Memories are a pain sometimes.

Tears that come with them are a pain anyway. Time goes by so fast, that sometimes I wonder if I'll remember much at all. The kids have played xbox for days now and I'm looking forward to school so I can shut it off for awhile, but listening to them is funny. The names they call each other, the help they ask for to destroy the alien attacking them. It's hard to keep a straight face sitting her typing. Someday I guess I will miss the noise that fills my home right now. But, I have plenty of time for peace and quiet in the future.

My grandma is 90 today and it seems like only yesterday when I was living with her and grandpa. The big sandwiches he would pack for my lunch and the "be careful" look in his eyes every time I left the house. He was always asleep in his chair when I came home, no matter what the time. Grandmas would call from her room to make sure I had a nice time and to say goodnight. Grandma warned me once, with a smile on her face, that if I didn't stop spending all my money they would charge me rent(she would give it all back when I moved out, a forced savings plan.) They never did implement it, sometimes I wish they had. I got paid and then wrote a big check to the Emporium to cover my charge account every month. Nothing in savings after all.

I remember being in Hawaii with them and trying to get grandma into the water to snorkel. The waves kept knocking her down no matter how hard we tried to get in. We finally landed on the sand and sat there laughing. She sent me off on my own and went back to our room for a long nap. What a great trip that was and the memories I will have forever. Thank you grandma for the wonderful experiences that year gave me.

19 years ago last November I left California to marry David and I cried when I left my friends, job and grandparents. It had been a great year and even with the wedding I knew I would miss it and them. Its hard to imagine it has been that long, it really seems like yesterday, except when I look around my house at all the kids and things I've collected since.(way to much stuff.)

With Steven moving I've been thinking about memories. Abby I must admit is going to be the hardest for me. She lights up whenever she sees me and screams "Lisa!" How could you not miss that? Good luck you guys. You will be missed.

But, everyday opens to us an adventure with new experiences to have. Here's to the future and the memories to be made and remembered forever. Cheers!!!

Happy Brithday Grandma!!! 90 today.

Happy 90th Claire Connett. Have a great day Grandma, we love you.

Happy Birthday 90 way to go!

Wow what a racket!!

That is beautiful!!!!!! Don't you all think? Christmas Day night at our house.

Happy Anniversary 19 years, WOW!!!!

19 Years and counting. Wow time really does fly when you are having fun. Heres to 19 more, I love you David.

Snow Snow Snow

Snow everywhere, ice and freezing rain. What a mess, our neighbor blew all our sidewalks, thank you. The rain melted much of the snow to mush and the roads are slick. The Christmas lights around town are beautiful and the snow falling made a wonderful back ground for Christmas. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Christmas at the Peters

Christmas Eve at our home with the family. The weather was iffy, but wasn't as bad as they had expected. We had more food then we could all eat at the table again. We have a frig full of food, yeah no cooking for a few days. My parents sent the big fish, it was full of smoked goodies. The box was huge and light so it kept us guessing. David bought me a Bop-It since we bought one for Bonnie and played with it before wrapping it. Very addictive.

I got to bed at midnight and Zeke woke up the boys in the attic at 1:30 to open their gifts from Santa, I told them back to bed or no Christmas. At 6:30 they could no longer wait, so up we all got. David and I took a nap about 10 this morning.

Parker gets locked up during visits from everyone so he was a bit on edge, but settled down Christmas morning finally to chew happily not even noticing the paper being thrown on him. Rock Band, Guitar Hero and the American Idol game Heidi and Doug sent were all a big hit. All day long we got to listen to the kids yell, I mean sing and play the different instruments.

Another great Christmas!!

Merry Christmas 25th December 2009

Happy Holidays to everyone. I hope you are having a wonderful day. At midnight mass the priest talked about bringing Christ into our hearts, he told a story about a church where the baby Jesus was taken on Christmas. The priest asked for its return at three masses during the day, as he was walking around the neighborhood that night he came to a little boy pulling a red wagon. He told the priest that he had prayed for two years for this wagon and when the priest looked at it closer he noticed the baby Jesus on a pillow. He asked the little boy why he had taken him. He told the priest that he told Jesus in his prayer that he would be the first one to have a ride and that he was on his way to take him back to the church. He closed by saying that Christ wanted as all to take him home with us and to live our lives in peace and love. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 2010.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to you all. Kentucky Fried Chicken here we come, YUM YUM!! The cookies were delicious.

Broken window again!

