Since it’s the beginning of yet ANOTHER week, I thought I’d better check in with ya’ll … Though, other than a whole lot of bowling (what else would we be doing?! ), there isn’t much else going on.
We’ve been to the bowling alley every day from Wednesday through last night. The kids wanted to go last Tuesday too, but Joe was super tired and couldn’t talk himself into it… What are those kids going to do when school starts back up and we won’t be able to go even half as much as we do now? They are going to go through some serious bowling withdrawals! … But maybe then we can stay home and I can actually get some work done on some of my projects, instead of spending half my time at the bowling alley.
At the Wednesday’s “Have-A-Ball” league, Josh bowled yet another new high game! His high game is now 209! Amazing! He seems to bowl best at the Wednesday league, for some unknown reason.
On Saturday we finished paying for, and got, the new bowling balls from the Have-A-Ball league… We had wanted to do it on Friday, but the lanes were CRAZY BUSY, and Shawn (the owner) just didn’t have time to drill the balls. He said he would be in at 5:00 on Saturday, so we went in there, planning on having dinner there as well (we’re eating at the bowling alley WAY TOO MUCH).
The boys, including Joe, were SO EXCITED about getting their new balls… They are nothing fancy. Just plain balls, unlike the ones we bought the boys for Christmas, which are reactive (will curve, if you hook them right), these are just for straight bowling… But that didn’t stop them from being excited. *lol* … In fact, when we got there and were climbing out of the Durango, Jared says, “Getting a new bowling ball is more exciting than having a new baby!”
I beg to differ!
Bet he’ll change his mind once he grows up and becomes a Daddy himself.
Josh… being Josh… has named his balls. His reactive ball is called “Hulk”, because it’s the same colors as the Incredible Hulk. His new ball, which is green and black, is named, “Josh Johnson Jr”, because Josh’s name is on the box the ball came in.
Anyway, Joe… being Joe… had to name his ball too. His ball is patriotic colors, so he named it “Betsy”, after Betsy Ross… OMWord, it’s been a while since I’ve seen Joe this excited about getting something new. He was teasing me that I would have to sit in the back seat with the girls, because Betsy needed to be buckled into the front seat, next to him… Then, in the middle of the night, he was busy tooting in bed. I was getting annoyed, so I woke him up and told him that to either go to the bathroom, or at least aim his rear in the other direction. He just looks over at me and says, “You’re just jealous because I got a new bowling ball!”
I swear, 99% of the time he acts like one of the kids!
Amanda’s been bowling a little more than normal… Of course, when Shelby is there (Shawn, the owner’s daughter) she doesn’t want to bowl, because she would rather play with Shelby. But on both Saturday and Sunday she bowled her free games… In fact, on Saturday she ended up bowling 5 games, which she has never done before… She didn’t bowl on Friday though. She decided she wanted to color instead. She wanted to draw me something…
Amanda: “What’s your 2nd favorite animal, Mama?” Mama: “A cougar.” Amanda: “But I can’t draw a cougar.” Mama: “Well, what can you draw?” Amanda: “Butterflies!” Mama: “Then that’s my favorite animal.”
So she drew me a picture of some butterflies.
The girls finally got their league shirts on Sunday. We paid for them in April, when the league first started, and Coach Mick ordered them from USBC right away… But MAN, are they slow! Alicia’s been rather impatiently waiting for them since then, and was SO EXCITED when they finally came… Just in time for our last summer league night next Sunday. *lol* … But at least they will have them for the fall league.
It’s weird to think that all the summer bowling leagues are just about over. There is only one more Sunday night “Some-R-Kids” league, two more of the Wednesday night “Have-A-Ball” leagues, and two more of the free kids league on Thursday… The fall league starts up again on September 18th.
Let’s see… What else is going on…
Oh, I know… Jared FINALLY lose another tooth. It had been almost 3 years since he lost his last one. This was tooth #9… So yes, he’s 12 1/2 years old and still has all his baby molars. *lol* … It came out faster than it probably should have… About a week ago it was barely loose. But then he accidentally wiggled it too hard. He heard a cracking sound, and his tooth was painfully much looser. Then, when he lost it, he was wiggling it and accidentally pushed it out, when he meant to push it down. He said it hurt, and it was bleeding a bit. Poor guy! … But at least it’s out!
Our newest kitten, CeeCee is SUCH a baby! … You know how some babies like to be walked, and the moment you sit down, they start to cry, and you have to get up and walk until you feel like your feet and arms are going to fall off? … Well, we never had that issue with any of our kids, but CeeCee is Just. Like. That… Seriously! She always wants to be held by whoever is standing. As soon as you sit down, she’s off and running to find someone else who’s standing/walking around. It is so funny! She will perch herself up over the shoulder, and stay there… As long as said person is upright and moving.
When we’re not at the bowling alley, I’ve been continuing to work on my heritage blog. I am currently working on typing out my Mom’s story she wrote, that is pretty long. I think it’s already over 7000 words long, and I still have some more to type out… I’ve also been googling places she mentions and getting pictures to go with it. Those pictures will go into the heritage book I am making.
Speaking of heritage books, the other day I sent an Email out to all the family on the Andersen side, asking if people would be willing to write some short stories about current families… But so far, no one has replied. I have no idea if anyone is willing to do it or not. *sigh* … Maybe they are just waiting to get it typed out, and then they will Email me?!?! … But it sure would be nice if they sent something that said they would get back to me, or that they would rather not… Whatever…. It just would be nice to know one way or the other.
