voicemail

I hate my cell phone. Or I hate cell phone problems. Maybe both. A few months ago my phone stopped taking a charge. It was the first phone I bought "new" in probably 6 years. It was a year old or so, ancient in cell phone years. They go faster than Dog years. I usually just wait for a hand me down from my sisters' or someone. I spent a long time searching on E bay for a phone that would work for my plan, was NOT a smart phone because I don't/won't pay for data on my phone and was inexpensive cause I am cheap like that. I polled friends (well...April) to see if she thought it was a good one and finally decided to purchase my new-used phone.

I liked it! Bright red! Easy to work-I learned my way around it pretty easily. It was the first phone I have had that had a full keyboard. It took me a bit to get used to it but I was really pleased with my new-used phone!

Cayde really liked it too! One day he pretended it was a boat and set it out to sea in the toilet. (For the love of all things HOLY!!!!!) It was about a month old. (Several cell-phone-years old!) *Sigh*

So I went back to square one, searching ebay and sorting though the lame dealers who post tons of phones on ebay from a store to get you to sign up for a contract. We already have a contract! So I found another phone. I hate it. I have had it a couple of months now. It's a smart phone. (Or a really stupid phone.) Everyone else who looks at it agrees. I got a lot of 'Oh just let me look at it's" at first which turned to furrow brow looks and the smart/dumb phone was quickly returned to me.

I am really not the picky about phones. I am always happy with whatever hand me down phone I get. lol. This one has all sorts of weird/quirky/lame (choose your own adventure) features. So....I don't like it. (I also don't like that my mother leaves me mass quantities of voice mails.)

Tonight I was talking to my sister Terah:

Terah: Is something wrong with your phone?

Me: Ummm....my voice mail is full.....? So, yeah if you consider that as something wrong, there is.

Terah: Yeah, you're gonna need to fix that.

Me: Oh, yeah I don't plan to listen to them.

Terah: What? *laughing*

Me: Just text me.

Terah: Well I did just upgrade to unlimited texts.

Me: Excellent!! Problem solved!

Then at her house tonight:

Me: Can I use your phone to call Wayne? (I called and he did not pick up)

Terah: Call Jacob...see if he answers. he didn't answer me earlier when I called him after I called you.

Me: hmm. All of our phones were dead. Oh. Wait. Didn't I talk to you?

Terah: Yeah. you called me back...which is a rare occurrence.

Snarky I tell you! LOL

Anyway, I guess I am rebelling against the man....er...the cell phone.

Also, Cayde is so lucky he is a beautiful child. Cause boy is he a trouble maker!

Childrens

Porter just hopped down from the table where he and Cayde have been enjoying their well prepared snack of fruit cocktail and pronounces quite calmly, "I do not like childrens."

My eyebrows raised just a touch. I couldn't help it. "You don't like children?"

Porter clarified,"Well I don't like one children."

I tried really hard not to chuckle! "What one children do you not like?"

Stabbing his finger repeatedly in Cayde's direction, "I do not like the children, Cayde."

"Oh you don't?"

"He throws things."

He then pronounced he was no longer his friend. We chatted about how of course they were still friends and I was pretty sure he sill liked and loved him. But boy...I can relate.

I don't like childrens (hehe) who make messes.

Days of Daycare.

This lady just walked up and looked right into our big living room window. We made eye contact and she got freaked out. The town home next to us is empty and i figured she was looking, or trying to look at IT.

I chuckled a bit and went out to talk to her and her friend. I invited them in to see the layout. They saw our MASSIVE pile of girls scout cookies and asked to buy some. Yeah!

Porter was down stairs with me and I called Allori down to sell her cookies. She is home sick...again....poor girl. The nice ladies asked if I ran a daycare. Boy does it feel like it! Hahaha. funny, right?

Scavenger Hunt

On Wednesdays we are building a little tradition that I L-O-V-E, love! My lovely husband loads up the car with all three little kids and Jacob and heads to boyscouts. Wayne and the little kids play ball or walk around the church or some such activity while Jacob is in his scout meeting. Meanwhile, mom enjoys the quite of the house.

I relax. I listen to the quiet. I smile a lot. I rejuvenate.

