Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes!

And here I thought it had been OVER a year since I posted! (For those keeping count, just UNDER a year.) Anywho.....

Some things have changed since I was last here. Others are exactly as we left them. I am still managing the apartment complex. I don't LOVE it and I can't say that I ever will. However, it keeps a roof over my head, lets me have a fairly flexible schedule to do things that I enjoy and could be just the job I didn't know I was looking for.

I also picked up a second complex that I manage on the other side of the Willamette. It's a smaller complex and the property owner doesn't want to pay for on site management. So they pay me to run over twice a week and check the grounds for garbage and handle submitting maintenance requests as they arise. Oh, and to deal with the NEEDIEST tenants in the world.

Mrs. McNeederson and her daughter live in adjacent apartments. They got permission from the owner to add a door to their shared wall, and now live together in a 4 bedroom/4 bath/2 kitchen apartment with a really bad floor plan. The daughter has a couple of minor physical limitations (which is part of why she lives with her mother at 39.) and both of them have significant social limitations (most of which they are unware of). These limitations include, but are not limited to: "Chicken Little-itis" (The sky is falling, the sky is falling!!!); "I Swear It's a Wolf Syndrome" (WOLF, WOLF, Ohmygoshlookoutit'saWOLF!!! Oh, my bad. Just a puppy.); and "Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better Complex" (But that's not the way I would do it. I want you to do it this way. Because I said so.). And in spite of all of their crazy making, they are starting to grow on me. Especially after they hand wrote a letter to my boss, his boss and the president of the company detailing how FANTASTIC I am and how they never want another manager out there again, and then made me a Valentine card and gave me chocolates. They are still nuts, still needy and still trying much of my patience. But they mean well. I think.

And in other news...

• I have my quarterly MS appointment on Wednesday. I'll post then and let you know what the latest and greatest is on that front.
• I am still working at Aflac, but on a very limited basis. Except for the months of February/March, when I am going to jump back in with both feet for 6 weeks. More on that decision and the Everest Project tomorrow.
• I am getting ready to officially sign in on The Compact. I've been mulling it over since last November, and I am finally ready to commit to it. While I think that we humans (the American version in particular) create far too much waste, my reasons for joining are not primarily environmental. For me that is a great side effect, but my primary reason for joining The Compact is financial. I am sick of being in debt and I want to get out of this hole I find myself in.
• And on that financial note, next up on my reading list is my frugal friend, Dave Ramsey. I really want to attend Financial Peace University (my brother & SIL are doing it right now) but it will have to wait until the Everest Project is finished before more can go on my plate.
• I am going to start paying attention to what I eat and when I move. Let's face it. Winter has turned me into a giant slug. Not that I wasn't pretty sluggy before. But really? This is ridiculous. I don't even want to know what the scale is going to say at the doctors office on Wednesday. Based on the snugness of the jeans I am wearing today and the profile shot I saw at my Grandma's over the weekend; it ain't gonna be pretty. I'll share my game plan for that project on Friday.

Finally, on the list of things that have changed, my last name is back to it's original starting position. After 7+ years of marriage (2 of which have been spent living apart) we finally agreed to file for divorce and once the paperwork was submitted, it was over very quickly. While this was never the outcome that I desired, after months of counseling (for me) and careful prayer and consideration, this was the only outcome available. I am relieved to have it come to a close so I can move forward.

So for the few of you who still follow this, stay tuned! There is much to come in the next few weeks. You might even want to try a few of my ideas on for yourself. Or at the least, watch in quiet bemusement as I try them on myself!

Comments that made the wild weekend so very worth it

I did not spend yesterday upstairs with the adults for Easter service. I was downstairs in our newly painted and cleaned space (Can I just say THANK YOU again to all the hands that made that happen in time for Easter Services!!!!) with the kiddos.

We had three babies and 4 preschoolers with us yesterday. The babies did a great job being cute. I wish I would have brought my camera with me. Our church is pretty casual and jeans & tees are the normal attire. Easter Sunday seems to compel everyone to dress up though, and the kids were no exception. All of them were too stinkin CUTE! And how do you not just love a baby in a tie and a HAT! (Amos, you and your brothers were to die for!)

The preschoolers were wearing their Easter best as well, but the comments that came out of their mouths yesterday had me rolling on the floor.

For example-
Emily B.: Come'er please!
Me: Okay. What's up, buttercup?
Emily B.: (In all seriousness and hands on hips) Buttercup is not my name. I am Emily. I am 3. You are not 3. You are........ (cocking her head to the side) A LOT more than 3!
(True that, girlfriend!)

