DANCING IN THE DARK

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

A post from the Past: December 22, 2008

I am transferring my blog post from Live Journal over here to Blogger. I will start with the newest first so that the last post I post will be the oldest one from LJ. That way you can scroll down and read it in order. 2008 to 2009.

December 22, 2008

Our trip to Idaho was fun and exciting. We got up very early Sunday Morning to make a 7:54am flight to Denver. We had no trouble arriving on time all ready for the cold.
I had my Noro striped scarf on and my serpentine mitts!
Peanut had her puffy coat and was wearing her snow boots.
Here we are in the airport in Ontario California.

Peanut didn't want her pic taken.

This was peanuts first plane trip. She just loved it so much. We first flew to Denver Colorado. Peanut was studying the safety folder.

It was a fun flight. I was disappointed that we only got juice, no snack, not even a freaking donut. :(
So we arrive in Denver. We had a 4 hour layover. We did go have a nice lunch. Then we had the info that our flight might be cancelled to Idaho Falls. The earlier flight was cancelled and the flight to Boise was cancelled. There were some people who had been waiting 2 days to get to Idaho Falls.
We did get on the plane. We had sun in Denver with 7 degrees F. You could see the ice on the runway. (see below) The people who had the canceled flight were on stand-by for our flight. I feel sorry for them that they were not given seats and they just had to wait for people not to show up for their flights. I think the airline should add another plane to the line-up and get those people on their way. After all they did buy tickets for that flight on that day.
(notice I made my hair reddish-brown?) I like it.

All in all it was a fun trip with Peanut. We were lucky to arrive in Idaho Falls. The pilot told me that he would land in any conditions, that nothing bothers him.
I guess they are use to a little snow.
It was dark by the time we arrived. We were about an hour late.
The parking lot was full of snow and the roads were all white. It was so pretty. Bambi and Dustin (my son and his wife) were there to greet us. It was so wonderful. We got to Dustin's house and it was still snowing. But cozy inside.

Peanut on the plane, happy to be landing in Idaho Falls.

A post from the Past: December 24, 2008

I am transferring my blog post from Live Journal over here to Blogger. I will start with the newest first so that the last post I post will be the oldest one from LJ. That way you can scroll down and read it in order. 2008 to 2009.

December 24, 2008

We are having a very good time up here in Idaho. It doesn't even feel as cold as I though it would. To me it doesn't feel any colder than when it gets cold at my house. Maybe it is the length of the winters here that starts to get to people.

For now I am loving this weather and snow. Everything is all white, and clean looking. Peanut is having so much fun. She totally gets tired out after playing in the snow for a while. The first day she went out about 3 times. Then she came in and took a nap.

Here we are outside having fun.

We wish you all a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.
May the love of Jesus bring you the greatest joy, the sweetest peace, and the highest hope!

A post from the Past: January 8, 2009

I am transferring my blog post from Live Journal over here to Blogger. I will start with the newest first so that the last post I post will be the oldest one from LJ. That way you can scroll down and read it in order.

January 8, 2009

We just had a 5.0 earthquake. It felt stronger. Seemed to last a long time. Enough time that I stood there, then looked at Peanut, then at the big sliding glass door, and said, lets go under the table.

So we did. First time I ever did that and I have lived through a lot of big quakes here in So. California.
I was afraid that the glass door might break and I wanted to be a good example to Peanut. he he he

Nothing broke. The quake was centered here near my house. Wow.

When it happened I told Peanut that it was either an earthquake or the space shuttle just landed. When they land at Edwards Air Force base we can hear the sonic boom and feel the rattling of our house.
This was a noisy quake.

A post from the Past: January 14, 2009

I am transferring my blog post from Live Journal over here to Blogger. I will start with the newest first so that the last post I post will be the oldest one from LJ. That way you can scroll down and read it in order.

January 14, 2009

I have the best news ever. Yesterday I had court for the guardianship of my granddaughter Peanut. I filed for guardianship right after my daughter Sierra died. It has almost been 2 years since she died. Next Monday the 19th will be the anniversary.
I have been in and out of court for the last 2 years. In the beginning Alexis was with her dad. Then on Oct. 30, 2007 the judge granted me temporary guardianship. This was wonderful. Alexis came to live with me on that day.

Now on January 13, 2009 The judge gave me the PERMANENT Guardianship. It was so fantastic.
In the same court house, on the second floor (I was on the 3rd floor), the father was being sentenced for cultivation.
He did have 6 felony counts but 5 were dismissed in a plea bargain. He was in criminal court for his sentencing. He got 365 days in county jail and 36 months of probation. He had court again in February for restitution for stealing electricity.

So we waited on the 3rd floor for his appearance. He came up with his lawyer. There was an extra sheriff too. We had our turn with the judge. The fathers lawyer always says mean and horrible things and he did it again. He always brings up my daughters death. He is so unfeeling like she was no one. He says every time in open court that she was a suicide, which I don't believe she was. This lawyer had said to my lawyer, a month after Sierras death, that he was gearing up for a murder trial. His client, the dad, Chris, was going to be facing murder charges. It all changed when the district attorney declined to go forward with the case.

