Taking on Disney World

We owe our fabulous Disney vacation to our wonderful niece Lindsay! She is the Disney employee who made it all possible. Meeting us every morning with roommates and getting us into the parks . . . for the best bargain any of you will ever find.

And it had to be a bargain or I don't think I could've done it. Paying several hundred dollars a day to torture myself in the hot sun standing in long lines? We probably picked the worst time of year to go.

Lindsay said the heat didn't bother her. But us Buffalonians were blown away by the record high temps we encountered all week. I am not used to all that sweat.

She also taught us how to get free ice water and we really owe her for that one too. 

We had already asked the kids schools for permission to leave early because our house was closing. Then it didn't close. .  so we left anyway a couple weeks early. As usual it was last minute. Planned Wednesday -executed Saturday. Almost canceled on Thursday when Caroline came home with the solo for her kindergarten graduation. I hated to miss hearing her sweet, "My country 'tis of thee, Sweet land of LiVerty". But Disney Magic was calling our name.

Marcus was the one I was worried most about and kept trying to figure out a way to leave him back home. Turns out he was the best kid of all. He loved everything and sat contentedly in his stroller all day dripping with sweat.
We made it to all the parks and would have a hard time telling you our favorite. They all had their highlights. And the very same drawbacks- 2 much sweat & 2 much people. 

We arrived in the south already suffering. Our Van's AC sprung a leak last summer.  Brent filled it up and JB welded the night before we left. It all went well till we stopped for the night. The next morning we had nothing left and we drove for a miserable 4 hours stretch that morning trying to convince ourselves that it wasn't that bad. At least we couldn't hear the kids hollering in the back seat with all the windows down. But the farther south we went the more irritable we all became and Brent eventually pulled over and fixed  it again in the Wall mart parking lot. It worked the rest of the day. .  . only because we never shut it off again, even to pump gas.

On the third day at Disney Camille and Caroline made the first and only purchase from this family inside the park. Their older sisters followed them up to buy it telling them what a waste of their money this was.  Therefore, Camille and Caroline nursed that Sprite for hours afterwards trying to make their precious $3 pay for itself in the amount of hours it was enjoyed.   We ate a big meal every morning and late every evening in the condo. But the rest of the day we all survived on whatever I packed on my back (granola bars and mushed up PB and J)  and all the free ice waters we we could get a hold of.

. 

It was hard to find time for the pool during our busy schedule. Right below this pool is the lake where Marcus was nearly EATEN BY A CROCODILE.  We had just pulled in the first night and were all unpacking suitcases when I noticed Marcus was missing. Brent was unconcerned and said he had seen him just 2 minutes ago run in between the condos toward the back. Having no idea what was "in the back" I raced back  and found him at the bottom of a big hill scooting on his bottom to the edge of the bank. I couldn't believe it. After rescuing my two year old, I went back and gave everyone a lecture about how we needed to be more careful because "Marcus ALMOST DROWNED. . . There was a BIG LAKE DOWN THERE!"

The following evening down at the pool I was approached by a family who pointed to Marcus, and said, "Is that the kid who ran down to the lake last night by himself?"

I said something like, "Yeah, you see all these kids I got. Once in awhile I lose track of one of them." (It's especially easy because I get so used to one of older girls watching him and so I don't think of him every second like I should.)

Well, apparently they were all on their back deck the previous evening watching two 6 foot alligators at the edge of the lake when they see a toddler goes racing down the hill. They were about to rescue him when I ran down. And according to them,  right after I scooped him up, the two alligators swam right down to the same exact spot.

Brent and I could barely sleep that night thinking about the horror of our son meeting up with alligators only 2 minutes after we arrived at our vacation. Apparently other vacationers in our condo had been warned not to go anywhere near the Lake of Alligators at check in. But no one said a thing to us. I can't believe there are just lakes of alligators everywhere in Florida without fences to keep them in.

 With all the sweating, walking, starving, and stressing about alligators you would've thought we would've lost a few pounds on this vacation but. . . . Naaahh.  Speaking of sweating. . . . here's Caroline and I glowing at 9 a.m. in the morning.  Our 6 year olds legs didn't function as well in the heat and she often begged to be carried and pushed like Marcus.

 We had the ugliest but most well utilized double stroller in all of Disney World.

