Year: 2013

Queen of the Juggle > 2013

10th Anniversary

Posted on by Sherri
Reflective…yesterday was my 10th wedding anniversary.  I wanted to wait for the day to be over to be able to put my thoughts together.  10 years…it has flown by.  In fact I cannot believe it.  To think that back in the day (2000) Chip and I met online at Yahoo personals.  Back when it was free.  LOL. I had to sift through a lot of toads before he sent me a note.  I knew on our first date that …it was different, special.  He brought me carnations.  Now he knows better.    “Our” proposal was unconventional and I almost fainted when he put the ring on my finger.  Our wedding in Kauai, by ourselves, was perfect.   Over these 10 years we’ve both had experiences we never thought we would.  Many of you know about or have been a part of our joys, sorrows, failures, successes, trials and tribulations.  There have been many and we can’t ever give enough to those who have supported us.  We’ve managed to be solid and committed through all of it.  Now here we are.  As Chip posted, yesterday was busy like every other day and we really did not celebrate in any way or have a chance until late last night just talk about what these years have been for us.  Chip McVey you are the love of my life, truly my soulmate, the yin to my type A yang.  You make my heart full.  I feel so lucky that you picked me.  Happy Anniversary to my love.  I look forward to the next 10 years.
My husband’s comments:
10 years. No fancy dinner, no fancy vacation, though we did manage to acquire an RV trailer…  Reflecting on 10 years with my soul mate is sort of strange, because 10 almost seems too small, since we’ll be together forever, yet so much has happened in 10 years. It’s the usual night, putting the boys to bed, plus putting Kaitlyn Frihse on a plane & talking to Gillian Frihse about her plans in the…next few years. Us? Reliving the past 10 – trying so hard to have kids, trying so hard to deal with having so many kids (lol), moving, houses, landlording, buying Quiznos, failure, recovery, putting down roots in Sparks, and plans for the future. 10 is but a hop with the woman I love. Instead, we opened a bottle(s) of wine, and recalled what we’ve been through, including all the stories, especially those of the dads that we loved so much or wish the other could have met.  Hats off to Gary & Mac.  Thankful to friends & family along the way so far in our journey.  I love my family, and of course love my wonderful wife!

And yes…we acquire an RV

Posted on by Sherri
Soooo the official news is that we purchased a travel trailer.  The first “toy” for us.  We are so excited to be able to get up and go!  It was like other things in our life that I have just had a sense about.  I saw it online and knew it would be perfect if the online representation was accurate. It was “the one”. The people at Sprads RV were great to work with.  The experience wasn’t all about t…he sell.  Yes their was the element of sales.  I’m in sales and totally get it.  It was a lot more low key, lower pressure than I expected.  Ron walked us through the entire place and talked through what everything did, etc.  Talked to us about the process of taking in and selling of a pre-owned RV.  Very clean and ready to go.  Next post will be funny, I assure you.  Anyway, it is a great day at the McVeys.  Cannot wait to pull that 31′ thing around.  I’ll post some pics of it soon.  Bottom line is that we now can take our family to enjoy great places all over the Western US.  Who knows?  Maybe we’ll even venture farther

Carter Turns 3!

Posted on by Sherri

Happy, happy birthday to our sweet littlest man.  3 years…boy the time flies!  It’s all about Thomas the Train, just as last year.  Later we will celebrate with cake and presents.  Can’t wait to see his little face light up.  One of his favorite episodes on Netflix of Thomas is “Day of the Diesel”.  We told him this morning that it’s “Day of the Carter”.

What a fabulous day!  Carter had an awesome birthday. It’s so funny that his birthday dinner choice (we let them all choose their meal on their birthday) was “noodles and chicken nuggets”.  One would think it would be pizza or something.  Nope, not the Carterbug.  His is is own little man.  Sweet beyond sweet and sharper than a tack.  We did make him eat some fruit too so I felt a little better about it.  Pictures of the celebration to come.  Wish more family near and far could have joined us.  Our FL fam joined in via Skype.  Technology rocks!

Ben Has Puenmonia…

Posted on by Sherri
Our brave boy.  Sent over to St. Mary’s to get a chest X-Ray after a doctor’s office visit.
Ben is doing better this morning.  Doing breathing treatments every 4 hours and oxygen is much improved.  Dr. Colletti did rounds this morning, said he had a very high white blood cell count showing a bacterial pneumonia.   If Ben keeps on an upward swing and gets fever under control he can go home tomorrow.  More breathing treatments and IV antibiotics today.  He is far more alert today than yesterday.  Crossing fingers for a smooth day.

