WHEW! So much to tell

Where do I begin.

Well, as y'all know, Bill lost his job in April.  We searched high and low for work all around Northwest Arkansas.  Nothing.  We eventually talked ouselves into expanding our search to closer to home.  Still nothing....all summer long.  Thank goodness Bill did what he could (more, really) to compensate by doing handyman work and yard work.  To make a long story short, we were on our way to Natchez the last week in July for a visit before school going back into swing.  A few days before we left, Bill's brother Mac called and told us that the company he was working for, Woodward Design + Build, were interviewing and asked if we wanted him to turn in Bill's resume to try and get an interview while we were down visiting.  The timing was the absolute worst.  This fell 2 weeks before I started back to school, 3 weeks before Berkeley started school.  Not to mention that the Louisiana schools were a week ahead of Arkansas schools starting.  But, we gave it a shot anyway.  He went in for an interview on Monday. 

We drove home on Wednesday, hoping to hear something during our drive. 

Nothing. 

Until the next Tuesday. 

I started school (professional development meetings) on Monday.  Went Tuesday.  Bill called me at about 3:00 and said he had gotten the offer we had been waiting on.  After I got home, we discussed all of our options, was this the right thing to do for OUR family, how we would make things work, etc. etc.  I went to 7th grade Open House and just barely made it  through....if you even call it that.  These were Berkeley's group of students.  Her friends since kindergarten.  I had a huge rush of emotions and I cried pretty much the rest of the night.  I also told my principal after Open House was over.  One of the absolute hardest things I have ever had to do.  As much as I complained (and I did) I had it good there.  I loved everyone I worked with.  I just didn't even come close to realizing until word got out that we were leaving and the responses I got from my co-workers, past/present parents, students, community, neighbors, friends.....

So.  August 19th, we loaded as giant of a moving truck as we could rent and 3 other trucks and 2 trailers, and we moved south.  We got down here with no where to live, except with Bill's brother and sister-in-law, and put our things in storage.

So we did.

For a month.

We looked....and looked....and looked....and looked at house after house after house.  We got so frustrated we even considered trying to just buy a house.  Hey.  now a days, a mortgage is cheaper than the houses we were looking at renting, and we could get a much larger, nicer house within our budget much easier than we were being able to find a house.  Then, finally, on one of my many stalkings of the Craigslist ads, I find a house that strikes my attention.  Long story short.  We were able to make a deal and move in pretty quickly.

Exacly one month to the day, we were oficially in our new (to us) house.  It is a cute little 4BR 2BA raised woodframe house.  It has a huge back yard, and the neighborhood is fabulous and quiet and very kid friendly.

Berkeley has adjusted well in school.  We found a traveling softball team (16U) that took her on about 3 weeks after we got down here.  It took a little bit, throwing her in mid-season, and in with girls as old as 17, for her to adjust.  But she did.  And excelled nicely.  She also made the basketball team with ease, and has been a starting player in every game.  He hardest adjustment has been academically.  Louisiana schools function on an 8 point grading scale as opposed to the 10 point scale used in Arkansas.  So, the borderline grades that she was able to maintain her A's and B's in Arkansas, were deeming B's and C's in her new school.  We are still adjusting, but hanging tough.  By the end of the year, I hope that we are back on an even keel.  She is having to learn a whole new kind of work ethic.  A good one, but a much more strenuous one.

With all the drama of the move, we also discovered that Dale, our Yellow Lab, was dying of lymphoma.  Within a month of us getting a diagnosis, we lost him.  Luckily, and I say that with all my heart, he died in his sleep, and we escaped the ordeal without having to make the dreaded decision of when we should take him to have him put to sleep.  Both Bill and I were dreading it and it was aweful to even try and discuss it.  The kids took it hard, and Bennett and McKinley still comment on missing him every once and a while.

