Since writing about my first Foster Care experience, I have had the opportunity to do respite care for 2 sibling groups and then did a 3 month placement with a little girl who was 16 months old when I got her. I have learned a lot. I've learned that try as I might I will not be able to be detached from the kiddos in my home. People tell me to hold back a piece of my heart. It's impossible. And really - these foster babies deserve more.
Anyway - I can say that I look at my fostering times with gladness and appreciation. I also look forward to our next placements and hopefully that will be soon. We have gotten 4 calls since our last foster baby left. But they were "no-shows" - the children remained in their homes. Getting a call puts us on alert - we are excited, nervous, anxious, curious. Then we find out that the child isn't coming...and I have realized that I get attached to children that I haven't even met yet. It's a roller coaster of emotion. And every time it leaves me a little sad but also a little glad.
So as of now, it's just the 4 of us again. We are open and willing to receive a child but of course, it's God's Timing, not mine.
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
Sunday, March 24, 2013
I Can Do This.... My First Foster Babies
I recently shared that I have a heart for adoption. I have felt called for a long time to become a foster mom, and that I want to add to my family through fostering and adoption. I decided in January that I was tired of saying I wanted to do something and that I was going to do it.
So I did it - full steam ahead - called DFS and got the application to become foster parents - and I didn't just request the paperwork, I made the appointment to meet the Foster Care Coordinator. Then I made other appointments - doctor's check ups, TB tests, foster care education classes, CPR classes, First Aid, home walk-through, fingerprints, background checks, many piles of forms. So many - too many to count.
We got the call on Thursday. I had come home from a photo shoot, ate dinner and was just waking up from a quickie nap. Murray was in the basement with his men's bible study - it starts at 7:00. It was 7:02.
"Hey Murray...it's been a while, how's that foster parent thing going?" Pastor Matt asked this question and before Murray could answer...a ring...Murray's phone.
I was on the phone with my friend Lindsey, trying to coordinate meeting up for my daughter's choir concert that evening. Murray walked into the guest room, a phone to his ear and telling me we had a call. The two conversations blurred together and I told Lindsey I needed to call her back...DFS was on the phone.
Murray said "They have 2 kids for us. One baby, one 3 year old. They're getting them now. They want to know if we can take them." I stood up looking at him in disbelief. So soon? A baby? Now? A BABY?" I thought long and hard. About 2 seconds. "Tell them ok..." Murray said ok, and hung up the phone. We looked at each other...scared. Excited. Nervous.
Murray said "We need prayer!" Lucky for us the basement was full of awesome Christian men ready and waiting to hear what our decision was. Murray announced to everyone that we would be getting our first foster children in a few minutes. He asked for prayer - every face looking at us, every face with a smile. I said out loud "We can do this!" And all heads bowed and we prayed.
I realized I wouldn't be going to the choir concert - so I texted my girls and let them know we wouldn't be coming because we were getting babies! I called Lindsey and told her we were getting babies. She came over. I called my friend Krista, a counselor, and excitedly told her "We're getting babies! We're getting babies! What do I do????" She was calm and we talked about a list of things I would need to get from the store - onesies, bottles, socks... I was unprepared. One of the guys from the bible study offered to bring a Pack-N-Play crib over. We graciously accepted.
Then we waited. And then a car came. We went outside and there they were. Little Boy (5 months old) and Little Girl (3 years old). They were beautiful. Little Girl came right in and began inspecting things. Little Boy sat on our laps. We talked with the DFS case worker. This was her first placement. It was our first placement. We nervously laughed at how new this was. Lindsey helped get snacks and held the baby - I stepped back. It was so much to take in...
My daughters eventually came home - they had gotten the texts and wanted to see these babies! They were excited and curious. I was making a mental list of everything I needed to go buy. Bible Study ended and the men came up from the basement and one by one Little Girl said hi to them. The men smiled and left quickly, allowing us to settle in. Lindsey fed Little Boy his bottle until he fell asleep.
Lindsey and her husband Shane stayed late and we all got used to these babies and their presence. Murray and I called our bosses and told them we would not be in on Friday - we had babies.
I made a quick trip to the store and bought onesies, socks, outfits, food... Excited and nervous and happy and still marveling...babies!
Little Boy slept all night. Little Girl was sad and had a hard time falling asleep. I could barely sleep, thinking about these precious babies, they kind of looked like us. They could maybe be OURS one day. I love them already...
