Kirk and the DR.

So many thoughts and feelings but don't know how to express them all. I have loved watching my Christmas movies and they always make me ponder and appreciate all that I have been blessed with. The other day the Dr. made a home visit to check Kirk. They wanted to get a blood level to check and see if his seizure medicine is where it needs to be. Well, I was so impressed with Kirk. He let the Dr. check his ears, get his blood pressure and even let him draw blood! Yes, you heard it right, when the Dr. stuck the needle in Kirk's arm he just laughed! I was so grateful that he was good. The Dr. was impressed at how well he looks and behaved. I was also grateful that the Dr. made a house call. This helped keep Kirk calm. Thanks Claudia for being their with me. Janet is doing an amazing job with him. He is even cooking his lunches. One of the many blessings of this past year.

Reflections

This week I have been reading a book about my sister Pauline that her children put together. It reminded me of so many events in our lives but most of all how grateful I am for the heritage I have been blessed with. My parents were good and kind and taught us by example. I once wrote a poem about my mother and I think I'll share part of it. The Women I Long to Be I sit and reflect upon my mother, The women I long to be. Serving endlessly for her children, Teaching us right from wrong. Hugging me, welcoming me home after being away for even a day Holding me in her lap, soothing my aching heart Cuddling me as I fell asleep. She is the women I long to be, Leading the music for church meetings, Teaching the love of music by having good music in the home. Sharing her talents with others. Picking up the violin and once again playing it after many years of silence Learning even in the twilight years of her life. She is the women I long to be, Painting a heritage for her children. Studying the scriptures every day and sharing them with us. Never saying anything bad about anyone. Gracious to all around her, Loving all she met. She is the women I long to be. Having faith tomorrow will be better, Living a Christ like life. Instilling in us her children, a love of the Savior. Humble that she could be a mother Going beyond her mortal strength, She is the women I long to be. My Mother! I am grateful for the things my mother and father taught me and pray that in some way I can be a positive influence on those I serve.

My Little helpers!

Whitney and Wilson are big helpers. Wilson loves to do the dishes as well as lick the dishes clean! I don't think he is ever full.

Tonight a coworker and myself were recognized at the board meeting for our work with Reading Recovery students. Our sight was recognized by the national Reading Recovery sight. It is an honor to work with these great students. When they succeed and learn how to read it makes it all worth while. Did I mention I love what I do?

Well November is here and rushing forward. When Halloween is over my mind turns to the holiday season and the reason for these holidays. First, let me say I am very grateful that we have seasons, even though I don't like the winter as much as the other seasons. I wanted to take a few minutes and list some of the things I am most grateful for: 1. My Family: without them, I wouldn't have known pure joy, deep sorrow, happiness, misery, laughter, the healing of tears, and an array of emotions good and bad 2. My faith in the Savior: I know that He has made all things possible 3. A loving Heavenly Father that provides tender mercies everyday if I look for them 4. My health: I can walk, run if I need too, breathe, see and hear 5. My education: I love working with the children and helping them learn to read and write 6. For the beautiful world I live in 7. For my home and the comfort it provides 8. The strength to press forward 9. The wisdom to know what is good and where good things come from 10. For music and the power it has to heal my soul The list can go on and on. Just know that I am grateful for all that I have been blessed with.

Brrrr

Brrrr! Today was the first day I didn't really want to be out helping patrol the area before and after school. I usually help every morning and evening keeping the children safe because of all the construction around the school. My old bones felt the cold today. All I really wanted to do was snuggle up in my blankets and sleep. However, the garage has been so nice!! Thanks Mike for finishing it enough for me to park in there.

Trip

On Wed. I headed over to Sheridan for a Reading conference. I continue to be amazed at how much there is to learn even after 9 years as a Reading Recovery teacher. The conference was very good. I then headed over to Gillette to visit Bryan, Chelsey, Hannah, and Hayden. What fun! I sure enjoyed seeing and playing with those grandchildren. Chelsey, Hannah and myself went and got our hair cut and then splurged and got our nails done. Chelsey made some yummy potato soup and grilled pizza! I ate so much. I came home this morning over the mountain. On Wed. when I left it started snowing on the top, today there was snow on the ground and foggy part of the way but wow was it beautiful. It made me realize how blessed I am to live in this beautiful country. The tress are turning and remind me of how important the cycle of life is. That doesn't mean I am ready for winter! Mike called me last night and chewed me out for not letting him know where I was (he thought I was coming home on Sat. night). It reminded me of some of the conversations I had with him when he was growing up. Turn about is fair play? I really didn't mean to make him worry. It just reminds me of my lack of communication skill. I've got to get better at expressing what's on my mind. Anyone want to hear? I thought not. Well until the next time I want to express myself have a wonderful life.

