The One With No Daddy Day 12

Friday . . . words can not describe how much I have been waiting for you, Friday!

I am ecstatic!

Got up, got ready, got the kids ready and headed to work. I love Fridays at work because they are usually so relaxed, occasionally we get the Friday from hell, but this Friday was great and easy going. The kids were good, Preslie took a nap, Uncle Jordan took them both out on a walk, they watched Pirates of the Caribbean, Mom got some serious paperwork done, and then we left.

Not to mention, I got some AMAZING news while at work . . .  seriously AMAZING!! Like cry-worthy amazing.

When Preslie was 6 weeks old, she went to the ER with a temperature of 104 - too high for a newborn. They did all sorts of testing, including a lumbar puncture, and in the end we got sent home . . . with a $5000 hospital bill, on top of the $1500 we had from the tests they did on glucose when she was born. Funny thing, we HAVE insurance, we have GREAT insurance, don't ask me how we always end up paying out so much with these lovely hospital stays we seem to perpetually have with our children. Well, we may be alone in this one, but there is no way that we can fork out $5K to a hospital just because they want it, but we also are honest and pay off our debt, so we set up payment plans. St. Luke's sold the payments to QUE financial and we have been willingly making payments to them for over a year now.

With Preslie's April hospital visit, we once again landed ourselves with a $4500 bill from St. Luke's (not to mention the bill from the first day at West Valley and their ER Visit) and told St. Luke's Sorry, but we can't pay that completely off, let's set up a payment plan. So they had us fill out this huge financial application (as extensive as the one you fill out for a bank when buying a house) and sent it in and waited for them to tell us how much we had to pay off. First they came back and said we want $200/month, and I said I'm sure you do, but so does the oncologist, the infectious disease specialist, QUE financial, and the other hospital, try again. Then they said, we will give you an early payout option. You pay us $1900 and we will write off the rest. Umm yes, that sounds amazing let's do that. So we paid them $1900 for our $4500 claim and they wrote off the rest. For those of you that don't know this is an option, REMEMBER IT!!! It has saved us TONS of money in the past. Most hospitals will give you a certain percentage off when you pay them everything up front. It saves them the energy/cost of having to collect payments over years. Same concept as the early payout from the lottery (not that I've ever had THAT option).

Well in June, I didn't get a statement from QUE (the people in charge of payments for her first hospital stay). I figured it got lost in the mail, unfortunately something that has happened too often, and so I sent in a check with a note saying to apply it to such and such account. It was cashed, went through our account, so I didn't think much of it.

Then again in July, no statement. So once again I sent in a check and this time a note saying please apply it to ###### account, and ps do you know why I'm not receiving statements please give me a call at ###-####.

So today I got a voicemail from someone at QUE saying she was calling with information regarding our account. I assumed she was calling to up our payment (every three months they up it by $10 or so) so I called back. The girl says, "The reason you haven't been receiving payments is because you no longer have an account with us." I'm thinking what? And she says it was included in our early pay out option with St. Luke's.

WOW! That sounded good, so I hung up the phone. Then it started to stew in my head. There is no way St. Luke's accepted only $1900 for almost $10000 worth of services NO WAY! So my curiosity got the better of me and I called back. The second lady I talked to was SO much more knowledgable. But she said the same thing, our account no longer existed. I told her "Don't get me wrong, this is incredible news, but what happened to it?" She said the financial application that we had filled out a few months back made St. Luke's look into this QUE account, and they decided to write it off as a charitable contribution.

SAY WHAT?!?!?! This is incredible news, yes? How amazing is that? Finally after paying $400/month in health insurance, and at least that every month since we have been married in medical bills(YES FOR 5 YEARS we have had non-stop medical issues - miscarriages, broken ankles, babies, ambulance trips for Parker when he stopped breathing, Multiple Sclerosis testing, Preslie's ER visit, her leukemia bills, then hospital bills) we finally catch a break. I am beside myself today with gratitude for being the recipient of such an amazing gift from the hospital, and with love for a Heavenly Father who recognizes our desire to do what is right and rewards us for that.

That is my good news for the YEAR. No joke!

Now it is 7 o'clock on Friday night and the day just keeps getting better. I have a Groupon I have to use up for Old Navy by tomorrow, so the kids and I are headed there to look around, then we are headed to the airport to pick up this major hottie! The kids are so excited to see Daddy again, and I am excited he doesn't have to leave again.

Plus . . . . I really really REALLY need my back popped. :)

The One With No Daddy Day 11

Thursday was nice. Definitely a needed wind down after Wednesday's activities. 

