Life Down On The Farm

Kayla got brave today and got her hair cut...she lost 8 inches!!! She is donating it to Locks of Love, but is still not sure she likes the "short" version of her hair! I keep telling her it will grow back, and be much easier to comb and wash this way. Rather like Becky with her new red hair, it is just hair. Both of them are the same people they were before, the short hair will grow longer and the red hair may go back to blonde. But, if neither of those things happen they will still be the same goofy girls they always were...their new looks just take some getting used to!

Becky will find out if blondes or redheads have more fun...what do you think of the new "do"?

Everything is back to normal, at least as normal as it gets at my house! Christmas is over and all the celebrations are done too. The decorations are put away for another year (most of them anyway) and the wrapping paper and fancy bags have been picked up and thrown away. Brian has gone "home" again and soon the girls will go back to school. After this week the work week will return to full time again too. I love Christmas, but I also love it when all the festivities are done with. It is good to go back to a normal routine, where you know what is going on every day and it is the same every week (almost). There are always things to look forward to and now that Christmas is over we have new things to anticipate...concerts, college visits, braces coming off, graduation. Life is good at the Josephson house!

if you make a funny face and mom has her camera, it will be captured for all eternity!

s
Merry Christmas from my elves to your home! We hope Christmas finds you happy, healthy, warm and filled with the spirit of Christmas. We wish good luck, love, happiness and many blessings for your New Year! Love, Dan, Kathy, Brian, Becky, Kayla

The weather outside is frightful...literally! The windchill is -35 and the snow keeps blowing. Dan has gotten stuck twice on the road between our house and the highway and has been scooping it on a regular basis. Brian just made it home, after having to be scooped all the way up the road. I sent Dan to the truckstop to get some milk because I am beginning to think we are going to be in this house until the snow melts in the spring!

Becky applied to Loyola University of Chicago last night...she has her heart set on going to college in Chicago. This is a liberal arts college and has a much higher rate of acceptance than Northwestern, so it is a very good possibility she will get in. But, she is also still considering University of South Dakota and maybe even University of Kansas (where Brian applied and is hoping to get in). At first I was concerned about how this small town farm girl would handle living in the big city of Chicago, but then I thought more about it and realized she would probably adjust just fine. After all, she went to New York and handled that fine (without an adult around to help) and she went to Washington DC and made lots of friends in just that one week. Becky is not shy and not one to sit in a dorm room and never go out...she has always been a social butterfly and a big city is probably just the place for her. Besides, in order to go into musical theatre she would have a better chance at internships in Chicago and future job opportunities. Now my biggest concern is not having a chance to visit the campus before she decides to accept admission (if it is offered). I want her to be in a place that is safe and that she likes...I tell her she can't choose a college based just on the city. But, like I said before, Chicago would have more opportunities. I am torn...of course the final decision is hers, but this is really tough on me. I hate the idea of her not being able to come home except for holiday breaks but I love the idea that she is pursuing her dream education in her dream city. When I had kids no one told me how hard it would be to let them grow up and move far, far away.

Winter wonderland! We leave the garage door open a crack so the fuzzers can go outside to do their business and still come in to stay warm at night...this was the result this morning!

So I am in need of one more Christmas present for Becky...I had one picked out but now it will not work (don't ask). I have asked her for ideas and of course she has none! She did show me a poster online that she really liked but by the time I order it framed, because they won't send it unframed, and add shipping it costs over $75...sorry Beck, but you are not getting a poster for $75! I have suggested books...no time to read; movies...none she hasn't already seen or already has; jewelry...only wears class ring and certain earrings; college stuff...doesn't want practical stuff for Christmas. I am out of ideas and quickly running out of time! Help!!

I have been a good girl this year (doesn't everyone say that?) so for Christmas I want:

Kayla tells me I need to blog, not just put pictures on, so here goes a kid update.

Today I got to volunteer at Santa's Castle here in Storm Lake. Every business that is a member of the Chamber of Commerce has a day that they have to provide workers for the castle when the school kids come through for tours. We had three pre-school age groups come through and it was so much fun to watch them! Every little thing was so amazing to them and then when they got to the basement and Santa was there...holy smokes was that awesome! Santa scared a few of the kids when he "hohohoed" but most of them sat on his lap and talked to him. Only one bad part of the morning was when a little boy got sick all over the floor, I felt so sorry for him because his mom took him home and he didn't get to see the castle. This year the theme is "The Nutcracker" and there were nutcrackers everywhere...over 300 of them! Everything from little tiny ones about an inch tall to ones that were taller than me! I remember taking our kids to the castle many years ago and the same decorations and animated displays are there now...it was fun to see them all again and have the time to walk around and look (in complete silence) before the kids came. Now, since we had the annual Vespers supper at church last night and I have gone through Santa's Castle, the Christmas season has officially begun.

