Happy Easter
From the
HARRINGTON
Family.

So this was taken by someone else at the Jeff Dunham show at the Pershing center in Lincoln. The quality is not that great but if you listen to the story it is funny as hell! This Jeff, the Guitar guy and Peanut telling The Night Before Christmas story!

This is the kids posing at the Liberty Bell at Antelope park, which is just down the road from our house. The neat thing about this park is this is where, when I was a kid, my family use to meet on Thanksgiving. Everyone from all over would come and we would have the biggest feast. Even though they have not done that in the last few years I am hoping that they will do it this year!

Could not resist taking a picture of this! This was just on the other side of the Missouri River as we crossed back from Iowa!

This is the beautiful sunset I was talking about! You can not really get an idea on how big it really is though from this picture. My battery was very low and we were traveling down a highway so really not a good picture.

I am not sure what the story is behind this. We had to stop as we crossed back into Nebraska to let Heather go potty we found this on the way in to the park. It is all made from bicycles, and not just old ones!

This the bridge crossing the Missouri River into Iowa. The white building you see on the middle left hand side is the toll booth, one dollar to cross each way. It is a pretty long bridge!

Heather flying her new Pokemon kite! finally she had been saving it until she had a good opportunity to fly it. The lake you see behind them is Pony Lake. It was a cute little man made lake that I think we will come back to this summer.

Now that is a SLIDE! I want one! This house was not the only one to have one though! The kids thought it was a park.

Hunter and I playing in the car while Heather and Heath were off flying a kite. Notice the new smile? I got my teeth fixed finally!

Heather so proud of her new kite! You can't really tell but it IS A POKEMON kite!

They are setting the kite up getting ready to fly!

Well I am not sure what is wrong but I am unable to post pictures. Kind of bums me out had several great photos to share! Not sure if it is me or blogger!
Well anyways after I left blogger Sunday Heather and I went shopping for Easter clothes. We found her a really cute pink dress with white shoes and Hunter nice dress slacks and a blue "man shirt" as he calls it. He was not happy that there was no tie though!
After that Heather and I went back and picked up Heath and Hunter and we ran to Walmart for dog food. While we were there we spent about forty five minutes picking out baseball gloves. The original intent was for Hunter to get one but Heather had her heart on getting one so she too picked out a glove. Heath and I could not find any gloves that would fit and were not to highly priced so we headed to the park to play catch with the kids. When we got to the park we decided because we were just starting them we would work with them in an empty side lot because we were so close. Everything went well until one ball went down the sewer drain and then the next one I threw followed it. We had only bought two balls so it ended our fun for a moment. We headed over to Shopko and while we were there Heath and I found gloves that were well priced and fit us so we bought two more balls and headed to the kid's school. The entire playground is this weird sand/gravel stuff and it was nice because it stopped the ball from rolling away. Unfortunately by the time we had gotten there Hunter had had enough and wanted to go home and did not want to play baseball. Heather did though so the three of us played toss in the school yard while Hunter climbed the cages. Heather was the shocker of the day. First I did not think she would want to play then she did. Second I did not know she had so much skill! She tried really hard to make sure she was throwing right and even caught the ball several times (ask her and she will tell you how many times she caught it!). She seems to be enjoying the sport and this might be the sport I can get her into! Everything else that we have suggested she has turned her nose to it, but this might be the one! So now it is time to start investigating some small teams! When Hunter plays he does well it is just a matter of keeping him focused. He just has so much energy!
Well we played in the schoolyard until I took a ball to the hand thrown by Heath but no fault of his. We were throwing far and fast to each other and the ball went through my glove and smacked my right hand. Luckily it wasn't an actual baseball, it would have broke my hand.
We left the park shortly after that and headed home where Heath and I got ready to go to Jeff Dunham.
My uncle, Heath and I loaded into the car and headed to the Pershing Center and hour early so we could find parking and get in quicker. The show had sold out so we knew there going to be a lot of people! Well it seems that a lot of people had the same idea but we still didn't wait that long. Once inside at our seats far, far away, we waited for an hour for the show to start. This was our fault for trying to get there early. Anyone who has seen Achmed and Jeff's Jingle Bombs routine knows the Guitar Guy. Well he came out first and entertained us for about fifteen or so. He was really good he mixed his comedy while playing his guitar. I had seen some of his stuff on you tube but he was much funnier in person! Jeff did Walter, Acmed, Peanut, Senoir Jalepeno and Bubba J! Anyone who has not seen this guy really needs to take a look, a lot can be found on YOUTUBE! The show lasted about 2 and a half hours and funny as hell! It will keep me smiling for the rest of the week!

