Yep-Snow day!

We got it! A snow day. Once Amber go the word at 5 am we all slept ridiculously late. Lee Joe worked moving snow all night and got home after Amber told me about the snow day. Autumn woke up close to 9 and asked if it was a snow day. Otherwise she overslept. Kylee and Autumn played outside for hours. Hannah was in an out with them. She is catching a cold. We have been playing the Wii. I rented a game and got the girls a movie. There is a 100% chance of snow in the morning and all day tomorrow so the potential for another snow day is pretty high depending on when it starts. Lee Joe will be moving snow again I am sure.

First snow day

My kids have never had a snow day. It never really snows that bad and when it has it is Christmas vacation or something. But the potential for a snow day is huge for tomorrow. It has snowed all day today. We had a two hour break and now it is starting again. We haven't done any of our Tuesday activities. But it is a nice day to stay cozy and warm at home. All this snow has meant a couple of nights of snow removal at Costco for Lee Joe which is a good thing. There is not much other work lined up and he can possibly make somewhere from $40-$100 an hour for snow removal alone. I don't remember a winter here that had so much snow. Someone told Lee Joe that the last time Boise saw this much snow was in 1963.

I subbed on Friday and of course I had cross walk that day and of course it snowed during the night. And there is construction close to the school right now. NIGHTMARE!! And then we had a little girl completely freak out over a piece of popcorn stuck in her throat. She thought she was literally going to die. The nurse wasn't there and the principal started to try and do the heimlich on her-it wasn't necessary. I had to calm her down and get her to eat some crackers and bread and she drank some juice. And her mom was called. She went home early(thank goodness) One little boy that was also in the nurses office asked if that kind of thing happened often. I told him I didn't think so.

We have had the flu too. Hannah got it Thursday night and threw-up for about 3-4 hours. On Friday 7 kids were gone in her class. Lee Joe stayed home with her so I could work. I have been fighting some other flu. It is mild but annoying. And it lasts days. Kylee and Autumn have had it too. They missed church and school on Monday.

Other than that, we are still enjoying the Wii. Lee Joe and I are guilty too. He likes his Blazing Angels game. I have been playing Mater-national.

So Snow, sick and gaming is about all there has been since Weds. Kelsea got a trophy at her team party on Saturday. The coach says that they have a defense they do called monster. He said Kelsea is the #1 monster on the team that is suppose to super guard someone while the rest of team does a zone defense. Our Stake president has a daughter on Kelsea's team. He has 6 girls but is so into the basketball he coaches and assistant coaches their AAU teams. His girls are good. He told Kelsea she should try out for AAU because she is really good. We might consider it.

Oh yeah, My sisters birthday is today but we partied for her last night. I am framing some of my dads pictures for her. She had to pick some out and I framed one. I need to get frames for the others she picked out and then I am going to have to go to her house to hang them because she doesn't know where to hang them. That also means Amber's birthday is right around the corner along with about-4 other birthdays by mid-March. By the way everyone-Easter is very early this year!! Here we go!

They WONNNN!!

They won They won They Won!! Just thought you would like to know!
THEY WON!! They are the city champs. WOO HOO! The last game was low scoring 36 to 30. Somehow, and this is the first time this season, Kelsea had 3 fouls early in the first half so she didn't play as much. But another girl on her team that subbed in for her had an awesome game last night. The night before Kelsea scored 5 or 6.

Kelsea promised her friend Kelsey on the team, that if the won on Tuesday, she would wear her duct tape dress to school. I told her to get permission from the principal first. So at lunch she went in and asked. The principal asked to see it. She showed it to all the ladies in the office. They laughed their heads off and she got permission. Some of the teachers thought is funny and great. Her coach is her teacher in one of her classes. He told her "Way to step out of the box" I don't have a picture of the dress but I need to get one and post it. I told her it was probably a good thing she didn't wear it all day. She said that it wasn't bad except once she sat down the dress kind of stuck to her chair so she couldn't move. That kid is a kick in the pants!

