Papa was a Preacher

On January 11, 07, we attended a wonderful live performance in Jefferson city, at the Stained Glass Theatre.

The play was "Papa was a Preacher" and my two nieces , Ashley and Brittany Carwile each had parts in it. We love to go to live performances, especially when we know it will be something uplifting and clean, which can be kind of hard to find. During the play we couldn't take pictures but I got this one of Tracy and her cousins Brittany and Ashley after the play. ( hey boys do you recognize those two girls?)

Tracy and Jason made it down from K.C. I think family support for something that is good and wholesome, is so very important. That evening around 4:30pm I called Tracy to let her know we were going to the play. She was at Wal-Mart doing some shopping, and when she found out about the play, called Jason at work, and they being young enough to do things on the fly, made the decision to attend the play. Tracy went and picked him up from work, and they... flew, in her toyota, down to Jeff city, and were only a few minutes.. like 3-5 minutes late . Curtain time was 7:30pm. Oh to be young again.. ha.

Here is a picture of Tammy, Danny, Gordon, and grandma Trumbo. We were all sitting on the front row and had a really good time. I especially like the fact that I didn't have someone tall sitting in front of me, which is usually the case in these kinds of events.

Here are some of the cast member to give you a little glimpse of the people in the play.. I didn't know any of them. But they were all really good. I believe the man and woman who played the preacher and his wife, are , in real life.. planning to get married. In the play they were renewing their marriage vows after 25 years of marriage. The play was based on the book "Papa was a Preacher" written by on the real children that had been in this family in real life.

Brandon came to visist

Brandon, my oldest grandson, will be 10 years old on the 30Th of this month. Wow how time flies. I remember holding him soon after he was born and giving him his first bottle of water.

He still has uncle marks skin problems, and all his uncle's love for computers, and his dads serious nature. Its just amazing how fast kids grow up .

Brandon was very good for me . Hes such a great kid, when you get to know him. He just loves computer games, loved to play Oregon Trail 5, and he made his, game family, all the way from independance Mo. to Oregon . They all arrived alive and he did it all on the first try. I have tried it several times, and only one time have I made it all the way without dieing . The one time I did made it , half of my family died before I got to Salt Lake City.. I didn't even go as far as he went. Ha.

I enjoyed having him here for visits. I am really glad his mom lets him come when they are up in the area. He told me he misses his dad, but knew he would see him when he comes home.

He said he likes his school, and he is in 3rd grade. He reads really well, which is a blessing, and although the game was for a 4-6Th grade he played it very well. He had never played it before, So I told him a little about the time in history that this game was designed around. He knew to go in and read the Journals, that gave him hints on what is needed for the trip and all. Its good to see he knows to look for information, when he doesn't know something. That's a really valuable trait to have.

Brandon had a brand new red remote controlled car, that he played with a little with grandpa and Bella. I think Bella wanted to bit it, but couldn't catch it. ha. I think grandpa was scheming all evening on how to get that remote control car to turn into a TOYOTA!!

It feels like home!

Good Morning all,

Had a lot going on this week, Dad and Mark being off, giving both fellas a chance to get stuff done around their homes.

I love all the work dad has been doing.. just take a look at this, and stand back and be amazed.. I am.

First after having taken off the old paneling and replacing it with new sheet rock, he frames in our new shelf

Second he put sheet rock on

Now he does some taping

Then he does that special bull nose that looks so great

OK got to sand some and put paint on ceiling while dry wall mud dries

Now sand, and just look how he loves to sand!! wow what a guy!!

Ok, now for the biggy.. I actually got him to go with.. of all things.. COLOR.. this took some tall talking.. but Alas, my home will look like a home, and not a shed or a rental.. wow!

So now we do the first color.. and a lot of saying.. I don't know about this... I don't know...Then I have to push the envelope.. you know.. never satisfied.. and I actually talk him into putting on another...COLOR.. with more.. Don't knows coming from the painter.. ha

actually I sort of liked it when it was only one coat.. amazing what a professional painter can do with a brush!

Painting is hard work, but the final results are soooo worth it.. but allas.. a man can be proud of his work, even when he is sleeping.. love this pic. Now I need to decide on the right picture to hang on our masterpiece-wall!! what fun!!

Dad painted the whole living room, hallway, and ceilings in both areas, I think he needs a big round of applause.. hip hip hurray for a man who can work with his hands and does it soooo well.. next pic.. is our finished product. I like this pic best.. its one of his favorites..

Doing something good

Today is Sunday and dad and Grandma Trumbo have gone to Farmington to see Martin. So Dad is doing a good deed today.

