Getting from there to here

As I sit (hopefully) on the verge of ushering another little soul into the world, I can't help but think of the journey that has gotten me here.

Rob and I decided to start trying for children in the summer of 1995. I always had irregular cycles and knew that it might be a challenge, but I figured a little medicine and we'd be on our way. It took 18 months to get pregnant. Those times were not fun, to say the least. I learned all about charting and timing and other such mechanincs of babymaking. Every month, we upped the dose of hormones and every month was a failure. I can remember going in my car and screaming my head off, partly out of frustration and partly because of what the hormones were doing to me. I can also remember sitting on the floor of my shower bawling with the realization that this month was once again a failure. Finally, however, in Jan. 1997, I was pregnant. Such a thrill!! The pregnancy, however, was not the smoothest. Starting with the fact that I was having triplets. What would I ever do with three babies?? There was also the threatened miscarriage at 11 weeks, that had me bleeding off and on until 20 weeks, the amnios that left me leaking fluid for two weeks, a confirmed birth defect in one baby, bedrest, contractions, constant monitoring, Magnesium Sulfate to stop labor, all culminating in giving birth 8 weeks early to little pumpkins who spent time in the NICU (which is a horror all in it's own). The second I saw my babies, I knew I would do it again just to have them. I knew I would give my life for theirs in an instant. However, as I was discharged from the hospital without them, I couldn't help but feel jipped. This was not what I had pictured all of those months as I was trying to get pregnant.

Fast forward two years and two months and completely out of the blue, I find myself pregnant again. No drugs, no shots, just the old fashioned way. It was a bit overwhelming, frankly, at the time, given that the triplets were two and were a bit, um, well, two, and given the fact that our marriage was not in the best place at all. We had gone to a Family Life marriage weekend as truly a last ditch effort to save our marriage, and came home with a little souvenier. This pregnancy was awesome. Three of my close friends were also pregnant and due in July, 2000. Everything was so smooth and in the end, I had a wonderful 8 pound boy, delieverd spontaneously, with immediate bonding. It was perfect. I felt so blessed to be able to have experienced childbirth the way it "should" be and it wasn't long before I found myself wanting another baby.

People always ask me if this baby was planned and I find that a difficult question to answer. Rob had always been adamanatly opposed to another child, and, frankly, my cycles had gotten very wacky in my old age. I had gone all through 2004 and 2005 without a cycle on my own. FOr some reason, in 2006, things started to come back to some sort of normal, but I could never predict when I might ovulate. I could be 2 months, it could be 4. In September, I had a chemical pregnancy (positive pregnancy test, followed by a late period the day after), which I found to be devestating. Rob said we could try again, and I took him up on the offer. Of course, I had no idea if I would ovulate again. Imagine my surprise when in mid-October, I felt I was ovulating (all of that info from my infertle days paying off), and by Halloween I knew I was pregnant. I am now one of those who got pregnant on the first try!

All of this to say, even though I complain about how miserable I am, I know I am blessed. I think of women who, today even, are screaming in their cars or crying on the floor of their showers wishing to be in the place that I am in today. I feel very grateful that God has redeemed what I felt was taken from me in my first pregnancy/delivery experience. I know that I am blessed. God could have chosen any way to bring humans into the world, and for some reason, He chose to allow women the privelage of joining Him in creation. I am blessed.

Hopefully, my next post will be a birth announcement!!

38 weeks and counting....

In honor of my own personal misery, I've created another Top 10 list.

Top 10 Signs that your close to delivery:

10. You think fondly back to the early days of pregnancy when you only had to get up one or two times per night to pee.
9. The words "fingertip dialated" send you over the edge, because you know it's a euphamism for "see you next week still pregnant."
8. You begin thinking that the pain of labor will be a welcome reprieve from the pain of your sciatica.
7. You being thinking that being up all night with a newborn will be a welcome repreive from being up all night with heartburn.
6. You have to do moves that a contortionist would find amazing just to wipe your own butt.
5. You are willing to try any and every old wives tale out there to get baby to come out, including that terrible three letter word...J-O-G!
4. If one more person calls me and asks me if I've had the baby yet...I swear I'll explode.
3. You fantasize of carrying around a stun gun to tazer anyone who inadvertently pisses you off. Like the people mentioned in #4 or the worship leader at church who made me stand through 5 songs yesterday. Just as an example.
2. You are constantly smelling your underwear to see if what just leaked was urine (again!) or perhaps maybe, just maybe, please God let it be amniotic fluid.
1. You know the second you hold that precious little precious in your arms, all of this will be a distant memory and very much worth every minute of it!

