great imaginations

We had birthday brownies for alyssas birthday today at grandmas alyssa is 12. Were going to dinner on sunday for her birthday, she didnt decide where to go yet. The kids are having a good time coming up with ideas for april fools day tomorrow. They decided that dad needs to sleep with his hands outside of his blankets tonight and cameron says hes sleeping in the old van with the keys. I think maybe ill sleep up at grandmas tonight! Cameron has been driving the old van around back in the fields and down to the creek, yesterday he got it stuck in the mud and wes and rich had to pull him out with richs tractor, all his buddies who were in with him bailed and he was trying to shovel him self out. Ian and Lyle had this idea a couple of weeks ago... they want to have a house party...ya know... like the kind in the movies when the parents are gone. Well they planned this for 2 days and i think we really need to have a party like that... whos up to coming to new york for a house party? flashing lights, disco balls, glow in the dark necklaces, confetti, silly string , lots of pizza , pop, loud music, air guitar contest, dance competitions,and the best designed card board guitar. We have to wait till it gets warm cause our weather is really wacky too. It snowed yuesterday and today it was about 60, tomarrow rain and a mixed bag of 60s , rain and snow for the coming week. were going to michigan for easter, leaving friday the 10 and coming back on sunday because tim and ash only have the weekend off. Alyssa and Ian have a quizzin gtournament this weekend and Cameron has a home lacrosse game next tueday and thursday. Ive been good for 2 weeks eating what im supposed to and how much im supposed to and exercising 2 hrs a day so sunday we had a party and i tried tobe good them i caved and said i can have one day off in two weeks so i had mac and cheese italian sausage cake icecream corn soup cookies the works and sunday night i was soooooo sick i was up all night , its just not worth it , i think ill probably be good from now on. Well i have to get going and take the kids home to bed ,love you all
aunt sandi

DC Pictures from Uncle Phil

This is the Vietnam Memorial. As I walked by I began to cry.
(Even starting to tear as I type this)

Uncle Phil

Louisville

Phil and I have spent the weekend in Louisville. I usually love this city but this weekend has been rainy and to cold to walk on the water front without a nice warm coat which I didn't bring with me. Hope we aren't going to get the snow everyone else is getting, that would kill all of the plants I put out last week. I planted lettuce, spinach, cilantro, sunflowers and wild flowers. I'm hoping the sunflowers will give the back patio a little more privacy. If we aren't here when they come up maybe the new tenants can enjoy them. Phil's packet to become an active duty chaplain went before the chaplaincy board Tuesday, who knows when we will hear their decision. Right now he is loving his new job and very busy learning all that it entails. When we arrived in Louisville I was wearing my Syracuse hoodie, never thinking that Louisville was playing that night and everyone in the city would be waiting for the game to come on. I got a lot of not so nice looks before I realized what I had done. I took the hoodie off before we went out and was glad that I did before the night was over. I was sad to see Syracuse loose, but I did pick Louisville to win it all. I'm not a fan, but I still think they will win. Jon, J, and I filled out our brackets. Jon picked Syracuse, so he's out, J picked Michigan and I picked Louisville. Monday night they play each other so one of us will be out. We'll see how it goes! Have a great week everyone! Love you lots. I am praying for you Ash, and excited to see how God is going to work this all out.

Perrysburg again!

Hi everybody, today was a beautiful, sunny warm day. Monday we are to have snow. Sounds like Kansas. Hope you go play in that snow Brandi. All is well here altho a bit dull. I planted chives in my kitchen two days ago and keep checking to see if they are growing, nothing yet, will plant my lettuce next week. I love my drive to work this time of year about the beginning of March I see the greenhouses start to puff up and smoke, now this am I saw fields all smoothed out ready to plant and this afternoon on the way home one whole field was all planted and plastic laid over it. I'll bet by time I go back to work Tuesday the other fields will be all under white or black plastic. WalMart is selling beautiful cut tulips and I have already bought purple ones, and pink ones with white edges. I take them to work and people stop and talk about them or smell them. We all want spring so much! After eight years of being receptionist at Lakewood, all the receptionists are being sent for training to be receptionists next Thursday. Should be interesting. At least I get out from behind the desk. I have to be in Williamsville by 10:30 so I'll leave work at 10 drive to Mckinley Mall and meet my friend Lois and we will ride together from her place over near the Mall. Looking forward to it. Maybe we will learn how to do our job now. We have been told times are hard but they anticipate no layoffs. also anticipate only 3% raises. Oh well. Governor Patterson and the utility companies want at least 25% more so....... God has it all under control!!! Have a great week. I love you all lots!! Gram

hello....

