Pardon My Dust

Things I love

2012-02-15T11:05:00.002-05:00

In inspiration from yesterday and inspiration from this post, I keep thinking of all the things I love. I'm blessed beyond compare....so here's a non-all-inclusive list of things I love (in no particular order):

Being a mom
sleeping in
fall
true friendship
Dave :)
wine
staying up late
A.
new car smell (the real one, not the imitation)
camp fires
soft serve ice cream
laughter
thank you's
C.
hugs
surprises
playdates
letters in the mail
flying
the look on my boy's faces when they accomplish something for the first time
my mom
my dad
great smelling shampoo
my brother
birthdays
my nieces
warm cookies
faith
a good workout
my nephews
immediate gratification
steak
post-it notes
John Hughes films
Bob Evan's strawberry pie
blog comments
singers with gravelly voices
walks with Michelle
Easter morning
cute hair toys
pintrest
my small group
my grandmother's pendant
s'mores
date night
the perfect shade of lipstick
surprise love notes
full budget envelopes
fresh salads
reconnecting with old friends who moved away
answered prayers
D's siblings
chocolate
MOPS
decorating my house
after dinner conversations
meeting people with the same sense of humor I have
my camera
Justin Verlander
family vacations
D's parents
a good haircut
blogging
Christmas Day
fun dangly earrings
a good solid kiss
teamwork
non-burny mouthwash
texting
back rubs
coffee, coffee, coffee
Girls' Night Out
puppies
roller coasters
Danskos
candlelight
Molly
getting my work done so I can enjoy the evening
green
sweet potato fries with garlic aioli dip
finding the perfect running song
birthday parties
people with accents
Just Dance
fluffy towels
Sunday afternoon naps
road trips
inside jokes
colored roses
perfectly fitting jeans
Love Shack house plans :)
new adventures

Again, in no particular order. :)

Domesticity is bliss

2012-02-14T09:51:00.003-05:00

Dave claims that he's never seen our blog. He claims that he's never read it.

I tell him about the things I post,

and I promise not to "cross lines," etc,

but he claims that he's never read the blog.

I think he secretly reads it.
(BUSTED baby! Love you tons!)

What tipped me off?

We spent the weekend together.

With the exception of my Saturday night plans, and his plowing all night on Friday...

we were together all blessed weekend.

And, of course, he made these plans to stay home all weekend after I wrote this post.

Either way, it was a perfectly "quiet" weekend.

And just because it wasn't all glitz and glamour doesn't mean it wasn't fantastic.

So...here's the weekend in pictures:

1. Breakfast with the husby. Usually Saturdays we go our own ways. He heads to breakfast-with-the-boys before work, and I mosey over to my parent's house for the day. Due to the nasty roads, we stayed home and D missed the breakfast-boys because he was plowing. Which meant he got to dine with us. :) Even though the boys still opted for cereal over bacon and eggs, they still really enjoyed having daddy home on a Saturday morning.

2. I made some Valentine Treats. I do enjoy baking. And in accordance with my February Operation, I decided to make a Valentine Trail Mix out of left over popcorn from Souper Bowl (surprisingly enough NOT stale!), left over rice chex from Christmas (again, not stale!), and left over almond bark and red candy melts from Christmas. I added some fresh peanuts and Valentine M&M's....and waalah:

Pink trail mix!

I stuck them in baggies and loaded them up for gifting:

And then...if that wasn't enough, I made a few dozen sugar cookies for C's Valentine's Party yesterday.

3. D took a quick nap, and after he woke up, he offered to take the boys out and about with him for a few hours. (again, reason to make me believe that he read that post).

I decided to start the clean out of the Love Shack. (oh yeah, and I did about 8 loads of laundry)

I found old SD cards filled with precious pictures, and blogged a bit....

But in the end, I was successful at the clean out:

4. While I was cleaning all the old boxes out, I found a bed tent that I originally purchased with A first moved into a big boy bed. I thought that it would add some additional warmth to his bed during the winter months (since the Love Shack has no insulation, and his bed was on an outside wall).

For some reason, it never got assembled.

Until now.

My first instinct was to pitch it...but I didn't want to throw it away until the boys ~~trashed~~ had fun with it.

Even D had a good time in there:

The boys even slept in the tent that night. Apparently, the tight quarters were a tad too much for my light sleeping, C....because he ended up heading into his own bed around midnight.

5. Of course, when you work from home...there's always work to be done. So Saturday and Sunday gave me some time to catch up.

6. After D and the boys arrived home on Saturday, he decided that since the Love Shack was getting cleaned out, it was time to move his office over to the new house.

So we spent the next four hours moving computers, file cabinets, storage cabinets, etc.

And set him up in his little dungeon. :)

It's nice because he's about 8 feet from me. (my desk)

It's not so nice because he's about 8 feet from me.

At night, our TV's are now fighting for top volume rights. :) At least I can shut his door. hehe.

7. Spa night. The other blog I work for had our Christmas party a tad late in the season. February kind of late....but hey....I think it was a splendid idea! Since the blog has grown so much since I first started, there were 6 of us there. (Including some of my favorite people!) She brought in a masseuse and pedicures, lots of wine and some yummy goodies.

The masseuse seriously had me floating on a cloud when she was done with me. After moving all day, I was tense and tight....she worked all my shoulder and neck muscles....hard. She warned me to drink lots of water that night...which I did, but also drank LOTS of wine. Ever since, my shoulders have felt bruised and so sore that I'm not letting anyone touch my shoulders!

But there was laughter....so much laughter that I was crying, my side felt like it was about to split....and I got so dizzy because I couldn't stop laughing enough to breathe. (that's the best, isn't it?!?!?)

Other than my sore shoulders....I also have a party on my toes to remind me of that fun fun night:

8. I made the boys' Valentine's Cards. I saw this idea on Pintrest, and thought it was easy enough. So, thanks to Costco's cheap printing costs and Picasa's free download, the boys and I were able to finish these Valentine's Cards for really cheap. And the boys loved them!

9. Haircuts for the boys. They were getting shaggy, and it needed to be done. C actually complained that it was too "messy" so he asked for a really short cut. This was the first time he'd ever asked for something specific....so I obliged.

Before for C.

After for A

10. And possibly the highlight of my weekend: I took a nap.

C was a MESS on Sunday afternoon from a poor night sleep. I told him to go lay on our bed for a bit, and after having issues settling down, I offered to cuddle with him. Sure enough, he fell asleep quickly. So, I thought I'd give myself 10 minutes to lay there to make sure he was fully asleep....and 90 minutes later, I opened my eyes! All cozy and warm. And well rested.

Oh, how I love cozy Sunday afternoon naps cuddled up with my favorite 4 year old. I can't remember the last time I took a nap!

So, while my weekend lacked glitz and glamour...it was still the perfect weekend!

The multi-tasker

2012-02-13T14:44:00.000-05:00

I've learned a few things as a mom....one of them is multi-tasking...

Right now, at this exact moment in time I am:

- blogging (duh, right?)
- on the phone with an insured
- drinking water
- stretching my back and sore shoulders (story on that later)
- chatting online with a dear old friend and laughing about old memories
- texting with two of my besties. One about water consumption and the other about Valentine's Candy
- scratching two things off my to-do list
- adding three more things to my to-do list (sigh)
- baking bread (thanks, mom, for "lending" me your bread maker!!)
- telling C. that he can enjoy one more of his Valentine Treats
- writing up an audit report
- drying clothes
- planning dinner tonight
- placing a SCRIP order
- completing a deposit slip
- checking an email and responding to it.

Yep....That's what I did for the last 5 minutes.

You should see what I'm capable of when caffeinated!

Be still my heart.

2012-02-11T13:13:00.002-05:00

My dearest husband took the boys out of the house for a few hours today.

I will love him forever just for that gift of silence in the house- even if for a few hours.

We're in the process of moving everything from the love shack into the addition.

I thought I'd take my quiet time to clean, purge, and organize.
(apparently, I'm not quite feeling like myself today. hehe)

Anyway, in the midst of my purging, I found an old SD card.

I plugged it in, and ooooohhhhhhhhh, my heart melted.

It's from about 8 years ago- when digital was still "iffy" in my book, so I had BOTH the regular film and a digital camera in my bag.

So, I've seen many of these pictures before, but I didn't realize I still had them in digital form.

Bear with me as this will have to be a series of posts so I can get them posted.

Here's the most important ones:

A's birth.

Taking his footprints.

Our nurse's name was Lisa.

She is one of my favorite people.

22 1/2 hours of labor. 3 hours of pushing.

14 inch head....

she was there.
(you know....after I labored for 10 hours at home)

A. had long skinny feet.

He, himself, was long and skinny.

And cute.

(Feel free to focus on the sweetie pie in the middle.

The mama is in rough shape- tired, exhausted, sweaty, and teary.)

______________________________________________

His first weigh-in.

Lisa (the awesome nurse) was giving D ques of what to take pictures of.

I was....um....indisposed and unable to stand to take the picture.

Lisa was awesome.

_____________________________________________________

Dear D,

Thank you for making my leg (knee?) and arm giant blurs in this picture.

But the crying baby is cute. :)

___________________________________________________________

I love the next picture.

A was born close to midnight.

Which was kinda nice because I wouldn't have been ready for visitors right away.

And we got to chill in the labor room for a bit before getting shuttled down the hallway.

Lisa was checking A's heart rate often (normal since he came out running a low-grade fever).

Everyone dimmed the lights so we could just chill as a family for a bit.

It was quiet.

Those were my favorite first moments as a family.

_________________________________________________

My sweet niece, Emily came to visit the next day.

Other than the fact that I forgot my hair dryer and I'm looking like the Stay-Puft-Marshmallow-Woman,

this is one of my favorite pictures.

I also love that the camera didn't pick up the part of my eyeball that I ruptured

trying to push A out. (again....14 inch head).

Perhaps I can crop me out.

It's an adorable pic of Emily and A.

_____________________________________________________________________

My old-man-looking baby the morning of discharge.

He's looking a tad yellow-ish here...

but got worse the next day at home. :(

Still adorable though.

Ok, that's about all my ovaries can handle for one day.

More pics soon. I promise. :)

5QF

2012-02-10T09:48:00.001-05:00

I'm trying something new today. I've been in an exercise slump and I have felt fatigued and unable to focus during the day. So....I'm trying this: 10 minute increments.

I know, it's not anything revolutionary. But it's new to me. And it may pose issues for my February project if I'm at various levels of "sweaty" all day long....but I need to get moving. And this is the best way I know to pull it into my crazy busy schedule.

So far today, one increment down. (technically....it was 12 minutes). I ran for 5 of them. It felt good to get my muscles moving again. I have some 10 minute solutions saved in my Netflix que too, so I'm looking forward to jumping into those as well.

A promise to myself: 2 increments a day - NO MATTER WHAT. 3 is a bonus.

I see a little Love Shack Just Dance fun at lunch time today. :)

_______________________________________________________

Ok, onto the fun stuff.

1. How often do you shave your legs in the winter?

Once a week....Sunday mornings. I'm a creature of habit. :)

Summertime means more shaving, but in the winter? Once a week is enough. I need that extra insulation!

2. Valentine's Day cards for your spouse: funny or romantic?

I actually already have D's card. I was at Meijer sans boys the other day and thought it was a good time to get one (the ability to read the card is key here....with kids= no reading).

The romantic ones were sooooo sappy! GAH! Even the funny ones were on the sappy side. I finally found one that suits us, though. It was funny. He'll get a kick out of it.

If I could find a romantic one that fit us, I'd probably get that as well....but they just don't fit.

3. What are you most looking forward to about spring?

Walking with Michelle! It's a highlight of the week...and I burn calories. I'm a fair-weather walker...which means (short of unexpected hail), I'm not out in the chilly elements.

Ohhhhh! Here's another!

We're hoping to tear down the Love Shack this spring! I know! Exciting! I'm actually hoping that by writing this on the blog, I'm not jinxing myself here......but we're hopeful that sledgehammers will swing sometime before June! Whoot!

4. What's your favorite way to pamper yourself?

Haircut and highlight. There's just something so wonderful about good hair.

5. Does your tax return go into savings or do you spend it instantly?

See #3, part 2. :) Love Shack, baby!

Operation: Waste not want not

2012-02-09T08:13:00.006-05:00

I have come to the realization that we waste a lot of food.

I purchase too much fresh produce, stuff on sale, stuff I "think" I'm going to cook with, etc.

And it either spoils or sits and sits and sits in my pantry or freezer.

And my freezer is full.

And my pantry is full.

(But still organized- THANK YOU, Stephenie!!!)

Mostly of stuff I use either occasionally....or not at all.

I've done a piss poor job at using up left overs and digging in the freezer to find stuff to cook with.

And that needs to change.

So, this month....

I'm cooking through the freezer and pantry.

I'm finding the miscellaneous stuff that I've stashed in the back corners,

and I'm going to cook with them.

I'm not sure if it will be good or tasty...I make no guarantees.

But, by golly, I'm not going to waste anything this month.

(and perhaps....just by chance....I MAY come in under the grocery budget for a change?)

So...as step one....

I repurposed a soup.

My husband made Cheesy Chicken soup for the SOUPER bowl party on Sunday.

(he actually was a runner up....yay!)

I found two pie crusts in the freezer from 2010. (yeah....sometimes it's just nice to be gluten free)

I pulled out some old (rather freezer burned) mixed vegetables from the bottom drawer of the freezer, thickened the soup with corn starch...

And WALAHH!

Chicken Pot Pie.

Since the pie crust dough was old(er), it started the crack when I unrolled it.

So, I improvised and made a basket weave.

Fancy, I know.

To my surprise, dinner was a TOTAL success!

The boys ate all but a small corner of the pot pie, and D was excited to have some left overs.

I'm very excited about the way this is starting!

This post is really for Michelle...but y'all are welcome to enjoy the soup too.

2012-02-08T13:04:00.000-05:00

The other day (week?), I had the pleasure of reconnecting with a friend who was out of the country for far (far, far) too long. :) I was so excited to see her because she's a delightful person, and quickly becoming one of my favorite friends.

And I'm not just sayin' that because I know she'll read this. :)

Anyway, I had the pleasure of bringing dinner to her (really, I was just looking for an excuse to make a big pot of my favorite soup). When she asked for the recipe, I wasn't surprised.

It's good soup.

My mom got the recipe from a friend. Then I got it from her.

Then I tweaked it to suit my own fancy.

Have I mentioned how much I love this soup?!?!?!

Here's my ingredient list:

1 quart jar stewed tomatoes
1.5 pounds of beef stew meat (these chunks can come rather large. I usually cut them down a bit with my kitchen sheers)
3 long sticks of carrots
3 long stalks of celery
1 medium yellow onion
1/2 cup quinoa (the original recipe called for rice. I prefer quinoa)

- not pictured. 1 box natural beef broth (or stock, or whatever you have in the cupboard)

Start by browning the stew meat in a large skillet.

While the beef is browning, I cut everything up into relatively large slices/ chunks.

Once the meat is browned, place all carrots, celery, onions and beef in a pot with beef broth.

I made this particular one in a crock pot. Stove top works just as well.

Either way, it needs to boil for a few hours.

The crock pot took 6 hours. I left it on low while we went to church, and switched it to high after we returned.

Once all the veggies have softened, add quinoa and stewed tomatoes.

Cover and let boil for another 20-30 minutes.

Here's my crockpot at the SOUPer Bowl party on Sunday.

I didn't win (sigh).

But, I was so HAPPY that there was a gf soup there that I could enjoy.

The beautiful thing about this soup is that you can throw just about anything in there and it will turn out well. I usually make this soup when I'm trying to clean out the fridge- and I find celery that isn't as crisp as I'd like (in order to eat raw, that is).

I've forgotten the tomatoes....still good.

I've added mushrooms....still good.

I've topped it with cheese....really good.

I've added farro instead of quinoa.....still good.

I've used chicken stock instead of beef....still good.

It's just a good soup. :) Even better when shared with friends.

Dear husband, here are some ideas for gifts for me...just in case you were wondering

2012-02-07T11:35:00.001-05:00

My husband and I aren't big gift givers.

To each other, that is.

When I say this, I don't mean "not at all." I just mean "not big on it."

For a few years, I've given him outdoor lights as Christmas gifts. Romantic, I know.

(but they're really cool lights!)

It is just another testament to our relationship- not putting too much thought into worldly possessions, and not letting them define our relationship or who we are in general.

It's just not us.

BUT

At the risk of talking out both sides of my mouth....

....gifts are fun.

So, since Valentine's Day is right around the corner, and Mother's Day not far behind....here's a list of gifts I wouldn't think were a "waste."

1. A massage. I realize that I'm aiming pretty high on the gift-giving budget here, but I just had a (really TOO) short massage from Yolanda at my MOPS spa day. She's a fantastic masseuse, and I'd LOVE to go for the full hour. Within seconds of starting my massage the other day, she found significant sources of pain in my nerves. I'd LOVE to go get them worked out. (Honey? She sent me an email....I can get 15% off!)

2. A morning to sleep in. No one to feed, no one arguing, no one who needs to be let out 5 times to pee before 8 am. Just blissful sleep.

