The house actually closed on April 18th - the last day of tax season! (Somebody has a sense of humor!) It originally was suppose to close on the April Fool's Day, then got moved to the usual last day of tax season -April 15th and finally we signed all the papers and got the key on April 18th, after James had worked about 12 hours that day and 50 12 -16 hr days in a row! He was brain dead - so he was kind of unenthralled with the whole process of signing his name a couple hundred times that evening. I, on the other hand was ecstatic. The kids went along and declared it simply the most boring thing they had ever done!
We actually spent the night there the following Friday - just so we could say we had slept there before we went on our vacation to Colorado. The kids swam in the pool and we ate pizza - you can't possibly think I wanted to mess up my brand new Viking Kitchen. That will come later when I can get out my Giada cookbooks and do something really stunning and YUMMY!
Upon returning from our great vacation to Avon - visiting with dear friends, swimming in the pool and playing in the snow - we began the process of moving over the "little" things. What a blessing to have the time to leisurely move the "stuff" we could - before the movers come on Tuesday! They will move the "big" stuff! I will post pictures of our new digs and our move.
Yikes -there is still a ton of little stuff - did I say I could do this leisurely????
Showing posts with label work. Show all posts
Showing posts with label work. Show all posts
Friday, May 13, 2011
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Hooray! Summer is Finally OVER!
As denoted by my post title, and the absence of any postings for the past two months, it is fair to assume that we had a heckuva summer! (with a little good mixed in!)
The following is the GOOD, BAD, and the UGLY:
The GOOD:
Our adoption was finalized and celebrated on June 17, 2009. We feel blessed to be the parents of the two most wonderful kids in the world!
We enjoyed a trip to Maui, two getaways to San Diego ( different areas), a short stay at the Disney Resort area, swimming lessons, a week at day camp, mixed in with afternoons boogie boarding at the beach, dinners out with friends, a few backyard barbecues, Angels games, visits from friends and relatives, etc.
The BAD:
James came down with bronchitis in Maui, which as you know from previous blog turned into pneumonia and a 5 day hospital stay. Two weeks later we discovered that he had a complication due to the medication given for the pneumonia which then resulted in another hospital stay of 6 days. At home, two weeks later, the infection returned with threats of another hospital visit - fortunately James managed to beat it this time with another $400 prescription. (The first time I picked up one of those $400 prescription I thought the pharmacist had forgotten to run it through our insurance - after my inquiry she retorted that this WAS our cost - the prescription was actually $1100 - don't even get me started on how badly we need some kind of health care reform!) Anyway . . basically James was seriously ill most of the summer . . . and that was very BAD! Gratefully he is well, back to work full speed, and feeling better than ever!
The UGLY:
During the time that James was in the hospital my brother Jon was there, too. So, each day we would visit Jon in ICU, then on to James in isolation . . with a stop on the 2nd floor to check on a friend of many, many years who was diagnosed with lung cancer on June 17th. He was relatively young, appeared strong, had never smoked, but nevertheless diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. It was hard for his family and friends to fathom that this big, healthy fellow would decline so in just two months and join his mom who had just passed away last January. He was a special man of faith who helped others and led an exemplary life. We felt honored to have known him.
Then when we thought we were done with the UGLY for a while, our cat of 16 years, Tigger, died. We, including the kids, were heartbroken. We had gotten the news from the vet in July that Tigger had cancer, but we were not ready to say goodbye to our beloved Tigger, so we kept him comfortable and had hoped that the steroid shots that the vet administered would keep him with us a little longer . . .it did - but only two months - so last Sunday we had our first pet funeral in the part of the yard we now have labeled the Pet Cemetery (wasn't that a creepy movie a few years back? ?). Andrea read Ecc. 3 and Justin gave the Eulogy and prayer. We are now concentrating our love and devotion toward our little blue parakeet, Brodie, and our pet hamster, Sunshine.
Despite what was a pretty gruesome summer, we had many delightful times, also. We are back and the next post will be those depicting our most happy moments!
