Another Friday Night

Well....it's Friday-Out-to-Dinner-Night again. Tonight there are 11 head of cattle in all, grazing to their little ole hearts' content. So why am I eating leftovers? Doesn't seem quite fair.

Dinner with Jacob

Last night, Jeremy and his family came over so that Jeremy could do some target practicing with his bow. Neal has constructed a wall of hay bales around the target since he's already lost 2 arrows. Of course, once in awhile Mr. Blackbull rearranges the stacks. I was cooking dinner, between reading bits and pieces of The Rainbow Fish (mainly on the scary Octopus page) to Lauren and helping Jacob set up his cowboys and horses. When Jacob decided to come help me in the kitchen, he noticed there were only three placemats on the table. He insisted that we ALL have placemats, so I put him to work setting the table. Oh, what a great helper he was! After placing all the plates, napkins and silverware, he saw a package of pretzels in my open cupboard and decided that he would put a handful in each plate. Nice side dish to our dinner of barbecue meatballs, macaroni and cheese, broccoli, and bread and butter, don't you think? Neal was running a bit late and since Wednesday night is church night, we had to start without him. Once we were all at the table, Jacob said, "Guys, we hafta pray!" Oh yeah, I knew that. So we all bowed our heads and Jacob sang this precious song: (to the tune of Frerer Jacques or Are You Sleeping for those of you who aren't familiar with the French version)

God is thank you
God is thank you
For our food
For our food
God is berry thank you
God is berry thank you
God is good
God is good.

Oh, be still my heart. It was so sweet. *sigh*

When Neal drove up, Jacob rushed to fill Papa's plate, putting spoonfuls of each dish on his plate for him. During dinner, Jacob kept us entertained with his stories. He had been running a temperature the day before and didn't go to school yesterday. I asked him what was wrong and he said, "I couldn't open my eyes," and began demonstrating how he tried to open them, and they just stayed shut. Then he told us about how he'd had diarrhea and the toilet wouldn't flush, and the water and poop just kept coming up and up and they were all gonna die, but Daddy got that orange thing and put it in the toilet and then the water went down and they didn't die. It was a lovely dinner.

Go Yankees!

As I mentioned before, Jeremy and Trista went to New York City recently. Jeremy has been a Yankee fanatic as long as I can remember. While some dream of traveling abroad, or a trip to Hawaii, Jeremy's long-time desire has been to go to Yankee Stadium and watch his beloved team play at home. Time was running out. Sunday was the last day to play in "The House that Ruth Built."

They stayed at the Grand Hyatt, right at Grand Central Station with a view of Central Park. What a wonderful experience and great memories they will have, despite the fact that Trista's luggage was lost and not returned to her until four days after they returned home!

View from their seats.

Jeremy got to witness Derek Jeter get his 1,269th hit in Yankee Stadium, tying Lou Gehrig's record. You can also see the marquis, where in the 3rd inning it said, "Welcome to Yankee Stadium, Jeremy & Trista Blevins." Of course, there was too much to take in and they missed seeing it!!!

On the subway.

The Chase Is On!

Saturday evening, after our glorious day in Edmond surrounded by beautiful and affluent city-dwellers...bankers, educators, accountants....you know....people who don't have to scrape manure off their boots before entering their back doors, we returned home to find our new homesteaders grazing peacefully in the deer plot. Our new strategy was to chase them down in the 4-wheeler Cadet and push them down the trail from whence they came. Sort of a modern-day, motorized cattle drive. We revved up the Cadet and Neal opened her up as we sped what seemed like 70 mph, straight for the bulls. The bulls were slow to catch on and Neal had to slam on the brakes to keep from running smack dab into the stationary bovines. They finally got the hint and high-tailed it West. I managed to snap a few photos as we bounced along the bumpy terrain, around the pond, through limbs smacking me in the face.

This is Mr. Blackbull

We call this one Red Bull
(does that mean he has more ENERGY?)

Stubborn fellas.

They finally headed down the trail, after trying to split up and outwit us several times. But this morning, we woke up to find them in the barn lean-to, Red Bull enjoying the salt lick, and Mr. Blackbull bedded down.

Dobson Field Dedication

We spent the day today at our Alma Mater, Oklahoma Christian, to be a part of the dedication of Dobson Field. Max Dobson was head baseball coach for many years at OC, including the years that Neal played baseball. You never know how many will attend this kind of event and Neal took several weeks to decide if he could pull himself away from work. But in the end, he decided to go, and we had an absolutely fabulous day. The new field is not completed, but the center stands were done and were filled to capacity. As you can see by the picture, there were plenty of old-timers there to play a scrimmage in the morning, and they managed to get through it without any pulled muscles, torn ligaments or stawberries. They fed us lunch, then we returned to the field for the dedication ceremonies. Afterwards, the 2008-2009 team played an inter-squad scrimmage. It was great to see so many old friends and we made that lame promise again that we wouldn't wait so long to get together again.

