We've lived in Utah, Nebraska, upper Michigan and now we've settled in Colorado...at least for now! Marley is 10, Isi is 6 and Enzo is 4!

Life is great!

Friday, August 29, 2008

Last Friday and Today

I got tired of my blog layout and I got brave and found a blog layout page link on my sister-in-law, Sarah's blog. The thing is, the cute layouts are really just backgrounds, so it doesn't color coordinate everything. So, my blog is a work in progress right now. I have to figure out how to change everything and make it all matchy matchy.

The hardest part so far is changing the main header...so, if anyone has suggestions, let me know.

We have been busy busy.

Last Friday Nathan had a Graduate Studies Student Welcome. We went as a family and turns out Marlayna is a magnet. She attracts pretty much everyone and nobody can get over how cute and alert she is. (It's not just at school, it's everywhere. It's like she's the only baby in Nebraska, but she's not). The Dean of Graduate Studies chatted with us for quite sometime before the "welcome" started. She was so nice! And of course our little magnet was what drew her into talking to us.

During the Dean's part of the presentation she talked about integrity and being honest in all aspects of our education and in life. She sadly spoke of having to expel an advanced PhD student last year for plagiarism and as she spoke of this, Marlayna cried out a sad cry. The Dean said, "That's EXACTLY how I felt." Everyone laughed.

Lunch was provided at this "welcome." Marlayna and I had actually brought our own lunches because we weren't sure if it would be provided for us too. It was, but Nathan and I basically had exactly the same lunch even though I had brought mine from home. It was kinda funny.

Anyway, we met a man from Nigeria there. He came and sat by us at the table we chose and we chatted with him for awhile. He was very nice and is starting his MBA, so when we parted ways, we weren't sure if we would ever run into each other again. We walked around the information fair and grabbed all the free stuff. Then it was time to put more money in the parking meter (they have parking meters everywhere here) so, I ran out to put more money in the meter while Nathan stayed with Marley. On my way back in I ran into Ladi, the man from Nigeria again. He said that he had hoped he would run into us again because he wanted to offer us his number. He and his wife (also from Nigeria, and they have a little 18 month daughter) both got their undergraduate degrees from UNL so they are very familiar with the area and he knew that we just moved here. He said that if we need help with anything or need help finding things we could call anytime. Or if we never call that is fine too. He was sooo nice! I have been trying to think of a good excuse to call them because he was so nice and it would be nice to have friends that are not LDS (missionary opportunity!). We are still thinking!

Well, today marks one week from that fun day...and so it's Friday again! Nathan has now completed his first week of graduate studies. He has three classes, a total of 11 credits. He is taking Statistics, Remote Sensing and Wild Life Plants and each of them have one or two lab sessions. He's going to be busy! We already spent last evening making 22 study cards for him to memorize for Wild Life Plants.

Today, there was an open house for the School of Natural Resources which is the School in which Nathan's program is a part. The Geography department is new to this school and Nathan was the one and only Geography student there. We accompanied him again. After the open house they had a barbeque in one of the SNR faculty's yard. It was so fun! It was potluck, with the meat and drinks provided. Marley drew many to come and meet us, including Sadia from Morocco, Susan the School's Graduate Secretary (my mom's counter part), Carolyn whose house we were at and many others. There are actually quite a few students with children in this School/College, so we fit right in. In fact, there is a family with SIX children. We heard about them and then someone said that they thought the family with six children was also from Utah but to not quote them. It took us all evening but we finally got to talk to the family with six kids and sure enough they are from Orem, UT. They were VERY nice too! They meet in our same church building but, they are in a different ward.

Well, this is pretty dang long so, even though I have much more to share, I'll leave it at that.

We love you all!

This is Marley and daddy in the Auditorium listening to a great lecture on Creativity, today.


More pics of baby girl... will be in the next blog.

12 comments:

Shantell said...

Email me some cute pictures of your little family and I will make you a super super cute blog header :)

Natasha and Jesse said...

Sounds like you are having quite the time there. Maybe you could invite Ladi and his family for dinner... Miss you!

Studyvin Says said...

Hi Becky and gang! Sounds like you're having a better time in Nebraska than we did. We were 50 miles from a Walmart and that was it when we got there. We were in a branch, not a ward and went to church in a different time zone. We lived on the edge of the time zone so it got dark at 4PM in the winter and the sun came up at 4AM in the summer--YUK! We did meet some great people who we still keep in touch with but are glad to not be there anymore.
By the way the "sower" on the state capital is called the "Golden Sower" for all the wheat growing the state did. But go see the inside of the capital--it is really cool. I did like Lincoln and probably would have liked Nebraska if I hadn't lived in the outer darkness portion.
As for the two moons--big hoax--go to snopes.com if you ever wonder about stuff like that.
Take care!

Jeanna said...

I'm digging the new blog colors, but you are right, that heading HAS to go!

Glad you are settling in nicely and enjoying the midwest.

Nathans hair, or lack thereof, looks great!

chelsea mckell said...

i LOVE the new background! Very cute.

Jeanette said...

It sounds like you are having a great adjustment to Nebraska. I'm so glad everything is working out. Your little girl gets cuter everyday I think.

selway2005 said...

Great background...looks very professional. Just wanted to let you know: it's a bit hard to read the writing in this color. Thanks for keeping us posted.

The Wells said...

I like Nathan's new do too. If Marly didn't look just like her dad before, now they have the same hair cut. Cute! Cute!

Adam and Sarah said...

Do you want me to email you a document a friend of mine gave to me that has step by step directions on changing your blog? I kind of think you just need to delete the current url for the heading is all & it'll take on the background for the one you've now chosen. Make sense at all? It's hard to know for sure without me looking at your HTML. Anyway, let me know if you want me to email that doc. to you. And if you need any further help. :D

Kathy said...

You Algers girls have all made such cute updates. Claire is going to want to change ours! You sound good. Love you.

Tiffany Cramer said...

thanks for the update. I have been wondering how things have been going for you guys. I am so glad to hear that you are meeting people and liking where you are at. Do you have any ward members close by that you have met yet?

Cassie said...

I am back at work and I totally miss you! I'm glad you are liking Nebraska though.