Kelly's concert was GREAT... and very long. The Orchestra teacher teaches at 3 different schools and has SIX separate orchestras. So, on concert night, all six groups perform 3 or 4 songs each. And, wouldn't you know it, Kelly's group (the most advanced) performs last.

There was a whole bunch of us that went to watch the performance: Craig, Me, Heather, Cyndi, Kelly's Girlfriend, and one of his friends from school.

Also, Kelly's half-sister and step-sister from his dad's side play in the 6th grade orchestra, so Kelly's dad and his family were all there, too.

******
I did finally get a chance to talk to Heather about the living arrangements and such. It became VERY necessary as we were all getting ready to go to the concert. There was somewhat of a meltdown between all of us, and it simply transformed into 'the talk' that I had been putting off. Definitely NOT the way I had hoped it would come to pass, but things ended up fine in the end.

We reached the aggreement that I have the right and ability to expect, and enforce, certain things INSIDE my home... and she has the right and ability to make her own decisions and live her life as an independant person.

Things have been good around here since then, and there really does seem to be less tension in the air. Let's hope it stays that way.

Recycling and Charitable Living...

My family and I are new to the recycling lifestyle, but already it's amazing how much more aware we are of our wasteful society.

I've started the trash pick-up habit on my way to and from stores and in my office parking lot. No hiking recently, so that's still to come. (once the snow melts).

We don't have recycling pick up in our community yet, so we take our paper, cardboard, and plastic into Brigham City each week and drop it all off at the central recycling site there. We save our aluminum and cash it in each summer for our annual donation to the American Cancer Society.

I am AMAZED at the difference that recycling makes in our weekly 'trash' amount. Our trash can is barely 1/3 full now, when in past times it had always been a smashing and squishing process just to get the lid to close.

I have a cousin that is doing her part at more than just recycling. She and her two girls have committed to performing a 'charitable deed' each day this year is keeping track of them on her blog. I check it each day to see what the deed of the day was. I think it's very impressive and inspiring. You can see her blog and follow her charitable deeds here: CharitableDeeds.blogspot.com

Lets all keep it up! One by One, we can all make a big difference in our crazy world....

Updates.

Heather did come home Sunday evening, and it was way nice to have her back home. We haven't sat down for our pow-wow yet, but things are going good so far. Sitll planning on the discussion, though. I'm getting the impression that she's let her schooling slide. I don't even know if she's still going. I haven't pushed the issue, I'm just observing and gathering tidbits of information from our interactions.

Kelly plays the violin. He's awesome! There's another concert tomorrow (Wednesday) at the high school in Brigham City. He's been playing since 6th grade, and he LOVES it. Here's an example: He's currently failing his Physics class this trimester, and we told him that if he failed, we'd have to drop his Orchestra class next trimester in order to re-take Physics. So, last Friday, he gathered all of the missing assignments and spent most of his weekend at his dad's house doing homework, and he also spent 5 1/2 hours yesterday at home finishing ALL of it. :)

Yesterday, on my lunch break, I met Craig at the job site and rode on a 'round' with him. Hauling old dirt off of the job site up to the company sand/gravel pit, getting re-loaded with fresh sand and taking it back to the job site to fill in the trench. I had a lot of fun! It's probably not that exciting to Craig, since it's his job; but it was way cool for me. It's a very different perspective from up in a semi truck. You can see so much more than from in a car.

Things at my work seem to be picking up. This month is actually looking like we're going to meet our target production goals! YAY! But, it's an ongoing process, ONE good month does not fix everything. Onward and upward!

Yes, for those of you that know Bruce, he IS a cook. He's an amazing cook. And, he has actually ran restaurants before. He cooked for about 8 years before he started his construction company. Now, the construction business it not going well enough for him to be successful anymore, so he went back to cooking.

FRIDAY :)

Kelly's Concert on Wednesday was AWESOME! It's so amazing the incredible sounds that those kids can create. This was the finale of a 2-day clinic put on by the music departments from the two local high schools. They had a composer come in and work with both orchestras combined . At the end of the two days, the 'guest composer' conducted the concert while they played his works. INCREDIBLE!

