Highs:
*Travis & Jenna's Wedding. There was a lot of lead up to the wedding, from a bridal shower to bachelor and bachelorette parties to a wonderful groom's dinner. But the culmination was the wedding day, of course! The wedding was beautiful-very contemporary and fun. Travis looked great, but let's face it...it's all about the bride! And Jenna looked magnificent! The two of them exuded happiness and we all felt so blessed to be there and witness it. Plus, it was the first time that I have EVER hired a babysitter. Check out some of their wedding pics on Cider Press Studios blog/website. Here are a few pics taken by my aunt:
The handsome groom and his lovely bride
Our family-Dad, Mom, Travis, Jenna, Collin, Me, Mark, & Ethan
One big happy family!
*My 10 Year High School Reunion. The day after the wedding (yep, the day after), Mark and I had another big event-BHS Class of 2001 10 Yr. Reunion. A few years ago (sometime between when our 5 year would've been and now), my friend Anne and I were talking about our H.S. reunion and how no one bothered to plan a 5 year. We both agreed to work together to plan a 10 year reunion, both because we were on Senior Class Cabinet in High School (the typical planners of 5 and/or 10 year reunions) and because we knew how we wanted it and it would be amazing. Well, 2 babies later, I will admit that I wasn't as passionate about co-chairing such an event. So Anne took charge and started a Reunion committee last summer. There were about 8 of us that volunteered and we got to work. We had a venue picked out (Bryan John's Grillworks), a date (June 25), and a growing database of alum that were interested in coming. 10 days before the event, we received word from BryanJohn's that they had double booked the venue and would be moving us out to a tent. What??? E-mails went back and forth, but ultimately we decided to go with another venue. Russell's in Big Lake gave us a similar meal and atmosphere for the same price, plus he honored our pre-sale drink tickets. The evening was a huge success, but I can safely say that I highly doubt I will be involved in planning our next reunion (never say never).
H.S. friends-(clockwise) Me, Lindsey, Melissa, Lauren, Rachel, and Anne
*Taking Ethan to Preschool Storytime in Maple Lake. As Ethan has gotten bigger/more mature this summer, Mark and I have been debating whether he is ready for Preschool, whether it be at St. Francis or through ECFE. However, because Ethan goes to Grandma daycare (which we LOVE), he does lack some of the socialization he would get at a daycare facility. The great thing, though, is that they have a program at our local library that has a former Kindergarten teacher (and church friend) reading themed stories to the kids, doing some song/fingerplays related to the weekly theme, doing an art project, taking their picture for the local paper, and getting a snack. Ethan has gone 4 times (2 with me, 1 each with my parents). He enjoys it most of the time, depending upon the week. Still not quite ready for Preschool (gotta get potty trained first), but is having a blast listening to stories.
Ethan with his Storytime friends (E's in front in the green shirt)
*Taking Ethan to "Cars 2" at the movie theater. We all know how much Ethan LOVES Lightning McQueen. So it shouldn't come as a surprise that we took him to "Cars 2" this summer. However, due to his aunt and uncle getting married the weekend the movie came out, we went the following weekend (Collin stayed behind with Nana and Poppy). And he loved it! Mark and I-we liked the wholesomeness of the first one a little more, but with more viewings (and we all know there will be more viewings), it will likely grow on us more!
Daddy with Ethan at the movie
Mommy with Ethan at the movie (we DO look alike)!!!
*Ethan turning 3! This is both a high and a low in that my baby continues to grow and isn't my 'baby' anymore. He's not even my 'toddler' anymore. Nope...he's my 'preschooler'.
*Collin getting his tear duct tube out. Both of his eyes look fantastic and are working beautifully. In fact, because they are not all goopy anymore, I think people now notice the piercing blueness of his irises (we get stopped a lot by complete strangers, commenting on how gorgeous his eyes are).
*Collin growing hair. Sounds so simple, but he is finally getting some hair. Some RED hair!
