So What Have I Been Doing Lately?? Recap

Perhaps some of you might be wondering if we have fallen off the face of the earth?  Well we haven't but sometimes it feels like that. Here is a quick recap of all that has been going on.

We had our New Years Eve party and it was fun.  Bud estimated we had 75 to 80 people pop by. It was a great way to see everybody before everything got really hectic.  We even had Bud's nephew and his family drive up from Kirtland, NM.  That was a really nice surprise. I will have to post pictures later.

The next big adventure was the packing and moving.  On January 5th and 6th, the packers came and packed everything up that we were shipping to Scotland.  What a mess, headache, pain, etc. You get the picture.  On the 6th, the movers put everything into a 20 ft. sea crate. On the 8th the crate was put on the train to Houston.  In Houston it will leave January 27th on a boat and arrive in Felixstowe, England on February 20th.  It will have to clear customs and then we can have our stuff.  

 

We also got family pictures taken the day before Bud left for Scotland. They turned out really good.  I am happy we got them done even though it was last minute, but hey they are done!

Bud is in Scotland right now and I leave on February 4th.  The day is getting closer!  Snortney and I have been cleaning my house, getting it ready for the renters.  That is a huge pain in the BUTT!  I don't know what I would do without her help.  We have been boxing up the stuff we didn't take for the storage unit or throwing it away.  It is amazing that you can collect so much stuff in 27 years of marriage.  She and Jake have taken the stuff they want - both complaining how much of my stuff has now made their houses messy!  Its true - it seems like we move one mess to another place.  Oh well, when I leave they will have time to get organized.  They both inherited freezers and all that goes with that, plus lots of kitchen stuff.  Speaking of kitchen stuff, I was cleaning in the kitchen Saturday and found a drawer and a cabinet of utensils, food processor and blender, dutch oven and miscellaneous items that were suppose to be packed and weren't.  I was a little bit livid to say the least.  Stupidhead packers!!@#%*!

My computer has been sitting in a box for me to ship to Scotland since January 5th.  I didn't want it to take until the end of February to get to Scotland so I am going to Fed Ex it.  I am sure that will cost me a pretty penny but will be worth it.  I still need to get that done.  That is why I haven't really blogged, that and being super busy.  I haven't downloaded any pictures but I will try to get some done at some point.

Next task is to try and sell my car.  I need to sell it so I can purchase a car in Scotland.  I need the  cash.  Banking over there is so different and I don't think they do loans until you have lived there for a year, or least that is what someone told us.  Anyway, wish me luck in selling my car!

After that I hope that I can just have some fun with my kids and grandkids.  Bud actually is coming in for meetings this Tuesday in Provo so it will be nice to see him.  Our little guy thinks his Pa Pa's plane is going to land in his yard!  So Cute!

Well that is just a quick recap.  I hope all is going well for everyone.  I love reading your blogs!

Love, Mel

Christmas, New Years & Lost in the Chaos

A very gorgeous sunset last night. Thought I would share that for fun!

Merry Christmas

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas. We certainly did.
Santa got me a Garmin so I won't get lost in Scotland. Wise Santa.

A baby with a 'tude. She looks like she is ready to spin some records.

Christmas is so much fun with a three year old. Santa is the coolest.
In fact he visited us Christmas Eve.

Not so sure we like Santa.

What a difference a present makes!

Even Izzy got to sit on Santa's lap.

I love this picture because you almost don't notice the little hand. On Christmas Eve we have our good friends, LaNice and Alan and their kids, over for Huevos Rancheros. Its a wonderful tradition that we have been doing for years. The little guy wanted to help Bud cook. He was sick however and had to have his Grandpa hold him.

He is such a little helper.
He really does like to work with you when you've got stuff to do.
I wonder if he will feel that way when he is a teenager.

Snort getting a chuckle out of Jake's present to her.
A chocolate cookbook with all the recipes he wants her to make for him.
He also gave her 20 pounds for her trip to England in September.

Grandma thinks this is one of the real miracles of Christmas.
Such a sweet baby!

Wow he must of been a good boy! I know, hard to believe!!

We also called this a used Christmas. Jake got Bud's paint ball gun,
since they don't allow guns of any kind in Scotland.
Snort got all my canning supplies.
She was quite happy about that. Poor girl!

Bud and his buddy.

This is the weather we have been dealing with over Christmas. The wind was howling like mad and the snow blowing. I actually got stuck in our driveway with my SUV! Bud had to pull me back and let me get a running start at the snow drift. Today's weather was really nice though.

Other News

Do you ever feel lost within your own life? That is how I am feeling right now. A little overwhelmed at all that is going on!

We are now in the process of getting ready for our New Year Eve's Party. So friends and family in the area, drop by. It is so hard to remember to tell everyone, so don't be offended if you weren't told personally and just come on over anyway. We are having an open house so we can see all our friends before we make the big move. I hope people show up. That would be terrible if no one came! (Am I paranoid?)

Part of getting the house cleaned up for the party involves actually getting ready for the movers too. I hate that part. It is such a pain! The kids came over and were going through their old rooms. You know, getting all their memorabilia out - stuffed toys, work from school, art, etc. That is kinda of fun to see. Snort and Bud went through my kitchen cupboards while I was out running errands. They found some (a lot) of expired cans of food, etc. that were pushed in the back of the cupboard. Boy did I get a hard time for that!

I don't know what we would do without Snort. She has been such a help. I give her a hard time because she is a list maker. She is constantly making lists for Bud and I to make sure we get things done. Glad someone in our family is on the ball. Its certainly not me! When she is trying to get into my head about getting stuff done and I don't feel like it, I tell her to go make a list. That keeps her happy and busy.

Dear son-in-law also is helpful. He is our go to guy. Just waits to find out what we need to get done and he does it. I love him!

Jake has also been a help. He is the muscle that Snort and I don't have. He helps Bud with the heavy stuff. Jake is still doing well and still being that fun, crazy kid we love. I have been enjoying the extra time I have spent with him driving him around. We have got to talk a lot and that has been fun.

Well wish me luck that I will have a clean house by tomorrow and some sanity to go with it!!! I don't know why when you clean it seems like you make a bigger mess in order to put some order in your house. If anyone figures that one out, let me know.