Good Bye 2008

As I reflect back on this year a lot of things have happened both good and bad. Let's start with a positive note and go with the good..........
In April I was able to see Bon Jovi in concert for free with my friend Sherry. They were just as good as when I had seen them in the 80's. It was awesome!!!!
I turned 36 in April and it was a good day, we all went to an indoor waterpark for fun.
Trevor got his blue belt in Tae Kwon Do.
We went to Indianola to the hot air balloon festival which was pretty amazing to see hundreds of hot air balloons all together.
RAGBRAI came through the little town of Lisbon and downtown was crazy with bikers.
My parents celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary and Darryl and I celebrated our 15th.
I started running for exercise and ran in 4 5k's.
The DNC was a killer week and very moving (go Democrats!!!)
We did a remodel on our living room that we had talked about for a year.
and last but certainly not least something I'm still pumped about and can't wait until Jan. 20,2009 is I voted Obama/Biden and he WON!!!! The first black man to become President of the United States.......history making in the present.

Now for the other side bad things..........
It was a long cold winter with a lot of snow.
Gas prices continued to rise up to $3.99 a gallon.
June floods in CR and surrounding areas near the rivers.
The economy which got worse and worse as the months went on and everything for consumers got higher and higher.
Alivia fainted at the dentist after getting two teeth pulled to get her ready for braces.
I continue to have two different health problems.
Darryl developed an allergy to our laundry soap we think and had two pinch nerves.
President Bush was a terrible President. Not for this year but for the past 7 years. I'm happy to see him go bye bye.

So that is 2008 in a nut shell. I'm looking forward to 2009 and have a few goals in mind already for the New Year. I hope you all have a great 2009 and a Happy New Year's Eve tonight.
Remember to thank God for all the people in your life that have helped you make it through 2008. I know I have a list of them.

A great day.

It finally came......Christmas!!! Trevor woke up at 4:00am and then went into his sisters bedroom and woke her up and then came into our bedroom to see if he and his sister could get up and wait downstairs until we got up. The answer was NO!! So he went back into his sisters room and fell asleep with her until 7 and then dad made them wait until I woke up which was at 7:45.

They got out all the presents from under the tree and took the gifts out of their stockings.

Trevor got Pokemon XD from us, Super Monkey Ball from Alivia, and two Wii remotes, a pokemon ds game, and pokemon cards from Santa. He got a Sonic game from grandma Studt, pj's and slippers from Grandpa and Grandma Freeman, and a ds game from uncle Sean.

Alivia got a manatee webkins from Trevor, a robe and pj's from us, and Disney sing it, hair stuff, and a ds game from Santa. A cd and calender from Grandma Studt, slippers and pj's from Grandpa and Grandma Freeman and a Hannah Montana little camera from Uncle Sean. Oh yes and we can't forget the What not to Wear vinyl pants from grandma Freeman as well.

Darryl got a bible cover, iPod shuffle, 19" flat computer monitor from us, a Carhartt sweatshirt from my dad, dress socks and cash from mommy and candy from Aunt Marcia.

Together we got a new keyboard and mouse, a under the counter can opener, a handheld mixer and some bedding from my parents.

Darryl got me a purple iPod nano, a gift card to Gordman's and some slippers. I got earrings, and cash from his mom, a bird feeder from my half sister , a candle from a friend, bath soap from a different friend and an Amazon gift card from another friend.

It was a wonderful Christmas had by all. I hope yours was good as well.

Christmas is near.......

Christmas is coming near and I think Trevor says about 50 times everyday how excited he is.
This week will be full of activities. Sunday morning the kids have their Christmas program at church. Trevor plays a disciple and a Jew and Alivia is in the chorus. They are doing The Three Trees play. Then Sunday night we are going to our old church First Federated to hear their cantata in which my mother-in-law sings and we go every year to see friends.
Tomorrow we are going into CR for Darryl to finish his Christmas shopping for me and to buy 3 pairs of shoes for needy children in our area. Monday the kids have school and chiropractic apts. at 2:15 and Trevor has a sax lesson at 3.
Tuesday I think things are quite so we may go sledding and Wed. is the Christmas eve service at church and I said I would help get the sanctuary ready with candles etc. so it is beautiful and calming for that night. Somewhere in there I need to bake 3 pies, and make cookies and other Christmas goodies. I guess I better do that Tuesday when it's slow.
It is a busy time of year, but I hope you all can breath and relax for a few minutes and enjoy what the celebration is really about.....Christ.

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow......

Oh the weather outside is frightful, but the fire is so delightful.....

And since we no place to go.....Let it snow, Let it snow, Let it snow.

And that is what it is doing today in Iowa. It started at about 10:00am and looks like it will keep coming down until tonight.

And I did have places to go today but they will have to wait until tomorrow.....hopefully.

The kids are getting super excited for Christmas and are counting down the days. I'm all done with Christmas shopping, I just need to get a gift for my dad and nephew Saylor who turns one on my dad's birthday this Thursday. Plus I need to pick up our Christmas cards so I can get them mailed out. I was planning on doing that this afternoon until the weather decided to come earlier then the weather men thought. So hopefully tomorrow I can get out and go.

Trevor made a snowman on Friday and by Sunday morning it was almost gone. We had Saturday and Sunday being in the 40's so most snow around here had melted along with his creation. He was disappointed that it only lasted a day but after this snow storm hopefully he will get to make another one.