The following is the GOOD, BAD, and the UGLY:
The GOOD:
Our adoption was finalized and celebrated on June 17, 2009. We feel blessed to be the parents of the two most wonderful kids in the world!
We enjoyed a trip to Maui, two getaways to San Diego ( different areas), a short stay at the Disney Resort area, swimming lessons, a week at day camp, mixed in with afternoons boogie boarding at the beach, dinners out with friends, a few backyard barbecues, Angels games, visits from friends and relatives, etc.
The BAD:
James came down with bronchitis in Maui, which as you know from previous blog turned into pneumonia and a 5 day hospital stay. Two weeks later we discovered that he had a complication due to the medication given for the pneumonia which then resulted in another hospital stay of 6 days. At home, two weeks later, the infection returned with threats of another hospital visit - fortunately James managed to beat it this time with another $400 prescription. (The first time I picked up one of those $400 prescription I thought the pharmacist had forgotten to run it through our insurance - after my inquiry she retorted that this WAS our cost - the prescription was actually $1100 - don't even get me started on how badly we need some kind of health care reform!) Anyway . . basically James was seriously ill most of the summer . . . and that was very BAD! Gratefully he is well, back to work full speed, and feeling better than ever!
The UGLY:
During the time that James was in the hospital my brother Jon was there, too. So, each day we would visit Jon in ICU, then on to James in isolation . . with a stop on the 2nd floor to check on a friend of many, many years who was diagnosed with lung cancer on June 17th. He was relatively young, appeared strong, had never smoked, but nevertheless diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. It was hard for his family and friends to fathom that this big, healthy fellow would decline so in just two months and join his mom who had just passed away last January. He was a special man of faith who helped others and led an exemplary life. We felt honored to have known him.
Then when we thought we were done with the UGLY for a while, our cat of 16 years, Tigger, died. We, including the kids, were heartbroken. We had gotten the news from the vet in July that Tigger had cancer, but we were not ready to say goodbye to our beloved Tigger, so we kept him comfortable and had hoped that the steroid shots that the vet administered would keep him with us a little longer . . .it did - but only two months - so last Sunday we had our first pet funeral in the part of the yard we now have labeled the Pet Cemetery (wasn't that a creepy movie a few years back? ?). Andrea read Ecc. 3 and Justin gave the Eulogy and prayer. We are now concentrating our love and devotion toward our little blue parakeet, Brodie, and our pet hamster, Sunshine.
Despite what was a pretty gruesome summer, we had many delightful times, also. We are back and the next post will be those depicting our most happy moments!
Friday, March 20, 2009
AT LAST!
This picture shows you where I would like to be - instead I am at my desk at the office during one of the biggest tax season's ever! It reminds me of a beautiful trip that James and I took to Ireland back in the summer of 2001. I can dream, can't I?
And now at last I can get some of you "off my back" (and you know who you are) . . . sorry for the huge delay in getting these pics up - but as you know it is TAX SEASON! We are amazingly busy! Can't complain I know! No time for chit chat - sorry!
Andrea in her cute dance outfit - she took a Ballet and Tap class which she loved!
Our last visit with Grandma David - just two days before she passed away. You can see how much the kids loved her!
Andrea's 8th birthday! She took goodies to school and that evening we went to Chili's for dinner and the unwrapping of too many gifts!
Of course brother thought it was quite funny - all of her girl gifts!Our 8 year old sweetie!
Our trip to the happiest place on earth - Disneyland!
Justin as Benjamin Franklin for his oral book report. He got totally into character!
He is quite a little actor!
Andrea took a cheerleading class which she learned to dislike quickly when she discovered that doing cartwheels was part of the deal! 
Justin has been taking Basketball since mid January. He loves it and makes a great guard! We love going to his games!
Andrea took a cheerleading class which she learned to dislike quickly when she discovered that doing cartwheels was part of the deal! 
Justin has been taking Basketball since mid January. He loves it and makes a great guard! We love going to his games!
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Alright Already!
