They are dropping like flies.

So, with all the talk of moving, Kailey has been very upset. She wanted to graduate from the high school here, with the friends she has known since Kindergarten. She has been frustrated with me because I am not as adamant as she is. Really, she is starting her third year and her grades are so dismal that she is on the five...possibly the six year plan. If it was so important to her, why is it so hard to do it right?? And why is her lack of preparation my emergency??

She wanted to find a family in the ward to take her in so she could stay here. I was not too happy. She is my daughter, and even with her moodiness and ill temper, I love her desperately. Plus, I felt it was asking a lot of someone, in this economy, to take in another kid. I wanted her to go with us and just give it a shot.

So, she found someone willing to take her in. This sister is willing to drive her around the mountain every day to school, and then come pick her up. I can see that getting old soon. The plan was to wait until a) we moved, or B) school started, which ever came first. She has been taking boxes of stuff over there, and rhapsodizing to me how wonderful it is over at Sue's house. Great, I hope you will be happy. She was home yesterday afternoon, and then said Sue was coming and she was going over there for a while.

When she didn't come home last night, I didn't think too much of it, and half expected her to show up any minute this morning. I needed my phone charger, and since hers broke last week we have been sharing it. This means she keeps it and I hunt it out when I need it. Her room is empty, except for the trash. I texted her, and she said it was a last minute thing and that she had no idea she was moving out last night. Really?? Yet you took all your stuff??

I am hurt. What am I doing wrong, that my kids are so desperate to get out??

She keeps telling me that she is not bryttani. Yet, she did the exact same thing. Disappeared in the night. The only difference is I had a clue, and she didn't move in with her boyfriend.

Count your blessings, Name them one by one.....

The job in the high desert has exploded. Bill is so busy, he is not sure when he can finish Chaffey college. He is getting four or five houses a week, which is keeping him and his crew busy. Then he gets a call from his boss. Bill was tipped to this repo job by a friend in another ward. So, his boss is LDS also, and he and Bill have become great friends. It also helps to develop trust when you are brothers in the gospel. Anyway, Chris, his boss, calls the other day and said he is not happy with some of his other crews and he wants to phase some of them out, and have Bill pick them up. This means Bill will eventually have the whole lower half of the state. This is a huge blessing for us. We have prayed for work, and Bill is deluged. He has also had some personal testimony builders to show him how much Heavenly Father loves us and knows us. One was last Sunday. He was behind on Chaffey, and felt it was best to work on Sunday to get caught up. When I got home from church he called me and was on his way home. He said the guilt feelings were so strong that we were so blessed by being obedient.....and here he is working on the Sabbath. He made a vow it won't happen again.

He also knows that me paying our tithing in full, whether he was on board or not, is why these things are going so well for us. For the longest time I paid almost on the sly. I told the bishop I was hiding the yellow slips so Bill didn't get frustrated. He knew tithing worked, he was just so scared of us having to move, or not having enough food. He has realized neither will ever happen. He supports my tithing paying now. He told me he was sorry he has been such a spiritual galoot.

So, now our family history story. My mom was called to be the family history person in her ward last year. She said then that since ours is done back to the Savior, she would work on Bill's. He is a convert, and except for some dabbling by an uncle, not much had been done. First off, when Bill was baptized in '94, he had a faith promoting experience. He said as he was listening to the bishop speak, he felt someone put their arm around his shoulders, and he was filled with a feeling of love and rightness. He figured it was my mom, since she was such a verbal supporter of his choice to be baptized.When the bishop was done speaking, he turned to acknowledge my mom, and was stunned to see her three rows back, and no one directly behind him. As he turned the feeling of the hug slowly left him. He was baffled by it, but felt it was a grandmother, and they were happy he was baptized because they wanted their temple work done.

I am confused by my PAF file, and not much has been done. Not enough time to dedicate to it while I was changing diapers and cleaning koolaid out of the carpet. So I was excited to learn my mom's calling, and her choice to work on Bill's line.

