2 Years and Counting!

Last Friday we celebrated Kari, my daughter, being off of meth for two years!!!  We have been walking on clouds all weekend.  Friday morning the boys and I presented her with a necklace with a star.  I told her she was a Super Star!

Later that evening we went to New Heart Ministries were we decorated the room and celebrated Kari.  It is really great for her friends to celebrate her victory of two years, and also good for others to see that it can be done.  Above is Kari's cake they got her.  We also have a pot luck every Friday night together and Kari got to pick the meal in her honor.

I personally have a story to tell in regards to walking this journey with her.  When she told me she was getting "off" meth, I had just been seperated from my husband.  She was sick, there was pain, and she had nightmares.  I be abandoned my your husband in a time like this was very hard but I was also numb.  I was able to somehow do it with God's help and He never left us.  That is why I contribute this song to what we have gone through.  It is called "Never Once"

Riley's Dad Visits

We didn't know that Chris was coming until Friday evening.  When he got here, we all went to the pumpkin field to choose pumpkins and carve them.  This was the second time Riley has met his father because of the past.  He met his brother and sister, Darian and Elaina, a couple of years ago.  He met his little sister, Bella, last year.  Then he met his dad last February.

He helped Riley carve the pumpkin and also came over Sunday and played basketball with him.  They don't know each other but I am sure that Chris likes having a wonder son like Riley.

Grief for a Friend

This week I didn't post because something happened that made me not feel like writing.  On Monday morning I was taken aside by my director and was told that my ex-coworker and friend had lost her 37 year old daughter.  I was just saddened by the news all week.  She still works for the college and the stories of how and when she was told came out as well.

Yes she was a the college.  Security had be told and was on their way to her but she had been told on a phone call just before they got to her.  All of these images just went around in my mind.  I felt for her.

I didn't call her because I know she has all her family around her.this week.  Another call from another person to talk about the death, I thought, wasn't going to help.  I think I will wait until everything has passed and she has come to terms with the knowledge.

When I lost my sister, there wasn't anything anyone could say.  The words were said and I knew they were sincere but I realized they were just words.  Only time and God's comfort can change things.  I can only pray for my friend and maybe offer support in the future.

Have a good weekend!

Winners!

You will not believe it, but Riley AND Brady both were drawn in the Sumner scavenger hunt drawings.  Riley won a $25 gift certificate from a novelity store called "A Picket Fence".  Brady won a gift certificate from another store named "Simple Tidings"  I got two voice mails from on Wednesday about their winnings. 

I told them both on Thursday night when I knew I would have time to take them to Sumner to get the certificates on Friday.  I didn't know if I would have enough time to do the shopping on Friday though.  I had so many things scheduled for Friday... looking at my brakes (which is another post), the dentist for Riley, the doctor for both of them, getting a flu shot for me too (if there was time), and now going to Sumner to get the certificates.  Plus, we have recovery group on Friday nights.  Whew...

Luckily those things didn't take as long as I thought and I was able to go to Sumner and we were able to shop.  The boys decided to buy birthday presents for their mom since her birthday is in November with their certificates.  Brady had the store with many kitchen items, but there were also some other personal type items too.  He managed well and was done in a half hour.

Riley's store was more difficult.  Everything was expensive and he had a hard time finding just the right thing to buy.  I, however, was able to find a fantastic gift for her 2 year birthday off of meth for October 26th in that shop. I will share with you later what the gifts are.

Have a wonderful weekend!

October is Here!

October is here.  It is always hard to see summer leave us here in the Pacific Northwest because it is long coming.  Some summer are a disappointment too because they are way too short.  However, this year we have had a long summer that has reached even into October.  I know!  I can’t believe it either.

The last time I saw rain fall was in July.  We had a few days after the 4^th of July that made us all think that we were going to have a wet summer.  About the time we left for Spokane was the last time we saw rain… I remember we were glad to be going on the “east side” of the mountains where there is less rain.  That is where one goes when we can’t take the rain any more… the east side.  If you’re interested, here is an article from the Seattle Times regarding our dry spell record we have now set; http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2019350572_apwadryseattle.html

Last Saturday was a gift from God.  It was warm, blue skies, and autumn was in the air.  It was a day to certainly be out doing something rather in the house.  There will be plenty of time for that when it begins raining again.  Here, you certain choose your times of being out and about… you might not get the chance for a while.  They say that our rain may come back this Friday.

I took the boys to Sumner on Saturday.  Sumner is a city that is about 10 minutes south from the city I live in.  It has a little downtown area with shops (like most of the little cities around).  Here is the event website to Sumner.  The boys did a scavenger hunt in Sumner.  They had a list of shops participating and each of those shops had a pumpkin somewhere in the shop with a letter on it.  When we found the letter, we would put it on our list.  In the end after getting all the letters, we had to unscramble them and find the “message” (which was You’re Smashing).  The boys fill in the entry for a drawing with the message.  Riley is positive his name is going to be drawn.