Surprise!!

Last Saturday we had plans to go to dinner and a movie with Mindy and Josh (or so we though).

The plan was to drop off our kids at Kristi's house and head out to dinner from there.

However, when we got to Kristi's house, her driveway was full of vehicles from our friends and family!

It was so sweet that everyone had gone through so much planning and hard work to make this such a great surprise for us!

It was a nice relaxing evening. Us women hung out, ate, played a couple baby shower games, and I opened all the wonderful gifts from everyone. The guys were down in the basement playing poker. The buy-in was a bag of diapers; that's a HUGE blessing for us! And, of course, the kids ran wild all over the place! It was all so awesome! Now I feel quite a bit more prepared for this little one, and if you know me, you know that is a huge relief for me!

First Glimpse of Baby Dalmacio

This past Friday I had my first ultrasound of this pregnancy.
With Andrew, my first and only ultrasound was at the hospital when I was in labor. They wanted to be sure Andrew was head down and I don't think I even looked at the screen... I did remember, through my pain, to tell the nurse that we didn't know what we were having so please don't spill the bean now. Actually I told Jeremy to tell her because I didn't want to talk (I do recall I didn't want to roll over from my side to my back for the ultrasound either - I was a little uncooperative until I got my epidural...).
I got off track - sorry! Let's get to the point - the pictures!
This is the profile.

This is my little claymation baby. Notice the bumpy skull? The ultrasound tech said that means the baby has quite a bit of hair already. I see Andrew in this picture; the cheek and nose especially!

I liked this one because it reminds me of when Andrew would fall asleep in his car seat with his arms behind his head and he looked like he was just relaxing or "chillin.'"
We didn't find out what we are having again. The appointment went well and it was a really cool experience! It took about 30-40 minutes total and the tech never messed up and said "he" or "she" even though she admitted about halfway through that she had already seen what the baby's sex is. I have to admit that it was a little hard to not say, "OK OK what is it??," but I'm so glad I resisted the urge. We'll see in less than 12 weeks...

The baby appeared to weigh about 2 pounds 7 ounces and the other measurements put the baby at 28 weeks when my due date put me at 27 weeks. So, my due date may be off by a week, or the baby may just be on the big side for his/her age. We'll see!

Summer Fun Friday (3)

For Summer Fun Friday this past week, Andrew wanted to go watch Alice in Wonderland at the Dollar Theatre. Since the movie was at 5:05, Jeremy was able to come with us!
I had heard that the movie wasn't very good (and I didn't really want to see it in the first place), so I went in to it with very low expectations. Maybe that was a good thing, because I didn't think it was that bad of a movie. Different, but pretty good.
Andrew now says he liked it, but during the movie he had said he doesn't like it. I think it was darker than he expected and a couple parts made him a little scared.

Here is a picture after the movie of Jeremy and Andrew on a fake turtle outside the movie theatre. =0)

Summer Fun Friday (2)

Andrew was given the choice this past week for what he wanted to do for his second Summer Fun Friday and he chose... McDonald's! All he wanted was a cheeseburger Happy Meal and to play on the play equipment for a little bit and he was done. If only every kid was so easy to please!

Summer Fun Friday

Andrew and I headed to the Phoenix Zoo yesterday around 1:00 pm. This is the last weekend they are open until 5:00 pm and probably the last weekend of the summer that will be under 100 degrees. With me working until noon, I had to be sure to get us to the zoo this Friday so we wouldn't miss out on the later hours. During the summer they are only open until 2:00 pm.

Andrew was so excited to go! We did what we did last year; saw the first half of the zoo, stopped at the water play area to let Andrew cool down and for me to take a break from the heat and walking, and then we saw the second half of the zoo, grabbed a sno-cone and then headed home.

I love how Andrew wants to see every animal, but he doesn't want to linger. He'll peak in the cage, look at the animal, show his excitement properly, and then we are moving on to the next. Just how I like it! I think he rushes through because he has the water play area and the sno-cone to look forward to. Works for me!

We had a fun time and we've agreed to do indoor activities for the remainder of the summer! If we are outside, it will be because we are swimming. =0)

Andrew's Promotion

Andrew is done with Kindergarten! He had his Promotion this morning at school and now he's done; home for the summer!

Shaking the Principal's hand.

