So, So, So Much to Say!

Hi Dear Readers!

As Cara graciously and astutely pointed out I have not posted new info in quite a while. Sorry about that! With the separation and imminent divorce and the end of the semester and the start of summer classes I have been swamped. But I am here and this post will be super long because I have a lot to report =)

I'll start with pics of Evie because they are always a crowd favorite. Here are pics of Evie at Grammy's friend's horse farm. There were chickens at the farm too which Evie loved!








The news here at the farm is that Gramper made an unexpected and brief visit home this last week. Grammy went to get him because this happened:

Yup, that is a tree in the swimming pool!



Now onto the nitty gritty. Ben and I were trying to get a separation agreement signed over the last 2 months but without being able to hire a lawyer I was not really ready to sign anything. The news on that front is that I will be getting my school loan money this week and I will use part of it to hire a lawyer to get divorce paperwork going. Ben and I have fluctuated between civil and not so civil but for the most part we are keeping good communication and Evie is being well loved and taken care of, of course!



In me news I am very pleased with my new gym. I joined the YMCA recently and they have great childcare and an indoor and outdoor pool and awesome machines! I am so happy to be going there. I was going to the gym on base for free but they are closing and their childcare cost extra and had awful hours. As a result of somewhat diligently going to the gym 3 days a week I have a small amount of muscle definition on my arms and legs and I have lost a dress size. I am very pleased. My next mission is to get good abs, I know it is probably impossible (see pics of me 9 months preggers) but I am gonna try.


In school news my classes are going great! I have my math midterm tomorrow night and surprisingly I think I actually will do well. I "get" what the class is about. I am not a total math idiot! Hooray! My other class is online and it is about classroom management. It is easy so far but I have 2 major papers that I have to write in the next 2 weeks before the class ends so I have to get my butt in gear or I will be sorry!



In job news there isn't much to report. I am still waiting to hear from the county. Apparently they are having major issues and that is why I haven't heard anything. I am trying to be patient. In the meantime I have applied in some other counties and I hope to hear from them soon. No matter what I will be working full time in the Fall whether it is as a teacher or as a retail clerk. I have to make money and get benefits to support myself and Evie. In the fall I will be taking 3 classes at night so whatever happens I will have to be able to go to school and work. If I am teaching then going to school at the same time won't be a problem at all. So please keep your fingers crossed for me!



In blog news I made this blog public again. People were having a lot of issues with getting to the blog so I just made it public again.



In more Evie news she is going with Ben to visit her Grandpop and Mimi and Oma and her Great Grandma Evelyn who she is named after. They are leaving Friday and will be gone for 5 days. I will miss her terribly! But I know her grandparents and great grand parents miss her terribly too! Luckily I have the fortune of being able to go to the beach the same weekend with Mike. I am so excited! I haven't been swimming in the ocean in over 4 years!!! I love the beach and I love swimming!



So I think that is all the news from here. If you have questions or want to know something I forgot to mention here you know the drill, leave a comment or email me. =)

Long time...

It's been a long time since I posted, sorry about that. Life has been wonderful and crazy and up and down. Mostly up. I am just going to make a list because there are too many random things happening.

1. Paul and Karen are moving to Japan on Monday. To say I am sad is true but doesn't feel strong enough. I have loved having them so close and spending time with them. They supported me so much while Ben was in Africa. And this past weekend I went to see them for the last time before they move. I know it's not forever and I know they'll be back for Christmas (yay!!!) but I will still miss them so much!!

2. School is still totally fulfilling and wonderful! I haven't made any real friends but I am slowly getting to know people. My favorite class is my Special Ed. class. The prof. is very knowledgeable and encourages us to discuss the major problems affecting education and special ed. It is fascinating!

3. I am 6 weeks pregnant as of yesterday. I had my first appt with an OB nurse yesterday. I got blood drawn for tests and I pee'd in a cup. At my next appt. I am getting a pap smear, blech! Oh well, that's just what you have to do when you are a chick. The baby is doing great as far as I can tell. The queasiness has set in for me. It seems to be linked to certain foods at this point. I know I can't eat PB&J sandwiches anymore, I get really nauseous for a few hours after. And I think bacon might be out of the game too. I ate 4 pieces of bacon this morning and I felt queasy all morning as a result. I also am tired all the time and I have to pee every hour it seems like. Even with all that stuff I am doing great, I know I could have it a lot worse.

4. Ben and I had couples therapy this past week. It was wonderful!! We both felt comfortable with our therapist and she was able to clear some things up for us even in our first session. We are going to focus on couples therapy and wait on the individual therapy.

