Something Great in my Few Weeks of Craziness!!

So it's been a while since I have had time to post anything! I have been trying to keep up with everyone so even if I don't comment to often I am there, reading! Pretty much the last few weeks have been full of death and not so fun times...I will catch everyone up maybe after the weekend. But one great thing happened to me and I am SO thrilled about it! One of my Hubby's and mines oldest friend and his wife are expecting a baby girl in August so he called a little over a week ago and asked if I would do their Maternity Photography for them! I was SO thrilled!! Not only was this my first Maternity session but his wife is cute as a button so how could it go wrong!! I was thrilled with the outcome and so were they! And I got the greatest compliment EVER when I showed my Hubby the first of the pictures, he said "WOW you really ARE good"!! LOL!! I have always felt and known that he likes my work but it was just so sweet to me for him to say so!

So here's some to share with you all!!





























Now the next greatest thing is they are going to give me the privilege of taking "baby girl's" newborn pictures!! And I got another booking with a friend of her's for her Maternity Shoot!!

If There Is A Bull Running Rampant....I Didn't Do It!

Somehow the Hubby always manages to get us into some different situations! Saturday was spent chasing a bull out of a herd of steers *no, no innocent cows were violated* that he wasn't supposed to be with! This bull belongs to a friend of ours who has recently sold off his herd and has this lone bull left. He turned this bull out on some acreage with a pasture horse but he wasn't happy in the presence of outsiders so he jumped ship to the next pasture!

SO the Hubby gets himself into this deal to go pick up this bull for our friend (while the friend is on vacation?!) and deliver it to a city about an hour away from us. So after a not to much trouble Sunday morning the Hubby and his brother get this bull loaded and we head to deliver it to it's temporary home. Now mind you I find out while on our way to deliver that the man who will be borrowing the bull is too on vacation...Again WTH?!?!

We find the property as it was described to us as "the farm in the middle of the city...The one with cows...Across from the High School"!! Oh yes that's right, we arrived to find this property that yes has some cows and yes is in the middle of the city...With not so good fencing! And across from one of the city high school's!! OH BROTHER!! I had a flash of the nightly news about a rampant bull ravaging the city LOL!!! But so far no news! So now news is good news...Right?!

He is on the hunt for the *girls*...


He picked one fairly quickly!





This poor girl was running for her life ;)


And there is the high school!

Does It Ever Really End?

I wish I was writing to say that I have had a fabulous weekend but I'm not...This has been the strangest most emotionally challenging weekends for me maybe ever. Most of you know that my dad passed away 5 years ago this coming October. I posted a memorial post for him on the 4 year anniversary of his death and told you all about him.

My brother and I a couple of years ago...

But what I did not tell you was about his wife...My mom and dad were married when I was born, but divorced when I was 1 year old. I lived with my mom until I was a teenager then I left and went to my dad's. My whole life my dad stayed single, his whole life revolved around myself and my brother. After I had J he met a woman and married her when I was 17. After they were married and she moved in we had some issues, she did not like the fact that dad was so close to us kids and me especially. So one night she had been drinking and got mad at me cause J (who was 1 1/2 at the time) was watching TV at 10 pm, big deal I said! So she proceeded to bust my door in then came after me trying to attack me. My dad quickly ran and dragged her out into the hall where she tried to reach around him to hit me and he held her back. Ultimately she kicked J and I out that night and we went and stayed with a friend. The next day I came back and the house was destroyed, my dad informed me that she would never come at me again as she has been warned. He was right she never did try again and she seemed to try hard to like me. I left home shortly after that as it was not good for us to be in the same house, for me it was my house and for her I was an intrusion.

I should mention that the house we lived in was paid for by my dad before he ever married her. But after being married to her and putting her through nursing school he mortgaged the house to pay for her student loans. After she graduated school my dad lost his job of 27 years over a mistake of taking off work to go help one of her kids that needed him and he did not clock out when he left. There was a transition going on in the company and no room for mistakes so he was terminated immediately. After that he had a rough time as that was all he had ever done and was devastated to be in that position. Things just got worse and worse to the point where his wife "C" wouldn't even give him money for anything...He was only allowed a gas card to get gas. He came to TX to see me a few times when we lived there and would come with no money as she wouldn't allow it and he would usually leave without even saying where he was going. This is why he had to tell me what was going on because he had no money for food or anything else. He was so ashamed and I was so heartbroken for the greatest guy on earth!

