Counting Mine {266-275}

266.  Walking into a lily-scented sanctuary.

267.  Sweet little girls in adorable Easter dresses.

268.  Singing my favorite Easter hymns.

269.  Standing next to someone who can hold a note during the Hallelujah Chorus.

270.  A great sermon. 

271.  Adorable boys in coordinating Easter outfits....that I didn't even try to coordinate!

272.  Spending a great afternoon with family.

273.  Carrot cake cupcakes made from scratch- that turned out amazing.

274.  A great Easter well-head picture of our growing family.

275.  Knowing that my Savior conquered death and the devil.  Looking forward to spending an eternity thanking Him for it.



Happy Easter!

Good Friday 5QF

Just a year ago tonight we broke the news to Dave's parents that we were expecting #3.

Dave showed our ultrasound picture to his dad and asked him if it looked like a boy or a girl.

Their first question was how did we get a copy of his brother's baby's ultrasound picture?

(they were also pregnant, and were about 4 weeks ahead of us, so they were already out!)

Then,

then.....they got it. 

Dave's dad jumped up and down and said, "IT'S A GOOD GOOD FRIDAY!"

One of my favorite reactions of pregnancy announcements ever.  :)



What a difference a year makes. 





On another note, today is Good Friday...

It's hard to celebrate Easter without first recognizing Good Friday. 

This always gives me chills.







Ok, now to have a wee little bit of fun!


1. How often should adults have birthday parties?

I think the big milestones can be celebrated.  I'm only in my 30's....but I remember the whole "30th birthday" thing was BIG to celebrate.  Surprise parties were pretty popular...

...I'd imagine surprise parties loose their spunk as the milestones pile up...wouldn't want to cause a heart attack for the person of honor, right?!?!?


2. What was your room decorated like when you were a child?

Pink, pink and more pink!
My first bedroom was Holly Hobbie wallpaper with white and pink furniture and pink bedspreads.

Then, I got sick of that wall paper, and then my mom put up different wallpaper...

more pink.  Flowers this time. 

Can you tell my mom loved having a daughter?!?!?


3. Do you have any traditions for Easter? If so, what? and do you have a why behind that?

If you've read this blog for any time whatsoever, you'll know that Dave and I are pretty much anti-commercialists.  The whole "The Easter Bunny brought you a crap load of candy and toys!" doesn't sit well in our stomachs.

And then...one night early last February, Dave killed the Easter Bunny.  The boys were talking about toys they wanted, and A. mentioned that they just needed to wait until Easter to get them.  Dave asked them what Easter was about, and THREE TIMES they said, "The Easter Bunny."

Then...he lowered the boom.

"Boys, the Easter Bunny doesn't exist."

Blink...

blink...

Dave: "Now....Why do we celebrate Easter?"

Boys:  "Oh! Jesus!  He conquered sin and the devil!"

Look at that, we kill the Easter Bunny and Jesus shines through.  :)

So, each child (except Baby L.- who will be getting a stuffed one this year) will have a chocolate bunny in the morning, and we'll head to church for Easter Breakfast, worship and then a family dinner.

We're hosting for the first time this year.

Wish me luck.

Easter egg hunt to follow.  :)


4. Do you get Good Friday off? If so, any plans?

Thanks to the awesome school our kids go to, they have Good Friday off.  I'm actually still working today...with three kids here with me.  (Pray for me!).  We'll head to church as a family tonight.


5. Did you wear hats & white shoes to church on Easter? (Or was that just in the South?)

I wonder if that's a regional thing or a generational thing?  I remember having them a few times as a child (here in the Mitten, so not just a south thing).  But, I've only seen them sporadically on little girls....but since I have boys, I really haven't paid too much attention....perhaps I'll have to keep my eyes open on Sunday!

Laugh, laugh, laugh.

Source: twitter.com viaSandy on Pinterest

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This is one of my favorites.  I can't stop laughing....SALUTE!

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Source: Sandy on Pinterest

Friggin special.  Ha!

I'm still standing

Are you familiar with the Elton John song, "I'm still standing?"

Yes, I just totally aged myself.

I'm cool with that.


I love this song...and in case you can't remember the song...here ya go:




That's kinda how I'm feeling lately. 


Daily struggles,

sleep deprivation,

a crying baby,

chronic fatigue,

a chest cough that won't leave (after 4 weeks),

the new onslaught of a cold,

siblings fighting,

the doldrums of a never-ending winter...


