Foiled again

Alas, the wintry weather of NE Iowa has once again foiled my plans of spending Christmas with my family. Tuesday we had planned to visit my hubby's family near Des Moines but stayed home due to threatening weather. Now today, a long awaited trip to my sister's cabin to visit with family once again was thwarted by freezing rain, sleet and the possibility of snow. More time to spend with my children and husband which I don't get enough of. We have all had the week off but we thought with all the traveling we would be doing we would feel like we were on the run. God must have heard my worries since we got shut down in every attempt. Oh well, I can't say I mind. I love to be home and I feel like I'm getting some things done.

a sink with a view

A fellow blogging buddy, Little Sister, asked us to post a picture of what we see when we are at the kitchen sink. My hubby took this picture this morning as the sun was rising. Isn't it beautiful? It is not uncommon to see deer back there among other forms of wildlife. That's why I keep a pair of binoculars close by.

I've been tagged

OOOOOOOOO!! I'm so excited! My first tag! Thanks Mikey!! Here goes.....

1. Five names you go by
a) Janice
b) Jan
c) Mrs. H....
d) "Insert my kid's names here" 's mom
e) Mom

2. Three things you are wearing right now
a) black patent leather shoes
b) black quilted vest
c) long sleeved T shirt (this isn't all I'm wearing though)

3. Two things you want very badly right now
a) Resolution to some family drama
b) Lose some weight

4) Three people who will probably fill this out
Can't answer this one. No one reads my blog

5) Two things I did last night
a) Went to bed early
b) Did some Sudoku puzzles

6) Two things I ate today
a) Cheerios
b) Ham/cheese/mushroom omelette

7) Two people I last talked to on the phone
a) My son, Lucas
b) My friend, Kristi

8) Two things I am going to do tomorrow
a) Work
b) Attend 2 orchestra concerts, one at 7 pm one at 8 pm

9) Two longest car rides
a) Iowa to New Jersey
b) Iowa to California

10) My two favorite beverages
a) a good cup of strong, black coffee
b) diet pepsi

That was fun!!

I'm thankful for.....

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving which, to me, hails in the busyness of the Christmas season. It is after tomorrow that I shudder to think of even driving close to the mall or Super Target. It scares me.
Each Thanksgiving I hand out simple Thank You notes to my husband and kids and we all write 5 things we are grateful for. I don't allow the older ones to write simple, one word things. I want them to work at this, to quiet down for a minute and be specific about the blessings they have.
This is what I think I will write this year.

(1) I'm thankful that I was able to spend time with my dad just the weekend before he died. I hadn't planned to go there, it was just a spur of the moment thing. I'm glad I hugged him when I left.
(2) On the way home that day my sister and I drove through the storm that generated the F5 tornado that hit communities just 20 miles from my house killing, 8 people. I'm thankful for God's protection that evening.
(3) Just 2 weeks after the tornado struck, our community was hit with an unprecedented flood. Many, many people lost their homes and belongings and their sense of security. I lost nothing in the flood except for a few days of work. For that, I am thankful.
(4) I'm thankful for God's mercy and comfort as I heal from the sudden loss of my dad. I can't explain how difficult it has been. I miss him terribly.
(5) Finally, I can't not include these goofy, loud, precious children the Lord has entrusted to me and my husband. It is an honor to be their mother and I love (almost) everything about them. I cannot talk about them without mentioning their amazing father. My husband has put up with me for nearly 19 years and I'm sure there have been many times he would have loved to bail on me but toughed it out instead. He is a man of unquestionable integrity and faith. He is my biggest earthly blessing.

I want to encourage any one reading this (if anyone does read this:)) to slow down and be thankful, at least for tomorrow.

Has it started already?

