A lot can happen in 8 months....

There are lots of things that can happen in an 8 month time period.  I could have gotten married or had a baby, sailed the ocean blue, written a country song, or even written a book.  Just to set the record straight, NONE of that happened.  Instead, we had a great but busy summer and almost finished a semester of school.  Let me start with summer first....strange things happen when you have a teenage daughter.  When she invites me to do something with her, I put the rest of the world on hold and grab her hand.  She asked me to go with the youth group to McAllen ( haven't read my last post, but if I wrote about this already...fast forward or walk down memory lane with me...just don't hit the close button yet.)  I was the lone female sponsor for that trip.  Our first night there, we drove to Wal Mart;I broke the kids into groups(with another adult as the leader) and gave each a shopping list. I  stayed in the produce section selecting the "good stuff".  It is amazing how many adults do Not stick to the list.  However, almost everything was eaten during our time there. I will say that other than serving the Lord alongside my daughter, the greatest thing there was the homemade Mexican food.  Oh heavens.....I know that these ladies who prepared food for us will be serving their dishes in Heaven.  The week after we returned from the mission trip, I sponsored the group to a Ranger's game and Hurricane Harbor.  As for the game....it was a nail biting winning game which was delayed by rain and a bolt of lightening that struck one of the poles outside of the stadium.  That woke 'em up!  As for Hurricane Harbor....I should have gone ahead and busted out my bikini. I decided that times are different than when I was in high school  Wear a bikini even if you can't see the strings because they are pressed into your skin so tightly that they become part of the roll above and below. Yep....we were definitely NOT the norm there.
We like that game so much, that two weeks later, we went to another game...WIN and then yet another!  We had just soooo much fun!
Now during that time, I was shopping for an Alto Sax for Kauy and listening to Makaley groan about how she didn't want to go to band practice in August and wouldn't stay in band longer than a year.
So that brings us to the end of August when I bought the kids glasses, and we all started school.  Makaley began High School and Kauy started Middle School.  Excuse me but it would be nice if the schools talked to each other about scheduling parent night, paper work, and supplies.  By the end of the first week, I had not seen my house but on a Wednesday night,, had writers cramps, and was just about flat broke!  Can we say that since August to today, I have purchased my High Schooler 10 T-shirts!!!  TEN.  For the love........I will be able to make everyone in our family a t-shirt quilt when she graduates!  Yes, that is in 4 years just so you know.  Kauy had to have a zillion supplies for his saxophone.  And for those of you who have children or grandchildren who want to be in the band, have them play tuba.  All you buy is the mouthpiece.  A sax mouthpiece was 149.00. That was a three digit number with two zeroes after it. Still broke...
Pigs began coming in, excitement filled the air and then it happened.  Makaley had to look me in the eye(seriously since she is my heighth) and say these words to me....Mom, you were right.  Band is so fun and I love it.  Guys, I almost had that put on the billboard alongside I20.  She marches every Friday night, and Kauy and I go to every game. Here again she invited me to chaperon the bus to one game, and then asked if I could chaperon to the State UIL Marching contest when they went in November. I couldn't say No...so off we went.  The short versions is...Kauy was left behind to tend hogs and attend school.  I was assigned Makaley's bus and her room at the hotel.  The first night we were there, the girls had a swimming pool size leak in their room.  After getting them to their new room and finally getting back into my bed, the fire alarm went off in the hotel and there was a voice in my "dream" saying "We have detected an emergency in the building, please do exit using the stairs"  So...down the stairs we go only to notice that my daughter was not down the stairs.  Up I run to floor 3 (glad to have lost some weight so I could do that) only to find that the alarms had not gone off on the third floor.  All the "security" tapes were on the doors.  About that time the alarm went off again and they heard it on the third floor....took only seconds for the tape to rip off.  Although sleep was interrupted, and the temps were high, the kids marched with perfection and few were grumpy. 
The next week, Kauy made the UIL Social Studies team and I immediately told him that I would travel with him too.  He wasn't that thrilled.
Now...here we are.  We have pigs in the barn...Squeaker, Throwback, Jorge, Warfare, Swag, Swirl and Rudolph.  Jordan worked hard to find us these guys, and we are excited about them.  We are looking forward to the Major shows that will begin after January. 
It is funny how we measure our lives by the activities that we do. After pig season is over, we will journey down a road that we have never traveled.  Makaley will be having back surgery.  Her scoliosis changed 15 degrees in less than a year.  Moved right on over to the surgery number.  I am very anxious, and she is very ready to have great posture.  We like her surgeon who is at Scottish Rite Hospital.
Please pray for our family.  The part I haven't mentioned is that my cousin Brandi is working toward victory over Breast Cancer.  She is giving Uncle Timmy a run for his money on the shiniest scalp!  My sister Traci is working hard to finish her dissertation for her Dr. degree, and was recently in a wreck with a goober so they had to purchase a new car, and now we prepare for Makaley to have surgery.  We are ALL good....acting like my precious Grandmother and laughing our way through it.  God will provide for our needs....doctors with steady hands, doctors with the right knowledge, cars, and friends to help us through. 
This has been long I know.  AND...Suzie, it may be another 8 months before I do this again, but I hope not.  I hope we will have winning pigs and then I will have a week of just sitting with Makaley and will try to blog her progress along with the before and after pictures.
May you...those of you who read this crazy blog be blessed with many blessings this Holiday season.  Now you may hit the red X at the top right corner!  lol