Blackwood Family

anxiously awaiting explanation

2012-01-29T19:45:00.000-08:00

Just before Christmas Keith hurt his back picking up his dad and putting him in our Yukon when Jim broke his ankle. Neither of us have had any experience with back injuries so the duration and intensity of the pain has surprised us both. He had been to the doctor and was not able to go to work for a couple of weeks due to the pain and fear of further injury and was participating in physical therapy. We felt like progress was being made, although very slow progress until last weekend when the pain changed from aching to shooting pains down his legs. It was so bad I had to drive part of the way coming back from McCall. For those of you who REALLY know Keith, things have to be BAD for him to let me drive at all much more on icy roads coming back from the mountains.

(BTW, I am not a bad driver, he has control issues in vehicles!)

Anywho, he decided to keep his follow up visit on Tuesday to the doctor due to the change in the pain. While he was at the doctor's appointment they took some more blood for labs and decided an MRI was the next step. Keith received a call on Wednesday that there was some abnormality in his labs, more specifically a higher than normal number of red blood cells and the doctor wanted to put the MRI on hold for a CT scan to check for tumors. Needless to say, I went mental in my head. He had the CT scan on Thursday at 7:30 am and the doctor called us at 10:30 pm with the results. I just want to say I am not a hot mess after 14 hours of waiting to find out if my husband may have cancer. It is not a pretty sight. The news was good and we were able to sleep that night. We are now feeling like a bad back is a huge blessing and looking at the world a bit more optimistically. For those of you who knew and were praying, thank you so much and for those of you who didn't know, please don't feel like we were excluding you, I just was not very able to talk of it while it was going on.

Austin

2012-01-28T22:35:00.000-08:00

http://www.idahopress.com/sports/nampa-learns-grabs-win-against-columbia/article_1d4db998-4985-11e1-b7c8-001871e3ce6c.html

2012-01-26T18:29:00.000-08:00

It warms my heart to watch Little House on the Prairie with my daughter.

anxiously awaiting

2012-01-26T13:36:00.001-08:00

2012-01-25T18:18:00.000-08:00

McKayla comes home from school today with a picture she said she got from her friend at school, Hazidja. It is a colored picture from a coloring book and at the bottom is says "from Justin Beber". McKayla says, "Hazidja tried to trick me by saying this was from Justin Bieber." I asked her how she knew it was a trick and wasn't from Justin Bieber and she said "because of the handwriting Mom, Justin Bieber has better handwriting than that." I almost died.

Anxiety

2012-01-10T15:27:00.000-08:00

All of my OCD pent up anxiety is in overdrive lately. Things are changing at work and I turned in my application for graduate school on Friday. I am ready to start turning lights off and on, counting random things, and cleaning until 2 in the morning!

In Love with My Kindle

2012-01-09T15:25:00.000-08:00

I have re-fallen in love with my Kindle. For the longest time I was unable to download books from the library. This recently changed and my love affair with my e-book reader is stronger than ever! The selection is not great but I know over time it will get better and better and I can't wait!

Conclusion to Christmas

2012-01-08T15:21:00.000-08:00

I am slowly but surely making my way to the conclusion of this Christmas season. I am not normally this late in getting everything put away. This year Keith has been suffering with a back injury and has not been able to help so the big stuff like (unfortunately) the tree has been up, until today. I got the tree down today, packed away all the little knick knacks of Christmas, and cleaned out the garage. When I went out to the garage to get the totes off the shelf (high) I realized the garage needed some attention and it was a nice sunny day so McKayla helped me clean it up a bit. Then we proceeded to the totes and the Christmas stuff. I has been a pretty productive day.

We got some news of possible restructure at work on Friday and the physical work felt good and actually turned off my spinning mind for a while.

McKayla Quote

2012-01-05T20:29:00.000-08:00

After sending McKayla to bed for the third time I hear a little noise outside of the laundry room where I am folding laundry. I am a bit bugged (understandably so) so when McKayla pokes her head around the corner I give her my best "psycho mom" face and tell her to "get to bed, NOW" in my best "psycho mom" voice. She scurries off to bed.

When I walk by her bedroom later she calls me into her room and says because of what happened in the laundry room I "broke her heart and ruined her life". Classic.

Keith and I are really trying to figure out where this drama queen personality came from! We both are much more laid back than this. We are baffled.

Goodbye

2012-01-01T13:48:00.000-08:00

We said goodbye to the kids this morning after a nice long visitation with them for the holidays. They were here for the better part of a week and a half. We were all in hog heaven having them around so much. McKayla loves having other "kids" to play with and goes into sadness and withdrawal when they leave.

Christmas Festivities

2011-12-30T13:20:00.000-08:00

Our Christmas festivities have lasted a little longer this year than usual. With Jim's fall last week and subsequent surgery we had to cancel our Christmas celebration with him and reschedule for today. Thankfully his surgery went well and he is on the mend.

I have been reflecting some today on the last couple of weeks as I have been off from work. It feels like since I accepted the interim chief position at work that time has been moving so quickly. It has been a blessing to have the last couple of weeks off to slow down and re-prioritize.

