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Archive for December, 2013

Week in iPhotos 52 of 52

Posted in week in pictures on December 31, 2013| 1 Comment »

52 weeks of this already! WOW! I think time passes faster and faster each year.

I’m going to continue next year with this anyone else with me? I love looking back throughout this year and seeing what all we did.

We lost a very important part of our family on the 23rd with the passing of our step-dad. He fought hard in the three weeks he was diagnosed with cancer, but his body just gave out on him.

*Mildred reading in the hospital. *TNT’s ‘dog from the hospital cafeteria. *My supper Monday night. *Since I was freezing the 4 days we sat in the hospital the hubs went and bought me wool socks. Now that’s love! *Did you think that was Tails? Nope it’s Fuzzy my mom’s cat. *I stayed with Mom Monday night and we spend Xmas eve with her too. *Wednesday we went to the inlaws and my MIL LOVED her cow pictures I bought her! *The FIL bought this toolbox just for me! 😀 *The MIL knows me too well and the air baking pans she bought me are guaranteed not to burn. We’ll see!

This was my SIL’s funny Christmas card that she printed just for a few of us. These were the outtakes from the family session we did on Thanksgiving.

TNT’s gma said oh isn’t this the best picture. Really TNT is grabbing my boob!

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Friday Five: Office Peeves

Posted in Friday Five on December 27, 2013| Leave a Comment »

I work in an office with my direct boss, DeeDee and the general manager, Brad. I work at a confection sunflower processing plant. There are probably 23 men and 3 women who work in shipping, bagging, maintenance, receiving, in the mill and the quality control.

These are the things that drive me freaking nuts!

1. When DeeDee’s small printer in her office is out of paper instead of opening up a new ream she’ll just open the copier and take a handful out of there. We go through paper really fast so it seems like the next time I have to print a report the copier starts beeping at me that the paper is empty. Almost always right after DeeDee has taken paper out! (HAHAHA Guess who just went to the copier and got paper out as I typed this!)

2. We have a cleaning lady, but she does a really crappy job. So once a month I’ll go through our office and clean. DeeDee says, I really need to have a talk with her…..she’s been saying that for 3 years now!

3. DeeDee and myself both live out of town so we usually eat here in the office. DeeDee who claims she hates it when dishes are left in the sink just puts her dishes in the bathroom sink. Then I go in to use the bathroom and I have to wash her dishes before I can wash my hands. Grrrrr!

4. When DeeDee gives me a new project to work on. She takes me through step by step and I even write it down. Six months later she yells at me for doing it that way. Even though I have step by step written down exactly what she had instructed!

5. When the phone rings and I answer with RRC this is Carrie.

Caller: “Yeah Tracy, let me have the parts department.”

Me: “I’m sorry this is RRC we don’t have a parts department.”

Caller: “You mean this isn’t Cat?”

Me: “No this is RRC.”

Caller: “I’m trying to reach Caterpillar.”

Me: “I’m sorry this is RRC.”

Caller: “Can you look up the number for Cat?”

Me: Blink blink blink blink “sorry I don’t have time to be an operator.” (I don’t really say that, but would like too!)

Bonus: In the down months I do a lot of shredding of old files. The shredder is loud and I scare easily. Guess what the boys I work with do? Scare the hell out of me by walking up right behind me and tapping me on the shoulder OR yelling CARRIE right behind me.

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Throw Back Thursday

Posted in TBT on December 26, 2013| 1 Comment »

My Mom and Dad use to drive the bus we road to school every morning. Here my dad was driving and he wore his hat like Ray Schriener. Ray was the old drunk who lived in the little town about a mile east of our farm. He wore his hat just like this. Even pulled down on his ears. Ray was part of St. Peter. He talked in a very thick German accent which got worse the more he drank. For a long time he ran the pool hall/bar in town. It was old wooden floors that creaked with each step. No bathroom. You had to go outside beside the building. Awe growing up rural!

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Week in iPhotos 51 of 52

Posted in week in pictures on December 23, 2013| 3 Comments »

Finished wrapping the few gifts I had. *TNT watching TV. *Thursday my fb photo page hit 2000 likes. UNBELIEVABLE!!! *Took the car in for a wash. *Friday exchanged gifts with my office mates. *You mix mascotta and ice for this slushy drink. *Following a semi with bales. *Mom’s cat Fuzzy. *My village of a hometown has their 5 strands of Christmas lights.

*TNT playing Angry Birds. *Mildred reading while supporting the Chiefs loss.

I wrapped TNT’s present in a box of Molly’s dog bones. After I had it wrapped Molly kept standing beside, smelling it then barking. TNT was like WTF is she doing? I just giggled.

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You Have T-Rex Arms Part 2

Posted in Friends on December 20, 2013| Leave a Comment »

I did a post a few weeks ago about volleyball and my teammates making fun of my t-rex arms. Well this past week that same kid who threw the football at me was being a pain again at volleyball. During one of the matches he chucked a ball down onto the court. This was between games so Mildred & I were watching another team play. I said there is that little Sh&t with the ball again. Just like that one of the girls on the team we were watching grabbed the ball and Joe Montana it up into the mezzanine (The courts are below ground with the walk ways at ground level). Whitney just threw it up there like it was nothing. Mildred and I were laughing so hard as was Whit’s husband. It was just perfect timing. That kid just stood there with a look on his face like I can’t believe you did that. But ran up the bleachers to retrieve his ball. We didn’t get home from volleyball until midnight, but every time I’d think I was ready to fall asleep I’d start thinking about Whitney throwing that ball and the giggles would start up.

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I’m a Lucky Girl

Posted in Family on December 19, 2013| 2 Comments »

People use to tell me they felt sorry for me because I come from a “broken home.” Let me just say I have never felt like I lived in a broken home. I was 13 when my parents divorced. Just because they were divorced didn’t mean they didn’t love me. To me it was life. You could either dwell on the circumstances or you could grow from it. I’m sure you can guess I didn’t dwell on it.

The summer of 1995 my mom started dating a truck driver named Bruce. He had tattoos (something new to me), drove a cool car, rough on the exterior, yet a softy on the inside. My Freshman year of basketball he never missed a game. He would make a trip to CA every week, but would wait until after my game on Monday nights to leave then hurry back to Kansas for my game on Friday night. Every week he was in the stands cheering. Bruce isn’t the type to holler for just his kid, but also for everyone on the floor. When I or one of my teammates needed to be reminded we need to pull our heads out of our butts he would holler that exactly! LOL The last game of my high school career was a heart breaker. We were a good team and just came up short. After the game we gathered in the locker room and then I went into the stands. Of course I was crying. Bruce came running down the stands to meet me and we both were crying. He didn’t care who saw his tears, because he knew his girl was hurting. Now that’s love!

September 1996 Bruce became an official member of our all girl family when he married my mom. I’m not real sure he knew what he was getting into but here we are 17 years later!

When TNT and I got engaged Brucie bought my wedding dress. He walked me down the aisle along with my dad. He’s always just a phone call away. I’m one lucky girl. He always tells me he’s proud of me. He’s proud that I married a good man, that TNT and I have made a good life for ourselves, that we have a beautiful farm and that we are happy. Just because we don’t share blood means not a damn thing to me! Life is about those you love and who love you no matter what. Thankfully I have that from a rugged truck driver from North Dakota who wasn’t use to have kids around. Let alone a teenage girl and her little sister. He says we changed his life, but you know he’s changed ours!

Not many people are lucky enough to have two dads and a mom who love them unconditionally. Don’t feel sorry for me because I came from a “broken home,” I’m much luckier than some. Our lives are so much more because of Brucie.

Love you Brucie and I’m the luckiest girl to have you as my dad!!

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Thankgiving with My Parents

Posted in Family on December 18, 2013| 4 Comments »

My mom LOVES Thanksgiving and we always gather at her & my step-dad’s house for lunch on Thursday. This year we pulled out Cranium and played the afternoon away.

I’m biased, but my sister sure is pretty!

She is not a sculptor though. Any guesses what this is? I knew it right away. Toothbrush!

I am not a singer yet I was belting out Celine Dion’s My Heart Will Go On.

My mom had to draw a couch potato. I got it right!

TNT had to draw with his eyes closed, glue.

He went with the whole sticky papers can’t get them apart and it turned more into charades.

My mom psyching herself up to draw with her eyes closed.

April’s bf and my step-dad were in the family room watching football and chatting.

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Thanksgiving with the Inlaws

Posted in Family on December 17, 2013| 3 Comments »

During the summer months we can only dream of having a day at the lake as beautiful as the Saturday after Thanksgiving was. Temps in the 60’s the water like glass. Beautiful day! We took advantage of it too. In the morning we worked on the beach around the dock, Molly and I took a walk, then we started splitting logs and of course I helped the MIL cook lunch.

My MIL found old sunglasses on the beach when we moved some sand.

After lunch we went outside and played Booce Ball.

The inlaws and the nephew went Jeepin’ around the cabin area.

Can you see how long his eye lashes are? What I wouldn’t give to have those!

Mr. Supervisor himself.

Sexy lady!! Whoot Whoo!

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Week in iPhotos 50 of 52

Posted in week in pictures on December 16, 2013| 4 Comments »

Two weeks left!

*Christmas shopping is complete!! Once again I went with the gift card route! *Tuesday was one of those days! *This is so me! *Wednesday was co-ed vball again!! I love playing with my sister. I wish now that we would have been able to play together in high school, but I’m sure we would have fought on the court back then! *My good friend Adriane who is the wrestling coachs’ wife. *I should mention I hate wrestling! Yet I go because of sport sessions. *The wrestler on the left is my bff’s son who is the subject of so many of my sport sessions. *Saturday the mail brought me 3 cards from clients. I can’t put into words how happy this makes my heart! *Beirock casserole Saturday night. *Sunday afternoon the hubs called me to come rescue him. Him and his buddy were out cruisin’ in the Jeep and ran out of gas.

*While he was filling the Jeep I reminded him of the lectures he always gives me about the gas tank never being below 1/2. I’m happy to say that lecture is a waste on me as my tank is always above 1/2 and has been long before I met TNT.

I did find a new place for sessions though. This is 4 miles from my house and I had no clue it was there. Beautiful CRP land. I love that you see the sun in one picture and the moon in the other.

This is going to be a great week! I just know it!

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Family Pictures with the Inlaws

Posted in Family, Pictures on December 13, 2013| 2 Comments »

My inlaws have been married for almost 46 years and my MIL said this is the first time they had a photographer take their pictures. Granted me, the photog was running back and forth to my camera to make sure everything was just right. I did have a remote though.

This was a spur of the moment pose so that’s why we are all in the direct sun. 😦 However this Jeep is my FIL’s pride and joy so we couldn’t leave it out.

Of course we had to have some fun too!

Love these two! Think you have good inlaws? Mine trump you no questions asked!

My SIL and her family.

My niece started sliding down the hill.

Ugh I would have noticed this if I was behind the camera but sun on everyone’s faces. UGH!!! Good thing I didn’t get paid to do this session!

To finish off our session.

One of my favorites of my FIL.

Of course TNT will smile when he’s being a pain.

Notice the eyebrows on TNT? He only does that in pictures and half closes his eyes so he looks drunk. My level of frustration with him was over the limit! When his 13 year old nephew can behave and take good pictures my 40 year old should!