I'm just going to come right out and say it.
I love Rob.
Who is Rob, you ask?
Oh, he's just a guy I met at Home Depot.
It all started on the night before we were to leave for a two-week vacation to Utah. I was doing some last minute cleaning and mopping. I don't know why, but when we are here all the time I don't feel the need to mop the kitchen but if we are leaving for an extended period of time come heck or high water this house WILL BE CLEAN!
The faucet in the kitchen had been leaking all week. Gary decided he needed to fix it before we left. Did I tell you we were leaving for two weeks and that I was frantically cleaning and mopping? Did I mention that it was already midnight and we were supposed to leave really early the next morning? Plumbing and lack of sleep make my normally patient husband really stressed. He always goes a bit insane when he is really stressed. I, on the other hand, am always insane so it was like the perfect storm. I made a few suggestions on how to fix the faucet, he became more annoyed, broke the faucet and then just shut off the water completely. While I was still cleaning the kitchen. Grrr!
We decided to just call it a night when the fiery darts started flying out of my eyes. Early the next morning (an hour or two later than we planned), we left our house and forgot all about that broken faucet. We had a wonderful vacation visiting family and friends.
Two weeks later, when we went to clean the kitchen our first night back, we remembered! We had to haul hot water in from the bathroom to do the dishes because turning off the water included the water to the dishwasher. Desperate times call for desperate measures, so I started looking on the internet for a new faucet. Those suckers are expensive! I started seeing $300 fly right out the window.
The next morning, I decided to take the faucet apart to see if it could be fixed. I discovered a tiny piece of plastic that had broken (while insane Gary was working on it). I took all the pieces to Home Depot to find a new one. I searched all over, couldn't find one and had instead picked up the only faucet that would work on our sink ($250). Just as I was leaving, I got brave and asked a lady that worked there if she knew if they sold that tiny piece of plastic. That's when she introduced me to Rob (insert heavenly chorus). He told me about a plumbing store that would have the part. He even gave me directions (swoon)!
I met Gary at work and we went to the plumbing store together. Hello! I am a big baby through and through. I used up all my braveness at Home Depot. Anyway....we found the store and the part. It cost $2.50! Gary was so excited that he bought me lunch.
I came home and put the faucet back together. It worked perfectly! The kids were all amazed. One of them even said that I am a much better Mr. Fix-it than Dad.
Oh, and Gary was thrilled. He loves it when I fix things around the house and he doesn't have to do it. Especially plumbing.
He hasn't said it out loud, but I think he loves Rob, too.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Monday, November 15, 2010
The stars at night were big and bright
da.da.da.da last night inside my bedroom...
after Gary decked me in the middle of the night with his elbow. It was just like the cartoons. I saw stars. Ouch! How much room does he need? We have a king size bed for heaven's sake.
I woke up with a headache so I took an Excedrin. A jolt of caffeine in the morning was just what I needed to get things done. I folded at least 10 loads of laundry, vacuumed the house, cleaned the bathroom and the kitchen and mopped all of the floors by 10 am.
Did anyone hear the big kaboom this afternoon?
That was me crashing.
after Gary decked me in the middle of the night with his elbow. It was just like the cartoons. I saw stars. Ouch! How much room does he need? We have a king size bed for heaven's sake.
I woke up with a headache so I took an Excedrin. A jolt of caffeine in the morning was just what I needed to get things done. I folded at least 10 loads of laundry, vacuumed the house, cleaned the bathroom and the kitchen and mopped all of the floors by 10 am.
Did anyone hear the big kaboom this afternoon?
That was me crashing.
Koolaid, Fun Dip and a Camel
Once upon a time there was a mom and dad who were wishy, washy about allowing sleepovers. The children in the family could sense this and POUNCED! Before the parents knew it, there were extra children in the house every weekend. On one such occasion, the friend brought over a quart size ziploc bag full of red Koolaid powder. Sometime during the night, the children accidentally spilled the powder on the carpet and panicked. They didn't want to vacuum the house in the middle of the night so the friend got the brilliant idea to get a wet washcloth and scrub it really good. Any guesses on how that worked?
