Thursday Stuff

Well I can tell everyone now. Cheri Chris and the girls are moving to the area. She got a job here and Chris is looking. He has a good prospect so keep your fingers crossed. It is so great that they will be here. We cant wait for all this to happen. After Paige gets out of school it will be official that they get moved and settled before the summer is over. A lot of work but they will get it all done.

Stef and Dustin are all moved in their new place. It is really nice. And Mr. Bud is very happy!!! Just look at his pics on Stefs blog. I think he is smiling :) I am glad he has adapted back to be their cat. Kitton on the other hand probably wishes we had left the dog instead. :) He at least gets a lot of exercise.

We had a good time when we went to Memphis. Even though it rained all weekend. I think the rain followed us. My thanks to Dustin's Mom for having almost everything done before we got there. It was nice to get to spend time with Stef and go shopping for some housewarming things. I think we are still looking for dining chairs Have you found any yet? Also meet two of their college friends and I must say they are very nice young men. And they know how to have a good time!!!!!! Hope the ride home wasn't to rough :)

Well that's it till next time

Catch UP

Well I have not been very good about keeping this updated Sorry
I added some Miami pictures. It was a really good trip. I am a work a holic so I enjoyed the meetings that Brad And I went to. It was very interesting to meet people from our industry who are from Maine to California. Kinda sounds like a song huh. Anyway after the work was done the beach called and really a beach an ocean and 80 degrees are the only way to relax and throw a couple Margaretta in woo hoo!!!! Thanks Brad and Julie we had a great time:)

We have adopted a new puppy. Her name is IZZY and she is a beagle. SO cute!! The cats hate her bit after a couple weeks they are now at least tolerating her. Mr. Bud just despises Izzy but Kitton will chase and play a little. She had her first bath last weekend. Not her favorite thing. She is so cute!!!!
Well more soon

Well Happy V-Day to all. I received flowers and a balloon today so Thanks you honey. I kept my flowers at work so Kitten wouldn't eat them. He loves roses. I hope everyone had and has a good fake holiday. See I think of today as a made up holiday for retailer to take our money but I always get something. He thinks I would get mad at him if he didn't do something but really I wouldn't. All though I do really enjoy getting flowers delivered. It makes you feel special.

Well Jr won the first duel race today and I think Denny Hamlin won the 2nd one. I thought Tony had it but at least it was a Gibbs car, GO TEAM GIBBS!!! The Toyota's may be a car to beat this year if this is the way they are going to run. Sunday is Daytona and the big party at Capitol City bar. Big movie screen racing It will be GOOD.

I will also give a shout out to miss Libby she will be 4 on Sunday. Her party is Saturday and we will be going down to see her and help celebrate.

Hey Stef are you going to get us a new photo of the day soon???? I'm cute and all but I thought you would have added something new by now. Love ya!!!!!!

LAZY SUNDAY

Laundry done, house cleaned, great dinner. Greg was busy today. HA HA he did do a lot but that was cause it is really cold and he hates that so he stayed in. He gets very bored, and unlike me he cant take a nap every two hours. We watched HGTV for a better part of the day. Had to get entered into the great house give away. Don't enter cant win. When I move to the Florida Keys everyone can come visit.

I have to go and search out a photo now

Moving Day

Well if you read Stef's blog and you know me at all you know that I have been a bit teary eyed all day. She writes a lot of what I feel. I have been trying to act all strong for her sake so she wouldn't think she had to feel bad for us. Hmmmm seems we are a lot alike. Wonder how that happened.

We got up and sent Greg out on a Mel-O-Cream run so we could start the day off with the best breakfast ever!! Then out to pack up the car. We sure did get a lot of stuff in that little Malibu. Good thing Mr. Bud is going later cause I don't know where he could have fit:) Then we had to pose for Stef's picture of the day, if she decides to use it. Amber and Lori came by to see her before she left and I know that meant so very much to her. Amber you have always been a important influence in Stef's life and Lori , she has been so blessed to have been a part of your life and your family. I know she will miss Ava a lot and the rest of you also.

Cheri Chris and the girls stopped by this afternoon. Paige had a basketball game today and her team won. Good job. It was the last game for their season.