Another Sunday morning post! Still bed with PJs and coffee and while the sun is shining through my window I know it is only a tease. It is actually chilly out there and the ground is still somewhat covered in snow still from the other night. Supposedly it is going to start to warm up and spring is on its way but I am not holding my breath. I just hope that my little car does better the next time it snows, not that it did bad this last time but it was...interesting.
So have you ever woke and thought...geez I am bored lets go to another state? Well we did yesterday! We took the kids to IHOP filled up on who cakes, green eggs and ham and special who drinks (sprite filled with chunks of blue and red Jello) and decided over this feast that we were bored and wanted to do some sight seeing. Heather said she did not care as long as she could fly her kite and well Hunter he just always goes along for the ride!
So we decided to head to Iowa! Heath had been there a couple of weeks ago for a concrete job and said it was beautiful. So we loaded up and hopped on I 80 and went to Iowa. The first cool thing it was my first time driving on an Interstate the second cool thing is it only took about an hour to drive there!
Second cool thing was paying at a toll bridge, crossing the Missouri river and then being in Iowa! We went to the park where, yes Heather got to fly her kite and Hunter got to climb his tree. We also got see a strange sight in someone's back yard. A water slide that lead to their huge outdoor swimming pool! Way cool!
Heath and I had our eyes to the ditches to see possums and skunks but the only ones we saw were already dead. We did get to see a raccoon the other night going through someone's trash, and he was so cute. He was not afraid of us and continued to eat his trash as we sat five feet from him. I have decided I want to find a baby and keep him! I wonder if they let you do that!
On our drive home yesterday we did get to see the most spectacular sunset. The sun was SO HUGE it was almost overwhelming.
Today Heather and I will be going to pick out her outfit for Easter and picking up a baseball mitts for Heath and Hunter. The kid has such a good arm and good aim Heath wants to work with him. Maybe I should look into getting him in to a summer program.
My tickets for Jeff Dunham finally showed up yesterday, nothing like cutting it close! I ordered them two and a half weeks ago! So we will be going to see him tonight, well at least from a distance. The seats are far away and up high so we will see!
Well that is it for now I need to start getting ready to take off! I will post pictures later. For some reason it is not working. Sucks, but I will put them up I promise!

WE ARE GOING TO SEE
JEFF DUNHAM
SUNDAY NIGHT!!!!
I AM SO VERY EXCITED!!!!
(HEATHER IS A LITTLE ANGRY THOUGH...SHE WANTED TO GO)

Weird the way things work.

So this week has been weird. This is the first week with my new schedule. It has been nice to sleep in but I feel like I should be going to work. We have been taking live calls now on the call center floor where as before we were in a classroom. It is really cool because I now have my own desk! I have been nicknamed by several people at work as ALASKA and now it is written on my message board. The weirdest thing that has happened as far as calls I have taken is I got a call today from a guy that lives in Alaska! This is weird because there is no Verizon Wireless in Alaska. It was nice to talk about home.
I am now able to drop the kids off at school and it has relieved Heath of that burden, but I am not so happy about dealing with the parents also dropping their kids off. There has been this lady in a maroon mini van who has almost hit me twice and stops in the middle of the road to let her kids out (we have no parking lot for the school). I just have to remember to breath and smile. Why should I let her ruin my day, right?
Then yesterday I found out that an employee at a gas station ran my card twice, once for the purchase I had made and then another time for 35 dollars. I went in today to talk to the manager thinking it was going to be a hassle and it seems like it is not. I was so mad at first but I knew if I went in all angry they would be less inclined to help. It should be all cleared up tomorrow.
Lastly I have been helping my sister out and have been running her on errands for her probation. This has removed a huge deal of stress off her and makes things easier for her to accomplish. She has really made some good improvements in her life and I am really happy for her. I have had to come to terms with how I feel about the things that have happened to her but it was a lot easier than I thought. I guess accepting that I do not know what she was going through because I was not walking in her shoes has really opened my eyes.
Oh yeah good luck and congrats to Sarah Palin!
Well goodnight all I'm going to bed!

Wow, it has been awhile! I started a post last weekend but never got a chance to post it due to working all week. This Saturday morning finds me still in my PJ's sipping my cup of coffee. For now anyways because it is so beautiful and warm right now it is calling me outside!

So last weekend the temperatures rose and we headed to the park for a picnic and to play with the dogs. Koda is getting better about wanting to eat the other dogs on the trails, now he only tries to eat the little ones! Joking! Elvis on the other hand, despite my doubts, has taken very well to the leash training and now even sits every time I stop. His thing was he liked to pull so hard you could not control him and he was never walked before so he would just go nuts. We actually took him on his first walk since he was born early this winter.
Once at the park we found we were not the only people who had decided to come out and play. The park was packed. Even the kids did not want to play because there were to many people so we decided to find some where quiet to eat our lunch and let the dogs run a little. While every place we found had no snow covering the ground it was however still soggy. We did find this amazing little spot that was a slight hill and so it was dry. The grass was perfect, maybe thinking back a little to perfect. We set down to eat our lunch when Heath notices the sign marking which hole on the green we were at! We had been eating our lunch on the golf course and had no clue! We got out of there quickly!
We did find a place to eat our lunch and then it was time to head home. The weather was so nice we did not have to wear our jackets and were sweating by the time we got home.
So the week flew by for me. This was my last week of training and all week we have been taking real calls in our classroom. My first call was really scaring but I had all good calls so it was easy for me. So starting Monday I am going into transition and will start 12-9pm. This allows for a little pressure to be lifted off Heath as I can now get the kids ready for school and take them to school.
I have learned a few things over the last couple of days. Patience can really pay off! A couple of weeks ago I got financing to get into a 2002 KIA four door car. The payments would have been around 250 and would have been for at least three years. The child in me wanted that car. Heath and I talked about it and we decided not to get the car. I was a little sad but understood where he was coming from. He did not want a long term payment and he was right. After a couple of days I felt better about our decision and moved on. Heath had just bought his new car from his coworker for four hundred dollars to get to and from work. It is a 1993 Pontiac Bonneville that back in its day was the top of the line. It has seen some use but all in all it is a good work car! We found out that my schedule would definitely change and I was out of a way to get to work. My grandma then suggested I go down to the car dealer where she had bought her last two cars from. I went down and found my new car. It is a 1998 Mitsubishi Mirage four door, four cylinder . They were asking 2295 for it. I did a small loan with cash down, and in FEW months will have it paid off if I pay just the minimum payments. It is a clean little car which Heath has fondly named the "turd" (it really isn't that slow!) and when I brag about my gas mileage he says that all LAWNMOWERS get good gas mileage! We will see what he says about it when he needs to fill up again and my car still has half a tank!
The other thing I have been patient on is a house. I have wanted the one across the street but have been unable to get a hold of the owner because of an accident he was in. Finally yesterday we got a hold of him and it looks like we will be moving in in about a month! The guy is really nice and willing to work with us and the rent is amazing for the house. It is a two story 4 bedroom house for 750. It is also nice because it keeps the kids really close to their school. I am supposed to meet the guy today and get to look around inside the house! I am so very excited!
It is a good feeling knowing everything is working out finally. We have the jobs with excellent pay, we both have good cars now and soon our own house! It was really nice to go to bed last night knowing it was all falling into place.
So yesterday was spent driving the new cars around, you know testing them out, and again due to the the temps being in the high sixties we headed for the parks again to be disappointed. They were all packed (welcome to the big city). We have this cool little navigation program on our phones (just like having a Garmin, Tom Tom and yes a Susie we can change her voice but Heath swears they all sound the same, a women telling him how to drive!)
So we typed in a search for parks and found a quiet little park just down the road and we headed that way. The dogs were happy to get out and run if only for a minute and the kids climbed the huge trees. Well Hunter climbed the trees while Heather tried but was to scared. We have have footage of this and I am torn on if I should post it or not. It is quite funny! Well they enjoyed themselves despite the issue with the tree and even stopped to let me take pictures of them together!This is my son with the sticker from my car. He was being "SPECIAL"!

