Beautiful Snow

Is it strange that I found myself getting more happy the longer it took to get to work this morning? I even caught myself smiling while trying not to hit the car in front of me when I couldn't stop.

I love the snow. I love the way it makes everything look. I love driving in it. I love looking at it. It's weird that I don't love playing in it, but I love watching others play in it.

I am very grateful for the beautiful weather today. I am worried about Josh and Steph driving home in it, but other than that, welcome the storms completely.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

Happy Birthday To Me!

I find it very funny that the first person to wish me a happy birthday today was a car salesman. Chad Rigby from Ken Garff West Valley (where I bought my car almost 4 years ago,) left a voice mail message saying he noticed it was my birthday and he wanted to be one of the first to wish me a happy day.

He is the only one so far to do so. I'm not complaining. It's not like I have seen anyone really. Just my kids and my boss at work. However, I wish my kids would have remembered and not started my day with fighting. The first day they have fought like that in a long time, and it happens to be on my day.

Christmas is here...

And it just doesn't feel right this year. I don't know why. I just feel off. I can't tell if it is the stress of the new job, the MUCH smaller Christmas, lack of sleep, or just nothing at all. It is really hard to explain.

It might also be because I am here at work on Christmas Eve, instead of with my kids. That definitely feels wrong. It's not like there is anything to do here anyway. We really should have been able to close - with pay of course.

It was really hard this morning watching the kids look at the presents under the tree. Tyler was saying he only had one, although I know there is more than one there for him. But the loot is definitely smaller than it has been in past years. You can still see the tree skirt! Granted, there are still the "Santa" gifts coming, and a bunch that are from ZSC contributions for us. But it was shocking to be completely finished with ALL of my gift wrapping at 10 p.m. last night. It usually takes me a lot longer than that to get done.

However, we have much to be grateful for and I need to stop focusing on the negative. I have a great job that I like. (Can't say that I love it yet; it is still too stressful, not knowing exactly what to do.) I am getting a 3% raise starting next month. My family is healthy. We have a home to live in and food to eat. I really do have a lot to be thankful for. I need to stop obsessing with things I can't change and focus on those good things.

New Job

I have been at my new job for a week now. I have to say, I am definitely getting more comfortable with things. I was so nervous that I was sick last week. I went to our family Christmas party Friday night so exhausted I could hardly think. I kept myself up at nights and had the worst headaches and heartburn all week.

So, this week, not so bad. I am still having really bizarre dreams about work, but nothing that is keeping me up at night. I just wake up hoping the dreams don't come true.

This office is so quiet though. There are two cubicles about 20 feet behind me and two others about 20 feet to the left of me. The main door to the office is down a small hallway in front of me to the right. The cubicles mute a lot of the sounds, and the door is rarely used. So I feel all alone and if I didn't have the radio on, I might go nuts!

It doesn't help that this week is a holiday week. There are a lot of people out on vacation and that always makes things more quiet. I am used to having residents coming in to visit when things are quiet. No one visits here.

Oh, I take that back. Chip came over 2 times on Friday, bringing packages that had been delivered to the Brigham for me. Not exactly the visitor I would have wanted, but I guess better than nothing.

Big Meeting

I really let my co-workers rattle me too easily. Andrew was all doom and gloom about today's meeting and it rubbed off on me. I hardly slept last night, speculating on what the meeting could be about. It all seems very silly to me now.

The entire Presiding Bishopbric was there this morning. It was neat to be there. The Presiding Bishop, Bishop Burton, made the announcement that the current CEO of PRI, Brian Carrington, will be reassigned to assistant secretary to the Presiding Bishopbric. The current CEO of ZSC, Kent Money, will take over as the CEO of PRI. This will begin in January.

So, it is a big change, but one that is very good for ZSC employees. Kent is awesome and has been the CEO of ZSC for over 20 years. He will definitely have the best intentions going forward, and I think it makes the employees of ZSC more confident in the upcoming changes.

As far as my new job, I guess it is a very big deal. The more I talk to people, the more I find that others are jealous of me being moved over to CCRI. I guess CCRI is THE place to be. I was so nervous about it, but now I am just excited. Although, Cindy seems to think I will be bored stiff, as I am so quick at administration work and there won't be much else to do. I hope that is not the case. I hate being bored at work. I love to stay busy so the time goes faster.

I feel very loved and needed around here. Larry keeps bowing to me, making comments about how I am in charge around here now. But he has also said he is very excited for me. I am going to really miss the interaction we have. He is a good friend here and we have a great time hassling each other. Andrew is really worried about carrying the load I take care of. I think he realizes that I do a lot behind the scenes, making sure the office runs smoothly. It makes me feel good that he sees that. I am sure Cindy doesn't. I like to think that I am very needed, but maybe that is just me.

The residents I have spoken to say they are really going to miss me, and I hope that is true. When I think about not seeing everyone here every day, it makes me sad. But I think this can be nothing but good for me in the future. I am excited to learn new things and see how far I can go in the company.

Surprise after surprise

Today has been crazy! It started like any other day. Same old stuff in the office. Then, my manager calls me while she is at Sam's Club because HER manager was supposed to come talk to me and she wanted to give me a head's up.

So Dave comes in at 12:30 with another senior manager and we all go to Cindy's office and shut the door. Dumdumdum. He proceeds to tell me that Zions is famous for moving people around, putting them where they will be the best fit.

So, they are moving me to CCRI (City Creek Reserve Inc.) to work under Dave Jones and Gary Chaston. I will be their admin assistant, but will also show the new City Creek condos that are going to be finished in February. These condos are around 1 Million each! Holy cow! I am so nervous about this. But way excited too.

Sheesh. I still have more to say, but a resident friend of mine just came in and is going to give me their 24 in tv with DVD and VCR attached! He is having Andrew load it into my car right now! I am so blessed, I can not believe it! I am really going to miss these residents when I move over to CCRI. The residents here are the best!

Anyway. So, new job coming up soon.

Then, at about 3:30, we get a call from Dave Wright asking about bringing chairs to the corporate office. He said we should be getting an email (which happened to arrive just that second,) about an all employee meeting tomorrow morning. The big deal about this meeting is that the Presiding Bishop, Bishop Burton, will be speaking to all of the employees of ZSC, PRI, and SLR.

Now, the last time they announced an all employee meeting at the last minute, we were told about the merge with PRI. Now, several people around here are speculating that the church is shutting us down completely. Like, maybe they found they can not merge the 2 companies legally and have to shut down ZSC.

Who knows. All I know is that I have been so nervous all day. I feel literally sick to my stomach with nerves. I don't like it. And to top it all off, it has been crazy busy this afternoon. I don't remember what time I started this, but it is now almost 6 and I am on my way out.

Crazy day. We'll have to see how tomorrow turns out.

Work Drama

It all started with a simple phone call from a missionary at the Family History Mission office. He was wondering where the statement was for a particular building so he could pay the rent. I told him we didn't handle that building at our office so I gave him DJ's number.

He calls back a few minutes later asking the same thing. He said Rick, the property manager over DJ, told him that we do it. I told him again that we didn't handle it, and suggested he call Rosanne at the corporate office. He said he had and she wasn't answering and the receptionist transferred him to us.

So I sent an email out to DJ, Rosanne, Rick, Cindy, and Andrew, asking all of them who takes care of it, because one of us had to, and I didn't know who it was, but I thought that DJ did it.

That opened a whole can of worms! Rick emailed that we should be doing it, that DJ had too much to do at West Temple. (He was a little rude about it, which really annoyed me.) This angered Cindy, my manager, who emailed back that she thought DJ did all the church mail together and that it only takes 2 seconds to print an invoice, but if he wanted us to do it to quit whining and to let us know.

It went back and forth like that for awhile. Needless to say, now Cindy and Rick are fuming at each other and DJ and I are in the middle of it. I wasn't trying to start anything! I just wanted to be able to tell Elder Millet where his bill was. It has become ridiculous. Now Cindy is all upset because Rick is claiming DJ is too busy to keep doing her insurance info, even though Cindy was promised if DJ was transferred she would still do it. Rick is all upset that we even asked for this, although that is totally unfounded, as even DJ said she has always done those statements and it only takes a few seconds, like Cindy said. He completely over-reacted, saying DJ has nothing to do with our properties since she transferred.

I think this is what made me the most angry. We have NEVER asked DJ to do anything for our properties. However, she calls us probably a dozen times a week asking for our help on something. And, we still spend a ton of time fixing problems she caused when she was here. Literally, hours are spent every month on her mistakes. And he has the nerve to say she doesn't have time to do anything for our properties?!

Anyway. It made for an interesting afternoon. One simple little question got a whole group of people in an uproar, one that isn't going to be solved quietly I'm afraid.

Truly Thankful

I find it very fitting that the week before Thanksgiving has been full of blessings.

Along with the great news of not having to move, things have just been good this week, minus a few kid issues, but I'll get to that another time.

I actually fell down our stairs on Sunday and hurt myself . (I fall down the stairs at our apartment a lot. I really have to find a way to not do that.) My right foot was bruised and really sore on Sunday and then I woke up on Monday not being able to move my left arm. It was painful! I went to the doctor and he thought it was probably a pulled muscle. I kept it immobile on Monday and after work on Tuesday, and now it only hurts slightly. It is getting much better and won't need surgery, which would have been the worst case scenario.

I met with our bishop on Sunday and he has agreed to help us get back on our feet again. That was a huge load off my mind.

ORS called me on Wednesday in response to my email asking (again) about when the child support would start coming out of Randy's checks. The worker said she had been in contact with his employer and because of a computer error, the money was being held and not sent for some reason. (So I guess he was telling the truth when he said they were garnishing. The company just had a problem.)