I'm still standing.

As a matter of fact, this song is also at the tail end of my workout mix. 

I pushed through, and

I'm still standing.

This could be a good song to send to anyone going through a hard time right now.

I know a lot of people who are struggling with things:

big changes,

cancer,

death,

fear of loosing a job,

nasty things people say about them,

eviction,

financial worries.

Whatever the "thing," big or small....

in the end, with God on our side, we're all still standing.

And the oxymoron of using an Elton John song to get my religious point across doesn't escape me...

....but He can work all things out for His good, right?

I'm still standing.

Blessings {251-265}

251.  Getting out of the shower to hear my 5 year old son consoling his 5 month old baby sister by singing her a hymn.  And he was successful at getting her to quiet down.

252.  Watching Baby L. discover new things.  Like how to pull down the toy on her car seat...over and over and over again.  Or watching her try to grab the stream of water as it falls on her belly during bath time.

253.  The smell of a freshly bathed, freshly pajama'd baby.  Ooooohhhhh, bliss!

254.  Watching my husband's friends oogle over Baby L. and carry her around church protectively as if she was their own sweet cherub.

255.  Friends who share AWESOME cute baby shoes with me.

256.  Friends who can be just as snarky as I am.

257.  A father-in-law who works for the same company - so I can call him (anytime) with questions.

258.  Clean plates and no fights at dinnertime.

259.  DVR.  Now I can watch The Pioneer Woman anytime!

260.  Kids that can get themselves dressed.

261.  A husband who helps discipline the kids.

262.  Listening to my husband coo to his daughter.  Ohhhh sweetness.

263.  The burn in my lungs after a nice outdoor walk.

264.  Cuddling with the husband.

265.  Throwing "whatever is in the fridge" in a pan, calling it a casserole, and having it turn out awesome.

5QF - no regrets edition

I went out with a great group of ladies last night.


Since we had a late get-together, I ate a taco with my family at dinner time.

Then I met the ladies at 7:30. 

I had an adult beverage....my first since ....well, probably since Baby L's conception.


Then...as everyone else ordered entrees, I went straight for the kill.

Twisted chocolate dessert.

So, there I sit...

glass of water,

Hard cider (blueberry...made right here in the Mitten)

and a HUGE dessert.

I enjoyed every bite.

And every drink.

And the ladies I was talking with.

Then- as invoices are being doled out- I got a text from Dave:

"You coming home soon?"

Me:  "Yes, soon...."

Him:  "45 minutes of straight screaming"

Me:  "On my way."

So...thanks to the sugar rush and caffeine buzz, I had the stamina to handle Baby L. and her issues.

Darn teeth. 

They are coming in one right after the other.

Then I was awake until 2am...when she woke for a feeding.

Then I laid awake until 4am...


...then as I started to fall asleep, my stomach started a revolt due to all the sugar and rich foods.


then the heartburn from the cider.

Seriously...

WHEN DID I GET SO OLD?!?!?!?

No regrets, though....it was so good.


    1. What advice would you give a newly married couple?

Focus on the positive.  I spent too many days, nights, weeks, months, years...focusing on the negative parts of our relationship, and the negative quirks of my husband that I wanted "changed."  If I had only spent those days encouraging him instead of "changing" him, we would have been stronger sooner.  But, we're AWESOME now...doesn't get much better than this. 
(And I'm the president of his fan club. )
2. Who does more laundry around your house?

It's a pretty even split between Dave and me.  He'll grab the dirty hampers as they fill, and throw them in the washer, and sometimes put them in the dryer as well.  Otherwise, I'll dry them, fold them and put them away.  Then, if there's ironing, I do that too (but only once every 3 years....judging by the size khakis I found at the bottom of the pile last week).

