~~ODNEAL FAMILY BLOG~~Port of Readlyn, Iowa

So this week I just haven't had the time to sit down and do any posting. I need to do a slide show of Cole & Ashley's bathroom remodel and that takes time. I can say that Mom & Dad O. got home safely from Texas on Friday night and we went and visited them Saturday night and had pizza with them and Aunt Carol. It was wonderful to see them all after another Iowa winter. And we kept Grandpa & Grandma O. up until after 11:30. I guess that isn't surprising of Joey, but for Jr. that might be a record at home in G'ville! This picture is one of some more bird pictures that I snapped for Ashley's project on Saturday. I hadn't seen a Cardinal and got some good shots of one. And it was underneath the feeder that hasn't had much attention all winter. I guess the others might have been empty since I filled them all late afternoon! Ty went and got measured for his tux for prom tonight. He is only a sophomore and I don't really think he "needs" ...

This is just way funny so I had to share!! Sorry but I had to delete this video because every time I try to upload photos from our laptop I get a message that refers to where this video came from and I think that might be causing me posting problems.  If you want to see it go to You Tube and look for "baby saying "f" you" and you might find it!

Snapped this picture yesterday as Ashley needs bird pictures for a school project. I have no idea what kind of bird this is but the photo didn't come out too bad for taking it through my dirty kitchen window! Temperatures are expected to stay in the 30's and below for the next week or so and that is good for the spring thaw and river levels. So far looks like it won't be a problem for us. Bruce is running up tomorrow morning to unwinterize the houseboat so that it would be ready to move quickly if we had to, but I'm hoping it is just a precautionary measure! And I have decided since it will only be low 30's and cloudy that I am NOT dragging my butt out of bed at 5 am to go with him. Of course he can be persuasive, so I guess if photos from the river show up on here for Monday you will know that he won and I gave in and went with him. I hate the cold and cannot see driving 4 hours round trip to freeze my butt off and never get warm while there very briefly! I don...

So I think it has been almost two weeks since I posted my first spring flower purchase from my favorite grocery store. I combined the two vases and trimmed the stems and gave it fresh water. This is what I still have. All for $3.99. And they still smell awesome when I walk in the house after work and look fun! They may not be perfect but niether am I! I just smile when I see them and this week I will take that. We are watching the Mississippi River levels closely as spring flooding has begun and will most probably affect those of us with houseboats as far as when we can start our boating season and just making sure all of our family and friends boats are safe while the river is rising. Looking forward to another summer on the river but praying that the melt, freeze, snow, rain, etc. whole thing goes our way for the good!

I stole this picture from Sharon's blog as the only photos that I have of Marvin are from our wedding or the river and buried deep amongst millions of photos.  Bruce's Uncle Marvin passed away on Sunday and I know will be missed by so very many people.  He was a wonderful man and looked so very much like my father in law Junior.  The resemblance was obvious.  In this picture above Jr. is on the left and Marvin with the glasses on the right. I wish that I would have known him better, but I know that Bruce thought the world of him and appreciated all that he and Eula Mae did for him when he moved to Kansas City.  And they both always made me feel so loved whenever they visited all of us at the river.  Uncle Marvin you will be missed and may you rest in peace!

So this is/was "Spalding" as Tyler named him when he was hanging out around our house and garage. The first time that I knew about him he scared the crap out of me jumping out of a box in the garage when I opened the door to pull my car out and leave. I'd say he was around for a week or so and now nothing. We are wondering if he belonged to someone and they finally found him. He kept his distance pretty good until we started calling at him with "kitty kitty" across the street. Oh and the fact that Bruce put food out for him one night. I figured after that we'd never get rid of it. He'd come over and roll around in the driveway and just meow like crazy. Our cats did not appreciate this little guy and especially hated it when he'd come right up on the deck and lay in front of the door! Gizmo and Gadget are pretty protective of their space and yard. So it was a very nice kitty cat and I hope that it did indeed find its home or a new one and did...

I think this is a picture that I snapped last summer on our "Caley Weekend" at the river. Of course you couldn't look at me for the picture. I hope you have a great day doing some fishing or whatever is in your heart and want to do for the day. I think and hope you know how much I love you and want you to know that you have never made me feel anything but special. Especially every time I used to hear " Fred to the grill " when Mom ran Nino's so many years ago. You always managed to "screw up" whatever I was hungry for that night. Love you like crazy bro and you have always been a protector of me when you could be. Maybe this summer you and Sharon can come stay with us at the river more and I could teach you how to fish!!! Oh yeah I forgot. I really truly do suck at catching fish. But I sure have fun trying. And I ALWAYS bring a cooler of beer no matter how early! With Bloody Mary's! Happy Birthday Flip ! **I am struggling with ...

Yep my cupcake mix looks anything but appetizing with the neon green food coloring that I added to it. As you can see I added "normal" green food coloring to the frosting and some sprinkles. And I had Ty try them out and he said they tasted awesome so I think they were moist even with the ugly coloring. Everyone have a great day and have a green beer or something. I'm taking most of the cupcakes I made to the guys at work so that we don't have them around here. I half assed promised my coworker St. Patty's cupcakes so I had to make them after supper. Let's just say I was still frosting at 9:30 pm so I think she owes me. Oh wait. I put up with her everyday so she definitely OWES ME big time!!! Loving this Iowa warmer weather and might even have a green drink myself. Oh wait. I have a mug of green tea every night that my hubby usually prepares and brings to me. Yep he is sweet that way. That tastes much better than green beer! And it doesn't ...