Winter can leave now

I liked the snow on Sunday but I think the winter blahs have set in. I am trying to enjoy the lack of yard work. But I think winter can go away now. We have had about the amount snow from the past 3 winters already. Lee Joe needs some work.

I heard that a boy that is in band with Amber was in terrible car wreck yesterday. His brother that is in Kylee's class was also hurt but has stitches in his lip and a concussion. These boys are a part of a really large family that has kids in all of the girls classes except for Hannah's. They are so poor. It is actually very sad. I guess it sounds like the boy will be in the hospital awhile. I am sure all the girls will be telling me something about it today when they get home.

I blogging to early to give results of the impending game this afternoon.

I must gush some more

So you are probably sick of the gushing on the basketball. But I must go on. Kelsea team had there first game on the city tournament. Why they set this up-the #1 team plays the #8 team-last place. They won by plenty. The score was like almost 60 to 38 or 40. But the most fun was Kelsea was a firecracker. She started and she scored the first basket and then the 3rd and a free throw. She made around 10 points in that game. She shot a few more times but missed. She didn't play a lot either compared to some games. The non starters got a lot of playing time which is great. The team they played is like the most pushing and shoving team out there. Their coach got a technical and then an intentional foul was called on another girl but that was like after she did about 3 other shove jobs before that and they were all on a girl on Kelsea's team that has bruised her ribs in one of the past games. Anyways they have a game on Tuesday. We are not sure who they are playing and then again on Weds. Then a break from sports for the first time this year.

As far as everything else. It is finals week. The girls schedule is weird. Amber is driving more. I am driving less. That is kind of nice. It is kind of boring. But you know, boring is good. I have exercised about 3 times this week. This morning I walked at the mall and got almost 8000 steps in on my pedometer. I have been playing the Wii by myself and with the girls. I went pro in bowling--I wish it was for real. That would be cool.

Fantastic!

Kelsea's basketball season is winding down and they have only lost one game this season. They beat that team yesterday! So they are in first place with only 2 games left. They are the most exciting girls basketball team I have ever watched. They just have a whole lot of talent and can do anything the coaches ask of them. I don't know what will happen next year because the high school will change things up a bunch. Kelsea has been starter all year this year and when she gets busy she is so aggressive and great on defense. So much fun!

Winter blast

I thought when we moved to Idaho we would get snow all winter long. That has never been the case. It will usually snow and by mid morning or at least by noon the roads are wet. We will maybe get a couple of significant storms that do stick around for a few days. A few years ago our snow total for the entire winter was 3 inches. This year on the news earlier yesterday they said our snow total this year is already at 11 inches. And it snowed more since that report and it is going to snow for the rest of the week. As long as I don't have far to drive, I love it. I have missed having snow in the winter. I have lived in Denver,Co, Kansas,Iowa and Alaska where winter means snow. It feels like winter this year and that usually makes it so I am ready for summer when it comes around. I need snow boots this year-and so does the whole town. I lucked out and found one of the 4 pairs left at Target was my size!! Size 11 is not east to find and Target just started carrying that size this year.

Hannah lost her first tooth last night. The tooth fairy actually made it. She is reading low level reading books. I have talked to her teacher and the librarian and they have set her up to take AR tests after she reads a book. She is the only Kindergartener to do that and the only one of my girls that is motivated to read. Now that she can take computer tests on the books she reads she wants to read more.

Kelsea was suppose to have a basketball game yesterday. It was against the only team they have lost to this season. It was not cancelled because of the snow. It was cancelled because the floor was too oily from something for them to play. They are playing today instead but I can't go unless I leave Amber here with the little girls for piano but I don't like doing that. Oh well.

My teenagers are still acting like a couple of brats. I am about ready to either run away or stick them outside with for sale signs.

