LooneyBin4Sure

Have I Really Been Gone That Long?

2010-06-24T17:31:00.002-06:00

I kinda miss my poor neglected blog. A lot has really happened in the last several months - like taking our first real family vacation to Florida for 12 days, making a new best friend who is a sister to me now, enjoying our cabin in the winter & sledding down an awesome hill (where I biffed it pretty good :)) with my kids, my sister & her kids, 3 of my kids turning one year older in March, enjoying time spent with my parents & brothers for a weekend at the cabin, a new grandson in April, a family reunion a couple weekends ago, my eldest daughter getting into nursing school, and another son's birthday tomorrow.

I guess if I stop and consider all these things, I do have a good life. Simple, but good. Well, actually, there is nothing simple about my life. It is hectic and busy and I'm so tired all the time, but I have my husband, my kids, & my grand-babies who make it a beautiful life.

So with that said, I will backtrack and post about some of my most memorable moments from the last several months; now I just need to hunt for some pictures.

Ganny, I Pooped

2009-12-24T11:19:00.003-07:00

Dakota: "Ganny, I pooped."
Turns around, "See? Smell it."

Me: "Uh... no, it's ok. I believe you."

Do I Blog?

2009-10-23T15:01:00.002-06:00

It seems that ever since I started using Facebook and Twitter, I don't really blog anymore. It's easy to update with quick and short notices any time. This seems like work. I wonder if I should even keep this here bloggy thing; I'm just neglecting the poor thing. Hmmmm. Well I won't be hasty. It's been good to me so I will leave it be for now.

My New Little Baby

2009-10-15T11:05:00.002-06:00

Have you seen my new little baby? She's so cute isn't she? She weighs 2.5 lbs. She's a chihuahua mix - my brother said shi-tzu but not sure. Anyway, the other dogs don't appreciate her as much as I do. Grumps. She's still a puppy so we have to deal with all her chewing and whining. Can't wait for her to grow out of all that.

We thought we lost her the other day. We couldn't find her anywhere. She wouldn't respond to our calls so we thought she got out of the yard. Thankfully she eventually came out of her hidey hole as if nothing happened. Little punk. She's so small, everything is a hiding spot. Kinda scary.

My little Lola.

Penguin Cake

2009-10-05T12:13:00.002-06:00

I made this cute penguin cake for a friend a while back. I like the way it came out.

Getting Used To The Idea

2009-08-30T17:58:00.002-06:00

Well we've had a while to absorb the news that our 16 year old daughter, Alexis, is pregnant. It broke my heart at first, of course, but time has a way of healing the hurts. As unexpected as it was to us, God knew before the beginning of time that this would happen.

So, I'm starting to think of this little being in a different way. He/she is being formed by the hands of God. I guess I'm getting a little excited and happy. Our girl needs us more than ever right now, so I pray we can be there to support her every step of the way.

I'm gonna be a grandma.

Praise God.

Here We Go Again

2009-08-19T18:18:00.003-06:00

When we found out our 18 year old daughter was pregnant we felt like we would die of a heartache. I cried for about 2 weeks straight. I just couldn't believe it. Then our son and his girlfriend were pregnant; again the tears hung around. I did not want to hear any of this again because I seriously thought I would not be able to handle it.

Well I guess I just found out that I can indeed handle it. We just learned that our 16 year old daughter, Alexis, is pregnant. I'm numb. I seriously don't know how to feel. I think it will eventually hit me and maybe I'll freak out. Maybe.

For now I'll just take it one day at a time. That's all I can do.

So What's Up Internets?

2009-07-30T20:15:00.002-06:00

I'm a slacker. My poor blog.

We went away for the weekend out to our cabin in the woods. It was nice and relaxing - for the most part. I hated to come back home so soon. I kinda got into a fight with this lady who is obsessed about the gravel road. She lives there permanently and she thinks she owns the whole road I guess. She went bonkers and told off Alexis and her boyfriend for driving on the road -- DUH, that's what it's for! I swear she's nuts.

So anyway, I lost it and went and let her have it. NO ONE treats my kids that way and gets away with it. I shouldn't have but I had to. I don't really feel bad about it. She had it coming. She's been griping about the gravel on that road for the past 15 years. It was old a LONG time ago. We all tried to keep the peace - especially Brian. For that I do feel bad. He was nice to her. She had a key to our cabin so she could use the phone and the freezer. Not anymore.