Family-we fight, we laugh, we love, we depend on each other

Sunshine-warms my house in the winter, brightens my day

Friends-gives me someone to talk to, someone to hang out with, someone to love

Dan-my best friend, love of my life, my handyman

Buying gas-means I have a car to drive, somewhere to go and money

My job-means I am helping support my family

Brian-my favorite son, makes me laugh, fixes my window, has become responsible, mature man, makes me proud

My house-keeps rain off of me, keeps me warm, keeps me cool, gives me somewhere to come to at the end of the day, filled with love and laughter

Food-sustains me, satisfies me, brings family together at the table

Becky-makes me laugh, makes me wish she wasn't growing up so fast, keeps me running, makes me proud

Corn and beans-gives our family income, gives Dan satisfaction

News-newspaper gives me a job, television news tells me my life is better than many

Kayla-gives me hugs, makes me laugh, trying new things and succeeding, makes me proud

Life-God gave me parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, in-laws, nieces, nephews and the ability to handle anything that comes my way...life is good.

Be thankful each and every day, not just once a year. There is always, always, always something to be thankful for.

After buying two things in the store and spending a little time online I am officially done with my Christmas shopping! I was not looking forward to shopping in the stores, the crowds annoy me, so I started looking for a few things and ideas online and spent a good amount of time on Amazon...my new favorite website. I got 90% of the gifts there, and the rest on other websites that Amazon linked to so I feel I can trust them. Now the kids, and Dan, have strict instructions they are not allowed to open any packages that are delivered! It is a good feeling to have everything done and out of the way, now all I have to do is wrap them all...I am thinking Christmas themed bags this year!

We went to see Kayla perform in the Iowa All-State Band last night. Becky, Dan and I went in the afternoon and met Brian for supper, then he joined us and mom and dad at Hilton Coliseum for the performance. There were 276 kids in the band, 600 in the choir and 199 in the orchestra. The band played four songs, plus one with the chorus singing along. It was an awesome performance and I was really impressed with the sound of such a big band. Our seats were really good, we could see Kayla perfectly. I know she had a lot of fun getting ready and performing and as dad said, we will be back to watch her next year!

Sometimes the fuzzers are allowed to come in the house and get spoiled...they gets lots of petting and loving. Sometimes they even get the last few drops of milk left in the glass...but they have to work really, really hard for it!

Kayla is in Ames now at All-State Band. She had to try-out for chair placement tonight and ended up with chair 10 out of 12. Pretty darn good for a sophomore who is there for the first year! She is having a good time, already made a friend who will be sitting beside her in the practices and concert, she was worried about having someone to hang out with, so that problem is solved. I told her she had to buy me a bumper sticker (they say "My kid is an All-Stater") and she found out she gets them for free, so she has extra money now! So far the best part for her is that she has her own hotel room...with a king size bed! I am anxious to talk to her tomorrow night after she has spent an entire day practicing!

The car is not fixable, the engine is seized up. There had been absolutely no warning signs that there was a leak in the oil...never saw oil under the car where it was always parked, oil gauge was always in the safe area. Both Dan and I drove it off and on so we would have seen something had there been a sign. Oh well! Now we are trying to find her another one...she bought this one but we are going to have to buy the replacement and have her pay us back. Such is life I guess!

but the wheels on Kayla's car do not...at least not on their own! I was driving her car to Storm Lake today so that the muffler could be replaced, since she is leaving for Ames this morning she was just riding with Becky to school. I was cruising along, with the cruise control on, when all of a sudden the motor revved way up, so I stepped on the brake to slow it down, the car died and will not start again. I called Dan to come get me but he was over by Newell doing chores, so it would take him quite a bit of time to get to me, and I was already going to be late for work. So I called Kayla and since Becky wasn't ready to leave for school yet I had Kayla drive my car and come get me. She drove 4 miles illegally! When I was taking Kayla back home I noticed there was a "line" on the gravel road that led directly into our driveway and was the exact route I took with Kayla's car, the turn around I made in the driveway and everything. So when I drove past her car on the side of the road again on my way to work, (the second time) I stopped and looked under it...sure enough, there is a small puddle of oil...not a good thing. So now we are deciding if it is fixable or if we have to buy her another car. Not a good day!

Everything that Northwestern needed for Becky's application is now in their sweaty little hands so all we have to do is wait for their decision. They will send her a letter by December 15 but that seems so far away! This is the college that she has her heart set on going to and I really want her to make it in...but the waiting for the decision! Her grades are good, her ACT is good, her extra-curricular activities are good...how can they not want her? Why can't they just tell her today? Oh the waiting!

All-State is coming next week...the excitement is building!

I remember hearing the doctor say "it's a boy!"

I remember hearing a baby crying down the hall at the hospital and knowing he was mine.

I remember the car wouldn't start so Dan had to borrow a friend's to take us home from the hospital.

I remember buckling the car seat between us in the front seat so we could look at him.

I remember sitting the baby seat at the bottom of the steps while I ran upstairs, that way I could see him while I was up there (for less than a minute).

I remember rocking the bassinet back and forth in the hopes he would fall back asleep at 2 a.m.

