Note to Car Dealer

Dear Front Range Honda Dealer,

     I was in a couple days ago and had a horrible experience.  So I thought I'D clear a few things up for YOU.  FIRST of all, YOU sent ME the letter asking for ME to come in because YOU wanted to buy MY car from ME.  I had no interest in selling MY car.  I wasn't looking to get a new car.  YOU wanted to talk to ME! SECOND, YOU might have noticed that back about two and a half years ago I (and my husband) were looking at buying a Honda Odyssey.  WE came in once and work some guy named Brian.  About a day or two later YOU called ME to tell ME that Brian would be gone for a while (permanently) and that TONY would be taking over helping US look for the right car.  YOU might also notice that after coming back a few more times, that WE did not buy a Honda Odyssey from YOU.  But it is strange that WE do actually have a Honda Odyssey that WE actually bought about two and a half years ago...  But not from YOU!  I would think that that in it self would make YOU want to know some more information...  But sadly YOU have not asked why WE did not buy OUR car from YOU.  So I guess I will just tell YOU.  Tony SUCKED!!!  HE was horrible.  HE could have cared less if WE bought a car from YOU.  HE didn't try to help US find a car.  HE didn't try to show US what WE wanted.  HE didn't listen!!!  And when I found a car on YOUR lot, HE didn't even help then.  Even when WE said WE were really interested!  In case YOU don't understand what I am trying to say, WE didn't buy a car from YOU, because TONY SUCKED!!!

Imagine MY surprise when I showed up on Wednesday and the nice man that was HELPING ME, was taken away and replaced with TONY!  I guess since YOU never asked why WE didn't buy a car from YOU two years ago, that YOU might think it was a great experience.  Wednesday was awful!  TONY STILL SUCKS!  HE couldn't have cared less that I was there.  I was in a hurry and told several people that before I even showed up.  I was assured that it would be a quick process to find out how much YOU would pay ME for MY car.  It was NOT!  And to top it all off I had to work with TONY!  I would say that I was stuck with TONY, but HE wasn't even around.  HE was too busy talking/hanging out with the other car sales men to even SHOW ME a new car to buy.  When HE was around HE asked personal questions that HE should NOT be asking, and then insulted ME with the answers that I gave HIM.  HE was chauvinistic towards ME as a women.  And all around rude.  The whole icing on the cake was that YOU fished ME in to buy MY car, and then insulted ME with such a lowball offer.  Did YOU think I didn't do MY research?  Did YOU think I didn't know what MY car was worth?  Did YOU think I would fall for that low of an offer?  If YOU did then I understand how TONY could last so long at YOUR dealership.  I am truly sorry that I wasted MY time and gas to come down to YOUR dealership! 

I will end on a happy note (for ME).  I understand now why YOU where so anxious to get ME in to YOUR dealership by the ends of September.  I found out today that a NEW Honda Dealership will be opening on Monday morning.  It all makes since now.  YOU wanted to solidify MY business before the new dealer opened up.  Well I am here to tell YOU that YOU succeeded...  Only You solidified it in the fact that YOU WILL NEVER GET MY BUSINESS AGAIN!  Thanks and have a GREAT day!

Ps.  I did think of something YOU can do to help ME...  Could you let the new dealership know that I might be interested in selling MY car...  If the offer is right... Unless TONY'S transfering there!

Passports

Josh and I have been working on getting our passports so we can go on our cruise for over a week now.  It seems like one thing after another has come up to keep us from getting our pass ports.  We tried to go last Thursday to get our passports only to discover that my mind was not working and that I had forgotten one thing after another.  And then to wrap up that day I discovered that I had NO idea where my Birth ccertificate was.  I called the passport agency (ie the post office) and asked if the birth registration card  I had would work for getting my passport.  The lady I talked with said it would if it had a raised seal.  I told her it did have a seal, but that it was laminated.  She said that she thought it would still work.  So Josh and I made the plan to go on Monday to get our passports...

Monday after we dropped Catalina off at school we headed up to the passport agency (again, just the post office).   We got there and looked at the two different choices for applying for a passport.  You can apply to renew your passport, or you can apply for your first passport.  The problem we had deciding was this...  Josh and I both have a passport...  You probably think "well that is easy then, just renew your passport."  The real problem with this is that on the renew form it asks if your previous passport is damaged.  The answer to this question for both of us is yes.  For Josh, his pass port is REALLY damaged!  Mine wasn't THAT damaged, but it was expired and under my maiden name...  Josh and I figured that we would both need to apply for a new passport then. 

