The Christmas Season

I love this time of year. Of course, it's taken several years for that to happen again after dad died - having kids certainly helped with that. Changes the entire experience when you get to experience it on "the other side." The festivities started with a staff party for GCC at Knollwood Country Club. It was a great time - hanging out with our best friends, eating great food, entertainment, gifts, and then downtime afterward with conversation and coffee. Good times.

Next was the staff party for Pages at the Turners - an absolute blast! I'll admit, I'm pretty picky about group games. I have very high standards! But Julie pulled through with some winners - and the "Elf" team (me, Keisha, Jeri, Jamie, Patty, Kimi, Michelle W., Jenny) cleaned house!! Fortunately, Mark got the best parts on tape so we'll have proof of what a slaughter ocurred on that wonderful December evening.

The next big event was the Christmas Eve service at GCC, for which the kids joined us in "big church" for the candlelight service. They thoroughly enjoyed the music and media. Abby's favorite part was "When Love Comes to Town" and Jacob liked the media "with the microphone with the blue light like the ipod commercial." Following the service, we went back to the McMullens for a gift exchange with our closest friends last night. All of the kids drew names, and all of the adults did the same. It was all kept as secret as humanly possible, and then the adults had to guess who bought their gift. It was a blast - the kids were thrilled not just to get their gifts, but in the buying for their very good friends. The whole thing was almost too much fun.

Adam worked most of the day today, with a short break for lunch at Martin's and a movie with the fam - Charlotte's Web. The kids really enjoyed it. Abby's favorite part was "when she saw the babies" and Jacob liked "when the girl stopped her dad from cutting up the little pig." Have to admit - I shed a tear over the death of a spider during this movie. A first (and probably last), to be sure. We dropped Adam off for the evening services and headed for the only open store in town - Meijer - for the very important cookie-making supplies that I had, as of yet, neglected to buy. That was an experience. Being that it was the VERY last store open, (Target and WalMart had closed at 6), everyone was at Meijer. The lines at the cash registers were miles long. Fortunately, we were in no real hurry and the kids were moderately well behaved, so we survived the experience. Afterall, Santa doesn't come if there aren't cookies, according to Abby. How does a parent argue with that??

The kids and I spent the rest of the evening making Christmas cookies, finishing up some Christmas gifts, playing XBox, and opening their Christmas Eve gifts from mom and dad - new jammies for each of them. Finally, they were off to bed and slowly to sleep. The excitement has been almost too much to bear. The wait is almost over!

Now for a couple of hours of wrapping...

What a week...

We started with my baby's 6th birthday. Abby is such an incredibly spirited and fun-loving little girl. She's so cuddly and affectionate - she wears her heart on her sleeve. She's a terrific student and loves going to school everyday. She like to sleep in, she loves to draw and write, and she's an animal lover. She lives for the moment - she's fully in to whatever it is that is happening right now. She's dramatic, emotional, and absolutely hysterical. Her deep brown eyes sparkle. She likes to swim like a fish in the bathtub, sing with the radio (she's got her mother's "skills"), and cuddle with daddy. She is a gift from God and I cannot imagine my life without her. Her smile brings joy to my heart.
The week, however, took an ugly turn when Tammy informed us later that night that their kids were vomiting (Tyler threw up at Culver's on Sat. night). They passed the torch to Daryl, who blew chunks all night on Sunday, and then Adam joined the action on Monday afternoon. By this point I was sure it was coming for all of us and the outlook for survival was bleak. Fortunately, the kids and I were spared.

Did I mention that Monday was Tammy's birthday? That's right - she spent her birthday caring for three sick kids and a sick husband. That HAS to be the worst birthday ever. So, we decided to postpone her birthday until everyone was healthy enough to actually help her celebrate it properly.


Speaking of my friend Tammy, I'd like to take this oppurtunity to make sure that everyone knows what an incredible person she is. I know I've said it before, but I'm going to say it again. I could not do life without her. She is the most sensitive, caring, supportive friend on Earth. She loves on my kids when I'm at work like a second mom, she holds me accountable when necessary, she monitors our marriage faithfully, and she puts up with me. THAT says it all right there. She's an incredible woman of God and lives it everyday. She sets an example that I aspire to. I pray that our daughters grow up to be just like her (with just a bit of me thrown in there for a little excitement!). I'll never understand how I was lucky enough that God would put her in my life, or how she can stand to be around me most days - she's basically my polar opposite - organized, considerate, thoughtful, insightful, and so much more. I just hope a little of it wears off on me from all of the time we spend together.

Tuesday and Wednesday were work days, but that didn't stop the excitement. I get a call from Tammy at work yesterday and she reports that a high-speed chase just ended in her backyard. That's right - a real, live episode of COPS right here in Granger, IN. Check it out: here and here.

Can't wait to see what the rest of the week brings...

Random

Have you ever opened the closet and thought, "I have nothing to wear." That's not to say that there's nothing in the closet - far from it. Plenty of stuff in there. But none of it appealing in any way whatsoever. That's where I'm at lately. I've got a few pairs of jeans that I could live in, but nothing to wear on top. Unfortunately for me, the weather's getting a little chilly for that fashion statement. And I have no intention of being arrested for indecent exposure.

