An actual update...

It's been over a month since I last posted on here. My goal seems to be shot to hell and back, but hey, its been crazy around here.

We are down to 3 cats. Josh and I talked and we realized that we were being stupid and just couldn't do it anymore. So we have Landon, Liam and Bella. The boys are fixed so we don't have to worry about kittens. We did get another dog, a black lab female named Daisy. She is only 6 months old and is already bigger then George. The vet said the she is going to be huge. Fun fun. Potty training Daisy is easier said then done, but she is a sweetie and is learning fast.

My parents were just here for a couple of days. It was so nice being able to see them and show them around Michigan. We took them to Lake Michigan and showed them the Grand Haven pier and lighthouse. We got awsome pictures which should be uploaded to my Facebook page later today.

While they were here, they surprised us by taking me to Menards and buying us some things to fix up our bathroom. Once I get it done, the bathroom will look so much better. I'm excited to get started. Steve filled the hole under our patio so now the barn cats and opossums can't get into our basement and garage anymore. That will make things so much better.

Before they got here, we steamed cleaned the carpet by the front door and bathroom because it smelled horrible. It smelled better when it was still wet, but then turned a million times worse when it dried, so I decided to just rip the carpet and padding completely out. I am so happy and a little angry at myself for not doing it sooner, because it doesn't smell at all. I got a great surprise when I pulled it out. Under the nasty carpet, was slate tiles. They aren't in the best of shape, but they don't smell, lol. All I have to do now is finish pulling up the carpet tacks and clean it really well. It is such a HUGE improvement.

I guess I better get off of here and get back to pulling up the tack strips.

Blogging

So in my first posting, I said that my goal was to post everyday. Since its been almost a month, I think that I didn't reach my goal. So here is whats new.

We decided to wait on the foster parenting. We talked about it and realized that we need to focus on getting our debt paid off and until we can get the third bedroom remodeled. It honestly won't take long to get the remodeling done, so hopefully by spring we can have that done.

We spent a weekend in Lansing helping Mike build the wheelchair ramp. It looks amazing and should help Jess out alot!

We spend this weekend cleaning and mowing our yard. It looks much much better! We also found out that Josh is no longer allergic to bee stings, as he got stung on the head and neck. The areas were swollen, but I didn't have to take him to the hospital, so thats a plus.

Our cat, Minnie, is getting ready to pop anyday. Of course she got pregnant about 3 days before we were able to get the boys fixed. So if anyone reading this wants a kitten, let me know. LOL.

When we were mowing the yard we found another pear tree and a wild blueberry bush!

I really can't think of much else that has happened, so it's time to go and finish the laundry. The dishes have to wait because I broke the faucet. I didn't do it on purpose either!

Josh's week off!

We decided to go to Michigan Adventure on Monday for Josh's birthday. Both of us had a blast! We spent 8.5 hours there and the majority of them were spent in the water park area. I haven't snorted so much water in my life. LOL. Tons of fun! I can't wait to go again.

I learned that I can't go on the rollercoasters anymore. I went on two when we were there, but they were both way way way to rough on my back and neck for me to ever go on one again. The massive wooden coaster that we went on damn near made me cry because it hurt so bad. The water park side is the best anyways!

Tuesday was mainly spent sleeping. We were both hurting from the rollercoasters the day before so we watched movies and slept the day away. We did go to Family Farm and Home to get some cat litter. :)

Today we tried to take the boat out on Gun Lake. We got it there and launched it, but when we tried to leave the dock area we couldn't get the boat to start. So we got it back to the dock and reloaded it then just brought it back to the house.

When we got back to the house, Josh and his dad switched the mower decks on the two riding lawnmowers and got the one up and running. So now we have a working riding lawnmower! Josh was so excited that he got half of the yard mowed in about 2 hours!

Tomorrow he is going to finish the yard then we are off to Muskegon Beach!

Vacation time!

When Josh gets home tonight our vacation starts!

We really don't have a plan on what we want to do during his week off, but I know that we are going to a gun show on Sunday in Mason. He said that he wants to go golfing at some point, so I'm thinking that Monday would be the best day for that considering it is his birthday. So now I have to find a golf course that he would enjoy. And one that has golf carts for me to drive because I'm sure not going to be golfing! If you know of any good ones, please let me know.

I have a lot of stuff to do today to get ready for our vacation. I want to make sure that the house is clean and kitty proof just in case we decide to go camping our something that will take us out of the house for a couple of days.

