Adventures in Motorcycles

My motorcycle riding adventures lately have been quite a trip, pun definitely intended.  The last 3 times I had rode, I have had some kind of problem.  

3 x ago:  Dan rode me out of gas, told me the morning I left out for work.  I thought, no problem, if I run out, I'll put it on reserve and get to the gas station.  Well unfortunately when I ran out of gas, it wouldn't crank EVEN on reserve.  It's funny how fast your brain thinks in crisis.  As the bike went dead I was coming up on a coworker's house so I just pulled in the clutch and cruised off the road right up into her yard.  It was 6:00am and still dark at the time.  I was starting to worry Yvonne might come outside with a gun.  LOL.  Since Dan ran me out of gas I was happy to divert him from his route to work.  He came and jumped me off (turns out the battery was dead).  I got on my way.

2 x ago:  Going to Danslen's birthday party.  Bike in yard.  Dan is leaving in the van with kids in tow.  The dang bike won't crank.  Thankfully Dan has stopped to wait on me.  I get off the bike and holding back tears run for him..."My bike won't crank."  This was not such a pretty scenario as he got irritated with me and insinuated I didn't know how to crank a bike.  Well later he got out his volt meter and found the battery didn't have the correct amperage to do the crank.  I needed a new battery.  That scenario suited me fine because it gave us a chance to talk about attitude a bit....and for what it's worth my knight in shining armour has re-appeared over the last few weeks.  Love that boy 24/7 but I actually like him when he is sweet.  Haha.

1 x ago:  Rode my bike to work.  It has gas.  It cranks.  Ride in was wonderful.  I had Dan check my tires and everything that morning.  I am always just a little worried when I ride.  I wear all my safety gear and I look like a moto-racer in my suit.  (The gear doesn't do you ANY good if you don't wear it!)  So anyway, in the evening, I go to leave work.  I get on my bike, dressed out.  I ride 20 yards to a stop sign.  And I think, for NO reason, you know, I should do a "Safety Circle Walk."  That's what we do at work when we get in a vehicle.  I get off the bike, walk around it, and Lord have mercy I have a flat tire!!  I usually say a prayer each time I ride that I will arrive/return safely.  This time I didn't, but God was watching over me anyway.  Now by this point I'm just cracking up because I know I'm fixin' to have to make a phone call to my rescue team.  I had texted Dan 10 minutes prior and told him I was leaving.  I pull the bike back over under a tree, and decide to just get out my phone and text him a simple message:  "Houston."

Yes, he knows there is a problem.  

After finishing cracking up and finishing cracking jokes with the only coworker left on the property, my hubs arrives with an air compressor, airs up my tire, and rides it home safely for me.  An hour later it was flat again.  Today, new tires arrived. 

I love Dan Connell and I can always count on him to get me out of a tight spot!!  He's handy with the tools.  He learned most everything from his Dad, who is pretty wise too: "I'll teach him how to fix everything I can, then MAYBE some hot lil chick will come along and take him off my hands."  Great plan--it worked, for both of us!

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY!

This has been a wonderful Memorial Day weekend.  While I know that Memorial Day is a serious holiday, we still used the weekend to have some good times.  We went to Six Flags, had my nephews over, and had some friends over all in one weekend.  Welcome Summer!!! We love you!!

Good times on the hilltop! 

Saturday afternoon I had my nephews over and we got out the slide and had a grand ole time.  Daniley was wound UP...meaning very high profile company.  

4 kids just confirms I have so much more patience than Dan.  haha.

I owed Daniley and trip to Six Flags for quitting her fingernail biting, so Friday we took it.  The weather was cool and crowds were low.  We had an absolute BLAST!  I love spending time with my kids individually.  Maybe because I don't feel like a referee all day.  LeLe found out about the trip and made her way in....  There are only a very few things that crack me up more than hearing my mother absolutely CACKLE.  When we rode the logs she absolutely cackled and it was HILARIOUS.  And when we rode the mine train she laughed so hard she...well we better stop there.  And upon leaving I HAD to take her on the logs just one more time so I could cackle at her cackling.   HAHAHA!

Not sure how we woke up with such awesome hair:

It is absolutely not possible to love her more than I do!  AND she has awesome hair!

Do not turn your back on this one...  Do NOT.

When asked what I want for Mothers Day, the answer is nothing.

I have everything anyone could ask for, right here.

Happy Mothers Day to me, my mothers, my grandmothers, and all the other mothers.  :-)

A Tale of Two Parties

iJump280, Happy Birthday Molly Gray

According to Daniley "Jump Two Thousand Eight."  She loved it.  We had a much better experience this time than when we went several years ago.  Much less crowded!  I could feel my eyes well up as we sang Happy Birthday to Mollye Gray.  Even though she isn't my kid, I recognize our kids our growing up.  Big girls now.  It's still a little wierd.  I'm still feel like a kid myself.

