I am now 47.....and I like 47. I had a wonderful day....My friend Jeanne and I went to a "Top Chef" cooking demonstration, had lunch, and shopped.....I added two new pairs of shoes to my closet and a new suit...for when I get a new job, ha!Saturday, April 25, 2009
My Birthday
I am now 47.....and I like 47. I had a wonderful day....My friend Jeanne and I went to a "Top Chef" cooking demonstration, had lunch, and shopped.....I added two new pairs of shoes to my closet and a new suit...for when I get a new job, ha!
Bowling
Alex came home for a visit....we took the boys bowling. We've taken them bowling all their lives but now we can usually finish without tears or fighting ha! The only part they hate is me taking pictures, ha!
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Texas Wildflowers
Spring time in Texas means Texas wildflowers. John and I took a Saturday off from the usual household chores to take a drive into the country and check out the local color.
As you can see....the color was good. We had a lovely lunch in Brenham, walked around town a bit and then once again hit the road in search of fields of flowers.
The state of Texas spreads seeds every year....
This little guy screamed his little beak off at us until we realized we were too close to his nest. We backed off and he settled down on his little nest with 4 eggs.....I guess he didn't expect tourists.....
Unemployed
Sorry it's been a while since I blogged. There's been a lot going on and to be honest I simply didn't want to talk about it all....too many emotions and conflicting feelings. Anyway, at the end of February my company did lay-off's and I lost my job. It's more emotionally difficult than anything else...I didn't handle it well, ha! I cried for a couple of days but then pulled myself together...much to John's relief, ha! I miss my job, my co-workers and my pay cheque, ha, but I'm actually fine.
So keep me in your prayers as I try and stay disciplined in looking for my next job...which is a job in itself, ha! Anything to avoid housework, ha!
So keep me in your prayers as I try and stay disciplined in looking for my next job...which is a job in itself, ha! Anything to avoid housework, ha!
Monday, January 19, 2009
Hawaii and...Alex?
Background…well, Alex has this friend, Trevor. Trevor and Alex became best buds in 2nd grade when we lived in MA. In the summer after 3rd grade Trevor moved to CO…the boys were heart-broken. But they stayed in touch…and every summer Trevor would spend a week or two at our house in between visiting family. Then we moved to TX ….and since we wouldn’t be there when Trevor visited MA we flew Alex to CO…the next summer Trevor came to see us in TX…and so forth. Last summer, for the first time, the boys didn’t visit one another…Trevor’s family was moving again…this time to San Francisco and summer jobs just got in the way. So after Christmas we were talking and I had this brilliant idea…Alex didn’t need to be back at college until the 20th…I figured Trevor was the same…air fares are low so why didn’t Alex find out if Trevor was in San Fran and fly out there to spend a week with him before they both headed back to school….
A couple of days later (Saturday evening) Alex comes bounding into the living room and says “Hey, I finally got in touch with Trev…he lost his cell phone so we finally connected by computer!”
I said “Great…so is he in San Fran and did you guys talk about getting together?”
Alex says “Ah…Trevor’s back at school already… but he wants me to fly out there…so…what do you think about my leaving for Hawaii on Tuesday?”
Ya, Trevor goes to the University of Hawaii in Honolulu…John and I just stared…stunned. Alex said he’d already been checking out flights and costs and he could afford it. I think we said something like …wow, that’s a lot of money…but mostly we were still processing “Alex” and “Hawaii” in the same sentence. I asked if Trevor was good with the idea…Alex said the conversation went something like this ..
“so..Trev, I don’t start school until the 20th…what would you think of getting together between now and then?”
“ahh DUDE…hop on a plane tomorrow!!”
“That would be so sweet dude”
“Do it Dude…really”
“I’ll check into things and get right back to you…Ahh DUDE I’m freakin!”
“cool…lets do it dude, we’ll have a blast!”
So dude took off upstairs…a little slower than he came in. After a few minutes I looked at John and said “So…what do you think?”
And John said “I think he should go but it’s up to him”
I told John that I think Alex had been asking our permission….and we didn’t exactly make it clear that he didn’t need to….So we called the boy back down and John told him that we think we may have not have been clear…that the decision to fly to Hawaii or not was totally, 100%, Alex’s decision…he’s 18, has his own money and that John and I have nothing to offer other than an opinion…but our opinion would be…hell yes you should go…dude
Alex was a bit surprised…he’s not used to doing major stuff without our “consent”…other than thinking of joining the marines…but we’re not talking about that for now…indecision on his part, terror on ours….so Alex checked everything out with Trevor and then booked his first independent, paid for by him, flight. I drove him to airport on Tuesday morning for 12 glorious days in Honolulu.
Life is not fair…John and I have jobs and have never been to Hawaii. Yes, I’m pouting….
So, since being in Hawaii he’s called us a couple of times…he’s doing what he went there to do…hang out with Trevor…sightseeing? museums, gardens, luau’s? snorkeling? Nah…they’re strolling, drinking, girl watching, watching movies and playing x-box.. They’re staying up all night and sleeping until noon. They’re making fun of each other, arguing, laughing and tormenting one another so that by the time Alex leaves the boys will be happy to get away from each other, ha!...for a week or so….and then they’ll start planning another week together.
