Christmas

Christmas Eve we drove down early in the morning to catch Dave and Charlene before they went up to her parents. The kids were very excited to see everyone and they totally got the idea of presents this year. It was more exciting for me as a mommy too to see them enjoying themselves. We then went to my Mom's house to hang out the rest of Christmas Eve. My mom has a tradition of opening all gifts to each other on Christmas Eve and then doing stockings and Santa gifts Christmas morning. They were very blessed even though everyone was tight financially. Sam was excited because he got some new tracks for his Hot Wheels. Evie got various princess type things and Melody gave her some beaded necklaces, bracelets, and earrings which she wore all day and then promptly lost or broke. LOL The joys of Christmas.

Christmas morning they played with all their new toys while we waited for Dianne and Stephanie to come over. We then opened all our Santa gifts and the stuff from them. We spent the rest of the day hearding and supervising children while they played with all their stuff. After a nice meatloaf for dinner we decided to just drive home so we could all sleep in our own beds. The kids crashed on the way home and slept through the night after all the hard playing. Overall it was a very fun weekend and one I think we will remember for quite a while.

Good News

Yesterday afternoon we finally heard from Dwayne's new boss about his salary for moving to Denver. Instead of offering him a raise they offered him a promotion. With the new promotion comes a huge pay raise. We will be making $15,000 more a year. That is huge and almost doubles what I was bringing in with my little part-time job. This news has been a huge relief and has lessened so much stress for us. So it looks official that we are going to Denver. We still don't have a set time line yet for moving but it looks like we are still heading for Feb 1st to be out there. Considering this is Christmas week, it will be next week before we can start lining things up with the moving companies, etc. I've also let my work know that next week will be my last week working. That will leave me available in January to get moved and packed and do all the things I still need to do.

I probably won't write again for a few days as we are traveling back to Oregon this weekend to spend time with family for Christmas. The kids are so excited to open all their presents. I'm so grateful we were able to do things for them this year and get gifts for each other. God has definately had his hand on our lives. Though it was a little tough there for a while. I think it makes the other side that much sweeter. Please pray that our transition will go smoothly.

Colorado It Is

Dwayne and I flew out to Denver Wednesday morning. My cousin Talia was very kind in babysitting my kids for two days while we went out on our scouting expedition. Sheri was able to drop us off at the airport and our plane was on time. Though we did get a little confused about which gate we needed to be at. Because it wasn't labled well we almost missed it but it worked out in the end. Getting through security is much easier than it used to be too. I haven't flown since shortly after 9/11 when everything was so ridiculous on what was allowed or not allowed. We read up on the regulations before we flew and had everything ready. I was even allowed to take my embroidery scissors through without even a blink of an eye.

We arrived in Denver to clear sunny skies and brown coloring wherever you look. Winter in Denver is not pretty. There wasn't even any snow to give it a winter wonderland kind of feeling. We got our rental car and with me clutching the map and attempting to be the navigator we proceeded into our new prospective home city. Luckily, we found the hotel without too much trouble. ProBuild put us in a Hilton in the tech area so it was a nice place. The hotel gives out free cookies in the evening and a free newspaper in the morning. We felt a little out of place but it sure was nice to be doted upon a little. And Dwayne and I hadn't had alone time in quite a while. After a quick bite in the hotel restaurant, Dwayne went off to his meeting while I dinked around the hotel. He came back so much more relaxed and calm. It was nice to see him not quite so stressed about the whole thing. I was a little frustrated though because they still haven't given him a firm deadline or salary. After a little talking though we decided that no matter what the money offer is, we will be moving. The choice before us is a for sure job with company paid moving expenses, or no job and only 3 weeks pay as compensation. With the job market the way it is right now, it just doesn't make sense to give up a sure thing. Dwayne's boss took us out to dinner at an expensive restaurant that evening. Company paid of course.

The next morning we woke up and got ready to run around town with the realtor. She had a few places lined up but there wasn't much available in our price range in the areas we wanted to look. The culture is a bit different in Denver than we are used to here in the NW. Because Denver is such a city of professionals and Denver is a city where many corporations have their corporate offices, the city is more "upper crust." Money is a bit more available and people have more of it. There are very few middle class houses available for rent. You can either afford a really expensive and nice house or you own a condo or live in an apartment community. There isn't many places for the people in between. The suburb that does have them, we found out, is considered the "ghetto" and not the place we would want to live. And until we lived there a bit and discovered the bad places on our own, I wanted to make sure we would be fairly safe. So we found a really nice apartment in the town I had my heart set on living in called Parker. Apparently, 80% of ProBuild workers live in Parker and it was highly recommended. When I visited the town website, I got excited as well. The town seems to be very nice with lots of community events. It is considered a suburb of Denver but far enough away to still have a small town feel to it. Douglas county also has the best schools in the state. I figured if worse came to worse and I had to send the kids to public school, I wanted it to be in a good area. Dwayne will only have about a 15-20 min drive to work.

Our realtor was from Seattle so she was very helpful in answering our questions and what we could expect as northwesterners coming to live there. The elevation will take some getting used too. People get a little bit of elevation sickness. I felt it a little while I was there but it wasn't too bad. Browsing throughout the day rather than large meals and lots and lots of water takes care of the worst of it. Also, Denver is very very dry compared to the NW. She said that was the hardest part to get used to. So I'll need to make it a habit to use moisturizer more often to combat that dryness. But the plus side is that I get over 300 days of sunshine to enjoy. Looking around was a bit weird for us. Everything is so open and spacious. I'm used to trees or hills or mountains or shrubbery blocking my view of things. You get the Rocky Mountains on one side and nothing on the other. People seemed very open and accepting the idea of my homeschooling the kids out there. Even the state-created welcome to Denver book had a section on homeschooling as a viable education choice and resources to help you get started. After some research, I found out that Colorado's schooling laws state very clearly that the parents are responsible and have the right to choose whatever education they feel best meets the needs of the child. Because of that, all of the schools in the Denver area have an "open" policy. You can pick whichever school you want for your children to go to, pending room of course. They have a wide variety of private, charter, public, online, and homeschooling options available. It is refreshing to talk about my choices without feeling defensive about my decision or feeling like I have a stigma attached to me as one of "those" parents. The state is largely Rupublican with Denver of course being more Democratic. But being a "big business" type of city it doesn't seem to be too far left. At least from what I have perceived so far.

Friday was spent traveling. We went to the airport far too early not sure how security was going to go. Our flight was uneventful and we even arrived in Portland early. We quickly grabbed the kids and headed home. Today I spent working all day while Dwayne caught up on laundry. So that is where we are at the moment. More decisions really can't be made until Monday and even then many people won't be available as it is Christmas week. I have a sinking sensation that we will be on pause for a couple weeks and then it will be a hurry up and rush kind of January. Please keep us in your prayers that we can find renters for our house quickly to help us get out of our lease and that our moving will be mostly uneventful.

We Have Water!

We finally got water Saturday afternoon. It was such a relief after 4 days of no water. Luckily, Dwayne's boss let us borrow 3 7-gallon containers full of water. Dianne was up to visit and very lovingly washed all our dishes for us. I thought that was very nice. We managed to make her some cupcakes and give her a birthday gift since her birthday is today. Friday, I got to take a shower. Dwayne's work has a shower facility since they have a small workout room for employees. I managed to sneak in there and use it. It was great to be clean after 3 days. We also had the ProBuild company Christmas party to go to that night. There was no way I was going to the party without a shower so I was very grateful they let me use it.

The party was kind of quiet and had a desperate feel to it. They lost so many employees this year. It was definately smaller. They did have a few door prizes but not as many as years past. They had maybe 10 prizes total. We did win something though! (Of course, not the things I wanted.) We got a George Foreman quesadilla maker. When they said a George Foreman and then Dwayne's name I groaned. I knew that I would never use the sandwich maker. When he brought it back to our table though and we got to look at it, I got excited. I'll actually use the quesadilla maker. I like quesadillas and they are something the kids will eat but I don't make them too often because I overfill them so much and the filling spills out all over the pan. Now we will be having quesadillas often!