We have made it through the holidays, and it has been nice being so close to our families and being able to see them more often.  Bennett and McKinley will start a part time Mother's-Day-Out/preschool program this week.  They are super excited about that!  I am too!  :)  I finally got my license stuff transfered, and am officially a licensed teacher in the state of Louisiana for K-12 PE/Health as well as the 4-8 core classes I was in Arkansas.  I was able to get the PE/Health added on since I graduated from a Louisiana college and had the degree in PE.  I do have to take some Praxis tests to become "highly qualified"....but that is just a technicality, and easily taken care of.  Bill is loving being back in the construction world and doing well in his new job.  We are settling in nicely and finally getting some sort of normalcy back into our lives.  So, for now, I think that is all I have...in a nut shell.  Hopefully i will slow down enough that I can keep this updated a little bit better in the future.

Canoeing trip

We took a canoe trip down the Elk River last week.  I think we did 8 miles or so.  It was a lot of fun, and the twins did great, for their first time in a canoe.  We didn't even flip.  :)  We borrowed our canoe from a neighbor, as well as this kayak thing that Berkeley used. We stopped a few times along the way and swam off the banks and even found a few deeper spots to jump (not dive) into.  It has been so dry up here, it is surprising that the water was even deep enough to get a canoe down at all, much less have deep enough pools to jump (not dive) into.  Most of the day there was a nice breeze blowing, even though it was scorcing hot.  Made the perfect combination for being on the water.

And we are off....

1st stop to play....

swimming off the bank

getting thrown around a little

the big kids had these kayak things....pretty cool little boats....

I think she might be under fire..... :)

we saw lots of turtles sunbathing

swimming and hanging out...

picking up snails along the bank

off we go again....

just paddlin....

...and then Bennett decided he needed to poop....

Dad helping find snails

playing in the kayaks, waiting for the trucks to get back to load up

I Ain't as Good as I Once Was.....

...And that's just the cold hard truth.

Bill and I have been playing on a co-ed softball team this spring/summer, and it has officially become too expensive of a sport for me to partake in.  At the beginning of the season, I hit the ball, took off to first, fell, scuffed my knee....no big deal.  Got up shook off the embarrassment and went on with my game.  Yes, I got out at first....I didn't even make it to the base. :) 

Well,  come to find out, that "fall" was just a preview of what was yet to come on down the line.

June 22, 2011
I fell, yet again, running to first, but this time, apparently, my knee locked up, propelling my body forward with the momentum of me running.  It wasn't pretty.  I would imagine it looked like some dramatic fall on replay in slow motion.  Because I felt like I was falling in slow motion.  I got this nice GIANT road rash...strawberry...whatever you want to call it, and the outside of my left calf immediately began to swell and bruise.  The strawberry stung like hell, and I was sure my whole leg was gonna be blue come morning.  But, I could walk on it just fine, so I walked it off, just like any other player would have done and got back in the game.  I played outfield one more time, and thankfully I didn't have to bat again.

I went home, cleaned it up, iced it, yada yada yada....exactly what I would have told one of my athletes back in my trainer days.  I hobbled around for the next few days, even went the the lake and camping.  I thought that that strawberry was NEVER gonna stop oozing and scab over.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

At week one, I decided to go to the doctor, because my knee didn't seem to be getting any better, although the strawberry was finally trying to scab and heal.  They did an x-ray to double check that I had not broken my tibia, which is a non-weightbearing bone, and being able to walk or not would not have been a sign of it being broken.  Well, it was not broken.  So, they sent me on my way.

At at about week 1 1/2, I still had a weird feeling about my knee.  I was still able to walk decently on it, but to stand still was very uncomfortable when I put weight on it.  And my opposite hip was starting to get fatigued as I bore my weight on that side to take the pressure of that left knee. I starting reading up on my symptoms, and decided I needed to see an orthopedic.  I had a suspicion based on my research that I had done soemthing to either my meniscus (at least one of them) or ACL. I texted our Athletic Trainer that services our school, and she was able to get me in to the orthopedic doctor that she sends our athletes to, which is also the orthopedic for the Naturals minor league baseball team here in town.  So, I was confident that I was going to be in good hands.

