A New Wallet

Yes, it is true. I have finally bought a new wallet. I purchased it yesterday. It is a red leather wallet and is just perfect. With tax, I paid $8.63. So, if it lasts for another 11 years, that will be a cost of 75 cents per year! Talk about a savings!

All summer, I have dropped coins all over town. I have only stopped to pick up the silver ones. I know the sound of them falling to the ground now. ha ha I can tell when the copper hits, so I usually leave it for a bright eyed younster who sees the find as a treasure. It makes me smile to know I made a kid happy to find a penny.

I would show it off, but I still don't have a lens for my camera. I have to sell some things to buy a new one. I am going to the consignment store today. Maybe that will bring in some funds to buy a new lens.

On another note, I should have beach photos to share this evening. I used film, but have ordered a CD with the photos so that I can share them with those interested far and near.

Wish me luck at the consignment store. I hope they take it all, sell it all and give me a check in a month or two!

IT'S A GIRL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My brother and SIL called me, their ultrasound was this morning. They are having a baby girl in January. Her name is Anna Montgomery Murray. Her first name is from Jenny's family and Montgomery is my mother's maiden name. I think it is a beautiful name and I can't wait to see her one day.

Now time to plan a baby shower!!!

The sound of Waves Crashing

This is what I hear right now. I am sitting on the balcony of the condo, drinking coffee (the kind Mrs. B makes - decaf though) and listening to the waves. It is absoloutely wonderful. We have had a great day - the kids have talked A LOT and they thought we would never get here. Put those two things together and imagine what we have heard today. We played in the sand, swam in the pool and cooked out for dinner. We plan to grill each night that we are here. Mmm....it was good. The condo is great, beautifully decorated.

The kids wish Aunt Angie were already here. We are only their transportation to the fun things in life. We aren't the fun in life. Slowly I am accepting this fact. ha ha

Well, I should get back inside and leave the waves for now. Finally, I am here...

Scary morning...

Mark called me today after he dropped the kids off. As he was driving to our friends' house to drop B off, he noticed sparks & smoke at the top of a power pole. He went through the intersection unharmed. Later he realized that a tree was falling into the intersection, pulling the power lines down with it. He commented that if he & the kids had been 5-10 seconds later, it would have most likely fallen on the car. I do not want to begin to think about what could have happened at that time. I am thankful I do not have to think on those things today. I am thankful that they were protected from harm during their morning routine.

Orange Beach

We leave in 6 days for a trip to the beach. I couldn't be more ready than I am now. I have so many things already together. The sand toys are in their mesh bag, draw string pulled tight, ready to go into the van. Beach/pool towels are stacked up in the closet and on our bedroom floor - ready to go. We have our menu prepared, although this may change a big. I hope to get most everything gathered together this weekend, food shopping done - may even join Sam's wholesale club - and have it all ready on Tuesday evening. Mark has a meeting on Wed. morning, but as soon as he is done there, I want the navy blue Odyssey to pull out of town on I-85. I can already smell and feel the air of Orange Beach. The extra heat of the sun that I feel as I am 3 hours closer to the equator than I am here at home; the peaceful sounds of the gulf slapping the sand - yes this slap is peaceful; the sand between our toes; the evening wind that blows as the sun sets; enjoying evenings with family; playing board games and card games with the kids; outlet shopping...all of these things fuel my excitement.

I hope to have a camera lens by the trip so that I can take photos of the kids end of summer trip. The middle chunk of the summer has been captured on our Pentax 35mm film camera. I now have 6 rolls of film that need to be developed...one day that will be done. My Nikon D40x is screaming for my attention from the chest in our bedroom. It sits on the top of the shelf with the lonely camera/lens cap covering the space that the lens would be....maybe this weekend I can go get a new lens. So, if not, there will be film photos from the beach. Either way, the memories will be in my mind - of the kids laughing and playing in the sand. E was 1 the last time we went to the beach. We didn't go last year - I don't think. I can't wait to see what she thinks about it. B is more than excited b/c he does remember going. So, again, I am rambling and need to get back to work to finish up some things before I leave here. My mind took me to Orange Beach as a co-worker just left my office on her way there today. I will not be jealous b/c I will be in her shoes next Wednesday.

répondez, s'il vous plaît

Otherwise known as RSVP. So many people do not heed this request when it is noted on an invitaiton. This is just an observation in life and a pet peeve of mine. It isn't that I just want to know who is coming to a gathering, it is the only way that I can prepare food and make sure that I have enough. That leads to another thing about me. When I am having anyone over to our home for a meal, I get anxious about the amount of food. Mark would tell you that I always over-prepare. I would say that I am adequately prepared. :) I can break out into a sweat as guests are moving past the buffet of food we have, or if the bowls are being passed around the table. I have a true fear that the amount of food prepared will not be enough. I would be mortified if anyone were ever at my house and didn't get enough or anything to eat. So many quirks about me...I know.

