Oh Fuuudge!

I was having a hard time figuring out what to get Ryan for Christmas. He gave me a few not-so-great ideas, one of which was a router table (whatever that is!). I could get him a shirt or two for work but other than that I couldn't think of anything on my own or anything that was exciting. So I went out and got him the router table. He needs it to put in a sliding shelf in my armoire so he'd be buying one sooner or later regardless. Besides, I'm cheap. I'm saving us money in the long run by buying it as a Christmas gift. I wasn't excited about it but I got it anyway.

When I got it home I stashed it in the garage after taking a picture of it. I printed out the picture so I could wrap it up and give it to him for the present (there's no way I'm hauling the big ol' box to and from Modesto!). As soon as I printed out the picture I quickly forgot about it and left it sitting on the desk. When Ryan came home we were sitting around talking and I spotted it! I had a knee-jerk reaction and quickly swiped it away. By doing this I got Ryan's attention and he saw the picture.

Yep, that's right, he now knows what I got for him. Had I quietly taken the picture and not drawn attention to what I was doing then I could have gotten away with the deed. Alas, I did not. And I am not returning it either (remember, I'm saving money here!). So I got him a i-tunes gift card to go with it.

As I am not excited about his gift in the least, at least the task has been accomplished! Now all I gotta do is wrap it.

Did You Hear That?

I couldn't find Isabel's shoes today. I looked all over the house. Well, just about everywhere. Who knows where they are, they could be anywhere! So we went to Target after picking Caleb up from school.

Isabel it two. Remember? She shouldn't care what shoes she gets, right? I tried to put two different pairs of shoes on her and she SCREAMED and writhed in the cart until I either stopped trying or she got them off as soon as I put them on. I don't think there was a soul in the store who didn't hear her. Part of me was laughing and the other, well, was not. (oh, and another part was saying 'I'm so blogging this!')

I finally started showing her the shoes and she'd say 'no', 'no'. Then she finally said 'yes' to a pair I held up, and she let me try them on her. No screaming or writhing in agony. Huh. Well how 'bout that, she's got a mind of her own (phooey!). At this point I didn't care too much how they fit, they were close enough, so we got them. Sheesh! It shouldn't have to be this hard! She's two, remember?

Dental Appointment - DONE!!!

I survived yet another visit to The Chair and all went well. I thought I was going to have a deep cleaning, I was wrong. I had a medicated cleaning, which is a much easier procedure (no whole-mouth numbing required) Whew! I felt better right then when the dentist corrected me! Praise the Lord!!!!

Speaking of The Lord.....we had some good quality time together this morning. It would have been nice to spend that time praying for other people, but to be honest I was selfish and prayed mostly for myself. Also, I took my new pocket bible with me (I read a little while in the waiting room....Philippians 4:4-7 was a good one for me this morning!). I didn't intend to hold onto it the whole time, but I did. It's the perfect size to clutch in situations like these. I love my new bible!

Of course no dental visit is complete without leaving with another appointment to return. The service was good, but not that good as to go back again! But return I must (or so they say). I go back in four months for a check up to see if my 'pockets' are better. If so, then I can go to a regular six month schedule (and empty my pockets only twice a year).

A great big Thank you to those who prayed for me this morning! I appreciate it more than I can say. And I know that the Lord honored those prayers, for I didn't make a spectacle of myself and was in a relative peaceful state of being while in the chair.

Dental Woes

I am not looking forward to tomorrow. I'm just not. Why, you ask? I have a dental appointment, that's why! It's no secret that I am not thrilled to go to the dentist. And when I am there I am not a model client. It's just not pretty when I am sitting in the chair. I've had my share of dental work, more than I care to ever experience again and I do not desire to return. Ever! But return I must.

Tomorrow I will be going in for a deep cleaning, a fix on an existing filling, and a bonding on one tooth. This will require my entire mouth to be numb (which I am thankful, but really why can't they just knock me out completely? I would be more thankful for that!). The good thing (really, there is a good part to this....at least this is what I keep telling myself) is that I am told that my appointment will only take an hour. Oh please let this be true!!!

I will be doing a lot of praying tomorrow. A lot. Feel free to join me.

In the mean time, here's a fun video of Bill Cosby and his take on dentists.

November Movie Review

Whoops, forgive my tardiness! I usually write my reviews and post them at the first of the month, but I forgot. Let me do that now.

Here is what we watched last month:

1. Lost (season 1) - We had started watching this back in October and were able to finish it. Of course, I've seen it already but Ryan has not. I can't tell you how much I enjoy watching it a second time. It's fun to watch it with someone who is is new to it and doesn't know what is going on! I love it when Ryan says "What?! What was that?" or "What is he DOING?!" hee hee Well, I know, but I'm not gonna tell! nee-ner nee-ner nee-ner!

2. Lost (season 2, well part of it) - Again, we only got about half way through. It's good man and I can't wait for Ryan to see how this season ends! Can't wait!

3. Amazing Grace - This was a recounting of the life of William Wilberforce during his time in Parliment and his actions that resulted in the end of the slave trade in England. I enjoyed it very much and thought it was well done. I like watching these kinds of movies, the kind that recount factual events. I highly recommend this one!

4. Spiderman 3 - Well, can't get much different from Amazing Grace now can we? What can I say about Spidey other than he was a big blockbuster film, was the third in the series, and I needed closure. The movie was fine. It was dark, as I had heard, but not bad. It still feels open ended, leaving room for yet another sequel. Phooey!

My favorite, by far, was Amazing Grace (not that didn't enjoy Lost, I did, but hey I can only have one favorite!). I would like to see more films like this. Anyone have any suggestions?

Photo Meme

I saw this meme on Amanda's blog and thought I'd give it a whirl! Here's how it works; just type in the answers to the questions on google images. Then paste the first picture that comes up. (ok, so I cheated on that part, but hey....my pics look great!)

1. Age at my next birthday



2. Place I’d like to travel



3. Favorite place



4. Favorite objects



5. Favorite food



6. Favorite color



7. Nickname



8. Place I was born



Consider yourself tagged, if you wanna play, and let me know in the comments so I can see your pics! (by the way....I think I love Googe Images!! That was fun!)

