from my bone density test.  I was crossing over the river and looked out across the Mississippi  like I usually do....    What I don't usually see is this!!!! 

I could NOT believe my eyes....   I immediately got off the interstate and drove down to a little spot along the river so we could watch it pass.  I didn't have my camera  with me so I had to use my cell phone...    (the 2 nice pictures of the Nina are from the website)

The bridge in the background is the one I was going over when I saw the Nina about to start passing under the bridge.  You can just barely see her on the horizon.

Here she is across from me.  She is soooo much more impressive when you can actually see her moving..

I heard on the radio station that The Nina would be docked in our area for the next few days so I went and looked her up on the website TheNina.com      (Do NOT forget the "THE",  I did the first time and got a porno site)  I am hoping that maybe we can get down and see her before she leaves our area...   A cute story...  Baby saw the ship and asked me if Harry Potter was on it     She loves watching those movies and she thought this ship looked like the one that the boys from the North come in on in the Goblet of Fire    I told her I didn't think he was on this ship but who knows?  She was happy with that answer.   So we looked at the ducks...

and then we headed home....

That was it for our exciting day.  The technician at the Dr's office said she thought my bones look fine but of course keep taking the calcium supplements...   I will get a report probably next week.

My ankle is hating going back to work.  Going up and down the bus steps and our front steps on an average of 10 times a day.  Plus the heat, plus the vibration of the bus and no decent position to put it in has it pretty swollen and sore.  I cant get the swelling to go down.  I have been putting the ice pack on it and even when I go to bed at night when I get up in the morning it is still swollen.  Not quite as bad as it is when I go to bed at night, but still swollen.  The Dr said it would probably be a good 6 months before I notice any improvement...

My job sux....   Yep, I mean the bus driving job.  This is the first time in many years that I have a comfortable number of students on my bus, (I have 44 right now)  and my route is actually 10 minutes shorter than last year so I am getting home by about 4:20pm.  I should be doing the happy dance,  but instead I am waiting for the sword to fall.  The other driver is complaining that HER route is too long.  She has about 30 students on her bus but she says some of them are riding on average of an hour.  This is the same driver that always seems to get what she wants...  In the past all those extra students I had on my bus were from HER bus.  I am relatively sure that what she wants is for me to take a bunch of those kids back on to my bus "since I drive right past their houses anyway" to make her route shorter.  It doesn't matter that her number of students will dramatically drop again while my number sky rockets...   I told the girl in the bus barn that if I get all those kids back i wont be happy.  I told hubby I am ready to turn the keys in and tell them to come get their hunk of junk...   If things don't work out I may end up doing that.  I am tired of always being the good guy.   It hasn't gotten me anywhere but stepped on all these years....     Enough complaining....

Hubby is home from work so I am gonna wrap this up for now.  I hope everyone is having a great weekend 

and life just keeps getting busier...  Driving the school bus has gone about as I expected.  The kids havent changed since last year.  I am still having the same problems with the same students.  I drove a sports trip last friday night.  I took the High School Cheerleaders to Mendota, Il.  Thats about 2 hours one way from here.  So it ended up being a trip that started at 2pm and ended at 1am when we finally got back to the high school.  Hubby and Miranda went with me so we enjoyed the game and ate hotdogs, cotton candy and popcorn    Bedtime was about 2am and then I was back up and driving the band kids to a parade Saturday morning.  That took another 4 hours.  I was dead beat when I finally got home about 1pm.   I was able to get a nap in around 5pm after I got some stuff done around the house.  Sunday was spent getting some groceries since the kids were all coming over to spend Labor Day and have a cookout.   Hubby had to work, but the kids all showed up.  We had hamburgers, hotdogs and corn on the cob.  Luckily we had all the food grilled but a few hamburgers when the gas tank went empty on the grill.  That was pretty good timing I would say. 

Back to school today....  I have another short trip to drive in the morning, should only be a couple of hours.  A little extra trip pay is always good    I got a big promotion at The Scrapping Garden.  The owners asked me if I would be interested in a new job.  I will still be the forum administrator, but I am now also the store manager.  In charge of everything that deals with the running of the scrapbooking store.  It will be a big responsibility but I can handle it...  And they already told me that it would be no problem for one of them to cover for me if hubby and I have the channce to get a way for a couple days here and there.  So It's all good

Thursday I have a bone density test.  My rheumatologist wants to check my bone density since I fell and broke my ankle. She wants to make sure my bones arent thinning....

Other than that life is pretty much the same...   How has it been for YOU!? 

