Home, Sweet Home!

Last night when Hubby got off work, he suggested that we take the sub over to the car wash and use the power washer to see if we could flush the mouse out. As we were driving, I kept feeling something like a mouse tail brush across my leg. Since I was driving, I thought we were going to get in a wreck. I had to put my feet up on the seat. This sort of stressed Hubby out a little bit. I suggested that maybe we should just buy a new vehicle. He thought I was acting rediculous. I wasn't! I was dead serious! I told him I also thought we should start looking at buying a new home, or at least a new garage. He suggested that it would be cheaper to buy some mouse traps. I consented to let him try his plan but if I find any more live mice, I'm taking matters into my own hands. This morning we woke to the traps full! I am not going anywhere today because I cannot go out into my garage with those dead things still out there. Of course, removing them is Hubby's "job" because he is so much braver than I am!

Also, I just got the strangest phone call from my insurance agent. He said he was worried about me and the kids and wanted to make sure we were okay and did I need anything from him. I thought this was a little forward considering I'm not really used to recieving phone calls of concern from other men other than my father. After I reassured him that we were fine and honestly didn't need anything from him, he asked how my house was and if there was anything I needed to report to him. I was thinking, "Perfect, I bet they have a policy about mice and how did he know I needed a new house." They don't, but apparently we had an earthquake this morning and there are homes and other structures around here that are damaged. I never felt a thing. Bummer! (My insurance agent now thinks I'm a nut job though! Oh well!)

It's only 10 o'clock! This day is off to a great start! Thank goodness it's Thursday!

Puking, a Puppy, and a Pest!

It seems like I go through blogging spurts. Sometimes I blog almost non-stop and then all of a sudden, I don't have anything to write about. It's not that my life changes from boring to more boring. It's just that sometimes my brain just shuts off.

H is a strange kid. He is a little brute! He has a big, heavy head and he likes to ram into things with it. Then he thinks it's fun, so he'll do it again. If he sits up in bed and hits his head on the wall, he'll think about it for a second and then do it again, and again, and again, until I finally stop him. He thinks it's funny. Yesterday he was eating and he stuck his finger in his mouth and puked up a little on his hand. He didn't know what was on his hand, he licked it, stuck his finger in his mouth again, gagged and puked again, licked it again, and then repeated it all over again. It took me a minute to catch on to what he was doing and then I cleaned him up and he went off to play. A few minutes later when I looked over at him, he stuck his fingers in his mouth again, gagged and puked and then laughed and did it again. He has done this several times since. I have to keep a pacifier in his mouth at all times or he is trying to gag himself. He is a very strange kid!

J wants a puppy really bad. So much so that he becomes very emotional sometimes about how unfair his life is because every boy needs a dog to love. When I load the dishwasher, H has discovered that there is water on the door that he can play in. His new trick is to lick it up off the door. GROSS! Then he took his sippy cup and dumped the water on the floor and then laid down in it a licked it up off the floor. I don't need to buy a puppy! I have a puppy!

Today I went to school to pick the older kids up to take J to get his glasses adjusted while Z had guitar practice. We drive a black sub and J and S informed me that it was embarrassing to have our car be so dirty. It really did need a car wash so after the glasses were fixed, we headed over to the car wash. While we were in the car wash, with the machine washing our car, J noticed a little mouse crawling across our windshield. We had a moment of screaming. Then he climbed back down into the hood of the car and disappeared. I spent the rest of the drive waiting for him to climb up my leg. We had a mouse in our garage a few months ago but we haven't seen him since. We set out some traps but obviously the peanut butter must be frozen because we have not caught a thing. I have swept out the garage a couple of times and every now and then I have found some more mouse tracks so I have been suspicious that we still had a problem. Now I know that we still do. So, my newly washed car is not parked in my garage but is currently parked down the street. I am hoping to freeze that little bugger out of my hood and then when he comes out he will be disoriented and not know how to get back to my garage and then he will go live in someone else's garage. I'm very generous that way with my neighbors.

So, as you can see, not too much out of the ordinary is going on around here. It has warmed up to about 40 degrees though. Could Spring really be coming????

Surprise Baby Shower!

After the Birthday Party (see post below), we sent Deb off to do something really important, not sure what, the boys all went to the church to play basketball, and we changed the decorations to pink and SURPRISE! We had a baby shower. Deb is having a baby in a couple of weeks. She has 3 little boys and now she is expecting her first little girl. Grandma Lowder told us that this little girl is her 91 great-grandchild! We can't wait for her to get here!

