Molly & Beckie

Beckie took Molly to WoofStock last Sunday. It was a 1 mile doggie walk and the theme was Woofstock as in Woodstock. The theme was centered around the 60's. So the t-shirts had a VW van painted like the 60's and all the animated pets that were hanging out of the van were dressed in a hippy fashion. They had costume contest and Miss Molly was in it. She did not win but she got treats and lots of attention. She wore her tu-tu and danced for the crowd. Molly got a doggie t-shirt and Beckie got a people t-shirt. You can see Molly dance if you go to http://www.kansascity.com/ and look to the left for Entertainment...then click on Community faces. Go to page 7 of the pictures and Molly is dancing. I was a proud Momma!

The picture on this blog is Molly in her Woofstock t-shirt and her bow. What a cutie pie! I miss her so.

Molly's Mommy

Rainy Tuesday.........

Hallo!
(Tuesdays blog)

This was our first full day in Germany other that the travel day which was exhausting. The first couple days and nights can be challenging due to jet lag, the time difference, sleeping in a new place with all the new night time noises, etc. The best advise I can give people on getting on the new time schedule is to take a Tylenol PM during the flight and DON’T take a nap the day you arrive, tough it out and it will make a big difference. Well, yesterday, I did not take my own advice. We took a nap! We were feeling so terrible from our sinus and allergy mess that we could just not go any longer. Despite our nap, we did fall asleep at a decent hour but woke up around 4am. After about an hour or so of just laying there listening to rain hit something that was making a noise with every drop and listening to a bird chirp, I finally dozed in and out for a while getting a little more sleep. (I’ve never heard a bird chirp at night in the rain!)

If you read the blog posted just before this one you are aware that there are several blogs posted back to back due to internet issues. The hotel is having internet issues and I have having a difficult time staying online. So I have written them and was waiting to post them.

Larry is feeling some better today, I’m feeling about the same except my head congestion is a little worse. Today being the first day Larry is getting settled into work, he did not have to be at work early and today should be an easy day for him. So we had a later than usual breakfast and he went to work. My friend Shelly and I went to the PX to pick up a few things that we needed. We had lunch and got somewhat caught up on girl talk. I took Shelly by a dish factory. Right now, I am at a loss for the name of the dishes! I’ve been there several times and for some reason have a hard time remembering. Anyway, they sell very expensive dishes that are made here in Wieden. My favorite area is the Irregular isles. I LOVE serving platters and bowls so I am in heaven looking through them. They sell the platters anywhere from 70€-120€…..I buy the irregulars for 4,50€. They can’t sell them at full price if they have the smallest flaw. I have to look very hard to find a flaw and some of them I can’t find anything wrong. Needless to say, I’ve bought several in the past along with gravy boats and other goodies.

It’s a rainy Tuesday in Germany and it’s chilly. Just one of those days you want to be lazy. I think I will chill out and read since the internet is misbehaving.

More tomorrow!

We Arrived in Germany!

Monday’s Blog. There may be several blogs created at one time due to the hotel having internet issues which is hopefully fixed now.


We Arrived! We got into Frankfurt, Germany around 5:50am on Monday which is 11:50 EST AND 10:50 central. The travel day went will with no exciting events. We flew from KC to Chicago then to Frankfurt. The flight was pretty bumpy at times but we safely landed at our destination. At one time the Flight Attendants stopped passing out drinks and sat down due to the bumpiness. The beverage cart was beside Larry in the isle and it was wobbling pretty darn fast. All in all, it was not too bad and we landed so that’s always a plus. We went to the ‘luggage merry-go-round’ and began to wonder about our luggage. The luggage stopped dropping onto the luggage belt which is never a good sign when you are still standing without your luggage at the beginning of an 18 day trip. Larry went to check on the luggage status and there had been a delay in unloading the plane and our luggage should be on its way. All of a sudden, there it was! We were doing the happy dance! Then we were off to get our rental car. Well, they did not have the car we were supposed to get so they “upgraded” us to a slightly larger car. Larger! Ha! If you have ever been to Europe you know that a “large” car is what we in the states would barely call a midsize. Our luggage barely fit in the car but none the less, it did. We set out for Weiden (Vi-Den). So we had an hour flight from KC to Chicago….had a 1 hr 45 min lay over…then the just under 9 hr flight to Germany….then we get into our rental and drive approx 3hr to our hotel. Keep in mind that Larry was not feeling well at all and I was calling him “Grumpy”. For Larry, even Grumpy is not too bad. I too was not feeling 100% and was miserable. So put the feeling bad, tired, jet lag and add hungry to it and what do you get? “Miserable and Grumpy go to Germany”. All joking aside, we are so glad to be in Germany and to have arrived safely. Most of all, we are together and not apart like we are so often.