Early the next morning we all woke up and began our day. A trip to the DFS office to start paperwork for child care. A trip to the store to buy applesauce - Little Girl's #1 food request. A trip to see my coworkers and to get the children a Developmental Screening. Many of my initial thoughts were confirmed - Little Girl delayed in speech. Little Boy - good but high muscle tone. Both were referrals for Early Intervention. Then home to find child care for Monday - calls everywhere, texts to my coworkers: "Is this daycare good? How about that one? Who do you recommend?" Finally secured child care that I was happy about. Murray went to the store (trip #3).
Friends were texting me all day - excited, happy for me, I was laughing - telling everyone our house was already filled with diapers, wipes..I was happy - my dream was real.
And then I got the call.
I answered. And the case worker said "The children will be going to their grandmother on Sunday at 10:00." I replied "Ok, so...." and he said "She will be at the DFS office on Sunday. There is paperwork for you to fill out, did Betty give that to you?"
I said "I don't know, I think so. I'm sorry....what did you just say?" My mind was blank. I couldn't believe what I had just been told.
He answered, "Sunday at 10:00."
I said thank you. And as the words sank in...I needed my husband. I tried to text him but I couldn't make my hands work. I sat on the couch, holding Little Boy and watching Little Girl and tears began to slide down my cheeks. Murray came through the door and I said "They are going to their Grandma on Sunday." Sad. Deflated. It had been 18 hours and I was already 100% in love. He looked at me with sad eyes and was quiet for a few minutes. Then he got back to the business of loving the babies.
More texts. More calls. Cancelling child care. And people said amazingly kind things.... My coworker simply said "You are a good person." I repeated that to myself over and over.
But we still had the weekend. And so we played with babies. We laughed. We played music. We ate yummy meals. We hugged. We did bubble baths and potty training. We brushed hair. We took naps. We woke up in the middle of the night for both babies - both crying - both needing to be held and kissed goodnight. My girls were amazing - they read stories, washed hands and faces, opened pudding cups and applesauce, played the keyboard, fed bottles...so so helpful and wonderful.
And Murray. He was amazing. He made Little Boy & Little Girl laugh. He changed diapers. He made bottles. He sat Baby up and played. He loved them. He was all in. And he was strong and hugged me when I cried.
Sunday morning came. And it was Daylight Savings time so we had one less hour with them. We got them dressed and packed up all of their things. We told Little Girl she was going to see Grandma - and she was happy.
We got to DFS and Grandma arrived. She was in a jogging suit and was emotional. She had never met Little Boy. And Little Girl was unsure of her. I learned she talked to Grandma by phone every day - but had not seen her in a long while. I told Grandma her grandbabies were beautiful. Murray went out to the van and installed baby seats. There was more family in the van. They had come to pick up the babies. I realized this was good. Grandma genuinely cared. She had driven from 3 states away through a snow storm to get the babies. I shared with her the results of the Developmental Screening. I told her Little Boy loved rice cereal and Little Girl loved applesauce. Murray said that God had a reason that we were in Wyoming - and told the family that while we had the babies they were loved and well cared for.
We left and went to church. We were a couple minutes late and I needed some tea. We went into the kitchen where the hot water was and a man was there who knew we had the babies. Murray told him we had just given them to their Grandmother. He said "Well, at least it was only for a couple days - not enough time to get attached." My reply was "I cried all night..." and as I began to fill my cup with hot water my hands began to shake so hard and my vision blurred. Murray said "Let me help you..." but somehow I managed to put the cup on the counter. Then I turned to Murray and fell into his arms and cried while he held me up. I was done being brave. I cried through the whole church service. I was sick with worry, sadness and grieving these two babies. But as I prayed for God to comfort me I saw on the church screen:
God's Voice
The following days were hard. I was sad and mourning. People were great and loved me. People were dumb and said dumb things. But as I shared my story over and over I found myself saying "It was hard...but I loved every minute of it. I can do this."
And I can.
And I will.
And I am not afraid.
This is what we were called to do.
So I did it - full steam ahead - called DFS and got the application to become foster parents - and I didn't just request the paperwork, I made the appointment to meet the Foster Care Coordinator. Then I made other appointments - doctor's check ups, TB tests, foster care education classes, CPR classes, First Aid, home walk-through, fingerprints, background checks, many piles of forms. So many - too many to count.
