Having fun now!

We have had a really nice visit! We went to Mingus Park for lunch, to feed the ducks, and to play, play, play!
Mak is giving CB a good push at the Toddler Playground


I think they are enjoying themselves!

And of course, our little hamarina!!


CB fed some ducks and ate some of the bread himself..

Mak shows CB just how it's done...

CB entertains himself really well. He seems to like the deck a bunch

while Tetee watches cartoons all huddled up

and Mak just lays back and enjoys his Sunday morning TV fix...

The weather has been pretty nice if a little windier than usual. About normal for here but a little chillier than they are used to. The valley has been really warm - so that means more wind for us.... so cool it valley!! We get some strange looks in our long sleeves and sweatshirts :-) Highs have been low 70's just about every day. Garden is doing great ~ the sweet peas got so heavy they pulled the fence forward and fell - Keith had to 'rope' them up or we'd be picking off of the ground!! Mak has had fun picking strawberries on a daily basis and Tetee helps me water every afternoon. CB runs and runs and runs his little legs off keeping up with everyone! Mak helped me pick the broccoli and cauliflower amidst Tetee's comments that she 'don't like that stuff' so we were wasting our time... LOL Well, she didn't eat it - but Keith and I sure did! and planted more for later..... :-)

Time is almost up, we will be taking them home next week. I am sure glad they got so spend some time with us.. What blessings~~

Frustration

If anyone ever, ever, ever asks you if you want your AT&T services bundled.... run, don't walk, run away from the conversation!! Keith has just spent 2 whole days trying to find out why we have a late payment on our accounts that have been set up on autopay for somewhere around 5 years!

Back when we went on the road again.... In April, I called AT&T, that used to be Bellsouth, and asked them to disconnect our home phone number. The very nice man at the other end of the line convinced me that I didn't really want to do that - but instead - I wanted to have all of my oh-so-important calls forwarded to my cell phone. (2 months later 2 calls have been forwarded~~) So, for only about $20 per month, my whole billing system would not get all messed up and I wouldn't lose my number, and everything would transition on all smoothly, nicely, and I'd continue to have a wonderful, nice life.....

Fast forward to when Keith opens 2 AT&T bills - one for long distance and 1 with a late payment on it!!!!! So I go back to my email that said "Your AT&T bill is ready to review" and.... I click on the link.... and I use my login and password (as I have most every month for about 5 years) and I am greeted with the message that.... "changes have been made to this account and it is no longer accessible online".

So Keith calls customer service.... He gets the 'residential people' - because that is the number on the bill he has been sent... They can tell him that the bill is overdue - they can't see why - because the line has been put on remote call forwarding so no further information (or the billing breakdown) is available, so I get concerned that his cell phone and data card will be 'suspended' also. So I ask why it isn't on the bill.... no one can tell me - because it isn't residential. So I go look at the wireless website and I see where they have charged the credit card for June, the bundled mess for May, April, March but no information any further back. By this time Keith has been on the phone for a couple of hours being transferred here and there and he just wants to know what the billl is for and to pay it. So I try to pay it online.... again ... cannot access account online.... even tho' the continuous recording says... 'save time and go to att.com'!!! What a circle jerk!!!

So Keith calls back and presses the option to pay the bill that should have been an autopay and we never got a paper bill and couldn't access it online... and the woman says 'there will be a $5 charge to pay this bill via a live representative'!!! So I lose it and tell her that I am not giving AT&T an additional $5 for thier errors and messed up systems!! and Keith hangs up!!!

This morning at 5:30 am he gets up and starts calling again. He finally gets the bill paid - hopefully without the $5 additional charge and he was trying to find out why the bill was late and not autopaid so that it would not happen again (and he has the paper in front of him that says they have received wireless payments monthly forever!) and NO ONE COULD TELL HIM just what the $150+ broke down to nor could anyone guarantee that his cell and data card would not be interupted.!!!

