12.25.2010 Merry Christmas

**Edited 1/18/2011 with photo of actual leter**
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

I have a few posts partially completed but never uploaded. My Bad. So much to say...never enough time to say it.

So today as we celebrate the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ....I leave you with this - an actual note handwritten by my daughter (and re-typed here for your benefit)to SANTA. I left grammar and spelling mistakes these are her actual words...trying to get out of the fact that her mommy didn't get around to baking any cookies this year. (i KNOW, bad mommy)




to: Santa
From: Danielle and everybody else

Dear Santa we would like to be awfully nice this year so we didn't leave you any cookies cause we know your full.
But we did however leave your reindeer some carrots. we love you we are very thnakful for all of the years you came. God bless you Santa! I Love you so much. you have done so many good things in the world. your the best Santa. Say hi to your reindeer for me oh p.s. Rudolph is my favorite of all. Oh and the rest are cool to. --> (**to turn page over**)

I made the Candy Cane reindeer you keep it oh and the nose fell of sorry. Love you and your wife and reindeer.
Love: Danielle


Now that you are done smiling...i hope your Christmas was all you hoped it would be. I will try to scan the letter since it is definately scrapbook worthy! Photos to come soon.

12.07.2010 All cried out

Random Rambling......
2 summers ago while i was on a 3+ week vacation in California enjoying beaches, my sisters wedding, Disneyland, Knotts Berry farm, and Angels Baseball (just to name a few excursions) my kitty Pixie was hit by a car. She was BY FAR the best and most wonderful cat my husband and I (and the kids) have ever known. In every way. When he called me with the devastating news i cried and cried, and prayed, and begged and pleaded that she could be saved. No matter the cost, she could live. I cried buckets and sobbed until (very literally) there were no more tears i could cry.

Today was like that day. My mom was re-admitted to the hospital again and her condition continues to deteriorate. From 1200+ miles away i could do nothing but cry and pray. I alternated between the two until once again i literally could cry no more. I am so thankful for a husband that understands (he lost his mother nearly 10 years ago) and no matter the financial burden urged me to get on a plane and go. There is nothing i can do HERE when she is THERE. My sisters (and Judy-my moms best friend) are rock stars. They have been handling all her appts., meeting with a Liver Transplant Specialist, taking mom to work when she could no longer drive but felt working was necessary (another thing wrong with our society...why should we all fear for losing our jobs - and more importantly health care - when we are sick?) It's so much. A simple misunderstanding of medicine dosage and a small problem turns into a HUGE problem...Fast. She was back in the hospital on Monday - her liver not filtering out bad toxins and her ammonia level was sky high and she was incoherent. Overnight that turned into a life threatening condition known as Sepsis and pneumonia. How can this be happening? My friends and prayer warriors did what they do best - they held me up when i couldn't hold myself, alternated shoulders for me to cry on, and we PRAYED. Still i am HERE and they ( my mom & sis') are THERE. There are no tears left, just prayer. I am a girl of action. I don't do well with "sitting around" or not being able to DO. When one friend came over i made speghetti (for lunch!) so that i would have something to do. I work well when serving others, not the other way around. Service is my spiritual gift. So why am I HERE so far away? So i booked the next flight out (did i just say flight?..oh yes...please pray for me as well flying IS NOT my thing) which isn't until tomorrow (Weds) night at 7pm, after getting in & a rental car...i should make it to moms town around 1am Thursday.

My son had his Christmas program at school which i went to then was surrounded by the loving kindness of my friends who took me out to dinner and helped make arrangements to handle my kids while i am gone. My daughter will continue her schooling with my best friend and my son will be home with daddy and lots of extra help from other mommies who know what a job caring for school aged kids can be.

As of about 7:30 tonight they are Intubating my mother and placing in a central line. It's 11pm and i am all cried out. Nothing left but prayer. It is still so hard to be HERE.

Why our mothers? When kids are little we (their mommies) are there when they fall or are hurt to HOLD them and LOVE them through it. As adults sometimes those roles are reversed and it becomes our turn to HOLD and LOVE our mothers through it. That is what i need to DO now.

I am only human though, and i need prayer to get me through, and prayer for my mom. If you could be so kind as to lift up a prayer (her name is Joan) i would be so grateful. A prayer for traveling mercies would be so much appreciated for me as well. Xanex is usually my friend in these instances, but since i will be driving immediately after the nearly 3hr flight i can't take any. The Lord knows that, so i am sure i will be fine....but i am human and sometimes the worry and anxiety still creeps in - so i am reminded to "Be Still". Worrying can do nothing for us the Bible says, and i believe that in my heart. But i am still afflicted with worry & anxiety in my head apparently. Perhaps i need prayer for that as well.

11.23.2010 Neglectful

I am so sorry my dear readers (all 4 of you LOL) for my neglect of the blog over the last few months. Still Homeschooling the Diva, Working on the House, and continuing to unpack boxes and clean out our "clutter".

But the exciting part was Hubby had work again in California. So we left 8 days ago (2days to get here, then 2 days back by car). We left right in time. You see... *grin* the COLD *burrrr* weather came in...then the snow....ice. More cold. *big grin*. Though i would have loved to frolick in the 1st real snow of the season - California has a gravitational pull on me. The ocean beckons me. As often as i can, i answer the call. So here i sit. I am sure yoou all know my struggles with the big "D". (depression)It ebbs and flows like the tide- but mostly ebbs. Newest meds are keeping it pretty well "managed" but the 30lbs of weight gain seem to negate any of the other benefits. *smirk* California is my happy place. It helps me when the depression is winning the tug-of-war.

Case in point

It rained (and by rain i mean drizzled or annoyed - not real rain) while we were here. It didn't stop us much. My first glimpse of the beach as i drove in to see my sisters/mom last week was awe inspiring. It was a typical day with coastal fog covering the sun...but in the distance rays of sunlight shone down onto the ocean where the fog parted just enough to let it through. All around for miles was fog and gray and right where i looked there was the smallest peek of sun.

IT WAS ME.

That is my life!

I felt the most incredible peace. I know in my heart it was my reminder from the Lord - a "God Breeze" if you will. It washed over me like a flood. I was home. All was good. My life regardless of geography or circumstances was just like what i was watching. The ray beaming from those clouds was hope. My light in the darkness. My relationship with Him. So i clung to that, with the biggest smile on my face...this place is good for my soul. But a picture will do as well. I am visual after all so my struggles seem to continue. So i took quite a few pictures. More importantly i tried to burn that image into my heart and soul.

My friends back home are braving the cold snap and the 6 inches of snow we got overnight today. After my brief recharge i am ready to brave that too i suppose. At least i have HOPE.

The kids had a BLAST with their cousins. My sister taught me some great digital scrapbooking techniques i am going to try once we are home. It was a Bittersweet visit. I got to see 2 of my sisters, the kids played and visited with their 2 baby cousins, and we saw Grandma (briefly). We visited at my moms for about an hour and a half. She sat up for about 5-10 min of that visit. She was not herself. She was in pain and uncomfortable.

My mom is not doing very well. Long story short mom had a routine surgery a few months ago for a hernia. It was botched basically. Fluid built up around that area that had to be constantly drained. Then the other mystery symptoms started occuring. Since then she has had a myriad of problems that are all puzzling. Now she is in full kidney failure. As i types this she is here too in the Bay Area of California seeing a transplant specialist in San Francisco with my sisters. It seems ineveitable. This is the question and answer meeting...what are the next steps? My one sis (married w/ 2 little ones) is the exact blood type match. My other sis is "O" the universal donor. I am opposite of my mom. So now i just watch from a distance (figuratively and literally) to see what happens next.