I’ve also been working on lesson plans… The school year is sneaking up on us fast! … I now have the entire years lessons done for Josh, Alicia, and Amanda. I still have to finish Jared’s. I am about half way done… Then, all I will have to do to get ready for school is to get their binders ready to go, and print out the lesson plans… Need to buy ink for that first though.
Well… I suppose I’ve bored you long enough! See ya on the flip side!
Amanda: “Daddy, can you get me a baby sister, please?” Daddy went pale after that… I think she almost gave him a heart attack!
It seems unreal that I have been blogging for 8 years now… EIGHT YEARS! … Amazing! Who would have thought back then, that I would still be going strong 8 years later. Though, I admit, I probably would have thought that I would be getting more visitors/comments than I do now. *lol* Funny thing is, most of my loyal readers from back in those days no longer blog/blog hop (and I’ve lost contact with most of them), but I always seem to pick up new readers along the way… Crystal, I think you are the only person who has been reading since day 1, and is still here… But you’re stuck, since you’re family.
I like to go back and read through old posts. It’s like watching the kids grow up again. You don’t know how thankful I am, that I have taken the time to journal for so many years. So many memories, saved forever. Things I would have forgotten.
My plan is to put all my journaling into book form, by way of Blurb. I am working on the first book… You can add up to 440 pages, and I am on page 328. This first book actually contains pre-blog journaling (which I have also added to my blog), dating (so far) from May 1992 to April 2000. I didn’t write as often back pre-blog, so I can fit more years into the book… Though, I would fit a LOT more if I stuck with just journaling. But, you know me! I have to add pictures too! They enhance the journaling, don’t you think?!
Speaking of Blurb books, I have another one in the works as well. It’s for my family, and my Mom’s side of the family. It’s called “Passage to India … and Beyond” … It’s a heritage book on my Mom’s side of the family. I am adding family lines, photos, and stories (etc) that I have collected over the years. It’s turning out really cool so far, if I do say so myself! … When it’s done, I will buy myself and my Mom a copy, and then let anyone else who wants a copy, buy one. (Sadly, I can’t afford to buy all the Andersen relatives a copy myself.)
Another thing I’ve been working on this week is lesson plans… Every year I wait until half way through August, and then PANIC, because I start running out of time. But this year will be different. No end of summer rush to get ready for the school year. *lol* … Our summer vacation goes through Labor Day, and we start school then.
I am almost done buying the things we need for the school year. I just need more ink and paper for the printer, and I need 3 more 3″ binders. I think I need a 2″ binder too, but I am not 100%. I can’t remember if I bought one with the rest of the school supplies or not. *lol* I will have to look tomorrow, when I do some work in the classroom… I finally bought some banker boxes, so I can pack up last year’s work and put the new workbooks into the kids’ school cubbies. That’s my Saturday project for this weekend.
Another thing I would like to do tomorrow, if we have time, is make a trip to Kmart… A few weeks back Alicia wore a shirt that was a little smaller than she normally does, and I noticed that we need to start thinking of getting her some training bras. I figured we still had a few more months, and I also thought that Alicia would not be impressed with having to wear one… But I was wrong! … When I told her, she got all excited. She wants a pink one! And she wants them NOW! … She’s been bugging us about it ever since, and is DYING to go to the store to buy some.
Who knew?!
We also need to buy the kids some fall/winter clothes… They’ve been wearing short this summer, so you don’t notice how much they grow… This morning, Amanda came out with a pair of jeans on. Now the last time she wore them, they fit perfect. She came to me, asking me to button them… But they wouldn’t even come close to buttoning, and were an inch or more too short. … I told her to put some shorts on… Time to move her up into size 6 clothes! (Just in time for her 7th birthday! *lol* … I can’t believe she’ll only be in size 6, when she’s 7 years old… She sure is tiny!)
We, of course, have spent a lot of time at the bowling alley this week… One thing is for sure, all this free bowling, thanks to kidsbowlfree.com, has been great practice for the boys! … On thier Sunday league, Jared got 5 strikes in a row, and ended up with a 199! It’s not his high game, which is 203, but it’s his high league game. We thought that come this Sunday, Jared would probably win the blockbuster award for highest-over-average game… That is, until Wednesday… When Josh bowled a 206 at the Have-A-Ball League!!!! TWO-OH-SIX!!!! … How awesome is that! It’s his highest game ever, and he even beat out Jared’s high by 3 pins! … That kid was on cloud 9, trust me.
We didn’t do too much else this week… Jared and Josh spent Wednesday night with the twins, and then the twins came here on Thursday night… Oh, and tonight Scott, Debbie, and the twins stopped by, after we all went bowling, because Joe was giving Scott some yard stuff… So we bought some ice cream and visited for a while.
Well… Not much else going on. Think I’ll run for now! See ya on the flip side!
When am I going to learn to blog a little more often? I remember the days when blogging daily was the thing to do… Guess those days are past. *lol* … Maybe they will be back someday. Maybe I am just on a semi-blogging-break? Who knows… Guess time will tell.
We’ve been keeping busy. In face, May seems to be flying by at lightning speed. It’s really insane! I want things to slow down, so we don’t “miss” summer vacation.
On Thursday, after Joe got home from work, we took the kids to the pool again. This time the Mewings didn’t meet us there, because Debbie had to get Jacob fitted for his tux*.. Anyway, Joe and the kids still had a good time, but I admit I got a little bored sitting there on the bleachers by myself (usually I have Debbie to talk to). I was wishing that I had brought my book along… After about an hour and a half, my back was starting to ache from sitting there with no back support. So I ended up grabbing the keys from Joe’s swim bag and waiting for them out in the Durango.
