Brewers' visit - Part 1

The Brewers are here for a few days. They arrived on Thursday, minus Mark, who was too sick to travel :-(. Kaitlyn's two friends Shawnee and Dakota came too, so we have a houseful (full of fun, that is ;-)). They arrived late Thursday evening and after socializing a bit, we set up beds everywhere and crashed. Well, except the girls. Jason took them to get some movies and they stayed up and watched a couple. Poor Jenn didn't sleep well that night because she was too cold (gotta love air mattresses. They don't retain body heat well, but a sleeping bag fixed that the next night. Sorry Jenn :(.)

Friday, we all went to Boomers (our version of Bullwinkles) and had a really good time. Here are Jp and Alex on the Bumper Boats. Jp was just tall enough to drive his own and LOVED it! When we went back that evening (we had all day passes), Jp must have shrunk because they wouldn't let him drive anymore, but he got to be a driving "passenger" with Jenn. Funny how different staff members see the height requirements differently, although, to the guy's credit, Jp was standing really straight against the wall in the morning and slouching in the evening.

Like I mentioned, Jenn rode with Jp when we went back in the evening. It was quite a funny site, though. It had cooled down, and in my boring adult opinion was too cold to get wet, but Jenn borrowed my jacket, zipped it up and put on her hood haha. It was sooo funny to see her huddled in the bumper boat where the whole idea is to get wet, trying to stay dry. She did not succeed. Even with the hood, her hair was soaked by the time they were done, but it did seem like a good time was had by all :-).

Gabby had a tougher time with Boomers. She's too short for everything except the kids fun land (McDonalds type play structure, only shorter) and miniture golf. In the picture below, Jason is trying to comfort her. The boys and I went on the Bumper Boats as soon as we got to Boomers and Gabby and Jenn went to the side to watch, with Gabby's full support, we thought. I got out in the middle of the "pond" and Gabby started SCREAMING! Boy, was she mad! From her two year old perspective, this was just not right and I sincerely wished I had known it would upset her that much because I wouldn't have gone out there in front of her like that, but there wasn't much I could do since our round had already started.

The gang just got home. Will post more later.

Becca

A quick story

Pastor David told a story Sunday that I can't get out of my head, so I thought I would share.

An 80 year old woman was caught stealing in a grocery store. She was arrested and taken before a judge. The judge asked her what she stole and she said: "A can of pears." The judge asked her how many pears were in the can and she said there were six. The judge then sentenced her to six days in jail, one for each pear. The woman's husband was in the courtroom. He stood up and said: "Excuse me, your honor. May I say something?" The judge said ok. "Your honor," the man said, "she also stole a can of peas!"

Becca

My future plans

I turned thirty last December and for the first time that I can remember, I finally feel like I know what I want to do with my life, other than being a wife and mother that is. I am planning on getting my Master's of Social Work to eventually work with orphans. I'm not sure yet whether I will work with domestic or international orphans or both. I'm hoping that some of you may have some helpful advice for me as I start my research and determine the where, when and how of all this. My primary focus is my family, and we need for me to bring in a part-time income right now, so I will definitely not be going full-time, at least not for now. I am going to do this without borrowing any money, so if any of you know of any good ways to find scholarships at this stage of life, please let me know. I know that some places will pay for your schooling if you promise to work for them for x number of years, but again, I have no idea how to find places like this. Jason is the type of person who can find info on pretty much anything he wants. I, however, have not been blessed with this gift and even with Google at my fingertips, I have a hard time finding what I'm looking for. If any of you have any idea where I should start, please let me know.

Thanks in advance for your help and your prayers as I embark on this exciting journey.

Becca

A little comedy

Having two children whose vocabulary is increasing leaps and bounds on a daily basis can sometimes be very amusing. As they try out their new words, the result can be quite funny. I just finished putting Gabby to bed. She was exhausted, since she has skipped her nap for who knows how many days now (I've lost count, but not hope :-)). I laid her in her bed and she tried to peel her eyes open. She said: "I'm not tired. I'm not tired. I'm just old and nasty."