Heather got ahold of me and says that she's coming back home Sunday evening. YAY ! Once she's had a minute to relax, we'll take some time to sit down together and re-establish what she would like from the family and the return home, and also to let her know what we would like, too. Hopefully, things will be much nicer around here this time around. Like I said a few weeks ago, I thought it would be a good learning experience for everyone. I just didn't realize at the time, that so much of the learning experience was going to be for ME. Hmmmmm.

My friend, Bruce, is running the kitchen at a local diner called "THE SKYWAY DINER" (it's in the old Kathy's Cafe building in Perry). Anyone that's around here should stop in and give it a try. The Skyway Diner opened last year, and was being run by a girl named Tina; but she's gone now and there's a new owner and a brand new menu, too. Yummy stuff. I was really impressed, and very full, when we left.

Kind of a random set of topics today, but that's what's in my head right now.

TTFN

Snow (and its removal)

We got almost a foot of snow at our house yesterday! It's beautiful to look at but NOT so beautiful when you try to move it. The plowed snow and slush from off the highway was over two feet thick at the end of our driveway. When Kelly got home from school, he called me to let me know how deep things were getting. I called Craig and he was able to borrow one of the fleet trucks from his work with a snow-plow blade on it. YIPPEE!!!

With the truck and blade, he was able to dig us out in just under an hour and a half! I cringe to think of how long it would have taken us without it. Our little tractor is on the blitz, and won't run. (I think we forgot to put fuel additive in the last tank fill-up, and it's gummed up the feed lines and carb.)

The only 'string' attached to the use of the snow plow, was that we had to have it returned that night. So, at about 7:30, Craig, Kelly and I headed to Syracuse (about 30 miles from home) to return the borrowed truck. After a problem with the wiring and a quick road-side repair to get our headlights back, we were able to get the truck returned.

At this point, we all are VERY HUNGRY. We had not had dinner yet. So, we made a late night stop at CROWN BURGER in Layton... much better.
Finally back at home by 9:30 and ready for a hot shower and bed!

Kelly has an Orchestra concert tonight out in Tremonton. I'm excited!
I love to listen to him play.

TTFN

St.Valentine's Day and beyond.

On Valentine's Day, Kelly spent the entire day hanging out with his girlfriend and her family. They're really nice people, and she's a great girl, so I didn't mind. Heather called me and said that her boyfriend was taking her to Kobe (it's one of those fun Japanese grills like Benihana). And Craig and I went to dinner with Cyndi & Jim and then hung out at their house for a while. Overall, I think it was a good day for everyone.

Today, we are putting the finishing touches on the basement so we can magically convert it from our creepy, cold storage area into our new and improved workout room. Craig and I have decided that we BOTH need to get back into shape, and we've agreed on the P90X workout program. It's pretty intense, but I'm excited to try it.

Tomorrow, at work, my boss has arranged to come to my office for an "Agency Diagnostic and Review". We've had a few conversations on the phone over the past week, and I've decided that the Agency Diagnostic and Review is her way of saying butt-chewing and distorted threats that she interprets to be moivating. But, as I said at the beginning of this blog, I've worked for her for nearly 7 years now, so I've learned deal with her style of 'motivation'.

True, my office has not been as profitable as we had hoped when we opened it. Things have been VERY slow over the past year or so. But, since the beginning of this year, new policies have started to improve a little bit. I've also developed a couple of new marketing strategies that I think will help a lot, too. Hopefully, things will improve soon.

Tomorrow's another day, and another chance, and I'm gonna take it.

TTFN

I've got A LOT of learning left to do !

Thanks for the comments, even the really honest one!

I've been thinking a lot about some of the statements made, and I know you're right. Letting go is a very hard thing for me to do. I let go once before (I thought it was the 'right' thing to do at the time) and HOLY COW, WAS I WRONG!

I have this deep-seeded need to fix things (mostly people). You can ask anyone close to me, I will offer my "help" as often as I can - like it or not. I have a hard time remembering that something that I say in an effort to improve something, often comes across as nagging and nit-picking. My intentions are good, but not as well expressed as I think.

