Big update!

Since we've had plenty going on here lately, I guess I'll do a nice update. There won't be photos because my card reader is MIA, I'll have to find my USB cable for the camera.

Speaking of computers, we found a tech guy based in Mountain Home that is coming to pick up the laptop and the external hard drive. The drive dropped and the case broke open. Now the computer doesn't see it plugged in so I can't get to photos. It'll be nice and pricey, but I have over 2 years of photos on there myself and it'll be worth the money to get some off if possible. Then we tried to do a system recovery on the laptop, which involves formatting the drive and reinstalling the factory settings and programs. Easy enough, right? Except all we get is errors and now it just turns itself off instead of reading the disc. The tech guy thinks the hard drive may be bad. So we're getting that worked on/looked at. If it's the hard drive in the laptop that's bad, we're getting a new one and having him install that - make sure it works. Even with that added to the recovery price, it's cheaper than buying a new laptop!

Word of advice. Don't just store photos on a hard drive. Get an external. And a bunch of flash drives or good quality CD's and copy everything to those. In the words of the tech guy, "If you only copy it to one thing, that's not backup. That's just storage."

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Remember in January when I rear-ended that guy? And had to have my car in the shop for a few weeks. And the court dates? The last one I had 2 months ago, the man showed up to the trial to tell me that my insurance hadn't paid his claims. We traded phone numbers and I said I'd call and see what was up with them. Then he called me saying they still hadn't paid a month later and he was considering legal council. (SCARED!) 2 weeks ago my insurance called up and said the case was closed, everything paid, and settlement accepted! Which is good because they couldn't reduce the misdemeaner to an infraction with a fine until everything had been paid.

My court date was yesterday, and as soon as I walked in the public defender came over. Congratulations, the claim was paid, and you've been reduced to the infraction! Signed the paper, went downstairs and paid the $75 ticket for "following too closely" and went home, with a huge sigh of relief. We were worried it would be a lot more for court costs, but we got lucky. So that's all taken care of.

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We went househunting last week in Rexburg. Did you know that houses are way pricey there unless you live out in the country? And that renting is as bad if not worse? We are very blessed to have family with room for us so we won't be homeless while we get on our feet.

There was one we loved, but Mark's car couldn't handle the country road in the winter. And another we loved except for the entire 3 acres of waisthigh grasses and thistles and other assorted weeds/ junky outbuilding / who know's what else / unfinished addition that needs tearing down. And the one in town that was doable, but only 1095 sq.ft. Which is teeny!

But now we know, don't trust pictures. Always go see it in person. Agents will drive you anywhere to sell a house. And don't rush into anything.

We'll see what happens, since the list for income based housing may be long, especially for 3 bedrooms.

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We only have about 4 weeks left! I'm nervous, and excited all at the same time. Faced with being a civilian, we're realized how constricting the military can be. Show ID just to get home? Even grass height is regulated. Sort of stifling all of a sudden. Still a lot of unknowns, but it feels like sort of a new freedom.

I'm not sure how I'm going to get everything done with the house. And I'm still slowly going through things and downsizing. Someone is picking up the piano Saturday morning. I'm trying to see if I can fit everything onto 1 bookshelf. And we're debating the entertainment center, for size reasons. I can build a new one later... thanks to knock-off-wood.

The boys are getting excited about moving to Grandma's house. They get so spoiled there! And Oren is going to be homeschooled this year, we've enrolled and everything into an online academy - a public school that sends you all the books and even a computer if you need. Plus, they offer electives starting in the 3rd grade, which he's going into, and he has chosen French. Which I learned in high school. So I can help him with those assignments! It'll be hard work, but until we get insurance and meds for him, it's the best option for his natural behaviors and schedule.

That's our last couple weeks in a nutshell, I guess!

Dratted Computer

Argh! This thing is so slow! And freezes all the time. So I had stuff to post, and have to redo it all over again. Which I have no energy for right now.

AAAAANNNNNDDDDD.... My external hard drive - that I have all my pictures and important files backed up on, and was supposed to be a good thing - dropped on the floor this morning and the case came apart. The drive thingy fell out. I put it back together but now when you plug it into the USB the solid blue light on it flashes instead and the computer won't recognize it!

Not a good month for computers. It better work, maybe a tech guy somewhere can help me? I'd even pay money! At least I have stuff on my cell phone - even a couple Audrey and Daniel together pictures for Steph.

But I'm so bummed. Crossing my fingers the thing magically works!

Torn

Facebook is awesome. It really is. But there is one little thing that I didn't recon on.

People can find you.

I don't know how on earth or why, maybe she was just thinking of people she used to know and did a search to see if I was on, since I used my maiden name in my name thing.

I got a message the other day from a girl asking if I was the Michelle who used to live in Del City, Oklahoma. I replied yes, checked her profile to see if I could get more information on who she was, discovered that we know some of the same people. People I hadn't thought of in years. Like my 8th grade boyfriend, his best friend who was the biggest sweetheart, and the girl I used to switch 2nd and 3rd chairs with every few weeks - depending on who had practiced the music the most for that chair test.

But who was she? Where exactly did I know her from? The name was very familiar, the face vaguely so.

Turns out she went to my elementary school, and was in the 6th grade band with me. (I was such a loser that I did band at recess. Mostly because I didn't have anyone to hang with at the playground except the occasional special ed kids. I would just sit on a bench and talk to myself. Not something I like to think about.) She went to the Jr. High I did for a year. She came to my house after school sometimes and went to a scavenger hunt with me at church once.

I asked if she lived a few streets down from me and had moved down to Texas. Because if she did, she's the one that randomly called a few months after moving there and said some really mean things while laughing. Things that still hurt because I had considered her a really good friend, we had slumber parties on the trampoline and everything.

