The Make-Up Lady

Would you ever in a million years think I’d have anything to do with selling make up??? Nope. Me either! An acquaintance owns a Merle Norman store. One day earlier in the year, she asked if I would work for her occasionally. I said yes and have been filling in for her since spring. Most months, I only work 2-3 days. I didn’t work any in July. September has been a different story. Her dad has been ill for a while and was finally admitted to hospice. He passed away on the 17th. She had a lot going on with that so last week I put in 36 hours! It’s a really easy job until someone wants to try a new color. I don’t feel completely qualified to help with that, but I just do my best. The biggest drawback to the job is that I run the store all by myself. If no customers come in, I am BORED. I bring books, listen to audio books and watch Netflix on my phone when I have a strong enough signal. Sometimes I talk to my brother on the phone. Thankfully he has a job that’s slow sometimes too!

 

When I started working there I only used cheap brands that I could find at any drugstore, namely Wal-Mart. Patty gives me a pretty good discount, so I began to buy some of what I’m selling. I’m using a lot of their products now and am enjoying it. Unfortunately, I don’t think I can afford the stuff if I no longer get the discount! Last month, my check was for $93 and I had $113 in product. That’s $113 of discounted product! Ha! I try not to buy unless I know I’ll at least break even for the day. I hate the thought of going in the hole… <grin>

 

Here’s a picture of me on the job. The store also sells wigs, a bit of jewelry, handbags and candles.

 

 

Here’s a shot of the store from the front door. The décor is a bit dated and I’m not really a purple person. The owner is a purple person through and through!! Even the carpet is a shade of purple…

Homecoming 2012

Homecoming night went pretty much according to plan. Hadley and friends came over for supper before the game. (David saved the day by taking off early to fix it! This working girl had to work until 6!) After the game, they came back here and made dessert and spent the night. When Alli finished with her date, she came over to join the other girls. We fixed Texas-shaped waffles with fruit and whipped cream for breakfast. What else would we serve? Ha! Lance and his friends decided to watch a movie instead of go to the game—where’s their school spirit?? ;), then spent the night at another home. Everyone seemed to have a great time!

 

The game was incredibly crowded! We left the house a few minutes late and really paid for it. This is also Fair Week, so the stadium was right in the middle of Friday night at the Fair! (WHY do they ever plan a big football game on Fair Week????!!) Traffic was heavy and parking limited. We had to park in the adjacent neighborhood and walk a long ways to the stadium. Then, we were lucky to find a seat!

 

The queen was announced at half-time. Alli didn’t win, but she looked beautiful in her gown! We cheered for her and were so proud! The new football coach’s daughter won. I’m sure she deserved it, but we were rooting for Alli, of course! The team did well and beat a highly ranked school.

 

Here’s our view from the nosebleeds!

Doin’ a little backtracking

First day of school 2012

Hadley is a SENIOR. Lance is a SOPHOMORE.

Notice the cowboy boots on Lance? That’s new this year. It goes with his truck. :)

Hadley’s Last High School Homecoming!

<Sniff> Can you believe it’s here?? This is the first of many lasts this year! Homecoming seemed to come earlier this year, but I think I’m just not quite ready for the rush of activities we are about to experience. So much is going on already. She’s got 7 dual credit college hours, as well as several AP classes. The one place she’s taking it easy is math and she loves the slower pace of a non-AP class! She comes home surprised at times with how much less is expected. I think it’s great—senior year is for fun, too!!

 

Hadley doesn’t have a date this year. Most of her closest friends are also dateless, so they will go together. I’m sure they’ll all have a great time—with or without a date! Several of them are coming over to our house for dinner, to the game, then back to our house to spend the night. We are making one of her favorites---garlic chicken farfalle. We’ll have brownies for desert and maybe even s’mores on our little fire pit. Lance is supposed to be hanging with friends at the game, then headed to one of their houses to spend the night. It should be a great night!

 

The homecoming parade was tonight. I love how the neighborhood comes out for it. People of all ages are there to cheer the floats on. One thing I noticed this year is that we didn’t have a Veteran’s Float. I always enjoy that one so I’m sad it wasn’t included. Hadley rode the student council float which came at the very end. The overall theme of the parade was super heroes. Hadley’s group was Captain America. She sat next to one of her new friends, Tasha, who will be joining us tomorrow night.

