Christmas Gifts

This is a demo of how beautiful JuJu's belly dancing costume is.
I wish you could hear the jingle of all the coins on her dress.
Demonstrating how the arm should be positioned for optimum noise level.
The frenzy of gift opening.
And there will always be music at our house. Warren is showing Jamie how to play a harmonica. Can you belly dance to a harmonica??
A wonderful Christmas was had at our home. Hope yours was just as good.

Christmas Shoes

I love red.
I love shoes.
Red shoes make me happy , and they make Jamie and Olvia happy too.
Today we finished up our shopping with the girls. I took them to the dollar store and let them pick anything they wanted for the people on their lists. It was very interesting seeing what they chose for everyone.
Then Olivia asked if her and Jamie could have red shoes. Their mother said it was a big waste , but I did receive her permission before we made our purchase.
How , may I ask you can red shoes be a waste? Olivia wore them during lunch while she was totally naked because she stripped down while going to the bathroom. They wore them in the car and during cartoons. However they did remove them for nap if I agreed to place them on the dresser where they could see them. That does not seem like a waste to me.

Our tree is a little tired because it has been dressed and redressed several times. It is happy though because it is so loved and admired.

Go out and buy yourself some red shoes and redecorate your tree, it will give you great joy.

Ahh, the wonder of Christmas through a child's eyes.

quote

There is so much good in the worst of us, and so much bad in the best of us, that it behooves all of us not to talk about the rest of us.

BABY IT'S COLD OUTSIDE

I woke up to beautiful snow this morning. The drive to work was fine with clear roads. I always like snow for Christmas, so I hope we get some fresh stuff for Christmas eve and day.
Christmas has always been my favorite holiday. Not because of the gifts but because of the spirit of it all. Even people who don't celebrate the fact that it's the birth of Jesus still seem to have a tender , loving, giving nature this time of year. They are more willing to be forgiving and kind. Compassion abounds when it is truly forgotten at all other times.
My youngest will not be home for Christmas as he now has a new extended family that want them to spend holidays with them also. I understand but I also have an empty spot that I refuse to fill up with carmel corn. My other sweet kids and grand kids will be home and we will have a great time.
My parents have been gone for many years but Christmas always causes me to miss them and wish they were here to see all my kids and gran kids . To share in the making of new memories and to recall old ones. Such is the circle of life.
Enjoy the season and spend as much time with friends and family as you can.Have a Merry Christmas.

FORGIVE ME PLEASE

I know that it's been awhile and I have no excuses. I guess I'm just not as efficient as I used to be . Anyway a lot of time has gone by and a lot of things have happened.
Thanksgiving for us started the Tuesday before and ended the Sunday after. We also squeezed in our family Christmas party on the Saturday after , because Joe and Kelsey will not be home for Christmas.
So as I was throwing the turkey carcass out the back door I was draggin the Christmas tree in the front. Had it up decorated and presents under it in less than 12 hours after turkey day. Wow , I feel almost as pushy as a retailer.
Then on Monday the 26Th the Billy Joel concert , good but not as good as James Taylor. Can you tell I'm somewhat prejudiced? Work , appointments and then sick on Friday , Saturday, but today I think I will live. I tested my strength by going to the Mall after church to Christmas shop. I did manage to have lunch with my future daughter-in-law Casey, by 3 pairs of jeans and a sweater for myself before I became too weak and tired to purchase any gifts....WHEW..
That's okay because I plan on devoting all of Wednesday to marathon shopping. So heads up kids if you don't give me ideas you will get whatever my wild imagination can conjure up.
I am still working on retrieving costaween pictures and I also have some great pictures of arm and leg wrestling at our Christmas party. By the way Melissa flipped me like an IHop pancake. I did flip Joe but then he wised up and was undefeated until his Dad whipped him .
You may be a red neck if the girls arm and leg wrestle at the family Christmas party. We had played wii on Thanksgiving and I think the boxing is what got us all fired up for some real contact sports. Although I must say Sarah was quite entertaining wii boxing Jimmy. I will post the short video if I can and you all can vote if the best boxers were Joe and Jimmy or Jimmy and Sarah. They all were quite a sight. Thanks a lot for bringing your wii Gabe ,we really enjoyed it. Hey I noticed you did not participate in the wrestling matches. Whats the matter, not geeky enough for you?
Hope you all had a good Thanksgiving and enjoy the coming Holiday also. Read Sarahs blog and take heed. Just enjoy. One of the holiday traditions I really enjoyed was Gene would take all the kids hooky bobbin behind his truck. The kids had a blast and the parents got free babysitting for the afternoon. It was the most fun though when we had snow.

COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS

I know I have a lot of catching up to do but today I am focusing on one thing... How very blessed I am. My heart and my soul fill with gratitude when I think of all that God has blessed me with in my life. I have a great family , goooood friends , an awesome church family, a great husband , health... the list goes on and on.
This morning Olivia called me to say it was snowing. The excitement in her voice was magical as she described it to me. One minute earlier my thought was, oh great its snowing and I have a Doctors appt. in Meridian. Her joy totally changed my attitude.I now saw the same beauty she was seeing.
This Thanksgiving when you gather with the ones you love to celebrate really count your blessings. Thank God that you live in America and we have the freedom to pretty much do whatever we choose. The little things like a warm house and plenty of food and clean clothes.
Today I made pies and prepared some of my dinner items , the whole time feeling wonderful that my kids were coming home on Wednesday to spend time with each other. Life don't get no better than that.
So if I have not told you lately how much I love and appreciate you in my life , consider it said. Happy Thanksgiving!!

BIG FAT SLACKER

I know I have not kept my promise of pictures. I'm not sure what happened , I guess time just got away from me. Went to a women's conference in Seattle at Christian Faith Center , I had a great time. I'm still trying to absorb all I was taught. Big job!! Women are amazing people!!
I have two days in a row off of work and my plan is to lock myself in my house until I get all my work done. I just hope 2 days is enough. Maybe then I will have something wonderful to write about. TTFN .

JIMMY ALWAYS DELIVERS

OMG... It feels wonderful to be 17 again for 2 and a half hours!! I was giddy with excitement as we headed for the concert. I had a lump in my throat , one of those ones that you're not sure why it's there , but it could release a flow of tears at any moment. When James came out on stage the lump grew. The first song and my eyes welled up . The second song they began to leak. The third song was a full tear roll. It didn't help that Gene said " you're going to cry aren't you." It really wasn't because I am so moved by James, I guess it was the flood of memories that caused the dam to break. Well I composed myself by intermission and when the second set came I had transformed myself into a screaming fan. I sang along to every song just as loud as the drunk guy and his girlfriend beside me.In fact our row had united in a bond that will endure forever.
This summer we were asked the question " If you could go back and relive any segment of your life again what would it be and why? "
I would not relive any part of my life again. It wasn't that bad , it wasn't that great. It was a combination of both. I want to move ahead and see what's in store. Never the less, it was fun for a couple hours.
Have a fun and safe Halloween. I haven't forgotten the costaween pictures.

Sweet Baby James

We are home from Rexburg after having a wonderful visit with our little family. Chance is as sweet and adorable as ever. I went with them for vaccinations on Friday... sob... he had six individual shots. Poor baby, but he let me love him after I had held his legs down while two nurses each poked his fat legs at the same time. I hope that is not burned in his memory and he associates me with shots.
I will post his costaween picture in the near future with the girls. They are coming here this week-end so I get another shot of baby love.
Tomorrow night I am going to see James Taylor in concert. I know he's old but I still love him. Gene agreed to go if I would go with him to see Billy Joel in November. Fair enough trade.
My friend who was also my sister-in-law ,Laura, would put on a James Taylor album ( yes a big vinyl record) and practice her court recording while I wailed along in the back ground. She is no longer with us but every time I hear a James Taylor song I think of her. Maybe I don't like James Taylor as much as I love the memory. Oh well, either way it works for me.
Last year Sue and I went to see Michael Buble and Sue swore he was looking right at her as he sang, in fact I think she said he was singing to her. I cannot attest to the accuracy of this as I can't see from the 181st row to see his eyes , but I do trust her so I guess it's the truth. I hope James sings to me. My seats are pretty close and I will be wearing my glasses. See ya Wednesday.

I'm Off Again.

This will be short and sweet as I'm off again. Worked Monday , went to McCall Tuesday , came home Wednesday and I'm leaving for Rexburg when I get out of work on Thursday. I will be home Sunday night with pictures of my chunky monkey boy. Maybe he could do a commercial for Mike Crapo, hint hint. See you on Monday. Enjoy the beautiful fall weather.