The worker said the money should be in this week, and if she hadn't seen it by Monday, she would call the company again and put some pressure on. She said the total being sent was about $1000, which was to be split between both Randy's cases. I got a deposit of over $500 this morning! I was able to pay all of my overdue bills, send some to dad, and still have some left over to buy groceries this weekend!

Also, our "Christmas Remembrance" from ZSC is coming next week. I cheated and have already seen that mine is ready, according to my online payment information. So I will be getting a $299 check next week! Plus, it is a "skip" check for our insurance premiums, so that means an extra $200 in my paycheck next week! With that, I will be able to pay my December rent on time, and in full, instead of being late on half of it.

I have to keep reminding myself, though, not to go crazy. I am so tempted to spend some of this on Christmas. However, I have been told that I am already getting assistance from the ward for Christmas, (and I suspect from work also,) so I am not going to get the kids the things I really want to. (I will get them something from me, just not the big things I usually do. I will NOT charge anything!) I also have our secret buddy gifts I can now get, without stressing about the money.

I paid my tithing for the first time in months on Sunday, and I have to say, the Lord delivers. I should have been paying it all along, and I might not have fallen so far behind like I have. I am so grateful to know that Heavenly Father is looking out for me and my family. I tend to forget that if I just do the simple things he says (like paying tithing, going to church, etc,) I will be blessed. It takes hitting rock bottom (like I did last week) to remind me to just be faithful and I will be taken care of. Hopefully, I can remember this and not have to fall so hard next time. I know there will be a next time, there always is. But I plan on remaining faithful so I can handle things better.

Not moving

The drama of the last 2 days has been crazy! It is a very long story, but the short of it is, we are not moving. :)

I feel so at peace with this decision. I have been so stressed the last few weeks, but as soon as I finalized arrangements with my landlord to stay, I am so happy and calm now. I have even been able to tell the Smith's no, numerous times, and not feel bad about it.

Of course, I do feel bad that Cynthia is upset right now. But I don't feel at all guilty or upset thinking it is my fault. It isn't. I tried to make it work. But Amanda is just not emotionally stable enough right now to take care of my kids or to have us live with her (or anyone else in my opinion, but that is just me.)

My kids are SO excited to be going back to "their" school. Even though it was just 8 days at the other school, I think it really helped them realize how much they like where we are. So that is a good thing.

Also, it has made me go through the house and get rid of a lot of stuff. I still have to move everything out of the storage unit and put it all back. But at least now, it still feels like a semi fresh start.

Over all, I would not have chosen to go through this. But, since we have, I have learned a lot and hopefully my kids have also. We are all more committed than ever to us, and that is great!

Aaargh!

I am so tired of it all! I just want it all to end. The move, kid issues, health issues, work issues, financial issues. ALL OF IT!

I have the worst heartburn right now, because of the worry of all of it. Sheesh. Make it end!

Exhaustion

I don't know why, but I feel completely wiped out today. I have been dragging all day, and feel like I haven't slept in a week. Ok, so I got involved in a movie last night and didn't go to sleep until after 11pm. But I got to sleep until 7, so it should have been fine.

Maybe it's just all the stress going on. This week has been the most stressful one in months. I have so much going on, and not enough time (or motivation) to get it all done. And I have so much on my mind...I am always distracted.

I can't wait until this move is behind us and we are settled again. I feel really anxious and restless, having our lives in upheaval right now. It's not fun.

I think it so much worse knowing we will be doing it again in less than a year. I am usually excited to start over with a new place. Not this time though. It is really hard to get excited, knowing I have to pack and move everything again soon.

ZSC merges with PRI

So, we got notice yesterday at around 4 pm of an all employee meeting at work. This makes us all worry, because usually they have all employee meetings scheduled way in advance. We all speculated that we would be given pink slips on the spot.

Turns out, the company I work for, Zions Securities Corporation, is dissolving basically and they will be creating a new company under our parent company, Property Reserve Inc., which will be Zions Securities, LLC.

Our soon to be former CEO, Kent Money, assured all of us that no one will be laid off. However, some of the changes are: we now (or rather starting 1/1/10,) will be working for the LDS Church (no problem there for me luckily), our benefits will be what PRI's benefits are (again, luckily they are better insurance premiums than ours, so great!), we have PRI's dress code (skirts and hose, DAILY!!), and we are now part of a company that is global.

Overall, I don't for see too many bad things out of this for me personally. I am in a position that most likely will not change at all. The only difference should be who signs my paychecks. However...

SKIRTS AND HOSE EVERYDAY!?!? That is not going to be nice, at all. First of all, not comfortable. Second, I don't own enough skirts/hose to even get through one week. Sheesh. Now I know what I will be putting on my Christmas list. The dress code is going to be a huge bummer.

I am very much looking forward to the better insurance premiums though. I can do without the Christmas party and Lagoon day (that PRI doesn't do.) I am blessed to be in the position I am. There are some employees that will have to get completely different jobs, if they decide to stay with the company. Which, they gave the option that if you decide for any reason not to stay, they are offering a severance package of 2 weeks pay for every year with the company. Some people, (like my manager for instance,) seemed to think this might be the best course of action for them.

Lots of changes coming up at work. It will be an interesting few months.

FIRE, FIRE, FIRE!!

For real. The Brigham had a fire today. It was unreal.

On of our cleaners (who don't speak English,) came running in the office talking to Andrew real fast. Andrew jumped up and said something about an alarm. (I understood that much of it). Jesus (the cleaner) said no alarm was going on. So Andrew and Jesus went running out of the office.

At that same time, I had 2 phone calls from residents in the First Avenue building call and say they smelled something burning in the hallways. Cindy (the manager) comes in with her lunch and I let her know that it looks like a fire type thing in the other building. She laughs and says yeah right.

So, right then, she gets a call from Andrew saying he just put out a fire in the dumpster in one of the parking levels over there. HeHe. So, it was real. Totally real! The whole building is filled with smoke, especially the top floors. It is weird, since the fire was under the building, but the top 2 floors are the worst. It is totally true. Smoke rises. :)

I can joke now because no one was hurt and it made for an exciting day, when NOTHING was going on before.

Moving and stuff

So, we are officially moving. I submitted my move out notice today. It is final. The kids and I will be moving in with Amanda while her husband is deployed to Afghanistan. This makes it a temporary move, for a year or less. But with the money I am going to save, it should put me in a place to get ahead and be able to afford an apartment again. At least, that is the plan.

I am dreading the next few weeks though. I hate moving. Luckily we have over a month, so I can take it slow. However, I keep thinking that, so I haven't even begun yet. If I don't get on top of it, I won't have any time, so I need to start packing. (The biggest problem here though is that I have no boxes! I need to find somewhere to get some quick.)

We are also almost lice free (again). This time for real! I took Annee to Dr Chapman for it yesterday because it has been driving her nuts. I have been good about keeping the live ones out, but haven't been able to get the eggs out, thus causing more live ones.

Well, the doctor gave us a new product to try that is alcohol based instead of an insecticide. Along with this product, he gave us a new nit comb. This comb is a life saver! Annee started using it immediately and by the time we had gotten to mom's to pick up the other kids, she had combed out a ton of nits. Each swipe grabbed some. I was amazed! Hopefully, we won't even have to use the new product. I combed Dessa's and Ty's hair with the new comb and by the time they went to bed, I couldn't find one nit in any of their hair. I am going to keep using it daily for at least a week, to make totally sure they are gone, but it looks very promising! :)

There is a new store nearby that just opened yesterday called Winco Foods. I'm telling you, it is going to replace Walmart for me, if the prices stay the same as I saw last night anyway. They had coupons for Pepsi at $1.98, Kraft Mac & Cheese for $.38, Capri Sun for $.38, Bacon for $.98, and Frosted Flakes for $.98! I spent $13.00 last night and had a bunch of stuff! It was so packed though that there were no carts available and the kids and I could only carry the stuff from the coupons. I will be going back soon so I can get more. The prices on everything were amazing! It is a lot like the old Food4Less that used to be by Grandma's old house. I am so excited, I can actually feed my kids with these prices! I am really hoping the prices stay like they were yesterday and it wasn't just for the grand opening.

What a week

Holy cow, this week has been crazy! It started with Monday (see previous post), and never calmed down from there.

Highlights: lots of resident issues all week, Dessa has lice again, oh, and now Annee does also, my apartment manager quit last week and I was thinking about taking the job but found out the compensation will be no where near enough, because of my apartment manager leaving I have no one to fight for me so my rent is going up, I received a very enticing offer to move into Amanda's house while her husband is in Afghanistan, my co-workers mother-in-law died yesterday so I have to cover for him for the next few days, and I haven't slept more than 4 hours for the past 3 nights.

Lots going on, way too much to type up here, but since this is sort of my journal, I wanted to make sure I don't forget what a frantic week this has been. I am so exhausted! I have so much to do, and I feel like just collapsing.

And it wont end on the weekend. I am meeting Jess at her house at 9:30 tomorrow so one of my co-workers can check out her water issue, I have tons of errands to run, and FHE is tomorrow night. Oh, and my house is a total disaster. I have SO much to do before we move, (which is definite now, just deciding where still,) that I feel completely swamped. Which is never a good thing because when I feel swamped, I tend to shut down instead of speed up, which which is what I should do. I need my brain re-wired. There is a definite problem somewhere. :)

Busy Day

We started the day at an 8:00 dentist appointment for all the kids. All is good. Dessa has two teeth coming in over her baby teeth in front, so we are going to pull those tomorrow. Ty needs to brush better, because his gums were bleeding badly, but no cavities.

