For starters

OK, so bear with me, this is my first attempt at blogging. Since this is by invitation only, y'all all know me. What most of you don't know is how busy I am! I'm sure Gary has no clue as to how many organizations that I volunteer for, he just knows that I have meeting after meeting. He's just glad to get some good food when I don't cook supper because I'm at a meeting! Here's a glimpse of the family life.

Gary has just gotten his license in Residential Building after studying really hard. He's still working for Evans Construction, just in a job that is more stressful mentally, but less stress on his body, particularly his knees. He is obsessed with genealogy and has found out that he and I are related, a long way down the line! He has very extensive lines in his family and is highly regarded in the genealogy field. Some of Gary's pictures are published in a book on the Snipes family. The funny thing is, I had to convince him to buy our first computer and now his spare time all he does is work on the computer digging up his family tree.

CJ is a senior at Orange High School and has just joined the Army Reserves. He can go to drills each month until he graduates, then he will go to basic training for 9 weeks on July 3 in Ft. Leonardwood, MO. After that, he will go to Advanced Individual Training (AIT) to become a Combat Medic. That's in Ft. Sam Houston, TX. I am very proud and very scared. CJ has some major problems following the rules at home, so I hope that the Army can get him straight. I cannot deny his right to serve our great country, as both sides of his family have very strong military ties. We, overall, are a very patriotic family.

Cameron is a sophomore at Orange and just got his drivers permit the day before Thanksgiving. Be very careful when you see my car coming! He is a very conscientious person who often thinks of others before himself. He's always been a very caring and giving person. Just this past birthday, he mentioned that he wanted to get a used PS2 system so he and Cj didn't have to share. After he got some birthday money in, he gave me $35 of that to go to OCIM for the bike-a-thon he just rode in (I'll tell about OCIM later). I said to him, what about your PS2? He said "I want the money to go to OCIM. They need it more than me".

Now, the queen of the house....Sydney. As someone recently said, she's a rare breed dog, meaning a mutt. Gary fell in love with her in the pound 11 years ago and she has captured our hearts ever since. To say she's spoiled is an understatement. She who lets us live with her loves the beach, where we usually spend our vacations. Gary and I have some great photos of her playing in the water. My blog would not be complete if I didn't mention her and her antics!