GRADUATION DAY! BUSY BUSY BUSY!

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I wasn't even sure I would be able to do a blog today. (But I couldn't stay away because I'm addicted to y'all!) The last few days have been so busy and today will be too. We had a graduation lunch and party for family yesterday.  It was fun but kept us busy and going all day.  Today will be no different.

Gwen just left, headed for a three hour long mandatory Graduation practice. (Boy am I glad I only had 78 people in my graduating class, our mandatory practice took under an hour!) When the practice is over, we all meet the grandparents at the car lot to pick up Gwen's car.  She is so excited and can't wait to go out in it with her father and get the rest of the practice she needs to get her license!

After that will be lunch and possibly a trip to the thrift store in hopes that the 'chair from heaven' is there so I can work in comfort and my hips won't yell at me quite so much. Gwen gets to head

home and try to sleep so she can make it through the night at the school sponsored all night grad party.

The Freshman and Miss Crazy still have to go to school today so after a stop home that will probably involve some cleaning, they will have to be picked up from school and then we will all have to get gussied up (do people use that expression anymore, or am I showing my age?) for graduation and then we will meet the in-laws for dinner.  The next step is the scary one. We will be taking our first baby girl to her high school graduation ceremony!

Her school has 400+ students in this graduating class so the ceremony will be loooooooooonnnnnnngggggg! And of course, The Freshman and Miss Crazy will have school tomorrow. (Have I already told you guys how much I love hate this school district, I do believe I have!) Should be a fun night/morning in our house. :/ I also wonder how loud my hips will be screaming when I wake up!

The good news is, my house was clean when the relatives and friends showed up, the kids behaved

and the dog didn't piddle on them. (Although he almost peed on Gwen's boyfriend, I wonder if The Hubs has been training him in the fine art of protecting his baby girls from boys)

I hope that now that the relatives have finally (after 8 years) had a glimpse of our lives, they realize that we are indeed safe, happy and healthy, and that moving away from Nevada was in fact the best thing we could have done for our family.

Until Next Time...When your child graduates High School either wear waterproof mascara or none at all. I know for sure I am going to be a giant, crying basket case.  My new nickname would probably be 'The Weeper' ;)

CONGRATULATIONS GWEN, WE ARE SO VERY PROUD OF YOU AND LOVE YOU VERY MUCH. MAY YOUR FUTURE BE HAPPY, HEALTHY AND FULL OF LOVE!

THE IN-LAWS ARE COMING, THE IN-LAWS ARE COMING (AND VARIOUS OTHER PEOPLE TOO)

Just wanted to let you all know that I am not sure if this template will stay or not but it works for now.  I have problems with some templates triggering migraines for me lately so I am trying to find one that is perfect for my blog and that doesn't cause me problems.  Thanks for your patience! 

It is that time, we will be invaded by people from out of town very soon. The Senior is graduating and family and friends will be coming to see her. I don't have a problem with this because it is nice to see family and friends that you don't see often enough. (Besides they won't be here too terribly long and only my mom will be staying with us - if she can make it, so it's not like we will be put out in any way) What is my problem with this whole situation? Well, it is my house.


In my everyday life, I don't care if the kids friends, people we know, or others come over and the house is far from perfect. They know we have 5 kids for cripes sake and they know the house is going to look lived in. But for some strange reason, when people are coming from out of town I have this almost obsessive urge to make sure everything is perfect. I mean everything, the hard water stains in the toilet must be completely gone, every last fingerprint must be off of the walls and furniture and if there is any dirty spots on the couch and I can't have them cleaned, the couch covers come out. Every crumb must be vacuumed up and every single toy must be in it's proper place. (yes, i'm a very strange person, but you already knew that right?)


I have no clue why I have this obsession. People (especially family and close(out of town) friends know that I am physically limited and I have teenagers that can't be trusted, helping me out around the house properly. I don't think anyone expects my house to be perfect because of our circumstances. WAIT, STOP, HOLD UP!!! I think that's it. They don't expect my world to be perfect because we are poor and live in the boonies and I am a decrepit old lady and my kids suck at chores and I want to prove them wrong! Holy cow why didn't I see this sooner. (I tell ya, this blog is so flippin therapeutic it's not even funny!) Anyway, yeah, I just want to prove to them that no matter what our circumstances we can be great too. And I think to do that I have to go way overboard. Yep, that's me - my middle name should be overboard (but then I would be JO Ellis and it just isn't quite as catchy as JJ Ellis)


So now that I've made this revelation, can I just sit back and relax and let my house be sanitary but lived in? OH HELL NO! Not gonna happen. We are going to bust our butts over the next month to make sure the house, cars and yard are perfect for when they visit. I know I shouldn't, but I feel like I have something to prove to people who mean the most of me. Kind of warped huh? I just can't not do it, I am a woman possessed in this case.
Until Next Time...Do not follow my lead. You have nothing to prove to anyone. Go about your normal day and most likely your family and friends will love you just the way you are. If they can't accept who you really are, then maybe they aren't as close as you thought they were.


NOTE: NOTE: NOTE: NOTE: The title in no way implies that I have a problem with my in-laws and I am not stressed mostly about them. I stress about all people equally! And admit it the title catches your interest better than any of the others I could have come up with. It just sounded better than the family is coming the family is coming or the friends are coming the friends are coming, you know, because a lot of people stress about their in-laws <3 you John and Alberta and we can't wait to see you again! Hard to believe it has been almost a year! :) (not that they will ever see this unless I put it in my next book because they don't have internet :'( ) Anyway, carry on!