Christmas 2009

As our tradition, we celebrate Christmas on the 23rd with our children and grandchildren. We had an awesome time. Food was good, presents were plentiful, but more than anything it was great to have time with each other.


















As you can see by the picture, Don was thrilled that President Obama sent him a Christmas card.







We also went to Christmas at the zoo on the 26th. It was fun, enough cold to feel like winter and snow to make it look like Christmas time. We had a good time but missed Drew, Julie, Layla and Delia, who were unable to come.

Hair; Beard; Mustache;

And now he wears a hat on his head, even to bed. Go Figure. :)

This or This???? You be the judge.

Don decided to shave his beard. I believe in 20 years, he has only shaved his beard one other time. So, what do you think? Should he continue to be clean shaven or should he grow the beard back???

Just one more minute......

June 6, 1930-November 20, 2007

Just one more minute……
How many times have you heard someone say those words? Seems like a silly comment to make, it is only 60 seconds. But, as quickly as that minute passes, it is the most valuable and precious time there is.

Just one more minute……
Not a day has gone by in the last two years that I haven’t wished for that one more minute, those 60 seconds.

Just one more minute……
To tell her how much I love her

Just one more minute……
To let her know how much I appreciate everything she was

Just one more minute……
To thank her for the things she did

Just one more minute……
To tell her how much I was going to miss our talks, our special moments

Just one more minute……
For one more hug & one more kiss

As silly as it is to say, I wish I had

Just one more minute……

Baby Girl Dodson

THEN:

NOW:



Sis, What can I say,
You are the best sister
I could have asked for.

So on this special day of yours
I want you to know how much I love you,
and to wish you the very best birthday ever.

Sanibel Island

Don & I went to Sanibel Island this past week. We went because Don was getting an award for one of his photographs (congratulations, you deserve it) and because we were celebrating our 36th wedding anniversary.

Don is an awesome man, husband, friend and dad. I am glad I married him. He is always there for me through the bad times and the good times.

Sanibel Island is one of those good times. Here are a few pictures for you to see why we love it so much.

Don, I love you and our life together!!!

Happy 9th Birthday Madison & Mackenzie

I love you!!!! Have a wonderful day!!

\


Happy, healthy and 9 years old, where did the time go?

Nobel Peace Prize

"President Barack Obama won the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize on Friday in a stunning decision designed to encourage his initiatives to reduce nuclear arms, ease tensions with the Muslim world and stress diplomacy and cooperation rather than unilateralism"

"In his 1895 will, Alfred Nobel stipulated that the peace prize should go "to the person who shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between the nations and the abolition or reduction of standing armies and the formation and spreading of peace congresses."

I don't often express my opinion on politics, prefering to keep my opinions to myself. But.... I couldn't pass on this one. Has he really done anything yet to deserve such an honor? Maybe one day, but not yet.

The sweetest granddaughters!!

I have absolutely the sweetest, most well behaved, lovable granddaughters in this entire world and I just want everyone to know it. I am very proud of you and I love you all "more".

Psalm 118:24

This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

I woke up from a deep sleep at 5:00 this morning,with this verse running through my mind. I have to wonder if I am being reminded that life is precious, no matter what is being thrown at you. So because of this verse today and apparently the need for me to be reminded of it, I am going to put on a happy face and leave my troubles with the Lord. I hope you have a wonderful day!

Honesty

Over the weekend, Don and I did some searching for an exercise bicycle. Apparently we have gotten out of shape as we have grown older. :) We found 2 we liked, 1 at Sears and the other 1 at Dicks. Unfortunately, the one at Dicks was on the east side of town, so we went over there on Sunday. After comparing the 2, we decided to get the one at Sears. It was a struggle but we finally got it into the car. We drove very slow on the way home so as not to dump it off in the road. After getting home, we discovered they had given us the wrong one. Not wanting to drive all the way back over there and them not have the one we wanted, we called. It has been a long time since I have had such terrible service. They were not helpful at all!!! We ended up returning it to the Sears at Greenwood. Which by the way, they bent over backward to accomodate and to fix the situation. Now, I am sure you are wondering why is she going on and on about this. Well, it's because had we been dishonest, we could have kept the original one that was bigger and more expensive, sold it on craigslist for a profit and bought the other one and would have been money ahead. But, we are just not that type of people.