The mom found the giant red spot on the carpet the next day. She pulled out the carpet cleaner and prayed that the spot would come out. Red Koolaid does not come out of carpet. The mom told the dad, who got really upset. The children were puzzled at the reaction. "What's the big deal, Dad?! It's just carpet!" Cue lecture #301 - "Carpet is expensive and you have ruined it." Oh, and lest you think that the mom did not get angry, she did. She just shows her anger by mumbling under her breath and sending death glares to her children.
Shortly after this incident, the mom and dad sent out a decree that there would be no more sleepovers or Koolaid in the house ever again.
The end.
What about the Fun Dip and camel, you ask?
On Halloween, a very nice lady at church gave the daughter a giant bag of Fun Dip candy. The daughter was very excited until the dad declared that the Fun Dip would be taken away because of the Koolaid incident. She would be able to eat it but only outside away from the carpet. This caused all of the children in the car to revolt. They even went so far as to tell the dad he was over-reacting which sent him into lecture mode. This conversation started in the church parking lot while the mom was still inside cleaning up. When mom came out to the car, the Fun Dip War had broken out and accusations were flying. The fun conversation continued on for several minutes while the mom tried to retreat to her happy place where children are perfect.
Just as the mom was starting to think that throwing herself out of the speeding car would be a good option, the family passed a camel parked on the side of the road. The mom, who thinks she has now lost her mind says "did we just pass a ...." and the dad says "camel?!" The mom thinks, "well, I was going to say elephant, but I guess that IS a camel!" So the grumbling stops when the mom asks if any of the children saw the camel. All of them start talking about the camel except the most stubborn one who is still hung up on the injustice of no Fun Dip in the house. About 30 seconds later he says "camel? what camel?!"
The stubborn one starts complaining about missing the camel. The pushover dad, who knows when to pick his battles, goes back so that everyone can see the camel. Phew...the war is over! Who would have thought that a camel would save the day?!
The End
The mom found the giant red spot on the carpet the next day. She pulled out the carpet cleaner and prayed that the spot would come out. Red Koolaid does not come out of carpet. The mom told the dad, who got really upset. The children were puzzled at the reaction. "What's the big deal, Dad?! It's just carpet!" Cue lecture #301 - "Carpet is expensive and you have ruined it." Oh, and lest you think that the mom did not get angry, she did. She just shows her anger by mumbling under her breath and sending death glares to her children.
Shortly after this incident, the mom and dad sent out a decree that there would be no more sleepovers or Koolaid in the house ever again.
The end.
What about the Fun Dip and camel, you ask?
On Halloween, a very nice lady at church gave the daughter a giant bag of Fun Dip candy. The daughter was very excited until the dad declared that the Fun Dip would be taken away because of the Koolaid incident. She would be able to eat it but only outside away from the carpet. This caused all of the children in the car to revolt. They even went so far as to tell the dad he was over-reacting which sent him into lecture mode. This conversation started in the church parking lot while the mom was still inside cleaning up. When mom came out to the car, the Fun Dip War had broken out and accusations were flying. The fun conversation continued on for several minutes while the mom tried to retreat to her happy place where children are perfect.
Just as the mom was starting to think that throwing herself out of the speeding car would be a good option, the family passed a camel parked on the side of the road. The mom, who thinks she has now lost her mind says "did we just pass a ...." and the dad says "camel?!" The mom thinks, "well, I was going to say elephant, but I guess that IS a camel!" So the grumbling stops when the mom asks if any of the children saw the camel. All of them start talking about the camel except the most stubborn one who is still hung up on the injustice of no Fun Dip in the house. About 30 seconds later he says "camel? what camel?!"
The stubborn one starts complaining about missing the camel. The pushover dad, who knows when to pick his battles, goes back so that everyone can see the camel. Phew...the war is over! Who would have thought that a camel would save the day?!
The End
Friday, October 29, 2010
He married me for my vote...
I like to vote for the person that Gary didn't vote for. You know, to cancel out his vote. It drives him crazy.