I remember rubbing Baby Orajel on sore, teething gums.

I remember hanging row after row of freshly washed cloth diapers on the clothesline.

I remember standing him up against the couch and trying to get him to walk to me.

I remember hearing how he took his first steps for the babysitter while I was gone to Grandma's funeral.

I remember the first time I heard him say "mama"

I remember trying so hard to get him to walk and talk and then trying so hard to get him to sit down and be quiet.

I remember the red Radio Flyer wagon we gave him for his first birthday.

I remember him holding his new baby sister for the first time...and then again when he held his other new baby sister.

I remember taking him to preschool the first day (he was ready...I wasn't).

I remember his kindergarten teacher telling me he had a problem with sitting down and listening.

I remember hearing that same phrase all through his school years.

I remember he was one of the best readers in first grade so got a big reading part in "The Little Engine That Could".

I remember him asking for the moon for Christmas, sure his daddy could get it for him because daddy could do anything.

I remember days when I thought there wasn't enough patience in the world to deal with him.

I remember days when I thought I would burst with pride for him.

I remember buying paint for the barn and someone commenting on what a big job we had but Dan said we had a teenager at home to do it...first time he was ever referred to as a teenager.

I remember sitting by his bed saying prayers when he had his ankle and knee surgeries.

I remember him getting his school permit and driving to school alone for the first time.

I remember the speeding ticket he got a few days later.

I remember him graduating from high school.

I remember the long, lonely drive home after we helped him move to college.

I remember telling him "I love you" as he walked out the door to go back to college, and him saying "I love you too".

I remember how much a simple phone call means, even when it is late at night and he just wants to talk about nothing.

I remember that at 9:02 a.m. on November 9, 1988 he made me a mom and changed my life forever. He makes me worry, he makes me laugh, he makes me yell, he makes me question why I ever had kids, he makes me thank God I did have kids, he makes me wonder how he grew up so fast. He has gone from a sweet little boy who loved tractors and wanted to be president when he grew up to a handsome, intelligent man who still wants to be in politics. His dreams are big and I truly hope he can achieve every one of them. He has the determination and soul to do whatever he sets his mind to, and the stubbornness to never give up on what he believes in. The past 20 years have been one adventure after another and I wouldn't have missed it for the world...I love my "Big Guy".

Leon rides again!

I was looking through some old papers and found this essay, it made me laugh so I thought I would share it...

The Story of My Life (So Far)
By Kayla Jean Josephson

I was born on August 6, 1993 in the Pocahontas Community Hospital in Pocahontas, IA. I weighed 9 lbs 3 1/4 oz and I was 20 inches long. Now, nine years later, I weigh 58 lbs. and I am 51 inches long, which is 4' 3" tall.

I have a brother named Brian, who is 13 years old and a sister named Becky who is 11 years old. My dad's name is Dan and my mom's name is Kathy, they have been married 14 years. We live on a farm near Albert City.

When I was born, we lived on a farm near Marathon. Before I was born everyone thought I was going to be a boy, they were very surprised when I was a girl! I was a very happy baby. I only cried when I needed something. When I was 5 months old I learned to sit up by myself, and when I was 9 months old I learned to crawl. I was late in learning to walk, I didn't learn until I was 16 months old, but now I can run fast! Just a week after I learned to crawl, I pulled the cord on the iron and when the hot iron fell to the floor I touched it and burnt my hand. It took me awhile to try crawling again.

My very first word was "da-da" at 10 months old, and I said "ma-ma" when I was 11 months old, that is also when I learned to wave "bye-bye". After I started talking, I wouldn't stop, I learned the word kitty at one year, pig and sissy (my name for Becky) at 15 months and cow, cracker, toe, daddy and mommy at 19 months. I could say a lot of words by the time I was two, but I wouldn't talk to anyone but my mom.

When I was two years old I got my first haircut, and when it was done I cried and ran to hide in the corner. I learned to write my name when I was 3 1/2 and to read when I was 5. I have said some pretty funny things, some of which are: "When my tooth falls out I can put it back in all by myself" (age 3), "I want to take some books with me to church because when I am in church I am boring" (age 5), "That's my old man" when seeing a picture of my dad (age 5 1/2) and when listening to the song about the foolish man who built his house on the sand I said "What do you expect, he is a man!" (age 6).

I started preschool when I was 4 years old, and I will graduate high school when I am 17 years old. I have five girl cousins (Keri is my favorite) and seven boy cousins. I have five uncles and five aunts, one grandpa, one great-grandpa and two grandmas. Most of my cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents live in Iowa, but I have one uncle and aunt and two cousins that live in Ecuador, South America. I am related to four people who are in the Laurens-Marathon school; they are my brother and sister, Mrs. Stewart and Devin Stewart.

I love horses, singing and drawing. When I grow up I want to be an art teacher, a music teacher, a librarian or a regular teacher.

Becky says I don't have enough pictures of her on this blog...so here you go "Sissy"!

