A few thoughts...

Yesterday while driving home from a trip to Indiana we came to a stop quickly on the interstate. We just missed a large accident in front of us, we were maybe 20 car's back from this accident. We were stopped on the interstate for a few moments till the police came to help direct traffic around it. A large truck (not a semi) pulling a trailer had flipped over almost crushing the cab. Without getting into to much detail, most b/c I did not want to look when driving by the medical team had arrived and was trying to get the passengers out.

It's been almost 24 hours now and I can't get this out of my mind. I keep praying for those in the truck, and for the family in friends of whoever was in the truck. There world has been turned upside down without any warning and will forever be changed.

It's funny how events happen when you don't expect them and it forever changes you. God truly does have the power and no matter how healthy we eat, how much we work out (I know I am bad at both of those), or how much we plan your world could always be turned around.

I had A LOT of time to think in January and life is really about living it in the moment and being happy. Life is to short and your world could be turned up side down in a moment. Since January I have really tried to live a bit more "carefree". Life is about living, having enjoyment, laughter, love, service to others and joy. I try to no longer care if my house is perfect, spend hours away from the ones I love working, or wast life wishing I had something I don't. We all want something we don't have and it's hard not to look at what we don't have and enjoy what we do have.

Thinking about that accident the question has came to mine: Life will change are we enjoying the ride or looking ahead to what is next?

I pray for the families of those in the accident may they find peace in where God takes them and I pray for the 1 or 2 people that read this that you find joy.

Roger

I meet a new friend last Saturday named Roger. Nice guy, a bit odd. Roger is a door to door sales man (I did not know they still existed!) to sell a Kerby vacuum that both vacuum and shampoo your carpets.

I feel like when someone wants to shampoo a room for free to let him, after all I am a slob when I eat and I dropped some food on the carpet that I wanted to get out for some time now. Roger worked his magic on the living room carpets and on the first 3 stairs - good thing to b/c I may or may not have slipped today walking down the stairs so good thing my ass meet clean carpet.

The price of this "amazing" vacuum was 1,700. Needless to say Lacy and I do NOT own a new vacuum. However our living room and few steps look fantastic! This is not something I would rule out for the future - however Sam the Man ruled it out for me.

In other news last Sunday it was 90 and we turned on the air, today it is 45 and raining and now we have the heat on. So glad Ray and Mary made it back safe and sound to Iowa today and where able to take off their shorts at my house, get their winter coats out of my closet, and of course to see the clean carpets in the living room. Thanks for bring the "fall" weather mom and dad, I know you hate it however I LOVE it!

Progress...

I have started to notice a lot of progress in my healing the past few weeks so I thought now would be a nice time to share.

* I am able to go up and down stairs more maybe 2 or 3 times a day. It still takes a lot out of me to go up and I am not able to really carry anything because I still need to hold on to the railing for support but it is nice to be a bit more mobile.

* I have been able to do more things around the house. I cleaned the kitchen floor this weekend and was also able to mop!

* I am slowly starting to gain more balance when walking on uneven surfaces. Walking up hills or even slight inclines is a challenge because it pulls on my legs in a painful way but it is getting easier.

* I have started to use my handicap sticker less and less and that is a GREAT feeling.

*Also, I can pick items up and bend over a lot easier. I can now carry my laundry basket and not pull it behind/next to me!

My feet are still tingly. Kneeling at church is still something I can't do. It just hurts from my knees down but I am ok with the progress I am making.

I know I have thanked a lot of people but I am truly thankful for everyone who has helped me: co-workers, family, friends, roommate, and boyfriend. I have had so many friends who have traveled a long way just spend time with me and cheer me up. Thank you all.

Also Seth, STM helped me proofread this so I hope it is up to your liking.

Reflection

I am blessed to be prayer patenters with a good friend of my who travels around the United States as a Catholic speaker - and is amazing with High School students. Each month I get an updated e-mail from him about his life - ups and downs and prayer request that he has for that month. My day is always the 10th. At the end of his emails he always shares a quote or reflection and I loved the one for April and thought it was blog worthy in sharing. I hope it invites you into some deep prayer and reflection this Lent.