 And just in case anyone was wondering WHY I'm so excited about starting kindergarten:  Check out this picture.  Do you see how much fun those kids are having?  I look forward to a house full of kids anytime they want to visit.  We'll have a lot of local friends to play with and I think it's going to be wonderful!

John Deere Party, Happy Birthday Brayden

Brayden had a John Deere Party for his third birthday and it was also a lot of fun.  Both girls went, but I only took pictures of Danslen because I couldn't keep up with Daniley too.  ;-)  We had a hay ride and it felt like a fall day.  I bet that is the only "cold" birthday party Brayden will ever get to have.

"I Drive Gator"

 "I Drive Lawn Mower."

 "I Drive Tractor."

  "Get off horse.  Put me down."  haha.

Danslen and cousin Bentley.  Could be twins.

Have you ever seen those weight limits on baby swings?  This is why.  Common sense tells you not to do this but some lessons are best learned first hand.  For a minute I thought we were gonna have to call the Fire Department.  LOL.

 

This weekend was wonderful!  I had 4 days!  I bit off some projects.  I have found myself doing many lately, and more maintenance type stuff.  Last year when we paid someone to lay pine straw, I watched them closely.  I didn't see a single thing they did that I couldn't do myself, with some minor modifications.  First, I turned my mini-van into a truck-and-trailer, by removing the two backseats, and cruising to Lowe's just three times for loads of pine straw.  Then, I had my husband use gravity to minimize my work by rolling each of the 90 bales down the hill as I caught them.  Then, I went to town spreading, shaking each of the 90 bales until my yard looked like this. 

I don't have a camera lens wide enough to capture the whole bit here, but I'll tell you, I'm AWESOME!  Cha-ching.  Saved $300.  Not a bad "payment" for a few hours work.  I think I surprised Dan with my abilities too.  He didn't spread a single bale!

My four year old said to me tonight, from the backseat:
"Mom, when I turn 17, and get my Driver's Licence, I want to get a CONVERTIBLE!!"
Oh my gosh, this has started WAY WAAAAAAY earlier than I had planned for.  Lord be with me!

Last weekend my precious Lil' Darlin' turned two!!!  The night before her birthday I just held on to her tight, knowing that was the last time I'd rock my one year old.

 

I love you so much Danslen Jane.  No matter how old you are, you'll always by my baby!

We were playing outside today when Daniley's motorcycle ran out of battery.  About half an hour later, she's gone for awhile.  I go downstairs to find this:

 She has pulled the motorcycle back outside (it's not light either), found a rope, tied the rope to it, and is proceeding to TOW her motorcycle with her bike.  The kid can tie a better knot than me.  I am amazed to see how she has put all this together.  So I inquire, "What is all this?" 

 "Mom, it's the 'Bike Pullin' 3000.' "  I swear on my life that is what she said.

 

Oops

 

She's 4.  I'm scared.

LOL

This last weekend I did something amazing:  I went to the beach--No kids.  No husband.  Just me and a girlfriend.  We stayed just 3 nights but it was the perfect amount of time to relax, miss the kids and hubs a little, and not have to put sunscreen on anybody but myself!!  I didn't have to fix sippy cups, wipe butts, kiss boo-boos, break up fights, or administer spankings.  How delightful.  ;-)  I should do this at least once a year!!
The weather was perfect, not hot, not cold, and all sun!  Of course it's too cold to swim, but if the kids aren't there that is not a problem.  I'm perfectly happy beached on the shoreline. 

Dan and the girls kept the house running.  To my surprise, everyone was still alive when I returned.  Dan sent me a picture of the girls playing in the rain.  I sure did miss them.  I love them, AND their Dad, soooooo very much.  I was glad to get back home to them Sunday.

This weekend is Danslen's 2nd birthday.  She's so precious.  I wish I could hit the freeze button on my life right now.  She is talking like crazy.  She actually talks better than Daniley did at that age.  (If you have ever heard Daniley you know she talks a LOT and she isn't intimidated by big words.)  Danslen fell down the other day and after she got happy she came to me and said, "I go hotzpital."  I thought that was pretty darn good reasoning for a 1-year old.  And I didn't even know she knew that word.  :-)
I've said this since Danslen was 2 weeks old--she is going to be the one to give me gray hair.  It's funny how you can tell so early.  She is a bit more sneaky than Daniley.  She is the one that will color the walls--she's already had her way with the couch and the carpet.  ;-)

Happy Easter Everybunny!!

Ha, what a cheesey phrase.  :-D
Today we went to church and spent the day with family.  It was a lovely Easter. Here are a few pictures.  I sewed their dresses.  I love having girls.  God really knew what he was doing when he gave me two of them.  I pray for really good son-in-laws....we might need some muscle around here when we are old.  :-D

 We tried an egg technique that I saw on Pinterest.  It was a flop.  However, I know a couple of things I may have done wrong.  So perhaps I'll give it a go next year.  The eggs were ugly but still tasty.  Can't wait for breakfast in the morning!

 

I am sad that I did not get a picture of all 3 girls together looking at the camera.

What an opportunity missed.  :-(