Alumni Players

In the Dugout

Neal and Max Dobson

Old Teammates

Bruce Talon, Tony Collier, Kris White, Norm Easter, Neal, Alan Hoffines

(Neal's the good-lookin' one.)

Friday Night is Out-to-Dinner Night

USUALLY, Friday night we go out to eat. But since we're trying to save money as well as watch waistlines, I cooked dinner again tonight. While at the table, Neal asked if I'd seen "the bull" today. I admitted that I hadn't really looked, but hadn't noticed any sign (if ya know what I mean). He mentioned putting his NEW (did I mention we're trying to save money?) deer feeder together and I advised him that it probably was a bad idea until we knew for sure Mr. Blackbull was gone for good. When we finished eating, we went out back to see if the deer were feeding and if they were being joined by Mr. Blackbull. Whoa, Nelly! Not only was HE back, but apparently he had brought his friends and family--seven in all. Neal has planted all sorts of good stuff for the deer to eat...rye, clover, chickory, etc. and I guess the bull thought it would be a nice treat for the herd, it being Friday night and all.

Liam

I went to the hospital yesterday to check on my cousin's 10 yr. old son, Liam. Here's the story. The little daredevil tree-climber fell a from a very tall tree almost two weeks ago. Injuries include two broken arms, ruptured kidney, lacerated spleen and damaged pancreas. His surgeon is the same doctor that did Jacob's surgery over three and a half years ago. (We loved her, and so do they.) On Wednesday, his lungs were filling with fluid. Not good. Still unable, and with the discovery of pancreas damage, not allowed to eat. Pain meds every two hours. Critical situation. Yesterday, when I walked into his room, I was amazed to find him sitting up in bed, alert, and even a smile on his face. Talk about night and day! I took lunch to Dan, Kathy and my Aunt Kay and although Liam had not had any desire to eat since the accident, the aroma of the Arby's curly fries flipped a switch and he REALLY wanted some fries. Good sign, but....way to go Lita! We give thanks to God for every day that Liam gets better.

You Might Be a Redneck If..........

Last night as we were sitting at the dinner table I noticed that Neal was being very quiet and seemed upset. I asked, "Honey, is something wrong?" With his head hanging down he announced, "my fee-der-broke." To which I said, "Your feet are broke?"He looked me in the eye and repeated, "my fee-der-broke." Again, "Your feet are broke?" NOOOOO. MY FEEDER BROKE!" "OH.........your deer feeder?" Yeah. Well, that shor 'nuf explains yer feelin' low.Now that's what I call BROKE! What in tarnation could've dun that much damage? This calls fer some pokin' around. (Here's where yer gonna git a lesson in poop.) Ya see deer poop looks like this:

Like a pile o' black beans. Now here is what we found out by the deer feeder, I mean the broke deer feeder:Now that's either one monster buck, or we got us a cow problem.

Or should I say, a BULL problem. He was back taday! As you can see from the blurry picture, I was keepin' my distance, tryin' ta zoom in and keep the camera still 'nuf ta focus. I shor 'nuf didn't want him ta start chargin' and hafta run thru the briars and brambles in my crocs and OU shorts! When Neal got home from his day job, we went chasin' the bull and I got some better pics.

Yeah...he looked straight at me and I was still able to snap this shot. Anyone missin' a bull?

What's Wrong with this Picture?

I need agricultural advice. Carolyn, I expect your input. My grape tomatoes are beautiful and delicious. However, my other tomatoes, obviously "bursting with flavor," are not very pleasing to the eye. What is causing them to split? I'm anxiously awaiting your comments.

Grandchildren

Last night was our night to spend with the kiddos. My job was to get them up and ready for school and the babysitter this morning. Somehow I also got the privilege of picking up the twins--Piercen and Baylor--and getting them all to school by 8:00, which is usually about the time I'm finishing my first cup of java. Jacob was excited to have us spend the night with him and insisted that I sleep with him (the child with Restless Leg Syndrome), leaving the gigantic king-size bed in the master bedroom for Neal. Hope he slept well.

When we've been with the kids for a 24-hour period of time, there are usually some memorable conversations. But with my memory, I must write them here, or next week I'll have forgotten.

