Christmas Shopping

I had a rude awakening yesterday. I cannot shop til I drop anymore. I now drop way before the shopping is done. Its pityful. Do you remember when you were in school and how you felt the day after your 1st day of PE. Well times that times 10 and thats how I feel today. I hate to admit it but I now envy the 250 lb. grandma on her scooter shopping away. When did standing and walking become such a dread. Maybe its sitting for 9 hours a day that has made me so unfit. Maybe its my age. I used to love shopping and go for hours and hours. I remember when me my sisters and mom would load into a car and we would leave early in the morning shop til the stores closed. We spent hours looking for that one special doll or toy that one of the kids wanted. It was go go go till we could go no longer. And the shopping didn't end until Christmas. I was never done and always looking for that one special thing. Then there was the baking and wrapping & grocery shopping. Well, that still has to happen. Now that we've added daughter in laws, a son in law and grandkids my list has grown & grown. Ed gets mad because he thinks we should just give them money. But how personal is that. It just wouldn't be Christmas if I didn't worry my self sick, shopping, trying to find exactly the right thing, and then watch them open their gifts and wonder if they really like it, and in then end wish I had given money or gift certificates. It just wouldn't be Christmas. And it takes a whole year for me to rest up, relax and start all over again. I don't know if its because my list gets longer every year or that I'm getting older and tireder but as I say every year, next year we just might give money and gift certificates.

Fasten Your Seat belts

We are approaching December at a high rate of speed so fasten your seat belts and hang on. I don't even know where November went but I do know we went through it because I vaguely remember turning 61 years old and then something about mom taking a tumble in the Safeway parking lot, Thanksgiving at the church, eating a little - and I do stress little - bit of turkey, a laugh out loud game of family fued, Austin's successful heart surgery, Haley & Matt's beautiful wedding, and on the very last day of November, two new beautiful babies born into the family. Preston Chamberlain and Aleana Bisnett. Whew!!! I know December is going to fly by as fast because the calendar is already filled with work, parties, programs, birthdays and Christmas celebrations. If it wasn't for the work I would half way enjoy my job, and even though it consumes me to my very core, as God as my witness I am going to enjoy the month of December. I'm going to take a deep breath, laugh alot more, stress a little less, sleep the whole night, and keep in mind what is most important this time of year. Its all about the birth of our Savior, being with family, and giving yourself permission to shop till you drop. Happy December everyone! Enjoy it before its gone!!

Thanksgiving!

I really think this blog should be turned over to someone less busy and stressed than me. Well, who should that be. I know, I know, everyone is busy and stressed! There are many exciting things happening in the family right now. Haley's wedding Nov. 26th, Levi & Dania's baby, sadly Austin's surgery which we are all praying for his fast recovery, and November has more family birthday's than any other month! We also have Thanksgiving coming up. Which we are having at the church this year. The main food has been assigned and we are asking the married grandkids to bring salads and side dishes. Whatever you have brought other years is just great. I think the traditional Cox-Martinez football game is still on. I myself have never gotten to see it - but maybe this will be the year. We have many things to be thankful for this year. Our family is growing and when all is said and done is there anything more important in this life than family!! I love you all!!!

Is it October already????

OMgosh!! Where has the time gone. I haven't even changed the family birthday calendar. I don't think anyone is reading this anymore anyway but I'll try to do better. I have found out that no matter what is going on, life stands still for no one! September was a full month of celebrating. Rick & Sharon and Ed and I celebrated our 40th wedding anniversaries, Just can't believe how fast those 40 years have passed by. Our kids are grown, and we've doubled our families with wonderful daughter and son in laws and grandkids. We couldn't wait for our kids to grow up and move out and now we long for them to come home and bring the grandkids. The clean house that once seemed an impossible dream sits quiet and polished begging for little ones to come mess it up! We made it through the rough times and the poor times when we wondered how we were going to make it to the next pay day and how we could make 1 lb of hamburger feed a family of 8. You would never find a family now eating homemade hot dog pizza, or mashed potato pie, heck my kids probably wouldn't even eat it now, but they loved it then. I remember once finding $5.00 and Ed and I were so thrilled we could go to Burger King and have two Wopper meals for five dollars! We didn't have much when the kids were little but they didn't know it. I long for those days, but am greatful for what we have now. One thing I do know is that I don't have to worry about how many more years we have together because I know we will be together for eternity.

