Planes, boats & automobiles

School is out, summer is here. Finally!



The kids finished school a few days before I could get time off of work. So, as a surprise, I planned to have my dad fly in and spend the week with the kids so they wouldn't be home alone while Darren and I were at work. Dad couldn't come as soon as I'd hoped, so the kids did have one day they spent a part of at home. Dad flew in on Thursday.



Saturday we went to the coast. First we went up to Karl's house to celebrate his birthday. Dad and Darren later went fishing and to the casino for a bit while the kids and I stayed and visited and played cards. At the end of the day Emi & Aaron wanted to stay and play with KJ and Patrick wanted to hang out with Leo. Darren, dad and I went on in to Lincoln City, had a fabulous dinner at Mo's then went on to the hotel room we'd rented.



Sunday morning, Father's Day, we went to breakfast at Pig'n Pancake. Odd name, but the food was pretty good. Darren had a blueberry waffle & I had strawberry crepes. We were going to split it. We each ate half, then traded plates. Darren took a few bites of the crepes and asked for his waffle back. As yummy as the crepes were, I really didn't want to give him back his waffle. It was REALLY good :) Then we went to Devil's Lake. I had rented a small boat for a day of fishing. It kept wanting to rain a bit. After an hour or two, Patrick called and was ready to meet up with us. He has spent the night with Leo & Becky and they were on their way to church. After a bit more fishing we went to lunch at the casino. It was pretty good food and the price was even better. Patrick & Dad went back out on the boat while Darren and I went up to Karl's to get Aaron & Emileigh. It was raining but Dad, Patrick and Aaron went back out in the boat to enjoy some more fishing. So I dropped Darren off back at the casino and Emi and I went to the outlet mall for a little shopping. I got a couple gifts for Sara and a gift for my dad for father's day (besides the day of fishing that he'd asked for). After an hour or so we were totally done with shopping, dad was ready to call it a day and Darren was done at the casino.

We stopped for an ice cream cone and headed back to Salem.

Monday I tied up a few loose ends at work and made arrangements for the rental car. Then I got the house picked up and the kids and I got things packed up and ready for the trip to Idaho. Time to send them off for their summer visit with their dad. One of the most difficult times of the year.

Tuesday I got up bright and early. Dad and I went to get the rental car. We got back to the house and started loading up. We left only 1/2 hour later than I'd planned. For those of you who know me at all, that is an amazing start!

The drive was long but uneventful. We stopped more than I usually do so that dad could get out and walk around. He is still retaining a lot of fluids so needed to keep his blood flowing and move around to keep from getting too much swelling in his legs and feet.

We finally made it. The trip took about 4 hours longer than usual, but all in all, it was an easy drive. As much as I enjoy Oregon, I must say, it does feel nice to be back home.

Patience is not my virtue

Wow! I can't believe that Darren and I have been together for over six years now, and married for two. It's crazy how sometimes life seems to just fly so quickly in some ways and yet crawl like a snail in others. Darren and I have been through so much together that it feels like we've already lived a lifetime together. I have a difficult time remembering what it was like before he came into my life. Then there are those days when things feel so fresh and new, like we just met. Time is so very fickle in it's presentation.

My wonderful niece is about to have a baby...any day...her due date is today but baby is not cooperating. In this case, time is not being very kind. You see, I am on a bit of a schedule. I really can't take a ton of time off of work, so I am very anxious for this baby to come. Don't get me wrong, I will stay until baby comes, it's just I want to be able to spend as much time with baby and helping her as I can. Also, I can't wait to just be there for her, to share the experience of becoming a mother with her, to see her face when she sees her very own child for the first time, when she holds her precious gift close to her heart, the same way her mother held her. I also, selfishly, can't wait to hold this child, myself. This new life in our family, this new gift of joy.

I know babies come when babies are ready. I know it won't "stay inside" forever. But just as it seems the six years since I met my husband have flown by like a dream, it seems this baby is enjoying making us wait. And, as I said in the beginning, patience is not my virtue.

you may have noticed...

...that I've had my blog on private. I had thought everyone who was interested in my blog was already on the reading list...until a couple of friends sent me a message asking for permission to read it.

