Busy, Busy

It seems like the past two weeks have been so busy that I haven't found any time to blog! I'll try to do better.

Sam has been busy with school, piano, activity days, cousins, and her new-found love of sewing (I think she must be her Aunt Shari's daughter, not mine!). Somehow the picture of her quilt didn't make it from my camera to the computer. I can blame that on Tommy, right?

Speaking of Tommy, he has been busy ransacking the house and keeping us either laughing or crying. Typical three-year-old crazy boy!

Tom has had a lot of January off, and not only chipped away at the "honey-do" list (unclogging the drain, working on the cars, etc., etc.), but managed to build a couple of new airplanes as well. Every January in Apache Junction is the Electric Festival (an R/C modelers "Mecca" of sorts). I was even nice enough to drive the kids out there through the sticks today and watch Tom hot-dog his Mustang with the other WWII planes. And I won't admit this to him (good thing he doesn't read this very often), but it was even a little bit fun. I normally tolerate his hobby, not enjoy it.

I've been busy with the usual--work, cleaning, cooking, laundry, and chaeuffering. And thanks to my fantastic sister-in-law, I've even managed to get some of the house redecorated and my office moved downstairs. Should make work much easier with me downstairs, since that's where Tommy spends most of his time.

Shari spent the afternoon on a 24' ladder to create this little beauty. It's amazing what she can do with a vinyl machine, a paint brush, and a little glaze. Thank you Shari!

Bencer, Bencer!!

Last weekend my brother, sis-in-law and their two kids came for a quick visit. We've been trying to talk them into moving down here for the past five years, and (keep your fingers crossed) maybe this time it worked! Aaron could water ski and ride the motorcycle year-round, and there is no shortage of nursing jobs in Phoenix! It also helps that the housing prices are way down. (Stinks if you own, but it's a good time to buy!)

We didn't have a lot of time to play, but we still laughed and laughed like the good old days. And Tommy found a new friend in cousin Spencer, which was pronounced more like "Bencer." Wherever Bencer was, that's where Tommy wanted to be too.

Tommy and his best friend, "Bencer"

Spencer taking pictures of Tommy

Rach, Aaron and Lynsie at Joe's Farm Grill

Sam, Little T and Big T at Joe's Farm Grill

Lynsie and "Bencer"

When Life Hands You Lemons . . .

It has often been said that when life hands you lemons, make lemonade.

So that's what we did tonight.

Thank You Papa John's

Here's a little story to make you chuckle. On New Year's Day we had Matt and Shari's family over for a turkey dinner. Tom requested a homemade Holiday meal, seeing as he missed both Thanksgiving and Christmas!

About noon Tom walked in with two pizza boxes. I was in the kitchen working on the dinner while I talked to my mom on the cell phone. I was thinking, "How sweet, he brought lunch because he knew I'd be really busy."

I said, "Oh, you ordered pizza," and he said, "Someone did." I just assumed that someone was him. As I continued my phone conversation he commented that the wings were a little spicy. I thought it was strange that he even ordered wings, since he never has in the past.

Anyhow, after I got off the cell phone, I asked him about the pizza. After we talked for a second, he informed me that HE didn't order the pizza, and I informed him that I didn't order the pizza either. As I looked at the sticker on the box, I realized that they had delivered the pizza to the right house number, just the wrong street!

Tom had pulled into the driveway about noon, and the delivery man pulled in right behind him. He handed Tom the pizzas--Tom signed the credit card slip and tipped the driver, thinking I had ordered the pizzas.

Once we figured it out, we called Papa John's to tell them about the mix-up. They told us to just destroy the pizza, and they'd make a new one to deliver to the right address. Yes indeed, we did destroy the pizza. Tasty destruction, indeed!

Snow in Phoenix?

That's right--snow in Phoenix. (Well, if you count it as snow when it's made by a snow machine!) We went with our good friends, the Paynes, to the zoo on New Year's Eve. The zoo did a countdown to New Year's at noon, and even had snow for the special occasion.

Sam loves the snow (even when it's dirty and almost melted--it was 70 degrees after all!)

Poor Tommy, he's already 3 and this was his first time playing in the snow.

Sammie and Tommy

Not his first experience in the mud, however, and I'm sure it's not his last.

If you know my child, it's a wonder he wasn't jumping in with the ducks!

Tommy's typical stance--I like to call it tantrum mode.

Tom and Tommy looking at the prairie dogs.

After Christmas Celebration

We were finally able to finish celebrating Christmas on December 28th. Tom missed Christmas here altogether, but I guess that's pretty much standard for the joyous life of a pilot. Anyhow, we made up for lost time once Daddy finally got home.

Tommy was pretty good at "helping" to open Daddy's presents.