Well....He Won!

At Garrett's high school they have a PRIDE program once a six weeks. Those students with good behavior, good attendance, no tardies, etc...may have an opportunity to participate in a game with the chance to win some pretty cool prizes. Garrett was asked to "play" yesterday at the 3rd six weeks program. He got to choose a partner to help and he chose wisely!!! The game was to put on three different pairs of sweats and then go to each end of the basketball court and make a lay-up. Now, Garrett is not an athlete in any sense of the word so he chose Jacob Darter (one of the all-time basketball stars...hee, hee, hee...smart kid!). The senior girls team actually beat Jacob but they didn't understand the rules. The basketball player HAD to put their arms into the arms of the sweats but they only put the top around the neck. :( Poor girls BUT lucky Garrett :). I do believe he owes Jacob at least a coke!! Maybe I'll get him a Sonic card or something. See Garrett's prize... a Sony stereo! Have to say that thing has played non-stop since he got home. It has a dock for his iPod so makes it just that much better. Does my heart good for him to "win"!

Sags & Bags

Well, I have really worked at this weight thing but fell of the wagon during Christmas. Set me back several pounds but I hit it hard again and I am back on track. BUT.....with the weight loss comes the saggy skin...baggy eyes...droopy arms! OH IT IS JUST NOT NICE! Seriously under my chin looks like a deflated balloon! I am trying to exercise a little so maybe that will help. If not....anyone know a good plastic surgeon? LOL

Good Bye 2010

Everyone makes New Year's Resolutions and in the past I will have to admit I did to. I wrote them down, posted them on the frig, put them in my checkbook, put them on my computer....tried it all and never seemed to stick with them. So for several years now I just didn't do it at all. Didn't want to fail at one more thing. This year I am looking at it a little differently. Instead of making resolutions I decided to get rid of some things from 2010. I like that idea. I am a little OCD with clutter and throw everything away so this is right up my alley!

1) WORRY: Quit worrying about everything. I question everything I do. How do others perceive it? Will I succeed? Can I financially afford it? You name it, I can worry about it!

2) OBLIGATIONS: As a family we have decided to let go of some obligations. Not to each other but to organizations, activities. Let someone else do it for a while so we can focus more on our family, our well being, our souls. It's amazing how obligations can engulf your life and completely destroy what you have built. It has been hard for us to make the decisions we have but completely necessary for our family.

3) TIME: Not get rid of it but find it. My kids are growing so quickly and I am missing so much. I have allowed my time to be stolen by other obligations and have left my own family to raise themselves.

4) OPINIONS: Let my heart guide me and not my head. This is a hard one for me but opinions are now in the garbage!

Not only am I throwing things out the window but I am taking some time to look over this past year and see the successes.

1) My marriage is stronger than it has ever been. I have a spectacular husband that continues to work on our relationship and cherishes the life we have built.

2) Garrett is maturing into such a great young man. He has always been a blessing with a challenge. It seems maturity is kicking in and a tad of responsibility is poking its head through the teenage fog! I know he still makes mistakes and will continue to do so but all in all he is a good kid and knows right from wrong and wants to do the right thing. I am a proud mom!

3) Guthri....well what can I say about Guthri? WOW! She is nothing what we thought she would be like 3 and 4 years ago. To see the progress she has made in self-esteem, school, personality there are just no words to describe her. She has a tender heart like no other, yet the fight of a mad bull. That is exactly why she will be just fine in this world!

4) Mine and Lonnie's parents are aging and we are blessed there have not been any major health issues for any of them. They continue to provide us with examples of how we should live. Completely blessed to still have them for us and our kids.

Well, I hope your 2011 will be all you expect. If not tweak it a little and make it what you want!

Why Me?

Not sure if it is the time of year or just something that is always in the back of my mind but today it has been weighing so heavy on me. Do you ever wonder why God chose you to have the life you live?

Why do I have wonderful parents that always took care of me? That love me unconditionally? Why do I get to have an awesome husband that loves me the way I am, provides for our family without question or resentment, and is a fantastic dad? Why did God bless me with a beautiful boy to raise as my son? Did he know I would mess up daily? Why is there a perfect little girl I get to call my daughter? What did I do to deserve these blessings?

There are so many other people in this world suffering and have no one to love them or even meet their basic needs. So why did God choose me to live such a blessed life and not them? Something that I will always wonder!

It's been a great day!

Today was the annual livestock clinic that Lonnie puts on for anyone showing pigs, goats, sheep, rabbits, or chickens. He truly is in his element when he is working with new families and teaching them about his passion. I loved watching him talk to them all and teaching those kids about show ethics. When they broke into sessions, Lonnie took the swine kids all over the barn teaching them everything they need to know from unloading to cleaning up at the end of the day. More than anything, I loved seeing Garrett work right along with his dad. Those two worked seamlessly together and seemed to know what the other was thinking before anything was said. It was heart-warming seeing them work together. The sweetest thing was watching Guthri hang on his every word! She stood right next to him and spent most of the morning looking up at him and soaking it all in. Just too sweet!

We came home and just ate a quick lunch and then everyone just retreated into their own rooms and it was such a peaceful afternoon. Watched TV, took a nap, folded a little laundry and that is about it. Great day!

We have a demon in our house!

Now, I normally don't believe in demons, ghosts, paranormal things but I am at the point that I believe that is all it could be. Seriously! You see there are things in our house missing. Completely, 100% missing. They are there one day and gone the next. It is more than the dryer eating the socks. It's earring, necklaces, dishes, hairbrushes, caps, jackets, pens, pencils, bills, food. Just disappears. No one has seen it and no one has touched it. It's just gone. No matter how hard we search things are never found.

Tonight, Guthri and I searched for over an hour for her DS. It is gone! The only answer to the mystery is the demon had to have taken it. What else could it be?

(I am sure you all have the same demon at your house!)

There should be more like him!

You know Lonnie is the quiet type but I am not. He tends to stand back and watch and soak it all in while I jump in with both feet, ready to take the bull by the horns most times. (Ok, you can laugh now because you know it is true.) There are times that his personality can be quite frustrating for some and even make people down right angry. I will admit it has caused quite a few "heated" discussions at our household but in the end I always know he is right.

Lonnie may not be the quickest to react or the loudest one to fight for what he "wants" but I can promise you that he is the honest one, the true one. I can honestly say I have never known him to lie, to cheat, to be dishonest or even to fudge a little. When one of his co-workers retired a few years back she said he was the agent with the most integrity of any agent she had ever worked with. That says a lot. She had once been a district director!

Even though he can frustrate you with his laid back personality you should know that he ALWAYS does what is right for everyone. He never looks out for himself first. NEVER! I am proud to call him my husband and so proud that my kids have such a wonderful example as a father. If there were more men like him in this world life would be so easy!