This picture is hard to explain. Lets just say she won't just be grabbing Heath's drinks with out asking again. I just happen to be trying to get them to take a picture together and got this shot! Heath was drinking a beer with tomato juice in it!
Well that is all for now I am going to throw on some clothes takes some tylenol for this head cold and go outdoors! It is 10 am and already in the high fifties! I am going to enjoy this

Just sneaking in some blogging time while everyone is watching wrestling (soap operas for guys)! Anyways it has been a tough last couple of days between work and the kids!
Heather has pulled her spelling grades and attitude out of their slump. She passed her last spelling test with flying colors! Yeah! She was doing it to earn back her Nintendo so she had lots of motivation. She has been working on her attitude and fighting with Hunter but the last couple of days they have both been going at it. She has been also having bits of sudden crying fits and two minutes later, she is over it! SO it looks like she is on the same CYCLE as me. This is also the time when I get "a little grumpy". Great what will Heath and Hunter do now.
I also got to answer two VERY important questions tonight, one per kid. The first was asked by Hunter and is the type of question most little boys ask or at least, think, and was of a private matter. I did tell Heath though so that he could also talk to Hunter about it, you know, man to boy! The other was asked by Heather and it involved that "special" time of the month. She had originally asked her dad but he QUICKLY told her to go talk to her mom! She was like "I have been hearing about it everywhere!" I think it was something that she was being left out of!
Work is going good, still loving it. Next week we will be done with training and moving into the next six weeks of transition. I am excited to go out and take real calls but at the same time I am really nervous! It is not so much the customer...everyone knows I like to talk...it is the fact that we will have our calls monitored to ensure proper customer service.
We just released a new calling plan and it is amazing! UNLIMITED MINUTES! No more watching your minutes!
The phones here are so nifty! I just downloaded an ESPN fishing application and it tells me the weather in Anchor Point including humidity and barometer reading. It also tells me the next weeks temps for AP and a lot, lot more!
I have now synced my email to my mobile phone and have all of my hotmail messages sent right to my phone! If you call my phone you will hear music playing instead of ringing which some people have thought was strange and have hung up.
I have been enjoying my phone and have even got Heath into texting! Nothing makes my day like him saying hi during class!
Well I am heading to bed because I can barely keep my eyes open! (oh yeah working out has been going better I have been going every morning along with eating better - we will see how it goes in a couple of weeks!)

So here are my latest pictures and while they are not of the best quality, they are breath taking! These pictures really do it no justice!
Heath and the kids got to watch the shadow first cover the moon. By the time I made it out with the camera and the tripod the moon was covered but was this deep purple/red. I snapped as many shots as my nearly frozen fingers would let me, then I headed inside to download them. I was impatient as my computer finished running its UPDATES and was unable to post the first pictures until after I had captured the second batch. Thank you Sarah for sitting on the phone with me while I uploaded them to blogger.
Well here they are and it has been pretty to see!

Yes Stan, we got your Valentine's wishes and THANK YOU!!