Spoiled

Well, I think fall has arrived in Lovell. I picked a few more tomatoes tonight hoping to get one last canning done. Nicole and I are thinking about doing salsa. I am now parking in my wonderful garage. YEAH! It sure is nice to open a door and step into the garage and get into my car. I am so spoiled.

House update

As you can see the house is coming along. We now have driveway, a door on the garage, sidewalks and stained brick.

This is the porch Mike added to the back of the house where the old porch use to be. It is so nice to have a covered porch.

This is the brown stain ont he birck that Shawnee stained before she left for school. THANKS Shawnee.

This is the back of my new bedroom and pantry. Mike, Nicole and I put up the siding yesterday and he would have been finished but I changed my mind yet again on how I wanted it finished. The pantry is starting to fill up very fast. I love having a place for my big canning pans and the jars of food I just canned. We moved the freezer into the garage as well. I am so blessed!!

Thanks

I just wanted to thank everyone for your kind words and thoughts this past week. It is hard to believe that a year has gone by sense Kevin passed away. So many thoughts, memories and feelings. I am so grateful for my knowledge of the plan of salvation and for the healing power of the atonement. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think about him and miss his kindness and laughter. However, as time moves forward so do I. I see his goodness and kindness through our children who continue to serve me. I am given strength beyond my own as well as courage to move forward. I know my Heavenly Father is aware of me and my feelings. As the song goes, "He, only He knows". I am grateful for the atonement of a loving Savior and because of this atonement there is hope in things I don't always understand.

