Here's the Low Down

1. Haven't been on a lifetime!
2. Didn't really care, imagine that!
3. Found some great groups with real women about fostercare/adoption.
4. Have been justified in all my feelings!

On to the good stuff... Kids are getting ready to start school. This summer has flown by! It seems to go faster and faster every year. Alecia will be in 4th grade, Caleb in 3rd, Tomas in 1st and we opted to do preK with the babes at home this year to save some money. Have you seen the price of preschool lately?
I'm a member of the working class, now. I had no choice. Bart's work took a hard hit this winter and they laid off several men. He was lucky enough to make the cut, but hours got cut in half all the way down the board. So, we were barely skimming by with less than half of our usual income. I like my job and all (home healthcare for the elederly [mostly dimentia patients]) but my heart is at home. His hours are on the up-swing and my house is in distress, so I see a resignation coming in the next month.
We bought a house!!! And I don't mean went to mortgage company and financed our lives away for the next 30 years. I mean, wired money from our bank to the title company to pay for the house in full! HALLELUIJAH!!! Frugality and Uncle Sam (ahem, tax returns) have paid off. It's far from beautiful at this point, more like a diamond in the ruff. But, it's all mine! Bart and dad are currently working on it and I hope to be it in the NEAR future. Right now they are working on reclaimed wood floors in the kitchen, dinning room and hallway. Up next is to get a new cabinet and sink in the bathroom and do tile that floor. Then Dad is onto the plumbing. After that, we will live/work there. I'm sick of paying rent here (and electric, gas, water, cable) when I have a house in the next town over.
We are getting ready for our Annual Family Reunion/Camping (cabin) Trip and I am so very excited! Things have been so hectic this year, I need this. More percisely, I need Cousins Night. Kids stay home, us cousins and whoever else is over 21 kick back around the fire with some music, adult drinks and laugh our asses off til we pour ourselves into bed around the crack of dawn. Then we try to pull it together before we are bombarded with our wee ones and try to act like we feel great at Aunt Carrol's pot luck dinner. It's something to envy! This year, it's Wild Wild West theme and I'm playing hard. My cabin will be DECKED out to the fullest.
I became an aunt again in February! Johnny Boy suprised everybody with his existance early last fall, but he is loved fully and completly. Plus I remember all those time my sister laughed at me for having two little ones the same age. Sweet, sweet revenge. Johnny Boy is gonna be a handful, I can see it already!
Maybe, I'll post more when it's not so jumbled up in my brain. But, for now, I'm out. Gotta work in the AM!