Jeff and Tonia

Tonia called Tuesday evening as I was peeling potatoes for supper. She was happy as a little clam and announced she is seven weeks pregnant! I asked her to repeat that and she again, in plain English made her announcement. Then, I burst out laughing. Really. I couldn't stop. I eventually gained my composure and congratulated them. This is the woman who made it very plain that she would like to have another baby (a few YEARS ago) but had decided that it was extremely nice to have the kids at an independent age so there would only be two Morgan off spring. Ha...ha...ha...see Tonia, this is what happens when Jeff pokes at you in fun :)

Jeffy on the other hand hasn't said a word...he's still in shock!!

1st fall frost

Not the greatest picture but this is the 1st fall frost of 2008. Chris came in this morning (5:45 a.m.) saying he couldn't find a windshield scraper. His truck has a mega heater in it so not a big deal to rid the layer of frost. Austin struggled a bit more with his truck this morning and Lord knows how my temperamental car will react. It was in the Garage here in Conway yesterday and hopefully the heater is now fixed...I guess today will be a good test!

Ladybug was quite impressed apparently as she was lying on her side in the middle of the yard, basking in the sunshine. When it's really cold, she won't come out of her house so this is an indication all is well :)

Maybe with as cold as it got (25 degrees) the pollen making plants will be done for. Hopefully all the crap floating around in the air will die or at least calm down and give my guys some relief from their allergies and asthma. Plus, being the great hunters that they all are...this will be welcoming for inviting deers to come out in the fields to eat. Oh, in case there are any PETA people reading this...we EAT the animals we harvest. It is definitely a sport for Chris and the boys but they are also respectful and it provides meat in the freezer for winter.


Winter...yuck...that's next...hope this season doesn't bring ice. The only ice I wish to see this winter is in my tea glass :)

EIGHTEEN YEARS

Chris Huggler and I met in our Freshman year at Hemingford High School in biology class. I will be honest here, I didn't like the long haired kid who had a potty mouth, with a hot temper and deliberately knocked my books off the table. Ugh...then I got to the point I'd razz him back but I still didn't particularly 'like' him. My parents announced we would be moving to Bridgeport during the summer of '86 between my Sophomore and Junior year. That was the end of Chris, never saw the kid again.

My parents went on vacation in the Fall of '89 and I hijacked my Dad's Toyota truck. The keys were left for "just in case, sissy". Well, I loooovvvveeeddd that truck! It was a 4x4 so it was tall and I could see EVERYTHING when I was in the drivers seat, unlike in my Nissan 200SX. So, one evening I got all showered and powdered and perfumed and grabbed those keys off Dad's dresser and away I went. I have not a clue how many miles I put on that truck, seriously. All I know is I ran nearly a tank of gas out of it and that is when gas was still under a buck a gallon...so it was cheap enough for me to not worry about. I was just about ready to call it a night and I stopped at a stop sign and next thing you know, out of nowhere comes this motorcycle with this guy all in black behind me. I take off towards home and he FOLLOWS me...I'm thinking this guy is NOT gonna find out where I live so I turn here and there and speed up and things get faster and faster...Not a clue who this man behind me happens to be but he is FREAKING ME OUT HERE!!!!!!!!! He won't quite following me! Then it is revealed, this once long haired (well, yeah he still had long hair) kid had grown up and bulked up. I still didn't like him, though.

Still didn't like him even after Jeff would invite him over night after night to play cards or work on Jeff's old truck. Still didn't like the long hair or the fact he WOULDN'T GO HOME! It just so happened there would be a place setting for him (and whoever else Jeff would invite) at the supper table. Of course, HIS plate was placed directly beside mine. What I didn't know for a long time was my Dad LOVED this young man and that's why the place settings were designed as such. Dear old Dad!