We got to the post office, and got our place in line.  When it was finally our turn we told the nice man that we needed passports, and passport pictures.  The nice man told us where to get the forms, and then started to process things.  I  quickly asked him if my birth registration card would work for a birth certificate.  He quickly said NO!  I even showed him the raised seal and told him that the person I talked to said it would.  He said we could try it, but they would just send it back, making the whole getting a passport time line LONGER!  Josh and I decided that we didn't want to risk it, and so we left the post office with the plan to come back today...

Now you might wonder why we didn't just go down to the health department on Monday and get my birth certificate that day...  The answer ~ The health department was closed because it was moving offices...  And it would not be open until Wednesday the 28th (yesterday).  So we left with the plan to come back this afternoon. 

I was too busy to make it to the health department yesterday.  I planned to go this morning, but because Myra decided to play all night long last night with daddy, Myra slept ALL morning!  I had to wake her to take Catalina to school.

Myra and I made the trek down to the NEW health department after we dropped Catalina off...  And the new place is HUGE!!!  Thank goodness I just asked where to go, instead of trying to figure it out.  We might have been there for a very LONG time other wise.  As it was I didn't have a stroller for Myra and had to carry her a very long way...  The Vital records department was actually very fast.  And I picked up a birth certificate for Myra while I was down their since we don't have one for her. 

Myra and I met Josh at the passport agency (post office) about a half an hour late (but at least Josh new we were going to be late).  And there was NO lines when we got inside!  We started with trying to get Josh's passport first.  And we were quickly told that Josh's birth certificate wouldn't work!!!  He was not born in El Paso county either, so we would have to send away for it, and then have it sent back...  Making it IMPOSSIBLE for us to get passports and then go on our cruise this year...  A big let down!  The guy said it wouldn't work because there was no raised seal.  I showed him my new birth certificate, because it clearly has a seal, but it is not raised at ALL.  He said mine would work, but still said Josh's wouldn't...  That is when I started looking and feeling around on Josh's birth certificate...  And I found a raised seal!  I quickly showed it to the guy.  He had missed it.  He showed it to his boss and they finally decided that it would actually work!  Yay! 

The guy then asked if we had pictures...  Which we didn't.  But we were told that THIS passport agency could do pictures (why we went to THAT one).  We asked the man and he said yes they could do pictures...  And then he took us to a "back" room to do the pictures.  Pictures taken, we went back out front to finish up.  At this point a line is forming of other people waiting for service.  Again we go back to working on filling out Josh's pass port form.  At this point it comes out that we have previouse passports (which I am pretty sure we mentioned to the first guy on Monday).  We handed over the "damaged" passports to the man helping us.  He looked at them, and then went to talk to his boss.  Josh's passport WAS TOO damaged and he need to fill out the form for a first time passport...  Mine, however, was NOT too damaged, and I could fill out the renew passport form.  Which ment that I had to fill out a WHOLE new form.  At this point the line of people waiting to have help was getting quite long!  And I was feeling a little bad.  Not too bad, because there were at least half a dozen post office emploies walking around doing nothing (that I could see anyways).   I quickly filled out the form and the man got everything ready to be mailed...  He just needed two checks to go with the passport applications (because the applications were going to two different places).  That is when I noticed that I hadn't given the man MY birth certificate...  THE whole reason we couldn't get this done the other two times, and why I visited the health department for a long walk!  Come to find out, you don't need a birth certificate if you are just renewing your pass port!  If only they would have told me that a week ago!  Long story short (I know WAY too late), 279 dollars later (and that with saving $25 because we could renew mine), we got our applications sent off today.  We should get them back in 4 - 6 weeks, and hopefully we can still go on our cruise this year!!!

Happy 6th Birthday!

Today Savannah is 6!!!  And she was excited about that for more then 1 reason.  Some of them include... 

She can have milk on her breakfast cereal again.  

She got to take snacks in for her class at school.  

One of her grandmas was going to stop by to bring her gifts.  

She got to have a bubble bath by herself in mommy tube while watching a movie. 

She got ice cream for snack. 

She got to stay up as late as she wanted! 

It was a great day with Savannah.  I am so thankful that she is part of our family!  Happy Birthday Savannah!

*I was a sleep before Savannah this evening*

Music, Music, Music!

Tonight was the first of many music programs for Ben.  Tonight's program was the 4th grade program on Colorado History!  The songs were interesting...  Different...  New!  But the kids all did great!  It's always fun to see the different personalities that come out during these types of things.  Fantastic job Ben!!!

Pictures

Here are a few pictures from the last few days that have gone unposted.  Enjoy!

I wonder

I mentioned in yesterdays blog about lousing the camera.  I also mentioned that we found it, or better yet that Catalina had known where it was...  She knew where it was because she had been taking pictures.  But looking at the pictures she took I started to wonder who she had been watching...

