Catch of the Day!

Richie and I went fishing today! I caught 9 fish and Richie caught 5....of course, his were all bass--but, hey, I was just excited to catch a fish. I caught 2 crappie and 7 Perch. Oh, and a tree! We would still be out there fishing if it weren't for the gnats! I have bites in my ears, on my arms and legs, and my neck. My largest crappie was 15 inches long, evidently, that's good!

Brace Yourself

Well, at 30, I am getting braces. But hey, they have come a long way since I had them as a teenager! I am getting Invisalign braces--clear trays that you wear two weeks at a time and then change to a different one. It was so weird sitting in the ortho chair--I was by far the oldest patient! What made me feel even more older was when the orthodontist removed a permanent wire placed on the back of my teeth from my previous orthodontist. Side note of explanation--after you have braces, they usually place a permanent wire behind your 4 front teeth to keep them in position. Well, as she was removing the wire to begin my "new" braces treatment, I realized I had had the wire in for 17 years! At that moment, I realized it had been 17 years since my last trip to the orthodontist, but what's bad about that was that most of the patients there aren't even 17!! I have experienced what they call "ortho relapse". Nothing major--in fact you can't tell very much from my front teeth, but in the back my teeth have moved quite a bit. So, I want to have it fixed--it causes some issues, and I have wanted to do this for a long time.
Kylie's kindergarten class had their Kindergarten Program last night and boy was she cute! She is such a dancing fool! I was cracking up watching that girl boogie! My whole family was tickled as she shook her booty--she has some moves! Her cheerleading team has grown this year! There are 20 girls and they are now able to compete in the "mini" division which is more relative to their age. They have such a great chance of winning some competitions this year!

Busy Weekend

Well, we had a busy weekend. We spent Saturday fishing out on Sugarloaf Lake. It was the first time the kids have ever been out on a boat and fished. It was quite funny. They were so worried about what was in the lake--sharks? Snakes? Then, Kylie was trying to understand the difference between a lake and the ocean. I told her the ocean has saltwater...so she asks, "Does it have pepper too?" Crazy Girl!
Today we went to the Air Show...the kids like it, but I think it was a little hot and long for them. They were thirsty and hungry and the bad thing is that the drinks/food were SO expensive! So, we had to spread out the food/drink runs to keep them satisfied. But, they got a few pilot autographs and overall had a great time.

The Sweetest Thing

Anyone can fall in love. Anyone can care for someone. But, to see a couple in their 80's loving each other, caring for each other and displaying their love after years and years of marriage is the sweetest thing.
Today, I was waiting outside of an office for it to open and there was an elderly couple waiting there as well. The woman was in a wheelchair and her husband was pushing her. When, I walked up, we exchanged pleasantries and comments on the weather. Then, the lady let out a moan and a prayer that the doors would open soon--she was hurting and ready to see the doctor. At the onset of her discomfort, her husband started running his fingers through her hair and gently caressing her head and neck. Her grey hair was very thin on top and almost shoulder length down the back. But he didn't care about her hair--he cared about her. Then, a cool breeze began to blow and again she became uncomfortable. He whispered softly to her acknowledging she was cold and began to rub the tops of her arms and shoulders. He never once acted put out, embarrassed, or impatient. He was in the moment--with her. I actually had a tear form in my eye. I sat there thinking about how many people take their spouses for granted, put others before them, or even mistreat them. I stood watching this couple and realized that they truly loved each other.
Shortly after, the nurse opened the door and we went inside. I set my stuff down and went to the restroom. As I came out and gathered my things, the elderly lady said, "Sweetie, come here I have to tell you something." I walked over to the couple and the lady said, "You have the most beautiful legs, the most beautiful blonde hair! Sit down, I want to see you closer!" I sat down next to her husband. He had positioned her wheel chair to face him and now had his hands on her legs. The entire time she spoke to me, his eyes were on her. She then told me, "You are just a doll. I wish I looked like you, like a doll!" I told her I was sure she was a doll, too because her husband was madly in love with her. I told her how I had seen the way he looked at her and cared for her. She said, "Yes, he's the most wonderful man! You have to keep the flame burning--it takes passion."
At that moment, I knew she had the one thing that can stand the test of time. Love. True love. In the Bible it talks about love never failing, always being patient, kind. In fact, I have a picture on my wall next to my front door. It serves as a reminder. But that couple made me believe the words today. That picture has words on it. The couple has love between them.

Weston turns 8!

Well, we had Weston's birthday party this weekend...it was "bug" themed and I think it came out really cute. I made a dirt cake with bugs on it (I'll try to add a pic in a day or so) and the kids played games outside that were bug themed like the caterpillar crawl, bug scavenger hunt, and the bug sling. But the whole day it was iffy as to the status of the party. We were supposed to have one of the worst weather days this year on Saturday with a very high chance of tornadoes. I was sweating it and I had no back up plan. We had sent out 20 invitations and so it was highly possible that I would be entertaining a large group of 8 year olds in the house with no idea what to do with them. But luckily it started raining at 3:45 and stopped by about 4:10. Then it stayed dry the rest of the evening. WHEW! That was a close one. And all of the storms that came through split when the got to our area and went north and south.
Weston got some great presents--lots of Wii games, Speed Racer stuff, some Heely's...the typical 8 year old boy stuff. I still can't believe my little man is 8 already. I feel so old.
Perhaps the highlight of the party was when a neighbor showed up. You see my 2 labs (Sally and Abby--see previous posts for pics, etc) have been MIA for awhile. They venture home every now and then but it's obvious they are staying somewhere else. The kids have missed them and when they do make it home, they run outside and greet them hoping they'll stay. But this neighbor that showed up has evidently taken a liking to them and been feeding them. Well, she considers them hers now. Uh no. So, when she shows up at Weston's party to claim MY dogs, that was the last straw. Her excuse is that she's been "keeping the fleas and ticks off of them for a year now". Um, well, wouldn't be necessary if you had not started feeding them and had told me they were there so that I could get them! So, it resulted in words and Abby leaving with her and Sally staying...for awhile.
So, I guess I will resort to the law.

Bottoms Up!

Only me...only me. So, last Thursday I was at work, just trying to do my job. I knew it was going to be a beautiful day and so I decided to wear a dress. It was a dress that required no ironing, was free flowing and cute and would be an easy choice. Well, I didn't take in to consideration the wind. Yes, you know where this is going. So, I set out on a few calls and found my dress billowing in the wind. I tried to keep a hold on it while juggling my drug bag and car keys. I did a good job until I got to my home town and pulled up at the doctor's office that I actually use. I was busy at the trunk trying to pack my drug bag and for a split second forgot about my dress. That's all it took and the next thing I knew the skirt part of the dress was up in my face! I was grabbing and pulling and doing the "dress above my head" dance!
Can a girl get a break?
Well, Weston turns 8 tomorrow. I was hugging him this evening thinking back to the day he was born--it seems like forever ago! Yet, I can still remember all of it. He was such a huge baby and now he's the runt of the baseball team. I am so proud of his first 8 years--he's such an awesome little guy. Sure, he's got his 8 year old quirks, but when I see some of the other kids his age, I thank God for such an awesome kid. He is testing for Gifted and Talented at school. I hope he gets to be a part of it--I did it when I was in school and I feel like that extra push you get in there really established some great life lessons such as a passion to ask why and learn everything I can about something. And to never give up. I also learned that the best lessons are never the easy ones.