Schedule Change

I have not posted in awhile because I have been BUSY!!! The kids have been in school almost 6 weeks and I have yet to touch my "big to do list" that has things like organize toys, clean closets, bleach tub, etc. I am barely getting the groceries bought, clothes cleaned, dinner on the table, homework done, ball games attended--the list goes on.

Today I have planned to have a home day. I was going to organize some of the huge stacks of paper in my kitchen, clean the house, and just refuse to go anywhere. But of course that won't happen. I got an email asking me to come to my kids' class to volunteer and then possibly finish out the day substituting. Which just ensures that I'll get absolutely nothing done here at home. The best thing is I'll get the spend the day with at least one of my kids. That will totally make the dirty house and the even larger stacks of paper worth it. And there will be another day to tackle all the home duties of life.

Blessed Memories

One of my oldest and dearest friend's grandmother passed away today. This sweet lady who passed away at the age of 92 is also my great aunt. You see, I have the honor of not only calling this dear family friends but also family. And right now my heart is hurting for what this family is going through. I know the days ahead when they would give anything for just a few minutes spent with their grandmother. I know the times when they will feel her up in heaven watching them. I know the joy they have from knowing that her joy is complete in heaven, praising Jesus and cheering on those left behind.

I remember the day my cousin and I found a pack of gum that was in a plastic, pink dip cup. My great aunt was appalled and promptly confiscated it. I remember getting to drive the old jalopy. I remember hiding in the market and being scared to death because it was really dark, I mean really dark. I remember playing dress up in her upstairs rooms that were full of treasures. I remember parties in the basement, and playing hide'n seek in the basement. I remember a home of love and a place where everyone was welcome, even this obnoxious little girl from Georgia, who really does not remember wrecking the jalopy.

I cannot wait to get to heaven and hug all my family I miss so much, some days more than others.

Our Dearly Beloved Pet Liz

My dear, sweet son caught a lizard today and named it "Liz." But, due to the fact that it was 100 degrees outside, it died in captivity. My son was beside himself, crying and sobbing. It was a pitiful sight until I came to the rescue. I offered to have my hubby bury the lizard, and I would say a prayer. That seemed to console my son until we got outside to bury it. It seems that while retrieving the dead Liz, my son dropped it and couldn't find it. We were all on our hands and knees outside looking for a dead lizard. And remember that it is still around 90 degrees outside. My husband thought some not so kind thoughts; I know because I could hear those silent thoughts. We finally decided to place a cross in the area where Liz was dropped and said a prayer for the little Liz. I can't wait until the kids go to bed tonight so my hubby can tell me all those thoughts he had, just in case I missed anything. :)

Can't Wait for Monday

Ever have a time in your life where you are so exhausted that it's hard to even think straight? I feel like that. There is just alot of stuff going on here, and it's mainly because school is starting Monday. I wish Monday was here already so we could just get on with it. Right now I should be balancing the checkbook or finish organizing my pantry cabinets (I know, I'm living the life) but I'm going to take a quick moment to write down some precious words of wisdom from my daughter.

Last night was open house and both kids have wonderful teachers. They are both sweet, kind, fun, excited, and organized. We're a family of engineers and live for organization. Nothing wrong with that, right? As we left the school, Miss A commented, "This is painful." I was puzzled and had to ask what exactly was painful. She said that it was painful that she had to wait until Monday to go to school. Classic. I can't wait until she doesn't want to get up one morning and I remind her of this quote, maybe when she's 16 years old. I snuck in to check on my kids after they were asleep last night and found Miss A had laid out her school clothes and shoes so she would be ready. I guess just in case it did turn out to be Monday today. :)

Sweet, Sweet, Sweet

I want to remember this forever. Yesterday, Miss A was invited to spend the night with a friend. I told Mr T that we would do something special with him because his sister would be gone, and he seemed ok with that. A few hours later, I called the kids to get in the car so we could take Miss A to her friend's house. Mr T came down first and said, "Mommy, I miss Miss A already." Be still my beating heart.

Before Mr T was born, I prayed and prayed that my kids would get along, but I had no idea they would become such great friends. I pray that they always will love each other. Thank you Jesus for doing more than I even asked.

Art is Everywhere

We just back from our final summer vacation...or at least the last one we plan to take. Who knows what the future holds? I am still trying to get my feet back under me before I post anything profound.



I am going to try to slow down and enjoy the simpler things, including all the beautiful nature God has created.

Fishing and Stuff Like That

Last night, we went up to my in-laws to go fishing and to just hang out. It was a really fun time to just relax. I'll post some pictures and let them speak for themselves.