3. What items, if any, do you prefer to buy organic or make yourself?

I prefer to buy as much organic produce as the budget will allow.  I try to compensate for it by making our baked goods myself.  I especially try to make their lunch treats...but occasionally, I'll purchase Honey Made stuffed cracker as a treat.    Foods that have their own hard shell (oranges, grapefruit, etc), I don't need to purchase organically.  But apples and grapes I don't make any exceptions for...organic all the way.
      4. What book/TV series would you recommend for a friend on bedrest?
Television: I'm a sucker for Downton Abbey.  I also loved Pretty Little Liars because it freaked me out.  We love Storm Chasers- particularly because Reed Timmer is from the Mitten (actually about 20 minutes away from where I live now).   Books:  I'm a sucker for some easy to read fiction. I enjoy Debbie Maccomber books because she's super easy to read, has fun story lines, some mystery involved, writes series that are easy and fun to follow, and has a strong moral compass.  There's a Cedar Cove series that is about 12 books long and will keep you occupied for a few weeks!  Good luck, Kristina!   5. So, they say it's Spring now...what does your "spring" look like at this very moment? Cold.  Darn cold. Snowy.   Blowy snowy.   It's Michigan...so I know not to expect anything different....   but seriously....COME ON!


 

Top ten: Lesser known "things" about me...

I'm not really a person of mystery.  Really...


I'm an open book for the most part.

There's a few tricks up my sleeve:  things no one knows, things one person knows, things few people know, etc.  But there's also funky things that not many people know....so here's my list:

1.  I cannot eat bananas.  I love them.  I miss them, but I cannot eat them.  They cause the WORST migraines.  Seriously...worst.  Like, half my face and body goes numb and slumps, I loose peripheral vision, and end up in the Dr. office doing "stroke" testing....really, that bad.  No bananas for me.  :(

2.  I'm a bit of a grammar snob.  I blame my parochial schooling on that.  Anyone else know how to diagram a sentence?  If so, you are my soul mate.  (Also, you're, your...two different things- and while I'm at it two, too, and to....If you use them incorrectly, I will secretly judge you).

3.  I am registered as a democrat.  (GASP!!!!!)  Yes, Dave married me anyway.  I registered right at the tender age of 18- while in my freshman year of college and very impressionable from peers and misinformed college professors.  It wasn't until took a sociology class and we had to write a final paper about "why modern day housekeepers are nothing more than indentured servants" did I realize that I was truly a capitalist at heart.  I got an "F" on that paper- because I said that housekeepers were really entrepreneurs in having enough integrity to see a demand and starting a business to fill that demand.  The professor wrote on my paper, "There's no room for conservatives in this class."  I took it to the head of the school of business and he overwrote my grade.  Ha....

4.  I cannot sleep with socks on.  If I do, I will wake up in a horrible sweat from nightmares.   Easy equation:  socks = nightmares.  So, I go to bed with freezing feet and migrate them over the center line to infiltrate Dave's cocoon.  :)  (He always yells, but I know he secretly LOVES it.  Yes, yes he does...I keep telling him that every night too).

5.  I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up.  I know eventually I'll have to get a full time job and once again contribute to the financial well-being of this household.  I also know that I'm not for sitting in my basement office (without windows) and entering numbers and more numbers.  This job is fantastic while my kids are young and in school, but my right brain would probably strangle me if I made a career from it.  I am not a left-brained person.  I can get by, but it's not my passion.  I'd LOVE to find something I'm passionate at and run with a career from there.  I don't need to make a lot of money- that's not my god.  Just enough to get by.  And do something I believe in.

6.  I have a photographic memory, but am TERRIBLE at remembering names.  I can read a book, and remember what the pages look like when trying to recall a fact or piece of information.  Which is why I always did so well at spelling and memory work in school.  I can remember faces, but not names.  Seriously...there's a lady at church.  I keep calling her Vicki.  It's not her name.  I know it's not her name, but I cannot remember her name.  So, I call her Vicki.

7.  I am scared of pencilled in eyebrows.  Yes, I'm weird.  In my whole life, I've only seen ONE person do them correctly- and that was VERY recent.  Seriously...if you have pencilled in eye brows, I cannot make eye contact with you.  I will seriously stare at them the entire conversation.  This is fine if we're talking across the room- you only see I'm looking in the "direction" of your eyes....but up close....well, that gets awkward.  But I cannot tear my eyes away.  They FREAK ME OUT!

8.  I do not consider myself a "trendy" person.  As a matter of fact, if you call me trendy, I may just take it as an insult.  I would much rather consider myself a practical person with my own sense of style rather than use my family's money to look like everyone else for a season or two.  I would have to be so selfish.  HOWEVER, I do not consider "trendy" to be a bad thing when talking about others.  Weird, huh?  As a matter of fact, I have beautiful friends who are ALWAYS in the latest trends, and they are adorable.  I actually love and appreciate this about them.  Just not for me.

