Busy Bees

It's nonstop in our household. Insanity I tell you.

I just finished straightening, dusting and packing some things from the bookshelf in our bedroom. Looks *soooooo* nice now. Our bedroom is --->this<--- close to being completely ready. Slowly we're getting closer and closer to having each and every room prepared and then we'll thoroughly clean each one (dusting, vaccuming).

We have been busting our asses around here and still trying to spend quality time with the kids. So most of the time we're working our tails off after the kids are in bed for the night. Like now; it's 10:30 and Mike is busy painting. We broke down and just decided to paint - just the entryway, staircase - and maybe the hallway. We're waiting to see if we can stop at a certain point, or if you'll be able to tell what is fresh paint and what is not. If there is a big difference, we'll just have to finish up the painting.

Otherwise the realtor said the paint looks pretty good - and that some of the small marks could probably be taken care of with soap & water. Maybe our house isn't so bad afterall. Cluttered - yes. I'll be the first to admit that. And while it's not the cleanest in the world - I'm sure it's MUCH better than some homes these realtors walk into.

So, we've been busy packing things away that we won't need. In fact, we've done ALOT of packing. And then we've been straightening, tidying and fixing a few minor things up. And having garage sales nearly every weekend (at least 1 per weekend, but this past weekend we had it Fri & Sat). They have been very sucessful -- we've made over $1300 total. Gotten rid of a *TON* but we still have boxes and boxes of things yet to get rid of.

Tomorrow is our pre-drywall appointment. We get to walk thru the house and they'll show us the "heart" of the house. We'll get to see all the plumbing, duct work, electrical, etc. and they'll explain how things work. They also recommend videotaping/photographing so that if we ever needed to do any work, we'd know where certain things are rather than putting random holes in the walls. So, we're all going to be enjoying a day off of work. :)

Speaking of work - my dad is nearly jumping for joy. He's got a whopping TWO days left of work (Thurs & Fri) and then he's RETIRED. He is THRILLED. He absolutely cannot wait. I'm so proud of him.

Oh - and before I forget. I should update you all on Larry - the driver, my coworker. He's doing so much better. It's amazing how well he is doing for what he went through. He ended up getting a tracheotomy done to help with the breathing and he did end up starting to breathe on his own. He was doing so well he was transfered from the ICU at the hospital to a rehabilitation hospital. It's now a matter of healing and therapy to get himself moving & functioning. We went and visited him yesterday during our lunch hour at work. He looks so different - not in a bad way - but not what we had been used to. And I don't handle seeing someone like that - so I ended up feeling so sad when we left. While I'm grateful and happy that he is doing well -- it was still hard to see him in a wheelchair, with a c-collar on, and his body cast (turtle shell looking thing), not able to move much, and just barely being able to talk. It was hard. I wanted to hug him and tell him everything would be okay. So, he's already come a long way. Considering he had been pronounced dead on the scene - he's really made some incredible leaps & bounds. We're grateful for that, but we really, really miss the "old" Larry. In just 5 more days it'll be 1 month since his accident.

And so I should end this now ... I desperately need to put on some pajamas and just RELAX. No staring at the computer screen, no dusting, no packing -- just RELAXING. My body is tired, as well as my mind.

Things to Do

- Do invitations for Kaelynn's 1st birthday party
* Print invitations
* Address envelopes for invitations
* Stamp invitations
* Mail invitations (by May 25th)
- Make 30 20 lollipop favors for K's 1st birthday party
- Make mini candy bars for K's 1st birthday party
* Print wrappers
* Buy Candy
* Cut & glue wrappers
- Get house ready to be put on the market
* Prepare/Clean Kitchen/Dining Room
* Prepare/Clean Living Room
* Prepare/Clean downstairs Bathroom
* Prepare/Clean Master Bedroom
* Prepare/Clean upstairs Bathroom
-- Patch wall in shower
-- Fix toilet paper holder
-- Replace burnt out lightbulbs in fixture
* Prepare/Clean Bedroom 2
* Prepare/Clean Bedroom 3
* Prepare/Clean Garage
- Mail 1st birthday exchange gift

