Nathan & Fiona, Kaisa & Everett – Family Blog

Nathan is employed again!  He accepted a full-time salaried position with Bloosky.  They are an internet marketing company based out of Orem…it is probably about a mile from our house!  Nathan is doing their SEM/SEO/PPC stuff and he is really excited to be there.  He started today!

Nathan also accepted a part-time position with Sebo Marketing.  They are located across the street from us.  He is going to be putting in <10 hours per week helping them with a lot of things.

Who would have thought we’d get 2 job offers in one day?  Thanks to all of you who fasted and/or prayed for us, and for all of your help in the job search!  We really appreciate it and it worked!

Several have asked how we are doing, so here’s the update:

Nathan has put in MANY MANY resumes and has had 3 interviews so far.  Of those, one is somewhat promising.  The job market is insane right now!  Nathan has started showing up at places he’s applied to and talking to them just to get his foot in the door.  One company said they had over 400 applicants for the position.  We are praying a lot and hoping for the best, but it’s scary not knowing whene the right opportunity will open up.  Will it be weeks?  Months?  A year?

I have been working 20 hours a week for Rising Rain Studios (12 in the SLC office, the rest at home) in addition to creating 1 to 2 keyword lists a day for OrangeSoda.  Between working, the kids, and keeping the house in some semblance of order, I am completely and utterly EXHAUSTED at the end of the day!  Oh, did I mention I also took up couponing?  This is necessary to keep our grocery budget down, but can also be a bit time consuming as I have been visiting 3 to 5 grocery stores a week to get the deals!  It pays off though.  This morning I got 12 boxes of cereal, 2 boxes of Bisquick, 3 boxes of Hamburger Helper, a brownie mix, a cake mix, and 2 boxes of Suddenly Salad for less than $20.  I know, amazing, right!?  Anyway, between unemployment insurance benefits and my part time work, I think we will have enough to cover our necessary expenses for the time being.  It will be tight, but we will make it.

I am looking at my summer right now and thinking it is going to be really boring and go by really fast.  Unless, of course, Nathan happens to get a job soon.  All I know is, when he does get a job, we are taking a VACATION!!!

On a brighter note, here are some pics of the kids I took a few days ago.  We were eating lunch out on our patio because it was such a nice day!  The pics are poor quality because I had to take them with my phone.  Our camera is broken and we can’t afford to fix it or buy a new one.  Enjoy!

Kaisa always puts her sunglasses on upside down. So funny!

My sweet little boy! I made his binkie clip!

We are borrowing this cute car from a neighbor. He loves it! I slipped an umbrella in for some shade...this is how he spends most of his time outside.

She was in a rare picture taking mood!

Eating lunch. "Butter Jelly and Asslesauce" as she says it.

I just had to include this one...a few weeks old, but shows how smiley Everett is!

My mom and I took the kids to the Phoenix Zoo when we were in Arizona.  It was a bit warm that day, but luckily the zoo recently added two water play areas that the kids can cool off in!  Kaisa had a blast!  We didn’t bring her swimsuit, so we just let her run around in her diaper.  Here are some pictures of the fun day.

We tried and tried to get her to pet a goat...no go! This girl is terrified of live animals!

This was as close as I could get to smiling at the camera!

These spider monkeys were so fun! They kept jumping from bush to bush and running around on the ground in front of us!

Kaisa spent most of her time walking back and forth in this little river that goes around the water play area. She even bent down and put her head in the water a couple of times!

Playing in the water!

I am finally getting around to posting some pictures of Easter in Arizona!

On Saturday, Kaisa got to have an Easter egg hunt at her great-grandma Stapley’s. She moved it inside since it was raining. Kaisa was quite the pro and banked a very full basket!

Hunting in grandma's living room

Found one!

After the hunt, Kaisa and my cousin Talia (yes, she’s my cousin and we are 23 years apart) played outside in the playhouse.  My dad built this playhouse for me and my siblings when I was about 6 or 7.  We enjoyed it for years, and when we all outgrew it, it ended up at my grandma’s.  I’m trying to think of a way to convince her that I should have it now!  Of course, where would I put it?

On the front porch

Kaisa and her (second?) cousin Talia

On Sunday, my mom and I gave Kaisa an Easter basket and another egg hunt.  This time it was outside since it was sunny again!

She is holding her dolly and some stickers she got in her basket. She didn't want to put them down for the hunt!

We colored some real eggs. She was a little confused when she tried to open it for the candy!

Here are some pictures of Kaisa, Everett and I in our Easter outfits.  Ok…so I didn’t get anyone new outfits.  My dress is from last year, Kaisa got hers for Christmas and I saved it, and Everett is just wearing something new I picked from the closet of things I bought when I was pregnant.  :)

Showing off her dress and basket of goodies!

The three of us with grandpa

On Easter evening, my grandma and grandpa Porter came for dinner.  My grandpa was really excited to meet his first great-grandson!  Some ducks ventured over from the nearby canal and we took Kaisa out front to feed them.  We ate dinner outside and watched the sunset…a perfect ending to a gorgeous Easter Sunday!

Everett with his great-grandpa Porter

Feeding the ducks!

Kaisa was nervous at first, but pretty soon she was chucking chunks of bread at them! It was so funny!