First Week

It's Saturday and I am working through my to-do list. Blogging is on that list. And Paul and Will are -- working! This was an unexpected blessing. It's still warm out and Paul's hours were short as a result. I'm just waiting for winter to hit with a vengeance - blizzard, ice, bitter cold...no such luck yet. I mean Thursday this week, it hit 65 degrees - the first week of January!! If I didn't know better, I'd blame global warming... But first thing this morning, our neighbor Charlotte called and reported that her water heater was leaking. So Paul roused himself out of bed (we both got to sleep in - bliss!) and went over there. It has to be replaced. So, he ran to Menards and bought a new one while Will drained the old heater. At any rate, this job will create some extra money, which is helpful right now. Although, yesterday, I figured up our bills and we actually had enough to cover everything with this latest paycheck without dipping into savings. I was both pleased and surprised.

We did go to Council Bluffs last weekend. You can see Paul below hitting a "pinata" that his nieces made. Kaylee, his sister's daughter, and Elli (his nephew's daughter - technically a great-niece) had spent time making pictures for Paul's upcoming birthday, a banner that went across the basement ceiling and this "deer" pinata filled with goodies. I think they were bored. But they were insistent that Paul had to hit the pinata. They had fun!

Our New Years was pretty boring. I spent the evening reading while Paul, the boys, and his parents played Monopoly. It turned into a 4 hour game, which is precisely why I refuse to play Monopoly. Ever. I finally went to bed around 11:30 and Paul came in at the stroke of midnight, kissed me, and left the room again. I'll give him points for the kiss, I guess!

I was glad to get back Sunday evening, even though it meant stepping back into the whirlwind of my life!

I did a bunch of work this week up at City Hall. I need to get back up there today, too. So, I am officially employed now. I'm not sure why I thought I had time for this, though. Our first meeting of the new year was Thursday. I cleaned and cleaned that building - what a filthy mess! In a few years, we are hoping to build a new community center with a basement. It's going to be kind of a requirement because we are applying for grants for a tornado siren. But in order to get those grants, we need to have a place for people to go. A number of people in town do not have basements. Of course, I'm not all that confident that in the event of a tornado, they could actually make it up to City Hall.

Paul turned 41 on Wednesday. At first he didn't think he was going to have to work that day, but then his manager called and suggested that he come in and do inventory on his truck. So, that was good, even if it meant he was working on his birthday! We had a little party for him after church. I got him some new coveralls for hunting and Will convinced me that I also needed to buy him season 4 of the 24 television series!

I did go see the latest Twilight movie with Julie last week, as I mentioned I was going to do. It was go-o-od! She facebooked me the other day to let me know that we only have 10 months and 8 days until the last and final movie comes out! Now my boys enjoy Twilight and my friend, Melissa has told me that her husband and boys like it, too. But you don't typically see males at the movies. So I was surprised when we entered the theater and there was this middle aged couple (more middle aged than me) sitting a couple of rows in front of us. I bet the husband lost a bet or something. But I had to laugh when the movie was over and I happened to notice the husband - sound asleep!

We did go to the caucuses on Tuesday night. I had planned to take the boys, but we decided at the last minute to leave them home. We found out that Will couldn't caucus because he couldn't register to vote until he's 17 years and 6 months. The news was just saying as long as a person would turn 18 by election day, they could vote this time. But, it wasn't strictly true. Will will be 18 by next November's elections, but only by a few days. He can't register until this May. So anyway, the two of us went. I brought a book and I'm glad I did. It got pretty boring, hearing all the speeches. They did have a group of Knoxville homeschoolers lead the caucus in the pledge to the American flag, which I thought was neat. I was a little dismayed that nobody got up to speak for Michele Bachmann, but of course, there was someone for Ron Paul. Those Ron Paul supporters are a bit freakish. More on that later...

Now, we did get to hear a man who is campaigning for the Iowa legislature and I'm glad I pulled my nose out of my book to listen to him speak. He's a homeschooling dad of NINE from our district. His last name is Heartsill. We'll definitely vote for him in the primaries in June.

So, I voted for Michele and Paul voted for Rick Santorum. I liked Santorum, too, but I figured Michele needed all the votes she could get. As it was, Romney ended up technically winning the state by only 8 votes, and I'm baffled by that. People really want a liberal flip-flopper in the White House? I was able to hear most of Michele's speech the next day when she withdrew from the race. I was really impressed because, typically, these speeches tend to be all about the candidate themselves. But this one wasn't. Instead, she spoke passionately about what is happening in our country and how we had better wake up and stop this socialism that is insidiously taking over the country. I wanted to applaud right there in the kitchen as I listened!

I'll be back later. I need to find some lunch and then head up to City Hall.