Life is but a Scream!: Tax Season is Over OR is 20 years Enough Already?

So April 15th is a Holiday-- for everyone, right? Well it has been for the Fredericks since my family made the pilgramage from Utah to Oregon back in 1986. That was when my Father, the CPA, started up his own Tax Service Business. We had no idea we were in for two decades of "Tax Seasons" and the stress that goes along with it. And it was truly a Family Event.

In the begining Dad rented a little apartment on 1st and Washington in Hillsboro Oregon. He lovingly made us "Salut" his office whenever we would drive past it. We had a very white, diseal station wagon he bought at a car auction with his good buddy Ken(One reason I can not own a station wagon today) that he would park on the corner there in hopes somone would accidentally side swipe to total it. Luckily it did break down before I started driving and I didn't have to endure driving to High School. Sorry Mar and Amy, that couldn't have been fun. Anyway-- on those days he worked in his office we wouldn't see much of him during his busy time. We missed our Dad after him being off work for about a year before our move to Oregon. But he was happy and it was starting to be a succesful little business. Life must have been rough for my Mom during those time too, but we made do. After Dad felt he was established enough, and once Marella moved out leaving the downstairs office open, he was able to move his business home. This was a bit nicer since we could look in at him while he worked, or plop down beside him once we got home from school and say hi.

Since all of us worked so hard to keep our family in check with Dad gone so much, lets Celebrate that its finally over! Lets go to Izzy's! It was affordable! And for us young kids , ages 7-16, a buffet was always somthing everyone could agree on. Izzy's became a fast tradition and we have gone there ever since. Over the years its been fun to take up tables, and as the grandkids joined us the tables have grown. There was one year when Jacob was just a little guy, and he ate ice cream after ice cream. The final count being around 6-7 I think. Amy didn't mind, she was sending him to his Dad's that night, who by the way misses Tax Night since leaving our family! The entire family has enjoyed our tradition, while some of us have tried to change the local(My Mom and I being the ones who have voice the greatest desire), it just isn't the end of tax season without Izzy's.

Having a Dad as a CPA has its advantages. He works like crazy from Jan- April, but he is a lot more flexible the rest of year. We were able to take Frederick Family Skip Days in May or June, heading over to the beach hoping it was nice over there(Being Oregon we had some days when we would have had more luck staying in our back yard!). We had a few battles with the seagulls who just helped themselves to our food that wasn't in coolers. He was around to make quick trips with us in the afternoon. He started taking over the back to school shopping and bought way more than Mom because "it just looked so cute" on us! We definately developed a different relationship with our Dad because we spent so much time with him in the "off season". Time we are all grateful that we have.

This year we were missing: Jacob, Bethany, and Richard. :o) But the rest of the wild group was there.... and here is proof(Joseph didn't make it in a photo darn it-- he was moving too fast)!