Snow and Christmas - I mean Thanksgiving

The snow has returned. We are very happy. We wake up and shovel - OK we have the snow blower - but we are still moving the snow. We go inside and watch it snow some more. Then we get out the snow blower and work again at moving the snow. What a fun Thanksgiving!!
It is pretty!!
I need to teach Dad that this is a broom and not a shovel. Actually, Dad got a new snow blower last winter and never got to use it. This year it is being used. It is bigger than ours and has more power - we still have to use ours.

Snow makes everything look pretty.

So this Thanksgiving was on Friday. Matt had to work on Thanksgiving and it was snowing really hard and the roads were bad and I didn't want him to stress out trying to get home in time for the dinner so we just agreed to have the big meal on Friday. We were going to have Prime Rib but the butcher made a mistake and didn't have our meat ready - he gave us Beef tender loin instead and promised we would not be sorry. We weren't.

Then Dad announced to us that he wanted to give us our Christmas present now. A new dinning room set. He wanted to take advantage of any Black Friday specials that might be out there. So about 10 am on Friday we went shopping. Picked out a new table and Saturday it was delivered.
Solid oak and will seat 10 - just like the old one. Only this one folds to a smaller table when everyone is not around. THANKS Mom & Dad.

Driving a school bus - fun?

First I must clarify two things -

One - I drive school bus for a living - or half a living because that is how much I get paid. :) I only drive grade school kids - that is kindergarten to sixth grade.

Two - My route is half highway stops. Yes, I have to stop other cars on a highway - not freeway - highway - not that they stop. Now that, I am sorry to say is true. (but that is a subject for another blog) But because of safety - the children who get on/off on these stops have a few extra rules they must go by.

1. They must be there when I pull up in the morning - I cannot wait for runners. - Yes, I have driven off when they were soooo close.

2. They must get on quickly and sit in their assigned seat quickly.

3. They must be ready to exit the bus quickly also - we cannot wait while they put on a coat or fix their backpack.

4. For kindergarten, first and most second graders - if your parent - or who ever is going to pick you up - is not at the stop - you must stay on the bus - tell me that your ride is not there - then we do what we must for your safety.

Now for the stops that I only have a few kids get off - it is not hard for me to know if the parent is not there - but I have two stops where 10 to 15 kids get off and I have this rule to help me not miss something.

Now this story is about "Billy". (names were changed to protect the innocent - me) He is a willful child. He is in kindergarten and has an older sister - who is either fifth or sixth grade. Anyway - their stop is at the county line - in a nice wide area - mostly paved -( because the snow plows turn around there) - just off the highway. Billy and his sister actually live in the other county and they catch my bus at this - the closest stop - to their house - which is five or six miles away. So - if their parent is late to the stop - they must stay on the bus. This happens a couple times a week and because we are in a safe place off the highway- we can just wait without any problems. I usually only have to wait less than a minute - and after the car stops - Billy and his sister get off the bus and go home. Billy has had to be told quite a few times to wait till he sees his Mom before he gets off and quite a few times I have had to put my arm out to prevent him from getting off because his Mom was not their yet. No problem!! Until....

One day last week big sister wasn't on the bus. This particular day he wanted off the bus - got out into the aisle and tried to get off - I told him that "No" his mom was not there yet and he must wait - he just stood there - with 10 kids behind him waiting to go to their homes. I then had to instruct Billy to get back into his seat so the other kids could get off. This made him mad for some reason. About thirty seconds after the last child got off the bus Billy's Mom pulls up. I tell him that it is OK to get off now and he does. As he gets off and takes two steps - turns around - and says to me "You are not the boss of me and you are not my parent" Then he sticks his tongue out at me and makes that raspberry noise. (How do you type that?) Then he runs off to his Mom's car.

So, I cannot laugh - I hate moments like this - you cannot laugh or you make things worse. I just pull up to Mom's car and tell Billy's Mom what just happen. After she hides her laughter - she says she will talk to him.

The next day Billy gives me this - and he tell me that yes, while he is on my bus I am the boss of him.
I love parents who care!!!!

Leaves

So there are a few titles that I want to use for this post -' Why Damon, Grant and Darren are glad they don't live at home any more' is the first title . Others are:

Why George is glad he is a son-in-law and not a son.
Why Nathaniel is glad he doesn't live close to his wife's mother.
Why Matthew wants to live in a condo and not a house.
Who said fall was my favorite season?
Oh, that tree is such a good shade tree!!
Who needs Wii fit when you have a tree like this?
How not to spend a day off!!
How to find muscles you never knew you had
Why Matthew is glad he was working when I decided to do this

I couldn't decide - so I just picked - Leaves.

