I'm Back

There's just too many password,user word, account number and name combinations!! I'm embarrassed to say that I forgot my password to get on and blog, but all is right in blog-land now. Well, we've been here almost two months, the weather is unseasonably warm and I love my job. I think it's going well. I'm enjoying several Internet swaps right now, one from Sweet Goodness Swaps and a yoyo swap on MaryJane Farm Girls for Christmas. I love making yoyo's. When I get a camera, I'll post a picture of the queen-size yoyo quilt that I made in 1999. I put the 2000th yoyo together on Jan 1, 2000. My Mom has another one that I made. I included scraps of clothes from all the kids on those two quilts. They are very special. I have plans to make a Christmas garland for the tree with yoyo's. DS #4 scored his first Michigan hockey goal on Saturday - way to go, buddy! That's about it for now. Will check in again soon, as long as I remember the right password, user word, account number................

20 Questions

I'm doing a swap online at Sweet Goodness Swaps and I have to post the answers to these 20 questions for my swap sister - here goes!

1. Favorite Color:
Really like red right now and decorating with black, cowslip #3 and olive green
2. Chocolate Lover? Milk, Dark, White, or none of the above?
Milk
3. What is your favorite craft hobby?
Cross stitch and yo yo quilting making
4. What is a craft/art hobby that you would like to start?
I don't need to start anything else!!
5. What craft do you NOT have an interest in or just not great in ( so your partner doesn’t send something you wouldn’t use)?
I'm sticking with cross stitch and scrapbooking and knitting, so I don't have an interest in
anything else right now - need to finish what I have!
6. Do you have any allergies? (we don’t want to send anything with peanuts if it’ll make you blow up like a balloon!)
Just to housework
7.What’s your favorite part of Halloween? Decorating, candy eating, costumes, or something else?
Candy corn! and decorating!
8. Do you decorate for Thanksgiving/Fall?
Yes
9. December Holidays--what holiday do you celebrate? What type of decorations do you like to put up in your house for that holiday?
We celebrate Christmas - I'm going with an old world, elegant look this year.
10. Do you have any children, if so what are their ages, boys/girls?
I have 5: DD age 20, DS age 19, DS age 17, DS age 15, DS age 12
11. Do you have any pets, if so what kind?
We have a spoiled Boston Terrier
12. Are you a reader? If so, what type of books do you like?
I LOVE to read (and work part-time at Barnes and Noble) - all kinds, but especially craft magazines!
13. Are you celebrating a birthday or anniversary in October, November, or December? If so, what day and what is the occasion?
On the 14th of Nov, He-man and I are celebrating 20 years of marriage!!
14. Do you collect anything? If so what type of things do you collect?
I collect anything in black toile, cookie cutters, fabric and black transferware.
15. What type of things do you like to cook? Are you an appetizer person, cookie maker, dessert freak or a take out type of person??
I like to eat out, but I also like to cook some. We're just so busy! I like to make cookies when I can.
16. What is your favorite scent? Is there one that you can’t stand?
I love Bella Candella candles at Hobby Lobby in the Musk scent and Yankee Candle Midsummer's Night
17. What’s your favorite song?
Unforgettable
18. What’s the last movie you went to see at the movie theater?
It's been awhile, but the last one was Cars.
19. What’s your favorite Candy?
Anything chocolate, but sometimes like things like Nerds or Chewy Sprees
20. Tea or Coffee or other?
No tea or coffee for me, I drink regular coke religiously!

Not so bad (so far)

Well, we are getting settled in - I found the Salvation Army store and we love our new church. I bought some great bargains for the house. Soon, I'll try to give a room-by-room update, as we start to paint. The weather turned really cold for a few days and I really panicked, but fear not, it's back up in the 80's all this week. All the windows are open and there's a wonderful breeze.
I thought I was doing better emotionally, but Sunday was really hard for some reason. The songs in church made me cry and then the sermon was on the "Lost Sheep". My sheep is not lost, but not here with me. I know that lots of people are away from their family. Heck, I'm away from my Mom and my Dad, too. There's just something about leaving DD and the grandson. Did I get too close? Is there such a thing? Will I ever be able to sit through church without crying? Will I ever stop being a baby? Stayed tuned .... I'm sure that there's more drama to come. Oh, on an ironic note, the Canadian he-man is the first one of the two of us to get a bad cold. Ha,ha. I can laugh at that because he doesn't read my blog. Poetic justice, I say. Later!!

The Move is Complete

We're here! In Michigan. We moved last Monday and last weekend, he-man had to go back to tie up loose ends in TN, and now there's just the unpacking to do. The kids started back to school (2 high school, 1 middle) and DS#1 is still in Canada, trying out for a junior hockey team. He's been doing that since the 27th and we still don't know if he'll make the team. He's made it this far, though, and that's not bad for a kid who couldn't stop on the ice something like 5 years ago. I'm so proud of him for even trying. Those other kids have been doing this since they were little. We went and watched one game and will go this weekend to watch 2 more exhibition games. Then, hopefully we'll know something. We are so close to the Canadian border that when DS#1 tore his contact the other morning, I was able to take him his spare contacts (yes, I know - he should have had them with) without much of a problem. Only took me a few hours and that included visiting time with the in-laws! How fun is that!! Well, send me your good thoughts on getting settled. It's harder than I expected. I know that this is where we should be right now, but I'm so out-of-pocket and anxious and sad. I guess this will pass. I hope so. Ending on a positive note, it's not 109 degrees here - it's beautiful and I can go to the beach when I want! Yeah! See, I'm trying. Really, I am.