One very cold winter night in early 1990, I was sent home from work from Herberger's in Scottsbluff due to blizzard like conditions. Never did I, in my wildest dreams, would I have ever guessed what would transpire that night. It was freezing cold. True to the forecast, it was definitely blizzard like conditions as I could barely see the highway and the defroster/heater was doing overtime keeping up with the snow freezing against the windshield. I remember my Dad always told me to keep my rpm's up when driving during a snow storm as you don't want to down shift and take a chance on spinning. Honestly, I heard those words a bazillion times and thought I had things under control...until the cars in front of me slowed so much my car was trying to die so I pushed in that clutch to down shift and spun my little heart out all the way across both lanes. My little red sports car ended up in the ditch, on the opposite side of the highway, facing the opposite direction. The car engine died, the headlights were on but you couldn't see them as my car was buried. Out of nowhere this man shows up (I cannot recall his name) but he had seen the accident happen and in that moment of being terrified beyond belief, I bear hugged this total stranger. He then offered me a ride to his house (yep, I knew NOT to ever take a ride from strangers but I really had other things on my mind) when we arrived, I immediately called my parents, crying in a total panic.

Of course, my Dad was playing trains as usual, normal when something REALLY went wrong. Jeff and his good buddy, Chris rescued me. Jeff drove the 4-runner, they pulled my car out and I was obviously too shaken to drive so Chris drove me home. Ok...I was the perfect backseat, or in this case, front seat driver! I told him all the what toos and why fors. Finally he told me in so many words to sit back and shut up, he'd get me home. He did. Safe and Sound. In my eyes, something changed that night...for I saw Chris Huggler in a different light.

Eighteen years ago today, I married this wonderful man. He has promised to take care of me, love me, keep me safe and sound. He has. So, today as I reflect on how it all began with 'us'...I am thankful that Jeff invited him over, thankful that Dad sensed something to warrant a specific place setting. Thankful for the rough start we had and not knowing if we'd survive the first couple years...

...thankful because Chris Huggler, I love you with all my heart and I'd gladly do it all over again!

Helen, the little too happy scarecrow

Eddy and Mom hosted a hayride for their 'family' on Saturday out at Eddy's farm. This is the 3rd annual, I believe...anyway, the boys have so much fun because Eddy has spoiled them with 'toys' they don't normally get to play with. They left early with Nanny and played all day at the farm. When Chris and I got there, the hayride was just pulling back in the yard...there were about 15 on the trailer and Mom and Eddy of course, in the cab of the truck. They looked as if they were half frozen but bounced off of the trailer with gusto. We had brought the chili that I had started at 7:30 a.m before I went to work in the slow cooker. It was a welcoming meal as it warmed them up!

Then, Mom a.k.a. Nanny, the little too happy scarecrow, came tooling around the corner between vehicles dressed like this. Ok, people. Now you know WHY Jeff and I never had friends!!! When growing up, no-one knew what to expect when opening our back door. Not even us. Call it creative or a little weird or maybe it had to do with the sanity factor...either way, we couldn't pin point it exactly. We just got used to her 'work in progress' as something was always under construction. Always.

It didn't matter if it was some cutesy-wutesy craft, a wood shop production, a hand painted quilt, handmade log mirrors...whatever it was, it was bound to be something a 'normal' parent was NOT doing. That's what makes her so unique, I suppose. That would be how I ended up with the world's most infamous haircut, right there in our kitchen in good old Nebraska. When you have two 'beauticians' each with a pair of dull scissors working on the same head of hair, at precisely the same time...yep, it was unique alright...right down to the fact that Mom liked LONGER hair and Aunt Brenda like SHORTER hair...uh, huh...I wore a brown paper bag for months. M-O-N-T-H-S, I tell you. All for the sake of my Mother's crazy creative genius. Except this wasn't creative, definitely wasn't genius but it was CRAZY to think she could cut hair as easily as she could a piece of material or oak, perhaps. Yeah, she's unique all right...just don't let her in your back door and if she has a pair of scissors, start running as you don't want to be sucked into her unique ways.

Nanny! Hold Still.

Aaron adjusting Nanny's 'hair' after the hayride. October 25, 2008.

But, Dad.....

Austin explaining to his Dad how he accidentally slid the 'bike' under the trailer...uh, huh! But, Dad...it was GREAT!!

Tire Swing

Aaron just hanging around.

Rainbow

God's Promise. I feel at peace. I am blessed. I am loved. Enough said.

The story of Sally, the great escape artist.

If you look closely inside the little square plastic container a.k.a. Sally's pond, you will indeed see Sally. She is our very tiny pet box turtle rescued out of Pokey's mouth in April of 2007. Yep, she's lived in an average sized plastic 'shoe' box ever since then, safely at the Huggler house for approximately the last 18 months.

