Dress Rehearsal = real life

Christmas Spirit

Bridgette hung the lights...and decorated the tree.Reagan decorated a gingerbread house....
set up the Navitiy scene... and put the Star on top of the tree. When we get the 16 ft tree she'll have to have a bigger ladder!

Helpers

Reagan created her own special recipe of green beans and rice. Delicious!
Reese helped Don clean the leaves from the creek.
Reese is a hard worker. He even continued to work after being stung by a wasp. He was really swollen in spite of being given a large dose of benadryl. I was impressed.

Thanksgiving cooks.

Bridgette and Reagan were up and at 'em this morning helping cook.They made pumpkin cobbler (a recipe that my friend Barbara says is scrumptious), Ma's pink salad, and sweet potato casserole. Reagan is wearing Bridgette's apron that she and Ma made several years ago. Cute. Reese watched.

Picking up the Chitlins

The Ramsey's and I met in Oklahoma for me to get the kids for the Thanksgiving break. Stroud, OK is the half-way mark. We were on the road for a total of 12 hours. Pretty tough journey, but the kids were troopers. We stopped at Vinita, OK, at the world's largest McDonald's that spans across the interstate.

Student Driver!

This morning, Bridgette took the driving permit written test. She took it and missed one too many to pass, so she imediately retook the test and made a 92. Way to go Bridgette!
She drove home afterwards.

Calling in the professionals

Not only did I manage to screw up a wall over the weekend....I also managed to clog up the central vac. I am truly talented.
So...fearing for my life...I called the professionals and they will be here this afternoon to fix my domestic homefront...in more ways than one.
Aaahhhh. What a relief!

Bridgette-went-a-hunting

Bridgette donned her camo and orange and set out with guys on the 'bad boy buggy' to go hunting. She and Don sat in a deer stand together. They saw several does and bucks-but not any shooters. Maybe next time.

A little bit of fun

I've been a deer hunting widow for more than a week now. Although I love having time to myself and I enjoy doing my own thing....I'm starting to get lonely and a little antsy. Earlier today I attempted to hang a very heavy object on the wall using sheet rock screws and I totally screwed the whole thing up. We recently had the entire house painted with a faux finish...and I managed to put two holes in the wall. Don will be so proud.
Bridgette is hanging out with friends this evening, so once again it was just me, myself, and I...and all three of us are frustrated.
Thankfully I received a phone call inviting me to go out to Beaufort to Yippy's house. Yippy is the mother of a life-long friend of Don's. She has pancreatic cancer and her daughter-in-law...and our friend, Nancy is spending the weekend with her. Like me, Nancy is a deer hunting widow, as our husbands are hunting together, so we had a great time hanging out. Yippy looked good and was in good spirits.
Nancy cooked supper, we ate, drank some wine, talked and laughed. I was on the phone to Reese while driving back. He is a joy to talk to.
It was nice getting out of the house, and I truly appreciate the hospitality of the Midwest. There's nothing like it.

True Confessions

This is my beloved kitty, Merlot.
When Don is gone...I let Merlot stay in the house. I also wash pots and pans in the dishwasher. These are two of Don's biggest pet peeves. Doesn't it feel so good to be bad! Hahaha Hehehehe

Steven's performance

This is a video of Bridgette's boyfriend, Steven, performing at the Veteran's Day concert. He sang, 'If You're Reading This' by Tim McGraw.

YIKES!!!! It's Gothic Momma

Not Really...

Don't be scared children...

I had my hair colored today....those darn gray hairs...and it's always really dark at first. By next week it will hopefully fade to a more natural color.

Civilization at last!

I arrived back home this afternoon. The weekend was fun...I enjoyed hanging out with the guys. But I was so homesick for my kids. It was worse than usual.
However,
I'm glad to be back home where I can take a real bath. The hardest part of deer camp for me was being around all those people all weekend long and not wearing any...and I mean any...make-up. Or hairspray or perfume...anything with scent. I don't even look like the same girl without my face on.
Sad...I know.

