Black Eye

Well the other day Kamryn wanted me to lay down by her and watch a movie. She got up for something then when she laid back down she just plopped her head back and hit me on the brow bone...OUCH! I saw white lights and got a huge knot. In a few days the knot went down and left this colorful reminder of our little bump. I'm sure a few people have wondered what happened, but none have asked.

I'm doing the Census making Job #4. I work part-time at Starbucks, Census, helping with the newspaper for the Jamboree and Elections. I should really be rolling in the dough LOL, but alas I think all I'm doing is getting too pooped to pop.

Bailey had her 2nd birthday in January during the big storm so I didn't venture out. Maggie and I took the kids and went down for Gunnar's birthday in February. The kids had a ball playing together. The weather was perfect and they played outside from morning till dark.

I am getting a new car soon, so I will be making the trip again and I can hardly wait. Miss those babies.

Other than being tired, I really don't have a clue what is happening around town - hope all is well. Love Mo Mo Sadie

Birthday Season Begins

Officially birthday season begins on January 2nd with MY birthday. Then we move on to the 17th for Weston, the 22nd for Bailey and fast forward into February with Tad's on the 4th and Gunnar's on the 11th. Moving right along - Trentin has a birthday on March 8th, Loriel on March 14th, my dad on March 19th and then we take a little break until May for Kamryn on the 26th and Grandma Mary on the 28th.

We take June off - Ed has a birthday on July 25th, Jenna's new baby will have an August birthday, September 18th is Maggie's birthday; Grandma Doris is October 16th - Don is November 1, Troy is December 3 and Jenna is December 9.

Scattered in there is Valentine's Day, Easter, Mother's Day, Father's Day and anniversaries. Basically there is something going on every month of the year. Some months are like "oh crap..."
But I do have to say I have it easier than Velda...all of her's are March, April and May, except for Cord who showed up in August.

Getting excited about going to the Valley this weekend to have a combined birthday party for Bailey and Gunnar. Her birthday was during the big storm and I was working so I didn't get to go to the Valley. I'm excited that Maggie and the kids will be going too - Gunnar and Kamryn really love each other and they will be fun to watch.

Hope this week is good for all.

And They're Back!

Maggie called last week and said that Troy might be laid off as the job was starting to wind down. Last hired, he would be one of the first to be let go. If he made it through the lay off that week he definitely would be let go on the 9th of February. On Thursday Maggie called with the news that Troy was laid off and could work through Saturday and then they would head home. As sad as I was for them to be laid off, I was so excited to know they would be home soon. Sunday at 5:45 p.m. they walked through the door and I was so excited to see them. Kamryn was first through the door and the rest is history. Trentin changed the most in the three months they were gone - he has gotten a little taller, seems more like a toddler and less like a baby. He will be 2 in March.

We had an early birthday party for Tad (his birthday will be Thursday and he will be in Morenci) so that was fun. He grilled steak and shrimp while we made baked potatoes, broccoli (my kids have always loved broccoli) and a salad. I went all out and let Safeway do the cake :o(

Tad, his boss Brian and his mine boss, Gary left this morning to go back to Morenci. I've watched over the years and he makes good friends.

Troy is looking for work, hope he finds something soon and that they can stay home. Maggie is cleaning up their house so that they can move back in and I am playing grandma today with Kamryn and Trentin. Our agenda includes (in no particular order) bath, shower, making cookies, making punch, tea party, naps, lunch, snacks, hugs and kisses and naps and resting and...I'm looking forward to the day.

Changes

Well on the 6th of January I applied on-line to work part-time at Starbucks in Safeway; on the 8th of January I tested with the Census to be a Census worker. On the 11th I interviewed at Starbucks; the 13th I went in for training and the rest is history. I am now a "barista" at Starbucks (20 hours a week) and so intimidated I can't stand it. Doesn't anyone just drink coffee? What the heck is a Caramel Machiato? What's a Skinny Cinnamon Dolce Latte? These and other questions just about did me in. I really wasn't sure I would be able to learn but alas, it is coming slowly but surely. I didn't just wake up one morning and say "I'm bored...I guess I'll look for work". I got notice from the State of Arizona that because I turned 55 on the 2nd of January and my combined years of service with the School District, they were transitioning me from disability to retirement. I'm thinking why? Made a phone call and got the rest of the story...no pay check until March while they get their system updated (or whatever) so I HAD to find work and in this economy it's a crap shoot. I have pursued every avenue available to me - I even thought I might end up as the roller skating car hop at Sonic :o( I'm also thinking I could go to work for the State Retirement System - I KNOW I could figure out a way to speed things up down there - after all I am NOT new to the system and WHAT does it take to switch from disability to retirement - come on, I've been with you guys for 30 years now - I'm not a new comer.

