Wednesday, July 05, 2006

Oops, I did it again!

I'm not talking about that annoying song. I've neglected my blog again. I'm so bad with this sort of thing. It doesn't help, either, that I am technically challenged. My blog isn't very pleasing to the eye, but I barely have time to post, let alone add pics and such. I will have to work on that!!

Let's see, what's happened in the Moyer household since my last entry??? A LOT!!! It would take me all night to post it all, so I'll just have to pick up where I left off, and when I have nothing else to say, I'll throw in an update.

Tomorrow is day 3 of Trevor's first job! He's working at the hospital in the kitchen and so far, he likes it. He turned 16 on Feb 24th, but he still hasn't gotten his driver's license or permit. We're going to wait on that for a little while. He's got some maturing to do. (He's not happy about that, but I'm the mom!)

For the past four weeks, Bradley has been taking flute lessons. He joined the "summer band" program at the middle school. Friday we'll see just how much he and the other students learned. They'll be performing a concert for their families. I can't wait! He chose to play the flute and if he likes it, he can join the Middle School band. We shall see!!

Corey and Collin are growing up so fast. They are up to their same old tricks and getting smarter and smarter. I am amazed at how much trouble they can get into in so little time. They're excited about next week. We'll (Bradley, Corey, Collin, and I) be going to Cub Scout Day Camp out at the lake for the week. I'm going as an adult volunteer, and Corey and Collin are going as "Pixies". (Pixies are too young for scouting). It should be a great experience for us all. I'm sure we'll all have a great time! I'll be updating!!

Dennis has had his ups and downs, been laid off from his job, and then thankfully, found another job. Unemployment just wasn't cutting it. He went back to Monocacyfabs, and some days is glad to be back, although he works so much harder there than he did at the last place. Three weeks ago, he quit smoking!! YAY!!!

My brother moved in last month and will be staying for this month yet. He worked at the same place as Dennis and was laid off too. Just today, he went for his 2nd interview at Blue Ridge Pressure Castings and he'll be starting in a week or so. Congrats, Ted!!

Well, I think that's enough for now. I've got to get to bed!! Goodnight, I'll be back tomorrow. :)

Monday, February 13, 2006

I'm trying

My head just isn't very clear tonight. I came here in hopes of journaling my weekend, but I've been doing more backspacing than anything. Now that things have settled down some for me (for now?), I'm hoping to get a fresh start tomorrow morning, and I'll make an entry or more tomorrow.

I'm trying to keep this blog current, but unfortuantely, tonight I just can't do it. I figure, something is better than nothing!

See you tomorrow! Good night.

Friday, February 10, 2006

Whew!

Today was one of those days that just flew right by! I can't believe that in a few minutes, it will be "tomorrow"!

I spent most of my morning printing out valentines for Brad. He picked out the pictures he wanted on them last night. I printed them out on postcards, with a picture on one side, and on the other side, we used minature M-Azing candy bars. The candy bar makes the valentine read, "You're an *M-Azing* Friend". His teacher will get one, of course, that says, "You're an *M-Azing* Teacher!"

While I was working on that, Marilyn (step-mom) called. Her sister, Linda, passed away last night. She'd like it if I could put together some photos for her to display at the viewing/funeral. I have until Tuesday afternoon to complete it. I just hope I do as well as they expect me to. I'm hoping to have it done sooner, though. (I can dream! I'm such a procrastinator!)

As if I didn't already have enough going on, Corey, Collin, and I decided to bake some cookies today. They are my helpers, so they got their "bakers" out. "Bakers" is their term for an apron.lol They got out my "hot pots" (oven mitt and pot holder) for me. The cookies were a little "flat", but they must taste pretty good, since they were gobbling them up!

The cookies took a little longer than I expected, and before I knew it, Dennis was home from work. That meant that I had to get my rear in gear if I was going to be showered and ready for cub scouts tonight! I wanted to leave earlier than normal, since I'd have to stop at Wal-Mart for supplies for the picture boards. I made it out of here just in time.

At cub scouts, the boys played board games while the parents set up for tomorrow's big race. It's Pinewood Derby time!! This year, amazingly, Brad's car should be dry when it goes down the track. Every year, we start too late and end up working on it until the very last minute. I sooooo don't like that! I just hope his car does better this year. He's never really made it very far other years. He does have a good time, though, so that's all that matters.

