Bathroom nightmare

Christmas was wonderful and lots of fun. Mason is the only one left who believes in Santa and was in bed by 9:00. He said that he was going to stay up all night and try to catch Santa so he could give him a big gut squeezer. I checked and he was snoring by 9:30. He even made a special batch of oats mixed with glitter for Santa's reindeer, especially Rodolph. We sprinkled it on the front lawn, well we tried to sprinkle it on the lawn but the wonderful wind took most of it to where ever the wind takes things, but I told him it was his thoughtfulness that counted. He is such a sweet heart.

It is now day 6 of the bathroom project and surprise there are many unpleasantness's to deal with. Josh is doing a good job but every day he comes out of the bathroom scratching his head and saying, I have encountered another hitch. In the beginning of the project he said, "We will be showering in 3 days baby." Now he refuses to give me an ETA on when it will be finished. I can see the skeleton of my bathroom and I don't think it drank it's milk because it's bones need some serious help. I think the last time the bathroom was upgraded was probably in the early 80's. It is quite an undertaking, but I have faith that my husband will do a good job and have us up and running again sometime in 2009. Perhaps the men in our family will take pity on us and come help your favorite brother in law and or son. Hint Hint George and Dave. I know its a reach but I had to put it out there for debate. I will keep you posted on our progress.

I hope all of you have a great 2009. May this year be the best one yet.

Merry Christmas

It has been awhile since my last post. We have been busy getting ready for Christmas. Something about this time of year turns me into a cookie making factory. Peyton and Mason are so excited about Santa coming tomorrow night. I am excited also, there is a little box under the tree for me that sound like jewelry when I shake it. I wonder what it is. Jayden starts the process of getting braces today, it is a 3 step ordeal, and it will finish of Jan 22, his 14th B-day. Please be advised that the day after Christmas, Josh is going to start our bathroom remodel and it will put our only shower out of commission for at least a week so I along with the kids may be coming to a bathroom near you.

I want to wish all of my family and friends a Merry Christmas and a healthy and happy New Year. I love all of you.

I found the Glow station

Just a heads up, I found a glow station today. So you all don't have to look for one. Thank You anyway.

Christmas challange.

It was great to see Sibyl, little Julie, and Grandma Julie last Saturday. Thank You Julie and Sibyl for the clothes for Peyton. She loves the dresses and the green velvet purse you gave her is already full of all my loose change. There is a special gift that I want to get for Mason and I have been all over town to every store looking for it and it's sold out everywhere I go. It's called Crayola glow station, and I guess it's a hot item this season for kids. If you guys are out shopping in your neck of the woods and see one, could you pick one up for Mace? Let me know if any of you found one and got it. I thought about ordering it on line, but it said delivery would be in 2-6 weeks, and Christmas is in 3, so I don't want to chance it. Look in the Crayola isle, that's where it would be and I think it's about $25.00.

I'm still working on that darn business plan, it's due Monday. Only one week left of classes and then on to FINALS. I am soooo looking forward to a nice long break full of watching movies, sipping hot coco, baking, sitting around in my PJ's and getting ready for the big day, Christmas.

It sounds like you all had a lot of fun over Thanksgiving. I'm sad I missed out on the whole rock band phenomenon. Who knew this family was such rockers! Where's those Mouse recipes Beki? I've been waiting, you don't have to keep them all to yourself ya know.

Birthday's, Babies and Pocrastination

I should be working on my 50 page business plan right now, but I figure I have procrastinated it for this long ,what's a few more days. It's due on December 8th and I'm only 7 pages into it, plus I need to put together a 15 minute power point presentation. If you can imagine, I'm pretty stressed right now and I still have to study for finals in three other classes, and finish all the last minute work in those classes too. SO what I'm getting at is I wont be joining you guys for Thanksgiving. Before you sigh that sigh of relief be advised I am sending Josh and all three of the children. Happy Thanksgiving!

It sounds like one of the three sisters has had a hell of a few weeks. Lisa I want you to know that Josh and I are thinking about you and your family and sending you guys all of our prayers and good vibes. Post some pictures of those babies when you get a chance.

