The Galbraith Family

05 May 2010

out of hibernation?

So someone told me that winter is over now and I can come out of hibernation. I would like to think that this would be true from here on out but something tells me that this week is an exception to the current ruling.

I'm at a conference in Dallas. I can't really work on much for work and I am without Jon so I have some free time, lonely free time mind you, but nevertheless some free time.

Overall, things are going well for Jon and I. He's almost done with another semester of school and I am t-minus 18 days 'til my first year of teaching is complete!

Jon stills love his calling with Young Men and Scouts. I am enjoying Primary and a new co-teacher was called for my class this past week. I feel as if Jon and I are very blessed. We are healthy and happy. We are blessed with great faith and strong testimonies. We love each other so much and have fun almost everyday.

We have wonderful families that support us in our endeavors and always encourage us to work hard, to be persons of integrity and to be forever joyful.

Our days so far in 2010 are not filled with great adventure or notable events; they are simple, inexpensive :), sometimes stressful, sometimes restful, but all in all life is good. (slow last phrase for dramatic effect)

So whether or not I am about of blogger hibernation is not so important as is the love I have in my heart for life, family, and the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Hopefully though I can find more quiet moments to share this love and joy with each of you as we know that one great purpose to life is to build others up and share our joys, heartaches, and lives with one another. After all Q: what can we truly take with us?

A: knowledge, relationships, and character.

21 November 2009

sorry if this is hard to hear

I'm sobbing right now and guess what? It's your fault.

Some wonder why I haven't blogged or why I haven't read blogs recently. It's just too hard. I might be a wimp, but when you live far away from the ones you love the hurt is easier to deal with by not reminding yourself that you are far away. (a coping skill I learned on my mission, because you see on your mission you have very limited contact with loved ones back home)

It's easier to not look at pictures or read stories especially when I'm having a hard day. It's like my very psyche is trying to block out any memories at all of you so it doesn't have to cope with the truth.

I am saying I don't think of you not because I don't love you but because I can't. In fact it is because I love you that I can't.

And yes, I know it's backwards and very anti-family bonding... but it makes the really crappy days go by faster to not know all the fun, hugs, and laughs I'm missing out on.

So today, I thought, wow, I actually have a second to read some blogs and now I'm sobbing like a baby because of distance; I'm sobbing because everyone seems so happy and all the kids are so cute; I'm sobbing because I miss you and it's your fault. :)

Therefore, because I know I'm being ridiculous I must apologize for lame, weak efforts to update you about my life or to stay connected with you. Maybe if I were more consistent about staying connected the distance wouldn't seem so great but I fear that it would seem greater and it is already almost too much to bear most days.

[ I also need to add that I do not blog because in many ways my life is CONSUMED by work. Work = contract. Work = minors. Minors = privacy policy. Therefore about 80% of my day I am not legally able to tell you about. Which sucks. But it is there for a good purpose, because I see a lot of crazy stuff happening and sometimes only have very negative things to think about the whole situation, so it's better kept quiet so I can maintain my professional credibility. So I am finding it difficult to share my life when there is so much of it I can't share. ]

In an effort to now find a little joy and share it (as that it what we should always do with joy), here some recent pictures of us and the huge city we, even if awkwardly, call home.

I love you and I miss you.

15 July 2009

May 27th to July 15th. (I'll never get that month and a half-ish back.

To say that a lot has happened since my last post would be both the epitome of truth and a baldfaced lie. (not sure how this works, but it does)

I'm done with summer training... POR FIN! And Jon and I are "semi-officially" moved in.

"Officially" because we are all our crap is in the same place. =apartment.

"Semi" because our crap is all over the place! =mess.

I would not venture to bore you with details about my summer training. I will write as detail-less as possible. It was hard. I was stressed out and busy and tired from 5am to 1am. Sleep happened sometimes in between those hours. I co-taught the "zoo", so named for a good reason. That' s it.

Jon appeared with Taylor practically 2 days early and that left me both psyched and stunned trying to figure out how they got to Houston so fast.

We had a fun time with "Tayman" (he slept on our sofa-sack). We played poker, went to the beach and the guys had plenty (but I'm sure, not enough) of Jack in the Box.

I have only finished putting together the kitchen. Hence, we are still missing pictures of the rest of our apartment. When I finish this post I am headed to the bedroom to either nap or clean it up. I think I'll flip a coin to decide.

This is my last week off for basically the next two years, so I am trying to use it wisely.

Ya saben.... Aqui estan las fotos-->

27 May 2009

Projects; tricky math, beautiful results.

So carpentry is hard. And projects only "sound" easy because you haven't started yet.

That's what we learned this last week and a half as we built a headboard. I got this killer idea from HGTV and wanted to turn a piece of artwork from one of their shows into a headboard for Jon and I.

Headboards from the store are expensive and we have been saving for some time, so I figured I would make one, EASY! Not so easy, but luckily I have Jon (aka Math Robot).

We finally got all the supplies and started putting it together two Saturdays ago. It was a long process, but acutally not too complicated (Thanks to Dad and Steve for tools, advice, supplies, expertise).

Now for the reveal!

Don't mind the empty space (at the bottom) it's covered by our bed. Yes, we did have to hand glue, pin nail, and place every single wood shim. That took the largest amount of time.

Staining was quick, just a little tricky cause there are lots of angles and corners!

The last step was a polyurethane sealer so it's kinda semi-glossed.

Pretty sweet don't ya think?!

And it cost half the price (plus labor =free - our time.)

I'm so excited to put it up in our new place!

15 May 2009

Say "YAY" if you want a good deal!

So my sister, LeShel, is something of a bargain hunter. She's quite the expert actually and while I was visiting her in February she let me in on a few secrets of the "good deal finder."

Well, (just some background) I have been given the task of finding a whole new wardrobe for work this summer and challenged to do so for less than $500. Yesterday I was running errands and stumbled across a huge clearance sale at Ross in Ft. Union.

WOW!

Because Ross is already a reasonably-priced place, finding half the store on clearance and the other half loaded (just that day) with new items was inspiring.

I took to the racks like a vulture feeding on wayside kill. I put all LeShel's tips to good use and I found all this stuff (7 tops, 1 pair pants, 2 skirts) for under $100.

I have so much more stuff than I even thought I might have when I got to the end of my budget and I still have various $100s to spare! It's spectacular! I may even go looking again today and for those of you that know me, I'm rarely inspired to shop. I detest shopping! But I could really get into this bargain thing.

Thanks LeShel! And just as she would here are some of the articles I found yesterday with prices:

Top - Bottom, Left - Right

springy green shirt: $7 (retail $32), red sweater combo: $6.50 (retail $28), hippie looking thing on the top-right: $10 (retail $32), super-cute black: $11 (retail $28), amazing flower skirt: $12 (retail $36), blue workpants: $10 (retail $42), red asian-inspired: $8 (retail $28), and black asian-inspired: $7 (retail $36).

I also got a plain black skirt for $9 and another top.

UPDATE: In related news: I purchased a black suit coat retail priced at $110 for $35! YAY!