After scouts, we went over to Dad & Marilyn's to pick up the pictures and things that she and her mom had picked up for the picture boards. It didn't seem like we were there very long, but we didn't leave their house until almost 10pm! I thought for sure that Dennis would be mad, but luckily, he wasn't. It's so hard for me to keep track of what's going on lately. We're both so stressed out over the van. Finally, the junk yard tested and found a good transmission. Dennis was hoping to have it put in by now, but it's not even here yet. Ugh! He'll go and pick it up tomorrow when we get back from the derby. I can't wait to have my van back!

I'll post some derby pics tomorrow, and hopefully I'll be able to post a pic of a trophy, too. ;)

Thursday, February 09, 2006

Long time, no see

It's been so long, that I had a hard time getting in here. Luckily, I wrote my username and password in a little notebook. Here it is again, a little over a month has passed since my last entry. Now that I'm finally back, I'm not sure how to go about updating on all that's been going on around here. I guess I'll make a list, just to update, and if you think dull thoughts in between, than you'll be up to speed on what's been going on in the Moyer household. LOL

Let's see.......

In early January, we celebrated some birthdays. Bradley turned 10 on the 4th, and a week later, on the 11th, my "babies", Corey and Collin turned 4. (Don't tell them I called them my babies. They'd get pretty mad!) We had a small party at the house for Corey and Collin. Brad didn't want a party, but instead decided that when it's warm out, he'll have some friends sleep over, possibly outside in the tent.

On Jan 25th, I got a new camera! I've been searching the internet and found one that I totally fell in love with! It's a Canon Powershot S2 IS. We used part of our Income Tax refund to purchase it. I felt a little guilty, spending so much on a camera, but Dennis wanted me to have it. This camera should be all I'll ever need in a camera. I was really excited about the 12X zoom, and all of the other features that this camera has. I'd love to share pics with everyone, but I can't until I get this blog stuff figured out. There's got to be an easier way to post pics in here, but I haven't figured it out yet. I'll work on that.

It was hard to be excited and happy about my new camera. When we got home from buying the camera, there was a message on the answering machine. Steve Pfeiffer, aka "Pappy Pfeiffer" had passed away that morning in his sleep. It was quite a shock, since I had just seen him the day before, and he looked like he did any other day. I'm so glad that I got to talk to him that day, and he will most definately be missed.

Almost a week later, on Jan 31st, Dennis surprised me and brought home a laptop for me.I knew I was getting one, I just wasn't sure when. We weren't sure if I'd get a laptop or if we'd buy another desktop. We decided on the laptop, because it wouldn't take up as much space as a desktop, and the fact that it's "portable". There were a few occassions that I could've used a laptop. Well, now I have one! Again, I feel pretty guilty for spending so much money on myself.

The guilt weighed heavier on me this past weekend (Feb. 4th). Long story short, the transmission in our van is no good. Right now, the van is in the driveway, so I'm thankful that it didn't leave us sit, or have to be towed from far away. The day it conked out, I had all 4 boys with me and it was raining! It's times like these that I am so thankful that Dennis has mechanical abilities! It would cost us a small fortune if we'd have to take it to a garage to be repaired. As it is now, Dennis is hoping to have a new transmission in the van by tomorrow night. I'm not sure how or if he'll be able to do it, though. I'm no mechanic, but I'd imagine that it's not an easy job to do, let alone get it done so quickly! I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

The van has to be done by Saturday morning. Brad's cub scout pack is holding it's Pinewood Derby (or, as Corey calls it, "the pine dirty")! I'd really like us to go as a family to watch Brad race his car. We won't all fit in Dennis' car, so hopefully, the van will be done.

I know there is probably a lot that I've forgotten. I'll have to sneak it into another entry. I've got to go now, it's time for lunch, and I've got 2 hungry boys here!

Until next time.....

Friday, January 06, 2006

Really, cats don't like water!

I'm not allowing Corey and Collin to play in their room for a few days.(They destroyed two days in a row with frosting one day, and cupcakes the next!) They are not at all happy about it, but it's not like I'm depriving them of their toys. There are toys scattered all over the house. They certainly are determined little boys, because I caught them using the broom handle to unlock their door (we have a hook & eye lock on the door). They thought they were funny when they got in. I put the broom in their room and locked it again. Minutes later, they took the plunger from the bathroom to unlock it. I put that in their room and locked it again. Their final attempt was with the toilet brush. They got the door open and I did the same thing again. After that, I think they got tired of that game, and they played in the living room.

My biggest mistake was thinking that I would be able to make supper once they were somewhat settled. Little did I know, they decided to play in the bathroom, and they thought it would be fun to put some shampoo on Skittles (one of our kittens)! It wasn't like she was covered in shampoo, but it was enough for me to think that if she was to clean herself, she'd be blowing bubbles for a while. My main concern, though, was her getting sick from the shampoo.