Jacob has observed lately that Neal doesn't have any hair. Jacob: "Papa, you don't got any hair." Neal: "I don't? Where'd it go?" Jacob: "I don't know!" This last week Neal began growing his hair out again.

Lauren has been calling me "Nina" lately. I guess it's a combination of "Lita" and "Nana." She really talks well for a not-yet-2 yr. old. "Nina, what you doing?" "I'm brushing my teeth." "Bwushing you teef? Ohhh-kayyyy." She wanted to draw in Jacob's marker book yesterday.















She was still wearing the outfit (minus the skirt) that she'd worn to church. I really did consider removing it, or covering it up with another shirt, but I had gotten some of the marker on my hand and it had wiped right off, like it does on the page. When we put the book away, I noticed several places on her shirt and tights that had nice, bright blue markings. *GASP* She looked down on it and whispered, "oh my gosh!!!" I immediately treated and washed the shirt, but to no avail. Sorry, Trista. Seems like every time I have the kids, clothes get ruined.

Jacob went out in the Cadet with Neal to do some work around the place. Several limbs had fallen due to the wind from Hurricane Ike. When they came back, Neal had shot a couple of doves, which delighted Jacob. One of them was still blinking and opening and closing his little bill, like he was saying, "help me, help me, I'm still breathing." It might give me nightmares. Speaking of which, Jacob told me about a dream he had where a scorpion with claws was knocking on his window. I didn't know 4 yr. olds could remember their dreams. Later in the evening, the deer had come up to feed and we tiptoed out to watch them over the pool fence. While we were admiring them, Jacob said, "I want to shoot one." He is soooo Blevins.
Before we left to go to their place, Neal decided he'd had enough of people commenting on his gray hair. So Jacob had the honor of shaving his head. But he did tell Papa that he liked his beard.

While still in the bathroom, Jacob applied some of Neal's cologne with one of my make-up sponges. While he was playing with it, the sponge tore in half. "Oh, no. I ALWAYS tear things up." Earlier, he had spilled something and remarked, "I ALWAYS make a mess." Then after bath that night I started to dry him off before he got out of the tub. He said, "You have to get me out to dry me, on the rug." I said, "Oh, okay, my fault." He said, "It's not your faut, Nana, it's my faut." Whoa. Gotta work on those self-esteem issues.

Most of the time the two siblings get along pretty well. But occasionally there's a little conflict. Jacob came sobbing to me that "Sissy told me, NO." I comforted him, knowing that he was probably starting to really miss Mommy and Daddy. Later he gave me a huge hug and said, "I LOVE you, Nana. Sissy made my feelings hurt."

Jacob was really excited this morning that we were going to pick up Pierce and Baylor. All the way to school Pierce and Jacob goofed off and laughed and made faces and wierd noises. It's so much fun to watch them interact. Once at school I had three kids to unbuckle and don backpacks, so by the time Baylor was out and ready, Pierce and Jacob were already to the door without so much as a wave good-bye. So I just hugged Baylor and told her to have a good day.

Sunday Morning Circus

With Jeremy & Trista in NYC for a few days, our grand parental duty started this morning. It seems like only yesterday that we were wrestling J & J on a church pew, but somehow I had forgotten how little time is spent worshiping and how much time is spent corralling the kids. Being the planner and organizer that I am, I packed a bag last night with coloring books, stickers, paper, crayons, etc. and even wrote the contribution check so that I would have it ready to tear out and drop in the plate. We were either very brave or very naive by choosing to sit in our regular pew, just a few rows from the front. As we were standing and singing the second of three "stand-up" songs, I glimpsed out of the corner of my eye a blond head peeking out from under the pew in front of us. Neal had noticed at the same time and in unison we each extended our right forefingers and gestured to "come back." Jacob had brought some of his matchbox cars that kept him relatively occupied and Lauren kept busy coloring and writing on the attendance cards from both our pew and the pew behind us (she can be sneaky). Communion time. Uh oh. Miss Prepared forgot to pack any snacks, and at the passing of the bread, both kids were suddenly starving. Papa made a trip to the kitchen to retrieve cookies. Meanwhile, I searched my purse frantically for the check I had so painstakingly prepared the night before, and finally gave in to the fact that I had left it sitting on the kitchen table. Sometimes I think I try too hard. After communion and contribution, I happened to notice that the attendance card that Neal had filled out was still sitting at the end of the pew. Now, I did put a card in the plate when it was passed (in lieu of actual contribution) but I don't think it will be legible. Papa tried taking Jacob to Children's Bible Hour, but no such luck. No big deal...they'll be fine. Shortly into the sermon Lauren decided to start a game of rocking forward on my lap, then leaning back and sticking her pink-tighted legs and black patent leathered feet high into the air and practicing her scissor kick. I'm sure the rest of the congregation were getting quite a show. Midway through the sermon Lauren became restless and after whispering to her several times that we would be leaving soon and go eat pizza, I decided to take her out to change her diaper. Walking up the aisle that was much longer than I remembered, she bellowed out, "OHHHH-KAYYYY!" Snickers were heard throughout the auditorium. I went into the nursery and began changing her when one of the nursery attendants informed me that I had not one, but two spaceship stickers on my toes. Ohhhh, I love and admire and sympathize with all the young mothers out there.

