A valuable lesson I will always remember

My dad has worked in construction and management for over 25 years. When my sister and I first learned how to drive, he told us one thing to NEVER EVER do to large trucks, 18 wheelers, and concrete trucks. My dad's words were "never, ever cut off a large truck. They can't stop fast enough." I've seen horrific accidents and tragedies because some genius decided to cut off a large truck.

This morning, while driving back to College town, I saw many people cut it close and one person cut off a large truck. My rule of thumb: whenever passing or merging into a lane with the large truck-always, always, ALWAYS give at least two to three car lengths between you and the truck. If you can't have two to three "cars" between you, then be sure that the truck driver sees you before you get in that lane.

This method has helped me in Downtown Dallas, Downtown Fort Worth, small towns, bumper to bumper traffic, and I am accident free.

Rule of thumb: Never cut off a large truck!!

Only my father...

would ask me if I am already done student teaching. {Next semester}

would ask if I have already taken midterms. {Duh!}

would order me to attend a family function. {Next weekend}

would make me crazy and smile in one conversation. {today}

Only my father can drive me batty and love me so much!!

Only he...

can keep me up until Midnight since he forgot to give me a project over the weekend! Don't worry, it's not the first night this has happened. Procrastination at it's finest! But I love him and he's worth it!

Mine!-Happy Father's Day

My dad, in my opinion, is the hardest working man I know. He may work 50+ hours a week, travel to all the ends of the world, and be tired when he comes home, but he is my daddy! He, mostly, knows what to say when I need encouragement or a pep talk. He texts, emails, and calls. He is always a phone call away too!

I see him as the strongest man in my world and am grateful to have him as my dad! He may be in Germany, for business, right now, but he is loved, respected, and most of all mine!

Happy Father's day!!!

I have to get up how early?

Yesterday, my mom, sister, and dad went out of town at 6:30am.

Today I had to get up at 4AM for the boy above, my brother, so that I could drop him off at the drop off for camp. He is a boy scout and this week, Troop 28, will be headed to Colorado. YES I am SO jealous that he will have cooler weather but I hope he has fun. Oh and just for the record, we got to the drop off at 5AM, he helped others load the bus, and the bus rolled outta the parking lot at 6:30. It was interesting to see him interact with others while I stood back. He is gone for a week and I am happy for him.

Oh and in case your wondering, I have the house to myself until Wednesday morning. Dad is OOT until late, late Tuesday night, brother on Saturday, and my mom/sister come back June 28. What am I going to do with myself?!?! ;)

I may have gotten up WAY too early but I saw a beautiful sunrise that made up for it! Oh and a cup of coffee too.

Have a great Saturday!!!

Heck of a week

Over Thanksgiving my internet light went out and my wireless stopped working. In collegetown, I plug my computer into a cord, so I never had to worry about it. The "problem" could have occurred earlier than Thanksgiving but I did not know since I plug in in Collegetown.

My dad's computer tech guy completely took apart EVERY piece to try to fix the switch...but had no luck. SO after four hours today, I made a quick run to Best Buy for an USB Netgear antennae and I now have internet...it is a REALLY good thing people. Sure I could have used the desktop at home, but I have all of my blogs on my computer just a click away. So the light on the switch may be off-orange instead of blue...but my USB antennae is working GREAT :) Let me keep it this way and I will be as happy as a clam ;)

I made it through hell week f.i.n.a.l.s. and now am just waiting on the grades. I know I have four A's for sure...but not knowing the other three will is the toughest part. I will let you know how I did as soon as I know.

I am very crabby tonight and just have no desire to do anything but sit, blog, and read. I think I deserve it ;)

Many tears were shed and over the past month, many nights of sleep lost, but getting through this semester has shown me I can get through anything that is THROWN my way!

Oh and I had toe surgery, on both feet on Wednesday! What the heck was I thinking?!?!

On a home note, my brother and I share a bathroom and have our own sinks. When we got back from Houston on Friday after Thanksgiving, our flood...carpet was completely soaked. Now that the water had finally dried, dad said tonight "it will all have to come out since there is mold." WELL ain't that grand?!?!

Thank YOU for the love, hugs, and encouragement through this semester. YOUR kind words mean so much!

Have a wonderful weekend!!!

