A visit to Grandpa's with Chace

Driving the new car:



Taking the driver's seat:



He's cool.



Aunt Lisa, Grandpa, Chace, and the neighbor's house:

Tonight's my night alone, and I have nothing to do....well, I have plenty to do, but nothing I WANT to do! Amy and Chace came over last night for a bit and Chace liked Gracie's Baby Alive doll. He liked it so much that all he wanted to do was poke it's eyeballs out! He almost walked yesterday. If Hank hadn't jumped up to kiss him, I think he would have taken off!



I got my shipment from B & H Photo yesterday! Woohoo! Can't wait to clear out this junk room so I can get stuff set up in here and take some pics of the kids! Here's a piece of what I got:



Hank is the only one that poses for the camera....



Even when he doesn't really want to! Sweet little Hankie:



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I picked up some more Easter basket stuff for Grace and Chace today....I need to remind myself sometimes that every little holiday does not have to be like Christmas! Which, of course I don't get that much stuff, but I think about different things to get all of the time. Geesh, when I was little, we were excited to get some m&m's and smarties and a cheap-o Sally doll taped to a piece of cardboard in a basket wrapped in cellophane! **A Sally doll is what my dad referred to as a cheap Barbie doll. He brags that when Amy and I were little, he could buy us "Sally" dolls from the DG and we never knew the difference between them and Barbie dolls. Bull crap....the legs didn't bend and they were super hollow! And they had baaad makeup!** Anyway, that's what we got for Easter and we were happy. I'm sure Grace would be happy with that also, but I like to make my own baskets!

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Amy and I just got back from dad's house. We went over there after we went to Raymond's to check out the new carpet and took some pics of dad's new car. I'll post some pics in a bit of that, they're downloading now. It's so nice to go to my dad's house and not have "someone" there ignoring you the whole time. He is in such a better mood all of the time now. It makes me happy for us to spend time with him....anyway, I'm going to look at some pictures! I'll post some later!

As seen in....

My Kitchen:



Bill brought me home some flowers and a card the other day after work, for no good reason. Well, he said because he loves me, so I guess that's a GOOD reason! I'm a very lucky girl!




I have this plant sitting on an old chair by my backdoor in the kitchen and I can't throw it away. It was a poinsettia from my Grandpa Kopec's funeral in November! And yes, I still water it once in a while. In know it's just a plant and has no significant meaning, but I just can't bring myself to throw it in the trash. It even has mold on the dirt! What's a girl to do?!

Well, there's my fist segment of "as seen in"....I've got a lot neater stuff in my kitchen, but those two caught my eye for now!

I've ordered some photography stuff and it's FINALLY shipped and ready to be here tomorrow! (Maybe I mentioned that before? I can't remember). I'm so excited I can't wait. Not that I have anywhere to put it or anything; my spare room is a hoarder's dream. Ok, maybe not that bad, but it's messy and junky! Casey, at least I know where my carpet cleaner is! haha! I've still had zero offers for that trade I asked for awhile ago!

I've read this book that my friend Kelly lent me called Skinny Bitch. It is hilarious. It's about nutrition and different facts surrounding the foods you eat, but it's written by two women with a sense of humor. The way they have written it makes it interesting. It's a pretty short book, I would recommend reading it. If you can't handle curse words, then I would NOT recommend it. Since reading it, I have not eaten meat since. You can find out why when you read the book!

Well, I'm off to do some laundry and maybe tackle this room. Hope you have a great Sunday!

I've got an idea that I stole from another blog that I read sometimes that I'm going to try out. Probably not until later today, but I'm gonna try it. She posts her title as "As seen in..." and then she takes pictures of things that are as seen in, for example, her kitchen. When I type it out explaining this, it sounds kind of boring, but it's actually pretty neat! Just wait, and you'll see!

My family came over for dinner this weekend, it was a great time! We cooked on the grill and visited for a while. After dinner, Grace went to Amy's for a little bit while Bill and I went to Menard's to buy a new fridge. Ours had been leaking on the inside for quite some time, but I'm too stingy, so I kept sticking a bowl in it to catch the water! Finally, it was getting so bad that it wouldn't be fesible to have a 10 gallon bucket sitting in the fridge, so we broke down and bought one. Grace had a good time at Amy's for a couple of hours (better than she would have at Menard's anyway!). She managed to get Amy to give her an old purse and a couple of perfumes. Like she really needs it, but that's what Aunts are for!

We spent some time outside Sunday, it was so nice. Bill took Grace to her mother's that night and of course, she screamed and cried and wouldn't get out of the truck. You'd think it would get easier to handle because it happens so much, but it doesn't. I feel really bad for Bill because ultimately, he is the one that has to make her get out of the truck because her mom can't do it. I know it makes him feel really bad. He'd just like to keep her in and turn around and bring her back home. One of these days.....Grace will realize.

