~What a BUSY Time~

Sorry, I am so behind on posting.. Things have been really busy... So where do I start...

After the stocking stuffin party, things got crazy...Actually just prior to the stuffin party, the boys began the framing of the foundation for the Big Pout House.. Yes we have HIRED them to build us another shop to store the tractors. This one will be 30 x 60', yes, that is quite large, but over time, I am sure not LARGE enough, but all we can afford. Just went DEEPER in DEBT. I don't like that, but we need to protect them from the weather.. The 16th they pourded 35 yards of concrete and the concrete finishers were out here off and on all night working the concrete foundation.. I locked up and went to bed at 10 since I had to be up at 5 to get ready for work. Speaking of Work: Things started falling apart at work, of course they always do when I am trying to finish up somethings getting ready for some time off.. I had 6 days of Vacation that I had to take or I would loose it.. So I am going to take it..

Larry ends up in IOWA where it is -20 or so at nite... That is COLD and since his surgery, he has become ALMOST as cold natured as I am... So he was miserable.. Tony turned "39" as did Sheri, 18 minutes before Tony did... Then there was the night of the 17th... We were having our Christmas Goody day at work, which when the sign up list came out, my name was already on it for Cinnamon Rolls... Then Gab had asked me to make some for her party at school, having always been told "you CANNOT bring homemade goodies to school" I thought I was safe there and it would be the "SCHOOLS FAULT" I could not do that for her. I told her I would need a note from her teacher stating she could bring Homemade Cinnamon rolls to school... Well on Tuesday the 15th... Mandy calls me and tells me she has "THE NOTE" So on Thursday I make 2 batches of Cinnamon rollls.. I have rolls rising EVERYWHERE.... But boy did the house SMELL WONDERFUL... I LOVE BAKING>.. I guess I get that from MOM... Mom is going to take tem to Gabby at school for me, since she is going to Maranda's party.. Thanks SO MUCH MOM... LOVE YOU.... Gabby was disappointed because only 8 of her Cinnamon rolls were eatten at school. I told her that was OK, now they have several for Breakfast. She shared them with Bebe and Pappy...
Then on to Christmas at my house on the 21st. I always have all my kids and mom and dad to my house for Dinner and Christmas.. So this year we are having pork roast, potatoes, carrots, rice, rolls and some type of dessert... I started the pork roast on Sunday nite, then came home early from work and put the taters and carrots in with it, then drained off some juice and cooked the Garden Harvest wild rice in that. Mom did the rolls for me and made an apple pie. I did a coconut cream pie and some Christmas goodies, fudge, skillet cookies and cracker candy. It turned out really good, Deanna's mom, sister and Nephew joined us. It was alot of fun... Everyone seemed to have a really good time. I got Cember and Gab 12 pair of Toe socks, then Lil bit wanted some, so I set about finding her some. I did find them and got them ordered and they arrived on the 26th... So now she has some Kelsey size ones.
I finished up work on the 23rd for the year. They let us all go home at 2:30 that day... We had to go to my sister in laws on the 24th to assist them with some things, Then Christmas day was real quiet, just me and Larry at home.. That was kinda nice, but did not seem like Christmas..
On Saturday the 26th, we spent the day in Little Rock just looking,,, Then went to dinner at Red Lobster for our 14th Anniversary on the 27th.. We both ended up sick all nite over that, not sure what did it, maybe the fried foods that we had and are no longer accustomed to... Have not had FRIED since Larry's surgery... Oh well..
THen we had Family Christmas at mom and dad's on the 27th. All but 3 of the Family were there. That was real nice... Mom and I made all the Grand and Great grands a quilt except the 4 oldest... I think that went over really well.. They all seemed to like them... I really enjoyed helping make all the tops. We had a lady do the actual quilting for us with her quilting machine. Boy I would love to know how to do that and have a set up like she has. It is AWESOME... Oh well, maybe someday.. I told her when she gets her new machine (she wants a new one), Let me know and I may be interested in her current one... She wants a computerized one... Not likely to happen.. But I can dream...
Yesterday I had to go into the office to take care of an invoice for an interpreter and get her paid. She had sent in her paperwork written in PENCIL twice and ended up not having money to buy her kids Christmas. I hate that, but there was nothing I could do, My hands were tied. I told the coordinator, I would have the secretary watch for the corrected paperwork to come in and call me and I would make a trip to the office and get it processed and hand carry it to payables for them to process the check. Hopefully that went out this morning. I know it will be late, but maybe they will enjoy their christmas anyway. YOu have to follow STATE rules on invoices or they do not get processed... That is just how it is... Then last nite we picked up one of Larry's sisters and went to Hot Springs to look at the Christmas light display in the park, only to get over there and find out there was a problem and they were not working. What a disappointment, so we went and had dinner at Olive Garden instead. That was good..
So here we are at New Years Eve.. The boys have worked everyday this week and have the walls framed, squared and blandexed. The trusses were delivered yesterday, I am not sure if they will hand set them Friday and Saturday, or get a crane on Monday to assist with that.. I guess we will find out later today about that...

So for now. I am wishing EVERYONE the HAPPIEST of NEW YEARS, and may you be MORE BLESSED in 2010 than you were in 2009.!!!!!! I know Larry and I were really blessed in 2009, I still have him and that is just by the Grace of GOD that I do.. As Larry told the doctors after his surgery, "For some unknown reason, God just did not want is life yet" and for that I am so THANKFUL.... LOVE TO ALL and to ALL a HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!

~Stocking Stuffin~

I finished crocheting all the stockings (small about 4") for the kids school classes.. So, on Tuesday nite, I had 6 of them over to the house for a stocking stuffin party.. Kiefer is not having a Party, but he wanted to come over any way and I was glad to have him. He does not come often, because it is ALL GIRLS!!!!! He is unfortunately the only boy around now.. James's boys are all in Texarkana and so there is just girls.. Kinda strange after all those years of JUST BOYS!!!!! He is almost a teenager and does not want to hang out with girl COUSINS!!!!! I don't think he is quite into liking girls just yet... Not sure on that, but he tells me he does not have nor want a girlfriend.. Bruce told him to stay away from them, they just cost you MONEY!!!!!!!

Any way, we all got in a circle to stuff the stockins.. I think there were 159 of them, we put candy canes and a couple other pieces of Candy in them, place them in a ziploc and put a Merry Christmas From: sticker on each one. I make them with a loop so the child can hang the stocking on their own tree when they get home.. Wonder how many I have made over the years?? I did this for my boys all through their school party years... Now, my grand daughters and nieces and used to for my nephews, all the boys have gotten out of the party thing, except Justin and he is home schooled, so he will not need any this year.. I enjoy doing this with them.. It is crazy trying to get everything together for it and get everyone in their places, but after we get going, it goes fairly smoothly.. So now, they are all stuffed and taken to School for their Party on the 18th.. I even had a few left over, so I have a jump on next years. Wonder how many will be needed then. Normally Middle School does not have parties, but Cember's homeroom voted to have a small one so I did for her. If Gabby, Maranda and Briauna's class does not have one next year, I will just have lil bit to make for and I probably have enough from this year to do hers. What will I do with all that time??? I am sure I will find something to do... I think I have finished up all my little Christmas gifts I make every year and it is still 2 weeks till Christmas. How did I manage to do that. I am usually working up to the last minute on those.

Oh well, I guess since I found out my Lil Bit is getting a new BIG GIRL bed for Christmas, I have time to at least get her a quilt top done for it. Mom and I have made all the Grand and Great Grands a quilt for Christmas from Mamaw & Papaw.. We did Kelsey's for her Toddler bed, now she is getting a full size bed and her room is being changed from Back Yardigans, to Tinker Bell. I am doing new curtains and I guess I will have time to do her quilt, at least the top and then get it quilted and finished after Christmas. Or maybe I will save that for her Birthday in January.. Hard to believe she will be "4"... Decisions, decisions, decisions.... Ain't if fun being a Grown Up??? sometimes "NOT"

~quilts quilts and more quilts~

Here are the last 2 quilt tops for mom and dad's grand kids... All but the 4 oldest will be getting one for Christmas.. These are Maranda and Randi's.. I had a large time helping mom get them all done and to the quilter... Mom will be doing the hemming. She likes to hem them by hand and I take them straight to the machine and zip they are done... I really like the black and white one.. Randi wants to do her room in zebra stripe and this is what we came up with for her.. I am getting a zebra stripe rug and will make curtains for her after Christmas and she decides what she wants. Maranda still has Care Bear curtains, not sure if I can talk her into changing those or not, but if not, this has some of the Care Bear colors in it and will still match them.. Let me know what you think??