I'm kidding. I would never do that!
Speaking of voting. I voted today.
It was traumatic, as usual.
I don't like to put myself in situations where I don't know what I'm doing. It seems like every time I go vote, they have a different machine. I'm from the "hanging chad" state. I can't remember how to use these new fancy machines but I said "I'm sure I can figure it out." The voting worker wanted to explain it to me anyway. I listened to all of her instructions. She made sure to tell me that I had to go all the way to the end. I went all the way to the end and the light started blinking. I thought that meant I was finished. As I was leaving I said something about the flashing light. One of the workers went to the booth and called me back. Apparently that red flashing light is saying something like "push me, you moron!"
I blame the worker. Her emphasis was on going to the very end. I didn't remember the "push the red button that says VOTE" because I kept thinking "I must go to the end!" Then there was the lady next to me telling another worker "Oh, I've used this machine at least three times" like she should get a medal or something. Can you see how I got distracted?!
So, anyway, go vote...it's important. If I can do it, you can do it. Oh, and when that button up at the top of the booth starts flashing red lights at you, push it. You can thank me later.
Sigh.....I really miss the hanging chads.
I'm kidding. I would never do that!
Speaking of voting. I voted today.
It was traumatic, as usual.
I don't like to put myself in situations where I don't know what I'm doing. It seems like every time I go vote, they have a different machine. I'm from the "hanging chad" state. I can't remember how to use these new fancy machines but I said "I'm sure I can figure it out." The voting worker wanted to explain it to me anyway. I listened to all of her instructions. She made sure to tell me that I had to go all the way to the end. I went all the way to the end and the light started blinking. I thought that meant I was finished. As I was leaving I said something about the flashing light. One of the workers went to the booth and called me back. Apparently that red flashing light is saying something like "push me, you moron!"
I blame the worker. Her emphasis was on going to the very end. I didn't remember the "push the red button that says VOTE" because I kept thinking "I must go to the end!" Then there was the lady next to me telling another worker "Oh, I've used this machine at least three times" like she should get a medal or something. Can you see how I got distracted?!
So, anyway, go vote...it's important. If I can do it, you can do it. Oh, and when that button up at the top of the booth starts flashing red lights at you, push it. You can thank me later.
Sigh.....I really miss the hanging chads.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
A Tradition I Could Live Without
We have a tradition in our family.
One that we really don't like.
It started on April 13, 2006. That was the day that our oldest son Christopher James turned 14. It was also the day that James Warburton died. I remember us all sitting around our dining room table, each taking a turn on the phone telling Grandad goodbye. I remember how sad Chris was on his birthday. He was named after his grandad. We were blessed to have taken a trip out to Utah in March to see him before he got too sick. We had fun playing in the snow, building a snowman, and just visiting with a good man who knew he was dying. We are so grateful that we had that time with him.
April 17, 2009 was the day that Kinsey turned 14. My sister died on Kinsey's birthday. Kinsey was very close to her Aunt Lori. I remember gathering as a family that day telling our children that she had died. We talked about how we had prayed for her to be healed and tried to reassure them that Heavenly Father answers prayers but that this time His answer was that it was her time to die. We all sat around and cried for a few minutes and then sent Kinsey to a birthday party planned by her friends for her. Again we were blessed. We had been able to travel to Florida for Christmas. We spent two weeks laughing, singing, playing, camping, and visiting with a brave woman who knew she was dying. We have such great memories of that trip.
October 11, 2010 is the day that Jared turns 14. I'm kind of worried for that day. Call me superstitious but our track record isn't good so far. I'm really hoping we can change that tradition this year.
If we don't though, we are still so very blessed. We know we are an eternal family. We believe that we will see them again. So for now, I will look forward to a happy reunion with my eternal family someday.
I will also be praying that everyone will survive Jared's 14th birthday. Please?!
One that we really don't like.