I didn't wake up until 8. Got ready, ate some breakfast, got the kids up to eat breakfast and we meandered about the day until we got to work at 10. 

The 10 to 5 work schedule is much better . . . at least so far, I guess there has only been a day to compare it to. But it gives the kids time to sleep and wake up on their own, then slowly go about eating and getting ready, rather than it being rush, rush, RUSH! We worked yesterday, went out for a few minutes and picked some raspberies, then worked some more. We left at five and went home. 

I could go without the 5 o'clock rush hour traffic on the free way, I will say that. I can't wait til they finally finish all their construction . . . . at least it's not Utah, their freeways are ALWAYS under construction.

We got home, and I actually MADE dinner for the first time. For the most part, if we haven't been at family parties, it's been reheating and microwaving stuff this whole time. But I actually made soup, and it was delicious, and Parker and I ate it, and then we all watched Jetsons for a little bit and went to bed. 

Parker of course came in for chocolate raisins, but Preslie seemed to go down pretty well . . . which makes sense cause she didn't take a nap at all. 

Friday is D DAY!!! Daddy is coming home, and for good this time. I am very excited, and I think the kids are excited too . . . even if they don't know it. Eric says he is bored with training and ready to come home too. I think he's just out of swing with the bachelor life anymore, which is good.

The One With No Daddy Day 10

Oh Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday . . . . 

How can you do me so wrong? 

Seriously.

Started out great! I didn't wake up until 8:30 which was much needed from the no sleep the night before (and the midnight phone calls with this hot guy in Denver . . . shhh don't tell). And the kids didn't get up until around nine. I had breakfast down my throat before I even heard a peep from them, how nice!

How how things can be deceiving!!!!

When the kids got up, I put on Blue's Clues (or footprint as Parker calls it) for them, and immediately began working on Parker's Cake. Well this cake recipe I found is AMAZING! I promise. I don't like chocolate cake, and for whatever reason, white cake always seems to be dry, but I found this Vanilla Meringue cake, and it is delicious and moist and good. But it seriously takes forever to make. 

So I started on round one. Got the cake made, put it in the oven. Started on round two. Went to rinse off the beaters and WHISH!!! Huge spray of water right in my face. What is that? Oh well there is water spraying out from the handle of the faucet, from the faucet itself, and leaking from the base of the faucet and the sink. Hmm. . . . this is awesome. And then I remember Eric saying on Sunday "When did the handle on the faucet start spinning all the way around?" 

Oh faucet, you sneaky sir, of course you would wait until Daddy is 1000 miles away to actually bite the bullet. 

So I called my dad, he said to make sure the water was turned off. Umm, really? Yes, I know how to do that. . . . no, not really I don't. But I told him as long as I didn't use the faucet, it wasn't leaking. And he said he would come out and look at it later. 

So I finish Parker's cake, while making trips to the bathroom to rinse stuff off, then somehow get the kitchen cleaned up without any running water. Then the kids and I piled outside to pull some weeds in our barren flower beds.

I start pulling weeds, with my back turned. Next second, I turn around to see Preslie sitting in her little kiddie pool which is full of about 2 inches of muddy sprinkler water. . . . awesome. Need I say she was fully clothed at the time too. So I thought, well the actual sprinkler will be way better for her to run through if she is wanting to get wet, so I turned it on. 

Turn around a few minutes later and Parker has decided to run through the sprinkler, also fully clothed, and Preslie has decided the little pool is no more fun, and has now moved onto the bigger pool and all of it's dirty sprinkler water. 

So after I do a ginormous amount of weeding, the kids go inside and straight up to the bath tub. Get them fed, get their clothes on, get them in bed for naps. 

But now it is two and I have to be at Activity Days by 4. Hurry and shower, hurry and get ready, hurry and get a bag with swimsuits and towels and everything for activity days ready. Then get the kids up and go over to the activity where Preslie, once again fully clothed because we have a family party after this, decides to sit down in the water slide and get herself soaking wet from head to toe. 

It was HOT yesterday. I mean, not 97 hot, but like 85 hot. And that is hot, especially when there isn't much shade. Really, I probably wasn't much help at this activity, mostly chasing after my kids and such, but come on . . . I was WILTING! I like my air conditioning. 