The month of December is already flying by in a blur. Abby's 6th birthday is this coming weekend and I'm not at all prepared. Ok, I've got her "number 1" gift, but other than that - not ready. The house needs to be cleaned (when doesn't it), groceries bought, activities planned, cake baked... and have I mentioned that this is Thursday night? The party is on Sunday (the day of her birthday) and we've got a packed-full schedule from now until the morning of. I work tomorrow, GCC Christmas party tomorrow night, GCC Food Drop Saturday morning, pine car derby with the kids on Saturday afternoon, church Saturday night. This isn't going to be easy. The worst part of it is that I'd really like to be able to relax and enjoy this time - preparing for such an event should be fun and memorable. That's what I want for her. I think the biggest issue is procrastination. It's my middle name.

Have I mentioned that I have only barely started my Christmas shopping, haven't given cards a second thought, and we don't even have the lights on the tree yet...?

A GAME!

Just ripped this off of my friend "J-Mad"'s blog... Play along and send me a link to the post with your list, or put your list in my comments - it'll be FUN!! :)

1. Rockstar name (your first pet’s name + current street name) - "Murphy Pat" (maybe - but switch it around and we'd really have something!)

2. Gangsta name (fav. ice cream + fav. cookie) - "Peanut Butter Panic Peanut Butter" (odd...but the repetition does sound rap-ish!)

3. “Fly guy/girl” name (first initial of first name + first 3 letters of last name) - "BCal" (could be worse)

4. Detective name (favorite color + favorite animal) - "Green Dolphin"

5. Soap Opera name (middle name + city where you were born) - "Rebekah Kenosha" (that works)

6. Star Wars Name (First 3 letters of your last name + first 2 letters of first name) - "Calbe" (not bad!)

7. Superhero name (”the” + second favorite color + favorite drink) - "The Orange Margarita" (funny, but doesn't really inspire confidence)

8. Nascar Name (first names of your grandfathers) - "Steve Bob" (anything with Bob in it works!)

9. Stripper name (favorite perfume + favorite candy) - "Musk Ghiradelli" (ok, I don't have a favorite perfume, but if I did, this would be it, even if just for the name! HA!!)

10. Witness Protection name (parents middle names) - "Mae Bryant" (perfect!)

Ok...ENOUGH HARASSMENT!!!

I know. I've neglected the blog. No really good reasons - just the usual. Busy. Have I mentioned to ya'll that I'm technically responsible for the upkeep of SIX BLOGS, besides my own??!? That's a lot. Sure, they were kind of my idea. But the IDEA of keeping up six blogs doesn't sound like such a big deal...until you actually have to do it. Time consuming. But not just that, but I get to spend enough time with BLOGGER to become intimately familiar with all of it's...flaws. It's safe to say that the honeymoon period is officially over.

So, what's the latest? Jacob and Abby have been sick over the past week or two. Fevers, ear infections, sinus infections, antibiotics, and never-ending coughing. It's been a long week. Poor kids. It appears that we're coming to the end of the beginning of this season... FUN!

Most recently - I had the unusual opportunity tonight to be driven in a limo to go shopping and get dinner. Judy, a customer from the store with whom I've become aquainted, invited me to join her and a few of her other friends in this fun-filled evening. Apparently Judy also has some friends at Chicos clothing store - and they like her well enough that they nominated her for a "Random Act of Kindness" from the chain's national headquarters. They sent a limo to her house, the limo drove us to Chicos in Granger where we had a special, exclusive sale, and then the limo took us to get dinner and for a drive around town. The ladies chose to have pizza IN the limo and drive to the ND campus for some sight-seeing. It was a lot of fun - very kind of Judy to include me. I was able to buy some things for my mom that I would NEVER have been able to afford otherwise! AND, Judy bought me an adorable pair of colorful knit gloves - I love them!

I got home to a house full of kids - we have the McMullen's kids overnight so that Tammy and Daryl can celebrate Daryl's birthday together...alone. No, I have NO idea what they might be doing. Alone. Together. ;) HAPPY BIRTHDAY DARYL!!

Looking forward to the big 20th Anniversary service at church tomorrow - should be some BIG surprises and a lot of reminiscing, which is always fun!

VOTE!!

Halloween

The kids wait all year for this night. They discuss what they're going to be "next year" as soon as the morning after. This year was no exception - they had a blast! Of course, they had a few sketchy moments: one has a fear of masks, another had sore feet due to the wearing of plastic dress-up shoes, and most had freezing body parts (including the moms). Despite all that, a good time was had by all as the Callenders and McMullens continued the combined Trick or Treating tradition! Click on the picture to see more!

ps. While just taking another look at the pictures myself, it ocurred to me that all 5 kids wore a costume that starts with a "P"! Princess x 3, Pirate and Puppy!!

CALIFORNIA PICTURES HERE!

Sunny SOCAL

Steve and mom picked me up from my house at 4:30am. Ouch. We headed straight for the airport for our 6am flight. Checked our bags, went through security, hung out for a while and then got on the plane. 45 minutes later we're on the ground in Chicago. Grabbed a coffee and some Mickey D's for breakfast, hung out, took a little nap, and finally got on the plane heading for San Diego. Fairly long flight. Read, listened to the iPod, looked out the window. Saw New Mexico. Pretty cool.

