my resolutions

I do not make traditional new years resolutions. I know that I should exercise, eat right and watch less t.v. I spent a lot of years saying these things. So now I make a different kind of list. A list of things I want to do.

1. I want to see Reagan library

2. I want to see Hearst castle

3. I want to learn to surf

4. I want to adopt a family for Christmas

5. I want to take a glider ride

6. I want to ride in a hot air balloon

7. I want to stomp grapes at the wine festival

8. I want to  go to the Clydesdale farm...... which is 20 minutes away and Anheuser Bush owns!

9. I want to hug a red wood tree

10. I want to help help sick and homeless animals

11. I want to make some quilts to give to the police. They give them out to people whom they meet in the coarse of doing their job.

12. I would like to have more marines call our house home. Yes we already have a lot that do, but I want to help as many marines as I can. * side note* Any branch of the service is welcome here, we just live very close to a marine base.

Is a list of things that I can do nothing about, but would like to see them happen.

1. I would like to see Amber make some more friend and even have a boyfriend. Amber is not as out going Nikki so it is harder for Amber to make friends. Amber so wants a boy to notice her, but they all think that she is "ugly"! I keep telling Amber to just wait. Those boys will grow up and realize what they have passed up.

2. After all I have been through with my mom, I still hope that she has a good year. My mom wants to start doing things that my dad would not do with her. Things like going to Italy.

3. I hope that Rusty will at least e mail his brother, even if it is to say kiss my ass. I know that Rusty's brother hurt him VERY badly, however it is the only blood relative that he has left. O.K. he has some aunts and cousins out there..... it just is not the same.

So there is my list. If I do not do the items on my list that is fine as long as I do something different and step outside of my comfort zone.

Tonight I think that Rusty and I are going to go see the pursuit of happiness and then that will be about it.

good day

Some friends that we have not seen in a while called and asked Rusty if he help roof part of the their house. Well duh  just tell us when!

So I spent yesterday going through all of my scraps of material and I made a bunch of pet quilts to take with me. The lady works at a vets office and they just love the blankets. So I thought well I am going anyway, so I better get sewing.

We sung by and picked up Nikkis boyfriend and he helped the guys roof. While I got to catch up with her and play with the baby. Well o.k. the baby is 19 months, still a baby to me.

I had such a great time with the baby. We let mommy take a shower by herself, while I got the baby dressed. Then we headed out to watch the guys work. That lasted for about 30 seconds, so we had to go see the horses and the goats. Then it was back up to the house to let her feed the dogs.

We both needed a drink after that, so in we go to get something to drink. Oh wait I forgot the have no attention span, so we were off to play with the block and the new animal game that she got.

By the time mommy got out of the tub we had put in a full day! LOL We all went to the store and I had to get some Starbuck. I got the baby this fruit thing. I am telling you she drank it so fast that she got a brain freeze!

After we got back to their place I just sat on the floor and played with the baby while we talked.

It is funny how sometimes life just gets so busy that you forget about the little things. Like sitting on floor and playing dolls.

Once the guys were done we headed out. I told my friend that we need to get together more often. Life is just having us move in different directions.

On the way home Nikkis boyfriend said " they seem like really nice people". We told him that they are, and if he is lucky one day he will have a handful of friends that he can count on.

I have started on one of my new years resolutions. I said earlier in the month that I was going to help sick and homeless animals. I have made some quilts that will go to the sick and homeless animals. I changed my side bar to educate people on the importance of having your animal fixed.

Tomorrow I will talk some more about my new years resolutions,for now, I am going to go soak in a nice hot bath!

a year in review

Before I start with all that has happened this year, I want to say something about my mom. Rusty told me to just it go. After all once my mom dies my sister will be hit with reality and she will not do good. No one will be there to hand her everything and for the first time in her life she will have to take care of herself. Rusty has a feeling that she will fall on her face. I think he is right. I can say with my head held high that everything we have we have had to work for, and I am proud of that.

This past year has been both good and bad for me. I started off the year by going sky diving. I got to wear my dads sky diving suit and it was great to be able to take him for one last jump! The gentlemen that I went sky diving with is Kevin and he is currently in Iraq.

In April Rusty and I went to Vegas. We have been to Vegas before, but we try to do something different everytime we go. This year I got to shoot a machine gun!

That was so much fun and yet the power behind the gun scared me. Rusty was scared that the gun was going to knock me on my ass so he had his hand on my back to brace me! LOL

My mom and dad came out for Ambers 16th birthday. This would be the last time that the children would see my dad alive. My dad gave Amber a maple leaf necklace, which is a family tradition when you turn 16. My dad was already sick and had decided to not fight his cancer.

Amber and I got to ride in our first motor cycle rally to raise money for the local veterans home. That was Ambers first time on a motor cycle and she had so much fun! i got the honor of carrying the Marine Corps flag.

The girls went on their first mission trip. I was and still am so proud of them. I am proud that they went out into the world and made a difference. The girls also came back better people, and for that I am truly grateful.

Then I got the call that my dad was not doing good. I went home. While I was there I was angry and I laughed. August was a hard month for me. My dad passed away just four days after I came home. In August I learned that cursing God did not good. While I was home I helped my mom put up a roof. That was the first time I had ever used that type of roofing material.