Seriously, obsessed is not a strong enough word. When I left I saw her hiding in the trees checking if I messed up the gravel. So pathetic. Of course the gravel shifts under the weight of the vehicle; it's inevitable. When we go out there we want to RELAX not be lectured about the gravel on the road. Maybe next time we'll get to enjoy our stay out there without all the road nonsense since she won't be talking to us anymore. I can't wait to go find out. It will really be peaceful out there then. :)

Missing My Boy

2009-07-14T21:13:00.002-06:00

We sent Jaden off to camp yesterday. He'll be gone until Friday. I'm already missing him. Logan is going through some major withdrawals; they've really never been apart like this. I wonder how Jaden's doing without Logan. When they're together they mostly fight. Maybe this way they'll appreciate one another more. We'll see. Can't wait until Friday. :(

This And That

2009-07-08T20:08:00.002-06:00

We just celebrated 18 years of marriage on the 6th. I can't believe it's been that long. We have had a tumultuous marriage at times but by some miracle we hung on.

Logan got his cast off a week ago. It was kind of funny but sad how he babied that arm at first. He wouldn't do a thing with it. Eventually he got comfortable and he's almost as good as new.

Jaden had a birthday on the 25th of June. We went out to the a local family fun place. We did have fun. It had been a while since we got to play like kids.

Taylor wants to go back to public school to my chagrin. She is such a social butterfly and she's a good student so I think I just might let her. But don't think I'm not disappointed. We just need to get her all finished up with the current curriculum. We'll see if it happens.

Alexis is 16 and driving and going out a LOT. I guess I did too at her age. The only difference is I had 3 jobs and I paid for my car, insurance, and gas myself. She is doing none of the above. The job market sucks so it's not so easy getting a job - especially for teenagers. She put in a couple of applications; hopefully someone will be calling her soon.

And speaking of the job market: Brian's unemployment benefits have ceased so he NEEDS a job SOON or we're screwed.

There it is. Our currents in a nut shell.

Not so exciting, I know. But whatever. It is what it is.

Not Addicted Anymore

2009-06-25T19:39:00.002-06:00

I remember a time when you couldn't get me off this here computer. I was hopelessly addicted to blogging 24/7 and I swear my obsession and the constant sitting with poor posture is what did my back in. Now I'm like, whatever. I don't care much anymore.

We're still not settled in. We have a few orphan boxes that keep getting shuffled around with no place to call home. It's really sad. We got rid of so much stuff and we still have more than we know what to do with. I'm beyond frustrated. I'm defeated and discouraged.

So anyway, in other news... VBS is kicking my butt this week. I'm teaching Jaden's 4th grade class. These kids are so rowdy. They get worse every day. I'm so tired. I can't wait til tomorrow. I get to sleep in on Saturday. I love Saturday.

There's been some stuff going on that has put us through the fire but I can't talk about it here. All I can ask is that you would pray for mental/emotional healing for my dear daughter Alexis. She's gone through something unspeakable. God knows.

That's about it. Signing off.

I'm Still Here

2009-05-30T21:03:00.000-06:00

I know I haven't updated in quite a while. Tomorrow we are officially out of the old house. Then we can focus our attention on the new house. We have stuff everywhere. It looks like our house puked all over itself. I still can't figure out how we had all this stuff in that house, which was just a bit smaller than this one. Quite a mystery.

So I'll be sporadic at best on here. There is just so much to do still before our house feels like home. I hope we get there soon.

Happy Birthday To Me?

2009-05-09T21:40:00.002-06:00

Last year I spent my birthday - and Mother's Day - in the ER/hospital with my husband who was eventually diagnosed with Crohn's Disease. This year guess where I spent my birthday? If you guessed the ER then you are correct. Is this a new tradition? Geez, I hope not.

We were going to hang out with my brothers and their wives - have a little dinner, some drinks and shoot some pool. We hadn't even gone in yet when I got a call from Alexis that Logan fell off his bike, scraped himself up pretty badly and his wrist looked funny and Logan was crying his head off - after he came to apparently.

