Hey all - I just wanted you all to know that I'm still around. I just have nothing really interesting to update. Our biggest client (and typically our only client) has told us that payment of invoices have been delayed until further notice. My mind has been very busy trying to scrounge for food and necessary items when no $ is readily available. It is soooooo frustrating when my sweet husband has already put in the long hours to earn the $ we're waiting for. Also, the man he works for is a very dramatic sort which makes working for this man less than desireable on many occasions.
Thankfully, we have some family that have been blessed with $ we could borrow. It's not enough to live on for 2 months but it will have to do since we don't have any other choices before us. I HATE being a liability in the world.
Van update - it's still dead. Hard to get something fixed when we don't have the $ to buy the parts.
Job update - hubby is going to visit some places today and see what he can stir up. I think he's going to talk with some past clients first then hit the pavement on search for a new possibility. My heart aches for him. If it wasn't for his long term health issues he could have and would have taken up a "real job" somewhere a long time ago. He is kinda forced to be self employed because he never knows when he's going to have a "bad day" and need to not work that day. Bad days usually come in clusters knocking him out for several days. He is just so dang talented and well rounded in his field that he is a huge asset when he can find work and when he has good health.
Baby update - The little one is moving and squirming like normal. Sometimes keeping me awake when things get too strong and intense. We did have the "big ultrasound" a couple of weeks ago. Everything looked normal - we looked for the issues we have with Power Ranger and did not seem to have any of those problems. As far as the tech could tell (we both agree from what we could see) we're having a little girl. So.. now the search is on for a name for this little one. I've started a list but nothing has really jumped out at me yet. Hubby is working so hard on getting $ and work that coming up with names are not a high priority right now. I've had to be on self imposed bedrest lately. I've always had issues with preterm labor and this weekend I had some pains in areas that made both hubby and I nervous. I am less than a week away from the magic line drawn between miscarriage and preterm labor (if this little peanut decides to emerge early). I'm hoping to go at least as long as Power Ranger (35 weeks) but more hopeful for when I had Tinker Bell (37 weeks). The twins (Dragon Girl and Jabber Box) were born at 29 weeks. The day after their b-day I'll be that far along with this peanut. So, if some of you don't see me for quite some time just know that I'm laying low trying to keep this one baking as long as possible.
My nephew that is only a year and a few months younger than myself recently had surgery to remove a brain tumor. I've been greatly wrapped up with what's going on with him. I need to go get an update on how he's doing. I have some really fond memories of growing up with this nephew. He's 1/2 Samoan but looks 100% Samoan. For 1 year we went to the same high school. We even had the same math teacher - different class times though. We shocked a LOT of people. Most thought we were BF/GF since we were so at ease with each other and teased each other so much. You should have seen their eyes pop out of their heads when he would proudly announce that I was his aunt. I'm grinning right now just thinking about some of those moments. Now he's married and has 2 beautiful little boys. My heart aches for what he, his wife and kids as well as my sis and all the rest of the family are going though. So far he has bounced back rather quickly. Last I heard he's still sleeping a LOT. They were supposed to find out the pathology results this past week. I hope that no news it good news.
So, there you have it. I hate wondering what's up with someone and not finding updates so that's why I wrote this. Just in case anyone actually is interested and stops by I wanted to have some news here waiting for you. I know this message has ended up MUCH longer than I originally intended and I'm sorry for the long windedness of it all. Hope your day / evening goes well . . . Later.
Monday, February 9, 2009
Sunday, January 25, 2009
How to be happy. . . .
Everyone is always chasing happiness. Perhaps a few videos will give you a pointer or two. Enjoy.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Guardian Angels
Do you ever have something bad happen and you realize "Man! We must have had a guardian angel watching over us tonight."?
I decided to take the kids to a museum 20 miles away for a few hours to give us all something to do. We have a year membership so the only cost to us was the gas getting there and back. No big deal. Even with being greatly outnumberd (4 kids to 1 pregnant adult) things went amazingly well. Only had a few "interventions" with Power Ranger. Jabber Box was a HUGE help with Power Ranger.
After 3 1/2 hours we felt the day had been seized and we were all ready to head home. The kids all fell asleep in the van on the drive home. It was dark already outside which helped to lull them to dreamland.
We had already determined that as a treat we would stop off at Arby's for dinner. We rarely eat out and I thought this might be a nice treat for us all.
I continued on the highway past our usual offramp to go to the one close to Arby's. In this short distance I felt like something had just happened to the van yet I couldn't see or feel anything different - yet. I got in the left turn lane and was amazed to find that the light had recently turned green and I wouldn't have to actually stop. As I entered the intersection I could now feel what had happened. The surpentine belt broke. My dash was dimmed and all the guages were varifying my guess. I lost my power steering and all the other goodies that come with having a fully working belt.
Much to my amazement... EVERY light I passed was GREEN. I had to make another left turn to head towards home and I typically have to stop at this light. Not tonight. There was a nice break in the traffic waiting for me to pass through.
I was able to get all the way home and into the garage. I unlocked the house door and turned on a light then went around the front of the van to open the sliding door and wake all my peacefully slumbering kids. It was when I was rounding the front when I heard the radiator blow.
Looking back on this trip.... If that belt had broken at any point prior to when it did we would have been stuck on a cold highway - in the dark - waiting for someone (if I could find anyone home and able to help) to come pick the kids and I up as well as waiting for a tow truck.
I feel truely blessed to have had this happen so close to home. I have had several experiences with this dang van having a fit about something and I was in an area where I could either get home or could pull into an autozone or checker parking lot and fix it myself. The last fit was when the breaks completely went out (some rear seal burst) and I was only 1/4 mile from home.
I tell ya.... I think we have an army of angels watching over us with the volume of problems with old cars that we've had over the recent years. One angel would simply not be enough. They would be much overworked.
(we are now accepting donations to our "get a new and reliable vehicle fund")
I decided to take the kids to a museum 20 miles away for a few hours to give us all something to do. We have a year membership so the only cost to us was the gas getting there and back. No big deal. Even with being greatly outnumberd (4 kids to 1 pregnant adult) things went amazingly well. Only had a few "interventions" with Power Ranger. Jabber Box was a HUGE help with Power Ranger.
After 3 1/2 hours we felt the day had been seized and we were all ready to head home. The kids all fell asleep in the van on the drive home. It was dark already outside which helped to lull them to dreamland.
We had already determined that as a treat we would stop off at Arby's for dinner. We rarely eat out and I thought this might be a nice treat for us all.
I continued on the highway past our usual offramp to go to the one close to Arby's. In this short distance I felt like something had just happened to the van yet I couldn't see or feel anything different - yet. I got in the left turn lane and was amazed to find that the light had recently turned green and I wouldn't have to actually stop. As I entered the intersection I could now feel what had happened. The surpentine belt broke. My dash was dimmed and all the guages were varifying my guess. I lost my power steering and all the other goodies that come with having a fully working belt.
Much to my amazement... EVERY light I passed was GREEN. I had to make another left turn to head towards home and I typically have to stop at this light. Not tonight. There was a nice break in the traffic waiting for me to pass through.
I was able to get all the way home and into the garage. I unlocked the house door and turned on a light then went around the front of the van to open the sliding door and wake all my peacefully slumbering kids. It was when I was rounding the front when I heard the radiator blow.
Looking back on this trip.... If that belt had broken at any point prior to when it did we would have been stuck on a cold highway - in the dark - waiting for someone (if I could find anyone home and able to help) to come pick the kids and I up as well as waiting for a tow truck.
I feel truely blessed to have had this happen so close to home. I have had several experiences with this dang van having a fit about something and I was in an area where I could either get home or could pull into an autozone or checker parking lot and fix it myself. The last fit was when the breaks completely went out (some rear seal burst) and I was only 1/4 mile from home.
I tell ya.... I think we have an army of angels watching over us with the volume of problems with old cars that we've had over the recent years. One angel would simply not be enough. They would be much overworked.
(we are now accepting donations to our "get a new and reliable vehicle fund")
Friday, January 16, 2009
Just another January...
Every year my sweet hubby works for X-Dance: http://www.x-dance.com/
He sets up the equipment (along with 1 other guy. This process is a BIG job.), runs the projector and has to sit through all those sports films. For most men this would be a dream job.... Being that neither my hubby or I are really into sports it's kinda a form of extended boredom/torture. LOL! Last year he started telling me about a film here or there. He's learning to appreciate them more I guess.
Although I basically lose my husband for a week (SUPER long work days/nights) I must say my favorite part is the swag bag at the end. He has been able to bring home enough fun little gadgets (headphones, backpacks, sunglasses, t-shirts etc..) to keep me happy.