So, I've opened it back up long enough for this post. If you are not on the reading list, and you'd like to be, please let me know. This goes for ANYONE - as long as I at least recognize your name or family connection, you are welcome here :) I know, for myself, there are a few blogs that I read that the author probably has never heard of me, but they are family of my husband...so I read them to keep him up to date on what's going on with his family; aunts, uncles, cousins, children and so on. I figure, since I have made myself welcome to read about you, I will welcome you to read about me. Although, for the life of me, I don't understand why you'd want to ;o)

This blog will be left open for a week or so. (maybe longer since I am clearly not such a faithful blogger). Then I will be going back to private.

A long time coming

So... where did I leave off? Who knows...

I have the most amazing children! The do so many chores, and usually without complaint. We were having a bbq with tons of family coming over and they cleaned and cleaned and cleaned... not just the regular stuff, but they helped dust, wash finger prints off the walls, winter yuk off of the windows, swept the driveway (where the party was going to be) and so much more! They are the greatest helpers a mom could ask for!

Let's see... since February.... Darren & Emi have each had birthdays. For Darren's we had a bbq and invited his family over. All of his brothers came, his dad and his wife, a brother-in-law, a couple nephews, cousins and, to our surprise, Karl & Kim (Darren's uncle and aunt) were able to make it, too! The weather cooperated and I believe everyone had a really nice time visiting and eating.

The following weekend Emi had her birthday party. The weather did not cooperate for her. It was chilly and rainy. She had a few friends over and they played twister, sang with her karoake machine and just had giggly girl time. Aaron stayed at a cousin's house, but poor Patrick was stuck home -- he wasn't crazy about that, but... Emi had a nice birthday celebration :)

For Memorial Day weekend we had our very first ever family vacation. Now, that's not to say we haven't done stuff as a family because we have. We've been camping and taken road trips, seen sights and so on. But this was our first vacation-type trip. It didn't start off so great. It took longer to get things ready than we thought. We borrowed Leo & Becky's motor-home and drove to Ashland for a field target tournament. Then, when we were almost there we ended up having to call for a "jump or a tow". (Thank goodness for AAA - a WHOLE other story). They were able to jump us and followed us to a AAA approved shop to check out what the problem was. Turned out to be a broken serpentine belt. They were going to charge us nearly $150. But since Darren is such a handy guy, we simply bought the belt for the $40 and the guy gave us another jump, we pulled to the lot next door and Darren changed the belt, himself. Then we were on our way again. While in Ashland we found a park that we all played in and then we went to the range. We camped there. The boys all shot and Emi and I enjoyed the peaceful area -- reading, playing games, watching the match, and just relaxing.

Then we took the long way home, stopping at Diamond Lake to spend a night and day. We cooked over a camp-fire, the boys fished and we, again, enjoyed games and just being outside. On the rest of the drive home we stopped a couple times to fish, but the weather wasn't being cooperative, so no fish for us. It was a GREAT weekend. The boys had SO much fun, which made it wonderful for me and Emi and I had some wonderful mom-daughter time.



Let's see... what else.... well... my health has been...uuummm... not quite right. Docs keep saying nothing is wrong, but it is clear something is (or was -- the problem seems to have cured itself for the time being) -- and it was causing me lots of stress. The medication they put me on made me really moody and I felt like I was going crazy! I am not a control freak, but, when it comes to myself, I HAVE to be in control of me! It scares me to death and makes me quite anxious when I feel out of control of myself. Anyway, I quit taking the medication since it wasn't doing anything anyway. Since then (it's been a week or so) I feel SO much better! Still nervous about what's going on and having to decide if surgery is the right answer, and if so, which one (they are giving me a couple options) -- but for now I think everything is back to "normal" so I'm not going to stress over it.

