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What's Up ??

1.  Yes, I've been flaky about doing this.

2.  Since September, I have been working a very part-time job at a Quick Loan in Caldwell.  Friends at church own it and needed someone to come in for a few hours a week while they tend to family matters.  It's usually about 6-8 hours a week.  It's not much but it is something.  I've still been putting in applications.

3.  Bobby is still putting in applications.

4.  I wish the economy would get stronger.

5.  Looking forward to Thanksgiving week.  My brother Rob and his family will be in town visiting with Mom & Dad and so will my sister Julie and her husband and my niece Terri and her husband and little boy !!  And we are even might get snow already !!

6.  So I've been trying to clean up the house a bit.  Julie and Allan and Terri and David and Nathan will be staying at our house while Rob and Cindy, Scott, Paul and Kimberly will be staying at Mom & Dad's.

7.  Should be fun!!

8.  Can't get my picture program to work but I still plan to post pictures from our trip to McCall last August. You must be patient with me.

9.  Till then ...

Lake Payette is awesome !!

This past week, we took a short family vacation to McCall Idaho, to lake Payette and had a fantastic time!!  The lake is so pretty and the water wasn't like ice water !!  It was so refreshing!!  This lake reminded me a lot of  Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire, where I spent my summers as a child!  Payette is a smaller lake but just as beautiful!!  The kids at first weren't sure what to do with themselves but soon figured it out and they enjoyed the lake, too!!  We didn't have any water toys so we'll have to look forward to boating there sometime in the future!!  We definitely will be going back there, soon I hope!!  I would love to retire there and have a house on the lake!!  In my dreams, I suppose!?  I hope to post more pictures of our vacation soon!!

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For those who think our life is interesting ...

This summer seems to be flying by ... its crazy.

Bobby is still looking for a permanent job.  He still sell swords and knives on the weekends at various flea markets.  He recently has started to sell knives for Cutco Cutlery.  This involves in home demonstrations.  I'm surprised he enjoys doing this, but he does!!

I've been looking for work, too.  Nothing has come to fruition yet.  Pray for us!!

Sarah went to church girls camp at the end of July for a few days in McCall, Idaho.  They camped on Payette lake.  She had a really good time and came back with a good sunburn!!  The theme of camp was "There's no place like home" and the leaders and planners did a fantastic job with activities and food !!  I sent a camera with Sarah.  She took some pictures, but I wish she had taken more!!  She's learning!!

Tyler and Travis went to a church camp for three days at the end of July also, called Helaman camp.  I'm not sure where they camped, somewhere in Idaho.  No pictures to share but they had a great time.  Travis more than Tyler.

Travis recently finished his Archery Merit Badge for Scouts.  Yes, he's still aiming to earn Eagle Scout status!!

On Monday, August 2nd, we flew Travis down to Utah for a youth camp at Brigham Young University called EFY (Especially for Youth), another church camp.  He stayed in the dorms on campus and met other teens from other parts of the nation (Florida, Arizona, Utah to name a few).  He again had a really good time !!  Very spiritual experience, he said.  And fun.  They had a few dances and I believe he made some friends (girls included) that he will keep in touch with via Facebook.  Here is a picture of some of his new friends.

Tomorrow we'll be leaving for McCall, Idaho with our camper to camp along Lake Payette for our one and only family vacation this summer.  I hope the weather stays nice!!  All of our bikes are in order and I looking forward to spending time exploring the lake and surrounding areas !!  Wish us well and I should have pictures to post once we get back!!

Ta Ta for now !!

A "bombing" on Teano

Several weeks ago (June 9) some lunatic(s) decided it would be fun to assemble a homemade "bomb" and explode a random mailbox.  They choice ours.  Around 11pm that night we heard two bangs, which sounded like a shotgun, looked out our front window and realized our mailbox was missing.  Called 911 of course.  Four police cars arrived to "contain" the situation.  Actually I think they were having a slow night.  Anyway, they said they have seen these "bombs" before and hope to someday catch the psychos doing this.  Hard to collect physical evidence since it has been blown to bits.  Figure they won't catch the persons responsible until one of these things blow up in the hands of the makers.  (they used an empty plastic soda bottle, drano, tin foil and water - I guess you can learn how to do this on Youtube)  We decided it was a random "bombing" because our mail carrier told us of another incident of an exploding mailbox a few nights before at a home less than a mile away, people we don't know.  Anyway, here are some pictures of the remains of our mailbox.

What's going on ?!

Nothing much new around here.

School will be out next Tuesday (June 8th).  I look forward to it more than the kids, I think.  It has been getting harder to wake them up in the morning and to get them moving for school.

