007 – Mother’s Day 2010

Yesterday I spent with my Mother and today we went to see David’s adopted Mother (Ms. Charlsie).  He picked her some roses from our bush in the front yard and we brought her some cake. She has a sweet tooth.

Her brother, Lloyd, was there when we arrived.  We LOVE to hear Lloyd tell stories.  They both have minds like steel traps.  They remember names and events from when they were young kids.  I could listen all day long.

Here are a couple photos of two of our favorite people (and “Sweetie” liked to get in the pictures, too!) …

We are so blessed to have these two precious people in our lives. 

I got a kick out of this ecard that Kale sent me today… that’s a promise that will be very valuable over the years!!

Happy Mother’s Day, y’all!

006 – Pre Mother’s Day 2010

For Mother’s Day my sisters and I took my Mom out for lunch and a little shopping today.  Here we are at El Chico. (L-R: my niece Rebecca, Sharon #9, me, my niece Sophia, Kristin #11, Valerie #4, Mom, and Suzanne #3) It’s not very often 5 out of 6 of us Goulet girls can get together all at once, so it was great to have the time together today.

Sophia was so much fun and so sweet.  I really do think she’s possibly the most beautiful baby I’ve ever seen (well, at least the most beautiful GIRL baby).

And I wanted to congratulate my niece, Rebecca, who will be graduating this Monday night with her Associate’s degree.  She’s already begun working on her Bachelor’s.  She is a single Mom and she’s working really hard.  Way to go, Becc!! I’m proud of you!!

Suzanne and her daughter, Rebecca

005 – Precious Mail, The Continuing Blackberry Saga, and Graduation 2010

Look what I got today when I went to the post office.  TWO Mother’s Day cards!  One from Kale (who decided to also combine it as my birthday card, not that I’m bitter or anything) and the other from Kayla.  Kayla wrote the sweetest note and I sat out in the car in the parking lot and had a little cry.  Have I mentioned how great it is to have a girl in the family???

As for my mad Blackberry repair skills: the trackball seized up again today and so I decided to order one on eBay.  $3.99 and it will be here sometime next week. BUT, after cleaning it again (twice), it pretty much died… so, since I couldn’t find anyone who had an extra BB laying around, my sister recommended I stop by the Verizon store (we contract with AT&T).  I was a little embarrassed but not too proud to get my phone fixed, so I went in… and a nice boy put a brand new one in for FREE. (Thanks for the tip, Sharon #9!) Then he tried to persuade me to switch to Verizon. Does anyone have any reason why I should or should not consider Verizon besides the fact that the iPhone is an AT&T product only?

Tomorrow, Jodi and Gary’s daughter, Jessica, is graduating from college.  Kale graduated in December and should be walking tomorrow, too, but he’s been busy in Texas working instead. The diploma was enough to satisfy him. Ha! We’re sure proud of you kids!!

004 – The Blackberry Saga

Yesterday, I thought my phone died.  My trackball had decided to quit scrolling downward and with a Blackberry that means you’re limited in checking email and texts.  Kale has been advising me for about 6 months to hold off on getting a new phone until June, and the thought of having a paralyzed phone for that long was not a happy thought.  So, I did what I do for everything… I Googled it. And sure enough, I found a way to take apart the trackball and when I put it back together, WALA! I’m back in business. I’m not sure what I did before Al Gore discovered the internet.

003 – Last Awana Meeting and a Little Reality TV Update

Tonight was our last regular night of Awana for the year.  For the past 8 months we have had as many as twelve 3 and 4 year olds every Wednesday night for Cubbies.  They are so cute, and so full of energy!! I got this picture of one of our little ones after sliding down the slide… I loved the static in his hair!

After church, I got home in time to see who got voted off of American Idol.  I’ve picked Lee to win since the Top 24… and he’s in the Top 4.  I think it’ll be down to him and Crystal in the finals.

Speaking of reality TV…

Have y’all been watching Biggest Loser? This has been an interesting season. Last night was makeover night… I always love seeing how they look (and feel about themselves) afterward.

I’m SO rooting for the Cowboys on Amazing Race! Love them!

And I’m down to only a few hours left with Jack Bauer.  If y’all watched Monday night, O.M.G.!!! I wasn’t expecting that at the end.  All I can say is “don’t mess with Jack”.

