Daddy's new car

2009 Sapphire Blue Nissan Versa Hatchback



The state of Texas is trying to get all the older cars off the roads...

However, there are a few hoops to jump through:

1. Your vehicle has to be at least 10 yrs old - no problem, we have a 92 and 98.

2. You have to buy a newer car - within the past 3 yrs - 06,07,08 or 09.

3. At a dealership...which means you are paying more for a car, than buying from an individual. But how are the poor dealerships to make money if you go with an individual.

4. You can only get one $3000 voucher every 12 months - so are they trying to get older cars off the road or not? Which means we couldn't put our two old cars together and get $6000 off a newer car.

5. The interest rate on the new cars vs. the interest rate on used cars only changed the price of the car by $1000 over the life of the loan. So why wouldn't you go new with the longer warranty and your choice of color.

6. Plus, Katy will be learning to drive in a few years... 15 passenger van or smaller commuter car.

Daddy (and some day Katy)'s new car - 2009 Sapphire Blue Nissan Versa Hatchback

Guess who?

Who is this beautiful girl? All grown up and coming home in just a few more days!

When nematodes are NOT beneficial...

Since the girls and I have been working on cleaning up all the tree debris from the pruning of the last weeks - my feet are sooooo itchy from bug bites.

I was thought it was mosquitoes (which makes me nervous since some mosquitoes in the Denton area have tested positive for steroids and West Nile Virus). But as I realize how many bites Rebekah, Emily and I have... well, the conclusion must be chiggers!

In our quest to rid the homestead of chiggers back in the spring (or summer?), we used beneficial nematodes. And while Darren sprayed water and microscopic worms (that were hibernating in a yellow sponge) all over our back yard - we never saw them. He might have been spraying dead nematodes or nothing at all, how would we know?

I can't see chiggers and I can't see nematodes. What if nematodes are baby chiggers? So instead of lowering our chigger population, we've actually increased it.

Wonderful. If you'll excuse me, I have to scratch myself.

I'm voting for Tina Fey - I mean Palin

Do you want to know my main reason - she's given birth. Natural, epidural, c-section - I don't care - I just know she's given birth to what looks like 5 kids.

I'm not sure what all the hoopla is about her not having any experience. She is just running for vice-president, right?

And haven't most kings and queens, dictators and presidents had advisers to point them in the right direction? So I'd be as equally concerned about who McCain or Obama appoint to be their advisers. But I'm not.

Because in reality, I'm voting for her because she's pro-life. And not just pro-life because that's the parties platform, but because she's given birth. She knows what it's like to be pregnant - so when she says that precious life inside you is worth keeping - no matter how it started - I agree.

And although my golden Saturday Night Live days have passed - Don't miss the latest SNL of Palin and Clinton. Tina Fey does an awesome job (just don't let the kids watch).

You could sell your children

While sitting with my "little" family at a local restaurant, Emily says, "You could sell your children and make some money."

What? Darren and I were talking about something else and Emily just enlightened us with her stream of consciousness. Sell your children (of which she's one of many).

"Who would we sell first? You?" NO!

"How about Claire?" No!

"Becca?" No! "Katy?" No. "Jacob?" No.

"Well, I'm running out of kids to sell. How about Amanda?" sigh. OK.

In the meantime we look over at Becca with tears in her eyes. "You aren't going to sell us, are you?" Um, No.

Sometime's it's hard to know when to joke with one 5 yr old, while not traumatizing the other.

On the first day of tree cutting...

(sung to the tune of 12 days of Christmas)

On the first day of tree cutting, Gary brought to me
one Telescoping Pole Pruner with Saw Blade

On the second day of tree cutting, Marcus brought to me
two chainsaws and a Telescoping Pole Pruner with Saw Blade


On the third day of tree cutting, Darren showed me
three big dead branches on the ground, two chainsaws and a Telescoping Pole Pruner with Saw Blade

On the fourth day of tree cutting... hopefully we'll get it all cleaned up and out to the curb!