Travis has changed his mind about going back into football.  He says he would rather focus on his guitar playing. I'm okay with that.  I will be encouraging him to find a job for the summer and possibly into the school year.

Tyler took a nasty fall on his BMX bike last Tuesday at a bike park (with dirt jumps).  He had his helmet on so the only damage he received was to his leg.  Hopefully he'll come home before I finish writing this and I can post a picture of his awesome, I mean, nasty bruises.  Okay, he said no to posting a picture.

Sarah has way too much energy for a 12 year old with a 47 year old mother.  Whew.  She makes me nuts sometimes.  (Note to self, in my next life, have children in early twenties not my early thirties)

Bobby is still searching for work.

My sister Julie and her husband were here visiting with my Mom and Dad recently.  It's always good to see them!  We took a walk along the Boise river and took pictures.  This one is my favorite !!

I love my family !!  And I enjoy taking pictures.  I need to practice a lot more.

Our youngest cat, Sami, seems to be having issues with the food we give her.  She seems to puke some of it up everyday.  We've already changed the type of cat food once.  I suppose we need to try another kind.  She gives us a warning, with a strange kind of cat wail, so if I'm quick on my feet, I can grab her and hold her over the toilet.  This helps reduce clean up time and the level of nausea that I experience.  She's not losing weight and her behavior has not changed so I'm hoping this isn't a serious medical problem.  Any thoughts anyone??  Bueller ??

Sami says "It's my tummy and I'll puke if I want too.  Neener, neener."  Bad kitty.

Remember our Veteran's tomorrow !!  Thanks Grandpa McNutt and Grandpa Frazier for your service !!

Nottingham moment

Bulls-eye at a recent scout activity - Travis is really close to getting this merit badge !!

Doings on Friday

Forgot to mention last time that Travis had his first date !!  He was asked out by the very beautiful and sweet Bishop's daughter from church !!  It was a group date and they went to dinner at Olive Garden and went to the movie, The Last Song !!  I think he had a nice time, and I hear she did, too!!  I teased him that it was a chick flik movie but he said it was pretty good!  I think we have a sensitive one here!!

Bobby is still looking for work.

I have signed up with two temporary agencies myself.  Not too excited about going back to work but someone needs to !?  If I get a job, I'll work as long as needed.

This past few months I've been attempting to make bread !  So far it hasn't been too bad, but I will keep trying until I am satisfied with the results!  I usually try on Sunday afternoons.  The kids seem to like it so far but I would like it to be a little fluffier.

Sarah has joined the track team at school and so far is less than enthused about the whole thing.  She came home today with a headache and sore throat, she claims, so she'll be missing the track meet tonight.  When she goes to practice and the track meets, she does long-jump, triple-jump and the 100m dash.  I think it might be more of a social thing for her than a love for sports.

Travis let me cut his hair last Saturday !!

Tyler still gets in trouble at school occasionally for doing typical (immature) stuff that boys like to do, shooting rubber bands, throwing erasers, etc...  and he's been annoying neighbors playing door bell ditch.  Although a nuisance, I don't see why everyone is so uptight?!?!  Didn't we all do stupid and annoying things when we were young??!!  I'm not trying to justify it, just surprised at all the attention he gets and how some are "over-reacting" in my opinion?!  When did parents start calling the police for door bell ditch???  So again, we lecture our son  ... (boys just want to have fun, right) ...

Today Sarah had a mole/wart taken off the back of her thigh.  It was freaky/weird looking so I took her to the dermatologist who decided to take it off because of it's location (prone to irritation) and because she was not sure if it was a mole or a wart.  Biopsy will be done and we should find out Monday exactly what it is/was.

Hoping for a nice Mother's Day and I wish a wonderful one to all the Mom's out there !!  Till next time !!


  

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Things we have done this past month or so ...

Sarah had two birthday parties.  She had a friends party on the March 20th and a family party on her birthday, March 31st.  I hope to get a slideshow posted soon.  It took her about three weeks to convince me to let her have a party with her friends.  I put her in charge of everything and for the most part, it was stress free for me and that's the way I like it !!

Tyler finally got his haircut !!  He went from his "surfer" look to a crew cut?!  His choice !  I'll have to post a picture soon!!

Travis still needs a haircut.

Travis has switched from acoustic guitar to electric guitar and is learning his favorite metal songs.  He sounds good!

Bobby is still searching for work but in the meanwhile has been getting the yard ready for spring.  He has re-painted all the gnomes for the backyard so they look brand new!  Soon after, Tyler was caught using the gnomes for target practice using his air/bb gun!?  Bobby wasn't to happy.  I thought it was funny!!

I've been keeping busy just running the household.  Exciting work.

