Southward Bound!

It all seems to have come together nicely over the last couple of days. We found someone who wanted to watch the puppy until we get back, in the event the owner calls, or just adopt him should too much time elapse. Jenn and I are both sad that we are unable to keep him, but he would be a big expense as well as a lot of time and energy.

Ryan is all situated with where he will stay here in NC while awaiting for his former boss to call about his going back to work at the gas station. Whether he works while I am gone or not, I am sure he will have fun. Why not? He will be spending the week with his best friend and his family.

Jenn is going back to VA with Lisa and Steve later today after their visit with Grandma and Grandpa. She will be spending time with them until sometime after the first of the year. She wants to meet up with her brother Ted while she is there and they are all planning a trip in to Washington, DC to do some site seeing. Sounds like fun to me!

I'm packed and ready to go, will head into work shortly until 4 pm, and then I'll stop by here for anything I may have forgotten before heading west on the first leg of our trip south. All we'll have to do in the morning is load up the van and head south to GA to see "Mr.D" children. It's going to be a great visit I can just feel it!

Whooshing away now ... :)

Time Together Matters Most

If you were to ask me what one gift meant most to me this Christmas, I would have to say time enjoyed with loved ones. Yesterday my boyfriend, my oldest daughter Lisa, and her husband Steve came to town for the holiday celebration. The celebration is about more than gift giving, it's about sharing that one gift that no one else can give ... your time. Even though we do share gifts, being together is more important.

Today we went to my parents for Christmas dinner, and this year we had the honor of bringing the sweet potato casserole and green bean casserole. My mom and dad normally make most of the main dishes, including some of the most delicious side dishes and desserts. However they were both sick with the flu, so we offered to bring whatever they needed to help prepare the meal.

When we had finished feasting on the most delicious meals, we gathered all into the living room for the traditional opening of gifts.

Cameron is the youngest of my parents grandchildren, and as such ost of the paper flying during the festivities was from his opening his toys. He's 4 years old and Christmas is still so magical!

The teens were excited to open their gifts too ... after all, green always makes for a good color in a gift. Each family had celebrated at their respective home before arriving at Grandma & Grandpa's so there is a less mess to have to clean up ... thank goodness!

Nearly everyone was in attendance, my parents, all four of my brothers, their wives, most of their children, most of my children, and my significant other ... "Mr.D" ;)
To all of the rest who were unable to be here ... Merry Christmas!
(Talena, Angelica, Nathan, Olivia, and Pamela)

Once we had managed to clean up from the dinner meal, we said our goodbyes for the day and headed home. It was wonderful to spend time with our friends and family, but it was time to get home to check on the puppy. When we arrived home we took him out for a stroll, fed him some dinner, and played with him until he passed out on the living room floor. He did really well during our absence today; I'm hoping his owner calls within the next 24 hours. For now, we'll enjoy having him around.

All in all, this has been a wonderful day, and now its time to relax. :)

The Rush Before the Calm

I know it's late and I promise to get some rest, I'll need it. This week will be a busy one indeed. I have to work both jobs most of the week and get ready for visitors for the holidays. Here's what my schedule will look like for the week:

Monday - Run Jenn to her friends before I go to work at 11 am to job #2. Get off work at 8 pm, head home to work on getting the house in order before my guests arrive on Wednesday.

Tuesday - Work from 9 am to 4 pm at job #1, then work from 5 pm to 11 pm at job #2. After work I will return home and hit the hay!

Wednesday - Work from 9 am to 4 pm at job #1, then return home to join my guests for dinner. I'm hoping my kids will fix some chili; it's an easy meal.

Thursday - Arise, fix breakfast, bake a sweet potato casserole, green bean casserole, and get ready for the day's events. Head to mom's before 1 pm. Visit with the family, eat Christmas dinner, open presents, head home around 5 pm with the kids, then relax.

Friday - Enjoy my time with everyone until 4 pm when I will head into work from 5 pm to 11 pm at job #2. Come home and snuggle in for the night.

