Things I have learned since I turn 39... Continued

...Never believe that it can't happen to you, because it WILL!

...Riding mowers ALWAYS win, against a big toe.

...Little brother's grow up and make wonderful decisions about their life and wife for that matter... We are so glad that Mallory is part of the family now.

...Your babies have grown in to Lovely Young Women and are doing a great job of it... even with you as their mother... I make mistakes!!!

...You need to admit that you are not perfect even when you think you are... "I am not Perfect" there I said it now don't tell anyone.

...Saying 4 or more good things about your spouse or any loved ones, before you say something bad or complain about something is the best way to go.

...Remembering why you married your spouse goes a long way in healing a broken relationship.

...When you are so depressed that you don't want to spend time with those you love you need help and sometimes that help comes from a doctor.

...I have also learned that I need to learn to dance in the rain and not wait for it to pass.

... Date nights don't always have to be planned for, and anytime you get to spend with you Eternal Companion is always great, because we never know when one of us might be called home.

...And someone told me that if we "could see our husband's in his Eternal Glory we would bow down to them in awe"... I add to that, that I believe the same it true for them about us.

Been there, Done that and I'm still learning that life is Wonderful.

Black and White TV

A friend of mine's children asked her if she remembers watching Charlie Brown specials in Black and White. That got me to thinking I remember the 1st remote control TV we had, it wasn't really one but if you ran the vacuum close to it it changed channels. I also remember that I was the remote control for my dad, he would tell me what channel and I would change it to that, and this was before you could skip from 2 to 35 with out having to go thru all of the channels in between.

Some inventions that have come since I was born are ...
*Pong (1972) the 1st video game and I hated it but I love to play with my PS2 and my girl's DS games.
*Post it notes (1974) I couldn't live without them.
*Rubik's Cube (1974) I am addicted to it, and I have never been able to solve it with out cheating.
*The Walkman (1979) can you believe we thought we where so cool with one of the big bulky thing hanging at our sides, and to think now we have something that is the size of a credit card and holds 100's or 1000's of songs.
*Windows OS (1985) can you believe that the 1st one came out way back then, also look at how small our computers are now. My Father worked with a computer that was the size of a 2 story house.
* Disposable Cameras (1986) now we have digital ones that we can see what the pictures look like before we develop them.

Some Prices from 1970's are...
*A new house cost $23,400.00 and by 1979 was $58,500.00
*Average income per year was $9,350.00 and by 1979 was $17,550.00
*A gallon of gas was 36 cents and by 1979 was 86 cents , when I graduated from High School gas was 99 cents a gallon.
*Average cost of new car was $3,900.00 and by 1979 was $5,770.00, Datsun 210 $3,869, my 1st car was a Datsun 510 and I didn't pay that much of it, I wish I still had it.
*Medium Eggs 25 cents per dozen.

TV Shows of the 1970's... How many do you remember.
The Waltons 1972 - 1981.
Chips 1977 - 1983.
Lassie 1954 - 1973.
Starsky and Hutch 1975 - 1979.
Dukes Of Hazzard 1979 - 1985.
The Benny Hill Show 1969 - 1989.
Monty Python’s Flying Circus 1969 - 1974.
The Muppet Show 1976 - 1981.
Bonanza 1959 - 1973.
The Brady Bunch 1969 - 1974.
Dallas 1978 - 1991.
Charlie's Angels 1976 - 1981.
Little House on the Prairie 1974 - 1983.
Gunsmoke 1955 - 1975.
Columbo 1968 - 2003.
Kojak 1973 - 1978.
All In The Family 1971 - 1979.
Laverne & Shirley 1976 - 1983.
The Odd Couple 1970 - 1974.
Happy Days 1974 - 1984.
Sanford and Son 1972 - 1977.
Taxi 1978 - 1983.
Benson 1979 - 1986.

Been There, Done That, wish the prices where the same with today's income.

Prettiest flower girl ever

RothwellPhotography.com

Evelyn was the prettiest flower girl I have ever seen. I know I'm biased but that's my motherly way right! Evelyn (8yrs old) was wonderful in her part of the ceremony. She was angelic and poised. It's hard for an 8 year old to stand still for 30 minutes, but she did a great job. Just as in my other post about Elisabeth I wondered when did Evelyn get so mature? She too is growing too fast, I guess I need to cut back on the "Miracle Grow", I wish I could. I need to cherish the next 10+ years. Before I know it my girls will be a mom just like me, and they will be wondering where the time has gone to.

She's a beautiful young woman

Elisabeth is the one on the right

Saturday my daughter's where honored to be part of my baby brother's wedding. As I watched Elisabeth (almost 12) walk down the aisle as a Jr. Bridesmaid I was over come with emotion, I realized for the 1st time that she is not a little girl any more, she has grown into a beautiful young woman. How did that happen? It seems like yesterday she was a babe in my arms or just learning her ABC's, now she is a YW.

She is always telling me "mom don't Blink!" I think I have because she can't be 1/2 way grown. In the next 10 years she will have her 1st dance, date and kiss. She will graduate from high school, learn to drive and go to Prom. She will decided what it is she wants to do with her life and may even be married and have a child or two, I'm hoping this waits a while linger. But she will have so many things going on that I know these years will fly by. Anyone have any ideas on how not to blink?

Haven't Been there, Don't want it to happen, and I'm going to treasure all that I can.

He's not my little brother anymore...

Mr and Mrs. Benjamin Christopher Williams

Well technically he is. My Brother Ben is 16 almost 17yrs younger than me. I wasn't around much of his growing up but he was still loved by me. I had waited a long time for a brother, in fact when my sister was born and I found out it wasn't a brother I told my dad to send her back, I would wait for a brother.

I remember he turned 8 the year I was married and he turned 10 the year I had my 1st child. I remember he used to let her sit in his lap while he played video games. For the past 7 years he has had another girl in his life, and this past Saturday October 10, 2009 he made Mallory a permanent part of his life and our family.

The wedding was set in a little country church that Mallory had grown up in. The flowers where beautiful as well as the music, the bride,everything. One thing that touched us was when the mothers to light the family candles used for the unity candle the song played was "There is Beauty all Around When There's Love at Home." Ben had that played I'm sure.

The special part of the day for me was that my two girls where so happy to be included in this special day for their Uncle and new Aunt. Elisabeth was a lovely Jr. Bridesmaid and Evelyn was a beautiful flower girl.

We didn't have a lot of family from out of town but those that showed up I was glad to see. My Uncle Glenn (whom everyone thinks Ben acts like) and his sin BJ (he's 1 yr younger than Ben) Then my Mother's Aunt and Uncle from her Fathers side surprised us, and Helen and her daughter Lana from mother's mom's side also came. So it was a nice little reunion and as one of them said "better to get together for a wedding than a funeral."

The reception was lovely, dinner and fun had by all. I'm not sure if Mallory will ever forgive Ben for shoving cake up her nose. B.J. caught the guarder and then lost it and Christina caught the Bouquet and then was knocked to the ground and lost it. There was a lovely Sunset that night that topped the whole thing off. The only thing that could have made it better was if Dad could have been there, but we can't live by "what If's."

I'm just glad that Ben has finally tied the knot.

Been there, Done that, Time for Christina to do the same.

Blessings

I have decided that I need to have a blessings journal. I have been through a lot lately and I need to remind myself of the blessings that have come from the Trials. I truely believe that with every trail there are blessings sometimes we have to look hard to find them, and sometimes we don't find them but they are there. I also believe that if you look for them they become easier to find.

So here I go... 2 days before Vacation I got a speeding ticket... was I speeding? i don't know for sure but I probably was since I have a lead foot... the Blessing is this is that I had to go to traffic school, I have learned to lessen the weight of my lead foot and I now TRY to keep my speed within the limit, I also learned a lot that I had forgotten over the last 23 years.

On the way home from Vacation we had an accident the totaled our only working vehicle... Blessings one of the other drivers was from our area, I know his kids from school so he brought use the 3 hrs home... we got a "New-to-us"car that is bigger, so when we go on vacation again we have more room.

About 1 week before my brother's wedding my father had a stress test done, the results where not good, 5 days before the wedding he had to have Quad-By-Pass surgery done... have not seen the blessing here except that he could have had a major heart attack at the wedding.

3 days before the Wedding mom fell and broke her shoulder... Blessing we canceled the rehearsal dinner and had a desert (just cake and punch) much less stress on mom, my sister and me.

Thursday night needed to borrow a vehicle from the neighbor... it was a truck get to mom's need to move stuff from her attic like closet. It wouldn't all fit in the car as we had planned used the truck and got everything moved to Brother's house in 1 trip.

Dad had to miss the wedding... We really thought he would be out of the hospital in time and we had made the plans of how to take care of him at the wedding... blessing was less stress on us, we didn't have to worry about whether he was over doing it... we all got to enjoy the wedding and my brother is now married to the love of his life.