Then my brood comes home and I give kisses, one of them (it was Porter tonight) crawls into bed with me and we cuddle and laugh at the crazy American Idol contestants, and tear up at the ones with a story who want it so badly.

The few perfect moments with Porter tonight will carry me through the hard days this week. He has these moments of perfect serenity. They are few and far between but each one is so precious. I know I was born to be his mother.

I asked Wayne to please go to Wal Mart while Jacob was in his meeting. If I only need an item or two, it really is better for Wayne to go. He (generally) will get the items I need and nothing more. Me? I go into the store for 4 items and load the basket half full. The printer is out of ink and I have some copies to make for girl scouts.

Also, Porter who at one time, not so long ago had a drawer full of undies (no exaggeration, he had over 30 pairs) now seems to struggle to find a pair each day. We do not let laundry pile up so they are not in teh dirty clothes. So odd! I know the sock gobbler gets the socks, but who the heck has thieved 25 pairs of undies? Hmm? Tell me that!

So after Wayne pronounces that he will go to Wal Mart for ONE item, I add undies to the list and socks in both boys' sizes. Four items. I contemplated adding two more items but thgouth 4 was really all I could expect. The man WAS taking all three hooligans into Wal Mart all by his lonesome.

He comes home with 2 items. A package of socks and a package of underwear. He shows me that the socks say 18 months to 3T so technically they should work for both boys. Hmm. OK. No printer ink. Darn it!

This was not a fun game to see if you could do it or a scavenger hunt, where you had the option to stop hunting. Seriously. I needed those things. Second, if the store did not have the item, you might call me and ask a question or two. I realize this violates the I-ask-nothing-cause-I-TARZAN-er-am-a-man rule that you have so committed your life to, and committed to it you ARE! but please...please....

However, the blissful quiet of the evening...somehow makes it all ok! (Thank you husband!)*

Porter immediately asks me to open the undies. It is bedtime so i ask why he would like the open.

"To play with them!"

Of course...I do not know why I even asked. lol

*Not that he will ever read that. But i did thank him in person also. lol

Smart Tart

Today Allori and I went to the cookie kick off for girl scouts. i picked up two of the girls and the others met us there. Now, I am not really a "kid" person. But can I tell you, I just love these girls. They are smart and funny and every single one is cute as a button.

On our way there, Allori was explaining the three ways to spell too (to, two) to the other girls. They were playing a spelling game. So funny! They are five and six. Smart kids I tell ya.

People are being killed.

So this story is super funny. Well it was to me. I am finally getting to, or taking the time to blog about it-you know since my sabbatical is over. LOL

Virginia Beach is a serious military town. We have an exuberant number of military families here. I would wage a guess that AT LEAST 50% of Virginia Beach families have an active duty member of the military in them. Isn't that amazing?

Anyway keep that in mind as I tell my story.

We walk into church a few months ago and sit down. This is an ordeal in itself with 3 children under six. We are getting ourselves settled and were saying hello to a lovely couple behind us when a girl of about 8 walks up to them with a little collection box and says, "I am collecting money for Afghanistan. People are being killed there."

Now, the four adults who heard, all paused-none of us spoke for a moment. the man in the couple behind us reached into his pocket for change and gave her some. She walked away. All of us still looking a little confused....until the wife behind us, who is so lovely and soft spoken says, "Yeah, honey...people in Afghanistan are DYING. If YOU GUYS would stop KILLING them she would not need to collect money for them."

It broke the ice, we all chuckled and made some silly jokes...

It seemed really out of place to have someone collect money for people being hurt in the war FROM people engaged in the war. It struck me as really ironic and a bit crazy honestly.

No one wishes them hurt of course and now that I have had more time to think about it, I am less stunned and can see more the good deed she was trying to accomplish.

Babies

Mothering is an incredible and amazing job. It is an honor.

I have had the fortunate experience of mothering many children.

My sisters are twins and they were premature. One of them came home from the hospital after a week long stay. I can picture the 70's brown rough feeling couch that I was sitting on and I can see the layout of the room, where the small tv sat on a little table. I remember it was a bright sunshiney day when my parents placed that beautiful baby in my tiny four year old arms. As they placed this miniature baby, our new miracle, into my arms, they reminded me that my other sister would be coming home soon. I remember the gigantic smile that filled my face as I held that baby and looking at my parents and said, "One for you and one for me." I felt such a bond with my sisters right from the very beginning.