Come Home George!

It's been over a month now since we last saw George. One morning, Neal found Gracie in the front yard and Otis inside the pool fence, but no trace of our "special needs" basset. Gracie has been in mourning and I'm sure she thinks we acquired Otis with the intentions of getting rid of her best friend. Otis has tried his darndest to win her approval, but Gracie remains aloof. We now know for certain who the escape artist was, as there have been no prison breaks since George's disappearance. Meanwhile, Otis' "for-real" owner seems to have forgotten that he asked us to dog-sit for "a few days." He has become a permanent resident at the Blevins' Farm. The "for-real" owner may be shocked if he ever does come to reclaim his paper-carrying, registered Basset Hound and find that we've had him "fixed." So much for stud fees.

We've pretty much given up hope of ever seeing George again, but if you happen to come across a tri-colored, un-fixed, male basset with a prominent underbite, give us a shout. Gracie will be much obliged.

Lazy Lita

Sometimes you just have to take a whole day to do nothing. Rainy days are the best. Today was one of those days. Don't get me wrong, I can make a list of things I DID do today, albeit the list is very short.
1. I made coffee this morning before sitting down to my BSF Bible study. Actually that should've been listed as TWO things.
2. I checked my email and Facebook.
3. I played Word Twist and Pathwords on Facebook.
4. I watched two episodes of Lost, Season 2, Disc 4.
5. I called my Dad to wish him a Happy Birthday...left him a voicemail.
6. I did a load of laundry (Neal's jeans--if I'm gonna do ANYTHING, I want Neal to notice).
7. I vacuumed the bedroom and living room.
8. I sorta watched the Spanish version of the Discovery Channel.
9. I cooked supper for my hardworking husband. (Fried catfish, black-eyed peas and cornbread, fried okra and sliced tomatoes out of my garden.)
10. The "rest of the day" I was engrossed in a blog Janell introduced to me. I'm telling you, once you start reading, you can't stop! Maybe I'm especially interested since her story isn't too different from mine--City Girl turned Ranch Wife. This woman is amazing. Fantastic writer, fabulous cook, gardener, photographer, etc., etc. What is even more amazing is that she lives in Pawnee!!! Who knew? I spent most of the afternoon reading, laughing and crying. Better than a good book, 'cause it never ends. You may want to check it out -- thepioneerwoman.com She is also writing a cookbook to be published soon.

Pre-K

Jacob started Pre-K exactly 2 weeks ago today. Hard to believe he's getting so big. In general, he likes school, likes his teacher, and his teacher likes him. But I think he'd still rather just go to Nana's house, which Carolyn attributes to the fact that his teacher probably doesn't feed him Trix while he watches Spongebob. Only 2 weeks and already he is "learning." The other day he walked into his bedroom and saw his drum set knocked over, to which he exclaimed, "What the h__ll?"...parents' mouths agape in disbelief..."What the h__ll happened to my drums?" Oh, their little brains are just like sponges, aren't they?

Big D

I returned home last night from a girls-only weekend in Dallas. One of my long-time BFFs, Janell, is now working with and has become good friends with my former sister-in-law and forever friend, Mary Ann. Hence, they have also become BFFs. So the three of us took a break from our real lives and headed to Big D for food, fun and shopping. On Saturday we were joined by another of Mary Ann's friends, Leigh, who rounded out our foursome. Janell, who lived in Dallas several years, introduced us to IKEA. Yeah...that's what I'm talkin' about! I think we spent four hours there! We really need one in Sand Springs (the old Walmart/Cheapo Depo building is my suggestion) or even somewhere in Tulsa or OKC would be fine. Leigh had to return to Wichita Falls Saturday night and the rest of us stayed up talking way past my bedtime. But here we are on Sunday morning, rested and refreshed...

If we can't have an IKEA, my next suggestion is "Sprouts". That's where we went on Sunday, much to Janell's delight and my reluctance. We came to Dallas to go to a grocery store? Really? But I did like Sprouts and even bought some walnuts and almonds for Neal and a basil plant for myself.

