I'M ALIVE..... Really, I am!

I am a little embarrassed at how much I have NOT been blogging. Life just got really crazy on me, and I got out of the habit of posting. I think maybe I will start writing again about our crazy life -- I really miss it!

A lot has happened since my last post -- It was in October! Dwain made it home from Afghanistan safe and sound. I don't think I have ever cried so many happy tears. It was a day that I will never forget. Ever! Seeing his face again after 7 months of worrying was one of the most emotional moments of my life. I still get goosebumps just thinking about it.

 Waiting for the buses to arrive -- Already had one minor breakdown, followed by a total meltdown. The realization that 7 months of being strong and trying not to worry was finally over came CRASHING down in a big way.

 He's the only person I saw. I couldn't run fast enough!

 In typical Dwain style, he was cracking up because I was crying.

 I can't describe it. There are no words.

GOT HIM!

Once we finally got Dwain back on this side of the ocean, life went back to normal, which is crazy 90% of the time. I played on a women's volleyball team at Donut Hill this fall. I had a blast! We played every Monday night for about a month or so. We came in second for the regular season portion, but we WON the one-day tourney! I had a great time. I think I could play volleyball all year round!

Volleyball at Donut Hill kept me very busy, but it didn't hold a candle to the craziness that is Shotgun Season! I hunted almost every day for the entire season and I only saw four bucks! Pitiful! I would have shot one of them, but he came through the woods before "shooting light" came in and I couldn't see well enough. Dangit! Oh well, I still had a good time. I got to spend some quality time with Tim. I got to read a lot while sitting in the stand. And I had a great time watching all the other critters in the woods; though, I don't really care to see another squirrel for a while. Oh well, turkey season is just a few months away!

This is the deer that walked past my stand before "shooting light." He walked past the trail camera just a few minutes before I saw him -- Wow, he's nice!

Besides volleyball, Dwain's homecoming, and deer season, I have also been very busy with work. We finally got a couple other massage therapists hired at the office, so I'm not trying to do ALL the massages myself. My schedule is still very busy, but its not overwhelming. The end of the year is our busiest time, because most of our patients are trying to use up their insurance money before the end of the year. Once January rolls around, things will slow down considerably. I like being busy, but I think it will be nice to have a little breathing room. We will see. I have this sneaking suspicion that things won't really slow down too much for me. One of the reasons I love "my people" so much is because they keep my schedule full. I don't know what I would do if I wasn't busy.

I have just about gotten everything ready for Christmas. Dwain and I spend a day together every year shopping for everyone else in the family. He will be home Thursday this week, so I think we are planning on doing our shopping trip on Friday after I get off work. Other than that, I just have a couple of homemade gifts to make for Tim's cousins. I really need to get on that, but its not going to happen tonight.

I have a busy day tomorrow! I'm going to Nicholas's birthday party. Nico is my best friend Jessica's three year old son. I love him like he was my own. I am so excited for his party! I made him a really adorable pillow and blanket out of some Lightning McQueen fleece. I'll post pictures later! I can't WAIT to see his Mario birthday cake! It should be a really good day! After the party, I think I might swap massages with Adara; she is one of the massage therapists I work with now. I could really use one, but then again, who couldn't use a massage?

I think that should about wrap it up for tonight. I know there are lots of things that have happened the last few months, but there isn't enough time to tell you about everything. I will just have to do a better job blogging from here on out. I hope you all have a wonderful Sunday. I can tell you that my Sunday is going to be fantastic!!! Good night everyone! I'll post again soon!   :^)

Tweaker Treats

I can honestly say that I don't think I have ever been this busy in my life! Even when I was juggling school, social life, family time, and volleyball. Sometimes I don't even know which way is up.

Work has been really busy, which is exactly how I want it. I love my job! My schedule has been filled just about every day. I love being busy. It not only makes the day go by quicker, but I really just love being able to help my people feel better. My job is so rewarding. I can't imagine doing anything else with my life.

Volleyball is almost over. We had our last regular season game tonight. Unfortunately, the girls didn't win tonight, but they have had a wonderful season. I am so proud of how far they have come. I am really looking forward to this Saturday. We drew Loogootee in the Sectional, so we have our work cut out for us, but I would love to come away with a WIN! I know that they can do it if they set their minds to it! We'll just have to see what happens when they step out on the floor.

The big news at our house is that it's almost time for Dwain to come home! He should be back in the States in the next two weeks. I can't tell you the exact date, but I can tell you that I am getting EXCITED! I feel like my heart grows a couple sizes every time I start to think about it. It will be enough just to know that he is okay. I am so proud of him! I love you Saheeb! I can't tell you how much I am looking forward to seeing your face again! Counting down the days doesn't even come close!!

This is my favorite picture of Dwain and I -- You gotta love Christmas at Grandma Teddi's house! I love him SOOO much! He may be bigger than I am now, but I still love giving him hugs!

I really need to get my house cleaned and the yard mowed, but it's just not at the top of my priority list. I would much rather spend time with Tim or Mom and Dad than spend all my time trying to keep my house spotless. It's just not worth it. As far as I'm concerned, houses are supposed to be homes -- And our house is our HOME! There is still a deer stand in the living room. I have about four loads of laundry that needs washed. There is material all over the floor from the half-finished sewing project I am working on. My dishes are done, which is a start, but there is always more work to do. I tell you what, I'll get to it tomorrow -- Maybe.

I am sitting here on my comfy couch, watching What Not To Wear, and before I finish this post, I just have to tell you about what Chuck did this weekend. I had volleyball practice on Friday evening then because I was feeling sore and cruddy, I decided to take a bath. As I was enjoying the warm water, I heard the cat ripping through the house and before I know it, he's sitting on the edge of the tub. I couldn't believe that he would do it, but he did! My idiot cat climbed INTO the bathtub with me! He was in water up to his belly! What is WRONG with our cat! He is wired backwards, for sure. But I tell you what, it's never, ever boring at our house. We've had a lot of fun the last couple weeks giving him cat-treats made with catnip -- We call them "Tweaker Treats" because they make the cat go on some kind of acid trip. He runs all over the house, attacks the dog, attacks Tim, falls off his cat perch, chases his tail, and more for about an hour or so, then he CRASHES. We find him in a semi-comatose state -- Sometimes in the kitchen, but usually on the couch. He sleeps for hours, then he's ready to go again. Oh, I love our cat. I hope he never changes. Thank you Chuck for being so dang weird!

Well, it's definitely my bedtime. I have a full schedule every day this week, so I need to make sure that I get some good shut-eye. Sleep is so important. If I get enough sleep, there is no limit to what I can do. I hope to write to you all again soon, but I'm not making any promises. We've got a big, big couple weeks coming up, but I have never been more excited for time to go quickly. Dwain's Day of Return cannot get here soon enough. I hope you all have a great week! Good night!!!   :^)
Operation Saheeb -- Six Months, One Week        *Less than 2 weeks left!!!*

Now, That's Interior Decorating!

I really think I keep getting worse and worse about blogging. I just have too many other things going on. I really do miss it. Maybe once volleyball slows down a little bit, I'll have more time to post. Fingers Crossed!

Life has really been crazy at our house. Work and volleyball are keeping me busy, but they are both going great! Our new massage therapist started working this week -- Her name is Adara. It has really helped out a lot to have someone else share my workload. It was getting ridiculous! I was completely booked up for the entire month of September. That's all fine and dandy, but Holy Moses, that's a lot of massages! Volleyball was a little slower for me this week. My girls had games on Tuesday at North Central and Thursday at Eastern-Greene, but they were too far away for me to make it. I don't get off work until 6:00, so that makes it almost impossible for me to make it to the away games. They played really well! We got a win against North Central, and a hard fought loss against Eastern. I'm so proud of them! Unless I'm mistaken (which is possible), their record is now 16-6! That's not too shabby!

