Every one weigh in here in sharing 510!!!

[sunlight]

:grin: welcome back Mel! Finally!

[MelodyB]

Oh, quit your grinnin', Sunshine. Unless you are plotting and planning a surprise visit for me.

You missed my un-birthday where we go out and they sing to me.

[The Purple Fuzzy]

Hi, Mel!

[MsJennJenn]

* MsJennJenn hugs Melbs!

We missed ya! 

Out of the house today for a team meeting. Free food!

[Roscoe]

Hi Mel! Glad to see ya back, although I would SMITE you if we still had that ability for your unkind comment alluding to my height.  Strangely enough, I was just thinking that Lou, Chey and I should pull the Scotty to your area for a vacation. We really enjoyed that trip down that time..

And yes, Isaac that comic is appropriate..
The scales showed me at my first milepost this morning- 249, just barely. They are not very trustworthy and will give a dozen different readings before finally consistently showing one, so I'm not sure how accurate it is, but I know my clothes are fitting a bit better.

[MelodyB]

Ya know that the Crusin The Coast is coming up.

Thats somehing fun we can go to. I may have to work, and I may even work the booth at the event sellimg lemonade, but if yall were here for the whole weekend, we could still get some visiting time in. Ill check the dates.

[MelodyB]

Ok... its a week long event starting in Gulfport, but I usually work and attend the one thats in Ocean Springs downtown. September 30,- October 7th.

The Ocean Springs events will be Thursday-Saturday.

Its always a great time.

When is your vacation dates?

https://cruisinthecoast.com/schedule/

[Lynx]

And yes, Isaac that comic is appropriate..
The scales showed me at my first milepost this morning- 249, just barely. They are not very trustworthy and will give a dozen different readings before finally consistently showing one, so I'm not sure how accurate it is, but I know my clothes are fitting a bit better.

I had to go back and check what comic you were talking about, because I could not remember which comic I referenced. I found the Forum auto-censored me for something that was not even a cuss word...

Concurrence on wardrobe fitting. How my clothes fit is the only measurement I am using for my progress, and so far I am pleased by my progress.

[sunlight]

Oh, quit your grinnin', Sunshine. Unless you are plotting and planning a surprise visit for me.

You missed my un-birthday where we go out and they sing to me.

I'm afraid it's going to be a while till we can afford to go anywhere. We are plotting our next trip- but at the soonest it will be months from now in November... and that depends on if I can work and make the money to afford it. So it's still just a dream and not quite a possibility yet.

[Roscoe]

Same here... my budget is still reeling from Lou's surgery. Got another bill on it yesterday. The furthest I think that the Scotty and Rusty will get to go is Petit Jean mountain...

[MelodyB]

Well poo.

Ill just work and plug along here, and maybe someday somone will come see me again!

[sunlight]

Well poo.

Ill just work and plug along here, and maybe someday somone will come see me again!

Or you could come see one of us... :halo:

[MelodyB]

I came to you last time. To buy the car.

:halo:

[Roscoe]

I came to you last time. To buy the car.

:halo:

 But you still haven't came to see us....

Hi, all. Made it through the day, and spent the evening mowing the lawn. Oh, and I'm feeling quite accomplished too- my galaxy smartphone has a cracked lens on the camera. Thanks to ebay and you tube, I successfully repaired it for a total of about 2 bucks..

[Lynx]

Bobby are you trying to out-nerd the resident nerd? I have never fixed anything on a smartphone. At least not yet. Haven't had the occasion yet.

[The Purple Fuzzy]

My husband is not nerdy at all. He still asks elementary computer questions but he's extremely mechanical. He has replaced screens and speakers and stuff on iPads and iPhones many times with the help of YouTube.

[Lynx]

Yes, yes, but that was a lot of fun to say to Bobby.

[Roscoe]

It was definitely more mechanical than technical, I promise.
 Enjoyed the day today. Spent all day cruising the Ozarks and playing in mountain streams. Tomorrow, Lou has to work and Chey is at grandma's, so I intend to clean out my shop before church.

[Heather]

Mel, I'm going to get down there this fall!!! I'm sorry September didnt work out for me. But we have a spare bed here and you would love my Sanctuary family just like I love yours 😀

My job is going to get interesting as the DM offered my job to someone else when they got overexcited that I might leave. But surprise! I'm not going anywhere.

Brandon's classes start tomorrow. It was nice seeing my husband this summer. Lol.

[Roscoe]

This morning is...a Monday. It started with waking up, which was not necessarily good. Then after rushing around, I discovered a flat tire on the state truck. I get to work and have a gazillion things to do to catch up, and some idiot calls to gripe about a parolee that is not even mine, which ticked me off. And to top it off, one of my close friends messages me this morning very holy and Godly, on a day that I'm struggling to be human, much less spiritual. I told him to pray for me, because as a witness today, I'm better suited to arranging meetings with the good Lord. Fortunately, I know he will pray for me...

[MelodyB]

I met Adina! And Talia! And Elias! And Ezra! And Zoe!

And Ben!

Talia looks JUST LIKE CHEL. OH MY. It was so sweet! She came right to me and gave me a hug, and since she looks so much like Chel, it was just fitting.

Adina hugs like Chel, must be a Dubois thing...