Hello everyone, It has been a long time sense I last wrote. Life has been busy around here. To begin the story let me start with Kirk. As of May he no longer was able to stay at the place in Thermopolis. I had to find a group home for him. My desire was to bring him home but I knew I would not be able to do it alone and I would let him get away with more than he should. However, still my greatest desire was to have him closer to home yet still have the opportunity to grow. I had decided to have go to Worland at Big Horn Enterprises after searching for the best place that would fit his needs. In the mist of all the decision I told Mike and Nicole about my desire of having him closer. Nicole took that information to heart and talked to her mom in Washington about starting a business that would allow adults like Kirk to be serviced in Lovell. Nicole got certified to work with clients and her mom moved out here to run the program. I was so excited to think that we could bring him back to Lovell. So as of Sept. 1 Kirk is living in Lovell about three blocks from me. What a blessing to have Janet (Nicole’s mom) and Nicole willing to do this. They will be expanding their program as soon as Kirk gets settled which he seems to be doing. With him moving home a home needed to be provided so Mike and Nicole who had been trying to sell their home made their home into his new home. Janet and Kirk now live there and Mike and Nicole and kids are living with me until they get their new home built. In order for the state program to pay for Day Hab. and residential care he had to be in a home other than mine. Each day gets a little easier for him and he is less confused about what is happening. I went over to see him today and the whole time I was there he kept saying, “go home, go home”. I kept trying to tell him that he was home. Hopefully he will realize he is at home and will settle in. The Day Hab. is across the street in an office building. They did a nice job fixing it up. Nicole’s dad and brother along with his girlfriend were a big help through the whole process. Klete (Nicole’s dad) blocked the new foundation for Mike and Nicole’s new house. He was very busy. I guess the saying goes many hands make light work. I didn’t do too much myself. I think everyone thinks I am too old and can’t do much anymore now that I’ve turned 55. I myself feel that way when my bones start aching. Shawnee moved to Logan in the middle of Aug. where she is attending college (USU) to receive her masters in Human development. She is working hard and is often over whelmed with all the reading and extra things she has to do. She is an assistant to one of the professors so her time is spent helping others. She is playing the organ for institute devotionals once a week. She was in the choir but had to quit so she could fulfill her other responsibilities. She hates being away from the little nieces and nephews. She has grown very close to all of them and they all love her. I am so grateful that she was here for me this past year. She kept me going and kept me from feeling sorry for myself. Her blog: http://iamshawnee.blogspot.com/ Erik and his family live about 4 blocks from us as well. Sariah will be turning 8 in December and is anticipating her baptism. She is now in second grade and loves it. Bekah is in preschool and just turned four. She misses her sister while she has been in school. Sandy still works for the college in their food department. She worked this summer for the game and fish. A job she loves! Erik continues to work at the family’s body shop for his uncle and cousin. With Mike and Nicole living with me I get to see their two little pumpkins every day. It is so much fun to see them grow and learn. Whitney loves to dance and sing. She performs for us daily. Wilson is now starting to rock on his hands and knees. He may be crawling in the next week or two. That should be interesting. He is such a grunter. Every time anyone is eating he grunts thinking he should get some of whatever is being eaten. It is very funny to watch him. Nicole continues to make bows and is very artistic in her creations. Whitney is 2 going on 20 and Wilson is almost 7 months old. Here is their blog address. http://miknicfamily.blogspot.com/ Bryan, Chelsey, Hannah, and Hayden live in Gillette Wy. About 4 hours away. I don’t get to see them as often as I would like. It is partly my fault because I hate to travel and haven’t been there in a while. Bryan works for the city in the water department and is taking a few classes from the community college. Chelsey gets to be a stay at home mom during the day and does some building cleaning on the weekends. She is such a great mom. Hannah just turned 3 and Hayden is 2 and into everything. Here is their blog address. http://cbhendershot.blogspot.com/ As for myself I am learning to take one day at a time. Some days are harder than others but after a good cry I feel better and I am given strength from above to move forward. I have been so blessed in so many ways this past year. Mike and Erik added a garage onto my house with a room on the back. I moved into that room when they moved into the house. The house has changed so much but I love it. You wouldn’t believe it is the same place. During the summer I helped at the family fabric shop. My cousin who runs it had cancer so there were many days she wasn’t able to work at all. We are just so grateful that she is now cancer free (we pray daily that it remains that way). She got me quilting again and I love it but haven’t had the time sense school started and all the moving. Hopefully next week I can get my machine out and get started again. My blog: http://geraldine-geraldinesworld.blogspot.com/ I pray each of you are well and happy. Sorry for the long letter but wanted to catch everyone up on the happenings around here. May the Lord bless you and protect you and your families. Love, Geraldine

This will be my new pantry.

Looking at the pantry from the garage entrance

New bedroom (12'x18') with 10 foot ceilings, two windows,

a nice big closet, and room for storage.

Garage door from the inside.

The door heading from the house into the new part.

This used to be the window on the west side of the house.

Mike putting the new roof on. It is looking great!

Well, tomorrow starts a new school year for me. FUN! I am excited to work with the students but not ready to go back to work. Does that even make sense? I had a busy week with meetings for Kirk, working on the house, going to the temple, working for Carrol and then of course reading and sleeping.

I have sidewalks now! I am so excited. Erik and I worked on putting sheet rock up last night. The night before Mike and I worked on taping my new bedroom. The day before I finished insulating every where. Where do we stop! I now have a hole in the house to the new garage and bedroom. When Whitney saw it her eyes got real big and said, "daddy took out the window?" So cute.

Suggestions to follow when sending your kids to school

I can't believe the summer is over for me. Everyone keeps asking if I am ready to go back to work. Honestly? Not yet! I have to much to do. The garage is coming along but there is still so much to do and so little time. I personally can't do much of it but I have tried to help as much as possible. Anyone out there like to do insulation? Yep, that has been my job. Well, for all you moms out there that will be sending your children to school I would like to make a few suggestions: 1. send them to bed early (six will be fine with me) 2. get them up just before they head out the door but make sure you give them a granola bar and a comb so they can comb their hair and eat at the same time. 3. Have them do there homework when they get home from school this will allow them time to get it done before they have to eat at 5 and bath at 5:30 and then to bed at 6:00. 4. Talk to your children (we love to know what is going on in your life!! I've heard some good ones) 5. Remember to send the teachers thank you gifts (candy is always good!) 6. Volunteer to help (we love to see why the children behave like they do) 7. Call your child's teacher at home and ask why they are getting that low grade (teachers love this!) 8. If you want to get rid of a certain toy send it so school, we will gladly get rid of it for you 9. Remember we love your children (sometimes more than others) 10. Last but not least, forget the above advice and trust us to love your child while they are away from you, we wouldn't be in this field if we didn't love working with the students.