How many Flags?

Six Flags! Yes, that is an annoying commercial. But that is where we went yesterday. We were planning to go to Gant Lake with our friends Mart & Mary Gray, but that didn't come to be. On Friday Mark asked if I wanted to go to Six Flags. So, on Friday night, I packed our swimsuits, towels & sunscreen in the back pack and put the towels in the bottom of E's stroller. We got up at 5:30 am and were on the interstate a little after 6 am. We got a great parking spot and had a wonderful time!!! The log ride seemed to be the family favorite - both kids & mom/dad enjoyed it each time we rode it. This was my favorite ride as a child and my mom would ride it over and over with me. The lines were long for many of the rides. Since they were closing early at 5 pm yesterday (Microsoft rented the park from 7 pm - 1am), we didn't spend too much time waiting in lines. Mark and B did ride the mind bender, but I think that is the only "big" roller coaster they rode yesterday. We had a picnic lunch outside of the park that I packed that morning. The picnic table was sitting on a hill at a slant that felt as though it would slide into the retaining or run off ditch in the parking lot. The kids kept saying that they knew snakes were in there. Everytime they heard the wind rustle the trees or something on the ground, their eyes would get big and panic would show! They were afraid it was a snake! Poor kids

After Six Flags we spent the evening at home. Church this morning and then this evening...

We had friends over - the Lee's & the Parish's. We had a great time playing Mexican Train dominos with them!!! We hope to do it again sometime soon.

B will start 1st grade 3 weeks from tomorrow. I have no idea how 9 weeks have already passed us by this summer! It doesn't seem right! We will go on Tuesday of this week for a brown bag lunch session with the team of 1st grade teachers...I am looking forward to that and I think B is too. He has spent two weeks at his new school this summer in summer camp.

So, I am rambling tonight and am quite tired, so I should go to bed...Hope all is well with everyone!!!

Another funny from E

When I picked her up at school today, her teachers said that they needed to tell me what E said at lunch today. Of course, the dread of "oh no, do I want to even hear this" came over me. They assured me it wasn't bad.

One of her friends was talking about going to see her dr., Dr. Smalley. Several of the other children around the table commented that Dr. Smalley was their doctor too. She said it started to calm down when E piped up to add her comments to the conversation: "My doctor isn't Dr. Smalley, my doctor is Dr. Pepper!"

The two teachers said that they laughed and laughed and took a bit to recover. Our little comedian...

Fall?

This morning the weather felt just like fall/autumn. It was so nice. The air was so light, no humidity. A breeze. It felt like the Saturday morning of an Auburn football game. I guess it is just around the corner, but I know that shorts & short sleeves are in order until October. That is usually the case.

It's done

I have touch up paint to do, shower curtain to hang, find a wall something to go over the toilet - picture, decoration kind of thing, caulk between the panels and walls and that is it.

I am going to change out the light fixture as well, but that can be done with the kids in town. No rush on that. So, that is where the project is. Finished for the most part. I have photos on my phone, but my camera is still caput, so now digital ones to upload. Once I get a lens or a camera I will put up photos.

From the mouth of E

Mark's sister, Angie, sent me an e-mail last night to tell me some of the funny things E has been saying this week. Here are some of them for your reading enjoyment.

"Quotes from your precious baby girl…..
She said, where’s ryan? I said he’s at our house. what’s he doing? He’s out riding his bike. Why does he do that? Because he likes to ride bikes with his friends. She said, Oh, is that safe? HAHAHAH

Last night mark said that they were going to go somewhere. She said she didn’t want to go. She wanted to stay there and “wiggle her body”.