The clouds (and fog) cover the sun. But there are always "rays" trying to break through the cloud cover. Looking for their opening. It's HOPE. Our reminder to "Look up" and "Look to Him". I will cling to that HOPE.

And try to be less Neglectful! Love to you all. Stay warm and safe wherever you are. Don't foget to Look Up every once in a while. You never know what you'll see!



p.s. i promise to post some great pics when i get home & settled.

11.12.2010 Okay Okay Enuf Already

Okay, sis (and SISTERS) yes i have been absent. SO sorry to not keep you posted sheesh.

Homeschool is challenging. Being a teacher is hard work. Nuf Said.

Halloween went well - kids had fun, mom froze my hiney off! No pictures - left my camera at home..can you believe that?! But i do have some ADORABLE pictures of Sis. I just felt bad posting them since i took NONE of Bubba. But i will show you the ones of her in her Little House on the Prairie glory...when i catch my breath.

My weekend will be filled with unpacking (boxes from storage), Laundry, and Packing. For what you ask?! Well, that would be a trip to Cali to see the other sisters. Honey has a big job there that has to be done b4 Thanksgiving so we are tagging along and will get to see the younger sisters and nieces. Over the moon excited. Can you say IN-N-OUT Burger?!! I sure can! And Animal Fries. Double Double grilled onions please. Oh man. And i dont even care about the fact that i am at my ALL TIME HEAVIEST WEIGHT EVER! I'll worry about that after the Holidays like everyone else.

The other bit of exciting news is that we will be picking up the oldest boy on our way home and he will be home with us through Thanksgiving and the 1st of December. It's been so long since i've seen him i just wanna squeeze him to death. Remind me again how i have a 19 year old?? Anywhoo it will be great to see him, feed him, and love on him for a bit.

I think that is all. Sorry i cant make it all the way down your way sis - hope to see you around Christmas...HERE!

Oh, and for anyone reading that isn't family - sorry- this was directed at my sister Darla who just loves to nag, nag, nag about my lack of posting. HEHEHEHE.

Blog Challenge Day 4 - What you ate Today

Oh my heavens that is ever so funny!

Well for breakfast i had a glass of Orange Juice and 2 mini-egg burritos with white cheddar cheese and Tapatio sauce.

I guess i should mention that due to hormonal imbalances i actually ate breakfast a 1pm today (Monday). I woke up at 5am because all the cats were outside and i hear the coyotes. I spent the morning out in the dark with a flashlight scaring off the coyotes and rounding up the cats. I then layed down on the couch after getting Bubba off to school and literally slept till noon.

There was no lunch...since lunch was breakfast in the afternoon and we had to hurry and fit in school. I then had to go to the Mortgage office in town because my computer was crashed and do work. I was there from 5pm - 8pm.

We ate Taco Bell thru a drive-thru on our way home so i could get the kids in bed. So that would be a Burrito Supreme and Taco Supreme.

Wow! What a nutricious day huh?

Embarrassing. It doesn't usually look like that!

Blog Challenge - Day 2 Your Spouse

How i met my husband is a funny story. Lets just say there was a back-story before i ever even met the man...and it is divine providence that we are together today i believe.

You see, he and one of my very best-friends (April) were friends/cousins and roommates for years. I worked with April in the late 90's and we were close. I can still remember vividly a conversation we had one day in a chinese restaraunt where i was sharing my woes over my bad decision to get married to "play house" with my then husband who i had so little in common with and was miserable. She shared that she wishes i had met her friend first - because if she could pick anyone for me it would be him. Well fast forward about 6 months later, I am at a crab-feed with a bunch of co-workers (and my any day to be ex-husband) and that friend of hers and his childhood friend were there too. They sat at the same table, we did introductions. No spark, just nice conversations, too much drinking, and some dancing. This guy was moving to Seattle in a few weeks and winding down closing his business and such. I went out dancing to a County Western Bar that night with April, her friends, and some co-workers and had a great time. I exchanged email addresses (since he was moving) and bid them goodnight. Who would have ever known a friendship (me pouring my heart out over my failed marriage, my medical woes, internet dating *yikes*,etc.) would grow to be so much more. It's a long/weird story but he actually "rented" a room in my house when my husband moved out after the divorce so i could make ends meet. We were inseperable after that.

He was a true gentleman, opened everydoor for me. Took me country line-dancing which became our shared passion. We talked for hours about anything and everything. He commutted 2 hours each way for his business to be with me. We fell in love. He is/was my soulmate. He loved my child (then 8yrs old) and introduced me to the world of sponteneity. He was nearly 10yrs older than me, never married, and wanted children as desperatly as i wanted more children. We first got a puppy though! Max is now over 10yrs old. I had never owned a dog in my life. He has taught me so much. We LIVED, we LOVE and we made beautiful children.

We have great moments and not-so great moments. Every day has not been perfect. People who have the idea that marriage is the blendings of two souls and never goes through "rough patches" are living in a dream and should maybe solidify their friendship with their mate if they want it to last through the hard parts. Our fairytale beginnings were great. Marriage is hard work. We left our bliss and both of our 6 figure jobs for a slower pace and moved to Montana. It has been a struggle for the past 4-7 years. Mostly financial, as i haven't always worked - and he is not so good at running the paperwork side of a business. He's a WORKER and i can always count on him. It's the paperwork side that has been our downfall. We are making baby steps to get it all under control. I chose not to let money control my happiness. I know there is a reason for this "season" in our lives - and am hoping to come out the other side refined like silver. I know the Lord placed me in his life to bring him back into His fold. We have built a beautiful house that the Lord has blessed us with finding and are working to bring our family unit that much closer.



DeRell and i celebrated our 10 year anniversary this year. He is my rock and my provider and friend (and sometimes my fool). He is the absolute BEST father my kids could have and has a sensitive side. We are both Libra's (though i don't typically follow astrology) and share alot of similar charactaristics. We butt heads because of those similarities, yes. But i know every night that i am loved. I couldn't imagine a world without him in it. I love that he can do, build, make, anything he puts his mind to. I love that he is not afraid of hard work. I love that he does not give up and is a take charge kind of person. I love his drive to provide.

Here is "Our Song"....

It was no accident me finding you
Someone had a hand in it
Long before we ever knew
Now I just can't believe you're in my life
Heaven's smilin' down on me
As I look at you tonight

I tip my hat to the keeper of the stars
He sure knew what he was doin'
When he joined these two hearts
I hold everything
When I hold you in my arms
I've got all I'll ever need
Thanks to the keeper of the stars

Soft moonlight on your face oh how you shine
It takes my breath away
Just to look into your eyes
I know I don't deserve a treasure like you
There really are no words
To show my gratitude

So I tip my hat to the keeper of the stars
He sure knew what he was doin'
When he joined these two hearts
I hold everything
When I hold you in my arms
I've got all I'll ever need
Thanks to the keeper of the stars

It was no accident me finding you
Someone had a hand in it
Long before we ever knew

Blog Challenge Day 3 - Your Parents

My parents Divorced when i was 2 years old. Yes, I was in-fact an "oops" and a i always laugh and think "product of the 70's mindset that a new baby would make it all better."



