October 8 - 18, 2010

A true stopping place this time. A chance to see family and to stay in one spot for more than three days. The annual Family Halloween Party is on Oct. 15, so we agree to stay that long. Where are we in a hurry to go?
I was able to make a new friend while at my Mother's. Her name is Rebekah and she fits right in with our family. She has four children and my Mother has adopted the entire family. (her husband is military and stationed in CA.) Her kids have never really had grandparents so to speak, so it makes for a wonderful relationship. She keeps on eye on Mom and Mom gets more grandkids to love and someone to visit with. Because we are always too far away to help Mom, it's nice to know there is someone close by to help her. (She lives across the street from her.) There are other family members in town, but they have health issues, jobs or whatever and are not always able to "be" there for Mom. It takes away a lot of the quilt/helpless feelings I have because I'm not close enough to help. So to my friend Rebekah, I thank you.
We were invited to several siblings homes for dinner. It was great not having to do the cooking. Everything tasted wonderful and the company was awesome. Martha has a cat that they raised on a bottle and it is a big cat. It doesn't know it's a cat, it thinks it's a human. I've got a few pictures of it.
Drew got a workout helping one brother-in-law split wood. He figures they split about three cords worth. Don't ask me how much a cord is, as I don't know.
We were able to be present when my niece, Angela, told everyone they were expecting a child. Her Mom thought she was just fooling around with her, as that is just the way she is. So my sister asked Ben, Angela's husband if it were true. Ben said yes, it was. Talk about screaming; but I know that reaction.
Spent money at Wally World; where else! We found rock candy at Macy's and was able to buy some to bring home and share with the grandkids. This reminds me of a funny story with rock candy. A couple of years ago at our family reunion, they had a jar with rock candy and you  had to guess how much was in it. We didn't win of course, but I had a daughter pick some up for us before we left to come home. I had an appointment with my councilor (depression) and I took some in a bag for him. I said to him, "Look at these rocks I got in Utah." He picks up a few of them and asks me if I got them at the store and I said yes. Then he said are they polished? I didn't want to lie to him so I just took one of the rocks and started eating it. He looks at me with a strange look and I tell him they are candy! He starts laughing and calls me a little s**t. I really fooled him. It was funny.
The Halloween party was really fun. Everyone really gets into it and dresses up. We have a meal and then there is voting on costumes, dancing and then the favorite part of getting candy. We just have the kids go around to everyone and they get "treated". I know several came around more than once. There was a good turn out and everyone had a great time.
There were doughnuts left over and so they drop some off at Mom's the next day. After dinner we thought it would be nice to have doughnuts and ice cream. Drew goes downstairs and gets the ice cream. He is nominated to dish it up as Mom and I just don't have the strength to do it. I get three bowls and spoons out, put a doughnut in the bottom of the bowl and wait for Drew to dip up the ice cream. I'm standing there and all of a sudden a spoonful of ice cream goes flying onto the floor. Drew's face is priceless as he looks at the ice cream on the floor and then at me. We start laughing as he picks it up and throws it away. We are laughing so hard. Mom is in the bathroom and is trying to get out to see what is going on that we are laughing so hard. She comes out and we try and tell her between laughing. Drew gets Mom's bowl finished and I take it to her in the living room. As I just get back to the kitchen, another scoop of ice cream comes flying across the room. At this point, I am laughing so hard I have a hard time catching my breath and my back is starting to hurt. It was a really, really funny night and it was a memory maker. At the mention of ice cream, we start laughing.
We make an appointment with my niece to go and see the trailer. I was really disappointed when I saw how small it was. I was expecting bigger, but decided it was just the two of us and we could upgrade later when we could afford it. We told her we'd take it and then waited for her to get it ready. We had plans to go up to Idaho to see Drew's family, so we wanted to get it done quickly.
We pick up the trailer. We are so excited. We get it cleaned up and start packing it with things from the car that we had brought with us. We opened the windows and just sat in it and enjoyed the breeze. Trying to find a place for everything isn't as easy as we had thought. Things keep getting moved around until we find just the right spot. We need some wood to put under the stabilizing jacks, so I go to the patio and start looking in boxes of wood scrapes and find just the right size and amount. I silently thank my Dad (he has passed on) for having just what we needed. In my Dad's shop, Drew found a metal pipe that is just right to put the sway bars up on the trailer. Another, just the right thing at the right time. It's like Dad left them for us; I know they have been there a long time, but who's to say they weren't "revealed" so we could find them? I like to think my Dad is watching out for us all.
We get the trailer registered in Utah. They would only give us a three day pass to get it back to Missouri and we were going to be gone longer than the three days. We could have renewed it at a weigh station as we crossed borders but that would have been a hassle. We wanted to take it up to Idaho with us, but it is not ready, so we leave it at Mom's until we come back.