We landed in San Diego around 10:30am - still had the whold day ahead of us! We walked down to grab out luggage and who should walk up right behind us?? That's right, Katie. The one who's supposed to have to work all day. Nice surprise. We picked up our rental (upgraded thanks to Katie and her "gifts") and headed straight for the San Diego Zoo! Three adult women at the zoo. Fun. It was HUGE and there was tons to see, but my favorites had to be the polar bears, giraffes, elephants, and pandas. Got some great photos. Spent the rest of the day there, then left and headed to La Jolla to see the ocean and the seals. Gorgeous. Saw crabs and sea anemonies and pelicans, and all sorts of other stuff in the tide pools - incredible. After that we drove back up to Katie's place and crashed hard.

Thursday morning we woke up early to head to L.A. for a taping of the Price Is Right. Lots of traffic. Hours of traffic. Got there and waited. For hours. We were on standby, but did eventaully make it in to the show. What an eye-opening experience. The studio is TINY. It looks nothing like what you see on TV. Everything is so small and cheap looking. It all looked homemade. Bob Barker was incredibly nice and friendly - talked to the audience between every take and took questions. Katie got us blacklisted from being on the show - completely not her fault. She works for Apple. They give away Apple products. Bummer. Oh well, it was still a lot of fun to see and experience the whole thing. For example, we met some really interesting people while we waited in line for HOURS. Two nice people - AnnMarie and Jordan, from Canada - and The Cat Lady. She came to a taping of the Price Is Right with a cat on her shoulder. Seriously. A live cat. On her shoulder. With a little rope leash. While talking with this woman she explained that she bakes, and she pulled a football-shaped fruitcake out of her bag of stuff. That pretty much says it all. Anyway, she was semi-quietly removed from the "audience" just before we were allowed into the building for taping. By the way, a girl across the aisle from us won TWO cars. One by "mistake" - watch the show on December 15 to see what I mean.

After taping we walked around The Grove - a mall where I can't afford to buy...well, anything, and the farmer's market. Very cool. Then we decided to take the PCH (Pacific Coast Highway) from L.A. back to Katie's place in Laguna Niguel. FOUR HOURS later we got out of the car. Bad idea. Motorcycle accident, about 42 wrong turns, closed ramps, pennisulas, and more u-turns than I could count...made for a very long day. Total of at least 6 hours in the car, between the two trips. Yowza. Sharon and Steve, some of Katie's best new friends here in CA, came over so we could meet them. Hung out for a while and laughed a lot. Nice people! :) Thanks again for the ice cream and brownies, guys! After that, we hit the hot tub for a while - nothing better than cool air and a hot tub. Perfection.

Friday morning we slept in a little bit and then met Steve in Dana Point to go sailing on Steve's boat - on the ocean!! Way cool! It was absolutely gorgeous - warm, breezy but calm, and sunny. Perfection. Saw a couple of pirate ships and a sea lion up close and personal. WOW. After that outing we went for some incredible Mexican food and then drove up the PCH to Huntington Beach to meet my Great Aunt Eileen and the CA family for dinner. Got to hang out with Aunt Eileen, Paulette, Fred, Wendy, Mark, and Brandon for the evening. Good times. They are hilarious people - could have talked for hours. Wait, that's right...we did. Loads of fun. A quick stop at Ikea and Nordstrom Rack, then back to Kate's and the hot tub.

Saturday morning we got up and ready, then headed to a nearby nail salon for manicures and pedicures. Ahhh, that's good stuff. I could get used to that! Then we drove up the PCH again and walked the shops in Laguna Beach, stopping for lunch at BJ's - with a view of the ocean. Not too bad. After a little shopping (but not buying - did I mention it was Laguna Beach?) we headed back South, stopping at a few stores along the way. Then we hit Walmart for some cleaning supplies and rented a Rug Doctor, preparing to give Katie's place a good sanitizing. (Mom was having some issues with the place - it was never thoroughly cleaned after the last tenant, who was a smoker the owner of a black dog. Oh, and he was a gay porn star.) So, I went from a manicure and pedicure in the morning, to painting, carpet cleaning and scrubbing in the evening. Such is my life. Back to normal. After a couple of hours of that, we opened a bottle of wine and then hit the hot tub. Nice finish to the day.

Today is Sunday (did you roll your clocks back??) and I haven't yet gotten out of bed. We've got a trip to San Diego, and possibly Mexico, ahead of us today before our flight leaves at 10:50pm. That's right - an all-nighter. Gotta love a red-eye. Not to mention a 3-hour layover at O'Hare at 4am... should be an interesting day. Oh, and we get to go from 80's and sun, to 50's (if we're lucky) and permacloud. But at least I'll get to see Adam and the kids...about 24 hours from now. :)

Vegas...again.

Just got back from another trip to Vegas - in fact, my 3rd in a year! As far as I'm concerned, no one needs to go to Vegas that often. Went for Memory Trends - the final trade show of the calendar year. As always, it was a LOT of work, but still fun all at the same time. We (Jeri, Julie and I) left town on Monday at 2:50 via Allegiant Airlines and South Bend Regional. It was awesome to fly DIRECT from SB to Vegas, but Allegiant is definitely an interesting way to travel. They charge for EVERYTHING - including water and peanuts. Their flights are reasonable - but not that reasonable. Seriously...$3 for WATER??!?