I told her that I was happy she came to Mobile this week. She said yeah me too…I had too. I said why? She crinkled up her face and said, my house is dirty, dirty!!! HAHAHAH

We got her swimsuit on, completely sunscreened up. the hair part and all. Then I had to put mine on. Then we had to find towels. Then we went outside. Soon as we got out there it started thundering. She said, Come on we have to go!!! She ran like lightening into the house! I said where you going? She said, it’s stormy stormy out there and we can’t go. We finally did get to go. It never stormed. We stayed about 15 minutes because the water was cold. It had just came out of the faucet and the sun wasn’t out. We’ll try again tomorrow. She got a kick out of me and G getting in with her.

She’s let me brush her hair every day. I said your hair has a cow lick just like mine and it’s curly just like mine. She said, yeah we’re pretty girls!!!"

One quote from B this week:
"He went to ride his skateboard. I said, how’d it go? He said, well I about broke my bottom bone off!! He’s tired though. They have played hard outside in the heat."

Have I already said that I miss the three of them?

Day 3

Well, I don't feel like as much progress has been made today. More of the bottom paper layer off in the study. All bathroom walls are spackled and now primed with two coats of kilz primer. SO, now I am waiting on a little spackling to dry and the primer to dry.

I decided this afternoon that I was going to use wainscoating or bead board on the bottom part of the walls. This saves time - I think. I purchased the white gloss pre-painted boards - they are like paneling. Just not like the kind in my house growing up in the 70's. I will put it up once the blue paint is on the top of the walls. Boards up, base boards back on bottom, trim at the top of the wainscoating. I have borrowed a nail gun and their van to go get the boards. THANKS! Geeze, I just wanted to take paper down and paint.

If you have any thought of putting wall paper up in your house, DON'T DO IT!!!!!!!!!!! Unless you plan to live where you are now for the rest of your life an no one will ever come behind you in the house and want to change it. For their sake, have compassion and DO NOT put up wall paper in your house.

Mark and the kids are having a fabulous time in Mobile. Let's see, this is all that they have done:

Sunday - cleaned out the goldfish pond at G's (Mark's mom) house & cut limbs

Monday-went to the Exploreum in Mobile to see the frog exhibit, back to G's pulled limbs to the road, had dinner w/Aunt Kim, Aunt Jenny & Uncle Kyle, Memaw Montgomery, Alison, Lainey, Cole & Aunt Dee at Memaw's (my mother's mother) house.

Today - Went to the Battleship Park toured the battleship & planes, Mark took B to a skateboard park to ride his skateboard. Mark told me that B's board is too short for him and only one foot will fit on it now. I find this very funny. Both kids took a nap today - this rarely happens. Then they picked up my dad & they went to his mother's house to play and have dinner.

Tomorrow their plan is to go see a movie (what I have no idea). Thursday they are going to Pensacola to the Naval Air Museum, a founder's village, lunch at a restaurant on the beach (Flounder's), and watch the Blue Angels practice for their Saturday air show. Friday they will have lunch with my grandmother and sister in law. Saturday they will come home! I am so glad that they are having such a good time!!

Day 2

Today is the second day that Mark and the kids are gone. I hear them in the background while he is talking to me. Such sweet voices. I haven't talked to them yet, he is afraid they will cry for me.

Today was another busy work day at the house. After work today, I came home to begin working upstairs again. All of the wallpaper is down in the kids bathroom, I have put puddy in the holes, and have sanded the walls. I then took the paper down in the study/office room. It is only one wall of paper and the other walls are a calamine lotion color. So, I want to paint that room too. I figure as long as I have the steamer from my friend, I will get the paper down. I hope to prime the bathroom tomorrow. Then I will move onto the color. It is now 12:25 am on Tuesday morning. I never go to bed early/at a decent hour when Mark is out of town. Oh well....

At the end of the day

I have done a couple of things that I wanted to get done this week. I took back some shorts that I had bought for Mark, pulled out and got things for e-bay/consignment/thrift store together, and last but not least...the wall paper in the upstairs bathroom is down. Now, it is 12:40 am on Monday at this point and it is still quite a MESS up there. Paper all over the floor. just a complete mess. It was much easier than I thought it would be. The walls had been primed which helped, but I also borrowed a steamer from a friend and it helped A LOT! Thanks Helen! Some sanding, primer and a coat of paint, it will be a new room!! I can't wait to get off of work tomorrow and come back home to get more of it done.

I hate that I don't have a camera or I would be taking before, during and after shots. I will post after shots once I get a camera again...

Holiday weekend photos...

A few photos from our fun-filled weekend: