Good Bye Grandpa

Easter this year went from fun to mourning! On Easter Sunday morning, when were were planning to be in church with our friends and family singing God's praises and celebrating a risen Savior we were instead gathered in a hospital ICU crying and saying Good Bye to Grandpa. My dear father in law passed away and we are heartbroken.

Grandpa was a good and hard working man..Who had married the love of his life when he was very young and spent the next 49 years putting her first and helping to raise 5 sons. These wonderful men are all examples of the love that their parents shared, and the strong hand of the father they were given to guide them into adulthood.

I was lucky enough to become part of the Bumgarner family 10 years ago, and I see Grandpa's traits in all the boys. This is what I see as the strengths passed on to each of them.

Randy is the oldest. He had an car accident as a teenager that caused him to have some brain damage, but this doesn't stop him. He learned from his father the love of the outdoors and watching things grow.. He spends his time raising various farm animals. A lot of goats and chickens. He also grows crops and trees. He bought Grandpa a plum tree for the yard, and we are going to plant it in the yard along with our beloved Grandpa's ashes. This was Grandpa's final act to letting Randy know that even though he wasn't exactly the same as before the accident he is fine. I know this because Randy is the only one in the family with the ability to get a Plum Tree to grow in the yard.

Jeff got his sense of humor from Grandpa. Grandpa liked to tease, and so does Jeff. There isn't a time when the family is together that Jeff is not picking on someone...We all know that if we give him an opening Jeff is going to tease us and make everyone in the house laugh. Grandpa would do this too. You had to stay on your toes or never hear the end of it!!! Grandpa also taught Jeff to be a Master Chef of Hot Dogs and Hamburgers. I believe he did this so that one day Jeff could teach Grandma how to start the grill.

Keith gets his strength from Grandpa. He is also hard working and loves his family, but he is the one that everyone turns to in any situation. When someone has a problem or things are not going well, Keith gets the burden of all the phone calls. He tries to fix things the best he can for everyone, and everyone expects him to be strong for them. I love Keith for this. He doesn't complain that we tend to lean on those big broad Bumgarner shoulders. He just takes the roll of BROTHER seriously always listening and being there for us.

Bobby got quiet intelligence from Grandpa. Not that the rest of the sons aren't intelligent because they are, but Bobby is the one that knows things. He can figure out how things work, and the best way to go about doing the things that need to be done. If he teaches you about something, he does it in a way that does not make you feel small because you did not know. Bobby like Grandpa does not flaunt his intelligence, but instead uses it to help everyone figure things out that we need to know.

Mikey learned how to love from Grandpa. All of the boys love each other and their families. However, as the youngest he got to spend his time growing up watching how Grandpa interacted with his brothers, grandma, and everyone else around him. He watched all the traits that were passed on to the other boys. He watched them make mistakes and have highs and lows in their lives. He uses those examples along with the example of love from his parents marriage to show others love. He is a wonderful and loving dad and husband because he watched Grandpa's love for those around him.


I will miss this man who was all of these things: a good and hard working father, grandfather and husband who loved the outdoors and growing things. Who was the strength of his family. Who was funny and loved to laugh. Who was intelligent and queitly used this intelligence to teach those around him. This man who loved his wife, his sons, and their families more than words can really say.

I love you Grandpa, and I am glad you're now in heaven where there is no Heart Disease, Diabetes, ESRD, Blindess, or Pancreatitis. I am greatful that your are now without the pain. I imagine that you are in heaven playing with BJ the dog and planting things in your yard while you are still doing what you have always done, watching over us and loving us.

House Chaos

Once again I have fallen off the flylady wagon and my house is in chaos. Friday at work I started a TO DO list for this weekend. On Saturday I procrastinated and found every excuse I could not to follow through. Sunday I got up and this is what I did.

Kitchen: Clear out any trash
Wash Dishes
Wipe Down Counters
Clean Stove
Sweep floors

It took me 45 Minutes in 15 minute increments: Here are the pics.....

Before:



Here is the After:






I also cleaned the bathroom:
Cleared of counters
picked up towels
Scrubbed sink/toliet/ and tub
Sweep and mop the floors

Before:



Here is the After:





I just got in to the groove when DS's baseball coach called to say we have a makeup game TODAY at 2pm...URGGGGHHH!!! I am frustrated because now I have to stop my cleaning and get everyone ready to go....

Play dough and Chimpanzees

This week has been absolutely crazy!!!!!

Saturday..I was getting ready to tackle Mt Washmore..I had piles of clothes every where. one was in the washer and one was in the dryer. I was ready for a day of laundry catch up and working on DS's school project!!! It was 70 degrees outside and going to be a great day until the phone rang!!

DH's father had pancreatitis and was in the Emergency Department of a hospital 35 minutes away. So my laundry and the school project were soon forgotten...As we called babysitters in a panic and ran out the door to check on him..

Bless his heart, and Thank God!! He came through his surgery well, and now is on the road to recovery. Even though he is still in an ICU bed, he should be home and fine in a few more days.

Needless to say there has been no time this week for thinking about the other things that needed to be done....I forgot all about the project!!!

Tonight we took DH out for a birthday dinner, and we were talking about our day. Every night at supper we ask the kids about their school day. My DS says, "mom when are we going to do my project? I am suppossed to take it tomarrow."

What is the project you ask?? Make homemade play dough, and then turn it into the replica of a chimpanzee. Much easier said than done at 10pm on a school night.

The teacher had been nice enough to provide us with several recipes for play dough. The one I picked was written wrong and did not have enough liquid,so it crumbled as we tried to make a model...

Not to be discouraged at 10:30...I used another recipe and made more....At 11:20 I sent my eight year old to bed. I am now writing this and waiting on the chimp to come out of the oven....I am counting on 30 minutes at 200 degrees to dry it out so I can touch up the paint!!!

But tomarrow at school DS will have a play dough chimp!!!!!

Busy

Well here we are almost to spring, and I need to give an extra hug and kiss to my DH.

He is the best...because last night started Baseball season...

I love baseball at this age..they are just learning to play, but the thing is with the way I work I can't be home to go to practice.

So, DH is stuck with practice duty. Last year this wasn't that big a deal... Practice two days a week, but this year DD has discovered Softball!!! So now there are 4 practice days a week, and she has to be picked up from Dance of Wednesdays!!!

My husband is the best Daddy in the whole world. Especially in the spring!!!

Now, I just have to figure out a simple and quick meal plan for practice days that doesn't include McDonald's!!! Any suggestions?????

The Rules

I get so tickled at my wonderful husband. Our house stays in what seems like utter chaos all the time. Between both of us working our DS(8) and DD (6), a puppy and three cats there is always a mess somewhere.

I will admit that we did not do our kids any favors when they were little because it was easier to clean up their messes than to make them do it.. So, two years ago when I went back to work full time the house crashed and burned....Guess who had been doing most of the picking up????

Back to my dear husband. Last week he had enough of the house being a mess so he came up with the rules!!!

They are as follows:

1. If you get it out, you put it up. This includes toys, books, material for homework (pencils, paper, markers, etc)

2. Empty cups go in the kitchen beside the sink Not on the table or the computer desk.

3. If you turn it on, you turn it off (lights, and TV)

4. If it's trash throw it away in the trash can WITH a bag in it.
If there isn't a bag, tell Dad or mom and one of us will get a bag.

5. Dirty clothes go in the dirty clothes basket, NOT on the floor..Socks are clothes!!!

6. When getting a snack, if you empty a box or unwrap something, throw the empty box and or wrap away.

7. Shoes go in the shoe basket, not in the floor

8. If you spill something, clean it up, if you need help ask.

9. If Jack (our puppy) makes a mess clean it up, if you need help ask.

10. After you've eaten supper and have been excused from the table, take your plate, spoon, fork, and cup and place it beside the sink in the kitchen.

These rules were explained along with consequences at a family meeting. We have had one week of THE RULES and the difference was amazing..The house was pretty much in order...the only rule not being constantly followed was #5. We are working on that one.

They also did not whine and complain about picking up the living room today because there wasn't a lot left to do...

Life is fragile

It's been a long while since I have posted to this blog!!

The last two weeks have brought home how fragile life is to me.

While at the hospital working, I went to run an errand and ran into my friends Gregg and Kathy. We used to be tight with this couple. When DH and I first got together as a couple we had a fight and broke up. Gregg went to my DH and talked to him about our relationship. The rest is history...we got married and are raising a beautiful family together..

Kathy it turns out was scheduled to have surgery for Ovarian Cysts.When I got off work, I went up to her room and we caught up on each others lives. You see Gregg and Kathy had moved away from our small town 9 years ago and even though we had the best of intentions we lost touch with each other.

The next day, I sat with Gregg in surgery waiting while he waited to go see his beloved wife. He cried and held my hand when they told him the cyst was cancer and she would have to undergo Chemo,and how the surgeons hoped they had gotten it all.

Funny how life just brings you into the right place at the right time... I just happened to go through the admissions lobby at the exact time Kathy was checking in... I am pretty sure that God put me there so Gregg would see a friend when he needed one the most..

My friend Kathy is only 47. She has two wonderful children and the most devoted husband in the world. She has a grandbaby on the way...

Life is fragile and we should all remember to thank God for it. I hope everyone will join me in praying for my friend Kathy and her life.

Thankful but broke!!

The last four weeks the stress has been about $$$. My DH is out of work because he tore some muscles in his leg while coaching our son in flag football.


We have a lot to be thankful for because I have a really good job and bring home enough to pay most of the bills and with some juggling and tightening we have been getting by. I know that we are a lot better off than a lot of people we know. At least we both have jobs, and we are only slightly buried in credit debt. I have plenty of friends and coworkers who are buried under so much debt one false move or slight accident would make them lose everything they own.


I really am thankful because I have been able to reaccess alot of our spending in the last few weeks, and I know that if it comes down too it we could make it on my check, but it is tight!!


We are such wasteful people. We want to go out and eat instead of making a budget and menu to take to the grocery store. Cooking supper and taking the left overs for lunch is a novel idea. My Grandmother had the right idea. She would cook a small breakfast, a huge lunch, and we would have the leftovers for supper. My Grandparents only went out to eat on special occasions such as a birthday.

We run to the store everyday and spend $10 or $15 on average extra picking up impulse items . If we had made a list and stuck to it, the only money spent during the week would be for gas to get to and from work.

From this experience, I have learned how much money we need in an emergency fund, and how much a week we had been wasting on frivolous things that we did not need to spend money on.

I am thankful that my husband did not have to have surgery and will be fully recovered in a few weeks, and I am thankful for the fiscal lessons even though we are broke for the moment.