Ghetto rain coats

Today was FUN FRIDAY. The weather being as it was we decided to have lunch at my house then watch a movie. All of the kids were too wound up to sit still and watch the movie. I seriously doubt that it had anything to do with Halloween candy , cookies , and juice boxes. That's an old wives tale. Anyway I thought it had stopped raining so I told them we could walk to the park around the corner from my house. By the time we got shoes and coats on it was pouring rain again. Grampy saved the day by making all the kids raincoats out of trash bags. Well not all of the kids because as you can see Isabel had a beautiful store bought rain coat. That's because she is an only child and her parents have real jobs. (Simmer down I'm Only joking). Grampy offered to make Melissa and I rain coats out of yard bags but we told him to stuff the bags...... with leaves that is.
Off we go down the street looking like a local day care. We explored yards and Halloween decorations. It was fun and we came home and threw every ones clothes in the dryer after we promised Jonathan no one would look at his chinos.Not sure I spelled that right but it means underwear.
I love having them over for fun Fridays because its such a party for the girls. They plan food and activities and you would think by their excitement it was Christmas. Well worth the effort. Hey maybe us grownups should have a fun Friday. Eat , watch movies ,run in the rain.................

Costaweens

I have been working on Olivias Halloween costume. She wanted something beautiful she said. Her Mom got her a snow angel costume which is white net with white fur trim and of course your standard angel wings and halo. She did like it but requested Grammy sew some more beautiful on it. So off to the fabric store we go and she chooses some lovely red sequins to go around the waist and the sleeves. I rush right home and hand sew them on and deliver it back to her today for her approval. She declares that it is indeed beautiful but would like some dangley beads around the hem like a belly dancer. I'm not sure where she admired a belly dancer costume but apparently somewhere. Off again to the fabric store to buy dangley beads. I will sew them on while I catch a little t.v. tonight. Tomorrow I will present it once again for her highness' approval. I hope she truly loves it because it cost about the equivalent of a cheap wedding dress now.In fact maybe we will just store it for that very thing.
Jamie on the other hand is a fairy. Plain and simple and quite beautiful. She took hers straight off the rack no alterations required. That's my girl. I will post our beautiful picture soon, as they have worn them every day since they got them. Nothing makes a gal feel better than a new gown. Have a wonderful day and don't forget to tell someone you love them.

Ain't she purdy??

This is my new scooter. New scooter you say, don't you already have a scooter? Well this is actually my third scooter. Scooter number one could not hold up under submarine conditions so we buried her at sea. Scooter number two was in a drunk driving accident ( I was not the drinker or the driver) and sustained serious head injuries. She is functioning but is impaired and will require extensive physical therapy. We have decided to keep her because she is part of the family. I chose to adopt Lucy , that's her name, because she just speaks my language. She likes to cruise at about 25 to 30 mph. She does not like rain or crowded streets. She doesn't like cold so she prefers to be in the garage. She REALLY doesn't like kids so I have to keep her put away when my kids come to visit. In fact I'm not even sure my kids know we have adopted a new girl so we may just keep this between you and I....shhhhhhhhhhhh.
If you see us cruising around give us a wave and a honk.

Not fun Friday

It is 10:30 p.m. and I just finished unloading my groceries. It's usually not a big deal but JuJu was my helper tonight and somehow it took us a lot longer. I also have odd things I never buy?
Today Sarah and I spent most of the day at St. Lukes while Olivia had an MRI of her head. Dr. is concerned about neurofibromitosis. I'm not sure of spelling , but its a long one. I believe she is fine and healthy. Sarah can give the particulars. She was in recovery a long time because she had to sleep off the anesthesia. She was like a baby drunk , poor little thing. Hospital time takes the oomph out of you and Sarah looked like she had been through the mill., Unlike myself all perky and stuff. Well pray for our baby. Touch base later.

I promise I'm still here.

My time flies when your having fun. Only problem is I have not been having fun. I have been really busy but I'm not sure what I have been busy doing?!?!
Just seems like my days are gone and I still have so much to do. A lot of appointments that need attended too. I guess nothing fun , just necessary.
I have survived my second week of Pilate's. Its not any easier , but funner because I'm starting to get to know the people. I'm not the only one grunting and moaning. Misery does love company. However I did buy a new double baby jogger so I have no excuse for not walking when the girls are here. It is so easy to push and goes anywhere. I honestly think if I got tired they could push me home in it.
I am missing baby Chance terribly and can't wait to see him. We will make the journey in the very near future. Well tomorrow is weigh day......
I'm not very confident in my progress this week. I'm going to bed now so I can pray for intervention and the miracle weight loss overnight. See you in the morning.

