SLACKER!!!

I know...I'm a slacker. I have been REALLY bad with updating this. Don't even know if anyone ever looks at it anyway.

Well Thanksgiving and Christmas came and went without incident. We had a blast with family and enjoyed ourselves way too much. Jeremy came to visit at Thanksgiving and took our family pictures. The one posted here. Christmas was at my house this year and I worked myself silly to get the house clean and everything perfect.

Now that a new year has started we are in full swing. I graduated last week from my certification program. So now I am official and can look for a full-fledged City Secretary job if I want. Already got my feelers out there.

Anth is working like crazy and keeping busy. He's going to start baseball again (coaching) with one of his friends here in town. He's really excited about it.

Kaylee is off and running. She is selling Girl Scout cookies again....Need Any? and is busy with church and school. She wants to start taking gymnastics again so I'll have to look into that.

We are happy and fairly healthy. Can't ask for more. We are preparing to go to Disney World in April for Kay's birthday. I know, I know..... I said I would go again for years but we worked it out and it's just a family trip. Last one for awhile though.

Hope to keep this updating up to speed better this year! We'll see.

Trying to catch up

I know the whole "trying to stay up to date with the blog" thing isn't working real well huh? We started school and everything is looking good so far. First report card was straight A's. Guess she's ok with the new school and friends. We have Girl Scout functions until the end of the year. Crazy schedule there. But she loves it all.

Kay goes to a Drama clinic at the High School next weekend. She loves theater and is going to try out for the High school production of Beauty and the Beast. She's so excited. This would be great for her. I'll let you know how that goes.

Anthony is busy with work. They just bought another refinery so it looks like it's time to travel again. Just to Tulsa but this one is in worse shape than the last so it's major OT and IT overhaul. We'll see how much we get to see him this next month.

I'm the same. Super busy at work. Getting ready for January when I graduate from my certification program at UNT. This is a major accomplishment and will open so many doors for me. I'm super excited about it all. I started a creative streak and made friends and Kay's little girlfriends Halloween shirts this year. They are super cute and everyone loved them. I'm now looking forward to making Christmas ones.

Fall Festival this weekend. Kay is going to be a flower child and has a "groovy" outift. I'll post pictures later.

Well gotta get back to work. Picture above is from a football game we went to the other night.

All love!

Where'd She Go?

Kaylee has been gone for almost 6 weeks now and the dogs are starting to wonder if she is coming home. They go into her room and sit in the middle of the floor and stare. They have sniffed her bed and looked for her. They will be so happy when she comes home next weekend.

She has had a blast. She has traveled more in the last 6 weeks than she's ever had. She's been to the country in Illinois, been stung by 2 bees, has 13 mosquitos, skinned her back on the concrete wall in the basement, twisted her ankle, dealt with a sty in her eye, homesick (only once or twice), dogs, cats, thunderstorms, traveled to SC, seen the mountains in Tenn., stayed in Indiana, and probably more than I'll ever know.

So next weekend Jamie, Sarah and I will travel to Joplin to meet mom & Jerry half way. Then we'll bring her home. I'm sure to much fanfare and spoiling and love from her grandparents & aunts and uncles that have missed her. Of course, mommy and daddy have missed her greatly too. We have enjoyed the quiet but would love to have her home.

Cleaning & Moving Fairies Wanted

So we have returned from Disney and are exhausted. It was a great, fun trip but way too hot. I think I lost about 10 lbs just by walking and sweating. We learned a great lesson, DON'T GO TO ORLANDO IN JUNE!! But everyone had a blast. We have some great memories.

And now we are in the hub of cleaning and packing. We have the garage pretty much under control and the "extra" room that we have used for storage is in the process of being cleaned. I filled 4 garbage bags full of junk last night. It's amazing what you actually move. But some cleaning and moving fairies would be nice. Wouldn't it have been nice if Disney would have sent those home with me? So if everything goes well we will move on July 4th and be into our new house with so much more room. Our german shepard Wrigley, realizes something is up. He's sniffing around and getting very clingy. He thinks we are leaving him again. Both dogs were pouty when we picked them up from Doggie Daycare after being in Disney. They think we're doing it again. They will love the new house and new yard though.

