Feb 26, 2010 Eye Makeup

Got some new Almay eye make-up for hazel eyes. I like it.

Feb 25, 2010 Fish Whisperer

Josh got the kids fishies for Christmas and it has metamorphed into a big responsibility for him. He is trying to entice the tiger stripe fish to come eat out of his hand.

Feb 24, 2010 James Dinner

Jon came and got me for this picture. James had decided he was going to fix his own dinner. Grapes, bologne and an apple. He requested assistance with opening a can of black olives.
Jesse wanted peaches. Or rather she wanted to drink the juice.

My independent little ones are growing up so quickly. This is not the first time they have fixed their own meals. Jesse is about 2 years away from being able to cook pancakes by herself. She can mix everything, but cooking on the griddle is not happening quite yet. A few weeks ago she was helping me cook pancakes and I told her NOT to touch the griddle was hot. She looked at me and touched her finger to it. Lesson learned.

Feb 23, 2010 Kisses

She gives the best kisses!

Feb 22, 2010 Ms. Toothbrusher

Jesse loves brushing her teeth. Her finger is hiding a glob of blue toothpaste.

Feb 21, 2010 WEEEEE!

She is just too happy!

Feb 20, 2010 Kitty in the Window

It was a gorgeous day out even with all the snow on the ground, the weather was just beautiful. So I threw open the curtains in Jesse's room and let the light stream in. Then I looked out and saw Guy peeking his head around the garage. I tapped on the window. He is a curious cat and came to investigate. Then J&J saw him in the window and this picture was 2 seconds before James shoved Guy off the ledge into the snow. Guy won't be so easily fooled by these hoodlums again. Momma betrayed him.

Feb 19, 2010 To Catch a Drip

I was messing around with my TV mode on my camera in an attempt to catch a "drip". This was the best one. Not bad. I guess if I knew Photoshop I could really make this picture pop, but until then it stands on it's own as "The Drip".

Feb 18, 2010 Icicles

Feb 17, 2010 Daylight Sleeping

Okay, ignore the mess. But when I am desperate to sleep (7AM-4PM), then I gotta do what I gotta do and if it means hanging towels from the curtain rod and blankets...well, so be it. Jon took this picture because he said when he walked into our room that night, he about busted a gut laughing.

Feb 16, 2010 BUURRRR!

Froggy looks cold. With 10 some inches in a few days, we enjoyed lots of fluffy snow.

Feb 15, 2010 Jon's pictures

I begged and pleaded with Jon to take the camera outside when he and the kids went out to play in the snow since I was working 9PM to 6AM. He did.

Feb 14, 2010 Painting!

Jesse's art on my kitchen floor. See that rinse water? Yeah, washable paint, not so washable after it dries on clothing. Jesse ruined one pair of pajamas.

Feb 13, 2010 Playtime!

A glimpse inside of J&J's room, which was cleaned 18 hours earlier. Jesse has her own room, and has yet to decide to move into it by herself, so they still share.

Feb 12, 2010 Sick

How many sick days do I get on this blog?! I was sickern a dog this day and didn't even pick up my camera. Here is a bonus.

A favorite trip of mine, and an itch I fight every year, is traveling to Texas to visit my dad. My sister lives there, too, so the draw is even stronger. Some of my first memories with my Dad is going target shooting with him. I shoot left-handed because I cannot wink my left eye. It is odd, I know. I'm pretty good, too, even left handed.

Feb 11, 2010 Through the Years

Hmmmmm! From Texas to Ohio, I went to four different schools in my K-12 education. From pariochial, to backcountry public, to in-town public, to the village-public school. Through all those schools I have a handfull of friends and I am thankful for them.

Feb 10, 2010 Working Man

Wednesday, Jon worked early and when he came home it was time for me to go to work. This is him before he ever made it in the house, shoveling off the sidewalk and driveway. He said it took him two tries to get into our driveway in the car. The blazer, which I drive in the wintertime, takes these snow days like a champ and I actually enjoy the challenge in it. Love 4 wheel drive.

Feb 9, 2010 Pink Puppy

I went outside in my pajama pants, fuzzy boots and thermal jacket to catch a few pictures of her playing in the snow. Jesse's princess ball is a favorite of her, as is James giraffe, which she loves to play with both. Even with all the snow, she will find them buried and dig them out to play with them.

Feb 8, 2010 The Look

This is the look Jon gets after he has snapped a hundred thousand pictures of me sitting at my computer, some of which I couldn't even post cause well, he as usual his focus was not on my face. I think there is some theory about when the whites of the eyes come out.... ???

Feb 7, 2010 Fatherhood

Means taking it like a man.

Feb 6, 2010 Funeral

This is suppose to be my picture blog, but today is bonus. We attended Grandma's funeral today and I wanted to put my thoughts someplace. Thank you for bearing with me.


