Jer Lost His Job

Well, the title about says it all.

Today Jer came home from work with the news that he had been fired. Over a technicality at that, but it still doesn't change the fact.

He has been tired of working on the phones for quite some time.. it had started to be a drain on him emotionally and mentally, so hopefully this is a blessing in disguise.

This may mean many things, hopefully not many bad things. But if that is the case... it's the case and there isn't much I can do about it.

Jer is great about just about everything that he applies himself to. He is efficient and has a lot of common sense, he is also very good at learning new things. I know that whatever he ends up doing, he will do it well.

If you hear of anything, please let us know. This doesn't exclude me getting a job as well, If I need to (which is likely) I will.

Here's to hoping that this whole thing turns into a good opportunity.

Trying to clean out the wrong folder

Tonight I was looking at my email. I thought "Hey! Maybe I should clean out some of my folders!"

I clicked "Manage folders" and looked at which ones had the most memory in them. Turned out my "Family" folder had the most. So I clicked there and started to sift.

Yeah, not such a good idea.

You know how time is supposed to help heal? Apparently re-reading things that have happened in the past undoes that. I don't know if there is real healing from some things.

I thought about just deleting it all... then thought, it will probably be important someday for my children to understand the dynamics of certain relationships and why they are the way they are.

I should probably print those emails out, but then I wouldn't know what to do with them and I would probably come across them more often and just end up crying again.

So, so much for trying to clean out that folder.

Maybe in a couple more years...

The Holidays and the New Year coming

Christmas for us was great. The kids had fun and we had the general craziness of running around visiting family etc.

Due to a misunderstanding one of my siblings didn't come to the area for Christmas this year, feelings were too sensitive and the fear that the stress of the season would simply compound the issues was understandable. We missed her and her kids though.

My grandpa did come up though, and my other sister came to visit shortly after Christmas!

I always adore seeing her and her family! She really does inspire me to do better with my health and activity levels. Not in a "Your fat you need to take better care of yourself" kind of way... more in a "I'm cute and spunky and love life!" kinda of way that makes you want to be like her :)

This effect of hers made me do a double take on a cultural tradition that I usually find kinda dumb... the New Years Resolutions. Yes, I usually come up with something dumb and then halfheartedly attempt to do them for about a week and then right it of as a "stupid tradition anyways!"

Last year I resolved to "loose weight" which is normal... and which I did better at least year than I think I ever have... however about 3/4 of the way through the year I dropped the ball and gained it all back.

Soooo, this year I'm not resolving to loose weight. nope. I'm going to resolve to be healthier all around... and I'm going to drag my family kicking and screaming with me if I have to! (which I may literally have to do... I've decided that we should go hiking and camping more this year when the weather will permit).

So, my eating habits and exercise habits are going to get a makeover (I am still exercising, just not as much as I should be) and yes, I'm going to get away from town more often... even if it is just a couple of miles away.

Jer and I are pretty much homebodies, we tend to only leave town about 2-3 times a year... and by leaving town I mean going farther than my parents house that is 20 minutes away. Sad, that is going to change!

and for some reason, though this reads a lot like a regular resolution... it doesn't feel so much like one. These things are actually things I WANT to do, not just need to.

Hopefully that makes a world of difference.

Now it's time to research a book with good places to go hiking in the area!

Red Light!

So on Friday we went to my parents house to celebrate my mom's birthday (which is actually today). The kids had a blast, sang "Happy Birthday" to Grandma at the tops of their lungs and slightly off key, eat cake and ice cream, and then Grandpa decided to teach them "Red Light, Green Light".... which I was surprised that Goober didn't know from school. They have been begging Jer and I to play it with them since, and have resorted to trying to play it in our small room downstairs in adverse weather lol

On a totally unrelated note, I've been suffering with the beginnings of depression again. Grrrr. Hate that stuff, and hate the meds that go with it. Darned criminal pharmaceutical companies! At least my family understands though... seeing as most of them have suffered with it at one time or another. This would also probably be the reason that I haven't been posting as much recently... aka little to no drive.