Toddlered Out!

I just spent a couple hours shopping.

With Isabel.

Now I'm mentally and emotionally exhausted! Isabel's new thing is that she insists on not sitting in the shopping cart seat and very much wants to be in the basket part of the cart.

This is a problem.

If I were to allow her to sit in the basket then she is constantly grabbing things off the shelves or anything her little arms will allow her to reach, touch and grab. When she is not reaching, touching or grabbing she is trying to climb out of the cart. This is why I prefer her to sit (as tightly bucked as possible) in the front of the cart. This she does not like. And getting her to physically sit in the seat is nigh impossible these days anyway. In fact I think we make quite a spectacle! If you can imagine trying to get a cat in a toilet then you can pretty much understand what it is like for me to get Isabel to sit and get buckled into a shopping cart!

Today I had two stores to go to. That's all. Just two. Costco and Target. Now, Costco's basket is shallow compared to your typical grocery store carts, so having Isabel in the basket is not an option at this store for I fear she would fall out while reaching, touching and grabbing. The only thing that pacified her (after being forced into the seat and buckled) was to hold the boxes that were Caleb's birthday and Christmas presents. Good thing she has a limited understanding and vocabulary.....I think the presents will remain a secret this year, but next year I will have to do my shopping alone (gee, what a bummer). Once we reached the cashier and the boxes were on the conveyor belt, Isabel was twisting and climbing out of her seat. I had no choice but to hold her (this too is no joy, for either of us).

Next stop, Target. This time I allowed her to be in the basket part of the cart. Once down in the bowels of the toy isles I let her grab a toy to keep her entertained (it was removed/returned before leaving that section). Again, I'm not surprised, by the time we reached the cashier she was ready to be out. It is difficult to keep her in the cart, not to grab anything off the conveyor belt AND pay. While in the midst of this juggling act I missed that one of the items I purchased had a higher price than I thought (by about thirty bucks!). I can't concentrate with Isabel and the whole cart issue thing going on! Now I have to return the high-priced item. I think I'll go at night, by myself! I'll brave the crowded stores with horrendous lines for the chance to be 'alone' while shopping.

But for now, I'm toddlered out and ready for an empty nest. *sighs and walks toward the bedroom to take a long, much deserved, nap*

My Favorite One

Oh Amanda is doing a photo-tag about our favorite ornaments and the winner get a gift certificate for Hallmark! Our tree is sparse this year due to the fact that we have not really ever bought ornaments because we've only had a Christmas tree twice in our 11 years of marriage. So the ornaments we do have come from when I was a kid, the ones my mom let me take that is, and they also come from a small box of decorations that was given to us as a wedding present (great gift idea, by the way, for those starting out!).

As I look around the tree to pick out my favorite ornament I came across this one:



I got this when I was in sixth grade, when I played the violin for a year. It may look like a guitar but it's not, it's a violin! My brother also got an instrument ornament that year in the same style and color, but I can't remember what it was! Was it a trumpet? I don't remember!!! Anyway, as much as I like this ornament (I'm a sucker for most things red), it is not my favorite. Close, but not my fav.

Then I saw this one:

This is a little stocking made of angora, my grandmother crocheted it and gave it to me when I was in junior high (I think? there's that memory thing again!). It is incredibly soft, I could hold it and stroke it all day! So I think this one is my favorite. It makes me think of my sweet grandmother and of long ago days when I was younger (much much younger) and I'd spend the day with just her. We would do all kinds of things, like make sweet, sweet ice tea, and sew, and play in their trailer (well, I played as she prepared it for their next trip). My Grandmother taught me many things and was always such a joy to be with. Yep! This ornament is my favorite!

Deckin' the Halls

This past weekend we bought ourselves a fake Christmas tree. It just made sense for our family since we tend to travel for the holiday and do not want a fire hazard left behind while we're gone. The great thing is that these artificial trees nowadays are being sold pre-lit! Score! The downside is that we now have an enormous box to store all year. I should also mention that it is quite heavy too, Ryan and I made quite a spectacle of ourselves trying to manuver the big-o-box into the cart at Costco. Thankfully a friendly employee helped out (**note to self: I really need to start working on my upper body strength next time I go to the gym).

So, Saturday night I pulled down the few boxes of decorations and let the kids decorate the tree. I have since pulled out a few other decorations and placed them around the house. I feel a song coming on........It's starting to feel a lot like Christmas.......

Mae putting the angel on the top

whoops, it's a little crooked

ornament hanging duo!

tree-decorating bliss!

Elfin' Fun

A friend just send me a link to site where you can upload photos of up to four people and then slap the faces onto elfs (or is it 'elves'?) then they dance to holiday music! Of course I had to upload my own photos! Click here, check it out!

Toddler Speak

It's funny the things that a child learns. Many things have to be taught but others seem to come without trying. Speaking is a good example of this.

These are words that the child needs assistance with:

Mommy
Daddy
please
I love you
ni-night
sleepy

Words that do not require help:

no
mine
stop
cookie

Dreamin'

I had me some strange dreams last night. Here's a quick recap.

Dream #1 - I had awoken to find Mae still at home and not at school where she should be. Ryan had forgotten to take her to the bus stop then thought she may as well stay home for the day. To that I said I to him 'she was home ALL WEEK last week, she's going to school!'. So I loaded her in the truck and took her to school.

Dream #2 - I was a contestant on my favorite show, So You Think You Can Dance?. (not sure if this was a nightmare) I show up late to the first show, which ended up being on stage at our church back in Modesto. In fact, I am so late that the show has already begun and I just walk up on stage, because I belong there (phht!) and because I am late I am booted from the show before the dancing starts. (maybe that was a good call)

It's just all weird, don't you think? What do they mean? Well, number one, it's time to get back into our routine now that we are back from our Thanksgiving journey to Modesto. This means that every school age child must return to their routine as well! Number 2. Well, I don't know if I want to get into number 2. Let's just leave it at that. Still. It's all weirdness.

