Our Family.......

I was thinking the other day about how much things have changed in the last....maybe 10 years??  Okay, for grins, lets go 20.  It SEEMS like a long time, if you are, say, in your twenties.  But for some of us, looking back is just a little blip.  Like many families, fifteen years ago we did not even own a computer.  I can still remember my daughter's grade school teacher trying to explain e-mail to me.  Yeah, the very thing I check about 906 times a day at work (not nearly that much at home).  "You mean we can WRITE the teacher and it ends up on her desk DURING THE DAY??!!"

Wow.   It didn’t take long for computers to become a necessity within our society. These days, everything comes to a screeching halt if there is a problem with ours. The internet has opened many doors we didn’t even know existed. Information is just a click away. What used to take a trip to the library and many hours pouring through books takes only moments.  I actually brought an old dictionary to school (of all places) the other day because the kids can't be on my computer (EVER!) and if they're irritating me I make them look up a word in a good "old fashioned" dictionary.  I don't have any use for one at home, nor encyclopedias.  I'll look it up on line!  You can communicate with others throughout the world anytime, night or day. It truly is an amazing tool.

And.......well....you can be anybody on line!!  If you haven't seen this..you gotta.

http://music.aol.com/video/online/brad-paisley/1933391

The current craze on the internet seems to be blogging. Blogs give anyone the opportunity to have a voice in whatever it is that interests or concerns them. Blogging is big within the homeschooling world as well. Many have blogs as a journal of sorts. Over the last couple of months, I have spent a good bit of time reading blogs. There is a wealth of information out there and it is interesting to read about other’s lives, convictions and opinions. I’ve laughed, I’ve cried, I’ve learned and I’ve been deeply disturbed.  Some people, probably the same ones that shouldn't run with scissors, shouldn't have blogs.

Hmmmm.  I wonder how many of you just thought of me.......

Black Friday...and black Saturday......and......

So!  Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!  I was away for several days, so I have some great pictures to share over the next few days.  But...I can't wait to share this! 

Okay......the day after Thanksgiving begins with my favorite shopping companion and I heading for "the City".  If you have ANYthing to do with Oklahoma, you know that it means Oklahoma City.  We've had a great holiday, changed our sheets at Grandma's house, packed our suitcases for the hubbies to bring home, and we set out for OKC.  The mission?  Garden Ridge.  We LOVE LOVE LOVE that store.  It's like Hobby Lobby's BFF.  We could live there.  Anyway, we stop in Kingfisher for  lunch so we can eat in the car and not lose a spare minute.  We're like two kids at Toyland.  Screw Disneyland, THIS is the happiest place on earth!  About an hour into our shop-a-thon, I hear Shell going "PSSSSTT!!  Mom!  Jodi!" in really excited whispers.  She has a look on her face like she's seen a ghost.  "Quick!  Follow me!  It's worth your time!"  So I follow her weaving in and out of aisles, zipping downs rows looking for something that MUST have been a winning lottery ticket.  I follow, thinking I'm just humoring my baby.  Around the corner, I almost lose her and then she's pointing like a madman.  And boy, was it worth it!  I might have missed this:

Now, it's hard to take a picture of someone you don't know and whom you don't want to know you're taking their picture.  Especially in Garden Ridge on Black Friday. 

But I'm telling you, this picture does not do her justice.  You just had to be there.  You can't see all the piercing and LOADS of makeup.  It truly was in Technicolor.  When I first rounded the corner and Shell was waiting on my reaction, I didn't even see her.  She was standing in front of a aisle of feather boas and blended in! 

I raced to the main aisle to try and pull out my trusty camera.  Usually my daughter thinks I'm a nut job, but standing right next to us were about 3 husbands and their wives and we heard "just wait, you'll see".  "You gotta see this!" and "WTF???"  So, realizing this chick is drawing a crowd on every aisle, she decides she's okay with me taking a picture and starts digging for the fresh batteries. 