Hard to tell because of the blanket
But this is the same chair that Catalina
used for her baby's picture!

Last August

Brooklyn's day

Today Brooklyn was baptized.  In the LDS Church children are baptized at the age of eight.  Today was the day that Brooklyn got to be baptized on.  It was a wonderful morning.  The whole service was very nice and the spirit was very strong.  I am very thankful for those family members that helped to make it a special day.  After Brooklyn's baptism we came back to the house for fried turkey!!!  It was yummy!  We spent the afternoon with wonderful friends and family.  This evening I took Brooklyn out alone to get her ears pierced.  She was a little scared and wasn't sure if she really wanted to do it.  So we walked around the mall for a little bit until she was sure that is what she wanted to do.  She was so brave.  No screams, no tears, she hardly even blinked an eye!  So proud of Brooklyn!..  What a great day!!!


*On a sad side note...  I have missed placed the camera, so the picture from the morning are lost, and I could only take pictures of the ear piercing with my phone...  Hopefully when Catalina gets up in the morning she will know where the camera wandered off too :) *

Stop laughing mommy!

That was my reprimand from my four year old.  And I needed it, since I was laughing during her prayer.  I can't even remember it now to write it down, but it was LONG and FUNNY!  I love her!  To follow it up when she went in to give Josh a good night hug and kiss she hit him in the eye with her head.  Not normally something that would be TOO bad, however Josh has a black eye right now, so it was extra painful.  Catalina kind of sulked off with out a hug (feeling bad that she hurt her daddy), so Josh called her back to make sure she wasn't sad and to get a hug.  And that's when she sneezed on his food!  I had to walk away I was laughing too hard :)

So what did you flush?

Catalina took this picture!

That was the question that popped into my head during a conversation with Catalina today.  Here's the back story...  This afternoon Myra was playing in the blinds in the office (not a good thing, but really cute).  I went to look for the camera so I could take a picture.  That is when I asked Cat where the camera was (she had been "taking" pictures earlier today).  Catalina was in the bathroom at the time.  She came out of the bathroom telling me that she had washed her hands.  When I asked her a second time for the location of the camera she answered... "Well I didn't flush it!"  So that brings me to the question of "So what did you flush?"



Another Catalina picture



*Here are the pictures of Myra playing in the blinds, and some from Cat's morning of play*

Cat picture

Hi mom!!!

I'm so cute!



Some times the older child plays
"Me too"!



A nice run?



Catalina Dancing



My good friend called me the other day.  She was not having the best day.  She discovered her 5 year old on her door step an hour and a half before his school was to get out.  He had decided that he was done with school, and had come home.  On his own.  I had the opposite problem today...  I went out to get the stroller ready for Myra.  She was a sleep, and I hoped that if everything was ready, I might keep her a sleep (it didn't work).  When I went out to get the stroller ready, Catalina followed me into the garage...  Not a big deal, because I only needed a minuet to grab Myra from her bed...  I didn't even close the door into the house as I went in to get Myra...  When I came back out, Cat was gone...  I thought she must just be on the other side of the car or playing in the front yard.  I called for Catalina as I strapped Myra into the stroller...  There was no answer...  I came out of the garage and looked around the yard, and there was no Cat!!!  I called for her again, and there was still no answer!!!  I quickly closed the garage door and headed off to the school, hoping I was walking the right way (since we can go either way from our house to get to the school).  I continued to yell for Catalina, and continued to get no answer.  At this point I started to run!  I got up to the first corner and turned, and there was Catalina walking to school!!!  She was at the next turn and moving fast!  Thank goodness she listened to me when I yelled for her to stop!

Band Concert

Tonight was Josh Jr.'s first band concert.  He had to be there early, so Josh took him and a couple kids to save seats.  Boy am I glad that he did.  When we got there at 6 the place was packed.  It was a cute concert.  The teacher had them do some fun this for the parents.  Unfortunately Myra didn't think it was to fun!  In fact she didn't seem to like it much at all!  And Josh ended up having to take Myra out because she wouldn't stop crying!  But her faces were cute!  I tried to get a good picture of her, but Josh had to take her to the other side of the room and my camera does not zoom good enough to get a clear picture.  I also couldn't get a good picture of Josh Jr. because he was at the back of the band and seated!  But it was fun to hear all these new band students trying their best to play good for their parents.  Good Job Josh Jr.!

We won! We won! We won!!!

