Wildtree Open House

Well my party starts in 13 hours and I think we might be ready. It has not been an easy journey getting to this day. I set the date for my open house about a month ago. I had gotten an email with our new products for this year and decided I needed to have an open house. I have not had a party in months and I don't have one booked until March. I need to get our name out to more people and I need to have more people try our foods. I have over half my invites that have not responded so that is always fun not knowing how many will show up. Then I ordered new folders because I needed some with tabs inside to use plastic sleeves. When they came I got two folders! The listing said two boxes of 25 and they sent me two folders. I couldn't believe it. The company apologized, is giving me a full refund and gave me a discount on my next order. I then had to go to our local Staples and purchase folders for more that I could have gotten them online. Oh well, at least I have them. Then we had issues getting the ink cartridge refilled so I could print our new information. The last problem came with getting my new items. I had planned to place my order in plenty of time to get it shipped to me before my party. Then a late announcement came through about the offices being closed for inventory. I placed my order hoping I would get it in time. I ended up paying for two day shipping to get it by Friday. When the order came Friday it was over half missing. I raced to find the correct people to talk to to find out what to do. I was missing what I needed to prepare my menu and my door prizes. I got in touch with the right people and they over nighted me my missing items. I got them in time and I am ready to cook! It was a lot of stress to get here and I am hoping it means I will have a great party. I am also hoping for a few bookings to get me through March. By then I hope to get more bookings from those parties and so on.

Joseph is off work still. He goes back on the 22nd. We still have not heard if he is getting unemployment. They have requested documents and verification of so many things. I would have thought they would have made a decision by now. The way it looks he will be back to work before we get an answer. They will still have to pay him his back pay if he is determined to be eligible so that will be nice. The also messed up on his last paycheck at the university so he has almost 20 hours of overtime being paid to him this week. It is nice to have it all broken up instead of all at once. We are getting a lot done around the house with him off work. The kitchen island is almost done and should be done before the party. We just need to decide on the finish, I want to do a cherry wood stain. We still have to replace counter tops, the sink and faucet, the flooring, the cupboard doors and build the cabinet for the built in ovens. We also have not tackled the bathroom yet. The time has gone so fast I don't think we will get much more done while he is off.

Well, I am tired so I am going to try and get some sleep before I have to get and finish the work for the party.

Happy New Year

We rang in the new year with friends. Hannah had a friend over the night before New Years Eve and we went roller skating. Needless to say they did not get much sleep that night. We were quite shocked that both girls and the other children at the party Thursday evening stayed up to ring in the New Year with all us adults. It was a great time and it was so nice to get out and not sit home like we usually do.

I have been horrible at blogging and I am hoping to do more this year. I don't do resolutions because I know no one keeps them. I am trying to fight this depression and I am trying to be a good mother and wife. I am hoping this new year will bring me some peace and some energy to do just that. I am hoping to make it the gym several times a week, start Hannah's homeschooling and to be happier and productive.

Joseph is off work for a few more weeks. We are still dealing with unemployment and we are not sure if we will get any. I am counting down until I can do our taxes. Waiting for those darn w2's is the hardest. Joseph is looking into going back for a nursing degree to add to his bachelors. We just have not had any luck finding him anything in his field with him not having any experience. Hopefully we will know more after he attends the information sessions for the two schools in the area that offer this program.

We have hopes this year will be better than the last and I am hoping to keep up with this.

October is here, the start of fall.

Well with the new month came the new weather. A week ago it was still in the 70's and now it is in the 50's during the day and near freezing at night. Some parts of the state have already had frost and freezing temps this week. Our yard is covered in pine needles and every time we rake it just gets covered again. This next week Joseph finally gets his first paycheck from the new job. After several weeks without pay this will be welcomed. Bills have been waiting to get paid. I plan to take Hannah to pick apples and pumpkins. We might also go check out a place nearby called down on the farm. They have all kinds of fall activities and a cute market area. I have my annual women's retreat next weekend and I am looking forward to it. It is a weekend when women from all over the state get together for meetings, break a way sessions and fellowship. It is at a new hotel this year so it will be a bit different. I am sharing a room with 3 other women but it is a 3 bedroom suite so hopefully it will all go smoothly. I am excited to hit the bookstore while there. Our ABC, which is our denominations book store, always sets up a huge store while there. It is my chance to get books, bibles, games, toys and food. I can usually get some great deals on Christmas gifts.