Crap.  By this time she's gone somewhere else.  We go running through the store trying to find where she is now so we can take a picture.  I figure anybody who shaves their head and dyes what's left bright blue and pierces every place you can pinch is LOOKING to have their picture taken. 

So we hit a couple of other stores on the way out of town.  Fueled by Starbucks (Peppermint Mocha is the PERFECT Christmas drink) we head home. 

Probably because we've been making fun of peacock chic for about 3 hours now, we hit a snowstorm.  I'm trucking along at 72, and POW! It's a stinking blizzard!  And we're driving INto it, and it really messes with your vision.  So we're both watching the road like bird dogs, just keeping the white line in sight.  Shell goes, "why are we both leaning forward like this?  Does it make us go faster??"  After stopping for gas, the roads get much better.  Thank you God.

You can't even BEGIN to see the snow, but you can see the ice on the car. 

So, the next day we go shopping again.  We're both pretty determined to get our Christmas shopping done early.  The sooner the better! 

So we go to Town East.  Now, I'm not sure if it's a mall or a big experiment on different types of human behavior, but it is DEFINITELY a good place to people watch.  We like the Fusion  cafe there.  So we find a place to sit in front of the exclusive Von Maur store.  We're digging into our Honey Walnut Chicken dish and Shell spots this older asian woman......picking her nose.  Right there.  In front of the Good Lord and everybody.   EWWWWWWW!  She looks away and looks back.  She's still going at it!!  "Mom!  She's got her finger in all the way to the second knuckle!  (Thanks sweetie, but I don't need a play by play). Wait...she....got.....EWWWWW!!!! She wiped it on the table!!" Yes, folks, those tables are germier than you think. Man, I'm feeling the Honey walnut chicken making ready for a reappearance. "Oh my gosh!!! She's DOING IT AGAIN!!  Mom!  I think she's massaging her optic nerve!! "  You go, asian lady. 

Okay.  I'm done.  Thanks for playing!  Shopping sure brings out the fruits. 

I suppose we'll be going again this week..........!!

Family Picture Time!

Okay.  So we finally get EVERYONE together for the big FAMILY PICTURE!!!  The day the boys have been dreading.  BUT!  For Mother's Day, I got everyone to commit to this project for Evelyn.  Yes, that is what it takes, usually.  We need to be committed.  Both the mental and institutional kind. 

We have an appointment scheduled for approximately 3 weeks.  We get to the studio with 974 kids in it.  Some wearing Christmas outfits, some families in matching clothes (ah, those were the days....).  And of course, there is crying and pouting and screaming.  But we just told Ray and Chad to suck it up.  The kids were being pretty good, they had to also. 

Evelyn says she looks like "that woman on Everybody Loves Raymond"  (she doesn't), Shell says Chad looks like he's wanted in 7 counties, and I think I look like something stinks.  I'm not sure what Ray's doing, but it looks like he's going to tip over.

The whole process took about 2 hours, but we got to leave with our pictures.  No second appointments to look at proofs, no going back to pick them  up.  I thought that was GREAT!!

I love this picture of Chad and Shell.  I bet my charming son-in-law thought I wouldn't go there....but I did!!!  Shed erection!  Let me explain.  Later that afternoon, all the boys were going over to Ev and Hoyt's to finish putting up his new shed.  While we were posing for a picture, Chad said something about the afternoon's plans and erecting the shed.  I don't know if Hoyt didn't hear properly or was being silly, but he said "what about the shed erection?" right in the middle of the picture.  Everybody cracked up.  Good smiles. 

So when he wanted to give the "football player smirk", I popped in with a "shed erection!" and they cracked up.  I LOVE this picture.  I'm not sure what's more embarassing....the phrase or the fact that your mother-in-law said it.

We're  so fortunate to be able to go to Grandma's house for the holidays.  I am so looking forward to it.  It takes a little more cooperation, and we all pitch in to bring things partly because the family is getting bigger and partly because it's too much for Grandma.  But even if it's T.V. dinners, it is wonderful to be together.   

Happy (late) Birthday Riley!!

