Happy New Year!

Tonight I got to spend my new years with these guys!  No better way to spend it!  I have always known you should spend this night with people you want to spend your year with.  It's how I have celebrated this holiday since Tanner was born!

Happy New Year!!!

Everyone has a chapter in their lives they don't read out loud.

Dennis is a big baby!

At The beginning of the year we got a new king size bed. For the most part we really enjoyed it but on occasion, while I am sleeping, I apparently feel around for him in the middle of the night. Used to, in our queen size bed my whole body stay right next to his.... of course he'd be hanging on the side of the bed every morning and complain about that! But I knew where he was. This morning he lodge a new complaint...

Dennis: Hey you need to quit hitting me in the face.

Raven: What do you mean hit you in the face? 

Dennis: You hit me in my face every night! 

Raven: I do not hit you in your face!  Why would I hit you in your face?

Dennis: I don’t know but I need to stop! You’re waking me up and it's pissing me off!

        Oh big whoop!  I'm scared... NOT

Raven: I’m just looking for you because this bed is so big!  Stop being a baby!  Obviously I'm doing this in my sleep!  Why would I hit you in the face on purpose?!?

        He just grunted at me. So I reminded him.

Raven: You should enjoy me hitting you in the face!!  One day I won’t be here to do that.

Dennis;  Oh yeah where are you going to be?

Raven: I’ll be dead!

Dennis:  Oh good!  Then I will finally get a good night sleep!  But... for now... stop it!!!

Don't trust everything you see, even salt can look like sugar.

Midlife has something to say.... are you listening?

''I think midlife is when the universe gently places her hands upon your shoulders, pulls you close, and whispers in your ear:

I’m not screwing around. 

It’s time. 

All of this pretending and performing – these coping mechanisms that you’ve developed to protect yourself from feeling inadequate and getting hurt – has to go.

Your armor is preventing you from growing into your gifts. I understand that you needed these protections when you were small. I understand that you believed your armor could help you secure all of the things you needed to feel worthy of love and belonging, but you’re still searching and you’re more lost than ever.

Time is growing short. There are unexplored adventures ahead of you. You can’t live the rest of your life worried about what other people think. You were born worthy of love and belonging. Courage and daring are coursing through you. You were made to live and love with your whole heart. It’s time to show up and be seen.”

Picture of the night!

Matthews blanket

I don’t sew.  It’s a known fact.  I can hot glue gun stuff all day long, but I can’t sew.  Then... I decided  to make a t-shirt blanket for Matthew.  it's official.. I have lost my mind.

I worked on this labor of love for three weeks during all my free time and watch lots of youtube videos.  My iron kept turning off and I had to run to hobby lobby 3 times to get forgotten things.  I watched an entire season of Dawson's Creek making this.  Stepped on several needles, lost my mind on threading the bobbins and went through 3 cutting razors!

I had to tear out 4 seams and at one point I had the king size blanket on the floor trying to figure out how to get the batting situated.  It was an adventure... and it in NO WAY looks great... but from far away it will pass as "nice" & it is really comfy.  I even sewed  a small pocket on the inside for his remote.

Hopefully, the thought behind it means more the it's worth. and he seemed happy when he opened it.... plus I got a big hug,so that's considered a win right?!  And his big smile made all those evenings sewing until 3 a.m. worth it.

However... I am still so glad that project is over, and never again will I make another one with 30, 12X12 squares!  It would fit a King sizes bed.

Our Staff Christmas Party 2019 Is in the books!

For the Love of GOD.... let me watch netflix!

Man!!!!!   I have done a lot of work over the last month!!!

       .... really, its been since July when we broke ground on the new building.

From catching them building the building completely backwards, to having to open with a temporary occupancy... It's been a whirlwind!  From breaking ground to open was 4 months!   Ordering equipment, arranging classrooms, enrolling kids.... that alone is enough, but then.....

Halloween and all the preparing and decorating and the parties.
Thanksgiving where we do the meal for the parents  This year we had 70 parents come.
Then Christmas!  At Daycare, Christmas is not only putting up the trees and getting the lobby all decorating but it's contests, Christmas parties, pajama days, movie days....
Then there is the every day running a business thing... 27 staff, 130 kids... throw in a visit from DHS!!  ... because, why not!?!