We got the call on Thursday. I had come home from a photo shoot, ate dinner and was just waking up from a quickie nap. Murray was in the basement with his men's bible study - it starts at 7:00. It was 7:02.
"Hey Murray...it's been a while, how's that foster parent thing going?" Pastor Matt asked this question and before Murray could answer...a ring...Murray's phone.
I was on the phone with my friend Lindsey, trying to coordinate meeting up for my daughter's choir concert that evening. Murray walked into the guest room, a phone to his ear and telling me we had a call. The two conversations blurred together and I told Lindsey I needed to call her back...DFS was on the phone.
Murray said "They have 2 kids for us. One baby, one 3 year old. They're getting them now. They want to know if we can take them." I stood up looking at him in disbelief. So soon? A baby? Now? A BABY?" I thought long and hard. About 2 seconds. "Tell them ok..." Murray said ok, and hung up the phone. We looked at each other...scared. Excited. Nervous.
Murray said "We need prayer!" Lucky for us the basement was full of awesome Christian men ready and waiting to hear what our decision was. Murray announced to everyone that we would be getting our first foster children in a few minutes. He asked for prayer - every face looking at us, every face with a smile. I said out loud "We can do this!" And all heads bowed and we prayed.
I realized I wouldn't be going to the choir concert - so I texted my girls and let them know we wouldn't be coming because we were getting babies! I called Lindsey and told her we were getting babies. She came over. I called my friend Krista, a counselor, and excitedly told her "We're getting babies! We're getting babies! What do I do????" She was calm and we talked about a list of things I would need to get from the store - onesies, bottles, socks... I was unprepared. One of the guys from the bible study offered to bring a Pack-N-Play crib over. We graciously accepted.
Then we waited. And then a car came. We went outside and there they were. Little Boy (5 months old) and Little Girl (3 years old). They were beautiful. Little Girl came right in and began inspecting things. Little Boy sat on our laps. We talked with the DFS case worker. This was her first placement. It was our first placement. We nervously laughed at how new this was. Lindsey helped get snacks and held the baby - I stepped back. It was so much to take in...
My daughters eventually came home - they had gotten the texts and wanted to see these babies! They were excited and curious. I was making a mental list of everything I needed to go buy. Bible Study ended and the men came up from the basement and one by one Little Girl said hi to them. The men smiled and left quickly, allowing us to settle in. Lindsey fed Little Boy his bottle until he fell asleep.
Lindsey and her husband Shane stayed late and we all got used to these babies and their presence. Murray and I called our bosses and told them we would not be in on Friday - we had babies.
I made a quick trip to the store and bought onesies, socks, outfits, food... Excited and nervous and happy and still marveling...babies!
Little Boy slept all night. Little Girl was sad and had a hard time falling asleep. I could barely sleep, thinking about these precious babies, they kind of looked like us. They could maybe be OURS one day. I love them already...
Early the next morning we all woke up and began our day. A trip to the DFS office to start paperwork for child care. A trip to the store to buy applesauce - Little Girl's #1 food request. A trip to see my coworkers and to get the children a Developmental Screening. Many of my initial thoughts were confirmed - Little Girl delayed in speech. Little Boy - good but high muscle tone. Both were referrals for Early Intervention. Then home to find child care for Monday - calls everywhere, texts to my coworkers: "Is this daycare good? How about that one? Who do you recommend?" Finally secured child care that I was happy about. Murray went to the store (trip #3).
Friends were texting me all day - excited, happy for me, I was laughing - telling everyone our house was already filled with diapers, wipes..I was happy - my dream was real.
And then I got the call.
I answered. And the case worker said "The children will be going to their grandmother on Sunday at 10:00." I replied "Ok, so...." and he said "She will be at the DFS office on Sunday. There is paperwork for you to fill out, did Betty give that to you?"
I said "I don't know, I think so. I'm sorry....what did you just say?" My mind was blank. I couldn't believe what I had just been told.
He answered, "Sunday at 10:00."
I said thank you. And as the words sank in...I needed my husband. I tried to text him but I couldn't make my hands work. I sat on the couch, holding Little Boy and watching Little Girl and tears began to slide down my cheeks. Murray came through the door and I said "They are going to their Grandma on Sunday." Sad. Deflated. It had been 18 hours and I was already 100% in love. He looked at me with sad eyes and was quiet for a few minutes. Then he got back to the business of loving the babies.
