McComb Family

The first time I sat down to do this post, I thought I was ready. Apparently I wasn't. We'll see if I can get through it this time.....

Thursday started off like every other day. I got up and put Kiah out to go to the bathroom, but minutes later things changed drastically from our regular morning routine. Apparently she headed out the front gate and was run over by a car. When Bret went to leave for work shortly after that, he came across her on the road......gone.

Just about a year ago we lost Kayla to cancer. She too was taken from us too early, but we had a couple of weeks to prepare ourselves for the end. This time we had none. We weren't ready to say good-bye; we're still not. Losing somebody you love sucks. It just sucks.

I miss her curling up against my leg when I sleep.

I miss her enthusiastic greeting when we get home.

I miss her jumping up on my lap whenever I sit down.

I miss the joy she brought to the kids and to our whole family.

We loved the time we had with you and will cherish the memories, but we miss you terribly little girl. You will forever be in our hearts.

Posted in: on Monday, March 15, 2010 at at 9:45 AM 9 comments  

On March 4th, the "Day of Action", where people all around the state are protesting more cuts to education, I was officially told I will once again be getting a pink slip. This is my fifth year at this school and the fourth time I've received a pink slip, with last year being the only year I didn't have to go through this! When will it ever stop?

Posted in: on Thursday, March 04, 2010 at at 4:31 PM 0 comments  

Four years ago I went with Briana on her field trip to Cool when her kindergarten class was learning about communities, so when I heard Adam's class was going I just had to switch my work days around so I could go with him too!! We left school and headed to the Post Office where each kid got to buy their own stamp. Of course, Adam got to get it from his grandma! Then they stuck it to a letter which they mailed to their parents. We got his the next day, and it was a great letter. He's come so far in his writing this year, it's amazing!!
Next we headed off to the fire station. They got a tour of the fire house and heard about fire safety, 911, and all those goodies! But the best part was when they got to go outside and see the trucks!!!
They showed them all of the compartments in the truck and the equipment they keep in each one. They really loved that they had a chain saw!!!
Then they got to sit in the driver's seat of the fire truck. It's a looooong way up there!
Adam thought he was hot stuff!!!
Finally, they got to spray the hose. There was even a cone that was set out for them to aim at!
He did such a good job he earned his honorary badge!!
They did one final thing before we left, and that was to come out with the full gear on to show the kids what they would look like if they ever had to show up at their house!! It was a good thing for them to see.
Then we were off to tour the rest of the community. We walked along the boardwalk and saw all the businesses on that side of town. Then we hopped back into cars and went over by the grocery store, which was not something I got to do with Brie since it hadn't been built yet!!! : ) We went by the bank,......
........the recycling center, grocery store, pet store, Subway, and finally ended at Cool Beans where all the kids got hot cocoa (and it was a perfect day for a nice warm cup of hot cocoa!!). This is Adam with his teacher Mrs. Woodall and his class.

We had a great time, so glad I was able to go!!!

Posted in: on Monday, February 22, 2010 at at 2:40 PM 1 comments  

So technically it's not "their" day, but there will be no more dejected pictures of Adam at a wedding because he wants to be in the photographs -- he's going to be a ring bearer!!!! He is SO excited!! And of course, Brie is thrilled too because she gets to be the flower girl! Whoo hoo -- too cool!!!

Congrats Jenny and Brian!!!

Posted in: on Tuesday, February 16, 2010 at at 11:40 AM 3 comments  

Once again we had to quickly change from Christmas mode into Birthday mode. Here is the birthday boy in his stylish glasses! I'm sure he really appreciated my mom bringing them for him!!
Briana made and decorated the cake ALL BY HERSELF!!! And by doing it "all by herself", she'll give you the third degree if you even step into the kitchen let alone do something really horrible like want to turn on the oven or help her scrape the bowl.

Here is everybody singing to him, but I really think they were hoping all those candles didn't catch the place on fire. Look at that fireball - holy cow!!! : )

Happy 38th Bret!!

Posted in: on Friday, January 08, 2010 at at 5:02 PM 2 comments  

We just got Brie's basketball schedule. All of her games are at Golden Sierra High School and start this weekend.
1/9 11:00 and 1:00
1/16 10:00
1/23 9:00
1/30 1:00
2/6 9:00
2/13 10:00
2/20 11:00
2/27 12:00
3/6 12:00
Being as that she's never played before (and she's such a pip-squeak) she's pretty nervous about playing. She'd love to have some "fans" in the bleachers!!!

