Snow Day Fun and More Beautiful Scenery

Nasty Weather Makes For Beautiful Photos!

A Fun Re-Run

For the past several months Jeremy has been in search of a Nintendo. Not a Wii or DS, but the original 1985 Nintendo. With the help of one of Jeremy's brothers he found the original Nintendo in fairly good working condition along with about 10 games (he is dying to find Mike Tyson's Punchout too!) So we got the system on Sunday night. He had it up and running at about 6:00. The only thing both of my boys wanted to do was play! I finally got Colby in bed around 10:00. The other "big" kid wasn't so easy to get to sleep..........he was still up when I got up to use the restroom at 2:45!

Now normally I wouldn't be an advocate for video games, however it is winter and we can't go outside to play as often. Also, as I have referred to in previous posts, my house often resembles a cross between a three ring circus and the WWE, so having them zoned out and QUIET focused on a game has it's benefits in our small house!

Ultimately I am glad that Jeremy found the Nintendo. I have been amazed at how much I remember from games we played 20 years ago! We have laughed a lot and had a lot of fun with our "Re-Run" game system!


And the calm settles in on the Vincent home.


They are completely "in the zone".........peace and quiet at last!


I am very happy about a little calm in the storm of my little family!

A Cute Moment

This morning I was washing dishes (by hand to save on electric) and as I picked up my favorite coffee mug - a large Christmas cup with holly berries on it - I noticed something was different. It was covered with outer space stickers! I called for Colby to come to the kitchen and held the mug up to him and said, "Care to explain what happened to my mug." His response? "Well Mom, Christmas is over and outer space is cool. I wanted to make it pretty." So I gently washed the cup, careful not to loose any stickers and I placed it in the drying rack. Now my favorite cup is more special because of my son's innocent alterations!

I Have a Dream!

It has really been one of those days..........the kind of day that makes you want to hide in your closet and not come out. It seems like all day long I have been getting one piece of bad news after another.....this bill is due and we are out of this....etc etc. It has put me in a bad mood and I hate being that way. I get in a funk and ruin the evening because I am upset. It also doesn't help that Jeremy is at work and I have no one to vent to...........thus here is my blog post!

Now on to my dream..........here are the things I fantasize about!

1. I have a dream that the economy will settle back down and jobs will be open again so people can work who want to.

2. I have a dream that I will go to the grocery store and things will be on sale instead of going up in price (or the same price, but less in the package - this makes me CRAZY!)

3. I have a dream that my electric bill will be under $150 - not holding my breath here!

4. I have a dream that I will come home from work to find a house not destroyed by my husband and son!

5. I have a dream that someone will learn how to do laundry, cook, or clean in this house besides me!

Okay, I feel a little better now. Thanks for being my sounding board. Now that I have gotten that off of my chest I may not wait for Jeremy to come in with my iron skillet in my hand!

Today I Turned The Big 29!

Yuck. Thas was the first thought that crossed my mind this morning when I woke up. I turned 29 years old today. I realize that 29 is not old. I realize that one is only as old as he/she feels. Nevertheless I have found myself today hating the fact that I am 29! Really, where did the time go?

Snow Day Fun!!!

Tractor Show 2009

Colby looks forward to the tractor show every year!


Checking out his tractor tires.


Colby climbed on the Allis Chalmer to take a picture for Pa.


I'm having so much fun Mom and Dad!


Colby is clearly a John Deere man!

On Saturday Jeremy and I took Colby to the 2009 Antique Tractor and Hit and Miss Engine Show at the WKU Ag Expo Center. We have been to this event for the past two years and Colby LOVES it. This year there were about 60 tractors. He loves to climb up on the seats and pretend to drive, and luckily the owners love seeing kids on the tractors!

AFter we had been there for a while we were approached by Jim Gaines, a reporter for the Daily News in Bowling Green. He interviewed me and Colby. I have pasted in a copy of the article into this blog.

The wheels of time
WKU Ag Expo Center hosts Antique Tractor/Hit & Miss Engine Show to help promote agriculture’s importance

By JIM GAINES, The Daily News, jgaines@bgdailynews.com
Saturday, January 17, 2009 11:59 PM CST


Four-year-old Colby Vincent gives a shy smile and shrug when asked why he likes antique tractors, but the answer to questions about his favorite make is swift and definite: John Deere, as anyone might guess from the logo on his green sweatshirt.