 

 

 

 

One of her best friends, Alli, is a homecoming queen nominee. She got to ride in a cool car driven by her smiling dad. We’ll find out tomorrow night if she won!! Go Alli!!

 

 

Here’s good ol’ David Ballard! Alli, David and Hadley have been good friends since the first grade. Love that kid! He was on the swim team float and rode at the top. He never looked at me, so this was the best shot I got. Apparently there’s a little rift between Alli, Hadley and David right now. It seems he didn’t ask the right girl to homecoming. Ha!

And he’s legal!!

On September 11, Lance had to go to the hospital for a few tests. After we finished, we headed over to the DPS office for Lance to take his driving test. The offices were eerily quiet and our wait time was short. I asked the clerk if it was because it was the anniversary of the attack. She didn’t seem to think so any more—said in the earlier years right after it happened it did make a difference. This time, she thought we just got lucky.

 

Lance, however, can’t seem to catch a break. Instead of one examiner riding along, he got TWO. The examiner was being evaluated but I’m sure Lance felt all eyes on him! He managed to pass---just by the skin of his teeth! But he did pass. He was so relieved and excited and has enjoyed driving himself places all week long. I can hardly believe all my children can drive themselves. I’m almost completely obsolete now. Ha!

 

 

Waiting for the test to begin…

 

Here we go!

 

He did it!!

Say do you rememba…. Septemba??

What a gorgeous September day!!! We’ve had some rain—thank the LORD!!!!—and some grey, cloudy days this week. The rain was much needed, but oh how I love crisp, beautiful fall days like today! The sky is blue. There is only a light breeze and the air is crisp. *Love* it!!

 

David and I ran the Share the Road 5k this morning. The bed almost won. Running 3 miles didn’t sound like near as much fun as staying in the warm, cozy bed. BUT, at 7:30 we finally dragged ourselves up and raced around to be at the run that started at 8!! Yep. We got up, got dressed, got out the door and over to Amarillo College just in time. So really, our race started at 7:30. Ha! While it wasn’t ideal, it worked and we had a good time. Tango’s Tacos provided yummy breakfast burritos after and we enjoyed visiting and basking in the glow of our accomplishment. This was David’s first time to run in about 8 weeks. His torn IT band hasn’t healed as quickly as we thought and today he decided to go for it anyway. He had twinges of pain but we hope it’s more of a soreness than unhealed injury. Of course, he paced me—the one who has been running 4 times a week over the last 8 weeks. How can he do that?? Our time was pretty good---31:40. I’m happy any time I get under 32!! Maybe one of these days I can break 30……

 

New Truck!

So it seems that sometimes, money CAN buy happiness!! That look right there is the look of pure joy! And that look is PRICELESS!

 

 

 

A recent hard drive crash made me realize just how important this blog is… When I think of all I lost---although I haven’t given up hope on it all just yet!—I am reminded that a lot of great memories are right here on the ol’ neglected blog. If I’d kept it up the last year or so, many of the important moments would have been preserved, regardless of my hit-or-miss backups! I hope this reminder will be enough to motivate me to keep it updated!!

 

Today seemed like a great day to start up again. It has been a momentous day!! We bought Lance’s first car today. A 2004 F-150 super crew. It’s really nice, nicer than either car David or I drive. But isn’t that the way of a parent? Anyway, it’s got very high mileage but has been well maintained. We are crossing our fingers that it remains reliable for a good while longer. It belonged to a local preacher who was thrilled that his prized truck was going to Lance. Lance hopes to get his license next week, provided he completes the remaining portions of his driver’s ed. Until then, he will drive it with pride with one of us along.

 

We completed the purchase this morning, finishing just before lunch. David and I drove to AHS and picked Lance up and headed to Chick-Fil-A. He beamed the whole time! He’s been looking for a truck for most of the summer. He has decided that he wants to pay for his truck himself, something his older brother and sister had no interest in doing. We are so proud of his independence and determination. He has saved some money and has budgeted his payments and spending cash for the next little while. If he can do even half of what he’s shooting for, he will do great! What an amazing kid!

What? A Post?

Sometimes, you just need to step back and take a break. A very long break. That’s what we’ll call this little hiatus. I simply haven’t been in the mood to post! I took pictures of lots of things with the intention to share, but just never felt like posting. I’m sorry for that! I may try to catch you up on some of that… we’ll see how it goes!