Mason turned 6 on November 13, and he had a Bat Man birthday party and invited some of his class mates. He had tons of fun. He is doing so good at school, everyone loves him. The teachers all tell me how cute his is and how much they like having him in their class. He still has to have a little speech therapy because he misuses pro-nouns and jumbles a few words, but other than that he is at the head of his class in most areas.

Peyton wants me to tell Aunt Beki that she is very excited about going to your house, and that she has been saving all of her Smarties for George because they are his favorite. She told me to tell you not to tell George though because its suppose to be a surprise. She has also been working on surprises for all of you.

Josh is busy on the roof today putting up my Christmas lights on the house. I keep him pretty busy around here. Last weekend he put in two new doors, and we went and bought almost everything to redo our bathroom. I say almost because there is always those hidden expenses when you start remodeling. We are going to totally gut it and start over. I got a cute pedestal sink and toilet that are Victorian style, and a new tub and shower. We are going to start that project right after Christmas. I'm hoping it will only take a few weeks to complete, however I know it will probably take much longer.

I wish I could go down to Beki's for TG but I need some quiet time without the family so I can finish my work, however feel free to stop by on your way home Julie and Sibyl. I would like to see you guys. Everyone drive safe and have a great holiday.

Yes we can and we did!

I know that some of you who are reading this will totally disagree ,but Im so excited and happy that Obama was elected president. I usually think that politics are a snore, however this election was so ground breaking that I had no other choice but to be involved and take notice. Let's hope that Obama will honor his word and make great changes happen for our country. Josh is especially proud because when Obama came to Casper he went to the rally and got to shake Obama's hand.

Halloween was so fun, and warm. We finished trick or treating around 10pm and when we drove by the bank it said it was still 60 outside. Wow. I made the kids dress is layers, and made sure they all had gloves so they would be nice and warm, however by the end of the night they were all in one layer of clothing and the gloves were nowhere in site. I guess global warming does have it advantages. Check out the fun pictures from Halloween night.

He got a deer!

Ok its official, Josh finally got his first deer. Now I need some deer recipes you guys. He got home about 8:30 last night, and is beat from all the walking and everything that is hunting. I wouldn't know, I like beef and you don't have to kill it yourself. It is nice to have him home again, the kids were about to drive me crazy. I went out on the town Friday night with the girls and had loads of fun. We had a DD, so a bunch of us got plowed. I stayed in bed all Saturday and Peyton was such a sweet heart, she made me chicken noodle soup and Peanut butter and jelly and brought it to me in bed. She has her redeeming moments. Anyway my car had to go into the shop today, something about the radiator, and when we getting it all checked in at the car place, Josh noticed that the front of my van was smashed in. I got hit and run at the bar I guess. I hadn't drove it since Friday morning, and didn't even look at it because I figured all was fine with a DD and all. So that turned out to be a very expensive girls night out. I can't believe I didn't even notice that the front of my car was smashed. That is the Debevec luck. Making me an Owens hasn't changed that rotten Debevec luck. Anyway the moral of the story is always take someone else's car when you plan on going on a girls night out.

We Braved the Elements

Our Deadwood trip was lots of fun. We left of Saturday morning despite the warnings of 2 feet of snow. The roads were a little tricky on the way up especially right outside of Casper and Sun dance, but besides that they were just a little wet. We didn't get to stay at the haunted Bullock Hotel because I accidentally booked the Bullock Express which was a 1 star hotel. So we canceled our reservation there and stayed at the Holiday Inn express, which was a lot nicer. We didn't do too well on Saturday gambling, I think we were down about $500. So we went to bed kind of sad. Then Sunday morning we decided to try our luck again, I hit a jackpot of 1000 quarters, which was about $250, then I hit again for 300 quarters. Josh was playing black jack and walked away with $300, so we didn't leave on check line reserve like always. That was nice. Spearfish canyon was all covered in snow so we did not get to see the beautiful fall colors. I think we were one week too late again this year. It was nice to get away from Casper and the kids for a day. Josh and I barley see each other when we go up to Deadwood because I like the slots and he likes Black Jack, but that is ok. We still had fun. Josh is busy getting all of his stuff together to go hunting. He leaves tomorrow evening and probably wont be back until Sunday evening, unless he gets a deer.
The kids are all doing great and are way too excited about Halloween. Mason is going to be a freaky skeleton and Peyton is going to be a Punk rock vampire with a lip piercing and a nose ring. Jayden is going to be himself, he is too cool to dress up. I will be a witch again, and I'm not sure what Josh will do this year. I volunteered to take two of Peytons friends with us again this year, so im sure it will be an interesting night. Peyton and Jayden now have their very own cell phones. Jayden has never been more popular, and girls are calling him at all hours of the night. Im not sure how to feel about that. Im just happy to see that he is having more of a social life, and not hooked to the X-box as if it were life support.

