Answered Prayers

Yeah, the Geek Squad came through for me and were able to transfer all of my files.  I have not checked what transferred yet.  I did get a new computer yesterday & even a FREE ipod touch!!!!!!!  I haven't had a chance to play around with any of it as I am painting my classrooms today.  I just stopped for lunch-yeah at 5:00.  I enjoyed my subway while I stared at my freshly painted 3 walls-still have 5 left.  I LOVE a coat of fresh paint-it makes everything look so clean!!!!  Off to get busy again.

Dumb Mistake

I have goofed or @ least I hope it can be recovered!  I am HORRIBLE at never having any of the 1,000,000s of pictures I take printed.  I never can pick which ones to print and I decided pretty early on in Lyndon's life that it was getting pricey for me to print them all at home.  I KNOW I should upload them & order them online, but even that seems pricey and my internet is not the fastest thing.  It seems that when I have tried only about 1/2 actually upload.  I also struggle with where would I store the 100s of photo albums I would already have?  So I have resorted to saving them all on my computer in folders for each year with subfolders for the months and then the activities.  I then store them on a flashdrive and usually make a yearly CD for 'just in case'.  I am not the BEST at all... in fact I am probably the WORST at backing things up.  I always think, "I will do that next time, I'm in a hurry."  Before I know it months and months have gone by.  Yesterday morning I was trying to back up all of my 2009 pictures (months behind-I know!) when of course all of them wouldn't fit.  I have three flash drives and they were all full.  I wrote 'flash drive' on my WF list and went back to my computer work.  My computer was acting a little weird so I decided to run 'Clean Up'.  I then had to print some checks I had entered the day before and I couldn't get the program to load without giving me an error message.  Earlier I had tried to get online and that didn't work either.  I messed with the computer forever trying everything I could think of.  It happened that Momma was going to WF today so I sent my computer with her.  Geek Squad is trying to transfer my files to the external harddrive I purchased over the phone and then it is recommended I purchase a new computer.  The external hardware idea is fabulous and I have 'thought' of doing that several times.  I hate it when trying to save a penny cost you more than money can buy-like the past year of pictures of Lyndon!!!!  A few $100 bucks seems cheap now!  Hopefully they can transfer everything successfully.  Mr. Geek Squad thinks I have a virus on my computer, but of course they have to check a few other things first... all costing fees.  Basically I can put the several hundred $ toward a new computer or one that is 5 years old and still may not work.
QUESTION #1: How do you store your pictures?
I am now very glad that I usually post all of my pictures on my blog-one way for back up I guess.

I received a MAC PROBOOK through work which I am allowed to use for personal business as well.  I LOVE it and have said that the next computer I buy will be a MAC; however, I was planning on passing my old laptop on to Lyndon.  I do use my MAC for everything except storing my family pictures, paying bills, & managing my bookkeeping which I use Quickbooks for.  I struggle with the iphoto on my MAC I always seem to want it to do PC things and never can figure it out.
QUESTION #2: Do I go MAC?

For tax purposes I have always been able to give my accountant my Quickbooks backup which saves me a lot of time.
QUESTION #3: Have you ever used Quickbooks MAC version?

The few reviews I have Googled aren't very favorable to the MAC version of Quickbooks.
QUESTION #4: Do you know of a better MAC program instead of Quickbooks?

After all of my Quickbooks questions....you guessed it I am pretty sure the last time I backed up QBs was in March.....aaaaagggggghhhhhhhh!  Hopefully everything can be recovered and believe me I have learned my lesson!!!!

Please "Say a Little Prayer for Me......."  that I haven't lost all of my pictures of Mr. Lyndon!

Slow Progress

Lyndon & I spent everyday @ school last week including the weekend.  This sounds horrible but we would wake up and stop at Super Stop for his breakfast (mother of the year-I know) before getting to school.  Lyndon would pick where we ordered out lunch and then supper.  Most nights we left between 9-10.  You would think I would have more done......  This post is our progress the 1st part of the week.
Click here for the post.

School........Already??????

Oh, yes we have been hard at it already.  When I say 'we' I mean me and my helper, Lyndon.  He helps for awhile and then plays for awhile.  We worked ALL last week-including the weekend.  We are close to having things sorted so I can paint before decorating (the FUN part!)
Cleaning out my

  old 2nd Grade Room.

PK in the Rain

The weekend B4-last Cody, Lyndon, & I did some chores around the house and then headed to PK for the afternoon.  We have never just gone down for the day without spending the night so it was a new adventure trying to find Possum Hollow.