"For most of my life I have struggled to find God, to know God, to love God. I have tried hard to follow the guidelines of the spiritual life – pray always, work for others, read the Scriptures – and to avoid the many temptations to dissipate myself. I have failed many times but always tried again, even when I was close to despair.

Now I wonder whether I have sufficiently realized that during all this time God has been trying to find me, to know me, and to love me. The question is not “How am I to find God?” but “How am I to let myself be found by him?” The question is not “How am I to know God?” but “How am I to let myself be known by God?” And, finally, the question is not “How am I to love God?” but “How am I to let myself be loved by God?” God is looking into the distance for me, trying to find me, and longing to bring me home.

In all three parables which Jesus tells in response to the question of why he eats with sinners, he puts the emphasis on God’s initiative. God is the shepherd who goes looking for his lost sheep. God is the woman who lights a lamp, sweeps out the house, and searches everywhere for her lost coin until she has found it. God is the father who watches and waits for his children, runs out to meet them, embraces them, pleads with them, begs and urges them to come home.

It might sound strange, but God wants to find me as much as, if not more than, I want to find God. Yes, God needs me as much as I need God. God is not the patriarch who stays home, doesn’t move, and expects his children to come to him, apologize for their aberrant behavior, beg for forgiveness, and promise to do better. To the contrary, he leaves the house, ignoring his dignity by running towards them, prays no head to apologies and promises of change, and brings them to the table richly prepared for them.

I am beginning now to see how radically the character of my spiritual journey will change when I no longer think of God as hiding out and making it as difficult as possible for me to find him, but, instead, as the one who is looking for me while I am doing the hiding."

Henri Nouwen

The Return of the Prodigal Son, 100-101

My mom....

If there was one good thing out of all of this mess that has happened was that my parents where here during it all. When I am sick I don't care how old I am, most likely I will want my mommy. We sent dad back to warm weather shortly after Christmas, however I was thankful that he was around during the surgery!

My mom has stood by me for over 6 weeks now. She has done a lot of "not fun" care taking, drove me around, did laundry, cooked and cleaned, rubbed cramps out of my legs, taken me to a number of doctor apt. and most importantly put up with me ever changing mood swings. She has cried with me, calmed me down when I was frustrated and laughed with me when needed. She has do so much that I don't know how I can thank her.

Now I am on my own, mom left this morning. I have a great roommate who has and will help out. I am looking forward to be doing some things on my own and also scared shitless. I know I have a lot of great friends and family who will help out along the way. As much as I am looking forward to some freedom I am also going to miss her. I am so blessed that she was able to come and stay for so long. I am also thankful for my dad living without her for all this time, however he is not getting tired of hot dogs and bake beans I think he will be happy to see her tonight when she flies in.

Health update: I can go upstairs on my own (go up once a day and come down in the morning). I can shower in my OWN shower! Walking without a walker 90% of the time. I am able to drive!

Things I can not do so well: bend down, walk a long ways, and go to the bathroom (work in progress)

A new journey starts here...

A long time coming..

This blog has been in my head now for a few weeks and I am just now taking time to put it down into words.

As many of you know I had emergency back surgery a few days before Christmas. Whatever could have gone wrong did.... I should have been out of the hospital a day after surgery but three day's after surgery I headed on down to the rehab floor for four days of rehab ... you see my new "normal" is to learn to leave with numb legs, ankles and feet. Also, as fine as it is I can't feel my ass. When will I get feeling back, maybe 6 months to a year. So hey walking with a walker at 29 is cool right? I am trying to look at it that I am not in a wheelchair at lest right?!

When going to Target last week for the first time ever I got to ride in those little motorized carts. I was so looking forward to this and learned quickly that it SUCKS to shop with one of those. It's impossible to go look at clothes b/c the cart does not fit. Every time you back up it BEEPS LOUD and everyone stops and looks at you.... EMBARRASSING! If more then one person is down an aisle forget about going down! Also if they are stocking the selves no way you can go down...

This whole experience has shown me a lot...