Don’t get me wrong…Alex loves Hawaii…and it’s a real treat to go there…but he could be anywhere and if he was in the company of his best friend…that’s cool.
A couple of days later (Saturday evening) Alex comes bounding into the living room and says “Hey, I finally got in touch with Trev…he lost his cell phone so we finally connected by computer!”
I said “Great…so is he in San Fran and did you guys talk about getting together?”
Alex says “Ah…Trevor’s back at school already… but he wants me to fly out there…so…what do you think about my leaving for Hawaii on Tuesday?”
Ya, Trevor goes to the University of Hawaii in Honolulu…John and I just stared…stunned. Alex said he’d already been checking out flights and costs and he could afford it. I think we said something like …wow, that’s a lot of money…but mostly we were still processing “Alex” and “Hawaii” in the same sentence. I asked if Trevor was good with the idea…Alex said the conversation went something like this ..
“so..Trev, I don’t start school until the 20th…what would you think of getting together between now and then?”
“ahh DUDE…hop on a plane tomorrow!!”
“That would be so sweet dude”
“Do it Dude…really”
“I’ll check into things and get right back to you…Ahh DUDE I’m freakin!”
“cool…lets do it dude, we’ll have a blast!”
So dude took off upstairs…a little slower than he came in. After a few minutes I looked at John and said “So…what do you think?”
And John said “I think he should go but it’s up to him”
I told John that I think Alex had been asking our permission….and we didn’t exactly make it clear that he didn’t need to….So we called the boy back down and John told him that we think we may have not have been clear…that the decision to fly to Hawaii or not was totally, 100%, Alex’s decision…he’s 18, has his own money and that John and I have nothing to offer other than an opinion…but our opinion would be…hell yes you should go…dude
Alex was a bit surprised…he’s not used to doing major stuff without our “consent”…other than thinking of joining the marines…but we’re not talking about that for now…indecision on his part, terror on ours….so Alex checked everything out with Trevor and then booked his first independent, paid for by him, flight. I drove him to airport on Tuesday morning for 12 glorious days in Honolulu.
Life is not fair…John and I have jobs and have never been to Hawaii. Yes, I’m pouting….
So, since being in Hawaii he’s called us a couple of times…he’s doing what he went there to do…hang out with Trevor…sightseeing? museums, gardens, luau’s? snorkeling? Nah…they’re strolling, drinking, girl watching, watching movies and playing x-box.. They’re staying up all night and sleeping until noon. They’re making fun of each other, arguing, laughing and tormenting one another so that by the time Alex leaves the boys will be happy to get away from each other, ha!...for a week or so….and then they’ll start planning another week together.
Don’t get me wrong…Alex loves Hawaii…and it’s a real treat to go there…but he could be anywhere and if he was in the company of his best friend…that’s cool.
Update
The Christmas decorations are down, boxed, and stored…it’s not even February…YES! It may not be a miracle…but its close!!! John even vacuumed! It’s rather unbelievable all around. I even lost the 2 pounds that I gained when I started exercising and watching what I ate!! So after weeks of effort I’m back where I started!!
Other news…Alex is home from his trip to Hawaii. He had a great time just hanging around with his best bud….he took the red eye home and discovered that babies don’t sleep like their parents thought they would, ha! Therefore, he’s a bit tired, but he’s young so he’ll be fine within 24 hours…which is good because he begins classes tomorrow, ha!
Jacob starts the spring semester this week…with naked teeth, ha! He also begins track season, and SAT prep…it’s going to be a busy year for him. John and he are beginning to plan for visiting different universities to help Jacob make some choices for life after high school…hard to believe it’s time for all that….but before we know it Jacob will be applying to enter the world of higher learning…and John and I will be empty nesters…cool
Other news…Alex is home from his trip to Hawaii. He had a great time just hanging around with his best bud….he took the red eye home and discovered that babies don’t sleep like their parents thought they would, ha! Therefore, he’s a bit tired, but he’s young so he’ll be fine within 24 hours…which is good because he begins classes tomorrow, ha!
Jacob starts the spring semester this week…with naked teeth, ha! He also begins track season, and SAT prep…it’s going to be a busy year for him. John and he are beginning to plan for visiting different universities to help Jacob make some choices for life after high school…hard to believe it’s time for all that….but before we know it Jacob will be applying to enter the world of higher learning…and John and I will be empty nesters…cool
Sunday, January 18, 2009
2009
Yep…2009…a new year…same old problems, ha! And yet we have the opportunity to maybe look at the same old problems with new eyes, a new determination that it will not be a problem when we celebrate 2010…that we’re going to make some changes, be better, kinder, thinner, healthier, richer people in 2009…and for the first week or 2 of 2009 we feel empowered…ahhh, it feels good…but for most of us we’ll be back to normal by February and saying ‘I don’t know what I was thinking…”
My wish list…
I want to pack up the Christmas decorations right after New Year….o.k. within a couple of weeks after New Year….at least before February…no later than Valentines day…I’ll be very disappointed if it’s after March 1st….sigh
Well, my weight is no longer a big issue but my health is…I need to work out and exercise instead of being such a coach potato…build muscle and maybe lose that last 20 pounds…
My attitude… is still an attitude…I would like to be less critical, kinder, a nice person…more Christ-like in my dealings with very stupid people…maybe with all people….
