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AMAZING. CRAZY. HYSTERICAL.SAD. BLESSED. LONG.

That is February in a nut shell. We started the month out with a call from our friend in Arnold NE that informed us of a dear friend's Father passing. So we loaded up and headed to Broken Bow on the 3rd for the funeral on the 4th, and headed back to KS by 1pm. It was wonderful to see everyone and although it was a sad occasion it was for the better. He was a drafted Korean vet who spent months in the cold fox holes fighting for our freedom and had horrible hips the rest of his life. He was a God fearing man and wasn't afraid to tell you, there is such a peace around people who believe in Christ and know their final resting place.

When we returned I got a call from my SIL Gina asking if she could come visit for the wknd. Of Course!!! We love company! It was so great to have the cousins together and see them. My nephew Yancy is hysterical. Everett had a scratch smack dab in the middle of his nose. While we were eating sausage/egg burritos Yancy was sitting across from Everett studying him. He finally gets up out of his chair, comes over to the other side of the table, puts his arm around Everett and says "Hey Buddy. If anyone asks you about that scratch on you nose you need to tell them you were looking down the barrel of your gun at a big four point buck. You took aim, fired, and yam! Your scope kissed you in the nose. He said it simple as that and went and sat down, we were all dyin' laughing! He is so funny!

I had already planned a trip to Broken Bow for Feb 14th since the kids did not have school. So we left after I got off work and headed north. We made it through McDonald's in Wakeeny KS and just as everyone finished their food about 15 miles north of town (an hour and a half from home) a deer decided to join in our venture and going 70 down the highway hitting a deer head on will scare the crap out of you. There was on coming traffic and a car close behind me so the only thing I could do was grip the wheel. There was no time to react. After both air bags deployed, Aubrey yelled "Momma, wur dose birewooks!!!" (Momma, were those fireworks). My sister decided she is Aunt Bethany from Christmas Vacation. Finally, after the car behind us drove around us and a dozen others passed, a mini van stopped. It was a super nice couple that stayed with us till the sheriff came, the wrecker came, took us back to Wakeeny to empty the suburban and to waited for Justin and my brother in law Jimmie Don to arrive.

When we hit the deer I told the kids there is no way we can continue to Broken Bow. They instantly started crying and said they wanted to see everyone. I said, just let me call Dad and see what we need to do. So I called Justin and I can not tell you how blessed I am to have such a patient, understanding, caring, and comforting man. For as many times as I screw up a vehicle he has never yelled at me. He always asks if we are all ok and then says it's ok, it can be fixed. So I told him we hit a deer and I am sure the suburban is totaled. After he made sure that everyone was OK, he asked "Well, are you still going to want to go North?" Oh, he knows me so well!!! Of course! I want to see my Mom, my nieces, my MIL, my sisters, my friends, on top of that we had hair cuts scheduled for all five of us the next morning at 9am. What woman wants to miss her hair apt due to a wrong turn by a deer!? :) So he drove Papa's pickup and Jimmie followed him. We got everything switched to the pickup and headed N.

An hour later it hit me like a hammer that my $300 cash and my debit card were probably on the floor board of the suburban and we had no money! When I went through McD's I set the debit card I took out of my wallet on the counsel and the wallet on the cup holders. When we hit they were thrown on the floor board and I grabbed my purse when the Sheriff asked for my license because I had just switched to a KS license and the new license is printed on a paper that looks like a receipt. With this receipt you need your old license and a bunch of other garb so I just handed him the manilla envelope it was all in never thinking of my wallet.

We made it to Broken Bow at midnight and I was SUPER tired. Thank goodness for my MIL, she gave us cash to help us out and I called to let Justin know he better go back to the tow place and get my stuff. It was all there thank goodness!.

Five amazing hair cuts later (there is nothing like your regular hairdresser!!), we met my Mom, my niece Morgan, and my sister Stephanie from Alliance for lunch. I went to the gast station got fuel, come out of the station and there is fuel flowing from the top of my fuel tank onto the cement! What the heck we just paid $4 a gallon for that. Thankfully a great friend was there and he said the fuel tank just got filled to full and it was coming out the relief valve. Whew! From there we visited our neighbor Rose and headed to Comstock to my Sister Debbies. The next day my kids stayed with Morgan and Uncle Sterling and the girls headed to a high school speech tournament my niece Isabelle was competing in. We get back to Debbie's and as we pass the pickup I see the back passenger tire is FLAT!! Seriously?? I need a margarita and I rarely drink anymore. My BIL Sterling aired up the tire and Stephanie and I drove into town to get the tire fixed. Pulled a fence staple out and we headed back to Comstock. I was a little afraid to breath the rest of our stay!

We got back from Broken Bow/Comstock on Mon and Gramma Anna showed up on Tuesday along with a huge snow storm on Wed. We were snowed in Wed through Friday morning and it couldn't have come at a better time. The kids have not been sick at all and they got nailed Wed morning. I was so glad we didn't have to go anywhere.

Justin and Jimmie have started calving so the snow kept em' busy. They were both beat and Justin was just as sick as the kids so it made horrible for him. Gramma had come to Dighton for an interview and after about 17" of snow she was finally able to make it to the interview on Sat morning. Low and behold after three interviews at other places she got the job and she starts in two weeks.

It is going to be crazy around here. Papa Jim was let go from the ranch where he has worked for 20 years and has to be moved out by March 1st, he still hasn't found a place. Gramma is going to start in Dighton on March 1st and doesn't have a place to live. The people that get to move both of them...us. And we are fine with that. Yes, it will be crazy, but they have always been there for us and now it's our turn to help them. So set back and hang on for whatever crazies March may bring.

I have been vehicle hunting and being a baby about it. We had five payments left on the suburban and now we get to start all over. We just keep remembering God has a plan, it may not be our plan, but it's the best plan. :)