Part Three (thanks for the idea of blog parts, Megan!): Now What?

Okay, so now comes the fun stuff. I'm trying to think of this as a chance to surprise Mark. I'm going to write down what I hope to accomplish while he's gone (I'll be staying till Seth gets settled in his class and living arrangements, and till the house is ready to rent - probably we'll rent it for around 6 months, until we're more settled in Las Vegas and know we want to sell it), and then just work on those things each day.

Seth needs to get a job (he has some almost-offers so far) and take his permit test and then his license test asap (the first is on Monday). We'll be going through things, fixing things, packing things, hauling things, and sprucing things up. I have my own personal projects I want to get done, too. And we need to find a temporary (maybe permanent) place for Tut. Seth will have to find a place that takes pet deposits so that he can keep Leto, although Leto might go nuts if he's cooped up alot). Seth is already registered for his EMT class, but we need to get his book.

And I'll be getting new glasses pretty soon. They just have to make them. It will be crazy to see well, and I hope they work as well as in the drs.' office!

I'll also be getting teeth in less than 2 weeks. Can you believe that? From trying on the preparatory form, I could see how much they fill out my mouth and cheeks. Yay! I startled myself in the mirror!

I need to go now, but I'll keep you posted!

I love you!

xoxoxo

Part Two: Haley and Hunter's Visit

We've had some beautiful July weather

Made more beautiful by a visit from Haley and Hunter

While Dallin helps his uncle in San Diego !

Hunter enjoyed Grandma's pony...

He did this on his own

Isn't he sweet to thank the pony?

Better the pony than Leto! (Leto gets his turn later on)

Hunter just loves Seth

I think it's mutual, don't you?

Haley looked at old school papers

we had saved for her...

And Mr. Milky Mouth got lots of help from Leto...

But he doesn't seem to mind!

Look at these Spongebob teeth:

Thanks for coming, Haley and Hunter! Dallin, have fun painting! ;)

He's Gone...(sob)

No, not Mark - Leto, lol. He went on a walk with Seth.

But Mark really did leave for Las Vegas, around 7:15 this a.m.

We couldn't sleep, so got up in the dark and talked, remembering about ten things that we'd forgotten about, and still Mark almost left his suitcase with all his underwear and socks!

I called him when he got about 2 blocks away. "Just checking to see if this works."

Phones are nice sometimes. : )

Have a good trip, Mark! (I know he will) We said prayers together and with Seth this a.m. Mark is so tender-hearted, but he covers it up, so it startles me when he lets his cover slip.

Like he did this morning.

I love you, Mark.

-

Go Back, Erase That?

Hello. Well, it feels right to stay on here while Mark goes on to Nevada. That way Seth and the pets can have more time to get situated. Seth can get a job and his dr. license, and start his classes, and I can get the house ready to rent out to a couple or someone like that. We're just not ready to sell at this point. I hope someone can come and stay with me at some pt., just for company. So, I'll let you know how it goes! xoxoxo

The Latest...

Okay, so we have thought about it and talked to Seth, and we're waiting to hear if, for a reasonable amt., certain people in our family will let Leto and Seth live with them, there in I.F., where they also have an EMT course this fall. That would be sooo much better! And we'll have to see about Tut, too. Hmmm...where could Tut go? Idk yet. Wish he could go with us. So we'll be renting storage and selling the house, and I'll go down too, asap. As soon as my teeth are done (yay!). I'm going to be so glamorous, aren't I? I'll do my nails and my hair nicely, and I'll have teeth, and maybe better glasses. Cool, huh? So, I have to go right now. I'll blog more later on! Love you! xoxoxo

P.S.

We decided that Mark will go on down in around 6 days from now, and I'll stay on another week or two. We'll still be getting rid of quite a bunch of stuff, put the rest in the garage, and leave a number of things in the house with Seth, so he can have a trial period of living here. When he gets a job, he can pay some rent. He's getting his dr. license soon, before Mark leaves, and the trial period goes till the end of EMT class, at most. So we'll see how that goes. If he wants to step up to the plate, it will be good for both of us. Let's hope he does. I don't want to put all the details in here, but one good thing, I'm getting my dentures before I go down to lv. Yay! Hope to get glasses, too, instead of dollar store ones. I got a watch and I'm doing my nails, etc. Pray for us that everything works out! I'm excited. I love to be around people even older that I am. Always have. : ) Anyway, we're still not sure we won't just rent or sell the house to someone else. Just don't know. I want to know the best alternative. We'll pray about it. Probably go with the trial period with Seth. love you! xoxoxo

Woo Hoo! (Oh no!)