Thanks Lindsay for the Great Vacation!
Here are some highlights:

Kashann being hit with 50 tons of water as a star stuntman during a Hollywood Studio show

Kashann winning the Velcro Relay at Epcot

Camille being the only one to get lost. . . over and over and over. Always in her own little world.

Savannah trying to talk us out of wasting our time each time we stood in a line for a show instead of a ride.

Savannah starving every day because she hates sandwiches & granola bars

 The Amazing Epcot Aquarium

Kennon's fear of 3 - D shows

Magic Kingdom's Safari- I could of swore we were in Africa. It was amazing.

 Kennon using up  most our  memory space on pictures of the condo. . . every nook and cranny. .  before we even made it into Disney
Pouring rain at Epcot not slowing us down. 

Caroline making it through her First Ever roller coaster ride without screaming, "Stop the Ride!"

Marcus singing "It's a small world over and over and over the whole way home"

The Georgia Peach fight. 7 people and 2 peaches.
Brent pulling his traditional stunt of refusing to stop on the way home because he is sick of vacationing. He drove the 19 hour drive in 23 hours with no more than 1.5 hours of help from me. 

Once again. . .

Too much time on our hands.

If you couldn't reach us last week. . . 
This is why. 
Details of our 6 day, less than a $1000 vacation to the Sunshine state coming up next. 

Wow, this dentist has way too much time on his hands.

So back to this practice purchase. This is going to be my last Searching for a Practice post.  Just one last one so I can remember how it all went down in the end.

Who would've thought that it would take us until June 4th to make the decision? It was seriously getting embarrassing to have to keep telling everyone that we have no idea where we are headed. Brent told me last winter that February was our deadline. Then the months just kept going by, and nothing ever felt good enough to actually say, "Yes, We are doing it. This is what we want. I am so excited!" We came pretty close to buying that practice in Pennsylvania. . . but ended up with so many reasons why we shouldn't that I couldn't even remember why we were ever looking there in the first place. I gave Brent one last week to go down and make a decision and was so overjoyed to have him come home deciding that it wasn't the place for us after all. I was just starting to feel trapped there already and the thing is we could still walk away. So we did.

There wasn't much on the horizon anymore. We felt like we had burned up all our old contacts. But Brent made a couple calls and within the week had an interview in NH for an associateship and one in Wisconsin. We decided there was no reason to rush home after his interview in NH. We have been so interested in NH but never found the right opportunity. So after the interview he stuck around. We spent a lot of time talking on Skype, him sitting in McDonald's. One night he called me from Lake Winnipesaukee and we discussed how awesome it would be to sail up there just like Bob. It probably is silly to get obsessed with a place from a movie but we both fell in love with NH when we watched What about Bob starring Bill Murray. Then we found out that they don't have a sales tax, state income tax, or a SEAT BELT LAW and we were sold. Of course we will need to get our hands on another sail boat.

Brent still was entertaining aspirations to buy a practice not work for one, so he stopped by one in a little town that had only been on the market a few weeks. Twenty minutes from the sea, 15 min from Winnipesaukee, 1.5 hour to Boston Temple,  mountains nearby, and 15 minutes to Target. It all sounded good to me. The practice is small, but in a great location on a busy road.  It's needs some TLC. Brent drove by it three times before he could even spot it among the overgrown bushes. From the beginning we were really excited. It seemed like our golden opportunity. A chance to take something and build it up. But the price was too high in our opinion for a practice that needed that kind of work.

He came home and we flew to Wisconsin the next week. The interview there went great. We really got along well with the partners in the practice and it seemed like one of our best options we have had so far. But then it wasn't at all what we were looking for. More like what we were going to settle for because we never found what we are looking for. We would've been buying into a group practice in the middle of nowhere. Albeit a very nice town but seriously . . . talk about living the small town midwest life. Farms and cows all around, tornadoes once a year, no river or lake or Target unless you drive 30 miles away to Iowa.  I just didn't know if I could do it and Brent felt just as uneasy. It was nice. . . but BORING.

By the next morning though, we had a great offer to join the practice and we told them we needed the weekend to mull it over. We would call with our decision by Monday. So we had 5 days to make an offer on the practice in NH and for it to be accepted. It seemed like such a long shot.  We were determined to move to Platteville WI if it came down to that.