All that aside - no bitterness, though i didn't really know my dad well growing up. He was "Disneyland Dad" who came down once a year to pick up my sister Darla and I and we would get to stay in a hotel, go to restaurants and then places like Disneyland or Knotts Berry Farm. I stayed with him and his wonderful wife Pattye one summer on their ranch in Canada. That is where my love of horses started. My dad is sarcastic, and shows his love by making fun of people. As a young girl i never really had a relationship with him - and quite honestly thought he was "mean" because of all the teasing. Maybe i was overly sensitive. He never had any more children, and has come right out and said he doesn't like kids. As a young woman i saw him a few times a year since he had moved back to the states and to a small rural area in California. In my teens and 20's as i could drive there so i did. We have never been "close" (though i adore his wife) but he (i mean his wife, Pattye) always sends me Birthday and Christmas Cards each year my entire life and nice updates with what is going on with them. I called to share the great news when i was pregnant with my daughter (after cervical cancer and not thinking i would ever be able to have another child...i was over the moon excited) and he asked me if i knew how to prevent pregnancy (in a joke form) so i was not overly happy nor have i since found sharing any BIG life moments with him worthwhile. It was a worse comment when i called with the news of my son - though i doubt he would even know he hurt me with his words - so i have not been overly excited to visit with his grandkids since he doesn't like kids anyway right?! I have not seen him in almost 10 years i guess, mainly due to the distance and their busy schedule. He loves all things Motorcycle, has interesting facial hair, and thank the good Lord i was the one that inherited his good genes as far as body size goes.




My mom remarried when i was young and i was raised as a small child by a wonderful step-father Ron - who was "Daddy" to me. We were the typical American family and i fondly remember camping trips, Dodger games, beach and park trips and everything else. I don't think i have even one picture with my "daddy" where i am not grinning ear to ear! He was my rock until about 4th grade. At that point, my youngest sister died in an accident at the babysitters and my "parents" (the only ones i ever knew) never recovered. My Step-dad turned to drinking, and my mom turned inward and they divorced. She then raised me and my 4 sisters as a single mom and did a great job. We lived in a nice middle-class home and though i know she struggled to support all of us you would have never known it. We had extended family in my moms best friend that lived 2 houses down and her 6 kids so we were like one big happy extended clan that did everything together. My mom has always loved me and tried her best with me but i was a middle-child with no daddy and acted out alot in my tween/teen years. She was forced to kick me out of the house when i was 16 to keep her sanity i suppose and not long after my graduation from High School she moved with my 2 youngest sisters back to her hometown in Pismo Beach to raise them. After i straightened up and became responsible we mended "broken fences" and are close today. We share the gene of shopaholics and do that very well together and apart. She loved me through all of my failings and loves my babies (even the obnoxious younger ones) and it's a lovely place to visit when we need a vacation. We visit at least twice a year and I talk to her generally weekly -sometimes more often. If i need her, she is always there to listen. She is very ill right now with a myriad of problems including the failing of her Liver (though she has never been a big drinker) and the distance just makes my heart hurt. I wish i could be there (or closer) all the time. We had an entire month there in May and though i am sure she is happy the noise level has died down since we left...i would do it again and again.

10.08.2010 Blog Challenge Day 1 - Introduce Yourself

Hi! My name is Missie - though i suspect you already knew that....and i am a shoe-aholic. All kidding aside (or maybe not so much kidding)

I decided to participate in the Blog Challenge and then was stumped on the very first day! What do i say? Ummm...

Something like Lover of Jesus; wife and mom to three (ages 19, 8, 6); lover of animals - especially my 2 dogs, 4 cats, 1 Rabbit, and hopefully someday (VERY) soon my very own horse; avid reader; country living; Lover of sarcasm; Homeschool teaching; FLY Baby; California grown; constant seeker of the elusive size 4; Cowboy Boot wearing; Forgiven girl for life.

My current loves are (in random order):
- The color Brown
- Hot Green Tea (w/ Splenda)
-Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
-Books (especially Stephanie Plum Novels - i have 16!!!)
-Eliminating Clutter from my life
-Mountain Views from my windows
-Rainy days, in my PJ's in bed w/ the kids watching movies
-Mexican Food
-Texting
-A Clean House
-My Bible
-SHOES
-Finished House Projects
-People Magazine
-My "Love Language" is SERVICE (both giving & receiving...if you want to please me - do something nice for me!!)
-Nerds Candy
-Blog Stalking -oops- I mean "Spiritual Shadowing"
-Going to the Movie Theater and Buttered Popcorn
-California Beaches
-My Family {every one of them.. in-laws/out-laws and everyone in between}

I could have posted my whole life story of how i came to BE me - but seriously that would bore you to tears. So i hope this suffices.

Hop on Board the ">30 Day Blog Challenge, i have alot of catching up to do this weekend - so stay tuned for MORE.

10.05.2010 30 Day Blog Challenge

Jessie over at My Happily Ever After has a 30Day Blog Challenge going on, so i thought i would hop on the Bandwagon and give it a try! Not to mention,this way, it will motivate me to post daily. After 21 days something becomes a HABIT right?!

So rather than jump right in i thought i would give some of ya'll the opportunity to try it for yourself as well. I need to catch up 5 days or so, so i may do a couple of posts a day if i can.

Tomorrow - or Day 1- is Introduce Yourself. Please jump over to her blog to see the 30 Day Blog Challenge for yourself!

So join us!!! Give it a try...we all have so much to learn about one another and it just might be fun!

10.02.2010 Jack and a Pole

Let me 1st apologize for my lack of posts. To say my life is crazy busy would be an understatement. My world is crazy and it hasn't stopped spinning long enough to let me have an ounce of free time. I am TIRED, a lot!!! I've gained 10 MORE pounds. Blah, blah, blah.

But i am rejoicing still. September was especially hard on me and my mental state...i'll leave it at that. I had started a new post about a week ago, but never finished it. It's a good thing. I deleted the "poor me" post...because the next morning i woke up with the most AMAZING PEACE and JOY. It was profound to say the least. Amid the chaos i had clarity. It's hung with me too. Life is good. I am healthy, my kids are healthy and happy, and not everything in life is according to our plans. As a matter of fact NOTHING is according to any plan we might have for ourselves. To say we are in control is laughable. When we give it over to God...ALL OF IT...we can feel the peace i was describing. Yes, we can help ourselves up from the pity party - - that IS in our control.

But this post is not about me. It's about a cat. Our grey cat Jack to be exact. He is such a great guy! Not only does he "tolerate" his lowly human servants - he brings me great happiness (and terrifies me too) just to keep life interesting. This morning was the latter of the two.

Our friend Jim and his furr family have been adjusting well to living here. For the most part that is. Do you remember about a month ago (Labor Day to be exact) he had that unfortunate run in with Bubba Lou (the brown Lab that hates cats) and ran himself right up the utility pole? After tha unfortunate incident we bought stuff to make a fence (albeit temporary and ugly) but have not finished it. We have acreage and it's alot of fence. So anywhoo...we've kind of worked out a system over the past couple of weeks where i let the cats out at 6am when we get up and they get to explore for a couple of hours then i bring them in and all the dogs go out for the rest of the day, and same thing once they go in at night. It's worked out pretty well. Well this morning (being the weekend) we slept a little late, and i automatically let the cats out when i got up. Well, Jim let the dogs out as usual...and the cats were still out. The 2 kittens made it safely inside. Katie took off one way, and poor Jack...well he was run directly in the direction of that pole. HE DID IT AGAIN!!!! This time he didn't climb as high as the transformer so we attempted to coax him down. We moved the trampoline right up to it - trying to coax him down with his treats. He started to, changed his miond, then went higher. Ughhh. Not again! Then he decided he DID want down but made it 2 steps then flung himself the remaining 30-40feet. Not onto the trampoline or safety....but onto the other side - - the road. He landed in the ditch in some brush. On his feet, as cats do but with a thud and a crunch. Jim was there and scooped him up. No obvious damage but he was wigged out. He started dry heaving when we got in and not breathing real well so we began to get worried. Then he hid under the bed. We called our vet, then the only clinic open on Saturdays who tried (not so hard)to fit us in. A 35 minute drive there, a body check (which was more like a massage..i was so jealous)and a few x-rays later...i am happy to report no serious damage.