*Both Jacob and Jamie were invited to be a part of the wedding… Not one of my kids got such an invitation… I admit that Joe and I were a bit hurt that they had both of the twins in their wedding, and didn’t ask so much as even Amanda to be a flower girl. (They didn’t have a flower girl at all) … *sigh*
We didn’t do much on Friday… Just kicked back at home. It was a nice, quiet evening. … We love quiet evenings!
On Saturday morning, after Joe came home from work, I cut everyone’s hair, so they would look all nifty for the wedding. Then we kicked back until 2:30… The wedding didn’t start until 4:00, but it was in Portland, so we wanted to make sure we gave ourselves long enough to get there… And it’s a good thing we did too, because traffic on 205 was TERRIBLE. Thankfully, we made it there with about 10-15 minutes to spare.
The wedding was at some ritsy golf/country club… And let me tell you, we were MORE than a little uncomfortable being there. They even have a DRESS CODE posted by the door… Since we weren’t members and didn’t belong to the club, they weren’t totally strict about it with us. (Like you aren’t supposed to wear denim of ANY kind there, but a lot of people, including Joe, me, and the boys) were wearing it, and they didn’t say anything… BUT… I guess Bob tried to go into the bar to buy a “shot” for Kyle (the groom), and he was refused service because he was wearing jeans. They also made Randy (Joe’s cousins’ husband, who was taking photos of the wedding) tuck his shirt in… When Joe heard that, he quickly went into the bathroom and tucked his own shirt in. *rofl*
The wedding itself was nice. Both Kyle and Leann looked so happy… Though, it was pretty warm in there, and poor Kyle was sweating up a storm in that tux. *lol* He kept having to wipe the sweat off his forhead. Poor Kyle! … Also, Leann’s maid-of-honor has a toddler son, who she should have found a babysitter for. She did have a friend holding him in the audience (she was sitting right behind Amanda), but for half the ceremony, he was screaming his head off. I guess he kept kicking during his tantrum, and kicked Amanda on more than one occasion. Then, she put him down and he made a bee-line to his Mom up front, and was then trying to get into everything. Mackenna was constantly messing with him… I kinda thought it was rude of her… Her friend should have at least had the decency to take him out when he started crying, so he wouldn’t disturb the ceremony. I felt bad for Kyle and Leann.
One thing was funny though, and that was that Leann put the ring on Kyle’s RIGHT hand, instead of his left one! *rofl* … I didn’t even notice. Joe’s sister, Debbie, pointed it out to me later. *lol* … Oh well, at least they will have something to laugh about later.
The reception was long and loud, but (almost) everyone seemed to have a really good time. (I don’t think Joe’s Grandma and his two uncles, who live on a farm, were too impressed with the country club thing, nor all the LOUD music… Don’t get me wrong. I liked 99% of the songs, they just played them LOUDLY.) … They had a big buffet thing set up (Gene paid $17 a head for that meal!), so everyone ate first. Then the DJ went up and had Kyle and Leann dance to the first song, which was “Then” by Brad Paisley. Then Leann danced to “I Loved Her First” by Heartland with her dad, Gene. And then Kyle and his mom, Cyna, danced to “Because You loved Me” be Celine Dion…
After that, it was an open floor, and there was dancing for the rest of the evening… You should have seen Amanda. She was in HEAVEN. She danced, and danced, and danced. *lol* She was even dancing with Kyle’s mom and dad. It was pretty cute… The nieces and nephews were all dancing silly together, and even Jared joined in with that. (Josh and Alicia would have NOTHING to do with that. *lol*) I got a lot of it on video. Wish I could get it off the camera to show you, but it’s on a VHS-C tape. (OLD video camera *lol*)
We didn’t leave until close to 9 pm… On the way home, we had this conversation:
Julie: “I’m not one to cry at weddings, but I did tear up when Gene and Leann danced to “I Loved Her First”.” Joe: “Ya, that’s a great song!” Josh: “I cried too… When my cake was gone!”
… Silly boy!
There hadn’t been much food there that Josh, Amanda, and I would actually eat, so we ended up hitting Taco Bell on the way home (I was really hungry)… It turned out to be a bit of a mistake though, since the Diet Pepsi there isn’t caffeine free… Drinking caffeine that late at night is NOT a good idea! I wasn’t able to get to sleep until almost 3:30 in the morning! Ack! … I was SO TIRED in church the next morning. *lol* … I was mostly able to pay attention.
I think I mentioned that Joe’s cousin-in-law, Randy, was the one to take pictures of the wedding… Joe’s family has always considered him a bit of a photographer, so they always ask him to do things like this… Anyway, the last time I saw his was in February of ’09 at Joe’s Grandma Toepfer’s 90th birthday party. At the time we were talking pictures/cameras, since we are both camera-happy… I told him that I was dreaming of the Canon Digital Rebel, and he said he was too.
Well… He has one now! *green with envy*
OMWord, what an AWESOME camera! I can’t wait to see how the wedding pictures turn out! (He told me that he took over 1000!) I was seriously drooling over that camera. *rofl* … Funny thing is, Joe told me that I should set rewards for myself when I first started the weight loss journey. When he said it, I asked him if I could get a new camera when I get 50% to my goal, and he agreed instantly. I later showed him a Canon camera at Walmart (not a rebel) and told him that I would get that one, because even at $400, it’s much cheaper than a Rebel… Anyway, when we were coming home after the wedding, I was telling Joe how Randy and I had been talking about how we both wanted a Rebel, and that I was drooling over the one he has now… And Joe says, “Maybe we should just break down and get you one with tax returns next year.”… REALLY?!?!?! … I am *thinking* that I will be 50% to my goal sometime this fall, maybe a little sooner if I keep losing as quickly as I am now (trying not to hope too much about that )… But I am willing to wait until February, if that means I get a Rebel!!! … Anyway, if I remember correctly, his was silver like this picture I found. I don’t know if I’ll get a silver one, or a black one… He did have a fancier lense on his, but you can buy all sorts of different lenses for it. His was probably one he bought and switched out… That’s something I would have to learn about later, because I know NOTHING about that!