I have always said bad things happen in threes...and here is proof once again. First Dan's car quit working, then he toasted the truck and now the chip in my windshield is cracking! I was driving home last night from Kayla's cross country meet and met a semi, which kicked up a rock and it hit the windshield, made a small chip. I emailed the insurance agent this morning, told them about it and they said the repair guy would call me to fix it. Great...fix the chip, no cost to me. Now this afternoon I go to the car and notice the chip is already cracked the windshield! GRRR! Now I will have to replace the windshield and pay the deductible. Not a good thing! Bad things happen in threes, so at least now I am done...for awhile anyway!

Tomorrow is a very stressful day at our house...Becky is going to try to get into the ACT test on stand-by and Kayla is trying out for All-State Band.  Now that Becky has determined Northwestern University is where she wants to go to college she has to take the ACT test again with the writing option, she didn't do the writing before but NU requires it. She has also decided she wants to apply with Early Decision, which means she will find out in December rather than April whether or not she is accepted. Early Decision materials have to be turned in by November 1st, so she has to have the ACT with writing taken by then. Since the only time they are offering the test before November 1st is tomorrow, she has to go to Storm Lake and be on stand-by, which means she is hoping someone will not show up to take the test and she can take their place. She may or may not get in. It would be great to know in December if she is accepted at NU, so I hope they can get a place for her tomorrow.

Brian at Kayla's cross country meet...he wasn't sure if he wanted me to take his picture, so made a weird face. Typical Brian.

Brian called with an interesting story today. Last night he was in his roommate's bedroom playing video games and the roommate went outside to get a pop (they have a pop machine just around the corner from their door, so he didn't lock the door) and when he came back in he had a really strange look on his face. Brian asked him what was the matter and Jordan told him a half naked man had just walked into their apartment and gone upstairs. (They have a two story apartment, with the living room, kitchen, bathroom and Brian's bedroom upstairs). At first Brian didn't believe him, but then Jordan convinced him the guy was there so they went upstairs to check it out..and sure enough there was a guy wearing nothing but a shirt...passed out in Brian's bed! Neither one of them knew quite what to do (I would have called the police) so they decided to go outside and see if anyone was missing a naked guy. Sure enough, as soon as they went outside a guy came up to them and asked them if they had seen a guy walking around with no pants on...the boys said yeah, he is in our apartment! So they all went upstairs, got the guy awake and spent the next ten minutes arguing with him that he was not in his brother's apartment. Turns out it used to be the brother's apartment. The friend went to get another person and those two got the naked guy out of the apartment. Interesting way to spend your evening! The joys of college...

Iowa State played Nebraska in football today and once again lost! The final score was 35 to 7...I swear, if winning a game was a cold ISU still couldn't catch it! But, even though they are losers, I still love my team!

I am currently listening to my new (new to me anyway) washer do a load of laundry...in my new laundry room!!!!!!!!!!!! The excitement!!

Beware! Strange and scary things happen at my house!

Leon the Neon (Becky's old car, Dan's current car) is dying. He needs a new fuel pump and to get poor Leon running the repair guy wants $500! Leon is not worth that much money, even with a full tank of gas! So we told the repair guy we are just going to take Leon home to die...but really Dan is going to fix poor Leon himself and try to get a few more miles out of him. Leon has been through a lot since we got him...Becky put him in the ditch three times and Dan did it once, but he is still a good car and other than the problem with the fuel pump, he runs great. It is too expensive for Dan to keep driving his truck, even with lower gas prices, so Leon will live again! Dan will have to drop the fuel tank to replace the pump, which will take some time. Naturally this had to happen during harvest...besides the fact that Dan has a job to finish for the guy up the road and get my washer and dryer installed! He will have a busy few weeks...I think I am glad I have to go to work everyday and won't be home to hear the "frustration" he will be experiencing!

The girls and I went to an auction at Marathon yesterday...I was going for the washer and dryer. Of course there was tons of stuff there, and of course I ended up buying more than I intended. I get the fever of the auctioneer! I ended up with a really nice desk for Dan, to replace the old computer desk that was falling apart, a bedside table with drawers for Kayla, a picture for Becky, some crock bowls for me, some blankets for the cold upstairs and most importantly...the washer and dryer!! No more laundromat for me~as soon as Dan gets them hooked up that is! We have decided to put them in what is now the "office"...we are going to move the desk into Brian's old room (surprise Brian!) and make the office the new laundry room. It will take some plumbing and electrical work, but I am so excited to have the laundry on the main floor! I will also have to do some rearranging in Brian's room...he only uses it to sleep in when he comes home, I have been told many times he will not live with us anymore, but I will keep the bed for when he visits. So the office will become the laundry room and Brian's room will become the office. Big changes at my house!

New thing...every Friday I am going to post a random photo. I have so many cool pictures, this way I get to share! Granted, most of them will be of the kids...but if a mom can't brag about her kids who can? Here we go!