Jp was exhausted too but he didn't come up with anything funny, just sobs, poor guy :-(. Negotiating week is hard on everyone. Jason gets up and leaves so early and the kids want to see him, so they get up too, and then he doesn't get home until really late and again, both he and the kids want to see each other, so bedtime routine is pushed back. During these times, I try really hard to remember that negotiations are not the norm because, otherwise ... Thankfully, Jason only has to negotiate three days this week. It's a little harder this time because the kids and I are stranded without a car, since Jason's is in the shop and he needs the van to drive to negotiations. Again, a second car is one of the things we don't realize how lucky we are to have until we go without for awhile. Thankfully, we should have his car back by Thursday.

Well, I finally have some kid-free time after a very long day. I should probably go make good use of it. I miss you all!

Becca

BTW, I changed the security settings on the blog (thanks, Mark, for letting me know you could even do that), so those of you who have tried to comment before, but couldn't, should be able to do so now.

Happy Easter!

Easter Greetings from the Herrings!

Jason made the kids spin around a few times before dashing to get the eggs. It was quite amusing to watch :-).

And here they are with their loot!

Happy Easter, Everyone!

The aftermath of Auntie LIssa's package

Gabby has been thoroughly enjoying Auntie Lissa's gifts. Auntie Lissa sure knows the way to our little diva's heart.

Gabby can now wear her royal bling with pride.

Mommy Gabby has been taking very good care of her new dolly, Ariel. She even remembered to feed her some pork chops last night :-).

And of course, the band aids.

A cute story: Yesterday, on our way to Lowes as a family, we were talking about papa (Wayne Herring). All good things of course :-). Gabby piped up from the back seat: "Can Nana and Auntie Lissa take me to Starbucks and get me a Frappuccino when they come?" How does a two year old even know what a Frappuccino is, you ask. Blame it on Target. While we were waiting in line at Target the other day, a Starbucks employee came around with Green Tea Frappuccino samples. I tasted mine and didn't care for it, so I let Gabby have the rest. She drank it while we went through the line and walked out to the car. When I got her into her car seat, she handed me the cup. "It's all gone." she said. "That was DEEELICIOUS!"

Today, after church, the kids and I were waiting for Jason to be done greeting for third service, so I decided to treat them at the coffee stand the church has. The barista asked the kids if they wanted a hot chocolate and Gabby said: "No. I want coffee." Hehe. I got an iced mocha, split it with her and she loved it. *sigh* I'm glad we're teaching them that they have to earn their own money and buy their own treats because I think Gabby is going to have some pretty extravagant tastes. Between her love of band aids, coffee and shoes, we'd be broke!

Thanks, Auntie Lissa!

Melissa sent the kids Easter packages this week. Jp's arrived on Friday. He and Gabby together worked to open the package and discover the treasures inside.

It's kind of nice because neither one of them is at a selfish stage, so they were willing to share their "treasures" with each other.

As you can see, Jp even let Gabby open one of his cards AND he shared his band aids. What more could you ask for in a brother?

Saturday, Gabby's package arrived and it was teamwork and excitement all over again! Little Mermaid Galore and of course, band aids!

THANKS, AUTIE LISSA!!

Our Trip to the Jelly Belly Factory

 We had a good time at the Jelly Belly Factory on Friday. There were hundreds of people there and Jp kind of retreated into his shell. It didn't help that he was fighting a bad cold and kept complaining that his throat hurt. Gabby got pretty carsick on the way up and it took her awhile to start feeling better, but other than that, we did have a pretty good time. 

 The kids liked watching the robots lift the pallets of candies. (Sorry. No pictures were allowed during the actual tour, so you'll have to use your imaginations for that one.)

Jp LOVED all the little quarter-operated candy machines. I can't believe I didn't get a picture of him with one of those because he was literally obsessed with them.

Jason's secretary Anne and her 19 month old son Logan went with us. It was really nice to have another mom to talk to for a day and Gabby and Logan really hit it off. He's quite a cutie!

My Trip to Yosemite....

So I got to go to Yosemite today...

Here's a great picture of Tunnel View

And Here's a cute shot of the little chapel

I got up at 3am, packed my things in the car, and left for the 90 minute drive to Yosemite Valley.  I was excited and ready to go.  A few miles from home, my seat in the 10 year old car I drive suddenly lurched backwards.  Well, the vertical part did.  The horizontal seat cushion part didn't.  The rest of the seat just reclined.  After stopping, catching my breath, and looking at the seat, I drove home being unable to fix it.  I drove home and went to bed.

