So much to be grateful for

I have been trying to keep gratitude in the front of my mind the last couple of weeks.

Thought I would just post it here to share:

The kids are in swim lessons, and doing so well! I can't believe how well Katie is swimming on her own, and Molly & Colin are getting comfortable in the water, learning to kick and put their faces in.

Mikes job is going great. He really seems to enjoy the work he is doing, and the people on the team. It's such a great company.

My mom is doing surprisingly well for someone who needs a shoulder replacement. She fell on Feb. 6th and has been in and out of care facilities while Drs try to figure out what is wrong, what to do, who should do it, who is in charge, etc... She will have it replaced in August.... more than 6 months after the initial injury... LOVE our health care system. (heavy sarcasm...)

Robby is doing FANTASTICALLY in LA. He is so talented and is really getting recognized for it. Check out his website, http://www.robdowsley.com

I'm doing well, really well. I haven't felt this good in about 20 years. My health has improved a great deal. My joints don't ache, my back doesn't hurt, my thyroid isn't whacking me out. I have even started to train for a 5k. Who would have thought.

And we get to see sunsets like this on a regular basis. Of course this helps a great deal in re-charging ones batteries and touching ones soul.

I am SOOOOO lucky!

Oops

I keep meaning to come and post more often, but heck, life is busy right now. Katie is done with school for the 08-09 year, and will start back up again in mid July. Molly has a few more weeks of school to go, and Colin has been working on homeschool stuff still. I will probably do homeschool work with Katie and Colin over the summer, and if it goes well, skip public school altogether.

Mike's job is going well, it is so comforting to feel job security.

New puppy is settling in ok, a little rough still with the peeing and pooping in the house, but she is tiny, and just needs to go out more often. We continue to work with her and hope for the best. Some puppy classes will help with her barking, can't wait to start those!

Robby is doing fantastic. He got repped, which is like an actor getting an agent. The rep will line up with for him, hopefully on a steady basis, since she only reps a few photographers.

I've decided to stop selling Tastefully Simple. I don't want to be away in the evenings for home parties, I want to be home with my family having fun and exploring the neighborhood, swimming, biking, enjoying the neighbors. I have decided to join another direct sales company. I was involved with a direct sales company a few years ago, Arbonne. With the economy taking a turn for the worse, it was hard to sell face cream at 90.00 a jar. But my new company isn't like that at all. I really feel I am in the right company at the right time. And the products are amazing. I have been using them since March and already have experienced significant changes in my health and well-being.

If you want to know more, check out: http://my.waiora.com/videos/company.php?v=the_business

Peace out

Molly Update

Molly's 2nd BAHA processor is finally repaired, and she is back to wearing 2 now, what a difference it makes! She is SOOO excited to put it on in the morning, and doesn't want to pull it off at all. I wonder why she hated just the 1 so much. No matter, now she has 2 and she is thrilled, she ran around last night saying 'Molly 2 BAHA' 'Molly 2 BAHA' with such joy and enthusiasm. I can't wait to hear how her day today goes at school with 2!

Molly is at ASDB for school, Az School for the Deaf and Blind. She learns orally and sign language, which is sooo much fun! Even Katie and Colin are getting into the swing of signing with her, to us, to each other. I am betting within a few months whole conversations will be carried on without a single spoken word. Mike and I better learn quickly or we will be in trouble!

Molly is almost as tall as Colin now, but still weighs a good 12lbs less than him. I think she is probably as strong as he is though, and can hold her own when the fisticuffs come out with them.

I'll post some pictures later on of the weekend, we went to watch the Air Force planes practice for their upcoming spring air shows around the country. It was so much fun! The kids all really enjoyed it, and Mike and I did too! We're a bunch of air geeks!

xoxo - love you all so much
erin

Hi Caren!

Send me some new baby pix please! erinszoo@gmail.com

Things here are awesome. A little hot, but awesome nonetheless. I think it got to 89 here today, thankfully by the end of the week it will be back down to mid 70's.

We are really settling in to the new city. I have become much better at finding my way around. I'm still a little hesitant to go across town without Mike, but it's been fun to explore the east side of Tucson.

Katie is enjoying school. She has made many friends and is really getting alot out of the academic experience. She especially loves art and PE.

Molly is doing amazingly well in school. She goes to ASBD which is AZ School for the Deaf and Blind. She is in a class with 4 other children her age and she has such an amazing teacher. She is learning in an oral environment but is supplemented with ASL so we are learning sign along with her. So much fun!

Colin is wonderful, just such a joyful child. He is home with me all day and we spend our time exploring, playing, and learning.

Mike is grooving at work, finally got the little hiccup of a faulty background check resolved and is really enjoying his work environment, his team, the whole experience.

I'm busy with my moms group, have made loads of friends that I see daily. It feels awesome to be a part of such a wonderful group of moms.

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Photos

A few photos of us

Christmas

We are finally settling down after a whirlwind holiday last week. My family came to town, Mom, brother John, SIL Yvonne, niece Delaney and of course Robby. We had such a wonderful visit, days full of activities and togetherness and surprisingly, nobody wanted to kill anyone else... bonus.

The family has all gone back to their respective home states now and the dust has settled here at the adobe... the tree and decorations are down, the cookies are eaten, and life has gotten back to usual.... much to the dismay of the kids. They miss everyone, Molly asks for Delaney every morning, and when I tell her that she has gone back to Michigan on an airplane, she just cries and carries on. Colin is especially sad that Robby left - now it's not Robby specifically, but Robby decided to take Charlie, our mini doxie, with him. So Colin is now heartbroken that Charlie has gone to live (or vacation) with Robby for a while. We've talked about getting another dog, but Colin is set on Charlie or nothing. Keep in mind we do have an 8 year old blind golden retriever here, but she isn't exactly a lap dog, like Charlie.

I've got a million pics, I will post tomorrow, once I figure out how I can get them to the mac from my dell.

Darkness

Since being in Tucson, I have often said how dark it gets here at night. It's astonishingly dark. I assumed it was because we are really living in the boonies right now, but even when we were up in corporate housing it was insanely dark at night too. Well, now I know....

Light Pollution - Outdoor Lighting Control Ordinance - Tucson/Pima County, Arizona

In the heart of downtown Tucson, Arizona, a city of nearly 500,000, one can view the Milky Way with the naked eye. Tucson and Pima County first adopted outdoor lighting ordinances in 1972 in an effort to provide standards so that night lighting did not interfere with nearby astronomical observatories. The lighting control ordinance of Tucson/Pima County has been revised many times over the years. The 2006 Code is still quite strong and it is copied below.

The code's purpose is outlined in the ordinance:

The purpose of this code is to preserve the relationship of the residents of City of Tucson/Pima County to their unique desert environment through protection of access to the dark night sky. Intended outcomes include continuing support of astronomical activity and minimizing wasted energy, while not compromising the safety, security, and well being of persons engaged in outdoor night time activities. It is the intent of this code to control the obtrusive aspects of excessive and careless outdoor lighting usage while preserving, protecting, and enhancing the lawful nighttime use and enjoyment of any and all property. It is recognized that portions of properties may be required to be unlit, covered, or have reduced lighting levels in order to allow enough lumens in the lighted areas to achieve light levels in accordance with nationally recognized recommended practices.

It blows my mind how eco aware this city is. Between the reclaimed water, the ENORMOUS recycle bins, (3 or 4 times the size of the one we had in MI), and now light pollution. Makes me giddy in a small way, to be somewhere that takes such good care of the environment.