Two Pink Lines

What a kooky month. The Grandma and Grandpa saga continued, culminating last week in a Bonnie-n-Clyde run from the law (they hid from the family and drove up to Butte to avoid being served guardianship papers; they spent nearly $2k there on a lawyer who reversed the guardianship the next day). They held an estate auction and sold everything in their house and are staying with a friend until the official guardianship/conservatorship hearing in September, after which they plan to go live in Hemet California. But considering the recent antics, I doubt they will be able to legally retain their autonomy (which mean they’ll be in assisted living in Billings).

We were so concerned with that family drama and my being released form Young Women, the days of August just flew by. Before I knew it, I was 3 days “late.” So yesterday, Rich suggested I take a pregnancy test before our Melin family dinner. So we came home from church—I “took the test” and then all 3 of us changed clothes and went back to look at the stick, which was hidden under a tissue. Addie got up on her footstool at the bathroom counter and we looked on as she pulled off the tissue and yelled, “Surprise!” (as if she knew what was coming). The two pink lines told us that our Wee Melin #2 was on the way—ETA=April 28, 2004. We began jumping and telling Addie, “Your baby’s on the way!” I hugged Rich and Addie waved the stick around going, “My Baby, my baby!” Then we sanitized the stick, wrapped it up and put it in a gift bag.

Addie carried the gift bag in to the family dinner with a gift tag saying something like, “Dear Gramma: I know you’ve had a hard week, so we got you something to cheer you up.” Grandma Melin whooped and hollered and so did our other family members, and we sat happily down to dinner. After we ate, I called my family and learned that my sister, Jill, had just found out (same day!) that she is pregnant and due May 2nd! How cool is that!?! For anyone keeping track of me and my fertile sisters, that’s Audrey in February, Amie and Erin in March, me in April, and Jill in May.

I’m glad there’s a reason I have been so tired. It will be a challenge keeping up with Addie while my energy is so sapped, but hey—only 7 weeks until the second trimester and a little boost of energy, right? We can hope.

This week seems to have creeped along--it seems months since I wrote a post here. After the Grampa drama I wrote about below, some dear Melin family friends (the Hites) arrived form Colorado and we all took a much-needed hike to Pine Creek Falls and shared a delicious dinner. I spent August 1st with Mom Hite--we took a digital cd to get photos printed at Costco and had a yummy lunch at Livingston's Depot cafe. Saturday was a very hot day. I spent it at a Young Women's Fundraiser car wash while Rich and his Dad went to help out some friends. These friends live far away and have a rental trailer here which was trashed and abandoned a few months ago. Rich, Dad, and a few otheres literally shoveled out old food, dishes, papers, toys, etc. scattered knee deep througout the trailer house--11 dumpsters worth! YUCK! At least my job mostly consisted of soap, water, and funny girls!

On Sunday, we finally received the rainfall we've been needing. It just let loose after church and it was so nice to take a nap to the sound of rain. I also confronted some of the issues that were bugging me back in my May 21 entry. They mostly had to do with my assignment to work with the YW at church. Mostly I guess my ideas about being an LDS teenager don't gel with the leadership or even the general culture here. After trying to adjust for 5 months, I think I might just not be the best person for the job, at least right now. So I just had to let the Bishop and some other people involved know that. It was kind of hard because I have been raised to do my best, 100%, no complaining, etc. until I am released. But I had to say something because it has really been eating me up inside and affecting my family life. I just don't feel like we are focused on our Young Women and what's best for them, so the conflict has not been good (and it's not with the girls--they're great--it's just the leadership and the culture, really).

Anywhooo--that was a weight off in some ways. Now I am just rying to get all the other facets of my life and my health back up to par. I'm trying to be more clean and organized and HAPPY. I am trying to get in better shape and have another baby at some point. I am trying to stop being so sleepy and grumpy and be a better wife and mom--to make the most important relationships in my life the best they can be.

No small task. Speaking of, it's time to get ready for our Friday night date, so more later.

OH, THE DRAMA

I should have posted this last week when it happened. Here is some text from an email to my brother, written on July 31st.

You would not believe our day! Rich's cousin and her family are here (they have a daughter exactly one month older than Addie--so cute--and a son Ally's age). They are moving from SLC to Boston and wanted to come and see Grandpa (Rich's mom's dad) one last time in case he dies while they are in Boston. We had a family BBQ last night and she brought Grampa over and we had fun, photos, etc.

The back story is this: Grampa's wife, Adeline, died about 15 years ago and he remarried an ol' lady named A.L. , but we'll just call her "Marsha-at-80." A.L. has alienated all her own kids and recently started in on Grampa's family. Her whole purpose for living is to get to Grampa's money and assets and spend them before anyone can catch her (they are still married, adn they spend 6 months her and 6 months in Hemet). Trouble is that (a) most of grampa's stuff is in a trust, meaning all 3 of his kids plus himself have to sign for any spending of money, reallocation of funds, transfer of property, etc. and (b) grampa is way-senile. Grampa's kids are just trying to save as much of his money as possible for his long-term care and funeral because they know A.L. would spend or hide it all and leave him if he got in one of those situations.

SO--Rich's cousin also wanted to pick up her dad's boat (she has the title, etc.) that Grampa gave him a while back. She told A.L. when she picked up Gramp last night that she'd be back in the morning to pick up the boat and say good bye. Well, turns out, while Grampa was over here for the BBQ (AL won't come--she hates us), AL called the police and told them someone would be trying to steal the boat at 9am the next morning. The police are so used to her kookiness that they told her they'd send someone over, but who ever has the title gets the boat.

SO--Rich and his cousin went over this morning with a sheriff guy and Gramp and Annalee were gone. They couldn't break and enter, so we had to hunt them down (they were at the Senior Center where I occasionally do meals on wheels) and the police had to make an appointment with AL to escort Rich, cousin, Dad, and some trucks out there to try to get not just the boat, but all the stuff that Gramma Adeline and Grampa promised to the family. What was supposed to be a little half hour errand at 9am has taken until 2 or 3 pm and involved the whole family and the police. CRAZY OL' BAG!

Luckily, we talked to one her daughters today and her kids are so sick of her antics, they just filed for legal guardianship over her because she's driving everyone nuts. They will probably find her a nice assisted living apartment and get her some psychiatric medication. We'll probably do the same for Grampa because he said last night if he knew how to get away from her he would. Poor Papa--he hardly remembers his own name.

Anyway...just when I thought my family was way too dramatic! It's time we started having kookiness on the Melin side!

[I'm still having the same concerns with my church job... ]What more can I do?!? This quote from Raising Arizona sounds good: "Did y'all bust out [of prison]?" "Uhhh--we've released ourselves on our own recognizance--we no longer felt the institution had anything to offer us."--that might just be me soon. :)

SO. I made about 2/3 of Melanie's Chirstmas gift today, and about 1/2 of Liam's. I am having so much fun, despite being surrounded by psychiatric-patients-on-the-lam.

Well, thanks for letting me ramble. I do miss you so.

Love ya!--Maj