SHOPPING - UGH!

Stevie peeking from behind some gowns...

For those of you who don't know this about me....I HATE to shop. I have never liked to shop. I'm one of those people that have to have a reason to go into a store. If I need a white dress shirt than I go specifically looking for it - and it has to be on sale of course. I refuse to try things on in the store because it takes too much time. I pretty much eyeball the stuff and take home what I think would be a good fit. Occasionally I fail and have to make a trip back which is just as annoying but I still would rather do it that way. I find shopping exhausting and boring. My kids (depending on which way you look at it) have been deprived of this specific activity, in fact...I don't think they have ever been to a mall except for the occasional trip to get their pictures taken when they were little. And even then it was in and out. You might ask how do we clothe them? Hand-me-downs baby! We have been very blessed because 95% of my children are clothed by other people. How nice is that? Saves me from the torturous act of shopping. So here we were, at my parents home (last week) when my dad, out of the blue, tells me in front of my girls that tomorrow he's taking them shopping. WHAT? Where did that come from? That never happened to me when I was growing up with him...maybe my outlook would be different if he had. No really...I don't think it would and I don't feel like I was deprived either. I just thought the whole idea was funny. Grampy...taking MY two inexperienced girls shopping. They were gone for a total of about 8 hours and here are some of the pictures that he took.

Does anyone else see a pattern here? Kayla looks totally awkward trying on these outfits - probably because she is very reserved in what she normally wears. Stevie is totally hamming it up. This girl cracks me up - every picture looks like she is performing before a live audience. Just so you know...the girls actually came away not buying anything mainly because there was nothing that they really LOVED. They eventually gave up on the shopping and went out to lunch and saw a movie. Now that's my kind of afternoon. Thanks to Grampy for branching out on the wild side!

MORTIFIED

Where to begin....as most of you know, we own two pugs. One named Sue and the other is Max. Both are really good dogs exept for the occasional potty accident. For the most part Sue, who is 2, is great - as long as all bedroom and basement doors are shut. He (yes it's a he - long story) is great on the main floor of the house. Max is the younger pug at 10 months old and is paper trained. We keep a chuck (absorable mat) by the back door and if we aren't quick enough to see that he wants to go out, he will go on the chuck. No big deal, we just roll it up and throw it out - no harm done. Life with animals is always an adventure. The thing with Max is that if you happen to leave an item of clothing on the floor he mistakes that for a chuck. It's almost like an open invitation for him to do his business. AAAGGGGHHHHH! So...I'm constantly telling the kids when I see their clothes on the floor to pick them up or you might get a surprise from Max.

Today I was in the basement with Ben (where it is nice and warm) because he had physical therapy, a home nursing visit due to a blister on his heel and a lady that came to fit him for his new car seat. My home was like a revolving door this afternoon, one visit after the other. The last lady who was there to help me with getting a new car seat was CRANKY! She was very upset because Denise, Ben's PT was scheduled to be there but due to a kink in her schedule she couldn't be. She instead made the visiting nurse stay to oberve Ben's car seat fitting. The poor nurse needed to leave but cranky lady was a little demanding. Whew! We were in the basement for about 20 minutes or so and the nurse was finally able to leave. We stayed there a little longer because this lady (who will continue to remain nameless) had me sign a bunch of papers. When that was done we headed up to the living room because I was sending back some equipment that Ben was through with. I (thankfully) was in front of her and noticed that there was a coat on the floor and panicked briefly thinking it was this lady's coat - but after a nano second I realized that it was Kaleb's. I quickly picked it up but as I stepped into the entry way to our house, my eyes again were drawn to the floor as I noticed another coat (that I didn't recognize) on the floor with a pile of doggy poo on it. It was HER coat. You have got to be kidding!! What I want to know is, did cranky lady hang her coat up and it then fell? Did she just throw it down as she walked in? I never saw because I was in the basement with Ben. Did Max sense her crankiness because he chose her coat over Kaleb's? Questions to ponder...Meanwhile, she was right on my heels when I noticed this most horrific scene and so in a terrible panick I shook the coat as I picked it up shaking free the pile of poo which fell to the floor. I proceeded to throw Kaleb's coat over the evidence. Acting as if I was merely picking her coat off the floor I went to hang her coat up when she mentioned that it was her coat and could she have it (gulp), so I handed it to her. Thankfully we headed right out the door to fit the trial car seat in my van because the odor of the brown little pile started to become a little pungeant. Thank goodness for fresh air. When she wasn't looking, I opened the house door and motioned Kaleb over with that silent "get over here NOW!" hand gesture to handle the problem under his coat. I went back out to the van as she was fitting the seat in the car when I noticed there was some evidence left on the back of her coat (double gulp)! I couldn't even focus on what she was doing, I could only focus on that small spot on her coat. How could I say something after I already tried to get away with it the first time? I kept trying to think of how to remedy the problem....but I was too mortified to even speak. It all happened so fast my head was spinning. She left and I never said anything. As I watched her pull out of my driveway, it was then that I decided that I am the worst person on the planet.