As life worked out for us, I was very much their caregiver right from the beginning. I still feel, 30 years later that they were my first babies. I feel so proud when they accomplish things and so protective of them. I ache for them when they hurt and I celebrate with them when they accomplish things, birth their babies, and the like much like a mother does.

I have not always been a perfect sister but I have always loved them with a perfect love.

Six years ago, I birthed my first child. That moment changed my everything, as becoming a mother changes every woman. I would forever be a mother from that moment. One can never explain to someone else just how it feels to birth a baby, to know that God created life through you, that your body is so very powerful.

When Allori was a year and a half or so, Wayne and I felt it was a good opportunity to start doing foster care. We had talked at length about it and timing was good. After many hours of training, heaps of paperwork and references from everyone we had ever known and background checks in every state we had ever lived in (I do not exaggerate) we welcomed our first two foster children into our home.

When foster children are delivered to your home, you are generally given very little information and no supplies. These sisters came in the middle of the night. Juliana, the older sister had on a too large pair of sweat pants. Nothing else. Jena had on a diaper and a too large-very filthy t-shirt. It was the middle of the night. They had just been scared out of their wits. Somehow they fell asleep in the police car and I carried them to bed. They woke up in a strangers home. No one told us they spoke Spanish, but not English. The first word that Juliana said to me was, "Bano." (Banyo) She said it several times over the course of a half hour or so. I finally called Wayne and asked what it meant. "TAKE HER TO THE BATHROOM!" LOL

They had a great father. Well. He became great. We knew they would be going home at some point. He worked very hard to learn to be a good father. He became a part of our family. But I tell you, when we packed them up and loaded their belongings into their father's truck, I wept like a baby. After a year, I was their mother. I was the only mother they remembered. The mother they loved. The mother who loved them. I wept. I was sad but I was grateful to have been their mother for a while. And I was grateful that they were going home to a safe place.

Twelve foster children later the knock at the door brought the cutest little curly haired boy ever! We fell in love with him. We never intended to adopt although we were open to it. That was not our goal in doing foster care. We wanted to provide a safe home to children while their parents learned to be better parents for them. We knew with this little boy's history that he very well may be adoptable at some point. He is now a part of my forever family.

Eighteen months ago I birthed my third child. This boy, who I "knew" was going to be a girl has surprised and delighted us (and driven us mad!) every step of the way. After he got home from his four month hospital stay I told him that he had given me my first silver hair and he had scared and worried me enough to last his whole life through and that I expected his toddler and teenage years to be a breeze - that I had already put in more than his share of worry and prayers and such. Fourteen months later I have discovered/remembered that our trials simply prepare us for what is to come. This little tyke will be providing many more silver hairs and promises to give me a run for my money/energy/patience, etc. etc. etc.

A few months ago my sister, Terah had her first baby. My sweet little Porter called Terah's belly by the babies name for months. He would gently hold her tummy and talk to "Madison." When Madi was born I was explaining to him that the baby had come out of her tummy and asked if he remembered when mama had a baby in her tummy?

"Yes."

"Who was in mama's tummy?"

"Porter!"

It was Cayde of course that I was referring to. I absolutely love that Porter thinkt he grew in my tummy. I am sure at some point we will have to address that but for now I love it. I have worried about making sure that he feels as loved as our other children, that he feel just as much a part of this family as every other member. Looks like we are doing ok so far.

I feel so very grateful to be a mother...to be Porter's mother and also to be a mother to these precious babies and to have had the opportunity to mother so many children. It is the most challenging job I have ever had. The pay is terrible but the benefits are to die for.

Thank you, Heavenly Father, for all these babies you have blessed me with.

Sabbatical

So I have been on Sabbatical for the past year. Blog Sabbatical, that is. What does that mean you say? Yeah, i don't really know. What I do know is i have not been blogging. I really don't have any reason. So, I'm climbin' back up on that pony baby!

