Last Few Months

OK family, friends and anyone else who follows along, yes, I have been a slacker with the blog because we have had a million things happening in one of the Wicke homes here in Arizona.

Lets see, from the last post in May through now, Nathan finished 3 other classes and has 3 more to go. He is currently working with Excalibur & Avalon Charter Schools under the direction of my uncle and aunt Jeff and Carol Parker, which is great. It will give Nathan tons of confidence and tons of experience. He is the new Title I Director and part time teacher for Excalibur.

Nathan now sees the light for graduation in November with his MAED/CI degree. He is so excited and can't believe it that he actually did it. I am so happy for him and can't wait for graduation day and for him to turn in his last assignment! His last assignment will be turned on on 12/03/2009. Graduation is 11/14/2009 so if anyone is in town, please feel free to join us.

Karen is slammed busy at work. This is my Christmas like the Christmas season is for Wal-Mart so I am very tired and work a lot of OT and LONG hours. This will all end the end of August. I am still maintaining my #1 spot at the top of the stack ranking at work under the direction of my Heavenly Father and a fantastic management team. I try to motivate my team but it seems like only a few of them care so I only focus in on them. I'm not going to waste my time on those that don't care. I go to the corporate gym here at work so I don't waste time and money getting to the gym so it is nice that it is in the same building.

We have moved from west Phoenix to east Mesa. Our house is double the size it was in Phoenix. We did that on purpose so that we could host an exchange student and have Nathan be closer to work. We have the girl and so now we are just waiting on the approval from Skyline High School in Mesa to say YES. We told them that she is willing to pay $9K for the year...so you'd think that they'd jump all over it and well, they are dragging their feet. We took the size of the house in place of the pool. The funny thing about the pool too, is that after we kind of figure out how to work it and make sure that it is awesome and perfect to swim in, ah, we move. Well now, we don't even get to use it. Oh well, now that we are closer to family that has a pool we just use theirs!

We simply did the move because it would have taken Nathan roughly an hour to get to work and almost 2 to get home if we stayed on the west side. We now live 12 minutes from the school and well for me, the drive is longer but you know, in the morning it hasn't been to bad and in the evening it isn't bad at all because I go to the gym and I leave right in the middle of traffic so people have already left or aren't out of their office parking lots yet so its all good.

Yes, we had to give up the ward that we were in and had to give up nursery. We have been told that the kids are crying and that they won't go to nursery and tell mom or dad to leave because we aren't there anymore. We loved our little kids, we loved that they loved coming to nursery, we even loved all the crying they did so they'll be missed. The funny thing is, we are excited for the new ward. There are tons of YOUTH, which the other ward didn't have at all. The primary is large still and right now from what we can tell, all of the callings are taken!! Yahoo, so Nathan can focus on work and his classes and I can just get through the summer.

Oh, this is funny. Kale is howling in the morning when mom (I) leave for work so it has woken up Nathan. He doesn't like to be left in this big home alone sooooo, he cries for mom. It is so hilarious. You'd think that a dog wouldn't get so attached. It is to hot to leave him outside so Nathan comes home for lunch and lets him out while he is there. Kale can't wait to go for a walk when I get home at night either...he is bouncing off the walls. It is so stinkin' funny.

Anyways, my birthday was the 4th and Thanks goes to everyone who made it known to me that I am now a year closer to 40...thanks bunches! We went and spent time with Carol, Jeff, Beckah, Rachel, Danny and Dalyn, Kelly, Paul, Mark and Lizetta up in Heber at the Parker Cabin. It was a blast and we all had a grand time. I took 2 pictures while we were up there so I'll attach those later. I keep forgetting I have them. All of the families were there too.

We took a family picture on the 10th and sent the link to people to view them. If you didn't get it I'm sorry so email me or respond here and I'll send it again.

We are leaving for Utah next Wednesday 07/22 and will be driving up with Darwin and Collette and will be returning on 07/26. Dots family reunion is HUGE so it is up in Provo at some place near the "Y", I can't remember exactly. Everyone else knows where it is.

Lets see, what else has happened? No kids yet so stop asking for those who are overly concerned. When God decides to send one we'll take it, but until then, we're not dying. We are just barely trying to hold on to each other and not fall over since we have been extremely slammed and busy with Nathan finishing his program and school and finally getting a steady job. Everything has its season and it is ALL on Gods time table. I've had to learn that myself, it has NOTHING to do with me.

Anyways, I have to finally get back to work. I've been slacking for the past 45 minutes to get this written and updated. Hope everyone is happy and that they realize that Heavenly Father loves each one of you and that he is completely aware of your needs, wants, desires, passions and will bless you all according to what he sees fit for you at this time in your life.

Be good and God bless.

Love,
Karen & Nathan

Most Exciting Miracle Posted:

It was on 5 April 1829 that Oliver Cowdery arrived at the Smith home. Now you can see the hand of the Lord in preparing this work to go forward. Having been hired to teach school in the Manchester township in New York, Oliver was invited to board at the home of Joseph Smith Sr. Here he heard of the miraculous story of their son. He made his way to Harmony to meet the Prophet Joseph Smith, who recognized him as the assistant the Lord had promised for the translation. On Tuesday, 7 April, they commenced the work of translation in earnest."To me the most exciting miracle in the bringing forth of the Book of Mormon happened during the next 85 days. The complete book was translated from a then-unknown language into English. This is no common, simple book. Someone has figured out that it covers 1,000 years of colonization in which 54 chapters deal with war, 21 are historical, 55 are on visions and prophecies, 71 on doctrines and exhortations, 17 on missionary work, and 21 on the mission of the Savior, for a total of 239 chapters." L. Tom Perry, "By the Hands of His Prophets, Ensign," Aug. 1998, 49–50 Topics: Joseph Smith

Birthday Bashes

Karens 36th Birthday Desk with University of Phoenix, Phoenix Arizona, on Friday 07/03 from the Heavyweight Team.

I work with over 300 people but specifically I work with a great group of 12 including the boss.

I took Thursday 07/02 off so that we could move and when I came in to get paid 2 1/2 times the normal pay on Friday, my desk looked like this because tomorrow 07/04 it is my birthday and the entire team well, needless to say, decorated my desk.

I love it actually. I'm going to leave the balloons as long as I can and I'm not taking off the graffiti :o)

Memorie Lane

Can you believe that the guy on the right is my dad? He still actually looks the same just wider in every way! This was taken on the mission in Japan oh so many years ago. I'll let him tell ya!

Whose the due with my dad? Nobody knows!

We won't even go here...I'll let him fill in the blanks on when this picture was taken from Kahuku High School, in Hawaii. He seriously really does look like a Nihipali...wow, I guess that is because, well, he is one!
Clyde K Nihipali
Kahuku High School, Hauula, Ohau Hawaii