Things To Do

- Do invitations for Kaelynn's 1st birthday party
* Print invitations
* Address envelopes for invitations
* Mail invitations (by May 25th)
- Make lollipop favors for K's 1st birthday party
- Make mini candy bars for K's 1st birthday party
* Print wrappers
* Buy Candy
* Cut & glue wrappers
- Get house ready to be put on the market
* Prepare/Clean Kitchen/Dining Room
* Prepare/Clean Living Room
* Prepare/Clean downstairs Bathroom
* Prepare/Clean Master Bedroom
* Prepare/Clean upstairs Bathroom
-- Patch wall in shower
-- Replace burnt out lightbulbs in fixture
* Prepare/Clean Bedroom 2
* Prepare/Clean Bedroom 3
* Prepare/Clean Garage

No time to breathe

I feel like I've been going nonstop for the past month. I've been busting my butt around the house, trying to pack and tidy up and make it presentable. There's still a TON to do. As much as I do, I look around and see what still needs to be done, and it's discouraging.

And then we're still trying to make time as a family. Today Braeden says "I like doing stuff" and we asked him what kind of stuff. He said "Stuff with Mom and Daddy". It's those things that make you realize just how important it is to spend time as a family and do different things together. It's not like we did something extravaggent today -- it was a simple trip to the mall to pick up pictures at JcPenney and then browse for something for me to wear to the twins' christening early next month. But apparently spending the day with his family was what he enjoyed the most.

So despite everything we need to do - we're trying to fit in some family activities along the way as well. It's hard, though. I wish we could afford to pay someone to come in and help pack and clean. It would make life so much easier. Well, a little easier at least.

We've also been having garage sales every Saturday - weather permitting, of course. My parents come, and the kids and I sit outside and play until Mike gets home from work. So far we've had about 5 sales - and have made $950. Pretty darn good - plus we're getting rid of alot. There's still a TON more to get rid of. Whatever doesn't sell when we're finished having sales - we're donating.

We still don't have an estimate of when the house will be ready. But our pre-drywall appointment is already coming up in less than 2 weeks. So things are really coming along. It's the water treatment plant, water tower, etc that all needs to be up and running prior to anyone taking possession of their house. I'm guessing we should be moving in mid-late August, early September at the latest.

Hopefully we'll be able to get a buyer on our townhome that wants to close early-mid September. That would work the best. We'll see how lucky we get. If someone wants to buy our place and close sooner -- we may just have to grin and bear it and take the offer. My boss did offer to let us stay in their fully finished basement if our place sold sooner than the new house was ready. I don't know how I'd feel about that - but it's nice to know we'd have *somewhere* to go.

It's hard to believe we're already halfway through May. This year is flying. Before we know it, it'll be time to move in the new house - and then it'll be Halloween, then Thanksgiving, then Christmas and then 2006!!!!

Now I'm sitting here and I'm thinking of everything that needs to be done and I'm starting to stress again. I need to relax and just take a deep breath. Everything will work out. I just need to get telling myself that.

First things first, here's a list of things that need to be done by June 1st.

- Do invitations for Kaelynn's 1st birthday party
* Print invitations
* Address envelopes for invitations
* Mail invitations (by May 25th)
- Get house ready to be put on the market
* Prepare/Clean Kitchen/Dining Room
* Prepare/Clean Living Room
* Prepare/Clean downstairs Bathroom
* Prepare/Clean Master Bedroom
* Prepare/Clean upstairs Bathroom
* Prepare/Clean Bedroom 2
* Prepare/Clean Bedroom 3
* Prepare/Clean Garage

Another thing on my mind

Besides the Vasilev children brutally murdered, I've had something else on my mind. Don't get me wrong - alot of my thoughts go back to those poor kids, and their father finding them in pools of their own blood. The 911 tape was released the other day. Luckily I haven't heard it, but I did read the transcript. That was enough for me. I don't think I could mentally handle hearing it.

But, now for the other thing that is weighing on my mind.

One of my coworkers - one of the drivers - was in a serious car accident on Friday afternoon. We're such a small company that we're all very close -- it's like a second family.

The accident is still a mystery to this day. The police aren't sure how or why it happened. His pickup truck went off the road, over a birm which caused the truck to go airborne, hitting branches on a tree 9 feet in the air. It then landed back on the ground, crossing another street (over a median), hitting more trees, and then finally ending against the side of a building of a business. At some point he was ejected from the truck - out the side driver side window.