It's kinda funny... my life is so boring that I find myself writing about my husband's life. Only thing going on with me is I worry about being home alone with 4 kids for a 4 day weekend. I wish we had some extra $... (well... any $ for that matter) so I could do some stuff with the kids. I rented some new movies for them to watch. I think I may get out one of our tents and put it up in the play room. They like to pretend they're camping out.
I'm still VERY nautious and just got a refill of my favorite anti-puke med to keep me happy. I am GRATEFUL to say that so far, this pregnancy is still plodding along quietly and boring. I LOVE that. I will take boring any day. Oh, and yes, I do feel the little peanut moving around.
He sets up the equipment (along with 1 other guy. This process is a BIG job.), runs the projector and has to sit through all those sports films. For most men this would be a dream job.... Being that neither my hubby or I are really into sports it's kinda a form of extended boredom/torture. LOL! Last year he started telling me about a film here or there. He's learning to appreciate them more I guess.
Although I basically lose my husband for a week (SUPER long work days/nights) I must say my favorite part is the swag bag at the end. He has been able to bring home enough fun little gadgets (headphones, backpacks, sunglasses, t-shirts etc..) to keep me happy.
It's kinda funny... my life is so boring that I find myself writing about my husband's life. Only thing going on with me is I worry about being home alone with 4 kids for a 4 day weekend. I wish we had some extra $... (well... any $ for that matter) so I could do some stuff with the kids. I rented some new movies for them to watch. I think I may get out one of our tents and put it up in the play room. They like to pretend they're camping out.
I'm still VERY nautious and just got a refill of my favorite anti-puke med to keep me happy. I am GRATEFUL to say that so far, this pregnancy is still plodding along quietly and boring. I LOVE that. I will take boring any day. Oh, and yes, I do feel the little peanut moving around.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Survived
Well... the holidays have come and gone.... we survived. I was sooooo careful to keep everyone pumped up on sleep and vitamins etc... Then we were brought an "extra gift" when the grandparents came for a visit. Croup for the little one and a nasty cold for me. Tinkerbell recovered rather quickly. Thank goodness. I'm almost back to my regular self...
Right now..... our biggest thorn is my husband's main client. This past year they changed their payment policies... One month my husband turned in his invoice and they said "oh, did we mention that we're paying 30 days out now?". Typically we would get paid within 2 weeks of submitting the invoice. Then about 2 months later we got this: "Oh, did we mention that we're now 60 days out for paying invoices?" So... here we sit. Broke but owed enough money that we could survive if they would just pay us. UGHHHH!!! Being self employeed has some benefits (being able to do what you enjoy for $ - picking when you will work - working from home).... I think it has more negatives at times: Having to say yes to certain work simply because it's work and not because you love it, Having to work MUCH longer hours than if you had a "regular job", No health insurance, Being at the mercy of your clients for getting paid, When one project is done you are then "unemployed" until someone calls again for work... etc...
Sorry... don't mean to post a bummer post. It's just how I've been feeling lately. I get so frustrated with life sometimes that it feels good to get it out.
Just for some fun: I am adding a poll to see what other people think we're having. In a couple of weeks we will be going in for our "big" ultrasound. As long as this little one cooperates we will find out what he/she is. I just thought it might be fun to see what everyone thinks is currently baking. We have 2 girls and 2 boys so our odds are 50/50 it seems.
Right now..... our biggest thorn is my husband's main client. This past year they changed their payment policies... One month my husband turned in his invoice and they said "oh, did we mention that we're paying 30 days out now?". Typically we would get paid within 2 weeks of submitting the invoice. Then about 2 months later we got this: "Oh, did we mention that we're now 60 days out for paying invoices?" So... here we sit. Broke but owed enough money that we could survive if they would just pay us. UGHHHH!!! Being self employeed has some benefits (being able to do what you enjoy for $ - picking when you will work - working from home).... I think it has more negatives at times: Having to say yes to certain work simply because it's work and not because you love it, Having to work MUCH longer hours than if you had a "regular job", No health insurance, Being at the mercy of your clients for getting paid, When one project is done you are then "unemployed" until someone calls again for work... etc...
Sorry... don't mean to post a bummer post. It's just how I've been feeling lately. I get so frustrated with life sometimes that it feels good to get it out.
Just for some fun: I am adding a poll to see what other people think we're having. In a couple of weeks we will be going in for our "big" ultrasound. As long as this little one cooperates we will find out what he/she is. I just thought it might be fun to see what everyone thinks is currently baking. We have 2 girls and 2 boys so our odds are 50/50 it seems.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)