It is President's Day and the school district calls it mid winter break. Where most get the Monday off we get the whole week. So being the planner that I am I sat down and made a list of the stuff I wanted and needed to get done. The list is actually enough work to keep a small army busy for about a month. After working all day Saturday and Monday we finally were able to check the first item off the list. The flowering trees around the front of the house were so overgrown but i kept rationalizing that I was not knowledgeable enough to prune the trees. I finally decided that I could afford to have someone do it and I couldn't replace the trees if they died so I started pruning. Four trips to the dump later are trees are pruned. The last ones I did look better then the first one but I think they will survive and fill in where I cut out too much.

My next project is the laundry room! There are cupboards in there I haven't even opened in four years. My goal is to get rid of everything; Halloween costumes from the past 20 years, old computer parts, food supply item well past their prime, and all that junk you keep knowing you will need it someday. Maybe I even get inspired to paint and wallpaper.

With the possibility of teacher layoffs I have really been force to inventory our food supply. We were really good to work on it when the kids were small but lately it has dwindled down to lots of beans, instant potatoes, and wheat. ( lots and lots of 30 year year old wheat) Last week I ordered a 1/2 a beef to be delivered in the fall. The kids thought that was gross but I bet they eat the steaks and roasts. I am also trying to build up my canned goods, rice, and important stuff like cake and brownie mixes.

Tucker birthday is the last day of the month but we are having a party tomorrow because it is easier for me with no school. At first we talked about 4-5 friends coming over for an x-box party. Then last night I ask him to give me a go over plans so that we would have enough controllers and I could order the food. The guest list has grown to 9 and he tried to stretch it into two days but fortunately his dad was in the room and put an instant day moratorium. Our final agreement was the 9 could come from 4:00 - 9:00 and then two may stay over night but must leave by 1:00 the next day.

Trevor is working again. It is not in appliance repair no one will hire him with his current driving record. But he is working in a sweat shop that makes camping gear, they also have government contracts for gear. They make camping pillows, sleeping bags, mats, etc. One of the teachers at school was going to donate her van to charity and found out that Trevor really needed transportation so she gave it to him. His friends of course tease him about his mini van; not your most manly car. At work he can make some pillows for himself if he brings in his own fabric. so the other day he went to the fabric store and purchased some fabric. When he came home with this large sack of fabric we all just cracked up. We pointed out that not only does he drive a mini van, but now he is visiting the fabric store. What's next weekly pedicures?

Dallas is doing well. He has a companion that he doesn't like because he does follow the rules. But I encouraged him to find just one thing he does well and build on that. He is back in Inglewood and since a lot of the sisters know him he gets lots of dinner invitations. I can't believe he only has 9 months to go. I hope that we can go to California and pick him up at the end of his mission; Tucker would really enjoy that. We will just have to wait and see if we can afford it.

Rachel is in full wedding mode. Her style is completely different then Julienne's. Where Julienne made custom wedding invitations that were very unique; Rachel was thrilled with the first ones we saw on the Internet. It will be an outdoor wedding, hopefully in the afternoon. My girlfriend offered her house which is on Lake Sawyer just a few miles from the house, and thankfully the guest list will be about 100 instead of 600.

Julienne is doing great; she was over for dinner last week. She stays busy sewing, and working two jobs. She is very talented and seems to be very happy.

Well if I am going to get anything done on my list I had better get busy.