A 13 year old school mate and friend of Patrick and one of our nephews died a couple weeks ago. "They" are not saying if it was an accident or an "accident-on-purpose", but either way, the boy took his own life. It hit the kids VERY hard. And it hit me hard, too. At the memorial one of the teachers said the boy didn't think he had any friends, but there were SO many kids there to remember him, so many cards and posters and sentiments for the family. The boy was having such a hard time and didn't realize how many people cared about him. That is SO sad to me. How, not only someone can feel that alone and helpless (because I have felt it myself, recently), but for them to not realize how many lives they affect, how many lives they touch each and every day. I mean, I never even met the boy, but he touched both me and my family. I know what it feels like to want to just curl up in a ball and die. But I also realize that my children and my family would be devastated if that were to happen - and that is what keeps me going. But for a 13 year old child... How do you reach them? How do you make them listen and hear that it REALLY isn't that bad -- life is that hard for everyone at that age... how do you make them realize that drugs, dropping out of school, gangs, and even taking your own life -- all of those things aren't worth it... that they will get older and look back and realize it was normal to feel the way they were feeling and that many, many, many other children feel the same way. That they are not alone... how do you make them see? It is so sad. It makes me remember to love my children harder, scold them softer and open my eyes and ears wider...

The school year is winding down. Patrick & Emi are preparing for their final band concert. My dad is going to come for a visit after school is out (shhh... the kids don't know -- we are surprising them) to stay with the kids while I work, before we head to Idaho. The kids are getting antsy... they want to go to Idaho to see family and friends, but aren't crazy about the idea of having to spend the entire summer with their dad. Things around home start getting tense, the kids bicker more, complain more and over-all have a hard time. I don't even think they know or understand their feelings. I've figured it out because the pattern is so clear -- everything is fine until 2 or 3 weeks before a visit -- but once they are there, it is usually ok, for the most part and they have a fairly, reasonably good time; all things considered.

I am excited for the trip to Idaho. Besides getting to see my family and friends that I miss so much, I get to be there when my niece has her first baby (it better be on time! :D ) and we get to do all the fun wedding planning/shopping/baby stuff. I am going to be a "gramish"! You know, a grandma-ish ... my sister passed away as did my mom (like you didn't know that) and I had always promised my sister I'd take care of the kids if anything ever happened to her -- so now I am my niece's "mom-ish" so when the baby comes I get to be a "gramish" :D I can't tell you how excited I am! I know I have step-grandchildren, but it's just not the same. For one thing, it is unlikely that I will ever get to even meet any of them, and even if I did, they live so very, very far away, I wouldn't likely get to know them. My niece's baby, on the other hand.... well... let's just say I can't wait!

Yesterday Patrick & Emi had their first official Holy Communion. They have been working hard over the past several weeks to complete the First Communion Class. They had homework to do and thing to memorize and recite (or write out - which ever they chose). Their hard work paid off and they both passed the class along with 1 other boy. The class started with 5 and only 3 finished. Anyway, they have completed that milestone at church. This fall Patrick will start Confirmation class. He will learn a lot and I'm sure he'll enjoy it. I'm not sure if Emi will be taking that class with him or if she has to wait a year. I'm not going to worry about it right now since it doesn't start until the fall and they are getting ready for their summer in Idaho.

Today is our 2 wedding anniversary and this week is our 6 year together anniversary. I can't believe how time flies. When Darren and I met I never thought this is where we'd be. Heck, when we first met the only thing I was interested in was a date. I didn't even want a boyfriend. I just wanted some adult distraction -- someone to watch movies with, go out to eat... just generic, casual, platonic, innocent, friend, date kind of thing. An adult to hang out with during the times that my kids were with their dad so I didn't have to spend so much time alone - 30 miles from anywhere. And here we are - 6 years later, married and happy. Actually happy. I never thought it would happen. After so much bad luck, I had figured it was just a fantasy in my mind, never to be a reality for me. Boy was I wrong.

I'm not saying we haven't had our ups and downs, because we have. The road has often been rocky, with giant sink holes and boulders in the way. But, so far, we have conquered all the challenges and made our way around the road-blocks. Sometimes we pull against each other, but somehow we always end up leaning on one another and we make it through; getting stronger all the time.

So...that's about it. Nothing exciting. Just an ordinary life. Until next time...
Don't take a single second for granted...

Pray for You - Jaron and The Long Road to Love :: Official Video

Foreboding February

February used to be a month that I looked forward to, with all of the hope and promise of the new life spring would bring after the long winter sleep. More recently, though, it has held more sadness, loneliness and longing.

