a car like this?:

Yep--we did!

**K was dressed for a human video at church where she played a d*em*on! We don't typically let her go around like that--in case you were wondering.

Labels: Family, Kids

It's been a bit since I've posted--but we've been so busy. The end of "summer" is kind of crazy, especially when you are trying to get your 16 year old daughter settled with an intermediate driver's license and car. I am hoping to have that ready in time for school starting on the 11th. We will be in Missouri next week, so I've got to get everything finished. B has gotten the car registered, oil changed and whatever other maintenance needed doing. He got an extra key made today and got the stickers so that K can get on base. He called insurance and put the car on--thankfully we don't have to add K until she has her actual license. We have written the check and withdrawn all of K's savings--OUCH. So--her car is ready and paid in full. Now, maybe we can start saving to replace our own vehicle--which is 8 years old. I am looking forward to getting a new one in a couple years! I have gotten most of my homeschool material in, and A even said he was ready to start. I said, "Who are you, and what have you done with my son?" on that one. Unbelievable. I think I'm about ready too--after all I did get over a year's break. I have so enjoyed having them home this summer--I'm so glad they aren't going back. I am much more dependent on them than I ever knew. A. had a bike wreck Monday evening. He scared us to death. M. came screaming in the house that A. had wrecked. I ran out and saw him lying in the middle of the road. From that distance, I couldn't tell if he was conscious or not. Thankfully he was--he didn't hit his head at all--his elbow is pretty skinned up, and he's a little sore. He's fine, thank the Lord. He got in trouble, though, for just lying in the road. We live right on a curve, and a car would not have been able to stop in time. Later in the evening, he started throwing up--I was so afraid that it was linked to the bike wreck, but it wasn't. He threw up twice, and then felt completely fine. B. is having quite a bit of trouble with his lower back--we have most of the details of the injury, but I will wait to post them later. Just suffice it to say that it isn't the best news in the world, but it isn't the worst either. He's bummed, but we have determined to give it to God, and not worry. I will post more when I know more. I have been spending a lot of time getting rid of excess in our house. Last week, I cleaned my closet--AGAIN--and got rid of a whole trash bag full of clothes. I have been reading a few blogs by people who are trying to minimize and get down to just what they need. It is inspiring, but I don't feel the need--at all--to go as far as they are. I did minimize my closet last week, and I went through my kitchen this week and got rid of over a hundred items. I plan to go through my kid's closets--including games, puzzles, and toys--after we get home from Missouri. I usually take all of our stuff to a local thrift store because I am way too lazy to plan a big yard sale. Sounds like torture to me. I have made several trips there recently. Fun stuff.

Labels: Family

*Blogger is giving me fits right now. It won't let me use the number option--only bullets--and it refuses to let me post this alphabet one the right way with a different letter at the beginning of the line. Sorry.* I saw this meme over at Annie's and wanted to play along. A is for age: 39--for two more months anyway. The big 4-0 is quickly approaching. B is for burger of choice: Hawaiian Burger from Red Robin, the one from Backyard Burger will do in a pinch. I also like the mini-burgers from Chili's. C is for the car I drive: Pontiac Montana--it's 8 years old, and we're trying to get 2 more years out of it. D is for your dog’s name: We don't have one, but when we did his name was Riley. E is for essential item you use every day: My Chi . F is for favorite TV show at the moment: I don't really have one--Jon and Kate, I guess. G is for favorite game: Farkle and Sequence. H is for home state: Missouri--otherwise known as "God's Country". I is for instruments you play: I played clarinet in school for 7 years; very little piano . J is for favorite juice: Orange. K is for whose bum you’d like to kick: I'll keep it to myself, but I can think of someone. L is for last restaurant at which you ate: Arby's. M is for your favorite Muppet: Kermit "It's not easy being green..." N is for number of piercings: My ears (2). O is for overnight hospital stays: 3 childbirths, and 2 pre-term labors--so 5.

P is for people you were with today: my husband and kids, my friend Sheila and her dad, and the paramedics!! Q is for what you do with your quiet time: I read my Bible (I read it through every year.) and pray after I exercise--around mid-morning. R is for biggest regret: The death of my daughter, though I couldn't have changed it. Her 13th birthday was Saturday. S is for status: "And they lived happily ever after" Married. Happily. T is for time you woke up today: 7:50am. U is for what you consider unique about yourself: Don't have a clue. V is for vegetable you love: Home-grown tomatoes--although I guess that's really a fruit. Squash--I like squash a lot. W is for worst habit: I don't know--there are several. X is for x-rays you’ve had: Dental, stomach, neck (Do MRI"s count?). Y is for yummy food you ate today: Moon Pie!!! Z is for zodiac: I do not believe in or follow this, but I'm a Virgo.