Christmas was so nice. I was mostly done way ahead of time (other than the midnight wal mart trip the night before Christmas Eve) and thus got to enjoy it much more than normal. We put our tree up mid-November because we were celebrating Christmas and Thanksgiving with the fosters in November. I LOVED having it up so long. I may do that every year! We (Wayne and Allori) started taking it down tonight. That's like 6 weeks of Christmas lights. And everyone knows Christmas lights are mesmerizing and beautiful! Tomorrow night we will go see the lights at the beach and call it a season.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE that we do not just celebrate Christ's birth on a day, but it involves a whole season. He deserves a whole season. More even. :) I love the Savior and am trying to be more like Him.

Merry Christmas everyone! Glad to be back from sabbatical. ;)

Water please.

Porter, from bed: "MAMA!"

Mama: "YES?!"

Porter: "DADDY!"

Mama: "Porter, WHAT DO YOU NEED?!"

Porter: "I NEED WATER!"

Wayne: "What does he need?"

Mama: "Water."

Wayne gets water, goes tot he bottom of the stairs: "PORTER!"

Porter: "YES DADDY? WHAT DO YOU NEED?"

Obviously we ask that a lot. What 3 year old asks, what do you need?" Funny kid.

Popcorn

Trisha: "Wayne, we make such beautiful babies! Look at that baby! He is so beautiful! And Allori...and Porter...seriously Wayne, I think it would be a disservice to the world to not have more babies."

Wayne: "Have you seen the popcorn on the floor?"

Huh.

Beautiful. Messy but beautiful!

Allori

Every baby we see, even on tv, Allori asks, "Is that baby preemie? Cause that baby looks preemie." It's a little funny to me. Funny that she thinks about that with every baby she sees.

I hope there is never an occasion for us to see a baby so tiny as Cayde was again. It was just too scary. I don't think my heart could take it. But if we do, we certainly know some helpful hints.

I love this girl, this child I gave birth too who is smarter and wiser than her years. Little Allori is growing too fast!

Nighttime antics

Cayde has been sleeping in his bassinet in our room all of this time. He has been in it much longer than Allori was. He is the same size at 10 months that she was (isn't that amazing?) but he does not sit up. He stretches out and fills it right up and won't be able to stay there much longer. He will roll right over and look up over the edge to see if anyone is around (pictured) and it is so cute! The bassinet is much to shallow for a sitter so the second he begins to pull himself into a sitting position, the bassinet will be taken down and packed away. So in anticipation of this Wayne set up his crib in Porter and Cayde's room. We put Porter to bed in his twin bed. This is what we found when we checked on him:



The quality is terrible but my camera died so all photos currently are via my phone. Anyway, we found him INSIDE of Cayde's crib, with his jammie pants inside out (they were on the right way when he went to bed) and all of his bedtime stuff was in there with him along with some extra goodies. (Duck pillow, blanket, tractor, books, teddy bear.) He must have thrown his belongings in, one by one, then climbed in. Such a nut!

Dude

My sweet aunt Peggy says that babies are so cute and cuddly so we have wonderful memories and build up lots of love for them so we have that to hang on to when they are teenagers. Funny, right?

I wholeheartedly agree. We need this time, these memories especially when they are two.

This boy tests me!

I must tell you though, that I LOVE LOVE LOVE when it is his time to pray. He is super cute. We can have the toughest day and Porter will pray and it just cheers me right up.

He is still at the age where we need to help him with things to say. My favorits part is when he is praying for a meal and he says, "Please bless this food..." which comes out sounding like, "Please bless this dude...." Hahahaha. Every time it cracks me up! Every. Time.

The sweet times get us through the rough ones, don't they?

Angels and Caravans

The other day I had the worst day ever. From the time we got up if it could go wrong, it sure seemed to. My pain level was quite high that day. In the evening I planned to go to a special Church activity. I nearly talked myself out of going. The day had just been to rough and I was having a hard time even walking (due to pain) and I just did not feel that I was up to it. On the other hand I knew some spiritual uplifting was almost a necessity and would do me really well. So I decided to suck it up and go. It was about a 30 minute drive so I gave myself an hour. I am still learning our new area. I was nearly half way there and driving along on the freeway when I suddenly found myself OFF the freeway. I had not exited and obviously must have missed some sign explaining how to stay on the freeway.

And of course there was not an easy way to get back on. I could only get back on going the way I had come from so I did that and thought I would find another exit to get off and reverse my direction. I choose an exit that also did not have an on ramp for the direction I needed to go. (So weird, this freeway! I called Wayne and asked him to find directions for me online and also stopped and asked a man who did not seem able to answer my question directly.