I wasn't sure what to do, but I was pretty sure that what I HAD to do to get the shampoo off of her. I'd have to rinse it from her hair. I don't ever recall giving a cat a bath, but I imagined it wouldn't be easy. As much as I hated to do it, I held her with one hand and used the kitchen sprayer and tried to rinse it out. She most definately wasn't enjoying it, but she never hissed at me like I thought she would. My left arm is full of scratches from her trying to get away, but at the same time, I think she's glad to have it off of her. After I rinsed her, I put her in a towel and dried her off as best I could. The poor little thing clung to me, and looked so pitiful with her hair weighed down from being wet.

I was a little worried about her, at first, because she isn't normally so happy to be held like that, let alone dried off with a towel. After a little while of holding her and trying to get her dried off, she finally wanted to get down. She seems to be doing just fine now, and she actually smells pretty good, too.;)


I can only hope that tomorrow will be better.

Wednesday, January 04, 2006

Happy Birthday Bradley!

It doesn't feel like 10 years have passed, but today is Bradley's 10th birthday. If you've ever met him, you already know that he is quite unique! He's our "Science Boy" and has a great imagination. He dreams of being an inventor someday, and it wouldn't surprise me if he would do it. His little mind has come up with some amazing things. Things that I never gave any thought to until he mentioned them. He's truly an amazing kid, and I love him dearly!

I figured today I would post his birth story. I hope you all enjoy it. :)

My pregnancy was for the most part, "normal", although most of my OB appointments showed that I was losing weight and not gaining. My dr wasn't too concerned and said the baby was taking from me and was gaining weight, and was measuring right on, so I wasn't to worry. I don't recall having an actual due date (but then again, it's been 10 years!), but I do remember being told that I'd have my baby sometime between Christmas and New Year's. I thought for sure that I was carrying a girl. This pregnancy wasn't the same as my first, with my oldest son (I had him single), Trevor, 6 years earlier.

Christmastime came and went. No baby. New Year's, same thing. At my next OB appointment, the dr scheduled me for an induction at 7am on Wednesday morning, January 4, 1996. January 3rd came, and I was going to take a bath and go to bed. I was so nervous and anxious that I couldn't sleep. Finally, around midnight, I got my bath and went to bed. I was going to wash my hair in the morning before we'd leave for the hospital. (I have a "thing" about having my hair done!) I wasn't feeling so good, and I thought that was because I was just getting over a "bug". The week before, I called Dr. Miller because I thought I was in labor, but it turned out to be stomach cramps. I felt like an idiot, and I think he was a little upset with me because I called him pretty late at night. (oops!)

Around 2am, I woke Dennis up. I couldn't sleep, and by this time, I was quite sure that it was labor. By this time, I was timing contractions, and they were about 5 minutes apart. This being his first child, he pretty much went into a panic. For some reason, all I could think about was that I'd have to get my hair done! LOL So, I washed my hair, and brought my hair dryer and curling iron into my bedroom and I was going to do my hair "quick" before we'd head to the hospital. There was no way that I could stand at the bathroom mirror to do my hair. I think it was 2, maybe 3 times that I had to stop the blow dryer and breath through some rough contractions. While I was doing my hair, Dennis called and woke my mom from bed to tell her we'd be bringing Trevor to her on our way to the hospital. He called the hospital and told them we were on our way.

Of course, the night before all of this, we got a pretty bad snow/ice storm. The roads were pretty rough, and being in labor, I swear, I felt every bump! I remember crying as we dropped Trevor off, even though I knew he'd be just fine with my mom. I'd never really had him with a sitter before this.

We arrived at the hospital sometime after 3am. By this time, the contractions were very strong. At 3:20am, I was examined and I was already dialated to 7-8 cm. My OB wasn't at the hospital yet because he lived about 10 miles away, and the roads were pretty bad. I was scared that he wouldn't be there for the delivery. The nurses put an IV in me, checked my stats, etc. At 4:08am, I was wheeled me across the hall to the delivery room. They could see the baby's head was coming as they transferred me from one bed to the other. I kept telling them that I had a bad urge to push, and they kept telling me that I shouldn't push. I couldn't help it, it was soooo hard to hold back. Just as they were putting my legs in the stirrups,at 4:12am, my OB arrived. He still had his coat on when he went to check me. I thought he was joking with me when he told me that I could have the New Year's baby. He told me too, that I'd get all kinds of gifts, etc. At 4:18, I had my baby. The dr said, "It's a boy!", and then I heard him cry. I was a little surprised, but happy none the less. I thought for sure I was having a girl, but I was just as thrilled to have another son. As the nurses took him to be weighed and measured, the thing that stuck out most was his toes. So tiny, but the big toes seemed really big in comparison. He weighed in at 6lbs 12oz, and was 19.75 inches long.

