A New Year

So I am a year older.  What a way to start my new year.  I was sitting watching some TV right before Tim went to work on Friday and I got an email from a school that I was trying to get into that I was not accepted.  Reason being is that I have not attended college before.  It was an on-line college and they want you to have at lease some college experience or your AA.  So now I sit there alone because Tim has to go to work and the kids are still at school and I don't know what to do now or were to begin.  Were does one start when they are older, how do I begin?  What does all this lingo mean when I am looking up things online?  I am so confused and don't know were to begin. How am I able to take assessment test when I cant even help my kids with math?   Now I am another year older and need to start some were but just don't know how. 
I did have a wonderful birthday though.   My Brother in law had a party for his 50th birthday so we had a party for him on my birthday.  As we were getting ready in the morning my in laws come over and brought me homemade cupcakes. As a family we celebrated it today.  The kids decorated the house with signs, Tim made a great dinner for me and HaiLee made a cake that even she could enjoy with me.
One thing I do know is that at the end of the day, I have a wonderful family. They love me know matter if I have a job, if i am going to college, if i am making a difference in the world they love me for me and that is the best present that i could ever ask for. 

What am I going to be when I grow up?

Being unemployed has made me have alot of time on my hands to think about what I really want to do.  I see people and they ask how is it going and I don't know exactly how to answer them.  I have met friends for lunch, Went with Melanie to to take her daughter to horse therapy, visited with some friends, and been able to pick the kids up from school every now and then.  Treavor was able to stay home today from school because he wasn't feeling well.  Spend time with Tim with out kids around.  Gone grocery shopping after dropping the kids off to school, volunteered to help Treavors Teacher help cut some projects for her.  I have always said that I bow down to stay home mothers, there is no way I would be able to do that.  It is a tough job and I don't like my kids enough to stay at home with them. :)  Now I am there and it is hard and even harder than I thought it would be but at the same time I love it.  The kids do like that I am at home (I think)  they are able to have dinner before we rush off to baseball practice for all 3 of them.  That is a huge change.  Normally I rush home from work and we rush getting dinner done and out the door and don't have time to even talk about their day.  There are alot of projects that I have wanted to get done for many years but didn't have the time.  One my one I am getting them done.  I am not rushing to get them done.  I am taking my time to get them done and enjoying it when I do, do them.  One more thing that I am working on is going to school to be a teacher.  I am in a position for the first time in my life that I have options and get to take things slowly to make sure I am able to do something that I can retire at.  Thanks to my father in law too we are redoing our kitchen.  New cabinets, flooring and a paint job.  I will be posting pictures as the construction begins.  As I spend more time figuring things out I will take this time to really reflect on what it is I want to do when I grow up.

MAJOR CATCH UP!

Hailee was in the school play again and she had the part as the mom.  She did really good and she had a lot of fun.  The play was called Whip Out and they had a surf competition to save the mommy and pappy surf shack.  In the end they saved their shack and all was good.

For the past few years for HaiLees birthday her Aunt Gina has taken her to go ride horses.  HaiLee has a great time. Thanks Aunt Gina!!

So this year when we went to the tulip festival Tim talked me into letting the kids take a helicopter ride,  I have a video of them taking off and landing but not sure how to get them on here :)  soon i hope.  i was a nervous wreck but the kids had a blast. 

The first mow of the year.  TJ did a great job and i am so thankful that i have a kid that can do it :) 

Treavors first baseball game.  The other kids have not had a game yet so stay tuned for more pictures of my athletes.  I love going to the games and watch them have fun.

Treavor and his best friend Jaden went to an Easter egg hunt.  TJ stayed home because he wasn't feeling to well but it was crazy and fun at the same time. 

Ran into Albertsons to get stuff and an Easter Bunny showed up, so it was a Kodak moment :)

Dying Easter Eggs

Last but not least my grand puppy, BreAnna and Penn got a puppy and BreAnna said to "Smile for Grandma" and he sticks his tong out. Calibur is so tiny and cute.

HOW IS BEING UNEMPLOYED FEEL?

I have had a job since I was 16, i have never not had a job because being a single mother i couldn't afford not to work.  Being in the mortgage industry this day and age has been a struggle to stay employed.  Seattle Mortgage has been a great place to work for the past 10 years and have seen many changes though the years with in the same company.  My kids only know of me working at Seattle Mortgage.  I feel really blessed to have survived this long with them.  With that said me taking some time off to figure out what i want to do when i grow up has been hard.  I have a supportive family and husband that letting me stay  home has been fairly easy.  I have found that i have nothing but time on my hands.  Usually when i get home from work it is RUSH, RUSH, RUSH, between making dinner, getting kids to sports activities and such i was always felt rushed. I forget that i have time so when i go and cook dinner i rush though it when i can actually take my time and enjoy cooking again.  I have projects that i will be working on shortly and know that i don't have to rush because i have all week to get them done.  One thing that i am noticing is that i am forgetting things like crazy.  I feel like i don't use my brain enough i guess.  I am getting used to the idea of being home.

So many changes.

This year has been alot of ups and downs.  Right now things are changing and with me being somewhat of a control freak this is way out of my hands.  Work is moving me to our corporate office which means several changes that comes with it.  First of all I have a new boss, 2nd I will have a commute in a different direction and I have to pay a portion of my parking.  They are making my job centralized so no more branch processors.  I have been with my company for over 11 years and one thing that has stayed the same has been my current boss.  He is not the one that hired me in the beginning.  I have worked with him for the past 11 years but he became my boss for the past 6 or so years. (i have lost track of years i am sure).  He has seen me through all the ups and downs of my life.  From being a single mom of 2 to getting married and having a baby and seeing my oldest graduate high school, to moving out, Kindergarten for my kids, surgeries that i have had or my husband.  Not only am i loosing my boss but also a big part of my life that has been there through thick and thin for me. My future is unknown right now with this company and that scares me.  My younger kids have only known me for working at Seattle Mortgage.  This is going to be a huge adjustment for them as well.  My hours will be changing so i wont be able to drop them off at school.  I have dropped kids off at school for the past 13 years.  I have never seen any of my kids not off to school and not drop them off on the school grounds.  I know i live walking distance from it but it gives me something to look forward to in the morning as saying good bye to them and telling them to have a good day. I don't know how my new boss will feel if i have a sick kid at home or them calling me when they get home from school and i talk to them on the phone. I have so many unanswered emotions about this that it scares me to the core.  I just hope that these changes are for the good and that my kids adjust to these changes as well. 

SEEMS LIKE TREAVORS LIFE!

Treavor has a wrotten tooth that broke so he had to get it removed.  He was such a champ!  This would be his first tooth to loose but no tooth fairy for him becuase it was wrotten.  As the dentist was taking it out it kept on breaking.  He did a great job but one thing he learned is when mom says to go brush your teeth you better do it. 

Treavors boyscout troop got to go to the hockey game and boy did he get spoiled.  It was the first time that Tim got to go with just Treavor to a game and they had fun. They got to go on a tour before they opened the door to the public. 

On Presidents day I took the kids to my brothers and sister in laws house in Orting.  They have the best rivers and a fun place to go for a walk or bike ride.  Treavor was in Montana for the week visitng his sister.  Here are my nephews and buddy the dog.  They rode their bikes and Gina and I walked the dogs.  Great weather and a great day off! 

Sad Year so far!

As a family we have been through our fair share of deaths and this year has already been marked by 3.  You would think it gets easier but this one has hit me hard.  First of all Treavors Kindergarten teacher passed away in January.  Not only was she his teacher but her husband has been TJ's basketball coach for the past few years.  She had been fighting cancer and it won.  The second was an old friend of ours that we went to high school with.  His son was 14 years old and got ran over by a truck.  He passed away beginning of February.  We lost touch with him and we didn't know his child but recently got in touch with him through facebook.  To loose a child i could not  imagine the pain.  We didn't go to his funeral for the fact that it as a child and i really couldn't have handled it.  Last but not least a very good friend of mine since high school, her and i did everything together because we were single moms raising 2 girls. She had been looking for love for a very long time and found it and was married for little over 2 years.  Her husband came down with some heart issues and fought a long battle of this and didn't make it. It really puts in to perspective what we have and what can be taken from us in the blink of an eye.  I get mad at my kids for not doing what they are supposed to.  For them not doing their chores or simple things like brushing their teeth.  This has really made me appreciate them more and to love my husband for the support he gives me.  Yes he drives me crazy at times but doesn't every husband.  I am appreciative that my husband does this and i have him when times are tough he is there for me and the kids. 
With these deaths i know that they are not suffering and they are looking down on their families and cheering them on the whole way through this time on earth. 
Love your children, love your husbands and wife's, and cherish the the little stuff you just don't know how fast it can be gone and change lives forever. 

First hike of the year!!!

Tim planned for us to go on a hike for the day.  We were going to start off with an easy hike but in my book it was way to hard for our first one.  We went up to Little Mt. Si,  It was defiantly pretty and worth it in the long run because of the view but getting there was hard.  There were places that were straight up and rockery.  When i was about ready to give up Tim was there cheering me on telling me i could do it.  I did do it because of him but man i am sore today.  Heck i was sore getting to the truck off the mountain.  But i am glad that he pushed me to keep going.  The kids had a good time as well. There was a little crying, whining, are we there yet, i need water, i am hungry but all in all i think they enjoyed it. I will know more when the pain in my feet, back and legs goes down.