"Can you tell me how to get back to the 264 toward Suffolk please?"

"Where are you headed?"

"Suffolk."

"There all kinda ways to get there...." (He explained several of them.)

"My directions are from the 264 so I just need to get back on it going toward Suffolk."

"You could go a couple a ways really."

Ok. I speak English right? This was terribly reminiscent of half the conversations between Wayne and I. Please just answer the question I asked...OR tell me you don't know! Heavenly Father gave me no patience. None. This cannot be my fault! I have worked on it and worked on it and continue to work on it....

There are Character Qualities that I have mastered (at times) and Character Qualities I have worked on and been able to alter but some I cannot even touch no matter how much I am aware of it and how much I work on it. Patience is that way for me. It seems very much like my hair color. My hair color is brown. It is what is it. I can curl it, straighten it, keep it frizz free but brown it is! That's how I feel about patience. It truly seems to be a part of me, the lack of patience I mean.

On occasion I do have enough control to pretend. Although this is quite different than actually having patience. But if pretending to be patient is nicer than saying the impatient things that come into my head...well I guess that is something.

The nice man at the gas station directed me to the freeway, although as I pulled out I was still unsure if he was sending me to the freeway or another way to Suffolk. *laughing* Sure enough I reached the freeway.

Times a tickin here people! I knew now that I would be late. I detest being late.

When I was teaching I would drop someones grade if they were late too often or unnecessarily .

My day that was already in the toilet, continued down the pipes.

I thought of turning around and going home rather than walking in late, but again, I really felt I needed the uplifting activity for my emotional well being.

The event was lovely. I sat outside the chapel so that I would not disturb anyone with my tardy entrance. It was wonderful. We had the General Relief Society President from my Church came and spoke to us. There were a lot of woman there and the talk Julie Beck gave was exactly the spiritual upliftment I needed. I was so glad I went!

Because I was in a rush I had only written down directions to get there and hoped I could just follow them in reverse to get home. Do you see where this is going?

All of a sudden I think I have gone too far and passed my turn. But I had not looked at the speedometer so I really had no idea how far I had gone. (I always write how far to go on each road so I know what I am looking for and when. Yeah, hi OCD.) Again I called Wayne and asked for directions. He was having a hard time finding them for me cause I did not have an exact address to give him, just intersections. Finally I pulled over about 50 yards before a light. Some lame person pulled right up behind me rather than going around. So I turned my hazards on to alert them that I would be staying put for a bit.

That's when it happened....

It was very fast.

Across the street a large white truck had screeched to a halt on the side of the road. At the exact same time I heard screeching tires ahead of me and looked toward it. A maroon Grand Caravan had thrown it into reverse and sped backwards at an incredible speed then slammed on it's brakes two lanes over but parallel to me. (You will know for sure I lived in Albuquerque by how my mind thinks now.) My first thought-as I tried to process the white truck screeching and the grand caravan reversing so quickly-was that I could see a shoot out any second. I am sure my heart skipped a beat. (Hello Albuquerque!)

The caravan stopped right by me. I am pretty sure I missed another beat. Window rolls down and the passenger asks if I am ok. My heart started back up and I said, "No I am not. I am trying to get to Virginia Beach via the 264 and have lost my way!"

Driver: "I am going that way. Follow me and I will take you to the tunnel and onto the 264. We will exit before Virgina Beach, but my daughter (passenger) will roll downa window and wave ya on! You just keep on goin'!"

The white truck was apparently circumstantial but the timing was momentarily unnerving!

Just when I thought I couldn't take one more thing...I was sent an angel in a maroon grand caravan.

They did not have to back up, endangering themselves and their car to check on me but they did. They did not have to allow me to follow them and ensure I was safely on my way but they did.

I cried.

It was a kindness I needed. A kindness that I appreciated. It really was touching to me that they would take time to serve someone they did not know. And on that day it meant so very much to me.

Thank you Heavenly Father for my angel in the maroon caravan!

Signed, Sealed And Delivered...

Well, that's not completely true. We did sign a rental agreement today to rent our house out. Yeah! Hoping for the best in that arena.