Today is catch-up day. This morning I vacuumed the pool since I'm closing it tomorrow. I also took an unplanned, unexpected, unintentional last dip in the pool. That pole and vacuum can get away from you fast! Gotta go get my drenched clothes out of the dryer now! Stay tuned for pics of Jacob's first day of school.

Weekend Adventure

This was the first Labor Day weekend in years that I haven't either gone to Kemah, TX or picked Neal up at the airport for a short hiatus at home. Janet and I had discussed the possibility of going camping...you know, actually taking the 5th wheel out for it's original intent and purpose. Neal mentioned that he was thinking of going out west to mow the 40 acres that's in CRP (Conservation Reserve Program). Now, getting Neal to actually make definite "plans" is like trying to nail jello to the wall. I'm usually the planner and organizer and he dutifully follows along. But this time, I decided to leave everything up to him. That was my first mistake. By the time he was ready to start making decisions, it was too late to try to get a camping spot and the Richardson's had made other plans. Okay, I guess it's a good time to head west. Even though my uncle has more John Deers than Old MacDonald, Neal insisted on loading his baby on the trailer and hauling it down I-40. I took along my Spanish CD and planned on doing some practicing and then having a nice siesta on the road. We had barely made it to the turnpike, when the airconditioning changed to heat. That meant open windows, hair-in-the-face, hot & sweaty, and the desperate need for earplugs. By OKC I was in dire need of el agua and managed to yell loud enough to let Neal know that I needed to stop. As we passed El Reno, with parched lips I reminded Neal of my request. We finally pulled over at Weatherford where I bought a large bottle of water and lingered in the airconditioned store as long as Neal would allow. Meanwhile, not only had we not secured a place to stay the night (usually at my cousin Carolyn's, who was away for the weekend) but we really didn't know the regulations for mowing, since it's in a government program. Minor details. We reached our property around 6:30 p.m. and I helped Neal unload the tractor...which looked more like a riding lawn mower on the acreage. I got back in the truck and commenced extracting the cuckleburrs/goatheads/stickers (whatever you like to call them) out of my Old Navy flip flops. The evening air was relatively cool, so I sat with the windows open while reviewing my Spanish. It wasn't long before the ginormous mosquitoes began their attack. I fought a losing battle and finally closed the windows and killed off the last sucker (literally) when Neal came and opened the door (I can't even remember why) letting in a dozen more. I continued to swat until it was too dark for Neal to see to mow. My uncle and aunt gave us shelter for the night, as well as sausage, biscuits & gravy for breakfast, and a huge delicious, farm grown meal for lunch yesterday. In the meantime we started checking around for details about the regulations for CRP. Aunt Don asked if we'd looked it up in the handbook. Handbook? I guess since the acreage was already in CRP when we acquired it, the handbook was lost somewhere in the shuffle. I remembered getting a notice last year that we would have to mow, and when I called to inquire, I was told we had two years to do it. I thought that was sufficient. Not so. After several phone calls to those "in-the-know" we concluded that we could only mow from November to March. Hmmm. Hope they don't notice those strips Neal cut Sunday night. The trip home last night was slightly better than previous. The airconditioning worked long enough for me to get a short nap, then back to the open windows. Neal did some dove hunting and I got to visit with my aunt, uncle and cousin (who returned on Monday), so the weekend wasn't a total loss. And I learned a valuable lesson--not to leave the planning up to Neal.

Quick Update

As you can see, I have a new template. I was looking for something that would allow me to put a big picture at the top and settled on this one. Then I couldn't find a picture worthy of the honor. Maybe soon. My brother-in-law brought it to my attention that it's the same template he and my sister have, yeah I noticed that after I had changed it. I think it's the same as Amy's as well. Sorry for the infringement. But I like it, so I'm keeping it.

Yesterday was a glorious day. First day in awhile that I've felt really good and energetic. I went into the gameroom/guest house/Jeff's storage room to look for something and got a wild hair to start cleaning. Then began hanging curtains--something that I've intended to do for over a year now. The cleaning frenzy lasted most of the day and now my back is screaming for mercy. A dip in the pool felt good. The water was cold--82-84 degrees. Why does water feel colder than air? The temperature yesterday was in the 80's, and felt HOT. But the same temperature water was freezing. Someone explain that to me.