So about 7:30 this morning - after being transferred around for 2 more hours... we will not have a landline in Florida any longer. Keith's cell and data card are safe, the bill is paid, we still do not know why we have been double billed, there is no call forwarding, and no one can tell us because no one (even the combined billing department) can access a combined bill once it has been un-combined and no one can see the individual portions of a bill that was combined.

AND, for taxes, I need the prior bills. The ones from January to May. The ones that I usually print only the pages I need for records. I cannot access them online as the service has been interrupted. They transfer Keith to the department to get copies of the bills that we didn't get because we did it all online and electronically (you know - save the trees! and the burn barrel) and I didn't print because it isn't the end of the year and I don't need them yet.... and she says ~ ~ all bright and cheerful ~~~"Of course we will gladly send you whatever copies you need. There will be a $3.50 fee for each previous bill added to your next bill. What address do you need for it to be sent to?" At that - he hung up. I was wishing all sorts of bad things on the system as a whole (not any singled out person!) and sorely wish that 'customer service' was again CUSTOMER SERVICE. In relating the same story over and over again for 2 days - and receiving totally irrevelent answers over and over again - I don't know if I wasn't explaining what happened in English and understandably - or if no one really cares as long as they get paid. I'd bet on the latter!!! And poor Keith.....

So, as the many, many reps at AT&T continually said..... ~~~~ "HAVE A NICE DAY!!"

They were here....

The Elmore family arrived about 2 days ahead of their eta... and I am happy for every minute they were able to be here!!! Evidently they didn't spend as much time traveling as I thought they would!!

While they were here they accomplished all sorts of things.... Thanks to Shawn and company at D&R Traditional Builders - the studio was finished in time - Tim got himself out of the camper - and there was a place for them all
to sleep!! Yay!! So now, - the studio is done, my kitchen is finished (except for the stuff that I haven't decided what I want done yet!), and the garden is growing! Rod and S'te mowed the lawn, made sure the garden was weeded, shopped for a vehicle, and stripped, textured, and painted the kitchen walls. On Saturday we had company from Powers and Myrtle Point. Aunt Nita, Uncle Jim, Susie and her Husband, and Linda all came bearing food.... Amanda and Jason brought the kids and a homemade potato salad (that was totally yummy!) and we had a great time catching up. Amanda brought me the cutest handmade invitation for Danika's 2nd birthday. These girls.. they are such great Mom's! I was really suprised that no other family or friends came - I am sure that it is their loss, I know we missed seeing them. The weather was not really wonderful... it was overcast, windy, and usual June Coos Bay weather.... but that is why we planned it for so early to start with! LOL... So we had enough food left over ~~~ that we sent a bunch of it away.

They had themselves and the 3 oldest kids packed up and were on their way to Washington by 1 pm on Sunday - and were waylaid by backlogged traffic due to an 'incident' on the bridge in Portland - so didn't make it up there until really late!

So I have the 3 youngest for a few days, or so. We are having great fun playing in the yard and taking care of the garden. Mak has been picking the ripe strawberries for me, Tetee and Mak helped to weed the garden and thin the carrots today... Tetee has been busy helping me water every day... Maybe tomorrow I will get a bit more done.

I was going to post pictures - but I can't make my 'puter behave, so you'll have to go to Flickr to see the final result on the studio.
The studio

Destini's Birthday

S'te and Amanda with their 'almost 2's"!

Really cool hand crafted invitation!!

And Naner and Jayman in my freshly painted, new cabinets, and floored kitchen!!

Live is wonderful ~ ~ you just have to be patient ~ ~

Just Waitin'

Workin' hard watching the guys :) getting the bathroom revamped so it will be really useful this summer! The old rotten bathroom next to the studio is being refurbished! I know it's been awhile.... the toilet we took out said 1947 on the lid.... Habitat for Humanity looked at it when we took it over. The took the toilet - but the sink wasn't all that great.... so it went to the dump... as well as a lot of rotten wood. I'm sure the bugs that like rotten wood will have to find new homes.... LOL

Keith is visiting his Mom in Indiana and will attend his 50th Class Reunion later today. I will miss not being there to share it with him - but April and the kids went over with him. It will be a really nice family time. Maybe I will get to go next year!

Later this week S'te and family should be dropping in for a short visit on thier way North to Washington. I am just so excited!!!!

The weather has been typical Coos Bay, cloudy and misty in the morning but sunny and really warm in the afternoon. I'll be jinxing it by saying this... but I hope it continues for awhile. The garden is going great... should be out there weeding now... but .... well.... you know how it is>>>> :-)

At 9 tonight it will have been 32 years since my precious baby girl
was added to the blessings of my life...

And I don't have the Senior Picture
or
the Navy Great Lakes Picture
or
the Brand new Mommy Picture
but I do have....

I mean 13th... (oops)

Thank you Lord

Kitchen Project Complete!

Hooray hooray!! All done - well - except for the walls (they just HAVE to wait for S'te) The table came today so I'm all done with the kitchen until later when something is figured out for the walls and ceiling. There was 4 layers of wall paper over the wall-in-a-wall and painted paneling over that!! We took 2 loads to the dump!! But it's done and it's beautiful - even if I do say so myself!!

Lookee Lookee!!!
From this

to this!!

And it all got done before the Elmore's come to visit in 2 weeks! And Keith will be getting here just before they come - so I'll have my blessings all in a row! I'm so happy!! Just wonderful. I'll be so glad to see him - it seems like forever since I left him in San Diego and came up here to get things ready for the family visit. And he is traveling to 2 more states before he comes back to me. But he will be here soon!

Happy 37th Birthday

On this day 37 years ago I became the proud Mommy of you! As I do every year, I have spent this morning happily nostalgic with the many, many fond and silly memories we made together... You were one of the greatest highlights of my life....
All these people and many, many more are wishing you were here today to celebrate!

Your sister, S'te

Aunt Sharen, Grandma Judy, and of course, MeGrandpa Doland and Your Nieces and Nephews

May God be with you, wherever you are!

Spring 2009!

The Apple Trees have bloomed!

A bit of the garden has been planted - but still much to go!
The cabinets arrived
And I think they are beautiful!
Of course ~ best laid ideas (LOL) ~ a water pipe in the kitchen is leaking - so it needs to be fixed before install~~ and a couple of sockets need to be moved.... but it will be done.... and it will be great~~~

God is Good~

Happy Birthday Dad!

Historical events on your birthday!!

2006

The newly installed Nepalese government votes to strip the King of Nepal of his power leaving him with a largely ceremonial role.

1994

Michael Jackson marries Lisa Marie Presley.

1991

Helen Sharman, at the age of 27, becomes the first Briton in space.

1980

Mount St Helens' volcano in Washington state erupts killing at least 100 people and creating a cloud of ash 2,500 miles long and 1,000 miles wide.

1969

NASA launches Apollo 10 - its mission is a rehearsal for the Moon landing flight later in the year.

1950

In London, NATO formally establishes it charter.

1944

The Second World War: Allied troops led by the Polish Army, finally win the Battle of Monte Cassino in Italy.

See, it was a special day for many!!

Not much.....

going on here. Tim and I are tearing down a wall and getting the kitchen ready for my 'new' (to me) cabinets.
I was browsing through Craig's List to see what kind of good deals were being offered. I happened on a fellow selling the cabinets that he had hoped to put into his house. I got a new sink, fixtures, the stain (they are unfinished), delivery, and install all thrown in!! Not a bad price either. What a great deal for me!! I love to browse Craig's List - it is way better than the 'shoppers' and you can go to any state, any neighborhood, and specify just what you are looking for - or just look at all of it!!!
So we had to hurry the process along a bit more than originally planned. LOL At least I'm pretty sure it was more than Tim had planned..... He crawled up into the attic to see just what was going on up there..... and I started taking off the top layer - paneling ... then we went to the second layer - 4or 5 layers of wallpaper, then to the third layer - plywood, then to the 4th layer - lap siding on both sides of the 2x4's, and finally, the frame which was attached pretty much to nothing! It was anchored into the floor really well and the plywood was wedged into a groove in the ceiling. Amazing! There was definately a lot of wood that went into the trailer!!