Go ahead...let the judgements begin...

JUMP

Steve and girls clearing off the roof...again!

Wow! I am feeling a little bit closed in here. The snow is literally consuming our yard and home. If you look at the photos below, you will notice how the trampoline is no longer visible except for the net. I have posted this picture before, but you could still see the trampoline. We are getting another foot tonight. Where will we put all this snow? I love it but I am worried because we are continuing to get some water damage in our home. It was contained to one area, but now it is popping up in other areas. The thought of spring thaw is starting to scare me. The video below is of the girls jumping off the roof into the snow. They had a blast doing it. I am still an amature when it comes to making these videos so please exuse the quality of the music. Hopefully I will get better.

Wii...FUN TIMES

At the request of my daughters, we went down to my parents for a couple of days this week during their school vacation. It was so much fun. The girls got to try out Grampy's new Wii and even got to play him in a few games. It was too funny watching them compete against one another. Now I know where I get my competitiveness. Grampy spoiled my girls with lots of attention while I played game after game of scrabble with my mom. I won't mention who came away with the most wins...(did I mention that I was competitive?). Thanks mom and dad for the fun visit.

THROUGH THE YEARS

Ben and I were 9 years old in this picture...

TWINS

20 years ago I...was 14 years old and going through my most goofy period of life. My mom made me play on all my brother's sports teams so she didn't have to travel to two different games. I was in the 8th grade and lived in Northboro, MA

10 years ago I...was 24, married and recently moved back to Northboro, MA from Rexburg, Idaho. I had Kayla and Kaleb and Steve was working for Domino's Pizza still.

5 years ago I was...29 and the mother of four children. We were living in Laconia, Nh and Steve was in his 5th year as a police officer. Our house was only 880 sq. feet and in need of lots of repair. We were pretty squished with 6 people. A new house was on the horizon....yay!

1 year ago I...was spending a lot of time in the hospital with Ben and just started my Thai Kickboxing class. Steve was approaching his 10th year with the Laconia Police Department and Kayla had entered the Middle School - YIKES!!

So far this year I...have been to the temple once, played 4 games of scrabble with my parents, played 2 games of basketball with the men's league at our church and helped shovel the driveway 22 times - WOW!

Tomorrow I...will head back to Gilford with my girls after spending two days with my parents, say goodbye to Ben as he heads to Maine with my good friend Becky Billin, try to make it to my Thai class at 6pm and kiss Kaleb and Steve after not seeing them since Monday afternoon.

In the next year I shall...be better about my temple attendance, help my daughter get ahead with her personal progress, continue my blogging, laugh more and become debt free. (again)

I TAG PAULA, MARIA AND LAURABETH

BIRTHDAY QUILT

Mimi made Stevie this BEAUTIFUL quilt for her birthday. I love it because it is very unique and personal. Kayla received hers for Christmas. Click on the picture to see a bigger version. Thank you Mimi for all the time and effort you put into the quilts, we LOVE them and we LOVE you!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY STEVIE!

Odione Point Field Trip

Happy 9th Birthday Stevie!

Crazy hair day at school 2005

Enjoying some fried dough at Gilford Old Home Day

St. Patty's Day

Eating a YUMMY dinner

Crazy hair day at school 2007

GOOD NEWS

Kaleb after his MRI today

Good news...after a long day at Dartmouth, Kaleb was given the "all clear" by his neurosurgeon. For those who are not quite sure what I am talking about, Kaleb was diagnosed with an "Arachnoid Cyst" back in June. Two MRI's, one EEG and many appointments later he was told that things are okay for now. She showed us on his MRI that his cyst is not growing and that we don't have to worry about it for now but she did tell us no football or boxing. We will be on watch for any signs of seizures as he will be at a much higher risk for developing them because of his cyst and the results from his EEG. His eyes will have to be tested every two years by a neuro-opthamologist just to make sure they aren't missing any signs. We were very happy to move past this medical issue. Next is his appointment with the audiologist. He had surgery in December to improve his hearing. We discovered that in the last year he was losing the hearing in his left ear. After many tests and exams there was no explanation for this hearing loss and so we opted for "exploratory surgery" in which they found that two of his middle ear bones were fused together. They took the incus out and replaced it with a titanium piece, had to cut a nerve to his tongue and reroute it and took some cartilage from his ear and did some reconstructive surgery. We won't know until the end of March if this worked. We'll keep our fingers crossed!

