the short version of my trip

well i cut the 49 to 18 pics... hope you still enjoy :)

this is Tammy she was my best friend in high school and thanks to facebook after 21 years we have reconnected and I have to thank her over and over and over for saving me from the plaza motel (my aunt had booked me a room there for three nights, I made it 15 minutes)... what a nasty place but, with one call she came to town and got me so I could follow her back to the country to stay with her.  I remembered where she lived but was fairly sure that after 14 hours on the road and a 20 hour day I would NEVER find the correct dirt road 14 miles out from town.

Sunday morning we watched the Amish heading to church, Tammy lives right in the middle of some of the most beautiful country and there is a large Amish community right there.  I stood inside the porch and took pics, apparently I was not quite as quick or sly as I thought as they were watching me too :)

I know they don't believe in photos but, I love their horses and what they represent so pray they forgive me for sharing their pics with you all.

Tammy's uncle came by and the Amish man waved hi :)  they really do all get along well and it is great to be able to buy eggs and meats and other things they have for sale.

Sunday for lunch one of my cousins and some of her friends made lunch for us all and it was DELISH

this is the cousins that grew up together,

Jennifer, Malissa, Leslie, Todd, Me Charisma and Jason

Jennifer came to the family about 12 years ago , maybe 13 when dad married Jeannie and she was really close to grandma and is still close with my Aunt, she lives in southwest Missouri and is able to go see them when she wants which in some ways I am envious of. I was glad to see her as I had not for 7 years.

Malissa is actually our 3rd or 4th cousin but was always there with us when we were growing up :)

this is Jason and his wife Ira, he met her in Russia and they have 3 beautiful little girls :) 

this is my cousin Kay and Uncle Bill chatting after dinner

that afternoon I decided to go out to Malissa's house  to see to see her hubby and kids before he had to go back to work and before the visitation... this is one of my favorite views ... it is the top of the last hill before we get to my grandmas house (now my uncles house, hes owned it since 1992) its a BIG hill and one we kids spent many an hour walking riding bikes on and playing in  crawdad creek at the bottom, when we were kids there were only a couple houses out there

this is the house love built, my Grandpa built it many many many years ago and thankfully it is still in the family :)

My Uncle Johnny (who lives in the above house) and my cousin Joey chatting after Monday Dinner at the church.

below is Joeys wife Jill, his momma behind her his brother in the back, and the handsome man in white is Michael,  Joey and Jill's eldest son and then Kelley their youngest who is my Corys age and Kay in the back corner.

the lot of us after Mondays Dinner at the church

front is Jason holding Vica, Jordan, Charisma,  Jessica's head and Julia behind her

standing is Ira, DAD, Jeanne, Uncle Johnny, Leslie in back , Aunt Regina top of my head behind her, Todd cracking up His wife Amber, Aunt Betty and Uncle Bill

Leslie's expression says it all for me...we went back out to the cemetery after dinner

this church and cemetery are part of the family our ancestors built it in 1877 and my cousin Joey is caretaker now.  It sits on the mountain side and has one of the most beautiful views ever ...

the wind was rather cold but it did turn out to be a beautiful day.

after taking Kay home I went to my aunts which to get there the route I took is right through another Amish community, they have big beautiful farms and I took several pics this one makes me smile, Monday is apparently wash day (remember you can click pics to embiggen)

Julia got to hold Brianna who is a month old and Erica was thrilled to come see the baby too.

Later that night we headed back to Marshfield to have a supper out together before we headed back to our homes Tuesday morning, Our Poor waitress was loaded down with menus, she did a great job :) and it was really good food.  Can't recall the name of the place though.

the kids all have DS games and were having a ball playing against each other

and that is the super short whirlwind trip to Missouri for Grandmas Funeral in 18 pics or less :)

irritation and things...

Stephanie sent me this pic ...it said, "I made a wig in school and it will only fit Bradley"

He sports it well :)

I had my bubbie yesterday and my Halo too... Bubbie started running a fever in the afternoon... poor guy is cutting molars.  His daddy said he got up holding his jaw.  Halo is good as gold as always such a sweet good baby she is starting to stay awake a bit longer... and loves the swing when Bubbie will let her swing in it.