Pulling My Foot out of my Mouth Yet Again

I just called my hubby to ask him what time he would home for supper.
He replied that he would be home around 5:45.
I then said that I was making chicken Parmesan.
He replied that was fine.
I then said, "Honey, when I tell you I'm making chicken Parmesan, you are supposed to tell me that I'm the best wife. That you love that meal and you love me. You are so lucky to have me. Now lets try it again. I'm making chicken Parmesan."
He replies, "Well, I need to get back to my meeting. See you later this evening."

Oops, hope I wasn't on speaker phone.

Where did the time go?

This post is to inform the owners of WalMart that I am appalled that they have decided in their infinite wisdom to begin selling school supplies. Do they not know that I am in denial that summer is half over? Do they not know that half of the summer is still left? Do they not know that seeing all those crayons for 25 cents just about pushed me over the edge? I am refusing to participate in their little scheme to make time fly by even more quickly than it already does. We still have camp meeting, another trip to Ohio, possibly a beach trip, swim lessons, and tons of play dates left. I will not be rushed.

Keep Riding

This is the story of a go-kart, the go-kart that my mom, my aunt and uncles rode for miles as kids. The go-kart that my cousin drop up the side of the barn when he couldn't remember which was forward and reverse. The go-kart I drove up a hill and into a tree and had to go get the local towing company (my dad) to get it down. The go-kart that has survived because it broke down and had to be put up for months at a time. The go-kart that you could ride through my grandma's back yard but NEVER the front yard. I am sure my grandparents had no idea that their great grand kids would one day ride this same go-kart.

Day 7: California Vacation

Day 7: Our last day in California was spent in San Diego. We waited for my dad to get off work at lunch and then we headed out for San Diego. We toured the USS Midway, which is a retired Navy aircraft carrier. It was so neat to see the boat that literally has a city on it. I could not live on a boat like that but it was neat to see how others have done it. We ate at a delicious seafood restaurant right there on the pier but I cannot remember the name of it. I don’t care for seafood, but I ate it there and it was delicious.
After eating, we drove around San Diego and then headed for the airport. I remember when I was a kid, seeing my parents get teary eyed when we would leave my grandparents, but I don’t think I really understood how they felt until my parents dropped us off at the airport. I really didn’t want them to leave and I can’t wait to see them again.
We got to the gate and found out our plane was delayed, and that they would have about a 30 minutes window to get the plane unloaded, reloaded, and in the air before the “noise restrictions” began. If we didn’t get out of there by 11:30 p.m., we would be sleeping on the floor in the airport. Oh joy. They did manage to get us airborne with 2 minutes to spare. By that time, my hubby and I were so keyed up that we could not sleep. I was so afraid that I would fall asleep and end up leaning on the guy beside me that I stayed awake the entire time. We got home around 7:30 in the morning and everyone took a 2 hour nap. I spent the rest of the day in a fog and could not wait for bedtime to come.
All in all, it was a great trip and I am so thankful that we got to go. Thanks Mom and Dad for making our vacation so wonderful. It would not have been half as much fun without you both there.

Memories

My grandma's sister passed away on Sunday, and I have been listening to all kinds of memories in my mind for the past few days. I don't think I have a childhood Thanksgiving or Christmas celebration that doesn't include going to my Aunt Bernice's house. She would have the house full of people by the time we arrived and she would be buzzing about making sure everyone had everything they needed. Her home is a beautiful 2 story house that movies should be made in. The beautiful banister that begged to be held, the stairs that went to a "secret" little attic, the huge living room with the most beautiful Christmas tree and cozy fireplace, the bathroom the size of a bedroom. She would tell me how the bricks for the house were fired there on the property down by the pond where she would host parties. My aunt B is the only person besides my parents to throw me a surprise birthday party. For my 21st birthday, my aunt gathered all the family she could together for a cookout down by the old pond. I felt so important. Once, my aunt had the most beautiful bouquet of dried flowers and I remarked about how pretty they were. I got that bouquet for Christmas later that year, and I still have it today.
My aunt had a knack for giving the most unusual Christmas gifts. I remember the stilts we got one year and how I loved to use them. She gave my parents a flag pole one year and all the cousins got gloves one time. My all time favorite gift is the pair of flip flops that are adhesive and just stick to the bottom of your feet. I brought those with me when I got married and my husband wanted to know what in the world they were. I simply replied, "They were a Christmas gift from Aunt B." Enough said. We still joke about my saving them for some special occasion when they are perfect to wear.
Sunday night, we were at church when my aunt passed away. Our pastor was talking about wanting to be the type of person that others know just by being around that they are a person of faith. That is my Aunt B. You knew by the time she took to care for people and all that she did there was something special about her; she had a faith that lasts for a lifetime.