3. Some piece of jewelry with both boys' birth stones on them. Blue topaz and peridot go really well together. However, since I'm crazy picky about how simple my jewelry is, I would have to have full design rights on this piece. (Apparently, I can be high maintenance when the situation calls)

4. Girls night out. Many of them. Lots of them. No complaints about how many there are.

5. A personal trainer. Kinda like Jillian...but not as hard core. Or maybe that hard core? I need to get my butt back in gear.

6. A car wash. Our balmy winter and the dirt road we live on has left our white van a sorry shade of "dust." She needs a good washin'.

7. An entire day in the house with no one else home. Yes, that's considered a gift. I would LOVE that.

8. The morning commute to school. Take it a few days a week for the next few weeks. While I love our choice of elementary schools, the morning commute is really wearing on me...and I'd love a breather.

9. A family weekend. The whole weekend. No obligations, no work. We don't have to have "big plans" even. I just want a family weekend- and not share my husband with anyone else (except our off-spring, of course).

10. Hmmmmm....I can't think of anything else. I'll have to end the list at 9. :)

5QF

2012-02-03T10:22:00.000-05:00

1. What have you done recently that you are proud of?

I have trusted people. Trust doesn't come easy to me, and trusting others is truly difficult. In the past, trusting people has meant that I've been taken advantage of, disappointed and hurt. Now...not so much. The people that God has placed in my life are just seriously the best ever.

I have also not given up. I'm seriously HOVERING right above a large weight loss goal. I've been here before (a few times), and hit a plateau.....and given up. Only to go soaring back up on the scale. I've been hovering at this weight (give or take 1.3 pounds) for 4 weeks now. By golly...this time I'm NOT giving up. I WILL brake this plateau. I've hung in here for 4 weeks....I'm going to see this through. I'll beat this puppy.

2. What is your favorite way to work out? Or if you don't workout, what are you wanting to try?

I've recently discovered Just Dance games on the wii. The third one is my favorite so far (Take on Me, anyone!?!?!?!?). I totally kick up a sweat, and I don't even realize I've been exercising until 25 minutes into it.

I've also found that I've been missing running lately. I liked the calorie burn I got from running. I could really rack them up. And that feeling of accomplishment by setting a goal and reaching it...it was awesome. So...perhaps I'll be carving out some running time in the near future sooner than later. :)

3. If you knew you best friend was cheating on spouse would you tell?

I'd probably bring it to the best friend first and figure what in the world would make her do something like that. Sitting by idly isn't really in my personality.

4. If you could afford a live-in maid or nanny, would you have one?

Not a live-in, no. This life is my responsibility, and raising my children is my responsibility. There's something to scrubbing your house clean. Even though I HATE doing it, the satisfaction of maintaining your own property is a good thing.

Could I just have a part time babysitter available at my whim so I could go grocery shopping alone? And someone to clean my floors. That's all I need.

5. Do you stress out about birthdays (specifically the age) or do you enjoy them?

I have one way to look at birthdays:

It beats NOT having one.

I'm really realizing that some things just get better with age. 35 is a really, really, really fun age to be.

And, a bonus question from Scott: (Or something...)
Bonus: Lights off or on?

Yes.

Operation: Look cute... or at least cute-ish.

2012-02-02T14:15:00.000-05:00

Way back when, I had a friend who LOVED her MOPS group. As a matter of fact, that's ALL she would talk about. To the point, I didn't ever want to join a MOPS group.

How much she was doing for them....
How much time it took....
How important her work was to the group....
Who "reported" to whom in the steering team...
Who was stabbing whom in the back with spear-tongued words....
Who wasn't going "through her chain of command" to air grievances....

Blah blah blah. A lot of stupid girly drama if you ask me.

But since you didn't...onward.

One day I was talking to my sister-in-law and she assured me that not all MOPS were like this. That they are in the 1% of wierdo MOPS groups that functions on dysfunction.

And I talked to another friend who had a fantastic MOPS group. She's never mentioned it before...so I was surprised that she was a part of one. But when I asked her for more information, she grinned, and beamed and spoke of it with love. I wanted to be a part of that one. And bonus: it was just a few hundred feet down my road.

Three years later, I'm loving my group. The ladies there are fantastic, and I've made the most fantastic friends. They are whole-hearted God-lovin' mama's and I consider myself just so fortunate to be around them. These women have been there to encourage me in finding mysterious medical diagnoses, given me great advice when I struggle, and let me lean on them when days are bleak. This is also the place I list the laughs. And the wine. Lots of laughs. Lots of wine.

And iced coffee. Today was spa day at our MOPS group. Other meetings have been great, but this is my favorite day, by far. This morning, I was made up with make up, massaged, waxed, parafined, and hair-did*. (*totally a word). Here's the end result:

photo courtesy of C, so please excuse the darkness. :)

You'll also note (or perhaps you can't cause the picture is too dark) that I'm wearing a gray t-shirt. Rendering my eye color dark gray. :)

This photo was taken a few hours after spa day....
Good: the curls have had a bit to relax. I was feeling awfully Shirley-esque this morning.
Bad: my eye make up has absorbed into my skin because she didn't use enough primer under it....highlighting my raccoon eyes. It's a beautiful look, I know.

Anyway, while we were getting our hair done, my friend and I were talking about how we were falling into a slump with sweat/yoga pants, no make-up, no jewelry, no freaking cares about our appearance. While this does free us up for some of the things that do matter in life, I do prefer to walk into a bank and have other customers think I'm a customer too....not a baglady begging for toppins.

So, my goal for the month of February....is essentially not to look like a bag lady. To wear the clothing that actually fits me (i.e. is NOT falling off or adds 20 pounds), wear make up a few days a week (can't push it now), and actually give a crap about looking nice once in a while.

Weird random facts about me that may make you feel better about yourself

2012-01-31T10:17:00.001-05:00

The other night, D and I were talking. Within that talk, he learned yet another Sandy-ism (which...I just cannot remember at this moment in time). His reply...."Honey, you're so weird. You need to document these Sandy-isms. I'm sure they'd be a funny blog post."

Wow....he's come a long way.

Homeboy has never encouraged me to make a specific blog post. It's more something he just lets me do because I like it. (And get paid for it....see right column- advertising! Thank you for your page view, by the way).

So...here's a few random things about me..

..that will probably make you feel a little better about yourself.

1. I believe I may have adult-onset ADD. No really. I can sit at my computer and take an hour to write up an audit report that should take 15 minutes. I'm just easily distracted, and not at all interested in numbers at this particular moment in time.

2. I cannot go to sleep with socks on. Doing so will ensure with 100% probability that I will wake up in the middle of the night with a nightmare. So, even if it's -30 degrees below, I'm pulling the socks off before I get under the covers.

3. I am spontaneous and non-planning at heart. I understand that having kids makes it so I need to plan many things in advance. This also lends itself to difficulties in staying within budget every month. I'm usually $10 over in the grocery budget. I'm not adjusting it, though....because I'm sure I'd be $10 over no matter what the budget is set at.

4. I have an interesting sense of humor. I understand that this may or may not offend people at any given time. I'm ok with that. I also think that sometimes people are a tad too oversensitive about certain subjects. I'm ok with not dealing with them too. I do, however, try to keep myself in check...but really, most jokes will offend someone at some moment in time.

5. I do not have an alarm clock. D has one on his side of the bed, but I don't use it. I look at what time it is when I go to bed, and I tell myself, " I want to wake up at 6:45." 90% of the time, I will be awake ten minutes before the time I gave myself to wake. The other 10%? Usually 10 minutes after the given time. I have no idea how this happens. It just does.

6. I have interesting eye balls. The color of my eyes will reflect the color of the shirt I'm wearing making it appear as if the color of my eyes changes. (At least, I believe this is what happens). My driver's licence says "BLU." This is true if I'm wearing white, blue, and red. However, if I'm wearing green, orange or brown, they will appear hazel. And (my favorite!), if I'm wearing purple, black or gray, they will turn a VERY dark shade of gray to the point that people have not been able to pin point what color exactly my eyes are. This is very cool in my book.

7. I swear. Yep. I do. I try not to. Especially in front of my kids. I think of inventive words to scream when I stub my toe with littles present....the latest one includes, "Pollyanna had UGLY hair!" But, sometimes the situation requires an "oh sh*t." And after two glasses of wine or cocktails, I could be confused with a sailor. I, therefore, usually exercise a "one drink maximum" when out with mixed company. Don't judge.

8. I have a very low tolerance for bull sh*t. (see number 7. sorry about that if you're offended. If you are...see #4.) I'm a pretty smart girl, and can be very forgiving....but if people are using me, manipulating me, mistreating people I love, or taking me for granted...well, it's like a switch goes off. I'll shut off to them and that's that. Sometimes this switch is slow to "shut off" which makes me wonder sometimes. But, looking back...it's really come in handy helping me let go of friendships I've really put too much effort into. While it's always sad to say good-bye to someone, sometimes it's necessary. Shutting down those friendships has opened the door to new ones, and the ones I have in my life right now are nothing short of wonderful and incredibly dear to my heart.

9. I cannot sleep with closet doors open. If the closet doors are left open (even a crack), I will toss and turn until I get up to close them. Of course, to camoflouge my neroses to my husband, I'll head to the bathroom first, and shut them on the way back to bed. After 10 1/2 years of marriage, he's on to me now. Took him long enough to notice. ;) Now, he'll actually leave them open on purpose just to see how long it takes me to get out of bed. Sigh.

10. I drove A. to school today. In my pajamas. I'm perfectly ok with posting this on a public forum. I make no qualms about being the perfect put-together person. I'm a mess, and I'm ok with that.

5QF

2012-01-27T11:28:00.000-05:00

Seriously....it feels as though I just did a 5QF yesterday. I guess that's a good thing that these winter weeks are flying by. Is it just me, or has time sped up to WARP SPEED since having kids?

Ok, on with the questions....
1. Do you swim in the winter?

Um, no. Most of the pools around here (that are affordable to get into as non-members) aren't kept at a very warm temperature.

They're even cold in the summer.

So, no....I don't swim in the winter.

2. Do you love or hate winter?

Meh.

I could take it or leave it.

Each season has its own beauty.

I love me a white Christmas.

I love hibernating and cuddling up with D on the couch while we watch a movie.

The peace and solitude you see outside on a crispy morning after a fresh snowfall....love that.

Driving in it, not so much.

Driving in it with other morons on the road....really, not so much.

The February blues that come with lack of sunshine and outdoor time....I'd pass on that too.

3. Do you put makeup/actual clothes on when you know you're going to be home all day with just family?

Yoga pants count as actual clothes, right? If so, I can answer this question in a 50% affirmative.

The make up....well, let's just say there are days I'm out and about all day and choose not to put a lick of make up on (like today, for instance).

4. How old were you when you had your first alcoholic beverage?

Oh gosh....my dad let us take sips of his PBR when we were little. That counts, right? hehe

5. How many ill calls in a 12 month period do you think are acceptable?

Depends...am I the boss or am I the sickie?

Here's the thing...being sick is one thing. Taking advantage of it is another. If you're immuno-compromised, take action to get yourself healthy. I'd say unless it's a major event/ illness...not more than a week's worth of time to be taken off for sickness.

Happy Weekend!

Miscellany....but not too much of it. I promise.

2012-01-25T21:30:00.000-05:00

1. It's Wednesday.

2. I spent most of the evening thinking it was Thursday.

3. Despite all my calendars, I still have issues telling what day it is.

4. I have just started a new skin regime at night. I've never stuck to a skin regime before. So far, this is the longest I've stuck with anything. It's been 6 days.

5. I'm sooo excited for my "date" with Michelle on Friday. It's been TOO long since I saw her.

6. C. is the "special person" for the week at preschool. We had to make a poster with pictures and his favorite things on it. We worked together for 3.5 hours on Sunday afternoon. In a 4 minute time-out, he colored orange marker on all the pictures. Awesome.

7. C. is still not quite right after having the stomach flu last month. We're avoiding dairy and putting him on probiotics for a few weeks. He's being very diligent in asking if something has milk in it. Apparently, homeboy is tired of having a hurt tummy. :(

8. I'm sitting in my basement as I type. My fingers are numb from the freezing temperatures. (Freezing would be a *slight* exaggeration, but my fingers ARE numb!).

9. A's class led chapel this morning. A. played the part of Jesus. It was so fun to watch, and warmed my heart to worship with the kiddos. I need to make a point of attending chapel with them more often.

10. I have the bug to travel. I've always had this bug. I don't have the bank account to travel. I've never had this account. I need to change that after the house is built. This may or may not have anything to do with the fact that there are small bits of daylight and low amounts of sunny days here in Michigan.

5QF

2012-01-20T14:06:00.001-05:00

1. Where do you hide the reeeally good snacks?

I used to have an empty cereal box that I hid my "stash" in. You know, the good stuff that my husband would inhale without a second glance, but I would savor every morsel.

It was cereal that was crappy gluten free junk. Totally gross.

And then, I gave up my stash, and now have no hiding spots. Yes, I am a kept woman. :)

2. Do u keep your vehicle clean or am I the only one who has things falling out of their van?

I'm pretty much down the middle of the road on this one. I have been known to spew crap on the ground as the door open, but I can also keep it relatively tidy.

I saw a great idea on pintrest: take a plastic cereal container, put a plastic bag in it, and put it in the car. Instant trash receptacle! I did this about 4 months ago, and haven't looked back since! All trash comes up my way, and I'm happy to report the car has stayed tidy since we had it detailed in Oct. :)

Never spotless, but tidy will work.

3. Have you ever been to Vegas?

Yes, a few times. The first time was with my parents and we stayed at the Hilton. The second and third times were with D.

The second time we came home with a great souvenir named A!!!

sorry, tmi.

4. Warm room light blankets or cold room warm snuggly blanket?

BOTH! I type this from my basement...and I'm FREEZING! So, yes, ANYTHING warm, please!!!

5. What is the worst airplane/flying experience you've ever had?

Other than some crazy turbulence once and flying through a lightening storm another time, they really haven't been all that bad. We have always made it there alive...so that's a good thing.

On the way to Germany, D and I got stuck in the aisle in front of the emergency exit. Which meant, the airline shoe-horned three aisles in where there should have been two, and then our seats wouldn't recline because of the emergency exit. So, we had no leg room (seriously...NONE) and no way to recline. On an overnight flight. THAT totally sucked.

Thank goodness we were dating and still thought it was sweet and cute to encroach on each other's space. I think I would be less forgiving nowadays. :)

Happy Weekend!

Phoning it in

2012-01-18T18:06:00.001-05:00

Recently, D and I converted to the land of unlimited cell phone usage.

In other words, we're using our phones more now than ever before.

And we dropped Sprint as our carrier (good riddance!).

Hello, Verizon-land.

We appreciate your nice customer service and wide-spread coverage area.

So, before I totally trash my old phone, I thought I'd clean out the pics...

My phone was old and crappy...so was the camera.

Sorry about the blur.

Last year's Christmas service.

A picture I sent to my brother of my dad's leg after he broke it into

a million tiny pieces.

(ok, a million is a *tad* exaggerated...just 26.)

C's Christmas program/party at preschool last year.

The kids all dressed up, and the teacher read the Christmas Story.

The kiddos acted it out.

It.was.adorable.

By far, my FAVORITE preschool program ever.

A bowling with friend, D, on Christmas break last year.

Empty Costco Ice Cream boxes= hats

C LOVES the pony at Meijer.

LOVES it.

I actually remember that there was a pay-it-forward there that day.

Someone left about 30 pennies on the stand that day.

Free rides to anyone who didn't have a penny.

Yeah, this is blurry...but it's a picture of my receipt from JC Penney last year.

I hit their after-season clearance sale.

I spent $48.28.

I saved $474.38.

I put my hair in french braids one night before bed.

The next day, I had a 1980's kink.

I sent it to my friend and we had a good laugh.

This picture I sent to my friend, Melody after getting my hair cut.

My awesome hair stylist also found out that I was headed to a wedding that night and set it in rollers for me.

This is some church north of my parent's house.

We went there for an Educational Festival.

A was so brave to go up and sing with just a few other friends.

C's fieldtrip to the firestation.

Cute picture of C.

No doubt taken to redirect him from some crazy behavior out in public.

Homeboy is always up for a good "CHEESE!"

Our principal piggy-backing A. out to the car after school.

Apparently, St. Mark is a full-service school. :)

For some reason, I have a weird picture of my gut at the 5k.

Waiting for friends to arrive at the zoo.

Oh my goodness, I love this next picture!

C. and his best friend, E. at our church's vbs.

They LOVED it.

This is my aunt and uncle's house in Kentucky.

I took the picture coming up from the dock post boat ride.

I sent it to my brother and let him know that he was missed while the rest of the family vacationed.

Do you remember how HOT it was in July!?!?

Scortching hot.

Well, we were getting ready to go camping in that heat, and 5 minutes before we left,

we heard a loud cracking sound and then a BOOM.

A tree right down the road couldn't take the heat anymore and split.

Blocking our exit.

Postponing D's entrance into a "relaxing" weekend.

We were over an hour delayed getting up to the campground.

C enjoying some blue ice cream.

Someday his future wife will thank me for pictures like these. :)

Taken right before zoo school last summer.

He just looked too cute sitting there.

H.A.B.W.A.L.

(Hit a Ball With A Lutheran)

Softball tournament with other area churches.

We went to watch and visit with friends for a bit,

and ended up staying the whole day.

The boys had a BLAST.