This is his teacher, Mrs. Conrey. She did a fantastic job teaching him! She challenged him to continue to learn throughout the year, continually worked with him on his reading abilities, along with everything else, and he really succeeded in Kindergarten because of her teaching style! We are so glad he had such a great teacher!

The proud parents of this handsome boy!

First Grade here we come!!!

21 Weeks

Well the belly is protruding now to the point that strangers are not afraid to ask if I'm pregnant or when my due date is. Now's a good time for a recap of the first half of my pregnancy.
Weeks 0-6:
Had no idea I was pregnant. We had Andrew's birthday, Christmas and New Year's during this time.
Weeks 7-13:
Basically it was a matter of stuffing my face at the first sign of hunger or I'd be dry-heaving pretty dramatically. I learned quick to keep a stash of granola bars or fruit nearby in case the sudden urge to eat hit. At some point I think I just ate something every hour. I was really surprised no one at work figured out I was pregnant by the constant eating.
I was very sleepy, but I think that was pretty normal for me, too. I'm not one to keep a regular sleeping schedule so I am usually found exhausted and yawning when not pregnant.
I was surprised at how quickly my stomach began to protrude this time around. I had always heard that you begin to show quicker after you've had a baby, but it's been 7 years since I was last pregnant and I thought my abdomen would've shrunk all the way back in that time frame. I distinctly remember what my belly looked like on our vacation to Wisconsin when I was 20 or 21 weeks pregnant with Andrew and how big my belly was then is how big it was at 12 weeks with this one!
The quick growth may have been from having a lot of tummy troubles in the first 12 weeks. Maybe it was all the food I was eating. I was constantly feeling bloated and gassy. Eeewww! I don't recall any of that in my first pregnancy!
Weeks 14-20:
My tummy problems went away and I began exercising again. Just 30 minutes on the elliptical or the stationary bike. My stomach looked more pregnant than "I just had a really big lunch" toward the 19 week mark. I started getting the "oh you are starting to show now" comments a couple weeks ago.
I was happy to put the jeans and work pants away with the warmer weather because it was becoming just too uncomfortable to fit into them. I am now sticking to skirts and dresses and plan to live in those for the duration of this pregnancy.
I have no weird cravings yet and don't have to constantly stuff my face with food. I am eating more regularly.
I have gained 10 pounds in the first 20 weeks. That's right where I should be, but I am noticing some back pain if I am on my feet a lot. I have been due to clean my house for a couple weeks now and I am really regretting not doing it before the back pain began.
The last couple times I went to exercise I felt crampy and worn out afterward so I decided to take a break this week.
Week 21:
The last couple of days I have been feeling pretty crampy and just all around yucky. I think my tummy problems may be back and I feel like I can't do much of anything without having to sit down or lie down to make the crampiness go away.
I'm a little bummed that I am feeling this way. The second trimester should be the time that you feel your best (without morning sickness and before you get too huge). I am really worried of what the next 19 weeks have in store for me. I am also a little overwhelmed with all that needs to be done; the everyday maintenance of this house and the people in it (husband, kid, animals) and I have been feeling not capable of doing any of it the last couple of days. Hopefully, the crampiness will go away or give me a break and I can do little things off and on. I would really like to continue with the exercising, as well; especially since I just read that I should expect to gain a pound a week from here on out.
Hopefully this yucky feeling from the last couple days goes away soon and I can enjoy the remaining 7 weeks of my second trimester. (And get stuff done).

ASU Game

We had a fun time at the ASU game!
We bought lawn seats so we brought a blanket for Andrew and Jeremy to sit on and a chair for me to sit on. We could only find one chair in our hurry to leave the house before the game.

Andrew and the other Little League players got to speak with some players and coaches and ask questions.

Andrew and his buddy listening intently.

All the Little Leaguers lined up along left field for the National Anthem.

Me and Andrew after the game.

ASU lost to the Washington Huskies. We left a little early and stopped at Denny's for dinner (the same Denny's that Jeremy and I ate at when we were first dating - a little nostalgia for our anniversary night).

Happy Anniversary

Today marks mine and Jeremy's 6th wedding anniversary!

We don't have any big plans, which is normal for us.

In fact, Jeremy is at work right now, and I am getting ready to head out of the house to run some errands. Later on tonight we have tickets to the ASU baseball game for Desert View Little League night. That should be fun!