Dad was suppose to come on Sunday meaning Christina would have to stay the week after having an already stressful one... dad didn't come home... blessing was that Christina got to go home and have a whole week of rest while I took care of mom.

I can now see that the struggles and trails that I have gone thru have many blessings some I haven't even listed. I truly believe that listing our blessings help us grow stronger and learn that God doesn't close a door without opening a window.

"That which doesn't kill us makes us stronger."

Been there, Done that, and still learning.

My Collection

I have many collections from 100+ Teddy Bears, to Music, to Red English Phone boxes, I also like to collect thoughts and poems. So I thought today I would share some of my collection.

"Today I'll concentrate on the things I like most about myself and forget about what I don't like."

"Today I'll forget about what I want to become happier and will think about what I can do to help others become happier."

"Time is not measured by the years you live but by the deeds you do and the joy you give." Helen Steiner Rice.

"Memory is the power to gather roses in the winter."

"A Friend is a Present you give yourself." Robert Louise Stevenson

"Don't put off until tomorrow what you can put off until the day after tomorrow." Mark Twain

"God's promises are Beautiful."

"Memories are treasures that time cannot destroy."

"Some People come into our lives and quickly go.
Some stay for a while and leave footprints in our hearts
and we are never ever the same."

"Today I'll be glad I'm different from the world and I'll realize that People will respect me if I live up to my beliefs."

"That which we persist in doing becomes easier.
Not that the nature of the thing has changed but...
That our ability to do has increased."

"In the Temple there are no hands of time...
only hands for Eternity." K J Williams 1995

This is only a small portion of the collection, I have a little book that I have used since I was a teenager to collect them in and it is the best thing I ever did as a teen, because now when I get discouraged or down all I have to do is grab this book and read it has always lifted me up.

I hope that I have lifted some one today by letting them see some of my collection, I will post more later from it as I feel the need.

If I Had a Million Dollars

I was just going through some prompts I gave to my Activity Day Girls with their journals and found this one.

If I had a Million dollars I think I would probably try to give it all away, I'm not sure that my life would be any better if I had the money. The saying "money is the root of all evil" is so true. But if I decided to keep it, here is what I would do with the money.

1st I would buy a bigger house- this little place is just too small for my growing girls, the new one would have at least 2 bathrooms and a bedroom for both of my wonderful girls.
2nd I would buy a new car for both my hubby and me and maybe even one for the girls to use when they learn to drive.
3rd I would put some into savings for the girl's education.
Then with what ever was left over I would travel the world, I have seen some of it but not enough of it.

This is what I would do if I ever had a Million dollars, I know that will never happen but I can dream right?

Things I have learned in the 2 months since I turn 39

-If you are on vacation enjoy it, once you get home all heck may break lose.
-If you have a lead foot you will get caught, and if you are a CDL holder it's hard to get out of but not impossible.
-When it rains it makes the road slick, watch out!
-Don't assume that the DMV and the State Police are able to communicate with each other.
-Don't take your car for granted, especially if you only have 1.
-If a child pukes on your bus one day and tells you the next day he is still sick, he will puke on your bus again.
-When the bank says you don't have any money believe them.
-Watch out for mad fathers that think you have lost their child.
-Car bought "as is" should be left where the are.
-When you think you have some money saved you don't, especially if you have children.
-Free education is not free.

I will continue to add to this over the remaining year, because I know the Sh*t has not finished hitting the fan.

If it weren't for bad luck, I wouldn't have any luck at all.

OK the car broke down again this past weekend, so I asked my brother Ben (he's a mechanic) to take it home for the week and see if he could fix it. Well the good news is that it broke down on him on the way home. So he left it on the side of the interstate, all the way off the road and in the grass. This was on Monday night about 9pm. He went back out the next morning to pick it up and take it to his shop. Here's the bad news, the car was not there! Yes you read that right the car was gone! So he had to get to work and was wondering who to call to find out where it was. When he went to lunch just about 1/4 of a mile from work he was looking out the window and saw my car sitting in a lot behind the restaurant. He walked over and found out that it was going to cost $200 if he got it that day if not they would tack on $35 a day. They would not take a credit card so he had to go to the bank and get cash. After getting the car we find out that the tags where missing by now my stress level was so up that my blood pressure was up too. The next day we find out that the State Police towed it because they said that it was not registered correctly, but it was I have the reg paper in the glove box and tags on the car. They pulled my tags and destroyed them, so hubby and the Trooper go to the DMV and explain what had happen so we didn't have to pay for new tags, but we where still out the $200. So I called the Sargent over the Trooper and told him that we wanted our money back. He tried to tell me that it was my fault for not having it registered right, but I found out that the DMV had sent out a memo to the State Police telling them that there was an error in the computer and some registrations had not be updated correctly. He called me back and told be the the towing company would work with me on a refund. So I called them and they said yes they would give us $70, I told them that was unexceptable. Then I call the State Police back and told them that someone between them and the DVM owed me money and I was getting it some how. I finially got a call about 20 minutes later from the Sgt. and he told me that he was a the towing company and they where going to give me the full refund but it was going to be a check. I tried to fight that since my Brother paid them in cash I felt he should get cask back but no deal so we had to take the check. After that I realised that I forgot to ask them where my screws where. When the Trooper took the tags off he did not put the screws back in the car so me are 4 srews short. But my mom says I shouldn't ask the trooper for 4 screws because I might not like what I get.

So I am just 4 screws short but not $200, and Ben is putting the new tags on with 6 point screws so the average "Joe" can't take my tags, that means hopefully the Police can't either. Can my live get any worse?

Been there, Done That, and the State Police are at fault.

The Story

OK, I know some have been waiting to hear the story that I didn't want to tell. It is kinda of embarrassing but here goes. On the way home from vacation to the Outer Banks, NC. I had a "Traffic Collision", they are not called accidents, because accidents are something that you didn't mean to happen. I know!!! Like I got up that morning and said "I think I will run into the back of someone on my way home from vacation today!" So I will call it an accident. So we are on our way home, always a sad time, nobody wants to go home from vaction,and we really don't want to tell granddaddy (my Dad) bye, or the ocean, sand, sun, etc. We stayed around the beach about an hour that day getting a few things and had forgotten and enjoying the air one last time. we finally hit the road off the beach and had not problems it wasn't even all that busy. About 1pm we hit the biggest rain storm I have seen this year. We where in the Newport News area on I 64 West bond. the interstate is 4 lanes in that area and then its goes from 4 to 2 lanes. So you can emagine the traffic, stop go stop again go again, then anytime you have traffic like that there is oil build up on the road. So I was in the left lane, I had just merged for the second time. Traffic Opens up and the vechile in front of me moves ahead. I was about 1 car length behind and stsrt to go, then the car in front stopped suddenly and I also applied my brake but the car didn't stop untill it hit the vechile (#2) in front. I tried looking for a place to go but the right lane was blocked with cars, to the left was trees and a ditch. I tried to head for the ditch but hit the car in front before the ditch. No Airbags since I was not going very fast but enough damage that the car was undriveable.

My 1st thought after making sure everyone was ok was great now how do we get home. I was told that the vechile infront was pushed into another vechile so this one is #3. as I watched a man get out of #3 and walk back to #2 and then to my car (#1) I thought he looks familiar, but dismissed this idea from my mind because I was 3.5 hours from home at the time and didn't think I would know anyone. the police where called and as we are waiting we are trying to exchange info, when #3 hands me his I reconized the name and asked him if he was --- dad? He gave me this look like I was crazy then I told him that his son and my daughter where in the same kindergarten class and that I worked at the school. Well as we stood there talking he said that he was in a 7 seat van and it was only him and his 2 kids, and if we wanted he would be glad to make room for us and take us home since we live in the same town, what a miracle. So I told my family to only get what they really needed and we would worry about the rest of our stuff later. (thinking that I could have the car towed home and fixed). So no one was hurt in any of the vechiles and we made it home safely.

The next day I was glad we rode home with #3 because we found out that we didn't have renters on our insurance policy. Miracle number 2 happened then because our bishop had a car that we could borrow until we could get ours back or a new one. We also have the greatest neighbors in the world that loaned us their truck for a few days too. My mom took me back down on Tuesday to get the rest of our stuff out of the car and I took everything because looking at the car again that morning I thought they are going to total it. By Friday I had got the car that they where calling it a total loss and we started looking for something that weekend.

I was cited with Following too close and because I am a school bus driver and need my job I went to court over the ticket. Just let me say that the charges where dropped and I still have my job. Thank Heavenly Father for teaching me, I have had a rough year this past year and he has again taught me that I need to relie on him.

Been There, Done That and don't want to do it again.

