March Madness

Surely it has not been a month since I last posted. Time flies. I did something for myself a few weeks ago......hired a maid. She is wonderful and economical. It is the best thing I have done for myself in a long time! Shane and Dennis bought an old truck. Do not ask me why. In these turbulent times aren't we supposed to be careful with our money? Work is a pain lately. I better be thankful I have one though. The only thing good I have found about Obama's stimulus plan is the extra $30.00 I received on my check today! Zack has started saying "I want to go to Grandma's house." Ha! Ha! I knew I could train him quick! We had a non-snowing "snow day" a couple of weeks ago just like the one we had back in January. I took Zack to Chick-Fil-A, his favorite. Then we went up to my house for the afternoon. We both loved it. Blythe is now full-time at the dentist office. She is a rover and does whatever they want. We are also thankful she has a job. Shane and Whitney are sooooo cute. They are good at keeping their little secrets. Maybe before long we will know something more. Shane makes no bones about his feelings for her and vice versa. Dennis has been having a lot of trouble with his neck. It is a result of an accident a few years ago. Pain pills, therapy, and other treatments just aren't working. They are recommending an epidural. He says he is going to everything before that! We are getting old and have a few more aches and pains than we used to have. That's life though. We love having all the family here, especially on Sundays. It has truly brought total happiness to my life.
Got to go watch some of the tournaments. Go BYU and Gamecocks!

Would you believe?

The last time I blogged we spent the rest of the night at the hospital with Shane. TaMara's blog addresses some of the events. After being diagnosed with salmonella, Hepatitis A or E, and appendicitus we still aren't sure what Shane had. Finally, Dr. Word who is an internist simply said it looked like a very bad virus and Shane went to the limit with it. Whatever it was, we are thankful Shane is doing better. I still don't know how much weight he lost and probably would worry myself sick if I did know. He and Whitney are doing fine but seem to be taking things a little slower than I thought they would. What do I know??? I have been out of the love business for a long time now.....or at least the falling in love business.

Last weekend we celebrated Zack's 3rd birthday! It is very hard to believe it has been 3 years.

We went to the zoo. It was a beautiful 70 degree day. Afterwards we went to the Freeman's and had Chick-Fil-A chicken strips, fries, and fruit salad. Of course, cake. Yum! Zack is such a kind, loving child. He is the most pleasant 3 year old I know. It is a wonderful blessing to have him here with us all the time.

Matt and TaMara got their permit to start their new house!!!! We are very excited. It should be done by the beginnning of June. It will be nice to have Zack around so I can see him every day. Since they moved, I am lucky if I get to see him twice a week. TaMara won't bring him up here. She is like everybody else in the world who says it is too far. Yeah, right. Wait till she gets up here and has to hear that.

My 82-year-0ld mother is modeling clothes tomorrow for a SC chain of stores. She goes like twice a week. It is about time they give her something back. Ha! Anyway some of the sales ladies just said she looks nice in her clothes, puts them together well, and is friendly. They told the manager he ought to chose her to model and the rest is history. Isn't that cute? TaMara and Holly, mama's oldest granddaughters are going to surprise her tomorrow and go see her.

She will eat that up!

Other than all of the above every thing else is pretty normal.

Love, TaWanna

Back to the grind stone

Since the last posting, Shane and Whitney arrived safely. They are lots of fun to be around. I started back to work on the fifth and we already had a holiday yesterday and a snow day today!
Snow days are nice, but they have to be made up. Ugh! So no holiday in February. Who cares. It is just nice to be back to the norm. We have been celebrating birthdays with lots of family activities and visits. Just what I love. Shane and Matt both have had a birthday. Next is Zack and Whitney in February.
Of course we are getting stuck to the t.v. during these winter months with "24" back on and American Idol. I love me some Jack Bauer. Until the contestants are chosen for A.I. I don't even bother to watch yet. That part is studid. They just need to have the people chosen and then start the show. The young people like the choosing but not me.
Last week I was driving home from work listening to the radio. The d.j. said he was going to have contest in a few minutes and get ready to call. Well me being the senior teenager that I am, I called. It was busy so I would hang up and call back. The next thing I know the d.j. answered. I about swallowed my teeth. The contests was for ticket to see The EAGLES that night in Charlotte. He asked me what was my favorite Eagles song then to sing a little of "Take it Easy." Well you know I did! I WON!!!!!!!!! It was 4:15 and it took me till almost 5:30 to get to West Columbia and pick up the tickets. I got home at 6 and Dennis at about 6:30. We left, got there, went to the restroom, and the show started. I have never in my life been to such a fantastic show. Unbeleivable! Like I have never seen. Those guys may have messed up political views, but they can flat play the guitar! Dennis and I haven't had that good a time in years!
Our little Zack is still the best thing around since chocolate! We enjoy all his surprise remarks and the love he gives each one of us. Blythe is still looking for a job, Matt received an award at work for being number one in his region and number 18 or 20 out of 2000 reps with Blackberry.
Pretty good, huh. Whitney job shadowed last week and began her new job at an endodontist office this week. She is a dental assistant. We are so happy for her. Other than that, we are all just back to our normal grind stone. Take care to all.

