Ruby Blue Monkey

Hillbilly Hell

2007-02-22T18:32:00.000-06:00

Yes that is where I am. HILLBILLY HELL. I have been battling little bouts of depression on and off and I think I have figured out what is contributing to some of the delusion. I am in one of the least cultured areas of the world right now. It's some sort or weird black hole of backwardness that I have to admit amuses me but at the same time pisses me off. Examples as follows:

1) No one down here knows what falafel, hummus, pita or tahini are. You can usually find one package of pita or hummus at the store but forget about anything else Greek. This REALLY sucks because I have had a major jones for Greek food lately.

2) Most of my co-workers have never left the state of Missouri. Half have never even left the towns they were born in for more than a day trip to the big mall in Kansas City.

3) None of them know who My Chemical Romance, The Pixies, The Killers, or U2 are. Most are very familiar with Carrie Underwood and Toby Keith though.

4) Everytime I bring my lunch in to work I am scutinized because its something "foreign".

5) I see new road-kill every day. I may become a vegiterrian.

6) Most people down here plan their social calendars around NASCAR

7) Coffee always comes out of a can or is instant, "what are whole beans, and what do you do with them?"

8) Soy Beans are a major crop down here, ironically no one knows what Edemame is.

8) They all think that I'm the WEIRD one.

I know there is more. But until the shock wears off I can't think of them all. My denial has been deep. I didn't put my Missouri license plates on until today, I got them in December.

Cheers, I leave you with Mel dancing around in my socks.

Wintery days and 6 years of love

2007-01-13T10:50:00.000-06:00

Today is our 6th anniversary! Holy cow that went fast. Marriage is hard and has many pitfalls. Somedays I just want to give it up but then I look at my husband and remember why I married him. When I see him with Mel and the love that he has for her I love him even more. We were going to go to "the city" as they say down here, but we had an ice storm which is no joke here in the country. Black ice everywhere and the ice brings down trees and power lines. Because it's so spread out here it can take upto one month for some people to get their power back. About 5 years ago they had a really bad one and my town was without power for 2 weeks. They had to pull in people from other states to help. My co-workers said they just huddled in their beds for warmth. Needless to say I went home at 12:30 yesterday and didn't get home till 2:00. I saw 23 car accidents, people overturned, off into trees, in ditches, one car looked like it had been cut in half it was smashed so bad. It ruined our Anniversary plans but we are having fun just snuggling at home for now. Puttering around on the internet I found out that that My Chemical Romance is playing in Topeka so for our Anniversary present we bought each other a ticket. It will be nice to get some citified culturin'.

Squirrel Suicide

2007-01-04T21:07:00.000-06:00

Today I witnessed a squirell commit suicide. It was a very sad moment. I saw him sighlently pray on his road to heaven just before he made the mad dash one foot left to seal the deal with my radials. Who knew a squirell could make such a loud ker-thunk.

Triumphant Return, sort-of

2007-01-02T18:47:00.000-06:00

After a long haiatis to mourn the death of my father I am back. For those of you who didn't know my Dad lost his battle with Lymphoma on October 14 of 2006. I have now decided to get back into blogging. Today I just leave you with a pic of Mel, my princess.

Lacy

2006-09-21T18:48:00.000-05:00

This is our babysitters senior pic. (well we borrowed her from our friends) Isn't she a dish!

You might be a redneck if...

2006-09-21T18:47:00.000-05:00

in your senior picture you are holding a shotgun...

More about whats going on around here

2006-09-17T20:25:00.000-05:00

Jack works with a guy named Nate who also happens to live here in the grand ole town of Sweet Springs. Nate has a nifty wife who's name is Beth. They have two really cute kids named Zoie and Zahfer. Mel loves them already. They also happen to be the only two people in this town who look like they might have ever lived in Seattle. That pic of Nate from the last post is his real hair but he usually has the mohawk spiked up. They are funny and sarcastic and have already made us feel really welcome here and Beth makes awsome biscuts and gravy. (If she's not burning the bottoms of them) Heheh.... So it is no wonder why we are friends already. Here is a pic of the party, which was a costume party, in-case you hadn't figured that out, its a group of us that dressed up.

Beth also happens to be a MySpace junkie so I am linking her site here.

PS Beth E. I think the fact that the first friend I made here name happens also to be Beth just reeks of Irony. I also find that we happen to be living on RAY street very enigmatic.

Hello Darling

2006-09-17T15:29:00.000-05:00

We went to a costume party at our new friends Nate and Beth's.

