Hey everyone. Once again I’m writing after a several month hiatus, BUT once again I really don’t have an excuse other than I’ve had no energy or desire to post anything. We are all doing well, but I think that 2018 is gearing up to be a crappy year.
Our beloved Grandpa passed away on February 1st from small cell lung cancer. Even now as I type this, it’s hard for me to believe that he’s gone forever. I can still see his smile and hear his laugh and it makes me sad to think about it. He was admitted to the hospital on Jan 2nd and never made it back home. It was a month of absolute hell trying to do whatever I could to find a solution but in the end, I realized that after he was diagnosed, he never had a chance. Looking back, I’m pretty sure he had the tumor while we were in Disneyworld but it wasn’t big enough to give him fits until it started blocking his airway. At this point, I’m still a little bitter about how it all went down but with time I know I’ll come to terms with it. In the meantime, I try to keep reminding myself that he’s back with the love of his life and free from any earthly cares. And honestly, with everything that’s going on in the world, that sounds pretty good.
We are all doing well…sort of? I am battling a back/neck/shoulder injury that I just can’t seem to overcome. In January my back and neck seized after spending a horrific day in the hospital watching Grandpa suffer at the hands of amateurs and assholes. I’ve been seeing massage therapist and going to chiropractor regularly but there hasn’t been much improvement. My next options are cupping or acupuncture. If those don’t work I’m not sure what I’m going to do. Tommy, never one to be outdone, is also suffering from back pain. He’s not sure why but he played golf for a week straight (after not playing for a year) while Dad was visiting recently, so I’m not surprised. Getting old is NOT fun. =(
On another note, we have both turned into workaholics. My contractual job with my boss, Mike, turned into an actual job in his shop and for those who don’t know, we make climbing harnesses for climbing gyms and obstacle courses. I’ve been working as a contractor for him since July of 2013 but started working as part of the crew in August and I really love it. Mike is a really cool guy and because he owns the business he’s able to let me work around the boys schedule which has been amazing. There are normally 3 people working there but the other guy (who was there when I started) quit in February and so we’ve been crazy busy with just the two of us. Starting this month, I basically have a full time and a part time job since I’ll be working in the shop during the weekdays and then sewing parts at night and on the weekend. That will only last for about 3 months though, so it’s not so bad. Hahaha!
Tommy is starting to move up the food chain…which of course means lots of meetings and longer hours sometimes. We are learning to adjust. The boys are great and growing like weeds. Henry turned 10 last Friday and is obsessed with volcanoes right now. The recent eruption down in Hawaii made him go into orbit. I would love to take him down there just to see his eyes pop out of his head. =) William is still his stinker self but is now all about the money. He is constantly asking how he can earn it and tries to swindle it out of everyone’s pocket. I reminded him that AZ allows kids to start working when they’re 14 so he only has to wait 7 more years until he can get a job. Believe it or not, at 6 years old he has an incredible work ethic and really impresses us. We’ll see how long that lasts. 😉
We have some big remodeling projects on the horizon! it’s nice having a good second income to blow on stuff like that. The first is our kitchen. Just yesterday I had a vision of how I wanted to change it, ran it by Tommy, and much to his chagrin he agreed it was a good plan. It’s going to be a big undertaking (kitchens always are) but it will be stunning in end. We will probably start the demolition in the next couple weeks. The other project is an adobe courtyard outside the front patio along with a 3 part adobe wall enclosing the front yard. We will also be changing the driveway and making it a half circle shape so we can just drive through and exit instead of having to back out. I’m sure it’s hard to envision with just this explanation, but trust me – It will look spectacular!
Well, that’s a quick sum up of life right now. I’m not going to promise I’ll get better at posting because at this point, who are we kidding? I hope everyone is doing well and that your year is going good. Happy 100 degree Summer!