The work started about 30 minutes into the flight (writing lists of all of the papers we need to reorder for every single company) and didn't end for almost 12 hours. We arrived in LV and jumped right on the shuttle. We weren't going to make our first appointment, so the driver dropped us and our luggage off in an alley behind the Sands Expo. We walked (quickly) for what had to be a couple of miles, dragging our luggage all the way. We made it, scarfed as much shrimp, cheese and crackers as we could fit into our faces, place our order at Making Memories, and dashed out the door for out next reception at TI with Creative Imaginations. (Speaking of CI - want to see something really...interesting?) We lugged our bags from the Sands to our hotel, the Mirage, which was right next to (which, in Vegas, means only 1/2 a mile away) TI. After dumping our stuff at the Bellman's desk, we took a tram (yipee!) to TI. We ate a little more there, and started placing our order, but we were running late for our last appointment of the evening, so I ditched the CI party and crossed the street to get to the Venetian to meet with the folks from Quickutz. They had the most incredible desserts!!! I can almost still taste the tiramisu! Julie and Jeri met me when they were done and QK proceded to knock our socks off with their new stuff. We sat and chatted with Spence and Kyle until sometime after 11:00 (which is only 2am our time) and then headed back to the Mirage to see our hotel room for the first time. We organized reorders, stapling lists of papers to P.O.s, I wrote an email and scheduled it to be sent the following day at Noon, introducing QK's new products the moment they revealed it to the general public, and Jeri and Julie plotted out routes for the show on Tuesday. We finally turned in around 2am, if I remember right (again - 5am our time). Ouch.

Tuesday morning was spent getting catalogs from all of the vendors present (the 3 of us divide and conquer) and Tuesday afternoon saw us furiously writing orders from about 1:00 on. We turned in a few (some companies give discounts for orders placed the first day of the show) and then took the rest with us as homework for the rest of the night. We took them with us to dinner at Caribe Cafe and cranked them out. I don't remember what time we went to bed, but I know it was late.

We spent Wednesday morning turning in all of those orders we had written the night before, and Wednesday afternoon taking pictures. We also visited the QK booth for our trip onto the "cash machine." Each of us got a turn, and Spencer joined me for mine. Don't know whose idea that was, but I was definitely set up! Spence spent most of his time pinning me to the plexiglass so that I couldn't use my arms for anything but to protect my face. I laughed so hard that I nearly wet myself. Despite his best efforts to sabotage my chances at winning free stuff, I persevered. The technique of the PIT girls was to "grab and stuff" - Julie and Jeri had dollar bills falling out of their shirts for several minutes after the experience. I, unfortunately, was unable to stuff. I was just happy I could see through the tears and that I didn't break any bones. Most memorable moment of MT 2006, without a doubt.

Madison and Dave from My Mind's Eye took us out to dinner at Canaletto in the canal shoppes in the Venetian and we got to learn all about Madison and his 10 SIBLINGS!! Did I mention that he's from Utah? Had a great time and laughed a LOT. After dinner, the girls and I wandered out to people-watch, and volcano-watch, from the balcony on the front of Venetian before heading back to the Mirage to pack and prepare for a VERY early flight the next morning.

The shuttle picked us up outside the hotel at 4:30am, a.k.a. O'darkhundred. That sucked. We had the privilege of waiting in some long lines at the airport before we finally grabbed a Burger King breakfast and a mocha from Starbucks. Our flight left at 7:20 and we arrived in SB at 3:00 (that time change is a killer on the way back!). I got a little sleep in on the flight, which is a good thing because I spent most of the evening, and well into the night, getting ready for the garage sale that started this morning (more on that later). A busy week, to be sure, but what would life be without a little excitement??!?

When 2 becomes 7...

• There aren't enough seats around the table to feed all of them at once.
• I don't have enough spoons.
• This:

becomes this:

• An 8 passenger Suburban becomes a necessity instead of just being a "cool toy."
• I'm constantly running the dishwasher.
• I think I've changed more diapers today than I did the entire time Jacob and Abby wore them.
• It takes an entire loaf of bread to make sandwiches for lunch.
• I go through a gallon of milk in one day.
• I hear a cry for help, or a "behavior report" (aka tattling) about every 32 minutes.
• Markers have become contraband.
• When I go out in public, people look at me like I am: A) Crazy, B) Brave, and/or C) Catholic.

So far all have survived. We'll see how the rest of the day goes. Tori is making "pushing" sounds as I type, so diaper #7342 is on the horizon...

Family

My nieces, Adia and Tori, are staying with us for the week while my brother and his wife are in Branson. It's been quite a while since we've seen the girls, but once the cousins were all together again, it took no time at all for them to be instant friends again. We spent the day together today - Jacob, Abby, Adia, Tori, my mom and me - at McDonald's for lunch and then at "The Pumpkin Train" in Wakarusa. Mom and I were hurting for ideas of creative and fun things to do with a bunch of kids on a beautiful Fall day, and this is what she came up with. It turned out to be a real winner. The kids had an absolute blast! The train took us out and around to a little make-shift pumpkin patch where each of us got to choose a pumpkin before re-boarding the train and heading back to the station. They were thrilled with the ride, enjoyed picking their pumpkins, and just had a good time being together again. It was nice to watch. Cousins should be close.

