Since it has been, well months, since I've been on here...I will try to give an very brief update as to what has been going on. There have been two sort of major things that have kept me busy (other than parenting a now 20 month old)...one has been the planning for my Command's Reduction In Force (RIF) which basically means that the Command has to get rid of 155 billets (i.e. jobs) by next March...so everyone is updating resumes, looking for jobs, trying to figure out if they're going to be one of those that gets cut, etc. And the other big thing is that I seem to be making up for not going to the dr very often and have been through just about every medical test imaginable, I believe. So between all of that...I have not had much time for anything else. But that doesn't mean there hasn't been a lot going on.
Grandma and Grandpa came out over Easter and we took Gray to get some updated pictures since it had been since his first birthdy...I know...hard to believe...but I'm trying to be better. I had another wonderful Mother's Day this year with my boys spoiling me with the Dooney and Bourke Walt Disney World 40th Anniversary purse and wallet...I LOVE IT!!!! Over Memorial Day we went to the Great Smokey Mountains for the weekend. And other than traffic to and from. We had a great time! We went to the National Park, the Cherokee Reservation, and Dollywood...what more could you ask for out of a long weekend.
Grayson started talking up a storm. He has always been a talker...but we're now understanding a lot more of what he says. It seems like he had a few understandable words and then when day a switch flipped and now he's saying all kinds of new words everyday. He still has some conversations completely in his own language, but he's getting much better about having "english" conversations too!
We took Grayson to see Cars 2 this summer and he loved it! I got the cutest picture of him sitting in the movie theater in his booster seat with his drink and popcorn. I might have taken more, but Wil scolded me for taking pictures in the theater and told me that I'd get kicked out...it's a picture of my baby in the movie theater...it was cute...Oh and of course...Grayson thinks Mater is just hilarious...I guess he's a redneck at heart...maybe some of my down home Indiana roots have passed on to him... ;-p
For the 4th of July we went to Cincinnati for our friend, Craig's suprise 40th Bday party and had a wonderful time. The service in Cincinnati left, well...much to be desired...the town itself was lovely! The riverboat cruise was fantastic and spending a very special birthday was some close friends was priceless (I'm practicing in case I need to begin looking for work in the private sector...perhaps I could write commercials for Mastercard...hmmm).
We've also celebrated some other birthdays this month. Our friends' (Mary and John) daughter, Maria, just turned 1 and we were so fortunate to celebrate this big birthday with them and a very beautiful birthday party that they had for her in Lorton, VA. I thought I threw pretty good bday parties...but I obviously need to step it up. :) We also celebrated Kay-Margaret's son, Kevin's 6th bday party at a fabulous park in Arlington. This park had everything...water to play in...plenty of space...playground equipment...tennis courts and basketball courts...and completely fened in for paranoid parents like me. Grayson had a great time and we hoped to stay longer, but unfortunately he was already way past his naptime.
This month will also by my nephew, Cameron's 18th birthday!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Do you believe it? I don't! I'm not sure how he's aged when I haven't...after all my 21st birthday is this month as well... :)
Grandma and Grandpa came out to celebrate my birthday with me...or so they claim...I still think they came out to see Grayson and are just using that as an excuse...but that's alright...I'll let them use that excuse.
Throughout the summer I've been fortunate to have some very good job offers, but have unfortunately had to turn them down due to location or other factors. This has been especially heartbreaking since I've not been happy in my job over the last year or so. But as everything falls out from this RIF and reorganization, I will hopefully be in a different environment and away from some miserable elements of the Command. I'm trying to think that there is a good lesson or a good reason for me to stay...I just haven't figured out what that is yet, but I'm sure it's all for the best. And that means we don't have to sell the house and move anytime soon...which means that I can continue with my backyard plans...now just to get the estimate and get the work done.
Well, I think that's the highlights...not everything, but definitely some of the big stuff. I'll try to get some pictures uploaded and do a much better job about periodic updates.
Enjoy the summer and stay cool!