So if you know any cleaning or moving fairies that might be around, send them my way. I swear next time I'll hire someone. :)

Easter & Spring

Well Easter wasn't too cold this year. Just muddy and wet. It rained all night before and the morning of Easter. So eggs were inside this year. The kiddos didn't miss a beat though. They enjoyed the money eggs Grandma and Grandpa gave them. Little James, Kay's cousin, ended up with $16. Wow!! We know who knows how to hunt eggs around here.

Kaylee is getting so excited about Disney. She's on the computer almost every night with Anthony. They are going to drive me crazy here soon. We are still looking for a house, but have some options. We may end up in an apartment for a bit to save money, pay off bills and try to get our own house. We'll see. The apartments are just as large as a house.

As I have been told by the "children' of my house, only 52 more days until Disney. How am I ever going to get everything done. Another thing added to my plate? Kaylee has a part in her 1st grade play. So now we are practicing and getting excited. We'll see how she does. Hopefully it works out great. She has one line, but it's an important line.

We are going to Louisianna this weekend to see family. Dad's side of the family is getting together. It should be great. Kay will be able to see her cousins and hang out. I am hoping to veg a bit.

Warmer weather, here we come.......It's going to be June before you know it.

It's Spring

Well at least today is. It's going to be 80 today and 85 tomorrow. Holy cow!! Then it's going to get cool again this weekend. Just in time for me to clean out the garage. We are in the middle of cleaning the house out and moving things to a storage unit. We are looking for another house again. They are selling our house in June and we have decided not to buy it. It's just too small. So starts the whole packing and storing thing.

Our lives the next 4 months is going to be crazy. I start our yearly Government Academy at work at the end of March. Every Monday I spend 2 hours wtih citizens and tell them about the inner working of the city. So that's extra hours. Then I have council meetings on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of the month. Then it's election season now too so I have extra meetings and deadlines for that. Plus it's Kay's birthday in April. We are going to Disney the second week of June. So I have to get the house packed, pack for Disney, work extra hours, pay Disney off, find some cheap airfares to Disney, pay the down payment for the new house, plan Kay's birthday party, help with Sarah's birthday party (she's turning 18), and try to not go crazy in the next 3-4 months. AHHH!!! We do this to ourself all the time. If I get through this the summer is going to be so vegging for me!!

Kaylee is doing well in school. She's in the middle of Girl Scout cookie season. It looks like the cookie lady threw up in my living room. It's crazy. But hopefully, we'll sell all the extra at booth sales this weekend and next. She's learning about directions (n,s,e,w) and all about the presidents this month. She comes home and tells me things every day. She's about to lose her first front tooth. She's lost the bottom ones (4 of then) and now her front middle top is really loose. It's about to fall out and the other one is getting looser each day.

Anthony is working a ton of hours for OT to help pay for the Disney trip. He's getting very excited about the trip and will work any amount of hours to help pay for it all. His job is doing well and he's very busy all the time.

We are all doing well. Busy, busy but we wouldn't know what to do if we weren't!! BTW...the picture is me and Kaylee at her Thanksgiving lunch. I just haven't posted that one yet.

No more tests? No more homework?

I have finally finished my certification for my job. I have one more seminar to attend in order to get the full certificate and I will be done. But I am done with all the homework, tests and stress that goes along with that. When I came home the other night after my test and told Kay that I was done, she smiled and said, "No more homework? No more tests? No more stress? No more seminars?" I just laughed. She picked up on so much. I told her yes no more test, homework and a lot less stress. I still have to attend seminars to keep up with the training but she's happy with the no more homework and books strewn all over my bed studying and cramming.

Once I get my piece of paper, I can be a full-fledged City Secretary. This job is so much more than just a secretary. I am busier than I ever thought possible. We have a council meeting tomorrow night and it will probably last until after 10. This is my life though. I have enjoyed learning everything and hope to move up soon. Keep those fingers crossed. But as for now, celebrating the tough part being done!!!