Jack has now spent TWO of his Nine Lives in the last 30 days. He will likely be sore for a few days - but was otherwise fully intact. No broken bones or ruptured organs, or internal bleeding. (though *ha-ha* he did have some bones of a mouse or a bird in his stomach which looked interesting on an x-ray!) We brought him home, put him up in his favorite luxury digs and let him rest. He's doing well (now 8 hrs later) and seems fine. Though i haven't seen him walk since we got home from the vet. The vet assured me he is resiliant and will be fine.

I personally think Jack & I just need to curl up and sleep the whole weekend. We did finish the fence, this afternoon, by the way. Now all the 5 dogs will be trapped in the back and we can keep our gate to our property open for our neighbor and the UPS man without being greeted by 4 or 5 tail wagging mutts. I hope the cats understand that they can have the entire front half of the property while the demon dogs are relegated to the back. I'll let you know how that goes. *wink*

I also have some other news to share and an update on our Homeschooling but i'll save that for another post - that way i'll make sure to make the time. =)

09.06.2010 The trouble with Cats....

***Edited to add photos below***
The trouble with cats is that they have claws and amazing climbing abilities! The back side of that is that they do not neccessarily have the same ability to get DOWN once they have gone UP.

Such is the case on this Labor Day Holiday.

Unbelievably Jack our beloved grey manx mix cat and Bubba Lou the brown Lab from Jim's clan (whom we've affectionately dubbed "the cat killer") managed to chase my cat literally up a utility pole. On a holiday weekend no less.

Our rural Fire Department is unmanned except for Emergencies. I wouldn't consider this an emergency worthy of a 911 call unless i wanted the ENTIRE town to hear about it. So i tweeted and texted everyone and my friend April suggested i call the Electric company. They have people on-call she tells me.

It's a good thing i did. (This was of course after the guys tried the longest extension ladder inside of the truck bed with no success) Apparently that little transformer/insulator thing Jack is sitting on carries 7500 volts of electricity. NOT something the novice should be messing with. So as i type this...they are on their way with one of those contraptions i think people call a "cherry picker". In addition they have to shut down the grid that is affected by this pole - my neighbors are gonna LOVE me!!!

I will finish this post and add photos once the dramatic rescue is complete! Stay Tuned.

09.05.2010 E-I-E-I-O

It's been a FULL weekend so far.

Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, we went to the Fair each day. It culminated on Saturday when daddy finally got to come with us. We rode rides and ate LOTS of hideously delicious foods which calorie counts were astronomical.

We helped our friend Jim move that is a little down on his luck. Into OUR house.

Lastly we had another friend who needed a place to pasture his horses. They spent all day yesterday pounding stakes and running wire to set up an electrical fence.

Here's the newest count of animals for the homestead;

5 Dogs (2 of ours, 3 of Jim's)

5 Cats (4 of ours, 1 of Jim's)

1 Rabbit

4 Horses



I think we qualify now as a farm. All we are missing is the barn...and that too shall come to pass (next year likely).

09.01.2010 Our Own Homeward Bound

I'm sure most have you have seen the movie Homeward Bound or heard similar touching stories in the news about animals that have returned home after long absences traveling far and wide. True Miracles. If you have tissue around, you might want to keep it handy before you read anymore.

On March 7 (WOW i thought it was late april before i looked back in the blog to this post) our beloved cat Katie crawled into a trailer we had sold and was driven off to a home about 10 miles away in a wooded, thicket, marsh filled area completely unfamiliar to her. Once the trailer was opened she sprang out and ran like the wind. As soon as we found out we began the hunt through snow covered patches and areas thick with brush (and ticks-ewww) calling her name - shaking her "treats" hopeful she would just appear. It didn't happen. We posted signs, checked the Humane Society weekly, continued searching when time would allow, talked to neighbors. Still nothing. A month passed. The snow melted, the sun came out. We got a rabbit to dull the pain. Still no Katie.

In May a neighbor (also a friend of a mom at my daughters school) though they saw that cat on the poster and called her neighbor Jackie. Jackie called me and we began another long search. We set out a live trap, and over the next 2-3 weeks caught other things but no Katie. Much Tuna was bought and eaten by critters other than her. Sadly, we decided maybe it wasn't her or the worst had happened - after all it had been 2 months or more. What were the chances that it was really Katie?

We went on vacation for the entire month of May. We lived, we ate, we had fun. We missed our girl and talked about how she was maybe in Heaven with our former cat Pixie eating kitty treats and having the time of her life.

In late June we had given up hope, and our hearts were tugged at by 2 little kittens that needed a new home. We adopted Cowboy and Boots and added them to our ever expanding family. Boots was picked especially for her coloring by sis. She reminded her of Katie. I picked Cowboy for his loving and nurturing personality...and though he's growing he's become even more of a love/cuddle bug. Our mini-farm was complete. No more animals for a while until the fences are up and the Pole Barn built. Then we can have horses.

Animals are lost but never forgotten. Bubba will ask constantly about Pixie (our cat that was run over and passed away). Katie was her replacement. Picked up the moment we got back from vacation that year - only July 4th. Just a baby herself like my newest little ones. She was a crazy kitten at first - the likes of Sparta if you remember in this post. We had to close our doors to sleep at night otherwise she would claw you in the back running across your body at full speed or bite your toes. She passed the kitten stage and grew to be a very loving and affectionate girl. She loved to walk up to you and nuzzle her face against yours. She would just come and sit on you to be petted. She loved to be inside, without much desire to go outside. Her favorite perch (in our last house) was the large printer next to a window. She would jump up while you were working on the computer and block the screen. She new EXACTLY what she was doing. Then she would look at you with her green pleading eyes until you pet her, and plop down on the desk in front of you. She had a special bond with Sis. She slept on sis' bed. Sis loved on her, fed her, and adored her. We frequenetly prayed she was okay. If she had passed we hoped for the best. The kids worried she was eaten by a coyote or worse. Jack was with us/her only about 6 months before she was gone. He was lost without her those first few weeks. He meowed all over the house calling for her. Where was she?

On September 1st our friend Jackie found a cat tearing through her garbage bags and eating the garbage. She had spotted this cat a few weeks earlier (never thinking herself that it could possibly be Katie) but couldn't catch her. She was just a wild cat she thought. When she saw her eating the garbage she thought what if....? So she called to her when she went to run off "Katie, Katie, here kitty kitty".

And she came!

And she was friendly and she let her pick her up. She was skinny and a little wild and she put her in a carrier and drove straight to my house to see if it was really her. The carrier was little small and she was in backwards by the time we opened the cage. We pulled her out, i took one look at her face and the tears welled up.

IT WAS HER!!!!!

Unbelievably after almost 6 months (i thought it was only 3 or 4 until i looked back for the date through my blog) i was actually holding my cat! She had nails dug in. She was looking wildly around the yard and a bit freaked still from the car ride. I took her inside, got her some food and she scarfed it down and threw it up within 10 minutes. Maybe we should take it slow...its probably been a while since she has had a real full meal.



Many people had told us during our searches that when and IF we found her she might be a bit wild after being out "in the wild" for so long. That wild period lasted about 2 -3 hours.