Birthday

My mother-in-law, Suzanne, had a birthday on Sunday. She has been through a lot in her life, and if you are willing to listen has stories to tell. Her mind is still sharp and although she is now "75 years young" is very active. She loves God, her country and her family and it is evident in every thing that she does. She is a very special person that I am glad is a part of my life. Happy Birthday, may we celebrate with you many, many more.

Sanibel Island

I got my toes in the water, ass in the sand
Not a worry in the world, a cold beer in my hand
Life is good today. Life is good today.

Life was good that day and every day that we are able to be on Sanibel. :)




We are home from 2 great weeks of vacation. This is just a few of the many pictures I was able to take. I hope you like them as much as I do.

fun at the zoo

we went to the zoo recently and had a wonderful time.

Friday Humor

LITTLE JOHNNY STRIKES AGAIN


The teacher asked the class to use the word 'fascinate' in a sentence.

Molly put up her hand and said, 'My family went to my granddad's farm,
And we all saw his pet sheep. It was fascinating.'

The teacher said, 'That was good, but I wanted you to use the word
'fascinate, not fascinating'.

Sally raised her hand. She said, 'My family went to see Rock City and
I was 'fascinated.' The teacher said, 'Well,
That was good Sally, but I wanted you to use the word 'fascinate.'

Little Johnny raised his hand. The teacher hesitated because she had
Been burned by Little Johnny before.

She finally decided there was no way he could damage the word
'fascinate', so she called on him.

Johnny said, 'My aunt Gina has a sweater with ten buttons, but her
Boobs are so big she can only fasten eight.'

The teacher sat down and cried.

Gotta make you say Hmmm

One day a little girl was sitting and watching her dad fix the plumbing under the sink. She suddenly noticed that her dad had several strands of white hair sticking out in contrast to his brown hair.

She looked at her dad and inquisitively asked, "Why are some of your hairs white, Dad?"

Her dad replied, "Well, every time that you do something wrong and make me unhappy, one of my hairs turns white."

The little girl thought about this revelation for a while and then said, "Daddy, how come ALL of grandpa's hairs are white?"

Fire

Recently, my son's neighbor had a house fire. Aside from the obvious; your children and your pets, what would you make sure you took with you as you fled your burning house? Just curious.

I think I would take our photos. Although it would be difficult to take them all, since hubby is a photographer, that's what I would take.

Divorce

Why is it that someone lives with someone 30 plus years and then decides to get a divorce? Were the same problems there at 5, 10 even 15 years? Do you stay together for the sake of the kids, economic reasons, fear of being alone? What finally pushes you to the point of divorce? Did you not grow together all those years or did you grow apart?

The Heart

The heart is an incredible organ, it takes care of the everyday functions of being alive and allows endless joy. The same heart that suits us so well, also takes an incredible beating sometimes.

My heart hurts.

There's more than corn in Indiana

Over the weekend, we took Madie and Kenzie to Indiana Beach. Here are a few pictures. The day started with Kenzie afraid of riding and ended with her running to get on the next ride. Madie loved every ride, every time, except the Sea Dragon. She doesn't like heights. We had a great time.

Butt Crack

Today, there was a discussion about what is appropriate for women to wear at work. One of the women was displaying obvious butt crack. It seems to me, that more and more women are not bending over at home to check whether there is crack showing before they come in to work. They are bending over their desk or squating or whatever and showing more than I care to see. So what do you think is appropriate attire for professional women at work and should you tell them? Just curious.

Answers To Quiz:

1. The one sport in which neither the spectators nor the participants know the score or the leader until the contest ends.