Jeremy and I wanted to make a big deal of our 5th anniversary; a cruise or something, but we weren't able to plan anything so we've postponed it until our 10th anniversary.

Today I am reminded of our wedding (which seems like a long time ago and kind of like a blur) and what it means to me to be married to Jeremy. All I can really say is that I think of this often, I am so lucky to have found him and so thankful that he actually fell in love with me and wanted to marry me! I have never met anyone so selfless, loving, laid-back and good-hearted as Jeremy! I am so blessed to be able to say he is my husband and I am thrilled to have our whole lives ahead of us to spend together.

Final Eclipse Trailer on the Oprah Show

In Other News

Andrew took his first swim of the year on Sunday at my parent's house. It was cold, but he got all the way in (eventually). He's been bugging me about NOT taking swim lessons this year so I asked him to swim the short length of their pool which he did. However, when he was almost back to the steps he was getting tired and then he freaked out. He went under for a second and it scared him. He cried and I thought to myself; yup another summer of swim lessons is inevitable. It'll give him his confidence back and he'll be swimming the long length of the pool again before we know it!

Scrapapalooza 2010

Another year has passed, another Scrapapalooza under our belts!


This was our 4th or 5th year heading up to Kristi's cabin in Heber (just us ladies) to get some work done in our scrapbooks.


For most of us, it is the one time out of the whole year to be able to really get some pages done and play "catch up."


Everyone that went this year has been up in the past. We knew what to do, how it works, and we busted out some great pages!


We leave Friday night after getting a quick bite to eat in North Mesa at Tropical Smoothie Cafe and we usually get to the cabin around 8:00 or 8:30 pm. A lot of die-hards get right to work scrappin'. I think a couple girls were up until 3:00 am the first night!


Saturday we enjoy a nice breakfast prepared by whoever signed up for it ahead of time. This year it was Gail and she made a hearty quiche and biscuits and gravy. Yum yum! Again, a lot of the girls are already hard at work (or back at work) on their albums.


We scrapbook and eat treats prepared by Kristi this year. Fruit, veggies, brownies, Puppy Chow or Muddy Buddies, candy bars, chips, etc. We also have an assortment of beverages provided by Victoria this year; soda, water, wine, and an energy drink thrown in there in case of an emergency!


Before we know it, it's time for lunch. We are ready for a break, and even though we aren't hungry, we can't stay away from the next delicious meal. This year Tammy made a delicious Taco Salad with a frozen strawberry dessert to follow! Double yummy!


Now it's the long stretch. Scrappin' from noon to 7:00 with an occasional break for more treats and drinks. Just about time for dinner. I made the usual chicken dish that I prepare ahead of time so I just need to throw it in the oven. I also made rice and salad to go along with it. Now most of us are to the point of exploding from all the food and getting a little bit tired of scrapbooking. Yes, that's right! Tired of scrapbooking! We want to continue and do more, but our pages are starting to look the same, or we are having trouble putting objects on the page straight, etc.


By the time dinner was ready, I had completed all of the pictures I had brought and a few of us were anxious to watch New Moon (Jeremy bought it for me the day we came up - aaahhh so sweet!). So half of us watched the movie and the other half continued scrapbooking.


Sunday mornings are spent cleaning up; our scrapbooking stuff, the cabin, and ourselves (usually we are all scrambling to shower since most of us bypass it on Saturday with all the excitement of getting to work on our albums). We load up the vehicles and head out around 11:00 am.


In the past we've stopped in Payson for lunch at Chili's, but this year we agreed that none of us were hungry in the least bit! Especially after the breakfast that morning, prepared by my mom: breakfast burritos, homemade blueberry muffins, and homemade fruit cups. Triple yummy!


So we said farewell to the cabin until next year! We had a great time and got a lot done!


Changes this year:

• I believe we had less women come than in previous years (we had 8 scrapbookers).


• We had a young lady join us (5 month old Landrey who did very well just hanging out, but didn't want to miss anything so she kind of fought the naps). In the past we've had 4 month old Mikey and 3 week old Kamryn join us.


• Women did some exercising this year; walks/jogs. Very smart!

Changes anticipated for next year:

• Delete lunch on Saturday


• Delete breakfast on Sunday


• Add in exercise time (maybe a yoga video Saturday morning or whenever we need to stretch)

Easter 2010

Easter weekend came quickly this year! Maybe because it was early April and 2 days after Jeremy's birthday.
Jeremy and I made it a point to prepare as much as we could before Sunday so we wouldn't be rushing around and eating late.
I cleaned on Friday and Saturday and Jeremy did all of the grocery shopping Saturday. Andrew dyed 22 hard boiled eggs on Friday. We were exhausted by Saturday night and couldn't move from the couch. But it was worth it Sunday when we woke up and all we had to do was stick a ham in the oven and babysit the Prime Rib on the grill.
We had everything ready by 2:00, before the majority of our family arrived, and I believe we were eating by 2:30. Not too shabby!

Let's back up to Easter (early) morning. Andrew woke up at 6:30 to see if the Easter Bunny came. He did, of course! Here's a sleepy Andrew with his bucket and his bugs (Saturday he decided to hunt for bugs and had a little makeshift ant farm in that container) ready to find the eggs he had dyed on Friday.

The Easter Bunny brought him Madagascar 1 and 2, a new Junie B. Jones book (titled Dumb Bunny), his favorite candy: a big box of Nerds and a lot of Fun Dip packets and, of course, a chocolate bunny that he ate for breakfast (along with a hard boiled egg).

With all of the kids here, we did an Easter Egg hunt with plastic eggs stuffed with candy. I think there were about 180 eggs hidden out back and out front. There were about 15 kids hunting for eggs. It was mass chaos - hilarious! Jordan found the most eggs this year by finding 23!

Hope you had a fantastic Easter, as well!

T-Ball

(click on the pictures to view them larger)

This weekend was the start of t-ball season. This year we put Andrew in Little League in San Tan Valley. He was allowed a boundary exception since we live only 1/2 mile out of the boundary and where they play is closer to us than where Florence plays.
His team is the Kansas State Wildcats. Purple and white (although his shirt is black and purple). He is playing with his buddy Brysen so he's happy for that!
Saturday started with pictures and the opening ceremony/parade. Everyone was cute in the parade; waving their hats to the crowd!


Andrew's on the far right (under the speaker) - it's kind of dark...

Before their game, the team ran through their parade banner. Andrew's on the right again with the sideways hat (his daddy's son, I tell ya!).

They play 3 innings and each kid on each team hits during that inning. They don't keep score or keep track of outs, etc. Andrew had a decent first hit. He had a great hit his second time up. It would've been a home run if they would've let him run all the bases. He was very proud of himself for that (and so were we!).

He made it to first without getting out (well, we keep track of outs...).

When the next kid hit, he was off to second!

And here he is running home for the first time this season.

He played first base the first time out on the field. He did a great job at that position and really paid attention to where the ball was.

Update

Let's see what I can remember (with the help of my day planner) what has gone on in the past 6 months...

September:
My company was sold to another management company so I started September off at a new location (a little closer to home). It seemed OK at first, but as time has gone by, it seems that people are not as nice as they seemed and the processes are quite different than at my old job. I find that I am not enjoying my job as much as I used to at the old company, but I go 3 days a week, do my job and leave the drama behind as best as I can.
We celebrated Labor Day at Roosevelt Lake with our church and enjoyed a yummy dinner at Guayo's on the Trail in Globe.
I had a great time at Retreat in Prescott with the ladies from our church. I was so happy my sister-in-law was able to join me this year!
We celebrated my sister and my dad's birthdays.
Jeremy enjoyed his time at the Men's Retreat in Prescott!
Andrew had his last swim lessons for the year and he did a great job! I'm thinking he may be eligible for Swim Team at the YMCA this summer. We'll see!
I had my 10 year class reunion at Seville Country Club in Gilbert. It wasn't fun at all and we left early to hang out with some of our friends in Queen Creek.