I got an email today that said 95% of all babies arrive between 38 and 40 weeks, so here's hoping. But, don't call or email to ask me...you might just get tazered!

Incessant Bragging Part 2

I needed to post more pictures.



When Trisha wasn't Alice, she played many different parts, one was a flower. Oh, I can't forget to mention that she also won a $100 savings bond for coming in first place in our township's coloring contest for her grade level.




More Ryan playing baseball. Look at the skill with which he rounds third base. I think he gets his running skills from me!



Jaden ready to take a shot in wheelchair basketball. He plays once per month and loves it. Hence the desire to be the first Harlem Globetrotter in a wheelchair when he grows up.

Incessant Bragging

I haven't done much incessant bragging about my children lately, and since it is promised in the description of my blog, I thought I was due:



I already posted Jonathan in the talent show for Life Is a Highway, but he was also in a Suessical number that his entire third grade class did. It was adorable.



Jaden did some fancy basketball dribbling moves in the talent show. He did an act all by himself, and it was really good!




Jonathan with his soccer team on the day of the tournament. He wasn't on the best of teams, but he was one of the better players. I know the glasses look a little silly, but they sure help improved his play!



Trisha as Alice in Alice through the Looking Glass. She shared the lead with another girl. I am sure that I do not have to tell you who was better, by far, at the part. Trisha even looks like Alice for goodness sakes!



Ryan baseball shot. He loves, loves, loves baseball. And, for his first time playing the sport, I am so very impressed with how well he plays.

Nobody Puts Baby in a Corner

Not only is this a most excellent line from one of my favorite movies (Can you guess which movie?), it is also the theme I, personally, am giving to a baby shower that was thrown for me this past weekend. Not only did my wonderful friends not put baby in a corner, they celebrated her in a big way!! It was truly very humbling to have all of these people come to this shower and were so generous in their giving. Considering that not one of the people who came are related to me, and therefore, might feel obligates to come. I was quite humbled. I know that Hilary got a lot of flack for her "It Takes a Village to Raise a Child" book, but I do know that it is good for kids to know that there are other eyes watching them when their parents eyes are not. And, I have to say I am so thankful to be part of such an amazing village of families!



These were the wonderful hostesses. Have you ever seen such fabulous women in your life? Just hanging around their fabulousness makes me look good!




George Bush was kind enough to make it to my shower as well...even sporting some pink.




I got such wonderful stuff. As-Of-Yet-Unnamed-Baby-Girl-Klan is set up quite well. As Trisha said, "We've been overrun with cuteness!!".




Speaking of Trish...here we are. I can't really express enough how much I loathe pictures of me at this point. I had read in an article that if you turn to the side and put your leg up, it makes you look slimmer...well, I think I'm pretty much beyond help at this point, especially with the 90 degree weather that day blowing my legs and ankles up like balloons!

Overall a great time, and like I said I am so thankful for my wonderful friends!

Jonathan hamming it up

Here's Jonathan at the Talent Show...He's the one on the right.

Hooray! It's June!

The doctor who delivered Ryan said that the last few weeks of pregnancy are God's way of preparing you for childbirth, because you'll go through anything, including labor, just to get the darn thing out of you! Over the few years that my children have been in school, I have used the same analogy. The last few weeks of school with field trips, field days, talent shows, presentations, etc, etc, etc, are God's way of preparing you for summer vacation, because you'll go through anything, including having your children with you all day, everyday, just for the insanity to stop.

The question is, however; what is God trying to teach someone when these two occurances collide? And, when it is 90 degrees out? I'm not sure. In fact, I think that the collision of these three forces creates a very great evil. But, at least it's June, and with the exception of the heat, it will all be over soon!

5 1/2 days!

This is what I heard this morning as my children were leaving for the bus stop. 5 1/2 days being the number of days left of school. Most people have said the school year has flown by...I assume they have not been pregnant for most of it. But, still, I can't help but think how much things have changed in my life since August, 2006.

