Wooooeeeee!

This has been an eventful month! So after all the testing and the worry, the doctors have diagnosed Michael with...migraines. Helpful, huh? So he's on preventative medicine now, and working on the right dosing. It has seemed to be working...yesterday he had a totally pain-free day and today he's only had a couple little headaches. So great news there.

At work, we've had several traumas this week with people's pets...one really bad seizure that we couldn't stop (a temp of more than 107 when she came in, so probably would have been brain-dead anyway) so we had to euthanize...then a puppy bleeding from mouth and nose, lungs kept filling up, we brought her back once but couldn't again. Then several pets that owners were totally distraught over having to put them down, and a few of those that we were all really attached to, as well.

I got a $1.50/hr raise!!!

Blake's been on in-school suspension twice, the first time started with him bringing a slingshot to school for show-and-tell and the second for a drawing of a guy throwing a boomerang at a ninja (who was ready to deflect it)...unfortunately the boomerang looked like a gun. For both incidents he verbally tried to save himself, which meant he spoke before thinking and ended up lying to the principal and to us. So that's been so exciting....not. Otherwise he's doing great and seems very happy.

The best news of the week...seriously need a drum roll here...

We're moving to our own house!!! The house that Michael had bought with his siblings! Travis has moved to Maryland to be with Meghan and Stephanie doesn't want to be there anymore. Lacey was already going to move in with her, but Stephanie's decided to save money and move back home. So Lacey is still moving over, we're moving in and getting the rent from Momma & Dad for Lacey that Stephanie will be paying them. So voila, we own a house! We are going from two bedroom, one bath, kitchen, living room, dining room, partially usable basement to....three bedrooms, two bath, kitchen, living room, dining room, family room, two-car garage and 1.25 acres. Part of the acreage is fenced, irrigated and GRASSY with a dog kennel. The rest we'll eventually turn into PASTURE!!!! You ALL know what that means!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We'll live out in Benton City (county land) on a quiet paved street (good for riding bikes on) that we can follow on a walk, up Red Mountain and look out over the beautiful partially developed desert.

WE DON'T HAVE TO SHARE A WALL WITH ANYONE.

I have to share the usable square footage for comparison here:
Kitchen: old 77.7 sf....new 146.6 sf with a skylight
Living Room: old 254 sf...new 249.6 sf plus family room 214 sf
Dining Room: old 89.9 sf (not all very usable as most of it is walking path)...new 77.6 sf (totally usable)
Master Bedroom: old 132.75 sf...new 170 sf (2 closets, each bigger than the one we currently share)
Blake's Room: old 96.75 sf...new 95.8 sf (with bunk bed makes space more usable than old room)
PLUS
2 bathrooms instead of one, each one bigger than the one we have now...one for Lacey, Blake and guests to share, and the Master Bath with garden tub, 2 sinks, spacious standing shower and cabinetry.
Lacey's room...all for Lacey, of course
Utility Room with Stephanie's washer/dryer which works far better than our leaky set, and a standing freezer.
Cathedral Ceilings in all rooms.
Walk-in pantry with shelves to the ceiling
2 Car Garage with lots of space for garden tools, etc.

We go from an AC unit sticking out of the wall in the living room and baseboard heaters which we refuse to use so we have a space heater in the living room and one in the basement....to CENTRAL AIR. And we get Michael's doggy, Nyssa back.

We will drive Blake to his same school each day and Lacey will help pick up when we're both working. She'll also be helping with keeping everything clean, and she LOVES to cook and bake.

We are all jumping around excited...the whole family!!