So after Activity Days we run home really fast to throw together something to make for family dinner. On the way we run into our neighbor who I find out not only reads this blog (hi Jaclyn!) I didn't think anyone read this thing, but her husband is gone EVERY week. Umm, yes, now I feel like my frustration should be at a minimum with Eric's two week maximum of being gone. Ah yes . . . perspective! : )

Got to family dinner, which is great as always, kids get to play, I get to eat good food that I don't have to cook. After which we run home, and my family comes over so my dad can look at the sink. 

And VOILA! He fixes it!

I had already resigned myself to the idea of having to buy a $300 faucet, ain't it great to have a super handy Dad!

By this time it is 9 o'clock, so the kids go down for bed - of course Parker came in to snuggle in my bed for a Blue's Clues episode while he ate chocolate raisins, and said good night to daddy, and then the day was over. 

Now Thursday, that means tomorrow Daddy is coming home for good!

The One With No Daddy Day 9

So I am a terrible counter. Monday was supposed to be day 8. So if you look really closely at the blog and see that there is no day 8, that is why.

Got up really early Tuesday, got ready for work, and got the kids up and ready for work. We got there at 7:40, which was a bit earlier then I had intended, but then I guess it makes it possible to leave earlier, so that was nice. Mostly they played, watched Shrek again and again, and took naps. They played outside for a little bit while I swept the patio area where people walk in. But by about 4 o'clock I could tell they were a little over it.

So we left just before 5, took a HUGE load of stuff to the DI, and then drove the long way home. Preslie had a freak out the moment we came in . . . you haven't seen a meltdown until you have seen an 18 month old GIRL meltdown I swear . . . so she got to sit in timeout for a bit. Then we watched Blues Clues and the kids took a bath. Really they probably went to bed WAY to early at 7:30, but Preslie didn't get two naps in, and Parker's nap was like 30 minutes long, so I felt like it was okay . . . plus Mommy just needed some quiet time.

Parker came into my room later to talk to Daddy, and he sat on my bed eating raisins and watching "Numbers" with me. He is cute. I think I'll keep him.

Again another fairly good day, except Tuesday seemed to DRAG by. I could have sworn I had been at work for 6 hours, and then I would look at the clock, and it was only 10. SHEESH!!!!

Today is all about making Parker's cake and freezing it. Then we have activity days, and a family dinner. I'm glad I am not in charge of entertaining them ALL day! : )

The One With No Daddy Day 7

Monday of the final week is down! YESS!!!!!

Kids slept in until 9 o'clock, which was HEAVEN, great way to start out the week.

I painted Preslie's ceiling - not the whole ceiling, but we changed the light in her room a few months back and so there was a ring of green on a ceiling that is white, didn't match so well. It is now white and looks great.

I went through all of the clothes in Parker's closet, including his "I've grown out of these" box, and got more things ready to go to DI. Sorted through the kid's toys and came up with MORE for DI. Weeded some in the backyard. Then the kids took a nap, after nap time we went to the store, grabbed some stuff for Activity Days on Wednesday, then came home to Aunt Katie and her kids Mac, Karlie, and Molly. We all watched Shrek, and talked, and then turned in for the night. 

All in all, a pretty relaxing day. Eric got to go to Benihana's in Denver last night - I am VERY jealous! But I am glad that they are finding things for him to do so he doesn't just sit and rot in his hotel room. 

Start of Day 8 right now. Working most of the day, so it should be easy again! :)

The One With The Thank You

So today, while I was really cleaning and especially vacuuming Parker's room, Parker comes running in and says, "Thanks for cleaning my messes, Mommy."

I love him. He sure is cute.

And I love that he understands what I am doing, and that he is thankful for it. I am thankful for that little boy. He has sure made having Eric gone much easier.

Every night he runs in from his room, lays down on my bed, and sits and watches whatever I am watching with me. Then after a little while he says, "I go to bed now" gives me a hug, and  kiss, and goes to sleep.

The One With Daddy Home Day 6 & 7

So this weekend, we tried to just have a family weekend, and spend lots of time together.

We slept in on Saturday, got up and ate breakfast, everyone got ready and then we went out on the town. We ended up at the dollar store and found MORE stuff for Parker's Pirate Party - seriously, it's so cheap, I should have started there first. Then went to my parents adn dropped off the kids, and Eric and I went out to eat at Old Spaghetti Factory. It was fun, and downtown was dead for the most part as the Music Festival was happening.

We went home and put the kids down for bed, and started a movie, but of course the kids wanted to watch it too, so they got out of bed and came down with us.

