Monday, November 24, 2008

Mel's Monday Musings Vol 1


So...by titling this volume one I'm assuring you all that it will happen again. I just figure that if I'm going to keep you updated on our lives and stuff I should do it regularly and I liked all the M's so there you go! I wasn't even EXACTLY sure on the definition of musings so I just went and looked it up:
mus·ings [ myoozingz ]

plural noun

Definition:

thoughts: thoughts, especially when aimless and unsystematic

Today IS Monday and my ever rotating mind has been once again spinning out of control. I go from thoughts of the economy, to God's provision, to basketball, to Fly Lady and on and on and on....so I guess I can pretty well handle the aimless and unsystematic! Well today I'm just going to pick a topic or two and share with you. The last two weeks have been the pukes around here...literally. Cayden started out sick, then Ethan had it, then Macy, then Cayden again, then Macy again, then Garrett and then Cayden again! WHEW! There is nothing like waking up at 3 in the morning to the sound of vomit splattering. At least when it splatters you know it's not on the carpet...it would be better if it was splashing in the toilet however! After the initial incident has been thoroughly cleaned up, floor and subject(s) and proper sympathy and care has been administered to said subjects, the fun is just beginning. Mom (me) gets to sleep with whomever it was that was sick that time and listen for the tell tale signs of upcoming (hahahaha) episodes and place the bucket at just the right moment. Needless to say life as a mom is NEVER dull! I can honestly say as well that it doesn't matter how often you change sheets on a bed...the day you do...that night there WILL be an accident in it...be it vomit or whatever. This theory has proven true numerous times in our household so... we just don't change sheets very often! Okay...enough of that.

Today Macy and I made "wrinkle" cookies. You know those ones with all the little bitty wrinkles in them. "Huh?" YOU KNOW...hand signals here...the little bitty wrinkles all over them like I had at my pajama party at school! Okay...if you haven't figured it out yet...she wanted to make cookies with frosting and sprinkles on them. So we made a batch of sugar cookies before she left for school. As she was headed out to the bus stop she asked me if I could go ahead and put the wrinkles in them before she got home! Whoever it was that said being a stay at home mom is NOT a REAL job...was never a stay at home mom...
we'll save the discussion about "China" till next time. Have a Blessed Day!

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Confessions of a computer junkie

The computer sucks the life out of me...and I sit here and let it! Rather than doing all the things I need to get done I am constantly checking my email...looking to see if ANYONE has written me back or written me at all. I'm always checking to see what is going on in the world and what news I need to hear about. Checking out bank statements and working our debt snowball. When that's not enough I go back in time and check out to see if anyone has broken my old high school records and what players are still doing what. I check out the lives of old friends and seek out where they are now and if they are married and have families and why they haven't been in touch for so long. I look at old sudents and old co-workers talk to former teachers. Now that I've started doing this blog I let it take my time too...I try to think of fun topics to share and my brain runs wild with ideas for filling you in on what the kids are up to and what I'm doing...the problem is I'm not doing anything really...Don't get me wrong...I don't sit in front of the computer ALL day but I can honestly say that I don't think I can walk past it without checking something...maybe admitting this is the first step to recovery! So...if you read this take pity on my and send me an email or leave a comment or go look at my photos and let me know that you are out there....I know there are other "junkies" out there. Let's help each other out! When I think about it though...I did just leave this computer for about 30 minutes and did a load of laundry, put the duvet back on, got the kids a snack... I helped Macy with her homework and Cayden with his. I get the same way when I'm reading a good book and can't put it down or watching a movie I can't stop...or working out or....I guess I'm not just a computer junkie after all...I'm just me...

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Profound wisdom from a just turned 12 year old...

Just after my last post about our dogs and missing them...we received a phone call from the family that had taken Q. Garrett wrote an email to his friend in Ashton about it...

it was nice to here from you remember when we got rid of are

two dogs q and Baily well i found out yesterday

q got hit by a car and was killed i was so sad but

it's life and sometimes it can be sad.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Dog-gone gone dogs...



