Happy Halloween 2014!!!

We had fun with the grand babies along with Cassidi, Taylor and Sheldon. Sheldon had 300 kids come by his house. I dont think I have ever seen so many trick-or-treaters in my life!!

20 things I wish I have always done or known!!!

1. Surround yourself with people that lift you up, that care about your happiness. Show the negative ones your back side!!!! In 5, 10, 20 years you will be so much better off.

2.  Love the ones your with!!!! Put down your fricken phones and be with the people in front of you!!!!!

3. You will never regret any education you receive. You will never hear an elderly person say "damn, I wish I wouldn't have gotten that degree". education is freedom.

4. Don't ignore problems, bills or something you are dreading. Do it, get it over and it will not be as bad as worrying about it. This will save you thousand and thousands of hours worrying, regretting, and thinking "I should have"... jUST DO IT!!!

5. Never color and cut your own hair! Enough said!

6. My number one advice to every woman... CLASSY NOT CRAZY...... O I have went crazy before, I have opened my mouth and let the redneck Debbie show through. Every time I have unleashed my inner crazy,  I have regretted it. I am not saying to let people walk all over you and never tell someone how you feel or how they hurt you, I am saying do it with class... My mid 30's I let my inner crazy out more than ever.. I have slowly and painfully learned that the best revenge is done silently and by succeeding and being happy and looking fabulous while doing it.  So out of the mouth of Miranda Lambert,

Powder your nose, paint your toes
Line your lips and keep 'em closed... 

7. When someone shows you who they REALLY are, believe them, the first time.   I was dating a man,  while I was in his car (one of our first dates)  he called his sister and SCREAMED at her... I was floored. It would have saved me the hardest 3 years of my life if I would have believed who he really was that night. Instead I let him show me over and over for years!!!! 

8. Travel, it makes you a different person. It kills judgement and narrow mindedness and breeds curiosity and love. 

9. Be very careful not to judge. I have judged, been judged and watch people judge. Sometimes your judgment is correct other's way off.

10. Make your bed!!! messy bed, messy head! 

11. Pick your battles!!! Sam is better at this than I. I like to pick every battle but I am working on it!

12. Never ever apologize for something you have earned. I don't care if you are walking around in a $3000 pair of shoes. If you worked for it, saved for it, planned for it do not apologize for it. I don't care how ridiculous people think it is,  Claim it you worked for it!!!

13. Blood is thicker than water. My girlfriend, Jan, and I always had the deal of family first. I love to be with my friends, I always want to be with them and do everything they do but I know that is not possible, as hard it is sometimes, I have to say family first... I am my kids only Mom and I will be there.

14. And now in continuation to the above rule. Make time for yourself. Sam and make deals with each other, NO work this weekend, no kids, no baby sitting. Is it hard... YES.  Is it necessary, YES. My kids respect this and I love them more for it!!! They know how precious our friends and each other are to Sam and I so they respect this and know that there are some times Sam and Debbie will be having a "private" weekend.

15. Don't over spend and pay your bills. There is nothing more fun than being mortgage poor, car poor. This was a very hard lesson for me. I learned the hard way, I almost went belly up, it is the best feeling to be back on top of my financial world. Nothing like ending up paying $800 for that bounced check you wrote for a tube of lipstick. I truly know people that still do this!!! We are in our 40's time to put the check book up!

16. I told one of my daughters yesterday that one of the things that has helped me through the toughest moments of my life is the serenity prayer..

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,  

The courage to change the things I can,

And wisdom to know the difference.

Memorize this... Say it in times you don't know what to do.... There is stuff that happens in life, that you may have done to yourself or someone else may have done it... but there is no changing it, Accept it!

17. Have fun!!! Life is fun!!!! . Dance, laugh, join, relish. Don't worry about looking silly. Be silly, it's fun!

18.  Respect God, thank God, and fear God.

19. Respect your parents, some day you will want their advice and they won't be there. The older I get the more I hate to report that most of the time my parents were right. Not always but MOST!!!

20. Marry your best friend. The one that makes your toe's curl, always has your back, loves you and your family. Don't settle and remember you have to work at being a good spouse....

A year???? What's a year!!!