We have stayed in this hotel before. It is a typical German hotel. German hotels have small rooms with little space for luggage. This particular room is nice but smaller than the one we had last time. Oh my, it’s so small; we have to go in the hall to change our minds. Don’t even get me started on not having enough room for my shoes! Well, like I said earlier, we are together and that’s what matters. In Germany there are no King or Queen beds…they are all ‘singles’ (twin beds). If you get a room that is a ‘double’ that means there is a wood frame box with 2 singles/twin mattresses in the box to make a queen. One of my favorite things is the covers on the bed. They are always down comforters and there is one per twin bed. So Larry and I have our own covers. I know, a little odd to us Americans but at least Larry don’t hog all the covers like he normally does!

Once we got to the hotel, got luggage unloaded, walked to get a pretzel and took our nap it was time for dinner. I didn’t bring my hair dryer and had Larry go to the front desk to get one that already had a German plug. I plugged it in and immediately smelled something burning. The dryer was smoking within seconds! Our room stunk! So here we are, been checked in a few hours and on the verge of burning the place down! I jerked it out of the plug and sent him for another one. The second dryer worked fine, no issues. The next event was my straightening iron. I just bought a CHI (those of you who know what a CHI is are also very well aware that they are NOT cheap) I asked my dear husband if it would work with our transformer. He said it would be, “No Problem”. Ok ladies, how scared are you when you hear those words come out of your husbands mouth?!? Well, I got concerned. I reminded him that I just bought it and reminded him of what I (he) paid for it….he again assured me it would be fine. It’s time to use the straightener….I ask him to make SURE that I have the corrects plugs I need. He found a problem and began to rig it to work. I once again reminded him of the cost of this device. Finally, it was ready to use. I turned it on and it got HOT very FAST. How hot do you ask? So hot that it burned my air and make my hair smoke! I quickly unplugged it from the wall and today I went to the PX and bought a cheap one to use here. I don’t want to burn my hair up AND my straightener.


We ate at the hotel for dinner our first night. Here eating at a hotel is not like in the states. Most of the time hotel food is not great but in Germany it’s the total opposite. The hotels are run by the owners and their families. All the children and their spouses work in the hotel. The meals are typical German meals and are SO good there is no way to describe. They give you so much food that Larry and I share most of the time and we are still stuffed.

I said in another blog that I would update you on the value of the Euro (€) vs. the American dollar. Well, like I said, it’s not good! For example; I went to have the money changed to Euro and I gave $160 and got back €64,50. I went again and gave $65.30 and got €40. Ok, where I come from, that’s not good! The rate changes slightly depending on where you get it converted at. So if you are not following along well let me paint you a picture…we don’t spend this much on dinner here but for example….if we go to dinner and it is 40€ then it really cost us $65.30. Yep, quiet a difference. Don’t look like I’ll be bringing back a lot of gifts this time. Every time we come it is a little worse.

Enough for now. I will try to update the blog daily. A lot of people have emailed me saying they will be watching the blog to keep up with us so I’ll do my best to stay on top of things.


Hugs from Germany!
Kim

Leaving Molly

Today we are off! We finished packing and headed to Kansas City to stay in a hotel and we will fly out in the morning. Molly is a smart puppy and she knows what it means when we are packing. When we are packing for Larry to leave town she knows he is leaving. Molly and I travel with him sometimes and she and I travel alone going to GA. However, when she see’s ALL of her stuff being put in a pile, she knows something big is goin’ on! Once I started packing her toys, bed, food, etc. she knew this was big. She was sooo clingy to me it was not even funny. She followed me every step and wanted to be held. So I would hold her and try to do stuff.

Before going to the hotel we had to do something that is SO hard. We have to leave Miss Molly with Beckie, her Nanny. Beckie is so good with her and is good to her but just leaving her is hard. It’s awesome to leave knowing she will be treated well and will get lots of love.
When we got to Beckies, they were both excited to see each other. Molly went through the house checking things out making sure everything was the same. She sniffed around and went up and down the stairs checking out every room. We stayed and talked for a while and played with Molly while she was getting reacquainted with Beckies house. When it was time to leave Molly did good, so did Mommy! It was sad but I know she will be fine and will be excited when we return.

Until Later,
Molly’s Mommy

Getting Ready for Germany!

Us Oct. 2007 at King Ludwig's home. Among all his castles he owned, this is where he actually lived. This is the view from his bed room that he had created so when he woke every morning, this would be the first thing he would see.

The time is here! We leave for Germany on Sunday! Actually we will leave Warrensburg Saturday afternoon, stay in a hotel in Kansas City and fly out on Sunday. Before settling down for the night we will be taking my baby Molly to her Nanny Beckie, our pet sitter. Normally we take Molly on our travels but when we go to Germany we call on Nanny Beckie. Beckie is excited for Molly to visit but I am sad to leave her behind. However, leaving her with Beckie is a comfort and the next best thing to her Mommy!

We have stacks of clothes everywhere ready to go into suitcases. I have a system; I pack my medium suit case inside my large one...put my clothes in the med. one...that way when we return I have a whole suit case for stuff I buy. AND, I have Larry do the same so I have his suit case too! Works out well for me....bad for Larry's wallet! Hee hee! Normally I am there in the fall and winter so I bring back Christmas gifts. However, I might not be buying much this trip...the US dollar is not good there right now. I'll report later what it is exactly but it's about $1.40 us dollars equals 1€. Just so you know, that's not good. That's like going to the Dollar Tree here in the states and it being the $1.40 Tree!