OOOUUUUCHIE!!

Tonight was my first Pilates class at the Y. It was an hour and a half intro beginner type class to give you the basics. Easy right?? WRONG. Oh so wrong. I have taken aerobics classes for years off and on, took ballroom dance which was pretty excercisy, I'm reasonably active for my age . I play crazy with my grandkids , rough house with my big boys , work hard , so this should be a piece of cake once I get warmed up.
My first clue should have been my cracking knees when I bent to take my place on my mat.Then we were to locate a certain muscle in our lower abdomen. I wasn't sure so the instructor came to my aid. As she was pushing on my stomach she said it should feel like a contraction. Holy cow, if someone would have yelled " It's crowning " I would not have been surprised. In fact I had a sudden urge to push. Oh sweet Jesus what have I gotten myself into??
Because I am a woman of my word and I have committed to twice a week for one month I shall see this through. One of two things will happen ,either I will become stronger and more flexible or I will give birth to twins. I'm going to bed now I am exhausted.. Happy Thoughts.

Fun pictures

Here's the picture I promised of Kelsey in her spud truck. She may be small but she can handle this rig.
Here's Chance trying to climb in the tub while Mom gets it ready. That is the cutest butt I've ever seen.
Jonathan, Olivia, Isabelle, Jamie and Erik at the zoo on Friday. They are all very close in age and their parents all are friends. The circle of life continues.
Chance after demolishing his birthday cake. He was really more interested in the bath.Hope you all have a good week-end. Give thanks for all you have.

When your HOT your HOT!!

When I was in the produce section at Walmart today selecting my healthy nutritious weight watcher food , a very dapper OLD (80) gentleman struck up a conversation with me about the price of watermelon. Everyone who knows me knows I'm a geriatric male magnet. Well , in his very Italian accent he proceeds to tell me how much better the fruit and champagne are in his
country and how inferior and expensive it is here. Welcome to America I say, thinking that we just made comments in passing........... OH NO.. I have to hear about the plight that killed all the grapes therefore they being unable to make this fab drink blah blah blah.. He tells me he is an anatomy professor and guesses I'm about 45. Okay so now I'm starting to warm up to him. Maybe I was hasty in my irritation. Then he compliments me on my beautiful teeth 3 times and tells me the proper way to brush. Hello.. I obviously know how to brush with these gorgeous horse teeth. Then he tells me I look healthy because I am slim and have nice teeth. Oh my God, I think I heard a little bell tinkle. Anyway I finally was able to give him the brush off by saying how glad I was to have met him and hoped I would see him again. He said he was really glad to see me because today his eyes were working so well. What??? Anyway I hope when I am old that some young feller will humor me by giving me the time of day. I'm sure his step was a little lighter after having such stimulating conversation with such a young woman with such nice teeth. How pathetic is this that I truly am complimented today. Oh well, like I said when your HOT your HOT.

Man them taters is big!!

I arrived home from Rexburg today safe and sound. Had a wonderful time with Kelseys family and Chances birthday party. Ann is so gracious to let me come in and take over her house like I live there. I just boss everyone around and act like I know what I'm doing. I will get the hint if they are out of town the nexxt time I come. They sent home some of the biggest spuds I have ever seen. I will post a picture of Kelsey in the spud truck. What a gal!! She hopped in that truck and drove it like nobodies business , all 100 pounds of her. We got to do some work on Joe and Kelseys house. There is more to do but it has come a long ways. I feel much better now that I got to survey the place and lay my hands to it. They are excited to get moved in and settled. I will try to run up again in a few weeks and help some more. I'm tired and need to get some stuff done. I will post fun pictures as soon as Sarah comes to show me with my new camera. I'm excited about our biggest loser contest. WOW are women competitive or what?? Everyone will do great even if they win or not. Oh puke , who am I kidding? you know we are out for blood!! I'm living on Kashi and water until Nov. Happy healthy habits girls.

Here I come Baby

I am off to Rexburg on Tuesday to help my kids get into their house , but mostly to see my little fat baby boy. He has been gone almost a month and I am having me the hankerin for some fat baby smooches. His birthday is the 20Th and he will be one year old. Seems just yesterday that we were scrubbing up to see him in NICU. You would never guess he was a preemie. He is the happiest baby I have ever seen. I hope JuJu doesn't teach him her wily ways. See you next Monday. Maybe I can thrill you with some new grammy photos. Take care and don't forget how much you have to be thankful for.

