Some Summertime Highlights

Summer is in full swing!  Therefore, I don't have as much time for blogging.  On top of having a fun summer we are also going to be moving soon.  That means I will be getting busy (not a fun busy) sometime soon.  ALSO life happens.  Lots and lots of life.

It always takes a bit to get back into the writing mode, doesn't it?  So, I suppose I will just make a list of our recent happenings and go from there.



I held my first fishing pole, cast for the first time and that same day I caught my very first fish!

Later I overheard Mr. Sexy telling a man walking by that it was "just a baby trout."  Baby or not I was ecstatic and still am mighty proud! I really wanted Mr. Sexy to take care of it and cook it for me....but that didn't happen.  Then the car started stinking like fish...The smell is gone now, thank goodness! 

Mr. Sexy has just started counseling, we have an appointment with a behavior specialist to help us with Marie, and if things don't improve I will be seeking counseling as well.  

Some details are too intimate at this point to share so openly.  Basically, our family is under a constant state of stress, much of which falls on the shoulders of my husband.  His lack of sleep is a huge problem and only adds to the chaos of things.  Mr. Sexy is continuing with a sleep doctor, hoping to find some answers.

Camping!
This is the closest thing we have to a recent family photo.

  

I'm proficient at peeing in the woods - BY MYSELF. 

This is huge for me people.  A few months ago, the idea freaked me out.  Then, while camping in the woods, I had no choice so I squatted while hanging onto Mr. Sexy so I wouldn't fall over.  Then, in my parent's bathroom, I read their calendar which described just "how" to squat.  My parent's have a poop calendar in their bathroom.  It's very funny.  So anyways, I now pee, in the woods, by myself.  I even choose the woods over the porta-potty.  

Our most recent campsite.
The nearest porta-potty was a decent hike away.

Marie's birth mother calls twice a week and Mr. Sexy and I allow them to talk.

There is going to be paperwork signed for all this - we hope, at least.  Voldemort's attorney wants a few stipulations taken out, one of which requires Voldemort to go back to the counseling program if she wants visitations with Marie again.  Right now trial is cancelled, but if this attorney pushes this issue, trial will probably have to happen.  Read more about this under the label 'V Update.'

I'm walking, because I feel like I'm turning into a fat ass. 

If we didn't have such a steep driveway, I would be running.  That's the goal, though, to run UP the driveway.  Will that happen?  I have my doubts.  Especially since this is week two and the sunburn that is covering my back and shoulders is a great excuse to stay in bed and not move in the mornings.  

This picture is a view looking down the driveway.
As you can see, it seems to drop.
It's steep.

Random things still go wrong. 

For instance, our truck broke down a few weeks ago.  The starter went out.  So it sat in the parking lot while we ordered the part and waited.  And waited.  While we waited a tire went flat.  That was sad.  Then it wasn't flat.  A good Samaritan fixed it.  That was awesome!  Then the starter came, Mr. Sexy put it in, and apparently the truck sounds like new.  

But wait!  There's more.  We came home from a weekend of camping to find a different tire had gone flat.  Mr. Sexy drove it to the nearest gas station before work this morning, very slowly, so he could fill it back up.  Well the tire blew out and Mr. Sexy barely made it home.  So he took our mini-van to work and told me to go look at the tire because I probably haven't seen anything like it.  While I viewed it from a distance, I didn't think it was worth the walk (again, see above bold print about turning into a fat ass).

I have taken a major step back in Marie's life. 

 Earlier I mentioned Mr. Sexy is in counseling ect. Well, there was a blow up.  Most blow ups and arguments stem from two things: Marie or money.  This time it was Marie.  What began as a misunderstanding turned into something much larger.  Therefore, we are seeking help in all areas. 

Marie is a major trigger for Mr. Sexy and I.  Currently, the bottom line is that I don't feel like I can interact with Marie any longer - at least, not in a positive way.  Things had actually been going really, really well.  Until they weren't.  The thing is, I don't see what Mr. Sexy sees.  And he doesn't see what I see.  While I see Marie giggling at my stupid jokes while I'm getting her ready for bed, Mr. Sexy sees how Marie is often set apart from the rest of us.  This a long conversation that will be continued over time. 

She spends more time trying to figure out
the worm situation than actually
fishing.

Lastly, we're moving! 

This whole moving thing has been incredibly frustrating.  

First, we found out the owners are selling. 

Second, we were told they didn't want us here while the house is on the market.  That gave us two months.

Next, we asked their realator, an incredibly nice lady who has been in charge of the property, about possibly getting out of our lease early since they don't want us here anyways.

She received no response. 

Now Mr. Sexy has started getting phone calls from the owner about us showing the house which their realator isn't aware of. 

When Mr. Sexy asked the owner about possibly letting us out of our lease, it was put out like this: If we sell the house by then, sure.

Last year, when we moved in, we had high hopes and opinions of the owners and previous renteres who all happen to be related.  Our move in here was extremely difficult and we felt lied to by the previous renters for not telling us the whole story about this house.  Over and over again they said, "It takes a special family to live here." I didn't know what they meant until about a month after we moved in and there were bugs EVERYWHERE (inside, like our beds and furniture) and bees were getting in somehow daily and then the winter....To top all that off we were told we weren't to use the brand new snow plow that was sitting up here or the riding lawn mower.  WTF people.  

And NOW we are dealing with the owners who seem to be wishy-washy, underhanded and the type of people who are generally money hungry.  That's only one side, I'm sure.  But it's all I can say way over here in Idaho.  

All I have to say is: Actually, that's not appropriate 

Well, those are some of the highlights!  Perhaps I will elaborate more in the days to come.