What a Week

Where to start, I guess at the beginning, hehe.  The Friday before Christmas got up early and finished packing, fed the horses and jumped in the truck with my husband and headed for Missouri.  Of coarse on Thursday I drove Sally crazy with instructions and phone numbers and what to do if this happens and who to call if that happens and where everything was, and who would come and help if she needed it.  Thought she was going to choke me before it was over!  I just knew how much work taking care of the horses would be.

We headed up the highway, and after about an hour and a half, Marlin was ready for me to take over so he could take a nap.  See, I let him go hunting Friday morning before we left so he was out in the woods at 5 AM.  Gave me time to get everything ready to go.  We made it to Festus in good time, beating the school bus to their house.  Kaleb had been asking all week if we would be there before he got home from school.  Of coarse mom and dad told him when he got off the bus that we might not make it, just as he walked through the door.  He was surprised!

After everyone settled down, we opened Christmas presents.  I wanted to enjoy watching them enjoy their presents while we were there.  Kobe was more interested in the packaging than the presents but thats what you do when your one.  Kaleb loved his Mario Cart Wii game.  Justin and Sara were very surprised with their presents too.

Then gave my dad a call and we went to Petite Paree.  Marlin's first time.  It's a really nice resturant in Festus that the family has been going to forever.  The watresses know what we're going to order when we get there.  Fille Mignon, medium and twice backed, house salad.  The best steak around.  And the ambiance is wonderful.  Was nice visiting with dad, told lots of stories, caught up with all the happenings.

The next morning got to go watch Kaleb play basket ball at the YMCA.  He is in a leaque there.  It was very entertaining to watch kindergarten kids play this game.  Anyway, got some good pictures and videos and Kaleb scored the most points, not that they keep score cause they don't.  And Kaleb gets made if you clap for the other team, even though everyone dose.  This is a picture of Kaleb going down court, looks better in the picture, haha.

Went back to the house after the game and just hung out.  Worked on dad's Christmas present.  Bought him a digital picture frame and put all kinds of old family pictures on it.  He really liked it.

Saturday evening we went out to eat with Justin and Sara and family to an Italian restraunt that Justin had found.  It was incredible!  Was stuffed and took home doggy bags.

Got up Sunday and checked out of the hotel and went to say good by.  Never seems long enough, they just live to far away or maybe we just live to far away.  Any way before we left dad brought over some of his garden fair.  Canned tomatoes, canned green beans, strawberry freezer jelly and black berry jelly.  He has a really big garden that he works really hard on.  He's a good cook too!

Before we left got this one last picture, Kobe had gotten the marchmallows out of the pantry and was having a great time shaking them out of the bag and then eating them.  I showed mom the picture of what her youngest was doing while we were carrying stuff to the truck.  She just laughed.

Then it was back down the highway to home.  Unfortunetly, I got one of my migraines within the first 30 minutes on the rode and was pretty much useless on the trip back.  My husband is really wonderful, didn't bat an eye while I was getting sick.  But we made it home and after 20 hours of being either asleep or wishing I was asleep, I came back to life.

Then three crazy nights at work.  Christmas can be really strange at a hospital.  Of coarse the unit was full, only really sick people come to the hospital at Christmas!

The weather was a real trip.  On Tuesday we had thunderstorms  all day and it was 60 degrees.  Then Wensday morning the temperature dropped and the blizzard came.  6 inches of snow, with ice underneath!  It was a real mess at work.  You can't leave until the day shift nurse is there to take report of coarse and of coarse everyone was late.  The hospital had employees picking up people for work.  Well, Perry, who I was to give report to couldn't get her car started and they couldn't get ahold of the driver to go get her.  My husband hat taken me to work and was coming to get me.  I called him and asked him to pick her up on the way, cause I couldn't leave until she got there.  Bless him, he did.  Found her house and didn't get stuck, almost, but made it threw.  I didn't get home until 8:30 in the morning, which when you live less than 10 minutes from work and you are supposed to get off at 7:30, it seemed like a life time.  Plus it was Christmas morning and I wanted to be home for the big surprise!!!

Sally and family didn't get to our house until after I got home, made it.  Sigh of relief.  You see, Patience's Christmas present was at my house.  What she wanted for Christmas and knew she couldn't have was a horse of her own.  You should see the video of her opening her present at home, the confussion when she gets a grooming bag with brushes and a bright pink halter and lead rope.  Mom points out to her that there is more in the box.  An 8 x 10 picture of a little chestnut mare!  Her name is Ffire Danser, her barn name is Rascle.  This picture is actually from today, her mom will post more I am sure on her blog, http://www.arabianhorsefamily.com/

I also got to give Sally her present for taking such good care of the horses while we were gone.  It is so nice to have someone you know will do a good job.  You don't worry quite as much while your gone!  Of coarse Chester had other thoughts about this present and the others were quite entertained by it!!

Sally had been saving up for a blanket for him and it had to be red.  He has done very well with the blanket.  He was pretty much saying at first, "you have got to be kidding,"  but by morning everyone else was jealous.  By the way, I have been accused by some of dressing the horses better than my husband!  It's probably true.

Oh, and just for a good laugh, my husband asked me to go with him last night to just sit in the truck by the hay barn and look for deer.  Well, he got over confident and went farther that the hay barn and then we were stuck in the snow for 45 minutes waiting for Pete to come out of the woods and pull us out.  Fortunately  Pete saw us, and Pete and Joe came and got us pulled out.  Now they are teasing my husband about me not wanting to go on romantic parking trips with him anymore.  They might be right, at least not in the snow!!!!!!