The next day we got the call. Dr. _____ was happy to accept our offer for almost half the listed price! So we are ecstatic. Things may finally be coming together. We are not taking the easy road. We are nervous and know that we have some tough times ahead making this work. Taking a job would've been so easy, but who wants to take the easy route and get bored. I am excited that I can help though because we are the owners. I will be the gardener outside. . Kennon and Savannah will be the weekend cleaning ladies. I am going to get my house on a little lake someday soon I am thinking. Probably not Winnipesaukee, but heck there are lakes everywhere up there. I need to get me a canoe right away.

Hopefully all our financing goes through and we can make this work. Also crossing the fingers that our house closes soon.

The practice is located in the Seacoast Region of NH, near Dover, NH.  44 hours from Pasco, Washington. We really are crazy.  Brent needs to start making some money because I plan on flying home to see the folks from now on.

A big makeover for Brent's brother Ben

Some of you have heard of Brent's infamous brother Ben. He is  a real life inventor by trade.  Brent and him once bought a plane together. Brent was 16 at the time. They had a great time piloting it around the area until one afternoon Ben decided to try landing it on the highway near the farm. He almost made it, even under the electric wire that hung over the road. But the car with it's hood up on the side of the road was too big of a surprise. He smashed right into it and wrecked the plane for good.

Brent and him are great buds because in many ways they are a lot alike. But, I like to think I got the better catch of course. As far as looks- they have twin bald heads . . but where Brent takes a small  amount of pride in his personal grooming and appearance. . . Ben couldn't care less. 

His 18 year old son has had it, and is getting him back for years of embarrassment by entering him in a web Father's Day contest to win a makeover. 


The contest ends Sunday night (Sorry, I have been all wrapped up in our own little world since BRENT BOUGHT A PRACTICE IN BARRINGTON, NH YESTERDAY! LIVE FREE OR DIE BABY!) . . . But BEN is still in need of a few more votes to seal this up.  Believe me. . .  he needs this way more than the rest of the contestants. Pop on over, take a look at this awesome blog, Make You Over and Definitely vote for the guy in his Grandpa's overalls, BEN (no matter how tempted you might be to vote for the gorgeous Benny). You will know him when you see him. Just look for a hilarious version of my husband.

Go Vote Now!


Here's the link:  http://makeyouover.blogspot.com/2010/06/top-5-fathers-day-finalists.html


And don't forget to add this blog to your reading list. 

http://makeyouover.blogspot.com/

Marcus's big catch

Brent is back home for a few days and life is pretty good. We're doing some fishing. . . .

     Marcus caught his first fish yesterday on the Niagara. It was hardly bigger than the worm used for bait but he was mighty proud.

Swimming in the back yard

                 In a boring old kiddie pool. (The usual trash can was being utilized) 

Going to school concerts and art shows

Savannah (showing off her art) is a proud owner of her first pair of glasses. Kennon also is getting a prescription pair. When Savannah found out that Kennon would be following her she was pretty mad and swears that she has to be faking it.  I also want to know what's up. Brent and I have perfect eyesight and suddenly two of our daughters need glasses? Now, Kennon wishes she wouldn't have spoiled the moment by being seen in her attitude glasses all over town for the last year.

They are all too happy to have the accessories, even though they will be permanent for the rest of their lives.

 And staying very busy even though neither of us has much going on. We can't pack anymore and we are waiting around in between job interviews.  The future appears to be bright though. After 3 showings in a week, we have two offers on our house and decided to accept the one from a nursing student. 

I am ecstatic at this turn of events. . . though I know it is way too early to be so. We still have inspections, appraisals, and the bank to deal with but this time our buyer isn't on disability income so that is a very good start. That's what made the first sale fall through.  So imagine our joy when we got our first offer this week and turns out the woman is on disability income also. We told her we wouldn't accept it until we had proof of a permanent disability income. 

Brent was here when the dental student was here to see the house a couple days later and asked her by any chance if she was disabled. She looked at him startled, probably insulted and assured him she was not. He explained that so far the only offers we receive for this home are from the disabled so we were just curious. But now should things continue (fingers double crossed) the tentative closing should be at the end of June. 

Perfect! The kids finish school and Brent finds a job by then, right? 

I hope my early blabbing doesn't jinx the sale.

Here is a view of our river where the big fish swim and the Casper family once sailed. Our house is found right in the center of the picture about 5 houses deep.

An early birthday for Caroline

Caroline didn't want to be six and still have her two front teeth. They had been loose for . . . a whole week! Brent agreed to pull them out late one night. I wasn't happy about it. It was too late for her, and too early for the teeth. He couldn't resist her pleas though. . .and he needed the practice. Dr. Casper didn't have the proper tools but the pliers from the basement seemed to be good enough.

That was fun, Dad! Let's take out the other one now!

Surgery #2 - The hardest part was to get her to stop giggling so he could perform the extractions. 

Two very large holes, but according to Caroline -No Pain! All giggles, No crying. Two in one night! Now she could turn 6. . . in style!

Once the home showing was over Friday we started getting ready for the GREAT BIG HAWAIIAN PARTY she had requested. 10 girls from kindergarten had been invited.  Grandma in Washington is really in tune. Without knowing it, she sent a perfect outfit for the theme and it arrived a couple days before the big event. We had a very small support group of friends it turns out. One other kindergartner showed up! She was too shy to get dropped off, so her mother stayed for the FAMILY party. It was an odd mix but we made do. I don't think any of the other mothers had cars. We decorated the backyard about an hour before the party. Once the decorating was done, it started to rain. So the party went indoors.  Kennon won the hula hoop contest.

And the limbo showdown.

Momma planned and baked the cake. Then Dad and Savannah decorated it to surprise her when she woke up the next morning.  Caroline took one look at the cake the next morning and started hollering that we had ruined her birthday.  It was "Her Cake!" We let her stick in the umbrella and candles and promised to not surprise her next year.

Caroline also learned how to ride a bike without training wheels later that day. Unfortunately, the only picture I got was her Dad riding it.

A showing at 11 a.m?

"I am sorry, but I have somewhat dreary news"

I am borrowing this exact quote from my Realtor last Thursday. And to think I was actually 2 seconds before overjoyed when her name popped up on Caller ID. We have been waiting and waiting. . .probably 3 weeks now for the house to close. That is how long it has been sitting at the bank with everything done. The magic date of May 25 was quickly approaching and so I was AT LEAST 1/2 way packed and ready to go. So of course I figured this was the big moment we had all been waiting for.  

Instead, we were told that our buyer wasn't able to secure the loan and the house was now back on the market. . . and Oh, Would we be ready for a showing the next morning at 11 a.m?

No! My house is full of boxes. I removed all pictures from the wall, spackled and painted over them, and had made very minimal effort to keep the appearance up in quite awhile. Cleaning isn't top priority when you are moving. 

Well, we aren't. Not anytime soon now. I bawled like a baby all afternoon. Brent on the other hand was totally cool. He did mention that he had told me several times that a house isn't sold till you have the money in the bank. He let me cry it out while he just kept right on doing what he was doing the moment the call came in. (Taking the Wii apart after Marcus stuck a penny in it) We worked our guts out from the time we heard to 11 a.m. on the dot. All the boxes were hauled to the basement, and organized as best we could so you could at least pick your way to the washer and dryer, should you want to. Then I went back through the boxes again trying to find my pictures, vases, etc and little touches that I realized after cleaning were essential. . .the place looked totally bare and boring. And, since my house sold in March I didn't bother with curb appeal this spring.  So at 10:30 we were out frantically planting flowers and spreading fresh bark literally finishing seconds before seeing the buyer coming up the walk.
Once all the work was done I was surprisingly all better- no more tears.  Yeah, we are now months behind schedule. Closing a house in New York takes forever, and we have to do it all again.  But it just was impossible to not be happy now I was living in a clean organized house with fresh flower beds. 

And really doesn't it solve another really big problem? I guess we won't be camping now.  

That has to be why Brent is taking it so well. Pressure is off. It's all back on me to sell the house- cleaning, cleaning, cleaning. But it's going to be way harder now. The $8,000 tax credit for first time home buyers is over and done with. But as they say here in NY -What are you gonna do?

Speaking of what are we gonna do, we really don't know. You know how I told you all that we were -Going to Pennsylvania. Well, now we have to say. . . we might probably not move to Pennsylvania. Last week we were able to finally see the info we have been requesting for weeks and turns out it doesn't look as good as we hoped and now we are just too nervous to proceed, plunk down the money and make the commitment. So the job search continues on. Brent has an interview later this afternoon. I think I will just leave the Where? out of the post.  When he has been extended and accepted an offer I will let you all know. I hate to keep jerking you all around. 

It's been a little hard on Brent now that we are down to what (his wife thinks) is crunch time and his dream of purchasing a practice right out of dental school may not happen. It takes so long to investigate and at this point it may be time  to go to work for someone else as he gets started . . .so he can get started. 

Caroline is 6 today. We partied yesterday so Dad could leave us today. Her Big Birthday Party post is coming up next.

Aladdin, Jr.

After 3 months of way too many trips to the middle school to pick up Kennon we finally got to see what she had been working on.

Kennon was a singing narrator along with four other girls. Back in February she tried to quit when she found out she wouldn't be playing Jasmine but she was coerced by the director to come back. Narrating gave her plenty of stage time and we of course like her best of all.

Jasmine had a great voice and was definitely beautiful,  but someone needed to teach her how to walk and stand like a princess. She was a more like the gangster princess.  Aladdin was a likeable guy --though he definitely didn't seem like the princess's type and he drove me crazy up on stage because the guy was always tugging on his pants.  It was like some nervous habit he had of constantly hiking them up and then just holding on to the top of them. They were kinda big and sloppy because he needed to do a quick costume change into Prince Ali, so he had that costume stuffed underneath the street rat one. I told Kennon after the 2nd show that someone needed to tell him to stop messing with his pants, it was driving me crazy. At the final show I found out it wasn't a nervous habit after all, but he clearly had reason to hold on to his pants. Right after meeting the princess, I noticed that the hold on his pants had become constant and now he was frantically tucking. He appeared to be experiencing a costume malfunction.  Part of his prince costume was showing out the top and now I spied a big rip down the side of his leg. Just then he was seized by the guards, and held with his hands behind his back. With no free hand to hold on, down went the pants and there was Prince Ali for all to to see. . . about 3 acts ahead of schedule. Brent and I were on the 2nd row, just busting up at him trying to hang on for dear life. Hopefully his parents weren't sitting behind us and didn't think it was funny. 

 Kennon's lovely beehive leader, Camille came to watch. Kennon was super glad to see her in the audience.


I love watching my children on stage, though I do have to admit that this years production had a hard time competing with last spring's production of Seussical with the cutest little elephant bird you have ever seen.

Nothing new here

I am backpedaling a bit on privatizing the blog. I actually began processing it, but with only 1/2 the people invited blogger cut me off and said- No more invites! So we were privatized for about 20 minutes and then that was the end of that. I think I can make this work awhile longer and just see how it goes. It's not like my husband is a practicing  dentist anyway. The only dentistry that is on the horizon FOR SURE is a trip next weekend down to Tennessee for Remote Area Medical. He is taking along his cousin Dale, a dentist in Ohio. One more chance to practice pulling as many teeth as he can before he starts charging.


We are still debating the Pennsylvania opportunity. If you ask us we will tell you - "It's an 85-90% possibility." No reason to be hasty 100%'ers this early in the game. When I announced our intentions to pursue a practice purchase there- it meant just that. . . Pursue it. I am finding out this process is extremely lengthy and much of the time you are waiting and wondering. Too early to find a house, register kids in school, look up health insurance, etc. . until you get to a firm 100% so really I haven't done anything to get ready for the move except pack rubbermaids.  


Selling a house in NY is equally lengthy. The bank is still sitting on the loan and we are awaiting news of a final closing date. Once we have the closing date, then we can ask to extend, not before apparently since every time I mention it I am told by my realtor,  "Sure, sure that should be fine, but we'll talk about that when we have a closing date" For now we just sit here and wonder if we really won't be in our house 2 weeks from today. 


The kids have refused to go to school in June. They already announced an early move to their teachers and friends and apparently if they show up at school June 1st, they will be known "liars". I guess kids make up stories about moving all the time.


Brent spent the day at the potential dental practice yesterday and is now hanging out having breakfast among the locals at McDonald's. He just skyped me and we had a little chat while he drank his orange juice. We discussed his plans for the day and I made sure that under no circumstances did he have the green light to Buy A House. I've learned from experience that you have to spell that clearly with Brent. And I would rather camp for a few weeks then secure a permanent residence in a town we later decide we have no reason to move to, except for that steal of a deal he got on the house.