Just to let everyone know, I won't be sending out Christmas cards until after the holidays and we have moved. I was going to send some out because I didn't last year but with the transition to Denver, I've got so much going on right now. Once we get moved and settled in our new home, I will send out a family newsletter and let you guys know what is going on and where we are at.

I probably won't write anything more here on the blog until after we get back from our scouting trip. We leave tomorrow afternoon to take the kids to Talia's who so graciously offered to watch our kids for us while we are gone. We then fly out Wed. morning. We will be back Fri afternoon but have to grab the kids and head home that night. I have to work Sat. morning. Please pray that we find a great place to live and Dwayne gets offered a killer raise.

No Water

Well, yesterday we woke up to it being about 6 degrees outside and our pipes frozen. We so rarely have this freezing cold up in the northwest that I didn't think about the possibility of no water and didn't take simple precautions like letting a faucet or two keep dripping. But of course we are now regretting it. Our toilets are full of stuff we can't flush, the sink and dishwasher is filled with dirty dishes, I have to get very creative with dinner, and to the kids' horror, I can't make them any juice. Most of the advice we have recieved says to put a space heater in the crawl space and let the pipes warm up that way. Dwayne made a trip to Home Depot yesterday since that is one thing we didn't have. Luckily he was able to find one of the last ones available for about $20. We had it running under the house last night but it got so cold, I don't think it did much except keep the worst of the cold at bay. I'm hoping today it will get warm enough above freezing to unlock the pipes and we can see if there is any damage. I'm debating on whether or not I should call the landlord and demand she get a plumber out here to help us. As tenants we have the right to water, however, if we can suffer through it for a day or two, the forcast says it should warm back up to above freezing temperatures. I may just buckle down and buy enough water to at least get a flush or two out of the toilets and make the kids some juice. If I don't see any results by tomorrow, I'll probably be calling the landlord.

In work news, I finally started hearing from Dwayne's company yesterday regarding moving stuff. I was relieved to finally start seeing some progress but a little overwhelmed with everything that was being thrown at me as I received all the information within a couple of hours. But I have a contact person for everything relocation related and what is covered or not covered in Dwayne's policy. The realtor should be lined up today and we have our plane and hotel reservations. So it is official, we will be flying out to Denver next Wednesday for a company paid scouting mission. Please pray that things fall into place easily and it is very clear that this is the direction God wants us to take. Career-wise it makes sense so we are moving forward unless something tells us to stop.

It looks like we are moving.

Well, it looks like we are officially moving to Denver. Dwayne put in a counter offer to the company on Friday and didn't get a rejection out of hand but a we'll see what we can do. So we know we are going to get a raise of some kind. That is really exciting. We are flying out on the 16th-18th to do a scouting expedition. Thankfully, Talia has agreed to watch the kids those few days so we can go. It will be a good opportunity for them to get to see and know the kids before we have to take off for real. We should be getting a lot more information next week to help us line up some places to look at, the moving company we need to call, when we really need to be out there, etc. It is going to be an interesting juggle to get everything lined up just right. If worse comes to worse though, Dwayne can fly out and start working and the kids and I will drive out to meet him. My biggest concern is just going to be finding a place to live. Once I have a place to go, the rest of the stuff in my brain will work out no matter the timeline.

So I've been doing a little research about Denver. It should be a really nice city to live in. It is within a couple of hours from the ski slopes (though I don't ski), it has more city parks per capita then any other city, has lots of museums and other cultural stuff to discover, and the most important, a new zoo to discover! It also has one of the best pediatric hospitals in the country, you know, just in case the worst happens. Denver has on average 300 days of sunshine a year, though not all of those sunny days are warm. LOL I don't know what I'm going to do with all the sunshine. Melt probably. It does get snow but locals say that it usually melts pretty fast in the city. You might get only one or two storms a year that shuts things down for a couple of days but the rest of the time it is manageable and the city keeps on working just fine. Though the snow does stay and stick around obviously in the nearby mountains. The views are breathtaking and Denver works really hard on its pollution and clear air policies so you actually get to see those beautiful mountains most of the year.

So there are many things to look forward to and I'm actually starting to get excited. I think I'll get more excited once a few more things line up but this should be a fun and exciting adventure.

Colorado!?

This last week has been fine. Just the same routine of cooking, working, harnessing the kids, etc. Then out of the blue yesterday Dwayne calls me and asks if I am ready to move to Denver. I was silent for a few seconds waiting for the punchline and nothing was forthcoming. "What? Really? Wait, what is going on?" He then told me that he would get more details in a half-hour or so when he was done with his conference call with HR. Apparently his boss has decided to accept a managerial position at a physical store. Because his requirements were to stay in the area because of his family, they allowed the team to stay on the west coast. Now that he is moving to a new position the rebates team will be relocated to Denver as the corporate office originally wanted. What this means is that Dwayne still has his job. They don't have any intentions of replacing him but he will be required to relocated to Denver. They have a very generous moving package to help us with that. If he decides not to relocate then all we get for compensation is 3 weeks of pay and some counseling to help find a new job. It's almost like if he would just quit the position. So technically, he isn't layed-off.

After the initial shock, my first thought was when do we have to move? I didn't even have too many questions on if we even should. I think we would be foolish to not take a position that is guaranteed and basically handed to us on a silver platter. Especially with the job market the way it is right now. I have too many friends and family who are struggling because they can't find any work. If we do this, it will be very very quickly. They anticipate having room for him at the latest Feb. 1st. So that gives me about 6-8 weeks to figure this out and get moved out there. I'm trying really hard not to freak out.

Dwayne is going to check out a couple local options today and then put in a counter offer to HR on Friday. They are offering to give him the same pay he is getting now. That would be 3 positions within the company that he would have not received any kind of raise. We are hoping to get at least $10,000 more a year because that will make up for the little bit I was bringing in with my part-time position. Please pray that they accept and we will be covered in that way.

So as of now, it looks like we are going to accept and be moving to Denver, Colorado in the middle of winter. How do I mentally prepare to move my family not just 2 hours drive away but two days? I will have to make sure we keep our communication lines open with the family. I'll do my darndest to keep up on the blog and I think I may check out Skype. Then the grandmas can talk to the kids over the internet and get to see them at the same time. Wow. I'm still in shock. I hope I know as early as the beginning of next week on what I need to do and whom to call. I hate not knowing my path and what I should be doing.

Thanksgiving Weekend

Mom and Melody came up to spend Thanksgiving with us. We had a great time. I spent Wednesday preparing all the baked goods I could ahead of time. I made Pecan pie, carrot cake for Dwayne's birthday cake and then I made butternut squash soup. As I was adding the last bit of cream into the soup and then letting it heat up, it started splattering all over the place. I go running into the kitchen to turn the soup down and pull it off the heat and a freak splatter managed to get past my big cheeks, up under my glasses and hit me in the eye! Luckily, my eyelid closed in time or it would have hit me directly in the eye. The soup was hot enough to scald the first layer of skin from my eyelid and just underneith my eye. The soup wasn't really really hot yet and if it had hit me anywhere else on my body, I think I would have just had a little pink spot. But because the tissue around the eye is so sensitive and soft, it scalded immediately. So now I have a nice red scabby patch under my eye and on my eyelid. But at least I have a great story to tell. The soup tasted great too!