Well...today is a mini tribute to some special friends in our lives! Today is the anniversary of when our first dog died. Jake...oh Jake... died 4 years ago today. Jake was a Chocolate Lab German Shorthair and he was ALL dog. I find it hard to even try and describe him. He was so big and cuddly. My husband says he was his dog and was basically a hunting genius...but we both know that he was just as much my dog...he used to come stand between my legs whenever he was in trouble and about knock me over...and he never once had a dignified bath (duck ponds and the river only) but he just had a SMELL about him... I could lay with his fur in my face and breathe in his smell. I know that makes me sound strange but...okay, I AM strange! And writing this right now I'm bawling all over again... not just for missing Jake but for all the memories and all of the other losses that thinking about him bring to my mind. Because...never can you mention Jake without thinking about Dylan too...Now Dylan was our other lab that we got at the same time as Jake. We got them both as little tykes a week after we got married. Dylan was a black lab Australian Shepherd mix and was a feisty guy! He wasn't much for hunting but I think a big part of that was because he never had to because Jake was THE DOG if you know what I mean! Now Jake and D were are first kids...we spent hours playing together, hanging out, doing what you do with your dogs...and they were there for me during all those hard times like moving away from home, leaving friends and family, Dylan spent the final days of my dad's life with me (and him too) and they both were just amazing friends! Now as I remnisce about Dylan I must say that I didn't think he would live much longer than Jake...Jake's death hit us all pretty hard. But at that time we had also acquired another fine friend in our Chessie Q. Jake had the responsibility of training Q in the ways of the master hunter you see. So, with Jake gone we were left with two again...Dylan and Q...then along comes "Jakes's Muddy Swamp Buster" or Dreck. Dreck was born two days after Jake died and would become his replacement of sorts... Dreck is a pointing lab and now we had our two hunting dogs again and Dylan. Q was the waterfowl specialist and Dreck the upland game guy. Well, two years later Dreck becomes a father and we added a fourth to our pack...a beautiful white lab custom ordered by me named Bailey. Okay...so if you're still following we are now up to 4 dogs (add to that 5 chickens, 3 cats, 2 horses, 4 kids and some fish) and we very happy. I worked a lot with Bailey because she was MY girl and we spent A LOT of time together. Well...then comes THE MOVE. Now the move includes living in a subdivision so...what do we do?? Well, WE MOVE...without Q and Bailey (or the horses or chickens or 2 of the cats). We couldn't take all the dogs with us so we had to find some new homes for them. Not exactly sure how the decision was made but Q and Bailey both went to live with new families. We were blessed to find people that truly do love them and care for them...but the grieving goes on. So...I'm grieving over still missing Jake, Bailey and Q and Dylan too... Three weeks after the move...at the young age of 15 Dylan passed away as well. He seemed happier then ever and then just didn't wake up the next day. We took his remains to Ashton and buried him by the river with Jake... they were inseperable for so long...So...GOODBYE our friends...Jake, Dylan, Q and Bailey and now we are down to one dog...Dreck. Now I have been making a huge effort to get to know Dreck and actually like the dog. I have been spending a lot of time with him, I KNOW it's not his fault we left Q and Bailey, I know it's not his fault he will NEVER be Jake, so I'm trying. It's just so hard sometimes... but he is a good dog and hey...maybe I'll bring him in by the fire to lay with me and watch a movie for awhile...

Sunday, November 9, 2008

Flag Football and POM-POMS



Yes... I did say pom poms... now don't get yourselves all worked up out there but I actually did let my daughter be a cheerleader this year... and she did an amazing job and loved it! I'm just hoping that by the time she gets older it will all be completely out of her system!! Actually ALL 4 of the kids participated in Upward Sports this Fall and had a great time. It's a Christian based sports program that has more of a focus on the fact that every child plays, every child learns and every child is a winner. Each week there was practice one day for one hour only and then one game on Saturday. At each practice the kids had a devotional time and learned a scripture. At half-times during the season a different person would share their testimony and the kids were rewarded for different things such as Christ-likeness or Best Offense. It was honestly probably more beneficial for these over-competitive parents trying to raise "normal" kids!! All in all it was a very successful season all the way around! Garrett showed that he has some amazing athletic abilities as did Ethan, Cayden and well Macy too for that matter! Okay so I am a bragging mother but I think that all in all we as a family collected the most interceptions, tackles, and touchdowns... and ...cheers...for the season! We did spend an extraordinary amount of time at the church for practice and games but it was also good family time! Dad made it to almost every game and only escaped once to go hunting so it was awesome. Plus we had games from 12-3 every Saturday afternoon. I did manage to work in some co-ed volleyball playing after the Thursday night practices and some guitar lessons on Tuesday! It was neat being a part of the program though and I'm so glad we participated. It was very interesting to see how the kids stack up to a "different pool" of people. My friend assured me when we moved that the kids would thrive here and I am confident we are going to settle in fine. Thank you Coaches...Praise God.

Back on the Web



Well...the last time I hosted a web site was when my beautiful son Ethan (Robin Hood) was 2 months old and Garrett (the hunter) was 2. Now as I sit typing Ethan (now 10) is arguing with his younger siblings and Garrett is actually out hunting... hence the misadventures of our family! I am going to attempt to keep in touch via this blogspot and hope to get back in touch with old friends and family whom I've lost touch with over the years! I will do my best to keep things updated on a somewhat regular basis and let you know how and what has been happening in our lives. Please be patient with me as I get back into the swing of things!!! We recently moved again and have had a lot of FIRSTS! First time subdivision living, first day of kindergarten, saying goodbye to old friends, making new friends, starting middle school, new jobs, new adventures, first band concerts, first basketball tryouts, first pheasant hunt, and lots more!! Praise God for new adventures and old friends....