It's Crazy 'Round Here

Brittany, as you recall, surprised me by showing up on Mother's Day!  Unfortunately, there's been a whirlwind of activity going on, so we haven't had much time to do anything fun.

Let's see, on Monday, the painting crew showed up and re-nailed some of our gutters, cleaned them out, and one guy started the process of pressure washing our house.  He worked in the hot sun from 9:30 AM until almost 6 PM.  Chris sat at home all day waiting for our freezer to be delivered, but it never came, even though Brands Mart had promised it would. We both got so frustrated and called the Customer Service Dept. to let them know.  Then, Abby got home from school at 3 PM and she had to be taken back there at 5:30 PM for choir practice until 8 PM.  What a day!

Yesterday morning, the pressure washing guy came back around noon and finished his job in a few hours.  Then, our new freezer got delivered and is working like a charm!  Abby had to stay after school yesterday until 4:30 PM to work on a project. Brittany and I picked her up, then we all headed to Chick Fil-A for a quick dinner. We rushed home in time for Abby to change clothes and get her back to school by 5:30 PM. See what I mean?  It's just been one thing after another!

Thankfully, the painting crew won't be back until tomorrow to do a little carpentry work before the painting can begin.  So, today is wide open with absolutely nothing on the books.  Brittany and I plan to head out to the mall for a little while and make the most of our day together.  Tomorrow....it's back to the grind.  I have a GYN. appt. in the morning, a mammogram on Friday afternoon, and my mother-in-law is coming to watch Abby's final choral performance on Friday night. 

Brittany and I did make some homemade pretzels the other night...

Thanks to a little help from Auntie Anne! ;)

So, my friends, if I'm not able to post much or visit you as I'd like, you'll know the reasons why.  I'm hanging onto my sanity with all my might! Hopefully, next week won't be nearly as crazy...we shall see! 

Our Shooting Range Adventure

Yesterday afternoon, Chris got this wild idea to take all of us to a local shooting range to learn how to shoot guns. Now, I must admit, I'm not a big fans of guns; they've always made me nervous. However, I knew it was something Chris has been wanting to do for awhile, so I agreed.  I can't think of the last time I've seen him as happy as he was when he was packing up the guns and ammo.  He looked like a little kid in a candy shop.

Thankfully, there were a few other females at the shooting range when we arrived, so we didn't feel too out-of-place.  Boy, was it  ever LOUD!  I felt like I was in the middle of a war zone!  It took me a few mins. to get acclimated to all the noise.  Every time a gun went off, I'd nearly jump right out of my skin!  The girls just stood there and laughed at me.

Brittany was the first one to shoot the .22.  She looked like a pro because she'd taken a gun safety course way back when she was about 9 years old.

Abby was next in line.  She was a pretty got shot herself!

  

Fianlly, I got a turn...and several bull's eyes to brag about!  WOO  HOO!

Not too shabby for three girls!

Next, we tried our hands at the Berreta. You had to hold on tight!

As soon as we pulled the trigger, it gave a kick that none of us was prepared for!

KA-POW!

 Of course, the "master" himself had to show us how it's done...and he didn't flinch one bit!

Abby's favorite gun to shoot was the .38 revolver.

Chris was pretty impressed with our shooting skills and I think we just might have to go back  for another round sometime.  It ended up being a lot more fun than the girls and I anticipated.

Oh, and have no fear!  The girls and I have no intentions whatsoever of becoming hunters. We take one look at a deer and our hearts turn to mush.  So, you can sleep easy tonight. :)


P.S.  My bloggy friend, Honey, is having a really neat giveaway!  Head on over to her place at 2805 and check it out!

Sure Is QUIET 'Round Here...

Abby headed back to school today after being out for an entire week due to all the snow and ice we got a little over a week ago. They had 3 snow days worked into the school calendar, but they're still trying to figure out how to make up the remaining 2 days. Brittany, of course, left to head back to Alabama at the end of last week; she started classes today. I miss having my girls around!

Now, don't get me wrong, I LOVE having a clean and orderly house! I seem to function better when everything is put away in it's rightful place. Having a quiet house isn't so bad, either. It's refreshing to be able to get in touch with your inner thoughts. However, when my girls are home and we're all together as a family, there's just 'something' about their clutter and the noise they stir up that makes my heart swell.

Here's some of the sights I miss already...

Seeing Brittany's "beauty supplies" scattered all over the counter in our office bathroom.

Finding nearly everything but the kitchen sink stacked on the floor beside her bed.

Seeing her check her Facebook every morning she was here...with Bella snuggling behind her.


Abby pulling the covers up over her head because she wants to sleep in just a little while longer.


So, at this point, I'm not too sure that a neat and quiet house is all it's cracked up to be. I think I'd choose the messy bathroom, clothes strewn all over the bed, loud laughter (and even arguing!) ANY DAY! That, to me, makes a house a HOME!

More Than Meets The Eye

Sometimes, I get in this mode of wanting to organize things. Well, the other day, it was my hope chest, which is packed to the brim with my diaries, some of the girls' baby clothes, cards from friends and family...everything, but the kitchen sink!

As I was digging through all my "stuff", something caught my eye...a piece of wood with nails sticking out of it. Then, it all came back to me...and I remembered. My girls gave it to me on Mother's Day back in 2000. Brittany was 8 years old and Abby was almost 4. They wanted to create something really special for me, so they headed to the back deck and I had to promise not to step one foot outside...or peek through the blinds. I recall hearing hammering noises and wondered what was going on. When they finished making my "gift", they came inside and presented it proudly to me. Here it is...

Can you read the words written all over it? Sorry the picture is so small. It says...I love you Mom, You're my favorite, I love you, Thanks Mom. Now, to anyone who doesn't have a trained eye, this might look like a junky piece of wood that needed to be tossed in the trash can. I mean, who in their right mind would want something that had scribbling all over it, right? Well, to me, this is a treasure more precious than gold because it was created from the heart by my girls. What's written on it and the sentiment and memories behind it is something that I cherish deeply.

So, off it went, right back into my hope chest with all the other mementos I've saved from days that have come and gone. I'm sure there will be many more times when I open up my hope chest, take out that piece of wood...and remember.