Some stuff!

So, Best Buy coughed up the 'no lemons' replacement laptop...its a fancy new Toshiba! YAY!

I, am still jobless....I think I might have a job back 'home' with Ashley Manor. Still waiting to hear from the man in charge regarding moola. I was very confident...but, as time goes on my confidence wavers...right now its wavering so much I think I might be have acquired jobless-girl-Parkinson's disease (thats funny, just laugh)....I have another offer...a good offer, but I have to answer them by the end of today...I am holding out for Ashley Manor, as that is where I'd rather go...but, I guess I will have to hop onto the next ship if this one passes by. It makes me sad, I'd really like to be a part of the exciting 'stuff' coming that way, and surround myself with familiar friendly people who know me...I guess we all gotta do what we gotta do...the good news is I have options! I can't keep waiting for AM...so everyone cross your fingers and say a prayer. I better go do somthing productive with my time 'off'.

Light

I have been working for Heart 'n Home Hospice for the past year and some odd months. It was a decent job, but my office was full of amazing people! Minda, Windy, Erin, Velana, Brenda, Linda, and the list goes on! I loved my office, but the corporate portion was a little...a little....well it was a little like any corporate office that is family ran and operated. They have grown quickly and seen much success....so, they have made changes, and hired consultants, and read books, and done all sorts of stuff to keep up with their growth...yet, when its all said and done, really whats happened is HnH is 'they are too big for their britches'....I could have, and should have done a few things differently, but when your heart isn't in it, and your head isn't either it makes for a rough go. I was micromanaged in ways you can't even begin to imagine! I am one of those people who thrives with independence. Tell me what my job is and then leave me the hell alone and let me do my job....right? It is funny to me, when they were asking me why I would consider leaving Ashley Manor I told them it was directly related to the micro-managing of the idiot they hired to run the marketing department. I told them how I was a product of my environment and how if my environment was a happy place I could produce like no other. Then what happens? They start micro-managing the outreach department in ways I didn't even know existed, then it was literally a chronic, phlemy cough of negative feedback, and harsh criticism. The homeostasis of my biodome was on a fast race down hill. To top ALL of that off, they wanted me to sign an 'non-compete' contract. A contract stating regardless of how my time at HnH ended I would not be permitted to work in hospice in anyway for 12 months. WHAT! Yeah, thats what I said. So I didn't sign it. Then, when faced with a 'get fired or resign' situation, I resigned. I had wanted to quit for weeks, but loved my office, and needed the job. Ya know? But when it came down to it, I resigned. I have never been in a situation like that in my life. I have never been in a situation when I truly believed I would be fired. I have never worked anywhere they wanted to fire me..........................it was time, and it was the right thing to do! I am relieved to eliminate the stress, and chaos, and constant, consistent pressure and critisism. I am sad, so sad to not have the wonderful people in my office I came to love as a part of my daily life.

God will lead me to what is next, and it will be where I suppose to be, of this I have no doubts! God has always lit my path...

We will call this OCTOBER

Well friends, I was without my handy dandy laptop for most of the month of October...I withstood Facebook withdrawls and not posting pictures. It was rough, I'll admit, but I came through like a trooper!

So, I returned to work after my 'minor outpatient' shoudler surgery. Where I had a 'talk' with my 'trainer/mentor' in hopes of improving a seriously lacking relationship in order to improve my 'working environment'....and I'll say this...it was great for a couple of weeks!! But, well...ya know! While it is still less than ideal it is definitely better. I say a little prayer before work starts, and then pray repetitively through the course of my day. The good news is my beloved Carrie Hawkins is now officially a Caldwell HnH social worker! This means I get to see Care every Tuesday at minimum!! Fun for me! She is a gem, and I am so glad to count her as part of a super duper team of wonderful caring nurses, social workers, chaplains, CNA's, Windy and ME!! I sure hope hospice agrees with the lovely Mrs. Hawkins!