Girlfriend and Sister's Week

I am only as strong as the coffee I drink, the hairspray I use and the friends I have.
To the cool women that have touched my life. Here's to you!

National Girlfriends Day
What would most of us do without our sisters, confidants and shopping, lunching, and traveling girls?
Let's celebrate each other for each other's sake!
TO MY GIRLFRIENDS!

  It has been even more hectic this week...    To start where I left off, we went to my daughters wedding rehearsal friday night.  That went well so it didn't take to long to get thru.  The day of the wedding was a different story.  The Pastor decided everyone had to be at the church by 1:30pm for pictures.  The wedding started at 4pm.  So for 2 1/2 hours we all tried to keep the 4 little flower girls' white dresses clean...

 Aren't they a bunch of cuties?

 The little girl on the left is my baby, Miranda, then 2nd granddaughter Ani girl (Anastasia) and 1st granddaughter, Domi (Dominique)

The Groom is in the 2nd row in the middle, his brother is on the right and on the left is my other son in law.  My oldest son is in the back and my youngest son, Alex, is in the bottom row on the left, next is Ben's ring bearer and then his other brother.

My hubby on the left, then Ben, the groom, and Ben's Dad.

Me and Catie, my daughter

Me, hubby and Catie.  (the photographer had us looking into the sun)

All of my daughters together... My oldest, Rachel, in the teal dress, then Lily in front of her. In front of Catie is Miranda, and then my almost 16yr old daughter, Sara....

Catie and her brothers, Josh on the right and Alex on the left...

Lily, her husband, and our 3 granddaughters...

Josh, his wife, and our grandson, Max

The flower girls in action   They loved their job

Hubby walking Catie down the aisle and making her laugh to help her nervousness...

The new Mr and Mrs

Walking outside to people blowing bubbles all over...

A very happy Couple

trying to get all the wedding party in the pictures...   it wasn't easy!

And this is our bunch

The wedding cake...

which Catie promptly wore!

But she returned the favor...

And we all got a good laugh

Then it was time for The Dance...

And the father/daughter dance

Garter time!  Ben wasn't happy to just slide the garter off her leg....   Heck NO!

He completely disappeared up under her dress!

VICTORY!

The wedding was beautiful, there was happy moments and a few sad moments...   My youngest son, Alex, was the best man..  (I thought someone was going to have to give HIM a tissue)     The reception was fun, lots of dancing and food.  The kids all had a blast especially Miranda...

Miranda in the pink top and blue jean shorts...  

It was fun, my foot was throbbing.  I had to buy a pair of shoes 2 sizes too big to wear..  But I did it.  We finally headed home about 9:30pm,  the reception was still going strong.  Catie and Ben had reservations to fly out after the wedding to Jamaica, but the hurricane changed those plans.  They will now be leaving for their honeymoon the middle of September.  They got a lot of very nice gifts, and a much requested digital camera from me and hubby..

It was nice.  Am I glad it is over??  You BET!     

Enough posting for now...  Baby wants my attention so I will be back later to continue my update   have a great night everyone

Thats' been me..  My daughters' wedding is Saturday.  Tomorrow night is the rehearsal.  I still need to get Alex and hubby's tuxes picked up.  Alex did the final sizing today on his tux and the pants were too short by at least an inch so they had to rework them.  I hope we don't have problems with the fit of hubby's tux.  I will know more in the morning. 

First thing in the morning I have another therapy appt.  That will be my 3rd one for the week.  My ankle has been hurting alot and swelling alot.  Not much I can do but keep icing it and hope the swelling goes down.  I really don't want to wear my old white tennis shoes to the wedding.  They are uncomfortable and they just wont match my outfit..  So I need to see if I can find anything else that will fit.  Whatever I look at needs to be wide enough to accommodate swelling and the ankle brace I need to wear plus look at least a little dressy..  Is there such a thing?

Speaking of outfit....   Just last night I found something to wear to the wedding.  A nice pants outfit..  Tan colored pants and a dark green floral top.  I think it will look nice and at least my ankle will be covered...   Now if I can just find some shoes!!

Monday night was my back to school bus meeting.  So it's official...  School is starting and summer is almost over.  We actually go back on the 27th, and next week they will be bringing my bus back to me.  I need to rerun my bus route so it can be re-timed.  It has been changed around and 10 kids were moved off my bus so it should be quicker and more pleasant.  (I am sure that the bus troublemakers will all still be here though.)  I need to get the re-timing done soon so I can let the parents know an estimated time for when I will be there to pick their kids up.   I have lots of paperwork to get finished and I need to get a seating chart drawn up.  There is always so much to do.