Now I must moan and pout a bit... Those who have stuck by me for ages know that I moved to this blog a few months back because of the photo limitation issue with google.... well guess what after going through picking 49 of the 190 photos I took while up north and spending over 2 hours trying to load them... I have AGAIN filled my allotted free space... so... I did purchase extra space but it wont be available until tomorrow... NOW dont get me wrong I do realise this is ALL MY Fault... as I had to have a better, newer camera with many more mega pixels which in turn take better pictures but also takes much more space.  

I must say when I print said photos I am very pleased... most of the time... in fact I have some adorable ones of the kids hanging on the fridge and there was an entire board at the funeral of pics I had taken which also made me happy since my kids and grand kids could not be there.

But Dang it all... it is soooo irritating to spend so much time 35 of the 49 were in the little prepare to pick box when BLAM all gone...not only that but to then go ahead and pay for the space only to be told it will take 24 hours... GAH I simply dont WANT to understand/ accept how it is that we can use a credit card it is an instant removal of funds from our account but a credit or application of said funds will take from 24 hours to a whole blooming month?  GAH

anyway maybe its a good thing and I can cull down my selection of photos even more and will pick less to put here on my blog... sorry to those who will miss out on all of them but IF you have a facebook account and are my friend I loaded 140 plus of them there :)  and you can see them all.

well, My kitchen is a mess and Halo is waking up and I am being super lazy... ok I fib not really being lazy have done 5 loads of laundry (all was done before I left) and I did cook just did not bother to clean yet. and Must go to the grocery store this afternoon when martha gets home from school.... so... anyway got stuffs to do...
Hope you are all watching Idol this year the contestants are awesome !

have a great day!  God Bless :)

1767 miles later...

and 4 days 2 of which were spent driving... this is a tiny taste of things to come when I have time and energy to get you all caught up.

from left bottom to right we are ... sitting Aunt Regina, My step sister Jennifer, Malissa, Todd, Me , Jason,  Charisma, the one we are holding is Leslie... we are THE Cousins LOL...

Coffee and prevacid ...breakfast of champions....

ok so I have made my lists checked them a dozen times ... and I think I know what all I need for this trip.
I need SHOES and SOCKS.... I wear berkinstocks year round  with a side of crocs with white socks, when it is cold here.
I talked to one of my oldest chums from school and she said it might SNOW!  just a little bit... GAH... I have seen south west Missouri snows, little bit usually does not equate in that.
I also need a pair of black hose to wear with my dress...and
some new black pants will be nice if I can find a pair that I like....
My neice is going to help me shoe shop today... and I am confident with her help I wont be too out of style LOL.

I need a new GPS since I am going a route I have only gone once before and it was from there to home so I am not as familure with it.  Plus I have wanted  a new one ever since Corys died... I ususally just use his but the thing you plug the power cord into on the garmin sunk into it and it wont work anymore so that is out.

I need lots of prayer and energy as this will be the 4 day whirlwind trip with two days of it spent on the road.  

Need to clean out my van got a walker in it that belongs to my cousins father in law, been riding it around for a while LOL... got parts to the leaf blowers that I took to have worked on .... and two car seats that dont need to ride with me and I am sure assorted french fries and other food stuffs since I found some of Bradleys fries in the bottom of my purse last night when I cleaned it out .... hard to believe I clean it out weekly!

got to wash out my cooler and get ice... and bottled water cause I live on coffee and diet cokes when on the road (not really good.)  maybe I should toss in a mountain dew or two LOL...

Its raining here... today, and I have Halo IF her mother ever gets her here... love how she makes it here at 720... NOT.

Its cold too... I decided it might be a good idea to shut the kitchen window when I heard the heat kick on... we keep our thermostat at 65 in the winter time.
did you read that keeping you house cooler will help with weight loss?? not too sure I believe that as I remain fat and sassy but then again I do love to cook and eat so... what do ya do? 