What else...Derek turned SEVEN...much to his mother's dismay! How in the world did THAT happen? MY BABY??? IS SEVEN??? I don't believe it...I refuse...(not that denying the fact makes it less that true...) He is a big old first grader, with a perfect report card, and a skateboard!! AND OH, does he love that skateboard!! He sure took to it like peanuts to M&M's! He learned to 'ollie' whatever that means!!! He watches every episode of 'Zeke and Luther' (those of you without Disney Channel aged kiddos or Disney Channel...this is a show about two goofy skateboarders...) So, far the most entertaining thing so far was my son skateboarding in a pair of Wranglers...

We also celebrated my baby brothers 29th birthday at the river like we do every year. Only this year Tim McNarie a.k.a. Uncle Tim joined us! We went to the river and released balloons laden with a Chili Pepper, tossed flowers into the river, and shared many a bittersweet memory...

Tim's story was about Derek's lack of fear, Willie's about Derek's tendency to go shirtless, Daddy shared a hunting story, I shared a story about the Rodeo Club Homecoming parade float, and there were many others shared this day. The day my brother was born, a good day....ALWAYS a GOOD DAY!

And, then there was the "Favorite Aunt Sharla Slumber Party''!!! I had Shyann, Dakota, Eli, and Ian, and Kyla, and Derek all spend the night one night!! TONS OF FUN!! We ate, and watched movies, and Ian and I stayed up all night!! AND I DO MEAN ALL NIGHT!! Turns out, sometimes 2 year olds don't sleep so well in places they don't usually sleep...Turns out, Aunt Sharla didn't remember this....Turns out Aunt Sharla loves her nephew, but doesn't miss sleepless nights!! We had cinnamon rolls for breakfast, and then Lennie and Justin picked up the boys, and my kids and the girls went to church....THEN we came home, and all got ready for Trunk or Treat at the church later that night!!

Trunk or Treat!! Kyla, Dakota, and Shyann were all little old ladies for Halloween, and Derek was a very authentic BullFighter! I set the ladies up assembly line style and turned them into Miss Pennsylvania 1929, Miss Florida 1940, and Miss Munchkin Land 1911!! While Uncle Tim the REAL BULLFIGHTER came over and transformed my little boy into a bullfighter from cowboy hat to cleats!! All FOUR kids won Most Original in their age groups! I think someone should have given me an award since they were my ideas!! But apparently that isn't how it works!

And we wrapped the month up with Kyla getting her braces OFF, and a retainer I can't get her to LEAVE in her mouth....

Busy busy!!

May God Bless each of you has he has this family! With Love, Happiness, Safety, Health, and Faith!

Back in the land of the living

So my friendly blogger peeps, I've been out of the game for some time...stupid laptop breaking...I am back, and I will be posting my Happy Halloween blog soon with pics of the monkeys...and of course the punkins too!!

Happy Birthday Baby Brother

Today my baby brother would have been 29 years old. Its hard to fathom he's been gone 8 1/2 years. My brother was beyond a shadow of a doubt the life of every party! He was an endless ray of sunshine with a goofy lopsided grin, and great laugh. He brought joy and happiness with him where-ever he went! Derek was a lover of life. You know the type. Enjoying every minute to its full capacity. To spend a day with Derek was to come to love the boy! I don't know that ever there was, or if there ever will be another human being that was as much fun as Derek. To say he was a thrill seeking adrenaline junkie doesn't quite say it right.

Derek has a little girl. JoAn Renee. She wasn't quite 3 years old when he died. Oh, Lord...He loved her so much. I don't think you've ever seen a face light up the way that little girl's did when she laid eyes on her Daddy! She was such a cutie pie baby, and has turned into a beautiful little girl. She is full of piss and vinegar just like her Daddy! Derek would be so proud of the bright, cheerful, beauty she has become. She misses him so.

Derek was the baby in our family, and to say that we all 'babied' him....well talk about understatements! That boy was just plum spoiled. He could smile his way into just about anything. And, God Forbid, he call me Lala.....for if he did I would, and did do whatever he requested. I remember visiting my Mom's house on a Friday night after I married Willie. Derek was getting ready to go on a date, and was naturally running late...he asked me to iron his red shirt. I gave him the spill about being a grown up and and ironing his own dang shirt. I came to visit Mom and Dad not iron his shirt! He looked at me with those big blue eyes, and said 'please Lala'.......and you guessed it...I ironed that damn shirt. Just in time for him to throw it on as his buddy Tim walked into the house.

