Time keeps on slippin... into the future....

I have the greatest plans, and then life happens! I have a couple of good, deep, meaningful posts that are just waiting to be finished but life keeps on "getting in the way."

Not really, it is the life I want after all!

We went to New York during the summer along with a lot of camping so that was good times for sure! I also had some minor surgery to help repair the damage to the urinary tract system that was caused by childbirth. Not such fun times, but the results are AMAZING!

I am still without permanent and full time work. I have been subbing, organizing, cleaning and bookkeeping for money. A few things here and there, but nothing substantial. I have applied for some jobs, gotten a few rejections, but more "wait and see" than anything else.

The family is good and growing. I have been volunteering in the classrooms and have taken on the role of co-leader for Ella's Daisy Scout troop. Gavin is now on medication for ADHD and it helps greatly. He is on a very low dose and it seems to "take the edge off" for him, he is better able to concentrate and has more control over his emotions.

Andy and I managed a little Vegas escape right after Christmas and then came home to support a family that we are very close with as they helped their father transition from this world to the next. It was an exhausting and very sad time, and will be for a long time to come. We are thankful and better for having known Rosario Bono and look forward to meeting him again someday!

We stayed at the Aria in the City Center... awesome! We were there with several other couples to celebrate Giacomo Bono's 40th Birthday! Incredible!

Instead of gambling our money away, we placed our bets on a sure thing and saw the Elvis show! It was so much fun and the best part was...it was in our hotel! Just a short walk to the elevators and we were in our room 15 minutes after the show ended!

Hanging out at the Bellagio... strolling and talking and relaxing.

We just celebrated Ella's 7h birthday and that seems impossible! But we had a "Candy Bar" party and so much fun.

Showing off her lollipop garden and new outfit from Justice! Ready for the guests to arrive.

Candy button cake. Thank you Pinterest!

The "Candy Bar".

The Peanut Butter Sandwich Bar.... lots of choices here! PB, fudge, jelly, marshmallow creme and minis, chopped up candy bars, fruit, granola, potato chips. The girls made some amazing creations. My fav: Creamy PB, cocoa spread, twix and strawberry. Ella's fav: Creamy PB, marshmallow fluff, mini marshmallows, m&m's and sprinkles.

I am going to try to post more often... especially now that I have a more reliable computer. So, hopefully... you will see me around!

Crossing the Threshold

There are times in our lives that are like no other. There are moments when we change, forever. When you had your tenth birthday, you said good-bye to single digit ages - forever. When you lost your last baby tooth, you (hopefully) would never have that funny wiggling sensation again. After your first kiss, you would never again be a person who had never been kissed.

Life is like that and sometimes we pay little attention to the times when we crossed over and yet, other times it is so poignant and significant we remember it for the rest of our lives. It shapes who we are becoming and adds to the construction of our memories and our personality.

Marriage. It is a big change, it is a huge commitment. It is the act of making a promise to be by someone's side as their partner - forever. For some women, it means changing your name. The name that you have had since you were born, will now be erased and a new name will be a part of the new person that you are becoming. This was so significant for me that I pulled away from the idea. My name, I thought, is ME. It is my label. It is who I am. I knew that I wanted a partner, but I did not think that I wanted to change who I am. If you take the label off a carton of milk and change it to say lemonade...nobody will really know what is inside. And, what a terrible shock to someone who assumes that they are pouring lemonade and come out with a glass of milk. I was torn on this, but eventually, I realized that no matter what the label says, the milk... is still milk. What I didn't know at the time, is that I would change right along with my label. I was becoming someone different than I was before. I was becoming a wife, a partner and Mrs. Huffaker. Twelve years later and I am still struggling with who Mrs. Huffaker is, but I think I am getting to know her and ... well, she is pretty cool. Not the same as Miss Yvonne Cutler, but pretty cool nonetheless.

Marriage - threshold

From Mother to Son - Crystal Stair

Well, son, I'll tell you:

Life for me ain't been no crystal stair.

It's had tacks in it,

And splinters,

And boards torn up,

And places with no carpet on the floor—

Bare.

But all the time

I'se been a-climbin' on,

And reachin' landin's,

And turnin' corners,

And sometimes goin' in the dark

Where there ain't been no light.

So, boy, don't you turn back.

Don't you set down on the steps.

'Cause you finds it's kinder hard.

Don't you fall now—

For I'se still goin', honey,

I'se still climbin',

And life for me ain't been no crystal stair.

Langston Hughes, 1922

Ugh... blogger

I did not intend for that last post to be one long run on paragraph, but after formatting and re-formatting it 4 times and having blogger change it back.. I surrender.

Weighing In

Just finished up my Spring Break. I don't think that the word "break" and the word "mother" belong together in any thought. I did get to play a little, but I still had to "work" a lot. The kids have break next week and Andy follows that. Kind of a bummer, but I did enjoy some peaceful moments to myself. I tromped my resume all around town and will definitely be on the substitute teacher list for Whittier City next year. Other districts took my application, but I don't really know what my status with them will be yet. I got a chance to go to Arizona and visit with Darci and scrapbook. Our hotel experience was a comedy of errors. We moved rooms once, discovered that we could not shower, could not have dinner at the restaurant and had no microwave. The sink also backed up.... they comped us two out of three nights... so.... I guess it was all good in the end. I also got a lot of scrappin done! I spent a day at Glen Ivy Hot Springs with Kate. Totally relaxing and totally fun. Great day with a great friend. Other days were spent doing paperwork and volunteering at the kids' school. The annual Fun Run was postponed due to rain and was re-scheduled during my break! Yeah! Ella was super cute and Gavin was mostly a blur around the track! I have lost 12 pounds on Weight Watchers and have met my 5% and my 10 pound goals. I am trying to lose 20 all together. (I think) Slowly but surely! Most weeks I weigh in and find I have only lost 1/2 a pound. BUT... it is still a LOSS (that is what the person who weighs me always says!) I can't believe how close we are to the end of the school year! (and how little I have written this year!) I still have lots to say, but I keep falling asleep! Keep on trekking !