End of school year UPDATES!

OMG...I seriously cannot believe how fast this school year has gone...seems just a few weeks ago, they were all out for Christmas break...where has the time gone??? I'm having a tough time realizing my "baby" is almost 9 yrs. old...just unreal! So...here's a few updates on the kids:

Krystal (age 36):

Krystal is finishing up her second year of college in pursuit of her teaching degree! All the while taking care of Christopher 13 and Sydney 11...Krystal is a very hard worker and a survivor! She is much like her dad in that sense...but she also has an incredible sense of "spirit and soul" and don't let her tough demeaner fool you as she has a very soft spot and a kind heart! She and Rick are going on 3 yrs, but no wedding plans, yet!

Jay (age 34):

Jay and Terez..still going strong for 4 yrs (I think, LOL), but I don't foresee a wedding in the near future or in the future at all...I think they're both content with the arrangement, and hey...they're of age, and whatever works! Jay is still commercial painting (I think he's been with Henderson now for almost a decade)...he is an awesome, awesome painter (hoping to get him to help us paint our house). He's suppose to hook us up with some Rockie's tickets (the bus tour) at least once this summer we'd like to go up with the Sunset B&G bus! Good, good kid...heart of gold!

James aka: Jimmy (age 24):

Well...Jimmy moved home (thanks mom for risking life and limb to fly out to the east coast so we could drive home together, LOL), end of April! It's been great having him home...just wish is was under better circumstances...but needless to say, I'm so happy to have him home, though I know he's itching to move to Las Vegas...I am not fond of that idea...but I have been unsuccessful in trying to convince him to stay here (at least for a while)...so, nothing makes me happier than having all my kids home together!! After a 6 yr relationship with Stephanie (and living in Virginia for 5 1/2 yrs), they are done. Jim does have a year of college under his belt, but doesn't want to pursue it any further...and as soon as he has the means, will be joining his friend Darren in Las Vegas...where hopefully, they will write brilliant screen plays together!

Taylor (age 16):

Oh my...Miss Taylor is sweet 16!! And...in just a few short weeks will be getting her driver's license (how can that be possible)! Taylor has just completed 10th grade and will be moving into "upper classmen" status next school year as a Junior in high school!! She put in a hard year of school and activities...but next year will prove to be even tougher as she has made the Varsity Cheer Squad and will con't her role in Studen Council and Key Club! She's also very dedicated to Young Life and has done many community service projects! Taylor is a great kid with big, big dreams!! She is such a help to me (always has been) and is just a joy in my life!!

Chase (age 12):

Chase, Chase, Chase...how do I love thee?? Let me count the ways!!! Well...just found out the good news that Chase did pass the 6th grade and will move into 7th next school year! But...it has been a hard year! Not only the studies part, but Chase suffered a serious clavicle fracture which required surgery to repair. He also had to have another surgery to have the titanium screw removed as the bone had grown over the washer...so, in a few short weeks, he'll be released by the orthopedic surgeon as "good as new"!! Chase will always be a kid at heart...he has an innocent sweetness about him...but also an ornery deviance about him...but all in all, he's a great kid with a good, good heart!!

Paige (age 8):

Miss Paige, Miss Paige, Miss pretty, pretty Paige...Miss pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty Paige!! A little stroll down memory lane as a little tune I used to sing to her as a baby/toddler...wow, now look at her!! Paige has completed 2nd grade with flying colors...I don't call her our little "Brainiac" for nothing, LOL!! Paige is such a complete joy! She is my little "mommy"...she loves to help me around the house and watches very earnestly as I cook (she will be the future turkey maker, LOL)! She's going into her 3rd yr. of tap dance and is doing wonderfully!! She loves dance and God knows that kid has rhythm, LOL!! Miss Paige will be entering the 3rd grade next school year! Can't believe my baby will shortly be 9 yrs. old...time really does fly when you're having fun...and Paige is fun all around!

So...there you have the six-pack update!!!

18 years ago today, I said "I do" !!!

Hard to believe that it's been 18 yrs since Nolan and I got married, but it has been! Just nice to be married to my bestest friend ever! Nolan made all my dreams come true, that's for sure! We talked to a couple in church this morning who wished us a happy anniversary...and they're about to celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary, WOW...60 years??? We figured if we make it 60 years, Nolan will be 98 and I'll be 87 LOL!!! Hey...I'm going for it!!

Wow...this month is flying by!

Can't believe that it's mid-month already...time for more updates! I am seriously looking forward to Friday (tomorrow) as we have tickets to the PBR Bullriding event in our town. Clay is coming down from Steamboat Springs and he, Tim, Nolan and I are going together. Dinner at Park East first...then the event at 8 pm and possibly a little Tumble Weed as well! We're all staying at the Holiday Inn Express and cabbing back to the hotel. The last few months have been a "little" stressful and I'm ready for some fun!

