Not Me Monday

Jennifer & my favorite pictures with my parents

Jennifer likes my Not Me Mondays. I think she just likes me to admit that I make mistakes. So, here goes

I didn't have to ask my daughter-in-law what was included in "Spring Cleaning" because ever since I was married we never lived anywhere for more than two years and just never needed to, Not Me

I didn't suggest Jen cut back on Jack's sweets and then give him a chocolate cupcake as soon as he came in the house, Not Me (he loved it so much he was eating the crumbs off the floor faster than Mommy could sweep them up)

I didn't put a Cleveland Browns bib on Wyatt while he was here and made sure I took it off of him for fear it would get "lost" in the Ravens loving household, Not Me

Wyatt in the Browns bib & Brutus

I didn't have to stop Ella from kicking the 70 pound dog only to have her say "but you do it Grams", Not Me (In my defense I was just pushing him aside with my foot

I didn't wash my floors with a new but stained white washcloth thinking the bleach in the water would make it as good as new (it didn't!), Not Me

I didn't chase Ella squirting my new body spray at her on the hardwood floor only to make it a large slippery spot for Tom to "find", Not Me

I didn't suggest to my grandchildren's parents not to hold their babies for naps but laying them down and then hold Wyatt for an hour and a half while he slept, Not Me.

I didn't have to bite my tongue when Thomas was complaining about coaching problems with little league (he's an assistant coach) because in my day I was not the worst parent in the stands, Not Me

Tommy & Charlie

I didn't get disappointed when Charlie skipped out on going to mass with us again this week and then wonder if Thomas was getting into his church TOO much, Not Me

Remember these are all things I wish I would not have done. I sure do give my kids a hard time. Sorry guys!! I love you all more than life itself and am very proud of the adults you have become.

I don't think I like Not Me Mondays. I really don't like me. Geez maybe I should go back on medication LOL

I didn't realize I have so much to say

The two houses I lived in until I was married

I really didn't think my life was so busy. So many things I want to write about since my last post. I started this blog so that I could tell the grand kids stories of my past (while I could remember them) and my present is so full I really haven't had the time.

First I want to just thank Jennifer for the completion of a wonderful Easter. She hosted a perfect dinner and organized a fun filled egg hunt for all three grand kids. It was so relaxing to sit around and just visit at ease. This was all after they and Charlie, Michele & Wyatt went to Easter mass with us. I usually get teary at church but I was so proud and happy all I could do was smile. A great new beginning.

Tom works from home on Mondays and also worked from home Tuesday filing his travel paperwork. He was still so exhausted from the last two traveling weeks that he decided to take the rest of the week off. He was having a lot of pain not only because of the travel but the VA had a shortage of Percocet and would only give him 10 days worth at a time and needless to say with all his travel it wasn't real convenient to drive out there every 10 days. He still enjoys having the grand kids around and he volunteered to have Jack spend the night on Wednesday.

I spent the week going through my parents old pictures and scanning them so that I could take the originals to my brothers & sisters when we visited them over the week end. I only went through the 70's and found only FIVE of me. They enjoyed getting them but my sister in law kept commenting how many of my brothers pictures had his girlfriend in them (they are still friends with her) Here is a picture with Cheryl Ann, Matt & Cookie in 1974 and one with my brother Mark & his 57 ChevyTom and I went to Ohio Friday morning. It was the anniversary of my father's death and I just felt like I wanted to be there. We went out to their local bar for drinks & burgers. Strange thing though the waitress brought my brother Canadian Club (which our mother preferred) instead of his usual Southern Comfort by mistake and an order of breaded mushrooms which no one ordered and were our dad's favorite. For whatever reason it happened it made us smile. On Saturday my other brother and sisters and their spouses came over for a cook out for my 50th birthday which is next month. My sister got me a beautiful leatherbound copy of "A Purpose Driven Life" which I own in paperback and tried to read with some people at work a while back. I I'm really looking forward to getting back to it! It was so relaxing, we ended the night around a campfire. I took the camera with me but it just didn't seem like the right time. On Sunday we went to Tom's dad's church. He and his wife were celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary with a renewal and official exchanging of vows in church since they were married civilly. You can listen to the whole service here http://www.streetsborolutheran.org/audio.htm On a story telling side note when Tom & I were stationed in Germany the first time his parents were still married to each other. When we returned home for a visit a year and a half later they were divorced and each remarried, his brother had met a woman and married her and my parents had moved from the home that I spent most of my childhood. I had two new nieces and a new daughter. WOW. Life goes by too fast. In the two years since my father passed I have two new grandsons & another granddaughter on the way, my daughter and her family have gone to Kansas (Iraq) and have returned home and I have completely changed my lifestyle by quitting my job. My nephew got married, another nephew joined the Air Force and yet another nephew has a new daughter, my niece came out of the closet, another niece is having her second baby and yet another one had a baby yesterday, Jillian, isn't she a cutey!