Oh, I am in so much trouble.  One of my favorite people in the whole world had a birthday yesterday.......and I missed it.  Actually, in my pitiful defense, I remembered, just not at the right time.  See, he's a big boy now.  And he goes to school.  And every time I remembered during the day, I thought he would be in school.  I am in school, so I'm pretty sure he is, too!  But then I did remember in the evening and I thought "oh, I'll run out to my car and get my cell in a minute".  Then....ADD, Alzheimers, dementia, hormones, whatever sets in.  (Take your pick, I suffer from them all.)  So, this morning I'm in the shower and *BAM*.  It hits me.  I forgot to call.  So, to make up for it, here are five things I love about Riley. 

1.  Riley always laughs at our jokes.  No matter how cheesy, he thinks they're funny.  Just ask him "how can you tell an elephant has been in the refrigerator?" and he will play along.....THERE ARE FOOTPRINTS IN THE BUTTER!

2.  Riley LOVES to go to Okeene.  He likes his Grandpa's cabin even more.  And he is NOT afraid to stay at the cabin.  Ever.  I'm not that brave.

3.  He has such a big heart.  He is kind and sweet and makes new friends easily.  And he is even kind and sweet to his sisters!

4.  He LOVES baseball.  Our family loves baseball and football.  Ask him about his super-fast-nikeshox-red-bobo shoes.  Or something like that.  Tera knows what I mean.  And his CB handle is "benny-man".  From the Sandlot.  Greatest movie ever made!

5.  He loves his family.  Enthusiastically.  Deeply.  He is smart, too. One time when I told him that he needed to get permission for something he told me that he asked his mom and "she said yes, but my Dad is the biggest boss".  So we had to wait for Dad's approval.  How sweet. 

And Riley loves Jesus "with all his soul and all his mind and all his might".  And he's not afraid to pray at family meals.  Long.  For everything.  With lots of enthusiasm.  This is the stuff great memories are made of.  I hope he is working on his Christmas prayer already since we won't get to see them for Thanksgiving. 

Happy Birthday Riley!  I love you!

Have a heart.....

About 9:00 Sunday night, Larry had a little pain in his chest.  After some poking and prodding, he finally consents to going to have someone take a look.  We were just at the doctor Friday and he scheduled a test for Wednesday the 21st, and tells Ray/Larry that he thinks it's indigestion.  Gave him a new pill to take (you should see my monthly trip to the pharmacy already.  Just in his co-pays I'm averaging $100).  We get there and of course they want a "history".  Uh.....lady, are you going to be sorry you asked about that.  I know what she has in store for her, but I'm not saying a word!  This poor nurse is about to find out every inflamed hair follicle and ingrown toenails he's ever had.  This guy makes a note of each and every owie. 

"Do you smoke?"  Yes, but I don't inhale. 

"??!!  What do you mean you don't inhale?"

I don't inhale.  I just pretend to smoke. 

"okaaaaay......how long have you pretended to smoke?"

(I swear, I'm not lying)

"Any rashes, sores, wounds?"  (oh, lady.  you're going to be sorry now!)

Well, I have lots of scratches and cuts everywhere.  (After pointing out about 10 tiny ones....)

"What i mean is, any that are a problem?  That won't heal?"

Well, I have these sores on the back of my neck.  (They're ingrown hairs).

"No, I mean something serious.  A WOUND.  A cut.  Something BAD."  (She's meaning like a gunshot wound or something!)

Oh.  No. 

So, about an hour later, after she hears about his Grandma's neighbor's ingrown toenail that looks like gangrene......

"Here's your gown Mr. Sunderland.  We need to start an I.V." 

At this point Ray nearly faints.  She finally gets him settled down and starts the I.V.  He's laying there panting like he's in Lamaze class and she says (I swear) "Well, it's a good thing God didn't make YOU have the babies!"

No kidding.  Then he regales her with the story about when we went to the hospital to have Shell and they hook up my I.V. and I look over 3 minutes later and he has 5 nurses around him and his head between his knees (again, I swear).   The nurse enjoyed that. 