~Spider Bite~

Don't ever get one of these. They really hurt and look disgustingly nasty... When I got out of the pool on Monday nite, I dried my leg and it stung kinda bad, then I noticed a red spot kinda like a mosquito bite. No biggy.. Tuesday morning it was about the size of a silver dollar, by noon it was huge and really red and hot. One of the nurses sent me to the doctor. He said it could be a spider bite, but really thought it was just an absess.. Gave me an antibiotic, told me to keep heat on it and if not better come back in a couple days.. Well on Thursday, one of the nurses wanted to see it. I told her the swelling had gone down and the red area was smaller, but she wanted to see under the bandage.. Boy were we shocked as what we saw... Back to the doc I went, right then.. He said this is definitely a spider bite and we are going to have to lance it. Boy did I want to RUN!!!!!!! I knew that was going to hurt... And I was right... IT HURT!!!!!!! He deadened it but that hurt for him to do that.. I told him I was sorry, I was being such a baby about it, He said don't worry I know how bad it hurts...So he lanced it and sent it off for culture.. Then he packed it and wrapped it up. I had to go back on Friday morning for him to re-dress it and I was told to take 2 vicodins before I come up there, so here again,,, I knew it was going to be PAINFUL!!!!!!!! and I did not want to go, but we went.. From then, I have been changing the packing twice a day myself. Boy is that NOT fun.. It hurts and makes me sick to do it, But I do it. I am showing it to the nurses again tomorrow, because I don't think it looks right, but then I have no idea what it should look like now... STOMP SPIDERS!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sue, I know now how you felt last year.... This is NO FUN!!!!!

~Veteran's Day Quilting Bee~

Last Wednesday was Veterans Day, I have personal Veterans. My Dad and My middle Son. They both went to the Intermediate School to participate in the Program there. The girls were so excited.. Dad and Rocky got to have lunch with them (not sure they were all excited about the lunch) but I am sure they were excited to be with the girls.. Gabby still talks about it. Thanks guys for making their day...

Mom, Jeanette and I got together for a day of quilting (Aunt Jeanette did not get to spend the day, but she did come for lunch). Mom and I pieced 4 twin quilt tops (not difficult ones), we used the wildlife blocks and put them together with other prints and solids. Now we only have a couple more to do.. That will happen soon. I almost have one of them completed.. For me, it was an awesome day.. I am going to try to do that again real soon. We had 2 machines set up and both of them going.

For lunch, mom made Chicken and dumplins and a chicken noodle soup made with stir fry veggies. They were both really good. I took the left over chicken and dumplins home for Bruce's supper, he was REALLY Excited. He LOVES his mamaw's dumplins.. Thanks mom for sharing with him.

Thursday morning early they were on their way to be quilted... Can't wait to see them finished..

I will post pics when they are all finished... Gonna be fun doing that...

Well, better get on with some actual work... Love to ALL!!!!!!

~Punkin Patch~

On Sunday, Oct. 18th, the girls and I made a trip to the Punkin Patch in Grady, AR. We began our day with lunch at Mickey D's, Maranda had Subway, cause she was with mamaw and papaw, we had to stop and see if she wanted to go with us. which of course she did, then on to Grady. What a fun day I had, I hope they did. We were there about 3 hours and did whatever they wanted to do, except pan for precious stones, just too expensive... But I did not get too much flack from them. We just went on to other things, milking a "cow", feeding the horses, pigs, goats, going on a hay ride to the punkin patch to pick us a punkin.. As you can see, Gabby and Maranda got really big ones, then wanted me to help carry them, the rule is you pick it you carry it... Sorry girls, that's the rule.. They did manage to get them to the wagon and back to the Yukon.. We got face paintings, Kelsey got a punkin and the other 3 got peace signs,, Then on to take pics in all of the cute cut outs that you stick your face in, or you boodie as they did,, Sorry, will not post those pics here, but I do have them. In fact in that short 3 hours I took over 150 pics of my girls. I love spending time with them. Wish I had more to spend, but with having to work and them in school, time is limited, so I try to make the most of what time we do have together. Then it was a treat at the gift shop as we were leaving the punkin patch, then back to nana's. Fixed a little dinner, got baths, then settled down to watch the newest Barbie Movie, Barbie and the 3 Musketeers.. We have them all.. Then they all spent the nite, then stopped at the Donut shop the next morning for our ritual of donuts for breakfast. Then to School and me to work... Thanks Girls for a WONDERFUL AFTERNOON

~Awesome Vacation~

Larry and I just came back from an AWESOME trip. We were able to chaufer my parents around in California for 9 days. We sent them out there a week in advance of us, since Larry cannot take 2 weeks off at one time. Then we flew out on Oct. 2nd. Spent the nite in Sacramento (a good thing, since our luggage did not make it until 3 AM). Then we met 2 of my cousins and some of their family. That was GREAT.. I had not seen Robert since I was about 16 or so and had not seen Ken since I was 20.. Got to meet Robert's wife and 2 of his sons. Ken did not get to bring his family since he was on his way to work. Sorry I did not get to meet them, now he has a new baby boy, that I understand is doing quite well. Congrats Ken, Kris and Family... We visited there for about 3 hours then it was off to Redding to meet up with my parents, who had been spending the week with My dad's older (not by much) brother who is married to my mom's younger sister. They had a week of rest and relaxation around the pool and hot tub. They got to visit with my dad's sister and had a big day then..

We all went to dinner, and had a wonderful time, then we went to the Sundial Bridge in Redding It is beautiful.. OK a confession here, I am deathly afraid of heights, but I tried to walk accross the bridge. I made it maybe a quarter of the way and turned back. I just could not do that. But at least I tried... Then Larry and I went to the Hotel and the rest went back to Aunt Sue and Uncle Davids. We were kinda tuckered, not getting to sleep until after midnite, trying to find out where our luggage was and when were we going to get it. The girl at the AA counter had told us if it came in on the next flight, she would drop it off at our hotel and believe it or not she did. We made sure when we checked in on our way back, we told them at the counter what she had done and how much we appeciated it.. THat was above and beyond her duties. So we turned in kinda early (CA time not AR time). Then we were on our way to pick up my parents around 10 that next morning and off to the Redwoods. What an AMAZING trip.. The GPS took us up through Medford OR and then down to Crescent City, CA (we found out why on the return trip). We arrived, checked into our hotel, with an ocean view.. it was great, mom could see driftwood for miles in either direction, just had no way to bring any back. We had dinner and saw the most amazing sunset over the ocean from our dining table. Then we turned in for the nite..

Monday morning we were up and off to see big trees, Larry did all the driving,, mom and dad just got to look... Larry had never been there and I had not since I was a little girl. I remember thinking how huge they were, but did not fully grasp just how huge they were until this time. I will never understand how anyone can look at something this amazing and say there is NO GOD!!!!!!! That is just beyond me. What some amazing things we saw... Elk along the roadside, that I almost walked right up to, the vast ocean that just seemed to go forever... We spent the next 3 days just touring different scenic routes through the Redwoods, It was great. Got lots of pics, more than I can post here.. But I am trying to add a SMALL SAMPLING... On Thursday, we headed back to Redding, That was not a GOOD day for ME!!!! As most of you know that road from Eureka to Redding, is steep, up and down, winding round and round the mountains, with cliffs off the side of the road, MAJOR panic attack for me. I spent most of that 5 hours with my head down in tears, but God is good and I survived that trip. We dropped mom and dad off at Aunt Sue and Uncle Davids, and Larry and I took a NAP.. My body was in knots, had sore muscles for several days, But I survived...

Friday, we were up and out fairly early for a picnic(Larry loved the cheese tray, can't remember the name of that white cheese, but LOVED it) in Lassen St. Park, then hopefully on to Shasta Dam and then back home,, here again, I shortened the plans, I got with in 2000 ft of the summit of Lassen and had to get back down where there were not cliffs off the side of the road, just could not do it, but we went back to Manzanita Lake and had our picnic walked all the way around the lake, Aunt Sue and I even walked a log.. I gathered several large pine cones and brought them home with me. We stopped and took pics at the Hot rock, I have pics of us older ones on that rock when we were little. I tried to climb it, but did not succeed, but the 2 heart patients did and here is their pic.. GO Larry and Aunt Sue... It was a wonderful day..

Than Saturday, we headed back to Sacramento for an early flight home on Sunday. What a WONDERFUL TIME I HAD... As we were leaving for Sacramento, we stopped at 3 houses I lived in out there 2 schools I attended and took pics. We were going to stop in Red Bluff and get a pic of the first school I attended there but forgot. Oh well.

I am so proud we were able to take that trip and to be able to do it with my parents, was such an honor for me. We did not get to stay as long as I wished we could have, I did not get to see as much family and friends as I would have liked to, but there is never enough time.. But for me it was a GREAT TRIP>> Mom/Dad, I am so proud that you went with us. That made this trip just that much more SPECIAL to US!! We love you both so very much!!!!! Thanks.. Aunt Sue and Uncle David for taking care of them for me while I was not there. LOVE YOU BOTH SO MUCH!!!! Maybe we can do it again....