My house is still in a disarray from moving. We got the outside of the house painted last weekend and we still need to do the shed and trim on the house. We soon will start on the inside. Once we get the electrical cable to run from the fuse box to the kitchen I can get my oven hooked up. I was able to get a great deal on a double built in oven. We are keeping our eyes open for a gas cook top yet. We have to tear out the extra walls in our kitchen to open up the kitchen, dining and living room areas. When we are done there will be new cabinets, new countertops, a new sink and faucet, an island with the cook top and breakfast bar and a pantry. After we finish the kitchen we will start on the bathroom/laundry area. We are ripping down walls in that area too and making the bathroom larger. We will move the laundry area to do that. We will put in a whirlpool tub and a pedestal with a vessel sink. I am doing it all in aqua and blue spa colors with a splash of lavender. After only having a shower for 3 years we are longing for that soaking tub.

I will finish purchasing the homeschooling curriculum next week and once I have my dining room organized I can start Hannah's lessons on a regular basis. It has been hard with all the boxes and busyness. Luckily kindergarten is not required in our state and I am not mandated to do anything with her.

I joined our YMCA and I worked out 4 days this week. I have a friend who goes with me and I think next week another friend from MOPS will join us too. It helps having someone motivate me to go otherwise I can come up with any excuse not to.

Long over due post...

It has been a very busy summer and I was without internet for the most part of it. We had to move July 1 and we did not have a place to live so our friend Jessica offered us a summer place on a lake in Waupaca. We moved out there for two months while we looked for a permanent place and work for Joseph. He remained unemployed for the whole summer, only getting a cash paying job for part of it doing work for the same friend who gave us the place to live. It sustained us not having to pay any rent and only having to cover the electrical bill. We found a place to live and moved again Sept. 1. We were offered a free mobile home in the same park we lived in when we got married and had Hananh. It is a nice, quiet park but I still feel like we are taking steps backwards. Since Joseph has graduated we have been unemployed and homeless in a sense and now we have a home but it is not what I wanted. At least it was free and the rent is cheap on the lot. We were also given 3 months free rent and my dad loaned us some money to get the place fixed up. We need to paint the outside within 30 days. We also need to do cosmetic work inside and get appliances. We have a double built in oven that we purchased and need to install. I am still looking for a refrigerator and washer/dryer. We might also get a dishwasher. We will be doing a lot of work reworking the kitchen, dining, living area and removing walls to make it more open. We also will be putting in a whirlpool tub and master bath area by our bedroom. We will also do new paint and flooring in all the rooms. It will be nice to fix it up and sell it for a profit, like we did with our last mobile home. The neighbours are nice here and it is quiet. We are also closer to town again which is very nice.

On another good note is that Joseph was offered a temp job by ABR at UWSP for a few weeks. He was then going to go to Associated Bank through Flex-Staff after that. While working at the university he was made aware that the position was going to need to start sooner at Associated. Joseph said he wanted to give a proper notice to the university so he was to start the next Monday. When the university found out he was leaving they rounded up the supervisors in his area and called him into the office. The told him the really like his work and did not want to lose him. They asked why he was going to another company and he told them is paid more and was longer term. They said they would like to offer him and LTE position until February and the pay was quite a bit more. They said it could go long term if something opened up in the mean time. Joseph accepted the position and then he found out that when they worked up his job duties that he is actually at a higher pay rate because he is a supervisor. The pay went up another $2/hr. He will be making a great paycheck. The only downfall is they pay every two weeks and it will be a month before he gets his first paycheck. Once that happens we will be able to save quite a bit each month.

So we have a new home, we are up to our ears in boxes and work to do and Joseph has full-time work. He will also have the holidays off which will be really nice. Life has been busy and we are starting to get all the fall activities lined up. I have been getting Hannah's homeschooling together and we will start soon. She also started ballet and has had two classes. She has a new teacher and loves her. She has all new girls in her class so she will need to make new friends. I also have her signed up for girl scouts and that will start at the end of the month. We joined the YMCA again and soon she will be in gymnastics for the last part of the year. I am attending our church women's retreat in October and also attending a moms conference in MN in November.

Well that is all for now, I am sure I will have lots of updates as this fall is very busy and we have a lot going on.

Good news, bad news and Celebrations

First off, I had Hannah's birthday party yesterday and she had a great time with her friends. Now just a few more days until her actual birthday.

I went to see the dr today for my sleep apnea and I am going to be fitted for a cpap machine. I am hoping this will help and I will have more energy. I guess I have a mild form of it. I stopped breathing an average of 22 times in each REM cycle, which I went into 4 times the night of my study. Each time I hit REM I stop breathing, and it did not matter if I was on my side or back. I am guessing on a normal night I probably stop more times, the night I had my study it took me a long time to fall asleep, I tossed and turned a lot and woke up very early. I am wondering how the cpap will feel.

