MY PLATE IS FULL!!!

I have so much to do I just want to scream!  :) 

I have a whole house to clean before Easter Sunday.  We are having guests for dinner.

I have an Easter Maze to create in the front yard.  Before I do that I have to make sure the front yard has been beautified and the Easter stuff has been pulled down from the attic.  All the garden art needs to be pulled from their artistic spots and assembled in the front yard to be integrated into the maze.

I have to finish all of my accounting spreadsheets to finalize the taxes so that we can get our CPA to finish the returns and we can get money$$$$$$$$$

I have the renaissance costume to finish - I cut out the peasant blouse last night and started cutting out the underskirt and the outskirt pieces - trying to keep the pattern pieces away from the new puppy, Juels (australian sheppard).

I have some more planting to do.  I have lots of bulbs that I have dried that need to be put back in the soil and I need to replace some of the plants for the service garden because the naughty squirl family came out in the evening and ate the leaves off the cucumber plants!!! AHAHAAHAHAH!!!!!

I have tons of laundry to do and not enough detergent - oh I guess I need to go shopping this weekend too!

If I sit here long enough I can think of more things that need to happen!  Oh My Goodness!!!  What to do!!!! :)

I think I will take a vacation.  I am exhausted.

SPARTAN RELAY INVITATIONAL

Evan, as you know, is in high school.  He participated in Cross Country in the Fall and is currently participating in Track.

He has improved his times by seconds each time he competes.  Last week at the track meet hosted by Oxnard High School, Evan came in 3rd place in the JV 100 hurdles.  His times have been really good with the 300 hurdles and the sprints he has been participating in.

Evan has been invited to participate in the Spartan Relay Invitational this Saturday, hosted by his High School, Rio Mesa.  I am really proud of him and the effort he puts into improving himself.

It is really nice to see that he is enjoying his High School experience and is doing well in his extra curricular activities.  He is also starting to fill out a bit.  Along with the muscles in his legs he has developed some pretty narly biceps.  He shovels the horse poop into the wheelbarrow and then carts it off to the garden and the planters for spredding... :)  Because the stalls and the coral need to be cleaned frequently, Evan is frequently out their doing the dirty work with his dad.  Before long Evan is going to turn into a man.  It is a little unnerving.  I never imagined my children growing up and they are right before my eyes.

I LOVE SOLVANG

This weekend we went to Solvang and did a little shopping at my favorite stores.

Shelley & Bill Berman and Family run a little restaurant and all the proceeds are donated to the Shriners.  Their restaurant is located in the Hans Christian Anderson Square.  In addition, they have a gift shop; a clothes shops; a separate sports wear shop; a dress shop and a bulk fabric shop.  Everything is donated by their daughter who is a designer and her clothes are found at top department stores.  All the proceeds at these little shops are also donated to the Shriners.  I love that the fabric is .99 cents a yard and most of it is really nice and much of it can be used for the costumes I make my family.

We spent $42.00 at the shops and purchased the following:

Two dresses for me ($15.00)
one top for me ($5.00)
two dresses for Aislyn ($15.00)
one belt for Asilyn ($1.00)
one top for Aislyn ($1.00)
one skirt for Aislyn ($1.00)
one top for Allisa ($1.00)
one skirt for Allisa ($1.00)
one mug for Evan ($2.00)

When we have gone on our cruises I was able to find some modest; affordable evening dresses for the formal dinners on the cruise ships.

We at at their restaurant and we spent $32.00 for six people:

3 egg salad sandwiches
1 grilled cheese sandwich
2 double cheese burgers
6 curlie fries
2 dr peppers
2 root beers
2 pink lemonaides

Such a deal!  :)

The family also owns and runs Shelby Ranch.  The husband used to appear in the old westerns with Ronald Reagan; John Wayne and Roy Rogers (just to name a few).

I also get my essential oils at one of the shops in Solvang and I get them at a really low cost. 

Any way, when family comes to visit I try to get them to go to Solvang with me so that I can show them the nifty little shops that I have discovered there. 