I said that right...as Tim WALKED into the house. Derek's buddies were all family to us. They called me Big Sister, and my parents Mom and Dad. So, for one of them to just walk in, and grab a bite of whatever was on the stove was nothing out of the ordinary. Derek tucked in his red shirt still warm from the ironing, and thanked me with a quick kiss on the cheek and off he went!

Happy Birthday Baby Brother....I love you, and miss you more every moment that passes!

Home with my sick puppies!

Well, I thought my kiddos would be ready to go back to school today, but alas, they still have fevers and Kyla's head hurts, and Derek's tummy troubles are back with a vengeance. Mommy sits in the recliner with a bum shoulder, and stays on Facebook (there needs to be a 12 step program for FB) while the Disney Channel runs NONSTOP all day long...no seriously ALL DAY LONG!!! Carol brought soup and 7up, and medicine to the kids today, so I didn't have to drag them out into the world with their germs and vulnerable immune systems! Very helpful!!! Thanks Grandma!!!

12 years!! Thats right 12 years!!!!

Willie and I just celebrated our 12th wedding anniversary!!! I know, right!! So, I figured it out...We have known each other since we were 12 years old...thats 20 years people!!! We've been together for 13 years...and marital bliss for 12 years!!!

For a combined Sharla birthday and anniversary trip we spent a weekend together in Boise. In a lame hotel that was suppose to be really nice....but wasn't. Had a dinner that was suppose to be great and on the terrace...but they forgot about a wedding reception they were having so we didn't get that either! But, we did have an amazing time!!! We laughed and laughed....My gift from my WONDERFUL husband was a tattoo...something I have ALWAYS wanted....and it is a tribute of sorts to my baby brother!

Take a look at some of the pictures.....

What Sharla has to say at 1:30 am...

As anyone who has access to this blog knows I recently had shoulder surgery. Turns out shoulder surgery is relatively painful, AND when it is your dominant hand it is really inconvenient! Its been 2 weeks, and my doctor said I could work 4 hours a day, but my company said until the doc gives me a 100% release to resume duty I can't come back! This sucks, because we are a dual-income family, and without the 2nd income this can pose some, oh...issues...But, what do ya do....turns out I'm not super sure I could have really worked anyway...but, as He always has the Lord will see us through this too!!!

On another note. This Friday, October 9, is my baby brothers birthday. He would have been 29 years old. It has been 8 1/2 years since Derek's tragic death. It sees crazy to me it seems forever and yesterday since Derek died. But, since the very first birthday we had to celebrate Derek without his physical presence my family has chosen to CELEBRATE the day of his birth. No matter when or how my brother died, the day he was BORN will always be a good day! We have a wonderful birthday party for him every year. We go to the river (if you don't know, my brother was fishing fool, hence the river), then we throw flowers into the river. It goes like this: we each throw a flower into the river for the "man he was" and tell a memory of we have of him. Next, we throw a flower into the river for the ''man he would have been'' and say something we think he'd love about whats going on NOW. Then we keep a flower to remember him all day long. We also write a message on a balloon, tell him we love and miss him and release our balloons. It pales in comparison to celebrating with his goofy smile, and funny laugh as he reeked of too much cologne on his way to drink too much and party too hard, but it is still a celebration of who he was, and we rejoice in the fact he was born. My Momma, JoAn, Willie, Kyla, Derek, Aunt Cathy, myself, and sometimes my Daddy (its different for Daddy, and what makes it better or easier for us, doesn't for him)....afterwards we go to the Pumpkin Patch on Star Rd and the kids and Willie spend a fortune on pumpkins. All in all, as hard as it is...it is a good day. The day my little brother Derek Wayne Presley was born...will ALWAYS be a good day!

Another Day in Paradise

Yay! I'm a blogger! Hayley will be so proud!

So, home still post-shoulder surgery. Today the kids had fevers, head-aches and tummy troubles....but seem to be feeling better now. I think I may have been duped....But, its nice to lay around with the monkey-faces.

So, thats all I can think of for now.
God Bless Us Everyone