Another Chance Ranch

The Baby Monitor

We had a virtual baby shower for Karmyn yesterday, see previous post, and I chose to give her a baby monitor with a video camera.  When I found that gift online it triggered a memory, and now I am sharing it with you.

McD went to see the kids without me one time.  This time it was our turn to stay with P3 and his family.  They all said their goodnights and went to bed, and then the next morning McD got up first.  When P3 and his girlfriend came out of their bedroom they found Poppy and Schemma in the living room together.  McD swore to them that Schemma was already awake when he went in to look at her. 

Fast forward a year... .

Last month McD and I went to see the kids.  Again, it was our turn to stay at P3's but this time Celeste (P3's girlfriend) told McD and I that Schemma needed to sleep in as long as she could in the morning or she would be really cranky.  We said okay and headed for bed, when Celeste said, "You do know that we have a baby monitor and last time we heard you in there waking Schemma up." 

You should have seen the look on McD's face.  It was hilarious!  He did not go in and wake her up this time, but he did learn a valuable baby monitor lesson.

My Chat with Dad

Yesterday as I was driving home in the rain I did what I normally do, I called my parents.  Rain is something that we always need and when we are getting rain I always call to see if they are getting rain.  We chatted about the weather for a bit and then we moved on to other things. 

We chatted about the price of gasoline ($3.50/gal) and diesel ($4.05/gal).  I feel horrible because due to the price of fuel we are going to miss Mother's Day and my nephew's 13th birthday.  Then the next weekend is one of my cousin's high school graduation, but how could I go to that if I don't go home for Mother's Day & my nephew's birthday (they are on the same day).  Oh and then there is the bedlam baseball game coming up, and the ranch rodeo, oh and I am sure there is something else I am just not thinking of.  I am just very fortunate to have a family that understands why we can't make it for all of those events.  Well, except for maybe the baseball game.  Maybe my parents could meet us up there, hmmm...maybe my nephew too.  I may be onto something here.  :)

Somehow during our conversation my dad told me that he had to take a couple of guys to a neighboring town to take their CDL tests.  He already has his so he had to go with them.  I didn't realize that you can get a CDL permit and everything, just like a regular drivers license.  For some reason, I decided to tell him about the day that I took my drivers test.

My family had a big 4X4 Chevy Blazer and that was what I had to take my driving test in.  I got behind the wheel and the cop got in the passenger side.  We cruised around town changing lanes, passing people, stopping at stop signs, etc.  Then it was time for the last thing, parallel parking.  Yuck!  I still do not like to parallel park.  I will walk a mile before I parallel park in a close parking space.  Part of me just doesn't like to do it, and the other part of me is afraid someone will hit my vehicle, and then the last part of me just doesn't want to be embarrassed when I can't do it right the first time. 

So, the cop tells me to drive around this block because he knows the perfect place for this part of the test.  The dread was building inside of me as soon as he told me where to go.  You see, he was taking me to parallel park - um, the hardest part of the test - right behind where my Dad worked.  I don't think Dad was in the shop that day, but all of the other guys were.  I took my first shot at parallel parking and I blew it.  I was distracted okay? 

Everyone that worked at my Dad's shop had come out and was standing there in a single file line watching me try to parallel park.  I was so embarrassed when I didn't do it the first time.  But the cop saw what was happening.  He asked me if I knew I had an audience and I told him that I did, and explained who they were.  Then he said, okay let's do this one more time but this time show them how it is done.  And I did! 

When I turned to wave at all the guys, they were clapping for me.  :)  And I passed my test.

Me and McD, Part 2

if you are just joining us you should at least read the previous post to kind of catch up.

McD took me home from the Sunday night traditional trip to Mazzio's.  We sat outside in my grandparents driveway for a little while talking.  I thanked him for the ride home and he said he would call me.

I didn't hear from him right away, but I knew I would see him at church.  It just so happened that our Brothers Keepers group did pie ministries.  Our group would pick a person that we thought might need encouragement or support and take a few pies to their house.  We would eat pies, play games, etc.
Sunday evening came around and we were supposed to be doing a pie ministry that night, but the people we had chosen were not home. A light bulb went off above my head, like in the cartoons. :) I thought, I bet McD could use a little encouragement since he is going through a divorce and all. Plus I wanted to see where he lived. I know, sneaky, but it got me in the door.

He lived in an apartment above one of our friends' funeral home. Really!  It was a nice furnished apartment, if you didn't mind the fact that it was over the funeral home.  It was a fun evening.  Kind of strange really, but it was fun.  We all enjoyed our pie I know, but I can't remember if we played games.  We spoke a little, but there were too many other people around to really talk.  I did tell him that my grandparents were throwing a party for my birthday and I would like it if he came.  (Forward or what?)