While at my dad's house helping him during his most recent return home from the hospital, I found a poem. I do not remember where we got it, but reading brought forth many bitter-sweet memories. I hope it speaks to your heart, as well.

For My Mama

"Don't worry about the little things"
My Mama used to say.
"The Spirit's on your shoulder
And He'll show you the way."

"Ask the Lord for guidance
He'll surely get you through
No matter what the trial
He's always there with you."

"So lighten up your step, dear,
There's no need for heavy heart
And if you do your very best
God always does His part."

How I miss my darling Mama
But I thank God every day
For the many years He blessed me
With the things she had to say.


My mom had so many little sayings. Some she got from her own mother and others, I suppose, were just her own. I hear her voice sometimes when I say some of those things to my own children; "clean the corners and the middle will take care of itself", "if it's not yours, don't touch it", "if you don't want something to happen (good or bad) don't put yourself in the position where it will", and my favorite, "God will take care of it. He always does".

Each year, February had been a month of anticipation. The snow was melting, the weather was getting warmer, money didn't seem to be quite so tight. And, it was mom's birthday. The first birthday celebration of the year! Then 2004 happened. We found mom was very sick and then, all of a sudden, she was gone. Shortly after that my dad had a heart attack and ended up in the hospital. The following February he had quadruple bypass surgery. Spring no longer held the promise of new life, but had more of a tension, trying to hold on to the life that seemed to be slipping away.

Then, for a time, life found a new pace. Not the light one of the past, but a steady, determined pace. Life seemed to be finding an upward track. There were some tragedies and some delights. Then February 2010 was upon us. By the end of January dad was not doing well again. In February he ended up back in the hospital.

The bypass surgery he had done in 2005 had to be done over. When the doctors performed the surgery they found they were only able to do a single bypass, not the 4 he needed. He also had emphysema and one lung was attached to his heart. After the surgery he developed congestive heart failure, and later, pneumonia. He has been in and out of the hospital ever since.

I have been praying every day. One of the many things my mom taught me, and another of her sayings was to "be careful what you ask for. You just might get it". She taught me to pray carefully. To talk with God, to tell him what was on my heart, but to always end with "thy will be done". She also always said to make sure to ask for the strength to accept the answer if His will would be difficult to bear, and to have a heart of praise and thanksgiving, either way, because in the end He knew what was best and it would be a blessing to us even if we didn't see it right away.

Since February life has been full of challenges, more than usual. But each day I pray that my dad will get better if that is God's will. Although it has been an up and down roller coaster ride, he does seem to be improving, three steps forward, two steps back. Spring is on it's way. The sun is shining more, flowers are blooming. There are more sunny, warm days than cold, dark days. My heart is, again, full of hope and anticipation.

My mom used to frequently say, "be thankful for what you have and don't worry about what you don't". So, as another foreboding February becomes history, I will be thankful for my many blessings. I have 3 children who are respectful, smart, talented and normal human beings, I have a husband that loves me faults and all, I have family who accepts me just as I am, I friends who enjoy my company and I enjoy theirs (even though they are all several hundred miles away), a job, a place to lay my head, food on my table, and my father is still alive and healing a little bit more each day. And if dad's room in God's mansion is ready for him more sooner than later, I will be thankful for the many years I was confused and frustrated and angered and blessed and comforted by the things my daddy had to say...

And I know I will be ok, because "God never gives us more than we can handle".

Some times are more tragic than others...

I had intended that my next post (which would be this one) be more of a happy one, but I couldn't find the pictures I wanted to include, so I procrastinated. You guessed it, I am the QUEEN of procrastination - I even have a crown to prove it :D Anyway, because of my procrastination things have changed and my happy post is postponed.

As you may or may not know, I lost my mama to cancer in February 2004, just 5 days before her 62nd birthday. I'm sure I mentioned before that we had her "celebration of life" on her birthday, complete with cake and her favorite music. In February of 2005 my dad suffered major heart difficulty and ended up having quad-bypass surgery. Since then he has had various, somewhat minor health problems that, to date, have been able to be treated. One of the bigger problems was pain and lack of circulation in his legs. One of the complications from this was that he was unable to get around very well. He had trouble getting his groceries, walking and due to cramps, even sleeping through the night was a major challenge. The doctors were able to finally remedy this with a surgery that put an electronic device in his back that sends electrical impulses to his nerves to relieve the pain. Since that time he has seemed to be improving daily. He's been able to do nearly all of his own shopping and work throughout the day virtually pain free. Things were really looking up and we were planning for him to come visit again over President's day weekend and go fishing, as we did last year. We were all looking forward to it, especially since Dad would be able to actually stand and enjoy the fishing this year. Last year was hard because his legs kept cramping up.