We fly from Kansas City to Chicago, from Chicago to Frankfort, Germany. We will arrive there around 5:15am Europe time. Just in case you are emailing me and/or leaving blog comments the time difference is as follows; Eastern Standard Time is 6 hours behind Europe and Central is 7 hours behind. We'll arrive in Frankfort and drive to Wiesbaden (Vees boden) which is where we are staying. The Army Post is in Grafenwohr (Graf en vier), about 15-20 min drive from our hotel. I know that area well so I am looking forward to staying there. There is shopping and restaurants in walking distance and more shopping within a short drive. I go to the factories too which offer better deals.

My brother-in-law will be here tomorrow to take over the house. He is our "house sitter" while we are gone.

I tell you, with all the house improvements, getting ready for this trip, planning for Catherines graduation dinner and family coming in 2 days after we return and the actual graduation 3 days after we return, we are SO tired and ready for a break. Well, Larry has to work in Germany but still it's a break from everyday stress we call 'life'.

Thanks for checking in and....stay tuned for news from Germany!

Kimberly

Because Momma Did I......

UGH!!! Getting ready for a long trip while your house is a mess is hard to do. The thought of leaving for 3 weeks and returning to a messy home is driving me nuts! My brother-in-law house sits for us when we are gone for long periods of time....maybe he’ll clean while we are gone. Yeah Right!

I’m not looking forward to leaving Molly. We have a friend who keeps her when we go to Germany. Her name is Beckie and she calls herself, “Molly’s Nanny”. She takes such great care of Molly and treats her like her own puppy. Beckie is deeply involved with “Out of the Darkness Over Night”. It is a suicide prevention and awareness group. I’ve learned about it through her and if you are interested in sponsoring her in walks and fundraisers let me know and I’ll be glad to get you connected with her. Anyway, she takes Molly on the Out of the Darkness walks and most everywhere she goes. I’m sad when I leave her but I am thankful that she has a ‘Super Nanny’!

I’m aggravated that I’ve not got to work on my business and website lately. With so much going on with the house updates and planning for the trip there has just not been time. It will work out in time but I want it done yesterday. When I get something on my mind, I want it done! I get that from my Papa. If he got something on his mind you might as well just go ahead and do whatever he wanted because he would figure a way to do it for himself or worry you to death until you did it for him. Well, I’m not THAT bad, just strong willed. Where there’s a will, there’s a way! I got a triple does of that; from my Papaw, my Momma and my Daddy. Just ask my hubby, he will shout a loud, “AMEN” on that one. Ha!

Speaking of getting stuff from parents…Larry now has a great understanding of where I came from. When Momma visited just over a week ago, that was the longest period of time they had spent together. They talk on the phone but this was under the same roof 24 hrs at a time. They say the apple don’t fall far from the tree…well, he thinks I fell from the tree and didn’t even roll a foot! I am a lot like my Momma as far as ways of thinking. Momma would say or do something and Larry would just start laughing or start shaking his head. What can I say? She taught me stuff and put do’s and don’ts in my brain so sure, we think a lot alike. As we mature, leave the nest, grow up…whatever you want to say, we learn our own ways of doing thing. BUT, there are some things we do that there is no explanation for other than, “that’s the way my Momma did it. (dad, grand ma, grand pa, aunts, etc.)

Because Momma did I….
Use White Lily flour, Blue Bonnet Stick Butter , fold towels and wash cloths a certain way, I only wear dresses to church on Sunday mornings (took me forever to wear pants on Sun nights), turn lights off every time someone leaves a room, wash towels separate from clothes….that list is endless.

It’s not just mothers and daughters that are that way. Before my Mama died my Papa cooked most of the time. She has severe authorities and was limited to what she could do. When she passed away, my Papa of course continued to cook for himself. He cooked certain things in certain pans and he would say, “that’s the way Ma did it”. Until the day he died, he only cooked biscuits in a certain pan, cobblers went in a certain pan and he ate with the same fork every meal. I do the same thing with pots and pans. I cook certain dishes in specific pans….and don’t try to mess that up. Maybe it’s an Anderson or Oliver thing…maybe lots of people are that way…not sure but I know I’m like my grandparents about my dishes!

Wow, I just sit and type and the subjects seem to just happen. That’s what this is all about, remembering the past and recording the future.

Don’t forget to remember the past, record the future and live today with love and happiness.