I have no idea when the last time I wrote, read, posted, hung, pinned, or any other verb.... But here I am doing it...,it is right now 3:49 a.m., Sam is sleeping next to me and if I am really really lucky I can smell into my pillow and still smell my grand baby who slept with us last night, it's a mix of baby magic and rotten milk. May be a little rank but It makes me happy as hell!

So after a year, year and a half, but who is counting? That is about it for me... I am going to roll over, breath in the scent of rotten baby lotion, put a hand on my hubby's shoulder and clothes these eyes.... Peace out!

Grand Baby number two!!!!!!

We are so excited to announce that Taylor is having a baby girl!!! I am told that her name will be Charlie..how cute is that!
We love you Tay and it has been awesome watching you grow up the 5 years I have known you. Congrats and please bring Charlie over OFTEN...... Nanna will buy her fun jammies and toys and spoil her rotten.

Debbie's Favorite Place on Earth 2013

Debbie has been going to Red Fish Lake since she was a kid and figured out she has been there 37 times now in her life and it usually happens right on her birthday on June 29th. I wonder how many birthdays she has spent here?   She introduced me to it 5 years ago.
This is where we hang out in the evenings for happy hour and family fun.
http://www.redfishlake.com/
This is where we stayed this year. Truly an awesome cabin.
http://www.vrbo.com/219199

We brought Sarah a few years ago and now its in her blood too. LOVE this vacation. This year was the best ever so I wish our other kids could have came.  Below are some pics and some brief descriptions. I didn't have any more pics on my cell other wise I would have posted tons more.

Our most favorite thing of the week. I have never done this before so it was super exciting. On the second set of rapids I fell out and went under the boat. Brock, Debbie and Glen saved my bacon. 

Here comes Sarah just tripping along having a great time and fearless laughing the whole way. As you can see from the second pic she had to throw her leg out for balance on that last run hah

Here comes Cass

There goes Cass showing off her scissor kick

Nearly safe and sound after another 20 yards of floating. She did great!

Our back deck at the cabin. Great relaxing time. 

One of the brilliant sun sets off the deck. Cell phone just doesn't do it justice. 

Boston just hanging out watching cartoons while we get ready for the day. 

Hanging out at the Lodge in the evenings is always a great way to end the day with all the family. 

Debbie had a great idea before we left to go up there. She wanted to tag as many vehicles with things like "Larry Dahle Daughter, Son In Law and Grand Son"  or "Larry Dahle Grandson, step grandaughter and great grandson" etc....  by the time she tagged the whole family and some friends there were 20 vehicles running around with Larry Dahle's name. She even wanted to tag the bus that took us on the river trip and say "Larry Dahle's family road the river"  hah... she is always cooking up some ideas

Boston Loves Nanna and Loves Sweets

Out with the old..... in with the new

In 2003 Debbie bought a brand new GMC Yukon. They went everywhere together, play, work, family road trips and who knows what else. When we first got married the GMC was getting a little tired but was still doing well. When she changed her career and went to Home Healthcare Marketing she started just cranking on the miles and some days up to 100 miles a day. Not only did this burn up a LOT of gas it really got tired and needing some work... so this is why I blog about it.....

About a year ago I start talking to Debbie about retiring ol grey and getting something new. She actually came to tears and said "I dont want to talk about it". I kept my eye on car deals and what was out there and a couple of months later I talked to her again and she said "I cant talk about it.. its sad" and finally the story comes out...   she said that this car is the last piece of her old life that she has left. I asked if she wants her old life back haha... she said NO its just a nostalgia thing and just hard to let go of this car that she LOVES. 

So longer story short... several months later and Sarah came to visit to buy herself  a new car after she graduated and she bought a KIA Sportage. Debbie and I have looked at these before and we liked them but after seeing Sarah's we fell in love. Of course we wanted all the bells and whistles so I kept watching and finally....... like angels singing.... one showed up on the showroom floor. 2013 Kia Sportage SX with navigation, sun roof, running boards, turbo charged, LED lighting package, satellite radio, sport wheels, heated and cooled leather and the list goes on... oh and did I say TURBO... holly cow this car has power. 270 horse power to be exact. 

