Horrific

I have just gone through the most horrific 2 days of my life.  My wonderful sweet Aunt was killed yesterday morning in a tragic car accident on I-4 in Tampa, just a mile or so from her home.  Immediately after hearing the news, I left work and headed to my 87 year old grandmother's house to be with her.  My other Aunt (my grandparents had 4 girls) was there and some cousins and we just hugged and cried for the whole day.  My parents arrived from S.Carolina at about 10:30 pm and then there was more hugging and crying.  We spent some time at my Aunt's house with her children and grandchildren and it was so terribly sad.  Today we spent making funeral arrangements, writing the obituary, getting her clothing together and going through photo's to find the perfect one that best depicted our precious loved one.  The funeral will be held on Saturday morning at the church where she has been the pianist for about 20 years.  She was the mother of  5 children ranging in age from 36 down to 16, and 12 grandchildren.  She and I were pregnant together with our 20 and 16 year olds.  It was so special.  I was named after her and so when I was little, to distinguish which Barbara was which, she became Aunt Beba.  Now, since I have become an aunt, my niece and nephews call me Aunt Beba too.

Good bye Aunt Beba. . .I will miss you so.

  My Aunt Barbara's car.

Ahhhh

Well, today proved to be as crazy as I anticipated.  Thankfully, I am now at home relaxing in a nice quiet house.  Robert is watching CMT in our room and the only sounds I hear are my dryer running and my dog laying next to me licking himself.  I keep telling him to stop it and he just stops, looks up at me and then goes right back at it.  How disgusting. . .thank you Lord for not creating us to do that! 

I got up at 6:30 this morning so I could shower and get ready to leave the house by 7:30.  I ran about 10 minutes behind, but being as it was so early on a Saturday morning the traffic was very light and I made it on time for dress rehearsal.  An hour drive doesn't sound so bad until you are doing it. . .have you ever noticed that?  And dog-gone-it, I've got to do it again tomorrow morning!  Why can't I just say NO!  Robert doesn't have to work tomorrow, but he does have to go in and get every body going, so that means he can't go with me.  Speaking of Robert. . .it is nice being kid-free for a change.  We went to the mall tonight (something we rarely ever do together)  I thought it would be a nice evening and we could walk off our dinner.  He got a new outfit for vacation and I got a new sweater wrap to wear to church.  Our church is always freezing.  We also looked at rings.  He is overdue buying me a new wedding set.  He was going to for our 20th anniversary last year, but he changed companies just before our anniversary and now another year has passed!  So, he has promised that this summer is it.  I like really simple jewelry (lucky for him!) but, I want a nice one.  I'd like at least 3/4 carat. . .we'll see! 

Well, it's already 10:30 pm and I have to get up at 6:00 again. **waaahh**.   Have a good night y'all!!  I'll write again tomorrow after the "big show".

The Last Hoorah

Well, this is it, the last day of VBS!  Hip hip . . .well, you get the picture. (it's too early for a hooray anyway.)   I can almost breathe a big sigh of relief.  Almost, because I am about to begin another long weekend leading into another long week!  Tomorrow morning I have to drive an hour and 15 minutes south to my old church for a dress rehearsal for the big patriotic musical they are putting on.  I was asked a few months ago to sing a solo in the production and I happily agreed thinking it would be great to go back and sing with my old choir. That was a few months ago. . . today I am a fraction of the women I was back then as Bible school has about killed me.  So, at 7:15 am I will be leaving my house to head down to dress rehearsal.  Hopefully I will be home early enough to grocery shop and clean my very neglected house.  My girls are leaving for mission trip at 9:00 am, so I won't be seeing them off. :(     Then, bright and early Sunday morning I will make the long trek back to sing in the performance.  I will probably be home by 1:30 to spend exactly 3 hours with my hubby before I head on over to my church for praise team practice.  Then, get this, I have to work 8 - 5 every day next week as the morning receptionist is on vacation all week!!!!!!  I just realized this yesterday.  I knew she was going to be gone, but it didn't dawn on me until yesterday that DUH!, I would have to work her hours!  So, one long week rolls right into another.  The good side is that I have the 4th of July off and then on the 7th we go to Key West for 4 days.  Then, we come back and I work exactly 1 and a half days before we leave for our real vacation.  We are going to Pensacola to see the college Katie is going to next year and stay at Robert's brother's house that night.  Then we are heading to New Orleans for 2 days and then we might run up to Baton Rouge to see Robert's Aunt and stay in her guest house 1 night.  Then on to Steinhatchee, FL to go scalloping for 5 days!!  My parents are meeting us in Steinhatchee.  We are going to have a blast.  That puts us into the middle of July.  Before you know it school will be starting!  (Aug. 8)  Wow. . .I'm exhausted just thinking about it.  We were hoping to squeeze in a little trip to Corpus Christi, TX  because some of our dearest friends are moving there next week.  They have been stationed in Hawaii for about 6 years.  The Army is giving him a big reception as he is being given the command of the Defense Distribution Depot down there.  He is a Lieutenant colonel.  We really wanted to go, but there is no way we can add another 11 hour drive (each way) onto our trip. 