Sunday morning I woke up to a large crack crawling down the brand new window we had installed two month ago. Stress is going to kill me. Money is just money, I try to repeat that every so many minutes. Friday morning we woke to no hot water. Money is just money. The thermocouple was broken on the water heater. The plumber made it by nine yea!!!! The window people came at 9 and tried to convince me it was something we did. NO NO NO!!! They removed the trim and we looked and the top had a chip right by the crack and there was no glass in the chip, so we are getting a new window in the spring when it is not so cold. So packing tape is on the crack now. YEA!! Stress, I needed to get to the kids concert so Amanda picked me up, David had the keys to my car in his pocket.

Money is just money, it has no meaning then that we give to it. Money is just money. Just Breathe.

Christmas in the county and John going on a mission goodbye.

We went to the Christmas in the county last weekend and had fun exploring the fair grounds historical items. The train was decorated very cute and we discussed the Polar Express and sat and pretended to be on it. The bathroom was a hit, the toilet had the electric cord coming out of it, all the kids thought that was the best. Eliza, JT and I stayed inside where it was warm while the other three took a sleigh ride around the grounds. We decorated cookies and made some really fun crafts.

John Register is off to the MTC and before he left a little going away party was held the same day. Eric brought his xbox and rock band was a big hit with everyone.

Our Lego advent calender

Our Lego City Advent calender this year is looking great so far. Everyday JT wakes up screaming for whoevers turn it is to open it before school so he can see the new item. Today was a fountain. We have ice skaters, snowman, police officer, flower seller and a construction worker with many different pieces for them to use. This is a great idea and JT cannot sneak down and eat all the days like he did when we got a chocolate one a few years back.

Winter blizzard, no school.

We had a large storm, lots of snow and wind. You can't really tell from the photo that the drift is about 4 feet high between the garage and the drift. Lots of snow and now lots of cold. The kids were happy there was no school and we all shoveled out the walks after we found some shovels. They had been playing with them the day before and then just left them laying where they fell and in the morning we couldn't find them. I made them all walk around in the yard until they managed to find 2, the 3rd is still a mystery under the snow. We will find it in the spring. They looked hard when I told them Santa could bring them all shovels if they didn't find at least one of them.

Teenagers, what to do?

Last night Amanda came in the house with our kids, Gunnar and she were steaming mad. She was upset because she was not going to allow him, or the rest to ride in a car that was packed with ten kids and five seat belts and one in the trunk(kid that is). Yes, I agree with her and we had a long talk about seat belts and safety and death. I have to say that I would miss this guy the rest of my life if anything happened to him, especially when I should have just gotten in the cold car and picked them up myself, which I will do from now on.(or David, hopefully David)

We tried to explain it wasn't the driver we were worried about, so much as it was the other umpteen stupid drivers out there. Amanda told them that she loved them too much to see anything happen to them and I feel the same way. Why is it they think they are immortal at that age? You are human and a car crash, even a small one could leave you dead or extremely disabled. Please wear your seat belt every time, every trip.

To all the teenagers out there, please wear your seat belt, follow the rules of the road and do not take more kids then you have seat belts. As parents, we would not make it without you in our lives, you would leave a huge whole in our hearts forever. We love you more then life itself, please be careful.

Banfield Christmas Concert

Mrs. Arneson is the music teacher at Banfield, she is retiring this year and has done 30 Christmas concerts at Banfield during her career and she was even a student there many years ago. When we walked in to get seats we were treated to a video production of her life at Banfield it was fun to see the faces of people that are not much older. She made sure the principal announced that she had nothing to do with the video. That is so her.

Zeke is in 5th grade so he had a part in the show. He announced his shining star and then played a silly part in Rudolph. Cenny played her recorder and JT sung loud and clear. The gym was dark so the photos aren't the best. The show ended with the 5th graders singing, This Little Light of Mine, holding up little flashlights. It was very cute, they do three showings so we were able to get a good seat.

Optional 3rd grade work

In the class I subbed in today one student decided that everything I asked him to do was optional and he decided to not do anything. After going through the card turning and the "NO" he went to sit in the hall on a break, but kept making faces and gestures in the doorway. After lunch and gym he decided that instead of math he would sing loudly at his seat. After a few times of asking him to stop, I marched him down to the office getting more upset every minute. I'm sure I sounded and looked exasperated when I opened the office door and told them I did not want him back. They just smiled and nodded knowingly. Some days as a sub are great and some are not, this was the hardest day I've had so far this year. I've been very lucky. I love specials(gym, special ed., art, music, etc.), preschool and kindergarten. Only problem is I usually get sick a few days after kindergarten, its a germ factory there.