The picture of my dad was taken while he was still in the service.

The girls got their bellies pierced this year. Amber got a job and took drivers ed. Nikki has a boyfriend that Rusty and I actually like.

This year we sent a bunch of our friends off to war and I met another marine via e mail who I am writing to. We have been blessed that all of our friends are still alive and that we will be able to welcome them home soon.

As for what I want for next year..... that will be another entry.

Most of all, we are still standing and we are here to talk about year.

windy and a mess

The wind here is so bad! I will not be going anywhere unless I HAVE to today. Brrrr it is cold.

Today I am going to spend the day trying to clean up the house. It is a mess. I really need to work on getting more of the Christmas stuff put away. I hate the clean up!

The children had a good time last night. They rolled in about 1 a.m. I am glad that they were able to have an evening out.

So Rusty and I had the house to our self last night. I suggest that we have sex every piece of furniture. Rusty reminded me that we have already done that. Hmmm now what? So I went and took a bath. When I got out I threw Rusty the lotion and I lit a smoke. I told him to come rub me down! LOL So he started rubbing me down. He said his name was Ramon and that he would do whatever my little heart desired.

I asked to be rubbed down on both sides. I asked that he give special attention to my lower back. After that was over he rolled me over and shaved my body! That was so cool. Then we had awesome sex.

I just love our sex life. I think that sex gets better the older that you get. I so would not want to be 18 again. Our children think we are gross because we are always hugging and kissing on each other. I just hope that they find a love like we have.

I need to get my but in gear and start cleaning this house.

 

family is over rated

Well....... I took my mom to the airport today. We had small talk until she started telling me the details of her new will. Here is that conversation:

Mom - Your Uncle John will be the executor of the will. My friend Barb will be the one making all the medical decisions. Everything I own has been put into a living trust, so that way no one can touch it.

Me - o.k.

Mom - The trust will be responsible for paying all of my medical bill and any home care that I might need. I am selling the house and right now I have a small insurance policy, but that will end when I retire.

Me- o.k.

Mom - I have set a side a few pieces of jewelry that I want everyone to have. If there is any money left in the trust it will be divided 6 ways.

Me - That sounds fair.

Mom - However I left the summer home and all of the land to your sister. However you will have to come out and and help sell off what belongs I have left.

Me - No I will not have to sell anything. That is what your executor is for. well we are at the airport. Here let me get your bag for you. I guess I will see you the next time you come out. Bye

What am I? Chopped liver? Even worse a dog that gets the scraps of everyone else's leftovers.

Rusty asked me if I was surprised. I am not surprised but I am hurt. I knew that once my dad died .... well it would either break or make mine and my moms relationship. It has broken it.

Tonight I am giving the children a special treat. I am letting them go see two movies, so they will not be home until midnight or so. Even Ryan is going with them. They are going to go see Charlotte web and then they are going to sneak into the pursuit of happiness.

 

Christmas was a blast

We had an awesome Christmas!

I was told however that I am NEVER allowed to write to Santa again. I wrote to Santa back in the first part of December and I was thinking that the letter would be thrown away.....oh no. Not only did we have food dropped off, but people were still dropping presents by on Christmas eve!

I met Santa on Christmas eve. She was getting ready to leave us some gifts by the door. I got to talking to her and I realized where I knew her from. She worked at the post office!

She and a another worked gathered up all the dear Santa letters and they just started making phone calls.

I cried. Who knew that a letter to Santa would bring us so much help. I actually felt bad that we were given so much. Then I remembered what my dad said. He said " people want to help, but unless you tell them what you need they can't help". My oldest daughter said that this is pay back for the nice things we have done for other people.

My mom got me a wind chime with my dads date of death on it. There was a poem attached to it and it said that every time I hear the wind chime, that would be coming to visit.

Anyway, Old town San Diego was so nice. I got some pictures of these grave markers that in the street! They had no idea when they paved the street that it use to be part of the cemetery!

We got to Coronado island just as the sun was setting, so my mom was so happy to have her picture taken at sunset. She also got to see the Hotel Del Coronado. She said that she had wanted to see it because famous people use to go there in the 20's and 30's. I am just glad that we got to make two of her wishes come true.

I had to laugh. Here is was Christmas eve, and we were eating dinner outside. Then we heard the life guards going down the beach telling people to get out of the water.

I have the ham and beans in the crock pot. Later on today we are going to go feed the ducks and then go out to lunch.

more running

Well my mom made it in. However they forgot to send her bags, so we had to go back to the airport yesterday to get her bags! We have been on the move so much.

I think we are all ready for Christmas.  People have been so great to us. More people are reading my letter to Santa, but we have already gotten so much. So now I am telling people that we know of another family that is in need and they are taking the stuff over to them.

Today we are going to go down to Coronado Island and to old town. I have never walked through old town San Diego, so it will be nice to see it.

I am so very proud of Nikki! Nikki said that she wanted to make a quilt for her boyfriend. That usually translates into me making the quilt. I told nikki how to do it and I showed her a few tricks, but I did not do anything else. So what do you guys think of our daughters first quilt?

I am so glad that my mom is here and that we having a god time. I can't wait to go to San Diego and spend the day with my family!