Jack Update...

Photo is courtesy of Tephra...she rarely poses so well for cameras and I already posted Jack pics (she was quite jealous and demanded her place on the blog) Well, for all you Jack lovers..myself included here is a quick update. I placed Jack in a loving home last Saturday in the Kent - Maple Valley area. He has a beautiful 7 acre spread that is fully fence and gated. He has 2 teenagers with retired parents (Is that possible?), 4 or 5 kitties to play with and another border collie to call brother. So far the placement is perfect for all those involved and it looks like this is a home forever. Which, kinda makes me sad and want a puppy or baby...Jim says I can't have either...he ruins all my fun ideas. he he. Now...all of you go out and enjoy this beautiful Fall weather we are having (and for everyone outside of the Seattle area it's RAINING)...Well, maybe not, but it will soon. Enjoy!

Help Wanted: Jack needs a Home!

This is Jack a beautiful Border Collie/Aussie Mix and he needs someone to love him. We have offered Jack a place to stay while he is looking for a new home...We all know good housing is hard to find here in Seattle. He is a smart 6 month old male and gets along great with all of our little people and furry friends (dogs and cats). He is from a local Tacoma home that includes: children, another dog and indoor cats; that unfortunately had a hard time keeping Jack contained. We have been hosts to Jack for about a week now and he does great in the house when we are around. He is being crate trained and house broken (no accidents so far) and is beginning to learn leash manners. Jack loves to snuggle close with all our family members but whines a little when left alone. This breed is very energetic, bores easily when left alone (his previous family said he can get abit mischievous; but he's been great here) and needs plenty of outdoor play time with his new family. Jack is non-aggressive and is very food / tennis ball motivated. If you know anyone looking for a dog, please let them know about Jack it could be a match for life. He's such a sweetie.

Spooner Farm ~~ Pumpkins

Well, we normally are the crazy family looking for pumpkins the weekend before Halloween. I panic every year because the perfect pumpkin is already at someones house being carved, due to my own fault of poor planning and scheduling. So I have a tendency to take forever picking the right pumpkin for me. Halloween is one of the holiday's that always sneaks up on me and catches me off guard. Well, Deryck problem solved this year for a fantastic solution...going early with his new Cub Scout Pack. We invited Papa and Memaw for what was the most beautiful fall afternoon, and we were able to avoid all the rain and enjoy alittle sunshine too. Spooner Farm offered a great corn maze that Jim lead us through, "horsey and cow" rides to little kids, and huge spiders that guarded the Great pumpkins. We also enjoyed launching a few gourds towards a bullseye. As we left the weather started to turn and our drive home was covered in typical Seattle Fall Rain.

Going Strong...12 years and Counting!

Jim and I celebrated our 12th Anniversary today and we are still going Strong. Its funny how our lives and the meaning of words can change. When I hear Strong I automatically think about Lance Armstrong and beating the odds. In a way, I would like to compare us to Lance...He beat the odds and took life by the horns...never willing to accept defeat. Jim and I have faced many challenges (even when others doubted our choices), heartbreaks, and immense joy together by living everyday for our family and God. I gladly give all the credit to God, He alone has helped us in so many ways to become the couple and family we are today. Jim surprised me on our special day; treating me to beautiful Peruvian Lilies (he remembered I don't care much for Roses) and special loose leaf tea that I love to drink, which is challenging to get. We have both had busy work schedules lately but we have promised to try and sneak away for a weekend; just the two of us. I still feel my heart quicken when he is close to me and I still love the sound of his voice. My heart has never been closer to another person and I never want it to be. Jim is not only my husband but he is my closest friend...I would be lost without him. I look forward to continuing our adventure together and the many years we will spend together discovering, laughing and mostly growing closer to each other.

The Good, the Beautiful, and the Ugly!!!

Well, this week has been nutty for us here in Tacoma. I could hardly contain myself during last weekend because I was excited to begin my new job with DaVita on Monday. I love this company and love working for the corporate offices in Tacoma. I had a few days of intensive orientation and then a meeting all day Wednesday. I have just started "learning" the ropes of my new position but so far love the people that I am working with and will be leading in the months to come. Many of the staff take walking lunches at DaVita, where they walk during the lunch hour in downtown Tacoma, and then eat a brief lunch at their desks sometime during the afternoon. I have joined a few ladies from my department in a brisk afternoon walk and have enjoyed the fresh air and sunshine. Today's photo was snapped during my lunch walk, it was a real blessing to enjoy!

