Vicki's 18th Birthday Dinner

Vicki wanted WINGS for her birthday dinner, so off to Buffalo Wild Wings we went! We celebrated a day early since we found out TODAY that The Dude In Cammies is leaving TOMORROW for a week!!! So, we put off Vicki's Disneyland trip until her Daddy comes home and an early Birthday Dinner tonight in Victorville!!!  Vicki is a messy and possessive eater when it comes to her wings!!!! We has a fun night together as a family :) I can't believe she is 18!!!! But she still eats like she is two!!!

Hot Dog On A Stick

First official day if California I had to go to Hot Dog On A Stick! I used to work for the original owner of these stores. I opened several stores for the founder while managing one of his stores back in the 80's. I had a yummy cheese stick and Vicki had the lemonade. It was delicious!!! I'm not sure how many years it has been....a lot!

Arrived In Barstow!

Aug 1 2014

At 7:11 PM Ty, Jasper, Bella, and I reached the gate to our new home, MCLB Barstow!

It was our last long day of driving! We left NM this morning and both dogs had zero desire to get up and get going to only get in a car for another day of driving! They were both done! We were all done! 

All week Jasper had been panting in my ear...

But today he was just crashed out not wanting to look out the windows anymore...

But Bella was enjoying the scenery...especially all the trees going thru Flagstaff Az! It was pretty chilly on that part of the drive too!

This Did Me In

We vacuum Tanks scratcher crumbles atleast once a day....vacuuming these up for the last time just about did me in.....not sure how much more I can take today.....I literally bawled, tears rolling down....my crying would have been louder than the vacuum if the packers weren't waiting for the vacuum to put in their truck......so instead it was just tears and shoulder shaking going on and the truck driver gave me a big hug after I emptied the canister for the last time and wrapped up the chord......  

I Fell Apart, A Lot Today....

I would randomly look for Tank...

Coming Home To The Movers

Oh my....this was rough....coming straight from kissing Tank goodbye to meeting the packers and giving them the tour of the house.....there were reminders of Tank everywhere....his house by the piano....his scratcher under the piano bench....his chair, his perch on the couch, his food dishes.....yep, I fell apart and bawled. The guys were really nice about it though....

Goodbye At The Vet

Our appointment was at 9:15. Tank was fading fast....by 8 his paws were getting cold. By about 8:30 his pupils were pretty much fixed and dilated....he hadn't blinked in sooo long, in fact he never blinked again....

Just the day before.....Tank had been sprawled out on the porch watching the packers, been in and out of their truck, up and down on all the boxes....just like any other day....

We All Prayed For Tank

I love that the first thing my children think of in a crisis is to talk to their Heavenly Father. When Vicki came in my room this morning and saw how bad Tank was doing while I held him she first asked if I had said a prayer. I told her I had been praying for hours....She said another prayer. When the boys joined us we had a family prayer of comfort for Tank and that he wouldn't be in pain if he couldn't recover and that he wouldn't be scared and he would know how much we loved him. He seemed to be in less pain while we waited for the vet to open and the vet was able to get him in at 9:15. Prayer is powerful and I am so very grateful my children know this. 

FaceTime With Tank

The Dude In Cammies FaceTimed with us so he could be with Tank too. We all cried together talking to Tank. It was sooo sweet, when Tank heard Ed's voice his tail went back and forth.  

Tank Is Fading

The kids and I took turns holding Tank while we got ready for the day. The movers were coming and we needed to be ready and we didn't want Tank to be alone.  

Woke Up To Tank Crying

July 25 2 am

I woke up to Tanks long,  drawn out meows. It was around 2ish in the morning. I thought maybe he wanted out. We had had tons of rain and he had been inside a lot more than normal. When I came down the hall he wasn't at the door. Instead he was in the kitchen staring under the kitchen floor. At first I thought maybe something had gotten in the house with all the doors open with two days of packers. I started carefully moving the chairs....there was nothing....I went and picked up Tank. He felt wrong and I knew something was wrong.....There was no place to take him at this time in the early early morning hours so I put him in bed with me. He cried for a little bit and than got up and jumped down with no problem. He went under my bed and I figured that would be a great place for him to go to sleep. I started to doze off and he started crying again. He was in my now empty closet. I picked him up and put him in bed with me again. This time he stayed and relaxed some....

Birthday Dinner

Birthday Nails

My 80's Boyfriend....According To Facebook

I took a few minutes break from the madness today and took one of those fun Facebook quizzes....totally LOVED Randy from Valley Girl but Jake from 16 Candles I think was my very favorite....although The Outsiders & Red Dawn had some hotties.... 

Jasper Won't Roll Off The Bed!

Atleast with all the boxes stacked up along the side of the bed Jasper won't roll of the bed!!!