Back to School/Work

Well today is the 1st day of school and work for me after being off for 74 days. I'm glad to have something to do again. I trying to start a fresh start this year. I have been very selfish lately and I need to change.

This morning was hard for me, my oldest Elisabeth is now a middle school-er and I will not see her during the day and I will not be here when she gets home. I know she will do great, she is so grown up and I wish her all the luck and happiness in middle school. She is nervous because she was one of the top dogs last year and now she is at the bottom again. The one good thing is that she has some great friends and she will also be in a school that has some church members there. for the past year she and her sister have been the only members at her school.

Evelyn, was so excited for school to start, she has her 1st grade teacher again this year (Miss Nussbaum last year moved up from 1st to 3rd grade) her dad makes fun of her teacher because nussbuam in German means "nut tree", but we like nutty teachers they are so fun and they teach you so much with out you even knowing that you are learning.

I start my 2nd year as a full-time school bus driver. I have the same kids that I ended the year with last year. I was so glad to see them this year it was great to hear about their summer. I am also still working i the lunchroom at Evelyn's school again, and as the girls keep telling me I am the one in charge, as Miss Patsy has moved on to doing custodial work full-time. that leaves me as the senior Lunchroom monitor. Not that I really have to boss anyone around but I know everyone will come to me when something goes wrong.

I can't say my usual here of "Been There, Done That..." because this is the 1st time I have sent a child off to middle school. So I guess I will say Good Luck to both of my girls, I believe in you and love you.

The Swimming Sisters

If you have been following me this summer you know that my girls, E-squared swam on a swim team this summer. They both did a great job here are some to the ribbons they received.

Elisabeth: 2nd year swimming
7th - 200 Meter Freestyle Relay 3:50.38
6th - Mixed (male and female) 200 Meter Freestyle Relay 3:18.99
5th - 100 Meter Freestyle 3:25.14
5th - 200 Meter Freestyle Relay 3:25.14
4th - 200 Meter Freestyle Relay 3:17.72
3rd - Mixed 200 Meter Medley Relay 3:12.33

Personal Best - 50 Freestyle improvement of 1.93 seconds
Personal Best- 50 Freestyle improvement of 4.41 seconds

Evelyn: 1st year swimming
6th - 200 Meter Freestyle Relay 3:56.95
5th - Mixed 8 & under 100 Meter Freestyle Relay 2:33.63
5th - 200 Meter Freestyle Relay 4:56.93
5th - 200 Meter Freestyle Relay 3:36.93

Personal Best - 25 meter Back Improvement of 11.10 seconds
Personal Best - Still to come but I think it was for 25 freestyle

I am so proud of them they did a great job this summer and we will keep swimming through the winter and have them ready to break more of their records next year.

"Just keep swimming, Just keep swimming" quote by Dory in Nemo.

Vacation or Bust

We are getting ready to leave to visit my Dad in OBX, NC. We leave Friday and will be having the time of our lives. Yesterday was my Birthday this is my last year to count after this year I might just not celebrate any more. I had a great day, I got to sleep and read (my 2 Favs) and then my hubby made a Wonderful Dinner of Homemade Mashed Dirty Potatoes and Roast Beef, I made the gravy, then we had Homemade IceCream and Cake, I ate way to much, but I was so good. I actually got my present earlier in the week, we went to the Harry Potter 6 movie, It was great as a movie, I still like the books better. The whole Family went with me which about broke the bank but was worth it.

Today the girls and I are doing the laundry and paking for our Family Vacation, they can't wait either. So if I'm not on here for a while that is why. I hope to get lots of pix between catching fish and playing in the surf and when I get back I will start to post them. See you on the flip side.

Life in the real World.

I was thinking about the jobs I have had throughout my life. I started working about the age of 16 like most teenagers that i grew up with f we wanted spending money we had to work to get it, our Parents where doing everything they could just to keep food on the table and save enough for us to go to college. So my 1st job was working at a stuffed animal shop called "Freddy's Zoo" it was in Potomac Mills Mall, I don't remember the neighborhood but I do remember that there was a Pizza place next door and the Cinnabon store was about six stores away. I started this job because I had tried all the Vets offices in the area and nobody was hiring or at least they never called me back. so right before Christmas I got the job, I hated it then I got lucky and was fired, they accused me of taking money out of the change jar that was kept under the counter, I didn't take it and I knew who did but was never able to prove it so I was the one fired, Didn't bother me much as within 2 yrs the store closed for unknown reasons.

The next job I got was working for Dr Grissom at Woodbridge Animal Hospital. After losing the job at the Zoo I started back at the beginning again with the Vets offices. When I went to see Dr. Grissom she told me she was glad I came back because they wanted to hire me the last time I was there but someone had lost my application. I learned a valuable lesson, when you have an interview always check back with them, don't assume that they didn't hire you call and find out.
I worked for Dr G until I finished High school and it was probably the best place I have ever worked for even thought I was the "Pooper Scooper." Well I did a lot more but my main job was to clean the kennels and runs. I knew then that I wanted to be come a Vet Tech.

After HS I moved to the Shenandoah Valley and went to Blue Ridge Community College, I didn't stay long I wanted to play more than study, there goes the dream never to be again. the next job this bum got was working for Lowe's Home Centers, at the time it was just Lowe's Hardware. after my interview here I pestered the manager until he gave me a job. he told me that the reason he gave me the job was because I was the one that showed the most interest (2nd Lesson Learned) I worked for Lowe's for about 61/2 years. I worked my way up from being a cashier to Department Team Leader, basically at was the assistant department Manager. I worked in Bath, Electrical, Lighting, Power tools (#1 Favorite) Hand tools, Paint and Home decor, and Lawn and Garden (2nd Fav). I also worked for about 1 1/2 years on the over night stocking crew. I worked in 3 different stores Harrisonburg VA, Elizabeth City NC and Staunton VA, But i also traveled to other stores and help reset or set up a new store, one of my favorite jobs to do with the company. I wasn't making the kind of money I wanted even with all the jobs that I did for the company so I decided to changed jobs, but the best compliment I ever got was when I was transferring to a new store and my old manager said that he was "going to have to hire 4 men to replace me."

The next job was for R. R. Donnelley and Sons, Inc. a book binding company I worked for them for 6 years. I did many different jobs there too, I started as a Material Handler, in other works I did the boring job of feeding the pages of the book into the machine or I boxed at the end of the line. I was also a Forklift operator and moved stuff from one place to the other. I worked in the roll stock warehouse, this is where all the rolls of paper is kept. Then I got to work in the receiving department and High bay warehouse, this warehouse had a section that was so tall you had to use a special lift to store things, it was fun moving this machine that was about20 feet long and as tall at the building from one aisle to the next. I also worked in Handwork where things where done that could not be done by machine. probably the best paying job I ever had although they didn't pay you enough for the sweat and hearing damage done. But they decided to get rid of me when I got Pregnant with Evelyn, they actually laid me off, so I decided to move on.

I decided then that I wanted to work in a bank, so I started applying at all of them, Bank of America was the only one hiring. I became a bank Teller, and anyone that says banking is a great place to work has never worked in one. First off, Banking Hours are not what they used to be, I remember as a child my grandmother saying she had to get to the bank before it closed, at 2pm. then I remember bank closing a 5pm, But BOA didn't close the drive thru (my Job) until 6p. I also remember banks where not open on the weekends but they are now, I went to work about every other Saturday, but only 1/2 a day but by the time the bank closed at 1pm your day was gone. then seeing all that money was depressing. I would sit there and wish that one day the bank would be nice and call us up and tell us that what ever money we had in our till we could have to do what ever we wanted, it never happened.

I decided to leave the banking world and try my hand at staying home and doing childcare out of my home, so in 2003 when Elisabeth started school I started working from home. I loved this because I was able to be home with Evelyn and be there when Elisabeth got off the bus in the afternoon. The 1st year I only watched teacher kids, I figured that way I could be off when the kids where out of school. I did this until Evelyn started school in 2006, At this time I decided I wanted to work for the school system so I became a Substitute teacher or anything they needed me for to do, that is how I became a Lunchroom monitor. I also took the bus driver class and was a sub driver until this year, when I got my own route.

So life in the real world for me has been fun I have learned from all of my jobs and have enjoyed certain aspects of all of them. I don't know what the next step will lead me to, but I await the adventure when it comes.

E-Squared Swims

Tuesday night the girls swim team had a meet against Broadway, we had many swimmers out of town so my girls had to swim a fair share of events. This is only the 1st year of swimming on the team for Lil' e and it was only her 2nd swim meet, the 1st meet of the season her nerves got the better of her and she scratched out, then last week (meet #2) she told them to give her just one event the Back stroke (25 ft). But this week they gave her 3 Events one being a relay where she swam Free Style (not her strong suite yet) the others where a 25 free style and 25 back stroke. She did Great in all of these, but I wish you could have seen her face before she started the 1st event (which BTW was event #1 a free style relay) she was green around the gills and looked like she was going to lose it all over the pool deck. But she over came her nerves and swam great, I think they placed 6th in that event. When her back stroke event came up she was very confident, she had swam it last week, this week she did amazing I think (don't have the official times yet) she shaved about 12 seconds off her time. Then came her last Event again another Free Style, but this time she got in the water an swam like she was a fish, I was so proud of her. I can see her confidence growing by leaps and bounds.

Big E also swam she had 5 events, she too swam in event #1 but not on the same team as her sister, which I'm not sure if that is good or bad. Her relay team came in 5th place, then she did the 100 free style this is a 1st time event for her. and by the end I could tell her had given it her all, but she came in in 5th place, way to go Big E. the Next 2 events where the 50 back and the 50 free, she did well but I don't have the times yet to see where she placed. I do know that she need to work on her turns she loses a lot of time on those turns, but she swam great in between.
Then her last event for the night was #70 which is almost the end, it was also a relay but one fo the boys on the team didn't stay around for the event and they had to scratch that one, she was a little disappointed and relieved at the same time, I think she was tired. This was the 1st time that she had to swim so many events in fact she was maxed out they are only aloud to swim 5 events. I can see a lot of improvement in Big E this year especially now that she got over the attitude that she knew everything and didn't need to learn from the coach.

Way to Go Girls, keep swimming and leave the other team to EAT YOUR BUBBLES and Kiss Your Feet.

Update on the swim meet results from Tuesday night.

Evelyn-
200 Free Relay- 3.56.95 6th place (1st time swimming relay)
25 Back- Last weeks time 1.02.27 this week 49.45 didn't place very high but beat her own time.
25 Free- 48.63 again didn't place high but was !st time swimming a free style race.

Elisabeth-
200 Free Relay- 3.25.14 5th place (1st time swimming this relay)
100 Free- 1.55.83 5th place (1st time swimming this race)
50 Back- she was DQ not sure why but will work on.
50 Free- Last weeks time 55.16 this week 52.48 (didn't place but we really don't care)

I think that my girls are awesome swimmers they can beat me in the pool which isn't saying much.
Keep it up E-squared.

Moving a Mountain

I believe I have the worlds smallest washer and dryer, it is a stacking one, and it lives in a corner of my kitchen. On a good day, meaning not doing anything but washing clothes I can get a weeks worth of laundry done in 24 hrs. But if I don't stay on top of it it gets a way from me. I hate doing the laundry, and Jill before you sent me your "Nothing says I love you like clean underwear" story I've read it and I have tried that attitude, I still hate it. I will only do laundry once a week if I'm lucky. But yesterday after looking at this mountain of clothes that was growing daily in my living room floor I decided to take on the mountain I was either going to conquer or it was. I also decided to better my odds so I took all of it to the laundry mat. It filled the trunk of the car and 1/2 of the back seat. But I like the laundry mat and have decided if I ever get my dream home I'm going to have one in it. They have the largest washers I've ever seen there, I believe that i could fit inside one if I was so incline. With the mountain i had if I had done it at home I would have had at least 15-20 loads, see hubby and I are both not what you would call skinny or average built, in fact I call it FAT!!! so in our little washer at home only about 2 of his jeans and 2 of mine will fit in the washer at a time. But at the laundry mat I had 3 large loads Whites, Colors and Darks, then I had a small load of towels that I put in one of the smaller washers. To wash dry and fold only cost me less than $25 and about 2 hrs. that is the great part two hours later everything was done and I was on my way to a visiting teaching appointment. The mountain was tackled and my sanity saved, now if I can only get everyone to put there clothes away correctly. I really should rethink my doing it once a week maybe if I try twice a week I will not have to move a mountain next time just a mole hill.

Been There, Done That, and will be doing it until I die.

Cleaning again and again and again

Why is it that i can have my house clean but as soon as I turn my back it's a mess again? I think my girls love to be told to clean, even though they complain when I tell them to clean this up or that up. They don't seem to understand that if you leave a plate on the living room table it will stay there until some one (MOM) picks it up and takes it to the kitchen. They think that if they take off their clothes in the bathroom and leave them on the floor there they will get washed, it doesn't matter how long I leave them there they will not pick them up until I tell them too. Don't get me started on the nice clean room they had just 2 weeks ago or how they don't know how to clean the kitchen up. We live in a very, very , very small place, I would say less the 12oo sq.ft. If you don't keep up with the cleaning up then in a 24 hr period it looks like a storm has come through. I know some of my friend think that i have a spotless house because I am always saying that I'm cleaning this or that, but in truth my home is not that clean, but it's not for a lack of trying.

I remember my mother having to get on us to clean our rooms but I don't remember having to tell us over and over and over to clean up the living room kitchen etc. I was not the neat freak in the family and I'm still not one but I would like for my house to stay a little cleaner. With four sets of hands it should be a breeze, don't you think? Not here.

Been there, Done that, and I sound like a broken record.

The Quest : Chapter 1

The Book of Mormon
Another Testament of Jesus Christ
Remember these are my thoughts and questions nothing here is church sanctioned, but it my just get you to start thinking.

Introduction: Why did the 3 witnesses only get to SEE the plates, where as the 8 where able to touch and feel and see them?

J.S. Testimony: 3x Moroni came to Joseph Smith in the night- 1x in the day, Why? Did Heavenly Father think JS could not remember things? We too are taugh things over and over again in the church.

1 Nephi 1-7 talking about how they left Jerusalem and then had to return to get the plates from Laban, killed laban, return to their family then return back to town and convincing Ismael's family to join them. the plates that they had to have where alot like the old family bible, not only was their scriptures but it have a history of the family. I think about Saraih, what faith she had to have to follow her husband into the wilderness. Had i ever thought that Lehi and Laban where related? I don't thin I had until now. Were the Plates of Laben like our Bible filled with truths and untriths or were they more like the Book of Moron all true? It says the Lehi searched them.

Chapter 8: when I read this verse with the others I thought that is doesn't belong with the onthers, until I thought about how much the lord wants us to prepare to live with him. he teaches us by little steps. Nephi is telling us that they prepared thereselves for the journey.

Chapter 9 Neohi talks about the different record he was to keep. This Chapter show that the Lord does know all things. He knew that 116 pages of the B of M translation would be lost. And he knew we needed to have that information but differently.

The Quest

I'm going on a quest, a quest for Truth and Knowledge. I would like your help in this quest, to stay on the task and not stray from my journey. Just as the quest for the "Holy Grail" was not finished is a short time, neither will mine. I started this quest many years ago but the adversary got in my path and stopped my journey. I will continue from where I left off, luckily I have kept a notebook with the notes from from the beginning of this quest so that I will be able to continue on. You may want to know what kind of quest you have been asked to help me with. I am undertaking a journey into the Book of Mormon.

I will start my new quest with some thoughts from the earlier journey. Then my hope is to write about once a week about how my journey is going. So let the journey begin!!!!!!

I have not read the Book of Mormon completely for many, many years. I will be posting thoughts and questions for the sections I read and ponder. Please feel free to comment on my questions.

Long Lost Feelings Found at Last

First I would like to say that my blogging is more for me that for anyone else, but if I help someone else along the way then that is great. I was cleaning some stuff up in my room yesterday and found this talk/ Testimony that I gave in RS sometime ago (2003 think). I think it had been hidden away for a time when I needed to be reminded of the feelings and Faith I had and need to regain. What is in Red is added thoughts I had when I read this yesterday for the first time since giving it.

Sister Bland (Vickie Bland RS Teacher, she is till teaching and is great) asked me today to talk about how I prepared for a temple marriage. For me it started years before I met my Husband Lyston. My Parents joined the church when I was 5 yrs old, then they where sealed about 1 yr later. I remember that day how wonderful it felt to know that I would be sealed to my Parents forever. As I was growing up I decided that I also wanted my children to be sealed to me and my Eternal Companion. So I set a goal as a Young Woman (YW Program of the Church) that I would be married in the temple. (I remember that as i was being interviewed for my YW medallion, by Sister Kelly and Pargas they asked if I had completed all of my goal and I told them no, because I had not completed this one.) As a single adult I filled my home with pictures of the temple and quotes about temple marriage. At the age of 24 I decided I could not stay out of the temple any longer. I was not yet ready to get married but my next step was to go on my own. The lord works differently for different people. About 1 month after I went on my own the Lord blessed me with my E.C. As we prepared to get married I told my soon to be husband that I would only be married in the temple. We prayed together and made sure we where worthy to go and then we went to the temple together and prayed for guidance that we where doing the right thing, in the Celestrial room we both knew this was right and this August will be 8 wonderful years. (Actually this August will be 14 wonderful years)

As I said above I blog more for me than for anyone else and I needed this yesterday, not that things are bad but I have had a bad couple of years and needed to know that I was still doing what the Lord wants me to do. My normal ending quote doesn't fit in this context so I will just end with. Enduring to the End and Returning with Honor.

