And the awesome week continues!

My week last week ended on a worrisome note.  While we finally got rid of our semi, and most of the bank note is paid, I also got a route for the rest of the summer and the route is easy and the pay is great...I received a letter from the Sec of State of Illinois that my 20 year old will have his drivers license suspended on June 29.  Seems in Illinois young people 16 to 21 are only allowed two tickets in 24 months.  I got on the phone promptly with my legal service and they told me what to tell him to do.  AND believe it or not the kid did it!  As a mother I am so tempted to do it for him...but he's a big boy and he needs to learn to take care of his own messes....it was difficult but I kept myself from going with him.  He had a very helpful clerk tell him (on Monday) to come back Today and ask for supervision he did that.  He ended up getting 6 months supervision and has to go to THE class.  But then he had to drive the paper work 3 hours away to Springfield.  So the boy grabbed his old friend from high school and went on a road trip...found out a while ago mission accomplished...they even stopped at some outlet mall on the way home... I trusted God and the court to be fair with my son, so hopefully he will slow down...he turns 21 in October then he can get 3 tickets in a year...and he still has to pay the huge insurance bills...ah the lessons we learn.

Also I would like to express my deep pride in my youngest....Elizabeth Faith!

She is leaving Friday morning for a mission trip in West Virginia with a church group...I am so very proud of this kid...we went to get shorts and such for her daily work this afternoon. First she is going on a white water raft trip ( she swims very well thankfully).  Then they are driving to the camp.  The sleep in a school, have devotionals daily.  They group up with other churches and get to know new people....Of course Mike is going ...so is his father and younger brother..but it's a church group afterall...and it will be a wonderful lesson in being a good servant...

Here she is collecting ducks for the Prairie fest last week..  boyfriend's in the middle she's on the right...

.

another shot they are on the left....Tomorrow is Jacob's 2nd birthday...we spent most of Sunday with him and this brother at my stepson's house.  We went from the pool to the jacuzzi and back again!  I bought him  a kid's tool belt with play power tools and everything!  I will take pictures and show off my little guy...who by the way calls me GRANDMA!!!  It's enough to melt a girl! 

Have  a great day!!

One word... stolen

OK OK I'll play too, wasn't gonna but...

One word...

Please leave a one word comment that you think best describes me.

It can only be one word.  No more.

Then copy and paste this into your journal so that I may leave a word about you...

stole from Lisa ;)

http://journals.aol.com/queeniemart/DamagedGoods/entries/1683

IT"S HOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There is a road from the eye to the heart that does not go
through the intellect.
--G.K. Chesterton

I was going to get on this journal and start whining about it being hot...but I changed my mind, because actually I am not hot anymore. 

 Just grateful

Grateful because:

My family is all healthy and well...I was listening to a poor lady at work today her husband of 2 years has cancer....she is understandably sad, upset, and just worn out.

I get to work the rest of the summer as a driver and part-time...this is a last minute bid and I GOT IT!

My hubby is working extra...helps catch up the bills

We have 2 graduation parties this weekend...one is Dale's friend (Mark's youngest son who gave us so much trouble) we are so proud of Carl he worked extra hard and graduated on time...and wanted us to come to his party, and Liz's boyfriend Mike...need to spend time with him too and he is a sweetie

We are going to the campground and now they have a shower!!

We are going to help with big breakfast at the campground-yummy biscuits and gravey!

And since we have soooo many parties I DON"T HAVE TO COOK!!

And last by not least....it's actually cool in my house and I don't even have air conditioning.

AND I am not WHINING!!!!  I am praising!!!

Thank you God for all that I have!

Bless you and have a wonderul day!

my weekend in heaven!

This is the ferris wheel that my not yet 2 year old grandson, Jacob, wanted to ride...not the sissy choo choo, not the wuzzy merry go round...not even aladdins genie ride...nah not this tough guy!  So..........  mom and dad took Little Jacob on the ferris wheel...hubby and I watched while he sat between my stepson and his wife with big eyes as he went round and round in seat number 10.  Jeremy said after they got off that all Jacob said was 'down....down....'

WE had a wonderful day!!  I went on Saturday with hubby and it was good...we saw my father at the curves display with my stepmom, there was a school bus display, and other businesses.  They even had a display for the old race track that used to be in town.  I had lemon shake up and a egg roll....BUT the best day was Sunday!