Sunday was a quiet day… Other than church in the morning, we didn’t do anything (even though it was Mother’s Day) … The boys did volunteer to do the lunch dishes for me though, since it was Mother’s Day… But other than that, they were off playing, and Joe was in bed sleeping the afternoon away. I just ended up watching movies and scanning old slides… What I really wanted to do was work on Kyle and Leann’s album, but I have to wait until Randy and Dorothy get their photos to me… And I am feeling QUITE impatient about that! *rofl* … I guess it does take time to go through an edit over 1000 pictures. (I just REALLY want to work on that album, while the memories of the day are still fresh in my mind.)
The kids were supposed to bowl in their league on Sunday, but we get a message from Mick that it had been cancelled for the day, because Mick hasn’t been feeling well… He’s been down for 2-3 weeks now… I don’t know what’s wrong, but I sure hope it’s nothing serious… He was complaining of chest pains, but that was like 3 weeks ago… I am assuming he’s been to the doctor, but I don’t really know anything else.
Our summer reading program seems to be going well… We had planned on donig it Monday-Friday, but we never seem to get around to it on Mondays and Thursdays, which are the days I do laundry. *lol* … So we have done it 3 times a week for a couple weeks now… Before we started, I told Joe that Jared was really excited about the program, and Joe told me that Jared was “just excited to please me”. … Joe doesn’t like to read, and he’s always called me a “sick woman” for reading as much as I do. So he completely doesn’t understand the any of our kids would actually like and want to read… Anyway, Jared (who doesn’t know Joe said that) has proved him wrong. He’s been reading extra and has already finished 3 books. *lol* … If he keeps this up, I’m going to have to find him another set of books to read, and fast! … I wish I had more boy-type adventure stories already on hand, but all my junior readers are more for girls, since they were mine. *lol* (and trust me, Joe never had any )
You know… Joe has NEVER read a novel from cover to cover, not even for school. If he needed to read one for school (even in high school), his MOM WOULD READ IT TO HIM. Good grief!
Hmmm… Anything else going on? … Oh! Yesterday was our kitty’s birthday. Cuddles is now 6 years old. She was happy to celebrate her birthday with a can of soft cat food, which is a rare treat… We made sure to give Buddy a can too, and half way through the meal, they switched bowls. *lol* … They always do that. It’s so funny! (And no, they still don’t get along. Cuddles HATES Buddy with a passion! But that doesn’t stop her from wanting to sample his treats! )
Well, it’s time to eat some breakfast and start my day! Catch ya on the flip side!
Jared: “Male lions are really lazy. You’d think that they would do the hunting, but they don’t. The females do.” Mom: “Ya, they stay back with the cubs.” Jared: “And they get to eat first!!” Mom: “Doesn’t seem fair, does it?” Jared: “It reminds me of Grandma and Grandpa.”
If you knew Joe’s parents, you would know why I find this so funny! … Joe’s Dad does NOTHING around the house, while his mom works her fingers to the bone… When it’s time to eat, he goes and parks his butt at the table while Elvina fills his plate and brings it to him. She will then make her own… And if he wants seconds, she gets that too.
I know some people will say that it’s a woman’s place to wait on him hand and foot, but I say that they are both adults, and in an equal relationship… He has two good legs, and he can fill his own plate… And maybe even help her out in the kitchen every once in a while…
Just my opinion…
Before I go, just wanted to give a quick shout out for admin jobs… I wonder if they have any work at home type jobs?
Since some of our neighbors sent over Christmas blessings, we decided that we needed to send over some goodies in return. I decided on making some cinnamon bread, which is basically cinnamon rolls, but made into a loaf instead of individual rolls. I only ever make cinnamon bread at Christmas. I always take one over to Joe’s parents’ house for Christmas Eve, and I make one for us as well. This year I also made 3 extra for our neighbors (and we have another neighbor a plate of homemade cookies). Hope they liked it!
I also made chocolate chip cookies, glazed oatmeal cookies, dinner rolls, and pumpkin pie… Lots of yummy goodness floating around the kitchen!
Christmas Eve
We had a mostly pleasant time on Christmas Eve… It’s hard to have a 100% good time when a few of the people there have a bit more to drink than they should. (I really don’t like my kids being around drunk people *sigh*) Of course everyone else says that those two were “slightly tipsy”, but I would say it was more than that… And even “tipsy” is not a good infuence on kids.
When we were first pulling into Jim and Elvina’s driveway, Amanda blurted out from the back seat, “Look! Grandma and Grandpa have ding-dongs on their door!” *lol* … I looked over there, and they had two large Christmas bells haing on the door… Ding-dongs… Too cute!