One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

2011-12-29T14:36:00.000-08:00

Had to track Austin down today after our victory earlier this week. O well, things like telling your parents where you are and when you are going to be home are so-o over rated!!

O the Joys of Parenting

2011-12-27T19:44:00.000-08:00

We had a breakthrough today with Austin. He has been a bit irresponsible of late with time and his girlfriend so I was filled with trepidation when he called me today at 1 minute to 4:00 (4:00 being the time he is supposed to be home from visiting his girlfriend). I answer the phone sure I am going to hear some lame excuse about why he isn't going to be home on time or worse no excuse at all. (I don't love the lack of creativity!)

Austin: Andie, I am going to be 2 minutes late.

Andie: Like really 2 minutes late or you are just leaving Nampa?

Austin: No, I am 2 minutes away I just wanted to call since I was going to be late.

Andie: (shocked silence, then bursting with pride!)

Father-In-Law

2011-12-23T13:04:00.000-08:00

Keith's dad took a spill at home last night and has to have surgery to repair a broken ankle today. He will be spending Christmas in the hospital which breaks my heart. Prayers for a speedy recovery and optimistic outlook are needed this Christmas.

Superstar Austin

2011-12-22T19:09:00.001-08:00

Check out this link to see what's up with Austin:

http://www.idahopress.com/sports/skyview-boys-team-escapes-scare-from-rival-nampa/article_11835d0c-2c75-11e1-8275-0019bb2963f4.html

If you would like to see more live, the schedule is below:

1/5 7:30 @ Middleton

1/7 7:30 vs Skyview

1/10 7:30 vs Caldwell

1/13 7:30 @ Bishop Kelly

1/17 7:30 vs Kuna

1/19 7:30 vs Emmett

1/21 7:30 @ Mtn Home

1/27 7:30 @ Columbia

1/31 7:30 vs Middleton

2/3 7:30 @ Skyview

2/4 7:30 @ Caldwell

2/7 7:30 vs Bishop Kelly

2/10 7:30 @ Kuna

And then tournament.

Changing

2011-12-21T17:28:00.000-08:00

Keith noticed today when I was eating my dinner that I was not eating all of one thing and then moving on to the next. This is really not significant. Also of note, when I was putting in some new titles on the blog of books that I have been reading I realized I am reading 3 books currently which is pretty much unprecedented in my little life. I have always been the type of girl to eat all of one thing on my plate before moving on to the next and if you ever asked you would find out I start with the food I think to be the most healthy first. I also usually do not read more than one book at a time. It feels like cheating to spread my loyalty out.

Hypothesis 1:

People change as they get older.

Hypothesis 2:

I am getting more interesting.

Hypothesis 3:

My new interim position is making me crazy.

Hypothesis 4:

There is no significance and we are all less interesting for having wasted our time on this blog in the first place.

Who knows!

Thanksgiving Blessings

2011-11-26T20:14:00.000-08:00

We found out today our extended family is going to get a bit bigger. Marika and Nathan are expecting child number 2 to their little family. Congratulations to them and many prayers for health.

Apologies

2011-11-07T19:27:00.000-08:00

I apologize for being such an unreliable blogger lately. With the new position I began a couple of months ago I have been so much more busy than I was. Not just with more and new tasks but so much more busy in my brain. I have been doing my old job as well as this new one and it is physically and emotionally exhausting. I don't feel like I am doing either very well as I have one foot in each position and I really like to feel as if I have a handle on things and am doing well.

On the bright side, I conducted interviews last week for a replacement for my position so hopefully I will begin to have some help here in the next couple of weeks for my previous position. I know even after my new person comes on there will be a training period as I want to give them a good foundation to begin from and to be successful. Life is full of new experiences right now and I am a "stay at home and have the same old experiences" kind of a girl. Through great change comes great growth and I keep reminding myself this is an opportunity.

I had a wonderful evening tonight with McKayla. We must have sat on the couch for an hour first reading and then just snuggling while she told me all about her day at school. It was great. A treasured memory!

Rainy Walk

2011-10-16T10:59:00.000-07:00

Keith and I have been very diligent about going on walks on the weekends. So today, we got up and got ready and left for our walk. It was cloudy but neither of us paid any attention as we left. Midway through our walk, it started to sprinkle. By the time we got home one person driving by us had asked us if we needed a ride somewhere as it was pouring outside! We felt tough though walking in the rain. We came back soaked and started a fire which was lovely to warm up.

2011-10-06T11:33:00.000-07:00

Sitting in front of a fire with McKayla playing on the floor. What a lovely way to spend the day.

Kalli Mae & Homecoming

2011-10-04T18:57:00.000-07:00

Kalli was looked gorgeous for her Homecoming Dance this last Saturday. Unfortunately for her we will all over when she was getting ready and being picked up!

My Family

2011-10-03T18:55:00.000-07:00

A little photo from yesterday.

Poor Jackson!