Those first few days alone were horrible. The house was terribly quiet, and time dragged by terribly slow. I missed by kids by 11:00 every day. I begged my friends to invite me to lunch, to go walking, for coffee, anything. And, the kindly obliged. But, then, I volunteered up at school, and got a job, and then (surprise!) got pregnant. And, just like everyone said would happen, my time filled up and I ended up spending most of the year running around like a chicken wihtout a head.

My kids had great years...all of them. Phenomenal, really. Except for a little bit of girl stuff, but I'm beginning to think that is unavoidable.

To Mrs. B~I want to say thank you for creating a nurturing environment for Ryan. Thank you for seeing his "special energy", as we've come to call it, as an asset, rather than something that needed to be disciplined or drugged out of him. I am so thankful for you!

To Mrs. B~Thank you for being so creative. The way you encouraged Trisha's creativity made her like a pig in mud in your class. I will not forget your coming to see her play on a very cold December evening, when I am sure you had other things to do. I am so thankful for you!

To Miss P ~ I wasn't so sure about you at first, I will admit, but I appreciate your creativity and your ability to be consistent in your expectations. That is exactly what my Jaden needs and that is why he thrived in your class. I appreciate your willingness to think outside the box for solutions for him, and I admire the way you have stood your ground against the many parent complaints you received (unwarrantedly) this year. I am so thankful for you!

To Ms. Z ~ I want to thank you for a great year for Jonathan. I appreciate the way that you created such a warm atmosphere in your classroom where everyone was really friends. Case in point: having everyone from your class in a talent show routine. Jonathan leaves your classroom having gained a lot of knowledge and a lot of close frienships. I am so thankful for you!

It has been a good year. And, next year, I won't have to worry about the transition to having everyone gone, since I'll be busy with an infant. Plus, I know that time has a way of getting filled up, which is why I intend to make the most of every moment I have with my kids this summer!

If parenting is a competition, score 1 loss for me

So, yesterday turned out to be pretty exciting. Around 7:20 pm, Ryan hit Jaden in the head with a baseball bat. Nice. What's even better is that for a few minutes I heard some screaming outside and was getting all mad thinking that Jaden and Ryan were out there fighting again. I was just about to give them both a large piece of my mind, along with some consequence, when Ryan rushed through the door. "Mom, um, well, I was playing baseball, and it was an accident, and well, I accidentally hit Jaden in the head with my baseball bat (aluminum) accidentally." I ran out the door all the while screaming something about God...a prayer I'm sure, only to see that Jaden has a lump on the side of his head that is cartoon-like. Sort of like the kind Elmer Fudd would get when trying to catch Bugs Bunny. I never thought that was funny on TV, and I can assure you that I did not find it funny last night, either.

So, off to the ER. The Dr. comes in and tells Jaden he will be getting a CT Scan and she starts to explain what that is. Jaden says, "I know what it is. I just wish someone would tell me why it is called a CAT scan, because I have never once seen a cat!" part way through her little speech. Poor kid. As we are sitting there waiting for the results of the CT scan, all I can think besides "Dear God let everything be all right" is "I.CAN.NOT.DO.THIS." and by I can not do this, I mean have this new baby. It was insane to think that we could have another baby and deal with the insanity that happens around here on a regular basis. The other thing I was thinking of was how I kept thinking that maybe I should go outside and sit down while they were playing outside. I, obviously, never followed that motherly instinct. Nice.

Turns out he's fine. Minor concussion. had him home today watching and monitoring. He had a headache this morning and was slightly lethargic, but he's happily playing video games now. Another major crisis averted, thank God. There is a new rule here in our house, that there is no playing with baseball bats unless mom or dad is outside.

Tripmom's Book Club

I don't really get an opportunity to do much reading, but when I visited my sister a few weeks back, I did some reading on the plane, and I am here to highly recommend this book: "Death by Suburb: How to Keep the Suburbs from Killing Your Soul" by David Goetz. I must warn you, this is a non-fiction book. However, I know the readers of Kiddyland to be very bright and learned people, so I am sure this is no problem. It gives 8 great tips to living a "thicker" life beyond lattes, SUVs and soccer. Not that those things are bad in and of themselves.