Can we have a storm?

I would really like to have a good wind , rain storm to clear out this awful air. It seems to be affecting me more than usual and I'm ready to be done with it.
Okay so you read my blog about getting in shape and losing weight , right? Well Jann and Kathleen if you are making this a contest lets get together and lay down the rules. I'm not good at competition I get way too nervous , like before a test in school , but if it would cause us to all get together and party at the end I'm all for it.
I have gone to the Y everyday this week. Some days I walked on the treadmill and some days I did a few weights. Anything is better than nothing at this point. I'm trying to follow the weight watchers plan and am doing okay.
Friday I had the girls and we had to run errands all morning. They were very good , especially JuJu. I think she saves up the terror for her Mom because she loves her Mom the most. My oldest son Warren loved me the most, that's why I got the most everything from him.
After having lunch at Carls Jr. we had one more quick errand downtown. Olivia was tired and had a bit of a melt down because we had to leave the play area. Jamie decided to lighten things up after we were in the car by placing fries between each of her toes and then eating them. Her talent never ceases to amaze me. We did enjoy the show . Have a good weekend!!

I like pictures

This picture has nothing to do with my post , I just liked it.

You know when you reach the place where your sick and tired of a certain thing and you are ready to do something about it? Well I'm sick and tired. Sick and tired of being out of shape and mushy. In 2 years I have gained 10 lbs. Not a big deal in the whole scope of things , but 10 lbs goes straight to my butt and belly. My face , arms , calves, nothing gets the weight but those 2 areas. Big butt , scrawny ankles...not a good look.

My husband and I used to ballroom dance at least 3 times a week. That was enough exercise to eat a big mac daily and still make a pair of jeans look good. Well we slowly got out of that because we allowed other things to take priority and now I am sorry. I hate exercise!!! I like working , dancing , playing , anything that gives you a workout. But when you label it as exercise I suddenly dread it and start the countdown to when I will be finished. I know its all in my head , but still

So I have made my self a promise that I will be back into my old clothes by Christmas. Now that's a reasonable goal if I stick with it. I have made myself all sorts of deals about rewards I will receive if I am successful. I know that sounds like bribery , and well it is , but oh well. Mostly I need to take my whole body and tighten it up. Easier said than done when you are 50. I still have the same body , everything is 5 inches lower than before UGH!!

Don't invite me to dinner or lunch unless I can do an accurate points count. Don't invite me to a movie if you plan on eating yummy, salty ,buttery popcorn in front of me. In fact it may be best if I just hibernate until I get a grip on this.

Really I can do this , I've done it before. It just seems harder this time. Have a good day!! Tell someone you luv em'

Happy Birthday to Valerie

September 9 is my sister Valeries 71st birthday. She is second from the left. (like I had to tell you that). I come from a family of 8. I am number 5 and also the 5th girl. There are 7 girls 1 boy. Don't say oh that poor boy. Trust me he had it easy. He may have been a little dismayed by us dressing him up as a girl but I'm sure that had little influence on the paths he chose in life.
Anyway , growing up in a big family was ...... I'm looking for the best descriptive word..... interesting. There was always someone to play with. There was never a quiet moment , and there was always just enough... most of the time. We definitely learned to share and to fend for ourselves. Its funny how families go. You are all raised in the same house with the same parents , yet you all turn out so differently.
Valerie , oh yes this is about her. Obviously she was not at home when I was born so we did not do the growing up together thing. She was always this older ,glamorous, travel around , live in California mystery. I remember she taught dance lessons at Arthur Murray dance studio in Medford Oregon. I would see her get dressed for work and she looked like a movie star to me. I was 6 years old so you know I was stricken by the long nails, makeup and beautiful dresses. She was a stunning woman. When I was 13 she came to visit us in Boise and she was driving a red Oldsmobile convertible , complete with Jackie O sunglasses , scarf , the whole nine yards. I was so proud to have her drop me off at school.
Well I'm not 13 anymore and she does not wear beautiful dresses anymore but she can still awe me with her stories of younger days. She looks and acts so much like my dad its amazing.
The other people in the photo are , left to right, Joanne , Valerie , myself , Linda. We all live in town and try to see each other as much as we can. $ of us are missing from the photo. Judy the second oldest who lives in Melba is absent because she is livin it up. Her husband retired last year from farming and they are blazin a trail across the U.S. and parts unknown on there Harley's and in their 5th wheel and boat. Dianna is next after me and the last known address was somewhere in Alaska. She is reclusive and is happy with her cats. Ed my one and only brother whom I have not heard from or seen in 3 years I believe lives somewhere in Oregon. The boy marches to the beat of a different drummer. When he does appear its worth the visit for sure. Angela my youngest sister lives in Nampa. The baby child syndrome is her mantra.
But for all their craziness and weirdness and oddities, I love them all dearly. We have a common thread that runs amongst us all. They are the only people in the world who truly know me , know where I came from and how I got here.So HAPPY HAPPY Birthday to you Old sister. Hope we celebrate many more together. Love recalling the old family stories that only we can appreciate.

