We're home...

We made it home with no issues, plane rides suck, and I had a good time...we will tell you all about it when we see you this coming week. I will be bringing kinder eggs. I bought 24 to bring home to my brothers and their kiddos and some treats for mom and dad. We love you all and will see you soon.

Germany

I am in Germany with Bill and I have to say that it has been very nice to be back home. I can not express the feeling and memories that this trip has brought to mind and some have been emotional, tears came easy. I am very thankful for this trip. I am having a good time. I will post all the pictures when I get home but let me tell you this I now know why dad took us on those long drives and why Bill and I came back here with the boys, when he was in the army. They needed to see the things we did. Being here with Bill has been so sweet, long walks, picture taking and sitting like a local drinking mineral water, (mit gas), eating dinner outside with strangers in a common place. Sitting in front of St. Peters having desert....undeinably perfect!

P.S. the German keyboard is different.

The swamp is lovely dark and wet...

A few weeks ago we went down to St. Martin Parish for a swamp tour. It was beautiful, quiet and relaxing. Yes, relaxing even being in a aluminum flat bottom boat was relaxing. The animals, birds, plant life and bugs, were so interesting and beautiful at the same time. It was two hours in the swamp with nature. The beauty the Lord has created for us magnificent, if we would only take the time to look and see. My dad says that, he said the time he rides his bike is special cause he can see the small things we miss riding in a car going some place fast. I like to sit on the front porch at night and see the frogs and toads come out for the nightly feeding. We have a big spider that comes every night. He builds his web every night to get his dinner, to see him work his web is amazing, he builds so fast. I have been feeding him and so has Mo. We feed him the bugs that crawl around in the light. In the mornings Bill and I let out the chickens and sit on the deck, watch the chicken start their day. The strangest things can make you watch forever and appreciate the Lords work.

Wii play

We got a Wii! I have to tell you all that it is fun,
we have had a good time with it. Really when it is so hot outside that you can't stand to be out in the pool or there is nothing on the TV, all the chores are done and nothing is left to do ...well this is the best entertainment yet!
I have only one caution to tell you about the Wii injuries are serious business, Yesterday while playing with Mo and Bill, I hurt myself and Eddie(he was upset with me the rest of the evening) we were bowling and I went to take my turn and wanted to get a strike and was throwing the "bowling ball" I hit Eddie in the head and then the controller(which was secured to my wrist) Hit myself in the lip and nose, I gave myself the first and only bloody nose I have ever had and a busted lip...I fell to my knees holding my face in my hands, IT HURT! the humor of this is beyond explainable, I had to call dad and tell him, he did not find humor in hurting myself but I am his little girl and he still worries about my bumps and bruises. I love you dad! Really I am okay and the Wii is fine the dog he is fine too. Hey poeples, it's Louie and I'm unstoppable at the wii lol!
I am back Mo had to put his spine on this, I am much to vain to post the pictures of my busted lip and bloody nose so use you imaginations and go with those mental pictures. Love you all!

Down Sizing

We have down sized, just the size of car but really the ability to go super fast is insanely hair blowing. This is our new car it is a Mini Cooper engineered by BMW and Mercedes. It runs like a beast, speed is some thing I have to pay special attention to since I was doing 70 in less than a minute, I should have realized how fast I was going by how many gears I had changed. It has six gears and the sports package is awesome. MO WILL NOT BE DRIVING THIS!
We down sized from the one ton duelly, I am liking this. It is Bill's car I have only gotten to drive it once and that was home from the car dealer.

Chicken and chick update

The chicks are growing well and have started to go outside and peck the grass for bugs and other things with the big chickens. They aren't like the others they don't let anyone pick them up. They run and hide from me. George the roaster continues to attack me, I think he finds humor on making me jump around. He does like Eva and Eddie they meet at the fence and have animal talks. Eva's nub of a tail just wags when she is by the chickens, Eddie and George try to charge each other but most of the time the dogs just like to sit by the fence and watch the chickens.