Sara has gotten all her dance team paraphenalia now.  Pom Pom girl....   Lets say it together....   Sara is a POM POM girl!    Ha!  and here I thought dance team was something else...   When I went to school they were called pom pom girls, not dance team....    The name might have changed but the outfits and the pom poms haven't.

Not much else in the way of news...   I still have a ton of things to do so I will probably be scarce for a few days...   At least til after all the wedding stuff is done...

Have a great night everyone  

I had good intentions....   My day was SUPPOSED to go something like this...

• Take a shower and wash my hair, shave my legs
• Go to therapy and let the physical terrorist do her job
• Stop by the store for the milk we forgot yesterday
• gas up the car, it's just about empty
• Call my granddaughter and wish her a happy first birthday  -DONE
• get some lunch for hubby
• try to convince the kids to get their chores done
• find some time to ice my ankle

This is what actually happened...

• Take a shower and wash my hair, shave my legs - Done
• Go to therapy and let the physical terrorist do her job -   I was walking out the door when my son called...  The car overheated and he was stuck out in the middle of nowhere, he had walked a mile trying to find someone with a phone, (his cell phone wasn't working properly) a construction worker stopped, picked him up and drove him back to the car and let him use his phone so he could call me.  A quick call to therapy to reschedule my appt and I was out the door to get him...   I took 2 gallons of water, called hubby and told him where I was going.  Son was fine, he poured water into the radiator which was cool by then and we headed home.  Hubby said if the car managed to get home ok to bring it over to him at work so he could look at it.  I followed Alex over to town and figured I only had 3 hours to kill til my rescheduled appt, so I stayed in town...
• Stop by the store for the milk we forgot yesterday -  I forgot the milk in all the confusion and had Alex go back for it...
• gas up the car, it's just about empty   -  I stopped for gas and only put $20 in the tank since money is tight til next week..  ($2.75 a gal) and continue on to do errands.  I drove back past the gas station on my way home  $2.69!!!   I am sure thats what all the giggling was I heard as I went by!!  At least I didn't fill up!  So the laughs on them
• Call my granddaughter and wish her a happy first birthday  -DONE
• get some lunch for hubby - Stopped at McDonalds and had a hamburger with Alex and hubby.
• try to convince the kids to get their chores done -  HA HA HA!!
• find some time to ice my ankle - Finally had time around 9pm

I got to therapy about 3pm after I took Alex to the cell phone store and replaced his crappy cell phone.  Now he has one he can actually call me on and I wont have to worry about him having car trouble and walking for miles hoping to find a phone he can use to call me.  He was so happy cuz he paid for the new phone himself.  He has been working for one of the farmers around here and he had just gotten paid friday so he had some money.  He is probably broke now though after going to the street dance last night  

My ankle was pretty swollen (whats new?) when I saw the therapist.  She stretched it a bit and had me ride the exercise bike for about 8 minutes and then she pulled out the torture device...  it is some kind of machine that has a boot on the end of a hose that you put your foot into and it completely encases your foot.  Then she turns it on.  It circulates ice cold water thru the hose and the boot and compresses and releases your foot.  All designed to take the swelling down.  I sat in that thing for 15 minutes...  after about 5 minutes my foot was completely numb and when she pulled it off it my skin was all red.  The swelling had gone down a little bit.  She fitted me for an ankle brace that comes up like a high topped tennis shoe.  It laces in the front and then has straps that cross under your foot and back up to the opposite ankle the way football players tape their ankles and then a strap that wraps around my ankle.  All of it can be adjusted so if I am swelling I can loosen it and if I am ok then I can tighten it as needed.  I put it on and then put my tennis shoe on over it.  I have come to realize there isn't enough room for my swollen foot, and ankle brace in that tennis shoe.  I completely undid the laces and it was still too tight.  But I wore it anyway.  The idea is that I wear it anytime I will be going out of the house for the extra protection and support of my ankle.  I don't know if this is an indefinite thing or only til my ankle is better.

Sara and Miranda went to spend the night with their older sister, Catie.  Catie is the one getting married next Saturday.  Today they are going up for the final fitting of their dresses.  Alex went to the street dance last night so that only left hubby and I at home.  We went to Davenport to pick up a part he needed for the car and then stopped by the mexican restaurant we like and I had shrimp fajitas   mmmmm   no margarita though.  I cant bring myself to pay the prices they want for a margarita at the restaurant.  I would just as soon have hubby make me one at home.  So we had our dinner, came home, I put some ice on my foot, took a shower and climbed into bed.  We watched about 30 minutes worth of tv and went to sleep.  Not much for fun and excitement on a friday night huh?