Well, I need to gather up all of Josh's socks that the cats have attempted to make off with... wish me luck!

Foster parenting update...

Yesterday was our orientation meeting to become foster parents. It was a small meeting with only one other couple there. We got some very good information and a couple of things that we need to think about and make some decisions on.

We got all of our documentation and legal papers, now we just have to wait for the fingerprint receipt to come in the mail before we can get that done. Once our fingerprinting is done, we start the home study. I already have the application filled out and ready to go minus a couple of things that I have questions on.

Some of the rules that the state has are kind of crazy. For example, if you have a little girl and she wants to cut her hair, you have to have permission from the birth parents or case worker before you can cut it. I understand the reasonings behind it, but that seems kind of crazy to me.

Anyways, our next step is to get our fingerprints done and start the PRIDE classes which start on the 16th.

Wish us luck and a speedy timeframe!

Wide awake in the middle of the night...

I can't get my brain to shut off.

It's almost 1am and I'm still awake. There is so much going on and so much up in the air that my brain is going a million miles an hour, making it difficult to sleep.

When Josh gets home from work tonight (thursday), we have our orientation meeting for foster care. He assures me that he will be home in time and I truely hope that is the case. Hopefully after this meeting we will know much more about what the true process actually is.

Friday is his day off and also payday. Other then paying some bills there isn't anything we have to do, so I am hoping that I can get him to take me to the beach just the two of us. I really want a day in the sun without a phone or any obligations.

Saturday Josh has to work but I don't think there is anything else going on. We might wind up going down to Lansing to spend the night so we can ride to Mason with his parents.

Sunday starts our vacation. It is also the flea market/gun show in Mason. I'm actually really excited for this. It will be something new and different.

I still haven't heard anything from unemployment and it has been over 6 weeks now. I am going to call them in the morning to hopefully get some answers or I might have to get a lawyer. If push comes to shove, after this vacation I will just get a part time job somewhere very close that won't be a huge drama filled pain in the ass.

I am still trying to go to school, that reminds me, I need to go to Michigan Works on Friday. I still need to schedule my GED classes because I didn't have the gas money to make the last one.

See what I mean about so much crap going on? Hopefully writing this will let me sleep.

Fourth of July

We woke up that morning to the sound of the dog (George) barking his fool head off. Josh's parents had shown up. We had gotten home really late from Luther Days and didn't wind up getting to bed until almost 5 in the morning and they showed up at 10.

So we got up and started getting around to go to Muskegon for the fair and fireworks.

We got there around noon and wandered around the fair playing some games and watching the kids on the rides. I got some really good pictures of the water where we were sitting at the fairgrounds. Around 4 we decided to leave and get some real food at Red Robin. When we got done eating we went back to the fairgrounds to get ready for the fireworks.

Once we got set up, Josh and I put two camp chairs in the bed of the truck and watched the fireworks from there.

We got home around 12:30 and poor Josh had to be at work at 6:30 this morning. I on the other hand didn't wake up until 2 pm. :)

Now I just have to upload the video of the fireworks to YouTube and post the link on my Facebook page...

Luther Days 2010

This was the first event where I truely came close to getting into a fight.

I was walking back to the truck with Josh's flashlight and this drunk guy grabbed my arm. I whipped my head around and said, "Who the f*ck are you?" He just kept tugging on me and saying "come here." So I took Josh's flashlight and put it up to the guy's face and turned it on. :) When I did that he dropped my arm and started rubbing his eyes, so I just turned around and kept walking. And let me tell you that this flashlight is BRIGHT. It is the one that he got from the department and they tell you to be careful with it because it can temporarily blind someone.

There had been a fight where some guy had lit some fireworks and threw them at another guy's feet. The guy got pissed and walked over and punched the guy in the face breaking some of his teeth and slicing his own hand open. One of the deputy's took the guy with the bloody hand and started cleaning him up. I happened to be standing near the mule which had the first aid kit in it so I helped him.

Cleaning that guy up is the reason why I had to walk back to the truck in the first place. The deputy wound up getting blood on his shoes because the guy kept waving his bloody hand around. I had wet wipes in the truck so I went to go and get them while the deputy took care of the guy with the broken teeth. That's when the drunk guy grabbed me.

I'm glad that the flashlight worked in that situation because I would have really hated to get hurt or wind up getting in trouble for attempting to beat the hell out of some drunk guy. So note to self: keep Josh's flashlight on me if I'm by myself at Luther Days.

