How Does Packing Make You Feel?

About 3 weeks ago, this was my attitude...

We were making plans for our next adventure.

The next week, reality set in and the work was daunting...

I wanted to hide from it all.

But this week, I have gained new insight and have a new outlook...

(I didn't say it was a positive outlook.)

While I am stressed and sick of packing, we have a ton of support and so many people have offered help. I just wish I knew how to have people help. The problem is that I'm not just throwing things in boxes. I am trying to get rid of stuff we don't need as we go. And I have to separate things based on when we will need them.

And just to add to my mess and stress, I CAN'T FIND MY PACKING TAPE!!! What's a girl to do?!?!

So much fun, so few pictures

We have had a fun couple of weeks around here with three major highlights. The unfortunate part is that we didn't take any pictures so we have a couple we have stolen from family, but none of our own...sorry, lots of words to come.

#1 The usual Skeen/McDonald Potholes tradition was sorely missed this summer, but a wonderful weekend was enjoyed in its place. My family got together (all except poor Brian who had to work) and went to Cascade. We rented a monstrous house so that everyone could have a bed and thoroughly enjoyed new-age camping. (If anyone one ever needs a place near Boise for a family reunion let me know so I can put you in touch with our friends who own this house near the lake that sleeps 22.) We enjoyed skiing in the rain and shine (and dark), wakeboarding, tubing, and a lot of socializing. Our family was joined by our wonderful Grandma J, Aunt Judy and her kiddos and Aunt Robyn and Uncle Dave as well as the faithful McDonald representatives Heather and Shayne. We had a lot of fun in beautiful Cascade...it was so green and lush and the lake was huge. I especially enjoyed the bike ride along the lake and every moment on the boat. Kevin and I tubed together and somehow evaded death or injury yet again. I also skied and Kevin wakeboarded. Madi LOVED riding in the boat, especially when we went over bumps. It was so fun to be watching Jenni and her amazing cuts or Andrew doing flips and hear Madi singing in the background. We also especially enjoyed the hot springs and playing in the sand. All in all it was an awesome trip. Huge thanks to the Padres who make amazing family get togethers happen.

#2 The day after we got home from Cascade, we turned around and went to McCall (30 minutes past Cascade) for the Miller family reunion. We camped at Ponderosa State Park and partied with the Millers. We had tons of fun during daylight hours enjoying chatting with the siblings, riding bikes with the kids, a nature walk all together and swimming in the chilly lake. The nighttime hours were not as great, but we really enjoyed the days :o) Madi was a terror at night. She would go to sleep and then wake up in the middle of the night and just scream. Waking up in the night is not a big deal if you go back to sleep, but she woke up and screamed forever. She woke up the whole camp and many neighbors and could not be consoled. In an effort to let others sleep our family ran to the truck to at least muffle the noise and ended up spending the night there. The second night she did the same thing. Fortunately the day time really was a lot of fun so it made up for the terrible nights, but I sure felt bad for everyone that Madi woke up. The trip was cut short by a day due to continued passing of the flu from family to family, but we made up for it with more fun back in Boise. We had dinner and lawn games and Papa and Tutu's Wednesday night and more fun on Thursday.

Friday, Madi went to the Doctor for a checkup and the screaming mystery was solved...another ear infection. We don't like ear infections, but at least we have an explanation for the sleepless nights. We were also told that we need to fatten our babe up so now she is on the ice cream and peanut butter diet. At this appointment (15 mos) Madi was in the whopping 3rd percentile for weight and 51st for height. We just think she is petite, but we're doing our best to keep her tummy nice and full.

Highlight #3: The Mellings came to visit! The Mellings are dear friends who currently live in New York. Marielle and I grew up together and have been friends since before we can remember. We keep missing them since we don't always visit home at the same time so it was such a treat to see them here in Boise. They were on their way back to New York and made a one day stop in Boise (thank you!). We were so lucky get some time together. John and Janelle ended up staying very briefly, but we enjoyed a whole day with Marielle. Shayne and Heather (Marielle's sister) also came to play Sunday night and we kept them up way too late. We had so much fun and it was so refreshing to spend time with old friends. Thanks for coming Mellings!!!

Oh, and here is the reward for those of you who have endured reading this whole novel...the UPDATE:
We will be moving to Washington in a little over a week where Kevin will take classes and I will work part time. We were reluctant at first to move in with mom and dad (for their sake and our pride), but now were really excited and think it will be a really fun year. So now it's packing time and I better get back to work. We'll keep you posted with our next adventures.

We're still alive

Ok, so I know I have been a slacker and I know I have a lot to post about. But you know how as the list gets longer you just want to do it less? Well, that's where I'm at. But I have this great deal I want to share and so I needed to post. So first I'll give you the deal, then I'll give you a mini-slacker style update.

Here's the deal. Well, it's better than a deal, it's free:

http://microsite.smithsonianmag.com/museumday/about.html

Go here and check out what local museums are participating and you can print a pass for free admission to a participating venue. The free day is Saturday, September 26th and I'm sure it will be a zoo everywhere on that day, but hey, if you get out of the house for a free activity isn't it worth it?

Your pass is good for you plus one guest and it is one per household. You'll have to check with individual museums to find out what age they start charging admission...hopefully mom and dad use the pass and all the kiddos are under age and free.

Enjoy a free field trip!


Now the update...

Well, life around here has been stressful. Kevin was not accepted into Pharmacy School for this fall so we have been doing some life planning, adjusting, and replanning. He still wants to go to Pharmacy School so we have been working our tails off trying to figure out the best way to spend this next year to increase his chances for next fall. Currently our plan is for Kevin to go back to school and re-take a few classes and possibly take some more that will boost his science GPA. It has been difficult figuring out where he can take the classes he needs and how to stay financially afloat all the while. Our current plan (we think it is about 90% set) is to move to Washington and live with my parents for the year so that Kevin can really focus on schoolwork (starting in September) and taking the PCAT (in October) and applying to all the approximately 20 schools on our list (deadlines start hitting sept 1st). So Kevin will have his hands full to say the least but this is all an investment (I say that several times daily). We are both still working and when we aren't working we are researching our options.

So, I'm sorry I haven't been posting. Any time I spend on the computer I am looking at a Pharmacy Schools webpage or trying to enroll Kevin in classes that are already full. The computer is not currently my friend and I do not use it for social purposes :o) Soon enough this will all be done. A decision will be made, a house will be packed, a baby will be happy, work will be over and life will get back rolling. We are sad to be leaving, but aparently we are on the one year at a time plan. We can't wait to have a plan that spans 3 or more years. But don't let my melancholy get you down, I'm optimistic, even sometimes excited about the future, I'm just a little (or a whole lot) stressed with the current unknowns. We have a lot of fun in our near future and hopefully we'll be able to take our minds off of the heavy things for a little while.

If anyone has any magical connections to Pharmacy School admissions people or amazing tricks that help with applications or any other relevant (or irrelevant) suggestions we're all ears. We can use all the help we can get.

Maybe sometime I'll post the updates you've missed between my last post and now, but you know me, I probably won't. So here are a couple of recent pictures