Thursday, February 26, 2009

4 Birthdays in a week

On this past Tuesday Maranda turned 14, today is my brother Jay's 31st birthday, this coming Monday my nefhew Mikey will be 14 and on Tuesday Dave will be 42. Four birthdays in a week who ever planned that????? Not me.

I will never forget the day that my brother Mike called me and told me they were expecting Mikey it happened to be the same day I told him I was expecting Maranda. At the time he was living in New Mexico and he called me at work and needed to tell someone but didn't want to tell my mom, funny thing was I didn't want to tell my mom either. Our due dates were only two days apart. My mom did not want to become a grandmother and here she was going to be a grandmother twice at once. Once I told her she couldn't wait to become a grandmother. Maranda was born during the worst snow storm of that year. It started snowing the night before and didn't stop until 3 day's later. That didn't stop my family from being there. My sister was going in with me it was funny because she had called me an hour before I went into labour to find out how I was because she wanted to go out with friends, I told her I was fine and to go. She told me where she was going just incase well she got the phone call an hour later, three of my brothers were there, Mike was on the phone, my mom, my stepfather, my aunt, one of my uncles and Dave were all at the hospital. My mom called my father and told him and he said well let me know what she has. (just another time I wanted my dad and he wasn't there). My brother Jay walks in and tell's me to wait two days to have her. We didn't know that she was going to be a girl but we all did know.

My brother Jay, the doteing uncle he has always been all my brothers have been when it comes to Maranda. Right before Maranda was a year old he comes over to my house with some friends and his girlfriend (now his wife) this was the first time I had met Shanon. He tells her you have to see my niece shes the cutest baby you have ever seen. Maranda was sleeping and I told him not to wake her up and next thing I know he comes walking out of her room with her. He said something and she woke up saying dork. Jay has always been Uncle Dork to Maranda and she has always been Geek to him. When she was a baby we always told her he was Uncle Dork. Thus the reason I am Aunt Kimmy to his daughter.

My nefhew Mikey whom we did not see until he was two months old. My brother Mike called the morning his mom went into the hospital looking for our mom. My mom couldn't be there because she couldn't leave me. It was hard on her but impossible for her too be in two states at once. She wasn't at home, and Mike wanted to be on the phone with her. Dave told Mike to tell my nefhews mom to wait until the next day to have him. I talked to my brother until my mom walked in my door an hour later. Then she talked to him for almost 3 hours until my nefhew was born. She was excited that she had a granddaughter and a grandson. A few weeks later she flew down to see him and bring them back here for the summer. Mike was in college there and had to wait until the semester was over to come home. Even though Maranda was so young when my mom came home she wouldn't go to her or even look at her for days. My mom went to pick her up and she cried for grandpa (my stepfather) at the time my real father had seen her maybe twice. He didn't see Mikey until they were here for three weeks.

Dave what can I say, not much really. His family didn't see Maranda until the day she turned a week old. Why because it was his brithday exactly a week after our daughter was born and his mom wouldn't miss her baby's birthday. At the time Maranda was born his youngest niece had just turned two and she was the biggest brat in the world at 16 she still his. She was so mean to Maranda (funny because now they are really close). His family is strange (to me anyways) I have only ever seen his father three times. He has only seen my two girls. When Maranda was a baby my mom and I seen him at the store he was working at after retirement he came up too us and asked is that my granddaughter. Makayla was 4 when Dave's nefhew was killed and my mom was on a cruise and we had to take her to the wake with us. Not that she hadn't just been at her grandfathers (this was a month after my father died) so his father seen her their. Kenny just said to Dave a few months ago Dad you have a dad? Dave was telling me that he ran into his father. He has two brothers. One I met years ago and we have seen him probley 4 or 5 times in the 16 years we have been together. His other brother is the one that had the son that was killed. He works with my brother Jay. Jay seen the last name and found out this was Dave's brother. Matter of fact I am the one that told Dave's family that his nefhew was killed because Jay got an email thru work and called me and told me. It was funny because he wanted us to come out to his house. He knew whom I was and had pictures of our kids on his walls. He had asked my brother if he could see pictures of my kids then asked if I would send in extra pictures of the kids. I have always continued to give Jay a picture for him. Even though we haven't seen him except for a couple times since. It is my family that calls Dave on his birthday not his.

Sunday, February 22, 2009

We have snow and more on the way


We have at least 3ft of snow on the ground that we received Friday. Thursday you could see grass and mud on the ground and now you can't see anything but snow, snow and more snow. I tried to take pictures but kids took off with the batteries to my camera once again. I guess that we have another storm coming thru today at least someone told me that yesturday. All I see is light lake effect right now and theres probley 2 or 3 inches of new snow in the driveway. A couple of years ago I had this friend send me this email I saved it I don't know why maybe because I really can relate to it.

Jeff Foxworthy on Upstate New York

If you consider it a sport to gather your food by drilling through 36 inches of ice and sitting there all day hoping that the food will swim by, you might live in Upstate New York.

If you're proud that your region makes the national news 96 nights a year because Saranac Lake is the coldest spot in the nation, and Syracuse gets more snow than any other major city in the US , you might live in Upstate, NY. (Syracuse really doesn't get that much snow it is that they consider those of us in Oswego County that get the snow if they get more than 4 inches at once it closes most of the city)

If your local Dairy Queen is closed from October through May, you might live in Upstate New York .

If you get 131 inches of snow in a week and you comment that 'winter's finally here', you might live near Oswego in Upstate New York. (Well its not really winter until the first time we do receive that much)

If you instinctively walk like a penguin for six months out of the year, you might live, bundled up, in Upstate New York.

If someone in a Home Depot store offers you assistance, and they don't work there, you might live in Upstate NY.

If your dad's suntan stops at a line curving around the middle of his forehead, you might live in Upstate New York.

If you have worn shorts and a parka on the same day, you might live in Upstate New York. (Heck do this many times together, David would all winter long if I let him)

If you have had a lengthy phone conversation with someone who dialed a wrong number, you might live in Upstate New York.(I had someone try todo this to me, but I didn't go for it)

YOU KNOW YOU ARE A TRUE UPSTATE NEW YORKER WHEN:

"Vacation" means going South past Syracuse for the weekend.

You measure distance in hours.(Yea that's me)

You know several people who have hit a deer more than once.(Can't count the times Dave has came home and said he hit a deer on 481)

You often switch from "heat" to "A/C" in the same day and back again.

You can drive 65 mph through 2 feet of snow during a raging blizzard, without flinching.(Can't everyone?)

You install security lights on your house and garage and leave both unlocked.(No security lights but before I met Dave I would leave my doors unlocked, but he is from Syracuse where their crime rate is sooooo high he doesn't allow me to leave things unlocked)

You carry jumper cables in your car and your girlfriend/wife knows how to use them.(I also know how to change a tire and check my oil)

You design your kid's Halloween costume to fit over a snowsuit.(Not every year but you never know we might have snow on Halloween or may not get it until the middle of January)

Driving is better in the winter because the potholes are filled with snow.(This is better than them trying to fix potholes in the winter)

You know all 4 seasons: almost winter, winter, still winter, and road construction.(This one is very true)

You can identify a southern or eastern accent.

Down South to you means Corning .

Your neighbor throws a party to celebrate his new shed.

You go out for a fish fry every Friday

Your 4th of July picnic was moved indoors due to frost.

You have more miles on your snow blower than your car.(Since we both work right here in town this is so true)

You find 10 degrees "a little chilly." and 55 is shorts weather.(Nope 5 degrees gets chilly once you have negitave temps 10 feels like a heat wave and 55 is shorts weather along with a hoodie just ask David, but then again he thinks 10 is shorts and a hoodie weather)


Just had to share my comments in there. But with all this snow what am I thinking about?????
Racing, Racing and more Racing. This morning while going thru one of the racing message boards that I read daily I found this: http://www.oswegospeedway.com/Home/tabid/36/ctl/ArticleView/mid/427/articleId/392/Default.aspx
This would be the greatest if he could win this, it would be almost enough to pay for his new car and engine also it would be a great first win in this division. Now this will be his third year in the Super Modified the first year he was Rookie of the Year 10th in point standing (which was his goal) His second year goal was to be top 5 in point standings, and placed 4th in points, he also won three heat races. This year's goal is to finish in top 3 and get at least one feature under his belt. He has designed a car he is going old/new, the car builder said it is the most fun he has had building a car in years. One thing I have to say is Don't let it go to your head Jay.

Thursday, February 19, 2009

2009 Christmas Oraments

Since I mass produce Christmas Ornaments every year, when I start looking and thinking what I am going to do I look for fast and easy. Yea right these snowball's were far from that. And they are supposed to be easy for kids to do. I don't remember exactly where I found the idea but it was somewhere on the web. I am thinking it was either My Craft Book or My Craft Ideas, and I already shot out the printout that I had because this is a definite never do again. Some times I repeat for classrooms and such. Since when I bought most of the supplies I had enough to do 30 of them which will all be given away to family and most likely Kayla's Girl Scout troop. I have 22 packaged and ready to go, the other 8 just need to be packaged but I ran out of the wrap I was using and have not been back to Walmart to pick up yet.


The supplies I used

The end product in stages



Friday, February 13, 2009

Finally

Finally the fleece blankets are done. I hope that I won't have todo anymore this year I don't think my back could take it. But I really do like the colored back with the cream or white fronts.

Duckies (a little girl Randa babysit's) her birthday is tomorrow




My brothers I did 2 in each color





Thursday, February 12, 2009

Some of my crafts

Here are some of the crafts that I got finished in January. I have a few more done but they are already packed away for Christmas 2009. When I get this stuff packed away I will pull them out and take pictures
My nieces fleece blanket

My nefhew's fleece blanket



This fleece blanket I have made two of and am working on the third they are for my SIL and two brothers girlfriends. I am really likeing the cream/white on colored





Boys valance I made sorry you really cant see to well but has about 5 different colors in







Material I used for boys dresser runner along with one of Kenny's treasures and Davids game cords unfortuntly the rest of the dresser has too much of their junk to take a full picture of









Boys light switch cover made from polymer clay Kenny and I did I don't like it but they love it











Christmas aprons













Christmas aprons















More Random pictures of the kids

The reason we spend every weekend of the spring & summer at the races
2008 International Classic team picture (for some strange reason he is always placed infront of the fence, doesn't make for great pictures)

Hey Uncle Jay I race better than you


"LETS MAKE A DEAL" You sign my shirt and I race your car



But Uncle Jay I wanna race this beast




Forever Friends





Is it Hanna Montana or Makayla?






Come on David you know you love your Grandma
















Just some random photos

Little sisters are a pain even to one of the 52 out of 4000 Teacher's Associations Students of the year 2008 Poor David
My snotty flower (Maranda) Alice in Wonderland Jr. May 2008

Kenny, Makayla & Kali (niece) first game day of 2008