Nasty genetics!!

I'm just a bit bummed! My blood tests came back showing hypothyroid. There are thyroid issues on my mom's side of the family and apparently I inherited them. :( It does explain the weight gain this last year. I put it to that nasty menopause but apparently that wasn't the whole reason! I've been very lucky in that it's only been about 10 pounds in the last year, which puts me 3 above what I weighed at my top pregnancy weight. Those of you who know those numbers will be able to figure it out. :) And actually it could be a lot lot worse! I feel overweight because I've never been over weight in my life, and still technically am not, but hopefully it doesn't get there and we can get the thyroid issue fixed with medication. I tend to go back to the Reliv I take for why I'm doing okay because other then the weight gain I have no other thyroid symptoms. Everything going on points to me being totally exhausted and fatigued but I'm not. There's actually been three different things that in and of themselves bring fatigue so I'm quite thankful for that Reliv!! And to top it off I could go into diabetes because the thyroid has slowed things down enough that my sugars are starting to rise. That one is due to both my mom and dad's side of the family. Type 2 on both sides there! Not a good combo.

Okay, rant over! :)

Christmas Pictures

It was a very good day! :) I got to cuddle with the grandkids and enjoy a bit of time with them. And of course their mom and dad, Christina and Bobbie. ;)  I'm taking a lazy day today and then back to work tomorrow. My dad will go back Sunday and then I'll be back into full swing work Monday.

Gather in!

Playdough is a must when coming to Grandma's! (the blue strip behind Teagan :) )

Blake and Christina in conversation and Grandpa listening

Blake and Bobbie- It was Roast with potatoes and carrots, mashed Cauliflower and salad with pomegranate seeds. Mashed Cauliflower is very good and excellent substitute for mashed potatoes for those with diabetes.

Scarlet loves the Tweety book!

Nothing to do with today but a funny picture of Mia. She LOVES this particular shoe. Not sure why but she does.

An adorable picture of the girls.

Officially excited!!

I really didn't expect to be looking forward to tomorrow with anticipation but this year I am! It's been a long time coming!! My dad is visiting this week and heading back home Sunday afternoon. He'll be heading back to a winter wonderland in Klamath Falls! My brother sent so pretty nice pictures from down there! Blake and Erika and the grandkids, Christina and Bobbie will be here tomorrow so it'll be a good day. I'll most likely post tomorrow afternoon after everyone leaves. Hopefully there will be some really cute pictures! :)

Today was spent getting a clients books done from September forward. They are all done so that's quite exciting since they are one that takes longer. I have a huge project that I'll start on this weekend and hopefully get decently close to done by next weekend. I'm finishing 2012 and 2013 and getting 2014 and 2015 in! Lots of entering since it's a restaurant! I get this one done and I'll feel like my plate is practically empty! At this point I am almost caught up with what I can do but have a nice long list of clients with questions and information needed. With my luck they'll send me stuff in the same week!! Next week I'll start year-end payroll as well so it'll be busy! A very good thing really! :)

Now to go get dinner together for tomorrow. It's going to be early so I need to prepare tonight!

Everyone have a wonderful time with family on Christmas Day and a safe and happy New Year!

Times a flying!!

It's amazing how quick this month is flying by! I'm getting to my really busy time of year and now that I'm pretty much full time.... Can a person be busier then busy???  :)

My dad is here for the next week so we'll get a good visit in amidst my work. I think I'm going to take him with me to a couple of places next week. They should be quick visits but need to be done. We can visit while I'm driving that way. Fit the time in where you can!

This month has been absolutely nuts rain wise! I'm hearing that we'll break the all time record for December rain. Right now we're somewhere between 12 and 14 inches. Either which way it's a lot!! There was one day that it dumped all morning and in just a few hours we had 3 inches. I know there are other areas that get that much and then some but it's highly unusual here in Portland to get that much in just a few hours. Unfortunately I had an appointment that morning and got caught up in the mess. Flooded roads everywhere! And now we're getting landslides and sinkholes. I think the drought in this particular area of the country is over!! And since the Blob (a term we started using for the warm water parked in the North Pacific for TWO years) is officially dead we're reaping the benefits and then some. It kept the real good rain storms from coming in. The mountains are doing awesome this year as well. I heard one area has already surpassed what they had all of last winter. So it'll be interesting to see if things calm way down next month. El Nino effect is really supposed to kick in in January I believe.

I am definitely noticing that there is something to that 5 year mark. Maybe it's a point of full acceptance and  that there's really nothing that anybody can do but Dave himself. The next week will be the real telling point. The 'anniversary' is December 27th. It's not that I don't think of Dave, I most certainly do, every day really, but I've also learned that it's something that I can ask my Father for help in dealing with. It's most comforting to know that if anyone can help Dave through any situation it's my Father!

Interesting day

I woke up this morning with a feeling that I was going to need all the help that I could get from my Father. I wasn't sure why but there was just this feeling of dread. I walked into my first appointment and found my client pretty upset. This one has been a bit of a challenge. It's one that I bought from a bookkeeper moving on to working for one company. There's been a lot of little things that I'm finding out the hard way and wasn't mentioned in the few hours of training that I got. This one could have been a pretty serious one but luckily a rent increase on a large amount of rent wasn't every year but every 5 years, since they just did the lease this last year we were fine, but her client is fit to be tied since they apparently don't realize it's not every year. It just makes me sick to have to learn things the hard way but that tends to be what happens when there isn't much time for training! I will add on that there's a spreadsheet that mentions whether or not there's a CPI (Consumer Price Index) increase and the lady said everything I'd need was on that spreadsheet. Nope, I need to look at the file if it says no CPI increase for the tenants. My client made the comment that today went a lot smoother then she expected considering all that was going on. I really feel that my Father had a lot to do with how smooth it did go with her as upset as she was.

It did end on a good note at another clients. They're a partnership and they have a really good CPA that is one of those that will go to the clients place and sit down and help the, and even better he charges a reasonable rate. He gave them very good advice about partnerships and the downfalls. I loved what my client said. A partnership is like a marriage but without the love involved. It's actually very true.

I also did an analysis of my business this week and although it tends to be tight I actually did make up the income that I lost this last year. And I've only lost one this year and it was really due to personality conflict. He wanted high energy and I am not a high energy person! The only other loss was one that went in house so I officially have a pretty much full time solid base! I kind of feel like this last few years I've been on automatic with my work as I recovered emotionally from what happen with Dave.  The exciting part is I can feel my energy coming back for the business so I'm excited to see what this next year brings. Again, I really feel this has to do with my Father. Is there much extra? Nope! But is there enough to live on and pay taxes. Yep! Will it be tight? Yep! But there has been provision and there will be provision. It's about trust.

Freezing rain!

Freezing hit tonight. Hopefully the power stays on! Luckily the roads may be okay. But everything else is nicely iced up! My car included. :(  This is what happens when we have a east wind blowing out of the Columbia River Gorge for days on end and then rain moves in with the east wind still blowing. It interesting in this area. Five miles to the west it's in the mid 30's and just raining. Here it's 31-32* and ice. It's all depends on where the east wind is. Two to three miles to the east the roads are icing up because the temperature is 30* or lower.  I got a couple of pictures from a bit earlier. It'll be quite interesting to see what tomorrow morning brings!

Probably shows the best on this one.

Icicles starting to form. They're all along the carport roof but can't get a picture in the dark of that! :)

Those drops on the leaves are ice and a tiny icicle starting. :)