Really great news, plus scary! Mark got a job in Las Vegas, as Executive Director (administrator) of a memory-care unit attached to an assisted living unit. The company (Willowcreek - you can look up the facility at willowcreeklv.com, the St. Martens (sp?) facility) seems like a really good one, bases in LV, and the people, too. He was a construction owner, and built many bldgs. around there, besides the asst. living buildings (3) in LV. He is LDS, and the business is family-owned and operated, but has many employees and directors that aren't fam. members. Anyway, the places are soooo nice, and they are the leading assted livs. in lv. (Sorry, I'm in a big hurry!) We can live at the facility as long as we need to, and we plan on selling this (real est. lady has already come) Seth wants to stay here with Leto - we'll need to work out where he'll be staying or if he'll come with us. Anyway, we need your help to put things in storage (you can have lots if you help!) and clean afterwards. If you can, please let us know. I have to go to the dentist's today, so am leaving in a bit. We need to pick Seth up from Josh's so we can talk. We need to talk to Mel, too. Anyway, that's the lowdown. I'll tell you more later on. thanks! love you! xoxoxo

Sunday Afternoon, and It's Hunter's Birthday : )

Hi! Not much going on here. Except that a place in another state out here is interested in Mark, so that's exciting! Good for him to have a place to consider, too. It's like when you look at a house, you have a possibility; before that, everything about where you're going to live is vague and scary. Even if you don't get that place, it gives you something concrete to consider.

I can't really remember much beyond that. It's been fairly hot, but pleasant, and Mark has been looking for work, and I have been reading Lisa See's books (Mark got another at the library here, for me), and we both do some things on the computer, and we're still doing the healthy eating thing, which is nice, and Mark spent a couple of days working on the garage, which looks soooo much better, and that's mostly everything!

Happy birthday, Hunter! And tomorrow's your mommy's birthday, and then your Aunt Megan's birthday! How about that? We'll tell them Happy Birthday then. : )

Mary Howald got married yesterday - isn't that amazing? Isn't she a little kid still? My mind wants to hang on to the memories of kids the way they were the last time I saw them.

Congratulations, Mary!

And that's all I have to say for now. We love you and are thinking about you!

xoxoxo

Today is Thursday, and It's the Middle of July Already!

Hello! Thank you to those of you who comment on my blog, and to those who just read my posts; I reallly appreciate that!

Things have been quiet around here. Last night, Mark and Seth and I sat down on the back patio and Mark had Seth pull Tut's tail thru the hole in the patio table and hold it. Tut totally submitted to his imprisonment and was basically happy, anyway. That, in a nutshell, describes Tut's adorable attitude toward life: "Don't worry, be happy."

Seth and Mark have been giving apples off of our tree (still little and green) to the new horses next door, an Appaloosa and an almost black horse. The Appaloosa is very friendly and calm; the other horse bites its neck when it wants all the attention, so we have stopped the treats, to spare the Appaloosa's neck.

Mark just went to the store, and Seth is here. I came in from outside, where Mark and I go to soak up the sun each day, me for the light it puts in my hair, and he for color in his face. He uses allergy eye drops, and his eyes are clearer. We are on a loose eating plan, based on the one Haley and Megan use, and we are doing other things to improve our health in a general way, over time.

Also, looking better will probably help Mark if he gets to the interview stage on a job.

The promising job in Boise is, for now, being filled. Mark sent them a thank you, anyway, to keep him in their minds. You never know when they'll have another opening somewhere. It's a big company.

It's pretty hard on Mark when he's not chosen for a job, although he knows that God's hand is over all. It's hard to be unemployed, at least for a guy like Mark. He's generally cheerful, but he also half-jokingly refers to himself as 'unemployable, or jokes about why he wasn't hired, or questions the possible strange reasons why he didn't get the job, such as bizarre reference letters from his friends.

I'll admit, the latter thing is funny to contemplate. There is so much scope for the imagination, as Anne of Green Gables would point out. lol

Let's see...what else? Megan and Brooks made it safely back to W. VA, and Phillip made it back to Ft. Leonardwood. And that's about all that's been happening around here! Nice and quiet. What's been happening in your lives? Let me know, take care, and know that I love you!

xoxoxo

Lots of Pictures of July! (See Post Below)

No words for this one...

'The Look'

Mark demonstrating the joys of dry ice Phillip playing a game?

Only picture I got of him!

Melinda getting ready for the bbq at their place See the cute kitchen they remodeled?

Dreamy-eyed Hunter

Hey, who are you, anyway?

Josh and Hunter notice each other

You're the same size I am!

Hmm...interesting

The Wild Blue Yonder

Grandpa, Leto, and Aiden, just sittin' a spell

That's one BIG tongue!

Grandma 'walking' with Audrey and Anya

Anya hangin' with Grandpa (see top picture :)

This is the Fourth of July?!!!