More texts. More calls. Cancelling child care. And people said amazingly kind things.... My coworker simply said "You are a good person." I repeated that to myself over and over.
But we still had the weekend. And so we played with babies. We laughed. We played music. We ate yummy meals. We hugged. We did bubble baths and potty training. We brushed hair. We took naps. We woke up in the middle of the night for both babies - both crying - both needing to be held and kissed goodnight. My girls were amazing - they read stories, washed hands and faces, opened pudding cups and applesauce, played the keyboard, fed bottles...so so helpful and wonderful.
And Murray. He was amazing. He made Little Boy & Little Girl laugh. He changed diapers. He made bottles. He sat Baby up and played. He loved them. He was all in. And he was strong and hugged me when I cried.
Sunday morning came. And it was Daylight Savings time so we had one less hour with them. We got them dressed and packed up all of their things. We told Little Girl she was going to see Grandma - and she was happy.
We got to DFS and Grandma arrived. She was in a jogging suit and was emotional. She had never met Little Boy. And Little Girl was unsure of her. I learned she talked to Grandma by phone every day - but had not seen her in a long while. I told Grandma her grandbabies were beautiful. Murray went out to the van and installed baby seats. There was more family in the van. They had come to pick up the babies. I realized this was good. Grandma genuinely cared. She had driven from 3 states away through a snow storm to get the babies. I shared with her the results of the Developmental Screening. I told her Little Boy loved rice cereal and Little Girl loved applesauce. Murray said that God had a reason that we were in Wyoming - and told the family that while we had the babies they were loved and well cared for.
We left and went to church. We were a couple minutes late and I needed some tea. We went into the kitchen where the hot water was and a man was there who knew we had the babies. Murray told him we had just given them to their Grandmother. He said "Well, at least it was only for a couple days - not enough time to get attached." My reply was "I cried all night..." and as I began to fill my cup with hot water my hands began to shake so hard and my vision blurred. Murray said "Let me help you..." but somehow I managed to put the cup on the counter. Then I turned to Murray and fell into his arms and cried while he held me up. I was done being brave. I cried through the whole church service. I was sick with worry, sadness and grieving these two babies. But as I prayed for God to comfort me I saw on the church screen:
God's Voice
- Stills you
- Leads you
- Reassures you
- Enlightens you
- Encourages you
- Comforts you
- Convicts you
- Calms you
The following days were hard. I was sad and mourning. People were great and loved me. People were dumb and said dumb things. But as I shared my story over and over I found myself saying "It was hard...but I loved every minute of it. I can do this."
And I can.
And I will.
And I am not afraid.
This is what we were called to do.
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Bird's Nest
God is pulling on my heart. And revealing to me that I'm not done parenting yet. God is pulling on all of our hearts at the Hill house...it is becoming clear that the best laid plans can change and that a big savings account is great - but it's not the prize that I am seeking. I want to hear God say "Well done, good and faithful servant."
A couple weeks ago I realized that my two sweet babies will be graduating from high school in just a couple of short years. And then I will be 40. That's still young. It really is y'all!!!!! :) And then what will I do?
For years I've said I wanted to adopt. But I did nothing. The timing was bad, we didn't have everything perfect, we had our own kids to think of. Excuses, excuses, excuses. And another holiday season is upon us and I'm starting to hear that Stephen Curtis Chapman song "All I Really Want For Christmas" yet again, I cry every time I hear it. How many more years will I cry through that song - without doing anything? *sigh*
We met with a financial planner and she said to me, "I can tell you are very family oriented. It's really nice. I can see you adopting a bunch of babies."
A Facebook friend adopted a baby from Ethiopia. I cried happy tears.
We started to open up the conversation with our two girls - and saw their excitement and listened to their ideas and hopes, and also their comfort zones and fears.
I had been looking at adoption sites online. I know I want a sibling group. I really want three boys.
On Saturday we went to Murray's office Christmas Party. There was a gift exchange and I got a gift that wasn't even really for me. But it truly was. It was a necklace with a pendant shaped like a nest. With three blue eggs in it. Wow. Really God, did you make that just for me?
A couple weeks ago I realized that my two sweet babies will be graduating from high school in just a couple of short years. And then I will be 40. That's still young. It really is y'all!!!!! :) And then what will I do?