Concerns

Mae has seen her share of disaster for one so young. When she was 4 we came home (in Michigan) from our Christmas time with family to find that a water pipe had broken. It had been spewing water for days before our return and the damage was extensive. In Mae's child eyes, our house was broken. Then, last month we fled our home to escape the fires. All this has her concerned about impending doom coming to revisit us. In light of all this she is still a child and sees and says things in a child-like way. Here is a conversation she had with Ryan last night:

Mae: Daddy, what happens if our house gets crashed and broken?

Ryan: Well, that's not going to happen.

Mae: But what if it does?

Ryan: It's not going to happen.

Mae: But if it does will we go to a hell-tel?

Big Love

Mae loves to make cards and write notes for people. I guess she gets that part from watching me. She and Caleb were at the table today making books. They (mostly Mae) go through vast amounts of printer paper and lately it is because they are making these 'books'. The books consist of lots of paper that is either stapled or taped to create a makeshift book. They like to color and write on these pages and clutter fill their rooms with them.

Mae is doing such a great job of writing and creating little stories. Today they were making more books and I found a forgotten page on the ground. It is a great example of her writing abilities as well as her heart. This is what it says, exactly as she wrote it:

I love evry buty in the hole I wruld

Yes, she needs to work on her spelling, but her heart is in the right place. This forgotten page is going in her baby book before she sees that is missing!

Made Over and Made Happy

Remember when I was lamenting about my living room and its (or my) need for a makeover? (I wrote about it here, here and here) Well, I was finally able to do something out it. I saved up my money from my Craigslist sales and bought a tv cabinet from Ikea (love that store!). Now my living room has been rearranged and feels more functional and comfortable. This makes me happy. Very happy!

Just in case you have forgotten what my living room looked like before here's a review.

Before (when I was sad)
























And this is what it looks like now, after the furniture purchase and use of my decorating skills thanks to HGTV! *big grin*

After (in happy land!):
























Looking at the pictures now, it doesn't seem to look much better. But you'll have to trust me on this one. Even my husband, who likes to leave things the way they are, commented on how much nicer the 'new' room was. I was thrilled with his praise of my work! Maybe I can get my own show on HGTV?

Weekend Getaway

Ryan whisked me off to a mystery destination this past weekend. He planned it all out, had his mother fly in to watch the kids, picked the area, booked the hotel, and planned things to do. It was great!

Oh! Where did we go? Well, he took me to Santa Barbara!

Most of Friday night was spent in the car traveling to our destination, but that was fine with me. I was not complaining about a long car ride with no whining, endless questions, fussiness etc. I enjoyed the peace and occasional conversation.

Our hotel was actually in a small town called Buellton, which is about 30 minutes North of Santa Barbara. There is a small community of towns up there and we spent most of Saturday walking the quaint streets of Solvang, a Danish town with yummy food and cute shops. After having a leisurely morning of sleeping in, we had breakfast then checked out the stores, walked around, had lunch, talked, bought some art for our barren walls, sat on a bench and watched people wander by. It was great!

Sunday we stopped at a casino on the way to Santa Barbara. I had a coin purse full of change so we decided to play a few slots. The casino slots are all computerize now. Gone are the One Armed Bandits of yesterday. You can't even put a quarter in and play a game. The slots now take bills and cash cards that you can purchase or load up at the cashiers desk. So we stood in line to turn my bundle of quarters into bills. It was funny, the people in front of us had quite a wad of cash (Ryan guessed they had about a thousand dollars by the way the guy was fanning his bills). I can only imagine the cashier waiting on them then dealing with my piddly coins! We played our slots then left. No big win or cash out. Oh well, at least we didn't blow a thousand bucks! After our brief stop over at the casino we headed to downtown Santa Barbara where we walked the shops and had another leisurely lunch before heading home.

Overall it was a fabulous weekend! I loved spending time with Ryan and having uninterrupted conversation. We just don't have much of that these days and it was great to experience it again. Mostly I love that Ryan thought to do all that planning and made it happen. He's never really done that before, and I love him all the more for it!

More Top Momma!

Yep! I did it again. I submitted another picture for TopMomma. It's just another shamless way to get traffic over here, I know, but I can't help it! I didn't do so well the last time. But I did make one new friend (Karen) so it was worth it!

Here's the picture I submitted:



Now, all you gotta do is go over there and click away on my picture! I get 'points' for referrals too, but I have no idea how to do that. Does anyone else know???

If you're dropping by from TopMomma, then welcome to my little blip in Blogworld! Stick around, browse my oh-so creative ramblings and don't forget to sign my guest book (aka: leave a comment!).

Funny Guy

Caleb is at the age now where he is beginning to take an interest in playing tricks and making jokes. He is a fun-loving little dude and makes friends wherever he goes. Caleb loves to be silly and have fun. Here is the latest little story about my little man.

As I was getting ready this morning, Caleb came into our room and this is what he said:

Caleb: Knock, knock

Me: Who's there?

Caleb: Banana.

Me: Banana who?

Caleb: Banana Apple Head! hahahahaha Get it?!

No. I don't. But that's ok, I love my funny guy!

I'm So Feelin' the Love!

For my birthday, Ryan is taking me away this weekend! I wasn't surprised 'cause I figured that part out (give me a tid bit and, more often than not, I'll figure it out!). My mother-in-law is flying down on Thursday to watch the kids while we are gone too! She hates to fly, so for her to do this just tells me again how much she loves me (that and she gets alone time with her grandchildren - double score for her!). So, as soon as Ryan gets home from work on Friday, we will be off into the wild blue yonder for the weekend. I say wild blue yonder because I have no idea where he is taking me! I'm told that I'll figure it out once we get on the road, but still.....I have no clue as to where or what we'll do once we get there. Ryan has some kind of activity planned for Saturday and possibly a nice dinner too! He has given me some loose guidelines for what to pack but other than that I have no clues.

This is not how Ryan tends to operate, it's not his thing. I know he loves me but to plan this all out; the where's, the what's and arranging child care....it's just not his usual self. Isn't my husband great??! I'm so feelin' the love!

So, this week I'm cleaning the house and getting it ready for my mother-in-law to see that her grandchildren live in cleanliness and organization. I also have to stock the cupboards so as to have sustenance on hand for, well, you know, sustaining life. But it's all worth it. Totally and completely! I. Can't. Wait!

And the Winner Is.....