Amanda got to be one of “Santa’s Helpers”, as she and Jacob helped Grandpa pass out the Christmas presnts… This is the only decent picture I got of that, because Joe told her to hurry, and so she was running around at lightning speed. Most of the pictures I tried taking of her passing out the gifts turned out blurry. *pout*
We were sitting, with the kids, in the corner of the sectional couch… This year the kids’ gifts came in bigger boxes than normal, and soon we couldn’t see the kids behind the gifts. *lol* … Of course, they loved that! … It was really hard keeping track of who got the kids what. There was boxes and paper flying, and Joe and I had our hands full, holding onto everything. *lol* … It took a while the next day, but we finally were able to figure all that out.
We got Jamie and Jacob each a used/real bowling pin as well as a bowling t-shirt. (They’re the ones who got the boys into bowling.) … While I don’t know what Jacob and Jamie thought of the bowling pins (the boys LOVE the ones we got them), the adults seemed to think it was cool. They passed around the pin so that everyone could see how heavy it was, etc… And I must have heard “Where did Julie steal it from” many times. *lol* … I kept saying, “I didn’t steal them! I got them on eBay!”
After the kids were done opening their presents, it was time for the adult gift exchange… We had all bought a gift to put in the pile, and we had drawn numbers before we ate dinner… Joe drew the #1, and I was #9… You never know what you’re going to end up with, because half the people like to steal presents… Which is something I can never do! … In the end I ended up with both my gift (a set of shower gels), and Joe’s gift… A lady’s electric razor… You see, Joe had managed to get the digital frame, and everyone there knew how much I wanted it… But then one of the young “adults” stole it from Joe (with a smirky look on her face), JUST to get the memory card we put with it… She didn’t even want the frame, and gave it to her parents… THEN, the card wasn’t even the right kind for her camera, so that went to her parents as well…. This person happened to have the last number, and the only gift left was a lady’s gift, which Joe had to get…. So… Joe ended up with nothing for Christmas, at all. (Since Joe and I don’t exchange gifts.)
To say that Joe was angry at this person is putting it mildly.
You know what really kills me? … The gifts are supposed to be $25 dollars. But all the younger adults always spend around $10 (or less) on a gift, and then they are the ones that go home with the expensive stuff that the older adults buy… We were generous. That frame cost $30 and the memory card was an additional $11… Yet, half the time Joe and I end up with junk… Remember the USED pubic hair covered body massager I ended up with last year (that got thrown away)… And Joe doesn’t get a gift this year… It just doesn’t seem like it’s even fair, or a good idea… We should go back to drawing names and giving the person something they would actually want… For some of us, it’s the only Christmas gift we get.
Then there is one of Joe’s sisters and her husband… He works at a sporting goods store, and gets free stuff from them all the time, if the packaging is damaged or something… So they never even buy a gift for the exchange. They just grab something out of their attic and wrap it up… And he is the worst one when it comes to stealing gifts.
I know one thing for sure… Next year I am going to sneak and buy something nice for Joe, so he will get a decent gift!
Anyway, enough complaining…
After the gift exchange was over, and desert was eaten, we mainly just sat around and chatted… I don’t remember how the subject came up, but Joe’s bad memory came into discussion…
Now, before I tell this story, let me say that Joe, the kids, and I like to tease each other… We are always teasing, and it’s a lot of fun… So when the kids say these kinds of things to Joe, they are not being disrespectful… We are just having fun, and Joe always laughs harder than all of us…
So anyway, we were discussing Joe’s bad memory when Jared said:
“Daddy’s like a goldfish in a tank, forgetting that he’s already swan around the tank. He’ll swim around it and say, ‘Hey, that was new!’… Then he’ll swim around it again, and say ‘hey, that was new!’ “… etc. Joe and I were laughing so hard, we could barely breath! *lol* It was sooo funny! … Maybe you had to be there.
Anyway, here is what the kids got from Joe’s family:
Jared:
$5.00 from Great Grandma Johnson
Basketball and pajamas from Grandma and Grandpa Johnson
T-shirt, a mini Jimmie Johnson calendar, and a mini Jared-Doll from the Pence Family
A blue Snuggie from the Quamen Family
A plaid flannel jacket and a Jimmie Johnson figurine from the Mewing Family
Josh:
$5.00 from Great Grandma Johnson
Wolf calendar, a glow in the dark wolf puzzle, and pajamas from Grandma and Grandpa Johnson
A Wolf book, a t-shirt, and a mini Josh-Doll from the Pence Family
A green Snuggie from the Quamen Family from the Quamen Family
A shirt and a Wolf plaque from the Mewing Family
Alicia:
$5.00 from Great Grandma Johnson
A stuffed horse and pajamas from Grandma and Grandpa Johnson
A “How to Draw Horses” kit, a shirt, and a mini Alicia-Doll from the Pence Family
A leopard print Snuggie from the Quamen Family
A fleece horse blanket and a Build-a-Bear kit from the Mewing Family
Amanda:
$5.00 from Great Grandma Johnson
A generic Barbie, a Hannah Montana CD, and pajamas from Grandma and Grandpa Johnson
A stuffed Noah’s Ark (with 4 adorable animals), a shirt, and a mini Amanda-Doll from the Pence Family
A pink Snuggie from the Quamen Family
A Hannah Montana pillow and a Build-a-Bear kit from the Mewing Family
Christmas Day
We didn’t get home from Joe’s parents’ house until around 12:15 in the morning, so the kids slept in longer than they had planned on Christmas morning… But they were still very sleepy when they got up… But that didn’t stop them from wanting to get into their stockings ASAP. *lol* … We set them up in a row, and it didn’t take them long to discover all the goodies inside:
Here is what the kids got in their stockings:
Jared
Some Jolly Ranchers candy
A candycane full of hard candies
A Jimmie Johnson keychain
A Jimmie Johnson house key
A Jimmie Johnson hotwheel car
A wallet
An ID tag (for his bowling bag)
A mini bowling ball and pins
A bowling ball towel
Josh
Some Jolly Ranchers candy
A candycane full of hard candies
A green keychain
A house key
A wolf figurine
An Allan Jackson CD
An ID tag for his bowling bag
A mini bowling ball and pins
A bowling ball towel
Alicia
Some Starburst candy
A candycane full of hard candy
2 things of play-doh
Cinderella slipper socks
A pink mini flashlight
Some mini horses
Girls make-up
An ID tag
Amanda
Some Starburst candy
A candycane full of hard candy
2 things of play-doh
Hannah Montana slipper socks
Hannah Montana flashlight
Some mini horses
Girls make-up
An ID tag
After we ate breakfast, it was time to open presents… We always have them take turns opening presents, so that we don’t miss any of the expressions when they see what they got. We let Amanda open one, then Alicia, then Josh, and so on.