Thursday morning, I got the turkey in the oven and started to prepare Thanksgiving dinner. One thing I always run into is the lack of oven and oventop space to heat and prepare all the variety of dishes I want to prepare. I ran across a couple of tips that made my life a little easier this time around. I prepared the mashed potatoes a couple hours ahead of time and then put them in my crockpot on the warm setting to keep them fresh for dinner. It worked out great! The potatoes didn't dry up or anything and tasted like I had just made them. I also, like I said, made many things ahead of time on Wednesday. The turkey has to sit a little anyway after cooking before carving, which leaves me just enough time to throw the dressing and rolls in the oven to bake for half an hour. I made sure the rolls and dressing were in their pans ready to toss in the oven the minute the turkey came out to help minimize the wait time for the hungry folks waiting on dinner. While those are cooking, I whipped up the gravy and then we were set. It was fun to cook for my mom and show her that I was paying attention sometimes when she tried to show me the fine art of cooking. :)

Friday, Saturday, and Sunday I had to work. As most of you know, it is the biggest shopping weekend of the year for many retailers so I had no option on whether I had to work or not. Luckily, I didn't have to go in until noon on Friday so I got to visit a little before taking off. They spent most of the time letting the kids fight/play and braved the crowds to do a little shopping at Walmart. It sounds like Mom and Melody got some of their Christmas shopping done and Dwayne got the kids their first Santa picture. I don't think it turned out very well at all. They weren't very interested in sitting on some strange man's lap and I can't blame them.

So now I'm tired after working hard all weekend. I'm glad I got to see Mom and Melody and Aiden as little as I did but I really really wished I had more time with them. However, I am extremely grateful to have the job and it is so wonderful to have most of my Christmas shopping done and the money to be able to get them. Overall, I would say it was a nice weekend, and I look forward to heading down to Oregon around Christmas to see all the family again.

Thanksgiving plans

Well, I have been menu planning and getting excited about Thanksgiving. Because I work in retail, I will have to work the entire Black Friday weekend. Because of that, I get to have my normal working days of Tues. and Wed. night off. I'm extremly grateful, as I have lots of cooking plans in the works. We get a free turkey from Dwayne's work every year so that is one expense I don't have to worry about. I went shopping at Wal-Mart by myself Friday night and was able to get all the stuff I wanted and needed for Thanksgiving as well as knock out a few Christmas gifts while I was there. I have plans to make homemade Pecan Pie, a birthday cake for Dwayne, turkey, dressing, corn, olives, homemade gravy, and of course, mashed potatoes. I also have plans to make a butternut squash soup for an appetizer. After all these plans, I did a head count of who was coming. Only 4 adults and 3 toddlers. LOL At least I'll have leftovers for the rest of the week!

Yesterday Dwayne and I went shopping at my work before I had to check in and pretty much knocked out the rest of the Christmas shopping. It is pretty easy this year as we are only getting the most immediate family a gift. The rest of you will just have to settle for Christmas cards this year. But I have found that as I get older, I don't care about the gifts so much anymore. I just really like the cooking, family gathering, and some house decorating. I think the traditions mean more to me now then any gifts I might be getting. In fact, Dwayne and I have cut way down on what we have bought the kids this year too. Just one big gift and a few stocking stuffers. Jesus only had 3 gifts so that is good enough for us right? I'm so happy to have most of it done. I still have to figure out something for Evie though. It is hard to decide what she is into. She is almost always just wanting to do what Sam is doing. Maybe I'll find her her own pink car.

Sooooo Tired

Well, Evie has started to wake up every night around 3 or 3:30 am and insist on getting up over and over and over again. Crying about wanting to sleep anywhere else than in her own bed. When she discovers that doesn't work, she cries because she lost her nook, or she has to go potty again, or can she sleep in Sam's room? It all started because we let her sleep in Sam's room a couple of night's when the rain was really bad. The drainspout just outside her room would make a very very loud dripping and swirling noise when it was raining really hard. It would wake her up and scare her. So we placed her on the trundlebed in Sam's room to finish out sleeping during the night. Dwayne did finally fix the noise but since those nights she has been insisting on sleeping somewhere other than her room. Dwayne has been giving in and sleeping with her on the couch or pulling her into bed with us. I finally put my foot down last night. I just cannot sleep with the kids in the bed. I don't even let Dwayne touch me when I'm finally sleeping which is one of the reason's we have a king-size bed. I've finally decided that I'm just going to keep being consistent, even if I'm the one getting up all the time and putting her back to bed. I think if we show her she is not getting her way she will finally settle back into sleeping all night. I'm also considering not letting her nap a few days so she will be extra tired and maybe sleep all night that way too. Dwayne is thinking about taking away her nuk and just going for broke but I'm not so sure about that. I keep reading that kid's usually drop their nuks eventually on their own so I keep waiting for that. She only ever gets it when she is sleeping and most of the time when we check on her it is no longer in her mouth, once she is actually asleep.

Needless to say we are tired and a bit grumpy today. I have officially decided that I'm going to stay in my pj's all day with the kids and just be lazy for a day. I've got a raging headache and just need to chill. I think I might even have the hubby bring home some pizza so I don't have to cook either. I hope Evie breaks this cycle soon. I'm tired!

Training

I'm excited about a training that my workplace is offering. As many of you know, a good portion of Bibles created in this country is published by Zondervan. Well, Zondervan is offering a simple online training. After doing the first 5 modules, the employees get to pick one Bible valued up to $70 to pick. I've been eyeballing and really desiring, the Archeological Bible or maybe getting a Chronological Bible. I think either version would be fascinating to read. As if that wasn't enough though, after you finish all 9 modules, you get $100 worth of free products from their website. They have so much stuff that they sell. Books, movies, games, as well as the expected Bibles. That will be a blessing in disguise to knock out a few Christmas gifts this year. What is really nice is the modules range from 4 min to about 15 min to complete so we aren't talking about hours and hours of training. My boss said we had to finish it this week so she can get the order in and we can get the stuff in time for Christmas.

Other than that, everything has been the same around here. We are just plugging through every day. We did have a flu scare but luckily it has just turned into a minor cold. I was really worried that we had caught the flu and I am so grateful that it isn't. The kids are as cute as ever and I'm learning quite well the struggles of parenting an almost 4 year old. One minute he is the sweetest greatest kid in the universe and the next is a willful child with extra attitude. Spankings don't seem to be working well so I think I'm going to have to get creative and find a new punishment. What makes it extra interesting is he has the nerve to tell me "No" when I tell him to go to his room or timeout. I'll keep at it though, because I want to lay a good foundation for obediance, especially to our Father in Heaven. *Sigh.* I am so grateful God gave us so much love for our children because they can be quite trying at times. I'm trying not to think about how everyone tells me it only gets worse. LOL

So Busy

I have been so busy lately. I haven't had time to do anything really. I'm barely keeping up with the housework and Dwayne and I are still trying to figure out when to schedule family time with me working almost all weekend now. But I must admit, we are loving having the extra money. It has helped so much it is unbelievable. It is amazing how much you can do with an extra $500 a month!

The kids are doing well. I just took Evie in for her two year check-up on Friday. She is in the 90th percentile for her height and weight which is pretty consistent. She has been that way pretty much since birth. Otherwise she is doing great and healthy. We have been lucky enough so far to avoid all the flus going around and I was able to get her vaccinated for the seasonal flu and the swine flu. Since we were already at the doctor's office, I asked if we could get Sam vaccinated as well. They had enough vaccination for the seasonal but were out of the swine for his age range. At least he is protected from one of them! I figure he would probably deal with the swine flu better than Evie would anyway because he is older. When I told him he was going to get a shot he was a little worried. But the nurse came back with a nasal spray instead! I must say, Mommy and Sam were really really happy about that. But because they were both so good, the nurse gave them both popsicles. I don't think they think the doctor is so bad after that.

We decided to find new homes for the kittens. It just isn't working out with Dwayne's patience and I can't seem to keep up with the mess. I really was starting to love them and I miss them already but I think this is the best option for everyone. We have both decided that we aren't going to get anymore pets until we can have a place of our own that has a yard large enough. The kids will be older and hopefully more responsible as well. With me working now, we should be able to get caught up on our debt a little easier and in 3 or 4 years, we can get our own home again. At least that is the plan. We'll see.

