Remember When?

To borrow from one of my favorite songs (one of the few country songs I really love)...

Remember when thirty seemed so old

Now lookin' back, its just a steppin' stone

To where we are

Where we've been

Said we do it all again

Remember when

So thirty-five (YES 35!) is coming fast. It's a very hard number to swallow. I remember my mom being 35, I remember "middle aged" women being 35. I don't feel like I am "middle aged", but am starting to see it in the mirror. On the inside I'm still singing and dancing youthfully with Britney Spears... I guess it's a good thing I am relating to "Remember When" and not "Womanizer!" That would be a whole new blog entry entirely!

Since my last post, I have a ton of "stepping stones" to report. I feel like I need a trumpet to announce this but.... Abby is completely potty-trained. I didn't want her to know I was worried. I was in the process of accepting that my child would be going to kindergarden or junior high wearing a pull-up. Every six months I would see if she wanted to give the panties a shot. She did, but promptly peed in them. To simplify the story, about a month ago, I had a talk with her and let her know that I was okay if she just wanted diapers, I would be supportive. I guess Abby didn't like my talk, she went upstairs and put some panties on and well, it is now history! She hasn't had one accident at all!

Mike has survived another lay-off with his work. His work has cut a third of their employees. It has been very worry-some, Mike now thinks that the amount of employees vs. work available has stablized again and we are through the worst of it. Our prayers for it to be true will not stop, though!

We had a HVAC guy come out to "green sticker" our furnace and give it a tune up. The technician took a look at it, he immediately turned it off and explained that it had cracks in the pipes and was also leaking gas. My first thought was, "Exellent that's all we need!" Through research and multiple bids we found a fantastic HVAC company. In two days we had a new furnace running in the house and it didn't break the bank. I can't believe the difference it has made. Our house is more evenly heated, our usage is down, and we are not breathing fumes! Mike and I knew our furnace was ancient, but thought if something were wrong with it, it would just stop working, not poison us slowly!

Two weeks ago, we bought Abby's new hearing aids, it has been an interesting journey. I thought she would be excited about the new ones being pink, but she didn't want to switch. She started crying when I explained that she would be getting a different pair. I also thought her responding would be much like a light going on. In fact it was just the opposite; because of the new "top of the line" technology being so different from her ancient ones, she has had to adjust the way she hears. For two days we had absolutely nothing. I was very worried we had made a mistake that cost as much as a compact car! The third day she began to respond again. I am now thrilled to report that her speech has begun to clear up noticeably, her teacher think she turns a smidge quicker, and she LOVES them being pink! The world is right again. :)

Abby is in a very fun stage. Some days I wonder who the parent is. When she accompanies me in the restroom, she ALWAYS monitors my paper usage. Sunday I had both my purse and my scriptures in a different bag. Abby put her hands on her hips and said very demandingly, "Which one?" "You get one to go! Which one?" I guess she knows the rule is only one accessory or toy when leaving the house. Mike looked very "cute" carrying my purse to the car. Abby is definitely still my shadow. She has been my biggest challenge and also my greatest pride.

As far as learning sign langauge, every Thursday we have a deaf mentor who comes and teaches us. His name is Brandon. Brandon is in his early twenties, from the Boise area, and with his wife is a foster parent to three darling kids. He has taught us quite a bit in a short amount of time. Thursday has been a day we look forward to in our house. We have several close friends come over to attend. They have also made it a priority. We learn, laugh, and PRACTICE with each other. The night usually ends with us either grabbing dinner together or a quick treat. It has helped us form a close bond with these friends and now they are family.

My dad had emergency surgery last week. His stomach had assimilated his Lapband. His Lapband was put in 1 1/2 years ago, and had lost about 100 lbs. Thursday, they went in and cut his stomach away from the Lapband to remove it. He was in ICU for several days, but yesterday he was discharged. He is needing to stay in the Seattle area for 10 days to make sure he is okay and to continue antibiotic and nutritional IVs. It was very scary for a few days, but as of now, he is doing well and is sounding more like himself every day.

I am still, yes still, working both my jobs. I think I work about 45+ hours a week between the two jobs. I decided to hang on to the store until after the new school term starts in the fall. I definitely couldn't keep my schedule if I didn't have Mike to help and support me. Between helping me, working and doing school work I'm not sure how he does all he does and is still an excellent dad and husband. Sunday, we took separate cars. Abby wanted to go home with him, so I drove behind them. I could tell Mike was smiling, even from behind. Abby makes him radiate with happiness. I could tell they were having a fun conversation. Probably with Abby showing off her bean planted in a dixie cup.

Remember when we said when we turn gray

When the children grow up and move away'

We won't be sad, we'll be glad

For all the life we've had

And we'll remember when

Life right now is very good.