Here's to all the extra "gravy" Dad!

Spring Break

Watching the fish at the aquarium

Playing Go Fish in the hotel



At the zoo

Room Service (yes, it's ice cream)

What a great week but had I known it was also Spring break . . . I guess we still would have gone but it was crazy with kids everywhere. Anyway, Tom came back from a week in Seattle just to turn around and drive to Georgia for a conference. It looked like fun so Ella and I went along. We took two days getting there and besides the traffic in Virginia which we always have had it was a great trip. Ella and I were on our own to see the sights and we kept busy even meeting a friend that we knew in Kentucky with her triplets at the zoo. We stayed at the Omni Hotel in the CNN building, very hooty snooty but the room was ordinary and to Ella's disappointment the pool was broken. It was a major production to go anywhere since the place was so big and we had to wait for the valet to get the car any time we wanted to go anywhere. We tried walking the first day since we were in the heart of the city but it was unseasonably cold and we weren't prepared (I packed Spring clothes not Winter clothes!). It did warm up when we went to the zoo and we had a wonderful day! Watching a movie with PaPa 3D

"friends" at the hotel

This week end promises to be busy with church and then dinner/egg hunt with the whole family at Jen's house. I missed Jack & Wyatt so much this week, I can't wait to see them but I came home with a horrible cold so I guess I'll just have to sit back & watch. Friday we leave again for Ohio. Tom's Dad & wife Ruth are renewing their vows. They have been married for 25 years and think it's time to get married in a church. Friday is also the 2nd anniversary of my dad's death and I think I'll feel closer to him there. By the way anyone want to buy a condo in Ohio, we haven't sold his yet.

I want to mention a very sweet thing that Thomas did for Tom and I. On my mother's last day she asked my sister to have the song "On Eagles Wings" played at her funeral. It is taken from the book of Isaiah and in part is:

Those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary,they will walk and not be faint.

I use this as my signature on my E-mails. It is also the scripture that Jennifer's school used to take the eagle as a mascot which by cooincidence was also Thomas & Charlie's mascot. Knowing what it meant to me he had sweatshirts made for Tom and I with an eagle and Isaiah 40 31 printed. Thanks Thomas We Love You

Not Me Monday

What a busy week! Tom was out of town and the days were long.

I didn't fall asleep by 9:30 every night after always complaining to Tom because he needs to go to bed so early. Not Me

I didn't stop at The Dollar Store after dropping Ella off at school to get breakfast (an 8 pack of miniature Snickers) Not Me

I didn't go to the grocery store JUST to pick up items needed to make stew for our church's food drive and came back with 3 bags of groceries and missing TWO items for the stew. Not Me

I didn't have to use mapquest to find our church's office. Ella went with me and assured me that we could solve the mystery. Not Me

I didn't go shopping to FOUR stores get things for an Easter egg hunt at Jen's and the only thing I got was a princess dress up outfit for Ella (how could I say no to her it was 75% off!) Not Me

I didn't take Ella & Jack (Jen too) to lunch and paid for Ella to have the buffet but not Jack when Jack ate 3 platefuls (healthy food though) and Ella ate none. Not Me

Wyatt came by too but I didn't do anything crazy. I don't think. He got his three month pictures taken. What a cutie!!

This week Ella and I came with Tom to Atlanta. Here she is at a place called Imagine It. There were plenty of things for the kids to use their imagination on. Here she is dressed up and on a stage singing "the Ariel" song. Tomorrow we're going to the aquarium and Wednesday we're meeting friends that we knew in Kentucky at the zoo.