These monkeys of mine!

Posted on by Sherri

Dinner table discussion…no it’s not a joke.

Gary: How do you kill a chicken?

Me: You can cut their heads off. That’s what grandpa used to do.

Chip: See this funnel? You can put the chickens in here and then cut them off.

Gary and Carter: When I grow up I am going cut heads off of chickens.

Ryan: Yeah, we can cut the heads off.

Ben: I’m gonna cut the rest of the parts, wings, legs and all the rest.

Gary: Can you shoot chickens?

Me: You could but their heads are small and you don’t want to blow away the body.

It’s the Alaskan in me with memories of my dad killing turkeys. I hated those things. They sh*t everywhere! Marlas Prevo you know! Meanwhile I am trying to contain my laughter. These guys crack me up. As an afterthought they asked what part of the chicken we ate for dinner. I told them it was all “chicken chests”. Only at the McVey house.

Our “New” Sofa…

Posted on by Sherri
So our new sofa.  Long post.  I have been, off and on, searching for a sofa to replace our 13 year old totally trashed family room sofa that has seen it’s day.  I found a great deal for $100 brown leather sofa.  I picked that one up and then we still needed another to replace the 13 yr. old loveseat that went with the trashed sofa.  Today I just happened to see a Craigslist post for another leather sofa for $100.  I texted and called a woman about it and decided to head over and see/take it.  Well the experience was one that made quite the impression on me.  Some of you know we have a big Dodge diesel truck.  I have to pull myself in.
Not believing that a leather sofa was $100 that looked like this, I jumped in and headed on down to apartments behind the Peppermill here in Reno.  Some are nice and some are not.  This happened to be at the Sherwood Forest Apartments that was less than nice.  This neighborhood was not one that I felt like I would be uber safe in.  I didn’t feel scared to the point I wouldn’t go, but it caused hesitation.  Once I arrived I met the husband of the woman I spoke to.  I backed my big ass truck up to the STAIRS of their 2nd floor apartment.  I have pepper spray in my pocket and hands on my keys.  Being from AK I never really think about this, but my hubs puts the fear of god in me.  So I meet the wife who I had spoken to today.  I peek in the apartment and see the sofa.  It really spoke volumes to me.  Spoke to me about my past in AK and living without running water and taking showers at my elementary school and then doing a little better with an unfinished house and how my life has changed since that time.
I peeked into this apartment today that was very small and sparse.  A little family of 3 with a 2 yr. old boy.  I see that the sofa I am buying is the only adult furniture in the “room”.  No matter what the condition would have been I would have bought it.  This little family needed the money.  I wondered what the story was.  Me, the wife and the husband struggled to get this sofa that turned out to be a VERY heavy sofa bed (bonus for us).  We did it and scratched the sofa even more.  Meanwhile Chip McVey was at home wrangling 3 of the 4 monkeys since I decided I, and only I,  could go get this sofa.
I called him when I arrived and kept my phone on while all of this was happening.  About 1/2 hour later we managed to get it in the truck.  Another man came about and helped us maneuver around to get 2 pieces into the short bed truck.  The 2nd man had been scouring the parking lot for change to get something to eat.  The little family thanked me again and again for buying their sofa.  I left them nothing in their tiny living room.
I had no more change for the helper so I dug through my purse and gave the good guy who helped about 2 dollars in quarters.  He was so appreciative.  As I drove away and viewed more of the neighborhood I just felt so much emotion.  I wondered how the people I saw in the parking lot got to the apartment building.  What was the story of the family that sold me the sofa?  What are the stories of the other sights and sounds I experienced this afternoon?  For me it was a lesson in gratitude.
There are days when I struggle with busy and stress and more.  My FB friends have heard it.  I struggle with my weight and am off and on depressed about that.  I was thinking to myself today that I am grateful that me being fat is my biggest complaint.  There are many dynamics in my family and ugly habits and things that come with it.  I love my family but some things are not pretty.  Despite that, I am grateful.  Seriously grateful.  Taking this trip down to buy a sofa has turned out to be so much more.  Please know that this isn’t foreign to me.  When I get wrapped up in flights, business trips, preparing food and all of the other things in my life, I forget.  I forget that it could be different.
I always try to give back but wish I could do more whether it be financially or practically.  Then the thought is whether or no people want help and whether or not they had control or were out of control of their circumstances.  I told Chip that I couldn’t articulate exactly how I felt about the experience.  The best thing I can come up with is that it 1) took me back and 2) made me stop and think.  really think.  I wish the best for this family and still wonder how they were in the not-so-nice neighborhood with a small child.