Have you ever had one of those moments when you go WHOA, the last X amount of years just flew! I just had one of those. I'm looking a Taylor, with his newly washed hair, and wondering when he went so BLONDE! "He" used my shampoo today instead of his usual, and I think it took off an extra layer of dirt and grime and it's pretty light. I also am looking at him realizing next month he will be 4. FOUR! How can my baby be four? It was just last year we were having Katrina's 4th Birthday Party at the park in Sahuarita! I was PREGNANT with Taylor when we moved to Saint David, and it was 4 years ago on April 1st I had my first accident with the van. Yea. I have NO clue what happened to the last four years. I don't recall sometimes, so I'm going to write a time line.
THIS IS MORE FOR ME THAN ANYTHING, BUT FEEL FREE TO READ!
Jan 5- 2005 Purchase Fixer-Upper Home in Saint David
Jan 10- Mark falls down stairs and we break handrail, realize those dangerous steps are going to kill us all, so we tear them out and rebuild them.
Jan 25- Mark cuts through tendon in thumb, needs surgery.
Feb 15- Mark gets surgery, starts physical therapy.
March 31- Caroline breaks arm
April 1 - I'm in an accident with the van with the girls (taking Caroline back to the hospital to put her cast back on after she takes it off). The first of 6 weeks of preterm labor start.
April-May False labor runs, Doctors discover the "Amazing Cervix" that transforms from a 6 to completely closed. Yea, I'm famous, the doctor stopped me the other day and reminded me of it.
May 15th - Taylor BORN and flown to the nICU in Tucson, we spend 15 days in the nICU and finally come home with him on oxygen.
June 1-July 31 Multiple doctors appointments for oxygen/home bound baby and mom.
Aug 15 First day of 1st grade for Katrina, preschool for Caroline. Mason completely bored with boring baby brother and without Caroline to keep him company.
Aug 29-Hurricane Katrina hits, my little girl gets a bit of a complex from the news keeping saying Katrina causes so much damage.
September 2005-We put in application for a home remodel loan since it is obvious we have a lot of work to put into the home.
November 30- Close on Loan, Get first draw.
December 15- Set forms to pour concrete for our front room addition. It doesn't look big enough, so I have them go out two more feet. I didn't realize we already set it out two more feet, so we changed from 12x20 to 16x30 Yea It was the first of many mistakes.
January 2006 We go to get lumber, it is SKY high because of construction boom and investors who bought futures knowing everyone was going to have to "rebuild" after Hurricane Katrina. Our budget for lumber was 7,000, the lumber cost 17,000. The second of many mistakes.
March 2006- We find out the original structure of the house isn't going to support the the addition, we have to expand the top story to be supported by new foundation. Master Bedroom now 20x25 instead of 15x15. I now also have a Loft and Laundry Room upstairs because I can't use them in the master bedroom.
May-Aug 2006 Over budget, and short on time constraints, can't find any contractors, we get flooded with monsoon season. Waterfall in the den was a pretty sight though.
Aug. 2006- Feb. 2007 We work slowly and steady fixing the monstrous mess. I learn how to hang sheet rock and tape and texture, Mark learns about plumbing, electrical, flooring and everything else that we should use contractors for but can't afford.
November 2006 - I start taking Real Estate Classes.
January 2007- I become a Realtor® and start my business up. I change companies twice and end up with RealEstate.com Realtors. I get my first contracts, and the market is heading south. Home prices start dropping, and bank regulations start changing for loans. 5 contracts, only 1 goes through. It's a bad year to start real estate, but I love helping people.
Aug 2007- Caroline starts Kindergarten, she has a wonderful teacher who points out that she is inattentive type AD/HD even though quiet. Katrina still struggles with hyperactive/inattention in class. We talk about diagnosing Katrina and Caroline with AD/HD, but stop because we feel they are too young to have the "label" and we are against medication.
September 2007- I start work with Foxy Findings a Gemstone bead Ebay store. It's an incredibly boring job, but pays a few bills. They hand out free beads all the time, and I take them, not knowing what I'll do with them.
October 2007 - We head to California for Baby Bekah's blessing. It's our first family vacation in 3-5 years, we have a blast.
October 2007 - A week after being back to work, I am fired from Foxy Findings. I am thankful that my ad/hd and inability to pay attention saved me from this very boring job.
November 2007-Mark is told to Volunteer or be forced to go to Artesia, NM to be an instructor in Driving. We realize God knows everyone has a limit and knew we reached ours! We were so happy to get out of here for a while.
December 2007-We head to Roswell, NM and meet a great ward and lots of new people.
January 2008 - My VT companion is an artist, draws pencil sketches and makes jewelry for fun. Teaches me wire wrapping and stringing. Finally all the beads I was given from Foxy Findings can be used!
February 2008 - I find out Brooke White makes the Top 24 on American Idol and I become "slightly" obsessed with the season and become an even bigger fan of Brooke than I was before she was on American Idol.
March 2008 - I find out about the Songwriters competition and actually sit down and write out lyrics to a song. I create a melody and Voila...I'm a "songwriter"
March-May 2008 I find out how much I miss music in my life and write 3 or 4 more songs.
June 2008 Realize how hard it will ever be to get a song publish and keep the songs for my own entertainment, but don't seriously use my time on writing music. We will see if I come back to this later.
July 2008 - I'm introduced to Mary Kay Makeup and I really love the stuff. I become a consultant basically to get a discount on my own makeup, and realize I like being a consultant and it feels the void left when I had to leave real estate in Arizona.
August 2008 - Mason heads to kindergarten. We finally decide its ok to diagnose him with AD/HD after he runs under the buses and is uncontrollable at school and we get him the help he needs. We start getting the girls diagnosed also after we see 180 degree turnaround with Mason.
Halloween 2008 - The fun is up, it's back to Saint David. I realize how much I miss our little farm and our fixer upper house and come back happy and refreshed, ready to take on the house again.
November 15 - Our neighbors that rented our trailer abandon everything, chickens included. We save the poor malnourished things and start living the farm life again.
Thanksgiving 2008 - We attend the Tucson Poultry and Pigeon Show and come home with new stock. We figured since we're feeding 7 chickens we might as well feed 20.
January 2009 - We attend the Gila Valley Poultry Show, come home with a bunch of first place ribbons, and some new silkies :)
January 31 - I take continuing Ed classes for Real Estate, my license is up to date but inactive until I decide the market and I will get along.
March 1st- Purchased an incubator, hatching out babies left and right, got some egg layers at the feed store and some ducks, and 48 eggs from John Mosley to raise Buff Orpingtons and Silver Laced Wyandottes. I will have almost 100 chickens and 10 ducks when these all hatch out.
March 26 - Attended Career Conference with Mary Kay where the goal was set for 100 facials in the next 90 days. Please, anyone? Let me do a facial on you? I need to reach their goal to get the pretty ribbon :)
April - Heading to Roswell to pick up some Sebastopol Geese, Making pens, cleaning up the renter's abandoned property, and getting the house back under control!
Ok, so maybe I remember the major details, but it still feels like its only been a couple of months. I guess only 48 months :) At least I didn't bore you all with the Dr. appointments, sick kids, IEP meetings, etc. that filled in all the other minutes and hours of the days.
Coming Soon: Pictures of Opening Ceremonies for Little League Season and Katrina's first game tomorrow!