002 – Supper with Fester and Odd Planters

I had supper with this little boy tonight.  There’s just nothing better than spending time with people you LOVE!!

I haven’t seen any mannequins around my neighborhood, but Jodi and I found these flowers today…

…they were in a little town called “Gassville”. Ha!! Does this give you any ideas for your flower garden??

001 – Izzy’s First Obedience Training Class

This evening, Izzy and I went to a dog obedience training class. She has shown a little aggression toward other dogs and I am concerned about that… especially since Kale and Kayla are bringing Bosley here this summer.  I want to make sure Izzy and Boz get along, so I’m getting a head start.

I knew that Izzy was already crate trained and leash trained, but she did every command the instructor asked of her.  I think the goal now is to train ME!

Project 365

I saw this on a new Facebook friend’s profile yesterday (hey, Meagan!). I loved the idea, so I thought I’d do it attempt it.  I’ve had blogger’s block lately, so I’m hoping it will help me to journal my life throughout the year.

Looks like fun!

The Best Part of Having Grown Children

Today is Kayla’s 23rd birthday. I never imagined, in all the years I spent praying for my children’s future spouses, that having a daughter-in-law would be such a blessing to ME! Kayla is not only like my own daughter… she’s also a wonderful and fun friend! We LOVE hanging out together. We love makeup, and movies, and shopping, oh, and we both love Kale with all our hearts.

So, for those of you with little ones, those of us who have raised our children really do mean it when we say the time goes by so fast and your children will be grown in the blink of an eye.  And you will miss it!  But, just know there are some really sweet, wonderful times ahead also! I know we’ve been blessed.

Happy Birthday, sweet, sweet Kayla!! We love you!

The Kids and The Dog

I can’t believe I haven’t found the time or mental capacity to post in over a month.

David and I took off for Houston on March 24.  We drove half way and spent the night and finished the trip the next day.

(Dave paced in the hotel room the first night… he had a hard time relaxing for a little bit, but by the end of the week he was vacationing like a pro!)

Kale was working out in the field, so he had us meet him for lunch a couple of hours from his house and we finished the trip with him as our guide.

The trip would’ve been GREAT, but the day I got there my tooth abscessed and I was sick, sick the entire time I was there.  My first toothache ever and it just had to come during our vacation!

But I was NEVER so happy to see this sight …

First day

Last day (sniff, sniff) 

Our granddog was ready to see us and quickly became Dave’s best friend. If you know me very well, you know I’m scared to death of dogs.  I got bit as a kid by a dog that was protecting Mikey Alec (for those of you that might read this that grew up in Placentia with me). He and I were play-fighting (because that’s what all little girls do) and the dog decided my acting skills were too good. I got bit again as an adult when I went to pay my water bill… turned my back on that dog and he latched on to my hamstring.

So, it took me a couple days to warm up to Sir Bosley, but before we left, we were pals.

I felt sorry for Dave because as we turned on to our dirt road on the way home, I said, “Well, it’s back to dirt roads again” and he said, “and that stupid cat!”.  (I knew he was going to miss Bosley.) 

We got home on March 30.  Kale turned 23 on March 31 (Happy Birthday, baby!) and then two days later we adopted her…

It was a BIG step for me.  We haven’t had a dog for quite a few years since we lost the boys’ childhood dog.  Her name is Isabella.  We call her Izzy.  We adopted her from the Humane Society.  On Good Friday, we had scheduled to meet a woman about a six-month old male Boston Terrier in a nearby town (the same age as Bosley).  Before we left, Tyler called to tell us about a Boston at the Humane Society.  When I told David it was a girl, he indicated “NO GIRL”.  I told him it wouldn’t hurt to just go meet her.  So, since I was driving, we went to the Humane Society first.  When they brought her in to us, she was so calm and so sweet.  But, she was a year and a half (older than we planned) and 36.5 pounds (much bigger than we planned.  Turns out she was a Boston Terrier mix…we’re not sure what she’s mixed with).  She was spayed, so Dave’s concern about her being pregnant was put to rest.  We commented on how sweet she was, but still decided to keep our appointment to meet the other dog.

