Summer Summer Summer

Think High School Musical when you are reading the title up there. Raise your hand if you've seen these movies more times than you can count! Summer is upon us folks and it was a HOT one this past holiday weekend. Hot sticky humid summers are on the way and there is only one way to beat the heat. Ok two...stay inside and hide in the ac, or get your tan on at the pool! We tried to take the kids to the pool late yesterday afternoon, but much to our dismay...it was CLOSED. There were too many people in the pool, and they couldn't let anymore in because there wasn't any way to get a proper head count. While I completely understand it was a safety issue, is sure was a bummer. And try explaining a "safety issue" to a whiny 6 year old who had her heart set on feeling the cool water of the pool....so the next best thing was to go back and turn on the sprinkler and run through it. Boy was that water cold, and oh my, did it feel good!

Can I just say, that a little part of me was pretty happy not to have to be in a swimming suit in front of a billion other people at a public pool? I realize I'm not the worst looking one out there...but I'm always a little embarrassed. I have gained so much weight! And I'm white as a ghost! Tanning lotion needs to be ordered stat! It's really not cute. It's past time for a change. It's hard to change when you like food. It's hard to change when you're a stress eater. Perhaps I should make use of the elliptical machine behind me? hmmmmmmm....I have a couple of weeks left here, why not right? Sure as heck can't hurt. :)

Oprah

Ok, who watched the last show yesterday? It was such a great show! A perfect ending to a long running daily institution in millions of people's lives.

I've been watching since I was a kid. I remember coming home from school and watching her show while doing homework on my living room floor. Hubby can't really stand her...but I really like her. She seems to be a very intelligent, thoughtful, and insightful person. At least she comes across that way through my TV screen. I sincerely hope she is as great of a person as she portrays herself to be. It's so disappointing when you find out a celebrity who seems to be a great person, really isn't.

Oprah's last show has been described by some as a "love letter" to her fans. It was all about the gratitude she had for us, her viewers. She thanked audiences for making her show the number 1 talk show for 25 years. She told us how much she loved her job, and how it was what she was put here on this Earth to do.

There were so many great quotes in her show. Here are a couple I just love:

"Nobody but you is responsible for your life. It doesn't matter what your momma did. It doesn't matter what your daddy didn't do. YOU are responsible for your life. You are responsible for the energy you create for yourself and the energy you bring to others."

"...Everybody has a calling, and your real job in life is to find it."

Truer words of wisdom have never been spoken....


Until we meet again! :)

Karma

I am a big believer in Karma. I honestly believe you reap what you sow. If you're good to the world, the world will smile back on you, and you will be blessed. If you're not, well, Karma will come back and bite you in the ass.

Big Time.

I believe I lead a good life, I would like to think I lead by example. I have so many great and wonderful people in my life. Their rosy outlook, rubs off. Truly! Have you ever noticed that when you're around negative people a lot, their negativity rubs off on you? Happy people rub off on you too. In fact in my opinion, I think the happier people rub off on you more. They can make your life so much fuller and richer. Negativity really can bring you down, and create a depression in you, you didn't know you had.

That being said, I'm also realistic. I find people that are so high on life that they seem fake, a little scary. What is that type person really about? No one is that happy 100% of the time. That's not real to me. More power to them if that really is them though.

I'm still a leery person....I'm the type of person who is really quite and will sit back and form my opinion. And then after I've gathered enough information, I'll tell you what I think. I'm honest, to a fault probably.

I believe a good majority of people probably do not want to hear the truth. They want you to agree with what they think. Which is a difficult thing, particularly if you're really close to that person. You don't want to step on any toes, but at the same time it would be nice if they took a step back and looked at things logically. Laziness and complacentness (is that a word?) is a dangerous road. Perhaps one should listen and take in what others around them are saying....if enough people are saying the same thing, there must be a reason, right?

Wouldn't the world be such a better place if we just sat and listened? It would be great if everyone could take the time to analyze a situation before blasting through life full speed ahead. Think of all the things that could be accomplished!

No more Whining

I am letting my kids get off the school bus at their normal bus stop for the last couple of weeks of school. Yesterday I let them stay at our former neighbor's house for a little while to play with the neighbor kids. I knew it would feel strange to go back and pick them up off the bus. But to pick them up where I used to live, was much weirder. Much harder. And to be perfectly honest...sucked. It was hard to look over. To see new porch furniture. To see both of their cars there. I heard someone in the garage, but decided not to peek to see who it was.

I'm really sentimental....maybe too much so. I need to put one foot in front of the other and live life forward, not backwards....how do people do that so well?

I have one friend, who is the bravest, boldest person I have ever met. She isn't afraid to take chances, and continually takes a leap of faith. There is a reason she's a life coach! I need to take a page out of her book, and quit whining about life.

Lord, please help me to pull up my big girl panties and get a smile back on my face! Please help me to put a smile back on my children's faces and a pep in our step!