When I see a situation that I've been through, especially with my kids, I try to give my 'lessons-learned' insight to them so that they won't have to go through the hurt that I did. I doesn't work. I guess sometimes I just have to let my kids fall down on their own. Otherwise, they'll never learn how to get back up again.

I did get a chance to talk to Heather last night, and I think she is starting to drift back toward home. I didn't push the issue, it wasn't the time or place. She's not feeling well, and we spent some time last night figuring out what was wrong. The dotctors finally decided that she's got a nasty stomach virus that's been going around. Definitely not fun, but not really life-threatening.

When she does come home, I'm going to take the path of 'mutual respect'. More voluntary communication based on courtesy, not on 'rules'. MUCH LESS outright bold-faced lying on her part, and MUCH LESS passing judgement and scrutiny on my part. I'll just have to wait and see how it goes.

Thank you again for all your support and insight! It is ALL appreciated and considered.

We are, by nature, pack animals and I couldn't ask for better a pack. No matter how spread out we are.

Hmmmmm.... Now what?

Well, this weekend came and went, and still no Heather :(

After getting some more information about the situation at her Dad's house, it seems that she's simply given free reign to come and go as she pleases with no inquiry as to where she's going, who's she's going with, or what they're doing.

Now I've been told that 'Disneyland-Dad' has told her she can stay as long as she wants.

I HOPE AND PRAY that when she does decide to begin speaking to me again, it won't be just to tell me some horrible news of how eff'd-up she is!

I am having a really hard time with this! She's not returning my calls, and I only get short one-word responses to texts that I send. But, I keep sending an "I LOVE YOU" or a "HOW YA DOIN?" every day, so she will at least know that I think about her. I've stopped trying to call, because she's only answered one of my calls since she left, and I'm sure my voice-tones on the voicemails are probably not very cheerful sounding. So, texts will have to do for now.

Meanwhile, I get a lot of one-on-one time with Kelly, and that's a very good thing !

I just need to stay Chin-up :) and cross my fingers that she won't get hurt or lost beyond return while she's out 'finding herself'.

Now begins Week Two...

Life Goes On...

Pretty routine around here the past few days. (Except that Heather's not here). Get up, go to work, come home, have dinner, clean up, watch the news, and then go to bed.
Wow! Jealous aren't ya?

There have been some unfortunate developements in my extended family. However, I can't really find a way to explain them without sounding like I'm complaining. And, as many of you know, being a positive person rather than a negative person is a very important goal that I've made for myself. Plus, I'm not too sure they'd really want their personal battles posted on the internet.

So, I will simply wish two of the Grandmas in our world great blesssings and a speedy recovery to them both.

I hope Heather decides to come back home soon. Even though I don't see a whole lot of her when she IS living here, at least the passing hello and hug are nice. It's been 4 full days since I've seen her at all. But, it's not my decision, and she may still have a few lessons to learn before home sounds like a good place to be again.

In the mean-time.... Life Goes On.

Party Time...

After a long day of cleaning the basement on Saturday, we were all ready to kick back and have some fun. So, on Sunday, we had a party for my sister's birthday at our house. It was GREAT! We had very non-traditional birthday food. Veggie platter, Fruit tray and Rootbeer Floats. The Birthday Girl had requested a bit of a less-fattening type of treat than the usual cake & ice cream. That's where the food idea came from, and the rootbeer floats were just too yummy to pass up.

After the birthday party, we straightened up the house a bit and got ready for the SUPER BOWL party. My brother and his little boy ended up staying for the Super Bowl, too. We had Craig and I, Kelly and his girlfriend, my brother and his boy, and an old friend there for the game. It was a lot of fun. A pretty small group, but not too crowded in the living room, so we could all have comfy seats to watch (and yell at) the TV. I really had no favorite team, so I was just there for the fun of watching. I love to watch football, no matter what team's playing.

Heather has decided that she needs a 'vacation' of sorts from the obviously horrible and oppressive rules of my house. So she's gone to stay with her Father and his family for a couple weeks. I think it will be a good eye-opener for everyone. Que sera, sera.