One year, 22 days and lots or patience...

Just getting into this blog was an expierence. Wow...glad I had hours to work that out! When there is ice on the road you can stay inside and get alot done. I conquered napping today! So....where has the year gone? What have we been doing? Why does Susan keep posting things on facebook like 6 months, 9 months, a year? We have been busy. I remember being busy when I was in High School, but bless my mom's heart, she didn't complain and lived through it all. Guess I better do the same! To begin with.......Makaley is a full fledged driver! She has the "big boy" truck (used the 4wheel drive today to go have my mammogram). We panicked just a moment when she failed the first driving test because she bumped the curb in the parallel parking test. Like she is going to parallel park that honking truck. REALLY? She burns LOTS of gas! Picks up feed, picks up her brother, and picks up lots of Diet Coke at the little burger place down the road. She has taken out a mailbox and the gas tank cover all by herself. She had help with the big dent (a friend hit her 45 minutes after we arrived home from South Dakota...she drove from Perryton home with no problem) and we have a couple "smudges" of paint on the grill. Hard to see over that hood! Next was a GREAT season for Pig Showing!!! There were 7 pigs in the barn during this show season! Domino, Pistol, Gunslinger, Maxwell, Lucky shot (lived up to his name) and JJ(named after Jimmy Johnson). Domino was the only one who didn't get "pulled" by the Judge...that was a story in itself. Makaley and friends took him to Ft. Worth;Kauy and I were going to meet her....then the snow and ice storm hit. She and Domino were tackled at the show by another pig, and so to the trailer he went. The rest of these guys were "pulled"....Gunslinger had a panic attack in the arena and went out in the piggy ambulance...Pistol, JJ,Lucky Shot and Maxwell all brough home ribbons and money!!! You have probably met them on your breakfast plate by now. This summer, Kauy and I spent MUCH time together. Makaley went to two judging camps, FFA officers retreat and STATE FFA convention. Kauy and I ate out and enjoyed time being together. He is such my commedian. I LOVE traveling with him. He is his father's son...an old soul as far as history and old music is concerned. he also go his braces...what a nice smile he has already! The orthodontist wrote a note on his folder that said "very tough case." That boy....he just toughs it out! Yes, we also went to South Dakota......yes, Tony with back for a second round! That man loves the tractors, and Rick had a new one! Now..let me give you a quick rundown of that moment.We arrived in the evening at the trailer house. Rick had the electricty on and the windows open to air it out. We unloaded and decided to just haul water into the trailer instead of trying to hook up so late. Kauy got on the mower and started on the yard and then to the barns. I cooked dinner, made beds and vacuumed. Also found the molded wall in the back porch! yuck. Everyone had a room (Tony the couch because of the breeze in the room)and all went to bed fine! UNTIL....about 1AM, Kauy came to tell me he didn't feel well. As is my norm...I sent him back to bed with a peppermint and a sip of water. Do you know we still have shag carpet in the trailer? Green....and gold/red...and remember......no water! You know where this is going don't you? yep, I heard it splatter in his room (at the end of the hall) and I had NO water for clean up except what we halled in. I made a makeshift toilet (5 gallon bucket and a toilet seat)...changed the sheets and slept at the end of the bed until all was done. I woke up thinking "WE slept most of the morning...good" only to discover it was just 4:30AM and bright daylight! AND........we were freezing. Tony had closed the windows and was piled in blankets. We even wore coats the next day! Tried to hook up water only to find out that since no one lived there for a year, something was broken so........Let me wrap it up like this: Two weeks, no water, no TV, no cell, no phone, no mail, heating up water on the gas stove and washing by hand. We borrowed the neighbors (house about 20 yrds from the trailer) bathroom and laundry room, AND went to the top of the hill to make calls home! AND we stayed.......Two weeks!! The kids had a great time without electronics. Yes, we lived!!! Makaley started school as a Junior...Kauy in the 8th grade. Both in band. This year, the band practiced at 7AM M-Thurs. That girl got up and got there on time. Sometimes she even had to pack her own lunch! It all paid off!!! The band received their first ever first place in Area and marched at the 4A State competition. I got to go on the bus!!! I love being a bus mom....for the most part! Where else do you get to eat a free meal, watch great football..free, and tell other people's kids what to do! Plus the kids love "Momma O" and Makaley is on the bus I am on and she actually acts like we are related. lol. Suzie saved me at the playoff in Midland.......cold weather and NO coffee at the stands. Odessa/Midland have lots of oil, great coffee, and the best of friends. Now, somewhere in all of this, I learned to paint. Suzie started painting with this group called Wine and Canvas. She invited me and before you knew it, I was going to Odessa the minute the bell rang at school so that I could paint with Suzie. We even hooked Traci! Over the Thanksgiving Holiday, Great-Grandma Helen (Kelly's grandmother) passed away in South Dakota. We had visited her this summer, and although we never knew if she really understood who we were and what was going on, we would not have missed the chance to see her. So......2014 was NOT overly exciting...just busy. We have a barn full of pigs ready to start the show season in about 2 weeks. Now that I have this site figured out, maybe I will work at getting things sooner for you to read! IF not, don't worry. Suzie will let me know how long it has been since the last post. AND....if I forgot something I wanted to say, I will get it in .....later! Maybe by then the pictures I tried to add will show up! HAPPY NEW YEAR!