Riding The Spine - Missing My Son

Well, if you are reading my blog I would assume you know me but I guess you can surf through one person's blog and find another person's blog so maybe you don't know me. In any case, my middle son Jacob who is 25 years old left last July to fulfill a dream of riding from Alaska to the tip of South America along the Continental Divide, thus their website name, ridingthespine.com . He is currently traveling with three other friends that he went to school with at UCSC.

I was able to speak to Jacob on messenger today as he was busy working on an article to be published in some adventure magazine and he was ironically in Santa Cruz,Mexico (ironic because he went to school in Santa Cruz, CA and lived there for the past 6 years). Anyways, being able to talk with him made me realize how proud I am of him and how much I miss him because as of July 13, it will be one year since I gave him a kiss goodbye at the SF Airport .

Jacob is my adventurer, lover of life and my son. His trip has been filled with laughs, excitement, pain,being chased by a wolf, hunger, frostbite, thrills, fright, disappointment, meeting new friends, missing old friends, injuries, good times, legal problems, money problems and you name it he has experienced the whole gamut of experiences. I love this child of mine and am proud of his desire to do things that most only dream of doing and yet, I worry about him, miss him and love him so. My dream is just to hold him tight and let him know I love him. Till that day I can hold him again, I pray for God's protection and comfort and I pray that God continues to reveal himself to Jacob in his adventure of a lifetime!!

These are a few pictures Jacob took as they rode through Copper Canyon, I believe the picture is of Jacob (he looks different with a beard) , the 4 guys and then some scenery as they were riding. Vaya con dios mi hijo!

Noah The Turtle

The Thompson household isn't full of just dogs, we also have 3 outdoor cats and 3 indoor cats (Ragdolls) , a snake, and Noah, our California Desert Turtle. Noah was found 2 years ago in a empty lot in very poor condition. He'd obviously escaped from someone and hadn't had food or water in quite awhile. We have had turtles in the past so we brought him home and nursed him back to health. He has become an interesting part of our menagerie and the Poms just love him. Mick herds him around the yard and loves to guard him from the other dogs when Noah is eating. These pictures taken today show Noah eating some corn on the cob, Mickey protecting him and then Mickey stealing from him!!!!

Father's Day a Day Early

My first week of vacation was so enjoyable. I watched Aubrey in the mornings and got to watch Einstein DVD's and play on the floor with all kinds of toys. I got to watch her experience Zwiebach Toast, smile, play, sleep and throw food on the floor.I also got to catch up on some much needed rest this past week and got the house a little more organized.
Tonite we celebrated Father's day a day early because Brad has to leave for Arizona tomorrow and will be gone till Thursday. So, we all met at PF Chang's and enjoyed a delicious meal together. Of course, Aubrey was there and she has been such a welcome addition to our family. It is fun to have a baby around again that fusses , throws food, makes noise and gives the best smiles in the world. Brad and Justin are good Fathers and tomorrow I hope to let my own father know how much I love and appreciate him. Happy Father's Day

Follow-up

I just thought I should follow-up with my decision on my job dilema. Well, I signed the contract with KCSOS!!!! It was a very stressful week but I feel very good about my decision. It was very difficult to go into work on Friday and tell people I'd worked closely with for 17 years that I wouldn't be returning. I was emotional at times and it was difficult to clean out my belongings, wipe-out my computer and drive away from a job that has been very good to me. However, I am confident that I am going into this new job with assurance that this is where I am supposed to go. I'm excited about the change and looking forward to see where this job will take me in the field of school nursing.

While I was cleaning out my belongings the other nurses were already dividing up my schools and my supervisor was having my job posted. Now, I'm not saying they aren't going to miss me but, they didn't miss a beat, I am replaceable!!!! LOL

On a brighter note, my little grandaughter Aubrey turned 9 months old on the 8th of June and for the next 3 weeks I get to take care of her while her mom and dad are teaching summer school. I'm very excited about spending time with her and looking forward to some time off before starting my new job.

Job Dilemma

What a dilemma, I'm ready to make a decision about taking a job with the Kern Co. Supt. of Schools and it is very difficult decision. I work in a job now where I feel very comfortable with all of my schools and principals, have lots of very wonderful friends and students that I work with and it is really a pretty easy job. I am looking at taking on a very challenging, but, and this is a big but, the new job will be much more personally satisfying with many more opportunities to make an impact on the health and well being of children. I feel that it is a job that I will be respected as a school nurse and that my input and creativity will be valued.

OK, sounds good, the down side is I don't get credit for all my experience and my salary will start out basically the same as it is now but the ceiling cap on the new job is $20,000 more than my current job. I will be working more days and an hour longer each day. They have offered me as many extra days as I want to make up for the salary loss (who wants to work more?). They also assure me that in less than two years I'll be far higher than I would be if I stayed where I am. They are getting a probable 4% increase in July. That doesn't sound all that bad if expenses for a dog show, vet bill or a cruise come up! Another big plus is I make my own schedule!!! That is a big PLUS.

OK, so, keep me in your thoughts and prayers as I consider my options and make my decision. I know God has plans for me,to give me a future and a hope . Pray that I keep myself open to his guidance . KIM