10.25.2008 Pumpkin Patch & Corn Maze

Hallelujah! Ah, there are photos! Not because i got a camera (don't get too excited) but really bcuz DeRell's family is in town and his sister Cathy has hers! I couldn't wait to upload those photos! So the latest around here is...quite a bit!! Most of the house "stuff" got completed for their arrival - thank you ALL who helped out. We have a beautiful main bathroom (the only bad part is 1 of the 3 mirrors were broken in the new medicine cabinet) =(. Friday afternoon and evening we had nice family time, yummy dinner & desssert, etc. Today, Saturday, some of us (DeRell & I) slept in (exhausted from 3 late nights in a row!) and this afternoon headed out to find a pumpkin patch. We ended up at Qwivals (which didn't have a pumpkin patch to speak of but enough for some photo op's!!! ENJOY

 

Missie, DeRell and Bubba pose in the corn maze. Danielle was off running around the maze with Grandpa!

 

Uncle Randy, Cathy (DeRell's sister), Sadie and Danielle

 

The Sikora's pose for a pumkin pic (Cathy, Randy & Sadie)

 

The Coates Clan....Grandpa (DeRell Sr.), Cathy and DeRell

10.23.2008 So much to do, so little time...

Well last nite (Wednesday) went pretty well. Mainly bcuz i was able to leave the shop around 12:30 and hurry home. I got the paint and began painting the bathroom. Then busy Weds came in full force, Gymnastics, eat dinner, take kids to Awana. I came home and got the rest of main bath painted during Awana like i had hoped!

DeRell, Erick & Grandpa got the tub back in the Master (but we have a drip!) so overall a great day. We hadn't been able to get that part to fix the leak, and yesterday DeRell scored it at a Spa Mfg.place in Stevi. Woo-Hoo! Cleaned it all out, tested it, and besides the annoying drip it should be fine. Kids (and DeRell) are excited about being able to use the "big bathtub" again...like tonite!

Kids stayed up WAY too late again (like 10:30! i'm a bad mom i know!) and DeRell and I were up until about 1:30am or was it 2am?! Can't recall-i was on auto pilot. I (by this i mean "we") finished the paint in the Master Bath. It's great to have that DONE. DeRell was a wonderful help both last night & Tues night with the hard to paint spots (i am only 5 foot!!!) so that book must be rubbing off on him!

I couldn't get to bed - i kept thinking about all the things left to do, so sat and wrote out a list of what needed to be done in each room by Friday am. The list took up a whole sheet of paper, multiple columns. Too many "partially finished" items to mention, plus i have to clean. Oh, and Greys Anatomy is on tonite. Thank you DVR - but i am sure i'll be up till 2am again (watching it after i am all done with the other stuff =) hehehehe)

Anyhow another great evening of progress. Looking forward to "completion" of some items and a few checks in the mail hopefully from clients so we can buy groceries for company. Not too big of a request. Have a great day everyone! I'm gonna steal DeRell's camera and try to take some photos, this no camera thing has me batty!

10.21.2008 Tuesday Updates

Well yesterday (Tuesday) went pretty well. The kids behaved/pitched in and we are all doing good at keeping the house picked up & everyone seems to be cleaning up after themselves! Baby steps but it seems like LEAPS! Yay!

We had family dinner last night, and prayed about the events that happened at Danielle's school (it was broken into and all the jogathon money as well as the church offerings from the weekend were stolen). It's hard on children who work so hard to raise money to have it stolen. We talked alot about it and asked that God change the hearts of the very bad people who did this.

DeRell and I managed to get the bathroom Primer up last night for the main bath after the kids went to bed. SO it was a late night, and we slept in late in the morning bcuz of it! Wednesday's chore is to buy the paint for the ceiling/trim as well as the new paint color. I am hoping to have it all painted while the kids are at Awana's tonite.

No bible study for me bcuz of the viewing for Nelda. As many know she passed extremely fast from her Cancer that she just found out about at the begininning of this month. My view is that she was such a loving and humble servant that God spared her the agony and brought her home quickly. She was loved by so many in the entire community-i don't think there is even one church that didn't know who she was and had her in their prayers! She served out her days as a missionary for the Lord - teaching so many and sharing God's love at so many churches and events. She will be truly missed on Earth, but is now in the place we all long to be. I have such a different mindset than so many others i know who dwell in sadness when someone dies. I can't help but smile at the blessing of the believers who pass on... the ones that are singing with the angels and in the presence of our Creator. When we know this as Truth, how can we be sad?? Someday it will be me, or a family member and I just want everyone to have peace. Peace that we are finally HOME when we leave this Earth. Don't cry. SMILE.

10.20.2008 Monday YEAH!

Well it was a good Monday. I am feeling a bit better, the kids well for the most part also.