"Mr. Sunderland......the gown closes in the BACK....."

Some evidence exists that the hospital gown was invented by patients in the psych ward as a group project.  nice work, folks.  It's either that, or it was invented by some sicko nurses to make fun of sick people. 

Ray wanted me to take this picture because Andy and Tera's kids have all been sick/wounded/stitched/ill lately.  Kendell was the latest casualty on Sunday with her 2nd trip to the E.R. in the last couple of weeks. 

Kendell - Ray says don't feel bad, you're not alone!!

After a loooooooooooong night and day of tests (and a spectacular wreck right outside his window at 3 a.m.), the Doctor's determined with 95% certainty that it is NOT his heart.  So they'll keep looking, but right now it seems like anxiety.  Or gas.

Thank you Lord for Doctors and Good News!

Ready...set....SHOP!!

Well girls, it’s that time of year again.  Time to brush off the track shoes and stop reading Glamor and start reading Guns and Ammo.  That’s right, it’s shopping season.

I was reminded of this yesterday when I went to WalMart.  I swear, I love this season and I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE shopping.  I want to marry it.  However, I don’t like some of the other women shopping.  On rare occasion, you'll find a man that needs a little fine-tuning in the shopping department, but seriously, if you stay out of automotive, you generally don’t find many males past the first 20 feet inside the nearest door.  They run in, grab the first available shiny bauble and run out.  No browsing, no agonizing over the perfect gift, no hours (or even minutes) scouring the shelves.  Why do you think WalMart (and many other stores) put the jewelry counter in the very front of the store??  Think about it.  Name one store that the jewelry is in the back.  None.  It’s catering to the male form of “shopping”.  I can get my husband to go "shopping" with me about twice a year.  He needs a large dose of Prozac and a strong tranquilizer, and then he's content to sit on a bench and people watch.  He's fine for a solid 15 minutes.

On this particular day, my favorite trusty shopping companion had picked me up for our weekly trip.  She apparently had a bad day and was acting like a graduate from the Lizzie Borden Charm School, when some thoughtless woman had the nerve to pull Into the parking place we were coming to a sliding stop in from the other direction.  Yeah.  Explain that to your husband.  Head on collision in a parking stall.  I’m telling you, it would have totaled both cars.   Though, in all honesty, I don't know if my darling son-in-law would have even come to the WalMart parking lot to check the damage.  If there is one person who likes to shop less than my husband, it's hers and that's too close to shopping for him.

We generally stay somewhat together when shopping, but if we change venues (from the material side of the store to the grocery side) we touch base with each other.  She called me first.  "where are you?"  I replied "You hear that kid screaming?  Near there".  She says "Yeah, I can hear it so I'm getting the hell out of here."  Crying kids in WalMart make us both want to run screaming from the store.  If they sold do-it-yourself hysterectomy kits in WalMart parking lots, it could really control the population.  That is the whole reason that we avoid shopping there on the weekends. Similar to how one might avoid salmonella poisoning or the plague or a jury summons.  Last Saturday I was in a painting frenzy when I realized I ran out of ceiling paint.  If you have painted much at all, you know that all whites are NOT created equal.  I had to have the very same kind I had painted 3/4 of the 9 million square feet of ceiling with already.  I paced.  I cried.  I agonized.  I made a few phone calls.  Nope.  No one was already headed there (smart choice).  I took 4 Advil, did some stretches, put on my track shoes and left for Wal-hell.  I set a land speed record.  It was the fastest I've ever run in and RUN out.  However, the checkout line was not cooperating.  While waiting on the dyslexic moron in front of me to figure out how to scan a bar code, I could hear someone's charming three year old.  "why do you have so much hair in your nose?"  and "why are that man's teeth yellow?".  Great.  Someone shoot me now.  Then along SKATE two kids entirely old enough to know better. I really hate those new skate/shoes.  I honestly thought about tripping one of them.  Then I realized that the dyslexic moron in front of me was one of the parents.  Suddenly it all makes sense... They live among us.  And they breed.  And they NEED one of those kits.  The only thing worse is the after Christmas returns.  I went to WalMart ONE time on the day after Christmas to return something.  I don't know why.  Too much eggnog?  It reminded me of being 17 and standing in line for concert tickets to Boston.  (Yeah, I'm old) You needed to bring a sleeping bag, food, radio and change of clothes.  You made friends with the people around you.  They became family.  You knew all of the health crisis that person faced in the last year.  And their neighbor's.  You could even pick up a good recipe or joke if you got really lucky. 

I think my policy this year is going to be:  give me an list or you're getting a gift card. 

Merry Shopping!!

Phases....

Six phases of a construction project:

1) Enthusiasm  (only if it's your first time, otherwise you know better)

2)  Disillusionment

3)  Panic

4)  Searching for sanity (I've also developed a nifty little eye-twitch any time someone asks me how the remodel is going.  No lie)

5)  Daylight.  By the way, that post with the sunrise picture was a bunch of crap.  I jumped the gun BIG TIME.  Last week when I thought we were on the last day and the contractor laughed at me and said he had four or five more days I nearly slit my wrists with a butter knife.

6) ......... uh........well........I guess I'll have to let you know....but it should be close.

I honestly  haven't taken time lately to pray like I should.  This surely could be part of my problem with the eye twitch! I realized this the other day when I felt myself yearning for time with Him.  I have been so busy with the house, and being preoccupied that I just have neglected my spiritual life.  To the point that I could FEEL it.  I am so very thankful for the people and things God has placed in my life.  And I need to take the time EVERY DAY, sometimes many times a day to remember that and thank Him again. 

When you least expect it, you are just walking along, sometimes even in Lowe's, and then you turn a corner and *POW*, you get a refresher course in realizing that God is in control, that He is truly an awesome God.  That He is watching out for us and for our children.  We pray for them and for His divine guidance, and sometimes we have to have some distance to see His great plan, and that the answer was better than anything we could have hoped for, but everything we prayed for.  And that the journey is what makes us who we are.  Sometimes the lesson is for us, and sometimes we are part of someone else's lesson.  But God knows.  And loves.  And answers prayers.  Sometimes we need to be reminded to thank Him. 

and right now I think I'm going to start thanking Him for everything. 

And praying that the end really is in sight this time. 

Why is the leaf blower out??

Because I had to reinstall the window shade.  Duh!  Ray came home the other day and asked me why the leaf blower was laying on the front porch.  "Because I put the shade back up in the living room window" I replied. 

"Huh??!"

Well, I got the window shade back today (from being re-strung) and I put it up.

"huh????!"

In order to put the shade back up on the picture window, I of course would clean it first.  You can't know if it is all clean unless you also clean the outside of the glass also.  The outside had cobwebs and mountains of sawdust on the brick, so I had to find a way to clean the brick.  Duh!

"HUH??!"

I got out the leaf blower to clean off the front porch because I went out to clean the outside of the windows to make sure the inside windows were clean before I hung the pleated shade back up!!  how hard is this?

"   ??"  (blank look)  "okaaaaaay....."

Makes perfect sense to me.  You know how when you start one simple thing and it ends up being a huge mess an hour later but it had to be done and one thing leads to another?  That's the way things have gone at our house lately.  Like yesterday i went to Lowe's.  Because we needed to move the furniture back in the house.

It goes something like this: 

Jodi:  we  need to move the furniture back in the living room, so I'm going to Lowe's. 

Ray:  How is that moving furniture?

Jodi:  Silly, I have to go get the little protectors for the legs of furniture so they don't scratch the floor.  And since we're going to put an area run in there also, we should do it before the furniture.  Follow?

Ray:  Uhhh.  Yeah.  I guess. 

Jodi:  So you'll need to move the pick up, get out the leaf blower and let the dogs out so we can move the furniture.

Ray:  Huh???

Jodi:  The pick up is in the way, there is a pile of leaves that will blow in when you open the door, and the dogs will get out the front if you don't put them out back.  How hard is this??!