Guess where this is?

At McDonald's! At the drive -thru! Can you believe it? So pretty. I think it was somewhere in Kentucky. It was very calming as we waited for our fries!

The Right Thing

Whine alert! Caution - this post is very whiny, because, well, I can. Read at your own risk.

That being said - moving sucks. We are moving for the "right reason" (i.e. a family need), but it's hard because I'm leaving my daughter, grandson, dad, stepmom, and church here. I can't even think about it for too long. I've cried alot. However, I am not completely devistated about going. I know my way back, if I need to visit. We have phone and internet to keep us close. I don't live close to my mom, but we talk all the time and that keeps us close. It's just not the same.

Starting tomorrow, I'm only going to be positive about the move. It will be good for us, it is not 200 degrees in Michigan like it is here and it is the right thing. I will be with my family (most of it anyway) and I do get to paint and decorate the new place. I look forward to starting my new job, which is part-time. And, I look forward to using some of the inspiration I'm getting from the wonderful blogs out there.

But again, I just have to say one more time - MOVING SUCKS. Now, bring it on.

This is the Bluewater Bridge, on the Canadian side. We are going to live on the other side, near Port Huron, MI. Isn't it beautiful? Don't look at the date on the picture - my camera is messed up!

Back from up North

We're baaaack! Our trip up north was fun and very productive. We took our grandbaby (5 months) with us and that was an adventure! He was very good for the whole trip. It was HOT in Michigan. Yuck. But only for a few days. We came home to 106 degree weather. Really yuck. Well, in 5 days, he-man and I came up with 2 fabulous jobs and 1 great house. Well, the house needs some work. I'm taking before and after pictures and hopefully I can get lots of inspiration from some of the great blogs out there and decorate it up nice. It's a manufactured home (formerly called trailers) but it's about 2200 square feet and very economical with utilities and payments. So, we're moving in 2 weeks. Well, gotta go - must pack! Will post pictures later.

With apologies to Mr. David Bowie

ChChChChChanges............. Ah, there is a change in the air. It seems that he-man, and at least 3 of the kids (and me, of course) will be making a change in location. Going from sunny Tennessee to snowy Michigan. We think. No, we are. We think. We'll know more after an exploratory trip next week, but we used to live there. Long story short, marriage in Tennessee, move to Canada (he-man is a Canuck), move to Michigan, then move back to Tennessee 8 years ago. So now, we're going back. For family reasons, but for me this is hard. I'm leaving my family here and even some of my kids. Don't call Child Services, they are over 18. YIKES. Well, this will give me plenty of material to b**** about. I mean blog. Yeah right.

This is my first go round with a blog, so I thought I'd put music on it. Just to see if I could (don't laugh if you are completely computer-literate!). The song is, of course, Unforgettable. A classic. When I listened to it, it made me think of the things that I think are unforgettable for me. So, here just some of them. There are many more - but here are some for now.
1) The way he-man husband makes me feel every day!
2) The memory of my daughters cute, fat cheeks and how happy she was as a baby.
3) DS#1's high school hockey career (the good and the bad) and how we still have good talks, even
though he's almost 19 and I thought he'd outgrown me!
4) DS #2's hugs (few and far between, but oh, so wonderful when they do come out)
5) DS #3's birth (very dramatic - 2 months early - totally his personality to this day)
6) DS #4's youth hockey career (the penalty minute king!) and how he always smiles, no matter
what.
7) Time spent with my Mom. We always have fun.
8) The way my grandson smiles at me and does the "happy-wiggle"!
9) The look on people's face when we say that we have 5 children. Yes, they are all ours.No, some are not twins. Yes, we meant to have this many. Yes, it's alot of work. Yes, they are truly "Unforgettable".

Why I Have An Extragood Life

I have decided to post some of the extragood things about my life, not to gloat, but to keep myself reminded about my many blessings. Here was the scene last night: Setting - my bedroom, Cast of Characters - DS #1 (almost 19), DS #2 (almost 17), and DS #3 (almost 15) and me, Action: just hanging out and talking. That's right, talking. No fighting, no yelling, no cussing, no issues, just blissful conversation. Ahh, that's heaven. Those of you with teenage sons (especially 4 of them) will appreciate the wonderfulness of this experience. Thank you, boys. Love, your grateful Mom.

Employment and Shoes

Currently, I am a lady of leisure (Read: unemployed, but I think that has a nicer ring) but I am looking. My job-hunting process has me thinking about how we treat one another in the big, bad world. My worst experience was being asked to come to an interview, driving 30 minutes to said interview, being kept waiting over 15 minutes only to be told by the very young person doing the interview that the only position that she had was not for me ( too much experience on my part for that position and not what I'm qualified for, nor interested in). She had my resume and application yet didn't bother to look at it for one minute. A simple phone call would have saved all that time and gas-money! I just wish that people would put themselves in other's shoes more often. Sorry, I'm starting out with a whiney post! Ok, no more. Speaking of shoes, I got a whole box of pretty much new shoes from the scuba-stepmom in my life. They didn't fit her foot right, but they fit mine! I have a little shoe fetish going on. Now, if anyone can't get their purse to fit right, I'd be in heaven!!!

Beginnings

Well, this is my first try at a blog. Bear with me - I'm a rookie!! I have 5 children, a he-man husband, a dog, a grandson, and an extra-good life. Most of the time! There's always something going on at my house. Some good, some bad and some ugly. Hey, that sounds like a good movie title.....wait a minute........ Never mind. This should be fun!!