2 YEARS gone ... Already??

Ethan got his braces off yesterday.
Amazing.
I remember when he got them put on.
I felt so bad for him.
I knew he would never be able to eat or speak normally
over the next two years.
He was going to waste away into a waif.
Nope.
Didn't happen.
He survived, and grew like five inches or something crazy like that.
All I know is that when he got his braces on, he was a
scrawny young boy.
Now he is a towering (handsome) young man.
I have the footage to prove it at the end of my post...
Eth is back to eating and chewing whatever he wants!!
Welcome back buddy.
But now he talks funny again because he has his new retainers in.

Thanksgiving was a fun filled day.
We ran the annual Suntree Turkey Trot.
Gooooood Times!
I love that we do this together every November.
Our gang is getting stronger and more skilled.
There was no barfing along the trail at all this year,
and every ones race time improved!

We had two families over for dinner.
That was fun and interesting.
I also realized how exhausting and how much pressure that is.
It is a LOT of work, dang it.
Kev was a great partner in the kitchen.
Honey hurry,
please slice that log of butter and stuff it up
under the turkeys skin.
Yes, yes, just use your fingers.
K, now, please take this pan of stuffing and gently
pack it into every open cavity you can find in the turkey.
Yes, not too hard though because it will expand.
Good, now......
take this stick of butter and....
I need another stick of butter....
where is the butter?
More butter please!
Get in the freezer and get another Sams pack of butter out.
BUTTER!!
Good Grief.
Ryker and McCauley were also big helpers.
My pumpkin pie was superb.....made my own crust for once.
I am sure you have all been doing it for years,
I was really nervous, but it worked great.
My gravy got RAVE reviews!
Even Ethan went on about it more than once.
That made me very happy,

The day after.

Black Friday....I partook of shopping at Dillards.

I had such a wonderful, and successful shopping trip.

I was Gleeful!!

Why can't money grow on trees?

Why is it such a rush to get items at 

50 - 65% off 

+

an additional 50% off

+

an additional 10% off

+ 

$10 back on every $50 spent?

Just typing that out gets me excited all over again!!

I splurged on new curtains for McCauley's room.

I have hated her old ones since the day I made them out of some

 hodgepodge fabric I scrounged up.

I AM IN LOVE WITH THESE NEW ONES.

Sometimes I just go in her room and sit and look at them.

These are very expensive, lined, heavy fabric.

Beautiful.

The pictures DO NOT do them justice.

Plus.....shhhhhhh....I purchased her a new bedding set!

The old set has served us very well for the past 13 years.

I am pretty sure I paid top dollar at Walmart.

They still are not too bad on the eyes,

but I could not resist....

who would even try at those prices?

The dominant color of the new spread is sage green,

with dark brown accent swirls.

I can't wait to bring it out at Christmas for her.

I snatched up throw pillows for her bed as well as our couches. 

You can get a little peak at the couch pillows here.
They are yum.
I don't usually partake in black Friday...
but this was a lot of fun.
It was not jam packed and crowded at all at Dillards.
It's too classy for all that nonsense. 

Last Collage: Random Wrap up.

Vanessa and I made a recent temple trip.

There she is getting her makeup bag from her sister's vehicle....

whose alarm went off in the Target parking lot.

M got her retainer removed, her cross bite is fixed.

Doesn't that look sore?

When she opened her mouth to show me chills and 

shivers shot down my spine.

YIKES.

It looked red and raw....I tried not to show emotion.

Believe me when I tell you again....this picture is not giving the full effect.

Our new insurance cards came.....hefty new higher co-pays.

yippie.

not really even sure how that ended up in here.

The blood bath.....

V's daughter Claire was here playing the 

other day,

they were playing a game where they were walking around w/

blankets over their heads,

and what do you know?

someones head hit her nose,

which caused a MASSIVE nose bleed.

I kid you not when I say the bathroom was spattered from

sink to mirror.

It was a crime scene in there.....

this pic is just a sampling.

She was and is fine, thank goodness.

Why not take a minute and re-enjoy the hamburger shake video.

Bye - Bye..... see you next time : )

ps - guess what???

I just had to PURCHASE a photo storage plan on Picasa.

No matter what I did, it would not let me add one more photo,

not even to a new post.

