Random....

A day of silence

A day of Blogger silence for those sweet kiddos and teachers in CT. Gut wrenching event.

One year ago....

One year ago yesterday I got a phone call that would change my life forever. Judy called, I, not feeling well, had decided to sleep in a while...answered my cell phone and Judy said "Pam, Donny just died.". My wonderful brother in law has been gone for a year. We have now had a full year of "firsts" without him. Still as shocking today as it was a year ago. Still expect him to call and check on us ever so often. Still think of him when I see a funny kitchen gadget. Still think of him when I see a golf cart, wheat field, box of straws, bottle of Jack Daniels, and his orange Celina baseball cap that was on the dresser when we visied Susan for Thanksgiving. Good times.....good memories...greatly missed. Pam

Thailand?

A visitor from Thailand? Mom and Carla if that is you, that makes me laugh....or maybe it's Aunt Barbara! Yes, we are still here, just busy busy. Longer post soon. Love to all! And to the mystery person in Thailand....hello and welcome! PK

It's been an interesting week!

Lets just say that Colby had a very interesting Sunday thru Wednesday. Bet he toes the line now.... Chelsey and I went to Neath the Wreath in Plano late Saturday and then to Bingo. We were Oh so close several times. Good times and big laughs. Today Danny and I slept till 1pm then the kids and I headed out to Tyler to see Dad. He looked really good. We watched most of the cowboy game with him and them headed home. Good times with chelsey And Colby after dinner. It involved being in the parking lot of the restaurant arguing over who was driving and who rode shot gun. After a 15 minute stand off, I got in the back seat. I threatened to roll the window down and yell that I had been kidnapped. Chelsey promptly locked the windows down. So....I played on my iPhone and sang along with their music all the way home. Good times. Good times! Now off to bed. Night a. !

My beautiful girls

Baby gate?

Yep.....keep these in and some out!

Wizard of Oz

My team's Halloween Theme. More pictures to follow!

Volunteering...

Deep down in my heart, and in my spare time, I want to find a place to volunteer my services. As I goggle search, I find hospitals, soup kitchens, shelters, etc. So far "just the right thing" has not caught my eye, but I am definitely on the look out. Not sure what makes me want this so much, but I do. We shall see what comes along. PK

Anniversary weekend

Two days off....make for a nice weekend. Danny and I had manicure/pedicures, lunch, Starbucks, and dinner all on Saturday. Today I only left the house to pick Chelsey up in McKinney, eat lunch, run thru target and home. Danny cooked dinner. I have the last load of laundry drying and watching the World Series...by myself. Everyone else is in bed. I yelled a few times during the Cowboy game this afternoon....they should have won it! Off to bed I go...hope everyone has a great week! Also...wonder who is in Plano reading our blog Hum.... XOXO PK

HBD A!

You meet someone and early on you know they have a child. You learn to love that little girl as if she is your very own. You watch her grow up with a lot of heart ache and wish you could take it all away. More heart ache than anyone should have to live thru But thru all the dark times....a common smile continues to shine thru. And that beautiful little girl, grows to be a wonderful mom to her own little boys, both of which have her mischievous twinkle in their eyes.... That beautiful gal is Ashley...who is thirty wonderful years old today. My baby has grown up. Ashley, I know you are reading this....I love you with all my heart and am so proud of the strong woman you have become. Happy 30th! Pam (aka Mom 2)

All in one

Got an all in one computer today...so I can work from home instead of going in 6 days a week! Danny and I are going to call it our Anniversary gift to each other. I think we got a great deal....last one, out of box on show floor, missing bottom of the mouse, and he told us it was touch screen and it's not. Each one of these created another discount. Very Happy with it! And Danny only said "how the he'll do I ..." once when he used it the first time. Success! As always...long week, many hours at the office. Not so many in traffic though...I am now driving to old office in Lewisville and then cutting thru Coppell to Irving. Not a bad commute at all. Chicken and dumplings on the stove, Lily has a new hair cut, house cleaned, last load of laundry in the dryer. Cowboys WON And now it's back to work again tomorrow. This is a big week....Ashley turns 30 on Thursday. 30! First time I ever laid eyes on her she was TWO. Wow....wow... Then Saturday is our 22nd Anniversary. 22! Wow...wow... Have a great week all! PK

Bowling with the boys

8 months!

