I have once again forgotten about this blog.  My apologies.  I suppose I am not a natural at this.  Well, by way of catching up:
     Bruce is now happily employed at the local waste treatment plant.  We are loving his four minute commute and regular (compared to plumbing) hours.  He's home by 3:35 most days which is absolutely awesome.  The 'on call' weeks are less than stellar but he has a definite career path now which is such a blessing.  He is once again in the Elders Quorum presidency, 1st Counselor, and is also the 11 year old scout leader.This works out really well for us because Garret would refuse to go if Dad wasn't there.
     I am no longer working outside the home but have brought the kids home to be homeschooled so I'm busy, busy, busy with that.  I am still the Stake Young Women's President and continue to find it challenging but wonderful.  After working at the high school for three years, it is a great pleasure to work with the youth of the stake.  There is such a difference between them and their counterparts in the world.  I have also taken up playing guitar again and even dabble with the ukelele.  It's been a blast!
     Avery is a studious seventh grader with big plans for her future.  She has visions of Exeter Academy and Harvard.  I would be happy with a high school a bit closer to home and BYU for college but I love her ambition. She participates in chorus and band (flute) at the middle school and sings in the local children's choir, Broad Street Singers. She also takes part in whatever dramatic opportunities present themselves, currently playing a sheep in Honk, Jr. and planning to try out for The Sound of Music.  She is dying to take dance lessons which she will start soon, we hope.  She's the one with the ukelele so we dabble together.
     Garret is still a video game junky, who loves to watch cartoons.  The eleven year old scout program and homeschooling seem to be broadening his interests but slowly.  He seems to be really enjoying art more and more.  Particularly drawing and cartooning.  He has also become very interested in veterinary sciences.  In addition, he recently put together a robotic arm from a kit and is pretty obsessed with that.  Here's hoping these new experiences spark an expansion of his interests into something with a potential future.  We shall see.
    Our menagerie has changed a bit.  We no longer have chickens and our poor little bunny is a bit more angelic of late but we still have Sara, the cat, and have added Ink, the black lab mutt.  Mr. Foxworthy would still be quite proud of our car collection as well, though it has been upgraded a bit.
    Here's hoping my next post won't be two years in the making. No promises though.

Wow, I forgot I started this Blog

Through the encouragement of a friend I decided it is time to give this blog thing a real shot. Since it has been so long, I will start by reintroducing the fam. Bruce is the Daddy. He is currently unemployed along with thousands of others in this less than superlative economy. He manages to get odd jobs here and there to help keep us afloat. Until this past Sunday, he was a counselor in the Elder's Quorum. I don't think his church unemployment will last very long! He works a shift or two at the Boston Temple every month. What a GREAT blessing that is!!!
I, Lara, am working as an Instructional Assistant at the local high school while I look for full time employment as a Social Studies teacher or just about anything else. I am currently serving as the Stake Young Women's President, one of the funnest and most challenging callings I've ever had. I am currently dealing with an interesting health challenge as well but more on that later.
Avery is a very active, bright, and friendly fifth grader. She loves all things gymnastics and/or cheerleading related. She plays the flute and even writes duets and solos to play with or without friends. She is endlessly, mindbogglingly creative.
Garret is now a 4th grader. He is still obsessed with video games especially of the Lego Star Wars or Lego Indiana Jones variety. Well, some things never change! Thankfully, he has branched out into real legos and even goes to and actually enjoys cubscouts, which gives me hope that he won't be living in our basement at age 40.
We still have the cat, Sara, have added a bunny named Minnie to our menagerie, and the chicken coup is still an active one. We now have three immovable vehicles and three functional ones with only two drivers. Top that, Mr. Foxworthy!
Look for my next blog wherein I explain my interesting health challenge...

Meet the Fountains

Here goes our first attempt at blogging. Our family consists of Bruce, Lara, Avery, Garret and Sara, the cat. Oh! and six ridiculous unnamed red hens. We live in the wilds of northeastern Connecticut. Lest you think us hoity-toity Connecticut types, you should know that northeast CT is considered the "quiet corner". When planes fly over at night, it is the only black patch left in the Megalopolis. It's farm country, for real. We don't even have street lights. I believe we technically qualify as 'rednecks' since we have 2 immovable vehicles, an overgrown garden, and an active chicken coup. However, the 'hound' (yellow lab) passed away last summer and we remain unwilling to succumb to the lawn ornament requirements. So I will leave it to your better judgment to determine if we actually meet Mr. Foxworthy's standards.

Bruce is on the verge of becoming a licensed plumber so we hope the future will hold a family owned business by the same name as this blog. This remains to be seen, as Roto-Rooter politics seem to have placed an insurmountable blockage in our path. Still, hope remains alive. Bruce teaches youth sunday school, weekly, and Priesthood, once a month.

I, Lara, am currently a substitute teacher with the heart of a homeschooler. Subbing works great, really great with the family schedule but the pay leaves mountains to be desired. I teach seminary and primary and with the chauffering I do, that leaves zero time for anything else.

Avery's life is ruled by school (3rd Grade), cheerleading, and activity day activities. I didn't know anything (read: cheerleading) could be so demanding of an 8 year old's time. YIKES! Beware the cheerleading nazis!

Garret is still refreshingly unencumbered at 6 1/2. Just don't forget the 1/2 or he will let you know it in no uncertain terms. He just adores his new teacher and is doing fantastic in 2nd grade. Try as I might, sports and other outside activities are less interesting to him than video games and webkins. I can't wait 'til he's old enough for cubscouts so he can broaden his experiences and perhaps spark some interests that don't involve electronic equipment.

Well, that's a little intro to the Fountain family. Hopefully the future will hold fun posts, comments and even photos... We shall see!