My birthday was only a few days away and my grandparents were really throwing me a party. I just never expected him to come, but he did.  It was my 20th birthday party. It was so sweet of him to come, and he even brought a card. It was kind of a cheesy card, but it is the thought that counts right?   It had all kinds of glitter. It was such a "girly" card, I thought, "Wow, this guy has a lot to learn about me."  And he did.  I still have the card.  :)  He played all the lame games and even smiled and laughed, he even seemed like he had a good time. He wore his Levi's, a red long-sleeve Nike t-shirt (the nike and swoosh were navy blue), and Reebok tennis shoes.

After the birthday party we began talking on the phone everyday at least once, and seeing more of each other.  You know, the typical dating stuff.  He worked as a commodities broker at the time and had an office on the edge of town.  I enjoyed going to his office and watching him work.  He would explain how everything worked while I sat on his lap staring at his computer screen. 

We spent as much time together as possible.  It seemed that we were inseparable.  When we weren't together I was thinking about him.  When we were together I never wanted our time together to end.  We would sit in his apartment watching ESPN, or a baseball game until all hours of the morning because we just didn't want to be away from each other.  But then I would have to go home to my grandparents.  One evening we were getting into his Jeep for him to take me home and he told me that he couldn't father anymore children.  Before he told me that I knew I had feelings for him, but after he told me my feelings were way more intense.  I loved him.  For him to say something so personal, it touched me.  You have to realize that we had only been dating for two weeks.  I knew without a doubt that night that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with McD. 

More tomorrow. :)

Me and McD - Our Story

After I graduated high school I went off to college, met a guy, dropped out of college, moved out of state and in with him, my fiance, and his family. I just knew that we were meant to be.  My grandparents had been asking me to come and visit them.  So I did.

I packed up and headed back to Oklahoma.   I was planning on staying a couple of weeks, but when I arrived my Granny, the world traveller, asked if I would like to go on a cruise with her. Ummm, Yes! So I called Pat and told him about the cruise. The cruise was going to be in October and this was all happening in January.  I told him that I was going to help them out at their store while I was there, all in all I was just excited as all get out.  I was planning to stay the two weeks and then go back to Arkansas until it was time to go on the big boat.  A few days later he called and told me that he was coming to see me. I was thrilled!!  Until he showed up with ALL of my stuff! Not ALL of it but most of it. (I went back and got the rest - that is another story!) His reason for bringing all my stuff - he thought I might want it. We are talking about everything from all my clothes to the entertainment center and television I had. I didn't want to argue so I just went on and enjoyed his company.

On Sunday he left.

On Monday, the Dear Julie letter came. (Here is where the other story comes in, so I won't go there.) I was devastated.  My grandparents told me that I could just live with them and work for them at their store until I decided what I wanted to do.

About a month after the Dear Julie letter, I spotted McD. Okay, I spotted McD's Levi's. Yep. Right in church. It was a Sunday evening. We came in a little late and didn't get our regular pew. (My Granny and I were in a play and we had to practice on Sunday afternoons.) So we snuck in and grabbed the first available pew. It just so happened to be right behind McD and his boys.

I nudged my Granny and asked, "Who is that?"

She said, "Oh it is the saddest thing. That is McD (okay just pretend she said McD). His wife left him for another man. But he makes sure he and his boys are at church everytime the doors open."

My response. "Look at his, um, Levi's." Then we giggled. For some reason we stood at least three times during that evening service. I was just glad I knew all the words to the songs we sang. I certainly wasn't looking at the hymn book. The second time we stood I leaned over to Granny and said, "I am going to go out with him." She just looked at me and laughed.

Later I got the whole story about how he is older than me and he has two boys AND he is going through a divorce. I just listened. McD had seen me in church but didn't really "notice" me until one night when he brought a friend of the family to church with them, Newt. Newt was just a kid, but he was a few years older than McD's boys. Newt noticed me and asked who I was. That is how McD really "noticed" me. He asked one of our mutual friends about me and she spilled the beans. She told him my name, where I lived, where I worked, etc. Then she decided to play matchmaker.

The home & garden show was that weekend and we just all happened to be there.  Our friend asked me to register to win something, now I don't even remember what it was. I filled it out, and tossed it into the basket.  Then she asked me to fill out another one.  After I wrote down my name, address and phone number again she took it and put it in her pocket. She just grinned from ear to ear and said, "This one is going to McD" (pretend she said that instead of his real name). I just laughed and told her how sly she was. Then I left.

The next day was Sunday and I was probably going to church for all of the wrong reasons at this point.  I just wanted to catch a glimpse of McD. 