~Chugga Lugga Luggin 5 Miles an Hour~

We had the Grant County Fair Parade on Tuesday. Rocky drove our 1936 F-20 International Harvester Farmall Tractor in it and pulled the girls in the wagon.. It was a blast. We had so much fun doing that. We dressed all the girls in overalls, white t-shirts and bandanas.. Between mom, Rocky and I we had enough overalls for all of them. We bought most of them at the Goodwill store so they would be old and worn.. Now they will be stored for future uses.. I am sure we will do this again... They were so cute.. We had a CD player going playing that song by Craig Morgan, "International Harvester" Cember told me, " I HATE OVERALLS.. I will only do this for you and only this time.." Rocky fell in love with that tactor when we brought it home. He cranks (hand crank on the front, no battery, no electric start) it and drives it everytime he is out here. He has researched everything he can find on the internet about that tractor.. He and Buck washed it and got it all shiny for the parade.. They had it looking good..

We bought 8 bags of candy at $8.50 per bag for the girls to throw. We had Cember, Gabby, Kelsey, Maranda, Briauna, Teagan, Kaylee and Gracie (these 3 are friends of Kelseys) in the trailer. When we got back Kelsey, told us that was AWESOME, I LOVED IT... Paige (2 of the girls mother) and I walked beside the trailer the entire 3.5 miles. I was tired, at the end of the parade we hopped in the trailer with the girls and rode back to Rocky's house.. It was so worth it.. I love doing things like that with my Family. Thanks everyone for helping make this happen.. I have now nick named Rocky "Farmer All" (Farmall Tractor)

VACATION in 7 days...

~Lil Bits Adventure~

I came in last evening from working on the little tractor and had 3 messages and 6 missed calls on my phone. I had had it with me out side earlier. Larry and I came in to eat lunch and I was talking to mom and laid it on the table and forgot to put it back in my pocket when we went back out.

The first Message was a this pic of her x-ray. She had broken her right arm, both bones close to her wrist.. They were at the mud races and all the girls (Cember, Gabby and Kelsey) were in the back of Buck and Mandy's jeep resting, Kelsey got too close to the edge and rolled out and tried to catch herself with her arm and snapped those bones. This was at about 5:00, I did not get the message until 7.. I was frantic.. I immediately called Rocky to see where they were and how she was doing. He said she was being a trooper, asking what is your name, what are you doing.... etc.. Just talking up a storm.. I told him I was getting a QUICK shower and I was on my way. I talked to Kelsey and told her Nana was coming.. I had to get the paint and rust off. quickest shower and shampoo, I think I have ever taken.. Did not even take time to dry my hair, or make up, just clothes and out the door.

At this time, they thought they may have to do surgery to get it back together, so they started an IV. Kelsey had tears in her eyes and realizing that both arms were immobilized, she was trying to use her knee to wipe the tears.. I was going to be there. About 5 minutes out of Benton, they decide Surgery is not necessary. She was laying there watching Nascar on the TV. They gave her something to kinda semi knock her out, then the doc came in and set it, Rocky said she cried about 15 seconds, while they put the tube bandage on, then when they started with the purple casting material, she started talking, I love that, it is so pretty.. WOW,,, so, by the time I got there they were ready to leave. When they came through the doors to leave, I was standing there and Kelsey wanted me... I am so sorry, I was not there for them and for her, From now on I will make sure my phone is on me at ALL times... But everything turned out OK. We went to Micky D's and got her a Happy Meal (with a boy toy, race car). That girl (well actually all 3 of them) are into that racing. I am attaching a pic of her in her purple case watching Nascar, Rocky is holding the mic close so she can hear better..

Thank God that she is OK and did not have to have Surgery...

~Leaving on a Jet Plane~

Well, we are about to do something new.... Mom, dad, Larry and I are going on a trip together... We are sending mom and dad to CA on Sept. 26th, then Larry and I are flying out on Oct. 2nd. Larry can only take one week at a time and mom and dad (Being RETIRED) can stay longer. Since we have family there, they can visit with them till we get there. We will pick them up and we are going to the Redwoods. Larry has never seen them and I haven't in at least 37 years(that's how long I have been back in AR).. I would also like to go to Agate Beach. I remember looking for Agates there (in fact I still have 2 I found there) when we were in that area for a Church Choir concert. Remember those lavender dresses... I am excited about it. I want to show Larry some of the places that I lived out there and then I want to see this new "GLASS" bridge they have built in Redding. I want to visit Shasta Dam, Mt. Lassen and a few other places. We will get to visit with Aunt Sue and Uncle David, (can't say Larry will get to meet them, because he did that in June right after his heart surgery) Hopefully get to see Robert, Mike, Ken and their families. Not sure about that, but I would love to.. I have requested visitor information on the Redwoods and when we get that, we will sit down and go through it and kinda decide what all we really want to see and do while we are there. We will all fly back home together on Oct. 11th. It will be a GREAT TRIP.... I just bought a new digital camera, I have an extra memory card for it and an extra battery. So I think I am set there. I take ALOT of pics. It is nothing for me to take over 1500 pics on a weeks vacation.. I will post more as plans come together. CAN'T WAIT. This is our first vacation since we started building our home.. AND our FIRST EVER with mom and dad.... We have taken short day trips with them and have had a large time, but this time will be even better....

~21 YEARS AGO~

It was 21 years ago today, that Larry and I had our first date. We went to dinner at Steak and Ale. I remember it so well. I was too nervous to eat much, but after 21 years that is not a problem any longer. We talked as if we had known each other for ever. I met him while working as a check out clerk at the local grocery store. He came in every Friday and bought 6 or 8 Ribeye Steaks. We talked and joked with each other, he made it a point to always come through my line. I asked him one time, when he was going to cook one of those for me?? His response: When ever you want me to... This went on for about a year, then I left the store and we did not see each other for a few months. Then one morning I seen him at the Post Office, He asked where I had gone and I told him I was working in LR for the State.
One morning I was waiting on the girl I was riding with to get to the meeting point and I got a glimpse of a vehicle coming at me on the Drivers side, I looked up and it was him, he had pulled up to where his front grill was almost touching my car. I bout panicked.. Tina got there and we left, without saying a word to each other. Then we began to see each other there nearly every day. Sometimes we talked sometimes just waved. This went on for a couple of months, then the lady that worked in the station told me he wanted my phone number. I would not give it to him at that time. I just was not sure I wanted to date..
In early July, I began to call him, but secretly hoped he would not answer and was scared that a woman might answer, I did not know if he was in a relationship or not, neither did the lady at the station, she had never seen him with a woman, but did not know for sure. Then on August 2nd, I called him and actually talked to him. We talked for over 3 hours and he asked me out for the next night and I said OK.. It that is how it all began. But we did not get married until Dec. 27, 1995. He has been the most caring, considerate, loving man I have ever known. He spoils me rotten.. I am so blessed to have him in my life, as you all know, I came so very close to loosing him just 10 weeks ago, but by the Grace of God, he is still with me and continues to spoil me.
The day after our first date, My house (the one that Mike and I lived in) went up on PUblic Auction. Larry sent me flowers.. and they continue to come still today...

I LOVE YOU BABE!!!

~Here Piggy Piggy~

We were checking the Game Cam out in our pines on Saturday, to our surprise this pic popped up. We about lost our teeth. Yes, there are 8 piggies (one just inside the tall grass), in our pines, just inches from our yard. There were several more pics on there. They were snapped on Thursday, July 9th at 6 AM... This can be a disaster if they decide to come into the actual yard... The pine straw out there is all ROOTED up all the way past the back of our property line. IF we don't get them out of there I am afraid my yard will look like that and we have worked too hard to get it growing good and have finally gotten good grass coverage over all the yard to let this happen... Yesterday Rocky brought over his live trap and we put it up. We have the door tied open at least for a few days so they can get used to coming and going in it for the food and then we will set it to trip when they come in and hopefully catch most of them. Then we will put them in the freezer, should just about fill up all our freezers. Maybe we will butterfly one of the smallest ones and throw it on the grill.. That would be a GOOD BBQ! Larry heard one snort at him a few mornings ago and decided to come back to the house before he had to RUN back.. Which would not be a good thing for him to do right now.. Bruce killed one there last year and we have not seen any since until now. So not sure what has driven them up there, but hopefully we can get them out of there.. Well I will keep you updated on this adventure...

~Thinking of Grandma~

It was 10 years ago today, that we said "GoodBye for Now" to her. We will meet again on the Other Side someday.. I did not get to be there, but most of her Children were there, except Uncle Leonard (he was in the hospital in LR). I was at my brothers, helping take care of his children so that my mom could be with her mother. I was leaving Tony's to go sit with my mother for a little while, when I got the call that she was gone, so I just turned around and went back to my brothers. That way were we not alone, we had each other. It was a very sad time in our lives, so much sorrow and pain, yet so much joy with a perfectly healthy premature baby girl just 6 weeks old, boy did she out grow that premmie stage quickly.. I believe within 3 months we lost 6 family members including the mother of my brothers baby girl.