RENAISSANCE BANQUET

At Mesa Union the seventh graders have a Renaissance Banquet in the Spring.  This year it is April 30th.

Last month I had pulled out my fabric (lots and lots of colors everywhere) and I spent about an hour looking at patterns.  I had decided to work on a Renaissance costume; thinking that I would make it for a future time.

I have completed the first piece of the costume.  It took me seven hours to complete it.  I had decided that I would just set it aside for another day when I had more time to complete the other 5 pieces of this costume.

Last night Aislyn starts handing me papers from school and the very first piece of paper was the flier for the Renaissance Banquet.  I said:  "I thought the Renaissance Banquet was for 8th graders."  Aislyn says:  "Nope," grinning from ear to ear.  She looks over at the bodice that was already complete.  "I guess I know what I am working on this week," smiling back at her.

I still have the peasant blouse; the under skirt; the over skirt and the head piece to cut out and sew.  It is about another 20 hours worth of work.

The fabric I have chosen is light weight and colorful.  It looks rich without the uncomfortable weight of most renaissance costumes.  Both Aislyn and I will be able to wear it.  I am losing weight and Aislyn is taller than me.  It will fall differently on us, but it will still look nice.

When I completed the bodice Victor was impressed:  "Wow! That is really nice.  I think that is the best work you have done."  I was pleased, mostly because I thought the same thing.

I think my life just got really busy.

FOUR HOURS LATER

There were six of us who worked the garden plot Saturday morning.

Victor, Vincent, Alex, Evan, Aislyn, Allisa and I spent 4 hours in the garden area removing weeds; relocating rocks and pavers; turning the horse maneur into the soil with the rototiller; and raking the dirt clumps to pieces.

The garden area looks much better.  There is only one small area that needs attention from the rototiller and Victor will be putting up the fence over the next couple days.

Besides the almost ready for planting garden area, Victor and I have the added bonus of very sore muscles and joints (remedies by some very strong pain killers) and I thought I would do some sun bathing while weeding and I have a nice little sunburn.

Victor and I are no longer in our 20's and we have found that this labor intensive work does not agree with us like it used to.  Sadly, we were so beat that we called out sick from church and we spent the bulk of Sunday laying around and we didn't even cook dinner.

WEEKEND PLANS

It is cleary spring in California and the weather has been gorgeous here.

Tomorrow is officially the first day of SPRING.

The Gonzales family will be rising with the morning sun to begin the garden plot preparation.  One area will be the family garden and another area will be the Activity Day Girl's Service Garden.

The Activity Day Girls are really excited.  They will be able to plant vegetables that they like (learning how to tend a garden) and they will harvest the produce and offer it to the Bishop for distribution to the needy in our ward.  There are quite a few families that are in need.  This will be a great experience for the girls.

So, to gear up for tomorrow we will clean the house (normally done on Saturdays) this evening and eat a lite dinner.  We might watch a movie tonite.

Tomorrow morning we will have a lite breakfast and have lots of cold beverages in the refrigerator waiting for us when we become thirsty. 

Brother Martin is coming to help us with the hard stuff (since no one from our ward has been contacted by the Elder's quorum to help with this project - even after multiple requests).

I suspect Saturday evening will be one of exhaustion and all will retire early.  I will let you know how it goes.

Wish us luck!

DAYLIGHT SAVINGS

JUST A REMINDER…….

DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME STARTS ON

SUNDAY, MARCH 14TH 2010.

PLEASE REMEMBER TO MOVE YOUR

CLOCKS FORWARD BY ONE HOUR THIS

WEEKEND!!!

LIFE RUNNING SMOOTHLY

Things seem to be running smoothly at the Gonzales household. 

No major catastrophies; no new injuries; a few sniffles and coughs (mostly allegies).  Things are good.

Victor is healthy and still slim (I think he has lost a few more pounds). 