Posted in: on Monday, January 04, 2010 at at 7:57 PM 2 comments  

Our tradition for the past few years after the bug infested-sap dripping-Apple Hill tree has been to get our Christmas tree at Rite Aid. This year we really broke out though and got it at Home Depot. Here is Bret setting it up.
Brie decorating with a little help from her friends!

Adam adding an ornament. (Check out the muscle shirt!!!)

Christmas Eve was spent at Tom & Barb's with the family. Dinner was dee-lish!!

Getting ready to open presents!

I don't have many pictures with me in them, let alone the whole family, but somehow we ended up with this one. I thought it turned out pretty cute if I do say so myself! : )

Christmas morning!!!!

Unwrapping gifts while lounging in the bean bags Santa brought -- now that's the life!

Then we were off the Dennis'. It was a gorgeous day so everybody ended up outside on the deck for a while.

Then we ate and opened presents. Every year I get a picture of the kids in front of the tree, and this year was going to be no different.

Me: Kids go stand in front of the tree so I can get your picture.

Me: Where's Adam? ADAM!!!

Kids: (Hmmm....let's roll around on the floor and wrestle while Mom stands there with the camera.)

Me: No guys -- get next to each other.

Me: Goodness -- FINALLY!!!

Then the next day it was back to our house for more presents. Yeah, the kids were pretty bummed. Right!! Michele and Ben came up from Santa Barbara. Mary, Uncle Jer, and Gramma all came too, and we had one last celebration before we had to move on to Bret's birthday.

Post of the birthday boy coming soon!

Posted in: on at at 11:32 AM 2 comments  

I looked back at my blog to figure out what the last pictures were that I had posted of the addition and realized it was back at the foundation stage. Oops....guess it's been a while since I've updated. So here is the "den". I'm trying to convince Bret it should become the workout room, but he's not totally sold on the idea yet. I'll keep trying!! : ) Anyway, here is Bret and Nate framing it up.

Putting the trusses up.

And finally all framed up. Now we need to get sheeting going and it will be an actual room!!!

Then, in the back, we had six huge beams to put up for the deck roof. I have no photographic evidence of the first one going up, but let me just say I'm pretty sure OSHA would have shut us down. Apparently there are weight limits on ladders for a reason and two people cannot lift one of those beams by themselves. Enough said. It did end up getting put up and there weren't even any casualties.

Needless to say for the next five beams we brought in a crew!!! People can't say no to you when it's your birthday!!! ; ) So, Bret got his beams put up with the help of several extra ladders and many extra hands.
There is one side though that you just can't reach from the deck though, so he had to bring in the big gun -- the tractor!!

All six in place!! Thanks to all of our helpers -- we couldn't have done it without you. (And I mean that in the most literal way possible!!)

Then came the easier part -- the trusses. Lots of helpers make for light work!!!

And the one other project that we added to our list of things to do was to beef up the other end of the deck for the arrival of our new spa!!! However, once Bret started working on it, he discovered that "beefing it up" meant demo-ing the whole thing and then rebuilding. With the delivery date in two days, we didn't have time for that option. And we could certainly no longer put it here........We went round and round about what to do and finally realized building a platform out behind the deck would be our best bet. No waiting for concrete to cure and the spa would be out of the way for the rest of the deck construction. Problem solved!!! So here it is with the pathway the kids and I made from extra pavers we had. Now we can go relax in it after all the work that's been going on around here!

Posted in: on Saturday, January 02, 2010 at at 4:54 PM 2 comments  

Winter has arrived and is trying to push fall right out of here!!! Sunday night we were blanketed with snow and awoke to this beautiful scene Monday morning. However, we also awake to no power, which means no water. Not fun. Tuesday night power was restored, and all I could think of was giving the hot water heater enough time to heat water so I could finally take a shower!!! By morning, we had a warm(er) house and warm water (or so I thought), but it turns out the water pipes were frozen. Ugh!! Just can't catch a break some times!!

And here it is four days later!! Seriously, this NEVER happens here. It's crazy!!! We haven't had school for four days and we're all going stir-crazy!!! We have received the call that we should have school tomorrow (although with a delayed start because of the icy conditions still), but it will still depend on what the storm that is supposed to roll in tonight dumps on us. Hopefully rain and not more snow. We shall see!!!

Posted in: on Thursday, December 10, 2009 at at 3:54 PM 1 comments  

If you received a Christmas card from us, can you please cut and paste the photo below on to it.

Posted in: on Wednesday, December 09, 2009 at at 6:04 PM 2 comments