In Which I Ruminate...

As some of you know, we are dealing with Mark's mom's moderate to severe Alzheimer's Disease. She refuses to see a doctor, won't take so much as an aspirin, and considers herself to be healthy "pioneer stock". Mark's dad is doing the best he can and has taken over the cooking and such, but she's really way too much for him to have to look after. They are in their early 80s and he has health issues of his own. She's bad enough that she's preventing him from seeking the care he needs as well. Anyway, without going into all the gory details, it is time for her to be cared for in a facility and we are starting Monday with getting her evaluated and placed.

Soooo, in Mark's communications with his sister about all this, he was presented with the story of how he came to be a part of their family.

Mark's mom has always told conflicting stories about the adoption of their children. He was never really sure where he or his sister came from or the reason his parents couldn't have children of their own. His sister told him yesterday that his birth mother is a relative of a woman his parents knew socially here in our hometown. She claims to have seen this woman once and says there is a very strong resemblance. My mom, Mark and I have, on rare occasion, seen a young man(maybe 8-12 years younger than Mark) who could be his twin. Same hair color, facial structure, body frame, eye color. Mark knows the friends of his parents, he even saw the husband in Walmart last week. He has never, to his knowledge, seen the woman who might be his birth mother. We don't know the situation that caused her to give him up for adoption. Maybe she was a young adult, unmarried and pregnant for the first time, or maybe she was older, divorced and unable to take the responsibility for another child. It wouldn't be hard to find out these things without actually contacting this family, but it would be nice to hear the true story from someone who knows. It is SO unfair that the adults(when he was born) are the keepers of the knowledge. Even now, as an adult, he is, possibly forever, in the dark about his blood lineage while "everybody else" knows his history.

Does Mark want to know her story? We've talked about it and I think he does but not right now. He has an enormous volume of work with his new business and the goings on with his parents so it might be a while before he's able to focus on this part of his life. I hope he chooses to approach the family about finding his birth mother. There are medical issues he's dealing with that are adult onset, things we might need to know for the sake of our children.

Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we deal with his mom and dad. Its going to be stressful for everyone involved rest assured.

Abundance Is....

(First I'd like to thank everyone who commented on my deliberate living post. What you all wrote was inspirational and has given me more to think about. I'm absolutely at peace with dancing to my own music, using my microwave, and sleeping in dyed sheets.*G*)

Now,

Abundance is...

Having enough to give away and never miss it.

We filled the whole Suburban today with stuff for charity and gave a nice dresser to a needy family. We aren't finished, not by a long shot, but we were cleaning first, sorting out second. There are more weekends coming up.

Cast your bread upon the waters, for after many days you will find it again. Give portions to seven, yes to eight, for you do not know what disaster may come upon the land. Ecclesiastes 11:1-2.

Let your religion be less of a theory and more of a love affair.~G.K. Chesterton

Abundance is...

Perfect weather, rain or shine.

The past two weekends were spent raking, moving, hauling, lifting, digging, bagging, and so forth. We got our entire front and back yards done! This Saturday we awoke to chilly, windy drizzle and it was just perfect because we had nothing to do outside(no yardwork). Ryan had to be at his job just before noon so we all got ready and dropped him off. We headed to Lowe's for some shelf holders and Jake's for guinea pig and dog bedding. The girls were hungry and decided on Taco Bell. Just as we were waiting for the light to change for us to turn onto that road, Mark had the brilliant idea that we needed something a bit more substantial so we headed for our favorite Tex-Mex dive. It was exactly what we needed on a gray day, very comforting and relaxing.

Today we had no plans to work in the garage but it happened. The weather, once again, was just perfect. Not too cold, not windy, sunny and mild. We didn't get hot on the west side of the house nor did we get cold fingers(except the girls when they washed some box lids). Now after hours of hard work, our garage is clean and organized with (almost)everything in its place.

Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating; there is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather. ~John Ruskin

There's nothing like biting off more than you can chew, and then chewing anyway. ~Mark Burnett

Abundance is...

Experiencing one of the Earth's most powerful and awesome events and not being hurt or scared.