Some mornings I am up at 4 and to work at 5 to sell coffee - other days I am mid-day and still others I am 12:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. LONG hours on my feet, no breaks, no food and once-in-awhile samples of drinks so that when I get home I am one tired poopsy.

Tad went to Morenci for an interview on the 19th and I called him and told him to not come home...I had a combined total of 13 inches of snow at my house last week and then it snowed again this week. I like the snow, I know we need the moisture, but...

Troy was laid off yesterday and will work through Saturday and then they are on their way home. I'm sorry the lay off came so soon but the selfish part of me is so excited that they are coming home that I can't stand it.

The neighbor dogs are outside the fence driving Sadie and Allie nuts and I'm about ready to load the shotgun with rock salt and let Sparky and Jackass (not their real names) have something to yip about. Then I'm gonna knock the poop out of Sadie and Allie for barking and carrying on with them.

Did I tell you that Jenna is expecting? August 17 and we are so excited. She wants a girl to be close to Bailey and Weston wants a boy. Doesn't matter - it's gonna have to live with me because I can tell you know that Bailey WILL NOT LIKE IT! Weston took Gunnar Javalina hunting and left Bailey at home and she was mad ALL DAY long and let him know about it when he got home.

Oh...Weston had a birthday on the 17th and Bailey turned 2 on the 22nd. I didn't get to go to the Valley for her birthday. I hope to go in February so maybe we can celebrate both Bailey and Gunnar's birtdays. He turns 4 on the 11th of February. I can't believe how fast they grow up. Trentin will be 2 in March and Kamryn will be 4 in May...yikes!

Anything else? Gosh...this month has flown and so much going on but we are doing well. Tad got a new truck (used and no payments) and is looking forward to his move to Morenci. Life moves forward - life is good. Hope all of you are well.

Starting Out With a BANG!

So after a calm, uneventful scrap-filled New Year's Day I was thinking...not too bad. A rather quiet birthday on the 2nd (now I qualify for Senior Discounts?) again, thinking not too bad. I went to eat with Tad and Robert on Sunday (yes, I broke the Sabbath and my fast) then on to church. As each person bore their testimony, I reflected on my own testimony and on my many blessings. Got home from church, noted that Tad's bag was no longer by the front door (did he really put it up like I asked?)picked up my cell phone, dialed Tad and no answer, then went out the back door while it was still light and warm (yah, like there has been any warmth for the last month), got a load of wood in, watered the dogs, went back in took my Church clothes off and went into the bathroom. The phone rings. I don't get out in time and it rings again, I answer to hear Janessa say that Tad has hit a tree and they (George & Lacey) are bringing him to the ER. I asked in shock, what happened, she didn't know. They didn't have phone coverage, I was at church and her job was to let me know what was going on. I hurriedly change clothes and get ready to meet them at the hospital. I hear my answering machine beeping take a minute to see what it is and it is Janessa telling me that I need to call her as soon as I get this message.

I drove to the hospital and they aren't in with Tad so I sat in the parking lot. I thought about calling Jenna and Maggie but I didn't know what to tell them. My phone rings, it is Lacey saying that Tad doesn't want to go to the ER - I told her he has no choice. My phone rings and it is Jenna and I tell her what I know. Hang up and my phone rings and it is Maggie and I tell her what I know. I am thinking that what are the odds that both girls would call within seconds of each other while I am waiting for them to bring Tad in.