Day 6: California Vacation

Day 6: We woke up early and headed out to Disneyland. It seems like we had all been waiting for this day to come, and it was finally here. We got parked, got our tickets and walked in just as the gates were opening. Perfect timing.

Once again, the weather was superb. It never got above 80 degrees, the sun was shining and there was a beautiful breeze. I would give anything for a little bit of that breeze now. In the evening, one of the ride operators even had her winter coat on; I suppose they aren't used to cool weather in sunny California.

We rode just about every ride there is to ride and enjoyed it all. We rode the Bobsleds, which was Mr T's favorite roller coaster. It's pretty mild and perfect for all of us. We rode Peter Pan and It's A Small World, which are the 2 rides I remember riding as a small child. We rode the teacups. My hubby rode with the kids. My mom and I rode together because we refused to spin, party poopers I know. We rode the Thunder Mountain Railroad and Mr T's response was, "That was awesome. I don't ever want to do it again." His response to the Splash Mountain was in his most cheerful voice, "That was fun. I didn't like it." We rode Dumbo, which was a ride we missed at Disney World and Mr T has been reminding me of that for the last 2 years. That was a MUST ride for us.

My favorite part was the fireworks at the end of the night. Disney is doing a new show for the summer and Tinkerbell flew through the air. There were fireworks to look like shooting stars and Dumbo flew through the air too. It was so magical.

I'm sure I'll think of more stuff to say about this day but that's most of it.

A Whole Lot of Nothing

It's so hot here. I haven't complained because I hate to be cold and have been looking forward to the heat, but this heat is a bit much. Just a few degrees cooler would be perfect.

My kids went to spend the night with their cousins last night and came home talking about the great time they had. My son came home in a different shirt but was wearing the same pants he was wearing yesterday. Note that they were long pants, not shorts. His reason, "The other shorts you sent didn't match." Remind me whose child you are. :) No one else in this house seems to mind if they don't match.

I am cooking stuffed bell peppers, fried squash, and cooked green beans for dinner. Don't you just love the fresh veggies from the garden? And especially the ones at the beginning of the garden when they are fresh and well-watered. I can't wait to eat.

My Arms Don't Want to Help

I have 2 more days of the vacation story, and I'll get to it eventually. But this week has been a week already and it's only Tuesday. I've been in a funk and can't seem to break out of it.

This morning, my hubby asked me to do something and without thinking, I replied, "I can't. My arms are broken." And we both laughed because we both KNOW I'll do it. I always try to do what I can to help people out; I just don't always do it with the right attitude. As soon as I said my cute, short retort, a story came to my mind of my son when he was 4 years old.

On Mr T's 4th birthday I took him for his 4 year check up. I figured it didn't matter if it was on his birthday because shots happen when they are 5 years old, and we wouldn't be celebrating his birthday until later that night. Boy was I wrong. The doctor did all her "examining" and then suggested that we go ahead and do the shots. I figured it was a good idea since I was sure he would bellow and scream more at age 5 than 4 years old. The shots were given, the screams were yelled, and we left with Mr T sobbing on my shoulder. We got home, and he immediately went to the sofa to watch tv while I got lunch. I figured I would treat him and let him eat in front of the tv since it was his birthday; aren't I great? I brought him his lunch and he said that I was going to have to feed him. I asked why and he replied that his arms didn't work. Then he said, "See?" Imagine my 4 year old sitting there with his arms at his side not moving, pretending in his mind to try to move them. "See?" he said. It was the most pitiful thing I had ever seen.

I am sure that my hubby thought I was just as pitiful this morning. And don't worry. Everyone I talked to on Mr T's birthday fussed at me for getting his shots on his birthday. I know it was a horrible thing to do.

Pink Toenails

I really do have to go back to Day 1 of our vacation and comment more on our plane ride. We were so blessed to have 6 seats between the four of us. My hubby and Mr T were in one row with an extra seat, and Miss A and I were behind them with an extra seat also. As soon as we took off Mr T moved back to join Miss A so that my hubby could fall asleep. I got to read and the kids watched movies and read. It was perfect, except for the 2 obnoxious girls behind us. The easiest way to describe them might by "potty mouth." I think that about says it all. It makes me angry again just thinking about it. I wanted to turn around and say something to them but I figured that would just make it worse so I just buckled up and refused to listen.