As discribe above we got to take Jacob, his baby bro, and mom and dad to the carnival.  But before that we enjoyed our town parade....nearly 2 hours of firetrucks, big tractors, animals, bands, and plenty of candy.  My 3 kids were here, and of course Jacob and family, along with my stepson Matt and his finacee' Brandy.  This event brings out the whole town and I had time to catch up with my neighbors, some of whom I went to high school with.   Jacob loved the BIG TRUCKS and the tractors which he called lawnmowers.  Poor Dakota who is nearly 6 months only cried when the 10 fire engines went by with their sirens blasting...otherwise that kid is an angel.

It was a most enjoyable weekend.  And next year?  The daredevil will be nearly 3 and old enough to get a wristband for unlimited rides and we are going to have a blast!!!

 

Gone to the fest....

 

PrairieFest, June 16 - 19, 2005
"Big Time Fun . . . Small Town Feel"

 

 

 

crafts....

 

  The band concert

 

  hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm bugers oops I  meant burgers and brats!

 

  a ride....

 

 

 

 

quilters....

 

 

I took these pictures from the official website...http://www.prairiefest.com/.

I am going to take some of me off to show off later...

The annual event started out years ago...I remember in the 70's it being called Oswego Days....and now it's huge!  With activities for kids to seniors.

My favorite is the Father's day parade.  It goes right past my house and all our kids come and we watch together.  Work was trying to bribe me by paying me to walk in it, but no way...this is Mark's and my time with the family...I LOVE PARADES!

I am off for some food, fine and friends!!

ugh computers!

I don't know about anybody else but every single time I do a critical update for windows my AOL goes nuts!  I have that stupid eyeball blocking all my all my cookies.  I DON'T NEED THAT STUPID THING LOOKING AT ME!!!!  I have so many pop up blockers on my computer from aol to yahoo, I don't need anymore!

At least I know how to fix it!  oh well!

Oh by the way Michael Jackson is not guilty...hmmmmm

We had a great time at the drag strip for the races.  Met some of the drivers....boy are they little guys... hubby was in heaven.  I didn't get sunburn and the couple we went with were very nice.  They feed us too.

Yesterday I went to my stepson's bridal shower.  I guess it was for his finance', but now a days the guys come too.  It did speed up the opening of presents.  Mark's ex came, but my daughter kept me in line, I am not really happy with this woman right now.  Because how she has allowed my stepson to run wild...but this was not the time nor the place.  I did win a game...I knew the most about Matt and Brandy's relationship!  I won a candle.  The food was great too...I love salad and they had pea salad and kidney bean salad...yum!  Brandy's the same age as my Tim so I knew a few girls that they both went to school with which was cool.  Liz also in the morning applied for a job at a kennel...she told me she doesn't want to work with food or people so I guess this job would work, right?

gotta go...

 

 

 

off to the races

Off to the races...hubby's favorite place....he loves racing anything...and a chance for me to finally get these white legs some much needed sun...

ahhhh summer

I know I know I keep saying this but I LOVE SUMMER!  I love the sounds, smells, (when I can smell, my cold has left me with no taste or smelling abilities), the activities, I even love the heat.  Today I even road my bike to work!  Now I am hanging out at home waiting for Mark to come home.  He's at a job they were told them they have to finish today...so that's more overtime.  Which will make up for Saturday because he is taking off early.  Seems I agreed (I did agree, but I didn't realize it was this Saturday, I probably was only 1/2 listening) to go with him to a NHRA drag race event.  My hubby is a race anything nut.  A guy at one of the gravel pits had tickets to some sort of carquest tent so we do get food~and get to see "stuff" and we get a goodie bag.  Oh joy!  No really my husband works a ton and rarely asks to do these things because they are expensive.  So this is his reward.  And I love spending time with him so that's ok.

Eric called me from the Brewers/Yankees game last night.  He was in Wisconsin and wanted to let me know he was coming over to sleep.  This was at 9:00 last night.  It had finally cooled off in this house enough to sleep so I was just about asleep.  He comes into town more that his girlfriend is home from school for the summer.  He also visits his many crazy friends.  I remember being 20 and single and free...I am glad he's enjoying life...it's the time to do it...plus he works a lot too.  Being an assistant department manager means he works a lot.

