Good times.

1. Dead rats in the walls = HUGE flies and a very stinky house (at least the flies are gone now, though). Thank goodness for the 5 for $5 Renuzit cones that Allen found for us to place all over the house. (Please, no one come visit until this is taken care of--unless you like the smell of decomposing rat. It's really bad.)

2. Clogged kitchen sink = very difficult to cook or do dishes. (Allen is out now trying to find a "snake" to fix that problem).

3. PSE Crew Workers replacing a pole outside our house tomorrow = No power ALL day long. Guess we'll be at my parents' tomorrow. (They're in Hawaii--I wish I were there!)

Allen got the results of his written test for Seattle PD. He ranked 6th out of 75 who passed the test, and scored a 96%. Not bad. Not that it really matters, but I find it interesting that even with doing that well on the PAT and written tests, it didn't work out. Oh well. Their loss.

We're still trying to figure out where to go next. We're starting to feel like maybe Heavenly Father doesn't want Allen doing shift work (nursing, police, etc). (I prefer bankers hours myself--with holidays, weekends, etc off). We're thinking maybe teaching or computers, but it's only been a few days of thinking it over, so it could go any way at this point. Either one of those options means more schooling, but that's ok. We don't mind that so much.

Back to the drawing board... Again.

Well, Allen had his oral board interview yesterday, and I guess he didn't have what they were looking for. Generally, interviewing is one of his strong points, so we're a bit confused. (And most of his answers seemed good to me). Either way, I'm proud of Allen for working so hard to train for the PAT test. The only explanation we have is that it's not what Heavenly Father wants for us. I just wish I knew what it was that He wants us to do. It would be nice if He would just send a message in a bottle or something. ;)

So, it's back to trying to figure out where to go from here. We're not sure if that means continuing to pursue law enforcement, finding a job elsewhere, or going back to school. Wherever we end up, we are blessed to know that we have two wonderful boys, a roof over our heads, and that Allen still has his job (even if it isn't where he wants to stay forever).

Excuse me, while I brag about my husband.

After a day of anxiously waiting, waiting, and waiting to hear the news from Allen, I finally got a call. He passed the written test this morning, so was qualified to take the Physical Ability Test this afternoon. Not only did he pass the PAT test, but he maxed out in all of the categories. He did his 300-meter sprint in 49 seconds (max was 56)! His 1.5 mile run in 11:48 minutes (max was 13:35), and maxed out in the sit-ups (38) and push-ups (35). We're proud of him (as always). Now he has his Oral Board Interview tomorrow. Wish us luck.

ETA: By "max" I mean for maximum points.

Photo Tag

I took this idea from a *friend, who took it from a friend. ;) The idea is to go into your pictures and choose the 4th photo in the 4th folder. Then post it. I won't be tagging anyone. I just thought it would be fun.

Allen, Erich (my ex-BIL), Jay (my BIL), Chris (my brother).

This is a picture of the first annual Williams Men's Backpacking Trip. Technically, only one of these men is a Williams. Every year they head up to the mountains (with my dad) for some male bonding. They always have some fun and amazing pictures to show when they get home. Allen's brother, Shawn, has now been "adopted" into my family, so he goes with them now too. I'll have to post more of these pictures when I get them onto my computer.

It's fitting that the picture would be of Allen. Right now he is testing for Seattle Police, and I'm very anxious to hear anything from him. If he passes the written test, he'll stay for the physical agility test. Then they'll call him back tomorrow for oral boards. I'll keep you updated on how that goes.

(*Celeste, your energy bill must have been HIGH!)

Happy Birthday Little Brother

Today TW turned 1 year old. It's so hard to believe that our little baby isn't a baby anymore. On Sunday we celebrated with my family. Here are some pictures from our little party.

He really wasn't that thrilled about opening presents.

And of course, here's the cake again. (Don't look too close).

At first he didn't trust us and wouldn't eat the cake. Then he took a big piece and started sucking on it. Finally, he figured out that it was worth eating.

Courtney and Grandpa washed him up afterwards.

And here's the big boy.

Cheeseburger Soup

Doesn't sound very good, nor is it very healthy, but it was sure good. We had this a few weeks ago. I didn't have celery, so I left that out. I also used beef broth and egg noodles instead of chicken broth and potatoes. I'm making it again tonight, but will be using celery and potatoes. This recipe is even good reheated the next day.

CHEESEBURGER SOUP

Ingredients
1 lb ground beef
1 onion, diced
3/4 cup shredded carrot
3/4 cup chopped celery
1 teaspoon dried parsley
3 cupschicken broth
4 cups potatoes, cubed
1/4 cup flour
2 cups cheddar cheese, cubed
1 1/2 cups milk
4 tablespoons butter or margarine

Directions
1. In a large pot, brown ground beef and onion.
2. Add broth, celery, carrots, parsley and potatoes.
3. Bring to a boil, and then simmer until potatoes are tender, about 10-12 minutes.
4. In a saucepan, melt the butter and stir in flour.
5. Add the milk, stirring until thick & smooth.
6. Gradually add milk mixture to the soup, stirring constantly.
7. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer.
8. Stir in cheese; continue to stir until cheese is melted then serve.
9. Do not boil.

ETA: Ok, so I made it with the potatoes/celery tonight. I think I prefer the egg noodles. Either way it was good, though. (I had to add a bunch of salt too).