Better than ever!

It's been a crazy few years but everything is coming up roses!

We received the final modification documents on the home loan a couple of months ago. I wasn't a member of DG for about a month so I didn't post. Thanks to those of you that missed me. :) We are staying here for now but are looking at renting the house out before too long and moving to where we really want to be.

Craig is still working full time and we expect that his contract will go to full time, permanent employment any day now.

Carly's basketball team just won 1st in their division and 2nd in their league. Their regular season was 13:1 and their final season was 16:2. They lost once to a local team in regular season and lost to the same team in tournaments, which is how they ended second in the league. Carly is not feeling so well due to 1) a bad cold and 2) a girl landed on her chest, on her knees, at the last game (yesterday). She probably just has bruised ribs but we may have to take her for an x-ray if she's not feeling better in a day or two. I just need to make sure she didn't crack a rib or two.

All of the other kids are doing very well in school and getting ready to play either soccer or volleyball. There are a lot of things we could have given up but we've done everything in our power to keep the kids involved in school and sports because it's important! There isn't much else to do out here....Nolan is growing by leaps and bounds and is such an smart, funny little boy. He's been such a blessing, just like his sisters.

Due to a generous tax refund, we'll be able to pay off hubby's car, put the pool and a double sized greenhouse back up, buy stock plants and seeds and a kick butt heater for the greenhouse and I'm hoping we can fix the hot tub too. Hubby has been off his meds for a few months and is miserable and the hot tub will help with his aches and pains. We already have some consignment, wholesale growing and resale clients lined up so it promises to be a great year.

If anyone is interested, we'd like to have a "grand opening/house warming" or "Christening" of sorts for a new year and new beginning. I know the exact person that would be fitting for this event but I'll have to ask. We've been so blessed and have received so much due to prayers and help from friends and I don't have to name them as they know they have been our prayer warriors for so long. I'll be sending out personal invitations as soon as everything is in place. We want to share our new beginning with those of you that have always held us up in prayer and helped in so many ways. We love you! We hope you will join us as we pretty much start our lives over. God is good and sent the best, most wonderful people to assist us on our journey.

Michele and family.

Glad to hear everything is starting to go better for you & your family.
Good luck with the greenhouse & plant things.
Say Hi to Craig & the kids.
Waiting to see the daylilies bloom. They were doing well before the snow covered them.
Bernie

Bernie,

I'm glad you were able to get a bunch of them before I sold out. I'm sure I'll rebuild quickly enough. :) I have friends in green places. LOL If you misplace any tags, I kept a record of what I sent to you. If you need any photos, let me know!

Since we wiped out all of the row beds except two row beds of seedlings, I'm fee to totally redesign. I also have a ton of daylily seeds in the refrigerator.

I hope you will have time to come by on the way to or from Kentucky.

Thanks for stopping by!

Hugs,
Michele

So great to hear things are are looking up!!! We need new pictures of nolan at least, and the whole gang if you can get everyone together at the same time.LOL

The weather has been above freezing here today and it's forecast to stay that way for at least a few days. We have had such cold temps and so many snows, I'm really ready for spring!

Growing things in the greenhouse sounds like spring is around the corner.

Happy growing!~ Lou

So glad to hear the good news, Chelle! I have a good number of daylily fans from a friend in Mich - all named and planted this past fall. If they survived the winter I'd be more than happy to split them in half with you to get you started back a little. And I have some of the surprise lily bulbs you were so generous with in the ground that I can split with you too.Let us know when you have your open house.

How about a cheesy smile Lou? He was being a character that day!

It's great to see you!

I went out and moved some railroad ties yesterday but they are starting to crack. I'll use those for another garden and by some new 4x4s for the greenhouse foundation. I'm so excited that it's going back up and larger than before!

Great to hear from you Di! I enjoyed our trade last year! My neighbor was also thrilled with the plants. I still have some here in pots and the rest are over there.

Thanks so much for the offer of plants. We'll have to discuss that some more when it warms up. :) I want to rework most of the beds, expand the pond garden, put in raised veggie gardens and go from there. My first priority is getting the greenhouse up and running, then the veggie gardens. I kind of feel like we just bought this place all over again. LOL

This time you won't have to rush around getting things in the ground.
Looks like he's ready to take on the world!