Here it is, November 14th and dare I say that the holiday rush has started already? All is crazy in this part of Iowa, in this little house on the prairie.
Last Friday night we hosted about 11 couples from our Sunday School class for a game night. We lit a fire and justed enjoyed good conversation and, of course, LOTS of food.
Tonight I have signed up to participate in a progressive dinner given for the college students that attend our church. While I LOVE hosting people in our home and I love making desserts I failed to remember the "time change" that exists between college students and "real people". I should have figured this out when the college gal organizing all this called to talk to me at 10:15 PM. I am NOT a night person. I am in bed or wanting to be in bed by 9 pm and my productivity decreases steadily from about 4 pm on. I figured the kids would arrive here around 8 pm and I envisioned myself snug in my bed by 10. NOT. Turns out they aren't even planning to get here until 10:15 pm. I should have thought this whole thing through and volunteered for appetizers.
Tomorrow my daughter marches in the Veterans Day Parade. That evening Bob and I will be going to a steak house with a few other couples to get fat and greasy.
Sunday evening we are providing snacks for 40 high school kids from our Youth Group.
Monday evening we are headed to the UNIDOME to cheer on our hometown Vikings in the state playoffs. I am hoping to run into the Cheesecake Maven if I'm lucky.
Next Thursday the children of some dear friends of ours are spending the night at our place. They are 1 and 3. I'm scared. Every time the 1 year old has been here, he's cried the entire time. I will be spending ALL DAY Friday alone with them. Why does that scare me? I've raised 4 children of my own. I work with convicted felons on a daily basis. How bad will it be to tackle these two angels. I'll have to get back with you on that one.
I am looking forward to hosting my inlaws and some friends for Thanksgiving. Bob grills a turkey on the Weber grill. It is THE BEST. I don't know why we only do it once per year.
As you can see, I'm busy, just like all of you, and I'm fearing December will not be much better.

Leaving Home

Last Friday morning I dropped my youngest off at school and took a drive to my hometown, about an hour and a half away. I was facing a task that I dreaded yet knew had to be done. It was there that I would meet 3 of my siblings to go through our parents home, take what we wanted, seperate the things to donate, and throw out the things that had no use. It was our goal to empty the house out completely as it was to be painted and put on the market to be sold.
I had been trying everything I could think of to keep from going. I wanted to be there, yet didn't. I knew it would be agonizing for me but couldn't avoid it. In a way, I felt it was one last way I could honor my parents so I knew it was one of those things in life that would be so difficult but had to be done.
I had lost so much sleep over this. I had prayed constantly for God to give me the grace to do this; to enable me to complete this task. As usual, He was faithful to me and gave me the strength when I have been so weak.
The actual job of cleaning out the house wasn't as difficult as I had expected. I think we were all in "work mode"; we had a job to do and we did it with a good degree of efficiency. In the midst of all the "stuff" were unexpected treasures and hidden memories. Some brought sweet smiles, some, agonizing tears.
As our work progressed, and as each room echoed with emptiness, my mind took me back to a time, nearly 50 years ago, when a young couple, not married 5 years yet but already with 3 children, made this their home. I imagined how excited and happy Mom was to finally have a place of her own. How she must have smiled as she planned each child's room, as she put away her household items, how she made it her home. I think of my dad; how proud he was to be able to pay cash for their first home and his plans for caring for his family. They had no idea at that time what life had in store for them; that they would have 3 more children. They didn't know the joys and the heartache that marriage and family life would bring them. Yet, they met each struggle with determination to stick it out together, no matter what. I love them for that.
I can't remember a time in my life when my tears have been so frequent and so difficult to hold. Just a simple look from a friend or a question of, "How are you doing?" will open the flood gates. I am NOT handling this very well. But I have a Savior who is walking closely with me and who loves me and who promises He will never leave me nor forsake me. I lean into Him to get me through this and I know I am in good hands.

I'm coming up for air

Hey! Its me. Popping in to say to hello to anyone who may be reading my blog (although from the looks of it, my audience is teeny tiny). Anyway, along with the cooler weather has come an onslaught of countless activities my children; i.e. piano lessons for 3, ballet/tap for 1, soccer for 1, some type of computer thing for 1, marching band for 1, Greek classes for 1 etc. You know what I'm talking about because you're probably doing it too. Comes with the territory and I will miss it when they're gone I'm sure.
I do have to share something unusual about myself...I have taken up the cello!! I LOVE the deep, rich tone of a beautiful cello and its one of the things I wanted to do when my children got older. Well, they're older and so am I. After Mom and Dad died, it dawned on me that I will too and there are some interests I have that have gone unattended to and I don't want to live a life of regrets so here I am... a cellist.
I'm so excited AND I can play Jingle Bells so I'm all ready for the holiday season.