I have half an acre and this beautiful Ash tree is great in the summer and is actually great now because it drops all its leaves in just one week. You don't have to keep going out and raking over and over. It gets done in just one hard days work. But the leaves - this year the tree out did itself. I couldn't believe how many leaves there were to rake up. TONS!!! Don't believe me?

Well, after I raked up all the leaves into one pile around the tree - I couldn't believe how high the pile was - this is the neighbor girl next to the pile - the leaves just seem soooo big.
The pile was so tall that you could only see the very top of the tree and it was to the top of the shop.
Totally scared the neighbors cat - climbed to the top of the tree and just wouldn't move.

My poor tree - looks rather sad without all it's leaves.

I was going to take a picture of all the bags it took to gather all those leaves but I couldn't get back far enough - every picture I took looked like a close up of just a few bags - I can tell y0u it was 1200 bags......honest!! We called the city to help pick up all the leaves and it took 3 garbage trucks and 6 men to throw all the bags into the trucks.

At least that is what my sore muscles think - HONEST!!!

Back to work - and Wii

So I am about to start my third week of work - going back is soooooo hard. Having to go to bed early - getting up early and not having enough time to do everything around the house is just not fun. But I have grown accustomed to eating so I go back to work. Now driving a school bus can be fun - or funny at times. I have the pleasure of driving a kindergarten route in the middle of the day. We bring hove the morning kindergartners and pick up the afternoon ones at the same time. The first week is always fun - with the little 5 years old's telling me they live in the blue house over there - as they point in all directions. Then I love the little one who wants to be dropped off first - "Me next-right?" Learning to take turns is hard. But so far this years all time favorite goes to little Christopher who noticed that I wasn't wearing my glasses. (I have had to wear them to be able to read my list of kids and where they get off) "Bus driver - you don't have your glasses on - don't you think you should put them on?" I told him I didn't need them to drive - only to read and he was totally confused. The look was precious and I assured him that I could drive without my glasses. He has been riding every day so I think he feels safe with my explanation.

So the other big thing in my life right now is - our life style change. Not munching on cookies anymore - carrots are the snack of choice these days. Matt has lost some where around 36 pounds and I have hit the 20 pound mark. I am wearing jeans I haven't been able to fit into in a couple of years. We are buying Matt all new pants. But with school starting and summer ending - I was afraid that without riding my bike - 10 miles, 3 or 4 times a week - that the weight would quit coming off. I mentioned to Matt that I would like to try the Wii fit. He thought it was dumb but surprised me with it one Saturday. We hooked it all up - all by ourselves - and even made little wii mii's. Matt has never been one to like video games but he likes this one. We spend at least an hour playing - whatever - and I am surprised when I sweat.
This is Matt doing yoga!!! The half moon pose I believe.
I never could skateboard and if you saw me try here you would agree that I still can't. But you must notice that the wall behind me has all the pictures of my grand kids on it.
Hula hoop is harder than it looks.
Matthew is a better hula hooper - if there is such a term.

No videos to post of our efforts - still shots are less embarrassing.

Visitors

I have had a few people come and visit me the last couple of weeks.

It was really great to see Liz and Hallie. Matt and I went over to Liz's parents house for an hour or so because we were not sure if Matt would be around to see Hallie - we got a few cute pictures.
Why do grown-ups put things on baby's heads? For cute pictures
Papa Matt with Hallie.
Hallie loves cookies.

Liz was here for her family reunion - so we had to share her. She was able to come over for dinner the Sunday before she went back home. We had everyone over.
Darren was home from Utah. Hallie loves her uncle.
Georgey is helping Hallie stand up. She is such a big girl. Toys are everywhere - grand kids are over :)
Hallie is keeping an eye on that Great Grandma Lawyer. Great Grandma and pa just thought Hallie was a cutie and such a happy baby. Family dinners are always fun.

Like I said - Darren came home for a week- he is my other visitor. But he had a great idea - since Grant took his Corn Hole game with him to Cincinnati - why not make a game for my house? So I agreed to let him build me a game.
I finally remembered to take a picture when he was painting the boards.
Here are the finished boards. You will notice that we painted them different for everyone else. Here you have two separate ponds. One has a dock, while the other just weeds. Each have a few flowers at the base. Why Ponds?
Some place for the ducks to land !! OK rubber ducks don't fly but they do in this game.

Question???? How can two people throw a turn that ends up looking like this - and....
then turn around and throw this???? It took us awhile to remember how to throw this game. I will say on one game - Darren was ahead 19 to 7 and I came up and beat him. Never count me out till the very end. :)

The last night before Darren left for home - Matt, Darren and I had night out in the back yard with the corn hole. Darren skunked us all.

