The Milams - Year 2005 in Review
Inspiration: Melanie
Perspiration: John
March 18, 2006
Dear friends and family,
Our year was filled with hard work and adventure. We continued to build our business, pursued academic excellence, remodeled part of the house and enjoyed two great trips. If you want the details, read on …
Our first adventure started just weeks after we completed the ‘04 – ‘05 school year. In mid April, as others toiled to finish the school year, we headed for the first of several state capitals we planned to see – Little Rock, Arkansas. No disrespect intended, but … it is the least impressive capital we have visited to date. Their excuse – “The granite intended for construction was on a barge that sank during transport and the state did not have money to replace it.” Didn’t that excuse get old about sixty years ago? Next, we headed to Frankfort, Kentucky. There is only one explanation for Kentucky’s highway nomenclature – they are obviously intimidated by numbers. What were they thinking? “Hey guys, instead of using confusing numbers to designate the highways … how ‘bout we use long names on little signs that are extremely difficult to read. And let’s change the name every so often.” As we entered the state, John asked which highway number he should be following. After an extensive map review, Josh and I informed him that there was no number. Of course, the engineer would not accept this, even as a remote possibility. He headed for the nearest visitors’ center to get his bearings (i.e. prove us wrong). The attendant confirmed exactly what Josh and I said – no number. John immediately disliked driving in this state. After getting him headed in the right direction, I began to read a great book to the kids to make the time pass more quickly. I assumed John knew where he was going and failed to confirm a highway name change (enter the long names on small signs issue). Well John has gotten into the book and, before we knew it, we had gone fifty miles out of the way. John’s answer – “It was the scenic route; we got to see more of the state.” Frankfort was a quaint little city. We toured the new capital building, the old capital and the old governor’s mansion. Then we happened upon a great historical museum and a cemetery where numerous famous Americans were buried. We ended with a tour of Rebecca Ruth’s candy store. It is famous for chocolate pecan bourbon balls and well it should be. They were to die for! Enough of those and we would forget about the parking ticket we got while touring their fine city and probably end up on another wrong highway.
Our next capital stop was Charleston, WV. They were in the process of replacing the gold-leaf on the dome of the capital. Though this temporarily detracted from its outward appearance, upon completion, it should be beautiful and visible for miles. From there we went to Harrisburg, PA. The capital building was the prettiest we have visited to date. It was elaborately decorated with exquisite murals throughout. The artist had spent his entire career painting the inside of this building. We followed a mob (i.e. a couple hundred kids on a field trip) to a nearby museum on local history. We concluded our day at a Civil War museum where we watched video reenactments of some of the area battles. There was also a video on how several families were impacted when their sons joined opposing sides of the Civil War. We spent the next day in Hershey, PA, visiting the complex of the largest chocolate manufacturer in the U.S. Not only did we take the tour of Chocolate World but we also visited the museum to learn more about the man behind the company. Needless to say, we sampled several of their delicious desserts. Since we were in the area, Gettysburg was a must. We bought a self-guided audio tour and drove through the battlefield. The day was perfect – overcast, drizzling and cold. The dismal weather served to enhance the gravity of what had taken place on these fields. It was very sobering to imagine the struggle of the troops on the battlefield. At some stops, you could almost hear the guns firing. We completed our Gettysburg tour by walking through the cemetery. Strangely, seeing the soldiers’ graves and the monuments to the fallen really made history come alive! Gettysburg was a highlight of our trip. We also experienced our “lowlight” in Hershey. I booked our hotels for the entire trip via Priceline.com before leaving home. This has always worked very well for us until … the Howard Johnson of Hershey, PA. We drove up and scary is an understatement. The place was old and desperately in need of repair. The room had a unique odor which Jacob had a hard time enduring. Unfortunately, we had already paid for three nights. I couldn’t bring my cheap self to throw that money away and pay for a new hotel at probably double the price. We endured by spending as little time as possible at the hotel.
Leaving Hershey, we proceeded to Lancaster, PA, to visit the Amish country. We read several books this year about the Amish culture and wanted to see it in real life. We toured a working Amish farm, purchased some school books from an Amish bookstore and drove around looking at the countryside and farms. We saw the Amish out and about in their horse drawn buggies and visited with several of them. Talk about a step back in time! Then we headed for Philadelphia, PA. After our last hotel, I was a little nervous about our next accommodations. I was ecstatic. The hotel was originally the old courthouse but was recently renovated to a Courtyard by Marriott. We knew immediately the place was nice – nothing but valet parking which cost almost as much as the room. Of course, we looked like the Beverly Hillbillies as we piled out the suburban, unloaded our luggage (no two pieces match) in front of this elegant hotel and carried in our ice chest. It was downtown and within walking distance of everything we wanted to see. Philadelphia is rich with history! We saw the Liberty Bell, Continental Congress, Old Christ’s Church (where many of our nation’s forefathers worshipped), Betsy Ross’s house, and Benjamin Franklin’s house, original post office and museum.
We visited the capital in Trenton, NJ, and then ventured to Annapolis, MD. The House of Representatives was in session which delayed our capital tour so we walked around looking at downtown Annapolis, a beautiful and historic city. We toured the Naval Academy so Josh, our president want-to-be, could see what their campus offered. Our educational vacation next took us to our nation’s capital, Washington, D.C. We spent our first three nights in Alexandria and our last three nights in Arlington. Both of our hotels were just a short hike from Metro stations, which we all loved using. Our first scheduled tour was of the White House. We were to meet our congressman, Mike Conaway, at 8:00 a.m. so he could escort us in. While standing at the wrong entrance, a cavalcade of black secret service vehicles pulled up. What’s a rambunctious 10 year old boy to do? Jacob drops to one knee and gets the drop on them with his finger pistol. John quickly grabbed him up and began explaining the dangers of pretending to aim and shoot at men who carry real guns. Learning the transit system, getting sent to the wrong entrance and skirmishing with the secret service left us five minutes late. Harried from that little incident, we soon realized Representative Conaway had already come and gone. In much distress, I called his office only to discover he was tied up for the remainder of the day. It looked like Josh’s top attraction was not going to happen. This realization was setting in as Congressman Aderholt (R – Ala) overheard my phone conversation and came to the rescue. He graciously escorted us in. Over the next six days we walked our feet off and took in all of our nation’s capital that time allowed. We visited the Capital, the Supreme Court, the National Archives, the Mint, the Smithsonian, Ford’s Theatre and the house where Lincoln died. We visited Washington Monument, the Lincoln, Jefferson and Franklin D. Roosevelt memorials, the World War II, Korean and Vietnam memorials, and the Marine Corps Memorial. We also went to Arlington National Cemetery and Mount Vernon.
After D.C., we headed for a resort in Shenandoah, VA. To get some much needed rest. The kids rode horses, played miniature golf and swam. We also ventured over to Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello in Charlottesville, VA. Five days of relaxation meant we had two days to make our return trip. Three weeks, one suburban, seven people, one room translates loads of together time. It was truly a trip to remember.
My hat is off to TLC’s Clean Sweep. The show managed to get John to do something I had not been able to do since we moved into our house six years ago; organize his garage. John saw an episode in which they built some high capacity storage units for the garage. Next thing I knew, John had drawn a design (improved, of course), bought the supplies and begun construction. Little did I know this was the premiere for “Remodeling ~ The Mini-series”. Yes, strangely enough we started re-modeling the house in the garage. The Milam household spent the July 4th weekend painting, constructing and reorganizing our out-of-control garage. Painting the walls was not enough. We also painted the trim, doors, shelves and pegboard with a coordinating color. We hauled stuff to Goodwill and threw enough stuff away to empty two garages. John capped off the project by painting the floor of the garage. We loved the results. The logical progression was – remodel the kitchen. Makes total sense, doesn’t it?