Can't believe it's been 8 months since my last cigarette. Never thought I could quit. Thank you to my Daddy for giving me the extra push to stop. I love you! PK

Looks much better!

One of my favorite things

Starbucks and a newspaper on Sunday morning....

An empty nest feeling

So this is what it must feel like to be an empty nester....worked Saturday, came home and went to dinner with Danny. Up this morning and he cooked breakfast. I cooked lunch. Lots of football today. Even the dogs think it's quiet around here...they hear the slightest noise and run to the front door barking. Hard to believe tomorrow is October 1st, today even seemed like a fall day. Have a good week all. XOXO, PK

Weekend stuff

FRIDAY: work all day....leave at 6pm. Head home. Text Colby to see if he will go to the game with me. He's already on his way there. I ask if he took his ticket and he says no. I tell him to run back and get it...he says no, he's almost there. I am a bit agitated but let it go. I get home, change to orange, grab season ticket and tear off last weeks only to see October 4th at the next one. wHAT? It's an away game...in Paris. So...Chelsey, Danny and I go to dinner. Next time I will check the tickets sooner! SATURDaY worked until 1:30pm and headed home for hair cut and highlight. Got a little red and chocolate....for fall. Went into Frisco with Chelsey afterward. SUNDAY: Starbucks, Walmart and home....Danny cut up a huge slab of rib eyes (Ashley, be glad you didn't do it, it took him forever!). I did laundry and cleaned all the carpets...it's amazing, all rooms look practically new! And yes...Mom, they did dry really fast. Thanks for letting me borrow the carpet cleaner! And of course all good things must come to an end. MONDAY is here....off to Richardson today and Irving tomorrow then back to Richardson on Wednesday. Least we can end the week with a HOME football game.... Love to all and have a great week! Pam

Good morning!

Good morning all.....and Happy Wednesday! Loving this weather....our few days of fall are wonderful before it turns cold! Although Evan (channel 4) just said it will get back up to 90+ in the next few days. Off to get dressed. The traffic guy just said accident on 75 in McKinney...of course that smh path today! Back roads here I come... Love to all, Pam

This week...

So...Monday work. Monday afternoon I met Danny for Mexican Food. Monday night sick sick sick. Tuesday stayed home to recover. Wednesday and Thursday training classes. Thursday afternoon, arrive home and decide to run after something to eat. Get in my car....dead. Try again. Dead. This morning I drove the jeep to work. Lordy was ghat an experience. On way home a gauge light comes on. Grrrrrrrrrr. I text Fanny and keep driving. Light goes of. Whew....light comes back on. Make it home. He brings my new battery this afternoon and all is good again. Went to the football game alone. Left at half time. We won. Hello...Saturday tomorrow. Let's hope there are NO warning lights! Love ya, PK

Lots of ducks

Lots of ducks at the lake this afternoon. Lily and Tank wanted to get a little closer....not happening.

Traffic

No words to describe.....

Chevron material and a pop of yellow flower

If you search pinterest.com for "chevron" you'll see a likeness to my masterpiece below..... Ran out of yellow felt, so I will stop at Hobby Lobby tomorrow in my way home, so I can finish the second one up. Their home will be on my office wall.

$60m

This is what $60 million gets you. You can see it from 75. Oh my....go Bobcats! Another year in orange begins!

Love the new building in Irving

But HATE this......

O

One happy Momma!!!

Chelsey called me today, while at her new job, and asked if I could get off early tomorrow... I said WhY? Because I just got us 4 tickets to the Cowboys Game. Wooooohoooooo!!!! I am sooo excited. ;-). I love her new job. LOL.

Okay Mom....we will never eat another rabbit in the back yard

We do not feel so good...

Congrats to Clay and Katelyn

Wishing you many years of happy smiles.

And to the two of you....gorgeous couple. Love u!