 

For now, I’ll share our Saturday morning with you! Last Saturday morning, David, Lance and Hadley participated in the Chase Tower Run. It was to benefit a scholarship fund. The race began on the 6th street entrance to the Chase Tower parking lot garage. They ran up the ramps to the fifth floor of the garage where they entered the stairwell and ran the remaining 26 floors to the Amarillo Club. Sounds tough, right? I think it was! But they ran it SO fast! David isn’t sure of his time---he knows it was under 10 and likely under 9 minutes. Hadley ran in about 8:30, and Lance ran it in 7:30. (Official times haven’t been posted yet) Hadley got 2nd in her age group. Lance got 3rd in his. The overall winner was also in Lance’s grouping---finishing in under 6 minutes. Unbelievably fast! I decided not to do this one, so I was the cheerleader for the day. After everyone finished, we enjoyed a nice brunch buffet at the Amarillo Club. We shared a table with a couple we just met that day. Bob and ? Johansen. They were very sweet~Bob even ran up to capture photos as Lance and Hadley received their awards. :) The restaurant is kind of fancy, so when Lance found this t-shirt with a fake gentleman’s robe and ascot, he snatched it up for the race. It was a really nice morning!

 

Virtual Drive

Just registered kid #3 for Driver’s Ed. AAAACK! Seriously?

It’s Back!

And looking better than ever! We picked it up on Wednesday and are thoroughly impressed with the body shop we used. I know problems don’t always show themselves right away, but for now—it’s perfect! It honestly looks brand new. The people were friendly, helpful and had the car was ready when they promised.  They detailed it, inside and out and gave Tyler a t-shirt so he can advertise for them.

 

We’re all glad to have our own cars again—sharing wasn’t always the most convenient. Spoiled, aren’t we?? Anyway, I *hope* we won’t have to use a body shop anytime soon, but if we do, we know where to go. (Moss Body Shop, for the locals.)

 

It was an expensive fix—about $6200. SO glad we have insurance! The guy at the shop told us that he had just gotten the car that Tyler hit. It was completely driveable so they weren’t in a big hurry. Plus, he said he orders Kia parts before ever beginning a Kia job. Hopefully they will be as happy with the work as we were.

Pinterest Mania

I’ve been playing with it for a while and have decided it’s the best thing since Facebook! :) Pinterest is basically an online bulletin board. When you see an image or idea you like, you “pin it” to one of your boards. My boards include Do-It-Yourself Ideas, Clothing, Food, Entertaining, For the Home, etc. Most of the time I just look on Pinterest and pin stuff other people have already pinned. Occasionally, I’ll find something while I’m browsing other sites and pin an image from there. Then, when I want to try that project or recipe, etc., I can click on the pin from my own boards. That takes me to the original site that lists the recipe or instructions. *Love* it! I’ve found so many great ideas since I’ve been pinning… Last weekend, I made “crack dip”, a recipe I found on pinterest. It was yummy! Ask Jim!  I found a few decorating ideas for my recent Bunko nights, too. It’s a gold mine, I tell ya! ;)

You can choose to follow other people who might have similar tastes. I follow a lot of my facebook friends who also have pinterest. I also follow a few people I don’t know—I just saw that they had some boards filled with stuff I liked and followed them, too.

Right now, Pinterest is by invitation only. I have 6 invitations left. If you want one so you can give it a try, let me know! I just need the email address you want to use for Pinterest.  Happy Pinning!

Fig-Prosciutto with Arugula??

Yep. We tried Pioneer Woman’s Fig-Prosciutto with Arugula pizza over the weekend. I was a little unsure about the fig—in fact, I bought a cherry spread for back up! But the fig turned out to be pretty good, actually. Definitely not your regular pizza, so you had to prepare your mouth for that. The sweetness of the fig countered the salty taste of the prosciutto and was a nice combination. Hadley thought it was ok. Lance wasn’t adventurous enough to try it. I know that shocks you all as much as it does me! :) David enjoyed it, too. My bread machine makes enough dough for two pizzas, so our second pizza was a bit more normal. We used a recipe that called for caramelized onions, prosciutto, and mozzarella. Lance really enjoyed that one! Here’s a shot I took of the fig pizza. It’s so much fun to try new things!

While shopping for the ingredients, we had to ask the produce guys to help us find arugula. The Wal-Mart worker did NOT HAVE A CLUE what arugula was. The United worker didn’t either, but had a handy little book that told him where to look. Ha!

Bunko time. Again.

Sorta regretting it now, but I signed up to have bunko again in September. There were only a couple of choices left on the calendar, and I decided to just gut it out and do it right away. I’m not going all out this time, but still plan on some fun. The theme is Rosie the Riveter— I'm using red and white polka dotted table runners, glass-bottled soft drinks in a big galvanized tub, etc. The food will be pulled-pork sandwiches and potato salad. For dessert, a variation on Better than Sex cake. I’m also looking at a spinach artichoke dip and crackers for appetizers.

**So I scheduled this post before I really finished it... Totally forgot about it, so you got the unfinished version. Ha! 

Rock The Desert

A couple of weekends ago, I took Hadley and Alli to Midland for Rock the Desert. It’s a 3 day Christian concert and is held outdoors. We couldn’t go to the first day because of school registration but made it to the other two days. There were some amazing bands there—Superchick, SwitchFoot, Skillet!, Revive, David Crowder Band, The Afters, DecemberRadio, Stars Go Dim, ShonLock, Remedy Drive and a few others. It was great to hear them perform all the songs I listen to everyday… One thing that kept dawning on me while we listened—I lose the meaning of the songs at times because I’m wrapped up in whatever I’m doing-traffic, kids in the car, my to-do list, whatever. There, the bands often told the stories behind the songs. The lyrics were so much more powerful when I actually listened.

Skillet was my favorite. They put on an incredible show—lights, smoke, flames, sparks, spinning platforms—and they were rocking the place! I really enjoyed their show and will see them again, given the chance.  Revive was one of the bands I was really looking forward to seeing. What I did not realize was that RTD was their last performance together as a band. :( So, I bought a CD and got their autographs, along with a bunch of 13-year-old girls. Ha!

RTD had two stages set up—one was covered and called the teen tent. It was a much smaller venue. And cooler! Some of the bands played on both stages, so we got to experience that if we wanted. The teen tent was a more intimate setting, which I really liked. The larger stage was more like a regular concert—not as intimate and much louder. Also fun!

The forecast for all three days was a high of 106*. I never saw the actual temps, but I'm certain it was close. It was SO hot. SO. HOT. We took a beach umbrella for shade and there was usually a breeze. That helped, but unfortunately a breeze in Midland also means blowing dirt. We saw several dirt devils and were covered in dust by the end of each day. (Really glad I didn't take my good camera!)

Alli met a boy from Midland at her church camp earlier in the summer. Of course, she wanted to see him while we were there. His car was in the shop, so we picked him up and took him along with us both days. He was super nice—I was glad to get to know him. His dad is a pastor at Trinity Presbyterian there in Midland. Jon is a senior and is quite smitten with Alli. ♥

I think I earned some definite mom points for this trip… don’t you?

Are you tired of camp pictures yet?

Tubing with friends from home—Alyssa and Ashley, old soccer mates.

 

David and Lance wanted in on the fun, too!

 

This little waterfall did some major damage to Lance’s tiny hiney. There were rocks just under the surface. One trip down and he was DONE.

 

 

All the little fish that swallowed the hook became our dinner one night. And they were quite tasty!

And more…

The campground was alive with the sound of hummingbirds. As soon as we set up camp, we went to the little grocery store to buy a new feeder. Sure enough, they came!

 

 

Lance became quite good at cleaning fish.

 

 

We had this sign made by a cute little old man the last time we were at Fun Valley. *Loved* getting to use it! Before you tell me how corny it is, you have to know it’s totally “in” to have one of these at camp. All the cool kids do!

 

 

Riding bikes around is always fun.

 

 

The famous train. On one of our trips years ago, Hadley hopped on to ride without letting us know. She promptly fell asleep and continued to ride it around the campground. In the meanwhile, we were frantically looking for her! Ay yi yi. Glad that didn’t happen this time. ;)

More campin’

As you’ll see, David and the kids did a LOT of fishing! And a LOT of catching, too. The ones who swallowed the hooks became dinner, the rest were tossed back into the water to live another day. I was perfectly content reading and taking pictures of the fun.

Good ol’ catch and release. It’s the best! 

 

What a great way to end the day. S’more please!