• It is all about how you look at things. Chose to look at the bad or good it's all in your outlook. A positive attitude goes a LONG ways. As my mom always says "someone has it a lose worse then you" and she is right. Before surgery someone has it a lot worse then me and still someone has it a lot worse then me. Look at what you have not what you don't have and be blessed for the simple things in life like walking, driving and going up stairs on your own.
• I have the best people in my life that have helped out! My mom is still up here to take care of me so I can live at home and not in a nursing home. This has turned not only my life upside down but also my roommates life upside down and I am thankful for all of her help and support. Also but not last the boyfriend has been more then amazing with all of this. He has made me smile though all the tears and pushes me to work harder. He has stood by my side every step of the way and for that I am thankful.
• I learned that I am a lot stronger of a person then what I ever thought I was. With that means trusting people. From going down the stairs in a stair chair b/c I could not walk out of my house, from being lifted from bed to bed by a blanket (yea it's kinda scary!), to standing on feet that feel like they are burning under you, and when someone says they got you - they do. All of the needles, and hoses whenever I went to the hospital I hoped that it would never have to be me when it is you it sucks but you can get through it with a lot of work and trust.
• Also, showering and washing your hair everyday is not needed. :)

Thank you all for your prayers, thoughts, comments, text, phone calls and emails. My

life has changed, it will only get better from here. This is a sweet picture of me shopping at Target with my walker hanging out of the cart b/c it did not fit well. I almost took a ladies eye out...

It a wonderful time of the year...

Awww, it is that time of year when Advent is coming to a close, and Christmas is soon to come! It's a perfect time to be in Iowa if you have a parka!

As Lacy and I put up our tree on Tuesday night, I could not help but get excited about ornaments that I put on the tree. I have ones that I made in elementary school (those are Lacy's favorites!), ones that I got as gifts from Mom and Dad, and there are pink flamingos, penguins and so much more!

The Parental Units left 80 degree weather on Friday and headed north to Iowa and got to West Des Moines early Saturday afternoon. We have big plans of eating yummy mommy cooking, baking, and making gingerbread houses with good friends and family.

The Youth choir at church will be singing at the 6:30 (midnight mass), so I am looking forward to celebrating with my family and church family the birth of our Lord.

Below you will find the Christmas letter that I wrote for the family; feel free to check it out as this is the "green friendly" Christmas card...

Merry Christmas friends and family!
After much begging, I (Tonia) was able to write this year’s Christmas letter. I hope this letter finds your family and friends well! The Pals family has had a wonderful 2010, and I am as eager to tell you about it as you are to read about it, so let’s get this party started!

After Thanksgiving, Mom and Dad headed down south to their new winter home in Mission, Texas and fully enjoy retirement. They were blessed that I came down for Christmas and Brother Wade came down in mid-January. When family and friends were not visiting Mom and Dad enjoyed playing cards, doing woodworking, swimming, and going down to Mexico. Mom learned how to make fused glass jewelry and stained-glass steppingstones. Put your order in early! Dad made a fantastic oak clothes hamper that he always puts his dirty clothes in!
Grandma (Mary’s Mom Elsie) turns 90 this December so the whole family got together the Saturday after Thanksgiving. It was a fantastic day celebrating a wonderful woman’s life with family. Mom and Dad headed south right after the party and are hoping to return this year for Christmas, weather permitting.

The summer was filled with time at the lake house after Mom and Dad returned at the end of April. Mom is slowly working on all the projects she has put off for years. She has a pile of dirt that is almost done!

Brother Wade found himself in Florida this spring to stand up in a good friend’s wedding. Wade also had back surgery at the end of July and was off work for three months – way too long if you ask him! He has had a great recovery and is feeling much better.

I had a great year! I am still working at the Catholic Church as a high school youth minister. After UNI had a fantastic win over KU, I headed down to St. Louis to cheer on my Panthers in the oh-so Sweet 16! This summer I headed down to Panama City, Florida for a week on the beach with a good high school friend and came back with a fantastic tan! This December I head down to New Orleans for the High School Youth Ministry conferences! I am looking forward to a tad bit warmer weather.

Blessings to all of you and your family this Christmas season! Feel free to come down to south Texas to see Mom and Dad this winter if you get tired of the cold. They have a fantastic guest room waiting for you!
Love,

The Pals Family (Ray (Mike), Mary, Tonia, and Wade Pals)

New Orleans in December, yes please!

