updates...

Well...I FINISHED THE TAX RETURNS! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-HOOOOOOOOOOO!

Unlike last year, in which I got back $1. in my federal taxes, I'm getting back a tiny bit more this year. As long as we don't have to pay!

Meanwhile, Harold and Caren came to Mike's parents house to visit Grandma Terry and I took a pic of him for Darrell..

He looks the same, only smaller due to the chemo taking his appetite away.

Several of his good friends are having a benefit for him this coming Saturday in Greenwood, SC. We'll all be there! Art's band will be playing and Court will get up with them and sing some. I will be there to take loads of pics!

That's it from here...I think I'll go watch the hockey game for awhile and recover from "TAX DAY".

Joan

Buddy

I had to take Buddy to the Vet this morning...he was up all night having what Mike and I thought was seizures or something. Buddy IS SUCH a drama queen anyways, so it was sort of hard to tell what was wrong. The Vet told me it's tonsilitis and throat infection. He's pretty miserable, but they gave him a shot and we have medicine to give him. Hopefully he will be up and chasing Harley around before too long!

Britt and I are going out for lunch today at HER favorite restuarant, Hibachi Grille. It's OK, it's just hot in there. I'll survive! ha

Ash called last night for like, 15 seconds because we kept getting cut off. She then texted me and said that they were in the middle of a talent contest on her boat and how funny everyone is. I told her to get up and sing! ha

Well, that's it...ya'll have a great day! I'm about 1/3 thru with Cowboy Trouble that I'm reading and it's very VERY well written and I hate to put it down!

Later!

Joan

Ash's Pictures

Ashley sent me two pictures last night. This first picture is of her ship...I wonder where the orange stripe is! Anyways, she is on a small boat looking at her ship!

After she took this picture, they were asked to patrol around while the ship had a "swim call"! YES, they went swimming! ha

Some of them actually jumped in the 45 degree water! She said they only jumped ONE TIME..they were too cold to jump twice! ha

Last night we stopped by Mike's Ma's house to visit with Donna who is home visiting and everyone else. I took some pictures so I could mail them to Ash, but decided to make a collage of them instead...

That's PINTO BEANS in the pot! WOO-HOOOOOOO!!!!

Well, that's it from me for the moment!

Have a great day everyone!

Joan

COWBOY TROUBLE

I just found out this morning that my cousins first book to get published, just went on sale here today at Barnes and Noble!!

So, in my usual excitement over ANYthing news worthy in the family, took off to Barnes and Noble and bought 2 copies...one for me and one for Mom and Dad! (Courtney wants to know WHO is the guy on the cover and can she send him her cell number!!) NO!

I wanted to add too that Mom, Dad and I ate out for lunch today where I gave her her copy. We read the first few pages and it looks like it's going to be a great read and we can't wait to get started! I LOVED Joanne's dedication page to her parents! (Mom made sure she pointed it out to me!)

Mom asked if I were to have a book published (BAH-HAAA, right.) WHO would I dedicate my book to?

I told her without hesitation, "BUDDY!" (He's my dog). HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Anyways, I just wanted to blog about her book and let everyone know it's on sale at BN and here.

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Cowboy-Trouble/Joanne-Kennedy/e/9781402236686/?itm=1&usri=cowboy+trouble

Good luck, Joanne!

Joan

OFFFF WORK! and it's raining!

I LOVE the quote for the day...

Between two evils, I always pick the one I never tried before. Mae West

That should be Ashley's "Life-Quote"...you know, one of those quotes people add to the end of emails and text msgs...alot of people use bible verses...THIS should be Ashley's! HAAAAAA

I don't have any pics to put on here today because I have been working like crazy, therefore, missing out on the warm, beautiful weather we had over the weekend. BUT, there will be more!

SOOO, this morning, I'm headed out to Wal-Mart to get some groceries and stuff.

Court...get this...has to WORK everyday after school! HAAAAAAAA! She has a job at a tanning bed here in our town...PERFECT for her! I'm going to stop by there and bring her some supper tonight and TAKE HER PICTURE WORKING! BAH-HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!

Ash is LOVING her new boat and the people on it. We talk everyday and she's always busy studying trying to get her qualifications in. She was qualified on her other boat, but evidently when you go to a different boat, you have to get re-qualified. She's trying to hurry.

Britt has a job interview today!!! It's at a nursing home, so I'm sure they'll be happy to hire her since they're always looking for help.

I will go into complete shock if all three of my babies have jobs...at the same time! SHOCK!