E-Squared

Some of you have notices that I have 2 daughters. They are the most precious and special people in my life. Sometimes I wonder how did i get to have these two special spirits in my life. I made the mistake, if you want to call it that of naming them both with 1st names that start with "E".


Elisabeth Victoria is the oldest she is named after her great Grandmother and Great Great Grandmother on her Father's Mother (German) side. Elisabeth is the German spelling of the name, she will always be plagued with the problems of people misspelling her name, just as I am.but the name also had meaning to my mother as a child she always names her baby dolls Mary Ann Elizabeth Victoria, and told her mother that she was going to name her 1st daughter that. but when I came along she decided that name was too much for such a like baby like me. So my parents decided on something different instead. Well I grew up hearing this story and secretly thought I would name my 1st daughter that name. when I told my husband he didn't care for the Mary Ann part but he liked the Elizabeth part if I would spell it with the German "S" for the "Z", the way his Oma spelled hers. Then his mother told me that her Oma had been named Victoria. So that is where her name came from.

Evelyn Lee, I knew pretty much from the beginning that she was a girls, i don't know how I but I just knew. When I told my mom I was pregnant she was getting ready to go visit her Grandmother "Mom Mom." Mom Mom was in her 90's and had lived a long life. Well mom went to visit Mom Mom,she was sick and not going to make it. So mom told her that I was going to have another baby and the she wanted Mom Mom to go and take care of that special spirit before it care to earth. My mom told her that it was going to be a girls (We didn't even know yet, I was only about 2-3 months on)Mom said she didn't know why she told her that but that she must have been inspired. Mom Mom passed on soon after, when mom came home and told me this story I told mom that I known it was a girl. I also felt very impressed that I needed to name this baby Evelyn, after Mom Mom. I asked my sister if it was OK since she and Mom Mom where close, she Ok'd it after thinking about it for a while. Evelyn's Middle name came from Mom Mom's husband, Pop Pop. It was his middle name. They had given it to their son my grandfather, then he gave it to his daughter my mother. My Mother didn't like the name so she didn't pass it on to her children. I decided that since my husband is a Southern Confederate that he would like to use one of the names of is hero's for our children. So that is how Evelyn Lee was name.

Now several years ago Evelyn and I would go to story time at Barnes and Noble, we became good friends with "Miss Annie' Hololobo the story time lady. One day she sent me and email and said to give her love to E-squared, and that began the nickname for both of the girls. They have had others some are E1 & E2, big E & Lil e or even just E & e. but we love E-Squared as much as we love Miss Annie, so they will forever be E-Squared.

Father's Day

Today is Father's Day, a day to honor our fathers her on earth. I love my dad and know that he loves me and has tried his best through the years to show me right from wrong. I remember him being at everything I did, even my violin concerts when i was a beginner and sounded like I was pulling on a cats tail. I remember how much I missed him when he spent 1 year away from us because of work (Stationed in Korea- No Family Allowed) My father was always there to give me or my family members a blessing when we needed them. I remember he slways gave us one before the start of a new school year. My father daily told me that he loved me, but what i remember are the ways that he showed it. I never saw him be put out when asked to give a blessing, or if he had to cancel something because I had a concert. My father was there for me when i needed him.

I now have another father in my life, he is my husband and the father of my 2 girls, he loves them just as my dad loves me, iIcan see it in the things he does daily.

Happy Father's Day to all.

Swim Team Written June 16, 2009

Tonight was the 1st swim meet of the season. Both of my girls are swimming this year. It is Elisabeth's 2nd year but she is on a different team this year. They are the Westover Waves. This is Evelyn's 1st year to swim on a team, she is still learning but we think she will do great. She was suppose to swim the 25 back and 25 freestyle tonight but her nerves got the better of her and she felt sick to her stomach and decided not to swim, that's OK she can try next week.

Elisabeth swam the 50 back, 50 breast and 50 freestyle, she did well except that her coach thought she was DQ'd in both the back and the breast, (we found out later that she didn't) she over came her frustration or channeled it into power and I believe she swam her best on free, her time has never been under 1 minute on the 50 free but tonight it was her official time was 59:43. Way to Go!!!! I hope she keeps it up.

Evelyn has decided to try just the back for next weeks meet. and Elisabeth has told the coach she wants the same events and she is ready to do anything they ask her to do. Her coach says she has a Beautiful -- Butterfly stroke, I would like to see her try this but she doesn't like it.

Never Been There, Never Done That, but proud of E-squared!!!!

Last Day of School

I Never thought as an adult I would look forward to the last day of school with the same anticipation that the kids do, but I do. I may even have even more excitement for it.

You see I work for the school system. I am a full-time (10 month) school Bus driver and I am also a lunchroom monitor both of these jobs are fun and stressful at the same time. I had a blast in the lunchroom today. I tried telling the classes that they had 1 more day to go, that Mrs. Williams our Principal had made a mistake, but nobody believed me, which I'm glad I didn't want to get up tomorrow and drive.

then on the way home on the bus I asked my kids to raise their hands if they hated me the 1st week I was their driver, I would say that about 90% out of 60 kids raised their hands. Then I asked how many still hated me, I only had about 5 hands this time. I then told these kids that they where not getting a treat when they got off like the rest of them did. you should have heard them start with "I have never hated you Mrs. B", "Your the best driver I've ever had" and Your the Best." I have a soft heart I gave in and let them have a treat which was "dum dums" I wanted to give them Smarties but couldn't find any. I got a few hugs on the way off and everyone got a treat. I will miss them but not much, I will have all but 12 of them next year.

Been There, Done That, and Signed up to do it again.

She's a 6th grader Now

Today June 8th 2009, Elisabeth closed a chapter in her life, she has finished with elementary school. she has 3 more days really but she has her certificate saying that she is DONE, FINISHED!!! Next year she will adventure on to Middle School, she will be on her own other that friends, I will not be following her.

Today at the 5th Grade Farewell I thought I was holding it together until they started to sing, the whole 5th grade about 90+ students stood up and sang a song for the parents called "Thanks Mom, Thanks Dad" by Teresa Jennings they also handed their mothers Red Carnations (My Favorite Flower). My Hope is that Elisabeth will continue on the right Path and make the right chooses in life. Good Luck Elisabeth.

this is the song, by Teresa Jennings.

THANKS, MOM.

optional solo
Thanks, Mom, for all that you've done. You've shaped my life with selfless love and grace.
Thanks, Dad, for giving your all. Because of you, this world's a better place.

unison

I think you are the greatest. I recall how you held my hand.
You help me to do better, and I know you're my number one fan. Oh.

Thanks, Mom, for all that you've done. You've shaped my life with selfless love and grace.
Thanks, Dad, for giving your all. because of you, this wold's a better place.

When i hurt, you give comfort. Empathize, yeah--you cry when i cry.
And we'll see all the good times. When I win, I see you smile inside. Oh.

Thanks, Mom, for all that you've done. You've shaped my life with selfless love and grace.
Thanks, Dad, for giving your all. because of you, this wold's a better place.
Because of you, this world's a better place.
Because of you, this world's a better place.

Been There, Done That, I think, it was so long ago.

On My Fridge

I know I haven't posted in a while, and I don't have a lot of time now either. So I thought I would quickly post a few quotes that have accumulated on my refrigerator. Everything below is on some type of magnet that is hanging on my frig. If you have anything interesting or enlightening please share.

Love is an act of
endless forgiveness, a
tender look which
becomes a habit.

I
Cook
Therefore I Don't
Do Dishes

Volunteers
Hands that Serve
Hearts that Care


Recipe for a happy Successful Home.

• Respect
• No-quarreling -- No Bickering
• Misunderstandings talked sensibly
• Maintenance of spiritual contacts
• Family prayers
• Constant attention to Church Dutes
• unselfish service
• Love of God & others

Stir gently-- "then love will abound and your joy will be increased.-- The most important of the Lord's work you will ever do will be within the wall of your own homes" President Harold B. Lee

"Successful Motherhood
today spans the years
and the eternities."
President Harold B. Lee

"Train up a child
in the way he should
go: and when he is
old, he will not
depart from it"
Proverbs 22:6

That which we persist in doing
becomes easier for us to do...
not that the nature of the
thing is changed, but that our
power to do is increased.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

FROGS

Two frogs fell in a deep bowl
One was an optimistic soul.
But the other took the gloomy view.
"We shall drown", and he cried adieu.