5. Evelyn learned how to climb onto the couch last week. It has made life really interesting and occasionally heart stopping. She loves to fling herself all over the couch but sometime she misses the couch. No permanent injuries so far. But boy, they should call toddlerhood, evil-knievel-hood. This kid is fearless!

6. Grammy and Gramper are doing great at the farm. They got a new dog to keep Bonnie company on the back porch. The new dog is a little boy named Hooch. He is sweet and Bonnie loves him!

7. Ben and I are hosting our first social event in our new place. Tomorrow afternoon 2 couples and their child are coming over for a game night. The adults will be playing board games while Evelyn and the other little girl her age play with toys and such. It should be big fun and low stress.

I think that is everything for now. Have a great weekend everybody! =)

Tomorrow

Tomorrow we are having about 30 of Ben's coworkers and thier families over to have a field day. We are gonna play football, soccer, kickball, and other such games. There will be farm tours, nature walks, and fish feeding. It should be big fun. I'll post pics tomorrow =)

The 7 Week Itch

We have been fighting a diaper rash turned bacterial infection for what feels like forever. I think we are finally getting it under control after seeing a dermatologist. The derm prescribed a 3rd type of anti-fungal cream and a 3rd type of oral antibiotic and these seem to be making the rash/infection go away, thank god! We have a follow up appt with the family practice doc tomorrow morning, we'll see what she says.

In other news Ben started both his schools about 2 weeks ago and he is getting his butt kicked. What 2 schools you ask? He started his online MBA and he is now in Army Captain's school. Either one of these alone would be fine but together it is taking a toll on him. He also started working out with a personal trainer this week so he is feeling very stretched (literally and figuratively). I know things will settle down in a week or so once he gets used to his new schedule.

We got some sad news on Nov. 1st, Ben's grandfather passed away. We knew it was coming but it is still very sad. Opa was a very sweet man and a driving force in Ben's life. We'll miss him very much.

Ben and I were going to run a half marathon in December but in light of all the new stuff going on we've decided to not do the race. We just don't have time or daylight to train for the race. So he is working out everyday with the Army and 2 times a week with his trainer and I am hitting the treadmill as often as I can. I really don't want to gain weight or lose my physical strength/stamina.

Work is going okay. I still really enjoy working with Aidan but I am not so happy with how his family is interacting with me and his school. There is a serious breakdown in communication and it is making my job harder in a bad way. Ben thinks I should confront the parents but I don't know that I should or want to. We'll see.

Mostly we are doing good here at the farm. I really feel lucky and grateful for what we have. I told Ben today that if all we have to complain about is work and school then we're better off than many. So thanks world and life, we aren't gonna complain a bit. =)

Here's a pic of Opa and Evie.

Happy Early Halloween

We have had quite an eventful weekend here. BigBro and DocRom came to town to celebrate Halloween with us a little early. We had big fun sitting around our fire and catching up. On a more serious note, we took Evelyn to the ER on Sat. morning because she had an infected bug bite on her thigh. The doctors were concerned about the bite and suggested surgery to get the abcess drained and healed. Luckily, the abcess started draining on it's own and everything seems to be getting better. We go back tomorrow for a follow up. So that was our wacky fun weekend. Here are some pics. =)

We Are Alive - 7

Hi,

We are alive, we aren't all healthy though. Evie and I have been fighting off a head cold for a week and now Ben and Grammy and Gramper are getting it. So we are not a very exciting bunch today. I do have news. Good news, exciting news.

1. Triathlon training is going really well! Dad and I are really getting better at all the events. Yesterday we tried to do 2 events back to back for the first time. It was a very very hard task. We swam 400 yds and then ran 3 miles. It was about 87 degrees outside and sunny. I nearly passed out from heat exhaustion but I finished. Dad totally kicked my butt. Overall we feel like it was a success. We are both hoping that on race day it will be much cooler.

2. Evelyn had her 1st day of "baby school" last Thursday. She did well considering the newness of the whole thing. I dropped her off at 8AM and picked her up at 145PM. She ate solids with the other kids and even napped. She was totally exhausted when I picked her up but she perked up after another nap at home. We are happy with the Montessori school so far. We aren't taking her tomorrow because she is sick and we don't want her to get worse or pass the sickness to other kids.