I know that I am way past due with my postings . . .however who knew mothering was going to be full time job! It is by far the most fun, fulfilling, exciting, wonderful, tiring, and overwhelming job I've ever had!!!
Since our last post about 3 weeks ago we have:
Celebrated Andrea's 8th birthday - Happy Birthday, Sweetie!
Had our first Valentine's together as a family . . .love . . .love
Made a quick trip to Santa Maria to see James' mom in the hospital and as it turns out said "good bye" to her. Grandma David left this world on Feb. 13th - just 2 days after we saw her. Justin says he can see her going up an invisible escalator to meet God - he gets it! Ruth David was an amazing lady. She was the most gracious person I have ever met and I am sure she never uttered an unkind word about anyone. We certainly miss her! The kids only got to meet her twice - but fortunately both times she was "on top of her game" as James would say. (a little tough to be when you are 96 years old) She was happy to meet the kids and responded so lovingly towards them.
The rest of the past 3 weeks have been basketball, dance, skating, homework, school projects, etc., etc. and for James a great big giant TAX SEASON!
I promise I will add pics next time!
Since our last post about 3 weeks ago we have:
Celebrated Andrea's 8th birthday - Happy Birthday, Sweetie!
Had our first Valentine's together as a family . . .love . . .love
Made a quick trip to Santa Maria to see James' mom in the hospital and as it turns out said "good bye" to her. Grandma David left this world on Feb. 13th - just 2 days after we saw her. Justin says he can see her going up an invisible escalator to meet God - he gets it! Ruth David was an amazing lady. She was the most gracious person I have ever met and I am sure she never uttered an unkind word about anyone. We certainly miss her! The kids only got to meet her twice - but fortunately both times she was "on top of her game" as James would say. (a little tough to be when you are 96 years old) She was happy to meet the kids and responded so lovingly towards them.
The rest of the past 3 weeks have been basketball, dance, skating, homework, school projects, etc., etc. and for James a great big giant TAX SEASON!
I promise I will add pics next time!
Friday, July 11, 2008
The Office is OPEN!
The plaque outside our office door.Well, we have spent this past week setting up the new office. We thought we could do it in about 1-2 days . . . it has been over one week since we got the keys and we are still working on it!
After all . . . we went from a 110 sq ft office to about 8oo sq ft - a lot more space to fill up.
About three days after we had the walk-through, some very good friends helped us move all of the former office furniture and "stuff" to the new office. It took the better part of a Saturday and some very strong "guys"! Shirley and I did the important shopping for that day! We couldn't have done it without good friends . . . Thanks "guys"!
The "very nice cherry" office furniture!This week we have had 6 file cabinets delivered - 2 of which were damaged, and we are awaiting the "pick up" man . . .they have no problem delivering them one at a time, but each guy tells he's not authorized to take back the damaged ones. It is a mystery to me how in these days of $4.65 per gallon gas, companies can afford to work that way - oh yeah- I know they will raise their prices!!!!!
Three rooms of very nice cherry office furniture was delivered and assembled without problem - except they forgot the keys to my desk file . . .
The phone and internet system was set up only to find out from our computer guy that we needed three more "lines pulled" (whatever that means) and after pretty much a whole day of his work and waiting, we had to have a guy come to "pull the lines" and then wait for another day for the computer guy to finish . . . and so it goes . . .on and on . . .
You get the picture - speaking of pictures - it is my job to find the accessories which includes the plants, pictures, decorations, etc. Normally I love this kind of thing , but I have been to a half dozen stores looking, and generally just not finding the exact thing, so . . . one more thing to keep doing.
We are waiting for the "glass guy" to cut and install the glass countertops for the "very nice cherry" office furniture so that we don't get scratches, etc. on them. That should be another few days.
Notice how there no official names for these worker guys. There was the "computer guy", the "telephone guy", the delivery guy", the "pick-up guy", "the wire pulling guy" and then there were the "strong guys"- seems like they should have a more official names, huh?