October:
Andrew had Cousins Camp at Josh and Mindy's house. This was the second year they've done it and the kids LOVE it! Andrew keeps trying to convince Josh to do Cousins Camp twice a year.
Jeremy and I spent that weekend up in Las Vegas hanging out with Antwon. We got to see the team he helps coach play (and win!). We got to hang out with the rest of the coaches after the game, we went and saw a couple movies, ate yummy food, and had a good time just hanging out with Twon!
We really got the ball rolling with the adoption process as we now knew that the birth parents of an unborn baby in the Philippines were willing to allow us to try to adopt their baby.
We had our first meeting with our Social Worker that is conducting our Home Study. I spent most of October and November gathering information she needs and Jeremy and I ran around getting things done like our physical exams by our doctor, fingerprinting for a background clearance from the Sheriff, etc.
We had Jeremy's 10 year reunion up in Globe and we had a BLAST both nights (football game Friday and dinner Saturday).
We spent Halloween Eve with our friends at their Pumpkin Carving Party. It was the first year we've been able to make it and it was GREAT! We had a fun time and our pumpkin turned out cute!
We spent Halloween with Jeremy's family, trick-or-treating around Mindi's neighborhood in Gilbert. Andrew got TONS of candy! This was the first year he just wanted to keep going and going! It was fun! The costume theme this year seemed to be Star Wars!

November:
We spent November continuing gathering information for the Home Study and completing 12 hours of online courses on parenting.
I went to the midnight showing of New Moon (Twilight saga) with friends! We saw the movie on a huge screen at the CineCapri in Tempe. We were also able to watch Twilight before New Moon, so that was cool! Especially for my friend that hadn't seen Twilight yet!
We got word on November 18th that the baby girl was born and the mother wanted to know what we wanted to name her. We chose Elizabeth Lynn (aka Lizzy). We were excited she was born because we were leaving in 2 days with Jeremy's dad and Candy to visit them in the Philippines!
We had a great time on our 9 day trip in the Philippines! The flight there was 16 hours and the flight back was 12 hours. We spent 4 days in Barobo with Candy's family and Lizzy. We spent the last 3 days in Manila and got to see Jeremy's grandma and uncle and a lot of Danny's family. We can't wait to go back and take Andrew! Hopefully soon!
Andrew stayed with Kristi most of the time, but spent a couple days with my parents. He missed us terribly, as did we miss him! It was very hard on us all!

December:
Andrew turned 6 years old! We had a Batman themed party for him. It was supposed to be at the park by our house, but it was raining and cold so we moved it to our house. We had a chaotic, packed house, but Andrew had a great time!
Jeremy and I had my office Christmas party at a Hangar in Falcon Field. It was cold, but we had fun with the "casino night" theme. Jeremy and I won a trip to a cabin in Flagstaff with our casino winnings, as well!
We got word from the adoption agency that the Philippines requires much more information than our Home Study agency so we began our work again of gathering more information, taking more classes, becoming CPR and First Aid certified, and scheduling a Psychological Evaluation. There is no rest for the weary!
I was pretty sick mid-December. Luckily a friend of ours had some Penicillin he had brought back from Mexico that cured me right up without me having to visit my doctor. Little did I know what my body had in store for me otherwise... That comes later.
We had a nice Christmas celebrating with my parents in the morning, then we headed out to my Grandparent's house in Sun Lakes, and then we finished off the night by swinging by Kristi and Steve's house. This year we didn't buy gifts for all of the kids. We did a Talent Show, for our gift, but we missed it because we were at my Grandparent's house. It was a bummer not buying gifts for the kids, but I was happy Andrew didn't get a lot more presents since he already received so many for his birthday and from my side of the family for Christmas!
We went to ZooLights this year. We haven't been since Andrew was 1. It was the same as I remember it and COLD! Andrew really enjoyed it though and he loves to hang out with his cousins! I would've enjoyed it more if I didn't have to get up for work the next morning, I think.
We ended 2009 at a Pajama Party with our friends in Chandler. Talk about relaxing! We just hung out, played games and ate a bunch of appetizer foods. We left there around 3:00 am!

January:
The adoption stuff continues. Since I was sick in December, it really slowed me down, but I'm getting back on track.
But wait! Hold UP! What's this?! It appears I am pregnant. My mid-January doctor's appointment confirms that, YES, I am! Hmmm, God is mysterious! I didn't see that coming! My due date is 9/9/10. I question if it was really Penicillin that I took mid-December or if our friend snuck me some fertility medicine from Mexico disguised in a Penicillin bottle... After all, we've tried 5 years to have another baby with no luck until now. =0)
We decide that we are going to continue with the adoption.
Andrew, Jeremy, and I take a trip up to Flagstaff to the cabin that we won at my company's Christmas party. There was still lots of snow and the cabin was very nice! We enjoyed ourselves, although I slept for most of it, waking up just in enough time to proclaim my hunger and I need to eat now or I'll be sick. This is how all of January and February went in regards to the pregnancy. As long as I eat often, I don't feel sick, but if I wait too long, I feel crappy/on the verge of throwing up!

