Not April Fooled

For those of you who look forward to my April Fools stories every year I'm sorry. Just didn't have it in me this year to come up with anything. Even my boss texted me and asked if our Bishop had called us into his office this year and if I had anything to announce. I think our trip to Texas and work has wore me out!!! Right at this time I am trying to Import 50,000 lbs. of beans from Chile. You can't imagine the paperwork and hoops you have to jump through to make this happen. The last time we imported beans from Chile the sheriff showed up to go through our beans because police dogs picked up the scent of drugs in our container that came into LA. So needless to say I am a little weary about importing. I never, in my wildest dreams imagined I would be doing this kind of work. Shipping seeds all over the world - Me, the girl, who when I got married made my husband call the Dr. for my own Dr. appointments because I was too shy. Now I communicate with foreign customers through phone calls, emails and texts. Sometimes I can't hardly understand them but we make it through. I fight with the Dept of Agriculture and have probably been put on the FBI list for irate US citizens as I argue, plead and beg to make our shipments legal to ship. My boss told me to do whatever it takes to get an order through and I had to have him clarify to me what "whatever it takes" means. I love Pure Line Seeds but I would never do anything illegal, immoral or dishonest for them. Well almost anything. And they know it! I am going on my 15th year here and wondering how I lasted this long! Its the money. Yes I said it. Money. Its what gets me up at 5:30 every morning and keeps me plugging along through the stress and mess. Someday I'll hang up my pens and pencils and computer key board. It will be a glorious day!!!

The Stars are Bright, Their Big & White (clap clap clap) Deep in the Heart of Texas!

Well Ya'all its true, Ed & I got to fly to San Antonio Texas last Friday for some great R & R. Our boss got us a great deal at a Hotel he always stays at, but I'm telling you we were way out of our poor measly element. Door men, Bell boys, conceirge,- or in other words people with their hands out constantly wanting a tip. Every evening someone would knock on our door asking if they could turn down our bed. Just how lazy does someone have to be to have someone turn down their bed for them. Maybe if they wanted to give us a foot massage or go get us some food - something useful like that. There is alot of history in San Antonio like the Alamo. Many old artifacts. a beautiful River Walk. We didn't have a car so we had to walk alot - which was good for us. We had a good time but it is good to be home. Not to work, but to be back with family and people we know. I really missed being at the Cox family Easter party. We really don't appreciate certain things in our life until we miss something. The family is still growing, Grandma Cox's 63rd great grandchild Tyson & Vanessa's little boy Easton was born and her 64th great grand child Chance & Jaydee's Mabel Bea was also born. And Kylee & Cos's big announcment of their baby coming in Oct. Wow!! Can you imagine having that kind of legacy. I am so proud of this family. We were once 6 kids giving mom and dad fits and now we are the parents and grandparents. Life is good even though there are bumps along the way. I think we're gonna make it!

Changes in Blogging

This blog business isn't what it used to be. I used to be able to go right in and make changes and posts but someone, somewhere, without much sense, has decided they need to change things every month and its getting to the point where I can't figure out how to even get into the blog. I'm sorry everyone. I think I am just going to communicate on the family facebook. I am looking forward to going part time work this summer and maybe then I will have more time to figure all this stuff out. Right now I just don't. I do want to congratulate Emma & Marshall on their new baby boy!Looking forward to seeing him and being at his blessing. We are also looking forward to Tyson and Vanessa's new baby boy due in March. Its been a very busy year with lots of new Cox grandkids. I'm sorry I missed February birthdays. I panicked today when I saw that McKenzie's birthday was on the 28th and thought I had missed it - then realized that it was January's birthdays on the blogs. And then remembered I hadn't missed it I had sent her a gift. Oh my. Am I getting old or what. I know that there has been many great accomplishments and events this last month and we are so proud of our own grandchildren. Jackson won his pinewood Derby. It is his first year in scouts and I want to assure everyone that he did most of the work himself on his car. Michael said he only dropped it twice before the race. We had 3 grandkids on the Moses Lake honor roll this month. What a thrill for us as we never saw much of that with our own kids. (sorry kids but the truth hurts sometimes) We also got to watch Kayla in her gymnastics tournament last Sat. She is really good! I'm sad to say I don't know much thats going on in the rest of the family. We need to have some kind of blog where everyone can add to it of what is going on in their families. That would be so fun. Does anyone know how to do that? Anything anyone wants to add would be wonderful! Love you all!!

Happy New Year!!

