Sick

I'm sick. Sick I tell you! ha. Actually I have that crud that seems to be going around. I kinda feel like I've been ran over by a truck. Oh, and that I have tiny razor blades in my throat. Yuck!
Other than that, life has been pretty good here.
David got a call from work last night, some type of crisis on a load that has to be picked up, and he worked from home til after 10 and got up at 5 this morning & is on his way to work. He plans on only working until noon. We're supposed to go to some friends house & watch the Razorbacks play Alabama this afternoon. Go Hogs!!!
Work is good. I don't know if I've mentioned it yet, but I hit my first goal for Cancun. 20 put me there, now I'm working on 30 so David goes for free too (instead of us having to pay for his ticket). With the contracts I have in pending I am at 28.5, so one more 100 space Walmart event & we are there. Actually I want to get to 35 so I'll have a cushion in case something falls through. And really, I want to get to at least 40, just to show I can. In our Friday morning sales meeting yesterday, Terri had the conference room all decorated in Mexico style, with virgin frozen margaritas, sombrero's, everything! It was a really cute way to motivate some people!
Next weekend is the Duck Dog Challenge at Macks in Stuttgart. You may remember we go EVERY year & enter Boogie (and last year Bam too) in the competition. If all goes well, we'll head out next Friday night. I love this time of year when fall is in the air. And nothing says fall like the event at Macks.
Well, even though I told David I was going to stay on the couch & do nothing while he's at work, ya'll know that won't happen. I've got laundry in the washer, bathrooms to clean, floors to sweep, mop and vacuum, tables to dust....well, you get the picture. So that's it for now...til next time - me

Happy 22nd Birthday Brittni

Brittni turned 22 yesterday! We weren't able to do much, but I did make sure to make "her" cake. It's a white cake with chocolate icing. Each of us have "our" cake, the one that's our favorite that I make each year. Eddy, Des & Hunter man came up, Britt's friend Shannon came & me & David of course. We all sang her Happy Birthday, had cake, and she took off for a night out with friends. That's a big change from just a few years ago when it was all up to me to make their day special. Don't tell anyone, but I really do miss those days. The older my children get, the more I miss them. Anyway, I just wanted to say ....we love you Brittni. We are so proud of the young woman you've become. You are such a strong, responsible, loving, caring, beautiful person & we couldn't be more proud of you! Thank you for being our daughter, and our friend! me

What's Been Going On....

Not much has been going on at the house this week. Work, home, work, home....except David got sick on Wednesday & came home from work, then he stayed home sick yesterday. I was afraid it was the flu, but he felt better last night & much better this morning, and he went to work, so all is well. I started feeling bad last night, but I came on in to work, it's Friday after all, so I just need to get thru today.
I hit my first goal for Cancun yesterday!!! I had to get twenty Walmart contracts in for me to go. I have to get a total of 30 in for me & David to both go free! At this point, we are going no matter what, because worse case scenario, we can pay David's way. But I don't think it'll come down to that. I am at 21.5 and still have 3 weeks before the contest ends. I just can't slack off right now. I actually got seven contracts in this week! Praise God. That with the five I had last week will make for an okay check & hopefully we can get caught back up.
This morning while we were having our coffee David asked me what we were going to do this weekend. My response? I have NO idea! The Mayweather/Ortiz fight comes on pay per view tomorrow night. We really REALLY want to watch it, but it's hard for me to justify paying $50 to watch a fight when it's just me & David. Who knows, maybe we'll invite some friends over for a watch party - kinda like we did last Saturday night for the Razorback game! Another thing I'd like to do is hit some garage sales early tomorrow a.m. I am in need of a little end type table to sit beside my new recliner. I finally got rid of the old furniture we had (gave it to Marshall & Billie - I hope they enjoy it), and I've got my living room back in some semblance of order, but I need a little table to sit by my recliner. Also coming up is Britt's 22nd birthday on Monday. Know what she wants? For all of us to go see The Lion King in 3D at the movies. It is David & the kids favorite animated film and holds lots of wonderful family memories for us all. Who knows, maybe she'll get what she wants! I also have to make a white cake with chocolate icing - that's Brittni's cake. We all have different favorites, and I try to make the kids theirs each year on their birthday.
Well, David's not going to get to Cancun with me blogging so I better get at it! Everyone have a great weekend! me

Remembering 9/11

Sunday morning David & I watched the tributes to 9/11 as we had our coffee & woke up together. I can not put into words the sadness I felt as I watched children read the names of those who died, then read the name of their father/mother, sister, brother, aunt uncle, or one close to them. David went in to take a shower & I just sat there, watching. At one point with tears rolling down my face, I said, "David they are still on the C's!" It had been over half an hour, and they were still naming, alphabetically, those lost in the tragedy our nation faced exactly ten years ago Sunday. One of the questions we heard over & over was, do you remember what you were doing when you found out? I was working in advertising at the newspaper, the Arkansas Democrat Gazette. I was running late that morning & had the news on in my bedroom as I got ready for work. David was out on the truck. The kids were already in school. I watched the news anchor deliver the news that something had happened to one of the World Trade Center Towers, they weren't sure what, an accident, an explosion of some kind??? Then, I watched on live TV as the 2nd plane hit the 2nd tower, and there was no longer any question that this was an accident. We, our great country, was under attack. My heart stopped. I rushed to work. Our paper ran a special edition that day, that was handed out for free on the street corners & at intersections in Fayetteville. I still have a copy of that release. I remember waiting for 2 hours, just to put gas in my car. I remember calling & calling David, trying to wake him up to tell him our nation was under attack. I remember feeling fear, anger, sadness. I remember being afraid for my children, and for my husband, could he get home to us, to protect us? So many emotions, but none of them good. And then later, in the aftermath of it all, I remember feeling pride. Pride at how our nation came together. Pride in our country, and it's leader George W Bush. And I still feel that pride, ten years later. I am proud to be an American. me