What do I do if she wants to friend me? Do I call her out on why she did that? I just don't know. Perhaps it had been a game of truth or dare? Perhaps she doesn't even remember the incident at all. Maybe she remembers and feels badly about it. Am I stupid for still being upset about it 15 years later?

I've been trying to upload this for days now! Daniel's on this kick where he stands there banging on the door when his brothers are all outside playing. He loves being outside and grabbing at the grass. Apparently it tastes good?

At the end I ask him if he wants to go outside, and I swear it sounded like he was saying "yeah, yeah!" :-)

And we're still cleaning and downsizing. I sold a dresser we aren't using, so that's one big thing out of my garage. Yay! Mark is now trying to decide if he wants to find a good job or go to school. I'm hoping school, because I want him to love his job and unfortunately all he's qualified for is either temp summer jobs like Laborer - which the season is short at this point - or what he does now, structural maintenance. Which happens to be a job he does not enjoy, which is why he's getting out. His only chance at finding a really good job that makes decent money - so we can finally buy a house! - with benefits, is to put in the hard work now learning more about what he really wants to do. There will always be gardens and golf courses and parks that need landscaped.... no matter what the economy. Plus, our home garden would be awesome!

And I'm about giddy with a good deal! We got a gift certificate to Amazon, and used it to get Nathan's birthday presents! He requested play food pizza and eggs. And little legos - as opposed to mega blocks. I found the perfect stuff! Total out of pocket cost? $8.34! (side note: play food is outrageously expensive.)

I am in love!

With aloe vera and baking soda!

We spent the day cleaning. Emptied everything out of the garage, seperated it into trash, yard sale, and keep. Took 2 vanloads to the dump, and the stuck the rest back in the swept out garage. I am a lobster, and am very happy I have a huge bottle of aloe vera in my bathroom. The poor boys are somewhat burnt too. It felt really good to just chuck stuff in the van! We're authorized 9,000 pounds worth of homegoods that they'll move for us, but that doesn't mean we want to use all of it... I also posted a bunch of stuff on Craigslist: a piano that I'd rather not dismantle if someone would take it and give her some love; the boppy I bought new for Daniel and was a serious lifesaver; a dresser; a Little Tykes car; and our cats.

That's right. We're getting rid of the cats. As much as we've loved having them, we can't take them to my mother-in-law's house. So I'm hoping a nice family takes them soon.

As for the baking soda? Move over magic eraser! With a little baking soda paste, a scrub brush, and elbow grease our walls are as clean as when we moved in! (The hallway at least. There are a lot of walls in this house!)

Moving day looming

Mark went down to the moving people office - TMO- and got our packing date. The movers will be here Aug. 23, bright and early, with a big truck and several wooden crates loaded on it. They will put everything that's not tied down or set aside in a room that says "Don't pack me!!!" in boxes, or wrappings, and load it on the truck. It can take up to 3 days. That's 3 days of strange men scooping up our life here and throwing it into crates. Then our stuff will sit somewhere until we tell them to deliver it.

I've already gone through a quart of primer, and haven't even gotten through half of the stuff that needs painted over. And I haven't even started on the trim touchups, like baseboards.

Carpets all need to be cleaned, cleaned again, and then cleaned some more. And I guarantee all the stains aren't going to come out.

Stuff needs hauled away - trash or thrift store. Stuff needs sold. Things need cleaned in preparation for the housing office to come do a pre-inspection on the 20th. Just a walk through to let us know what specifically will need taken care of before the actual inspection before we can sign out of the house.

So much to do, and it makes me exhausted just thinking about it. And sad. And angry that I have to do all this. And a little excited for change. And worried that I won't get everything done or that we'll have to pay a lot of money for stuff the kids have messed up. And every day it just keeps getting closer....

Naptime!

Whew! I sure love having family around, but that many people in my house was simply exhausting. Most of Mark's family was here this weekend. His 2 younger sisters and their husbands had a room in the base hotel, because our house was simply tooooo small. But it was still pretty cramped. Then after Oren's baptism, we hosted everyone at our house for hot dogs and hamburgers. Some 35 people I think? Didn't take an official headcount... It was so much fun though. And a huge thanks to everyone who offered to bring food, that really helped keep the dinner cost down for us.

Part of me can't believe that Oren is old enough to make a huge choice like that. I am so proud of him for deciding to be baptized. And I am so grateful to Mark for being able to do that for our son.

Our town fireworks got canceled for yesterday, because as a firefighter was setting one of the big ones in it's tube it exploded. Possibly some static caused a spark, they aren't sure. 2nd and 3rd degree burns on his arms, chest and face so he was flown to Salt Lake to the burn center down there. They also lost about 80% of the fireworks when the one that went off set more off. So instead my friend Amanda invited us to their house to set some off. Probably not the most Sunday appropriate thing to do, but the kids had so much fun (not to mention Mark!) Her husband set off some not-quite-legal fireworks, even though there is a sheriff that lives just around the corner. Crazy man... We're trying to spend what time we can together before we leave. Those kids are going to miss each other!

Of course, now I have no energy or motivation to clean anything, between the weekend with family and our getting home well after 11 and the baby that wouldn't settle down to sleep until almost midnight. We were going to get out of town and go somewhere fun - maybe Silver City for a picnic. It's a ghost town about 1 1/2 hours away. But we were too tired to get everything ready and go. I don't even want to cook even though all I'd have to do is warm up the leftover hotdogs. I want to go have pork chops at one of the local restaurants. Small chance of talking Mark into that since we're supposed to be saving all the money we can right now. :-( Bummer.