Ouch!!!

My husband called a day early. Seems they awoke to 3 inches of snow yesterday morning with no let up in sight so they decided to descend the mountain earlly and head back. They drove as far as Laramie, Wyoming and spent the night at a hotel where they were able to shower and get a good nights sleep. Seems Bob didn't get a lot of shut eye. I guess that's what happens when you're used to sleeping with a fan every night.
They have a 12 hour drive in front of them today and plan to arrive here around 9 tonight. Yippee!! I better get to work today and pick up this place.
The picture above is of my husband's heels after their FIRST day hiking. OUCH!!!

Senior Moment

I had a few minutes to kill this morning so I stopped by the high school to register the kids for school. It went something like this.
Him: "It will be $35 for registration. Does your son drive to school?"
Me: "Yes."
Him: "That will be $20. Is he in orchestra or band?"
Me: "Yes."
Him: "That will be $15. Oh, I see he is a senior. Would you like to pay for his cap and gown now?"
Me: Who punched me in the stomach, I'm thinking? Of course not. He's only a little boy. Are you kidding me?
Realizing I'd better get used to this and other senior moments, I put on my big girl panties, and say, "Yes, I guess so."
I limped out of the office and went on my way, wounded, but surviving.

THINGS I DID TODAY WITHOUT MY HUSBAND
1) removed a major stick from the lawn mower blades (I broke a nail in the process.)
2) did something with the dryer vent
3) relocated and reset the mole trap (No, I haven't caught that booger yet but i'm NOT giving up!!)

Day Five

I didn't blog the last few days because I noted during my last posting that I didn't have much to say. I didn't want to bore anyone. Alas, I'm still not sure I have much to say but I'll risk that.
Yesterday my sister and her 2 kids, myself and my 2 youngest ventured to Adventureland which is an amusement park about 2 hours from home. We left around 8 and started our adventure at 10. We spent 7 hours at the park, with my energy fading as each hour went by. We eventually had to pull the children out of there as everyone wanted to go on "just one more" ride.
We drove 1/2 hour to my in-laws and dropped my 2 kids who will return home on Friday evening. I was COMPLETELY wiped out! I came home and crashed by 9:15 and slept until 5:30 am. I NEVER sleep for 8 hours. Still, I woke up in a fog and am finally getting to feel "with it".
Yesterday, while my oldest daugheter was at marching band practice, there was a high speed chase near her school. At some point, the vehicle drove up onto the grass, driving over the area where my daughter and her fellow musicians usually practice. When the police finally apprehended this fellow, they found he was drunk, on cocaine, and had weapons in his vehicle. It is amazing what people will do and how many lives that are truly endangered by folks such as him. Having said that, tonight I am beginning to co-facilitate another OWI Victim Impact group. This is a group that folks who have been convicted of at least 2 OWIs have to attend. The unique thing about this group is that individuals who have been directly impacted by drunk driving come in and speak to the group. We have had EMTs, hospital chaplains, law enforcement, widows, moms, dads and offenders on our panels. It is a very rewarding experience and it is our attempt to change and save lives with these groups.
I am alone today. I wish I didn't have to work at all today but I need to go in around 1:00. What will I do until then?

Day Three

I must be tired. I can't even remember what I did today. Oh, its coming back to me now. I didn't do much. I made it to the grocery store, the mall and Target.
My youngest presented with a temp of 101 degrees. We are really trying to get her well so we can make it to Adventureland on Wednesday. She would be heart-broken if she couldn't go.
I did manage to start several projects. I've noticed lately that I start a lot of things but don't finish many of them. Projects started today were: cleaning out the garage, getting together LOTS of GOODWILL stuff, moving/getting rid of things out of the office to make way for our new furniture, painting the office, and just other things. Wow! I guess I did do a lot of stuff. Hopefully I will finish at least a few of these things before hubby gets home.
Things I did today that my husband usually does:
1) purchased and put in 2 bags of salt for the water softener (I'm not sure if I have to push a button or do anything else to get it to work.)
2) Set a different mole trap and this time I did it right!! Watch out you little booger! I'm gonna get you! (Sounds like a line from Caddy Shack).
3) Climbed up in the rafters of the garage and retrieved a can of paint.
4) Began organizing the garage and collecting things for recycling.