Pictures & an update

Update on grandma: She is doing okay/fair. The hospital used some tape on her, she reacted to the tape, and it blistered her skin near her staples. OUCH is right! She is starting to move around a bit more each day, but will take a while to recover!

Thank you for your continued prayers!
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Brother and dad left for Boy Scout camp in NM on Saturday. They will be back next Saturday. These are the few picts he would allow me to take. He got a major haircut but I could only bargain one pict of the hair with out the hat on.

A small update on Grandma

Your prayers have been heard/read/thought of over the past few days. THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart. My family & I really appreciate them.

SO onto the update...as of 9pm tonight, Gma has a fever of 102*. My first thought was infection and the hospital is trying to make her comfortable and figure out what is going on. She is quite uncomfortable but has plenty of visitors. My dad is still in Houston and is still scheduled to leave for NM on Saturday night. The phone is ringing off the hook and at all hours these past few days too. Right now the family has decided to take the care of my grandparents week-by-week and each time we will evaluate the situation and go from there.

Just thought you would like to know!

Prayers needed & a heck of a day

LONG post ahead...you have been warned!

This morning at 3:30....the phone rings. Now when someone calls you that early a few ideas run through your mind. Something bad has happened, someone has died, or there was an accident. Well it was the first one, even though we all thought someone had died. My grandmother slipped and fell on her right hip. The ambulance showed up at my grandparents home at 3:40am to take her to the hospital. My grandpa rode along.

At 6:30, we get another call. Apparently my grandparents had called a few people and not called them back. So it was one of our good friends checking in and driving to the hospital to check on Grandma and Popsie. Around this time, my dad starts packing his bag to head to Houston. Then the phone rings again at 7:30...grandparents are in the ER and friend is with them. Dad leaves for Houston shortly after.

Several times throughout the day, we have been updated by either mom calling dad or vice versa. It has been one of those phone ringing off the hook days.

At 11ish, Grandma is taken into surgery and when I call dad at 12:30, she was still in surgery. I am not for sure how long the surgery lasted but I do know that Grandma woke up in a BUNCH of pain and they could not give her anything until the anesthesia wore off. Grandma had a total right hip replacement after breaking her hip. They were going to do screws, but decided not too.

My dad sent the cousins and friends home after Grandma woke up b/c she was a little out of it and needed to rest. Please pray for my family and my grandparents as they go through this upset right now. Grandma is supposed to be in the hospital till Saturday and then do 2 months of therapy...tentatively.

Here's the kicker: My brother and dad are headed out of town on Saturday night to head to the Boy Scout camp in New Mexico. They don't return until next Saturday or Sunday. OH DEAR! My brother is supposed to be packed by tomorrow evening for Boy Scout inspection, so mom, sister, and I are working on the packing part for both brother and dad. My mom is on stand-by in case she needs to go help my grandparents as well.

Thank you in advanced for your prayers!!!!

Sister's graduation weekend & Pictures

So there you have it...pictures from Graduation weekend. Hope that tides you over for a few days {grin}!!!! Hope you all had a great weekend.

Random musings from Saturday night

** Every time the ESPN magazine comes in the mail, my sister reads it cover to cover.

** My brother is WAY TOO COOL to have his sisters help him with his homework.

** I am going to miss movie/tv nights with my mom and sister.

** I am going to miss my room/home tomorrow night...back to college I go.

** I am going to miss my home church...it has a great group of leaders leading it!

** My brother loves to wear my sister's letter jacket and act like he is in high school.

** My brother is almost as tall as my sister and I...he is almost there.

** My mom and I actually braved the zoo raided IKEA and walked out with nothing.

** Mom and I have enjoyed "mom and me" time twice this week.

** My dad has a neck device that makes him look like an astronaut.

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So there you have it...my life in a few lines...I LOVE my family and they DEFINITELY make life worth-while. Packing is going very S-L-O-W tonight; therefore it may be pushed till tomorrow. Hope you all are having a great weekend :)

Sweet Dreams

Wordful Wednesday

Can you believe it's already Wednesday...I can't! Well, here is the man who made my Tuesday night one that I will never forget.