The reason we have Tori and Adia this week, as I mentioned above, is that Steve and Jessica are away for the week. They are doing a marriage counseling session in Branson, MO. This is an important week for them and their children, so if you are the praying type, and I hope that you are, please try to remember their family this week. We believe that a miracle is possible, and at this point, that's what it would take. Please pray for God's will in their lives, whatever that is.

The photo that we'll use on their wedding announcement one day...

A light at the end of the tunnel...

So, it's been a really long week. One that you couldn't pay me to repeat. Of course, it's ICC week, which basically means that I haven't seen Adam since last Monday morning for a couple of hours. So there's the single-parenting thing all week... that's no fun. I also worked 60 hours this week. I'm prone to exaggeration. This is not one. I worked 60 hours this week. The week of ICC. I clearly have some type of mental imbalance to allow this to happen.

A day didn't pass this week without some type of incident. Literally.

• Monday - saw Rachel spitting her dinner in the trash. At least she wasn't cutting her hair. Again.
• Tuesday - long day and late night at work and Tammy getting stuck watching my kids til 11:30 at night.
• Wednesday - two kids tantrum-ing themselves to sleep.
• Thursday - you name it. A virtual plethora of mind-numbing experiences meant to break my spirit until I laid on the floor like a pool of quivering jello.
• Friday - the honor and privilege of working a full 8.5 hour day, knowing that I would get to return at 10:30 that evening for a few more hours of setting up for an overnight event at work.
• Saturday - got to work at noon and didn't leave until 6:30am THE NEXT DAY. That brings us to...
• Sunday - blissfully peaceful so far. Trying to relax and regain my sanity after one of the worst weeks I've had in recent history.

Fortunately, I happen to have the best friend a person could have on the ENTIRE planet!! I was absolutely dreading this weekend. By the time Friday rolled around, I was in a mental hole I had dug for myself with no imaginable way of crawling out until the weekend was behind me. Leave it to Tam to find a way to pull me out of it. Just a couple of hours into my shift on Saturday, Allison wandered in the front door to deliver some of my favorite snacks - Cool Ranch Doritos, Ghiradelli caramel-filled chocolates and a (much-needed) DEW!! What a pick-me-up!! A handful of hours later, another delivery - homebaked chocolate, chocolate chunk cookies, Reese's peanut butter cups, a card, and a MOCHA from Seattle's Best!!! At that point, the other girls began to fight with me over Tammy. They were literally plotting ways to take her away from me. NEVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Seriously - she IS the definition of the word friend in human flesh. Thoughtful, caring, concerned, sacrificial, loving, generous, trust-worthy, considerate, and the list goes on. I don't know how God saw fit to put her in my life, but I'll be the first to say that I couldn't do life without her. She's not just my best friend - she's a second mother to my kids, she holds me accountable and keeps me sane, she's a strong and passionate Christ-follower, and an all-around outstanding human being. Think I'm exaggerating? Then you don't know her. Anyone who does would quickly agree.

Thanks Tam. I just pray that someday I'm able to return the favor. What you probably saw as something small you were doing to brighten my day was SO much more than you even know. I don't deserve you.

Love, me

Get ready for a laugh...


disclaimer: if you are actually white and nerdy, i apologize for any hurt feelings. i mean no offense. then again, if you are white and nerdy, you may not realize why this is so funny. word.

Adam and I have been to two more concerts this year than we've been to in probably the last 5, or even 10. In fact, I can't really remember the last concert we went to before this year...with the exception of Def Leppard in 1991. Anyway, I digress...

In August, Adam and I made the quick trip to Chicago (btw, if you drive there on a Friday afternoon and take Stony Island, you're IN!! Took us about and hour and 15 minutes to get downtown - sweet!) to see Teddy Geiger. Little did I know just how popular this new, young musician (17 years old, to be exact) was with the teenage girls. Wow. Nothing like spending the evening with a few thousand teenagers, and being a couple out of only a handful that are old enough to sit in the bar, to make you feel ancient. A few thoughts streamed through my head at different points in the night, like: "I'm old enough to be his mother," (a very young, unmarried one, but still...), and "my son is only 10 years younger than that kid," and "He was born the year I graduated from high school." None of them were very pleasant thoughts, to be sure. You may be asking yourself, "Why would they go spend the evening with a bunch of screaming teenagers just to see this kid?" The answer is simple: he's an absolutely incredible - no, GIFTED, musician. I think back to myself at 17 years old, and compare my accomplishments (or lack thereof) to what he's doing and it just blows my mind. Talk about passion and purpose!

So that brings me to last night. Adam and I took the afternoon off work and drove down to Noblesville for the Sheryl Crow/John Mayer concert. We made a quick (or, according to Adam, not so quick) stop at Scrapbook Corner, grabbed dinner from Qdoba (yummy), and headed out to the middle of a cornfield, what they call Verizon Wireless Music Center (formerly Deer Creek), for the show. Adam paid for "premier parking" so we pulled up near the gate, parked and headed inside. Not only did he shell out the big bucks for parking, but he also got us seats in the pavillion (section F - dead center) rather than in the lawn. Man, does he spoil me!! We had excellent seats, perfect for snapping a few pictures that you can see HERE. Sheryl Crow was ok. She doesn't really do much for me. Apparently most of the others there agree with me because the crowd sat for most of her warm-up. (Sidenote: Imagine how strange it must be for her, a 40-something-year-old woman who's been in the business for as many years as she has, opening for this not-even-30-year-old rising star...)

