Christmas Tree hunting 2009

Our family tradition is every year sometime after Thanksgiving either Friday or Saturday to go to a tree farm and get our Christmas tree. We like to wonder around and pick out the perfect family tree. Last year at the tree farm we have been going to their were none that were perfect enough to cut down ourselves so we had to buy one out of the barn. This year we went again on Saturday which was 50+ degrees and beautiful out. Because of all the rain on Tuesday and Wed. they had standing water around the white pine trees which is what we buy. We looked and looked and found two OK ones and found another that everyone liked but Alivia. So we went back to the the other two and Darryl and I vetoed them in comparison to the third tree that all liked but Alivia. So we walked back to it. It was not the "perfect" tree but it was fat, tall and white pine. So Alivia gave in and we cut it down.

Now the reason we raised our ceilings back up from 8ft. to the original 1900 height of 10 foot is so that Darryl could have a taller tree. This one is taller then the one last year and almost touches the ceiling. We carried it slowly to pay for it and they let us know that they can not put it in the shaker because it is so big it might break it....darn! But the needles are soft so fine. We pay for it load it up and head home.

Saturday was a busy day and I was not in the Christmas Tree decorating mood so I waited until last night to do it. The kids helped me and here is our Christmas tree for 2009.

Laundry is a Major Pain

I don't think that I have had pain like this since I first hurt my back 13 1/2 years ago. I was 8 months pregnant with Trevor and working at a Veterinary clinic and I was by myself. I took a black lab out to go potty before I went home and it didn't want to go back into the cage. So I bent down and lifted it in and have had back problems ever since. Luckily Dr. Nolz was new in town and Darryl and I were friends with him and his wife and he was able to see me.

I have problems off and on with my back if I'm moving heavy things around or lifting incorrectly but it is a pain that will go away in a few days with over the counter meds and an ice pack.

On Thursday I was doing laundry leaned over with NOTHING in my hands and felt a sharp pain in my lower back that almost took me to my knees. Wow....I really did it this time I thought. So I went right away and took some ibuprofen and continued on in a more careful way. By dinner time I was just about done for. At that point you could have offered me any drug to take away the pain.
Why did I not go to the doctor some may ask......answer no health insurance. So no matter how you feel about health care reform, I want an affordable public option. But that is another subject.

So Darryl helps me cook supper as I can not bend over to get anything and I lay on ice and continue to take ibuprofen. Thursday was my day off from running anyway so to keep the muscle loose I told Darryl that Alivia and I were going on a walk.

We started out and as we get closer to the park I here cheering and such, so I say to Alivia let's go see if Dr. Nolz is over there. Thursday the clinic is closed or else I would have seen him, but I thought I would ask him some things to help make me comfortable until I could see him tomorrow.

There are good and bad things about living in such a small town...bad: people are nosy and want to know your business...good: you can chat with your chiro at his kids soccer game.

So yeah, we find him. He asked how I was and told him I was in severe pain and what I did to get in this pain and he said Logan's game is almost over come to the office and I will take a look at you. I told him that was not why I came over and it was his day off and he needs to ask Shelly so she is not mad that he is doing this etc.

Beings we are friends with him and he is so nice....Alivia and I walked over to the clinic and he gave me an adjustment. I went again today and he gave me another adjustment. Although he did laugh at me and the way I was standing and walking and told me I look like an old lady....but at this point he can laugh at me all he wants. I will be seeing him again tomorrow morning and according to him a lot more this next week.

So please pray for me and my pain. I'm thankful in this case to live in a small town where when you are in desperate need of help, your chiro is there to help you.

Also have learned that laundry can be a major pain.

Update Your Bathroom

We moved into this house 11 years ago. I was 8 months pregnant with Alivia so lucky me was unable to help a lot with any lifting and moving stuff. But also since I was pregnant I was also unable to paint walls etc. So sometime after Alivia was born and life was back to "normal" I had been watching HGTV and sponge painting was "in" and really big. So I convinced Darryl to let me do the downstairs bathroom since it had wallpaper on it and in general I don't like wallpaper. So he said fine...but I had to do it since he hates painting. So I did it and it turned out great as you can see.