So Debbie is happy and excited and Sam is happy his wife is happy AND we just cut our gas bill in half.. hah

Goodbye

Helllooooo

GRANDPARENTS!?!?!?!?!!? oh yeah!!! proud of it.

Debbie and I had no clue what was about to happen when Cass and Mike got pregnant. We thought "this is going to be so cool" and "we will love him so much"  then he came!!!  Words cant describe how it feels to be a grandparent. It really is a special thing!!!  Debbie keeps saying "I am in LOVE with him!!!" and to see Debbie's eyes light up when she is with him is so awesome. 

We cant want for the rest of the grand babies to show up. We will spoil them ROTTEN then give them back hah. 

Congrats to Cass and Mike on their new baby boy Boston!!  

Toilets!

Yes, I am dedicating a post to toilets. I always say that you can tell a real slob from a dirty toilets. In general toilets are very easy to clean. So here is my two cents, yes on TOILETS!!! So this is my blog dedicated to toilets and in general directed at Men/boys. I had no idea but now that I live with all males, I know how bad it really is.

• Replace your toilet seat, every year or so. This is something I didn't do when I first became a home owner. Then voila, it hit me... Why try to clean and clean and clean this seat when I can purchase a new one for $22.19 at my local Costco. Also, always replace your toilet seat if you are moving into a new place. I don't know about you but I would prefer not to sit where some other man/boy/women has done their business thousands of time. New toilet seats are a must. Never ever ever look at what has coagulated where the toilet seat screws in, please take this advice.

• NEVER, and I mean NEVER buy a cushioned toilet seat. Think about it... are you done thinking? Cushioned has well cushion!  I don't know about you but I have never really wanted any bodily secretion in any cushion.

• Don't leave blue toilet cleaner on the toilet for any amount of time except IN the bowl. Unless you like your toilet seat with dyed blue streaks down it. Blue toilet cleaner is about as powerful as red kool-aid. It doesn't come out, EVER.

• When cleaning your toilet please please please lift up the lid and clean under the lid and ring that you sit on. Do you know how many toilets I have not been able to even squat close to because of the under side of the "sitting ring". Seriously, it's not hard just clean it every single week. EVERY single week.

• Take that little rag you are cleaning that toilet with and wash around the floor. Ya know where the toilet hits the ground. Wash the bottom of the toilet and the ground. Again, not a difficult thing but one that most men never think of. "O, you mean that this stuff that can house a small child is not suppose to be around the toilet?"

• Wash the top of the tank of your toilet. I know you have playboys, plants, extra toilet paper, the last 4 months of dental picks, and whatever you may keep on your toilet tank but dude, wipe it off.

 

• Look to the right. Those are the best invention since sliced bread. Let me repeat that, BEST INVENTION SINCE SLICED BREAD. Gentleman (I use that word loosely) if you happen to tinkle on the seat pull one of these little wipes out and get rid of it. I guarantee no one wants to ever see ANYTHING (except maybe a stain of blue cleaner, because then at least we know you have cleaned it) on, under, beside, around your toilet seat. I promise!

So there my friends is what I have learned the last 20 plus years of cleaning my very own toilet. Toilets are a big deal to women. I would rather pee outside than on a gross toilet... So get your toilet wands, you Clorox wipes and go tackle that toilet. MAKE ME PROUD!

WANTED...THERAPY!

Debbie:  "Sam, I hate to tell you this but when I put my car into 4 wheel drive I can't back up very far, it just wont go."

Sam: "The transfer case is going out in it, Debbie it is crazy to put any money into that car, lets get rid of it. It is time, go look at new cars."

Debbie: "I don't want a new car. I like this car. How much will it cost to fix a transfer case?"

Sam: "Too much, Debbie... It is time to get a new car, Lets go look at new cars."

Debbie: "I don't want a new car, I want my car"

Sam: "You are going to get stranded on the side of the freeway some day. Go get a new car..."

Debbie big sigh and then the damn of emotions that surround that car flooded out of my mouth...

Debbie: "Sam, I have an emotional attachment to that car, It's the only thing I have left of my old life. I don't even have the same furniture"

Sam: "WTH?, Where did that come from. Well do you want your old life back???"

Debbie: "NO, I don't want my old life back but its like everything in my life is new. I live in a new town, new house, I don't have ANYTHING that was mine before the marriage any longer. I don't even have the same dishes, towels, furniture, ANYTHING."

Sam: "The new cars will be YOURS, It will be YOUR car!!! All yours."

Debbie: "I don't want a new car, I want THAT car, I could sleep in that car if I had to."

Sam: "I promise you that you are never going to half to sleep/live in your car! Are you struggling with independence?"

Debbie: "Yes, it is the ONLY thing I have left of my life BEFORE you"

Sam: "Can we just start to look at new cars????, just look. Maybe you will find something that you love and you will WANT it."

Debbie: "Why can't we just fix the car?"

Sam: "You may need therapy!"

Is a BOY!!!

Is the correct terminology "Its a BOY!" or "Its going to be a BOY!" since he is not born yet? hah

There are some things that happen that just kind of seems to take over our little worlds and injects excitement (among many other emotions lol) and completely changes our paths. A number of weeks ago one of those things happened. Cassidi and Mike are having a BABY!!!!! We are so excited for them and US. We are proud and happy for Mike and Cass to be starting up their lives and building a lil family.
Just a quick story.....  a few months ago we got some living room furniture and have 2 rocker swivel chairs now. After it was delivered and set up, we sat in the chairs and looked at each other and Debbie said "We have the rocking chairs now we just need grand babies" and BOOM... here comes our first one. So we now say "Buy the rockers and they will come"

Oh and the boy's name? As it sits as of last night he will be Boston Michael Barlow. Cute!!!



This first pic was around the first of September



This second pic was Sept 24th when they found out he is a boy. I dont see the tallywhacker in this pic though.

Awkward Family Photo's...

 Okay, It's been awhile and instead of going through tons of what we have been up to blah, blah, blah I am just going to dive right in..

I have to say, I don't think we are TERRIBLE picture takers. We are all pretty photogenic we can smile and poise for a picture, smile.. Well this night was not our best family picture taking moments.. HOWEVER, PLEASE NOTICE SAM... HE IS ALWAYS CAMERA READY.. makes me laugh!!

Sam is all ready, Debbie put down you hand, Brock and Tay, LOOK at the Camera!!!

Sam is again all smiles and looking all GQ... I don't even know what to say about the rest of us!!!

Um what is happening at the bottom of this picture.. Taylor only has one leg, HOWEVER.. Sam knows that a nice hand on his hip will make him look slender and more photogenic.. Good Sam!!

OOOOO, so close. Brock OPEN YOUR EYES.. Looking Good Sammy!!!

Taylor, you look like you just farted, Brock is horrified at the smell and Cassidi is trying to smell it.. I am ready though!!!

Okay, We got it right here.. However we were missing Sam!!!


Here is to a better photo experience next time we try this!!! :-)

Thailand???? I think YES!

"How do you chase your dreams from your front porch?"

Sam and I have heard 1,000 times. How do you dare go there? How do you dare travel? Those people don't like "us", you couldn't pay me to travel to "that" place.

Well, DON'T...

I knew in 1994 when I stepped off a plane to a foreign country for the first time, that I had the travel bug. I knew I would see the World,  it was in my blood... It makes me refreshed, it makes me wonder, it makes me dream big. IT JUST IS IN MY SOUL!!!  I just don't want to see things, I want to experience them, smell, feel, get knee deep, love, laugh, marinate in LIFE and in this beautiful WORLD that God has created. I don't want to stay with 200 miles of my house... I want to travel!

Yes, going to different countries come with danger. I am not that naive. However, you wouldn't find me in downtown Detroit, New York, Miami, or Gary Indiana without some common sense.

The number one killer of people traveling to different countries... Traffic accidents....

So where is this blog going... Sam and I's next big adventure is in February. We are going to Thailand.

So we have heard already!!

• That is where the Tsunami was...
• There are a lot of Earth quakes there...
• The prisons in Thailand are terrible, (that is not part of our itinerary)
• What about the immunizations you have to get?
• Will you get Malaria?
• Do you like Oriental people?
• What about the food?

So we know the dangers, we know how long the flight is, we know it. I am not willing to live my life afraid of the unknown. So if Sam and I are to die  on vacation, know we died doing exactly what we love.