The nurses asked what we'd be naming him, and we weren't so sure. If he would've been a girl, his name would have been Heather. One of the nurses laughed, because HER name was Heather! We were undecided if we would name him Corey, after Dennis' best friend that died that previous June, or if we would name him Bradley. One of the nurses said he looked more like a Bradley, and we thought that too. So, Bradley Robert it was! I was then taken to a "regular" room.

I don't remember what time it was, but it was later that morning that I found out that I DID have the first baby born in Carbon County for the year. People brought all kinds of stuff in to my room. I received a rocking chair, a case of diapers, flowers, an exersaucer, a gift certificate, and a case of formula, and a few other things. I was also asked if I'd mind being on the local news. I had to sign some things, and before I knew it, there was a cameraman in my room! I felt awful, I mean, I did just deliver a baby! LOL I was so worried about what my hair looked like, and of course, it was pretty bad. I was so nervous (and tired!) that I wasn't even sure what I was saying. It was quite the experience, and one I won't ever forget.

I can't help but feel a little teary-eyed now, and I wish I could say that my memory was so good to remember the exact times like I posted, but I didn't. I cheated and looked at my hospital records. I wouldn't be able to remember exact times like that, but I can remember the events like it was yesterday. I can't wait to one day tell my grandchildren, or anyone else that will listen, for that matter!;)

When Brad was a baby, I would try to imagine what he would be like as he got older. I imagined he would be a great kid, and he turned out even better. We've been so blessed!

Happy 10th Birthday, Brad! I love you!!

Monday, January 02, 2006

happy thoughts, happy thoughts, happy..........

I've been wanting to just post about good things, and not negative ones, so tonight, I'll have to work extra hard in order to accomplish that. LOL Luckily, I have a great sense of humor, because today, I really needed it!

I slept much later than I would've liked to, but it did feel good to finally do some catching up. On a normal night, Corey or Collin will have me up at least once during the night for a drink of water or to be covered up. Last night, was a "straight through" sleep, and it felt pretty good. When I opened my eyes this morning and saw that it was close to 9:45am, I was shocked, and I got right out of bed. It's been soooo long since I'd slept so late!

The day was a typical day in the Moyer household. Dennis made sure that the couch didn't get up and run away, Trevor and Brad made sure their tv's and video games got some wear and tear, and Corey and Collin did everything in their power to make sure that there was plenty for this mom to do.

I started the day with my usual morning routine, but I started it a little later than normal. I did the dishes and straightened up the house. (I've really got to get in the habit of doing the dishes right after supper!) As soon as the last dish was washed, Dennis decided that he would make breakfast, and start a new pile of dirty dishes for me. So thoughtful!

I was on and off of the computer, worked on my jigsaw puzzle,did a few loads of laundry, cleaned the litter box, and ate some candy (so far,eating candy was the best part!lol). Before I knew it, it was time to start supper. I was to be at a meeting (parent's meeting for cub scouts) at 6:30pm. I wasn't sure there would be a meeting, since the weather is supposed to get bad. Some say we could see 3-5 inches of snow, some freezing rain, etc before this storm moves out. The meeting was not postponed, since it was just raining outside. The "bad" stuff would be coming much later at night and in the morning.

So, I made a list of things for Dennis to get from the store. I had myself so hungry for spaghetti with sharp cheddar and bacon sauce! Dennis ran to the store and got me everything I needed. I fried my bacon, dumped it in the pot. Melted the cheese, dumped it in the pot. Then, I dumped the tomato sauce in with the bacon and cheese. I thought something smelled a little "off", but then thought maybe it was the cheese? It's been soooo long since I last made it, that I wasn't sure what it should smell like. I dipped my finger in and gave it a taste. YUCK!!! I then sniffed the can with the remaining sauce in it. YUCK!!! It was obviously spoiled! I was sooo mad! I just wasted the bacon and the cheese!!

So, I got the receipt from Dennis and called the store that he bought it from. I explained to them that the sauce was nasty, and I felt a little foolish, but I also asked them if they would replace the bacon and cheese that this sauce had ruined. I was told that I'd have to speak to the manager. They transferred me to the manager, and I explained what happened to her. Her first question to me was, "What are you making?" LOL I told her, and after a few minutes of talking, she told me they would make good for the sauce AND for the bacon and cheese that was ruined because of it. I was happy about her response, but I wasn't exactly happy about having to make the sauce a second time.