Alivia is out enjoying the weather and I have already got the snow blower out to get ahead start on this storm. I'm sure sledding and maybe no school will be on the kids list of things to do tomorrow in the a.m.

Enjoy the SNOW !!

Another lovely day in Iowa

As I look out my window I still see ice all over my driveway. Of course there is no way our snow removal guy Ed can get rid of the ice and it hasn't been warm enough for it to melt. Today after talking to my friend Arlene I'm thankful that I don't live in the country where the roads are still so bad that school buses won't drive on them. I don't mind the snow as much as what I really don't like the ice. But this is Iowa and that's what happens.
I was talking to my dad last night and my mom for sure will be done working this year at the age of 76 and next year at this time I will be thinking about Alabama. He is already looking at places around where his sister lives to snowbird to after Christmas. And I told Darryl if they go south I will be gone for 2-4 weeks with them. Another great thing about homeschooling is I can just pack up and leave!! So I'm already looking forward to Jan. 2010 going south to warm up for a few weeks.
My parents will be having big changes in their lives for 2009. They are going to be selling their home and moving into a ranch (somewhere) because it is getting harder and harder for both of them to climb up and down stairs. They will stay around CR area since us kids are here and I would love for them to move back to Lisbon/Mt.Vernon area but prop. taxes are a lot higher out here then in CR. So hopefully around spring we (my sister and I) can paint and get their house ready to be sold and they can find a home with everything on the 1st floor.

It looks cold out today.....the kids want to go sledding.....and I need to go workout at the gym......
so I hope you all enjoy this day with your family and stay warm.
Because it is another lovely day in Iowa.

It Is Finished

God said it after creating everything in this world and I'm saying it because I think we are done with the remodel. The ceiling has been raised almost 2 feet, there is now a framed out opening between my living room and kitchen which will help get heat in there in the winter time, painting and trim work are done downstairs, I just painted the lower part of the hallway last night and Darryl needs to help we reach the impossible places upstairs in the hallway, he has wallpaper to hang in the kitchen so it all matches up where we had to take some down and I have some trim in the kitchen to paint which shouldn't take to long. Other then that we are moved back in and done.

The pics are of the living room looking into the kitchen, kitchen towards the fireplace and lastly the kids tv/school room.

It's nice that it's done and slowly and as money allows we will get this house all updated and ready to sell in 8 -9 years. Next project I want to do is rip out carpet downstairs in the living room and kitchen and expose and refinish the hardwood floors. Darryl is tired from this last update and so I hope around springtime if we have the money we can do it.

What have I been doing.......

It's been a while I see since I put anything on my blog. Darryl is gone this weekend in Oklahoma
(I always want to sing when I say that states name) to a gun show. He goes every year and this year he thinks he needs to stock up before the awesome new President takes over this country in January.
I have been very busy painting and getting my living room back in order. After Darryl gets back (since he took the camera) I will post the completed living room. I just finished painting trim last night since since we were able to get our free granite countertop installed this week. Now I think I'm done with painting...yyyyeeeaaaahhhh!
I've also been busy on Facebook posting and commenting on political things that really tick people off. Freedom of speech and freedom to vote how I want are two things I love about my country. Things did get heated sometimes with my christian friends but we would all take a breather and return. Most of them the big issue was abortion which has been legal in our country since 1973. During which from then until 2008 republicans have been in the White House all but the 8 years that Clinton was in. For me abortion isn't something I vote on. For that I hold to God being able to stop it if and when He chooses. There are a lot of sins that go on inside and outside the Christian faith because we are all sinners and continue to sin. So voting on just one of those sins murder doesn't seem logical to me. What about don't lie... I think every time Palin talked she lied about something and McCain had his and so did Obama so maybe as a Christian you shouldn't vote for anyone because they all lie. Palin abused her power as gov. another sin. Mccain is a little over weight and maybe a glutton another sin.
OK sorry I'm going on and on my point is sin is sin we may put degrees on it but God just sees it as SIN.
I have one more problem with Christians and teaching their children about the issue of abortion. I continue to hear from my children that their friends say Obama kills children. This is from more then one friend from different families. Obama doesn't kill children if he did he would be in jail. Or then you better say Reagen, Bush Sr. and Bush Jr kill children because abortion has been legal under all their administrations. They don't kill children so teach the truth!!! In our country our supreme court voted to allow women to kill their unborn child if they decided they didn't want to have a baby. So these women are the ones who sin and actually go in and terminate their pregnancy. So as Christians we need to pray for our court justices and for someone to come along side these women and help them during this scary time of an unplanned pregnancy and give them other options. Instead of teaching them wrong things teach them ways they can pray for our country and women in our country and maybe spend some time volunteering at a place like Aid to Women of donating money to them so they can help women in crisis. If that is your passion then do something about it and serve God in that way.

So did I answer the question of what I've been doing????
Today at noon I'm going to get my hair colored and cut. I have a friend visiting and coming over about 4pm when we will go to Coral ridge Mall and eat and let the kids ice skate. I have her daughter over here all day playing with....Trevor. Yes Trevor they are both gamers. Alivia will be going over to my mother-in-laws before my hair appt. to play with her cousins visiting from Chicago. So today I have a full day and the kids have a full day of fun and no school!
Hope you all have a great weekend.