We had an earthquake early this morning! Actually, what we think is that it was an aftershock from one that happened north of Oklahoma City at 3:43am(Did You Feel It?"). Mark and I were awakened at 4:45 by a series of vibrations like idling in a diesel truck but there was no noise(our bedroom doors did shake a bit). The dogs had actually got me alert a few seconds before so I felt them before Mark. The shakes woke him up. It was unnerving but we really didn't think "earthquake" until we'd got up and around later in the day.

Which would you rather have, a bursting planet or an earthquake here and there? ~John Joseph Lynch

It is not light that we need, but fire; it is not the gentle shower, but thunder. We need the storm, the whirlwind, and the earthquake. ~Frederick Douglass

I really should post...

But it feels so good to be lazy!!! I haven't been lazy all the time though, mostly I've been busy! We got in late Monday night, mom and dad left Wednesday morning and we hit the ground running, picking up where we left off but with more laundry. The kids had church Wednesday night, I had a doctor's appt Thursday, kids had to be carted to various and sundry places Friday and Saturday... In between the driving we got some things done. I spent my birthday money, we got a paper shredder for Mark's business, bbq for my birthday, kids went to church and spent the night with friends, etc, etc. Anyway, I am TIRED now and Ryan has apparently contracted the flu, yuck, so we may all be sick next week. He was fine Saturday afternoon when we took him to a friends' house but came down with high fever and chills late that night and has been that way all day today. He tried to watch football but ended up going to bed early.

My camera decided to die while we were on vacation but my brother just happened to be giving me his old one(again). My computer won't upload from it so I have to use the girls' which means no pics for a few days. I'll try to get to that in the next day or so.*G*

It is 8:15 and I'm headed to bed. Whew.

Family...

(Ryan, Amy and Sarah, Mark's parents, and Mark)



(the traditional Nativity is probably older than Mark)



(baby Jesus is quite untraditionally swaddled in a Walmart bag, yes he is)









(Mark's mom, bless her heart, decorates every surface in her home with clippings from magazines, decorative paper towels, empty fruitcups and plastic bags. She suffers from Alzheimer's, which is sad but we do get a chuckle out of her God-given talent)



(the kids with Liz and Sarah, our long-lost relatives from far away. I've not seen them since shortly before Ryan was born, almost 16 years ago).


In other news...

We are leaving for North Carolina in the morning! I think we'll made it as far as Gadsden, Alabama before we stop for the night. The car is packed to the gills. Amy left a detailed 2-page list of rules and instructions for Mark on how to care for the piggers. Too cute. I'll have to email him more later about the cats and dogs(all animals are the kids' responsibility so he really doesn't know what to do for them).

I'll have internet access in NC but not a way to upload my pictures so I'll probably use the girls' camera sometimes if I can. We have lots of fun stuff planned that will *need* documenting!! Can't wait to share!

a bittersweet day...

(Shimmer Angel)

Amidst the excitement and festivities that are Christmas at our house, we've got sadness. Our dear Shimmer has passed away from a sudden illness. Last Saturday she was fine, I held her and felt nothing. Tuesday the girls felt a small, almond sized lump on her side. By this past weekend it was larger than a chicken egg, probably cancer. She was a spunky little pigger with a cantankerous and bossy "Miss Piggy" personality. We'll miss her.


(Merry Shimmer)



(painted hutch with handmade decorations)



(I think Amy did this one last year)


(red metal cart in the dining room. notice the paint swatches)



(top of the china cabinet with vintage ornaments and decorations)


In Other News...

A-1 Medical Equipment and Supplies is officially servicing patients!!! Mark is thrilled to finally be going. I hope they aren't too busy over the holidays though!

My parents will be here Friday!!!!! I'm trying to plan some meals and snacks for us. Last night my party mix plans fell through because the store had NO cereal, not one box! I'm headed that way in a little while to try again. I also forgot raspberry extract for our hot cocoa(a little gourmet secret) and hopefully they'll have peppermint too(they were out of that too).

Ryan has a Christmas party with his youth group tomorrow night, then our homeschool party, then another homeschool party on Friday with a different group and then hopefully nothing! Sarah's AWANA class is having a jingle party tomorrow so I've got to sew a bunch of jingle bells to a shirt for her. Should be cute!

Guess that's all. The dogs need fed and let back in. Its freezing here... no really it is. We try to wash and dry clothes to help keep the dogs warm since our dryer vents to the garage. It does work but with temps not out of the mid-30s all day it will be a struggle.

