NEW DIGS!

I promised photos, and by goodness, you shall have photos. We're all moved in and living large. However, it's going to take me about a year to unpack all the boxes. But that's okay! I've locked up the trailer, said goodbye to the hill, and settled nicely into my new open floor plan. Murdock is much happier to have humans around and the kids love all the mud/dirt. So how do we celebrate? I go into a moment of insanity and agree to allow my 11-year old to have a birthday sleepover in our basement. Eight of them. 11-year-old boys. Who still think farting and talking about "butts" is funny. Maybe I can just lock the basement door and unlock it after the party is over. Oh wait, we don't HAVE a basement door. Hmmmm.....didn't think about that when planning the house. Excuse me while I think up a Plan B. In the meantime, enjoy the photos:

Happy Birthday Brett!

My baby is 7 today! So here's to you son...thanks for all the humor you bring to me and the creative/funky imagination you share! Have a great day!

SO, last night Brett was so excited that his birthday was *practically* here. He wanted the whole family to sing happy birthday to him at dinnertime and nobody was indulging him. I could see how much despair he was in when he couldn't get anyone to sing Happy Birthday just one night early. So, after everyone left the table, I pulled a Ho-Ho out of the cupboard, stuck a blue candle in it, lit it and "whisper" sang Happy Birthday to him out of earshot of the rest of the clan. The smile I got was priceless.

Today I dropped him off at school with one of those cool new gawd-awful iced cupcake/cake thingies. The frosting is just absolutely disgusting. But kids love it and it prevented me from having to miss the "Grissom is leaving" episode of CSI in order to bake cupcakes last night. By the way it was a good ending....Grissom and Sarah reuniting. Nice touch.

Well, work is calling and I need to go for now...but have a great day!

Calling all Door Knob artists! CONTEST!

It's not a secret that most of my friends, if not all, are extremely creative animals! So, I plead with you....help me! One thing I really wanted to save from my old house was a set of antique doorknobs (metal/oval) to somehow incorporate as a piece of art/utility into my new home. But I'm really not quite sure what I will do...and I'm having a hard time finding any creative ideas online.

Here's your challenge:
Whoever comes up with the best idea that I actually END UP USING will receive a small gift. [Very small since I will be paying for a new house.] But never-the-less it will be something tres cool!

So put on your creative thinking caps and send your ideas to me. I will post the winner, when I receive one. Not to mention this will be a good way to see who REALLY follows my blog without me begging them.

DEADLINE: JANUARY 31!

Question: Will I be overwhelmed with wonderfully creative responses?
8-Ball says: MOST DEFINITELY!!!!

It was like this giant dinosaur from outerspace....

In a mere 15 minutes, what I once called home, was a pile of rubble left by a giant Godzillian arm of metal destruction.
Wow, I should really be a writer! Today we brought down the house. In preparation of course for a newer, safer model. It was so cool to watch the Goliath (I'm into G metaphors) machine work it's magic on the 100 year old lumber and horse-hair plaster we called home. Even cooler, was seeing the holes where once my shower stall and much-too-small kitchen resided.
SO now, without further ado, I give you the photos you've been waiting for...(can I get a drum-roll please?)

I'm still alive!

Decker clan in CO sledding.

Murdock a little too excited over his Christmas presents!!!

Christmas deer.

Just pretty. (Colorado)

Dream house/dream location.

Emma/Tracy

Denver

Sydney "the singing girl" and Travis

KC Wolf giving me the "eye"

Chiefs before the 4th quarter loss.

Gratuitous cheerleader high-kick shot for all my guy friends.

If you can get past the first couple of guys ladies, you'll see Ladainian in center. Travis's fave!

Cliff Notes on why I haven't blogged for 3+ months:
In September (shortly after my last blog) we found out our old farmhouse was full of toxic mold. So, we moved out. Into a trailer. On a hill. Overlooking rolling hills, and complete with fake concrete deer. My trailer name is Flo. Jim's is Hank. Kids are now referred to as Bubba1, Bubba2, and Jethrene. Tomorrow, a gigantic dozer comes and tears down our old house in preparation for the new house. SO, there you have it. Chaos in a nutshell.

SO, now that we have that out of the way, let me catch you up on some recent fun stuff....
First, there's football! Travis's favorite team is the Chargers. His ALL TIME fave player is of course, LT, only the best running back EVER....(travis's words). In mid-December a dear friend of mine scored some free tickets for Travis and I to the Chiefs vs. Chargers game....5 rows from the home bench and a schweet parking pass.

Then, two days later, we road-tripped it over to Colorado with my dad to visit Dusty and his family. What a blast! The best and funnest thing ever was seeing all the cousins playing together like they've been around each other forever. I really miss Sydney's opera!!!

Then it was Christmas. We were back in Kansas by Christmas and spent our first Christmas in the trailer. Ah, nothing says family like "Christmas in the trailer". Makes me tear up just thinking about it. But the cool thing was on Christmas morning after opening gifts, Jim looked out the South window and saw 7 does walking across our yard. I took pics through the window so I wouldn't disturb them. Jim refrained from pointing his 30/30 out of the window blinds and shooting the poor things.

So, there you have it. My life in 100 words or less (or more). Enjoy the pics and be looking for the exciting demolition pics to come very soon.

Happy holidays everyone!
Question: Are you still WT if your trailer is a double-wide? 8-ball says: Git-r-done!