Boo.

So I am finally a paying customer...

I don't like that much.

: (

It is 2:33 a.m. 

I just got a text from K....

Sorry for us, and may God bless America!

Of course I cannot go back to sleep.

I am so very sad.

I am stupified.

I am dreading telling our kids in the morning.

I don't know what there is to say.

I saw a few things on fb that I guess sum up how I feel.

 Emily:

"Prepare to be humbled America"

and this from Kathleen:

DROWN YOUR SORROW PARTY at my house tomorrow. 

Here's the happening agenda: 

1)- 72 hour kit assembly with a special segment on grinding your own wheat, 

2)-Gun Storage and Cleaning, 

3)-Melt your jewelry into gold bars, 

4)-Obamacare :Do's and Don'ts 

5)-Chinese 101 

6) Book of Mormon prophesies being fulfilled 

7)Alternate fuel sources (try manpower, cuz you'll be riding a bike soon)

I laughed at first,

until the reality of it hit me.

My mind can't get around this loss.

I was so excited to be able to support a president I feel

 respect and admiration for.

I spent twelve hours yesterday working at the polls.

I was mostly with elderly people.

I enjoyed their company very much.

It is amazing the relationships you can forge just 

being shut in together

for three meals.

What good people.

Wonderful...

full lives and interesting stories.

I enjoyed seeing Americans come in to cast their vote.

It was a wide span of individuals.

From the tatooted from chin to shin, to 

bakers, nurses, doctors, businessmen and women,

lots of first time voters.

Many families.

That was the best part.

The last thing the gentleman next to me would always ask

as he was checking voters out to get their ballot was,

Would you like to have an absentee ballet sent to you next time 

so you don't have to come do this?

99% of the people were like no way,

I like coming here in person.

I want my vote to count.

(not sure the current system is set up for that to happen.)

Some people came in and were very pumped,

some nervous and scared.

One of my favorite ladies that came through was happy and 

excited, and asked who I was voting her,

I said I was not allowed to say.

Well, I can tell you who I am voting for....

sure, go ahead.

Mitt!

It is never a good idea to be 

forced to be humbled.

I feel like America is going to be forced to our knees....

I hope we will make good use of 

our time down there.

GOD BLESS AMERICA!

Now is the time.

The boys and Kev will be home tonight from their week long 

hunting trip.

They were passing through Georgia the last time we spoke.

My dad met up with them this time,

it sounded like they all had a very good trip.

These are the photos they took.

That is a bummer.....I guess there was a "malfunction" with the camera.

Awwwww....I see.

McCauley and I made good use of our girl time.

We used several "Free Kid Meal" coupons I had saved up.

These photos are from Friendly's.  

Yum!

We also hit Texas Roadhouse one night.

M always got right to work on her kid assignment or "fun page".

Looks exactly like her school work to me, 

I'm happy she likes them so much.

We watched our shows.

We kept the house fairly tidy.

Got tons of books from the library, and read them all.

On Halloween, I took M, Izzy, and Claire to Mimi's,

a little ceramic painting place and they each painted a cat.

I will take after pictures when we get them back, these have not been 

baked yet.

Then the girls went trick or treating w/ the Quigley crew.

(M is a Secret Agent, by the way.)

 Here are our hot Red Neck photos we took today.

I will not miss driving the truck....

mostly because it is just sooooooo loud.

I always park in one of the farthest stalls so I am not so in peoples faces,

and so it is easier to get out when I want to leave.

If you turn the wheel too far one direction or the other it makes 

a horrible grinding sound....

I take measures to avoid doing that.

No drive ups in this big boy.

I was very happy to have wheels for the week though,

so it worked out great.

(besides.....we make pretty hot red necks!)

 The week was relaxing, quiet, and easy.....

almost too easy.

You know what I mean?

It gets old after a while.

I went to pick M up last night,

 and Vanessa had made a real meal.

A meal she had put effort and care into creating for her family.

She invited us to stay.

I was like no way, we don't want to intrude...

we stayed, who am I kidding?

It was magnificent....mana from heaven.

Home cooked food made with love.

It was delicious.

I am ready to get back to work and get our boys back.

I will also say I was really looking forward to heading 

off to church this morning.