3. Shadowing Aidan at school was very challenging the first week of school. The first few days I didn't know how to keep him in line AND keep the peace in the classroom. Aidan's mom talked to me on Wed. of last week and said to do whatever it took to keep Aidan on task. She told me not to worry about Aidan bothering the class unless the teacher mentioned it to me. So I started disciplining Aidan in the classroom and he responded really well. He didn't like being made to do his work and act correctly in class, but he complied. And this week he is just doing fantastically! I am really proud of him. My job is easier when he is on task and not testing me. So hopefully he will continue to follow directions and rules and make my job even easier. In other work related news I am going to be working less starting in October. I won't be staying with Aidan after school at all by October. I am just too exhausted and worn out after being at school with him for 5 hours. So they will be hiring a new person to take over those hours and possibly to go to school with Aidan on Fridays. So the schedule will be Mon-Thurs 8:30AM-1:30PM if everything goes according to plan. I hope so!

3. House building and all things related to it are on hold at the moment. I'm not sure where we are in the process. But I do know that Ben and Vanessa are working on it.

4. Labor Day weekend was very nice for all of us here at the farm. Ben and I hosted a BBQ/Pool Party for Ben's old boss and his wife and Aidan's family. I wanted to get to know the Aidan family better and Ben and I both wanted to catch up with our old friends. It was super fun! We all got wrapped in conversation and before we knew it 6 hours had passed.

5. Next week Ben is going to visit his best friend on the West Coast and all of us left here at the farm are going to visit BigBro and DocRom. I am super excited about seeing them again! We are all running in a 5K race. BigBro and DocRom are training for the triathlon too. Grammy is going to push Evie in the stroller for a 1K family run/walk. It should be super fun. I wish Ben were going to be with us but I know he'll be having a big old time with his best friend.

6. In other news, I will hopefully be visiting my good friend Angie in the next few weeks when she comes down to my neck of the woods for a vacation. I sure hope it all works out! She and her hubs are both in the process of changing jobs and moving so her plans may change. Either way I think she is the COOLEST and I am wishing her all the good luck vibes I've got. =)

7. I am just in shock at how different my life is right now. Working is really wonderful, I love making money and having a new challenging career opportunity. I am now thinking seriously about getting a grad degree. Financially we can't really afford for me to go back to school but maybe a year from now. I hope so. I hope by next year I'll still love working with Aidan and I'll be going to school to get a degree in special ed. or psychology specializing in autism. We'll see.

Thanks for reading still, sorry I am a such a bad blogger lately.
Jen =)

Watermelon Farmers

So now you can add watermelon to our farm crops. Remember a few months ago when my brother got married? Well we built a fire that burned all night long for his friends to stay warm by at night. His friends ate lots of watermelon while they sat at that fire pit. Here we are 3 months later and we have watermelon. But not just any watermelon. We have exactly two full grown 21 lbs watermelons. And these watermelon didn't have it easy, there has been drought, more fires burning in the pit, lawn mowing, etc. The watermelon persevered and grew into beautiful awesomeness anyway. Just like Paul and Karen. Love is so cool!









Ah yeah, and we have tasty, sweet grapes that are growing in our orchard. This farm is awesome!!

So Much News

Sorry I have been gone for a week. Time has flown by so fast. This week I am taking care of the entire farm while Grammy and Gramper are on vacation. I had no idea how much it took to maintain the farm. There is sooo much to do twice a day, everyday. I have all new sympathy and respect for Grammy, she has a hard job.

Also I got the ABA tutor job that I mentioned in my previous post. I started training on Monday and I am working everyday this week. It is challenging work, and there is a lot to learn, but I like it. School starts for this little boy on Aug 20 and my main job will be to go to school with him and help him keep up with the other kids. The little boy's name is Aidan, he is really cute. His mannerisms and little quirks are quite adorable and he is a good kid. He has been testing me everyday and that has been challenging, I am supposed to get through 3 hours worth of material with him everyday and I have yet to make it through because of all the disciplining I am doing with him. But unlike most autistic kids Aidan is not violent at all. He is actually really cuddly and sweet. He loves to be hugged and squeezed. But he tries to use the cuddling as a way out of doing his work, so I have to keep him on task and in his chair like a big boy. He also has tried the crying/tantrum thing to get out of work, and that isn't so hard to handle. I am learning all the tricks and methods I need to get him back on task when he acts out or stops paying attention. On top of all that I also have to keep really thorough records of everything we do and I have to write down every word he says as well as all the activities we do together. It is a lot to keep straight but I am getting there. I am going to be with him by myself for the first time tomorrow. I am really super nervous. I want to do a good job and get everything done correctly but I just don't know if that is going to happen tomorrow. The head therapist that is training me is really nice and actually was our next door neighbor in our townhouse. What a small world! She thinks I am doing well and handling Aidan's behavior and testing really well. Hopefully this will all be like second nature by next week.

