Frollicking in The Pool

The above are pictures of my kids playing in our pool. This has turned out to be a very wise investment. I do have to put pool shock in it once a week because it gets so much use, but we are all really enjoying this new toy! Alan hates to get in it because the water is still very cold and he is so skinny that he freezes instantly, unlike his wife whose abundance of personal insulation keeps her toasty (more or less) for 1/2 an hour. The kids swim in it for hours on end. Maybe Alan & I are just getting old!

Yeah For ME!

I need lots of atta girls for this one.

This morning I devoted all of the morning to finishing Arlenes Wedding Veil and guess what???I actually got it DONE.

When Cindie & Arlene went to pick out her wedding dress they so graciously invited Emily & I along. She ended up picking the dress that I loved the absolute most. It honestly looks like it was made just for her. Anyway when she put it on the final time at the shop the gal put a veil on her and she just looked incredibly beautiful, I actually started getting teary eyed over the whole thing. So I asked her if I could make her veil and she (being the trusting soul that she is)said I could.

Fast Forward to the last few weeks. I have been slowly but surely sewing the lace on and had the longest part of it complete and was stumped about how to do the top but this morning it kind of came to me (in a flash of brilliance no less) and I got it all sewed together. It looks lovely on her and really hope that she likes it. And yes, I did get all weepy all over again. Arlene was a junior bridesmaid in mine and Alans wedding and it is so sweet that Emily gets to be a flower girl in hers.

I will probably be bawl baby at the wedding, but thats alright cause thats what over emotional aunts are for. I must get this all out of my system before any of my own dear children decide to leap from the nest!

The very bad, horrible, no good morning!

Well I certainly am not going to win any mother of the year awards now!! Lets see where to begin.

First of all I spent most of yesterday in Grand Junction picking up clothes for the kids and a blouse for Mom McCracken to where to Arlenes wedding, then I picked up Wade & McKenzie from Vel's house to take them back to Grandma McCrackens, then I stopped by Tonya Wilsons to pay for mom & dads 50th Anniversary cake. So on the way through Delta I stopped at this convience store that sells milk for $6 for 2 gallons, which would be a very good deal if the milk we not spoiled!!!

I love birds as much as anyone, but they start singing LOUDLY at my bedroom window at 4:45 every morning! So of course I get up and shut the windows and try to get back to sleep. Dosen't work!
I didn't discover until late last night that the milk was bad (both gallons), I got up at 6:00 and drove to Olathe and bought a new gallon of milk. Driving home, due to my own failure to really look, I was almost T-Boned on my side of the van by a huge truck!! If he had hit me I wouldn't be writing this because I most certainly would be dead now. After that narrow miss I decided to drive more carefully.

Upon arriving at the house I discover that my teenager did not in fact load the dishwasher last night, after assuring me he would. So I was very unhappy about the sink full of dirty dishes. I loaded it then took care of the laudry. The proceed to make pancakes for Alan & Tyler. Tyler didn't eat his and instead got himself a Coffee cup full of cereal and milk. "Why didn't you eat a pancake?" "Well, I didn't have time." Grrrrrr. So he gets made and DUMPS his cereal and milk into the sink (that I had just cleaned out), my you we don't have a garbage disposal, then he makes a beline for the door!! Needless to say I have not been a very happy mom this morning. Thanks for listening to my rant!

On a different note I have decided to list things that I am looking forward to.

1) Pictures that I am sure someone will post of Ashleas wedding. Since I am unable to attend.

2) Getting Arlenes veil completely finished. It is looking pretty good but I think I need to add some more lace to it.

3) Getting through Arlenes wedding week and just enjoying her day.

4) Getting through Alfred & Minnies 50th anniversary party. So I can stop worrying about it and maybe get some sleep!

5) Going to Nicole Herrmanns wedding, where I have to do is watch!

6) My 40th birthday. It means I am still alive and kickin

7) Getting my house organized and my homeschooling finalized for next fall.

8) Tyler coming home so I can apologize for being such a jerk this morning.

Cleaning, Cleaning, Cleaning

Perhaps its because I have had such a cruddy year, or because it feels like the walls are closing in on me, I don't know which, but....I have started my yearly decluttering. Several people, neighbors, friends, family....have given me bags & bags and bags of hand me downs recently. That in its self is very nice, and now I have plenty of clothes for both Emily & Amy for school next year....buuuuttt... After the fifth large bag of clothes I start getting very picky with things. So today after going through all the bags and cleaning out one drawer in my own dresser, I took three very overstuffed bags of well stuff to the Salvation Army. I don't know where the mountains of clothing ends up but they happily take everything I want to dispose of.

This weekend the swamp cooler overflowed and leaked into my utility room. AAAAAAhhhh! I was not a very happy camper. All the sheets, tools, ect. had to be rewashed and the room smells terrible now. I have just about got caught up on the laundry. So, my goal for the week is to go through each of the kids' dressers and get rid of about half of the unused, too small, clothing so that the house cleaning will not take as much time. Lets see if I can do it.