I’d love to organize the house and do those projects I’ve been meaning to get to for the last 5 years ,,, maybe after the super bowl, ha!
I want to keep in better touch with my friends and family…I just never seem to have the time….guess I need to manage my time better
I want more shoes
To organize the photos
To write more and dream less
To keep my bedroom from turning into huge, cluttered, just throw it in here, mess (that one may require divine intervention)
I want to spend some time every day reading the Word of God and not just praying for a miracle in regards to the shape of our bedroom.
So…..
We’re a couple of weeks into the new year and how am I doing so far?
Well….
Christmas decorations are still decorating…..
I’m spending time working out every work day during lunch and eating right…sort of…
It would be easier to be nicer if I wasn’t so hungry and cranky from doing the dreaded exercise hour….and not eating chocolate….
I can’t organize the house with the Christmas decorations still up…that doesn’t mean I won’t get to it….be positive!
I’m blogging!!
I bought a new pair of running shoes….
Ya o.k…..I need to organize my time better before I can get to the photos and writing and I’ve decided dreaming is a good thing
I’m still praying about the bedroom and I’ve yet to read a single verse…
so…I guess I’m doing better than expected, ha!
And well, …ah, …It is still just barely the New Year ya know….the new smell hasn’t even worn off….I have a whole year and I’ll keep you posted
My wish list…
I want to pack up the Christmas decorations right after New Year….o.k. within a couple of weeks after New Year….at least before February…no later than Valentines day…I’ll be very disappointed if it’s after March 1st….sigh
Well, my weight is no longer a big issue but my health is…I need to work out and exercise instead of being such a coach potato…build muscle and maybe lose that last 20 pounds…
My attitude… is still an attitude…I would like to be less critical, kinder, a nice person…more Christ-like in my dealings with very stupid people…maybe with all people….
I’d love to organize the house and do those projects I’ve been meaning to get to for the last 5 years ,,, maybe after the super bowl, ha!
I want to keep in better touch with my friends and family…I just never seem to have the time….guess I need to manage my time better
I want more shoes
To organize the photos
To write more and dream less
To keep my bedroom from turning into huge, cluttered, just throw it in here, mess (that one may require divine intervention)
I want to spend some time every day reading the Word of God and not just praying for a miracle in regards to the shape of our bedroom.
So…..
We’re a couple of weeks into the new year and how am I doing so far?
Well….
Christmas decorations are still decorating…..
I’m spending time working out every work day during lunch and eating right…sort of…
It would be easier to be nicer if I wasn’t so hungry and cranky from doing the dreaded exercise hour….and not eating chocolate….
I can’t organize the house with the Christmas decorations still up…that doesn’t mean I won’t get to it….be positive!
I’m blogging!!
I bought a new pair of running shoes….
Ya o.k…..I need to organize my time better before I can get to the photos and writing and I’ve decided dreaming is a good thing
I’m still praying about the bedroom and I’ve yet to read a single verse…
so…I guess I’m doing better than expected, ha!
And well, …ah, …It is still just barely the New Year ya know….the new smell hasn’t even worn off….I have a whole year and I’ll keep you posted
New Years Eve 2008
New Years Eve
I actually was scheduled to work Dec 31st. So I reluctantly dragged myself out of bed while John snuggled down with a contented sigh. There are a few things in life that make me unreasonably violent. John, all warm and cozy, peacefully sleeping while I’m getting ready for work…and I’m cold and tired, is apparently one of them. I understand that I have less vacation time than John…I’ve only been back in the work force for 3 years…the many years I worked prior to staying home don’t count. Like any other employer, my employer does not recognize that I ever worked before working for them…normally I accept that. But on New Years Eve…with a thousand things to do and a full work day ahead of me I wasn’t feeling fair and reasonable. So when the alarm goes off and I make my way into the bathroom to change for the day ahead, and my husband stretches out to occupy every inch of the bed that he can…and steals my still warm pillows…well, it just makes you want to find the nearest blunt object and beat him with it…..on the other hand, blood is so hard to get out of pillows and linens and the sooner I get to work the sooner I can come home….and then work like a fiend to prepare for the company I invited to celebrate the last few hours of 2008 with us…
So to work I went…and after 3 hours of frustration with a computer that refused to operate properly, I began to wonder if I should have just stayed in bed. Finally, with the IT guy and myself as witnesses, my computer peacefully passed on….and since the head IT guy wouldn’t be back until Friday, and he was the only one who could get me a new computer, and I couldn’t work without a computer, I decided to just go home and make up the time over the weekend…not ideal but at least this way I could get to the grocery store and clean up the house and cook some food with a little more time and less frustration.
So I went home, started laundry, cleaned out Jacob’s room, picked up, cleaned up, vacuumed, cleaned out the frig, got groceries, reloaded the frig, and made enough food for an army….Our friends arrived, we all hung out in the kitchen talking, eating, drinking, eating, laughing, eating, drinking and eating…then we went into the dining room and played a couple of board games until nearly midnight. With midnight and 2009 approaching we went into the living room, turned on the tv and counted down the last few seconds of 2008.
2009!!!!!
Then we broke out the noisemakers and champagne (ginger ale for those under 21) and played along with the bands on tv with our kazoo’s …it was awful, ha! Alex and Porter left the room…they just couldn’t take it, ha!...by 2:30 we decided to wrap it up.. our guests left and we slipped under our warm blankets thankful for our many blessi
ngs.