On Saturday we took Porter to be sealed to us. It was lovely. He was so sweet. He was calm and lovely, which is exactly the spirit of the temple. He looked debonair (see here) dressed in his white tuxedo and it was a lovely and peaceful time amidst the chaos of preparing to move! I am so thankful to have Porter and thankful he is my son.



We left Albuquerque this morning. I won't miss the dirt. (Not even a little.) I will miss my people. There were lots of goodbyes. Some quick ones just cause that is what time allowed. Some sad ones cause that's a pain God gives us when we feel love in a big way. Some non good byes cause some people couldn't be bothered (I think there are multiple reasons for this, but that's another post!) and some good byes there simply just was not not time for. *breathe*



There has not been much time for breathing lately....



We left Albuquerque at 2:30 and made it to Amarillo. (So not quite delivered yet, but on our way!!!) We hoped to make it farther but SURPRISE! Porter got the trots today....poor kid. I think he was mostly freaked out cause his newly potty trained body felt a little out of control. Got him some medicine and some chocolate milk and he was cuddly with me til he fell asleep.



Its been a week I tell ya. We have been so blessed. Good friends. Good Family. Quality people are hard to come by. And I feel that I have an abundance of them. Thank you...thank you for being one of my people....



I have lots to write and lots of thoughts to share but I need to sleep. The next days promise to be trying. lol...

Training

I really should be no stranger to the land of overwhelm. I think it more irritates me than anything.

The other day Wayne and I had a conversation that went like this:

"Um...Wayne, I really have been training you for quite a number of years now...." pause

"Are you wondering when some of that is going to start paying off?"

"Kind of." LOL

*sigh*

The point is this. We can plan everything perfectly but people and situations still happen and we are only in control of ourselves...and honestly..I can't even really control my own self. (haha. I think I am funny!)

We have 4 days til we leave, 5 technically I suppose. The house is a disaster. The more we pack, the worse it gets. Somehow that doesn't seem quite right.

I am enormously grateful that Cayde is ok, but I was nearly knocked dumb when he was admitted to the hospital over the weekend. It was so reminiscent of his early days which ironically seem so long ago. They were so scary. He couldn't breathe well after he was put under anesthesia for a quick tongue clipping, a quick out patient procedure. But Cayde is obviously my son, and won't be doing things like other people..no, he will be taking a step out of the box thank you very much.

My thought process suddenly went from we "are" moving in a week in a half to we "are supposed" to move in a week in a half. We kept on with our plans but obviously he comes first and we did not know what was going to happen. Fortunately he opted to start breathing again and we are good. My heart can't take much more.

Oh! Speaking of hearts...Cayde has a little grouping of holes in his heart called an ASD. The Cardiologist said it should close on it's own between 18 months old and 3 years. he takes 2 meds to help with this. We went for a check-up and Wa-la! They are closed! so stop the meds and no more cardiologist visits. the Pulmonologist recently gave us the same clean bill of health. no more check ups with the Lung doctor which is amazing considering lungs are micro-preemies biggest issue! What a blessing!

(By the way-the reason he wasn't breathing well was because he was getting a cold and we did not know it...so that along with the anesthesia and his small lungs was just a bit much for him. a few days of oxygen helped him through it. Aged his mother, but helped him through! lol!)

Lollipop

There is a commercial, I don't even know what it is for-oh wait I think it's Dell or something, but they play the song, "lollipop." Porter pronounces Allori's name, "lolli," so he was so happy to hear that someone made a commercial just for his sister! It brightens our day each time we hear it!

Holy Stump II

Forgot to mention that they kept joking, as the giant hole was filling up about the new "swimming pool." Porter is 2 and is learning about humor but....he is two. He was getting pretty excited. Big hole...water. This was looking better and better by the minute!

I asked Wayne to stop joking about it after a while. It seemed like a cruel joke to poor Porter who did not understand that it was a terrible tragedy in our yard, not an enjoyable summer activity. LOL.

I hope the fix comes fast. No water in our house is not that fun. Luckily I am somewhat obedient and I do have some water stored. Not enough for baths but enough for other things. :) I will be showering at the neighbors in the morning.

Holy Stump.

(The pictures are terible but both ight I waited until nearly dark to take pictures, not sure why.)

