giving back...

First off I feel so bad that I have not been on my computer.  I am not being a very good online friend as I have neglected this place.  Life has kept me away.  Heck I even missed an email from my son Tim regarding his need for our help moving.  Must not have needed me too bad or he would have called, after all, I do have a land line, cell phone and text messaging.  Perhaps if I had a desk job with a computer I could check my email more often, BUT I'd miss so much of the outside world.  Wandering the neighborhoods in a yellow school bus is sometimes quite exciting.  As for you my friends I will be making the rounds ASAP!

 

Some new news.  My stepson and dil (the grand kids parents) have bought a home.  It's less than a mile from us over the river but not through some woods (:)).  It's close and since I am now the most requested grandma I am sure I will have plenty of visitors 'popping' by.  Especially since grandma has a park and a sandbox.

AND...

I was brought to tears by an email from my adopted solider this morning.  No matter how you feel about the war I am hoping everybody feels we must support our troops.  http://soldiersangels.org/  is an organization that is a wonderful way for us to show our love and support to our men and women who are overseas serving our country.  I never expected an email from this man and here it was.  He was grateful and appreciative of the time and effort I took to send him a few cards and packages over the past months.  So little for the much he is doing. 

This email made my day!

see you soon!

Shaky wake up!

My husband works overnights.  My daughter Liz and stepson Jim live with us.  All the bedrooms are upstairs, mine in the path of the stairs so I hear all the wanderings of the night.  Often I awake to the sounds of the night.  Around 4:30 this morning I wake up to the pulls on my dresser rattling.  First I thought it was my husband stopping by in the semi from work, no, then a train?...no, my bed shakes, my ears start ringing....hmmm, then nothing.  I hear a door outside slam, neighbors...I note the time go back to sleep.  At 6:00 I am up, I must of felt an earthquake, put on the news, yep!  Sure enough!  Down state in southern Illinois there is a fault line, way down deep so when it shakes we really only feel it, rarely any damage.  Even in the nearby towns minor stuff.  Not like the California quakes, this one was a 5.2.

Such excitement for a Friday.

Otherwise we are all well.  The weather has finally become spring like, with it's winds and mild temperatures of nearly 70.  I've been walking a lot.  Yesterday after seeing the gas prices at $3.55, I walked to work.  This weekend the Huffy is coming down and checked over for leaky tires.  I am not giving the oil companies any more than I have to.  Going to bike the mile to work.

Last weekend the kids were here again as I had Friday off.  We went to a nearby Park that also has a small zoo attached.  Dakota got to pet a snake, or nake has he calls them.  3 year old talk is so cute.   The zoo had cougars, crocs, turtles and peacocks.  The kids mostly loved the play ground, school in this town was in so we had the place to ourselves.

Dakota, Jacob and Dayton.

This weekend is yard work.  Sunday promises to be sunny and I have loads to catch up on.  The buds are just now appearing.  Hopefully mother nature will let us enjoy a little of spring before the hot and humid summer appears!

 

Have a great weekend!

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babies! oh and sunshine! OH and it's 65 degrees!

 

 

Dayton --- 20 months

The kids missed grandma so they came over this afternoon and spent the night.  The day was glorious sunshine and warm.  They have gotten so big!  We had a great day.  They were so wore out that Dayton went to sleep and 6:30 and slept until 7:00 this morning!! Today we headed to the river park...Jacob is at the age where he loves to chase other boys, girls are just too much for him.  Dakota is still pretty much plays by himself and Dayton runs around or observes everybody else.  He is talking up a storm.

We came back to a huge lunch and then Tracey came and got them.  Bet they took a good nap this afternoon!

FUN DAY!!

My Jacob he'll be 5 in June!

 

Dakota 2 1/2

 

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quiet ... just like I like it...

I am a worrier.  In my youth I had horrid stomach aches, missed school, and made myself sick with my imagination and my perceived boogie man.  I have gone to great lengths to slay the fear, but some habits are hard to break and now a days I look at such fears as problems to be solved and I love the buzz of solving them.  After all, rarely does life work out like our minds fear.  As of late Mark and I have been more proactive in our work area.  We both (me first, then him) have realized that his line of work-- construction is in a very low point...may be for some time.  He gets laid off every winter.  Usually, unemployment gets us through.  This year we realized that the winter layoff last season really didn't go away until nearly July.  Very scary for a couple who have raised most of their clan and are digging out of debt.  Actually scary for anyone who lives in this place we call the USA. 

Fortunately for us Mark is a very good truck driver.  He was rehired by a company that let him do winter work a few years ago when he wasn't able to get unemployment, as we were self employed for that quarter.  Thank God he did this as the company he usually works for is not even begun to work.  Usually by early March they are back. There was rumors, of work for next week, but it's been raining, the ground is still frozen.  I even noticed that the chain stores have just now put in their Pansies, a flower that is normally planted weeks ago.  The trees still have yet to bud and everyone's moods brighten when the sun stays out longer than a few hours.  Today we actually reached 50 degrees.  It's going to be a very slow, late construction year.  Some aren't even being called back.

Back to my worries.  I don't have any ... none, the main lifestyle bills are paid.  There's gas in the car, food in the fridge, the pets have food...I have no worries.  Even work is good, the school kids are behaving after my sick day they still have an appreciation for me.

Mark has a good job that works fine for us. If he goes back to construction there's talk he may work both jobs ... a big plus.

There are some rumors of my job in transportation not being renewed, but that's over a year away, next contract and I never worry that far in advanced.  I tend to be a right now worrier...

Not today....I am feeling better, I have extra work next week, and even have a no school day next Friday (paid).   The weekend weather report calls for sun, I have leaves to bag, something I enjoy.  Maybe there's some tulips under there somewhere.  Spring means renewed hope...and hopefully warmth...God I can't wait to be warm!

April first was my 13th wedding anniversary.   My marriage is good too.  My son is taking us out to dinner Monday.

Isn't life grand!!???