I can't wait!!! For 14 days this winter you will find us on Elephants in the jungle, in the temples of  Bangkok, or on a beach in the Orient.. HOW FRICKEN FABULOUS!!!

but next week you will find us at our Happy Place... REDFISH LAKE, HERE WE COME!!!



Nostalgia

Nostalgia: A sentimental longing for the past, typically for a period or place with happy personal associations!!

I have a handful of friends, some new (within the last 10 years) some that I have known my entire lifetime that I have their back and visa versa.. The obvious calls here are Alison, Sally, Hidee, Cheri, etc.  ya know the ones you have read about over and over in this blog, I love these women and they love me. They know my every mistake, my every pit fall, my every success and have loved me through it all. Next to family they are my rocks.  Some I see weekly, some I see monthly and some I see yearly but they are beloved to me. They are my stepping stones, don't mess with them, and I wont mess with you.

and...

I also have those friends that hold nostalgia for me, the ones I love and want the best for them, you don't need a shovel to figure out our past but you need a back hoe and a forensic scientist to go through our history together. When I see them something draws me to them, something longs for them to be in my life, something deep routed... but also something or something"S" have happened in the past that makes me hold back and make me withdrawal and be very careful what I say or do around them because I know that it is not held as "dearly" as I hold them. I know what I tell them will some way, some how, make its way back to the beauty salon chair and that is not where I want my biggest failures and biggest fears to be displayed.

So when do you draw a line in the sand, when do you say.. "What the hell?" well let me tell you when Debbie Campbell, says "What the hell"...:-)

I ran into an old "friend" this weekend, the same old friend that holds all that nostalgia, the one that holds so many great memories and also the one that I hold back with, the one I am very careful with, the one I have learned better with. So the evening started the same as it usually does... she starts with everyone we know in common and completely TRASHES them, she moves from one person to the next, she goes on and on and I agree with some of it, I listen to other and then... . THEN... she hits something or someone WAY TO CLOSE to me and I bristle... There are boundaries I have, close knitted boundaries of people I love, people I cherish, people I believe...and she crosses it.. and I buckle.. I told her several times.. "QUIT...I am not having this conversation".... she continues... I say
"THIS NEEDS TO STOP".... she continues with the bad mouthing and then I looks at my husband and say, "WE HAVE TO GO." so we leave... dinner, drinks and everything and just walk out the door.

So the moral of the story... "I am not into bashing everyone, everything and everybody". I know better to judge to rapidly... I don't have spiders in my closet, I don't even have skeletons, I have something much much bigger. I know how it is to be "judged", I know how it feels to be the brunt of every ones gossip, I know, I have been there and DONE that.. So don't sit with me and start on someone I hold in my "inner circle". Wont fly with me.

So this weekend, would I go back and handle things differently? ABSOLUTELY

Would I tell her more deeply how she was hurting me? OH YES

but on the other hand does it matter to people like this????? and my answer to that question is... NOT AT ALL...
so I walked away from a life long friend,  associate, that has never had my back doesn't  and probably will  never have any ones back. I didn't lose my composure, I didn't holler, scream, or pitch a fit. I just made a educated decision that I was DONE with all of this.
Parts of me hurt, because I have so much history, but for the last 10 years every single time I have not heald my dealt hand very very closely, she has buried me. So I am moving on... feeling good about the friendships I have, new and old.

So my husband said to me when I was telling him how I felt. You have boundaries, you have a line, it was crossed and you stood up for what you believed. So I move on, I am sure I will be the conversation at EVERY table she is at the next few years but this is my chance to say...

"GO FOR IT"...

For once in my life, I am that sure of who I am, who my friends are, and who my family is...

Beautiful Daughter Number 4 Graduates!!

 Time doesn't seem to slow down for anything and kids keep growing up. Taylor graduated recently and actually finished high school early. As we were sitting and the faculty was going through stories, awards and scholarships we hear Taylor's name called with a few people, she goes up and accepts one with the others. We go through a few more announcements and then they say "we have one final scholarship to give out.... TAYLOR HAWES please come up!"  She was awarded a $12,000 dollar scholarship  to any school of her choice!!!!!  We are so happy and proud of you Taylor nice job and congratulations!  We love you!

My funny wife... I always have to post her pics :)