well..... it has been nice living on my own......it gets a little lonely but it's not bad.... things get tough sometimes but i guess that is life...i'm stuggling to trust God with it all, but it's not easy all of the time.....
sad to see syracuse go down the other night, but i kinda figured it was coming at sometime....a team can only go so long on adrenaline....and after how much they have played over the past few weeks it couldn't be much more than that
crazy that it is snowing in kansas it's been kinda rainy here but it really feels hot here......
ashley i was just thinking if there is something that can be done at the wesleyan church there..i really don't know much about it but i here it's not that good......i don't know how it can be done but there has to be a way to change it .... i would think if the wesleyan church knew how it was there and knew someone who actually wanted to have a positive change...perhaps they would listen......i've been praying for you a lot lately and i hope you get what you're going for
i miss my brother


that's all i got
i picked out a tux for the wedding i don't know a price yet but will have it to you as soon as i get it..we're going to try to turn the white tie and the pocket thing to red to match the bridesmaids but they may just be white we will see......

Snow again

Kansas is the craziest state, this week it was 80 and now there is about 5 inches of snow on the ground. Well I hope it sticks around It would be fun to takes Ruben out to play in it tomorrow. Aunt Sandi sounds like you got a good deal. i heard from Jon again he seems to be doing well. He sounds like he is keeping busy. The kids are doing good Addisen can stay awake for a whole hour know. Ruben has been talking like crazy its so funny to listen to what he hears us saying we have to be careful about what he listen to know. Gwen is a little sicky right now hopefully it will go away soon and no one else will get it. Dad I don't think any of my kids will bew going to camp this year. Love you guys I have to get back to studying I have an Algebra final this week.

summer camp? Anyone?

It is that time again to mark your calendars for 21-27 June 2009.

The Kentucky National Guard Family Program Youth Development Week (YDW) will be at Wendell H Ford Regional Training Center, Greenville, KY. The Youth Development Week will be in a camp type setting and is intended for legal dependents of Kentucky National Guard members both Army and Air and other priorities as listed below. Applications will be accepted and prioritized as follows:

1. Children of Kentucky National Guard members (includes those who are deployed).
2. Grandchildren of Kentucky National Guard members (includes those who are deployed).
3. Children and Grandchildren of Kentucky National Guard Retirees.
4. Children of National Guard members of other states that are currently reside in Kentucky.
5. Children of State and Federal Employees Kentucky Department of Military Affairs.
6. Sibling, nieces, or nephews of Kentucky National Guard members.

Our goal for youth personnel is 250. We will accept applications for your youth ages 9-17 as Campers (please note age determination on the application). Also we are accepting applications for KYNG Youth Week Staff. Staff may be family program volunteers, active members of the Army or Air National Guard, retirees, and family members. Staff members will not be able to bring children younger than 9 (camper age) to the camp. Exceptions will not be considered. Volunteer staff members must be 18 years old. If you are going to be present at Camp you MUST fill out a camper or staff application!

The Youth Development Week will consist of a variety of activities to include drill and ceremonies, flag etiquette, team building exercises, first aid, illegal drug classes, gun safety, rappelling, archery, swimming, fishing, sports, Field Training Exercise (FTX), and much more. Campers will be assigned to platoons according to age and will have a Platoon Sergeant, Assistant Platoon Sergeant, and a Medic with them at all times. All activities will be conducted in a group setting. Your youth will be housed in open bay barracks by age and gender. For security purposes there will be at least 2 adult staff members awake and in their barracks throughout the night. Adult staff will be housed in single or double units. All adult staff 18 and older will be required to have a police record check completed prior to arrival at the YDW.

There will be a graduation ceremony for all campers on 27 June 2009. All family members are invited to attend. The campers will be demonstrating some of the things that they have learned throughout the week. All campers will receive a certificate of Completion. Location and time of graduation to be announced closer to camp date.