Monday night the grandkids were here and desperately wanted to swim. I warned them that the water was not as warm as their last swim, but after putting their feet in, they were still insistent. I got their swimsuits on, then slipped on the floaties and Jacob yelled "CANNONBALL!" and jumped in. This is something new since Marcia's visit. He is no longer afraid for his face to get wet and is so proud of himself for going under water. He usually comes up asking for a towel to dry his eyes, but sometimes doesn't even need that. He's getting so big! Later in the evening, he began the game of mimicking....repeating everything we said. When his parents came to get them, he started repeating Trista. Trista: "Jacob stop it." Jacob: "Jacob stop it." Trista: "Jacob that's annoying." Jacob: "Jacob that's annoying." I remember Jeremy and Jeff doing that and how it got on my nerves. With Jacob, I think it's hysterical, which I'm sure annoys Trista as well. "Lita that's annoying." "Lita that's annoying."

Spanish class starts tonight. Five of us are enrolled. Should be interesting.

Sweet, Sweet DSL

One of the biggest drawbacks (for me) living in the country is the internet. I love being on the computer, love blogging, facebooking, uploading pictures, playing games...you name it. It has been a frustrating adjustment having to depend on a Sprint data card for "dial-up" access. The signal out here is not the best and it has caused me much stress...I know...I have a really hard life. Last week Alan called me with the best news--DSL is now available in our area! Woo hoo!!! I immediately went online to order it. Tried multiple times, each time getting the message that it was NOT available in my area. I called AT&T MANY times, and each person had a different explanation, but no solution. I plugged in the phone numbers of neighbors to the north, south, east and west of me, all of which either had already placed an order, or were eligible to place an order. So on Saturday I spent all morning with a representative, vowing that I would not hang up the phone until I had DSL ordered. She was finally able to discern that the problem was the new E911 address that had been assigned to our phone number. Hmmm. Available at 5610 but not available at 5578. I convinced her that it was the SAME HOUSE! Wednesday (yesterday), a new phone jack was installed in my office. I had a very busy day yesterday and didn't have time to check it out until late in the afternoon. I was able to connect to the world wide web initially, but when I connected through my router (allowing use of my laptop) I could not connect. I'll try to make a long story short. After several phone calls and attempts, the technicians got me to a point that I could no longer connect AT ALL. Erghh!! My last call (just a few minutes ago) was to attempt getting out of "bridged" mode and at least be able to connect directly to the computer. He said that since I was already in "bridged" mode, let's try it through the router. "Whatever." He had me wire it up again, turn off the modem, restart the computer....yeah, yeah, yeah, like I haven't already tried that. But voila! Immediate connection. Magic! So now I have the desktop purring and can use my laptop as well--at lightning speed--well, at least faster than before. Life is good.

Lunch Packing

I pack Neal's lunch every night for work the next day. It's a chore that I both despise AND take pride in. Neal requires a lot of nourishment to get him through his 10-hour day. And he's quite particular about certain proteins, minerals and vitamins being included in his diet. For instance, yogurt and a banana after his safety meeting every morning, to give him the potassium and calcium needed to sustain him until lunch. One morning, I was out of bananas, but was saved by the fact that the yogurt I packed was "strawberry-banana." Whew! His lunch also routinely includes: 2 sandwiches, natural almonds and walnuts, an apple or orange or peach, and a bag of grapes. Sometimes I will add some watermelon or canteloupe. Lately, we've had homegrown tomatoes from our garden and occasionally I'll include a tomato for him to slice and put on his sandwiches.

My mom and dad were here recently and we were laughing about some of the "surprises" she had put in Dad's lunch over the years. Once, he bit into a sandwich to find the paper label of the bologna still stuck to the piece of meat. Another time, they had leftover barbecue and she packed a bun but forgot to include the barbecue, so he had a dry bun for lunch!

Last night, as we were having dinner, I proudly asked Neal how he liked the tomato I so lovingly had packed in his lunch that day. "Oh, I loved it," he said, "but I wasn't quite sure what to do with the worm that was zipped up in my sandwich bag." Now, the tomato was worm-free, and the sandwich was zipped up tight in the bag. I have no idea how a worm found its way into the bag, but maybe I need to start making sure I have my glasses on when I prepare his lunch at night! Well...he DID say he needed to start adding more protein to his diet.

