where we were and went crazy! He tried to get out of his car seat as quick as he could and started screaming. It was hilarious. Were we pushing our luck hoping that the kids would sleep through the night again? Yes. Did they sleep through the night this time? YUP. Matter of fact, at about 3:00 a.m. the winds picked up to about 25-30 m.p.h. and never let up. The winds were so strong that our tent snapped and partially collapsed on us during the night. It sounded like a hurricane from inside our tent and I couldn’t sleep. Yet somehow the kids never woke up. Amazing! Big thank you to Jesse, Meghan and Dakota Hooper ( hehe ), Andy and Diana Hooper, and Josh, Jenica, Brody, Sadie and Willis Christensen for making our first camping trip enjoyable.

We enjoy camping and I believe I now understand why my family never did growing up. We never had actual camping materials or equipment. We’d borrow someones old nasty tent and therefore never knew how to properly set it up, we most certainly never had foam pads or anything of that comfort, food was scarce and not camp fire friendly, kitchen chairs or yard chairs were used instead of camp fire chairs, flashlights were non-existent so we had to rely on our nocturnal abilities, so on and so forth. Basically needing to buy something specific to an activity is something we didn’t believe in and we therefore had to use regular household items in their place. It did cause us to become very creative.

Which reminds me, rather than purchase the required, and school issued p.e. clothing for Jr.High, I had to borrow someones who was 4-5 years older than me and of course taller. Oh and to top it off, on the front of the jerseys was a white block where you had to write your last name so I had to regularly re-apply white masking tape over it and re-write my name over the previous last name.

4 years ago

April 17th, 2008 / posted by Jake

Well we just celebrated our 4 year anniversary — Ate some good food, listened to the kids cry, and had a great cake!

How did we meet? 2-3 weeks after my mission my sister and I moved to Provo Utah so that I could attend college there. We moved into an apartment complex called the Crestwood Apartments. Well Emily’s room-mates had a few friends who would often drop by, one of which was Lindsey. We started dating and on December 10th (almost 1 year since I returned from my mission) I proposed at P.F. Changs which is another great story.

So I wanted to propose in a creative way and so I had “will you marry me?” written onto tiny pieces of paper which I had slipped into two special-made fortune cookies. Well when we sat down to eat, I couldn’t stop thinking about what was going to happen so I naturally ate as fast as I could. Lindsey of course took her sweet little time so I just sat there and stared at her wondering when I could finally take the ring out of my sock (originally in my armpit) and give it to her.

Well she FINALLY finished and they brought us the special cookies. Lindsey opened one up and began eating it without reading the note! Matter of fact, she was 1/2 way through the 2nd before she realized what was going on because by then I was down on one knee saying, “will you please read the note?” (True story, slightly embellished).

We were married in San Diego on April 16th which was pretty dope because the weather was perfect.

Yay!

So for yesterdays anniversary I wanted to have a cake made in the shape of a fortune cookie, for obvious reasons. But I decided that having it look like a burrito would be more cool – we love burritos, so Jami Strazzo made probably the coolest looking cake ever.

Cool huh? Thanks Jami! want a cake cool as ours? Just let her know – visit cakesbyjami.blogspot.com, but also be sure to bookmark www.cakesbyjami.com as well because her new site should be done and have all the information.

I must confess…

April 15th, 2008 / posted by Jake

With the pope in town, I figured it was time to do some self therapy. I have a few confessions I need to make just to get them off of my mind. Over the years they have worn me down and I can’t take it anymore. I realize that I may lose a few friends and anger others, so I apologize for my actions now.

Matter of fact, some of you may just delete me forever from your lives because of the pain I have caused (or will cause shortly). Again, I’m sorry please forgive me.

Frisbee Golf, NASCAR , ROCKBAND and GUITAR HERO are gay (unless you’re over 6′4″).

Phew. Got that over with.

In other news, Tyler, Kaitlyn, and I went on a nice walk yesterday after work. Kaitlyn slept the entire time she was in the stroller but Tyler was very active. We walked up and down the street looking for cool things to pick up and put in his pocket. Each time he found something new, he’d be just as excited as before. It was hilarious. He’d pick it up, examine it with one hand, while brushing it off with the other, then start talking to himself about the new discovery. He was so overwhelmed by each discovery that he spoke in a foreign language so that I couldn’t understand. It was great. After an hour or so of stealing things from the street, Tyler emptied his pockets:

4 pennies, 2 nickels, 2 dimes, 2 washers, 1 plastic ball bearing, 6 green beads, 2 red beads, some lint, and a booger.

20 pounds?

April 11th, 2008 / posted by Jake

On January 1, 2008, Lindsey and I both started our first ever diets. By first ever diets, I mean we actually followed a system and have since lost about 25-27 pounds each.

For me, I’ve sort of slacked off these past few weeks and haven’t really tried to lose anymore weight. But, luckily, I have maintained meaning I haven’t gained anything. With another California summer knocking on the door, I need to get back in gear and try to drop 20 pounds by June 1. There is nothing worse than being fat in 100+ degree weather. Plus Calvin Klein called and they need an underwear model. And finally, Tyler is getting tired of having to tie my shoes since I can barely reach past my knees.

So with that said, I need your help. I need encouragement. So keep me motivated and I’ll keep you updated on my progress not that you care. The last 6 months of my mission I dropped weight significantly. I had signs all over our apartment which had motivational sayings such as, “you’re fat. stop.”, “girls, girls, girls…” etc; and it helped. I will be hanging signs up throughout our home to remind myself so if you have a few “signs” you’d like to hang on our site, feel free.

Heres one I’ll be hanging up:

**Update: Actually, I’ll create signs of what you suggest and take a picture of where I hung it.