Lows:
*Mark losing his job. Last October, when Mark's previous administrator was promoted and a new one was hired, things started slowly going downward. Whereas Andy (the former administrator) was very supportive and was more about marketing and resident relations, Christina was more of a micromanager. She was very meticulous about paperwork (which was Mark's weaker point) and had unattainable expectations (for all her employees, not just Mark). It came to a head in May when she claimed Mark talked to a resident's family about an issue that should have been handled by the nursing staff. He maintained that he was being a SOCIAL WORKER and was trying to help the family solve a problem and was thinking of the resident's well-being. Didn't matter. Mark began looking for a new job and within 2 weeks, had 2 offers. One was a care center in Maple Plain (which happened to be the one his mother works at-ugh, but was willing to pay more). The other was a care center in St. Louis Park (which paid less than Maple Plain, more than Winsted, but was a company he worked for before and one where he would have his own assistant). He snatched up the SLP job and has been there now for 3 months and enjoys it. And sadly, even with double the commute (1 hour each way to SLP instead of 1/2 hour to Winsted), he is still home BEFORE he was when he worked at St. Mary's. I guess what they say IS true-"When one door closes, another one opens..."
*Finding out I was changing grades (I put this under the negative, but am now getting excited, so I would call this 50/50). Around the time of Trav and Jenn's wedding, I was asked by my boss if I would consider a grade change. I told her I would think about it and get back to her. After talking to Mark, my parents, and just making an old-fashioned pro vs. con list, I decided that the time wasn't quite right for me to move (especially with the boys being so young and knowing I would have to redo my entire curriculum). I waited and waited and waited to hear back. Finally, after 9 days, I got an e-mail stating that due to what was best for the school, I would be moving to 1st grade. I was devastated. Kindergarten had been my home for 5 years. I never expected to like it, let alone LOVE it and have it become such a huge part of my life. I thought about the things I'd miss out on-Mother's Tea, Fun w/ Fathers, our huge Spring Fever donation, Graduation, Gingerbread Man, Leprechauns, etc. However, I was determined to invoke some "special identity" to 1st grade. And I WAS excited to know that I would have some of my former Kindergarteners. Plus, not only was I switching grades, but I was switching classrooms as well. The enticing part of that deal was that I was getting a bigger room and they were ordering me anything I needed (more bulletin boards, a kidney shaped table, a podium, a new calendar, etc.). I have been in quite a bit this summer and each time I'm in, I feel more enthusiastic about my new position.
*Having to fix everything. Within a 3 week period, we had to pay for the following repairs: the glovebox in my car, my front windshield (which had been broken for 2 years, but had just gotten a new crack), our dryer (both thermostats had burnt out), our refrigerator (leaking water-turned out to be the auto-defrost sensor), and a leaky water pipe (my favorite. The pipe was leaking water from our bedroom wall/bathroom wall down to Mark's gameroom in the basement, causing a moldy spot on the ceiling and a water puddle on the floor. Our plumber had to come and cut a 2 x 3 ft. hole in our bedroom wall, which had a few inches of standing water in it to fix the problem).
*Being legally mandated to redo our sewer line. All homes in the city of Maple Lake are/were required to have their sewer lines checked for illegal drainage, roots in the line, etc. that would cause rainwater/other water to be unnecessarily treated at the local Water Treatment Plant. As of now (the city is still checking lines), about 1/3 of the homes in town have this problem, including us (lucky, right?). We had 90 days to fix the issue, or $100 would be tacked onto our utility bill EACH MONTH until it was fixed. Last week, we had a friend of my grandfather's come and do the work. He told us that he was hoping that we only needed a new line and not a sump pump or drain basket to collect our rainwater. Guess what? Our luck continued and it was necessary for us to put in a drain basket (another $1000 on top of our new line fee). Ahhhh! Thank goodness the city offered financing through our city taxes and assessments. Not ideal, but an option that we had to take. We got the new line and drain basket in (we will eventually want/need to put in a separate electrical box and alarm system for it), but the ramp had to be taken off and there is a large dirt mound in the center of my yard. To top it off, 4 days after redoing our sewer line, Mark, I, and the boys were gone for a walk and came home to the smell of sewage in our basement. Yep...a clog in the brand new line! Luckily the excavator paid our plumber to come and auger it out (no more problems....knock on wood), but another headache.
My front yard right now (view from the door-notice the ramp is gone...for now. We have to let the dirt "settle" before we can put it back on...ahhhh. The joys of homeownership).
So, as summer winds to a close, and I get ready to return to school in merely a few days, I ponder the highs and lows. We had some wonderful things happen and some gloomy things come our way. Our wallet's taken a beating and our list of home improvements continues to grow. Would I have it any other way? You bet! I would have had US win the lottery a few weeks ago instead of that couple from Burnsville. But, in the meantime, we'll continue plugging along (and buying the occasional lotto ticket)...
No comments:
Post a Comment