Home Sweet Home

I guess I should describe our town. We have a school, K-12, a post office, a convenience store/tire shop/feed store (all in one) and a fire station. That about covers it. The fire station is volunteers and I am glad they are there because we live so far away from anything else. The store closes at 5pm! I am surprised we even have a post office to be honest. We are 30 miles from the nearest Walmart, McDonalds, grocery store or hospital. The closest place to get a burger is at a gas station in the next town. As a matter of fact, I think that is the first place Steve took me to eat when I got here. We do have a senior citizen's building, right next door to my house. Every Wednesday they make lunch there and you can eat for a buck. No kidding! Somehow I always end up there on tater-tot casserole day (ugh). The ladies are friendly though and you just can't beat lunch for $1.

On Mother's Day there is a pot luck in the park and on the 4th of July there is a small parade, bbq and music, also in the park. Sounds nice right? Bahahaha! Well, it can be, but of course, there are always two sides to a story.

We have had someone stealing from cars and shed's all over town. I think they were caught. A while back there was someone walking around our house late at night knocking on the outside wall under my kids' windows. At first we thought the kids were just trying to stay up, but one night my husband was laying in bed, the kids were all in bed, and I was in the living room with a friend. One of my girls comes in and tells me someone is knocking on the wall, I told her it's probably the tree branch again, but Steve pops his head up and lets me know he heard something too. He listens a bit longer and he hears it again. I am now ready to call the cops (it takes them roughly 4 hours to respond to our town) but my husband jumps out of bed, throws on his jeans, jumps in his truck and drives all the way around the house. My friend screams from the living room. Apparently as Steve was getting in the truck the guy ran around the other way and took off past the living room window. We never found out who it was, but believe me we are now taking advantage of our 2nd amendment! We also have a couple of dogs out there.

I have had kids poison my dog, try to steal my son's bike (same kids) and they threw rocks and mud over the bridge as my friend drove over it, and broke her windshield! When I first got here some kids were riding around bored and busted up some mailboxes, desecrated a grave and killed someone's dog. There is nothing to do around here, I get it, but jeez! I don't understand where their parents are and why they aren't getting their asses whooped. And don't start with me about spanking a kid being violent blah blah blah. The schools here can paddle my kids, so by golly I can too if I think it's needed! Thank God I have good kids!

Growing up in the military you learn real fast that if you get in big trouble, your dad is going to get an ass chewing from his CO and you really don't want to know what happens next! I'm not saying we didn't get into trouble, but we kept it minimal.