Sunday we slept in again, ate a good breakfast, watched some MonsterQuest, and skipped church. Really this was because with Eric's flight, we couldn't go to the whole thing and get him to the airport, but it was kind of nice to spend the entire day together when Eric was really only home for 36 hours. We did laundry, got him packed, ate lunch, then we left and went to the zoo for about an hour and a half. It was fun again to have Daddy at the zoo, and it was great to have the kids get to spend some close time with him before he left again. I can tell that they have been missing him. Then we took Daddy back to the aiport and dropped him off . . . where of course his plane was delayed AGAIN, and between flights and trains, and taxis, he didnt' get to his hotel until midnight . . . poor guy will be dead in training tomorrow.

So what's on the docket for this week? Well, Parker's 4th birthday party is this Sunday, we hadn't realized that Eric being gone fell right up next to Parker's birthday, so it is up to me to get most things ready. Luckily, we already have most of his birthday shopping done . . . the kid is seriously spoiled. And we have a lot of the decorations already, so that is checked off the list . . . although I do need some streamers, so another dollar store run is in the future.

But his cake I haven't even started. I thought about doing a huge pirate ship cake . . . but the more I thought about the execution of it, especially trying to get it done without Eric around and while simultaneously trying to keep an eye on two kids, the more I realized it was probably outside my realm of capabilities while a single parent. So he is going to get just a vanilla meringue sheet cake with chocolate frosting, trying to make it look like some sort of old weathered wood, and I will powder sugar dust a skull and cross bones onto it. Nothing too fancy, but it should get the job done.

It also means I have some serious house cleaning to do. While my spring cleaning kick has definitely been going well, it leaves little piles of things everywhere. This pile for DI, this for garbage, this for storage . . . and we can't have all that sitting around for a party. Also, Eric's sister Katie will be staying here Monday night on her way back from Portland to Utah, so I'll need to make sure things are at least mostly nice.

Eric and I think we may do some sort of hors d'eurves or light dinner for Parker's party, and one of his presents will be set up in the back yard, so there is some serious weeding that needs to go into our garden and our currently barren flower beds so that the backyard looks nice when everyone comes over.

Also this Wednesday I have Activity Days, although it is at the same time as some other appointments, so I may end up needing to call in a back up. But I still have some responsibilities at it. We have family dinner this week. So this is the week's plan as it looks from early Monday morning:

MONDAY: Bake cake, and freeze for easier decorating. Finish spring cleaning and get stuff to DI. Clean main rooms for Katie coming over. Begin weeding in the backyard. Paint celing in Preslie's room.

TUESDAY: Work and family dinner

WEDNESDAY: Get piles of things to store, stored. Get garbage out of house. Finish wrapping Parker's presents. Activity Days.

THURSDAY: Work and weeding in the backyard

FRIDAY: work, weeding in the backyard, and picking up Eric at the Airport!

I am most excited for this Friday. But I am hoping that with so much going on this week, it will be another quick week of Eric being gone, and then he will be back, and not be leaving again this time.

Eric and I were talking about it this weekend, and I figured out why things are so off kilter when he's gone: I HAVE NO CONCEPT OF TIME.

Usually it's morning, and it feels like morning, because either Eric is leaving for work or we are all leaving for work. Then it feels like lunch time when Eric calls on his lunch break and we talk for a few minutes. Then it's the evening when he calls and says he is coming home from work, that's when dinner starts getting made and everything. Then about two hours after he gets home its time to start getting the kids ready and into bed.

But when Eric isn't at home, it's hard to keep everythign straight. It can be 2 o'clock in the afternoon, and I will be running around thinking it's 8 in the morning. Needless to say, my world gets a little turned upside down.

So here's to the second and final week of no daddy!

The One With No Daddy Day 5

Ooohhh Friday!

This means Daddy is coming home!!!!

My Mom had said Thursday night that if Parker wasn't feeling well, I didn't have to come into work on Friday. Well, the kids slept in super later. I got up, got ready, ate breakfast, they both got up around nine and ate. Then they were just crazy. Trying to get the two of them ready, and get lunches made and packed, and get all of our stuff ready and in the car for the day was nuts! Seriously. My mom called at 11 o'clock - seriously, where did the time go - and I told her I was still planning on coming in. Then I came back downstairs and Preslie was asleep on the floor . . . hmm I guess I'm not coming in yet though.

I didn't end up getting to work until 2:30. And even then the kids were still being crazy, and unhappy, and didn't want to sit and watch movies. I got a little bit of work done. Then I really started cleaning and organizing the showhouse with Mom since as of right now, most of the stuff from the showroom is just piled in places. Jordan had a date that night, and they were coming back to watch a movie in the theater, so the mission was to at least get the two rooms she would walk through cleaned up and organized.