Our Three Degrees of Glory

Once again Dennis came up with the title. He said our children's college degrees were our three degrees of glory! We were sooooo proud on the 15th of December at 3:30 our Blythe Alexis Branham received her B.A. in Art History. It was an emotional day. TaMara claims her degree is the celestial degree because she received it from the Lord's school, BYU! I am just thankful and greatly blessed that it is all done and over. Truly we have been blessed with three wonderful children.

Matt, TaMara, and Zack moved out that same week. They have an apartment about a mile from Shane and Blythe's. It has been fun for those three. They will only be there for about six months while they build their house. We are going this week to pick the spot out and measure it off. Progress!

Shane is about to bust to leave Tuesday for Utah or should I say leave to go get Whitney. I am so excited for them both! Whitney has brought back our fun, sweet, loving Shane. He is a different person. Thank the Lord.

Dennis was sick for about a week before Blythe's graduation. The day of it he really was sick. He just kept pushing himself all that week until by the 16th he was exhausted. We were able to get him an antibiotic but he needed rest. TaMara and I commanded him to the bed that Friday and he did not go anywhere until Monday morning. We were worried, but he is much better now.

Zack had a big Christmas. I absolutely had the best Christmas ever because everyone was here!

Thanks For Giving

Dennis always says, "Thanks for giving" instead of Thanksgiving. It is a pretty good way of putting things. We were soooo thankful for the first time in years to have all three of our children and our Matt and Zack with us this Thanksgiving. What more could we ask to have?

While Grandma was making the ambrosia, Zack decided to help himself! I feel a newness to life with so much family around. I don't know why it took TaMara's coming home for Shane and Blythe to come around more. The reason doesn't matter. I just love it. Shane brought a new friend over to meet us all on Wednesday night. Dennis grew up with her mom and me for a little while in the teen years. They were visiting here from Utah. Shane and Whitney met Sunday and spent just about the rest of her whole visit together. Just a few more days before Blythe graduates! Another reason to give thanks! Now we are asking the Lord to give Blythe a job so we can thank him for another blessing. Matt and TaMara will probably be moving into an apartment soon for about six months while building their house NEXT TO US!!!!!!!! I have truly been blessed during my life to learn patience, but it truly does pay to have it. Look....I waited on Dennis and have had 32 blessed years of bliss and now Zack will be living right beside Grandma!

Is that happiness or what?

Shock! Twice in one month! Wow!

Just thought I would blog before I got too busy with Thanksgiving and the start of the holidays. Hope all are doing well. I finally got well after about two weeks of some virus or flu bug. To make it worse, I took the flu shot the day I became sick. It was the worst ever but now I feel like a million dollars. About a week ago I was named "Staff Person of the Month" for November. Woo-hoo! I couldn't believe it. Everyone at school has been very nice and assuring that I deserved it. I thought, well after being there nine years one would think so, huh? In less than a month Blythe graduates from college! That is another thing that makes me really proud. Three down and NO MORE TO GO! We have had a child in college for eleven years staight. No we have no retirement money.

Next Sunday my favorite tv show returns "24." I think it will be two nights in a row. Good thing "Dancing with the Stars" is almost over. Next Monday is our 32nd anniversary. Now I cannot even believe that! I surprise myself sometimes.

Has everybody been working on their year supply? Dennis has gone crazy between buying food and guns. I don't know if I can take 4 years of his griping about Obama being our president. It is the Clinton era all over again. Maybe this time it will only last four years instead of eight.

Well, hope everyone of you who checks this will have a wonderful Thanksgiving and holidays. I love this time of year. It has been a beautiful fall here. Love to all. TaWanna

We did our part!

As you can see.....we all did our part and voted today!!! It wasn't that bad of a wait either. We were there about one hour tops. Wasn't that a blessing? Probably the only one we are going to receive since Obama is probably going in. It has been hard to accept, but this is how I feel. We were blessed to be born in America and in the church. I am just thankful at these troubled times that we have the safety of the gospel and a prophet who I know will tell us what to do. Dennis voted after being in meetings most of the day and Shane had to vote early, early this morning. He probably will not get to leave for home until about 4 a.m. tomorrow morning. Somehow he is in the middle of the security for the votes. We are all just sick around here but know the Lord will provide. We can all help each other through this.