i've been busy - that's my only lame excuse...

well, let's see, since the last time i wrote... Becky and Delton got a new truck. And I was making grand plans to save money and pay cash for a truck in a few years, after school payments, and we were settled in our new home, etc.

Things have a way of happening. IT turns out, that the head gasket had blown on my car. *sigh* But then no sigh, because it turned out that I had to get a new car, not pay for repairs, as it was such an old clunker that it would have far exceeded it's value just in repair costs. So... I'm sure you're getting where this is headed. I decdied to buy a truck. I've wanted one ever since I could drive, but my parents have always talked me out of one. A.) they guzzle gas, and B.) my mom is afraid of looking like a full-blown redneck. With the junk on the porch, though, I think we already do.

So my adventure began when I went with my father (who had the flu) tol look at cars. IT was our unfortunate luck that we ran into the carlot we did, and to make a long story short, the sales guy tried to sell me this jazzed up truck with graphics and loaded interior and I almost bought it (because interior was so nice) but the dashboard went out when I was on the way to the shop to have delton check it out to make sure it was okay. Then the tranny was bad; it wouldn't shift into third. The guy still wanted to sell it to me!!! HE said he'd throw in a warranty and pay for half of it, like he was doing this big favor. As if. Do I have stupid written on my forehead? Hmmmm... Don't answer that one.

I was being nice that day, I should have been in a BAD mood. MY warning flag should have shot up the moment he purred, "what do you want your monthly payments to be???" I should have refused when the montly payments were going to be $100 more than what I had given as my absolute limit. But I talked down the price to only $50 dollars over. And prayed about it, because I wasn't sure. And God must have pulled the tape loose that was holding that truck together because it all went to pot when I brought it back. Dashboard, tranny... I think I should stay away from small, used car lots.

I found another truck for a much more reasonable price, it looks better too, and its a total tuff truck. Its good in this snow too. So I've been extremely busy.

For the wedding we still have to call a whole lot of people, figure out the flowers, bridesmaide dresses (!) yes, i know!!!, and that's crazy because about half of the groomsmen can't give definitive answers til about March. Which is probably too late to wait to get the dresses. Nick says to ask all my girls and worry about the guys later. As a last resort, I could always hire chippendales... hehehhee... just kidding.

Am trying to design my invites - that is... interesting. I bought an easel so that I could paint easier ( I haven't painted for years, since I had to quite art school), and I"m totally jazzed about painting again, but, it took me about 3 hours to put an impossibly cheap and flimsy easel together. I finally dug thru the trash to find the label, so that i might maybe get the instructions online, and found the stupid instructions on the INSIDE of the label. *sigh* I finally got it together, but the dog and cat ran around it today while i was painting and almost upset it several times. If the easel survives (and I do), we might have multicolored cat and dog. Well, they'll match my wedding scheme.

Oh, and was looking at houses and found the perfect house on 8 acres in a beautiful setting. A lovely old farmhouse with 3 bedrooms and a HUGE kitchen. I want it!! Am praying hard for this one... need to work out the mortgage; and that's interesting.

Well, have to go to Wal-mart tonight, have to -- no, MUST -- get a daily planner or something. Or a HUGE wall calendar where we can pencil in appointments and reminders. WE have alot going on!!!!

WEll, will let you all know more of what's going on.

Ciao for now!! NOra