I posted last week about the contest I was in.  And how I would be doing a round robin of questions to win a cruise.  That was Thursday...  The round robin was Friday...  And then again today, because we all TIED!  This morning Josh and I got up early (again) to answer the call, to answer a lot of questions with the hope of winning a cruise!  And boy did it pay off!!!  I won a cruise (for two we hope) to the Bahamas!!!  We think it is a 7 day cruise, but to be honest with you, I was WAY to nervous to know much of anything besides the fact that we won!  We won! We won! We won!!!  Now we have to figure out everything, including whether or not we need a passport.  Our guess is yes, what's yours???

15 Months!

Here are some fun pictures of Myra.  She is 15 months old today!  Boy time flies too fast.  Catalina wanted a picture of Myra with an earring on...  Myra wasn't too sure about it!   So thankful to have Myra in our family.  She is always a bundle of fun!  She is starting to do "tricks" now, and the kids think it is fun to teach her new things.  But she has to be in the right mood to preform :)



Cat's picture of Myra



Leave me alone sister!

Hard to do family prayers
 with a little girl making
everyone laugh!

I am so lucky!



Josh playing with Myra



I am so lucky!  I have said it before, and I am sure I will say it again.  Josh is the most awesome, fantastic, sweet, kind, giving  (I could go on) man I know.  I am so lucky to be married to him.  The years we have been together (though they are going way to fast)  have been wonderful.  I look forward to the many, many more we will get to spend together!  I hope that even though Josh had to work, that he had a good day.  Because he deserves the best.   I love you Josh!!!

What is ???

What is...Look Who's Talking, Elmo, NBC, Return Of The Jedi, and Tour De France???

Those would be my answers to today's round robin tournament that I tied two other people in (there were only the three of us).  It ended because NO one got a wrong answer, and the Deejays ran out of question...  So we wait until Monday morning to try again!  So wish me luck again, because I really want that cruise!

*Trivia question* First right answer wins a surprise

What's The first thing you know?

Wish Me Luck!

Josh posted at the beginning of August about winning against Woody on "Are you smarter than a Woody?"  Yesterday we were trying to get through again so Josh could hopefully win again.  However I ended up being the one to get through and go up against Woody.  And with (a lot) help from Josh I won!!!  We won 552 dollars!  Which in it self is FANTASTIC!  However I was also got put in a drawing for a cruise!  Today I found out (OK chose) that I am going up against the other two people in a round robin of questions until the last one standing.  Hopefully that will be me!  And then Josh and I will be going on a cruise!  I have tried to cram all sorts of useless crap into my head today.  And boy does my head hurt!  So wish me luck, I am heading to bed so my brain is working tomorrow morning!

Oh What A Beautiful Day!

Today it has rained!  And rained some more.  It was only sprinkling when it was time to pick up Catalina, and since the school is a crazy mad house I decided to walk it.  The walk their wasn't too bad, and we would have been mostly dry except Myra decided to kick her blanket off.  But the rain decided to pick up on the walk home (and the wind).  I was quite wet by the time we got home, and Myra had wet spots in different areas where the umbrella missed.  Then we loaded up the car to go get Ben and Savannah.  I was reminded again why I walk to get them!  The cars where crazy!

I went through clothes for Myra yesterday.  She thought she'd help!

Myra's First Ponytail

I had thought about it until I put one in today...  Myra has never had a ponytail!  Sad I know, but I got into knitting hats after she was born, and so she always had cute hats to wear.

Why are they sharing?

Look closely at this picture...

Why are Savannah and Catalina sharing the same chair???

We have plenty of chairs, but they chose to share one chair.  Any guesses why???  Because they are twins!

*At least they THINK they are*

What did you say?

That is what we had to ask Catalina about a dozen times this afternoon.  She had been playing out front with her two older sisters, when she came running in crying.  About all we could make out was that the garage door closed, her sisters were outside, and she was never going to see them again...  Josh gave up trying to figure out what she was saying and went to investigate the garage for himself.  What he discovered was that the garage door was being held up about two feet by Brooklyn, but that it was not actually locked in place to open and close...  He quickly fixed it (before I could even get out there with Cat, who was still crying)...  Catalina was greatly relived to see that the door was opened and that her sisters were not stuck out side forever!

What we came to discovered when Josh asked the right question...  Catalina had opened the door to the van.  She was standing on the arm rest to the seat and jumped off grabbing the rope/handle that engages/disengages the garage door, unlocking the garage door.  Causing it to fall quickly, and loudly to the ground!  Scaring herself and resulting in the hysterics when she came in to tell us.