When we met the little male Boston… he was very wild and appeared to have not been worked with. At all. We realized the undertaking it would be to  train him and when the girl gave us a little time to talk, we both were feeling the need to go back and look at “Fortune” at the Humane Society again.

So we headed back to the Shelter…they let us walk her and she walked on the leash like a pro!! It didn’t take us long to realize she was just the dog for us. As it turns out, someone has treated this dog really well, and she is fully trained to a crate, to sit, to walk on a leash.  She’s a great dog!

So we’ve had her since April 2 and we’re all adjusting to the Empty Nest + a dog now.  Tyler thinks it’s funny that it only took us two weeks from him moving out to get a dog. Ha!

Speaking of Tyler.  Last week was his 21st birthay. Happy Birthday, Fest!!

“Little Pink Piggy”

My sister, Kristin (#11) sent this picture of "Sopeea" this morning.  She said, “Doesn’t she look like a little pink piggy?”  I think she’s just plain precious!!!

Our Talks…

Today when I got to Ms. Charlsie’s, she was sitting in her living room chair with two bowls.  One with apples and the other with the peels she was removing from them.  When I went to the kitchen to sort her meds, she got up and came to the kitchen table to visit with me while she worked the apples and I worked up her pills.

While she slices, she makes conversation… asking about my day and telling about the events of hers. 

I love our talks.  We talk about the apples and the applesauce she’ll make.  We talk about the foods she’ll bake.  She shares about the many gardens she and Hardy raised, or how as a girl her folks would raise hogs for slaughter and the meat would be hickory smoked or salt-cured.

Charlsie is 91 years old.  She has nearly a century of wisdom to share with me and I’m happy to sit and listen … and learn.

TLC’s Version of Our Turkey Trot

Tuesday nights are a big night on TV for me because both Biggest Loser and American Idol are on.  Usually I record them both and watch BL in “real time” and afterwards watch my recorded AI episode… but after I watched BL, I got side-tracked by a show that TLC was doing on our neighboring town… about 7 miles away…where Dave and I lived when we first got married… and where he went to school all his life:  Yellville - the home of the Turkey Trot and Turkey Calling Contest. 

But TLC was actually showcasing the two pageants that accompany the Turkey Trot… “Miss Turkey Trot” and “Miss Drumsticks”.  (Yep, you guessed it… they vote for the girl with the best legs.)

All I can say is bless our hearts…

Another Change is Coming…

It looks as though I will have a truly “Empty Nest” soon.  Tyler and his friend, Ryan, found a house in “town” and they plan to move this weekend. I have to admit, I’m a little nervous, but it will be a good experience for him and for this momma who doesn’t really like cutting the apron strings.

Oh, I forgot to tell y’all that Ms. Charlsie’s dog, “Sweetie”, has been sick.  She took her to the vet a couple of weeks ago because she was throwing up and acting sick.  It turns out she is experiencing kidney failure so she is having to modify her diet.  The vet told her that she’s seen some dogs last for years after being diagnosed and some don’t last very long.  We’re hoping for her to be around for a long while… she is Charlsie’s baby and daily companion.

Since she’s been out of the “hospital”, Sweetie hasn’t wanted to eat the food the vet prescribed.  It’s a Purina food specifically for “kidney function”.  We called the vet back and she told us we could get her any quality senior formula food.  I didn’t realize it was so hard to find senior formula food(maybe that’s just here in our neck of the woods).  Anyway, I found some Science Diet at Petco last weekend and Sweetie LOVES it!! That just makes Charlsie’s day!!  And we love that!

“Sopeea Wose”

Yesterday was a fun, full day.  I got to spend it with four out of five of my sisters (Cathy, when are y’all going to give it up and move to Arkansas?), Tyler, both of my parents, three brother-in-laws, and several nieces and nephews.

Today at lunch, I saw a young mom who was largely pregnant (and rubbing her belly) and Tyler saw my face when she walked by… he knew what I was thinking… “I would love to get to experience that again.”  He just shakes his head.

Since I probably won’t go “there” again… I believe God is getting me ready for my grandma days.

And since I’m not a grandma yet, I had the best time yesterday spending the day mostly holding Sophia Rose…

… Oh my goodness, I fell in love!