Genius to moron in 5 minutes....

Chelsey nailed this the first time she tried....left one peg. Genius! Them she tried again and was a moron...leaving 4 pegs.

Not a happy ending for Octaduck

A sad walk tonight. We went to check on the eggs for the first time all week an we found a stick, six broken eggs with partially formed ducks and no Octaduck in site. Tank and Lily even seemed disappointed when we found them....

Orange is the color for a little while longer...

Danny and I have ridden around looking at houses in McKinney and nothing really knocks our socks off....especially the tiny lots and Abundance of two story homes. So, in about a 15 minute discussion today...we decided to just stay in Celina for another year. Neither of us is really interested in packing up for a move again...I like walking our current neighborhood. Preston is being widened. We have a grocery store. Neither of the kids are in a hurry to leave. Both can commute to work and classes Danny and I are settled in to our drives. Duke would not like "the city". And we already own enough orange, so we are just going to stay! Maybe 2013 will be the year we leave Celina, but it's not going to be in 2012. Night all... Pam

All grown up....

Tonight, in a small town in the East....two of my favorite girls are preparing for a new adventure. One is off to college and one is about to have an empty nest. I love you both and know that this next chapter shall contain a tear of two, but it's also the beginning of a whole new life...love you both more than I could possibly ever express! Good luck Morgan and Carla, keep your chin up, you did good and she'll be fine! PK

Yep....she's going to be another Octamom!

28 days

Finally google searched duck eggs....28 days is the incubation time. This means we should have move ducks on the lake at the end of this month...stay tuned.

Almost forgot!

My little buddy Eli was supposed to get a new brother and sister this week (adoption) and it has fallen thru. Lily, Tank and I will have to walk early tomorrow, to check on him. He was so excited, makes me sad to think it's not going to happen....

We checked on her twice today!

Mama Duck is still sitting on her nest....Lily, Tank and I walked twice today, just to check on her. I was telling the girls at work about her and they said to take her some corn or bird seed...I do not want to cause the other ducks to go around her, so well just have to wait until the eggs hatch, then take her a treat. Danny and I drove around McKinney looking at houses today. Nothing great so far. My requirements are big trees in back yard, covered patio, one story preferably, wood fence around back yard and preferably hard wood floors. Lease is up at the end of next month....decisions, decisions... Appears the storms have missed us...for once. My rent a car is in the garage, driving it while the hail damage is being repaired on my car. Going to take about a month...it has to have a new top and windshield. Hopefully when our office moves to Irving...we'll no longer be in storm alley, like Lewisville now.. Lights out on another hot weekend. PK

Still can't believe it!

6 months....1/2 a year....180 or so days without smoking! And yes I feel much better! And to Lucy's Mom, if you should happen to check out my crazy little blog, I am thrilled to see that she Is doing so well and that your precious family is getting back to a new normal. Happy Friday! PK

She is hanging in there!

Even with these two checking in in her.

Colby 0 Deer 1

Or maybe it's Colby 1 Deer 0. Either way....hi truck lost the battle.

The goose that laid

A bunch of eggs. Tank, Lily an I check in her everyday that we walk. For over a week now she has been hunkered down on her best. There are at least 8 eggs.... Even in this heat she sticks with this mothering thing. Not sure how long it takes, but I'd bet she is more than ready for those babies to hatch!

A few firsts!

We've had a couple of firsts this week....Chelsey got her first pay check. I realized that it is the first time in my adult life that I do not have to shop for school supplies. Colby took his first college placement test. And this is the first time in a long time that I am not working on Saturday! All of which is good stuff! Happy Saturday all! Try and stay cool... Pam

Tough day...

Megan, my heart goes out to you. She was a special lady to so many. Much love and if you need anything, just let us know. We have an angel to watch over us....

She's exhausted!

Chelsey is going in for day 3 of working at Dodie's in Frisco. She worked Thursday, Friday and now today. She stayed home last night because wage was so tired... ;-). Now if we can just get Colby tired!

Sunday...

Up this morning and off to Starbucks then Farmers Market in downtown Dallas. I looked up the address. 1010 Pearl Street. Thought for sure Danny knew where it was. Um, not so much he had me turning here. Turn there. Stop here. Go back. I finally just got back on 75 North...and we went to Farmers Market in Plano. Then to WalMart in Mckinney and home. Walked Lily. Left Tank at home. He was not happy...but he has started acting like a stink when I try and put on his leash, so I left his butt behind. I bet he is better tomorrow. After Lily, I came back and got Duke. He loves getting into the lake. Planning on hitting the street in the morning, without the dogs, to see how far I can jog. Gotta lose some weight! Wish me luck...have a great week all. I have meetings all day Monday and Tuesday....PK

Bingo!

My bingo buddy Sharon text me at 5pm asking I wanted to go play bingo. Hummm...i was at work. So, I leave and text Danny, no reply, Texts again, no reply then I text Dammit Danny...he responds. So I ran home, changed and headed to Plano. Game 2 I win!!! $250. Game 7 Sharon wins!!! $250. It was a good night...we always laugh and have a great time. Night night, Pam

What have they been doing for the past month and a half?

Chelsey and Colby have soaked up about 6 weeks of fun since graduation and are now to the "oh shit, now what am I going to do" part of their lives.... We have had a number of conversations about jobs, applications, follow ups, what they invision for their future, etc. One example is earlier in the week when Chelsey and I were having a HEATED discussion about her future. I asked: Do you want to go to college? What do you want to do after college? Do you want to dream for a while and go work on a cruise ship, just get any old summer job and make sure it can be part time when college starts in August, dabble here and there to see what you really like? How about the military? A trade school? Nursing? She applied on line at one of the companies I used to work for many years ago and after she hit submit, she did a deep sigh, as if her phone was going to right right away. One thing is for sure She's not clear on all the answers yet. The discussions with Colby go like this: He comes home out.of.breath telling us about applying at Collon County. He talks about having to get his CDL license to work there and how he can just call Coach Crook (the wonderful and patient man that taught the kids drivers ed) to get the short version class. He worked Monday from 8-12 and then talked about how hot it was....he was moving Sheetrock and stuff for a guy remodeling a house in Weston. He applied at Brookshires, Dickeys BBQ, and some other place here in Celina. Yesterday, after a tiring week of job searching and working FOUR hours...he took a break and went to the lake all day with friends. This is not the end of my stories....it's only the beginning, I have a feeling. To my Daddy, it was great to talk to you on my way home last night. Love you! To Megan, my heart goes out to you, as I know your plate runneth over at the momment. Hug Aunt Sharon for me and give her my love. Off for an oil change and possibly to the office for a little while. Love to all and Happy Saturday.

A nice quiet birthday at home...

Home sweet home

Spent yesterday fishing all day....didn't catch many, but enjoyed every minute of it. This morning Danny and I looked at each other and at almost the exact same time said "let's go home...". We packed up and were home by 10am. Cleaned the house, unpacked, did laundry, cooked a big dinner for his birthday, walked the dogs, watered the front yard, took a hot bath, changed our sheets and now...I am sitting in my recliner relaxing. Not sure the kids missed us, excapt for cooking. Chelsey said she washed plates and cups the entire time we were gone. Made me laugh... Ashley, Chelsey and Colby wanted to take Danny out for lunch today....but we came home early instead, then they wanted to take him to dinner. He said he'd rather stay home. Aren't we the party animals....he's having birthday cake now and I'd bet he is cashed out before 10pm. 59 and holding... PK

Beautiful sunset

First try!

Success with 2 attempts

After she told him how to do it right. LOL.

Same family. Boat #2. Good grief!

Only about 50% of the people who try, are successful on their first attempt

My fishing spot is very entertaining....right by the boat ramp. Yesterday a guy tried no less than 25 times, which included cussing, burning out, losing a wheelbarrow that he ran over and finally getting out and his son backed down the ramp on the first try. Danny and I laughed so hard! Back today to see how people fair...

And just a few more pictures. The last one is of the ducks at the marina...