Halloween

What to do for Halloween? It is one of those holidays that I have been conflicted over for years and now that we have kids I knew that Dwayne and I would have to come to some sort of conclusion. We both had been raised that Halloween was the "Devil's Holiday" and that we would not go trick-or-treating or celebrate it in any way. What made it more confusing though is we went to a "Harvest Party" at the local churches. Dwayne and I finally decided that no matter what title you put on it you are still celebrating the day and the holiday. Even Christmas has many rituals based in pagan traditions. After some long discussions we decided that we would not treat Halloween any different from any other holiday that comes and we celebrate. Just like anything you do it really has to do with the spirit that you are approaching the holiday from. As a family, we are going to celebrate it in more of a Harvest Festival sort of way. We will allow the kids to dress up and we are going to take them trick or treating. I am putting my foot down though and they will not be allowed to dress in anything scary or gory. No witches, gouls, skeletons, or serial killers. But that still leaves many options available. Princesses, super heroes, etc. will be totally acceptable.

With that decision finally decided at the last minute we weren't sure what to dress the kids up as this year. I didn't set any money aside for costumes. The mall where I work was having a trick or treating in a controlled "safe" environment and I really wanted to take them. Luckily, Dianne had been bringing/making dress up clothes for the kids so we had a few things we could pull together for them. Evie went as Peter Pan and Sam we dressed up as a cowboy. They both got so many comments about how great they looked. I think it was because the costumes were handmade and "real" vs. the expensive yet cheap-looking costumes that are so popular. At first they weren't sure what was expected of them but seeing that candy was involved, they were both pros with the asking and saying thank you by the end of the mall. We thought about hitting another section of mall and maybe going to our church also but I realized that Halloween is NOT going to be focused on how much candy we can get. They had plenty of candy and it was dinnertime and Evie hadn't had a nap. All these things added up to a short but sweet trick-or-treating session. Overall, we had a great time and I think it went really well for our first ever as a family.

Pictures

Sorry I am late in updating the blog. I've been a little busy with all the traveling and working we have been doing. I feel like I am playing catch up all this week. This past weekend we went down to Oregon to spend time with family and go to Terry's memorial service. We decided to drive down Friday after Dwayne got off work so we could get up early to enjoy the Oregon zoo on Saturday. Luckily, Dwayne was able to get off work around noon so we got an early start on our drive down. We stayed with Dave and Charlene so we got to see and visit them and their boys. It was a very nice weekend but I can't wait until Evie sleeps a little better at other's houses. She still wakes up frequently during the night. But then she has never been as good a sleeper as Sam.


Evie, Aiden, and Sam on a tractor at the zoo. Grandma Mary is holding up Evie because the boys didn't want to share their seat.

Another picture of the kids on some wooden horses in the barn at the zoo. Apparently this is a good accomplishment for Aiden as he was scared of these horses the last time he was there.

Lions are back at the zoo!!!!

I uploaded this picture because it was such a gorgeous fall day. The colors of the trees were beautiful, especially with the sun shining. The air was crisp but not too cold and all the animals were out and about because it wasn't so hot.

Here is a snapshot of Dianne's siblings and mom. Her dad passed away earlier this year.

Dwayne, his mom Dianne, Dave, and Stephanie.

Dianne loaded us up with lots of presents to bring home for the kids including new play hats and Evie got a whole set of different Disney princess shoes. Here is a picture showing her just loving the new shoes and hat. She is also carrying around the stuffed kitten we picked up at the zoo and she refused to let go of for several days.

We had a great time and even though it was semi-sad, the memorial service was fun too. We got to see so many family and friends that we hadn't seen in forever. Many of whom had never met our children yet. Dwayne was so proud showing off his family. Now I need to catch up on some badly neglected housework.

Sad News

We have been busy this week just working hard and getting through the sickness. I managed to pass my cold on to Dwayne so we have been dealing with him not feeling well. He did manage to decorate the pumpkins with the kids one evening while I was at work and I have to say they were very pretty. But instead of buying new paint I decided to use the paints I already had in the house. Well, the first night the pumpkins were on the porch it rained. The next morning all the paint was gone. I had forgotten that the paint I had them use was the Crayola washable paint. Oh well, the kids had fun anyway and so far (crosses fingers) they haven't caught the cold Dwayne and I had.

As most of you probably know, this past Sunday evening, Dwayne's stepdad Terry Morton passed away. He had been struggling for the past couple years with infections that he caught after having hip-surgery. He finally recovered and decided to move forward with having his second hip done. As many people know, however, once you get a real bad infection like he had, you are more succeptable to catching infections again. He seemed to be recovering fine but another infection snuck up on all of us and it shut down his organs. He died from that infection. We will be going down to Oregon this weekend for the memorial service and to hang out with family. The memorial service will be held at Life Church in Aloha this Sunday at 4:00 with a potluck to follow.

We all seem to be doing ok. Dianne is handling it the best she can. Her biggest concern right now is the finances. Without the disability that Terry was bringing in, she isn't sure she can make the mortgage payments on the house. So please pray that God will provide a solution for her in a timely manner so she doesn't have to worry about that. Our kids don't know that he is gone yet. I'm not sure how to approach it with them. It is a blessing and a curse that they are so young. They are finally figuring out who Grandpa was but I don't think they will have too many memories of him when they are older. Luckily, we have several good pictures. I think we are going to wait to bring it up when we go down this weekend. They will probably ask us after seeing everyone where Grandpa is at and we can tell them then that we won't be seeing him anymore because he is in heaven with Jesus. That seemed to work pretty good when we had to put my cat to sleep. Not exactly the same thing I know but it is something they can wrap their little brains around. With so many family members to distract them I don't think it will overly concern them too much. If only we were all so young and innocent at times, huh?

Anyway, thanks in advance to everyone for their prayers and condolences during this time. We will keep you posted on updates as they happen.

Pumpkin Patch

I woke up yesterday feeling clogged up and miserable but I knew that it would probably be the last sunny day for a while and I really wanted to go to the pumkin patch with the kids before I ran out of money. So I downed some cold medicine and away we went. It was fun watching the kids run around trying to pick the perfect pumpkins out of all the ones we could choose from. Sam insisted at first that we had to get a BIG pumpkin but I convinced him that little ones were best. The patch that we visited had animals you could look at and had slides and a corn maze but I had to be at work by noon so we had to pretty much pick our pumpkins and leave. Any energy I had in the morning was definately used up and I was dragging at work. But thanks to modern medicine I survived. Today though I am feeling pretty miserable. I've convinced myself that the house can wait and I'm going to relax as much as the kids will let me today. Hopefully tomorrow I'll be feeling better. So far the kids don't seem to be catching this cold that Dwayne and I had but I figure it is only a matter of time.

Shopping!

Dwayne got paid today and I was able to postpone a couple bills for a week knowing that I would be getting some money coming in. So with the new budget I was able to go shopping for things that we have been needing/wanting but unable to get because of budget constraints. Dwayne stayed home sick today so I grabbed Sam since he doesn't need a nap during the day and spent the day shopping with my son. It was so much fun! I was able to take my time and actually browse stuff and I have found that I have a new found respect for my money and what I should spend it on. I found lots and lots of things that I wanted to buy but instead of just getting it I took the time to realize that I didn't really need it. I got my haircut and a few new clothes to go with the new haircut for the new job, found a couple work shirts for Dwayne at a good price, and got some misc. things like a new razor and batteries. I was underbudget all day and I am so so proud of myself. Anyone who knows me and how I can spend money like crazy would be very proud of me. It was also exciting to try on some clothes and realize I needed a size smaller. This new job doesn't allow me to always eat regularly or I don't get the chance at all so I've been skipping some meals as well as being much much more active and it is showing! Yet another benefit to me having this job. I had so much fun spending some one on one time with Sam too. It is amazing how well-behaved my children are especially when they don't have each other to annoy and fight with. You can tell he reveled in the special time with mommy and came home with a new Hot Wheels for his good behavior. Overall, a very fun and exciting day. I haven't been able to shop like that for a long time and it was so much fun. Did I mention that I had fun? LOL

New Books

Working at the Christian bookstore is paying off already. I have a love of reading. Most of what I like to read unfortunately, are things strictly non-christian in nature. I love books of fantasy, sci-fi, thrillers, and to some degree horror. One of my frustrations as an avid reader and christian has been trying to find the books I like in a christian bookstore. Most of the fiction section seems to be covered in romance, finding love, living on a homestead kind of story. Don't get me wrong, those definately have their place and I know a lot of people (especially ladies) who love those types of books but they aren't my cup of tea. If they do have anyone in the store that runs into speculative fiction it is usually authors that have already proven themselves like Tolkien, CS Lewis, and Peretti. They are great authors but I've already read them all. I would like something new. So of course, I read the secular books that aren't necessarily good for me or God-fearing.