Lie, Why?

I heard a great new song today. I was on my way home from work(3rd grade at Nevelyn today) and the song said "Why lie the truth comes out little by little anyway". You can't hide who you are or why you do things. Sometimes people think they are fooling the rest of us, but they aren't. How true is that? Well it is and I'll fess up to the reason we're not sending Christmas cards this year. I'm too tired is the truth and the idea of addressing and folding all those letters is just too much. Lazy maybe, but with all the other things I have to do I don't have the energy or desire. I appreciate you all, but oh well what can I say. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to You ALL.

Christmas in Bethlehem

Christmas in Bethlehem was at the Methodist church near Ellis. Amanda saw it advertised and so you can see here, this is who went. They had a living nativity, the people inside in front of large windows where there were a camel, donkey and lambs outside. We talked with Roman's, Jews both working and wandering around the town square. The bakery had rolls, hot drinks and honey butter. The kids made toys out of wood in the carpentry shop, pots in the pottery shop, triangles in the metal shop and shoe ornaments in the leather shop. We had the photo taken in the photo shop that was a stretch, but still a very nice afternoon. Music was played by local musicians during the whole thing. We were told we could pick up the photo at church the next day or they could mail it to us. One of Amanda's students brought her the photo. It was refreshing not to have to be in charge of anything or have to stick around the clean -up. Come and enjoy was all I did, what a great activity. It was a nice change from the Santa Clause Christmas. Remembering the true meaning is sometimes hard with all the advertising going on and the lights and gifts everywhere. Thank you Bethlehem Church for hosting such an event.

Ebay Mistake

I was in the basement finding Christmas Items when I came across my gift from Heidi from a few years back, this Han Solo doll. As a kid I always wanted one, but could never find it in the store. I had Princess Leia and Luke, but no Han. Heidi bought me one when they were re-introduced in 1996. I opened a box and there he was in his box looking so lonely. I looked on ebay and ordered this for a companion.(it was cheap) I guess no one else wants one, who knew.

When the box came I was kind of asking myself what I was thinking when I ordered it, but oh well it was here I could now reunite the two in the box in the basement until I figured out what to do with them. I opened the box and this is what I found.

YUCK I don't want this. Hopefully the note I wrote the seller will get this taken care of.

Qatar's Christmas Concert

Ellis had to combine 7th and 8th because of the weather. We had a luau at the elementary until 7:30, but not a problem. When we got there the 7th and 8th grade choir families were leaving and we were able to hear the orchestra and the band for both grades. Dawn took this photo, we can usually never see him, but they had a different seating arrangement. He did a great job. The luau was really fun, the kids and I hula hooped for quite awhile and now I think I want one for home use, who knew I could keep one up for over 20 minutes. My legs ached when we got home, thank heaven for Advil. David, JT and I played bingo and after the umpteenth time we got all the different cards together and played several at a time. JT was a bit up set. He was sure we were cheating in some way, but one of the other kids teacher had three so he said if she had more then one then it was OK. It was beach bingo and they only had six different cards so they had several bingos each round. Mrs. Conway was in the aisle ready to jump when they called the last one she needed. David and she had the same cards so he pushed a chair in front of her to slow her down. Everyone had a great time. If we didn't get all the cards we would never have left the gym, JT was determined to win before we could move on.

Book reviews; Burn, The First Five Pages, and Survivor in Death

This is a great book for telling me I have a ways to go with my writing before it is going to be even looked at my an editor. I've really enjoyed the tongue lashing though, words not to use, phases to leave out and for heaven sake your dialog should sound like real people talking. Did you know that most conversations are not grammatically correct? I really have enjoyed this book and will continue to use the exercises to improve my writing.
Not her best. Lately her writing has been off. Very disappointed, I expected more.
Better then the last one that is for sure. I'm getting a little tired of this series.

Banfield Concert 2009 Zeke and Gunnar

The 5th Grade Banfield Choir and the Austinaries together December 7th 2009. I took this with my digital camera so the quality of the picture isn't great, but they sound good.

Zeke played for his choir concert

Zeke is in the Banfield 5th grade choir and this year he was asked to accompany the choir on one song. Mrs Arneson(is retireing not happy to hear that) said that it has been over ten years since she had asked a student to do that. He did a great job and his singing was great also. The Austinaires joined the choir for two numbers and performed some of their own. It was fantastic to have both Gunnar and Zeke on stage together. My kids love to perform, I have no idea where they get that from.

Hey LURKERS, you know who you are. Leave a comment. I'd love to here from you.