Everyone is back home where they belong

Kathleen and Mike got home today much to everyone's relief I think.  Oh, I have enjoyed having the boys.  But it has been quite a ride. Let me tell you about the last week plans and reality. 

We got the boys Wednesday night.  Zachary would be in school Thursday and Friday.  Ross would be back at work Friday and Saturday.  You know the normal kind of laid back week.  Then the snow hit.

Picture of boys playing game on my laptop.

Ross was at home Friday and Saturday, Zachary did  not have school Friday.  Zane was sick Monday, the day I was counting on to do MY stuff.  LOL  Sigh.  Best laid plans... 

And then this is what happened to today. 

First, we got up and Zane was running a fever.  I knew then it would mean a trip to the doctor.  Called Mother's Day Out and told them he would not be in. Took Zachary to school.  No problem.  As I left the school I knew I needed to stop and put gas in the car.  My cell phone rings.  Ross saying he forgot to take some paperwork he had to have to continue therapy on his arm. He asked when I was going to the airport but I told him I would just bring the papers after getting gas.  Ran by the house, picked up papers, took them and put them in Ross's car.

As I left I called the doctor, explained Zane's symptoms, they asked if I could get him in soon.  He was in pjs and no shoes but hey, he's a kid.  Took him in.  Got a script for an oral antibiotic on top of the drops for the ear. Decided to go ahead, pjs and no shoes and all, to Target to get the script filled.  On my way, Kathleen called to tell me they were snowed in in Denver due to blizzard conditions.  They were clearing the runway but expected a couple of hours delay.  Wonderful. 

Picked up script and junk, ran to the bank, stopped at Starbuck's - yes, I needed it! - and then returned home.  Gave Zane his meds, stripped bed, watched the computer for updates on the flight.  Fed Zane, he fell asleep sitting by me on the chair.  Poor baby!

Finally they said the plane would be in at 1:20 so I picked up Zane and put him in his car seat in the pickup, still asleep.  Drove to the airport.  Kept checking updates on the website from my iPhone but all it said was "Delayed".  DUH!!!  Suddenly, after waiting foever, it said the plane would be in at 2:25. Well, let me tell you, an iPhone being used so ruthlessly does not hold a charge that long!  So Zane (still asleep) and I zipped up to Wal-mart to get a car charger because of course the inverter I usually use is in the car.  Sigh.  Zane woke at Wal-mart.  We got the charger and zipped back to the airport.  Great timing.  We went in and got to see Kathleen and Mike's plane land.  Hooray! Zane thought that was pretty darn cool too!  He was thrilled to see Mom and Dad.  And Zachary was too.  I think both were homesick.  Well so were Mom and Dad.  Here are a fews pics I took of Zane meeting Mom and Dad. 

    

We are all safe and back kind of on normal mode now.  Zane and Mike will be home tomorrow (Mike had jury duty but it was cancelled).  Time for rest!

Snow in the Texas Panhandle

At first they said it was a blizzard but the Amarillo paper set us straight this morning - nothing but good old snow and Texas Panhandle wind.  Apparently there are certain conditions to be met to be a blizzard.  From the Amarillo Globe News:

	Blizzard	Amarillo
Wind	35 mph	24 mph
Snow	a lot	6.9" (Fri. p.m.)
Temp	n/a	19 F
Visibility	near zero	zero

 

Isn't this the funniest comparison you have seen?  Strange maybe?  Anyway, just wanted to share some photos too.

 

During and after and all the time.

 

 

We have had the boys since Wednesday night.  Kathleen and Mike are in Las Vegas for a wedding. I think both are homesick just a bit.  The boys are probably faring a bit better.  After all, snow is a great diversion.  And they did have fun in it.  In fact, we offered to take them to Braum's last night.  "Do you want to play in the snow some more or let's go get ice cream?"  Zane said "I wanna play in the snow!"  Amazing.  So, we played in the snow - then yes, we did make the ice cream run.

 

   

And anything Zachary did, of course Zane had to do.

 

But we are the Texas Panhandle and the snow really has melted.  There are still drifts but the roads are clear.  I think we will be back to warm tomorrow, if not today.

 

Plans today are to take Dad and the boys to lunch and to the store.  Back to real life.  Ross back to work. 