Vincent is working for his Uncle's tree trimming business and finishing up high school.  We hope to have him graduated by the end of the year.

Evan is having a good experience in high school.  He participated in Cross Country during the fall sports season and is now participating in Track.  He has his second track meet today and is competing in 4 events:

100 hurdles
300 hurdles
100 sprint
300 sprint

His legs are still skinny but they don't look like 2X4's any more.  They actually have some muscle tone.

Aislyn is recovering nicely.  She sees the orthopedic surgeon next Wednesday to make sure that she is healing properly.  No surgery on the horizon.

Allisa is excelling in school.  She particpated in the Academic Olympics at school and came in 1st place in Math in her class.  She earned a 2nd place in art at the class level.  She also placed 1st - school wide - in Geography.  She moved onto the Academic Olympics - City competition - we have not heard the results.  She feels that she did poorly.  But that's okay.  She did really well at the school level.

I'm working; trying to lose weight and trying to keep my house in order.  Some days I am fairly successful.  Other days I do nothing.  That's okay too.  I try not to get bothered by the messes and unfinished projects and chores.

I hope all is well with you.

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BRO KEN

Saturday evening the Primary had their quarterly activity.  The activity girls and I were responsible for the relay games in the Cultural Hall.

I only have one primary age child; yet my two other children came because they enjoy the activities.  So, Evan, Aislyn and Allisa came with me to the church.

The quarterly activity began in the primary room and after 40 minutes it was off to the Cultural Hall for the games.  We did some jump roping and then we organized teams for relay races.

The first race was the "Bear Crawl".  If you don't know what that is; it's when you walk on all fours (palms on the ground - almost like doing toe touches).  Aislyn and Evan participated in these races.

After Aislyn finished her part of the relay I noticed that she was standing in the corner and she looked a little distressed.  She didn't say anything so naturally I thought everything was okay.  We proceeded to complete two more relay races and at the end of the last one, Aislyn's friend Bianca comes running up to me and says:  "Sister Gonzales, Ailyn thinks she broke her thumb."  I looked over at Aislyn and I could tell that something was wrong.  Her eyes were red and her skin had turned very pale.

I ushered the kids back into the Primary room and then went to get Aislyn.  She had disappeared.  It took me about 5 minutes to locate her.  I found her in the kitchen with Sister Beck who was putting ice on Aislyn's hand.  I asked to see her hand and Aislyn showed me her thumb and then she burst into tears.  I could tell immediately that her thumb was broken.

I called Victor and said:  "You need to come get Aislyn and take her to the emergency room."  He asks:  "Why?"

"She broke her thumb."

"She What?"

"She broke her thumb!  I can't leave because the other kids are here..."

"She What?"

"She broke her thumb!!!  You need to come get her now!"

"oh..."

It seemed like an eternity before Victor showed up.  He seemed reluctant to take her.  He says to Aislyn:  "Let me see you thumb."  She removes the ice.  "Can you move your thumb?"  She moves it and she begins to cry.  "oh..."

I gave Victor the insurance card.  He asks me which hospital and I told him to take her to Ventura.  He leaves with Aislyn.

I gather the rest of the kids and go home.  At which point I wished that I had gone.  I sat in the living room waiting to hear from Victor.  He doesn't call.  At about 8:30 I decided to call him.  There was a child screaming in the back ground and I couldn't understand anything he said.  He told me that they were almost done and that he would talk to me later.

He called me a little after 9:00 p.m.  "Aislyn broke her thumb.  She is lucky that she didn't tear any ligaments.  She still has to see an orthopedic surgeon.  She has a splint and her arm is in a sling."

Aislyn's appointment with the orthopedic surgeon is tomorrow.  I am a little nervous for Aislyn.  She seems to be doing fine.  She is in pain, but handles it well.  This is her very first broken bone and very first visit to the emergency room.  She was concerned about showers and doing her homework.  After three days with a broken bone, she has figured a few things out on her own and is able to accomplish the things that are required of her.

She is a very strong individual.  I am proud of her.