just like home

The best snow storm since 1974, so they said on the news. At 11:00 PM. we had 3.6 inches of snow. How awesome is that? I had an outside post today at work. I went to lunch at noon and there was nothing comming down from the sky at that time. When I got back from lunch though, it was a whole differant story. This all started between 12:00 and 1:00. By the time I got home from work at 2:45 (extra 20 min.) there was about .25 inches of snow on the ground. By the time I picked T.J. up from his mothers house it looked just like home. We had fun, and I hope it's still here tomorow so we can play in it some more!!!

Ho Ho Ho Time

What an awesome day!! I love having so meny great days so close together. Our day started out with me on the phone with my insurance friend Melissa. We got the Celica insured, and off we went to the D.M.V. to register it. We had just gotten onto the freeway when something just didn't feel right with the front end. We pulled over to the side of the road to check it out. All it was, was a flat tire. First timer with low-pro tires, didn't know/do now. So I pull into a Church parking lot to change it and discovered that I don't have a lug wrench. What does Doug do when he has car trouble? You got it, call Daren! Mr. good wrench comes out and lends a hand.(good luck has started) Again we're off to Register it. It's 2:30 PM now, we just can't seem to find a smog shop that's open. That's ok, we're having fun tooling down the road in our now legal car. (I have a moving permit.) We drove by the Shell Station at Russell and Mtn. Vista and they were open. (more good luck) Now it's off to the D.M.V. We get there and run inside thinking that we're running late. Nope we had plenty of time.(luck is holding out) AHHH nobody in the first line WOO HOO this shouldn't take long at all! I explained what I was there for and the guy gave me a number ticket, #466, I looked up at the board and they call # 466!!! Can you believe that, 15 second wait at the D.M.V.!!! NEVER IN MY LIFE... (WHAT LUCK!!) THIS IS AWESOME! I gave the lady at the desk my paperwork, she does her thing and says "that'll be $46"!! That's it?!! 46 dollars? This is an awesome day! The whole time T.J. is with me and jokeing and haveing a good time with his Dad. So we're off to get a new tire. First we head to Discount tire, cause that's where I get my tires. Closed!! "What the H*!!" The sign says they're open till 5:00. It's only three! Oh well. We then went down to Big O, which I never go to, long story. But this time the guy sells me two for one!! Oh somethings wrong here, this never happens to me!! But today it did! WOO HOO! So, to end this awesome day T.J. and I went home to trim the Christmas Tree. We had a ball doing that too. Yes Sir, life is good...

The reunion

What an awesome time! I just love these two guys soo much. It truely is a shame that we can't get together more often. But as life has it, we all must choose our own path and go down it alone, striving to reach our goals in life and take care of the little one's that God has intrusted us with even if it seperates us from the ones we love. My grandfather has been known to say, " If you have one single person in your life that is a true friend, your are very lucky". I my self have several, I feel that God has put these people in my life for a reason. I don't know what that reason is, nor do I care what the reason is, I just can't thank him enouph for them!! I hope that God will bless other people as much as he has blessed me. My Love.

Old friend comes to visit

Back in the mid 90's at work I came in contact with a fellow that became a close friend over the years, Chris Mitchell. 4-4.5 years ago Chris took his family to live 3000 miles away in North Carolina. Every once in a while we will chat on the phone to keep in touch. Last week Chris called to say that he was comming out to visit. His grandmother is ill, for fear that he might not see her again, he felt that he needed to come to Vegas for her. T.J. and I got the operturnity to have a quick dinner with him last night, and plan to do lunch today. I hope that Vincent will be able to join us, as I have not seen him in years either and he just lives on the other side of town!! It was fun to see Chris and T.J. together, Chris hasn't seen him since he was just a toddler. That was fun. I think it been almost as long for Vince.Today should be fun!

D.A.R.E.

What a great day! We woke up a little early and were able to take our time getting T.J. to school. We arrived a little earlier than normal which T.J. loves because he gets to play with his buddys before they go in to class. I left, only to return 2 hours early to watch T.J. graduate from the D.A.R.E. program. He was so excited about this and you could see it in his face. He couldn't stop talking about it.
I am so proud of my son! He did well. He set out to finish this and did. Alot of credit goes out to Henderson Police Officer Avila as this was his first time teaching anything. This took 10 weeks out of his life and even though he you could see that he was nervous, you could also tell that he truely enjoyed the kids he taught.