Kitty tornado

When I was working full time, life was slow and kind of boring. We went to work, came home, slept and went to work again. Now that I don't work and stay at home every day, life is crazy! How does that happen?

Today is going to be a busy day for us, especially me. Josh is at work and as soon as he gets home, he has to change so we can drive to Lake County to work the Luther Day's event. His family is coming to our house tonight to stay the night, so all of us can go to Muskegon on Sunday for the 4th. So that means that I have to have the house clean and ready for another 5-6 people to sleep and eat here, plus I have to have his uniform cleaned and ready for him to change into when he gets home.

That doesn't seem like much, right? Just a load of laundry and a little straightening.... Nope! We had a kitty tornado hit our house in the middle of the night. They got on the kitchen table and scattered bills and paperwork all over the floor. They knocked over the garbage can and spread trash all throughout the house. And to top it all off, they knocked the ashtrays on the floor.

So now my simple load of laundry and a little straightening has turned into a total clean job. That wouldn't be a huge problem, but I have NO motivation to do anything about it. I'm not a dirty person, I don't like seeing the mess and having to walk through it. But on the same hand, they created such a huge mess that just looking at it makes me want to curl up on the bed and cry.

But as I'm typing this I am drinking my Monster Java and smoking a cigarette. I just got done talking to the hubby who told me that everything will be okay and that the house really isn't as bad as I think it is. So now that I have a little motivation and some reassurance that I can handle my kitty tornado.

I'm off to clean the destruction!

Flea Roast 2010

Wow, what a weekend!

I got up with Josh at 6:30 Saturday morning to help get him ready for work and to make sure that I had everything ready to go up north that night. He should have been home around 4pm, instead he got home at about 5:30 because his truck broke down in Muskegon. So he had to sit there for almost an hour and a half with no air and then ride back on Gordy's lap in the tow truck. Once he got back home, he changed and we got on the road.

When we got to the Flea Roast he checked in and got stationed at the beer tent. Shortly after we got to the tent, a father lost his 9 year old daughter. Come to find out, she was nearby, but the reason that he lost her is due to the many beers he had. He wasn't watching her and she wandered off. One of the event staff had found her and was sitting behind the tent at a picnic table. The Sheriff wanted to press charges against the father for child endangerment/neglect. Due to that someone had to sit with the little girl until her mom could show up. Josh and I volunteered to watch her. We sat with her from 11:30-2:00am. The mother was in Gaylord, which is a long long drive to Irons. When her mother showed up, the event was pretty much over and cleaned up.

So then we headed back to the Command Tent where Josh and Scott actually started their overnight shift. I went with them a couple of times on the golf carts checking the gates. After a while I was getting tired so they took me back to the truck to sleep. I quickly passed out and they took off again. I woke up to 2 men arguing loudly beside our truck. Come to find out, it was actually Josh yelling at the man that he had just scuffled with. From what I understand, Josh and Scott stopped them to ask about something and they took off running. When they caught the guys, one of them tried to swing at Josh and Josh took him out.

So what I was hearing when I woke up was Josh lecturing the guy that he had handcuffed. Of course hearing all that and being torn between amusement and concern, I didn't sleep much during that.

Once eveything calmed back down I was able to catch another hour of sleep. Then Josh attempted to wake me up to drive back home. That didn't happen. He had to drive about 45 minutes before I was able to open my eyes. So we switched at the gas station and I drove the rest of the way home, while he snored in the passenger seat. When we got home around 9:30 we went right back to sleep. At 2:30 we rolled out of bed and started our day...

What a weekend!

2 days gone...

Well 2 days have gone by since I last posted... my goal is shot to hell at this point.

I'm actually looking forward to this weekend. As you know, Josh is a reserve deputy sheriff in Lake County. This weekend he has an event (Flea Roast) in Irons. I went to this one last year and enjoyed it.

I am looking forward to it this year for different reasons.

One of the girls that I worked with is most likely going to be there because her husband is in the band that is playing. I can't stand this girl. She is a 50 something year old child. She was one of the reasons that I was so happy to get out of that job. She was one of those people that was your best friend to your face and the first one to run her mouth about you when you weren't there. I truly felt like I was in high school when I had to work with her. After the fact, I found out what she said and did my last day and how she had a part in it.

I know that when/if she sees me tonight that she will run up and say hi and act like we're best friends. I also know that when that happens, I will put her in her place.