For years I've said I wanted to adopt. But I did nothing. The timing was bad, we didn't have everything perfect, we had our own kids to think of. Excuses, excuses, excuses. And another holiday season is upon us and I'm starting to hear that Stephen Curtis Chapman song "All I Really Want For Christmas" yet again, I cry every time I hear it. How many more years will I cry through that song - without doing anything? *sigh*
We met with a financial planner and she said to me, "I can tell you are very family oriented. It's really nice. I can see you adopting a bunch of babies."
A Facebook friend adopted a baby from Ethiopia. I cried happy tears.
We started to open up the conversation with our two girls - and saw their excitement and listened to their ideas and hopes, and also their comfort zones and fears.
I had been looking at adoption sites online. I know I want a sibling group. I really want three boys.
On Saturday we went to Murray's office Christmas Party. There was a gift exchange and I got a gift that wasn't even really for me. But it truly was. It was a necklace with a pendant shaped like a nest. With three blue eggs in it. Wow. Really God, did you make that just for me?
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Life as we know it...
Another Thanksgiving has come and gone. We were sooooo laid back this year, in fact we opted not to make the ham and fixins and have waffles instead. It was a fantastic dinner and we laughed HARD! We also stopped by Walmart at 8:00 pm for some Black Friday deals. Got a few things but mostly had fun running into people we know.
Recent developments in our house have been:
1. Darian got her license!! Oh my gosh, it's so great to have her run errands. She and her sister have also been hanging out more - cruising our little town and visiting friends. I love it. L. O. V. E. love it. We also bought her a car. We weren't going to - but we realized Jordyn is not far behind in the license department so we decided it was a good time to buy a car and they can share it next year when they're both driving.
2. The new car is a Subaru. I had always sworn I would never get a Subaru. We always associated them with tree-hugger, crunchy granola types. But when we decided to car shop - it was by far the best choice. She has a small coupe that is AWD which is great because we live in Wyoming where it snows.
3. It hasn't really snowed though. We had one big snow day. It was 50 degrees on Thanksgiving. It's been wild not having tons of snow. I am a little confused by this weather but grateful because I hate ice and snow.
4. My photography side business has been great. I did 6 seniors this year, a couple of families and an engagement. I have another family tomorrow. I love having a creative outlet that also pays me a little money as well. :)
5. I was actually super busy this month with photography jobs and made enough money to buy myself a NEW COMPUTER!!! My old one is ok (I'm on it now) but when it came to photo editing it was NOT cutting the mustard. I was spending so much time sitting and waiting for my computer to respond. It was just eating up all of my time. So the new computer is plugged in and I will be using it soon, it was an early Christmas present to myself. I also bought some moccasins which I love. LOL! So all my Christmas presents came early and I'm ok with that.
That's the update for now. Facebook gets the daily scoop, but I like putting stuff here too.... :)
Hugs - Tish
Recent developments in our house have been:
1. Darian got her license!! Oh my gosh, it's so great to have her run errands. She and her sister have also been hanging out more - cruising our little town and visiting friends. I love it. L. O. V. E. love it. We also bought her a car. We weren't going to - but we realized Jordyn is not far behind in the license department so we decided it was a good time to buy a car and they can share it next year when they're both driving.
2. The new car is a Subaru. I had always sworn I would never get a Subaru. We always associated them with tree-hugger, crunchy granola types. But when we decided to car shop - it was by far the best choice. She has a small coupe that is AWD which is great because we live in Wyoming where it snows.
3. It hasn't really snowed though. We had one big snow day. It was 50 degrees on Thanksgiving. It's been wild not having tons of snow. I am a little confused by this weather but grateful because I hate ice and snow.
4. My photography side business has been great. I did 6 seniors this year, a couple of families and an engagement. I have another family tomorrow. I love having a creative outlet that also pays me a little money as well. :)
5. I was actually super busy this month with photography jobs and made enough money to buy myself a NEW COMPUTER!!! My old one is ok (I'm on it now) but when it came to photo editing it was NOT cutting the mustard. I was spending so much time sitting and waiting for my computer to respond. It was just eating up all of my time. So the new computer is plugged in and I will be using it soon, it was an early Christmas present to myself. I also bought some moccasins which I love. LOL! So all my Christmas presents came early and I'm ok with that.