Sending hugs,
Kim

Things Kids Say, Expressions They Use, Then Vs. Now and The Ghost in Our House

The kids were here this past weekend. I tell you, Marissa’s (my 3rd grader) personality is just blossoming. She comes up with some funny stuff. Friday night at the dinner table she was telling me she likes a boy named Dylan. Well, I asked her was he in her class when Molly and I visited and if so, which one was he. She said, “Oh, he was the one in the Spunge Bob pants”. You know, in all the times I’ve been talking with my girlfriends and one of us said, hey, look at that guy in the Harley hat, Tommy H shirt, tight Levis, cowboy hat etc…Never once did I think I would have someone describe a guy as “The one in the Sponge Bob PJ’s! (It was PJ day for her class) Also on Fri. night, Laura, the 13 yr old, went skating with her friend Chelsie. When we picked them up from later that night they were naming off people who was there. Laura told Marissa that Dylan was there and Marissa said, “Dylan better not have been there”. I could not hold it in, I laughed my head off. The look on her face and the tone in her voice was like…Oh no he didn’t! SO funny. Laura and Chelsie had us pick them up earlier than usual. So I asked, “Were y’all bored? Were there no cute guys there?” They said, not really, just a couple but they were younger. They began to tell me about “hot” guys they saw and that led to conversation of the “hot buys” at the community pool last summer. Makes me think that I’m going to have to think twice about dropping them off at the pool this summer! Sean, my 5th grader, is going to be a heartthrob. He has big dimples and uses them to his best ability. He grins so that the dimples show up well, bats his eyes and gives me look and ‘thinks’ he’ll get his way. I remember giving my Daddy a look…worked like a charm! I had several looks, depending on what I wanted. Catherine is the senior...college bound come fall! She is 17, will be 18 in Aug, and has the mind and mouth of a 17 year old. Really, she is a good kid. She is SO looking forward to getting out of Warrensburg and spreading her wings. S-C-A-R-Y!

A couple funnies from Marissa......For starters, Larry is not color blind but he is 'color challenged'. Friday night we were at Wal-Mart and I was looking for lavender fabric. As I'm walking through the fabric looking for just the right shade Marissa yells from the other end of the isle, "Dad don't know what lavender is". He was just messing with her but actually, the joke was on him. The lady standing at the cutting table got a good chuckle out of it.....so did I. Saturday we were burning a very large burn pile and when I got home from picking Marissa up I noticed there was still a fire and nobody standing there tending to it. So I said, "The guys are not out there watching the fire. Dad is in trouble"! Marissa walked in the house about 30 seconds before me and said, "Your in trouble mister". Needless to say, he was tending to the fire quickly.

Do any of you have a ghost living in your house? We do, his name is “Not Me”! I tell you, if I could get my hands on Not Me, he would be grounded. Not Me leaves dishes on the counter and in the sink, wrappers where ever he opens something, half empty soda cans on the table or kitchen island, leaves water bottles in all the kids bed rooms, puts wet towels in the floor, puts the kids PJ’s on the floor, takes socks leaving us with a lot of singles, uses the last of the toilet paper and forgets to replace it, leaves tooth paste clumps in the sink, forgets to wipe up mild dribbles from the table when he is eating cereal….man is he a pain in the bootie! His latest and greatest was this past weekend. Marissa has a new pair of pink capries’. She did not have them on long Sat. before they had mud on them. I told her to change before she went to play at the neighbor’s house. She later asked if I would wash them for her to wear to a skating party that night. I told her yes and asked that she bring them to me. Well, she could not find them. She had just taken them off a couple hours earlier and had not been home since she changed out of them. Not Me is somewhere wearing Marissa’s capries. They are NOWHERE to be found. Larry, myself, Laura and Marissa have searched for those things and they are gone! Where?

On the words and expressions, boy have things changed. Let’s have some then and now word comparison, shall we:

Then guys were ‘Fine’….Now guys are ‘Hot’.
Then when you had a boyfriend you were ‘Going together’….Now you are ‘going out’.
So, if you are ‘going out’ and your in 3rd grade, 5th grade, 7th grade, etc…..were are you ‘going’? I mean you can’t date!
Then we went cruising and gathered in a parking lot to talk….Now they ‘hang out’.
Then we called our friends on their home phone and got frustrated when we got a busy signal….Now they call the cell and most always get an answer no matter if the person they are calling is at home, at the mall or in the bathroom!
Then when something happen like you dropped something we would say ‘dang’, ‘darn’, ‘shoot’…Now they say “Snap”!
Then we passed notes in class hoping not to get caught…. Now they ‘text’ even if they are in the same room or in the same car!
Then we were excited to have a cordless phone so we could roam from room to room….Now they freak out if they don’t have a cool ring tone on their cell phone.
Then we would dress casual but nice when going out with friends or on a date…Now they wear t-shirts and flip flops everywhere they go with their hair in a pony tail.

I could go on and on with this stuff. Anybody got any then vs. now stories? Or any kids stories you want to share? I have so many, it’s hard to think of them all.

A topic coming soon…. “My Georgia Accent”!

Lots of love to all,
Kim

Carpets Laid, Rooms are Painted....We're Pooped!

Got some catching up to do….


Thursday, I was once again serenaded by hammers, nail guns, doors slamming, etc. The guys were here laying carpet in the remaining rooms. Yea…one step closer to the house being finished. Larry and I are laying the wood floors ourselves and we have one more room to do. Then all the floors will be finished but we wont do that until we return from Germany.

