ALL TOGETHER NOW!

We recently had our family all together for the first time in - well, I don't really know how long, but a really long time - years!  So in honor of the occasion we had a family picture taken.  The last family picture we had taken, my sons were still in high school and the oldest is 31 now.  :0+  Last time we had our picture taken, we didn't include the grand kids because there were not that many of them and they were a lot younger and well, including kids makes a photo age a lot faster.

We went to look at the proofs today and wow, have things changed a lot since our last family photo!  This time we were escorted into a living room type area with a comfy couch and on one large white wall they showed a slide presentation of all the photos.  She showed all of them on the wall with music, one at a time first.  I cried through the whole presentation because they were such good pictures and you know I kinda love all those people!  The second time through she showed two at a time so we could decide which of the two we liked best.  The one we didn't like she didn't show again, but if we liked both, she kept both.  We kept doing this on every pose until we had picked one photo for each pose.  There were some poses we didn't like any of. One of these poses was of the grand kids all jumping.  I had really looked forward to that one and was disappointed that it just didn't turn out.

We ended up with 5 different poses:  One of all of us - adults and grandchildren.  The second one was of just all the adults.  The third one was of just my husband and I.  The fourth and fifth one were of the grand kids - one of all of them sitting down posed, and one a little more casual with them just standing.

We were so happy to be able to purchase all five photos on a disk that we can take and have as many photos as we want made up!  We were even more happy to be able to qualify for the "Groupon Special" which, because we had 11 people (smallest amount) we got all of this HALF PRICE!  We also got a 17x24, 8x10, 5x7 and 8 wallets FREE!  This was such a great deal for us.  We have used these people before when we had our other family photo done, and we will certainly use them again and again!

Thanks, Kim Jew Photography!!

HAPPY 4TH - THE MAN WITHOUT A COUNTRY

I've been thinking about this story for about a week now, so I thought it would be appropriate to post for this Independence Day:

The Man Without a Country is a short story by Edward Hale.  It's about Army Lieutenant Philip Nolan,
who renounces his country during a trial for treason saying, " Damn the United States!  I wish I may never hear of the United States again!"  The judge grants him his wish:  He is to spend the rest of his life aboard United States Navy warships, in exile, with no right ever again to set foot on US soil and with explicit orders that no one shall ever mention his country to him again.

For the rest of his life, Nolan is transported from ship to ship, living his life as a prisoner at sea.  No one ever speaks to him about the US and his newspapers are censored.  One day, as he is being transferred to another ship, he begs a young sailor to never make the same mistake that he did:  "Remember, boy, that behind all these men...behind officers and government, and people even, there is the Country Herself, your Country, and that you belong to her as you belong to your own mother.  Stand by her, boy, as you would stand by your mother...!"

Deprived of a homeland, Nolan slowly and painfully learns how much his country means to him.  He misses it more than his friends and family.  When he is dying, he shows his room to an officer.  It is a shrine to patriotism to the US.  The Stars and Stripes are draped around a picture of George Washington.  Over his bed, he has painted an eagle with lightening blazing from his beak and claws grasping the globe.  At the foot of his bed is a map of the old territories.  Nolan says, "Here you see, I have a country!"  He dies after the officer tells him all that has happened in the US since he was exiled.

I'm so glad I live in this free country and for the freedoms we enjoy most abundantly here!
Happy Independence Day!

42 YEARS AND COUNTING...

Yesterday was our 42nd wedding anniversary.  I was getting ready to leave the house to go sit with a woman in our ward who was having health problems.  I was checking my phone to see if I had any email or messages and there was an email from Twist and his wife wishing us a happy anniversary.  I had to go look at the calendar to see what the date was, and sure enough it was indeed our anniversary.  I can never remember. :0+  My husband was in his woodshop, so when I got on the intercom to tell him I was leaving, I said, "Oh yeah, and happy anniversary!"  He got back on the intercom and laughed and said that he had actually remembered it while I was in the shower, but by the time I came downstairs had forgotten it already.
So after I did my 3 hours sitting with this sister (and holding her new baby - :0D )  I came back home and picked up my husband and we went across town and picked up our 14 1/2 year old granddaughter and went to see "Snow White and the Huntsman".  It was really good and to me it looked like it was left open for a sequel!   We dropped our granddaughter back home since she had Young Women's that night and then we went to Papadeoux's for dinner.  Don't know if I have that spelled right, but it is a fantastic sea food place.  We usually go to Red Lobster for seafood, but since we were on the other side of town decided to go there instead.  It was a great change and great food!  My husband had the Crawfish Etoufee and I had the stuffed grilled shrimp (bacon wrapped and stuffed with Monterey Jack cheese) - to die for!!  Yum!  Then we decided to get their special dessert sampler which had a mini banana pudding, mini creme broulee, mini piece of sweet potato/pecan pie with ice cream, and a big strawberry.  Finally, about to puke, we went home and both surfed the web while not really watching tv.   :0)

JUST DANCE

Four of my grandkids came over to spend the day with me and play while their mom went to help their dad at his business.  During one activity of "Stand-Up Comic" it was my 4 year old grandson's turn.  He would tell jokes that he made up that were questions and we had to guess an answer. We finally figured out that he really had no answer, but would tell whoever had the best answer that they were right.  So if he said, "How does a rabbit comb his hair?"  and one of us said, "With a chainsaw?", if he liked that answer he'd say yes.  It was so funny that we were cracking up, so he thought he really WAS funny!  :0)  I wish I could remember his joke question that he asked and I answered "A Samurai Sword?"  His face just lit up and he pointed at me and said, "Yes!"  Such a crack-up!