Beth

Nate & Mandy

What have you done

2006-09-15T16:05:00.000-05:00

I tagged this from Chef Messy who was tagged by Jenni at Sin City Spuds.
I have done all the things in bold:
01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
02. Swam with (sort of) wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive (sort of I was supposed to be parking it)
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said 'I love you' and meant it
09. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten my own vegetables (well, herbs, really)
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby's diaper (oh yeah! Have I ever!)
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than I could afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as I possibly could
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about my life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for my computer
40. Visited all 50 states (18 so far)
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk
42. Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Taken a midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer then I was actually in love with the person
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger's table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized my CDs
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Posed nude in front of strangers
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love with someone and not had my heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an "expert"
83. Received flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Had a one-night stand (sortof)
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one of my parents
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language fluently
95. Performed in Rocky Horror Picture Show
96. Raised children (a bit)
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
98. Created and named my own constellation of stars
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn't stop when I knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an illness that I shouldn't have survived
105. Written articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Petted a stingray
110. Broken someone's heart
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a body part of mine below the neck pierced
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had my picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone's mind about something I care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Petted a cockroach (Then squished it)
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad - and the Odyssey
135. Selected one "important" author who I missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all my school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written my own computer language
141. Thought to myself that I'm living my dream
142. Had to put someone I love into hospice care
143. Built my own PC from parts
144. Sold my own artwork to someone who didn't know me
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146: Dyed my hair
147: Been a DJ
148: Shaved my head
149: Caused a car accident
150: Saved someone's life
151: Been in a vehicular chase with law enforcement
152: Driven a motorcycle
153: Made soap with lye
154: Backpacked for several days in the wilderness
155: Knit or sewn my own clothes
156: Kayaked
157: Pulled a fire alarm in a public building
158: Eaten a raw habenero chili pepper
159: Bailed someone out of jail
160: Mastered a musical instrument
161: Spray-painted or otherwise graffittied public property
162: Made my own shoes
163: Thrown a personal item of clothing onstage during a concert
164: Written poetry, bad or otherwise
165: Made doughnuts from scratch
166: Changed my mind about something I believed in passionately
167: Walked out of my job, quitting on the spot
168: Jumped out of a moving car
169: Ridden in the trunk of a car
170: Drunk-dialed someone
171: Gone to a strip club or show
172: Eaten a whole pint of ice cream by myself
173: Jumped a train
174: Commited an act of civil disobedience
175: Had a crush on my cousin
176: Written a letter to a celebrity.
177: Seen 10 countries in six weeks.
178: Driven 6,000 miles in six weeks.
179: Slept in a 400 year old convent.
180: Seen a punk concert at a Roman coliseum.
181: Performed in Disney Land.
182: Swung on vines in Peru.
183: Lived near the beach of both the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans.
184. Spent more than 30 hours in labor.
185. Had both my tonsils and my appendix removed.
186. Been hit by a drunk driver.
188. Camped on the beach.
189. Baked a 4-layer cake from scratch.
190. Given someone a fake phone number.
I am adding:
191. Gone fishing in Alaska
192. Driven 2,000 miles with just my two year old
193. Eaten wild game including Moose, deer, elk, caribou and raindeer
194. Been in an underground gold and silver mine
195. Participated in a charity bike-a-thon or walk
196. Been on a Glacier
197. Swam in a glacier lake

Butte Rocker

2006-09-10T09:26:00.000-05:00

I know everyone is dying to see pics of the house we are renting but I haven't had a chance to get my memory card emptied from my camera. Worry not, I shall have it done soon. Until then I leave you with this little nugget of fun.

On my way down to Missouri I had to pass Butte, MT. Lovely place if you're into big belt buckles and buffalo. However, did you know that on the west side of Butte there is a little town named Rocker. So if your heading west on I-90 you get to visit Butte, Rocker. If you don't find that mildly amusing quit reading my blog you just don't belong here.

Check out Wise Craft

2006-08-19T21:31:00.000-05:00

Love this blog site. Been reading like crazy...

Wise Craft

Things You May Not Have Known About Me

2006-08-17T23:38:00.000-05:00

This was a challange from Jen @ http://www.thispile.com

Things You May Not Have Known About Me…
Things you may not have known about me….
A) Four jobs I have had in my life:
1. Mom and wife
2. Special Project Coordinator for Big Hospital.
3. Managed Care Billing and Financial Analyst (Yes that was my full title)
4. Valet for Nordstroms

B) Four movies you would watch over and over:
1. Shawshank Redemption – Best movie ever.
2. Strictly Ballroom
3. Mean Girls – SOOOO Hilarious
4. Any of the Harry Potter flix

C) Four places you have lived:
1. Multiple towns in Colorado
2. Juneau, AK
3. Glenrock, WY
4. Seattle, WA

D) Four TV shows you love to watch:
1. LOST
2. Project Runway on Bravo
3. Grays Anatomy
4. Currently fixated on 24

E) Four places you have been on vacation:
1. Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada
2. Las Vegas, NV
3. Victoria and Vancouver, BC
4. Missouri

F) Websites you visit daily or often:
Daciaray.com, thispile.com, msnbc.com

G ) Four of my favorite foods:
1. Thai Food
2. Southern Food
3. Mexican Food
4. Food in general is all good.