I have also been diligently planning our February Hawaii cruise. That is not really work but it is what I spend a lot of time on. Our plane tickets are bought & paid for. Money to pay for the cruise itself is in the bank, so now I just need to save for activities and such. Alans dear cousin Stephanie & her sweet husband Jeramy have so graciously agreed to stay with our kids the week we are gone. Steph married my third cousin Jeremy Easter from Purcell Oklahoma. Always room for another Easter in the McCracken Clan. I need to get chore list and such done for the kids for while we are away. Another thing to add to the growing list.

Alex had a terrible flu last week. Poor little guy. He just doesn't do sick very well. He is feeling better now and went back to Summer School today. He is really enjoying that. There are only 5 kids to each teacher, so he is learning a bunch.

The kids are loving the new swimming pool. It is very cold water though so I don't manage to stay in very long. I don't think Alan has been in it at all. Hopefully it will get warmer soon so we can enjoy it.

I must go now and get busy with more cleaning. You all have a nice week.

DANGEROUS WITH A CREDIT CARD PART II

Today I made an executive decision. Given the high price of gas and the many childern I have and the fact that the temp is near 90 during the afternoon, I went to walmart and bought a POOL. Yep, thats me. Give me a credit card and a reason and I'll just whip that puppy out! It took us all afternoon and evening to set it up and it is still filling. I don't imagine it will be full until the wee hours. It is 18 feet diameter & 4 ft high. That is going to be one huge water bill. HMMMM. Maybe I should have thought about that little detail.

Anyway the kids are so excited about it and so is their momma.

I was sick Thurs, Fri, & Sat of last week with a flu so intense and a fever so high that I thought my head was going to pop off my shoulders! But I am feeling much better now. Had my dear husband quite worried though. I will try to post pictures soon of the childern frolicking in the pool!! I just love that word! Frolicking, Frolicking, Frolicking!

In Loving Memory of My Mother Sister Deanie Easter

My mother passed away Tuesday May 15, 2008. Her family had gathered around her bedside and we were able to hold her hand through this time. She was such a wonderful beautiful lady. I will miss her terribly. I thank God that I had the time with her that I did. She had a lovely funeral service in Tulsa where many brethern and friends attended. Later in the day she had a graveside service at Parkland Cemetary. Bro. Bill Porter & Bro. Danny Godwin officiated the services. We were blessed during mothers last days to have the help of many of our family. Moms Aunt Virginia James from New Mexico came and cared for her, as well as Aunt Joy Easter, Uncle Carl & Aunt Wanda James and many others. My sisters and I bathed her a day or so before she died. It was an honor to care for her in her own home.

Many brethern came and brought food while we were there. Bro. Bill & Sis. Marcelle were such a big help to our family. As were Bro. Danny & Sis. Coweta Godwin. Many more brethern than I could possibly name visited and helped us so much. Beth & Robert pulled their 5th Wheel over for Alan & I to stay in. It made things so nice for us. Alan got up each morning after mom died and set and had coffee with my Dad. Dad was only sleeping about 4 hours a night and he really needed the company. Please pray for him. I know he is going to be so lonely without her.

The night before the funeral we stayed with Colin & Teresa. What a blessing it is to have friends like that. I feel like I have riches untold when I see all of the friends I have. We love you Colin & Teresa. We love everyone of you who have helped us through this trial.

Back Home Again

This is Monday. I have been working all morning trying to get the house back to livable conditions. Being gone for a week can sure take its toll on a place, especially when you leave a husband & four childern at home. So far I have done the kitchen, cleaned the living room done two loads of laundry, and have done quite a bit of decluttering as I worked, so things are starting to shape up. I sounded like a drill sargent this morning before the kids left for school. I made Tyler & Mason clean & vaccum their room. I can't stand it when things get so totally out of whack. Most of you know me personally & I have never been that picky of a housekeeper, but as I get older I seem to be leaning more in that direction. It's about time!!

The trip out to Oklahoma was very good. Amy behaved so well on the way out and it was great when we got to the hospital where mom was, Amy was the first person she saw when she woke up. It made my mom so happy! The doctors had planned on doing exploratory surgery on Mom on Monday morning (basically they were going to use her as a guinea pig), but my sister & I discussed it and we both didn't feel like mom would make it out of surgery alive. Sooooo after speaking with my dad about it the family decided to take her home and care for her there. I beleive that is why I felt so pressed to go to Oklahoma when I did. She & Daddy were both so happy when we got her home. It was such a beautiful thing. My moms aunt is staying with them indefinately.

It was good to get to visit with my mom. I had the opportunity to speak to her alone for a while and was able to get some things worked out that I had let set for many years. I know without a doubt that mom loves me. I think I often wondered about that. The night before I left I set next to her and held her and she kept kissing me and telling me how much she loved me & my kids. I don't care how old a person gets, sometimes we just need to hear that from our Mommy's.

The ride home with Sis. Carolyn was wonderful. We had such a nice visit. The trip from Sapulpa to my house only took us 13 1/2 hours. And we did not speed. We took a great short cut through the backroads of Texas.

I don't think that I will get to see my mom again before she passes. She is very very ill. But I know that she loves me and that is all that really matters to me right now. I am so thankful she is at home. Thank you all for your prayers