Luke E.- (And really, with the tie AND a suit vest!!! Could you be ANY cuter?) who insisted on singing Jingle Bells regardless of what song we were singing. Even when I asked you what song you wanted to sing and you suggested Jesus Loves Me, Jingle Bells was all that would come out of your mouth when we started singing. And it cracked you up! That was the even funnier part. You would launch into Jingle Bells and then double over laughing at the hilarity. Added bonus: You "playing" air guitar using a toy boat while singing Jingle Bells.


Mateo Z. - Your love of Cars the movie and cars in general never ceases to amaze me. I loved your retelling of the the Easter story with cars. And of course, Lightning McQueen played Jesus. "Lightning is Jesus cuz he is the bestest one. Like Jesus!"

Chaim P.- Buddy, your fear of the unknown is so sweet it sometimes breaks my heart a little. I can't wait for you to come down and stay a whole service with us again. I am so glad you came down and tried it out for a few minutes. And you made me laugh when I asked if you were scared because you were crying when mom left for a minute and your response was: "I not scare a you. I scare a duh room." At least you aren't scared of me anymore. That only took about 9 months!

Sweet, sweet kids. You guys made my Easter Sunday so very special.

It's best to only light one end of the candle at a time

It has been a wild couple of weeks around here.

I have been feeling really good lately. About the best I have felt in 2-3 years. Very little neuro pain, no balance issues, no headaches, no fine motor skills issues. I still have the never ending fatigue, but the drugs seem to keep me functioning at a tolerable level.

Apparently when I work like a crazy person and burn the candle at both ends, I can get the symptoms to come back.

I have been working at one of our properties in Woodburn for the past 3 weeks. I have picked up an additional 10 hours a week down there + drive time and am working 6 days a week between my place in Portland and the extra hours in Woodburn.

In addition, this last week our church moved into our 4th (maybe 5th?) location in the last 2 years. This new spot required A LOT of clean up and preparation before the space was usable for Easter Sunday. Mostly clean up in the kids area. Guess who is in charge of the kids program? Yeah. That would be me. During the last week I made 1 trip to IKEA, 3 trips to Ross/Marshalls/HomeGoods & 2 trips to Goodwill to pick up needed supplies. Plus on Saturday I spent 8+ hours painting, cleaning, & prepping the childrens area. (And to all of you who helped with that major project THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH!!!! We couldn't have done it without you!)

Needless to say, I am EXHAUSTED! I really thought I could keep up with all of the running, but I am finding this morning that I am in a sorry state of preparation for the week. I can't find stuff that I need for work (paperwork & my flash drive); my entire body aches and a lot of the old neuro pain is flaring up, and I am SO TIRED I could cry. So far the drugs aren't helping one bit.

I am disappointed that I can't keep up like I used to. In the past I would have been able to knock out a week like that and added one more right behind it. It is frustrating to know that my limitations are, well, limiting! But at the same time, it is good to know that I have (up until now) found a good balance where I was still able to do a lot of things that are important to me, help out at church, hold down a job and still enjoy my life. I just need to be better about setting limits and not trying to do everything.

Hopefully with a few days of "normal" activity, I will be feeling more like I have the past few months and not like I am getting run over by a train!

Photos by Kiddos

On Monday nights I watch two of my favorite kiddos in exchange for laundry. (Their parents think I am getting the short end of the stick, but I beg to differ!) Hanging with Miss B and Mr. S is the highlight of my week and they always keep me entertained. This week I let them play with my camera and these are some of the shots they came up with.

Mom & Dads Closet

Dads shoes

The TV

The Sink

The Shower

Ductwork

The TV (again) with Prince Caspian (again)

Fresh Pedi

Monkey Tattoo

Angel Tattoo

Mr. S in my Glasses

Miss B in my Glasses

Mr. S crawling under the chair

Mr. S & his Belly

"This is my CRAZY face!"

Mr. S goes upsidedown

"Look at my Tounge!"

In short, I always have a wonderful time with them and look forward to it every single week. Two of my favorite little guys in the world!

Fall Photo Walk

These were taken back in late October, maybe the weekend before Halloween.

Something besides my brain

As proof that my life isn't all doctors appointments, prescriptions, procedures and other general torture; I bring you some pictures I have taken out on walks through the neighborhood. These were from today.

Normal. Average. Nothing Special.

Those are the best things I could ever hear about my kidneys.

I just got a call from my doctors office. I knew it had to be good news because the nurse called and not the doctor. (Only the doctor delivers really bad news!) My kidneys are normal in every way. Not misshapen. No growths. No abnormalities. Just lovely, normal sized, appropriately located kidneys.

I am going to celebrate now!