The preacher conducting her funeral had asked that the grand kids write something that stood out to them about her. Well, there were several of us that did that. I got them all and printed them out on paper that would sorta match something they said about her in their letter. I had talked about her quilting so I did a backdrop of a quilt on mine, I think I also did some kind of quilt thing on Sheri's, she talked about what did she say about a woman she barely knew(Grandma), but raised the strongest woman (her mother) she knew and about the quilt that Grandma had made and literally fell out of the closet when one of the kids opened the door at the moment she was writing her letter (coincidence, I think not). Then, one of Rosie's boys (Not sure which one) wrote about the Legacy she had left us. Grandpa had died at an early age (about 42 I think) and left her to raise 8 children the oldest of which was about 16 or so, not only did she never re-marry, but she never gave up Grandpa's name, on all her bills and accounts she listed her name as Mrs. Lloyd Brown, not Maggie or Lou, but Mrs. Lloyd. She was very proud of that name. I can't recall any of the others right now, but I still have them ALL saved on my computer. I printed 2 copies, one for the preacher and one to put in her casket, so she would always have them. One strange thing, NEARLY EVERY ONE of those letters mentioned her Fried Potatoes, how we ALL LOVED them and NONE of us can cook them like she did, they just do not taste the same, my sister had mentioned in her letter, that she had borrowed grandma's skillet, oil and POTATOES, and they just did not taste like hers. Maybe it was her knife she used, who got the paring knife, I want that knife.. She was an awesome COOK, as my mother is (and her sisters). She always had something cooked when we came over or she would get in there and cook something, as if we had not eatten in days, But you have to eat when you go to Grandma's house, my own grand daughters do the same thing, and I catch myself asking, can I fix you something to eat. I can see so much of my grandmother in my own mother (Compliment)... The preacher made the statement if he read about fried potatoes one more time, he was going to have to go eat it was making him hungry. Several talked about Sugar (Her Chihauhau), she loved that dog, but at times hated him too. But she was lost without him.. How we all miss her, but we will see her again.. What a legacy that she left for ALL of us to follow.

Her Birthday was July 2nd and she went to be with the Lord on the 10th, living "8" days after her Birthday, one for each of her Children... I know Aunt Jeanette, you only got half a day, but you were the baby that never grew up (weight wise) much from birth (HAHAHAHA).

Love you much, Grandma....

~New Treasure~

I finally found a cookie jar for my Kitchen. I wanted a Teddy Bear one, but all the ones I found at "Junk" stores were $30 and up!!!!!!! I was not willing to pay that for a cookie jar to sit on the cabinet. Then this weekend, I found it.. I fell in love with it and it was in perfect condition and only "$8.00". I grabbed it... As soon as we got home, it was promptly washed, dried and placed on the cabinet, right next to the "healthy tray" (I keep fruit on this). It looks GREAT!! even if I do say so myself..

What do you think?? I thought of each of the girls sitting on my lap when I saw this. The only thing that would have made it better is if there had been 3 little bears... I am so ready for a girls nite.. Maybe week after next.. We will have Larry's Pizza Buffet on Tuesday nite, Then I will take off Wednesday and we will spend the day at the POOL.... That will be SO MUCH FUN!!! Can't wait.

I LOVE looking in old junk shops, never know what you may find in there.. Larry found 2 single trees (who knows what that is) for the old Cultivator that used to belong to his brother in laws father. That will be yard art when restored.. By the way, we can start working on the Wheel Horses now according to the Doc. Larry said if we work hard on them, they will be ready for the girls to drive in the parade.. I am not holding my breath on that one, I do not want him to work that HARD! He is trying his luck at cutting the grass today, he promised he would take it slow and take lots of breaks.. I have to "Trust" (Sheri's word for the year) that he will take care of himself.. The Good Lord has brought him this far, so I have to "Trust" he will carry him on.. I am so blessed to still have him..

God's Blessing to ALL

~All Systems GO!!!!!~

As per the Cardiologist, Larry can return to work part time on Monday, July 13th, that will be 7 weeks, 2 days post-op. He is kinda guardedly excited.. He is mentally ready to get back to a schedule, but not sure how he will hold up physically. While we were in the office, Larry had an episode with his blood pressure. It bottomed out and he passed out... SSSCCCAAARRRYYY!!!!! Everyone scrambled,, fanning him, taking his BP, getting him back too and up drinking COKE to get his vessels to constrict and raise his Blood Pressure... So now we have to take his BP prior to meds and only take what is needed at that time. So that will be twice a day, until we get him regulated. Now that he has good blood flow, he may not need as much meds as previously. Just have to play with it for a while.. But we can do that.
We tested him this past weekend. We went to Branson. We had a wonderful time, but he did get really tired. But when he got tired, we rested... We walked in the mall, ate, shopped in the junk stores,... Sat on the benches and watched people.. It was really nice. The weather was not too hot, there was a breeze blowing and lots of people to watch. We even ran into a couple that I knew a long time ago. Our boys were in Story Hour together at the County Library (Pre School age), so that was a LLLOOONNNGGG Time ago, being my oldest just turned "30"... It was good to talk to them again. We were on our way to have dinner and they were on their way to a musical show of some sort. We chatted for 5-10 minutes and then on our ways we went..
We found lots of "Treasures" in the Junk Stores. I found a Teddy Bear cookie jar, Larry found a Brace and bits for it, We found IH Farmall signs that we fell in love with, that will go in the pout house with the tractors. And we found another tractor, it is a 36 Farmall F-20. You can independently lock in the L or R Rear brake and make it do donuts. It is kewl. It does not have a battery, it is hand crank.. Now we just have to find an 8 ft wide trailer to haul it home on. That has not been an easy task. We will have to have a flat bed trailer, and a 1 ton pick up to pull it with, of which we have neither.. What a pickle we are in with this right now. Larry is weighing out some other options, keep in mind he cannot hand crank this nor can he bind it down on a trailer.. Why does he find such things when he is really not able to mess with them. Oh well, this too we will can handle..
Talked to my Uncle Roy yesterday, He is doing well, I asked about the tiny hen he had sitting on all the eggs when we were there a few weeks back. well,,,,, she hatched out "18" babies.. Wow what a family for one mother to take care of. This little hen is so TINY herself, it was all she could do to cover all those eggs, now she has all these babies. Roy says they are so CUTE and some of them are to little, 3 of them I think he said were regular size baby chicks, almost as big at birth as she is... I want to go see them, but not sure when we will have time. Now that Larry is going to work, we will probably spend most weekends resting at least for awhile.. We will see how that goes.
Mom and Dad are headed to the lake for another couple of days. (Thanks for having lunch with us yesterday after the MD appts...), then home on Sat. and back to the lake on Sunday for 3-4 days.. I am so thrilled that they go to the lake as much as they do.. I am just jealous I cannot do that, but hopefully my day will come..

Well I gotta get back to work..
GOD BLESS ALL...

~Tractors and Tillers~

What a day, Hot as it was, it was fun. Larry, Mom, Dad and I all went to the Purple Hull Pea Festival in Emerson, AR, population 385.. Yeap a very small town and all of them were at the Fesival.. We saw tractor races, tiller races, pea shelling contests, arts crafts, and any type of food you could imagine. We ate home made vanilla ice cream as we watched the Tractor SLOW race, yes I did say Slow and Race in the same sentence. They have to see how slow they can make their tractor go and still keep it running. Once they start moving, they cannot touch the clutch or brake, they have to use the throttle and choke to slow it down. The track is 100 feet and one guy did it in 3 minutes 20 seconds, I am not sure I can walk that slow. It is cool to watch them. Then they have a barrel race and see who can push a barrel down the track the fastest without it going off the track.


They had small kids 5-10 years old out there with Mantis tillers and they were racing down a 200 ft track to see who could win. It was neat watching them. Those kids gave it all they had..

One little girls tiller died at the beginning of the race and she was so upset.. Then they ran again and she ended up winning the entire competetion...



We went to the shelling contest. The lady that won, shelled 7 5/8 oz in 5 minutes. Then they auctioned off all the peas that were shelled in the competetions. There was a little over 4 lbs and I think it went for $27.00 That is kinda high in my book. But it was going for a good cause..



Then we found a shady spot and parked our chairs for the parade, that lasted all of about 6 minutes, then over to the track again for the suped up tiller races. They had 2 tillers that had between 750 and 900cc motorcycle engines in them. The first race was 2 women (SMALL women, about 100-125 lbs). The lady in lane 1 finished in 6.5 seconds (200 ft track), the lady in lane 2 was drug about 100 ft and then let go and the tiller turned over. She was fine, but the tiller needed some welding, so that was the end of the tiller races. So then on to the WEDDING, yes they had an actual wedding performed there. At that point we were hot and tired, so we opted to head for home. They were having a Larry the Cable Guy look alike contest and a Street Dance later, but we headed for home.



On the way down we saw a junk shop in Camden. But decided not to stop. But, on the way back, we did stop. They had a trailer with iron wheels on it parked out front. Mom has this thing for iron wheels. they had a matching pair of smaller wheels she was interested in. They guy came down $10 on the pair, so I bought them for her Birthday, that was Yesterday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM.. I LOVE YOU... Then we went inside, no A/C so it was suffocatingly hot in there. We did find a couple pots that were Miracle Maid, we got them for $7.00 so now I am going to see about getting them replaced, Aunt Sue, can you tell me how you did this?? Could not pass that up.. One of them is in usable shape, the other has alot of stains inside, I may can scrub them out, I will try that..