We went straight from that appointment to see Dr. Harris for a med check for Ty and Dessa. Ty is doing great. He has lost 2 pounds from his last appointment, but nothing to worry about. And he is under great control, so no problem there.

Dessa, the little twerp, has lost 3 pounds since July. Skinny little thing. So, because her meds are not working well anyway, we are going to slowly switch her to a new med, one that is a non-stimulant, so there are no appetite side effects. Hopefully, at the end of the month of change, then we will have her under good control and eating how she should. She will still see her counselor about her impulsiveness and backwards thinking on weight, but this will hopefully help.

While with Dr Harris, I had all the kids get their flu shots. Dessa threw a fit!! Sheesh. You would think that we were torturing her or something. Ty and Annee did great. Such troopers. I also asked him about the H1N1 vaccine, as I have been really worried about it. It is so new I was scared for my kids to take it.

He said he definitely recommends it. I was surprised. I didn't think it would be good. He said they go through the same requirements as the normal flu vaccine, so there shouldn't be a problem. Any long term side effects would be the same as the normal vaccine. In fact, if it had been in time, it would be the same vaccine as they were given. Next year, the all flu shots will include this new vaccine. He said seeing as how the "swine" flu has been 2 times worse on average than the normal flu, he is recommending all his patients get one, if at all possible. While talking to his nurse, she really emphasized the need for Annee to get one, as it would be really bad with her asthma. Seeing as how all my kids have had issues with breathing at one time or another, I will be getting them all done.

I feel really bad now though. I have written emails to both the school district and the elementary school chastising them for even thinking about administering the shot at school. My bad. I have just been scared that it hasn't been tested enough. But the pediatrician says it has been tested just as much as the shot they took today. Gosh. I should have called them first, before going off on the schools.

Ok, end of flu shot rant.

After the doctor's office, I took the kids to mom's and I got to work around 10:30ish. Dessa has an appointment with Lezli at 4 today that mom will be taking her to. And I get off work at 6.

Work has been busy today also. Ok, not busy as much as hectic. The last 2 hours have been spent taking care of an elderly resident who fell in the elevator lobby while the cleaners were mopping. She is 82 yrs old, has osteoporosis, and her back was in a lot of pain. The ambulance left a while ago and the office staff has been in and out taking care of the report.

This poor resident. It is a very nice lady I moved in and talk to all the time. She was in here this morning in fact, because her sister flew in from Portland today and she needed help with the parking situation. That is why she was going out to the parking area. She was meeting her out of town family. It couldn't have happened at a worse time. Now her family is at the hospital with her. Poor lady.

We have another resident who just got out of the hospital yesterday after being there for over a week. She is in her late 80's and has pneumonia. Her husband passed away last year, and another one of our residents that is very friendly with us in the office was talking about how he had to help her get home. Then the bishop over the complex came in to pay rent (infuriating!! See earlier post about nice bishop wanted!) for a bunch of residents and he was telling me about the interesting history of this couple.

So, not a happy day for a few of our elderly residents. It makes for a hectic day in the office when stuff like this happens. It isn't really busy, but things are kind of scattered.

I can't wait to go home and relax!

So tired

I am so tired of being tired! I can not seem to catch up on my sleep, no matter what I do. I didn't get up on Saturday until 11:00, and only then because dad called me. On Sunday, I woke up at 7, but then went back to sleep at 9 and didn't get up again until noon. I thought that would have helped me this week.

But, no. I am so exhausted all the time. I feel like I could sleep a week and still not feel awake.

However, I must admit that it may be my diet lately. Having no money for groceries makes whatever is cheap and easy the only choice. I have eaten a lot of sweet rolls lately, (there is a resident here that buys them a lot from the Church Office Building and sends them home with me,) cereal, and bags of donuts from Maverick. (Hostess donuts have been on sale, buy one get one for $.49 for several months now. It's hard for me to pass them up.) I know my stomach has been feeling it, so it's easy to say that my energy level will suffer also.

Now I know why people in poverty (at least in America) are so often overweight. It is way too easy to stop and grab 5 roast beef sandwiches for $5. I have one sandwich for the kids and I for dinner, and one for lunch the next day. Breakfast at McDonald's: 2 plain biscuits and a med Coke for $3. A box of cereal (usually kids type) for $2. Fruits, vegetables, and other healthy foods are expensive! It is so much easier to gain weight (or not loose it in my case) when you are on a very tight budget.

Life

So, things haven't settled down at all. I am so stressed about finances right now that I have a constant headache. I am just sick of all of it.

My rent may be raising at the end of November, so I am looking into other options right now. The one that seems most likely is that I will move my little family into Jess's house in Magna. I would be saving almost $100 a month if I do that. Although we would be sacrificing a lot of space, the money right now is a necessity.

Work is stressful as always. There is always talk of cutting our bonus, cutting our benefits, job security, etc. Enough talk to always make me dread the work week. However, I am blessed to at least have a job.

Kids are doing good. Last week was a tough week for Dessa, but hopefully being off track and getting a break from school will help her. She got in trouble for scratching her name in the brand new playground equipment. The principal was furious. While it was a bad thing she did, she was the unlucky first child to deface the new playground and received the wrath of Ms. Pearson. I restricted privileges for the week, but don't think it is a major issue. (Now that I have had time to think about it anyways. I was pretty upset about it on Wednesday, when I got the call from the school.)

GNI is this weekend. It is going to be great. Only problem, I asked Randy to take the kids this past weekend because I was so stressed last week. I am hoping I can talk them into it again this weekend. Although his mom was really interested in having the kids go there every afternoon, so I don't think it will be an issue. (She was trying to talk me into renting a house with Matt, Randy's brother, and his girlfriend, new baby, and her son. Um, I may be in trouble, but not that much trouble. Then, she also suggested the kids be transferred to Orchard and they go there after school so I can keep the money the state pays my mom for watching them. I don't know where she comes up with these ideas. Honestly.)

My head hurts. Sheesh. I can't wait for the day to be over. Less than 2 hours now. Ugh, but then I have to go home and do laundry, which I didn't get done over the weekend. It really never ends.

(PS: I might complain a lot, but I do have it really good. I have 3 great kids, a place to call home, and a steady income. I should really be less pessimistic about it all, but I am just in the mood to grumble.)

Hard Decisions

I have some tough decisions to make. With my budget the way it is, I have to cut everything to the bone. So I am thinking I will get a second line on my cell phone, which will be about $15-$20 more per month, and cancelling my cable/Internet/phone package which is $75 a month.

This is very painful. I am already feeling Internet withdrawals because our home computer is out of commission until dad can find time to rebuild it. (Stupid viruses anyway!) The thought of going without Internet for an extended period is extremely difficult.

I just don't know what to do. I have asked for deferments on 2 of my 3 student loans (I am trying to find the info for the last one,) I have cut all my payments to the bare minimum, with some of them below minimum, and I have had to cancel the counseling sessions for the girls. That one is the hardest one. They need it so badly, but I just can not justify $50 a week for that; not when I can't afford food and gas right now.

I actually got down to $1.20 in my account before this last payday. I can't believe how hard it has gotten. With my stupid insurance premiums that doubled in July, no child support for over 2 months, and everything else going on, I have whittled my way down to nothing. I have maxed my Walmart card buying groceries for heaven's sake!

I honestly don't know what else to do right now. Looking on the bright side though, if I cancel Internet and cable, that leaves a lot of time for us as a family to do things together. We can start walking everyday, like I have wanted to do for a long time. We can clean the house from top to bottom. We can put away all that clean laundry that keeps piling up because no one wants to fold it.

I guess there is a good side to everything. I just hope I can get out of this rut soon. I am more than used to struggling, but this is beyond struggling. This is drowning, slowly and painfully!

I want a nice bishop!

I am completely miffed right now. The bishop over the ward that the Brigham residents' go to just brought in a bunch of checks to pay for rent for several residents. This isn't so unusual, as he pays for some every month. But this month, he has checks for a brand new resident that just moved in a few weeks ago!!

I wouldn't be so angry, but my bishop required me to work for 5 hours at the Bishop's Storehouse for a little bit of food. (And let me tell you, I worked HARD! I used my Monday off, because I worked Saturday, to stock shelves for 5 hours in between dropping off and picking up kids from school. It completely sucked!) In fact, I had less then everyone I could see when I checked out. It made me angry!!

The difference with what bishops do to help their wards is astounding. I have been told numerous times by different bishops I have had that the church does not pay rent/mortgage payments. I know for a fact this is wrong. I have known ever since I worked at the storehouse back in 1996. I don't know why they keep saying that, when everyone knows it is not true.

But for a bishop to pay the outrageous price of rent for a member to stay at the Brigham is infuriating! I understand when people fall on hard times, trust me, I do. But when that happens, it is time to buckle down and cut expenses. When your rent for a 2 bedroom apartment (around 980 sq ft) is around $1200 a month, it is time to move!!

It just astounds me that these people get to keep their nice lifestyle while the ward pays their bills. There are at least 2 residents that get their rent paid every single month, and several more that are every other month. I just can't understand it!

Ok. Well, it is time to forget about it and leave it in more capable hands. I just had to vent...Sorry.

Long Week

This past week has been a very long week. Not only did we have Annee starting school at Matheson Jr. High, my new work schedule that is so crazy, and more lice issues, but mom and dad were in Arizona until Thursday night! I have learned this past week that I don't know how I would ever survive with out them. I need them so much, to help ease my stress of where my kids are and so much more! I would be so lost without them.