So today I need to clean out the 3 cabinets that I now have in the kitchen, stack everything in the back room, and slide these out the door - probably to the deck for the time being, and wait for 'my' new oak cabinets!!! Yay!!!

Keith is still at S'te's - and I miss him. It's only been a week since I left and he won't be home for another month.... I will be so glad to see him again!!!

North to Oregon!

I've made it! I did take a rather round about way to get here but I've learned a few things.

The Golden Gate Bridge isn't Gold!

That little stick of a telephone pole dosen't hold a
candle to a Giant Redwood

And the Pacific is always beautiful!

So, I've made it back to Coos Bay, in good health, in great time, and I can enjoy myself, all by my self. LOL

I had wonderful weather for driving and sightseeing. Sunshine and nice temperatures made for a really great trip. It dripped on me a little bit going through Bandon - but Bandon always drips!! The sun was shining when I arrived and I've gotten busy getting ready to get busy on my projects.

More Mother's Day

The girls got up really early this morning... to prepare a wonderful Mother's Day breakfast of eggs, bacon, pancakes, and french toast sticks for us. Keith got to participate in the breakfast event by going to the store for them and bringing home supplies.... and he got to eat too.... hehee!!

After breakfast the younger ones took turns giving S'te and I facials, foot massages, leg massages, pedicures, manicures, thoroughly giving us the royal treatment as we relaxed in our seats.

After our spa treatments, they prepared lunch for us - burgers and home fries were enjoyed by S'te, Keith, and I. They also finished the laundry, straightened the downstairs, changed the baby, ran the scooby, and did the dishes. Ty came over bringing a personalized card and a HUGE chocolate for me and an adorably cute card for S'te - signed by all! It was a great Mother's Day morning! I do have pictures - but the card reader is packed ... so they will have to wait....

Then I had to get ready to leave... boo hoo!! We got the car packed and said our good-byes - Keith walked me to the car - and off I went!! I only made it about 50 miles before the first stop - San Juan Capistrano - I didn't see any accident - but we traveled very, very slowly for many miles before getting back up to speed. Then coming down the north side of the Grapevine there was a small brush fire that had the southbound traffic stopped (not my side - thank you Lord!!) for at the very least, 10 miles!!! By the time I got to Buttonwillow, I was sleepy, still full, and ready to stop! So here I am.....

It's morning and I am most ready for us to take off again - I am headed over to 101 to travel up the coast and thru the redwoods. At least, that is my plan at this point. The best part of traveling alone - is that I don't really have to have a plan.... hehee. If and when I get lost - if I keep going North - I will at least be headed in the right direction!!!

So now I am - northward bound!!

Mother's Day

I want to honor all the Mother's everywhere.
Not only those who have the title by 'birth' but also
those who have come by the title thru love.

Those who are Mom's in all the ways that count!

Happy Mother's Day to you!!

I've had a really special celebration already! We've had
our Mother's Day a little early this year....
So far today .....

Went to Brayana and Jaleel's football game really,
really early this morning! And they got
their first touchdown of the season...
and then scored again before the end of the game!!

Then
My oh-so-crafty little baby girl gave me this special treat this afternoon!
My favorite animal...... wolves
along with my most favorite of all....
my family!!
A throw pillow made with a portrait of my most
favorite people in all the world!!!

Then
we went on to watch 'Lil-Mak' play his
lil heart out at flag football.

The guy in the blue is Mak! They guy in the white
was their opponents today!
And they tied the game!!!
Horray!!

And to top the day off!!
We had some of the best pizza~

So I've had a great Mother's Day!
How about you?