Fast as a Speeding Bullet

Moms always know best.  She knew I'd love this little box.

We were so happy to have Grandma and Grandpa Simmons come and visit us!

It was a super duper fast visit, but it was super duper fun to get to see them.  They are our first family visitors in our new home.  So it was fun to show them our new location.  Maybe next time they come we'll have more lawn than mud and more flower than weeds. 

They looked great and spoiled the kids, like always.  Two jugs of chocolate milk in four days?!  (I wasn't in charge of all the grocery shopping.) 

They got here at night on Thursday and left in the early afternoon on Monday.  Why do I need to tell you this?  Well, it still amazes me on how much weather they experienced in that short of time.

Thursday night:  It had been a nice day so most of the snow had melted.  Just as we got home the ice rain had begun.

Friday morning:  Woke up to a full-on blizzard.  School was closed.

Saturday:  Beautiful, sunny day but a little windy.  The snow started to melt.

Sunday:  Thunderstorms.  Most of the snow got rained away. 
Monday morning (early a.m.):  Sever winds, a tornado warning, and several inches of rain.  School closed due to lots of flooding. (And it hasn't really stopped raining yet or flooding.)

So, other than hail, I think they pretty much covered all the options for weather that we inlanders can experience.  Somehow they slept through the tornado part.  Layne and I could hear the tornado sirens going off (telling us to get to safe place), but we decided to just keep an eye on the news and windows and wake everyone up as needed.

Dad showed me all of his 'war wounds' from his crisis this past fall and gave me the play by play of that crazy day/night........month.  I still get emotional about it all. 


On the way to the airport we stopped at McDonald's to grab some lunch.  We pulled up to the board to order and Judd said he wanted a 'Happy Kid Meal'.  Dad said he wanted a 'Sad Grandpa Meal'.  Judd asked him why he was sad and he said because he had to go home.  We were sad too.

His sadness didn't stop there because it took the airport three days to get them their suitcase!  I don't think Dads life was too interrupted but my poor mom.  She sure did miss her make-up and hair stuff and I'm sure lots of other items that would have been nice to have.  But thankfully the suitcase surfaced and all their stuff was still in it.   

Can you believe we didn't get ONE picture taken when they were here?  That's not cool.

What to have for dinner.....

Do you ever have this problem?

I have asked myself this all day long.  I don't want what I had planned (lemon chicken w/ a creamy mushroom sauce).  I don't want what Josie suggested, pizza.  Todd didn't answer me when I asked his opinion.  I'm not asking Judd or Mitch. 

So, now it is time for dinner and I still don't have a clue what we are having.  Don't you hate it when nothing sounds good?  For me, this usually ends up with me eating a little of everything in search of finding what I want and that causes a whole new set of problems. 

*Just a clarification:  Layne hasn't grown a mustache, my kids don't sit and smile at each other for no reason (unless they are just trying to bug someone), and I haven't hung 1980's wall paper up in the dining room.  I had to use this pretend family because my computer is being so stupid and I can't get anything off of my camera (or any external device)  and into my computer right now. They do look happy though, don't they.

2010 Love to Hate or is it Hate to Love? List



There was a lot going on this past year.  Some of it was awesome and some of it really threw me for a loop.

I did notice something though.  There is ALWAYS two ways of looking at things.  My frame of mind let me choose what side. 

(I didn't always choose the right side.)

For example:

Living somewhere too small for your family.

On one side:  You get to live like this.  You can't find what you need/want and pretty much hate every minute of it.

Other side:  You want to be gone as much as possible and so your kids think you are the coolest because you are always willing to 'go do something'.

House full of these.

(Meet the house centipede.)

On one side: THEY FREAK ME OUT.

They are wicked fast and I didn't sleep with both eyes shut for six months.  We had all sizes.  Tiny baby ones to five or six inch ones!

Other side: You'll have nearly no other bugs in your house because they'll eat them for you.

Husband wanting to be Amish.

(Do you love his Christmas gift from the Peterson's?)

On one side: We wouldn't have to pay any taxes.

Other side: I'd have to grow my hair out and ride a bike or buggy everywhere.

Having someone accuse you of stealing their end table.

There isn't a picture here because

WE DON'T STEAL AND WE DON'T HAVE YOUR $#@@ END TABLE!

I guess I don't have an "on one side or the other" for this one.  Both sides really tork me off.

Moving 3 times in a year.

On one side:  It is A LOT of work and it gets old really fast.

Other side:  You don't want to move anything you don't have to so... (1)you save money because you don't buy anything you don't need (2)decluttering is no problem because you no longer 'hold on' to junk (3)when things break you don't even care.

Having your dad about die.

First of all - don't judge me by my hair. 

If I remember right, I had just spent the day in a plane.

On one side: The world stops turning, you can't breath, and you don't know what to do next.

Other side:  You remember the power of prayer and how much you love your parents and siblings.

Getting

Justice

On one side: Because I wouldn't drop it, I got back what was rightfully and legally ours.

Other side: It didn't make me dance with joy because nice people were put in the middle of it. Honestly, I'm not sure it was worth it. 

It is amazing to me how dishonest people always seems to make the honest people feel guilty and they will never be responsible for their own actions.

I won't go into more details of this situation because as a repenting Christian, I'm trying to forgive & forget, but I did learn a big fat lesson.  I'll never let someone else's actions take me down that dark path again.  It almost ruined me!  And one of the hardest things that I'm still working on is not worrying about what others think of me because of lies that someone else tells to make themselves look & feel justified. 

When you are honest and true, there is nothing else you can do but just be yourself.  And if anyone decides to believe the lies, then they didn't know you enough to call you 'friend' anyway.

Teenagers

On one side: I wouldn't be that age again if you paid me.

Other side: Layne and I have some real great kids.

This is a sample of what has gone through my head during 2010.  We had some really great times.  The kids and I had a fun drive to Idaho and it was fun to see my parent's new pad & visit the fam & Layne's family too. We found that we really do enjoy the city pool.  The boys have been in heaven shooting their new guns they got for Christmas.  I made a TON of acquaintances at the laundromat. Justin has made a turn around about school and loves his teacher.  It was fun to unpack things that had been packed for 18 months.  They were new all over again.  The 'new' kitchen stuff has made me want to cook and my family loves that.  I've never driven so much in my life as I did in 2010.  Sometimes 100 miles a day.  But it got me away from the scary bugs. We were very blessed in 2010.

Things we are looking forward to for

2011

*I've just really been missing our families lately.  So I'm excited to get to Idaho in July.

*I can't wait to meet my new nephew Jack (Bobbi's baby)and soon to be new niece (Marcee's baby, don't know her name yet). 

*Heads Up Simmons and Coleman Families! I don't have any up-to-date family pictures to put up.  Lets get that scheduled in our 'to do' plans for when we get there. 

*Josie getting her drivers licence...and dating. yikes

*Putting in our new yard.  Or at least getting a good start on it.

*Josie getting her YW Recognition Award in a couple weeks.

*Todd is "this" close to getting his Eagle.

*Finally, after nearly 18 years of asking for one...

A Chicken Coop!  Yes, with chickens.

So, there will be plenty to post about on the blog this year.

HAPPY 2011!! 

It is going to be a good one.

Some may consider this a Christmas Miracle...

...I decided to sit down and update the blog.

I've been a little busy these past few weeks. But now that all the storage units are clean, rental #2 is clean and keys are turned in, Thanksgiving dinner has been eaten, Christmas pageants/recitals/concerts enjoyed, school & work parties over with, Christmas cards mailed (two days before Christmas-ouch), gifts bought, wrapped and mailed and so on and so forth - I want to relax and enjoy the Christmas Season. But the one last thing nagging on my brain is to update the blog. So here we go.

                             ~~Home Sweet Home~~

I can't seem to get a day with sun to take a good picture.
Those days are kind of far and few between here during the winter.

I'm not putting these next pictures in any order.  Some of them are after we got a few things unpacked.  Others are from while we were moving in.  I just wanted to get a few on here for my patient family that has wanted to see where we live now.



Layne's going to love that I posted a pic of him chillen.  Ha! 
These two are glued to a football game and didn't even notice
that I had the camera out.  



This is in the front foyer.

Josie on the computer in the office.

Front door.

The back hall.

Empty office.



Living room window looking out back.



Layne's love...the fire place.  He is his mother's son.  Some nights
our house is 80°.  I like it about 69°.  So.....ya.  Layne plans on building
the mantel soon.  I can't wait to see what he comes up with.  I know
it will be beautiful.

We are happy (most of us) to have our cat back.
She had to live at some friends house for six months because
we couldn't have her at the last rental.

I guess Todd didn't want to be in this picture.





So that is most of the house.  A few things/rooms missing, but you get a good idea.  We feel like we are home again, and that feels good.  We've been very blessed and we now have made some new friends & some not so good friends  during the past year through all of our experiences.  We've learned a lot about ourselves, we've surprised ourselves, and we are worn out but happy. 

We love you all. 

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!! 

Let's Catch Up

Happy Fall Everyone!  It is WAY past time for a new post.  Life got real crazy these past few weeks with football, show choir, marching band, last details on our house, etc.  So here is a very quick catch up. 

Sadly, I don't seem to have any pics of Justin's birthday.  We took some so I'll have to look harder for them.  But he is now six. 

A little update for him and going to school -

Bribery is good and he was willing to go to school for 15 days without

crying to earn a Double Barrel Nerf Shotgun. 

At the end of the 15 days he decided that he really likes school.  So life got easier after that.

School also started the same week that my dad got so sick.  So when we could see that he was going to get better my stress level went down.  This all happened all around the same time so I'm not sure what really helped him, but the good news is that going to school isn't bad anymore.

 Todd played football this year.  He really seemed to enjoy it.  He really stunk when I picked him up from practice everyday.  gag   The season just got over last week.  They did pretty good this year.  He made a couple interceptions this season.  Those were fun to see.  Next year high school?  YIKES

 My dear Layne.  He has been putting the floors down in our house.  He got done a couple weeks ago, but has yet gotten feeling back in his finger tips.  I guess 1200 sq ft of tile can do that to a guys fingers.  Todd was awesome help too.  I'd dump him off after football and they'd work and work.  It looks beautiful and one of the subcontractors asked Layne if he used lay tile for a living.  That was a nice compliment.

  

Here are the boys on the wood floor Layne put down.

Mitch was sent out to rake leaves. This is what I found. A Santa hat? Really?

At some point this past month Justin needed some money so he set up his table and cash register and was trying to sell all the 'extra' scriptures we have, to us.  I think Josie and I are the only ones that bought some.  Not too bad of a deal.  $1.00 a book.  I'm glad to know that he figured out a way to make money on his own.  He even combed his hair nice and got a button shirt on.  What a guy. 

Sorry mom, this isn't the best picture. I took it on the way to school yesterday morning and it looks like I need to try again. I'll get a new one up soon.

 

We had fun with the camera a couple Sunday's ago.  The last time we did a laying down picture was years ago when the kids were little.  I'll have to find it somehow, somewhere, someday and compare the two.



Here is the kitchen floor.  Now the molding is up and it looks nice and finished.
I can't get this up where I want it.  Sorry.



Today I Ask For ...

Your Vote!

My Brother-In-Law, Jason, is up for a great scholarship. 

To get it he must get lots of votes. 

I know you don't all know Jason, but you'd love him to pieces.

So if you have about a minute, click here to read my sissy's post about the program, and about 30 seconds more to vote,

PLEASE VOTE FOR JASON!