Leaf Hunt 2018 in the Books

We had our like 50th Leaf Hunt but our First Annual Mark L. Lewis Honorary Leaf Hunt.  He was the leaf hunt king.  And he passed away on July 9.  It was fun as usual.  Its funny that we get such a great turn out for the Hunt.  The big kids all come...well, my 3 old ones didn't come because they were away at school and it was Sunday Night.  But the rest of them come. We have a cook out, then separate and everyone gets the best leaf.  Mark Stepped up and was the Judge since our usual judge is dead. 

After the hunt, which lasts about 15 minutes or less, we submit the leaves. Here is the anticipation at which prize you will get. 

Here is Mark doing the judging.  Those are the submitted leaves.

This was Jack's submission.  It was the Adam and Eve Figleaf..

Here is Nick and his new football shirt...

It is so fun.  We love it.  Hope we continue forever. 

A Raccoon Comes to Visit

Marlena heard a strange noise in her chimney when she was sitting right next to it.  She called animal control who said to call The Extermiman. She did and he didn't answer.  So we decided that she needed some chimney covers too.  Because if it was a racoon, and they got rid of it what would stop another one from coming down the chimney again.  We called a place I found online.  Chim Chimney it was called.  The dude came the next day.

He didn't see anything, from under and inside the fireplace.  But when he got on the roof, there was a raccoon in her chimney.  A big one he said.  So, back to the fireplace and he used this big stick with brissley stuff on the end and poked the raccoon until he left out the top.  Then he installed the chimney covers that Marlena's neighbor, Danny Rodriguez just happen to have from a garage sale he went to.  He painted them for her too.  People are so kind sometimes.

Then the dude cemented them in place.  He was a funny dude but a bit dirty according to Marlena. Really, you work in chimneys and you are dirty...

Anyway, the next day Nick was walking to her house after school and saw the Raccoon on the top of the chimney.  She couldn't get in.  I don't think Marlena is going outside in the backyard anytime soon at night!

This is a pic of Marlena if the raccoon happen to get in to the house with her...

This is a video from my bud Doug from school.  He has a raccoon he trapped.  He is kindof a Bad A**.  He was going to get rid of this one.  He didn't need to call someone else to get rid of it.

Brooke's Dad

In my quest for minimalizing, I came across this pictue Brooke made sometime in Elementary school

Well, she wasn't too thrilled that I found this picture...Because this is really her dad.

Missing Teeth

Abi has been having trouble with her wisdom teeth.  Her mouth has been hurting.  She went to Jean Brown for a consult.  They are a research company that are testing after wisdom teeth drugs.  Something to do with Pain management.  So, Abi was in.  They will pay you 50.00 for a consult even if you don't qualify.  But she had 4 wisdom teeth and no health problems.  So she scheduled it for the next Friday. 

I took Abi on Friday at 5:30 am.  She had to be there at 6:00.  She got checked in, and I had to leave around 6:45 when she went in for Surgery.  She had to stay all day, and they came in and checked on her every hour and she stated what her pain was.  I was at work.  I couldn't stay.  I called and she was out of surgery around 7:07.  She was out before I even got home!  They called me around 12 and said I could pick her up at midnight.  It had something to do with when she got her first dose of medicine. 

Here she is before she went in.  She brought her homework and DVDs to watch.  She had to stay in this room for the entire day and couldn't have her cell phone or computer or Ipad.  No clocks.  Just movies on VHS or DVD. 

I called later to check and they said she was doing fine.  I couldn't talk to her due to the study.  I picked her up at midnight and she was starving so we stopped at Mcdonalds and got a smoothie and some fries.  Here she is when we got home.  She is a bit swollen. 

She went back to Dixie in the morning.  Not sure why.  I think she has been doing good.  The pain medication they gave her after I think kindof made her sick but she is on the mend now.  I think she got $250 for participating in the study in addition to the $50.00.  Plus she got her teeth out free.  

Random Saturday thoughts

So today we started off at Football.  Then I went to Target and spent 150.00 on who knows what.  I did get a battery for my remote for my car.  Then I got gas for 55.00.  That was 3.07 per gallon.  That was a lot.  Then I decided I needed to go to Walmart to get my food assignment for the Leaf Hunt tomorrow.  I spent another 40.00.  This is all after I spent 900.00 on my car yesterday for new tires, an alignment, and another thing so my tires drive straight.  They did take off 10.00 for a coupon they said was out there.  My car runs great now. So worth 900.00.  I did get the better tires too.

Then I surprised myself and replaced my battery in my remote for the car.

I went to Ace Hardware and asked them about the battery.  They sold me a 2016 battery that didn't work.  So I found out the battery myself and bought it at Target today.   I can change a battery.

I decided to take a bath and use these bath bombs I got for a present.

That is the color of the water. Black,   It was for pain and mood I think.  It was kindof weird to have the water black but was good!

I also took Brooke's car for an alignment.  I had to drive her car while mine was getting tires and her car was pulling to the right.  Just driving her car makes me want to be a zoo keeper.

Speaking of Brooke, she sent me this picture and said "pretty sure you are missing this"

It took me a minute but this is the bus to Disney World.  I absolutely am missing that.  She went to Animal Kingdom and then to Epcot with her Zoo school buddies.   I am missing Disney World and Brooke too.