I'm sure my husband will be impressed.

Day Two

I survived my first night without hubby. One down, 7 to go.
My 6 year old daughter said we had better be bed buddies since I didn't have anyone to sleep with last night. I woke up at about 1:30 am without her in my bed. I thought that a good mom would go and look for her offspring if she was missing so I found her in her bed whimpering that she misssed daddy and her toe hurt. I hustled her back into my bed and we tossed and turned for another hour before we fell back to sleep again. I awoke around 6 am and silently slipped out of bed while she snored. I REALLY need time alone in the morning to get my thoughts together so I was hopeful. As the coffee perked I could hear her footsteps upstairs. She was awake too early, again.
She was coming down with a cold so I recruited son #2 to stay home from church with her. Daughter #1 and I went on to church but before we left I found 6 year old passed out in her bed, snoring.
We got home from church, had lunch and I took my usual nap. My naps are about 20 minutes which is just enough time to take the edge off.
Around 3:15 son #2 and I took an hour long bike ride. What a perfect day!! I got nice and sweaty but it was worth it. I think that's the first time I have been on my bike this year. Wow! That's pathetic.
I spent early evening pulling weeds and giving the mosquitos a snack of myself while doing so.
Children #2 and #3 are at youth group now so I need to pick them up.
Hopefully tomorrow will go as smoothly.
THINGS I DID TODAY THAT HUSBAND USUALLY DOES:
1) Put soap in the dispenser that is attached to my kitchen sink. (I feel like I'm playing twister when I'm doing this.)
2) Set a mole trap. (I think I did this correctly but probably not. Time will tell.)
More tomorrow!!

Home Alone

Not really alone, I guess. My husband and oldest son left for a week long backpacking/hiking trip to Wyoming today. This will be weird. We are not used to being apart for very long so I am a pretty dependent, pathetic excuse for today's liberated, self-sufficient woman. What can I say? We make a pretty great team.
I am here with my other 3 children and have taken most of the week off of work. Wednesday we head out to a nearby amusement park and I'll be dropping off the youngest 2 at grandma's for a few days.
What is in store for me? Of course I have a ton of things I think I'll accomplish such as weeding my many, many flowerbeds, painting a room or two, cleaning out our junky office to make room for some new office furniture I've ordered. How I will every find another place for this stuff is beyond me but I'll give it a try.
I hope to blog about my week, what I get done, what I don't get done, what I find I don't know how to do (that my husband usually does), if I hear any funky noises during the night etc. Should be an interesting week!! Stay tuned!!

July in Iowa

Now here is a common sight this time of year in our wonderful state....A teenager forced into exhausting, physical, horrible labor commonly known to us midwesterners as detassling. My poor daughter! She entered into this experience for the first time last year and swore/promised she would NEVER do it again. Somehow, either out of force or reason, she was convinced (threatened) that she should try it again. The hook...a guy she had a crush on was going to be joining her crew!! That did it. She started, albeit quite reluctantly, on Tuesday.
Bless her heart, she rises at 5 am, catches the bus at 6 am and didn't return home today until 5:30 pm. She is a true sweetheart, with the unbelievable wit she inherited from my mom and never, ever complains. I love her!!
I'm certain she will thank me when she receives that big, fat, juicy check in the mail in a few weeks. OOHHHH I'm a good mom!?!

Time flies by....

Guess what this little guy did today??

He got his first round of senior pictures taken!!
I simply cannot believe this. I'm speechless. Its unreal to think he will be starting his senior year next month. I've already told my boss I will take the next year off for mental health reasons. Yes, I will be one of those moms who will cry for the next 12-18 months and it will have nothing to do with hormones. It will be because my baby will be growing up and leaving my watch. Am I overreacting? Maybe, but this is new territory for me and I am not looking forward to it.