Saturday - Say my goodbyes to my children before they head off to VA. If Ryan is staying in town I'll drop him off at his friends house. Then I'll head to work at job #2 from 7 am to 4 pm. After work it will be time to head out to the sand hills for our trip to GA to see "Mr.D"s children.

The following week we will spend with each other while visiting his children, then returning to NC to await a call from Lisa to meet her halfway to pick up Jenn and Ryan from their visit to VA. Before we know it, the new year will be knocking on the door. I need to get to bed, more later!

Homemade Gifts for Christmas

We have decided to make some of the gifts we are giving to each other for Christmas this year. Before Pamela arrived we purchased a large stocking, various stocking stuffer items, and supplies to make a special gift for her new apartment. Jennifer decorated the stocking as part of her gift for her sister. Then she helped me frame some photos we had taken from a previous visit, and a couple others from more recent times as her gift from all of us.

Pamela's Stocking
(design by Jenn)

Here Pamela's is trying to sneak a peak
into her stocking, imagine that!

Pamela is wearing her part of her scarf and glove set
while opening some of the stocking stuffer items.
Although she doesn't have a microwave she says
she can fix her hot cocoa on the stove. Her stocking was
filled with all sorts of goodies including fruit, gum,
tootsie roll bank, a small calendar, and a small framed
photo of her boyfriend.

This is the finished framed gift of photographs.
Beginning with the top left and continuing clockwise:
Ryan (the rock star); Pamela and Jenn;
Pamela (a model photo); and Pamela, me, and Jenn

An Early Christmas Visit

Yesterday my second eldest daughter came to town for an early visit for Christmas. This is the first Christmas in seven years that we have been together. The timing is kind of odd, but I think she had a two-fold reason for her visit being so early. We have just started to decorate for the holidays, but she really didn't mind. We met in town, headed over to the local department store to pick up some supplies, and then stopped to pick up dinner for all of us before heading home

We had planned on spending the evening together but I got a call from work reminding me that I was scheduled and was two hours late. OOPS! My days have been running together so much lately, and for some reason I thought I had to go in on Wednesday, not Tuesday! Pamela stayed here with Jenn and Ryan watching movies. By the time I got home after work, the kids were in bed as they had school today, and Pamela was awake and ready to talk for a while. We managed to get to bed around 2 a.m. making for a short night's rest for me ... :/ stuff happens ... :)

Today she headed to Fayetteville, NC to see one of her high school friends. He is in the military, stationed in Hawaii, and was home this week to visit his family. Pamela has stayed in touch with her friend and apparently had made plans to see him during our visit. So, she will return tomorrow to spend the evening with us and then head home until some time in January of 2009.

If all goes as planned tomorrow, we will head to my parent's for a brief visit, then head over to my brother's before heading home. Then sadly, she will head north to return to her home and get ready for work on Friday afternoon. These visits are not nearly long enough and hard to orchestrate when we are on different schedules. This is not an unusual thing though, my boyfriend's children are also on overnight work schedules, so we have learned to make adjustments when visiting.

Surprise, I'm Home!

Wow, what a fast three days this has been! We were prepared to meet my daughter; Pamela, in Wilson on Tuesday morning, but I was awakened by a call around 5 a.m. letting me know I could sleep in as she would arrive at the house around 7 a.m. Her ride had decided to bring her all the way to my house and spare me from having to make an early morning trip. Thank goodness!

She pulled in the driveway about 20 minutes before Ryan and Jenn headed out the door to school for the day. Since she had been up all night, we talked as I got ready for work, and then she headed off to bed for some sleep. Pamela works as a waitress in an all night diner and sleeps during the day, so we did our best to allow her to set her schedule for the visit.

When I got home on Tuesday we all spent the evening together, catching up on our lives, and as the evening ended everyone turned in for a good night's rest. On Wednesday I was surprised by a car load of guests for lunch. My boyfriend had arrived for the holiday weekend and brought the entire family in town to take me out of the office for a quick bite to eat. It was a great!

I had to work both jobs in order to have the next five days off. Yes, I said five days! I'm sure I'll end up working as much while on vacation as at my regular jobs, but I'll get to spend it with loved ones, and that is not work but a labor of love. Even though I knew today was going to be a long one, it seemed even longer at work knowing that my daughter would be going home to NJ sometime tomorrow. Hopefully later in the evening but not too late; I want both she and her friend to arrive safely at home before midnight!

So much for making this a short post, everyone is still awake, they have fixed a pizza and some snacks, and they are ready to start the movie. So, more about our vacation later ... and "Happy Thanksgiving!"

A Busy Week Ahead!

This afternoon I had the opportunity to talk to the administrator at Jenn's school. We set up an appointment for Monday at 8:30 a.m. which is normally my day off from my bookkeeping job. I had planned on working this coming Monday in an effort to maintain my pay for the week. If the meeting with the administrator and campus officer is completed before lunch, I should be able to get in at least 4 hours of work for the day.

After work I'll need to get home to prepare for the week of visitors. We are expecting my daughter Pamela to arrive on Tuesday afternoon, my boyfriend sometime on Wednesday, and my daughter Lisa, and her husband late Wednesday or early Thursday. It should be a wonderful week filled with family, friends, fun, and lots of good cooking! I even get to work on Thanksgiving day! Thank goodness it's in the earlier part of the day (7 a.m. to 11 a.m.) ... LOL!

Next week is going to prove to be a busy one indeed!

Visitors, Work, & Celebrations

This weekend Jenn's older sister and her husband will be coming down for a visit to spend time with Jenn in celebration of her sixteenth birthday. I'm not sure what they have planned for her, but I think shopping is on the list, and what girl doesn't like to go shopping? Jenn loves it! I'm hoping they have a really nice time no matter what they end up doing together.

On Saturday I'll begin my new job at the local grocery store. They have me scheduled for just three hours and since Lisa and Jenn will be busy most of the weekend, my working and any other plans shouldn't interfere with their fun. Apparently the manager who hired me decided that he needed me more hours per week than I had originally been given last week. I'll have another partial day Sunday night for four hours and then nine hours on Monday. Whew!

If all goes as planned this weekend I should be able to pull off a surprise of my own! ;)

Longer Days Are Just Beginning

Tonight I headed to my second job for training after spending a full day at my current job. I spent my first night of training watching several videos, reading multiple procedural documents, and completing numerous tests. Five hours later I was exhausted, and since there was nothing left for me to do I headed home. Thank goodness we are only open until 11:00 p.m. each night and that I will only be working six hours per night a few days per week. After working seven hours during the day I am praying that my night shift won't wear me out. My next scheduled day for training is Saturday for just three hours ... whew! LOL!

Funny thing? As my son headed off to bed he said, "Mom, it was really weird not having you home tonight". I thought they wouldn't even notice. ;)

Happy Sweet Sixteenth Birthday, Jennifer!

We love you with all of our hearts!

4ever & always,

Mom, Mr.D, Ryan, Lisa & Steve, Pamela, Ted, Baby & Lil'Man

Happy Birthday Little Brother!

Join me as we journey back in time to the year 1960. It's is Sunday afternoon and my mother is at the hospital while two of my brothers and I stay with one of our relatives for the weekend. We are all anxiously awaiting a call to find out whether or not we are adding new brother or sister to our family. I'm wanting a baby sister, and my brothers don't seems to care one way or the other. As I sat playing with my favorite monkey "Zip" the phone rings. It's my mom with news of our newest sibling ... it's a boy! My brothers cheered as I sighed, there would be no little sister for me. :( When he came home, we all welcomed him into the fold with lots of love. Though he was not a girl, he was mistaken for one many times as a young child, and no wonder, he had the most beautiful blue eyes, and curly blond locks of hair. Today he is one of five siblings, four brothers and a sister, that's me! :)

"Happy Birthday" Steve! Thank you for being a part of our lives, and for sharing in our adventures as a family!

Ike: Hurricane to Tropical Depression

As Hurricane Ike made landfall in Galveston, TX it was packing winds of 110 miles per hour and traveling at a speed of 13 miles per hour. Today Ike is categorized as a tropical depression and is currently on a path through Memphis, Tennessee. I'm sure our friends and family who were and are in the path of Ike have taken the necessary precautions to prevent any injury. Forecasters had predicted some rain for the area but local Doppler radar isn't showing much at the moment. Though most of the farmers might like a bit more rainfall for their crops, too much is never a good thing!

At this point the news reports say there has been minimal loss of life in Texas and the surrounding states along the coast. Rescue efforts resulted in saving nearly 2000 residents from Galveston and flooded areas along coastal waters, and the search for survivors continues. However there is extensive property damage throughout the area. The JP Morgan Chase building in Houston which stands 75 stories tall suffered extensive damage including loss of office equipment as the windows were blown out on the sides of the building. People outside found computer parts on the sidewalks and streets along with shattered glass. What is puzzling is that older surrounding buildings seemed to have very little damage to their windows. Was this a design flaw?

Several roadways remain impassable due to downed power lines and debris from the surrounding areas. Standing water and debris over these roads were making rescue of those still in Galveston hard to accomplish early this morning. Why would anyone want to ride out a hurricane that had flooded your streets before it made landfall? One man's home burnt to nothing as he helplessly stood by watching in horror. Firefighters had no way of reaching his home; it is a total loss. My heart goes out to all of the residents and families of the hardest hit areas. I can only imagine their sense of loss.

Residents of Florida May Get Their Wish

If Hurricane Ike stays its course westward Florida residents will breathe a great sigh of relief! Since yesterday the storm had diminished in strength by over 50 miles per hour. What began as a storm packing 135 mph winds has weakened to a mere 80 mph winds; at least for the moment.

Forecasters are predicting that Hurricane Ike will regain strength once it is in the gulf. The thought process is that it will make landfall anywhere between Louisiana and Texas. I'm no meteorologist, but if I lived anywhere from Florida to Mexico I'd be packed and ready to hit the trail in a moments notice. But that's why they pay the meteorologists the big bucks; they know their stuff! :)

Hopefully both of my nieces, Olivia in Louisiana and Talena, her hubby, and two children in Texas are far enough inland not to be to badly effected by this monster on waves! For now my friends and family in Florida are safe, which is a good thing! Did I mention that I am so thankful that Hurricane Ike didn't repeat Hannah's track up the eastern seaboard? Well, I am!

To all my family and friends in Louisiana and Texas, please take care & BE SAFE! I love you all!

Happy Birthday, Kids!

Today we celebrated three of the four birthdays we share together in our combined families with a Mexican style dinner, followed by cake and ice cream. The day started with my oldest daughter and her husband bringing my youngest daughter home from her visit in Virginia. Since they share a birthday this month with two of our sons, we thought we'd fix a special dinner. I had already baked the cake earlier this morning, so all we had to do was pick up the ingredients and supplies for the dinner.

Then about noon my daughter called to let me know they were just leaving to head our direction, and that they would be in around dinner time. We had just pulled up at the store to get what we needed for dinner when she called again to says she had called my parents and asked if they could spend the night with them. This is a good thing since they rarely get to spend time with them. So, my mom suggested she call me and ask what our plans were for dinner.

I let her know our plans to cook them a special meal for their birthday, and mom said she had let it slip that I had fixed them a cake ... lol ... it really didn't matter if they knew. So, I called mom to ask if they would like to be treated to dinner, and if they minded if we prepared it there at their house. She asked what they could do and I asked if she could provide some ice cream for the cake. No problem as she had plenty of vanilla on hand.

We arrived with food prepped to begin cooking the meal. Since most of it was stir-fry ingredients for hot burritos, and soft and hard tacos, it was an easy chore. The guests arrived, we all enjoyed a great home cooked meal topped off with cake and ice cream, and an evening full of conversation. Surprisingly enough there were plenty of compliments from the toughest critic in the bunch, my son-in-law. Though we weren't trying to bend over backwards to please any one person, we were happy that everyone was satisfied with their dinner and the visit.

We finished cleaning up the kitchen, packed the leftovers, said our goodbyes, and headed on home for some quiet time. It was nice to spend the rest of the evening together relaxing before the hectic week ahead. My special thanks to "Mr.D" for all his great ideas, his expertise in Mexican cooking, and the time he enjoys spending with all of us. Goodness knows, I love spending time with him!

I'm looking forward to being able to bake a cake for the other birthday celebrants here shortly. Do you think the cake would survive a six hour drive? As long as there is air conditioning in the car, it should do all right. Now all I have to do is find out what their favorite flavor cake is from their dad. Oh, "Mr.Deeeeeeeee"

PS I promise not to arrange the candles on the cake backwards this time ... :P ... you had to see it to understand my thinking ... or not ... LOL!

A Sweet Weekend!

On Saturday we met Lisa & Steve in Roanoke Rapids, NC for lunch and to send Ryan off for his summer visit with his sister. Jenn and I headed south for a visiting, relaxing, and some work to earn money for an FFA trip Jenn wants to attend next week. It has been a wonderful visit! We actually got to fix "Mr.D" a home cooked meal, and since it had been so hot, we tried to keep it cool! We enjoyed a delicious pasta salad and a stir-fried squash (yellow and zucchini) and onion dish. We had tried to get all of the work done and dinner on the table before he arrived home from work, but alas, he arrived while we were out getting groceries for our dinner meal. Oh well, perhaps I'll get another chance to surprise him with some scrumptious delight soon!

;)

PS We are really proud of Jenn for sticking to her task! She earned $25 towards her trip and when I asked if she needed help, she insisted on doing it all by herself!

My Apologies

The last ten days have found us doing lots of things to keep us busy; work, color guard, movies, friends sleeping over, and a trip to the grandparents house to celebrate a birthday and anniversary. On top of all that I was having a hard time with the carpal tunnel in my wrists; it was aggravating to say the least. When it came time to sit down again and dive into typing after a seven hour day at the computer; I found it just a bit difficult to move my fingers. I'll have more to write about later on, but for now I just wanted to say thank you for stopping in to read my ramblings. It really is appreciated!

New Plants for the Patio

On Sunday the kids and I stopped by my parents house to wish my Dad a "Happy Father's Day" and to visit. We brought with us gifts for the patio that they recently had put next to the French doors on the backside of the house. He was so surprised, and this would give him something to do to help keep him active. Both of my parents are enjoying their new patio, and they enjoy the flowering plants they have growing all around their yard. I can hardly wait to see how and where he planted the newest additions. If he hasn't gotten them in the ground before the weekend, maybe we can help.

I know just the person to help me, help Dad get the job done!

Wow! The Patio Looks Great!

The kids and I made a trip to my parents home to see their latest project, the new patio. Wow, what a difference it makes in the landscaping of the back yard. As you can tell by the photograph, it is in natural tones and is complimented by the patio furniture they chose to place in the center. The next part of the project is to fill those pots with flowering plants, and to nurture the growth of the grass around the outside edge of the patio. I have no doubt, that when it is all finished and in bloom, that it will bring them many years of enjoyment.

A Rewarding Year with Changing Roles

Last Thursday evening was the FFA Chapter's Annual Awards Banquet. It was a night filled with friends, faculty, fun, food, and lots of awards. Perhaps the most rewarding event for us was the ways in which our children have grown this year. The room was filled with pride as the members watched a slide show presentation by Maria
(the officer's historian). She did a great job!

During the slide show everyone seemed to sense how quickly the year has passed, and as another school year comes to an end, it has been one with many rewards as well as a change in roles. Both Ryan and Jenn are actively involved with their high school's FFA Chapter. Ryan has been a member since his freshman year and served this year as Chaplain on the officer's team. This was Jenn's first year participating as a freshman.

At first Ryan was upset that his sister was wanting to be involved in something that had been "his" experience for the past three years. After a long talk, he agreed that since being a part of the FFA had proven to be such a big help to him and his success in high school and life, why not wish that for his sister? Both of their AG teachers have made an impact in how they learn, in a drive for success, and a spirit of cooperation and teamwork. In fact Ryan and Jenn are considering pursuing careers in some type of agricultural endeavor.

Ryan has decided to take his SAT's this year, talk to his counselor at school about what he has to do to begin applying for college assistance, and take on a new role next year in school as Junior Advisor in the FFA, and spend two semesters as a DOC (doer of chores) for both Ms. Mauney and the new AG teacher. All of this will set in motion his plans to attend college with his best friend, Andrew when he graduates from high school next year.

As for Jenn, she worked hard all year, participating in every event she could, volunteered for teams to compete in regional, federation and now goes on to the state level to compete in two categories, Creed and Tool Team. She was inducted into her newly appointed position as Secretary on the FFA Chapter's officer team.

Ryan exhibited a great deal of teamwork throughout the year, encouraging his sister to go for her goals, and as he retired his position on the team and welcomed Jenn into her first year of service. This picture to the right shows how close these two have become, a welcome change to the antics they experienced as youth. At the end of the banquet, as they all said goodnight you can see the tears of sorrow and joy, as the retiring officers welcome in the junior officers. You could tell it was the ending of another school year, and they would soon be saying their goodbyes.

Here are a few pictures from the banquet, enjoy!

Jenn and Trish
introduce the retiring 2007-2008 Officer's team

Ryan (Chaplain), Maria (Historian), & Emily (Reporter)

Mike (Secretary) & Kali (President)

John (Vice-President)

Anna (Treasurer) & Andrew (Sentinel)

Our heartfelt wishes go with them, as do our prayers for a safe and successful journey in this adventure known as life!

A Step in the Right Direction

We've all been there, done that kind of thing, when in our youth we did something we regretted doing. No? Well, then I must be among the few who have, but somehow I doubt that. I can remember times in my life, when it seemed that no one could hear my voice, that life was throwing me curves that were beyond my control, and that try as I might, there were no resolutions.

As each situation's intensity grew towards a climax, I felt the need to take drastic measures to make my life better. Though some of those measure were rough around the edges early in my life, they came to be more positive in nature, hoping for a workable solution. Sometimes those measures were purely survival for sanity. Regardless, I am sure most of them were necessary for my life's journey.

I have done my best to love, nurture, and respect all of my children and family. After all, none of us came with an instruction manual, but there are some wise counsel available to aid in our quest to become a more civilized lot of humans. Why then am I waxing philosophically? My daughter's recent visit reminded me that sometimes we have to experience great difficulties before achieving great successes.

For nearly seven years, one of my daughters has been away from home struggling with life's decisions. Do you simply sit back and allow life to dictate how you will spend your time here on earth? Will you allow other people's actions define who you are? How much of yourself should you give up to someone else before you lose your identity, or before you stand up for what you believe in? These are the questions she needed to find answers to, in order to turn things around in her life.

Our visit was sweet, healing in ways I had hoped, thought it will take time to grow moving forward. And even though there is still a lot to explore together, she made a very big step in the right direction. She overcame her fears to face her family, to allow them to love her for who she now is, for who she wants to be, for a new beginning in her life.

We often have many things in common with our children, some they may never realize or like to admit. Like my daughter, I am sure there are some things I would change, but only if the people that I love most in my life, and those I wish I had met in my life, would remain in its entirety, as a part of my life. In reality, I am very fortunate to have people that genuinely love me, and I pray that she sees she does too.

So, here's to all of us ... Today is the first day of the rest of our lives! Live it to its fullest, surrounded by those we love, sharing love, laughter, and life together! Thanks to all of you for filling my life with wonderful moments, and for being there with me when I too, took steps in the right direction!