I actually was scheduled to work Dec 31st. So I reluctantly dragged myself out of bed while John snuggled down with a contented sigh. There are a few things in life that make me unreasonably violent. John, all warm and cozy, peacefully sleeping while I’m getting ready for work…and I’m cold and tired, is apparently one of them. I understand that I have less vacation time than John…I’ve only been back in the work force for 3 years…the many years I worked prior to staying home don’t count. Like any other employer, my employer does not recognize that I ever worked before working for them…normally I accept that. But on New Years Eve…with a thousand things to do and a full work day ahead of me I wasn’t feeling fair and reasonable. So when the alarm goes off and I make my way into the bathroom to change for the day ahead, and my husband stretches out to occupy every inch of the bed that he can…and steals my still warm pillows…well, it just makes you want to find the nearest blunt object and beat him with it…..on the other hand, blood is so hard to get out of pillows and linens and the sooner I get to work the sooner I can come home….and then work like a fiend to prepare for the company I invited to celebrate the last few hours of 2008 with us…
So to work I went…and after 3 hours of frustration with a computer that refused to operate properly, I began to wonder if I should have just stayed in bed. Finally, with the IT guy and myself as witnesses, my computer peacefully passed on….and since the head IT guy wouldn’t be back until Friday, and he was the only one who could get me a new computer, and I couldn’t work without a computer, I decided to just go home and make up the time over the weekend…not ideal but at least this way I could get to the grocery store and clean up the house and cook some food with a little more time and less frustration.
So I went home, started laundry, cleaned out Jacob’s room, picked up, cleaned up, vacuumed, cleaned out the frig, got groceries, reloaded the frig, and made enough food for an army….Our friends arrived, we all hung out in the kitchen talking, eating, drinking, eating, laughing, eating, drinking and eating…then we went into the dining room and played a couple of board games until nearly midnight. With midnight and 2009 approaching we went into the living room, turned on the tv and counted down the last few seconds of 2008.
2009!!!!!
Then we broke out the noisemakers and champagne (ginger ale for those under 21) and played along with the bands on tv with our kazoo’s …it was awful, ha! Alex and Porter left the room…they just couldn’t take it, ha!...by 2:30 we decided to wrap it up.. our guests left and we slipped under our warm blankets thankful for our many blessi
ngs.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Christmas Day 2008
Christmas was lovely. We attended the Christmas Eve service at our church on Wednesday afternoon. We watched “A Charlie Brown Christmas” that night as is traditional in our home. It’s a favorite…a reminder of what Christmas is all about.. We got up Christmas morning around 8 a.m….naturally the boys were still sleeping. John made up plates of different nuts and candy and an orange. In his family it was traditional to have a plate of nuts and an orange waiting for them every Christmas morning on the dining room table. We always carried on that tradition when the boys were little but we stopped doing it for some reason since we moved….we were talking about it and Jacob wanted us to start doing it again…so this year we did….. 
I also told the boys that I wasn’t doing stocking stuffers this year…Jacob responded with “What! But that’s one of my favorite parts!!” Sigh….fine, o.k….whatever. So Christmas Eve day I was out buying shampoo and little flashlights and a nerf gun and pez candy and other little stuff and just to make a point….a stuffed toy. They loved the stuffed toy…so I guess they’re the one’s who made their point, ha! And they spent the morning shooting the dog (and me) with the nerf guns….our little big boys….
The boys are old enough that the gifts they get are expensive…so they only get one major gift…Alex got a camera and Jacob received an alarm/stereo/ipod docking station thing. They were both gifts that they had indeed asked for. But when they finally got around to telling us what they wanted for Christmas we had already bought their gifts and told them “Sorry bud….we’ve already finished the shopping but we think you’ll still like what we did get for you” …it just so happened that we had already purchased exactly what they asked for…we are so good!!. Yep…and we told them that too…you’re parents are gooood….!!! 
After gifts we had a huge breakfast of waffles and eggs and sausage…that afternoon we played a board game we got for Alex called “Fact or Crap” 
and then we had dinner that night…Cornish game hens, rice, veggies, fresh bread…it tasted great except Jacob kept complaining about feeling bad about eating a baby chicken…he likes his meat served on a plate without being able to distinguish what it once was…It’s hard to enjoy your meal with Jacob saying “I’m sorry little baby bird that I’m eating you and you had to die…” I think it’s that last time I’ll be serving Cornish games hens, at least to Jacob anyway, ha!
On Friday we took the boys out to a movie and then dinner….Saturday we went to see the play “the Fertle Family Christmas. It’s hard to explain but basically it’s a play about the Fertle Family Christmas reunion. The play is put on by 3 people who each play 3 or 4 different parts. They rotate through their parts so expertly and smoothly that you hardly notice. It’s incredibly funny and very entertaining. This was our 3rd year of seeing their Christmas show. The boys bought the tickets for the family as their Christmas gift to John and I…it was a wonderful gift.
And now it’s the final week of 2008. John is taking vacation time and hanging out with the boys. I’m working this week…but I enjoy work, and this way John will catch up on the laundry and vacuuming, if he can put down the PS3… he loves the game Mirror’s Edge…too nerve racking for me…lots of heights and jumping…awful! But, well, it is his vacation…and the laundry will still be there in 2009, ha!