Applications for campers and staff will be available by 15 February 2009. All applications must be received at the address on the application no later than 30 April 2009 in order to be considered. Applications will be date stamped upon receipt. The application must be complete to include all attachments and the camp fee of $80.00 per child and is non-refundable. There is no fee for volunteers and staff. Housing and food will be provided for everyone attending Youth Camp.
All applicants will be notified by 1 June 2009, if at all possible. Those attending will be mailed a packet with additional information and instructions.

An $80.00 non-refundable application fee for campers is due with the application. Cashier?s check or money order only, please. Cashier?s checks and money orders will be made to KYNG FP Quality of Life Fund.

Mail (emailed applications will not be accepted) completed applications and registration fees to:

Kentucky National Guard Family Programs
Boone National Guard Center
ATTN: KG-J1-FRP (Youth Week)
100 Minuteman Parkway
Frankfort, KY 40601

If you have any questions please call Cindy Culver, State Youth Coordinator at 1-800-372-7601 (press 5 anytime during the message) or email cindy.culver@us.army.mil.

Invisible Children

Visit www.invisiblechildren.com

exhausting!

Hi everyone , we just made it to game night and Im already exhausted. I spent all afternoon wheeling and dealing with Gowanda Ford and Jim Whites for a 2005 Dodge caravan sxt. We wnet back and forth 5 times and as i was signing the papers at Jim Whites , Gowanda Ford was calling me(I didnt answer because I didnt want to hear what they were offering me since I was already signing). Jim White was asking 7,700, and Gowanda ford was asking 7,900, and I ended up getting it for 6,400, Im sure they could have gone alot lower but I was getting tired. So tomarrow I pick up our new van which means we can definately drive to kentucky and kansas at the end of the year and possibly even make it to michigan and/or kentucky some time this spring or summer YEH! Well not much else to report. Started reading the dream keeper, and the weather is starting to warm up even though it was still only 19 this morning. Cameron had his first field lacrosse game yesterday, the temp was in the 20s it was cold , thats lacrosse weather! Im doing good with my new diet plan and have been able to stay undr my cal. goal and stay on track with my 2 hours of exercise a day. J grandma wants to know where you find those sugar free peeps.
love you guys
aunt sandi

Some interesting things

Hello all! Hope everyone is doing well! I have been looking into many Native American Christian organizations lately. But have been unable to find any that has an area of focus near New York they are all in the West. This poses a problem for me because i want to work in New York. So has anyone heared of any organizations that does missions trainings, and any that would focus in New York? Just wondering or and if you get a chance i would encourage anyone who is interested to read Native American Theology by Clara Sue Kindwell, Homer Noley, and George E. Tinker it is a really good and interesting read. Well that is all for now i guess!
Love,
Ashley

did you all know they make sugar free peeps....it's amazing......

Prayer request

I heard from Jon today and he's having some health problems I guess you would call it. Just a few weeks before he left for Iraq, he had a really bad boil. He decided not to have it checked out. Since then he has had several more mostly on his legs, some really large. He's concerned. I've encouraged him to get them checked out but not sure he will. Please pray for him.

WASHINGTON, DC

I'm in Washington, DC for the National Guard for the week. I saw the site and tonight I plan on visiting the SPY museum and maybe going to Hard Rock cafe or Chinatown.

Where should I spend Easter?
A) Kansas
B) New York
C) Kentucky
D) A Monastery

Love you all.
Uncle Phil

Spring!?

