Bye daddy...

My Dad left today. It was so nice having him here for the past week. I know it was way hot for him, but in a way, I am thankful for the heat. It forced us to just lay low and hang out inside and not run around crazy trying to see and do everything. It's the most time we've hung out together in many years. And the longest he and J have ever visited. They really got to connect on this visit in a way that was not possible before...although we have seen him on annually visits, it's been rushed, crammed in between other obligations and just never enough time. It was so great just to hang out, talk, laugh and eat. Despite the heat, on Sunday, J cooked up a wonderful dinner of asparagus, couscous and steak followed by DIY ice cream sundaes. It all makes me even more grateful since I just heard that Michael's father passed away this weekend. After a long battle with cancer he is finally at peace. I pray that my brother can be at peace too. I cannot imagine what it feels like to lose a parent and it makes me all the more aware of how precious each day we have together truly is.

Dad left this morning for Kansas, to visit with friends and then back to South Dakota to pick Dana up from summer camp. I miss him already...one week a year is never enough time to visit. J and I want to get to Alaska...my job will take me to Seattle in October 2010 and maybe we can piggyback a trip up to Alaska from there? But that's two years away! So, we'll see...we have got to at least coordinate a visit next year in CA or HI. Both would work for us!

Work was crazy busy today, but I love to be busy! Makes the day fly by! I have to work two Saturdays this month. So I hope to bank the time and use it for a couple of early days or something. We shall see...my company is so generous with their scheduling and time off that I am not really worried about it. I guess that I got so used to working 6 days a week that now, 2 days off a week feels like a real luxury!

J continues to interview for jobs. He didn't get the management position at Target, despite going through 5 rounds of interviewing! So, we're thinking about food service again and just biting the bullet, since most likely it means we won't see eachother as much as we'd like. We know that it's temporary and will not last forever. It will just force us to maximize the quality time that we do have together. We shall see...he had two interviews today. The goal is to have a job by the end of this week, so send him positive job vibes. I know that whatever he does, he will excel and be promoted up the ranks quickly. He's more worried about it than I am, but that's because he puts a lot of pressure on himself. The great news is that the cost of living here is somewhat manageable on one salary...especially since gas prices have dropped a bit. We're down to $3.68 here. Still high, but at least it's under $4! And my 90 day bonus will kick in at the end of August, so that will be helpful. I have found that stressing about money never makes it come faster, so I chose not to stress about it anymore. We always have everything we need and most of what we want, so I have faith.

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