Episode 66: In Which The Week Before School, Begins...And Also Pictures Are Posted

Summer is finally drawing to a close. It's been a long summer but it has been so short too. Normally at the end of summer I'm quite looking forward to school starting, but this year I'm only sort of looking forward to it. The reasons I'm not excited are as follows

• For one, I'll never see Andrew except in the bathroom before bed while we are flossing our teeth (more on that later) and in class because we are taking a class together.
• because my days are long...class doesn't get out until 5...sometimes 8! And its all one class too!
• The good news is that the long classes (3-4 hours) are art classes so its not like I'll be sitting in a lecture wishing I could blow my brains out. The bad news is....they are art classes so I'll be sitting in a studio trying fruitlessly to draw a sphere with charcol and wishing I could blow my brains out. =P
• Jessica doesn't draw. It just doesn't happen. She also doesn't paint but thank goodness I don't have any painting classes!

So now you have a basic idea of why I'm NOT looking forward to school, I could come up with some reasons why I AM.

• It will give my life a little (read "a lot") more structure
• I won't have to pay taxes on my paycheck anymore (school doesn't take them out if you're a full time student
• Class with Andrew
• ok that's pretty much it.

I'm not a fan of school...never really have been. I told my mother-in-law that I like learning...I just don't like to do it at school. =P

Andrew and I are taking an "Intro to Natural Disasters" course together this semester. Most couples...specially at BYU take "Ballroom dancing" or "Marriage Prep" or "Strengthening Marriage". No, my husband and I take a class that is about destruction. :)

All information about school aside for now (because its not school, its still summer) I have come to decide that the week BEFORE school is actually much more difficult than the week school starts. I'm sure you all agree.

• books to be bought (hooray Amazon!)
• notebooks to be gone through to see if there is enough paper left to last you through the next semester
• horrific flashbacks to calculus from going through said notebooks
• tuition to be paid
• financial aid to be contended
• last bits of summer to squeeze out

As scary as forgotten calculus notebooks are, financial aid is the most difficult thing on that list

Getting free money from the government is the worst experience anyone (except for old people on social security) will ever encounter. (Ironically, when I'm an old person on social security it will be a nightmare then too). I digress.

Andrew has been waiting on admission to a class for his major and its been a nightmare (I have a lot of nightmares at BYU) trying to get him into it. Long story short it involves a pre-req class (Physics 121) that didn't transfer from UW but he took Physics 220 (the class AFTER 121) last semester with no problems. When financial aid was disbursed, he got significantly less than he qualified for and not only did we not get anything back from it...but it didn't cover his classes either. Talk about annoying.

It wouldn't be so bad if I didn't have some major dental work coming up. And by major I don't mean root canals and whatever, I just mean expensive. I wasn't much of a flosser...but lemme tell ya, pay your own dental bill and you will become one if you weren't before.

So that's why I'll see Andrew in the bathroom everynight as we floss our teeth together. Romantic I know. =P

Add to those expenses that I need new glasses (kinda have for like 3 years now) and it would be an understatement to say I'm stressed.

However, last night Andrew gave a lesson on Tithing for Family Home Evening. He has to teach Gospel Principles on Sunday so mostly it was just for practice but the Lord works in mysterious ways and it was a PERFECT lesson to hear after the Great Financial Aid disaster of 2011.

Andrew and I always pay our tithing but there is something about listing the blessings you've had in the past that makes you so much more comfortable about the future. Confident is more like it.

Finances are going to be tight leading up to Christmas (when are they not, really?) but we've already committed to always paying our tithing and last night, I just had a sense of peace and confidence...and even though it doesn't make a lick of sense, I know that somehow we're going to make it through AND still be able to save money.

And now, what you've all been waiting for. Pictures. I was somewhat more pleased than not with the pictures I took in Seattle...but I've decided that point and shoots are much more suited to family vacations. So sorry, you'll not be seeing much of a narrative on my vacation...but its better than nothing right?

Poor Sandy...she does not like the dock =P

waving to the ferry

Sea Kayaking! :) Man I love kayaking. I need to build me a kayak.

my poor point and shoot...its dying...

At the Pacific Science Center

Creepy, I know. =P

We went into the butterfly house and this butterfly landed on Andrew's face immediately and stayed there 5 or 10 minutes!



Butterflies were just attracted to him. Can't say I blame them



It's a little late since she was in the first picture...but meet Sandy. She's adorable. :)

Sunset from the ferry

another sunset from the ferry

Just an artistic picture, a grocery store on Bainbridge Island (where Andrew's family lives). There are some really cool independent grocery stores in the Seattle area! :)

Whitewater behind the ferry. Andrew wanted a picture of it.

The Gum Wall. Yes, that's all gum. No, that's not even half of the wall.



Pike Place Market



Riding the ferry home after a long day playing in Seattle

Mt. Ranier from the ferry

View of Victoria, B.C, Canada from Hurricane Ridge

View of Mt. Olympus (see the big white glacier in the top middle) from Hurrican Ridge

Wildflowers

stump I took a picture of purely with the intent of making it B&W =P

There was still snow at the top of Hurricane Ridge so we had to hike on top of it at some points on the trail

Taken nearly at the top of Hurrican Ridge, looking at the road leading up to the parking lot



The path down and wildflowers



Deer, quite acclimatized to humans. I was about 5 feet away.

My sister-in-law got a haircut while she was there and I took this picture for her facebook. Isn't she cute!? I'm not going to lie...I'm severely tempted to get my hair cut the same way so if I have no more hair one day, you'll know I gave in to temptation. =P

The family (minus dad, who had to work) getting ready to go whale watching

Fog. I love fog. And the ocean. And especially the ocean with fog. I NEED to move to Washington =P

Hanging out on the back of the whale watching boat

Another artistic picture, taken for Andrewand his water fascination

About the best proof I have that we did in fact see Orcas.

Friday Harbor, where we stopped for lunch. Such a cute little town!



Andrew, making faces as always.




playing around with B&W...possibly my favorite medium



Andrew, getting in the way of my pictures

This is where we sat on the boat..near the "boat steering thing" (name that movie). It was nice and warm...but being inside induced seasickness. =P