Packing so far has been no big deal. I kind of like the power I have over the mess nowadays. No games, toys, books, stuffed animals, or movies kicking around under my feet. I boxed them all up. Hee, hee, hee. Of course my kids are bored out of their minds. Especially with all the cold weather we have lately keeping them indoors and with nothing left to do but fight for computer time.


I have been thinking a lot lately about getting out of the city and giving my kids the kind of life Brent and I both had growing up. Plenty of work, and plenty of acres for exploration. I feel bad that because we live in the city,  I am forced to be right on top of them when they are just riding bikes or playing with their friends.  I couldn't imagine Mom going everywhere with us. When we were young we spent a lot of time doing chores and then after that we would walk for miles in all directions. Mom wouldn't know where we were for hours and I don't think she worried at all because seriously- nothing was going to happen to us out there. Dad had a 2000 acre farm and it was pretty much on the edge of civilization. We had a mega sand dune about a mile and half away. That was our favorite place to wander off to. Along the way we usually found plenty of deep puddles in the dirt roads created by the end gun of the irrigation circles not shutting off and flooding the road. Those were the farm kids swimming pools. They really were that deep. I don't remember swimming in them ever myself. I would ride my bike through. But I remember my little sisters stripped to their panties in them every chance they got.


Kennon's school musical performs three times this weekend  and it's also Stake Conference so that should keep us all busy for the next three days.

I don't know what is happening to my son lately. He is becoming. . .destructive! This is how I have always been told that boys act, but it reminds me more of being high on something than just being male. He's still sweet as can be, but every time I turn my back for one minute he picks something up and either smashes it, unrolls it, tears it in two, dumps it down the stairs,  jumps on it, throws it across the room, or spits on it. Maybe I need to go play some ball with him a 1/2 hour a day and he will take it easier on my house. 

He is completely and awesomely potty trained. Even during the night time he either stays dry or wakes me up with a, "I gotta go Pee, Pee!"  

We are all amazed and so grateful he wasn't anything like potty training Caroline. For those that saw him being led last Sunday into the chapel by Kennon with no pants on, that was no wetting accident. Kennon was helping him go and his pants fell in the toilet. She thought she would announce the fact by leading his bare bum in while the choir rehearsed.  

I hate the fact that I have to strip him down every time he goes. He is a sitter not a stander and it just doesn't work for boys to sit and go unless the pants are off. He needs spreading room. Each time I have been lazy and let him leave them on they get completely sprayed. Also we have to remember to tuck his shirt under his chin or it will also need to be changed. The other day he was wearing a t-shirt Savannah had decorated for him with his nickname. Right after taking him to go and then hurriedly dressing him again, and heading to the basement, he started yelling down the stairs, "Mom, I peed on Marco!" 

I kept hollering back, "What? We just went. What do you mean you peed on Marco?" I finally went upstairs to find him holding out a wet end of the front of his shirt. The shirt that is painted with a big blue M A R C O.

One afternoon last week I sent Brent off to pick up Kennon from play practice. Kennon came through the door first about 20 minutes later calling out, "Mom, Dad brought you home a Mother's Day Present". Then here came Brent carrying in. . . a large part of the side of my van. 

My mother's day present is still sitting down in the basement. Brent buffed it, then spray painted it trying to hide the damage the post office guard rail inflicted on it.  Now he just has to figure out how to stick it back on my van.

Until then, we don't have anything decent to pick Kennon up from school in. The other day we picked her up in the Buick. I was on the way home from rescuing Brent who called with a flat tire on his bike. When he opened the trunk to put his bike in, he found it full of moving boxes and his golf clubs. The front seats were full of children. Somehow we fit in everything in either the trunk or around us up front. He tied the trunk half closed with the only thing he could find - an old greasy towel ( he always seems to need one of those on board). Then it was off to pick up Kennon with the clubs and bike hanging out the back. When Kennon came out the school door she found Caroline hanging out the window hollering at Kennon's friends. Kennon took one look at the packed car, bursting at the seams and said, "Is this for real, Or did you guys do this on purpose?" Then she jumped in quickly and demanded we get out of there quick, and "Caroline, stop yelling out the window's at everyone!"

I actually sympathized,  though it was hard to tell through my laughter, and decided that in similar situations in the future I will remember to park around the corner and walk up to get her. But we are moving anyway, so it didn't hurt her life too much in the grand scheme of things, Right?

Brent just saw me posting this and went down to apply another coat on his mother's day present. Maybe I will be able to post some after pictures later today.

Speaking of our van, Marcus got locked in yesterday for a 1/2 hour after we arrived home from church. We were all busy hauling stuff in and Marcus is usually the first thing that all of us want to haul but somehow this time he was FORGOTTEN. I came in, changed my clothes, and was instructed to stay upstairs and read the paper. Brent was fixing lunch with the kids this Sunday.

I got nervous after hearing him try to solicit some help down below and decided it would be more fun to join him. After starting in, I finally took a second to take stock of where my children were. All the girls were there, but no one seemed to have a clue where Marcus was. Brent figured I had put him down for a nap. That's when we realized that no one had seen him since we arrived home. So out we rushed to the car, and there he was. Cheeks totally stained with tears, and all buckled up. He wasn't going anywhere. Luckily this happened on a freezing cold Mother's Day (we even had a few snowflakes) and the only thing injured was his faith in his mother. He kept telling me, "I was screaming for you Mom." I hugged him for a long time after that and decided for now on he will be the first thing that comes in.

Commencement

Now it's official

These good times are gone

 I got myself a Doctor!

At the senior banquet we met another young dentist who was visiting his fiance also graduating.  When we mentioned our pursuit of a practice in Altoona he told us his parents are living there.   I immediately starting pumping him for opinions. He struggled with an endorsement that would please us, finally coming up with " It's . . . Quaint."

Obviously way too quaint for 20 something single men such as himself. 

I told him I like quaint. He said we will fit in just great there then. 

So according to popular opinion obtained from recent surveys we are really going out on a limb with this Pennsylvania obsession. But the opinions of the Dr. and I are the only ones that count, right? We are the ones that have to, make that,  Get to live there. 

It's still to early to figure out WHERE exactly we are going to live there. Even to say totally for sure that we ARE going to live there. We keep having moments of doubt, usually after conversations such as this one above. So we review what we know and what we like and once again determine that. . different strokes for different folks.  

For the record I am super stoked about the "quaint part." 

We are both in pursuit of the simple life. Church, School, Office all within biking distance, if "it looks like a good day for a bike ride". A place just out of town with some land, but not having to be more than 10 minutes away from everything. We are hoping to be far away from the rat race. Thinking that in a place such as this it will be easier to not have desires to keep up with the Jones's.

I loved the whole graduation and was so happy to be there to support Brent after how hard he has worked the last 6 years (which is really when the mid life crisis began and we started this pursuit).  It was just so amazing to sit there and think, "Wow, we really did this thing that once seemed crazy and near impossible to do. And it was really fun and has changed our lives forever."  That's how I feel about this next step in our lives. We are jumping into something maybe a little naive and just maybe . . we don't know what the heck we are doing. But we made the decision together.  And somehow that is all that matters -being together. 

Mother's Day Makeover

               I got an early mother's day present from Brent. He insisted on this before picture. I was told "no makeup, no smiling."

                                            And here I am a couple of hours later after his foil highlights and a trim. They are pretty subtle highlights. I didn't want to be a blond. He is a very multi-faceted dentist.

Meet Dr. Casper

This qualified professional is just hanging around my house this week with nowhere to go. A widow woman in the ward must have caught wind of this fact. She has hired him (free of charge of course) to direct the painting of her 2 story house this week.  So Brent has officially declared it an elder's quorum project and would love all his fellow grads with time on their hands to join him. Knowing Sister Carrero she will be out there on the porch with her walker yelling at them to get this spot and don't miss that one.

I am glad she gave him some direction and purpose. I was afraid he might go crazy with nothing to do but hang around here and help me pack.

We are just waiting on more info from Altoona. We really can't move forward for at least two weeks. I was starting to go crazy because I want definite plans with the moving date quickly approaching. I've been urging him to stay on the job hunt in the meantime, in case it doesn't work out. Brent told me to relax. We are on vacation.

Clover Lane

For those that are interested, here is the link to a blog (Clover Lane) where I found a tutorial to  Increase your picture size  on your blog.  Kennon will provide back up support if you should need it.

She's a Catholic Mother of 5 who regularly blogs about the joy of motherhood and her thoughts on living a good Christ centered life. At least that's my take on her. I like her.