The Waiting Game

Well, I didn't want to say anything until we knew something definite, but --- we made an offer on a house yesterday morning. But it's now 4:00 and we still havent heard anything, so I'm beginning to wonder what's going on? It was the house that Bo posted about, his associate/friend's house. It's a smaller house (1800 sq ft) compared to our now 2800 sq ft house, but I think it will be fine since it's only Bo, Mason & I now, and Mason for only about 3 more years or so. It needs some updating, but I think we would enjoy doing that to our liking. There was a bit of a problem though. A friend of the owner had said that she wanted the house before we ever looked at it. They didn't think she was serious, but wanted to check with her first. We're assuming they are checking/waiting on her decision. Another problem is that the owners are just starting to build a house and it won't be ready for 6 months or so. They really don't want to move until their new house is ready, so we might have to rent for a few months until that time. Why not just find another house, you might ask. Well, we think this house is really a good deal and we like it. It was custom built by the now-owners 16 years ago and they have never had any kids, so it is in really good shape, and has lots of nice features. It even has a nice tree in the back yard. I also really like the location, very centrally located. AND I'm so tired of looking at houses!! I've probably looked at 50-60 houses and have liked 2-3 of them in the price range we're trying to stay in. And as I mentioned in a previous blog, we had about decided to just rent for a while anyway.

OK... so that's what's going on. I'll keep ya posted! Thanks for asking!

It is a cold and windy Saturday morning. It's supposed to warm back up tomorrow and reach 80 by Tuesday, I think. Cool! I love warm weather. Although I have to say we have had such a mild winter. But it's been months since we've had any rain. It's really dry around here.

I sat and talked with a lady for a while the other day about religion. I really didn't say much, mostly just listened, but left feeling somewhat empty and sad. What I heard and what I usually hear from modern day religionists is so man-centered. It's all about us, and what we need to do (or stop doing). I can see how people become so disillusioned with religion. To me, it's so daunting, all the things they say we are to do. Where is the freedom in that?

For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. Romans 7:18

Yes, but....

And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you FREE! John 8:32

If the son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed! John 8:36

Mason is finished with 10th grade. He took finals this week and did OK. He made B's on Math & History exams, an A on his Bible exam, and D's on Chemistry & English exams. I'm not thrilled with Chemistry & English, but would expect that with what I found out last weekend, and am really happy with the rest. This has been such a tough week for me. I have struggled with all this so much. I have felt so many emotions about it and have just been so upset and worried about Mason through it all. There's a old saying that goes like this: 'You're only as sick as your secrets.' --Now Mason has no more dirty little secrets, just a clean slate and a clear conscience. He can move on and I know he will be fine. More than anything, I want the best for him. He really is such a fine boy, and I love him very much. ---Sometimes being a parent is hard.

Thanks Mary Helen for being there for me!

Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday dear GENDY,
Happy Birthday to you!

This is a sad blog entry for me to write and one I really don't want to write, but feel in my heart I should. I am very upset and disappointed about something I found out yesterday and feel it would be wrong for me to cover it up and pretend it never happened, and not at all beneficial to Mason for me to do so. So... here goes. First of all, about 2 months ago I caught Mason cheating on a Chemistry test. He had found the quiz and test keys I kept in a drawer in my office. I caught him pulling out the answers he had written on an index card from his sweatshirt pocket during the test. I was shocked that he would do such a thing. I don't know, I just have thought of Mason as someone who I never had to worry about doing such things. Anyway, he was punished and I moved and hid the quiz & test key books, not saying anything about it to anyone. He seemed very remorseful and tearfully promised me this was the first and only time he had cheated. I (the sucker that I am) believed him. Since then he has done OK on test and quizzes, usually not A's, as before, but OK (B's & C's). Well, yesterday when I was moving furniture, I lifted a chair cushion and found an index card with some writing on it. It didn't take long to figure out, these were cheat notes. My heart just sank. I got out the test key book and found the test key they were copied from and it was the 2nd test of this year! I didn't catch him cheating until a couple of months ago which was over halfway into the school year. Well, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out he had lied to me about only cheating on one test, so Bo & I confronted him and he tried to say this cheat note was the same one I caught him with before and yes, that was the only test he ever cheated on. After proving to him that it wasn't the same cheat note, he finally came clean and admitted he had been cheating in several subjects, but not all. But who can believe that after all this?? I believe he has probably cheated on most of his tests and quizzes for a long time and probably in the other two grades too. After all, the keys were in a drawer in my office the whole time, although you can be sure they are not there now.

