Saturday, August 30, 2008

Not so long of a week

This week was, well not so long :)
Monday we took our car to a mechanics shop right around the corner, which everyone recommended to us & they gave us a quote for what it would be to fix everything- $1400. Which is better than $1700-2200 right? Luckily Kevin's parents were eager to help out with that. So they took it apart & got it to the engine shop & I called to keep the rental for longer.
Tuesday Kevin woke up so many times in the night with really bad diarrhea & stomach cramps feeling super nauseous. He couldn't eat & was def in a lot of pain. So he called in sick, which in the Air Force requires you to go to the urgent care clinic... So he went & was put on quarters, or was quarentined to the house for 24hrs with viral gastroenteritis. Yippee for me, Brok also had that. The shop called & told me that our cylinder had a 4000th of an inch crack in it so it had to be machined & that was going to be an extra $130.
Wednesday they woke up feeling better, but I sure didn't. I had cramps & was sooo naeous I drank almost 2 full liters of 7up because as long as that was in my stomach, I was fine. The mechanics shop called & let me know that our car was going to be done that afternoon! YAY that was fast!
Thursday morning I was still feeling awful & naseous as ever, luckily no diarrhea for me but we picked up the car & guess what? to replace all the valves, machine one of the cylinders & replace 2 belts it was $1569. But we have a car that runs like a champ, better than before! I spent a lot of the day just being sick... no fun... There was a very electrical storm that blew in around 9ish on Thursday, the lightening wasn't in bolts but was just constant along the sky. Then the wind kicked up & it was blowing soooo hard that our 2 sliding glass doors felt like they were going to break. It blew over our BBQ & our umbrella for the patio table. I guess across town it did a lot more damage than that, powerlines were down, streets were flooded & 100mph winds were recorded. It was CRAZY!
Friday, Kevin worked 9-6 & I had to return the car before 6 so I took it back and luckily he got off before so he could meet me. We also found out that his new permanent schedule (let's see how long it lasts) will be 6am-2pm meaning he will get home aorund 3pm. YAY!

& then today we did a whole lot of nothing, had 2 people come look at our jeep, no takers yet... hopefully someone does buy it! I am feeling better & Brok's awful molar finally came in so he's doing better! YAY!

I can't make it a picture but click the link!




It takes all the words from your blog & makes them inot a fun bubble. The bigger the word, the more times its used! Suprising to me!

Sunday, August 24, 2008

Another chapter in our life (sorry long again)

When Kevin & I started dating, he was riding a motorcycle & one night he left late & ended up running out of gas. He called me to come get him & buy some gas & I remember him saying "welcome to my life, are you sure you want to be a part of it?" Well this is another wonderful thing in our saga!

So we had a rough week with the new puppy. No matter what I did, he couldn't figure out to go poop outside! & he would go anywhere & everywhere... Then he got really chewy & decided to pull out Kevin's golf shoes & chew on the strings... But when Thursday night rolled around, & I'll tell you about that night in a bit, we got home & all of Kevin's shoes, not mine or Brok's (though he did chew Brok's too) were chewed on with broken shoe laces, that was it & I knew he needed a home with someone with more patience to crate train him or give him more attention. So I put an ad online & he went to a good home with a family who lost their min pin of 6yrs when it got hit by a car. Goodbye little petey!