We tried and failed to make a fire. Everything was too damp. But we fed pizza to a raccoon.

Im happy and smiling tonight.

:happysigh:

[Roscoe]

Morning all. I hope today is better..lol It was HOT here yesterday. I had plans to do some more yard work, but it was so hot I just laid inside after I got home.

[MsJennJenn]

Aww Melbs. Glad you got to see some peeps! Sounds like it made your day!

Started watching Anne with an E. A take on Anne of Green Gables. It's the cutest ever.
If I ever decide to have a kid I would hope she would be as unique and curious as Anne is. Alas, no children for me.

Going to Austin area to see some friends for the Labor Day holiday weekend. Excited to get away.

[The Purple Fuzzy]

I met Adina! And Talia! And Elias! And Ezra! And Zoe!

And Ben!

Talia looks JUST LIKE CHEL. OH MY. It was so sweet! She came right to me and gave me a hug, and since she looks so much like Chel, it was just fitting.

Adina hugs like Chel, must be a Dubois thing...

We tried and failed to make a fire. Everything was too damp. But we fed pizza to a raccoon.

Im happy and smiling tonight.

:happysigh:

I'm glad it worked out for y'all to meet.

[Nelle]

So.much.drama.in.my.husbands.family. It's so frustrating, disappointing, and makes me so incredibly anxious/nervous/unsure.

Basically.. My sister-in-law and her boyfriend are addicts. They're felons. They have a son (our nephew - Z) who is seven. They've made a string of horrible decisions and have gone through a huge medical settlement from a situation that almost cost her life as well as Z's life. There's no money left from that. They've been homeless in the past year. He has abandoned her and Z in the middle of nowhere while she was very ill and no food in the cabinets. We have all given her money, food, childcare, etc., so many times over the last six years I have been in this family. They keep just going back to those choices and making them again.  Jeremy's mom let his sister and Z move in with her in a one bedroom apartment until she could get on her feet, but she kept letting his dad come and stay during the day and smoke pot - two things Peggy asked her NOT to do while living there. She kicked them out.

Finally this year.. Z's dad got ordered into rehab. He was ordered to have no contact with Z. She let him come home from rehab the first night where she and Z live. Child services came that night, knocked once, and scooped Z out of bed and took Z to his father's parents house. (Z's dad also has 3 other kids from a previous marriage. Their mom died of an overdose earlier this year and they have moved from NC to IL to be with their dad. They are staying at Z's dad's parents as well since their dad can't provide a home for them.)

They have also gone through all of the state money he gets for those three kids (presumably on drugs.. since he was ordered into rehab). This morning we find out that my SIL has called their cousin (who we go to church with) to ask if they will take full custody of Z and the court date is tomorrow. She of course would rather not since she has two kids of her own and Z can sometimes be a handful. We're hurt that she didn't even give us a chance OR her mother a chance. Jeremy's mom has provided probably 99% of the support for their little unit over the 7 years of Z's life. If it hadn't been for her, there are so many times he would have no food, no clothes, no heat/electricity, etc. She kept him a LOT of the time as well, since his parents love to choose drugs and each other over him.

I'm not sure I'm ready to be 100% responsible for a kid, but we love him and would take him in a heartbeat. I don't want him in foster care OR at his dad's parents either. They just don't really seem to like him. I'm concerned for Z. I want him to feel safe with a full belly when he sleeps at night, and to feel loved and secure. I have prayed many a prayer over him as his parents spiral out of control. When I found out about this court date tomorrow and her choosing their cousin for custody, I cried and felt angry and sick. I reminded God that I have been asking Him to look out for Z and to keep a hedge of protection around his mind, his spirit, and his little 7 year old self. He's SUCH a sweet kid who can totally be a handful because of so many things he's endured and because he's only seven. I feel like our life has tumbled onto the set of Jerry Springer (if you guys know what that even means.. lol). Say a prayer for Z, that God keeps His hand on Z.. and that God's will is done concerning the custody hearing and all of that. It's terrifying to me, but if Z needs us, we're here. I don't know how all of that will work, but it would be worth any difficulty for him to have a stable environment where we don't have to worry about some drug dealer coming to collect $$ and Z somehow getting hurt by him or his dad.

Sorry for unloading. I've never experienced any of this type of drama in my life. It's overwhelming not knowing what to say or do, but feeling like you need to do something.

We are supposed to go to Arkansas this weekend to see my parents since Jeremy finally has a day off work (holiday on Monday). We will drive down Saturday after he gets off work and come back home Monday afternoon. So ready for a break from Illinois. Then in 24 days from today, we are finally going on vacation to Nevada! Thankful for jobs and homes and cars.. but man, they are sure stressful sometimes, haha. We are going to have to buy a new vehicle this fall/winter before he starts his mandated overtime with the USPS for Christmas deliveries. I'm not sure I can handle 12+ hour days here at work while I'm waiting on him to get off work. It's been.. a/c, roof, car, etc. If we hadn't already purchased our plane tickets, I wouldn't be going on this vacation in September, haha. I would LOVE to be able to pay down majorly on some bills so that our credit scores can get even better so we CAN get a great deal on a car! Again - I am SOOO thankful that we have good jobs.

Speaking of.. I need a nap. It's so dreary here from the weather that I think everyone's feeling the need for a nap in the office.