This morning when I woke up, I went out and looked at it in daylight.  The seat appeared to have lost the ability to stay upright.  So I took it to the dealership this morning...

btw:  quite an experience driving in a car with a bucket seat without back support.  You have to pull on the steering wheel to stay upright.

The dealership called about 3pm.  Total for a new seat (unrepairable) and the scheduled oil change = $492.

Ouch...

I'm seriously considering a new hobby...

And there goes spending money for awhile....

And I really do want to swing a large hammer at my head....

My Karma ran over my Dogma.....

I don't know... but I know that I don't know... you know?

A quick note

I don't have much time because it's really late, so no pictures tonight :(. I'll try to catch up with those over the weekend.

Tomorrow is Jelly Belly Factory day! I can't wait! One of the craziest things about tomorrow is that Jason's secretary is playing hooky tomorrow to go with us. lol. Jason wasn't too happy about it, but I think he'll live :). We've spent a lot of time waiting and prepping for this day. I just have to say that this better be one very interesting factory, since it's now 11:15pm and I'm waiting for chicken to cook so that I can finish our lunch for tomorrow. We have to be out the door at 8:10 and let me tell you, the thought makes me admire women who work on a daily basis. I suppose I would get into a routine if I had to, but I'm lucky to make story time at 10am most weeks. 8am is pushing it :-). I think I'll manage. I was wondering how I was going to do it when I remembered that I do have an alarm clock. Hmm. I wonder if I still know how to use it. I guess I've been sitting in the lap of luxury, eating my bonbons and watching tv for a little too long!

No update on the job hunt for me. I'm kind of in a holding pattern until after the Brewers visit. The whole family and two of Kaitlyn's friends are coming during Spring break and we can't wait! It should be interesting cramming 11 people in less that 1300 square feet. It will be a wonderful bonding time for all of us, whether we feel like bonding or not :-).

Well, I think the chicken is starting to burn. I'm putting my camera in my purse right now so I won't forget it and hopefully tomorrow night I will have the energy to post all our exciting pictures for you.

Until then, good night!

Becca

Becca

The Joys of Care Packages

Thanks Mom, the aprons were a hit... JP wore his during breakfast (not cooking just eating).  Gabby wore hers all day yesterday!  JP loves his "chirpy" bird and Gabby is already out of band-aids... if you look closely you can see she put one on her nose on the last picture.

The kids love getting care packages in the mail.  The arguments about candy have been going on ever since they opened it!  Just wanted to share a few pictures of it..

Love you all, miss you all...

Jason

Was He Crazy?!?

Church was very sobering today, as it often is this time of year. Our church put on a play entitled "HIStory". Basically, it depicted the life of Christ as told in the book of John. Now, I've heard the story of Jesus' life hundreds of time, growing up in a Christian home and going to a Christian college, but my reaction today actually startled me. The first part of the two hour play was boring to me. I had heard these stories before and I was trying hard not to be ultra-critical of the acting, special effects, etc. The closer they got to the final Passover, the more into the story I got. The flogging scene was sickening and I closed my eyes for some of it because I just couldn't handle it. When I opened my eyes and looked at "Jesus" my immediate thought was: "He was crazy!" and it dawned on me that there was no way Jesus was merely a good teacher. He couldn't be. To endure what He went through, the intense suffering and betrayal, He had to be severely mentally ill or He had to be who He claimed to be. And if He was who He claimed to be, then there is no way that my life is mine to keep. I may not like some of God's rules, some of the ways He tells us to live our lives, but honestly, when it comes down to it and I look right at Jesus and acknowledge what He did for me and for all of you that I love so much, there is nothing that I can do besides bend my knees before Him and pray with all the fervor that I can muster that ALL of you will see what I saw today. Not the play itself, but the Man, the Son of God, subjecting Himself to the worst pain and humiliation imaginable so that you can stand before Him and know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that you are forgiven, that you are pure and that you, too, are a child of God. I have not lived that last several years of my life as a child of God. I have gone to church on a semi-regular basis, and I've prayed at times, but I have not acted like someone who truly knows what God has done for me. No passion. No fervor. He saved my life at great sacrifice to Himself and no matter what may happen from this day forward, He's got mine to keep. And just to warn you all, I'll be praying that He has yours too, so watch out, because He's coming for you! :-).