Summertime

Does it seem to anyone else that this summer is whizzing by? I took 3 solid weeks off work this year. I did it last year and it was wonderful. I thought it would be the same this year. Actually, since the middle of May, I have only been to the office about 5 times due to some scheduled vacation, my dad's death and to flooding that forced my office to close. I return to work on Monday and I can't say I feel well rested. The vacation we took was fabulous but not extremely relaxing.
On Saturday we took our 3 youngest children to my in-laws where they will stay until tomorrow evening. We drove to MPS after dropping them off and stayed at my brother's place where we were finally able to slow down and unwind. It was a wonderful visit.
Tomorrow my kids return and on Saturday daughter #1 leaves for camp until the 13th. On July 12th, my husband's birthday, both my sons leave for different camps, one to work and the other to play. It won't be until August 3rd that all my ducks are back in the nest. I just love it when we can all be together. Its kind of unsettling for me to go to bed without everyone being close by. I guess its a mom thing.
For those of you who have never seen or met my ducks or husband, here you go.

Back Home

I don't know what got into me but somewhere between my last post and before we boarded the plane to head for home I picked up some kind of 48 hour bug. I started to feel sick shortly after breakfast and while I complained that we were once again seated in the very last row of the airplane it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. We were as close to the bathroom as we could be and I could discreetly hustle in there as needed, which ended up to be about 5 times during the flight from Las Vegas to MPS.
I felt nauseous, had body aches and chills, and other symptoms I don't care to discuss right now. We didn't get home until about 11 pm on Tuesday evening and I slowly climbed into bed for what I thought would be some serious sleep. I awoke many times during the night trying to fight the urge to puke. I won that war but Wednesday found me better but still very tired and weak. I did muster the energy to climb onto our Club Cadet and mow for a few hours. I figured if I just had to sit I would be alright. Towards the end of the day my energy slowly returned and I cranked out about 4 loads of laundry, with more waiting to be done.
I did the math and I figured with 6 people in my family with each of us wearing at least 1 outfit per day for 8 days that equals 48 outfits. Wow! I didn't realize we owned that many pieces of clothing.
We are sitting here now looking at our expenditures for the trip and I think we did pretty well. I would list them but that seems kind of weird but if anyone is interested I'm happy to share. (Why anyone would be interested, I don't know but, hey, who knows??)
Back to my realty...running kids, pulling weeds, cooking, mowing, giving orders, cleaning...you know the drill. Glad to be home!!

Headed Home

Its just shy of 6 am and I'm sitting in the breakfast area of our hotel. I've been awake since 4:30 and I thought I would climb out bed and get some "me time". I'm a person who LOVES to be alone. As you can imagine, I haven't had much of that on this trip so this is good; just me, my coffee, my laptop, my oldest daughter's devotional book, and my Bible. I need to refuel.
We have everything packed pretty much and plan to leave for the airport around 8:45 am.
Yesterday we were on the road for about 5 hours, landing at the hotel around 2. My youngest 2 and I headed for the pool. We had a couple of pizzas delivered to the room and took off for Freemont St. Its another attraction we HAD to see when we were in Las Vegas. I don't think the folks who told me what attractions to check out had their kids with them. This particular thing was in a seedy part of town. Basically, its a covered section of town of about 5 blocks. The establishments are casinos, street vendors, etc. Of course, they had the huge movie screen of ladies in bikinis, taking off their tops, and dancing. (Certain body parts were blocked off thankfully.) My poor kids were so out of their element! They wanted to leave even before the light show began. Oh, and don't forget the drunk lady the police arrested in front of the Harley shop. She was causing quite a stir.
I had wanted to go here on Wednesday night but my husband couldn't find the place so I had a mild temper tantrum. Being the wonderful guy he is, he did a little more research and we were able to find it last night. We got there around 7:30 and the light show started at 8:30. It went on for about 3 minutes and then was over. I was so embarrassed. Not what I had imagined it would be and certainly not worth the hissy fit I displayed. Thankfully, I have a gracious husband who didn't say, "I told you so."
It will be good to get home. We should arrive in Des Moines around 8 pm which will put us at our place around 10. We had been saving up for a big trip like this for a few years. My oldest will be a senior next year and I figured this would likely be our last family adventure. I wanted it to be very special and I think it really was.
Time for breakfast. More later!!