We have also been preparing for hunting season at our house. We have been spending a lot of time scouting the woods and checking trail cameras. We even bought a Honda 4-Wheeler last week! It's so darn handy -- and more than just a little fun! It was a good investment. Tim also bought a two-person deer stand a week or so ago. Now we can hunt together. The best part about it was the box it came in -- Chuck had his own personal fort, which he used a lot as an ambush point to launch an attack on Dixie (or whoever happened to be walking by). I left it in the living room for about a week before I decided that he had chewed it up too bad. It took me forever to get all the little cardboard pieces picked up. Did I mention that the deerstand is STILL sitting in our living room?? Not exactly what I had in mind when I mentioned getting some new furniture. We are also pretty sure that it is too big to fit through any of the doors in our house -- So, it will need to be disassembled before we can take it outside. Reminds me of the crazy people who build a boat in their basement. What the heck are you gonna do with that?? At least it's good for some laughs! I'm hoping that we have some good luck this hunting season. I would really like to have a big ol' buck mounted on the wall in the living room. Now that's interior decorating -- Hillbilly Style!

I scored some great coupons from my Indy Star this morning. I love, love, love couponing! It's great to save money. I have us stocked up enough that I'm really only buying groceries unless I can get something for next to nothing. Jessica and I (She's my partner in crime, and couponing) had a pretty big setback this week when we realized that Wal-Mart is no longer accepting our competitor coupons. It was a great way to save even more money, but I guess it's not good for Wal-Mart to match competitor coupons. I don't see how it's any different from Price Matching, but they didn't ask me my opinion. We will just have to adapt our strategies. With shows like Extreme Couponing out there, a lot of stores are changing their coupon policies. It really makes it hard for us little guys, especially around Washington because we just don't have enough stores to choose from. If you wanna see the REAL crazy couponers, check out Extreme Couponing on TLC on Wednesday nights at 10:00. I really think the show is rigged, but it's still impressive to watch.

Hmm, what else is new?? Oh my gosh, duh! We talked to Dwain quite a lot this week. I talked to him on Facebook chat on Tuesday for about an hour then we got a phone call yesterday. It's so UNBELIEVABLY great to hear his voice! According to the "Homecoming Hotline," he should be back in the States by the end of October-ish. We don't have an exact date (and I couldn't tell you on here anyway for "security reasons"), but it IS finally getting closer and I just can't WAIT to see him again! I mailed my last Care Packages this week, which brought my grand total since April up to SIXTY-FIVE! That's a LOT of Care Packages. I want to say a big THANK YOU to everyone who donated items and money for shipping. I bet I have sent him about 100 pounds of candy. He has been pretty popular, that's for sure. Oh my gosh, I just can't wait to see him. We are planning on driving down there to be there when he gets off the plane. He is also planning on being home for Thanksgiving and Christmas. This is one EXCITED SISTER!! I have never wanted to give him a hug so badly, and maybe a quick smack upside the head for old times sake.

Tim and I (and Dixie and Chuck) have had a wonderful weekend together. Tim was feeling sickly on Friday, so we stayed in and took it easy. We went to a wedding yesterday evening -- It was nice to get dressed up. We had a nice evening with good friends. Today, we were pretty lazy (Chuck was on catnip-meth this morning, so that was highly entertaining), but I think it's about time to be productive. I have a busy week next week, so I need to at least get the house tidied up. Let's do a rundown of next week: Monday -- Volleyball Game at North Daviess, Tuesday -- Coupon Clippers meeting at Carnegie Library after work, Wednesday -- Wal-Mart Trip (maybe), Thursday -- Volleyball Game at WRV, and Friday -- Volleyball practice then finally some down time. There is also a big tourney at ND on Saturday, so I am a busy beaver next week. Yes, busy, busy! But it keeps life interesting.

Alrighty, well I'm going to get dinner started and try to clean the house a little bit. It's really pointless to clean this time of year because Tim tracks in a lot of dirt and there's always bows, guns, and hunting clothes all over the house. Not to mention deer stands in the living room, but that's why I love him so much. Let's see how much I can get accomplished in the next hour or so. I hope you all have a great evening and a wonderful week. Until next time!   :^)
Operation Saheeb -- Five Months, Three Weeks  ---  Approx. Four Weeks Remaining!

Over The Moon

The last week or so has been really wonderful! Busy as all get out, but just wonderful.

I was COMPLETELY booked up at the office this week -- I didn't have one opening! I can't wait for our new girl to get started though. I'm just booked out too far. Hopefully, it will be sooner rather than later. I want my people to be able to make appointments when they want. I also got a small raise this week, and I'm over the moon about it! Every little bit helps in this economy, that's for sure.

Volleyball was very busy this week as well. My girls had a game on Monday against Union Dugger (WIN) and a game against Washington Catholic on Thursday (WIN). Those two wins couldn't have come at a better time. The last couple games have been tough, and we have two really important weeks coming up. Barr-Reeve on Tuesday night is going to be a good game! We also played in a tournament at Henryville on Saturday with lots of tough teams -- And they WON AGAIN! Way to go girls! They are the only team in ND history to win two tourneys in one season. I am so proud of them!

Henryville Tourney Champs! That makes us 13-4 for the season!

We also got to talk to Dwain on Friday! I chatted with him on Facebook between my morning patients, but Mom got to talk to him for about an hour. It's always so great to hear from him, even if we only talk for a few minutes. As soon as I get this post finished, I'm going to spend the rest of the morning getting Care Packages ready to ship. I have several more to go, but I should have them all sent by the end of the week -- Hopefully! All that junk food sitting in a pile in my living room has GOT to go. I can't look at it anymore without wanting to eat it!

Tim and I have also been doing a lot of scouting to see how the deer are moving. Bow season starts October 1st. We have less than two weeks, and I know I'm excited, but Tim might come apart at the seams if time doesn't fly. He has got the fever, that's for sure. I think that Monster Bucks has been in our DVD player for weeks. I sure did pick a hunter, but we'll never go hungry. We'll be eating backstraps before we know it!

I think that's all for today. Tim just woke up from a power nap, so I'm going to get started on lunch -- And Care Packages. I have another busy week ahead of me. I've got to hit up Wal-Mart tonight, then my girls play Barr-Reeve tomorrow, Tim is off Wednesday and Thursday, and then I'm helping out at practice on Friday (let's hope I'm not as sore this week as I was last week). Yup, I'm gonna be busy! Anyway, I hope you all have a wonderful week.   :^)
Operation Saheeb -- Five Months, One Week, One Day

Peas in a Pod

As usual, I have been very busy lately. There just aren't very many days where I'm not running all over God's creation. Sometimes it gets a little crazy, but it makes time go faster, which is great because that gets Dwain home that much sooner.

Work has been AWESOME! My schedule is booked up for the next two weeks or so, and I love it! What can I say? I love my job! My people mean the world to me and I would do absolutely anything for any of them. I am still looking forward to getting our new massage therapist, because I hate not being able to get someone an appointment because we are too busy. It's just bad for business to tell someone that we don't have ANYTHING for two weeks. But, that will hopefully change when we get someone else in there helping me out.