Cats and Dogs

Cats and dogs are notorious for not getting along. Sure there are some that do, but they are few and far between.

I know my kids love each other...but there are times during the day when the claws come out and are tearing into one another. It's crazy that they can be lovey dovey one minute, and ready to pounce the next. I guess that's siblings for you, right? Love to hate?

I have an older half sibbling that I didn't not have the experience of growing up with. I feel so inadequate when it comes to resolving issues between my kids. Logic just doesn't work at their age. I don't have the background to resolve in a particularly effective manner. I think I'm usually the bad guy in the disciplining department because of that. Hmmmm, something to work on for sure.

I know there are no rule books, or instructional manuals that comes with kids when you take them home from the hospital...it's times like these that I really wish there were. Emotions are high right now, and we're all a little on edge...which adds fuel to the fire!

Lord help me get through this!

Digging out

I have a mess. I really big unorganized mess. I need to dig out soon, or I am going to go crazy. I don't know how hoarders do deal with their "stuff" all around them. It makes me feel so Closter phobic. I need to re-pack what is already packed and condense it down to a more manageable level so we can get it across the country in our little Element. If we don't have to get a hitch installed and pull a small uhall behind it, I would be ecstatic! I don't know how manageable that really is though. We have SO MUCH STUFF.

Where the heck does it all come from? How did it fit in my house? No wonder we were busting at the seams! Stuff, Stuff, Stuff! Everywhere! Then there are some things that I wonder, why didn't we put that on the truck? What were we thinking with that?

Also, I'm a bit of a procrastinator....I need to get moving. I've been researching summer activities, cleaning out my email, and pondering private schools. Must move on and be productive.

It's Hard to Say Goodbye

It's hard to say goodbye to something you love. It's hard to say goodbye, when it's the end of an era, so to speak. It's hard to say goodbye when someone is passing away. Although I would rather think of that particular situation as more of a "see you later."

Yesterday was tough.

It was long.

It was exhausting.

There were tears.

There was sadness.

It was much harder on the kids than I ever expected.

I pulled it together as much as I could as I handed over the keys to the new owners. We said our goodbyes, and walked to the door, backing out of the driveway for the very last time. I coudn't stand there and make small talk...it wouldn't come out. As fast as I pulled it together, I was quickly losing it again.

It's not the house that makes the home, it's the people. But this was, and still is, a great house. In a great neighborhood, with exceptional neighbors. It was our first home. I loved it from top to bottom. And once we had to say our final goodbye, it was glaringly apparent what we have to leave behind in order to begin our new chapter in life.

One foot in front of the other, one day at a time.

Reality

Reality is hitting me. Hard. I'm a stressed out emotional mess right now. Yesterday the new owner came by and brought his new sink. He's putting in new counter tops, a new sink, and possibly a new fence. He already knows one of the people that live down the hill...we were all out side yesterday when he came by. He pulled up and to be funny, he said "hey, I'm looking to buy a house, is this for sale?" To be funny, or maybe not, I said "nope, sorry."

How I wish that were true! My neighbor saw someone else on a walk the other day and he asked about my house too. Who knew I lived in such a desirable home? It's so strange to live here, and yet know it's not mine. Bittersweet doesn't cover it. I want to pick up the house, and (most) of my neighborhood and take them with me. There are days that I think I'm ready, and then there are days, that I just don't want to leave.

Searching non stop for a new house is wearing thin both my patience and hubby's. It's frustrating when there isn't much to look at. He likes one more than I do, and I like one more than he does. His is the better option. It has the most bang for the buck, so to speak. We've been pre approved for a loan...we just need to make a decision.

And quickly!

Our Silly Government

Did you know our silly government uses lots of long complicated, often times hard to pronounce and remember words? To help their employees remember all these crazy words and phrases, they use acronyms. Acronyms are big in the government. They use them constantly on a daily basis...it's how they get through life.

I know you're thinking, thanks for the info, who cares....I have a point, really.

This morning I got a call from a weird number...it was an acronym for something I'm sure because the lettering didn't make sense. Good thing I decided to answer the phone. It was a woman from Ft. Dix...they are the lovely base who's folks who are getting our move together. The woman on the other end of the phone spoke really fast. She didn't identify herself. And kept speaking in tongues. (acronyms) I probably said "huh" or "what" a few hundred times to try to understand who this was and what the hell she were talking about. The conversation started by asking for hubby, whom I said wasn't in, so you would think they would slow down and speak English for those of us NOT employed by the federal government. I finally figured out, oh this about the move....and got a final answer on when we can be out of here.

The 20th is our final move date.

We are supposed to be out by the 15th.

You understand the pickle we're in here, right?

The new owners are very nice people, and the one thing we have working for us, is he's a military man. So I know he understands the game here. United States government has LOTS of red tape...and they move at their own pace.

Need something done now? Tough crap, it ain't happenin.