It started on April 13, 2006. That was the day that our oldest son Christopher James turned 14. It was also the day that James Warburton died. I remember us all sitting around our dining room table, each taking a turn on the phone telling Grandad goodbye. I remember how sad Chris was on his birthday. He was named after his grandad. We were blessed to have taken a trip out to Utah in March to see him before he got too sick. We had fun playing in the snow, building a snowman, and just visiting with a good man who knew he was dying. We are so grateful that we had that time with him.
April 17, 2009 was the day that Kinsey turned 14. My sister died on Kinsey's birthday. Kinsey was very close to her Aunt Lori. I remember gathering as a family that day telling our children that she had died. We talked about how we had prayed for her to be healed and tried to reassure them that Heavenly Father answers prayers but that this time His answer was that it was her time to die. We all sat around and cried for a few minutes and then sent Kinsey to a birthday party planned by her friends for her. Again we were blessed. We had been able to travel to Florida for Christmas. We spent two weeks laughing, singing, playing, camping, and visiting with a brave woman who knew she was dying. We have such great memories of that trip.
October 11, 2010 is the day that Jared turns 14. I'm kind of worried for that day. Call me superstitious but our track record isn't good so far. I'm really hoping we can change that tradition this year.
If we don't though, we are still so very blessed. We know we are an eternal family. We believe that we will see them again. So for now, I will look forward to a happy reunion with my eternal family someday.
I will also be praying that everyone will survive Jared's 14th birthday. Please?!
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Happy Fall, Y'all
It's fall.
I know that because I asked Google and it said that the first day of fall in 2010 was Wednesday, September 22.
I could tell it was coming because I started getting sad this week. Just a little down at first but by Friday the waterworks had arrived.
Fall should be my season...I have red hair for heaven's sake. Every time I wear fall colors someone will always tell me "that's YOUR color!" My house is decorated in fall colors because they are my favorite. I should love fall.
It's a shame it makes me so sad.
Does anyone else have this problem? What do you do to be happy?
I know that because I asked Google and it said that the first day of fall in 2010 was Wednesday, September 22.
I could tell it was coming because I started getting sad this week. Just a little down at first but by Friday the waterworks had arrived.
Fall should be my season...I have red hair for heaven's sake. Every time I wear fall colors someone will always tell me "that's YOUR color!" My house is decorated in fall colors because they are my favorite. I should love fall.
It's a shame it makes me so sad.
Does anyone else have this problem? What do you do to be happy?
Monday, September 20, 2010
Dear Texas,
We got off to a rocky start, you and I. When I heard that we had the opportunity to move to Texas I was worried. My mental picture of Texas was a hot, dusty place with flies. I came to visit for a weekend to go house-hunting with my husband. I remember thinking, as I flew into Austin, how green it was here. It reminded me of Florida.
We moved into the beautiful hill country. Our first summer here it rained a lot. That's what it does in Florida in the summer so we felt right at home. Then it rained so much it started flooding and our real estate agent warned of flash floods. Ummm......flash floods?! Only at the creek, though. We just needed to tell our kids to be careful because floods can come on suddenly and you could get caught in the current and drown. Ummm......drown?! Florida has a much better system for handling rain. It just soaks it all in...no flash flooding. Maybe you should try that.
Our second summer here it didn't rain at all. Everything dried up and died. Gary spent the summer moving the sprinkler all over the yard to save his grass. Everyone started to get worried about the drought conditions so our church leaders asked us to pray for rain. We prayed for rain and boy, did we get rain. It was a welcome relief except for the flooding. Really, you should try and work on that issue. Flooding is a bit excessive, don't you think?!
Our third summer here you seemed to get it right. A little bit of rain every week and no flooding. That's a much better plan if you ask me.
We decided to take a road trip to Utah this summer. We headed off to Albuquerque, NM the first day. My vote was to stop in Lubbock because I am a bad travel companion, but I was out-voted so we kept on going. We stopped along the way for potty breaks. Every time we opened the doors, those flies that I had worried about, would fly into our car. It was not pleasant. Carson does not like bugs. We tried to be nice and open the windows to let the flies out but they didn't leave. When Carson sees a bug he screams.....REALLY LOUD!!! It makes us all a bit grumpy so we started squishing the pesky things. I kind of think you should get rid of the flies.