Boxing

2. North American landmark constantly moving backward.

Niagara Falls

(The rim is worn down about two and a half feet each year because of the millions of gallons of water that rush over it every minute..)


3. Only two vegetables that can live to produce on their own for several growing seasons.


Asparagus and rhubarb .


4. The fruit with its seeds on the outside


Strawberry.

5. How did the pear get inside the brandy bottle?


It grew inside the bottle.

(The bottles are placed over pear buds when they are small, and are wired in place on the tree. The bottle is left in place for the entire growing season. When the pears are ripe, they are snipped off at the stems.)


6. Three English words beginning with dw

Dwarf, dwell and dwindle.


7. Fourteen punctuation marks in English grammar. .

period, comma, colon, semicolon, dash, hyphen, apostrophe, question mark, exclamation point,quotation marks, brackets, parenthesis, braces, and ellipses.


8. The only vegetable or fruit never sold frozen, canned, processed, cooked, or in any other form but fresh


Lettuce.


9. Six or more things you can wear on your feet beginning with 'S'.

Shoes, socks, sandals, sneakers, slippers, skis, skates, snowshoes, stockings, stilts.

A QUIZ FOR PEOPLE WHO KNOW EVERYTHING

This is a quiz for people who know everything!
I found out in a hurry that I didn't.
These are not trick questions.
They are straight questions with straight answers.


1. Name the one sport in which neither the spectators nor the participants know the score or the leader until the contest ends.


2. What famous North American landmark is constantly moving backward?


3. Of all vegetables, only two can live to produce on their own for severalgrowing seasons. All other vegetables must be replanted every year. What are the only two perennial vegetables?


4. What fruit has its seeds on the outside?


5. In many liquor stores, you can buy pear brandy, with a real pear inside the bottle. The pear is whole and ripe, and the bottle is genuine; it hasn't been cut in any way. How did the pear get inside the bottle?


6. Only three words in standard English begin with the letters 'dw' and they are all common words.. Name two of them.


7. There a r e 14 punctuation marks in English grammar. Can you name at least half of them?


8. Name the only vegetable or fruit that is never sold frozen, canned, processed, cooked, or in any other form except fresh.


9. Name 6 or more things that you can wear on your feet beginning with the letter 'S...'


answers will be posted in a couple of days.

Good Luck

5K Walk

Today, Mariea, Don and I walked a 5K for prostate cancer. The weather was good until after the race and then the rains came. Thankfully the rain held off until we crossed the finish line. We walked it in 1 hour and 20 minutes, which is really good since Mariea has arthritis in her knees. I am very proud of her. It was an enjoyable walk and we saw things downtown that we had never taken the time to see before. I encourage all of you to get out of your cars and walk. It was a great experience. We even met a very nice "rich" man who walked with us for a long time. It was ok that we came in last, yes I said last, because we had such a great time.

Finished house

The outside of the house is basically finished. We have a few minor things left to do. It has been a long stressful process. I like the new colors. Don, Kevin and Drew hung the new shutters to complete the project. Thank you boys for the help. Now, we need to get the energy to tackle the inside of the house. The kitchen was supposed to be done by now but because of the squirrels, it was put on hold. Let's hope that the inside goes easier than the outside. I have learned alot about contractors and things you should ask and watch for.

new post

I was told by someone that will remain unnamed that I needed to change my post. So I am changing my post. I don't have anything new that has happened. I don't have anything profound that I need to share. So here is my new post. Hopefully, I will think of something soon so I won't be told again that I really need to change my post. :)

Weekend

Over the weekend, Don & I decided we had had enough of the house. We had date night on Saturday, ate a great dinner at the Spaghetti Factory and then walked around down town. It was warm but we had a great time. Downtown Indianapolis is a busy place. We got up on Sunday and drove to Linton to see if we could find the spoonbill bird that was supposed to be there. We didn't see it but while we were down that way we went to Shakamak State Park. As far as I can remember, we had never been there. What a nice park. It was a nice, fun weekend. Even though we still have house problems and did lots of work on the house before having our break, I am so thankful we took a step away from it. So, what was your weekend like? I hope it was as good as mine. :)

Today is Friday

I am not sure why or what I am writing about today, just feel the need to write.

Today is Kelli and Joe's anniversary. Happy Anniversary!! I hope you have a wonderful day!!

The painters are at the house again this morning, trying to correct all the mistakes that they made the first time they painted. For those of you that did not read the previous post, it has not been a good experience. I am ready for the work and the hassles to be over. I am certain that the house will need another touch up since it rained last night and the house was still wet this morning while they are trying to paint. Grrrr. The saga continues, we ordered new shutters and they are not the same width as the old ones so we will have to drill more holes to make these fit. I am begining to believe nothing is ever going to go smoothly. It makes me nervous thinking about the next project, because it is inside the house and as bad as it has been with the outside stuff I don't even want to think about the inside of the house being torn up and dealing with incompetent contractors. There are no good ones, at least that is what I am finding out.

The weather is hotter than blazes and it takes everything out of you when you are out in it. I am sure there are people that would say it is Global warming but whatever it is I am ready for some cooler weather.

That's all for now. I am grumpy! :)

Trust is not a word for contractors

This past week we have had contractors and workers at our house fixing the damage that was done by the squirrels. I have come to the conclusion that you can not trust any of them to do what they tell you they will do. I am discouraged and frustrated and STRESSED. It started with the gutter boards and soffits. We were told that not only the area around the squirrel damage needed fixed but that the rest of the house probably had 3 years left on the life of those boards. We opted to replace them now instead of having to go through this again in 3 years or so. The neighbor next door offhandedly made a comment that the crew probably hadn't worked much this year due to the economy and that the boards probably weren't as bad as they were letting on. Doubt set in!! To late to stop it now, we did have some boards that looked ok as they took them down and others not so good. They did some things that they weren't supposed to, like cutting into the bay window. I hope it doesn't leak. They caulked only about 1/2 of the new boards they put up. They put up wood that they should have thrown away. The list can go on and on. Now, the painters are there. What a nightmare that has become. They showed up on Friday and instead of priming the new boards as they said they would,at an added cost, they put paint on it and then tried to convince me that it was ok. They have repeatedly told me they have put more coats on then they have had time to do. On top of that, they put the wrong color of paint on the trim and when we told them, they blamed me for it and said I gave them that color sample. They are now putting the right color on the trim but are saying that I purposely let them put the wrong color on. Let's get real, why would I do that, I didn't like the color they were putting on. I sure wouldn't want to keep it. I am ready to tell them all to take a flying leap. When I arrived home today, we now have 5 painters working on the house. I am sure they want to get it finished as much as I want them off my property. It amazes me that in todays economy that people don't try harder to do things the right way. I will never recommend the painters to anyone and will tell all of my friends not to use them. Ok, so now I have ranted but honestly I don't feel better just because I wrote it down and there is so much more that I have left out. I am still frustrated and honestly I am angry!!!

I hate squirrels

Several weeks ago, as most of you already know, we got squirrels in our attic. Four squirrels later, we believe we have caught all that had nested in the attic. On Monday, contractors came out to fix the damage that said squirrels had done to the house. Upon arrival and removing various areas of the roof, we now have to have all the soffits and gutter board all the way around the house replaced. What started out as a semi major repair has now turned into a MAJOR repair and lots of money. So I am back considering that street corner with the tin cup, only this time I may really have to do it. Catching squirrels, house repairs and painting do not come cheap. $$$$ Sorry Don, that lens will have to wait. :)

Shelling on Sanibel Island

It has been said about shelling, “It’s a very natural, thought-free, meditative thing to do while walking on a beautiful beach. It’s a ‘task’ that takes only enough of your mind to be enjoyable, but lets the rest of your mind just be, in a good way.”

Oh, how I wish I could do this every day. :)

Memories

There is a saying that says life is not about the minutes in a day but the moments that make up that day. Yesterday was made up of those moments.

It started with KM, MG, & MF coming over early. J was going golfing with KJ. As it turned out, mother nature intervened and it rained. KJ and J did not golf.

We had a great morning filled with MG & MF helping me bake cookies, make a cheesecake and fixing a veggie tray----memories---- not just for them but me too. Memories that I cherish.

Later KJ, Great Granny Sue and Great Granny Kati came over to share the day with us. We cooked out. Yummy food and plentiful. Thank you everyone that brought food.

The funniest part of the day was the hoola hoops. Papaw looked like, well it is hard to describe what he looked like trying to hoola hoop. KJ started off slow but quickly remembered the proper swing of the hips but no one could quite figure out his arm thing. You just had to be there to appreciate the humor. MG & MF were by far the best, able to keep it going for 3 minutes.

Uncle KJ took MG & MF on a long bike ride and played with them in the yard. The girls love playing with uncle. -- Memories---

We had a great day, lots of fun and laughter.

I am tired!!

The last couple of days have been very tiring. On Thursday, we thought we had caught all of our squirrels so the critter control came and sealed all the holes. Yesterday, I woke to the sounds of pitter patter of little feet in the attic. I quickly jumped out of bed, got dressed and ran outside to see if I could see anything on the roof. I did!! A squirrel in the attic vent trying to get out. I tried calling critter control, but because of it being a holiday weekend, no answer. I left a message not really expecting anyone to call me back. They did, about 10 hours later. Needless to say, by that time, the squirrel has been locked in the attic since Thursday. They told me the squirrel was probably deceased or dead however you care to look at it. So this morning, in hopes that that wasn't so, DH & our youngest son climbed up on the roof and removed the attic vent. Did the squirrel run out. No!!! We now have to have critter control come out on Tuesday, after the holiday, go up into the attic and hopefully find nothing. We are hoping he found another way out and is not up in our HOT attic deceased. EWWW!

So not only did we go squirrel hunting, grass had to be cut, laundry had to be done, etc. etc. etc. etc.

Thank you KJ for ALL your help today. We could never have done everything today with out you.

Tomorrow will be a better day. We are having the family over for a cook-out. Should be fun.

#3

I really can't believe we caught # 3 today. It had been quiet in the attic this morning so I thought maybe just maybe we had gotten rid of the little pain in the #$$.

Not to be!

So, we have another trap on the roof to see if there is more. $55.00 for every pain in the #$$. I can think of a whole lot of other things I could do with that money. If we don't get rid of them soon, you will find me on the street corner with a tin cup and a sign saying I'll work for food. :)

Maybe I need to start taking up donations now. :)

Weekend of fun

First, we went to K's ballet recital. She did a good job. We enjoyed the performance.







Then we went to M's soccer. She is becoming a great soccer player. We love watching her play.


Plus we got to see L & D




I love being GiGi to these girls.

#2

Squirrel # 2 has been caught in the trap this morning!!! Yeah, we are on the right road to getting rid of these things in the attic. Don't misunderstand,I think squirrels are cute.I don't care if they lay in my trees, eat my bird seed, etc, which by the way I had to remove so my birds aren't getting fed this year. Just stay out of my attic!

WOOOOHOOOO

We caught the squirrel

Yeah!!!! Now let's hope that he is a loner.

Happy Anniversary

How to loose your belly, butt and thighs

Eat 3 mini donuts and drink 16ozs. of regular coke.

NOT!!!!!

Thank You Drew, Kevin & Kelli

BEFORE I WAS A MOM:

Author Unknown

Before I was a Mom
I made and ate hot meals.
I had unstained clothing.
I had quiet conversations on the phone.

Before I was a Mom,
I slept as late as I wanted
And never worried about how late I got into bed.
I brushed my hair and my teeth everyday.