Sally is certainly a great escape artist. Not once but twice she had somehow scaled the side of the 'shoe' box and jumped ship. I'm sure she didn't expect to fall off the side of Austin's dresser and nearly knock herself out of the shell. Twice she did this but the first time she was only an escapee for a day when she was spotted in the living room. She had traveled quite a distance for such a tiny turtle. The second time she escaped, she was traveling around this house for nearly a week. Austin was about in panic mode, Aaron was searching and I was beginning to wonder if someone had squished her along the way, not realizing it. We pretty much thought she was a goner and figured we'd find the remnants of her eventually.

I was getting ready to leave for work when I noticed I had left the bathroom light on (oops! not always the boys to blame) anyway, I walked through the living room, flipped the light off in the bathroom as I walked through it to the back hallway. As I rounded the corner, I nearly stepped on a rock. I was thinking to myself 'boys, this would ruin my vacuum' and as I went to pick it up, the rock casually moved. I flipped the hallway light on and there she was, the great escapee had been captured once again! When I picked Sally up, she was as dry as a bone and extremely light. I took her in the bathroom and ran some warm water in the sink to let her swim for a minute as I prepared a much larger home for her to live. I found a bigger plastic container and found a very small, shallow container, filled it with rocks and water for her own personal pond. Then grabbed a dab of lettuce, piece of diced tomato and a chunk of red cabbage. Upon re-entry to the bathroom, there sits Sally in the basin, drinking water and taking her front legs and 'washing' her face as if she were a cat. I watched her until it nearly made me late for work. I then placed Sally in her new habitat, sat it on the coffee table and proceeded onto work.

The boys had meandered to the Market after school that day, not realizing the great surprise I had for them! They hurried home, grateful she was alive and thriving. So for now, Sally the Great is living happily in plain site for all of us to watch. It's incredible how entertaining a turtle the size of a fifty cent piece can be, it's even more amazing how much we adore her :)

Still Pickin' Peppers

We are still pickin' peppers, only now they are bright red ones! These have been picked off the plant yesterday and today. Actually, the pepper plant itself has several hanging there, nearly ripened, ready to be useful in this kitchen :)

Tammy's 39th Birthday!

I celebrated my 39th birthday last Friday. Everyone has teased me endlessly about this being the LAST year BEFORE I reach 'old'. They are perplexed when I tell my age and admit that I LOOOVVVEEE birthdays! I do. I want to grow old and become wiser with each passing year. Why don't some people get that? Why do they think getting older is such a horrible thing? Why aren't they enjoying the fact that they have had another year behind them, that in itself is reason enough to celebrate. It makes perfect sense to me. I have NEVER had a problem with growing older, getting a few (ok...a lot!) of gray hairs, or making an occasional potty run in the middle of the night. I have watched my Mother grow older gracefully and she gets more beautiful and youthful with each additional birthday that SHE celebrates...so I've had a great example to observe!

Maybe it is the fact that my Dad struggled to celebrate each additional birthday after he reached the 41st one. Perhaps it was his enthusiasm and humbleness as April 16th approached. He celebrated and gave thanks graciously, not only to us for the birthday surprises but to the Lord for granting him just one more.

So..back to me. I am grateful that I was able to celebrate on October 17th with good health, a precious family, fabulous friends, and all the excitement and wonder that each birthday brings. It means more than I could possibly try to explain, so I won't. I just hope those of you that read this, the ones who DON'T want to admit your age or you think it's such a burden to grow older...stop for a moment and reflect on the time since your last birthday until today, has it been that horrible? Look at all the cool things you would've missed out on if God hadn't granted you just one more. Stop and reflect. Count your blessings because they will add up way faster than however many birthdays you've had. Trust me, I am still counting and oh, so blessed!!

