D.O.N.E!

Disclaimer: I wrote this on January 23.... I totally spaced it and thought it was done and scheduled to post, and I straight up forgot that I had to fix the photos first. Whoops! You know you are a bad blogger when you type in your blog address and your browser doesn't automatically pull it up for you as a option, you have to type out the whole address.

So I know I have some serious catching up to do, and it will get done. Promise. Because my friends starting Friday we are on 82 days of "vacation"!!!! {errr... January 25th...}

Donavon flew out to Fort Carson again today to finish up his out processing. Uhm yeah, we are done! Stick a fork in us! Today was his last day in the office and he wasn't even there long because the Station Commander told him to leave, and we took him to the airport.

Let me tell you, saying goodbye to the worlds most annoying cell phone wasn't hard. That sucker rings all times of the day. It was super loud and obnoxious! 4am? Sure! Lets call that recruiter and see what he thinks about me joining the Army?! 11:45pm? It's not like my recruiter sleeps, I bet he's out cruising for ladies like me!

 {cleaned out his desk!}

If you are lost in the sauce refer to this post The Decision. The time has come my friends.

So what next?! Vacation! Literally! We are headed to Seattle for a trip, it's been 16 months since I have been home. After that its survival mode and we'll try our hardest to not kill each other. Donavon struggles being home for just a long weekend, he gets bored. It's not field trips out and grand adventures every day in mommy land! He's hoping to get a temp job for some extra money and to just get him out of the house, we'll see.

I on the other hand have plans. Big plans. First up is a kitchen "remodel". I've never liked my cabinets so I'm refinishing them. Ya I know, house isn't even 3 years old. We have dark cabinets and I've always wanted whites ones, but it wasn't a builder choice unless you spent a ton of money, if I remember right $7k. On top of that we're putting in under cabinet lights, pendant lights and some sort of back splash. I have faith in my talents, as does Donavon. Remember this baby? Extreme DIY?  And what better time to do it than when I've got a built in permanent babysitter?

Although my plans are conditional.... To someone getting a new job. Minor detail eh?

He's applied for 2 jobs with the Utah National Guard for a Recruiter, which is an active job, meaning not just 1 weekend a month, it's full time, he's 'activated'. So same pay, same benefits, same housing etc, as we currently have. Both jobs he was told he was top choice but since he can't start until mid April they had to pick someone else. Bummer. He can't start working for them until his Army contract is up, hence the 82 days of vacation he has to use. He will get one, I know he will. They told him to not stop applying for them because they want him, the timing just has to be perfect. Hopefully sooner than later!!!

Especially since we saved all that vacation time thinking we could cash it out, then Uncle Sam went and changed the rules on us. He can't transfer it over either. So it would be nice to take a vacation or two when he's off, and at least one before Katie turns 2 in March!!! On the idea list is San Diego and/or Appomattox, Va to see our friend/ "Dad" as Donavon calls him. It would be awesome to do both!

So when he gets back he'll be signed up for the National Guard, they'll just do a direct transfer over.  (Only as a weekend warrior though, in his MOS as a combat medic). Hence the whole applying for jobs.In the mean time I have 2 kids who need to get in bed, so stay tuned for many future posts! You can expect posts on Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Grandpa's wedding and our new Grandma, and new Aunts, Uncles & cousins too! Then of course just other stuff we've kept you in the dark about! Excited? What's a post without pictures right? Snooze fest.

{Katie finally at 23 months fits into her 12 month old jeans!}

{Latest development.... she went from extreme hate to love for this beast}

{"Little old lady Katie" as Daddy calls her after her baths. She thinks its so funny!}

{Issac hates his picture taken, this was a rare occasion of 'take a picture of me mom!'}

{Kicking off vacation.... oh boy....}

Stay tuned for more! I just put Christmas pictures on the computer to edit!

More sad news

I really should be preparing for everything going on this week but I think its more important that I stop and share something with all of you.

Tragedy has struck again. If you watch the news at all you should have heard about a terrible accident involving a parade float and a train in Midland, Texas last week. It has been all over National News.

It was Thursday night, I was hurrying to finish up a few things on the computer. I checked Facebook one last time before logging off. There is was. A post from a friend that I caught myself rereading a couple times. I had to make sure I was reading it right.

I ran across the house and flipped on the lights in our bedroom waking up Donavon. "Daylyn just posted on Facebook that Josh is gone, he died!" He immediately sat up and said "but I was just on Facebook I didn't see anything".

I went back to the computer looking for answers. How? When? I went to his Facebook page and someone had posted a link. I had been so busy that day that I hadn't stopped and read the news at all, something I do regularly. I read the article as Donavon stood behind me. It was unreal, horrifyingly unreal.

My heart aches for Daylyn and their kids Ryan and Maci. I wish there was something I could do to ease their pain. I cant even imagine what they are going through, not to mention how sudden and tragic this accident was.