Carrie! I had Ryan pick a random number for me and it happened to be Carrie's number. My sister in law has won my Fall Y'all giveaway! She didn't leave her email or mailing address, but I think I can find her. Congratulations Carrie! I hope you like them!



**If you're terribly upset that you didn't win, you may purchase them for $1 each (plus shipping, but it does include envelopes for the cards). Another way to get your hands on some of my cards is to do a swap! If you think you have something that you'd like to swap me for let me know and we may be able to work something out!

It's Late

I've done the drawing for the Fall Y'all giveaway....but y'all will have to wait for the morrow. It's late. Me sleepy. Ni-night!

It's My Birthday!!!

Yep, that's right, today is my birthday! And I don't really have any ideas as to what to write about. But I was tagged for a Meme by Karen the other day, so I guess I'll do that and make it work!

So, for this Meme I have to divulge 7 random things about myself. And since today is my birthday I'll see if I can think of 7 random birthday memories.

1. For my 11th birthday my cousin and her husband took me to Great America. I had never been before so it was great fun to be able to go. Another part that made it even more fun was that I was able to take one friend with me! (do you remember that Wendy?)

2. One year, as poor newly weds, my husband gave me a gray turtle neck sweater. As I do remember the gift, it is the 'card' I remember the most....it was a homemade card using toilet paper (see, I told you we were poor!). It had a very sweet message written on it, and I kept it in my purse for years.

3. When I was a little girl I was made to stay in my room one afternoon on my birthday while the family prepared something special for me. When I came out I was dressed up like a queen and at lunch my seat had become a make-shift throne. My mother had used cardboard, decorated it and wrote 'Queen Deanne' across the top. I loved that birthday!

4. The first birthday party I remember was when I was in kindergarten (I think). I had a few friends over and my gift that year was a huge doll my mom made, and a bird. I named the doll Betsy and the bird Christopher. Betsy was taller than me and, if I remember correctly, my mom made Betsy and I matching outfits.

5. When I was in Jr. High I had some friends over to celebrate. We were split up into two groups and each group had to go door to door and ask for toppings for our pizzas that we would make for dinner. I can't remember how the pizzas came out but it couldn't have been too bad otherwise I'd probably remember that, right?!

6. For my 19th birthday, again, I had a few friends over and we had a mystery dinner. The mystery dinner was the kind where the menu was unknown. We were given printed menus with the selections written in code, then we had to deduce what each item was, then order each course. The tricky part was that utensils were part of it too, so once we ordered we had to hope we were not served soup with only a knife to eat it with. My parents put a lot of time into this for me. They got some ideas from my cousin who had done several of these kinds of dinners before, but they also came up with some of their own. Here's an idea of what was on the menu: side of Wilbur, petite foil, great beginnings. Can you figure out what those are?

7. Among my most memorable birthdays was when I turned 20. Ryan and I had decided to get married and my parents had given permission and we had already picked out the ring (I think my dress may have been ordered too, I can't remember), but I had yet to receive the ring let alone been asked 'the question'. Ryan was going to take me to San Fransisco for the day and I just knew that he was going to officially propose and give me my the ring. I had even told my parents, family and co-workers that it was going to happen at that time. However, Ryan is such a sneaky guy when he puts his mind to it. He knew I was expecting it so he tried to throw me off. He tried. We drove to San Francisco and ate a picnic lunch at Golden Gate Park. I thought this would be a nice place for him to propose. He didn't. Then we went to the zoo. In the car, before we went inside, he gave me a package. I unwrapped it and found a teddy bear. No ring. hmmph! My inward dialog told me that the zoo could also be a nice place to propose. Again, nada. After the zoo we went to Pier 39. Nice place, you think? Nope. As we drove home that night I was so disappointed and embarrassed. All I could think of was going home and to work the next day and having to tell people that Ryan did not propose. There was no ring on my finger and I was not officially engaged. Then through the course of conversation I figured out that he had planned to do it later than night. He tried, but I figured it out. So, after we arrived at my parents and we were alone in the living room he pulled out a card that had his proposal written inside. After I read it, he had the little box in his hand then got down on one knee and finally asked me marry him. Yeah!!!!!

According to the rules of this Meme I have to select 7 people to divulge 7 random things about themselves. I choose, in random order:

Caterina
Jenn
Sandra
Amanda
Kim
Wendy
Mary

Fall Y'all Giveaway!!!

**this is a sticky post! Scroll down for current posts.

Rocks In My Dryer is doing a giveaway carnival and there are tons of giveaways going on all over blog-world! I have entered too many a lot already and decided that I can't, in good conscience, enter all these giveaways without hosting one of my own. I have some stamping and card making to do anyway so I may as well make some extras to give away too!

To enter all you have to do is leave a comment (make sure I have a link to your blog or have your email address so I can contact you if you are the winner - - if I can't contact you then the prize moves to someone else....so don't miss out!). I'll do some kind of random draw on Friday.

I will make 10 cards for this giveaway! Who wants 'em?

*Giveaway is open to North America only - and no blog is necessary to win!

October Movie Review

Looking over our list from last month, I am surprised that we watched as much as we did! I didn't think we had seen that many. Maybe it was because some were letdowns?

1. The Ultimate Gift - Jenn recommended this movie a few months back so I put it in our queue. It was finally released last month so we were able to view it! The story line is good but the acting isn't always the best. It's still a good movie (nice and clean) and I, too, recommend it!

2. Mansfield Park - I expected more from this film considering we have loved other Jane Austen movies. Maybe it wasn't one of her better books? It had some weird parts in it, parts I was not sure if I was reading too much into it or if it was really suggesting what I thought they were suggesting. I liked the overall story but it left me with an odd feeling.

3. Next - This movie was just ok. It stars Nicholas Cage, Julianne Moore and Jessica Beil (not that I'm all that fond of either them). Cage's character can see into the future, but only when it pertains to him. Inevitably he gets caught up in some huge terrorist scheme, or at least tries to foil it. The ending did surprise me, but other than that the film was just ok.

4. Sweetland - Wendy suggested this movie last month so I added to out queue. Ryan and I both liked it (thanks Wendy!). The storyline was good, but again the acting wasn't always the best. But hey, it was clean so I won't complain. Instead I'll further along the recommendation!