Danielle won 2 prizes for the Jog-a-Thon event. A prize for having 6 donors and another for collecting over $100 dollars!

Our trust Drywall guy showed up as promised and hand textured the Main bathroom. It looks awesome. It needs to be primed then painted and we should be good for setting the stuff in place to make it functional after a couple of busy nights work.

Our former dear employee (Seana) who left for vacation in California last month came back MARRIED! We are so excited for her, her new husband Josh and their blended family which includes 3 children (Isiah, Israel and Miah). They came to visit and are excited to get back to California and start their new life. We wish them the best and know they are truly blessed!

Financially i wish we could do something for them, but i can't even buy groceries right now. I hope in the next couple of days some checks come in, or my guests will be eating potatoes and whatever comes out of a box in my pantry! The Lord will provide, i know. It's just a scary time...and with the economy - makes me think I should pull my daughter out of private school but the other side of me knows she/we all need that loving, nurturing, Christian environment. And i am sure we will be blessed for making the sacrifice. It's been over a year since things were this bad financially, it's hard to go back to this place - especially at this time of the year. Well, this was a Happy post, so i am going to end it on a Happy Note!

Lastly, i finished the book that was recommended by all the Christian Marriage counselors - The 5 Love Languages. What an AWESOME book! (i'm reading the 5 love languages of Children also and have all the kiddo's figured out...but that's for another post!) Anyway, we had Seana & Josh take the "test" in the back of the book and read "if your spouse's love language is"....so it could help them in the many years ahead. And my goal was reached bcuz i in turn was able to have DeRell take the test (with me prodding "since they did it...it will be fun honey, really!") And i had already last week ranked the 5 I thought DeRell would say in the order i thought. I got his #1 right!!! Yay!!! but the rest were off, which is good for me to know. I also made him read the part about my Love Language ("Acts of Service") so he would know what to do to make ME feel loved. It was an eye opening experience especially because at the beginning i ranked what i thought my 5 were, and by the end of the book and the test i was wrong about myself! LOL Anyway, i am hoping applying some of the knowledge from the book will help us out and reconnect us in the love that we had during the Honeymoon/"In Love" period! So stay tuned!

10.19.2008 Great Saturday, but Home Improvement HELL???

HOW ABOUT SOME GOOD NEWS?
Saturday was AWESOME! My friend April staged an intervention to keep me sane. Her mother (Norma), our friend Judy and April all sacrificed their Saturday to help me clean so I could be ready for company. They were here 8 HOURS. 4 of us, and it took 8 hours....that was downstairs & about 50% of upstairs. It was a "deep cleaning" downstairs-it needed it! We also had to move furniture, etc. All this time D and E were in Missoula. End result of that trip was insulation and drywall for downstairs ceiling (gaping hole has only been there 2 years, why fix now???) new mirrored medicine cabinet for main bath, oh and yippe new carpet for the living room where as i mentioned dog was digging to China. This is all somehow "magically" going to be completed by Thursday evening....lets recap for those who know how the "KING OF 75%" works....am I trying to be positive but come on....
-Texture Main Bath (supposedly happening on Monday)
-Wait 24 hrs then Prime & Paint Main Bath (Tues, Weds???)
-Seal Grout on Floor Main Bath
-Paint and put up Baseboard Moulding in Main Bath
-Install Toilet, Vanity, Sink Top & Faucet, Medicine Cabinet in Main Bath
-Hang back up all Fixtures (towel holders, toilet paper, light, etc.)
-Let's not forget the CAULKING (since that is the root cause of this remodel)
-Hang Drywall on Basement Ceiling
-Tape & Texture Basement Ceiling
-Master Bath sand and texture new drywall patch so painting can be completed
-Finish painting Master Bath (yay its now terra cotta color instead of green)
-Put up 2 fixtures in Master Bath
-Lay Carpet in Living Room
-Steam clean upstairs carpets
-Steam Clean Carpets downstairs
Then all the general cleaning of the bathrooms, Kitchen floor, Laundry etc. All by Thursday? Anyone wanna lay bets on this one? Oy.