It sounded like the day hadn't gone much better at the office. A lot of running around, a lot of confusion, so I was semi glad I wasn't the only one dealing with it. By 5 the kids and I were leaving. Yes 5. Good thing I drove into Meridian to work for two and a half hours. ha ha.

The plan was to go to Zurcher's, a party supply store, and find all sorts of Pirate stuff for Parker's party. I was hoping to have this take an hours. Then go to a McDonald's or something and get dinner and let the kids play in the playplace until it was time to either go for a drive or go and pick up Daddy. Eric was supposed to be landing at 8:30.

Well, plans never work when you have two kis under 3. We went to Zurcher's and walked out 25 minutes later. That meant I had 2 1/2 hours to kill with the kids. The plan was not to drive all the way back to Nampa only to turn around and drive back out to Boise to pick up Eric. But it started looking like that was the best option. Especially when Eric called and said that their flight was delayed . . . of COURSE their flight was delayed, what airline does keep on time!!!

So we ended up going home, grabbing McDonald's on the way, sitting at the dinner table and watching High School Musical 3 because the kids are always glued to the singing scenes. About 8:00 we got cleaned up and left. Drove the whole way there, stopped and got some gas, parked and walked up to the waiting room at the airport - which, might I say, was PACKED with two families waiting for missionaries to come home. It was awesome to see so many people show up and wait for a missionary, and I am sure they were so excited, but they took up SOOO much room. All Preslie wanted to do was run to the escalator, so I constantly had to be holding her, and then the flight was of course late coming in to. They didn't even land until 9:10 so the kids and I were waiting outside for close to 45 minutes, which was a little interesting.

But FINALLY we saw him and there was Daddy coming home to see us for a few hours! Very exciting stuff. Looking back, Eric said it best, the days were long, but the week seemed to go by fast. I am hoping for just such a fast day/week scenario to happen the coming week when he is gone again!

The One With No Daddy Day 4

Well yesterday was pretty uneventful . . . just like I like.

I got up and got ready for work, ate some breakfast, and let the kids sleep in as long as they wanted. This meant we didn't get to work until after nine.

Parker seems like he is finally coming down witht this whole cold/sinus infection thing. His nose was running all day yesterday and he was extremely moody. At about 3:15 I gave up for the day and took the kids home. I like that with the showroom at the house now it makes it easier for me to work when I can instead of forcing the kids to be happy for set hours. They both fell asleep in the car, I took them up and put them in bed, then woke them up at 5:30.

We went to Taco Bell and got some dinner, then came back to the house where Parker picked High School Musical (seriously of all things) to watch - and Preslie was glued to the screen whenever there was singing. While they watched I cleaned the house, getting it all pretty for tomorrow when Eric comes home. Then I balanced out checking account and wrote out all the checks to send in with all the bills (YUCK!) and then it was time for bed.

Eric called getting home from dinner and finishing his homework and we spent way too much time talking on the phone and didn't get into bed until midnight. I miss my friend . . . we talk about such random things and he always makes me feel better when I have a tough day. I told him that the entire time he has been gone the kids have been really good. If he was going to be gone for two weeks, this is how I would want the kids acting . . . except for today . . . them both being sick just led them to be COMPLETE pains and crying and whining and more crying. But this evening they were good, so I am hoping for a new day and new attitudes tomorrow.

My Aunt Angel is picking Ruger up first thing in the morning to take him with her dogs to get groomed. My Mom told me that if Parker is sick I shouldnt' worry about coming in to work Friday. I'm thinking I will still try and make it in for a few hours - you know this family has to stay in the lap of luxury somehow - but maybe we will make it later in the day.

Eric doesn't get in until 8:30 tonight, and he agreed that he woudl love it if I had grocery shopping already done, so we could all just hang out this weekend instead of trying to hit Wally World. I agree. So maybe we will try a grocery run first thing in the morning.

Either way, there isn't much time till Daddy comes home . . . if only for a few hours!

The One With No Daddy Day 3

Day three down and I feel like I am finally getting in the groove of this. Maybe next week with him gone again won't be too bad. I am happy that this week seems to be going by at it's normal steady pace, I was afraid the hours would just crawl by.

So day three, Wednesday, we got up ate breakfast, I cleaned out Parker's room really well - and let me tell you, that kid can make a mess out of anything. Got rid of some things, cleaned his closet, moved furniture and vacuumed, washed the walls. . . now it is just as sparkly as the master bedroom. I think I also figured out a way to rearrage his room in the event that he will be getting the crib in his room, his room definitley has more space for that.