Well, the girls are getting ready for me to take them shopping for their mission trip.  There are a million things they need.  I'll try to squeeze a little journaling into my packed schedule this week.  Have a great Friday! 

PS.  Thanks for all the lovely "one words" !

One Word

I got this from Sherry 

http://journals.aol.com/jbcoupe/TheSecretLifeofaStayatHomeMom/                                                                                          

One word...

Please leave a one word comment that you think best describes me.

It can only be one word.  No more.

Then copy and paste this into your journal so that I may

leave a word about you...

2 More days to go!

Well, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel now!  Tomorrow is the last day of VBS!  Last night we increased our numbers to 491 kids!!!  I'll bet tonight we break 500.  Wow.  My classes weren't too bad last night.  I made my daughter Katie (she's one of my helpers) laugh so hard that she had to leave the room, with her legs crossed!  After repeating the same stuff with 5 different groups of preschoolers, I just had to shake things up a bit or else I was going to blow!  We have a CD that has a medly of about 4 different styles of music (classical, a fast techno, polka and she'll be comin round the mountain)  I told the kids to just feel the music and move their bodies in the way that the music makes them feel.  It was great!  The kids were all over the place, and all their teachers were doing it and acting crazy.  Well, I was doing it too, and Katie was sitting in the corner totally humiliated, thinking that her mother had completely gone over the edge.  Every now and then she would chuckle at something stupid I would do.  Well, when the "she'll be comin round the mountain" part came, I started to lift my knees up and slap them with both hands, (and apparently I had a stupid grin too) and it tore Katie up!!!  She jumped up and took off for the door.  Well, I beat her to the door, and spun her around to see where she was going (all the while still slapping my knees) and her face was frozen in this look of hysteria with her mouth wide open, with little tears squeezing out of her closed eyes. She couldn't talk, just shook her head and went out the door!  I knew I looked silly, but good grief, I didn't know it was that bad!  Well, now I've got to figure out something else to do tonight to make her pee her pants!!  I have found some joy in teaching preschool music!!!

I've almost let a week go by!

It has been 5 days since my last entry.  I hate when that happens!  I get so mad at myself for neglecting my journal and all my alerts.  I do have a good excuse though.  It's VBS week!  For all of you non-Baptists out there. . .VBS is Vacation Bible School.  It is a very big deal in my church and tonight we had 460 children under the age of 10.  I am teaching preschool music.  A big mistake.  I have suddenly realized that I don't like preschoolers, or music.  I am sick to death of singing with a big fat smile on my face to children who look at me with a blank stare on their faces.  Why blank stares? It is too late for these children to be up!  By 8:00 they should be in bed!  Who wants to dance around shaking soda cans full of split peas and paper plates with streamers stapled to them, huh people??? Come on!  I have worked like a dog for 3 days now cutting out stuff, learning kiddie songs, decorating my room all for a bunch of zombie kids who don't appreciate it anyhow!  And the ones who aren't zombies are on sugar highs from all the candy they win in their other classes.  I have one class with 30 four-year olds! In all I have 5 classes for 20 minutes each.  I teach the exact same lesson plan and sing the exact same songs 5 times in a row.  By the end I am ready to poke my eyeballs out with needles!  Sorry y'all, I am such a scrooge tonight. . .a party pooper.  I direct children's choirs and have for 13 years now.  I have been directing 3rd-5th grade for several years now and that is where I am happiest.  What was I thinking taking on preschoolers?  Next year (and yes, there will be a next year. . .it's kind of like childbirth, you forget the pain) I will NOT be teaching preschool, I'll tell ya that right now.  Maybe I'll do crafts, or snack time, or registration desk. . .not music, not preschoolers, no how.  Well, me and my 2 tylenol pm's are going to bed now.  I have another long day ahead *wince* and 130 preschoolers will be waiting to shake their soda cans for me.  Pray for me. . . hard.