An erruption of laughter

My Mom, Helen came up with an idea a few years ago to form a 'group' with her best friends Wanda and Brenda, and get together with them once a month. I think it was Brenda who suggested they needed a 'name' for themselves. After some pretty weird ideas, Brenda came up with "Sassy Sisters" which, by all means, is the PERFECT name!! I, somehow got sucked into this little group of crazy women. Ummm, those of you that personally know my Mother, well, you know that she cannot do anything seriously or without silliness involved. I can guarantee if any one of us is having an off day, it won't matter once we are all in the same room! Or car...for example, a while back Brenda took us to Bennett Springs where she works. It was a very relaxing evening, having a really nice picnic and laughing so much our sides hurt :) Afterwards, she drove us around the park and we were truly enjoying ourselves. Wanda and I are in the back seat taking in the beautiful scenery, listening to the chatter in the front seat and all the sudden Brenda tells us there is a fugitive living in the park. A freakin' fugitive!! Wanda and I are intensely weighing every word of which comes rolling out of Brenda's mouth...all the while Helen is backing up EVERYTHING Brenda is saying. They told us it was according to the noon news. Then her car comes to an abrupt stop...telling us all the while this fugitive has been spotted in these woods earlier. My skin is crawling and of course, we both (Wanda and me) reach for our cell phones...NO SERVICE! I am about to panic here because I am terrified of the dark and dark is about to be upon us! I don't like the word fugitive and Wanda is freaking out like a wild woman with rabies and squeezing the door handle as if she's gonna rip the door off and use it to beat someone to the ground...

Then...a tinsey, tiny, almost silent chuckle escapes my dear Mother's lips. Then Brenda lets out a chuckle...at that moment there's no holding back, they both erupt in hysterical laughter. While Wanda and I sit there... in the backseat... as Brenda starts her car and takes off as if nothing ever happened...we (Wanda and me) know we have been had by some sadistic, warped plan that had been premeditated by the two not-so-innocent looking gals in the front seat....

Sassy Sisters

The Sassy Sisters during their monthly meeting, hosted by Wanda (in blue/green dress), beside her is Helen and Brenda (in front of window). These girls are Helen's best friends. I can tell you this, they are all insane, that is why they are all such SPECIAL friends!!! Love you guys!

Walnut picking

Walnut picking season is in full swing! Our house is no exception. Austin and Aaron have been picking these black walnuts up on and off for a week now. They were traveling the dirt roads in search of places that hadn't been harvested yet. Most of the people they have asked have been nice and let them pick but some have been snots about it. Good grief, they are just kids wanting a little extra spending money and right now is the highest they've been at $13 a hundred after hulling. They are messy, leaving black icky crap that permanently stains clothes and hands as well. Picking walnuts is not HARD work but it is tiresome and hurts one's back by the end of the day. Not to mention being covered in ticks and mosquito bites! But...by the time they travel to Letterman Feeds and weigh in, it is worth the effort :)

Chris and I were talking in the kitchen last night as we were cooking supper about how yummy those walnuts would be in baked goods this winter. Then the light bulb moment happened! I hopped on this wonderful 'information highway' and read how to hull, cure and store black walnuts. Yep, I am gonna try it folks! Not sure of the result but at least I'll have tried and as expensive as they are in the grocery stores...well, it seems like a little effort on my part sure won't hurt. So, whether it's apple crisp, or banana nut muffins or whatever creation comes to mind...those walnuts sure will be a nice treat!

Just SCOOTING by.....

Scooter mania has hit this area and you see someone buzzing by quite often. Our friends, Ronald and Heather ordered their scooters about three months ago and have been patiently awaiting their arrival. Ok..so maybe Heather isn't the most patient person in the world but I will give her an 'e' for effort as she REALLY tried to understand the delays :) The way she explained it, the demand is so high right now due to gas prices, that scooters are easily back ordered. Heather has kept me updated on her scooter situation and this week they finally made an appearance in this tiny town!! Heather's enthusiasm is so contagious, it's been fun to share in this little adventure! I have laughed so much over these two scooters.

They (Ronald, Heather & Kayli) came scooting on by with them this week after I got home from work. I heard the horn and went flying out the door. They are sooo cute!! Ronald, of course, had to show off the deafening alarm system while Heather was excited she has 'trunk' space. We all stood in our driveway aweing and oohing over both of these brightly colored machines. Yep, it seemed a pretty silly thing to do , oh but after all, we are like the dorkiest people...ha..ha..ha..

Ronald's is a lime green and Heather's is a very pretty blue. But, those of us that know Heather, know she is a girlie girl. She is all about pink so we must come up with some ideas to help her pretty blue scooter turn into a fabulous bling machine! She already has a pink helmet:) well, that's a start!