9.  I was shocked a few weeks ago to find out that I'm an intimidating person.  What the WHAT???  Apparently, my inner strength intimidates people.  Sorry...I do have a sense of who I am, and I'm not going to change it.  I know what I believe in, I know what I stand for.  Sorry if that freaks your wishy-washy butt out.  I don't think being a "hot mess" is cool....nor is it anything to brag about.  I get overwhelmed, I drop the ball from time to time.  I am far from perfect.  But, I am who I am.  I do my best.  That's all I can do.  I"m ok with imperfection, I'm ok with "incomplete."

10.  I get "gut feelings."  I listen to them.  I've learned to, at least.  I inherit this from my dad.  When I was younger, I'd bring a new friend home and he'd sometimes say, "Stay clear of that girl, pumpkin.  She's not good news."  Of course, being obstinate, I'd disregard his warning and sure enough....I'd get burned.  Later in life, I've learned to listen to those gut feelings about people and situations.  Friends who I need to keep at an arm's length or people I just need to steer clear from all together.  An example of this gut feeling is waaaaay back when I was in college, my grandma was in the hospital.  I was in a marketing class...and all of a sudden, I knew I had to call the hospital.  I got up, went to the nearest pay phone (this was 1998....), and called the hospital where they told me that my grandmother passed away just a few minutes prior and I missed my mom leaving by mere seconds.  I knew she was gone before I even called.  The first night that I officially met Dave, I knew he was going to be my husband.  Not wishful thinking....I just knew.  There was nothing to rush...but we weren't going to dilly dally around it either.  When the gut knows, the gut knows.

Do you have funky little quirks that few people know about?

Counting Mine {241-250}

Thankful.


241.  For a base coat nail polish that fills in all the weird ridges on my nail beds.

242.  Thankful for A's GREAT job in the 3rd. grade spelling bee.  (first place...bragging mom alert!)

243.  For an amazing community feeling I got at the Educational Festival yesterday.  Nice to know we're not the only families that believe in Lutheran Education.

244.  For sweet coffee dates with friends.

245.  For Dave taking a Saturday off once in a while.  Feels like a holiday to have him around with us....I love it.

246.  For our SCRIP program - and using a percentage of formula money to help with tuition.

247.  For date nights.   Coming soon.

248.  For our principal and his wife.  Life wouldn't be the same without them.  What a blessing they are to us and our kids.

249. For the play mat Kathy gave me for Baby L.  Her favorite toy ever.  Buys me precious minutes to get things done.

250.  For infant Tylenol.  Helping teething babes around the world.....and helping their mothers too. :)

5QF

Happy Friday!


All last night, I went around thinking it was Wednesday.  Meaning today would be Thursday.

I had a different blog post all lined up in my crazy little head...


then I realized it's Friday, and it's not a REAL Friday until I've done a 5QF.

Which means by next week, that blog post in my head will be nothing but a vague memory of


"now what was that post about again...it was really good!"

I'm trying to write these things down when they come to me, but honestly....I lose the papers.

Sigh.

Apparently, 'twas not to be.




1. What is one thing you wish you did not have to teach your children?

How to tie shoes!  A. was hard to teach because of his sensory processing issues....he had a hard time crossing the center line- DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY TIMES SHOELACES CROSS THE CENTER LINE?!?!?!  C. still doesn't get it.  He thinks he does....which is dangerous.  If we don't stop him quickly, we end up with a mighty knot.

Potty Training- close second.

2. What are you going to use since Google Reader is going away?

WHAT is this change of which you speak?!?!?!  GAH!  I do not know...perhaps I'll have to read everyone's submissions this week to see what I'll do.

Google, you're starting to piss me off.  All these changes....seriously?!?!?!

3. British comedy; Hilarious or strange?

Dry.  I don't get it.  Do the British even get it???
4. Do you prefer card games or board games?

YES!  Both.  A total prerequisite to living in Michigan. 

Must play euchre.  Must like board games.  Current favorites:  Settlers of Catan (any version) and Ticket to Ride.

5. Will winter ever end?

Sigh.  I'm not sure. 

Tuesday Ten: Things I do to save money

It's no surprise that we live on a budget.


You'd probably be surprised at how SMALL our monthly budget is.  While I won't get into particular numbers here... but I will tell you that our monthly budget is SMALLER than most people's mortgage payment alone.  True story.