Well, the weathers been beautiful here for a few days, in the high 40-50 and sunny(compared to the negative temps weve had all winter its really quite balmy). We had our first fire on the beach sunday, we roasted hotdogs and the kids ran around in their bare feet, even though the lake is still covered with ice. It was so nice and the kids just love going to the beach in any weather(The last time we went it was freezing and the wind was blowing 50+ mph and the waves were crashing over the breakwall , and we could hardly walk against the wind). Well , i just discovered this past week that Im going to be 40 in less than 20 months(uncle mike says thats almost 2 yrs... its way less than 2 yrs...) Well I decided its really time to stop talking about losing my baby fat and start doing it so this is day 2 of my 20 month journey .... Im trying 1800 cal and 2hrs of exercise a day... hopefully youll be able to see a difference by November... We stopped our games early tonight, the kids are just a bit squirrelly , so they are watching a movie now. We played half a game of monopoly and a game of pick up sticks. We always have a problem with the wait between everyone turns. Does anyone know any games that dont require waiting during turn taking? Cameron is playing feild lacrosse for school and box lacrosse for newtown, so I have to go get him an enhanced nondriver id card friday so that they will let him back into the us when he goes to canada. Ian went to his first dance on friday, he came home and for 2 days after he was having a hard time moving because he pulled muscles he didnt know he had when he was doing all the dance tricks his friends showed him(my quiet little Ian ...who knew...) We get to go watch Alyssa musical Annie Jr tomarrow , I cant wait! Lyle must have a Tim Hortons addiction well have to end real quick... he was pouting all night before he went to bed last night because he couldnt get something from quick fill, then he said well, then can we get Tim Hortons in the morning? I said NO , well he woke up this morning with Tim Hortons on the brain and he pouted till he went to school because he couldnt have TH for breakfast. Well it finally ended when I told him I would make him St Patricks day cookies, he said OK but put sugar on them cause I really dont like the homemade stuff you make with no sugar on it . Brandi the pictures are so beautiful.. and really you shouldnt follow my advice... sometimes I find that wes doesnt talk to me when he has alot on his mind,and its really not me thats the problem. Two weddings! how exciting , now we can plan on taking more timeoff of work and school.. I dont think there are any objections about that around here. I have to agree with you guys about uncle phil... i think he has too much time on his hands...unless... hes exchanging notes with Timothy, who is spending alot of his college time eating non food items. Well Im so glad spring is almost here , its really been a looooong winter, we can get out of the house now ,start cleaning the yard, planning the gardens and spending time at the beach yehhh! Well Cameron is ready to go home and I think Wes is sleeping in grandmas recliner so I guess thats all for now. Oh J , I did hear about the syracuse game, and I was telling Cameron about it and alls he had to say was well did they win?....unfortunately I didnt catch that part of the story, until the next day!!!
love you guys
sandi

What to do?

This came in my e-mail today, of course it looked alot fancier, it didn't copy well.

Thought you all should know.

Save This Date
December 5, 2009

The wedding of Phyllis Adebanjo & Jonathan LeRoy
ceremony: 7:00 PM

reception: 7:30 PM Beverage, Bar and Food

venue: Uptown Theater 3700 Broadway Ave, Kansas City, MO

directions: Depending on your location, plug address into mapquest!

airport information: MCI Kansas City, MO

If you have any questions or concerns please contact me. (Phyllis)Invitations will be mailed approximately 2 months before the actual wedding day. If you need to call me my number is 913-957-5633.

We can still pray that this doesn't happen, or better yet that they both fully surrender to Christ. Both of them have prayed the salvation prayer, Jon as a child and again when he was 14. Phil was Phyllis' youth pastor, and prayed with her, we all celebrated with her. In the mean time, I've decided to congratulate them both and offer to help if I can in anyway. I'm even taking Phyllis to lunch or dinner when I am in KS next month. She hasn't had much in the way of family, so the best we can do is welcome her in and love her as much as we can. Any great idea's on how we can do that?

I love Today

It is so beautiful here today, 75 and the first flowers have come up. They are pretty little purple ones. Dad I have had cow tounge before, really it not that bad it's a real smooth feeling kinda liek liver, but not the same taste, we had it in tacos it is cheap. I will have to try it your way thanks for the recipe. Ashley I hope you doing ok in school, it;s almost the end. J how's the new Apartments. Jon if you get on Congratulations, I got the invitation. I love you.

The kids are great we are sure enjoying the great weather, the kids were getting a little stir crazy today they got to go out and play. I did a little grocery shopping, I am still waiting on my new sofa so my big week-end plans got reuined so I am looking forward to it this week end I got my in the bedroom finished and I am now in the search for the living room. Ruben has been enjoying a few day off from work. This weeke end we enjoyed a birthday party and a day at Cabela's Ruben love's it there because of all the animals. Love you all

Brandi

WRONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Husband, Daddy, Grandpa, Son- In -Law, Brother-In-Law, Uncle - Phil must be planning on visiting his parents alone, because this Majcher will definitely not be eating any BEEF TONGUE!!!!!!! Obviously Phil has too much time on his hands!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Or maybe he's starving to death.