Lyndon's favorite is 'Hell's Gate' so that was the 1st place we headed for.  We like to go through to the back where it is a little less populated and anchor to visit and swim.We were enjoying our afternoon when suddenly the wind began to get up and a huge cloud came rolling in.  We hurried to get back into the boat and tried to head back towards Possom Hollow; however, once we made it out of Hell's Gate torrential rains, and strong winds came.  I felt like we were in an ocean storm with the waves so rough.  Cody soon had zero visibility so he turned around where he could see better.  He was able to get us back into Hell's Gate where the water was calm and the wind wasn't able to get to us.  Luckily there wasn't any lightning!  Once the rain stopped, of course we were soaked-towels and all!  We decided to navigate back to Possom Hollow just incase the weather changed again.  We swam a little more before loading the boat and eating super.  Lyndon wanted to tryout wearing his life jacket and Cody's.You can see Cody pondering the weather and what he should do.  He always puts his hand up to his lips when he is nervous or in deep thought.Possom Hollow was very nice and we ate a really good restaurant right at the loading ramp-didn't catch the name of it.  Cody had cajun frog legs, Lyndon had a corn dog, and I had catfish.  We were all still soaked and asked to eat outside even though it was humid and cloudy because the AC was WAY 2 COLD inside!!!!!  We will definitely be coming back for the day.

Once we were back in Seymour this is what the sky looked like-kinda yucky looking, but no weather fell...

Play'n in the Rain

While I worked on the laundry room Lyndon occupied his time in the rain.  There was NO lightning!Then Lyndon set up shop.This is what he made.

Yeah!!!!

I have posted 9 new post this morning!  Lyndon and Cody slept in late and I have been catching up on blogging as I listen to the rain.  I am finally current for ...I think the 1st time since Easter probably.  My words were short since I knew I had so many to do.  Hopefully I will not let myself fall behind like that again.  It is a lot more fun posting current things than month old things.

Lake Kemp Fireworks

Yesterday we took the boat out to Lake Kemp for an afternoon of fun and then fireworks at dark.  We met up with several friends and the kids swam and played while everyone else enjoyed visiting.Jeremy took Lyndon for a ride.The fireworks didn't start until 10:00, but it was well worth the wait!  They were fantastic!It's hard to beat fireworks on the water.

Bubbles

Cody brought Miss Allie May (as he calls her) over to the house to play for a little while and we all blew bubbles.  She is such a cutie pie!

On the Road Again

Playing and telling Grandmemere she should move the TEXAS!!!!The boys enjoying their 1st of 2 McD's Frapp's!Aubrey eating her favorite, yogurt!Taking a break at Starbuck's and playing with bracelets-car present.Frapp's #2!

The trip home was long.  Momma and I alternated driving.  In Abilene we switched again and in Anson I stopped for caffeine at about 12:30 a.m.  Momma sat in the car with the kiddos and I ran into Allsup's.  As I left Anson two vehicles were in front of me, but they quickly turned off on another road.  About 6 miles out I saw flashing lights.  My cruise was set on 64 so I knew it wasn't me; however, I was the only vehicle to be seen on the road.  The lights crossed over and came behind me so I pulled over.  I couldn't figure out why I was being stopped.  Turns out their was a report of a confrontation at the Allsup's and since I was the 1st vehicle out of town I was stopped.  The officer asked if everything was okay in the vehicle and if I had seen anything as I went through Anson.  I told the officer I had stopped at the Allsup's for caffeine and he was curious if I had noticed anything then which I hadn't.  He was very nice and polite.  As we left Momma and I couldn't help but worry...what if.... we would have been there when this happened....  I think we had a guardian angel.  We still don't know exactly what happened either but luckily we weren't around!

We arrived at our house around 1:30ish and quickly unpacked our things.

We had a lot of fun and it was great to see everyone.  I wish they lived closer-the trip is so long.  Texas is so huge that when we are in Van Horn that is 1/2 way and we haven't even made it out of Texas yet!!!

Tucson Day 3

Momma, Aubrey, & I made a quick trip to Home Goods while the boys played with Grandmemere at her house.  I found this Herb planter, but I passed it up.  Since I have been home I could kick myself for not getting it!!!!For supper we had a pool party and cook out for Uncle Ken's birthday.Uncle Bobby trying to throw Momma in the pool with her clothes on.Lyndon's handstand.Everyone was exhausted once we made it home.  Aubrey fell asleep on the way home and Carl climbed on the coach as soon as he stepped in the door.

Tucson Day 2

The day began going out for breakfast.  We then headed over to Miss Tiggle Winkle's toy store so the kids could spend their money.  Momma has a piggy bank for each of them and they earn gold dollars to put in them.  They usually go to WF to spend the money with Memere, but instead brought it with them to Tucson.Lyndon being dusted with magic fairy powder & making his wish.We then met up with Autumn, Tante Lyn, & Uncle Ken to go to the doll museum.  You aren't suppose to take pictures inside so....sorry!I only took this one since it was just of people and not necessarily the exhibits.  All of the kids had a blast and it was very neat!See the giant door & the tiny door?Back at Grandmemere's the boys built a tent and watched Eloise inside the tent.@ 5:00 we went outside to wait for the ice cream truck.We waited...& waited...& took pictures as we waited...& finally we spotted the ice cream truck!After ice cream we met up with everyone and went to Peter Piper Pizza for games & pizza.Getting a picture of all of the great grandkids and Grandmemere was impossible!  This was the best one that I shot.