Bringing y'all up to speed

Holy Moses....it's been quite some time, eh? 
Here's a quick re-cap to bring you all up to speed...

November 2014...

Me and McDad watching my handy egg timer

M and I hosted our first Thanksgiving.  This is something I was always looking to avoid, if only to not have the pressure of cooking the perfect turkey or stuffing or pie.  The good news is, McMom and McDad came over for this momentous occasion!  So they helped me with the stuffing an pie.  We decided to have ham b/c my father-in-law doesn't care for turkey.  I am happy to report that everyone was happy and stuffed when they left.  Before Thanksgiving we purchased a new car, a 2014 Ford Edge in Kodiak Brown.  We talked about it, and with the Freest having 191k miles, I didn't want something to happen to me or it on my drive to and from Zootown in the winter, and then have to make a financial decision w/o M.  I LOVE this car!  I have always loved the Edge, ever since I had the first model year (2008) for my first company car when I moved into field work after the branch closed.

December 2014 / January 2015

Ms. Stella wearing her donut of shame.

M ended up spending most of December and January in AK for work.  Nothing to much else exciting for me.  Whoops, I did get back to the 425/206 for the Annual McShopping day weekend.  I made a long weekend of it so I could get my hair down with my former hairdresser and see some friends.  I also woke up to my first ever WHITE CHRISTMAS here in the 406.  It was a quiet day spent with the babies, then going to E&L's for family dinner.  Other than that...just going back and forth for work.  I did find it was was nice to have the 10a-6p shift for the winter months with my commute.  I was able to leave the house with the sun coming up, also with most of the morning traffic having already traveled the roads before me. January 3rd was Stella's 7th birthday.  We celebrated by going to the vet for her b/c she had developed a couple hot spots that she wouldn't leave alone.  So had to buy the donut of shame for her to wear for a couple of days.  She wore it well, unlike when she has had to wear the cone of shame.  When that happens, she becomes immobile.  It wasn't ring worm, but I was treating it with a couple prescription topical ointments.  It cleared up, but now she has a couple light white spots in her liver colored marking. I keep telling her it adds character. 

February 2015

My MT Sista & I !

M came home the day after the Superbowl.  We didn't even listen to any sports shows for the over analyzing of the game from EVERY effing angle.  I was hoping the Seahawks would pull of SB win #2, but it just wasn't in the cards for them.  However, it was a great season, and game.  It was so cool to the the 12th Man fever from my FB feed.  Unfortunately M came home with the crud and ended up being sick for his entire time home.  Including contracting Pink Eye!  It was brutal to say the least.  Poor guy!  We got him well and I sent him back up for the month of March.   February also included a trip over to Davenport, WA to pick up some bacon seeds (pork) from one of his co-worker TrigV and his wife, who raised a crop and was selling the processed product to friends.  We ended up staying the night and checking out the Northern Quest Casino, which we had never had an opportunity to do before.  And they met up with us there.  It was a good time.  The next morning is when M's pink eye surfaced in a painful way and we ended up hitting the road to get us back into the 406 to get him to a walk-in clinic in the quickest way possible.  After the walk-in clinic nurse took a look, she referred us to the Rocky Mountain Eye clinic, and secured us an appointment w/i the next hour.  We raced across town to get there, and that's when we learned the diagnoses.  The Dr. there was shocked that I hadn't contracted it!  I was still pink eye free by the time he left.  Whew!

March 2015

Maggie Moo - sitting like a lady - after she ran dirty paws all over my livingroom!

 March brought us into Spring here in the Bitterroot!  And with that the time to Spring forward!  I always look forward to the time changes, but was really looking forward to starting up a morning walk routine with Maggie Moo.  

April 2015

Went back to short hair...LOVE IT!