From the dry dry windy Panhandle

Did I mention it was dry?  Really dry?  I certainly hope that we live up to weather standards and get lots of rain in April and May - our wettest months.  It has been so hot and windy.  We have set new record highs this past week.  99 year highs too!  Never did have much winter.  But the lack of moisture is really the worst.  We have been watering trees but if this keeps up I do not think there will be a garden.  I do plan on tomatoes at the very least.  Since we are on well water it concerns me that we may have problems if we do not get surface moisture, too.  We were told a few days ago that we would have cold weather Tuesday and Wednesday.   We'll see. 
Not much else to tell about or even complain about around here.  Everyone is staying well.  Dad had a small bout in the hospital but he had a minor (if there is such a thing at that age) bout with a lung infection.  He is much better and back to doing therapy to strengthen his muscles. 

What else is going on?  No much.  Oh, I have had to have my car worked on twice in the last two months!  There had better not be anything else that can break.  I do not want to be looking for a car.  We still have a truck to pay for. 

The boys got some new kites from their other grandmother, Vickie, the other day.  Zane was quite upset because we could not fly it that day. 

It has been too too windy to fly.  I know there are some that do not realize that yes, it can be too windy to fly a kite.  Then Sunday was a nice, fairly calm day so the kids decided to come out and fly the kites.  Those little kites just did not want to go up!  Mike went to the garage and got the big kite out and Kathleen finally got one of the little ones up into the air.  The kids had fun and we went in and had hamburgers for dinner. Turned out to be a good day.
 

Really, life if pretty boring right now.  It's ok.  I will take boring over stressed out!  LOL  I just wish I could write neat stories like my cousin, Janice.  She has such an interesting life and her writing is great.  I always look forward to her blogs.

Another blog I have fallen in love with is The Pioneer Woman.  She is fascinating.  I know she lives in Oklahoma, has four children, lives on a ranch, home schools, and is a fantastic writer.  You start reading The Pioneer Woman - Ree, you will be hooked!  And her photography leaves me in awe.  I have cattle in my backyard but lack the DSLR camera.  And let me tell you, I get close to them and they are immediately too far for me to get a good photo.  But of course, you also need to her talent to see the great photos.  And she blogs too!  Well, actually it is a whole website! She is really inspiring me to try to blog more often.  She also has tutorials and recipes and - well, just go check it out!!! 

I have decided I am jealous of Pioneer Woman.  My grandparents were farmers/ranchers in the northern Panhandle of Texas and I remember many wonderful days on the tractors, in the pickups, ON THE HORSES - YES!, swimming in the tank.  Papa had created a swimming tank complete with diving board just to the side of the well house.  He built it many many years before grandkids for his daughters. It was made of two horse troughs probably 12-15 feet across and two to two and a half feet deep, one welded on top of the other.  It had a concrete bottom and a rope tied from one side to the other.  That was so we kids could hang on to the rope, go from side to side, and skim around the edges of the pool.  Forgot to mention, it had sharks in it too.  Not really but my sister, Cynthia, always thought there were.  There were goldfish in the pool.  And in the little horse trough to the side of the pool.  Some were really big.  Dad said there were times when we were there that someone had to swim to the bottom of the pool, unscrew the plug, let the water out.  Then came time for cleaning the green slime.  PeeeEuwww!  Glad it was not me but glad they got the slime out.  That was a nasty feeling between the toes.  Oh, and another fun thing was jumping or diving off the well house into that less than five foot deep pool.  Can you imagine!?  Mom said you sure did learn to dive shallow.  I don't think I ever dived into that pool at all but I did do a lot of jumping in.  I miss the farm. Get ready.  I think I will relate more old stories of the farm here.  Any of my cousins, sisters, want to chime in and send me some of your tales to share?

I started an exercise program.  Well, sort of an exercise program.  I am following a walking DVD.  Hey, I even bought stretchy bands and wrist weights to help me.  Now to stick with it and get back to my Weight Watchers program.  Not going to join but do want to at least try to cut my food intake!  That is the real secret.

Freebie for scrapbooking

OK, quick freebie for my scrapbooking friends.  And remember, these do not stay forever.  I will be putting it into Scrapdebris after a few weeks.  The link is here or click on the picture.  Be nice and leave a comment if you download or tell me what you would like to see more/less of in kits.  Thanks!

Oh, oh!  Before I forget, stay tuned for a new scrapbooking site opening soon.  The Nuthouse Scraps.  It will be a fun fun place to go and spend your money, get some good ideas, post your layouts, join challenges. I will post the link as soon as I see it!

Oh, I have another plug.  In case any of you have not visited Scrappers Workshop, you really must go there and sign for the updates.  They have absolutely the very best tips on Photoshop, taking photos, Photoshop Elements.  Just check it out.  I promise you will not be disappointed!