Kaleb enduring his EEG to test for seizures

DOMINO'S PIZZA

Okay...so I guess I won't save my "hiring and firing" story for another time. (See previous post) Here's the story: Once upon a time in a faraway land (Rexburg, Idaho) when Steve and I were going to college my husband was employed with Domino's Pizza. This was the first job that he worked when we were newly married. He was a faithful employee and quickly rose into the management position. During one summer when I didn't have any classes I thought it would be fun to be with my husband at work. With permission from his boss, Steve hired me. I found being inside the store making pizza and such was too boring so I asked if I could be a pizza deliverer. This was back in the day of the 30 minute guarantee. First of all, let me inform you of my lack of directional skills. I admit it - I am directionally challenged. Second of all, after living in Rexburg for close to three years I could never figure out the whole layout of their streets. According to Steve, it is SO easy to get around compared to out here in the East. (whatever) So...I started my job of delivering pizzas. What a stressful job...this was before the days of cell phones and so if I couldn't figure out the address I was going to, I had to drive back to the store or stop at a pay phone to call. If the pizza was late - the store ate the profit and the customer got it for free. One particular night I was delivering a pizza out in potato farm land and had NO idea where I was going. I think Steve tried to explain to me about 3 different times before I left. (proof of my directionally challenged mind) I drove all the way out into no-man's land and couldn't find the address. I drove up and down different streets, asked numerous people for help - which by the way seemed to make things worse - all the while the clock was ticking. The more I drove the more increasingly frustrated I got which apparantely led to faster driving. I finally decided I would hurry back to the store to ask one more time but on my way back I got pulled over by a state trooper. Are you kidding me? Just my luck. This trooper happened to live on the street I was driving down and was on his way to work. Great! Of course by the time he approached my window I was a blubbering mess, trying to explain how I had no idea where this dumb address was and the pizza was going to be late, blah, blah, blah. The trooper had zero sympathy for me, (would you?) next thing I knew I was holding a pink ticket. I managed to somehow find my way back to the store amidst the tears and confusion. As I walked into the store, I looked at Steve, held up the pink ticket and he casually saunters over to me. As the tears are streaming down my face he reaches his hands out and puts them on my shoulders. He lovingly looks into my eyes as he pulls me in close for a comforting hug and tells me I'm FIRED! WHAT? Thanks for that. Apparantely if you get a ticket as a driver you can no longer drive for Domino's. (somehow I think that my husband found some sort of gratification out of firing his wife...) Thankfully his boss took pity on me (glad someone did) and offered me a job working inside the store.

MY HUSBAND

Steve during the infamous Bike Week in Laconia, NH.

You can see the "Hell's Angel" sign in the background.

I have been Husband Tagged by my friend Laura. I have to say that I wish the questions got a little more informative because there are so many great things about my husband than where me met and when we got married, etc. so I'm going to give you a little more info so you can get to know him just a little bit better. My husband is a "Master Patrolman" for the Laconia Police Department. He's worked there for 10 years and has loved every minute of it. He's their "go to guy" when they need someone taken down. He's large in stature but cuddly as a teddy bear. I think those qualities make for an outstanding police officer. He's been given many awards throughout his career including one for "NH Heroes" because he attempted to save a drowning man. I'll give you the quick version...it was summer (and we have a lot of lakes here) and he was called to a beach where a man was drowning. He went about 30 feet out (it was at night) and couldn't find him so he (uniform and all) dove down over 10 feet to finally locate him. He was the only one there that was strong enough to pull him to the surface. CPR was attempted but was not successful. He risked his life to try and save this man. (I must mention that there was alcohol involved) I was really proud of my husband. Another interest of Steve's (besides me) is Jui-Jitsu. It's a brazilian form of martial arts ground wrestling. He may not be the best in form in his class because he's fairly new and still learning but no one can submit this powerful man. He has earned the nick name of "KONG". His favorite birthday cake is a homemade German Chocolate Cake that he receives from me every year. He likes to play golf, basketball and ski and is the best husband and father in the world. There, I feel better. Here is the rest of the story...

When did you meet? August of 1992 at (formally known as) Ricks College. Steve was actually my Family Home Evening Brother.

How long did you date before getting married? We dated from October of 1992 - June of 1993

Where did you get married? Washington DC Temple

Who said I love you first? Steve did

Who cooks more? I do but according to him he thinks he makes the best chocolate chip cookies in the world. (I asked Stevie who is sitting next to me and she says mine are better - although his are pretty decent)

Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? Depending on the set up of the room, I pick whatever side is closer to Ben since he often needs assistance at night.

Who is taller? Definitely Steve. He's 6'3 and I'm 5'7.

How old is he? Old....he's going to be 37 this April.

Who drives? Usually him, sometimes if I want to razz him up I'll hop in the driver seat. He doesn't like that too much.

Who proposed? Steve did - I could never imagine me being the one to do it - wierd.

Who wears the pants? Both of us. Sundays I usually wear skirts or dresses though. (hee,hee)

Who kissed first? I am not a forward person so again this one goes to my husband. Call me old fashioned.

How many siblings? 3 - 2 sisters and 1 brother

Who does the laundry? Definitely me - his idea of laundry is to see how much he can stuff into the machine no matter what color. A little scary.