Catsup? Ketchup? Catch Up?

I haven’t really written anything here in over TWO YEARS! Not that I have much of a following, but I know it felt really good for me to blog frequently. It is good for me to write. Too much has happened to truly “catch up”, but I’m going to try to at least give a brief rundown of the high points and low points of the past two years without many details, of course.

08/30/09 – My husband, Corbin turned 32

09/03/09 – My oldest daughter, Danielle turned 19

09/09/09 – Corbin and I got married in Las Vegas. We took Anthony, Maya and Penelope with us for a small vacation. Dirk and Emily took a vacation in Vegas the same week and brought their girls with them. They also arranged for a condo in the same unit as theirs for my parents to stay for a couple days. Corbin’s mom, sister and brother-in-law also came for the wedding. Our good friends, Burton and Julie travelled down to be there with us also.

09/14/09 – My youngest child, Penelope turned 7

09/16/09 – Corbin’s father died suddenly and unexpectedly

10/07/09 – I “celebrated” my 39th birthday

10/24/09 – Danielle and Tyson were married in Spanish Fork, Utah

11/09/09 – My oldest child, Anthony turned 21

11/23/09 – I lost my amazing job

January 2010 – Our car was repossessed for the first time. We managed to get it back.

04/06/10 – I started a job as a store manager for a dry cleaning chain

04/24/10 – My second daughter, Maya turned 10

May 2010 – Our car was repossessed for the second time. Once again, we managed to get it back.

07/30/10 – I lost my job at the dry cleaners. It was kind of a relief because I absolutely despised the owners and believe that they have no business trying to run a business.

8/30/10 – Corbin turned 33

9/03/10 – Danielle turned 20

9/09/10 – Corbin and I had our first anniversary

9/14/10 – Penelope turned 8

9/17/10 – Anthony had to move to Henderson, Nevada, to live with his dad and step-mom because he needed insurance coverage due to his medical problems, and his step-mom has great benefits through her job.

September 2010 – Corbin, Maya, Penelope and I moved in with Corbin’s mom and step-dad. We had barely made rent since November, and with my being unemployed yet again, we knew it would be impossible to keep up with any bills and also pay as much rent as our duplex was. We stayed one month past our year lease. I really miss living in my old neighborhood close to my parents’ house and close to the elementary school the girls liked so much, but you do what you have to do.

10/07/10 – I turned the big FOUR-OH (40)

11/09/10 – Anthony turned 22

12/25/10 – Welfare Christmas for the girls yet again… My whole family was together for Christmas though, and that was fantastic. Brandon flew in from Wisconsin and Anthony was in town with his dad and step-mom.

January 2011 – Our car was repossessed for the final time. We called the finance company and told them to come get it. Then it was about two months of walking and riding the bus in the middle of a pretty harsh Utah winter.

02/28/11 – With some of our tax refund, we purchased a 2000 Pontiac Grand Am. It was great to be mobile again.

03/19/11 – I met my biological father, Lee, for the first time. I also met his wife, Kate, and his mother, Shirley. This is definitely something I will elaborate more on in the future.

04/01/11 – Danielle had her baby shower on April Fool’s Day. At this get-together, I got to meet my half-brother, Todd; his wife, Liz, and their kids.

04/02/11 – I met my step-brother, Peter

04/15/11 – Danielle gave birth to Addalie Martha Sabin, my adorable granddaughter. I was lucky enough to get to be in the room when she was born.

04/24/11 – Maya turned 11

04/24/11 – Easter Sunday fell on Maya’s birthday this year. It turns out that April 24 is also my father, Lee’s birthday. We had an Easter/birthday dinner at his home and I finally got to meet my half-sister, Brandy, her husband, George and their daughter. I also met Jenni and her daughters. Jenni is married to my step-brother, Phil, who was recently deployed.

06/05/11 – I broke my own arm while trying to open the blocked storage unit door in order to retrieve Danielle’s old blessing dress that she wanted Addalie to wear for her blessing the next week.

06/12/11 – Addalie’s blessing at my parent’s house. I invited my “other” family also. Lee, Kate, Grandma Shirley, Pete, Todd, Liz and the kids came. Anthony and Brandon were both in town also. Big family get-together with my dad’s awesome Dutch oven baked in the fire pit in the back yard.

07/10/11 – My mom fell and broke her arm/dislocated her shoulder. She ended up having surgery on it and now has a couple plates and numerous screws in her arm. She had to spend a couple weeks in a rehabilitation center after her surgery also.

08/08/11 – I started working at Provo City. I thought this job was my dream job. They didn’t even give me a chance. Three full days of training, and they gave me the boot because I wasn’t as good at this new job as the woman who had worked there for three years. Ummmm…. Three days…. Three years…. Can you say “learning curve”???? I’m still bitter about this whole thing.

08/25/11 – I interviewed for an office position with the Department of Corrections

08/29/11 – I was pleasantly surprised by being offered the position with the Department of Corrections

08/30/11 – Corbin turned 34

09/02/11 – My dentist couldn’t perform a procedure on my tooth to get it to stop aching because my blood pressure was too high (170/105). He instructed me to see my doctor ASAP.

09/03/11 – Danielle turned 21

09/04/11 – My brother, Joel (who is a paramedic) took my blood pressure for me and told me to go to the hospital because it was unbelievably high (216/120). I went to the hospital and they told me to get in to see my doctor ASAP.

09/06/11 – I started working at the Department of Corrections

09/07/11 – I saw my doctor about my blood pressure. He put me on some meds.

09/09/11 – Corbin’s and my Second Anniversary

09/14/11 – Penelope turned 9

09/15/11 – Another doctor visit about the blood pressure. It was still in the 165/110 area after a week on medication, so he doubled my doses.

09/24/11 – After a week on double doses, my blood pressure finally got down (one time) to 131/92. Hopefully it will continue to go down into the normal range.

TWO-YEAR RECAP: Got married; oldest daughter got married; lost THREE jobs; started THREE jobs; car repossessed THREE times; son moved out of state; moved into in-laws’ basement; met my biological father and that side of the family; became a grandmother; broke my arm; mom broke her arm/dislocated her shoulder/had surgeries; found out my blood pressure is suddenly unbelievably high…. any connection?