I made some birthday treats for one of A's classmates.

Cause every kid deserves to be celebrated on their birthday.

Thank you, pintrest, for the fun idea!

Rare moment of togetherness.

Having fun at the library.

I took this picture and sent it to D to proove that they DO love each other.

Sometimes. :)

Sent to my friend, Melody.

I was having a pity party about having to sit in the darn dentist chair.

Grumble grumble.

Taken the night D went deer hunting.

I decided to surprise the boys and take them to Bob Evans.

Turns out I love this picture!

Invasion of the Body Snatchers- Things that I never thought would come out of my mouth.

2012-01-17T09:23:00.002-05:00

Lately, I am a different version of myself. Apparently, I'm going through a "phase."

I'm not sure what to title this phase....and I'm still me....just different.

Lately some words have come out of my mouth...and once they escape, I'll look around thinking, "Did *that* just come from my mouth....my brain?!?!?"

Case in point:

1. I want to get my run in early today.

2. I think you should just spend the money and get a new computer.

3. I want to organize the bathroom cabinet today.

4. I think we can get rid of some of this stuff. (Seriously, my husband did the happy dance on this one!)

5. I want to organize the rest of the stuff in C's old room.

6. I want some snow!

7. I need a schedule to keep my mind on track.

8. I really don't want to watch anymore TV today.

9. Chocolate really doesn't sound good to me right now.

10. I AM breaking through this goal of mine!!! I AM!

I know, right? Just not me.

Someone has invaded my brain, and I am a mere shadow of myself. :)

5QF- Kate's World Edition

2012-01-13T11:07:00.000-05:00

My dear friend, M is on her way to Mexico...(I know, pppppooooorrrrr thing), and I wish her safe travels.

Lady Katie is hosting this week! I'm so happy!

1. What is the last thing you bought for yourself?

A new bra! JC Penney is having their clearance sale, and last Saturday night I was out shopping with dear friends. They had an ENTIRE RACK of cuties in my size, so I purchased one. Incidentally, it's the only one I have with all hooks intact. Perhaps I need to go back.

2. What is your favorite meal on a cold winter day?

Chili. I love chili when its cold out.

3. Have you started looking at swimsuits for this year, and do you buy a new one every year?

Why, oh why, would I want to TORTURE myself so early in the game?!?!?! I wear my one and only (wait....I actually have two) suit about twice a year. There is no reason for me to spend money frivolously on a swim suit every year.

Long story short...(too late), the answers are "no and no"

4. If you could be any candy, what would you be and why?

Another interview question? I would go with Snickers. Full of different flavors, but all blends to make something fun and yummy. Never disappointing.

5. What are you most passionate about?

I'm passionate about a lot of things. God, for starters. Parenting, appropriately. Right now, politics is coming in a decent third....big decisions need to be made this year, and people need to make sure they're informed.

All righty, then!!! Have a great weekend!

Name that movie revealed!

2012-01-12T20:18:00.000-05:00

Ok...so no one's loosing sleep, but I thought I'd answer the quiz.

And now you are about to realize what a movie nerd we are....

1. "I've never been so happy in my whole life!"

Sixteen Candles. Said by the Donger at the party. "I've never been so happy in my whole life. Now I have a place to put my hand."

2. "Catch you on the flip side"

Apollo 13. Said by Keven Bacon's character as they used the moon's gravity to slingshot them back to earth. They lost sight and radio communication while they were on the other side of the moon, and Kevin Bacon says, "So long Earth, catch you on the flip side."

I say this phrase every night to the boys when we tuck them in. "Sleep tight...catch you on the flip side."

3. "Where is my AUTOmobile?" "AUTOMOBILE?!?!?!?!"

Sixteen Candles
"Dong...(clap, clap) .....DONG.....Where is my Automobile?!?!?!"
"AUTOMOBILE!?!?!?!? (car sounds) (crashing sounds) lake. big lake"

I say this phrase every time I leave the store/mall/school and I can't remember right away where I parked.

Yes, I think I'm funny....why do you ask?

4. "There's no crying in baseball. THERE'S NO CRYING IN BASEBALL!"

League of their Own.

I'm a pretty big Tom Hanks fan, yes...but his lines in this movie were classic daily-quote-material. This one started when A. was a baby and he had a little baseball players outfit. Everytime he wore it and cried, I'd say this phrase, and it just snowballed into everything else.

"There's no crying in the van...." "There's no crying at dinner...."

You get my point here, right?

5. "Jump.back."

Footloose. One of my favorite movies. Said by Kevin Bacon (Wren) as Willard told him about laws outlawing dancing. D and I say this to each other all the time. It's a GREAT replacement for anything related to O.M. G.

6. "Yes indeedy, he does the dishes and helps with the laundry. You BETCHA!"

Again, Sixteen Candles. This said at the dinner table while everyone's looking strangely at the Donger as he eats a quiche ("How you spell?" "Well, you don't spell it son, you EAT it." more quotes...sorry).

We love this movie....can you tell?

7. "What did David do? .... What did David do?"

Footloose again. Said by Wren as he takes on the town council. He used biblical examples to show the council that dancing wasn't only a prelude to fornication.

(Sorry I said fornication on my blog)

8. "I have a very low tolerance for dehydration."

Breakfast Club. Said by Claire (Molly Ringwald) when they were talking about milk being made available to the students for lunch.

9. "What ever I want to do, GOSH!"

Yes, much to my chagrin, we do quote Napoleon Dynamite in our house. This is mostly the one we use, but sometimes....on rare occasions, there is the perfect opportunity to pull one of these out.

10. "Did you mom marry Mr. Rogers?" "No, Mr. Johnson"

Again, the Breakfast Club. During the lunch hour, one student had all five food groups represented in his paper sack. Can you guess which character it was?

Name that Movie

2012-01-10T09:26:00.002-05:00

For anyone that's met my husband and I, it's no secret that we kinda speak a weird language of our own.

It's movie language.

You see, BK* we used to LOVE watching movies together.

And then we watch the ones we loved over and over and over again.

Lines from those movies are forever burned into our cerebral cortex.

Those lines flow like honey into our daily conversations.

Not only with each other, but with others as well.

Other movie buffs get this...and can throw it back (which I LOVE)

Others kinda look at us with cocked heads and a furl in their brow. Sigh.

Ok, below you'll find a list of the most commonly quoted lines in our house.

Can you guess what movie their from?

1. "I've never been so happy in my whole life!"

2. "Catch you on the flip side" As evidenced here.

3. "Where is my AUTOmobile?" "AUTOMOBILE?!?!?!?!"

4. "There's no crying in baseball. THERE'S NO CRYING IN BASEBALL!"

5. "Jump.back."

6. "Yes indeedy, he helps with the dishes and does the laundry. You BETCHA!"

7. "What did David do? .... What did David do?"

8. "I have a very low tolerance for dehydration."

9. "What ever I want to do, GOSH!"

10. "Did you mom marry Mr. Rogers?" "No, Mr. Johnson"

And...here's the bonus question....if you can guess this movie, you will win the grand prize**

"You know, they don't make enough meat on a stick"

*before kids

**The grand prize is this: my complete and utter fanfare. You see, I've been quoting this movie line for over 8 years, and I CANNOT remember (for the life of me!) which movie this is from. I haven't slept since. I may need therapy.

I promise to post answers tomorrow. Just in case you can't place these movie lines, and you start quoting them...and then you won't be able to sleep....I promise not to do that to you. :)

The Birth Song Challenge

2012-01-09T21:17:00.000-05:00

One of my friends put out a challenge to find the #1 song during the week of your birth and share it on Facebook. And other friends are doing the same.

And it's totally hilarious.

So, I needed to preserve it for posterity and post it here on the blog.

So...without further adieu....here's my birth-week #1 song:

Ohhhhhhhh yeah.

5QF- First one of 2012!

2012-01-06T09:41:00.000-05:00

1. What is the weather like where you are and do you like it?

Right now, I'm LOVING it!!! WE had a spectacular sunrise this morning that we got to enjoy on our commute to school...the forecast is 49 and sunny today.

A FAR cry from what it's supposed to be this time of year in Michigan.

2. When you're sick what do you seek comfort from?

Solitude. I just need to be left alone. I don't want a pity party or someone doting on me....AND I don't want to have to deal with my boys arguing or making them dinner.

I just want to be left alone.

3. What do you need to do before the end of the month?

HA! I just have to laugh at this question...and ask something along the lines of:

What DON'T I need to do before the end of the month?!?!?!

Over committed, am I.

4. Have you ever served on a jury?

Nope. Was selected for jury duty selection when I was pregnant with A. I had just left my job, so I had nothing else to do....but wasn't selected. The selection portion was pretty interesting, though. Whoa nelly.

5. If you could be any animal, what would you be and why?

This is one of those questions that they throw out at you quickly right before the end of a job interview.

And, of course, a lot of animals go through my mind and what attributes they have that I would love to possess. I'd love to fly like an eagle- graceful and elegant. I'd love to be a race horse - athletic and powerful. I'd love to be a dolphin - fun and playful.

But, it all comes down to the fact that I'm a dog person, and would probably choose to be a canine. Why? Because (most of them) are loved as a member of a family, hugged, cuddled, and I am a loyal person- just like the dogs I know are. So, there's that.

Happy Weekend!

Someday I'll post a nice flowing post....today is not that day. At least I have pictures.

2012-01-03T12:45:00.000-05:00

Christmas Recap.

I realize I've fallen dreadfully behind on updates.

So, here's a quick Christmas recap. Sorry if its choppy.

Getting ready for the Christmas program/ Advent service at church. The preschool/ school ran the service. Too cute.

Christmas Eve with D's family.

He's just too cute with the little ones.

Still melts my heart.

__________________________________________________

A. is certainly a "grandparent kid." He loves them.

I love poppa hoppa's white-man's-overbite.

__________________________________________________________

My in-laws get our sense of humor in many things.

Their gift?

The National Lampoons Moose Mugs.

Oh yeah, baby.

__________________________________________________________________________

There's 4 grandsons all within a few years of each other.

This is always a recipe for wrestling.

Too bad uncles don't like to play along.

Carnage (sorry, uncle Ryan!)

________________________________________________________

Christmas morning

At home. Just the 4 of us.

I love it that way.

The boys receive gifts from "santa", and

we have a breakfast birthday party for Jesus.

I made PW's cinnamon rolls gf style.

(not recommended, by the way)

Well...unless you have a husband like D.

He ate 6 that morning.

_________________________________________________________

Then to my parent's house after church.

Christmas couple and family pictures.

______________________________________________________________

Lunch.

I look forward to this lunch all.year.long.

I'd love to say just kidding, but that would be a lie.

Mmmmm. Crab legs and t-bones.

______________________________________________________________

A. opened a Nintendo ds.

While he was excited about this new venture into technology,

I LOVE C's reaction to his brother's gift!

_______________________________________________________

C. helped everyone (that would let him) open their gifts.

__________________________________________________

C opens his very own ds.

He was so surprised.

And excited!

_______________________________________________________

Two days later, the crud hit our house.

C. was violently sick.

D and I felt "whonky" the next two days.

A. skated by scott free.

How is it that my pukey kid didn't catch this bug?

I'm grateful!

__________________________________________________________

A few days later, we were able to meet our "new(ish)" nephew, Jimmi.

He and his parents live in N. Carolina...and flew up on Christmas Day.

We sanitized the house just in time for a visit.

Then, low and behold, the rest of the family comes along.

And all SEVEN cousins were together for the first time.

Sorry for the fuzziness....my battery died, and the only thing we had to take the picture was my mother-in-law's camera. I sharpened it as much as I could, but hey...at least the picture has been taken!

Ok, that's all I've got. Hope you all had a very Merry Christmas!

Last 5QF of 2011

2011-12-30T10:31:00.000-05:00

Here we go! Last one of 2011! It's not to late to join in on the fun, friends. It's quick and (relatively) painless.

1. What's the oldest piece of clothing in your closet?

Well, I have a piece of lingerie from our wedding night...stashed in a back dark corner somewhere in there. Otherwise, the closet has had some good purges since moving into it a few years ago. I don't know why I keep that article of clothing....my mind is a strange sort of pack rat.

2. How many random blog readers have you met?

Zero! Most of my readers are already my friends. There were a few acquaintances that I've met recently that have read the blog, and therefore know a lot about me....which meant we were fast friends, and I had a LOT to catch up on in order to get to know them better.

Otherwise, there's a select few that I've grown close enough to to befriend on facebook. And knowing them better makes me love them all the more! And perhaps obtain a puppy. (long story)

3. Do you let your kids stay up till midnight on New Years Eve? (Or, if you don't have kiddos yet, did you get to stay up until midnight as a child?)

We have plans to have family fun on NYE...but, no the kids won't be staying up until midnight. Not only are we not fans of that at all, they'd NEVER make it.

I tried a few times as a child to stay up until midnight....never made it until I turned about 18.

4. What are the gas prices where you live?

Yesterday they were $3.32.

Ten days ago they were $2.99.

Sheesh.

5. What is one resolution that you know you should do but are too afraid to try?

I'm not too sure on that one. I've never really let fear control my movements or decisions. Wait...I have in the past....and perhaps I let fear subconsciously control some actions, but nothing like "I should do that, but I'm afraid....."

Sky diving....that could fit under this category.

Always wanted to try it.

The unwelcome guest

2011-12-26T20:13:00.000-05:00

Something moved in on my little guy.

An unwelcome guest.

Just what we DIDN'T want for Christmas...

I'm heading into the trenches for the next few days....

...a regular post will be forthcoming when we resurface.

Catch you on the flip side.

(what movie?)

From our family to yours....

2011-12-23T11:24:00.000-05:00

Oh so selfish

2011-12-22T12:44:00.000-05:00

I'm shopping for Christmas presents.

Only, I'm done shopping for Christmas presents.

I've been done since before A's birthday (2 weeks ago).

And yet, I still go shopping.

And I bought myself a sweater.

And I bought myself some earrings.

And I bought myself a new (SMALLER!!!!) pair of jeans.

The only thing that redeemed me is that I also bought some cough drops for A who is fighting a bit of a head cold.

Whew....so glad for those cough drops....otherwise I'd think myself oh so selfish. ;)

Tuesday Miscellany

2011-12-20T13:33:00.001-05:00

It's the Tuesday before Christmas...

I have nothing on my mind, and I have everything on my mind (and to do list) at the same time.

Which means there's no room left in this brain of mine to compose a coordinating blog post.

Miscellany seems to fit the bill of my mind....so, we'll go with that.

1. I have come to a point in my life that I'm realizing the friends I've let go of weren't really the greatest friends to begin with. The friends I have in my life now are the ones I want there. They support me, pray for me, give great hugs, and are a boatload of fun to hang out with. I dig them.

2. Wipeout is, by far, one of my favorite game shows. They pull all these super annoying people on there....(you know, the kind of people you'd slap across the face if you met in real life?) and they hit them and make them run into large objects at full speed.

3. German web sites are hard to navigate when you don't sprekense duetsch.

4. Friends are great for texting you phrases like "we're getting our BOOTIES on the treadmill next week! Get ready!" Again...see #1.

5. Having a finite budget for Christmas....in a separate bank account....has worked wonders in keeping me withIN the budget.

6. Finger Jello takes longer than I thought to set up.

7. Kids getting sick right before the holidays clearly sucks. Thank goodness for vitamins and expectorant!

8. Gluten free chex mix rocks. And puppy chow. Mmmmm.

9. My husband and I can throw a mean Christmas party. And our pastor can mix a mean (and sneaky!) sangria.

10. I'm so grateful for grandparents who are willing and able to take the boys. I get a small break (to enjoy silence) and the boys make priceless memories.

5QF

2011-12-16T11:43:00.000-05:00

1. What's the best Christmas present you've ever received?

Can I say my son? He came a few weeks before Christmas...and his hospital bill was our Christmas present to each other....therefore, he's my Christmas present, right?

If I can't claim him as a gift....hhhmmmm, I'd have to go the the Cabbage Patch Kid. I received mine the year they were all the rage. I actually didn't think I'd be lucky enough to get one. But my awesome mom came to the rescue....I wonder if she has a fun story to tell about nabbing my Leonora Cicily.

2. Worst/Funniest White Elephant gift ever received?

I'm usually the one that fights for the good gift. And I usually get it.

We had a MOPS leadership Christmas party not long ago, and there were some pretty funny and AWFUL white elephant gifts. One was a stuffed bear....it was HUGE with a floral jumper complete w/ sailor collar. It had a crazy face....and was just about the ugliest thing I've ever seen. It totally freaked me out, but the girl that opened it was such a good sport. So, there I am....ripping on this bear the whole night...and when the end came, someone asked "WHO on earth brought this bear...."

Yeah, totally the lady sitting next to me.

(Sorry Gretchen!)

3. Is your Christmas tree plain and simple (white lights and matching ornaments) or is it wild and crazy (colored lights with lots of ornaments collected over the years)?

I have kids. I think there's a law that mandates that I have a hodge podge tree full on ornaments made with love. I love it. I'll appreciate the matchy-matchy trees in the stores.

4. "How" do you iron your clothes? The old fashioned iron/ironing board way, the shower, back in the dryer, etc.

Oh, come now....iron?!?!?! me? iron?

IF I do have to iron, I pull out the board and iron....I'm an old-fashioned girl at heart.

5. How much baking do you do for Christmas and what are your "must make" items? (I'm looking for recipes here, peeps...)

I found a fantastic caramel corn recipe ....but since I leave out the molasses, it's more of a butter toffee popcorn recipe. It's soooo yummy, and when I gave bags to my table mates in MOPS, they SQUEALED....it's that good! Take my word for it.....LEAVE OUT THE MOLASSES!

Things you do when you mind is on strike

2011-12-13T10:05:00.000-05:00

Somewhere between November and now...I've lost my ability to think clearly. It's been the worst the past couple of days. I can think of a few things that would cause this phenomenon...but still....the causes wouldn't be able to take away the fact that I've spent almost 1/2 of my days recuperating or recovering from the mistakes I made the first 1/2 of the day.

For instance...here's a list:

1. I got gas on my way to pick A up from school. Half way there, I heard a "thump, thump, thump." Upon investigation (i.e. looking in my driver's side mirror), I realized I forgot to replace the gas cap, and shut the tank door. It was flapping on the outside of the van. Awesome.

2. I not only cooked hamburgers on my pancake griddle (read: was too lazy to go outside and grill in the middle of December in Michigan), but I also cooked them one degree short of industrial hockey pucks. This is a tragedy in this carnivorous household.

3. I forgot to make A do his homework. I know better than this. We've been working on homework every night for the past 3 months! Really....they'll let just about anyone be a mom these days. :)

4. I forgot about our Bright Beginnings home visit at 8:30am. I remembered as she was backing down my driveway. And I was still in my pajamas.

5. I got dressed so quickly that I put my sweat pants on backward. Backward. And didn't realize it until I was in the company of my meeting friend. Backward. The whole time. Backward.

6. I went to make a bank deposit, and found myself in the drive thru of my credit union. Luckily, I realized this BEFORE I sent the tube into the building.

7. I made it to the BANK drive thru for the deposit, and realized that I had forgotten to check the checks. Of course, one person had decided to forget to SIGN their check.

8. The bank sends back the deposit slip for correction (really...they want ME to do the math in my head....aren't THEY the ones with calculators?), and I redo the math....and apparently mess THAT up to.

9. I forgot to send my friends' thank you note in the mail. For two months. Is there a statute of limitations on this?

10. I keep forgetting to ask D. what he wants for Christmas. Lovely gift-givers are waiting patiently for ideas to give him....and I just keep forgetting. Not on purpose....just forgetting.

Too early to test me for Alzheimer's? Just kidding. Busy schedules abound. I'm not a super-hero, and I'm perfectly ok with that. :)

The world according to A: Eight is GRRRRREAT!

2011-12-12T16:40:00.000-05:00

Some special little boy is turning eight today.

I still remember the day he was born.

Like it was yesterday.

(Side note: Does EVERY mom say that about the day her kids were born?)

I've said it before, and I'll say it again...

...he was worth every minute of that 22 1/2 hour labor.

And just because my ovaries are gluttons for punishment,

here's a blast from the distant-ish past.

(about 3 years ago)

And one from the other day:

I love watching him grow and change into a neat little boy. His heart is so soft- even though he doesn't want people to know. (Sounds just like my dad). He loves routine and schedules (sounds like D). But doesn't mind messy rooms (sounds like me).

And, just because he's a big boy now...here's eight things about him on his eighth birthday. (narrated by him)

I got 100% on my AR test today. (accelerated reading)
My favorite college football team is University of Michigan.
My best friend is Nick and Ryan M.
I'm saving my money for Nintendo ds or legos.
We're having crabby patties for dinner tonight. (translated: hamburgers- thank you, Sponge Bob)
My favorite holiday is Christmas.
My favorite color is green.
My favorite subject in school is math.

Intermittent blogging

2011-12-07T16:10:00.000-05:00

While I'm not gonna start my blog post out by saying "oh, gosh...sorry I've neglected you! but I've been busy...."

Nope.

I HATE blog posts that start like that. Like you've been sitting at your computer refreshing every minute of every day just to read the drivel I post on here...hoping for an occasional laugh.

Yes, I've been busy...but haven't we all? It's Christmas time. We have parties, decorations, more parties, baked goods, cards, shopping, preparations, more parties, more things to coordinate...in addition to the regular livelihood.

Oh, and a December birthday boy would be HEARTBROKEN if I didn't make an awesome cake for him.

So, while I do miss the blog, and I miss entertaining myself with my posts (and hopefully you're entertained too), life outside the keyboard is scurrying along at an alarming pace. So, it's not like I don't appreciate your bloggy friendship during this holiday season...I just need to priortize my time. I'll be back intermittently...until the season is over...and then we can refresh the blog all the time.

And now.... there is gluten free chex mix baking in my oven at this very moment...permiating every inch of air in this house. I love that smell!

Nom nom nom

Getting in the Christmas spirit

2011-12-05T09:14:00.000-05:00

Ok....so Mama M. not so gently pointed out that I should have provided with y'all a link to show you how easy it is to make the personalized stockings that I highlighted in my last post. Well, just in case you haven't slept since I failed you, and are just waiting for that link, here it is. Really, it's a very easy craft and I loved the results!

And, because I've taken to listening to the Christmas station all the time in my car...I heard this on the way home from droppng the boys off at school. And I was laughing. (in the morning*, no less!). Well, to get you smiling on this Monday...I thought I'd share the smiles. :)

*not a morning person.

5QF

2011-12-02T09:11:00.000-05:00

It's already Friday again...and time for some 5QF! This is the most easy blog hoppy thingy out there. Click on the Five Question Friday square below, and it will take you to Mama M's blog if you want to play along.

1. What is your favorite Christmas decoration in your house?

I'd have to say our stockings. It's the first home decor project I tackled on my own after seeing the idea on the Martha Stewart show. They were relatively easy, and took about 8-9 hours to complete all four stockings. In addition, the felt fabric only ran about $13 for all of it, so I was on budget!

They're all personalized and everything! The only thing I'd change about them is that they are very narrow, and I can't fit much in there....

wait....

on second thought, that's a great problem to have! Small stockings are easy peasy on my Christmas budget!

2. Do you finish your Christmas shopping early or are you a last minute type?

I'm usually finished about a week or so before Christmas. I start the day after Christmas, and gradually pick things up for people if I know it's 1) a good deal and 2) something that they'll enjoy (i.e. not a trendy thing).

I'm pretty much on target for finishing next week sometime. I just need to get through A's birthday celebrations first. :)

3. When do you turn on your heat?

When it gets cold in the house.

How's that for a smart-alek answer?!?!? hehe. Apparently, I'm a little sassy today.

4. Do you ever wish your blog was private?

Not really. My whole reason for starting the blog was to keep friends and family up-to-date on our house project. Then, when updates came few and far between, I realized that I had more things to say, and I realized it was a lot of fun. There are things I would post on here if my blog was private, but that's what journals are for...right?!?!?

5. Do you put your deodorant on before of after you put on your shirt?

Nope. It's the first thing I do after drying off out of the shower. It starts my "getting ready regime." I don't do "change" well, so I won't be mixing it up anytime soon. :)

Those darn cards

2011-12-01T12:13:00.000-05:00

I'm in a tangle of Christmas cards.

I finally figured out how to download the pictures for the card, sent them to the printers...and now they are in a not-so-neatly-stacked pile in the middle of my kitchen table. I have some addressed, filled, and licked (gross)...but there's an equally large pile.

One without updated addresses.

Guess how many people in my life have moved in the past two years, and I don't have updated addresses for them?!?!?

Go ahead...GUESS!

28.

I need to find 28 addresses.

I find this insane.

Stop moving, people.

At least, only if you would like to keep receiving our Christmas cards.

Things I learned during deer hunting season

2011-11-29T11:51:00.000-05:00

I realize that this post would have been a tad more applicable a few weeks ago...but hey...better late than never, right?

So, here's the top ten things I learned during deer hunting season:

1. Fondue nights are awesome with fun friends. And laughter. And wine. And Ticket to Ride. And victory. And lots of yummy yummy food.

2. I've seen just about every chick flick I wanted to see before hunting season. Next year: save a few for that weekend- it will make the time alone something to look forward to.

3. I enjoy teasing my husband and pushing his buttons. When he's not around, I tease my kids. My very literal child was not appreciative. I think I just need to save my button pushing for when my husband gets home. I think it will make a nice "welcome home" present. :)

4. Not doing the dishes for three days only makes more dishes to do on the third day. Next year: paper products.

5. Scratch that. Next year: eat out.

6. It IS possible to have my husband gone for three days and NOT have a major incident in the PMD house.

7. Next year: arrange for some sleep over's for the boys and REALLY have the house to myself!

8. Outings and family gatherings are much more fun with my husband by my side.

9. I need to be more grateful that he's willing to take a weekend to relax once a year.

10. I'm grateful that my husband gets along well enough with my father to go hunting with him for an entire weekend and still enjoy his company every.time.he.sees.my.dad. Love those men!

Just some sentences

2011-11-28T19:56:00.000-05:00

I'm tired from the holiday weekend.

Turkey, mmmmmm.

My kitchen is still organized.

That, in itself, is a modern day miracle.

I need a good dye job.

Perhaps before the holidays?

I took the boys out on Black Friday.

Twice.

Bribery worked both times.

And I ran into a dear friend at Hobby Lobby.

I don't have a plan for my Christmas cards.

I'm ok with that.

Our Christmas decorations are up.

It feels good to decorate the new side of the house.

I love 3M command strips.

I'm decking the halls with them.

And my husband is not complaining.

I love my good friends.

I'm still tired....

...and I still have audits to do this evening.

This concludes my post.

Five Question- Black Friday edition

2011-11-25T09:57:00.000-05:00

I went to the stores this morning. Just two stores. With two little boys in tow. No, I didn't get anything for them...but the rest of my purchasing is 3/4 done, and I'm still on budget! No, I didn't take them out at 6am...we left the house at 9. Menards and Target weren't too bad! Thanks to the crazies that were in Target at midnight...we breezed through!

1. Is there a special dish you prepare that you are famous for?

I make a gluten free pumpkin pie that is pretty awesome. I've combined a few recipes to make it the way I want it to taste/texture. Want to see the recipe?

Raw nut crust:

2 cups pecans
1 tbsp cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg
10-11 dates
1 tbsp coconut oil

place pecans and spices in a food processor and process until pecans are finely ground. Add dates and coconut oil and process again until the mixture resembles a fine meal. Pour into a 9 inch deep dish glass pie plate and evenly press to the bottom and sides. Set aside.

Pie filling:
1 envelope Knox gelatin
1tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt
1 (14oz) can of sweetened condensed milk
2 eggs, beaten
1 (16oz.) can of pumpkin

In a medium saucepan, combine gelatin, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt. Stir in milk and eggs. Mix well. Let stand about 2 minutes. Over low heat, cook and stir constantly until gelatin dissolves and mixture thickens slightly (about 10 min). Remove from heat. Stir in pumpkin, mix well, pour into prepared pie shell. Chill for 3 hours. Enjoy!

2. Are you (did you) go Black Friday shopping ?

I went to the stores this morning. Just two stores. With two little boys in tow. No, I didn't get anything for them...but the rest of my purchasing is 3/4 done, and I'm still on budget! No, I didn't take them out at 6am...we left the house at 9. Menards and Target weren't too bad! Thanks to the crazies that were in Target at midnight...we breezed through!

3. What are your strangest holiday traditions?

Someone told me that having crab legs for dinner on Christmas was strange. I find it delicious.

4. Pecan or pumpkin pie? (She actually asked "Apple or pumpkin?" I just T-giving'ed it!)

Well, since I've never tasted pecan pie....I'll have to go with pumpkin. It's fantastic. (see recipe above)

5. When will you put up your Christmas tree?

Well, right now, all our Christmas stuff is in the rafters in our garage/pole barn. The ceiling is about 13' high...and I don't do ladders. :) So, it's going to have to wait until D. gets around to bringing the bins down. Once they're down, I'll throw everything up...so perhaps by next weekend?

The counting continues

2011-11-22T09:06:00.000-05:00

Blessings abound...and the thankful count continues:

16. A great hair cut. When I get these, I feel like a new woman. I get compliments on my hair, and I feel awesome. I love love love that my old beautician is back in town after 9 years away.

17. Friends. God has put new people in my path over the last few years, and I'm so so thankful. These are ladies I really feel I can be myself around, and that's such a gift.

18. Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. Gluten free goodness. If I'm gonna splurge, it might as well be on the good stuff that won't hurt my gut.

19. Health. Increased health. 53 pounds lost. Phasing out meds because my body is healing itself.

20. Work. I work from home. Although it provides a challenge with attention -seeking kids under foot, and sometimes stresses me out, I'm able to have lunch with them, go on field trips and set my own hours. And pay their school tuition.

21. Crafts. I really love being artsy. I love thinking of new crafts to do, and I love starting something and not knowing where it will end up...but figuring it out along the way.

22. Organizers. My friend, Stephenie, came last Thursday to help me organize after she read this post. While I had tackled much of that room on my own, I still needed help fitting everything into the one kitchen. Not only did she fit the things I found "unfittable," it's totally organized. I haven't had to look more than 20 seconds for anything!

23. Costco. This is a love/hate relationship. I hate the cashier when they tell me my total. Ugh...it's rarely under $100. BUT, I get so much food, and such a value on vitamins, that I really shouldn't complain. AND if I go directly after school with the boys, I don't have to worry about feeding them a snack- the sample stands take care of that for me. :)

24. My alternative Dr. and his (nurse) wife. These medical professionals diagnosed my gluten issue within 5 minutes of my first appointment. After I spent thousands of dollars on testing with my conventional Dr...and they never found an issue. This Dr. and his wife care about each and every patient, pray for them all, and educate them about what's happening in their bodies. The education has been priceless.

25. My handy husband. Really, he's not meant to be #25....but I wanted to give him a shout out on his birthday! Happy Birthday, baby! Love you tons.

Blessings to count

2011-11-21T09:46:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving is just around the corner, which means I need to start thinking of all the things I'm grateful for.

Heck....I know I think about them all year long, but right now is a great time to give extra thanks.

So, here's a few blessings I'm thankful for:

1- a safe relaxing deer hunting weekend for my husband.

2- a school that nurtures my children's minds...and hearts.

3- a sister-in-law who doesn't disregard my gluten free needs, but sees it as a challenge to create a yummy, sandy-safe meal.

4- Decaf White Heather coffee (almond toffee...mmmmm)

5- Orange juice. Mmmmmmm.

6- Texting with friends on my cell phone.

7- My small group

8- Fondue night

9- Great friends on fondue night

10- Great friends, great fondue, great fun board game, and I won. :)

11- The ability to feed my boys through a growth spurt.

12- Fantastic parents

13- Great in-laws

14- One whole kitchen

15- An uneventful deer hunting weekend for the boys and I. Without critter drama.

5QF

2011-11-18T09:39:00.000-05:00

1. Do you have a go to song that always puts you in a good mood?

There's always a few songs that I fall back on...but it depends on what I'm trying to motivate myself to do.

If I'm trying to get in a "good workout" mood, I listen to "Eye of the Tiger."

If I'm trying to get into a "good cleaning" mood, I listen to Hootie and the Blowfish or Deanna Carter.

If I'm just trying to get a "pick me up", I'd have to say "Take on me"

Why yes, I do like 80's music...why do you ask?!?!?

2. Are you a real Christmas tree kinda person or do you go with a real fake one?

I always thought I'd be a "real tree" kinda girl. I'm old-fashioned at heart.

However, once kids came into the picture...and a teeny tiny little Love Shack, well, I found a slim artificial pre-lit tree...oh, and I love love love it. Put together and plug in. So fast, so easy. Perfect.

3. What are you thankful for?

What am I NOT thankful for?!?! Seriously, I am so blessed....if this blog had unlimited space on it, I'd still end up maxing it out. But, I'll sum it all up into one sentence:

I'm grateful that I serve a God who is always in control.

4. Which fashion fad from the past do you wish you could wear today?

I'm not a "fad" person. I never have been, and probably won't ever be. I'm just me.

5. Do you wait until the "low fuel" light comes on before you fill up the gas tank?

Yep. And I know that once that light goes on, I have approximately 24 miles to go before I really HAVE to refuel. Procrastination runs in my blood. :)

Shopping

2011-11-16T12:52:00.000-05:00

Christmas is ....what....less than 6 weeks away?

I started shopping today.

In a strange turn of events, my dad is the first one done.

He's usually the last.

I'm impressed with myself.

Driving pet peeves that make me want to ram people with my van

2011-11-15T11:18:00.000-05:00

No, I'm not a hostile person, why do you ask!??!?!

Over the course of three days, I spent more than 16 hours in a car. This is much more than the 90 minutes (tops!) I'm used to per day....which means I had a long time to analyze other's behavior and try to talk myself down from a road rage ledge.

So...here we go on a list of things that set me off.

1. Wide turners. If you in the turn lane, don't swing your car so that you enter MY lane so you can make a wide turn. You're driving a compact car, NOT a semi truck. You do NOT need that wide of a turn radius. If you do, chances are you shouldn't be on the road.

2. Slow left lane drivers. There's a right lane for a reason. If you're slower, get over there. That's your happy lane....and I'll happily pass you on the left. No really, move over.

3. Flipper-off'ers. Chances are, I'm just responding to your awful driving. If you wouldn't be so stupid behind the wheel, I wouldn't have to over compensate for your lack of quality thinking. You flipping me off just results in a van sized-dent in your side of the car. Really...watch it.

4. Road hoggers. There's two lanes. Pick one. Any one. And if you're driving slower, try the right one. See #2.

5. Wrong way parking lot drivers. I've inherited this one from my mom. The directional parking spaces are angled that way so that poor drivers (like you) can get into and out of them without hitting other cars. The lanes are thinner because of this reason. You're taking up space in my driving lane. Pay attention, please.

6. TV's. I'm driving across town, and I'm seeing all these tv screens down and kids zoned out watching the tube. Really, parents? You can't talk to your kid for the 20 minutes it takes to cross town? Really!?!??! Shut off the darn tv and have a relationship with your kid! Save the tube for road trips- give them something to look forward to.

7. Litterers. Asphalt does NOT equal trash receptacle. If I see you dumping on the road, I will write down you license number, and I will report you. No, really...been there, done that!

8. Booger pickers. You have windows all around you. You're knuckle deep. People can see that. Gross.

9. Parking lot hogger. Again, you don't need four spaces (up close!) to keep your precious car ding-free. You're just being a selfish snit. If you want to stay ding-free, park out a tad farther and take a walk in. Chances are less people will be looking nasty in your direction.

10. Newspaper readers. Really?!?!? How can you read a newspaper while driving?!?!? How can you hold the paper, read (without loosing your place) and not kill everyone in your path?!?! Is the news from yesterday THAT important? Couldn't you just turn on news radio?!?!?

Weddings, wind chills, and card readers

2011-11-14T12:46:00.000-05:00

I was in Kentucky.

For 1/2 of the weekend.

My cousin got married.

I went with my mom.

We left on Thursday at noon.

We drove through a few sets of flurries.

Ugh.

We stayed at my favorite Aunt and Uncle's house.

Along with most of the family.

Some I haven't seen for 5 (or so) years.

It was nice to catch up.

I wore a new (smaller sized!!!) dress that I purchased on a crazy sale for $27.46.

I loved it.

It was comfortable.

My shoes were not.

The wedding was in a mansion on the Keenland property in Lexington.

It was outside on the patio.

The temperature was approximately 31 degrees.

It was frigid.

But beautiful.

I have blisters on the tops of my toes.

What?

We drove home on Saturday.

Indiana is the longest, flattest, more rediculous state to drive through.

The boys were so excited to see me home.

Sunday was another busy busy busy day.

I was very tired by the end of the day yesterday.

I went to bed by 9pm.

D has my card reader, so I can't upload any pictures.

Perhaps later. :)

Nick

2011-11-09T09:49:00.000-05:00

When I envisioned our home that we would raise our kids in, I always imagined a neighborhood (NOT a subdivision, but a neighborhood) with tons of kids running around.

Like I had.

Like D. had.

We would run out the door and play and play and play until we heard my mom's tall-tell yell for us outside the back door, "SSSSSS AAAAAAA NNNNNNN DDDDDDD YYYYYYY"

We heard it, cleaned up, and ran home for dinner.

I never realized what a rarity that is.

That we had TONS of neighborhood friends all running around, clothes pinning cards to the back of our bikes to make motor sounds....riding to the local store to spend $1 on candy, watching backyard fireworks on the 4th.

When we first moved here, there was one family in our backyard. The boys were fast friends, and so were the moms. :)

That's it.

No other kids.

And then they moved.

While I don't begrudge them their family's ministry move...we miss them.

And then, Eureka...we have a new friend.

The nephew of one of our neighbors moved in with his elderly aunt to help her with home up-keep, etc. And he has a son. A son just a year older than A. A son who loves all sports, just like A.

He's only here on the weekends, when he visits his dad, but that's ok....that way I don't need to make rules about weekday playing.

He's incredibly respectful of our house and our family too- his family has very close priorities to ours.

Last weekend, Nick's dad had 4 tickets to a local hockey game. D didn't really want to go, he wanted to say home and chill out on the couch...but agreed to go because he knew A. would go CRAZY!

And he did. He was beaming when he came home- with a game puck and free t-shirt in hand. Apparently, there weren't many people there that night, so the boys had the run of the arena. Nick had been there many, many times before, so he showed A. the ropes.

Monday morning, I find this picture in my email in box:

Check out who made it on the arena screen (more than once, I'm finding out....)

I love neighborhood friends!

Seven weeks

2011-11-08T10:22:00.000-05:00

There are LESS than seven weeks until Christmas.

This does not put me into a bevy of shopping stress....it gives me something to look forward to. It's almost as if the rest of the year exists to provide anticipation for the season. Here's my list of anticipatory activities for the next seven weeks:

1. Food. From the sweet potato dish (w/ marshmallows) on Thanksgiving to the crab legs on Christmas Day...oh my, the food is just so good. And now that I've found a fantastic pumpkin pie recipe with a raw nut crust....well, that's just perfection.

2. The people I dine with. Family. Friends. I love that feeling of togetherness.

3. Christmas carols. Note: This does NOT include the following songs- Feliz Navidad, Grandma got run over by a Reindeer, and All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth. However, anything sung by Michael Buble is tops in my ears.

4. Breakfast Birthday party. Every Christmas morning, the boys open their stockings, and before we do family gifts, we have a breakfast birthday party complete with gf coffee cake, 3 candles and a birthday ballad for little baby Jesus. This is my way of counter-acting the crazy commercial-ness of the holiday.

5. Giving gifts. I must admit....even though the whole commercial part of the holiday irritates me, I am a gift giver. Always have been. It's a love language. I've been told I'm a great gift giver. I love thinking about my recipient and finding the perfect gift to give. I can honestly say that I love gift giving more than the receiving.

6. Decorating. Yes, I'm looking forward to it. I love making my house feel all cozy and festive. Now, we're all under one roof. C is 4 this year, and wants to help, and knows to stay away from the breakables. There's a new found independence that goes with having older kids, and I'm loving it! And everything's under one roof....have I mentioned it's all under one roof?!?!?!

7. Shopping with Melody. We did this last year, and I totally enjoyed the evening. I'm hoping to make this a tradition?!?!? What say you, Mel?

8. Christmas cards. It's like catching up on Facebook, but for the technologically challenged, and with pretty pictures. Love it.

9. Christmas Break. Ask me two days in, and I may be singing a different tune. However, I'm looking forward to lazy mornings, and spending some extra time with my boys.

10. Family time. Worthy of saying it again. It seems like we just can't find enough time during the year to make each other priorities all the time. (hey...gotta work sometime). But it's great to see them and really make a concentrated effort to enjoy each other's company.

What things are you looking forward to this holiday season?

Not Me....Nope!

2011-11-07T16:48:00.000-05:00

I really enjoy a good Not Me! Monday. I really feel as though it's therapy and helps me realize that other mom's out there are just as scatter-brained or not-together just like me. So, what say you...on with a Not Me! Monday!

- I did not double....(or actually triple) book a day this week. When one thing obviously trumps all others...resulting in a few disappointing emails to friends to reschedule. Nope! Certainly, I have it all together, and use the calendar on my fridge or the planner on my phone religiously. I have it all together and am totally organized with my time.

- I did not threaten my children "no wii for a week" in order to get them to turn off the lights as they leave the room. First of all, I would NEVER use screen time for bribery, (we don't have screen time in this house at all- screens rot brains....sha!)......and FURTHERMORE, I would never bribe my children. Obviously, I have raised my children to be obedient "just for the joy of being an obedient child" and they are fantastic stewards of energy.

- I did not steal 3 ok, ok...5 Reese's Peanut Butter cups from the Halloween stash. Nope...certainly, I am on a strict eating plan, and I would never delve into the hard-earned candy stash of my children's labor. I did not justify this by stating that I'm saving their teacher's from sugar-highed children for the next few days.

- I did not tell C. that there wasn't enough protein shake mix for him, and then go ahead and make one for myself. I am not a selfish horrible person and mom. I do not put my uber narrow eating choices and nutritional needs before his. Never. I always choose to starve myself to give my child his whim choice of breakfast foods- even though I know he won't finish it and will spill it all over the car. I certainly won't do that...bring on the spill!

What things have you not done over the past few weeks?

5QF

2011-11-04T10:52:00.000-04:00

1. What movie do you love to quote?

We have a few that we pull from that are pretty much classics in our house. Here's a few that are used most frequently:

Pretty in Pink:
"You my new style American girlfriend"
"I've never been so happy in my whole life!" sometimes followed by "now I have a place to put my hand!"
" Where is my automobile?" "AUTOMOBILE?!?!?"
"Quit feeling sorry for yourself, it's bad for your complexion!"
"How you spell? Well, you don't spell it, son, you EAT it!"
"Dat you?" "Yeah, dat me."
"BONSAI!"

Footloose:
" He's testing us! Our Lord is testing us!"
"Jump back"
"Willard...which is your right from your left?"
"Uh oh...he's taking the car...."
"What did David do? what did David do? He was leaping before the Lord in a dance."
"and there was a time for this law, but not anymore. It's our time to dance."

Napoleon Dymanite:
"GOSH!"
"What ever I feel like, gosh!"
"Tina, come get your dinner."
"Your mom goes to college."
"You're just jealous of me because I've been chatting with hot girls online all day."
"Vote for pedro"

2. Have you ever ridden a motorcycle?

Yes. My brother owned a crotch rocket in the early years. He gave me a ride home on it and I burned the inside of my ankle so bad. The blister was the grossest and biggest thing I've ever seen. So, after that I'm a little sceerd of motorcycles and their hot hot hot mufflers.

3. What's your favorite thing to do on a rainy day?

Watch chick flicks, read a book, clean the house....

4. Do you prefer a bunch of small gifts, or one really big, (expensive) gift?

Depends on my needs that year. The bigger gifts are usually the ones I treasure the most and use the most often, though.

5. Do you ever lose track of days and show up somewhere wrong?

Not really....When I mix up days, I usually miss appointments or coffee dates. My subconscious must be hoping for a free day instead of the crazy busy ones....

Random Post Halloween List

2011-11-03T15:54:00.000-04:00

- So, Halloween is over as of Monday. As of Sunday, Christmas decorations were out in full force. Ugh.

- I'm already started my Christmas shopping (actually, started it in June), but that doesn't mean I'm ready for "Deck the Halls."

- I need to get the Halloween candy out of my house.

- I need to get back on the running bandwagon (see previous statement)

- I had a crazy-not-at-all-went-like-I-planned morning, but I recovered quickly and everything turned out ok.

- My kitchen is a mess.

- I will soon have help organizing my mess. I'm so grateful, but afraid that she'll hate me when she sees how disorganized I really am.

- I need to get the Halloween candy out of my house.

- C. is watching Strawberry Shortcake, and I'm perfectly ok with that.

All grown up

2011-11-02T10:08:00.000-04:00

Lately there's been a lot of reflection over when the kids were small.

Perhaps because we're in a new phase of our lives: no diapers, soccer, basketball, staring down the gauntlet of having both my children in school full time within the next year or two. More independence.

We're starting to purge the baby stuff, and look forward to just enjoying the boys as they grow.

It's also weird to see friend's kids. To see them grow, and see what little personalities that had as a small baby come out as a kid. It's just fun to see and enjoy life.

So, because I'm a sap, and because I'm finding all sorts of pictures and thought it would be fun to post:

to the victor go the spoils

2011-11-01T06:12:00.002-04:00

Between trunk-or-treat

The firestation Halloween party

and regular old trick-or-treating....

I'd say we have enough candy to last us until next year.

PLEASE tell me you can see what it is!!!

2011-10-31T12:21:00.000-04:00

We carved pumpkins on Saturday night.

When I say "we" I meant D and I...and the boys "helped."

They helped by picking out a pattern to put on the pumpkin, whined about the gooiness of the pumpkin guts, and refused to touch it, helped by poking holes from the pattern onto the pumpkin (if you're C, you are poling holes EVERYWHERE), and putting your fingers precariously close to sharp knife blades.

Yep, fun was had by ~~all~~ some.

C's pumpkin was the bane of my existence. He picked a moderately hard one...and then he poked holes EVERYWHERE making it difficult to see where to really cut.

So, here's our line up:

In the light:

A's is the spider

Mine is the funny Frankenstein.

C's is the next one.

D's is the U of M block M. (Go blue!)

Close ups:

Ok...can you tell what it is? It's the one on the left below:

5QF

2011-10-28T09:16:00.000-04:00

I.am.exhausted.

A. had a teeny little cold last week, and C. now has it. For an asthmatic child, it's never a teeny cold. We've had a 4 year old bunking with us the last two nights...and last night there was no sleep to be had. We narrowly avoided an ER visit - for which I'm extremely grateful. But, now I'm tired. C. is napping on the couch fully engolfed in Vicks vapo rub (for littles), and I'm here blogging with a full plate of work in front of me.

Motherhood is such a blessing. A very tiring blessing.

1. Do you prefer cotton, silk, or flannel sheets?

I'm a cotton girl. We have a set of flannel that we pull out in Jan/ Feb. But those only last a week before we realize that we are now in a house that has insulation, and don't need the crazy hot sheets.

I have a few pairs of a Sateen sheet. Not silky, still cotton....but ohhhhh, so cozy!

2. What time zone are you in?

Eastern

3. What is your favorite part of the holiday season?

The gift giving. Thinking of my recipient and finding the perfect gift for them.

The socializing. I love being with friends and family doing parties and just hanging out.

The decorating. There's just something about trimming a Christmas tree.

The worshiping. Don't forget what the season is all about.

4. What is your favorite "wintry" drink? (It doesn't have to be an "alcoholic" drink!)

Coffee. Anything coffee.

5. In your opinion, what is the worst job in the world?

Ever watch Dirty Jobs with Mike Rowe? Pretty much any job that he goes to is what I would consider the worst job in the world. And yet, I continue to watch and just am totally grateful he's there and NOT me. :)

I'm soliticing your advice. And perhaps qualify myself for Hoarders.

2011-10-26T10:51:00.000-04:00

It's no secret that I'm not at all type A.

If there was a type Z, I'd be it....because it's the farthest one can get away from A.

But, I'm desiring some order.

I'm feeling like my lack of organization is starting to affect my ability to think clearly, and find things in a pinch.

Those of us that are over committed do not have time to spend 30 minutes searching for that fundraiser paper...that I totally forgot to sell anything from anyway. Sigh.

Anyway....There are a few areas of my life that really need help. For example:

My kitchen pantries. Now that we're totally in one kitchen, the two pantries have a combination of food, spices, bake ware and serving stuff. There is no rhyme or reason to it, everything just is there.

My papers. I have a filing system, but the papers never do their job by getting themselves in the proper folders. They're just complacent and sit around in piles all day.

Junk drawer stuff. There is no room for a junk drawer in the new kitchen. This breaks my heart. And what do I do that that stuff?!?!?

And...perhaps my ultimate vulnerable moment on this blog. C's old room has become a dumping ground for everything that I choose not to deal with. And now we have a room that looks like this:

Notice the door doesn't even open all the way anymore.

(hangs head in shame)

Since it's only one room, I don't believe that this qualifies me as a person on Hoarders, right?!?!?

I need organizational help. So...here's where I ask for your expertise...what do you use as organization for your house? Is it easy to maintain? I'm looking for any tips you have here, friends!

Top ten random blessings that give my heart joy.

2011-10-25T13:16:00.000-04:00

I need to read a book. I'm not sure what it's called. But, some of my friends are reading it. One is actually listing 15 of her blessings every Sunday on her blog. I think I need to start doing that. But, in the meantime...I thought I'd share them with you today.

1. Good books. Ones that you can't put down, and continue reading...and look up at the clock to realize it's 1am...and you continue to read until you reach the end of the chapter.

2. Loving husband. Can't imagine life without him.

3. A full roll of toilet paper. Or should I rephrase that to say "an un-empty roll of toilet paper."

4. A car that works. Getting me from point A to point B. Nothing fancy, no status symbol, just gears, wheels and a body. It gets the job done.

5. A comfortable bed. A great night's sleep. Nuf said.

6. Camera. New pretty DSLR camera. I am content.

7. A good cry. Sometimes we just need a good cry once in a while. Feels good to clean the ducts out once in a while.

8. Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. Gluten free goodness. Yum.

9. Soft fuzzy socks. Perfect for cold toes. Emphasis on "soft."

10. Under arm deodorant. Allowing mating rituals around the States to continue without repulsion.

WHOLE developments

2011-10-24T07:28:00.000-04:00

Well, it happened.

What I've been waiting 10 months for.

I no longer have 2 1/2 kitchens.

I have one WHOLE kitchen.

That's right.

It started on Thursday,

(he took Friday to actually work on other people's homes)

And by Saturday afternoon, I was helping him clean out the fridge and repack it.

Wanna see our new (temporary) kitchen?

Here it is!

Why temporary?

Well, because in a few years, the old side of the house will be torn down, and our kitchen will be expanded.

That wall (in the second picture) will be torn down, and our kitchen will expand another 12 feet.

So, for now....I'm going to enjoy our new cozy little kitchen, and the fact that it ONLY takes me 10 minutes to empty the dishwasher!!!

5QF

2011-10-21T11:09:00.000-04:00

This week has been a busy one. I've been an auditor, mom, PTL president, fill in nanny, part time babysitter, car pooler, exerciser, discussion leader, friend, wife, handyperson, maid, cook (moreso than usual), and whatever you need to fill in the blanks or additional hats that we moms wear.

They're all fun hats to wear most of the time, but it certainly fills up the calendar in short order.

Also, I now have 1/3 kitchen and 2/3 kitchen. One of D's customer's doors didn't come in time for his scheduled day, so he had a "free" day. And he chose to work on our kitchen. I now have running water in the new kitchen, but no appliances. And all of our kitchen items are strewn about our old living room. This is a very interesting phase.

And we host our small group this weekend. Awesome.

1. Where do you escape to when you've had enough?

Depends on my mood and what I've had enough of. If it's the family (which really doesn't happen often with my non-type-a-personality), I'll head out to the store for "something I forgot and need to get right away." If it's other people...then I just avoid them for a while. If it's the schedule, well....my body usually tells me when it's had enough by compromising my immune system enough for me to get sick...then I HAVE to take some time off.

2. What shows are you watching this fall?

I really love the Sing-Off. I'm really trying to be careful of what I watch, and what kind of ideals I'm exposing my mind to. I LOVE Glee, but they started tackling big liberal issues...and I'm not a fan of all the extra stuff, but I loved the music...so the sing-off really falls into a great category. I'll watch the Property Ladder at my mom's house on Saturdays...because I can commiserate with them....except for the big payday at the end.

Any other shows I should be looking for? I'm open to suggestions.

3. What was the longest roadtrip you've ever taken and where did you go?

When I was in 5th grade, we drove down to Florida. We split it into 2 days, but it was still a long journey.

On the way home, we drove straight back. 22 1/2 hours in a mini van. I'd like to believe that we did pretty well behavior-wise...but you'd have to ask my mom about that one.

4. Do you plan on taking your kids to Disney World?

We'd love to...sometime soon. But we'll see how that goes. I want the boys to remember it, and I want C. to be old enough to enjoy the rides, etc.

Are we going to be the parents that take their kids once every year? Ummmm, no. I really don't understand that, but to each their own.

5. What is something people would surprised to know about you?

I really don't think there's anything of me to hide....I'm pretty much an open book. If you're new here, you can read this recent post. Hhhhmmmm, something that would surprise people.....

I've always wanted to host a big Halloween party for adults complete with costumes. My friend hosted one a VERY long time ago, and I was an Egyptian lady....It was fun to see what everyone came as, and it was fun to be dressed up! I think D and I would have a lot of fun figuring it all out. :)

Is that surprising?

Sneak Peek Photos

2011-10-19T06:41:00.001-04:00

We had pictures taken on Monday night (Thanks, RACH!). It was chilly, windy, not as colorful-foilage as we had hoped, and I had a cranky 4 year old...but we got it done.

She sent me some sneak peeks yesterday via Facebook. Wanna See?

C. with a pumpkin. These were fun little props to have around.

Since it's our 10th anniversary year, we asked Rach to get a few of the two of us.

This is a great shot.

I can't wait to see the rest of them!

(And I hope that I won't want to throttle C. when I see his antics...)

Top ten things you may or may not know about me....depending on how long you've read this blog

2011-10-18T10:53:00.000-04:00

1. I'm debt free. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would be debt free growing up. I assumed credit cards would always be a part of my life. Dave introduced me to Dave Ramsey, and I'm so grateful. I can't imagine what our life would be like with credit card payments, car payments or a mortgage. Actually...yes I can. It would suck.

2. I bungee jumped once. Actually, three times- but all within one hour. I went out to visit my brother in the Air Force, stationed in Utah at the time. I brought 2 friends with me on this trip, and we had a blast. I don't regret it at all.

3. I have a dream to travel. I'm addicted to Pintrest, and I have a folder called "pipe dreams." Other than the dslr camera and a 69 red Ford Mustang Convertible....they're all destinations. I just realized this when looking through the folder last night. I think I get this trait from my mom. She loves to travel. As do I.

4. I have a crush on Justin Verlander. Pitcher for the Detroit Tigers. He's a cutie. Dave knows this and is ok with it...as long as I'm respectful, (which I always am!!!). I think he's secretly glad they're off the tv until next spring, though. :)

5. I used to have my belly button pierced. It lasted a few years...until I started an internship in an office and had to wear professional clothing. Most dress pants have a button on the inside. My ring kept getting caught and once actually ripped some skin. When I got home, I pulled out my dad's pliers and pulled that puppy out.

6. I don't consider myself a "trendy" person. Actually, if someone calls me "trendy" I don't take it as a compliment. I just want to be myself, not everyone else. I'd rather be an individual marching to the beat of my own drummer rather than some sheep that looks like everyone else.

7. I hate the dentist. Hate them. Loathe, despise, hate. Really, I do.

8. I've lost 52lbs so far, and still have a long long journey ahead of me. Even though this journey is painfully slow and sporadic, and I have health issues working against me, I figure that if I'm consistent with my choices, I'll get there someday. Perhaps I'll be 45, but I'll get there.

9. I used to not text. This development for me is only 2 years old. I used to think texting was stupid and used as a method to be rude to others when you're texting while they're talking to others. But, now that I have it, I LOVE it. It's totally eliminated the need to make small talk on the phone. Essentially, texting feeds my love of lazy dialog.

10. I am unimpressed by people with a lot of stuff. I'm unimpressed by stuff in general. Name brands don't send me into a flurry of envy. Big houses? Nope, doesn't float my boat. Fancy cars? Not that either. If they need ot have it, that's fine....but it's not for me. I want to get to know people, not stuff.

A case of the "Mondays"

2011-10-17T19:20:00.000-04:00

I got nuthin'

My brain is empty.

Well, it's actually full.

Of many other things than blogging.

There's an old marching band picture on my facebook wall, and it's amazing how many people are writing on it. It's been fun to reconnect with my band-mates. And it's fun now that true things come out...things you suspected about people but never believed because you wanted to believe you lived in a perfect little bubble.

It's been fun.

My friend, Rach, came over tonight to take some family pictures. C. was less than cooperative. He thought it would be funny to be the "odd man out" in all the pics. I hope he gave her something to work with. And I hope my rolls were concealed. :) Thanks, Rach!

It's been fun.

After a short sabbatical, I'm back to writing on the other blog. Actually, I haven't written yet, but I'm starting a monthly series that I'm hoping will produce more motivation for that aspect of my life. It's a fun blog, and I adore the ladies I'm working with....so I'm hoping this will continue for some time.

It'll be fun.

I'm working on an audit that I cannot balance.

That's not fun.

5QF

2011-10-14T10:48:00.000-04:00

Tigers won last night!!! And it was hottie night in Tiger Stadium (Verlander and Inge.) Honestly, I don't know how much more I can take....but it's fun to be cheering on a team. The boys are really getting into it too. C. is enjoying the numbers, and A. is just obsessed with baseball. And cute booties in tight polyester pants are pretty awesome.

1. Do you prefer your ice cream in a bowl or in a cone?

Based solely on health alone...I have to go with a bowl.

But I do miss the waffle cones.

2. What three things do you love the smell of?

Oh gosh....you're gonna think I'm crazy for this.

Do I dare tell you?

Ok....please don't think I'm weird!

Gas. Freshly blown out matches, and anything baking in the oven.

To help you think I'm NOT crazy...I prefer the latter one.

Does that help?

3. Giftcards or no? (In regards to gift giving...)

Unless its been asked for, or it's for a service...I really don't like giving gift cards. One of my love languages is "gift giving." I really like thinking about person and figuring out the perfect gift for them.

What's weird, is that I prefer gift cards as a received gift from time to time. I like going and picking out exactly what I want or need. And then I can bargain shop, and get even more for it. Unless that person thinks about the gift they're giving and know it was something I would use/want.

4. What sports did you play in high school if any and do you still play them?

BWAHAHAHA! No, I was not a jock.

5. Were you in band in high school? What instrument did you play?

I was in marching band, but played no instrument. I flipped my flag in the color guard. Those are my best memories of high school- where I made the best friends- ones I still stay in touch with, where I felt the most like myself. Perhaps that's one of the reasons I love fall so much. :)

Happy weekend!

My kid sucks this thumb....or I should say suckED!

2011-10-13T14:48:00.000-04:00

Anyone who has ever met C. from 8 weeks on knows that the boy loves his thumb.

Heck, when he was 8 weeks old (and sleeping through the night), I loved his thumb.

When he woke in the middle of the night and needed a "fix" he just popped the thumb in and went back to sleep.

A. was much different. He had a pacifier....the lost that pacifier every night. So, I'd put 4-5 in there with him, and he'd loose them too. It was a very sleep deprived first year.

So, we were grateful for C and is ever-loved thumb.

Until he wouldn't give it up.

After 2, we started hounding him about it. At 3, we were trying gentle coaxing, yelling, discipline, etc.

Nothing was separating that boy's mouth from his thumb.

Everyone said that once he started preschool, the social pressure would cause him to quit on his own. We waited a whole year....and nope....he was still sucking.

Then he turned 4!

And was still sucking his thumb.

Then we went to his first dentist appointment a month ago.

I knew she was going to say something about his overbite.

I was hoping she would be stern with my boy.

No such luck. But she did write something on a piece of paper for me to get.

Malava.

That's what she wrote.

So, I looked it up. It's actually called Malava Stop.

I painted it on C's thumb nails (both for good measure- just in case he's an ambidextrus thumb sucker), and he stopped! It has a VERY bitter taste in the polish, and really tastes like what I imagine a skunk smell would taste like. Really, it's awful.

It wore off after 5 days (during the bath). I just reapplied it again, and off we went.

Now, after 20 days, I believe he's kicked the habit!

I applied it 3 times so far, and hope I'm done with it for good!

Brain Purge

2011-10-12T10:53:00.000-04:00

- I had a dentist appointment today. I hate the dentist. I really hate the dentist. I've been known to throw up on them (nerves), and occasionally bite. And one time I pushed the hygienist out of my mouth and walked right out of the office. Somewhere in my home town, there's a purple star on a chart with my name on it. Yep....I'm a "special" patient. I spent all night getting sick.....to find out my dentist is ill today. Really?!?!?
- I watched my friend's kids for a while last night, and I watch my other friend's kids tomorrow night. Let's just say, now more than ever, I'm convinced that God knew what he was doing when he gave me boys. Totally grateful.

- I've been sleeping funky and am in need of a good back massage.

- My dear friend, Melody, took me to the Melting Pot for dinner last Friday night. I'm STILL thinking about it and it's yummy gluten-free-ness. Seriously....best.meal.ever. I'm already trying to figure out how to get back there.

- A. doesn't have school on Friday. C. still has preschool. It's worked out so that I don't have to drive either way on Friday....so, off to school he goes. :)

- Am I the only person in America that's horribly annoyed at the Obamas? Seriously....they talk, and I wish I was deaf. ((shudder))

- How is it fair that on GNO nights, I still have to make dinner for the rest of the clan?

- U of M and MSU square off this weekend. Can't wait to kick some green hiney!

- I'm feeling strangely zen-like about turning 35. I'm really enjoying life right now, and I'm loving where I'm at. I feel a lot of gratitude, and am really comfortable in my own skin. It's taken me 35 years to honestly say that last part.....and I'm loving that I can say it.

- With great nutrition, I'm finding that my fingernails are stronger and growing longer. How did I realize this? I went to bite one, and about cracked a tooth. Bad habit, I know.

- My cousin is getting married in November. I'm trying to figure out how to get there and what to do with my kiddos.

- I wish there was a naptime for adults. I think the world would be a much happier place.

Top ten things on facebook that annoy the heck out of me....Take 2.

2011-10-11T10:22:00.003-04:00

Ok...apparently, I'm annoyed by facebook from time to time. While writing my previous post, I realized that I had to prioritize the annoyances to ONLY ten....and realized that I had ANOTHER ten (or twenty) to add. So, here's part two. If you missed the first one....you can find it here.

11. Relationship status. I once talked to our high school babysitter who realized that her boyfriend broke up with her by changing his relationship status from "in a relationship" to "single." Really, kid? If you're old enough to date, you're old enough to act like a man. Grow some.

12. Bible verses. Only bible verses all the time. You know, I'm a Christian. I love the Bible. I love reading it, and learning new things. But when you only post Bible verses on Facebook as a means to evangelize....you need to know that atheist friends are not only NOT reading them, but they're hiding your feed. Lead by example. Show your joy. Meet people where they're at. Don't get hidden in feeds. This is the best way to evangelize, in my opinion.

13. Checking in. You know that four-square thing, or the checking in on facebook? Jane Smith is at the Big House with Jon Smith and 8 other people. Yep...you have a great life. You're having fun. But you've just let your 490 friends (some of whom you may not have actually met in real life) that you are not home and won't be home for the next 5-6 hours. Reeeeeaaaaal smart, socialite. One of these days, you're gonna get robbed....and scratch your head as to how they knew you weren't home.

14. Tagging photos. Really? When you take a picture of my big fat bootie....#1- don't post it in the first place. and #2- Don't tag me in it! Like I need another blow to my fragile ego.

15. Your culinary expertise- or lack thereof. If you're making roast beef for dinner....you don't need to post it. It's boring and mundane. I'm probably also cooking roast beef for dinner too, but it isn't really status update worthy. However....if you're cooking something worthy of mouth watering.....by all means, post it. Don't be surprised if I show up on your doorstep with plate in hand. Just to be clear- grilled cheese, don't post. Pecan crusted rosemary infused baked chicken with a side of coconut curry quinoa....post it. And make an extra helping, please.

16. Deleting other's comments. I have a friend on facebook who is notorious for this. She posts things that piss people off, and if they comment (and aren't in agreement with her), she'll delete it. I just think that if you're going to post crap like that, you need to have the ability to accept other's responses.

17. Serious (or condescending) responses to funny updates. This was an addition by my friend Michelle. And I wholeheartedly agree. She put up a funny update to let others know she was having a rough day (we moms deal with rough times with humor) and someone posted a very serious comment. Another friend of mine posted the other day about going far far away for a month or so for sanity. One of her commentors stated, "As soon as you leave, I'll give your husband the name of a great divorce lawyer. No joking. You don't up and leave when the going gets rough." Wow....know who you're commenting on.....know what they're day was like before you harpoon them.

18. People with more than 800 friends. Really? Do you really know 800 people that well? Unless you're using it to further your business (i.e. realty, mortgages, public image), really? 800? (Don't even get me started on people who have more than 3500----eye roll). I doubt you know them all that well to let them know you're out of your house for the entire day. See #13. There's an official Facebook "unfriend" day. It's basically to make you think about how many people you let see your personal information. The last day, I unfriended 22 people. It really made me think, and I'm grateful for that.

19. Blurred lines. I recently read that one school district requested of its teachers NOT to be facebook friends or twitter followers with their students. And the teachers had an issue with this!!! Really? Why should this even be an issue? Don't our teachers know to draw a line with their students between personal and professional? This is an issue for me. I, as a parent, don't want my sons in a class where their teacher would friend them on Facebook. In addition, teachers put personal information on there (such as religious affiliations, politics, and personal family stuff) for immature children to see. Note: if you friend your students on facebook, please be prepared at some point for it to come and bite you. If you don't want to get bitten, establish the line.

20. Your schedule. "On my way to Meijer for groceries, then to work (ugh) then home for dinner (grilled cheese) and to bed. Busy day for me!" Ok...so this is violating rules #13 and #15 too! This is a mundane schedule, we are all busy, and again....you're just asking to get robbed.

Note: if you are reading this, and we are facebook friends....this post does not reflect you. I promise! Those that do this don't know I have a blog...and if they do know, they're not reading it. They're too busy violating rules #1-20. :) Thank you for being my friend, on Facebook and in real life and for reading my blog....and most of all, for not being annoying!

Not Me! Monday--- rerun the embarassement

2011-10-10T13:40:00.000-04:00

I posted this a loooooong time ago. But someone at church yesterday brought this post up and said that they couldn't find it to read to their spouse....so I thought I'd post it again.

Enjoy.

This is a different kind of Not Me! Monday- I'm mixing it up a bit. Here's a fun, but embarrassing story from the past week.

Last week, I was in a store, and realized I needed to use the restroom right now. So, I brought the boys and the stroller into the woman's restroom where there were two stalls. If the boys are with me, I usually go into the handicapped stall with them so I don't' leave them unattended. But it was occupied, and I had womanly things to do, so I was grateful that I didn't have to answer any questions.

I parked the stroller (and boys) in front of the other stall door (you know, so I can watch them through the huge crack in the door) and proceeded to go about my business. The rest is what you could have heard if you were a fly on the wall in that bathroom:

A: Mom, how long will this take?

Me: A few seconds. Please stay on the sit-and-stand with your brother.

Sound: toot echoing in the toilet bowl

A: Mom....WHAT was that?!?!?

Me: It was a toot. A...can you talk to C about school buses? What color are they?

A: It sounded crazy mom! Like an alien fart!

C: Anien fart!!!

Me: That's enough talking about toots, guys...let's talk about something else.

A: Yeah! Like how much it STINKS in here!!! Wheew, mom...WHAT did you eat?!?!?

Me: A, that's enough. What would you like to eat for lunch today?

A: Not what you ate! You stink sooo bad, mom!!! You're stinkier than daddy!

Me: A, that's enough. What's next on our list of things to do today?

C: ppppp eeeewwwww, momma! You tink!

A: Mom, it stinks so bad in here. Can I go to the toy department and look around so I don't have to smell you?

Me: A, I'm almost done. I'll wash my hands and we'll be on our way.

A: Mom, it stinks so bad, I think I'm going to throw up!

C: Momma- you TINK!!! EEEE WWWWW Ouchie Nose!

Me: That's enough, boys.

A: (gagging )

I finish my business, wash my hands and leave. Then I found a secluded spot in the store, and had a little chat with the boys about bathroom etiquette. You see, I was not the one having a BM that day, it was the woman next to me. I can only imagine what she was thinking. So, yes...this is truly a Not Me! Monday.

5QF

2011-10-07T09:44:00.000-04:00

1. What is your go to comfort food or sweet?

Ohhhhh, I'm an equal opportunity food lover. But, I do prefer sweets over salt. I think I'd pick ice cream over all else.

Side note: The boys and I stopped for ice cream after school (for my birthday). I had an Amaretto Chocolate Truffle. It was amazing. Chocolate amaretto flavored ice cream with chocolate covered cappaccino chips and marshmallow running throughout. Oh.my.yum.

2. What is the most romantic place you've ever been to?

I'm not really a romance-y kind of girl. We've been to Paris (which is supposed to be the romance capital?), but we found it dirty, smelly, and the people rude. I prefer to find romance in the little things- a walk with my husband, a back rub when I wasn't expecting it, praying together.

3. What is your favorite thing about fall/Halloween?

Since we've already answered the fall question, I'll go with Halloween.

When I was a kid, I would have said the CANDY! Now that I'm an adult, I say CANDY! No, really....I enjoy watching my kids on Halloween night. I remember that enthusiasm. Plus, we go out with friends from our small group- so D and I have fun too!

4. How would you spend 24 hours alone?

Hhhhhmmmmmm, what wouldn't I do?!?!?!? First, I'd sleep in. Then I'd slothfully sit while enjoying a cup (or 4) of coffee. I'd take a rediculously long shower, take a long time to get myself ready. Then I'd take a nap. Then I'd watch a chick-flick. Then I'd take a nice long walk- all by myself. Then perhaps go shopping and try a whole bunch of clothes on. Then I'd go out to eat at a nice restaurant, come home- watch whatever I wanted on tv.....and go to bed whenever I felt like it.

Or, in reality, I'd spend the day at my computer catching up on work.

5. Does you husband bring you flowers? Are you the bring-me-flowers type of girl?

I used to wish my husband would bring me flowers all the time. Then, I got real. They're expensive, they die, and if he gave them to me all the time they would loose their specialness. He's brought me flowers probably 8-9 times since we first met. And everyone of those times was special.

Here's the latest he brought me for our 10 year anniversary:

These were cool because this is about half way through the arrangement. They put some buds in there as well as full blooms. When the full blooms started to die, I pulled them out, and the buds opened. I had two different arrangements for the price of one. Our anniversary was on the 22nd of September, and I just threw them away 3 days ago.

On a totally separate note: Happy Birthday to my Big Daddio! 75 years young! Love you!

Half way to 70.

2011-10-06T12:08:00.000-04:00

Today is my birthday.

Today I am half way to 70.

I'll let you do the math. :)

In all honesty, I had more of an issue with 30 than I do this age.

I'm really feeling comfortable in my own skin.

Able and proud to stand up for things I believe in.

Not sticking around to deal with optional garbage.

I know the things I want, and I'm not afraid to go for them.

I guess, for me, age and wisdom come with a confidence.

I dig that.

So anyway, a few of my favorite pictures from the three and a half decade journey.

(that was for those of you who have trouble with division)

Today, I'll be working and catching up from having a way-to-slow-to-be-productive computer.

Well, perhaps a little family party with the boys. :)

But tomorrow the celebration starts!

I.am.so.blessed.

Random Wednesday-ness

2011-10-05T13:07:00.000-04:00

I'm still having technical difficulties....my work's IT guy has been in my house more than he's been in the office the past 2 days.

I'm currently working off my old cpu....and now have only one screen (as opposed to 2, which I'm used too).

Hopefully, he will come back later today with a permanent solution.

Fingers crossed.

On other notes:

- I'm crafting again. I made one card last night and a poster. I need to make more cards. I've got the crafty bug.

- We're having breakfast for dinner tonight. Only because I don't want to cook....or I don't want to think about cooking.....and I'm in the mood for some maple syrup.

- I have a birthday coming soon. I'm not hung up on my age....I don't dread turning one year older. My thoughts on this are: It beats NOT growing older.

- Yesterday was my brother's wedding anniversary, today is my sister-in-law's birthday, and Friday is my dad's birthday. Not to mention my niece's birthday later this month. October is a busy month in our family.

- My best friend starts back to work full time today. This is her first since her kids were born. I'm thinking of her a lot today.

- I think I need a haircut. I'm in need of a change.

- That's all I've got.

Phrases that I have uttered in the past 72 hours.

2011-10-03T07:00:00.002-04:00

- Please don't eat my hair.

- I found a marshmallow. In my pocket.

- We pee in the toilet, not on your brothers feet.

- This is going to be an expensive month.

- I really want to eat a Tootsie Roll, but I'm going to eat a carrot.

- Mmmmm. This carrot is much better than any tootsie roll could have tasted.

- Now that I've eaten the carrot, can I skip my workout?

- Honey, you're tho thmart.

- I'm still not sure what I want to be when I grow up.

- All right, stop. Collaborate and listen.

- Can I redecorate the bedroom?

- Mmmmm, I make good applesauce.

5QF and a bit of technical difficulty

2011-09-30T20:04:00.000-04:00

We had a 45 second storm last night - which crashed out power our for about 3-4 hours. And since it went out unexpectedly, my computer was shut down with out proper channels. Which means, when I went to start it back up this morning, it was running at a snail's pace. It's a crappy computer anyway... matter of fact, snail's pace would be an improvement right about now.

So, let's start with the 5QF and see how far we get and how long it takes me. The time is currently 10:46am.

1. Do you apologize to your kids if you're wrong?

If I didn't, that would make me an authortarian parent, wouldn't it? The honest answer, is that Yes, I do apologize to them- IF the situation warrants it.

Like years and years ago, when I first started working from home, A. came up behind me at my computer desk and I didn't know he was there. I brought my arm back really fast and elbowed him right in the cheek. Whoa did I feel horrible for that one! I apologized to him- because even though it was an accident, his little face had been wronged.

Personally, I believe that we, as parents, need to model good behavior- including the humility that goes with an apology.

2. Do you have a class ring, Letterman's jacket, or similar obscenely priced high school "must have"?

I have a class ring. I loved it at the time, and I didn't know that my life would go on without it! (brings hand to forehead).

Oh, the wisdom of being far far faaaaaaarrrrrr away from high school years. Why can 't we start old and go younger. Then, the crap in high school would seem so insignificant....
3. If you could be one age for the rest of your life, what age would you choose?

I'd pick 30. I really enojoyed 30. I enjoyed 25 too, but I was soooo selfish and stupid then. It was just D. and I, and other than a skeevy boss, I had no cares. But, I also didn't care or wasn't as passionate about things as I was at 30. I'll take the extra 5 years of maturity.

4. What is your favorite (unused) baby name?

We had one name for a girl with both pregnancies: Reagan.

My unused boy names were: Seth, Brady, and Trevor. Thank goodness two of my friends named their little boys two of them! I love those cute little boys. Anyone up for a Seth?

5. If you could make your child like something what would it be?

VEGETABLES!!!!! Actually, food of any texture. Which includes ALL food.

I.am.so.sick.of.the.breakfast/lunch/dinner table battles.
(insert Howard Dean Scream here)

HAPPY WEEKEND!!!

By the way, the time is now 8:04pm. While I also had an entire day tha thappened in there....holy cow, is my computer slow.

Random Post where I drop a rediculous amount of friend's names.

2011-09-29T13:30:00.000-04:00

- Yesterday, I spent over an hour on the phone talking to my friend Mandi. She was calling to check up on me after I gave my small group a prayer request. Since the incident already passed, she was calling to see the outcome. In my world, I'm texting all the time. It was nice to reconnect on the phone with conversation. Thanks for the prayers, friends! I could really feel it!

- Today I'm carpooling with my friend Sarah. This won't last much longer- since they are moving to an inconvenient location, but its nice to not have to get up early every morning to drive. My adrenals are so thankful.

- Tomorrow, I'm walking with Michelle. She's currently one of my favorite people. The past month, I've struggled with exercise motivation, but I still really look forward to our walking dates. Her friendship is so unassuming and supportive...and funny. And she has the most absolute cutest little boys.

- Saturday, I'm applesaucing with my mom. That is, if she finds a replacement for that bolt she shredded while saucing without me.

- Saturday, after saucing (is that a word?!?!) I'm making a birthday treat for a friend of A's. Because every child deserves to be celebrated on their birthday.

- Saturday afternoon, I'm hoping to make it to my friend's house for a little Catan action. Girl's afternoon in. Catan style. Yes, I'm a gamer.

- Sunday, I'm spending it with my best friend, Dave and our boys whom I hope turn out to be friends some day.

- Next week, I'm crafting with my friend Lesley. We haven't crafted in a very long time, and I really looking forward to reconnecting (over a Cricut machine)!

- Next week Thursday ( a special day for ME), I'm celebrating the morning with 72 of my closest mommy friends at MOPS.

- Next week Friday, I'm going to experience my first gluten free fondue dinner with Melody. I'm very excited to see her and to fondue.

- Sometime in the near future, I need to see Erika who is sewing me a purse to celebrate my 50 pound weight loss (2 pounds to go!).

- I need to schedule a game night with my fellow gaming friends.

- I need to go to a movie by myself (another friend).

- I need to call Gina back.

- I need to call Jeanie for a GNO.

- Yesterday, today, all the time. I love my friends.

Wednesday.....wednesday....wed.....w....

2011-09-28T12:40:00.000-04:00

After I purchased my new camera,

I started cleaning out my old camera bag.

I found a few old SD cards.

Oh my, these things a an emotional gold mine!

I found the card from the first day I purchased my old camera.

It was Labor Day weekend, 2008.

Here's the pictures I took that afternoon.

A. was 4, C had just turned 1.

Taking a rest from running through the sprinklers.

D. taking a rest from working on the house.

A. was "trying" to pull them in the wagon.

D. went back to working on the house.

(oh my, we've come a long way, baby!)

My sweet munchkin waddling through the sprinklers.

The Frankenstein walk

A few days later, A. started 4 year old preschool.

Excuse me, my ovaries are hyper-ventilating. My heart is weeping, and I need a sedative.

Just kidding....kind of. :)

So glad these days are documented.

I'll admit it: I'm a gamer

2011-09-27T18:02:00.000-04:00

Yep...you read that right. I'm a gamer. I love playing board games. The logic, the togetherness. the fun, the victory! (well, if you play it right). Here's a list of my favorites.

1. Settlers of Catan.

Right now my ultimate favorite. First introduced to it by the Hassenrik's. There's a few different versions, but we haven't played the Traders and Barbarians yet. 3/4 of our small group gets together to play, and its a blast. Certainly my favorite right now.

2. Life.

I've always loved this game since I was little. If I saw it in my friend's game closets, I always grabbed it first. I loved the imagination of the different routes you can take in Life. I have a lot of great memories with childhood friends and this game.

3. Balderdash.

The only game where it's ok to lie. Tons of fun to make up words too. Love it. My favorite made-up defination from this game was for "Bodkin." He said it was a "midge corpse." Made up by a member of our small group - everyone knew it was the false defination, but he won based solely on "style points."

4. Phase 10.

This is my one of my favorite games because my sister-in-law loves to play it. I still remember learning to play it at their kitchen table in Germany. It's a relatively easy game to learn. If you can do Uno, you can do Plase 10. Speaking of Uno....

5. Uno

This reminds me of playing while we were camping. The kids didn't know how to play euchre yet, so we played Uno. Uno Attack is also a favorite of mine. You can get really nasty while playing that game.

6. Hugger Mugger.

Book worms unite! If you can unscramble words, and put like words together, you are golden in this game. I'm not sure this game is even on the market anymore. My aunt has it...one more reason to go back to Kentucky.

7. Euchre.

If you're from Michigan, you are familiar with this game. Euchre parties, Euchre tournaments, you name it. I love Euchre.

8. Battle of the Sexes.

This pits sexes against each other. How much do you know about the world of the opposite sex? I love this game because my not-being-a-girly-girl has come in handy more than once in this game.

9. Scattergories.

Yet another word game. Can you tell I'm a book worm?

10. Monopoly.

Yep, I like that game. Capitalism at its finest.

All photos courteousy of google search.

What we did on dat dere tinniversary alternately titled: My First Trip to the Big House

2011-09-26T20:27:00.000-04:00

The night of our tenth anniversary was rather uneventful.

I made the World's Best Vegetable Soup.

Dave brought me a beautiful flower arrangement.

I gave him a silly card.

We ate dinner with the family.

The boys did homework.

I did some audits.

We went to sleep.

Other than the fact the my husband hasn't brought me flowers since....

(thinking.....)

um.....

Valentine's Day!

(He's really a good guy, just doesn't do the whole flower-thing)

Anyway, the flowers were/are beautiful.

They smell fantastic.

Perhaps I"ll take a picture and share them.

Or, perhaps I'll just hoard them and enjoy them for myself.

Anyway, a dear friend of mine has season tickets to the Big House.

(for those of you who don't know...that's U of M's stadium)

We're big Michigan fans.

She and her husband gifted them to us.

It was AWESOME to surprise D with these tickets.

(turns out he was going to surprise me with a dinner and had already coordinated babysitting!- I figure he can do that another weekend, I wanted to go see some Michigan football)

So, I went out and treated myself to a new Michigan shirt (my old one was too big!)

And I grabbed some ribbons to french braid into my hair.

Here's my crappy attempt to show you the blue ribbon in the braid.

You can see a wee-little bit:

Since D. doesn't drink, we decided to have a little picnic by our car before the game.

G-rated tail gating, I guess.

We walked about a mile to get into the Big House.

Here's our self-portrait.

We were in row 32.

It was awesome.

I don't know what the heck I'm doing with my smile here.

Nerd alert:

Go marching band!!!

They even did a little "Thriller" Dance.

I found myself a little jealous of the color guard.

There were three ladies in front of us. One mother, two daughters.

Every time the Big House Cam was on, the mom held up this itty bitty sign hoping to be noticed.

Only she wouldn't hold it high, and it was written in yellow.

Apparently, she needs a lesson in signage.

It read: "Hi Uncle Mikey! We know you're watching. We finally made it to the Big House!"

Uncle Mikey, I hope you're reading this blog...

...because that's the only way you're going to see the itty bitty sign.

The stadium...the bright maize is the student section.

We were in the 234th game with more than 100,000 fans in attendance.

There were a total of 110,707 people there.

Approximately 45 of them were San Diego State fans.

Another self portrait

I'm looking a little less dorky (question mark)

At the end of the night- another view of the braid...

Again, you can barely see the ribbon.

So glad I spent so much effort on it.

Sheesh

All in all, it was a fantastic way to celebrate our anniversary!

5QF

2011-09-23T21:07:00.000-04:00

1. Dream job...realistic and completely unrealistic.

Realistic- I'm not sure what I'd love to do that's within reach. I'm a dreamer, and I dream big...not realistic. I'd like to own my own business - so I don't have to worry about pleasing my boss or meeting quotas someone else set for me. I'd like to have control over setting my own goals and pleasing myself with my work.

Unrealistic- I'd love to travel the world photographing interesting sites and people. I once saw this picture of a wall cloud over water- the other half of the sky was an incredible salmon pink. It was awe-some. I could only imagine what that photographer was thinking and feeling at that moment in time. Seriously - amazing.

2. Do you fart in front of your significant other?

Why, yes I do. Only he doesn't know I fart in front of him until a little bit after I've let it slip. You see, I specialize in the SBD* variety of flatulance. Having gastrointestinal issues automatically puts me into this category. Knowing this, I usually try to hold it in until it forces its way out....then all I say is, "Hey...I'm sorry." This is warning enough to let him know to evacuate the immediate area. However, this is extrememly problematic when in the car.

*Silent But Deadly

3. What's the furthest you've ever traveled from home? How far and where was it?

In June 2000, Dave and I went to Europe with my family. My brother was stationed in Germany with his wife and son, so we went to visit, and my parents were generous enough to bring my boyfriend along. It was an amazing trip - one I still remember like it was yesterday.

The worst part about the trip- the airplan rides. On the way there, D and I were stuck in an aisle right in front of the emergency exit. Meaning our seats didn't recline. You would think that 2" wouldn't make much of a difference, but when they CRAM 3 rows infront of the exit- when there's really only room for 2 1/2...well, that made it just a tad cramped. A lot cramped. We were travelling essentially overnight...there just wasn't enough room to move and get comfortable. The way back, I was in the center of the plane. Roomier seats, but everytime the plane pitched, I felt sick.

Other than that, it was an amazing trip! I saw the most beautiful countryside. Realized that France isn't really all it's cracked up to be. Speaking of farting- ask me sometime about my BROTHER farting the most GASTLY fart in the elevator on the Eiffel Tower. Seriously....

Give me the European countryside.

4. How do you celebrate birthday for your kids? Family only or friends? ... Alternate for those without kiddos: How did you celebrate birthdays as a kid?

We do big parties for 1, 5, and 10. The first birthday is lost of family, the 5th and 10th will be friend parties. All others are grandmas and grandpas. We really aren't the type of family that needs to celebrate in mass quantities. Plus, the boys have every toy imaginable....why invite people over to bring more toys?!?!?

My birthdays were a good mix of friends and family. My brother and I each had one large off-site birthday party (mine was at a roller rink, Dan's was at a bowling alley). I think my mom did a really good job of making the others special with having grandmas over.

5. Fave thing about fall?

Seriously, what's NOT to like? Chilly air, long sleve shirts, best veggies, apple cider, pumpkins, crispy leaves....seriously.....I love ALL of fall.

The tin anniversary

2011-09-22T10:37:00.000-04:00

The tenth wedding anniversary is the tin anniversary.

Not that our anniversary has anything to do with tin.

It's not always a rosy life.

We've had gains and losses, tragedy and triumph, challenges and victories.

But we get through it side by side. Together.

Few things in life remain consistent.

It'a always changing.

But there are a few things I can always count on.

Dave is one of them.

Happy one decade anniversary to my love!

I'd marry him again.

In.a.heartbeat

Questions in need of advice

2011-09-21T09:56:00.002-04:00

Few questions that I'm soliciting for advice...

1. A. said this morning that his stomach hurt. Not pukey, not #3 stuff, it just hurt. I made him go to school (because I had to meet an inspector at 8, and it was my turn for the carpool). I saw him after chapel this morning, and he was still complaining of a stomach ache. We gave him some crackers and took his temp (no temp), and I offered to bring him home. He said he wanted to stay - even though he wasn't feeling the best. Should I have made him come home?

2. I signed A. up for a kid's marathon. They run 1 mile every other day until Oct. 16. Then on that morning, they all get together and run the last 1.2 miles. He started out strong, and now is crying every time I tell him its time to run. He wants to be done with it. We're on mile 17. Should I let him quit, or do I push him to finish.

3. I have lost my running mojo. Honestly, I have no desire to start again. But I know its good for my body and my brain. I know that my body needs exercise to loose weight (learned by trial and error over the years). Do I just power through or give it up?

4. I have my fancy new camera. I love love love it. Every time I pull it out to take pictures I feel all happy and butterfly-ish in my stomach. I love it! Now....what to do with this kind of passion?

5. I'm tired. Do I work or do I nap? Wait...I already know the answer to this question. Sleep will have to wait.

A prayer

2011-09-19T21:54:00.003-04:00

Dear God,

Please put your arm over my shoulder.

And your hand over my mouth.

Amen

5QF

2011-09-16T08:58:00.000-04:00

1. If you had a weekly newspaper column, what would you name it?

Randomness. According to Michelle's right/left brain test (well, it's not hers...but she linked to it), I am right brain dominant, and my "specialty" is randomness. Which is really what this blog is: whatever comes into my mind.

I'm like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get. :)

2. Who is your mentor/inspiration?

Depends on what you're talking about. My mom is my biggest mentor. But I have other inspirators (is that a word?!?!) that inspire me to do different things. My friends Michelle and Melody inspire me to stay on track in diet and fitness. My other friend Melody inspires me to push myself outside my comfort zone. My friend Gina inspires me to be an all-together better person.

3. What is your wake up beverage of choice?

My protein shake. I have a protein shake that tastes really great, is smooth on my stomach, and packs a whopping 26 grams of protein for only 127 calories. Win/win.

4. Would you wear your mom's clothes?

Ummmmm....not really. My mom is a kindergarten teacher. Nuff said.

(Hi mom!!! There's nothing wrong with being a kindergarten teacher! You dress nice, it's just not my style. Love you!!!)

5. When you were a kid, did you put posters on your wall? If so, what were they of?

ugh....This is where you will see what an awkward teen I was. I had New Kids on the Block all over my walls. I used to save my babysitting money just so I could purchase those Teen Beat magazines -for the pin-ups. I had a huge poster of Jonathon over my bed. I was such a dork. (hangs head in shame).

Wait...there's no shame here! NKOTB were cool back then, right? If I wanted to hang my head in shame, I'd say I had a pin-up of Ralph Macchio or Menudo....but I'd throw those pin-ups out in favor for my New Kids. :) (holds head up)

Have a great weekend!!!

I'm about due for a random post, right?

2011-09-14T13:00:00.000-04:00

I usually do a Random Friday List with the 5QF post, but I didn't do one last Friday. I was brain dead.

There's stuff on my mind...so I thought I'd do the Random Friday List today...on a Wednesday. I'm a rebel. :)

1. While I work (I work from home), I ususally have the tv on in the back ground. I don't know how Maury ended up on my television, but this paternity stuff? Rediculous. First....all these "kids" cheating on each other? Not knowing who the father of their child is? These marriages ending? Unbelievable. Their moms must be so proud. Just makes my heart hurt.

2. My annoying facebook post sure had a lot of people complaining and agreeing with me! I feel so vindicated. :) (And if you're wondering if it's you that I was referring to....you're wrong. The people I referred to in the post have no idea I have a blog. And if they do know I have a blog, they're too wrapped up in their own life to wonder what someone else has to say. Not saying it snotty....just truthful. )

3. We got our 1/4 cow today. We found a place that will give us the meat for cheaper. (like 20% cheaper). Our old supplier called Dave yesterday and said he has a cow ready to go, and wanted to know if we were interested. Made me feel bad for him. :( His meat is tasty. Hope this meat is just as good. I'm trying to stay away from chicken (long story for another post), so having a freezer full of grass-fed beef is beneficial.

4. Last week C. threw up in Costco. It was an isolated incident....not sure what was going on. But the cart was full of stuff....and then full of yuck. I brought the cart to an employee and said, "I can help you clean it, but if he's anything like his brother, he'll be making more of a mess in about 20 minutes." She said, "I'm a mom...just go take care of business." Only another mother could take that on and understand my dilema. I'm forever grateful. Wish I remembered her name so I could send a "you've got a great employee" report to the store.

5. I'm learning how to can and preserve food. I'm enjoying spending extra time with my mom in the kitchen, and it's fun to remember those days of my childhood when I watched her can foods, but didn't quite get it. I love knowing how the food was grown, what was used in the dirt and water, how it's preserved, and what chemicals (If any) I'm injesting. I really want to keep my food as clean as possible, and have started purchasing organic foods in the store. It's a hit to the grocery budget....but we feel better, and that's what matters, right?

6. MOPS starts tomorrow. I'm unbelievably grateful that I'm not on steering team this year. I am serving as a table leader, but that's not as time intensive. I'm excited, though, because the ladies on the steering team are incredible. Looks like a fun year. Sad that it's my last year in MOPS, though. We'll just have to reconnect at random Mangiammo's dinners. :)

7. D. and I really want to go to a U of M game at the Big House sometime this season. The tickets are mucho expensivo, and not in the budget. Perhaps we will have to settle for the televised/radio games. Go Blue!

8. I just made an entire batch of "Uncle Jeff's pancakes" at lunch time today. They weren't for lunch. They're for breakfast tomorrow for the boys. They've been asking for pancakes all week, but I'm not a morning person. So, the only thing I can manage in the morning is a "mmmmmffffffff huh?" This morning I had a second grader in tears because he wanted Uncle Jeff's pancakes. Since tomorrow morning is a MOPS morning, and it will take all my morning strength to blow dry my hair, I chose to make them in advance.

9. I think we've passed the adrenaline rush part of the first of the school year. Now, we're into the "ugh, I'm tired" portion. Dear schedule, Go easy on me. M'kay? Thanks!

10. C. started soccer yesterday at the YMCA. So far, he's loving it....and he's actually quite skilled. I had no clue that atleticism can be a natural-born skill. Obviously, this prooves that I am not a natural born athlete.

Top ten things on Facebook that annoy the heck out of me

2011-09-13T08:56:00.000-04:00

Facebook is good for a few things: reconnecting with old friends you lost touch with, coordinating people and get-to-gethers, and supporting and uplifting friends and family.

But facebook can be very very annoying. I think we need to check the filter once or twice before we post stuff. I am, admittedly, guilty of this in the past. I have seen the light....and I have chosen to limit my time on the site. When I do get on, I find the annoyances....and abruptly sign off. These are the thing that lead to the clickety click off the site:

1. The my-life-is-perfect posts (all the time). Really, friends....no one's life is perfect. Quit wearing the mask and just be real.

2. Lovey dovey (or riske') posts between spouses. If you're friends with both, you see the wall-to-wall conversation. Oh joy. My response? Get a room.

3. Crazy people (from high school) you haven't talked to in 18 years friend you just to solicit money for their cause. I don't know you. The only thing I remember about you from high school is walking past you in the hallway on my way to Advanced World Literature and seeing Tim Frye's tongue down your throat. I'm not giving you money.

4. Passive aggressive posts. Things like: "Some people just need to get a life" or "It's just so sad that some people have to act the way they do." Then, there's always the BFF that's in-the-know who comments something like "I know, right?" Ok ladies....this is a public forum. If you don't want to air the whole thing online, don't go there to begin with.

5. Relationship revolving door. If you're having marriage issues....changing your status from married to it's complicated will solicit questions. If you don't want questions, delete the relationship status all together. If you're single and in and out of relationships every 2-3 months, just don't post that stuff. Makes me just feel bad for you.

6. Causes. I understand that we are all passionate about things here and there. I'm passionate about politics and faith. I can get a little carried away with politics once in a while....learned my lesson with that one. But, when you post holier-than-thou junk, you're gonna turn people off. If you want someone to listen, you have to speak to them out of love....not looking down from your pedestal.

7. Birthdays. Ok, this is a double edged sword. It's nice to sign in on your birthday and have an entire wall of birthday greetings. However, we need to pay attention to the person we're greeting. Are you close enough that you should have sent a card or called? I think we're using facebook as a lazy way to celebrate those closest to us. If you're a good friend to someone, step it up and celebrate them.

8. Friend Requests. If you've requested to be my friend, and I decline....don't keep sending a request. I've declined for a reason. I don't appreciate high levels of drama or women that unabashedly flirt with my husband.

9. Half-naked or drunken pictures. If you're tagged in these pictures, anyone can see them if they visit your wall (regardless of if they're a friend or not). I understand you're at the beach and your confident in your body, but you need to remember that other people's husbands are looking at your flesh. Unless, of course, that's what you were going for....then by all means, keep posting half naked pictures of yourself. Thank goodness my husband isn't on facebook (not that he would look anyway...).

10. Over posting pictures. Yes, we understand that something very big happened the other day. Do you need to post 114 pictures of your baby- in the same outfit, playing with the same blocks on the same day? Really, do you need to post 72 pictures of the first day of school? "Here's my daughter's right side on the first day of school." "Here's my daughters left side on the first day of school." "Here's my daughters SHOES on the first day of school" "Here's my daughter looking down the street on the first day of school" "Here's my daughter looking at the bus at the end of the road on the first day of school" "Here's my daughter looking at the bus 100 feet away on the first day of school." "Here's my daughter looking at the bus 5 feet away on the first day of school" "Here's the bus doors opening on the first day of school" "Here's my daughter standing on the first step of the bus on the first day of school." Really? Really? My advice: selective picture posting. One or two pictures will let us all know that your daughter started school today.

No, I'm not in a bad mood. These things just make me shake my head. And maybe I'm feeling a little snarky today....kind of tongue-in-cheek. But maybe, just maybe, someone will read this and make decisions to help make facebook a much less annoying place to visit. :) One can hope.

I.am.content.

2011-09-12T06:38:00.000-04:00

For years and years, I have had camera envy.

I tried to squelch it.

I prayed about the level of envy in my heart.

Oh, how I love photography.

But, I had other priorities.

We had other committments.

My dream had to wait.

I would check the ads.

I would ask people how much their cameras cost (oh, yes I did!)

I kept hoping for an affordable high quality camera.

And today....

....yes, today.....

I met my new baby.

The perfect brand to fit all my existing lenses.

The perfect quality.

The perfect price.

i.am.content.

9-11. Where were you?

2011-09-11T08:39:00.000-04:00

They say that there are certain events that are etched in your memory forever. Where you were when you first heard, the feelings you felt.

9/11/01

was one of those days.

For everyone.

So, do you remember where YOU were?

I was working as the marketing/ admissions manager for a health care center.

I went to the hospital at 6:30am to look at a patient's chart and talk to the caregivers.

I stopped at Walgreen's on the way back to the office to pick something up for my honeymoon.

My wedding was 11 days away.

My brother and his wife were flying out of Germany this morning to come in for our wedding.

I got out of Walgreen's and heard on the radio that a plane had just hit the tower.

There was little additional information.

Accidental? On purpose?

I hoped it was the former.

I got back to the office, and we turned on the TV.

Just as another plane hit the second tower.

We were under attack.

News of the Pentagon followed.

Then Flight 93.

The residents of my facility were scared and crying.

I still hadn't heard news about my brother and his wife.

Everything was in slow motion...yet going so fast.

Our wedding was 11 days away.

I was required to go to "sales camp" for my job.

I tried to get out of it.

No such luck.

(If I knew then what I know now, I would have told them to "shove it.")

But, 5 of us went to Angola Indiana.

And talked about selling more...while the death toll raced across the screen in the lobby.

My brother and his wife were on a plane that morning.

They were stuck on a tarmac in Frankfurt for 8 hours.

They heard nothing for 2 hours.

Then they heard that "there was a plane crash in New York."

Then, after 5 hours in the plane, they heard that the "U.S. is under attack."

They went back home after waiting for 8 hours.

Fortunately, his Sargent made sure he was on the first flight into the US, and they made it in for the wedding.

We did get married 11 days later.

It was surreal, and a few people chose not to come.

But those that did....we loved on each other...and we celebrated.

We lifted the veil of fear and chose to celebrate life and love.

So....where were you?

5QF

2011-09-09T11:40:00.002-04:00

Scatter brained today. Friday??? Wow...already. Ok, let's see how I get through the questions.

1. What ringtone do you have on your cell phone?

Basic Rumor ring tone.

Except for D's ring. It's a techno ring that sounds a little like "Bom-chicka-wow-wow." I thought it was funny. :)

2. What is your favorite memory from this summer?

Goodness... We've had an eventful summer! Can I have two?

Our Kentucky trip was my favorite because I got to see some of my favorite family members and climb through some caves.

I loved our Wisconsin trip because I love the U.P., and I love anything having to do with my bestie, Gina.

3. Paper books or ebooks?

Well.....I don't have a choice in that matter, so I go with paper. I'm not a big screen person, though....I don't like reading through websites (although I do read blogs regularly....so I may be taking that one back...). I really enjoy turning pages, though. I love the feel of paper on my fingertips....I love closing that last page of a book after a great ending...so, I think I'll go with paper.

4. If you could have one home upgrade what would it be and why?

Ha! Can I say the other half? Really....that's my home upgrade of choice. (If you're new here, you can read our Love Shack Saga here).

5. When was your first serious boyfriend/girlfriend?

Oh gosh... I'm not sure how to answer this question. I didn't really start dating until college, and even then, didn't really date anyone seriously anymore than a few weeks, possibly months...but not for any great period of time.
I knew what I wanted for my husband, and I knew what requirements God laid on my heart for my husband. So, if I knew they weren't "the one", I didn't waste anymore time with them in pursuing a relationship that was headed to the same fate eventually.

I dated a lot of guys casually. When I met Dave, I actually had been "talking to" 3-4 guys. Casual dates, +1's for weddings, hanging out with groups, etc. The day after I met Dave, I bid each one of them a farewell. I knew, in my heart, this was the man God had sent me for marriage.

TWO kitchens?!?!?! Yeah, it's not what you think it is.

2011-09-07T11:30:00.000-04:00

I haven't posted a Love Shack update lately.

That's cause there's not much to update on.

We're still here.

Plugging along.

Saving little bits here and there to finish the addition and start rehabing the old house.

But in the meantime, I have two kitchens.

Yes, two.

But it's not what you think. Both kitchens are half kitchens....so essentially, I have one kitchen (if you do the math) just in two locations. One is in the old house, one in the addition.

So, when I cook...this is what it looks like:

Get out the meat, veggies, and cookware for the stove in the old kitchen.

Go to the new kitchen pantry for dried goods.

(up three steps)

Back to the old kitchen to assemble.

(down three steps)

Back to the new kitchen for mixing bowls and spices.

(up three steps)

Back to the old kitchen to assemble, stir, and cook.

(down three steps)

Back to the new kitchen to pick up the salad spinner and bread.

(up three steps)

Back to the old kitchen to wash veggies, spin the lettuce and cut veggies.

(down three steps)

Back to the new kitchen to grab serving bowls for salads and dinner entrees.

(up three steps)

Back to the old kitchen to assemble dinner.

(down three steps)

Back to the new kitchen to grab tableware.

(up three steps)

Back to the old kitchen to set the table.

(down three steps)

Back to the new kitchen to grab glasses for milk and water.

(up three steps)

Back to the old kitchen to grab silverware.

(down three steps)

Sit at the table to enjoy dinner.

(plop)

Wonder if I can get some My Fitness Pal exercise points?