Humbly His,

Becca

A fun filled day!

What a day we had yesterday! It was so much fun! The kids and I started off the day with story time at the library and Jp made a friend! It was very heartwarming to watch. We got to the library early and while we were waiting for the doors to open, another little boy walked up. Cute as a button. Curly blond hair and FULL of energy. He and Jp hit it off. When the doors finally opened, they grabbed each others hand and walked into the library. They sat together during story time and Jp actually participated :-). He sat all the way in the front with his friend and occasionally throughout story time, one or the other would put his arm around the other one :-). Gabby clung to me for a bit, then she jumped right in too. I LOVE story time. The kids just eat it up. Unfortunately, next week is the last one until May :-(. We might have to drive into Modesto, but it's not the same lady who does it there. I really like our "story lady". She reminds me a lot of Judy. Maybe that's why the kids like her so much :).

After story time, we made our way to the park for an easter egg hunt and potluck with our Moms' Club. It was a lot of fun and I'm so bummed I forgot my camera. Gabby discovered the joy of having to share her bike and I realized that my children need more socialization. She completely fell apart when a little boy got on her bike. Normal kid behavior I guess, but she was REALLY upset. Jp biked around like a pro. He's getting really good on his bike. I think we'll be taking the training wheels off soon :).

Last night, I took my neighbor to a Kings/Blazers game at the Arco Arena. Jenny Fancher had given me the tickets for my birthday (thanks Jenny!) and we had a blast. We did realize, however, that we have turned into those "old ladies". We had a bunch of teens in front of us and they were sooo obnoxious. Several times we almost grabbed their noise makers and told them to knock it off, but we didn't want to be labelled as the crusty old ladies that the swarm of teens would find pleasure in tormenting, so we let it be :-). 

Elizabeth (my neighbor) and I have a lot in common. Eerily so sometimes, down to what we like to eat. If she wasn't several years older and from a different family, we could be twins :-). We didn't realize this at the time, but our husbands even got together while we were gone. Jason and the kids went over to their house (three houses down) and had hot dogs and played. The kids really like having a friend so close and I don't mind it myself ;-).

Well, I should probably go get dressed and officially start this day.

Becca

My, they make me laugh!

There are times when I get frustrated with motherhood. We all wonder sometimes where kids get all their energy. I have a theory that they suck it from their caregivers and store it to use themselves when said caregiver's energy is totally and completely sapped.

I do have to say, though, that despite all the challenges that come with being a parent, these kids sure bring me a lot of joy. I thought I'd share some of their antics with you, if you don't mind.

As you can see above, Jp and Gabby decided last night that they wanted to wash their bikes. I gave them a bucket of soapy water and a couple rags, then went back inside to clean the kitchen. When I went back out, here's what I saw:

Another story.

The kids have been anxiously awaiting the Easter package they know is coming from Nana and Auntie Lissa. Auntie Lissa even told them she is sending them toys and Gabby is anxiously waiting for new band aids. She's been out for about two weeks now and mean old Mommy won't get her some more. For those of you who know my little drama queen, this in and of itself is a tragedy. Every night, before bed, we read a couple stories to the kids, then have prayers and songs. 90% of the time, Gabby's prayer is: "Jesus name amen." This was the case last night as well. After songs together as a family, I took her into her room and was singing her a couple more songs while rocking in the rocking chair when she stopped me. "Wait! Wait! I have something to tell Jesus!" She closes her eyes and whispered: "Jesus, when is Nana's package gonna come? Amen." Then she opens her eyes and says: "I asked Jesus when Nana's package is gonna come and He said "Just a minute"." I was laughing so hard I had a tough time finishing her songs!

The picture below I just added because I like it :-). Gabby has really been into dressing herself and it's just fun to watch. Enjoy!

Daddy, what else is under there?

Jp discovered the sprinkler system...  "it just pops up!" was his comment before he got drenched

sprinkler weather in early March...  you've never seen the kids so happy!

Our Saturday Trip To The Marin Headlands

So Saturday we went to San Fransisco for the day... well actually just north of SF.  The area to the north and west of the Golden Gate bridge is called the Marin Headlands.  It has spectacular views of the Golden Gate, the Golden Gate Bridge, SF Bay, and the Pacific ocean.  

