Merry Christmas

Well, I hope everyone had a great Christmas. Ours was good, my favorite part is the fact that it was a white Christmas for the first time in YEARS. Not only did it snow, but it dumped down a lot of snow, as you can see.
It has been snowing off and on all day and most everyone in the house is LOVING it. This year is going to be a memorable Christmas for me. As most of if not all of you know, Dave is a big Dallas Cowboys fan. Dan and Chrystal moved there last year, and because Chrystal is a Cowboys Nazi (love you sis.) she vowed she would NEVER support the Cowboys team. Knowing this, Dave asked for a Cowboys Jersey for Christmas. (Love the number system on the gifts, you should make that a tradition.)
When it came time for Dave to open his gift, having Dan and Chrystal on Speaker Phone while he opened it, he stopped when he opened the box and was speachless for a while. Once I saw what it was, I immediately asked Chrystal if she was sick. He not only loves it, but took it as a GREAT compliment that Dan and Chrystal approve of him. Here's what they gave him.
Yes, that is a Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys Jersey, sent from Dallas TX. It is now his Lucky Jersey. ;) After all was said and done with opening gifts, we sat around and visited, ate breakfast, and then were pretty much lazy until the time to see Grandma Gean. This is the hardest time of the year for me as "Tradition" was broken because Grandma Wanda always came over early in the morning to watch everyone open gifts. We all missed her this year, and I know she's smiling down on us.
Last week I was dog sitting for Chas (for those of you who don't know, he's Heather's new boyfriend.) while he and Heather headed to Boise. That Saturday morning, I went to take Moto out to piddle, and being the thoughtless person that I am when I first wake up, I put on slippers and stepped out on the front porch. My foot went out from under me, almost folded in half and then twisted. Mom took me to the doctor later that day, and found that I didn't break it, but had a Severe Sprain. I've been on it more than I'd like, and here's what it looks like. The picture doesn't really depict how bad it is, the bruise is actually darker and the foot is swollen.
Speaking of my foot, I need to go elevate and ice it, I haven't done that today, and it's killing me. Merry Christmas to everyone, happy holidays.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow...

Well, it's officially the first snow in December. I can't say that it's been steady, it has come and gone off and on, but the snow is sticking to the ground. This past weekend, the house has been a bit busy. Mom and Dad got the tree up, I helped mom out a little at decorating it, then she decorated the house. We've been listening non-stop to Christmas music, joking around and just having fun. It helps to get into the Christmas mood when the house looks like and sounds like Christmas.
Heather has moved unofficially to Idaho Falls. We all miss her here, but if she wants to leave, it's her choice, sometimes people have to walk away from familiar territories just to find themselves and true happiness. Anyway, we've been working on our bills, and trying to figure out how to fit in Christmas, sorry guys, you're really going to have to settle with a pack of gum or a candy bar, let me know what you'd like.
There really isnt' much more to report other than Dave gets to start working from home in the New Year. We're both looking forward to it, I am more so to prove those who doubt it can work wrong. I've decided to hold of on Gold Canyon until we can afford it. It will probably be in January before I can re-enroll, but that will be fine with me. Maybe at that time I can set up a website as well. Mason goes to the vet next week. He has a lump on his chest that I've noticed is getting larger, hopefully it's just a fatty tumor. I really don't know what I'll do if it turns out to be cancer, he's my baby, my best friend and can't ever be replaced.
Well, that's about all I have to say right now. As soon as something remotely interesting comes up, I'll let everyone know. Until then, take care and have a good day.

Here's Whats Going On

Wow, this year has gone by fast. A lot of things have happened, we lost our house, moved in with my parents, Dave got 2 promotions within months of eachother (YAY!) and I've been babysitting full time again. I was unable to renew my Gold Canyon membership, so this month I'm going to get it going again. This time, I'm planning on setting up a website through Gold Canyon for everyone's convenience. I will let you know more as it unfolds.
We're staying with my parents until we get back on our feet, it's a timely process as I'm finding bills creeping out of the woodwork I didn't know we had. I've been working on a budget, tweaking things and trying to get all caught up. Once we do, we're going to look into a place to rent, or see if it's possible to get into my Grandma's house via an investor, maybe do a rent to own or something similar.
Other than that, we're healthy and happy. We had a good Thanksgiving with Dave's family, it was good to be able to surprise them, and we've come up with how we're going to work the holidays. We're going to split them between familys. This year we spent Thanksgiving with Dave's family, so we're going to spend Christmas with my family, then next year we'll switch. I've got a lot of goals lined up for this comming year, some are reasonable, some are far fetched, we'll see which ones I accomplish. Hope all is well with everyone. I'll keep y'all posted.
Check out my new addiction, www.jigzone.com Thanks MOM!

A Ray Of Sunshine

So a few weeks ago Dave applied for a permanent Home Team Supervisor job. Today, his boss told him that he got the job but to keep it "hush hush" in the work place. What does this mean?? Well, it means that instead of having to get up and drive to work every day, Dave gets up and gets to go into a room in the house set up just for the job. Dave is provided a computer, phone, and anything else required for him to do his job from home. People have asked if this means yet another promotion, yes it does. So, starting a week from today, he will no longer have to drive to work and will make more money.
We've cut down a few more bills, and are working on getting something for people for Christmas. We've got a few ideas, but it's a matter of how to pull it off. Other than that, I'm still babysitting, and working on our budget. Thanksgiving is coming up and we're just staying in and eating PBJ Sandwiches and enjoying each other's company. It's a hard time of the year for me, but I seem to manage. This year we have a lot to be thankful for, and you better believe we're counting our blessings.