In one part, the author relays a story about an acquaintance whose wife was diagnosed with cancer. In addition to caring for her and their children and trying to keep up with the demands at work, he was scheduled to coach his son's little league soccer game. He noticeed halfway through the game that one of the playera had left the game. Afterwards, he found out why. The parents, upset that their daughter was not getting the playing time they felt she deserved pulled her from the game and went home. "He thought he had rotated all of the players through. He said he didn't say much to the wife when he called later for damamge control. Soccer is stupid when you think your wife is dying." p.48

Another quote:

"Successful children are the ultimate glory in today's Park District and Travel team culture. Children level the playing field. Whether from blue money, new money, or no money, each child represents real potential for glory in the here and now. They are the ultimate extension of ourselves. ...Parenting is hard these days, perhaps because it truly is today's most competitive sport."

I really could blog about this book all day. But, instead just read it for yourselves. And, if you happen to actually do that, let me know what you think!

I probably shouldn't be let out of the house...

Because I just can't be held responsible for my emotions lately. It's really bad. I just never know what is going to happen.

For example, I was watching my TiVo'd Desperate Housewives on Monday. And, I started crying when Lynette found out about her cancer. Fine, I'm sure that's probably in the realm of normal. My problem: I kept crying about it all day. All day, people. I suppose bursting into tears for no reason is nothing new to this pregnancy. A few weeks ago,the whole fam was playing hide and seek. I thought I had a totally great hiding place, but Rob found me right away. You guessed it...I started crying. It just seems to be happening alot lately.

Then, there's the other thing. You just never know when I might flip someone off. Not literally, but in my heart. I was at field day last week and I swore someone was staring at me. I know I am huge. I know it's kind of like a freak show, but c'mon. I thought I might punch her.

It's probably just better if I lock myself up at home...that way no one gets hurt! :)

That's 2 hours of my life I can't get back.

That's how I feel after watching The Departed. Didn't it win an Oscar or something? I thought it had and who doesn't like Matt Damon, Leo, and Jack Nicholson (who I sometimes get mixed up with Jack Nicklaus the famous golfer, but I digress). It.was.terrible. I mean it...terrible. I even stayed up to like 10:30 to watch it. It started out good. It was almost really good. It was as if they didn't know how to end it, so let's just kill everyone and that should do it. I feel like I want my $3.25 back. Do yourself a favor...if you haven't seen it...don't bother.

Miracle in Lane 2

Before there was "High School Musical" or "Jump In", The Disney Channel made a lovely movie called "Miracle in Lane 2". It's based on a true story of a boy with Spina Bifida who wants to win a trophy just like his older brother more than anything else. After unsuccessful attempts at mainstream sports, he befriends a neighbor who gets him into the soapbox derby. Of course, he wins a trophy bigger than any his brother had ever seen. I love, love, love this movie and everytime I watch it I cry through the whole thing. It's wonderful.

On Wednesday night, we (almost) had our own little miracle in lane 2. Jonathan and Jaden were competing in a little car race we had at church. In the third grade division, there were probably about 18 racers. Jonathan was quickly eliminated after two quick losses. Jaden, however, was a different story. 1st race...win. 2nd race...win. 3rd race...win. At this point, Jaden is nearly hyperventilating with joy. And, you know what...so is Jonathan. The winner of the next race would be guaranteed 3rd place and a medal. Best 2 out of 3. First run...win. Second run...lose. 3rd run...win. The final race was for 1st place. Best 2 out of 3. First run...lose. Second run...win. Thrid run...lose! 2nd place isn't too bad though and he did get a wonderful medal. Just as in the fiction story, I cried through the whole thing. It was wonderful!

Life isn't always fair for Jaden. Scratch that...life is hardly ever fair for Jaden. I just was so glad and grateful that he won something and was so excited and proud of himself. It was also very gratifing to see how excited Jonathan was for him. Although later we did have to have the "Everyone is a winner in our family" talk. :-)

9 year old boys!

I have just been thinking lately about how much I love 9 year old boys. I'm almost sad that they are almost 10 because I think 9 has to be the greatest age I've encountered so far. They are so independent and yet still so snuggly. I can see them already becoming gentlemen, wanting to take care of the ladies of the house. They can wrestle with their friends and act all cool, yet they aren't to shy to wave feverishly at their mom each morning as the bus pulls away from the stop. And, they don't have any of the hormonal/emotional stuff that comes with 9 year old girls that can be oh so challening. It's just a neat age. Half way to being a man, only half way from being a baby. It's a neat mix of characteristics that I enjoy alot!