Ho hum

There has not been much to blog about. The cat got her stitiches out. Some of our fish got sick and died. My favorites have died. I have had to treat both tanks. The fish are recovering well. We have guppy babies again. There is a lot of Wii play around and it keeps snowing. Which is cool if I don't have to drive in it. We have about 2-4 inches expected overnight. We have had very little snow in the winter for several years now. Hannah is 6 and has her first loose tooth. Hopefully she won't be so inclined to write and ask lengthy letters to the tooth fairy. I am trying to plan a friend party for her this coming weekend. The kids are back in school and I got more done this afternoon than I got done in a whole day of vacation. So I had a vacation too and the house is suffering some but not too bad. I was talking to Hannah's teacher and she had the same long lasting odd ailment over Christmas vacation that I had and so did Autumn's teacher. Kylee gets braces on her top teeth on Friday. She has such a high tolerance for pain. The orthodontist was in shock. He had to trim some wires that were digging into her gums from the expander she has in her mouth right now. She didn't flinch, cry out or react much when he cut the wires and one jabbed into her gums and he had to pull it out. He couldn't believe how good she was. We do watch her closely because of that. I have a pretty high tolerance for pain myself. My teenagers are SOOO acting like teenagers right now. I am so glad they are back in school. Ugh. How is that for rambling?

Lee Joe and I went on a DATE!!!! on Friday. I can hardly believe that. We went to Applebee's for dinner. Spent Lee Joe's gift card that he got at Sears on a grinder and I got a few Christmas things on clearance and we went to a movie. We saw Dan in Real Life. It was a good movie. It has Steve Carrell in it.

I have plenty of places to go tomorrow but we will see how far the snow lets me go. Otherwise there is plenty to do around here. Oh well. Ho hum.

A good movie

I don't know why I am up this late. I was fixing music on my ipod because I haven't felt like doing anything else. But we went to a movie today with some Christmas money I have been holding on to. We have been wanting to see Enchanted and so today we went to the very nice expensive clean theatre to see it. My sister met us there with my neice and one of Kylee's friends came. Lee Joe suffered through it and felt it was good too. Go see it. It has some great twists and really over does the fairytale movie thing on purpose in parts. I bought the "Happy working song" and "That's how you know" from the movie. It was worth it and we had a nice family time. I am going to bed to continue to try and kick the obnoxious ailment I have that I am not helping right now by another late night. New Years night someone was firing off fireworks at almost 3 am and one landed outside our windows in the back yard. Such fun.

Happy New Year!

Here is my good, bad and the ugly report.

Ugly first-poor kitty's tummy. It looks quite funny now though when she walks.

The good. We have had lots of travel this year. We have been to 3 zoos, Disneyland, Lagoon, Sea World, Up and down the West Coast. And the sudden trip to the East Coast. Great visit with my dad and his family. Someone has a drivers license

The bad, the loss of my grandfather, but I feel his presence. Falling Christmas trees, Expensive headaches. No time and the kids are growing up too fast. Oh yeah, someone has a drivers license.

But it is nice to reflect this year and admit it has been a good one.



So I have been sick with something since Christmas. It is getting worse and very annoying right now. I am pretty miserable. I would love to get SOMETHING accomplished on this long holiday.
Hannah is 6! My baby is 6 years old. I am having a trauma over my baby growing up. She had a nice birthday. She got a Disney princess game from my mom for the Wii. And she got the Barbie Island princess stuff from us and a cabbage patch doll from my sister that wets itself.
I am about to celebrate New Years with my husband and 3 youngest daughters. My sister and her man may show up in time to celebrate with us. Then I get I to fetch Amber and a friend on the other side of town from a church dance. Too far and too many drunks and policemen to let her drive.

Devanie thought this was a funny story so I am sharing. Amber was able to drive on her date the Friday before Christmas. But it snowed while they were in the movie. Too much to let her drive someone else's kid home and herself. Lee Joe was moving a road grader to Costco for Snow removal. About the time the movie let out he was at the theatre. I gave him ahard time about driving them home in the road grader. But He did it anyway. Amber and Matthew road home in the road grader. When they pulled up in front of Matthew's house he got his brothers and parents outside to show them. A very memorable way to come home. On Friday this week he came over with Amber's other friends to play the Wii. They ended the night playing a board game called Quelf. It is this hilarious board game of just random things. They had to write haikus about armpits and other silly things. Kelsea had to play leap frog. One of the cards said that when you land on an opponent's space you had to hold hands with that opponent. Matthew rolled next AND landed on Amber's space. They held hands for the first time for a whole 3 seconds before Amber could quickly roll the dice for her turn. She was so red and it was SOO very funny. That is my continuation of the silly teenage saga.