I'm spending the morning with apple cider, lightly spiked with buttershots and caramel syrup. Tastes like a caramel apple in a cup!

The goings on...

Amy turned 13 on Saturday so there are two teens in the house now! She had two friends spend the night, two others were unable to make it. They had a pizza pajama party and stayed up well past 1am. We took them all to the mall then next morning to run around. Amy ended up with a pair of teal jeans and two shirts, Ryan and Sarah, who have half-birthdays now, got a shirt apiece. It ended up being a great celebration, everyone had a great time!!

Mark's dad celebrated his 81st birthday on Wednesday so this morning I cooked a big pot of red beans and rice** and baked a chocolate raspberry pie* for his birthday. Mark and I took his parents to see his new office. It happens to be right across the street from their old neighborhood. Now, when I say old, I mean OLD! They moved from there when Mark was a baby. We had a nice visit with them, as nice as you can with someone who has dementia(his mom).

Now I believe I am due a nap!

Next week will be hectic but hopefully I'll be more posty!









* recipe here with modifications of an extra egg yolk and 2 extra tbsps flour, a tiny bit more sugar, dash of cinnamon and a 1/2 tsp raspberry extract. Oh, and I used Special Dark cocoa powder.

** Red Beans and Rice

1.5 pounds dried red beans
3 medium sized ham hocks
3 ribs celery
2 onions
1 green pepper
3 cloves garlic
2 bay leaves
1 Tbsp cumin
1 Tbsp dried thyme
1 tsp ground savory
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne(or so)
1 pound smoked kielbasa or sausage of your choice, sliced.
6 cups cooked white rice.

Soak beans overnight. Drain and keep in colander. Cook chopped veggies(except garlic) in oil for 5-6 minutes. Add ham hocks, garlic, bay leaves and seasonings, cook for another 5-6 minutes or until veggies are tender. Add beans and about 10 cups of water, or to cover. Simmer, partially covered, over med-low heat for 2-3 hours. Remove ham hocks and add sliced sausage. Simmer over medium heat for another 1-2 hours, uncovered, stirring often to prevent burning. Fish out bay leaves, let stand 10-15 minutes to thicken and cool a bit. Serve over rice with tabasco and salt at the table.

Mark's New Office...

For those who don't know, Mark has opened his own medical equipment company, A-1 Medical Equipment and Supplies. He has over 20 years of retail management experience including Wal-Mart, JCPenney and Office Depot, and 7 years of medical equipment experience plus a BBA in Marketing. He is SOOOO excited about this venture and looking forward to serving the East Texas area again! I'm very excited too, this kind of stuff is what he lives for. It is rare that people love their careers as much as Mark loves his. He was made for this and I am so happy for him to get this opportunity.

Some of you have seen these before but here they are for everyone! This is a former doctor's office. We've spent long hours tearing out carpet for the storage areas, painting walls and floors, building shelves for oxygen tanks, a cleaning table, racks for equipment, and so forth. The office was filled with old furniture, equipment, and medical supplies so that all had to be moved and sorted as well. I don't have pictures of the storage, cleaning, or staging areas yet.


(pass thru to the nurse station from the patient waiting area, before)


(desk area, before)


(front door, partition, and dry erase board-not up yet. the extreme right of this picture continues on the first picture where the door hinges are- same wall)


(new desk and curtains, the front door is just to the right of the texas flag picture next to the curtain)


(pass thru no longer. we printed some pics of the kids off the blog and they're on the shelves now)

301

Yes, this is my 301st blog post and I have absolutely nothing to say. Is that terrible or what? No exciting stuff has gone on since the Yamboree. The house needs cleaned and dinner is still undecided(at 5:15pm, I've no clue, didn't plan).

Kids are zombies watching television and the cats are all fine.

I'm listening to music, waiting for Mark to come home. He's enjoying his new job very much! I'm happy that he's happy and busy.

Laundry needs done but we're out of detergent. Still no dinner plans(5:43, yes it is taking forever to get this written, cat distractions and such). I'm guessing dinner might be pick-up since we must get out for the detergent anyway.

So yep, this is the 301st post and I still have nothing to say. But, I'll leave you with a blast from the past, Halloween-style...

my baby thinks she's a pig...

(Panda, Rainbow, Sundae, Shimmer, Stella, and Meadow)


(She had no clue she could jump over this fence)


(They have no fear of her at all)

In Other News...