No rushing other than everything I'm doing and have done in my mind. LOL

Oh, he's something! One of his favorite games is potato ball! I find potatoes everywhere! He gets them out of the drawer then hits them all over the house with whatever is in sight... I need a small loan to replace sports equipment! The kids are really going through it! I want to get Nolan a basketball hoop for his birthday next month. Believe it or not, he's almost two!

He's a snazzy dresser too...

Just heard that Carly scored 128 points this season! Pretty darn good. She averaged 8 points per game! I wonder why the scores are so much higher at boys games...LOL

Here she is hitting a foul shot at the final game. She needs to work on those. She gets fouled pretty often but there are a TON of fouls against the other team on her because the coaches always have the other teams double and triple guard her. *grins*

Here is a picture of my son being a bad boy. He likes to get in the bay window and Carly snapped a pic of him. This was after his hair cut a week or so ago.

I forgot to mention he is in size 3T pants now and size 4T shirts. Oh my!

No wonder she is good. Same number as the star of the Minnesota Gophers team. He is awesome. Leading the Big Ten in Double-doubles. Rebounds & points.
What grade is Carly in ?

She's excellent at getting the rebounds and putting them up. I'll have to ask her if she got a number for that. She's really just a good all around player and person at pretty much everything. LOL She's in 7th grade. I'll have to tell her to look up the Minnesota Gophers. :)

I forgot to mention that a bunch of girls from the teams they beat, came out to watch the game. They cheered for her team and especially for her. That says and means a lot! She's the one to watch and the one to guard. I'm amazed she hasn't gotten hurt badly. So far it's just been bumps, bruises and scrapes and one bloody nose. At least 2 coaches from other teams were there too. Everybody loves Carly. Everyone says if she keeps up at this rate, she'll should see scholarship offers for basketball (post), soccer (goalie), softball (catcher, maybe pitcher) and during the late summer, she proved she could rock the volley ball court too. Her serves are dangerous! Geesh. She's a straight A student too.


Had to change a position so I didn't get smacked. :)

This message was edited Feb 14, 2011 10:02 PM

Bernie, are you talking about Trevor Mbakwe? I had to go look up the Gophers (Golden Gophers??). Closest I ever got to following MN sports was listening to the arguments between my Iowan father and his Minnesotan girlfriend. LOL

I'm not sure how amused I am but the 7th grade boys call Carly the "white Shaq". I thought she was joking but they sit in the bleachers saying "Shaq, Shaq". Oh my.

On to be famous!
Nice to see kids excelling instead of being in trouble all the time.

Famous would be nice but I'd settle for good productive members of society. Whatever makes them happy. :)

Right now they are just counting the days until softball and soccer.

Count me in, Chele!
I think the "Shaq, Shaq" thing is hysterical. And bless her heart with the straight A's, too! You've got a great girl, there, and the scholarship prospects look good.
Can't wait to see how everybody has grown up over the winter.
Pat

Chele I so glad everything is finally working out!!!!

He's going to be a moose!! lol!

We have some DL's and Iris you are more than Welcome to.

What's the Hot Tub issue?
I might be able to help...labor wise anyway.

Congrats!
Ric

I know the kids and I are looking forward to seeing you again Pat!

Hugggggs Michele! I am so looking forward to this...no one deserves this more than you guys!
And you know you are more than welcome to starts of anything I have!

Great news///I'm glad that I feel up to "surfing the garden" again...The arm is still weak but I can type a bit now...I love seeing pictures of your family. Hugs Jo

Great to see you Jo! Take your time recovering and keep your cell phone with you. :P

Well, we got our tax refund a couple of days ago. I paid off my whopping $200 in credit card debt, caught up on all the bills, ordered the parts to expand the greenhouse, ordered the heater for the greenhouse, picked up the lumber and pavers for the base of the greenhouse, ordered Nolan's birthday present, took the kids out to eat and lived it up at Wallyworld buying some underwear for most of us, some bras for others, some makeup, Nutella since the kids just discovered it and some shampoo, conditioner and medicine. Do I know how to live it up or what?? LOL

I still have to pay off Craig's car but I'm waiting for the payoff amount. They kind of *forgot* to give me credit for part of the down payment. busted... After that I can order some plants and seeds and hopefully still have a bit of a savings account. Life is good.