Well, last night I ran into a guy who told me he was an author. His first book will be published in April 2010 and he gave me his card. We started chatting a little bit and he told me he likes those kinds of books too. He also had the same frustrations I did about the lack of speculative fiction in christian bookstores. What I found out though is there are many authors out there who have written christian speculative fiction but most bookstores don't carry them because they haven't been proven big sellers. Thanks to a couple of series (Left Behind for one) and a couple of new authors (Ted Dekker) this thankfully is changing. But for our tastes to be more represented we have to demand and buy the types of books we are looking for. That still leaves the question of who these authors are and the titles of the books so we can look for and buy them. He had a friend who developed a website that lists all the christian speculative fiction writers along with their type. I checked it out this morning and it is very exciting. I plan on looking for these books right away and start reading. The website is http://wherethemapends.com/Booklist/booklist_intro.htm . While browsing the website I found out one of the authors is also developing a christian MMOPG. This is so exciting for me as I am a huge online game player. It isn't ready yet but you can see what has been developed so far and the progress of the game at http://www.foundationsofhope.com/foh_online.php .

The author who was so nice and gave me the information is named James L Rubart and his book Rooms will be released in April 2010. You can preorder it now on Amazon. He was very nice and so helpful so check him out if you get a chance. I am not getting any kind of compensation for this endorsement but just wanted to give him a shout-out for helping me out.

Nothing New

I haven't been doing much this week which is why I haven't written. We have just been trying to adjust to my new work schedule. The kids seem to have adjusted to me leaving really well. Especially since they get to stay with daddy. They give me kisses and hugs as I run out the door just like Dad does in the morning so they seem to think everything is fine.

They have been busy this week playing with all the new toys Evie got for her birthday. Sam loves having a new pile of things to sort and will spend hours moving toys from one bucket to another. Evie loves to go over and take one of "his" toys just to hear him squeal. I've caught her doing it and she gets a look that shows her perverse pleasure in making her brother scream. She is going to be my handful. I just know it.

Work is going well. I'm enjoying myself so much. Starting this week I get keys to the store and they are going to entrust me with closing by myself. I'm not sure if I am ready but it will be a nice challenge. It is weird working in a place that puts so much trust in their employees right from the start. Unlike the big corporations where you need to visit customer service just to buy a book of stamps. I sold my first huge statue yesterday and I get a little thrill of pleasure every time I sell a picture or plaque off the wall. I think this has been one of the best things for me. I don't feel so trapped and I like being able to socialize with adults again. Dwayne still needs some more adjustment I think. He is confident and great with the kids but he is unsure of some of his cooking skills and I can tell he misses me when I get home. He has taken to hovering around me while I eat my dinner, change my clothes, or start to relax from a long evening. I feel kind of bad because I have been so busy, I haven't had time to really think about him or the kids so the separation isn't as acute for me. But all in all, we seem to be adjusting well. We can't wait until the 20th when I get the first paycheck where we will actually feel the extra cushion in our finances. So hopefully, only a couple more weeks of struggling and skimpy meals and then we will start to see the benefits of this new arrangement.

Evie's Birthday

We had a wonderful weekend visiting family. We drove down Saturday after I got off work and stayed the night with my mom. Melody made some boats out of paper and popscicle sticks and we went to a local park Sunday morning to float them down the stream. The kids weren't sure what was going on but had fun following us adults chasing after the boats.

We actually caught them all in one picture!

We then went to Dwayne's parents house for a family potluck and a birthday party for Evie. If you can't tell by the decorations.......Dora was the theme for today.

She got her very own Dora kitchen!

And all the accessories to go with it.

Tired after a long and fun weekend.

Sam pretty much stayed drowsy-eyed the whole rest of the day. I guess that is what happens when you stay up 4 hours past your bedtime and then party hard the next day. LOL

Stars

I got home last night after a good evening at work and for some reason felt compelled to look at the sky. I opened my mouth in amazement at what I saw. There were stars all over the place twinkling at me with the big dipper big and bright. I can't remember the last time I just sat and looked at the stars. We usually have lived in a city where the city lights drown out all but the brightest stars or because we live in the great Northwest it is overcast probably 75% of the year so I couldn't see the stars anyway. So it isn't my habit to look up into the sky. I'm not sure what compelled me last night but it was so beautiful. We do live in a small town so there were a few lights prevening me from seeing them as well as I would like but it was gorgeous none-the-less. One thing that I hadn't noticed before is the big dipper is bigger and lower on the horizon up here. I wouldn't think that two hours north would make that big a difference in the sky but it does. I'm also thinking it is the season too. I don't usually get to see the constellations so clearly in the fall. Seeing all the stars was a great reminder of God's wondrous works. So next time you get clear skies take a moment to look at the stars. They sure are pretty.

First Day

Last night was my first day on the job. I think it went really well. It was freight day at the store so I pretty much was dumped right into the job of putting all the new stuff on the shelves. They figured it was a good way to learn the product and they were right! I already have a general sense of where most things can be found. I was shown the basics of the cash register but was unable to actually do anything on it because they don't have my passcodes ready. But they did have enough processed that I could sign in and out. I'm only earning minimum wage but since Washington has the highest min. wage in the country it isn't too bad. I worked up a sweat and thoroughly stank by the end of the evening. My feet, knees, and back hurt from all the lifting and just the fact that I was on my feet for 4 straight hours. But you know what? I'm really happy. I've forgotten how much I enjoy working (depending on what it is) and how lonely I have been. It was fun interacting with other adults and putting product out on the floor is just my cup of tea. I love the smell of new books and organizing things. (Now I know where Sam gets his organizing instinct from.) I get to go back tonight and then have a couple evenings off before the weekend. I think the hours will work out perfect. Just when I might be getting tired of working I'll get a couple days free and clear before the next round. I found out I get a crazy awesome discount too just in time for Christmas. 20% at first and then 40%! after 3 months. I'm excited that I get to surround myself in Christian authors and items. After one evening I've already got an appreciation for the variety of authors and items available that can appeal to all different types of people. I'm looking forward to learning more.

Spring Cleaning in the Fall

Yesterday we did some regular cleaning and then relaxing the rest of the day. That evening we had to serve at church. We managed to grab some dinner and came home to a relaxing evening. Today has been another story. I got an extremely good night's sleep so I decided it was time to go through all the kids' toys, books, etc. We cleaned every corner, pulled blocks and puzzle pieces out of every nook and cranny and put all the toys to rights. If it was broke and wouldn't/couldn't be put together again easily it went in the garbage. We even convinced Sam to give his large collection of Toddler size soft cars to all the "babies" at church. We promised him he would be getting all kinds of Hot Wheels soon to make up for all the lost cars he was donating to church. I even took the time to go through all the kids' clothes and get rid of things torn, stained, or getting small. Then I went through all their clothes in storage and pulled out their next sizes and just cleaned up things in general. It felt so good to be purging all the stuff. Especially since we have been warned by Dianne that for Evie's birthday this weekend she would be getting a small kitchen with all the accessories that go with it. We needed the space for new toys.

But I wasn't done there. Once the kids' rooms were purged and cleaned up I decided to change up things in the living room and kitchen. I had my sewing and craft stuff in the living room and the small dining table in the nook in the kitchen. We decided to switch the two areas. So now our dining table is in a section of the living room and all my sewing and craft things are in the nook in the kitchen. I think it will work out so much better and the living room feels less cluttered. I'm now taking a break but I need to go through all my school and sewing stuff and get those areas cleaned up. Maybe this afternoon. We'll see how I feel after a break and Evie wakes up from her nap.