Everyone is puzzled. But mostly, everyone is worried.

He has been unconcious since the accident. And he's on breathing machines. He did take his first breath on his own yesterday, and continued to breathe for 5 minutes before needing the machines again. They did also get a quick response - when the nurse was holding his hand, she said "Tell me if it hurts" and he squeezed her hand. But that's all they've gotten from him.

His life hangs on the line. Everyone at work is constantly thinking of him, wanting updates and you can tell - everyone is fighting a bit of depression. To be honest, we really miss him. Terribly.

His wife seems to be in the best spirits possible. I'm trying to think positively - but I also know that being on life support is very, very serious. And that maybe he won't ever start and continue to breathe on his own.

His injuries are extensive. He broke his back in 3 places, 20 ribs are cracked, both lungs punctured, and there's evidence of some brain damage. That's just the short list. Many bones are broken, tendons severed. Things are not good.

We're continuing to pray for him.

And Heaven got 2 New Angels

Just a forewarning ... this post is going to be about something that is extremely violent and heartwrenching.
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On Thursday, on my way to work, I called my mom from my cell phone to ask her something. During our conversation, she asked me if I saw the news. I got a little worried, because the last time something like that had been said, it was when she phoned me the morning of 9/11.

I told her no, and she told me there was a stabbing in Hoffman Estates (the town in which she lives, where I used to live as well). She told me it happened on John Drive, and 2 kids were stabbed to death. The father came home and found them. The mother was in the house with them. I thought, well, then why didn't the mother call 911? Something wasn't right.

I knew that at work we had a customer that lived on John Drive, so when I got into the office, I looked up the address. All the news was saying was that it was on the 1100 block. Our customer lives on the 1100 block.

That was all I knew. That afternoon, I picked up my mom and we headed to the post office like we do every Thursday. It just happens that John Drive is right on the way. There was traffic and tons of local television news trucks, police cars and people milling about. We drove down the street - why is it a part of human nature to be drawn to things like this?

As we went by, I realized I forgot to look at the addresses. I was really expecting our customer to be a neighbor. We drove back past, and I looked at all the addresses which went in incriments of 10. The last house didn't have a number on it - it was the house of our customer. It was the house where 2 children were slain.

I couldn't believe it.

I called the manager at work - and uttered the words - it's her. Our customer is the one who killed her kids.

My body went cold and I felt like throwing up. I don't know these children. I don't personally know the mother. But it was enough in knowing that it's highly likely that I've talked to this woman before. That this woman supports our business, buying milk for her family, for her kids -- 2 kids that she took the lives of.

The more information that the public found out, the more disturbing the whole thing got.

She ended up confessing (isn't that noble?). She killed her daughter first (3 years old) upstairs. Her son (9 years old) was running and trying to hide from her. She chased him through the house and caught up with him downstairs where she attacked him.

The coroner said that each child had over 200 stab wounds. And that the children struggled with their killer.

It makes me sick to think that these children died, trying to fight off their own mother. And that boy - for him to have been running and trying to hide - he must have seen his mother kill his little sister - and then he was attacked by her. His last image of this world was his own mother - the one that should have been protecting him - chasing him down to murder him.

My heart aches.

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Rest in Peace little angels

^i^ Christian Vasilev ^i^
^i^ Gracie Vasilev ^i^

Left this Earth to go to Heaven
Wednesday, April 27th, 2005
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Catching Up

I realized there was more I had wanted to talk about before. And now I have a TON on my mind.

I celebrated my 25th birthday a few weeks ago. For some reason I just couldn't grasp the idea of being 25. It just seems like such a weird number. 25. Maybe because it's halfway between being 20 and 30? Because I'm a 1/4 of a century old. I don't know. But now that I think about it, 26 seems like it'll be even more weird. Oh well....sooner or later my age has to match the gray hair I already have.

Okay, enough of the age thing ....

Friday we drove by the house again. They were working on the roof. Pretty cool.

I have a couple more things to talk about, but really they are big things, so they deserve to be in their own posts.

So .... more to come!