An idea: The Tongue

How to Cook Beef Tongue
While beef tongue may not be a very common dish on your menu, this is a rich cut of meat that is enjoyed in many parts of the world and might be tried at the Majcher household sometime. It?s said to have a similar in flavor to brisket and corned beef. And I?ve noticed that it's usually pretty cheap!

Ingredients
? Beef Tongue
? Peppercorns
? Bay leaf (or, alternatively, sage and rosemary, etc.)
? Vegetables for the broth (carrots, onions, celery, etc.)
? Cloves (optional)
Steps
1. Purchase your tongue, as small as possible (try to keep it under three pounds or so).
2. Clean the tongue. After you've opened your tongue package, explore it a little (it's undeniably freaky looking, but don't let it deter you from your quest!) and put it in a clean sink. Scrub at it with a kitchen brush and put it in a pot of cold water. Let it soak for a couple hours, switching the yucky water frequently and keeping everything nice and chilly for safety.
3. Put your clean tongue in a pot of cold water (if you use the same pot as before, use lots of fresh water) with some bay leaves and peppercorns. You can substitute some sage and rosemary for the herb flavor. You can also use some cloves, green pepper chunks, and dried onions as suggested by other sites.
4. Simmer the tongue on medium heat for a couple hours or so with the lid on. It should take a knife pretty easily if it's been cooked long enough. Be careful not to cook it too fast, as muscle meats are prone to become tough and cooking it too fast may bring out that aspect of the meat. It is recommended to cook it for an hour per pound.
5. Remove the meat from the pot with a tong, placing it immediately in a bowl or another pot of very cold water. With the help of a knife or kitchen shears, remove the skin. It should be pretty easy to do if your water is cold, like canning peaches. There might be some tricky bits, but don't shy away, use your knife and a little force.
6. When the meat is cool enough to handle, remove and discard the roots from the back. Tongue is not a lean meat, so don't be afraid to get your hands in there and trim.
7. Cut the meat into 1/4 inch slices lengthwise. Here is where you make this special, reheating it in the original cooking pot, roasting it further in the oven with potatoes and some cooking liquid for a potato/gravy meal, or serving it cold for sandwiches. There are lots of recipes on the web for this step. You will get about four servings per pound, so don't be afraid to try a lot of things with one purchase. If you cook your meat and find that it's 'disconcertingly soft,' try boiling more, as one would pork for carnitas and serving in tacos.

Beef Tongue With Raisin Sauce
1. Gather your ingredients:
o 1 beef tongue (4 pounds)
o 2 onions
o 2 carrots, sliced
o 1 stick celery (with leaves), sliced
o 1 clove garlic, crushed
o 2 tablespoons butter
o 1/3 cup raisins
o 3 tablespoons almonds, chopped
o 1/3 cup white wine vinegar
o 1 tablespoon tomato paste
o 1/3 cup Madeira wine
o 2/3 cup tongue cooking broth
o Salt and pepper to taste
2. Simmer the tongue in water to with a coarsely chopped onion, carrots, celery and garlic until tender. Remove from heat and leave the tongue in the broth.
3. Saute the other onion (chopped) in butter, then add raisins and almonds.
4. When the almonds are golden brown, stir in the vinegar and tomato paste, then add the Madeira and stock. Simmer for three minutes to reduce slightly.
5. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Peel the tongue. Slice it and pour the sauce over the top.