Joseph's job ends Thursday and we have been submitting resumes and applications like crazy trying to find something for him. We are awaiting a job in MN yet for a school, that position closes June 22 so we might not hear anything until then. We found one online recently for the state of WI too that pays very well but I am not sure Joseph is qualified enough. Otherwise it is just local positions either temporary or at least temporary for him until somthing in his field comes along.

Our new landlord stopped by last night and talked to Joseph. I am not sure about him. He said his insurance agency is not allowing us to use the wood burner downstairs so if we are here in the winter we will have to completely heat with propane and that does not heat the basement where Joseph's office space is. I am thinking a move in inevitable.

I have been doing very well with my Wildtree business. I have had several parties in the last month or so and I have one tonight. I am hoping to get some bookings from this one because I don't have anymore right now. I have two interested reps and so hopefully they will sign up soon. It is nice to earn a little extra income and help people get healthy.

Have a blessed day.

Doctors are a pain

I had my sleep study done over three weeks ago. I called my dr's office last week and they called me back and said I do have sleep apnea. I was told to call the place I did my sleep study and they would get me fitted with a CPAP. That is a machine to keep you breathing at night. So I call the hospital where I did my sleep study and the lady says I have been referred to another dr, almost an hour away. I was given the number to contact him. I called and I get an answering service. Turns out they are moving their office and not answering their phones. So I leave a message. I did not hear back from them on Monday so I called back, still got the answering service. I guess they are having problems with their phones. I did not leave another message since I assumed they got the first and just have not called back because of the issues with their phones. I finally got a call today and the lady says they will have the referral coordinator call me back to schedule an appt with the dr for a consult. Then she asks if when they did the sleep study if they put a CPAP on me, I told her no. Then she asked if I had the study done in Wasuau and I told her I had it in Rapids. She said that changes things, I will probably have to be put on a machine at home for a while and then go back in for another sleep study. On top of that the dr is out and she won't be able to get back to me for several days. I am so frustrated with this. I just want this issue corrected because I am tired of being tired all the time. I really don't want another sleep study, the first was a horrible experience. I took forever to fall asleep, I tossed and turned all night and I felt like I never slept. Then they glued electrodes to my head and it took forever to get that glue out of my hair. I thought once they determined I had sleep apnea I would be able to get treated and be done with all this mess.

I had an expo yesterday for my Wildtree business. I was invited to be part of a first annual women's expo with the Christian Womens Club in our area. I only made a couple sales but I got the name out there, since most had no idea the business was out there. Some took catalogs and business cards so we will see what happens. I have tons of leftover food, we had some for dinner and Hannah says " I love this Wildtree stuff momma". She might be my best sales tool :-)

Nothing new on the job front. Have a blessed day.

Is it really June?!

I am sitting in my living room waiting for the conference call to start for my Wildtree business and wondering if it is really June. Why you may ask... because it is like 50 degrees outside. It has been cold and rainy for two days now and I am wondering when summer will come. We have been busy since getting back from graduation. I had Joseph's graduation party last Sunday and it was a hit. He was so surprised, I got him good. The job search continues, I have actually sent out the first resumes in almost a month. One was to a company we already applied to but I figured it wouldn't hurt to try again. The other was to a school in Minneapolis. I am pretty sure it is a Christian school and the position is perfect. It is a full time salaried position as a health and wellness coordinator working with inner city youth. I really did not want to move out of WI but the thought of living in the twin cities is a little exciting since there is so much to do. It is also within a 4 hour drive to get back home so that is a plus. We will see what happens. I keep searching but there is just nothing else out there.

I have gotten to see two of my long distance friends in the last week. My friend Sarah came home from Iowa last weekend and we had a picnic lunch with her family. Yesterday I got to see my freind Mercedes. She was one of my best freinds in high school and she lives in Portland with her husband. Her sister in law was killed in a horrible accident and they came home for the funeral. We went to the funeral as support for her and her husband as friends. We did not get to spend too much time together but I was glad to hear they are coming home in July for a longer trip. Her and her hubby are both laid off from their employers so please keep them in your prayers.

Hannah will be five in two short weeks and I can't believe it. I have her b-day party next Sunday. We also have our church camp meeting starting the weekend of June 19. We will be down there all week. We really enjoy camp meeting, it gives us a chance to see friends we only see once a year because people come from all over WI, MI, MN and even farther to our meeting. I really hope the weather warms up before then.

Well my meeting is about to start so I guess I will go for now. Have a blessed day.