In other news Ben's sister Vanessa came to visit us this past weekend. It was really wonderful to see her, we hadn't seen her since x-mas. Evie loved her Auntie V and they had a lot of fun together. We are planning to go visit Vanessa in the next few months while the beach is still warm enough to enjoy.


I haven't finished Harry Potter yet but I am very close to the end, only 200 pages or so left. I just finished the chapter about Gringots, for those of you who have already read it.

Ben and I have started seriously talking about what we want when we build our house. Vanessa is in the business and she is going to be a big part of our building process. It is very exciting and I literally can't wait to get started! Hopefully we'll be building by early spring.

Triathlon training is going well. This week is supposed to be our rest week but I went running today anyway because I missed a run and bike ride last week. I took Bonnie with me for the first time. She did really well. By the end of the run she was starting to understand that she needed to stay close to me, or she was tired and didn't want to run ahead of me. Either way I am glad I took her and I am going to try to make her run with me on days that I run.

I think that is all my news. So how is everyone else? What have I missed?

Hi - 7

I couldn't go a full week without posting and reading HP is going way slower than I expected. So... I'm back. I am finding lists to be the easiest way for me to post lately because I am just not awesome enough to write a post that makes sense and covers everything I want to say. So here ya go.

1. I ran this morning, for 30 minutes. I decided to try a new route. It was wonderful! I had to stop a few times because it was really hilly, but it felt really good to run. I am finally getting to the point where I don't dread running. I am kind of enjoying it, kinda. So maybe after this triathlon I will train for a half marathon.

2. We should start the process of building our house really soon. If we want to get it done before next August we need to start very soon. We need to be done by next August for many reasons, a few include the need for more space as Evie gets bigger and the need for more privacy now that Ben is home. My parents have been overly awesome about us living with them but I don't want to wear out our welcome. I can't wait to get started! I am very excited about making our house a reality.

3. I don't know if I have mentioned this before, so forgive me if I have. Ben is getting out of the Army next summer. That is another reason why we need to build our house before next August. He will be out, no more deployments, no more moving, no more uncertainty of safety and time together. I am thrilled!! We are both scared of what our financial situation will be post-Army. I truly believe we will be okay. I am thinking I will work more and try to bring more income into the equation.

4. Today I answered a job ad for an ABA tutor. I don't know what ABA stands for but the job is basically being a tutor to an autistic kid. I have worked with autistic children in the past, I have subbed for special ed teachers and when I was a camp counselor I taught autistic children. I had an opportunity to be a ABA tutor in Indiana a few years ago but I couldn't take the job because I knew I would have to move. Anyway, I am really excited about the idea of getting free ABA training and getting paid to help an autistic kid. I love working with families and children, especially special needs kids (as long as they aren't violent, which this kid is not). So, wish me luck that this family and I will be a good match and they will hire me. It would be about 10-25 hours a week of paid work, depending on what they need.

5. I just got another job from the Art Museum for January. They are gonna pay me $100 to plan and execute an activity in conjunction with a new exhibit. I am really excited to get another job and be able to create an activity. I am still teaching twice a month at the children's hospital, it doesn't pay much but I really enjoy it.

6. Ben's sister is coming to visit this weekend. I am really excited to see her and I am especially excited for her to see Evie. Last time she saw Evelyn was Christmas, Evie is so much more fun now, I know the two of them are going to have a blast! And I know Ben is really looking forward to seeing his sister.

7. I think I will be doing more and more farmer stuff in the future. I am actually pretty excited about helping take care of the animals. At some point the goats and donkey are gonna need vaccine shots and I think I will be helping with that. I like giving shots, is that weird?

I am a Farmer

I totally administered a shot to one of the goats today. Our pygmy goat Fred got neutered a few days ago and he seems to have an infection from the procedure. Grammy got a syringe of antibiotics from the vet but she was a little weary of giving the shot. So I stepped up and did it. I totally feel like a bad ass for doing it! I am quite a good shot giver, if I do say so myself. So I think I could be a great vet, diabetic, or IV drug user in the future. What do you all think?

7 - the Ketchup Edition

1. Ben skipped work today to finish reading the new Harry Potter. He was up til 5AM reading and now is back in the book. I let him read it first because he is a faster reader. I made him swear not to tell me anything. He slipped once already, hopefully, that is all the slips he will have.




