My year of 30 is almost over and this is my second post. Well, things have been busy, both online and off. My job is crazy busy, that’s really the only way to describe it. There are very few days that I accomplish what I intended to do for the day. But I like the people I work with, my boss is supportive and a great person to learn from, I have freedom and ownership, I like the work we do and I was promoted and given an officer title… So I really don’t have too much to complain about. I will take crazy busy over insanely bored any day.
I set a goal at the start of 2011 to step up some of my online ventures and as I prepare our paperwork for tax season I discovered just how good Squidoo.com has been to me. If you enjoy writing and have some topics you are passionate about, in other words know a lot because you enjoy the subject! Well start yourself an account. The ad revenue for top ranking pages adds up quickly and if you like to write product reviews you can even make quite a bit through their Amazon selling modules. Keep in mind it takes several months to see the rewards of your work. It’s not a get cash quick scheme.
Matt changed companies last fall and has been a different guy around the house. The stress and aggravation stayed with the old job thankfully and he seems to be enjoying this new venture. I know for sure he is enjoying having his weekends and evenings back and I’m really enjoying sleeping through the night without being woken up every 15 minutes to that horrible pager.
Let’s see we have a new sister-in-law! Bryan and Amanda married last summer and are planning to have the wedding in June. Matt and I are both in the wedding party and are looking forward to the celebration. B&A will be moving to Hawaii in just a few months. We don’t have any set plans to visit, but would really like to make some once they are settled. I’m vying for a Christmas in Hawaii.
The holidays were spent with friends and family and were a fun time all around. We celebrated the season though with heavy hearts after losing Matt’s Grandma to cancer in November. Madonna fought a strong, long, difficult battle, and as much as we miss her, I think everyone can say we are glad she is no longer in such pain. We were able to celebrate the October birthdays, her’s included, while she was in hospice care. A very bitter sweet day, but one I’m thankful we had.
Thinking of weddings and grandma’s, my Chicago family on my Dad’s side decided to have a two wedding weekend (unintentionally). My cousins booked back-to-back weddings, one being on a Friday the other Saturday on the same weekend. This was great for us who were traveling, but meant that each of the immediate families weren’t in attendance at the other wedding. I don’t see my relatives very often so it was a real treat to have an entire extended family filled weekend. We were even able to stop by my Grandma’s new home. She turns 90 this April and up until last year has lived on her own in the house my dad and his siblings grew up in. She is in great health, but her mind isn’t keeping up with her body. The facility they found is bright and homey feeling. The way everyone talked I was prepared for the worst when we went to visit, but it was so great to see a sparkle in my grandma’s eye and although she repeated a few questions and stories she called each of us by name through out the visit. I loved that her room was filled with her own furniture and how she scolded my Dad when he’d try to tell her she was doing something wrong.
All the animals are good. Oscar has taken to roaming the neighborhood since the electric fence went down and annoying the heck out of the neighbors. We’re going to look into some more permanent fencing options when the weather is nicer. Yes, even Matt agreed this is one home project that we should do. Still holding out that the ceiling fan replacement in our study will make that short list one of these days. That fan went out in 2007… so the safer bet is we sell the house with it broken. Not that we have any plans for moving in the near future. I just refi’d us for the 3rd time taking us to a 15 year with a ridiculously low interest rate that we should have paid off in 10. Rates are still in the 3%’s even for 30 year mortgages.
We did have a scare with my old kitty BO. He lives with my mom but is almost 17 years old. He became very sick with kidney disease, but we were able to bring him back around by flushing his system daily through subcutaneous fluids. Mom thankfully doesn’t mind the process too much and BO is only a little mad about being stuck with a needle daily, but he’s good as new with this routine and doesn’t seem to be in pain. Some cats can live into their twenties and I hope BO turns out to be one of them. Matt probably has another wish for our two little kitties
For the Chicago wedding trip we decided to travel with the puppies. The hotel we found that allowed dogs wasn’t exactly the cleanest place we ever stayed in, but the dogs did so good, that we brought them along to Nebraska for Cliff and Abby’s wedding. This time however I let Matt book our dog friendly accommodations… which were slim pickings in Fremont, NE. This hotel room made the Chicago room look like a 5 star. We were scared to even shower in this place let alone sleep. The door locked but there was a 2 inch gap between the edge of the door and the frame. With no other dog friendly hotels we were stuck. Thankfully the place was cheap. However those savings flew out the window with the $300 speeding ticket we acquired on the way home.
I think that pretty much catches everything back up. We will see if I can write a few shorter posts through my year of 31!
Oh boy have you changed this month. You’ve found your voice and will chat with us, occasionally letting out a squeal. You also like to stick out your tongue and blow raspberries. Nana Sue got you to laugh at the game peek-a-boo. You love your changing table and always talk and laugh while we give you fresh pants.