Thursday, July 5, 2007

Now I am really packing

and it is 11:35 at night. We just got home from Walmart. We were right on schedule and everything was going smoothly till we were headed to Walmart and then the outlaws house and I noticed that the lawn needed to be cut. (I am thinking it rains more here than in Seattle these days) So DH cleaned out the car with the help of the kids and I mowed the lawn since he is still not able to do much physical activity (or so the doctor says, lol). We made it to the outlaws late and then stayed too late. After you finally say you are leaving it takes 15 rounds of saying goodbye to everyone. I was glad to see everyone that came and learned a lot about my husband and his family through this reunion so I guess some good came out of it.

I confess I did take a nap this afternoon, but I was sooooo tired! I still have to finish packing and get everything ready to be loaded in the morning. I think when I go to Hawaii I will be far more prepared.

Stay tuned for updates on the Beverly Hillbillies go to DC....

P.S. To my defense I called my mom at 10:30 and she was vacuuming and was doing laundry. I wonder where I get it from...

Twas the night before leave
And all through the house
The washing machine was going
While my husband did grouse

And I in my sweats with my hair pulled on back
Had just settled down to write lists of what to pack
When what to my wondering eyes should appear
But a Washington DC guide book
And I started to fear

Here we are about to depart
And we have yet to plan our start!
The laundry’s not done, the house is a mess
The trip is not planned I started to confess!

I called up my mom and started to cry
She just listened and laughed and knew not to pry
For she was not much better I soon heard
And my nephew was joining this menagerie I’d herd.

So although the future is quite uncertain
We have reservations and a trip-tik I am certain
So the 7 of us will venture out of our state

And hope that our trip will end up with ????? (I can’t think of anything that fits. LOL I better go pack and be more constructive…I think how tired I am is showing.)

Packing

Or at least I should be. We leave for DC tomorrow morning with the whole menagerie--the five of us, my mom and my nephew. If nothing else we should have quite an adventure getting there!

We still have to go to the inlaws house to say goodbye to everyone and I worked this morning so I better get started on that packing. I might need a nap first. Junior is down....aren't you supposed to sleep when they are?

Wednesday, July 4, 2007

4th of July

Happy 4th of July!



We went back to the family reunion where we BBQed, cooked, ate, cleaned up and hung out. Pretty American. Someone had purchased some fireworks and I didn't want my kids to touch them and fortunately the other mom felt the same way as her son was burnt by a sparkler. They had gotten some chem lights for the kids and they were as happy as could be. My family usally watches the fireworks put on by Fort Hood but this time we just stayed over at the outlaws house. The kids are now tired and nestled into bed while visions of Washington DC hopefully dance in their heads.

More Family Reunion

This is turning out to be pretty interesting albeit very tiring too. We slept in till almost 10 this morning. I told DH that we need to get back on a normal schedule before we leave for DC.

My outlaws have 12 extra people sleeping on their floors. (Thank goodness we are just 20 minutes away and can come home every night!) FIL is concerned about the electric bill and the water bill and complains constantly. If someone turns on a fan he turns it off. The house is over 85 degrees and full of flies (especially gross after going to NASA and the grossology exhibit and seeing how flies barf every time they land ewwww).

The FIL is also not happy that all these people have to use water. In order to alleviate some of the stress one husband and wife were showering together to conserve his water. The abundance of laundry that needs to be done is a sore spot as well since that requires both his electricity and water. There is just no way to win I guess!

The kicker was last night when he brought out lanterns for us to use for light instead of electricity. I wonder what today will hold. At least we will be grilling so that he won't have to complain about us using the oven!

Tuesday, July 3, 2007

Hawaii

I booked 11 days at the military resort in Hawaii for November. I bought our tickets, reserved my mom to watch the kids and am now planning out what we will see and do. If anyone has any suggestions, tell me now!

Heartbreaking

I periodically read Michael Yon and his story broke my heart. Read this.

Family Reunions

My husband's family is having a reunion here this week. I think the big day is the 4th of July, but while I was busy organizing my husband took the kids over to his parent's house to hang out with arriving family members. I don't know much about my husband's family or his brothers (he has three). Last night after I went to dinner with my mom and sister and her children I ventured over there for the festivities.

We had a few drinks and sat around and talked and I learned a lot about my husband. His oldest brother was there and passed on some stories. His other older brother will arrive today so I am sure I can hear more about what a perfect angel he was not!

The kids are loving hanging out over there and swimming, playing and hanging out in the huge dog kennel. My outlaws built the kennel but haven't finished with the tarp on top, etc., so the kids just hang out in it and have a great time. This is Abbie playing prisoner.

Tomorrow should be interesting with this group of people. Hopefully I will survive.

P.S. DH survived his surgery and is recovering nicely. :)

Extreme Room Makeover

My mom is a bargain shopper with big ideas. She can see something and can envision something great being created from it. It doesn't matter how odd of an item it is, it is useful and she needs it....especially if it is on sale. Over the years she has accumulated quite a few million craft items for pennies on the dollar. She has a beautiful room that she has stored these items in and where she would go to create.....till the "bargains" took over the room. My sister and brother and sister-in-law spent 3 days emptying, building shelving, tossing, organizing and donating my mom's "treasures". After two trips to Goodwill (don't go buy back your stuff mom!) and a trip to the dump we managed to make the room livable. It's not perfect...that would require about a month of working straight through, but it is now a workable situation for her and we expect her to create great things.

I know it was very hard for my mom and she was a trooper and after the first day left us alone. She did grab on to the fact that she couldn't find one "work in progress" and gave us a really hard time about it. She bet my sister-in-law $10 that we had thrown it away, and it struck me today where I put it and sure enough it was still there and she apologized profusely. Whew...I was really starting to think that I had tossed it!

Anyway, I will continue to help her organize the room but if anyone sees her at the local Goodwill trying to buy back her stuff or Hobby Lobby or Michael's trying to replace it, please have her drop the items and slowly back away from the store--and take away her coupons!