Fall

Fall is my favorite season. Casper is beautiful this time of year. The town is alive with shades of red, orange, yellow and gold. The Mountain is so pretty right now. I wish I could go up there every day just to soak in all of mother natures splendors. Josh and I are going up to South Dakota next weekend for our annual October fest. Spearfish Canyon is awesome this time of year, and we get to be alone without any children for a few days. That hardly ever happens, so we cherish those moments. We are staying at the haunted Bullock Hotel, I hope we see a ghost. The week after that Josh and his friends are going hunting somewhere in the mountains. For the past 4 years he has gone hunting and has never brought home anything but dirty clothes and a hang over. Maybe this year will be his lucky one. Does anyone have any good recipes for deer? I don't even know how to cook it, and how do you get that awful gamy taste out of it? I'm not big on wild game meat, however I ate mo0se at Beki's before and it was pretty good. I'm sort of looking forward to his hunting trip because my friend Marva is going to come over and stay, and she is going to make her famous 7 layer dip, and won-tons. I will be making Indian fry bread and peanut butter fudge. So we will be pigging out and watching chick-flicks, and getting our gossip fix. Sounds fun to me.
Jayden's football season is over, he did great, especially the last 2 games of the year, he kicked butt, and had a great outlook, and lots of team spirit. Thank you Beki for making it to Jayden's game last weekend. It was good to see you. I'm so happy that Julie will be at Beki's for Thanksgiving this year. It will be nice. Remember, Easter at my house. I hope Sybil and Julie will come again. However this year the Easter bunny's will have to be more sneaky, I think the children busted the egg filling festivities last year.
Stay tuned for all the updates on the Dead Wood trip and our haunted hotel experience.

Accounting Blues

Like the caption says, I have accounting blues. I just don't get it, and when I think I got it, its wrong. Maybe a cloud will open up and the gods will turn on the very dim light bulb in my accounting deficient brain. Perhaps a miracle will happen and I will wake up one morning and it will all make sense. Doubt it, but I will persevere because I am so close to graduation that I can almost touch that diploma. YES.
Thank you to my sister-in-laws for posting their comments. It was great to hear from you two. Congratulations to Brenna and Dustin on their engagement. I have a little girl here who is just dying to be a flower girl, and I know that she would be great at it. She has been picking my flowers and throwing the petals everywhere for years now, so she is very proficient, and I know she would take the job seriously. Just a thought.
James called yesterday, and I guess him and Cathy have split up, Darn, I think she made a difference in his life, at least she kept him out of some trouble.
What are every one's plans for Thanksgiving? I think we should peer pressure Grandma Julie and Grandpa Dave into coming down for at least one holiday this year. Maybe two, but I know that would be pushing it. So everyone get on the band wagon and start planting the seed of holiday cheer into the Grand Parents.
Oh look at time, I have to go be a student. Take care.

Just shin splints???

Hello to all of you out there is blog land. Not too much has been going on here in Casper, except Fall has come early to the Cowboy State. We have been using our fireplace 2-3 times per week because I refuse to turn on my heat. I heard prices for heating our houses here in Wyoming are going up 70 percent. There goes our lives savings, right to Source Gas.
Jayden only has shin splints, no fracture or anything of the sort. He has to have a little physical therapy for about 6 weeks, and that should take care of his leg troubles. He can still play football, and his team is unbeatable so far this season.
You know my family and friends who are avid readers of the Owens blog, you can post a comment or two on my blog. I look forward to hearing from all of you.

Busy, Busy, Busy

Life has been quite busy around here lately. I am knee deep in home work and it's only the second week of school. I am neck deep in frustration also because I saved all of my hard classes for last. That was not the smartest thing I've ever done, but I can never do anything the easy way. The kids are all doing great. Jayden is awesome in football, however he may have a stress fracture in his right leg. I have to take him to an orthopedic doctor tomorrow for the final verdict. His regular doctor said that he may have to quit playing football, but we will let the orthopedic doctor tell us what he thinks. It is so good for Jayden to play football, it gives him exposure to other kids and it makes him feel good about himself. He is so good at it, and I would hate to see him have to give it up.

