Quotes of the Week

"The price of greatness is responsibility."
--Winston Churchill

"Nothing will ever be attempted if all possible objections must be overcome."
--Dr. Johnson

"I don't think much of a man who is not wiser today than he was yesterday."
--Abraham Lincoln

Sunday With the Family Plus One

Ben has been working in Colorado Springs this summer installing security systems. He's earning his summer millions to pay for his next year of school. The company has pulled the group out of Colorado and is moving them to Boise, Idaho for the rest of the summer.

We got to spend a few very enjoyable days with him--and his girlfriend Haley--as he was passing through.

 

His sisters got wind of his arrival and invited themselves over for Sunday dinner so they could see their brother. I'm always happy the siblings love each other so much...or is it Sunday dinner they love so much...? Either way, everyone was happy to see each other and the dinner just added to the joy and jubilation of being together.

I let them have their fun and games--for a while--before I put them to work.

I was going to use their visit to my advantage.
It was a brilliant idea.
I am no dummy.

Since I had signed up to donate two fleece blankets to Shriner's Hospital, time was running out for me to get them completed by the deadline date.

Turnabout is fair play!
I take care of their children frequently...
they take care of my one little, measly service project.

 

Many hands make light work (and light work makes me extremely happy).

The men did a great job taking care of the little ones while we women were hard at work getting the blankets completed.

Thanks, Rebecca, Sarah and Haley, for helping so much with the blankets. Thanks, Ben, for coming to town so my project could finally get completed.

Both G and K at G&K

Well here's some news...I'm now a working woman.

One might think...lucky girl, new wardrobe, spending money.
Reality is...hard hat, protective eyewear, long-sleeved shirt.

Glen has a huge account that is switching all their uniforms to new designs. This is requiring an extremely lot of time and energy for everyone at G&K. Extra help is needed, so Glen recruited his own wife and the wife of his assistant general manager to lend a hand. What Robyn and I have been doing is recording the names and sizes of the customer's employees after they have tried on the garments.

This particular customer has very strict rules and regulations while on their property. Hard hats, safety goggles and long pants and sleeves are required of anyone walking around outside. Our first day there it was 99 degrees outside. Robyn and I thought we were going to die walking those few feet from the car to the building and back again when the job was completed. Good thing we could have short sleeves inside the building or that would have been grounds for both of us to quit our newly-acquired jobs right then and there!!!!

Since I am the only one of the G&K work group who wears glasses, I was complaining about the protective eyewear I had to wear over my glasses. I kept asking Glen to get me some goggles that fit over my glasses. He said they have those and he would get me some, but he kept forgetting to grab them on his way out of the building. So I kept wearing the ones that weren't meant for glasses and kept doing my best to not trip while walking up and down the stairs as I was trying my best to see out of two pairs of glasses.

Not only did G&K need the extra help at this particular account, but also at another large account. This customer wanted to buy uniforms and we were recruited to go there and help the employees order their uniforms from a catalog. This involved adding up their purchases to make sure they weren't going over their individual allowances. A little more stress since math was involved, but a lot better for Robyn and me since we could wear short sleeves and eat all the free chips we wanted. Heavenly!!!

It appears I have now joined the ranks of yet another family member who has worked for G&K Services. In our immediate family, the only person who has had nothing to do with G&K (except spend lots of money that her father has earned while working for G&K) is Sarah. The rest of us (which now includes Dallas) have been on the payroll at some time or other. Hurrah for G&K!

This past week found me packing our lunches, coordinating transportation, donning the proper working attire and heading off to work. I find myself feeling like one of the Seven Dwarfs singing "Heigh-ho, heigh-ho, it's off to work we go..."

Actually, how can I really call it work when I get to be with my husband, I get to visit with my good friend Robyn who guarantees a laugh a minute and I am getting paid for it. Who could wish for anything more?

Well, maybe I will quit wishing for something...
New goggles.
I've quit wishing for those.
Because I got some.
One day Glen grabbed the over-the-glasses kind of goggles.
They weren't quite what I expected...

Who could take this person seriously? I mean, seriously?!!??!!

Next time I go whistling off to work, I'll be happy and content wearing my original goggles. (How big does he think my glasses are?) I feel like I should put a snorkeling tube in my mouth and don a wet suit. So far in this job I haven't come across any large bodies of water.

Quotes of the Week

"We cannot direct the wind, but we can adjust our sails."
--Author Unknown

"The really great man is the man who makes everyone feel great"
--G. K. Chersterton

"The best manager may not make the best leader, and the best leader may not make the best manager.  They rely heavy on one another for success.  A great vision cannot be reached without action.  Action cannot happen when a goal is not in place."
--Kevin Bitton

Ultrasound Reveals...

Jacob and Laurie are expecting baby #5 right before Thanksgiving.

They were anxious to find out the gender of the unborn child and scheduled the ultrasound for the day after they got back home to Omaha.

Natalie and Emma were hoping for a little sister. They are very good at holding babies and will surely be a very big help when the new baby joins their family.

Natalie took such good care of Spencer, even knowing how to soothe him when he was sick. She is looking forward to when she is old enough to babysit other people's children. A new baby will give her that much more practice.

Jacob invited the whole family in on a conference call so they could make their big gender reveal announcement to everyone at the same time.

Turns out Natalie and Emma are very happy because...it's a GIRL!!!!!

Quotes of the Week

"You can get everything in life you want, if you will help enough other people get what they want."
--Author Unknown

"By learning you will teach, by teaching you will learn."
--Latin Proverb

"Great people are those who make others feel that they too, can become great."
--Mark Twain

Two Parks In One Day

The last full day Jacob's family was here with us was a great park day for the kids. First park we visited had a walking trail where the kids were looking for things in nature.

 They found flowers and berries and a slimy snail climbing up a concrete wall.

The kids had fun playing on the amphitheater at the park. They think it would be fun to put on a show there for the whole family next time they come to town.

The playground at the end of the trail was a big hit with the kids.

The cousins came to play for the afternoon so Rebecca could get some more stuff done at the new house.

After dinner, Jacob and Laurie wanted to see what had been done on Dallas and Rebecca's house since their previous visit.

Rebecca was happy to get a new refrigerator and new stove. She still wishes she could have gotten a new microwave. Things are looking really nice in their new home and it's a very roomy, lovely place for them to live. All that work for all those weeks is now paying off for them.

Here are a couple of pictures at the very beginning of the home transformation.

And here they are standing in front of the new and improved version of the same house. The freshly painted red door and shutters and the potted plants on the front porch are so beautiful.

Home sweet home!!

After the home tour, everyone was off to the splash pad. It was hilarious watching how fearless Spencer was walking through the spraying water.

Near the splash pad was a very fun playground.

 
 

Natalie has always been a great poser for pictures. Brooke was so surprising when she actually started posing for pictures. I love these shots of her.

What a fun day with the grandchildren at the two different parks.

It was a sad moment the following day when Jacob and Laurie packed up their suitcases, loaded their car and drove off down the street taking those four precious children with them. They have been greatly missed around here!!!