Then on home. Mom and dad headed back to the lake for a few more days of camping. Just speaking for myself, I thoroughly enjoyed the Day, even in the heat.. Now Larry wants to find a Lawn Mower Race. So I am searching the I-net for that. Found some, but they were in May, may have to flag the calendar for that next year..



God Bless all... with cooler weather...

~Stay Off The Sidewalks~

You got it. Larry has permission from the Surgeon to DRIVE!!!!! I do not like that at all... But, oh well, I guess it had to happen sooner or later... He said his bones are healing back together perfectly. So now, they want him to increase his pace when he walks. He is walking 3-4 times a day at 30 minutes each time. Now they want his heart rate up to about 120 beats per minute.. So now we are working on that.. We go to the Cardiologist on the 6th of July and will hopefully know then when we can return to work.. I know mentally he is ready, but even he knows that physically he is not ready.
We are going to Branson on July 2nd for a few days. We have a hotel room with a balcony that over looks the Courtyard at Branson Landing and they will be having a fireworks show there on the night of the 3rd. So we will have front row seats and not have to look over, around, etc.... heads.. We did that last year and just loved it.. We can walk to anywhere we want to eat and if we do not want to we do not have to get in the car for anything.. So I am planning alot of relaxing.. Our hotel is part of the mall, so we have shopping... I need it right now..

Last Saturday, Larry, mom, dad, and I went to Uncle Roy's for the afternoon. Larry and Roy really hit if off when we went and got the swing in August. So we drove up there. Their power went out on Friday due to Tornados in the area, luckily their house did not get hit, but a HUGE tree between them and JR did get hit, not getting either of their homes, God is GREAT!!!!!!.. We sat on the porch with a shop fan blowing on us being powered by the Generator. It was GREAT... Then dad and I got stung by a Bumble Bee.. I got it on the leg and dad on his face. Dad swelled pretty bad, I just got a huge knot and a bad bruise.. Never heard of a bumble bee stinging, that one was determined, he just kept coming back to attack again.. Uncle Roy had the fly swatter after him, not sure if he ever got it or not.. We stopped and got lunch meat and fixings. Mom took cookies and Zuccini Bread and I made Brownies. We just sat and talked, laughed and ate.. It was really good... Oh, I picked enough blackberries to make a cobbler..

My baby grand daughter and her mother are back from 3 weeks in California. I am going to see her tonite.. I sure did miss her, but I had my hands full...

Cember and Gabby have been at church camp all week, they came home today. Hope to see them this weekend..

Buck and Bruce got called to work for about 7-10 days,, Rocky is busy remodeling their kitchen. He started it when Deanna went to CA.. Now he is trying to finish.. It is going to be really nice when finished.. I am going by this afternoon to see where he is with it. Buck and Bruce have been helping him.

Well gotta go,, More invoices to get processed before next Thursday. Trying to close out our Fiscal year at work.. They will lock us out completely next Thursday. Then I will have a week to get ready to start keying all those renewed contracts.. That will take about 5 days of nothing by keying.. My hands will be killing me by the end of each day..

God Bless all....

~I am not OLD enough to have a "30" Year Old~

Yes, my first born son, is "30" Today. Happy Birthday Son,, I love you so much.. I remember the day you were born as if it were yesterday... It Was FATHERS Day,,, You made a new Father and 2 New Grand-Fathers on Fathers Day. What a special day that was.. Of course every day a Child is born is a SPECIAL DAY in my book, Children are a sign from God that the world must go on... I would hate to imagine my life without children. I am getting a taste of that right now. I have not been able to have girls nite in almost 4 weeks now and I am having withdrawals.. But soon, we will do it again... This pic was taken in Pigeon Forge on their vacation a couple of weeks ago.. Not a clue what Gabby is looking at.

You have grown to be a fine young man and yes, you are YOUNG... You are a WONDERFUL Father to those 2 beautiful girls. They are 2 of the lights of my life.. My lights just keep growin in numbers. It is amazing how your heart just keeps filling with love for each one, but takes none away from any of the others..

LOVE YOU LOTS

Mom

~Hubby Update~

Larry is almost 3 weeks out of surgery now and things are healing well, at least the outside incisions. We go back to the surgeon on Monday to get x-rays to see how his bones inside are healing. Hopefully that will be doing well also. He is really bored and tired of sitting around the house, but does not yet have the energy (not eating properly to regain strength) to do anything either..
We got out last Saturday and rode around and checked out some of the lakes close by. He seemed to enjoy that. We got out a couple of times and did some walking, not much, just a little.. Just so he could get that in. He is supposed to walk at least 3 times a day. He has increased it to where he is walking about 20 minutes each walk. Mentally he is ready to go back to work, but physically, no where near ready yet.. He drives ALOT in his job. He covers all Central US from Canadian to Mexican Borders, covering 12 states.. Most of that he drives. On Wednesday night prior to Surgery he had driven in from Iowa.. Right now, he is no where near ready to start driving that kind of distance.. But he will be... He will have to start out driving shorter distances and build up to that kind of driving again. When he leaves, he may not stop for 4-5 hours and then it is just to fuel up and hit the road again. He will have to learn to stop every 2 hours or so and get out and walk a little bit... But that too he will learn how to do.
We are hoping to go to Roy's this weekend for a little bit, not sure how long we will be able to stay, but he says he needs to see Roy, They really hit if off last August when we went to get my swing that Roy had built for me. Mom and dad are supposed to go with us.. We may go over to the lake tomorrow and spend the day with mom and dad, not sure how Larry will be feeling when I get home. I am back to work 6 hours a day, That leaves him alone 8 hours and I do not like doing that, but I have to close out the year at work, so I have to be here some..
Speaking of work, I have invoices to process...

Later... Keep praying for strength, him and ME!!!!!

