Wow

Ok, I'm pathetic. It's been officially at least a year a half since I even posted a picture on this website. Well, as many of you know, I'm unemployed and so I do have SOME time on my hands.
I'm going to get as many pics as possible on here and get this thing somewhat up-to-date.
I've also set up a Blog for my weight loss efforts... see www.iamnotonadiet.blogspot.com.

It's going to take some time, so be patient.

Update? you ask...

Eric is now 36, soon to be 37 in May (ouch, did I just say that?... sorry Eric). I'm 33, and our dearest little Mariel is going to be 4 YEARS OLD next month. WHERE DID THE TIME GO?
She's a handful, but we love her for everything that she is.

Eric is attending school full-time working on a Business minor to go along with his fairly useless Bachelors Degree in Geology. His hopes are to graduate and get a full time job this spring.
Last April, 2008, Eric was laid off from Ricks Custom Fence after 4 months of employment as a Yard Operations Manager. He was formerly employed at Lumbermens in Outside Sales.

Me (Allison) is unemployed right now too! I worked for Lumbermens for 4 1/2 years as a Branch Credit Manager and was permanently laid off in November '08. I've been searching for a better job, but again, no luck and more jobs are being lost everyday around here. It's pretty bleak to say the least. So I'm venturing into returning to school at OSU and seeking a Masters in Counseling. My eventual goal is become a Doula (Birth Coach) and run my own business or do community/school counseling for women and children. I was looking into Nursing, and becoming a midwife, but through the wonderful advice and counseling of my career counselor at OSU, she's helped me really tap into the root of where my passions lie.

Mariel, as I said, is turning 4. She can spell / write her name, the alphabet, numbers, shapes, and is just about the most intelligent little girl I know. However, with the smarts comes the challenges of raising a little girl who thinks she's about 9.
She's taking swim lessons and LOVING it.. she asks me everday if it's the day to go to swim class. We're looking into pre-schools, mostly to get her socialized and learn to function in groups of kids her own age. She'll be very ready for kindergarten before she's 5, but we know that there's still a lot for her to learn before then. All in all, she's a kid.. no longer a baby... heck, I couldn't even classify her as a toddler. She's funny, crazy, goofy, stubborn, independent, creative, imaginative and outgoing. She's a handful.. did I mention that?

As a family, we're doin' alright. We're trying like H**L to save our house. It's facing foreclosure... and we really don't want to move and have to start all over. We filed the big "B" in the fall mainly because we couldn't afford to pay any of our bills after losing 1/2 our income. It SUCKS... no health insurance, don't qualify for programs and are faced with the inability to find decent paying jobs. We're definitely stuck in the middle of a rock and a hard place.

BUT... we are all healthy, and thankful that we get to spend so much time together as a family right now. For the last 3 1/2 years of Mariel's life, we were both working full time and felt like we were letting other people raise our child. So to be able to be with her everyday, while crazy and overwhelming at times, is the best gift unemployment could have given me.

Anyway, getting late. I'll be posting pics and updates as I said... would love to hear comments so drop a line!