H) Four places I would rather be right now:
1. With my husband Jack & Mel in Missouri
2. On a couch with a tub of Ben & Jerrys watching Strictly Ballroom
3. A sunny park with Mel on the swing set
4. Out to dinner with friends

I) Friends I think will respond
1. Dacia?
2. Beth
3. No Idea really because I don’t know who reads my blog….

J) Favorite songs/music: (it changes all. the. time. but here’s what’s hot now)
1. Rascal Flatts
2. Keith Urban
3. Black Eyed Peas
4. Johnny Cash

K) Favorite Colors:
1. Olive
2. Red
3. Yellow
4. Orange (you should see my couch)

L) Favorite Author:
1. CS Lewis
2. Shakespeare
3. JK Rowling
4. Jen Zug (shameless flattery but her site makes me laugh more than anything lately)

M) Moments I will never forget (not in any order):
1. The day I married Jack
2. The first time my Daughter told me “I love you too, Mommy” as she wrapped her arms around me.
3. spending the week in the hospital with my daughter when she had a bad virus
4. Finding out my dad had cancer.

Excellent friends and stinky dogs

2006-08-16T22:10:00.000-05:00

So the sporadic posts continue... I have been staying with my friends the Pratts for the month of August. They kindly offered this to me so I could save some moola for the move. We are having a great time. The kids get to play together and Brad and Kim have gotten me hooked on the TV show 24. It is totally over the top dramatic but the stories are excellent. The only downfall of the nightly view is their two adorable dogs. They like to fart. A lot. Hehe. I thought about those farting dog books for kids last night and it just made me laugh soo much.

In Dad news we have had a bit of a set back. He was down in Missouri enjoying himself while on a break from treatment and started developing new tumors. So yesterday the doctor ordered him back up to Seattle to begin treatment early. It is disappointing and wearing on all of us I just continue to pray that the Stem cell treatment will eventually be successfully. Thanks to all of you who pray for him too.

In Brother news... You don't want to know. Lets just say I pray a lot in this department as well. If you all want to pray please do for my brothers kids. Just pray that they remain safe at their Aunts house and that their mom and dad get their shit together.

So as I gear up for the big move I have a very full social calendar. 3 Dinners and 3 going away parties are planned so far. I am going to miss everyone sooo much. Hopefully they will read my blog to keep updated on what's going on. Also in moving news, we found a small house to rent down in Sweet Springs for $300 a month. Yeah. My mom says it's pretty small and "isn't much" and "I've lived in worse" and "you'll have to be creative with your storage" so it is either scary small or she is being really dramatic. Knowing my mom its the latter. I will post pics when I get settled and let you know.

Ok enough for now. I'll probably post again in about a week.

Quickie Update

2006-08-07T21:05:00.000-05:00

I am transient at moment. We have moved out of our apartment and are staying with our friends the Pratt's until The big move on August 31st. Here's to praying that it all fits in the U-haul! Other than that I played softball on a whim yesterday and am now so sore that my eyelids hurt. Mel is having a blast with Charlie and Ella. It's like insta siblings. Currently they all have their eyeballs glued to the teley watching Toy Story 2 and sipping chocolate milk.

In Missouri news (misery) Jack is toughing it out at my uncles house. My uncle is being a cantankerous old fart and Jack is really not used to my whole family dynamic. Which in turn gives me major anxiety. He did find a good job though welding at a toolbox factory. Great on the job training etc.

Dad is in "HOG HEAVEN" literally he has been on his Harley everyday and has even had a few 8 hour road trips.

Mom is in Juneau finishing up loose ends. Seeing that my Nieces and my Nephew are safe and taken care of. This is an entire other story that I have yet to find the words to put down in full. It is a painful subject and I am not prepared mentally to divulge.

Mo-Mo

2006-07-24T21:03:00.000-05:00

Melody's"Boat"

"Look-it Mommy!"

Awwwwwwww! Their so peaceful when they're sleeping.