Where Do I Fit In??

I recently came down with a Middle Ear Infection, and the touch of the flu. Since I fell ill, I have stayed indoors and in bed to try to heal quicker. Since there's not much to do, I've spent a lot of time thinking about my depression, whats causing it and just evaluating my life. One thing that's always been on my mind, but haven't been brave enough to say anything is where do I fit in with my family?
Don't get me wrong, I know they all love me, its just that I see the relationship my brothers have, not just with each other, but with my sister as well, and though we're all close, I feel they're all closer than I am with them. I have tried to hide it but a lot of the times I feel like a misfit, an outsider. These feelings don't end there, they also effect the relationship I have with my parents.
My brothers and sister have close relationships with my parents, they ask them to do things, go places, and though I could be totally wrong, it feels like when Dave and I ask them to do something with us, we get " Save your money" or are just turned down. It's very discouraging, and it could all just be in my head, but that's how I feel. I admit, the reltaionship between my sister and I has made a vast improvement, and I hope it keeps going that way, that we have that relationship I've always wanted with my sister. As for my brothers, I know its hard to strengthen a relationship long distance, but I try to keep in touch with Dan via E-mail although I've slacked a bit lately, and Marsh seems too busy with work and Tucker on the way.
Like I said, it could all be in my head but its something that has bothered me for a very long time and I think it has a hand in my depression. If I could have one wish, it would be that I could strengthen my relationships with my family, to become closer to them and not feel like an outcast. I'm sorry if I've upset anyone in this blog, I just needed to get it off my chest. Love you all.

I can honestly say that yesterday was quite the day. I had to go to the dentist to prep for a crown, and because of the location of it, I get a GOLD one. (Ironic I think since I HATE gold) While Kaitlynn was asleep, I decided to braid Merlyn's hair, it only stayed in overnight, then I noticed he was ripping it out in chunks when he'd scratch himself, oh well, at least I've got pictures.

After Kaitlynn's nap, Heather and I took her trick-or-treating down Main St. since her parents couldn't because they had to work. We were there for about an hour and a half, and she got a lot of candy.

When we got home, and Kaitlynn left, Mom noticed a funkey smell coming from the kitchen turntable. As Dad turned the turn-table around a few times, when it stopped, he saw a little grey mouse about 2" tall sitting there, he'd made it too dizzy to move. Dave and I released it at the school down the street. Later that evening, I couldn't figure out why the smell wouldn't dissipate, and asked Dad if he checked the DECON that was in the corner under the cupboard, he said no. Sure enough, there was a dead mouse in the box of DECON and it got tossed.

This morning after helping mom with her luncheon, I went to do a load of laundry for her, and couldn't figure out why the funky smell was not gone from the basement.(I thought the odor from the dead mouse wafted down to the Laundry Room.) As I went to put things in the Dryer, I noticed what looked like a twig, nope, it was a mouse. It's going to be fun to see how much more there are once we start de-junking.

Dave was told to re-apply for his job. They're making it permanent, and he'd be working from home if he got it, we've got our fingers crossed and are praying he gets it. I am not 100% sure but I think it means another pay raise. Well, it's time to go mouse hunting,

Greetings from the "Pod People"

Well, as you already know, we had found a foster home for Dante and Tika about a month ago. Things worked out great for them for a while, then suddenly Tika became aggressive towards other animals, escaping from the yard, and has even been aggressive towards her foster family. She has never been aggressive towards anyone or anything. The only thing I can think that would make her like this is their Great Dane always trying to show her who's boss. We took them back to mom and dads yesterday, they're staying in their crates in the shop until we can find another home for them and figure out why Tika is so aggressive.
It breaks my heart to have them locked up like that, and it'd be great if we could find permanent homes for each of them, or at least Tika, but something tells me that we may have to have her put down for her own good, only time will tell. As for the other animals, I don't really take care of the cats anymore. Dave cleans the litterboxes, and Dad feeds them before we even have a chance to. I stay away from them until I can find out what's going on with my body. Still not sure if I'm expecting, and the doctor's nurse told me to give it another week before we see what needs to be done.
I've made it a point to feed all the dogs, it's easy when you've got a 2yr old wanting to help. Merlyn has not had a bath or cut for nearly 4 months now, and I contacted Dennis Spencer's new wife to see if she'd make Merlyn a regular client, she agreed and will give him a bath the day before Halloween. YAY! We're not doing anything special for Halloween, Dave works until 7 and more than likely won't be home until about 10. I've thought about maybe just going to the gym for a while then having an OMEN marathon or something, who knows.
We're still tweaking our budget a little, focusing on more bills than others, and are beginning to make sure our tithing comes out first. Hopefully we'll get back on our feet fast. Well, that's about all that's going on here. Hope all is well with everyone.

Oh the irony..............

Ok, so I took the Twilight quiz, and without looking at my results, Dave took the same quiz, but for the men, and would you believe he got my characters mate??? Crazy.

Take the Quiz and Share Your Results!

Take the Quiz and Share Your Results!

It's beginning to look a lot like.........

So this last weekend we got our first snow storm. I was excited, but Dave was not looking forward to winter. We got a good ammount of snow on Saturday, and then as I was going to leave with Dave for someplace, it hit me that I packed our winter coats. Luckily I swiped Dan and Chrystal's winter gear, and so now we're good.
I am happy to say that we're trying out our budget although it's not fully "Tweaked" yet. So far it's working, but it's only been the first week. As soon as I am finished working out the bugs, it should run smoothly. I told Dave that whatever money I make, will go directly into savings, that'll give us a little more cushion to work with, and we can maybe see how we could live off Dave's paycheck alone, at least until we get the budget thing down as if it were second nature.
Well, I should be going, I know that there's not much to say right now, I've been babysitting and crocheting if I'm not helping out around the house. Hope this finds everyone good and happy. I'll keep you posted.