Got all fancied up, and was getting ready to take off for an early 

meeting w/ M when she told me she had just thrown up in the toilet.

Then a second time a little later...

dang it.

So I turned my sharing time prep over to Tina and we 

stayed home.

I did attend my short meeting as M rested on the couch and watched a 

few Sunday videos.

She had my phone, and it was A.ok.

The meeting was a spiritual feast.

The adult interaction a delight.

One of the topics discussed was the new curriculum for the 

youth of the church.

It was exciting, 

and I am happy our youth will be partakers

of this inspired program.

On the way home I got thinking....

I can't remember what got me thinking about our future and 

where we would be,

and what it will look like, etc.

As usual my mind landed on our current home,

and wondering how long we will continue to live there,

and so forth....

When for the first time in all my wondering I received a very 

direct answer to my query. 

My impression was quite clear.

You have not done the missionary work that needs to be done

while you are in that house,

on that street,

at this time.

Period.

You are not done there.

Oh!

OK.

Wow.

It was less than a month ago that I made a comment on 

my sister's blog when she mentioned making future goals.

Where do you see yourself in one year,

in five years....etc.

I said, here is my exact quote:

I really like your ideas about clarity. Each time I try and picture our life, my life in 1, 5 or 10 years.....I can't figure it out, certain aspects are solid and in place, but I can never figure out where we will be. It is still foggy.....would love to clear that view.

Maybe I finally understand why we don't leave,

can't leave, wouldn't even know where to go because

of the dumb stuper that exists.

We aren't going anywhere.

We will be right here.

But you know what....we are going to be here with a purpose.

We need to get doing something more than nothing.

Apparently, that is not cutting it.

We will be here until we get the job done.

This I can deal with.

I like it.

I am just happy to know the plan.

I say we have done nothing,

but truth be told over the past twelve years I (we) have,

I hope, laid a foundation on our little street.

I am not prepared to call it a solid one,

definitely not stone, or brick,

but for sure stronger than straw....

I am going with fairly sturdy sticks, and a whole bunch of twigs piled up.

If the time is right.....

and I have a really good feeling that it is.

Especially now that 

I know the Lord is backing us up,

 and in fact waiting.

I have a bit more confidence in the fragile relationships we have fostered.

Several families faces are in my thoughts and mind.

Two days ago,

before this thought process began.

I drove up and saw one of our neighbors across the street setting a few items

out for a garage sale.

She was hanging around out on the drive way.

I knew this was my chance to go and visit with her.

I was nervous and scared, 

their twenty one year old son recently overdosed 

on drugs and died.  

Their family has had many stuggles, 

ups and downs,

but no worse than this.

I do not know her well, and have only had opportunity to express 

my condolences to her daughter up to this point.

I ran inside the house and started scrounging around for 

something to take with me.

(nothing worse then walking up empty handed)

hmmmmmm.....

all I had that seemed decent was a hot cup of Choffy.

Luckily I had purchased some really nice  

disposable cups with lids. 

I headed over with my offering.

I stammered around, uh hi, I am so, sorry about Tyler.

(hug)

I um, thought you might like a cup of Choffy,

it's like coffee, but it's not,

there's no coffee in it,

it's brewed chocolate,

but not hot chocolate....

point being I sounded like a complete IDIOT.

ok, thanks.

um, so how are you?

well.....

are you still working at....?

no, I am currently out of work.

Did Brad find a job?

no, just random jobs here and there.

So your daughter moved?

yes, it is just the three of us here now.

 Well, so you are alone and in the house a lot.

yes.

Is that what you prefer?

that is the just the way it is.

Well, would you ever want to go on a walk?....

now that the weather is cooling down a little?

sure, if you'd like, I'd go.

ok.

I think I know who could use some blessings.

I have some ideas on where I will start tomorrow.

I love that the Lord lets us in on His plan,

on His time,

when He is ready,

He will let us know.

Not when we want it.

I am grateful for patience....

for waiting and seeing.

Sometimes it feels like we aren't able to receive inspiration

or answers to our questions.

We hear of other peoples answers.

We wish we could be like them and get direction.

We know we could be doing more.

Maybe we don't want it as bad as they did.

Maybe we have lost the touch.

Maybe we aren't spiritual enough.

Or.

maybe it is not the time.

Be patient.