Deer Camp

Bridgette and I did some of the cooking.

I hunted with Don...it was cold, but we saw lots of deer.

Tom, the company mechanic, was the first one to get his deer Saturday morning. This one scored 133. Greg shot the next one and it scored146. Don and Tommy are waiting on the 'big ones'. They will stay at the farm for the next ten days and hunt. The weekend was enough for me for awhile.

Pre-game activities

On Friday, Bridgette and I drove up to the farm to participate in the camaraderie of opening weekend of deer season. On the way, we stopped in Boonville and went shopping. There are all sorts of neat shops downtown and everyone just walks up and down the sidewalks. Bridgette thought it was pretty neat. I bought a few vintage handkerchiefs and an old standing ashtray (even though no one in the house smokes) and Bridgette bought a pocket knife (you might be a redneck if you go shopping wearing camo and all you buy is a knife). We enjoyed looking and we stopped for a bite to eat at the Steinhaus. We had to get in a little 'girly' fun before we crossed the threshold of deer camp.

PROOF...

that I can...and do cook.

I am leaving in the morning for deer camp. Although the guys will have an enormous amount of scrumptious food there, I couldn't show up as lady of the house empty handed. Plus I had to cook something I knew the guys would probably eat, but something they wouldn't think to cook themselves. The food is the greatest thing about deer camp. You get together some male egos and a grill and you have the makings for some delicious food. Since our deer camp is really a house with an actual kitchen...(you know I wouldn't be actually 'camping') it makes it a lot easier to prepare a real meal.

I spent the day cooking a pot of red beans. Here in Missouri people don't typically eat red beans...instead they eat white beans with ham hock. These weird Northerners...I tell you!

And, us Texans know you can't have beans without cornbread...real cornbread with some green chilies. Mmmmm...mmmmm good.

Of course what's breakfast without homemade cinnamon rolls!

And...the weird looking casserole....that is a Reuben casserole. If you've never had a Reuben sandwich....you just haven't lived. Corned beef with sauerkraut, thousand island dressing, and swiss cheese on rye bread. Sounds gross but it's actually fabulous.

Hope the guys enjoy.

Mundane things of life

Miss Bridgette went to the eye doctor yesterday because she said her vision was becoming worse. She was correct. She got a trial pair of contacts with a new prescription that are supposed to be more breathable as well. The doctor said it is typical for vision to worsen in adolescence and not to worry. Hopefully this will get her fixed up.

Don, Greg, and I went to Sam's to stock up for the upcoming deer camp. We then went to Helen Fitzgerald's for some wings.

Happy Veterans Day!

Three teens and a tween

I am looking forward to seeing the kids at Thanksgiving. Sage has a basketball tournament, so I doubt I will see much of her. Reese is super stoked about going to St. Louis. Needless to say I'm not. Don will be forced to go with us, because if you get lost downtown and get just a couple of blocks out...you enter the random shooting/gang/drug infested area of the city. Not cool for a redneck woman and a car full of kids. But once we're safely downtown...St. Louis is amazing. Reese will love it.
Also, I am looking forward to seeing Reagan's hair...it looks fabulous in the pictures.

Oh, and kids:

Momma needs your wishlist for Christmas!!!

Better to let me know what you want than leaving it up to me. So, please email me your list as soon as you can.

Love,
Mom

Reprieve

I am sixteen years younger than my husband and I'm in pretty decent physical condition...right?

So why the heck do I have such a hard time keeping up with this man?
I spent all day yesterday 'wheeling and dealing' with Don and although it is extremely interesting...it's also exhausting. Meetings...tension...discussions...people....financials...dinners...then more of the same. I am going to have to build up my business deal endurance if I want to run with the big dog.
By 9:00pm I was ready for bed and he wanted to rearrange the furniture. Go figure?

This n that

The floor guys were here most of the day and as you can see my living room was put back in order. It's always awkward having people in your house all day...but I am so grateful they finished. I wasn't looking forward to living with the mess all weekend.