John Mayer, on the other hand, was unbelieveable! Incredibly talented, FUNNY, and pretty humble, considering the position he's currently in. He's an amazing musician - I'm SO glad we got to see him in person. It was even worth the torturously long drive home on US31 - the worst roadtrip EVER!! (Especially since I wasn't the one driving us home at 2 in the morning! Thanks sweetie!)

So, I find myself with some time on my hands. A rarity lately. Three kids in school all day (Abby and Allison are at Kinderclub today to make up for missing on Monday), Rachel at dance lessons (thank you Daryl for the shuttle service), and Tyler down for a nap. I am alone. Odd.

I'm not the only one freaking out just a little at this strange Thursday occurrence. Take a look at what Tyler did with his free time this morning:

Poor kid. This is what happens when the last child of...well, basically 5, ends up with all the older ones out of the house and on their own. Now his hidden OCD tendencies are free to make an appearance without fear of criticism or being ostracized! haha

Now to make the most of this golden opportunity: crank up a little JT (new album next week! Woohooo!!) and do some long-overdue scrapbooking. I know, exactly what you would be doing, right?? ;)

What I Did Over Labor Day Weekend by Becky Callender

Thanks to Grandpa Horton and his expert planning and diagramming of my would-be-landscaping, we now have a beautiful assortment of shrubs in front of our house. Grandpa made a list, drew a picture, and took digital pictures of the shrubs I needed to buy (yes, he knows how ignorant I am in this area) all to make sure it turned out just the way we wanted it - and it did!
Mom and I went on Saturday to Varner's to pick out what we needed - I left with two Dwarf Alberta Spruce, two barberrys, three boxwoods and an ornamental grass. We brought them home and set them out where Grandpa said they should go and it looked incredible! And they weren't even in the ground yet!!

The planting began Sunday around noon. Mom helped me with placement and pulled A LOT of weeds while I did the rock moving, shoveling, planting and rock replacing. We put the ornamental grass in a pot next to the front door, and VIOLA - we were done in just a couple of hours!

We decided I needed another barberry on the other side of the front door, and I wanted some more ornamental grass for a couple of other spots in the yard, so back to Varner's we went - mom ended up with 4 mums - and I got my barberry (they were out of grass). I spent the rest of the day weeding the front of the house and trimming trees - all for the effect you see below. If only the backyard could be this easy...

Before

After

A waste of time? Maybe. Meaningless? Possibly. One of the most creative, fun and unusual methods of entertainment (and even exercise) I've ever seen... Absolutely.

The Treadmill Performance from the VMA's. Hang in there through the commercials and stuff - it's worth it. Trust me.

Summer's Over...

So, I just wrote this whole nice long post about the kids going back to school, and Abby's first days of Kindergarten, and then it was lost. So, this is what you get until I have the patience to do it again!
Click on the picture to see some more...

A Weekend Away

We had a terrific weekend as a family, along with our very best friends, the McMullens and the Ruths. We packed up early Friday morning and made the 5+ hour trip up to Wisconsin Dells and the Kalahari Waterpark Resort. Click on the picture above for photo highlights. It was an incredible trip with incredible friends. More details later, but I can't wait til we do it again!

Last Day of Swimming Lessons

Abby's FIRST time going off the diving board!

Aiming for Miss Kelly's arms...

Woohoooo!!

Jacob's an old pro!

It's SUPERMAN!!

Belly flop - ouch!!

Thanks, Miss Kelly, for a great two weeks! See you next summer!

Diving Lessons

The kids have entered their last week of swimming lessons for the summer, and today they started diving. Jacob had his first experience with it during the first session in June, but this was Abby's first time in the deep end of the pool - and she did GREAT! She didn't even hesitate - in fact, she was first in line. Of course, we're still working on form with both of them, but I'm just happy they're having a good time and getting used to the idea of swimming in the deep end.

They both have made so much progress in their swimming this summer - I really can't believe it. Jacob's strokes look awesome - just working on turning his head to breathe (rather than the lifting and shaking-like-a-wet-dog technique!). Abby is swimming on her own most of the time. She swims well underwater, and is even making progress with her front crawl - the teacher can let go and she swims all the way back to the wall by herself. I'm so proud of my kids for doing their best and having a good time learning new things! I love going and watching and cheering them on. I don't even care that I look like an absolute idiot for cheering for a couple of kids at swimming lessons!

My goal for tomorrow - get Abby's front crawl on video tape. There really is no way to describe it verbally but, basically, she swims like a snake. All the movement is in the area of her hips - her whole head is under the water, her arms are going like a windmill, and her butt is up in the air and swishing right to left like a metronome on speed. I literally sit in the gallery and laugh out loud. I love it. Click on the picture for more great shots (by Adam) of diving lessons.

We have SHUTTERS!!

I was gone all weekend, but that didn't stop Adam from getting some serious work done on the house. I came home to these beautiful shutters! They make such a difference on the front of the house - I can't believe it! What an incredible surprise!! Nothing better than that. He also removed one of the (unused) satellite dishes from the roof of the house and patched a hole up there, so we shouldn't have a waterfall in the kitchen next time a thunderstorm rolls around. Pretty exciting. He also mowed the lawn. Busy guy!