She KNOWS she is home. She is back to laying on stacks of papers and jumping up on the counter. She nuzzles and snuggles. She remembered Shadow (one of our dogs) and nuzzled right up to his face. She does not however have those fond feeling for her once "buddy" Jack the other cat, or the 2 new kittens. It is still Hiss-Fest around here. That too will pass. We are just basking in the miracle that is her survival! For being 75% House cat her whole life (only going out on rare occasions if we were in the yard or Jack wanted out too) she held her own in a heavily wooded area eating what she could to survive.

We are beyond Thankful for the day she decided to go trash digging in Jackie's garbage. She is an answer to all our prayers for her safety while she was out there. I wish we could shout it from the rooftops. Never give up HOPE.

She is home.

08.30.2010 The Whirlwind Weekend

I alluded to our busy weekend in my prior post. It did not dissapoint. We spent our Friday/ Saturday scouring for a good deal on carpet to finish the theater room. We also needed to finalize a plan PRONTO for flooring in the Breezeway / Addt'l Room area. Normally that wouldn't be a huge priority but.....

We closed our retail store.

We didn't go "out of business", actually for the most part buisness is pretty good. The problem is we are paying SERIOUS amount of overhead for our retail location and it is KILLING us. Financially that is. Add a full-time employees salary to man the shop on top of that... and it's frightening. We have been getting very little walk-in retail traffic and our normal "busy" time for DISH Network sign-ups did not happen this year. It's been declining little by little but now the economy finally caught up with us. After much discussion and prayer over the last year - we finally decided it was a good time to follow through with our "going mobile" plan. Most of DeRell's work is done either "remotely" (he can log into a customers computer and fix the problem without them having to have the customer bring it to our store or having to go to their home) or he has many Business (network) customers that he services in person. 90% - 95% of our current business falls into those 2 categories. Thus, having a retail space is only serving as a financial drain to us that we can no longer afford. So now he will do everything on-site or from our home.

Long story short, we have to be out of our space by (Tuesday) August 31st per our agreement with the landlord we made back in July. All the prior equipment now gets moved to our home. We built a Theater "Demo Room" just like you would see at a large Electronics store in that Retail location. All that now will go into our personal Theater Room. His techncial area now will have a new home in our remodeled/enclosed Patio area (which initially we thought we would use for a Hot Tub room).


**Remember this? Construction last fall on the Breezeway/Patio Area - all that area will now be his tech area**


**Now it looks like THIS - same view looking East**


**New Office/Tech Area looking West from the Breezeway**

His new area is attached to our breezeway - which is super convenient actually for him. He can unload items right from his van through the garage/breezeway and right into this new tech area. Problem is the concrete was chipped/un-level and there was no flooring. We were initially thinking some VCT (commercial tiles) but i iamgine it will be super cold in there this winter even with the heaters we installed out there. We had a guy come out and hand trowel out some stuff to make it more level and even out the humps and stuff. We went with indoor/outdoor carpet (NOT green astro-turf). If snow/dirt/mud is tracked in it has easy clean up, it covers alot of the unlevel area, and it is warmer than tile. It's actually quite a big area that we didn't really have a use for. But the Lord did =)

So we had to 1.) pick out and purchase that carpet as well as theater carpet, 2.)pack, 3.)load and unload trailer loads of equipment, and 4.) work on the demolition/renovations at our retail/office location. (We have to return the space to it's former icky layout) So walls have been knocked down, doors removed, texturing started, etc. Not to mention trying to pack and move while still doing business. The weekend was the best time to get the bulk of it done. Unfortunately it rained on/off all weekend. We accomplished alot any way. 60% is packed. Our friend Jim started the drywall, texture etc. We had the carpet installed on Saturday - which wasn't finished until Sunday. Monday (today) the other area will be carpeted. He will bring in and build the desk area tonite as well as finish the packing and moving of all the bookcases, racks, fridge, desks and oodles of boxes of STUFF all on Monday. Then the final painting, repairs and cleaning will all need to be done Tuesday. Whew! Life is never boring.


**Picking out Carpet**


**The finished carpet in Theater room (chairs set there for cleaning-we still have to place them properly)**



**Tearing down the Theater Room at the office**

The best part is ALL of my home is nearly complete on the inside (Upstairs and Downstairs) thanks to all these changes. The cause and affect is awesome. I am sure trim and a few things will still take forever to be finished - but the big stuff will be done. Yippee!!!

The blessings in all of this are astounding. Financially we will get ahead instead of not even breaking even. (We've been surviving on very little or using credit cards to keep afloat) Our Home Theater Room, which we didn't expect to be able to complete for a year or more, is nearly done. DeRell will be home more --even if he is working downstairs..he's still HERE. In addition to saving money by Homeschooling this year, the family time will be exponentially more. The life of frequently feeling like a single parent while my honey is busy "at the office" or everywhere but here will be exponentially less. Not to metion the GAS ( = less $$ too) we will save not having to drive all the way into town every day. He will still travel as much as before for his on-site stuff, but now both of us will work from home. Exciting.

08.28.2010 We Survived the Week - Woo Hoo!

We made it through a few more fun filled days of Homeschool. I must say, day 2 went far better than the first...thankfully! Besides the evening Homework and the "talk" he got from daddy - i think the little one decided he could have better days going forward.

He slept in a little later - and was actually 15 min. late to school on day 2 but we let that one slide. His sleep was more important. He had a great attitude and after bible we got right to work. The next day was more of the same. We had a few hiccups, but each day was a learning experience for BOTH of us. My son is Hyper. He can't sit still well (unless something is capturing his attention). I pulled out a Phonics computer game that came with a phonics set we bought eons ago.. and it worked. He worked peacefully each day for 30-40 minutes progressing in the "game" path - thus READING.

All that time away in my office (right next door to the classroom) also helped sis to be able to focus without her brother contantly distracting her. She is doing SO WELL in our Homeschool environment. She strives to complete all her work as fast as she can and be extra obedient for a chance to get a prize out of the "prize box" i implemented.



The prize box is a reward system. For 5 days of "good behavior" and demonstrating at least 1 "Fruit of the Spirit" {Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Gentleness, Faithfulness, Self-Control...our Homeschool classroom/life theme} the kids get to pick a prize. For the 1st week i offered them the oppty. to pick a prize EACH DAY to get them excited about it. Sis got 4 out of the 5 days. Bubs got 1 day. We also give stars in their pocket to represent the count up to 5 for the prize. In addition i made simple rewards other than those in the box. (i.e. cook/bake something for 5 stars) Once they have gotten 10 stars they get a special one on one "date" with mom or dad like to the movies or their choice. (those seem to be hard to come by these days) Not that we wouldn't do those things anyway...but they like the idea of earning or "winning" that as a prize.



Friday's are set aside for Fieldtrips or Library or "Catch-Up" and P.E.days. We didn't have a fieldtrip on Friday but we tried to make the most of the day catching up (for Bubba). Getting enough outside time is already tough. Sis is not an "outdoor girl" because of the number of bees. Mom is not into the Nature walk thing with all the Rattlesnakes roaming around this time of the year...so we will plan for the park, library or local swimming pool for Fridays going forward when we don't have a dedicated field trip planned. The kids love all of those!

This next Friday is FAIR TIME! They wait all year for the Fair to come around...so i am planning the week around learning about farm animals (yay! one of Bubba's requirements for 1st grade already met in the 1st 2 weeks!) and animal care. Measuring comes into play when seeing if they are big enough for certain rides...life is our classroom!

We have so much going on this weekend it is exhausting to even think about...more details later - I'll try to catch up the weekend fun for you on Monday. Have a great one!