Well I just watched the end of the ARCA race and Justin came in 2nd. That is awesome. Next up is the Bud shoot out. It should be a good race since some of the boys are already fighting. Love NASCAR:)

Friday ramble

Friday has arrived::::::::::::::::::::: She leaves tomorrow. Wow it sure did come fast. I sometimes feel like we pushed her out but then I have to remember that she is 24 and it is the natural progression of life to move out and away from your parents house. I am just grateful that she has been such a good daughter and I have had her around here. I left home at 15 and never looked back. I am sure now that my Mom wished I would have finished growing up at home and not out in a very cruel world. At least the world I went into seemed cruel since I was not at all prepared to be an adult. I know Stefine is prepared to go out in this world and be an adult. Stefine and Dustin are going into this with a wonderful understanding of each others needs and wants. They have dreams and plans and a desire to share them with each other. I believe they will be a sucessfull team...I love you baby girl and you make me proud:)

Ok enough of that. We are going out for dinner in a bit, I think it is going to be a COZ night. Love that pizza!!! Stef and I both went and had our hair cut today so we are looking goooooood. That is a excellent reason to go out to eat. . well i am out of words for now so later!!!!

Packing

I helped Stef little bit tonight get her stuff packed up and I did not enjoy that. But It is only two more days and she will be on the road to Memphis. We are going done in a couple weeks after she gets settled so it wont be to long between visits. I have heard that I ust get better about keeping up on this>>>>>>>> I am going to try :)

CATCH UP

Well I have been negilant in writting this past weekend but in my defense I was sick. But really that was no excuse I was just being lazy. If you have had the Flu this go around then you will know that it really HURTS. The aches are the worst but on the good side no nausea. My appitite did not suffer. That is always good. Now I am fighting the head cold that was left over. Love the season.

Stef is moving in just a very few days and although happy, it has started to hit me that she will be living 600 miles away. I am going to miss her so much. We do spend a lot of time together. I know that I can be very boring but she is one person who can ALWAYS get me laughing nd even if I am mad she will get a smile out of me. She also knows how to get me mad quicker that anyone else can. :) I am going to look at the positive asspects of this move;;;;; I have somewhere else to visit on the weekends, Cheri, Tricia and I can go visit for a girlsweekend, I can take the grandkids down to visit and Stef and Dustin can always come here for a visit. See lots of possibilitys::::: I also think I will look into taking a photo class so I can do some awesome pic like the ones Stef does. She is leaving her other camera here for me to practice with so we will see if I get any better.

I just got a weather bug alert. Can you believe this crazy weather. Now we have the chance of thunderstorms again. I hear the thunder now I love it!!! And the lighting is quite bright. I am going to be done now and go add my photo.

Wow on the weather!!! At lumch it was a spring day and by 3pm it was a full blown winter storm. Gotta love Illinois. Always a weather adventure in the making. Just think how boring it would be to live somewhere that was always the same>>>>>>>>>> Not.
On the bright side we should stay busy at work for a while since people have a tendency to forget how to drive when it snows or we have a little ice. It seems to affect their memory cells or something and its all new to them gain. That is what keeps all car related business going.


This month has gone so fast. I cant believe it is almost February. That means Superbowl and then Daytona 500 and then Miami. It is a good month coming up. I am all set with my Nascar fantasy league. I hope I do better than last year.I couldn't pick a winner at all. It looks like the same group of people so at least I don't have much competition. Just the Napa boys.

Miami will be so much fun as well as a great learning experience. I am going to the A-Coat meetings and will be be meeting people from other shops around the country. It should be interesting to see and hear about the way they do things. Who would have ever thought I would like this car business so much that I would want to learn more about it. I guess I was excited about retail when I first got into it. But being a retail manager eventually felt like babysitting a bunch of adults and putting up with overbearing returners!!! Rude people all the time. I like it now that I am the one who can simplify the problem and at least lead them thru the process. When you have an accident the last thing you need is more stress. well I am rambling so I am done now/l

MMMMMMMMMMMMM.............. Meatloaf for dinner tonight. And Stef is cooking it. With mashed potatoes and gravy and oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. She is a good cook although she has keep it a secret for the last year. She has cooked a lot the last few weeks. Dustin will eat well when she gets there. OK change of plans no potatoes Greg is hungry now so we are not waiting on potatoes. Maybe next time

Well the time is going by fast , Stef will be leaving on the 9Th and that is only 10 days away. I know she is excited and it will be a good new beginning. I am a little sad but that is just my Mom selfishness coming out in me. Children are meant to grow up and go out and make their own lives. I did it and so I know now what my Mom went through. I didn't even think about it at the time. I was just looking forward to new experiences and new places to go. Enjoy your youth so that you will be able to enjoy what comes next.


