Not any slower....

This last week flew by.... I had grandous plans of projects I would complete around the house before going back to work... none got accomplished.

Monday started with an interview with an Employment agency that two of my friends recommended. So I pulled out and dusted off my suit and selected aconservative top that Matt and Sean approved. I scheduled a haircut just before the interview so I wouldn't stress figuring how to use the hairdryer and flat iron... did they still work after a 5 year hiberation?
The shot of it... the interview went well and my refernces were glowing.. I secured an interivew with a accounting software company right here in TRACY!!! AHHHHH no commute over the hill was that possible to make decent money without commuting? There is hope....

Tuesday I went to the Galt Flea market with my friend Gloria. It was SOOOO hot but got some great deals on things I didn't know I needed. ;) We stopped at the only scrapbbok store left in Lodi and got inspired by some new papers which I purchased and they are still in the bag on my desk, maybe this coming week I'll get the time...after school I took Kaitlyn to the gym's pool and she had a blast going down the water tubes by herself. She has really excelled in swimming this year.

Wednesday I went to Walmart/ Costco and the Mall ALLL by myself!!! in record time!
I pickup Matt and took him off campus for a quick lunch. Then preceded to waste the rest of the day ;(

Thursday I cleaned my living room put on the new couch slip covers and did a major dusting. Then I pickeup the kids and got ready for my 5:30 job interview. The interview went well, not your tradition corporate interview but then again we're talking a small farming family going corporate. So some of the question were over the line in accordance to HR ediqutte but I really like the owners... I felt like I was back east.. not a Silicon corporation.

Friday, Sean and I drove to sacramento after dropping the kids to school for this neosurgon appointment. Our thoughts were confirmed, Sean will have to have surgery to fix his back pain. He has a herniated buldging disc. So now the preparation/planning mood begins. I also got feed back on the interview from Thursday night... they want me back for a second interview on Wednesday afternoon. pls keep your fingers crossed for me on wednesday ;)

Saturday, yesterday, I bought Matt a new computer for his room at a liquidation warehouse. A friend of Matt's is a computer guru and guided Matt with his suggestions. We got an awesome deal. Matt was so happy... he was cranking the tunes out of his iPod thru is new $25 speakers and subwoofer and enjoying his own internet connection in his room.

Sunday today.... hmmm got a paper for school to complete and lot of household chores that are screaming for attention.... hopefully I can get some done.

I realize this is not the most exciting post but as I mentioned before I also use blogging to document the passing of time for my scrapping. ;)

Lots going on....

There is never a dull moment and for this I feel I am blessed... tired but blessed.
The last week we have survived the ups and downs of life rather well.

Kaitlyn had strepp throat and very high fever. The doctor visit included strepp culture, blood work and a pee sample.. The last was the worst. Then the issue with the Amoxacillin.. we did not get the pink stuff... we got orange.. it took both Sean and I to hold her down to take the orange stuff... we both felt like horrible parents. The next day I DEMANDED the pink stuff.. so a few more days of that...

Matt has completed his first week as a Junior in a new high school and was ontime EVERYDAY... now thats something to celebrate!!!

The Toy recall put me in a tail spin, I scoured the house for every polly pocket piece.
Although Kaitlyn doesn't put anything in her mouth I wasn't going to take any chances with the daycare kids... not to mention our two retrievers who greet us with toys in their mouths everytime we come back to the house. I boexed up all Polly stuff and sending them away!!!

I gave my notice to my last daycare family. I am ready to go back to work. The job search and getting back in touch with old contacts has me on an emotional roller coaster. So many possiblities. I'm excited , nervous and anxious. I am looking forward to getting out of the house and using my brain. I feel good that Kaitlyn is in school and enjoying it.

The diet plan has been derailed because of the emotional rollercoaster of this past week, however getting on the scales this morning I still lost 2 lbs without trying... is worrying a fat burner? I thought stress makes you retain weight. Anyways I was thankful as this weekend I need to shop for something to where for interviews....

School is going great. love this Marketing class I'm taking. Iam hoping to find a local job so I won't need to use valuable school/study time to commute. I WILL complete my degree in 2008 its a must!

Anyways the ranting is done, documenting is done.. its time to move on to the weekend.
Saturday I am going to go scrapbooking from 10 am to midnight!!!! I am so excited I haven't done this in a couple months. I usually don't get much done but the soical aspect is soo much fun!

Rock n Roll girl....

There she is our new musical protege....

okay thats what Daddy may wish but her interest in music has really picked up in the last 6 months. Saturday in our travels we 'found' this barbie guitar.. it was love a t first sight. She even said... "look Mommy we can plug in OUR iPod right here and I can play my songs!"

Not sure when MY iPod became OUR iPod unless it was when she was enjoying Justin Timberlakes Summer Love song for the 40th time ( no kidding theres a feature on my iPod that shows the number of times a song is played!)

Good thing the Christian Academy has a STRONG music program that starts in KINDERGARTIN! And I think she'll soon give her brother a run for his money on his guitar hero video game! Watchout Matt!

Remodeling progress

Progress is being made..... with Sean off last monday and tuesday he made some significant progress on the shower.

In fall 2004, we added on to our house a two story addition. We got two additonal bedrooms down stairs and extended our master room into a suite with a much larger shower and a two person jaguzzi jet tub.