P.S. Some Statistics: My Grandparents have 8 children, 5 boys and 3 girls. They have 49 grandchildren, 47 are still living, 24 girls and 25 boys (I think that is right), and they currently have 90 great-grandchildren with 7 more on the way, all living, and Grandma said it was pretty close to half girls and half boys. I think these are amazing numbers. Look how many lives have been directly affected all because over 60 years ago, 2 people fell in love! I belong to an amazing family!

Our journey through the years

Hubby surprised me for Valentine's day and got me a new computer. Then he scanned all the pictures from my previous post and made them into a video. I love it! I think he did a great job, especially since this is his very first video! Thanks Hubby! I love you!

Happy Birthday!

On Saturday, my mom had a birthday party at her house to celebrate all the family birthday's in January, February, and March.

We celebrated Tom's (married to Melanie) birthday, Jeph's (married to Venita) birthday, and Becca's (married to Spencer) birthday.

We also celebrated Brogan's (Melanie's son) 3rd Birthday, Klayton's (Brian's son) 4th birthday, and Henry's (My son) 1st birthday.

And February is also Grandma Wilson's birthday and Saturday was Grandma
Lowder's birthday!

Cali and Mom planned all the food and activities, Brian and Cali painted the whole upstairs, and Brian and Joel were in charge of hanging balloons and streamers! We played silly games and opened presents and had cake and ice cream. It was a very fun party!

Not everyone was able to be there though. We missed Jeph and Venita (had already made other plans), Spencer and Becca and their children (had to work), Lynnette and Neal and their children (live in Indiana) and Kami (on a mission) and Grandma Wilson (still vacationing in Las Vegas). The bigger our family gets the harder it is to pick a date and time that everyone can be to. It was fun to be with everyone who came. We can't wait for the next birthday party in May!

Through the Years by Kenny Rogers

I can't remember when you weren't there
When I didn't care for anyone but you
I swear we've been through everything there is

Can't imagine anything we've missed
Can't imagine anything the two of us can't do



Through the years
You've never let me down
You turned my life around



The sweetest days I've found
I've found with you

Through the years
I've never been afraid
I've loved the life we've made


















And I'm so glad I've stayed
Right here with you
Through the years

I can't remember what I used to do
Who I trusted whom, I listened to before
I swear you've taught me everything I know

Can't imagine needing someone so
But through the years it seems to me
I need you more and more

Through the years
Through all the good and bad
I knew how much we had
I've always been so glad
To be with you



Through the years
It's better everyday
You've kissed my tears away



As long as it's okay
I'll stay with you
Through the years

Through the years
When everything went wrong
Together we were strong
I know that I belonged
Right here with you


Through the years
I never had a doubt
We'd always work things out


I've learned what love's about
By loving you
Through the years

Through the years
It's better everyday
You've kissed my tears away

As long as it's okay
I'll stay with you
Through the years











Since this is Valentine's Week, I've been thinking about the people who mean the very most to me and how we got to where we are right now. I've had this song going through my head all week. I am so thankful for the years that I've had with Hubby and the life that we have created together, for all the things that we have been through that have gotten us to this point and for each of the children who have joined our family along the way. As you can tell from the pictures, some years were definately harder than other but through the years, I have been very blessed.

What a ride....

I watch him as he rises before his alarm,
Another day to get ready and prepare for potential harm.

He gets out of the shower, fresh for the day,
He starts his routine, I just stay out of the way.

I watch as he pulls out his uniform of blue,
He pins on his badge, it looks shiny, but not new.

His name tag, he places perfectly straight in a line.
I watch him with pride, I'm so glad that he's mine.

On goes his belt, with necessary tools, every one,
Handcuffs, baton, extra ammo clip and gun.

He kisses me gently, caresses my face ever so sweet,
I watch him walk out the door and right out on the streets.

I pray each day, as he walks out the door
'Please God, bring him back home to me once more!'

I watch as he comes home, after an extra long day,
Weary and tired, with not much to say

Stabbings, shootings, women tormented by abuse,
There's always a bad guy out there on the loose.

He's out there to protect and serve in his town,
Ever ready to be there when a call comes down.

He is ready to give his life, for another,
Leaving behind his kids, wife, father and mother.

I watch as with pride, I'm reminded once more,
Make every moment special, before he walks out the door.

Author Unknown

We started this ride 7 years ago. This month is Hubby's anniversary month for working for his current employer. He loves his work and we know he loves us. Why do we do this each day? We know that this is where God wants his talents to be used. Serving others. "When Ye Are in the Service of Your Fellow Beings Ye Are Only in the Service of Your God" (Mosiah 2:17) Thanks Hubby for going to work each day. I am proud of you! I love you!