As August rolled around, it was time for another road trip. We had grandiose ideas – the history of Charleston, SC coupled with some beach action in Miami and a visit with Mickey Mouse in Orlando. Our oversight was a gal named Katrina ... but more on that later. We arrived in historic Charleston and began seeing the sights via two walking tours – a Civil War tour and Old Historic Charleston tour. The males decided to check out the USS Yorktown while the females shopped. It was drizzling the morning we headed for Ft. Sumter and it was just a short walk to the ferry that would take us there. Who needs an umbrella or raincoat? It’s just a little drizzle. We certainly were not going to allow a little moisture to thwart our history experience. By the time we reach the landing, the slight drizzle had increased to a steady rain and then a deluge. We arrived at the tour looking like a bunch of drowned rats. That was on our day’s agenda and come you know what or high water we were going to stick with the plan. We couldn’t miss visiting Ft. Moultrie which was across the water from Ft. Sumter. Charleston had just recently opened their new bridge that was built with a walking/running and bike riding lanes. John and Jarrett rented bicycles to ride across while Josh and I decided to walk. We hiked a couple of miles from the hotel to the ascent of the bridge. I couldn’t stand it. I could hear the “Chariots of Fire” theme playing in my head. I had to see what running across was like. I abandoned my precious Josh to walk the distance alone so I could run ahead. It was an exhilarating run. On the return trip, I met Josh at the top. He had all the heat and walking he wanted. I stopped and tried unsuccessfully to call John. I planned to have John pick Josh up on the opposite side of the bridge so he didn’t have to make the hike back to the hotel. Conscientious mother that I am, I made several attempts to call John, before I left the cell phone with Josh and proceeded to finish my descent of the bridge. I reached the bottom without seeing any sign John, so I decided to run back to the hotel. Coordination is not one of my strong points and level sidewalks are not one of Charleston’s, so I tried to be extra careful. I was jogging along making great time as a group of cyclists approached. When I looked up to ensure safe passing, the sidewalk virtually jumped up and grabbed my shoe. The next song in my head is “Another One Bites the Dust” (actually it was concrete and it didn’t give). As I picked myself up, I saw blood flowing from numerous cuts and scrapes on my legs, hands, an elbow and a shoulder. Unlike my last fall, I was fortunate enough to save my face. Then I realized I had an audience – the cyclists and several vehicles had stopped. Though embarrassed, I assured the onlookers that it looked worse than it was. I was thankful these people didn’t know me from Eve. Now what? I was at least a mile from the hotel. I spied a gas station and made a beeline for the restroom. The clerk and customers gasped as I entered the station with blood dripping from multiple body parts. I hurried into the ladies room, cleaned my wounds and trekked back to the hotel. So, where’s Josh? John has not heard from him. Come to find out, Josh plugged John’s cell phone in to charge and forgot to turn it back on. Somewhere along the way, Josh remembered his error and headed back across the bridge; drink in tow. By the time John caught up with him, Josh had completed the 2 mile trek back across the bridge. As for me, I sported my unsightly wounds for the remainder of our trip.
The night before we were to leave Charleston for Miami, John suggested we check in with our Miami destination. He had seen news that a hurricane was bearing down on Miami. Sure enough, the beach front hotel we had booked was being evacuated. Our days of relaxing, building sand castles, catching waves and moonlight walks along the beach were being blown away by gusting winds and torrential rains. Fortunately, our Charleston hotel was affiliated with our Miami destination and, after some pleading; they allowed us to spend the additional nights with them. We made up for the disappointment by ordering a couple extra helpings of a local specialty – shrimp and grits. Yum!!
As we headed for Orlando, the weather continued to be an issue. I guess that’s why they call it “Hurricane season”. Maybe I should factor that in next time I plan a trip to the Gulf or East Coast. It was pouring down as we drove into Orlando and repeated that almost every afternoon. We still managed to have a good time. The resort where we stayed was fabulous – a brand new condo (half the size of our house) complete with washer/dryer, three televisions and a fully equipped kitchen. Several pools, miniature golf, shuffleboard, and more was available at the resort and we could watch the theme park fireworks displays from our balcony each evening. We visited Magic Kingdom, Universal Studios, Fun Spot, a water park, and Arabian Nights (a dinner theatre). All the while we watched the weather as we were supposed to return through South Louisiana. We also watched gasoline prices skyrocket – remember we were twelve hundred miles from home in a gas guzzling suburban. No problem. We bought two YUGOs to drive home. Just Kidding. Return via South Louisiana was out of the question. Katrina wiped out part of that route so we mapped out a new plan. Talk about the scenic route – it was not nearly as direct but did afford John the opportunity to show us lot’s more of the country, specifically rural Georgia and Alabama. We saw lots of little towns, lots of stop lights, high gas prices, “No Gas” and “No Vacancy” signs and very little 70 mph. We finally got on Interstate 20 two-thirds of the way across Alabama. We left Orlando at 6:00 a.m. and arrived at my parents in Tyler, TX nineteen hours later. Seven people, one suburban, 19 hours, you do the math! We were ready to kill each other and I think almost any jury in the land would have been sympathetic to a plea of insanity.
Exhaustion was an understatement, especially for John, who drove every single mile of those 19 hours. We collapsed into our beds dreading the eight hour drive awaiting us the next day. We delayed our return to the belly of the beast (i.e. the suburban) as long as we could, thinking many forms of torture would be more welcome. By the time we pulled out of Tyler, our E.T.A. would be almost midnight. My weariness was partially offset by anticipation and trepidation. Before we left, I commissioned a project. In our absence, the entry way and dining room were being painted. It was to be an “Old World wash”. I could still hear the last words of my precious interior decorator, “Trust me, you’ll love it!” I hoped so. But what if I didn’t like it? I had waited and saved so long and hired one of the best painters in town. As the hours passed, my stomach was in knots. Finally, we got home. When I walked in from the garage, I could see mustard yellow and gold on the walls. It looked like someone had smeared pooh from a nursing baby all over my walls. In fact, the color was so realistic; I think I could smell it. I was sick to my stomach. Leaving the walls as they were was not an option. What could we do and how much would it cost? Between the fretting and crying, I got very little sleep. I woke my decorator at 8:00 the next morning and explained my disappointment. She assured me it was only paint and we could redo it at no additional cost. After living with this for a couple of weeks, the painter, a true artisan, returned and the second result was wonderful. He even got rid of the smell.
Two days later our kitchen remodel began. Though the house was immediately thrown into disarray, the progress was very promising. The countertops were laid almost without a hitch and looked wonderful. At this rate we’ll be done in no time or will we? Next up was the backsplash. “Uh, wait guys. That’s the wrong tile.” I immediately called the project coordinator and calmly explained the problem. She was incensed that I wanted it done per my design. Imagine that. “We’ll have to reorder … additional cost … a delay of at least a week.” And her point was? I knew what I wanted and time delays or not I’m not about to change my mind. This happened on Tuesday and John and I were leaving for a conference in Dallas on Friday. We arranged to have Lauren’s attendant, Holly, watch the kids. We were a little apprehensive to have the workers coming and going while we were away especially after we discovered one of the painters was just released from the state penitentiary. In fact, he was still wearing the ankle monitor. He was covered with tattoos and just a little bit scary looking. What am I doing leaving the kids with a criminal in my house? I was begging God for their protection. Soon after we left on Friday morning, the painters changed their original plan. They decided to encapsulate the kitchen and spray the cabinets instead of brush painting. Jarrett and Josh were pressed into service. They had to completely unload every drawer and cabinet. into my still empty poop colored dining room. Shortly after the unloading began, the coordinator called and informed Jarrett that the backsplash installers would be arriving in 30 minutes. They weren’t expected for at least four more days. Jarrett politely proceeded to explain that he doesn’t think that will work due to the painters being there. She went off on Jarrett, “if they don’t come today, I don’t know when I can reschedule them” and hung up the phone. Jarrett, who has now become the foreman of the job, went and explained the situation to the painters. Fortunately they had other work they could do, so they called the coordinator and advised her she could send the backsplash installers. Jarrett, fearing I would freak and head back to the house, didn’t tell us any of what was going on. The painters ended up working all day Saturday and Sunday to get the cabinets done. I knew something was strange when we drove up Sunday evening. All the kids came running out to greet us and they reeked of paint fumes. By the time we got to the front door the fumes were almost over-whelming. When I opened that door and saw the disarray, the neat freak in me almost lost it. Ultimately, the cabinets and the backsplash looked great.
