2 Steps Forward, 1 Step Back...

Well - the job has FINALLY been posted. Apparently it ended up going to the CO of NMC (the main office in W. Virginia) before anything was finally done. The REC got a phone call yesterday from a lady at NMC who had been told to make sure it got done no later than the end of the day "by direction of the CO". So, as we're breathing a sigh of relief, we find out that it takes 30-90 days for the hiring process to be complete...ARGH! If they knew that, they should have gotten this taken care of MONTHS ago! The listing opened yesterday and will be open for 7 days. It will take about a week for Tony to get the applications from NMC after the listing closes. It shouldn't take Tony more than 2 days to finish what he needs to do, but after he sends the paperwork to NMC is when the 30-90 day period starts. Seriously - I'm about ready to explode from the ridiculousness of this whole thing. I guess that's why it's so hard to fire anyone in the Federal Government - no one ever gets around to actually getting anything done!! Tax dollars at work... In other news, Liam is back at school today after (forcibly) taking 2 days off. He came home from camp with a HORRIBLE hacking/croupy sounding cough. We assumed it was allergies (he hadn't taken his medicine while he was gone), but it wasn't going away...or even getting any better. So I took him to the doctor on Monday, where it was pronounced to be a virus...and we were informed that he was due for 2 shots ;) I'm sure you can all imagine how well THAT went over! He wanted to wait until his birthday checkup, but I told him no...this summer is just too busy to count on getting him in on time, and he needs those shots to be current for school. So - he got them both, and did really well with it. We kept him home one more day, but he's back today. He was so excited to be getting back to school... As for Ceana - Phil was getting ready for work this morning, but had to wear his uniform because he was heading to the base first to take care of some retirement paperwork. As I was watching him get stuff ready to go, it dawned on me that this will be one of the last times Ceana will ever see her daddy in uniform. Not only that, but she's so young, she won't remember it. So, I took a picture of her standing with daddy this morning - and I'll have to get a few more these last couple of times he wears his uniform. Hopefully, I'll be able to get a couple with Liam too... We're also trying to figure out his retirement ceremony. He would prefer an office ceremony, but apparently the CO won't let that fly. So - Phil shot down the color guard and some of the more formal elements, and it looks like it will be an informal ceremony. He needs to get Liam a gift, as it appears that Liam (and maybe Ceana?) will be recognized at the ceremony for having had to deal with all the issues that go along with being part of a military family. Liam is so excited (he doesn't know about the recognition - it's a surprise) that he gets to go to the ceremony though...Plus, the folks at the REC are trying to plan an after-party too, though Phil isn't thrilled about that either. Honestly, he'd be perfectly happy just sliding out of his enlisted years and into civilian life with as little fuss as possible. In the meantime, I'm planning the wardrobe for the kids and I... As for me - same old, really. Oh, though I am now a member of the SW Charter School Board. I was voted in a couple of weeks ago, and my head is going to explode trying to catch up on everything going on! Between regular school meetings, extra meetings for the property committee (we need a new building, and we need it FAST...the search has been going on for almost 2 years now), I'm just trying to stay afloat. I had a meeting last night, and I have another on Thursday - and these weren't even the regularly-scheduled monthly meetings. But Phil and I feel so strongly about this school that we want to do everything we can to help it succeed. We also asked our landlord about a month-to-month lease vs. another year, and he kindly said yes. He also offered to be our realtor if we ever get to the point where we're try buying a house, AND he also offered to sell this house to us. That was a bit of a shock...So, we'll have to see what the next few months bring and go from there. We're looking at possibly moving closer to Liam's (and eventually, Ceana's) school, but who knows? Anyway, that's the latest. We'll still appreciate any prayers/fingers crossed/positive thoughts you can afford to wing our way. Oh, and any extra for our friends the Germans. They are in the middle of moving out here, and she is incredibly pregnant. We just would like everything to go smoothly for them!

