so far this spring...

We have been crazy busy.

My job is overwhelming. I walked into something that needed a fair amount of attention and change. The transition is happening slowly but surely. I can only work 20 hours a week, but most weeks I feel I could put in full time hours and still not get everything done. I feel like I've been eating, sleeping and dreaming about work. I wake up and think about work, drive and think about work, shower and think about work, eat lunch and think about work, go to bed and think about work... you get the idea. It never seems to leave me. Which isn't what I expected when I decided to take this job vs the full time social services position.

Don't get me wrong I really do like my job. It is just so much more involving than I thought it would be. These are peoples children that I am fully responsible for. Plus I am responsible for 25 staff who like to keep me on my toes and in the end it's my responsibility to cover the shift if they can't find a sub. Thankfully most shifts are only 2-3 hours, I can bring the kids and I'm flexible so this isn't a huge problem. Just an annoying problem.

Ok, enough about my job. I'm overwhelmed, a tad stressed, nervous about the changes, etc... but in the end, thankful to have a job.

Ellie turned 4 last month!

I can't believe I have a 4 year old! She is beautiful, funny, sensitive, sweet and loving. She is often more concerned with how others are feeling and making sure they are happy. She is hilarious. The things that come out of her mouth just crack me up and melt my heart.

So of course we had her birthday party at the Y. We ordered pizzas, opened presents and then made our way down to the pool to swim. She had 3 little girlfriends come and they had so much fun!







Her brand new bike from mommy and daddy!
Peace out. Time to head home to crash!

This is going to be the longest post ever.

The weekend after Ellie's party Greg and I got a little mini-vaca. His mom and sister came down to spend the weekend at our house with the kids while we went to a hotel for 2 nights and went to my girlfriends wedding.

I was such a wuss I cried until bedtime about leaving Cooper. Not constantly... but was weepy on and off all day. Give me a break, it was the first time in 8 months I'd left him overnight! We had a really good time and enjoyed the break (and sleeping in!).



Then the weekend after that (told you we've been busy!) we had my cousins wedding reception. She was married the week before (to a super cute guy named Alex :)) in Alabama and then came back home to MN for the reception.

Cousins with spouses and kids...
Cousins... (and at least a dozen more are missing... terrible that I can't even remember all my cousins but I have a ton and all on the same side of the family!)





And finally summer had hit us hard and early here in MN. We've seen 90's already which is really unusual. But we ain't complainin! We've been outside a ton. At my parents in the pool (kiddie pool), at the park for picnic lunches and just playing in the yard.



Finally... last but certainly NOT least (!) is my little Coop (who's not so little anymore). He usually does THIS in every. single. picture.





But for some reason on this particular day he did THIS in every. single. picture. It was so nice for a change! :)



w



And now onto June. We have no plans what so ever. No weddings, no graduations, no vacations... and it feels so nice. I am looking forward to enjoying this summer with my lovely little family :).

*giveaway!*

Who doesn't like free stuff? :)

Lil' Tulips - my favorite online momma/baby store is giving away a Wubanub. What's a wubunub? Click HERE to find out!

If you'd like to check out Lil' Tulip's website click HERE! You'll love all the fun products they carry!

callie

Greg is on his way to the vet right now to put our little Callie down. She is sick. She has lost weight, is often throwing up and eating non food items. In the last few weeks she walks with bent hind legs. She was this feisty little sh*t when we first got her. We have a 18 lb cat named Max who is a total grump and from day one our little 10 lb Callie picked on him like nothing else.

Here she is when we first got her. They actually cuddled when she was a baby... but Max quickly got over that as she grew.

Here she is at 1 year old. Such a cuddly little kitty. She and Greg had a very special bond. I think of Callie as "his" cat in a way. She was always cuddling with Greg.

Here are the 3 of them. An adult Callie with Max and Mae. The fact that they were even all sitting on a couch together at once and long enough for me to take a picture is amazing!
Please don't judge on our decision to put her down. It was not a decision we made lightly. The fact is we are losing our home. We are in no situation to spend $190 at the vet on preliminary blood work and screening alone. Then there would likely be monthly medication fees, etc. We simply cannot afford it. We have children to feed and an apartment down payment to save up for... among the flower girl dress we need to buy for Ellie, the car seat we just had to buy for Cooper, the muffler we need to buy for our second car, etc.

Callie had a hard life from the get go. Her mom died days after birth. She was a farm cat who was hit by a car. Her kittens had no nourishing milk from her. They were fed solid watered down cat food from the beginning. Not a good start to life.

We are just happy that we gave her almost 6 years of a warm loving home, where she was safe and comfortable, always fed and cuddled.

We will miss you Callie.

p.s. As I cried last night and explained to Ellie what was going to happen with Callie, my little (old souled) 4 year old pats me on the leg and says, "I know you love Callie Momma. If the vet can't fix her then she'll just be in heaven with Grandma Shirley." So matter of fact. I love her.

**Edited to add**
Greg just called. He is on his way home. We used a new vet for this situation and he said she was wonderful which is SO nice. A couple years ago we had to put another pet down and the vet who did that gave us heck for it. Made us feel guilty. But Bailey had a temperment problem and pee'd all over. I will not have cat piss in my house (except in the litter box.) Anyway... this vet asked Greg if she could do a quick examination of Callie. He said yes. After it she told Greg that Callie was definitely very sick. That she could only feel one kidney. That whatever was wrong with her would have cost quite a bit of money to figure out and fix. So that we were likely making the best decision for our finances and for Callie's well being as she was suffering. She also gave us a clay paw print of Callie's foot to bake in the oven. Now how neat is that? Makes me cry, but I'm just so happy that she's not hurting anymore.

why?

THIS just gives me the chills and makes me cry. I know the sense of brother/sisterhood is amazing in this profession. But it scares the crap out of me. I worry so much for my hubby and many of our friends, their wives/husbands and children.

It is just so, so sad that some piece of trash person has to do this to a man with twin daughters and a wife. How is this fair? I just can't wrap my head around it.