2. Evelyn got a lot of wonderful, thoughtful, and fun gifts for her birthday! Grandpop and Mimi sent presents to Ben and I in traditional Jewish style, instead of gifts for Evie. We got little bottles of our favorite alcohol and water balloons and some fun tabloids. We love it all! Evie's GiGi (my Grandma) got Evie a beautiful new dress and shoes, as well as a new super cut bathing suit and coverup. Uncle Paul and Aunt Karen came to visit Evie for her bday and Karen's brother got Evie a very kickass shirt which I will post a pic of soon. Evie got a nice card from her Oma and Opa (Ben's grandparents). She also got a nice card from my awesome friend Angie! Our friend Heather got Evie some awesome books. And our other friend Melissa got Evie a very cute outfit (pictures to come). Evie's Aunt Vanessa also sent her a very sweet card. I think that is everything. I am gonna post pics of her loot later, but suffice it to say that Evie is a very well liked lady. =) Thank you everyone for your kind words and thoughtfulness!


I made a chocolate "dirt" cake for the party.




Here's Ben with the outfit we got from Melissa.


Thanks Melissa and Emani and Jerome!


Here's our gifts from Grandpop and Mimi, thank you!!


Thanks Steve and Anne and Nora (Karen's Brother's Family)

The shirt reads "ABCD: For Those About to Read, We Salute You!"


3. The days before and on Evie's birthday I was kind of a wreck emotionally. I was really caught off guard by my emotional reaction to Evelyn's birthday. I am not upset that she isn't a baby anymore, I loved her as a baby of course, but I don't miss the baby phase at all! I was just hit by what a major year this was for me and Ben and our life together. We had a lot of really amazing and sad stuff happen this year. And our lives pretty much turned upside down at least 3 times. We had Evie which turned us upside down. Then we found out Ben had to go to Africa for 6 months. Then Evie and I moved to the farm with my parents. Two out of three of those things were really great and wonderful changes. So the days around Evie's bday were pretty emotional for me, I was crying a lot and just feeling really raw. It was really weird. I feel a lot better now.

4. Mamma Tomato, Daddy Tomato and Baby Tomato are walking down the street. Baby Tomato is walking really slow. Daddy Tomato repeatedly tells Baby Tomato to speed up. Finally Daddy Tomato walks back and squishes Baby Tomato and says "Ketchup!"

5. Training is going really well for the Triathlon. I am really proud of myself for not giving up. It has been really hard! I am pretty sure the only reason I haven't given up is because I don't want to disappoint my Dad. He is a GREAT motivator for me. I do love the feeling I get at the end of a run/bike ride/swim, I feel really proud and healthy. But I hate the feeling I have at 6AM when I wake up and I know I have to bike 5 miles and swim 400 meters. But I keep doing it, and I am getting stronger and more confident that I can do the race.

6. Ben is having a really hard time not talking about HP. I might have to kill him. ;)

7. Ben and Evie and I had our pictures taken yesterday by a professional photographer. She came to the farm and took pics for about an hour. The proofs are great! I don't think she really caught the essence of who we are as a family but she did make us look really fancy and pretty. Even the goats and the dog look fancy! I'll put up pics soon.

Pet Cemetery

Since our move to the farm and out acquiring of animals we have had to come to terms with some less than ideal aspects of farm life. The most difficult one being death. We have lost five animals since we got to the farm. All for different reasons but all very sad. The first animal to go was a baby duck. She accidentally drowned in the water dish when she was 2 days old. We have also lost my parent's pet chihuahuas, Logo and Simca, I posted about their passing here. Next was a baby kitten that my Mom was fostering. Rocky got sick and because he was so young he couldn't fight off the illness and passed away. And finally my grandmother's (Evelyn's Gigi's) dog, Nala, had to be put down a few weeks ago for medical reasons.

In honor of our lost pets my Mom has built a pet cemetery. Tonight we had a memorial service for our animals.










Here we all are telling our favorite memories of our pets.




Here's Evie wandering around...




And here we all are having dinner.






Here's Evie and her Grammy and her Gigi




P.S. Evie's birthday is today but we are waiting until Sunday to have her party so that Paul (BigBro) and Karen (DocRom) can be here to celebrate. We're having a grill out/pool party. It should be big fun!

Family Pics

Goofing off...



Zoolander pose...



Evie swinging with Ben





Evie and her Gigi and her Daddy



Evie and Me swinging



Evie walking with her Daddy



Evie and Ben feeding the goats



The goats are trying to get fresh with Evie



Ben and mini Ben (aka Evie)





Our Family =)