I felt I needed to tell this because of all the glowing reports I have given you all on how well Mason has done in school since we started homeschooling. One reason it is a hard thing to tell is that I, as his teacher and mom feel it is a bad reflection on me. It sure is nice to tell how well he is doing and feel so proud of him. Makes me look like a great mom and teacher! But it's not so easy to tell this story. Also, I think it would be detrimental to Mason to cover this up for him, and he needs consequences for his actions, one of which is loosing the respect (be it ill-gotten) he had gained of others concerning his schoolwork, (--which I do believe can be earned back thru honest hard work).

Well, that's the end of this sad tale. Please know it is heartbreaking and humbling for me to tell it.

I'm having trouble going to sleep tonight, so I thought I'd just get up and blog a bit. I know.... it's only 11:00 pm, but I usually go to bed around 10:00 every night. Bo & I went to Amarillo today house-hunting, but we just didnt find anything that we want. Maybe I'm just too picky, I don't know. The prices and the property taxes are just so high! And I like the neighborhoods with the older houses, but don't particularly like the older houses. I like the newer houses, but don't like the newer neighborhoods. Well, redo an older house, you might say. And yes, that's a possiblity, but so far I haven't really found an older house with a layout that I like. They are just so chopped up with so many rooms. I like a very open layout. It's just such a big decision to make, and seems so permanant. I know it's not really permanant, but you know what I mean.... it's not easily reversed. Now we're even talking that we might just rent for a while.

It has been so cold here the last three days, but it's supposed to warm up tomorrow. Today the wind was really blowing and with the lower temperatures, it was pretty miserable to be out in it. After going to about 15 open houses, we went to eat at Ruby Tequila's Mexican Restaurant. It was pretty good and I only ate about half of my meal to save the room and calories for a capuccino on the way home. It wasn't a real capuccino, just one of those fake ones from Toot n Totem that have about a zillion calories. But I love those things and let myself splurge on one every so often. Bo got one of those strong coffees from Starbuck's.

I was in the mood for a change yesterday so I moved all my breakfast area furniture out and moved the den furniture in there. LOL. I know, sounds very silly, but I figured why the heck not, we'll only be here a few more weeks and nobody ever sits at the table in there (except for Jocelyne, when she's here and on her computer). This way Bo or Mason can sit in there and keep me company while I'm in the kitchen. I kinda like it this way.

Well, guess I'll go try to fall asleep again! Good night.

We have a contract on the house! I can't believe it, we're going to be moving to Amarillo (if everything goes thru OK). And we are happy with the price we got for it. Now we just have to find another house. I worked in Amarillo yesterday until 3:00, then had a realtor take me to 5 or 6 houses. I didn't like any of them, and really felt pretty discouraged all the way home last night, but I know we will find the right house. I seem to like a newer house on the inside, but like the charm of an older house on the outside, and I like lots of mature trees, which you just don't find much on a newer house. So..... we'll just have to keep looking. --A house is just a house and a temporary abode while we travel thru this life. But, this world is not our home and we will only be here a short time compared to all eternity in heaven. I gotta remember that!

We have been working on the house again this weekend (Saturday). Here's Bo fixing the ceiling around a skylight in the sunroom. And we painted Mason's room a beige color. Looks much better. Today some people came to look at the house. --Don't know if they liked it or not.

Bo & I went for a drive around big D while our house was being looked at, and other than that, we haven't done much today. We did have a good lesson this morning on Ephesians 2:1-10. That is such a great passage. Verses 1-3 describes our pitiful, depraved natural state, and would leave us feeling pretty hopeless if we just stopped there. Ah, but verse 4 and following brings such hope! BUT GOD, who is rich in mercy for his great love, wherewith he loved us... My, my, how blessed we are that God is rich in mercy to us. After our lesson, we listened to a sermon by Todd Nibert. A passage in Matthew, chapter 16:15-17. I love that passage too. The Lord Jesus asked his diciples 'Whom say you that I am?' And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. The gospel IS a revelation, and cannot be understood thru the carnal reasoning of man. Only thru revelation from God. How blessed are all who have this revelation!!

Well, that's about it for me. Have a great week!

The weather forecast says 65 degrees today. Great! I love this beautiful weather we are having.

I worked in Amarillo yesterday and enjoyed the day. There's a girl named Toni that works with me who is very nice. I enjoyed visiting with her some, along with getting alot done at work.