Great comments

A big "Thank you" for all of the great comments on my entry yesterday.  I agree about having Katie get a job and she had filled out a few applications, but she is going away on a mission trip on June 25th for over a week and I thought it would be best if she didn't start work until after she came back.  It would be silly to get a job and then have to take 8 days off within the first couple of weeks.  So yes, she will be getting a job, and she wants one too.  She had a job before we moved and enjoyed buying all of her little extras with her own money. 

Betsy is really good with money. . .tight, I should say.  She was given $30.00 over a week ago and she still has $20. . .the other $10 she gave to Katie for gas.  Bless her heart.

Wes?  Well he's a different story and I can't even go into it.  Let's just say that he is in a downward spiral and he is too dumb to realize it.  He'll be 20 next week and he thinks he is living the good life.  He's living in a teeny-tiny house with 2 other boys.  They have crap for furniture and he has to share a bed with his best friend.  His truck isn't running and he is spending most of his paycheck each week on parts.  He catches rides where ever he goes.  They eat fast food for every meal because if they grocery shop then when all of their friends come over they will eat their food.  They have a bunch of friends come over every night.  So. . . .

Anyway, I have to work today and then I get my 3 day weekend.  Robert is getting close to being finished with the tomato harvest.  It has been a horrible spring for him.  June is not typically a rainy month in Florida, but this year we've had rain almost every day.  As a matter of fact, he started harvesting on Memorial Day and it rained every single day after that, until this week, and this week has been scorching hot.  Poor guy, he's so ready for vacation.  Me too.

I have Vacation Bible School all next week, then I have to sing in a big patriotic concert at my old church next weekend.  The girls will be gone on mission trip after, so it will be quiet around the house. . .YEA!  Then when they get back we are going to the FL Keys for a few days.  Then Robert wants to run to Texas real quick. (honestly, that's how he put it)  And on the 17th of July we are going to Steinhatchee, FL for 4 daysof scalloping.  We do this every year and it is great.  The kids start back to school the first week of August, so there's my summer in a nutshell!  I have a bunch to do before work today, so I'm gonna get going.  You all have a good Thursday!

Teenagers!

I am so frustrated this morning.  Is it my obigation to make sure that my 17 year old daughter has a great summer?  Is it my fault if she doesn't have fun every day?  I am so sick of hearing "It's summer!  I can't just hang around the house every day!  I'm supposed to have fun!"  I don't remember my mom being the activities director in my house all summer long.  I might have a bad memory, but I don't remember her handing me money everyday to go off and have a good time either.  I gave Katie all of the cash I had in my wallet yesterday ( all of $11.00) to go to the beach with Michelle.  Katie said since Michelle was driving waaaay out of her way to get her that we (and since Kate has no money, "I") should  give her some gas money.  I think $11 was plenty and there was even enough for Kate to get a coke or 2.  Well, Michelle arrives bright and early and immediatly upon arrival proceeds to lock her keys in the car.  We try the old coat hanger trick. . .not a chance.  Her mom and dad are at work over an hour away and so apart from calling a locksmith, we were out of options.  So, in walk the girls with a big wrench in their hands (a tractor wrench!)!  I said what are you going to do with that?  "we're gonna break the window"  What?  Are you kidding me? What planet did they just get off?  The beach is sooooo important to their sad little existences that they would actually break the window out?  It wasn't my car and therefore not my responsibility, but I wasn't about to let them smash out the window just so they could take their stupid butts to the beach!  So, I told them no. . .they could stay here until Michelle's mom comes with the spare key.  We have a nice pool, it's not like they were stuck in some God-forsaken wasteland!

So, they stay home and lay out and swim. . .even got some sun, believe it or not! Robert was planning on grilling ribs for dinner, so he sent them to the store for charcoal and b-b-q sauce. (with his debit card) I get home and they say they want to go to the movies.  No problem, go and have a good time. Michelle's mom never comes with the spare. . . . Fast forward to this morning. I go online to pay some bills and what do I find? 

1.  $16.00  movie tickets       2.  $9.33 at 7-11          3. $28.00 at Walmart (just going for charcoal and b-b-q sauce?    4.  $6.00 for a car wash.

$60.00!  S.I.X.T.Y. D.O.L.L.A.R.S.!!!!!  That's what their day staying home cost me!  Their explanation?  "Michelle didn't have enough money for the movie and Kate put the cash I gave her into the gas tank; I can't drive the car when it's dirty. . .it's embarassing!.  I needed some tanning lotion. . .yada, yada, yada. . ."

