LeeLee's Flowers

I just had to post the beautiful flowers that Aunt Linda gave me after my dental work last week. They are just a memory and a photo now, but they made me smile each time I looked up from my work. Thank you Leelee! I love you!

Dinner Party at Pacific Rim (or Bryson is Really Entertaining)

Zee took a picture of the sign, so we know where we are.



This evening was for Linda's birthday, but not according to the pictures in my camera. Zee took a bunch of pictures, and the only slightly decent picture I have of Linda is not something she would like me to post on my blog. She's pointing her finger and making a serious face. Sorry Leelee! Hester decorated the room with balloons.



Tzipi is in love with babies. Bryson was so cute and she couldn't help playing "Mommy" all night. Bryson was the sweetest part of the party.

Bryson really had a blast with the ice water and lemons. He was so happy to drink the cold water.

Then they took the water away. As soon as Lavonna gave the water back to him, he would stop crying.

The kid's table. The food was so yummy and worth waiting for.


Bryson loved the sweet dessert. This is whipped cream on his chin.

Pacific Rim's entrance.

Flip Flop Friday

Our managers were wearing grass skirts and doing the hula dance.


We are tossing beach balls over the cubicles.



Corina, Marci, and Me.

The balls are flying. They kept hitting stuff on people's desks and the flourescent lights.

Trying to get my work done since we've played all day long.

Wonderful Kids!

These two pictures were taken on Saturday during our Toastmaster picnic. I just thought I'd post them because they are such great kids. I love them so much. How did I ever get to be so blessed? I'm a mom!?

Gentle Art of Line Drying

To keep from having the dryer on, I've taken to hanging our clothes on the line. The benefit is that it bleaches my whites and is gentle on my delicates.

There is something therapeutic with this work as well. Breathing the fresh air and calculating how many clothespins I can save for the rest of the load of clothing.

The smell of the wet, clean laundry blowing in the breeze. Also knowing that this is the way my great great great grandmother dried her clothing keeps me in touch with the past.

Just wanted to share this happy moment with my blog friends/family. Love, Nee

Decor

On the weekend of July 4th, I went to the Antique Mall here in Amarillo. They were having a grand sale and I had so much fun! I had this great book with French Inspiration and I used it to guide my hunt. My living room is plain and blah and I decided it was time to try a little harder. I've asked my landlord for some interior paint, so hopefully this fall I can paint a little bit here and there because my little house desperately needs it. So in the mean time, I wanted to spruce things up a bit...



My favorite broach broke and I was very upset. Then I thought about the color scheme, tied it to a black ribbon and hung it from one of the pictures in my living room. I get to see it everyday now!


I have a love/hate relationship with this sofa and wish I could properly re-upholster this ugly old thing. Since I don't have the finances to do that, I covered it with white cotton fabric that I can wash weekly since I know I will have to with two very messy children.

I found fabric and some linen napkins that I sewed into four pillows. It was less than 30 minutes of my time and $2.00 total!

I found 3 hand crocheted doilies that made me feel very nostalgic. I hung them on the wall to hide some large ugly nails and scratches that I can't get off without putty and paint.

I found these two prints that were originally 20 dollars each at Bed Bath and Beyond, but second hand I only had to spend $4.00! Just under 10 dollars for all my treasures and I changed the whole look of my living room.

Just a side note: My mom and I used to go antiquing all the time, and I forgot how much fun it is to go back in time. When things get really rough I just imagine going to up and down the little booths and get all happy. I can't wait till the next time I get to jump into my time machine!

Team Lunch

After Monday and Tuesday, we needed a break. The company allowed the entire team to go to lunch at the same time. We normally have to take shifts for lunch, breaks, you name it. They rarely like us to have team meetings because we have so much work to do. Our manager worked hard to get this organized and we carpooled to a little mexican restaurant really close to our building. We turned in our orders the day before, so that when we came in they had all of our food ready, we sat down and got to eat right away. The food was good, but the fellowship was even better. We laughed and had plenty of time to chit chat like women do. We learned that we have a car wreck inspector, classic violinist, dual citizen and ordained minister on our team! We had a great time.

Thursday's Dr. Appt.

I went to the ENT Dr. on Thursday. My co-workers have been making comments lately that my hearing isn't great. My left hear has been bothering me for years, but I've been diagnosed with a patch-less Eustachian tube. The previous doctor I went to said there was nothing they can do for my left ear. Basically I can hear my own voice and my breath when I breathe through my nostrils, and not much else. It's very annoying. So I figured I'd go to a different doctor and see if he had a different opinion. He looked at my ears and said that yes, I did have a patch-less Eustachian tube and that there is nothing that can be done for that, but that I should have a hearing test. After being in a tight closed box and wearing the annoying head set, the answer: I need hearing aids. Especially for work.