Last night Kayla and I went to church to help with the Vespers committee, which I am on this year. For those of you who don't know, Vespers is an annual supper the church puts on for all the ladies as a kick-off to the Christmas season. So last night we made the party favors and discussed the decorations and food. Halloween isn't even here yet and we are working on Christmas! I also stopped at Wal-Mart after work yesterday to get some things for Kayla's Y-teens secret sister and thought maybe some fun Halloween socks would be good...but no such thing was to be found. I could find Christmas socks, since the "outdoor area" is now filled with Christmas trees and decorations, and I could find Halloween underwear, but no socks. Halloween underwear?? In my opinion, it is way to early to have Christmas stuff out...who buys decorations for Christmas while they are still waiting for Halloween to come? People who are organized and plan ahead...so annoying to those of us who aren't like that :o)

An article was written in the paper about the school's choice to join 8-man football this year, rather than wait until next year when they don't have a choice. Apparently everyone in the district read this article and is hopping mad about it. How dare anyone insult the great sports team! What was the writer thinking? He must be an idiot who knows nothing about sports! Quick, cancel your subscription to the paper before he writes more insulting things about our beloved team! Okay, I just have to say...grow up! It is only sports, the school could have waited another year to join 8-man and really, who cares anyway? Crazy world we live in.

On my way to work this morning, just driving along minding my own business, when my cell phone rang...it was Dan calling to tell me that Leon (the car) had died at the hog house near Newell and I needed to come get him. Okay, not a problem, let me go to work and let them know what is going on and I will be on my way. So I continue to drive and the phone rings again, once again Dan. Now Leon is running fine and I don't need to come get him. Okay, great! Get to work, there about a half hour and Dan calls again. Leon has died at the gas pump in Newell and this time it is not starting again, but he is getting a ride to the hog house by Fonda, so can I come get him there? Road trip! So I explain what is going on to the boss and head to Fonda, get Dan and take him home to get the truck, then back to work. Great way to start the day!

As everyone knows, I was raised to believe in God, go to church and pray. I have lived my life doing those things, but quite frankly, pretty much did them by habit. Lately though, there have been a lot of things going on in my life that have been very stressful. I would say a little prayer once in awhile, again, out of habit. But then, things started to turn around and I got to thinking, are my prayers being answered? Is God really listening? The more I thought about it the more I realized that yes, He is listening and answering...and doing it quickly! I have now gotten to the point where I don't let things get me down...no more sleepless nights worrying, I just turn all my problems over to God and let Him have at them! You know the saying "let go and let God"...I am consciously doing that and I have to be honest, it is fantastic. No more do I pray by habit, I talk to God and let him worry for me. Now don't get me wrong, not every problem is solved the way I think it should be, nor is every problem even solved. I also keep in mind "God helps those who help themselves", I think that is very important. But the major things I worry about are made easier, and I attribute that to God listening and helping me out. It is a good thing.

Happy birthday to my super dad! He is 73 today and doesn't act like it...which is a good thing! There is no way he will read this on the computer because he is totally computer illiterate, but that is okay, because I know mom will show it to him. Dad is that guy that sits quietly in his chair while the rest of us talk and talk and talk. He is not ignoring us, he is listening to every word and caring about what is going on. He listens to his wife, his kids, his grandkids and his great-grandkids and puts his family first, above everything else! Dad is great and we all love him and wish him many more happy birthdays!

Talked to Brian yesterday, he had spent the weekend in Minnesota with a friend, it was homecoming for her college so she invited Brian to come visit. He said he had a great time but now he needs to spend a weekend in Ames for once! "His team", the Dallas Cowboys, have been playing really well this season, and were undefeated, until this past Sunday when they lost by two points. Brian says that ruined his whole day...poor boy. He tells me classes are going well and he is already thinking ahead about going to class this winter...he had some struggles with it last winter because he didn't want to go out in the cold and ended up missing some when he should have been there. Now this year he lives even farther away from the college, so he thought maybe he should do something about making sure he makes it to class, so he went to speak with a counselor at the college about what he could do. Said she was really nice, he was impressed with how many ideas and helpful hints she had for him, and he is going to continue to see her as needed. She is also going to help him decide on a major...yippee! Hard to believe he is going to be 20 years old in a month, but he is just making me see how grown up he is becoming. I am proud of him! Becky has been wanting to go spend the weekend in Ames with him, but she has so much going on there is seldom a free weekend for her to go. After the play things should slow down for a week or two before speech starts (hopefully) so maybe she can go then. It is nice that they are so close to each other and want to spend time together...never would have thought that when they were little :o)

Becky is a member of National Honor Society and last week they had a meeting to elect officers. I am very proud to say that Becky was elected president! Go Becky!

Check out this link, it will tell you the estimated taxes you will pay with both Obama and McCain's tax plans. I was surprised to see that I would pay more with Obama, but I am still voting for him.