My aunt was telling me of all the family feedings that are planned... this sounds bad but I am looking forward to them these people can COOK and they will have things that I cant get here... like gooseberries!  *real gooseberries like I grew up on not the things people here think are gooseberries.*

My cousins are already on the road one heading in from California the other from Virginia... talk about east meets west... in the middle ...the last time all 5 cousins were together was when my uncle (their father ) passed away.  They are much better at going to visit than I am, Jason is military and has more time off and Charisma well shes just closer to our aunt than I am ... which is cool.  when we were kids every summer was spent at grandmas house  no less than 2 weeks of it anyway.  my uncle and his kids spent more time with my aunt and her kids( they live close to their mom and dad) and my other uncle growing up so it makes sense that they are closer to each other.  Because of my mom I was excluded from alot of stuff... My Aunts (on both sides of the family) have told me that in recient years.   they have apologised ... for letting that happen, but God is in control so It is all good.

I had thought I was going to stay at the motel that my dad and step mom are staying at but when he called me yesterday and told me how much their rooms are I decided I would rather sleep in the van... NO I am not sleeping in the van I am going to stay at TC's ... She and I were best friends in Highschool and then lost contact with each other for many years and since the advent of facebook we have reconnected and I am so happy about that. 

Michael and I were talking last night about how families grow up and grow apart ... it is ment to be that way to some extent I do believe.  Least wise that is how I read it in the bible... ephesians talks all about families and how they are ment to be.

My mother made me so mad wednesday... last night she called and it was like talking to a whole nother person... a much nicer more plesant one....I have wondered for years if she is bi- polar... dr's say no but dang it would sure explain alot.

geee I am a chatty cathy today and saying absolutely NOTHING... I guess just attempting to sort my little mind out ...well theres tons more flopping about in my head so.... will give you a break and say thanks for sticking with me so far and hope you have a wonderfilled weekend and I will be back sometime next week, with tons of pics and stories to tell I am sure... for those whos phone numbers I have ... dont be too surpised if you get a text or call... cause I do things like that when I need to. :)
love hugs and God bless you and keep you till we meet again!

RIP grandma...

My Grandma Muse Passed Away this morning, Even though you expect it, you know its coming, you think you are prepared for it... You aren't.  
this is one of my most Favorite pics of my Grandma and Grandpa, it was taken sometime before or maybe after I was born and I found it in some of my mothers stuff a few years back. 
Grandma was 95 years old she would have been 96 in may.  What really sucks is that dementia had stolen her from us a long time ago. 

Anyway Am torn on driving up there... it is 800 miles one way... I would love for Michael to come with.  Both kids have already said Go ... that they will be ok with getting someone to watch their kids.  which makes me happy and sad all in one... cause I love keeping my grandmas GREAT GREAT Grandchildren.   They were the only 2 Great Greats and unfortunately Grandma never knew them... when I saw her last time Martha was 15 and Grandma had a hard time keeping straight that I had Kids MUCH LESS one 15 and one 19 at the time.  
I have wonderful memories of times with my grandma and grandpa (he passed a long time ago) 18 or 19 years cant recall which.... anyway have wonderful memories of staying with them every summer for at least two weeks if not longer and playing on the farm and in the creek and pond and barns... I have had so many stories told on me that Grandma loved to tell and she would just laugh and laugh because I embarrassed her so badly. 
See Grandma lives in Amish country and when I was very little I started talking... PLAIN LOUD GROWN UP TALK!   and she tells that is was around halloween and we were in Young's Grocery and an Amish woman was in front of us...she said I asked her (loud and clear enough for EVERYONE TO HEAR, of course) if that woman was a witch??? which in a small country store where everyone knows your business before you do... well she was mortified LOL. 

anyway the great debate is on... do I go or dont I ... I thought I had decided not to go... but I WANT to go... sigh....
flying is not an option, I would go NUTS without my ride and renting is insane ... but i have thought about it ... I flew up when my uncle died.

CHECKED ON FLIGHTS, WILL COST MORE THAN DOUBLE TO FLY RENT AND MOTEL COMAPIRED TO DRIVING... SO I WILL DRIVE.