A new link to check out

Some of you may know I subscribe to an email service called Head Butler (well worth checking out as well). Anyway, once a day during regular weekdays, Head Butler sends out an email with a short blurb on something new or that he wants to share - books, music, people...you name it. His desire is not to flood you with useless STUFF, but to share some of the best-of-the-best for more people to appreciate. Today's email was about a book called "Outcasts United: A Refugee Team, An American Town", and a soccer team called the Fugees. Oh, yeah - and about the coach that has given so much to so many who had close to nothing. If you'll click on the Fugee Family link to the left, I think their story will move you. And if it does, then head to amazon to check out the book. There is nothing like an inspirational story - and how much better is it when you can be part of the inspiration? Donations are always welcome, and it's a way to help children of war who live right here in the U.S.

Oh, and if you want even more information before you check out the book or the Fugee website, here's a link to Head Butler to read what he has to say...click HERE.

For Phil & his Princess...

Darius Rucker   More CMT Music   More CMT Music Videos

Links I Love

On the left-hand side of the page, I have added a new element called Links I Love. The first one I have posted is called Scared to Death - and it's worth checking out. It's a blog being kept by my cousin, who is currently serving aboard a Mercy ship in Africa. It is so inspiring to feel how at peace he is while helping to make people's lives better. If you read the blog, and if you feel the urge to donate, you can find information on the VERY top of his page under "Finances". Ryan is there for a year (which has just begun) and to read about his experiences will certainly humble the greatest.

I will continue to add links that are special to me over time, but I wanted to get this one up ASAP. If you are interested in learning more about the Mercy ships (they provide medical services and surgery), you can read about them and their terrific crew HERE and HERE and HERE.

Camp is COOL!

Well, Liam is back from his first camp experience - and he has already asked to go back. His class left Monday morning to head to OMSI camp over in Bend and they got back last night. The boy was flat-out exhausted, but he apparently had a wonderful time. They stayed in yurts, hiked 3-4 miles a day, went to a volcano and a waterfall, and learned a bunch. He took some pictures with his camera, so I will post a few of them so everyone can look! We checked out the cost for him to go to camp again this summer and it's quite a bit more. The kids were able to go as a class for $100 per person because the teachers and some parents acted as chaperones. Summer camps don't have that, so the lowest price for the camps he would be able to go to are $500. Ceana missed brother while he was gone, though daddy stayed home for a couple of days. Things are so much about Liam these days that it was nice to just be able to spend a bit of time with her. We took her shopping at the outlet mall to get her summer clothes, played outside, did some yard work, went out for lunch...though every day, without fail, we had the conversation of "Bye-bye? Brother?". No, sweetie - brother is at school for a while yet!

Still no job posting - Phil has started making phone calls for other jobs. He has a friend that works for NOAA who has been anxious to get Phil onboard, so he's pursuing that as well. So, we'll see what ends up happening.

Trying to organize this summer is becoming quite the ordeal. Between a graduation, a wedding, and (he's hoping) camp for Liam, this summer is filling rapidly. Oh, and the birthday party he wants to have with his friends. That doesn't even count lacrosse, which may or may not be happening, as it lasts from the middle of June until the last Thursday in July. I've got a headache just thinking about it all...

The weather was beautiful Monday and Tuesday, though 80 degrees is a bit on the unusual side for this early in the year. Then again, what ISN'T unusual about our weather these days? But, Ceana enjoyed being able to go outside in the back yard and play during the day and it was nice to thaw a bit. But, we're back to normal weather now - cloudy, chance of rain (of course) and chilly.

Well, as always - I'll keep everyone updated as we hear what's up with life around here! Enjoy the photos!

Updates and Easter

So, first I'm going to give some updates. People have been asking, so I figured I'd just post stuff here so we're not explaining multiple times!

No, Phil has not gotten the job. As of today, it still has not been listed. Phil has already informed Tony that as of the 27th, he is going to begin looking for other work, pending anything being done on the government's end regarding his current position. Of course, we would love to have him stay in this job...but we also cannot afford to be hanging on a string for weeks on end while they get their crap together. They've known since January that the job was opening, and this economy is too terrible to not be prepared with another position if necessary. It has been an incredibly stressful month, as we wait for word that has yet to arrive...and the wait is having an effect on many different facets of our life. We will, of course, let everyone know when we have something to share.