5. Transformers - Ryan saw this in the theater when it came out. It's funny, he went with a group from his work, during work hours, and the company paid for it. Why, you ask? Well, they were doing research, naturally. Anyway, Ryan enjoyed the movie so much that we watched it again. I must admit that it wasn't that bad, surprisingly. Yes, it had action and extraordinary machine robot thingys and of course what movie would not be complete without a little love? It even had some humor in it. Overall it was an entertaining movie.

6. David Copperfield - Another Charles Dickens movie. Compared to the others I've seen (Oliver Twist and Bleak House) this one was on the blah side. It lacked the usual suspense and intrigue. But it did have some great characters! Movie was ok. Rent it if you want, I'm not endorsing it either way.

7. Lost (season 1, disks 1-3) - I know, I know! I've already seen this. But Ryan has not. So I got him hooked started. I forgot how intense it was and can be! We finished a couple episodes and I was ready to go into the next one when Ryan says he's had enough for one night, it was too intense. He's intrigued with the mysterious monster thing in the jungle. Little does he know that it's really just the security system and quite a let down. I'll let him discover that for himself. Right now we are at the part where Claire is about to be abducted by Ethan/The Others....but don't tell Ryan....he doesn't know that's gonna happen!

Our queue is getting mighty low. Your suggestions on movies would be greatly appreciated!

Lessons Revisted and Vocabulary Extension

I remember when I was younger being asked that rhetorical question 'If your house were on fire, what would you grab if you only had a few moments to get out?'. Well, last week I answered that question for myself. Our house was not on fire but the fires did come awfully close!

I had packed up clothes for myself and the kids along with a few necessities the night before, just in case we had to evacuate in the night. It was a good thing I did, for when it came time to leave I only had to grab a few things and was able to do so without panic or scaring the kids. What did I take? I made sure to pack our wedding album and one other photo book, the camera, and a few pieces of jewelry. It was weird though. Right before I left the house I was standing in our bedroom trying to think of anything else that I'd not want to leave behind. I could not think of anything. I prayed that the Lord would bring to mind anything that I'd regret not taking. Again, nothing came to mind. So I walked out the back door and closed it behind me. And I had no regrets. This just confirms to me that I was not holding onto the things of this world more tightly than I should. We have stuff, but that's all it is, just stuff and junk, and completely replaceable. I had what was most important, my family.

My kids, I think, learned something else entirely. They learned a new word. And not just an arbitrary word, but more importantly what it means. I think, if asked, they could use it properly in a sentence.

The word?

Evacuation.

My cousin and her husband graciously opened their home to us while we were evacuated. It was so nice to have a place to go to and not have to join the masses in some outdoor refugee camp. The kids enjoyed it too, maybe a little too much. They had fun playing with new things at their home and watching new videos. In fact, they keep asking if we can be evacuated again! See, I told you they knew the full meaning of the word!

In the end, we only had to stay there one day/night and were able to return the next day. The Lord was gracious to us in what we had to go through (which really wasn't much at all considering what happened just 2 miles from our house). I am grateful to the Lord for his protection and provision for our family. For that is the most important thing right now, that our family is safe and whole. That's all that matters. The rest is just stuff and junk.

Real Quick

I haven't written in a week??! Well, there's good reason. Where I live we were very very close to the fires that have been raging through southern California. The Lord has been good to us, for the fire came within 2 miles of our home and less than a quarter mile from Ryan's work! I have had a post floating through my mind regarding our experience but just haven't had the time or felt like doing it just yet. I've received a few calls from friends asking if we are ok, so I thought I'd do a quick post to let everyone else know that, yes, we are indeed ok and that our home was spared. Maybe in a day or so I'll feel ready to put my words into a post. But for now this will have to do.

Thank you to those who have prayed for us and were concerned for our safety. I appreciate your many prayers and thoughts on our behalf.

What's For Dinner

I'm getting a head start on dinner tonight! Yes, I am using my crock pot, for the second time this week. Love that thing (even if it has country motif that I'm not crazy about)! Below is the recipe that I am using, Italian Chili. I found it last year and made it once, I think. It's a versatile recipe. I can serve it with rice, or in burritos, or over tortilla chips. Tonight I'm going burrito style! I'll for sure have left overs, so maybe we'll be eating some more Italian Chili love on Saturday?!

Italian Chili

1lb. lean ground beef
1/2 pound bulk Italian sausage (I had to use it in link form, I think it'll be fine)
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped green sweet pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 28 oz. can Italian-style tomoatoes, cut up
1 15 oz. can chickpeas (garbonzo beans), rinsed and drained
1 15 oz. can light red kidney bean, rinsed and drained
1 cup water
3 Tbl Worcestershire sauce
2-3 Tbl chili powder
2 tsp dried basil, crushed
2 tsp dried oregano, crushed
1/2 tsp bottled hot pepper sauce (optional)
1/4 tsp salt
hot cooked rice
shredded cheddar cheese
dairy sour cream

In a large skillet, cook ground beef, sausage, onion, green pepper, and garlic until meat is brown and vegetables are tender; drain. In the crock pot, combine the meat mixture, undrained tomatoes, chickpeas, beans, water, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, basil, oregano, bottled hot pepper sauce (if desired), and salt.

Cover; cook on low heat stetting for 6-8 hours or cook on high-heat setting for 3-4 hours. Serve over hot cooked rice. Top with shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream. Makes 6-8 servings.

Note to Self:

Next time you're in the grocery store and wandering down the forbidden isle of cookies and unnecessary snacks, please listen to that small voice inside that is telling you not to buy the Reduced Fat Nilla Wafers. Remember that they are gross and not worth it, even if they sport a reduced sale price.

Think: hard-ish, almost stale-like yuckiness vs. the crumbly goodness that the 'regular' Nilla Wafers are.

Even if you think you are doing yourself a favor by getting them because they are 'better for you', you're not. It's a waste of good cookie money. Period.

She Sure Told Me!