2011-10-02T16:02:00.001-07:00

Poor Jackson, my nephew, has been pulling weeds for so-o many days according to Marika's blog. I am in desperate need of an update Marika!!! :)

Beautiful Morning

2011-09-25T11:34:00.000-07:00

We got up this morning and rousted our girls out of bed for a walk. Two hours later we got back home after walking to the school, playing on the playground equipment, the park, and McDonalds for some coffee. It was a lovely morning for a walk and the time away from home without a watch or cell phone made it feel like vacation. A day for counting our blessings!

Love Hate Relationship with... Garlic

2011-09-22T18:29:00.000-07:00

I love garlic. But, in the last few months I have found I can't eat it. I think I am allergic. I have the worst stomach ache after partaking and I am so upset by this as I love it and it is a seasoning that is reasonably good for you. As I am researching this on the internet I am finding garlic is in the top 10 most common allergies so I guess the only good thing about this is, I am not alone.

Progression of Events

2011-09-20T06:23:00.001-07:00

For the last few weeks I have been going through the interview process for the Chief of Social Work position for Child Welfare. It was a grueling process with two interviews with two different panels of interviewers. I was aware at the beginning of the process there were 7 candidates who were picked to be interviewed. After the first interview process the 4 of the candidates were eliminated and 3 went on to the second interview. I knew my friend Heather had applied and even though we were in competition we leaned on each other for moral support. The second interview was harrowing. After it was over I was sure my chances were shot and Heather felt the same way. The last interview was on a Thursday and the following Tuesday Heather and I received an e-mail to meet with the division administrator at our central office. We were baffled. What reason would they have to meet with both of us at the same time? Was this some sort of odd inappropriate extension of the interview process? Were we going to have to debate for the position with each other with spectators? Obviously, we were wildly speculating!

What we found out was Heather was being offered the position we both applied for but in a wicked turn of events, my supervisor (the other chief in our region) had been offered a project at central office so I would be the acting chief in her position. I am really excited. I have been interested in this job for a while but have been a chicken little about it because it involves going to grad school. Now I get the opportunity to test drive a job I am interested in for the next 18 months. I will have to go to grad school but all my excuses about not going previously are gone and I can't seem to come up with any more, although I have tried!

I have been fully immersed in this process and have not felt like I had the brain-power to even post these last few weeks. Hopefully as the interview stress of my life is over I will be interested in posting again!

I have to say thanks to my big sister for her words of advice and encouragement. It helped tremendously.

Things I saw this morning on my walk...

2011-09-17T08:38:00.000-07:00

A hot air balloon

My breath

2011-09-16T17:18:00.001-07:00

I got it. I applied for a promotion at work and I got it. I am very nervous and excited. I will have to go to grad school which is the nervous part but it was time for that to happen anyway.

Back on the Wagon

2011-09-10T08:05:00.000-07:00

I got back on the exercising wagon this morning. It felt good but I realize how far I have backslid due to my 3 month hiatus!! I walked for 2.5 miles and I am looking forward to doing it again tomorrow.

Big Day

2011-09-07T17:53:00.000-07:00

McKayla took the first step on her medical career today. While at the doctor's office with Dad she gave her first shot. The lucky recipient was her daddy!!!

Also, she came home all twiterpated because some boy at school named Joey said he has a crush on her.

Bingo Blitz

2011-09-03T07:22:00.000-07:00

I have found a new game on Facebook. I realize there are tons of games and I am sincerely not interested in any but one of them! It dawned on me a few weeks ago when I was having a bored moment that I have always enjoyed bingo and that of course there would be bingo available on Facebook, because what game isn't available in some form or another on Facebook. I have harbored secret fantasies about playing bingo in a bingo hall somewhere with oodles of old people and have just been waiting until I am old enough myself to not feel ridiculous about it. Thank goodness I have found something to tide me over and save myself from the public humiliation!

Seriously I recommend it highly.

McKayla Quote

2011-08-29T19:01:00.000-07:00

As we were walking in the park with McKayla yesterday she had on her new tennis shoes for school and was running and saying, "Look how fast I can run, Mom?"

Took me back to the days of when a new pair of shoes made you jump higher and run faster. Good to know some things are timeless!

McKayla Quote

2011-08-28T19:01:00.001-07:00

I learned it like two years ago. Or a month ago.

First Day of First Grade

2011-08-24T19:23:00.000-07:00

Sneak Peek

2011-08-23T16:26:00.001-07:00

Today was the Sneak Peek for McKayla at school. She got to meet her teacher and bring her supplies to school and sit at her desk. Her teacher seems wonderful. I thought she might have some trouble with having a male for a teacher but not to worry, she thinks he is great. There are five first grade classes and she is very sad she is not with her friends Jaide, Amie, and Kyla but after today was feeling much better about it. It doesn't hurt that the boy she loved last year from kindergarten is in her class!

Hiatus

2011-08-21T15:25:00.000-07:00

I have been on a not so brief hiatus from blogging lately. I had lost motivation lately and my mind has been filled with other things. I am hoping the motivation returns soon.

Happy Birthday Kristin

2011-07-27T04:26:00.000-07:00

Kristin, the little girl I met when she was 2, is turning 13 today. Where does the time go!