Friday……This morning I took Molly to Marissa’s, my 3rd graders, school to visit with her class. Plus, this was PJ day so all the kids had on jammies, slippers and there were sleeping bags and blankest covering the entire floor. Needless to say they were already hyper and when Miss Molly entered the room, the excitement went out the roof. They all wanted to hold and love on her. Molly ran around the room and was super excited! Molly will dance and Marissa wanted me to see if she would do it for the class. (She stands on her back legs with her front paws up in the air and hops and spins) I thought Molly would be too hyper to do it but she did it! She put on a show and the kids went nuts!!! The kids and Molly had a great visit.


Larry and I worked today in the house. We got the LAST room painted today! Praise the Lord! Ok, imagine painting just less than 4,000 sq ft. PLUS, a lot of the rooms had to be primed before painting. AND, some had wallpaper that had to be stripped. Ok, if you have ever removed wallpaper you know that involves a lot of spackle and sanding. Thinking back on all that, makes me tired!!!

A subject for the near future; “Things kids say”. From funny stuff out of our kids mouths to the phrases and words they use....to me sounding just like my mother. Boy are things different from when I was a kid! I guess my parents thought the same things about Tim and I. I'd be a rich woman today if I had a dime for every time I heard, "If I had said (or done) that my Daddy and/or Momma would have skin me alive". I'm sure most of you can relate....I'm sure you either said it or heard it. Ok, I'm tired, more on this later.

Meet you back here soon.
Kim

Until then…..

Momma's back in FL and Papa story

Well, Momma has gone back to FL. I took her to the airport this morning and I was sad to see her go. I miss her so much and seeing her for 3 or 4 days every year or so is just not enough. I think she is going to miss Molly more than she will miss me! Darn! Tim has been my only competition all these years and now my puppy just might win over both of us! It was a good time and I already can’t wait to see her again.

After leaving the airport I did a little shopping as a pick me up. After shopping with Momma yesterday and then me shopping today Larry might take my debit and credit card away! Well, actually, today ‘most’ of the shopping I did was for my business so I don’t think that counts as “shopping”…does it? It’s something to work with and earn money with. So heck no, I’m not counting that as me spending money. However I did buy me 2 books (ON CLEARANCE) and some new silverware. Wait, silverware is for the entire family so that should not count against me either! Hmmm, guess I have more shopping to do for me. Ha ha!

I should have painted the basement bedroom today but I just needed a break. Tomorrow…I’ll do it tomorrow. I HAVE to do it tomorrow because the carpet is being laid the following day.
This is not something to talk about on a blog and probably sounds stupid but I’m so mad about something! I can’t keep animals out of my trash! They get into it almost every night. This morning, there it was, can turned over and stuff everywhere. We moved the cans inside the garage and something is still getting in there. (Our garage door stops a little short and there is a gap so I guess it squeezes through) I tell you what my Papa used to do. He took an old hub cap and a cord and plug from an old lamp. He attached the cord to the pan and plugged it in. He would put food scraps in the hub cap and when the animals would come up to it, it would lightly give them a little buzz. Needless to say, they only did it once! Now don’t get me wrong, I love animals and for any animal lovers out there, don’t get all upset and send me hate blogs. It was just a little buzz and did not harm the animals what so ever. It just made them hunt food somewhere else. When we sold Papa’s house after he passed away, I got his home made “Rid a Pest”. It was under his smokehouse (storage shed for those of you who don’t speak southernese). I wanted it so bad that I crawled on my belly and got it. It is now in my basement and every time I see it I think of my Papa and chuckle. When I told Larry about it, he laughed so hard that I thought he was going to choke. For those of you who knew my PaPa, this story will not surprise you at all and I’m sure it made you remember him with a smile.

I guess by now you have realized that family is important to me and I love them all very much. I’ll blog about our life and travels but I will also share my family stories, some sad, some funny. There will be more stories to come, so keep readin’.

Earlier I mentioned ‘Southernese’ so maybe tomorrow we’ll talk about my vocabulary, how people react to it and to my southern drawl here in the Midwest. I’ll share comments I get as well.

I'll blog again soon!
Kim

She's Arrived!

Momma made it safely to Missouri! She changed planes with no trouble and arrived on time. She’s a big girl now! We aggravate her a lot because she doesn’t like to check luggage because it might get lost. She packs as much as possible in her purse and a carry on. Well, this time she packed a suitcase and checked her luggage! Go Mom! I was waiting when she got off the plane and we went to baggage claim. We stood there and one by one folks picked up their luggage and went on their way. Suddenly, a plastic box came down onto the luggage merry-go-round with an orange cone inside. I said, “I hate to tell you this but, that means all the luggage has been unloaded and no more is coming". She looked at me like I just slapped her in the face. She said, “You got to be kidding me”. I followed that with a chuckle and a “nope, not kidding”. There were five people left standing watching that orange cone go round and round. I told them what the orange cone means. All 5, including Mom, had flown from Jacksonville, FL, to Atl, to Kansas City and none of them had luggage. When I realized that, I took her to customer service. Her flight landed at 12:07pm and we were told that the luggage would arrive on the next flight at 3:30pm. OR, they could ship it UPS to my house and it would be here by Monday…she leaves Tuesday going home. So, we went to get Larry from work, had lunch and went back to the airport. She was excited and thrilled when she saw her bag land on the merry-go-round. The people standing around waiting on their luggage probably thought she was nuts because she was the most excited person there. She is so funny!