Mazzio's was the big hangout for our church crowd. So every, yes every, Sunday night after church we would go to Mazzio's. He didn't usually go with the dinner crowd, but he didn't have the boys that night. He asked me if I would like to ride with him to dinner.  I said yes, and then calmly went and told my Granny in a very laid back kind of way that I was riding with McD to dinner. Whatever! I nearly skipped over to my Granny and then could hardly get the words out that he would be driving me to dinner. I guess she got the jest of it, cause I took off with McD.  Then after eating dinner with the whole dinner crowd, he drove me home. Awww!

That was really our first date I guess.

(More to come.) 

Memories

What is he telling her?  There is no telling with the ornery look in McD's eye, but whatever it is you can tell she is listening.  She always listened.  This is one of my favorite photos of McD & Ruby.

Some of you might have noticed that I didn't blog this weekend.  It was a rough weekend.  All we have now are our memories of her. 

Rest in Peace Ruby.

Fun, Fun, Fun

Fun Fun Fun 'til his Daddy took the sled away...

I cannot believe I have not posted this pic yet.  We had so much fun with the kids when we went to Colorado to see them.  We were sledding fools!  The hill was so long that we tied the sled up to Annabelle and let her pull Poohs up it.  She did great until she got around the cars and then we were a bit concerned.  "Tuck and Roll!"  is what we were yelling to Poohs.  He did just fine.  He was ready to do it again.

Oh how I wish we lived closer.  If only we could pick up our house and move it.  :)  Oh, Mils and everyone else interested in seeing photos of the new house.  Click on the link/badge for my other blog and you will see them daily for a while.  :)

Schemma or Schemms

Remember Sweetpea?  Well, Sweetpea didn't stick but Schemma or Scheems did. 

We were sledding while we were in Creede and little Schemma was bundled up like the kid on The Christmas Story.  It was really quite comical, all she could really do was lounge in her personal baby-sized sled and move her head from side to side.  That might be the only way we can get her to look at us for a photo. 

Head's up... Next week, on Thursday, I am going to start Thankful Thursday.  I am going to post about something I am thankful for, preferably something that came about that week.  If you would like to join me just leave your name and link to your blog in the comments.  Of if you would rather have a Mr. Linky set up, let me know that too.

Have a great weekend everyone!!

My Good Man

McD is such a good man, a good family man too.  At the beginning of December our state experienced yet another ice storm.  His 91 year old Grandmother had been without electric for 4 days, and he was not going to let her go another night without electric.  All she wanted was a light so she could read, and the refrigerators hooked up.  She didn't want to leave the house because there wouldn't be anyone there to feed her kittens. 

She lives two hours away from us but that didn't stop McD.  He got off work, loaded up our generator, stopped and got gasoline for it and headed to Grandmother's house.  His younger brother, Timbo, met him there and helped get things taken care of. 

One refrigerator she has is ancient and really needs to be re-wired.  They figured that out after it sparked at them.  I guess that is next on the to do list for Grandmother. 

They finally got everything all hooked up and had started getting ready to leave, when lo and behold...the electric came back on.  :)  They got a good laugh out of it, unhooked everything from the generator and headed home.   He didn't get home until almost midnight, then he had to get up and go to work the next day.  It really warms my heart that he is that good to his Grandmother.

The whole time he was there I was on pins & needles, Grandmother is the world's worst at spoiling surprises.  I was pretty lucky she didn't think about that while they were there. 

The Next Big Thing

Download Darsha.mp3

Okay, I am trying to figure out how to put some sort of player in here so you can hear my cousin Darsha Mika sing her song.  She is the next big thing.  I hope that you can at least download it to listen to it, if not no worries, I will figure this out sooner or later.

Hope everyone has a great weekend.

Defibrillator update...my surgery is scheduled for November 30th.  It is an outpatient deal and will only have to stop my heart a few times to make sure the new one is working right.  :)  No biggie!!!

The Poohs

When we visit the kids we are involved or try to be involved in everything possible with them.  This includes bath time.  Although I was not involved in giving them the baths, their Daddy had that covered, I made sure I got some nice tasteful shots. 

In the photo above I had told Poohs to strike a pose, and this is what he came up with.  But then...

he went goofy.  Silly boy! 

They are growing up so fast.  I spoke to them yesterday and they told me what they will be for Halloween this year.  Poohs will be Darth Vader and Punky will be Princess Leia.  Then their Mom got on the phone and told me that they are going to be dressing up as well as the kids.  Jer will be Darth Vader and Em will be Princess Leia.  That is going to be too cute!  Oh how I wish I could be there.

I was skipping around blogland today and guess who has something up about Darth Vader today, just guess.  Okay, go and see who calls him Mr. Vader.