I know many people are a little afraid of what the coming year may bring. I believe we could be in for some rough times. .…yes, the future is uncertain, but God is constant and faithful. I know that’s easy to say …but it doesn’t make it any less true. For now we’re looking forward to celebrating the coming of the new year with it’s usual parties and parades and snacks, ha! We hope you had a wonderful Christmas and we wish you a Happy New Year……
I also told the boys that I wasn’t doing stocking stuffers this year…Jacob responded with “What! But that’s one of my favorite parts!!” Sigh….fine, o.k….whatever. So Christmas Eve day I was out buying shampoo and little flashlights and a nerf gun and pez candy and other little stuff and just to make a point….a stuffed toy. They loved the stuffed toy…so I guess they’re the one’s who made their point, ha! And they spent the morning shooting the dog (and me) with the nerf guns….our little big boys….
The boys are old enough that the gifts they get are expensive…so they only get one major gift…Alex got a camera and Jacob received an alarm/stereo/ipod docking station thing. They were both gifts that they had indeed asked for. But when they finally got around to telling us what they wanted for Christmas we had already bought their gifts and told them “Sorry bud….we’ve already finished the shopping but we think you’ll still like what we did get for you” …it just so happened that we had already purchased exactly what they asked for…we are so good!!. Yep…and we told them that too…you’re parents are gooood….!!! 
After gifts we had a huge breakfast of waffles and eggs and sausage…that afternoon we played a board game we got for Alex called “Fact or Crap” 
and then we had dinner that night…Cornish game hens, rice, veggies, fresh bread…it tasted great except Jacob kept complaining about feeling bad about eating a baby chicken…he likes his meat served on a plate without being able to distinguish what it once was…It’s hard to enjoy your meal with Jacob saying “I’m sorry little baby bird that I’m eating you and you had to die…” I think it’s that last time I’ll be serving Cornish games hens, at least to Jacob anyway, ha!
On Friday we took the boys out to a movie and then dinner….Saturday we went to see the play “the Fertle Family Christmas. It’s hard to explain but basically it’s a play about the Fertle Family Christmas reunion. The play is put on by 3 people who each play 3 or 4 different parts. They rotate through their parts so expertly and smoothly that you hardly notice. It’s incredibly funny and very entertaining. This was our 3rd year of seeing their Christmas show. The boys bought the tickets for the family as their Christmas gift to John and I…it was a wonderful gift.
And now it’s the final week of 2008. John is taking vacation time and hanging out with the boys. I’m working this week…but I enjoy work, and this way John will catch up on the laundry and vacuuming, if he can put down the PS3… he loves the game Mirror’s Edge…too nerve racking for me…lots of heights and jumping…awful! But, well, it is his vacation…and the laundry will still be there in 2009, ha!
I know many people are a little afraid of what the coming year may bring. I believe we could be in for some rough times. .…yes, the future is uncertain, but God is constant and faithful. I know that’s easy to say …but it doesn’t make it any less true. For now we’re looking forward to celebrating the coming of the new year with it’s usual parties and parades and snacks, ha! We hope you had a wonderful Christmas and we wish you a Happy New Year……
Monday, December 22, 2008
Merry Christmas Letter
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!! 
Can you believe it?! I’m finally getting out a Christmas letter ON TIME. Well…it’s currently “on time”, and I admit that previous Christmas letters also started off “on schedule” and we all know how those ended ….so…well, if you’re reading this and it’s still 2008 than….wow, can you believe it!!??
It’s Christmas 2008 (I hope..) …we’ve had a great year, survived Hurricane Ike with only a minor hit to our pocket book, sent our oldest off to college, (major hit to our pocket book) and watched our youngest seem to grow and mature almost overnight (continuing hit to our pocket book). We have loving families, good friends, decent jobs and God’s blessing…life is good.
January…ah, a time to reflect on a wonderful Christmas and to pack up all the Christmas decorations for another year….
Febuary…ahhh…time to stop reflecting and actually pack up the Christmas decorations for next year….I’m still considering putting red lights on the tree and just calling it a “Valentines Day” tree come February….I haven’t figured out yet what I could do to keep it up in March…maybe just take the decorations off and call it a huge topiary ….
March…ahhh… the boxes of
Christmas stuff are indeed mostly boxed…but someone really should get them out of the hallways and put them away…and by mostly boxed I mean that our Christmas tree Angle has graced our family room all year…and by someone I think that’s me….and “the topiary” just takes up too much room…
March was also spring Break month here in TX…With Alex being a senior and Jacob a sophomore we realized our ability to force the boys to go on “family” vacations with us was soon to be over. Bribing them to accompany us on a trip would always be an acceptable option but the ability to say “Hey lets go to the dessert!” and have them jump at the opportunity seemed somewhat unrealistic. I chose Big Bend National Park as our vacation spot. I made reservations to stay at one of the 6 stone cottages inside the park at 6 a.m. Jan 1st 2007 for our reservation in March of 2008…I can’t even begin to tell you how incredible the trip was…no tv, no phone, no xbox….we drove ATV’s all up, down and around a mountain (well, by “we” I mean John and the boys, I rode with John and spent a great deal of time praying)…boys loved it and God blessed us by not having anyone launch themselves off the trails. We canoed the Rio Grand River through the Santa Elena Canyon, had lunch on the river shore …in Mexico, drove a jeep through the dessert and along canyon roads to explore abandoned mines. We hiked and explored the dessert and mountains at their best…...pictures do not even begin to do justice to the beauty that was all around us. We read books, watched sunsets, played cards…it was the best family vacation ever….