I know that reading this, I sound like I'm petty, childish, and immature. Maybe I am. Maybe I'm just vindictive... either way I plan on having a good night. :) At least if it hits the fan, I have an "in" with the Sheriff's Department.

Leftovers, earthquakes, mudpuddles and thunderstorms

Today was a bland day.

Josh had to be at work really early so I wound up taking a 4 hour long nap. Of course during this timeframe, some people in the Grand Rapids area felt the aftershocks of the earthquake that happened in Canada. I highly doubt that had I been awake I would have felt anything to begin with but now I'll never know. That doesn't bother me as it would have just scared me to begin with.

Dinner was quick and easy. Leftovers! Take the lid off and throw it in the microwave. We live such an exciting life. :)

The mudpuddles in my yard are due to the continuous thunderstorms that are harassing my area. Our yard already looks like a jungle due to the lack of a working riding lawnmower, and the constant rain wouldn't let us mow it even if it was dry.

Tomorrow I hope will be a better day. Josh and I have a date. With the spare bedrooms. We have lived in this house almost a year and we still haven't unpacked those rooms. Plus, I have been wanting to have a yard sale and the majority of the stuff is in those rooms.

More to come tomorrow...

Foster parenting

For those of you that don't already know, Josh and I are going through the motions to become foster parents. It is a long and fairly complicated process, but well worth it in the end.

Josh's sister (Mel) has a friend that lives in Arkansas and she called Mel to ask her if she would be willing to watch 2 of her children while she took care of a couple of things while visiting. Mel said yes and the friend dropped the 2 kids off. She wasn't heard from for almost a week. No phone calls, no visits, nothing. Mel called DHS and told them of the situation after spending time in the emergency room due to the ticks that were on the 3 year old girl's head. DHS gave Mel temporary custody of the kids until this could be worked out. Josh and I went over to Mel's house and met these 2 kids. The 3 year old ran to Josh and asked him if he was going to be her new mom and dad. She is the sweetest little girl. When I came in, she ran to me and I picked her up. She poked my nose and said, "I love you, can I live with you?"

This little girl needs love and attention more then anything else. Josh and I want to give that to her. The 10 month old boy just sits and watches everything. It's really sad. So we are going through the motions to become licensed so we can hopefully give them the love and attention that they so desperately need.

Wish us luck!

Father's Day

Of course 3 days after I make the pledge to post every day, I miss one. In my defense the day that I missed was Father's Day. It was a good day. Josh's parents (Mike and Jessica) and grandfather came up to our house to celebrate.

The menu was exactly what Mike wanted, hot dogs, saurkraut, baked beans and strawberry shortcake. I did the strawberry shortcake differently this year, I added fresh blueberries to the mix. It tasted really good.

It was a little hot to be outside, so we stayed in and watched the movies that the guys love and I hate, lol. Borat was first, then the first and second Back to the Future movies. Grandpa was caught taking a quick nap with a couple of our cats sprawled on his lap. He is an animal lover and had no problem with our little monsters sprawled all over him. :)

Zucchini Bread...

Today is the second day with no caffiene. Talk about some massive headaches. Everyone, including my doctor, is telling me that I drink too much coffee, pop, and energy drinks, so I am attempting to not drink any at all.

To take my mind off of my headaches, I am baking. Zucchini bread to be specific. It smells awsome! I know that I will be crying later because I have burned my mouth trying to eat it before it cools. LOL. But who can honestly resist the smell of fresh baked bread? Not me thats for sure!

Time to check my bread and clean my mess...

Bad weather

Well tonight was interesting, we had some major storms roll in around 7:00 PM. We didn't have any damage, thankfully, just a ton of rain, wind and lightening. Josh suggested that it might be in our best interest to put the patio chair cushions in the garage, so we wouldn't have to go and chase them in the morning. The last time we forgot the cushions, we had to go and get them out of the corn field next door.

It was cute watching the barn cats scatter into the barns as soon as the heavy rain started. You would think that they would be use to the rain, but Turtle (Momma) is still afraid of thunder. So of course, where she goes the babies are sure to follow.

A new start

I decided that today is the day for a new start. I have decided to start blogging. There it is... the first step. Diaries, I feel, are going by the way of the dinosaurs. However, with the use of modern technology, they are coming back in the form of blogs. My purpose for this blog is to get my feelings, ideas, and concerns all down on record. My goal is to post at least once a day. I know, I know such high goals for someone who doesn't normally have alot to say. I promise that I will try no matter what! I'm so proud of myself, lol.