My friend Mary has a new look on her blog, so I asked her where she found her fabulous new template. Being the good friend that she is, she informed me of yet another site that has free blog templates (she had no idea that I am a blog-template-perusing addict). So I did what any self-respecting blog-template-perusing addict would do, I perused the site and found a few templates that I like.

In fact, I found two that I like very much! There is this one and this one. I'm not sure which I like better. What do you think?

Since I couldn't make up my mind, I asked Mae. She had helped me to decide on my current template (although I didn't go with her choice - sorry Mae!). I showed her the two templates and asked her which one she liked best. This is the account of our conversation:

Me: Here's the template I have now. Then there is this one and this one. Which one do you like?

Mae: Would you stop changing your blog and make up your mind!

Caleb's New Spread

Caleb has had his new big boy bed for a while now, and he has not had a real bed spread to go with it. So, I commissioned my Grandmother to make him a quilt. I found a quilt in Pottery Barn Kids that I liked and my mother and I went to fabric stores to get the material. This was my inspiration:


Actually, the picture I had seen is no longer available but this one comes close. I liked the plaids in the blues, reds, and greens. On the quilt I had seen, it had a wide border of blue (or was it red?) and it had thick stitching in a coordinating color. I took these components and and asked my sweet grandmother if she'd make a quilt for Caleb . She accepted. After many months of patiently waiting, the quilt is finished and is now gracing my boy's bed. Here it is in action!




I am so pleased with it! It is better than what I had seen and turned out perfect! So, I must give a great big Thank you to my grandmother, she is the best!

And now Caleb's room is complete. The curtians have been hung, the pictures up and now the quilt! Perfect. Absolutely perfect!

My Little Ol' Box-O-Red!

Remember when I mentioned signing up for a Red swap? Well, after much checking and re-checking of my front porch.....Mr. Postman finally delivered my box-o-red from my swap buddy! I love getting packages, it matters not what is inside as long as my name is on it! Well, ok, maybe there's a smidge of mattering, but you get the idea. So here is what I got!


Let's see....my swap buddy, Sandra over at Welcome to My So-Called Life, got me paper to use in my craftiness (which I'll probably use in a couple cards), some alphabet stickers, santa hat brads, a stamping kit (includes rubber stamps, ink, pens, embossing powder and a instruction booklet), and some brads and buttons (my favorite from the box!). Then she added a pot holder, USA cookie cutters, and a fun red spatula. Some nice little snacks include a bag of mini chocolate chip cookies (almost gone!), microwave popcorn and some chewy granola bars. Oh, she also gave me a bunch of beads to string together a charm bracelet! What fun to get a box of red goodness in the mail! Thanks swap buddy!

I had fun going through the list of 'likes' that my buddy gave me. I looked it over and went shopping! Here is what she got!



My buddy likes butterflies, dragonflies, scrapbooking, stickers, pens, Sweedish Fish, and dark chocolate. So, I obliged her scrapbooking love and got her a bunch of stickers, ribbons, ink pens, and boarders. I had no idea what Sweedish Fish were but I found some at Cost Plus and picked them up! I rounded out her box-o-red with two sets of cards I made just for her. She has already recieved her box and told me she liked it....sure hope she does!

The next Swaparooni is coming up, and the colors this time are Blue, White and Silver (it's a winter theme). If you're interested in joining, you can go here to do it. Who knows.....we could be buddies! (**no blog necessary to participate)

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. In light of this month long event, a couple websites are doing some giveaways. Of course I've entered myself in a few and here are a couple of them, along with links so you too can enter!

5 Minutes for Mom is giving away this pink Casio digital camera. Why is it pink, you ask? Well, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. And Casio is showing support of the National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF). You can go here to sign up to win one. The drawing is Friday the 26th!

Then iMommies also has a giveaway of this pink ishuffle. Again, in recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month! You can go here to sign up. The deadline for this is October 31st.

Blogs are not necessary to win either of these beauties. So there is no reasonable explanation why you can't go over and sign up!

You Tube Tuesday - Celebratnig Ryan!

In honor of Ryan's birthday today I am posting this hilarious video. It's called 'One Semester of Spanish - Love Song'. Ryan has enjoyed learning Spanish and Portuguese, and he found this video last night so I thought I'd share with you all today. It's a peek into what makes Ryan laugh, which is something I like to see him do.

Happy Birthday big guy!

Door Jamb - 1, My Toe - 0

I broke my little toe last night. The doorway got in my way and didn't budge. So my toe did. Not quite the compromise that best suited me. I put ice on it for a while and several hours later it was showing signs of a lovely shade of blue (or was it black? or purple?). I didn't sleep too well either, I think I got about 5 hours. The good thing is that I have a high tolerance for pain so I only had to take 2 Ibuprofen at 2:00 this morning and I was good.

I was surprised that it didn't hurt this morning (high pain tolerance again?). I could manage a hobbly walk without pain and now the color is a definite blueish green. Lovely. I guess now isn't the best time to get a pedicure? (I'll spare you the pics).

A call to my doctor this morning had me in at the Urgent Care by 9:30 (doctor did not have any openings for me). With Caleb in school today, I took Isabel and confined her to the stroller for the duration of my visit. Toys, and books, and snacks were brought along to help keep her content, and they worked! Isabel was such a good girl (thanks Issy, you're the best!).

After x-rays and an hour and half later I am gimping walking out with the knowledge that I did indeed break my toe and I now have a fashionable shoe to prove it! Just one, they don't give them out as a set. There isn't much that can be done for a broken toe, other than tape it up, wear a lovely shoe, and give it some rest (that's not likely to happen at much length with 3 kids....however I do plan to take a nice nap this afternoon).

Aside from the nap, I feel the need to accessorize. Does anyone have a Beadazzler?

Lookit! Lookit! Lookit!

Lookey what I just ordered!!! My most fabulous husband gave me the goahead to purchase this beautiful armoire!

I've been wanting a computer armoire for a while now and have been saving my money from the things that I've sold on Craigs List, and a few weeks ago I started looking. At first I looked on our local Craigs List but Ryan didn't like any of the ones I showed him, which is ok because I want something that we will both like and I'm willing to wait for it. So I broadened my search and found this beauty! The only thing about it is that it's a basic armoire and is not set up with a desk area. Ryan is going to help me rig it up so it will have a work area. Isn't he great?!