Vacation, Days 5 and 6

Day 5 was long. We did a lot of driving, some unnecessarily, but that’s another story. We did learn that you cannot always trust Mapquest when they put us about 21 miles short of our desired location.
We went back to the Grand Canyon Visitors Center to see the IMAX movie. We figured we could do this because we theoretically only had about 1 ½ hours to travel to Sedona. The IMAX experience was incredible. It gave a lot of history and some amazing shots we would not have been able to see otherwise. We drove another 10 miles to the Canyon itself to retrieve the pedometer I had left in one of the gift shops the day before as I was trying on a t-shirt. I was promised when I called there later that day that they would put my name on it and have it waiting for me at the counter. It wasn’t. They told me to go to this other place and it would be there. It wasn’t. I started moaning about how we had driven ALL that way just to get my pedometer. It didn’t help. They couldn’t find it. I was hot but I left without losing my religion there on the spot and fussed and fumed about it for about another hour and then just let it go.
We drove on to Sedona. BEAUTIFUL!! This is a place you MUST see. The canyon and red rock is amazing. We got in to the hotel around 3:30 pm, completely pooped out from traveling and being hot and cooped up in a mini van or a hotel room for the better part of a week. We pretty much relaxed for the rest of Day 5 knowing Day 6 would be busy.

Day 6 (Sunday)
This was probably the best and busiest day we’ve had on our trip. Bob and I awoke early and were out for a walk by 5:45 am. We both admit/realize that while we have been vacationing we have increased our food and caloric intake and decreased the amount of exercise we usually do, We walked a bit in a nice residential area and saw a small deer which quickly ran from us. We continued and met a couple with whom we visited for a minute. They were of mid-Eastern decent but are living in Ohio. It was interesting to learn they have a son who lives in the neighboring community that we do. We continued on our walk until we came to a hiking trail. We took that for a very short way when my husband said he saw a rabbit or something like that “only bigger”. We continued on for a moment to see what type of wildlife it was. It was quickly apparent that we were tailing a coyote. I was OFF! I ran like the wind, in fear of my life. I came back to the street and met a woman who was off on a hike. She went straight up the path where we had seen the coyote, completely unafraid. My husband, too, came sauntering down the trail. He had followed the animal to see if he could get a closer look. I came as close as I cared to.
That morning we went on a Pink Jeep Tour. Our family piled into a big pink jeep with a wonderful driver, Mike, and he took us on the trip of our lives. We took the Broken Arrow tour which put us amidst the red rocky canyons and mountains surrounding Sedona for 2 hours. It was like 4-wheeling but on a MUCH grander scale. It was like nothing I’ve ever done before and our whole family agrees this was best thing we have done on our trip. I had heard about this experience on Little People Big World which is a TV show on TLC.
After our tour we met up with my brother, D$?#, (he said to write his name like that) who drove up from his home in Tucson. We went out for lunch and he drove us to Mt. Humphreys, which is the highest point in Arizona at about 12,633 feet. We road on a ski lift which took us to about the 11,500 mark. Do you remember, a few posts ago when I wrote how I feel about the heat? That’s the same way I feel about heights. I was mortified for the most part. This was a ski lift, mind you; feet dangling and all. I wasn’t going to go on it but my husband had already bought me a ticket. I figured if my 6 year old could do it, I could too. I’m glad I did it but I don’t think I would do that again. It was a VERY scary thing for me. Uncle D rode with children #2 and 3 and he was sure to point out to them the 3 bras and 1 pair of thong underpants hanging from the surrounding pine trees. They thought it was SO funny.
We got our feet firmly planted on the ground and went to dinner and headed back to Sedona. We stopped at the Safeway in Sedona to grab a few groceries. I had been looking forward to a good, black cup of coffee and we discovered Starbucks in the Safeway. While we were waiting for our coffee to brew, D jumped into a motorized cart and started driving around the store with the electrical plugin cord dragging behind him. What a hoot!!
Poor Uncle D. He was so patient. As a bachelor with no children, I’m pretty sure he was about ready to pull his hair out. Have I ever told you that I have 4 very LOUD children? Imagine all 7 of us in D’s SUV traveling. I’m sure it seemed like an eternity until he was free from us. We stayed at the same hotel and I made sure the kids didn’t know his room number so he could have some peace. The kids LOVE Uncle D. They look forward to any time they can be with him.
Tomorrow, back to Las Vegas.