This year we started buying presents last January, and then throwing them up in the closet and basically forgetting about them… As a result, we accidently bought more than we normally do. … Not that the kids were complaining! No, they were quite happy with the extra haul. *lol*
One of the things we gave Alicia was a craft bag… We had originally given one to my niece, Melody, for her birthday in November. Melody loved it so much that we decided to get one for Alicia too. When Amanda saw Alicia’s craft bag, she said, “Look! You got an art bag like Lemonade!” … Lemonade? She thought Melody’s name was Lemonade! … … You can tell that my brothers’ family lives in Canada, and that we don’t see them often, if she can’t even remember her own cousin’s name! Good grief! (She was 2 when they moved away.)
The boys were THRILLED with their new bowling balls! They couldn’t believe that they got them already, since we had told them that they would have to wait for tax returns in February… They were so cute about it too. Josh kept carrying his ball around and wiping it down with the bowling ball towel he got in his stocking. As for Jared, he was seen wheeling his ball and bag around the house quite often throughout the day. *lol*
We also got the three older kids some wooden carving things that you hang on the wall. Josh got a wolf head, Alicia got a horse head, and Jared got a carving of Cuddles, which is his cat… They guy who makes them is VERY talented, and you can tell that it’s Cuddles… Anyway, Jared LOVES his carving!
We ordered the carvings before we got Buddy (and received them the day after we got Buddy, in March) … I want to get one of Buddy now. … Oh, and we also found out that Ed can make cars too, as he did one of Jim’s Mustang for Joe’s Dad for Christmas. I wonder if he could do Jimmie Johnson’s car??? The decals might make that too hard…
After the kids finished opening their presents, I got the ham into the oven and then helped the kids open all the packages that their gifts came in… It doesn’t take long for a clean living room to turn into a COMPLETE DISASTER, especially when there are four kids in there! *lol*
Dinner turned out soooo yummy! I made ham, scallopped potatoes, corn, and homemade dinner rolls. All of us ate more than our share, while we watched the new DVD the boys got (from the girls), “Night at the Museum 2″… It was good, just like #1 was… Joe didn’t watch it with us though. He isn’t into that kind of movie, so he ate in the bedroom and watched TV in there… He did watch “Santa Buddies” with the kids later, when we had our pumpkin pie and cookies.
All in all it was a nice, relaxing day… Especially since Joe volunteered to clean the kitchen for me. (This is something he does on Christmas, because I made the dinner and have already spent a good deal of time in the kitchen, with all the baking…)
Here is what the kids got for Christmas:
Jared:
Jimmie Johnson lamp
Jimmie Johnson waste basket
Jimmie Johnson hoodie and baseball cap
Jimmie Johnson 2010 calendar
A wood carving of Cuddles
A bowling pin and bowling t-shirt
A bowling ball and bowling bag
The DVD: Night at the Museum 2 (from the girls, to share with Josh)
Josh:
Wolf lamp
Wolf 2010 calendar
A wood carving of a wolf head
A CD player
A Monopoly PS2 game
A bowling pin and bowling t-shirt
A bowling ball and bowling bag
The DVD: Night at the Museum 2 (from the girls, to share with Jared)
Alicia:
A computer chair
A craft bag with markers and a sketch pad
A set of rubber stamps (to go in the craft bag)
A set of 10 horse books and a stuffed wolf from the zoo
A set of fleece horse sheets
A wooden carving of a horse head
A horse 2010 calendar
The DVD: Santa Buddies (from the boys, to share with Amanda)
Amanda:
A Hannah Montana CD player
A Hannah Montana camping chair
A Hannah Montana 2010 calendar
A Hannag Montana barbie
A Hannah Montana comforter
Hannah Montana sheets and a valence
An ABCs of Amanda photo book
The DVD: Santa Buddies (from the boys, to share with Alicia)
New phones
We’ve been with Verizon Wireless for 2 years now, and we’ve had the same phones since we signed up… Since our contract was up for renewal, we figured it was time to get in on the renewal sales and get ourselves some new phones… of course, a lot of that decision was due to the fact that Joe got his Christmas bonus (so we could afford it), AND we are getting Jared his first cell phone for his birthday…
Since Jared is now babysitting for us, we decided that he needs a phone (we don’t have a land line, just our cells). That way I can keep mine with me, and he’ll still have one… Also, since we don’t pay him to babysit, the $10 a month for an extra line seems fair.
We also found out that since Joe works for Safeway part time, we get 20% off our Verizon bill, and any phone assesories we buy. Pretty nifty, huh?