Next week is our towns yearly fest.  It's a BIG deal round these parts.  With bands, craft fair, games, carnival, a huge father's day parade.  I signed up to shuttle folks to the carnival...I get paid for 4 hours on Friday night  to drive an air conditioned coach van....who knows maybe I'll get tipped, if not my hourly driver pay will do ... especially since I get people watch, one of my favorite activities!

Liz is bored...she's just so bored...I told her my normal answer to that....enjoy the boredom for someday you will be working for a living...and then you'll look back at these days and :::sigh:::she's growing up so fast ... she's will be a junior next year...my baby!

Time to water the growing living things!  bye!

oh happy days!

Oh happy days...a child support check, my tea I ordered (my health food store doesn't carry it anymore.) on the 30th of May from California finally came and my daughter found an old swim suit of mine that looks great on her, she has a swim party Friday.!  AND her room is DONE!  And tonight I get to have my late Chinese Birthday dinner!!!!

 

How much better can a day get????????????????

AHHHHH SUMMER~BREAK~!

                     

Ah summertime and the livin's easy!   I love summer break!  I have always been the unconventional type who can't be boxed inside for too long.  That's why I have the jobs I've had, from teacher's aide, to newspaper delivery to now driving a school bus...I have always gone against the crowd and I accept that about myself.  Why not?  We are all unique in our own ways.

Today I worked for 2 hours came home to putter around the house.  Last night we put my pond in and it's very nice.  The birds love it though so I am thinking it may end up being a big bird bath!  We put it in the circle of Hostas where we usually put the impatients...next comes some water type plants.

Well the daughter is bugging me to go to the store...see ya!

It' s my birthday~! big 48

It's my birthday ... and what a glorious day it is!  I spent the weekend just hanging out at home.  We had a small rain storm Saturday>  After Mark got off work we went and visited Matt and Brandy, Mark was tired and I was still sorta sick so we went home early.

Yesterday we planted our tomato plants that they horiticulture department at the high school gave me.  Then we did some weeding.  After that we just hung out, Mark watched the NASCAR race and I slept.  AN AWESOME DAY!

My boys were golfing with their dad yesterday.  They surprised me with a fiberglass pond complete with a fountain to put in my front yard.  Gotta love the thoughtful kids!  They know their mother.  I am going to get water loving plants, I wish I could put Goldfish in it, but with the Fox River a block a way I know the raccoons with have a feast.  Tim finally moved into his apartment.  So we are just 3 again.  I wonder for how long...you know how kids are they tend to move in and out.

I plan on relaxing and enjoying my half day off from work and just plan wander my house...a perfect brithday!

let the summer begin!

YIPPEE!  My summer has begun!  Well sort of.  Monday is the last day of school and it's only for 2 hours so it's bitter sweet.  Telling the kiddo's bye bye for the summer is always sad  I will see most of them next year or around town this summer.  But I am ready for a break.  My work schedule is only for 4 hours for a month so it's the best. I am so blessed with my job!

I have a lot I need to do around this house.  We want to paint the house so of course we will wait until it's 1000 degrees outside with a humidity of 150 % so we can enjoy the full of effect of the painting experience.

The picture above is my Hostas in my front yard.  The empty circle will have impatients in it when I get myself to the store to get some.  I put mulit colors in it and it always fills in very nicely.  My yard has filled in so nicely too.  My pride and joy!

More garden....

The bench is a gift from my sweet children.  Soon the lilies will bloom and add color.  I have 2 huge Maples that provide shade, so only shade loving plants thrive here.  But I love my space.

Mark is really had a ton of energy for household stuff too.  He's been trimming trees, one was trying to grow under our roof.. With the help of my son Tim who is still waiting to move in with his friend.  Seems the other roommate is missing and his stuff is in Tim's room.  But Tim's a big boy and he can figure it out....he starts work Monday.  He figured how long it will take him to get to work from his new place and everything...I guess that's what college will do for you.  Actually, I am very proud of Tim he's grown up a lot.

I am still fighting a head cold.  I got plenty of sleep lastnight, so the worst is over. 

Ok I need to get off this computer...finally caught up with my 500 emails...and visited alittle.  I'll be around more now that it's break time.  So happy about that.

OH OH a storm is coming and I better button up the house!  We need the rain.

HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEKEND!!!