Well it's all over but the shouting...homecoming coronation was last night, and as usual, the games were the only interesting part of the evening. Becky was the referee, along with Blake, and no matter what the seniors did, they won. Bad referees...they cheat :o) But it was fun to watch the kids do the pyramid, bean bag toss, three legged race, pop bottle race and tug of war. I got some good pictures (with my new camera, thank you very much!) of Kayla in the tug of war and also a good one of Becky telling to crowd the seniors had won once again...what a surprise! Also got to listen to the pep band, they were really good. I was rooting for Haley to win queen, she didn't make it but she was close. I will go to the game tonight to watch the marching band, more pictures!

...that my daughters would go to school dressed as a giant whoopie cushion (Becky) and a hula girl with a coconut bra (Kayla)! It is Homecoming week, can you tell? Today was twin day, so each of them will have a "twin" when they get to school, ought to be an interesting day. Tomorrow is Wacky Wednesday and all I know so far is that Becky has a coonskin hat. Thursday is Pajama Day, Kayla of course has Hawkeye pajama pants to wear and Becky bought a pair of boys Batman pajamas. Friday is Spirit Day, so each will wear a football jersey...at least they will dress semi normal that day! I will get pictures and be sure to share them!

Need a used car? We got plenty! When everyone is home we have a total of 6 cars now...we got Kayla a car yesterday so now everyone has one, and Dan has two! Kayla had no idea we were even looking at cars for her, so she was really surprised that we got her one. Both her and Becky had show choir all day yesterday, so Dan and I left early to go to Onawa to look at a car for Kayla. Onawa was the place we got Becky's car and we were really happy with the service and the prices there, so decided to go back. Car dealers really don't have the "back row beauties" like they used to, so you really have to go to a dealer like the one in Onawa who deals exclusively in used cars if you want to get something a little older. We got there, drove the car, hashed out a deal and headed home with it...it is a 1995 Oldsmobile Achieva, light blue 4 door. Of course when I got home with it I hid it so that Kayla wouldn't see it when she came home. When they did come home I was helping Dan seed the winter rye, so I called the girls out there to help us and then told Kayla I had to go to town later, did she want to go along. First she said no, but then I told her she could drive so she decided she would go. I then asked her if she wanted to take my car or hers...her mouth fell open and she just stood there! It was really rather funny. Of course she wanted to see the car right away, but I told her she had to help finish the job first, then I would tell her where it was. We got done fast! The first thing when she got in the car was to adjust the seat and mirrors to her liking, after all, no one else would be driving it, it is her car! She talked about getting seat covers and hanging things from the rear view mirror (she and her friends...older friends who all have cars...all have the same thing to hang, but before she had no car to do it with...the excitement now!!) It is a nice car, no rust and dents or scratches...needs a radio and will need a muffler soon, but for a kid it is just perfect. Brian stopped on his way from South Dakota last night, and with his car we had four in a row sitting outside the garage...looked like we were starting our own car lot...or having a party:o)

Haven't had an update on the kids lately, so here goes :o)

Becky now refers to herself as a hot commodity because she gets so many letters, every single day, from colleges wanting her to come there. Yesterday alone she got 10 letters! ISU and South Dakota State have both offered her Honors Programs and automatic scholarships if she comes there. She hasn't even applied at Briar Cliff and they offered her $9000 a year, every year! It amazes me how much these colleges are willing to offer to get her to attend, I am guessing I will not have to be paying a thing for her education...woohoo! Brian of course could have gotten all these offers as well, if only he had applied himself when he was in high school...he is learning the hard way that he should have done that, and he will learn even harder when he has to pay back the student loans! So far she is leaning towards ISU, but she is also having her high school transcripts sent to Morningside and Northwestern this week...so who knows where she will end up. Briar Cliff is a definate no because they don't have a band, "How can you be a music major at a college with no band?" Of course, she has to graduate first, she found out she is one credit short on her requirements for social studies, so somehow has to fit that in before the end of the year. Her plan is to take it independently...but she has no free class periods so I am not sure how that will all work out, she is hoping to take it at the same time she is taking independent yearbook. I think any college will be lucky to get her, but then again, I am a little prejudiced!

Sometimes life decides you are having it too easy, and comes along and smacks you upside the head...that happened to me last night! Dan and I had gone to the fair and kept smelling burnt oil in the car, but since Dan had just changed the oil we assumed it was just some excess burning off...WRONG!!! When he changed the oil he forgot to put the oil cap back on...by the time we came home last night and pulled in the garage the car was smoking when Dan opened the hood. Most of the oil he had put in was now spewn all over the engine and probably the road from our house to Spencer. Of course, the cap was long gone, no idea where it fell out, so now I can't drive my pretty new car...I have to drive Dan's truck to work...grrr! Hopefully I can find someone in Storm Lake that has an oil cap in stock...if I have to "keep on trucking" for tomorrow I may end up riding my bike to work :p

Went to the Clay County Fair tonight and saw the Beach Boys! It was fantastic!!! We had really great seats, right in the center of the stage and only about 50 feet away. They sang for about an hour and a half, although did say a couple of times that they needed an intermission so they could go take a nap. I figure they have to be in their 60's, but they still sound as good as they did when I listened to them 30 years ago. There were only 2 of the original band, but the new guys sound just as good as the old ones. The one guitar player was younger, I am guessing in his 30's (and rather hot) and boy could he play the guitar...he was amazing. The other guitar player is the son of the lead singer (Mike Love). The only drawback of the day was that it was sooooo cold!!!