So with a last despairing cry,
He flung up his legs and said goodbye.
The other frog quoted with a merry grin,
"I can't get out, but I won't give in!"

I'll just swim around till my strength is spent.
Then will I die, the more content.
Bravely he swam till it would seem,
His struggles began to churn the cream.

On top of the butter at last he stopped,
and out of the bowl he gaily hopped.
what is the moral? tis easily found--
If you can't hop out, keep swimming around.

All Good Words to live by,
Been There, Done That, and Still trying.

Activity days/ Journaling

On Wednesday nights I am the Activity day Girls leader. This is a fun job and I love each one of the girls in my group of which I have 13. But sadly 4 of them including my daughter are moving on to Young Women's this year.

On Wednesday night I planned an activity on journaling, something that all of us should be doing. I have a group of girls from just turned 8 to right at 12 so I have to make my activities fun for all (not always an easy task) But this night I had fun showing the girls my journals. No I'm not the perfect person who write every day or even once a week but i do have a pretty thick book full of my different journals. We talked about the different ways you can journal. The old fashion way with pen and paper or now you can type into a computer, you can save it on a blog or just as a program on the computer, I have both. Some of my girls scrapbook and I told them that was a way of journaling, especially if you write captions of what was happening in the pictures. I also know that some teacher in school will have you write a report on yourself or even on a family member, I have had to do both in the past. I have kept those and keep them with my journal. If I wrote a report on a family member or someone special in my life I gave them a copy to keep with there journals.

I had some girls complain that they didn't like reading journals (I can't imagine why?) but then I told them that at least once a week they read from some one journal and i bet they didn't know it... they all say "no we don't, unless our school teacher make us" I then asked them if they read from the scriptures at least once a week and they answered yes. And I answered back I told you that you read from a journal at least once a week the Scriptures where a journal for the prophet of person whom wrote in them. After that they couldn't wait to start there journals.

I had picked up at the store a composition book for each one of them ($1 each),a pen and then I printed up a list of about 50 prompts to help them get started, because they are like me they don't want to write about the same old boring thing they do everyday. (this morning I got up went to school then came home then had dinner, Etc, Etc, Etc.) so i made up some good ones like: My Favorite desserts and why? What do I do in the summer time? Describe my room, What is your favorite story from the B of M? etc.they loved that they didn't have to write the same old thing down. They cut these prompts up into strips and placed them in an envelope that they taped to the notebook. So if they had free time and wanted to write but couldn't think of something interesting to write about they could just pull out a slip and begin there.
They where so happy and excited, I hope they keep working n them and start a good habit.

Well on the way home I decided I needed to work on my journal writing too. So I tool one of the left over notebooks and started my own. so if over the next couple of months you see any weird topics i might have just pulled out a slip of paper and started writing.

Lucky Rodent

This morning "Big E's" hamster got out of it's cage and decided to go play behind the Washer and Dryer (W&D). When I go to get him, when in the process of removing the broom it's storage place next the the W&D I knock a Hot Coco mug off the rack and I tried to Catch it when it also hit a stoneware bread pan that I had, it knocked a big chip in the pan and sliced a big Chunk of my finger. The mug was saved, I gotta have my hot coco. and by the time I got my finger bandaged up and back to together, the little varmint that started the whole thing was sitting in the middle of the kitchen floor looking for someone to put him back in his cage. He's lucky that he is old and on his last leg or he might have been flushed away.

Been There, Done that, and don't like Cuts and Blood.

2 for the price of Free

Well today was the big day for the root canal, I pray this morning that everything would go well and that I would somehow find a way to pay for the $875 bill, or what ever my Insurance company wouldn't pay. So I guess I should count my blessings. I go in early because Lyston had an appointment at Bio-life (Which I have not been able to do for a week now and have 1 more week before I can go back. another story). So get there and fill out the paper work, am called back and the tech asked all the questions about which tooth and all that stuff, took X-rays that where digital the picture came right up on the computer monitor, so cool! Then the Dr came in we started chatting and I know his boys they go to my school so we where talking about them then on to me. He again asked about which tooth and did a few test to make sure we where sure which tooth it was. So he numbs me up and lets me sit for a while, the tech comes back in and preps my mouth with a Rubber Dam and clamps the tooth. Dr comes back ask if I'm ready sure why not the right side of my mouth feels like it is sticking out about 10 ft and I can't feel my tongue or control it for that matter. So he begins, I'll spare you the details of what they do, but after he work for a while it was time for another X-ray to make sure they got it all. Instant picture on computer, look of "What the H*ll!!" on the Drs. face and the tech had a look like "Oops!"
The Dr tells me "guess your getting 2 root canals today"
Me, "WHAT????.... WHY?????"... well it didn't sound like that remember I have that damn rubber thing in my mouth.
Dr "we did the wrong tooth."
Me "2 for the price of one?"
Dr "Nope... 2 for price of FREE"
Me "COOL!!!... Lets go"

Well after about 1 hour an half in the chair I left with 2 root canals for Free. the Dr was very sorry that it happened but I probably would have had to have the other tooth done sooner or later. So I left carrying the right side of my face out to the car, I wasn't sure it was going to fit in the car with me. It still felt like it was sticking out about 15 ft from my face.

My biggest fear of the day was that I would be numb for 3 months, which is what happened with the last root canal I had done over 3 years ago. But as of right now I have no numbness in my face which is great other than my jaw being sore I think I survived.

Been There, Done That, and It was FREE

HATE Dentist

OK, so I have this problem with a tooth. I thought I could wait until school was out before I had to take care of it but NO!!! About 1 week ago I was in such pain that I knew it would be another root canal for me. Not something I'm looking forward to, especially since the last one I was numb for about 3 months after, Long story and not a fun memory. So last Wednesday I go in to see the Dentist,I would rather see the OB/GYN or have a baby in a public place than go to the dentist, I don't know why, But I HATE (Yes I Know Hate is a strong word But I have strong feelings on this.)Dentist. I have friends and people that I know from church and community that are dentist, I tell them "I like you as a person outside of your office but when you are sitting beside me with your hands in my mouth, heck for that matter when you are in your office I HATE you." they laugh and we get along great until I have a problem. That is why I have decided that I will not see a dentist that I know personally any more that way we done lose the good friendship, My OB/GYN is the 2nd Counselor in the Bishopric, I don't have a problem with him in fact I love Dr. A. but when it comes to someone with their hands in my mouth I can't help but want to bite them.

OK enough about how I hate dentist, back to the tooth. I was given an Antibiotic and pain meds and told go see Dr ??? across town and then we will take care of the rest of your teeth later. So the soonest Dr ??? could get me in as 1 week that's OK I think I can life with it until then. WRONG!!!! the pain meds make me want to sleep, So I can't take them during the day, I still have to drive the School bus. 1st night took pill before bed and exactly 6 hours later I woke up in pain, can't take 2nd pill because I have to drive in 2 hrs. next night the same thing. Finally Friday night gets here good I can take all the pain meds I want, I do. Saturday was OK, by the way tooth hurts worse at night, then Saturday night I did the same thing as I did friday night but this time the pain meds didn't work for me other than make me feel like I was in a fog all day long. So Sunday I stayed home from Church. I was thinking am I going to make it to Wednesday or will I give up before that and do what the guy in the movie "Cast a Way" did and knock the tooth out. I couldn't eat, because when I swallowed I felt like I have a rock under my tongue, and I didn't help that my daughter kept making brownies for the family and they ate them right in front of them. But by late Sunday night I thought I think I feel better, I decided not to take pain meds before bed and Slept the whole night. When I woke up this morning I could swallow and feel great other than I can still feel the tooth on that side but I think now I will make until Wednesday then I should be all better after that.

Been There, Done That, I HATE Dentist.

OH, I over did it this morning with Breakfast and now I'm a little sore but I still think I'll live.

Rain, Rain Go away, come again... In a Century!!!!

OK I really like the rain most of the time but right now I'm tired of walking to and from work in it. We did get a little bit of sun today but I was so afraid of it for the 1st hour because I wasn't sure what it was. Then once I found out that it was sunshine and I liked it it went away.

My shoes are so wet that they are starting to grow flowers or something on them. My socks are like being at the beach in the winter time, wet and cold. My toes are so wrinkly that I'm not sure they will ever dry out, not to mention the horrible case of AF I have now.

But tonight take the cake. I thought if you do something nice for the Missionaries you where suppose to receive blessings. Well last night my Hubby the Ward Mission Leader, got a call from our Elders they needed a ride home from Charlottesville (about 1 hr from us) not a problem he was off from work and he would be back in plenty of time for our Last ASL class. I needed I ride into town earlier but not a problem I have Great neighbors that where more than happy to help me so off to town I go leave the girls here waiting for dad to come home pick them up then pick me and and off to class we go. What we didn't expect was a Wreck on the Mountain, hubby and the Elders got about 1/2 way home and where turned around by the state police and told go back the other way and take the LOOONG way around. well to make a long story short, we got home at 7:30 tonight, NO Class I have to wait over an hour for him to pick me up, and I walked over a mile in the rain to get some shopping done that was planned to be done after class.