I think he's about to give up asking why.  He just gets a blank stare....like a deer in headlights.

Oh, and we need to buy some paint for the garage because I'm cleaning out my Ebay cabinet. 

And don't even ask why the screwdriver is in the refrigerator......

Down on the Farm

I don't know if I'd like to live on a farm all the time, but it sure is nice to visit once in a while. 

Some fences needed "mendin" so we headed down to Oklahoma.  Actually the storm that blew through Kingfisher and Watonga several months ago that wiped out a LOT of things (the cheese factory, sheds, barns, roofs), also took parts of the corral with it. 

So, off we go.  Matt is Hoyt's partner in the cattle operation.  He (thankfully) brought along a handy-dandy little thing to dig holes.  Probably saved a weeks worth of work and a back muscle or two.

This is Richard.  He is the absolute KING of handymen.  If Richard doesn't know how to do it, it probably doesn't need done.  He is offering to "clean my camera" with that can of WD-40.   He's also a part time comedian. Not really.

Matt and Larry digging the 937th hole.  Not really.  Probably the 23rd one. 

Larry has developed a lot of muscle since leaving Boeing.  He could probably snap one of those fence posts in two if the mood struck. 

This is Tanner with Hoyt.  Or, "Mr. Tanner" as Hoyt called him about 9,492 times.  Not really.  About 433.  Tanner plays football for the Okeene High School Whippets and was on the bus until 3:00 in the morning.   Then up and working on the farm.  Really great kid. 

And my favorite father-in-law.  I'm going to buy him a real cowboy hat for Christmas.  That sissy hat does not indicate the real rancher he is.  He needs a cattleman's hat.  Ten gallon, perhaps??

And here's the boss.  Grandma LOVES to see what everyone is doing.  She reminded us that she and Grandpa built this corral by themselves originally.  I think she was calling us.....rookies.                        

And I just couldn't resist.  Here are a couple of

pictures of the barn.  It seemed like such a great picture.

And this is probably my favorite picture I took all weekend.  It speaks volumes. 

I love her so much.  She is such a sweet lady.  Her memory is failing a little bit and she needs a helping hand frequently, but we should all be so lucky to be this spry when we are 90!

Ray is so kind and patient with Grandma.  It makes my heart happy to see how protective he is with her.

I'm so looking forward to Thanksgiving in Okeene!

Quotes.....

I noticed last week on one of my favorite shows, that I just LOVE great quotes.  My daughter has transferred an addiction to the show "Criminal Minds" to her father and I.  I don't miss the quotes in the show, and if it's recorded and Ray speeds by it, I make him back up.  He does not share my love of the quotes, not at all.  That is the whole reason they invented the fast forward button.  And Mandy Patinkin's voice is just MADE for great quotes.  They did a survey on one of their blogs asking how many fans liked the quote part of the show.  Out of 505 fans that voted, 96% voted they liked the quotes!  So, since we're in the home stretch on the remodeling and there isn't anything great to post on that, I thought I'd share some great quotes  and why I like them!  And PLEASE leave a comment and tell me yours!!

Do not confuse fame with success.  Madonna is one, Helen Keller is the other. (Erma Bombeck.  She was a comic genius!)

Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great.   Mark Twain

Don't you just LOVE positive people?  Who wants to hang out with a troll??

Politics is supposed to be the second oldest profession.  I have come to realize it bears a very close resemblance to the first.  Ronald Regan

Wow does that seem appropriate heading into November and this next year.

It is better to let people think you a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.  Mark Twain But I have some real great sayings or quotes that aren't from exactly famous people, but very true: Poor planning on your part does not constitute a fire drill on mine.  My husband Mothers of teenagers know why some animals eat their young.  Erma Bombeck The wheel's turning but the hamster is dead.  I work in a high school...nuff said? Well THAT went over like a  pregnant pole vaulter. I refuse to have a battle of wits with an unarmed man.  Now tell me YOUR favorite quote!