We experienced several other setbacks as the project proceeded. We ordered our cook top and the counter guy cut the hole per the specifications. Unfortunately, the manufacturer discontinued the model we ordered. Fortunately, the updated model which we purchased sight unseen had the same dimensions. The new kitchen sink turned out to be the wrong color. The difference wouldn’t have been so evident except the right color was installed in our laundry room and looked fabulous. After calling all over town, John made a trip to Odessa to pick up the right color and we rescheduled the plumber. Due to the mishaps and delays, we were without a cook top for six weeks and a kitchen sink for four. Try creating three meals a day with no cook top and washing dishes in the bathtub. One evening I found John in the garage boiling an egg on his camping equipment. Desperate times call for desperate measures. I wish I could tell you that was the end of our complications, however, our kitchen saga continues. Our double oven takes eight weeks to arrive. We finally get a call that we can expect delivery the following day. I scheduled the installers and eagerly anticipated the arrival of my new oven. Then, John got a call at work – “there has been a little accident.” While loading the oven for delivery, they dropped the oven on its face. smashing it and a single oven beside it. Notice that I didn’t get the phone call. He didn’t have the heart to tell me. The distributor reordered the oven and it was six more weeks before delivery. Fortunately when the kitchen was finally completed we absolutely loved it. What an awesome transformation!
Next, John decided (with some gentle encouragement from me) to tackle our nasty popcorn ceilings. We started in the schoolroom. Our dining room painter showed John and the two older boys how to remove the popcorn. Our other painter came and re-textured the ceiling. Once the ceiling was redone, we repainted the walls. Then the room needed crown molding. John was up for that because it gave him the perfect excuse to purchase a new saw. The new molding obviously necessitated the trim and door be painted. The new look required an updated light fixture. Wow! What an awesome job he and the boys did, under my supervision, of course. It was obvious (to me, at least) the next logical progression was the hall and the piano room. I was confident they could knock that out if I gave them three days. Then I decided Thanksgiving week would be the perfect opportunity to re-do the master bedroom and bathroom. New colored ceilings, changing the wall color and lighting made for an awesome bedroom makeover. Trading spaces has nothing on us – it took us a couple more days, but we did it for less than the $1000 they budget. Shortly after we finished the master suite, I announced my plan to do the boys section of the house over the New Years break. Their section included one hall, two bedrooms, and three bathroom areas. Jacob burst into tears telling us that we couldn’t because it would take them at least five hours to unload their room and at least five hours to reload the room. Plus John would have to disassemble their cabin bed and he would have no place to sleep. That was a major ordeal in his world. The boy DOES NOT handle change well. Little did I know he would need those four weeks to mentally prepare for the project. By the time it arrived, Jacob was a trooper and, even though he wasn’t thrilled, he pitched in and did his part without complaint. Talk about overwhelming! This job about killed us. It took ten grueling days to do all the ceilings, paint all the walls, repaint all the trim, doors, bathroom cabinets, and install new crown molding. We also changed all the pulls, door knobs, towel racks, etc. The finished product looks fabulous but my work crew is officially on strike for months. I burned them out. School was a nice relief.
We rented a four bedroom house in Ruidoso, NM and spent the Christmas holidays with my family. Ski Apache had 16 inches of snow, of which, 12 was man-made and only had five runs open. Though less than optimum conditions, the kids skied on Christmas Eve and had a great time anyway. Jarrett opted for snowboarding lessons and quickly realized the light padding on his back side was a minus in this sport. He returned to the slopes on Christmas Day and practiced all he had learned. Though he was sore for a couple days and muscles ached that he never realized he had, he would go again in a heart beat. The moms took the kids inner tubing one of the days. My kids love spending time with the cousins. We had a blast! What a fun way to spend the holidays!
Now for a short update on the family:
Lauren is seventeen years old. Hard to believe! She is 45 inches long and weighs 46 pounds. She had surgery this summer to repair her palate in hopes that it would reduce the sinus problems she was having. It was a complete success. She has been much healthier since the procedure. She adores her caretaker Miss Holly and continues to progress under Miss Holly’s care and attention. She will wipe her own mouth with her bib, she will hold her arms up to show Holly she wants to be picked up, and will answer numerous questions from Holly by shaking her head. She still loves music, TV, movies and animals. One of her favorite past times is aggravating Josh in the vehicle by leaning on him, putting slobbery hands on him or just getting into his space. She has much more going on in that little mind of hers than we often give her credit.
Jarrett, a party waiting to happen, continues to push my patience to the last nerve. He is 15 years old, 10th grade, 6’4”tall, weighs 155 pounds and is an eating machine. The boy can’t go two hours without needing sustenance. Good thing I don’t have a mortgage, I’m going to need all my income to feed these growing boys. The child however is clueless on the definition of “caught up” where school is concerned. I don’t think we’ve been caught up since the first week and we are about to begin the 32nd week – Looks like someone wants to do summer school. Absolutely nothing motivates the boy to catch up. He can’t get his driving permit until he is caught up and stays caught up for 6 months. We joke that Josh will be driving his big brother around at this rate. Aside from the continual frustration concerning school, life with this “otter” is never dull. He is always ready to go - out to eat, shopping, errands - you name it he is ready. His latest job is childcare for 4 to 6 year olds at the church. The kids, as well as the adults, love him. The job is perfect for him; he gets paid to play. What more could you ask for? Jarrett is all about “the look”. He tries to stay on the cutting edge of fashion trends like the “frat tuck” – front tucked-in, back out. His brothers have informed him it looks goofy. What do they know? Jarrett also decided to test the adage “blonds have more fun”. While on one of our bike rides he asked if he could bleach his hair. After much counsel from friends with older boys, I realized hair is not a big issue. It will grow out. So I told Jarrett that I did not mind if he bleached his hair but please wait until after Christmas pictures. Well once he heard the “Yes” his brain shut off and he somehow missed the “but”. Unbeknownst to me, he purchased a kit at Wal-Mart. He did have the good sense to realize that cheap may not be the best option when it involves your hair. After I went to bed, he started the process in his bathroom. When John went to tell the boys to go to bed, he discovered Jarrett in the midst of the transformation. Jarrett quickly assured John that “Mom said I could do it.” Though John found that a bit shocking, he was not about to wake me and be the bearer of this news. In the process, John made Jarrett a little nervous about the length of time the bleach had been on and ended up causing Jarrett to remove it a little early. The next morning, Jarrett made a GRAND entrance at breakfast with hair color somewhere between potato chips and Cheetos. Jacob immediately began a tirade – “it’s ugly”, “why would you do that to your hair”, “do I have to sit on the same church pew as him” and “please don’t let anyone know we are related”. It was great. He expressed all the things I would have liked to say yet knew better. But it sure felt good to hear them being said. The color was anything but becoming. What about my Christmas pictures? Maybe I could go black and white. When my nail girl heard the story, she immediately said “So I bet his hair is orange!” To which I replied, “Pretty much.” She offered to fix the mess and we ended up with a natural looking blond color. Except for the dark brown eyebrows he could have easily passed for a blond. Never a dull moment! I’m not sure exactly whose genes that child ended up with – obviously some recessive ones.
Josh, my future President, is 14 years old, 8th grade, 5’7”tall and weighs 126 pounds. He will soon pass me in height and weight. He continues to be a dream pupil. The child loves to read and completes each weeks’ schoolwork with no prodding. He is in our gifted and talented program as most of his work is well above his grade level. Josh has many of my personality traits. He loves order, neatness and organization – a child after my own heart. The thorn in his side is sharing a room with our free spirit – a full-blood messy. Our similarities make life good as long as we are on the same page. Fortunately, we rarely clash because the boy understands the program and plays the game well. Keep Mom happy and life is good. Get Mom mad and life is miserable. He is smart enough to choose Plan A. Jarrett accuses him of “sucking up”. Josh responds, “Whatever works!” Josh is also developing his entrepreneurial skills. He baby-sits for our neighbors, works at the office for John and picks up other odd jobs as they come along. The boy knows how to save money and will someday be our millionaire. He still loves to play video games and plans to purchase an X-box 360 as soon as they are available.