The Marin headlands is now generally a recreational area and an afterthought but from pre-civil war period and forward, it was an important Military and Commercial area.  Set high above the water, Military forts with cannons and then later defense batteries in concrete bunkers (much like Ft. Stevens in Oregon).  However also at the very tip of the Marin Headlands, the southernmost point and lowest point is Pt. Bonita.  And on Pt. Bonita is the Pt. Bonita lighthouse.  But we'll get there in a bit.

So we packed a lunch and had a picnic... the kids were excited.  JP talked 2 hours non stop about getting to see a lighthouse.
So we had lunch.  It was warm but VERY windy...  thus the jackets... still, 65 degrees in March is Warm for San Fransisco....  and yes, JP has developed my love of Pepsi and so of course it was there... nature, nurture... you be the judge....
The picnic area we chose had a great view....

And at last, Pt. Bonita lighthouse.  The first lighthouse was built high on some of the larger hills in the area but when the fog rolled in, the light shone above the fog... oops...  This rocky outcrop is Pt. bonita and is 50 yards above the sea.  The light shines for 18 miles or so out to sea.  It also has a fog horn.  Before the horn they used cannons.  

The bridge to get to it is because the natural land bridge has crumbled between the shore and the rock that the lighthouse sits on.  The bridge was built in the 1950's and is designed to mimic the Golden Gate Bridge.  

The lighthouse was built in the 1850's, torn down and rebuilt here.. the Fresnel lens is the original 1852 Fresnel lens.  The coast guard operates this light.   Jp was upset because he wanted to climb the steps up to the light but we were not allowed to.  Still we got to walk out and see the lighthouse base, the bulbs the coast guard uses to light the station now (better than the whale oil it was originally lit with), and the great view of the Pacific and the Golden Gate.  The kids loved it.

Rebecca and I agree on one thing...  lighthouses are romantic from a distance and functional close up.  But the life of a lighthouse keeper in 1880 was one of solitude... in fact, this particular lighthouse went through 4 keepers in 10 years at one point.

So the rest of our trip we don't have pictures for... we went into San Fransisco and went to China Town, bought a few trinkets for upcoming birthdays and looked at the open air markets... the kids got the experience of crossing both the Bay Bridge and The Golden Gate Bridge twice (about $9 in tolls combined), seeing ducks being prepared, open air chinese markets etc...  we ate dinner in China town then drove home...

we were exhausted and the kids went right to bed but we had a great day....

well, negotiating is over for the week.  I am exhausted... so is Becca... so are the kids...  it will be nice to have a normal routine again for a while....

And tomorrow is Friday!  Yeah!  I just have to get through tomorrow....  Don't get me wrong... my motivation for work comes from having left a 12 year career and sheer determination to make this new one work...  

but I am enjoying the  job... i'm learning everyday and that's what I wasn't doing anymore working on the bus...  you know... the bus.. taxi... ambucab... call it what you will...

The frustrating part is that Yosemite is calling my name... winter, no crowds.. but this weekend I don't dare leave home... after being gone all week Becca would kill me....  It will still be there next weekend....  I can go then....

TGIF... that's all the motivation I need....

Jason

A quiet (boring?) night

It's 9:30pm and everyone, including Jason, is already in bed asleep. Thankfully, Jason figured out a way to do what he thought was going to take him 2 to 3 hrs in 15mns, then he crashed. Poor guy! He's been working REALLY hard this week.

Gabby is, well, Gabby! The true princess that she is. The above picture was taken tonight, after she proceeded to put on nearly all the dress up clothes she owns :-). She's been really tired this week because she has to wake herself up before Daddy leaves for work (her choice). This morning, she thought 5:45 would be an excellent time to get up. GRRR! 

Jp has also inherited his father's ability to wake himself up at any time he pleases and 6am sounds good to him this week because heaven forbid he miss seeing Daddy! I asked him tonight if he could sleep in tomorrow morning, but he informed me that no. It's too important for him to see Daddy before work. Oh, well. One more day of negotiations this week and then we'll all crash :).

