2009 OUT 2010 IN

Another year is coming to an end. We are so very lucky----so many people are struggling. I know you all are but hang in there and be strong---take one day at a time.....good health, great kids, awesome family----that is the greatest blessing anyone could have. Christmas was great and the kids were lots of fun with the games. The song deal got a bit intense but all ended well. I enjoyed our Christmas Eve dinner and our visiting on Christmas morning. After that I was a zombie---did absolutely nothing the rest of the day!!! I am so very proud of all of you and am looking forward to another year with the greatest kids and grandkids ever!!!

Thanksgiving 2009

Well family wherever you are.....Here are some of the pictures from Thanksgiving. It was a great day and it's always nice to have family around during the holidays and also to welcome our newest addition to the clan little Brody, he is so damn cute and I am so glad he is finally home with his Mom where he belongs. Speaking of my Sisters where are you? Now girls facebook is fine and dandy but you all know that if we don't post on here to we are going to have to hear it from our Mother Geez. It actually would be nice to see someone else posting on here ya know.
So life in my world is going alright I have had my struggles lately with job changes etc. but things are looking better and I will be ok. Just taking things one day at a time and trying not to let the crazy people get to me.
Ok so that's all for now I hope everyone is doing well. I love you all and I'm very grateful that I have such a terrific family.
Love
Suzy

Thankful We Are

Brody Neil Lierd made his appearance on November 1, 2009----Weston's 10th birthday! What are the odds? He was in NICU for almost three weeks but is home and doing well now. He is a cutie and a such a special addition to a GREAT family. We have so much to be thankful for and hopefully that is on everyone's mind this time of year. We have so much more than many people do and need to realize it and not take anything for granted. You are a great bunch, fun to be around and hard workers. I am very proud of each and everyone of you. My grandchildren are the best of course---handsome, smart, beautiful and all around AWESOME. I wouldn't trade any of you!!!

Hello Family

Yes, it has been awhile but I just never seem to have much energy to sit in front of the computer. I try to do a little work in the basement here and there but only for about an hour at a time until my back starts hurting from sitting. In case some of you haven't seen me in a while, there is ALOT more of me to love! That little bugger never lets me get any sleep which is why it is after 2:00 a.m. and I am wide awake. I can't seem to get comfortable no matter what I try. Tylenol PM doesnt even help. I am going on my 3rd night in a row with very little sleep. So I get up and wander through the house, watch tv, unload the dishwasher, read on the couch and other various things that should not be happening after about 10pm.
The boys are all doing good. Braxton is finally over what ever sickness he had and they are all still enjoying football. Both Weston and Garrett's team made it to the playoffs and played their first game today. Westons team won 20-0 but sadly Garrett's team lost 21-14. They were all very sad because for a bunch of little scrawny boys, they put up one hell of a fight every week and really kicked butt in the regular season only losing 1 game. This means of course that they are out of the playoffs now but will take a week off and then begin practice again for the tournament that they are going to play in starting in November. They all really work hard and have not complained once over the past 3 months. I am very proud of them.
Dennis has been in town the last couple weeks and it has been nice to have someone else be the "Football Shuttle Bus".
I think I have finally convinced him to finish the room in the basement for Braxton next weekend so we can start moving kids around. I would like to get Brody's room set up and have everything ready. Then Tammy won't have to be doing it while I am at the hospital like she has done before! With me you never know when my body might decide to give birth!
I don't remember being this uncomfortable with the other 2 boys but isnt there a saying about mentally blocking it all out because if you remembered everything then you would never have more than 1 child? My stomach feels so tight and achy all the time. I can tell when I am having some small contractions because it gets even worse.
My right foot is always swollen and nothing seems to help. I usually have it elevated all night and it is still looks like I have a club foot in the morning!
I sure hope the fact that Brody never seems to sleep now means that he is going to be a very good sleeper when he comes out!
I should head back to bed AGAIN and see if that sleep thing will work this time!

SUCCESS/FAILURE ? MATURE/OLD?

I don't know where to classify myself anymore. I am 63 years old and don't know if I have been a failure or a success with my life. Sadly I am not even sure if I am mature or just plain old. I thought wisdom came with age---must have been a lie!!! Life is so difficult at times and all any of us want is some peace and happiness. It seems so unreachable most times that many people quit trying. I will always put one foot in front of the other and keep trying to find that peak. Grandpa Hanks never liked a whiner---no matter what the issue, we were told to "grab our boot straps, pull yourself up and get on with living." I have come to realize that it has to come from within---no one can give it to you. I enjoy my family and the times we have together. Being able to watch the grandkids grow up is such a blessing. The simple things are the most important-------"The rich man is not the one who has the most......but the one who needs the least." The rough times we are facing now should make us all realize that we don't need as much as we think----Time should be spent and money saved. Memories are all you have in the end and taking time is what creates them.

MELON DAYS 2009

Yes Mother the Black's definately rock. Melon Days was great, it's been a long time since we have all been there together. Watching the kids get the float ready reminded me of all the years we used to get down there at 10 or 11 at night and throw together what we had been planning in our heads and getting up early for the finishing touches since it was always so hard to see what we were doing after dark. I can say it sure made me remember all the good times we had and how lucky we were to have had them and also how lucky our kids are to be able to do the same thing we did as kids. Not many kids get the chance to know their great grandparents but ours have and it is something I hope they will cherish and never forget just as I will always cherish our times down their growing up. Yea we complained alot about leaving our friends all summer but thinking back I wouldn't change it for anything. Hell I wish life was as simple now as it was then. Ok so I put together a slideshow of the pictures from Melon Days to put on here, we can't have our Mother complaining that we only post on Facebook now Geez. I am glad that we all got to go down this year an I will hope that we will have the chance to do it all again next year!! They are great times that neither us or our children should ever forget memories last forever don't ya know.
Love to all
Suzy

BLACK'S ROCK!!!!!

The week-end in Torrey was great---Boyd was so tickled to have you all there for a visit and some good food. This past week-end in Green River was also a success. You all did a great job with the food and clean-up. Mom and Dad really enjoyed visiting and eating some good meals. The memories of these two trips are priceless to us all. I am proud of all of you----taking the time to do this was awesome. I am hoping someone got lots of pictures as I really would love to have copies of some from both of these camp-trips. Memories are worth more than money in the bank---you will never regret doing these kind of things. Your children are so fortunate to have great-grandparents-----it is a privilege that not many kids have. I hope they will never forget the good times with us as that is the most important thing we can leave for them.