~In the Words of Louis Grizzard~

"They Ripped My Heart Out and Stomped That Sucker Flat", Yeap, that is what happened to Larry on Saturday, May 23, his sister's 61st Birthday and the office manager's 51 st Birthday.... What an eye opening learning experience. How it all began.... Went to the Doc on Friday morning 9 AM to get a new script for his Blood Pressure Medication.. I went to see what he said about the cold Larry had about a month ago and why he gets so short of breath, (I knew he would not say anything about it unless I was there, because he knew I would if he did not). The doc did an EKG (electrocardiogram), then another, then another, a total of 4.. He did not like the looks of it, so we also did a chest x-ray, his heart was enlarged.. He showed us on the EKG where the T-waves were inverted and that was a sign of a heartattack .. He left the room and when he came back about 15 minutes later, we were told that Dr. Greer (cardiologist) was waiting for us at Baptist Hospital.. So we drove straight there, with copies of the EKG in our hand.. Mom called me while we were inroute to the Hospital and wanted to know what I had decided about dinner and Graduation, was I going to meet them there or ride with them. I told her, I was not sure at that moment, I had somethings to wrap up and then I would let her know. Did not tell her what was going on.. When we arrived, they did he initial intake info, then they triage, then they took Larry back and I finished the paperwork, because Dr. Greer was literally waiting for us. He looked at the EKG and listened to Larry and we were told he was scheduled for a Heart Cath in 30 minutes. Larry asked about a stress test and was told, "you are beyond that"... So we go for the Heart cath, which we were told would take no more than an hour, either they would find nothing, and then they would be out in 30 minutes, or they would do balloons/stints and be out in an hour.. At that point I called mom and let them know what was going on. While I was waiting, my boss called with a work question. I was crying, scared to death... she asked what was going on, so I told her where I was and what we were doing. She asked who was with me and of course no one was, By the time mom and dad could have gotten there the heart cath was supposed to be over. I told her I was OK, just in shock.. The next thing I knew, she walked in the door ( my office is only 5 minutes from the Hospital). I was glad not to be alone. After an hour, they came out and told me everything was going well and they were about half way through, now I had been told it would take no more than an hour to begin with and now I am being told after the hour, they are halfway finished. I really got upset, Marilyn tried to justify it, they got a late start, so I was kinda OK, but had this gut feeling that something was really wrong... An hour later, they came and got us and took us to a conference room, Marilyn said she would step out when the doc came in and I asked her to stay.. The first thing he asked me is "Are you the one that got him to the Doc", I said I strongly suggested he go, then I was told I had just "Saved His Life", Still not letting myself think about surgery. I asked how many stints did we have and again I heard those words, "You are beyond that", we have to do "SURGERY" I was shocked and terrified.... He began to describe and draw pics of the blockages, His LAD (Widow Maker, main artery) was 99% Blocked.... Had he moved the wrong way, that would have shifted and he would have instantly been gone and there would have been nothing anyone could do to save him. Now remember Larry travels all the time with his work, he had come in from Sioux City, IA on Wednesday evening.. We are so very BLESSED that this happened like it did... He could have been away somewhere and it happened.. But, let's don't go there, that did not happen. The Good Lord saw fit for him to be at home. So we discuss Surgery, when, They were already trying to schedule it with the Surgeon and it would be Sat or Sun at the latest, Now remember this is a Holiday weekend... All of this has happened in 5 hours... I am a basket case by now. I have to pull myself together, because they will be bringing him out shortly..
Now I have phone calls to make, My parents, his sisters, my sons,, his boss... etc.... They are not letting us go home, so I have to ask mom to go to the house and bring me some clothes and stuff, because I may be here awhile..
Mom and dad get there around 4:30 because they are meeting for the Graduation/Birthday (Maranda on Sunday) dinner at PF Changs..
The Surgeon comes in at 5 and explains to us what is happening and what is about to happen. We talk to him for over an hour.. We will have surgery at 7:30 Sat. AM.. So within 22 hours we have gone through all this and will be in surgery...
So the rest of the night, we are in x-ray, ultrasound, echo, blood draws, Now keep in mind, Larry has not been in the hospital or had ANY type procedure done since he was 7 and cut his wrist.. So he is not liking this at ALL... At 4 AM they come in and wake him up to draw ABG (Arterial Blood Gasses), this is drawn out of an artery and hurts like all get out... REALLY BAD.. He is squeezing my hand so hard I about go to the floor, but I stand there and talk him through it. Then at 6 they come get us and take us to Surgery waiting, I am trying really hard to be strong, but the longer we sit there the more the tears roll.. His sisters called and said they were in the waiting room, So I asked one of the nurses if they could come back and so they got them. Then off to SURGERY!!!!!! I told them I wanted some of his drugs, he would be asleep and not know anything, so I was the one that needed the don't care stuff, but I did not get it. I was told they had about an hour prep and then surgery would begin. That would take about 4 hours. So we wait, Mom, Dad, Mary, Linda, Roger, Patti and I.... and we wait, and we wait, etc. at 11 we were told they were closing up... and we waited, and waited... I walk to the doorway and stand, tears just rolling,,, and I see the surgeon (Dr. Martino it is 12:30) and he is SMILING.. So I know things went well. So he explained what he did and that we should be able to see him shortly, he would be in CVICU for the next 48 hours or so and that would be the critical time.
So at 1 were allowed to see him.. Words cannot describe what I saw, tubes, wires, monitors,, machines,, everywhere.... And my husband, laying there with a machine breathing for him, motionless... A man that is NEVER still, we had planned to finish the trailer and start on the Wheel Horses this weekend... and here he lies not moving at all, not even breathing on his own.. I am terrified, all I can do is cry.. But he is alive and the docs say he is doing great... I am thinking what do they know, they do not know this man and how active he is..
Mom and dad leave to take care of some things, but Mary, Linda and Roger are staying for awhile. Linda will not go see him, She cannot stand all the machines and tubes, and that is OK. Mary and I go back in at 5 and we have to wait, because they are pulling the vent tube.. Finally he will be breathing on his own.. We are asked to not let him talk, just talk to him..
Mary, Linda and Roger leave, I would be fine, he is doing really good, and I just needed some alone time to think about all this and try to absorb it and get some of my crying out so I can be strong for him when he knows I am there. I go back to see him and get to stay for an hour at 8... He told me it sure was good to open his eyes and see me standing there... Then I told his nurse I will be in the waiting room if he needs me in the night.. I am assigned a couch to sleep on... I have my phone on vibrate in my pocket.. Just in case... About 4 AM, I sat straight up on that couch and just had a warm feeling, did not know what that was, but I went back to sleep. At 6 my phone vibrates, scared the bageebees out of me.. It was Larry's nurse, He had been asking for me since, you got it, "4". He did not remember me being there the night before, She told him, I had had a rough day and let's wait till 6 and let her get some rest and then she would call me back there. So he was content with that, but kept asking how much longer till 6.. I got to stay back there for another hour till shift change... Then I went and found me a shower and changed my clothes, I had been wearing mine for 2 days now... He was doing well and I needed to feel better and felt that would help. I got to go back in at 8, they had him eating breakfast, scrambled eggs and all.. Then after that visit, I went and got breakfast.. I was called around 11:30 to come to the desk, My heart sank,, but it was to tell me they were moving him upstairs to a room, HALLELUJAH God is SO GOOD!!!!! It was less than 24 hours in CVICU and we are going upstairs, in a WHEELCHAIR no less, not a bed... Things progressed from there, drain tubes began to be pulled and replaced with just bandages,, They keep telling us how well he is doing and I can see him getting stronger each day... The nurses and the staff are just great.. He is a model patient.. Day 5 after Surgery, Thursday, We get to go home. Boy, am I SCARED.. now it is up to me to take care of him. I have no one watching this little heart monitor, I have to watch him.. But I can do this... Does he mind me and rest when we get home, NO... He ends up getting TOO TIRED and does not rest last night. Today we will do better.. I am going to give him a shower in a little bit.. that should make him feel alot better,, In fact he is wanting to do that now. So I will update more later.. I have to go play nurse....

Thanks to EVERYONE FOR ALL THE PRAYERS, that is what got us where we are right now..

~Wrong Click~

I am really upset with myself right now.. I had a spreadsheet that is 180 lines lone. I keyed information in to it and deleted what I did not need at this particular time and instead of clicking "Save AS", I slipped and just clicked SAVE... Now I need the rest of the information I had deleted, and it is GONE!!!!! Now I will spend about 5 hours re-creating that spreadsheet.. THose of you that deal with spreadsheets, realize this is not going to be an easy task.. I do not have time for this, this is Year end and I am in a real time crunch.. I know, I need to be doing that instead of typing this, but, I really just need a stress relief and typing is a real good one for me, and this is a good place to just do alot of typing...
Reunion:: It is only 8 days until the Family Reunion. I am excited. It will be interesting to see who all actually shows up... I am sure there will be people, I have never seen or have not seen in no telling how many years.. It will hopefully be a full day of catching up and hearing all kinds of stories of my parents growing up days, wonder what kind of secrets will be revealed??? Might be INTERESTING!!!!!!
The day after the reunion, my baby grand daughter and her mother leave for CA. Deanna's mother is having knee replacement and Deanna and Kelsey are going out for 3 weeks to help her out. I am excited that Kelsey's other Grandma will get to spend some time with her, hope most of it is Cindy feeling good time.. I am so BLESSED to have my entire family as close to me as they all are. My oldest brother and his family has recently moved to Texarkana, but still that is only 2 hours away and they come to Sheridan fairly often. The rest of us are within 20 minutes of each other. I guess Buck lives the next farthest from me and that is only 15 minutes if I go the back roads from my house.. I can do that as long as we have not had alot of rain recently. The water has just now receeded enough I can go that way, and guess what, we are expecting more rain for the next 4 days, then dry weather again. There is only a 10% chance of rain the day of the Reunion. I hope it is gorgeous weather and not extremely hot.. We will have a WONDERFUL DAY, at least I will.. I just found out some that are going to be there, but I am not telling.. You will have to be there to find out who all is there.. I think I need to pick up some name tags for everyone.. What do ya think??

OK< I think I have settled down a little about the spreadsheet. I guess I will get to re-building it, It is not going to re-build itself and I do have invoices that I need to get paid and I have to have that spreadsheet to do it with. SO here I go..

Later all, God Bless and Keep you in your travels to Sheridan Rec Center for the Brown Reunion...

~Life Goes On~

It has been almost a month since I posted.. Sorry,, but LIFE Happens... What has been going on for the last Month... Where do I start???

Larry and I bought and halfway re-built a wooden trailer to pull behind the tractors for a Hayride... Can't wait to get it painted (if it EVER quits RAINING). It too will be RED.. "If it ain't Red, leave it in the Shed"

We had Easter egg hunt and Strawberry shortcake at mom's, the Sunday after Easter (it was RAINING on Easter)... It also rained the morning we had it, but it quit and cleared off, mom and dad's yard drains really well, so we were able to hide about 100 eggs for the kids to hunt.. Strawberry short cake was wonderful, we also had stuff to make banana splits or ice cream sundae's for whomever prefered them.. We all sat outside on the patio and had a WONDERFUL visit. We just do not do nearly enough of that.. Mom had made dressing and we were sitting there talking and Buck said he had to go have more of that, he did not get to eat Mamaw's cooking nearly enough anymore..

The following Sunday, I took the girls to Disney on Ice - Mickey and Minnie's Memories.. It was Great. I think they really enjoyed it and I know I did. I sure like having little ones, I can use and an excuse to go see things like that. A girl that works with Deanna, got the tickets FREE for me. No, I did not get out of there without dropping a small fortune. I treated the girls to McDonald's for lunch (their choice, not mine), then I paid $10.00 to park,, Then I bought them a SnoCone in a Stitch (Lilo & Stitch), mug that cost me $10.00 EACH... Then I ended up eating 2 of the snocones, because they did not like them.. YES it was well worth it... Then we stopped and got a snack on the way home... I really enjoyed the afternoon...