Labels: Meme

1. Washed and put away every stitch of dirty clothing in the house.
2. Paid all the bills.
3. Balanced the checkbook.
4. Made out a menu for the next two weeks.
5. Wrote out my grocery list.
6. Walked/Jogged on my treadmill.
7. Talked to my sister.
8. Played two games of Scrabble with my girls.
9. Sort of helped my son make potato candy. It didn't turn out right--but it tasted good.
10. Assisted my daughter in making french toast for breakfast this morning.
11. Took K's car back to get the rest of the work done and get the ball rolling on buying it.
12. Read my book while sipping iced tea with lemon and eating a moon pie.
13. CALLED AN AMBULANCE for my husband who had a terrible reaction after a wasp sting!!! Talk about scary--he's never had a reaction like that before, but since his grand-daddy died from multiple wasp stings, I wasn't about to take any chances--not that he was able at the time to help me make the decision to call 911. He was stung dead center in the back of the neck by a red wasp. Very soon afterwards he tried to knock on the window to get my attention and fell to the ground (deck). I went out and could tell we were in some kind of big trouble. He couldn't talk or focus his eyes on me, and his mouth was hanging open, and he acted like he might pass out at any moment. I immediately got the phone to call 911 ( I already knew he had been stung because he yelled when it happened). He was able to talk within a couple of minutes and said, "My right arm hurts." It was very red and very swollen--and shaky. By the time the ambulance came he was able to be up and was nearly back to normal except for his swollen, red, and shaky arm and hand. He didn't go to the hospital--I gave him ben*adryl and he called his flight doctor (we're military)--who happens to also be a friend from church--and he said to take ben*adryl every six hours and come in in the morning. I will say that he scared me to death--my voice was shaking so bad when I called 911-and I just kept thinking about his grand-daddy--I was scared for a minute that he was going to die. I don't want to ever have that feeling again. He said he was thinking the same thing as me. He was pretty shook up. To top it all off, our oldest daughter was stung on top of the head twice while trying to help me with her daddy. She's fine other than a bad headache.
14. Went to the store to buy more ben*adryl!!!

Labels: Family

1. Why do I feel the need to spend money when I am a little stressed out about money?
2. Why do I get anxious (or stressed) when someone is coming to dinner for the first time? I worry that the house isn't clean enough, decorated well enough, the food won't turn out, etc... I am working on that one.
3. I really like chocolate Moon Pies. I don't know when or why that happened, but it did. My youngest daughter shares my love for them.
4. I really wanted to take the kids swimming today, but I am too busy making an apple pie for company tonight. I also have new curtains for my bedroom that need to be pressed and hung. I found them at Belk for 75% off today. (Yippee!) (See No. 1)
5. We bought our 16 year old a car (see No. 1)--she helped pay for it--and I'm wondering when she will be a good enough driver to be on the road by herself.
6. Speaking of my 16 year old driving--our insurance is going up 150%. I never dreamed it would go up that much--Crazy--(see No. 1.)
7. I bought a television for our bedroom (see No. 1), and we now have satellite access in there. I am looking forward to having a TV to watch while on the treadmill.
8. It's almost time for school to start back--and I still feel like the vacation just started. I can't believe it.
9. I ordered the twins home-school books yesterday (see No. 1)--most of them anyway. We may or may not start school when K does.
10. I sold some books and scrap-booking stuff on eBay for the first time. I learned a lot--and I even made about $50. I would have made more money, but I made a couple mistakes. I don't know if I will sell again--can't decide.
11. I bought one of those Keurig coffee makers that just makes one cup at a time. My cousin had one when we were in MO recently--and, on a whim, I bought one the other day (see No.1). I have ordered some coffee--and I really wish I had ordered some English Breakfast Tea because that stuff is extremely good. Next time.
12. Why does Blogger insist on making this a bullit post, when I clearly chose the number option!??

Labels: Just Me

We were at the base pool yesterday when a scary thing happened. I heard the life guard blow the whistle, and as I looked up, I watched him jump in to save someone. A man in his 20s was being pulled out of the deep end of the pool--it took several people to get him out. Everyone was stunned--and curious. The staff of the pool all sprang into action--911 was called--and the base fire and police came on the scene. The man became conscious pretty quickly, but was coughing up blood. I immediately went to the twins to get them out of the water, and soon after everyone was asked to get out of the pool, and we were asked to go outside the facility while the EMT's transported him to the ambulance outside. I pray that he is doing well now--it is awful to think how terrible that could have turned out. It makes you really think about how quickly life can change. An instant. The weird thing about this is that the last time I was at the pool, I was thinking how I had been coming to this pool for 8 years and had never seen the lifeguards have to save anyone--and then this happens--the very next time I'm at the pool. Isn't is freaky how those things happen sometimes?

Labels: Random Thoughts

Today is our 19th anniversary! The kids are in Kid's Crusade in the evenings this week, so we plan to head to another town nearby to have dinner. I am looking forward to it. And while I'm here, let me just say that I couldn't be blessed with a finer husband. He is everything I ever hoped for and more. Happy 19th Anniversary, Baby. I love you so much.

Labels: Family

The hike was pretty steep, but a lot of fun. My mil was kind enough to watch the munchkin for me so that I could go with all the young-uns on the hike. (Young-uns = aged 50ish years and below!!!) The children all got in to swim in the spray of the falls when we got to the bottom. They said it was so cold it made their bodies hurt. The guys all broke the well posted rules and climbed behind the falls. What a bunch of goofs!

B's cousin's boyfriend, B's brother, B, and B's uncle

All the women just prayed for their safety--those rocks were very slick from the spray. One lady was obviously displeased with our men's lack of discretion. She told how last year she had seen an accident where a helicopter had to be flown in to get someone who was injured out from behind the falls. Thank you--thank you very much, kind lady, for that info.

Labels: Family