WOW!!! I’m sorry it’s been a few days…

Where to begin….Let’s do Saturday. Remember when I told you we were going to my dad’s to cut wood? Well we had 3 chainsaws and 5 workers getting his pile did and done. It took us 2 hours to get the 6 cords of wood cut, split and piled up but now I do not have to worry any more about daddy cutting up his wood and possible falling or worse.

I made lunch so that when everyone was done there was a huge salad and BBQ chicken wings (with homemade BBQ sauce with my homemade grape jam and chili sauce and lots of spices, daddy said it was the best). It was a great morning/afternoon to spend together as a family.

Then Saturday and Sunday Jim and I finished building this. Our new coal crib. This is where the wood use to be piled. It’s 6’ wide and 20’ long and we can pile the coal up 6’. The reason for doing this is to reinforce the walls because coal isn’t light.

Especially when Monday and Tuesday evenings we did this. By hand, shovel full by shovel full. We are looking for a elevator but haven’t found one yet. We want to get at least one more load in there before we start burning with coal, reason being we’d like to see just how much 4 tons to and how long it will last.

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Then on Monday I got a phone call from the bus garage. The man I’m going to sub for when I get my license was in the hospital could I please come in and do a ride along so that “if” I pass my test on Tuesday I could start driving right away. Talk about stress, it was enough stress just taking the test but now to know I have to pass because I have a job. My ride along when just fine. It’s my route, the one with my daycare kids on it, the ones with my family on it, the ones where if I didn’t know your kid, my kid knows you and now we all know each other. It was so cool the hugs and love I got when they saw me on the bus.

Tuesday morning started out bright and early (5am) doing my last ride along. So this way I had a once for morning and afternoon run. I took notes and watched the map so I wouldn’t forget something or someone. THEN…..Then the scary stuff happens. The test in Brainerd. A bigger town then mine by far but of course not as big as the cities but still plenty big for this first time girl. I drove over to Brainerd with a licensed driver and then he left to go out for breakfast while I faced the music. I was so scared I was shaking uncontrollably and my teeth were chattering so hard I couldn’t even talk. The test driver sent me back to the bus to calm down while he did the paperwork and then he came out. Before he came I just sat in the bus ready to puke and talked to the Lord. Told him I can’t do this without him helping me calm down and you know, almost like magic (not quite cuz it wasn’t gone but I could talk and breath and move again) I felt better. I managed to do very well, only one wrong and he only marked it off because I didn’t do the move but I did explain I had forgotten even before we moved. So now I am a bus driver. 

My first run last night was with my boss as my ride along and it went really well. I was late getting my wee ones home but it was very foggy and I did miss two stops so had to back up for 1 and turn around for the other. No one was complaining and all got home safe and sound. When I got home, after 12 hours away and in the bus we had to unload another load of coal. By 8:30 I was ready to cry and just drop dead. Which I did after a shower. Skipped dinner, in fact hadn’t even planned a dinner so not sure what anyone ate, didn’t really care. I did talk to boy of my men and told them I will need help at home know. Since I am gone first thing in the morning someone needs to feed the chickens and let them out and in the evening someone needs to put wood in the stove and shut up the chickens and collect the eggs. I will be using my crock pots lots. It helps I am home in 9:00 even though I still have daycare I am home to get caught up on things and also able to get supper going. I know that once I am use to this all will be fine but right now it’s difficult.

This morning I drove like a pro. I got to each stop on time, I remembered all the rules and regs and I got back home before my wee ones mama was here. All good. I leave now in an hour to get ready to do it all over again but at least when I get home there’s a chicken/rice hot dish in the crockpot and wild berry muffins for dessert. We have snow/rain most of today and it’s near freezing so not positive how the roads will be but I’ll be careful and get everyone home, hopefully in a reasonable amount of time.

Today is Wednesday and this week has flown by so fast. I don’t have much time for anything right now but I want you to know that I have most of your updates sent to my in-box so I am reading, I just haven’t had time to comment but I will catch up, just not sure when yet. This has not been the week for exercise other then building, shoveling and carrying wood and not quite sure where that will fit in right now but I’ll get that figured out one day. I don’t even know how long I’ll be driving 2 times a day because the sub is having gallbladder surgery and he’s 65+ years old so not sure how long it’ll take to heal. I am figuring through Christmas vacation and then after the first of the year we’ll see.

So there you have it my friends. Why I haven’t been around much and won’t be for a little bit more. My challenges end on Sunday and I’m just not sure about the dress yet and the Sweet Tooth Challenge, well I’m not perfect though I am watching what I’m eating. I had a cookie yesterday and frozen yogurt on Sunday. I’ll try and get my last update did and done this weekend. I am taking my mama and daddy to the cities to see mama’s sister and then to go out for a great dinner. But sometime in all this stuff I will take time to be with me and to get things taken care of. When ??? We’ll see.

Thank you all so much for your love and support. I so needed it and you were there, thank you!!! Now time to get the dishes done, the laundry out of the dryer, dry socks on and get my butt out the door as soon as Brenda comes. Take care my friends. Blessings to you all!!!