As way of an example, here's a cute conversation I overheard the other day:

Jaden is talking about how he really wants this pirate alarm clock from the back of a cereal box for $4.95. HE says to Jonathan, "How can I get my hands on $4.95?". Then he says, "Mom, can you give me some chores so I can make $4.95?" I tell him that I can. Then he says to Jonathan, "Never mind, I'll just bet Josh." Jonathan:"Yeah, I bet Josh all of the time, he owes me like $6.00 now."

I, for some reason just found this the cutest thing in the world...seeing how the mind of a nine year old works. Of course we had to have a conversation about how gambling isn't really a legitimate way to earn money...

Top 10 Signs You're Entering Your Third Trimester

10). When you drop something you really have to think about how badly you want it to determine whether you are going to bend over and pick it up.
9.) People are no longer afraid to ask you if you are pregnant.
8.) You ask your youngest son if he wants to feel the baby move, and he says,"I've already felt it like 100 times!".
7.) You stop worrying about losing the baby and start worrying about what you are going to do with it once it gets here.
6.) It takes 20 minutes to get into a comfortable sleeping position...that is only comfortable for 20 minutes.
5.) Ah, heck, I can't remember #5. Baby takes all the oxygen from my brain!
4.) You start feeling like a walking, talking Pepto Bismol commercial. (heartburn, nausea, upset stomach, diarrhea...)
3.) Two words: Urinary Incontinence.
2.) You look at your belly and wonder how in the world you are possibly going to get three months bigger.
1.) You are willing to disown any person who might respond to this post by saying 'Wow, your pregnancy is going by so fast!" or something similar. :-)

Something hilarious that you must see!

We went on a little mini-vacation and the triplets made this...it's pretty hilarious!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y11pWnDU2LI

I don't know how to make the link all blue so you just click it, so you'll have to cut and paste...sorry! :)

Grease pics are forthcoming...

Happy Anniversary!

Today is my 14th wedding anniversary. It's been a great day. I went to lunch with Rob. We got Primantis and ate them at Mellon Square on a georgeous 70 degree day.

I can assure it was not 70 degrees or sunny on the day we got married. In fact, we were in the middle of a large snow storm. We went to Disneyworld for our honeymoon. That wasn't so great either. From walking (yes, walking) to MGM from our hotel to almost crashing and burning on the plane trip home to getting so sunburnt in the two hours of sun we actually had that I could not even stand to have anything touch me to watching NCAA basketball...it wasn't what I had dreamed.

A week later we moved to Pittsburgh. Neither one of us had a job. We had a few bucks from the wedding and we were young and adventerous, so why not? In our first apartment we had a TV, a card table and a second hand waterbed. We'd spend mornings sending out resumes and evenings playing rummy. I got so that I hated rummy. I still, to this day, have no desire whatsoever to play rummy. After a month, Rob found a job. I think we bought a couch to celebrate.

All of this to say, it really wasn't the greatest start to a marriage. But, I know people who had dream honeymoons and moved into their first homes fully furnished...and are now divorced. I love the life Rob and I have built together. I love our kids. I love our home. I love our past. I'm excited about our future. I love that we can spend $12.50 on an anniversary lunch eating downtown and it's one of the best dates ever. I love that he can predict most of the time, what I am going to do and say. And, I love that I can do the same with him. I even love that sometimes those things he does and says are a little annoying. (Like, why does he still have notebooks from computer classes in college in his closet?) I love that we started with nothing. I love that we have fought through some hard times and have come out the other side. I love that we are still together and with the help of God, we always will be.

The (dreaded) PSSAs

Now that my kisd are in third grade, they have officially entered the part of their schooliong lives where they get to take part in official standardized testing. My kids are pretty nervous, which is silly, considering their amazing brillance. But, I suppose it would be hard not to be. The school seems to keep saying over and over again, "Don't be nervous about this thing that we are making a super-huge deal about." And, for the school I suppose it is.

See, I am not one of those people who hates the No Child Left Behind legislation. I really think, in theory, it's very good. Yes, the school district should be teaching my children. And, yes, if they are not, I should be able to send my children elsewhere. I like that children who are in special education have to also be included in the testing results. I really do think no child should be left behind. And, I think the thing that I like the most about it is that teachers hate it. I always think accountability is a great thing, unless I am the one being held accountable.

In practice, though, is a somewhat different story, I feel. It's put wayyyyy too much emphasis on testing. Even my little 1st grader had to take some standardized tests this year, just to give him practice. After all, I can't imagine one of my kids sitting before a college entrance person telling them how wonderful they did on their 3rd grade PSSAs or their 1st grade Terra Novas. It is far more important for the school than it is for my child.