Singin' in the rain

The temptation was just too much!! They were watching the rain pour down yesterday and JuJu just lost her composure. She bolted off the patio out into the middle of the yard , with Olivia close on her heels. Oh to be a kid again......

Cussy McGee

This is Jamie , JuJu, Rogers. She will be 3 years old in December. She pretty much runs the show around here and anywhere else she goes for that matter.She is trying to get my attention in the kitchen by pounding on the door and making piggy faces.
Well after much pounding and hollering she suceeded.
Heres a whole bag of cookies, now go away and find your Mom. Tell her you need windex. I love you cussy, the most in the world.

Wake up, it's GOD here.

Having been down since Friday with "THE KRUD" that's what doc in the box diagnosed, sore throat, headache ,cough , body aches , I now feel like I am on the up side of wellness.
Sometimes when you are in the middle of something yucky it's hard to remember what feeling good feels like.
Last night lying awake at 3 a.m. with the decongestant jitters, I did a lot of pondering and praying. I love spending alone time with God.. no phones , no people , no interruptions. I was reminded of how blessed I am in every way. That every breath I take is a gift.
Sometimes in the business of life we get so busy trying to take care of things and fix things and do things that we lose focus of the answer to all things.
I hate it when I do that !!Then I go, Hey wait a minute , God this is your gig what do you want done? Then the hard part comes when you have to be still and listen to that still small voice that speaks to you everyday if you will only listen. Trust me , God runs my life way better than I could ever dream of. He's not pushy or demanding and He will always let you do it your way if you insist. I guess I'm having confession time here. I have been running way too fast and it's time to slow down and listen. Okay, having said that I will sell you this preaching transcript for a 5 dollar donation. JUST KIDDING111 Sarah calls me the elevator evangelist , but that's a story for another time. Take some time today and talk to God, I promise you He has something interesting to say , just for you.

The Clampett Family Gathering

This is the cool cruiser Warren made out of random bike parts. I love a nice white wall. The baskets will come in handy for yard sailing.
Here is Warren tuning up his banjo for a little after dinner entertainment. Every time I try to sing along Joe punches Warren. Kind of interrupts the flow of pickin.
Here's Joe obviously trying to one up his brother.Sorry Joe Warren has one on you.
The whole family sits down to ribs, corn on the cob, salad, YUMMY... you need to stay in your own space to avoid injury during this food fest.
Kelsey, devouring Joes birthday cake. She only had one bite of meat and 2 kernels of corn so she was able to have cake. Skinny brat!!
It was Joe and Kelseys last night in town. They head to Rexburg in the morning. Man I'm gonna miss em. We will be heading there on the 20th for Chances 1st birthday and to bring their washer and dryer they didnt have room for. Joes birthday is Saturday, he will be 25, my baby 25. Go figure that one. Have a fun Friday. Tell someone you love them. See you tomorrow.

OMG I cannot believe it is the end of august already. I worked in McCall from the 18th to the 26th. It went really fast because we were busy and it was fun. Came home Sunday afternoon and had to stop and see my girls before I even made it home. I couldn't see Chance because he was in Rexburg with his other grammy. But he is on his way to my house as we speak.
Like I said the week was fun but very busy. Maria who owns Sophies Choice was our awesome cook for the week. Wow, she taught me so much in such a short time. She had great menus and was fun to work with. The only problem we ran into was that I appointed myself as official taste tester... I honestly cannot remember the last time I consumed that much food, and it was all good. I requested Gene bring the truck to pick me up on Saturday because I was pretty sure the car did not have the towing capacity it would require. So my new challenge is to get to the Y everyday and work some of this off. We also had a party Saturday night with lots of dancing. My legs still feel like I ran a marathon. One more vote for the Y.
Its good to be home , but I have lots to catch up on. No one opened mail or did laundry or went to the grocery store. They (Gene) consumed every morsel of food in the house less a jar of mustard, and did not replenish it. Glad I came home when I did or he may have withered away from starvation. It's good to be needed.
Joe and Kelsey are leaving Friday for their move to Rexbug... Sigh..
Its a bitter sweet thing I suppose. I will miss them all greatly, but I knew this would happen one day. I'm planning on bugging them very soon.
Fall is in the air and I feel I'm getting my second wind. I have already been thinking about Christmas gifts. Gotta go finish laundry and cook up some grub. I'll post a picture of my new bike Warren made. Now as soon as I get my butt on it and ride the better. TTFN see you tomorrow. Pam O.

As I no longer have kids in school I do not get all excited about the school year starting. However the presence of school supplies in stores brings on a plethora of emotions for me. I was sniffing a box of crayons in Target the other day,( yes I bought the box I sniffed) and I was taken back to Mrs. Bishops class, I believe it was third grade and she was old and cranky. No great story, just a memory. Okay where was I? Oh yes, the school supplies remind me that this god awful weather will soon turn into beautiful fall days and coooool evenings MMMM. I have one million projects to embark upon and everyone of them are hampered by the weather. We have 2 rentals that will be vacant in two weeks and I need to do some serious work on one. The other is pretty much good to go after I give it my good housekeeping seal of approval. Our other house in Boise needs the cedar fence weatherized again and I am too Frugal,Yes the word is FRUGAL Sarah, to pay some guy 300 bucks to spray it on, so I will do it myself just as soon as it cools off.
Sunday I head up for my 8 days of work in McCall. I am happy to go and spend time with Sue working and also having fun doing it. Yet on the other hand you know the love affair I have with my own bed. Not to mention I will miss all my babies. Which brings me to another story. My son Joe and his wife Kelsey and our little man Chance are moving to Rexburg in a couple of week's... I know that my kids will venture out and find their ways in life but it is still hard to have them go. Consolation for me is they will live right down the road from her mom and dad, who loves little Chance as much as we do. Up side is every little boy needs a ditch to play in and dirt to dig in and he will have plenty of that. Also its only 4.5 hours away and I can pop in whenever I get a notion. Have I convinced myself Yet?? Well I'm off to finish things that need finished.
One little insert from Maya Angelou:
Every woman should have one friend who always makes them laugh and one friend who lets her cry.
Every woman should know; that her childhood may have not been perfect... but it's over..
Thanks to Melissa for sending me that.Tell somebody you love them!!

I think I have issues!.?

I know I said I would post on Thursday but I was side tracked. Sometimes I just need to take some time and regroup. I find great satisfaction in cleaning and organizing, and this weekend I needed some satisfaction. I have torn into cabinets, drawers, closets, you name it. I have pitched out, filed away, rearranged and straightened myself into a frenzy. It feels so good to step back and admire your work. We bought a new bed so that caused another cleaning frenzy when the old one was removed. WHEW!! I think I'm satisfied enough now.
This morning I woke up early and sitting with my coffee in my quiet house I was reflecting on how blessed my family is. We are all healthy, we all have family who love and care about us. In the whole scope of things I think that's huge.
There is nothing that brings me greater joy than to my my kids and grand kids happy. To know that my husband is still coming home at the end of the day. Guess I don't live a very exciting life, but I love it!! Let me encourage you all t o look around you and see the things that make up your everyday life. These are the things that make us happy. Now picture it all gone. Somehow it starts looking better doesnt it? Have a good day and tell someone you love them.

Monday Already??

Fun filled week-end with my girls. Jamie is officially a BIG Roaring Springs girl. She went down a slide all by herself!! She was so proud that she had to do it 4 more times, which took an hour. It was well worth the wait to see her bask in all her glory. I can't post her victorious pictures yet because my camera battery pooped and I haven't retrieved them yet.
I am leaving for McCall again in the morning and will post when I return Thursday. Have a fun filled week!!

Home again home again jiggity jig.

Why does your own bed feel like the best bed in the world? I could stay in the worlds finest hotel and still want my own bed.
Sue and I went to McCall to work for a few days and when I got home last night to my own bed I was giddy with excitement. Duh, could I be any lamer? We had a good time as always. We did work very hard, but the non stop talking was the fuel that kept us going. We are so easily entertained.
I have my little girls this weekend while their parents go to a wedding in Portland. Olivia already has quite a schedule lined up for us. Roaring Springs on saturday, boating after church on Sunday, dinner at applebees friday evening, a movie marathon selection, and did I mention manicures and pedicures? Okay I'm going to go back to bed a rest a bit before they arrive. See you on Monday.