2011-07-20T11:12:00.000-07:00

Sorry, I forgot to bring the cord for my phone so there will be no photos until we get home.

Ahhhh Vacation

2011-07-19T10:43:00.000-07:00

Vacation has been great so far. It has been a bit windy but not too hot. We have played in the river, swam at the Ashley Inn, gone on 4 wheeler rides, had campfires, roasted hot dogs, eaten too much.....

All of this and we are only on the third day!! I wasn't sure I was going to be able to access the internet so I am not prepared to post pictures today but I will do that a bit later or tomorrow.

Emotional Basket Case

2011-07-16T14:02:00.000-07:00

McKayla has been frequently going into crying jags lately for a variety of reasons. We were coming home Friday night from a work BBQ and she is crying in the back seat because she misses Grandma Roxanne. As I am putting on my therapist hat with my daughter she very logically says she used to see Grandma more often and since going to school doesn't see her as often. This is true and I am incredibly proud of her ability to clearly define her problem and that her emotion regarding the issue is based on reality. I enjoy that! I assured her that a trip to the cabin with Grandma was in the process of being planned and she would be able to spend lots of time with her then.

I think all this time with the "big kids" is busy and after the week with them is over she is tired and needs a little space to lose her stuff!

Happy Birthday Kimberly

2011-07-15T08:00:00.000-07:00

Boys and Girls Club Update

2011-07-14T13:57:00.000-07:00

As the summer has progressed McKayla has turned out to like the Boys and Girls Club. I have continued to enjoy the affordability of the program and that the charge is for the summer so it doesn't matter if she is there or not as money does not ride on that decision. She went solidly for the first two weeks of the program and since then it has been about every other week. She has certainly enjoyed being able to stay home with her brother and sister on the weeks they have spent with us this summer.

This has been a really nice resource for us as it is affordable and keeps her very busy. I have to say I would not recommend the program for children who are not able to follow the rules pretty easily as the security is pretty lax and there is nothing, not even a fence, to prevent a child from going over to the swiftly flowing, very high river. I haven't worried about McKayla because she is such a little rule follower (outside the house that is) and if it is a rule not to do something, she won't. Thankful for that, must be doing something right!

Resort Camping

2011-07-13T13:49:00.000-07:00

Our next vacation is to attend a family reunion at the Water's Edge RV Park which to me is resort camping. We have the RV and there are full hook ups at Water's Edge so it is essentially like living in a small house for a week. I enjoy the convenience of this sometimes (like once a year) but generally like the solitude of the more "normal" (well, normal for us since there is an RV involved) camping experience. The kids are pretty excited as there are lots of fun activities to participate in like boating, fishing, 4 wheeling, canoeing, swimming, eating, camping in a tent (for them), volleyball, horseshoes, time around the campfire, etc. I think the thing McKayla and Kristin are most excited about is that by camping at this particular facility they have access to the indoor pool next door at the Ashley Inn. A couple of years ago when we were camping there this is where McKayla conquered her fear of the water a bit and learned to trust her life jacket. In my opinion she conquered her fear a bit too much with jumping off the side of the pool into the water into Austin's arms, sans life jacket.

This camp site even has wireless internet so I am going to try to post a couple of times while I am up there.

Rolling in the Deep Glee Style

2011-07-12T16:21:00.000-07:00

I love this version of the song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7gaQW8SKKM

Happy Birthday Kate

2011-07-11T16:26:00.000-07:00

Isaac

2011-07-10T10:23:00.000-07:00

My heart breaks every day when I check the Caring Bridge site for Isaac. No little child or family should have to go through such agony. I think it hits so hard because it is awful and Isaac is so close to McKayla's age so even though I haven't seen Isaac in years, I picture McKayla in the situation he and his family is in.

Sarah and Rob my wish for you is that at some point in the future this will be a distant memory and you will look at your family healthy and whole.

The Lost Art of Letter Writing

2011-07-09T09:52:00.001-07:00

I have re-discovered the lost art of letter writing since my nephew, Jordan, left for boot camp for the Marines. They are cut off from modern communication devices like cell phones, e-mail, and texting. They are mostly 18 year old boys who have grown up with this for the majority of their lives so losing that as well as daily contact with their families seems like a pretty traumatizing experience. The only way to communicate with him and let him know he is thought of and loved is to write him a letter.

I am totally digging it. I am so used to typing at work on a computer that I had missed the intimacy and personal connection you are making with another individual when you take the time to write a letter on stationary. I hope he is enjoying receiving the letters as much as I am enjoying sending them.

With the convenience of things like e-mail one would think communication would be more frequent and meaningful due to the ease but for myself it sometimes becomes less frequent. The idea that I can reach out to someone anytime I want to doesn't make me do it more but rather less because the ease causes me to think I can just do that later instead of setting time aside to do it now.

More 4th Pictures

2011-07-07T12:21:00.000-07:00

Fourth of July at the Cabin

2011-07-06T12:08:00.000-07:00

Kimberly made some signs for us to hold for a picture to send to Jordan.

Relaxing, riding, and, of course, eating!