A couple weeks ago I planted some flowers in what will soon (hopefully) be a window box, (that's what's sitting on the sidewalk in front of the big windows in front of the house), and in a planter to sit next to the front door. Next should come some landscaping - bushes, flowers, rocks, etc., and fixing the downspout, some ground lighting, and the FRONT of the house should be about done. But then there's the backyard...

CHA-Summer 2006 Sneak Peek!

Click on the picture for a preview of what we saw at the Craft & Hobby Association Trade Show today!

Abby-cam!

I love this picture that Abby took (all by herself) of Tyler - too cute!

Weekend Update

A few things going on around here lately:

• Friday was a work day, so nothing all that special to report there. However, that evening was family night. We've started what is quickly becoming a weekly tradition - dinner at China One. Our kids LOVE the buffet! Jacob LOADS up on fried shrimp and Abby loves egg drop soup and sweet and sour chicken, but mostly they love the ice cream for dessert!
• Saturday was Venetian, and we did something unusual this year. Tammy, Jami, Mom and I drove up to St. Joe in the early afternoon to make a half-day of the thing. We did a lot of talking, eating, a little swimming and sunbathing, and mostly just enjoying each other's company. It was really a PERFECT day, and my BFF says it was. The weather was beautiful, despite being 90+ degrees, and Adam, Daryl and the Verduins joined us just in time for the fireworks. Incredible.
• Today was a hot, lazy day. We stayed inside and took advantage of the air conditioning. The kids started VBS tonight at Grace Church. It's the same place where the kids go to AWANA, and they do their VBS every year with excellence. Tonight we walked in the doors and immediately found ourselves underwater. It was amazing. Translucent blue plastic covered the ceilings, the walls were decorated with fish and other seacreatures, and the floors were marked with a treasure map. The kids learned more about Jesus because those people cared enough to love them well and spend their time, energy and money showing them that Jesus loves them and their friends.
• A benefit of the kids being at VBS for 2 hours tonight is that Adam and I had some time alone. We got to go out and grab dinner, do a little shopping, and just hand out together. Very cool. Almost makes you think that those wonderful people at Grace might have planned that, scheduling their events in the evening like that!

Tomorrow we start swimming lessons again - the kids are geeked about it, and I'm pretty excited, too.

Thursday I leave for our Summer trade show, CHA-S and I get to spend a lot of someone else's money buying things that I will eventually get to display in and buy from our store. Lots of fun, LOTS of hard work, very little sleep. It'll be great. I'll need a few days off when I get home just to recover!

It'll be a good week - I'll keep you posted!

News Flash!!

For those of you who know me at all, this should come as quite a surprise. Adam and I joined a gym. Actually, a "Fitness Center." The church staff is getting a corporate discount at the new Anytime Fitness, which happens to practically be in the church parking lot, and, as the name indicates, we will have 24/7 access to the place. Pretty cool feature for those of us who happen to be night owls (or, I guess, also for those of YOU who like to get up in the morning - sickos!). The place is pretty sweet - tons of beautiful, new equipment that I don't know how to use. And it has some incredible benefits, like classes being included in the membership, and an incredible security system. The couple who owns/runs the place also go to GCC - way cool. So, now all I have to do is...GO.

Mini Vacation at Great Wolf

Our original plan was to spend the week of the 4th Up North with the fam, but when that didn't work out, we juggled some things around and made some last minute plans to head over to Sandusky for a couple of days at an indoor waterpark resort. Great Wolf Lodge was the one we picked, and so we packed up the car and headed out on the 5th.

The kids were shocked by what they found once we got there - we had told them we were going to an indoor waterpark, but since they had never been to one, they really didn't know what to expect. They kept asking if we'd get to go in and use the pool. Uh...yeah. Once we changed and headed in, they didn't hesitate to jump right in.

This place ended up being a great choice because there wasn't anything there that our kids couldn't do. They tried every one of the slides and activities - many times. They even parked in the hottub a couple of times. All of the water park activities were indoors, which ended up being good because it was actually chilly outside the first couple of days - we figured this out when we went to use the outdoor pool. Today, however, it warmed up enough that sitting outside was more than comfortable and the kids had a great time swimming like fish before we headed back inside for a few last times down the slides. It was a great, relaxing, memory-making few days that we all enjoyed a lot. Our next family vacation can't come soon enough. More pics here.

4th of July Happenings

We drove down to "Papa's Lake" for some fun in the sun. Click on the picture for the highlights.

Swimming Lessons Highlights

Click the picture for some photo-highlights of their last 2 weeks at swimming lessons.

Trees WILL Fear Us

Oh, the carnage!

Oh, the inhumanity!!

We've got a dumpster!!

We used Adam's truck and a really big chain to pull some of the fence posts and trees out of the ground on the West side of the house - and *I* got to drive the truck!! (under Adam's direction, of course) The neighbors were trying hard not to stare. Too bad, because I'm pretty sure it would have been very entertaining for them! I'm sure they think we've finally flipped out or something. I'm thinking they'll all be so grateful for the improvements by the time we're done that it might be worth while for me to take up a collection to help cover costs. Maybe they'd pay for a privacy fence so they didn't have to look at the place any more! Worth a shot, isn't it?