Last weekend my and 2,000 other Youth Ministers headed down to New Orleans to learn more, laugh a lot, drink a little, pray together and grow in our mission of bring the young Catholic Church closer to Christ.

Such an amazing time. I have a few highlights...

• Being in 70 degree weather while Iowa was having a blizzard
• Seeing my Mississippi (some of them) family and enjoyed a good time
• The conference was truly amazing from workshops, music, key notes and prayer
• Growing closer to my Iowa Youth Minister friends and seeing some old friend (Katie it rocked to see you!)
• Seeing and spending time with Miller, Andrew and Ryan Hoffmann
• Giving Ryan his 30th Birthday gift.
• THE FOOD and DRINKS! OMG soooo good!

I was unsure if I would make it home on Sunday like I planed however God is good and provided me a flight home and bed's for those friends that had to stay an extra day. I have a new energy and ready to go on Christmas vacation!

If you would like to see pictures check out: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=584655&id=504190257&l=0792207eb2

God is good....ALL THE TIME!

A time of Thanksgiving ...

While it's been a while. I try to find a balance between my friend Maggie who blogs all the time and my friend Andy who never blogs. I feel that this past time frame has been more on the Andy side, I promise to wing a bit more to the Maggie side.

As any typical fall in the life of a Youth Minister my life has been crazy busy. This past weekend we had our large steak dinner fundraiser on Saturday night. We served over 200 adults, drank many, many, many bottles of wine and polished off a keg. Oh and the steak was amazing. As I was running around trying to set up more chairs, help students know what to do, work the ticket table, make sure the Youth Ministry bake sale table was under organization, and help out at the silent action I found myself smiling while running around crazy and sweating my ass off. I am truly blessed. I had so many wonderful conversations with outstanding community members, new and old friends. The table fellowship was fantastic. All were welcome.

This was the first time since I attended St. Stephens that I felt like I was part of a community not just working for a community and being there b/c I had to be. I was able to enjoy the evening with a nice balance of work/helping out but also enjoying fellowship with friends. Being church and being an active part of a community is how we are called to live, Christ calls us to be in community. This Thanksgiving I am thankful for being apart of so many wonderful communities that provide me with unconditional love and support. Now back to putting together the parish hall from Saturday party....

Friday Fun

Friday has become my new Saturday since I am working every Sunday till Thanksgiving weekend. So far I have done a good job of taking at lest one day off for me. I have found that helps me become a healthy person and well balanced.

One might ask what I do on my day off. Those that know me best know that I LOVE to clean. After sleeping in, laying around and watching TV, around 10 AM I am ready to get up and get moving. I clean the house, do the laundry that takes typically all day. I put on some music from the I-tunes while I dance around the house cleaning and enjoying the quite of the day. Cleaning relaxes me, thinking time, time to reflect on life and the past weeks events and what is to come. And at the end I can stand back and smell the Pine Sol, such a fantastic smell!

Doing everything in one day also gives me Saturday (my Sunday) to watch football!

If you ever need any cleaning help on Friday please let me know, I am $20 an hour.

God Bless and happy Saturday good friends.

Blessed...

Work is into full swing in my life! There are always so many great things going on this time of year that I often find it hard to have balance with it all. This week had several nights of not getting home till after midnight in a row. It's all been great stuff but takes a large chunk out of girls times. It is Thursday evening and for me it is my Friday night. I am trying this year to take Friday off and most of Saturdays, Sunday is always my Monday (Makes it hard to watch the Bears games sometimes...)

This week an amazing friend came into town. Mike Patin came to do the Youth Ministry kick off on Tuesday and talked about having good communication in the workplace. As always he is fantastic at new ideas, prayer, and speaking the truth. It was amazing to spend the day

with so many Youth Ministers and those that work so hard for the youth of the church. It was nice to be able to share ideas, prayer, and stories with those that understand my job the most.

On Wednesday Mike took his evening to talk to the over 200 High School students in the Des Moines area about living their faith out daily. I know it was an amazing

night for the Youth when they posted quotes from the night on my facebook page and the the countless text about fav. quotes from the evening. Then we took Mike out for a few drinks and lots of laughs. It was a fantastic evening and way

to send him out of Des Moines with a bang!