That's the update for now. Facebook gets the daily scoop, but I like putting stuff here too.... :)
Hugs - Tish
Saturday, July 14, 2012
Well, it's hard to believe we have been in Wyoming almost FOUR YEARS now! Time really does fly. I can't believe how much I still love it - how much I enjoy learning and sharing my home with others. Being here is a GOD thing because:
Here are some highlights from the first half of 2012!
- I would NEVER in a million years have chosen this place for my home
- I can NEVER in a million years see myself leaving this place
Here are some highlights from the first half of 2012!
- Darian's Co-Ed Cheer Team took the State Title! It was pretty much amazing, we beat out some tough competition and it was a fabulous night - I screamed my head off. So glad I got to be there!
- Jordyn got a solo in Choir on the same night! Since I couldn't be in two places at once I had my honey video it for me - she was precious. I keep telling her I love her voice, and I think this is her year to really let go and sing!!!
- April brought the birthday madness!!!
- Three birthdays - all awesome! Darian had her Sweet Sixteen and it was amazing: Limo, Dress Up Lunch at Rodizio, Photo Scavenger Hunt all over Fort Collins/Loveland, and Slumber Party! It was pretty much amazing. Murray turned 42...he enjoyed a low key Birthday Celebration at home, per his request we enjoyed "Steak and Cake"! Perfect! And then Jordyn turned 15 and much to my surprise she requested a "Non-Themed Party". I really didn't like that. But hey, it's her birthday! So she had a slumber party with lots of movies and junk food - and it was great!
- Darian went to her first prom! A Senior boy asked her to go and we had a great time giggling and planning - her dress was amazing and she had a wonderful time!
- Jordyn went to her 9th Grade Invite Dance and she looked adorable!!! We got her a fresh new haircut and dyed her hair an amazing shade of violet! She went with friends and they laughed and danced the night away! So fun!
- Murray bought me a new backyard lawn!!! It was/is amazing! We spent the last 3 years hating our yard and avoiding it like the plague. Now we can't stay away from it! We are loving it!
- Shortly after we hosted a Rehearsal Dinner for our friends Shane and Lindsey - it was a fun party!
- Shane and Lindsey got married!!!! We were so happy to see our two "kids" get married! It was a beautiful ceremony and reception - and Murray and I pulled off the best car decorating ever - we added Cheesy Mac to the car and then proceeded to SHRINK WRAP it! lol!! It was hillarious and we laughed a TON!
- Me and the girls went to Georgia and oh my gosh, it was HOT! The girls went clothes shopping with their Grandma and we went to the incredible Georgia Aquarium and The World of Coca Cola - it was really fun! The Aquarium was amazing - we got to see the Dolphin Show, pet sting rays and little sharks...it was a great time!
Monday, November 21, 2011
Seriously...Can't Stop Laughing
Ever have a crappy week and need a break? Well luckily last week is over and this week I am only working 2 days and then we're off for a nice 5-day Thanksgiving Holiday Weekend!!! YAY!
Today while working on a Social Story at work I saw this illustration. And it made me laugh. Hard. Like a TON.
Today while working on a Social Story at work I saw this illustration. And it made me laugh. Hard. Like a TON.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Car Shopping....UGH
So we're car shopping and after a horrendous weekend of looking, haggling, researching, walking away from the crazy, looking for more crazy, and then finally total utter frustration... We have put a deposit down on a car. In Utah. Because Wyoming is so remote that people have lost their minds. Or something like that.
Seriously - why is car shopping such a racket? Why can't there just be a price and then you pay it and all is good? We call it "The Dance". Why do the dance? GGGRRRRRR!!!!!
Our search started on the internet - I figured out the year/make/model of car I wanted. I knew the trim level I wanted, I knew the price, I knew the colors we liked. I was pretty informed. I just hadn't driven one and so we went to a dealership to take one for a drive. We drove it. We liked it. We were sold on this car - except the dealership didn't have the trim level I wanted. They had lesser and they had more. So of course, they tried to sell me the car that had more. $3500 more to be exact. And no - I don't have it like that - I am a working stiff like everyone else.
And then the dance begins...
1...2...3...
"Where do you want your payments to be?" (Ugh...I hate this question - just tell me the price of the car)
1...2...3...
"Your trade is only worth $xxxx..." (Kelly Blue Book says otherwise, jerk)
1...2...3...
"Oh yes, we'll give you more for your trade...oh, did I mention there's a $1,000 delivery fee?" (Nice - you didn't trick me Mr. Salesman. My response was "I'll pick it up myself.")
