Shoo, Fly, Don't Bother Me

In the case of this post you can replace "fly" with the name of that person in your life that annoys, irritates, angers, frustrates you. The person that is just like a little fly buzzing around your head that you just keep flapping your hand at hoping they will go away and your life will be nice and peaceful again.

This person can be a coworker that just causes you to slam your head onto your desk because they just don't get the concept of "team players" or what the definition of work really is (amazingly enough it is not socialize and drink coffee as I originally assumed it was...oops....), it could be that sister-in-law that is overbearing, bossy and rude, that person that just doesn't understand there are "rules" in life and breaks them all of the time, that acquaintance that always bails on you at the last minute. We all have one of those people in our lives..a fly!

As with many insects, I sit there and sometimes ponder what their purpose is. You know I get bees - they pollinate flowers and make honey but flies or how about mosquito's? They are just those pesky things in our life we try to swat away!

So anyway my point, not that there really is one, is that sometimes I wish I had an oversized fly swatter and I could just go "Shoo! Go away!" and swat at these people. Wouldn't that be nice? I know there is some reason these people are in our lifes - makes us stronger people, makes us value others more, maybe they make us realize how we don't want to act or behave.

I don't know - It is late and I think I am to the point where I am just babbling away! I think God is just testing my strength and self control. He is saying "Stephanie, put down the fly swatter! PUT DOWN THE FLY SWATTER!" Okay God I hear you loud and clear!

I'm Posting Mom - ya happy now??

Well someone complained that I had not posted in a long time so figured I would post something, though I really have nothing interesting to talk about.

What is annoying is that I will be at work, or driving home and will think of something that I want to write about but then I get home and forget what it is or get distracted and so the post is never created.

So today I stopped by and visited with my grandparents. You may be thinking, "Well what is so odd about that?" My grandparents have been gone since 1987 and 1992. It is funny because in both cases they have been gone longer then the age I was when they passed away and though I don't think of them that often, today I just felt sad and missed them. I guess it is like that though when our loved ones pass on. The sadness becomes less and less painful as the time passes but then certain things will spark memories and you will just have that sudden ache of missing them.

I remember a few years ago my mom and I went to visit my grandparents and my mom made the comment "Well here is your granddaughter all grown up" I think we both got a little teary eyed after that. It is sad that my grandparents never got to aee me get married and never got to meet my beautiful daughter.

So after I visited with grandma and grandpa I started to think on the way home what I may have inherited from them. Then it just got me to thinking about families and how we may not take after or resemble our immediate family (mom, dad, sibling). It is just funny how genetics work. For example, Shelby doesn't necessarily look like me though people say she resembles Chad & I (I don't see it though) yet I was looking at a picture of me when I was Shelby's age and I could totally see my niece in that picture. Or how when we were visiting Chad's grandparents and I saw a picture of his mom as a little girl. The light suddenly went on because Shelby seems to have the same build that her grandma did as a little girl.

It is nice that I have finally been able to determine who Shelby takes after. I mean had it not been for that whole birthing experience I was beginning to doubt she was my kid! Well that isn't true - her stubborn streak reminds me DAILY that she is my offspring! ;-)

I had a scary experience one day. I was at my moms house and was cleaning her bathroom. She had a spare wig underneath her bathroom cabinet and I was being silly and thought I would put it on. I looked in the mirror and had to stifle a scream because I - gulp - looked like my mom!!! At least I am happy to say I am not crazy like her!! Hee, hee!!!!

I think next time I visit with my grandparents I will take Chad & Shelby along. It's about time Grandma and Grandpa met them.

Merry Christmas from Chad, Steph & Shelby (oh and the dog too!)

So this is for all of my internet friends. Here is our Christmas card and letter for 2010

It’s time again for my wonderful Christmas letter. You have been looking forward to this all year haven’t you??

2010 found Chad & I still working at Honeywell (12 yrs for Chad and 9 for me). Shelby finished 1st grade in June with AWESOME grades and started 2nd grade this fall. So far she loves it and says her favorite subject is PE (hmm, not my child!!) We have taken a few trips this past year and are still working on hot rods and scrapbooking. Chad of course is working on the hot rods…I am scrapbooking!