Well it is finally Saturday and man this week has just gone by so fast.
Last Saturday Heath and I went to the movies and saw Strange Wilderness, which had its moments but was almost ruined by the kids sitting behind us. I know this means I am definitely I am getting old but why would you spend the money to get in and buy popcorn/soda and then talk through the whole movie? I know I did not pay that much to have a bunch of kids sit and talk crap. What really made me mad was the kid behind me who had his feet on the back of the seat next to me (where my popcorn was) and dumped a whole bunch of dirt in my popcorn. When I looked to see that my popcorn was covered in dirt he just laughed. I so wanted to throw my popcorn at him but refrained, I was there to watch a movie with Heath which does not happen very often so I wasn't going to let them ruin it! So kids aside we had a good night and plan to do it more often, although not every weekend.
The kids had fun at school this week and both are doing well. Heather had some issues with her spelling so was grounded form her Nintendo DS for this entire week. Her attitude has also been getting worse so she also had to improve that. I met with her teacher on Tuesday and found that while she has failed the last two spelling tests she is doing exceptionally well at school. Her teacher was impressed because she was thrown into the middle of this lesson and is grasping everything. I can't wait for them to start the new lessons so she can be right with everyone else.
Hunter's teacher did not schedule a conference because she felt he was to new. he is doing well and brought home only good grades last week. This really did not set well with Heather because he could play the DS and she couldn't!
We have made a deal with Heather if she keeps doing well with school and her attitude improves (which it HAS gotten a lot better) she will be getting her own cell phone.
Last Saturday Heather and I had a mother daughter day and walked the malls. I got my hair dyed again and she got hers cut. It looks really cute on her!
*****break*****
Well I stopped there for a break and while I was on break we decided to go to the movies! The kids picked out The Spiderwick Chronicles. It was a very entertaining movie for adults and children both! The kids really enjoyed it and it even kept Hunter sitting quietly in his seat until the end when he got scared a couple of times! I learned that when you buy a soda there is no refills, you have to purchase an entirely new soda. Since the sodas we had originally purchased for the kids came in a combo deal I could not get new sodas in that size, unless I wanted to purchase another combo pack, and had to buy the next size up, a small. I ordered two thinking that it shouldn't cost that much. After the lady charged me SIX DOLLARS for two small sodas I about flipped! I asked why no refills and she told me that people will actually dig them out of the trash cans and get refills. I was not happy about the six dollars for the two small sodas...hmmm...does not seem right! Oh well the kids enjoyed it and it was a good movie but after the prices and the DISGUSTING bathrooms we might have to check out an different theater!
Well this time I will actually post this!

Now I have not been one for PETA and some of their advertising "habits" but I watched this on a friends page and was horrified. I am not naive and I am by no means a vegetarian. I know that in order for me to eat the steak I enjoy that a cow or two must die. I know that no matter what they lives end in death. I just feel that it shouldn't end this way and that the path to that end should not be so foul and horrific.
There was another video much worse on the site save the sheep
but I chose not to post it due the EXTREME graphic content.

Learn more at SaveTheSheep.com

So here is the high light of my week.
As my kids grow I constantly wonder what kind of people they will become and how will they treat others.
The story starts a couple of days ago when we awoke to find that a light mist had fallen and then frozen all over town. Everything was covered in a slick sheet of ice. That same morning Heather was kept home due to a cough and while Heath stayed home with her, my Grandma and Hunter walked to school. A few blocks from the house my grandma who had a little while back undergone hip surgery, slid and almost fell. Hunter reached for her hand and very seriously said "Grandma, now you wait right here. I am going to go home and grab Dad. Are you going to be ok?" My Grandma said he was so sweet and caring. He was such a gentleman. He then ran home and got Heath.
When this story was retold to me, I smiled and knew he was turning out OK.
Well I received my first paycheck and as a celebration I took my uncle, Heath and the kids to dinner. The waitress was a blond with a deep southern accent and blue eyes. Well Hunter took to her right away as it seems he has a thing for blonds. She was really nice and when she would walk buy she would give Hunter a high five. Hunter thought this was especially cool so he asked Heath and I if he could give her a tip! We thought this was cute so we said sure and we sipped our coffee as Hunter waited for her to come back by.
When she finally did he held up his five dollars and told her "Get yourself something nice." We were all so shocked that we did not know what to say, all we could do was laugh. We explained to the waitress that we did NOT tell him to say that and we had no clue where he had gotten it from! He then adds "I'm big daddy, that's why!" The waitress took it really well, saying she had a little boy of her own so she understood. It could have only been worse if he slapped her on the butt and called her toots! Hunter said she was beautiful but that he did not want to marry her. Heather told him that he should at least buy her chocolates and flowers!
Ahhhhh....kids!

So it is Wednesday! Yeah! The week so far has blown by and a few interesting things have happened.
My kids experienced a first today. Their school was canceled today due to snow. Now when I say snow I will add that the amount of snow was not what I , as an ex Alaskan, would call a lot. It is however I guess by Nebraska standards. There were over four hundred accidents in the Lincoln area alone and some of them resulting in death! The few thoughts that I had were this: Do not move to Alaska and Slow The HELL Down! While I did not find the accidents and deaths amusing in the least I did find a little humor in watching the people try to leave our work parking lot yesterday.
My coworkers have nick named me Alaska and I always get really weird questions that I honestly did not think I would get. It is really strange for life long Lincolnites to hear the stories of the wilderness known as a Alaska. Even though there are a few differences (I am not a college football fan is the biggest) they have all made me feel right at home. Our class is small and I really enjoy everyone in it even though we range drastically in age and lifestyles. I have begun to wonder if they put something in the water because of how happy everyone is to go to work. At first I thought it was just because we were new and that eventually it would wear off. Looking at it closer though even the people who have been working there for years seem genuinely happy. That is something I am not used to.
I have begun my healthy "lifestyle change" this week and have really begun to explore alternative foods (for me). I have really begun to like squash and even our grill at work will make me a grilled chicken breast with steamed onions and mushrooms for under three bucks! YUM!
I have begun to snack on celery and strawberries with a few almonds thrown in. I have also changed over to Skim milk which is surprisingly good. So now I have bumped up my exercise routine and do 20 mins on the elliptical machine, 20 mins on abs and then during lunch I throw in exercises for my knee which were hand picked by my instructor and two rotations of strength for my arms and shoulders. All in all I have not lost any weight, it is too early,but I have started feeling less tired and have more energy during the day. I know this is also all the water I am drinking! I have not given up the coffee though I just alternate it with water!
I also scheduled the kids for all their dentist and eye appointments! Who would have ever thought that the first question I would have to ask is if they are excepting any new patients! I am also taking them to the same doctor that I saw for my knee because I liked the office and he was nice. It is time for them to go in for a check up.
Well I am heading to bed it is way past my bedtime! Good Night All!

