By Request

So, a friend and reader of my blog has requested that I update my blog. I thought that I had updated it since my last post but APPARENTLY I am just dreaming that I had. A lot has happened since my last post.

To begin, I am employed!! That is a HUGE relief for us. I am working for an organization called Partnerships in Community Living. They run group homes for the developmentally disabled. I am also working graveyard which is from 11pm to 8:30am. It is a new experience for me and is taking quite awhile to get used to it. I like it though and the individuals I work for are amazing, wonderful people.

Another thing that happened to us is that in June (I don't really remember when) our car broke down on the side of the road! I was on the way to a Dr.'s appointment and the car started lurching. Ralph was driving so I thought he was playing around. He said he wasn't so I quickly told him to pull over. We had JUST enough time to get off the road before the car died. We were lucky though because we carry roadside assistance so they said they would send a tow truck. We had Addison with us so I had to call my mom to come get her and Ralph while I waited for the tow. It was a HOT day so sitting in a car was no picnic. The tow truck took forever too because the insurance company gave the tow truck completely wrong directions as to where I was. After calling the insurance back and having them try to clarify my location I finally just asked for their number and called the tow truck myself. Luckily it was nice and cool in the truck. I got to sit in it while the tow dude (who was actually clean cut and nice) pulled poor Bertha onto the flatbed truck. Then, we went back to Monmouth and dropped Bertha off at the repair shop. Well, after the mechanic looked at it, it turned out that the car would need a whole NEW ENGINE! I was really upset then because we had only made THREE payments on the car. So, off to POWER Mazda we went to have a lovely discussion with the manager.

First, they tried to screw us over by trying to sell us ANOTHER car and by playing number games. I'm lucky my mom was there to stop me from accepting their offer because I would have ended up buying Bertha AND another car. So, we went on to option 2 which was to fix Bertha. The cost of that option was $1800. That's almost HALF of what we paid for her!! Luckily, POWER Mazda after some pleading, begging, and talking to a guy with a heart, we were able to get POWER Mazda to agree to pay for half of the total repair cost. Bertha is still not fixed but we hope to get her back soon. More to come on this situation later.

Another thing that happened was Addison's 2nd 4th of July! It started with a flag raising ceremony at church. Then, my mom, Addison, and I met up with our favorite family, the McIntosh's, to watch the local parade. Addison really enjoyed seeing the animals like horses, dogs, and goats go by. She really HATED when the fire trucks or big semis would go by with their loud noises. I had fun sitting on the curb and teaching the kids how to get candy from the parade people. After that we got out of the sun for awhile and rested up for the annual BBQ we attend. This year, because of a conflicting BBQ, the even was MUCH smaller than usual. It was nice though because we were able to talk to everyone in attendance. The BBQ ended with some "fireworks" and sparklers. It was really fun and enjoyable. We definitely can't wait until next year!

Also, at the BBQ, our good friend and photographer Celia from Studio C took some pictures of Addison. I LOVE THEM! Here are a couple that she took:





I LOVE THEM! SO CUTE! I can't wait until I get paid so I can purchase some copies. Also, Addison had a photo shoot with my sister. I'll post about that in another post.

I think that pretty much has caught everyone up. We are just preparing for vacation. We will be going to Colorado on Tuesday to visit my dad and stepmom. It will be a fun time I think. Hopefully I will blog about that instead of waiting 10 years to post. Haha. Until next time...