I have been going over to Kathryn Hungerford to help a little around the house, on Wednesdays. You all may or may not know she has MS. She needs a little help from time to time, and Ken has been a super husband and does 99% of all her care, so really I just wash her hair and do a little house work and stuff he can't get too.

Well this last week she asked if I could make her some adult bibs, as she is prone to dropping things when she tries to eat, a very common thing for lots of people with all sorts of health issues. So I got creative and made this one first:

Then I felt like making something fun.. so I did this one: (notice the bubble bees)

Then I got serious and remembered she wanted one she could wear when eating out, So I made this one:

Don't you all just love my model I used for displaying these bibs.. Don't tell me dad doesn't have a good sense of humor.. I did have to promise him I would make him one when he needed it some day. ha. Anyway Kathryn and Ken loved them and I am sure they will get lots of use.

MAN AT WORK

Dad is busy this morning, building a shelf for plants that will go across the back of the couch area. He has taken out the old panelling on the living room back wall. ( the garbage man will hate us this week ) . Dad and Mark came home yesterday with sheet rock and got it in the house. Dad in his type A personality mode, took out the old wall and corner shelves and old insulation, and replace it with all new stuff. Dad had me help with one piece of sheet rock and then proceeded to hang all the rest, and mud it in and tape it.
Today.. as you can see he is still in his jamies.. he is at it early.. trying to get my input on where to place the shelf that will go across the back of the wall and not interfere with the couch.. I wanted it lower, but that would not work as the area under will have tall people sitting in it.. nobody wants plants hanging in their hair when they are just trying to sit and visit, or watch TV.
Dad has his creative juices flowing and I will try and stay out of his way.. He has a special design all figured out, and it sounds like a beautiful idea to me. hip-hip-hurry for men who can build!!

What to do on your time off

Good morning all
I have heard it said.. time is your life.. well.. sometimes time is just boring.. like when you are out of your routine, and you cant muster enough brain cells, to figure out what would be the best way to spend your , "new found time".
When we are in full swing, and hurrying around like we are late, ...when we aren't, ...we always say that the things around the house, will get done, when we have some time off.
OK... we have some time off.. its the winter solstice time.. when jingle bells have been ringing in this present day, and when people light their homes with colored lights, I am thinking.. so the ..pretend -gift- man, can find their homes better,.. no one wants to go without a gift..which makes me wonder about the idea of "giving". Why is it that giving is left up to the pretend-man. humm.. anyway I digress.
So the weather outside is not frightful and in here its so delightful.. that the man of the house is sleeping with feet propped up, on our new couch. and its 8:40am.. He must be really tired, I think, after all.... he has slept at least 9 hours had an nice full breakfast, shaved, and watched the weather channel, and fox news, and played cards for about an 30 minutes..lets see he's been up for 3 1/2 hours.. so I guess, all that activity has worn the poor fella out.. sleep sleep sleep. and even the dog.. sleep sleep sleep.
All kidding aside, as we get older.. our list of chores, and wishing to do.. get longer, our energy gets used up faster, and by the time we have decided what to do to use our time wisely, we have exhausted ourselves and its time for a brain rest....
Maybe tomorrow.. ya tomorrow we will get right to it.. first thing in the morning, no waisting time.. tomorrow.... you think?

My 3 Sons

I remember when my 3 boys were just kids. What a handful, no, not because they were bad, but because they were bundles of energy, exploding into who they are today.
They did not have the latest teco gadget to keep them busy, no, they had each other and neighbor hood friends. They had sticks to pretend were hunting rifles, Larry especially love the stick guns. One day Larry came into the kitchen and asked if he could go hunting. I said sure.. thinking he was just wanting to play. After a few minutes, it dawned on me.. you don't tell Larry he can do something, unless you really mean it, not Larry... because he will do it. I believe he was about 4 and he took his little brother David on a hunting expedition out towards our neighbors FOREST, in the back field.. The field was tall with 2 1/2 foot grass, that hadn't been cut yet.. I looked out the back window to check on them and could see a little red hat bobbing along in the back field. That was Davids hat, Larry wasn't wearing any hat and his hair blended in with the dried field grass so I really couldn't see him. Larry was leading and they were on a mission to go hunting. Thankfully I was one of those mean moms that had taught her kids to come when called.. Because at that point.. I really needed them to obey me.. I couldn't get over the wire fence that stood between me and those kids. Larry especially was fast and could get away from you in a flash.
They had found a small opening in the wire fence that separated our property from the back neighbors field, and they were little and could got through it. I felt a sense of relief when I called " Larry... David ...Come Here, RIGHT NOW!!". I watched with a sense of overwhelming relief, when that little red hat stopped and turned around and started back the same way it had went. Never again did I give Larry permission to do something thinking I was playing with him. He took me very seriously. I know I would have just died if they had got over to the forest and gotten lost or hurt. That would have been a nightmare to live with.