We are trying to work on a few home improvements. Some by necessity and some things we want to make a little nicer on our close to nothing budget. Since we have moved into this house 4 years ago we have had to call Roto Rooter out at least once a year and more recently twice a year so the gigantic cottonwood tree in the front yard that provides half the neighborhood with shade in the summer, sadly...had to go. My strong as an ox brother in law, Craig has been down here working for a few months and he generally helps us with some bigger projects while he is here. Kind of as a thanks for letting me stay with ya deal.

In the past couple of weeks the tree came down. I thought this was the big part. He even cut the wood into manageable size pieces and a neighbor came and asked for the wood so that was helpful to both of us as we needed the wood gone and he uses wood as heat. Excellent. The pieces that were too large for him went to another friend and about 3 truckloads of branches were taken to Soilutions.

I wrongly thought this project was nearly over. I was so wrong. So very very wrong. lol

The stump was left. Now do not get me wrong, I knew this was a big job but I NEVER dreamed just how big both literally and figuratively it would be. Neither did Wayne or Craig.

A few days ago their other brother had a small backhoe for another project so the three of them brought it over and worked for about 4 hours digging both by shovel and with the backhoe. it looked to me like we had a HUGE mote in our yard. I did not understand where this project was going. (I don't do so well with lack of understanding.) Each time I asked Wayne what they were doing he said they were getting the stump out.

Yes, thank you dear. *sigh.*

They dug down about 4 feet and I would say the stump is 4 feet in diameter. They did this after work one day so they id not finish til 9 or 9:30.

At this point I think the guys thought they would wrap a chain around it and hook it up to a truck and pull it out and be done with it. The stump was not interested in this plan. Not the least bit interested. Another day and hours more digging ensued. That's when I asked for help on facebook. (Sorry Roy. lol)

And then there were three. Now at least they could see they were making marked progress.

A lovely neighbor visitor came over and said he had a tractor and could get the stump out for us for $100. At this point they had so much blood sweat (and they probably wanted to cry) invested that there was no way Wayne was paying someone $100 to do it. Nice but notice they did not offer to lend a hand. With a little more muscle power this thing could have been out of there in a few minutes. (So he and his cousin leaned on there car and watched the guys work. it was pretty neighborly. I hope we are not so insensitive and un-helpful to others.)

The stump was totally broken free at this point but we (and I use the term we very loosely. lol) could not seem to get it up over the ledge. Remember this hole is deep and round and big. It is probably 15 feet across and steep, 4 feet deep or so. That stinkin stump would come right up to the top but not over the ledge. One of the pulls almost got it...the one that broke it free....was very exciting!..until...we realized it broke a water main.

That giant hole was quickly filling up with water. I quickly got on the phone to the city where I sat. on. hold. I also went to get another neighbor who is very helpful but has heart problems so can't do a lot of the actual labor.

So then there were four.

Wayne got the water shut off before I got through to the city.

Roy (who is a thinker and was trying to think of how to make it easier) suggested that we get some guys and start on it again tomorrow. More people, less work all around of course. Sounds great to me. My poor husband is exhausted! He headed home and they gave it a couple more tries and low and behold it rolled out! The size of this thing is amazing!

So now we just need to dig in this giant hole to find the broken pipe, figure out how to fix it....fix it....dispose of the enormous stump and get back to our to do list. This was supposed to just be one small thing on the list.

Um...so like i was saying...we need some help with some yard work. lol.

I don't know who this is.

A conversation Wayne and I just had:

The phone rings and Wayne reads the caller ID out loud and then answers it. Confusion shows across his face and he mouths to me, "I don't know who this is."

I whisper back somewhat humored because my husband does not realize he has early onset Alzheimer's, "That's your cousin." ( I say he does not realize because I have a memory issue at times but I am quite aware of this.)

At the end of the call he told me why his cousin called. I had noticed he mentioned the baby and told Wayne his mom must have mentioned the baby because I sent her an announcement. "Who is his mom?"

Seriously?

This is HIS family people. I can't make this stuff up.

I tell him the name of said cousin's mom.

"Why is his last name x if his mom's last name is y?"

Again. This is HIS family.

I wage a guess that this is a second marriage for her?

LOL. Seriously I can't make this stuff up.