They arrive, I get out and George and Lacey get out. Tad gets out, he is bloody and not able to stand and I can tell he isn't doing well. He is adamant that he isn't going in there and I told him that it was not his decision to make. We get him in the ER - I sign him in and the nurse (Kelly Crowther...?) takes him in and asks us to wait. I then try to find out what happened and here's what George told me. Tad decided to go to Morenci (George nor I knew this) hit some ice, slipped off the road and was stuck. Had cell phone coverage and called for George to come and help him. Knowing that I was in church, Roberta was out of town, George called Lacey (his daughter-in-law) to go with him in case they needed the help. In the meantime, someone comes along and pulls Tad out and Tad then decides to turn around and go back home. He said that he was driving too fast, he wanted to get to the top of Turkey Burn/Campbell Blue and let George know he was out and coming back and that George didn't need to come. Tad hit an icy spot on a bad curve and went off the right side of the road. Tad told George his truck was bad. A couple that lives in Alpine was coming up the trail and picked Tad up and was heading toward Alpine. Tad was in and out of it but came in again to see George and asked the people to flash George. George loaded Tad in his truck and started home with him. Officer Hererra from the Town of Springerville shows up and he is allowed in. Tad is angry and tells the nurse to get him out of there. They finally tell me I can go in and Tad is throwing up. They have pigtails for iv in his left arm, his head is bleeding. He continues to throw up for a long time and finally he is through. They put the iv stuff (don't know what it was) in and Tad is laying back, saying that his chest hurts. He tells me that he 1) crawled out the passenger side window 2) was ejected and watched his truck roll down the cliff 3) doesn't have any idea how he got his coat because he didn't have it on in the truck. They are wanting to take him for a cat scan and for xrays. The policeman is waiting to talk to Tad. We shuffle in and out and the best we can figure is that Tad was going too fast, maybe looked down at his cell phone, looked up and it was too late and hit the ice and over he went.

Deputy Dayson Merrill from Apache County shows up and said that DPS will investigate. Chad and Robert show up. Chad calls other friends and Officer Taylor and his wife come down. Jolene, Cheyenne and Austin come in from the ranch. Many people are concerned for Tad. Somewhere after nine or so they have the xrays done, the cat scan done, etc. and they tell us that Tad has a concusion (that is why he is throwing up and can't recall some things) and that after observation he will go home.

It's 11:00 and I am in a daze. Tad and I are talking, he feels like crap and we go to bed. I wake up on Monday morning and the realization of the last day sets heavy on my heart and mind. We call the insurance company, the towing company, George and head to Alpine to get the stuff out of Tad's truck. We round the curve to Alpine Garage and my breath caught when we saw this... not even recognizable as Tad's truck. Tad walked down to the office to give Rex his insurance info and George and I just looked at the truck in disbelief. The two guys that towed it in told us that they spent an hour looking for bodies in the snow, there was no way that anyone survived this wreck. Zack, the young kid that went up and down the mountain with Tad's belongings in the cold and snow crawled in the truck and handed us things we could see that Tad wanted. His cell phone, wallet, ipod, gun, etc. They were all there, unbelievable. On the way home we had to pull over for Tad to throw up. The realization of what he survived was starting to set in. He didn't even recognize his own truck at first. He is blessed and I have tried to counsel with him of that knowledge and what responsibility that he has. A long week in front of him, he will be ok. He walked away with thisrequiring 4 staples. He has no serious internal injuries, just lots of hurts and shortness of breath. He still has a hard time with some memory things (my gosh, is he gonna be on the short bus?) He is lucky, he is alive, he is a blessing and I'm gonna kill him for taking ten years off my life. Rex told me when I went back Monday afternoon to get Tad's keys and some other stuff in the truck that it was the second worst accident he has seen in twenty three years.

We take it a day at a time - you know one step forward, two steps back...

Jenna and Weston were here for the weekend and it was so much fun to have them here. Bailey Boo is getting to be so much fun - she has kind of taken a liking to me and I love that. Gunnar told his mother that Mo Mo Sadie is wild...(what does he mean?)

Bailey had several tea parties for Teddy Ruxpin, baby, Elmo and herself. They wanted to "eat"chips, cereal with, fruit snacks, water... she was so cute and would give everyone something to eat then go around the table and eat what she wanted out of their plates (marshmallows out of the cereal for example :o) Ali was grateful for messy babies because every once-in-awile something would hit the floor. She has learned that with Bailey and Trentin there is always a strong possibility of something hitting the floor. With Trentin it was on purpose, a bite for him, a bite for Ali.