Here's a few strategies I employ to keep us on track:

1.  Envelopes.  Yep, we're Ramsey-ites.  We have a cash envelope for just about every category:  grocery, health, breakfast, lunch, dinner, entertainment, house, car, miscellaneous (i.e. hot lunch, babysitters, any grocery overflow, etc.).  I'm missing a few...but you get my drift. Let me tell ya- it physically HURTS to spend cash.  Studies have shown that if you're spending with a card (debit or credit), you will typically spend 30% more.  Why?  Cash is finite.  It hurts to see it leave your wallet.  Yep, this is most certainly true. (quick, what book?)

2.  Plan ahead.  It helps to have a menu for every month.  If I have a plan when I go into the grocery store, I stick to my grocery list and purchase nothing else.  If I don't have a plan, I wander from aisle to aisle all willy-nilly and add things that suit my fancy at the time...and blow my grocery envelope to bits.  Making a monthly menu is not as hard to set up as one would think.  I start with a theme day:  we have Family Pizza/Movie/Game night every Friday.  So, every Friday I write "pizza."  Some people do "Meatless Mondays" others do "Taco Tuesdays."  What ever floats your boat.  Since Dave has a lot of meetings on Wednesday nights, I do a crockpot meal on Wednesdays.  So, whatever the main meat is that day, I put "crockpot" in front of it.  Then, if there's a special day I fill in those next: birthdays, anniversaries, small group meal, holidays,etc.  After that, I go through the whole month and alternate:  beef, chicken, pork, soup, leftovers.  Sometimes I'll sneak a fish, breakfast dinner, or turkey in there as well.  Make sure to keep a day open at least once a week for left overs.  If there are no leftovers i the fridge that day, I declare it a "grilled cheese" night.  There you go... menu planning made easy.  And grocery budget kept.  :)

3.  Hair.  I cut it.  Not mine...the boys.  Our first grooming kit came with a video that taught me step by step how to cut hair.  Then, I've looked up a few on youtube.com as well.  It's not as hard as one would think.  I save us HUNDREDS of dollars every year and the hassle of going to yet another stop on the errand-train.  I also found hair stylists who do my hair out of their homes.  I can get full highlights for the same price as a salon haircut alone.  Yes...the difference is THAT large.  And I get to learn to knit while my color processes.  Win/ win for me!

4.  Get used to the letters "DIY."  We do a lot of things for ourselves and skip the more expensive modern-day alternatives.  For example, I just started making my own laundry detergent.  Guess what?!?!?  For PENNIES on the dollar, I can make laundry detergent that cleans BETTER than the one we were using (Gain), has little to no fragrance (a HUGE bonus for my asthmatic child!) and is not caustic on our sensitive skin (big bonus for my sensitive baby!).  I make treats for their lunches- which is also a bonus that I know exactly what's going into their bodies.  We also fix our washers and dryers when they break, we I  make crafts for home decor inexpensively - instead of purchasing a full price piece.  Instead of higher priced dandruff shampoo, I purchase cheap stuff and put a few drops of tea tree oil in Dave's shampoo.  It goes farther, and (in my opinion) smells better.  Manicures?  Do 'em myself.  Pedicures?  Other than the first one of summer (which I justify by all the callous' they need to remove to make my feet look sandal-ready), I do those myself too.

5.  Night's out.  These can be total budget busters!  While my husband is completely happy (and actually desires to) stay home with us, I need to get together with friends for some recharging once and a while.  It's budgeted in our "dinner" envelope, but I make sure to get the most out of that envelope as I can.  While one GNO may include a dinner out, others may include hanging out at someone's house chilling with wine, coffee, or board games.  Other get togethers include power walking, meeting at the park with kids or craft nights.

6.  Birthdays.  These tend to be huge budget busters.  They don't happen every month, so there's no envelope for them...but they are LARGE expenses- if you let them be.  So, let's talk Birthdays a minute.  Birthday parties?!?  They can run close to $400-$500.  Seriously.  No joke.  So, here's our take on it:  big family party for 1 year old.  Friend party here (at the Love Shack) at 5.  Friend party at a business for 10.  Other than that, every year, a small party with grandparents will suffice.  There's no reason to host a huge party every year.  For friend's birthday parties, I purchase basic toys on clearance after Christmas and summer.  I have a large box in a closet that I pull from for parties.  For nieces and nephews, we send them cards with money- one dollar for every year they are old. 