Friday when we got home from the airport Larry broke some news to me. He had to leave today, Monday, for Ft. Hood, TX. This is an unexpected trip and one that he could not get out of. Since we are having the remainder of carpet laid on Thursday, the furniture from those rooms had to be moved, the carpet and padding pulled up and the back of the glued down carpet in the basement scraped up. So, Larry, Momma and me worked our booties off Saturday and some Sunday. Welcome to Missouri Mom, buy the way, here is your ‘to do’ list. She was happy as a clam helping us. She’s a trooper!

The children are with their mother this month but they came over Sunday to spend the day with Momma. They rattled non-stop. They were excited to see their G’Ma and had lots to tell. They told her jokes….oh my!

Today is Monday and Larry left for TX. It was girls’ day out. We did some shopping and I colored and cut Momma’s hair. I embroidered her shirt and she was so amazed at the machine. It was cool sharing that and doing that with her.

Molly…my goodness, she is more spoiled than ever. Momma has held her almost the entire time she has been here. AND, Momma and Larry have become even closer and they love each other to death! He is always kind to people has waited on her hand and foot. Maybe SHE is the one who got spoiled!?

Ok, Momma leaves tomorrow so maybe my subjects will move away from ‘My Momma’. But gosh she is funny!

More later………..

Kdp

PS To my sweetie Michael (aka Larry), I know you will be reading this while in TX…I miss you So very much and love you tons!

Momma's coming to The Show Me State!

My Momma comes tomorrow. We are all excited. I've not seen her in a year. No matter how old you get, you're always happy to see Momma. We talk almost everyday on the phone but it's just not the same. We've not lived in the same state for...I'm guessing at this...about 7-8 years. Tim, is that right? You're the one who remembers that stuff. Anyway, when she first moved...Kimberly was not happy. I went from seeing her almost everyday, grocery shopping, everything shopping to zip-o'la! That was so hard. Some people wish they lived far away from their parents...but not me; well, most of the time. (hee hee) I miss her terribly. I have many wonderful friends but Momma has been my best friend since June 26, 1972, the day she brought me into this world. OH, I was a Daddy's girl but I was Momma's friend. If you mention this to her she will laugh.....when I would have something I wanted to talk to her about or wanted advice on BUT I was not so sure that my mother was the right person to talk to(if you know what I mean.) this is what I would say; "Momma, I need to talk to you but as my 'friend', not as my 'Momma'. She would just say, "OK" and I'd start talkin'. Can you just imagine what was running through her head at that time? Now that I am an adult and have 4 step children that I am very close to, I can only imagine what she was really feeling inside or how she choked up that "OK". I'm sure some of those times she wanted to strangle me or yell, "Kimberly Dawn". What would she do? She would talk with me as a person and not as a dumb teenager. That my friends, is the way to be a good Momma. She was and is a good Momma.

If you have talked with me lately or read my first 2 blogs you would know that our house has been turned upside down for quiet a while doing remodeling. Today, Larry, his brother Terry and myself worked our fingers to the bones and got the house 'presentable' for Momma. Come on, any southern girl knows that you can't have Momma come to visit without having your house clean as a whistle. You also need to have a good menu planned. I know that Kathy B. is reading those last 2 sentences and shaking her head agreeing with me. Momma Lo too! (Momma Lo is Loretta J.) Even Miss. Molly got a bath and a bow in her hair waiting for Grandma's arrival.

Ok, one more thing about Momma. (She is going to kill me when she reads all this) There is a reason my Momma has not visited me in Missouri. My Momma has flown many times, that's not a problem. However, the problem is; she don't like to change planes unless my step-dad is with her. To come visit me, she has to change planes. She is being a big girl and taking a leap and will fly from Jacksonville, FL to Atlanta, to Kansas City. She is worried, to say the very least, that she will miss her plane. This is the part she is going to kill me over. When I talked to her on Wednesday she was telling me that she is checking her bag instead of having a carry on. She said, "That way if I am about to miss my flight I can run and my bag wont slow me down". I am telling you, when she said that it cracked me up. When we hung up, I called Larry and told him and was laughing so hard, I almost could not get it out. I was just picturing my Momma...running through the airport...pushing anyone to the side that got in her way yelling, "Get out of my way, I'm going to see my baby". Now, picture your own Mom doing that and see if you don't get a chuckle.