Jp has been so grown up lately. He decided that he was going to forgo the diaper tonight and sleep in underwear. He decided this about 6pm and was so excited to be "big". 9:15 rolls around and he was using the potty just before bed and decided that, actually, he'd like a diaper on top of his underwear. I talked him into putting the underwear over the diaper and not vice versa. He climbed into bed and decided that the underwear was "too tickly", so he's back in a regular diaper :-). It's truly a joy to watch him grow up. He is such an imaginative, caring little boy. I mentioned a couple posts back that he doesn't care for story time at the library and today I think I figured  out why. I mentioned to him that tomorrow is story time and he said: "Mommy, can we please not go? It makes me kinda nervous." I asked him why and he said: "Because I don't know all those songs, Mommy. I just know one." It dawned on me that my little introvert doesn't like the spotlight (Gabby eats it up, though ;-) ). We have been sitting in the middle of the circle on the floor with several other kids, but I asked him if he would rather sit on the chairs around the outside of the circle and he said yes. So hopefully tomorrow he will have more fun because he won't feel like all eyes are on him. Isn't it amazing how God can take the same two parents and give them such different children?

Becca

homework...

not much of an update tonight... they joy's of being salaried... just homework....  it hasn't happened often but this project was received at 4pm today and needs to be ready at 9am tomorrow...

another adjustment from paramedic to problemmedic.... i'm still fixing things and organizing chaos, just without the drama now...

more from me later... jason

p.s.  I still don't miss the heroin addicts....  the joys of opiate addiction...

like KFC.....  an addictive chemical that makes you crave it...

A California Day

Today was beautiful! Sunny, in the 70s (I'm guessing), a little windy. The kids and I walked to a park a little less than a mile from our house. Well, I walked. Gabby rode in the stroller and Jp rode his bike. I realized halfway there that I should have brought my camera with us so that I could take pictures to post here. Maybe next time.

The park was nice and relaxing for me at least. I sat in the sun and read. I've been reading "Chicken Soup for the Mother's Soul" which has turned out to be a really good book! I didn't expect much, but I have been inspired and encouraged. It's a tough book to read with others around though, because every other story or so makes me cry, which can be embarrassing in public :-).

This afternoon was CRAZY! I decided a few weeks ago that I wasn't going to continue with my Tupperware business and yesterday I posted a list of my inventory for sale on a forum for other consultants. Today, the emails poured in and as of 5pm tonight, I had sold EVERYTHING, with the exception of a few sales aids and a bunch of citrus peelers. I guess I'll be spending the next week at the post office :-).

Jason is still at work (7:15), so the kids won't get to see him tonight :-(. I don't think that's going to go over very well, especially with Gabby. She's quite the daddy's girl.

No news on my application at Mimi's Cafe. I was hoping to go in and check on it tomorrow, but my neighbor is only available to watch the kids at lunchtime, which is a horrible time to talk to a restaurant manager. So I'll wait until Friday and leave the kids with Jason while I run in.

The dishes are calling and I'm doing my best to ignore them, but I'd better sign out and go find my sink. Until next time!

Becca

Livermore... Negotiations... Yuk... well, almost...

So this week I am taking part of "Core" Negotiations in Livermore.  The "Core" is the name of the AMR Northern California Bargaining unit.  2700 EMTs, Paramedics, Dispatchers, support staff, and billing personnel.  When AMR came into existence in the early 1990's and started buying up all the small mom and pop ambulance companies, employees that had union contracts kept getting consolidated until only AMR remained... and the "core."  It's AMR's biggest mistake not breaking it up while they bought all those ambulance companies... The core is the largest EMS union bargaining unit in the USA, and the most powerful.  A strike in the "Core" would shut down EMS for 2/3 of California.

So it's negotiations, slow and fairly boring.  It doesn't get interesting until the end when $$$$ and the drama of hard choices give it life and meaning.  But the one redeeming part of negotiations in Livermore is that the drive from Salida to Livermore includes driving through a wind farm.

Not my picture... but I'll have one soon...  This wind farm exists on a ridge of small mountains that separates the central CA valley from a smaller plateau as you go west to San Fransisco.  You climb from brown and green agriculture to Tracy and industry to picturesque green rolling hills.  On top of those hills sits the wind farm.  The pass and the 580 freeway drive right through the middle of those hills.

The wind farm always gives me pause... it's fascinating and fills me with a sense of awe to see the hundreds of turbines slowly turning.  I wonder why (for instance) 7 turbines in a row and #3 and #4 aren't turning when the others are.  I wonder just how much power it produces.  I wonder.  It's odd, that such a simple thing makes my creative juices flow.  I'll bring my own camera there soon enough, but not during negotiations....

