David's back!

David got back from San Francisco last week from training.  He got sick the last couple of days of training, so he was very glad to be home so he could take some medicine for his cold, have some chicken noodle soup, and crash for the night with a box of Kleenex at hand.  It was good to have him back, but he was pretty miserable.  I think that the worst part was that his head was all stuffy while he was flying home, so as they took off and landed, he felt like his head was going to explode.  That was just a bad time to be sick.  But I was ready to take care of him, so I think that was a relief.  David loves his new job.  He is still learning like crazy and he is the baby of the office, but I think he is proving himself.  David is working 12 hour days that start at 6:30 am.  He said that it goes by really fast since everyone is so busy in the office, and since he is still trying to wrap his head around all the things he is supposed to know how to do.  With this job he is mostly doing audits and taxes for low-income housing properties...I think.  That is what it sounds like to me.  He tries to explain things to me sometimes, but I don't think very much really sticks for me. 

I get up with him every morning and make a little lunch for him each day and make him breakfast while he gets ready.  He rides the city bus in to work, so I wave him off each morning as he gets on the bus with his lunch pail and backpack.  My cute little boy doesn't want to grow up.  He has his back pack to carry his laptop and other little doodads to and from work.  I told him he should get a laptop bag, but he thinks he's fine.  I think it is fun to watch him in the morning, because he is trying his hardest to get himself in this firm and leave an impression.  He makes sure that I think he looks alright and that everything matches.  He has me proof read some ideas and suggestions that he sends off to people at work.  He is trying to do his best so they don't forget about him.  

I still don't have a job.  I had an interview on Wednesday with the YMCA to lead one of their after school programs at an elementary school around here.  They said that they would get back to me today or on Tuesday, so I am really hoping that everything went as well as I though it did.  It would only be a part-time job, but I'll take it.  I really want to work with kids and this would be perfect.  I applied to some restaurants and ice cream and smoothie shops around here, but I haven't heard much form them either.  

I'm not sure if I can stand it everyday at home on my own.  It is pretty boring now that I have run out of things to do around here to make the days go by.  I have even got to the point where I want to do David's homework for an online class he is taking.  I went to the library and got a library card and checked out some books...and I have never been a reader, but I think I am desperate so maybe that will help keep me going.  

Brooks and John are coming today to spend the weekend with us.  I think it will be fun to hang out with them.  We might even go over to Tillamook on Sunday to visit Grandma Honey and Grandpa Bob.  I should be a nice day trip.  We are just hoping that the weather stays nice.  It has been sunny all week...not that warm...but not raining!  

Christmas and the New Year

We are in Portland, Oregon now and the holidays are over. We spent our vacation in Kennewick at home and at the lodge.
The lodge was great! When we first got there, David and I volunteered to help out with dinner. We were having chile and cornbread. We got going on the cornbread, and since we were making it for about 30 or so people, we decided to use the mixer there. It was like a 2 gallon heavy duty kitchen-aid, so we dumped all the water and mix in. David turned the mixer on and we didn't realize that it was set too high and about 1/3 of the mix came flying out and splattered all over us. I think Nick and Amber were standing close-by and they got a little bit on them too. We all just laughed about it and we weren't wanted in the kitchen anymore. There was still plenty of cornbread for everyone, so we didn't feel too bad about it.
There was always good food to eat, and plenty of it. There was a whole counter of food that we were allowed to snack on and Mom made sure we knew where that was so we didn't eat everything that she needed for the meals.
We took a trip to the mountain and did some snowboarding and skiing. It was a nice day up there and the snow was nice too. There seemed to be a lot of moguls all over the place which made it harder for us to just fly down the mountain like we usually did. It was pretty cute when Luke thought that they were called Mongols. Not quite, but I think we did a good job at plowing right over the tops of them and flattening them down a little.

Another day there, we found a hill that we went sledding and tubing on. We were the first ones there I think and we had to pack down the snow. It was fun to go down and see how fast and far you could go. The hardest part was always walking back up for another ride.
One ride down we all made a train. David and I were in the back on a big tube. Nick was pushing the tubes to get everyone going and then hopped on our tube. So I had Nick and David piled on top of me and I was dragging on the ground the whole time. I was fine the with it until I went right over a rock and nailed my tailbone. I was done after that. I thought I had enough padding down there, but I guess I got some work to do... or maybe I better just avoid the rocks.
Later that afternoon was the hay ride. I wasn't feeling like riding on anything bumpy for a while. I had my fun for the day. My rear was, and still is, pretty sore. It's hard for everyone to remember not to wrestle and throw me down.
The rest of Christmas week we played lots of games. We played a lot of Settlers of Catan, Cities and Knights, Scum, Blockus, Imangine If..., Scategories, Nerts, and some other card games too. We stayed up way to late every night and had too much fun with each other. All of us Bare kids were pretty lazy during the day and crazy at night.
On the way home, Mom and Dad let us stop at Miner's for the big ol' burgers and some fries and a yummy shake. It is always so good as you are eating all that food, but I feel like it does a number on my stomach.

We were all pretty lazy once we got home. We had a little celebration for Mom on her birthday, but it was pretty little. After church, Dad and all the boys put aprons on and cleaned up the kitchen and made lunch. They made grilled cheese and tomato soup, which was perfect. I don't know what could have tasted better. It is definitely one of my favorites. Mom got special treatment as she got real Tillamook cheese on the good and healthy bread. Nick even put a candle in it so Mom could blow it out for her big day. Brooks made cobbler too and of course it was all eaten by the time we woke up from our naps. What a party huh?! We really do love you Mom.
There were a lot of football bowl games on which were fun to watch. I spent one day applying for jobs in Portland in hopes that I get to do something with kids at a preschool or daycare.

For New Year's Eve, we weren't too exciting. Abby and Luke went out with their friends and so it was David, Nick, Mom, Dad and me. We watched a movie and Nick and I fell a sleep. Dad made bread, mom made the hamburger/cheese dip, and that was about it. It was nice to relax and I am glad we didn't have anybody there, because we would have been pretty boring entertainers.

We moved in to our apartment yesterday and Mom brought down a big load of stuff for us on her way out to Grandma Honey and Grandpa Bob's place. We like our new place a lot except for parking. David starts his internship on Monday and goes right down to San Francisco for training, so hopefully I can stay busy and find a job while he is gone next week.