Mark had something to do this afternoon so the kids and I are lazing around. We might head up to the Yamboree after he comes home. I'd like to take a load of stuff to Goodwill but we may wait til in the morning to do that.

Hope everyone has a lovely weekend!! It is just beautiful here, blue skies and low-70s! I LOVE this kind of weather, it makes getting out and doing so much easier.

Mark got the new job!!!! He starts Monday, I think. This is a job doing pretty much the same thing he was doing at JD Medical only with a national company. One of the best things is that there are people to do the billing, people to do the customer service, repair equipment, market, deliver stuff and more. He will be riding with the marketers about 1/3-1/2 of the time and "managing" the other part. There is NO being on call and he will be better compensated!

In other news...

My bloggy friend Jeanne at Backyard Neighbor has answered another blogger's challenge to help boost our country's economy. I am so inspired that I have a special trip planned just for this. Here is the origination of this wondrous movement!

One of my cousins is welcoming her second grandchild, Lyndee Allison(**edited for spelling**) today, born this morning somewhere in Oklahoma. Lyndee's big brother Lex shares my January birthday.


(Meadow, Rainbow, Stella, Sundae and Panda looking for a handout)

I don't feel like cooking tonight but I have no clue what we'll eat otherwise. Maybe sandwiches or nachos. I made the decision to renew my WeightWatchers Online account. That will start Monday.

We're going shopping this weekend for kids' clothing. Woohoo. Grandma has sent them some birthday/half-birthday money and that's what they want! And earrings I'm sure.

It is SO nice to be wanted...

I can finally post about our mysterious "good news" that I mentioned a few days ago. Mark didn't want it out quite yet. I'm still not going into real specific details yet. Anyway...

The job is something similar to what he did before but for a national company with slightly different responsibilities. It would be better than where he is and a good job for him but probably not a perfect match. He is waiting for word from them after two interviews and he's done the drug/tb tests.

In other news...

I got my hair cut yesterday afternoon! It is stacked in the back and long around my face with bangs. I LOVE it and promise to post pics as soon as the batteries are charged.

Today is homeschool park day and Sarah wants to take Buddy. Should be fun. It was 48 degrees when I got up this morning so we'll be a bit chilly.

We're having some kind of sausage and kale dinner tonight. I'll have to find the recipe I posted a few weeks ago.

A Hubby Meme...

(Mark with a new baby Buttercup)

Blatantly stolen from Jeanne's(Backyard Neighbor) blog. In light of the fact that I've known my hubby for over 19 years now and because I don't mention him often in my blogging, I thought I'd do this for him.

1. He's sitting in front of the TV; what is on the screen?
Probably any kind of football or a drama of some kind(Sarah Connor Chronicles and Fringe are current faves) or America's Funniest Videos.

2. You're out to eat; what kind of dressing does he get on his salad?
Ranch baby, he loves it(as do the girls). And we eat this at HOME, not "out to eat" because he loves my cooking best(smart man).

3. What's one food he doesn't like?
He's not a big fan of yellow squash, no matter what I do to it.

4. You go out to the bar. What does he order?
A dark beer.

5. Where did he go to high school?
Longview High School

6. What size shoe does he wear?
size 9

7. If he was to collect anything, what would it be?
He used to collect sports junk.

8. What is his favorite type of sandwich?
Italian sub or hot turkey and swiss with honey mustard and olives.

9. What would this person eat every day if he could?
Cheese.

10. What is his favorite cereal?
Honey Nut Cheerios are what he most often eats but I don't think he loves them. He'd rather eat Count Chocula or something like that.

11. What would he never wear?
A dress.

12. What is his favorite sports team?
Dallas Cowboys and Texas Longhorns

13. Who will he vote for?
I'm not sure he knows yet.

14. Who is his best friend?
Yours truly.

15. What is something you do that he wishes you wouldn't do?
Leave messes, he is a neat freak.

16. How many states has he lived in?
Two, Texas and Oklahoma(for 7 months)

17. What is his heritage?
He is adopted and we have no idea. We want to find out someday though.

18. You bake him a cake for his birthday; what kind of cake?
Cheesecake!

19. Did he play sports in high school?
Nope. Now he plays city league softball and runs.

20. What could he spend hours doing?
Fishing, listening to his favorite music, watching sports, detailing his car...

18 Years Ago...

I married this man! And I love him more than ever. I'm not a sappy person so this is as far as it goes.