But here lately I've been watching more shows about Flipping Houses and from that they talk about neutral colors for being able to sell the house. We will at some time in probably 3-4 years get the house ready to sell. So when we re-did the living room I picked good neutral colors with one dynamic wall and decided I would do so for the bathroom. I mean there was no way I could sell even if it is not for years, with a sponge painted bathroom.....it's too out dated. So I picked colors in the same family as the living room and made one dynamic wall and the rest lighter...it's actually the same color as the square ceiling part in the living room and here you have an updated bathroom that has a lot of potential for the new buyers in 3-4 years.
But most of all it's neutral and I like it!

A day in with......the old lady

As many of you read on Facebook I was not really looking forward to my trip in to Cedar Rapids with the 93 year old lady Labreta that I help. Let me explain how it all started.......

Darryl's dad had originally done work for her and that is how Darryl came to do work for her after he took over Studt and Son Repair. Now it hasn't been until the last 3 years that she had Darryl over to her home doing lots of different stuff and about every Friday he goes over. I come into the picture because in the winter of 2007 she needed someone to get her mail for her about every other day and hang it on a hook outside where she could get it. I said fine on days I go by her house I can do that. Then last year started getting mail all year round plus taking her to Dollar General, Gary's, the bank etc. She now expects her mail everyday, and that I am on call when ever she needs me. I don't do people telling me what to do very well and pushing me around and that is what she seems to like to do. Because she is paying me she thinks she can boss me around and I don't work like that. She never use to be this bad but as the years go on she gets worse. Her and Darryl have had there go rounds as well, but he is more frank and rude to her then I am. OK I told a little to much in the story about our relationship with her....but I do help her out.

So yesterday we went into CR and I will try to make this as short as possible. In general when she finds a person to do something for her she doesn't like to use anyone else. So one time she went into Walmart on the Westdale side of CR and the Korean lady gave her a pedicure. Ever since that one time she thinks NO ONE else on earth knows how to give a pedicure. So we start out to go to Walmart and I ask her where all she needs to go. I have to ask because she will say Sharon (that's me, sometimes it is Shannon lots of the time Sharon) can you take me to the bank. I go over pick her up and take her to the bank. But then she adds on Gary's and maybe something else. So I asked her where all do you need to go...she said to get toes done, Lowes, Walmart and Aldis. I explain that Lowes is way over on the other side of town and it would be better to go to that side since they have a Walmart, Aldi's and I'm sure a pedicure place. Finally after wanting to pull my hair out I some how convinced her.....Praise the Lord it is a Miracle that just happened. I'm still in awe of it!!!

Since we were now going to the NE side of town she wants to stop at Bed, Bath and Beyond to look for a toilet seat. They didn't have a cream colored soft one so we left. I'm waiting at the stop light with the mall right in front of us and she asked how far is the mall from here. I said it's right there across the street. She tells me that's not the mall. I say yes that is Lindale Mall across the street you see where it says Sears. Well that's not the mall where's Younkers. I say way on the other side. I stop arguing with her because I'm not a retard that she thinks I am, I know where the stupid mall is.

Next, I take her to Lowes and all of that goes well besides she buys a cream soft toilet seat, and a white one with some flowers on it which I reminded her the whole reasons we "had" to come to Lowes is because she "had" to have a cream toilet seat. But whatever she wants. It just means I'm going to have to return one of them and I'm never around Lowes.

We went to Aldi's and that went fine and then onto Walmart. There she couldn't find the perfect wastebasket for in her dining room to throw papers away. Right now she just uses a plastic Walmart bag and I show her wastebaskets in about 10 different colors but she decides she will go to Walmart in Anamosa and they will have the perfect wastebasket :)

So all in all it was OK. It was a 4 hour trip with her and I was defiantly tired by the time I got home. The best part of the trip was of course 30 minutes of feet pleasure...and here is a pic of my purple pedicured feet!

Iowa State Fair 2009

Us city folks loaded up the van and headed to Des Moines to the State Fair. The time of year when we go to look at all the animals that you country folk raise, and see the sights of things made out of butter, big vegetables, hot tubs, saunas, other stuff people want to sell me that I don't want or need. You also learn things at the fair. I learned that Linn County is the third largest place that sex offenders live behind Polk and Scott Counties. Alivia learned that if you decide to get soaking wet on a low 70 degree day where the sun is going in and out of the clouds that you will be cold. Trevor learned that at the fair you do lots of walking which make you very tired.