The First Teal Hunt of 2011

All the boys met up at our house at 3:00 AM on Saturday morning to head out to Frog Bayou (in Ft. Smith, or Van Buren or Ozark - somewhere down there)..... These are the pictures David took & I wanted to share. Notice MY dog...retreiving the ducks!!! Boogie's appointment at the vet didn't go so hot. She couldn't see any puppies on the X-Rays. However, because it's not 100% that she is NOT pregnant, David didn't want to take a chance. So he took Bam & I hear he did a GREAT job! me

Little Update

We take Boogie to the vet today at 4:00 for her X-Rays! That will be proof positive that she's really really gonna have puppies, and should also give us an idea as to how many puppies she will have! (I just typed "ideal" instead of idea....fyi - that is one of my BIGGEST pet peeves, someone saying ideal or ideer...instead of idea!) Anyhoo....David is going to meet me there & we're pretty excited about it.
We had a great time at Brenda's on Sunday at her Labor Day cookout. We got to see lots of family & Hunter man got to play with his cousins & run around in the yard like a big kid! I love holidays & family time. Then Eddy, Dez, Hunter & Dwayne all came home with us & spent the night. At one point they had all the chairs lined up in the living room watching RNT - the picture I took wasn't great - but still....it'll give you an idea of what my life is like during (or near) duck season! Notice Boogie up on David's lap - she still thinks she's a puppy!
Monday the boys (David, Dwayne, Eddy & Marshall) headed down to the Arkansas River at 6 a.m. to scout out some duck holes. They had a mini crisis when the bass boat ran up on a sandbar. Poor Eddy had to strip down to his underwear & push the boat off of it. I'm not sure if they found what they were looking for, but it seems like they had a pretty good time.
Well, I gotta get to work, I'll let you know how the appointment goes....me

Finished!

Guess what? It's all DONE! Well most of it anyway. You may remember that I took my last vacation day yesterday so I wouldn't lose it. (As of this Wednesday- I am back up to 3 full weeks of vacation that must be taken by next Sept 7th). Anyway, my plan was to get up early as usual & shampoo the carpets & really really clean the house! I make "plans" like that all the time. This time? I actually did it! The ONLY thing I have left to do is fold & put away a load of whites I have in the dryer. And it feels SO good. The house smells wonderful, I re-did the stuff I have on the mantle. I dusted all the pictures & frames in the house, cleaned off the top of the fridge, the list just goes on & on. And I am so proud of myself. I feel so much more settled, more organized, more able to relax!
This morning, I am having my coffee & waking up, then I am going to hit some garage sales. I am waiting to hear back from David to see if he really can come home. Irma's kids (who have supposed to be there since Wed), are now supposed to show up around eight to help her move out. I just asked him what he would do if they didn't show up & he said....wait - and see what's going to happen. I realize he doesn't want his dad to have to deal with all the drama by himself, but I sure am ready for my husband to come home!
Brenda called yesterday & invited us to a Labor Day cookout tomorrow. Uncle Lynn & Diane, Aunt Cathy, Aunt Shirley & Uncle Tommy, Diane & the kids, Dwayne....they are all going to be there. We're gonna grill hamburgers & make home made ice cream & just enjoy family time together & I can't wait. Hopefully I'll get ambitious enough to make deviled eggs to take. My friend Terri bought me "Eggies" (those things on TV that's supposed to make boiling eggs a snap) so I'm anxious to give them a try. Plus, I've told David when he finds out if he's really coming home, I have to make a trip to the grocery store. I haven't really bought groceries in the month he's been gone. Just a gallon of milk or loaf of bread here & there. I really need to stock up.
Well, that's about all I've got this morning...til next time....me

He may be coming home!

So I think my husband may be coming home this weekend! I would like to be more certain about it, but for whatever reason, I am not. I know that a lot is going on down there right now. Irma (Big David's live-in & my David's half-sister's mom) may be leaving Saturday. If that happens, my David wants to be down there to be with his dad and get him settled & adjusted to being by himself. I think deep down, we'd all feel better if maybe she stayed, so Big David wouldn't be alone right now. We all have our differences with her, but alas it is not our decision, and what will be - will be. Anyway, that's been my David's struggle. Can he come home & KNOW that his dad will be all right? Will he follow doctor's orders & take it easy? Will he ask for help if he needs it & not try do everything on his own like he's used to? Whatever David decides to do this weekend, come home, or stay another week, I will support him. I trust him, and know he'll do what needs to be done.
But - because he MAY be coming home, I am in "prepare" mode. I have one day of vacation left I have to take by Wednesday, or I will lose it. I am happy to say that I am off work tomorrow! And boy do I have plans! Shampoo the carpets, go to the grocery store & stock the pantry & fridge back up (have I mentioned I don't buy groceries & cook when David is gone?), clean the house, get my laundry done (I'm sure David will bring home a couple loads for me to do). He's been gone so long I just want everything to be perfect! I also want to make a trip to Hobby Lobby in Rogers because Desiree told me they have a bunch of duck stuff & I am trying to decorate the house some more, and keep with mine & David's taste. I also bought some really neat duck pictures at the sale the last time I was in Stuttgart & I want to get them hung before he comes home.
Eddy & Dez & Hunter came up last night & we got the garage cleaned back up like it was before David left. So I even have the kids helping me!
I also need to make a trip to Missouri to stock up on Corona's. I miss our daily ritual of having a beer together each afternoon when we get home from work & talking about our day.
Anyhoo, I have a lot to do - plus I need to get to work...so til next time..............me