She said she needed some sweating cream.  Yep living in Florida one would need sweating cream.  Plus she is related to me.  I need some too.

Inheritance

Inheritance is usually a great word.  My dad died and one would think of inheritance like of getting a house, a car, china, sterling silverware, Piano, cars, lawn furniture, MONEY, or Stocks or bonds.

Well, I did get something for my inheritance.  I got his medicine.  WHO inherits their 85 year old dads old medicine?  I did.  I didn't need the blood pressure pills, or water pills or diabetic pills or his blood pills (or whatever they were)  BUT I did take these!!

It gives a new meaning to the word!  I hope it doesn't come out of my inheritance when my mother dies!  I could have had the couch but since I got the opened bottle of aspirin when my dad died I miss out on it

Not Very Often

Here is a rare occurrence...I baked cookies.  I haven't baked cookies in a long, long time.  Like probably a year.  I don't have a great oven, so it isn't that thrilling to make cookies.  But I'm under a lot of stress and worry and I needed some stress relief.  So here's to stress...it didn't even help that much...

Official Zoo Keeper in Training

Brooke has officially started school and has her official Zoo T Shirts and has to wear a belt and wear socks that go over her knee.  She looks super cute and is going to ROCK being a zoo keeper and cleaning up all that poop!  She will be great!! 

I will miss her though!

Food for Thought

This is how I feel most days.  And Life could be so much harder for me.  I could not have a home, or 3 cars.  Although some of my stress would be less if I didn't have so many cars...Its not so much emotional pain as it is just getting through the day and how to fix things that break...which is the worst.  It really causes me undue stress...

Funny I wrote this a few days ago, and Today Abi's car broke down on her way to SLC from St. George...had to be towed and nothing like more stress and MORE money.  No wonder I am about to have a mental breakdown...

UPDATE:  Now the car has a broken timing belt which put a hole in the engine when it broke...so the car is a total loss!  And I still owe soo much money on it and now she doesn't have a car.  I am soo destitute what to do.  And how to afford this problem...

Serious I didn't sleep worrying about cars and paying and more cars.  Then Nick had the nerve to ask me about when he gets to learn to drive.!  NEVER.  Its a dad's job to teach you to drive!  It scares me to death!

A tired Nick

Nick works hard.  He goes to football 3x a week and it is brutal.  He mows Gma's lawn and plays basaketball all the time. 

He walks down to Gma's house on Football days...and takes a nap before football.

That is my dad's BYU blanket...on  side note.  Its folded up now...

Vitamin C drink

I have been sick.  School just started two weeks ago, and I felt sick today.  The thing with being a teacher and getting sick is that usually it is a doozer because my immunity is pretty good since I'm around all those gross germs from 12 year olds.

My friend from school posted the same day " wash your hands, use hand sanitizer and take Vitamin C"   This is just horrible" .  So that didn't give me much comfort knowing my friend from school was sick.

I felt like Yuck.  We had this Vitamin C thing that Brooke's boyfriend gave her in the cupboard.  I tried it.  After we ran out of Nyquil and Delsym.  I drank an envelope on Friday, Saturday, Sunday AND Monday for good measure.  And I am feeling a bit better.  Tired but not so bad.  So, even if it was all in my mind...drink up.

And another day for good measure.  I have had this drink for about 7 days...I'm certainly going to try it again when I get sick to see if it is really working!

Jack

Jack spent the weekend with Michelle.  I dropped him off and they went to some sheep herder contest in Midway, and then to Jordanelle to ride her wave runners.  He slept over and went to church with them. 

This was a cute pic of him.  I had to take church clothes over to her house so I dropped some eye drops in the bag.  He wanted to know if he needed them...well, only if your eyes hurt!

Lawn Service

Nick has been mowing Grandma's lawn since Andrew left for College last year.  He seems to get better and better...He can do it himself and even sweep the sidewalk after.  He hasn't mastered the weed whip yet.  He mows lawns and goes to football.  That is a lot on one day and school.  He also is the garbage taker outer for Grandma.  And well, sometimes for us because we only manage to get our garbage out sometimes...(ok most of the time..)  He is mostly a good Egg..!!

Nick is 15

Nick had a birthday this week.  He is 15.  And now is where I put that I can't believe that he is 15.  Well, I really can't believe it but more than that I can't believe its time for ANOTHER one to drive.  (well, shortly) 

But Nick is a funny kid.  He brings so much fun to our lives.  He Loves Football, Green Bay Packers, Maverick, Basketball, most Sports, mowing lawns (ok, maybe not so much), and pretending Andrew is really my favorite.  He is up for trying most anything.  He has tagged along with me shopping, but mostly for the lunch, and has been my side kick for our outdoor concerts this summer. 

One of my favorite things he said to Chili was "I'm going to play Basketball, then I'm coming home and we are getting a drink...". 

It was a bit lonely for his birthday since it was just the 3 of us.  The rest of them are away at College.  We missed them.  We had pizza and Root Beer Floats since we are not Cake Lovers.  Root Beer floats are the best!  We even had straws.  

Nick wanted some clothes for his birthday.  Wow, that is a switch.   He got some shirts from Tillys.  They were kindof cool.