Guess my blessing is that I have such great neighbors they took my kids over to their place and fed them. Thank you Heavenly Father for the rain but I thin that 7days is more than enough, Remember your promise with the rainbow.

Also if my hubby's car was fixed I wouldn't have to worry about all of this.

Been There, Done That, and my toes are still not dry.

Where is SPRING????

Last week we had frosty mornings and hail on day, now this week we are roasting over the weekend we had temps in the 90's. So where is spring? I need and want to plant a garden but not in this hot, Hot,HOT weather. I live in the mountains because it not suppose to be as harsh of weather. I don't believe in Global Warming but after this weekend I may have to rethink that.

Pay it Forward

Pay It Forward!
If you want to participate great, if not... no big deal. Here is how to play. The first 3 people to post on this blog will receive a handmade "pay it forward" gift from me.This is how it works...So, if anyone out there is up for the challenge...
1. Be one of the first THREE bloggers to leave a comment on this post, which then entitles you to a handmade item from me.
2. Winners must post this challenge on their own blog, meaning that you will pay it forward, creating a handmade gift -anything!- for the first THREE bloggers who leave a comment on YOUR post about this giveaway!
3. The gift that you send to your 3 friends can be from any price range and you have 365 days to make/ship your item. This means you should be willing to maintain your blog at least until you receive your gift and have shipped your gifts. And, remember it’s the spirit and the thought that counts!
4. When you receive your gift, blog about it!

If you are not one of the first three to comment on this post, you can still play along.Go ahead and start your own Pay It Forward chain, and encourage your blogging friends to do the same! It's all about paying it forward.

Let the Challenge begin!

Evelyn Is...

I have been pestered by a friend whom shall remain nameless (I hope you know who you are Steph) to get back to blogging so here I go.

Today I realized that my youngest Evelyn, "Lil e" as we call her sometimes needed to have an original piece of writing for a Young Authors celebration she was invited to this coming Wednesday. What she 1st wrote did not pass the "mother test". So I decided to help her work on one. We decided to take her name and write a poem with it. This is what she came up with, I only helped her to figure out some of the descriptive words.

Evelyn is...

Energetic, she enjoys riding her bike.
Variety, she has a lot of different stories to tell.
Excited, She is always ready for summer family vacations to the outer Banks.
Loving, she is always willing to snuggle and hug.
Young, she is only 8 years old.
NICE!!!!!

My Testimony

I started a tradition in our family that I hope my children will pass down to their children. When they turn 8 years of age and are baptized, they receive a note book full of Testimonies from Family and Friends. I know that I have learn so much about my family from reading these and I hope that as my daughters grow in the gospel that they will be able to draw strength from this book to help them when they are at a rough time in their life. I wanted to share the testimony that i placed in Evelyn's Book. I'm not one that gets up once a month and shares my testimony on Fast Sunday, I think it is because I am so shy. But I Do have one and those of you that live in my ward may want to know that so here it is.

Dearest Evelyn,
On this special day I would like to share with you something that is very special and important to me, my Testimony. As you take this important step in your life, I want you to know that I am very proud of you for making this choice of baptism. This is the first and most important choice of many on the straight and narrow path that you will make in your life.

I wish that I had a neat story to tell you about my baptism day but for me it was like any other day. I remember going to swimming lessons that morning and walking home thinking about that I was going to do that evening. I can tell you that you will remember this day for a long time.

I want you to know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is true. I know the Heavenly Father and Jesus appeared to Joseph Smith. I know that with the power of the Holy Ghost Joseph Smith translated the golden plates into what we know as the Book of Mormon. I know that as you read and study the Book of Mormon you will realize the love the Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have for you.

I know that Heavenly Father and Jesus know YOU! They know each one of us just as I know you and Elisabeth, but they know you even more. They don’t think of us as a big group, like your teacher at school might, They think of us as individuals. They want you to talk to Them that is what prayer is for. Just as you would not be able to go a day without speaking to me or you’re Dad, you should not go a day without speaking to Heavenly Father. He will help you and guide you through the Holy Ghost, with your life on the earth.

You will receive today the greatest gift that anyone can give you, the gift of the Holy Ghost. Just as it says in the song (the Holy Ghost) he is a “True eternal friend” he is with you always, even when you think that no one else is He is there. He is how Heavenly Father speaks to us. Always remember to listen, he doesn’t yell, he uses a still small voice.

Evelyn as you go through life I hope that you will remember the covenants that you make today and remember what it says in 2 Nephi 31. Jesus loves you and He wants you to return to live with Him and Heavenly Father.

Know also that I love you and know that no matter what you do in life I will always love you. Thank you for being my daughter and making me proud, stay close to Heavenly Father and remember if you need help on the path that you are not alone, the Holy Ghost is there to help you along with your family.

Love Always
Mommy
Kasandra Barker

Baptism by ice water

Saturday, March 14th, my baby Evelyn Lee Barker was baptized. It was not what we expected, you would think with the modern tech we have that everything would go great, Right? WRONG!!!!!

We started the morning OK, other than that I had procrastinated and was up at 2am finishing her programs and the house cleaning and the oil mess on the floor (See, "Can I Scream Now!!!"). I guess she was so excited for the day that Evelyn got up at 6:30 am. I tried to get her to go back to sleep but nope she wouldn't. Oh Well. about 12:15 we get to the church, we had to set up, Lyston and Elisabeth had already been up there earlier to start the water, it takes 3 hrs to fill the font. When we get there brothers Brady and Butler were already there. They had bad news! The water was ice cold. Lyston said that when he left the water was nice a warm just the way he was told to make it. Brother Brady asked Evelyn if she liked cold water, sure it's not bad, but this was! They drained out about 1/2 of the water, they thought they would at least refill it with all hot water. The hot water heater didn't want to cooperate, so they tried filling 4 large pots with water and boiling it on the stove to add. Evelyn says I can't believe they added any water to it it was still cold. they didn't want to add anymore cold water to it and get her too cold. I guess they didn't think that when she goes under it's not going to matter. The water only came up to just above her knees.

She was one of the lucky few that have to be dunked twice. The 1st time her dress wanted to float. The second time, my Mother in-law had to get up to leave, I think the cold coming off the water was bothering her. I had a hard time watching the second one knowing how cold the water was. The second time she flapped like a fish but the witnesses said she made it under. When she came out of the water her lips where blue and she was shivering all over. She has short hair so I didn't think we needed the blow drier from home but I was wrong I should have brought it to at least warm her up. Elisabeth was a great help she cleaned up the water in the hallway and brought Evelyn Daddy's big coat to wrap around her after she was changed. I told Evelyn you will remember this day for the rest of your life now because of the water being so cold. The rest of the baptism went off with out a hitch but come Sunday morning she was not feeling great she had a sore throat, which actually started right afterward, so she didn't make it to church to be welcomed in as the newest member of the ward. she has recovered now and is doing well.

My Brother's Fiance said it's much easier in the Methodist Church, "Just a sprinkle" That's OK Mallory, I will not trade my faith even if we have it rough sometimes.

Been there, Done that, but mine was warm not ice cold. Now Evelyn you have something to tell you children about your baptism.

Evelyn's Day

OK I know its Monday and her Birthday was on Friday but I have had a busy weekend, see post titled "Can I Scream now!!!" Also I can't take credit for the idea of this post, my friend Jill does a post for her children's birthday and tell the story of their birth.

Evelyn Lee Barker came into this world on March 13, 2001. I remember that we wanted to have another baby before Elisabeth got too old so they could grow up friends. The summer that I found out I was going to have another baby, my Great Grandmother (Mom's side) past away, my mother went to see her before she died and told her about the baby that I was carrying. Mom told mom-mom (Great Grandmother) that she wanted her to go and take care of her granddaughter before she was to come to earth. I was only about 2 months pregnant at the time but my mother told Mom-mom that it was a girl, we don't know why but I believe that my mother was inspired by Heavenly father to tell her that. After I heard this story I wanted to name this baby after Mom-mom, but I also knew that my sister shared a close relationship with Mom-mom and was hoping to name one of her children after her. I asked Christina if it would be OK and she said yes. So from then on I knew that I would have a Evelyn, the Lee part is also family, Pop-pop middle name was Lee and so was his son my grandfather and my mother's, but mom didn't like the name and never passed it on to any of her children but I have! I don't think that Lyston or I ever really talked about boys names I think I knew that I was having a girl all along.