The first weekend in May, Larry and I took a road trip to pick up a couple of Wheel Horses. If you have not heard of them , they are miniature tractors. They are smaller than a riding lawnmower, but look just like a big tractor. Yes, we have developed a thing for Tractors... Here is a picture of one of the ones we got. We got 2 of them and a mower deck, cultivator and turning plow for them. We will restore them as we did the other Farmalls.. If the weather will cooperate so we can finish the trailer and then get started on these.. I can't wait.. I think the girls will have a good time riding them around the yard.. One of them is a 1960 and the other a 1964... Yes, I know one of them is as old as me.... We got back in late Sunday from that trip, and back to work on Monday, I spent Wednesday and Thursday at Hot Springs at a Public Health Convention. I rushed back on Thursday evening to attend Kelsey's Spring Gymnastics Program. She was a HOOT, She had us all laughing so hard, tears were just rolling. Rocky leaned over and said, I think she has ALOT of Uncle Showtimes (Bruce) personality in her. Nana could not miss that. Mom, dad, Mandy and the girls all got to attend.. Then back to work on Friday to find out it was the deadline for entering purchase orders for this Fiscal Year. So it was a really crazy busy day.. No lunch bread that day...
Sunday was Mother's Day, I had gotten mom a Red Leaf Japanese Maple while I was in Hot Springs.. I had intended to take them to lunch, but I did not call them early enough. I was waiting till they got out of church, but did not know they get out earlier (I know I should have been there, but I was not), so they were almost in Little Rock when I called. I will make it up to them.. Pam and Tony had been over on Saturday nite, James called on Sunday, he is in Texarkana working now. I did go over and spend some time after they got back from LR..
If the weather clears some, Larry and I are taking mom and dad with us to a Tractor show, parade, races, etc... this weekend in Nashville AR.. That will be a fun trip.. I am anxious to go. On the way we are going to discuss and start planning our trip later this year. We are trying to go to the Redwoods, Larry has never seen them and it has been YEARS since I have.. Would love to see them again.. Planning to take mom and dad with us.. It is our turn to do for them..

Well, I think I have caught up. Will try to post more often, just right now is BUSY BUSY time.. Trying to close out the year at work and help on the Reunion coming up in 2 WEEKS... Right now I feel like the little engine that COULD,, I think I can, I think I can,,, etc.... I can do this...

LOVE and BLESSINGS to ALL!!!!!!!!

~work work work~

It seems that is all I do. My job is really busy right now and will be till the end of July. We have decided to move our payroll department down to the 3rd floor and not renew the lease on 4th floor where they currently are. So it is my job to schedule and supervise the move. I have 4 guys coming on Monday to move stuff around on 3rd floor to make room for them. Then I have a moving company coming on Wednesday to actually move them down stairs. I also have a shredding company coming Monday to pick up untold pounds of old patient records that have to be shred, I have people scheduled to round up all the old broken equipment to be cataloged and sent to the state equipment graveyard. I am throwing away and getting rid of lots of JUNK!!!! We have really gotten bad about letting things pile up and I can't stand it any more. Of course my regular duties will suffer from this and therefore I will have to really work hard week after next to get all that caught up. There used to be 2 people that did this job, but one left and they did not replace her, since I showed them I could do it (Big mistake). I did not complain about not having enough time to get everything done, I just pushed myself and did it, so they thought I could handle it and so I have for the last 5 years. Then came AASIS, that doubled my work load, then came DHS and that again doubled what had already been doubled but I continue to push and manage to get it all done. OH well, I guess that is why I will loose time this year if I do not take 25 days off between now and the 31st of December. I just hate to take more than a day at a time, because it is too hard to try and catch up.

On a more happy note. I am getting excited about the reunion. Sheri and her family are going to try to be there. Mom and I got all the information typed the other nite. I am getting it printed this weekend and mailed out. Please fill out the form and send (snail or e-mail) back to me. I am trying to put together a family directory, names, addresses, birthdates and phone numbers, etc.... to be handed out at the reunion. IF you are not able to attend and want one, I will mail to you. YOu will not be left out..

Mom, Dad, Larry and I are going to a Tractor Parade/Race on the 16th of May. I am excited about that. Larry and I are trying to purchase a Wheel Horse, which is an old riding lawn mower that looks just like a miniature tractor. We have found some, we are just trying to get time to go look/get them.. We will restore them and use them probably for the girls to ride at the house, we will have a turning plow, cultivator and mower deck with them. Cember wants to cut the grass for us with the riding mower this year. I am going to let her try the next time she is at the house and see how she does. I will probably have to take turns with her and Kiefer. Kiefer wants to do it also, But I think Cember will be in Mississippi most of the summer, Buck is supposed to be working down there and possibly Bruce, not sure on that yet, I think sometime mid June he is supposed to be there. If so, this will be a long summer for me..

Well gotta get off for now. Time to go..

God Richly Bless each of you.

~Where do I start~

Crazy, busy life... What has been going on you say,,, well, where do I start.... Things at work are gearing up for year end. That is a busy, crazy time of year. Trying to spend what is left in this years budget, closing out PO's, getting invoices in and paid. Getting geared up to re-key all the PO's for the copier leases for the next Fiscal Year, (I have 95 that all have to be keyed in on the first 2-3 days after July 4th when we can get back into the system. We are locked out from about the 20th of June to the second business day after July 4th. So I will be crying with my hands hurting so bad from all the constant keying. But I will survive, I do every year.
The first week in May I will be at our annual convention in Hot Springs. I will probably stay at the lake house and not drive back and forth everyday, since it is only 20 miles from the convention center. I used to do the exhibits, but it got too hard on my joints pounding that concrete floor for 3 days, so now I do registration, I get to sit down for most of that.

Larry and I have been doing some work in the yard, digging up and setting out Dogwoods, Wysteria, Red buds, and Roses. We have been moving some dirt around and trying to decide what to do in the circle out front. Still not sure there. But we are going to play with it this weekend and try to come up with something.

I have been trying to gather addresses of all family members to send out reunion info to,, Please send your's(snail and e-mail) to me, just to make sure I have it. Along with the reunion info I am requesting family stats and am planning to put together a family directory. So please get me the completed questionaire as soon as you can, after I send it out that is.

Last weekend Larry and I went to a tractor show up town just to see how ours compares to the ones they have. We are I would say as good as some and better than others. Mom and dad asked why we did not take ours up there. We really just did them to see if we can, Now that we know we can and do a real good job at it, we may take them next time. We are going to another tractor show in Nashville AR on the 16th of May, We have asked mom and dad to go with us for the day. I called to get more info on it and was asked how many we would be bringing and what models they are. I told them we would not be bringing them this time. I was asked to at least bring pictures if I have them. So maybe we will do that, but Larry is looking for a trailer to haul them on, if he decided to show them. We got out on Saturday afternoon and he and I had tractor races on these roads out here for about an hour. The neighbors got a good laugh out of that. We had a blast doing it. Then it was put the toys up and get back to work.
Sunday we mowed the entire yard, he did the riding mower and I did the push mower (to make sure nothing got cut down) for 2 hours each. I was tuckered when I stopped...

Buck and Bruce got laid off in Batesville on Thursday and came home. Buck goes back to white bluff on the 14th and Bruce went today. He thought he was not going until the 20th, so he was planning some turkey hunting, but he got called yesterday and asked why he was not there. so he had to go today. I was glad to get them back home. I think they are planning to go to somewhere in MS sometime in May or June for about 6 - 8 weeks, not sure about that yet.

Mom, dad, Larry and I have got to get together and plan our trip this summer. now that we know pretty much we are going to get to do it, I am getting excited about it. Now we just have to decide where and when... We know we are going to Fly.. so the how is taken care of, then we will rent a car when we get there..
Larry and I are going to Branson again this year on July 4th. We like to go junk shopping there, it is alot of fun. sometimes we find some neat stuff and sometimes not. But we like to look.. Then we just walk and look in the craft stores and sit and watch people. I love to do that. It is amazing what all you see, when you just sit and look.

Well gotta go and get some sleep. I will try to post more often than I have been.

Nite all..

~Catching Up~

Well, I have the Pavilion at the REC center reserved all day on Saturday, May 30th for the Family Reunion. Now to get addresses and get notices out. The pool will be open, there is handball, tennis courts, basketball courts (inside and outside), walking track, skateboard park, pool tables, playground and other sports available. Kevin and his brothers are trying to keep this date open so they can bring their stuff and we can have an old fashioned singing. As for food, I am thinking bring grills and grill hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken, what ever you want, then have chips dips, potato salads, cookie puddin and other side items and desserts, Any suggestions???