This is kind of a whiny post readers beware!
I HURT!
I am in such pain it is driving me nuts!
I have done everything the doctor told me to do but the pain just keeps building! I did not sleep very much last night and even went to bed early because of the pain. I know it will take time but being the person I am I want results now! I am having troubles going up or down stairs which just keeps getting worse. It sucks because the only bathroom is upstairs. My damn knee keeps buckling from underneath me which is new.
Ah I am heading for the Aleeve bottle, AGAIN!

Update:
I am getting OLD!
SO I was able to get into the doctors today and happily I was misdiagnosed by the doctor I saw last night!
I do have fluid on my knee and the beginning signs of arthritis. I also have an issue with the outer portion of my thigh muscle being stronger than the inside so the outer one is pulling my knee cap up and over causing irritation and friction. The only solution is building the strength in my inner muscle, resting and elevating my knee and a "lovely" brace that will keep my knee cap in position. He said that it could take anywhere from three to six months and even wrote a prescription to my personal trainer for the exercises I should do. COOL!!
I was thinking surgery and I was scared! Knee surgery is rough and painful not something I would want to do!
Well got to go for now!

Good morning all! Well I had a few moments to blog before it was time to hit the road so here I am with coffee in hand, blogging.
So yesterday was still cold but not as cold or windy as the day before. My coworkers or teammates as I like to call them keep laughing at me when I say it is cold, but I tell them that I did not like Alaska's cold either!
I signed up for your gym's biggest winner contest yesterday! I am so very excited! I am going now three times a week but starting next week I will have to be going four times a week! It feels good I am keeping up finally with all the sit ups and I can already FEEL a difference. So starting Monday I will be on a completely different eating plan and exercise plan to loose some weight! Although now my knee has chosen to quit bugging me and start harassing me so a trip to the doctors yesterday was scheduled and I was referred to another doctor where I will get an MRI. The doctor I saw yesterday thinks it is cartilidge damage and I am supposed to rest, elevate and Aleeve it until I get into the other doctor. So I will have to have them make an exercise routine without the running! Oh well I am sure I will have to do more sit ups!
Oh also last Monday I donated blood for the first time and I did OK! I have been meaning to but the fear of needles has caused me to stay away! Not anymore!
Yesterday we took the DISC test which is a way to learn how to adapt our behavior to those around us to better work and communicate with them. I would be excited to see what Heath ranked and how I could better our communication because of it. It has definitely made me more aware of how my behavior affects others who do not share the same behavior classification. Like someone who is classified as a C, a person who needs rules, regulations and guidelines, may not like my way of lacking guidelines or strict rules and out of the box thinking. This is teaching me ways to tone down my behavior to better work with all types and also showing them how to work with me.
I had little faith in the test when we took it because we only had to answer a little over twenty questions. When I got the results though I was shocked! They had me to a T! Some things I liked but of course there are things that I didn't and now I have to work on them!
Well time to head to work for another fun filled day! I really feel guilty about going because I have so much fun...naaaah!

So a quick post tonight. The kids are doing well in school and really like both of their teachers. Heather has made friends with a little boy who shares a love of Jeff Dunham. His favorite character is Senior Jalapeno and makes her laugh! Hunter on the other hand is fighting on the homework but other than that he likes his teacher and is making friends.
Heath has been working only getting Monday off because of the cold. He does not like working on the cold and I can not blame him. Granted we do not get the ALASKAN cold but the winds here are harsh and when you are out in it it zero seems a lot colder. I would like to say he is looking forward to the summer warmth and hours but it will extreme for him. He will just have to drink lots of fluids and wear lots of sunscreen! We will be buying our first car down here probably by this weekend it is one that his coworkers is selling. It is old and in so so shape but it is a RUNNING car that is safe and for the price we can't turn it down.
As for my work it continues to go fabulous! I am in week two of training and while we are learning mass amounts of information they are still making it fun. I got a loner phone from work last week and it is mine for the next four and a half weeks. I will be sad when I have to give it back because right now I have everything free! I have been downloading ring tones ring back tones like crazy! So if you call my cellphone you will hear music of my choice instead of ringing! Pretty neat.
Today we were all signed up for the employee phone account which has some really neat offers/discounts. Heath and I will be getting our new phones in the next week or so. This will be Heath's first cell phone. The neat thing is Verizon offers VZ Navigator and which is just a GPS program on your phone, that will come in handy for getting around town! We used it the other night and searched for theaters and then for directions for the closest one to here!
So now the big debate. DO I GET MY NINE YEAR OLD HER OWN CELL PHONE? It will not cost me much and I will get good warranty and insurance if she looses or damages the phone. I can also have certain features blocked like the mobile web and even texting if I wanted to. It also comes with chaperone which allows me to monitor where she is at ALL times and a roadside assistance program. THis is the really neat part. Lets say she is going to the movies with one of her friends and that friends parents car breaks down/runs out of gas/ or they get locked out, because her phone is covered she gets roadside assistance!
But is she ready for that?
HARD CHOICE!