Happy New Year!!

Christmas aftermath

We had a very nice Christmas. The girls all got things they wanted. After they opened their stuff there was some stuff in the very back of the tree for all of them. There was a Polly pocket race to the mall for the 3 youngest. Some movies and a Disney Scene it game. And then there was a Wii with games and accessories for 4 players! And a Dance dance revolution game. The girls were so excited. They didn't expect it at all. And Lee Joe had a big surprise present. It was something that started with a note in a little box and he had to find the big box. He really wanted a Lionel train set. I found one. He didn't think he would get it at all. So that was a great surprise for him. So the train set is up on the floor in the living room and the wii all over the family room. We cleaned all day today before we played the wii today. Yes, I am having fun too, and my arm and shoulder are sore. Lee Joe and I boxed tonight.

The cat is getting better and got her tubes out of her stomach yesterday. Our neighbors feel awful.

I love Christmas vacation. My car is getting a break too.

and all that-

The two oldest have babysat for the past two days. Amber is driving herself to her friend things and now on a date tonight. Kelsea was a butt to her Orchestra teacher again on Weds. While talking to a friend of hers in her class she said Kelsea is hilarious and does and says the things they all wish they could say. She won't be there next semester. I can't believe that she is my child sometimes. If she wasn't so funny it might be easier to be much harder on her. Amber and Kelsea played together Thursday in their seminary classes. Autumn got a student of the month award yesterday. I am happy the kids are out of school. But they keep wrapping things they are making and found my tape stash. Our tree is full of stuff and I not sure if it is just big boxes and gift bags filled with pictures on paper and other crafts. But it is pretty cute. We keep getting banned from bedrooms and other rooms when they are working on something. I am so behind with everything. I was up till 3am last night in my freezing cold garage with the space heater on and I found out I need to go out in the shopping mess one more time for one or two things. I also forgot to get something for Matt's girlfriend.

And the cat is recovering well so far. She has 15 stitches across her stomach. She was listless the past two days. Today she is sitting up, purred when I pet her and complained when I cleaned her stomach and is eating. I couldn't imagine my life without pets and it just makes me sad at how bad she is hurt. I love cats even though I am allergic to them. I put up with my allergies for the love of my cat. I don't mind caring for her I am just not very good at it. I am glad it is over Christmas break because I will be more likely to remember to give her all her meds. We know that our neighbor's dog did get her. They called their dog in when they heard something going on outside. We could consider her lucky she is still alive. The girls have all been concerned for her. Lee Joe said my Christmas present was getting her fixed up but that is not true because he is out shopping for me right now with the girls.

I am so excited for Christmas. I got Lee Joe something great that he has no clue about but wants. I can't wait! I feel like the kids but it is not about what I am getting it is about them. So much fun!

I don't know that anyone will be posting much here on out. But have a
Merry Christmas.

poor kitty

Amber discovered our cat this morning was badly injured. We thought it was just her leg. She couldn't walk on it. She was a mess and smelled like she was in a fight. Lee Joe took her to the vet and then discovered she had a large slice across her stomach. She had to have surgery. The vet and Lee Joe think a dog got her. She has puncture wounds on her legs and stitches and drainage tubes out her stomach. It is huge- all the stitches she has. Poor kitty. She has a cone on her head and can't walk. It is so sad. She is on two antibiotics and has pain meds. It is awful. But at least she is OK. She is one of the kitties I hand fed as a kitten. I have some pictures I will post later because Amber thinks she needs the computer at 10:30 for homework.

Can it be?

Can it be that Christmas is less than a week away today? Can it be that I am behind with everything and that somehow this week is so plugged with stuff I will be lucky to catch up? I think I am done shopping but there is still so much left to do.

Hannah went to the eye doctor today. She is going every 3 months right now. She is 20/30 out of the not so good eye with glasses. We went to build a bear today to get her an early birthday present since all of Boise will be there after Christmas with all their gift cards. She picked out a bunny with a Disney princess shirt. I need to take pictures.

I have two concerts to attend tomorrow. One at 9:15 in the morning and one in the evening. Kelsea is still a butt to her orchestra teacher and it sounds like she actually intimidates him because he won't reprimand her, he just glares at her and yells at her friend instead.

It rained and rained today. I am subbing for recesses tomorrow. I don't like the forcast. Inside recess is a pain. In December, the last week of school , all the kids are out of control. Oh well it is just 3 hours. That is the only time I will have gone in to sub this month. I have little time to bake. We will do what we can.

I am excited for Christmas, I just more TIME to get what I want to done.

My trip

This will be lengthy-More of a story than a blog.

I decided to go at the last minute. Saturday morning we bought the tickets. Lee Joe wanted to come with me and I was such a mess over the anxiety of flying and getting there and seeing my dad again I was just a mess and didn't want to go a few times even after I bought the tickets. My mom didn't want me to go and I hurt her feelings over something I said but I told her she could help me by being here for the girls while I was away. So she was good with that. Amber was thrown into her license while we were gone. She drove the girls home from church, and took them to the Stake choir thing. She drove kids to seminary in the morning and the girls home from school, to Kelsea's game and everyone to their Weds stuff. The girls were awesome and so responsible in our abscence. That is the first time we have left them together for longer than overnight.

Before we left on Sunday, Amber and Kelsea were playing together in Sacrament. Our plane was suppose to leave at 12:45 and Sacrament is at 11. We asked the bishopric if they could move their musical number earlier and they did. They played this beautiful piece. O Come Emmanueal on piano and violin and it was amazing. Kelsea's music fell on the floor and they didn't miss a beat. She picked it up and put it on the bench during a pause for her in the music, Amber slowed it a bit and no one knew the difference. After that we said goodbye to all the girls and they all fell apart except for Amber. She takes a lot to let loose of emotions in public. Kelsea and the other girls couldn't keep it together so after sacrament they went home. We left. At the airport we found out there were delays. When we got to our gate it was a 3 hour delay. We had a connecting flight in Chicago to Providence RI and it was delayed too so we hoped for the best. Everyone kept sounding like we would have to wait until Monday to leave and that was too late. We got into Chicago. What a crazy airport! We found the part of the airport where our flight was suppose to be. We asked about our flight. We were told to go to a certain gate. We got to the gate and our flight had left an hour earlier. The flight they were getting ready to board was to Boston. We asked them if they knew how close it was to Providence. They said maybe 2 hours. We asked if we could get on that flight. So with only 10 minutes till boarding time we changed our rental car location. We got out our US Atlas I brought along. I am so prepared! Anyway, Boston is only 50 miles to Providence. We figured out our driving plan on the flight and got our car once we landed and made it to our motel in Providence at about 2am their time. But we lost our checked bag with the flight change. The other great thing I did was I packed 2 carry on bags with the stuff we needed the next day. I packed like we would lose our bag. I didn't have everything I needed with the new liquid restrictions but I had the clothes I needed to wear to the funeral and Lee Joe did too. I had make-up and toothbrushes but not shower stuff and no flat iron. So that was amazing we made it.


Some information from my past. I have seen my grandparents a few times over the years. They came to see me about 3 times. My dad saw me last when I was 4 and then I went to Connecticut 3-4 years ago and saw him for the first time in 32 years. I met my two half brothers for the first time. They were 18 and 15 then. And my step mother. I met 3 of my Aunts and their families. One of my cousins is my age and I spent a lot of time with him before I left when I was 4. I loved my grandfather. I still remember him playing the banjo and the juice harp and other instruments for us and he played with me a lot. I have always loved the hammer dulcimer because he had one and I played it and he played it. My grandma says she has only seen him cry once in all the years she has known him. And that was the day that I left with my mom and sister. When I went to Connecticut a few years ago they had put him in the home because he was so difficult with his Alzheimers. He could only remember me as a little girl at that time and I was glad he could remember me but was broken hearted at waiting too long to come because he was not himself. My grandparents and my aunts all made sure that Melissa and I were never forgotten after all those years. So I had to go to the funeral.


The next day we got it together and found our way to the viewing. We got there. I found my Aunt Kathy and my brother Duncan was close by. He gave me hug and said hi. I said hi to some more relatives. I saw my dad and Alane. They saw me and came over to me. He was all smiles. He looked surprised I made it. I thought my Aunt Kathy had told him I was coming but she didn't. He was surprised. My Aunt Amy offered to let me stay with her right away if I needed to. My dad, after I talked to him for a few minutes asked where I was staying and immediately offered his place. His own sisters were not sure he would offer. The viewing was interesting because it wasn't somber. There was laughter. Grandma said he was probably dancing around in heaven playing a harp and playing it well. They all said that even though he loved instruments, he struggled to play them. She was sad yet looked for the relief he has now at being himself since he hasn't been for so long. My aunts cried as they said goodbye to Grandpa before we left for the service at the church. I saw my first Catholic funeral. When my Aunt Amy shared her memories of my Grandfather one of her recollections included me and my cousin John sitting on his feet while he clomped around pretending we were a pair of boots he was going to kick into the closet. And then we went to the grave site and there was a little service there. Then there was dinner at a restaurant for the family. There were pictures of grandpa. One set had pictures of him when he was young and one had pictures of him with his children and grandchildren. I was in one of the pictures with him that was on display.

Back at my grandma's house we all crammed in her small place. I was in the kitchen and dining area with my cousins and they talked about memories of grandpa and him pulling out instruments from behind and under the recliner for them to play. I remembered the banjo. I said I remembered the juice harp and when Snoopy would play one I would say "my grandpa can play that!" My cousin Brian said he had one. One of the kids found the dancing wooden man grandpa would make dance for us. I had told Lee Joe about it earlier. So I was able to show him what I was talking about. Even though I was gone for so long I was not a stranger at all. The remarkable thing there is I always have felt comfortable and connected to all of them. I discovered things that I carry that are Kennedy traits. All of the Kennedys get warm easily. I do that. All the aunts babies and my dad's sons were large. Beyond 8 pounds. All my girls were. My dad is a picky eater and my sister and I are too. Melissa more than me. We went to the Olive Garden Tuesday night. My favorite place. And he always orders the same thing. I usually do. But when I told Melissa what my dad ordered she laughed because she always gets what he has-spaghetti and meatballs. She left there when she was a baby and doesn't know him. When my dad watches TV he pulls his shirt up over his nose sometimes. Weird habit but I do that! My dad teases his wife a lot. I tease my girls, nieces and nephews the same way. My dad talked a lot this time. He shared so much and let me pick any of his pictures I wanted. He has done photography for years and has had shows and won things. I told Lee Joe on the flight home that it felt so good to have had that time with my dad. And that I could say Dad to someone who really was my dad and see him happy to be around me and when we left I could still hear his voice in my head. I have wanted that my whole life. I have never cried happy tears but I have and can do that now. I feel my grandpa healing us in his passing doing what he couldn't do in life. The divorce of my parents devasted my dad's entire family. His parents, his sisters, his aunts. They all loved my mom so much. And things have never been right since. There is so much that I can't explain because this blog would go on like a book. But because I have worked so hard at being accepting of any relationship I could have with my dad this -well I am speechless with how overwhelmed I am. Something that so many people take for granted I now have and I hope to get for my sister too. I am grateful for how this trip turned out. I suppose if that was the only Christmas present I got this year it would be the best and the best ever.

I'm back!!

I went to Connecticut. It was a trip like no other. Miracles happened. remarkable incredible awesomness even with the funeral. I think my grandfather really had a hand in getting me there and since I had 3 hours of sleep last night and it took a ridicuous amount of time to get home today-but we missed all the bad weather- the full update will have to wait until I am rested.

Congrats for Amber

Amber is an official licensed driver today!! She passed the driving test yesterday and today she did the written and has a fancy card with her picture on it now!

Kelsea's team lost their first game last week to last year's city champs. She is starting and playing almost the entire game this year. She was suppose to guard this girl that was almost 6 ft tall and did a better job guarding her than anyone else on the team. She had about 20 jump balls that game too. The game before that one she made 11 points and one was a 3 point shot!! I didn't know she could make those and neither did she.

I am still undecided on whether I am leaving for Connecticut this weekend but if I do I will leave on Sunday. My own dad hasn't called me so I don't know what to think about that. It was my Aunt that called. My grandma is not taking it very well. My mom is trying to convince me I shouldn't go. Lee Joe says I need to, but I am trying to make my own decision.

Some sad news

I am sad but if I had time to have shared with my grandparents more I would be more of an impact but my Grandfather in Connecticut passed away. He has had Alzheimers for years and the last time I saw him when Hannah was 18 months he could only remember me as a little girl. But I treasure them because they took more time to see me growing up than my father ever did and from what my grandma tells me is that the only time she has ever seen him cry was the day we left Connecticut because she says he just adored me. I didn't have that great of a relationship with my other grandparents that I grew up with after that. It was a good relationship but I knew I couldn't compete with my sister. He was a special grandpa that loved music so much that he collected instruments from all over the world. He could play some of them but he claimed not very well and those are the things I remember about him. And amazingly I can remember being in Connecticut even though we left when I was that young. Maybe I am sadder than I thought. So I am trying to figure out if I am going to the funeral that is on Monday.

The tree fiasco

We always get a real tree but I have been looking at artificial trees for a few years now but haven't bought one. This year I wish I had. I sent Lee Joe on Monday with the three youngest in search of the annual tree. The past few years they have been really small so we were looking for a taller one. He got a nice tall and fat one. We didn't get it up in time to decorate it Monday so last night was the night we could do it but it was just me and the 3 little girls. It had been up all night and all day. We were putting lights on the tree and Kylee was handing them to me and all of a sudden the tree fell over on Kylee and the tree stand ran up the front of my shin. Kylee was fine but my shin was not. Huge raised bruised bump up the front of it. So we tightened the tree stand up and we were able to decorate the rest of the tree. At 4am the tree dumped over again with some disasterous results. I happened to hear it. We have a few glass ball ornaments that the girls have made and one was a gift to Kelsea that shattered. We have a tradition of the girls getting an ornament every year so when they get their first tree when they leave home they will have ornanments from their childhood. Five of those broke. 4 were repaired with super glue that Lee Joe got for me around 5am and one was not repairable. There was water all over the tree skirt and my doll nativity. I had considered putting my nice set under there this year. I am glad I didn't. The good news this morning was I found a replacement that almost matched the unrepairable ornament at Target. I may find the humor in this and do a picture for my Christmas cards with the girls in it reinacting a falling tree. So later today when Lee Joe and I are both home at the same time we need to adjust the tree, attach it to a wall and put bricks on the back side of the stand and then we will have to decorate the tree all over again. It was very pretty.

And TOMORROW!!! Amber will be doing her drivers test!!!!! And might-I say might-have a license at the end of tomorrow. I am afraid, but I don't have to take her. She is a little freaked out too. Her permit expires in January so it is good timing.

Everyone is gone-

I guess everyone but Dove is gone from the blogging world this week. Probably the almost Dec hurricane that is going on. I should be doing hundreds of things other than being here. Procrastination at its best I guess. I fought with my computer all day yesterday and thought I lost a bunch of California pictures then found them and had problems just trying to upload pictures from recently on the computer. I was a stressed out mess from it and am still further behind in my must dos- here are some pics to all the people that are not out there this month.

Autumns Thanksgiving program

Uncle Rex and his dog Roxy-sure that's a motorcycle riding front carrier.

Pep Band -------------------9th grade Basketball

Homecoming forever ago.