2011-06-25T12:43:00.000-07:00

Keith's dad is back in the hospital with his creatin levels at 4.5. They are projecting this will be a short stay, just overnight, to keep an eye on him while they give him the meds he needs to get those levels down.

Thunderstorm

2011-06-24T21:14:00.001-07:00

We had a lovely evening with the kids a couple of nights ago sitting on the side of our bathtub watching a thunderstorm. Ironically the large windows in our bathroom were ideal for watching this particular storm.

Happy Father's Day

2011-06-19T15:11:00.000-07:00

to my wonderful husband who works so hard every day to provide for his family. Who takes time with his children to show them they are loved and to teach them life lessons to take into adulthood.

Hospital

2011-06-18T15:10:00.000-07:00

Keith's dad, Jim, is back in the hospital having difficulties with his kidneys again. This time the stay looks to be short as his body is responding quickly to the treatments. Hopefully he will be discharged on Tuesday and will be back on his feet. Prayers.

Oh on call

2011-06-14T18:09:00.000-07:00

For five weeks a year (not in a row, thank goodness) I have the pleasure of being on call for a week at a time. For the last couple times I have been on call the weekend has been pretty manageable but on call during the week has been a beast. This week is shaping up to be consistent. It is hard to be on work mode all the time and be woken up in the night with calls and have to be on your game.

I am finding as I get older I don't rally as well as I used to. I used to have to take the calls myself when I was a line worker and I would just bounce out of bed, call people back, go out in the middle of the night and after all of this I would go back to sleep in nothing flat. Now I have a hard time waking up when a worker needs supervision and an awful time falling back asleep.

I have to say the best on call week ever was when I was on call when I had the week off from work. I didn't have to worry about being woken up because I didn't have to go to work the next day and could sleep as long as necessary. And I didn't have to think about work for part of the day!

The Pleaser in Me

2011-06-13T18:02:00.001-07:00

I have found as I get older I have a desire to please those around me. I am sure this has always been true about my personality but I am just discovering how deep this desire goes. I have to say this is not all bad. For example, my desire to please generally makes me a good employee and co-worker as I don't like to do anything to make other people mad. I have recently been in a situation where I had to choose a path and either way I choose was going to upset someone. I agonized over this decision, it kept me up at night. Eventually I made my decision and let everyone involved know and there has been some backlash. Ironically enough the backlash has made me realize I made the correct decision. There is some peace in that.

Thanks

2011-06-12T14:29:00.001-07:00

To my mother and father for taking McKayla overnight on Friday and most of the day Saturday. She had a ton of fun and it was nice for me to have several hours in a row at home alone. That feeling is a bit odd!

Reflection on the Week

2011-06-11T12:44:00.000-07:00

We had such a nice week with the kids. It is convenient that Austin can drive now so we are more able to exercise our full visitation with them both this summer. Austin is juggling both football and basketball commitments this summer. It is good to be active but also nice to have some downtime as well.

McKayla says every day that she likes the Boys and Girls Club but I am not convinced. She certainly is not enthusiastic when I drop her off in the mornings and talks more often than not about her previous care provider, Stephanie, and says she would like to go there for the summer. I was hoping she would acclimate when she made some friends and I have probably not given that process enough time. I have a lot of anxiety about it and I am sure it is rubbing off on her, I just need to calm down about it.

McKayla Quote

2011-06-09T19:04:00.000-07:00

McKayla and I were home alone last weekend and I was asking her to pick up a mess she had made and it dawned on me that I don't involve her enough in the everyday household things I am doing. I asked her to come to the laundry room and when she got there I asked her to help me fold laundry. She complained so I told her to help me fold the laundry. She said, "I am not a workin' kind of a kid. I am a playin' kind of a kid."

Go figure.

Boys and Girls Club

2011-06-08T19:02:00.000-07:00

Monday went well with the Boys and Girls Club. McKayla did pretty well with the drop off although on the way home she kept talking about previous day cares and how much she liked them. I reminded her that the first day of her last day care she was not so thrilled and the response I got was that she hated that day care the first day and she didn't hate the first day of the Boys and Girls Club. I guess that is something.

So many hard things lately

2011-06-07T06:45:00.000-07:00

Everything came to a head yesterday when I got to work. I had just dropped McKayla off at the Boys and Girls Club here for their summer time program. I knew Austin would be driving to Nampa and Kristin was going to be home alone while Austin was in Nampa for weight lifting. Now Kristin is certainly old enough at almost 13 to be home alone for a few hours at a time but I don't think it has happened very often or that she was very excited about it so the anxiety level was up a bit. Also, I have been blocked from she and Austin's phone and it was making me worried that if there was a problem she wouldn't have anyone she could call or text who could be available quickly. I am close by but without the ability to call or text I was a bit anxious. I made sure she had my desk phone and any other phone numbers she might need as well as my schedule but still was a bit worried. I knew Jordan was leaving today for the Marines and a good friend of mine from childhood was enduring a personal tragedy as well in the form of her five year old having brain surgery today to remove a tumor. I was emotional tired before I got to work and for the first few minutes at work I really wanted to throw in the towel and go home and just curl up into a ball with my worry.

