Cultural Experience

This farm wife and mother just came from quite the cultural experience. Now I hope that sentence didn't come off that I live in the middle of the USA and have had NO cultural experiences. I've actually traveled to most of the states here, was a nanny in Chicago, visited our Foreign Exchange student in China Town NY, not to mention the many summers spend in New York City, as my mom grew up near NYC. But tonight was interesting. My BIL (brother in law) got married, this would be Jeff's brother, to a Vietnamese lady. I'm not sure how they communicate as she speaks little English, but I like her. I think this is a MUCH better match then his first wife. They couldn't communicate either and they both spoke English!

But yeah, lets see. The wedding was at 11 AM, weird time. So the kids and I didn't attend. We went to the reception which started at 5pm. It was at a Chinese Restaurant that they closed down for the reception. It was a NINE course meal!!! We had it all, I need to try and get a copy of the menu to give one an idea of it all. But besides the meal they had karaoke. Well imagine twangy music and then people singing in Vietnamese. I'm sorry if i offend anyone, but it was HORRIBLE I mean THREE HOURS of sangggg sunnngggg sooooo whaaaaa. My poor C man was covering his ears. It was ear piercing, gut wrenching. It was so bad that i just laughed so hard I was crying. I mean the 80 yr old g'ma even sang. Then we had the future Vietnam. Idol give it a shot. Remember William HUNG?? Well it was like that but worse on the singing!! Oh, lets see we had a couple duets with Mr Move and Mr Freeze face.

Oh and my car that they borrowed b/c it's white. Let me tell you i ought to get an extra $500 for that way that was decorated. It was done tastefully but i could just see my Honda blushing!! BUT BIL is trying to sell it for me. I'm sad about that, I'll post about that another time.

Of course we had to create our own drama when DH put Miss A in the high chair much against her will. He didn't put her legs b/w the straps and out she came BUT she got stuck. What a drama. People yelling to try turning her head someone else saying no no, pull her up, I think i actually froze. The waitress came at that point and took care of it all for us. For once DH actually realized he screwed up by doing it. That was a first. She was a horrible fuss bucket from that point on and we were only to course 6!!

So yeah, more cultural things were done. like going to each table and having a toast. That my FIL (father in law) would have nothing of. At one point our names were read and we had to go stand up front and everyone clapped, and other speeches. For all we know they were probably talking about us and how we all our stupid:) Who knows couldn't understand it. DH actually said that was one place he wouldn't have minded singing b/c it couldn't have been any worse then what was being sung.

OK I'll stop the ramblings. I do think that i asked those of you whom i know via my old job to email me, but I'm not sure i have my address listed anywhere. Email me at likelabs@yahoo.com

OK everyone farewell till the next time. The people within this ol' farm house are exhausted and in need of just peaceful music.

I'm home

Here i am now a stay at home mom, and loving it It is so wierd to just enjoy the day. No worries a/b having to wake up at 6AM and making sure i get to bed on time. No thoughts thru out the day of wondering what my kids are doing without me. No crying from the C Man when i leave each AM or no horrible crabby moods to come home too. I can get supper ready all day if i want. I don't have to rush around trying to manage kids, husband and supper all in the first 15 min of me getting home at night. No more work 'issues' nonsense crap brought on b/c someone has to much time on there hands. No more eating at 1130 every day and be careful to make sure i'm back or done eating by 1230. So yeah, i'm glad to be home! It has it's challenging moments but all in all so far so good.

Yesterday after nap time Mr C and I went to town to pick up insurance quotes, mail letters and get some groceries all while daddy stayed home with miss A. I found baby kittens in our barn so the last two AM's we make trips out to see them. Evenings have been spents outside watching C and A swim. Miss A gets me up b/w 6-630, but it just doesn't seem so bad having her wake me up vs my alarm. Yeah i'm still very tired and probably will be the rest of my life. BUT i could lay down and take a nap if I really needed too.

We are planning on heading out East here in september so i'm busy checking out airfare. Speaking of East coast, my Easy coast friends, please if any of you read this drop me a quick note so i can have your email address!! Didn't get that before leaving.

Ok mommy needs to get some lunch!! Babies are sleeping

I have RESIGNED

WEll folks, i did it! I have resigned from my job. I didn't leave on the terms i wanted to, but i must look forward now. I had 2 things that I said if happened i would resign. They were 1. work Fridays and 2. move my office from the tec bldg to the other bldg (the hen house) well the later happened today.
This is no rush decision i made. I have moved my office in the last NINE years more then 15+ times. I have been pooped on way to many times and enough was enough. Prior to me leaving last year on maternity leave some things were said to me that really hurt. I didn't want to come back and the only thing that made me go back was knowing i'd be in an office with the guys. WEll a couple weeks ago they changed who i had to 'report' too and that came to me in an email, didn't appreciate that AT ALL. But i got over it. Well today this thing came to me in an impromptu meeting called my the manager. Just told me Rachel your're moving back over here. Ok i thought.....i'm outta here. They were busy visuallizing how everything was going to look and eye contact by my 2 favorite co-workers was not looking at me. They knew what was coming.
Came back to my office, called my mom went and talked to two of the guys and then typed up my resignation. Office manager came over to 'talk to me' but the damage was done. I handed her my resignation. She left, came back later with the other 'manager' see here are you following all these 'manager's one of our problems is we have to many chiefs and not enough indians!!
They tried to persuade me otherwise but by then I saw an email come in from my dad saying 'Way to go' I'm never disappointed in you' I said i just got all the affirmation I needed from my husband and my dad.
Well then they told me I could leave at noon. THAT HURT!! I was fully planning on staying the 2 weeks and tying up the loose ends of which were MANY! I really lost it at that point. Of course not till they were gone and the two guys i work with came up and were shocked at what they just told me a/b leaving at noon.