Saw basically the same as we see every year at the rest of the fair, got mini donuts of course and walked through all the buildings, but didn't see a single thing that I wanted to buy...which is probably a good thing! It is always interesting to go and see the people walking around...world is full of strange and different folks!

Final score ISU 5 and Iowa 17. ISU hasn't won at Iowa since 2002, so I am not surprised they lost there. But next year we will get them, just wait and see :o) ISU is still ahead in the CyHawk Series, so in the big picture ISU is the winner...I will cling to that!

It is halftime of the ISU vs IA game and so far it is a very low scoring game...0-3 in favor of Iowa. I have been listening to the radio and watching the updates online, it rained in Iowa City so the field is wet and all the players on both teams are having troubles with that. I really wouldn't mind losing if the score can stay the same as it is now! I have also been doing laundry (during time outs of course, since I have to go to the basement to do it)...I think I only have 2 million loads today, instead of the usual 3 :o) Also getting the house cleaned, so it is a busy day. Will update with the final score...GO CLONES!

As some of you may know, tomorrow is the big football game of Iowa State vs University of Iowa. There is a guy at work who is an Iowa alumnus and therefore has a tendency to wear a lot of Iowa things and talk about Iowa a lot. So, of course when I started working it was a big deal that I was a big ISU fan...my desk has an ISU mousepad and an ISU cup holding pens and I sometimes wear ISU shirts on Fridays. So today I wear my shirt that says "Beat Iowa", really I can only wear it one time a year, and this is it. But, and I am not surprised by this, it is being made a huge deal that I wore it...the Iowa guy is offended and making sure everyone knows it. Never mind that some of the Iowa shirts he wears offend me and I say nothing, he is making a big deal out of my shirt. Luckily I brought another shirt to work with me, so I will just have to change to keep the peace in the office...sigh.

Last night I sat down and tried to get a handle on the girl's schedules..darn near impossible! Between the two of them they have FFA, play practices (at different times), band lessons in Storm Lake, jazz band, show choir, cross country practice and work. All this, plus they go to school and have to find time to eat, shower, do homework and sleep in there too! No wonder they are often gone by 6:30 in the morning and home well after dark. Often they complain about being so busy, and I tell them to give something up, but there is no way they are going to do that! Now Becky needs to find time to start applying for scholarships for college...can I request more hours in the day?

I need to start a support group for people addicted to purses...I could be the leader. I have always had a thing for purses, whenever I go shopping I have to at least walk through the purse aisle, and I often end up buying a new one...I seldom use the same one for more than a month. It has gotten so bad that Kayla tries to drag me away from the purses whenever we go anywhere! But really, I never spend more than $10-15 on a purse, so it was not a big deal...until last night. I was in Spencer by myself looking for a pair of black pants for work (the zipper on my one pair broke and it is cheaper to buy then repair) so I "happened" to walk through the purses in Penneys. Normally there are none there that I like as they are usually huge and expensive. But this time, I saw one and fell in love with it...I just had to have it...but it cost $30 on sale, way more than I usually spend. I walked away, bought my pants and continued on down the mall, still thinking about that purse. I browsed in a couple of other stores, looked at work clothes and purses and still knew none compared to the one in Penneys. Long story short, I went back to Penneys and bought it. I think it is beautiful and I love it, which is a good thing because for that price I am going to have to use it for a long time :o)

Kayla ran in her second cross country meet last night, and did a good job. It was a very hilly course so she took 24 minutes to do it, which I think is pretty darn fast for three miles! The first meet she did it only took her 21 minutes, and was the second place on her team, but she was a little slower on this one. She has been having a lot of trouble with her knees hurting, so has been wearing a knee sleeve on one, I have to get her a sleeve for the other one now. Going to the doctor is not an option now, because the doctor would just tell her to stop running and she really wants to finish the season. I think it is just mainly that her knees are not used to running and will get better over time...they have improved she says since she started, so I hope they continue to do so. I haven't been able to go to any of the meets yet because they start at 5 and have been quite a ways away (Spirit Lake and Estherville). I will get to go to the next one which is in Sioux Rapids, so I am anxious to watch her...and cheer for her loudly!

This year the L-M high school is doing "Oklahoma" for the fall play. Both the girls tried out, Becky wanted a main part and Kayla just wanted a small part. They both got what they wanted, kind of. Becky got a lead part, she will be Ado Annie, the girl who can't decide which boyfriend she wants, she thinks she only has one solo. Kayla is in the chorus, she was a little disappointed, but is glad she is at least in the play. They start practice Monday already, so with that and Becky's working and FFA stuff and Kayla's cross country and band practices it is going to be a busy next couple of months!