I got it!

I got a call yesterday afternoon as I was getting ready to go to my interview to find out that the managers were running late coming from Oregon and could we postpone my interview to 7:00? I was a little dissapointed because it was one more delay from a final decision but actually it would work out better. Dwayne wouldn't have to come home early and I would have time to get the dinner on the table.

Finally the appointed time came and I went down to the restaurant they wanted to interview me at. To make a long story short, the interview went extremely well and at the end of it they officially offered me the position. I was so relieved I started crying. Luckily, the ladies were very nice and understanding. It is such an answer to prayers. They are even willing to stick me with only evenings and weekends so I can stay home with the kids. The evening shift starts at 3:30 or 4:oo so we will have to figure out babysitting for an hour or two once or twice a week but so far, Dwayne's boss seems ok with the idea of Dwayne flexing his hours a little so he can come home to watch the kids. That would be the ideal situation and I hope we can do that long term. The store closes at 8 pm so I can still come home and spend a little time with Dwayne before bedtime. The hours will even allow me to continue with my desire to homeschool the kids. It is so perfect I can hardly believe it.

Thank you to everyone for your support these past few months and all of your prayers. I definately felt God's hand on this one and know it was with all of your help. I look forward to writing about more cheerful things in the future instead of posts full of worry and problems.

Interviews

Well I passed the second interview phase. The manager called me on the phone two hours after the scheduled time but hey, at least she called. She then asked me formal interview questions over the phone. I feel like I answered them well because she seemed pretty excited about some of my responses. When it was all over she then informed me that I still had to do a couple more things before a decision could be made. I had to have yet another interview. This one in person with the regional manager. Apparently, the local managers cannot make the final hiring decisions and I would need to make it down to the store again before the next interview to fill out an official application. So far, they have just been working off my resume.

Yesterday afternoon I received a phone call that my interview would be scheduled for today at 4:30 pm. But get this. I won't be just meeting the local and regional manager for the interview. The owner of the company is also in town and he will be joining the interview panel. I have never worked so hard for a minimum wage job in my life! Talk about sending people through the gauntlet. I went in last night after Dwayne got home to fill out the application and met a couple more employees. I asked the question on if they knew of any other applicants and they said no. I was the only one that they knew of. Woo hoo! So as long as I don't screw up the interview in some crazy way this afternoon it sounds like the job is mine. I really hope this is the final hurdle and I can start working soon.

Busy Busy

I just realized that another week has passed and I haven't written anything on the blog. What have I been doing this past week? Pretty much the same ole same ole. Whenever I'm not cleaning house, playing with the kids, making dinner, or playing on the computer, I've been checking ads for jobs. I've even started to venture my explorations to daytime work in the hopes that if that is what is supposed to happen in our lives then God will provide an awesome daycare for the kids. So far I've had no hits and I've been having a hard time with it. I want to have faith that God will provide and I know he does because we have been living on his provision for the last couple of years but I'm tired of being gracious and humble when accepting everyone's charity. I know this is just a season but I'm hitting a low point. Don't worry though. I tend to bounce out of these moments pretty quickly and will be my positive self again soon.

Friday morning I was checking jobs again and decided to do some blind calling at the outlet mall in Centralia. Of course, everyone was not hiring at the moment but would be happy to accept an application on file. One store said that they will be hiring holiday help in a couple of weeks. The last place I called was the Christian Supply store. (Don't ask me why it wasn't the first. I have no clue how my brain was working that day.) I was shocked when she said that they were in fact looking for some evening and weekend work. Could this be the answer to our prayers? They don't accept applications but would only take a resume in person so they can meet potential applicants face to face. She would be there until 3pm that day. I got extremely excited and wracked my brain trying to figure out what to do with my kids. I then remembered my new friend. I had done a favor previously and she owed me one so to speak. I called her up and she was available to watch the kids for me. Woo hoo! I got dressed up as if I was heading to an interview (because I was in a way), printed out my resume, and dropped off the kids at my girlfriend's house.

Driving down to Centralia I was praying that this is finally the answer to our prayers and His will be done. When I got there the gal I was supposed to talk to was busy gossiping with a friend at the counter. I wandered the aisles for about 1/2 an hour trying to catch her eye. I finally was getting ready to be a little rude when she noticed I was hanging around. Her friend left and we got to talking. She looked over my resume and we talked about the different things she was looking for, what I was looking for in a job, etc. By the end of the pre-interview I felt like the job was mine we just had to go through the formalities. She told me she would call me on Monday morning with information for a website questionaire I would be required to fill out and a more official interview over the phone. Now the waiting.

Saturday we cleaned up the house, especially the bathrooms as they were over due for a scrubdown. Sunday I woke up and decided we should say heck with the gas conservation and go to the beach. Sam has been asking all summer to go to the beach and it was supposed to be a decent day weather wise so I said "Let's go!" I packed a picnic lunch, grabbed the extra clothes and sunblock and we headed out. We decided to visit a new beach this time and found one that we really liked. Unfortunately, the weather wasn't as nice as it was at home and I forgot to pack sweaters. We decided to risk getting cold anyway since we drove all that way. I grabbed the sand toys and away we went.

Evie after a couple hours of playing in the sand. A little off-center but a good one to show off her beautiful hazel eyes.

Sam's sand castle.

Within a half an hour the beach warmed up a couple degrees. It was just enough to keep off the worst of the chill so we could enjoy ourselves. I ran out to the water with the kids cause they wanted to play. Sam got splashed just a little and decided he didn't want anything to do with the water the whole rest of the visit. Evie however, couldn't get enough of it. The water was warm (considering you are on the NW coast) and her and I chased the waves for a good long time. I finally decided that she had missed enough of her nap and the kids (and Momma) were sufficiently worn out. We headed back to the car to change out of our wet and sandy clothes and headed home. It was a really good day and just what this family needed.

This morning I woke up a little nervous and anxiously awaited my expected phone call. By 1pm I still hadn't heard from her so I took the initiative and called her myself. She told me that she hadn't forgotten about me she was just extremely busy that day and hadn't had a chance to call her boss to get the information she needed to pass on to me. She told me that she would call me right back. I did not hear from her the rest of the day. So now I sit here extremely anxious and trying very hard not to be pessimistic. She did sound busy and positive that we were still moving forward. Now I just have to try not to let my brain get in the way and try to practice patience. If I get this position it will answer all the prayers we have. I will get to work evenings and weekends and only be schedule 3 or 4 days a week. This will allow me time to still keep my house and homeschool my kids while bringing in that extra little bit of income we need to be more comfortable. Please pray that God will bring resolution quickly one way or another. I think waiting is the hardest for me. I see a small direction or ray of light and I move forward full speed ahead. I will let everyone know what happens as soon as I do. Thanks everyone for your prayer and moral support during this time.

Labor Day

What an exhausting few days! Early last week Talia and I were talking about our plans for Labor Day weekend. She had mentioned that they were going back to Idaho to rent a truck and try and get as much of their stuff as they could back that weekend. I told her that Dwayne was taking Thursday and Friday off and we were going to have a "staycation" because we didn't have any money to go anywhere. She was quiet for a few seconds and then asked if we wanted to go to Idaho to help her and Jacob move. After talking with Dwayne and doing some last minute scrambling to have Melody watch the kids, we decided that yes we would go and help them. We drove down to Oregon immediately after work on Wednesday night and got to my mom's around 8:30 pm. We tried to immediately put the kids to bed and then woke up early to meet Talia and Jacob at my aunt and uncle's house.