Well, I gotta run now to read the manual on our new phone system, so that when you call you might get an answer!
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Open House!
If you are not a teacher I am convinced that you cannot come close to understanding what it means to be the day before Open House!
Here's an overview:
You wake up wondering what you did with those stories the students wrote that you so carefully saved last September for Open House in April!
You begin stressing over whether you have enough stuff hanging from the ceiling for the parents to bump their heads on!
You start questioning whether two jumbo Costco-sized anti-bacterial wipes could possibly clean a room that 17 Kindergartners have been in for 7 months!
You re-analyze you lesson plans for the day - maybe this is the day to break out a new DVD!
You are concerned that there is not enough tape and sticky tabs in the world to affix all the projects your class has done to the already tape marked walls and doors!
Lastly, how in the world will you ever be ready for parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and other interested visitors to come through your immaculately clean, beautifully decorated classroom displaying the wonderful accomplishments of 17 great Kindergartners by 6:30 tomorrow night?
Well, I'm not sure how it happens, but for the past twenty years I've been doing this and each year on Open House Night the room is ready, the parents ooh and ahh, and I actually run home between the end of school and the beginning of Open House to shower, shampoo, and shine!
So it is that this may well be the last Open House I ever do, but I look forward to going to my own children's Open House Night next year, where I will truly appreciate all the teacher did to make that classroom perfect!
Here's an overview:
You wake up wondering what you did with those stories the students wrote that you so carefully saved last September for Open House in April!
You begin stressing over whether you have enough stuff hanging from the ceiling for the parents to bump their heads on!
You start questioning whether two jumbo Costco-sized anti-bacterial wipes could possibly clean a room that 17 Kindergartners have been in for 7 months!
You re-analyze you lesson plans for the day - maybe this is the day to break out a new DVD!
You are concerned that there is not enough tape and sticky tabs in the world to affix all the projects your class has done to the already tape marked walls and doors!
Lastly, how in the world will you ever be ready for parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and other interested visitors to come through your immaculately clean, beautifully decorated classroom displaying the wonderful accomplishments of 17 great Kindergartners by 6:30 tomorrow night?
Well, I'm not sure how it happens, but for the past twenty years I've been doing this and each year on Open House Night the room is ready, the parents ooh and ahh, and I actually run home between the end of school and the beginning of Open House to shower, shampoo, and shine!
So it is that this may well be the last Open House I ever do, but I look forward to going to my own children's Open House Night next year, where I will truly appreciate all the teacher did to make that classroom perfect!
Saturday, April 12, 2008
The Office
Now, for those you avid TV watchers that watch something other than news, politics, history or science documentaries, with a little sports and HGTV thrown in, you may have seen a program called "The Office".
We primarily watch the aforementioned!
Kayleigh got me to watch my first time ever episode of "The Office" during my spring break. It was hilarious - in a dry humor sort of way! Anyway, it is her favorite show!
Now, I always get a little nervous when someone tells me that I remind them of a character on a TV show, so when my house guest mentioned that, my first reaction was - Ohhhh Noooo!
Fortunately the character that she thought reminded her of me turned out to be ok! Whew!
Anyway . . . our adoption social worker told us we needed to have the kid's rooms ready by June - so it is that we have spent part of this last week looking for The Office! (We need to turn our home office back into a bedroom!)
It may not be quite like the TV version, but it will be "Our Office"! We are pretty excited about it. We finally settled on a very nice, professional office, which will be modified to suit us.
We may never make it to the big screen or even the small screen, but maybe after we have moved in and are settled I can post a picture of "Our Office".
Then for those of you like us who primarily watch news and documentaries you can peer at a little reality as well!
Maybe by then I will have a tranformation and look like the girl in "The Office" that I remind Kayleigh of!
We primarily watch the aforementioned!
Kayleigh got me to watch my first time ever episode of "The Office" during my spring break. It was hilarious - in a dry humor sort of way! Anyway, it is her favorite show!