A rough night

Abby's sick. Not sure yet if it's the flu or something she ate, (that question will be answered if another of the kids comes down with it) but whatever it is has effectively been purged from her system. Started around 3am and lasted straight through 9am, about every 30 minutes or so. Fortunately, she's my "easy puker." If you don't know what I'm talking about, refresh your memory here. She's such a little sweetheart - she actually makes it possible for me to show mercy - something I really struggle with.

Poor kid had to miss swimming lessons this morning and church tonight - she wasn't too happy about either. She did a lot of laying around, watching tv and, once things starting staying down, drinking a little juice. We're hopeful for a full recovery by morning so that she can return to her normal activities (and so that I can get a full night's sleep!).

Two Things...

First:

Swimming lessons have started up again for the summer! The kids wait, literally, ALL YEAR for this to happen, and they are having a great time. The first day (Monday) was "testing" day to determine which level the kids belong in. Abby is in level 2 (for the third time - at $35 per session - but hey, she's having a good time!) and Jacob has graduated to level 3. If I have my say in the matter, we'd do swimming lessons all year round. It's a blast. The kids are having fun, and I have just as much fun watching them and their whole-hearted efforts. There is nothing more entertaining than watching a kid learn to swim. You're just going to have to trust me on this. Or, show up at Penn High School some morning this week or next from 9:20-9:50 and see it for yourself. Tammy and I will be there - look for us in the bleachers.

Second:

Those of you who know me may already know some of this story, but stick with me. I have a 2000 Honda Odessey. Bought it used from Basney Honda in Mishawaka, IN, with their "Honda Certified Used Car" extended warranty. Last fall, I began to have some issues with my van. The sliding door was broken. And my service engine soon light was on. And my TCS light was on. And my maintenance required light was on. All very annoying, and all needing attention. Since my van was still under warranty, I took it last Fall to Basney for have it serviced. After taking a look at it, they informed me that NONE of the service I needed was covered by my warranty. That didn't sit well with me. In fact, I took the van and left, without the service being completed, and never looked back. Keep in mind that this is the 3rd used vehicle we've purchased from Basney, in part because of their extended warranty. Not happy.

Last week, I finally got around to calling Honda about the situation to let them know my feelings about my warranty. I talked to a very pleasant and helpful man named Mark who happened to be the account rep for Basney (how lucky can I get?). He asked if I would reconsider going back to Basney if he arranged for the service to be taken care of. Free repairs? Yeah, I can handle that. I called Basney to make the appointment and proceeded into a half hour debate with one of the service managers over a bill I had refused to pay last fall (charging me for the service ESTIMATE?? I don't think so). We each made it very clear how we felt about the situation, with passion, and then he promised to have the other service manager call me back. John called and scheduled me for service the following Tuesday (yesterday). I dropped the van off yesterday morning and they ended up keeping it overnight. When I picked it up this evening - a working slider door, no service engine light, no TCS light... it's a beautiful thing. I walked out the door paying absolutely nothing. Not a cent. Thank you Mark.

Now, I am fully expecting my van to implode once it reaches exactly 1 mile past the warranty period. Don't ask me how it will happen, but I know some mechanics and I'm pretty sure they can do it. But for now, I'm pleased with the situation at the moment, and I'm very grateful for the excellent customer service that MARK at HONDA saw fit to provide. Good man.

Happy 1 year bloggiversary to ME!

So, it's been a year since I started to do this thing called blogging... I can't believe it's been that long! In honor of this monumental event, I've gone with a new look for the blog - hope you like it! Thanks to everybody who checks in with the Callenders every now and then, and who puts up with my ramblings about whatever happens to be on my mind. A lot has happened in the last year, and I can only imagine that the coming year will be just as, well - active.

-Becky

Happy Father's Day

Father's Day has typically been a difficult day for me in years past, since my dad hasn't been around for about 16 years now. He died when I was 16, so there wasn't much for me (or my siblings) to celebrate when that particular holiday would roll around every year. I remember feeling left out, especially those first few years after he died - no cards to buy, no gifts to pick out and wrap, no dinner after church. I actually remember thinking on a few occassions, as people would ask, unknowingly, what my Father's Day plans were, "I don't have a father." But then I'd catch myself, every time, because my dad taught me a very valuable lesson during the time I did have him here with me. I don't remember exactly how the subject came up, but it must have been in response to me calling him my father at some point - he would stop me and say, "I'm not your father. I'm your dad. God is your Father." (Matt. 23:9) It didn't mean a whole lot to me at the time, but in the years that have followed his death, the lesson took on new meaning. I'm not alone. My Father will never leave me. I'm not one to look for a sign from God in just anything - not that I think he couldn't - but today I'm pretty sure I got one:
Matthew 23:9 - And do not call anyone on earth 'father,' for you have one Father, and he is in heaven.

1 John 3:1 - How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!

The latest...

That would be a fancy little thermometer/clock/calendar thing that we have in our bedroom. Yes, you're reading that right. 91 degrees about 20 minutes ago. Our A/C went out earlier this week (the first we noticed it was Thursday).

Fortunately my new best friend (just kidding Tam), Larry Cole from Granger Heating and Air, just left here an hour or so ago and things seem to be back online. Let's hope so, because I'm not going to last much longer!


We have DIRT!! We also have a problem: