kept forgetting!! argh!

you know those big important things that you do during your days that you think I want to have a camera for this. but then you get busy, and busier and busier? and then you leave, and only as your back on the freeway remember "OHH, I wanted pictures!" I've been having LOTS of those moments! and I'm very sorry for this post full of not-pictures. the even sadder part is that the camera was always in the car waiting for us to take it out! Argh! oh well, eventually I'll plan to remember WHILE I'm doing these things. Last Wednesday we went to my hometown and raked her yard. My family(me,nate&boys) have done this for Grandma for 3-4 years now. Since we found out that my sisters and parents weren't, even though they live less than 5 min. away. It's become sort of our tradition and it's good for our boys to learn about service and how to lovingly perform it. The dificulty with raking Grandma's yard is the fact that not only does she have a walnut tree but the neighbors on BOTH sides have one as well. and it doesn't matter whose tree they came from cuz they're in her yard. now her place is a small place with a decent sized yard to go with her decent sized home. But it's hilly. you know you're in for a back-breaking time when you pull up to the house and you CAN'T see any hills! That's how it was this time. but we had a little help on our side, thankfully! Grandma's neighbor was finishing up raking his leaves and blowing the toosmall bits out to the road when we'd pulled up. After 20min. or so I'd gotten over to his side of the house and started in on one of the "hills", well he came out of his home and said to me "I should have used my leafblower to help clear out those bushes over there!" I said "that's OK", but was thinking it sure would have been nice. 2 seconds after I'd thought that what does he do but start up his leafblower! He walked along the fenceline blowing the bottom of the leaves and I was on my sidetrying to lighten the load of leaves so he could blow more up and out of the bushes. we were a great team! After I'd cleared out the "ditch" part of the hill there was a pile of leaves longer than Nate on the ground and at least 3 1/2 feet tall! Now don't think that Nate was just sitting inside staying all warm and cozy, because he wasn't, he was up on the rooftop, clearing the gutters! about halfway through the hill he'd gotten done and had come to help me. Grandma had wanted the walnuts that were from the tree, so Joe, Ben and Cole(my nephew, who Grandma watches) went out all bundled up to find walnuts under the big pile of leaves. After we'd raked the covering leaves off, of course! We started around 3 and didn't get done till about 5:30, which is pretty good timing! A couple of years before we hadn't been able to rake all the leaves up and had to leave a huge pile(which ended up killing all the grass under it) because it got too cold for us to work! So it was good to get all the leaves up and out and consequently fill 3 LARGE bucket/boxes overflowing with walnuts! The day after I came down with ??? only waht I can think of to be the h1n1 flu! Though the only reason I can guess at that diagnoses is because Joe got it too, but I took him into the drs. and had him tested. they put him on medication and even before he'd had a chance to take it he was bouncing off the walls feeling not at all feverish and just a little runny/stuffy nose-ish. the punk. i was down and out for 4 DAYS! and all he gets is 1 day of (relaxation)staying in bed! NoT fAiR!!
oh well, and yesterday being thanksgiving I should have thought to bring my camera out of the car. but no. I think my camera puts a fog over me when I go to take it out of the spot its in to keep it safe. it doesn't want to move or get bumped or something. So there's all the things that could have had pictures taken of them, if the camera hadn't been elusive or technically me being forgetful. We had a fabulous thanksgiving with lots of food, family and love. with a few coughs and noses blown here and there. Thanks Kris & Joel for your beautiful home to host Thanksgiving at, Thanks Dad & Mar for cooking all the food, and then bringing it all down here so we could all join you, and thanks to you all again for not minding us "sick-Os" coming! It was D-licious! Mmmm I want leftovers!