Have you ever had one of those days when you just don't want to do anything? That was my day. However, I did do a few things. Went to the dump. Emptied the trailer. Payed to dump the garbage. ATE Watched Whitney sleep. Handed Mike some 2/6's Climbed up on the roof. Had a sick feeling in my stomach when I climb higher on the roof. (don't like heights!) Climbed down the ladder. Drew pictures for Whitney on the etch a sketch Made salad (twice) Walked around the cemetery Read Sat in my rocker watching Runway and NCIS What a fun, stress less day!

A few of the kids at my house during the reuion.

I have been helping at the shop every afternoon and enjoying the time to get some sewing done. I have made several things. Carrol is teaching me how to quilt! Not sure if I am ready for the big things but have enjoyed the little squares she is having me make. I have made several table runners and table toppers. I sure appreciate her and her talent. I have learned a great deal from her. Her husband and her took Shawnee's stuff, in the shops trailor, down to Logan on Thursday. Erik and Shawnee followed in the car. My house is bare now. I think Shawnee will be leaving the middle of August. She had to rent the apartment now though to have it secured. She is very anxious about having to start all over but I keep encouraging her. I am afraid she is too much like her mother and is a home body. She has enjoyed being with the little ones and will miss them terribly. Our family reunion went great. Everyone of my brothers and sisters and most of their families were able to come. I had a house full. We also had an extended Mayes reunion on the 4th and there were over 200 there. We had almost 100 just with our family. It was a lot of work but worth it. All of my sister Pauline's girls and their families stayed with me. Mike is coming along on the garage. They poured the driveway this week and he has it almost completely framed in. Erik will be doing the wiring next week then I think they will build the trusses over the dinning room area next. I think he wants to get it done by the time they move in with me in September but I don't think it will be done that quick because he can only work on it after his own work. Nicole is starting a new business and they will be using their house as part of the business. Her mother is moving here and they will then start a group home for Kirk and then they hope to build up the business as time goes on. I hope it works out the way they want it too. If all works out we will move Kirk home in September to his new house. Well enough is enough.

Boy how the time flies by. Only one more week of summer school. Shawnee and I have been watching Bryan and Chelsey's little ones. They are so cute. They have done well considering they miss their mom and dad. We finally got the concrete poured for the garage. With all the rain it was hard to find a good day. Don't get me wrong, I have enjoyed the rain because I haven't had to water! However my poor yard suffered from all the truck traffic on it. I now have rivets all over it (hard to mow) but as my dad would always say, "it will grow back!" I did have to move my garden three times so not sure if we will get much from it but I was faithful and planted and replanted it and then replanted so the trucks wouldn't run the plants over. I do love my flowers and plants! (sorry kids) Well until next time. Hopefully it won't take me three weeks to write again. Until next time, chin up and keep pressing forward!

Boy what a week! Sorry this is a long post so beware! School is now out and I think I am ready for Summer School. I sent out the last letters and made attendance cards for all the teachers now to move all the things over to the middle school. We have to have summer school there because they are putting in new electrical and heating in our building. Maybe I won't freeze in my little corner. I went and picked up Kirk from his school. He was finished with his public school experience this last Friday. I jokingly asked the principal of the High school here in town if he was ready for him to walk across the stage. He had know idea what I was even talking about because he never knew Kirk even though he was on their rolls. In a way it is sad that he couldn't be part of the graduating class but then again most of those kids don't know him either. He is moving to a group home in Worland but they are not ready for him yet even though they have known sense Feb. that he was coming. Needless to say I am a little concerned! Thank goodness I have children here at home who are willing to step up and help out when needed. It will all work out in the end. Mike had a crew over here yesterday preparing the ground for my garage. The girls are loving all the dirt! They love digging looking for worms. The furnace man has been working hard and next week he should be finished installing all the duct work. The work is progressing but I messes every where. I get one mess cleaned up and another one appears. I now have the trunk of my car full of bags for Good Will with stuff from last week. I had the living room all cleaned and them I brought all Kirk's stuff home and now have more things to go through. I hope I can make the Billings run soon because I am running out of floor space. I don't know where Kirk got so much stuff but I guess after living in a place for over five years you accumulate things. Well, that is about it for now, until next time when I take time to write have a great WEEK!