Today I sat next to this man at his wife's funeral. It was during the family viewing and upon entering the room, he collapsed into the arms of his two daughters, Betty and Judy. I stood there with tears in my eyes, feeling the heartache. I felt the love too. To have the love that he and Jewell shared is a legacy. Later, we were sitting together while people visited around us, I was crocheting and I looked up and asked, "Are you doing okay, Grandpa?". I really was expecting the standard reply, the reply given for form, but that isn't what I got. Instead he looked at me and I saw his red-rimmed eyes and he quietly confessed, "I cannot stop crying." All I could do was put my arm around him and hold him and I quietly said, "You go ahead and cry, I'll cry with you." And I did, I sat there with tears falling down my face, the first I had shed today.



I was trying to stay calm and collected, I had my two children that needed mommy calm as I walked them through their first encounter with death in the family. Grandpa got me with four words.



It was a day of family, of visiting, of meeting, of hugging, laughing and crying.



At the end of the day, I was in the kitchen with my mother-in-law, cleaning up the dishes. She mentioned Carolyn. Aunt Carolyn whom we lost three years ago around this time of the year. I told Betty, I had thought of Carolyn today (Carolyn was my favorite aunt) and asked when she had passed. Betty stopped what she was doing and came over and leaned on the sink to look in my face. I paused in my washing and she said, "January 30th, the same day as Grandma."



This is Aunt Carolyn on one side of me and Grandma on the other with Betty on the end, Jon behind and James in my belly. I believe in the power of numbers and when Betty said January 30th, I got chills. Just a few days before while gathering the pictures for Grandma's funeral, I showed this one to Jon and said something to the effect of "I'd be a little freaked out if I was the superstitous type. Does death surround me?"


I don't believe it does. I've always believed I have a strong life force, but I swear to God, if I die on January 30th, this little nugget better make somebody some moola.

Grandma had a beautiful service, elegant casket and family surrounding her today as we laid her to rest. I will miss her. I am so glad I got to know her.


Much Love.

Feb 5, 2010 Love

The story behind this will be over on The Handy Man blog in a day or so.

Feb 4, 2010 Eyes

Yes, she did and I'm sure it hurt pulling it off. The second picture is a bonus cause Jesse put on my mascara claiming "She was getting ready for the day." Where does she get this stuff?!

Feb 3, 2010 Lego

Know what an entire box of Girl Legos will make? Lego House, Clean House Style! Paging, Ms. Neicy! We got foolishness and mayhem Lego style.

Feb 2, 2010 Ma Hair

I got a new hair cut. Jen put the comb on my shoulder and said "It'll be to about here if I cut off 2 inches." Love Jen, cause she did more like 4 inches or so and I love the cut. I am lamenting in this post about the color. See that red? Yeah, it won't go away. So I have a head of many colors and don't know what to do.

Feb 1, 2010 Plugged

The girl got the is brand new jar of Peanut Butter and ate a quarter of it in one sitting.

Paging, Janne! You know you love PB!

Jan 31, 2010 Bike Shopping!

Minus that adorable child on the bike, the hats are so cute! We are shopping for J&J's bikes. They are ready to get "big kid" bikes instead of their tricycles.

Jan 30, 2010 Chores

Friday morning I asked Jon two things 1. pick up Puppy from her spay at 5PM 2. put away the laundry. This is taken at midnight Friday night/Saturday morning. Jon got Puppy, just didn't quite make it with the laundry. He's actually sleeping.

P.S. As I write this it is Tuesday the following week and Jon just put the laundry away yesterday.

Jan 29, 2010 Job

My trip to Cleveland was three days of asbestos training for my Project Designer license. Know how riveting it is to listen to seven men discuss asbestos for 9 hours a day for three days straight?!

My job entails many boring days and then there are other days when I cry "WHY ME?!"

Last week, I got a glimpse above ceiling tiles in a church. A regular part of my job is inspections for asbestos and inspections involve popping ceiling tiles. I was in the MAN restroom of a Baptist church and popped a ceiling tile. Know what came tumbling down, while the pastor was looking on?

Black Pantyhose.

I said, "Nope, no pipes up here. I think we are good in here." Tucked those babies back up there and went to the next room. I heard some scraping and the pastor had gotten back up there to remove that offending garment. See, cause I wanted to know what he would do, so I had left a little black toe sticking out. I knew he would be on that pair of pantyhose like a skinny bitch with knee-high black hooker boots. Peace and Those Crazy Baptist!

Jan 28, 2010 Calm

Margarita and Prego snuggle in the fridge.

Jan 27, 2010 Pretending

Jesse pretending to be asleep after I carried her inside from the car. She had fallen asleep on the way home from Meme's and Papaw's. Girl is getting heavy!

Jan 26, 2010 Christine Feehan

One of my favorite authors when I need gummy bears for the brain reading material. Who am I kidding, I totally only read gummy bears for the brain stuff.