al- Asad

I found out from Jon that he is in Al Asaid Iraq, here's the information I could find about the place and thought I'd share it with you all.
Marines and soldiers at the outlying forward operating bases have another name for al-Asad -- "Camp Cupcake." It is a place where an oasis has served traders since the time of Abraham of the Bible. Al-Asad is thought of as luxurious compared with most other bases in Iraq. New housing, called "can cities," are springing up all over Al Asad. Metal trailers linked together provide one or two soldiers with 10-foot by 20-foot living areas. Latrines have running water and porcelain commodes in the can cities, not portapotties. Showers are spotless, just the place to refresh after an "abs" session with the on-base trainer. A theater shows movies day and night. Soldiers, Marines, Air Force personnel and sailors can do laps in the indoor swimming pool. The large PX faces competition from nearly a dozen Iraqi merchants, who are licensed to sell everything from local crafts and rugs to Cuban cigars and pirated DVDs.
The living conditions at Al Asad have been very good, with daily showers and air conditioning reported. The food and gym facilities have been reported as being excellent and, as from February 2006, Al Asad has had a telephone center and Internet café (albeit with a lengthy wait).
Of course this Jon isn't here all the time, but this is his home base, not a bad place to be if you have to be in a war zone.
Here's a little from Jon: I work from 7 pm to 7am im in al asad iraq
dnt know how is ky it gets dusty and dustier hear we had another thunderstorm here but this one just made it worse
cant think of anything I really need but ill let you know if I think of anything next time love u
isn't it great with all the "texting" language we don't even have to know how to spell anymore! Love you all!

Hi from Perrysburg

Hi everybody. Today is sunny, cold and beautiful and work is over with for the day. I have Sat to work before my "weekend" begins but that is good. I'd like a fish fry but can't find anyone to go with me. We decided at work today that it is my job to find some daffodills and bring them to work Tue . We want spring around here!! Brandi, I love the pictures. Jay congratulations on your move. I did hear about that game. Those guys all looked whipped when it was over. I also read the SHACK Wow! Talked our facility chaplin into reading it so we could talk about it. Brandi keep buying those flowers sometimes silence is golden!! I saw Gram and Gramp T last week end and they are doing really good. Takes a load off my mind. Have a great week end. I send you my love. Gram

Go Cuse!

if you did not read/watch/listen/learn about in school.....about the syracuse game last night you missed it....6ot!!! it was almost 4hrs long........ridiculous....

i now live at
3477 Ipswich Ct.
Lexington, KY 40503


J

good advice

Well Aunt Sandi i took your advice. I went shopping and out to dinner.I bought a new bed spread andi bedskirt, a new rug to put by my bed, I got some good mexican food and a Margarita, I bought my mom a plane ticket to come see me, and then I came home and did no cleaning it was nice to relax and my kids slept last night si I feel good today, although Ruben did not work today, and He is still not talking. Well I am on my way out to the doctors love you all

Brandi

Thursday

Hi , im on again. Just got done with work and I got all my chores done already , so Im just hanging out. Mom doesnt have to go to work until noon so Im up here drinking her coffee again. I guess Tim is feeling better, but now I have a cold, or sinus something. Its probably because the temp went from 40s yesterday to 20s and snow today and its supposed to be in the single digits tonight brrrr! I talked on the phone with Ash for an hour and a half last night, probably the longest Ive ever been on the phone (it was Dans bowling night, wasnt it ! Love ya Ash) Well not much new to say. I bought myself some pink and yellow roses yesterday, because I needed some flowers. Well, love you guys

Sandi

Game Night

We changed our theme to game night instead of cards. We play other games instead of cards, like scattagories and pictionary, also uno and yatzee. Its cold and rainy here, supposed to be most of the week. Tim called me tonight he is sick,(its ok to acknowledge you have a mom when you are sick, love you Tim were praying for you to get better so you can go to your classes tomarrow.) Brandi the picture is beautiful. When Wes stops talking to me , I stop making dinner ,his morning coffee,and cleaning, and I go shopping, so he doesnt stop for long. I was up at 5 this morning cleaning, I even went to the laundry mat at 6 and got all my jobs for the day done even my bill paying and shopping done by 7:30 this morning. Tami got me all excited to start planting some things and redecorating my house for summer, so I think Ill start looking this week . Pink and orange sounds really pretty. Cameron has lacrosse practice every night and alyssa has practice for the musical annie every night this week, wed is quizzing night and thursday is library night and fri night we are going to have a movie theater at the house and watch beverly hills chiuaua (none of us can figure out how to spell chiwawa? chiuaiua?) Ashley and Tim wont be home this weekend. Well everyone is eating brownies, chocolate chip cookies and milk.