Stuff

Well school is almost out and then we start summer school. I always look forward to teaching summer school because it gives me an opportunity to work with a class of students and I get to get to teach math as well as reading. Just teaching reading all day is great but I do miss the math part of it. I will be teaching first grade. There are some cute little pumpkins in that grade. I planted my garden the other night and now my knees are telling me how old I really am (it doesn't help when I sit all day long in front of the computer typing in numbers). Part of my job as reading coach is to keep some of the data from the different assessments we give during the year. I'm not complaining because I do enjoy it. It is fun to see how far the students have come. I saw Michelle Thompson the other day at school and it was good to see her. My nephew Seth comes home from his mission today. How exciting! Looking forward to seeing him. They started on my furnace and air conditioner last week. After cleaning out all my storage places it makes me wonder how I collected all that stuff through out the years. My living room is full of good will things and Mike already took a trailer load to the dump. Now one of the sheds is full of stuff!!! Have a great Memorial weekend!

I was able to go to Time Out for Women this past weekend. What a great opportunity to fill your spiritual bucket. I loved listening to the music of Hillary Weeks and Jenny Oaks-Baker as well as listening to the speakers. I laughed and I cried and felt a sense of calmness, letting go of some of the guilt I have felt for many reasons. I came away with a reassurance of the knowledge I already had that God knows me and is there for me personally. I know we can all feel His sweet assurance not only in the good times but also in the hard times. It was great to share this experience with those I love, Shawnee, Juanita, Nicole, Wilson, Sandy and Lesa. What a great group of women. I wish I could have had all my sisters and daughter (Chelsey, Laretta, Carrol, Claudia, Linda, Gail to name a few) with me. We are having sister's night this week. I hope Carrol will be feeling well enough to come. We have decided to have it at the house so we can feel more relaxed. I sure enjoy these times we have together to love, laugh and cry if we need too. Good opportunity to share and learn what is happening in every ones live. I found we got so busy that we never took the time to talk or see each other so this is our way of staying close together.

Weekend

Shawnee making a wish as she has help blowing out the 31 candles!

Wilson showing his stuff! Whitney trying to get in the bubble with Hannah, Bryan and Chelsey looking on.

Chelsey and Hayden enjoying the WAVES!

Hannah flying through the air. She loved it!

Well, another first is over. I went to the Temple on Saturday to celebrate my anniversary. As I was sitting there thinking about marriage I realized that instead of saying we would have been married for 32 years I can actually say we have been married for 32 years. The (would) needs to be dropped. Well anyway I had a peaceful weekend with my children and grandchildren. We celebrated Shawnee's birthday together. I think we are all tired and were glad for Sunday so we could rest. Bryan, Chelsey and the kids were here. Hannah and Whitney had fun dancing while Hayden enjoyed playing with the TV. Wilson was just cute! Sariah and Bekah had fun playing with the little girls. I can tell you the girls sue loved the water at the water park. Hayden was to tired to enjoy it. Bryan and Mike looked so cute with their little girls in their arms. I think they all had fun.

I love Spring! It seems like it doesn't last long enough or get here soon enough. I rode my bike today to school. It felt good but let me tell you, my legs burned!! It has been a while sense the bike has seen daylight just like my legs. The wind was blowing so it was a little harder to peddle but the air felt so good. So all you Spring lovers enjoy the beautiful weather and remember who you are and who gave us the seasons.

Hannah and Grandma dancing. She has a good shake of her boody. Hayden and his cute little pixy.

Wilson, he sure is growing fast!

Erik, Sandy and the girls Easter Morning

The girls enjoying their easter buckets in Grandma's garden that needs to be plowed. Any takers out there? By the time the girls get it plowed and dug it will be Christmas again.

I'm forever blowing bubbles! Whitney show how talented she is.

Whitney with Bekah and Sariah in the background with their new shades

Sariah, the budding artist. She is drawing her butterfly. I am amazed how good she is.