7.  Christmas is budgeted as well- AND if I can craft something during the year- or pick it up and expense it out of the envelopes, more power to me!  Name exchanges for the kiddos on Dave's side (where we keep multiplying....) also help keep our costs down.  We have a Christmas envelope that I withdrawal in November.  It has $400 in it.  Once that money is gone, the gifting is done- regardless who is not purchased for.  So, I try to make smart purchases.

8.  Buy ahead.  I have totes and totes of clothing in our garage  new crawl space.  Each one has a size on the side.  We get hand-me-downs from a few sources, I shop clearance sales, and I hit up consignment shops from time to time.  If something is on an AWESOME sale (hello - $1 Gap khaki's NWT, I'm looking at you), I'll pick it up and throw it in that bin.  Once the boys (or girl!) grow into that size, I just grab that bin.  Sometimes I need to fill in a few blanks, but most of the time we're all set.  Try to stick to the basics with this, though.  Purchasing trendy clothes in three sizes bigger than they are now....well, could be recipe for disaster.

9.  Give more.  This is an amazing paradox.  The more generous I am with our time and money, the more of it I seem to have.  Or perhaps, the less it becomes important to me...  Either way, I'll take it.

10.  The Jones' are dead to me. I have no desire to keep up with them.  Probably because those Jones' are most likely  in debt up to their eyeballs- working their tails off just to pay the bank for crap they really didn't need in the first place.  By not having all the STUFF of this world muddying up our lives, we leave space to give back.  Space to be generous with our money and our time.  Space to not make stuff our god.  I think the word "content" isn't used enough in our society.  Our house isn't the biggest - but in all honesty, it's bigger than our needs.  Dave and I struggle with that daily.  Our van...it's rusty, but it gets us where we need to go (knock on wood!).  Why should we concern ourselves with a luxury vacation when others don't even have the luxury of SHOES on their feet or food in their bellies???  We live in a spoiled world where it's ok to get ourselves indebted to the bank in the pursuit of the almighty stuff.  The bigger house, the certain type of car, the vacations, the dinners out at the up-and-coming drinking hole....what's it all for?  So when you're dead, God can say
"Well done, good and faithful consumer"? 
 Give back.  Reach out.  You'll be richer for it.  Just sayin.'

Counting Mine {226-240}

I've been slacking on these posts lately...but not less thankful.

So, this early Monday morning, I'm thankful for:


226.  The feel of freshly shaven legs.

227.  A productive cough.  (as opposed to unproductive...and never ending)

228.  A great first meeting with our new small group.  And the excitement about learning.

229.  A husband who helps.

230.  For going an entire week without stubbing my toe (a HUGE feat for me!)

231.  For fun crafts that decorate my home.  Inexpensively.

232.  For discounted prescription-grade vitamins

233.  For fundraisers that make summer camp feasible for my kiddos.

234.  For our girl's school basketball team making it to National's!

235.  A clean house.  And not feeling sand under your bare feet (in.the.living.room)

236.  For the largest new member class our church has seen in a decade.

237.  For a new student in our school.  And the fact that ALL the students are excited to have a new face in the school.

238.  Warmer weather and a few days of beautiful sunshine.

239.  For people who are willing to make others a priority.

240.  I'm so thankful - ever SO thankful that I wasn't the one to discover a HISSING animal in the back of our garage at 7:15 this morning.  So very very thankful.  I'd be even more thankful if that animal walked out of the garage on its own accord today.....

5QF

Sometimes these weeks fly by.

Sometimes they drag.

This week...geez....I'm still stuck on last Sunday....how'd it get to be Friday already?!?!

Unrelated random news:
- Baby L. has cut her THIRD tooth
- I still have a cruddy cough- that sounds like I've been smoking for the last 30 years...or Kathleen Turner, take your pick.
- I am biting off small pieces of organization in the house, and getting a surprising amount accomplished
- I am starting to look into heavy metals- where they are in my environment, how they affect my body, and how to chelate them.  It's very interesting.
- Michelle makes awesome gf brownies
- I have to go grocery shopping. (aren't you glad you know this?!?!?! - tribute to the most annoying Facebook status updates)



1. Does your family coordinate clothing for church on holidays like Easter?

Not on purpose.  It usually happens, though, that we all look like we did.  Either I'm in a "purple" mood one year, or just generally picking out pastels....we've never clashed on Easter.

