Summer...so far

So far, this summer is well under way and it is hard to believe that we are into the month of July already.  We have gone camping, experienced flooding, spent time at Adventureland, grilled out frequently and celebrated the 4th of July festivities.  We also got our new Toyota Prius on June 30th and are enjoying 50+ miles per gallon.  I have put almost 1,000 miles on it already and have been averaging 52 mpg, even though I drive interstate most of the time.  Very impressive in my opinion considering the EPA estimate of 45 and 50, highway and city respectively.  I told Ben that I was in love with this new car but he has yet to feel the same, although he does enjoy getting a chance or two to drive it!

For the 4th, we enjoyed the carnival in Urbandale as well as the fireworks, which was nearly 25 minutes long.  We also primed and painted the upstairs bathroom in a grey color to match the red curtain and dark grey towels.  We will be putting the room back together and hope that it looks a little less blue than it currently does.

We still do not have plans to extend our family for at least a year.  Ben is working on getting a few more programming classes in and I am applying for graduate school at Buena Vista, UNI and Drake for guidance counseling in elementary schools.  Hopefully I will get into one of the programs for Spring 09 and be on my way towards the career I have finally decided on!  

Coda has been improving but still continues to eat his special diet.  He has been using the litter box and doesn't seem to have any strain.  I found that a product called Stink Free Instantly has worked miracles on the carpet that I thought was ruined.  Recently, he snuck past the gate we had put up to keep him away until it got super cleaned and he completely ignored the spot, which I can only assume means that the smell has been removed.  Next, we will attempt a final urine sample to get to the vet to be sure that the crystals are gone before changing his diet back to normal.  

Things are finally getting settled here in Grimes.