My precious little Joel is still my hugger. He never runs low on hugs or kisses and generously distributes them to all. He is 12 years old, 6th grade, 5’1” tall and weighs 83 pounds dripping wet. He is still our peanut. Jacob has passed Joel in both height and weight. It is not uncommon for waiters to bring Joel a child’s cup and Jacob an adult cup. Fortunately, those things don’t faze Joel. Were he in the public school system, he would have already been diagnosed ADHD. The child couldn’t sit still if his life depended on it. Focusing is truly a challenge which makes completing schoolwork timely not always the easiest task for him. He is however gifted and works above his level on most subjects. His greatest challenge is speaking without thinking. Open mouth, insert foot is all too common. He still loves his stuffed animals and sleeps with about 20 in his cabin bed. Joel and Jacob are still the best of buds and rarely do you see one without the other. Mutt and Jeff are still inseparable. In fact, when Jacob was sick with a stomach bug and had to sleep on a pallet on the floor, Joel was right there with him. Joel’s Christmas wish was a dog. I have never been an animal person and a dog was the last thing on my list. As Christmas approached, this was all we heard about. He was so intent that he was willing to use it as the gift from us and his grandparents for both Christmas and his birthday. He regaled me with the stories of canine companionship – Lassie, Old Yeller, Sounder and Where the Red Fern Grows. How could I refuse a request like that? Joel got up every morning and searched the want ads looking for the perfect dog. One day he joyfully announced, “I found my dog!” He had already called the breeders, negotiated the price, investigated all pertinent information and was ready to go pick up his pup. I was not near as ready for a new addition to the household. All I could see was poop in the yard, stuff being chewed up, wet licks and vet bills. In spite of my apprehensions, off we went to see the litter and pick our dog. What a tough decision! We stood in the freezing cold looking at the nine six-week-old Labrador Retriever puppies trying to select the perfect one – black or yellow, small or large, active or sedate – so many choices. Small and calm were my two priorities. We ended up with a cute small docile yellow lab. He was precious even for a non-animal lover like me. We named him J. Riley. As a male in our family, it was imperative that his name start with a “J”. He was 4 pounds when we got him and five months later weighs 50 pounds. I prefer the 4 pound size; unfortunately, Labradors don’t stay small. We soon realized he was only small because of his calm demeanor. He obviously wouldn’t push his way through his 11 siblings to get his share of the food. Now that the competition has been reduced, he is getting quite large. He is just what I need – another large growing male to feed. The boys love him and he has even made a small place in my heart.
Jacob Daniel is still our moose – 10 years old, 4th grade, 5’3” tall and weighs 97 pounds. Though his size belies his age, his actions do not. We often must remind ourselves how young he really is. He is scared of everything and completely risk averse. He also hates to travel even to Wal-Mart. The rest of us absolutely love to travel so he struggles with this. He has a paranoia about every mode of travel. He doesn’t plan to fly because planes crash. He has no desire to cruise because the ship will sink. He made up his mind he wasn’t going to take the Metro in D.C. because the tunnel might cave in. At the water park in Orlando, John had to practically force him kicking and screaming down the first waterslide. Before we knew it, he was off on his own doing the scariest slide by himself. His fear of needles was highlighted when it came time for his flu shot. He heard that there was a nasal spray version available that did not involve a needle. Problem was $10 for the shot or $90 for the spray. We told him he would have to pay the difference. His solution, “You don’t have to give me anything for Christmas if you will just let me get the sniffy stuff.” Ultimately, he got the shot – twice. A home extraction of one of Jacob’s teeth provided us a possible entry for America’s Funniest Videos. The tooth was so loose, it was flapping in the breeze but Jacob could not bear to part with it. We ambushed him. I grabbed his torso, Josh grabbed his legs and Jarrett went for the tooth. All the while Jacob was screaming “you’re killing me” and “I’m dying”. The funniest part was Jarrett had the tooth out in 5 seconds but Jacob did not realize it. He continued fighting us off for several minutes after the tooth was pulled. As we discussed earlier, he is not into change at all. Routine is his middle name and spontaneity is nowhere to be found in his vocabulary. One of his truly outstanding character traits is diligence. The child understands the concept get schoolwork done and then playtime comes. He will bug you to death to help him get his schoolwork completed. He is loud, rambunctious, and definitely all boy. He hates pink. You cannot get an article of clothing on his body that has even a speck of any color that remotely resembles pink. He is excessively hot-natured and wears shorts year round. The boy is NEVER cold. The day it snowed here in Midland, Jacob played in the snow in shorts. I don’t even begin to understand that concept. I am cold 99% of the time, even when wearing four layers of clothing. He loves anything to do with Star Wars, guns, hot wheels, Lego, and video games.
Laynie Abigail continues to provide the feminine touch to our brood. She loves Barbie, Polly Pocket, Groovy Girl, American Doll, and just about anything frilly and pink. She is 7 years old, 2nd grade, 4’2” tall and weighs 49 pounds. Her favorite subject is reading which she does on a 6th grade level. She also spells at a 6th grade level which infuriates Jacob. Math, however, is another story. She is single-handedly proving that “all Orientals are proficient in math” is a myth. The girl cannot remember from one day to the next how to “carry” or “borrow”. And Roman numerals – well, they are Greek to her. Despite demonstrating intelligence in many areas, she often lacks any common sense. There are days when we all believe she should have been a blond. She has begun developing her domestic skills, which she enjoys. She does an awesome job folding clothes, but struggles to put them away correctly. Finding your clothes can be like an Easter egg hunt – it is not uncommon to find your clothes in other peoples drawers. She enjoys having other little girls around as her brothers aren’t really into her “girly stuff”. What a joy she is to our family!
As for our fearless leader, John stays busy trying to make a living around all my traveling and projects. We continue to build our business as we help people position their assets to make the most of the rest of their lives. We love working with couples and individuals to make the transition to another job or retirement as smooth as possible. It is so rewarding knowing that we are truly impacting the rest of their lives in a positive way. We think of our clients as our extended family and treasure each relationship. We continue to minister to couples in our congregation that need budget assistance. We also added premarital counseling to our ministry services. John continues to be quite the handyman. The cabinet he designed and built for my schoolroom is truly a masterpiece. It is both functional and beautiful. He has given up being an early morning person after all those years in the oil field. In fact, I practically have to drag him out of bed to get him to occasionally walk with me in the morning. Of course, the conditions have to be ideal – above 45 degrees, after 5:30 a.m. and less than 7 ½ miles. Goodness, couldn’t he be a little more flexible? He enjoys biking in the summer and doesn’t mind the evening walks near as much. I’ll let you judge how he is doing in the romance department. For our 21st wedding anniversary, he took me to dinner at Christine’s Cafe in Coahoma, TX with a client. He accidentally scheduled the meeting before realizing what day it was. Then he rationalized that it wasn’t a major anniversary like 25 so it would be okay. For the men reading this, ask your wives to explain his error. Oh well, I guess he can’t get things perfect all the time. I’m so blessed to have him as my husband and best friend. I do hope God allows us at least 40 more years together.
As for me, I am still a fitness fanatic. I run/walk at least 7 ½ miles a day during the week and 10-12 miles on the weekend. In the last month, my right knee has started giving me issues which is extremely irritating. I have started walking part of the distance which is fine until someone jogs by. Then the competitor in me wants to break into a run and leave them in my dust. Getting old is the pits. My days consist of schoolwork at multiple grade levels, lots of cooking, loads of laundry, never-ending errands, taxi service, managing the finances and assisting John in the business. Lately, I am spending more time practicing my favorite gifts – delegating and supervising – especially those tasks I detest. I love to be in charge, telling people what to do and how to do it. How convenient that God blessed me with so many subordinates. My precious little people have taken over some of the yard work, much of the laundry, most of the kitchen cleaning and all of the housework. It is great having lots of free labor. There truly are advantages to many children. I am trying to adjust to life with a canine. I’m still not used to everything being chewed up, dog hair on my clothes, accidentally stepping in pooh, my bushes being used as a bed, muddy paws, incessant digging, barking in the middle of the night, and that wet nose wiped on my freshly cleaned jeans – oh, the joy of owning a dog. I do not feed, water, or scoop poop but … I am slowly growing fonder of him. That is, until he touches my carpet, pees on my floor or pulls the used coffee filter and grounds out of the kitchen trash – for an outside dog, he sure makes his share of indoor messes. Did I mention he chews up patio furniture and wakes me up in the middle of the night? I can’t yet say, “I love having a dog!” Overall life is awesome – I’m living my dream. I have the privilege of schooling my children, having lunch with my husband daily and spending quality as well as quantity time with my precious little ones. Many things in this life can be bought at a price but time with my family is truly priceless.
We hope this finds you having a blessed year. As you can see, we love this adventure the Lord has blessed us with. We implore you to recognize each day for what it is, a wonderful gift from God. Know we think of you and pray for you throughout the year. We cherish you as our special friends and family.