My new favorite song

Sit back and relax and enjoy this BEAUTIFUL song sung by Sarah Brightman and Andrea Bocelli. We heard it a few nights ago as we stood in front of the Bellagio Hotel on the Vegas Strip. They choreographed the dancing fountains to this absolutely gorgeous song. To all you head bangers, sorry, but this is REAL music. Enjoy!! It takes 4 minutes.

Leaving Las Vegas

We left Las Vegas this morning and drove a good part of the day, taking Route 66 (like the movie "Cars"). I am settled in our hotel room in Williams AZ while Bob and kids 2,3, and 4 are in the pool area.
Leaving Vegas was not hard for me. It is definitely not a city for me. Everyone I've talked to has said, "You have to go to Las Vegas. There is so much to do there." I always figured I have so much to do at home and I certainly didn't want to travel hours by plane to have more to do. My idea of a vacation has always been to plop my big butt down on some white sand somewhere and have native people bring me whatever I desire. (AHHHHHH!).
We LOVED the dancing fountains outside the Bellagio but that was probably the best thing we saw. To me, the strip was not great. I felt bad for my teenage boys and my husband as they were bombarded with imagery that was not meant for public viewing. There were huge movie screens all over the Strip with barely dressed women in awkward positions girating (sp) up and down poles etc. Strange men stand on the corner handing out pictures of naked women, with promises to have them in your hotel room in 20 minutes. Trucks drove up and down the strip with near naked pictures of woman plastered all over the sides, like a moving billboard.
No, I do not plan to return to Vegas. I did gamble though. That REALLY surprised me because I was sure I wouldn't. Gambling is the kind of thing I could really like doing so I just don't do it at all. Its safer that way for me. That's why I don't drink any more either. Too much potential trouble.
Anyway, back to gambling. It was the last machine as we walked out of the casino. Bob stuck in a dollar and we started messing around with the machine. I'm not even sure what we were playing but a security guy came up and told us we had to get our kids out of there so we parked them by the exit and went back in to get our $1 worth. I told the kids they could now say that have been kicked out of a casino. We played about 5 minutes and had spent $1 and walked out. With my luck I would have won a million $$ and become a gambling addict. Losing was good for me.
Tomorrow, on to the Grand Canyon via train. I'll keep you posted.

VEGAS BABY!!

Here I am in Sin City. Who would have thunk?? We flew in yesterday and are enjoying the start of our week long vacation. We went down to the strip today and walked around. By 9:30 this morning it was 100 degrees with the expected high to be 108. I am SO not made for the heat. Not even kind of. Not at all. People say its not as bad because its not as humid. Its 108. Enough said.
We came back to the hotel around noon and ate lunch, took a nap, or for those so inclined, hung out at the pool. Tonight we will venture back to the strip, all 6 of us and see stuff we were told we cannot miss.
Tomorrow its off to Williams AZ and Friday on to the Grand Canyon.
More later.

Life goes on???

We buried my dad last week. He died suddenly on June 1st at his home on a beautiful day. It seems unreal at this point and I don't think I have fully grasped what has happened to me. What a tragic loss, yet this week has gone by pretty smoothly. I don't know if its the realty of dealing with four children, a husband, a part-time job, keeping up with this very grassy, weedy, acreage of mine or if its just that I didn't see him much anyway so my soul hasn't realized the emptiness. I shudder at what tomorrow, Father's Day, may bring as I try to celebrate with my husband and children yet try to pay him homage in some way. Nonetheless, I find some consolation in seeing him just the week before his death and choosing to dwell on his goodness and generosity. I was blessed to have been his daughter. Happy Father's Day, Dad!!

