Blue Nettles

Hey - congratulations Larry. That sounds great for you. What a big challenge. All these new jobs and stuff happening.

Yes, our house is scheduled to close the 7th of July. We're very excited about the price and all of it. We told Mom she was good luck since we got all this news when she was here.

We enjoyed having her here. She was able to seriously relax. Went on a couple short power boat rides that were a bit rough so we all got wet. An adventure!!

Good luck with all the moving for Mom.
Love,
Max

Congrats, Larry! Good for you- it looks very interesting. Megan and Marisa looked at the USAID website with me and they said, "Cool.". Will you be traveling in your job? It looks like it will be a good change and challenge for you. I am happy for you.
I am finally firming up my job positions for next year. I will be working 8 hours as the school counselor at St. Olaf's Catholic School (in Bountiful) and 8 hours at Cosgriff as school counselor alongside the current counselor (he works 16hrs.). I am signing the job agreements this week. It may not appear as much in terms of hours - and definately not the pay that I had hoped for but I have accomplished securing two positions that will fulfill my internship hours- and hopefully one of the positions will turn into more the following year. I will finish my graduate program by June of next year. It's been a lot of hard work but I am feeling like I am almost there.
I've wrapped up my current year responsibilities at Cosgriff a few weeks before school ends so I can help get Mom moved. I am looking forward to summer to get organized (at home and with my counseling files), plan for next year, get rejuvenated and grounded again. It's been a crazy year- the last four months have been hard- I think I've been holding my breath- just trying to get everything done to get to this point of the year and have a plan for the next school year.
Max- did you finalize the deal on your house?
Ellie- What are your work hours for the summer?
Love, Kay

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I finally got an official job offer from USAID. But it is for a whole different type of job than I had originally applied for. Instead of being little formulation guy, they want me to work on the team that is reorganizing and merging all foriegn assistance (USAID, State, DOD, ect). That means I'll be getting a paycheck from USAID but be working for the Secretary of State at the State building over in Foggy Bottom (eventually, since they don't have space for me yet). This will be a lot harder job and at a whole different level of responsibility. I accepted the job and expect it to be a big challenge. I'll be starting work at the end of June since my present office doesn't want to loose me to soon.

Yea, school is out. The boys are soooo relaxed and have lots of energy. This weekend is a blow out weekend. Fun parties to attend, lay around the house. We've been swimming at our favorite public pool. George is into all the sports on television this weekend.

Next week starts our June "schedule". Summer school begins. We have to focus on reading, regular library visits. Regular pool visits. I need to fit in a work schedule somehow. I've been madly cleaning. We don't have to keep every school project completed. It would be nice to use the toys we own. Boys are focused on electronics - game boy, play station, computer, videos. We read and then they accumulate time for the electronics. Davis is into it and James needs to be coaxed.

This morning, I am going shopping for me. I got a gift card and some birthday money to buy new clothes.

Note: Hazel (my mother-in-law) was put in a nursing home on Friday. A very difficult choice. We're still not sure if Medicaid will be paying for it. George Sr. and Melva were struggling with her care. It is very heartbreaking.

How different it is with Mom and Dad. They participated in their choices, talked about all the options. I'm so proud of Mom's move. It is good for her and for us.

I love you all,
Ellie

Well I think Dad is looking after us today. We got a call from Perth with an offer on the house. Yee hah. Waiting is such a stress. The offer is a good one so of course we accepted. It's contingent on a couple things but nothing outrageous. One is that they sell their other house but it should go quickly. We can still keep it open to other offers and if we get one, then give the first people 48 hrs to do something. We're excited!

Happy Birthday Ellie! And happy birthday Dad! I miss hearing his cheerful voice but I just keep thinking of what a wonderful person he was and a great Dad.

Love to everyone,
Max

Today is Daddy's birthday. They say the first year is tough because of dates that Daddy will miss and we miss him.

It has always been a special thing to be born on my father's birthday. He sometimes called me early in the morning to remind me that I woke him up early on May 18th when I was born, so he was going to wake me up early.

I miss him.
Love,
Ellie

Hi everyone-
Larry- The Green Hat looks great on the wall that you picked- better than over the t.v.. And I noticed in the photos how clean and nice your apartment looks!
Ellie- hang in there with the newness of your job- it seems jobs can be a pain but good if they accomplish what you want them to.
I am presently in a crazy strategizing for a good counseling job for the school year next year. I have my internship to complete during the school year next year- but I also just want to get settled in a counseling position- I just feel ready and prepared to dive in at this point. If I can get hired without my license but pending- that would be great. I am just so tired working as the "Aide". I've worked "overqualified" in the positions that I've held the last five years at Cosgriff and it's time for everyone to see that I can do so much more! I have found out about a potential high school level position- fulltime- Juan Diego High School (counselor for 9th grade), a 1-day position at St. Olaf's Catholic K-8 school, and the possibility of some counseling hours at Cosgriff. Of course, my best plan would be 20 hours at one K-8 Catholic school - but it isn't likely to happen because the K-8 schools don't seem to have enough money to pay for counselor positions- so I may hope for and settle with sharing hours at two Catholic Schools. Hopefully, this will all get figured out in the next few weeks. (The fulltime position at Juan Diego High School just seems more than I want to take on in the next year.). Oh, and to add to it all- just I have just a little regret about the position I could have taken that was offered to me last year at Blessed Sacrament- I turned it down because it was only a small stipend- one of my classmates took the position and now this year he is set with a contract!...thanks for listening to my insane thinking and strategizing about my career!
So, how is everyone else?
Love, Kay

The Green Hat was delivered safely yesterday and I finally got it out of the crate tonight and hung it. You can see where Mom convinced me to put it and where I was considering putting it but the rabbit ears would have been in front of it.

I started a new job this week.

The Music Director, Eleanor Johnson, resigned in April. My Music Secretary job is slowly ending - it's the end of the season and I have no boss. Rumor has it...a new director is coming soon, but she will be working to get organized for the fall and covering Sunday masses.

My new job is organizing the parish calendar. I book rooms for staff, volunteers, and outside groups. It's a new computer program on our network. I like the challenge of getting things organized, getting it right, trying a new program. I got the job because I follow through and "hound people until it's right."

It is quite a few hours right now to get started and learn. A good part-time job for the summer. I cannot keep up these hours when the boys are home.

I'm not a fan of our parish priest. He doesn't keep staff or programs. He is also going on sabbitcal in July for four months. The Catholic Church is not a democracy.

It's a busy week.
Ellie

I heard a song on the radio as I drove to my run this morning.
"Celebrate Me Home" by Kenny Loggins. It took me back to Brigham City when I first heard it. Ellie, Charley, maybe Max, too were coming home from Westminster for Thanksgiving or Christmas. One of you must have brought the new album home. I anticipated with excitement my siblings' returns home then as much as I do now. As the youngest in the family, I have a perspective that can only be seen by me. I felt the changes in a household when my siblings went away on their adventures and the excitement of seeing them return. Because my life course has kept me here in Salt Lake and near our parents, I have experienced time with them when everyone has been away (with the exception of Charley) and more of a relaxed time- "I know I can talk to you tomorrow or drop by in a few days."- kind of time- to witnessing their excitement when they know someone else is coming to visit. So, through the years, while I appreciate all of our differences and different paths we have all taken (and being very content with my own path and adventures), I think often- of being together and reconnecting that thread of our family. It just seems important and what strengthens us all in our individual lives.
So, in the last several months, our visits have been under very sad circumstances, yet it has brought us together to support each other.
The invitation is always there- drop by, call or stay for a while- my home and my heart are always open.

- just sharing my thoughts.
Love, Kay