I am glad I didn't because things got better.

It helped so much that McKayla did ok with the drop off at the Boys and Girls Club and after I dropped her off I received a call from Kristin! Her mom had unblocked her phone (thank you so much) and she was going to go to Nampa with Austin and hang out at her mom's house until he was done with weight lifting so she wouldn't be home alone after all. I watched the Caring Bridge website throughout the day and found out that Isaac's surgery went well to remove his tumor. There are more challenges ahead but that hurdle has been jumped. Thank goodness.

An Unexpected Kindness

2011-06-06T18:41:00.000-07:00

When Keith and I got home today from work there were a few surprises that awaited. Kristin was kind enough to give McKayla a TV, VCR, books and movies she had outgrown from her mom's house. And the kid's mom had sent home two pictures she and Keith had from when they were married, one of which was a painting Keith's grandmother had painted. It was so incredibly special to have that and the unexpectedness of the gift makes it even better. Just when you think you have someone figured out they go and surprise you, I really love that about life, especially when the surprise is a pleasant one! So, thank you very much Shannon for the unexpected gifts, we really appreciate them.

Safe Haven

2011-06-05T08:54:00.000-07:00

It is things like this that make me love my home so much. I have been waiting anxiously for my clematis to bloom. It was taking longer than usual this year due to the cool spring and all the rain but patience is a virtue. When it decided to bloom, it is magnificent!

Prayers

2011-06-05T07:53:00.000-07:00

For Sarah, Rob, Jonah, Eli, and most especially Isaac. Five year old Isaac is having surgery on Monday to remove a tumor from his brain. May God bless you and keep you, may His face shine upon you during this difficult time.

Going, Going, Gone

2011-06-04T08:50:00.000-07:00

The worlds largest omelet.

The other shoe dropped...

2011-06-03T17:00:00.000-07:00

Well, we waited through three weeks of radio silence for the response we knew was coming. We waited, so long I had moments of hope that maybe it wouldn't come this year. Perhaps, after over a decade, we wouldn't continue to have the same conversations over and over again. Alas, all my hopes were for naught.

The other shoe dropped on Wednesday when Keith started getting text messages from the kid's mom about the summer visitation. The hurtful intent behind these messages combined with how the kids must be feelings makes this even harder.

What we know about this situation is even if the kids are bored at times at our house it is their right to have a relationship with their father that is not based on parameters set by their mother or even themselves, when we all know they are at an age developmentally where they may not be able to make decisions based on their own best interests. (Interestingly enough research shows that the ability to think critically is not fully developed until around 25 years old!) Also, they should never have to be in the position to choose between what they think their father wants and what they think their mother wants. That is the purpose of a judge deciding visitation for them and putting it in a order. So it is clear to everyone involved that time with both parents is best for children and they should be able to count on that time.

We are continuing to develop our skills at staying calm and attempting to work out those situations we can and to weather those we can not work out. We also are bound and determined to have a good time with the kids starting today and for the next week and then on alternating weeks through this summer break.

Jordan's Graduation

2011-06-03T08:44:00.000-07:00

Kindergarten Graduation

2011-05-29T19:48:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday was kindergarten graduation for McKayla. Evidently I have not even graduated from kindergarten level of taking photos as most of my photos are blurry. How frustrating.

Snake in the Grass

2011-05-25T19:54:00.001-07:00

I saw my first sighting of the year of the garter snakes. For the first couple of years we lived here I was blissfully unaware of the snakes that we share our yard with, then one summer we had some sighting that made me afraid to walk in the yard barefoot. I hadn't seen any for the last couple summer and let my guard down when there was a sighting today. I just don't love them and I hate to be startled by them.

Water bed

2011-05-20T19:15:00.000-07:00

Positive:

Warm in the winter

Cool in the summer

Soft and very comfortable when I was pregnant (although I am sure it was entertaining to watch me get out of when I was pregnant)

Negative:

Being woken up in the middle of the night when there is a leak, not pleasant

The water bed is gone and we have graduated to a REAL mattress, it is wonderful.

Kalli's Gorgeous Prom Dress

2011-05-19T06:53:00.000-07:00

Happy Anniversary

2011-05-18T06:55:00.000-07:00

To my lovely parents. It has been a lot of years!!! Thanks for the example of love and longevity in your relationship.

Mother's Day Brunch

2011-05-18T06:49:00.000-07:00

I hosted a little Mother's Day brunch last Saturday for two of my favorite ladies: Mom and Grandma. It was nice to have it the weekend after Mother's Day so everyone could do exactly what they wanted on Mother's Day and not feel the obligation to be somewhere.

Danielle Steel

2011-05-15T20:04:00.000-07:00

I have read everyone of Danielle Steel's books and the last dozen or so have been so bad. The plot line is almost non-existent with too much time spent on developing the characters. After each book I say I am not going to read any more of her books. Then, I see a new one on the shelf at the library and I end up getting it and reading it. I can't resist the idea, the completion, of being able to say I have read all her books. I picked up Legacy the other day at the library and will let everyone know how it goes.