At week two, I saw Dr. Doughtery.  After the normal knee tests and x-rays, he concluded that I definitely had torn my lateral meniscus, and possibly my ACL.  He said my ACL was "testing" to be unstable, but the tear in the meniscus could be giving that false indication due to how and where the tear was.  So, he ordered an MRI.

I had my MRI on Friday.  It took about 30 minutes.  I was really excited to get it out of the way...I wasn't expecting to get that appointment so quickly.  So, I have my follow-up to get my MRI results this coming Wednesday.  I found out that my doctor does his surgeries on Thursdasy and Fridays, so I am really, really hoping that he has room to get me in this week.  I am getting very close to time to be getting back in my classroom, and the sooner I can get this part out of the way, the better.

Anyway, just an update.  Will update as soon as I have some new information.

FINALLY....Like it or not....

School is over.   My baby girl is officially in Junior High.  I can not believe it.  She goes to her first JH basketball camp Thurs-Sat of this week and another. Mon-Wed of next week.  She is very excited.  On top of that, we nhave the district softball tournament this weekend, state tournament next weekend, and league tournament the week after.  WHEW!  I am so proud of the athelete she is becoming, and hopefully (fingers crossed) it will pay off and send her through college (unlike other activities she could be in that will produce a whole lot of nothing in the long run except for experience).

I got a little extra money, today from school from some stimulus money our school got.  I must say, I worked my booty off for that money...above and beyond what my normal daily duties require, and after taxes took their portion, I am not sure all that work was worth the money.  We also got a nice little retaining bonus a few weeks back, but since we are still up in the air about what our future holds, I have held on to it because I have to return it if we do happen to have to move. 

Speaking of which....nothing.  No where.  I am thinking this is were we are destined to be and raise our family, and I think I am totally ok with that.  I am trying to not worry about the future.  One day at a time.  I have full confidence in my husband.  He is awesome at everything he puts his mind to, so even if hecontinues on this unemployment path, at least he has this side stuff to help out and keep him busy.  I have decided that I can not worry about what others think of me and my family and whether they approve or disapprove of how we live our lives.  Essentially, it is no one's business but ours.  And to judge me and my family...well, go for it.  I don't care.  I do not care how others raise their families or spend their money or live their lives...really, it is none of my business, and I am really tired of trying to please everyone else.  I am an adult with a successful career.  I have earned my right to live my life the way I see fit.  Life is a two-way street, and I, personally am tired of giving with nothing in return.  Now, with us being in the financial situation we are presently, I have thought endlessly on what is important to me.  And I have come to this conclusion.  I want and need those in my life that support me and love me and my family for who we are no matter what...no judgement, no grudges.  I am not, nor should I have to justify how I live my life/spend my money.  We are not perfect and have made mistakes.  But I could turn the tables on anyone very easily if I wanted to (but, really, what is the point...what does it really accomplish?).  We are learning from our mistakes and trying to recoup as best as we know how.  I just am done dealing with the internal turmoil I endure day in and day out trying to make everyone else happy all of the time...and in return my happiness is compromised.

As for the twins, they are doing wonderful.  We had parent-teacher conferences, and they are pretty much on course with what is expected of incoming kindergarteners.  I am continuously amazed at what they come home telling me.  They can count to 12 in English and Spanish.  They can say and recognize their alphabet in English, Spanish and sign language.  Their teacher says they are her best sign languagers in their class.  How cool is that?  They just finished t-ball.  It was a hoot.  I coached, along with two of my friends.  I will be posting pictures very soon.

So, June 7, 2011....last day of school year.  Thank goodness.  Back again at it come August 15th.  Not long enoug of a break, but I guess it will have to do.