Odd occurrences in my life

Strange things have happened lately.  Last weekend my computers went on strike, I guess.  My computer didn't want to do anything.  If you clicked on a program it would take 15-20 minutes just to load.  Very frustrating!  The kids computer was working fine unless you wanted to go on the Internet.  Nothing.  The diagnosis kept coming up that a cord was unplugged.  I am not by any stretch of the imagination a computer geek.  I did turn everything off, unplugged all of the plugs and then replugged everything in.  Nothing.

We have a Grandfathers clock.  We inherited it after Leona's death.  We had it moved here but it didn't work.  Finally, last Christmas I was tired of looking at it and asked to have it fixed as my Christmas present.  The clock fixer came out and then took it apart and cleaned and put it together and it worked awhile.  Then it started running really fast and then the chiming stopped.  Just one day it no longer chimed.  No one had stopped it, it just didn't work.  We had spent quite  a bit of money getting it fixed and so I let it sit there.  Occasionally I would start it and then it would stop. 

Now for the strange things - Monday, I woke, dressed and did all of those things you do on a Monday  morning and then turned on the computers.  My computer started working fine - no problem, the kids computer had Internet.  Interesting.  Monday night after FHE I was sitting in the living room watching something and chiming started.  At first, I actually couldn't figure out where it was coming from.  My clock now chimes regularly and is working fine.

Just to keep everything balanced, the kids and I did errands this afternoon and was at Walmart around 4:00.  When we came out about 45 minutes later there was a little piece of paper on my seat.  It was from the security police saying my door was unsecured and could be broken into and since he had to open my door to do that I guess it could have.  Only thing is that all of the other doors were locked as I had to unlock them to get in the car.  You can't lock any of the doors if the one door isn't closed.

Strange happenings.

The Nutcracker

Last night Shelly, Becca, Sammi, Jessi, Elizabeth, Mandy and I went to have a yummy dinner at Pei Wei Restaurant and then all went to the Nutcracker ballet.  The girls are all getting older and it was a wonderful experience to be with them and enjoy the beautiful music and dancers.  We try to do this each year and I wish all of the girls – big and little – could go with us.  Wouldn’t that be fun! 

The only picture taken (I know we should be beaten with a wet noodle) was on Shelly’s camera.

Traditions are wonderful as they bring us together whether it is attending a ballet or going to the Temple together.  Daddy and I attended a sealing Friday afternoon of a wonderful couple and that got me to thinking about all of the wonderful times that we have been involved in a sealing.  The first one, of course, was when Glenn and I went to Salt Lake and were sealed as a husband and wife and then had the amazing experience of being sealed to our two beautiful daughters. Then the wonderful weddings of our children and then when we thought we were finished our adoption of Nathan and the wonderful experience with him, Mandy’s sealing and the wonderful experience in Nauvoo when Joy was sealed to Shelly and Jason and to all of us.

I am thankful once again to the two wonderful Elders that brought the gospel into our lives and set our feet upon an eternal road back to our Heavenly Father.

A perfect sunset

 

Tonight while stopped at a light I looked over and beheld a fabulous sunset.  The sky was shades from orange to mauve to blue with floating clouds of white tinged with pink.  In the middle of this picture was the American flag flapping in the wind and it was just beautiful.

I have not had any "what I am thankful for" posts.  As I looked at the flag and the sheer beauty of the sunset I am reminded of what a fabulous gift that God has given us.  This beautiful earth and the freedom we have in our country.  Long may she wave.

I do NOT understand the enigma that is

my youngest daughter!  I don't, I don't, I don't.  Mandy is a very talented little artist.  At 6 she can draw things that actually look like what they are supposed to be.  I think she will grow into an amazing artist and for you that ask - yes, I have told her that.

Mandy is a perfectionist which is not a good thing to be.  Nothing is ever good enough.  No matter how well she prints her letters or reads a book or draws a picture or play a piece on the piano - it just isn't good enough.  I have been trying to help her with this, well I guess since we got her. 