Saturday is Paige's spring dance recital at 3 pm...

Tuesday, Chase will have to be admitted to the hospital to have his screw removed. The fracture has healed beautifully...but in the process, the screw has become buried in the bone and Dr. H doesn't think he can remove it as an "in office" procedure without causing Chase considerable trauma...so we really have no choice but to do it thru the hospital (thank goodness after 3ER visits and one hospitization, our deductible is met for the year)...but "ouch" the bills are just starting to trickle in.

Taylor made the Varsity Cheer squad!!

And Jimmy...is VERY allergic to shrimp/lobster...and unfortunately we found out on Mother's Day after a nice dinner at Red Lobster...he had a severe allergic reaction and had to be rushed to the ER...and of course, he has no insurance...but...guess they can't squeeze blood from a turnip. Needless to say, it was a frightening experience for all of us! No doubt, Jimmy will never set foot in a Red Lobster or Joe's Crab Shack ever again!

Aunt Elaine had surgery today...a total hysterectomy for uterine cancer. I have not heard from dad yet, so I'll give him a call later.

And tomorrow, I will have to call the salon and tell the receptionist that she is a complete idiot! I called last Saturday to "reschedule" a hair appt. which was set up for May 14th...but because of our plans tomorrow, I needed to reschedule that appt. We went round and round and I had to call back  twice...last phone call we had, I had cancelled the appt. on the 14th...and since Shelby was completely booked up, I rescheduled the appt. for June 17th and was also to be put on the cancellation list in case something came up sooner. Then today, this same receptionist called and left me a voice mail that I have an appt. tomorrow (the 14th)...OMG, this isn't rocket science!! Shouldn't a receptionist know how to cancel and reschedule appts?? I mean, isn't that the basic job?? I have decided that I've had enough of her stupidity and will call in the morning and ask to speak to the owner as I am done dealing with that other person. I will update on how that phone call goes, LOL!!

Uhhh...was trying to stay awake long enough to watch the new episode of Real Housewives of NYC...but I'm fading here, LOL...must get in my beddy-bie!!

Update Time (is it May already?)...

Wow...I can't believe it's May 1st already (the year is almost half over)...April was a busy month with Chase's injury/surgery...Easter...and my trip back east. I'm happy to say that my boy is now home safe and sound...but I'm not sure for how long. His goal right now is to head to Vegas with big dreams...I don't know. We've tried and tried and tried to talk some sense into him, but he's in such a freakin' rush to "do it...and do it NOW".

I flew out to Baltimore on the 21st...spent the night there...had a great evening out with Patti and Herb. Had a nice dinner then they took me to their stomping grounds "Bateman's". The 22nd, Patti drove up and we had lunch and just spent the afternoon together til it was time for my train. I took the train down to Charlottesville, VA...and it was a beautiful 3 hr. trip thru some of the prettiest country I've ever seen. Jimmy met me there and we drove back to Blacksburg. We did stop in Roanoke for about 30 min. to tell Steph good-bye.

Friday (the 23rd) we got up and did a few errands in Blacksburg before we left for home. That first day of driving, we went thru Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky and stopped in Indiana for the night. Saturday (the 24th) we went thru Indiana, Illinois, Missouri and stopped in Kansas for the night. Sunday (the 25th), we left Kansas for Colorado...we pulled into the driveway around 3:30 pm. Nolan and the kids had made a "Welcome Home" sign for us and a bucket of cold beers was awaiting us on the front porch (and let me tell ya...after driving 1600 miles, I needed it, LOL).

It was nice to have that time with Jimmy...but heartbreaking in the same sense. My heart is broken for him...I want to fix it, but I can't. I listened to this song over and over and over and cried:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3SIUoGijoM

I really need to quit listening to it...cause it makes me cry everytime I listen to it. OMG...nothing's worse than feeling your child's pain...

Here's some pics from the trip:

Below are from the Airport park (watching the planes come in), where we hung out til it was time for my train...then a quick pic before my train arrived (taken by Tyler...thank you Tyler LOL):

And these are just a few scattered pics from the drive home. As you'll see, when we got to Colorado, there was snow (no big surprise, LOL) and then we woke up to snow the next day:

This cloud shaped like a heart:

Entering Denver:

Home, the next morning:

Nolan's Birthday BBQ...

Since Nolan's bday fell in the middle of the week, I decided to have his bday celebration on the following Saturday. His older kids came out as did Steve, Ron, Mikey B and T's boyfriend Patty (Patrick)! It was a small get together, but we had a blast! Here's to 56 big ones honey!!