This movie is for Heather...she wanted Grandma and Grandpa to see it! She has been enjoying YOUTUBE!
ENJOY,
Heather and Mommy

So I did not post yesterday and I am sorry.
I had very little sleep to go on last night and even less tonight! :(

Last night I got home ate dinner and went to band practice with my uncle to take photos of the band. It felt kind of cool to pretend to be the photographer for a while. I got some amazing photos so I am excited but they will have to wait until I get more sleep. Getting up at 4:30 in the morning sucks but I will have to get used to it. I have to be to work at 8 am but my ride leaves at 6 so I am there by 7 am which gives me time to go to the gym and work out. I had my assessment today which said that I was...um a little...um overfat, but no big surprise on that! I would have called it chubby but hey I am not the one getting paid to give the test! The heart rate and blood pressure were excellent so that was a plus! I signed up for our companies biggest looser contest today which is really cool!
So the actual work is going great I have learned A LOT in the last few days so it is scary to think that I will be doing this for six weeks! The instructor I have is fun and makes it a lot more entertaining. We made rules the first day and one our rules was no being late to class, well SHE was and her penalty was she had to sing in front of the three classes! Her first song was RESPECT and then the second was the Spongebob theme song! One guy in the other class forgot to lock his computer (which is a big NO NO) so he had to sing the Barney song in front of us all! Makes for fun for everyone else but it also makes you remember to do the basics!
I could go on forever about the job and how great it is but I will save you all!
Now I just have to figure out how I can get photography classes through our college tuition. EVERYTHING is paid through the company and has to, in the end relate to your career in the company! Maybe I will be in the ad department or something!
The kids have enjoyed their school so far. Heather has already made friends and gotten awards for helping out another classmate at school which makes me very proud! She got a letter today from "friend" asking her out on a date and she politely said NO. Ah it begins!
Such a heart breaker!
Hunter does not really have much to say about school so I get the feeling that it is whatever!
Oh well you can't force it on them you can only support right?!
Well that is all for now I have to go find a pokemon song for Heather now before she kicks my butt!

So the first day of work is over and it was REALLY fun.
Today was our intake/information day and it was spent learning all that they had to offer to us, the employees and their customers.
I will have to say at this point I am very impressed with the company policies and benefits! They are offering everything to insure that we succeed. Examples: (This is my favorite.) Lets say the school has an in service day or a holiday. Well some one would have to watch the kids. They have supplied us with a number to call that can find us the nearest daycare of OUR choice and the company will pay for it. No money will come out of our pockets! We have 80 hours to use so just for emergencies but still really neat!
I also signed up for the gym today! I have a fitness evaluation with my trainer on Wednesday and we are going to set up a diet and exercise plan to meet my desired weight! I had to fill out a LONG form today and we are sending it back to the company health department for evaluation to see how healthy I am. I think I am in for a reality check! I am excited though to find out how I can improve my health so it will be worth it!
The other is they are pro active in our health care. They have set up a site for each employee where you can manage your finances, health and balancing your work and home life. There are so many resources designed especially for EACH employee it is amazing.
There is so much it is hard to list it all here but I am really impressed with it all so far! As far as benefits we are ALL covered as of today which will cost me a little over a thousand a year but well worth it! I am also covered by a life insurance policy, free through the company, that increases as my pay increases.
Anyways it feels pretty good!
As for the kids they have their clothes picked out and are already in bed asleep! Heather is excited because she will get to meet new friends while Hunter is not so sure he wants to go back to school. The principal told him "cool" things happen at school so he is curious as to what "cool" things he is talking about!
I will write all about their first day tomorrow!
As for Heath he worked all of last week but was off Saturday and Today due to snow and cold temps. Can't poor concrete in freezing temperatures! He seems to like it though!
Well I am heading to bed I am still getting used to getting up at 5:30...yuck! Anyone who knows me knows that is WAY early!

So the kids are now enrolled in Prescott Elementary the home of the Panthers! I tried to find photos of the school online but was unable to. I will have to get some photos taken when I have batteries for my camera! The building has just went through getting a face lift for its 85th birthday and is absolutely beautiful!
So we met with the principal today and did our walk through of the entire school. I was amazed at the size of the school and its 400 children who attend. No one is allowed past the front doors with out checking in with security where you are given a color coded pass you wear around your neck. If you are not where you are supposed to be the cops are called. Communication is constant as each of the staff members carry radios in case of emergency.
Now saying it all like that makes it seem like the school has problems but actually it doesn't, these things were started to prevent any problems which may occur. I felt more comfortable knowing that my children were being watched carefully.
The school also has many hearing impaired children and I was told that at least one signer is present in many classes and the kids learn to sign many of their songs they sing for school.
There is also a before school program I will be signing the kids into where they go to school early (7:30) which works well for Heath and I since we both will be due to work by eight.
School starts at 9 and goes until 3:38 which was a little of a change!
The thing I thought was really neat is the Head start program is housed right there in the school! So all your kids would be in the same school until middle school, how neat it that!
Well I am going to go, I am being informed it is time for desert!

Comanche Moon

The summer I met Heath he would sit and tie flies to this boring old western. Over and over he watched this movie and just when I would think it would end he would rewind and start again. I started watching it on my long visits at the tackle shop and soon found myself getting drawn into the story but never fully appreciating it due to the fact that I had never watched it straight through. I went and rented the movie and sat down one evening and watched it. I was surprised by two things. The first was how long the movie was and the second, that it didn't matter. I was drawn into the story.
Now many years later we have watched every part of the series and tonight we have just finished Comanche Moon. What an excellent job they did on capturing the original actors! I was also impressed with accuracy in which they portrayed my supposed ancestors and find it a little amusing that Blue Duck could have been closer to our camp than any us had ever known! I will have to research if Blue Duck is an actual Comanche and if he is in fact the uncle of Quanah Parker! I have not come across the name but I am usually researching from Quanah down so I could have missed him all these years.
With the beginning of the series my interest of finally solving the mystery of my ancestry was once again stirred. I was told that my father was a descendant of Quanah Parker due his mother Cynthia Ann Parker who was taken by the Comanches at a young age. There has been no proof on this due to poor records. I have tried for years to research this but had very little to go on except my Grandfather's name and the date he died. Over the last year I have found the date he was born and where he was born but have been able to little more.
So as the series comes to a close I find it very fitting that I also bring to a close my search for my ancestors. Today I stumbled, completely by accident, on a site and found not only my grandfather but his parents and his parent's parents. I was able to determine that until his grandfather there was no connection what so ever with the Comanches or the Parker family. However, his Grandmother was called Eliza and was listed with no last name. On all the records I could find of her, there is no last name listed. What I determine at this time is one of two things will come of a little more research. One, she will be one of Quanah Parker's many children who married a white man or two she will not be and there is no tie between the Comanches and my ancestors. Either way I am glad to finally put some history to my father's side of the family and even IF she was Indian there has been to many generations for it to matter to any Indian registries.
I just hope my family will forgive me, for they all believe us to be descendants of Quanah Parker the Last Great Chief.