I hope you had a great Easter. Ours was fairly quite and stress free. I went and had my procedures done on Friday and then we went shopping!! I spent way to much but it was fun to be with Nicole, Shawnee and the kids. By the time we got home we were all very tired. Saturday I started to clean up the yard. Boy what a big job that is. I got tired about 1:00 so went in and cleaned up and did some of my summer school stuff. That evening we had Stake conference and our ward choir was doing the special musical number. We had 16 men and about 14 women. They sounded like angels. I am so grateful for their support because I could not do the job without them. Then Sunday morning we had general session of Stake conference. It was very good. It inspired me to want to do better. The whole time I was thinking about the promises of the resurrection and the blessing of the crucifixion. It amazes me how our Heavenly Father has made it possible for all of us to return back to him. I am so grateful for that knowledge. That afternoon we had a family dinner and then enjoyed each others company. The girls were so cute in their sunglasses. Whitney's matched her little outfit. They all looked so cute in their Easter clothes. I just wish all my grandkids could have been here. I can't believe Hayden will be a year old next month. Wow! where does the time go? On Monday, I had a dentist appointment and got one of my teeth filled. So I had a numb mouth for most of the afternoon. We watched Erik's girls for the rest of the day. I mowed the lawn trying to get all the dead leaves up so I was again very sore and tired by the time I cleaned up. It's a good thing I have work to go back to so I can rest. Well that was my weekend in a nutshell. Hope yours was good also.

New Sewing machine

Yeah! I bought myself a new sewing machine today. Way expensive but I hope it will be worth it. I have sewn the dog feed off my Elna so it was a lot of work to sew. Carrol has been trying to get me interested in quilting so maybe this will help. At least it should give me something to do in the evenings instead of watch TV or be lazy. Shawnee tries to get me out and do things but I like my home and the comfort within its walls.

Well here I am a month later and still not a lot to say. I went to Phoenix a few weeks ago to the Reading conference. I enjoyed the nice weather and learned a few new things. Bryan, Chelsey and the kids came over last weekend for Wilson's blessing so I had all my grandkids home and it was just fun to watch the little ones play. I've been reading a book called Grief Dancers by Susan Zimmermann and realized that there is a lot all of us can write about. So I would like to share one of my stories I wrote about Kirk. Bare in mind I am not the best of writers but thought it would be good for a laugh, so enjoy. Do you like Ring Around the Roses? I DON'T ! It's not that I always hated it, but as the years melt away my dislike increases. Now you may be thinking about how much fun you had as a child playing this silly game. I too had fun playing it. I remember grabbing hands and hanging on for dear life as those in the circle would go round and round. Sometimes your friends would let go but you'd still dance around and around making yourself sick until your all fell down. Maybe that is when my body started to rebel. Needless to say I stopped playing that game years ago, or so I thought! One day while I was in the kitchen trying to make breakfast for the family, I put a pot of water on to boil for oatmeal. I turned to the fridge to get the milk and juice out, just as I started for the milk container my youngest son who is quite big came in from behind grabbing the oatmeal box. I hurriedly put, down the juice and grabbed the oatmeal, trying to get him away from the stove. While I was moving him along he turned and grabbed the juice container and started running for the sink. I raced after him saving most of the juice (at least the amount that didn't spill and go down the cupboard door). As I tried to clean up that mess, He went for the cereal box again. I dashed over there saving the cereal just in the nick of time. While I put that cereal down and checked on the boiling water, he went back after the juice. I hurriedly grabbed it. Next, he was back at the cereal box (I know some are thinking, man she is a slow learner) this time I was no so fast. Out went the box of oatmeal in to the boiling water. Not just some of it bu the whole NEW box! Flames shot out from under the pan as he tried to stir the mess. While I grabbed him away from that mess and tried to put out the fire he grabbed the juice box! Yes, your right, he dumped the whole thing down the drain. Round in circles, to and fro where we stop nobody knows! Are you up for a game of Ring Around the Roses? I DON'T THINK SO!

Possibilities

"The Lord loves each of us too much to merely let us go on being what we now are, for He knows what we have the possibility to become." Neil A Maxwell Wow! This is a powerful statement. When we stop and think about all we can become the possibilities are endless. What can I become? What does the Lord want me to become? I have many dreams of who and what I can become the trick is to do something about our dreams. It reminds me of one of our Hymns. " Wake up and do something more than dream of your mansions above..." What are you striving to become?