I have done all the shopping and decorating for my house!   I did all the wrapping, and have made all the preparation for Christmas eve!  I even made three presents... one of which took me 3 weeks to complete!

And did I mention Dennis has been sitting in his chair for the last month nursing a pulled groin and a hurt back!  And he keeps telling me I need to slow down cause I am working too hard.

WHO THE ?????  will do all this if I don't?  Don't be an dumbass Dennis!  There are deadlines to meet!!  You can't wait to get stuff ready for Christmas  AFTER CHRISTMAS! lol

I keep thinking I have to undecorate in about 1 week and it feels like I just put it up!  Thanksgiving being a week late is very noticeable!!!  I have hardly got to enjoy any of it being so busy or hiding off in my room cause Dennis has been hold up in his chair... watching dumb shows!! (Plus my house looks so good!!)  Next year I am doing a tree in my bedroom so at least I can enjoy a tree in there! and it will keep me in the Christmas spirit when I am wrapping presents on my bed and watching Christmas movies.

Ahhh, I complain about being busy but the truth is... Dennis wants me to retire in like 5 years and most likely..... I won't.  I can't stand NOT to be busy.  and weekends are so boring half the time I can't wait to get back to the land of the living!   I like being busy and feeling needed and I really like earning money! (Cause I like to spend it!)

But still... I do like an occasional day to slow down and binge watch netflix and eat chocolate.

People: When you’re over 50 and they say put a bandaid where it hurts.

Me:

An Important Birthday

Today we celebrated our fearless leaders day of birth.  He turned 61!  The grand kids talked about it all day and were excited to have a night with their pop.  Traffic was crazy trying to get home from work and by the time we got back to the restaurant we were the last ones to get there. All the kids greeted him loudly... and the grand kids were all hollering for pop!!!  Dennis thought it was just going to be us for dinner and was surprised to see the kids and friends.

Steve and Tracey came at the drop of a hat, which was so nice!  literally they had zero notice!  Steve said Dennis is lucky he is Dennis! lol  I didn't even have time to call Guy and Denise who I know would have been there too!  Everything happened fast!

We all sat at this long table and the grand kids were in and out and up and down and under the table.  going between whatever family member they wanted to see.  But the were all so good! Evelyn would NOT leave her pops side.  She kept telling him she had a pocket..  And Sammi sat at his other side and talk in her Sammi talk!    Of course, the damn politics talk started!  Ben is very smart with that.  Tanner is great at explaining it to dummies like me and Matthew just wants to stir the pot!

After we ate, the kids gave dad his presents and hugs all around as we left.  I think he had a good time and know how important he is to his family.

Damn Inconvenience

Yes Netflix!!!!!  I am still watching!!  Don't make me have to get up to get the remote or completely move all my food from around me to find it!  Why does it ask anyway?  It's okay if I fall asleep or get up to go to the bathroom or even scroll my phone!  That's what the rewind button is for!

Let me know how that works for ya!

Dennis walked by me in the kitchen today and slapped my butt.  I gave him the stink eye and he laughed at me.

Me: Why do men hit women

Dennis: Cause their idiots!

Raven:  Well you’re an idiot and have never hit me.

Dennis:  Not yet!

Me:  Let me know how that works out for ya..... after you pick yourself up off the floor of course.

Fast Weekends

This weekend I finished up the major project I have been working on... for most of my life.... okay ... just for the last few weeks, but it has consumed my time , and I have been filled with fear that I wouldn’t get it done.  Mainly because  I had no idea what I was doing! I can’t  divulge what it is  now ... but I will post a picture later.

Last night Katie and Joanie came over to get their jewelry aunt Gayla sent to us girls and Joanie noticed the new toys I bought for our house.  She wanted to take them home... But I told her it was important to have toys here too.  Today I got the house cleaned and 4 out of 7 piles of the grand babies presents wrapped. I will finish the rest this next weekend I hope.... and  I also got to spend a few hours with Sammi and Danny While Tanner and Jessica went to the movies with friends!  They are so good and so much fun to be around!  We played, ate snack and dinner and watched a movie in lolly and pops bed. 

The weekend goes faster when your busy... If  had anymore to do it wouldn't fill like a weekend at all!

Learning to wait...

I am going to tear down some pages on this blog at the end of this month.  Ready to put up some new ideas and creations.  Going to have new blogs for you to follow and have a new look.  I have had alot going on in my life since I started this blog 10+ years ago.  But now I am ready to with new ideas for the new year.  It's exciting but I keep forgetting and almost publish them before Jan1!  Oppsie!  NOT YET!