WHAT THE HECK!!!

After speaking to Sarah this morning I had a shocking moment. I hate to Blog about it because it is her story to tell but I have been doing research on it and it has made me sick and VERY angry.

When I became pregnant with Heather I with held the fact that I was pregnant not just from friends and family but from the doctors also. In my teenage stupidity I had not gone into the doctor until I was 7 months pregnant. Upon going in I found that not was I was already dilated but we also found out that I had a RH- blood type. Now most know what this means but for those who do not, it means that my body automatically makes anti bodies if it detects a different blood type. I have found contradicting information on the web as to weather this affects the current pregnancy, the next or both. Either way it is harmful to the baby and I was told that if I tested positive I would HAVE to take a Rhogam shot to counter the effects of the antibodies. We tested for the antibodies and found that I was negative for it. Several miscarriages later I got pregnant with Hunter and I was again tested for the built up anitbodies. This time the test came back positive and I was given the Rhogam shot DURING my preganancy. (I had been given the shot before but each time I had been given the shot it was after I had miscarried.)
At the time I do not recall being given ANY inforamtion on the shot nor did the doctor explain ANY possible side effects the shot may have.
Today I looked the the drug Rhogam in relation to Autism and the results are SICKENING! This is just a taste of what I have found so far.
"RhoGAM^® is a globulin shot that prevents the mother’s immune system from making antibodies that can harm her baby. However, the preservative thimerosal that was contained in RhoGAM^® was 50% mercury.

High levels of mercury can permanently damage the brain and kidneys, resulting in tremors, memory and vision problems. Mercury in a mother’s body can be passed to her fetus. One study suggests that mercury accumulates in umbilical cord blood at a level that is 1.7 times higher than that in the blood of the mother. Mercury–containing thimerosal can cross the placenta and migrate to the brain, organs and tissue of the developing fetus.

Infants and the developing fetus are particularly susceptible to the effects of mercury exposure. Babies who were exposed to mercury in the womb may develop brain damage, mental retardation, lack of coordination, blindness, seizures, and become unable to speak, according to the federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.

When RhoGAM^® was licensed in 1968, it contained thimerosal. In July 1999, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) agreed that thimerosal should be eliminated from vaccines and other products because mercury harms infants and children."
The lists of side effects is Astonishing! I have seen everything from Austism to ADHD to dyslexia! Anything to do with Nuerological developement.
In one article that I found a doctor did a study on the Autistic children in her office. Over 62% of them had recieved the Rhogam shot during pregnancy.
The thing that really scares me is the doctors knew about this. Studies had gone out and they have been warning women for years on the consumption of too much fish due to the amounts of Mercury contained in them.
The company also knew about this and that is why it is labeled THIMEROSAL not mercury.
I am digging up more information as I can. TO know that I unknowingly but willing gave mercury to my unborn baby scares me!

New Post on THITW site. ENJOY!

So today I am feeling pretty good. Things are finally falling into their final places and it makes me very happy.
Heath just got a job working in construction he will start Monday. They will be doing foundations and doing concrete work so he has had some experience with that. He is starting out with good pay and is "promised" even better wages if he works out. We have had jobs offer more pay in the past but he is a good worker and with the starting wage being 15 an hour he is not worried. The cool thing is his foreman lives just down the street and can give him a ride to work everyday! His main boss also told him if he worked out after the first week he would give Heath a company rig to drive. So we will see how the first week goes and at least he has a ride to work if the company rig does not work out!
As for me I will start at Verizon the 21st! Yeah! I am glad that not only did I finally get a job but the pay is not bad either.
Heather has been going to church on Sundays with my Grandma and now has joined AWANAS. She is saving up her money to buy a bible so she can have her own. This has been great for her because she is meeting other little girls her age in a great environment! I like the church she is going to and the youth pastor they have is really good with the kids. He is projecting my idea of what church should be about and has a certain kind of excitement that I think would be good for more than just the kids. I guess the older people in the church don't think so!
Hunter will join her this weekend and he is very excited about it right now but I think his attitude will change when he realizes he will have to sit still and be quiet! We will see! LOL!
School has been going good. Had more testing this week which the kids hate but I am happy about. It really has given me a way to evaluate how well they retaining the material! Heather is doing well overall but we will have have to work a little harder on her Science but I think that is more about what she wants to learn. As she put it Science is stupid and she doesn't need to learn it. I had to explain again that everything she is learning now are things she is going to need to know when she gets older. I kind of explained it like building blocks you have to have the foundation in order to build the rest of the building. She got it but she is not happy about it!
Hunter on the other hand continues to do well when he chooses to. I swear the kid is brilliant I just wish we could find a way to peak his interests because then watch out! So just recently I went online to research his snoring to see if it was related to his nosebleeds and far as I could find that they weren't. What I did find was several articles about studies done on children who snore and the connection with ADHD. I will be doing more research on that not necessarily to get him diagnosed with ADHD but to find ways that we as parents can help him before he hits junior high. Several articles also pointed out that ADHD seems to get worse for children during that period of their lives and could affect their schooling if not handled properly. I am not convinced that he actually has ADHD but it is a good to know about it for future reference. The more we know the better we can help him.
So that is about it for now!