Halo is 2 months old (updated at the bottom)

later today we will weigh and measure Halo and see just how big our girl has gotten, I took these pics with my phone this morning

 She is soooooo precious... and such a good lovey baby

 BUT.... she has her momma in her.... and this is a CLASSIC Martha Jean expression

 and she still does the stink eye on a regular basis

 ohhhh what a yawn.... off to nappy land!

Yesterday I went to get Beths quilt, it looks amazing on MY bed :) 

 the details are so amazing and it is such a piece of ART!

 look at the details in the quilting ... the center is a HUGE sunflower

 those one inch squares are something but the curved petals... what talent it takes to make something like this... and it is 100% hand made by my aunt and sue ...both women will tell you that they are NOT that talented but the ART speaks for its self they are AMAZING!

 the design up the side just leaves me breathless

 NOW dont you think these TWO just look amazing together on my bed :)

 I am so happy daily when I walk through my room and HAVE to run my hand over the quilt to FEEL the texture of it.

 and yes I could blather on for hours about the beautiful quilts.

is this just not a feast for they eyes?? i so wish you could touch and feel the textures of the cross stitching and quilting.... and smell too as some one male has picked this up and it smells ever so faintly of his very delishous cologne:)

 the back is amazing too the bright yellow and amazing quilting.....

ok I will let you drool on your on now... have a wonderful tuesday!

At 1 pm I realised that Halo had a dr appt at 230 so i kicked into high gear (i thought it was tomorrow) GAH.... I made it to the school by 2 picked up Mj and headed to the dr....
Halo is 22 1/4 inches tall , 14  1/4 inches around her head and 10 pounds 1 oz.!  she has gone from the 5th percent to 50th!  go girly!
she is right on track and growing as she should.
She also got THREE SHOTS and her Oral Polio vaccine.... OWIE... Mj had to leave the room so grandma stayed with a very unhappy baby.
Have a great night!

thoughts from a jumbled mind...

it's Monday again and as usual I have a bazillion things jumping around inside my head over a weeks worth actually ... HAVE MERCY...

I have been reluctant to post some things about Martha and her choices for several reasons...

1. no matter if it is good bad or other wise she will take it wrong and, she does on occasion read here when she has computer acess at school.... I dont think computers are allowed in ISS (in school suspension)however and apparently that is where she plans to finish out the school year... she has a number of days ISS for tardies, and like today... shes tardy again ... It irritates me that she comes in here over a week ago announces she will be here by 720 daily so that she will make it to school on time... and has made it ONCE by 720 to my house but she still did not make it to school on time.  WHY DO I BOTHER???

2. after my last post dealing with martha she left a pretty nasty comment then deleted it, I still got the comment and the other that she deleted as they all come to my email.  but anyway the comment showed me just how immature and unready my child is to be out and about in the "real world" and I decided that in trying to help her because I KNOW she reads my blog that maybe I would give the saying nothing approach the good old college try and see if that made a difference... so far... no :(    

just so you know martha  I am sorry I have failed you as a parent, you are a strong and  hard headed young woman but, somehow  some where in all that I FAILED misrably in teaching you when and where that is best used.  I pray that you get all you are desiring and that when you do you recognise it for what it is.  and I pray that you someday see that all I have tried to tell you teach you and show you has been for your good not to harm or hurt you.  

anyway enough on this subject for now.

* just got a text which pisses me off totally, saying I am real sorry Halos not coming today,  gee  have been up an hour waiting you could have told me this last night.

Since many of you brave readers of my blog also are my friends on facebook you have already seen this, and you know about my food porn album...  I "borrowed" the food porn idea from Marlene (if i manage to recall how to link I will link through her name to her blog) anyway I often wondered WHY I chose to do this little thing and my hubby without realising it explained it to me last night.  SEE its like this Michael and I have a strange relationship we have this bizzare way of complementing certian things and food that I cook is not left out of this bizzare ritual.  I don't know when or how it started but, I have always been interested in cooking and trying to figure out how my mother made the things I loved to eat as a child.  My mother could never be bothered with teaching me, she says I was never interested and to some extent I think she is right.  My childhood memories are pretty hard ones and If I was at home I was made to work (theres nothing wrong with working mind you but, I was used as unpaid un thanked labor who was beat when I did not do as expected)  so I stayed gone from the house as much as possible off in the woods or out finding someone to play with in the neighborhood. but I digress sorry, anyway what he does when he really really likes something he will say, "this is the worst thing I ever ate you need to keep practicing"  or he will say, "I am going to have to eat this to prevent anyone else from suffering"  to which I will apologise and promise to keep making it and try to find a way to improve on it. 
So saturday morning I was on the phone with my cousin Beth (shes in the pic on my header) and we were chatting away and she talked about how much she enjoyed the puff pasteries I had made when she was here, which made me realise I was hungry and wanted puffs.... so I took out the stuff to make them and while chatting with her I did.  I was a bit impatient with the pastry and it was not totally thawed correctly so they turned into these HUGE pastries instead of the cute smaller triangles they usually are, and of course another standing joke around here.... "is this food porn or is this just regular food?"

 the far left is bacon and cheddar cheese bites the other two are bacon egg and cheese puffs...So I ask you is this food porn or just regular food?

 Michaels plate looks like mine ...very FULL lol... oh and back to the realisation I came to.... Quite some time ago I cooked something, for the life of me I cant recall what exactly it was but what ever it was it brought on this totally unexpected and totally unaware on my part series of MOANS while consuming it... and apparently it was so annoying that Michael had something to say about the moans at the table... SO....I think that is why I decided to do food porn *unconsiously of course*  the other reason was simply because I thought it was cute and fun to photograph things I had cooked to share with others.

this is the left overs that we absolutely could not eat... Bradley and I shared one yesterday for breakfast and there is still one in the fridge.... so ANYWAY Last night I cooked something I have not cooked in a long time... something that Michael and I love Its not the prettiest dish and not one that many really love and I totally forgot to take pictures.... but anyway I made chicken gizzards (fried), rice, and pan gravy and some corn from the sweet corn that Michael had brought home last summer.

WHEN MICHAEL MOANED I REALISED WHY I HAVE FOOD PORN!!!!!!!!!!! I looked over at him and BURST OUT LAUGHING... I said, " do my ears decieve me ??? did I really hear a moan from you?"  to which he smiled took another bite and said, "you must have been hearing things."  and proceeded to try to kill himself by eating as many as he could. 

I just realised that I have  been neglegent on photographing Bradley and Halo this week as I have no NEW pics to share so this one has to do as it is Bradley personified... the  little shit had to be spanked a few times this weekend.  He is deep into the testing of EVERYTHING and time out has not left an impression YET, we still try it first but eventually enough is enough and his attention has to be gained and a pop to the diapered butt seems to gain that attention.

he likes to BANG the cabinet doors and he KNOWS it makes his papa angry, so he stood there banging them was moved to time out for 3.4 seconds told not to bang the doors and went right back to banging them even harder... so POP!   he stopped banging the doors.

THEN later on he decided that my shelves of VHS movies were no longer off limits,  and after being sat in time out again for 3.4 seconds cause he tried to run ASAP... he went back and decided to throw them on the floor,  well there are 300 plus of them and that is simply not acceptable so when he decided to run from me with one in his hand POP!  he has not messed with them again (yet)

THEN.... Bradley loves Popscicles he has ever since he started cutting teeth and I have had a bunch in the freezer for several years... you know the kind popice I think they are called the long skinny plastic tubes.... anyway  I have always made him sit on my lap and I will tear off the plastic as he consumes them because a baby trying to grasp the understanding of pushing up the frozen treat is well simply not there.... and he knows the ritual well... so yesterday he decided to squeeze the pop and see how far he could shoot the ice...after about three times I took the popice from him and told him last chance or it goes in the trash to which he looked me dead in the eyes said something in bradleyese and threw it across the room... well POP goes his butt and into the trash goes the pop ice... you would think I had tried to murder him with the screaming he did...but he wont be doing that trick again... for a while I don't think.

When his parents got here to pick him up Cory was asking me if he had done the dump the cup routein for me yet... then demonstrated it.... God I wish I had video of that it was hysterical, he said he will stand there look you dead in the eye GRIN like that pic above then dump the cup... I said nope he has not tried that one yet, but we also don't give him cups without a lid yet either.

Michael has been working out front more, he is now working on building me a flower bed across the front, I have had one there for years but this one will be ummm perminant... as Michael can't do anything half assed it might take forever but when it is done well lets just say I pity the person who one day decided to tear it down or move it because as my brother in law used to say ... I HATE trying to take apart anything Mike Hall built. 
  I apologise in advance this it going to turn into a LONG post as I just went outside walked around the yard and took a bunch of pics to share :)

this is the view from the bottom of the stairs  (duh like you could not tell that) the gate is deceptively simple yet hard as heck to get the latch to open.  which is a good thing with the BADLEY!

 remember you can click to embiggen all pics :)  the starts of my flower bed... must get shade loving plants as this side does not get much sun.

 he ran out of mortar mix and blocks...so HAD to stop.  But I like where it is going, We are debating on painting the blocks to match the shades of Georgia Gray that the house and porch is.

 the dirt hill is sprouting grass and weeds ... have I mentioned that the weather has been to die for here ... breaking all records with the highs... 83 yesterday... I have mixed emotions on that as if it is 83 in Feb. what the heck is it gonna be in June July Aug and Sept... HOTTER THAN HELL I suspect.

 the view from the mail box.... one day SOON the entire roof will be done but for now that is an unfinished project.... have I ever mentioned that when you are married to a carpenter/ jack of all trades that you live in a continuing project that is NEVER done???

 talked to my aunt last night she asked if things were greening up... I said not much but, as usual I am wrong, We have not cleared off the old leaves yet as it has been either too cold, to windy, to wet or too something so we have about two months to get the yard blown / raked/ burned before the county burn ban is in effect. (May 1st)   this flower (not sure exactly what it is) comes up over at the edge of the woods every year and I forget its back there unless I am back there for something so I made a special trip to see what it is up to so I can show it to you.

 We think that possibly my sister in law planted them back there YEARS ago when she was here visiting shes a plant freak and knows more about them than anyone I know but, I can only deal with her in small doses... love her but... you know how that goes.

 I think maybe it is a daffodil but not sure...will have to check on it in a day or so and see what it looks like when it blooms.  Below are the iris' that karen sent me last year... no two years ago, last year ONE purple one bloomed and I was afraid that the hard freezes we had this winter might have hurt them but apparently they are coming right on back ... I hope they ALL bloom this year I am excited to see what colors I ended up with ... Iris' are my FAVORITE flowers!

 and Oh my how my babies have grown!!! Lucky in the middle had more than doubled over the winter and he is getting orange spots!  He is a mixed breed fish and the ONLY one to be born here and survive.  he has the most beautiful HUGE fan tail  and when he is all stretched out its nearly as long as his body.... YES that is a power cord above them, we had to replace the big waterfall pump a few weeks back and this new pump has a much shorter cord than the old one... the old one would lay across the bottom of the pond .annoying in pics but the fish love to rub on it...

the fish appear to be playing ring around the lucky... nugget has his head under diamonds  tail and diamond is following Bogie (on top with his face showing) is following nugget LOL... Bullet,  Emma ,and Gizmo could not be bothered with these fishy games.

Well with all that said I am sure I have more drivel to bore you with but since I do NOT have Halo today there are some things I need to go out into the world and take care of... One is heading to sears and getting a new leaf blower.  our old ones are simply worn out and they are so affordable it will be cheaper in the long run to buy a new one than pay the cost to repair the two old ones... who knows I might just get two new ones!  and I need to make a trip over to Trenton, South Carolina to my friend Sue's and pick up Beths Quilt that Sue has had done for quite some time now... hers is sunflowers and I cant wait to see it I know it is BEAUTIFUL will take pics when I have it to show you.  My aunt made me one that is Iris's and it lives on my bed these works of are are so amazing and totally hand made which means they take YEARS to complete. 

anyway Thanks for visiting and hope you enjoyed my blathering today and cant wait to go see whats happening in all of your corners of the world

HAPPY MONDAY!!!!