Then Preslie went down for a nap, and Parker and I watched the Santa Claus . . . yes in the middle of JULY!

Preslie got up, we had lunch, and then the kids and I piled in the car to go to the mall and go shopping with my sister and her kids. Well, her kids ended up staying at home with Daddy (to Parker's extreme disappointment) but it was nice to have an extra set of hands to help with the kids. First stop Motherhood Maternity, my whole goal in going to the mall was to find some maternity shorts . . . um yeah no luck. I don't get what the whole idea is with extremely short shorts only in every maternity section. GRRR!!!! So my mission: unaccomplished.

We then went to Crazy 8, bought Parker some truly awesome Pirate clothes for his birthday, walked out, and we were right next door to Icing with a sign that says "Free Ear Piercing (with purchase of earrings)". Well this seems like a sign! :)

Eric and I have wanted to get Preslie's ears pierced since she was born, I love little tiny babies with pierced ears, it is my favorite! But there is some opposing views on my side of the family. I couldn't get my ears pierced until I was 12, and my mom was literally kicked out of the house for gettng her ears pierced at 18 . . . so I'm sure you can understand our hesitation. In the end though, Eric and I decided it was completely our decision, the church has said one pair of earrings is completely okay, and they haven't come out with a minimun age requirement either. So we had already decided that we were okay with her getting her ears pierced . . . next problem, Eric hates seeing our kids cry so he said he didn't want to be with me.

Well Eric and I are best friends, as well as husband and wife, and mom and dad, so the times that I have been by myself with our kids in a situation where I could have gotten her ears pierced has been less than minimal at this point.

Bring on Day three of week with no daddy!

Brittany went in with me, helped watch Parker, and we bit the bullet. Preslie looks adorable! I am headed into the office as soon as she gets up, so we will see what kind of repercussions come from Grandma and Papa. :)

After that, we stopped by the temple again, then went to Brittany's house where the kids played and Brittany gave me glitter toes. Then came home, ate, played for a little bit, took a bath, and everyone went to bed.

Eric went to the Rockies/Braves game last night, so he and I were on and off the phone talking about it, and his crazy experience trying to get home. He didn't get back to his hotel until almost 1am even though the game was over at 9:30!!!

Today is the start of day four and we have work, I'm thinking it will be a pretty relaxed day. I'm just crossing my fingers that it goes by fast! :)

The One With No Daddy Day 2

So day one, Monday is down.

Only a few more until Daddy comes home for the weekend.

It's weird how you can feel like someone really is gone and not coming back for a few days at noon, when they usually aren't home at noon anyways.

So there was indeed a lot of house cleaning that got done yesterday, so my spring cleaning is going well. Really cleaned out our master closet - now it looks amazing and you should all be jealous. I now also have several garbage bags full of clothes, shoes, jewelry, and bags to go to DI. So check out the DI in Nampa in a few weeks when the put it out . . . unless you don't like my style. Psh. 

Also really cleaned our bathroom, it is sparkly clean now. And our bedroom is always pretty clean. So that was my extent of spring cleaning yesterday, but ya know, you have to take it a day at a time.

The kids played outside in the water for a few hours, splashing in the pools and Preslie had a lot of fun running through the sprinklers. They also got sun burned. Apparently our sunscreen doesn't work between the hours of 1 and 3 in the afternoon. Interesting cause it wasn't really even that hot, and kind of overcast - I guess what they say is true, you can get burned in the rain.

After naps and dinner we went to WalMart where Parker picked out the bike he wanted for his birthday. It is now sitting in the back of the van, and making my car smell like tires. We also grabbed popcorn and Gnomeo and Juliet and then went home, sat on the living room floor, and watched a movie together.

Then everyone went to bed. It was a good easy day, fairly relaxed. A nice start to our week without Daddy. 

I did miss my popsicle buddy last night though. 

And I missed having someone to snuggle with when I got up during the middle of the night.

I don't sleep well without someone with me, and I don't eat well. Somehow I don't get hungry.

But day two is starting now, with work most of the day and a family dinner. So far this week is going by good!

The One With No Daddy Day 1

So as I started to say in the last post, Eric has started a new job. His first day was last Friday.

He now works for University of Phoenix as an Alumni Enrollment Counselor. It seems like it will be a good job, same pay with raises, benefits, and they will pay for his Master's Program!!!! That's what I am most excited about. $40K that I don't have to fork out. Leave it to Eric to choose the most expensive Masters program out there. Masters in Health Administration and Informatics. Should be lucrative once he graduates at least.

On top of them paying for Eric's schooling, they will also pay for ME to go to school! This is exciting as well. We have to wait until 6 months after he starts which means it will be about 8 months really, since in 6 months things will be a little busy for us, but I am excited nonetheless. They have a great nursing program. I will either do that, or see if they have a surgical tech program and go through that. Either way I want to be working in a hospital, probably working a few nights a week so I can still be at home around the kids and things.

Unfortunately, with all the greatness this new job offers, it also poses a little not greatness. Eric has a two week training in Denver! DUN DUN DUN!!!!!

Fun for him. I think everyone likes to escape for a few days, although he swears up and down he doesn't want to be gone for that long, wink wink. But in Denver are the Colorado Rockies, and the Colorado Rockies just so happen to be playing Eric's Atlanta Braves this week. He is hoping to go to a couple games while he is there.

Luckily, UofP is a family oriented company, so they are flying him home Friday night to spend Saturday with us, and then he flies out Sunday evening again for the second week. It's a good thing too, because he gets back a few days before Parker's birthday, and we still need to go birthday shopping, apparently that is at the top of our list of things to do when Eric comes back for 36 hours in a few days.

So Day 1 with no Daddy. Whatever will we do?

I am sure it is going to be a stressful week. I am sick, with some sort of sinus infection that has me blowing more fluids out my nose than what should come out of any part of your body, and the chills, and the body aches, and the burning skin . . . but it seems to be doing better today, and our kids are pretty relaxed. I'm mroe concerned about doing things with them so I don't go insane. Today we are just going to clean up the house, play outside in the water as is their favorite thing to do, and we will probably hit the store a little later tonight. Preslie has decided her new favorite thing to eat is WalMart's pre-made frozen blueberry pancakes - um seriously you should try them, they are amazing. So today should be pretty relaxed, and tomorrow I have work and a family dinner, so that's two days down without too much craziness.

Eric was supposed to fly out yesterday, Sunday at 7. I dropped him off at 5, then the kids and I went and drove by the temple for a few minutes, I was just a couple miles from home (which is saying something because we live a good 40 minutes from the airport) when I get a call from Eric saying his flight was cancelled and to come pick him up. I was fairly excited, another day with ERIC!!! But it did stink because it meant he got bumped to the 6am flight, that had a stop in SLC, and he wouldn't get to his training until noon, even though it starts at 8:30. It also was bad because a 6am flight means getting up and leaving our house by 4 in the morning to get him to the airport on time. In case you didn't know, that is really early.

We stayed up way too late watching a movie, and then set our alarm clocks. How nifty that these new data phones tell us how much time until our alarm clock goes off. He set his alarm and his phone says, "You have 3 hours and 19 minutes until your alarm goes off." Awesome phone, thanks for ruining what little sleep I do have.

Got up this morning, way too early, and took him to the airport. I was excited to drop him off only because I am excited to get the week going so it can be over faster. Eric has never been gone this long before, not in our entire 5 years of marriage. Two nights, tops. And that was when we only had Parker. So this will be interesting.

Some things I can already tell you:

*Beds are cold and lonely when there is just you in it.

*I have already hijacked not only his really awesome down pillow his Mom bought, but his side of the bed. By the time he gets back, I don't know if I will be willing to give them back.

*I will miss walking into our bathroom in the morning after he has left for work and finding his PJ's sitting on the floor, and toothpaste and hairstuff sitting on the counter.

*I am in some serious anticipation of having my seven otter pops a night partner in crime come back to me. When you eat that many popsicles, you get cold, and snuggling up with yourself just doesnt fix anything.

*I am hoping to have the house spring cleaned completely by the time Eric finishes this training. Seriously Babe, you may not even recognize it.

So here goes the start of Day one with no Daddy. Only 13 more to go . . . total. but perhaps I can focus on the 4 more days until he comes back for a little bit.

The One With The Very Wet Summer

What have we been up to lately?

Usually this a question we kind of hum and haw through . . . . oh you know work, life, church, just hanging out.

Not anymore.

We have been up to a LOT of playing in the water . . . like on a daily basis. We have been up to family parties . . . . like on a daily basis. We have been up to surgeries, well not any of ours, but family members. We have been up to moving the 16,000 sq foot showroom we have to a new location. We have been up to job changes. 