At night time, Bailey's babies had to go to bed with her too. I LOVE being a grandma to these babies. They make my heart smile.

Troy and Maggie have only been gone two months and it seems like forever. Kamryn, Trentin and I can talk on the phone now and I don't cry the whole way through. By the time I get used to them being gone, they will be home (I hope).

I'm alone again at the end of the weekend when the kids have been here and it is sooooo quiet. I miss all of them and wish they lived closer. I wish for all of you a good week with love and laughter.

The Last Day of 2009

Today is New Year's Eve - the last day of 2009. What a year! Everyone has been hit by the economic crunch in one way or another but have still been blessed.

Jenna and Weston moved into a new home last December and have been slowly painting and making it theirs. Gunnar turned 3 and Bailey turned 1. In a short while they will be having birthdays - Jenna's is in December; Weston and Bailey's are in January and Gunnar's is in February. They are expecting baby no. three in August.

Tad has been guiding mostly in New Mexico. He does all kinds of stuff to make a living, he's quite handy that way. He hopes to get on in the mines this coming year. He really liked his job down in Morenci.

Troy and Maggie moved to Gillette, Wyoming in November for a temporary job. I know that you have to do what you have to do to make a living, but I cried for days when they took Kamryn and Trentin so far away. I still miss them like crazy. Kamryn turned 3 in May and Trentin turned 1 in March. Troy had a birthday in December and it was he and Maggie's anniversary in December, too. Maggie's birthday was in September. I can hardly wait for them to get closer to home.

Loriel moved back to Tucson because it was so expensive to go to school in California. Adam is working out there so they go back and forth when they can. She does so well in school and is doing it all on her own.

I love being mo mo sadie to Gunnar and Kamryn; sadie to Bailey and mamaw to Trentin. Don't care what they call me, just love them so much it makes my heart hurt.

I had a good Christmas in the Valley with Weston and Jenna. It was fun to see the kids have Christmas - I've never done that before. I hated to have to come back home to an empty house - but somebody has to do it.

I hope for my family and friends a Happy New Year full of prosperity and peace and the blessings that only our Father in Heaven can give. Thank you for being you and being in my life.

Brrr...Baby's It's Cold Outside

Man the weather is something else...we're expecting the temperatures to drop even more through Tuesday and they even say we could get some snow. Friday night it was 12 degrees when Velda and I were coming home from Show Low. That morning everybody reported temperatures in town ranging from -6 to -2 below. Tad who NEVER gets cold even moved to the couch in front of the fire. He had the junk that was going around a couple of weeks ago, must have weakend him.

I've been trying to get ready for Christmas. I don't want Christmas this year. I want ALL of my babies home for Christmas, ALL of them. They will all spend Christmas either at home, in the badlands of Wyoming or hunting something. Ed offered to have me go to the Valley for Christmas. He said he would watch the dogs for me. Depends on how the month goes. I would like to spend Christmas with the grandkids. When I went out to get wood in I looked up and saw the star on Flat Top. I am so glad that the youth in our stake make the sacrifice to carry gas up the hill every night in December for us to have that glorious star! I loved that star when I was growing up and even more now.

Kamryn told me the other day, "Gramma, I come your house, THIS ISN'T FUN!" Made me laugh and cry at the same time. No it isn't fun sweetheart, but this will be good for all of us. How come that that doesn't kill us makes us stronger in so many ways?

I've been reflecting on the last year and it has been a really hard year for my family in many ways. The economy has affected all of the kids in different ways. Loriel was forced to come back to Arizona for school - it was just too expensive in California. Weston's work has been slow, but he is a hard worker. Tad still guides and fills in which gets him by, but that's about it and Troy and Maggie had to leave town for work. I hope that we each learn something from this, put it to use and are better prepared for the future.

I am grateful for all that I have. Grateful for the blessing of being a wife, mother and grandmother. Grateful for my health and the abilities that I still have. Grateful for this country, grateful for those who serve. I am grateful for the gospel and for our living Prophet and for those who serve with him. I am grateful to live in a small town, grateful for dear friends and family.

I hope that this holiday season brings blessings to each of you. Love to all.