This year we have been having "art" class in school and I have tried to show her different art and that nothing is perfect.  Art is just art. 

I have finally found an art class for her and we have both been excited.  She much more than me.  Today was her first day and she was almost giggly and hopping around from excitement.  We went to her class and she had actually told me she didn't want me to stay so Nathan and I went across the street (literally) to Walmart and came back at the required time.  She had worked on several pieces and was very pleased with the class and when we left she gave a "see you next week" wave and we started to leave.  I needed to pick something up and as we went down the rows (Hobby Lobby) she was getting into everything - climbing under the artificial trees, handling all of the ornaments - and so I told both Nathan and Mandy to stand at the end of the aisle where I could see them.  It took me maybe two minutes and I came down the aisle to go and check out.  She had taken the picture she had just spent some  time with and crumbled it into a ball.   ??????????  I asked her tonight why and she said she couldn't remember.  That is her usual answer for something like this.

When she acts like that I honestly just don't understand and I would really like to understand.

Halloween 2009

 

The parents of one of Nathan’s baseball team had a party for the team.  It was quite a gathering with food, games and fun.  A little long at 6 1/2 hours but oh, well.  They live in a lovely acreage community and to trick or treat they go around the neighborhood in a hay wagon.  Our two trick or treaters went as:                             Cleopatra, Queen of the Nile

                                                and 

                               A storm tropper with light saber. I guess he was a good storm trooper.  Next we went on a hay ride -                                      There were 16 various “riders” in our hay ride.   Nathan doing battle for his lady fair, sort of.  Happy Halloween, all.

Living history

Nathan and I are working on American history between 1790 and 1900.  I have a book on different crafts done by people of that era.  I told Nathan to look through and see what activities he wanted to do and one of them was to hook a rug!  I was thinking of making a keel boat or something like that.  I took the easy way out and bought a hook rug kit rather than make our own.  I am applying Nathan’s rug for history and Mandy’s as an art project.  I told the kids that they could be prayer rugs. 

  Mandy with her rug and Nathan with his.

 

 

 

 

 

 

                              Sorting colors and working on our rugs.                                 We will let you know how they come out. 

Birthdays, Birthdays everywhere!

Our little boy – grew up overnight!  He is now 8!  Nathan’s birthday was on Tuesday but we celebrated on Saturday so that Daddy could celebrate with us.  He chose to do some interesting things!  We opened presents first thing – sorry, no pictures.  He brought them into our bed and we all sat there in pajamas and unwrapped.  He is very excited to try to put together his 636 pieced Legos Star War plane.

He wanted to have waffles for breakfast and then for lunch he chose Popeyes Fried Chicken.  Following is pictures of our crazy family.  Nathan’s favorite!

 

 

Waiting for our lunch.  Gotta love Popeye’s!  Nathan and his Daddy are crazy!

 

 

 

 

 

The craziness continues.  After lunch Nathan wanted to go bowling.  We had a great time and Nathan is getting better each time he bowls.  He has decided to have a bowling party.  It is going to have to be the first part of November.

Daddy, Nathan and Mandy being crazy at the bowling alley.

 

Our bowling scores.  We played an hour and ended up playing 1 1/2 games.  Mandy didn’t want to play and so Nathan bowled for her.  While we bowled Mandy decided to try on everyone’s jackets.

First, Daddy’s jacket and then Mama’s.  Mandy is quite a character.

Nathan Got Baptized

This weekend Nathan got baptized.  I will write more later and post some pictures.

Our Science Day

 

 

Last Wednesday NASA had a homeschool day.  NASA was closed to everyone except homeschoolers and they had special classes and things for us to do.  Tuesday was a busy day as we schooled and then had baseball practice and then I drove down to Clear Lake City and we spent the night as a Marriott.  I didn't know that homeschooling is this popular in Houston!  We got there early and we still waited in line until they opened. 