I think you can see how much weight Matt has lost in this picture. He has gone from a 40 to a 36 waist. Not bad!!!! I'm still loosing but much slower. I don't think you can tell in this picture but I'm up to 15 pounds off. That's a little Kevin or Gibson.

Well, that's about it for now - Summers almost over - soon I'll be back to driving the ol' bus. Boy did that time go by fast!!!!!!!!!

Ode to the Raspberry

First a little introduction - This years raspberries are late - a very wet, colder than normal spring, has caused the fruit of the gods to wait. That is OK - since I was in D.C. when they would have normally become ripe. This lateness has brought with it a foe - birds. Birds do not know the proper etiquette for eating raspberries. They pick at part of the berry, never eating the whole thing. Leaving scraps for ME. It is normally the other way around - I leave scraps for THEM. Tonight I was picking the berries and a robin comes flying up and lands - no kidding - about a foot away from me. I start to tell Mr. Robin that these raspberries are mine and that I don't mind sharing a few but would he please eat the whole berry. I actually got that whole sentence out before the very rude bird noticed me and with a start flew off. I just hope he was listening.

Now --- MY ODE TO RASPBERRIES

Raspberry Jam
Raspberry cobbler
Angle food cake with fresh Raspberries
Raspberries in my Cheerios
Just a had full of Raspberries - or two
YUM !!!!

I could go on but I think that says it all - I'll try to freeze some for Christmas - but no promises!!

Weight Watchers

What a name - Weight Watchers - so is that what we all do? Watch our weight? Well, if you are me the answers is yes. I have been watching my weight go up and up ever so slowly for years now. If I was lucky it would go down - a pound or two - and then go right back up. And to be honest it hasn't gone down in over a year. Time to do something.

Now my daughter Cristy is a dietitian. She has been trying to "teach" me how to eat for years. I have been fighting her - why? - because I love fat. It tastes good. Oh, the thought of an Oreo Ice cream sundae just makes my mouth water - and the seams to my pants scream. So I have finally reached the point where I know I must do something about my eating habits. I love my daughter but she is not always available to answer all my questions about food - so I have joined weight watchers. They teach the same stuff Cris has been trying to get me to do for years only their stuff is easier to look up.

I am amazed how bad my diet really was. I never realized how much I ate out. I hope I can stick to a healthier diet now - for the rest of my life.

Now that is not to say that I haven't splurged now and then. When in D.C. I took everyone to "Uno's" a very good Chicago Pizza Restaurant. I would be safe to say that one piece of pizza was my allotted calories for the day. But I haven't been able to eat at Uno's in years. It was great!!! Well, almost great - wasn't quite what I remembered - but it was still good. I felt lousy that night but it was still good. OK - OK - OK - I have learned that when you splurge you do that small also. But Ice cream is another story.

I have also learned something about myself. I am no longer a young woman who can burn off a pizza just by thinking about exercise - I must actually do it!! Aging is just cruel. I used to be able to do so much - now.... well, to give an example. Last week my Father bought 2 and half yards of top soil. For those of you who don't know - a yard of soil is two scoops of soil with a front loader (tractor) . So Dad had the dirt dropped on my front lawn since most of that dirt was for my front yard. That meant that Dad and I had to shovel the dirt into a wheel barrow and then wheel the dirt to the place in the yard we wanted it and dump it. IN 85 DEGREE WEATHER. Not that that made a difference. My Father is 84 years old and he worked circles around me. I kept coming up with excuses - "Dad - time to drink some water" "Dad - let me barrow that rake for a second" "Dad - I'm going to die now, just put the rest of that dirt on top of me"

So, I'm trying to ride my bike again - the weather is co-operating and I've been going out at least 4 times a week. Mandy and I are walking too - when it isn't so hot. Matt and I walk on the week-ends also. I'm getting off the couch.

Oh - just in case you where wondering I have lost 9 pounds so far. Nothing to sneeze at but it is a start. Matt is doing this with me and yes he has lost more than me. Maybe by Christmas we won't mind the kids posting pictures of us on their blogs.

Wish us luck!!!

Troy, Hallie and Washinton DC

I got to go meet Troy. My seventh grand child and a happy one at that. I was lucky enough to be there when he figured out how to smile. He does it very well, especially in the morning.