Anyway, Annee had a great first week, except for Friday. Of course, the last day of the week has to totally overshadow the whole week for her. She had made great advances in talking to people and being more outgoing. Then on Friday, one of her friends from years ago doesn't talk to her and she is ballistic about it.

I can't blame her. I used to feel the same way. Still do sometimes. But I was so happy with how well she had handled the first few days that I was hoping it would last. Of course, nothing ever does.

I think we may be over the worst of the lice issue, FINALLY! I have not seen a live one for days, and I have almost all of the nits out of Dessa's hair. I will continue to comb her hair and work on it for weeks though, just to make sure we don't get it back.

As part of my paranoia, I had read great reviews online about using Listerine (mouthwash) to help kill them fast. So, over-reactive me, made all of us do it. Ty and Dessa didn't care so much, but Annee had a conniption. I kept telling her it would be fine, and it was just a precaution. The mouthwash would wash out and it would make me feel better, so I told her to humor me. She was really worried about going back to school tomorrow with minty fresh hair. I didn't foresee that happening, so I made her do it anyway, even though she has never had a problem at all.

Ok, so my bad. We did this last night, and I can still smell the mouthwash in my hair, after I have washed it 3 times. I didn't realize mouthwash was so strong! Annee hasn't said anything about it today, but I was being bothered by my hair all night and all day today! It was not such a great idea for all of us to do it. I should have stuck with just Dessa. But I am so sick of having to deal with this!! I did a complete bedding swap yesterday also, including turning the mattresses, which was another suggestion I read about. This had better be it, or I am going to literally go insane!!

My new work schedule completely sucks! I love the early days, but to get off early, we have to be at work by 8 a.m. It was the hardest thing to have to drop off Ty and Dessa at 7:30 when school doesn't start until 8:45! I worried all morning about them. I kept waiting for the call saying they weren't in school today, telling me that something had happened to them.

The call never came of course, but it was a stressful day anyway. I was so worried about it. In fact, I worried so much about my schedule all week I didn't sleep well because of it. I am so grateful that mom is home so she can help me manage this crazy schedule better. Like I said, I really missed her while she was gone. Just knowing I can call her to help me out is such a load off my mind. (As you can see, I completely take advantage of my parents. I hope they realize how grateful I am for all they do. I tried to tell them on Friday. I really couldn't survive right now without them!)

To top the week off, today I have major PMS, and even on her pill, Dessa has already shoved me way over the edge. In fact, she had done that by the time the sacrament was being passed at church. I had to leave after sacrament meeting, my nerves were so frayed! I was literally ready to choke the child!

I didn't though. We came home, I made lunch, and now she is spending the day in her room. She is still testing my limits though. Annee is in my room watching tv and Dessa is doing everything possible to annoy her, thus annoying me in extension, as I have to deal with it.

I have really had it this week. I am ready to pack up and call it quits. Leave everything and everyone behind.

I won't though. I will finish up the necessary laundry today, eat some chocolate, and put all of us to bed early. Then tomorrow, I will wake up and take the monsters to mom's house, so I can be to work by 8. I will then do my best to have a better week. Looking forward to Labor Day should help. I can use a 3-day weekend!

Working Woes

I am so tired of issues at work. I am not only worried about my job because our management is too ignorant to listen to us little people, but now today I almost got written up for the stupidest reason.

Our HR rep called and said she wanted to discuss my most recent time card with me. She said our senior manager wanted me to realize it is not ok to use sick time if you run out of vacation time. (Ok, so I didn't have quite enough vacation time to cover our recent family camping trip. So I used some sick time. I really didn't see a problem with it, and my manager obviously approved it, so I thought it was fine.)

Anyway, she said that I wasn't going to get written up this time, but that I am only allowed to use sick time if I am sick and I can only use vacation time for vacation. No switching it around.

The way I see it is, this is a "BENEFIT" given to us from the company. It is earned time, and we, the employee earning it, should be able to use this time in any way we need to. I love when companies list sick and vacation time as PTO. It is so much easier. That is really what it is.

I am so wishing I had another option right now so I could just walk out. As much as I love what I do, the stress lately is not so great. I totally understand that our company is feeling the recessions pinch like everyone else. But I chose to work for this company because of the values they seemed to hold. It doesn't seem like they stick to those values when times get rough. They doubled my insurance premiums, are taking away my opportunity for a bonus, and now are telling me how to use my time off.

I am completely frustrated!

Fighting Children

Now that I have praised my kids (refer to end of last post about our family camp), it is time to complain about them.

Ty and Dessa have started school already, and I thought it would be a good break for mom if Annee were to walk to pick them up and they stay alone at the house until I get home from work. They did very well that first week of school, before our camp trip and I was expecting more of the same this week.

Not so much. Monday, Dessa was sick, so she stayed home and I asked mom to pick up Ty so Annee could watch Dess. That went fine.

Tuesday, I had Dessa calling me right when they got home saying how the other two were picking on her and so on. Her voice was whiny, but also squeaky, like she had a sore throat, so I told her to just rest and told Annee to leave her alone. Not a horrible day.

Then, yesterday, I get a call from Annee when they get home. Apparently, Ty was taking a long time getting to the front of the school, so she went back to see what was going on. She found Ty playing his Nintendo DS with his friend Jake. She told him to go, but he took his time, according to her, and wouldn't stop playing. So she took it upon herself to take the DS away from him.

Ok, so that was her mistake. She needs to learn to not do things like that and let me handle things later. But the bigger problem was with Tyler. When she took the DS away, he started hitting, scratching, and hurting Annee to try and get it back. She said she was bleeding on her wrist from a scratch he gave her, she thought her thumb was disconnected, and her neck hurt because he pulled at it.

They were lucky that they weren't caught by the teachers. I'm not sure what the penalty for siblings fighting on school grounds would be, and I don't want to find out!

Tyler is so obsessed with those games! I really am not sure what to do. When I ground him from them, (he won't be playing for at least the next week, more likely a month,) he gets moody and angry. I might just need to keep them away from him for a good long time. Make him find other things to entertain himself. It is just really hard when I want so badly to make the kids happy. And when I am so tired all the time that I don't spend enough time with them, I want them to be able to do what they want. But Ty's obsession has gotten out of hand.

I am actually thinking about getting rid of the internet and cable, to save my budget a little. But I really need the home phone, especially for things like this incident when the kids are home. I have looked into it, and I am not paying a whole lot more than I would for just a phone line, so it seems silly to cancel the other services to save $10-$15 a month.

So anyway, mom's little break is over. I am asking her to pick up the two little one's every day and keep them at her house. Annee only has next week before she starts school, and I will decide at that time if we go ahead with the original plan of them staying home when mom picks them up, or if mom should keep them with her. I really hate having to make these restrictions. I think it is better for the kids if they can just get along and stay home. But I can't allow them to fight like they have been. It's not good for me to get those kinds of calls at work. Luckily it is slow this week, so I have been able to use the phone a lot. But it isn't always like that.

Can't we all just get along?!

Family Camp

I have not had a chance to write about our family camp yet. We went to Posey Lake, near Escalante, last week. We left on Monday morning and returned on Saturday night. Once again, a very fun camping trip, although I am still always going to push for showers. A week in the dirt is hard!

The highlight of the camp...the kids and I won the coveted cooking trophy!! This means no cooking next year! I am so excited about that. I worked really hard to come up with great food and my family must think so too, as they voted me the best this year. :)

I had this idea to theme the meals around holidays, kind of channeling Steph and Josh last year with their food from around the world. So we had an Easter breakfast of ham steaks, scrambled eggs, and "empty tombs". The empty tombs were croissants wrapped around a marshmallow that melted away during cooking, making it look like it was empty. They didn't work quite like I wanted them too, as I had to squash them all into one dutch oven, but they were still a hit and a good breakfast treat.

For lunch we celebrated Pioneer Day, having biscuits, corn bread muffins, beef jerky, and apples. I did this mainly because my day to cook was Tuesday, which is the guys' hike day. So I made sure it was food they could take with them. It was also easy, because I did all the baking on Sunday, so nothing to cook at camp.

We had Thanksgiving dinner that night. I was really worried about cooking a turkey in the dutch oven. But I did a lot of research on it and decided to take the risk. It worked well! The turkey was tender and juicy, we had green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, a relish tray with carrots, celery, and olives, rolls (which were not the best, but the rest made up for it,) and of course, pie for dessert. I brought a cherry, an apple, and 2 pumpkin pies. I think those pumpkin pies and the turkey was what won it for us. (I keep saying "I", but the kids helped me out a ton, especially Annee. Ty did a lot too, and Dessa pitched in when it was convenient for her.)

So, all that planning and cooking paid off. It was funny, because mom took Jess and I grocery shopping before we left, and we both boasted that our meals would win. Well, they both did. I got first place and Jess got second, so she only has to bring the stuff for S'mores next year. It worked out really well for both of us.

Anyway, beyond the great food, the week was a blast! Aaron and Wendee were in charge of the Olympics and planned an "Amazing Race" type game. It was so fun and creative. Of course, me being completely un-athletic, our team lost. (Actually, I was teamed with Jason and Dessa, and we did pretty well, until the last event where we had to guess every one's favorite books. That took SO much time and was so hard that we lost.) I am so proud of the winning team: Jenn, Dad, and Matthew. They totally rocked! Jenn was so great! She completed the hike, which was no small feat, let me tell you, and she even completed the food challenge.

Now let me say, this was the worst event, by far. The hike was hard, but for the food one, Wendee and Aaron had a small cup of these tiny, dried up fish to eat and a cup of wheat tea (it's something like "Mugucha" in Japanese) that we had to drink. Not knowing this was coming, Jason had done the first event, so I was supposed to do this one.