Hubby is still waiting to hear on his contract and has also had calls on two other jobs.

Many thanks again to all of you that saw us through the rough times and the hurdles.

You definitely know how to live it up!! :)

Oh, the Nutella phase is a wonderful time in a kid's life! LOL, Josh refused to try it until his junior year in high school, when the Latin teacher organized a spring break trip to Italy & Greece. She told the kids it was European & so they should get used to eating it before they went (?!?). Josh had never even been on a plane before, so it was a big step for him. He loved it, took tonsof great pictures, & ended up switching his major from art to photography. He went to Cincy's School for Creative and Performing Arts, & they had majors in high school. Weird.
I'm thinking abt this because he just got a step up job at work & will now be spending a few weeks in England every year, with some time in France & Italy possibilities in the future.
Pat

Chele, it is good when there's a bit of change for a savings account isn't it? Keeping up with your difficulties has regularly reminded me just how fortunate I am. If you're interested in some Siberian iris and a few daylilies I think I can help you out . Named of course!

Janet

I honestly can't tell you why we never tried Nutella. Maybe it's because we DID try Vegamite! LOL I usually like ethnic/foreign food but Vegamite was pushing it. Bleck. Nutella, on the other hand, oh my! How does one go wrong with hazelnuts??? I've only tasted it and walked away. Kristenne likes to hide the jars and ration them. Craig picked her up a small jar a week ago and I bought the larger container Friday. Apparently it's pretty good on a spoon, frozen on a spoon, on toast and I'm not sure what else they've done with it but they really like it!

Congrats to your son Pat. Sounds like he is headed for some wonderful opportunities. When did he got to SCPA? My niece also went there. Another niece applied/auditioned several months ago but I've not heard any more from my sister.

Janet, do you have a work for plants program? LOL I know you always need a strong back, an extra set of hands and if they come with a brain, even better. hahahaha

It's funny how many people have struggled and are struggling and don't talk about it. You'd be surprised how many people have contacted me on the sly to ask for help or to tell me they went through the same thing or had already lost their homes. It's nice to know that my sharing everything has helped others and also allowed me to receive support from others which really pulled me through. It's important and helpful to have someone tell you they love you or that everything will be okay, or drop $10 in the mail as a surprise, from time to time. If no one knows you are struggling, they can't help. We all have to stick together! I've learned a lot about friendship the last few years. The phone calls and the emails have meant more than anything.

Well, it looks like the waters have receded somewhat and now we have snow. The joys of Ohio! I just wanna play outside!!

Guess Nolan and me are going to shower and hopefully get new tires today! Two keep losing air regularly, despite one being plugged and a third one runs low occasionally. We've limped by the last month until we could get tires. Hallelujah! It's that time!

Josh graduated in '97 or '98. He really made a lot of good friends there, & then most of them went on to UC so the crowd stuck together for quite a while & they still keep in touch. He auditioned in acting, art & creative writing, & got in with a double major in acting & art. But the trip-- which must have taken place during his sophomore year, was a real turning point. He took some dandy photos, & once his teacher saw those she recommended he switch majors to photography. It gave him a good background in the mechanics of taking & developing photos, so when he turned 16 & went looking for a job, he got a job at a photo store rather than a fast food chain.
SCPA is also the 2nd best academic high school in the Cincinnati Public system, behind Walnut Hills. I have known a couple very smart girls who did not get in, though, and they were both auditioning for the dance major. Apparently Dance is the really risky major, because the teachers there have a lot more latitude in evaluating and grading. Nobody in my family would have been able to apply for dance!