So pray that he and his wife will allow us to stay here a few extra days so we can successfully get out of here, out of their hair, and be on our merry way.

Mother's Day

Happy Mother's day...or what's left of it at least! I had a very subdued day....for the weekend, Taylor went with my mother in law to see my brother in law, sister in law and new little niece. So needless to say, it was pretty quiet with just Zack and me. We had a great little weekend and quaility time together. It's rare that we get to spend so much one on one time with each other. Saturday we went to his soccer game, where he scored a goal, and then celebrated with luch at Dairy Queen. Followed by dinner at Quaker Steak for his favorite wings. :) Today we just hung around the house...he played video games and watched a movie while I sorted clothes for our move and did some laundry.

He's growing so fast. Wasn't he just a baby yesterday? Today he's almost as tall as me. When did this happen? I must have blinked. I know it's cliche, but time really does fly. Entirely too fast. He is such a sweet boy, I pray he remains a sweet boy forever and ever...I want to bottle him up and keep him all to myself. I want to protect him from all the evil's of the world. All the bullies, mean kids, and girls who may or may not break his perfect little heart. I'm afraid the next time I blink he will be graduating high school. Or college. Or *gasp* getting married.

Does anyone know how to slow time down??

Packing up!

This huge mama jamma is my packing supply to pack up my grandmother's china. I don't trust the movers to do a good job, so I did it myself. I have two sets, one from each grandmother, so it took a while. I have SO much of it! After 3 days, I finally got it done today thankfully. I used almost every bit of that entire bag if you can believe it. I also used lots of bubble wrap! I used 2 large Rubbermaid tubs, and 4 small ones. Pray everything makes it in one piece!

I would do my Fiesta that way too, but I don't have the patience. That I can replace. China I can not.

So next on my list of to do is packing up the clothes I'm going to take to my mother in law's for me and the kids. I am hoping one tub each will do.

Wait-I just thought of something...I didn't get one for myself...just the kids. lol Duh. Maybe I'll use my suitcases instead.

My time in this house is dwindling....a week from today if everything goes as planned....I'm not exactly sure it will....but if it does, a week from today we will be moved out. What a weird feeling it will be to see it empty.

Must press on....long day of soccer tomorrow.

Dormant

I've been rather dormant lately. To catch anyone who cares up to speed, we spent a week in WA looking for housing last week. We started in the area we thought we would ultimately be living. We had a great realtor. She was wonderful to work with, and so nice to take us around in her van that had a dvd player in it for the kids. We looked at least 25 houses....You might be thinking about 20 too many? I think it was good to see a lot, it definitely showed us what we want and don't want. On the other hand, we may have become a little snobby towards the end. We got it narrowed down to two houses. Both of which I was really "wowed" by. One of course more than the other, but both really nice.

Then Wednesday happened. We had lunch with my former boss from years and years ago in my hometown. We talked, we laughed, we caught up, and she sort of offered me a job. Her currant assistant is leaving the company to get married and will be moving to be with her husband who is in the Navy and stationed in California.

Wow.

I was not expecting that.

She said she had some exciting news to share...I was thinking more along the lines of, "hey, I'm going to be a grandmother" type news. (Which she's not)

I'm definitely interested....but on the other hand, it's a full time position, and I don't know if I'm ready to do full time yet again. What about the kids? Summer and after school? They're used to me being there. I like being home....but I might like to use my brain again also. The extra money would obviously be beneficial.

After lunch that day we were scheduled to look at a few homes in my hometown also, just to see if anything piqued our interest. Unfortunately there are hardly any options for our price range there. It's really frustrating. To say the least.

Hubby showed me the house he really liked...I unfortunately was a little underwhelmed by it. :( I had really high hopes....especially from seeing the pictures. We didn't really see anything else that was terribly interesting. I was really disappointed by the price range issue.

So now we, or I guess I should say I, have this huge delima. To take the job or to not.

Living in my hometown means an hour commute each way for hubby. Granted, I know people do it. It's only 15 minutes longer than the commute he had here. But that's 2 hours out of every work day. Not to mention the price of gas. I don't know if it would be worth it. I have to make a decision by Friday. We have to get some kind of ball rolling, or we'll be living on the street!

How the hell did this get turned around on me?? This wasn't my gig....I was going along for the ride. Now all of a sudden this giant life decision is up to me. WTF?

If I don't, will I regret it? Probably. If it doesn't work out and I would quit for some reason, then the commute would become a problem. It doesn't make financial sense to live there if I don't work. So, if I do, I'll have to settle for a house I'm not really that interested in. I realize it's just a place to lay your head, but it's also a huge chunk of change to not love it. A house is just a house though right? It's the people in it that matter more. Which I know. Really. I do. Forgive me, I guess I'm a little more vain than I should be.

I realize I'm talking to myself here....I'm trying to work it out in my head....I'll go ponder some more.