Well, I can't believe I totally missed December. My apology for anyone who had Dec. birthdays. I hope people remembered your birthdays without them posted on the blog. Yes I am losing it. Or could it be that I had 4 major Christmas parties to plan, prepare and deliver. Not to mention my stressful job. But it all got done. And I only had a tear in my retina to show for it. If we could just see from the end to the beginning that everything was going to turn out - we would worry less. But that is where prayer and faith come in. Something I often forget about. Oh, believe me I pray! Sad to say, I just don't trust the Lord. There, I said it! My New Year's resolution is to have more faith and be more optomistic. Ed would be laughing right now if he heard me say that. I'm a pessimist and a worrier. "What if" is my middle name. And its funny because I'm 62 years old and I can't say anything terribly bad has ever happened because I was in charge. Even if I had a magic ball and could see the future - I would be afraid something would interfere and change the future somehow. I picture my perfect future as sitting in a rocking chair on a porch in front of a beautiful beach and ocean. Diet Pepsi - with lots of ice - and all the sereneness that comes with it. Then comes my wildly vivid dramtic mind interupting the calmness with a huge gigantic 100 foot wave rushing toward me to wash me out to sea. I can't even dream peace and calm!!! So my dear relatives, having said all that, wasn't the family Christmas Party great! I'm not sure what mom was thinking during all the madness Sunday night. Masses of little kids running around screaming and chasing each other, 37 adults running and fighting for chairs and gifts that we could go out and buy for ourself. Not to mention all the other adults on the sidelines cheering for their loved ones to win the big one!! Well, I think she was grinning inside and saying to herself, "I wish Grandpa was here to see what we created!" Happy New Year everyone!

Thanksgiving

We decided that this year everyone will just do their own thing for Thanksgiving. We've just gotten so big and its so much work. Married grandkids have to run from family to family trying to fit it all in and its just become too much for most everyone. I know that some will not be happy with this decision but we all knew it would have to be this way sooner or later. I'm just kidding. I'm not sure anyone even reads this anymore so I just thought I would add some spice to it and see. Well we're going to do Thanksgiving but not Christmas. Just kidding again!! We have decided though that the dinner will be at the church again. And we've decided to downsize to hot dogs and chips to save on clean up and there never is enough food. What!! Kidding again, if you are still reading this. I do know that we ran out of food last year so we need to bring more food!! No skimpy little salads people!! We hope to have "Family Feud" again. So I will post more when I know more.

The Good Ole' Days

In the good old days we would all gather at mom and dads on Sunday evening and the grandkids would play outside until we dragged them in the house to say good bye. It was just the thing to do on Sunday and we enjoyed every minute of it. I miss those days. I didn't know at the time how lucky we were to have the time and opportunity to do that. Our lives are so busy now that it is almost impossible to find a time to all get together. We were lucky to all live in the same town and only have one church time. My how times have changed. I never thought I would see sports events for our kids on Sundays, live an area with several wards meeting in the same building, and schedules so tight we are like ships passing in the night. But here we are. If it wasn't for facebook I wouldn't know what my family was doing half the time. I long for those good ole' days. When we would get together and laugh and talk and didn't have to hurry off for another scheduled event. What happened to that life? I am sorry you younger generation will never know those days. They were good times.

Praying With One Eye Open

We have a saleswoman at Pure Line Seeds and she is also an ordained minister for a non denomiational church. I love this woman. She is from Oklahoma and has the most southern accent I've ever heard. She kind of reminds me of Paula Dean. She always greets us with a big hug and kiss on the cheek. Everyone she meets gets greeted like this. She is good in sales because she is so friendly and personable, everyone loves Penny. She is also very religous and a "Praise the Lord" lady. She has had a rough life but once she turned her self over to the Lord she is a changed woman. She is always giving me a bad time because if I'm ever stressed she tells me to trust the Lord, put my faith in the Lord. She's not afraid to show her religion. Unlike some of us. About a month ago she came to Warden for our Pea trial show. She had just returned from Jeruselem and was really spiritual. She even brought me a cashmere shawl from there. She really is a special woman and I am amazed at her faith and spirit for all she has been through.She is such an example to me. Well while she was here she took me to the Corral Resturant in Warden for lunch. The Corral was packed that day and people coming and going. I know pretty much everyone who comes in there. She decided we needed to join hands and she would bless the food. Out loud! Now, I am a religious person and I do bless the food-- at home. Why is it hard for us to bless our food in public. Well, I kept one eye open - watching out -- secretly hoping no one I knew would see us. It was a beautiful prayer and I am ashamed I can't be that open. She knows I am Mormon and I try to be a good example but I learned a lesson that day. She is a better example of a Christlike person than I will ever be. She's not afraid or ashamed to thank the Lord or praise the Lord. How would you have reacted in this same situation? Would you have prayed with one eye open afraid someone would see?