April is usually Easter…but Easter was early this year and ended up being the last weekend of our stay in Big Bend. I thought it would be so special to get up before sunrise and have our own little service there in the mountains…..I was sure everyone would be thrilled with my suggestion….I waited with bated breath for my guys to say “awesome idea mom!” instead, they looked at their father and said “She’s kidding, right?” God apparently agreed with them because Easter Sunday was our first day of bad weather…we woke up to find ourselves inside a cold and misty cloud…I’m sure there was a sunrise but not on our mountain. John wanted to climb the trail up the mountain and see if we could get above the cloud….maybe catch a glimpse of some wild life….then it was my turn to look at the boys and say “He’s kidding, right?” Anyway, I returned to my nice warm comfy bed and the guys went for their hike…..they saw a cute little bunny….and more cloud. That afternoon we bundled up and ventured forth on our last hike in Big Bend…..I wore an Easter type hat and we discovered the best kept secret in the park….Cattail Falls….amazing. It was the best Easter of my life and I didn’t even cook!! Ha..
May…Mom and Dad arrived to celebrate Alex’s graduation from High School. We took Alex out for a family dinner in Houston….I rented a limo so that we could all relax and really enjoy the evening…..actually, I just wanted to ride in a Limo…I had paid for limos for the last 4 years for my teenage son to ride in…I, at the age of older than 18, had never ridden in a limo…I think I could get used to it, ha!
We had family pictures taken that turned out so much better than my expectations….but we also have some great memories that go hand in hand with those pictures….I’ll treasure them always.
June…..Graduation! wow! Where did the time go. Almost 1000 students graduated that night….do you know how long it takes to get to Thiessen with that many students, ha! It was a special night, made more special by having mom and dad there…
July…..getting Alex ready for moving out and into an apartment….towels, pots, pans, dishes, bowls, glasses, flatware…..and a few items he had some difficulty recognizing…a broom, a vacuum, a toilet brush….sigh….John claimed they’d never get used and yet hope springs eternal in a mother’s heart.
August…..Alex moved into his apartment on the 18th….and he packed the evening of the 17th….we had to make a quick stop at the DMV to renew his drivers license that he had forgotten had expired but he figured it was on the way…..it did not instill a great deal of confidence that the boy was ready to be let loose but, on the other hand, we had no desire to keep him either….we unpacked him, went out and bought a new desk chair, purchased his first load of groceries and left before he could kick us out…..it was all good.
One week later Alex started college classes and Jacob started Junior year….without being labeled “little Thiessen” ….yep, it’s going to be a good year!
September…..as mom I had to deal with some difficult issues….my little bird had flown the nest….and loved not living with us….that is just so wrong. I’m a complete control freak and suddenly I had no control….I admit I didn’t handle it as calmly as I could have….I threatened to paint his room pink….he said “Do whatever you want mom, I don’t live there anymore…” ah! Just stab me through the heart…it would hurt less!!! Did I mention I wasn’t handling it well…fortunately I have a loving and understanding husband who gently told me I wasn’t handling it well….he’s so insightful! Anyway, I’m feeling much better ever since I cleared out his room, re-arranged and re-decorated and I’m painting the room…..well, a nice blue/grey…I have to admit I didn’t immediately tell Alex what color I was working with and my heart felt a little better when he said “Mom, DO NOT paint MY room pink!” and then I got to say “but Alex, and I quote “Do whatever you want mom…” you know the rest….ah, I’m such a mean mother …..and I told him he’s welcome to stay in the guest room any time he wants…..I think I’m handling it better….
September 13th was Jacob’s 17th birthday….Alex was coming home to celebrate with us, Jacob wanted a big breakfast, a family day, a favorite dinner and poppy seed cake. And all of that would have happened if Hurricane Ike hadn’t paid us a visit….it was an interesting night….we lost a couple of trees….the one in back took out two neighbors fences and the one in front ended up resting against the front window but didn’t break it. I have to admit that I’m proud to be a part of this community. John and I took the truck out Saturday afternoon to see how everyone had faired….there were trees down everywhere….and there were neighbors out in their big trucks with their chainsaws in the back clearing the roads. By that afternoon every road in The Woodlands was clear of trees and debris because the people in this community just got it done. We lost power and phone service but we had water. It took days to clean up the yard but it got done….you gotta love the strength and endurance of teenage boys….Jacob was awesome!! Alex stayed put in College Station and we drove up there on Monday after the storm to recharge phones and batteries, et….we also finally got to see what was happening on tv….what a mess….and what a shame.
Anyway, work and school and power all resumed after a week. And we did celebrate Jacobs birthday as planned except for the date. We got the phone back on Wednesday night and the first clear call we got was from my sister to tell us Dad had suffered a stroke that night…o.k, thank you God that the phone is working….good news abounded though. Dad seemed to be doing well…mom’s quick actions got him to the hospital in time for them to administer the right drugs to break up the blood clot in his brain without leaving too much damage….it;s times like those that I know what “peace that passes all understanding” really is. Dad returned home that Friday afternoon….around the same time we got power back….PTL!