Friends and family

Today is Thanks Giving Day. Today is a day that we get together with family and friends to to let them know how much they are needed and loved. But above all, it's a day set aside to give thanks to our Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ. To give him the thanks and praise that he needs and deserves. Somehow that got over looked this year. I'm not proud of that, I should have stepped up to the plate and didn't. Family and friends were here and we did get to enjoy each others company, and I cannot wait until we can get together again because I love these people and consider them family too. After T.J. and I went on our trec around the city visiting friends that invited us to join them we came back home to feast and play games. It was a special year this year with the introduction of the newest member of the tradition, Cliff and Carolyn's 1 month old daughter Caidyn,Sweet,sweet baby. It was a blessing to see Carolyn's daughter Courtney as well. It was also a special treat to see Lyle, who we haven't seen in years. Glad to see that he is doing well.
I miss all of our Family and friends that couldn't make it over, I hope all of you had a blessed holiday too, and hope that you will be here to share with us next time.

Shaggy goes clean

Today was haircut day. T.J. and I went to the barber to get our hair cut. Just in time for ol' shaggy boy. His hair was getting out of controll. I love this kid of mine!! he likes short hair. This time I wanted it spiked and he agreed. This is the turnout. For him it was a good one for me well you can tell how good mine turned out by the picture. I don't get it, same girl, same style, just didn't turn out right. Maybe next time...

Dinner at the Miller's

It has been a long time comming, dinner at the Miller's house. As everyone knows Vance and I have been friends for some time now. Though we live less than two miles from each other (less than 1 mile as a crow flys) we don't get together as often as I would like. When we do, it's always a good time. We eat well, drink well and be merry well. Jenny (Vances' wife) makes the best breads I have ever had!! This time is no exception! I don't know, but I expect, that they're sons have taken them for granted. As I have taken my mother for granted. It's only now that I think back on all the awesome food that my mother made for us with great fondness. We get together for dinner and then we play a game that I can never remember the name of, so it has come to be know as "that game". "Sequence" I had to wake T.J. up to get that information. These are the greatest people I have ever come to know. I hope that in the future we can get together more often. But I know that since they travel so much that it may not come to pass. I still enjoy every moment that I get with them.

halloween 2008

I took T.J. trick-or-treating again this year. As we drove around looking for a good place to do this, we noticed that there were alot fewer kids this year than last. Then we noticed that there were alot fewer lights on this year than last. We think it had alot to do with the way things are going in the country right now. That didn't stop us though, we dressed him up and off we went to the same neighborhood as last year and as we walked and talked we desided that this was the right place. We did start a little early, around quarter to six. The first house he went to was funny. He went to the door and knocked and screemed trick-or-treat! The lady opened the door, then shut it in his face, then the light went out. Though I couldn't see it, the look on his face had to have said a million words. He turned and looked at me as if asking what the hell... I don't know, but it was funny I told him "I guess you got a trick", and we laughed together. The night turned out well, there were more children comming in the next hour or so. As for his "take", about a third of what he got last year. He didn't care, I think he only ate three pieces of it to this point. We ended as we did last year, in our own sub. When he was too tired to go on, we came home and called it a night.

Grandpa's house, learning to be a country boy!

In August we took a trip to Grandpa's house. T.J. got to do his most favorite thing in the whole world,ride the ATV that Grandpa gave him. There was a catch though, he had to help me cut down some trees for firewood. I cut 'em he got to drag 'em back to the house with the ATV. Grandpa's house is in northern Michigan where he lives on 300 acres of woods. It truely is the most peaceful place on the planet. We call it Gods country. This is my favorite place in the whole world because it's the one place where I can realy be myself. Early in the week that we were there, T.J. got a little bored and wanted to do some cutting of his own. He brought the tree down with a hatchet! The chain saw was for the easy part. I am very proud of my son! He started a long hard task, and finished it all on his own. That's my boy!!!

Diverted from the Nellis Air Show

On 11-8-08 we set out to join good friends at the Nellis Air Show. A Quick call in the mourning let us know that The Bogans were already on their way, and we were running late. T.J. and I cleaned up and were headed for the door when the phone rang and the Bogans let us know that there was a two hour wait just to get onto the shuttle bus that takes you to the base. We were diverted, and elected to join the Bogan Family at The Adventure Dome. Good choice. This was important to me because this will be the last time that R.J. and I would get to hang out together for some time to come. Lay offs at work displaced R.J. to swing shift. T.J. and I rarely get to see Michele and Jack-Jack as it is, so this was a good time for all. T.J. and Jack-Jack had a blast going on all th rides together even though T.J. won't admit likeing the "kiddie" rides. He thinks it's not "cool" to like them because he's 10 now. This is just one of the meny phases that he will go through in life and I'm gald to be here to watch him and enjoy the good company. We have been to The Adventure dome before, and there is one thing that I have wanted ever since I've seen it done. I had a real clay sculpture of T.J.'s face done. I will cherish this for a long time.