March 18, 2006
Dear friends and family,
Our year was filled with hard work and adventure. We continued to build our business, pursued academic excellence, remodeled part of the house and enjoyed two great trips. If you want the details, read on …
Our first adventure started just weeks after we completed the ‘04 – ‘05 school year. In mid April, as others toiled to finish the school year, we headed for the first of several state capitals we planned to see – Little Rock, Arkansas. No disrespect intended, but … it is the least impressive capital we have visited to date. Their excuse – “The granite intended for construction was on a barge that sank during transport and the state did not have money to replace it.” Didn’t that excuse get old about sixty years ago? Next, we headed to Frankfort, Kentucky. There is only one explanation for Kentucky’s highway nomenclature – they are obviously intimidated by numbers. What were they thinking? “Hey guys, instead of using confusing numbers to designate the highways … how ‘bout we use long names on little signs that are extremely difficult to read. And let’s change the name every so often.” As we entered the state, John asked which highway number he should be following. After an extensive map review, Josh and I informed him that there was no number. Of course, the engineer would not accept this, even as a remote possibility. He headed for the nearest visitors’ center to get his bearings (i.e. prove us wrong). The attendant confirmed exactly what Josh and I said – no number. John immediately disliked driving in this state. After getting him headed in the right direction, I began to read a great book to the kids to make the time pass more quickly. I assumed John knew where he was going and failed to confirm a highway name change (enter the long names on small signs issue). Well John has gotten into the book and, before we knew it, we had gone fifty miles out of the way. John’s answer – “It was the scenic route; we got to see more of the state.” Frankfort was a quaint little city. We toured the new capital building, the old capital and the old governor’s mansion. Then we happened upon a great historical museum and a cemetery where numerous famous Americans were buried. We ended with a tour of Rebecca Ruth’s candy store. It is famous for chocolate pecan bourbon balls and well it should be. They were to die for! Enough of those and we would forget about the parking ticket we got while touring their fine city and probably end up on another wrong highway.
Our next capital stop was Charleston, WV. They were in the process of replacing the gold-leaf on the dome of the capital. Though this temporarily detracted from its outward appearance, upon completion, it should be beautiful and visible for miles. From there we went to Harrisburg, PA. The capital building was the prettiest we have visited to date. It was elaborately decorated with exquisite murals throughout. The artist had spent his entire career painting the inside of this building. We followed a mob (i.e. a couple hundred kids on a field trip) to a nearby museum on local history. We concluded our day at a Civil War museum where we watched video reenactments of some of the area battles. There was also a video on how several families were impacted when their sons joined opposing sides of the Civil War. We spent the next day in Hershey, PA, visiting the complex of the largest chocolate manufacturer in the U.S. Not only did we take the tour of Chocolate World but we also visited the museum to learn more about the man behind the company. Needless to say, we sampled several of their delicious desserts. Since we were in the area, Gettysburg was a must. We bought a self-guided audio tour and drove through the battlefield. The day was perfect – overcast, drizzling and cold. The dismal weather served to enhance the gravity of what had taken place on these fields. It was very sobering to imagine the struggle of the troops on the battlefield. At some stops, you could almost hear the guns firing. We completed our Gettysburg tour by walking through the cemetery. Strangely, seeing the soldiers’ graves and the monuments to the fallen really made history come alive! Gettysburg was a highlight of our trip. We also experienced our “lowlight” in Hershey. I booked our hotels for the entire trip via Priceline.com before leaving home. This has always worked very well for us until … the Howard Johnson of Hershey, PA. We drove up and scary is an understatement. The place was old and desperately in need of repair. The room had a unique odor which Jacob had a hard time enduring. Unfortunately, we had already paid for three nights. I couldn’t bring my cheap self to throw that money away and pay for a new hotel at probably double the price. We endured by spending as little time as possible at the hotel.
Leaving Hershey, we proceeded to Lancaster, PA, to visit the Amish country. We read several books this year about the Amish culture and wanted to see it in real life. We toured a working Amish farm, purchased some school books from an Amish bookstore and drove around looking at the countryside and farms. We saw the Amish out and about in their horse drawn buggies and visited with several of them. Talk about a step back in time! Then we headed for Philadelphia, PA. After our last hotel, I was a little nervous about our next accommodations. I was ecstatic. The hotel was originally the old courthouse but was recently renovated to a Courtyard by Marriott. We knew immediately the place was nice – nothing but valet parking which cost almost as much as the room. Of course, we looked like the Beverly Hillbillies as we piled out the suburban, unloaded our luggage (no two pieces match) in front of this elegant hotel and carried in our ice chest. It was downtown and within walking distance of everything we wanted to see. Philadelphia is rich with history! We saw the Liberty Bell, Continental Congress, Old Christ’s Church (where many of our nation’s forefathers worshipped), Betsy Ross’s house, and Benjamin Franklin’s house, original post office and museum.
We visited the capital in Trenton, NJ, and then ventured to Annapolis, MD. The House of Representatives was in session which delayed our capital tour so we walked around looking at downtown Annapolis, a beautiful and historic city. We toured the Naval Academy so Josh, our president want-to-be, could see what their campus offered. Our educational vacation next took us to our nation’s capital, Washington, D.C. We spent our first three nights in Alexandria and our last three nights in Arlington. Both of our hotels were just a short hike from Metro stations, which we all loved using. Our first scheduled tour was of the White House. We were to meet our congressman, Mike Conaway, at 8:00 a.m. so he could escort us in. While standing at the wrong entrance, a cavalcade of black secret service vehicles pulled up. What’s a rambunctious 10 year old boy to do? Jacob drops to one knee and gets the drop on them with his finger pistol. John quickly grabbed him up and began explaining the dangers of pretending to aim and shoot at men who carry real guns. Learning the transit system, getting sent to the wrong entrance and skirmishing with the secret service left us five minutes late. Harried from that little incident, we soon realized Representative Conaway had already come and gone. In much distress, I called his office only to discover he was tied up for the remainder of the day. It looked like Josh’s top attraction was not going to happen. This realization was setting in as Congressman Aderholt (R – Ala) overheard my phone conversation and came to the rescue. He graciously escorted us in. Over the next six days we walked our feet off and took in all of our nation’s capital that time allowed. We visited the Capital, the Supreme Court, the National Archives, the Mint, the Smithsonian, Ford’s Theatre and the house where Lincoln died. We visited Washington Monument, the Lincoln, Jefferson and Franklin D. Roosevelt memorials, the World War II, Korean and Vietnam memorials, and the Marine Corps Memorial. We also went to Arlington National Cemetery and Mount Vernon.
After D.C., we headed for a resort in Shenandoah, VA. To get some much needed rest. The kids rode horses, played miniature golf and swam. We also ventured over to Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello in Charlottesville, VA. Five days of relaxation meant we had two days to make our return trip. Three weeks, one suburban, seven people, one room translates loads of together time. It was truly a trip to remember.
My hat is off to TLC’s Clean Sweep. The show managed to get John to do something I had not been able to do since we moved into our house six years ago; organize his garage. John saw an episode in which they built some high capacity storage units for the garage. Next thing I knew, John had drawn a design (improved, of course), bought the supplies and begun construction. Little did I know this was the premiere for “Remodeling ~ The Mini-series”. Yes, strangely enough we started re-modeling the house in the garage. The Milam household spent the July 4th weekend painting, constructing and reorganizing our out-of-control garage. Painting the walls was not enough. We also painted the trim, doors, shelves and pegboard with a coordinating color. We hauled stuff to Goodwill and threw enough stuff away to empty two garages. John capped off the project by painting the floor of the garage. We loved the results. The logical progression was – remodel the kitchen. Makes total sense, doesn’t it?
As August rolled around, it was time for another road trip. We had grandiose ideas – the history of Charleston, SC coupled with some beach action in Miami and a visit with Mickey Mouse in Orlando. Our oversight was a gal named Katrina ... but more on that later. We arrived in historic Charleston and began seeing the sights via two walking tours – a Civil War tour and Old Historic Charleston tour. The males decided to check out the USS Yorktown while the females shopped. It was drizzling the morning we headed for Ft. Sumter and it was just a short walk to the ferry that would take us there. Who needs an umbrella or raincoat? It’s just a little drizzle. We certainly were not going to allow a little moisture to thwart our history experience. By the time we reach the landing, the slight drizzle had increased to a steady rain and then a deluge. We arrived at the tour looking like a bunch of drowned rats. That was on our day’s agenda and come you know what or high water we were going to stick with the plan. We couldn’t miss visiting Ft. Moultrie which was across the water from Ft. Sumter. Charleston had just recently opened their new bridge that was built with a walking/running and bike riding lanes. John and Jarrett rented bicycles to ride across while Josh and I decided to walk. We hiked a couple of miles from the hotel to the ascent of the bridge. I couldn’t stand it. I could hear the “Chariots of Fire” theme playing in my head. I had to see what running across was like. I abandoned my precious Josh to walk the distance alone so I could run ahead. It was an exhilarating run. On the return trip, I met Josh at the top. He had all the heat and walking he wanted. I stopped and tried unsuccessfully to call John. I planned to have John pick Josh up on the opposite side of the bridge so he didn’t have to make the hike back to the hotel. Conscientious mother that I am, I made several attempts to call John, before I left the cell phone with Josh and proceeded to finish my descent of the bridge. I reached the bottom without seeing any sign John, so I decided to run back to the hotel. Coordination is not one of my strong points and level sidewalks are not one of Charleston’s, so I tried to be extra careful. I was jogging along making great time as a group of cyclists approached. When I looked up to ensure safe passing, the sidewalk virtually jumped up and grabbed my shoe. The next song in my head is “Another One Bites the Dust” (actually it was concrete and it didn’t give). As I picked myself up, I saw blood flowing from numerous cuts and scrapes on my legs, hands, an elbow and a shoulder. Unlike my last fall, I was fortunate enough to save my face. Then I realized I had an audience – the cyclists and several vehicles had stopped. Though embarrassed, I assured the onlookers that it looked worse than it was. I was thankful these people didn’t know me from Eve. Now what? I was at least a mile from the hotel. I spied a gas station and made a beeline for the restroom. The clerk and customers gasped as I entered the station with blood dripping from multiple body parts. I hurried into the ladies room, cleaned my wounds and trekked back to the hotel. So, where’s Josh? John has not heard from him. Come to find out, Josh plugged John’s cell phone in to charge and forgot to turn it back on. Somewhere along the way, Josh remembered his error and headed back across the bridge; drink in tow. By the time John caught up with him, Josh had completed the 2 mile trek back across the bridge. As for me, I sported my unsightly wounds for the remainder of our trip.
The night before we were to leave Charleston for Miami, John suggested we check in with our Miami destination. He had seen news that a hurricane was bearing down on Miami. Sure enough, the beach front hotel we had booked was being evacuated. Our days of relaxing, building sand castles, catching waves and moonlight walks along the beach were being blown away by gusting winds and torrential rains. Fortunately, our Charleston hotel was affiliated with our Miami destination and, after some pleading; they allowed us to spend the additional nights with them. We made up for the disappointment by ordering a couple extra helpings of a local specialty – shrimp and grits. Yum!!
As we headed for Orlando, the weather continued to be an issue. I guess that’s why they call it “Hurricane season”. Maybe I should factor that in next time I plan a trip to the Gulf or East Coast. It was pouring down as we drove into Orlando and repeated that almost every afternoon. We still managed to have a good time. The resort where we stayed was fabulous – a brand new condo (half the size of our house) complete with washer/dryer, three televisions and a fully equipped kitchen. Several pools, miniature golf, shuffleboard, and more was available at the resort and we could watch the theme park fireworks displays from our balcony each evening. We visited Magic Kingdom, Universal Studios, Fun Spot, a water park, and Arabian Nights (a dinner theatre). All the while we watched the weather as we were supposed to return through South Louisiana. We also watched gasoline prices skyrocket – remember we were twelve hundred miles from home in a gas guzzling suburban. No problem. We bought two YUGOs to drive home. Just Kidding. Return via South Louisiana was out of the question. Katrina wiped out part of that route so we mapped out a new plan. Talk about the scenic route – it was not nearly as direct but did afford John the opportunity to show us lot’s more of the country, specifically rural Georgia and Alabama. We saw lots of little towns, lots of stop lights, high gas prices, “No Gas” and “No Vacancy” signs and very little 70 mph. We finally got on Interstate 20 two-thirds of the way across Alabama. We left Orlando at 6:00 a.m. and arrived at my parents in Tyler, TX nineteen hours later. Seven people, one suburban, 19 hours, you do the math! We were ready to kill each other and I think almost any jury in the land would have been sympathetic to a plea of insanity.
Exhaustion was an understatement, especially for John, who drove every single mile of those 19 hours. We collapsed into our beds dreading the eight hour drive awaiting us the next day. We delayed our return to the belly of the beast (i.e. the suburban) as long as we could, thinking many forms of torture would be more welcome. By the time we pulled out of Tyler, our E.T.A. would be almost midnight. My weariness was partially offset by anticipation and trepidation. Before we left, I commissioned a project. In our absence, the entry way and dining room were being painted. It was to be an “Old World wash”. I could still hear the last words of my precious interior decorator, “Trust me, you’ll love it!” I hoped so. But what if I didn’t like it? I had waited and saved so long and hired one of the best painters in town. As the hours passed, my stomach was in knots. Finally, we got home. When I walked in from the garage, I could see mustard yellow and gold on the walls. It looked like someone had smeared pooh from a nursing baby all over my walls. In fact, the color was so realistic; I think I could smell it. I was sick to my stomach. Leaving the walls as they were was not an option. What could we do and how much would it cost? Between the fretting and crying, I got very little sleep. I woke my decorator at 8:00 the next morning and explained my disappointment. She assured me it was only paint and we could redo it at no additional cost. After living with this for a couple of weeks, the painter, a true artisan, returned and the second result was wonderful. He even got rid of the smell.
Two days later our kitchen remodel began. Though the house was immediately thrown into disarray, the progress was very promising. The countertops were laid almost without a hitch and looked wonderful. At this rate we’ll be done in no time or will we? Next up was the backsplash. “Uh, wait guys. That’s the wrong tile.” I immediately called the project coordinator and calmly explained the problem. She was incensed that I wanted it done per my design. Imagine that. “We’ll have to reorder … additional cost … a delay of at least a week.” And her point was? I knew what I wanted and time delays or not I’m not about to change my mind. This happened on Tuesday and John and I were leaving for a conference in Dallas on Friday. We arranged to have Lauren’s attendant, Holly, watch the kids. We were a little apprehensive to have the workers coming and going while we were away especially after we discovered one of the painters was just released from the state penitentiary. In fact, he was still wearing the ankle monitor. He was covered with tattoos and just a little bit scary looking. What am I doing leaving the kids with a criminal in my house? I was begging God for their protection. Soon after we left on Friday morning, the painters changed their original plan. They decided to encapsulate the kitchen and spray the cabinets instead of brush painting. Jarrett and Josh were pressed into service. They had to completely unload every drawer and cabinet. into my still empty poop colored dining room. Shortly after the unloading began, the coordinator called and informed Jarrett that the backsplash installers would be arriving in 30 minutes. They weren’t expected for at least four more days. Jarrett politely proceeded to explain that he doesn’t think that will work due to the painters being there. She went off on Jarrett, “if they don’t come today, I don’t know when I can reschedule them” and hung up the phone. Jarrett, who has now become the foreman of the job, went and explained the situation to the painters. Fortunately they had other work they could do, so they called the coordinator and advised her she could send the backsplash installers. Jarrett, fearing I would freak and head back to the house, didn’t tell us any of what was going on. The painters ended up working all day Saturday and Sunday to get the cabinets done. I knew something was strange when we drove up Sunday evening. All the kids came running out to greet us and they reeked of paint fumes. By the time we got to the front door the fumes were almost over-whelming. When I opened that door and saw the disarray, the neat freak in me almost lost it. Ultimately, the cabinets and the backsplash looked great.
