The House Of Many Memories

A few years ago, my dad was going to sell the first and only house my parents bought when he retired from the Navy, back when people only bought one house and planned to live in it forever. It is the house that I basically grew up in and it holds so many memories. The thought of it going to some other person broke my heart, so Jay and I decided to buy it from my dad. My dad still lives in it but he is now our renter. As you can see from the pictures, it was pretty run down. After my mom died, I think my dad just didn't have the desire or the funds to keep it up. Slowly but surely, Jay and I are trying to bring it back to it's full potential. We recently had the house completely re-sided and installed all new windows. The difference is stunning. We still have a lot of work to do on the outside with the deck and the shed, not to mention all that needs to be done on the inside. But with time, a little TLC and a lot of money, we'll get her there. The house is part of my history and hopefully she'll remain a part of the family for a long time.

Our Fryar Friends

Troy pointing to Jay as he walked into the room



Our friends from Juneau, Paulette and Troy Fryar, got orders for Portland last summer and we thought 'oh we'll still be close and we'll be able to see each other often'. Well, nine months have gone by and we finally made an effort to see them for Troy's surprise birthday party. Unfortunately for all of Paulette's secretive planning, Jay had already had a "few" beers before they arrived (no surprise there) and decided to call Paulette's cell phone to find out where they were. Well, of course Troy's wondering why the heck Jay is calling Paulette out of the blue, so that tipped him off. Oh, and then our Honda with the ALASKA plates in the parking lot might've been a hint, too. OOPS. I honestly tried to hide it!! Leave it to the Wahrmund's to ruin the surprise....Sorry Paulette! :( I do think Troy was still somewhat surprised at all who were in attendance, and the awesome effort his wife put into planning it all. I am hoping it wasn't a total disappointment (way to go Wahrmund...). We had a great time and it was so good to see them again. It was as if nine months hadn't gone by at all. That is one of the great things about being in the military, all the wonderful friends you make everywhere you go and the true friends you keep in contact with even after you move away.

Trout Farm

While we were in Portland this past weekend, Jay took Scotty to a trout farm and he caught four fish all on his own. They had a great time and Scotty now has the fishing bug. He can't wait to go again.

Boys Will Be Boys

The boys were itching to get outside, despite the cold rainy weather, so I said what the heck. They're boys, they're tough, they were born in Juneau, Alaska - why not? So we headed out and they spent a good half hour splashing and getting soaked. It was fun to just let them be boys.

Brandy's Baby Shower

Lynn, Brandy, Me, Linda (my former boss)

Linda, Lynn and Me

Brandy, Me and Michelle

Brandy, the expectant mom

In 1998 I took a job in Eugene, Oregon as a Tax Fraud Investigative Asst in the CI division of the IRS. I was terrified because I didn't know a soul, hadn't met any of my co-workers, and didn't know much about the town or the job I was going to. It was the first time I would really be on my own. It was the scariest and most exciting thing I've ever done in my life and I never regretted it for one second. I can honestly say it was the best thing I have ever done for myself. The job was interesting and fascinating and I learned a lot, and being five hours away from my closest relative, my co-workers became my second family. 11 years later, and seven years after having left CI for life as a military wife, I am still in touch and very close with those people who embraced me the day I walked into the office and treated me like part of the family. They mean more to me than I will ever be able to express. This past weekend, I made a trip down to Eugene to attend a baby shower for my friend and former co-worker, Brandy. I was a bridesmaid in her wedding in 2004, we had our first babies the same year and now she's having her second baby girl in April. As always, it's like time has never passed. I love going to Eugene because it reminds of that special time in my life and it is always a blast when we can all see each other again.

Preschool Performance

Scotty's preschool hosted a spaghetti feed and live auction on Friday night to raise money for the preschool program. In addition, the children provided entertainment for the guests. I didn't think Scotty would perform, but he did just fine. Here's one of the video clips. You'll know which child he is because he's the only one cheering and screaming at the end of the song.....