Still miss my Reba:

Reba/Barbara Jean:

I posted earlier in the year about the silly emails April and I do back and forth all day.
Ever since we started watching Reba, (love that show!)we go on back and forth as if we were Reba and Barbara Jean. April is Reba and I am the fun-loving goof ball, Barbara Jean.


Me: I need to go by Grandma’s to pay her bills before I go home, don’t miss me too much.

April: Oh trust me I won't!! I have to run to hallmark after work anyway.

Me:Oh, Reba, can’t you miss me just a little bit?

April: BARBARA JEAN!! How in the heck am I suppose to miss you when you're at my house all day long! Go HOME so I can miss you!
Babara Jean: Oh Reba... you really know how to make a girl feel so...
Reba: STOP, STOP RIGHT THERE, DON'T SAY NO MORE
(as she is pushing Babara Jean out the door)

 

The above is an old post I came across earlier this week.  I sooo miss my little Reba.  We bantered back and forth all day long by email.

Don't get me wrong, I am very happy April has a new job and so close to her home.  But I miss her, plain and simple.  She used to stop by the house occassionally on her way to or home from work, spend the night once or twice a week as the drive was so long and costly from her house.  The day to day contact is gone and we've entered a new phase of our life.  A phase that takes some getting used to.

 

I am grateful for my daughter and though I get sad she doesn't live close, I am very happy for her as she begins a new phase in her life.

 

Pretty As A Picture:

Alaska Scenery

 

My cousin Martha's daughter, Brooke live in Alaska.  She loves it up there.  Last Fall she posted this picture of a view on the street where she lives.  Beautiful!  I kept looking at it and saying, it's as pretty as a picture. Duh, it is a picture! Where do we get that saying?  It is a picture and it is so perfect looking.  It would make a great puzzle or postcard.

We complain about the snow we get and it is the norm for there.  Brooke has posted pictures of moose in the roadway, total darkness for days, and she's even saw an occasional bear on her way to work.  Such an interesting way of life and I love hearing each of her stories.

I am grateful for family and the different experiences we all have.

Wordless Wednesday:

Chad:

I don't know how I forgot to mention Chad spent the day with us Saturday.  We went to Rolla to Lowe's and then an old time favorite of eating at Maid-Rites.  We ate there alot when the kids were growing up.  I remember one time when Chad was about a year and a half old and we were there an older couple stopped by our table and commented on how well behaved Chad was and gave him a dollar.  Unexpected compliments are really appreciated and it made us feel good.
Chad went with Dwayne in the afternoon and to cut a load of wood.  Father and son time is still so special to Dwayne.  We hadn't had a day with just Chad in quite some time.

I am grateful for the love of my older son and the loving, caring young man he is.

Weekend:

Friday:
The roads were super icy and I didn't even attempt to drive.  Dwayne drove me in to work and there was no way I would have made it on Highway A.  I thought work would be slow but I was wrong;  I was super busy all day and the work environment was very stressful!  Not a good day.  Glad to be back home after the stress of work and icy roads.  Supper was leftovers.
Saturday:
Dwayne and I worked on cleaning in the basement.  There were jars of screws, nails, etc. from when we moved in the basement thirty-four years ago.  It's hard to even know where to start.
I worked on cleaning some old picture frames we had stored down there.  I plan on making a picture wall in the basement living room, but I have been planning that for two years.  Hopefully, I get it done this year.
I spent the afternoon "Spring Cleaning" our bathroom.  It always makes me feel so good after I get it done.
We were to watch Kristin's little boys, Kaden and Kaleb, for the evening.  We met Kristin at Sput's.  Sput was having a fish fry.  We went in for a few minutes and I was kind of sad we weren't staying longer as there were many friends there I hadn't seen in quite awhile.
We took the boys by Mom and Dad's to visit for awhile, they always enjoy a visit from the grand kids.
We spent the evening alternating between watching TV and corralling little boys.  lol  They really were good and minded well, we're just not used to it anymore.  The boys went to bed around ten with me and Dwayne came to bed later.  I lasted in bed with the three of them until about 4 a.m. and then I went upstairs to finish the night.
Sunday:
 The boys actually slept until 8 a.m. which I thought was good.  We had chocolate chip pancakes and then Kristin got there to pick them up.
I went to church and then back home to clean some more.  I washed all the bedding and bedspread for our bed.  Makes me feel good to get a head start on my cleaning.
Zach and Ashlyne came over to spend the afternoon.  Ashlyne and I headed to Rolla to J.C. Penneys and Dwayne and Zach went to get a load of wood.
Lizzy joined us late afternoon and we all watched TV together.  Lizzy was in an extra-talkative mood, even for her it was a lot of talking!!  My ears got tired.  lol

I am grateful for family and the opportunity to be around my nieces and nephews.

Trip #3:

I was complaining earlier about making a second trip back to town and then I make yet another one around two o'clock.

Wouldn't you if your boss hands you a fifty dollar bill and asks you to run into town on this very cold day and buy Snickers Ice Cream bars for everyone?  

April used to buy these when she was at home and then I would sometimes buy them for here at work.  Hence, everyone here loved them and we get treated occasionally.

Dwayne called just a few minutes ago to see if I would run into town and buy a gallon of milk.  I got wise, bought that on one of my earlier trips.  lol

I am grateful for my work family and the freedom to run errands as needed.

Tulips in the Winter:

Winter Tulips:

I ran into town (Vienna) about eleven this morning to get gas and run an errand.  Vienna is only about two and half miles from my work, not really a big deal but it's cold out...  Mom called about noon and said Daddy had just bought her some tulips at G & W when they were in town.  Nothing too unusual about that as Dad does sweet things like that.  Then she asked if I would run down to G & W real quick and buy the other pot of tulips that was there as Dad said there was only one left.  My first thought was, geeze I just got back from town, maybe I'll go after work.  Mom asked if I would pick them up and then drop them off at Charles and Bev Jurgensmeyer's on my way home.  I told her I could and no problem.  I then thought to myself, "Connie, you are so lucky to still have your parents, no errand is too much of a problem to run!!"

On my way back from "town" I was thinking about Mom and Dad's life and they are just like the tulips, they are the bright sunshine in the winter of their life.  I so cringe at the thought of losing my parents but I know that is inevitable and I can be reassured that they will go to heaven, but oh the thought of not having them there day to day scares me to death.  As their life is in "Winter" I know "Spring" follows and I will be okay.  As the wind blows and sometimes snow flairs in the Spring, I will have rough spots but the Summer will arrive and I can look back at Winter and reflect.

Mom and Dad in the Winter of their life:

I am so grateful for each day of life and the wonderful legacy I have with my parents.

(For those of you who don't know Charles and Bev, there are the parents of my good friend, Janet who passed away December 23, 2011.  Remembered on January 10, 2013)