He had his fill of John Deeres from decades past, along with Allis-Chalmers, Farm-Alls, Fords and many other colorful brands on Saturday at the third annual Antique Tractor/Hit & Miss Engine Show at Western Kentucky University’s L.D. Brown Agricultural Exposition Center.

“He loves it. Anything that has to do with tractors he’s interested in and wants to be a part of,” said Colby’s mother, Brooke Vincent of Rocky Hill. She and her husband, Jeremy, brought Colby to the show sponsored by the Warren County Antique Tractor & Engine Club, and Colby peered happily at the stationary engines chugging away, pumping out clouds of blue exhaust over the 50 or so tractors on display.

“We’ve taken about 100 pictures and he’s climbed on most of the tractors,” Brooke Vincent said.

They come every year for good family fun, feeding Colby’s enthusiasm for tractors - he’s got a fleet of models, lined up and played with regularly, and knows all the major makes, she said.

That’s the sort of knowledge the club hopes to impart through the show, organizer Linda Dickerson said.

“This is a wonderful way to tell children of the importance of agriculture,” she said.

The group was formed to promote interest in the history and importance of agriculture, Dickerson said. In fact, the event sparks memories for many of the club’s 65 members who grew up on farms, she said.

“And they’re good memories,” Dickerson said.

The group’s Web site, www.wcatec.us, offers pictures and video of members and their 80 or so antique tractors, along with historical and contact information.

Dickerson said she was glad to see a crowd around the tractors, including many children like Colby.

“Considering the weather, we’ve got a real good turnout,” she said.

At center stage sat a 1919 Fordson owned by Stephen Haynes of Bowling Green. He bought the rust-red machine with steel wheels from Wisconsin three years ago through a tractor magazine. It runs, but isn’t fully restored, Haynes said.

“This is the first time we’ve had it out where anyone can see it,” he said.

The tractor is a product of Henry Ford, who brought his son into the business - hence the name, Haynes said. Ford started making them for farm families in England and Canada that had lost horses, men or both to World War I, he said. Haynes owns five antique tractors, including the 1937 International F-12 his father bought new for $631; its long use sparked his interest in the machines’ historic importance.

The show’s $3 adult admission will benefit the expo center and the ag scholarship fund at WKU. The club is glad to work with Tim Jones, expo center director, to operate the show, Dickerson said.

“They do the concessions, and we do the tractors,” she said.

Christmas in January!?!

Can I open a present yet? I've been waiting FOREVER!

Mom enjoying Colby opening a gift.

Merry Christmas...........again!

Colby getting some love from Pa.

Meagan and her fiance' Jamie (aka May May and Jam Jam). Mom made us all fleece blankets. The look on Jamie's face? He's just a goofball!

Today we were finally able to have my family's Christmas gathering. As you know Daddy was in the hospital and rehab during the holidays so he wanted to wait and have Christmas when he felt well enough to enjoy it. We had our traditional Christmas breakfast (for supper) and opened gifts. Bless Daddy's heart, I think he cried about 100 times during the night. He is so emotional still about how much his accident has changed the way we live now. Like I tell him though, atleast he's still here with us to enjoy, no matter what kind of adjustments we have to make!

Colby got several neat toys and Jeremy and I got a set of corn hole boards. There is fun in store for us as soon as this weather warms up a little bit!

Dinner For Two

Inspired by a fellow blogger, I decided to have "Colby in the Kitchen" night at our house. Now this is a night that comes every now and again where Colby gets to select what we are having for supper and help with EVERY part of preparing and cleaning up for the meal. Tonight it was just the two of us so clean up was easy since Daddy is usually the messiest one!

On the menu was homemade cheese pizza, "white" noodles, and brownies. Colby had a great time and really loved helping out! He did a wonderful job and I enjoyed my dinner for two!


Your dinner is served!


Mmmmmm..........smells YUMMY!

Quality Time at Home

I love to help wash dishes!


Look where I can climb when you're not looking Mom!


Colby loves looking at his Science Encyclopedia before bed every night.


Colby watching The Magic School Bus in his tent (I don't think I could watch an episode of anything with my head hanging out of the tent like that!)


Sweet dreams my little angel!

Since the new year is now in full swing Jeremy and I are back to work on opposite shifts. I work at school during the day and he works at Magna on second shift....we simply end up passing each other in the breeze. It is hard because we miss each other so much, but it makes the weekends all the more special. Also, Colby gets a lot of quality one on one time with each parent during the week and then family time on the weekends.