Too much to do, no time to be creative when you are trying to fight traffic to livermore to fight AMR so that good, hardworking people might actually be able to do more than squeek out a living.....

My musings for now...  more from me later... jason

Our new life in CA

Now that Jason has shown me how this whole blog thing works, I will do my best to keep you all up to date as much as possible.

Most of you have heard about our nightmare with the moving company. It took 3 weeks for us to get our stuff and when we got it, several pieces were broken. It was definitely a very frustrating way to start our life here, but it's over now and things are starting to feel normal. The moving company has disappeared from the face of the earth (thank you Wayne and Judy for trying to track them down for us). They are not returning emails or phone calls and one address they listed is a UPS mailbox and the other is a residence where no one answers the door. Oh, well. We have most of our stuff (and someone else's guitar) and I am ready to move on.

The kids and I signed up for Moms'  Club and are looking forward to meeting other people that way. They have all kinds of great activities planned: Tune Time, Easter Egg Hunt, Trip to the Jelly Belly Factory, etc. We also go to Story Time at the library every Thursday. The library is about 6 blocks from our house and Gabby LOVES story time. She stands up and stomps and turns with the best of them :-). Jp is a little more reluctant to go. Not sure why, but he does enjoy getting new books and movies every week, so we keep going.

We have found a wonderful church called Shelter Cove Community Church (www.cometosheltercove.org). They just finished building a brand new church on an old golf course and are very loving and accepting. The pastor is an incredible, Bible based teacher who inspires us to get off our duffs and actually live for Jesus. It feels so good to be spiritually fed again. I didn't realize how hungry I had gotten over the past few years. Jason loves the church too. He attended the Men's Breakfast on Saturday and came home very moved. The church has really embraced us with open arms and we feel very at home there. Even the kids love it, which as all you moms know, is a HUGE plus. Being able to leave Gabby in the children's department and have her greet us with a smile when we pick her up is one of the best things in the world :-). Jason and I even sat in the middle of the row in church this week because we knew they weren't going to have to page us to come get her. Ah, it feels good to sit through an entire service uninterrupted!

I am going to return to work part time this month, waitressing a couple evenings a week and Saturdays. Jason and I made that decision primarily for financial reasons, but I have to say that the thought of leaving the kids with Daddy three times a week and go do something other than childcare or house-cleaning is sounding better and better :-). I love my kids dearly, but being a stay at home mom has proven to be so much more draining than I ever imagined. I submitted an online application to Mimi's Cafe on Saturday, with the intention of going in on Tuesday to follow up. Slight problem. I have discovered that I am allergic to Almond blossoms and we live right next to acres and acres of Almond trees. After itchy eyes and nose all week, I lost my voice completely yesterday. Today is a bit better, after breaking down and buying some Claritin last night, but I still sound pretty bad. I'm really hoping my voice will clear up in a day or two so that I can go in and follow up on this application. I'm really hoping to get a job with Mimi's Cafe. I've only heard good things about them. They were voted best place to work in the Bay Area in May 2007 and their food is DELICIOUS! Everything is made fresh on site and oh, man! If they weren't so expensive, I'd eat there all the time :-). Oh, and the decor is French. Apparently, the original owner named his restaurant after a woman he fell in love with while stationed in France. The food isn't French, but still :-). Oh, and they tend to hire older, more experienced servers, so I wouldn't have to feel ancient, working with a bunch of college-age kids. I know. I know. I'm starting to sound like the old woman that I am :-).

Well, there is laundry to fold and a kitchen to clean. Until next time!

Becca

I wish they all could be California Girls...

The transition from Oregon to California has been rougher on some than on others....

Our little California Girl!

A New Addition To Our Family

The newest addition to our little brood is this adorable little "sweetie" Hamster... officially a nocturnal animal, it's regular daily slumber is interupted by two inquisitive children who always want "sweetie" to come out to play.  

We're really much more photogenic but I had to teach Becca how to post a picture, so this will do....

Well, It's another one of those Blog Things...

Ok, so we finally decided to blog... consider this a window into our little corner of the world.  Check back frequently as we will update often...