We experienced several other setbacks as the project proceeded. We ordered our cook top and the counter guy cut the hole per the specifications. Unfortunately, the manufacturer discontinued the model we ordered. Fortunately, the updated model which we purchased sight unseen had the same dimensions. The new kitchen sink turned out to be the wrong color. The difference wouldn’t have been so evident except the right color was installed in our laundry room and looked fabulous. After calling all over town, John made a trip to Odessa to pick up the right color and we rescheduled the plumber. Due to the mishaps and delays, we were without a cook top for six weeks and a kitchen sink for four. Try creating three meals a day with no cook top and washing dishes in the bathtub. One evening I found John in the garage boiling an egg on his camping equipment. Desperate times call for desperate measures. I wish I could tell you that was the end of our complications, however, our kitchen saga continues. Our double oven takes eight weeks to arrive. We finally get a call that we can expect delivery the following day. I scheduled the installers and eagerly anticipated the arrival of my new oven. Then, John got a call at work – “there has been a little accident.” While loading the oven for delivery, they dropped the oven on its face. smashing it and a single oven beside it. Notice that I didn’t get the phone call. He didn’t have the heart to tell me. The distributor reordered the oven and it was six more weeks before delivery. Fortunately when the kitchen was finally completed we absolutely loved it. What an awesome transformation!
Next, John decided (with some gentle encouragement from me) to tackle our nasty popcorn ceilings. We started in the schoolroom. Our dining room painter showed John and the two older boys how to remove the popcorn. Our other painter came and re-textured the ceiling. Once the ceiling was redone, we repainted the walls. Then the room needed crown molding. John was up for that because it gave him the perfect excuse to purchase a new saw. The new molding obviously necessitated the trim and door be painted. The new look required an updated light fixture. Wow! What an awesome job he and the boys did, under my supervision, of course. It was obvious (to me, at least) the next logical progression was the hall and the piano room. I was confident they could knock that out if I gave them three days. Then I decided Thanksgiving week would be the perfect opportunity to re-do the master bedroom and bathroom. New colored ceilings, changing the wall color and lighting made for an awesome bedroom makeover. Trading spaces has nothing on us – it took us a couple more days, but we did it for less than the $1000 they budget. Shortly after we finished the master suite, I announced my plan to do the boys section of the house over the New Years break. Their section included one hall, two bedrooms, and three bathroom areas. Jacob burst into tears telling us that we couldn’t because it would take them at least five hours to unload their room and at least five hours to reload the room. Plus John would have to disassemble their cabin bed and he would have no place to sleep. That was a major ordeal in his world. The boy DOES NOT handle change well. Little did I know he would need those four weeks to mentally prepare for the project. By the time it arrived, Jacob was a trooper and, even though he wasn’t thrilled, he pitched in and did his part without complaint. Talk about overwhelming! This job about killed us. It took ten grueling days to do all the ceilings, paint all the walls, repaint all the trim, doors, bathroom cabinets, and install new crown molding. We also changed all the pulls, door knobs, towel racks, etc. The finished product looks fabulous but my work crew is officially on strike for months. I burned them out. School was a nice relief.
We rented a four bedroom house in Ruidoso, NM and spent the Christmas holidays with my family. Ski Apache had 16 inches of snow, of which, 12 was man-made and only had five runs open. Though less than optimum conditions, the kids skied on Christmas Eve and had a great time anyway. Jarrett opted for snowboarding lessons and quickly realized the light padding on his back side was a minus in this sport. He returned to the slopes on Christmas Day and practiced all he had learned. Though he was sore for a couple days and muscles ached that he never realized he had, he would go again in a heart beat. The moms took the kids inner tubing one of the days. My kids love spending time with the cousins. We had a blast! What a fun way to spend the holidays!
Now for a short update on the family:
Lauren is seventeen years old. Hard to believe! She is 45 inches long and weighs 46 pounds. She had surgery this summer to repair her palate in hopes that it would reduce the sinus problems she was having. It was a complete success. She has been much healthier since the procedure. She adores her caretaker Miss Holly and continues to progress under Miss Holly’s care and attention. She will wipe her own mouth with her bib, she will hold her arms up to show Holly she wants to be picked up, and will answer numerous questions from Holly by shaking her head. She still loves music, TV, movies and animals. One of her favorite past times is aggravating Josh in the vehicle by leaning on him, putting slobbery hands on him or just getting into his space. She has much more going on in that little mind of hers than we often give her credit.
Jarrett, a party waiting to happen, continues to push my patience to the last nerve. He is 15 years old, 10th grade, 6’4”tall, weighs 155 pounds and is an eating machine. The boy can’t go two hours without needing sustenance. Good thing I don’t have a mortgage, I’m going to need all my income to feed these growing boys. The child however is clueless on the definition of “caught up” where school is concerned. I don’t think we’ve been caught up since the first week and we are about to begin the 32nd week – Looks like someone wants to do summer school. Absolutely nothing motivates the boy to catch up. He can’t get his driving permit until he is caught up and stays caught up for 6 months. We joke that Josh will be driving his big brother around at this rate. Aside from the continual frustration concerning school, life with this “otter” is never dull. He is always ready to go - out to eat, shopping, errands - you name it he is ready. His latest job is childcare for 4 to 6 year olds at the church. The kids, as well as the adults, love him. The job is perfect for him; he gets paid to play. What more could you ask for? Jarrett is all about “the look”. He tries to stay on the cutting edge of fashion trends like the “frat tuck” – front tucked-in, back out. His brothers have informed him it looks goofy. What do they know? Jarrett also decided to test the adage “blonds have more fun”. While on one of our bike rides he asked if he could bleach his hair. After much counsel from friends with older boys, I realized hair is not a big issue. It will grow out. So I told Jarrett that I did not mind if he bleached his hair but please wait until after Christmas pictures. Well once he heard the “Yes” his brain shut off and he somehow missed the “but”. Unbeknownst to me, he purchased a kit at Wal-Mart. He did have the good sense to realize that cheap may not be the best option when it involves your hair. After I went to bed, he started the process in his bathroom. When John went to tell the boys to go to bed, he discovered Jarrett in the midst of the transformation. Jarrett quickly assured John that “Mom said I could do it.” Though John found that a bit shocking, he was not about to wake me and be the bearer of this news. In the process, John made Jarrett a little nervous about the length of time the bleach had been on and ended up causing Jarrett to remove it a little early. The next morning, Jarrett made a GRAND entrance at breakfast with hair color somewhere between potato chips and Cheetos. Jacob immediately began a tirade – “it’s ugly”, “why would you do that to your hair”, “do I have to sit on the same church pew as him” and “please don’t let anyone know we are related”. It was great. He expressed all the things I would have liked to say yet knew better. But it sure felt good to hear them being said. The color was anything but becoming. What about my Christmas pictures? Maybe I could go black and white. When my nail girl heard the story, she immediately said “So I bet his hair is orange!” To which I replied, “Pretty much.” She offered to fix the mess and we ended up with a natural looking blond color. Except for the dark brown eyebrows he could have easily passed for a blond. Never a dull moment! I’m not sure exactly whose genes that child ended up with – obviously some recessive ones.
Josh, my future President, is 14 years old, 8th grade, 5’7”tall and weighs 126 pounds. He will soon pass me in height and weight. He continues to be a dream pupil. The child loves to read and completes each weeks’ schoolwork with no prodding. He is in our gifted and talented program as most of his work is well above his grade level. Josh has many of my personality traits. He loves order, neatness and organization – a child after my own heart. The thorn in his side is sharing a room with our free spirit – a full-blood messy. Our similarities make life good as long as we are on the same page. Fortunately, we rarely clash because the boy understands the program and plays the game well. Keep Mom happy and life is good. Get Mom mad and life is miserable. He is smart enough to choose Plan A. Jarrett accuses him of “sucking up”. Josh responds, “Whatever works!” Josh is also developing his entrepreneurial skills. He baby-sits for our neighbors, works at the office for John and picks up other odd jobs as they come along. The boy knows how to save money and will someday be our millionaire. He still loves to play video games and plans to purchase an X-box 360 as soon as they are available.