Well....

Well, this is a first one for me. Jess normally posts everything, but as I have some interesting news, she insists that I add a blog of my own. I work at Convergys in Pocatello, a call center working for Directv. I have been there for just over 4 years. I recently applied for a job as a TL, or teamleader, with the company. Much to my surprise, I got it! Not too much surprise, honestly I think I am better suited to the position than some other people that I can think of. Will not mention names there, but you know what I mean. It is only a temporary job at this point, so I have to rock it out to make it a permanent spot. The other guys that got the job wth me have a little bit of a headstart, since they were on a coaching team during a time of the day that allowed for pulling people off the phone. I was on the phones for the whole time except when I was in class. But, they do not take into account that I am more stubborn than they are, and though it may take me longer to grasp a concept, I will figure it out and learn how to make it work for me! That's just how I roll! I could not help it. Had to say it. Now, where this is my first blog post, not too much else is going in here. Wait until I remember to email all my other stuff home! Mwuah ha ha ha ha !!!!

Wonderful Beginnings of October....

It's hard to believe it's already October. We've been living with Mom and Dad for a month now, and am feeling pretty useless around the house. Lately I've been fighting a toothache, and just got it fixed. I guess my teeth are so bad that I'm now on a prescription toothpaste.
We finally met our attorney today. His name is Kevin Peterson (Pronounced Keevun) and is located in Blackfoot. I was really impressed with him, so much that I left my wallet there by accident of course. He looked at the paperwork, and said "That's the worse attempt at forgery I've ever seen". I laughed and still laugh when I think of that comment. He is going to contact the Idaho Attorney Generals office to see if they can handle this pro-bono, but he also said that we did everything right.
I can honestly say that it was a relief to speak with him, he's going to see what he can do to get us some damages. I'm babysitting again, at least for now. I'm watching Layla and Colby
three days a week, they're pretty easy to care for, and sometimes a pain. I'm also watching Kaitlynn full time, just recently she got bit by a dog. She was antagonizing it, and it had enough, 24 stitches later she knows it's not good to be mean to the dogs.

My heart goes out to her, and I know her mom feels real bad about it. I've learned that her father needs to back off and stop using me as an excuse. His latest thing is that Kaitlynn is underweight because I am always feeding her junk food. (explain how that adds up please.) He knows this because I always eat junk food. (BULL) Anyway, I've been instructed to keep a journal of everything she eats and when she eats. We'll see how long that lasts. I told his wife that I'm tempted to buy him a Binky and box of depends because he's being a big baby about everything. If it keeps up, I'm going to have to tell him to find somebody else to watch her, I don't need it in my life.
We found a place for Dante and Tika (YAY!). One of Dave's co-workers lives about a block away from us, they have a Great Dane (Inga), Shih-Tsu (Moo), Border Collie (Lady) and a Chihuahua. They've been there for almost a week and Dante is fitting in quite well. Tika is terrified of Inga, and tries to tell her whose boss. Inga gets tired of it and pins Tika to the ground, it's kind of funny to see a Great Dane laying on top of a Lab. The 3 boys that live there really enjoy the dogs as well, the oldest is in Mom's class and always talks to her about them. Dave's been told that Dante and Tika behave better than the boys, I find that funny.
Anyway, enough of my soapbox, I should go, I've got Layla and Colby still, and Dave is hungry. As for the Kaitlynn thing, Janelle, if you're reading this, I don't mean to slam on Lee, he just irritates me with the GARBAGE he says about me, if he doesn't trust me with Kaitlynn then he needs to find another sitter or shut his mouth. To everyone, I love you and will keep y'all posted on things.

Finally Settling In

So we're pretty much out of our house, all except Dante' and Tika. We haven't been able to find anyone to take them temporarily. It's frustrating to have to ask people in a time of need just to have them tell me they can't help. I really don't want to have to take them to the shelter, I don't trust the shelter, and we do want them back.
Dad pokes fun of our room, he doesn't call it a room, he calls it our little POD. Mom wants to put our dry erase/cork board on the door so that she can leave us messages if she needs to.I kind of think they're having a little too much fun, but good for them.
I've been working on the afghan that I'm making for my future niece/nephew now that we're settling in. I'm finally able to relax and work on healing up from my sinus infection. Unfortunately I can't slow down too much because I've gotta not only find a job, but spend some time at the Storage Unit de-junking/re-packing, and finding a place for Dante and Tika. I keep telling myself that things will work out, but it's hard to keep that in mind.
Anyway, this is definately being short, I've been exhausted and I just want to hit the sack. Love you all, and talk to you soon.

Next Place We Get Into....