OCD Adventures

We woke up to beautiful snow this morning. Lots of it. I was suppose to take Kirk back first thing this morning. I wasn't sure if my car would make it so Mike took him back for me. We had a good weekend, of course we had to go to Red Apple and get cat food (for the cat I don't' have), chocolate mike (which has too much sugar) and sour cream that makes great ranch dressing which he loves. His bag must have weighed 25lbs by the time we got it sipped up. He has been hording (or I would call it his obsessive compulsive disorder) taking over) glue from the school. He must have had 2o bottles stashed in his bag along with four boxes of new crayons. Too funny! Of course these things had to stay in his bag along with the new big bag of cat food, paper bags, a few toys and an old empty can of Chocolate Quick Mix. Now picture in your mind a small flight bag with all these things inside! You got it! Oh how I wish I could know what is going on in his brain. Oh the stories I could tell about his obsessions but enough for tonight. Until my next adventure.

Nice Surprise

Can you see the big red mark on his head? That was from falling out of bed during a seizure. Poor kid.

Whitney giving us one of her looks.

Wilson two weeks old. Isn't he cute. He is really growing. Over 8 pounds now.

When I got home from Thermopolis I had a nice surprise. Whitney was at our house. I love having the grand kids over. Soon mom and baby Wilson showed up, followed by daddy Mike. It as so funny watching Whitney walk on the treadmill. Way funny. Her little legs are so short it looked like she was running some of the time. Then of course her dad had to speed it up just to see if she could keep up. Amazing, she did. She loved it, of carouse grandma is over sitting on the edge of her chair praying she won't fall over on the thing. Thank goodness Mike was right there the whole time catching every little stumble. It makes me think about our Heavenly Father an how he is allowing us to try new things and sometimes we stumble but he is there to pick us back up. I am so grateful He has always been there for me.

It seems like I never have much to say. I have always envy those who can express there thoughts and feelings openly. I have been staying busy for the most part. However, I do feel guilty just sitting in my lazy boy being lazy but at least I am busy. Right? I have an IEP for Kirk tomorrow in Thermopolis. It is suppose to snow but I hope it won't be as bad as when Nicole's dad and I took him back after Christmas. That was a white out in some places. I am just grateful Klete drove us. I am not looking forward to this IEP. It will be his last one with the school system. Now that he is 21 he must move on. I have decided to move him to Worland's BHE. I hope it will be a good move for him. I will go and visit the place before the meeting just to make sure it is the best place for him. I hate making decisions like this for him. I just pray he will be happy and that they will be good to him.

Being a Grandma

Aren't they cute? Where is Wilson?

Sariah and her Hair!

I love being a Grandma! I went over after school and held Wilson for a few minutes. He changes every day. I am so grateful that Nicole and Mike let me come and just hold him. Of course Whitney is always fun to be around. She really makes me laugh. The other day Sariah was over at the house and had fallen asleep in the chair. Her hair is such a mess after she has been asleep so we are always saying you have bed head. When she woke up she came over to me without my saying anything and said, "Grandma, look it's not bed head, it's chair head! " Her hair was sticking out all over. I should have taken a picture of her, she looked so funny but cute. Oh, the joys of being a Grandma.

Update

Well I am back at work and trying to get back into the swing of things. I hate to admit that I was so lazy over the break. I spent a lot of time doing nothing. I felt guilty but not enough to do anything about it. I am grateful the family came so I had a reason to do some cooking. Last week I worked at the fabric shop. It felt good to be doing something. I didn't realize how much I missed working there and seeing different people. I just feel bad I am not as smart or as talented in knowing quilting information like Carrol. She is amazing! I wish everyone could see the beautiful quilts she makes. She has tried to get me excited about quilting but the verdict is still out on that one. Maybe if I had a place to keep my machine up I might be more excited about it. I did some sewing while I worked and I enjoy it. Shawnee and I went and picked up Nicole's mom last night. She is here for the new baby that we are all waiting on. We keep thinking it will be any day but I guess he has a mind of his own and will come when he is ready. So the next time I post we should have a new little one to talk about. I love being a grandma!