A deluge

Anyone who follows the Pauly's Pics & Prose will notice a dramatic increase in the posts tonight. (Don't forget to scroll down to the old stuff first so you can read them in order.) Brian was kind enough to take over the household duties this afternoon so I could have some uninterrupted time to myself. (Nobody was able to explain this to Sam though, so he managed to work in some tantrums that one person should have to deal with on their own.) And the kids cut us some slack this evening and went to sleep without any battles - a rarity lately.
The weather was absolutely picture perfect today so we decided that we'd load up the kids and pick out some Open House signs at Home Depot. We checked the mailbox on our way and lo and behold - a letter from Voyageurs National Park!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm so glad we were both there to read it. Basically they said that Brian passed the initial part of the application process and his paperwork has been passed on to the person who does the hiring. They say it could take 45 business days before they offer someone the job. This is very exciting news for us because yesterday we got an email saying they hadn't even touched the applications they've had on their desk for 3+ weeks. Having a time line makes the waiting much easier. Unfortunately 45 business days is over 2 MONTHS. Brian will have to find work somewhere else while we continue to keep the house up for sale. Thank you to everyone who's been praying for us. We feel blessed to have such a fabulous support network of family and friends. We'll keep you updated!

Getting this wonderful news prompted us to splurge on some ice cream treats. Since Culver's and Dairy Queen are pricey, Sam and I walked from Home Depot and picked up some drumsticks at the grocery store. Did I mention how nice it was outside? Seriously, I wish we were camping so I could stay out there all night!











Both kids loved the slide. This blurry one of Julia is me trying to keep her from diving face first, snap a picture, and catch her at the bottom.



What possessed me to use the self-timer to get this shot? I had 10 seconds to run to the slide (through pea gravel), climb it, and get Sam on my lap. Almost made it.

















Digging with Daddy is much tamer. Good choice Sam.