So for the last week or so, Dave and I have been trying to move our stuff out of our house, and find a place for all the animals. Last weekend we took a break from our situation and helped Dan and Chrystal move their stuff in a POD for Houston (though I felt VERY useless, I really enjoyed seeing them.) Because of the stress that I've had these past few weeks, I got a sinus infection. After fighing it with OTC drugs for about a week and a half, I finally broke down and saw a doctor about it. They didn't really state what I have on the paperwork, but prescribed me Amoxicillin, I've gotta take 875mg. twice a day, the pills are almost the size of a quarter. The sinuses still hurt, but are more clear than they use to be.
For the most part, Dave and I have been the only ones to move things out of our house. Mom and Dad helped a little along with a few other people, but for the most part it's been just Dave and I. I have gotten so tired of moving that I believe that the next time we move, I'll just sell EVERYTHING and purchase stuff later, or we'll just stay wherever we move to. We've gotten a call from the realitor who was assigned by the bank to sell the home. He's really chomping at the bit to get into it, and has also offered Dave and I $2,000 if we clean the house inside AND out. Like Dad and everyone else so far have said, the bank screwed us over, screw them.
Dan, you know this realitor, Greg Johnston. I haven't been the nicest to him, mainly because I feel like there's a bit of insensitivity but I really don't care anymore.
I don't want to be in Mom and Dad's house longer than we HAVE to, so we're going to try out a budget, and if it causes fights, so be it, we need to get some solid ground beneath us financially and I think it will work if we BOTH give it a shot and work together on it. Anyway, that's pretty much all that's happening, still haven't found a place for Dante', Tika, and the 3 cats, but we're working on it. I'm excited to get back into selling the Gold Canyon Candles, there's some pretty cool stuff coming out for the Holiday season, and I also want to work on getting my own website set up through them. It's about $30 quarterly, or $100 a year to have it, but it might be more beneficial to my customers. I will keep you all posted when I can get it set up.

The Verdict

Well, it was the auction of the house today. Dave got up at 3am and started packing, because I've been VERY sleep deprived, he let me sleep until 6:30. We had to have EVERYTHING out of the house by 10am, and though most of it was packed, it was more so the two of us moving things out, thought mom and dad helped for a bit.
Around 11am, we got a phone call from the people trying to save our house, they said that they were the only ones at the auction, but didn't get the house because Country Wide was asking WAY more than what we owe on it. We now have 10 days to be out, and are well on our way to doing so. The people trying to help, their company is JCP, said they're still trying to get our house from the bank, and will try to get Grandma's house as well. For the time being, we're going to share a Storage Unit with mom and dad. It's a 10X30 for $68 a month, and has 2 doors so we wouldn't have to fight over each other's stuff if we needed to get to something.
I've thought a lot about this, and I'm seriously at peace with all this. I told Dave that I really think this is what's supposed to be happening at the moment. We'll crash with Mom and Dad for a bit, hopefully not too long, but long enough for JCP to get us into a place. I'm really impressed with these people, they've done more for us in less than a week than anyone else like that has. I also found out from them that Dawnridge Properties/Residential Resolve are facing charges here in Idaho. I am going to look into it farther, and then see where to go from there.
Now that all this is said and done, I'm looking forward to picking the peices up and starting from scratch. It's going to be a long road, but we can and will do it. We'll be blessed in the end for this, and I really hope Dave sees the benefit of this. I am also going to focus on finding a job now, I'm applying at COSTCO, and will look other places too.
Well, I need to take off, I've been up since 6:30 and haven't eaten anything all day. I've got a WONDERFUL husband who is cooking for me and it's ready. I will keep everyone posted as things unfold. My love to all and hope things are good with you.

Not Going Down Without A Fight

We ran across a few people who do what Residential Resolve was supposed to do, help people in trouble with their houses, only these people do it LEGALLY! I will be honest, at first I was very skeptical, scared to death to so much as talk to them, but we did talk to them, and I'm beginning to think they're an answer to our prayers. They met with us Thursday night, told us that they could purchase our house, and Grandma's, let us live in our house until renovations were done with Grandma's, then let us move in with a lease with option to buy type deal. Dave and I told them ALL our fears and concerns, and when they asked if we'd give our signatures for permission to get information about us and our loans, I half jokingly said I wanted to let my attorney see it first. They said ok, what's the number, but after reading the paper, knowing it said NOTHING about signing anything over, that it was just a permission slip, we signed it.
The following day, I got a phone call that said they'd pay to bring our loan current to stop the foreclosure. I got on the phone with CountryWide as per their request, found out the total to bring it current and stop the auction was $20K. They had the money within ten minutes and just as they were to wire it to them, CountryWide said that they wouldn't take it because if we could get that much money that fast, we should be able to pay off the house entirely. We've been boxing our belongings up all day, and come Monday morning, it'll all be on the front lawn so that it won't belong to the new home owners. The 3 people helping us will be there at the auction trying to get the house. If they don't get it they'll focus on Grandma's house and put us up there. If they end up getting it, we'll stay where we're at until they get Grandma's done.
These people are much different than Residential Resolve because they're working with a VERY powerful attorney who is also a realitor, accountant and he specializes in real estate. I'm pretty comfortable for the situation we're in, all the devestation has left me, and for some reason, I'm at peace with whatever is going on. Dave is the one who is a wreck, I'm trying to convince him that everything will be okay, but he's really struggeling. I know we'll be fine though because the Lord won't give us more than we can handle, and I know within my heart that it will all be ok.