Now, I always get a little nervous when someone tells me that I remind them of a character on a TV show, so when my house guest mentioned that, my first reaction was - Ohhhh Noooo!
Fortunately the character that she thought reminded her of me turned out to be ok! Whew!
Anyway . . . our adoption social worker told us we needed to have the kid's rooms ready by June - so it is that we have spent part of this last week looking for The Office! (We need to turn our home office back into a bedroom!)
It may not be quite like the TV version, but it will be "Our Office"! We are pretty excited about it. We finally settled on a very nice, professional office, which will be modified to suit us.
We may never make it to the big screen or even the small screen, but maybe after we have moved in and are settled I can post a picture of "Our Office".
Then for those of you like us who primarily watch news and documentaries you can peer at a little reality as well!
Maybe by then I will have a tranformation and look like the girl in "The Office" that I remind Kayleigh of!
Saturday, March 15, 2008
More Changes
There are good changes and not so good changes. Changes you get . . . and those that take a while to figure out!
That has been my week - thus no blog until I could think it through.
This week my school announced that we will be merging with another Christian School in the same area. Now, practically speaking it makes perfect sense. Take two rather small Christian schools and put them together and what have you got - a great big school! Lots more opportunity for the school to provide auxillary classes and other activities. A chance to build a "state of the art" campus in just 2 years!
It also means packing up 20 years worth of teaching materials, storing or moving it, interviewing for a job there, etc., etc. Some of you might think that because we changed campuses just four years ago that I wouldn't have that much "stuff"!
Well, I do!
But . . .after thinking, praying, talking, considering,and just generally working it through my pea brain I've decided . . .not to worry about it!
My wonderful husband put that thought into my mind, which greatly reduced my stress! He's a smart man, too. He knows that when I'm stressed too much I head to the expensive spa for a massage and or facial! Believe me I am sure that my stress reduction is high on his priority list! Just kidding. Honestly you couldn't pay someone to be as supportive as he is! What a guy!
Just when you think you have your direction all figured out - you gotta make another turn!
That has been my week - thus no blog until I could think it through.
This week my school announced that we will be merging with another Christian School in the same area. Now, practically speaking it makes perfect sense. Take two rather small Christian schools and put them together and what have you got - a great big school! Lots more opportunity for the school to provide auxillary classes and other activities. A chance to build a "state of the art" campus in just 2 years!
It also means packing up 20 years worth of teaching materials, storing or moving it, interviewing for a job there, etc., etc. Some of you might think that because we changed campuses just four years ago that I wouldn't have that much "stuff"!
Well, I do!
But . . .after thinking, praying, talking, considering,and just generally working it through my pea brain I've decided . . .not to worry about it!
My wonderful husband put that thought into my mind, which greatly reduced my stress! He's a smart man, too. He knows that when I'm stressed too much I head to the expensive spa for a massage and or facial! Believe me I am sure that my stress reduction is high on his priority list! Just kidding. Honestly you couldn't pay someone to be as supportive as he is! What a guy!
Just when you think you have your direction all figured out - you gotta make another turn!
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Busy, Busy!
James has been putting in 12-16 hr days 7 days a week but each day he asks me about he status of our children. Now if this were a typical way of having children I might be able to give him a better answer (ie the baby moved, it kicked, the doctor said . . .), but . . . as it stands each day I reply the same way - you know about as much as I do!
I did talk to a social worker this week who said given that we want a sibling group ( 2 or more) and children over 4 years and don't care what race or nationality they are that we will go to the top of the list! Oh, goody - I think - we finally go to the top of some list!
Well all I can say is next time James asks me how our children are or what their status is I'll just reply the same way he did once to me - How are our children? I don't even know who our children are!
I did talk to a social worker this week who said given that we want a sibling group ( 2 or more) and children over 4 years and don't care what race or nationality they are that we will go to the top of the list! Oh, goody - I think - we finally go to the top of some list!
Well all I can say is next time James asks me how our children are or what their status is I'll just reply the same way he did once to me - How are our children? I don't even know who our children are!
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