This is a picture of my bookend at work, Deanna and Mike. I don't

know why in most pictures I look like I am drugged up and eyes half open but I promise I was sober with only having one beer the

whole night. I am a better Youth Minister thanks to these two friends in my life, the wisdom we show each other is life giving.

If you would ever like to meet Mike he will be the MC for the adult Youth Ministry conference in New Orleans and one of the Key Notes at the next NCYC in Indy 2011.

Circus in town...

Don't get me wrong, I love my family and I wish we all had more time to spend together. However, when we are together it often reminds me of a 9 ring circus and their are only four of us in the family.

Mom and dad came and we got some great projects done around the homestead...

• Building me a headboard - This has been much needed and I have waited with anticipation for this moment! I think it looks fantastic and I am so thankful for them making it for me. It is not so much used for deco and much more needed to keep my pillows on the bed!
• Moved Lacy's bike rack. I am going to make an amazing wife b/c my dad teaches me how to do shit on my own. With a small help from Father I got the thing moved and pretty impressed with myself.
• Learned how to trim bushes and they all look much better! Maybe I should try cutting hair next.
• Cleaned out Wade's ears...really nothing more to say about that
• Cooked!! We had a fantastic dinner...salmon with recipe found here, veggie dip found here, Spinach artichoke dip that will soon be posted on blog, salad and garlic bread. Followed by some freshly baked Chocolate chip cookies (after burning for several years I have learned how to make them pretty much perfect...)
• Played a game of Rummy, father kicked ass.

It was a fantastic evening filled with family, friends and good memories. This was a good test to see how Christmas will go this year when mom and dad move in for a week, I am looking forward to it and already started the list of projects!

All is right with the world...

We have CABLE TV! Lacy and I have a deal, we get cable during football season every year. I love cable TV, and then add DVR as well... it was like the heavens opened up and and the choir of angles sung to me. I will no longer have to watch commercials.

Jason came over around noon today and within 10min everything was set up and ready to go. I have enjoyed watching the food network (learned how to make cabbage roles!) and large amounts of Roseanne (I know quality programing).

Monday morning will be fantastic while I get ready for work watching CNN... and making dinner and having Wolf join me is a gift.

Are you ready for some...

Fall - what a fantastic time of the year! Several people have shared with me that they are loving that fall is fast approaching. The cool crisp air, windows open, allergies starting, football starting, looking up new soup recipes, cooking with the oven, changing up the clothes the list goes on.

What am I most looking forward to, Are you ready for some football!!! It is no surprise to those that I am close to that I have a love for football. High School, college, NFL you name it and I will watch it.

Friday night I headed over to watch Van Meter boys take on top ranked (even in a class above them) Pella Christian. They played a fantastic game however could not hold onto the win. This is the first time I have been back to a Van Meter game, in Van Meter since Wade graduated. I parked at some family friends house, had a beer with Ray and chatted with Mary. Before walking on over to the game. I was not at all surprised how nothing has changed. Same cheers from the cheerleaders, locals standing in the same spot cheering on their team, same medical responders. I have a very special group of Sr. boys that have been asking me for years to come watch them once they started for Van Meter. They did such an amazing job, it was fantastic evening filled with great football, good friends and family and of course a few beers!

It was at this field where I learned to love this sport. I remember as a kid sitting on the side lines with my mom and her teaching the rules about football. It was simple, you have 4 tries to get 10 yards. I will always remember lesson number one!

I am excited to watch the Iowa vs. ISU game next Saturday, I hope ISU shows up to play. Of course there is the Bears, if we win against the Lions on Sunday in our opening game I am going to be blown away.

In other football news one of the most important parts of football is the pre and post game tailgating! This week in our football tailgating week, all week we will be posting our favorite tailgating recipes for all to enjoy! Stop in each day and check it out here.

VIP for a night...

The Iowa State fair is not a must see for me for so many reasons...

1.) It is hot, typically the hottest part in the Iowa summer, and I don't enjoy being in large crowdes walking around looking at livestock while over heating.