I am truly blessed by my wonderful friends. Had they not come and helped i am afraid i would fall into negative nasty blogger heck. They are the bright spot in my life right now and threw me that life preserver when i was going under. Now i have to put on my Christmas wish list one of those cool floor steamer thingies Judy brought over, it is amazing!!! I'll keep everyone posted on our progress. =)

10.18.2008 Health Updates & More fun stuff

Ok, so Friday went well....NOT! First off, i was running around like a chicken w/ my head cut off trying to get all done and take off for the Jog-A-Thon, long story short-stopped back at ofc to use restroom, walked out and locked my keys inside the ofc. No car key, no key to get back in, no neighboring building tenants have spare keys, UGH! So i walked to Danielle's school (no purse or sunglasses-waaa!) luckily it's only 6 blocks. We then walked to Jog-a-thon (4 more blocks) and she did Super! 6 laps, which is like 2 miles. Problem was 10 block walk after (she whined the whole time..i thought that was my job?!) Anyway, dropped her at the Hour Playhouse for a playdate with Reigan (pre-planned) and off to work. Oh, thats right, I am locked out! Well i made the best of it, and walked yet again 4 blocks to the walk-in clinic. Diagnosis, Sinus Infection & Dbl. Ear infection. You can feel sorry for me now-doc was wondering how i was still standing. I told him cuz I'm a mom so i have no choice. Reality is i just wanted to go home and go to bed but i couldn't locked out so no car! Thankfully, by the time i walked back DeRell & Erick had come back from their job and unlocked it. Went to bed early that night, on all my new meds. Lemme check off the list:
-5 day Antibiotic (then i stop for 5 days, then do the 5 day all over again)
-Cough syrup with Codeine (yay baby! Sleep here i come)
-Netti Pot also known as SinuCleanse which i begged Dr. not to make me do as it grosses me out (too bad, do it he says!)
-Yogurt daily to replace good stuff the antibiotics are killing
-Acetomenophine every 4 hrs for ear/sinus pressure
-Zyrtec decongestant to take 1x daily
WHEW!
Oh, Main Bath has had -0- progression in 2 days. Due to genius Mudd idea. Our Drywall guy is gonna hand texture it (Monday) then prime/paint it (Tues.) so this means Weds before we can put in moulding, vanity, fixtures etc. UGHHHHHH.

I think it's gonna be a great day

I am going crazy! 10.17.2008

Ok, so not only do i STILL have this cold (round 2) but can i possibly begin to describe the torture of NOT having a working camera. UGGHHHH. Makes me wanna pull out the trusty credit card and just go buy one. But wait, that would be stupid..who has money to make the pmt on the credit card when it's due? Not me. Not to mention the one i want is at Costco and they don't take credit cards! Ughhh. Updates around here...
1. Greys Anatomy is AWESOME. I'm hooked, addicted, whatever! I added a widget to my blog did you see? Scroll down on the right side bar. Ooooh I am high tech now. **Side note pretty much unsuitable subject matter on the snippet from last night about the female anatomy-definately not PG** Lets hope for a better episode snippet next week**
2. Bathroom is going backwards. I have holes (literally!) cut out of the sheetrock where there were once beautiful fixtures. Some genius decided to re-mudd/texture the entire bathroom then repaint (as if the previous 4 coats of many colors weren't enuf) it. That adds 3-4 days to the chore. Friday people, relatives arriving on airplanes from afar on FRIDAY! Which leads me to #3.....
3. Still no toilet in main bathroom. 4 people sharing 1 bathroom is just plain GROSS especially when u have no spare time to clean it let alone dont FEEL like it from being sick.
4. House is messier and more chaotic then ever. (shocker)
5. Dog tore literal hole in carpet last night trying to eat something that must have been spilled on the floor by one of my lovely children. Seriously people, big hole-size of silver dollar missing all carpet fibers.
6. Cat tried to kill fish on Monday that i happen to be pet sitting for a friend. Thank God it actually came back to life. Fish now sits on office desk away from children, pets, and mortal danger.
7. Camera is still broken - i have missed many a "kodak moment" and just want to scream.
8. I am still sick. Wont go away, likely have sinus infection & ear infection. No time for pesky Dr. 's or clinics.
9. Must think of something good and positive instead of whining for #10.
10. Bubba is amazing and is loving putting together like 60-100 piece puzzles!
11. Danielle raised $135. for the Jogathon at her school today! Thanks to all her family who supported her.
Ok, so list ends there cuz i have to share the hilarious fund raising story. So Danielle is being shy & takes us 3 days to get the courage to get on the phone to ask anyone for money. I (mom) bribe her with "I will give you $5 for each person you call and ask". Apparantly money talks with this girl. She hits up all my sisters. So there's the comedy. I call Auntie Lynnette on her cell phone & Danielle gets on with her speel and Auntie who just balanced her checkbook and must have had a surplus this month decided to pledge $40. (holy crud she hit the motherlode!) Well Auntie Kelly happens to be in the car, so she hands the phone to her...and Kelly (bless her heart) not wanting to be shown up by Lynnette decides to MATCH the $40 pledge!!! Danielle is literally skipping around the kitchen (practically rubbing her hands together in greediness LOL) over this and in her sweet 6 year old voice asks Auntie Kelly "is there anyone else in the car?!"....you see the wheels were spinning in that girls head....1 phone call - 2 people - i just got $80 bucks, maybe there is more on that gravy train!!!! I just about peed my pants laughing. I know it made for a funny ride home for the Aunties. Don't stop there Danielle-go for it! All in all she collected $135. Not bad for an hours worth of work!
Well, i am off to help out at the Jog-a-thon today. Alot less pressure on the kids since all donations were "flat rate" this year and not per lap. But it should be fun. I would take pictures but, oh that's right, no camera. LOVE LOVE!