Below is the tribute I wrote for him and that was read at his funeral.


First of all, on behalf of my family, we deeply appreciate you being here today. It is your presence and your prayers that have carried us through these last few days. We thank you.

I have struggled to decide whether or not to put something down for my dad. I have 44 years of thoughts, memories, and feelings to convey in such a short time but I feel it is the least I can do to honor him now.

For those of you who knew him, you can agree that he was a unique character. He was very tough on the outside but was kind-hearted and gentle in so many ways.

I remember as a little girl how big and strong he was to me. I would often ask him to flex his muscle and I would try unsuccessfully to wrap my little hands around his big arm. I remember lying across his lap so he could scratch my back or climbing up into his chair and getting a “whisker rub” across my soft little cheek. To him, that was like a hug.

You always knew where you stood with dad. If he didn’t agree with something, he made sure you knew that. If he thought something cost too much, he would tell you so. In spite of that, or maybe because of that, everyone loved him. He had such a faithful band of friends that he would enjoy coffee with every morning. It was these friends that he valued and loved so very much.

He worked long, hard hours running his farm and his company. I remember his rough hands and his sunburned arms, signs that he was working hard so we wouldn’t be in need of anything.

He was a stickler for saving money. We laugh now when we share stories of how he tried to stretch things into lasting longer. Material things meant nothing to him. We had what we needed and he saw no sense in much more.

Dad loved his wife. He needed her. He was faithful to her until her dying breath. He was never the same after that. He seemed just to be waiting to be with her again.

Somehow, I thought this day would never come. The day I would receive the phone call that he was gone. I wish I had been more patient with him. I wish I had visited and called more often. I wish I had told him I loved him more often. I wished I had hugged him more. I realize now the things that drove me crazy were so insignificant.

In these times of grief, we must choose to look for the blessings. I am blessed to have had a father so devoted to his wife. I am blessed to have had a life of good, hard work mirrored for me. I am blessed to have had a dad that loved me. I am blessed now to have sweet memories of his smile and the twinkle in this eye when he would laugh. I am blessed by the stories he would tell of when he was growing up.

Dad, I stand before this group of friends and family and I honor you. I pray you knew you were a faithful husband, a precious father, and a good man. I have peace knowing that you took your last breath outside your own home, on a beautiful spring morning, looking onto the flowerbed mom tended to for so many years.

I miss you. See you soon,Janice

Who's Your Favorite Policeman?

Here's mine; my husband, Sgt. Robert Hewitt of the WPD. He has been in law enforcement since he was 19 years old which means he's been a Police Officer for about 23 years.
I found him in the local jail almost 19 years ago. (Don't worry, I was working there too.) We were engaged 3 months after our first date and married 4 months after that.
This week is National Law Enforcement Week, a time to remember those who have died in the line of duty and a time to appreciate ALL they do for our communities.
Did you know ...
*The average life expectancy of a police officer with 10-19 years of service is 66 years compared to the national average of 74.4 for men and 80.1 for women?
*Studies have shown a significant increased risk of some types of cancer among police officers?
*Divorce rates among police officers range from 60-75 percent compared to the national average of 50 percent?
* Last year 186 law enforcement officers left their wives/children and headed off to work and did not return home?

As the wife of a cop I see and hear unbelievable stories of how they are treated and the things they see. It is DIFFICULT job!

What can you do?
*First of all, pray. Pray for their safety, not only physically but emotionally. Pray for their marriages. Pray for opportunities to receive thanks and appreciation. Pray for good to prevail.
*Show your appreciation. Stop down at your local precinct with a tray of goodies, order some pizzas, send a note of thanks.
*Be nice! Next time you get stopped, know they are just doing what they have been hired and trained to do.

Oh what have I done....

I am having an awful time trying to figure out what on earth I am doing with this bloggin stuff. Please be patient; I do accept and welcome suggestions.

Here is a picture of my youngest, (she's on the right) who will turn 6 tomorrow, along with her best friend, whom she named Slushy. Seems like he was here all winter and just melted last week.