So I put in my order today and now I only have to wait for delivery as I sit back and envision the computer mess area in a more organized and less cluttered fashion. And I'll have lots of time to do that since the armoire won't be here for another 3 to 4 weeks. How ever will I endure until then? *sigh* Maybe it'll be delivered on my birthday? That would be a great gift!


On another organizing note, a solution has been found for our living room situation. My cousin was over the other night and she suggested getting an inexpensive tv stand. I thought about it. I searched Ikea online. And I talked it over with Ryan. The conclusion is that I will buy this with my Craig money (Ryan's buying the armoire, see I told you he was great!). I will put the tv stand to the right of our fireplace and then I can put the couch where I want it, facing the fireplace. I'll do a little rearranging of the other two pieces of furniture we have, then the room will finally feel comfortable and homey. The plan is to go to Ikea on Saturday and pick it up. I. Can't. Wait! (thanks Rose!)

I'll be sure to post pictures to show off the awesome new spaces when they are completed. Stay tuned!

My World - part 2

Thanks to everyone who stopped by this weekend to take a peek into my world. I have a few more pictures to share with you, and maybe one last segment this week (we'll see, I'm not committing to that quite yet).

**warning: the next few pictures you are about to view are not pretty. They contain disorder and clutter. Proceed with caution!**


This, my friends, is where I do all my blogging. This is our computer area in what is also known as a family room. It is just across from the kitchen and 'informal' dining area. Remember how I had said I did a little cleaning up but not a whole lot so you could see me as I really am??? Well, here it is, the mess corner. In this area there are three plastic storage drawer containers, one of which holds my stamp stuff. The other two contain books I'm selling on Amazon as well as other stuff that basically does not have a home (ie: computer cords & cables and other computer 'stuff' that I have no clue what it is, extra speakers, extra telephones - in case the power goes out, yeah, that's why it's there, uh huh sure!). Then the stuff on top of the containers are empty (mostly) boxes and items for selling on Ebay. Of course then there is the lovely machine that brings me to you, the blessed computer! I am currently looking for an armoire that will house my stamp stuff so I can put all my stamp and crafty things inside and close the doors to the clutter within. When this comes to pass (for it will!), it will go in the spot where the storage containers are, then the containers will go by-bye! I. Can't. Wait!!!


Now here is another example of exposing my true self....here is my messy bedroom. I did tidy up a bit, but not a whole lot. If you notice in this picture and the next you'll see boxes in two areas. Keep in mind that there is less of them than there was just a month ago! I am trying to purge. These boxes hold miscellaneous office crap stuff that has no place to call home, as well as other miscellaneous things like baby blankets, an odd throw pillow or three, baby toys, and some of my china.


Ok, enough of my cluttered room! Moving on!


This is my ride! I LOVE my truck! I know, I know, it's not technically a 'truck' but that is what we call it. We bought it right before Isabel was born, to accommodate 3 kids in 3 car seats. When we bought it, Caleb was 2 1/5 and very much into trucks, so to make it more fun for Caleb we called the Pilot a truck and it has stuck. Anyway, back to my love. I like sitting up higher than in a car, it has power everything, leather seats, tinted windows, heated seats (not that we need them anymore, but they sure came in handy in the Michigan winter!), a third row of seats that can seat 3 more people, 6 cd disk changer, and a roof rack. It's got power and makes me feel impervious (though I know I'm really not, like I said....it came in very handy in Michigan winter...think snow levels and road conditions...nothing was keeping me stuck inside the house!)

The inside is quite large too! Can you believe that we (meaning Ryan) put a bathtub in there?! And the seating options are fabulous. I love to be able to have guests stay with us and still be able to all ride in the same vehicle as we tour around. This is a big plus when you consider the size of our family.


Here is an inside view of the second row. I know, not the best of shots but you get the idea. Right now the truck needs some alone time with the shop vac. We went to the beach last month and brought back too much of it with us. I'm not one that likes vehicle clutter either and for the most part the truck is pretty clutter-free, but not today (not by my standards anyway).

So there you have it. A peek into my world - where I live and what gets me around town. A little later in the week I'll do one more segment (yes, I'm committing to do it). I'll feature a bit of my craftiness and do a little raffle too. Stay tuned!

September Movie Review

September had a lot going on, so we didn't watch much. I only have 3 movies listed, but in all fairness the last one was a tv show on dvd and it took us a week to watch it. Here is what we saw:

1. The American - This was a PBS movie at one time, it was also a book by Henry James. It's about a young American man the comes to Paris in the late 1800's and falls in love with a young widow, who is under the control of her mother and forbidden to marry himn. It's actually a sad kind of story. I didn't like the way it ended and the acting wasn't that great either. It also had some scenes I had to fast forward through. So, overall I am not recommending this one.

2. Premonition - This was a good psychological thriller/mystery. It did not end the way I thought it would, but I still liked it and would recommend it.

3. Heros (season 1) - My brother was on my case about watching this so I obliged him. Ryan and I really got into it, much to our surprise. We watched it just in time too, the second season started last week! I'm still a fan of Lost but this is definitely a rival. I am totally recommending this. So, if you haven't seen it then you need to go out right now and get season 1 on dvd then start watching season 2 with me!!!

This months favorite is a no-brainer. Heros! Have you seen it, or are following it? If so, who is your favorite Hero and/or your least? My fav is Hiro, and my least fav is Parkman (his acting isn't all that great). I get a kick out of Hiro's reactions to things ('Waffles, yahoo!'). I was also surprised to find that he is a pretty good actor too, but that is only seen once you're further along into season 1. I love it and I can't get enough, or they can't air them close enough together. Watching tv shows on dvd is awesome, it's the way to go (followed closely to a DVR)!

So there you have it, another installment of movie reviews. By the way, our queue is getting low, any suggestions?

Surprise!

Do you like my new look?? Does it look good on me?

I decided to change my template in celebration of my 200 posts. Well, ok, so that's just my excuse for changing (not that I really need one, do I?). I liked the other one but a few things were starting to bug me about it and then I found this one, so it was really a no-brainer!