This week I have snapped a few pictures of Colby capturing some cute moments on camera to show Jeremy when he gets home at night (if I actually manage to stay up late enough to talk to him!). I love the innocence he has about everything. I live for the way he enjoys simple things.

Thoughts For Today......

Out of the Mouth of Babes

Anyone who knows me very well knows that I am a dog lover. We have two adult dogs and we raise boxer puppies. We are crazy about other people's dogs also. So.............please know that there was no mistreatment of animals during the event leading to this blog posting!

On December 14th Mom and Dad's dog bit Meagan (my little sister..........you know..........cute, blonde, and full of meanness). She swears that she was doing nothing to provoke the dog, but nevertheless he bit a her arm hard enough to break the skin. Meagan tends to freak out about medical issues so she took herself to Urgent Care to get the bite checked out. All was okay with her, but she was left with a very nasty bruise and a round of antibiotics. Two days later (while we were still in the midst of Daddy's first few days in the hospital after his car wreck) I went to Mom and Dad's to get some things to take to the hospital for them and in the door was a business card from dear old Keith Alford - Health Inspector. Now Keith is a wonderful friend and does a great job as health inspector so take those Larry the Cable Guy images out of your head now! Keith is very professional.. I called Keith and he said that since Meagan went to the doctor the dog had to be quarantined for 10 days so that we could be certain that he wasn't suffering from rabies.

The quarantining of a dog that has never been chained or pinned was not fun...needless to say the dog nearly ate Jeremy up and growled at everyone else that came near. He snapped at a few others. Since Colby goes to Mom and Dad's so often (along with an assortment of other children who stop by to visit my Daddy) the decision was made that the dog needed to be put down to keep the children safe.

Now the funny part..........all I told Colby was that the dog had died and was in heaven. He knew Meagan ( who he calls May-May ) had been bitten by the dog. Colby's conclusion................"The dog bit May-May and died Mom. I'm never gonna bite her because I might die too!"

Ahhh, out of the mouth of babes!

My Thought For The Day....

On a Good Note....

Jeremy's dad, Larry, had hip replacement surgery on Wednesday. It went VERY well and he is getting to come home today! My Daddy is doing well also. he still has to have someone sit with him to help him get up and down, but he is so blessed to have come so far! We are so happy and we are praying that we get to stay away from hospitals for a while now!

Remembering a Dear Friend

Today was quite possibly one of the most difficult things that many of us have faced.............a funeral of one of our own. Now I don't know if I am just odd or if this applies to everyone, but death really bothers me. I am not comfortable with the idea of mortality. I have been fortunate during my life to only have dealt with death in the form of the elderly........until today.

We have all known and loved Nathan Vincent for years, but that love was more than apparent today. As Jeremy and I pulled into the parking lot at Hardy and Sons that was overflowing, I immediatley choked up. When we walked into the funeral home we were greeted with a video of photos of Nathan's life. It broke my heart. For the first several minutes of our visit I battled me emotions trying to be strong and not cry...........but the saddness won and the tears fell. Then I was able to take in all that was around me.

I looked around and saw many of the people we had gone to school with...........many of us from different circles and interests.......but that had the friendship of Nathan in common. I looked around and saw older people there to support Nathan's family. I saw the heart break of Nathan's mother, Cherri as she patted her oldest son in the casket in front of us. It made my stomach ache and my heart hurt. But once I got past the pain I was able to see that the room we were all standing in was filled with love.

Love for our friend who always treated us all like we were special to him. Love from spouses and friends who came to give their support for someone they didn't know well, but that we loved. And people also showed love for each other. We hugged and told each other to be careful and promised to keep in touch......because we love each other.

Now usually in my blogs I try to be sassy and smart, but this is not a post that sassy is appropriate for. This is simply a reflection of a difficult day and the things I brought away from it.

We are mortal. We may only be 29, but it can all change so fast. We need to live each day as if it were our last. We need to live right. We need to love those around us. We need to be good to those we know and to complete strangers. We need to focus on the important things in life and forget the stress we put on ourselves with mortgages and car payments. We need to enjoy the time we have here and pray that when our time comes.............when our last day on earth is here..........that we had been as loving and kind as Nathan has to all of us so that we are remembered in cherished memories like Nathan is remembered by each of us.