Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Today is our 6th anniversary. Since Roger is in southern Texas I was greatly surprised when his son Chris showed up today with a beautiful bouquet of long sten red roses.

From the beginning Mother always said he was a keeper. And he is. He had taken me out for a movie and dinner before he left.






We already have plans to go out on Valentine's Day.

Just wanted to share these beautiful flowers with you. Thanks to everyone that called, emailed or sent us a card. We deeply appreciate your thoughtfullness. Thanks again.

This was the sun setting this evening. We had a lot of sunshine today but it didn't melt much of the snow.

It's been so cold that mom and I have stayed in and kept the fire going in both fireplaces.

Tomorrow is our 6th anniversary and Roger is fishing. They are at Falcon Lake I think it's called. One side borders Texas and the other side borders Mexico. Hope they remember which side to get out on. :)


As you can see we had lots of snow. Good thing I have more than one car as you can tell this one will not be moved for awhile.


That's okay as when Roger gets home we have to find someone
to put a new clutch in it. Go figure. Actually my husband is to
blame as he drives it like his big trucks and admitted to not always
starting out in first gear. Oh well just another bill. I think it's his way of helping the economy.



This is my view from the kitchen window.








Tuesday evening we received 6 to 8 inches of snow. Roger plowed the driveway around midnight but went ahead and left for Texas

Wednesday morning on a fishing trip.

Leaving me to man the phones and Russell did the snow plowing for us. We have about 60 customers to plow for.

Mom and I stayed home taking a few minutes to pause and remember that it was today 16 years ago that dad went to his eternal home.

It's Sunday afternoon. Happy Birthday Nathan. He is 23 today. Wow. We took a drive out to the mighty Mississippi to see some eagles.

Actually this is some pelicans on the water. Can you see the ice?





This was a pelican in flight. Huge birds.









I wish I could have been closer but if you look very carefully you will see his white head.

"They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount with wings like an eagle."..... I tried to get one in flight but my camera is not fast enough.

Thanks Angel for the photo with Grandpa. I'm glad the boys had a great time.

As for me, I really need to stay out of the kitchen. Yesterday I thought I would get some hamburger meat out of the freezer that we had brought back from Nebraska and fix it for Sunday.

The package I retrieved did not have a label on it other than NOT FOR RESALE. I thought what the heck it should be okay. As it thawed........ well it wasn't hamburger....... actually the more it thawed the more confused I became. Still thinking it had to be some kind of roast. It was really bloody so I soaked it in salt water before returning it to the refrigerator last evening.

This morning I looked at it and once more, it didn't look like any roast I had ever seen. I'm thinking what in the world did Kay send home with us. It had to have come from her as she sent home some Elk meat. Actually this looked like a HUGE liver or something.............. but being brain dead I'm still thinking no it must be a roast. So I proceed to cook it like a roast in the crock pot. SMELL........... man it was awful as it cooked. When mom and I tasted it, well it was worse than awful. Now I'm thinking I have ruined the last of my potatoes and carrots with this huge piece of something.............not to mention the electricty I've used for ????????

Roger calls telling me he will be home shortly and wonders what we are having for dinner. My being the dutiful wife and all say "Yes dear I have a roast in my new crock pot." However, I did tell him before dinner that I was not going to eat any of it and I wasn't sure it was edible by anyone.

Long story short............. I think it was a liver. His hunting buddy Tom had given him some deer meat and that was part of what he gave us. And yes he thinks it was liver (HUGE bigger than anyone I had ever seen)... and maybe if it had been cooked properly it might have tasted better. All I know are the dogs will have some roast (I cooked for 5 hours) for the next several days.

The funny part is when we were in Nebraska and Gerald was asking me if I knew what a quarter of beef was............... I had told him I didn't know one part of the cow from another. Well guess what I still don't. Imagine not knowing liver from roast. Oh well guess I had better stay out of the kitchen or at least the freezer.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

PS. Happy Anniversay Steve and Pam 34 years wow are you actually that old..............
PSPS Happy Birthday Malinda 28 and counting......... I can remember being that young once.......

Big man at home with his loving sisterssssssssssssssssss!!!!!!!











You've come a long way baby................ actually his birthday is the 3rd but I just got the photos loggged..............

It's not everyday we have a new teenager. For thoes of you who have not seen the photo here's Dylan............. 13 years later and much more than 1.8 lbs. Still our miracle baby.

It's two weeks past Christmas and all through the house.... not a creature is stirring not even a mouse. There are no stocking hung anywhere... no tinsel.. no lights... the house is so bare....

The presents are gone... just a few had to be returned... but the memories are there of the moments we shared.

We are still trying to get some letters sent that did not get mailed previous to the holidays. Even though it was 55 or so today we are still in the midst of winter. Ol mother nature is rearing her head to let us know it is winter time. We are bracing for a real cold front to move in this next week.

We've just completed the first full week of the new year. Returning to swim exercises on Monday after a few weeks off was rough. Then my friend and former co-worker's daughter call and her grandmother had died on Sunday. Tuesday we tired to go to speech but the roads were slick and there were several car pileups. When we got to Chesterfield 40 was pretty much stopped so we exited and went shopping. It warmed up so I was able to drop mom off at JD & Edie's for awhile and go to the funeral home. Wednesday I was exhausted and stayed home. I think I was having sympathy pains for Cathy and her family. Thursday we did make it to speech. It's nice with Hwy 40 open now to Brentwood. That is our exit never mind you have to exit on the left. NO wonder there has been so much confusion with the new highway. Mother enjoyed seeing everyone once again. Today we went to the Senior Center for lunch. Everyone was glad to see us. We had not gone in several months. Sad to hear one of our friends there died last Sunday. The roughest part is even though Thurman was in poor health he was taking care of his wife. Now she is left alone and has been moved to a nursing home.

Coming home we went through Des Moines to see Helen Bush. She is mother's cousin. Mom and Helen had a double wedding way back when. Don't these women look great? They both will be 90 this year. Who would have thought?






Tuesday evening Jake and Amanda came for dinner and stayed to play some games with Grandma.







Austin throughly enjoyed hunting pheasants with Grandpa and the others. He's a pretty good shot too. Here are a few of their prizes.

Everyone had a rough time with the snow. Even the dogs. By the second or third day their paws were bleeding from walking so much.



Monday afternoon. Paul came by to see mother. She was so pleased that he would take the time to come by. Paul has been so faithful to send her cards this past year and a half.






Five generations of girls............ Irene, Kay, Karen, Malinda, Addison and Cadein.

Clayton had never seen this much snow. I took the boys out sledding in the field by Kay's. Clayton had taken a running start landed on the sled......... only to have the sled stop and therefore he went flying over it into the snow.





Here is Austin on top of the snow that had been plowed off of the street. I think they had recieved about two feet or so. Not sure but it was a lot. You can see the basketball hoop on the side.

Here is Nathan Stevens and his fiance Kim. They live in Wisconsin and are to be married in July. They came over early Saturday and played games with Grandma.

Five generations. Great-Great Grandma B, Kay, Karen, Melissa, Little Joe and Meghann. Saturday evening when all were there for dinner. We had 19 to feed.