I got a call about 3:00 or so yesterday afternoon and it was Cody. He had dropped a large concrete block on his finger at work and was at the Emergency room in Hereford. He had broken his finger. The middle finger on his right hand. He said it was very painful! He was out on the job all by himself, so he had to drive around looking for the hospital, finally stopping to ask for directions, and go in and get treated (with no one there to help him). LOL. I know he is 26 years old, but it was so hard for me to just stay at work and wait to hear how he was. I wanted to jump in the car and drive to Hereford to be with him. --But I didn't, and in a little while he called to say he was Ok and on his way home. After work I went to he & Jenny's house and visited with them for a while. He was doing better by then and the pain had subsided a good bit. He's got a splint on his finger that holds it straight out. Looks kinda funny since it is his middle finger! LOL. He is left handed so thankfully it won't effect his daily habitudes too much, although he said that at work, they were going to be laying some new gas lines next week, which meant he would be getting some good overtime, and now he doesn't think he'll be able to. He was kind of bummed out about that.

Before I left to come home, Corbin read some to me. I can't believe he can read so well and is only in kindergarten. He's such a smart little guy! Afterward Corbin & I went to get some ice cream, then I headed back to Dalhart, getting about home about 8:30. I gave Mason 2 quizzes and a Chemistry test, read some and went to bed.

Then & Now

THEN






NOW








My, how we've all changed in 38 or so years! I'm just guessing. I look around 12 yrs old in the first picture, but not sure exactly how long ago it was. I vaguely remember this trip to El Charro's Restaurant with my family. I really just remember seeing this picture all these years, more than the actual trip. I bet Mary Ellen remembers, but Gendy & Buster may not. It was one of the few times we all went out to eat together, especially in a nice restaurant. Nowadays a place like that wouldn't be considered a nice restaurant, but I think it was then, and this particular restaurant is still a nice restaurant today (much updating). We went there for a company party or something with the company my daddy worked for. I think we were all very excited to get to go, and very proud of our daddy for having the 'connections' to get us there. LOL. Funny. --The second picture was taken at Thanksgiving last year. Quite a goodlooking bunch, I'd say!

This is a lazy day. Nothing much to do. Bo worked in Gruver until about 2:00 or so, and I took Mason to Lana's a little while ago. He was bored and decided to call her and see if he could come out and spend the night tonight.

I have been listening to the audio book, 'The Kite Runner,' and just finished it a little while ago. I must say I think it is a GREAT book. I think one of the best I've ever read (or heard). It is about two boys that grew up together in Afghanistan. It is very well written and provokes so much feeling for the characters, --good & bad. It was a very sad story and brought me to tears several times, but I loved it. I'm sorry it's over and will miss the characters. --Oh, and I liked 'Memoirs of a Geisha' too, but not as much as this book. I am really enjoying my membership to Audible.com!

Have a good Saturday!

Goodbye My Friend

Bo & I took the motorcycle to Amarillo this morning to meet the guy who bought it. He and his wife drove up to get it. The transaction went fine and my friend, Val is gone now. I don't really feel sad about it. I would even say I feel kind of relieved. And there's more room in the garage now! But I do have some great memories of Bo & I's adventures on our motorcycles. A few years ago we took them to Yellowstone National Park and Mt Rushmore. That was a great trip! And I've had many good afternoons just riding it around here. As I said before, it is the end of an era in my life. --Time to move on, I guess.

Dyke stopped by the other day and said he just wanted to encourage me about selling the house. He said he drove some people by last weekend, and they really liked the house. They didn't look at it because I wasn't home and they didn't have their wives with them anyway. But, the wives will be here in a couple of weeks and they will want to look at it. Dyke said, 'Your house is going to sell real soon.' Of course, that could just be a salesman talking. I know one thing, it's not going to sell if he doesn't start showing it! LOL.

Bo's Uncle Johnny is in the hospital in Amarillo, so we stopped by to see him this morning and he seems to be doing pretty good. He had a small stroke. He will probably be going to a nursing home though when he gets out of rehab, which is where he is going after his hospital stay. He had a pretty bad stroke several years ago and was already disabled. Now he may not be able to care for himself anymore. Sad, but he seems to be taking it well.

After we left the hospital we went to eat at Ruby Tequila's. It was very good. Then Bo brought me back to Dalhart, and he went on to Gruver.

Happy Groundhog Day!