After an extremely long drive we started to work on packing up their house Thursday evening. We did take a small break to have a spaghetti dinner with Patrick and Kayla and then went back to work packing. We got a large chunk done that evening and we all crawled into bed tired. Friday morning we went out to breakfast while we waited for the truck rental place to open and then immediately started back working on packing the truck. I can't believe Talia and Jacob were going to try and move all their furniture alone. It would have taken them so long. I'm so grateful Dwayne was their to help with the heavy stuff. The moving truck and their Durango was packed as tight as it could get but we were able to (just barely) empty their house. About half way through the day, Jacob decided that we were making good time and that we should just go for broke and try to get everything done that day and head home that night rather than waiting to leave for the next morning. We all agreed that it would be nice to sleep in in the morning.

After a quick trip to their storage unit to shuffle a few things around, we were finally on the road. It was a long trip home. Talia and I entertained ourselves by talking about anything and everything and cranking up the music and bouncing down the road. We finally rolled into Sheri and Chuck's house at around 2:30 am and crawling into our beds at 3 am. Right about that time, all the soda I was drinking to help keep me awake started wanting to exit my system. So I was up at least 3 times between 3 am and 7:30 am going to the bathroom. At 7:30 am, I finally gave up trying to sleep anymore and got up for the day. After getting the truck moved so we could grab our vehicle we went over to my mom's house to get the kids.

This was the first time that we have been gone overnight without the kids. I think we all did really well considering. Evie had a few rough moments but overall did really well. Sam was his usual easy-going self. I missed them terribly. We brought them back over so everyone could see them since it had been so long. Our original plan was to stay the night Saturday night but we decided we really wanted to get home and sleep in our own beds. Dwayne helped them out the rest of the afternoon unloading the truck. Chuck ended up giving us two feed bags worth of corn on the cob from his garden and a box of apples. Tiffani offered us some dinner to help so we wouldn't have to pay for dinner on the way home. So after a brief stop at her house we finally got on the road back to Olympia around 7 pm. Evie and Sam both fell asleep in the van on the way home and we got everyone into bed about 10 pm.

Sunday we spent the morning unpacking and doing laundry. We then tackled the feed bags of corn. I knew that if I didn't deal with it immediately, I would procrastinate and then the corn would be ruined by the time I took care of it. So with Dwayne's help we shucked, blanched, and cut the corn. We then put it into freezer bags. Of course, after we got started I realized that I was out of quart-size freezer bags and only had 3 gallon size baggies left. So we crammed as much corn as we could into the last 3 gallon size bags we had and only had a little left over. Unfortunately, we didn't have enough money until Friday to go and get freezer bags. So we made do with what we had. Dwayne and I made a dinner of just corn on the cob that night and went to bed feeling like we got a lot accomplished.

Yesterday, we spent the morning cleaning up the living room and doing a few misc. chores. We then finally spent the afternoon just relaxing and enjoying a well-deserved afternoon of rest. I'm glad we were able to help Talia and Jacob. I don't know how they would have done it by themselves. They will need to take at least one more trip up to Idaho to empty out their storage unit but we can officially say they are back in Oregon. Jacob has found a job and things are looking up. I hope and pray they can get back on their feet again soon.

Out of town

We are going to be out of town starting tonight until Sunday sometime. Dwayne took several days off around Labor Day and we were going to stay home and have a "staycation." But Talia heard that we had the time off anyway so we have decided to leave the kids with my mom and sister and drive out to Idaho with them to help them pack and move back to Oregon. We wouldn't have been able to do it but the offered to front the cost of food and gas since we were willing to go and help them.

I'm actually looking forward to it. I'll get to see my cousin Kayla for a few hours since they are heading out of town themselves. This will also be the first time I've ever left the kids overnight anywhere. I'm a little nervous but I know they will be fine. It's just another hurdle in my mommy mode I have to overcome. It is so hard to let go. Even though we will be working for a couple of days it will still be kind of nice not having them underfoot every second. I haven't had that in a very long time. I know I'll be ready to see them again on Saturday and will miss them terribly.

To Work or Not to Work

Well, Dwayne and I have been doing a lot of talking, praying and thinking the last few days. We are trying to figure out what the best path would be for our family and which direction God is leading us. A large majority of this decision making is our financial situation. I had put several applications out and did follow-up calling at retail places to try and get an evening or weekend job but those are not panning out. Most of my experience is an office and administrative environment. The stores tell me that they get so many applications that they can pick and choose who they want. Preferably with someone already experienced in retail. So that has set my brain to thinking about possibly putting the children in daycare/preschool and working during the day. If I did that then there is a good possibility that they would also attend public school rather than me homeschooling them.

I'm not going to go into all the reasons and pros/cons of either direction in this blog. It would take too long and some of it is quite personal. Let us just say that we have decided to go ahead and let me put my application out at a few places to see if we get any hits. I've already placed my application in the state employment pool and found a specific position that would be part-time. An 11-4 or another position with the hours negotiable. This would be perfect because if I did put the kids in public school, if I was able to negotiate my hours for a 9-2:30 for example, I could still be available to get them to school and pick them up in the afternoon and be able to attend any events or activities they may want to be in. That would be the miraculous answer to prayers. So please pray for guidance and that God would open the doors for us if this is the direction we are supposed to go in.

Cat Tree

I'm so proud of myself. I browsed Craigslist this morning because I was bored. My online game was down for maitenance and I had to find something to do with my time. Well, I found a 5 1/2 ft. cat tree for only $10. I called the lady and she still had it. So I loaded up the kids and went and grabbed it. The kittens have been driving me crazy with their need to climb and we don't have anything for them to sharpen their claws on. So far it seems to be a hit. They have been running all over it since I brought it home. Especially Shadow.

The Leapster we got for Sam seems to be a source of frustration for him. He has easily started to figure out and master the games but the touch screen has been well used and is not responding very easily. I finally had to take it away from him because he was just screaming and tears running down his face because the he couldnt' grab the puzzle pieces like he was supposed to. I sat and played it a little too just to make sure that it wasn't him and I had a heck of time getting it to work also. The games that use the buttons work just fine but the ones that require the touch screen are just not working right. Whoever had it before used it well. And of course, Sam mostly wants to play the games that require the screen. So I've put it away for now and will let him have a small break from it. Next time we get a little money I'll probably just invest in a new Leapster for him so he can play the games like he wants to.

Autumn Already?

I woke up this morning to a cold floor and fog outside. I had to put on socks for the first time all summer because my floor was so cold. I even debated throwing the heat on for a few minutes just to break the chill. I instead closed all the windows and threw on some socks. It is hard to believe that summer is already almost over. I should have realized it was coming with all the back to school sales going on but I guess it just didn't click. I'm happy though. I think autumn is my favorite season. I love the crisp air, big full yellow moons, and crunchy leaves. I also love the bounty of the harvest and picking pumpkins with the kids. After getting over the initial shock of waking up cold I kind of got excited. Fall is on its way!

In other news, we have been busy with Dwayne's parents coming up to see us this past weekend. Dianne came with a car full of gifts for the kids and also a box of food. We were extremely blessed and it couldn't have come at a better time. The kids were busy the whole weekend playing with their new cars, color books, stuffed animals, and jewelry. However, she also brought a bunny that sings, wiggles, and hops. It was extremely cute the first hour. The 2nd and 3rd hours? Not so much. We finally had to hide it away for a little bit because Sam was loving it a little too much. LOL.