When he gets home from work we plan to eat chicken fajitas(cooked on the grill), drink some hard apple cider, and watch The Sarah Connor Chronicles. Its our idea of the perfect evening!

A Most Boring Day

I have done nothing all day. Except try to decide where to put the china hutch. It really would do well in the dining room but there isn't a wall wide enough. The next choice is in our bedroom so I'll get Mark to help me move it there tonight. My desk will go in its vacated space by the fireplace. Oh yeah, I also tore out a few recipes from some old Cooking Light magazines. Most stuff they make uses ingredients I would not typically buy so there are few things I can use. Mark asked if I wanted to renew my Prevention mag and I told him I'd rather have Cooking Light again but after going through 6-7 mags I've decided to not take either of them. And I emptied out two more kitchen drawers, the dreaded "junk drawers". I threw about 1/3 of the junk away but we'll need to sit down and sort the rest of it later. Guess that wasn't nothing afterall, but it was still boring.

Back to desks: I've found a temporary substitute in the form of one of Mark's Texas tables he made early on in his career at JDMedical. At the time they weren't able to afford much office furniture so he built two nice tables and painted their tops with Texas flags. I had been thinking of using one until I find the perfect desk but the one I came across in the garage had the legs taken off. This morning I was out looking it over when I spied the other one, legs intact, on top of some boxes. So, I'll have Mark bring that in for me tonight as well. I may have to blog from the girls' computer until he can get up in the attic to move the cable over to the fireplace wall. YEAH! I'm excited to finally be off the floor!!! Now I can bring in a small chest(after I get it painted) for the microwave to go on which will free up some much needed counter space next to the stove. YEAH!

Speaking of Mark's job... We were talking this weekend about how nice it is to be free from all the stress he had at his old job. Every waking hour he was giving 200% of his mind to that place, even when he wasn't there. It was a losing battle because no matter how much he did(or how fast or how many hours he worked), he could never do all of the stuff that needed done, it was an enormous workload for one person(3 or 4 working at his blazing pace and intensity would be about right). Now when 5pm comes, he walks out the door and doesn't have to think about work again til the next morning. He can finally give attention to things that he barely had time to glance at in the past 2-3 years. He has taken up running again, complete with long and short-term goals. The best thing is that our conversations no longer have to center around the insanity that was his workplace, we've probably spent less than 20 minutes total talking about it since he walked out their doors for the last time. It is exceptional how he has been able to totally switch gears and "recover" from such a stressful situation. I take that as a sign that he was ready for a change.*G* He has become a fun, relaxed person again, it is wonderful!!!

You Are Wintergreen Flavored Gum

You are laid back, low maintenance, and super cool. You go with the flow, and you never cause too much of a fuss. You are very in touch with nature and the world around you. You prefer to keep things simple. Complexity stresses you out. You are a very real person. Openness and honesty are important to you. You can be friends with almost anyone, as long as they tell it like it is.

What Flavor Gum Are You?

Perks....

So Mark was talking about football with one of his new co-workers yesterday. Mark told him about how they used to bring a tv to work on the day after Thanksgiving and hook their cable(for internet) up to it so they could watch the college games. The guy looked at Mark like he had two heads and said, "we don't work the day after Thanksgiving". HAHAHAHA!! WOOOOHOOOO!!

Then, later in the day, he came and asked Mark how much more paperwork he had left. Mark showed him and asked why, thinking they were going to go on a delivery or something. The guy said, "we like to close up shop at 4 on Fridays". And again I say, WOOOOOHOOOO! I like those kinds of perks.

In other news...

Mark and Ryan tried to go fishing last night but suffered a blow-out on one of the trailer tires. Luckily nobody or boats got hurt and they were only 3 miles from home when it happened. So, they drove to Gladewater Lake so the worms wouldn't go to waste. They did not see the bear but the girls and I had to go jump them off because the battery went dead on the "white jeep". Sigh. And now we're all back and the girls want to go to Hobby Lobby so I imagine we'll have a trip there and to Goodwill in a while.

So far my antibiotic has not kicked in. I still feel the same, can't hear, tired, etc. I'm so ready for this to end!

And finally, kitty pics. Still no names that I know of.


(baby boy on the hunt)


(baby girl under the couch)


(Prissy on guard)


(Sissy lounging in the bedroom)

If it isn't one thing its another....

Just wanted to let everyone know that one of Mark's elderly aunts died this morning. We were called yesterday evening, just as Mark walked in the door(so I still don't have my Rx filled). His mom's youngest sister had broken her pelvis and was near death. We went to the hospital so that Mark could drive his dad home after dark. His dad is blind in one eye and has 3 cateracts in the other, shouldn't be driving period but can't see at all at night. Anyway, we stayed up there for several hours before convincing his mom that there wasn't much she coud do and it would be better for her to come home and rest. So, I drove his mom(they have a 2-seater truck) and Mark drove his dad.

And, just when we thought the fun was all over, I wrecked the car! Not bad
but I had backed into their carport to turn around and when I pulled out I
dented the passenger side along one of the posts. It is bad but we don't have
money for our deductible right now so it will have to stay ugly. That's what I
get for driving while sick, tired and in the pitch dark. We didn't end up at home til near midnight.

We think the funeral will be tomorrow so Mark will likely drive his parents to it. The kids and I will stay home. I am mentally at my limit.

Another One!

I wish I knew how to make it bigger so yall could read it. I copied and pasted a handful of prayers from Interlude Retreat and it came out SO neat! ****edited to add that if you click it you'll get the bigger version.

In other news....

A report from Mark about his new job! They are doing online training and hands-on equipment stuff. He says it is REALLY low-key, so much so that I fear he'll get bored. But, knowing Mark, he'll advance quickly and not be bothered with the management portion for long. For those of you wondering what he is doing now, he is the operations manager of a medical equipment company that leases diagnostic and bariatric equipment to hospitals and other care facilities. This particular location is the top(most active?) in the region and I think they are located in 24 states.

Our A/C is still working just like it is supposed to. I now wonder if the filter was too icky. It hasn't been changed since June so it is definitely due. We haven't heard from the pool fixer guy yet(2:40pm) so I'll probably call him later this afternoon or in the morning. We can still operate the pump but the leak causes it to lose pressure after several hours.

I have started another ripple afghan. This time in "I Love This Yarn" from Hobby Lobby. My colors are azure, sea foam(a green-blue, lighter version of the azure), celery green, light gray(almost white), black, dark brown, and camel tan(now these are MY names for the colors, I don't have the yarn in front of me to tell you the real names). I'm doing 4 rows of each color except the black. It is too stark so I'm just doing 2 rows of it. The azure matches the color I painted our back door over the weekend. I mixed the dark blue from our hutches and the sky blue wall color from the girls' room and got a beautiful brighter blue. It is gorgeous and really does wonders in tying that side of the room together.(pictures later, hopefully after I get all the paint scraped from the glass inserts).

And lastly, my brother made the painful decision to have his kitty Fluffy Boy Jones put down today. He was very sick, has been for a long, long time. It was the kindest thing to do.

(Fluffy being his cute self- he really was a sweet kitty boy)

We are MeLTinG!!!

Literally!! It was 104 today or some such nonsense. Then we noticed that our a/c was acting weird. And, as of 11pm, it is still not working. Frozen up, we let it thaw out, turn it back on and it freezes back up. Any advice? I bet it is 95 in here right now.

I think I'm going to the doctor tomorrow, Tuesday will be 3 weeks with this crud and I fear its a sinus or ear infection that has taken hold. We also have a pool fixer(not the same one) coming to do some repair work on the pipes that lead from the pool to the filter, he'll probably have to replace them.

The girls are at their friend's house tonight, Mark is going to his new job tomorrow and Ryan and I are sick. Never a dull moment.


(Gypsy and Jasper sharing a bag)

Good thing I see my doctor next week...

Because now I have pink eye and still no voice and I feel just as bad as I did yesterday. Which makes it hard to "discuss" the idiots Mark was formerly working with and for. All freakin' hell broke loose after he gave notice. Good gravy! I am SO, SO glad he is out of that toxic place. As much as he loved what he was doing, (some) of the people he had to work with are just nuts.

Anyway, since I'm once again posting from the girls' computer, Amy has given me permission to share her artwork(a small sampling). Be sure to click on each one for the full-size version, they are amazing!