08.23.2010 Day 1 of school is in the books! #

We did it! We made it through. It wasn't the most glorifying or perfect day but we survived it none the less. Here is a few shots of our classroom (that i was finishing a few touches at about 11pm last night)

(The kids' desks)

(Reading area)

(Our "stuff"..curriculum, art supplies, books, manipulatives, etc.)

(My desk and calendar/weather area)..always wanted a window view LOL

It was the sweetest thing this morning though...i have to write this down so i can remember. The kids set their alarms for 7:30am (well sis did 7:45 since she was sure she didn't need a WHOLE HOUR to be ready) and got to bed at a reasonable hour. Me? Not so much. I was busy making classroom rules and schedules and reviewing the lesson plans. I finally decided i needed some sleep and heck, we could just do crafts and sing songs tomorrow if worse came to worse. LOL.

Anyhow, back to the good part. So i set my alarm and dragged my tired body out of bed at about 6:30. I wanted to shower, dress, make a good breakfast before they got up. Well I'm not even in the shower yet and here comes my sleepy little man, rubbing his eyes, telling me he is "SO EXCITED FOR SCHOOL I CAN'T SLEEP ANYMORE!" Talk about melt a mamma's heart. I was done for. So he talked to daddy a bit while i showered and then layed on my bed while i got ready. I told him it was okay to get under the covers and sleep a bit longer since it was so early. But he couldn't. He played with the kitten and chatted my ear off. Then helped with breakfast (by cutting the veggies for the eggs) and did a great job of getting dressed, eating, brushing his teeth and was literally JUMPING with excitement to be able to go downstairs to the classroom. It was awesome. Sis was equally as excited (and helpful - getting the water bottles ready, cleaning up, etc.) and it made it so FUN!



We took our annual 1st day of school picture of each of them under their boards with their grade level, measured them, weighed them, etc. We went over the rules and the kids added some more. We talked about what our day would typically be like. They wrote their first paper about what kind of things they each wanted to learn this year - mom helped Bubba's write his out (there was ALOT) and they journaled next about what they thought would be the best or worst things about Homeschool. Neither could come up with a negative this morning. I think we were all on cloud nine. We had snack and went back - and sis wanted to get right to work on her first day. I hadn't planned we would get to it all....so much talking and discussing i figured we would just skate through today - - but she had other plans indeed. I wrote it all out on the board and she finished EVERY SINGLE THING before she would let the school day be over.

BLISS.




But truthfully, it wasn't all bliss. After snack when the reality of "school" set in my little man couldn't sit still. (i knew that would likely be a problem) After lunch it was even uglier. (do 1st graders still take naps? Where's the Benadryl - only kidding!!) He couldn't concentrate for more than 5 minutes on any task and was easily frustrated. He wants to read and write - but still struggles. A broken pencil lead set us back 15 minutes. Tears over something minor drug out for 30 minutes. All the while sis was ticking off each subject from her list and wanting more. He was a huge distraction when she was trying to concentrate. He got a few red posicle sticks (for bad behavior) and couldn't handle the agreed upon consequences. It was melt down city for most of the afternoon.

I pray tomorrow is a better day. I have to read more in my books about these kinds of things. It breaks my heart that it became so frustrating for him.(It all started over him not being able to write a lower case "a" and all the spelling words had an "a" in them) I pray he does not continue the behavior problems that cause his sister to be distracted. It was 360 degree different than what i expected. The girl who wasn't so sure about Homeschool couldn't get enough. The boy who woke up super excited couldn't finish a single task.

Tomorrow is another day though. We have plenty of time to get it right. All in all i consider it a successful day even with the mini-meltdowns.

08.18.2010 SCHOOL

The date was set, the children bugged me - "Is it time to start school yet?" "Is it time to start school yet?" We played an imaginary game of "school", talked about the things we want in our classroom, but that is as far as we got. Truth be told, i have a ridiculous idea of what our "school" will be like i suppose. Organized. All the "boards" and "centers" set up...like a REAL school. All this to satisfy my insecurities...because lets face it....any mom who has ever stood where i am standing wonders "Will i be good enough?" Can i teach my children the way the school would have taught them? What can i do better? Will i be a complete failure and mess them up or make them behind? Then i realize that is just Satan playing on my insecurities. I'm a first timer - so a novice at the whole idea of Homeschool. I'm not quite sure what i want ours to look like, or how it will turn out.

One thing i do know though. I have the faith to do it regardless of the nagging fears because i know the Lord has called me to do this. Regardless of the friends or family that may be unsure we are "doing the right thing" - i know in my heart that we are. But then i let my insecurity and fear creep in and steal my JOY. This is about my kids. About my family. About knowing what is best for them, how they learn, and making the best experience possible for them and our family. The truth is that the people that do it for all the reasons we will be doing it, trust in the Lord, as i should be, and succeed. They have school on the Kitchen table with no set curriculum and succeed. Their children learn, and even thrive.

I can do this! As Mother Teresa once said : "I know God will not give me anything I can't handle, I just wish that He didn't trust me so much". Isn't that the truth?!

Did i get a fancy curriculum and go overboard trying to do "all the right things"? Yes, i did. In the end though what i really hope to achieve i have written down in a binder about my goals for this year. Not one of them is to have the smartest kid or a 6 year old doing Long Division. So i am attempting to forge ahead and not let anything stand in the way of our joy.

Unfortunately (and again, if we are telling the truth here.."fortunately" for my type A personality) our employee had an emergency (her husband had to have emergency triple bypass surgery) so i had an excuse not to start on Monday since i would be working in our store until he was stable enough for her to come back. This gave me a few more days to get the class "just right". I was totally relieved! I wasn't "ready" ...everything wasn't "perfect" for their 1st day experience so i let out a big sigh and said next Monday. It will be next Monday - if we are ready or not. My kids are ready and it will all fall into place. Whats the worst that can happen? We can do 1st day back to school crafts and not touch a book! Ahhhh the joys of Homeschool. "Regular" school doesnt start for a little over 2 weeks here so we are still ahead! It's Thursday and the boards are not up, there is still bulletin board stuff strewn on the floor. Desks aren't organized. My craft for their wall is not done. But we will be okay. School will start whether all the pieces are in place or not. I trust that i will not fail. I have the support of my Heavenly Father. What could be better?

I try to hold on to this verse:
Dont be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God. And the peace of God, which trancends all understanding, will guard your heart and your minds in Christ Jesus.

I try to remember this above all else:
I am thankful for being able to stay home with my children. Thankful for the opportunity to teach His ways and to grow in His love. I need to be confident that i can be the teacher that He has created me to be. I must be willing to give it over to God when i don't have full confidence and trust in His ability to give me the peace i need to move forward.

I can do this! See you Monday with an update!

08.12.2010 Hmmmm.. so long really?

I can't believe it has been more than a week since i posted.

Much is happening at the Homestead as usual.

Much "end of summer" shenanigans. VBS this week. A Homeschool Co-Op meet and share. Some horse riding for sis as usual. Some Office Demolition - more on that later. And WORK, lots of work for me...which is prohibiting me from preparing for school...WHICH STARTS ON MONDAY!!! (..and the lack of funds for cool organizing boxes and baskets is also keeping me from finishing...thus i WORK)

Much preparing of our classroom. Items which do not require further expenditure such as Desks have been assembled. The room has been cleared & mopped. The bookcase is full (but not organized as of yet). I am waiting (not so patiently) for some funds to come in so we can purchase the final MUCH NEEDED items to complete our classroom. I still need;

*8ft. Dry Erase Board (final Large purchase)
*Plastic bins for storage in the bookcase
*Cork squares for a special project
*Fabric
*Posters
*Our classroom calendar
*flags
I am also still looking for the Math U See Manipulatives (blocks) that are on back order and are going for WAY TOO MUCH on ebay right now. I am sure they will turn up before school.

At this point we have decided to push back our official start date by one full week. It makes us all sad but it is necessary. That is the beauty of Homeschool though...we can go with the flow! Plus we were starting a full 3 weeks before traditional school starts out here - so we are still ahead.

We are thankful for the provision we have had thus far. I'll share the other news regarding the office later. It's BIG.

08.03.2010 The Instrument of the DEVIL

This just got out of the shop. It had been dead to me for a few years. Well, firstly it was broken - all the gears eaten up. Mainly i am just not a huge rider.

Did i mention before that i live in the country? Or even that you must climb many, many a hill to get to my home? I didn't? Well we do. Maybe that is my reason behind not liking the idea of riding.

Must be the size of my behind vs. the size of those seats i think.

Anyhow, Sis has been itchin' for some "Family Time" - in the form of bicycle riding.

I tried it a few weeks ago using DeRell's bike. Luckily for me the begining of the ride is seriously downhill. About 6 of them to be exact. We flew like the wind. A few times i thought i might even get out of control i was going so fast.

It never really clicked that what goes down must come up. Maybe cuz that phrase is backward. But not here. We start at the top, we go down.

Sis and i got to the end of the road and decided maybe that was enough fun for one day and we should head back. So we did. I made it up one of those darn SIX hills and literally began panting like a dog - unsure if my thighs could handle one more rotation.

Lucky for me, she did too. So i did what every rational mom nearing her Forties would do, hopped off my bike and walked with her. That mile or so, uphill.

That was that. My bike was "broken" so i said i couldn't continue to ride Daddy's bike bcuz it's just too big for me.

HAHA. Little did i know, he, and my demon spawn took my bike in for repair BEHIND MY BACK.

It got finished today, OH LUCKY ME!!! So at 8pm we headed out. I made it down the hills and a bit further before my legs were on fire. Thus, how i KNOW the bicycle is the Instrument of the Devil. The dog Max came along and was struggling to keep up so i did what any nice momma would do...i rode at a leasurely pace and walked my bike when he could no longer run.

I am a GIVER i am!

I am sure this is not the last of this saga....stay tuned.

08.02.2010 They are getting BIG!

Who can resist photos of cute little kitties? I know i can't!

I thought i would improve your Monday by showing you my lil' cuties.

They are getting SO BIG!!!



Normally they aren't allowed on the counter. But i was filling up the water pitcher and they were so excited they jumped up there. Instead of spraying them (training technique) with the water bottle, i ran to grab my camera. (The pull of the scrapbooker/blogger in me is just too strong) But OMH, please ignore the dishes in the sink. No time to finish those and snap cute photos.

It's no secret around here that Cowboy (the boy grey kitten) is mine. He loves me to death and the feeling is mutual. So i can't help but have a few more photos of my cutie.



YOU'RE WELCOME!!!! Happy Monday.

08.01.2010 Building Excitement

I awoke this morning with a plan. My plan was to turn this:



Into this:



Based on before and after photos you now know that it happened!

My classroom floor is in! Now for the exciting part! The kids and I are just itchin' to get it all set up. They have begged me repeatedly to start school already. I decided August 16th was a good date. This way we are 2 weeks ahead. I need that for a few reasons; 1.) It's my first year Homeschooling and i anticipate it may take me a while to get in the groove 2.) We are hoping to go back to California in October so if we are ahead that gives us a real vacation without schoolwork, and 3.) I am so ready for us ALL to be on a schedule again.

We also finished most of the bathroom in the basement before the guests arrived like i said. Meaning we had sinks and a toilet. We put honey's friend Jon to work right when he got here and hung the door so they could actually USE the bathroom. Since i have my camera back, i thought i would show you the result. The shower/tub is not yet operational. We still need to put the tile surround on the tub walls before we finish up the plumbing. We'll get there. I actually bought the floor tiles at Lowe's and found some 4x4 wall tiles at Home Depot so we should be able to get to that once all the grouting and tile is done in the Mud Room.



Well the trim isn't in..but baby steps. The trim isn't done in half of my upstairs either!




Oh and here are the photos of the finished guest room (the carpet/trim/door at least). I haven't gotten any bedding or furniture in there. It's technically Grandpa's room so we want him to decide if he wants the older bed or this new mattress before we do anything. I'll hang some pictures and we'll put a recliner and lamp in there soon.





So for all my far away friends and family i want you to know i have a room for you! So come on out!

It's starting to feel like progess, and we are excited. This week it's grout. We'll see how far we get.

Happy Monday to ya!

07.29.2010 A Quote from the Wizard of Oz

Can you just feel it? In case you need a refresher - the witch is screaming "I'm Melting!!!"

I SO KNOW HOW SHE IS FEELING

If it were any hotter i think my relationship with my children would never be repaired. I am HOT. I AM CRANKY. I HAVE ZERO PATIENCE. I AM YELLING. I AM DONE!

Well done to be exact.

I really feel for people who don't have air conditioning. The honest truth is i cannot remember a time that i EVER did not have air conditioning. My first apartment, YEP. My first house, YEP. My last house, YEP.

But this house? NOPE.

WAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH.

Ok so i am done whining.
I think.

07.28.2010 Oh the School Supplies!

I was reading one of my favorite blogs this morning and the subject of school supplies came up.

Apparently my daughter is not the only "School Supply Diva" on the planet. The one who has to have the character erasers instead of the standard Mead Pink Eraser on the list. Or 6 folders with puppies, kittens, horses, etc. when they only need 3 ("but Mom, when it gets worn out i will have a new one") Those were scary days. Craziness.

That is why i am ever so excited to start Homeschooling this year! In the past - we did the shopping trip, and then mom bought tons of extra (because it was on sale or uber cheap) which we kept in a big ol' box marked school supplies. There was also some in a cupboard...and who am i kidding...with a 6 and 8 year old there was plenty of what are deemed "school supplies" right in their rooms! So this year we are pulling it out of all the storehouse places and putting it in one room.

MY anxiety is setting in -not for the having to go to the store and deal with the drama- but instead for the Classroom that is still not done!

I like to have my stuff all tied up in a pretty bow. Translation - FINISHED. Early. Our plan was to start school 2 weeks early (Like August 16th) so that we would have 2 weeks of freedom come October or whatever for another trip to California.

No floors yet, so i can't start the organizing. I am not just mom this year, I am teacher. So i get the fun (like my sister) of setting up my classroom. Decorating the walls/bulletin board/putting up the calendar, clock, etc.

I feel a little like the nesting momma who wants the nursery to be all ready for the baby.

It's my first year Homeschooling so i want their classroom to be special. I want it to be exciting. I want them to enjoy learning. There is so much to do. I wish i could be doing it NOW.

Instead i'll take a deep breath and go clean somewhere. I'll throw some hints at hubby tonite about finishing the flooring. I'll shop online for the perfect circular rug.

But most importantly - I'll skip the Target/Walmart drama this year over supplies! Woo-hoo, Victory for Momma!

07.27.2010 Fun & Busy with a little bit of FIRE!

**FRUSTRATING** As i went to post my "novel" (translation excrutiatingly long post) there was an error and my over an hours worth of witty banter was lost. Here is the start - then - i had to restart all over w/ #2 and so on. UGHHHH.