We have no idea what our summer plans are. With the issues regarding Phil's job, Liam's school schedule, Liam's pending lacrosse schedule (this will be the first year that he plays "official" lacrosse with pads and everything and the schedule has yet to be posted), his birthday plans with his new friends...we honestly have not had the opportunity to sit down and come up with any plans for anything. The *only* thing that we know for certain right now is heading down to Bandon for my brother's graduation at the beginning of June. And if we have to do that without Phil due to job considerations - so be it.

Now that we've gotten all of that out of the way...on to Easter! It was pretty mellow, but that was really nice considering...the kids and Phil decorated Easter eggs the night before. It was due to rain, so the Easter bunny cleverly hid the decorated eggs (along with some plastic ones) in the living room. Liam's basket was a planting pot that had: some sweet pepper seeds, jelly beans, a large chocolate egg, a huge beach towel, a kid's survival guide, some lollipops, and a ginormous bottle of apple shampoo/body wash. Ceana's basket was a cloth bag/purse that had: a fleece blanket, jelly beans, a large chocolate rabbit, a picture dictionary book, some lollipops, and a ginormous bottle of melon bubble bath. Ceana did pretty good for her egg hunt - and we set a rule that they had to take turns, since Liam would have a distinct advantage. I cooked a large ham with some delicious gravy, and we had salad and homemade rolls and mashed potatoes for dinner with some Black-Bottom Banana Cream Pie for dessert. A rare mellow and relaxing day...So, enjoy some of the photos!

One of my all-time favorite books!

Oh. My. Goodness. You have GOT to see this!

I've watched it three times already, and it is still amazing. Have a kleenex handy (it's a good thing though!), and prepare to be enthralled. I don't watch reality shows (bunch of baloney), but to see the faces of everyone involved is wonderful...and I have heard that Simon Cowell can be a jerk, but his smile at the end seemed to be pure JOY that he could tell this lady that her dream is now within her grasp. Sit back, relax and enjoy the moment.

YouTube - Britain's Got Talent

Wordle is pretty cool!

So basically, Wordle is a program that will read text (either enter the text or link a blog) and will create a collage of words that occur most often within the text. The more often the word appears, the bigger the word is in the collage. I saw this on another blog and thought I'd try it with ours - and this is what appeared! Someone I know did "The Raven" by Edgar Allen Poe with some funky text and it turned out really neat...if you want to check it out yourself, you can click on the title of this post and it will take you to the Wordle website!

What a week...

It's been crazy here. Liam is playing lacrosse again, we just spent a bunch of money for his school camping trip (who knew one pair of wool socks could be $9?!?), our stove went out on Sunday night...right after we bought a weeks worth of groceries...and a replacement won't arrive until tomorrow. Throw in the fact that Phil's job STILL has not been listed and we're trying to make arrangements for continuing medical and life insurance (while seeing how fast his retirement check is going to disappear)...and the fact that we now have a month-and-a-half until his retirement is official - it's getting pretty stressed around here.

However, on a good note - we just got Liam's report card for the 2nd trimester, and he's doing excellent. He's meeting all standards, and he is even exceeding a few (geometry, reading comprehension, and speaking). He is now doing rock climbing for P.E. and he just conquered a big fear to make it all the way to the top of the smaller wall. His teacher also had this to say:

"In writing Liam is creating action-packed sagas. He loves to read his stories to the class and is proud of his work. He wins the award for most awesome sound effects; Liam is a very active and social guy who gets along well with most everyone in the class."

All-in-all, we're quite proud of him. He's also learning about saving money for a goal - we have put the kibosh on anyone buying him random gifts for the time being. He has these lego sets that he wants to have, so he has to save his allowance for them. He has already been informed that if he gets any of these for his birthday, they will be taken away until he can earn them. Phil and I firmly believe that he needs to start learning that he can't expect everything to be given to him, and what it means to save money towards a goal. So far he's already gotten himself one set, and he spends much of his free time plotting which one to go for next...to the point that Phil and I have asked him to stop talking about them for at least a little while!