February:
February was fairly uneventful. Work has been going good. We got to hear the heartbeat of the baby on the 26th. That was so nice to hear! It was 160 beats per minute. I'm remembering Andrew's being closer to 120 bpm. Girl maybe?! (Hopefully!) Jeremy thinks it's a boy, I hope it's a girl, and Andrew really wants it to be a boy. We are planning on not finding out again (Andrew was a surprise to us). I remember it was hard to not find out, but it was so awesome to be surprised!

March:
Here we are in the present. Andrew has started t-ball. This is his 2nd season, but his first in Little League (last season it was with the YMCA). His team is Kansas State Wildcats (purple and white). He is playing with his buddy, Brysen. His first game will be at the end of the month.
Jeremy and I have had our initial Psychological Evaluation appointment. We have to take 2 tests each, separately. We will be done by the end of this month.
I informed our adoption agency that I am pregnant and they said that normally they require that our biological children be 6 months in age and older in order for us to adopt, but since our situation is a little different, they are going to allow us to continue now. However, they are going to ask the Philippines what they want us to do. We should hear this week. It sounds like the worst case scenario will have us waiting until this baby is 6 months old (next March). So, we can finish up our Home Study now and we can still use it next March. Home Studies are good for a year or 18 months or so.
The weather is getting beautiful! I love March for the 75-85 degree highs and being able to get out of my winter wardrobe. The pants are getting a bit snug on me and I am looking forward to just wearing summer dresses for the duration of this pregnancy!

Infectious Weekend

This weekend was interesting. A combination of fun and painful. How weird, huh?!
On Friday, I began to feel the onset of a bladder infection. Before I had Andrew (5 1/2 years ago), I would get bladder infections once a month. So, needless to say, I know the symptoms even though I've only had 1 bad infection since Andrew's been born.
It got pretty bad Friday night while Jeremy and I were grocery shopping. I had read online about some natural cures for bladder infections so I was picking up some cranberry juice, grape juice, Vitamin C and AZO Standard (that numbs the pain). I kept reading about a natural supplement called D-Mannose so we were looking for that, too. Apparently this is a natural cure for bladder infections. It is the stuff that is in cranberry juice that washes out the bacteria. I couldn't find it at any of the 4 stores we looked. Luckily, chugging cranberry juice and taking the AZO & Vitamin C got me through that night.
Jeremy played basketball the following morning in Coolidge so he drove to Casa Grande to check out the health food stores. He found D-Mannose and he found it cheaper than what everyone online was saying it costs. Whew!
So, I began taking that, too, while chugging the juices and water. I felt pretty good Saturday.
This is were the fun begins: Since I didn't have any plans for the day, I decided to scrapbook. I also invited some girlfriends over to scrapbook with me. April, Mindy, and Melissa came over and hung out. Their husbands hung out with Jeremy and the kids ran wild! We had a GREAT time, I got quite a few pages completed and I didn't get to bed until 1 am!
I woke up for church Sunday surprisingly easy considering my late night. I began drinking water and took more D-Mannose right away. My bladder was fine... Until about noon.
(Now we're back to the pain): Bladder infections for me feel like you have to go pee really bad, but when you try to go nothing comes out. So, I've been drinking water all morning and I can't get anything to come out. My bladder really felt like it was going to burst. I don't know what changed, why suddenly it got bad like that after a day and a half of feeling better.
Well, that's not the worst part. The next time I tried to go, I see blood! That has never happened to me in all of my previous bladder infections. Now, I'm bummed. We don't have insurance and I know that I have to go to Urgent Care. Ugh! So much for natural remedies.
Fortunately, the Urgent Care was not busy and I was in and out quickly. Same with Walgreen's; they weren't busy either, so I had my prescription in my hand within 15 minutes. Also, it cost us only $80.00 more for the Urgent Care visit, the urine culture, and the prescription that it would have with our previous health insurance plan. That's it! We were paying $660.00/month for health insurance and never going to the doctor. I have maybe one urgent care visit per year, I would have one well check-up/exam, and Andrew would have one well check-up on average ever year (and we were paying $660.00/month for a long time). What a waste.
Now, don't freak out, we have a high deductible plan in case anything big happens that we would need to be admitted to the hospital for and we are in the process of opening up an HSA account through our bank. We will have money taken out (pre-taxed) from Jeremy's checks for the HSA account. We would still be cash patients, but we will use the HSA account for any health issues/doctor visits/prescriptions. That money will continue to grow in the account month after month, year after year, and hopefully grow quite large in case I ever get pregnant again or we have a major medical issue.
Anyway, back to my weekend. Here's the fun part again: I have my medicine and realize my bladder feels better when I lay down. So, I got a two hour nap on a Sunday afternoon! Now, that's FUN! However, it was sad because we missed eating lunch with everyone from church at my favorite pizza place. =(
I woke up just in time to go to a church in Casa Grande where Mindy's dad was preaching a Revival! I've known for a couple weeks now that I had to go. Of course, I wasn't sure why I had to go, but I was expecting God to do something great. And He did, of course! It was great to finally meet Mindy's dad and we got to go out to eat with them after the service and get to know him a little. Good times!