So back to Thursday... I decided KEvin & I needed a weekend away, with no dogs & no kid so my wonderful friend Heather & her hubby Kevin offered to watch Brok so we could spend quality alone time (we haven't had an alone night since Brok was born & I have only left him for maybe a total of 5hrs his whole life). So Wed I booked us a suite in a hotel downtown for the "romance package" & was planning a whole huge dinner & surprises. Kevin had to work really late on Wed (midnight) & Thurs was pretty crazy too so I thought I would wait til around 4 to go to the store to get our food for the weekend. So I go & get our stuff for this wonderful meal I was oging to make (pita chips with artichoke dip, salmon with a maple syrup glaze & rice, & peaches & cream plus chocolate covered strawberries) & come out to a hot car. So I turn it on to cool off, unload the groceries & go to back out of the parking spot to go home... Only I didn't make it even halfway out & the car completely dies. I was like oh great. So the nice men next to me pushed me back inot the spot & an Air Force guy comes & tries to take a look. He can't figure anything out & I was beginning to panic! I called Kevin's phone not sure if he'd answer (he didn't) & then tried to call his work & had to call him to come figure it out. So here he is on his motorcycle, Brok & I have been stuck for almost an hour & we can't figure ANYTHING out. He goes home to see if he can get his jeep to start & luckily it does. So he takes out the battery & goes to get it tested. It comes back as totally drained so I am thinking YES! He puts it back in & NOTHING! so it's now close to 7, we've been there for almost 3hrs & Kevin decides we are better to get it towed to the dealership to have them look & fix it & hopefully it's covered under warranty. So around 745-8pm, the tow truck comes & he says it looks like a timing belt. He tows it to the dealership, we pay him & leave it overnight. Luckily Kevin's jeep runs long enough to get us home & everything. it's now after 9pm. I call to try to cancel our reservation at the hotel because we will need the $$ to get the car fixed & I can't...(& now you know why it was bad that his shoes were chewed)
Friday morning- They call me to say that it is in fact the timing belt & because that is "maintenance related" it's not covered under warranty. So its' going to be $340 to fix. So We fix it. I get ready for the day, start cooking everything (*now this is a BIG deal for me becasue I don't cook usually) and the dealership calls to say some other belt needs replacing, & if I did it then it would be $300 less than if it broke a diff day. Ok so we're now up to $385. I continue to cook, my friend Heather comes to pick up Brok & we hang out til it's time to get the car & then she takes me there & will take Brok with her from there. On the way to get the car, they call again to say they started the car & it seems that when the belt broke, it cracked/broke a valve & the 4-cylinder car is now only running on 3, & that it will be $1700-2200 to fix that... GREAT! I drive it home very cautiously...
We decided not to worry about it & enjoy our night away so we eat dinner, which turned out so good, I have never made salmon nor used this recipe so it was good that he liked it & then I packed up our minimal stuff for the night & we rode the motorcycle to the hotel! It was a very nice room but missing our sparkling cider... So we get that, then we hang out & I get the munchies around 1030 or 11... The hotel DIDNT have vending machines!!! only pop machines... so I went without & around 1230-1am, I start falling asleep & Kevin tries to turn off the TV with no luck! If you press the power button on either the remote or TV, it mutes it, press it again & it resets it to the menu. So he tries to unplug it but it's in this really heavy armoire thing. So I call the front desk & they send a fat security guard to "fix" it which he tries everything we had tried... Keep in mind it's 1am, I am in my garments covered up in bed & Kevin is trying not to punch the guy. He calls another guy up to try to fix it who does the SAME THING! Like we're all retarded! Needless to say, around 130 they finally "fix"it & get it unplugged...
Saturday morning they sent a tech repair guy to fix it & he knocks on our door around 830 even though we have a DO NOT DISTURB sign out! Anyway we had a good breakfast & swam & then went home & tried to find a place close to get the car fixed but everything is closed so I decide instead of being stranded (the jeep is totally dead) I will rent a car... Luckily the airport rental booth was open & I got to get a car but that was an ordeal...

So that is where we are in our life now... Waiting in limbo for the car to get fixed... Driving a Chevy Equinox & trying to make the most of everything...

PHEW thanks for reading!

HUBBY TAG~

1- Where did you meet? Our friend Mary Elizabeth. She liked his friend & him but couldn't decide which better so when they both called to say they were coming over @ the same time, she called me to rescue her.
2- How long did you date before you were married? I think it was something like 4mo, a little more but we didn't have an "official" starting to date time. From the first time I remember thinking he was my "boyfriend" til we got engaged was 28days & then after that it was about 3mo til we were married I think.
3- How long have you been married for? 2 years 9mo & some days
4- What does he do that surprises you? He will start cleaning up my messes
5- What's your favorite feature about him? I love when he gets excited about something & when he plays with Brok & he gets so excited & happy.
6- What's your favorite quality about him? He wants to be the best hub & father.
7- Does he have a nickname for you? What is it? Just babe or if I am having a blonde day, retard, in a nice way.
8- What's his favorite color? I honestly don't know, but prob blue or red.
9- What's his favorite food? Salmon probably.
10-What is his favorite sport? Extreme mountain biking or bowling or dirt biking/4wheeling
11- Who said I love you first? He did - we were sitting on the couch cuddling & he goes "guess what?" I said what & he replied "I love you".
12- When and where was your fist kiss? On the couch in my apartment, sometime within the first week I think, when he got back from working out of town.
13-What's your favorite thing to do as a couple? Well we like to 4-wheel & ride the motorcycle(*yes I still do even being 8mo prego)
14-Do you have kids? How many? Yes, Brok is 17mo & Luke is 32wks & 3days only 7wks & 4 days left(hopefully sooner!)!
15- What's a hidden talent that he has? He is a great cook. He is also way more creative & has a better eye for design than I do.
16- How old is he? 23 almost 24. But sometimes he groans about pains like he's older.
17- What's his favorite type of music? He like pretty much anything but he listens to a lot of rock at work & we listen to country at home.
18- What do you admire most about him? He is good at admitting his faults & wanting to change.
19-What's his favorite past time? other than . . . Well he likes to bowl & ride the motorcycle...
20- Do you think he is going to read this? prob not.

Saturday, August 16, 2008

All I can say is...

I LOVE MY HUSBAND!

He got me the best present I have ever gotten!

I had my prego massage & pedicure today- miraculous! It was soooo relaxing & my feet are sooo soft! I love it! The best part? It was sooo cheap- now I know $100 is a lot for some people & generally for us it is too but it was 2hrs long! $55 for the massage & $45 for a spa pedicure where they also massaged my feet! AWESOME!

Monday, August 11, 2008

Another Exciting Week for us!

What A week it has been!