While I was on the phone, Dennis went into Corey and Collin's room to "check in" on them. They were giggling, and that usually means they are up to no good. Yup, you guessed it! They WERE up to no good. I'm not sure when, but it was sometime between me making the bad batch of sauce and my phone call, that Corey and Collin got ahold of the box of spaghetti. They had it all broken up and thrown all over their room! Dennis was sooooo mad. So much gets wasted around here, and it's usually Corey and Collin doing the wasting. He added spaghetti to his new list and headed back up to the store.

I made my second batch of sauce, and it was delicious! I hurried and ate and then I had to get ready for the meeting. I didn't have a whole lot of time! Long story short, I was late for the meeting! UGH!

The meeting didn't last long at all. Maybe because I missed some of it? I don't know, but when I got home, I went straight to Corey and Collin's room and started to pick up the spaghetti. I imagined how nice it would've been if someone else would've had it all cleaned up, but that would be a real big stretch of my imagination. I have such a supportive and helpful family. grrrr...

Cleaning up the spaghetti probably would've been a lot easier if my lovely boys wouldn't have pulled every article of clothing from their dresser drawers and had it scattered all over their room. I also discovered that they had some fun with the treats for our kittens. Two little canisters of cat treats were the meatballs for their spaghetti. Luckily, the cats don't like the treats, or they'd be walking around with very full bellies right now.

I wasn't exactly sure how to clean up the mess. Some of the noodles were very long, while others were very small. It wouldn't be easy to vacuum, but it was a real pain to be on my hands and knees trying to pick it all up. I gave up and got the vacuum out. YEAH RIGHT! I think it took me longer that way than if I would've just stayed on my hands and knees! My poor vacuum cleaner, the one that's been on it's last leg for close to a year now, was just picking it up and putting it down somewhere else. The hose blocked up several times and I had to try and unblock it. I really should take a pic of my vacuum and share it with the world. It's a real sight to see, and works about as good as it looks! Hopefully, if things go right, I will be able to get a new one in the very near future. My next one won't be a "ride on" and I'll probably have to keep it under lock and key if I want it to last!

I eventually gave up, and decided to call it a night around 10:30pm. The kids had to go to bed, and I was missing "chat night". I went on the computer, and that's where I've been since. Now, here it is, sooooooo past my bedtime, and I'm rambling away here. I hope I'm not keeping you up too? LOL

So, I will finally go to bed now. I'm hoping to have a real pleasant dream. In my dream, we will be having "take out" and my maids will be keeping my house real clean!!

Night! :)

Sunday, January 01, 2006

Out with the old, In with the new



I guess things would be pretty boring if they were always the same? This New Year, I hope that things will improve and be even better than the last. It's amazing how much faster the years seem to be going. Each year goes by faster than the last.

We've been going to Aunt Linda & Uncle Rusty's house for a New Year's celebration for many years now. They've had New Year's parties for as long as I can remember. For years, you'd see the same faces, and many of them seem to be unchanged, but the youngest ones seem to change so much from year to year. (I still can't get over how much Kyle has grown!) This year, there were a few faces that we missed, but that's not to say that we weren't thinking of them.

A few minutes before midnight, we all headed up to the park to "ring" in the New Year. Dennis and I got the kids' coats on and we headed up to the park. We sat in the parking spot waiting for the others as we watched Uncle Rusty put the rope on to the bell. We remembered how, for many years, my brother (Ted) would put the rope on. Ted hasn't been there for 2 or 3 years, since he's moved out of Weissport. His life has changed quite a bit, but I'm sure we'll be seeing him putting the rope on in years to come.

As we waited for everyone else, Corey was still strapped in his car seat, telling us that he wanted to lay in his bed and cover up. He was tired. Collin, on the other hand, couldn't wait to ring the bell.

It wasn't long before everyone was there. Uncle Leon was watching the time, and when the clock struck 12, Uncle Rusty rang the bell. Collin was first in line, so he rang it too. (He needed help, because if he would've had the rope by himself, it would've pulled him up!) Once Corey heard how loud the bell was, he backed away. The rest of the kids were running around and throwing snowballs, while some of the younger ones stood in line for their turn to ring the bell.

After everyone had their turn, we all got back into our cars and some of us headed home, while others headed back to Aunt Linda and Uncle Rusty's house. Dennis (and Corey) wanted to go home, so that's what we did.

Another year gone, but not to be forgotten, and we'll wonder what this new year has in store for us, and what a blessing it will be to see everyone again the next time we ring the bell.