Labor Day weekend was nice. We had a barbecue on Saturday and had some friends over. We all ate and drank way too much. We also drained the pool which turned into quite a chore. Josh had to go buy a sump pump just to get the water out. Oh well at least we will have it for years to come. On Sunday we went out to Castle Gardens. It's a beautiful and secluded place that has ancient pictures carved in the sand stone by early native Americans. We took Peyton's friend Shay, and my friend Marva with us. We saw a huge eagles nest, and lots of geological artifacts. It was super cool. However we thought that we had the whole place to ourselves, and when we sat down to have our picnic lunch we noticed that there was someone up on the hill just sitting there watching us. It was freaky because we were 28 miles out on a dirt road, and there were no cars, bikes, or anything in sight for about 20 miles. He was just watching us from the distance with his binoculars, he didn't wave or anything, he just watched. So we all got sort of freaked out, and decided to leave. You can't be too careful now a days. Besides we were ready to leave anyway. But still how freaky.

The cute little dog is our newest addition, her name is Foxy and we all love her so much. She is so much fun, and a great little travel companion. We are over run with animals, 2 cats and now 2 dogs and three kids plus all of their friends. I wouldn't have it any other way. Life is good.

One Week Down

The first week of school went off without a hitch. Monday Mason came home with wide eyes and said I had a good day, but Mommy why did you leave me at school for so long? I told him that because he is a big boy now he has to go to school full days instead of half days. He didn't like that answer too much, but I think he will get use to the whole full day thing. Jayden got his hair cut short for football. He looks very handsome, and the girls at his school are noticing him also. I don't know how to feel about that, but I knew it was coming sooner or later. I just wish it would be later. Peyton likes her teacher and is having fun being a 3rd grader. She adapts quickly to new situations, so I think she will do just fine. I start school again on Monday. I went up to the college today to get my books, I ended up spending a small fortune. Why do college books have to cost so much??? I only have 2 classes left after this semester then I will have my degree. It has only taken me a decade or so. I guess all that matters is getting there, not how long it take you. At least that is what I am leading myself to believe.

First Day Of School

What a whirl wind morning we had. Mason was up at 6:30 running around the house with his new shoes that I would not let him wear until today. He kept saying I'm so excited, I've been waiting for this day for a long time. Jayden was ambivalent, and careful not to show too much emotion about his excitement for school. I think somewhere deep down inside he was excited to be an 8th grader. Peyton was excited also. She was totally diva-fied for her first day. She was all decked out in her Hanna Montana gear and looking sweet as ever. I could still see her devil horns holding up her halo though. It is a bitter sweet day for me however. As I walked into school with Mason to find where his back pack goes and find his desk, I was holding back the tears. My little buddy who has spent almost every waking hour with me for the past 6 years is now in school full time. Perhaps I am afraid that they are all going to grow up so fast and not need me anymore, perhaps it is the reality that I am getting older too, is what is making my eyes well up with tears. I know one thing for sure though, a new chapter in our lives has begun, and I have a new found freedom with no kids for 8 hours. I'm sure all of my school work will take up that time quickly though. I hope all is well with all of you that are reading this. Take care!!!

Summer is almost over

I can't believe that summer is coming to an abrupt halt. The kids all start school on the 18th, and I resume my college classes on the 25th. Jayden has decided to be in football again this year. I think he will be a great asset to the team. He is huge for 13. It's strange for me to see my once little boy has somehow grown into a man over night. He is as tall as me and now weighs 150lbs. Time ticks away so quickly, where does it all go? Peyton is now officially a 3rd grader. She is Miss Social. The phone rings for her more than it does for me. I can just imagine what her teen years will be like. Finally my baby boy Mason is going to be in Kinder garden. I'm happy and yet sad at the same time. My baby is not a baby anymore. Tick tock Tick tock. The perpetual clock will not cease. Josh and I are doing great. December will be our 10th year together, and we are happy. I could'nt of asked for a more loyal and loving husband. Life is good, and we are blessed.