Our Holy Week ordeal...

Well...last weekend, Chase spent the night at Mitchell's house. Apparently they decided to go out during the night for a little fun & adventure. In the process, Chase fell and hit his shoulder on a wood border. When he came home Saturday morning...he told us that he  had hurt himself...so we did the parent assessment, LOL...everything seemed to be in order and we thought that he had probably just "jammed" it real bad. We gave him some Advil and an ice pack and he kind of went on with his day...but by Sunday night...he was holding it real funny and I told Nolan that maybe we should take him in on Monday and get it checked. In the meantime, we had gone up to Canon City to see Dad, and while we were gone, Zoey bit Paige just above her lip. So we came tearing home to find a pretty bad gash and her poor little lip was swollen 3 times the normal size. On the way home from Dad's, I had thought that I might be able to steri-strip it myself, but because it had gone slightly into her lip line (and also because it was a dog bite), we took her up to the ER. She ended up with 4 little stitches (which she was very brave I might add)...she's also on Augmentin for 10 days. So...because it was a dog bite, it had to be reported to the CDC and animal control. AC came out the next day to see Paige's bite. It was classified as mild, but Zoey had to be quarantined (at home) for ten days. We also got a fine because I didn't have a current Rabies certificate (it was just a few months over due, but our vet closed down last summer)...ahhhh joy, LOL!

So...back to Chase. We took him to Urgent Care on Monday afternoon...where it was discovered that he had a complete fracture of the distal clavicle that required surgery. He had the surgery done on Friday...and now looks good as new thanks to a 2 inch titanium screw that's holding his clavicle in place. That will come out between 8-9 weeks (done under a local anesthetic in the orthopedic surgeon's office). He was a real trooper I tell ya...I think it was much harder on Mom and Dad, LOL! The post op xray looked wonderful...Dr. Hansan did an awesome job!! And to our surprise, Rhonda (Pastor Dave's wife and youth minister) was there at the hospital when we got there Friday morning. It was a great comfort to have her there...and she stayed til it was time to take Chase down to the pre-op holding area. Before she left, she said an awesome prayer for Chase.

My dearest friend, Michelle, came and picked up Paige after school and kept her over night so we could concentrate on Chase. She also ran her by the ER to get her stitches out...Gotta love her!!

We got home around 5:30 pm Friday night. It was a rough night...Chase was in a lot of pain...but we finally got it controlled and he was much better yesterday (Saturday) and today! Chase definitely put a whole new twist on the words Spring "BREAK"...Here's some shots of my two troopers:

this is the Before xray:

As soon as we go to his follow up appt, I post the After xray!

Happy & Blessed Easter!!

Hard to believe that it's April already...and Easter has come and gone once again. The Lent season has been quite meaningful to me...I did go the entire distance and never had a beer or even a single sip! Not only did I drop a few pounds from my Lenten committment, but it brought something very tangible to my life...and that is FAITH...

Today was a most special Easter as it was our very first ever Easter Service. We attended the early service at 8 am and it was soooooooo beautiful. The weather was most beautiful as well. After the service, we came home so the kids could do their Easter baskets. They also dyed Easter eggs. Nolan's exwife, Tammy, invited us all over for lunch. It was so delish and it was so good to see everyone. Then we took a ride out to the lake and Nolan showed us our new boat slip. We'll be slipping the boat in a week or two...then home for a quick stop before heading over to Pete's house. His son (and his wife and girls) was there, as was Jack, Sam and Olivia! Pete made an incredible meal (wish I hadn't been so full from lunch)...though I did manage to eat a plate full, LOL!! Then home to relax...some pics to commemorate this lovely day!!

What the Lord has Done in Me

Let the weak say, "I am strong"

Let the poor say, "I am rich"

Let the blind say, "I can see"

It's what the Lord has done in me

Let the weak say, "I am strong"

Let the poor say, "I am rich"

Let the blind say, "I can see"

It's what the Lord has done in me

Hosanna, hosanna

To the Lamb that was slain

Hosanna, hosanna

Jesus died and rose again

Hosanna, hosanna

To the Lamb that was slain

Hosanna, hosanna

Jesus died and rose again

To the river I will wade

There my sins are washed away

From the heavens' mercy streams

Of the Savior's love for me

I will rise from waters deep

Into the saving arms of God

I will sing salvation songs

Jesus Christ has set me free

Hosanna, hosanna

To the Lamb that was slain

Hosanna, hosanna

Jesus died and rose again

Hosanna, hosanna

To the Lamb that was slain

Hosanna, hosanna

Jesus died and rose again