2.) It is SO expensive. To park. To get in. To have something on a stick or to drink sugar water or water.

3.) Lets just say that the Iowa State fair does not bring out the best that Des Moines has to offer, it's almost like Wal Mart

exploded for 10 days on the east side of Des Moines.

4.) There is not really a whole lot I care to see...

I mean great there is a cow over 3,000 lbs. I see dinner for the next year for me and my friends.

You can't go to the fair and not see the butter cow and whatever the theme of the year is out of butter... BEHOLD the butter cow and Dr. Seuss theme set... I am sure that was his dieing wish..please make a display of my greatest books out of butter for all of Iowa to see.

My thoughts on the state fair can pretty much be summed up by saying if you have never been, new to Iowa it is a good thing to go check out. Every year, for 10 days in a row, I will pass.

However this year was different and since I

have not been to the fair in a few years (ok like 8ish) it was time to give it a go around. A parishioner got free tickets into the fair, free parking IN the fair grounds and free tickets to see Mercy Me and Newsboys in the 7th row on the floor and thought that he would share them with some of the Youth Ministry kids, and active adults. This took care of a few of the things that I dislike about the fair, Parking - CHECK!, getting in - CHECK!, it was the hottest day of the fair with the heat index of 105 but two out of three things is not bad! And check out the eye candy on the lead singer of Newsboys, I was having hot flashes and it had nothing to do with how hot it was outside. It was a great evening with good friends, great music (other then Mercy Me and the base) and I got to try a bite of a fried snickers on a stick. It was great to feel like a VIP for an evening and even better that I got to share it with some amazing kids, and rockin adults! I will look forward to the next fair trip in 2018.

***Please note I took none of these pictures myself, thanks friends for taking pictures for me to illustrate my points.***

Mid summer nights dream...

As I sit on this unusual cool evening in August I can't help but get excited that fall is right around the corner. Fall after all is my favorite season, and I am really looking forward to fall of 2010, a large part being work related. The past two weeks work has picked up dramatically. I went from working maybe five hours a week (and a half ass five hours they were) to putting in close to 40 and knowing that those hours will pick up as the weeks goes on. I love that I work for God and can pick and choose my hours. There are some months they are a bit busier and crazier then others but all in all it balances out.

A few highlights that I am looking forward to this upcoming school year.

- I am looking forward to teaching Confirmation with Erin. She is a fantastic parent volunteer that is better at my job then I am. I am looking forward to all the things I will learn from her.

- The diocese of Des Moines has asked to look into new programs and have a more standard curriculum across the bored. I am looking forward to the new program and the unique challenges that will come with that.

Choice 1) Call to Discipleship more information can be found here.

Choice 2)Life Teen more information can be found here.

Both programs look great, it is just looking as to what program will best fit the needs of my Youth Ministry program, I am leaning towards Call to Discipleship. Any input is welcome.

- Volunteering on the vocation community for the Diocese of Des Moines has been fantastic and I look forward to seeing the direction that it will go.

- Novos is the new young adult program that the diocese is starting and I was asked to sit on part of the core planning team. So far I feel like things are off to a good start, and I also enjoy that my part in this planning team is very little so far, however I am still able to use my gift of organization!

- The Youth Choir that I started last spring really took off and I am looking forward to seeing it grow this fall and into next spring! They sound fantastic and everyone loves when they sing at church! (Don't worry I am not in the choir at all...)

And of course how can you forget that football season is just a few weeks away. CAN'T EVEN WAIT!

Add in their Grandma's 90 Birthday Party, Thanksgiving with Ray and Mary, and a trip to New Orleans in December .... I have a feeling this fall is going to be a good one...

Florida vacation 2010

I had a chance this summer to head down to Panama City Florida to spend some time with my good friend Amy, meet Amy...

I have loved my time down here and enjoyed spending time with Amy and her family. Her mom, step dad, brother, sister-in-law, and nephew live about an hour away in Mexico Beach and we where blessed to spend so much time together. Some highlights of the trip...

-Spending time with Amy, lately I have learned the value of amazing girlfriends in my life and I am so blessed to have her as part of my life.