10.08.2008 Pretty in Pink Update!

OMG! I just HAVE to share this. Firstly, today was picture day at Danielle's school. For those who know and love her you will recall that she DOES NOT do professional pics. (Thus the reason we have no pics of her after the family photo age2-besides the cheeesy home done photo card thingies). Anyway,preschool, Kidnergarten, 1st grade....tears and screams, will NOT get on that chair for the scary guy with big lights and big camera. Well this year, after much discussion the night before & the am, she put on the pretty hot pink polka dot dress (thanks to grandma again!) got on that chair, and smiled! A real school picture. (Now why is it that she can do the spring group photo with class but individual portrait is always a deal breaker?!) I wouldn't even write out the check until she did it! Best $19. i ever spent. She smiled but wouldn't say "pickles"!...what a ridiculous thing anyway! I am so proud of my little girl. Let's hope she's "over it" and we can get on with life.
That's all that is new in Montana, hey, it's a balmy 28 degrees with a high of 50 and chance of snow today. .....oh how i wish i was in California.*sigh*
BTW - ("by the way" for you non-texter/blogger types) Spots has flown the coop (literally it seems and is nowhere to be found). Perhaps he didn't like us so much and was yearning for the outside world..he picked a bad time..it's pickin cold here! We will keep u updated, but we have searched and searched and no toad!

10.03.2008 Blog Hiatus

My camera is broken, and the battery is dead with the charger nowhere to be found! I haven't been able to take any pictures in over a week. I am DYING! What's new around here?.....well I'd love to show you-but no photos! Quite a bit has happened in the last 7-10 days!
-Pressure tank nearly blew up, no water! (fixed regulator all is well now)
-Dishwasher stopped cleaning dishes (had to buy new one which we could not afford)and additionally had to chip out 4 tiles in kitchen to remove old one and add new one.
-Pulled up all tile in 2nd (MAIN) bathroom to verify no mold (none to speak of), sadly as many will attest good intentions last weeks if not months....guess where that toilet is?? (OY! YES on my back deck!)"Oh i swear baby, 2 days max" Well we are on day 6 people.
-Got new tile and vanity for bathroom with no toilet. (still not installed-shocker) Wanna take some bets on when this might get completed? I'm gonna go with 1 day before all his family gets here from out of town later this month!
I'll keep you all posted....but you know how i feel about MORE renovations that never get done. Oh yippee! Can you feel my pain?!
LOVE LOVE

09.29.2008 Memory Lane

 

Is it just me, or does this picture bring warm and happy feelings to you too? I fondly remember these cereals from when i was a little girl! It's sad that they get dusted off, and re-marketed only around Halloween. I saw these on a quick trip to the store, and bought a box of each one. The kids have eaten it and like all 3 flavors. I'm sure they will be asking for it a few months from now...and it won't be around! *sniffle*. So we are gonna enjoy this trip down memory lane one bowl at a time! Count Chocula (my favorite), Franken Berry (yummy) and Boo Berry! YUM YUM YUM

09.27.2008 1st Time Rider

 

Whew, what a day! Who would have thought a simple Pampered Chef party would have this kind of outcome! Danielle got onto Josh's little bike, and BLAM, just started riding it!!! Then she got on her Barbie bike-which we took the training wheels off of over a year ago-and just started to RIDE! No holding on from Mom, Dad or anyone. She just decided to do it...and DID IT!!! Now my little 6yr. old has her independence, confidence, and just rides and rides. It was a joy to watch!

09.21.2008 Big Eyed Bubba

 

One thing i love about my boy is his big beautiful eyes. They are olive colored, not quite sure if they should be called brown or green. Either way, they make my heart melt, and mommy says YES to those eyes far too often.

09.20.2008 Spots on Top

 
As you may or may not know, we have a family pet that is a toad. His/her name is Spots. It is a very friendly frog, likes to be pet, and likes his nice tank. We purchase crickets daily and the kids go hunting for other insect food items for him as well. Here is a shot of him up high...on Danielle's head! Per our research on the internet, it says they can be better pets than even cats and dogs! It could be eating out of our hand literally soon. He's a fun pet and likes to be looked at! Seriously! If we go up to his tank, he turns to us and almost smiles!