Volleyball is the main reason that I am so stinking busy right now. My girls are having games two or three nights a week, and that just really cuts into my "productive" time. BUT I LOVE IT! I am so happy to be coaching! The girls are doing well, but they could be doing better. They are struggling a little bit, but we tweaked the rotation and I am positive that it will make a difference. We should come away with two more wins this week. There are home games tomorrow (Monday) and Thursday night. Good Luck Cougars!!

I just want everyone to know that I am the only creature in my house that is NOT sleeping. Tim stayed home from work tonight because his allergies are KILLING him, and he is taking a "Benadryl" nap on the couch right now. Dixie is zonked out on her bed with Chuck. I think it's adorable that they sleep together. They are like peas in a pod!! I will be going to bed soon, but I want to finish this post first.

Hmm. What haven't I talked about?

My couponing is going great! I scored some really great deals this week. I saved us a ton of money on batteries for Tim's trail cameras by price-matching and using coupons. He should be good to go for the rest of the year -- Hopefully! I also got some great free stuff! You just can't pass up free stuff. We had a "Coupon Clippers of Daviess County" meeting at Gatti's yesterday, but I must have picked a bad date/time for the meeting because we didn't have very many people show up. The next one should be better! In the meantime, I'm going to keep saving lots of money! I love saving my family money, but I also love being able to save money for others. Anytime I can help out someone else is always a good time in my book.

Dwain's homecoming date is getting closer and closer! I seriously CANNOT WAIT to see him again. He told us last weekend that he isn't planning on coming home (to Daviess County) until around Christmas, but he will be back in North Carolina before too long (A month and a half-ish) and we will for sure be going to see him. He is wanting to save his days off for when he gets out so he can get out earlier. Sounds smart to me! I have so, so many care packages to get sent to him. I think I might have to ship one or two a day for the rest of the month to get everything that everyone has donated sent to him. The people in our community are amazing. I still have people donating money for shipping and bringing me things to send to him. It's just incredible! I have been playing with the idea of having "We're Proud of You, Dwain" shirts made for the people who want them. I know that a lot of people love him, and it might be nice to have a way to show it. What do you think??

I also want to wish my beautiful mother a HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Her birthday was actually Tuesday, but I can't tell her enough that I love her! I have tried to mold myself into someone like her, and I just pray that someday I can do as much for my family as she does for hers. She is one of the most incredible people I know. A wonderful role-model. She has given so much of herself to those around her, and she asks for nothing in return. Words can't really describe it. I don't only have an amazing mother, but I have a best friend as well. How lucky am I? I love you Momma! I hope you have many, many more birthdays!

I think it's about time for bed. I have a busy week ahead of me, and I really need to get some sleep. I hope that you all have a great week! I'm sure that I will have lots to tell you the next time I write -- Hopefully, it's sooner rather than later, but I'm not making any guarantees!   :^D
Operation Saheeb -- Five Months!! (Almost there!!!)

Yikes!

Been a while again, huh? I apologize -- I just can't get the time to write anything, and blogging is at the bottom of my priority list. I have a lot of things going on in my life right now. I'll try and tell you about it.

For starters, work is INSANE right now because I am the only massage therapist that is working at Bowling Chiropractic. I'm okay with that because I'm staying very busy, but because I can't do any more massages each day, my schedule is filling up pretty far out in the future. I don't have ANY openings until Sept 14th! Yikes! Now, part of the reason that it's so busy is because I am taking Thursday and Friday off this week and the office will be closed on Monday for Labor Day. I feel kinda bad for taking off, but I haven't taken any days off since April when we went to see Dwain in North Carolina! That makes me feel not quite so bad about it. Geez! Everyone needs days off every once in a while, right! I know that I am REALLY looking forward to this weekend. Hopefully, our new massage therapist will pass her certification test soon and be able to come take part of the load off my shoulders. I don't mind being busy, but I hate being booked up so much because my people have a hard time getting in to see me -- And I do love my people.

Volleyball has also been going GREAT! My girls are now 7-1 and they are coming off a big win this weekend at the Vincennes Lincoln Tourney. They lost to Vincennes Lincoln, but there wound up being a three way tie for first place, so they decided the winner based on who had the least amount of points scored against them -- And that was NORTH DAVIESS! I am so very proud of my girls! They have some big games coming up this week and next -- Tonight we play Mitchell at home, Thursday is at Northeast Dubois, and next Tuesday they play Loogootee! Those are going to be some tough games. I am so happy to be involved in the game again, and I hope that I am making a difference. I know that I have really missed volleyball, that's for darn sure.

 Being "coachy"

 I LOVE this picture! That's my girls!!!

2011 Tourney Champs!

My couponing has become it's own sport! The Facebook page that Jessica and I made (Coupon Clippers of Daviess County) has really taken off. I spend a lot of time searching the Internet for great deals and coupons to share with the people who "like" our page. We also had our first get-together last Friday, and I think it went really well. We met at Eastside Park and swapped coupons and ideas. One of the people at the meeting told us that Wal-Mart accepts Competitor coupons as well as Manufacturer coupons. This is HUGE! This means that you can stack a Manufacturer coupon and another store's coupon to save even more! I used to do most of my shopping at CVS, but now I think I'll do more at Wal-Mart because I can save more. It opens up a whole new can of worms in terms of the money I can save. I am making my big trip to Wal-Mart tomorrow, so I'll let you know how it goes! I tell you what, couponing may take a lot of time to get everything clipped and organized, but it's so worth it. I am able to save my family quite a bit of money, and that is always a good thing. Honestly, I think that it's easier to save money than it is to find ways to make more.

Other than that, I have been trying to get things done around the house. I still have a lot to do, but I'm getting there. It's a slow process. I have also really been enjoying the time I get to spend with Tim. Being able to spend mornings with him is AMAZING. We are getting ready to start hunting a lot this fall, and because I am not working as much, I will be able to get out there and enjoy it. I think that I had forgotten that one of the biggest reasons that I was interested in Massage Therapy as a career was because it gave me the chance to spend more time with my family. I wanted a job where I didn't have to work 40 hours a week, but you know what I was doing? I was working about 40 hours a week -- DUH! I am so happy! I really love the way my life is going! Tim and I are closer than we have ever been. Work is going great. I am loving volleyball! I feel like a new person, instead of the continually tired person that I was a month ago. Not much to complain about there.

If only Dwain was home -- But we are almost there! He only has about 2 months left and he will be headed back to the States. Time really has gone by quickly, but I hope that this last two months goes at lightning speed. I can't wait to have Dwain home! We haven't heard from him for a couple weeks, but he was good the last time we talked to him. He told us that they wound up leveling the marketplace that they were trying to take control of because it was too risky to do it using nothing but man-power. It wasn't worth risking lives for, so they just bombed it to the ground. Sounds like a good plan to me. He shared a link with us -- Click here to read about Operation Black Sand. You can also go to www.YouTube.com and search for "Operation Black Sand" to see some videos about it. Pretty neat really -- Pretty scary for this big sister. I miss him so much, but I am also so proud of him. I listen to his voice on my voicemail almost every SINGLE day. November can't get here soon enough! I need to get about six more Care Packages sent to him, but it's hard to find the time to get them ready to go. I think I'll go into work a little early today to try to get a couple on their way to the Middle East. He says that it's like Christmas for him to get Care Packages from home!

Alright, I need to get moving and get some things accomplished this morning. I have a BUSY afternoon planned. My day is filled with massages and then I've got to hurry to the volleyball game tonight. Let's get a win against Mitchell! I hope you all have a good day and a good week. Mine is looking pretty great!   :^D
Operation Saheeb -- Four Months, Two Weeks, Five Days

Coming and Going

Well, It's been forever -- again. I'm not very good at posting regularly. I would love to write something every day, but I just don't have enough time. I have more time to work on things now that I'm not working ALL the time, but I have SO many things going on that I feel like I'm meeting myself coming and going. I'm helping to coach the North Daviess volleyball team, I take my couponing very seriously, I am trying to get things done around the house, I'm selling stuff on EBAY, and I'm doing lots of massages at the office, as usual. It's more than enough to keep me busy! But life couldn't be better!

So now, lets try to get caught up a little bit. My last post was Thursday of last week, so there is quite a bit to cover. Friday, I got to see my Sammie at work one last time. She came in to cover the front desk for the day. Once I finished my massages and visited with Sammie for a bit, I headed for home. Tim had to work Friday night, but I had a volleyball practice to keep me occupied for a couple hours. I can't tell you how much I love being involved again with THE BEST SPORT EVER! I also had practice Saturday morning at 7:00 am, and the rest of Saturday turned out to be a great day! I spent the day in Bloomington with Sammie, Jessica, Sam's sister Lindsay, and Sam's Mom Jane. Oh my gosh, did we ever have fun -- We were celebrating Sammie's birthday! We started the afternoon at the Trojan Horse for lunch. You can imagine the jokes and laughs that we had while eating our gyros. After eating at "The Trojan," we walked around some of the shops on Kirkwood for a couple hours. I wasn't looking to spend a lot of money, but it was still fun to look around. Our next stop was Oliver Winery for a wine tasting. It was my first time and I have to admit that it was pretty fun. We tried a bunch of different wines, but the Blackberry and Moscato were my favorites. We even bought a bottle of the Blackberry to enjoy on the patio. We found a nice cozy patio table next to the coy pond (they were HUGE -- Tim would have had his bowfishing bow out and READY to GO), and had a great time with good wine, good friends, and chocolate. We were all more than a little tipsy (besides Jane; she was our driver) by the time we headed to the mall for some more shopping. I didn't spend too much, but I probably spent more than I should have. Who can pass up shirts for $4.00 though? And I got some great yoga pants to wear when I'm coaching. It was late by the time I got home, but I can't imagine a better Saturday with my girls.

 Squashed-Face Glenna

The whole gang at Oliver Winery

Sunday was also a pretty good day for me. I slept in a while, but then made my trip to Elnora for a copy of the Indy Star. I can't miss out on my coupons. I spent the rest of the morning clipping coupons and planning my shopping trips for the next week. I made a big pot of chili for supper -- I can only make a huge pot of chili, otherwise the proportions aren't right. After Tim left for work, I mowed the yard before calling it quits for the night.

This week was a fantastic week! I wound up doing 24 and a half hours of massage, which is as close to a full week (25 hours) as I can possibly get. Tim and I spent some great time together as well. We had a couple great dinners on Monday and Tuesday night, and we went squirrel hunting on Wednesday morning. We got one squirrel apiece, which made Dixie very happy because she got to retrieve them from the woods for us. We could have gotten more I think, but the wind was blowing pretty steady and we couldn't see them moving in the trees. I made lasagna for lunch once we got back to the house. After eating, Tim took a nap and I headed to work. My plans for Wednesday evening included a trip to Wal-Mart and CVS. I scored a ton of free stuff at CVS and saved about $30 on my groceries at Wal-Mart! I love couponing! I am totally hooked. It's such a great feeling to come out of a store and know that you saved a ton of money. Jessica and I made a page on Facebook called "Coupon Clippers of Daviess County" that has really taken off! We have almost 100 Likes! That's incredible. I never dreamed it would be so popular so fast. I think its a great way to share ideas and coupons with others in our area. Jess and I are having our first get together next Friday evening at Eastside Park. Hopefully lots of people will turn out and make it a success!

Thursday night, I coached at my first ever North Daviess Volleyball Game. The girls had a game Tuesday night at Shoals that they won, but I wasn't able to go. They played Bloomfield Thursday night and WON AGAIN! They had to have 4 out of 5 games to win it, because the first game was a little ugly, but I thought that they all played really well. I have really missed playing volleyball, and it's wonderful to be involved again. I love coaching almost as much as playing. Next week, I will be coaching at Washington on Tuesday night, at North Daviess on Thursday, and maybe at the Pike Central Tourney in Petersburg on Saturday. I wish I could go to the practices too, but I get off work at the same time that they get out of practice, so that doesn't work. The games start at 6:00 pm though, so that's do-able for my schedule. It should make for a really busy week!

I think I'm about done blogging for the day. I need to go run through the shower and grab something to eat (I've got the munchies). I may do a little reading, but I think that I'm going to make today a relaxing day. I would like to go fishing on the river with Tim tonight, but he stayed out until 6:00 this morning and I don't think that sounds like a good idea to me. We will just have to see what happens.

Hopefully we will hear from Dwain again tomorrow. Sundays are usually the day he calls, if he can, so we hang out by the phone on Sundays. He called us last weekend and he is doing fine. They wound up just leveling the marketplace he was at instead of risking lives to get the job done. Much easier (and safer) that way. The link to the story about Dwain's latest mission is HERE. You should all read it. We are so PROUD of him! I miss him so much. I can't wait to give him a HUGE hug! Well, I hope you all have a wonderful Saturday! I plan on it too!   :^D

Operation Saheeb -- Four Months, One Week, Two Days

It's Been a While, Huh?

Oh goodness! I have been away for a while. We finally got a new laptop (I scored a GREAT deal on it at Office Depot last weekend), so I now have the ability to blog again. I have really missed sharing with everyone, and I'm afraid that too much has gone on in the last couple weeks -- I might not remember everything I wanted to tell you, but I'll try my best!

The biggest thing that has changed is the hours I am working. Dr. Bowling had to make some cutbacks, so I am no longer working at the front desk -- I am only doing massages at the office. It does stink a lot to have a smaller paycheck every week, but I honestly think it has been a blessing in disguise. I now work from 1:00 to 6:00 Monday thru Thursday and from 8:00 to 1:00 on Fridays. 25 hours of massage a week. I will still make plenty of money (just maybe not as much as I'm used to), and I am LOVING my new hours. I now have more time to spend with Tim, more time to work on things at home (like mowing the yard and cleaning the house, which both need done right now), more time to sew, more time to sell stuff on Ebay, and more time for massages outside of the office. Not to mention that I feel better than I have in months and my level of sanity is closer to normal. I didn't realize that I was burning myself out so quickly. It's going to be alright! It was a little stressful at first (change is always stressful), but we have adapted. Now, instead of getting up at 6:30 almost every day, I can stay up late working on things and then sleep in a little bit. I like to think that positive thoughts create positive actions, so I am trying to be optimistic about all this. It has definitely been quite a lot to take in and process, but everything will work out for the best, I'm sure. The thing that upsets me the most is that I am no longer working with my beautiful Sammie (she got laid off in the "hours cutting" process). She made everyday at work so enjoyable! It's just not the same without her. I will miss that smile -- Not that I won't ever see her again, but it sure was awesome to see her everyday.

So, with my extra free time, I have been mainly trying to get the things that I have been putting off for months finished. It's amazing how much I can get done when I have all week to work on things instead of just the weekends. I have plans to paint our bathroom, and I really need to get the windows sealed up so that our electric bill won't be so high. I don't think it will help much in this heat, but it's worth a shot. I also have a lot of sewing projects in mind, and of course, it's almost hunting season(s), so I will be doing a lot of hunting with Tim in a couple weeks. Squirrel season starts Monday!!

I just thought of something else that has changed at the office. After next Friday, I will be the only massage therapist working at Bowling Chiropractic. Randi has decided to leave us, and the new girl won't be able to start until she gets certified/licensed, which could take several weeks. I am going to be busy, to say the least. My own regulars are enough to keep my schedule fairly full, but it's going to get a little insane when I start absorbing Randi's patients too. Oh well, it's better for the ol' paycheck!

I think that's all I'm going to write about for today. There has been so much going on lately that I would have to write for five or six hours to cover everything, and I just don't have time for that. We have talked to Dwain a couple times here and there the last couple weeks. The last time was Monday, which was Mom and Dad's 30th anniversary. He had to do a little bribing I think, but it is always good to hear from him. He is still out in the field on a mission, which is more than a little dangerous. How DARE they shoot at my brother!! He did tell us that he should be headed back to the States by the first of November, so he only has about two and a half months left. He has been gone FOUR MONTHS today! Time really has flown by! I can't wait to get that tall, goofy thing back home. I think that I might start by giving him a hug for a whole hour, then because I connect with people by touching them, I want to give him a massage -- for about three hours! I don't think he will have any objections to that. I worry about him everyday, but I know that God is looking out for him. He has always been good at keeping out of trouble, so I try not to worry too much, because I could drive myself crazy by worrying -- and that's just not healthy.

Well, I'm signing off for now. It's about time for me to get ready for work. Tim and I had "Taco Night" last night, so I will be having some leftovers for my lunch today. I have a full massage schedule waiting on me at the office. It's a good day! I hope you all have a good day as well!   :^)
Operation Saheeb -- FOUR MONTHS!

I'm ALIVE!! No Really! But Our Computer is Still "Deceased"

Just a quick update: We still haven't replaced our computer so I haven't taken the time to write anything in a while. A lot has happened in the last couple weeks though. Starting yesterday, I am only doing massages at the office -- No more office hours. It will be nice to have some more time to work on what I want to and to spend time with Tim, but I'm really going to miss that part of my paycheck. I guess I'll just have to find a way to make my free time productive. Other than that, I have just basically been working a lot. I am sunburned from mowing the yard on Sunday. Today was Jessica's girl Sofia's first birthday. I have been saving a TON of money with my coupons, which is good considering that my income has been depleted. We found a laptop that I am very interested in purchasing from Best Buy, but they are completely and totally sold out -- Like online and in every store within 200 miles! Thanks so much Back to School shoppers. Oh well, we'll figure something out. Okay, that's all I really have time to write tonight because I'm at Mom and Dad's and my bed is calling my name. I hope you all have a good Wednesday! Good night!   :^D
Operation Saheeb -- Three Months, Three Weeks, One Day

Our Computer is TOAST!

Well, this is going to be a quick post, and I apologize. Our computer burned itself up, so blogging is not something that I am able to do much of right now. We are in the market for a new one, so I hope to be up and running again very soon.

My last post was on Saturday, but I'm not going to go into detail getting you caught up. Let's just hit the highlights. I don't want this to take all night. I had a pretty basic week this week. Nothing extraordinarily remarkable. I worked and did a pretty full schedule of massages. I had my last two volleyball open gyms on Monday and Wednesday. The heat was terrible! Thankfully, the gym is really air conditioned, so it was tolerable.

I scored some pretty good deals while couponing this week. I think I am just about stocked up on things for several months. Jessica and I even made a Facebook Page so that we can get together with people and swap coupons. Check out Coupon Clippers of Daviess County! I wound up at Jessica's house Thursday night after getting Chinese with Sammie. It was an all around great evening. I love those girls!

My plans for tomorrow also involve Jessica and Sammie. We are making a shopping trip to Evansville to pick up things for Sofia's first birthday and a few other things. There's nothing better than a Saturday out with good friends. I also plan on doing some fishing with Tim this weekend. Other than that, who knows what we will get into.

We heard from Dwain today!!! I got to chat with him a little bit on Facebook and Mom and Dad got a phone call from him. It was SOO GOOD to hear from him. It had been too long! That's such a huge load of stress that I can just throw away. Sometimes, you just can't help but worry.

Okay, I think that's all I'm going to blog about tonight. I can't really think of anything drastic that I have missed. There is probably something that I've forgotten, but oh well. I think I might grab something for supper and curl up with my Kindle. Yup, sounds like a great idea! Good night everyone!   :^)
Operation Saheeb -- Three Months, One Week, Four Days

A Date with Harry Potter

Tonight, I have a date with Harry Potter. I am just finishing the first movie, and I plan on watching all of them in order (over the next couple days, of course) to prepare for when I get to watch the final installment, which is hopefully in the next week or so. I don't want to fight everyone at the theater, but it is definitely on my "To Watch" list. I have been a Harry Potter addict for as long as I can remember. The books are much better naturally (I've read the series at least a dozen times), but the movies aren't too bad either. I have also been listing stuff on EBAY all afternoon. I like to go to St. Vincent's, which is our local thrift store, to find good deals on name brand stuff and books then turn around and sell them on EBAY for a profit. It's a good way to make some money on the side, and every little bit helps when you have bills to pay. I used up my 50 free listings per month though, so I am done with that for a while. Let's just hope that I can sell my stuff for a good price.

The remainder of my work week went really well this week. Thursday I worked in the morning then did five massages in the afternoon, and Friday morning I did five massages then came home. I wound up doing 25 massages this week! That is as booked up as I can possibly get. I have to make sure that I get enough sleep to keep from wearing myself out, but that will sure make a good paycheck on Monday. Maybe the best I've ever had! Because we were only open three days last week, I had a little overflow into this week. That's why my schedule was so full.

I haven't really done much this weekend. When I got home Friday from work, I did the only logical thing for someone who had a week like mine -- I took a nap. Once I got up and Tim left for work, I read on my book for the rest of the evening (Our Direct TV has STILL not been fixed). I kinda feel lame not doing anything "exciting" on a perfectly good Friday night, but Tim had to work and I was tired, so ask me if I care. It was SUPER to have a lazy evening.

Tim didn't come back from work at his usual time this morning, but Dixie must have missed that memo. She walked around the house all morning whining and looking for him. I think it's great that she knows his schedule! He did a ride-along with one of the Sheriff's deputies so he could see what they do. The Sheriff Department is hiring Reserve Deputies, and of course, he is hoping to get one of the spots. Dixie was beside herself when he finally made it home, but he crashed out almost immediately. He didn't even make it halfway through a Dukes of Hazzard episode before he was sawing logs. I walked to the mailbox with Dixie then did my EBAY thing for the afternoon. I made Tim spaghetti and cheesy bread for dinner, which was very good. I think I might have a second helping after while.

I'm now on the second Harry Potter movie. I might even watch the third one tonight if I get time, but they are pretty long. My only plan for tomorrow is to mow the yard and tidy up the house a little bit. It's getting pretty dirty. I also have a baby shower I want to try to go to tomorrow, if I can. I think that about wraps it up for tonight. If any of you want to check out my EBAY listings, you can by clicking here -- http://myworld.ebay.com/glennal_87. I hope you all have a great and lazy Sunday. I sure hope that we hear from Dwain soon. It's been a while, and we are more than a little worried. Good night everyone!   :^)
Operation Saheeb -- Three Months, Five Days

Talk about a Run of Bad Luck

Wednesday night. Where am I? Sitting on my couch watching How To Train Your Dragon, doing laundry, and blogging. It has been a very long day, but it has been a good day. I plan on finishing this post, taking a quick shower, then calling it a night. But first, I need to get you caught up on the last couple days.

Monday, my massage schedule at the office was booked. I did five massages, but I didn't stick around long because I had volleyball open gym Monday night. The girls are really coming along nicely. Tim had to work Monday night, so I came home after volleyball, took a shower, then went to bed. Sounds about like my plan for tonight, huh?

Tuesday was a great day. I was really busy all morning at the office. There was tons of paperwork and such to keep me busy. I ran some errands over lunch (I saved about $40 using coupons at Wally World), then headed back to the office for another afternoon full of massages. I had to do a little fancy scheduling to get Randi's schedule filled up too, but we both had full day's on Tuesday. A wicked storm blew up about the time we got off work, and I was headed to Wal-Mart to stock up on some household stuff. I have some great coupons for the things that we use everyday, so I am going to use them to save a little money on the things that I buy all the time. It's so nice to save money, and I won't have to buy anything like shampoo or deodorant for quite a while -- That money stays in my pocket. Anyway, back to my story. I got to Wal-Mart just as the storm was really starting to blow, so I stayed in my car and read a bit while the storm was raging around me. I had checked the weather before I left the office, so I knew that it was going to be a quick storm. The only problem with my flawless plan was that the wind was blowing so hard that shopping carts were scooting all over the parking lot. I was a little afraid for the well-being of my vehicle when I saw a cart NAIL a pretty red Cadillac. I decided it would be a good idea to move to a safer spot. Before too long, the storm had blown itself out and I went inside. I was able to stock up on quite a few things and save a lot of money. In total, I spent about $150 dollars on Tuesday, but I saved over $100! That's a good day in my book! I can use that money on so many other things besides razors and hair gel. Think of all the fishing poles you could buy! After I got home and got my purchases unloaded and put away, I went up to Mom and Dad's for supper and some quality visiting time. I wound up falling asleep on the couch, which is typical, but I really enjoyed my evening. Yup, Tuesday was a good day!

Today has been almost as good! Unfortunately, I didn't get to see Tim before I left for work this morning because he went South to take his Mom out to eat for her birthday. -- HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my second Momma! I love you Kim! -- I didn't want to leave Dixie at home all day, so I took her to visit with her Grandma Sara while I was at work. I'm pretty sure that she had one heck of a day, because she has been sleeping ever since we got home. Playing with Annie sure wears her out. I had another busy morning at the office, then a full afternoon of massages. I have done fifteen hours of massage so far this week, and I have ten more to go. Man, that's great for my paycheck and it's great to be so busy! I had volleyball again tonight after work, and it was one of the best open gyms yet. The girls are attending a team camp at Linton this week, so we didn't want to do anything too serious. "Not too serious" means that we did a lot of fun drills and playing either three on three or six on six. I haven't had that good of a workout in a long time. I bet I burned off at least a couple pounds tonight. After volleyball, I went to Mom's to pick up Dixie. I haven't done a whole lot since I got home. I washed a load of clothes, the movie just ended (I watched it while blogging -- It was VERY cute!) and I still need to take that shower. I'm more than a little grimy from sweating so much, but it's SOO MUCH FUN!

I could probably stay up late tonight watching TV or something, but our Direct TV antenna is still misaligned. I actually called our repairman today because I was beginning to think that he had forgotten about us. Let me tell you what, he has had one hell of a last two weeks. He told me that he wouldn't be able to come out today because he had to go to his nephew's funeral. His nephew (he can't have been that old) was killed in an electrical accident a couple days ago in Martinsville. As if that isn't bad enough, Rob (that's our repairman's name) told me that two weeks ago he was working on someone's roof and was electrocuted bad enough that the doctors at the ER were surprised that he had survived! Talk about a run of bad luck. I think I would stay away from electricity for a while. I felt terrible for calling the poor man on the day of his nephew's funeral, but he said that he would get out and get us taken care of in a couple days. I assured him that there was no rush -- We have been busy enough that I really haven't missed having TV the last week, but I will be calling Direct TV to have them adjust our bill. I don't really want to pay for the week that we haven't had signal.

I think that I'm going to wrap this post up for the night. It's been a long day, and I have another big one tomorrow. Hopefully, Tim will be home tomorrow night -- I would like to spend some time with him if I can get him off the river long enough. He is going for Round #2 on the Ohio tonight. Maybe he will catch another big fish -- Who knows. All I know is that I'm ready to catch some ZZZ's. For those of you who are keeping tabs on Dwain, we haven't heard anything from him in several days. I'm sure he is just busy on some mission somewhere, but I sure would like to have a chat with him. I miss him a lot, but being busy helps make the time go faster. I can't wait until we get to see him again. It can't get here fast enough. I hope you all have a great Thursday. Goodnight!!!   :^)
Operation Saheeb -- Three Months, Two Days

You Could Fit His Head in There!

What a weekend! I went on a road trip with Mom and Dad to South Bend for my cousin Karl's wedding. The wedding was nice, but the drive was LONG! I wanted to read on my Kindle, but I kept getting carsick. That made it a very long drive. I guess that I'm not done reading the Outlander series -- I thought that there were just three books, but there are SIX! They are all over 800 pages! I'm going to be reading for a little while longer about Jamie and Claire's adventure. I was able to read quite a bit by putting my hands up as blinders so I couldn't see the road flying by, but the curvy road still made me sick to my stomach.

The wedding was held at the park of the town where Karl and Stephanie live, and the reception was in Aunt Diana and Uncle Bill's backyard. It was very pretty. It was great to visit with family, and I got to meet some wonderful new faces. We stayed at the reception until after midnight, then went back to the hotel to crash for the night. The plan was to get up early the next morning and be on the road, but we slept in, so we didn't get headed for home until about noon or so. By the time we made it home (about 5:00 or so), I was ready to call it a day. Unfortunately, the yard needed mowed. Tim wasn't home yet -- He had gone catfishing this weekend on the Ohio; more on that later -- so I went ahead and did the mowing. Thank goodness, Grandma Ruth let me borrow her riding mower, so it didn't take me more than a couple hours. I got out of the shower at about the same time Tim got home. We went up to Mom's to visit with them a little while then came back to our house. Tim watched a movie, but I don't remember more than the first ten minutes or so before I fell asleep.

Tim, on the other hand, had a very unforgettable weekend! Like I said earlier, he went fishing on the Ohio River this weekend with his friend Pat and his little brother Josh. They were fishing for catfish and maybe a few carp here and there. Tim caught a MONSTER!! Two of them actually! He caught a 27 pound Blue Catfish and a potential state record Flathead. It broke the scales at 67 pounds, but judging by the length and girth etc, he has figured that it was probably pushing about 80 pounds. How about I just let the pictures speak for themselves? Be ready to say "Holy Crap!"
 

The 27 pounder -- It's a baby fish compared to the other one!



Jumping Carp -- Killed with a Bow and Arrow



And now the real fishing begins!

 

Fish on!



Look at that rod tip go down!

 

Making a run for the bottom of the river -- Hold on Tim!



No more captions after this -- Enjoy the show!

 

 

You could fit his HEAD in there!

 

Catch and Release -- So we can catch her again someday



He got a little "damp"

What a helluva fish! He could have taken it and had it officially weighed and measured to see if it really was a new State Record, but it was late at night, and he didn't want the fish to die while he was trying to get it weighed.

Now, it's Monday and we have to go back to work. Tim is making butterfly chops for lunch, and I'll be heading to the office soon. I have a full schedule and volleyball open gym after work. I really need to go to Wal-Mart after work to pick up a couple things, but it will have to wait until tomorrow. It's going to be another busy day! I hope you have a good Monday -- If that's possible.    :^)

Operation Saheeb -- Three Months! We are about halfway done!

Not-So-Extreme Couponing

Oh man, I am in trouble! I have discovered the joys of couponing! Saving money on the things you already buy -- Yup, that's a good feeling. If there's coupons out there that I can use on the things I am going to buy anyway, why not use them? It makes perfect sense to me. So, I have spent the better part of the evening searching the Internet for coupons that I can use. I plan on stocking up on the things I can, which basically means household stuff. I don't want to turn my life into an episode of "Extreme Couponing" by any means, but I think that saving a little money here and there is a good thing. I think we could all use a little extra money. 

Today was another crazy, busy day at the office. Something about having a short week makes it seem like it takes forever to get to the weekend. I have only worked two days so far this week, but it's been a little hectic. I worked at the front desk this morning with Dr. Pete, but we weren't really busy until right before lunch. I got quite a bit of paperwork and other fun tasks done, then headed to lunch at the park. I brought my lunch from home today (homemade guacamole), but I forgot to grab some tortilla chips to eat with it, so I was going to have guacamole only for lunch. The only problem with that plan? I forgot to grab a fork when I left the office, and I really didn't feel like eating with my fingers, so I came back from lunch a little early. I had a full day of massages on the books today -- Actually, I'm booked up through NEXT Thursday! That's ridiculous! It's great for my schedule (and paycheck), but I hate telling my patients that I can't get them in when they need a massage. It makes me feel like I'm failing them in some way. That's just the mother-hen in me though. I always feel like I have to take care of everyone -- That's what got me interested in massage in the first place.

Anyway, I had a great day, but I was really glad to get on the road for home. I stopped to drop off some supper for Tim and made a detour to Grandma Teddi's house. I also had to stop to fill my car up with gas in Elnora, but I was talking to Jessica most of the time, so it wasn't any big chore. Talking to friends makes everything better. Dixie and I played in the yard for a little while, then I settled in for some relaxation time. I have had a good evening, but I think I'm about ready for bed. I am very glad that tomorrow is finally Friday! It's going to be a busy weekend though. I'm probably not going to get to relax my stress away -- That makes me a little sad. I sure do love having a lazy weekend. They are perfect for unwinding after a crazy week. I think I will head to bed now. Sorry that this has been such a short post. I bet I'll have more to write about tomorrow. Good night!  :^)
Operation Saheeb -- Two Months, Three Weeks, Five Days

A Caffeine Kind of Day

I had the hardest time getting the videos from Monday night to upload -- It was very frustrating, but I love having videos to share, so I will keep taking them. Pictures are much easier, but videos are more fun!

Tuesday involved a lot of fishing. Tim and I made a trip to Grandma Teddi's house at about 4:00 or so to catch some Bluegill. We needed to have some bait for our catfishing adventure that night. I love catching Bluegill. They usually bite like crazy, which is so much fun. It was really hot out there at the pond on Tuesday, but Tim and I worked on our tans a little bit. I'm actually starting to get a little color now after all the time I spent outside this weekend, but the sun makes my freckles come out -- Not cool! They were cute when I was twelve, but now they just make my complexion look blotchy. Oh the joys of being fair skinned!

The first bass of the year! Not a very big one, but it was a heck of a catch while fishing for Bluegill

Anyway, after we caught about twenty or so Bluegill, we headed back home to get the boat ready for some late night catfishing (well, not too late because I had to be at work at 8:00 this morning). We grabbed a quick bite to eat and dropped Dixie off at Mom's, which put us at the river at about 9:00 or so. That's just about perfect timing to get out on the river and get set up right before dark. When the sun goes down is when the fish start biting. Unfortunately, the fish weren't biting much. We had a really good spot where we were set up, but we didn't get more than a couple bites all night. It's a good thing that I love the act of fishing almost as much as catching fish. Tim and I had a great evening out on the water. We saw a beaver (or two) -- A tree frog hitched a ride on one of our poles (scared the daylights out of me when he jumped up there) -- And Tim had a full conversation with an owl (quite entertaining to hear them hooting back and forth). We stayed as long as we could, but didn't have any luck. After a few minor difficulties (the water level is really low, which makes getting the boat on the trailer a little tricky), we headed to Mom's to pick up our four-legged daughter. Because I can't stand crawling into bed dirty, I made a quick trip through the shower to wash the sweat and grime off. By the time I was able to finally close my eyes and fall asleep, it was considerably later than I had planned. My only thought? "Tomorrow is going to be a long day."

You can't see it very well, but that's a beaver on the river bank

Our little froggie friend -- He likes catfishing too! 

Again with the frog -- I was totally fascinated 

Finally! I got a decent picture with Tim -- I'm not the most photogenic person out there. This took us about ten tries because the flash was making my eyes do some stupid things. 

The moon behind our poles -- Very pretty!

Actually, today wasn't too bad at all. It was the first day back after a little Fourth of July vacation, so we were EXTREMELY busy. I felt like we were busy from 8:30 to 12:00 and from 1:00 to 6:00. I covered the front desk this morning, but besides checking patients in and out, I didn't get much done. The phone rang off the hook, and we had several people walk in. It was pandemonium! That was nothing compared to this afternoon though. Sammie had her hands full trying to stay ahead this afternoon. Thankfully, my massage schedule was booked up, so all I had to do was make the five people I saw happy. I always try to help out as much as I can if I have a little time between appointments, but Sammie does a great job handling a busy schedule like that. Although, today was definitely a caffeine day. Sometimes, you just need a little boost to get you through a crazy day. Before I knew it, it was time to call it a day. I can't believe how fast the day went. It is SO good to be busy. I made a quick trip to Wal-Mart after work, then picked up Wendy's for Tim's supper. I did a couple odd jobs when I got home, but now my main focus is laundry. I still can't tell you how incredibly convenient it is to be able to do laundry at my own house. I get so much more done this way. I am going to try to get a couple more loads of laundry, but the need for sleep might win that battle. As late as we were out last night, I think I should probably call it an early night tonight. It's business as usual tomorrow. Have a good night everyone! Thank you all for reading! I hope that you enjoy the blog as much as I do!  :^)

Operation Saheeb -- Two Months, Three Weeks, Four Days

You Can't Go Wrong with the Dukes!

I am sitting here on the couch (being lazy on the computer) and I can't help but ask -- What's that smell? Oh man, it's Dixie! She found some god awful thing in the yard to roll in yesterday, and even though I gave her a bath right away, she still reeks. Fantastic! -- Sarcasm is a second language for me. I think that I will give her another bath here in a few minutes when I get this post finished.

Yesterday was one of the laziest days we have had in a long time! I didn't get out of bed until late in the morning, and then I spent the entire afternoon reading Voyager on my Kindle. Tim worked the night before, so he spent most of the day sleeping. Night shift sucks! At about 5:00 or so, we got all cleaned up and made a trip to the tractor pull at Otwell. Grandpa Marvin and a bunch of the guys Dad has done work for were pulling. Dixie wasn't very happy that we left her at home, but there were fireworks afterwards. I don't think they would have bothered her much, but they sound too much like gun shots, and she would have spent all evening excited and waiting for the ducks to fall out of the sky. Gunshot Sounds = Falling Ducks. We had a really good time (even though it was MUGGY) and I really enjoyed the fireworks. There is nothing better than watching fireworks on the Fourth of July. I took a couple videos from the tractor pull so that you could enjoy it too. I have become completely involved in my blog now. I love taking pictures and videos for the sole purpose of putting them on here. What can I say? I love blogging. It's very cathartic -- Wow, that's a big word! I could have just said "it's very therapeutic," but sometimes I like to remind myself that I did get (and am still paying for) a good education -- So I use big words; just so I feel like I'm getting my money's worth.

Here is the video of Grandpa Marvin's pull in the Super Farm class

This is Quintin Hartman's son Bradley pulling last night. Dad has done a lot of work on this tractor over the years.

After Tim and I made it home (it was a little late), we got a bite to eat and curled up on the couch to watch The Expendables. It's one of our favorite movies, but I wound up falling asleep about halfway through. Dangit, I really wanted to watch the whole thing. I finally gave up and went to bed, but because Tim slept during the day yesterday, he was up most of the night. I don't have a clue what he did, but there are Dukes of Hazzard DVD's all over the floor in front of the TV. You can't go wrong with the Dukes!

I woke up this morning because Dixie REALLY had to go outside to pee -- And she made sure that I knew it. She sat by the bed whining and carrying on for about five minutes before I finally gave up and let her out. I spent about ten minutes sitting outside watching her run around before we came back in. I spent another ten minutes looking for my camera so I could upload the videos from last night before I realized that it was still in the pocket of Tim's jeans. Go figure. I had looked everywhere else I could think of. Talk about a "DUH" moment. Now, once I get all these videos uploaded, Tim and I are planning on doing a little fishing tonight. We need to catch some bait first, but it should be a great evening. I do love fishing! Other than that, I can't think of any plans for the day. We both have to go back to work tomorrow, but it's a short week, so it won't be too bad. I hope everyone has had a wonderful Fourth of July weekend! Enjoy the rest of your week! I need to go give a puppy a bath.    :^)
Operation Saheeb -- Two Months, Three Weeks, Three Days

The FINALE of the fireworks at Otwell Monday night!

If You Said "Fred" and "Storming"

Have I ever mentioned that I really love Sundays? Today has been a really good day. I woke up when Tim got home this morning -- Dixie was doing her "Daddy's home" bark right in my face. It is really high pitched because she is so excited to see him. She knows when he gets home from work. We took her up to Mom and Dad's this morning to work a little bit in the hay field and their pond on retrieving a bumper. It has been a really long time since she worked on her retrieving skills, but she did AWESOME! She was doing doubles and everything. I guess it's just like riding a bicycle; you never forget it. She had lots of fun playing in the water, but the tall grass makes her belly break out so we had to give her a Benedryl when we got home. I still find it ironic that our hunting dog is allergic to grass -- Sad, but true. Doesn't seem to affect her any though. She had a blast!

I made some grilled cheese sandwiches when we got home (Tim isn't much of a breakfast foods kind of person), and we watched the A-Team. Our Direct TV antenna got knocked out of alignment AGAIN last night in the wind, and I'm not going to bother the repair guy on a holiday weekend, so I'll give him a call on Tuesday to see if he can fix it. We are going to have to get an antenna mounted on a pole in the ground, but haven't had the time to make it happen. So, no TV for me tonight, but I have my Kindle and I'm still reading Voyager, which is more than enough to keep me occupied this evening. I tell you what, that book is getting better and better -- And I'm just a little over halfway! Tim went to bed pretty quickly this morning, but I stayed up to finish adding the videos to last night's blog post. I couldn't get them to load last night, but they are on there now.

I took a nice nap about lunchtime, then went outside to finish spraying the weeds in the yard. I got everything done except the east side of the driveway and around the mailbox. Mom's sprayer uses electric power so you don't have to pump it, but the battery went dead on me. I'll have to spray it another day. I got all the important parts of the yard done though. I made a lasagna for Tim's supper tonight, then went up to Mom's to feed the dogs and feed and water the rabbits. I also had to play with the kittens a little bit, but they are just too cute to resist. Mom has a cat named Fred (he's Red Fred technically) that we use to predict the weather. He only comes to the barn when there is some bad weather coming. Guess who was at the barn tonight? Guess what the weather is doing right now? If you said "Fred" and "storming," you would be correct! Thankfully, I got the critters all fed, watered, and buttoned up before the rain hit (Thanks, Mom, for the tip-off).

I took a quick shower and put my PJ's on, and I'm ready for some quality reading time. I thought it would be a good idea to write tonight's post before I got absorbed in my book -- Otherwise, I might not get it done and I'm really trying to do better at posting more often. I think, though, that this is enough for tonight. I can't really think of much else to write about. I really did have a good day today, even though I didn't get to talk to Dwain. I'm sure he is just busy, and it won't do me any good to worry about him. I just have to have faith that he will be safe, or else I would go crazy -- And that's never a good thing. Maybe I will hear from him in a day or two. There is nothing like a Sunday to make me miss that boy. He is about half done with his tour now though, so he will be home before we know it! I think that about wraps up today. I hope everyone has a great 4th of July tomorrow! Have fun!!   :^D
Operation Saheeb -- Two Months, Three Weeks, One Day

Die Weeds, Die!

You know that wonderful, contented feeling you get after you have been working hard all day -- When you are enjoying the fact that you accomplished so many things. I am loving that feeling right now. I worked my tail end off today, and it feels so great! Hooray for making my to-do list shorter!

I woke up when Tim got home from work this morning, but I didn't stay awake for long. Tim woke me up at about 10:00 or so with sausage and eggs for breakfast. Holy moly, they were good. He sure can cook. How in the world did I ever get so lucky? Tim laid down then to get some sleep, and I dozed off again for a little bit. When I woke up again, I did a little reading before heading outside to work in the yard. I watered my flowers and pulled some weeds. I had planned on mowing the yard, but it was really hot and the thought of spending four or more hours push mowing the yard was pretty daunting. I had decided to wait until tomorrow to mow, but Grandma Ruth called me to see if I wanted to use her riding mower. Grandma and I double-teamed the yard and got it all mowed in about an hour and a half. It sure makes a difference to have a 48 inch cutting deck compared to the 22 inch deck on my push mower.

After we got the yard mowed, I had to get back to the house to get Tim headed to work. I made him a "Dagwood" to take with him, which is what my Dad has always called it when you make a HUGE sandwich. After Tim left for work (he drove Waldo, my car), Dixie and I took his truck up to Mom and Dad's to borrow their weed-eater and sprayer. I got everything trimmed up nice and neat and almost everything sprayed (Die Weeds, Die!) before I ran out of daylight. I will have to put the finishing touches on it tomorrow. Our yard is looking really nice now. I still have some work to do, but I made a lot of progress today. I want to work on getting my flower beds done tomorrow. I need to move a bunch of mulch next week, and I have a tree that needs a couple limbs taken off. Lots to keep me busy on my days off.

Dixie worked hard today too

Now, I have taken a shower and gotten all the grass out of my hair (I think). I am very comfortable on our couch with Dixie and Chuck. I am watching the History Channel, but I think I will head to bed soon. It's been a good day. I'm hoping that I get to talk to Dwain tomorrow -- He said something about calling me. I would love to hear that voice! Alright, time for bed now. I uploaded a couple videos for you. Hope you like them. Everyone, have a great Sunday!   :^)
Operation Saheeb -- Two Months, Three Weeks

Chuck was chasing his tail this morning -- Too funny! It's really hard to see because the kitchen was dark, but it was too good not to share.

The quality on this one is terrible, but I decided to upload it anyway.

This is the first section of a video I took last week of Sela, Annie, and Dixie playing in the yard. It was too big to upload the whole thing, so I cut it in three parts.

Second section of Sela, Annie, and Dixie's video -- Annie loves to fetch!

Last section of Sela, Annie, and Dixie's video -- Motley snuck in there too