I was a bit shocked. He said that my hearing loss has nothing to do with my cleft, my tubes, or anything like that. I have nerve loss. ( like sensory neural loss?? I kind of got lost in the medical jargon) I'm not quite sure what that means. I'm still adjusting to the idea. I figured he would said something like, we can operate on your left ear and close up the patch? I'm not a doctor. So when they said aids, I went blank. The audiologist was talking to me about the differences in aids and prices (2 to 3 grand an ear)... I guess I really can't hear very well. The fact that my co-workers resort to tossing rubber coasters at my head or scare me when they've been in my cubicle...it just didn't register. I work in a processing center. Chit chat is frowned upon. We are encouraged to be quiet. For a person with hearing loss, that can be nice unless someone needs your attention. For the most part, I do my work and it hasn't been an issue, but I don't always understand what my coworkers are saying and I guess it is a bigger problem then I thought. I need to call my insurance because they said hearing testing and aids are paid for up to 2,000 an ear, but it sounds like I have to pay for it first and then be reimbursed. It's a bit daunting, but it helps to know that there is truly a problem.

My son has struggled with hearing issues for years, but it's been due to a rare disorder and his ears are perfectly fine, just that the cells inside of his ears form extreme amounts of debris and they get clogged easily. If we keep the ears clean he has perfect hearing. We started using the Neti Pot for his sinusitis and that seems to be helping too!

In the mean time I'm more aware of people around me and stay focused on lips. I have practiced lip reading for years, so I guess it will come in handy until I figure out the whole hearing aid thing. Golly!

Mud Day July 11th 2009!

My friends at worked asked me to come to their Volleyball tournament. It was a charity event for the Sheriff's Department. I figured I would sit and watch my friends and cheer them on. Little did I know that my kids would want to join the muddy fun.


Here are some of my friends.



Zippy kept throwing mud at the boys, but she was happy in the mud.

She wanted more mud.

They even let the firemen squirt them with the fire hoses to get the mud off.

This team was tough.

Zee really got into it.

I have a lot of photos, but my sun burn is screaming for aloe.

All Work and No Play

These are a couple pictures of the place I spend the most time at. My cubicle. Here's a picture of my Norfolk Pine and my baby Aloe.

On this shelf I have a Fern, Spider Plant, Geranium and Elephant plant.

In the corner of my desk I have a Philadendron.

This is my cubicle. The left side was a bit messier than normal because I was so tired. But for the most part I keep my desk clean and listening to the radio makes me calm and I like the work I do. I like the people I work with. No complaints! Most people would dread working in a cube all day, but it suits me just fine. My left drawer is full of food. My right drawers are filled with office supplies and my Toastmaster things. I have a place for everything and everything in its place.

My little family comes home today!!!

These pictures were taken by Zee and Zippy. I am ready for my family to be home. I was hurting so bad last night with my not so wise tooth, all I wanted was a hug. The tylenol didn't do anything. So my kids are coming with Abba in the little Escort and I can hardly wait. Here are some great picture by two future photogs! Love you! Nee


The angle is great, and she's busy bathing! I bet I couldn't get this picture no matter how hard I tried!

(I rarely get to take pictures of Zee because this is his outfit of choice. No shirt, no shoes, just shorts!)

His plastic mammoth from a kids meal.

I love this picture!!!

My garden

I actually took these pictures! This is my garden, for those of you that remember that I planted a bunch of seeds in the early part of spring.. I can't remember exactly which blog posting, but it's archived somewhere. :-)

I'm proudest of my Glads! Such a pretty color and for only 1.00 for 6 at the Dollar Tree!

Parade Slideshow 2009

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Another Deckard Road Trip

Avi is taking the kids to his mom's house this weekend for an extended vacation. I didn't want to limit them to only three days of fun or make them feel pressured to end their fun early. So they are going down to the Lake this weekend. I'm going to take the opportunity to clean the house again and do things I don't do when the kids are around. Write music on my digital piano, scrapbook, and enjoy the silence. It wasn't that long ago that both kids were on vacations of their own, but as an only child I welcome the solitude. I'm hoping to get with Hester and maybe even get to see Linda if their schedules aren't crazy. I don't have to go to work on Friday! I'm sure it will be weird after the novelty wears off, but they'll be home and back to their shenanigans before I know it.