These are our tomatoes, they are fully loaded at this time. I am looking forward to some fresh pasta dishes and canning. We also have three cucumber plants that are producing already. They are tasty! We are trying to be very Germany about how we use the space around the house, this comes from Bill many trips this year and last to Germany even with the acre of yard we have this seems to be working better than out in the yard some where.

When Bill is gone I make small changes to the house. I was getting tired of the red kitchen so I went with a different color, it is called artichoke and the office is called polliwog. I love the colors they make the polish pottery pop on the shelves in the kitchen. It is a good change, and it only took 4 days to from the priming to the finished product. I am well pleased with it. Mo said it looked like poo green when I started then when he saw it he liked it better than the red. Now I am just waiting to see what Bill will have to say about it.
On another note, the weather here is HOT! it has already been in the 90's with humidity the heat index has in the 100's. Got to love the pool right now!

New babies

These chicks are the newest to our chicken family. They hatched this week. We now have two more English Game cocks and two more Silkies. They are very cute and soft. The other two eggs did not make it. 4 out of 6 is not bad.

DAY HURRICANE SEASON 2009

Today is the first day of the 2009 hurricane season. We have already had one small tropical storm off the Florida, Georgia coast...What will this season hold for us. Hopefully nothing to horrific.

For Memorial Day

For Memorial Day I think everyone should watch, Taking Chance, this movie stars Kevin Bacon.
It, if nothing else this will make you think of the sacrifices that our Soldiers and their families make for all us who enjoy the Freedoms of this country. Be prepared to cry. Say thank you when you can and mean it. Don't just say the words remember why you say them. I say thank you to all those in our family who have served and are still doing so at this time.

Louis is done with high school, he is very happy and relieved that he will not have to go back to school for awhile. He did well and made us proud.
It was a long day waiting for Graduation to happen. Bill was in denial about the whole event until we walk into the stadium for the graduation ceremony. It was moving for us, it started with the seniors walking around the track to the music, as they came to their seats Mr. McLaughlin
asked everyone to stand for the pledge of allegiance and the national anthem, followed by an opening prayer. We had 9 valedictorians and 1 salutatorian , they each gave a two minute speech. Louis' buddy Bill Deggs gave the best speech.
The stadium was full to the point of over flowing people were standing and trying to squeeze in everywhere,we got there at 6 so we could get good seats and we sat in our season ticket seats from football (nice).
What most impressed us was the sense of community and the patriotism , prayer and the fact that in this small town no-one cares what church you go to as long as you go. No protest against scriptures being used in speeches or to the opening and closing prayers. I don't think in the big cities you can do that with out someone calling foul.
We love our boy(s) and are proud. Love to you all for your best wishes for MO!

moth at the door

I was taking the dogs out for their last wee of the night and this was at the door. It was beautiful, the colors were so perfect; green, purple, blue, black, yellow,and pink with muted beige and browns. The spots looked like eyes on its back. I was going to send it mom and dad but Mo said just let it go. I put my hand up to show how big it was, Mo says to me, "mom you have freakishly small hands no one will know how big it really is." To give you dimensions it was 5 inches across and 3 inches long. So yes, I do have small hands not freakishly small just small. This is just another example of the flora and fauna of Louisiana. By the way the frogs and crickets are already out and very loud at night.

LOUIS GOES TO PROM

It is the season for Prom. I must say our boy looks good! These are pictures taken before prom this afternoon. As I am doing this the happy group of friends are off to Alexandria to eat at Taunxs, then after dinner they will be headed to the prom in Leesville. There are traditions here I never knew about, like the Seniors all where white tuxes, dinner out of town and party buses. I have to say the idea of the party bus is a good one. The party bus will take them to dinner and prom and then deliver them back to DeRidder at the local Baptist church and then they will come home, change then it off to breakfast with friends at the local Baptist church. Mo and Lauren have planned on prom together since the first week of school. They are good friends, are silly funny together.

Tux rental: $110
Flowers $30
New shoes: $40
Hair cut: $12
Party bus: $40 per person
Dinner:$50
Just in case cash: $50
Pictures:$25
memories ...priceless
I am so glad I don't have girls!
I don't think prom cost that much when I went.