The bowling alley here in town gives free bowling cards to the kids for the summer. They can bowl (shoes included) one free game everyday. Isnt that awesome! So we have been bowling alot lately. The boys are getting competitive and have made ribbons for the winner each time we go. So that is where we are going today!
We went to Six Flags this past Saturday and I took lots of fun pictures that I cant share with you because my adaptor cable for my camera is still MIA. Its just kinda boring to say "we went to six flags" and not back it up with some fun pictures of the kids on the rides. I will see if I can find one while Im out today running errands. I just know that as soon as I break down and buy one, mine will turn up.
Anyway, Im off to watch my boys bowl their little hearts out. Have a GREAT day!
Thursday, June 29, 2006
Thursday, June 22, 2006
Im melting
Well I was going to upload and share with yall the cute pink and maroon dress I sewed for Rob....haha, just checking to see if you were paying attention.... Eve. But apparently our child that I don't remember giving birth to "not me" has taken off with my adapter cable. So no pictures today.
So instead I will just complain about THE HEAT! Some of you will gasp when I tell you that our home does not have central heat and air. And from speaking to others in the area who have opted to put it in their 3500+ sq ft homes, it resulted in energy bills larger than their house payments. That is something we have opted against for the near future. Maybe when the house is paid off we can afford the energy payment and will install it then. So how is a Texas summer with out AC? Not fun!! We do have window units in all the bedrooms upstairs and in the library and dining room downstairs. Some of these are newly added just this summer. I look back on those past summers and wonder how in the world we survived. The first summer, we had 1 air conditioner in the boys dorm room. So the kids all slept well. Then the next summer we added one in our room because a baby was on the way. Then this past summer we added 3 more. 1 in the nursery (Eves room) and the 2 downstairs. We need one more in the living room and that should cover it. But even having the window units...it gets hot! The rooms and hallways without air, in the hot of the day stay at 85-90 degrees. So we hang out in the smaller rooms because they hold the air in better. Im not sure how I did it last year with no air in the downstairs of the house. But I am soooo happy there is some relief this year.
I give my humble ode to those who wore layers of dresses, aprons and bonnets while working in the hot summers. That's when woman were woman. LOL I feel a certain kinship to those woman of old and bach at those who bask in there artificial 75 degree environment. Just Kidding...Im really jealous of you. So go cook dinner in comfort and I have got some dishes to do in the sauna.
So instead I will just complain about THE HEAT! Some of you will gasp when I tell you that our home does not have central heat and air. And from speaking to others in the area who have opted to put it in their 3500+ sq ft homes, it resulted in energy bills larger than their house payments. That is something we have opted against for the near future. Maybe when the house is paid off we can afford the energy payment and will install it then. So how is a Texas summer with out AC? Not fun!! We do have window units in all the bedrooms upstairs and in the library and dining room downstairs. Some of these are newly added just this summer. I look back on those past summers and wonder how in the world we survived. The first summer, we had 1 air conditioner in the boys dorm room. So the kids all slept well. Then the next summer we added one in our room because a baby was on the way. Then this past summer we added 3 more. 1 in the nursery (Eves room) and the 2 downstairs. We need one more in the living room and that should cover it. But even having the window units...it gets hot! The rooms and hallways without air, in the hot of the day stay at 85-90 degrees. So we hang out in the smaller rooms because they hold the air in better. Im not sure how I did it last year with no air in the downstairs of the house. But I am soooo happy there is some relief this year.
I give my humble ode to those who wore layers of dresses, aprons and bonnets while working in the hot summers. That's when woman were woman. LOL I feel a certain kinship to those woman of old and bach at those who bask in there artificial 75 degree environment. Just Kidding...Im really jealous of you. So go cook dinner in comfort and I have got some dishes to do in the sauna.
Monday, June 19, 2006
All in the spirit of saving a few dollars
So when we first bought our home 2 years ago we tried going through Farm Bureau....who provides our other insurance needs, for our homeowners policy. Of course the house was, is, super old and needed painting at the time we bought it, so long story short they denied us. We had heard that getting insurance on large older homes in our area was not impossible, but difficult. We did find a company to cover us at a large increase in premium.
