jilly-bear

Thursday, February 27, 2014

This bird is ready to fly south for the winter!

That's right. I've had enough of cold and snow and cold and... well, you get the idea. Bill and I will be packing up the camper and heading to Texas on March 13 - it will take at least 12 hours to drive so we will be getting there late in the day. Friday the 14 and Saturday the 15 all day are open. Not sure just yet if we will be heading back on Sunday or Monday (depends on my son's schedule really). We will be staying at Belton Lake near Fort Hood where by son is stationed.

Woo Hoo! It's supposed to be 'Sunny and 75' while we are there!

Tuesday, January 7, 2014

I survived ION!

As you know, my son Tom was home for the Holidays. Then ION moved in on Saturday might. They were supposed to head back on Sunday morning at Oh-dark-thirty but … yeah, he called his CO and got permission to stay one more day. So on my birthday Sunday, I had all my kids and their girlfriends home! It was a lazy day of games, snow, naps and food!

Tom stated my day off by making me breakfast in bed. Shortly thereafter, Bill left to brave the roads as he needed to get home to check on the dogs, the bird, and the pipes in both the trailer and the house. He was practically the only one on the road and a drive that usually takes 2 hours, took 4! But he made it home and all was well.

Austen and his girlfriend Holly made us tacos for lunch. He had to go to the store which is just a block away – got his car stuck getting out of the driveway! Tom took him in his 4wd truck instead.

Erik and his girlfriend Meghan made us all dinner. Then we played several games before I retired to my room to watch some “Big Bang Theory”. Sometime during the night the snow plow came and plowed out our circle. Unfortunately, they piled most of it behind the kid’s cars so they couldn’t get out. Erik had to shovel about 4 feet of snow out from behind his car to go to work.

Tom and Ali got up early Monday morning and packed up to head to TEXAS. They made it in about 14 hours which is longer than it took them to get here but they had some snow packed roads at the start of the trip. I worked from home on my usual Monday so I didn’t have to get out on the roads at all.

Last night Austen caught the plow again and had him move the mountain of snow that was behind the cars in the circle so today they can shovel them out.

I made it into the office today. The car was hesitant to start at first but then decided that I was not giving up and after a nice warm up in the driveway we made it in. The roads were in much better condition that I expected. Everyone was saying that they were still snow packed and icy. They ARE on the side roads but not on I64 or Hwy 94. I have not decided yet if I want to try Hwy N on the way home. It’s only 18 degrees right now (at 1:00pm) and I know that if they did have salt on the roads it wouldn’t work until it gets up to about 20 degrees.

I was pleasantly surprised this morning to find our parking lot pretty much clear! We have about a ½ inch of salt on it but no ice or snow.

Bill called at lunch to tell me that one of the heaters in the house went off over night and the pipes burst. He will spend today fixing that up and getting more propane for that heater. I will be glad when we get temperatures back up above freezing!

Sunday, December 29, 2013

A lot to catch up on!

Wow, I just realized how long it's been since I posted. I have several sets of pics to share:

Slot machine Erik

Miss Meghan planned a surprise 21st birthday party for Erik. I had to keep him busy for a few hours while she got everything ready.... so the Hodge family tradition of going to the casino. Here he is at the slot machine.

Erik cutting cake

And here he is at the party and the spread Meghan had for everyone.

Here is Erik and Miss Meghan... since his birthday is in December, the Christmas tree was already up.

We took him bowling on his actual birthday (the 12th):

Erik bowling

Check out that form!

Aubri and Meghan bowling

The girls

The girls and Erik

Birthday Cheesecake - Meghan bought the candles and thought she had a one - it turned out to be a seven!

Blowing out the candles while Holly looks on.

Later that month, Erik, Meghan, Bill and I went downtown on Main Street St. Charles:

Downtown St. Charles Dec 1 - Clydsdale

The Clydesdales where there for a photo op

Downtown St. Charles Dec 1 - Erik and Miss Meghan

Erik and Meghan taking a break

Downtown St. Charles Dec 1 - horse and buggy

One of the horse and buggy's that are available for hire

And then Tom came home with his girlfriend Ali and her daughter Eva for Yule:

Our tree

Tom being Santa

We took off on Christmas Eve to my nephew's house in Central Illinois for the family Christmas:

Ali, Austen, Shelby

Ali, Austen and my great Niece Shelby (seated)

Aubri at table

Aubri

Aubri taking a selfie

Bill and I

Cheri and I in shootout

My sister Cheri and I taking pictures of each other taking pictures

Tom, Eva, Shana

Tom, Eva and Shana

Yesterday, Tom and I took Ali and Eva to Downtown St Charles:

Downtown St. Charles Dec 28 - bird on top of tree

Check out the real bird sitting on top of the tree!

Downtown St. Charles Dec 28 - Tom, Ali and Eva 1

Tom, Ali and Eva pose for a pic in front of the tree.

Today we took them downtown to the Science Center:

Science Center Dec 29 Eva

Eva

Owls

Science Center Dec 29 Tom and Eva Arch 2

Tom and Eva after we build the arch!

Science Center Dec 29 Tom and Eva Arch

Another of Tom and Eva

Science Center Dec 29 Tom and Eva bridge

Eva and Tom playing with the interactive floor. This is a very cool exibit where the floor changes scenes and will react when you step on it. This was water I think, and it would look like it splashed when you stepped on it.

Science Center Dec 29 Tom and Eva

Tom and Eva having a 'hair raising' experience!

And now you are caught up on 2013 so far. If I remember to get pictures on New Years Eve I'll post them later.