M came home for the month + one week b/c he had a week of school he was being sent to in Florida for the first full week of May.  So rather that have him fly up to AK for a week to turn around an fly to FL from there was just stupid.  Which worked out well for him, being able to get down to Boise to watch some Valley Kangaroo rugby and visit Barney - a co worker of his.  My folks came over for a visit as well.  I had originally taken a couple days of for Maudie B's visit, but plans had to change for her and so my folks ended up taking her room reservation here.  The weekend M was gone, I took the opportunity to make the leap and get my hair cut.  I figured it wouldn't be as much of a shock for him if I just had it done and he just saw it when he got back home.  I was having hair envy of a couple of my co-workers and friends....I missed having short hair.  Plus I was just falling back into the hair in a barrette one day and then pulled up the next routine.  This style has "shaved" ten minutes off my morning routine already!  I just feel like I look more like myself now.  

May 2015

Me and Ms. Catty winding down after brewfest

HAH came for a visit

May took us to our first time attending the Garden City Brew Fest, where we met up with a couple of my co-workers.  It was a good time had by all.  M and I ended up getting a hotel room for that occasion, since he had to be at the airport by 5:30 a.m. for the first flight out of MSO - the first leg of his trip to FL for his week of training.  May also brought my BFF, HAH over for a visit over Mother's Day Weekend.  We had such great weather and a relaxing time.

Falling into a new routine

The leaves are changing and the kids are back in school... 

9/27/14 - headed to a Griz game

M and EW had a great time fishin' over in Forks, bringing home some fish for the freezer. I just used some of it to make a baked Salmon cake recipe I found in one of my Taste of Home magazines, courtesy of Barb Bader! 


I sent M back up to the 907 on 9/29...man that was a long day!  M had to be at MSO airport by 6a.m., which means we have to leave Hamilton by 4:45a at the latest.  Add to that, I start work at 10 a.m., so there was no use in me coming back down to Hamilton only to literally turn right back around and head back up to Missoula.  That would have been a 250 mile day when all was said and done.  So I went to my favorite Sbux and hung out for a while reading and sipping a hot chocolate.  However, by the last two hours of my work day, I was fried.  I barely remember my drive home.  In his defense, when he had made these plans, I wasn't working yet, so we didn't have any idea of what the day would hold by then.  Hopefully M has planned better departure times now that we know my schedule.  

I am getting into my own groove here with the 10-6 schedule.  I have learned that I do not like to eat so late when I get home, so I have been packing a sandwich for the drive home.  So far it has been working out.  The only thing I am falling down on the job on is getting back into the gym, or finding a program that will work for me.  Maggie and I have been walking on the weekends, but I need to do something else during the week days.  I am anxious to see what daylight savings times brings this way in regards to morning light, see if I can get some walks in the in the a.m.  If not, there is a gym in Hamilton that I was going to check out.

There is a Griz game this weekend, and I have invited my friend Tracy that I used to work with at FMCC in Bellevue.  She is attending the University and has been for a few years, getting a BA and now working on her Master's, yet she has never been to a Griz Football game yet!  So I will gladly take on this challenge.  I am going to board the babies just over night, dropping them off on my way up to ZooTown, do the game - spending the night at Tracy's, then pick them back up on my way home Sunday.

That is all the news I can think of to share...it has been kinda quiet this month.  For which I am happy about. Have to send out the email to the McGroup about Turkey weekend.  As of last Thanksgiving's Proclamation, when the McKitchen was under construction and the Avarlaughlin's offered to host, it was decreed that Thanksgiving was going to be a rotational occasion, and it was going to be held in the 406 next AND it was hosts/hostesses choice for the meal options.  I said great, we'll have pizza!  I have NEVER wanted to host Thanksgiving, just because of the pressure one gets under to cook the perfect turkey and make the perfect stuffing, but Mom makes hers with...and it has to be this way because that's the way your father wants it etc...  Please believe me when I say, I love the Thanksgiving Holiday, and I love getting together with family....I just don't do well under pressure in the kitchen. 

Ok peeps!  Don't eat too many treats before Halloween.... TTFN!
 

The Leaves are a changin'

So much to catch up on.  

First the big news, for those that are not on Eff Book....I am EMPLOYED!!!! I had a busy August with quite a few interviews and one day spent observing at one location.  I was really happy to have had some interview experience.  I was even invited for a second interview at the University, to meet with the coach and rest of the staff as a sort of meet and greet. 

Without re-living every detail of my exciting week with three job offers...I decided to accept an offer as an Administrative Aide for a company in Missoula.  Mark and I were hoping that I could find something locally in Hamilton, but it just didn't happen that way.  I started at Missoula Correctional Services on 8/26.  Everyone here keeps asking me how I am liking the hour commute, and I just tell them I would take a 50mile drive going 70 mph over a 50 mile drive on I405 in Washington any day!

We have attended our first Griz football game of the 2014 season with the Triple J's.

As per the usual, it was a good time with good friends.  We sat in our new seats, still in the North End Zone, but closer towards the cannon that goes off with every touchdown. 

The next day, M and I decided to take a road trip to parts South and ended up having lunch in Challis, ID.  It was such a beautiful day for a drive down and then back up the Salmon river.  We even took a little time to see the booming metropolis (NOT) of Shoup.  Definitely out of the way, and the only reason you would go up there is to float the river.  But all the same, it was a good day with my hunny. 

 

 That's just some of what we have been doing while M has been home this month.  We are going to miss the Roberts' Sibling Fishing Weekend in Forks this year, so M and EW are heading there tomorrow for a few days to slay some salmon.  Keep your fingers crossed for them! 

Long overdue update!

OMG!  So much to share and update on.
We made our official move to the 406 on April 2nd and then I dropped M off at the airport on April 6th.  So I spent most of April unpacking boxes and getting services established.  When M came home in May, we unpacked more boxes and organized more rooms and hung some pictures.  We also managed to wing our way to Lost Wages for a couple days to celebrate our 10yr wedding Anniversary a little early, since M would be on his AK rotation for all three of our June/July celebrations until his return on July 7th. (His bday, our Anniv. and my bday).  That was a nice little get away for us that didn't have anything to do with selling/packing/moving a house.  

Included in June was Daddy-O's 70th bday... in which we celebrated that with throwing him a surprise party.  Good news...we pulled it off!  He had no idea.  

We had quite a busy last half of July.  My parents came over with GJAB and my Aunt and Uncle followed them over.  We showed them some of Montana that even I hadn’t seen yet.  It was a lot of fun.  Then Mark talked me into going camping with his sisters and their husbands.  They are really into Gold Panning and stuff…but I just enjoyed the sun and relaxing.  We took the dogs with us as well.  I was really nervous about doing that since we were going to be staying in a fifth wheel with one sister-in-law and her hubby and the whole sleeping situation.  But Maggie and Stella were really good and we didn’t have any problems with them or the two other dogs there either. Once we got home (7/28) the girls crashed from having so much free room to roam for three days.  We made it back in time for my friend JAZ and her two boys to come stay with us for a few days.  Grayson really wanted to love on Stella, but she wasn’t quite sure about him.  I felt a little bad because we don’t really have a fun yard that we could’ve sent them out to play in.  However, I was told they had fun anyway.  To continue with the Roberts’ B&B reservations, we had the Oregon Hoffman's here for one night while our two nieces and their families from Oregon blew into town and needed a place to crash for one night until their vacation rental house was ready.  When all was said and done, we only had two nights alone before I sent M back up to Alaska on Sunday August 3^rd

Then I hit the job hunting pavement again.  The good news there is I have had five interviews in the last three weeks.  Three of them would be state and/or city jobs.  One was here in Hamilton and the rest were in Missoula.  I feel I've had some really good interview last Friday and Monday.  One was for the Dept. of Public Health and Human Services, then Missoula Correctional Services.  At least I am getting some great interviewing experience, which I really needed.  The one I am most excited about though?  I had a phone interview for an administrative aide at the University of Montana Football Athletic Dept.!!!!!! Today I got a call inviting me to come for an on-campus interview, to meet the coach and do a walk thru of the campus.  Eeeeeekkkkkkk!!!!  (Insert clapping hands here).  All the most recent interviews indicated that they would be making a decision soon, possibly by end of this week or early next.   

OK…that’s about all the scoop I have for ya!

6/28/14 - McChicks in disguise

5/29/14 Early 10 yr Anniversary celebration at Hugo's Cellar in LV

7/27/14 - Maggie wanted lap time

7/28/14 Grayson & Stella