So, on Saturday (after breakfast) we left the kids at home with Jared and drove into Canby, to the Verizon store… MAN, was that place packed. We were in there for at least an hour, maybe more. It was crazy.
Joe originally just wanted something plain and cheap, because he is pretty hard on his phones. So he picked the cheapest one there… Later, after we got home, we got to looking, and that phone was BEYOND cheap! It didn’t have a camera, and you couldn’t even receive picture text messages! I told Joe that I didn’t think he would be happy with it, and we decided to take it back and exchange it…
By this point we had already hidden the phone we got for Jared (he won’t get it until his birthday party), so all of us went back to Verizon after taking the kids bowling. The same lady who helped us before (who was in a rish earlier, because the store was swamped) helped Joe pick out a much better phone… And the funny thing is, after getting the rebate on it, it was cost HALF of what the cheap one cost! … More phone for less money… That’s my kind of phone!
It was really hard having Jared in the store… He kept looking at the phones and asking when he would be able to get a phone. He came to the conclusion that he would have to wait until he had a job and could pay for it himself. He kept wanting to hold mine and Joe’s phones… I was laughing inside, knowing that a week later he will be getting his.
Josh isn’t going to be happy about it… He always thinks that he deserves whatever Jared gets, but this is one time that it won’t be the case… I DO NOT think that a 10 year old needs a cell phone! Especially one that is homeschooled by a stay-at-home mom. The only reason Jared is getting one is because he is 1) two years older, and 2) babysitting for us.
Anyway, want to see the phones we got?
This one is mine. It’s a “LG enV3″ … It has a qwerty keyboard, and Joe let us pay the $10 extra a month so that I can go online (only because of the 20% discount. *lol*) … The camera is a 3 mega pixel, and even has a flash… It’s really, really, really cool! So much better than my old flip phone. *lol* … I’ve been having lots of fun being able to check my gmail and post on facebook when we’re not at home. Fun!
This one is Joe’s. It’s a Samsung Intensity… It’s not quite as fancy as mine, but it’s still really nice… Instead of flipping open like a laptop, like mine does, the keyboard slides out the bottom… Since we were using the text messaging more than we should, Joe went ahead and got both himself and me (but not Jared) the messaging package. Joe has been REALLY enjoying that keyboard, as he always HATED texting with the number pad thingy. *lol* … In fact, he sent me quite a few messages this morning, when I was just in the next room. *lol* He was like a kid at Christmas with a new toy. So cute!
This is the one that Jared will be getting on Saturday. It’s a Samsung Sway. We didn’t get him one with a qwerty keyboard, because I don’t think he should be texting… We’re going to tell him that he can’t do it… Maybe in a year or two we will add that to his phone, and upgrade his phone… But for now, I want him to learn that it’s not a toy. You know?
But it’s still a cute little phone. It has a 2 mega pixel camera… We will let him pick out his own ringtone, and we’ll get him one of those micro SD cards (I already have one, but Joe needs to get one too), so that he can have any pictures he takes go onto the card and not fill up the phone memory.
I can’t wait until he sees that phone!!!
Bowling
Since the boys both got bowling balls for Christmas, they were DYING to go bowling and try out those balls! *lol* … We left the house at around 3 pm yesterday, and went to Molalla Bowl.
The first thing we did was to get Sean (the owner) and ask him to drill the balls for the boys. He started measuring Jared’s hands and fingers first, but I wasn’t really paying attention at first… but when I did look over, I noticed that Sean was looking at Jared’s right hand… Jared is LEFT handed!… I’m like, “Jared, you gave him the wrong hand! You’re left handed!” Jared gasped and said, “Oh ya!” and Sean gave a half laugh and crumpled up the paper he was writing down the measurements on. Whoops! … Good thing I caught that one before he started drilling the ball!!!!!!
So anyway, he retook Jared’s measurements and drilled his ball. Then he went to do Josh, and he laughed and said, “What hand do you throw with?!” I said, “Don’t worry, he’s right handed.” *lol*
After the balls were drilled we went and got some dinner… We love the diner they have at the bowling alley. They have LOTS to choose from, and it’s really good too. One of the only decent places to eat in Molalla. *lol*
Then it was time to try out those new balls! … I wanted to video tape them bowling with them the first time, but wouldn’t you know it, the batteries died on my camera right before they started bowling! Grrrr! … BUT, luckily my new cell phone takes video clips as well, so I was able to get it with that… But it didn’t do well with the lighting, so it’s pretty dark… But at least I got the first throws for both of them (as well as Daddy’s) during the pre-game practice:
Up until yesterday both the boys have been bowling with an 8 lb ball… But they both moved up. We got advice from both Sean and Coach Mick, who were both pro bowlers, and we ended up getting Josh a 10 lb ball and Jared a 12 lb ball… And that 12 lb ball feels heavy to me! … I thought they would both bowl some bad games, but I was mistaken.
Josh got one good game out of it, though his other two weren’t as good… He’s having a harder time adjusting to a new ball. (He had used a house ball, but there was one certain ball he would always look for, so he was used to it)… His average is 73 (with a high game of 105), and yesterday he bowled a 54, an 81, and a 67… His first game was bad, but his last game wasn’t too bad. It was just barely under his average… So he didn’t do too shabby!
Jared did awesome, especially considering he moved up 4 pounds! His average is 97 (with a high game of 170), and he bowled a 97, a 123, and a 118! Isn’t that great!?
Both the boys said that the balls didn’t feel much heavier (if any) than the other balls, and both Sean and Mick said it was because they were drilled to fit their hands. I guess that makes a lot of difference.
