Learning New Things

So Marissa came over tonight and we played around with Amber's blog and she helped me add music to my playlist. When I was all done, no music. It was gone! But thanks to Marissa's expert teaching skills, I was able to figure it out for myself. I know shock of shocks, but I did. Really. Anyway, wha la I have music back. I know it's a small accomplishment, but I'll take what I can get.


I also was introduced to "goodreads" and love it. Thanks Jen and Josh! I love to look at what my friends have read and I realize I have read so many books that it is hard to remember all of them and that some of them are not worth mentioning. I also realize that I tend to stay away from the popular books of the time. I'll get better about that! I mean I work at a library and see so many books that there are not enough hours in the day!

TIES, TIES, MORE TIES

So we finally got some pictures from Brandon, it's been a long time. And even though they were old ones, it was great to see them. When Brandon left on his mission he wanted pretty, nice ties. Now he's all about the thrift stores. It's an Elder thing to get the ugliest, strangest ties around. At Christmas time the Elders all exchange ties. So how do they wash all of those ties? Well as you can see, they don't dry clean them! When I saw this picture of all those ties in the bathtub, it reminded me of a bunch of water moccasins swarming in Lake Texoma. Anyway, it's nice to know he has clean ties, and I will never buy nice ties for a missionary again!

Happy Birthday Brandon!

Brandon's birthday is Tues, Aug. 26, so Happy Birthday! Wow he is the big 21! I can't tell you how excited everyone was when I had a boy, the doctor was hollering, the nurse was hollering, Mark was hollering!! It was loud to say the least! What fun after my sweet girls to have a rough and tumble boy. I am so proud to be Brandon's mom and of the choices he's made, serving a mission and learning and growing in the gospel. He'll be home soon and I can't wait! I love you B, (if you read this) and have enjoyed each and every moment with you.

The Joy of Summer

WOW! What a whirlwind of activity we have had at the McCullough home! Jennifer came home as planned on July 1. It is so great to have her home. What a joy she is! She is working at IMC in the NICU and doing well. She has a friend coming on Aug. 27 from Guatemala, so we are all looking forward to that. She is settling in and cleaning out. Boy it is so great to have someone come in and take charge. She has cleaned out the laundry room and a storage closet. I love it! It's great to have a voice of reason saying "Mom, do you REALLY need that craft book?!" DI is lovin us.

As you know Marissa, Jake and Sydney moved in around the corner from us and oh what fun! I love that they can drop in whenever. We (the girls) cleaned out Marissa's front flower bed and it looks beautiful! No plants yet, just a rock garden at the moment, but we were quite pleased with ourselves.

Also this summer I went to girls camp at Heber Valley Camp and it was fabulous! There was a challenge course and I did the "big swing" and oh what a rush! It was great. They said they could hear my yells all over the course! No one ever said I was quiet! I learned how to download a Youtube video to my desktop and make a slide show with music and special effects for our spiritual activiy night. So many new things, I feel like I have actually accomplished something this summer.

The boys, Spencer, Matt and Preston went on a High Adventure trip with the Young men at church and had a blast! I will post pictures soon. They went canoeing, river rafting and also had a challenge course called C.O.P.E. They came home sunburned, skinned up and bruised, but had fun in the process. School starts on Aug. 25. Preston is in 9th and Matt is in 11th. It will be nice to get back to a routine and hopefully a bedtime that is not 2:00am like it has been all summer!

Brandon's birthday is Aug. 26, so drop him a line. I'm sure he would love to hear from you.

Sorry I've been so slothful in keeping up my blog, but hopefully I can now do better!

GOOD AND BAD

So first off, Jennifer's plane was delayed today, so she won't arrive until 7:55pm. :( We have decided to postpone the dinner planned for tonight at Mom and Dads until tomorrow at 6:30, Wednesday, July 2. So if you can come...Great, we'd love to have you. We have been cleaning and organizing, changing rooms and such trying to get everything in order for Jen's homecoming. We didn't get the doors and carpet in downstairs, but Jen always liked to help with construction!

18 months has flown by in so many ways and just drug by in other ways. I just can't believe she will be here today. I know she has had a great experience and has grown so much this past year and a half. Her homecoming talk will be on July 13 at 9:00am, so call for directions.



Anyway, in a none-related subject. Watch out for creepy people in so called "safe" places like libraries. As you know I work at a library and we have had a patron that is approaching young boys and girls and talking with them. He hasn't done anything "wrong" per se, but what business does he have talking to little kids? This has been going on for a while and he knows we are watching him, but he continues to come in the library. This is what he will do. He'll sit at a computer next to a child that has no parent by him. He won't talk to the child for 15 minutes or so, then start quietly talking with him or her. He'll show him something, like a movie clip on his computer and ask personal questions. Kids are so trusting that they answer them. We teach our kids to be POLITE to people, we teach them not to talk to STRANGERS, but they don't quite get it. For our library, this guy is always around and in the parks they hang out at, so the kids recognize him, they just don't know where they know him from. When our manager pulled this guy in his office to talk to him, he took off. Who knows if he'll be back to our branch. But I'm sure he's not done talking to kids and creeping people out.

Soooo watch your kids. Stay with them in public places. Keep them safe. There are no safe places, except our homes anymore. Let that Mama Bear in all of us come out and protect our kids. Okay, I'm off my soap box...

Coming Home!

So it has been forever since I wrote anything. Sorry. I have been painting and painting and am quite sick of it. I still have Amber and Preston's rooms to finish. YUK! Mark has been working out of town so it is all up to me. Double Yuk! The boys have been great about other stuff, but they aren't too keen on painting.

Anyway, Jennifer is coming home on July 1!!! Yea! We are all so excited. It is hard to believe that 18 months have gone by so fast. She will speak in church on July 13 at 9:00am. We would love to have all of you come, I will try to call of you with the address and such. We'll have a luncheon afterward. Question? Do we be bad and have people over right after Sacrament or wait until the entire block is over? I just don't know, so give me some feedback. -I know that was terrible grammer, but who cares. :)

I'll get all the details and get them out to you all, it has been forever since the WHOLE family has been together. I am looking forward to it. Have a great day!

Happy Birthday Jennifer!

May 12 is Jennifer's 24th birthday! So happy birthday Jen. We had a great gift by being able to talk to her on Sunday and hopefully she had a birthday treat as well! Jen was the sweet bundle of fair skin and white hair, the complete opposite of Marissa, with her dark skin and hair. Jen has always had a spunk for life and was always a bit on the stubborn side!

One day in the grocery store she was being stubborn and a lady said "I'm so glad she's yours and not mine!" Well let me tell you...I am too. She has been such a light of joy to everyone around her. Where would we be without her? A good friend told me that being stubborn was a good thing. If we just set Jennifer on the right path she will never be swayed. She was right. Jen has a strong sense of right and wrong and has the testimony to go with it. She is a true disciple of Christ and an excellent example of a righteous young woman.

Her so called "stubborn attitude" got her through nursing school and on a mission. It also helped her put up with little brothers that did stupid things and helped her love them despite the circumstances. I've missed her bright smile and infectious laugh, so six weeks cannot come soon enough for me. Thank you Jen for being YOU. For standing up for what you believe in and never giving up. You are my hero and I love you to the moon and back.