Consumned By My Job!!

I feel like I have been in the twilight zone the last couple of months. Its the Pure Line Twilight Zone. Like nothing else exists. The owner closed our corp office and moved everything to Warden except finanical stuff. So Kylee & I have been over loaded with 2 past secretaries work. I am now the foreign order shippier. Since I have taken over this responsiblity I have been responsible for shipments to Sri Lanka, Morrocco, China, Pakistan, Colombia, & New Zealand. The paperwork is overwhelming and so maticulous! (never thought I would use that word!) My whole life revolves around this work and I think about it 24/7. One of these days I will either relax & comprehend it or I will quit! I see a small pin light at the end of the tunnel but we have a new Chief operations manager who is driving us all nuts with his big company changes and who, in all of our opinions, doesn't know what he is doing! The good thing about it all is the owner likes me and trusts me and respects my opinion because, bsically, he doesn't want me to quit. Kylee has been a real trooper through it all and is my shoulder to cry on. Well, actually we cry on each others shoulders. I'm not sure, at almost 61 years old, I am wanting to take on such a huge task but there is one thing really keeping me here. The money and the benefits. The 2 ladies who were laid off from our Corp. office are my age and can't find a job anywhere. Both are single ladies with no other income. So I will count my blessings and gird up my loins, and stick it out until I, #1 get it, or #2 drop dead from exhaustion.

In Memory of Chessie Olson

Chessie Olson left this earth to frolic with the angels on August 1st, 2011.
Chessie's birthdate is unknown because she was orphaned at a young age. She was found abandoned 5 years ago by Ed. He brought her home and begged if he could keep her. I said she could stay in the garage even though it was freezing cold outside.She had long mangy hair and we weren't even sure what kind of dog she was or if she was potty trained. I know it sounds cruel but you have to understand that I grew up on a farm and dogs were outside animals. They ate our leftovers because we never bought dog food. Ed has such a kind heart and couldn't stand to see her out in the cold, so the next thing I new she was living inside. I made it clear that she was not ever, ever sleeping in our bed. I've seen other people with indoor dogs and how they share a plate of food or kiss on the mouth and heaven forbid, sleep in their beds!! So if she wasn't going to sleep in our bed we had to buy a doggie bed. I finally agreed to let Ed take her to the doggie barbershop just so we could see what kind of dog she was. How shocked we were when she came home - "a Schnauzer". What a cute dog. And she was clean and they had put a little hankerchief around her neck. Next thing I knew we were buying a collar, leash, doggie toys,shampoos & clothes. What do you know, we had another child. If she had one bad habit it was barking at everyone who tried to enter our home or even walk by. We felt protected. Chessie loved to go with Ed and if he left without her she pouted all day. When he came home she would get in her bed and turn her back to him. What a personality. If he left a chocolate bar in the pickup she would sneak and eat it. The grandkids loved Chessie and she loved them. They loved to see the 2 tricks Ed got her to do. She would roll over & she would stand and walk on her hind feet. But only for a treat.
Almost every day for 5 years she went to work with Ed. It was a normal work day the day she died. She was running along side of the pickup as Ed checked the bean field. All of a sudden he heard her yelp, he stopped and when he opened the door he found her laying dead. She had somehow lost her attention for a moment and thats all it took he had accidently run over her. I never thought I would cry over the loss of a dog, or see Ed cry over the loss of a dog, its suprising how much she was a part of our life. There will never be another Chessie. RIP Chessie dog.

Never thought I would say this . . .

I miss my kids! Years ago when all my kids were at home summers were chaotic. The first few days after school was over it was nice sleeping in. Not having to make breakfast, find shoes, clothes, homework, book bags, and race the clock to the approaching bus. Then after about a week into summer, I realized I had to feed the kids all day, clean up messes, referee the fighting, and not panic when I saw them jump from the roof of the house onto the trampoline. There were trips to the ER, bag balm & bandaids for the lesser injuries, tears to comfort and fears to calm. But inbetween all that the good times out weighed the bad. Camping trips, swimming, picnics, one major trip to Disney Land, memories that will never be forgotten. At the time I didn't appreciate our time together. Now that they have families and reponsibilities I'm so proud yet I really miss and yearn for those days long ago. Each time in our life has its good and its bad. I would say raising my kids was one of the best times of my life. I was born to be a mom - I feel blessed - I miss having the kids at home, chaos and all!!!!