Saying Goodbye to 2009…

Of all the years past I must say 2009 has been the best to me, so it is with a heavy heart I say goodbye.
Most of my readers know all the things that have happened to me and around me, because you’ve been a part of it in one way or another…but I’m going to try to give a summary anyway.
January 2009…Wow 2009, who would have thought we’d be here to say 2009. The first black president of the United States, well sure why not? Oh recession, unemployment, health care, Social Security…never really been a follower of politics, but getting savvier in my old age.
Road trip to San Antonio with Monica and Dusty to deliver Steven to the Airforce Base so he can start his boot camp training…scary…we camped out at Jan and Marcus’ house and visited Gruene for drinks. There we all talked and laughed about the future, Monica and Dusty have their 10th wedding anniversary coming up in August so we joke about taking an adult only trip to Vegas to celebrate the occasion; all the while joking that Kemper and I should get married while we are there. It turned really cold on our way back, I borrowed a sweater from Jan...thanks again Jan, it was a life saver. As soon as we get back I start the research on flights, hotels and things to see and do in Vegas.
In February, the recession is really starting to show, businesses closing, jobs dwindling. My job announced pay cuts and more work in an effort to keep the company afloat.
In March, we take off for another road trip back to Gruene with Brent, Brenda and the extended Novosad clan. We had a blast. "Did we just step over a dog?" Too much beer...well it start with Rita's too early in the day.

April…by now the whole Vegas thing is booked and Kemper and I have made wedding plans. We’ve decided this would be a surprise for our friends while we are there and we’d share almost the same anniversary with Monica and Dusty…it will be cool. This month Frontgate http://www.frontgate.com/jump.jsp?item=27780&maincatcode=1&subcatcode=null&itemID=21071&itemType=PRODUCT&path=1%2C2%2C145%2C760&iProductID=21071 has oredered the first round of Sentrys' from Kemper...the units came from China but the chemical had to come from Kemper and his staff...3200 gallons we had to hand pour, hand label, hand box and put it all on pallets for the truck to come get...it took a village but we get it done...

Oh, I have to tell you…remember I’ve told some of you about the shenanigans between Kemper, me and mom? You know when one of us goes out of town the other checks on the animals…Well, Mom went with Joann and Bill on their ANNUAL wildflower tour in the hill county…so while they were gone Kemper and I hide 100 Easter eggs in mom’s house…we hid them in the ice maker…showers…everywhere you could possibly think of…and the kicker was 60 of the eggs had puzzle pieces, we knew that would drive mom crazy until she finds them all…well to date she is still missing 4 pieces to the puzzle…heehee.
May…really gotta go see Trey so we plan a summer vacation to DC with Austin and Danielle to visit him, we are all very excited.
June…DC bound. We visited Signature Theater, made dinner at Trey and Kate’s apartment, as well as toured all the cool stuff in DC. We all had fun and it was so good to see Trey doing so well, so far from home and on his own. July…Booked the beach House for the Lonestar Rally, by now I am just the group travel agent. We get to have Danni and AJ for the whole month…well when they aren’t at camp. Their mom will have them for the holidays this year so we are planning to spend Thanksgiving in the hill country and Christmas in Mexico, well plan it after Vegas.
August…okay here’s where the whirl wind starts…in August we got a dog, got married in Vegas, bought a new car. To date the only regret is the dog, we love her some of the time and the kids think she’s awesome. The car is totally cool and now beefed up with loud pipes, thanks to Austin with Kemper's help (yeah Peter Pan syndrome a little)
My husband…the BEST thing I have ever done for myself…yep totally selfish…I married him for me and only me. I am so proud of him…he’s the best man I’ve ever known in every way and he loves me…all of me…I am so lucky, and THANKFUL for Kemper. I’m in love…love is something I never knew, I never knew…
September…Still just wondering where our year went Kemper’s new product, the Mosquito Sentry is doing wonderful…sales are great and the spring is looking even better. We are going to have the kids for Thanksgiving?? What??? Trey wants to come home for Thanksgiving??…Kemper’s mom wants to come here for thanksgiving??? Gran is coming???? Oh dear…well I guess we’ll do Thanksgiving.
October…another year older…wow really...29 came so fast? Kemper’s truck gets a makeover including new paint…flat black (yeah…Peter Pan)…very cool. I get hired by CB&I and get to quit my job…it was awesome, like something on TV. There in the morning, get the call at lunch time and go back to announce oh…I quit...while “Take this Job and Shove It” is playing (well, only in my head…but that would have been the only thing making it sweeter). Now it’s rally time…the Lonestar Rally four days of rest, riding and freaks, oh and the people watching isn’t bad either…ahhhh, it’s a good life. Come home to find Candy Body Parts hidden all over my house (still finding them as a matter of fact) and a scary thing in my BED!!!
November… Danni gets a driving lesson...yeah...driving...in the new BEAST.

Gran arrived on November 21 and Barbara didn’t make it after all, Trey came home for the first time in over a year on November 22, everyone was coming over to see him…I cooked everything he likes to eat all in one day, fried squash, meatloaf, mashed potatoes and Uncle Bill became the newest fan of my fried chicken. On Wednesday, we smoked the turkey…an all day event, even Kevin came over to sit and watch the turkey smoke, and Brent and Brenda come over for a visit and we even got to see Chad and Haley as they made their way home from Missouri…exciting stuff. Thanksgiving was great, yummy food and fun family. While giving the family his presentation that he will give at Sam Houston State...Trey announced that Sweeney Todd will open in February http://www.ticketmaster.com/promo/r2u270. You probably don’t know but Sweeney Todd is how this all got started, that was Trey’s favorite play in High School and when he went to college for Theatrical Carpentry he told me his dream was to one day build the barber’s chair for Sweeney Todd…well thanks to the recession and budget cuts, they are not building a new chair they are just using a borrowed one, but none the less Trey is working on the set, and called to tell me just the other day that he was the test dummy for the shoot. Trey left on Friday, the time really flew and I miss him like crazy…probably more than I ever have. It is nice to see that even in spite of the world’s worst mother he is a great man and the world is a better place because of him.
December…Santa?, presents?, shopping?, spending?, cooking?, eating?, parties?, plays?, concerts? Ahhgggggg!!! Well ready or not here it is…

So it started off with Lemon Fest, then Danni’s Winter Concert, then Mom and Bill's Christmas Play, then Mom’s Chorale Concert and finally Austin’s Winter program, I must say I am so proud of ALL my Stars!!!…then Steven is home for a two week leave for Christmas so we went there is see him…one thing seeing all these kids now grown up and successful… they sure make us look like a bunch of chumps…I think I speak for Brenda, Monica, I think they will agree…all three of our boys have been a group effort…we’ve all leaned on each other over the years, even talked each other off the window ledge a time or two…but we did it, they are still alive and so are we, we can be proud that we aren’t visiting them in the county jail as we all thought was their certain destiny…heehee. They are nice men; doing honest work…we can be proud of them and us. From me…thank you Monica, Brenda and Mom…I couldn’t have done it without you!! Not that I’m relieving you of your duties…pretty sure we’re not done yet…so don’t go far!
Mom, Joann and Bill went to visit relatives in Midland so Kemper and I bought those tacky blow up Christmas things to put in their yards…while looking for extension cords in mom’s garage we found all the things we’ve hidden in her house in the past…sooooo…we hid it all again throughout her house…Easter Eggs and Farm animals many, many farm animals…Now her yard is decorated with her a gaudy blow up Santa waving to the passing traffic, her beautifully decorated Christmas tree is now adorned with Easter Eggs and Farm animals…a Giant pig has joined her carefully hand painted collection of Santas, and her car sports a rather large velvet red bow. She’s never been so in the Christmas spirit.

On Wednesday December 23, we had the 2nd annual Yankee Chili
feast and White Elephant gift exchange at Bill and Joann's house...the chili is yummy...even if it's Yankee chili and the gift exchange is always so fun. This year one of the gift's in the exchange was a Monkey and rolled around on the floor and laughed...it is really funny...so anyway Bill got the monkey and was so affraid someone would take him away, that Bill licked him all over...really licked him...licked him until he was grossly wet...well the Monkey was safely and securely Bill's monkey for life now...funny stuff...really funny.

Kemper and I are better than ever...with the new Charger and his Beast all freshly painted...he bought us personalized license plates...Yin and Yang...This Simbol(Yin-Yang) represents the ancient Chinese understanding of how things work. The outer circle represents "everything", while the black and white shapes within the circle represent the interaction of two energies, called "yin" (black) and "yang" (white), which cause everything to happen. They are not completely black or white, just as things in life are not completely black or white, and they cannot exist without each other.

Good Bye 2009…sniff…Kemper and I were sitting on the couch the other night sipping a glass of wine and just kinda breathing for a minute…I looked at him and said…this has been the best year of my life, all my dreams have come true, I want for nothing, I have more than I have ever deserved, my life is complete. So 2009, by far, has been the best year of my life…………………………….…SO FAR…
Welcome 2010