Jim was offered a Team Lead promotion within Honeywell yesterday; he applied and interviewed for this new position over the summer. For one reason or another the offer had been delayed but he happily accepted the offer. This new role will bring new challenges and new opportunity for Jim, I know he will be very successful in this new adventure. Some additional good news from Honeywell is that after much discussion and negotiations, Jim's office will remain in the Redmond facility. There had been some concern that his office might relocate out of the region due to the lose of the building lease with Microsoft. Honeywell was able to find space within the buildings that they own on the Microsoft campus for the entire department to be housed. The plan is that over the next 6 months building 4 will be remodeled and sometime mid 2008 the relocation will happen. We were so pleased that this all worked out for everyone in the Global Data Center to stay here in the Seattle Metro area.

Okay, the ugly thing of this week is that I was in a fender bender on the way home from work Friday night (yes just today). Luckily, I did not have the kids as I had just left the office in downtown Tacoma and no one was hurt. My Pacifica has medium bumber damage in the front end and the other car is similarly damaged in the backend. Yes, the front end...which means I hit the car in front of me. I wish I could blame it on something but unfortunately I can't I honestly thought he started moving and I just went forward...right into his back end. Thankfully the cop was nice and didn't issue me a ticket. So, my car is parked for the weekend until Jim can meet with the insurance adjuster on Monday to assess the damage. Jim is alittle miffed at me and I am disappointed too but I guess if it had to happen I am just thankful that no one was injured.

It's Your Birthday, Ashley!!!

Happy Birthday, my sweet princess! Ashley turned 4 today. She is such a beautiful, loving and spunky child. Just as it should be... I had a hard time today because I guess it really hit me hard that she is no longer a baby. But a little girl reaching and growing towards the young woman she is becoming. She had a great day being our princess as normal! Memaw and Papa came down for lunch at that great Mexican restaurant we all love, then we dined on chocolate cake, opened presents and had some outdoor fun! Ashley was pretty easy going on us adults this year; she asked for a gameboy of her own and chocolate...How could any of us resist her. Memaw and Papa found a pink gameboy, two games and a few outfits for Ashley, Deryck gave her a few girly games, and Jim and I thought it was time for a "big girl" bike. She loved everything and after a little coaching she was able to scoot around on her new bike. Memaw got a great video clip for you all to enjoy!

September is Fair time...

I always loved going the fair when I was younger...the food, the rides, the games, animals, shopping, and haggling with vendors for the best price. Those were the days... Well, Jim and I took the kids to the fair this weekend. We went early before the crowds got heavy and spent all day walking and enjoying the day. The kids had a great time looking at all the animals, eating yummy (once a year) fair food, and rode a few rides each. Deryck caught his first fish at the fishing pond, shot a pellet gun and hit a few bulls-eyes with a bow and arrow...he loved it and asked about archery and marksmanship lessons again. Gotta love little boys excited about the outdoors. Ashley rode on her first roller coaster and asked to bring a baby pig home. Three days piglets can melt everyones heart. By the end of the day we were all well fed and had enjoyed the sights, sounds and people of the fair. The kids had a wonderful time and I remembered why we only went to the fair once a year when I was a kid...my feet hurt from all the walking and my back hurt from carrying the kids and all of the fair stuff. Hehe...I can't wait for next year already!

Back to School means Big Changes...

Week One of Back to School completed and we survived. Deryck's new teacher, Ms. Seeley, is very nice and is excited about getting back in the school groove. This is Ms. Seeley's second year teaching ~ at Edison and the third grade. She and Deryck hit it off right away, he really likes her and is excited about returning to school. Hopefully this excitement will continue throughout the school year and lots of learning can take place. Ashley has been having a great time at her new Pre-School and she has transitioned nicely there. I think it has been easier on her so far because Deryck joins her in the mornings before school and then again after school is out until I pick them both. The kids have been great about going to bed on time, however we are still struggling with our morning routine.

I start working for Comcast this coming week, but honestly I am still holding out for a position with another company I have interviewed with three times now. I should know a final answer from the other company mid to late next week but in the mean time I will start with Comcast... just in case.

Jim is still waiting for a formal approval of the promotion that he is expecting within Honeywell. He is excited about this new position as it means another set into management with increasingly more responsibilities within Flight Sentinel and International Trip Services.

Hopefully life will settle into a nice routine and the changes will slow down for all of us. Well... maybe just a nice routine is enough to ask for.

Treasure's Found...

Well, we unpacked a few more boxes and Ashley found the "Dress Up" Clothes I made her last Christmas. She never really played with everything I made before and I was super excited to see that she loved the "new" Princess clothes. She was happy to dance and twirl around all afternoon and evening. She loves running around in the skirts, feather boa's, and jewelery. Deryck even got into the game and dressed up as a Knight and ran around with her for a while. It was hard to get the skirts off at bed time, but with the promise of more time to play the tomorrow she reluctantly got ready for bed. Enjoy the photos... Deryck was being camera shy so no shots of him. I think we doesn't want anyone to see that he actually "plays" with his sister. I'll get him, I just have to be quicker.

