From The Ends of The Earth - Jeep Contest.

Does anyone ever really win those contests that they enter?

Well, I think they do!! I was on Facebook and saw a contest sponsored by Jeep. Enter your photo's, up to five, must be Jeep related. Okay, so what do I have to lose, right? Maybe, just maybe.

So here we go, one that I thought was funny, matched all the criteria, Jeep related, "ends of the earth," unusual. All the pic's I saw were people in their Jeeps, driving through water, climbing mountains, almost flipped upside-down, etc. But.....my hub's, he's a natural!!!

Low and behold, right when they said the contest ended, I got an email. It looked like spam and fortunately, I opened it, instead of just deleting it. I had forgotten all about it, actually. WHAT??? I've been chosen? This has to be a hacker.....they want me to fill out a form and enter my SS# and have it notorized? Oh crap, I know it's a hacker that is going to steal my identity!! M.U.S.T Google this company Prize Logic.....Hmmm, seems like a legitimate fulfillment company......It has to be legit!!

Just as stated in the "official rules," 4-6 weeks to receive the check, BAM!!! I'm a believer now!! Heck yeah!!

Our grandson Lewis Raymond, 7-20-09

Oh My GAWD!!! Finally the day came for Lewis Raymond to enter this world. Our 2nd of 3 grandchildren so far. After months (almost 9, but felt like 2 years) of him pressing on things he shouldn't have been pressing on, his mother Ashley, finally got some relief. She was wheelchair bound, practically from the start. 

On July 20, 2009, we finally got to see who this trouble maker was. The cutest, sweetest little boy and the first boy on our side of the family. My mother had two girls, I had 3 girls and we already had 1 granddaughter! So Lewie was a nice change.

Here was the little bundle, shortly after coming home. He sure was a colicky baby and this continued for months and months and months. Poor Ashley!!

Here he is a little over a month old. Momma's boy already!!!

Who knew what joy this little boy would bring us and what a character he would become!! <3

KQ Ranch, Julian, CA 8-4-14 with the grandkids.

Pat and I arrived on Mon. Aug. 4th. It was a nice break in weather, since we had been experiencing heat and a rare humid spell for SoCal. Ahhh, cooler and breezy and just wonderful. We weren't expecting our two grandkids until Sat. Aug. 9th.

Dinner at beautiful Lake Cuyamaca.

Out on a hike over by the Stonewall Mine. We found a lot of pottery sherd's, ton's of mortero's and the views were just endless.

I went to check on Lewie and someone was already in there checking on him!!

Lewie and Taylor at the Kidz Club Barn. We had a fun day making crafts, lanyards, drawings, birds, and jumping in the jump house. We had ice cream and pie in the clubhouse too!!

A hot, but fun, hike on the Inaja Nature Trail.

Lewie taking the lead.

At the top of the trail!!! Did I mention that it was HOT???

Our reward was Wynola Pizza!! Yummy!

While us human's were out sweating our brains out, smart kitty was inside taking it easy under the AC!!

Some pretty scary weather warnings, but somehow, it missed us. Down pours to the right of us, down pours to the left, here we are, stuck in the middle with nothing!!

Taylor and her Poppa and of course, Lewie leading the way, AGAIN! Off to the playground we go!!

Dinner at the Lake again!!!

Beautiful cloud formations!!

The clouds were moving so fast, this is 30 minutes after the picture above!!

S'mores time!! 

This boy needs to learn to relax in the RV!!! Don't choke ur monkey Newman!!!

A boy and his Poppa!!! <3

Good night KQ, until next time!!!

Our granddaughter Reese Nicole, 11-24-09

Our youngest granddaughter Reese Nicole was born to our oldest daughter Melissa Nicole. She was born on Nov. 24th, 2009, exactly 2 years to the day, that her grandfather Lewis Leroy Norris Jr. passed away. So although she never got to meet him, she has plenty of pictures to know him by.

Happy and anxious mom and dad waiting for her!!

Finally she arrives!!

Proud Nana and Poppa!!

Overwhelmed with happiness!!

Hearing test time!!

Sleeping on daddy's arm!! Such a happy time for everyone! Such a little sweetie!!

Dysfunctions Full Throttle

All the years of counseling and therapy, won't cure you of all the deep down, embedded dysfunctions that shaped you, your personality and the way you interact with the ones you are closest with. Over 29 years of therapy for me and, in an instant, I can go back 50 years and feel 6 all over again.

At that moment, I feel the need to scream, leave, put ear plugs in or just plain drift away to another planet. I need silence to get away from that point and time. The last thing needed is to hear more, or explanations of why what's said, is said. No explanations needed, that doesn't help, I've already heard it and I've already gone to THAT place and time.

Maybe I do need even more therapy, counseling, EMDR, hypnosis, whatever. Just STOP!!!!

Fred Lyn Kendall - MLB Player, my cousin

Freddie began his career in 1969 when he was 20 years old and started with the San Diego Padres as a catcher (1969-1976 and 1979-1980). During his 12 seasons as a MLB player, he also played for The Cleveland Indians (1977) and The Boston Red Sox (1978). 

He was born on Jan. 31st, 1949 to a woman named Rose. Rose had 3 son's, Freddie, Jimmy, and Kenny. I don't know who the father of her 3 son's were, but they divorced when the boys were young. Rose then married my uncle, Arthur Kendall. Arthur was one of 3 son's from my grandmother, also named Rose. Arthur aka Rick, was a good husband and step father to Rose's 3 son's, and decided to adopt them. That is how they got their last name of Kendall. They later divorced and she again, married.

I remember my father, also named Fred Kendall, being so proud to call Freddie his nephew. He bragged about him all the time. Below is a picture of me and Freddie in about 1997. He was at the Lakewood Batting Cages with his son, also famous MLB player, Jason Kendall. 

Below is my daughter Ashley, Freddie, my mom, and my daughter Melissa, also at the Lakewood Batting cages.

After retiring in 1980, Freddie spent 4 seasons as a minor league manager for the Chicago White Sox. He has been bullpen coach with the Detroit Tigers, the Colorado Rockies and Kansas City Royals. From 2003 - 2005, he was the Rockies' minor league catching coordinator. In Oct. 2007, it was announced that he would not be retained by the Royals.