Finally, Some Sort Of News

A few weeks ago I sent an E-mail once again requesting my deed to Residential Resolve. This morning as Dave left for work, I checked my E-mail before I went back to bed, and found that Mrs. Loveland responded to my E-mail. She said that she still hasn't heart back from her attorney (she's been waiting for about a MONTH) and that she'd sign our deed back to us, but it'll cost US $550 to do so.
I got on the phone to PPL around 8:45am, asking if this was legal and to my surprise, they said it was. The attorney they referred me to said he doesn't handle cases dealing with foreclosure and that it'd be cheaper for them to find us a attorney in Pocatello. Sooooooooooo I don't know what's going to happen, it feels like we're back to square one again, with no way out. I will be so glad when this mess is finally over. Seems like the only plus on our side is that all the attorneys I've talked to and told that I was going to file suit against Residential Resolve for damages and forgery, said that it sounded like I have a good case.
I'm not going down without a fight, even though I'm totally drained and exhausted. I've decided to take up Water Aerobics on a regular basis, it's fun and quite the workout. I took Mom yesterday, and she's going the rest of the week, and it was HILARIOUS watching her. I'm very proud of her though, knowing she doesn't know how to swim but trusting things and giving the Water Aerobics a shot. She really enjoyed it though. Dave offered to teach her to swim. He used to be a Certified Life Guard/Swim Instructor. Anyway, it's time to run. I'll send you more info as it comes.

The Weekend From HELL

So this past weekend we thought we'd work on our friendship with Lee and Janelle, so we went camping to Willow Flat (outside of Preston)with them. It was beautiful up there, no cell phone service, our tent was right on the riverbank, and it felt good to be surrounded by nature. The biggest problem was the SERIOUS lack of communication between everyone. Because of this, nobody really had any fun, except for Kaitlynn. By the end of the trip we've pretty well established that we're NEVER going camping together again. I don't know if that will chance, it all depends on the direction of the friendship, and if we can work it all out, but right now we're taking a break.

While we were there, we took a little Nature hike, Mason was supposed to be on a leash at all times, but I don't like to follow the rules so he was not on it once we passed all the campsites. As you can see, he had a ball playing in the River. We forgot a few things, and went to talk to the camp host about borrowing what we needed, when we got there, we found that he'd placed Humming Bird feeders on his trailer, they swarmed around them, and it was wonderful to be so close to them, Kaitlynn loved it.


Going to Willow Flat made me want to go camping again, just Dave and I, and if we can pull it off, it will be as soon as we can. It was so stress free while I was there, at least from the situation with the house and what not. I think if we go together as a couple, it will draw us much closer together. We'll have to see what the future brings. Well, I should go, it's looking like a nasty storm coming in so I should shut the computer down.

A Short But Fun Weekend

This past Friday we took Marsh, Emily and Mom and Dad to the Twin Falls Temple Open House. We arrived an hour before we were scheduled to go through, but they let us go in anyway. It was BEAUTIFUL! When we were done, we went to lunch and then decided to go to Shoshone Falls because Marsh and Emily haven't been there. When we got home that night, Dave and I loaded the truck and prepared to head back to Twin the following day. Saturday Morning we went to the parade, it was much more eventful than the 4th of July parade, and a lot of fun watching Dad fight another woman for candy.
After the parade we went home, loaded Kahn and Charlie into the truck with Mason and Merlyn, gassed the truck up and then after dropping Mason and Merlyn off at mom and dads, headed out to Twin. When we got to Twin, we met Dave's brother at Wal-Mart. We found a good deal on a few bikes, picked them up and some supplies for his kitties then took the kitties to their new home. Matthew and Joshua really enjoy the kittens, and have a lot of fun. Later that evening Jacob, Dana and the boys went through the Twin Falls Temple Open House with us. I was disappointed that Dave's parents couldn't make it, but that was partially our fault as we forgot to remind everyone before hand. Jacob seemed to have liked it, but I'm not sure what Dana's take on it was.
All in all it was a good relaxing weekend. I wish it could have lasted longer but can't avoid work, and in a job like mine, there is no room for a vacation. I applied at the COSTCO coming in to Pocatello, I dunno if I'll be considered, but it'd be cool. Still no progress on the house, I'll be glad when it's all over. I've gotta run and take care of the kids, I'll keep you all posted. Love you.

Losing Ourselves In Service

Well, this past weekend Dave and I participated in the Relay For Life. It was our first time doing this, and after staying up most of the night (I passed out around 2:30) we decided to do this again next year. We were supposed to be there at 5:30pm Friday, but I dropped 4 of my cats off at their new home and got to visiting with Suzie Jones and Jano and Jessica Romero. When we arrived, we grabbed a bite to eat, visited with some of our other teammates, and then walked around the track for a bit. About midnight we saw a show put on by Charlies Angels (Drag queens) and got a kick out of it. At 1am, all the men on the teams had to dress as women for an hour and collect donations as they walked around the track. The photo is of the 3 men on our team, and I told Dave he could not hug or kiss me as long as he was dressed like that.
The whole thing raised $195,000 and all of it goes to cancer research. It was good to spend 12 hours just forgetting about our worries and problems, and focusing on other peoples instead. We still haven't made progress on our house situation, and are waiting for our attorney to call us back. We will keep you posted. Love you all.

A Little Less Of A Burden

Well, we went to the 4th of July Parade last Friday. While we were there, I ran into Suzie Jones. She asked about Mason and Merlyn, and I told her that they were only 2 of the 4 dogs we have. Then I told her we have 9 cats. Dave asked her if she wanted one because they were free and she said she'd take them all. She's supposed to come over today to take a look at them, but we're keeping 2 and 2 of the kittens are going to Twin Falls with us next week. It's going to be hard to part with some of them, some I will be really happy to see go, but it will be a lot easier for us if we didn't have so many of them. I also thought I'd show her Tika and Dante and see if she knew anyone who would take them.
Dave and I have officially given up on our house. We're starting to look for another place to live, and are going to sue Residential Resolve and Dawnridge properties once things are said and done. PPL says we have a good case against them. I just keep my chin up and praying things will work out. I told Dave the other night that what didn't kill us only makes us stronger, and I believe that. Anyway, I've got a baby calling for me so I've gotta run. Hope all is well. I will keep you guys updated on things as they unfold.

Just Shy Of A Quartet

Well, we're finally nearing the end of these blasted phone books. I really don't know how much longer I could take doing it anyway, I love watching Kaitlynn, but bagging the books are taking it's toll on my house. I haven't been able to clean it since we started because somebody doesn't think I bag enough when I do it ALL DAY LONG. Anyway, yesterday, to let out some energy, Kaitlynn and I had a screaming contest. It was funny because after screaming at the top of our lungs for about 2 minutes, we began hearing howling. I looked over and noticed that Merlyn decided to join in on the fun. I tried to record it with my camera (yes, it takes video) but whenever I held it up to him, he got shy.
Still haven't heard about our house yet. I contacted my attorney today and am waiting to hear back from her. I also called April, she said she's waiting for her Attorney to call her back. Dave did not get his job that he applied for. I told him that he should find another one because I think they're just going to keep passing him up on them with one excuse after another. This time they said that it was his interview that kept him from getting the job, otherwise he would have had it because he was more qualified than the other applicants. He was okay with what they told him, and is working harder to get the promotion next time. Dave Dixon was promoted to a Full Time trainer now, my Dave said he had to be paying somebody off to get that promotion.
Well, I need to go change a rotten diaper. Dave and I have no vehicle at the moment and since I've been using Dad's truck, I've got to get it down to them so they can clean out Grandma's house. Nobody has shown an interest in it yet, I'm still praying for a miracle on getting it for myself, but we'll see. Hope this finds you well.

The Ups and Downs of Life

Not much has been happening since my last post. We've been busy delivering phone books (at least Dave has, I've been at home bagging them and babysitting.) Last week Dave applied for a team leader position. He went in for an interview at the beginning of this week, and should know soon if he got the job. He's pretty worried he got his hopes up, but I know things will work out.
I contacted the Idaho Attorney Generals Office about our situation with our house, because I'm the only one who complained about this company, they're not going to pursue the issue. I got an E-mail from the gentleman at the Utah Attorney Generals Office whom I've been corresponding with, he told me that he's got the Attorneys looking things over and will be contacting me in a week at most.
It makes me sad with the whole situation because that's the only thing really that is not letting us get a loan to purchase Grandma's house. I'm afraid that I'm soooo out of luck on it, the Estate Sale is tomorrow and they've listed the house. Oh well, I guess it wasn't in the cards for me. :( Because of doing the phone books and babysitting, I've been super exhausted so I sleep a lot. I'm sad to report that I'm gaining weight again and want to get to doing something about it.
Because I haven't been making much off babysitting, I have upped my prices. It's all based on ages, but I think it's all reasonable. Charlie's eye is improving incredibly, I'm still not sure if he'll ever be able to see out of it, but now you can see the pupil, and the color of the eye rather than just a grey cloudy mist.
Well, that's about it for now. I will let you all know how Dave's possible promotion went, and tell you what we hear about the house as soon as we find out ourselves.

Update On Our House Situation

So I talked to my lawyer today about the situation with my house. I was told that they want addresses to the Residential Resolve here in Idaho and to Dawnridge Properties in Ut. She also wants a brief summary of when we were contacted and how, when we signed the documents and when we were told we couldn't be helped. I'm to fax all that to her on Monday and she'll fashion a letter basically demanding they sign our deed back over to us within 5 days.
Before they called, I got a call from an investigator with the Utah Attourney General's office. I explained to him my situation and that I believed that it was linked to their case in Ut because it was the same company. He asked me for a DETAILED e-mail and any documentation I feel would be helpful. Once he gets my E-mail, he'll look over things and decide if he's got a federal case on his hands. I hate to get the woman who worked with us in trouble but there's no telling exactly how involved in this scam she is.
Dave pointed out something that I'll have to ask about also, if it becomes a federal investigation, would that take our house out of foreclosure? We've got a lot of work cut out for us this weekend, and I'm going to start by talking about our situation with Dave on our way to Jerome tomorrow. We're only taking a day trip up there for Father's Day and will have all day Sunday to get things together. I've got a folder that I'm placeing all my paperwork and information in, which is also in a binder that will not leave me until this is settled.
I think I'm going to give up on trying to get Grandma's house. I think it was a lost cause since it seems like very few people believe I could get it. Right now I'm going to focus on our situation, and if we can keep the house for a bit longer while it's under investigation, we'll work on things to up the value on it so when we do get an oppertunity to sell it, we can sell it for higher than what we owe. That's about it for now, I will keep you guys posted more on what happens.

A Very Dark Storm On Our Horizon

Ok, so we spoke with a Realtor yesterday about selling our house. He is an old High School buddy of Mom's, and seems pretty trustworthy. Anyway, he said, as is, we could very easily list our house for 98K, and when he was done talking with us, he went to the title companies to find out for sure how much is owed on the property. Not even 30 minutes later, I got a call from him saying that he had some news for us that puzzled him. He met us back at the house, and told us that we had actually signed over the deed to somebody else for $10. I was FLOORED! Come to find out, what had happened was back in Dec, when we had somebody trying to help us save the house, she had us meet her at the bank just before it closed, and we signed papers saying that she was beneficiary, to be able to work with our mortgage company on our behalf. She told us this would be temporary, that we were not signing our property to her and what not. We also found out that she had a trust set up in our name.
The Realtor said that if we knew of it, we would have seen paperwork on it. Instead of this being temporary, they own the house, we're stuck with the mortgage, and it's theirs until the day Dave dies. I've contacted the woman who scammed us, and she returned my call while I was asleep so first thing Monday, I will be on the phone with her and my attorneys to resolve this. If she won't sign the deed over to us, I will either ask her to pay off the loan with cash left over for us to get another place, or take legal action. I have found out that we're not the only ones this happened to with this particular company, and I am definitely not going to refer them to anyone else. I will keep you updated as things progress/regress.

