ENGAGED!!!

Just a quick update...Greg proposed! We are planning on getting married in September after we get through the summer rush with both of our jobs. Yes, sadly we plan everything around work! His mom wanted me to have her ring, which is the ring that he proposed with. He is making payments on another ring, which I have no clue as to what it looks like. His mom's ring is yellow gold and is stunning. I am not a big fan of yellow gold, and he knows that. Which is why he is getting another ring. I do plan on wearing his mom's ring on my right hand just because of the thought behind it. The kids are all excited, especially Emily. She is so excited to finally have a dad. She loves Greg to pieces. The other three kids are excited as well and are already planning their roles in the wedding. (I think the girls are the most excited!) Emily refers to Quinn as the "ring boy!" We know we want to do it in the Portland area because the weather is more dependable and I would love nothing more than an outdoor wedding. Plus it is centrally located for all of his family who are coming from Spokane, Seattle and Kentucky! We looked at the Troutdale House yesterday and I fell in love! Now to sit down and budget everything...AAGGHH!! But I am sure it will all come together. Haven't figured out to many details yet...I know my flowers will be a sunflower arrangement, since those are my favorite flowers! And I know my maid of honor will be my best friend Alicia! She has been there for me for so many years...love her to pieces! After everything I have been through the past couple of years, I never thought that I would see this day nor meet a guy like Greg. They say you meet the one when you least expect it...boy isn't that the truth! I love him for all that he does for me, but I am most grateful for being Emily's dad. She loves him so much and can't wait to call him dad. She said she can't call him dad until we are married!! I love the thought process of a 6 year old..well, now 7. As worried as I was with her adapting to not getting all of my attention and having to share the attention with 3 other kids, she has transitioned quite well. She loves having siblings. In other news: we are still trying to get through to the hospital in Portland. Emily had her at home sleep study and it showed her decrease in O2 at night. But, they need to do a sleep study at the hospital in Portland. Why is she having issues and why are we having to go through all of this? Because her tonsils are HUGE and they won't take them out unless there is a health issue. Ummm...HELLO...My child quits breathing at night!! This has been an ongoing battle for months and is growing old. Just take out the dang tonsils already! Emily is excelling in school this year. She has finally picked up on reading and is doing wonderfully in math. The state changed the requirements for schools this year and are on a accelerated learning curriculum. Been a rough start for Emily, but she is catching up. Pictures of random happenings to follow soon...I hope!!

Halloween

Let me tell ya...having 3 children who have never carved pumpkins before all by myself became a "we'll start them, but mommy gets to finish them" project! They were all excited to carve pumpkins, until I took the top off and the realized that they have to clean them out! Good times! Luckily, Halloween I got the night off and was able to go out with the kids. We went to the outlet mall and then the elementary school where they set up a huge thing for the kids. It was so much fun. We also hit up one of the main streets in town and there was a police officer there that pulled over and was handing out glow sticks to all of the kids. It was such a neat idea.

Seattle

We went to this amazing Korean Grill with Greg's brother and sister-in-law. I can't wait to go back. There was so much food and it was a fun dining experience.

Of course we had to go to Pike Street Market and the Space Needle. We even went up top and got to see the fabulous view. Wish we would have went back and night to look at the city at night.

And of course...the game...the whole purpose of going to Seattle! We were in the nose bleed section, but still had a great time at the most controversial game in history!

First Day of 1st Grade!

Ok, ok...I know it's a little late, but hey...it's been slightly busy! Emily is loving 1st grade and her new school. Last year she attended Oceanlake Elementary in Lincoln City. We moved to Neskowin, which is only 10 miles north of Lincoln City, but puts us in a different district. Greg and I decided it was best to just let her finish out the year at Oceanlake before transferring her to the new school with his kids. She was very shy the first couple of weeks, but has since adapted well. Just went to her parent-teacher conference last Thursday and she is learning quickly and doing quite well. Only issue...she talks too much! I wonder where she gets that from?! The only issue as I parent that I am having is that the state has made some changes to education and now have all of the schools on an accelerated learning program. GREAT...if your child is just now starting in kindergarten! However, everyone is S.O.L! Not only are the students having a hard time learning, but the teachers are having a hard time adjusting the curriculum to the students level of understanding so that they can learn. For instance: 1st grade...just grasping the whole reading thing. Putting sounds together to form big words...last weeks C.I.M. assignment for them was to read a 2 page story and then answer multiple questions about the story. HELLO...they are just grasping the idea of sounds to make big words and you want them to read a story and then answer questions like, "how did the mother really feel about the birthday cake?" I am at a loss of words for the whole education system. All in all, I am thrilled with the school and love her teacher. They really are there for the students and not just the paycheck. What more can you ask for?!