Aiden - Cameraman; Anya and Audrey - Just Cute!

Tristan peeking out of his hoodie While sister Lainie stands by Mom More cuteness!

Patriotic horses

And calves

Sad goodbyes

Well, not too sad...

I love this picture

and the one below...

Even Leto looks a little sad : (

But soon, Audrey waxes philosophical

And gives us The Look as we wave goodbye

--We'll miss you, Haroldsens!-- Good thing some grandkids are still around

To photograph!

Josh visiting Tut

And riding Leto!

And that's the end of the pictures for now

Although I would've taken more

Our camera's storage filled up too fast

To catch all the wonderful moments!

xoxoxo

Okay, I'm Going to Do This...

It's a lot to do! That is, detailing some of our past 2 weeks' events.

First of all, Phillip came to visit. Didn't see him much, but that's ok. I know I already wrote about that, but just saying - that was an event! Then Megan and Brooks and kids, plus Kattie, came here to Idaho, to our house! They were here a couple of days before moving on to Brooks' family home and Melinda and Danny's home. Anya is sooo tiny! Her pictures don't convey this at all. And Audrey talks more, but in spurts. She'd forgotten about my legs, and that clearly made her withdraw some. Aiden was friendlier than ever, and not shy about liking us. Anya was friendly, too. All three kids were enjoying their vacation, that was finally HERE! Kattie seemed happy and more settled. More mature, which makes her more beautiful. She has funny stories about Mongolia, of course. If you know Kattie, you know that she would have stories! We went with Megan and Brooks to fly Aiden's birthday kite (from a year before). Even in zero wind, the dragon soared a little. The weather that evening was so perfect. The air was sweet and delicious. The grass was thick and soft. The sounds of young adults playing catch were distant enough, a pleasant backdrop to the kite-flying. The sight of Aiden and the girls running through the grass, with Anya wandering occasionally and Brooks gathering her in, was memorable. I will always have that circumstance to savor. Friday we met up with Melinda and Danny and Brooks and Megan, and Justin, Haley, Seth and Kattie, and saw Eclipse. I like it more than the second movie, but not as much as the first, because Rob Pattinson looked better in the first movie (I think they later muddled him up on purpose, to make the Jake rivalry believable), and the first movie was more romantic. There may have been lame moments, but there were great pieces in it too. Think of the ballgame, or when Bella visits the Cullens' home for the first time, or the dance at the end. Also, Victoria's smile in the last shot. That actress was great, even tho Dallas Bryce Howard was fine in the role, just not great. And Saturday, after spending the night at Mel and Danny's, we went to the morning parade. Many people threw candy my way, or even handed it right to me, since I was in a wheelchair and also looked retarded, with my big Dollar Tree, man-glasses (but sturdy!) and toothless smile. Now my purse is full of parade loot. Yay! Saturday afternoon we ate at M&D's, and Danny's folks came over to share our vittles. Yum! Mark made Philly steak sandwiches, and Megan made a great bean and corn salsa which I ate straight up. There was also Jell-O salad, my favorite kind. People spread to the back deck and yard, and Ben and Linda were there with Josh. Also, Haley was there with Hunter, with his dreamy blue eyes. It was great. That night, Dallin joined us at our reserved (by Danny and Justin, I think) spot by the river. Kattie was there, too, and lots of Haroldsen cousins. On the way, we saw and spoke to Brock and his family. He and his wife have a baby now! Mark had his usual cooler of soda pop and sandwiches, and the fireworks were better than ever. Great display of blistering light and color and sound! And last Wed., Megan joined us for book club. We discussed Three Cups of Tea, and Maria Hart was home on vacation with her family, so we had her there, too. It was a fun visit at Angie's home, and I was really tired by the end of the evening. It was the last I would see Megan and family, before they left Idaho. Boo hoo... Megan called me the next morning to say bye again. You know what? It won't be long till we get back together again, and Danny and Mel are going out there in a week or two. Time goes by, and we are always together again, one way or another. Hope I'm not forgetting anything. Mark found Jewel's papers, btw, in some of his own office stacks. Yay!!! So Ben and Linda and Josh came by Saturday a.m., on their way to Soda Springs, and picked them up. What a relief! Josh is always so bright and cute. I want to see and hug the grandkids every day! Oh, and Friday afternoon we went to see our last movie for a long while - Despicable Me. It was funny and touching. My favorite parts featured the littlest girl. She wad adorable! After this, we will wait to see most movies on Netflix. This a.m., I wrote an actual letter, and now I'm posting on my blog! Both are relatively rare occurrences, and I know I should do so more often... but don't hold your breath! Love you! xoxoxo PS I'll post some pictures later, so be sure to check and comment on them. :)