Piper, Kahn, Angel, Snickers, Bahgeera and Charlie

So the kittens are about 4 weeks old now. Monday they had their first vet visit compliments of Heather. Late last week I noticed that Charlie's right eye was getting infected and gross.
I was going to contact the Humane Society for help at taking him to see exactly what was going on, but Heather offered to pay for it since she owes me money. They examined his eye, said it was VERY infected and that I needed to try to keep it open as much as possible and put antibiotics in it 4 times a day. He now knows what is going to happen when I pick him up and take him out of the room, and puts up a fight. If the infection doesn't clear up and his eye ruptures, he'll either need the eye removed, or worse, euthanasia. I told people that it would add character to have a one eyed cat, but if it's more humane to put him down, we will.
Other than that and a few colds, they're doing great. As I sit here, they've all discovered my toes and find it fun to attack them. Angel and Kahn both seem very close to each other and I'm glad they're going to the same home. I look forward to finding homes for all of them, though they will be missed. That's pretty much it on the cat scene, the other 3, Luna, Willow and Jeriko are all seeming to be better and loving being able to venture outside again.

A Very Close Encounter

So Dave's brother Jacob sent us a VERY disturbing text early Saturday evening. We were buying dog food, and I looked at Dave's phone to see the text said that my 2yr. old nephew Matthew, came face to face with a 2ft. snake, and a stray cat intervened, came between my nephew and the snake. We thought nothing much of it, thought maybe it was a blow snake or something. Then came the pictures of the snake. At first, it looked like a corn snake with the way the light was shining on it. At that point, I was on the phone with my brother in law, they said the snake was coiled and ready to strike just before the cat startled it. He also said that his little brother cut the tail off the snake trying to kill it.
Once I saw the 2nd and 3rd pictures, I knew immediately how lucky Matthew really was. He had come face to face with a 2ft. Diamondback Rattlesnake. Knowing how small he is, and how far away from a hospital they lived, I knew that if that snake had bit him, he wouldn't survive it. They live between Twin Falls and Jerome, the Hospital in Twin is about 15-20 minutes at least through town, possibly longer depending on lights and traffic. The hospital in Jerome is just as far away, so he wouldn't have stood a chance. I'm happy to know that somebody upstairs was watching out for him, I don't think I could have stood that kind of a loss, especially that soon after my grandma passing.

Yup, I live up to my nickname "Nature Woman"

You Are Pocahantas!

Free-spirited and wise. You have a strong passionate spirit that touches and changes all who know you. The wisdom and common sense that you have is really what guides you through life. Even so, you also have a very playful side that loves adventure and excitement.

Which Disney Princess Are You?

Just A Little Update

So it's been a little while since Dave Dixon, aka "Humpty Dumpty" got the job my husband sought after and was more qualified for. Yesterday I was told that my husband did a very naughty thing, and I had to laugh. He somehow passed it through to the guy who was doing the hiring that Humpty Dumpty would not follow the training outline, that he would change things to his liking and will think he knows more than the company. Well, when he was walking by the boss' office, he found him talking to Humpty Dumpty, basically ripping him a new one about how to do his job. Dave said it was hilarious. On a more positive not with Dave's job. That same "boss" overheard Dave teaching a class, and then told Dave's sup that if he had to do it all over again, he would have hired Dave in a heartbeat. It made him feel good to know, but it's funny to see that this guy has FINALLY discovered that he screwed up. It won't be long before Dave gets the promotion I'm sure.
So the kittens are now 3 weeks of age. They all seem to be male, and are in excellent health. They're developing right on schedule and will soon be ready to venture outside for fresh air, that will make Momma happy as she is suffering from Cabin Fever. We had to move them into the computer room because the other 3 cats we have are sick with Upper Respritory Virus and has to take it's course. Sounds like Piper is starting to get it as well, hopefully the kitten's immune systems are strong and they don't get it. Here's a photo of Angel, him and one of his other brothers are going to Dave's brother's house when they're ready to leave mom.


If Piper were the only cat we have, we would keep him ourselves as Dave and I both like him a lot, but realistically we can't keep him and we've agreed to give him to somebody whom we can still visit and see him. Well, I've gotta head and fix dinner, we're cooking Honey Teriyaki Chicken in the Crock Pot. We'll keep you guys posted on everything going on.

Our House

So we've been trying to see if we qualify for another mortgage loan through a friend of mine. It is so we can sell our house and buy my Grandmother's (with any luck). I got notification this last weekend that we were denied-as to be expected. The fun part is though nobody really thinks we can get it, I'm not going to give up. I've started working on our house to make it a little more presentable so we can see how much we can list it for. I guess a lot of my determination is coming from people telling me "Good Luck" or "You can give it a try but I doubt you'll get it." I like a good challenge, that's why I married Dave (wink) and I want more than anything to prove everyone wrong.