Marine Wife Birthday

I Am 46 Today

WOW!!! I am 46 years old today!!!  It has been quite the week!!! We are packing out of our house, my best friend has been gone for about a year and a half now and I had a fake miscarriage.....it has been quite the week! Atleast now I know why all my pants are sooo frickin' tight!!! Relieved I am NOT pregnant and now just hoping I can drive across country without any complications!!!! I guess I was noy going thru metaphause the last couple of months and The Dude In Cammies vasectomy is still holding. Just me getting older and my eggs not really sure what to do and probably one just stuck around and started doing its thing without anything else and than decided since there wasn't anything else coming to finally detach and flush out. That was a mess yesterday in the middle of packing out. Still feel horrible but relieved today and a little easier to smile with the relief that I am NOT pregnant!!! LOL Now to just hopefully start fitting into my pants in the near future!!! I'm down to only 3 pair that still button!!! Happy Birthday To Me!!! The kids chose Mike's Farm. Nothing really tastes good right now, but it was fun being with my kiddos and out of the house for a bit.....

Noodles

Vicki and I ran a bunch of errands after the packers left and than stopped at Noodles for dinner. It was pretty good. Not a place I will frequent often but it was fun to try it and try something different. I had the yummiest food when I was in Thailand and I am always trying to find something just like this dish I had literally out in the middle of nowhere....I struck out again....it is funny how something I ate literally out in the land if nothing, not even flushing toilets was better than anything I have eaten in any restaurant claiming to make Thai food...

Apricot Pie Memories

I figured I would make one of my favorite things my Grandma Mary used to make. Apricot Pies! I can never make them like hers but they are still yummy!!!

Must Eat Ice Cream

For what EVER reason I somehow have all this ice cream in my freezer!!! Not sure how this happened! What is even on the more bizarre side is I'm not in the mood for ice cream and it needs to be eaten or thrown out! The struggle is real! Lol

I've been eating Rocky Road & Mint Chip Klondike Bars....

This yummy Ben & Jerry's ice cream and I still have more to go!!! Gonna be ice creamed out in no time!!! Lol

101.6 Pounds Of Jasper

Jasper was 96 pounds last year for his yearly appointment. I was hoping he had lost weight so I could fly him with Vicki on the 27th. Dog + Kennel has to be under 100 pounds. Jasper was 101.6 pounds. I will look into other options....Looks like Vicki will be flying with Leah and Tank.

Three Types Of Cereal

Salinas Rodeo & Family

My aunt and uncle went to see the rodeo The Dude On A Horse just started tonight. They were able to watch him getting his horse ready and do the parade before heading over to the rodeo.

Mik & The Dude On A Horse with Dean

Getting ready to head out on the parade route. This is the rodeo in Salinas.

Sweet Frog Yogurt

Always have to get a gummy frog when I build my frozen yogurt at Sweet Frog!

This is Vicki's frozen yogurt....yep mine looks LOTS yummier!!!!

 Vicki talking to her Dad while we wait for the storm to pass....LOTS of rain today!!! Glad the lightening didn't start until after our Aqua Spin class!!! 

See You Later Grandma Mary

I woke up to this text from my brother Monte;

I knew it was coming...yesterday in the car...I just knew she was leaving....Grandma Mary was the best grandma EVER!!! She taught me soo much! Not by lectures but by example...she always worked hard. She would tell me about her cotton picking days and chuckle about how she never wanted to do that again! She worked hard to take care of her family and didn't mind that she had to do it. She said hard work was part of life and made you a better person. She also always listened. I could tell her anything and know that she would love me the same after any conversation. Her house was my favorite place to go all growing up! I LOVED it on those rare occasions I was able to stay the night on a school night. She would pack me the most INCREDIBLE lunch boxes EVER!!!

I will miss her every day but I know I will see her again someday....in the meantime I know she is happy to be clearheaded again and out of pain and with those that she loves and has missed for a long time.....

Leah's Vet Face

This is arriving at the Vet.....

This is Leah's face leaving the Vet. Much happier face!!!

Boys Off To Camp

We left the house this morning at 6 am so I could drop the boys off to leave for Boy Scout Camp at 6:30 am. Neither of them wanted to go. I felt bad making them go as they pleaded with me to let them stay at home and just do all their merit badges at home. I felt horrible telling them no....hopefully they have a good time....

This was our picture we sent early this morning to The Dude In Cammies.

Sunday Hello To The Dude In Cammies

Just a daily picture sent to The Dude In Cammies.....

Tank Tops Are Uncomfortable

Ty came into the living room wearing one of Vicki's tank tops. He was laughing and saying he feels naked in it but feels sooo big! He also was complaining about how uncomfortable it was. I reminded him he was wearing a girls tank top that was too small for him! He laughed and said he wants a boys one in his size. I guess we will go but him a rank top. He said he wants one so he can get a sun tan. He just always keeps me laughing.