So, this is the little surprise I mentioned earlier. I know, not much of a 'surprise', but I bet you weren't expecting this now were you?

I do plan to have at least one more post with a peek into my world but that will have to wait at least one more day. It's Sunday and I'm off to take a nice little nap!

Number Two Hundred and One!

Today is the day that I've hit 200 posts, and then I went and passed it! I have been a part of blog world for a little over a year now and I LOVE it!!! My thanks to Wendy and her inspiration with her own blog. It's funny, a little over a year ago I really had no clue what a blog even was and now look at me, I'm blogging up a storm! It's official....I'm a Fragile Flower!!!

So, I've noticed that once a blogger hits a milestone such as 100 posts, a year anniversary or the like, they will do a list of a things about themselves or have their fans ask them questions. As much as I enjoy reading the lists and asking questions of my new friends, I thought I'd do something a little different. In this post I have several pictures that make up a portion of my world. Mostly they are pictures of where I live along with some tid bits of what fills it up and therefore sharing a bit of myself with you. So without further ado.......here's a bit of my world:


This is my front door, welcome to my house! If you look hard enough (or just click to enlarge the picture) you will see a pretty little glass beaded wreath on the door. I like the wreath, it's ok. But what I love most about it is that I got in on clearance for 7 bucks! What can I say, I'm cheap and find difficulty passing up a bargain (note to self: don't make eye contact with the dollar section at Target!).

Once through the front door you'll see my living room (in much need of a completed make-over, for those of you who have been following my living room saga.....I'm still mid re-do and have lost inspiration or desire to finish. HGTV please send me a make-over team to help me!).



If you turn around with the living room behind you, you'll see this, my 'formal' dining room area. We bought this table just a few months ago. It's fabulous!!! It pulls apart easily and a hidden leaf unfolds to enlarge the table. The table goes from seating 8 to 14 people in a snap! We are having Thanksgiving at our house this year and I'm excited to use our new table for the occasion. I'll have to be sure to take and post pics of it when it's decorated all pretty and festive and laden with glorious food!



Don't look too closely, but this is my kitchen. I tried not to clean up too much but I did have to do a little. I wanted you to see me as I am, untidy kitchen and all. I'm sure you'll notice the clutter point on the counter. This is where all the mail finds itself. And receipts. And change. And my purse and keys. And papers from Mae's school. And too many other things. I hate this part! It is the bane of my homemaker existence. Ok, on to other things (please stop looking into the vortex of the clutter corner!)



Just to the right of the kitchen is the 'informal' dining room/area. I love that table too! It has a fabulous stainless steel top that is super kid-friendly. Every household with young children should have one. It can be marked on, spilled on, and it is easily cleaned up. I'm telling you it has preserved the peace in our house and relationships!

Well that wraps up day one of the Flower Tour. Stay tuned for more peeks into my world. Oh! And I'll also do a drawing later on for some fabulous home-made cards soon too (details to follow in another post)! I do have one little surprise in this 200 milestone marker. It will be revealed sometime this weekend. Anyone want to take a guess???

Look At Me!!!

A couple months ago I submitted this picture at TopMomma.

What does TopMomma do, you ask? Well, they have a limited number of photos posted with the intention of having visitors click on them to visit the persons blog or website. The more clicks or referrals a Momma gets the longer their photo stays up. In essence, it is a nifty way to get new traffic to your blog.

So, go visit and don't forget to give me lots of clicks!!! Because...........

**and if you're visiting from TopMomma, thanks for stopping by.....and don't forget to leave comment and say 'hello'!

Dear Lord,

Please help me through these next few days. I am unable and incapable to live each day in a way that is honoring to you, without your help. Ryan has been gone since Saturday and came back last night but then is off again this morning. Thank you for his safe travel and the little break with having him home last night. I needed that, thank you! I've made it through the first part of the week with relative ease, but it's getting more difficult now. Please help me to choose patience, kindness, and love today. I need to hear and be aware of your voice speaking to me these next few days. Help me to be sensitive to your voice and presence in my life. Thank you for never leaving or forsaking me. Thank you for the love you have for me. Thank you for hearing me and for your sympathies in my situations. And thank you for allowing these times to come so that I can learn more dependence on you. In Jesus name, Amen.

Overheard At the Dinnertable - the Toddler Edition

Isabel, sit down.

Eat!

Isabel, get back to the table.

Eat or go sleepy.

Eat. Your. D I N N E R ! ! ! !

What to do?

I just did a little adding up of numbers and found that I am four posts away from my 200th post (well, ok, it's really three once I publish this one). So, what should I do? I could do what lots of others do and do a list of 200 things about myself, or maybe just 100 since I missed that one way back when and to be honest I think 200 would be too difficult and too dull to bore you with. I was trying to think of a creative little something to do but all I came up with was to take pictures of things and places around my house that would give my readers a better idea of who I am. But really I don't want to take the time. But then again maybe I will. I don't know (can you tell?)!!!

So, what do you think? Should I do the list of 200 or even 100 things about myself? Should I ask you all to ask me questions then I'll answer them in the 200th post? Should I take a bunch-o-pics of my world and share?

Really, please do share your thoughts.....I wanna know!

Thanks for your input!

I'd Love to Have This.....

Who wouldn't want to have a Dyson? Maybe someone who already has one? Well, I don't have one and would very much like to be a proud owner of one. But since we can't, or may never, be able to afford one I entered a contest to win one.

5 Minutes for Mom is giving this pink Dyson away. And you could win it, just go here and sign up!

Dyson has made this limited edition pink vaccum and $40 of each sale goes to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. They are sold exclusively at Target (my favorite store!).

I'm not a fan of pink but I sure wouldn't mind me a vacuum in the color! Who knows, I might look quite fashionable while cleaning the house....I'd love to find out!

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Of course I wouldn't mind this handy little set of tools either. There is a choice of pink or blue and in this case I choose pink. I think it's a theme....pink tools must go with the pink vacuum, right? Go over to Muti-Tasking Moms to sign yourself up! They are offering two sets!

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I entered this contest too!

How would you like to win $50 to spend in a vintage children’s store? Kailani of An Island Life is holding a giveaway to Warm Biscuit Bedding Company. Stop by before September 28th for all the details.