Ty and his buddies often game here on the weekends which is great because we don't have to wonder where they are or what they are doing. They are teenagers you know. This past weekend we were going out Saturday night with friends and Ty asked if they could game and take over the living room for the night. Well I said yes and here are just a few snapshots of what that room looked like from Saturday afternoon until late Sunday afternoon. We had three flat screen TVs in the living room and they actually moved the couch and love seat up so they were close and personal with their televisions. I do have to admit they cleaned up the living room pretty good when they were done and brought all of their garbage and pop cans out and sent them down the can shoot. I'm just thinking I wish they would keep spending their weekends doing exactly this for the next two years of high school but I'm thinking these weekend nights are limited. Maybe not though as long as I'm willing ...

Yep our first born is 25 today. A quarter of a century. Very hard to believe that he has survived 25 years. Even more amazing that Mom & Dad survived him for 25 years! He definitely pushed any and all buttons growing up but very proud of the responsible young man he has become. And soon will be a father raising his own. I'm not sure if that is a scary thought or an exciting one! I pray that he will have at least as much patience as Bruce and I had raising him and I think he will do okay. So here's to you Cole on your birthday. I hope you get to celebrate at least a few more quarter centuries! Love you to the moon!!!!!

Had another date night at Menard's taking back the bathroom sink for Cole & Ashley's bathroom and got groceries while we were in town. Well spring was in the air today around here so I had to purchase another bouquet of Aldis awesome flowers tonight for $3.99. I split them up into two vases and this is what they looked like from the get go. I will post another picture in a week. And then another picture in another week. And then maybe (probably) another picture at week three because their flowers are just that awesome. They last forever. I think maybe as much as I spend there on not only groceries but everything they should just give me free flowers all of the time. I mean I blog about how great they are and frankly I think my Aldis flower posts get more views than my posts related to family and normal crap. So anyways. I bought myself some flowers tonight and my husband expected nothing less when I grabbed them. How awesome is he that he even wanted to put them ...

This is how many nights looked that Bruce was working on Cole and Ashley's bathroom. Cole watching and "supervising" while Dad did the dirty work. Cole is great for being a gopher and doing what is asked, but he just really isn't into the whole carpenter/remodel guy type thing. I believe this photo was when Bruce had just gotten done putting up all the tile or grouting it all. Not sure. I guess I should have looked at the date on the photo, huh? So the bathroom is close to being done. Bruce and I have another Menard's date night this afternoon/evening to take back the sink, get some tile sealant, and I'm sure there are other things we will find to help finish up the remodel job. It is looking spectacular and will be so nice for them to not have to shower in the basement. A good job well done! Hoping to finish it up this weekend with any luck. A couple tile got popped loose that need fixed from  walking on them before they were ready, but that hap...

Yes the calendar says March but once again we are putting up with the snow. These are a few pictures I snapped when getting home from Cole & Ashley's for the night. If you look over Ty's jeep at the light that is snow coming down in huge flakes! I should have taken some later since the deck now has what looks like a couple of inches on it. But if I heard correctly I believe we aren't supposed to get the 6+ inches that were possible so that is a good thing. And look at the bottom right photo. Even Gizmo was hiding from the weather in the bottom shelf of the pantry. Just kidding-she actually went out in the snow when the deck was covered. Everyone have a good Wednesday. I'm hoping the roads are decent in the morning as I have my insurance auditor coming tomorrow morning at work and she has to come from Vinton. Oh yeah and I have to get there for her! And scratch the not getting much snow. I just caught the end of the newscast and I think Schnack just said...

This post really isn't about Gadget but isn't this a weird way that she always lays? I just lately only have pictures of Cole & Ashley's bathroom remodel since that is what we (Bruce mostly) has been busy with every free moment. I'm waiting for the finished pictures to make a slide show post showing the nasty beginning clear up to the end. Of course one night Bruce wanted to upload pictures to look at them and saved them somewhere (so he says-I cannot locate them on the laptop), so I am missing I don't know how many of the process. But lets just say that it needed done and no one should EVER put carpet in a bathroom! In my opinion of course. It needed a do over and that is what we said was our wedding gift to them. It is only a year and a half later but you know. At least it is getting done! Bruce did all of the tiling himself (as we always do everything ourselves) and made the vanity and medicine cabinet. They are beautiful as all of his pieces are. ...

Kyle picked up Ty Friday afternoon to spend part of the weekend at his house gaming and hanging out. They were going to BWW's (Buffalo Wild Wings) for dinner. Ty did the challenge which is eat 12 terribly hot wings within 6 minutes. Well he not only did it but rocked it! Yep, he did it in 3 minutes and then asked for a glass of milk. Kyle said he was sweating like crazy but OMG! I would die! Anyway I figured he'd at least get his dinner free but nope, just a free t-shirt that is twenty sizes too big. I tried to shrink it but it didn't work at all. Oh well. He now has bragging rights for doing the challenge in three minutes. Maybe we should put him out on tour or something. Just kidding. I came down with a stomach flu/virus last Wednesday night so am happy to start the week feeling normal. I had just bragged how I NEVER get sick (and even knocked on wood) and wouldn't you know it I got hit with a ton of bricks. Everyone have a great week. Spring is on it...