Other than that, the kittens are growing well. They're fat, healthy, and almost ready to wander around and explore outside. I'm sure Piper would love to go back out and get fresh air away from her babies. I've already got a home for one of them, and look forward to watching them grow even more this summer. As for the other cats, Willow, Luna, and Jeriko are all sick. They've got Upper Respiratory Virus. Luna sounds like hers is the worse, and if she doesn't get better soon, I may have to take her to the vet. On the upside, I've discovered that the Humane Society will pay for the visit, I'm sure there's a catch but I haven't found it yet.

I can't wait to get back into my scrapbooking, thanks to Chrystal I have some fun programs to play around with and look forward to improving my skills. I've spent a lot of time evaluating my life and am working on making changes, we'll see how that works out for me. I've gotta run now, I will keep you posted with the pursuit of my Grandmother's house.

The Joys Of Corporate Politics

Well, Dave had an interview for Part Time Trainer a few days ago. I am VERY unhappy to say that he did not get the job. What makes me really angry about it is that he lost it to a person who'd been working there for only a few months, and is full of CRAP. This person he lost it to was Dave Dixon, Heidi's husband. Dave can't understand why they went that way, but we both agree it was a grave mistake.
Those of you who know Dave Dixon, can agree that he's not good at any job he does, and is as useless as useless can be. We have had the pleasure of having Jacob (David's Brother) and his wife and kids the last few days. We really enjoy their company and though it was a tight fit, sad to see them head home. I wish he'd visit his family more often, or at least talk to them on a regular basis. We hope they can come back again soon. I need to get, things to do and not enough time to do them in.

Movin On

Well, it's been a few days since we said our final goodbyes and put Grandma to rest. I can honestly say that it was a much better experience than when my Grandfather passed away a few years ago. It was good to see my brother and his wife although it'd be better if it were under different circumstances. I only wish we could see each other more often.
Aside from Grandma, nothing really exciting has been happening. I'm going to start focusing on cleaning my house, and selling the Gold Canyon candles. The kittens are doing great, they're all fat, and the eyes are beginning to open. I let Mason meet them, and the "mother" instincts kicked in with him. He had to sniff each baby to make sure they were okay, and didn't like it when they cried.
Piper is doing great, she's back down to her normal size and STARVING for attention. I was a little worried at first what kind of mother she'd be, but I'm proud to say that she's being an excellent mother. When things slow down, I'm going to see what I can do about buying Grandma's house. It is not because it's right next door to my parents, I want to make it clear of that. I want her house because it's got lots of memories, I want to keep it in the family and her back yard is big enough for my dogs. This is something I've thought about for years, but haven't said anything because I knew my aunt wanted it as well. I've got a friend looking into things for us and am keeping my fingers crossed. I will let you know how things are going.

The Time Has Come, Bittersweet Goodbye

Well, I'm sad to announce that Grandma passed away around 11:50pm (Friday). Although it was expected I lost it. We have friends who were with us when I found out, and we were supposed to be doing something with them at our house. It turned out to be a gloomy night for everyone, and I can't help feeling it was because of me.
I knew it was not going to go well today. My car died at the bank and is now out of commission, my wrist and ankle have both been giving a big problem, and now Grandma has gone "Home". I know it is where she wanted to be, but it still breaks my heart to see her go. I've only known these friends for a few weeks, but they're turning out to be pretty good friends, and am really blessed to have them in my life.
I had to heavily sedate myself and I think the sedatives finally kicked in so I'm going to go. I hope all is well with everyone else, God be with you all.

We Have Babies

So for a while, we've known that one of our cats (the only one not fixed) was pregnant. Today (Thursday) when we let them outside, we discovered that she has gone into Labor around 3:30pm. After the 1st one came out, the other 4 came out pretty quick. I checked on her a few minutes ago, and it's possible that she's done though it looks like there may be one or two more left, only time will tell.
Looking at the kittens, they're almost exactly like mom, one in particular has some really beautiful markings. They're all dark tabby markings except for the one oddball, a white one. When I was watching her give birth (yeah, I'm sick like that but needed a distraction.) I got to thinking, here I am watching new lives come into this world, while another life is trying it's hardest to leave. It was some deep thinking, and though I can get carried away, I realized that I was given a great gift of Compassion. A lot of people just see me as a crybaby, an my thinking could be totally messed up but I really feel that it is a blessing to be that compassionate, it gives me a chance to see how Jesus felt for us.
I also saw Grandma today, and I'm sad to report that she REALLY looks bad. She wasn't breathing when I went in there, fearing it'd tear me apart to see her, Dad followed me in, realized she wasn't breathing and then just as panic was about to set in, she took a deep breath. I handled this visit better than the last one, but it's still hard to know she's going. I suppose that I just need a lot of distraction for a while, and some good friends to help me through this. That's pretty much all that has gone on for now, I'll keep everyone posted as things go by. (I just realized that I now have a total of 9 cats in my house)

A Bit About Us

We officially met 10/01 at the Arby's store in Twin Falls, ID. I had transferred from the store in Pocatello so I could go to school for Veterinary Tech. I had locked the keys in my car with it running with 4 cats inside one evening, after picking up my work schedule. It took Dave, and the manager from Burger King next door about 45mins to open the door. In return, Dave took me out. Should have been the other way around, but he insisted because he made more. We went out that weekend, and one thing led to another, and here we are. Married for almost 4yrs and happy. I am very fortunate to have found a man whom my family accepts, and can take anything they dish out. He fits in to the family pretty well, and I seem to do the same with his. I should go now, it's past dinner time and I've got meds I've gotta be taking soon. There will be more to come. Thank you Dan for designing our blog, we really like it. Love you all!!

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