Well bugger, it looks like I have to write another long update.

Spring 2015  (Yes I’m so behind I have to update by seasons.)

In March 2015 Ricky & Megan gave birth (well mostly Megan) to their first child Maelen.

As you can tell by the picture Aunt Jess did not immediately take to her niece.  Maelen is a very happy baby and has an infectious giggle that can’t help but make your day better.  As for Uncle Jake, well she can’t really do anything wrong in his eyes either.

That takes us to the rest of spring.  If you remember from my post in January 2015 I had an employee leave and was doing two jobs, which continued through most of the spring.  By that time I had my new employee in place and trained.  Then I moved straight into training my replacement in Nebraska.  That’s right, the Stapleton’s had made arrangements to head back east. The company was gracious enough to allow me six months to train my replacement, but lets be serious he’s a great guy but there is only one me.

 

Summer 2015

In the midst of training my replacement, the company offered me another job in addition to my new job I had not yet started.  I was asked to get Relationship Management off the ground in our Print & Mail division and also retain a reduced set of staff in the area of the company I had worked in for 11 years.  So after some deliberation I said why the hell not?  New professional challenges have generally worked well for me and I was looking forward to recruiting and training a set of minions.

In June, my company converted our first core bank in California, and as a result I spent a good bit of the Summer in San Diego.  During this time, I also maintained a lot of travel while handing over my accounts to my replacement.  In September I flew over to Charolette to meet Jess for vacation and Maelen for the first time!  We spent Labor Day weekend with Ricky & Megan and had a great time!  Then Jess & I spent labor day week at Myrtle Beach.  This year I was really tired, so I took two weeks off for vacation. This allowed Jess & I to also do some visiting in WV as we headed back to Nebraska.

Fall 2015 

In October I started my new duties in earnest and started spending a bunch of time in Oklahoma City.  We also began arranging our move to Valparaiso (Valpo).  I had decided that if we couldn’t make it to Valpo by Christmas then we weren’t going to go until spring.  Fortunately everything worked out as we were able to move in December.

Winter 2015 / 2016

A key factor in begin able to pull of the move so quickly was throwing Jess out.  Petey had a very large tumor (it was not cancerous) removed in November and, once his post op follow ups were complete in December I packed everyone up and sent them to WV.  This allowed Jess to spend some more time with family and also head down south for an extended Christmas visit as well.  I flew over the weekend before Christmas to celebrate birthdays and Christmas.  On Christmas Eve Eve mom had a cardiac event and now being only 6 hours from family really paid off.  I was able to get home very quickly.  But don’t worry she was treated and home bossing us all around on Christmas morning.

I spent most of the winter in Oklahoma.  In late January, Petey starting having some medical issues that prompted several tests.  Ultimately, it was decided an exploratory surgery would be the best course of action.  During that surgery we had to make the decision to let Petey go.   It was gut wrenching and awful, but in the end if we had moved forward it would have been for us not him.  Petey was so very dearly loved and is truly missed, but in the end you have to love them enough to let them go.

Spring 2016 (I’m stopping here since it just became Summer)

Jess, Phoebe, & I continued to adjust to not having the boy around.  It sucks, not going to sugar coat it, it just sucks.  Knowing you made the right decision helps, but not enough.  Petey was rarely out of Jess’s sight, so it has been especially difficult for her.

In May mom got a street named after her!  I also had some work todo in WV, so we got to spend about a week in WV in May.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That brings us to June 2016.

Jessica is still about the same, and although it’s factual, it does not properly relay the misery she is in most days.  We are seeking some new treatment ideas right now, but nothing is a magic solution to the problem.  Anything new we’re trying will take weeks to see if there is any change.  I hate to see her in pain and all I can do is try to make her comfortable.

As for me I’m very busy with work.  So far this year I’ve spent 77 nights on the road and taken 34 flights.  Things might slow down soon, but I’m not holding my breath.

Although there was a lot of sadness in this update, there was also a lot of joy.  Maelen is a happy, healthy addition to the family.  Mom’s health is good, Mom was recognized for her tireless behind the scenes work, and we get to see family more since moving closer.

All in all we have a pretty blessed life