Which is why it is upsetting that my children are getting worked up over something that doesn't even really affect them. The school is doing lots things to make it seem like it's fun to take a teast, but it's sort of like this: suppose there was an elephant in my living room and I told my kids, "Don't be nervous about the elephant, in fact, don't even bother yourselves about it. It's a fine elephant and you don't need to worry about it at all." But, then, I did a cheer about the elephant, sang songs about the elephant and everyday I had them dress up the elephant and then just before the elephant was about to leave, I threw a big party for the elephant. It would be pretty hard not to concern oneself with that elephant.

It seems like maybe it would just be easier if we just gave the kids a stinking test with a simple sentence, "You'll be taking some tests next week." I don't know. Call me crazy. One thing I do know is this: the "good night's sleep" that I'm supposed to make sure my kids get next week is not bloody likely to happen given the pressure they seem to be feeling.

The Saga of the Stomachache

So, for some time now, Ryan has had a stomachache. Not anything too major. He's still been able to jump around and express all of that "special energy" he has. But, when he is turning down ice cream, I know something is really up. So, of course, my first thought is: "He's upset about the baby." Why not, he's been the baby for so long, of course he might be having some issues with not being the baby anymore. Since I am Super-Mom, I am certain I can cure this without much problem. A day off school to spend time together, some extra snuggle time, maybe a special lunch here and there, along with reminding him that he will always be my baby BOY should've done the trick. It hasn't. Then enteres my second thought: stomach cancer. Because afterall, if it's not bad mothering that's messing him up, it has to be cancer...am I right? I looked up stomach cancer on the internet and given the fact that he is not over the age of 60 nor had a prolonged history of stomach problems I think he's probably OK. My third thought, after days of tracking at and looking at his poop (isn't motherhood glamorous) is that he is having some trouble with constipation. A little more fiber, a little more water and he's good as new. I should probably have it checked by a doctor, but what could they possibly tell me that I wouldn't already know ;-)

BTW, haven't heard anything about the house. I am guessing there are some sort of further shenanigans with the government and stuff. I think Tom Petty sang a song about the waiting is the hardest part. True dat, dawg!

Agents, and buyers, and loans...oh my!

So, here's what we've been up to: trying to buy a house. I know this information is probably upsetting to the Michigan folks who were hoping our next home purchase might be in that state. However, let me tell you about this house. It's next to one of Trisha's good friend's homes, so we knew back in October or so of 1995 that there was a druggie living there who had been arrested and that the house had been seized. Great! So, we looked into how we might purchase the house on Sheriff's sale. Of course, we found out that to buy a house a Sheriff's sale, you have to come up with the entire amount of the sale within a week of the auction. I'm sorry to say we were a few dollars shy of the needed $290,000. So, we thought it was our tough luck and someone else would get the house. Fortunately, however, no one bought it at the Sheriff's sale in April, 2006. Since then, apparently, the federal government and the bank have been haggling over who gets to sell it. Monday it went on the market. When we went in to see the house, there were three other people there at the same time. When we put our offer in at 10:30 this morning, our was the 15th offer. To be competitive, we overbid and we dropped the contigency of having to sell our current house first. Even still, I think it's a long shot that we will get this house. Which is a bummer. It's a huge house with a den that could be a bedroom for Jaden and a large first floor laundry which could easily be converted into a bathroom for Jaden. The kids would get to go to the same elementary school. It has a flat driveway. It's really perfect and I'm hoping and praying for some sort of strange miracle. (Like all bids over ours just happen to get misplaced or something). I think we should know something tomorrow or Thursday. If it's God's will... I also have to plug Beth Mastro here. She's a totally kick-butt agent and I highly recommend!

In the meantime, we have been busiing ourselves by trying to get our house ready to sell. Allow me to just say that it is amazing how much junk a family of 6 can collect. IN fact, it was so much we decided to have a junk person come and haul it away. You know the kind with the ad that says something like:"Will haul anything away but your mother-in-law". SO, Rob spent the day gathering all of the trash and putting it on the bottom of the driveway. I can only imagine what our neighbor must have been thinking. When the guy whose job it is is to deal with trash gets here, he says, without provocation might I add, "I've seen worse." I almost doubt that. Glad to have it all gone, though...whether we move or not.