Love you guys, have a great week

Sandi

HI

We were all thinking alike. Yesterday I thought I better pot tomorrow because Aunt Sandi will be on for game night. You beat me mom. I just got done having a delcious lunch with my kids at Mi Ranchito. I took the kids out, really just because I wanted some chips and Salsa, and becaue Ruben is not talking to me again!! Someone needs to come and give him a spanking and snap him out of his attitude. So I felt like having junk food. Now the Gwen and little Ruben are a grandma's and Addisen just had a bath and laid down for a nap. I am going to start working on some school work. The house is clean because that is all I did yesterday. I also got a new dishwasher so that will make the load alittle lighter. I made my kids dinner early and Ruben will have leftovers so I don't have to cook tonite. Sounds good to me. I am hoping to get a head in my school work so that I don't have any to do this week-end my new couch is suppose to be here and I plan on laying on it all week-end and watching tv. Have fun a game night.

Tuesday Morning

Hi everyone! I was so surprised to see Sandi on yesterday. I was thinking "Oh, I have to make sure I post before Tuesday night because I know Sandi will be on" I just wanted to thank you for being here when Jon left, it was so good that I wasn't alone, so "Thanks". I'm glad you have been able to keep your lent "commitment" me too! Does it feel good?
Phil got home late Thursday night and didn't have to go back to work until today. The weather has been beautiful so we spent a lot of time outside. Cleaning up the yard, having a cookout, I even planted some wild flowers. Kind of any oxymoron right, planting "wild" flowers!!!!!It is soooo quiet here now. J is gone and we don't have anyone living in the other side of the duplex. Phil walks down the hall yelling and pounding on the walls just because he can. I haven't started cleaning out your room J, it just seems wrong somehow.
I was reading Ashley's post and thinking how much she sounds like J! If you ask J what has been his favorite job, he'll say working at the daycare. He loves to take pictures, has talked about having a coffee house and told me yesterday he would love to get a job at the local book store! Every time we talk about him being called to ministry, he denies it, but so do most people who are called! (love ya J).
I sent a package to Jon for his birthday, hopefully it will get to him sometime in April. As far as what he needs, I'm not reallly sure yet and neither is he, he isn't to his permanent location yet. What I've heard from other military families is that there is lots of hygeine stuff available but not always what the guys want. Jon isn't real picky about most of that, but he is picky about his razors. He uses the fusion razor, just the plain one not the one that vibrates, books (he likes suspense) and magazines are pretty popular. It's hard for me to believe that Jon is going to read books, he read his first one in jail (got through high school w/o reading a single one) and he has read more since then. His favorite cookies are chips ahoy, favorite candy-creme savers and disposable cameras might be good. Brandi and I were saying maybe we should let each other know when we are sending a box so we can space them out.
Sandi I'll get you all some quilt squares as soon as I can, I have hearts for hero's Thursday and if Jennifer is there I can get them. Love you all!!!!! I'm going shopping now.

Wow

Its monday and Im actually on the computer. Im reading all the wonderdful , exciting . a little scary things that are happening to everyone and im a bit overwhelmed and in awe, I think I might cry. Its just one of those days... its half raining and half snowing here... its monday morning and you know how it is with the turning the clock ahead thing... not to mention the fact that my eldest son pretty much blew me off yesterday when I went to see him at college, I didnt even show up unexpected, he knew I was coming! Oh well , Tim Im just kidding with you, I know you just didnt want them to start the movie marathon, or the eating nonfood items contest, without you. I love you! How exciting J!wow! Tami, your house is really empty now. I was thinking about how it will be when my house is empty and in a way Im looking forward to it and in a way Im thinking , what will I do, there are only so many walls to wash and floors to mop in this house. Hey , now that Im thinking of it, could you send us some of the quilt suares wed like to design some more. Hows everyone doing with Lent? My kids are still doing chores, and Im adding 1-2 more to the list everyweek. Im so glad you posted jons email. If you have alist of items we could send him that would be great also. Ash, Im glad your finally enjoying your classes, now that you are almost done. Love ya! Nothing too new with me this week, Im sitting here at grandmas eating her biscotti and drinking her coffee, I should probably go home, but everything is done there for today, chores are done, dinners in the crock pot, were having chili, and there are no errands to run today. Oh, I forgot I shoul have called home before I got on the computer, Wes said he might get rained out today, and he might be home already, Oh well.