Before I was Mom
I cleaned my house each day.
I never tripped over toys or forgot words of lullabies.

Before I was a Mom
I didn't worry whether or not my plants were poisonous.
I never thought about immunizations.

Before I was a Mom
I had never been puked on
Pooped on
Spit on
Chewed on
Peed on
Or pinched by tiny fingers

Before I was a Mom
I had complete control of:
My thoughts
My body
And my mind.
I slept all night.

Before I was a Mom
I never held down a screaming child
So that doctors could do tests
Or give shots.
I never looked into teary eyes and cried.
I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.
I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.

Before I was a Mom
I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't want to put it down.
I never felt my heart break into a million pieces
When I couldn't stop the hurt.
I never knew that something so small
Could affect my life so much.
I never knew that I could love someone so much.
I never knew I would love being a Mom.

Before I was a Mom
I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body.
I didn't know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby.
I didn't know that bond between a Mother and her child.
I didn't know that something so small
Could make me feel so important.

Before I was a Mom
I had never gotten up in the middle of the night every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay
I had never known the warmth
The joy
The love
The heartache
The wonder
Or the satisfaction of being a Mom.

I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much before I was a Mom.

Squirrels

Recently, we discovered that a squirrel has taken up residence in our attic. He has managed to make a hole big enough for him to come and go at will. We called a critter removal co. and now have a trap set to catch him. He apparently is a smart little critter because the trap has been there for 3 days and he sits in the tree and chatters at me. I think he is laughing at me. Obviously, telling me that we are going to have to do more than set a trap with peanut butter in it to catch him. Hopefully he is male and doesn't also have babies in the attic. We will not be out smarted by a squirrel or will we???

Another birthday

Happy Birthday Joe

Look who's "54"

Happy Birthday!

I Love you

Dad

January 23, 1927 - May 5, 2005

If I could write a book
of a good and generous man
it would be about my daddy
and the life that he had planned

If I could write a book
and wrote a million pages
the words would not express
what the heart has known for ages

Loss and sadness
are a lot to bear
since that day we placed you
in God's loving care

I miss you!!

31 years ago on May 2nd

We were blessed with 2 precious babies.

Happy Birthday!!!

May your day be as special as you are!!

Internet strangers friends

A few months ago, I stumbled across a blog of what seemed to be a normal family with 4 kids. The youngest, a baby, had some in utero trouble with his heart. He was born healthy, no signs of heart problems. A few weeks ago, I checked this blog again to discover the baby is now having severe SVT’s ,(tachycardia). It has been a roller coaster ride for this young family. The baby’s name is Stellan. The link is on my sidebar. They live in Minnesota and because of baby Stellan’s heart issues, he is now in Boston being treated. I also periodically check a blog of a man that lost his wife right after giving birth to their daughter. He now, has a foundation to help others that have lost a loved one. He has been on Oprah and in People magazine, all because of the exposure on the internet.

You are probably wondering why I have chosen to blog about this. These 2 particular blogs have an unbelievable number of people following their stories. What amazes me is how involved everyone has become. Most of the comments are from complete strangers that have somehow become internet friends and supporters. They have people all over the world tuning in to see how baby Stellan is doing and how Matt and Madeline are handling not having mommy.

It is almost like a show that you can’t miss. Only it is real life and real trauma, real smiles and real tears.

Family

Family
By Michelle Peters
Family is the strong tie,
That holds you to the ground.
When it seems that you have lost,
All that you had found.
They are the rock that holds you down,
When you start to float away,
And they can turn your life around,
When you go astray.
They are the friends that you are born with,
They are with you 'till the end,
And when life treats you rough,
Your broken heart they will mend.
Although sometimes you may fuss and fight,
And may not always agree,
In the dark, they are the light,
That shows the path so you can see

Look who is "3"

Happy, Happy Birthday!!! I can't believe you are 3 years old today. I hope you have a day full of fun! Love you!!