1...2...3...
"OH! You wanted to pay INVOICE?? I didn't know that! Golly!" (Yes, invoice sounds better to me - do you get lots of customers who like to pay extra because you're so handsome?? I'm not the one.)
1...2...3...
"I know you don't want the extras but they're nice! Why not?" (My response to him was this: 'I don't care about those things. Do you spend $3500 on things you don't care about???? Because I don't.')
1...2...3...
"You want low payments? C'mon, are you really going to pay it off?" (My response while pointing to my current vehicle: 'That's paid off.')
And then the final note...
Me: "This is not working out. I'm ok, this isn't the car I want. I said I wanted a deal. I want sparkles and party hats. This is not sparkles and party hats. It's time for me to go."
GGGRRRRRRRR........
Seriously - why is car shopping such a racket? Why can't there just be a price and then you pay it and all is good? We call it "The Dance". Why do the dance? GGGRRRRRR!!!!!
Our search started on the internet - I figured out the year/make/model of car I wanted. I knew the trim level I wanted, I knew the price, I knew the colors we liked. I was pretty informed. I just hadn't driven one and so we went to a dealership to take one for a drive. We drove it. We liked it. We were sold on this car - except the dealership didn't have the trim level I wanted. They had lesser and they had more. So of course, they tried to sell me the car that had more. $3500 more to be exact. And no - I don't have it like that - I am a working stiff like everyone else.
And then the dance begins...
1...2...3...
"Where do you want your payments to be?" (Ugh...I hate this question - just tell me the price of the car)
1...2...3...
"Your trade is only worth $xxxx..." (Kelly Blue Book says otherwise, jerk)
1...2...3...
"Oh yes, we'll give you more for your trade...oh, did I mention there's a $1,000 delivery fee?" (Nice - you didn't trick me Mr. Salesman. My response was "I'll pick it up myself.")
1...2...3...
"OH! You wanted to pay INVOICE?? I didn't know that! Golly!" (Yes, invoice sounds better to me - do you get lots of customers who like to pay extra because you're so handsome?? I'm not the one.)
1...2...3...
"I know you don't want the extras but they're nice! Why not?" (My response to him was this: 'I don't care about those things. Do you spend $3500 on things you don't care about???? Because I don't.')
1...2...3...
"You want low payments? C'mon, are you really going to pay it off?" (My response while pointing to my current vehicle: 'That's paid off.')
And then the final note...
Me: "This is not working out. I'm ok, this isn't the car I want. I said I wanted a deal. I want sparkles and party hats. This is not sparkles and party hats. It's time for me to go."
GGGRRRRRRRR........
Saturday, October 15, 2011
October
Good Lord I neglect the heck out of this blog and life is going, going, going 100 miles an hour - it's nuts! I really need to do this like once a week.
Anyway, since the last 'real' post on here so much has happened!
1. The girls started school - 9th and 10th graders live at my house now! Where did they come from?? How did this happen?? Last time I looked they were little babies that still needed me to hold their hand on the way to Kindergarten. *sigh* In all honesty, I am loving having girls in high school! They both went to Homecoming this year - oh geez, that was so over the top exciting for this momma! We had friends over, picture taking, dinner, I made corsages for the first time and the house smelled like hairspray and perfume!
2. Darian got her Learner's Permit. It's scary for me. We originally thought she'd be driving the old 1998 Dodge Ram stick-shift but much to my surprise Daddy felt it was too hard for his lil Princess and has decided to let her drive the mommy car (read: automatic). But all that is about to change because....
3. I'm car shopping again. And I have decided what car I want. And I'm getting it. And it's really toooooooo nice for a 15 year old to practice in. I'm the mom. I make the rules. Darian is convinced that she would like a Dodge Stratus. Yes. A Dodge Stratus. And she wants it because she wants to be able to say "I drive...I drive...I drive a DODGE STRATUS!" a la Will Ferrell on SNL. We all laugh at the idea but since we're totally overindulging our children's every whim and wish (lol - not) we're going to keep an eye out for a Stratus.
4. We took a trip down to Oklahoma a few weeks ago because our awesome friend David made CHIEF!!! So we went to his pinning ceremony and wow - the Navy in Oklahoma is such a class act. The ceremony was so wonderful and family oriented. It was a true pleasure to go and see our friend and his family celebrate his awesome achievement! And I also discovered that Oklahoma City has an amazing Chinatown!! Whodathunk it? Certainly not me, but I can't wait to go back someday!