The boys had boxes that became cars, or forts, or toy boxes to keep their sparse amount of toys in.. mostly cars, trucks, and a set of children books. They had creative imaginations, and figured out how to entertain themselves.
We didn't have a basement for them to play in, out of sight.. no.. all that went on in the house, was right there in the hallway, in the bedrooms, in the kitchen and in the living room.
Winter was kind of ruff, .. not a lot of space to run, so the couch became a launching pad, for someone trying to practise "flying". I remember Mark wanted to fly and I assured him, OH YES, if you flapped your arms fast enough, then jumped high enough from the arm of the couch.. you could learn to fly.. just like a bird. But you had to practice, practice practice... No they did not have to wear a helmet.. or knee pads.. NO, I didn't worry about them spraining anything, or braking anything.. I worried about them getting strong bones, by jumping and playing so they wouldn't brake something if they jumped off of a 2 1/2 foot item. I also didn't have a coffee table or end tables in the way, to hurt themselves on..They would have turned those items into forts anyway.
The hallway became a mountain climbers, challenge.. place your bare feet on opposite walls, and with you hands to steady you.. climb, climb, climb.. Wow, now that took strength, and I didn't care because ,hey.. I knew where they were, and they were boys.. that was just alright for them to be boys. I did it with my brothers when I was young too..So you don't have to be a guy to do it.
The hallway also had a small rope that hung from the ceiling, that was used to pull the stairs down, so we could get to the attic. That rope became the thing to jump and hit as they sailed down the hall. Wow.. what joy, what pride was yelled "LOOK MOM", when each of them got to where they could finally jump and hit it.
The bedrooms were their places to play and rest.. bedtime was at 7 pm when they were very young then 9:00 when they were older. We , me and dad, went to bed at 9 most of the time and our boys were not allowed, free access to the TV, staying up all hours of the night.. no way !!
That changed somewhat with David when he was in his later teens,because he had important church slide shows to put together.. yes we were proud of him for that... such talent and willingness to serve. But while in their young school age years.. bedtime was bedtime, and you would get your butts beat if you tried to brake that rule. I was totally worn out by the end of the day, and I needed them to be in bed.. I needed to be in bed too, and I also needed to know where they were, that they were safe, and getting the rest that was needed to be alert for the next day. I also know that people just do better when they have a routine to follow.. it helps the body to organize itself. I was a mean mom and I did it on purpose and with forethought.!! If they had told me I was a mean mom, they would have experienced the FORCE of Super MOM, first hand.
Respect was expected and given.
Dad built bunk beds for the kids. wow.. there was something in the home that they couldn't tear apart.. because it was so cheaply made.. no, these things were built to withstand elephants dancing in Toto's on them.
Their beds and bedrooms were their responsibilities.. no I did not make their beds.. yes they had to pick up after their selves. It was called, learning to have respect for yourself and to know.. that mom is not your personal unpaid slave.. she was a woman.. who had to teach her sons to have respect for himself.. and show God he had appreciation for the things he was given. My only exception for this. was.. IF you pick up your room and the floor is clear of stuff.. I would vacuum the floor on Fridays along with the rest of the house. If the room was not picked up.. then whomever left the mess.. would find the vacuum waiting by the door of the room so they could then pick up the room and vacuum it themselves. I don't remember them having to do that very often. I do not believe in the idea of, " well just close the door so you wont have to look at it" theory.. that is stupid beyond belief. Kids don't learn anything important by you ignoring their need to LEARN to be clean and neat. I was The Force.. and our home, and need, for it to be tidy would be respected.. it still is. Having been taught this one thing, gave them much praise when they would stay at others peoples homes, for overnight stays, or church functions. I remember other mothers saying how impressed they were for how my boys picked up after their selves.. music to my ears.. for sure.
It was not all work at our home.. I had imagination too. I told them a story about the Candy Factory, that has a secret door somewhere in the utility room.. that only big people could see and go to, after they all were in bed? That was fun for them.. to imagine that it actually existed.. And I was challenged in not giving the secret door location away... I am absolutely sure they knew I was playing with them.. on their imaginative level, and I am sure it was fun for them to think that it just might be true.
Yes so many events.. So many wonderful memories.. And now they are all grown and gone..but the memories, the mental images of them, are forever with me, how wonderful life is, how blessed I have been.