GETTING DOWN AND DIRTY

We had the privilege of helping out a friend today with his Eagle Scout project.  He has worked really hard, putting in many hours, to clean up a small cemetery located in his town.  The whole place was overgrown with noxious weeds and trees.  We spent a lot of time digging the roots out of the ground so that they wouldn't grow back.  And then we covered the area with mulch hoping to slow the growth. 

I love playing with Mother Nature.

MY FAVORITE PART OF SCHOOL VACATION...

Spending time at my parent's house, helping them with yard work and knowing that Ben is being loved and well taken care of.

PRETTY MUCH...

my FAVORITE place to be.

My batteries are recharged and 

I'm ready to face the world again.

SUPPORTING THE MAN

My brother is running for selectman.  Can you think of a BETTER way to spend school vacation than standing on the street corner with t-shirts and signs in support of Attorney Hutchins?  

I submit that I cannot!

We're pulling for you!

EAR SURGERY

 The deed is done.  We're hoping for normal hearing again.  (second time is a charm?)  The doctor had to do more work than anticipated due to the amount of scar tissue left from the first surgery.  He had to remove all of it, including the titanium piece and remove some bone to make room for the new titanium piece.  The surgery took about an hour and recovery was close to three hours.

He was extremely 'loopy'.  Couldn't even find his mouth to get the straw in.  

It was quite comical.

The patient is home now.  He has orders to NOT be hit by a car and NOT to slip and fall on the ice causing a head injury while in the recovery phase.  As long as he follows said protocols, his hearing should be peachy.

HAPPY 40th Steve!

This is a hard birthday for Steve, so I surprised him with a day full of good friends who serenaded him with different happy birthday songs and gifts.  

 Show Steve some birthday love and leave him a comment.

Help him to know that there is life after 40. :)

GOOOOOAAAAALLLLL!!!!!

This video is from Bubby's soccer tournament the other night.

P.I.G.

 Tonights FHE activity?  A rousing and competitive game of P.I.G. We can never get enough of the big, round ball.  I've decided the family that plays ball together...stays together.

Just to give my competitors a little bit of an advantage, I wore heels.  It's a good look I think.

We play with house rules.  It's more fun that way.

 And there's always lots o'trash talking...it's how we roll.

 (please tell me you've noticed the tundra that is my yard.  WHEN will this snow leave?)

 More trash talking...

 and snow dumping.

 and running in heels.  Good times.

In the end...the heels were no deterrent to my ball skills.

I took first, Kayla placed second and Stevie rounded up third.  

 GIRLS RULE!

(boys drool)

THIS WEEK...

...I've been in a funk.  I guess Ben's birthday hit me a lot harder than I anticipated.  I'm sure the weather hasn't helped.  It's been downright cold and mostly overcast...kind of like my demeanor.  I can hear my mother now...(in her most Prisciller voice)..."Bake a cake and bring it to someone."  She's so right.  I just haven't done it yet.  Service always makes you forget about your own problems/worries/sadness and sometimes helps to put things into perspective.  Don't worry, It's on my list!  Lately I've been grateful for a couple of friends who have introduced me to the world of 5am workouts.  (Did I just say I was GRATEFUL?  For 5am WORKOUTS?)  It's the most social time I've had this week...by choice.  Although this morning (after my workout) I seemed to still be in that funky daze as I almost sauntered into the men's locker room. Thank goodness for my friend screaming, "BECKY, THAT'S THE MEN'S ROOM!" which snapped me alert thus helping me to avoid imminent danger.  (although all eyes on me at that moment was a little awkward...did they think I was looking for a show?)  Could you IMAGINE?!?  It also helped that a guy walking out at the same time I almost walked in tells me "You can't go in there."  Believe me guy, I don't WANT to go in there.  Locker rooms are danger zones no matter what sex you are.  The only reason I even enter said danger zones is to wash my hands of all the germs picked up from using the weight/cardio machines.  I'm just not a fan of naked people who freely walk about or stand there conversing with other naked people like they're at the mall.  Weird.  So at the end of every workout I hold my breath, duck and cover as I dodge the nakedness that prevails inside...all for the obsession of clean hands.  We leave the joint laughing and I pull a groin muscle going up the stairs.  Not INSIDE the gym...outside.  Go figure.  Today the sun has come out, I can feel my spirits lifting and I think it's time to bake that cake...

HIS DAY...

...went something like this.

The 'A' broke...so we left it at Happy Birth.  We are celebrating his birth.  Works, right?

There was lots of dancing in the kitchen.  

Ben liked when we danced.

We tried to convince the boys to join us...

I think they were scared.

Kaleb eventually caught the 'bug' and joined us for a song.

We can't have family pictures without some face mashing.  

It's a 'cop' thing.

The Billin family stopped by to celebrate with us.  

It felt more complete with them there.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BEN!

9 year old.

AN EARLY BIRTHDAY PRESENT FOR BEN...

 I was home visiting this weekend with my girls.  My parent's surprised me with the placement of Ben's grave marker.  It was a bitter/sweet moment as I was so happy and pleased with how nice it looks, but so sad because it's just another reminder of his absence.

We sang him an early birthday song...