On June 30th my Mom went into surgery to remove some of her parathyroid glands. This sit on top of your thyroid (in your neck) and control the amount of calcium in your body. Hers have been on the blitz for years, and finally they decided to take them out. In surgery, they decided to take out part of her thyroid as well. They thought originally that some of it may be cancerous, but so far all the tests have come back clear. She stayed overnight in the hospital, came home with a five inch slice in her throat, and a tube sticking out to drain all the extra fluids. Parker always asked Grandma to see her "bleeds".

My parents also received an offer they couldn't refuse on their 16000 square foot showroom, located on Eagle Road. Some opthalmologists came in, made an offer to by it, signed some paperwork, and just like that we were moving the HUGE showroom. The new building won't be ready for us to move in for another 3-4 months, so the showroom has been moved back to the showhouse in the mean time. Seriously though, moving commercial property is a million times worse than moving your house. I thought I hated moving our house every time, seriously I would move my house every month if it meant avoiding moving that showroom ever again. And the idea that in another couple of months, we will be moving everything to the new location, makes me want to puke. It will be no fun. Eric has been working at the showroom every day all day for the last 3-4 weeks. He practically moved the whole thing himself, I felt bad for him. What a sore guy he has been. We had to be out this last Friday, so everyone kicked it into overdrive. My grandpa came, my brothers, my dad and the other employee. I even helped, although there is a weight limit currently on what I should be lifting, and so I couldn't help lift the heavy things like I would have liked to. Mostly I just overworked myself, and would spend the night in pain. Now Eric and I are both sick, but the showroom has been moved . . . mission accomplished.

On July 2, Eric and I put together a HUGE slip and slide, seriously it was over 80ft long, down a huge hill at my parent's house. Brittany and Jared came over with their kids. We had a lot of fun, my mom had just had surgery, so we stayed out of their house for the most part, brought over some hot dogs and stuff for a BBQ and just had a fun time. Everyone went down the slip n slide . . . yes including me, which is incredible because I usually don't love to do that. Of course Eric and I forgot or camera.

On July 4th we put the slip n slide up again for the 4th. Eric and I bought KFC for an easy 4th of July meal, my sister and her family, parents and both grandparents came over to my parents house. We did more slip and slide action and then lit off fireworks. It was of course lots of fun . . . and of course Eric and I forgot our cameras again.

July 9th, that Saturday, was my Dad's 51st birthday. The family and kids went out and had dinner at Macaroni Grill. He got a bunch of stuff for his N scale train set. So maybe he will actually set the thing up, since he's been collecting everything for it for 10 years.

Sunday the 10th, we all got together at my Grandma Lewis' house for my Dad's birthday with his extended family. My cousin Laurel and her husband Tyler, and their son Aiden were in town from Washington too, so it was good seeing them.

Then this last Saturday, the 16th, there was a Parker family reunion. Parker is my Grandma Lewis' side of the family. So all of her brothers and sisters and their kids, grandkids, and great grandkids got together for another BBQ and hung our since it has been awhile since we have all gotten together. (This side of the family is also where we came up with Parker's name . . .  obviously. :) )

So now you see what I mean when I say we have been having family parties practically every day.

Mixed in with all of this, the kids have been playing in the water in the backyard as much as they can. We bought a little plastic swimming pool for them at WalMart - it's not huge. But I have this severe reservation about buying the huge above ground ones knowing that it will kill the grass. So we buy a big plastic one, empty it out every few days, and move it to another spot in the grass. We also have a slip n slide that is not nearly as cool as the one we made at my parents, and of course they love running in the sprinklers.

Day one, Preslie decided she didnt' even need her swimsuit on. She jumped in fully clothed into the fresh feezing just out of the hose water. 

 This is the hot hubby . . . . ladies don't look too close.

 And this is why they invented swim diapers, and diaperless swimsuits for little ones. Look at the sag on that thing.

 The next day she wore her swim suit. She has three that we have to rotate out as she doesn't let them dry before she wants to go back out again.

 This is the "bigger" little pool we got at walmart the kids didn't fit too well together in the other. And please ignore our extremely brown grass, we found out just before this that the people who blew out our sprinklers in the fall broke them, so no water. . .  don't worry they are fixed now, and the grass is greening up nicely!

 Swimsuit number 2 from Grammy and Papa Marshall. Preslie plays on the bottom of the slide for HOURS.

 Slip n Slide time!

 And this is the other thing we have been working on, a garden. we had to fence it off so the dog wouldn't eat it, and then we thought everything died, so we kind of gave it over to the weeds. Then lo and behold, there were plants growing, so now we are getting all the weeds puled and enjoying peas so far!