love you guys
Sandi

i moved out

well..
i moved to lexington
i live in a house now with 3 guys, and a girl
it's pretty nice
i don't really see the other people that much but they all seem nice
anyways, we'll see how it goes.....
hopefully someone can come visit me (TIM!!! CAMERON!!!)

ashley i'm excited for you and all the dreams you have, keep me posted on all that

love you all

j

p.s. TERRELL OWENS.......are you kidding me

How to knit a iPod cover with a button clasp

http://www.wikihow.com/Knit-an-iPod-Cover-With-Button-Clasp

Hey everybody! Amy knows how to knit.

From Iraq

I got this e-mail from Jon, thought I'd share it with you all.

Hey mom all is well for me after a 4 day delay 2 in deleware and 2 in germany I finally made It to Iraq things are a lot and I mean that better here than I ever imagined the weather is very comparible to san diego and we are supposed to be getting dust storms for the next twodays I will share the experience with you once I make it through one the say 130 and 140 is just around the corner any way great to here from you love Jon

Tired...but will press on!

Hello all! it has beena very long while since i wrote anything, and that is partly because i had lost the directions to long on to the blog :) Well the semester is coming to a close only two more months left and i am done! That is exciting, but i am a little worried about it at the same time, but i know everything will work on in the end so no worries right?! Haha well that is better said then done, as we all know. Exciting news i am graduating in May! And i may go back to school i may not my options are still wide open, and i am excited about that, i have many great opportunities and i can't wait to get started. I have so many ideas of what i would like to do, but time will only tell if what i want and what God wants is actually the same thing. I have been thinking a lot lately about home and the reservation, and how i feel something amazing needs to happen there, so i feel a calling to start up a minisrty team, and prayer groups and what not for this! I am so excited for this!!! I just hope everything works out for the glory of God! I really want to do crafts all my life and get paid for it that would also be amazing, and working with kids for my life is another dream of mine. I really would like to open my own business that includes books, crafts, coffee, and photography that is another plan for my future. Each day i wake up and find somehting new and exciting that i could do with my life and this excites me! But it also worries me... Well that is enough babbaling for now. School is great i love all my classes this semester! especially my missions class i think that is why i am so fired up about this reservation ministry team thing, i have so much work to get done in these next two months, but it is exciting work to be done, and i wish i had more time in a day to get it done. Well hope you all are doing well! and hope to here from you all soon!
Love you all, Ash

GUESS WHAT

Its game night again, this is the only time I can get near a computer, and the rules of game night are were supposed to play together, so I only have a few minutes. We played scattegories, and pictionary, and had lots of goodies to eat. Its freezing here , the wind chill this morning was in the -teens. I had a great time in Kentucky, but I have to confess I had that spoiled kid attitude (the one the kids get when they go somewhere for any amount of time) for aboout three days, then I got over it and had to apologize to everyone. The kids and wes did good, (wes didnt buy a vehicle this time(he did the last two times I went away) he did buy a new coffe pot before I even made it to kentucky). Cameron started lacrosse practice yesterday and hes moaning around like an old man. Alyssa is in the musical Annie, that is in two weeks. I started baby sitting for loris little boy after school now (I usually have him in the morning for a half hour) now I have him for a half hour in the morning and an hour and a half in the afternoon, he and Lyle just dont get along they love to annoy each other and argue with each other, so that is a reallyFUN two hours of my day, but now I have an excuse to use when they call me to work at the daycare. Well, J, I think I may have to buy a new car with my taxes , just what I said i wouldnt have to do wiht it this year, oh well. Gotta go love you guys
Sandi

Lent

Lent started last Wednesday. While we were sitting at the lunch table J asked us all what we were giving up for Lent. It made us all think alot and we all decided on something. Today Mya sent me this web site http://www.biblegateway.com/ it has a daily reading plan for Lent. It would be cool if we could all read it together. I know we are a few days behind, but just start now. Love you all! Tami

just a few pictures i have taken well in kansas.....i miss them so much

mickey d's is good

amy is good

looking forward to getting married soon

and hopefully making it up to new york soon

tim i wish you could've been here last week

thanks for the calendar ashley

love you all

j