So here we are 2 years later and I thought what tha hay...lets try again. So they came out and took pictures and all that good stuff. I get a call from our insurance agent today Drew...yes we are on a first name basis with our insurance agent.....not because we are always making claims...infact we have never made a claim...I think that is just the perk of paying the company so much on a monthly basis. Our faces and names are probably on a poster in his office with the title over insured. Oh by the way Ann, Drew said to tell you hello, LOL...he really did!
OK Im getting back on track now, so he calls and says "well, the only problem they have is the door that leads to no where off your second story. There is this door you see, that actually leads to the roof, which used to be a deck on the roof of the kitchen. Im not sure... its weird. So yes, at the end of the hallway upstairs there is a door that leads out of the house, to nothing. I was shocked that THIS was the excuse they were going to use. They say its because someone might walk out the door not knowing there is nothing there and fall to their death.
So, I plead my case. I pull out the old faithful "look, we have lived here for 2 years with 5 small boys, dont you think that if someone were going to get that door open and fall off they would have done it by now?"
Then I say well we will just nail it closed and take the door knob off? Apparently not good enough either. Then I remembered that my husband just bought some gorilla glue at Home Depot, I promised we would gorilla glue it shut. He laughed hysterically for a good few minutes at that one. What?...I was serious.
Then I asked if we could just put up a sign on the inside of the door that read "if you can actually pry this gorilla glued door open and walk 10 feet to the edge of the roof, then plummet to your demise, you deserve the 300,000 in liability insurance, only those truly committed may enter"
So long story short if we want better coverage and cheaper premiums we have to remove the door and either wall it in or make it a window. Is nothing ever easy? You would think that the garage that is falling over and might crush someone at any moment would be more of a hazard? But I am just a silly consumer, what do I know?
So here we are 2 years later and I thought what tha hay...lets try again. So they came out and took pictures and all that good stuff. I get a call from our insurance agent today Drew...yes we are on a first name basis with our insurance agent.....not because we are always making claims...infact we have never made a claim...I think that is just the perk of paying the company so much on a monthly basis. Our faces and names are probably on a poster in his office with the title over insured. Oh by the way Ann, Drew said to tell you hello, LOL...he really did!
OK Im getting back on track now, so he calls and says "well, the only problem they have is the door that leads to no where off your second story. There is this door you see, that actually leads to the roof, which used to be a deck on the roof of the kitchen. Im not sure... its weird. So yes, at the end of the hallway upstairs there is a door that leads out of the house, to nothing. I was shocked that THIS was the excuse they were going to use. They say its because someone might walk out the door not knowing there is nothing there and fall to their death.
So, I plead my case. I pull out the old faithful "look, we have lived here for 2 years with 5 small boys, dont you think that if someone were going to get that door open and fall off they would have done it by now?"
Then I say well we will just nail it closed and take the door knob off? Apparently not good enough either. Then I remembered that my husband just bought some gorilla glue at Home Depot, I promised we would gorilla glue it shut. He laughed hysterically for a good few minutes at that one. What?...I was serious.
Then I asked if we could just put up a sign on the inside of the door that read "if you can actually pry this gorilla glued door open and walk 10 feet to the edge of the roof, then plummet to your demise, you deserve the 300,000 in liability insurance, only those truly committed may enter"
So long story short if we want better coverage and cheaper premiums we have to remove the door and either wall it in or make it a window. Is nothing ever easy? You would think that the garage that is falling over and might crush someone at any moment would be more of a hazard? But I am just a silly consumer, what do I know?
Friday, June 16, 2006
I haven't posted a good yucky post in a while.....
....so here goes. As you know we buried our beloved Diddy the cat a few days ago. Today, I had sat down at the computer and heard some scratching noise on the side of the house that the cat is buried on. So I gasp in fear that my concern a few days ago was coming true.
I jump up and look out the window to see it....yes....the dog was digging him up. Devon was standing there and I yell, RUN DEVON....RUN. He knew what I was talking about without me even saying what was wrong. The smell apparently on day 3 of being buried is pretty bad and the dog smelled it and wanted to find out what it was.
We caught him right before he got to the blue blanket he was wrapped up in was visible(this dog can dig wholes like no other). The smell was putrid, pregnantly nauseous or not. We covered him back up and I advised Devon to find a bunch of rocks to put over the cat in hopes that the dog will not try it again.