-Going swimming everyday and hitting up the beach. This Iowa girl did not come home white!

-Going to Gulf World with Amy's family to see all of the animals!

-Cooking with Amy and making the perfect Mojito recipe.

- Going out in the boat on the Gulf. Seeing Jellyfish in the water, swimming at a State Park with stingray's (not a fan of them!), seeing Black Island (from the boat). The ride back was a bit rough... don't worry food did stay down!

- Going to a country bar and watching all the redneck's locals go crazy with songs I have never heard of. Also, getting hit on by a 40 year old married guy with his wife in the bar as well... don't worry left quickly after finding out!

- Cleaning and organizing Amy's apart! It looks great now...

- Dinner with my friend Brandi back from volunteering days. It was so great to be connected with long lost friends again.

- I was able to try boiled peanuts for the first time and they are better then chips and salsa!

- Going to CVS three times!

- Taking pictures of Amy to send to Guam Boy.

Lasting memories created this past week in Florida! Pictures are on my facebook feel free to check them out..Thank you for everything Amy, Debbie, Andrew and family...

I'm leaving on a jet plane....

This will be a short blog. I am getting ready to load a plane to head to Florida to see my good friend Amy. I CAN'T EVEN WAIT!!! I am looking forward to long walks on the beach as I waddle, drinking while watching the sunset, cleaning her place up and getting it organized and of course going out and picking up military boys.

Another note: please keep my brother in your prayers as he is having sugary on his lower back early Tuesday Morning. He will be moving in with Ray and Mary they will need prayers to put up with him as well....

I have no words for a title

I am to pissed to go into the story but I have spent the last few days dealing with SHITTY costumer service. Whatever happened to people being nice? No wounded people that do customer service all day are bitchy, if I sat on my ass on the phone for 40 hour a week saying "I am sorry I can't help you and there is nothing that can be done" I would be bitchy about it too. I am not even talking about one organization I am talking about three different services!

So after spending a few hours on the phone today hearing that, I went to the only local place I know where people are nice, friendly, helpful and glad to see you...the Farmers Market. My faith in people was restored. I was looking for hot peppers to make salsa with the new food processes I got today, oh yea Lacy we own one now. This NICE couple did not know what peppers where hot or not so they cut a few open to make sure I got what I wanted and then gave it to me for FREE!

There is the cutest old couple that I always buy my tomatoes from and when they seen me today they smiled as I walked towards them and the lady said to her husband "see I told you she would come see us today!" So sweet and they gave me a deal on the tomatoes, I have them a small tip with the old "keep the change" line.

It's nice to know there are still places where people can get quality service!

I am off to enjoy some fresh grown Iowa tomatoes.

A handy woman...

I have blogged a few times about the struggles that i have with my bedroom and finding a location for everything to fit in a form I enjoy. I need the prayer chair to be in a great location or it is not used. The other day while swimming I was thinking about different options that I had to get my room back to a place that I enjoyed walking into and that I liked.

So, Friday afternoon after spending most of the morning watching Lost I got off the couch and took a shower. Off to Target I went to get a curtain for my window. You see I can't have my bed how it fits best b/c the window is at my head and the sunlight at 6 AM wakes me up. I picked something out, and headed home. I dug through all the rods that where left behind from the last renters and found something that was classy and would pull the whole look off. It was shortly after I got ready to hang the rod on the wall that I seen I would need an electric drill. Then I remembered that Ray was going to give us his old one. I looked up and behold it sat on the self in all it's glory! It was the first time I ever used an electric drill on my own, and it was a lot of fun! (I only had to call dad once for help!) I am pretty impressed with the look. I think it adds a great touch of color to the room!

Also I don't think any one would have guessed that it is a shower curtain.

So all that is needed now is a head bored so my pillows will stay on, and my room will be done! I am sure my good friend Maggie will look when she gets home from Colorado, she is after all the queen of Craigslist, please see here.

In other news it has been decided that Andy Miller's role in the Luau will be to get a shaved ice machine for shaved ice rum and cokes. I approve. Anything to get people feeling good as I enter into the heavenly gates is a must. Also Maggie if you could please look for a shaved ice machine and not a snow cone machine Miller Light would be thankful.