But Murphy's law won out, again. Last weekend Dad started having chest pains and late Sunday night he drove himself to the hospital. He'd had a heart attack. He'd run out of one of his blood thinners (he's on 2 different ones, among other medications). He figured that since it was so close to the end of the month that it wouldn't be a big deal to go without it for a little bit since he was still taking one. Dad ended up in the hospital for a better part of a week, getting stabilized and having numerous tests to figure out what the problem is. They figured it out. All 4 of the grafts from his quad-bypass are terribly diseased. He needs surgery to repair them. However, due to the various medications he is on, his age and other problems, the risks are very high. The doctor said, "There is a very real risk that he wouldn't make it off the operating table".

They had planned the surgery for first thing yesterday morning. My dad was reluctant. He felt he was being rushed into a decision and things were moving way to fast. In addition, he had clients that he'd made appointments for and with. He had things at work and home that needed done. He also wanted some extra time to get his "affairs in order", just in case. So, the doctors agreed to see if medication alone would help things. They gave him a week. He is to be back at the doctor's office on Monday, Feb 8th to see if the medications are helping and to decide if the risks of the surgery do, indeed, outweigh the risks of not going ahead.

One is never ready to loose a parent or loved one. But, to me, it is especially difficult when your parent is still so full of life. Even with all of the challenges he has faced these last few years, he is still strong. He works full time on the clock and many more hours off the clock, helping his clients. He is still able to safely drive. He makes 2 or 3 trips a year to Oregon to see us, driving himself to Boise (over 250 miles, one way) and gets himself on a plane from there to Portland. He rides his motorcycle. He is 71, but he is not "old". I am not ready to let go. I still need him. My kids need him even more. There are so many people who love him and care about him, depend on him and need him around. If he were old and feeble and wasting away it would be so much easier to accept the fact that this risk is at our door. But when he has so much life and fire left in him, it doesn't even seem real that this is something I will have to consider so soon.

So, I will say my prayers as my mother taught me. "Be careful what you pray for", He always knows what is in your heart and what is best. Simply pray "Thy will be done. Give me the strength of heart to accept Your decision if it is a difficult one and the humility to always remember to give You praise. If things go well, never let me forget that it was also Your will and the glory belongs to You."

There has been a great heaviness in my heart and I don't anticipate it lightening any time soon. It has been good reminder, though, how precious and how fragile life is. I know it is cliche' but this trial has made it ever more clear; don't take a single day for granted. You never know which one will be your last.

I hope that my children and I are able to spend many more springs and summers, falls and winters with their grandfather (Popeye), my daddy. I pray that the Lord will give the doctors knowledge and skill along with the ability to make him well enough that we may enjoy much more time together.

Time and love...the greatest gifts we can give and an even greater gift to receive.

I love this crazy, tragic, ...

...sometimes almost magic, awful, beautiful, life.

One of my many favorite lyrics from a song. I mean, there are many songs with many lyrics that are my favorite and this is one of them.

My husband is only a man, my children are just people, my father is merely human, my family is....well, you get the point. But, warts and all, I love them each for exactly who and what they are. Sometimes I don't always like them, but my heart is filled with love and I would, without hesitation, lay down my life for each and every one of them. I failed to mention in my previous blog just how wonderful and thoughtful my husband can be. During the Christmas holiday I was reminded of just why I fell in love with him and why I married him.

For Christmas, Darren's step-mom gave us each a little bit of cash. I guess it's just easier that way, rather than trying to guess what each adult child and their spouse may or may not want for a gift. Anyway, the house in which we now reside has been well lived in, to say the least. The carpet in the family room has an iron burn in the middle of it, the walls need painting, the flooring in the kitchen is cracked and stained, the window casing needs some serious TLC and so on. So, with my Christmas money, I decided to make an improvement to the kitchen.