So please, this week as you are probably thinking of things you are grateful for, think of them, and pray for them. Try not to take things for granted, because you don't know when your time is up, nor your loved ones. Your life can literally change in the blink of an eye and your world comes crashing down on you.

Although I only got to meet them once I am grateful for them in many ways. They took Donavon in as a single soldier while he was at Ft. Campbell and have given him many great memories, and probably eased the pain of not having his own family close by; and although I didn't know them too well, they were great examples to me via Facebook of a perfect husband and wife.

You can read a bio of that he recently wrote of himself - I am assuming for the event that he was en route to and the reason he was on the float in the first place. Sgt. Joshua Michael Bio

Amarillo Veteran Dies Midland Train Crash

 

Wounded Vet Dies Saving Wife On Parade Float In Texas Train Accident

If you would like to donate or learn more about him go here http://www.sgtjoshuamichael.com/

Those arent Christmas bells

Those aren't Christmas bells you are hearing! They are WEDDING bells!

Holy smokes!

 

Hold onto your shorts for this announcement! Donavon's Dad is getting MARRIED.... TODAY!!

 

... and yes.. Yes she did just die. July 23rd to be exact.

 

So I get a lot of questions about this - well as many as you can get in 2 weeks time. Yup 2 weeks. They got engaged 2 weeks ago!

 

So here we go. We all knew that he had a strong desire to date after Brenda passed. We knew this before she passed actually. He's pretty young in the whole scheme of things. No one wanted him to be alone forever. He's in his early 60's. I wont date him too precisely. We all knew sooner or later it would happen, and we just went along with it when he started dating shortly after. If you had seen how sad and lonely and just down right depressed he was you would have welcomed it too. He needed to get out, meet some friends, have fun. Get his mind off things. I think he went on one or two "dates" and they were total flops. Then he met her and they've been together ever since. We met her 2 months after Brenda passed. I personally immediately felt she was the one, I held that back for awhile though. Even just browsing his online profile and looking at the faces of these ladies he was chatting with, I could tell immediately, nope they aren't the one. Is that weird?

 

I knew that it was inevitable, and I just prayed like no other that he'd find a woman who could accept us all, as crazy and dysfunctional as we were and that she would be a fabulous Grandmother and love his grand babies as her very own. Call me crazy but that first time we met her she did just that, and she even changed Katie's poopy butt! Hello bonus points!

 

She's warm and caring, very out going and lots of fun! She gets two thumbs up from me.

 

Last Sunday we got to meet 2 of her 6 kids. They came over to Donavon's Dad's for dinner. I will not lie I had that same nasty queasy gut feeling as we pulled into the neighborhood as I did a little over 6 years ago when Donavon was taking me to meet his parents. Haha! Flash back!

 

I was so incredibly relieved to meet them and see they were normal. As her daughter Amy said "my kind of normal". Yes! OUR kind of normal!

 

Issac was pretty excited for new cousins, and today while we were shopping he kept going on about new Aunt Amy - and saying how cool he gets 2 new aunts and uncles.... uhhh make that 12 buddy! Not to mention I don't even know how many more cousins! Fun time!!! Especially since Issac has a new cousin Adam who is a few months older than him and Katie has a new cousin Courtney that is exactly 1 week older than her. Those girls were instant besties and had a great time together.

 

So tonight should be fun! I'm staying positive, and people keep asking if its weird. Yeah it is, but you know what, it is what it is and he's happy and I'm happy he found someone who fits us and isn't some psycho your worst nightmare of a step mom or mother inlaw. She'll never replace Brenda, no one is trying to replace her, but shoot, this family still needs a woman to keep that old man in line and a grandma to love on the babies. Us "kids" could probably survive, but we welcome her with open arms and are happy to see what lies ahead for us all!

 

So welcome to the family Ruth! {And her 6 kids and their spouses and all their kids too!} and Congrats to the happy couple!

 

Pictures to come....

New pictures!

We got new family pictures! I am in love with them! Although I always am! One of Donavon's coworkers wife, Mandi has started up a photography business and I had her do them. If you are local, or in the Boise area she's great! Mandi Marshall Photography

{My favorite!}

{She was getting mad, there was a water fountain next to us and kids were playing in it}

{"The look"}

Failed to mention

I cant believe I totally failed to mention what I got for my birthday. I'm so sorry honey! I hope he'll forgive me!

The day before my birthday we bought this...

Every girls dream right? No really. I'm serious. I've always loved big beefy trucks. They are pretty hot. Just call me Paris Hilton "that's hot".  Donavon had been hounding me since we got rid of our F-150 in 2008 right before Issac was born to get another truck. Well last year he took my Escalade hunting. He brought it home with major mountain pin striping down both sides. I told him he had to buff it out and he never did. I had to. Then he found a steel workbench and a vice attached for free. Took my Escalade and insisted he didn't need help unloading it. He didn't... he just took off all the paint on my bumper as he dragged it out.