About 30 minutes into the flight, one of the girls behind us decides to put her foot on Mr T's foot rest. Her big mistake was that she had taken off her shoes. So there beside Mr T was this foot with bright pink toenails. My kids just giggled and giggled. Mr T began to pretend that he was tickling them, smiling devilishly the whole time. I tried to be the good mom and said no while inside begging him to disobey. In retrospect, I should have just told him to go ahead and tickle them. That would have gotten their attention.

Day 5: California Vacation

Day 5: We got up and ate a breakfast of fresh fruit and granola bar and then hit the door running. We went to see General Sherman, the biggest tree in the world. We headed out of the national park around lunchtime, planning to eat lunch after we got out of the park. We decided to follow the GPS----BIG MISTAKE!!! We ultimately found ourselves on a 40 mile stretch of curvy road with absolutely nothing to eat. Mr T ended up sick and the rest of us were starving. It was a blessed relief to see a McDonalds once we got back to civilization. I don't care to ever go on that road again. Ever. Have I made that clear?

We got back to my parents around 7; the kids went to bed, my dad was grilling out, and my mom and I ran to the grocery store. We got back and were so exhausted that we decided to put off Disney for a day and spend the next day just touring a national park that was close to my parents. It turned out to be a great choice. We saw one of the neatest thing I've ever seen.

Day 4: California Vacation

Day 4: We headed out to Sequoia National Park which is 5 hours away from my parents. It was a neat drive through the desert; there is absolutely nothing there but flat land, sand, and wind mills and solar panels that are used to generate power. Then all of a sudden we entered these huge fruit groves. We stopped at a roadside stand and picked up strawberries, blueberries, and some apples. We then began our trip up the mountain. Let me just say that I only thought I was prone to car sickness. Mr T, I now know is a car sickness child. He almost got sick on the way up and definitely got sick on the way down. I pray I never have to travel either of those roads ever again. Ever again. It was grueling.

We finally got to the park and saw the most amazing trees. They are huge, just like I knew they would be but I could never imagined just how huge they are. No words or photos could describe how majestic those trees really are. They don't even look real. I don't know how anyone can doubt there is a God when they something as spectular as those redwood trees. It was awe inspiring. We found ourselves walking amongst these trees and everyone was whispering, even my kids, and believe me when I say this is the ONLY time they whispered. It just felt like a holy place that deserved respect. We saw 4 deer and a black bear as we were hiking. We hiked up 400stairs to the top of a mountain and saw the most panamoramic view of the area.

We didn't want to drive back out of the park because of the fear that Mr T would be sick so we decided to get a room in the park. By this time, we were all tired and cold so we got into the room, got under the covers, turned the heat on, and ate our fruit. It was so cozy. Thank God for heat. I think everyone fell asleep right away, worn out from our hikes and the drive.

Day 3: California Vacation

Day 3: We headed to Hollywood to spend the day. We got there in time to eat lunch at Pink's, a really neat street diner that serves hot dogs and hamburgers of every kind of variety. The last time I had a hot dog was in 4th grade and I still remember how sick it made me so I chose the chili cheese burger. It was awesome. Everybody who got the hot dogs said they were great too. I'll take their word for it.

We then headed to the street where all the Hollywood stars have their stars on the sidewalk. We went to Grauman's to see where alot of stars have put their foot prints and hand prints into the sidewalk. It was neat to see how our feet matched up.




We headed down Rodeo Drive and then made our way to the beach to watch the people surfing. Once again the weather was beautiful, sunny, breezy, and cool. It was a neat day to see some of the sights that you hear everyone talking about when they visit Hollywood. We didn't go to any studios or anything like that because most required the kids to be at least 12 years old. Oh well. Maybe another time.

When we got back to my parents' we went swimming. There is a heated pool which was great because it was in the 70s and cloudy. The guys swam with the kids while my mom and I worked on dinner. Then they would all go sit in the hot tub to warm up before coming in. The swimming wore my kids out. The kids would eat dinner and then fall into bed. It was great. I never took my camera to the pool so I don't think I have any pictures.

Day 1 and 2 California Vacation

Day 1: We arrived in California around 10:00 at night and my parents met us there. It was so good to see them and to be finally there. We drove a couple of hours to their place and immediately went to sleep.

Day 2: We woke up and headed out to see where Papa works and see his really cool big airplane he's fixing.




We got to drive on Route 66, the road that Cars is all about. We got to see tons of airplanes, trains and lots of people countryside. We went through one town that is a really a ski town that I could just imagine spending a week in during the winter. The weather was really cold so it wasn't hard to imagine some good snow.



We found an ostrich farm and the Roy Rogers' farm. Lets just say the smell of the ostrich farm leaves me thankful I live closer to the city.



All in all, it was a great day to just get settled in and spend the day with my parents.