The master bath took a back seat to Sean'ss job changes and long hours working and of course the family trait of procrastination....

so almost three years later , fall 2007 we might have at least a completed shower.. next the is the tile around the new tub that is buried underneath all that construction 'junk'...

the long two sink vanity was completed in summer 2005 when we had relative visit and we needed the sinks to be installed in our room...

Sean is a perfectionist so every four or five tiles that are laid they are then checked with a level.. so of ocurse as with any project its taking longer than expected.

Back to normal.. as normal can be ....

Sean got done with the jobsite in Yuba City, that north of Sacramento.. its about 2 hours away.

This job site has been going on since the beginning of June. THe company rented a furnished apt for the guys to stay in during the week. Sean would go up Monday am and come back mid week, usually Wednesday night to get his Kailtyn fix and Kailtyn got her Daddy fix. Then he'd come home for the weekend. This was very rough for Kailtyn, she sooo missed her Daddy.

Last thursday was the last day on the job, they got all the piling installed for the huge solar panels that will be placed on top of them.

He has been home the last two days... a little break.. he's taken Kaitlyn to school and picked her up. This afternoon he has his MRI on his back and tonight we have Kailtyns Open House for school. With the two days off Sean has been working on our shower tiles.... Can't wait to use that shower... our bathroom has been in a remodel stage for the last 3 years!!!

On our way back from Slycreek we stopped to see Sean's job site and I took some of these pictures.....

Going going gone....

Its been three weeks and 17 pounds later.......

progress is making the food taste better, not that its THAT bad . I have changed up some flavors of the shakes by adding Cystal Lite and my treat is a diet soda.. choice of the week is rootbeer.

the last 7 pounds in the last two weeks have been harder because of the camping trip. Yes I cheated but with good choices.... a baby belle cheese (one) and a hand full of almonds. I also broke down on stressful days and got a sugarfree vanilla SOY latte. I was happy just to know I didn't gain anything back with those few cheating moments.

My goal is 50 lbs so with vacations behind me I plan on cracking down this week and starting up an excerise program. ...36 to go scale wise... I have lost inches because clothes are much looser

I have been taking a multi viti and my iron supplements and I have SOOOOO much more engery I feel like a new person!

I have learned normal portion sizes and when I shed my remaining 36 lbs I will switch over to weight watchers to maintain. I have used weight watchers in the past but I needed something more ridgid so I'd have some rapid results to keep the motivation going.

And she's off....

Wednesday , 8/1 was Kaitlyn's first day of Kindergarden. She was so excited about going. She loves school , not sure which she likes best the learning or the soical interaction. She is the soical butterfly like her father... I am soooo glad she is not as shy as me....

The house has been SOOOO quiet without her. She's gone from 8-3pm.

Tuesday night is back to school night so Sean and I are excited to see what that entails.

Doesn't she look so cute in her uniform.... I love it, she picks the outfits out .. can't go wrong with Kakaki, navy, red and white huh? Too cute.. just love it!

I also LOVE that she only has 18 kids in her class verse 28-32 in public school here in California!

Our Four Day Camping Adventure

Off to Slycreek again for a four day camping adventure. This time we had 6 adults, 3 teenage boys, 2 dogs and Kailtyn. The newest thing for me this trip was towing a boat. I should have taken a picture but I didn't. I towed it approx 400 miles AND backed it down the LONG boat launch. It was an EXPERIENCE. It boosted my confidence and also gave me COOL MOM status with the boys.

The 3 boys were awesome, again they did most the packing of the camping equipment

They hitched up and washed the boat,packed it and did a great job. Very proud of them.

We got a late start on the road thursday afternoon due to a frantic seach for Kailtyn meow AGAIN.. after an hour we gave up and she was so excited to go camping she settle for one of the many alternative stuffed cats of hers. I was nervous that later in the trip she'd have a meltdown for the orginal. She faird well and only had a minor melt sown the last evening.

The water was awesome, I just love this lake. So natural no house around it and the water is SO clean. In a busy day on the lake you might get 3 othe boats out there.

The boys were busy with wakeboarding, fishing and bike riding. The boys even talked me into trying wake boarding. I tried four times to get up but gaveup because my hands/arms were so tired from holding onto the tube a few hours earlier when Kailtyn went tubing and I was dragged be hind the tube around the lake. I could only hold on by three fingers to leave room for her hands on the tube handle. Make next time, the boys said I walmost had it ;)

Sean was not there on Thursday night, he had to work friday and Monday ( hence the boat towing was left to me ) I also had to setup the tent for Kaitlyn and I thursday night in the dark with the headlites . It was a liberating expereince to realize I could do it all if I had too. I even help the other couple who had never set up a tent se tup their and the boys borrowed a hotel size tent.. but forgot their pool table to move in .. the tent was HUGE. By 1:30am friday we were all setup. There were only three other site occupied in the 23 site. It was a full moon and so pretty under the stars. Next time we have to bring a telescope, it would be awesome to setup off the Dam and view all the stars.

No fish were caught by our boys but some one caught a GOLDEN TROUT? ok.. GARY CUTTER never refered to them as GOLDEN TROUT so is this a California name or something? Brown and rainbow okay but Golden? hmmmm

Anyways were now home safe and sound and exhausted.