We were able to see a lot of things and just happened to be in the exhibit area each time it rained which was great. I was sad that people voted NO on a butter statue of M.J. so instead they did an astronaut.

The fair is filled with lots of things to do and we never do the midway and it we still end up spending the day there. It's always fun to see the biggest pigs, a big elk and the world's smallest cow plus all other kinds of animals. The kids and I had fun and as normal were very tired at the end of the day. We only had a few injuries and those were caused by senior citizens who can't drive there motorized little bikes. One lady ran over Trevor's piggy toe and didn't even apologize and another old lady ran right into the back of me. I can't remember what I said it was towards the end of the day, my throat was sore and my allergies were getting bad, but I'm sure after she saw my face she knew I was ticked off and she did apologize. I think the fair people need to have them take a motorized bike driving test before they are allowed to operate those things. And had I been able to find the lady that ran over Trevor's toe I would have let her have it....in the best Christian way possible :)

Otherwise it was good day and I'm sure we will go again next year.

Adventureland 2009

Last Monday the kids and I headed over to Adventureland with Sherry, Aubrey and Olivia Sullivan. My kids are not roller coaster kind of kids which is why we don't go to amusement parks but go to waterparks instead. Now the last time we had been to Adventureland was in 2003 and that too was with the Sullivans. But the kids were younger and so did a lot of "kid" type rides.
When I was a kid we went to Adventureland with my sister Donna. I was probably 12 and she had me go with her on the Tornado...I think that was the only roller coaster at Adventureland at that time. Let me say...I'm afraid of heights...anything where I'm free falling. But somehow she talked me into it. So the whole way up the first hill I'm crying. I seriously thought I was going to flip out of the seat and die. Donna was trying to clam me but to no avail. Once we went down the first hill and I screamed all my anxiety out I was able to enjoy the ride, and did it again on that visit. Trevor is also afraid of heights and so I knew no roller coasters for him but thought I might get Alivia. The first high ride we did was the Log ride. Trevor would not go on it but Alivia, Olivia and I did. They take your picture on the big hill going down and after the ride we looked at it and Alivia had a look of terror on her face. So no roller coasters for her or Trevor or mom that day. Trevor loved the Silly Silo and did it 4 times. Alivia and Olivia did the Gallon. The ship that goes back and forth. Trevor did not want to because of how high it goes up but the girls were in. Well for Alivia that was not a good choice. She got sick from it. After that ride we were going to take the sky lift to the other side of the park to do Kokomo Kove but she was worried she might barf on someone below her if she rode on it...so we walked. The poor girl can't do roller coasters, can't do spinning rides, all that was left for her were little people rides which she did and enjoyed.
So I guess we learned that still amusement parks are not a great fit for our family and we will stick with waterparks where everyone loves the rides.
I was just happy our tickets to Adventureland were free and so the day was good and at zero cost....thanks Mark :)
Alivia did buy herself an airbrush tatoo which made her day and all the kids enjoyed the little Sawmill Splash ride. It was a fun, beautiful day spent with wonderful friends and only a few hitches so we called it a success.

Sauerkraut Days 100 year Celebration

This year was the 100th year of celebrating Sauerkraut Days. The festivities started Tuesday night with a movie in the park. Wednesday night a play which told of how Lisbon came to be. In the play was Darryl, Trevor, Alivia and myself. We played a number of different people depending on the era we were talking about. Thursday night we invited some care group friends over for fireworks, Friday at 4pm is when rides and festivities started, Saturday morning Darryl and I ran in the 5K. His time was 24:38 and mine was 31:52. My goal was to beat my time of last year which was 36 something...I guess I did that. I was really just hoping to be around 34 minutes. I pushed myself a little too hard and felt it later on :( But I was very happy with my time and Darryl was with his. There is a pic of all the candy Trevor got from the parade. A favorite is the bathtub races. Adults and kids alike love throwing waterballons at each other and those competing. As you can see Trevor loved breaking one over Alivia's head. We had a fun week and I was exhausted after all the activities we did. Here are some pics to show of our time at Sauerkraut Days.