So now I am sitting with my foot propped up on a chair, Alex is outside taking the timing cover off the car, hubby is at work.  The parade for our little town celebration starts at 10am and he is wanting to go watch it.  I intend to finish this post and get dressed.  I wont be going to the parade though.  I don't feel like all the walking around.  My sister just stopped by to borrow $20 so she could take her kids up to the parade.  The parade is free but the drinks and eating afterwards isn't. 

That is about the extent of my day today.   Tomorrow hubby needs to go take some papers to his boss so he asked me if I would like to ride with him.  He is going to take the bike so it will be a nice ride.  His boss is about an hours drive a way so we'll do that and then hubby will have to go into work tomorrow afternoon. 

I woke up  this morning and my shoulder is killing me.  it is the shoulder I sleep on so I tried staying off of it.  I had to put a pillow under it to sleep though cuz it hurts pretty bad every time I use it or let it hang down. Just regular movements right now are hurting it.  I hope it straightens up before I have to drive the school bus in 2 weeks....

Alex just came in and washed up.  He still looks like a grease monkey    He is on his way to the parade, it will only last about an hour and he will be home again...    I think I will wander thru the house and check out all the messes that haven't been cleaned up.  I am sure there is laundry that needs to be done etc....   

Have a great day everyone

Hubby and I had a great ride yesterday    we headed up north, but some nasty looking rain clouds turned us around and headed us back towards home.  Hubby doesnt mind the rain, but I dont have alot of fun riding soaking wet, and with the brace I was wearing I didnt want it soaked either..  We stopped for some lunch and came home.  I didnt get any pics, maybe next time.  

A quick run to the grocery store and we decided to take the kids to see the Harry Potter movie last night.  The theater was pretty empty which suited me just fine.  Baby likes to ask questions during the movie so at least she didnt bother many people.  We ate our popcorn and drank our pop and enjoyed the movie.  It cost us $42.50 for the 5 of us to get into the movie and another $30 for pop and popcorn!!    I guess it has been a while since we all went to the movies.....    It may be awhile longer before we all go back!

I got home after a very full day of being up on my ankle and I had no ankle.  Everything was so swollen all I had were little sausages for toes.  I sat with the ice pack on for awhile and hobbled to bed.  I got up this morning and still have a swollen foot so my therapist probably wont be too happy, but oh well...   That's what happens now when I can finally start to get back into doing all my normal every day things...

I am walking without the crutches, and I walk better without the brace since I can feel the floor with my bare foot.  After awhile of walking in the brace my knee hurts and I figure that is because of the funny way the brace makes me walk.  My daughter said I look like a penguin.  I am going to see what the therapist says to the ankle brace idea...

The house is still quiet..  Baby crawled into our bed last night and is still in there snoozing.  Alex has left for school already and Sara is still sleeping too.  Hubby left for work a couple hours ago so it is just me and the pooches...   And both of them are outside too right now..

The way my day looks from here...

• Take a shower and wash my hair, shave my legs
• Go to therapy and let the physical terrorist do her job
• Stop by the store for the milk we forgot yesterday
• gas up the car, it's just about empty
• Call my granddaughter and wish her a happy first birthday  -DONE
• get some lunch for hubby
• try to convince the kids to get their chores done
• find some time to ice my ankle

Have a great day everyone,  time for me to get moving....  

Hubby made some orange rolls and coffee for breakfast, I am all dressed and can hear the bike calling our names    It wouldn't normally be such a big deal but I haven't been on the bike since before I broke my ankle almost 2 months now.  I don't know which direction we are heading...  Maybe up north toward Wisconsin, that is always a pretty drive along the river..  Maybe down south along the river into Missouri,,,  Maybe one great big drive around the block (When we drive around the block it is miles around the block)    I guess I will know more later 

I need to get the big brace on my leg.  I can hobble now without the crutches so the only slow up for me is getting on the bike.  I always mount from the left and my left ankle is the broken one.  I need to pull my hair back and grab my sunglasses.  Will take me about 5 minutes...

I hope everyone is having a great Thursday...  I will check back later and let you know how the day went    Ohhhh  and don't forget the camera 

on to the dance team that is....   Sara has been going to dance clinic for the last 2 days.  Today were the tryouts and she made the team.  She is pretty excited about it all.  I, on the other hand am not so thrilled...   Now comes the extra expense of pictures, team uniforms, not to mention all the practices and games she needs to be at...  Of course all the uniforms etc need to be paid for now, at the same time as all the registration costs need to be paid....    >Insert big sigh here<       Don't get me wrong..  I am excited for her and looking forward to watching her perform, I am just in "I cant believe all the expense" mode right now and not looking at anything else...   It will get better...  