Well, now for what has been going on. Larry and I are hard at it again in the yard, we have put out 600 lbs of lime and 550 lbs of fertilizer (3 weeks apart). The grass is greening up more and more every day. I promise we thought we could hear it growing last weekend. It is supposed to storm here today, Thanks Sheri for sending it our way, We need some rain to soak the fertilize into the ground, just not the severe weather. We also set out 3 red buds that we dug up at mom and dad's, thanks, then we dug up 2 dogwoods in the woods and set them in the yard. Everytime the dogwoods bloom I think of my Grandma McLemore. She always wanted to come to Arkansas to see the dogwoods in bloom, kinda ironic, that when she passed away, the dogwoods were in full bloom. I remember that morning mom and dad left for CA, then that night I got a call they had an accident in Tucumcary NM and mom and Pam were in the hospital. That was scary, I felt so helpless, but I stayed home as dad had asked me to, he had all he could handle there and did not need the worry of me being on my way there. Then again, I had 3 little ones. That was a bad year all the way around, that Dec., Mike and I separated, but I won't go into all that..

The woods in AR are so pretty in the spring, with all the dogwoods and red buds in bloom. I just love to drive down all the back roads and look at all the blooms. Larry and I did that some on Saturday, only we were also looking for small dogwoods that we could dig up and plant in the yard. I was supposed to see about getting top soil hauled this week, but with the rain, that would be a waste of time and money, so I will wait on that.. We did get out the roses, actually Rocky and I did that on Wednesday, then Larry and I put the landscape blocks around them on Friday evening, then the weed barrier and the mulch. Then Saturday up early and put out fertilize and trees. It was a full day and we hurt that evening. We kept making the mistake of stopping and sitting for a little bit, then the getting up part was murder. It will get better, just in time to do it all over again this weekend..

Well all for now. I have a cake in the oven. Gotta go check that then work on mom and dad's taxes..
Later ALL.

Mark your calender for the Reunion..

~I'm Late for an Important Date~

I just cannot find time these days to keep up with my stuff... A VERY LATE HAPPY BIRTHDAY to My Dad and My Middle Son, Rocky.. They were both born on March 10th, 41 years apart.. A Very Happy Birthday to you both.

The weather here is so crazy right now. Over the weekend, it was in the upper 70's and even low 80's, today it is 34 and raining. Larry is coming home from Kansas City and he is almost in Fort Smith and it is sleeting and snowing on him. Mandy went to Batesville yesterday to take Buck some warmer clothes, and now she is trying to get home and it is snowing on her. Then by Sunday it is back in the upper 60's and by mid next week into the upper 70's. Maybe this will be our last cold snap (at least last one this cold), The low tonite is 32 and the high tomorrow is 45.. I want WARM weather.

In my last post Bruce was expecting on heading for Batesville on Sunday or Monday, hopefully with a day to rest in between. Well,,,,, He did get laid off Monday at 4:00 and instructed to report to the job site in Batesville on Tuesday morning at 7.. No rest in between. So I hurried home and helped him gather up all his stuff, I had kept it washed up just in case this happened. And it is a good thing we did. He left around 6:30 headed to Batesville. I got a text at 9:15 "I'm here, good nite". I guess he and Buck will be there for the next 5-10 weeks. So I am HOME ALONE!!!! Larry will be in Tonite sometime and back out on Monday. SO during the week for awhile, it will be just me.. But that is OK. I like it out here. I'm NOt Skerd... I have "Watch Deer"...

I wanted to work on a Rose Garden this weekend, but I guess that will have to wait. Larry and I are taking mom and dad out for dinner on Saturday for Dad's Birthday. Not sure yet where we will be going. I told him it was his choice.

Well better get off and get some more things done. WIll post more later.

~Run, Run, Run~

That seems to be all I do these days. How did I have time to help mom and dad all those years, it seems I have NO Time to do things now. I want to spend more time with mom and dad, but where am I going to find the time... I did go over on "President's Day" and spend most of the day with them. We had Lunch, Soup with Chicken and Stir fry" It was REALLY Good, and a pain of PLAIN cornbread, (all I get to make at home is Mexican). I loved it, MOm and I worked on some quilts, I showed her a few things and she showed me a few. I am going to have to take a day off and do that again... No more holidays until Memorial Day.
Last week, Buck & Bruce were told they would be going to Batesville soon, so, I have been trying to keep Bruce's clothes washed up (I do this anyway, but I am paying particularly close attention to it now). Well, Buck got told at 1 yesterday they needed him in Batesville today at 7 am. He said he could not make that, but he could be there Saturday am. So, last nite, we were busy (after I ran my errands in town, went to Kelsey's gymnastics, and did water aerobics) , gathering up last minute things I had at the house for the camper. Buck, Mandy and the girls are taking that up today and get it set up, Mandy and the girls are staying for the weekend. Bruce was told he should be shipping out Sunday or Monday for batesville.
Yesterday was Bruce's 26th Birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY SON!!! Boy did that time pass fast. They all came over for dinner on Wednesday nite. I made a statement about Bruce's age and Rocky, said "Yes, that means I am going to be "28" on Tuesday, Deanna and I could not remember how old I was and I knew someone would mention Bruce's age and then we would know" He is so silly. Then he went on to say "that means Buck will be" and BUCK Stopped him, "Don't even go there brother". I am so glad they are close again. I can remember a day when they were not and it ripped my heart out. I get along with my brothers and sister, but sometimes I really DON'T LIKE THEM!!!!!!! and I am sure they feel the same about me...
I laughed at Buck and Rocky, they went to look at the tractors and could not figure out how to start mine. I had to show them, but then the battery was down on it. So, Larry will have to charge it for me and show me how to hook up the charger (it is a negative charge system).

I had a really good Valentines Day, if you ever want to hide something from me, just leave it in plain sight. Larry had bought me this HUGE teddy bear to sit on the bed. He put it on the bed Friday afternoon before I got home. Did I see it??? NO!!!!!! I went in there several times to get to the bathroom, of course, I did not turn on the bedroom light. He kept saying how tired he was, and I told him to go to bed. I had things I wanted to finish up, but he could go to bed, he kept saying in a bit.. Well, now I know why he was saying that. SILLY ME>> well Saturday morning when I got up (for a change, after Larry did) I started making the bed, when I went to put all the pillows on it is when I found the TEDDY BEAR sitting in the corner by the pillows.. I was shocked.. I will have to add pics of the girls with him for you to see how large he is. I love it. Kelsey was trying to drag it into the living room the other nite to show everyone, it was more than she could drag..

Well gotta go help someone, will add to or post again later.

~lots of catching up~

The last couple of weeks have really been crazy.. Larry and I finished my tractor and I drove it this past Sunday... It really will scoot. I loved it.

Here is the before and the after... quite a difference... We have new neighbors, just moved in 3 weeks ago. They are really young, just married 10 months, when they came over to introduce themselves, she wanted to know "Does it run", (we were outside in the pout house working on it). I drove it for quite awhile on Sunday, thinking they would get back home and she could see it run, but they came in about 20 minutes after I put it up, it was really getting cold out there. Maybe this weekend she can see it. I know we should have gone over and welcomed them and introduced ourselves, but they had alot of company and they were busy unloading and we did not want to intrude. I was planning to bake something and take over later in the week, no I still have not gotten that done, It is supposed to rain here most all day Saturday, sounds like a good day for baking to me..

I have managed to finish Kelsey's quilt top and do another one out of the Blues and purples in Cember and Gabby's, boy did that turn out pretty. This and Kelsey's is more a lapquilt size, Since Kelsey is only 28 lbs, she would get lost in even a twin size. Then last Saturday, the weather was yucky and I really got bored so I cleaned out the sewing machine drawer, I found a jumpsuit I had cut out many many many years ago, along with the fabric for a blouse to go with it, decided I was apparently not going to sew it up and if I did, I was not going to wear it, so I cut it and the blouse fabric into squares and I am doing a 9 patch quilt top out of it. I will probably finish that one this weekend as well.

If the weather is just semi-yucky on Saturday, I think Larry and I are going junk shopping. We have gotten to where we like to just go dig and look in old flea market type stores, you never know what you will find.. That is where I found a churn and then a jar for it.. Then my SIL does victorian style lamp shades, so we are always finding odd shaped lampshades/frames that she can use for those that we get for a dollar or two for her. Who knows what we may decide to do. Buck and Bruce are getting ready to go to Batesville (about 2 1/2 hours from home) to work for about 6 weeks. They are taking a camper, to save on the living expenses while they are there. Mandy and the girls will go up just about every weekend to clean the camper and do laundry for them. They work 7 12 hour days when they are on these power plant shut down maintenance jobs. They may have 1 or 2 days between jobs. They are currently at White Bluff (30 minutes from home), Bruce is working in the coal yard, so every nite (8 PM) when he gets home, he practically strips outside to keep from tracking the coal dust through the house. That saves alot. He comes home and all you can see on his face is his lips and his eyeballs. Picture the look on Kelsey's face when he came in last nite and spoke to her, she did not know who he was and it upset him because she was scared of him. She knew he sounded like uncle Boo, but he sure did not look like him.

Well gotta go, close out the month at work and get home. Will update more later.

LOVE and GODS BLESSING to ALL!!!