Birthday Boy...Grandpa!

Papa turned 60 on Sept. 1...we had a small family get together at a great little restaurant one of Jim's co-workers recommended, Vuelvea la Vida. If you love authentic Mexican food this is the place to go, I have learned to not judge a book by its cover or surroundings; you won't find chips and salsa instead you will find great food and a desire to come back for more. Sarah and Andy drove down from Bellingham for the weekend spending time with the Lewis's and the Arnold's. We all enjoyed spending a few hours together at our house and at the restaurant. Here are all the grandkids with their Papa: Theo, Deryck, Ashley and their Papa.

Sunshine in Seattle...

The kids and I have been hoping for some nice warm weather before school started up and presto... beautiful days. We played in the sprinkler at home to cool off. Then I took the kids to the Tacoma Zoo for a short few hours and went looking for the still elusive "Arnold Brick". Judy said she has seen it but we must have missed it again. Oh Well, it will give us something to look forward to next time. Here are Deryck and Ashley playing around on the carousel.

Happy 1st Birthday Theo!

We went to Sarah and Andy' place for Theo's 1st Birthday Party. The kids had a great time visiting with the little guy. And seeing that he learned to walk since the ocean trip, Deryck seemed to think he wasn't a baby anymore...little does he understand we mom's always think of our kids as our baby. Deryck helped Papa assemble a new rocket riding toy for Theo; and then the kids helped Theo test out a few of his new toys. We had a great day visiting with the family here are a few of my favorite pictures of the day. Enjoy!!

What...One Week Left!

Everyday, this is a reoccurring shocked statement from the lips of my babe. Today, was again shocked that he in fact only had one week left until school starts. We have finished all of the school shopping for Deryck (minus 1 winter jacket). Ashley is all signed up for pre-school and conveniently Deryck will as join her at the same place for before/after school care. We stopped by his school and learned the name of his new teacher, Ms. Seeley; and found out that his classroom will be upstairs (eek, that means he is really getting big) in room 206. We started working on math, reading and spelling for a few hours everyday to get tin the groove of things and going to bed around 8:30pm every night. Even Ashley has started this routine and she has been passing out before Deryck (I am shocked by this) and sleeping through the night. She spent one night in her bed but is back in our bed because she is scared of the dark. She's sleeping a full night so happiness and baby steps...right! We are struggling with one part of the back to school routine...getting up in the morning. We have all grown very accustom to sleeping in alittle late in the mornings, and we are all struggling with getting out of bed, having breakfast eaten and being dressed ready to leave the house by 7:15. In fact, struggling is not a strong enough word; we are failing horribly. So, we have few more mornings to learn this new habit and we should be good for a strong school year. For now, I hope we get a few more days of sunshine and warm weather to play in and fine tune our routine before next Wednesday and that dreaded....first day of school.

Multi-Frontal Attack...Was it Successful?

Today, WAR was declared on a few Arnold project's. Jim and I set out to take on the task of finishing school shopping, helping to remove and install new lights on the garage, and install the Basketball goal that we gave to Deryck for his Birthday last week. This was alot to accomplish in one day but it had to be finished today; Jim's schedule is not very helpful in getting projects done and today was the only day I could see a remote possibility to work in these items together. While Jim and Deryck assembled the goal and hoop without much difficulty, Ashley and I finished (most) shopping. I forgot I needed Deryck for the shoes and coat, so he and I will get those items this week when we have time. Doug Owens, our neighbor, helped by running new electrical wiring for the lights we bought for the garage to replace the Mercury Vapor Light that was being removed at the peak of the garage to make room for the goal. When I returned from shopping and the new lights were installed Jim and I turned to the task of installing the hoop and setting up the motion sensors for the lights. Doug was a life saver today, Jim and I couldn't have finished putting the goal up without him because the darn thing is so heavy. While Doug and I lifted the goal into place Jim was able to attach it to the garage. SUCCESS!!! All the kids on the block were here playing at one point; things were crazy with all the kids running squealing in delight and balls flying through the air. Poor Ashley was hit in the head by a ball on accident...twice. After things settled down, we through some hoops together just the four of us...well Shadow too. Shadow loves to chase down the stray balls!! Deryck can easily make shoots with the rim at 7 1/2ft. and as we raised the rim he was able to hit 10 ft. after a few tries. Deryck, Jim, and I played around of HORSE and when we realized that we still hadn't eaten dinner we retired for the evening.














It was a busy day and we got many things accomplished the best part was that of the entire day... seeing the our little family spending time with each other; working hard and then playing hard. Once in a lifetime memories created today!!!