Zoo Trip

Linda and Marcia are here for a visit. One of the activities on the itinerary was to spend some time with the kids. Since we went to the Aquarium a couple of weeks ago with Grandma and Grandpa Smith, we decided to spend a day at the Zoo...despite Jacob's insistence that "no...we...are...going...to...the...quarium." It was a tiring, but fun adventure that began with trying to wedge the wagon into the back of my Pilot. I was ready to give it up and just rent a wagon at the zoo, but no, Marcia would not accept defeat. After moving Jacob's car seat to the middle row, we were finally able to get the back gate shut and wedge Marcia between the two car seats. It was a good decision as we were able to store ice, juice and snacks for the kids in the wagon. The chimps put on quite a show and all was fun and games until two of the bigger ones began fighting and swinging up to and banging against the window just inches away from us. Lauren was not thrilled with that! One of the last exhibits we saw was the Feather Fest, where we were surrounded by birds from Australia. We were given popsicle sticks with bird seed (we had to convince Lauren it wasn't a snack for HER) and the kids loved feeding the birds. Jacob was very brave and allowed one to sit on his shoulder and peck at his neck and cheek. Fun day!

A Day With Jacob

Jacob didn't want to go to the mean old babysitter (just kidding...she's really sweet) so he spent yesterday with me. It was a pretty typical day. He said he wanted Trix for breakfast, when actually he really just wanted to suck milk through the jack-o-lantern straw that I keep in the front of my silverware drawer. While I did my Bible study, he pulled out the GI Joes and set them all up--army men together, fences in a row, tanks lined up, airplanes in take-off order, all in the organized manner that is Jacob. Soon he was truly hungry and decided on waffles...with butter and syrup which he licked off first before rolling up the waffles and devouring them. I went about cleaning up the kitchen while he made aliens with the play-doh and goop that we had purchased on one of our trips to Wal-mart. We're down to half a bottle of goop, so I mentioned that we may have to buy some more when we go grocery shopping. He of course, thought we should buy a "different" toy, after all there's plenty of goop for 3 or 4 more creative sessions.

Upon arriving at Wal-mart, I headed to "health & beauty" to get some essentials and he reminded me that "the toys are over THERE." Okay, okay, "we have to be patient." I could have had all my groceries bought in the time it took us to decide on a toy. As we were walking down the same aisle for the third time, I tried to make some cheap suggestions. "No, Nana, not that, we have to be PATIENT." No kidding!!! After several of HIS suggestions, to which I nixed because of the ginormous price, we both agreed on some Black & Decker tools in their own backpack. "Nana, I LOVE my tools." Great.

I tried to hurry through my shopping since it was getting close to my lunch time. (I ate breakfast early, not 10:30 like him.) I only bought a couple of things that would not have been on the list were it not for him. He wanted green pop (Sprite), but then saw Elmo Apple Juice. I persuaded him to make a choice--we couldn't buy both--so he reluctantly decided on the Elmo Juice. Then we HAD TO HAVE Cocoa Straws, something I'd never heard of. While paying for my groceries, he saw a miniature Etch-a-Sketch that he wanted. "No, remember, we got the tools." "But I LOVE it, Nana." "Well, maybe next time we come to Wal-mart that's what we'll buy." The bottom lip pooched out, but no tantrum, and out the door we went. He was asleep by the time we got home and I carried him, backpack of tools and all, to bed for an hour of rest.

After naptime, a late lunch of leftover steak and milk with Cocoa Straws. A well-rounded meal, don't you think? A safe 30 minutes later we were ready for a swim. He likes to put his own sunscreen on and applies pretty thick. While I was getting his back, he was drawing in the sunscreen on his belly and said, "Hey Nana, I made a D." Yep, I think he's ready for school.

When Jacob's in the pool, there's no relaxing. There's only playing. I had to sing about swimming in the ocean on this beautiful day at the beach, unaware that there was an octopus or whale or shark sneaking up behind me. He would suddenly latch on to me and I would squirm and flail and splash, screaming for someone to help me. While we were in the pool, Jacob noticed for the first time our RV sitting out in the field. He said, "Nana! You got a trailer?" "Yes, we have a trailer." "I got a idea. You can go wif us to trout fishing!" I think that's an excellent idea.

This is a Test

Tuesday evening, as I was feeding the granddogs, Neal arrived home from work. But not alone. With him was a 7 month old basset hound puppy.....Otis. Now what, in tarnation, possessed him to add to my misery by adding a THIRD dog to this otherwise happy home? He is either testing me, or just doesn't have a clue how I agonize over the well-being of the two uninvited Houdini's of whom I have unwittingly become the primary caretaker. To my relief, Neal quickly made it clear that this was a short-term situation. Some guy at work just needed babysitting services for a few days.