October….Mom’s turn to put that peace thing to the test…..she started having heart problems and ended up having a pace maker “installed” ha! It will take awhile for full recovery but so far so good.
November…A time of Thanksgiving…and we have much to be thankful for.
December….it’s just our family this Christmas. Our friends here are visiting their families, our loved ones are, well, not here, ha! I’m assuming Alex will be home or at least sleeping in my guest room between getting together with high school buddies who are also “home for the holidays”. But with Alex you just never know, ha! His later curve is his decision to serve in our country’s military. Alex is considering joining the Marine Corp, Infantry…We’ve met with the recruiter, talked about it, a lot, and now it’s really up to Alex. We’re hoping he’ll finish his first year of school….he’s weighing all his options. You can catch up on our news and pictures at http://www.kathleenthiessen.blogspot.com/ and I’m also working on a web site http://www.kathleenthiessen.com/. I’ll post this Christmas letter on both…it will be longer with more pictures if you’re really bored, ha.
I am, as always so aware of my many, many blessings. I can only hope you’re happy and healthy and equally blessed…..Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the bottom of our hearts.
John, Kathy and Jacob….o.k..o.k. I guess Alex too…although since he “doesn’t live here any more” he should send out his own cards….o.k. maybe I’m still not handling this perfectly…but I am trying…..
P.S….I’m told that he does vacuum, and clean and is a very good cook…good enough that he often cooks for his friends so that they can live on something other than Ramon noodles….in other words, he’s doing great….but don’t tell him I s
aid so.
Can you believe it?! I’m finally getting out a Christmas letter ON TIME. Well…it’s currently “on time”, and I admit that previous Christmas letters also started off “on schedule” and we all know how those ended ….so…well, if you’re reading this and it’s still 2008 than….wow, can you believe it!!??
It’s Christmas 2008 (I hope..) …we’ve had a great year, survived Hurricane Ike with only a minor hit to our pocket book, sent our oldest off to college, (major hit to our pocket book) and watched our youngest seem to grow and mature almost overnight (continuing hit to our pocket book). We have loving families, good friends, decent jobs and God’s blessing…life is good.
January…ah, a time to reflect on a wonderful Christmas and to pack up all the Christmas decorations for another year….
Febuary…ahhh…time to stop reflecting and actually pack up the Christmas decorations for next year….I’m still considering putting red lights on the tree and just calling it a “Valentines Day” tree come February….I haven’t figured out yet what I could do to keep it up in March…maybe just take the decorations off and call it a huge topiary ….
March…ahhh… the boxes ofChristmas stuff are indeed mostly boxed…but someone really should get them out of the hallways and put them away…and by mostly boxed I mean that our Christmas tree Angle has graced our family room all year…and by someone I think that’s me….and “the topiary” just takes up too much room…
March was also spring Break month here in TX…With Alex being a senior and Jacob a sophomore we realized our ability to force the boys to go on “family” vacations with us was soon to be over. Bribing them to accompany us on a trip would always be an acceptable option but the ability to say “Hey lets go to the dessert!” and have them jump at the opportunity seemed somewhat unrealistic. I chose Big Bend National Park as our vacation spot. I made reservations to stay at one of the 6 stone cottages inside the park at 6 a.m. Jan 1st 2007 for our reservation in March of 2008…I can’t even begin to tell you how incredible the trip was…no tv, no phone, no xbox….we drove ATV’s all up, down and around a mountain (well, by “we” I mean John and the boys, I rode with John and spent a great deal of time praying)…boys loved it and God blessed us by not having anyone launch themselves off the trails. We canoed the Rio Grand River through the Santa Elena Canyon, had lunch on the river shore …in Mexico, drove a jeep through the dessert and along canyon roads to explore abandoned mines. We hiked and explored the dessert and mountains at their best…...pictures do not even begin to do justice to the beauty that was all around us. We read books, watched sunsets, played cards…it was the best family vacation ever….
April is usually Easter…but Easter was early this year and ended up being the last weekend of our stay in Big Bend. I thought it would be so special to get up before sunrise and have our own little service there in the mountains…..I was sure everyone would be thrilled with my suggestion….I waited with bated breath for my guys to say “awesome idea mom!” instead, they looked at their father and said “She’s kidding, right?” God apparently agreed with them because Easter Sunday was our first day of bad weather…we woke up to find ourselves inside a cold and misty cloud…I’m sure there was a sunrise but not on our mountain. John wanted to climb the trail up the mountain and see if we could get above the cloud….maybe catch a glimpse of some wild life….then it was my turn to look at the boys and say “He’s kidding, right?” Anyway, I returned to my nice warm comfy bed and the guys went for their hike…..they saw a cute little bunny….and more cloud. That afternoon we bundled up and ventured forth on our last hike in Big Bend…..I wore an Easter type hat and we discovered the best kept secret in the park….Cattail Falls….amazing. It was the best Easter of my life and I didn’t even cook!! Ha..