I'm slightly anal about my cars. I get it from my Dad. He has been notoriously known to wash his vehicles in the rain. Dust them off with a duster. If he found a Dick's french fry you were in big trouble! I remember my Mom telling us "Now be careful don't spill anything! We don't want your Dad to find out!". So yes, I am anal, and unfortunately I've let myself slip with kids and my car is an embarrassment.

Donavon on the other hand.... he trashes his cars. Sometimes I'd open up the Lexus and expect and homeless guy to climb out of the back seat.

So after getting so sick and tired of him trashing my car on hunting trips, and being forced to drive his Lexus while he was hunting I caved. I let him buy a truck. Did I mention that to get a car seat in and out of the back seat of that car you had to tip it sideways and at an angle? I smashed every kids head putting them into it each time, and hurt my back too!

Obviously now with a truck we didn't need the Lexus. Up for sale it went. No bites, and well who is going to see it sitting in the garage? Our nephew who had recently returned from Basic Training was finishing up his senior year of high school, just got a job and his Mom was letting him use the car to get to school and work, and she said she'd just walk home from work every day. We thought hey, we'll let him use the car and drive it around with a for sale sign and help them out a bit.

Then this happened....

We got a voicemail on a Friday night "Hey uhm so I got into a little bit of an accident... the cop said he wants to tow it, I don't know why, I started it and it still runs. I think it'll just need a new headlight... or maybe two"

Come to find out the air bags went off, so ok yeah it has to be towed. We didn't get to go see the car until the next Monday. When we arrived we were laughing pretty hard. We told the tow truck driver what our nephew said and he started laughing. He told us he literally had it parked on top of the boulders at the new Adobe building in Lehi. Then after looking at it he says "actually I think the headlights are about the only thing that doesn't need replaced!"

Oh the poor kid! Luckily no one was hurt, but the car was totaled. But hey, we were trying to sell it anyway. With what the insurance just gave us, and the $500 deductible that we are making him pay we are getting what we would have sold it to a family member for so whatever.

A little more than a headlight or two eh? Its hard to tell from the photos but the tire is really shoved back in there pretty far. Insurance deemed it not only a total loss but unsafe to fix and they'd never insure it again.

So RIP Lexy. We will miss you. We had some pretty great adventures across this country many times with you! We'll never forgot how good you were to us!

The Zoo

Back in September we went to the zoo. We had been wanting to go see the newest North Shores exhibit, but had decided that since Grandma Strain wanted to take the kids for their first time we'd wait until she recovered from her surgery.

Obviously we all know how well that went. So on one Sunday when we didn't have church we had a family day. During September/October we had Stake Conference, Temple Dedication, and General Conference. I swear there was something else because it felt like we had no regular church for a month because of events. So, anywho, since there was no kids allowed at the Temple Dedication and with Donavon's bad back and my tender tailbone we didn't feel like wrestling kids in hard metal chairs. Not to mention we needed family time something fierce. We've been stretched thin and the kids needed a fun day with just Mom & Dad.

Sunday's are fabulous days to do something in Utah I might add. Gasp. Yup, I said it. 90% of the population is at church and things aren't so crowded... like the zoo.

The kids loved the zoo, it had been awhile since we had been. With the new exhibit it didn't seem so lame. Finally they are doing some serious upgrades to Hogle Zoo!

Highlight of the trip, the polar bear! Issac thought it was so cool to watch him swim. That's about all he did too. He would dive from the shore over to the window, pop up and push off the glass back to the shore, then dive back to the window and push off. Over and over and over.

They also had seals and otters, as well as other bears. We also got to see the baby elephant, the baby giraffe came later in the month so we missed it unfortunately. I think my second favorite was the rhino. Those things are huge! Issac's was probably the tigers.

{Waiting on brother to stop throwing a fit over wanting to eat lunch at the over priced, and probably nasty zoo grill}

{She finally stoppped....}

{One tired and very hungry Issac}

After the zoo we took the kids to lunch. Katie was being a total beast in the truck and I was seriously about to leave her on the side of 215. She was throwing the biggest fit, and I kept trying to hand her her bottle, binky, blanket, bear. Nothing. Then I finally took off my seat belt and turned around and handed her the bottle and she shut right up. It was like she was waiting for some special delivery! Then she fell asleep right as we got to The Pie Pizzeria. Yum!

Personally its my favorite pizza, but the kids love the fact that there is a monster water fountain that you can actually get into right outside. As long as the weather is nice and its warm we let them play in it. Even though it was 80 something degrees, that water was freezing! It always is. You'd think it would naturally warm up during the summer. Nope. Never.

{See, I told you he was tired!}

One of our neighbors mentioned that she bought a zoo pass with one of her girlfriends. It had never dawned on me that you could split the cost with a friend. I think technically you are supposed to dwell in the same house but hey, we'll just use the polygamy excuse. Works right? So I talked to two of my other neighbors and we all 3 went in on a zoo pass. So we are good to go whenever we want and take up to 7 kids and 2 guests each time! Par-tay! With it we get free train rides and unlimited carousel rides!