We had a nice hail storm yesterday!  Here's a picture of the hail in our gutter!

This is one of the things I like about Idaho, the weather is never boring !!  It came with thunder, lightning and wind but only lasted maybe ten minutes.

Hope to post more pictures soon!

Love to all!!

Spring is finally here!!

I must repent from my laziness and write more on our blog.

It's just that I don't find our lives very interesting most of the time?!

We are a ordinary family doing ordinary things ... but we have fun most of the time !!

What troubles me sometimes is that the kids seem to be growing up and maturing too fast for me!

Travis sometimes acts really mature and impresses me with the things he does.  And then sometimes he acts his age !!

Tyler does the same thing, too!  It's fun, then frustrating.  It's also a little scary realizing that in a few short years, they will all be old enough to leave home!!  :(

Sarah is growing leaps and bounds and it's hard to believe that she is just turning 12 on the 31st?!  We had our hair cut together a few weekends ago and it made her look even older.

I remember when the kids were little how I wanted them to hurry up and grow up (learn to walk, feed themselves, use the toilet, etc...), now it's all going too fast.  I do not look forward to an "empty nest".

Anyway, Bobby still hasn't found a job.  He went through another round of interviews last week but to no avail.  At least this time they made their decision in one week and not three months like the other company.  It's depressing for him and me, but we'll make it through.

Loving the warmer weather.  Looking forward to being able to open my windows again !!  First we need to wash them?!

Spring break is next week for the kids!  We are not going anywhere but hope to do some things locally!!

We are all well and healthy, warm and well fed!  God has really blessed us!!

10 Whenever

1.  Yes, I could be much more consistent with my postings.  But, why change now??!!

2.  It's been almost six months since Bobby was laid off.  This past Thursday he has his fourth interview with Harris Moran Seeds.  You would think he was applying for the job of President of the company with all these interviews???  (He has applied for a Supervisor job over treating and packaging)  For this fourth interview they flew him into Modesto, California, where their HR department is.  He was suppose to fly home that evening but his flight was cancelled.  He got home Friday instead.  I think he's tired of all the waiting, too.  He should know before the end of next week.  Pray for us!!

3.  Last Tuesday Tyler had the freckle/mole removed from his left lower eyelid.  He has a few stitches that will be taken out next Wednesday.  The lab has already come back with results.  No cancer present.  But they said it was the kind of mole that had the potential to become cancerous.  Always check your moles, everyone!!

4.  Travis needs a haircut, but is resisting as usual.

5.  Tyler needs one, too!

6.  And Sarah ....

7.  We have  been enjoying a very mild winter.  The temperatures have been in the 40's during the days most of the past month.  Makes me worry about this summer.  Is record heat in the forcast??

8.  I'm getting in the mood for change.  I plan to "re-do" the kitchen - meaning take down all the "decorations" and make it different.  I think less is good.

9.  My pantry needs a purging, too.  So does my closet and pretty much every room in the house.

10.  Really wished we own a house on a lake somewhere...with a boat.  Just a little dreaming...

Love to all!!

10 on Friday

1.  Bobby is still waiting for his 3rd interview with Harris Moran.  The Plant Manager is still on vacation so we are still waiting .....

2.  Monday, our cat, Ginger accidentally scratched Bobby really close to his left eye.

3.  Tuesday his eye began to swell.

4.  Wednesday his eye continued to swell and started to hurt.  He is known to get Sty's in this eye so he figured a Sty was coming on.  But it was starting to really bother him so ...

5.  Thursday, I had him tag along with me and Tyler to an appointment Tyler had with an Ophthalmologist.  We managed to have him seen after Tyler's inspection ... and .... (drum roll) ... turns out Bobby has Cat Scratch Fever ?!  No kidding !!  And I thought Cat Scratch Fever was an urban legend?!  According to Wikipedia, it is properly called Cat Scratch Disease.

6.  So ... he is now on three different prescriptions to knock it out of his system ?!

7.  Spent the whole day yesterday with that stupid "Cat Scratch Fever" song stuck in my head !?

8.  Any who ,  the Ophthalmologist didn't like the way Tyler's "freckle" looks on his left lower eyelash line so he will remove it February 2nd.  It's not your normal freckle, apparently.

9.  Also on Thursday, our cat, Buster, was discovered to have a swollen left eye (what is it with the left eye in this family??) so we took him into the Vet that evening and he is now also on a anti-biotic gel for his eye.  He was scratched by some cat above both eyes and the left so far is the only one infected.

10.  Strange how Bobby, Tyler and Buster all had/have issues with their left eye in one day???  Good thing I'm not superstitious??

11.  The rest of us are fine !!  (knock on wood)