Pay It Foward

The first THREE people to leave a comment on this post will receive, at some point during the year, a handmade gift from me. What it will be and when it will arrive is a total surprise. The catch is that you must participate as well. Before you leave your comment here, write up a pay it forward post on your Blog to keep the fun going ( or you can cut and paste from this one like I did ) then come back and let me know you're going to play. Then sit back and wait to receive your fun gift : ) Remember that only the first THREE comments will receive a gift from me, so hurry, hurry, hurry !
If you are one of the three, email me your address so I can send you a gift!

Laugh-lin

Didnt get many pics of my trip but this one. In fact, this was the only drink I had! haha. I had an awesome time! I missed my family but other than that, the time flew by. I didnt lose or win any money, just broke even. I had a room all to myself and actually had some quiet to read. All in all, a good time!

Great Balls of Fire!

The details aren't necessary when all I hear is Jaycee scream "MAMA!!" Michael and I came running from our room to see what was going on. We could hear in her voice that something was up and even more so in Darren's when he yelled too. Our door, not even shut but maybe leaving a 6 inch gap before, flew open. All I can remember is I see Jaycee. Okay, just her face. Her body was swallowed in smoke and all I could see was her face, lit up, orange. The entire living room and kitchen was filled with black smoke. I grabbed Jaycee and Darren and brought them to the garage, the only place at that point that didn't have any smoke. Michael grabbed the pan, bad idea but the answer to the flames, opened the sliding door in the kitchen and threw the burning pan outside. And just then, all the smoke detectors went off, scaring the kids even more than they already were. A grease fire. Yep! It happened to us. And what is more ironic? My aunt Cindy, also a victim of a grease fire just over a year ago had sent me an email that same day, video included on what to do when you have a grease fire in your house. Let me tell you, although insightful, unrealistic. Your head goes a million miles an hour and from listening to the radio that same morning about survivors I remembered this: "a survivor doesn't have time to think, they just do." Now let me tell you, you bet I would have thought. I would have thought first, that something like that would never happen to us and second, that I would never grab a hot, burning pan. But Michael did. He didn't think, he just did. And thank god for that! Our microwave, or whats left of it (mostly melted plastic) can still tell time. Too bad it was needed for more that a time piece! haha. That is replaceable. All we can do is laugh about it now knowing that everyone was safe and besides tons of cleaning everything but the microwave is okay. -oh and Michael's arm hairs too. All I can see if Jaycee's face lit up from the flames and Darren screaming when the alarms went off. If it weren't for them, it may have been too late. Michael and I talked to both of the kids about what had happened. Darren was told he was a hero, and he gladly took on the title. When we talked to Jaycee about it, all she could say was "Fire care me, it care me." (translation: "the fire scared me, it scared me!") So sad, but so cute. Both "hero firefighters" were awarded with McDonald's for dinner partly for their good work and the rest because dinner was ruined. Man, what a night! Bad things happen in 3's and that made tres!

Release

I'm tired, its late, yet I feel like I needed to release some thoughts. My mind is reeling. I cant stop thinking about my family. I wish I could explain to them what exactly they mean to me. I am thankful for what I had, have and will have. I am appreciative of Lisa for the relay and her role as Sweden. For being the voice when I can not speak. For never taking a side, being there - an ear. I question myself and I question others. I appreciate genuine thoughts and suggestions. I want to describe my feelings but cant. My intentions are good but perceived differently. That doesn't change that my intentions ARE good. I am not a selfish person. This works to my advantage sometimes. Sometimes not. I am fair. I am genuine. I am willing. I will not be finagled. I will do whats best. Things happen for a reason-sometimes with out the answer to why? Everything makes sense-eventually. I am not a manipulator. I will make good decisions and never harm. For now, I am going to bed. Tomorrow, ?

Kids

Kids. My kids. They crack me up! I love how they play together! And believe it or not, they were actually sharing this little wagon/bucket on wheels. They are both getting to the age where they either love each other or hate each other. Luckily for me, they love to hug. When I look at these pictures, I cant help but burst out laughing. In the first picture, Darren looks like he is ready to dump Jaycee right out of the wagon. But my favorite has to be the second picture. I love both of their facial expressions! They both keep me going. They both make me laugh. I couldn't imagine having one and not the other. They definitely belong as brother and sister. All in all, I just love the heck out of these two! I couldn't ask for better kids.

Just for laughs

Just some funny signs and sayings that caught my eye! Thought they were worth sharing a laugh!

Michelin Man

I really think that we should purchase stock in Michelin tires. Why you ask? Well, Michael fractures his wrist in softball last Sunday and his hand swelled nearly double its size. He is out of work for a while and we are waiting until we get results back from a specialist that is reviewing his x-rays. Michael was in a lot of pain but is feeling much better. His hand still swells but the brace he has to wear has been really helpful in stabilizing his hand and relieving him of some of the pain. I am sure that the Vicodin is doing its part in that too! I think his hand shows a striking resemblance to the big Michelin Mans, don't you?