It's been a crazy week. What with trying to get everything ready for our 5 visitors and finding things to do....whew! No time for blogging - it went something like this-

1. Go to the Big City to pick up my cheap vanity Friday afternoon, only to find out it wont work for our 2 sink set up. There was no other 60" option locally in a pinch at a price we can manage. Husband decides heck, lets just put in 2 pedestal sinks that cost $50 bucks a piece and return the double sink countertop i paid $299. for thus solving problem AND saving us money! Marital discourse begins right then & there in the Lowes store in front of Michael W. (Who was ever so patient & should get a gold star in diffusing fights between husb & wife!) I, in a not so submissive tone, explain that there is no way in HELL he is turning any bathroom in MY HOME into an Exxon station. (No offense meant Exxon) -It's just sinks on the wall belong in Gas stations ONLY - not in 13 ft long bathrooms In My Opinion. A smaller vanity would show the pipes in the bathroom that was already plumbed for two sinks, not to mention look ridiculous. So, in the spirit of compromise, i look at what i consider an appropriate compromise that is NOT a pedestal and still affords me SOME storage (why else HAVE a 13 ft long bathroom?) The solution : Two semi-contemporary looking base cabinets with built in cool looking sinks in the same Java color i was supposed to be getting. Hubby does not like price (as they arent $50.00 ea.) so we "discuss" some more in the aisle until Michael W., bless his heart, shows us a clearance option which he can lower the CLEARANCE price by about $300.00 more if we just take both with the mirrors and get the heck out of his store (my take on it-though he did the whole thing with patience and a smile on his face). He even went so far as to travel with us to the Tile Dept. to grab a piece of the tile we put in our bathroom (also purchased at Lowe's) and set it on the floor next to these lovely beach cottage style vanities with salt/pepper granite tops. It does not even remotely "go" so we all unanimously decide that is not going to happen. Back we go to the option #2 tiny vanities. If we purchase two this will cover and thus solve the issue of it being plumbed for two sinks as well as fill the cavernous space. Where are the linens going to go? Where do our "guests" using this Guest Bathroom set their blow dryer or curling iron? (There is NO Countertop space) Men do not care nor understand the need for storage options. Who on Earth has a 13 ft long bathroom with absolutely no storage? Ahem, ok you can fit two towels under each of these sink/vanity combos. So he caves in, and we get the vanities with the matching mirrors. Should be a victory for me. Not so much! This is a temporary solution until we can afford a 60" or 72" inch real vanity and top. We grab them, all the required plumbing parts and head home where we proceed to stay up until 1am putting it all together. My beef being that i REALLY needed to be cleaning - and instead nearly every part required me to hold something, measure something or fetch a tool.

#2. Wake up at the crack of dawn (literally) and begin clean up. Derell heads to town for errands then leaves to pick up our guests from the airport. Flight delayed by 20 minutes, and i am still in frantic cleaning mode. They decide to go out to dinner at our local Mexican restaurant so i load up the kids and leave the freshly mopped floors and rugs still in the dryer. We had a nice meal, then i ran to the local K-mapart to get a sprinkler and some much needed room fans!

#3 Sunday we got up and did not go out to breakfast as i had planned and instead i am pretty sure everyone ate cereal or bagels (i am the worlds greatest hostess eh?) The kids played in the sprinkler, jumped on the trampoline and basically Sis & Kaitlyn (she is 6) bonded and did a good job of excluding little brother in everything. So i played Chess and board games with him while they destroyed Sis' room. We decided it might be fun to beat the heat (it was 95 outside and 80 degrees INSIDE) by going to the river or the local lake. We proceeded to pack up some snacks and drinks when i noticed a cloud out of the kitchen window. But it wasn't a cloud, it was SMOKE from a Forest fire. A VERY CLOSE Forest Fire on the hill/range behind our property. It's probably 4-5 mi away as the crow flies, but 10-15 miles if we had to walk it. Either way, Forest Fires here burn Hot and Long - plus we have strong winds up here which could make it reach us in no time flat. I was a bit unsettled. (Understatement)

#4 We proceeed to spend the next hour plus watching the huge flames (along with about a dozen or more of my adjacent neighbors) through binoculars, a spotting scope, and my zoom on the camera. The kids (and our visitors) found it facinating. The only neighbors behind us before Forest Service Land begins (thus closest to the fire) started sprinklers all around their property. DeRell insisted it wouldn't make a lick of difference. I started mental inventory of what i was going to need to start packing up. I even asked hubby if we should start removing all the solid core wood dorrs we just spent a fortune on...to which he replied "That's what Insurance is for". Ughhh, MEN! All i could see was all our blood, sweat, tears and REAL MONEY that we earned, (and re-spent) to build this house going up in flames. Thankfully though it was flaming high on the top, the wind was calm and the fire started to move down the back side of the Mtn. At this point we decided to go ahead and head out to the Lake - their Chinese parents stayed behind. We had fun boating, sun bathing and visiting. I managed to not get even one picture as i had left my camera on the front deck. We got home late and ate leftovers (again, i'm the hostess with the most-ess) is this not the most thrilling post you have ever read? Are you still there?

5. Monday i got up early to redeem myself as a host and cut some fresh fruit and made French Toast. I even managed to make some homemade soup with a whopping 5 ingredients that the Chinese parrents actuall enjoyed. *score* Then had to hurry and take Sis to town for a friends birthday present, come home and work for a few hours, then take sis to her friends party. D had to go to work. Bubba got to finaly play with Kaitlyn and they hit it off! After all, they are the same age. Our friends did laundry and re-packed to head out on Tues to Yellowstone for a few days. The maraton swimming/birthday party went till 5:30 then a long drive to pick her up everyone decided to meet in town for dinner. I was looking forward to some pizza, but they decided on Chinese. LOL. Eating at our local chinese restaurant is laughable to be able to even be called chinese. It's like going to China in search of a great Angus Hamburger. The highlight of the evening is when our guests asked if the menu was available in Chinese and they got the owner/cook to come out and have a nice long conversation in Chinese about the food. It must have been facinating to the other 3 patrons. I think the owner enjoyed being able to speak in his native tongue, but that didn't make the food any better. It was marginal at best. We had fun, and went home in the pouring rain and watched a little movie..you may have heard of it...AVATAR. For the 18th time (literally) i got to enjoy it and fell asleep on the couch fully clothed where i remained until morning.

6. I awoke, wiped the drool, and wondered "what the heck?!" just in time to see my guests off at about 7am. My new Chinese friends (grandma & Grandpa) even gave me a "Morning" greeting. It must have been my soup skillz that won them over! They borrowed our Camry for the drive, and when D talked to them at noon they were loving it and considering possibly taking it off our hands ( its been for sale for almost 6 months) It's cloudy a little rainy and we are due for some more thunder storms. Joyous. It's either smoking hot or humid & stormy. I can't decide which i prefer.

The good though has come in waves. We found out DeRell and Jon have been friends for over 40 years (LOL older than i am!!!), we got to learn all kinds of facinating things about China and Chinese culture from Jon's wife Julie who is Chinese -though fluent in English. We all managed with the parents who spoke not a lick of English and the kids each bonded (seperately) with Kaitlyn -Jon & Julie's daughter. Lots of my house got finished in prepartion of their visit. The Lord granted us an answer to prayer when the fire moved down and away from houses - ours in particular. It is currently raining like the dickens here right now, which is good...as long as the lightning doesnt start anymore fires and i don't lose my internet connection before i can post this. I've already had to retype it all once. So i better sign off quickly before we lose power.

I would post pics - but i havent taken any and now our friends are borrowing my camera since they left theirs at home! Next time there is something facinating to post i'll let you know. It may be a while. LOL. Thanks for hanging in there. Photos soon