We played Just Dance for at least an hour (or maybe it just seemed like an hour :0+ )  I danced every dance and probably won't be able to even move tomorrow: "Eyes of the Dragon" (twice), "Who Let the Dogs Out), "Cotton-Eyed Joe" (twice - the 4 yr old requested it the second time when he realized it was a "Cowboy" song.  Much to his father's dismay, he eats, sleeps, and drinks "Cowboy"),  "I Like to Move it, Move it" (twice), "U Can't Touch This".....That's all I can remember right now.  I know there were at least 3 or 4 more.

After lunch they went in the back yard.  My 7 yr old granddaughter spotted a lizard, grabbed one of the butterfly nets I bought (I bought 4), and took off running after it.  She and the 4 yr old spent the next 10 minutes or more looking for it so they could catch it.  I felt that the money I spent on those butterfly nets was well spent.  :0)

TO EVERY THING THERE IS A SEASON?

I haven't blogged in awhile because I've just been too busy.  We went to Dallas last weekend to my grandson's graduation and on the way home stopped in my husband's hometown to have lunch with his sisters and pick up some stuff.

I've been sewing a lot lately.  My granddaughter is going on a pioneer trek and so far I've made her a pioneer bonnet and long apron and am in the process of making her pantaloons (yes, she has to have pantaloons to go under her skirt just in case she has to hike it up for some reason.) (??).  I've also been scouring 3 Goodwill stores for blouses.  I found her 3 and will let her pick one of them and give the other 2 to any of her other friends who are going on the trek and need one.  Her mom found a long skirt on Etsy for only $12.00, so once I get her pantaloons done, she's set to go.  The trek is at the end of this month.  I also made a new "Woody" vest for my 4 year old grandson.  His 3 year old brother has started wearing the vest and they are fighting over it, so I made the 4 year old a new one so he can give the other one to his brother.  I also made it a bit bigger.

I am experimenting with plants.  I bought some Calla Lillies to put under one of my trees in the back yard by the house.  They are a beautiful color - yellow with a deep burgundy on the outside.  I planted 3 plants and lost one.  One other plant is doing really well, and the 3rd one is "so-so".  I'm afraid I won't get them to bloom this year, but maybe next year I'll have some blooms and can get pictures.  Unfortunately, as soon as I planted them, the flowers died within a few days, and never bloomed again.  Probably transplant shock.

The other plant I've experimented with is hydrangeas.  I got some blue ones from Gilbert Girl and decided to replant it under my portico in the front driveway.  We have a circular driveway that comes up in front of the front door and the roof of the house extends over it.  It is all shade under there, but I wondered if they would survive and other than the blooms dying, the plant seem to be doing well.  I had to water it like crazy when I first planted it, but it's survived the shock now and is doing ok.  Then the last thing is, my husband planted 2 cherry trees and an apple tree.  I thought for sure we would lose them when we planted them.  They didn't look too good while going through the first planting "shock", but they are doing pretty good now.  The cherry trees are Lupin Cherries and the apple tree is an Arkansas Black.  I have no other info on those, but the apples are red, and the nursery suggested those to us for our area.

Sorry I've been absent for so long.  I need to try to be more diligent in just writing a short post.  We have bigger projects coming up.  My next one is to paint the living room and put up some sheer curtains, and hopefully to get my husband involved by having him replace the baseboards.

Bluebonnets

When we were in Texas in March, the bluebonnets were in bloom.  I thought this little church was so pretty!

BIG WHEELS KEEP ON ROLLING - RIGHT OVER YOU...

We had to make one more trip to settle some estate affairs this weekend.  I dreaded the trip to come home because as soon as we get off of the state highway and join the Interstate (about 2 hours from home) I feel like we are in danger for our lives all the way home.  Our particular state has an incredible amount of semi trucks driving on the Interstate.  Maybe the main reason is because our state has many, many things shipped in from other states.  There's not a lot that doesn't come from other states.  The other dangerous thing about it is that there are a lot of uphill climbs.  The past 3 times we have come home we have had the same thing happen:  We are driving up a hill and have a semi in front of us and are passing more, slower semi's on the right.  The semi in front finally realizes he is slowing down too much so pulls over into the right lane to let us pass him.  Almost as soon as he pulls over, he realizes that the semi in front of him is going a lot slower than he is and he doesn't want to put on his brakes to slow down, so he puts his blinker on and starts to come back over.  Of course by this time I have already started to pass him and have reached the front portion of his back tire.  He starts to come over, realizes that I am there (and that there are also cars behind me in the left lane also wanting to pass him) so he tries to pull back over, but the semi in the right lane is going even slower now (coming to the top portion of the hill) and he doesn't have enough room and so hits his brakes, I hit my brakes, the car(s)  behind me hit their brakes and we all come within less than a foot of each other without (thankfully) causing a wreck (and I am so far to the right that I am on the shoulder driving on the rumble strips - no, I am past the rumble strips!).  Then he continues to pull all the way over into the left lane and finally passes the slow semi, and pulls back into the right lane in front of the slow semi.  After re-starting my heart, I floor it, pass him and pull into the right lane so the cars behind me can re-start their hearts and do the same by passing me.  AAAUUUGGGHHH!!!

Isn't there a better way than having so many semi's on the interstates?  Can't we make them take the state highways?  Or ship everything by rail?

Here's a warning:  If you are driving on the interstate and see a truck either put on his left blinker, or weave a little bit to the left - BACK AWAY FROM HIM!!  Even if you have traffic behind you, don't even think you can pass him.  Let him go ahead and get in the left lane and pass the people he is wanting to, and then you can pass him.  Because he's going to do it anyway, whether you're there or not.  :0+

I wish I had pulled in behind him when he finally got back in the right lane and wrote down his truck license number and reported him.