Last Days of Summer...

Well, the count down to back to school has begun in the Arnold Home. Officially we have 2 weeks and 2 days to enjoy the days without worry. I started school supply shopping last week instead of waiting until the night before like normal. I was pleased to find out that some of Deryck's uniform clothes that I bought in May still fit and have no holes in the pants. Judy easily created new shorts for Deryck so during those hot fall days he can stay cool at school in shorts. So with the purchase of a few more shirts, pants, and zip-up hoody we are almost finished with Deryck's shopping. I love that he attends an uniformed school now it makes shopping so much easier for this crazy mom. I have a few more items to pin down like new winter coat, sneakers, and an emergency preparation kit for Deryck. Ashley is just going to daycare with a preschool/pre-K component so I will need to pick up normal clothes and shoes for her. Thankfully I can still shop at consignment shops and clearance items from our favorite stores for her general needs. She has continued the pink fashion statement and has even been speaking up while looking at clothes that she likes/dislikes. I continue to remind Jim that our princess will some day be possibly darned in black or become a tom-boy at some point in her life. It's hard to think of those things but she too is growing up fast.

Quick update on the Basketball goal situation. I spoke with Mr. Owens down the road and as soon as we get lights for the garage he will do the electrical work needed so we can install the goal. I plan on getting them today, who knows Deryck's Basketball playing days could begin as early as Monday if the electrical work is done this weekend and the two of us can get the whole thing assembled without too much of a struggle...I will keep you posted.

Alone Time...is it possible without guilt?

Alone Time... something we all need in order to stay sane. We all may chuckle and say "I don't need any down time"; but secretly we are desire and need a little time to ourselves to be still (and alone). This poses a very challenging situation to the parents who lavish our children with time and attention, when do we schedule time for ourselves between spouses, children, playdates, work and volunteer activities. The reason I bring this up is because being home with the kids over the summer I get very little "Michelle" time. Now, I love my kids and I share every waking (and sleeping) moment with my kids and normally this is a wonderful and delightful time however... two things have happened that make me search my inner being and pose the question "Is alone time possible without guilt?".

First, while at the beach house in July, Sarah commented that I have learned the ability to tune out my children. This was in passing and it didn't bother me at all; Sarah and I have a great relationship were we can be honest and open with each other so it I didn't even blink at the comment seeing the situation. We were on holiday with Sherm, Judy, Sarah, Andy, myself and during weekends Jim; Deryck and Ashley behaved wonderfully for the most part and I took the opportunity to actually read an entire book and knit a little while at the beach house. The kids had the attention of at least 5 family members, each other and adoring little Theo the entire time. We stayed at a huge house on the beach were the kids could run, play, and enjoy themselves. And yes, I admit I felt it was okay to tuned out a little while there.

The Second, is while at home with the kids. Now if you don't know this will possibly shock you but Ashley has decided to move back into "our" bed now that Jim is working graves. Which of course means that my every move is in close proximity to one and sometimes both children. I of course could move her back upstairs but honestly, who likes to sleep alone. So, my personal dilemma is at the root of all things my own creation. I have taken to waiting until the kids are sleeping and "sneaking" downstairs for a long hot shower or waking each morning a little earlier to sip some coffee or tea. However my time is now cut short, because Ashley sleeps rather lightly and seems to sense my departure and wakes to either join me in the shower or snuggle into my lap in the wee hours of the morning. Causing me to feel very guilty and slightly ashamed that I desire alone time.

This morning I quietly cried (for no reason but the guilt of wanting time alone) while snuggling with my sweet Ashley, sipping tea, as she whispered its okay mommy and wiped away my tears. We shared a quiet moment together and I tucked my tears and my guilt into a hidden place inside my heart, finished my tea and then played Barbies until Deryck woke up. So, this is my question for you all to ponder...Is Alone Time possible without feeling guilty?

Deryck's 9th Birthday

It's hard to believe but Deryck turned 9 on Saturday. We went on our annual birthday camping trip. This year Deryck asked if he could bring a friend, Joshua. The boys had a great time hunting for trolls and ogres in Millersylvania State Park, while Ashley hung out with Jim and I. It was a short camping trip but we all had fun and we again we had perfect camping weather. Papa and Memaw came out to visit on Saturday for a few hours; we all enjoyed a birthday cookie, tested Deryck's fishing pole and watched the kids swim for a short while.

A New Blogging Site

Since the new house here in Tacoma, I have been lax on keeping up with everyone. Jim wanted me to update the website and I kinda crashed it...so here we are with a new plan of attack for your viewing pleasure. I will make it a habit to post on a more regular basis and hope this will be a easier method for me than the "old" site. Hope you all enjoy future postings.
~~M