I have no patiences people!

Guess who doesn't like Santa?

I need rehab....

Bed Full of Presents

I have a bed full of presents and I held back on the spending!  WTH...How do I have a bed full of presents when I purposely bought less?  I know I spent less!   Never mind how they are all possibly going to fit under the tree.... wrapping them is going to give me carpal tunnel syndrome!  Having grandchildren is worst then having kids when it comes to presents.  But I know they will like what Pop and I got them.  If only I could get Pop to help wrap them!

Smart Ass Husband

I told Dennis my feet are always cold. What does that mean?  Is it cold feet warm heart?  Or warm heart cold feet....

He looked at me with a bored look and told me:  it means put some socks on.
😒

Weekends aren't long enough

Another weekend in the books and I stayed busy the entire time!  I am not sure if it is because Christmas is coming, or because I was so busy with the new addition that I fell behind or that Dennis has been gimpy for so long... but I have been enjoying being so busy!  I find that for some reason I like it.   I am working on some secret projects for Christmas that have taken most of the weekend and still not done.  But man I am enjoying doing them.  I think about how some day I might not get around as well and I really enjoy this freedom, I pray I never lose it.  Anyway, I enjoy days of being home with Dennis and watching HULU and just being quiet together.

You know, you might wanna take a long hard look in the mirror. And see if the person staring back at you is the kind of person you want to be.

It's hard when you miss people.  But you know if you miss them, that means you're lucky.  It means you had someone special in your life, someone worth missing.

Mom & Dad Christmas 2010

A picture is worth a thousand words.....

A Night at the Christmas Lights

It was a great evening to be at the park! 67 Degrees, no wind... couldn't ask for better weather in December. They had a Christmas for the kids on route 66 (Main street) so we took the kids there and watched carolers, took a picture in a snow globe, ate sonic and met Santa. Joanie even gave Benji a crash course in saying the alphabet in Spanish.

Then we took the kids to the Christmas lights in the park. It's a massive display of lights. The kids danced and took pictures and 'oohed and awed over different displays. It takes about 30 minutes to briskly walk through it and then another 30 to walk back. Evelyn lost her play cell phone a few times where we had to double back to find it and we saw her often looking at it saying 'cheese'. We assumed she was taking selfies!

By the time we got to the car and started to leave, Benji said... I'm done, turn the lights off! lol And Evelyn just wanted a Beer! We made her repeat it 3 times.... eventually we realized she was asking for her "Bear" that was on the floorboard of the van.

What a fun evening to spend with kids. Everything is so new to them, it really makes you stop and appreciate things again.

As we strain to gasp the things we desire the things we think will make our lives better: money, popularity, fame... we ignore what truly matters ... the simple things... like friendship, family, love. The things we probably already had.

Matthew's pick up lines

1 - Did you sit on some sugar, cause you have a sweet AZZZZZ
2 - I forgot my library card, but can I check you out?
3 - I hurt my knee falling for you.
4 - If you were a tropical fruit you would be a fine-apple
5 - Do you know what my shirt is made of? Boyfriend material.
6 - Does your left eye hurt cause you been looking right all day
7 - Your body is 65 % water and I'm thirsty
8 - Do you work at starbucks cause I like you a latte
9 - Are you a banana? Cause I find you a-peeling

P.S. He also said if you use any of these you will be single for LIFE!

Table 1 Raven 0

I dropped a table on my foot today at the daycare.  It is a very heavy table and it slide right down and smacked me across all my toes as I took it out of the box.    ... and I cussed like a banji! Right in the middle of the classroom I was working in.  I’m so glad I was the only one in there😬 because  school agers would all be learning a new vocabulary!  Anyway, Dennis showed up like 5 minutes later and worried over my foot for a whole 2 minutes before he called me a dumbass, but he took pity on my crippled ass and finished putting the tables together for me. He is my hero on a daily!

A Movie Invitation

As I’m walking up to the movie theatre... I can see the reflection of my grandchildren’s little red tennis shoes, stamping back and forth... as I get closer I realize they are watching me walk up to the door.  Their little bodies dance with excitement and they yell out my name while they run to hug me as soon as I open the door.  This is a memory I will keep forever.