A while before Christmas Darren and I were in Lowes getting some materials for his business. In the paint aisle I noticed several kinds of specialty paints. A few I had seen before; Rustoleum for outdoor furniture, appliance touch-up paints. But there were a couple that I'd never seen before; Stainless steel, magnetic and COUNTER TOP PAINT! They actually make a paint specifically for laminate counter tops! I said to myself, "Self, if I had some extra money I would SO buy some of that"!

Well, you'll never guess what I used my Christmas money for :) The counter top paint can be tinted in "16 different colors". When you look at the box top for the color options you'll notice that it's really only about 2 colors; various shades of tan and 2 options for blue; one that the picture showed as a blue/green color and the other that was a darker dusty blue color. I chose the darker blue. I was dismayed, however, when the gal mixed the paint and showed me the color. It was more of a grey color and in my opinion, not a very appealing color for my kitchen. I asked her if she could make it bluer. She got a puzzled look on her face and went to find someone else to help her. I didn't think adding more blue would require extra help, but then again, what do I know? (to be honest, I do have training in mixing paint, so I truly was confused at her need for extra help) A few minutes later a young man showed up and started adding more blue to the paint.

Here are some before and after pictures. I am quite pleased with how it all turned out.



Darren and I both masked everything off. Then I painted the first coat and he did the final one.

The work on the kitchen was done while the kids were in Idaho with their dad. I was in a mood that was far from pleasant. I had bought the paint and decided it would be a good distraction to go ahead and get to work. It ended up being more than simply masking off the area and painting. The sink had to be removed. When we did that, we found that there was some serious wood-rot happening. We also ended up having to change the supply lines. All of these things Darren graciously took care of for me. I could have done it myself, however, it would have taken much longer to accomplish and it certainly wouldn't have helped to improve my disposition at the time. I just wanted something nice and Darren helped me to have it.














So... back to the beginning. I have married a wonderful man, who is, after all, just a man... another favorite lyric...(modified for the purposes of this blog) "He's close enough to perfect, for me".

Oh, and by the way -- yes, this is my entire kitchen. I was standing against the refrigerator to get the picture of the left hand side of the sink and against the stove to get the right hand side.

The first week of January is almost over...

...and so far I've done pretty good at not taking things too personally. I have been a bit more moody than usual. I mean, there's usually a couple days a month where the change in wind direction can bring me to tears, but that only lasts a day or two. For some reason, though, I just can't shake this melancholy. This is my first full year in Oregon. I've heard the rain and gloom can have that effect, so maybe that's the explanation.

I have a birthday card that I've had for several weeks but still haven't sent. I'm really struggling with the message to write in it. Sometimes finding the right words to say what's on my mind and getting the true sentiment across is difficult. I think, maybe, because I tend to take things too personally I worry that what I write will be taken offensively when it's not meant that way at all. I'm just not sure how to handle the situation.

I haven't been going to the gym. I thought my membership expired in November, so I quit going. I received a collection call tonight saying I was two months behind on my payments. I explained that I only had a one year membership and that it was over in November. The lady on the phone promptly told me, "No, no, no. You have a TWO year contract and can only cancel if you move 25 or more miles away and there are no other gyms nearby." DANG! So, now I have to pay for 2 months that I didn't even use. I am really not happy about that! But, I guess, now I don't have an excuse. I really did feel better when I was going regularly. However, I have this guilt issue that prevents me from going before 8pm. And to tell the truth, by that time of night all I really want to do is put up my feet and rest.