So I am spending my whole day looking out the window. I need to run to the bread store but I am afraid of what I might come home to. The best part is that I emailed Rob to let him know what Maverick (the dog) did. And his reply was "sorry, I thought that might happen once the cat started stinking" Yep, love you to sweety!
So there you go, are ya grossed out yet? If not give me a few more hours and Im sure I can come up with something else that is sure to deliver.
I jump up and look out the window to see it....yes....the dog was digging him up. Devon was standing there and I yell, RUN DEVON....RUN. He knew what I was talking about without me even saying what was wrong. The smell apparently on day 3 of being buried is pretty bad and the dog smelled it and wanted to find out what it was.
We caught him right before he got to the blue blanket he was wrapped up in was visible(this dog can dig wholes like no other). The smell was putrid, pregnantly nauseous or not. We covered him back up and I advised Devon to find a bunch of rocks to put over the cat in hopes that the dog will not try it again.
So I am spending my whole day looking out the window. I need to run to the bread store but I am afraid of what I might come home to. The best part is that I emailed Rob to let him know what Maverick (the dog) did. And his reply was "sorry, I thought that might happen once the cat started stinking" Yep, love you to sweety!
So there you go, are ya grossed out yet? If not give me a few more hours and Im sure I can come up with something else that is sure to deliver.
Thursday, June 15, 2006
What The day Holds
This will be a boring post....its what I have to do today. (if my car will start)
1) Pay Bills
2) Go to post office
3) Go to Wal-Mart and buy groceries and stuff
4) Boil Chicken for the week (cant wait to smell that smell, ughh)
5) Laundry
6) Clean bathrooms
All of this while wearing a little white up-chuck bag around my neck, and hoping that I can find something to duck behind when the urge comes. Oh happy days! Only 6 more weeks to go ;-((
1) Pay Bills
2) Go to post office
3) Go to Wal-Mart and buy groceries and stuff
4) Boil Chicken for the week (cant wait to smell that smell, ughh)
5) Laundry
6) Clean bathrooms
All of this while wearing a little white up-chuck bag around my neck, and hoping that I can find something to duck behind when the urge comes. Oh happy days! Only 6 more weeks to go ;-((
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
Ode to Baby Diddy
My husband walked in after work one day and inside his lunch box was this little tiny kitten. It had fallen asleep in the tire well of one of his co-workers trucks and ended up at work. So here is this cute little kitty, who Ethan lovingly would call baby diddy, henceforth came his name only shortened to Diddy. This cat became the possession of Devon, Im not sure why. Maybe because he and Devon just bonded.
So a year has passed sense Diddy came to live with us. He was an indoor-outdoor cat, and loved to fight with the neighborhood bully. Who beat him up on an every other day basis. So this past weekend he had a really bad tear on his tail and we took him into the vet. At the vet they gave him an FIV (feline aids) test and he tested positive. No dought that he got it from that bully neighborhood cat. Sighhhh, so we opted to put him to sleep, because it was only a matter of time before he got real sick. Devon cried ALL day. I felt so bad for him!
My awesome husband who has been working 13 hour shifts 7 days a week, with an hour and a half drive home stayed after work to weld a headstone together and then came home exhausted and dug a whole. The memorial service was sweet, Devon insisted on carrying him and placing him in the grave and then covering him up.
So farewell Diddy, I will miss you spraying on my couch (not really) and waking me up in the middle of the night so that I can let you outside. I will miss your hair being all over the house, and cleaning out your litter box. But the one who will miss you the most is Devon.
As your headstone says...Sleep Well...Diddy~!
So a year has passed sense Diddy came to live with us. He was an indoor-outdoor cat, and loved to fight with the neighborhood bully. Who beat him up on an every other day basis. So this past weekend he had a really bad tear on his tail and we took him into the vet. At the vet they gave him an FIV (feline aids) test and he tested positive. No dought that he got it from that bully neighborhood cat. Sighhhh, so we opted to put him to sleep, because it was only a matter of time before he got real sick. Devon cried ALL day. I felt so bad for him!
My awesome husband who has been working 13 hour shifts 7 days a week, with an hour and a half drive home stayed after work to weld a headstone together and then came home exhausted and dug a whole. The memorial service was sweet, Devon insisted on carrying him and placing him in the grave and then covering him up.
So farewell Diddy, I will miss you spraying on my couch (not really) and waking me up in the middle of the night so that I can let you outside. I will miss your hair being all over the house, and cleaning out your litter box. But the one who will miss you the most is Devon.
As your headstone says...Sleep Well...Diddy~!
Sunday, June 11, 2006
The uspoken part of the curse
You will bare children with great pain.....yep, that part is true....but the part that was left out is the....you will also feel like you are a walking zombie the first few months of pregnancy. With the urge to hurl at every smell that wafts your way. You will want to sit on the couch (or dirt floor as it would have been) and do nothing, because you feel like 3 day old poop.
BUT...... you wont be able to because you have breakfast to cook, and dishes to wash, and dirty diapers to change...usually 2 in a row. You have laundry to do and you still have to go grocery shopping, just stay as close to the bathroom as you can. Your children will still want lunch and dinner and that means more lofty lovely smells to get your gag reflexes rolling. I agree that feeling like you are being ripped apart for an hour during labor is disheartening, but if I must choose, I would say that the unspoken part of the curse is the real kicker.....so why on earth do we continue to have babies? Well, its all worth it when you look in that new little babies eyes and once again you are a mother. Will I do it again? .....I sure hope so!!!
BUT...... you wont be able to because you have breakfast to cook, and dishes to wash, and dirty diapers to change...usually 2 in a row. You have laundry to do and you still have to go grocery shopping, just stay as close to the bathroom as you can. Your children will still want lunch and dinner and that means more lofty lovely smells to get your gag reflexes rolling. I agree that feeling like you are being ripped apart for an hour during labor is disheartening, but if I must choose, I would say that the unspoken part of the curse is the real kicker.....so why on earth do we continue to have babies? Well, its all worth it when you look in that new little babies eyes and once again you are a mother. Will I do it again? .....I sure hope so!!!
Saturday, June 10, 2006
Eve's First Baby Doll
For her first birthday she recieved her very first baby doll. It is as big as she is! Perhaps we should have started a little smaller. LOL
A Hard Days Work
I just didnt have the heart to tell him that there isnt really a market for crayons made with the most loved Crayola Crayon Maker. The sign was super cute, it read Devons weird and wacky crayons....10 cents each! What a cute kid...if I do say so myself. LOL
Friday, June 09, 2006
Raising children you like to be around!
I love my children. Especially after being around someone else's children, who may not act exactly as you think children should. Which got me to thinking why are my children so well behaved? Well, the answer to that is simple. I expect them to be and will except nothing less. Are they perfect, hah, NO! But they know that I mean what I say...thats the key.
I have read many parenting books over the years. Some I agreed with quite a bit, others not so much. One thing is for sure if your children are less than enjoyable to be around, it is your fault!
Yes, there are difficult children...I have one. Who is the poster child for difficult, but he would never tell me NO to any thing I asked him to do and he knows that even after the struggles that he may throw into a situation, he is still going to end up doing what is asked of him.
My favorite child training site is http://www.raisinggodlytomatoes.com/
This is a wonderful tool for anyone who may have less than lovely children, or even if you have great children and just need a little encouragment. Parents it is our responsibility to raise kind, loving, respectful, responsible, hard working human beings. This is no small task! And for those of you who are in my shoes with many little blessings, its a full time job!
I have read many parenting books over the years. Some I agreed with quite a bit, others not so much. One thing is for sure if your children are less than enjoyable to be around, it is your fault!
Yes, there are difficult children...I have one. Who is the poster child for difficult, but he would never tell me NO to any thing I asked him to do and he knows that even after the struggles that he may throw into a situation, he is still going to end up doing what is asked of him.
My favorite child training site is http://www.raisinggodlytomatoes.com/
This is a wonderful tool for anyone who may have less than lovely children, or even if you have great children and just need a little encouragment. Parents it is our responsibility to raise kind, loving, respectful, responsible, hard working human beings. This is no small task! And for those of you who are in my shoes with many little blessings, its a full time job!
Tuesday, June 06, 2006
Well........
..... it happened. No matter how much I complained or tried to ignore it in hopes that it would just not come. It DID! You are officially one! Sooobbbb
I remember the day I looked in awe at you, like it was yesterday. I was shell shocked for weeks...to think that I, the mother of five boys could even house a girl in my testosterone friendly womb. What a miracle!
So there you were perfect in everyway. And you still are. You are the epitome of what a girl represents. Dainty, fragile, yet can swing and hit ya square on before you knew what happened. I just grin at you with such giddy pride as you lay on your back and kick your feet....and say to everyone watching, look at that "little girl fit" she is throwing isn't it the most precious thing you have ever seen? All kidding aside you have a sweet attitude most all the time. With a smile that could melt the coldest heart.
You are super nosy...which is just a slang way of saying you pay attention to everything around you, to the smallest detail. You will watch and study someone with great seriousness. While I am nursing you you will pull up your dress and rub your belly button....you love your belly button, checking at least 100 times through out the day to make sure no one has made off with it.
So what has changed around here sense your arrival 12 months ago, well...everything. There are the obvious things such as pink, frilly dresses. Hair barrettes and little panty hose.
There is actually a pink room in this house...that is something I never expected to have.
Then there are those things you can not see. My sons learning to protect and be gentle with little girls. Your daddy coming home to that big smile of yours and you pushing through all the boys to get to him to give him a hug. And me....well....I cant even begin to put into words the way you have changed my life. You have brought a joy to me that is unexplainable. I have a friend, a helper, a fellow dreamer, someone to pass on my legacy, as a woman, to.
I have a daughter! Happy birthday my precious Eve!
I remember the day I looked in awe at you, like it was yesterday. I was shell shocked for weeks...to think that I, the mother of five boys could even house a girl in my testosterone friendly womb. What a miracle!
So there you were perfect in everyway. And you still are. You are the epitome of what a girl represents. Dainty, fragile, yet can swing and hit ya square on before you knew what happened. I just grin at you with such giddy pride as you lay on your back and kick your feet....and say to everyone watching, look at that "little girl fit" she is throwing isn't it the most precious thing you have ever seen? All kidding aside you have a sweet attitude most all the time. With a smile that could melt the coldest heart.
You are super nosy...which is just a slang way of saying you pay attention to everything around you, to the smallest detail. You will watch and study someone with great seriousness. While I am nursing you you will pull up your dress and rub your belly button....you love your belly button, checking at least 100 times through out the day to make sure no one has made off with it.
So what has changed around here sense your arrival 12 months ago, well...everything. There are the obvious things such as pink, frilly dresses. Hair barrettes and little panty hose.
There is actually a pink room in this house...that is something I never expected to have.
Then there are those things you can not see. My sons learning to protect and be gentle with little girls. Your daddy coming home to that big smile of yours and you pushing through all the boys to get to him to give him a hug. And me....well....I cant even begin to put into words the way you have changed my life. You have brought a joy to me that is unexplainable. I have a friend, a helper, a fellow dreamer, someone to pass on my legacy, as a woman, to.
I have a daughter! Happy birthday my precious Eve!
Saturday, June 03, 2006
Goings on around here
Whats been going on around here......
My mother is feeling better and she has found an avenue financialy to fix her condition on a permenant basis. That is good news. Now what her plans are on a long term basis...I havent a clue. I know she is wanting to look for employment here, but if it will be in this town, I dont know. Im not sure she wanted to come here other than she was sick and needed help. So we will see what happens with it all. It is nice to get to visit with her. We have never been close. I met her when I was 14 and then did not see her again until I was 20. So its a touchy relationship...but I think the Father has plans and healing that needs to be done.
The fence is pretty much done. We have one last gate to build and then we will have what my sister calls "the great wall of Stucker" finished. It really is a sea of cedar. I didnt realize how large the yard was until we put that fence up. BUT...it has done what it was supposed to do and that is block all the racket from the neighborhood. It is awesome to be able to sit in the back yard and have privacy for once in 3 years. Well worth every last penny we spent on it.
The dog is getting better...kinda...OK not really. He is still a nuisense. But I guess thats a puppy thing. I cant wait until he decides to be a dog.
Robs ankle is healing up slowly. He was told that he would have to ware the foot boot for 3 weeks and then they would re-evaluate . Well he wore it for 1 week and that was it. He managed to skip his follow up appoinmnent. But that is Rob for ya, he doesnt have time nor the patience to be down for any amount of time. So hopefully it will continue to heal. He said it has been bothering him more the past few days, but he has been really active, so what can you expect.
My car is on week 3 of sitting in the driveway. It is supposed to be fixed tomorrow, but I was told that it would be fixed yesterday...so Im not holding my breath. Thats what happens when you have to wait on family. Your at their mercy. So we had to miss the farm visit today. The kids were so looking forward to the goat milking and hay rides....so was I. There is a family (with 12 children) who own a farm here in the area. They raise grass fed beef, chickens and such. They also sale goats milk and eggs. It is always so fun to go there and just sit and listen to the quite. I really enjoy it.
My father called me today and said that he has sold his house in CO and will be moving closer. He is moving to Mississippi, not sure why....but thats where he's heading. It will cut the drive time to his house in half. We may actually be able to see him more than once a year now. YAY
And lastly I am trying to get things cleaned up around here. A real deep cleaning....because I know what inevitably lies around the corner. MORNING (all day) SICKNESS. I know that I will be unavailable for a few months. I hate that part! The irony is to that with Eve I was horribly sicker than with the boys, and I am hoping that this is a sister for Eve. But it would be worth it!
So there is the scoop...boring I know. LOL
Here's a token picture of Eve, one of the only few left. Yes, all the first year of her life was lost when my D drive died. I am sooooo sad about it. This was her first chocolate chip cookie!
Needless to say she loved it!
My mother is feeling better and she has found an avenue financialy to fix her condition on a permenant basis. That is good news. Now what her plans are on a long term basis...I havent a clue. I know she is wanting to look for employment here, but if it will be in this town, I dont know. Im not sure she wanted to come here other than she was sick and needed help. So we will see what happens with it all. It is nice to get to visit with her. We have never been close. I met her when I was 14 and then did not see her again until I was 20. So its a touchy relationship...but I think the Father has plans and healing that needs to be done.
The fence is pretty much done. We have one last gate to build and then we will have what my sister calls "the great wall of Stucker" finished. It really is a sea of cedar. I didnt realize how large the yard was until we put that fence up. BUT...it has done what it was supposed to do and that is block all the racket from the neighborhood. It is awesome to be able to sit in the back yard and have privacy for once in 3 years. Well worth every last penny we spent on it.
The dog is getting better...kinda...OK not really. He is still a nuisense. But I guess thats a puppy thing. I cant wait until he decides to be a dog.
Robs ankle is healing up slowly. He was told that he would have to ware the foot boot for 3 weeks and then they would re-evaluate . Well he wore it for 1 week and that was it. He managed to skip his follow up appoinmnent. But that is Rob for ya, he doesnt have time nor the patience to be down for any amount of time. So hopefully it will continue to heal. He said it has been bothering him more the past few days, but he has been really active, so what can you expect.
My car is on week 3 of sitting in the driveway. It is supposed to be fixed tomorrow, but I was told that it would be fixed yesterday...so Im not holding my breath. Thats what happens when you have to wait on family. Your at their mercy. So we had to miss the farm visit today. The kids were so looking forward to the goat milking and hay rides....so was I. There is a family (with 12 children) who own a farm here in the area. They raise grass fed beef, chickens and such. They also sale goats milk and eggs. It is always so fun to go there and just sit and listen to the quite. I really enjoy it.
My father called me today and said that he has sold his house in CO and will be moving closer. He is moving to Mississippi, not sure why....but thats where he's heading. It will cut the drive time to his house in half. We may actually be able to see him more than once a year now. YAY
And lastly I am trying to get things cleaned up around here. A real deep cleaning....because I know what inevitably lies around the corner. MORNING (all day) SICKNESS. I know that I will be unavailable for a few months. I hate that part! The irony is to that with Eve I was horribly sicker than with the boys, and I am hoping that this is a sister for Eve. But it would be worth it!
So there is the scoop...boring I know. LOL
Here's a token picture of Eve, one of the only few left. Yes, all the first year of her life was lost when my D drive died. I am sooooo sad about it. This was her first chocolate chip cookie!
Needless to say she loved it!
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