And so it begins... Maybe

A few months back I wrote about applying to College.  I thought that I would hear back from them with in a month or so after applying.  At 6 weeks, when I hadn't heard anything I called the college.  And I got transferred.  And then I got disconnected...  I decided at that time that I would give it a couple more weeks, and then I would call back again....  And then summer got busy!  And then school started again for the kids!  And then I forgot!  But today I finally remembered about it.  And I found a email address for admissions.  And come to find out I got in!!!  Four months ago!  They said they emailed me, but I never got it (or I thought it was spam and deleted it).  Classes start Monday.  Do you think I have enough time to enroll in classes???

How many times?

I am a paranoid worry wart.  I blame this on a couple things.  One ~ My parent's house was robbed when I was young...  But old enough to remember it.  I don't remember all the details, I just remember we were out to a movie or something and when we came home we had been robbed.  They broke in through our back sliding glass door (I think).  I don't remember what all was taken, I only remember that they had stolen my bank!  Mine, and now one else's.  Mine had been left out in my room in plain sight mind you, but I was quite upset!  Two ~ Before I met Josh and became a mom I was a paramedic.  During my training to become a paramedic we had a class called "Street  Smarts".  This class was intended to make you think.  We had to think of the different scenarios we could be faced with as a paramedic, and how to get out of some of them.  We did a lot of practise "scenarios" where if we made the wrong move we would be killed (for fake).  I will have to blog about them some other time, because there are some great stories there, but needless to say because of that class I always look at things from the other side.  I don't assume that the nice person walking behind me is really nice.  I am VERY aware of things that are going on around me.  Very!  Three ~ A personal reason that I will not share here, but maybe one day I will...

I am a paranoid worry wart.  I don't leave the doors unlocked even when I am home (trust me it's not easy to break into my house, we have tried).  I always lock the car doors.  And I hate to let my kids play out front.  I let them, but I am always worrying, even when one of my older kids is watching the younger girls (thanks Josh Jr.)!

That all being said, what is a reasonable amount of times a strange car should pass by my house, "pausing" for several minutes, before I should call the police???  Because much more than two times in 5 minutes, and I am starting to panic...

Where's My Phone???

That was my thought tonight when a fire truck pulled up in front of my house!  I was home with just the three youngest kids, while Josh was at the church with the oldest three.  I was in the office eating my dinner, while Savannah and Catalina cleaned their room so they could have a bath.  At that's when a fire truck pulled up right in front of the house!  Blocking the whole driveway! The Fireman got out and walked back to my neighbors house.  The fire truck left a couple minutes later, and I'm not sure why it was even here, but it scarred me for a minute.  I wasn't worried that something was wrong with one of my kids.  I knew they were all safe.  I was scared that one of my kids had accidentally called 911 and that the fire department had came.  Probably not a normal reaction, but Myra DID actually call the police last week, and after I hung up the phone, I got a call back from the police department making sure everything was OK.  And that is why my first thought was... Where's My Phone!

What to do???

It is the end of the swim season.  The pool officially closed yesterday for the year.  There is still ALL the closing left to be done, but the pool is closed...  Tonight was another pool board meeting...  And I walk away from the meeting (and after meeting talk) wondering what to do...  I just don't know if I am up for another year.  My term on the board ends this next spring, and I will have to run again to stay on the board.  But I am not sure if I want to...  I'm not sure I have enough energy to do this for three more years.  And a former board member that I have had some not fun problems with is thinking about running again...  I just don't know what to do...

A Long Day

Today was a long day!  Mostly good, but still a long day...  It started with getting up at way too early so we could go to the park and watch balloons.  Josh Jr had to be at the pool at 10 to finish his swimming merit badge.  I took the rest of the kids later so they could swim (since it was the last day the pool was open).  Josh (Sr.) went golfing and met up with us at the pool...  He then offered to go home and cook up some burgers before he headed into work. 

And that is when the day got long (OK maybe it got long when Savannah woke me and Myra up at 3:30...).  Josh called when he got home, because he could nor get into the house!  Some how the door from in the garage into the house had gotten locked (most likely Catalina).  Josh tried a couple different ways to get into the house, but he HAD to get to work.  I left the swimming pool and took the kids over to my parents.  My dad and Josh Jr. came with me back to the house to try and break in so that we wouldn't need to call for a lock smith (being a holiday and all).  Luckily my mom had a key for me to try, and it actually ended up being the key to the door (thank goodness).

The rest of the day was spent playing games at my parents house (since I had to go back to get the kids).  It was a lot of fun, but the kids (who never took a nap) were not always to happy.  My sweet sister was nice and gave the three little girls baths, and then we came home early to get the older three kids a shower before a early bedtime.  And boy were they grumpy!  Bed time routine tonight did not go the best.  And let's just say that I am so glad they are all in bed, and hopefully they will all sleep through the night!