Well, to top it all off. . .apparently Michelle has "road-side assistance" on her cell phone!  Her mom forgot to mention it yesterday.  So, here it is 11:00 am and they are outside waiting for the locksmith to come open the car so they can. . .yes . . . go to the beach.  I'm keeping the debit card, and I'm out of cash, so they are on their own today!! Unbelievable!  They better not run out of gas and get stuck somewhere and make me come rescue them!

I have to jump in the shower now.  Have a great day!

No problems with the storm!

Well, we made out just fine!  Actually the 1st half of the day was beautiful and sunny and then about 1:00 pm we got a torrential downpour with wind and thunder/lightning.  No flooding. . (thank you Lord!). .no power outage. . .(thank you, thank you Lord!!). . .no trees down either.  Thanks to all of you that wished us well and for all the prayers.  My brother-in-law in Pensacola also made out fine.  I have several other pictures I want to share from my parents visit.  I'll do that later.  Robert just got home and is grilling ribs for dinner!  They were given to us along with a cooler full of meat from the girls home.  They called us because their walkin freezer went down and they had to get rid of all their meat before it went bad!  Yea!  So we ran over with our cooler and we've been cooking like mad so we can eat it all week.  We also gave away a bunch to the migrant camp. . .so nonewill go to waste.  Ribs are better than spaghetti which is what we usually have on Tuesday night!  Well, I really need to run before my husband starts hollaring "BBAAAAAARRBBB!"  I have to do a lot of "fetching" when he grills.  You can imagine how much I enjoy "fetching". . .about as much as a paper cut.  See ya!

No time

I am going to say the words. . .are you ready?   "I don't have time to journal"  I hate it but it's true!  I keep thinking that tonight I'll do it, or tomorrow I"ll be able to make an entry.  But as you all can see, it just doesn't happen.

 

Anyway. . .I am worried about tomorrow.  We are having a tropical storm with winds up to 70 mph.  I wasn't a journaler during the hurricanes last year, and I wish I was so I could have shared the devestation around me.  I don't want to go through another hurricane season like last year.  My husband is a farmer for goodness sake!  How much can that poor man take.  He has only been picking for 1 week and 1/2 and every one of those days had rain.  He is depressed about the week end ahead.

   Could we face this?

I pray we don't face this!

Would you all pray for this state for us?  There are many thousands whose lives are still not back together from last year. 

I have to go.  I'll try to write tomorrow.

Time Flies

It is already Sunday evening and I have almost missed a week of journaling.  My mom and dad are visiting from S.C. and so, needless to say, I haven't had time for the computer.  We are having a great visit.  We all went to church this morning and then came home to a wonderful pot roast with potatoes, carrots, onions and mushrooms all over it.  It was fabulous.  Then we had a lazy afternoon until the girls and I had to go back to church.  The girls are going on a mission trip and they have mandatory meetings to attend to prepare them.  I taught a class tonight and only had a few people show up.  I really wasn't disappointed though, I was kind of relieved.  Then I had to take Amanda (Katie's best friend) home.  She lives about an hour away.  So, I was on the road for 2 straight hours and I am now exhausted. 

Katie and Mike broke up for good.  He found some emails that she sent to Matt recently and he blew up and told her he would never be stupid enough to take her back again.  She was more stunned than upset.  He found them in her "recently deleted mail"  She thought "deleted" meant "deleted!  How could she be so naive!  Come on!  Why can't deleted mean deleted!  Just get rid of them!  Very rarely do you "accidently" hit delete.  Anyway, as most of you are aware, he was a jerk and so she is much better off without him.  She was supposed to have a date with Matt tonight, but he has to get up for work in the morning and so he cancelled.  She is a little bummed out tonight.  Last night she went to his restaurant with a few girl-friends and they caused a lot of curiosity among the single men in the restaurant.  Matt kept coming by and talking to them and some of the male waiters were asking him to introduce them to the girls.   Well, he brought them over to the table and went around the table introducing the girls "This is Amanda, this is Michelle" and when he came to Katie he said " and this one is "Off Limits"  Katie was on cloud nine!  But then today he was distant.  She doesn't know what to think, but I told her to just hang in there.  Let him persue her and she could play a little hard to get. . .not too much.  She and Betsy are now at Walmart.  They wanted to get out of the house for a little while.  Walmart, that's funny.

Well, I am beat, so I'm going to take a couple of advils and hit the sack.  I work all day tomorrow and then were taking mom and dad out for dinner.  It may be Tuesday before I get back to make another entry.  Have a great week y'all!