Curtain dress

2006-07-19T21:53:00.000-05:00

This is an outfit that I bought at a vintage store here in Seattle. When I bought it, it was a "skort" outfit. Hideous, YES, But all I had to do was cut the middle out and sew it up right at the pleat. WHA-LA! Cute summer dress! I take a pic of myself in it but for two reasons:
1: If you read my blog regularly you will have already noticed the intentional lack of pictures of me.
2: My camera is broken and I can't do the timer thing anymore.

Fig-iddaboutit

2006-07-18T21:32:00.000-05:00

I had the option to write about the insane chaos of my apartment deep in the throws of packing/moving or about my brother and his sad situation. But niether of those topics make me happy and I am choosing the "if I don't think about it, it ain't there" cop-out. So I choose instead to talk about one of the things I am going to miss about Seattle. The Pikes Place Market and fresh figs for sale this time of year. I have an annual tradition of going to the market at lunch and scooping up yummy exotic fruits this time of year. Mostly because this is the ONLY time you can get them. Especially figs. I love fresh figs. They are piney and sweet. Piney? Yes Piney, that is the extremely sutle smell they give off when really fresh. Don't get me wrong now for anyone who has not had a fresh fig they are NOTHING like fig newtons. That nasty goo they put in the middle is so gross it could pass for road tar compared to the delicate texture and sweet deliciousness of a fresh fig. Take the plunge and try some. They also make a great compote for vanilla ice cream.

Hospitals and Scary Virus

2006-07-08T23:18:00.000-05:00

So I haven't really been neglecting my Blogging but we had a bit of a scare this week. Melody came down with a 101.7 fever on the night of the 2nd. This occasionally happens with her allergies so I gave her some Tylenol and sent her to bed. On the 3rd she woke up with a fever of 104.4! I got her in to see her doctor who decided she had a nasty tonsil infection/pharyngitis. But she got progressively worse as the day and night went on. After she threw-up 5 times and became as limp as noodle with a 105 fever (on Tylenol) I took her to the ER early on the 4th. She was poked 5 times to get an IV in. An unfortunate inherited trait from her Nana and me. Small, rolling and disappearing veins. After IV fluids and Tylenol in a not so fun place she seemed much better no fever and was sent home. But the same thing happened again I couldn't keep her fever down and she was very lethargic. So off to the ER we went again. This time they couldn't keep her fever down so she was admitted for observation. 6 IV attempt, 2 chest x-rays, 2 very dramatic blood draws, 1 sedation, 1 CT scan, lots of drugs/antibiotics and 5 days later we are finally home. The doctors think that she got some sort of nasty, not entirely identifiable virus that caused her tonsils, sinuses and other facial structures to become inflamed and infected. This then developed a sinus infection as well. They think the virus was related to Mono or some sort of an Epstein-Barr type virus. Whatever it was it kick her poor little baby girl butt. She is not full tilt yet but is doing much better. We will be able to breath better after her 13 days of antibiotics is done.

Finally a chance to blog.

2006-06-30T21:38:00.000-05:00

So much to do... um... too little people to get to do it for me.

Movies recently viewed:

Syriana - Overall I give this movie 3.75 stars, I liked it but the ending message didn't really get me. Maybe I am one of those overly desensitized American prats that we read about but I just wasn't really moved by this one. First off it was slow and was dangerously close to being like "The New World". However, a few shocking developments later I was glued. It still took me 3/4 of the movie to figure out the plot (if you can call it that). The redeeming factors were George Clooney and Matt Damons' performances and it really made me think about my own greedy oil consumption.

Pink Panther - 1.5 stars. Steve Martin is a very funny guy but the guy who co-wrote this with him is not. The parts that should have been funny are completely lost to the dry acting by the inexperienced Beyonce and over experienced Kevin Kline and Jean Reno. This was a vapid and forgettable comedy.

Failure to Launch - 3.5 stars. Moderately amusing, so-so acting, I do love Sara Jessica Parker. There are a few bits of unusual slapstick involving wild animals that makes this just quirky enough to keep watching.

Garage Sale! For the move to Missouri I will be having a garage sale on July 21-22. I have already accumulated 2 boxes of crap that I never knew I had. Where does this stuff come from?

Update on Dad: Things are going well overall. This last dose of chemo is really kicking his butt though. Hopefully they will harvest his stem cells in the next 2 days and he will get a break for a few weeks.

Check out these blogs:

Iheartichoke (Danelle) and Prometheus Returns (Pastor Mike)and Chef Messy

and finally...

This is what happens to mommy when she's in trouble with Melody.