Dedicated to a very special girl!

New Job

SO I have been offered a job with Verizon Wireless as a customer service representative. It starts at 13.00 and hour with a 6% bonus each year. It comes with full benefits for the family, paid vacations, 401K and 8,000 in tuition each year! I also get to use the on site gym and personal trainer! I know that is a petty thing but it is a nice perk! I have been going through the long hiring process which has gone smoothly until now. The process is very similar to the military, NO JOKE! I guess as part of the background check they have to get a hold of past employers to verify work (Stan this means you to!) well unfortunately Deep Creek is seasonal and they are not open so they are unable to verify! Great. I am sure we will figure it out!
So I am supposed to start training soon and after I complete that I will have to go onto to further training, each time going up in pay. One girl that my uncle knows has been there one year and she is already at 16 an hour. I could go for that.
We will see what happens! Keep your fingers crossed!
Heath is doing good but bored! He has been watching LOTS of football with my uncle and helping him with his cleaning business. My family is intent on showing him the sights and all the hunting and fishing areas which to our surprise, is many! He researched it long before we moved but it is so much more than you can find on some website.
The kids are doing great. They are both doing very well in school, we have decided to keep homeschooling them until we know for sure what school they will be going to. I do not want them to get used to one school just to pull them out and put them in another. Sissy has been doing amazing with all her work and even now does two lessons a day by choice! I was hesitant at first not sure if she was getting all the information but she just passed her chapter test with flying colors so I guess she is.
Butch still struggles. He knows the material he just doesn't want to sit still. Heath works with him because he can better control him! He has taught us a few things though. While working with him his lesson manual will tell us ways to present the lesson and information you don't have to do it that way but it is supposedly the easiest way for the student to learn the lesson. Well he is constantly showing us new ways to learn! Math especially. He has an amazing ability to figure out complex problems using his own methods I just wish he had more attention span but I guess that will come with age!
The weather the last few days has been amazing! Yesterday morning I sat on the porch drinking my coffee and enjoyed a cigarette and did not need a jacket! The slight breeze there was was refreshing! When I say porch it is so funny the difference between porches here and porches (decks) in Alaska. The porches here are huge and you will either find a hammock, porch swing or chairs on all of them. I guess back in the day before TV, homeowners would sit on the front porch in the heat of the day when the inside of the house was too hot and visit with their neighbors. Just a subtle difference that I had noticed. One among many others!
Oh yeah and when you go out to eat a cheeseburger with fries and a drink at a restaurant (NOT McDonalds) will cost you about $4.00! The food here is so cheap! A nice dinner for one will cost about $8! The only things that are the same price as in Alaska is gas and milk! Which is pretty funny because there is A LOT of cows you think it would be cheap but they are meat cows not dairy. Let me tell you if the wind switches just the right way the smell of cow manure floats in the breeze and when you protest everyone will tell you it is the smell of money! Yeah right.
Well I have rambled enough! the kids send their love! They now have their own myspace so they have decided that grandpa and grandma need to get one now!

Better Late Than Never

Well here are some pictures! Finally! I did post a bunch on Myspace because there was 72 pictures from our trip and it would have taken to long to upload them all to Blogger!

We drove out to my Great Aunt and Uncle's Lake front property today to check on their trailer and to just get out of the house. It was about an hour drive and was nice to see all the different scenery. Surprisingly it was not all mowed down corn fields and cows! Amazingly enough there is lots of churches in the middle of nowhere! No towns just churches. She pays $600 a year for this lake property that has water and elec. and it also has the Platt River in the back yard! The kids are excited about going there this summer to swim!

Heath and Uncle Kurt discussing the river and property prices. Amazingly cheap!

Eating Lunch at a Diner at a small town called David's.

Being Silly!

We drove through a LITTLE town of Loma which we found out was the setting used in the movie To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything Julie Newmar, staring Patrick Swayze, Wesley Snipes and John Leguizamo. The house they stayed in, in the movie was a house built by the studio and was later auctioned off. If you notice on the side of the building it says welcome to Snydersville that was the name of the town in the movie! The place has since gone down hill and the two out of three houses look uninhabitable!

Very Tall Building taken while we were walking to the Pershing center down town. Made you dizzy just looking up at it this picture does it no justice!

First Eagle we have seen since leaving Alaska of course it was fake and on the top of a building. Stan cherish those pictures of Eagles you are taking they could make some real good money here!

Watching a puppet show at the Pershing Center!

MONTY
Monty's healing is on going. Her base of her tail was the worst. She has quite the attitude and now rules my two cats. She eats first and gets the bed to herself. She makes horrible noises but they are all threat because she has no claws!Monty Montana

This it at the Morill Hall University Museum. the kids were allowed to dig for "bones". They both thought this was just the neatest! Next thing they get to do is go to the state historical building and get a tour from my uncle, he works there!T-Rex

Largest Whole Mammoth Skeleton in USMorill Hall (Elephant Hall) She was very angry that HE was anatomically correct. Side note: She is also very angry that her school book refers to the student as HIM to save on typing HIM/HER HIS/HERS SHE/HE. I have to make sure and phrase it correctly or I get my butt chewed!Santa!

Santa!

Well that is all for now I have more but I want to get these up before I loose internet connection again!