Is it monday already??

You rock honey, Do a spin!!
Baby Chance AKA Baby Cruise
This is me, I always lose 20 years and 100 lbs. when I boat. Kidding it's Kelsey.
Crazy Joe the jumper!

Got my kitchen remodeled so I thought I'd take a break at the lake.It was fun and hot and everyone who had something that would float was there. I personally do not knee board or wake board. I am an old fashioned water skier. However my husband said nobody skis anymore, so he promptly gave my skis away to the guy who bought our old boat. What the...??? In rebellion I have only knee boarded once and I have never tried wake boarding. I do enjoy watching the boys try to out do each other with their tricks and antics. Sometimes I drive them in the tube but I tend to go a little too fast. I want my skis back!!!!!

T.G.I.F.

Today I had the pleasure of all 3 of my grandkids. Olivia 3 , Jamie 2, Chance 10 months.
I love them all dearly, but I also know why God doesn't let old women have kids.
1. We do not have the energy or stamina.
2. We put them down and forget where we left them.
I'm going to go do something restful now like remodel my kitchen.
See you tomorrow. Pam O.

Is that you Jethro??

Okay...........This may sound crazy but I think some weird hillbilly bug has bitten my husband. We always joke about him being hillbilly, but I think this could be serious. In conversation yesterday he used the word "COMMENCED" As in , she commenced to tellin' me bout dinosaurs?? What??? Next he'll be wantin' his vittles served out by the cement pond, with all the critters watchin'... Lord, what next?

By the way thanks for reading and responding. I feel so special. Pictures are my next challenge. I will post some as soon as Sarah shows me how. She said for punishment that she was going to delete my blog, (She's jealous because I'm stealing customers) and I would be too dumb to get it back up. Well I told her I would sh-- in the middle of her floor and she would have to walk around it until I came over and showed her how to clean it up. Man I crack myself up. Later, have a good day!!

Can you see it?

Can you see my profile picture? It looks like this.

Life with Sue aka Mary Susan Smith

Sounds like a bad movie alias huh? Well it's true, Mary Smith, now Mary Sue Gassert. Or as we all know her as just Sue. The picture on my blog is from the birthday card Sue gave me this year. When you open it you hear a vacuum noise. I have practically worn it out because I think it is so cute and fitting our friendship. I have known Sue since 1978. We met because my husband started working as a carpet layer for her husband Ed.
Well I'll cut to the chase, we finally met and became instant friends. I had a housekeeping business and I believe Sue worked at a factory. She was laid off from her job and decided to start cleaning houses. We worked together off and on for many years. She has worked for the same family for about 30 years and I still work with her part time. I tried to retire in 2002 but misery loves company, so she keeps coercing me to work part time with her.Really I love working with her. She is my best bud and we always have so much to talk about. Those of you who know me know I'm quite a gabber, well Sue gives me a run for my money. Now you may be asking yourself,What does this have to do with anything?? Let me tell you...I believe people come into our lives for all sorts of reasons. Some stay a long time and some just pass on through. However each person contributes something, be it good or bad.
We have stayed friends for so long because we are real and honest with one another. She does not hesitate to tell me if she thinks I'm wrong or right for that matter. She holds me accountable for my actions. She makes me be honest with myself. OUCH, sometimes I wish she would mind her own business.
She has taught me to be a better cook. She has taught me to be more open minded and forgiving reminds me daily how important my family is.She validates my worth as a friend to her.So I will say to Sue, THANK YOU FOR BEING MY FRIEND.

Here she comes to save the day!

Okay I have taken the plunge to becoming a blogger. I never really wanted to put myself out there and be open to scrutiny, but I decided that the people who know me and care about me will read and those who don't can go watch T.V. or something.
I trust you will find my prattling entertaining if nothing else.I hope I can brighten your day a little and give you something to do when you can't sleep.
I began to read a few blogs of people I know when I was having trouble waking up at the crack o dawn. Really , what can you do at 4 am that does not wake up the whole house? Their writings became like a series., I was left wanting to find out what would happen next. I am an avid book reader and a serious t.v disliker so blog reading was a nice change. I have been happy with you, sad with you , and encouraged by you. I've enjoyed your pictures and your ideas. I've gotten to know some of you better through your blogs. I hope I can do the same for you. So if you feel like tuning in..Great.. I'm always open.