I have GOT to get this spare junk room cleaned out soon for my photo stuff! It is just too overwhelming! Anyone need any help at their house? Let's do a trade off! You come help me get motivated and clean out my junk rooom and I'll help you do yours! haha! Sounds like a plan to me!

Going to get ready and *think* about working on the junk room after school today. Have a great day!

Spring has finally sprung! Even though today is a little chilly it's still nice to know that it's officially spring and the nicer weather will be here soon!! I picked Chace up early from daycare the other day and spent some time with him, then when Amy, Shawn, and my dad got off of work we went to the park. He had a great time and we found out that he loves to play in the sand.

Grandpa and Chace having fun...


He likes the sand....


....but not the taste of it....!


Amy, Shawn, and Chace


Grace is here this weekend but Bill has a class at work today....hopefully it won't be too long. We went to a few yard sales with Amy and Chace this morning. We didn't find anything good, but it's still early in the season! haha!

A couple of weeks ago, Grace got to spend the night with us during the school week *gasp* because it was school picture day for the spring and her mother didn't give us an order form for the first school pictures. So, by some miracle, Grace got to spend the night so we could send her to school for school pictures. **She used to be able to spend the night one night a week...until we got married. Then her mother decided that she needed to sleep "in her own bed"....even though she has a bed here. She was never late to school, always went to bed on time, etc**.....anyway, Bill then asked her mother if she could start spending the night again since everything was perfectly fine with her staying this time. She said she'd think about it, which is better than the answer that he always got before "No, I don't think so!" SO, this Wed came around and Bill talked to Grace on the phone that night he told her he was excited to see her the next day and she said she was excited because she was going to get to spend the night. Fast forward an hour later and her mother calls wanting to know if Grace said she was getting to spend the night. Bill said yes, why....she then tells him that she told Grace she couldn't stay because she was being mouthy to her. She said Grace was throwing a fit in the morning because she couldn't wear flip flops, so because of that her punishment was that she couldn't spend the night with her dad. I think it's pitiful that as a mother she uses Bill as punishment because she knows it's something Grace wants. Whatever happened to taking away TV or not buying her something every time she goes to WM? Grace cried about it and said it wasn't fair. Well it's not. So, Thurs he takes her back to her mothers and SHE came outside and said to Grace that as long as she minds this week and doesn't mouth her, then she can spend the night. I guess Bill told her that was stupid that she should take something else away and she said she is taking away a privilege; that it's a privilege for Grace to see her dad. That is so STUPID!!! I think if Grace wants to come here, she should be able to. It would be different if she wasn't getting fed, homework not done, etc. but that's not the case. When the kid screams and cries to come here, that should tell her something. Goes to show you what your parents giving you money for a good lawyer will do for you I guess. I think she doesn't give a rat's butt what is best for her daughter. But, hey, that's just my opinion. If you heard this little girl scream and cry like I do, you'd think so too. *By the way, WE don't have a problem with her being mouthy and throwing fits. Here, no means no and she accepts that. Maybe if she got to come her ea little more she would be more content and happy and not be so mad at her mother all the time. And we don't talk about her mother or things that go on at her mothers when she is here. I think it's best to stay away from those conversations around her because I get so upset. Wow, that was long!

So, now that I have got my biggest gripe of the week out of the way, I'm going to do laundry! Enjoy your Saturday!

Remember a while back, I took pictures for Amber and Todd for their engagement? Well, they were supposed to get married in July, but my friend Kelly called me on Thursday and said things got switched around and they were getting married the next day! She wanted to know if I would come take some pics for them, so I did.....

I think he was about to cry. So was I! Of course, I'd cry at a stranger's wedding!


Amber, her Grandpa, and my Kelly


They're so sweet!


I wish them the best of luck....they've already got a hard time ahead with him going to Afghanistan.....but I wish them many years of happiness.....

I have been feeling pretty good. I'm not really hurting anymore....it's just a little tender, but it gets better everyday. Time is just dragging on! I can't wait to see what happens next!

What a beautiful day! Bill was off so he went fishing today....he didn't catch anything, but enjoyed it nonetheless. I had to work till noon and after I got off Bill and I did a little bit of stuff outside. I picked up some sticks and put some decor back out on the front porch that I had taken down for winter. We talked a little about what to do in the yard/driveway. We plan to cut a tree down, get some gravel for the drive, disk up the yard and plant some new grass seed, put up a privacy fence, do a little landscaping with timbers and rock around the house....whew! And I'm more than sure we'll get it alllll done this spring....yeah right. Hopefully, but yeah right!