Wednesday morning I went out to check on/feed these critters, and NONE of them were in their yard. OHHHH, WOE IS ME! They had managed to pry the chain link away from the corner of the gate and escape after dark. I jumped in the Pilot and began my usual trek up and down and around 97, to no avail. When I returned, I discovered that Otis had spent the night in the game room with Jeff--he had scratched on the door around 1:00 a.m. Fortunately, around 9:00 a.m. I received a call from one of the regular destinations of George and Gracie, the Davidson residence. (I'll start calling her first whenever they come up missing.) Jeff and I managed to fix the gate (bottom right corner in the picture). I dare not say that it is now inescapable...I've already had to eat my words. I do hope Otis returns to his owner soon, as Jeff is becoming attached. Hmmm, do ya think they would notice if we returned George in his place?

Yes...I Am Crazy, Too!

I have to eat crow today. Yesterday, I commented on my sister's blog titled "Are We Crazy?" about the lengths they go to for their dogs. I don't even OWN dogs, but somehow have taken over the care and feeding of my two granddogs, George and Gracie. Loyal readers of my blog know that it has been a never-ending battle trying to keep them from digging under the fence and gallivanting all over creation. Alan said that when we first moved here a year ago, we were known along 97 as "the people that bought the old Reed place." Then we became known as "the people that fixed up the old Reed place." Now we're more commonly known as "the people at the old Reed place that can't keep their bassets in the yard." Well we think we have finally built an inescapable fence that Neal calls "Ft. Knox." (He says the next step is hiring an armed guard to walk the perimeter of the fence 24/7.)

This morning Neal and I spent almost an hour removing ticks from George and Gracie, who have conveniently rid themselves of their flea & tick collars. I guess it's been close to a month since the last tick treatment. Of course, if they'd just stay in our sprayed yard, we wouldn't have this problem. Anyway....I made a trip into town to purchase more tick treatment and new collars. Mom caught the process on camera, proving that I, too, am crazy. You're not alone Sandra.

Mexico Mission - Day 7...Guadalupe River

Friday, June 27

Slept til 8:00 this morning--YEAH!!!! After a McDonald's breakfast we drove to the Guadalupe River, rented tubes and stepped foot into the frigid waters of the spring-fed river. Some of the "kids" (including Ted and Roger) bought water cannons, just in case some of us didn't get wet enough! <:o Thanks, guys. Parts of the river were slow and relaxing and provided a much needed respite from the past week of labor in the hot sun. However, there were areas that required some maneuvering to stay in the flow, and even a few rapids to conquer. We had a great time and it was over way too soon. The prospects of the long drive home in the van were looming large. After all our "together time", the discussions on this drive were a little deeper and more meaningful than those of seven days ago. We managed to take turns stretching out and getting some sleep and arrived safely home around 11:00 p.m.



True to our vow of knowing more Spanish before our next trip, some of us have already enrolled in a conversational Spanish class at TCC in the Fall. Hasta la vista!

Mexico Mission - Day 6...Cornerstone

Thursday, June 26

This morning we had to be packed, loaded and checked out of our rooms by 7:00 a.m. Our 4th and final day on the job and Lita is STILL WORKING. Incredible! I started the work day with Janet, pounding bent metal bars to be used for wrapping re bar. Not a bad job...we took turns swinging the hammer and found it to be very therapeutic--plus we found a nice place in the shade for our task--BONUS! Janet didn't trust me and preferred hammering while I held the bar...porrrrr que? (That was a "rolling r"...Michelle can't roll her r's....but she can roll her tongue....so can I...we learned a lot about each other on this trip...but I'm rambling...or should I say rrrrrambling...okay, okay, enough.) Just as we were getting a good rhythm going, the whole gang was summoned for "brick brigade." Stacks and stacks of cinder blocks had to be moved from the front of the property to individual piles spaced out the length of the site. The troops lined up and started passing. The job was done in quick order and Janet and I returned to our little place in the shade, only to find someone else had stolen our assignment. What's up with that?! Well, guess it's back to the rock pile for me. That's fine, I've got this job down to an art. It was an emotional moment when Glenn Elliott had the honor of laying the cornerstone.

At lunch, Rick Owens talked to the group and expressed his gratitude for all that we had accomplished. He reminded us that the results of our work, along with many other volunteer groups, and of course, our magnificent God, would endure for years to come. After lunch and many group photos, we headed to the border, which this time was a relative breeze compared to our first experience. Paco met us there with Dewey's trailer and after the luggage exchange, we placed our sights on New Braunfels, Texas. We arrived at Motel 6 very, very late and the girls again allowed me the first shower. They went to mingle with the other young'uns from Ft. Gibson, Dewey and SS and I went to bed! Have no idea when they came back to our room...I just know they were in their beds when I woke up at 8:00 the next morning. (I'm such a conscientious chaperon.)