Um, no, wasn't going to happen. But some of our family did awesome! Wil ate the fish just fine, then lost his stomach after drinking the nasty tea. Then Jenn put the fishies in the tea and drank them all down. (They did come right back up, but at least she did it!) Jess tried the fish also, but couldn't get past the crunch of the bones and lost her stomach also. When it came down to it, our team and Jess's team (Jess, Mom, and Tyler) took a half penalty and Jess and I drank the nasty tea. Let me tell you, if I was a missionary in Japan and was offered this tea, I would just go thirsty and risk offending the locals. It was horrid! But "props!" to Aaron and Wendee for a very creative idea.

Steph and I were in charge of the showcase this year. I was really worried about it. I am not good at anything theatrical. I am not even good at faking it, like dad did last year. (Just kidding dad, you totally rocked! Both last year and this year.) So I was concerned it wouldn't go over very well. I have to hand it to my fabulous family, they sure know how to step up and make a great showcase.

The winner this year by far was Aaron and Wil's "Extraordinary Expedition". I think that is what we called it. Anyway, they were supposed to walk us through an adventure of some sort, like an African Safari, or crocodile hunting, something like that. But no, they decided to take us on a tour through time. It was a riot! They gave us straws to defend ourselves against attack, noise makers to scare off dinosaurs, and taught us to "disguise" ourselves with hand eyeglasses so no one in Hollywood recognized us. They were great! I have to say, seeing your brother do silly stuff like that really puts a new light on how you think about him.

So, they won the best group performance, and for the impromptu skits, our "Hoop Action" group won. This group was comprised of Dad, Wendee, Steph, Dessa, and Aaron. They were assigned different actions to do, all while staying inside the hula hoop on the ground. They did such a great job! None of us will ever forget dad portraying a rock star and slamming his guitar on the ground. Nor will we forget his fish out of water, gasping for air. (I hope the video worked well, cause that was the funniest thing I've seen in a long time!) They all did a great job at crawling like a baby, and surprised me by moving their hoops with them, so they didn't go outside the hoop. Wendee did really well, considering her hoop was a small one.

The best overall performer was...Wil! He did a fantastic job on both of his group assignments. That kid has a lot of talent. He is a great addition to this family, and I am very glad he and Jess got married. He definitely helped our showcase rock this year. Actually, he rocked last year too. It was just such a surprise that dad did so well that we overlooked Wil last year.

Ok, now I am rambling. But it is so slow at work today. So I will keep going.

Jenn had the craft this year. She had us create a camp pillow case for each person, so that we all have a pillow case for camp each year. It was so fun! The kids were able to do their own and show their creative sides. I really like doing stuff like that, and making something useful was great. I am in charge of next year's craft, and I hope I can do something half as great as Jenn. It is hard to come up with something that will be useful, fun, cost effective, and be something we can do while camping. She did a great job.

All in all, a great camp. It was unfortunate that Dessa still had lice at the time. (I am happy to announce that we seem to be lice free, finally! No sightings in 2 days so far.) I kept her off her medication because of her appetite problem, and together with the lice thing, she really struggled this year. I have decided though that next year, she will take her medication during vacations. It will make it more enjoyable not only for us adults, but for her as well. We won't be constantly having to tell her to settle down. It will make for a better trip for all of us.

Once again, I have to exclaim how great my kids are. They were so much help! It was great to be able to tell them to do something and they stepped up and did it. I didn't have much of a problem with any of them. (Ok, so Dessa struggled, but she usually came around and helped out.) My kids are growing up so fast. I love them so much and really appreciate all of the hard work and assistance with everything. I have the best family ever!

Lice

So, on Monday, I took the kids (Tyler and Dessa anyway,) to their first day of school. As I was dropping Dessa off in her classroom, I saw a little brown bug in her hair. The first thing I thought was lice, but this was pretty big for what I thought lice were and it looked like it had wings. So I didn't think much of it.

Monday night, I was standing next to her and Annee and I both saw another one. She too thought it was too big to be lice, so we looked up pictures of lice on the internet, and it was not what this thing looked like, so I thought we were good.

No such luck. I got a call from Dessa a little before 10am this morning saying she had lice and the school wanted her picked up.

I went into panic mode. I tried to see if mom could get her, but she was watching Matthew and Alyssa with no car seats, so I had to leave work. On the way, I called Randy and furiously asked if Guilee had it again, as we were over there 2 weekends ago. He didn't think so, but I still ranted on him, as I am pretty sure it had to have come from their house. (The only place Dessa has gone for weeks is to both grandparents house, camping last week, and then school this week. She has such a bad case, school said there was no way she got it there. Besides, I saw the first one on Monday, so can't blame them.)

I picked up some stuff at Albertson's before I dropped her off at home and went back to work. I had Annee start washing ALL of our bedding and drying the pillows, like the school told me to do.

When I got home from work, I used the kit to kill the buggers. The shampoo is strong, and seemed to work well. I could definitely see LOTS of nits, and the full grown lice all came to the surface, making it easier to get them out. However, I thought it was going to kill them, so I was using that tiny comb thing while we were sitting on my bed, trying to distract Dessa with tv. Not the best idea. When we were done, almost 2 hours later, we could see the lice moving on my bed. SO GROSS!

Luckily, in the kit I bought there is a spray that is used for mattresses, couches, etc. I sprayed that and it seemed to do the job. I also sprayed all the kids' beds, and Annee washed all the bedding today.

The lady at the school said one way to treat Dessa in between treatments (yeah, I have one more treatment to give her, at camp next week no less!) is to cover her head in mayonnaise, wrap it in a plastic grocery sack, and leave it for an hour. She suggested I do that to Tyler and the rest of us also, as we checked him and found a few nits. So I slathered Ty's head, amid his grumpy protests, and Annee did hers. I didn't have time to do mine, after getting done with Dessa, unless I want to be up for another hour. I will do mine tomorrow night, and treat Dessa to a head of mayonnaise on Sunday night, before we leave on Monday for camp.

I have to say, this totally screwed up my week. I had planned on going out tonight to case more dollar stores for showcase stuff and check out the DI for costumes. I had planned on going grocery shopping tomorrow night. Now, I had to spend all night on lice patrol, and will again tomorrow night, just to make sure this thing is taken care of. I have been itchy all over today, ever since she called me. It is not a good feeling. I really hope we can get it under control before we leave next week. This is NOT something I want to deal with on vacation, or after we get home, for that matter.

Manti Pageant

Wendee and Aaron invited us to join them in attending the Mormon Miracle Pageant. I wasn't sure at first, but then thought it should be a great opportunity. And it really was.

We left Friday afternoon at around 4:15 p.m. It's about a 2 hour drive, so we had a long drive ahead that got even longer as we hit rush hour traffic. I wasn't used to driving the truck (which I had borrowed from Mom and Dad) so I almost had an accident as soon as I got on 21st. I neglected to check the blind spot mirror and tried to merge, right into another truck. Oops. Not a great start, and the traffic was bad until out of the Provo area, so it wasn't nice. But I got comfortable in the truck again and had no more problems like that.

Right when we get out of the bad traffic, the rain starts. This was no ordinary rain. It was a deluge! It was raining so hard through the Moroni/Ephraim area that I had the wipers on full blast and I still couldn't see well. There were puddles in the road that made it very slippery. It was a white knuckle ride that had me thinking we were probably going to have to go home. There was no way that the pageant could go on with the rain coming down so hard. And there was no way I would camp in it. I was getting very ready to turn right around.

Then, about 2 miles out of Manti, the rain stopped. It was amazing. It didn't look like it had rained at all in Manti! Not one drop! But the wind was blowing hard, to the South, blowing the storm right for us. So we put up the tents as quickly as possible. We knew that the storm was going to hit any moment. We got all the gear inside the tents and looked around.

The wind had stopped. There were dark, angry clouds all around Manti. But right over the town, there were only light, wispy clouds. It was an absolute miracle. Aaron had prayed for a "rain bubble" over us, and that was exactly what it was; the storm raged all around us, but not a drop fell in Manti. It was a very faith promoting experience. I knew at that moment that Heavenly Father wanted me to be there. I'm sure that there were others needing the same thing, but I knew that He was looking out for me, creating an uplifting experience that I really needed at the time.

The pageant was wonderful! The angel Moroni on top of the temple was awe inspiring, as was the scene when the Lord visited the Nephites. Dessa was cute when the young Joseph was praying in the woods and a spotlight came on, indicating the visit of Heavenly Father and Jesus. She asked how the light was coming out of the sky. (It almost looked like it was.) She got excited and said that God was going to visit us for real, right now. It was so great to hear that from her. I had to explain the light, but she kept saying that it was coming from heaven. It was so well done. They had fire bursts during the storm at the time of the Crucifixion and also to show the wickedness of the Lamenites. That was really cool.

It was exactly what I needed at that moment. I needed that push of inspiration to get me back on track. I haven't been to church in months, and after a visit from the bishop and his counselor on Thursday, and the pageant on Friday, I knew it was time to go back. I knew I was missing a big piece of my life again. As I sat in church today, I realized that I had missed it. I really need that lift each week that church brings. And the kids need it also. I think that is why things have been a little more angry and loud around here lately. We are feeling the loss of the Spirit in our home. It makes a huge difference, one I won't forget, with my Heavenly Father's help.