One of the first things I am doing is sending a letter and some pictures to our city codes guy....or whoever. The building that sits dangerously close to our garage is falling in. Every time the wind blows there are pieces of it's roof on our back deck and yard. The bricks are falling....it's just not safe. Plus, some of it sits on our property and I want to build previously said fence! Bill climbed on the roof of our garage today to get some pics of the top of this building....here is one of them:



Looks great huh?! Yeah, that's a huge hole on the left that just goes inside the building!

We went by Raymond's house last night to check on progress. He's coming along great! Just a little longer and they'll be moving in. Here is Grace next to a board we have all signed:



Dad, Raymond, and Bill checking out the work done in the bedroom:



And since it was a beautiful day, as soon as Grace got home from school, she stayed outside. She rode her bike, played basketball, got out her rock collection so they could "get some sun".....really. She went in to get something and came out being sneaky wearing shorts. Oh well, it was almost 70, right?! Here she is hanging in our dogwood tree in the back:



And tomorrow's supposed to be even better! I can't wait. We are signing her up for TBall in the morning, she's excited. Anyway, I'm going to watch TV....have a good night!!

I'm still doing good....just a little slower than normal! I go Monday to get the tape taken off of my incision...can't wait for that! I went to work yesterday and to school today and it wasn't too bad; I was a little sore yesterday, but it was the first time I had really been anywhere!

Sometimes I wonder what makes people so clueless/ignorant/rude, etc. Having been out of population for a little bit, it was a wake up to run into some of America's society today. At school today, this woman was talking to a lady in one of my classes at the table we were sitting at (I have no idea who she is) anyway, she's talking about how she has this tumor mass in her throat and she doesn't know what she's going to do. Her medicine for it is so expensive yadda yadda....anyway, guess where she came in from?! Outside smoking!! I don't get it. Don't get me wrong, I have smoked before, but I knew when it was time to quit and didn't turn it into an addiction that I couldn't do without (I don't really believe in that anyway). It's just ignorant to me that she has this lump on her throat more than likely from smoking and she can already start to help it somewhat by quitting smoking and she keeps puffin on. Guess what? While I was looking at her while she was talking, I noticed that part of her hair was yellow! OK, her hair was white and the area above her bangs and a little on the side was yellow. I KNOW it's from smoking!!! It was funny. Well, not funny...but, ya know.

I HATE when I'm going to the store and I'm in the parking lot driving down the aisle and someone cuts across the parking lot, driving over all of the parking spaces....know what I mean? (Bill and my sister do this!) I was leaving WM today and was going the right way when this SUV flies across 50 parking spaces in 2 seconds and almost hits me as I'm leaving and looks at me like I'm the one that's clueless. If I didn't just have surgery, I'd have gotten out of the car and beat him up. OK, maybe I would have cussed him out and flung my arms around. Or maybe just hollered something from the safety of my own car. I guess for now I'll just stick with dirty looks. People are nuts.

On a lighter note, I am so ready for these next couple of months to hurry along. I feel in my heart that good is going to come out of all of this and I will get pregnant. I've learned that negative thoughts will get me nowhere except in a bad mood, but I really do feel good about it! The time just can't fly by fast enough! Then, when (if) it does happen, I will want time to drag on, I'm sure!!

Well, that's enough for today....if you go to the store tonight, don't drive across the parking lot where you shouldn't....I may see you and give you a dirty look! I know....you're scared. Good night!

Just a few pictures....

Beautiful Grace....


Chace loooooves Spongebob!


He loves his Uncle Bill too!!

Since my last post, I've been feeling much better! My strep throat is pretty much gone and the incision pain is getting better. I am very hopeful for the future and can't wait to see what it brings! I think I will be going back to work on Wed. and back to school on Thurs. I feel like I'm turning albino because I haven't been outside since last Sunday really! I have no idea what the weather has been like, other than what I see through the windows! I hope when I make my venture out, that it's nice out!! I can't wait for spring...to decorate outside, get some flowers, spend some time not cooped up in the house!

I worked in the computer/toy room yesterday cleaning out papers, toys, JUNK, etc....I had 3 bags of trash and a whole pile of stuff for yard sale. I can't wait for yard sale time! There's nothing like watching strangers pilfering through your junk for a good buy!

I've been trying to research some backdrop/lighting options for taking pictures. It is sooo overwhelming! There are so many places to buy from! I am so excited to take pictures of Chace and Grace and hopefully a new little one sometime soon! I've asked some advice from my friend Liz, hopefully she will have some time to get back to me. She's a great photographer and I value her opinion! I'm ready to turn this junk room into a place to catch some great memories! But, if I have to turn it into a nursery, that will be OK too! :)

Grace is doing great....she is doing excellent in school. I can't wait for spring break so she will get to spend a few days here! She's ready for TBall to begin again, but says she wants to play basketball also. Too bad there aren't any basketball leagues to get her into....

Well, I'm off to check on the hamburger vegetable soup that's in the crock pot for supper! Have a good afternoon!!