Best political quote this year "Does the McCain group think just because they have a female Vice Presidential candidate all the women will become Stepford wives and vote for him?" 

Tonight I joined the new fitness center in Albert City...for a month anyway! I can pay on a month to month basis, so until I decide if this is really something I want to do I will pay that way. I figure now that the days are getting shorter it will soon be impossible for me to walk in the evening (dark when I leave for work and dark when I get home) so this way I can walk on the treadmill and not have to put out all the cash for my own at home! There is a good variety of machines there, so I have no fear of getting bored. Now that Kayla is into running she thought she would like to join too so she can run on the treadmill and keep in shape during the "off season".

Kayla had her first cross country meet tonight and did really well. Her run time was 21:54 which is great for a first time runner. She had a hard time keeping up and not walking during practice, so everyone was really surprised when she did so well at the meet. She came in 32nd overall, and was 2nd on her team. I don't know who was more surprised at her time...the team or her!

Becky was measured for her graduation cap and gown today...seems way to early for that but apparently they do it early so there is plenty of time to get everything ordered. Seems impossible that she should be doing that already, but I guess the time is coming faster than I want it to. Can't stop her from growing up, she gets college letters in the mail every day. Got one today from Briar Cliff telling her they would give her a scholarship of $9,000 a year just because she did so well on her ACTs. But, even though Briar Cliff is on Rebecca Street, my Rebecca will not go there because they don't have a band. Hopefully other colleges will offer her as much money!

Brian is doing well in school, has a speech class that he is really enjoying. He keeps surprising me by always cleaning his house...never cleaned his room when he was home! He thought about coming home this past weekend, but then decided that although there was not much going on in Ames, there was even less going on in Albert City! Hard to believe, but he has been in his new apartment for a month already...he really likes living there more than in the fraternity house, although he does stop by the house to visit from time to time.

Dan has been crazy busy lately, he has work to do for several people and never seems to have enough hours in the day to get it all done. Most nights it is well after dark before he comes home, I am used to that during harvest, but this is a little early! I guess it is better to be busy than to not have anything to do though. Since it is the beginning of the month I have been busy at work too, so that makes the day go by faster...which is always nice. So everyone is busy and happy and life is good at my house :o)

The allergy season has officially started, for me at least. I sneeze and sneeze, sometimes I think I am going to sneeze my head off! My nose constantly runs, so I am always wiping it and blowing it, so it is a lovely shade of red...I rather resemble Rudolph! My eyes water and itch and are bloodshot, I look like I spent the night in the bar. I love this time of year because fall is my favorite season, but until the frost comes I will be absolutely miserable. I am good as long as I stay inside with the air conditioning on, but some days it is not necessary because it is not that hot, so we open the windows...and that does me in! Many times when I wake up in the morning my eyes are crusted over and hard to open...all this after tossing and turning all night because I can't breathe. Gee, I paint a pretty picture don't I? The joys of the season.

Bright and early this morning Kayla and I did a 5K race in Storm Lake. Kayla ran and I walked, but I am proud to say I made it the whole 3.2 miles! My time was 56 minutes, Kayla left me in the dust at 32:24 minutes. Needless to say, I am very proud of her! My goal was to finish, preferably not dead last, and I was not last, there were 5 people behind me...two of which started out ahead of me! I first started walking earlier this summer so that I could do the 5k at the Marathon to Marathon next summer, but then this one came up, so before I gave myself a lot of time to think about it I just sent in the registration...then I knew I had no choice, I had to go do it. It was fun...after I was halfway through I knew I was going to make it and I did enjoy it then. Kayla wasn't sure if she would be able to run the whole way or if she would end up walking with me, but she ran all but about 1 block...she is ready for cross country meets now.

On the way home from Ames last night I listened to the Iowa State vs South Dakota State football game...it was the opening game of the season for ISU. It was a very exciting game, lots of turn-arounds for ISU and lots of open running yards. The final score was ISU 44 and SDSU 17, so we kicked their butts! I had fun listening to the game, but Brian was there and said it was really exciting to watch. I had a hard time deciding which thing I wanted to listen to on the radio, because Barack Obama was doing his acceptance speech on another station...I wanted to hear that too! So, I switched back and forth between the two, good thing I was alone in the car or I would have driven everyone else nuts.

Everything is finally back to normal at our house. Brian started classes today and the girls are in the full swing of classes so things are on schedule again. Kayla is having a good time in cross country and running farther every day, Becky is looking forward to her first performance as band major and Brian is looking forward to some fun classes (mostly political ones). It is good for everyone to be back in the school mode and know what is going on from day to day...for the most part anyway! Soon it will be time for harvest so Dan is constantly running around trying to get things done before it is time to work on the combine...never seems to be a loss of things for him to get done, and if he has any down time I have a list too :o) I am looking forward to fall, my favorite time of year.