Daddy so nicely forced asked me to type/make a 40 slide PowerPoint Presentation in one night! So I spent my time...4 hours...doing a presentation that I had lots of knowledge no idea about. By the way...if you ever give me a last minute assignment like that I will laugh in your face and reject it pleasantly complete it. So dad, your presentation will be stellar all because of me and my mad skills at the computer.

Can you tell I was really excited about helping this man? Well...I did learn a few things while in the process but this was not really how I wanted to spend my Tuesday night ;) I have warned him that this can not happen again and with my mad perfectionist skills...WILL NOT be completed as nicely if there is a next time! Gotta love things at the last minute...don't you? I DO NOT!!!

Angie is the mastermind behind WW...click on the button to see more...


Have a great Wednesday!!!!

Just because

My dad came home for a few minutes before he headed out of town for a business trip. He was trying to be nice and get the ice off my truck, but instead broke my windshield wiper off and can not put it back on...oh daddy...thanks for trying even though I know have to go get a new one put on :)

Thought you all deserved a chuckle. Stay warm and happy Tuesday!

Pictures, pictures, pictures

Right hand dog-Holly

Sweet Paws

Oh Christmas Tree


My mom


The only picture I was "allowed" to take


Happy Face

The "wild" child


Middle schoolers-cousin and brother

"Not more pictures"

Me and my sweet sister


Nonni and sister

So there you have it>>PICTURES. Some are edited and some are just off the camera alone. Happy viewing and hope everyone had a wonderful Monday.

Coming home soon...

I got a call from my daddy tonight. Basically he was wanting to know when I was coming home. I have not been home in 2.5 months. With school, work, and life; things have gotten a tad busy, okay, REALLY busy. I have set a date though. I will go home on October 31st through November 2nd. I will also see one of my sister's last games (in the band) as a senior-tear!!! I can not believe my little sister is a senior. So my sister is a senior and my brother's voice is changing-oh where does the time go?

So I told my dad that I was coming home and he said that he would have to check his "schedule." I totally laughed at him. Who does he think he is talking to? His oldest baby who he has not seen in 2.5 months. My mom told me that he wanted to know when I would be at XXXX Lane and so I told him I would be on XXXX Lane on October 31.

My dad is so sweet and caring to me. We have a very special relationship that I have always cherished. He is one of my biggest supporters and I love him dearly!!!! In the picture is my little (not any more) sister and dad. Best picture I could find at this moment.

Coming home soon

We are family...

The song We are Family is going through my head right as I type this post today. This morning when I got up it was in the 40's and the high is 80-I think Old Man Winter is confused. I am so ready for it to stay cold. Then I began thinking of my family and how they are doing. I talked to most of them yesterday and to what I can tell; everything is just fine. My brother's shoulder is healing and the doctor does not think pins are needed! Hallelujah!!!

I have been thinking about what constitutes as a family. A family usually has members who love and support one another. There are usually some who say what they feel, but usually they are sweet. They may drive you nuts one minute then be nice the next. My family is this way. My mom and dad support me, my sister and I get along much better since I am 300+ miles away, and my brother and I still have our sweet moments when I can get him on the phone. He is such a 13 year old boy now. My Nonni is so loving and supportive and my dad's parents are there to whisper something sweet to me. This is a nice painted picture of my family. We may not always agree, but I would sure be upset if something were to happen to them.

Now onto my blogging buddies-you are in my family circle as well. Katie, Tobi, Angie, Tyne, Suzanne, and many others comment on my blog and leave me feeling happy. YOU ARE ALL APPRECIATED!!!! When you leave me encouragement or just tell me hi, it warms my heart. THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart.

I hope everyone's family is well today and hope ya have a great Tuesday!!!!

Enjoy Today!!!!

Birthday Lunch...

For the past FOUR, yes four years, my dad has taken me for a birthday lunch. Today was no different. I arrived at his office around 11:30am and he took me to lunch. Usually we go somewhere in Grand Prarie, since that is the town he works in, but no. Today we went to downtown Dallas and ate at The Palms.

The Palms was right smack dab in the middle of the West End in downtown Dallas. Glad I dressed up this morning, since it was REALLY nice for lunch. Dad made me feel so special and I also had the best and creamiest mashed potatoes!!!

I adore and look foward to this lunch yearly and its makes my day extra special. Thanks dad for the special lunch!!!

Thank goodness it's Friday!!!