Mandy decided to take her wheel chair in and then leave it in the front.  She did very well but got tired toward the end and we went back and retrieved her wheel chair.

A picture outside the nose of the shuttle and then inside.

The man explained how the shuttle returned to the Earth and landed.  Nathan wanted to know how he knew everything.  He said he had been a controller for 30 years before retiring.

 

 

I WON'T TO FLY IT!

 

 

 

National Geographic had a display on using maps through the ages.  How sailors used the North Star, etc.

 

 

Below: On a raft pushing the tiller.

 

 

            Putting our telescope together

For the first 300 families NASA supplied instructions and materials to make a simple telescope. Here we are as we begin.  By the way, they had more families than materials.

Since it was only me, reading the instructions and helping put things together - we don't have a picture of the other steps but we completed the telescope and it really works!

Confession - I don't have any idea what Mandy is looking at but it was something above her!

 

Nathan wanted to try to land a simulated shuttle.  Here he is putting on the goggles and starting up.

 

 

 

Look close!  That is what Nathan is seeing and trying to land on the desert floor.  You get three tries and he didn't quite make it but he had fun!

 

 

The last time we were at NASA Mandy had just broken her leg and was in her wheel chair.  She didn't get to play in the huge ball area and so while Nathan landed shuttles Mandy played in the ball pit!  She had a lot of fun.

Supply station to make your own rocket!  I am not sure who this man was - I think he was part of the helpers.  He was walking around and instructing the kids how to put the rockets together and then they took their rockets over to the launch area and watched them take off.

Mandy's went up, up, up.  Nathan decided to go back and see if he could put more length on his and see if it would fly farther.

 

 

 

Nathan and the man discussing what to do to make it longer and then more flight.

 

 

                                 And off it went!

What the cockpit of Amelia Earhart's last place looked like.  Part of the National Geographic exhibit had a wonderful look at her plane and the maps that she used on her flights.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One of the exhibits was called Blast Off.  We experienced a launch and as the rocket went up, steam bellowed out and you felt like you were part of the launch. We enjoyed a talk about the future of NASA and what they are planning to do.  They are closing out the era of the space shuttle and are opening a new era of space exploration.  They have planned two new rockets - one to go to the Moon and back. They are planning on setting  up a settlement and in the future they plan on making a trip to Mars and also setting up a settlement.  They will be finished with the International Space Station soon.  I think they have three more trips up to take building supplies and then it will be a type of shuttling back and forth.

There were many other things we did and we enjoyed the day immensely.    A couple of last pictures - we were refilling our cups for the ride home and Nathan commented on the Chefs hat that the man in front of us was wearing.  I explained the reason that a chef wears a hat.  The man left and went to the back and came back with a hat for Nathan.  It always blows me away - the effect my children have on other people!  Here are our two little chefs - to end the day.

BULL

 

We have a Bull.  That is a puppy named Bull.  Blame this one on Glenn.  He has wanted a big dog that is a little more ferocious than Goliath.  Goliath is a wonderful dog but wouldn't bother a thief!  We saw a sign on the road and stopped.  The puppies are a mix of English Bull Mastiff and an American Pit Bull.

Bull will look like the Pit Bull, I think.  I think he is cute although nothing like any dog we've ever owned.

I have only taken a couple of pictures but will include them here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We don't know how but we heard Bull crying and went into the gameroom and Bull had somehow fallen  into the trash can!

Here little Bull is going to war over a pull toy with Maggie and Nathan.  He doesn't seem to care what size the other dog is - he loves playing with them.

Autumn things

 

In Houston Autumn means a different thing than say, Michigan.  It has cooled off somewhat and we have  finally had enough rain that we have fall flowers.  Yesterday, I had need of beauty and went around and took pictures of the different flowers in bloom right now.

 

 

 

 

On the porch

 

a flowering  bush

  A study in purples

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then some reds and pinks

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sometimes I need to realize through pictures the absolutely beautiful world that Heavenly Father has given us.