My Babies

Proud of how these turned out!  Wanted to share w/ my blog audience!  Enjoy!!!

Hannah, age 19

Ian, age 15

Nathan, age 12

Boys

The Workout Room, aka TORTURE!

A few weeks ago, we received our key to the apartment complex's weight/workout room.  It's quite impressive for a small gym.  There are free weights, 2 weight machines, a treadmill an elliptical machine, and a stairmaster.  We just started the boys on a workout program.  It isn't anything spectacular.  It's just that...well, this may surprise you, but the Follisfam are NOT athletes.  I know... it's a shocker, right??  But we still want to be a fit family!!  Plus, we homeschool, so an organized PE class not being an option in Midland, we kicked in with our own little plan.  Three days a week we drag the boys over there about 7 and exercise our bodies.  Dramafreak and Scoutmaster switch off on the elliptical and treadmill and guess who gets the stair machine??  YOU GUESSED IT! Me!  (Daddy K works out on other days when he can, since he has to be up earlier)I never knew how hard it would be to climb stairs for 30 minutes.  WOW.  Pain.  It's a "good" pain, though.  So far we've encountered only one other person in there when we are, so that's good.  Because it aint pretty when I work out.  No siree.  I sweat like a circus freak.  Give me 5 minutes on a stairmaster and I am drenched.  But it feels so good once I limp off the machine w/ my jelly legs.  Then I go straight to the 5 lb free weights to work my arms.  The boys usually do the weight machines.  Dramafreak really likes those.  Scoutmaster prefers to go from the treadmill to the bench.  haha.  He's the one who will go straight thru the 30 minute time limit like an allstar.  Barely breaks a sweat.  Me,  I have to stop every few minutes to take a breather and scream out in agony.  But we all manage to get thru.  The first time we went, Dramafreak hopped off the machine, saying "Time's up!"  What he didn't realize till later was that his machine was counting DOWN, not up, meaning he had only gone 10 minutes.  I was too busy panting and shaking to tell him this.  He got it the next time. 

Ann

There is an elderly woman who lives at the front of the apartments, facing the street as we pull our car in the drive.  Her name is Ann.  Every time, in our comings and goings, she is sitting in one of her patio chairs, watching the action that passes.  I have seen her out there all day sometimes.  The other day, Dramafreak, Scoutmaster, EllaDog and I took a walk around the entire complex and made her acquaintance.  She has been in these apartments 7 years.  She lived in a home in another town for many years, but then came here to be closer to her daughter after her husband passed away.  She shared with us that this is THE safest place to live in Midland.  I love the way she said it, though.  She listed these as the positives:  Noone comes in and eats your food, you can sleep all through the night and get a good night's rest, and the people are nice.  I guess you can't get much better than that, eh??  She said we should stop by anytime. I may take her up on that.  I might bring her cookies!  I wonder if she knows she's cheered me up these last few days, sitting on her front stoop, waving as we pull out and in of the driveway. 

"A good neighbor is a fellow who smiles at you over the back fence, but doesn’t climb over it."

The Joys and Pains of Apartment Living

Ok.  So we've been in the apartment a few days, and already I've noticed some differences.  I hope they don't come off as complaints.  Just stating the facts here, folks. 

#1.  The walls in an apartment are very thin.  This allows us to hear the heavy bass each and every morning from our lovely neighbor who abutts our bedroom wall.  Not sure why he/she has to play the music so loud, but I blare my Christy Nockels pretty loud too....just LATER.

#2.  Apartments have no yard.  As a result, Ella (our Australian Shepherd/Border Collie mix) has to be walked, often, so as not to have an accident on the lovely chocolate shag carpet.  First thing every morning Kirby or I take her on a brisk morning stroll down the grassy knoll of the apartment.  She sniffs each and every doggy offering, layering them w/ her own gift.  If she poops, we are required to pick it up.  The apartment generously provides "doggy stations," where you wear a green plastic bag like a glove, pick up the offending pile, flip the glove inside out, and WA LA!!  The glove becomes a bag, which you tie and toss.  Pretty cool, actually, once I got over the fact I had to pick up doggy doo-doo.

#3.  In an apartment, you are at the mercy of their maintenance men and scheduling.  So the other morning, when Kirby had to get going and take a shower, he was not allowed to do so, seeing as the water was suddenly turned off without any warning.  Of course, he could have opted for the scalding hot bath, seeing as the hot water still worked.  But he selfishly chose to wait until cooler water came into play.  That came about 4 hours later. 

We are thankful to have the space we have.  Not all apartments have the square footage we have.  Of course, tell that to the 8 or so boxes we've had to move from the apartment to storage, but still.  It's cozy!!  We've found that we spend more time as a family w/ the smaller spaces.  I like hearing the boys' conversations....most of the time....and we've taken to having movie nights together, snuggling in the living area.  The boys take the best seats...the 2 chairs we have, forcing Kirby and I to squeeze together on the love seat.  NO ROOM for our sofa---in storage!!! 

All in all, apartment living isn't so bad.  Or ask me tomorrow.  Praying for the house to sell fast!!  :)

Moving Mania...

Not much time to post today.  Suffice it to say...MOVING DAY!!  We are moving 2000+ square feet, plus a garage, into 1,000 square feet.  We are moving our garage and a lot of other pieces into storage.  Kirby and I had a day and a half to do what would normally take a couple weeks.  We were like a well-oiled machine!  Threw out lots and lots of stuff.  It felt good!  We are overwhelmed with the finality of leaving 11 years of memories in our Wall Street house.  It was hard.  We pray the house sells FAST.  We really need it to.  Today will be filled with moving boxes and furniture and trying to squeeze it all in to make an apartment  home for a while.  Did I mention that Ella and Milky are here at last??  Fun, eh?  :)  Gotta get to work!  Wendyloohoo OUT.

Update on snake

Milky the Milksnake has been found!!!  He was seen slithering into a corner in the downstairs coat closet.  Whew!  We are so relieved! 

Ode to my Grandfather

Musing today on how proud I am to be part of such a family.  Speaking of my earthly family, and more specifically, my grandfather, Papa Bill.  My grandfather is one of the strongest men I know.  For me, he truly is the patriarch.  Pa has had many health issues all throughout his life, but you wouldn't know it.  He never speaks of any problems, and doesn't live out his days as if he has a weakness or frailty.  I've always known him to be the strongest of men.  He always finds something to laugh about.  I see such a solid person when I look at this man.  He's always been there for me, supporting me in so many ways.  Always has a word for me to ponder.  Some funny to consider, such as "Go with the flow, till God says NO!"  Simple words.  Corny, even!  Yet so much wisdom and dry humor behind them.  I take them to heart and apply them to my life, because I know quite well the man who spoke them and want my life to embody the beliefs and values he proclaims simply by getting up in the morning and living it out.  I've never known a better man.  Now he's in for some rough days.  He's having to deal with some of the health issues that rear their ugly heads as we age.  I hate to see him having to go through the pain and discomfort--the illness and side effects--all the YUCK.  I pray that he will live to see many more days.  I need him.  Our family needs him. The world needs more like him.  I love you, Pa!!!