Well, that's it...gotta feed the boys (dogs), drink some coffee and head to my Therapy-Mart! hee

Joan

Day off!

I'm off work today...have I mentioned it this week that I LOVE my work schedule???!

I was on my facebook and noticed that Courtney had posted on HER facebook this picture...

I HEART THAT PICTURE!

Anyways...all is well here and settling back to normal, whatever that is. Ash is safely on her boat cruising the coasts of Canada and missing...Boomer. whatev.

Britt and Court are doing great and THANKFULLY, are much calmer, quieter not hyper like Ash, so we're all breathing easier now! ha

Have a great day!

Joan

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Playing around!

Mauldin High Talent Contest and SNOWWWW

The other day, before our trip to Virginia, was Courtney's school talent contest, of which she WON! She NEVER WINS!!!! But she did this year!

I LOVE this next picture

Sort of says it all!

Here are my girls!

Here is Britt and her man, Lee

He is EXTREMELY nice and we really like him alot!

Here are the girls again...they were looking at Dad, but I like it anyways.

Here is Dad and girls..

Here is a good picture of Mom and Ash..

So, it snowed last night and I had to capture that! Here is Buddy frolicking in the snow drifts..

Here are Boomer and Harley thoroughly enjoying the snow...

It got pretty deep too! Like 3 whole inches!

Here is the road from my driveway..

Sort of pretty!

Here is Court throwing a snow ball at me

Ash and Court going to the store in Ash's truck..

A view of my back yard..

Well, that's it for the moment...you can view all my pics here.http://picasaweb.google.com/joan29662/MHSTalentAndSNOW#

Have a great day!!!

Joan

We're BACK!

Ash and I made it home safely after surviving the blizzard up there we endured, only to endure ANOTHER one here at home! It's beautiful...especially looking at all the snow thru your own den windows in your own hometown!

So...just to ease my own worst fears (Ashley NOT being able to fly out tomorrow) I check the flights, weather patterns, flight patterns, astrology signs, etc..and am confident she will be on the 6:02 flight outta here in the morning. At EXACTLY 6:02:30, my nerves will be taking a warm calgon bath and my breathing will return to normal once again. I have never seen a child attract the bad luck she has accumulated this past 2 1/2 weeks! Only thru long sleepless nights, loads of Excedrine Migraine, days off work and rattled nerves has everything worked it's way out and all is well with the world again!

We are shipping her truck out to her at a later date. (in case anyone was wondering..another LONG story of which I don't care to tax my brain with remembering)

That's it for today...I'm off to take nice, calm pictures of my nice, calm back yard. NO PICTURES OF MY KIDS...only flora and fauna!!!

Joan

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The wind was blowing 50 mph...and 27 degrees.

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The snow plow just started dumping white stuff out of this pipe out of the back!! Haaa

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Passing a SNOW PLOW! SO WILD!!

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Outside my hotel room...its snowing SIDEWAYS! Wekre headed to the BEACH!! Haaa

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MY bed at the Omni hotel we're staying at. The hotel is massive, VERY nice, offers GREAT military discounts and, much to Ashleys delight, filled with "HOT Army guys" as she put it! Ha

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Ash found a Walmart here in Newport News for us to get shampoo and stuff we forgot to bring...its HUGE! I mean, its like two of ours put together!

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Me trying to get a pic of ash eating her bar B Q buffalo wings and my coke float..she kept saying NOOOOOO! Ha

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Ash's wobble-head dog looking out on the SNOW!!!

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Driving!!!

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Us traveling!!

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Road trip back to Virginia for a couple of days...Ash is driving!!

Thursday...

I'm off work AGAIN...have I mentioned that I LOVE my work schedule??

Soooo.....the other day, after a MAJORLY stressful day worrying over Ashley (LONG story), I decided to go get some quick therapy at Wal-Mart.

I only THOUGHT I was having a bad day, till I saw this...

O.M.Geeee.

This lady didn't even bother putting her clothes on! BAH-HAAAAAAAAAA

She instantly cheered me up and between her and my Daddy, my day was instantly cheered up! Thanks Dad and pajama-lady!

Now for other news...Ashley now reports to Seattle on Feb. 16th, which is great, because she'll be home a day longer, BUT, Britt and I won't be driving out there with her. She'll now be flying to Seattle on the 15th and Mike and I will just drive her truck to Seattle whenever her boat comes in to port in Seattle this spring or whenever. The weather is just too chaotic now for us to be driving clear across the country and this will give her time to learn the area before her truck gets there. ANYways...the stress is gone now.

Well, that's it for the moment...hang on for more!

Joan