The first clue was the card I found on the open laptop: To continue your little quest Search in Terry's tool chest!
#2
The guest room toilet!
#3 said, Use the "tool" to mix your eggs. Some might use it to stir up dregs. This was the canister I put my cooking supplies in.
#4 said, Rodents Lair on the ceiling. To get there you might be kneeling. This was on the ceiling of Snap's crate or pet carrier.
#5 said, To turn this on, sometimes tricky. Maybe the switch is sticky. This was taped to the back porch light - the switch hardly ever works to turn on that light.
#6 said, This "sweet ride" is nearly fixed. Look in the place where Noah kicks. That, of course, was in our silver van, taped to the back of the driver's seat that Noah kicks when he's sitting there. It needed to be fixed b/c back in May I had a little accident and the fender and door got somewhat crunched. Terry acquired a comparable used bumper, fender and door that he's repainted with the help of a man he was introduced to...so now it's "nearly fixed" and hopefully we can sell it.
#7 said, Trying to keep our dishes clean, Never had luck w/one of these. Out in storage taking up space, You'll find our next clue starring at your face. This was in the shed taped on the dishwasher that was originally in the parsonage. Terry's dad got us another one at a garage sale b/c the other one didn't really work. But the newish one doesn't either b/c of the nasty hard water - leave a terrible film over everything it "cleans."
#8 said, Got this from an old junk yard. Guarding our wood it's not getting far. This was of course, the bumper that Terry got from a junk yard (w/the fender and door as well), but he decided he didn't need it.
#9 said, This device tells players how much they lost. Are they over or under...What's under ours? At first I thought of a scoreboard b/c of the "players," but then figured it was probably a scale. I was right.
#10 said, A gift not from me And definitely not junk Can be found in this vehicles _ _ _ _ _. That was the TRUNK belonging to the Malibu. The gift was a cookbook from Shari that had conveniently just arrived that morning.
#11 said, A film we skimmed in the last 7 days Has a clue to direct your ways. That was Casino Royale. When I opened the case, there was a DVD that said #12 on it.
#12 was a personal message from Terry that he had recorded that morning while I was at Kathy Hult's have a birthday party. It was quite funny. It said, Noah doesn't like it, We take it out. If we miss some he will shout." I was pretty stumped and Shari called. She was stumped. Terry called and gave me a clue. It was ICE. When he doesn't finish his milk we put it in the fridge and when we get it out again, sometimes there's ice there and if we don't take it out, he will shout.
#13-1 was supposed to be in the ice tray but Terry forgot to put the clue there! So after another phone call, he told me it was supposed to say, When you buy these check them twice, if they're broken it's not very nice.
#13-2 said, In this book of memories you will find your next clue w/ease. Don't think of pictures or stories of boats. Think about nice personal notes." I was so stuck on this one and needed help. I thought it was an album Terry made for me before we got married. Nope. It was a journal at the Chicago Lakeside church had written their thanks and nice notes in after his "final" camp experience and before he moved back to Rapid City to marry me, etc.
#14 said, This living thing Noah does abuse. He bring pieces to daddy much to his amuse. Out in the front. Not a dog or a toy. Something else intrigues our little boy. This was the bush along our driveway.
#15 had simple rhyming instructions of how to get into our safe... You don't need that! The last line was, unlock your next clue and some treasure! Treasure was pry a play on words b/c the gift was the movie National Treasure 2. I had accidentally found this gift in Terry's tool chest several weeks ago when I was fixing something. Oops!
#16 said, Evie's drawer, Hmmm, which one. Without these blowouts would be total de-struc-tion. One in the back all alone. Your next hint will be known. This was Evie's diaper drawer. But like I said before, she was asleep! I just couldn't use the flash so the pic is bad.
#17 said, Little Red Engine on a red bike has a note you will like. I thought at first of Noah's trains but then remembered Terry's motorbike - "red engine!"
#18 said, W/out this he could not wash his hands. Helps when he sits but mostly when he stands. That was Noah stool in the bathroom.
#19 said, "Everything Glorious" that's tough to do. With nightly practice I'll get it true. Terry's be practicing that song from his David Crowder Band DVD that I got him for his bday - the man himself teaches on the special features. So, this was in Terry's guitar.
#20 said, I cleaned the top, you vacuumed it out. 2 handles and black, what's this all about? That was the wood stove! Terry's dad provided the brushes when he was here 3 weeks ago and I had finally cleaned out the ashes from the previous pastor who lived here!
#21 said, Did I take mine this morning? Yes I sure did. They were Flintstones when I was a kid. Vitamins of course! Who could forget those commercials?
Debbie Spencer stopped by here and gave me some pumpkins. She tried to help me with the next clue but neither of use had any idea. So she took my picture since I couldn't get my camera to do it myself.
#22 said, Terry's stuff seems to gather here. Search the RIGHT drawer in a case that's not clear. I would have never figured this out on my own b/c I kept reading over the "in A case that's not clear." So I checked every drawer in the house, even the one that it was in. Terry had to help me and I found the note in the RIGHT buffet drawer in the brown camera case. Clever clever.
#23 said, A photo of a family hike. Inside lies a clue you'll like. He put it in the back frame of the picture of us on top of Medicine Bow Peak outside Laramie, WY, from summer 2007.
#24 said, Under cushion likes a clue. Are the cushions old or new? They were the first ones I checked - the new/er ones in the front living room.
#25 said, Pretend that you are on a beach. Your next note is found beneath. That was Noah's sandbox, buried of course.
#26 said, In the floor by Noah's vac is the only clue you lack. This one was risky for him b/c Noah could have moved his "vac" (which is actually a lawn mower). But Noah didn't and I found it in the vent.
#27 was a sweet note and had the last clue, To get there you need a chair. A lonely gift sits up there. Above pictures above numbers A gift for you like the others. This was in the basket above the fridge. The present was something for nursing...
Terry, you did SUCH a great job. I'm amazed at your creativity and love. Like Shari said while I talked to her during my search, I must have done something to you b/c she didn't know you had it in you to be so sweet. I feel so special to be the one that gets to receive all your love. Thank you for a wonderful 27th birthday!
Some people seem surprised at the way I've been potty training Noah. I can sit him on the potty and leave and he'll stay there. It's just that simple. I tell him he needs to stay there until he goes potty and he does stay put. - I have to do it this way b/c he doesn't understand certain cues his body gives him to tell him it's time to go. - He usually always stays there until I come back to check on him, which is quite often. I just leave when I need to do something - put the dog out, get Evie in her chair, change her diaper, answer the phone, whatever.
