Downsizing Victim

Well, it happens to everyone and more frequently these days with the economy spiraling downward, so we shouldn't be surprized it happened to us. Dan found out Thursday that beginning on this Monday, his job as it was is gone. He will have a job of sorts, hourly as needed but probably that means not much work this winter. He thinks he may work most of October (at a fraction of what he made on salary) and the "powers that be" said NO OVERTIME.
It doesn't feel very good after working at this company for 13 years to have the rug jerked out, but many others in the company are in the same boat and some even lost their jobs entirely. Gone are the days of the family owned business where people were more important that profit. The spreadsheet and bottom line are what's important. It's just the way it is now.
Our first thought was, "phew...at least we already took our vacation last summer :>)", then...oh, oh, we shouldn't have gotten the credit card balances up so high with that trip and all the household projects (i.e. new roof, new door, new gutters, yard projects and plants, etc., etc.). But then we stop and remember that we've been through this before when Gary was 6, Dusty 4 and Randy only 2 and we have an awesome God who has unlimited resources and He is able to help us make wise decisions with the income we are left with and will provide as we need. We can't know what the future holds....but we know WHO hold the future! It'll just be a new adventure. Our prayer is that we won't be bitter and will look for the blessings. :>)

Belle's 80th Birthday Bash

Belle turned 80 in style on Saturday! We were thankful that the weather was beautiful, even if a little on the chilly side in late afternoon. Teresa, Dan's sis, and her husband Glenn came Wednesday to cook and help out. They were wonderful and made it easy to host this party! In fact, they deserve all the credit! We had 46 family and friends gather in our backyard to celebrate the occasion. While mom knew we were having a family barbecue, she was surprised by the folks who came. Former neighbors, friends, a sister, nieces and nephews, grandchildren and even a great-grandson attended along with all her children. (Getting all of her children together is an occasion in itself!) Some of these relatives came from Washington, California, Colorado, and one niece had just escaped the hurricane in Houston, Texas!

September 13th-14th

It was a quick weekend for sure! I flew up to Spokane on Saturday morning and back home again Sunday afternoon. We sure packed a lot of family fun into those short hours! Five of the siblings were there, and many of my mother's grandchildren and great-grandchildren. The wedding was held on Mt. Spokane at a beautiful lodge, the bride was beautiful, the groom calm and both were perfect hosts. We had never met her family before but they were delightful. It'll be easy to blend these families--although most of her side lives in Wisconsin. My sisters and I stayed up way too late talking and then woke early to have a quick 60th birthday breakfast for the oldest sis, Diane, and then off to get sister Joanne to the airport. After church, we had a fabulous dinner of salmon that was caught and smoked by a fellow from the Aleut tribe from Kodiak, Alaska. Great weekend!

Atypical Tuesday

It was not a normal day. Dan had been having pains the night before (but of course, didn't tell his wife). At least when they worsened in the morning he headed to the Dr's office. Good move! Anyway, the Dr. did an exam and blood tests and sent him to the hospital with a possible diagnosis of diverticulitis. They needed a c-scan to determine if surgery was needed. At least at this time, Dan called and let me in on it! I was at school working and had the boys with me, so after dropping them off to Sarah, met him at the hospital. If you've gone through this before you know that you have to drink some nasty stuff for the hour before the test. They told him to not take less than the hour to do that. The c-scan was painless of course, and we went home to await the verdict. Thankfully, surgery was not needed, just a couple of medications.

After getting Dan's meds and dinner, I went back to pick up the boys from Gary for one more night. But when I tried to start the car at Gary's apartment, the battery was dead! Oh why didn't I have the jumper cables with me? He checked with his neighbors, none of which had any and then drove over to Belle's house to get hers. So, in the pouring down rain after dark, we got the task done. Not a big problem in the scheme of things, but certainly a jolt back to reality after such a relaxing vacation! Guess we're ready to start another school year now! Today I'll go get a new battery and get some more done at school. Dan? Yes, you guessed it, even though he's in pain, he went back to work! He figured he'd wouldn't hurt any more there than here!

Sunsets

I thought I'd share some favorite sunsets from this summer. The first two are from the Mediterranean and the others are in Maui! I feel very blessed to have had these experiences this summer! Now it's time to get focused on getting back to work. I'm taking the boys school shopping today so the reality is setting in for sure!

Maui trip

I just got back from a fabulous 10 days in Maui! We went over to attend a wedding reception of a dear friend and had all kinds of adventures! We loved seeing sea turtles just a block from where we stayed! Gina even saw sharks there the first day. (They feed on the turtles).

We "survived" the road to Hana---an all day journey that took us into the rainforest on Maui. There were over 600 hairpin turns and 54 one-way bridges! Luckily, we were on a tour so I didn't have to drive! Ewi, our guide, was wonderful at identifying the many kinds of fruit and flowers, trees, and pointing out the numerous waterfalls along the way. He also pointed out homes of famous folks like George Harrison and Jim Neighbors . (In fact, I brought Dan home some macadamia nuts from Jim Neighbors' farm.) At the end of the road was the seven sacred pools, each one connected by waterfalls! Gina and I tried swimming there too but the rocks were so slippery and we decided to be content with sitting on the edge.
Wednesday I drove our group up to Haleakala, the volcano, at 3:30 AM to see the sunrise-incredible, but freezing! We wrapped up in blankets from the hotel because who brings coats to Maui?

We swam, body surfed and used boogie boards, and Gina learned to surf using a real surf board while we played in the waves (did I mention how warm the water is!), as well as snorkeled. It was so amazing to see all the colors on the fish and I was surprised how close to shore you could snorkel!

We had authentic islander experiences including food at the wedding reception. Everyone wa so welcoming and we felt just part of the family! They honored us with homemade leis that were so beautiful and fragrant! It was held a stones throw from the beach with a gorgeous view and sunset! Of course, all of the sunsets were gorgeous on Maui. The luau was also a lot of fun! The food was fantastic and the show very impressive and the company (the wonderful group of people we'd been sharing the week with) made the whole experience unforgetable!

Trisha's Wedding

Beautiful bride, lovely setting and... just a little rain! Who would have thought it would rain on August 1st! It really didn't matter even though it was an outdoor wedding. The dark sky was only a threatening canopy over the proceeding. During the meal at the reception a "coastal-type" mist was present, but folks didn't really seem to mind. There were parasols available, meant to keep the sun off, that protected those who wanted to be dry but most of us just doned our coats or sweatshirts dug out of the trunk and kept the party going! I loved how Curt gave Trisha his tux jacket and they both were so obviously enjoying the evening and each other. So, rain or no rain....Trisha and Curt are married!