So we hurried home to find Logan in major pain - obviously still crying his head off - with a funny looking wrist. Off to the ER. Off to X-ray. Confirmed: wrist broken in 2 places. They put a soft cast on him and we'll call ortho on Monday about a cast.

On the plus side, we were in and out in 2 hours. Thank God for the separate pediatric urgent care. We would probably still be sitting there if we had gone to the actual ER.

I'm thankful, of course, that my son didn't hurt himself any worse. But I'm bummed that I missed my b-day celebration.

Somebody owes me. Not sure who, but somebody. *sigh*

Blogger Who?

2009-05-08T20:56:00.003-06:00

Now that I'm on Facebook and Twitter, I have even less to blog about. It's too easy to write little snippets rather than an entire post. Oh well. I can't see myself getting rid of my blog though, so random sporadic posts it will have to be.

I do have some news. We are moving next week into our new house. It's not the house I planned on - still the same size as the one we're in - but it was kind of forced on us. We inherited Brian's uncle's house so it's paid for which is a blessing. It's kinda bittersweet...

The forced part of it is that my FIL wrote Brian out of his will and the house that was supposed to go to us (bigger than either this one or the one we're moving into) is going to Brian's siblings. It's a long story so I won't gossip and get into it. But there is definitely a lot of tension and animosity now. I don't know if Brian will recover from the hurt of what his dad did. I know I'm still pissed.

But anyway...

I'm dreading the move. We have been in this house for 17 years and moving 6 people's stuff is going to be a nightmare. I'm so scared. So pray for us. Thanks.

Rest In Peace

2009-04-28T20:26:00.002-06:00

Today Brian's Uncle Howard was laid to rest. It was a nice service. I delivered the eulogy and had to hold back the tears as I did so. He was a WWII veteran and therefore he was buried at Santa Fe National Cemetery and given a 21 gun salute by the honor guard. Brian received the flag which we will take to Bluewater - one of the places he loved to be.

He was a kind, gentle, caring, loving, respectful man. You couldn't help but be in a good mood after being around him. He lived a full life, experiencing and accomplishing many things in his lifetime. He really lived enough for 3 men.

Unfortunately, Alzheimer's got a hold of him about 5 years ago and slowly the dementia whittled away at this man who loved life. Even so, he never forgot he was a gentleman. He would often come to our house for a casual dinner dressed in suit and tie and a clean shave. He always wanted to be presentable.

Monday night last week we got a call from the nurse that Uncle Howard wasn't eating or drinking. By Monday night he had slipped into unconsciousness, his breathing had changed. We knew it was eminent.

Brian sat with him all Tuesday, spent the night at his bedside and Wednesday morning Uncle Howard was still hanging on. Wednesday afternoon the hospice nurse came in to clean him up. He gave him a sponge bath, changed his clothes and gave him a nice clean shave. The nurse tucked Uncle Howard back into bed and covered him. Uncle Howard took 3 long breaths and let go.

Being the gentleman he always was, he surely was waiting to be cleaned up and shaved before going home. It was so Uncle Howard.

We lost a good man. The world needs more men like him. He lived his life to the fullest and he did it all his way.

He will be missed.

Our Little Dog Minnie

2009-04-25T15:47:00.005-06:00

Our little dog, Minnie, has run away. We are so sad. We've been searching for miles and hours. No luck yet. She is a cute little dachshund/shitzu mix and the kind of little dog someone would want to keep. Please pray that she's safe - as in not hit by a car somewhere - and that if someone has already picked her up that they will be honest and turn her in. She is chipped. I think we've done all we can so it's up to someone to do the right thing so we can get our little Minnie back.

Saying Goodbye To A Loved One

2009-04-22T10:51:00.004-06:00

Brian's Uncle Howard has maybe only hours to live. He's been unconscious since Monday night. He's the one with Alzheimer's; he's 92 years old and lived a good life. Brian has been by his side since yesterday morning. He is determined to be there when his uncle takes his last breaths. He was there all night last night and is still there. I'd be with him but I'm taking care of babies. So I will join him later.

Brian really loves his uncle like a father. He respected him and spent the last 4 years taking care of him. He's taking it pretty hard. Please pray for physical and emotional strength for Brian and his brother. Pray that when this is all over Brian will find some peace and be able to rest since he really hasn't slept much.

Thank you for your prayers.

I will keep updating via Twitter.