In court also this attorney told the judge that he wants a new therapist for Alexis. His reason, Last week when we were in a therapy session, the father called. (he has phone visits monitored, recorded during the therapy sessions) and when Peanut got on the phone she asked him, "did you shoot my mommy?" She said this about 4 times because her dad would not give an answer. This was totally from her mind. She wants to know. No one put the words in her mouth. I was surprised when I heard her ask that question. So anyway, in court the father's attorney tells the judge that Peanut got on the phone and asked "did you kill my mommy?". The attorney said that Peanut is being told things in sessions that are untrue because he said that her mother was a suicide.
He rambled on and on, saying things like: The grandmother is blocking the fathers family from visiting or calling.
This is baloney because they have never called me. I have caller ID and an answering machine. They never have contacted me. I would only let them visit in my home with me there. They don't even send her a birthday card or Christmas card. Then he said that I want to move out of state and I should not be allowed to move.
He also said that he wanted the phone visits to continue from prison. And when Chris gets out of jail he will want to take his daughter back and raise her so they wanted the temporary guardianship to last just till Chris got out. Which he said that Chris will probably only serve 9 months.
I guess to them I am just a babysitter.
Peanut's Attorney spoke next. (Peanut was assigned an attorney by the court. I also have my own attorney separate from Peanut.) Peanut's attorney said that she was against phone visits from the beginning and absolutely does not want any phone visits from jail. She said that Peanut should be with the grandmother. She was really good.
Then my attorney spoke. He said that it was time to give the permanent guardianship. And that I had no problem talking to Chris' family. And that I would stay in California.

The judge listened to everyone, then he said that he grants the permanent guardianship. He said that I was to stay in California, he said Peanut is to remain with her current therapist and there will be no telephonic communication.

After it was all done, the sheriff came and slapped on the handcuffs and took him away. All in front of everyone in the court room. WOW

So we WON. Peanut will be with me till she is 18 by court order, and longer if she wants to. I told her the news and she was so happy. I didn't tell her that her dad was in jail. I want to do that in her therapy session on Friday.

So after 2 years our lives can settle down and the black cloud of Peanut being taken away from me is gone. The dad can try to get her back later but the burden of proving he is capable and that I am no good shifts to him. He would have to go through drug classes and probably parenting classes and pass.

I'm so happy. Yeah!!!!

This photo is from our Christmas trip to Idaho in 2008. Carol & Peanut aka Gramma & GD.

A post from the Past: January 18, 2009

Sierra Carol January 28, 1983 to January 19, 2007 She was 23 years old when she died.

Sierra Christmas 2000, a few months after her daddy died (my hubby).
This was our first Christmas without Richard. Usually we would decorate the house from top to bottom. Here we are so sad that our tree hardly have any ornaments on. Usually it is full of handmade ornaments from years of children making them and myself making them or collecting them. But we didn't even get out any of the old things.

Sierra & Alexis 2006. She died a few months after this photo.

1983 Sierra and I when she was only 6 months old. She was so beautiful.

Sierra & Carol in Madrid Spain 1998

I miss her greatly. Peanut misses her more. You are always in our memories Sierra and forever in my heart.
Your mom Carol

A post from the Past: February 3, 2009

Today is Richard's birthday. He would have been 56 years today. He died when he was 47 yrs.
I sure do miss him. He was my boyfriend when I was only 15 years old. We met in high school. We married 3 years later. I was 17 yrs & 11 months old.
We had 3 kids. He was my best friend and I really wish he was here with me now. I am so tired of being alone. I have Peanut with me but I mean as an adult I am alone.
He was my first big love. He was my first to make love with. He was my everything.
He is burried with our daughter Sierra. It all sucks. Why am I the only person I know who at a young age has 2 close family members die?

Tomorrow will be a better day. Jesus gives me strength for all the tomorrows.

A post from the Past: February 14, 2009

I haven't written in a while. Today was Valentines Day so Peanut and I headed up to "The Ranch". At least it use to be my chicken ranch. Now my son and his wife are buying it and building a house on it. The chickens are gone and the chicken buildings are taken down. My kids have put up corals, and a small chicken coop for their pretty barred Rock hens and some brown hens.

They had 2 horses but as of today they have one. She is a sweet horse that Anne (my daughter in law) is training for riding. Anne has a gift with horses.

It snowed at The Ranch yesterday and last week up to 2 feet. Can you believe it? Snow in So. California? But they are nestled in the foothills there and it gets cold. So today was sunny and the snow had melted. There was mud everywhere. Peanut was having so much fun playing but she was a mud ball. My 2 grandsons aka her cousins were there.

There is a new addition to the family. Yesterday Roland and Anne brought home 2 Barbado sheep. She called them Hair Sheep. They do not have the kind of hair that you would shear. They have hair like a goat. But they are sheep. I heard Virgil Baa. Yes, they are boys and their names are Virgil and Wyatt. They are only 2 weeks old right now. Since they are boys they will get horns that curl around. They will get big like a regular sheep.
They are being bottle fed so that they will be super tame. Virgil and Wyatt (Earp) will be pets. They won't be for meat. So that is why the will be hand fed and cuddled.
Here are the pictures of these cute little boys with their new parents, (my kids) Anne & Roland: