COMPUTER LAB - STORY ABOUT DAD

Amber asked us all to tell a story about Dad last night while we were playing Spinner. We heard lots of stories, but I thought of this one this morning:

When my husband was going to school for his Bachelor's Degree, it was before home computers. That didn't mean the school didn't require you to need a computer to do your homework, so in order to do so he had to go to the university's computer lab. It was a first come, first serve basis and sometimes when you got there, you might have to wait several hours before a computer would be free.

My husband went to school at night and had classes that ran up to 10pm at night. Since I had at least 3 kids at that time and maybe more (can't remember exactly when this happened), I was always tired when 10pm came and often times would go to bed, planning on "just laying there awake until he got home" but then would fall asleep within just a few minutes. I must have done this that night, but I woke up about 2am and realized that he hadn't come home yet. I started to worry and as time went by worried even more. I have a very active imagination and it didn't fail me that night as I thought of all the horrible things that might have happened to him. I worried, prayed and fretted and finally decided that maybe I should call the police to see if he was dead, broke down somewhere, or maybe in jail. :0) Just as my hand reached the phone, I heard the front door open. By the time he walked in the bedroom, I was already in tears from relief that he was okay. Puzzled, he not only asked me why I was in tears, but why I was awake. When I told him, he said, "Didn't you remember me telling you I had to stay late after class for a computer lab?" Oh right, now I remembered, although I didn't think it would take that long. Come to find out he had to wait 2 hours before he could even get a computer. Think about that as you click off of this blog and on to your next website. :0)

Overheard this morning:

My granddaughter talking to Amber -
(Pointing at Babs) I like to call him Fred.
(Granddaughters mother) Why do you call him Fred?
(Granddaughter) Because I like that name.

HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS

It's really been great to be in the States! I've been so busy going from one thing to the next. I kept telling my husband that I felt so "pumped up" to be in the States that I felt like I had tons of energy! I guess it was a good thing, because it seems like I've gone non-stop from sun-up to sun-down.

I've had lots of fun with my grandkids but still feel like I needed to spend more time with them. Problem is, my time hasn't been well-planned out, just going from one thing to another. I just get up and look at my list of things to do that day and then do them. But I have enjoyed every minute of being with them and hope to do some more fun things when I get back from visiting my parents.
Here's some things I've been able to do while I've been here so far:
Tend grandkids while my daughter went to multiple doctor appointments, Kept grandkids overnight and a couple of days while she had her baby, cleaned house, pulled weeds, brought our dead back lawn back to life, had my mother-in-law here for 3 days, helped arrange to get new windows for my house and have it painted, got the Bee Man to come out and kill the bees by our patio, Had a birthday dinner for my son-in-law, a Father's Day dinner for my husband, had a family dinner for my mother-in-law, took several of my kids out to dinner several times, took my mother-in-law out to dinner, cooked a meal for my daughter's family after she had a baby, Went to 4 YaYa Lunches, got a US cell phone, got parts from Lowe's so my husband could fix the broken hot water heater, gone to many garage sales,went shopping for clothes and shoes, Went to Sam's twice, Took take-out in to my daughter's family and went to see her husband's new office, went to see Star Trek with my husband, son and his wife, went to church once with my daughter, went to our ward the rest of the time, had an MRI, had my teeth cleaned and 4 cavities filled (yes, FOUR!!!) (YIKES!). Now I'm off to go visit my parents. My mom just had surgery on her colon to remove a cancerous tumor.

My husband has: installed an exhaust fan in our downstairs bathroom, called the roof company to come put the roof flashing around the exhaust fan vent, fixed the hot water heater, trimmed all the bushes and trees around the house and put the clippings in the chipper, fixed several sprinkler heads, went fishing, hooked up Babs dvd player in the room we're staying in, fixed the globe back on his ceiling fan, fixed the weather stripping on the front door, changed burglar alarm batteries, installed a new switch for the bathroom light, played in his woodshop, went to see Star Trek, had multiple family dinners, visited with his mom...I'm sure there's more but I can't think of what.

The best part of this whole trip has been to be with family - visiting, going places, talking and laughing together. It's going to be pretty hard to get back on that plane to Ireland at the end of this month. We find out soon how much longer we will be there. Can you believe that in July my husband will have been there a year? He moved there permanently in October, but up until that time he was going back and forth every two weeks.

Even though I am having a wonderful time here, I feel the pull from Ireland pulling me back. I wonder what's going on there, is our house okay, how my friends are doing, and I'm already missing my husband even though I just took him to the airport this morning. Of course the pull to the States is much stronger. I just wish Intel would hurry up and makeup their mind as to how much longer we're going to be doing this so I can quit living in limbo.