SOOOOO here i am AT HOME!! I'm a STAY AT HOME MOM=SAHM that's me!! Dam proud too. I'm hurt that after 9 years i ended like this. Hurt that the real manager never came over to talk to me. Hurt that they didn't talk to me a/b this prior, but you know, that's life. It's full of hurts and disappointments and in the long run, i'm coming out ahead.

God will make it work, i know He will!! There were some things that kind of fell in to place prior to today that makes me think God was orchestrating this. But now i must not get discouraged being home. I must be happy for my hubby. I must not complain.

Dad called me this evening to see how i was doing. He said he's releaved for me and he even started to cry as we talked a/b me not ever disappointing him. Did i tell you he's an owner. There will be lots of explaining to come i'm sure, at the next board meeting. One of the owners daughters LEFT!? What the @#*$( happened!! Dad said an email was sent to the board members that i had quit, HATE that word. Said that i will be greatly missed...blah blah. Why am I always making the sacrifices and being pooped on. Myself and one other girl i work with always get the short end of the stick. We really do I'm not making this up.

So yeah, I'll stop now this has gotten way long. DH was over here saying are you recappng your story?? I replied yeah but i'm not sure any one even reads this. LOL Shot out if you do!

Well i should be able to blog more often now!!

Laura is Coming

My dear friend Laura ie LaLa, is coming from NEW JERSEY TOMORROW!! YEAH!! I met Laura when we sold her and her hubby 2 lab puppies, back in the day when we raised pups. It's amazing how God brought us together. Lets see, that would have been 4 years ago?? I posted an ad somewhere on the internet, she searched for Black Labs and came up with my ad along with a couple others. We continued to email back and forth till she said she would take ours. Did you catch that, TWO LABS!! Now we would have to ship these little lovers too!! What an experience but it was amazing. We continued to keep in touch.

I was rather interested in her life story and her love for labs. I wondered if she had kids, found out she didn't. I was going thru one of my SIX freakin mind you, IVF cycles, and wondered what her life story was. Well as i always say God brings people in to my life for a reason. She had walked in my shoes some years earlier. It was AMAZING!! I was going thru IVF with NO support from anyone that 'had done' it and here I meet this lady who knows EXACTLY what i'm going thru. Trust me, unless you've done IVF you do NOT know what it's like. Another post about that some time later.

So we shipped to lab puppies to her that she was going to suprise her husband with! It was so exciting. Marley and Dreyfus now live a WONDERFUL life in Stockton NJ. They have a great place to run around, swim and they even get spa treatments. They have a wonderful doggy hotel that they stay at and i'm telling you these dogs live a better life then most kids!

These dogs brought Laura and I together and we have formed a relationship/friendship that is just amazing. I've been out to see her and her here. We email sometimes daily, sometimes every other day. We've seen eachother thru sadness and happiness. Lauras dear daddy passed away during the early years of our friendship. I was still getting to know her then but it was very sad then already to see my friend hurting. It was then i knew we had something. THEN she saw us thru the many IVF cycles and then on to adoption. She was on my cell phone when Carson took his first cries!! She was on one phone and my mom on Jeff's phone. She was there, miles away, but she was there. She cried tears of joy with me!! It was the most amazing moment for me. Sob sob i have tears in my eyes now!!!

Then she was the first person I called that Christmas Day evening when i took a pregnancy test and it was POSITIVE. I called her right away. We cried, we cheered, we laughed we were also speechless. Then 9 months later i called her within seconds of Addison being born. To be honest, i really don't even remember that conversation. And you want to know who addison is named after?? Laura's mother. Her mother goes by Addie and i always loved that name.

Laura and her husband own a restaurant, here check it out www.chamberswalk.com I tell you i'm so dang proud of them. This place is amazing!! Please take a moment and check out the site. For my NJ friends, we shall meet here some day when i'm out there for lunch!!

So my eyes are now tearing up again. Tearing up for the joy Laura has brought in to my life. Everyone should have a friend like her. I could go on and on about her. I'm actually very blessed to not only have her as one of my very dear friends but also Shannan and Erica. Posts on them too some day!! So Laura....i can't WAIT TO SEE YOU!! I just can't wait!!
Love ya and thanks for being such an amazing, wonderful, great, trustworthy, honest friend. God blessed me when he brought you in to my life! Safe travels!!

C sliding in to pool