Last Wednesday, she calls me, just ecstatic. She found some of Bill's family. A Mary Steele. Mary was listed as a single mom (possibly a widow??) with two sons, William and Robert. William had a son, Huffman, who had a daughter, Mary (Bill's mom) who had Bill. I thought it really neat that Mary Steele had a William, and two generations later, Bill's mom, Mary, had a William. I would love to ask her if she knew of her great grandmother, and the naming situation. Someday, since she has been gone seven years now. Anyhow, my mom was thrilled to find this line, and was looking forward to calling me with the info....right after her institute class.

As she gets there and sits down she said it was like abolt of lightning. Mary Steele is the 'grandmother' who came to Bill's baptism. She hasn't thought of that story in years, and here it was, and she knew it was right. Now she was really anxious to call me and almost ditched her class. LOL. I had her tell Bill. He was almost in tears, and the spirit testified to him that what my mom said, and found, was true. That it was Mary Steele who had such a love for him, and was waiting for her work. So, soon, we are making a trek to the temple.

We have been so blessed.

I run hot and cold.

In regards to this blog. LOL. I have something to say for a few days, and then nothing for weeks.

So, the high desert job has come thru and Bill does his first two work orders next week. The college is still not ready for him to do his last week or so of work, so no money coming there.

We went to Victorville and looked at the five bedroom house, and all was a go....until the lady asked to see a picture of Delilah. She said no, based on the fact that Dee is a pit bull. Uh, what?? No she isn't, she is a lab mix. We do agree that she has a small percentage of pit in her. It explains her gold nose. But, she is a lab, with a lab temperment. Apparently it is difficult to get or keep homeowners insurance with a pit on the property. Whatever.

Actually we are still on the fence about moving so far away. We have a few more weeks in this house.

Sunday, as I was leaving to go to the Pioneer Day planning committee meeting, I found our eviction notice in the fence. Sunday was the 12th, and the paperwork was dated the 9th, and you only have five days to answer, or else you default and the sheriff's will come and lock you out. I was stressed over this because weekends and holidays count. So, I called a paralegal we had already talked to, and he made the appt for Wed the 14th, which was the fifth day. Phew. He also said that since it was not handed to us, we actually had 10 days,but let's not risk it.

We took all our pictures and our email correspondence with the landlord over the last two years with us. The paralegal thinks we have a very good shot of winning, between all the promises of repairs and the ugly pictures. My request is we don't end up with a black mark on our record over the eviction. We sent the answer to the landlady's lawyer and we are waiting now on a court date. Our paralegal thinks that once the lawyer reads the answer and the emails he may want to see the pictures, and may want to settle. Keep your fingers crossed that this is what happens.

I don't even know what to say with the situation with Cory. Mom wants him out of Grandma's house. Actually, Mom has no problem with him there. He is good about helping Grandma with the chores that are hard for her. He is company. She has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's, and it explains so much of what has been going on. Not only is she very forgetful, but she is becoming ornery in her old age, and really mean comments are coming out of her sweet mouth. She went to spend a week with Aunt Sharon, and told her things that had Sharon calling my mom demanding answers. Apparently Grandma said I had just showed up one night with Cory and dumped him off, and have not been back to even check on him. She also said that I dumped the little girls off on her for a week while I went on a trip. "Why does Pam think I want to raise her kids??" I was hurt, but Mom reminded me she is no longer in her right mind and we can't take anything personally. With Cory, we had talked back and forth for a week. It was all planned. I could deal with this one. But the little girls hurt. The weekend before I left for camp, we had a birthday BBQ for Hunter. Grandma asked ME what I was doing with the girls. I told her Bill was off work, and if he did have to work, Cindy was going to watch them. It was all arranged, and not a big deal. "Oh, let them come and stay with me, I would love it." I was not overly comfortable with it, but Mom said she would help. So, they planned on picking them up MOnday morning, and Bill would go get them Tuesday night. That was it. Bill and Cindy had them the rest of the week. I think we are in for a roller coaster ride with her.

I cancelled my trip to Vegas. I am sad, because my friends are there right now, having fun without me. I just couldn't justify the expense, but more I couldn't see leaving the kids again so soon. But, oh, I wanted to go.