Saturday we woke up and decided to do a family trip to Wal-Mart. They had also given us a little cash. We debated on whether we should throw it straight onto a bill or use it to buy those misc. things we never seem able to afford. Things like batteries for the flashlights, some bee spray to kill the yellow jackets and hornets nesting near our house, etc. We decided to use it for misc. stuff. Dianne had noticed that the grade school down the road was hosting a garage sale to raise money for the local high school football team. We decided to swing in there first. There wasn't much that we had to have. I picked up a couple books and we found a few shirts for Sam but most of the stuff looked pretty picked over already. I did spot a Leapster on the table and took a look at it. It was in great condition, in a case, and when I opened the case realized there were 5 games in the pack. I tried turning it on and it didn't work. I figured it probably just needed batteries. I then looked for a price. Everything on the table was labeled as being sold for $1.00. What! That couldn't be right, could it? We asked the lady if it worked and she didn't know. And we asked that they were sure that it was only $1. She said yes. Dianne and I looked at each other and snagged it up real fast. We figured if it didn't work then it was only $1 and not much money wasted. If nothing else, I could probably turn around and sell the games on Craigslist for much more than we paid. We went to Wal-Mart and grabbed some batteries and went ahead and picked up an adapter also for $10 for it. I figured I could return it if it wasn't needed and the Leapster didn't work. On the drive home, I heard Dianne and Dwayne fiddling with it in the backseat and all of a sudden we heard the chime of a video game ring through the car. It works! It works perfectly and Sam is already starting to figure out a few of the games. I don't think I will ever find a deal as good every again. But at least I can say that I had one of those miracle garage sale finds. We got about $150 worth of equipment and games for $1. So if you guys run into any Leapster games for real cheap or have some you don't use anymore keep me in mind. :)

Yesterday Dianne and Terry left early to head home. After Evie took her nap, we decided to take the kids to the park and let them play at the playground. It was a perfect Sunday afternoon. The sun was out but it wasn't too hot. Only about 72 or 73. It was warm enough not to need sweaters but cool enough to run around without getting too hot or sweaty. The kids started out on the slide but they they saw the swings. After that it was all over. They did not want to get off the swings. Especially Evie. They spent about 30-45 minutes just swinging on the swings. I finally forced Sam to come with Mommy and check out some of the other equipment. Evie wasn't having it though. She started to throw a fit if forced to get off the swing. After about another 15-20 minutes we finally forced Evie to get off so some other kids would have a chance to use the swings. Well, she completely lost it and we couldn't distract her so that was the end of the park trip. We came home and had clam fettuccine for dinner. It was a wonderful weekend and we had a great visit.

Sister's Visit

Melody came up and has been visiting us since this past Wednesday. It has been fun having her and Aiden here. The kids have been behaving really well considering we have 3 kids 3 and under trying to share and play. We have been spending a lot of time lazing around the house because the weather has been quite a bit cooler lately. We finally got out of the house and did a few things yesterday. Dwayne and I started the morning going grocery shopping with just Evie while Melody stayed home with the boys. I enjoyed that a lot. We have never gone anywhere with just Evie. We usually have Sam with us or she is going somewhere with just one of us. It was a little strange but I can tell she reveled in the one on one attention from both Mommy and Daddy. It is amazing how well-behaved my kids are when they aren't with their sibling antagonizing each other.

When we got back we had a quick lunch and put Aiden and Evie down for their naps and then I wisked Melody away to a quick trip to Wolf Haven. I still had a couple of passes left from the birthday sponsorship they gave me. This was a better day to go since it was so much cooler. We got to see all the wolves. I've attached a couple pictures so you can see. Our tour guide was young though and not as good as the tour I had taken with Mom a month ago.

We finished the day going to church. Dwayne and I were slated to serve and they were also offering free pizza after church for all the helpers in children's ministry. I am so grateful Melody decided to stay and help in the class because we ended up having 16 2 and 3 year olds. It was a little overwhelming. We then stayed up way too late playing MapleStory together.

She is planning on going home today. It has been a great visit and I will miss her and Aiden when they leave.

She's Trained

Well Evie seems to be pretty much trained already. She is even telling us she has to go when she is wearing the Pull-Ups. She doesn't stay dry overnight yet and I'm sure we'll have a few accidents here and there but I would say she is pretty much trained. I think I'll be introducing her to the big toilet sooner than later as I hate cleaning the little potty. If she finishes out this week doing as well as she is then I will do that. I'll hang on to the potty seat and leave it in the van for those emergency stops when there just isn't a restroom handy. We had to pull over to the side of the road a couple of times for Sam when he was just learning since they tend to wait until the last minute to tell you they have to go.

Life has calmed down since the washer fiasco. I've just been working on cleaning up a little to get ready for Melody's visit. She has most of August off since she works for the school district. So her and Aiden are going to come stay with us for 4 or 5 days starting tomorrow. I'm really looking forward to it. I hope the weather clears a little though as we have had rain for the past two days and the kids are starting to drive me crazy by being cooped up in the house.

Broken Washing Machine

We have been extremely busy the last couple of days. Thursday I went to run a load of laundry and found that our beautiful expensive front-loading washer was not spinning. I didn't smell any burned rubber or see any smoke, the motor seemed to be running just fine and was draining water, etc. The only thing that seemed to be wrong was the drum wasn't spinning. Dwayne came home and took a look at the machine and found that the belt was off the track and had a melted spot where it was rubbing wrong. Now I am in the middle of potty training Evie so having a washing machine was a must. I can't imagine trying to wash clothes in the sink with as many towels and panties I was going through. So Friday, I spent the morning calling around to every appliance place I could trying to find the belt. It turns out that this belt is a little difficult to come by and to top it all off it was running $50-$60. We were so downhearted because we didn't have that kind of money. We didn't even have enough on a credit card to cover it. Well, Dwayne made a call to his parents and they were kind enough to give us some money. They were more than generous and I can't thank them enough. I was in tears. I hate being stuck in that kind of situation.

I finally found someone who had the belt we needed but they were located in Tacoma. Dwayne agreed to take the afternoon off and go up and get the belt. I was excited. That meant I could have my washer back! I have been so busy making sure Evie's clothes and the towels were washed that I had forgotten that Sam was needing clothes too. I had just put in a load of his laundry when the washer broke. He has had to go without underwear for 3 days now. Dwayne gave me a call when he was in Tacoma. Apparently he was lost. With all the construction going on in the area, the map directions he was using wasn't entirely accurate. After pulling up the map on the computer and guiding him to where he needed to be, he was able to grab the belt and some dinner and was on his way home.

Traffic was bad but he finally made it. After eating something he dived right into trying to get the belt put back on. After some frustrating attempts he told me the problem and I got online to do some research. We finally came to the conclusion that it wasn't just a belt but there was a bearing that had gone bad as well. The repairmen we talked to about advice on this problem told us that he thought our conclusions were correct and it would be a very expensive repair. Anywhere starting from $400-$600. Most technicians won't do it and tell you to just scrap the washer. Dwayne was so upset that was complaining to the ladies in line at the grocery store when I sent him for milk. It turns out the lady in line behind him had a washer they were trying to get rid of for only $25. What a Godsend.

This morning we woke up with a purpose of trying to get rid of our broken washer and get a replacement soon. Our laundry situation was getting desperate. I made some phone calls to a couple places that I knew took old washers. Neither place would really give us anything for it but were willing to take it off our hands. So we had a place to dump it. Dwayne tried calling the lady he ran into at the grocery store but she didn't answer. We decided to make a run to Tacoma to return the now useless belt and hoped that we would get a return call soon. We were expecting to lose about 20% of the cost of the belt as a restocking fee but after the guy heard our story he refunded the entire cost of the belt. He also told us that they are finding that front-loading washers are not the great deal everyone thought they were several years ago. They seem to be lasting about 5 years before the bearings are wearing out and the way they are built makes it so it is not an easy or cheap repair. Needless to say we will never be buying one again.

The lady called us back right as we were getting close to home. She would be home all day and we could come over any time to look at it. We popped right over and it looked good. It is a very basic machine but that is all I need right now to get the clothes clean. It was clean with no major defects or rust that we could see. We had their guarantee that it ran real well so we paid the $25 and took it home. We then loaded up the big monster that looked really pretty but didn't work worth a darn and Dwayne took it to the store that would recycle it for us. We now have an extremely mismatched laundry set but the washer works just fine. It is also really fast compared to what I am used to. The front-loader washer takes over an hour to do one load. That is what I have been used to for years. It will take some getting used to to do my laundry so quickly.

I am so grateful that God provided for us so quickly and we were able to get it resolved. I have been so stressed out the last few days. Especially as the laundry pile was getting larger and larger. We had enough left over to treat ourselves to a dinner and fill both vehicles with gas. I can't remember the last time the van has been full. Again, thank you Terry and Dianne for giving us the money. We love you guys!