Bummer

2011-05-14T20:27:00.000-07:00

The first night out in months with my girlfriends and I had to come home sick.

Happy Birthday Roxanna!!

2011-05-13T18:55:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday Marika!!

2011-05-12T18:54:00.000-07:00

Field Trip to the Zoo

2011-05-11T15:18:00.000-07:00

McKayla's class at her field trip to the zoo today.

Beautiful Girls

Three Little Wild Animals I was responsible for today.

I have to say it. I love little Luis. Any man who attends the zoo field trip in a button down shirt with a clip on tie and maintains his confidence even going through the "scary" rain forest part of the zoo has my undying regard. It was so cute, when we went into the rain forest he said it was scary and then held my hand. I was such a goner at that point!

So Excited

2011-05-11T11:51:00.000-07:00

I am so excited. One of my best friends who I grew up with has lived for the last several years in the Seattle area. As a result of life and distance we, understandably, are not as close as we once were. She contacted me in the last few weeks to say that she and her husband had purchased her grandparent's home here in Boise and they are moving back! I can't wait until she gets here and can spend some time with her and her family. I am waiting with baited breath Hillary. I can't wait to see you!

Beautiful Rainbow

2011-05-10T11:46:00.000-07:00

This was the sight that greeted our eyes one evening last week. McKayla was excited to see a rainbow.

Too Funny

2011-05-09T11:41:00.000-07:00

Evidently McKayla needed a little instruction on her stance when the kids were playing baseball in the back yard. Love how creative Kristin is!! She is so-o great.

Happy Mother's Day

2011-05-08T11:20:00.000-07:00

Today has been relaxing and wonderful. I received beautiful homemade presents from McKayla and breakfast both while I was still in bed. Keith and McKayla made me heart shaped blueberry pancakes, eggs and coffee. I am feeling incredibly loved and to top it all off I was able to watch two episodes of Oprah with almost no interruption! What could possibly make my day any better? A fire in the fireplace. Yep, I got that also! It is cool and rainy today and I am bound and determined not to turn the heat back on so my wonderful husband made me a fire in the fireplace and here I sit in front of that fire blogging away.

A word must be said on this Mother's Day about the wonderful woman who brought myself and my three sisters into the world. I must say I have the BEST mother in the world. She was always kind and soft spoken and we never doubted her love and devotion for each one of us. She made us each feel special in our own way. She was able to teach us right from wrong without a lot of angst(well, to us!) and was always supportive of our pro-social activities. She made sure we had a religious foundation which is so important as the foundation for everything else. Love you Mom. Hope you have a wonderful day this Mother's Day.

Summer Visitation

2011-05-06T20:04:00.000-07:00

Since I started my blog a couple of years ago I have done a really tremendous job reporting all the "fluff" in my life but have been reluctant to really SHARE as that makes me feel vulnerable. It is time to be brave and open up a bit.

Keith and I just gave his ex-wife notice of the time we will be taking with the kids for summer vacation. This is always an anxious time for me as this inevitably starts off a vicious chain reaction. Although this visitation time is court ordered and exercised most every year, actually giving notice about taking it sets off a firestorm of a reaction in the other parent. Back when the kids were young the excuses for us not to have that time with them ranged from them being too young to be away from home that long to them not wanting to come to our house. Now that they are older the refrain is they are too busy with their activities to come and also they don't want to come. Needless to say the excuses are hurtful and damaging to the kid's relationship with us as I am sure their other parent's opinion about them coming to our house comes through and colors how they feel about the experience themselves.

I can't help but hope, as the e-mail was sent off, that this year may be different. Maybe it is the social worker in me but I keep hoping that change will come and with it a sense of peace with this difficult situation.

Little House in the Big Woods

2011-04-30T11:06:00.000-07:00

I am almost finished reading this to McKayla. I though it might be a bit old for her but then decided to give it a try and we could abort mission if she had no interest in it. She loves it and it connects me to the memories I had of being a child and my mother reading to me. She even colors or plays while I read to her and can go much longer than I have the voice to continue.

When we were kids we had two nights a week that were our night to do dishes. At this point in time it was just Marika and I as Kate and Lindsay were too young. It made that chore in particular so much better when Mom would read to us. I don't know how she had time to be reading to us all so much but our love of reading is solid so I can't help but think the wonderful memories of those times helped to assist with that.

Thanks Mom for the memories and also a tool to use with McKayla to help her grow. Now that is awesome parenting!

Easter Egg Hunt

2011-04-27T21:12:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday was my friend Diane's annual Easter egg hunt. There were about 100 people there and 2400 eggs so there was plenty for all. It was a blast. The weather could not have been better and even though I ended up with a sunburn (I know, shocker) it was a blast. Diane has a horse, fainting goats, and chickens so there was plenty for my city girl McKayla to be afraid of! She wouldn't even consider riding on the horse although she did get in the pen with the chickens and the goats.

Squirrels

2011-04-26T21:08:00.000-07:00

I am so lame. I NEVER get tired of watching the squirrels around our house. We didn't have squirrels in the neighborhood I grew up in and they are so funny and cute. I am bad about throwing stale bread products out to them so here are some pictures of a squirrel with an English muffin.

Austin's Birthday Party

2011-04-25T21:03:00.001-07:00

I had a word search made up on the internet specific to Austin. It was great and the person who found all the words first received a prize. Keith was the big winner.

Austin wanted an ice cream cake so I tried my hand at that and it turned out really well.

Baseball by Austin

2011-04-17T10:14:00.000-07:00

Justin Bieber by McKayla

2011-04-16T10:19:00.001-07:00

This infatuation McKayla has with Justin Bieber has gone too far.

Soccer by Kristin

2011-04-16T10:08:00.000-07:00

The Way I See It

2011-04-13T18:52:00.001-07:00

I was excited after reading Alison's book about Little House on the Prairie to read more books on the subject. Melissa Anderson's book was not my favorite read. While Alison spoke about the show she spoke more about her life and what was going on with her while she was doing the show. Melissa Anderson pretty much narrated the show and talked about her other projects. Not nearly as interesting considering I have seen all the shows. I have moved on the Melissa Gilbert's book and hope it is more like Alison's.

Toothless

2011-04-11T18:45:00.000-07:00

Busy Weekend

2011-04-11T06:05:00.000-07:00

There is something so satisfying about cleaning up and organizing. We cleaned out the garage this weekend and I also cleaned out one of our areas of landscaping in the backyard that we had to pull a dead plant out of last fall. The dirt was a mess, the stepping stones were not level and the water fountain desperately needed to be cleaned. It was a very messy job but as with all cleaning jobs was very rewarding to see it done. I have a huge clematis bush around that landscaping area and I can't seem to figure out how to prune the thing. It looks progressively worse every year with the previous years growth still on it but I am terrified I am going to kill the beautiful thing. I am going to have to give in and go to Zamzows with a picture of the thing and see if they can help.

Sing You Home

2011-04-10T18:03:00.000-07:00

I finished it! It was a good story, like they all are, but I didn't find it as moving as some of her others. I always appreciate a good story and Jodi Picoult knows how to deliver.

2011-04-06T17:59:00.000-07:00

I have been too busy to blog. Too busy working, cooking, cleaning and most of all too busy

READING!!!

Jodi Picoult's new book is out and I am absorbed in it every waking moment I am not obligated by other things.

McKayla Quote

2011-04-04T15:29:00.000-07:00

McKayla: Mama, Mama, Mama, I am so proud of myself.

Me: What are you proud about?

McKayla: I found my Barbie doll! Aren't you excited?!?!?!

Me: (laughing) Of course I am excited.

Caffeine and Endometriosis

2011-04-03T06:35:00.000-07:00

I gave up carbonated beverages for Lent and found the lack of caffeine greatly reduced my symptoms of Endometriosis. I had minimal pain and it was wonderful. I did a bit of research on the Internet and found that one article stated caffeine intake raises the level of estrogen in your body and also interferes with your liver's ability to cleanse excess estrogen out of the blood stream. The end result of all that estrogen is a negative thing if one has Endometriosis. I have to say the elimination of caffeine is a much easier solution to this problem than surgery. Hopefully the results will continue to be positive over time.

Are You There Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea

2011-04-02T06:30:00.000-07:00

By Chelsea Handler, Totally hilarious. Not for the overly proper or faint of heart. Loved it and have put all the rest of her books on my list at the library to read.

Confessions of a Prairie Bitch

2011-04-01T14:09:00.000-07:00

When a friend of Marika's commented about this book on her blog I couldn't resist. I don't think there has been an episode of Little House on the Prairie I have not seen. I LOVED this show. In the first few pages I didn't think I would enjoy it. I really like the fiction genre better than anything else. After the first chapter I was hooked and read the book in about 24 hours. Being a fan made the book even better. When Alison (the author) describes episode of the show and provides the back story or what was going on behind the scenes I know exactly what parts of what shows she is talking about and it is so entertaining. I also find her optimism about life so refreshing and healthy. Since reading this book I have found that Melissa Gilbert and Melissa Sue Anderson (Laura and Mary Ingalls) both have books out and you can bet I will be reading them next to get their perspective.

Beautiful Day

2011-03-31T10:34:00.001-07:00

Today is such a beautiful day, mild and sunny outside. It is really the only day of Spring Break that is supposed to be nice. McKayla, Keith and I are planning a walk on the greenbelt and a stop at the Discovery Center. Can't wait for Keith to get home to get going!!

Rainy Day Plans

2011-03-30T14:33:00.000-07:00

Yesterday McKayla and I went to the museum, library, and the park to spend some time. We were doing mostly indoor stuff as it was supposed to be raining most of the day. Below are pictures of McKayla working on her hand for the Peace wall at the museum.

McKayla's first time in the saddle.

McKayla in a canoe.

A bit of fun on an old slot machine.

The highlight of the day, the two headed cow. McKayla thought the cow would have a head on each end and was a little disappointed at this version!

Kathryn Albertson Park