Two weeks later we pulled back into Texas. Oh...hello flies and hot weather. We did not miss you at all. I will admit, though, that when we pulled into our little town it was nice to be home. Yes, you did it. You made me love you and I am happy to be back. We had a nice trip.
So really, you are a great place to live. There are a lot of good people here that agree with me. We have made lots of friends and love it here. If you could just do something about the hot summers. You should get some advice from Utah because the weather is much more pleasant there. A little coolness in the evenings goes a long way! Also, the flies are really annoying! Maybe if you spent a day in the car with Carson you would realize the error of your ways. Oh, and I thought you had gotten it right on the amount of rain you could handle but then you started flooding again. You should probably keep working on that.
I don't want to end on a negative note though so let me just tell you....the snow last winter? Nice touch!! That was a great idea. One day of snow, just enough to make a snowman and then *poof* gone by the afternoon! Good work. Utah could learn a few things from you!
Love, Shanon
PS Thank you for not giving Gary a ticket on the first day of our trip. I guess he was so excited to see Utah that he forgot to obey the speed limit. You have some really patient highway patrolmen here. That was so nice of him to just give Gary a warning. Don't worry, I gave Gary the stink-eye and told him to slow down!
We moved into the beautiful hill country. Our first summer here it rained a lot. That's what it does in Florida in the summer so we felt right at home. Then it rained so much it started flooding and our real estate agent warned of flash floods. Ummm......flash floods?! Only at the creek, though. We just needed to tell our kids to be careful because floods can come on suddenly and you could get caught in the current and drown. Ummm......drown?! Florida has a much better system for handling rain. It just soaks it all in...no flash flooding. Maybe you should try that.
Our second summer here it didn't rain at all. Everything dried up and died. Gary spent the summer moving the sprinkler all over the yard to save his grass. Everyone started to get worried about the drought conditions so our church leaders asked us to pray for rain. We prayed for rain and boy, did we get rain. It was a welcome relief except for the flooding. Really, you should try and work on that issue. Flooding is a bit excessive, don't you think?!
Our third summer here you seemed to get it right. A little bit of rain every week and no flooding. That's a much better plan if you ask me.
We decided to take a road trip to Utah this summer. We headed off to Albuquerque, NM the first day. My vote was to stop in Lubbock because I am a bad travel companion, but I was out-voted so we kept on going. We stopped along the way for potty breaks. Every time we opened the doors, those flies that I had worried about, would fly into our car. It was not pleasant. Carson does not like bugs. We tried to be nice and open the windows to let the flies out but they didn't leave. When Carson sees a bug he screams.....REALLY LOUD!!! It makes us all a bit grumpy so we started squishing the pesky things. I kind of think you should get rid of the flies.
Two weeks later we pulled back into Texas. Oh...hello flies and hot weather. We did not miss you at all. I will admit, though, that when we pulled into our little town it was nice to be home. Yes, you did it. You made me love you and I am happy to be back. We had a nice trip.
So really, you are a great place to live. There are a lot of good people here that agree with me. We have made lots of friends and love it here. If you could just do something about the hot summers. You should get some advice from Utah because the weather is much more pleasant there. A little coolness in the evenings goes a long way! Also, the flies are really annoying! Maybe if you spent a day in the car with Carson you would realize the error of your ways. Oh, and I thought you had gotten it right on the amount of rain you could handle but then you started flooding again. You should probably keep working on that.
I don't want to end on a negative note though so let me just tell you....the snow last winter? Nice touch!! That was a great idea. One day of snow, just enough to make a snowman and then *poof* gone by the afternoon! Good work. Utah could learn a few things from you!
Love, Shanon
PS Thank you for not giving Gary a ticket on the first day of our trip. I guess he was so excited to see Utah that he forgot to obey the speed limit. You have some really patient highway patrolmen here. That was so nice of him to just give Gary a warning. Don't worry, I gave Gary the stink-eye and told him to slow down!
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