The Un-domestic godess

2006-06-26T20:16:00.000-05:00

Ok so I stole the title of this post from a novel but it fits me well today. As you may have read above I truly believe that dishes should magically walk themselves into the dishwasher and then magically walk themselves into the cupboard. This is also evidence of my negligent blogging of late. I had my Uncle Otto in town from Thursday to Sunday and coupled with our heatwave (90+ in Seattle is a big deal) I haven't wanted to do anything. So we did the touristy stuff and what-not. My dad is Harley man (who can blame him?) and Eastside Harley in Bellevue was having a grand reopening. This was a lot of fun. I love looking at the sleek sexy bikes and dream that one day I too will own one. Melody took a ride on the mechanically coin operated bike outside the shop and I had to pry her off of it. She cried "I want a motorcycle! I want a motorcycle!" all the way to lunch. I reminded her that Mommy wanted one too but this did nothing to disuade her. I have seen those little battery operated ones at toy stores. Now, how to justify buying one for her birthday??? No I don't spoil my child one bit....See following photo that resulted after this heated debate at Big Lots the other day.
Mel: Me want it.
Mom: Whats that Mel?
Mel: I want it.
Mom: You have to tell Mommy what it is and remember to say Please.
Mel: Pla-dow, Pla-dow (yes that is how she says Play-Dough)
Mom: Well we can't right now Mel. Mommy doesn't have the money for new toys.
Mel:(screaming) I want Pla-dow! I want Pla-dow!
Mom: NO you have toys at home. And no screaming or we go home now.
Mel: (Big doe eyes & puckered lips) Wease Mommy? I wuv you!! Wease Pla-Dow!

15 Minutes later....

How do these people stay employed?

2006-06-20T21:17:00.000-05:00

Have you ever met someone that you are just amazed that they've managed to hold on to thier job as long as they have? I work with several of these such people. Most of them are older than myself and have been at the same position for around 10 years. I just suppose that is why they are still in the same job while the rest of the world passes them by. Dumb does not begin to describe them. They drive me crazy. How, HOW, HOW!!! is it that these people don't know a basic function of thier job after supposedly doing it for SOOOO long? How is it that I do? One such ameoba asked me today how to type a letter in Word and print it on our letterhead so they could send it to a client. Now computers have been in use in our office since before I graduated high school and this person has been in our office since then. How much have they been bribing the boss every year to stay employed?

Fleece Blankie and Fabulous Shoes

2006-06-19T20:44:00.000-05:00

Fleece Blankie
So this is my first ever fleece blanket. (Yeah I know I am behind the trend) I never tried this because I myself am not a big fan of fleece. Unfortunately I took my 2 1/2 year old daughter with me to the fabric store. She is a CARE BEAR FREAK. So when she saw this I couldn't resist. It has brought her so much joy it was well worth it and it was super easy to make.

Fabulous Shoes I found these shoes on the internet. They are by Carlos Santana. Yeah I didn't know he did shoes either. These are "last season" so I got them for a steal of $30. I think that Macy's sells his line. I love them they make me feel ooh-la-la.

Missouri Update

2006-06-19T20:41:00.000-05:00

Jack is like a little kid discovering the world for the first time. Being a born and breed city boy who hasn't gone much further east than Moscow, ID. He has informed me that he has seen his first skunk and deer and caught Fireflies for the first time ever. He was looking at COWS when he talked to me on the phone. He also informed me that he had to buy bug repelent because the bugs were eating him alive. This all made me laugh alot. He's such a hoot.

Larry Update (Dad)

2006-06-19T20:35:00.000-05:00

Dad is doing fairly well he is on one week after they pumped him with a double dose of Chemo. Currently he has to check in at the Dr's everyday for blood tests and fluids. He is tired and exhausted and has the usual loopy feelings and nausea after chemo that is normal but annoying.

Pretty Paper and BIG NEWS

2006-06-15T20:59:00.000-05:00

So my buddy Dacia sent me the cutest little care package! See the Pic? Lots of beautiful papers, a stamp, a fun little magnet, her hand made tags and some lovely ribbon. THANKS. I can do some fun stuff with it all.

Ok now the now the BIG NEWS...

Jack has just left for Missouri this afternoon. Missouri you ask? Yep. Work has been slow around here for him and most of my family will be moving there soon when my Dad's treatment is done. After weighing the good and the bad and praying a lot, we decided that if Jack can get good work we will move to Missouri. Yeah I know. EEEKKK. Basically, though we love Seattle, our church and all of our friends here, we will never be able to afford a house here, I will never be able to quit my job and take care of Mel and have more munchkins. Seattle is just too damn expensive. I would love to have a yard with a kiddie pool and a garden. Mostly at this time in our lives we feel that God is calling us to be near my family and Missouri is where they are going. My dads family is from there and a lot of my extended family is there. More to come regarding the move once Jack lands a job.