My day usually starts at about 6:30am. I get Patrick and Emi up and ready, breakfast and all, then drive them to school by 7:15. Then I do the same thing with Aaron and myself, getting him on the bus by 8:15am, then me to the office by 8:30. Work is a circus in itself. I'm off at around 4, then I pick Patrick up from wrestling practice and make my way home. I walk in the door and immediately start dinner. We eat between 5:30 and 6:30, depending on how long it takes to get dinner made and on the table. After that it is clean up and help the kids with any homework they didn't get done while I was making dinner. Then, in a flash, it seems, it is 7:30 and time to start getting ready for bed. Don't get me wrong, the kids are all old enough to get themselves ready, but it seems that bed time is the time that they remember to give me a note from school, have some important thing they need to talk about, or they just simply want to sit for a minute and have quite, cuddle time. The boys need to have their teeth checked before bed. Aaron, because I just like to make sure he does a good job. He tends to brush pretty fast and sometimes doesn't get all the "sugar bugs" off. Patrick, well, he has braces and an extremely tight bottom lip, so he has me check his teeth to make sure he got all the yuk off from around his braces. Oh, they joys of mother-hood and boys :D Anyway, the point is, I seem to be going non-stop from 6:30am - 8:00pm. Making myself change my clothes, get in the car and drive clear across town is a difficult task. However, I do know it is something I REALLY need to make myself do.

Speaking of being busy -- today is now the 15th of January. I started this blog more than a week ago...need I say more?

I found out what has been causing part of my moodiness. The problem seems to be correcting itself, but it is difficult to deal with, emotionally. At least it's not sending me to the emergency room this time.

Santa was pretty good to the kids. They didn't get much, but they each got the one gift that they really wanted. Patrick wanted a Nintendo DS. That is a gift that was WAY out of Santa's price range. However, Santa was able to find one at Game Stop for about half of the regular price. Emi said, "I want a karaoke machine, but I know I won't get one". Well, she did. And Aaron wanted his own video game. He got a hunting game. It is the kind that you plug into the TV and then it has a rifle that you shoot at the deer or whatever on the screen.

Aaron's birthday is in January. That is always nice because I can get him really cool gifts for about 75% off at the after-Christmas sales. This year he wanted a Nerf War party at home. We invited his cousins and a friend from church over. They all had Nerf guns and spent about 3 hours "shooting" each other inside and outside. The weather cooperated, so happily for me most of the war was outside. When I asked him what kind of cake he wanted, he said he wanted a Nerf Gun cake. I asked him to think of something else, since Patrick had a gun cake and they'd look almost exactly the same. He decided he wanted a cake that looked like a potato, since his nickname is "Spud". I made him a Mr. PotatoHead cake. Well, as close as I could, anyway. :)
















Work has been a challenge. But I think that comes with the territory when you are working for family. I am very thankful and grateful for my job. But, it's a bit depressing to have spent so much time in school, spent so much money, and not be able to get a job that uses my education. It's also frustrating to not be able to make enough to even begin paying on my student loans. But, I refuse to let it bother me too much. It seems like things always work themselves out, by the grace of God. He hasn't let me down yet! :) Darren's business is doing well - it is self-supporting, which is a HUGE blessing in this economy!

So, now the second week of January is over. I had a huge mess-up at work, but it was caught and fixed and I learned a big lesson. I have been given more responsibilities, broadening my knowledge of the business and giving me more hours, or at least, more to do during the hours I am there. I finally have health insurance and should be able to get the kids covered, too, in the next month or so. My ex is being granted his reduction in child support - the only one benefiting from that is him, of course. But, in order to just get it over with, I'm not going to argue about it. The kids will just have to understand that they won't get to do as much as they had been able to do.

I am preparing myself for February. It promises to be a difficult month. February is the anniversary of both my mother's birth and her death. We are hoping for my dad to fly over and go fishing again, like we did last year. It was a really nice time and made it a much more pleasant way to celebrate her life and memory. Money will be the only thing preventing it this year, so I plan to get my taxes done right away and hope for a big return. Ha ha ha!

I think I found a home for our "new" dog. She is more dog than we can take care of with me working full time and Darren spending so much time in the shop. We just don't have enough time for all of her energy. She's also tried to take a bite out of Josh's chickens. He wasn't too happy about that! So, I think, for now, we'll just stick with our 1 dog and 1 cat.

That's about it. We lead pretty dull lives, as you can tell. I'm sure there is more, if I thought really hard about it. Like, our dog got hit by a car and, honestly, should be dead. But, after spending WAY more money than I had, we found out she only had severely torn ligaments in her leg and will probably limp for the rest of her life. I think she's part cat, really, you know, 9 lives and all. Since this is getting long winded and I'm sure you all have better things to do with your life, I'm going to end here.