This Cow is Transferring Ranges

In the words of my co-worker's text, "we have all been sold like a bunch of cattle."
My boss has sold our management division to another management company. He is looking to expand our landscape division and he felt he was unable to do that with our management division attached to the company's name. A lot of the landscape division's business is maintaining HOA's common area landscaping. So, he wouldn't be asked to bid on some HOA jobs because the management company asking him to bid saw us as competition and feared that the board would end up firing them as their management company and hiring us as their management company. They had reason to fear, because it had happened more than once before. Hey, we can't help it if we are a great landscape company AND a great management company! Well, now it will be just a great landscape company.
So, next week will be my last week at my current job here in Gilbert. All of the property managers and all of us accounting gals will be moving offices next Friday afternoon. We will have a new boss, new coworkers, but we will still have each other! So far the plan is for each of us to keep our current position, pay, and benefits. After 3 months of doing everything we do here, we will come together with our new company and figure out what we do best and what they do best and merge together to be one great super company. This is the part of the transition that I think layoffs may be made, but we'll see. That bridge will be crossed when we come to it.
A great thing about the new company is it's in Mesa and 18 miles closer (round trip) to my house. I will be saving a gallon of gas each day that I work. That's 3 gallons saved a week! Yay!
My new accounting boss seems really nice and open to suggestions. He seems to really strive on finding the quickest, most efficient way to do things and that's always been my philosophy! He seems genuinely happy to have me come aboard, too. It's nice to feel welcomed. Hopefully the co-workers I will be working with will feel the same way as the boss does.
Well, I'm excited for the change. I've always been a fan of change - getting out of the dullness of repetition. Sometimes I will randomly drive a different route to work just to see new scenery. I don't even care if it takes longer (unless I'm running late). And sometimes I will randomly get off of the subject while I'm blogging and that doesn't bother me either - how 'bout you?

Wisconsin/Chicago 2009

Our annual vacation to Wisconsin was a lot of fun again this year! How can it not be? We all look forward to our vacation and start counting down the days pretty much as soon as Christmas is over. Andrew has remembered a lot over the years and he starts asking me when we are going back the day after we come back home to Arizona. One night we at in Madison at Essen Haus and afterward we stopped for ice cream at Ella's Deli. Andrew rode the carousel outside and I had to take a picture of his horse decked out in U of W decorations! Go Badgers!

One night we went to a Brewers vs. Padres game. The Brewers did not do so well, but we still had a lot of fun! Our group took up 1 1/2 rows and not everyone came to the game.

This is my son, Shaggy! =)

Bored while the Brewers got their butts kicked, we decided to take our own picture.

We were in the upper level of Miller Park, but the view was pretty good!

We spent every morning/afternoon at the Lake. Andrew loves to hang out at the beach area because of the sand. Jeremy decided to bury Andrew. Andrew loved it!

One morning we went kayaking. We do this once or twice a year and it's always fun!

We flew in to Chicago again this year. When we left our cottage in Wisconsin on Saturday, we drove back to Chicago and spent the afternoon at Navy Pier on Lake Michigan.

We went on the Ferris Wheel and I snapped some crummy photos of the city and us from my cell phone.