Well I dont have many thoughts tonight so Thats all folks

Moving Day

Well they have finally done it. Rob and Connie and the dog started the journey to their new home in Flordia yesterday. After many months of preperation things finally came together and the two of them are going to be in the same place again. I am very happy for them and I hope that the trip went well as it would be a bit trying with a large dog riding in the middle. Good luck guys and we will see you in Feb.

Friday ramble

Friday!!!!!! I can remember when that just meant at least two more days before a day off. In retail getting a weekend usually means every third one. Now I get every weekend off and no nights so yes I love Fridays!!!!


Greg is home from his out of town excursion. He was at a shop in Quincy filling in for one of the painters that was on vacation. He does not like staying away from his comfort zone. He misses his "stuff" ie chair, TV, and I am sure he misses the cats. Ha Ha. He had a good week though so at least it was a worthwhile trip. Work work work work.


We are going to Farmersville tomorrow to help Rob and Connie get all packed up and ready to move to Florida. Rob has been there for a while so I am sure he is really hating this weather since he has been here. I am glad they are getting to finally go together and get settled. It has been very hard on them trying to get everything in order here so they could go. I would just be glad to see some warmth. We will get to visit them in February so that will be nice.

For the most part today was uneventful so I don't have to much to say tonight. so I am headed to the couch...................

What really COLD day in Illinois. Bitter is the best way to describe this weather. I am so fortunate that I have a warm home and warm clothes. You really dont think about how misrable it can be be without some of the comforts that we take for granted. So today I am being very thankful I am able to have the "warm" things that I have.


I just got off the phone with my granddaughter Paige. She is nine and very talkative. She had a very good day at school and got an A on her math test so she was happy. She had also taken her AR(Accelerated Reader) test this week and did very well on that also. She cracks me up when she tells me stories about her day at school with her friends because it all seems so very silly to an adult but in her world it is so very very important. It fun to listen to her talk about the daily struggles a nine year old can face. They are just starting to define themselves and what their place is in a group of friends. I don't remember those days until I hear her talk about all the events that shape her day. It starts a lot earlier than it used to. It seems kids have so much more to worry about now than they did even a few years ago. Well she is very outgoing and genuinely cares about all her friends so I am sure she will be just fine. And she likes school so that always helps. I think she even likes homework. Reminds me of Stefine lot at that age especially.



One more obsevation for the day>>>> VH1 Celebrity rehab with Dr Drew is about the most asinine show I have ever seen. These people have absolutely no shame or remorse. It is all a joke for the cameras. Unbelievable waste of what was talent and now is only a pathetic cry for attention from people who have wasted their chance at anything that has meaning. All right I am climbing off my soap box now and going back to being sweet and non judgemental like I am usually am!!!!!!! HA HA HA HA

I am doing a lot of "firsts" this week. Today at work I created my first power point presentation for the 5 S program we are involved in at the shop. I don't think it will win any awards but it was interesting anyway. It has been a challenge to get everyone on board with this program since in reality most people do not like change to their routines or work spaces. but I must say it is really looking good and it has proven to be a good thing.

I am looking forward TO GOING TO Miami in February. This cold weather is so depressing!!!! Too bad I will not be there for the Daytona 500. But I hear there is party I will be going to whohoooooo. Big screen action and Tony winning the 50Th anniversary race andddddddd in a Toyota. I would have preferred a Chevy, but if you cant accept change and competition then move on. Go Tony Go!!!! Love the hair also.

Well thats it for tonight see ya

FIRST TIME BLOGGER

Well this is my attempt to be a blogger. We will see how this goes....... Stef helped me set this up so that we can have another form of communicating. She thinks I will be calling her every day when she moves to Memphis!! I am very happy about their decision to start building a life together so I am not going to be the Mom who cant let go. Ha Ha who am I kidding I am so nosy.

But seriously I am happy and the fact that they are happy with each other and have jobs$$$$ makes me not worry about them. I am glad I will have somewhere new to go visit and it is much warmer there in the winter.

Ok moving on >>>> I also will be doing a photo a day so that we can see what the other one can come up although I am sure hers will be of better quality. Well Here I go to take a photo I will be back tomorrow :)