The funny of the day: It was very very windy here today and today was trash day. The empty cans were still at the end of our driveway. I was standing at my kitchen sink cleaning it and saw a flash of color go by. I looked up and airborne was a 30 gallon garbage can....landing where? In our pond. I watched the wind float it around, hoping it did not fill up with water too fast and sink it. Finally the wind pushed it to the bank. We walked down to the pond and Larry got it out. Had to be there, but it was funny.

Well, another day has come and gone. I know this blog has been about my Momma but she deserves a blog dedicated to her. I'm sure there will be more Momma stories in the future. So, stay tuned. There is much more to come about the kids, our move, being an Army wife, my friends in GA, my military friends, our travels, the selling of the house, etc. etc. etc.

Talk again soon!
Kimberly

How loud can 3 men be while laying carpet?

How loud can 3 men be while laying carpet and linoleum? If you ever wondered, wonder no more…as loud a cat on a hot tin roof! Today, I was serenaded by loud saws, hammers, staple guns, nail guns, doors opening and closing and music playing for their entertainment. To top that off, Molly (our puppy) was not happy because of the noises and strangers going in and out. She barked A LOT and wanted to be held. They were working on both ends of our house so I was kind of stuck in the middle. Good news is, they are gone and the rooms look great. However, they will be back next week to do the remaining rooms. Now, everything has got to be moved back in place…yippie.

Missouri DOT (MoDOT) is buying property for road changes. Well of course or property is affected. They are taking half of our pond which means the whole thing has to be drained and filled with dirt. What a waste…not to mention a great selling point to our property. It’s full of huge gold fish. They don’t even give the fish a new home. They will just dig out the side of the pond bank and let the water flow. Imagine... all those fish just swimming down the road. How can they hitch hike with no thumbs? So, thousands of fish will lose their poor little lives for the sake of road right of way. How sad! I know they are fish but they are still God’s creatures and they are living and breathing creatures. Would you want to go out of the world like that? Anyway, we finally settled with MoDOT! That is one huge hurtle behind us.

Oh my…my puppy Molly. She was 1 yr old in November but we still consider her a puppy. She is Pomapoo (Pomeranian/Poodle mix) and at a whopping 5lbs. she is fully grown. The cutest little ball of fur ever! She has stolen our hearts and the hearts of anyone who is around her. What a personality she has. She loves everybody; she is smart, playful, loving….just a honey. Well, tonight, my little cute fur ball was a pain in the bootie. Do you have or know someone who has a dog that doesn’t know they are a dog? Well, Molly has NO idea she is a dog. She thinks she is a princess and wants to rule. Well, she is and she does. Right now it is raining here. I asked if she needed to go potty. She got all excited and ran to the door with her tail waggin'. When I opened the door and she saw that it was raining, she refused to go out. I had to push her out the door. She walked around on the deck forever trying to find a place on the deck to tinkle. Can you believe it; she was going to pee on the deck instead of going out in the wet grass! She walked around and would come back to the door and just look up at me wanting in. I kept saying, “Go potty”. She would come to me, look up with her hair dripping wet and hanging in her eyes. After quiet some time of this back and forth stuff, I put my shoes on, got an umbrella and went out with her. Yes, you read right, I went out in the cold, wet night with an umbrella just to TRY and get my dog to potty. I had to pick her up and put her in the grass. She still wondered around tip toeing not at all happy she was getting wet. This too went on forever. Did she ever pee you are wondering? NO, she did not. She was being such a pain and I finally brought her inside. Later I had Larry take her hoping she would go. When he opened the door she was about 6 feet from the door and stopped dead in her tracks…she was not budging. Finally after much encouragement, she tinkled. I guess you had to be there to see her do all this but I am telling you, it was super funny!

Ok, enough for tonight. Tomorrow we have a lot of furniture to move back in place and cleaning to do before Momma arrives Friday morning. I don’t know when anyone will read this but right now it is almost 12:30am Thurs. so my task for tomorrow is fresh on my mind and sleep is just minutes away. I am so tired I can barely type. I was thinking of all the stuff we have to do and was getting more tired just thinking about it. Though our upcoming move has many con's and it's sad leaving the kids and my father-in-law I could not help but think that onces the house is sold and we move, it will be like a fresh new chapter in our lives. So I’ll leave you with this thought. A lot of people want to “start over” or have a “fresh start”. Then I thought, Every time the sun comes up, that is God giving us a fresh start and a new day. Today will never be lived again and it is already in the past. So the next time you open your eyes to a new day remind yourself that that today is your “fresh start”. Make it count because one day, there will be no tomorrows and we want to be pleased with our today.

Sending love and a wish for a great today!