Life Lessons

I feel the need to capture this moment, so bare with me: Life has been chaotic to say the very least this year. Between moving into our new home, going from just 2 of us to 6, opening a business, starting a new job, balancing schedules and trying to maintain some sense of normalcy...I feel like life has been wrapped up in work. And as much as I feel as I have lived at all 3 of my jobs this summer and spent very little time at home or with our children, I feel like there is this constant financial strain and we can never get ahead. Something always seems to come up and I feel myself drowning. OK, maybe you feel like I am overreacting, and maybe I am. But as much as we have worked and are still working, I feel as though we should be far more ahead than where we are. As I am venting to a coworker who is sensing my stress, she conveys the same problems she is personally having. We wallow in each others pity for a few moments and we move on. The very next evening as we are at work, and homeless woman walks into the lobby. Mind you, we work a very upscale boutique hotel right on the ocean. As most people would be mortified that this woman is coming into our hotel, my heart just sinks for her. It made me feel about an inch tall. Here is this woman who has no home, no food, no car...etc and I am sitting here frustrated because I can't get ahead with bills. This woman is in our lobby asking to use a phone to call a friend to see if she could come over for her weekly a shower. A shower...not food, not clothes...but a shower. I so desperately wanted to let this woman into one of our rooms and use the shower. She gets in contact with her friend and is denied the use of the shower until the following day. She hands back the phone with a look of disappoint and frustration. She thanks us for being so polite and walks away. It took all I had to hold back tears. This poor woman couldn't even get a simple shower. Here I am wallowing in self pity over stupid things when I should be appreciating what I have. Nope, some months a few bills will be late, but they will be paid. I have an amazing home, heat, water, food, a car and a great family. Some people have nothing. I'm not saying that I won't get upset or stressed out over money, because it is inevitable. But I will take more time to appreciate the simple luxuries that I am blessed to have.

Time...

It's official...we are going to the Seattle vs Green Bay game!! Greg's all time favorite team are the Packers. For Father's Day I got him an Aaron Rogers jersey. And for his birthday, I got him and I tickets to go to the game! It's even a Monday night game!! We are so excited to go!

I feel as if my time with Emily is so very limited with her lately and I am really missing her. It seems like if I am home, I am sleeping. She has been so well behaved for me and just lets me sleep. I couldn't have been blessed with a more well behaved child if I had tried.

My time with Greg has even been very limited. We usually see each other in passing most days. I am getting off of work when he is leaving for work. When he gets home, I am getting ready to go back to work. Luckily, I am officially moved to day shift!! I am working one graveyard a week until they can get someone hired at the other hotel (long story) and then I can have all day shifts. It is going to be 12pm-8pm which works out perfectly with Greg's schedule. He closes the deli at 7pm and is usually done cleaning at 8. We are both very excited for the change.

WOW!!

First of all, I would like to start off with saying that these past couple of months have been full of madness!! Adjusting to a family of 6 and opening up a business has amounted to more than I ever imagined. It has been quite the adjustment, not just for me but for everyone. A lot of changes have transpired this year and I'm not sure where to even begin. At the beginning of May I was demoted to just the front desk/night audit. I was thrilled..not for how it all went down, but that I only had to go to work and when I left, I was done. No more phone calls all night long, no more having to work when someone called off and no one would cover the shift, etc. It was truly a blessing. When I took my 2 weeks PTO, I came back to being fired. Why? My "inability to adjust to management changes." Ok...I am not sure how I wasn't adjusting...I was thrilled with the changes, but ok. Unemployment sounded nice...I needed time to be home with the kids and help out at the deli. Well, that changed the next day! I was working at the deli when I received a phone call. It was the Coho Oceanfront Lodge asking me to come down immediately for an interview. They had heard that I was no longer employed at the Ashley and wanted me to come work with them. This left me a bit confused. I was elated to have time off and collect unemployment (I know, that sounds horrible but I was burnt out!) or do I take this job and think long-term. After much thinking (Greg didn't care what I did, he just wanted me happy) I decided to take the job. Bad thing...it is night audit. Good thing...it is 3 nights, 10 hour shifts getting paid more than normal. As of right now, I am working at three places-the Coho, Gymboree (part time) and the deli any spare moment I can to save labor costs. I am averaging about 60-80 hours a week and I am burnt out. In other news...Emily and I both got our hair cut!! Mind you, I didn't want to cut Emily's hair at all, but she was insistent on short hair...so here are the final products!

It's been a very long time since I have had short hair, but I love it...getting ready is a piece of cake! Things are going great with Greg and I. We've had a few bumps here and there, but what relationship doesn't?! We do have a little bit of stress in our lives! I do enjoy being able to work alongside of him at the deli. Sadly, that is how we get to see each other most of the time. Kids are bonding quite well and adjusting well. I love being a step mom. And as much as I wanted to have another baby one day, I am quite content with the 4 kids we have. Fingers crossed that there may be wedding bells next summer :)