The Cutest

2009-04-20T16:37:00.004-06:00

Our little angel babydoll granddaughter, Samantha Jean, is 3 months old. Just wanted to share this cute pic I took of her today. She is the cutest, isn't she! :)

She coos and smiles and tries to make conversation with cute noises as she's staring right into my eyes, desperately trying to communicate something grand. Her cry is this cute little scream. She's just so precious all the way around. *sigh*

She comes over 3 days a week, 10 hours a day. That's how much indoor sunshine we get. Aren't you jealous?

A Pleasant Surprise

2009-04-17T11:55:00.001-06:00

Here's some proof that you just can't judge a book by its cover. If you haven't seen this video clip of Britain's Susan Boyle, you are missing out. I cried.

Keep Getting Screwed

2009-04-16T11:25:00.003-06:00

I'm so angry with God right now. There is so much going on around us - very stressful situations and no relief. I get angry when all around us others - especially ALL THE PAGANS - those who do NOT have Jesus - prosper while we keep getting kicked into crap hole after crap hole.

Why can't we ever get ahead? What have we done that we have to suffer so much crap? It frustrates me that I can't go into detail about what all is going on but it just doesn't change the fact that I'm really questioning whether God cares or not.

All I know is that I'm fed up! If this is a test of my faith, I'm failing and I just don't care anymore.

Trying To Get In Shape

2009-04-08T11:38:00.005-06:00

I've been inactive for so long - mostly because of my back injury, but now that my back's doing better I have no real excuse. I got a gym membership and have been trying to go there at least 3 times a week. I just started going again after not going for about a month. That was harder than starting the first time. Geesh.

The gym is only one tool I use to help me be fit. I also keep track of what I eat over at http://www.livestrong.com/thedailyplate/users/myplate/. On the days I don't track I just know I consume more calories. I like that I can keep track of my eating for free, though there is a gold membership. But I like free stuff, so I'm happy with that. Be sure you register before you start tracking. It takes some diligence because it can be a bit time consuming when you start out. But I highly recommend it.

So I'm working on a new me. I have a birthday next month and I'm starting to feel old. My knees have been giving me trouble. I really just want to be healthy, though it wouldn't hurt to look good too. I hope it all works out.

P.S. This is not a paid post. Just wanted to share this very useful website if you'd like to take advantage. :)

Fun With Play Dough

2009-04-03T18:11:00.003-06:00

This kid of mine LOVES play dough and clay - pretty much anything he can mold. Since he goes through a lot of it, we make our own.

I double the recipe or make 2 batches so I can get 7 or 8 colors.

You have to have strong arms to be able to stir this stuff once it congeals - and to work the food coloring in. Want to make some too? Here's the recipe. Have fun!

2 cups flour
1 cup salt
4 tsp. cream of tartar
2 cups water
2 Tbsp. cooking oil
Food coloring

Mix flour, salt and cream of tartar. Add water and oil. Stir over medium heat until mixture forms a ball. Divide dough into four bowls. Add a different color to each and knead well. To prevent hardening, seal in plastic bags and store in the refrigerator between use.

A Nice Compliment

2009-03-30T18:46:00.003-06:00

I always upload my photos to Sam's Club because they have the best prices. I wanted prints of these two pics:

Valerie and Dakota

Jeremy and Samantha

I took these pictures with my Nikon D40x and photoshopped them. Someone from Sam's Club called my house. I wasn't at home at the time, but Brian took the call. They told him that I needed some copyright release forms in order to process the photos.

He proceeded to tell the person that they were mine and the people in the photos are our kids and grandkids. The lady said they looked professional and she just had to make sure. So she printed them after all. Good thing. So that makes me feel good.

I'm just now dabbling in photography but of course I'm a novice and I don't know all the technical stuff. I want to get good. For now I play. It's fun.

Proud Papa

2009-03-29T18:02:00.007-06:00

Isn't this picture the cutest? I love it. Our son Jeremy and his baby girl, Samantha; just the most precious thing evah! Don't you agree? Of course I Photoshopped it - took out the yucky background and made it look more pure.

Here's the "before":

Not bad eh?

*Updated*

A portrait. :)

Birthday Cakes

2009-03-26T17:20:00.003-06:00

Here are the 3 different birthday cakes for my March kids.