Kim

My First Day As A Blogger 4-8-08

Well, I've been thinking about creating a blog for a while. Mainly to keep track of our lives. Our days fly by so fast and things change almost daily. So, I figure the best way to keep up with what we are doing and when is to create a blog. My Momma told me a while back that I should keep a journal of our travels so I would not forget things. Well, she was right, I should have. Better late than never. Goes to show that Momma IS always right. Life has been so crazy that just taking time to document life is a stretch. Well, no more....now it is a priority. Like I said, life is flying and though I might not remember next week what happen today, now I can look back and remember how bad my shoulder and back is hurting! Plus, IF any of you are interested in our lives you can keep up with us. I have friends and family that I do my very best to keep informed about "Parr World" but sometimes get behind. So, if you are interested, join us on our journey called LIFE. Plus, our friend Mike, just stared a blog and that also said to me....ok dummy, follow through and do it! Thanks Mike for the push, now I'm hooked!

Here it is, the beginning of "The Prince and The Peach" blog. This entry might be kinda long but I have to play catch up. If you don't already know and are wondering about the name of our blog here is where it come from. I call Larry my Prince. He might not have shown up on a white horse but he did crash into my life and stole my heart. He is, without a doubt, the love of my life and the man I was created to share my life with. Tim and I had pre-recorded he and I singing "When God Made You" and it was played at our wedding. That song says it all...."when God made you, he must have been thinking about me". Yes, we were made for each other. He calls me Peach...that don't need to be explained. So now, most of the guys he works with, his dad and his dad's buddies all call me Peach. I can walk into the Elks where his dad hangs out and all the older men say, "Hello Peach". SO, I am Peach! Funny huh!? One guy Larry works with, Isaac, did not know my real name was not Peach. So there you go..."The Prince and The Peach".

Well, for the next few days I will probably be jumping around quiet a bit. You know, just getting this thing started.

Ok, another catch up subject.....we are moving. We planned to retire within the next year but Uncle Sam has other plans for us. So, we are moving to Ft. Riley, KS. That means we are leaving the kids with their mother and my father-in-law in Warrensburg, MO. There are pro's and con's to this new adventure. We have been remodeling our house for ourselves. We have done most of the work ourselves and as we can according to our finances and Larry's travel. WELL, now we are busting our booties to finish the remodeling in order to put the house up for sale. Time is tickin' and tickin' fast! Larry took leave last week and we worked our fingers to the bone. I mean, wide open from morning to night. We got a lot done and my back and shoulders feel it!!!!! (I feel a massage coming on) Today...oh my! Carlos, who works with Larry, came over and helped Larry move furniture so some of the carpet and vinyl can be laid tomorrow. I painted...of course. My house is a WRECK!! I mean, every single room in our house is a mess!!! No room can be walked through with out stepping over something, stepping around something or just plain running into something. Oh and.....you might be a redneck if....you have a washer and dryer on your front porch and a fridge (our second fridge that is in our laundry room) and a TOILET (from the 1/2 bath) is on the back deck. Yes my friends.....that is true. We are now, properly defined, rednecks! To top it off.....my Momma is coming to visit in 2 days for the first time. I have a LOT of work to do!

On an up note..........Our friends Mike and Shelly are moving to Riley too. Sweet! A bonus....Shelly recently found out that she is pregnant....with TWINS! I am excited that she and I will have each other in a new town and espically excited to be "Auntie Kim"...Times Two! Yeaaaaaaa! Looking forward to spoiling some babies! She will need me and I will need them. Don't God know exactally what we need?!?!

Germany.....we leave on April 27-May 14. We LOVE Germany! I think this will be my 6th trip and I am just as excited as the first. It is beautiful and the food is amazing. Keep watching, I'll be bloggin' about that! We return on the 14th and Catherine's (my oldest) graduates High School on the 17th. Man, we will just be starting to get over jet lag! She is SO excited!

My Momma....she is visiting from 11 April - 15 April. I've not seen her in a year and I am super excited. Larry is too. The kids, well, you would think a celebrity is coming to town...they are SO excited she is visiting and have asked 101 questions. We want her to stay longer but due to her new job she can't. Oh well, maybe she will visit us again once we move. Momma told me, "Now Kimberly, don't y'all plan a lot of stuff and try to entertain me. I'm fine just being with y'all and spending time together". Then in the next breath she told me that she wants to visit the PX on Post so she can say she has been there, she wants to see where Larry works, she wants to go to the beauty supply place to stock up on shampoo, conditioner and color AND she gave me a list of things I can cook for her. I love to cook and I am a good cook...she knows that and has placed her orders. I said, "So Momma, you don't want me to plan anything particular for you"? We had a good chuckle on that one. Hey, if she, or any of you reading this, visits me...I will feed you well. Yes, that was an open invitation. So far the ONLY visitor I've had is Cher...who has been my best friend since I was 6 years old..and will always be my friend. Hmmm, not even my BROTHER TIM has visited.

Oh and more on this later but.....of all times.....I have chosen now to start an online embroidery business. It is http://www.southernpeachstitches.com/. It is in the beginning stages and hope we can get busy on it soon. At least we have a name and website!

Hey, Y'all don't have to read my blog. Y'all don't have to leave comments either. However, I would LOVE for you to read, comment and just keep in touch. I am doing this primarily for myself....and a close second is for my family and friends. Just trying to keep up in this crazy, busy, confusing world.

Until next time..............

Love and Hugs to all,
kdp