Our Top 12 for 2012

12. We took several trips this year, including cousin Megan’s wedding and Thanksgiving at cousin Kimberly’s and of course camping.

11. All four of us attended 4-H Camp Wahsega: Macey as a Cloverleaf camper, Ansley as a teen leader, and Haley & Logan as chaperons.

10. Along with Logan’s brother Reid, we threw a surprise 75th birthday party for their mother, BJ.

9. Logan has passed all the tests for his bus driver license and will finish up next month.

8. Haley started her 20th year teaching (How did that happen?!?) and is working on her gifted endorsement.

7. Ansley finished middle school with straight As and was selected for Honors English (where she made a 99 and will go on to 10th grade Honors English next year.)

6. Ansley started high school (9th grade) and enjoyed marching band (clarinet). She continues to take piano lessons too (and is becoming quite accomplished!).

5. Macey started middle school (6th grade) and was accepted into 3 accelerated classes.

4. Macey is in chorus and has started playing percussion in band. (She was the first to get to move up to snare drum from the marimba, and she got to play the chimes in the Christmas concert.)

3. Macey is continuing her dance education (ballet, jazz, and tap), and Haley is back to tapping too. ;)

2. Ansley got contacts.

1. We are blessed beyond measure!

Quotation of the Week: Gratitude

Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it. 

~William Arthur Ward

Quotation of the Week: Tombstones

In honor of All Saint's Day,

"A good character is the best tombstone. Those who loved you and were helped by you will remember you when forget-me-nots have withered. Carve your name on hearts, not on marble."
~Charles H. Spurgeon

Disappointed with Target.com

It's been so long since I've posted here that I almost couldn't remember my own blog address!  How sad is that?  Anyway, I didn't create this blog to rant, but I feel the need today.  (Hey, it's my blog, right?)

I am so very disappointed in Target right now!  We needed a few things that couldn't be found at our local store, so I ordered them online from Target.  I also found a few great items for my nephew's birthday, which I thought was a total score.  My first disappointment came with how long it was going to take to get a few of my items, but I refused to pay $30 shipping to expedite it.  Then, my 6 items were being shipped out in 3 orders.  Seriously?  That's efficient and cost-saving?  Good for the environment?  Okay, whatever. 

When I got home Friday afternoon, I was pleased to find not only a Target plastic envelope in the mailbox, but also a Target UPS box in the living room.  My nephew's game arrived in time for the party!  Unfortunately, the other item for him and the one for his brother were NOT in the little plastic envelope (nor was the much-needed leotard for my daughter).  Out pours baby clothes!  Um, no thank you!  I checked the address thinking that maybe I got a neighbor's mail by mistake.  Nope.  My address on the label, but someone else's items, packing slip, etc., on the inside.

My next aggravation comes when there is no phone number to contact Target on any of the shipping info.  I do not have time to get online and jump through all the hoops that might take- I want to talk to someone who can help me while I do things that I need to do (such as wrap the present and make the birthday card).  This mishap will have to wait.

So today, I sit down at my computer to see what I need to do to rectify Target's mistake.  I did find an 800 number on the website, so I sat down to call (and peruse blogs while I punch this and wait for that).  Long story short, I am getting a return packing slip emailed to me to return the other lady's items to Target AND when they receive the return that was their mistake in the first place, I am getting a refund on my four missing items.  Seriously, if I had wanted my money, I wouldn't have ordered the items.  I really wanted the products I ordered. At this time, Target re-sending me my missing items is not an option.  They expect me to use my refund to reorder their items.

(On a side note, the lady who helped me was very nice; I'm just unhappy with Target's policy right now to rectify their error.)

I am probably going to use my refund to reorder my items (or similar items) from ANOTHER STORE ENTIRELY rather than give them my business again right now.  Target made the mistake, and I'm not very happy with how they are solving it.  What do you think?  What would you do?

If you've read this far, thanks for letting me vent on your shoulder.  I would love to hear what you think! 

UPDATE:  The returns receipt is telling me to return the items (that I didn't even receive!!!) so that they can process my refund.  Good grief!  Won't they be surprised when they get baby clothes instead of the items I ordered?!?

Happy Anniversaries!

Yesterday was my parents' 44th anniversary, so we celebrated with all the family together at a new local restaurant, The View.  (Yes, it is part of the community center and golf course.)

Here's the whole clan:

We were so happy that my mom's baby sister came to visit!  (She lives about 5 hours away.)

You can see how the restaurant got its name.

We try to avoid desserts but this was a night to celebrate!

Hubby and I will celebrate 17 years tomorrow!

Here are some of the lilies that are blooming in my flower garden right now.  These are very similar to some that I carried in my wedding bouquet.  I may have to cut some and bring them in to enjoy.

Happy Birthday, Ansley!

Fourteen years ago, we were blessed with the sweetest, most beautiful baby in the world.  She has grown into a sweet, beautiful young woman who we love with all our heart.  Thank you for all the blessings you bring to your family and others.  We are so proud of you.  Happy birthday, Ansley!

Happy Birthday, Macey!

See that sweet young lady on the right? She turns 11 today! Happy birthday, Macey! We love you!!!!

Happy Birthday to ME!

Happy birthday to ME!
Happy birthday to ME!
Happy birthday, dear ME!

Happy birthday to ME!

{Image credit}

Spring Is Here!

It has been almost forever since I've posted here, so I thought it was time to write an update. Because today was so incredibly gorgeous, I took a break from grading approximately 437 papers (end of the 3rd nine weeks and all) and took a few snapshots of the prettiness in our yard.

First, this is the view out my front window from the living room. Unfortunately my camera doesn't seem to capture the color as prettily as it is in person. (I will have to work on different times of the day to see if I can capture it more exactly.)

Our frilly solid yellow daffodils have all spent themselves out, but these lovelies (in two different locations) are still going strong.

Now for an update on all of us:

Logan is working hard clearing some land with his brothers-in-law (easier to type than my brother and our BIL) and getting the RV park ready for its spring reopening.

I am of course busy with school (see aforementioned grading papers) but am also working hard to take better care of myself. It is paying off too! I managed to walk/jog 3 miles on the treadmill this morning in under 48 minutes (a personal record). I am also really enjoying yoga class once a week. It is such a workout, but I feel amazing doing it. I'm still managing to find a bit of crafty time and have some projects completed with a few more in progress.

Ansley is so busy with 8th grade! She is participating in extra band practice once a week to get ready for a competition/Six Flags trip (plus the spring concert is coming up soon). She continues to progress nicely on the piano with a lesson each week. She's also involved in 4-H poultry judging with weekly practice until the competition in early April.

Macey is staying busy with two dance classes each week (fortunately on the same night) and is practicing daily for 4-H DPA (District Project Achievement) competition this coming Saturday. She placed first in her class for her presentation on Pompeii, and she is really hoping to place first at district too. After the competition is over, we have promised to take the girls to see the movie "The Hunger Games." Ansley has read all three books and absolutely cannot wait for the movie.

Hopefully you're enjoying your spring weather too. We are praying that this nice weather will remain, although many people say this year's weather pattern is the same as the year of The Blizzard (3/13/93). So far so good! Wherever you are and whatever you're doing, stay safe!

Quotation of the Week: Letting Go

The marksman hitteth the target partly by pulling, partly by letting go. The boatsman reacheth the landing partly by pulling, partly by letting go.

--Egyptian Proverb

Sometimes we have to let go of what we're currently doing or currently thinking in order to achieve.

Quotation of the Week: Love

Who, being loved, is poor?

~Oscar Wilde

Quotation of the Week

It's easy to make a buck. It's a lot tougher to make a difference.

~Tom Brokaw

Dedicated to all the public servants of the world who do not get the pay that they deserve!

Rain, Rain, Go Away!

Each afternoon, one of us (usually me) has to walk our beagle, Shadow. He is way too hyper to stand if he doesn't get in this daily walk! It was pouring yesterday, but we had to do the deed. As we walked, he kept trying to get under the trees on the side of the road. At only the second house, he stopped, shook himself, looked at me, and then turned around to head to the house! It was so funny! Enough of this already!