Joe, on the other hand, didn’t bowl his best games! *rofl* … He did OK with his first game, getting a 102 (his average is 98, with a high game of 147), but on his 2nd game he only got a 61…
Now Joe and the boys have a lot of fun doing this big competition thing, that’s all in fun. Joe always says he’s going to wipe the floor with them and tried his hardest to get higher scores than them. It’s funny because whenever Josh gets a good frame, he comes and does this funky hand thing to Joe and says, “Beat that!” … Anyway, after Joe got his 61, Josh calmly walks up to Joe and says,
“Whoops!”
OMGoodness, Joe and I about fell off our chairs, we were laughing so hard! The people a couple of lanes away were giving us odd looks, probably trying to figure out what the joke was. *lol* It was SOOO funny! … After we calmed down, Joe leans over to me and asks if I have any tips for a better game. Jared heard and said,
“Daddy, you need to hit the pins with the ball.”
Yep… I would consider that a good tip!
The people at the bowling alley must think we are nuts, laughing as much as we do while we’re there! (BTW, Joe’s last game was a 90.)
Basketball
Jared got a basketball from Joe’s parents for Christmas. He was pretty excited about it, because he’s been wanting to get one for a while now… At the entrance to our sub-division there is a community basketball court, that the kids can play on… Unfortunatly, the punk kids are always ruining the hoops, and so they are currently all bent out of shape… And I think they’ve pretty much given up on replacing them, because the punks waste no time in ruining the new ones… Why don’t parents teach their kids to have some respect for other people’s property?!?! Stuff like that really makes me angry!
Anyway, for the last two days Joe and the boys have gone down there to shoot hoops. The girls went down there today for a while, but got bored because all they were doing is watching, so they came home… But Josh and Jared are loving it! Joe said that they are both making some shots, but that Jared is doing better than Josh…
… That’s probably because of Josh’s muscle disease. His pediatrician said that Josh would probably never do really well in sports… Luckily, it never seems to bother Josh. He’s just there to have fun!
Well, I think I’ve jabbered on long enough! This post is already over 4100 words, so I guess I better shut up now. *lol* … Night all!
Since I was bad and didn’t do any blogging/blog hopping over the weekend, I thought I would jump on here really quick before I got ready for school.
Amanda is feeling better. She’s not 100% yet, but she hasn’t had a fever since Friday, which is always a good thing.
Yesterday morning, when she first woke up, she came to me and said, “Guess what, I have a stuffy nose, a cough, and bad bless yous.” … Bless yous… Isn’t that so cute!?
Alicia and Josh seem to be coming down with it too, as they were both complaining about sore throats yesterday. You could tell by looking at Josh’s eyes that he really wasn’t feeling well, though neither of them had a fever.
Joe, being the worry-wart that he is, is convinced that the kids have the swine flu… They don’t. It’s not even a regular flu. Looks like a head cold to me… Joe is ALWAYS thinking the worst. *lol*
Alicia: “Can we eat before we bowl?” Jared: “You know, it’s bad to bowl on an empty stomach.” Josh: “Ya! French fries give me confidence!”
Yay! Another week closer to summer vacation… I didn’t just say that outloud, did I? … Actually, I’m not that desperate for vacation, as things are going so well this year… So far.
I’m so excited to see Amanda starting to read a few small words!… Oh, she still has to sound out the words slowly, but she always manages to get them eventually… The quicker reading will come in time, with practice. So far she’s been able to read the words: it, sit, is, in, sin, and tin. She also is starting her “memory words”, and the first one she has memorized is “here”. So she’s been able to read the sentence, “I sit here.” (or something like that).
Mommy:(wanting the kids to stay clean for pictures) “… don’t sit in the dirt, don’t color in the dirt, don’t put your hands in the dirt… Dirt is not our friend!” Alicia: “But mud is!”
Arriving @ F16, our campsite for the week...
We woke up early on Sunday morning, so we could all get showered and get the trailer packed for our camping trip. We didn’t want to leave too early, because check-out time isn’t until 1 pm, and we wanted to make sure our spot was open before we got there… So that is why we decided not to pack anything until Sunday morning. *lol* … Anyway, by the time we were ready and pulling out of our subdivision, it was 11:45.
When we left, the weather in Molalla was cloudy and cool, and we were worried that it wouldn’t be warm enough for the kids to swim, but that wasn’t the case! The weather has been amazing so far! (It’s currently Wednesday, the 26th) The sun is shining and there isn’t a cloud in the sky. It’s really been beautiful.
Alicia:(coming in from outside, where she was picking up a mess she had left out there) “Something weird just happened. A man was walking through our yard!” Mommy: “A grown man? … Jared, can you look out the window and tell me if he is still there?” Alicia: “His shirt said ‘Meter Reader’.” Mommy: “Oh, he’s just the meter reader. Never mind, Jared.” Alicia: “What’s a meter reader?” Mommy: “It’s a man who checks the meter to see how much to charge us on our electric bill.” Jared: “I better go run him off our property then!”
Please bear with me while I get my old blog moved over here... It's going to take a while to get 18 years of journaling moved over. *lol* (At least I have 14 years done already... *wink* )
), there isn’t much else going on.
… When it’s done, I will buy myself and my Mom a copy, and then let anyone else who wants a copy, buy one. (Sadly, I can’t afford to buy all the Andersen relatives a copy myself.)
(They didn’t have a flower girl at all) … *sigh*
They also made Randy (Joe’s cousins’ husband, who was taking photos of the wedding) tuck his shirt in… When Joe heard that, he quickly went into the bathroom and tucked his own shirt in. *rofl*