I'm very happy to be able to brag about Josh, because he's my one & only. I have no back up!And I might as well go ahead and buy one of those "My Grandchild is a cat" t-shirts because that's all I'm getting

Snowing lightly down here today. 61 yesterday & snow today! It's been an interesting winter!
Pat

Girl, be careful what you ask for. Right now we're working with Berea College to try to get one or two of their sustainable agriculture majors to intern with us for the summer. With my oldest getting married and heading to OK that puts us another short in the line up. Mercy! A strong back, willing hands and a brain that functions independently would be a Godsend. I've already worked a strong back and willing hands. I still had to follow behind and finish weeding and picking blackberries. It's got to be the brain that makes a difference!

There's a breeze out there today that cuts right through. DH and I went to Anderson Circle Farm outside of Harrodsburg to look at a plastic mulch layer and a vegetable transplanter. They're having the equipment dispersal on Friday. So sad. This farm was a huge endevor owned by the fellow that developed Huggies diapers. Granted this was a hobby of his but it is several thousand acres in a prime farming area. They had Angus cattle and things were top notch. He did a year or so ago and the daughter has no interest in the farm. The cattle were dispersed last October and the equipment goes. What they'll do with all the land is anyone's guess. Probably start splitting it into un-usable tracts. Better not get started on that.

Pat, I had to go look. Rachel graduated in '93, but I had forgotten that she went to live with her mom when her dad and my sister split. She didn't end up graduating here. Her dad owned the house that I told you about in Western Hills. :)

When we left Mt. Washington, we had just found out that our oldest tested into Walnut Hills but we still wanted to pursue our rural dream. No regrets but I wish we'd have chosen a different ruralhood. LOL

AND, you know you can claim my kids as nieces or grandkids, whichever you wish. Seems you've already laid dibs on them and become and important part of their lives so I guess you are stuck with us anyway. *grins*

I don't know if it's you or me, Janet, that says more often, that it's a shame that we don't live closer to each other. Too bad none of the jobs by you panned out for hubby. We'd enjoy the extended family and guaranteed work. I know there are never enough hands when there's work to be done. My 15 year old would love to work but isn't old enough. She minds well and doesn't mind getting dirty. She's a lot like her mom. :)

$600 later, my tires are on and my Sub is handling so much better! I think hubby ordered the interior glass for the oven door and we've been able to pick up things we need here and there. I got the pay off for his car today and will take care of that tomorrow. I sure hate watching the money fly away but I sure do enjoy not being in debt!!

Nutella and peanut butter on toast YUM

I've been able to help friends from time to time, and now I'm struggling myself. 'Chele and I have had many conversations about our situations lol

If anyone is cleaning out their seed stash, preparing for SPRING... I'd be happy to take any extras or old seeds off your hands. We are starting over here and have bare yard to play in.

ruralhood *snicker*

Throw your house and septic on a trailer and move them down here. I have more space than I need and you know I can make lots of extra plants.

Once I get everything up and running, I can help with filler plants. I'll start working on some shrubs and grasses for you ASAP.

I feel for you, being stuck in the middle of nowhere with no support system. :(

MG, D-mail your address to me. I have more seed than you could possibly use. Perennials & annuals. Maybe a veggie or two also.
Bernie

Would you like some gourd seeds? I have a lot of different kinds. Jo

I might want to talk to you about gourd seeds Jo. :P

I'm watching House Hunters & it's got an English couple who've decided to get a seond home in Bulgaria. In the "country." How bad must the English weather be to pick Bulgaria as your vacation home? I mean, I've heard some Bulgarian folk music that I like, but it's hard to imagine making that your prize destination!?!

I'm so excited by my upcoming jaunt to Washington DC that it's ridiculous. We're going to try to take a Duck tour ( http://www.dcducks.com/ ) even tho' it may be still cold-- we're going the last week of March.

MG, I've got tons of Northern Sea Oats grasses to be divided, plus some others that I'd have to look up what varieties they are. I'll try & find a picture of them so you can decide.
Pat

Here's one of my grass beds, patrolled by my fierce kitty, Peach!

BTW, two quotes I console myself with--
EmilyDickinson "My friends are my estate."
And I can't remember who "Friends are the family you make for yourself."

Pat

MG, I should have some extra stuff when I manage to get my seed box out. i actually do grow things other than tomatoes and peppers sometimes. :)