My precious little Joel is still my hugger. He never runs low on hugs or kisses and generously distributes them to all. He is 12 years old, 6th grade, 5’1” tall and weighs 83 pounds dripping wet. He is still our peanut. Jacob has passed Joel in both height and weight. It is not uncommon for waiters to bring Joel a child’s cup and Jacob an adult cup. Fortunately, those things don’t faze Joel. Were he in the public school system, he would have already been diagnosed ADHD. The child couldn’t sit still if his life depended on it. Focusing is truly a challenge which makes completing schoolwork timely not always the easiest task for him. He is however gifted and works above his level on most subjects. His greatest challenge is speaking without thinking. Open mouth, insert foot is all too common. He still loves his stuffed animals and sleeps with about 20 in his cabin bed. Joel and Jacob are still the best of buds and rarely do you see one without the other. Mutt and Jeff are still inseparable. In fact, when Jacob was sick with a stomach bug and had to sleep on a pallet on the floor, Joel was right there with him. Joel’s Christmas wish was a dog. I have never been an animal person and a dog was the last thing on my list. As Christmas approached, this was all we heard about. He was so intent that he was willing to use it as the gift from us and his grandparents for both Christmas and his birthday. He regaled me with the stories of canine companionship – Lassie, Old Yeller, Sounder and Where the Red Fern Grows. How could I refuse a request like that? Joel got up every morning and searched the want ads looking for the perfect dog. One day he joyfully announced, “I found my dog!” He had already called the breeders, negotiated the price, investigated all pertinent information and was ready to go pick up his pup. I was not near as ready for a new addition to the household. All I could see was poop in the yard, stuff being chewed up, wet licks and vet bills. In spite of my apprehensions, off we went to see the litter and pick our dog. What a tough decision! We stood in the freezing cold looking at the nine six-week-old Labrador Retriever puppies trying to select the perfect one – black or yellow, small or large, active or sedate – so many choices. Small and calm were my two priorities. We ended up with a cute small docile yellow lab. He was precious even for a non-animal lover like me. We named him J. Riley. As a male in our family, it was imperative that his name start with a “J”. He was 4 pounds when we got him and five months later weighs 50 pounds. I prefer the 4 pound size; unfortunately, Labradors don’t stay small. We soon realized he was only small because of his calm demeanor. He obviously wouldn’t push his way through his 11 siblings to get his share of the food. Now that the competition has been reduced, he is getting quite large. He is just what I need – another large growing male to feed. The boys love him and he has even made a small place in my heart.
Jacob Daniel is still our moose – 10 years old, 4th grade, 5’3” tall and weighs 97 pounds. Though his size belies his age, his actions do not. We often must remind ourselves how young he really is. He is scared of everything and completely risk averse. He also hates to travel even to Wal-Mart. The rest of us absolutely love to travel so he struggles with this. He has a paranoia about every mode of travel. He doesn’t plan to fly because planes crash. He has no desire to cruise because the ship will sink. He made up his mind he wasn’t going to take the Metro in D.C. because the tunnel might cave in. At the water park in Orlando, John had to practically force him kicking and screaming down the first waterslide. Before we knew it, he was off on his own doing the scariest slide by himself. His fear of needles was highlighted when it came time for his flu shot. He heard that there was a nasal spray version available that did not involve a needle. Problem was $10 for the shot or $90 for the spray. We told him he would have to pay the difference. His solution, “You don’t have to give me anything for Christmas if you will just let me get the sniffy stuff.” Ultimately, he got the shot – twice. A home extraction of one of Jacob’s teeth provided us a possible entry for America’s Funniest Videos. The tooth was so loose, it was flapping in the breeze but Jacob could not bear to part with it. We ambushed him. I grabbed his torso, Josh grabbed his legs and Jarrett went for the tooth. All the while Jacob was screaming “you’re killing me” and “I’m dying”. The funniest part was Jarrett had the tooth out in 5 seconds but Jacob did not realize it. He continued fighting us off for several minutes after the tooth was pulled. As we discussed earlier, he is not into change at all. Routine is his middle name and spontaneity is nowhere to be found in his vocabulary. One of his truly outstanding character traits is diligence. The child understands the concept get schoolwork done and then playtime comes. He will bug you to death to help him get his schoolwork completed. He is loud, rambunctious, and definitely all boy. He hates pink. You cannot get an article of clothing on his body that has even a speck of any color that remotely resembles pink. He is excessively hot-natured and wears shorts year round. The boy is NEVER cold. The day it snowed here in Midland, Jacob played in the snow in shorts. I don’t even begin to understand that concept. I am cold 99% of the time, even when wearing four layers of clothing. He loves anything to do with Star Wars, guns, hot wheels, Lego, and video games.
Laynie Abigail continues to provide the feminine touch to our brood. She loves Barbie, Polly Pocket, Groovy Girl, American Doll, and just about anything frilly and pink. She is 7 years old, 2nd grade, 4’2” tall and weighs 49 pounds. Her favorite subject is reading which she does on a 6th grade level. She also spells at a 6th grade level which infuriates Jacob. Math, however, is another story. She is single-handedly proving that “all Orientals are proficient in math” is a myth. The girl cannot remember from one day to the next how to “carry” or “borrow”. And Roman numerals – well, they are Greek to her. Despite demonstrating intelligence in many areas, she often lacks any common sense. There are days when we all believe she should have been a blond. She has begun developing her domestic skills, which she enjoys. She does an awesome job folding clothes, but struggles to put them away correctly. Finding your clothes can be like an Easter egg hunt – it is not uncommon to find your clothes in other peoples drawers. She enjoys having other little girls around as her brothers aren’t really into her “girly stuff”. What a joy she is to our family!
As for our fearless leader, John stays busy trying to make a living around all my traveling and projects. We continue to build our business as we help people position their assets to make the most of the rest of their lives. We love working with couples and individuals to make the transition to another job or retirement as smooth as possible. It is so rewarding knowing that we are truly impacting the rest of their lives in a positive way. We think of our clients as our extended family and treasure each relationship. We continue to minister to couples in our congregation that need budget assistance. We also added premarital counseling to our ministry services. John continues to be quite the handyman. The cabinet he designed and built for my schoolroom is truly a masterpiece. It is both functional and beautiful. He has given up being an early morning person after all those years in the oil field. In fact, I practically have to drag him out of bed to get him to occasionally walk with me in the morning. Of course, the conditions have to be ideal – above 45 degrees, after 5:30 a.m. and less than 7 ½ miles. Goodness, couldn’t he be a little more flexible? He enjoys biking in the summer and doesn’t mind the evening walks near as much. I’ll let you judge how he is doing in the romance department. For our 21st wedding anniversary, he took me to dinner at Christine’s Cafe in Coahoma, TX with a client. He accidentally scheduled the meeting before realizing what day it was. Then he rationalized that it wasn’t a major anniversary like 25 so it would be okay. For the men reading this, ask your wives to explain his error. Oh well, I guess he can’t get things perfect all the time. I’m so blessed to have him as my husband and best friend. I do hope God allows us at least 40 more years together.
As for me, I am still a fitness fanatic. I run/walk at least 7 ½ miles a day during the week and 10-12 miles on the weekend. In the last month, my right knee has started giving me issues which is extremely irritating. I have started walking part of the distance which is fine until someone jogs by. Then the competitor in me wants to break into a run and leave them in my dust. Getting old is the pits. My days consist of schoolwork at multiple grade levels, lots of cooking, loads of laundry, never-ending errands, taxi service, managing the finances and assisting John in the business. Lately, I am spending more time practicing my favorite gifts – delegating and supervising – especially those tasks I detest. I love to be in charge, telling people what to do and how to do it. How convenient that God blessed me with so many subordinates. My precious little people have taken over some of the yard work, much of the laundry, most of the kitchen cleaning and all of the housework. It is great having lots of free labor. There truly are advantages to many children. I am trying to adjust to life with a canine. I’m still not used to everything being chewed up, dog hair on my clothes, accidentally stepping in pooh, my bushes being used as a bed, muddy paws, incessant digging, barking in the middle of the night, and that wet nose wiped on my freshly cleaned jeans – oh, the joy of owning a dog. I do not feed, water, or scoop poop but … I am slowly growing fonder of him. That is, until he touches my carpet, pees on my floor or pulls the used coffee filter and grounds out of the kitchen trash – for an outside dog, he sure makes his share of indoor messes. Did I mention he chews up patio furniture and wakes me up in the middle of the night? I can’t yet say, “I love having a dog!” Overall life is awesome – I’m living my dream. I have the privilege of schooling my children, having lunch with my husband daily and spending quality as well as quantity time with my precious little ones. Many things in this life can be bought at a price but time with my family is truly priceless.
We hope this finds you having a blessed year. As you can see, we love this adventure the Lord has blessed us with. We implore you to recognize each day for what it is, a wonderful gift from God. Know we think of you and pray for you throughout the year. We cherish you as our special friends and family.
posted by milam blogger | 5:03 PM
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