The Guys...
Don, Nick, and Greg left yesterday to go deer hunting. I usually go with them, but decided to stay home this time. Next weekend will be a lot more fun...it'll be the opening of rifle season. I don't much get the point of bow season, anyway..I'm just there because I enjoy the campfire, the stories, and especially the food.


Although I was thrilled to have some time to myself yesterday and today...and I can't believe I'm even saying it...but...I kind of miss the guys. Several of Bridgette's friends are here and I forgot how LOUD they can be. I just threatened to send them all home...it seemed to have worked...at least for the time being. I must be turning into an old shrew because I can remember having four young children of my own, plus a few extra neighborhood kids, all playing and hollering and running around. They would drive everyone else crazy, but I didn't even notice. Let's just chalk that up to denial and youth...those were the days!


Speaking of the kids...

I miss them like crazy. I called them awhile ago and didn't reach them. They are probably at a ball game. Their schedules are crazy. Lee is salt of the earth.
I love talking to them...they're a hoot. I keep meaning to tell Jon about Reagan's 'racists story' but I keep forgetting. It's so funny. When I went to Texas to see the kids, I picked Reagan up from school and asked the usual, "how was your day?". She said it was fine, but that she got in trouble...kind of. Long story short, a little black boy told another kid that Reagan was racist. Coach O'Malley pulls Reagan to the side to talk to her. Reagan told him that she wasn't racist...she even had a black person in her family.
Which is true...my second cousin whom we see about every five years, married a black woman. It must have stuck with Reagan. The coach starts asking her questions like where does this family member live?...do they have any kids?....how are they kinned to you? Of course Reagan doesn't have a clue and just tells him they do have kids but she doesn't know the rest.
In that small town..I'm sure Coach O'Malley was wondering if the kin folk were on Jon's side of the family. Probably so.

The big accomplishment...

I wish I'd of taken a 'before' picture of Don's office. It was piled...and I mean piled...with paperwork. He hasn't done anything in there since before we got married. The task was so daunting neither one of us wanted to tackle it. We just shut the door and tried to ignore it. But...since the floor guys were here today, and I basically wanted to stay out of their way... I spent all day, filing, reconciling, organizing, and putting things away. Don will be so impressed he can actually see his desk. And since we have several meetings next week, the timing couldn't have been better. So, even though I am kind of in a funk this evening...I do feel like I've accomplished something.

Now it's time for a glass of wine...a bath...and off to bed!

True Love

Today is Ma and Pa's 66th (I'll have to check on the year and make sure) wedding anniversary.

Also, this is the day Don and I first met...five years ago.

We just thought it was finished...

The flooring throughout the house was finished about three months ago. Looked great...until...

a few weeks ago when an area of the wood flooring in the living room was inadvertently scarred by the misuse of a piece of furniture. That was not a good day at our house.
Needless to say, guys showed up today to replace the part of the floor that was messed up. They delivered the wood flooring two days ago and thought that was enough time for it to acclimate to the house. But...it lacked a 1/16th of an inch fitting together. Bummer.
So, the work was halted and he'll try again tomorrow.

You mess with the bean...you get the whole burrito

This video was taken by a kid at school using his cell phone...so the quality is poor.

Bridgette is the most loyal friend you can imagine. So much so that sometimes I think she's lost her mind. This is a prime example. In the video you will see Bridgette's best friend, Cheyenne, wearing a beige sweater. Cheyenne was attacked by the girl in the red...and Bridgette...wearing yellow... is trying to pull the assailant off of Cheyenne. Bridgette did not get into any trouble whatsoever,(amazingly) however the other two girls were suspended from school for five days.

Prior to the incident, the girls heard talk of a possible fight at lunch and Cheyenne asked Bridgette, "Have you got my back?" Bridgette answers by singing the Bon Jovi song, "I'll be there for you"

I guess she meant it.

Election Day

We voted.... (and it obviously did nothing for my hair)
Did you?