Thank goodness I have the worlds best husband! Look! I can even prove it!

What a doll.

First Time Out...

In a really, really, long time!

Since last fall Jer and I have been discussing the fact that we really need to go camping with the kidlets more... now that Turbo is going to be 3 at the end of the summer it shouldn't be as big of an ordeal as with an infant (you know, the whole... Pack-N-Play,  bottles, baby back-packy thingy, etc etc)

Well, we still hadn't gone till this last weekend, and part of it was because we didn't have a clue where to go ...

Apparently my parents decided that they needed to prod us in the right direction! They invited us to go with them (can we say YAY for bathroom facilities and other adults whom the kidlets adore?!).

So, off we went!

This is the first time Jer and I have used our tent since we went and visited my sister for her graduation... ya, we're kind of pathetic... I know. :)

But we had a blast this time, due in large part to my mama and my papa!

Dad found the perfect spot to say in, that not only would fit their 5th wheel, but our tent and all the vehicles. PLUS it had a stream that the kids loved to jump over and play in AND we didn't have any traffic there besides ourselves running back and forth on the Rhino. :)

I think my kids were in shock due to not being allowed to watch any movies etc (I wouldn't let them, even though my parents did have a TV, DVD player, and a generator.... GOODNESS SAKES KIDS! We are OUTDOORS... and not just in the front yard! Go explore!)

They found sticks to swing around and asked repeatedly if any adult would go on a hike or take them on a ride in the Rhino. (which the adults didn't mind doing at all, that thing was fun!)

 (Gpa J and Missy at the top of the Mountain)

They picked flowers, and generally got themselves really dirty! They even had an incident with Jer where the Rhino tipped over, but alas... everyone was fine :)

There was even a deer that must have lived near our campsite, because we saw her often!

They even had Smores for the first time! (poor deprived children...)

Jer's foot started to hurt (darn gout, and me forgetting that shrimp triggers it... and dang-it everyone loved that meal!) So, now we are home, bathed, showered, and all but me in bed.

It was an awe-some weekend! Thanks to the 'rents!

July 2nd... because that's how we do it!

As I mentioned in my last post, our area moves Independence Day celebrations around according to the day of the week that they fall on. This year, because the 4th lands on a Sunday our city has moved the big celebrations to the 3rd, which put the little towns in the area in a bind because they usually have their celebrations on the 3rd. So this year they moved theirs to the 2nd.

So on Friday my little family went to my parents house for a BBQ, some personal fireworks, and then to watch their little towns fireworks from the back porch!

The BBQ was WAY good (Go Mom and Dad!) but because this post is going to be picture heavy anyways I will spare you the mouth watering goodness (because it would just make you jealous and hungry anyways) and get on to the family fun!

Dad and the kids danced around in the back yard for a while, while we waited for the sun to get to a point where fireworks would be fun... Then we went into the front yard for some firework fun... but we had to break the kids in slooooowly :) You know, since they had been asking since they woke up this morning when we were going to do fireworks!

With hand held fireworks and PopIt's!

But even with the slow "breaking in" we still scared a baby dear out of hiding! I don't know if you can see it in the middle of the road there... it was moving pretty quickly and my reaction time with the camera wasn't as fast as it needed to be! He was a lot closer when we first saw him!

Then we went back to doing the Roman Candles... the kids loved then and we all counted up to ten as each one used up it's 10 charges :)

And, yes! That is a rare picture of me! I know... your amazed... I actually remembered to hand my camera off! And then Goober decided he needed to get into the picture too...

Silly Kiddo!

He cracks me up! Ahhhh the firework glasses (they had a prismatic effect so they made the fireworks all that much more colorful!)

The kids were ecstatic as they each got to take turns with helping light the fireworks and running as fast as their legs would carry them! Sometimes bringing expired fireworks back to put in the trash pile :)

And then there is the never fail Sparklers! :) Those are always a hit! Turbo even got a little bit of freedom with his....

Goober was nervous about the ones shooting in the air falling on him, so he decided the safest place was in the back of grandpa's truck in the garage! lol

Guess we didn't start out slow enough! :D

"Flowers" are always fun to chuck in the water... nothing puts those suckers out once they get going!

After a few more fireworks we moved to the backyard to wait for the "big" fireworks! The kids each borrowed one of Gma and Gpa J's jackets because I forgot to gab theirs from home before we can up... then Gpa started the fire pit until the cities fireworks started.

It was a great night! Thanks Mom and Dad! Your the best and our whole family had a blast!

Goober's View

 This is a painting Goober brought home today... it's of "Dad and Me in front of Qwerty's house with a bonfire!".

  Qwerty is Goobers cousin who just turned thirteen a few days ago. Goober adores him. I'm sure this is of our trip last year when we went to visit my sister and celebrate her graduating from college.

  There were lots of people and great kids (most Qwerty and Miss Thangs ages) who treated my kids really well, I was very impressed with all of them and how they didn't make any of my kids feel as though they were a pain in any way.

  Anyways, apparently this memory has stuck with Goober :) He asks often about when is the next time we are going to go to "Qwerty and Miss Thang's house" and I know he truly adores both of them!

April Flowers!

So today is my birfumday... and I'm now officially no longer a "young adult" whatever the heck that means! Yup, I'm 30. And in honor of my birthday I'm going to post on.... flowers. Cause I luv em!

Aaaaaaand because my mom and dad took my whole fambly to the Tulip Festival at Thanksgiving Point this last weekend! Ahhhhh those gardens make me want to just lay down in the grass and give up all the cares of the world... but alas, I would get sunburned! Oh, wait! I already am! (Jer claims that I got my own brand of a "tramp stamp" because my lower back is so sunburned from working in our yard almost all day Friday! I was just so HAPPY to see SUNSHINE... I COULDN'T RESIST! COULDN'T!!!)

(I feel a tangent coming on...)

Anyhow, on the way down there Jer and I had to laugh, because as everyone knows, Salt Lake City is always under construction... there are no exceptions to that rule. I think the drivers that live and work there have become immune to it. Every once in a while there are those little radar guns that tell you how fast you are going to try to convince you to be more aware of how much you are speeding... right? Everyone has seen those around, and I think every teenager has messed with them at one time or another...

As we are driving along we notice one of these gun thingy-a-bobbies... all was normal. Well... except it seemed to be trying extra hard to get everyones attention. You see, the speed limit was technically 55mph. Everyone was going a bit faster. Okay. Okay! A lot faster! I could picture the thing screaming at the drivers

"SEVENTY TWO!!! SEVENTY FIVE!!! SEVENTY THREEE!!!! YOU PEOPLE DISGUST ME!!"

It was rather humorous... I guess you just had to be there :)

(okay, end of tangent!)

When we got to the gardens the day was perfect. It was the kind of day that I wish would last all summer long!

It was not to hot, not to windy, just breezy enough... it was the kind of day that if the kids really wanted to go and play in the sprinklers they could have, but it wasn't so hot that I would have insisted on staying inside while they did so! (I know, I'm a heat pansy... I don't handle hot well. I would rather be cold then hot...)

The tulips were awesome! and Colorful! and so much what I needed after a week of rain and no color at home!

Jer pulled the kids in the wagon for a while, but honestly my dad pulled them the majority of the time. :) Thanks Dad!!! The kids adored it and had lots of fun doing everything there! 

They rolled down the hills, and Turbo spend a lot of time looking for sprinklers (cause, ya know, we went to the gardens to look at the sprinklers! Derrrrr)

Jer also had fun rolling down the kill (and trying not to take out kids on the way down! lol)

(See, told you dad pulled the kids around!)

Anyhow, It was an awesome, beautiful, flower filled day! :)

Oh, and sorry about the plethora of pictures, but it's MY birthday, so MEH! To you!

Here... have some more! MWHAHAHAHAHA! (I love flowers... can you tell? ... hey, wait... that could have been why I was a florist... hmmmm)

Oh... and I think my kids are pretty great too....

Even if I did get a sunburn! Thanks Mom and Dad!!! It was awesome and I don't think I would have ever made it down there if it hadn't been for you!