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We (mom, Tammy and I) just spent the weekend in TX with my nieces. Lindsay as in the Miss Texas Teen pageant...and WON!! We were so excited and SO, SO glad to be there!!

I love my nieces so much and really, really miss them. We had a wonderful time and spent a lot of time laughing. They really just crack me up. Since my maturity level is around, oh, 16 years old...I find them very entertaining. My mom, (who is 60) not so much, LOL. She got tired of all the loudness and laughing after a while.

We did all have fun talking about girl stuff. Clothes and boys and sex. They are WAY too young to be thinking about HAVING sex...but we had some very informative discussions about safe sex in a fun way and I was so glad they feel like they can talk openly about that stuff with me. I have always had that with my mom and sister--and am glad they have it too. My mother was even a willing participant in some of our conversations--and actually gave some very funny input about sexy lingerie--which brought up something to do with a crotchless panty "wear-er" that mom knew...which brought peals of laughter and "GRANDMA!!!' from the girls! ROFL it was really, really fun.

Good to have girl time when I am surrounded by boys. Even Shelbea is a tom-boy. I swear, I can't win. I can't wait to see "my girls" again!

Quest for the perfect vaca

So, the search continues. Seems like I spend a LOT of my free time looking for a place to vacation. As soon as I think I have found the perfect place, I check the price and my jaw drops to the ground.

I wish we could afford Disney this fall instead of next fall and just go ahead and book a nice Orlando rental home and be done with it. But, we can't do it this year...I'm HOPING (fingers crossed) that we can go with our tax refund next year.

Anyway, I thought I found a great place on Norris....with a pontoon..but it's one lot away from the lake and Kyle would like to be right ON the lake. So the search continues....

Vacation Thoughts

Kyle and I were discussing where we want to go on vacation, IF we can scrape together some money for it. We asked the kids and they want to go to a cabin on a lake and rent a boat. There are some places not to far from here, that the rates aren't too god-awful. I'll have to check some more into it. We wouldn't be able to go until my job ends on 8/31, which means I will have to take Logan out of school for a few days. Not that that will be a problem since his school encourages family trips, etc.

Kyles aunt and uncle are building a house right on the lake in TN and I can't wait for it to be done..so we can visit them and vacation CHEAP! LOL They are retiring of course, so it will be another 18 months or so before they get down there..the house will be done soon though..so it will just be sitting there un-lived in. Kyle is going to try to talk them into renting it out by the week untile they can move down full time. I'm not sure they will go for it...it sounds like it's going to be REALLY nice!

They are so cute...typical retired couple...she is in to stamps...like rubber stamps and making greeting cards and he is all about golf. He is usually talking about some new Callaway golf item he has purchased or wants. I know they will be so happy when they can focus on their hobbies full time.

Anyway, I am hoping I get a job lined up so we can spend a small piece of my "bonus" on our vacation. and I hope I can find some place nice for us to go!

That reminds me...

ooh..when I made that post earlier about going to disney instead of staying here for the house renovations it reminded me of something stupid! Lucky you..I'm gonna share it!!

We have these um..."friends"..they're not really FRIENDS, per se, but we know them and see them at some of our other friends parties, etc. ANYWAY, they are a little strange. and not strange like ha ha strange..but strange strange.

ANYWAY...(you notice I do that a lot?!? annoying huh?) They were telling us how they were going on a Kissimmee Vacation this summer. I asked if they were going to Disney and she got all hush hush and whispered that they MAY check out Epcot but that they were not going to Disney world. She then said that was why she called it a Kissimmee vacation..and not a Disney Vacation. If they were going to Disney, she would have called it that.

How annoying and weird is that? See...that's why they aren't our friends!!!

Potty in a Bucket

I'm worried about the work that is going to be done on the bathroom. He said we would be without a bathroom..any type of bathroom for 2 days at least!! TWO DAYS!

At least the boys are boys and they can wee-wee in the backyard if need be. Kyle says he'll set me up a bucket in the basement. *rolleyes* I am so NOT peeing in a bucket.

Luckily my mom lives 4 doors down and I can go there. what a total pain and inconvenience though. I'm thinking maybe we should just go get a cheap hotel.

If I had money I would reserve us a nice Disney vacation home and go away for a week to visit Mickey and come home to a brand new house! That would be fun!! Next time we'll do it that way!!

Spending Tax Return $ Wisely

I filed our taxes on Friday and am already making big plans for it.

I have no plans to save it and I think my tentative plans for using some it for an awesome vacation have been put on the back burner.

Truth is, we really need to take care of some stuff around our house...buy some things to make our day to day life a little easier/better etc.

For one thing I really really need to look at home office chairs and purchase one. Mine is AWFUL..and since I am working so many hours a week now, I really need to get a new one. In the last couple of weeks I have been in a lot of pain in my neck and upper back..and I KNOW the chair has something to do with it.

So..I am in a search for that...and while I'm looking for that..I think I am going to look at Bunk Beds for the boys..their beds take up so much room and I really like having them in one room and the play room in the other.

There are so many sites out there to look at for this kind of stuff but I have found some really great furniture of ALL kinds at great priced furniture.com. It is so fun to look at all the different kinds of furniture and get ideas (and dream) about what I would like to have in my house.

So, if I'm scarce...it's because I am lusting over furniture somewhere!! *wink*