Wonderful kids

The kids are out of school for the summer. Their last day of school was last Friday, the 5th of June. I went to the awards ceremony and saw Annee promoted to Jr. High. It was great. It is really hard to come to grips with the fact that I have a teenager, or an almost teenager. She has grown so fast! I don't feel old enough or competent enough to be raising a teen. It really seems unreal.

Annee has had a few health issues in the last few weeks. I had her evaluated by a psychologist to see if we can stop her hand clenching and eye blinking. I was positive that it is because of anxiety, and not a neurological issue. He confirmed my thinking. He diagnosed her with anxiety and mild OCD. The OCD surprised me a little. I didn't realize some of the things she does is directly related to being obsessive and compulsive. But now that I know more about it, I am seeing a lot more obsessive and compulsive behaviors in myself. I don't have anything that interferes with my life, so it is fine. But some of Annee's can tend to interfere with daily activities, so we are treating it. Dr. Connolly put her on Zoloft. We don't have the dose right yet, but hopefully it will start to help her a lot.

He suggested weekly counseling, so we went to a counselor last night. Her name is Lezlie. She works with Michael Bowman, who has counseled both me and Annee before. Lezlie is very nice and has a lot in common with Annee. For example, she grew up without a father also, so she can give some specific insight into that problem.

Lezlie did her own evaluation and thinks Dr. Connolly is "spot on" with his diagnosis. So they are going to work on both the anxiety and controlling the OCD in her weekly therapy. Annee is really happy with her, so I think this will work out great. I really hope Lezlie can help her not focus so much on things she can't change. Annee dwells on that kind of thing way too often.

I took Ty and Dessa to Dr. Harris last week to adjust their meds. I thought they both needed to have their doses increased. He agreed for Tyler and we have upped his dose. He starts the new dose tomorrow, so we'll see how that goes.

As far as Dessa goes, we found from her height and weight that she has only grown 1/2 an inch since November and hasn't gained any weight in a year. That worried us both of course. So we decided to take her off the meds for the summer, as one of the biggest side effects is lack of appetite. We hope that with out the meds, she will eat a lot more and gain weight. If so, we will evaluate what to do then, whether we put her on a different med or see how she does in school without it. If she doesn't gain some weight over the summer, he said she might have some problem with absorbing food, and we will test for that. If that is the case, she would have to be on a special diet. Needless to say, I am hoping it is just the meds. So far, it seems that way. She went out to lunch with mom and the others yesterday and she was the only one who ate her whole meal. That never happens! I am very encouraged by it. We'll make her a porker yet! ;) Totally kidding of course.

Ty has been great lately. He is getting to be more silly and fun. He and Dessa like to play in the back seat of the car, and he can really get that girl laughing! It is a good sound to hear. Ty doesn't laugh a whole lot, so when he does, it really makes me smile.

My kids are the greatest. They are the light in my life and keep me going every day.

Road Trip Continued

It's been a few days since I have been able to get on here. I will continue my ranting on the road trip we took.

The second day was pretty un-eventful. Just driving, and more driving. We got to the hotel and just went to bed. It was great fun. :)

The next day, Tuesday, we stayed around the hotel for the morning. Dad and mom went to Steph's parents house to help unpack and stuff. I did laundry. In the afternoon, we all went over to Steph's parent house and the kids went swimming for awhile before dinner. Dessa had another "almost drowning" experience, so she didn't stay in long. She thinks that if her head goes under, she "almost drowns". She is really afraid of the water. Kind of like me. I need to do something about that.

Ty and Annee had a lot of fun. Steve and JoAnn had a lot of floaty things for them to play with. Annee loved using the snorkel. They had a lot of fun.

Thunderstorms sprang up that night. It was really bad. A tornado warning popped up while the kids and I were watching tv. It completely freaked me out. It listed probably a dozen counties in IL and MO that had the possibility of a tornado. We were in Washington County and Josh and Steph were in Clayton County. They were both listed.

I was frantic. I went down and asked the clerk what we would do if a tornado touched down. He said he wasn't sure, but thought the laundry area would be the best place. !?!? How were dozens of people supposed to fit in a small little room like that!? He wasn't much help. He looked like he was about to bust out laughing though. I must have been hilarious to him, making a big deal out of a warning like that.

I went to mom and dad's room and talked to them about it. They didn't seem too concerned, just said we'll watch and see. For some reason, I was in a complete panic about it though. I did not sleep at all. It didn't help that the thunder was deafening at times and the lightening striking pretty close from what it looked like. The wind and the rain were nuts too. The rain came down so hard and fast that within minutes, the parking lot was a swimming pool. I saw a truck in the parking lot that I thought was mom and dad's, and it had some sort of sign or something sticking out of the back. I thought the wind had put it there. (I found out in the morning, it was not dad's truck, and it was a real estate sign that was supposed to be there. Silly me.)

Needless to say, nothing major happened. There was a tornado that hit a small town in northern MO, but nothing close to us. I guess those storms are common there. I couldn't handle it. There is no way I could live in that area and have warnings like that going off all the time. I would be a basket case.

The next day, Wednesday, we had planned on going to the zoo early in the morning. It was free to get into the petting zoo if you got there before 9. However, the storm was lingering, and I postponed us all from going. (I'm not sure if everyone else felt the same way, but I declared I didn't want to go in the rain.)

It started to clear up, so we went later in the morning. It was still cloudy and we had a few tiny sprinkles, but nothing major. It was very humid though. I didn't like that either. It felt extremely hot because of the humidity.

The St Louis Zoo is great. Because the land was donated, and the donating family requested it, there is no charge to get in. That is so unreal to me. Of course, the train or the food and stuff more than make up for it. I just didn't bring my purse, so the kids kept begging for stuff and I could honestly tell them I had no money. HeHeHe.

The kids hate zoos. They griped the whole time. It was frustrating. We wanted to see the new baby's, but they complained the whole time. I got a few good pictures in though. We left before too long, but had a good time taking pictures at this park where they had giant turtle sculptures. The kids liked climbing on those and it made for a good photo op.

We had lunch at a Steak n Shake on the way home. Stephanie had always talked about how good it was, and she was right. I had a combo that had 3 little burgers with different toppings. It was really good. The kids all had shakes and it was fun.

Thursday, we headed out for WI. It was a lot of driving, again. Nothing of note springs to mind to talk about, so I'll skip to Friday.

Friday was the memorial for aunt Ruth. We went to the mortuary/graveyard to get things set up. We were there really early, so we wandered the graveyard a bit. We found Ruth's headstone, where they had a pedestal set up for her remains. She is right next to mom's dad, Melvin. He passed away when mom was 11. Next to him is a great aunt and uncle, so there are 3 graves in a row that belong to the family.

Steph and I were talking and realized we didn't have any flowers for Ruth. That just didn't seem right, so we had to scramble to get some. Luckily, the funeral home had some silk flowers, so we got some for Ruth and some for grandpa. I think it surprised mom that we did that, but we felt it was the right thing to do. It was nice.

Meeting mom's family was interesting. They are definitely not the loud, rowdy, huggy group that we are. It was awkward because I wanted to hug grandma and Aunt Bonnie, but they gave no response. They seemed very uncomfortable with it. (Stephanie told me it was like hugging a chair, and she was right.) I did it anyway though, because that is just who I am.

It was really nice to finally meet mom's family. The only one not there was her little brother Richard. He lives in TX and has some health problems, so he couldn't travel. Rita came in from VA, Steven came in, I'm not sure where he is from, PA I think, and then there was Linda from here in Salt Lake. Then of course, grandma, Bonnie, and Robert, along with Robert's wife Debbie, and their kids, Ben and for the life of me, I can't remember the other boy's name. who all live there in Fond du Lac.

The service was short and sweet. It was neat to hear memories of aunt Ruth. Rita told of a time when Ruth visited them in VA and they got her to go clamming. That is something I have never thought of Ruth doing. Josh remembered Christmas with Ruth and Linda and putting up their tree. I think he mentioned the parade, or mom did, but it was mentioned how we always went to the parade with Ruth and Linda when we were growing up. Most of them hadn't seen her in a lot of years, I think Steven mentioned it had been over 30 years for him. That seems really strange for me, as most of the Weights live right here close. At least close enough to see often. But I can see that we are going to start spreading out a little, starting with Josh and Steph.

Anyway, I digress. It was a neat little gathering to remember Ruth. We all joined up at Robert and Debbie's afterwards. Debbie is a great hostess. Her house is amazing! It is old and she has a lot of antiques decorating it, so it almost feels like you have stepped back in time, with modern conveniences such as indoor plumbing. :) She is a great cook and made some amazing meals for us while we were there. The baked spaghetti was really good. I got the recipe from her because the kids really liked it to.

Dad and Mom had made a DVD to remember Ruth. We all sat in Rob and Debbie's living room to watch it. There were a lot of pictures that the family hadn't seen in years, some they had never seen. It was great to hear them all talk about the memories it invoked. They were all happy to have a copy of it.

Mom wanted a 4 generation picture, so we got one with grandma, mom, myself, and Annee. Then a picture bomb went off, and we had to get pictures of everyone in every combination. It was fun.

Steph and Josh had to leave Friday evening, as Steph had a test/class early the next morning. It was hard, knowing that would be the last time we saw them for a long time. It was really good to be able to spend that week with them. It was something I will cherish forever.

On Saturday, Debbie took mom and me "rummaging". That is what they call yard sales in that area. She has gotten a good portion of her home decorations from rummage sales, so she wanted to take us. I found some cute clothes for Annee and a few things for Dessa. I felt bad because I didn't find anything for Ty, but that's the way it goes sometimes.

Before we went rummaging, Debbie took us to a plant sale. (Debbie is a great gardener and her yard is absolutely beautiful.) I had never seen anything like this sale. There were all sorts of plants spread out at the best prices I have ever seen. I of course kill everything I touch, so I didn't get anything, but if we had that here, I might think about doing some flowers for the apartment. It was cool. I need to look into whether or not there is anything like that here.

After rummaging, we met up with the rest of the family and went "sightseeing". We started at Kris Kringle's, a Christmas store where mom got our personalized ornaments. She needed a new one, to add Wil and anyone else who might come along. I got one for my little family also, with a space for if I ever get remarried. Dessa got a little snow globe. The place was really neat.

We did lunch after that. I can not remember the name of the place, but dad had raved about it during the whole trip, so we had to go there. While were placing our orders, a very loud siren went off. It was for warning of a tornado. Mom told us that they test it every Saturday at noon, so people will know what it sounds like if it really went off. I thought about what would happen if there was a tornado on a Saturday at noon, and people just ignored the siren? Hopefully that never happens.

After lunch, we went to a candy store and cheese factory in a town a few miles away. The candy store was really neat. They had molded chocolate in every shape imaginable. I got some for the kids' teachers, some for Aaron and family, and some for me. I had told the kids they could have $10 each to spend any way they wanted, so Annee stocked up on chocolate, Ty got $10 worth of gum, and Dessa spent the rest of her money there too. We were there for a long time. They had old candy that you can't find anywhere. Very cool.

The cheese factory was...stinky. But I got some really good cheddar and a sausage log. Yum. Pure, fresh, Wisconsin cheese.

After the cheese factory, they took us to a light house by a giant lake in Fond du Lac. I can't remember the name of the lake now either. It had gotten really cold though. The wind was frigid and we couldn't stay there long. I have some really neat pictures of it though.

When we were done at the lighthouse, we went to Rob and Deb's again. I have to say, the kids got along very well. They had a lot of fun playing with Ben. They had Nerf gun fights that got rowdy, but they were having so much fun, it was hard to stop them. I'm really glad the cousins liked each other so much. We will definitely have to visit them as often as possible.

We left the next morning (Sunday) to head home. Lots more driving. LOTS of it. By this time, the novelty had worn off for the kids, (actually, it wore off around Friday,) and it was tense a lot. I was definitely ready for the trip to be over on Monday when we got home. With all that driving, it felt like we needed a vacation after the vacation. I was exhausted for the next few days.

Over all, it was a fantastic trip. I am so glad we had the opportunity to go. It is something I will never forget.

Lesson on Judging

Dad and I learned a great lesson on judging that first day on our trip. Steve (Steph's dad) started driving the truck before we got into the mountains of CO. We were behind them and started noticing that the truck was going slowly during most of the drive. It seemed really odd to us. We thought Steve seemed like the type to just cruise through.

As the truck started getting slower and slower, we started getting irritated. We were already behind schedule and wanted to hurry. We could understand taking the curves slower, but on flat stretches, they would sometimes be going as slow as 30 MPH in a 50-60 MPH zone. We started getting quite frustrated.

When we hit the fog and the little rain, the truck sped up a little. We started thinking that maybe Steve and Jesse were going slow through the passes to see the beautiful mountains and when the weather turned ugly, they sped up.

We got to Denver and the interstate around the city. Steve and Jesse were cruising ahead of all of us. They completely lost us for awhile. That seemed to confirm our theory that they were just sight-seeing through the mountains.

We did catch up though, because they were only going about 30-40 MPH again. On the interstate. In a 65 MPH zone. We thought that was completely insane! They sped through the city where there was more of a chance to get caught, then slowed down outside the city limits. We were floored. We griped that he was totally nuts in the way he was choosing to speed or not to speed. We were pretty angry at this point. It was getting late and he was being very poky.

We all stopped at a rest stop soon after. It was while we were there that we learned, again, why it is not good to judge.

Steve told everyone that the truck was having problems. He was practically standing on the gas pedal while going through the canyons. He said the transmission would heat up and he couldn't get any speed at all. He was able to speed up when the transmission cooled down, which is why through the fog and the flat interstate area, he was cruising better.

Dad and I were put in our place. We were so sorry to think those mean things of Steve. It was not right to do at all. It was another experience that just shows us that there is a reason Heavenly Father is the only judge. We don't know the whole story. There is no way for us to be just and fair when we don't have all the facts.

I am grateful for this reminder. I pray that I will remember this when I start to think badly of someone.

Road Trip

The kids and I just got back from a road trip to the mid-west area. We left on Sunday, May 10th and got home on Monday, May 18th. It was a total blast. I don't know if I have time right now to post about all of it, but I will start anyway.

We were helping Josh and Stephanie move from Utah to Illinois so Josh can go to school in St. Louis to become a chiropractor. From there, we went up to Wisconsin to have a memorial service for my aunt Ruth and to meet mom's family up there.

The first day was an adventure. Josh, Steph, the kids, and I all slept over at mom and dads house on Saturday the 9th so we could get up and going by 5am. We started out from the hotel Steph's parents (Steve and Joann) and brothers (Jeff and Jesse) were staying at by 5:30.

The kids and I were in the truck with mom and dad. We were following the Budget rental truck being driven by Josh with Steve, Steph's dad, with him. Joann was driving Josh and Steph's car behind us with Steph, Jeff, and Jesse. A few miles out of Green River, about 20-30 miles from the Utah-Colorado border, at around 10:30ish, I heard a loud bang. Everyone in the truck screamed a little. There was black rubber hitting the windshield and I thought we had blown a tire. The Budget truck hurriedly pulled over and we pulled over behind them.

Well, turns out the Budget truck had blown a tire, one of the 4 rear tires. Of course, the truck was loaded with all of Josh and Steph's possessions, so it weighed a ton. Josh had to call Budget to get a mechanic to come change the tire. We thought we would be there forever as it was out in the middle of no where and a Sunday morning, but the guy came relatively quickly and we were back on the road within 2 hours.

The time on the side of the road was a lot of fun actually. It was next to a hill that most everyone climbed at one point or another. Steven was the first one up and yelled down that there was a Taco Bell on the other side of the hill. My kids ran up, all excited. They were disappointed when they couldn't see one, only cows. Tyler says "Look, a Taco Bell cow!" So then that started a running joke on Taco Bell and cows.

Tyler, Annee, and dad threw around a ball for awhile. Ty has quite the arm! He was chucking that thing pretty far. He has to practice his catching though. And his aim could use some help. They had to stop because the ball kept going in the road. The last time, Josh had to dodge cars to run across and fetch it. We decided it was a little too dangerous.

Dessa was perfectly behaved. She just sat on the ground and colored her new books. Nothing seemed to faze her. It was cute.

We had a picnic on a pink tablecloth, in the dirt, beside the cars. I have some great pictures. I will try to get them posted. It was interesting making sandwiches on the tailgate of the truck while cars are whizzing past. Definitely something to remember.

The drive through Colorado was so beautiful. We chose that route so we would have something better than just flat to look at and it was so worth it. The mountains were fabulous. There were some neat tunnels we had to go through and I got to see the famous "Vale" area. Let me tell you, the architecture of those buildings in that high end ski area is amazing! There was so much to look at, which was hard because I was driving.

The weather through those mountains was crazy. We started out in all sun. We could see some storm clouds out in the distance, but nothing major. As we kept going, we saw the tops of the peaks were in fog. It looked really neat. Then, we started getting closer to the fog. Suddenly we were in the fog. It sprinkled a little, but nothing too bad. It got cold real fast though. I think it got down under 40 for awhile. The fog looked really neat, but it was spooky trying to drive in it. There were moments when we couldn't even see the truck Steve was driving in front of us.

Because of the delays, we didn't get into the motel in Colby KS until after 9pm. It was a long day, but pretty good all around.

Child Dilemma

I am having a small problem with Annee. I don't know for sure how to handle it. She has missed a lot of school this year from being "sick". I want to be able to trust her, and let her stay home if she is sick. It is just so often lately.

She is so much like me it is scary! In grade school, I would constantly call mom to have her pick me up. I was "sick" a lot. Mine was headaches. Annee's is her stomach. I was thinking this morning, after she told me she was throwing up again, that maybe I need to ask her to prove it. I know, gross, and I don't want to think that she is lying about it. I just don't know what to do.

I took her to the doctor a few months ago for this problem, and he thought she may have reflux. She has been on medication for it, and it seemed to be working well. Now all of a sudden this week, she is sick again. I am already taking her to the doctor tomorrow for a nervous tick she has, so I will ask him about that also.

I don't want to think she is being dishonest. It is just hard when I know what I did growing up. Maybe I'll just approach her that way. Or maybe, I'll just start taking her to grandma's when she is sick and not let her stay home alone. That might work. Although I have to say that it is actually good this week because mom is so sick right now (a nasty cold, not the same as Annee). When mom is feeling better though, maybe that will be the new policy, to have any sick child stay with her. I know Annee loves to stay home alone, so that may fix the problem right there.

Snowing in mid April...

I am sitting alone here in the office at work, completely bored again, when I look behind me out the windows. It is snowing on the new tulips outside. And not just a few tiny flakes either. It is almost white-out conditions! Winter is really hanging on this year. I don't ever remember it snowing like this in mid April. I know we get fluke snowstorms through June sometimes, but it is usually little light stuff, mostly slushy. These are huge flakes that it looks like is starting to stick a little.

Of course, it won't stay around long. The ground has been too warm. In fact, on Monday it was almost 70 degrees outside. Utah weather is so bizarre! (Edit, this is a picture taken in Magna on 4/15/09...weird huh?!)

Stupid, stupid, stupid

I have made a huge mistake. I can't believe I didn't think about it first. Sheesh.

Sandie has been asking me for awhile now if Dessa could spend the night. I have just ignored her calls for awhile, not wanting to tell her no but not wanting Dessa to go. So this last time, I emailed her letting her know that I don't want Dessa spending the night with Guilee anymore. I mentioned how atrocious her behavior was at Leatherby's, how I don't like the example Dessa gets with her.

She replied back how hurt she was by that and how I have been slowly cutting them (the Smith's) out of the kids' lives. She said it wasn't fair if I didn't get along with Randy to take it out on them.

I replied back that actually, Randy and I have been getting along pretty well lately. I told her that he knows I won't be attending any more Smith get together's, but if he wants to take the kids, he is more than welcome to. I asked for her understanding that I just wanted what was best for my kids.

Oops. Wrong thing to say. Now that I think of it, it does sound like a huge insult to all the Smiths. So she replied back: "I am more than hurt. I am angry. What are you trying to protect your kids from? Their family? The people who have loved and cared for them since the moment they were born? The people who have always been there for YOU? It isn't fair Jenn. I know Guilee is a spoiled brat at times but her life hasn't been any easier than any of your children. She not only has had her parents divorce but lost a baby brother very recently. It has been a difficult year for all of us and now she just lost her favorite cousin, her best friend. What is all this about???? If you and Randy are getting along, what did we do? The Smiths? What did I do? What did Guilee do besides be a kid? A lost, hurt kid?"

All right, so I shouldn't have said anything more than I didn't want Dessa to spend the night with Guilee. Now I have opened a whole can of worms I wasn't meaning to. But really, I have a beef with some of what she said. (I will not be responding to her, as obviously it can only lead to more bad feelings.) When she says Guilee lost a baby brother, he died in utero at about 7 months. Guilee never knew him. I know, it is still a hard thing, but really. Get over it all ready. She has a brand new baby brother that was just born last month! And she says Guilee's life hasn't been any easier than any of my children's? That is exactly the point!! I am trying to make my kids' lives better! They have gone through a whole ton and don't need any more drama than is necessary. I wish I could tell her the number of times I have had to calm down a sobbing Annee right after seeing their family. Maybe she would understand.

I know anything else I say will only make it worse now, so I will refrain. But I can not see how she can say they have always been there for me. Yes, they have included me in family functions. However, I have not felt like one of the family for many years. She lives with her ex-husband for heavens sake. How can she possibly understand how it might feel to someone with a more moral, stable life to associate with the drama that the Smith's bring?

Ok, now I am really riled up. I shouldn't have said anything. Hind sight you know. UGH!! I just feel like screaming. (Unfortunately I am at work and can't.)

On a lighter note; long story, but a resident came in today bringing applications for new occupants in the house she leases from us. One of them was declined because of felony charges. Andrew told her, and she said, "what is a felony?" ?! When he showed her our company policy on criminal charges, she asks, "so where do all the criminals live?"

That made Andrew and I laugh for a good long time. She thought murder was the only felony! Andrew had to explain what other types of felony's there were, without disclosing what the applicant failed for. It was way funny that he had to explain this to a girl in college.

Can we say foot in mouth?

Oh my gosh. I am dying here. In our office, we have two desks in the main office and then the manager (Cindy) has her office to the side through double doors. She can see one of the desks from her desk, but not if a prospective resident, or resident for that matter, is sitting in front of the desk.

So here's the story. My co-worker, DJ, has spent the last hour or so showing a prospective resident everything we have available. She kept coming back in the office to see check things because he didn't like what she was showing him. One time, he was asking her if she knew anywhere nearby that had studios available. When she came back from showing him the last apartment, she sat at the desk and he across from the desk. Neither one said anything and she just started typing on the computer.

This is when Cindy says from her office "So, DJ, you just wasted all that time with the guy and he only wants a studio?" ??!!

I almost lost it right there. He just kind of glanced in the direction of the office, and when I looked at DJ, she said "I think she is talking to you." I had no idea what to do!!! The guy obviously knew who DJ was.

DJ kept her cool and finished with the guy. (She spent another 20 minutes printing out floor plans and giving him prices to see if he liked anything.) As soon as he walked out, she looked at me and we both just gave each other a look like "OH MY GOSH!"

I thought we had lost the guy right there. Luckily, he lives at another property Zions manages in Ogden, so he let it slide. If I were him, I would have said something and just walked out.

Amazing what some people say...

Twilight Crazy

Ok, if you can't tell from my new background, I am a complete Twilight fan. I love the movie and I love the books even more. I was bored at work (again) and I found the coolest Twilight backgrounds. So I will be playing with them for the next little while. At least until I find my next new obsession....Mwahhaha! :)

Fun Weekend

This weekend was a blast! We had GNI on Friday at Steph's house and a surprise 30th birthday party for Jason on Saturday night.

Of course, GNI is always fun. We shared some of our favorite things of 2008 with each other. It was great to learn of some new things to try and resources available. I got to take home a spray bottle with olive oil. Steph says if you use it instead of lotion, your skin is prettier and healthier. It must work, because I have noticed lately that her legs look great. Um, not that I am looking or anything, but moving on...

We played Loaded Questions. It is so fun to try and guess what people are thinking. My family really surprises me sometimes. Then of course, there are the obvious ones, like when someone wrote her mood was "polka dotted slap happy pink". We knew immediately who that was. :) I absolutely love hanging out with my sisters and mom. We have so much fun together.

Then on to Jason's party Saturday night. He was totally surprised, because Jenn is such a good liar and had a nice web of fibs woven to trick him. His face when he walked in was priceless. We all brought "gag" gifts to help him age better, such as nose hair trimmers, hair dye, magnifying glasses, and plenty of bathroom paraphernalia. I have to say, Jason has come to have a great sense of humor. I remember a time he would have absolutely died of embarrassment at some of the gifts. But he was the best sport, using them and just laughing along with the rest of us. Josh shocked me too. He wrote Jason a great poem. It was really good. It talked about how Jason scared him growing up and how their relationship has developed over the years.

We played Guitar Hero, Wii Sports, and Mario Kart, along with Family Feud and Pictionary. We found out that dad is really good on the drums! It was his first time playing them, and he did very well. Most everyone had some problems getting the hang of them, but dad stepped in and started rocking right away. He has grown so much in the last few years. I have to thank my wonderful outgoing sister-in-laws for that I think. They have taught him to open up and not be afraid to try new things. However, he did try and leave before his turn on Pictionary. I think his epic "monkey-space-creature" he created on one of our Wolf Creek Weekends a few years ago has left him traumatized. We weren't lucky enough to be graced with another such creation. But it was so fun to see dad (and everyone else for that matter) have such a great time.

I had the kids spend Saturday night with the Inkley's. It was good not to have to worry about coming home early. I picked up Dessa at about 9 am yesterday, and it was just me and her until the other two got home around 9 pm. We had a lot of fun. She watched some movies with me, (including Twilight!!!) we played some cards, and just spent time together. I really need to try and do this with each of the kids more often. It was a lot of fun being just me and her for the day.

I have to say it again, I have the best kids in the world!

Totally Bored

I am at work, and there is nothing to do! I should be grateful because yesterday was very busy, but I hate how slow it is and how it makes the day go by so slow also. It is not even lunch time yet and I feel like I should be going home.

I am getting over the worst cold I have had in a long time. Actually, I have to admit that except for my stomach issues, (which usually only last one day), I have been very healthy. I can't even remember the last time I had a cold. This one had me down and out for 3 1/2 days. I went home early on Thursday, and pretty much didn't get out of bed much until yesterday for work. I really wanted to stay home, as I am still not completely over it. However, I did feel a lot better at the end of the day than at the beginning. I am totally exhausted though. I keep coughing and I sound like a frog. Not too bad though overall.

The kids are off track again. I felt so bad because I had to take away their privilege's yesterday so they couldn't play games at mom's. They earned them back though, so today they were toting a bunch of stuff to play with. I am glad it the weather is so good. They can spend a lot of time outside.

I have a busy weekend coming up. I have GNI on Friday at Steph's. It is going to focus on our favorite things of '08. I am going to have to think about it for awhile though. Most of my favorite things can't be shared easily, and she wants us to share them.

Then I have a get together on Saturday night. I am really looking forward to getting out. The kids are going to spend the night at Olivia and Jake's house, so I can stay out as long as I want to. I really need the break.

Speaking of breaks; the kids and I are going to join mom and dad in helping Steph and Josh move to Illinois in May. Then from there, we are going to Wisconsin to have a memorial service for Aunt Ruth with mom's family. I am so excited to be able to meet them. It is unfortunate circumstances bringing us together, but it will be good all the same. Aunt Linda will fly up, as well as several of mom's brothers I think. The only one I have met other than Ruth and Linda is Uncle Richard. I haven't seen him in years though. (Okay, so I met Grandma Giese when I was 2 or 3, and Rita when I was 5 or so I think. But I can not remember them at all, so it doesn't count.) I think it will be great for the kids to meet the Giese side of the family. I know they forget they have a Giese side, as they very rarely see or hear from them. It will be a great trip. I am a little worried though about all 6 of us fitting in dad's truck for that long drive. I love road trips, but it is going to be a little crowded. It will be a blast though.

I've spent almost 15 minutes on this, and there is still nothing to do. I think it is time to get my book out. I have started bringing a book everyday because of how slow it has been. I hate not doing anything and getting paid for it, but we have done every little project we can think of. I hope yesterday's busyness is a sign of things to come. We really need to get these empty apartments leased!