The first week was just hanging out with some shopping thrown in there. Cris was able to figure out how she wanted to decorate the nursery and we got some material and wooden letters to spell out Troy for the wall. It was just great to be able to get to know little Troy and to spend time with my oldest daughter. Cristy later realized that we had not spent much time together - just the two of us - in many years - I would guess, a good 10 years. Time well spent.
Cristy was a good sport and let her aging Mother have fun. When you have a grandson with so much hair you just have to play. It has been a long time since I have played with my Barbie and Ken dolls - but when you have a real doll - you just have to play. I think the above picture shows Troy a little nervous to what is about to happen to him.
Look out for this bad boy.
But this Moreira has Idaho blood running through his veins. He is one smart boy.
And he enjoys a good joke - or this is when he was getting even with us and he just filled his diaper.
After the first week Papa Matt came and Troy was happy to have one more adult to love him.

Now it was time to show Troy and Papa Matt some of the sights of Washington D.C.
So this is some garden by some museum. I wanted to just show pictures of Troy and say this is Troy at the Air and space Museum and this is Troy outside the White House and so forth but I never really took any pictures while we where acting all touristy.
Then Hallie came. And she brought with her Grant and Liz.
Hallie is a very happy baby. It was great to see Grant and Liz again.
The cousins had a great time too.
Then I had one of those moments when you realize you are turning into one of your parents. This is me realizing that I am becoming my Mother because this is what I saw as everyone walked so much faster than I. We went and saw the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. This was after a dinner at Uno's . Yummy, Chicago Pizza.
Then it was time for Troy to be blessed. A sharp looking boy - all dressed up in his borrowed tux from Georgey and Grayam. The blessing was great - of course - only Nathaniel forgot to press record on the tape recorder - and since he was recording it non of us took notes. But because Grant has an amazing memory along with a few other memories from the rest of us I think they where able to get the blessing written down.
All of us who where there - family that is - the rest of the ward wouldn't co-operate and get in the picture.
Another one of Hallie - cause she is so stinking cute.
The reason for the trip.

The next day was C&N 2nd wedding anniversary - so Matt and I let them go to dinner alone. We watched Troy and well....

I guess the last two weeks caught up with me.

Matt and I left the next day and that was a very hard good-by.

To Cristy and Nathaniel - thank -you for letting us disrupt your lives for two weeks - tell Cesar and Susan thanks for the great dinner - thank-you to Grant and Liz for driving 9 hours so that we could see you and Hallie. Love you all.

Family time is the greatest time!!!

Schools out !!!!

Schools out - schools out - teachers let the monkeys out.......how does that rhyme go? Anyway today was our last day till Sept. 6 or so. Now maybe I can catch up on the yard, the house and my sewing and changing the pictures on the wall and.....why am I glad schools out? Oh yea, no getting up at 5:45 a.m.

So I took Mom and Dad over to meet great grandson number 18. They have 3 more coming this year. For those of you who do not know - Nikki is due in July - Elizabeth is due in September and Claire is due in December. The update on the folks is they are hanging in there. Mom's new hearing aid is working - yea!!!! Dad is going through a weird thing with his right eye - sudden blurry for close vision. We are checking things out Monday - could use your prayers on this one - prayers are always a good thing. Of course Dad is in seventh heaven now that summer is upon us. He gets to be on the lawn mower!!!! He has even been a sweetheart and kept my lawn mowed since I have been busy with work. Too bad that is going to stop.

Otherwise, I have just been bugging Mandy and George - got to see my little Gibson. Of course, in the process I get to play Star Wars with Georgey and Grayam in the process. Great times.

In case you where wondering why all the pink? Thought I would off set all these boys coming into the family - give a little plug in for us girls. Don't worry I'll play later and change things again. It's summer - I can do that now :)

Number 8

My number 8Th grandchild is here!!! Coming into the world at 9:17 am on May 30. A rather fast delivery with Mandy's water breaking at 3:30 am (or so - sometime around there) They went to the hospital around 6 am. I got to the hospital at 9:17 and got to hear his beautiful cry all the way down the hall. He was a fussy baby the first hour but then after a couple of good nurses he settled into a great long nap.



George gets to hold his son. Less than an hour old here.


Such a cute little pout - He really didn't fuss much while the nurse was weighing him and checking everything they have to - he didn't like one of his shots but who does?

Doesn't Mandy look great for just having a baby an hour ago?

Big brothers get to come and see the baby. Wow - the baby is no longer in Mommy's tummy - little - baby very little.

First family picture.

At this point we don't know what little boy Poteet's name is - that information will be coming shortly - I'll edit this post as soon as we know!! Here is my edit --Gibson Anthony is this little guys name - very nice!

So 3 down and one more to go. That is - three grandchildren have come in the last 6 and a half months and one more coming in July. What a great year this is :)