Ceana is also doing well. She is becoming quite the chatterbox, and is picking up words left and right. We really have to watch what we say now, because little Miss Mimic will happily repeat anything and everything. We just got a membership at the Children's Museum, and she likes to go there. She also loves to play outside when the weather cooperates - we spent most of Saturday and Sunday running errands and playing outside...she was absolutely EXHAUSTED every night. Especially now that she no longer takes naps...

Anyway, that's the news around here. Here are a few photos to enjoy:

Field Trip

Liam's class had a field trip this morning to Luscher Farms, a CSA in Lake Oswego. So, Ceana and I tagged along as chaperones. The place was quite large, and they all had a great time as they learned about worms, compost, chickens, plants and eating locally. Ceana, of course, wanted to be in the middle of everything - not too surprising. Here are some pics to enjoy:

April Fools!

Well, as I'm sure you all know, yesterday was April Fool's Day. Well, let me tell you how much fun I had...

I spent the day working on a big 'ol prank dinner for Liam - well, we all had it for dinner, but Phil knew about it. I had to get as much as possible done while he was at school so that he wouldn't know what was going on. I got meatloaf mix ready, colored mashed potatoes, made some jello, and created some "baked potatoes". By the time I had to go pick him up, the stage was set!

So, I decided to play a couple of pranks on Phil too - I emailed one of the gals at the office and she helped me set him up, though it didn't work well. He caught on too quickly when his mouse didn't work. That's ok - I have plenty of ideas for next year! So, when he called and said he was around the corner, I ran to the door and put peanut butter under the handle - then Ceana distracted him at the window so he wasn't paying attention. As Ceana says - GOTCHA!

Anyway, the main event was dinner. I quickly cooked everything while Liam was upstairs playing and taking his shower, then we called him down for dinner. When he got downstairs, he saw the table set with cupcakes for everyone - you should have seen the excitement when I explained I didn't have time to make dinner, so we were having cupcakes instead. Phil and I had to avoid looking at each other so we didn't bust up laughing. We sat down to dinner, and Liam took a closer look at his "cupcake" - then he stuck his finger in the frosting...and realized that it was mashed potatoes. "These aren't cupcakes!". Not sure yet exactly WHAT they were, he decided to investigate further - and discovered meatloaf. He was laughing, and he even ate the mashed potatoes!

Well, after eating some of his meatloaf, he got kinda thirsty. He asked for something to drink, so I got up to get him some juice. I brought it to him, and when he tried to take a sip out of the straw - it didn't work! He took a closer look, jiggled the cup a little bit - and realized it was jello! By now, we're all laughing, and Liam is so excited he's having a hard time eating...


Fast forward a bit to the rest of dinner. He decided he was done eating with the meatloaf and started in on the jello. He was asking to have some peaches after dinner - I told him that I had made some baked potatoes for dinner, and that he had to eat at least 3 bites...He looked a little bummed (especially since he HATES potatoes), but was pretty good about it. So, I brought out the baked potatoes, and he looked at it - then looked again. Finished his jello, then tasted the sour cream (since he doesn't like the stuff) - "This is whipped cream!". Tasted the butter - "STARBURSTS! YUMMY". Then he dug in and chowed down.


Suffice to say, as Liam decided, it was "the best dinner ever!".

In other news - Ceana clotheslined herself the other day on the cords to one of the blinds. She was running while holding it, tripped and fell into the recycling bag, and never let go of the cord. Enjoy the beautifully graphic picture...it didn't look this bad at first, then the next day (when I took the photo) it looked like someone had tried to cut her throat and missed! Poor thing...It seems to be healing pretty well, though - looks significantly better already today.


Not too much else. We're STILL waiting to find out what's up with the job opening...Hope you all had a great day full of smiles!