That said, if I'm purchasing new shirts for the boys (example: last year), they did coordinate, but had different colors of the same style shirt.

This year....every man for himself.  :)

I think everyone already has an outfit for Easter....except me.

2. How do you get out of a funk?

Depends on the funk.  Most of the time, I just wait it out.

"It can't rain all the time."

Quick- What movie?

Otherwise, I'll go for a walk in the sunshine, or try to get away for a bit by myself. 

Really, that alone time is quick recharging.

Conversely...so is time with my friends.  

3. Online friends - real friendships or not?

Sure, why not?!?!?!  There's some pretty awesome peeps on the interwebs.  I haven't met any of them in person...but I do text exchanges with a few.  (An awesome few!)

(By the way, Kate...STILL waiting for you to come visit your favorite aunt!)


4. What is the one food you must eat in a restaurant (not make yourself)?

Hmmmm, nothing really.  Actually, I prefer to make things for myself.

Eating gluten free- everywhere you go is like playing Russian roulette.  AND, if I'm cooking for myself, I control EVERYTHING that goes into my dish- fat, sugar, gluten, and I control portion sizes.

Really....I'm a control freak by nature.  :)

5. What would happen in your home if you ran out of ketchup?

Meh....not much, really....I'd eventually get to the store to pick more up.

Not a "call the pentagon" situation.

Phoning it in #hashtagedition

I haven't done a post like this in a while.  Time to purge the phone.  :)



An oldie.  A newborn hospital shot.  GAH!  Hard to believe it was only 4 months ago. 

And also, hard to believe it was already 4 months ago.

#timewarp



I used to work for a local web site.  I'm on hiatus....possibly indefinitely, possibly not.
All of us are busy moms, so a few meetings were spent on Google chat.
I thought it was cool.
I am on the bottom row- far right.  You can only see the tip of my head for a reason: I'm in my pajamas.
The lady in the main frame is my friend, Michelle.  And also this is her photo ID on my phone.  :)
#himichelle



Walgreens has a large clearance aisle right now.
I went for Mucinex, and spent $22.
In my defense, all but one of the items purchased I would have bought at Meijer tomorrow.
Now, I just need to go grocery shopping in four days.
The last item I picked up was this nail polish.

St. Patrick's Day is coming up, you know.

#ihatebeingpinched




This photo is blurry.  But it's one of my MOST favorite outfits of Baby L's.  And she was so very happy to model it for me.  :)

#twoteeth




Selfie with baby in the Baby Bjorn.

#productivityatitsfinest

And also, I don't wear make up during the week - unless I have to.

#avertyoureyes





I purchased a Living Social Deal with my friends Melody and Jill.

It was  fun night!

I got to play with fondant, learn how to make it myself, and she made gluten free cupcakes just for us.

Even though I didn't eat any of them.

Dude...she flavored the frosting with bubble gum flavor.

#yuck



I received an awesome surprise in the mail.
My friend (and my mom's friend) Debbie sent me all kinds of clothing goodies, but this was in the bottom of the box.
A quilt.
Debbie makes the MOST BEAUTIFUL quilts.
They match the colors in Baby L's nursery.
And the words "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" and "Goodnight Moon" are stitched into the quilt.
Along with stars, clouds and a moon.
#amazingtalent
#humbled





#valentinebaby



She is cutting teeth.
Yes, it's early for her to be cutting teeth.
I have no idea.
But she's cranky, in pain, miserly with her smiles, and frequently tearful.
#poorbaby



#bigbrothersrock




I took this picture in church.
I took this picture in church???
Apparently, I did.
Look at this picture.

#ohmyheart



If you've met my husband, you'll know why I took this picture.

#acornandtree
#contractorintraining



That milk mustache looks so..... #thug




#justtoocute




C. spent four hours quietly playing with Play Doh.
It was an amazing afternoon.
After all his "work," this is what he presented me with.

#iamapervert





I share this next picture in order to share a story.
This was taken on our bed shortly before we left for the boy's school Christmas program.
Dave walked in to get dressed.  He took one look at her, said, "Baby L., you look so beautiful."

Then, he scooped her up in his arms and proceeded to dance with her right there at the foot of our bed.

Is it possible for me to love him anymore than I already do?

#exponentially

Tuesday Ten(ish)

1.  I have adrenal fatigue.  Dave and I had a loooooong talk on Saturday about me, my hormones, my (lack of) weight loss, my motivation, etc.  Then, I went to bed.  At 8:30.  He went to google chronic adrenal fatigue.  He offered to let me sleep in on Sunday morning.  I think he's finally starting to get it.

2.  On a positive note:  my weight gain has slowed.  With both boys, it didn't slow until they hit 9-10 months.  Since Baby L. is only 4 months I'm hoping that's a positive hook I can hang my hat on.

3.  Due to my adrenal issues and the fact that it will take (forever) a while for my cracked pelvis to heal, I have not started running again.  I'm hoping to start up yoga....it's a start, right?

4.  We start our new small group this weekend.  Anxious and hopeful at the same time!!!  Lutherans are typically allergic to change (hence the anxiety), but I really feel the the people we've asked to join us are going to gel awesomely, and I'm excited to really get into the Word and chew on it a bit.

5.  A. has had this lingering cough for about a month now.  Now, Baby L. and I have it.  It's AWFUL!  At times I really feel like I cannot get a good deep breath.  Please pray (with me) that C. doesn't get it!  This would result in at least one ER trip....it's that bad.

6.  I am in need of a drastic attitude adjustment.  We had our taxes done, and found out we owe a king's ransom.  (not an over exaggeration- it's almost twice as much as we paid for our van).  In addition, the lack of maternity coverage (thanks to Obamacare legislation), increased medical costs and (again, thanks to Obamacare) our health insurance premiums are continuing to go up.  It seems like someone is always pulling money out of our pockets.  Like we were smart, and saved a bit....only to have them (government, medical stuff) yank it out.  I'm angry, scared, and frustrated.   So angry that I need to keep reminding myself that it's NOT OK to walk up to liberals and punch them in the face.  Yeah...attitude adjustment needed.

7.  We were hoping our van makes it to 300,000 miles.  (Currently at 216,000).  Think we can duct tape it so it will last to 500,000?  Here's hoping!

8.  I picked up some chia seeds at the nature store yesterday.  I may be a tad crunchy after all.

9.  Thanks to 3M Command strips, I have pictures on my walls.  My unfinished drywall walls.  Every time I pass those newly-hung pictures, I smile.  Much to Dave's chagrin.  :)

10.  I have no work calls to do this morning....so, in an effort to calm my angst, I'm off to craft a bit.

5QF

Are these weeks going by faster than usual?!?!?  Seriously, I feel like it was just a year ago in those crazy few weeks when we learned that we were expecting #3, our dog needed to be put down, and we acquired a new puppy.

Oh wait....


It was a year ago.

Sheesh...time is flying.




1. What was the most productive thing you have done this week?


Worked.  So far, I'm on track to meet my weekly report goal.  That's big for me.

And I've kept my kids alive and fed.  That counts for something, right???


2. Enjoying the winter or ready for spring?


SPRING BABY!

We have a dirt driveway and live on a dirt road.  Those of you who know winter with these two things can feel my pain.  Right now, both are a solid sheet of ice- with the thaw/freeze cycle.  It's insane.  I can't park in my driveway from end of Feb- end of March in fear that I won't be able to get out.  Bring on the spring....and the allergies..but bring it on anyway!



3. Are you an introvert or extrovert? Is your spouse the same as you?

I am much more extroverted than Dave.  Seriously...he'd be content in a cabin on a mountainside somewhere.

I love meeting new people, finding out what makes them tick, and in some cases, forge new friendships.  I recharge by connecting with others.

Dave...not so much.  After he connects with others, he needs to pack it in and hibernate in his man-cave for a bit to recharge.

Yin and yang....we're a good balance.  :)


4. Would you rather go without music or television for 1 year?

I'll go with tv.  We're constantly in a battle to get the boys to turn off the TV and do something.  I'd love to go all summer without TV....it's kind of a pipe dream...we'll see if it actually comes to fruition.

5. Have you ever been truly scared of someone?

Oh my goodness!  Near my childhood home, there's this old white house.  A scary old guy lived there, and from a distance (to an 8 year old girl), he resembled Freddie Krueger.

Every ding dang nightmare I had as a kid involved that house and that man. 

Never met that man.  Never been in that house.

Every stinkin' nightmare.

Every time I rode my bike past that house, I'd hold my breath....

Sheer terror.