In January Chad surprised me with a trip to LA for my 29th b-day (and yes, I did turn 29 last year as well!) to see The Jay Leno Show. This was in the midst of the late night TV wars so I was a little scared that there would be no show to see! But there was and it was awesome! We also went to Universal Studios – I was kind of disappointed but we did get to drive down Wisteria Lane (from Desperate Housewives) which was cool. We also went to Warner Bros Studio which was AWESOME. Our favorite show, Chuck, is filmed there and we got to see their studio and the actors trailers! We didn’t see anyone from the show but this was a good alternative. We also got to see them setting up for a scene from an episode they were filming. It was fun to be watching the show weeks later and see the scenes they had been setting up for! We also got to see a scene of the new Beverly Hills 90210 show being filmed on the Santa Monica pier. I was hoping to see celebrities just walking down the street but hey…I had this celeb sighting so I was happy.

In February Chad started the permit process for building his shop…here it is 10 months later and we have some lovely flat land in the back. No shop yet but hopefully that will start soon and go quickly. Then I can convert our garage into a large scrapbook room. I mean then we can finally park our cars in the garage!! Yeah that is it……

July we went on a cross country trip – well across some country to Montana and Wyoming to visit Chad’s grandparents and to go to Yellowstone. I think it had been four years since we had seen Chad’s grandparents so it was good to see them. Shelby just loved hanging out with them. We spent the 4th of July there and headed to the quaint town of Hamilton for their firework display. It was an awesome show and we didn’t have to deal with huge crowds like you do for the displays here in WA. Shelby wants to go back next year!

Yellowstone was a blast! It just reminds you of how wonderful nature is. We saw several bears, bison walked right in front of us, some elk, a moose and lots of stinky geysers! We did camp in the park which is a little scary when they tell you to watch out for bears, not to wear perfumed items and to keep your food in your vehicle or in these food boxes they had throughout the park. It got quite cold there at night so between that, Shelby wanting to sleep on our air mattress with us AND then our air mattress springing a leak and deflating on us, it was quite an adventure! Needless to say, we left a day early and stayed one more day with Chad’s grandparents before heading home.

Chad skipped Bonneville this year and we just had a stay-cation at home in August. Shelby & I got together a few days with friends we don’t normally get to see and Chad tinkered on his hot rods. Oh speaking of hot rods….yes we have added another baby to our fleet. This one is a ’64 Studebaker wagon – and get this….it actually runs! Oh sure, it needs work but for sitting in a shed untouched for several years all it needed was a bath and a little TLC and Chad was actually driving it around! I know I said I would never own a wagon but this is different…This here is a classic! Chad & his dad have also been working more on the roadster. It is now painted a beautiful shade of blue and hopefully soon it will be on the road too.

This September Chad & I celebrated our 10 year wedding anniversary. Some days it doesn’t seem that long . I lucked out when I met Chad. Poor schmuck though - he ended up with me! Hey, I am letting him build a shop, that did I mention, will be bigger than our house?? So I can’t be all that bad! We spent our anniversary up on Whidbey Island. It was a great weekend!

As I said, Shelby started 2nd grade the end of August. She turned 8 in November and we did a Hollywood Red Carpet theme – the girls had little VIP bags, trophies and went around getting each others autographs! It sure was a blast! She is still in Daisy Girl Scouts and will be bridging to a Brownie soon. So yes…this means she will be selling cookies in February/March so start saving up now! Actually I am glad she enjoys it as I never did and I think it is a great experience.

Chad has also taken an interest in artillery/guns and tries to go shooting with some buddies from work once a week. He really needs to find an inexpensive hobby!

Other than that we are just bumming around the house and making little improvements here and there. However once you get one done you just realize how many more there are and you get discouraged. Good thing we don’t plan to move any time soon!

Hope you are all doing well and ready for the holidays.

Wishing you all a safe and happy holiday season!

Steph, Chad, Shelby and Harley the dog