It is the eve before a new year, and I thought it might be nice to sit back and remember what 2011 brought the Hartman home.
In January:
Herman was still job-less - and money was tight. Nikki was working, but bad news came down the pike - we started to stress about losing our one source of income.Nikki started tutoring students for extra cash and continued her masters level classes at PSU. Mukluk was adorable.
In February:
Herman was still job-less, the hunt was discouraging, more bad news was filtering down about budget cuts; life was stressful. Nikki started her online courses to get her high school endorsement taken care of so as to better prepare herself in case she did get cut and loose her job. We had a snow day that was pretty epic as far as Mukluk was concerned.
In March:
Praise the Lord, Herman finally found a job. He was accepted for a one day landscaping job off of Craigslist which turned into a long term gig! Nikki's contract at school was renewed, but it wasn't much consolation because it was "pending funding" which really made it all worthless. Nikki traveled to Alaska on her Spring Break and went to every middle and high school in Anchorage and Kodiak trying to find a job, should she get cut. Mukluk missed his Mama that whole week she was gone, then punished her when she returned by ignoring her. Silly pup!
In April:
Herman turned 34!!! He continued to work for the landscaper and they got along great. Despite a lot of budget related tension at work, Nikki continued to have fun with her kiddos and even chaperoned her first Prom! She passed her "Student Teaching" farce of a class with an A (thank goodness!) and had only 2 more classes to take. Mukluk was happy that he was able to start playing outside again because there was sun.
In May:
Herman continued working for the landscaper and that relationship flourished. He was given time off in the 2nd half of the month to go up to Kodiak to work on some work for the corporation on which he is a board member. All hell broke loose in Nikki's line of work as a devastating budget message was given. It was a bitter time, filled with feelings of betrayal and loss by many. Full ramifications were not yet known, and so even though Nikki was not officially cut, there was still the possibility, and so tensions were high. Nikki went to Seattle to attend her BFF's baby shower, and ended up being there as little Alexa was born! She felt so blessed. Despite all the upheaval, Mukluk cheered up the family with his perpetual cuteness, and we soldiered on.
In June:
Herman returned from Kodiak just in time for school to let out for Nikki. He was only here a short while though because he had to return to do salmon fishing in Bristol Bay. Nikki finished her 3rd online class for her high school endorsement with yet another A! Nikki enjoyed a couple weeks off before she started her summer nanny job. Nikki and Mukluk watched as their garden bed finally started to grow basil, tomatoes, cucumbers, and even the nubbins of some bell peppers. Mukluk enjoyed having a live-in playmate in the form of Sophie. Her owner had moved in with us for the summer while getting on his feet after a move from Florida.
In July:
Herman was in Bristol Bay fishing, and it was hard for Nikki to not hear from him as much as she had in previous years. Lou (Sophie's owner) put his culinary skills into practice and cooked Nikki lots and lots of delicious food to comfort her while Herman was away. Nikki also experimented with eating Indian food which was served at lunch each day where she nannied. It was difficult for Nikki to balance the study demands of the mama with having fun, but she managed. Herman finally came home and for our 4th wedding anniversary he got me a Cricut for my crafting. Nikki's interested in the website Pinterest became a full fledged addiction.
In August:
Herman was back to work for the landscaper, and we used his fishing money to pay down one of our credit cards. Progress made towards a debt free life! Nikki was still nannying, and the garden was thriving. Nikki experienced her first ever jury duty which lasted 2 days, and had a blast. Nikki, Herman, and Mukluk took a road trip down the Oregon Coast and had lots of fun playing in the sand and visiting new beaches. The garden was producing, and we hosted our annual fish barbeque which became a Kodiak reunion. Cue lots of shenanigans between the boys! Nannying ended and Nikki made her way back to her classroom, which, with the help of students, she painted a lovely lavendar color.
In September:
As a last hurrah before school began, Nikki and Herman used their new passports to gain entry to Canada for a short trip. Sadly, Mukluk had to stay home, but was kept busy by Brett and Brittany's dogs. School started up for Nikki - it was back to the kiddos for her. We kept the back to school blues away by taking a weekend trip with Mukluk to the mouth of the Hood River to cool off - temperatures were high! Herman continued working landscaping, and we kept our fingers crossed for a long fall season.
In October:
Nikki's newest obsession was make ahead freezer meals, and she did two batches of chicken meals with good friends. She had a blast with this and looks forward to doing it again soon. Herman's landscaping job continued, although we started to worry about him losing his work as fall approached. We received news that the budget cuts were not yet over for our district, and tensions mounted yet again. Nikki made it 280 days on the her photo a day blog, but life got busy, and so the blog was not brought to completion as was her goal. Mukluk met our neighbor's new dog Pippin and had lots of play dates with the pup to keep him happy.
In November:
Herman continued working for the landscaper and they had become fairly good friends. Nikki used her Pinterest obsession to start planning not only holiday meals and decor, but also Christmas presents. We had Thanksgiving at Nikki's brother's newly remodeled house, with Tim. Mom unfortunately did not make it down as planned. Herman, Nikki, and Mukluk cheered the Ducks on to a Civil War victory! Mukluk continued to have weekly play dates with Pippin and grew more fond of that little pipsqueak.
In December:
Nikki turned 27 and was spoiled by her friends, family, and students. She worked on making homemade gifts again this year for Christmas presents, and all but the candy flavored vodka turned out spectacularly well. Herman finally ran out of work to do with the landscaper, but we were happy that it had lasted so long. We had Herman's best friends, his family, and my brother over for Christmas which was wonderful. We ended the year with awful colds, a night filled with snuggles on the couch and fondue.
We are thankful for the many blessings that 2011 brought our way and are excited for all that is to come... perhaps we'll add to a member to the Hartman Home this next year? Guess we'll just have to wait and see!
Working from Home: Tools of the Trade
11 years ago