My daddy

So fast forward to his passing away, maybe someday I can share with you what happened to him. Actually I kind of think now I will never know. But after he passed away, about a month and half later his wife moved in his "best friend"!! Into my dad's house! This man was a chronic drug user and my dad always had a soft spot for him as they grew up together (that's why he was even in his life). But his wife C "felt sorry for Marty" and decided that she needed company anyhow...WHAT?! Pretty much shortly after that I wasn't speaking to her anymore. To be honest I was very bitter about the way she treated my dad after everything he had done to support her and now she was living in a house my dad paid for and with his best friend!!!!! I asked her numerous times to please let me have my dad's personal belongings such as photo albums from my child hood but she wouldn't respond. I sent her letter after letter, even certified and they were returned. She soon after that filed bankruptcy, with a debt of around $140,000 which was astounding considering the house was only mortgaged for $40,000 and she didn't get any new vehicles or anything! So after she filed I couldn't file a civil suit against her and I just left it alone.

I knew that in that house there were illegal things going on. There was covering over the garage door windows and I knew he was a drug user so I suspected she might have fallen into it as well. I have a family member across the street who would periodically tell us there were strange things going on over there and he tends to keep a watch out. So Saturday afternoon he called my granny's and spoke to my cousin who then called me to tell me that C had been arrested...They were told she was abusing prescription meds and drinking. So after many calls to the jail we finally found out she was being charged with Domestic Violence Battery and Domestic Violence Assault. So I messaged her daughter and asked what the heck was going on and she informed me that the relationship C had with Marty was out of control and he "beats her all the time" and well she tries to kick him out but he came back with his kid who is very badly behaved and she tried to get him to leave and he refused then something happened and she proceeded to chase the son around the yard and hit him on the back of the head. WOW, this did not surprise me as I have been that kid...However her daughter claimed that she was not taking the meds and drinking and found it very hard to believe her mom attacked that kid or me. I responded that I have a letter from her mom apologizing for that and that she felt like her actions ruined my dad's love for her. All of which she wrote me after his death. So needless to say last night I was MAD! I wanted vengeance on this woman and all of the hell she has caused for me and my brother and especially my dad! I of course did not say that to her daughter I just simply told her that what I said was true and I was glad she never harmed them.

So today (Sunday) early afternoon I get a message that says "well you will never have to worry about C again as she committed suicide last night"?! WHAT?!!! I was shocked! And saddened and angry that now I'll never get the truth about things. My heart breaks for her kids and grand kids, I'm at such a loss for words. After speaking with her son whom I have not spoken to in almost 5 years I learned that she knew the cops were coming to arrest her and so she proceeded to take a whole bottle of aspirin, he other son told the police but she lied and said it wasn't true so they sent her to the jail, she later complained of stomach pains and by the time they got the jail nurse down there she was asleep so they left her alone only to find out she died in her sleep. Again WOW...

Her son called me (which by way she told her kids that my brother and I were harassing her and breaking into the house stealing things...Only today did he finally think that just maybe she lied) because he says he believes that my brother and I should have everything of my dad's that we have been asking for and he also believes the house should go back to us. I told him I have a hard time taking his word as I have been waiting 5 years just to have simple pictures that we now know had been thrown away. Her son confirmed to us tonight that C had in fact been on numerous different drugs including crystal meth, crack, cocaine, heroine and something else...I am not good with drug names..Her daughter also messaged me again today and said "she lied to me last night when she said her mom was clean because she was trying to defend her but she had in fact found out last night that she was on meth". So I guess I am going to be hiring an attorney over the house thing. I'm thinking if she has this huge debt I won't be able to take the house but I'm not sure at this point where all of that stands. I am under the impression she had not been working either. I was informed tonight that the house is FULL of drug paraphernalia; needles, broken needles, syringes, spoons, coffee cans full of needles and such etc etc etc...Her son said he actually had to leave the house as it was about to make him throw up it is so bad. I am really upset by this, my dad took such care of his house and now I hear the whole thing is trashed!

Please pray for me...

Seriously....Man-Child Amoung Us!