Evelyn was due the end of February, she didn't come then unlike her sister whom was on time. So I thought wouldn't it be nice if she came on March 2nd, her Daddy's b-day. Again she wasn't ready so I thought ok let's give her 4 more days and have her come on March 6th, my sister's b-day, that day came and went, not baby. Ok the next B-day I thought of was my Grandfather's and I was not waiting until March 31. So when I went in on Friday, march 9th, we talk to the Dr about what we needed to do, after and ultrasound reveled that she was going to be a 10+lb baby if we left her to her own devises, we decided to induce. I could pick the day Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday. I choose Tuesday, March 13th, Why? I don't know!

Tuesday we head to the hospital, check in and the hook me up to the meds and give me the epidural after about 5-6 hours of going nowhere fast. My in-laws, Oma and Papa came to visit; they spend the afternoon there talking with Lyston, because I just wanted to sleep. They decided about 7:30p that they were going to head to our place for the night and we would call if anything happened. So my hubby walks his parents out and says "I'm going to stop at the Cafe to eat before I come back" (man was I hungry... Bring me something) "OK, I'm not going anywhere." After they left the nurse came in to check me, and when she did what a surprise she had, the head was right there ready to go. She starts calling for the midwife and other team members to come in and I said give me the phone I needed to call my mom (she had a class that night and didn't want to miss it, Oh well she did) "Hey! Where’s my husband" don't worry he will be back in time. It is now about 8pm and they say ok we are ready for you to push but wait my Hubby is not here, mom made it but Lyston who hadn't even left the hospital wasn't back. I'm not doing this without him, and then right at the last minute here he came. Ok now let’s push 3 pushes and out she came at about 8:15pm. Boy was I glad I didn't want to miss any sleep, she was beautiful from the start and I could not believe that she was 9lbs 15 oz. one more day and this baby would have been stuck.

And now when I tell her about how is didn't want to come out she looks up and tells me "the Jacuzzi was warm and I didn't want to get out."

CAN I SCREAM NOW!!!!!

Friday the 13th has never been so unlucky for me as it was today.... I thought that it was starting off great... I wake up this morning and we had about 3/4 of an inch of snow on the grounded... It didn't stick to the roads at all in our area, kinda reminded me of Camelot (it never rains until after sun down, and the fall leaves fall into nice little piles)... then we didn't have school today, that had nothing to do with the snow it was a teacher workday. (which most of the teachers I know hate, they say they would rather teach kids all day than have to have workday, Go figure???)..... So good start to the day... until my girls wake up, they are upset... you see we have had weather in the 60's this week and they have been riding bikes and playing outside every afternoon and where hoping for a day of that, both of them where mad at the snow... in fact Evelyn said "this is a waste of snow." I asked why? "Because we are already out of school."... OK note to Heavenly Father only send snow when we are in school so we can get out... then the girls realize that since they decided to watch a movie last night that they now have to clean ... and this is Evelyn's Birthday, but she had the choice of cleaning before b-day or watching a movie and she chose watch a movie... OK let's clean, they cleaned i took dad to work and did some shopping (not fun stuff, I HATE shopping) ... When I come home they have doe a great job on the house I was very impressed, I also thought that since they had cleaned it they would do a better job of keeping it clean... I wish I would keep these thoughts locked away because it never happens... but Oh Well! we work on the laundry together and then Elisabeth says mom I'll make the brownies for tonight... OK go for it, I'm trying to let her learn some cooking skills and I need to get the printer working on the computer so I can finish our taxes and print program for Evelyn's Baptism tomorrow... so she in the kitchen making brownie and I hear " OH NO! there's oil everywhere!" As I walk into the kitchen I smell the oil from the french fryer and I see all over the floor the oil from the french fryer... I am floored, I just want to cry... all over my kitchen floor is about a gallon of used yucky oil and we need to leave for a church activity soon... I don't buy paper towels to me they are to expensive for napkins which is what my family use them for... So I have nothing to grap to clean this mess up, I finally think about newpaper so I ask Evelyn to get me some... Elisabeth is upstairs getting some old towels... As evelyn is getting the newspapers she knocks over a whole container of hamster food, all over the newly vacuumed carpet... I throw newspapers on top of the oil so that they can soak up most of it and I will not have to ruin as many old towels (I still use them for other things)... Elisabeth finishes the brownies and gets them in the oven... I finish getting the printer to work and print out the taxes... Evelyn cleans up the hamster food... the brownies are done but the oil is still on the floor, waiting and if I had my say it would stay there for ever... In Fact Elisabeth had a great idea to night at church why don't we just light it on fire to clean it up... not a great idea but I did consider it for about 1/2 a second... we get ready for church, by the way this is our anual chilli cook off and I didn't have enough ingriedents to make my chilli... so we go to this and I think this will be a nice ending to an almost prefect day... not Evelyn has to have a run in with a door, why she was running in the halls I don't know but that door should not have knocked her in the head, but it did (Bad Door!)... so as I'm trying to help her with the goose egg that is forming on her head I hear her say "this is the worse Birthday ever!!!"... and right now at 2 am as I am cleaning up the messy oil off the floor I'm thinking the next friday 13th that comes around I'm staying in bed!!!

Bus and the Snow

All day Sunday and into the night and early morning of Monday we got one of our famous March snows, not as big as we have had before but enough to close schools (which by the way doesn't have to be much) I think we got about 4 inches here. It's hard to tell, because it drifted so much. So no school on Monday, Yeah! I enjoyed it some. I had to get dinner ready and buy a B-day present For the Hubby, but I enjoyed making him something he likes, I just hate having to clean the Kitchen afterwords. Tuesday day Schools are delayed 2hrs, another yeah! I can sleep in until 7am, but it didn't happen, stupid body clock. I Go start my bus at 8:15am, we have to leave at 9am, it was a cool 7* outside with wind chills in the neg numbers. My bus started fine, when I come back up about 8:45 to start my friends buses, one will not start. I should have known then to go back home, but I call the bus garage and tell them that bus #147 will not start, they send someone out. My bus has now been running for almost 30mins but it is still COLD!!! But 9am I pull out of the school, I noticed that our school road in not completely clear of snow and the the road in front of the school still has lost of icy spots, that to me is enough to tell me stay home, but I have a job to do. I get to my 1st stop about 3 minutes late not bad considering that there is still icy spots on all the roads. By the time at get to my 4th stop I am now 5 mins behind schedule, not good, I like to be on time. Continue on and try to make up time but really can't since the speed limit on the bus is 45 mph and most of my areas are 35 mph. so I continue on. As a turn on to a little country road I notice again a lot more ice than I like to see under the wheels of my bus, but I go on. Make it off that road fine, when I go into this little sub-division that I have 2 stops in the roads are clear, Yeah!!!! and I think OK we are going to be just fine, I have also seen 2 other buses that go in there come out and they didn't say they had any problems. So on I go. I have a stop that is on a corner at the top of a hill then I have to back up into a small gravel area (will be a road eventually) as I get ready to back I notice a small pile of snow there, you know the kind that the plows love to leave behind. but I also see the tire marks from the other two buses, so I figured they turn there and all was well. Well! when I turn in the everything was fine, there wasn't even any snow on either side of the snow pile so I was on semi-dry pavement. I put the bus into gear and start to go forward, hit the snow pile and go no where, the wheels just sit there and spin. OK back up and try a running start, same thing when I hit the snow pile I sit and spin, just sit and spin. After trying this for about 4-5 times and waisting about 5 more minutes I was finally going to call the bus garage and tell them I was stuck, not something I like doing as every bus driver in the county listens to the bus radios. Then the thought came to me the garage is going to tell me to put on your snow chains, But I don't want to, because I'm only stuck on a 2ft wide pile of snow. I know How do you get a bus stuck on a 2 ft wide pile of snow? I don't know but I did it! But I digress, back to the story, I really didn't want to put snow chains on then have to take them right back off again after I got off the pile. So I decided why not lay the chains over the snow pile and drive over the chains, so that is what I did. AND it worked!!!! the kids thought I was crazy and they just wanted to sit there and not go to school, so I was not their hero for the day. I continued on and about 3 stops later another bus driver calls to tell me that I had a storage door open on the left side, Oh shoot! I forgot to close it but luckily I had put the chains back in the storage area on the right side and I didn't lose my chains. I was by now running about 10 minutes late and I was the last bus to show up other than the short bus which is always late. Later that day I had a Kindergarten teacher come and ask me if I had run off the side of the road that morning? No?? Why?? one of her students whom wasn't even on the bus at the time of the getting stuck part, his stop was the next stop and he didn't see it happen, told his class that his bus driver was sliding off the road for the whole trip to school. I had to laugh, I couldn't believe that he thought that or that one of his friends on the bus told him that. I survived but I really believe now that Buses and Snow don't mix.

Been there, Done that, and Still love my snow days.