Cortney and Sophia

 

Erik (he calls his baby sister “Sopeea Wose)

Suzanne (#3) and Sophia Tyler has learned how to make Sophia happy.  She loves to be bounced. Hard. And he has the touch!

This was my favorite moment of the day.  When I looked back at her in her car seat and she was holding her little baby doll that her Aunt Val (#4) gave her.  That is PRECIOUS!

I’m Back…

This has been my longest bloggy break ever.  Not much has been going on here, except that Tyler got home the first of February and we were supposed to go to Houston last weekend, but Dave’s first cousin passed away (at the age of 49) and we had a funeral to attend.  The current plans are to wait for a few weeks and hope this winter weather goes away and try to go to Houston in March sometime.  Kale’s birthday is at the end of the month… that may be a good time to go.  We’re blessed that he has every other Friday off, so we’ll aim for one of those weekends.

Kale and Kayla are busy with their new puppy and are actually trying to add another dog to their family.  At least I don’t have to worry about grandbabies being 10 hours away, yet!! But, they are so funny … Kayla tells me they have “family time” every night when Kale comes home and they take “Bosley” for his walk. Haha!

Tomorrow, my little sister, Kristin (#11), will be coming with her family for the weekend.

She doesn’t really look like THAT anymore. She looks more like this:

This guy…

…works for Kristin’s husband, Larry, and they have some business to attend to this weekend.  (He doesn’t really look like THAT anymore.)

While they’re here, I will get to hug on…

Sophia… and…

…Erik.  Adorable!!! I can’t wait!

PS.  Have y’all been watching American Idol??? I don’t have a favorite yet, but there is some good talent.  I’m glad it’s down to the Top 24… I’m ready for the talent to begin.  And I sure am missing Biggest Loser during the Olympics…

Second snow of January

You never know what kind of weather you’re gonna get in Arkansas.  Dave told me in the fall that he wouldn’t be surprised if we have a precipitous winter… so far, he’s been right.

Yesterday afternoon they were predicting another winter storm and it brought back a big reminder of the great ice storm of 2009 (1/27/09)… where we were left without power for 10 days! I’ll never forget that.  (We’re now the proud owners of a generator.)

This morning, we woke up to a few inches of snow (and ice under it) and the snow has been blowing sideways all morning long.  I love the snow, but I’m hoping it will melt quickly!

I’ve decided that as long as we have winter before Christmas, I’m happy… anything after Christmas makes me a little crazy.  I’m thinking Spring.  Until then, I’m sitting inside with a fire in the wood stove, watching the snow come down…and dreaming of spring.

You Wanna See Some Wedding Pictures?

Kale and Kayla got their wedding photos yesterday.  She’s posted several on her blog here.

And, I got the SWEETEST email of all time from Kale last week giving me dates to come to Houston – next month!! He has a four day weekend then and I’m going to take full advantage of it!!

Tyler is still in Hot Springs with his insurance job, and from the sound of it… a little training with little ones.  My sister (Kristin #11) has three young children and Tyler is learning new and creative ways to soothe a nearly three month old baby.  Too funny!

Kale and Kayla’s New Home

Go visit Kayla's blog to see pictures of their new place.  I can’t wait to go visit them!!

Saying Goodbye Again

A week ago, we watched Kale and Kayla leave out for Texas.  They’ve made it safe and sound.  Their apartment is adorable and they’re all settled in.

Today, Tyler headed out to Hot Springs for most or all of January for work. He works as an insurance agent for my brother-in-law and will be staying with them as he gets further training. I sure am gonna miss him… even though he’s not around much these days.

It was especially hard to see him go because I gave him strong “motherly advice” yesterday to consider going early because there was a slight chance for some snow overnight… only about 15% and maybe as much as a half inch.  He decided it would “be alright”.  So, when we woke up to 4” of snow this morning, I was a little upset.  It then snowed most of today too. 

He left around 4:00 for what under normal conditions would take about 3 1/2 hours to get there. He hit a deer on slick roads at about the half-way mark.  He is okay, and he thinks the deer was too, but the vehicle got a little damage.

Thankfully, he got there a little before 9:00… FIVE hours later!! Here he is, safely, in Kristin’s living room.

So, it looks like it’s truly the “empty nest” for me and Dave for a while.  That’s going to seem awfully strange… and quiet.