Sometimes I wonder if my Hubby will ever reach an age that he doesn't feel the need to act like a complete and udder child!! The 4th of July is probably his favorite time of year! I mean I'd like to tell ya it's because we have this great party and he loves the company but I think he'd be just as happy all alone playing with the fireworks! ~Said people for the party are the perks!

So needless to say I am not the least bit surprised when he comes home from work Friday afternoon with this....



Then of course we spent the night of the 4th shooting these amazing fireworks off! I'll share those pretties later! But we battled some pretty horrific rain storms this weekend so the rain spent us packing late Sunday night leaving a box of fireworks left for Hubby to play with later!

And this is how we play...



Did I mention that the torch is his Best Friend!


So we start off small...Just putting them in ant holes!





BOOM!!


AGAIN!...Again!











If the look on my nephew Lil Cowboy's face doesn't say it all here?!











HA HA HA! He loving this!


Now we move up to big toys!


They aren't a bit frightened are they?!











I am thankful to report that no injury's were endured during this *playtime*!!

Really...Does It EVER End?!

It seems like lately things just can't go right for J...This kid has had a tough time when it comes to vehicles!! When he first started driving 2 years ago with his farm permit we had a 1980 GMC pickup for him but before he started his Sophomore year we decided he would get to start driving himself to school as he always has crazy practice schedules with his sports! So we sold the GMC because it needed a bit of work, nothing serious but like the blinkers didn't work so it needed a new steering column and the Hubby just thought it wasn't dependable as it was so old! So we bought him a 1994 Suburban, I know...a bit big for a kid BUT I want SAFETY for my kiddos when they are out there on these country roads!! The "Burb" had a bad engine when we bought it so the Hubby replaced it with an engine he bought from some guy he knows that owns an auto shop.



So J drove the "Burb" most of the school year then randomly one day it broke down...Lost all oil pressure and spun a bearing :( So the engine was toast! So then the Hubby decided he didn't want to mess with putting another engine in it, nor did he have the time so he bought J this 1989 Chevy.



I know we went backwards a few years but the Hubby insisted! To be completely honest I was against buying this truck as it would have been cheaper to just put an engine in the "Burb". BUT you know how Hubby's can be! He was very adamant that this was a good idea because this truck had been completely rebuilt by a friend of his about 2 years ago. It had a super solid engine and hadn't been driven much since it was built because the guy had bought himself a different truck. So of course he bought it and I won't even go on to tell you how many things we've had to replace on this truck. BUT not engine things, like brakes, axles, exhaust...Hubby says "well this stuff is all acceptable because I knew it hadn't been done"...WHAT?! Oh my goodness!! So a little over a week ago J and the Hubby replaced the compressor for the AC and the next day J calls while he was on his way to weights and says the truck is acting funny! So Hubby asks if all of the gauges are showing normal and J says yes they are, so they decided it must be something tied into the AC. Well they were wrong...J calls soon after and says "I'm broke down on the side of the road" AGHH!!!! So we rush to get there and lo and behold there is oil and antifreeze/water all over the ground! YEP threw a rod through the block. Engine D.E.A.D~!!! I was so stinkin furious! We paid a bit of money for this truck and now we have to buy a new engine! I just wanted to cry! Just to clarify, J is a very good driver he is not "hot rodding" or anything like that. We have had comments made that he must cause this, well both instances there was nothing one could have done to prevent it!

So for now he has to drive our business service van while we get the engine done. So it's been kind of an ongoing joke that J might call anytime and say that the engines toast.. Probably not a good joke because the call this morning to the Hubby before 6 am was "umm dad I just hit a deer"!! REALLY?! WHY OH WHY?! Thank GOD he was not hurt in anyway shape or form and I am so proud of him because he did not swerve! We have always taught him to just hit *whatever* if it jumps out in front of you because you are likely to lose control and roll if you slam on the brakes and swerve! It was shortly before 6 am, he was headed to weights driving down our dirt road about 2 miles from the house. The van is not terrible but it will need a new fender and grill. He currently cannot open the passenger door because of the fender damage.




Sorry but the birds had already stolen the doe's eyes and tongue!



Hair in the wheel were it hit!



Hubby getting it off the road before someone hits it



PLEASE OH PLEASE can we have a break soon!!