Hubby has been outside all day working on the car with Alex.  One of the engine mounts were broke off under there.  Good thing hubby checked or the motor could have easily fallen out of the car as it was going down the highway.  That is fixed now and judging by all the grease and oil that is on Alex and hubby and I am thinking they may have found the oil leak   I got up this morning determined to see if I could hobble without any crutches today and I DID!   So now I am walking with no crutches.  I have to be very careful where I put my foot as I am walking because I don't have all the flexibility in it yet, so I guess my "walk" is still pretty much a hobble.  I also cant go far.  Around in the house is all I am comfortable doing right now.  But I am thinking I should be doing pretty good by the time I go to therapy on friday.   Ohhhh and the Dr's office finally called to schedule my next appt to check on my ankle.  The only time I asked for them to avoid was the time I had to drive the schoolbus starting the 27th...   When did they schedule me???   Right at the time I would be driving...   When did they have empty appts?   Only during the times I cant get up there since I am driving.   I finally told her exactly what hours I could make it and she found a day that worked.  So I go back and see the Dr on the 30th.

hmmmm  not much else in the way of news.  I am about to go see if the laundry is still going and the dishes got done.  Sara's chores for this month.  She leaves for show choir practice in about 90 minutes and I want her chores done first...

Have a great wednesday everyone

Back from another fun day at therapy.... I have moved up to putting some weight on my ankle when I walk now. Actually I started doing that last Thursday when we took Domi and Miranda to the Mississippi Valley Fair. Today I managed to get around using only 1 crutch. it was actually not as bad as I thought it would be. I think I have finally moved up a notch The therapist gave me a few new exercises to start on. One is trying to put more weight on my ankle. Put my hands on the counter and shift my weight back and forth, then try to put more weight on my ankle til finally I can stand on only that foot. It sounds like that may be a ways off, but things have been progressing nicely so it may not be as long as I think. I also need to lift my toes and fore foot off the floor, that is the one I am having trouble with. She said that is what they expect since that is the hardest motion to get back. Doing the toe raises is pretty easy so I need to concentrate on the Dorsiflexion (lifting my toes and fore foot off the floor as high as possible) I did my 2 therapy visits this week and have 1 more scheduled for Friday, so til then I am free again This week started my 3 days a week at therapy. I am hoping to be doing much better but the time school starts on the 27th. Ohhh and the therapist did say that as soon as I could get around without the crutches and put all my weight on my bad ankle I will move up to just an ankle brace that fits into a regular shoe...

Sara has spent the last 2 mornings at her Dance Clinic. The tryouts are tomorrow so keep your fingers crossed that she gets one of the 14 spots. Everyone had to re-tryout this year, even the kids that were on the team last year...

Alex is working on the farm of a neighbor. It has been a nice way for him to earn some extra money. He had a problem with the car this morning. On his way home one of the belts broke. Thankfully hubby had bought a new belt he just hadn't gotten it replaced yet. Alex was able to get the new belt on and drive the car home.

It has been so hot here the last few weeks... Highs in the upper 90's. The heat index right now is 1`02* The weatherman doesn't see any changes for the next week... We don't have the Central Air fixed for the entire house yet, we are still waiting to get the new furnace/AC ducts put in... At least we have AC in baby's bedroom and our bedroom and our computer room. Alex and Sara have rooms in the basement so it is always cooler down there so they are doing fine. It is sure hot in the living room and kitchen though...

It's a good thing all our cooking has been outside on the grill..

Well, I got a phone call from my Ex the other day. He has decided he would like to see Alex and Sara. He hasn't seen either of them for any kind of visitation in about 9 yrs. Alex said he doesn't want to spend time with him, that he has a Dad (hubby) that loves him and that's all he needs. Sara on the other hand wants to see him. There is a lot of bad blood between him and I, Sara was 5 yrs old when we split up. He still wont come over and even pick her up,  he said he talked to one of my older daughters and she will do it. I think I should just tell him to hit the bricks, but feel like I have to let Sara see him even though I don't want to. The man hasn't so much as sent a birthday card or made a phone call to them in all that time. He is over $70,000 (yes, that's $70,000) behind in child support and I will never see a drop of the money. I guess I should be happy that he has finally retired cuz at least I get a little bit of money for the kids from his social security benefit now... I just don't understand how anyone can practically give their kids up and then waltz back in like everything is just fine....

It sounds like the motorcycle just pulled in so that means hubby is home     Have a great night Xanga buddies