5. We also spent a day in Oklahoma City downtown. We went on the Canal Boat and ate at Toby Keith's restaurant. On recommendation from the cashier at Outdoor World we tried the fried bologna sandwich. Let me tell y'all - because now I got my southern accent working - it was the best dadgum thing ever! lol Ok, it wasn't like *amazing* but it was tasty and we liked it a lot! Probably won't order it again but maybe we'll try to replicate it at home someday.
6. My summer photography venture was really great fun for me! I loved doing Senior Pictures and Engagements! I earned enough money to pay for a new camera and sweet lens! That was my goal and I was so happy to have achieved it! Since Senior pics are all turned in I will be hibernating until next summer! I also learned that it's a LOT of work and while I love creating art - I'm not a saleswoman or a business woman...nor do I have the desire to become one full time. So any dreams of quitting my job to be a full time photographer have kind of fizzled but as a fun summer art gig - I'm ALLLLLLL over it! :)
I'm sure there's a bajillion other things I could mention but I'll save it for another day! Much love - T
Anyway, since the last 'real' post on here so much has happened!
1. The girls started school - 9th and 10th graders live at my house now! Where did they come from?? How did this happen?? Last time I looked they were little babies that still needed me to hold their hand on the way to Kindergarten. *sigh* In all honesty, I am loving having girls in high school! They both went to Homecoming this year - oh geez, that was so over the top exciting for this momma! We had friends over, picture taking, dinner, I made corsages for the first time and the house smelled like hairspray and perfume!
2. Darian got her Learner's Permit. It's scary for me. We originally thought she'd be driving the old 1998 Dodge Ram stick-shift but much to my surprise Daddy felt it was too hard for his lil Princess and has decided to let her drive the mommy car (read: automatic). But all that is about to change because....
3. I'm car shopping again. And I have decided what car I want. And I'm getting it. And it's really toooooooo nice for a 15 year old to practice in. I'm the mom. I make the rules. Darian is convinced that she would like a Dodge Stratus. Yes. A Dodge Stratus. And she wants it because she wants to be able to say "I drive...I drive...I drive a DODGE STRATUS!" a la Will Ferrell on SNL. We all laugh at the idea but since we're totally overindulging our children's every whim and wish (lol - not) we're going to keep an eye out for a Stratus.
4. We took a trip down to Oklahoma a few weeks ago because our awesome friend David made CHIEF!!! So we went to his pinning ceremony and wow - the Navy in Oklahoma is such a class act. The ceremony was so wonderful and family oriented. It was a true pleasure to go and see our friend and his family celebrate his awesome achievement! And I also discovered that Oklahoma City has an amazing Chinatown!! Whodathunk it? Certainly not me, but I can't wait to go back someday!
5. We also spent a day in Oklahoma City downtown. We went on the Canal Boat and ate at Toby Keith's restaurant. On recommendation from the cashier at Outdoor World we tried the fried bologna sandwich. Let me tell y'all - because now I got my southern accent working - it was the best dadgum thing ever! lol Ok, it wasn't like *amazing* but it was tasty and we liked it a lot! Probably won't order it again but maybe we'll try to replicate it at home someday.
6. My summer photography venture was really great fun for me! I loved doing Senior Pictures and Engagements! I earned enough money to pay for a new camera and sweet lens! That was my goal and I was so happy to have achieved it! Since Senior pics are all turned in I will be hibernating until next summer! I also learned that it's a LOT of work and while I love creating art - I'm not a saleswoman or a business woman...nor do I have the desire to become one full time. So any dreams of quitting my job to be a full time photographer have kind of fizzled but as a fun summer art gig - I'm ALLLLLLL over it! :)
I'm sure there's a bajillion other things I could mention but I'll save it for another day! Much love - T
Where are my pictures?
Oh geez...I neglected this blog and now all my pictures are gone...oops!
I'll work on it - I loved the pics I chose for this blog, off to Google a remedy!
Much Love - T
**UPDATE: Thanks to the internet - I'm all up and running again - Google is the bestest thing ever invented!**
I'll work on it - I loved the pics I chose for this blog, off to Google a remedy!
Much Love - T
**UPDATE: Thanks to the internet - I'm all up and running again - Google is the bestest thing ever invented!**
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