Brok & I have been really busy between babysitting again, M, Tu, Th, F & teaching English again that we haven't had any time to just SIT! I got another student added to my group so we have 3 kids, 14, 16 & 18yrs old. It doesn't feel like they are learning anything but I guess they are becasue he invited the 3rd student! Anyway it has been very very busy!

Kevin also has been busy this week. On Wed he took the final part of his big CDC test before he takes the BIG one. It has been a rough 5 months for him, studying hard & reading over 1500pages of information about the most boring things. But it will advance him from a 3level to a 5 level.

I had a doc appt this week as well & you will all be glad to know that I only gained 1lb. Baby Luke kicked her really hard when she was trying to measure my stomach so hard that her hand slipped off. SErves her right for calling me fat! LOL.

We also had an eventful weekend. Brok has been using just a normal sippy cup for about a month now & it's been great but he isn't so good at holding it up enough to get a drink so he's been having to lay down to drink it. Well this weekend we decided to try the kind with a straw that you have to bite to suck... At first it was *@!! becasue he just kept screaming but then we handed it to him all the sudden & he figured it out. Never have you seen a more excited child. He got the biggest grin on his face & he was so happy! It rocks becasue he can sit up to drink it & he can drink in the carts at the store! He loves it.
BEFORE

I also decided it was time for a hair cut for him... he was fairly bald when he was born, with only a mohawk of hair coming from his 2 calicks in the back of his head so this was #1 & I think it was more upsetting for him than me. I didn't want to get rid of his cute baby hair but it was over 3in long & starting to hang over his ears. So out came the buzzers & his hair is now about 1/8in long thanks to dad's messing up the clippers! But he is sure looking like a big boy now! I was amazed at how long it was & then at how blonde it was in comparison to Kevin's becasue as soon as Brok was done it was time for Kevin's. You'll see the contrast!
AFTER
He also learned how to give kisses & that he really likes KEvin's nasty Sweet Chili Lime Doritos a lot!

Hopefully this week is a slower one (but it won't be) and that we can take a break!

PS this is


PETEY

Friday, August 1, 2008

What a week!

WOW! I finally have a second to sit down & write about everything that has happened this week!

To start, I was already behind doing orders of letters because I got 22 in 2 weeks!!!! Good news for me but I was a little overwhelmed! So I had a big week planned doing letters all week but that changed with the most random phone call of my life.

I had my information posted on a website for looking for a tutor/babysitter/nanny before we moved here & I haven't had anyone say anything so I completely forgot until sunday afternoon I was sitting around doing nothing & a guy calls who can speak broken english & asks for Ashley the english teacher. I hung up causeI thought he has the wrong number. He calls back & speaks more clearly, He is a member of the Taiwanese Air Force that is stationed here at Luke & his cousins are visiting from Taiwan & need help with english. I told him I didn't speak chinese but he said that they could understand me so I agreed to meet with them to see what I really needed to do. When they got there, It was an 18yr old boy & a 16yr old girl who failed their english in school & in order to get into college you need to know english so I basically had to help them put the words that they know into sentences that make sense to you & I... Sounds like fun right? Except I have them from 9-12 & 2-3 Mon, Tues, Thurs, & Fri. I ran out of stuff to do Tuesday around 10! I have gone through my teaching supplies to see what it says about teaching an ESL student & it's different than teaching say someone who speaks spanish... I can't figure out how to communicate with them. He can speak well but she can't understand me... It's been an interesting week but I guess I am helping because they want me again next week... It's pretty good money ($250 a week) & it's not really hard so I guess I can't complain... It'll also look good on a resume...
On top of that- I have been watching that little boy Brok's age but this week she didn't need me til Thurs... & so this is how my schedule went! Wake up @ 630, make Kevin's lunch, eat breakfast, get ready, get brok up, get him ready & breakfast, go pick up Lucas (the boy) watch him for 2hrs, scramble over to pick up the Taiwanese kids, figure out what to do with them for 3hrs, drop them off, run home eat, pick them up again do something retarded for an hour, come home, paint letters til 10 & go to sleep!!! AHHHHH!!! What a crazy week...

& on top of that, we decided we wanted another puppy or dog so we searched for a long time & on Monday found the cutest dog ever! He is a mix of a schnauzer, dauschound (sp) & something else but he is small & long & super cute! The best part is that he doesn't shed!!! YAY! His name is Torpedo, Pedey for short & he is super good! He only barks when he is rough housing, knows lay down, no & outside & is already potty trained with the dog door (for the most part) He is 4 mo old & he fits. He is a goof ball, he sleeps on his back with his head on one of our pillows just like a human! We love him & brok does too!

So besides that, nothing else exciting is going on... We ar getting Patches shaved tomorrow & both Zumi & her groomed which is awesomE! Brok's therapy is helping him a lot & I am just getting BIG! I need to get a picture but I never think about it til late at night! I only have about 9wks left (ok 11 technically but Brok came 2wks early & was HUGE so let's pray 9 or less!) & I can't wait... I hope he comes around the end of September...