May…Mom and Dad arrived to celebrate Alex’s graduation from High School. We took Alex out for a family dinner in Houston….I rented a limo so that we could all relax and really enjoy the evening…..actually, I just wanted to ride in a Limo…I had paid for limos for the last 4 years for my teenage son to ride in…I, at the age of older than 18, had never ridden in a limo…I think I could get used to it, ha!We had family pictures taken that turned out so much better than my expectations….but we also have some great memories that go hand in hand with those pictures….I’ll treasure them always.
June…..Graduation! wow! Where did the time go. Almost 1000 students graduated that night….do you know how long it takes to get to Thiessen with that many students, ha! It was a special night, made more special by having mom and dad there…
July…..getting Alex ready for moving out and into an apartment….towels, pots, pans, dishes, bowls, glasses, flatware…..and a few items he had some difficulty recognizing…a broom, a vacuum, a toilet brush….sigh….John claimed they’d never get used and yet hope springs eternal in a mother’s heart.August…..Alex moved into his apartment on the 18th….and he packed the evening of the 17th….we had to make a quick stop at the DMV to renew his drivers license that he had forgotten had expired but he figured it was on the way…..it did not instill a great deal of confidence that the boy was ready to be let loose but, on the other hand, we had no desire to keep him either….we unpacked him, went out and bought a new desk chair, purchased his first load of groceries and left before he could kick us out…..it was all good.
One week later Alex started college classes and Jacob started Junior year….without being labeled “little Thiessen” ….yep, it’s going to be a good year!
September…..as mom I had to deal with some difficult issues….my little bird had flown the nest….and loved not living with us….that is just so wrong. I’m a complete control freak and suddenly I had no control….I admit I didn’t handle it as calmly as I could have….I threatened to paint his room pink….he said “Do whatever you want mom, I don’t live there anymore…” ah! Just stab me through the heart…it would hurt less!!! Did I mention I wasn’t handling it well…fortunately I have a loving and understanding husband who gently told me I wasn’t handling it well….he’s so insightful! Anyway, I’m feeling much better ever since I cleared out his room, re-arranged and re-decorated and I’m painting the room…..well, a nice blue/grey…I have to admit I didn’t immediately tell Alex what color I was working with and my heart felt a little better when he said “Mom, DO NOT paint MY room pink!” and then I got to say “but Alex, and I quote “Do whatever you want mom…” you know the rest….ah, I’m such a mean mother …..and I told him he’s welcome to stay in the guest room any time he wants…..I think I’m handling it better….
September 13th was Jacob’s 17th birthday….Alex was coming home to celebrate with us, Jacob wanted a big breakfast, a family day, a favorite dinner and poppy seed cake. And all of that would have happened if Hurricane Ike hadn’t paid us a visit….it was an interesting night….we lost a couple of trees….the one in back took out two neighbors fences and the one in front ended up resting against the front window but didn’t break it. I have to admit that I’m proud to be a part of this community. John and I took the truck out Saturday afternoon to see how everyone had faired….there were trees down everywhere….and there were neighbors out in their big trucks with their chainsaws in the back clearing the roads. By that afternoon every road in The Woodlands was clear of trees and debris because the people in this community just got it done. We lost power and phone service but we had water. It took days to clean up the yard but it got done….you gotta love the strength and endurance of teenage boys….Jacob was awesome!! Alex stayed put in College Station and we drove up there on Monday after the storm to recharge phones and batteries, et….we also finally got to see what was happening on tv….what a mess….and what a shame.
Anyway, work and school and power all resumed after a week. And we did celebrate Jacobs birthday as planned except for the date. We got the phone back on Wednesday night and the first clear call we got was from my sister to tell us Dad had suffered a stroke that night…o.k, thank you God that the phone is working….good news abounded though. Dad seemed to be doing well…mom’s quick actions got him to the hospital in time for them to administer the right drugs to break up the blood clot in his brain without leaving too much damage….it;s times like those that I know what “peace that passes all understanding” really is. Dad returned home that Friday afternoon….around the same time we got power back….PTL!
October….Mom’s turn to put that peace thing to the test…..she started having heart problems and ended up having a pace maker “installed” ha! It will take awhile for full recovery but so far so good.
November…A time of Thanksgiving…and we have much to be thankful for.
December….it’s just our family this Christmas. Our friends here are visiting their families, our loved ones are, well, not here, ha! I’m assuming Alex will be home or at least sleeping in my guest room between getting together with high school buddies who are also “home for the holidays”. But with Alex you just never know, ha! His later curve is his decision to serve in our country’s military. Alex is considering joining the Marine Corp, Infantry…We’ve met with the recruiter, talked about it, a lot, and now it’s really up to Alex. We’re hoping he’ll finish his first year of school….he’s weighing all his options. You can catch up on our news and pictures at http://www.kathleenthiessen.blogspot.com/ and I’m also working on a web site http://www.kathleenthiessen.com/. I’ll post this Christmas letter on both…it will be longer with more pictures if you’re really bored, ha.
I am, as always so aware of my many, many blessings. I can only hope you’re happy and healthy and equally blessed…..Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the bottom of our hearts.
John, Kathy and Jacob….o.k..o.k. I guess Alex too…although since he “doesn’t live here any more” he should send out his own cards….o.k. maybe I’m still not handling this perfectly…but I am trying…..
P.S….I’m told that he does vacuum, and clean and is a very good cook…good enough that he often cooks for his friends so that they can live on something other than Ramon noodles….in other words, he’s doing great….but don’t tell him I s
aid so.
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