Seeing Red

I've been looking for a red belt for about a year. I haven't been looking overly hard, and at times I've completely forgotten about my desire for one. But when I'm out at certain stores, and when I remember, I'll casually look at the belts in search of a perfect red one. As it turns out, I found one recently at a second hand store that showed no signs of ever having been worn, and I only paid two bucks for it. Score!

Now all I need a pair of red shoes to go with the belt. And so my search continues.

The other day a friend and I were talking about red shoes and she told me about these little beauties;

And I became obsessed with finding them online for cheaper than their original price (which is about $95 dollars). But I was unsuccessful. I wasn't even looking for the exact pair, but something similar would do. But still, no success. Then I went to a few stores. Again, no red ballet-style shoes.

But I did find these;

They aren't exactly ballet-style, and they aren't the exact color red I was hoping to find, but they sure are cute! Oh, and they were on the clearance rack for fifteen bucks! (that makes them even more cute)

Now I just need to find another belt to go with my cranberry red shoes with the cute little buckle at the toes. I don't feel too bad about that though. It's not like I spent a lot on the first belt, which I can still wear, just not with my current red heels!

New Cats, New Things

I've had cats before, so having Jane and Edward isn't a new experience for me. However, there are a couple things that are different this time around.

Things like;

* Hearing my husband say he has a favorite cat (he always professed his aversion to them, never any devotion.) Ryan is definitely Team Edward with all the killing that cat has accomplished lately.

* Installing a cat door. Well, ok, Ryan put it in, not me. But still, we have one!

* Getting the cats to use said cat door. Teaching them to go through the hole is like trying to put them in a toilet (imagine legs and claws extended, and lots of maneuvering).

Yep. It's the life and times of excitement 'round these parts.

Rude Awakening

I enjoy sleeping in on Saturday mornings. It's delicious and something I look forward to all week. Today, however, my bliss was cut short by a crying, fit-throwing, naked, child who was out of clean underwear.

All I can say is.....it's a good thing she's cute!

Living And Active

The other night I had a bad dream that woke me up. It was the kind of dream that when I woke up I was still feeling scared and emotional. Sometimes it helps if I get up and walk around a bit instead of laying there trying to go ignore the fearful thoughts. But getting up didn't help this time.

I laid back down and tried to sleep, but my fearful emotions wouldn't go away. I knew that when morning came the fear would vanish with the rising sun, so I started to run scripture through my mind and praying for others. As I reviewed verses and prayed, the fearful thoughts dwindled and the grip it had over my mind started to lessen. At that moment I had a mental image of a tangled, knotted mess of squirming yarn that was shrinking. And I knew that God's Word and focusing on Him was releasing the strangle hold of fear in my mind. As I prayed and reviewed scripture it was making the fear dissipate.

I am reminded of a scripture that says "I have hidden your Word in my heart so that I may not sin against You" (Psalm 119:11). By reviewing the scripture I had memorized (hidden in my heart) I was able to stop worrying, and therefore not sin against the Lord. So, as much I don't enjoy bad dreams and being woken up in the middle of the night, I am thankful for the opportunity to trust the Lord and experience the living power that His Word really has!

For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

Hebrews 4:12

Their Numbers Are Dwindling

Every morning as I open the blinds in the living room I can't help but look out at the pool. I look at the pool for a couple reasons.

1 - to see how clean (or dirty) it is (depending how recently I swept it or had it vacuumed.

2 - to see if anything found its demise within its waters. (remember this from last year?)

Sure enough, today I saw a dead something floating on the surface. So I went out to investigate. And my suspicions were correct. A dead rat was making its rounds as the water circulated with the filter system running.

Nice.

So I went over and opened the garbage, grabbed the long-handled pool net, scooped up the chlorine embalmed rat and put it in the garbage.

One less rat to deal with. OR....one less play thing for Edward.

I wonder if the rat heard of Edwards exploits and decided to give up?

Who Dunnit?

Now, does this look like the face of a killer to you??

Well, ok, maybe it does. I mean, Edward is looking mighty fierce. But then again he may just be annoyed that I had the camera in his face.

However, this is the face of our resident rat killer from yesterday.

I happened to be outside when I saw him running toward the garage with something in his mouth. I followed him to see what he had. When I approached him, Edward has a wide-eyed look that told me that what he had was his, all his.

As I got closer, Edward dropped his prize of a small rat. And! It was still alive!!! It started to scurry away but Edward wasn't done. He captured it again and I heard it squeaking.

But Edward wasn't going in for the kill.

He was playing with his food.

Nice. I walked away and left him to his catch.

I wondered later what he actually did with the rat. Then I figured I'd never know since I couldn't find any remains outside in the area where he was 'playing'. But later I did find out. He left some of it in the garage for me to take care of.

Nice. Thanks Edward. But next time can you clean up after your meal?

Muerte

When we got the kitties a couple months ago it was with the hope that they would one day (soon!) keep the rat population down, if not non-existant. We have gone back and forth with thoughts and predictions about which cat would would be 'the one' to carry out it's mission.

At first I thought it would be Edward. He was more outgoing when we first brought him home. But when it came time to introduce them to the great out of doors, he promptly hid under the back patio and only came inside when he was enticed, then dragged out from underneath. It was looking like Edward was more of the 'fraidy cat variety.

Edward

Then there was Jane. She was the timid one when they first came home with us. In fact, she was so unsure of her new surroundings that she would not leave the cat carrier when we opened it. After a while of letting her sit in there, we had to physically reach in and take her out. However, Jane was in love with the out of doors the moment we let her out.

Jane

And so, with these facts, plus a few more, the debate was still on with whom we each thought would be the family's rat killer.

Until today.

Who do you think it was????

I'm Still Not Ready For This!!!

Mae just asked me what a period is.

And she didn't mean the punctuation mark at the end of a sentence (I asked).

Can you say AWKWARD?!!

~~~~~~

After I explained to her what it was, etcetera, etcetera, her response was "Ewe. That's gross."

Yeah, I think so too.

Moving on......can we talk about something else now? Hey, let's go look at pictures of cute little bunnies!

You Know When....

....your son has too much Star Wars on the brain when you have conversations that end with "The Force".

Caleb was having a rough morning this morning. He was getting upset too quickly about silly things. So, while on the way to school I tried to get his mind off his crummy mood. If I can get him to smile or laugh then he has a better chance of starting his school day with a better attitude.

As I drove, I noticed that the truck in front of me had their tailgate down and inside the bed of the truck was a backpack just like Caleb's. This gave me an idea to thwart Caleb's mindset.

Me - Caleb! How did your backpack get in that truck in front of us??!?

Caleb - Huh? What?

Me - Look! Your backpack is in that truck. How did it get there?

Caleb - (finally seeing what I was talking about. he laughs, and says) I used The Force!

Done. Mission accomplished. Caleb is no longer focused on being in a down-in-the-dumps mood as he continues with his Star Wars references and banter. And as I drop him off at school he is smiling and blowing me kisses. But still.....it makes me wonder if he will now try the Jedi mind trick to get his teacher from assigning him homework.

Quick! Hide The Scissors!

It's been a little over a year since Isabel gave herself a haircut (remember? if not, go here) After she cut her hair, I felt like my cute little girl was gone. Now, I still had my sweet little girl who happen to do and say cute things, but she just lacked her cute little bob-styled hair cut that I adored and went so well with her personality.

Well, I just want to let you know that I finally have that cute little girl back.

A few weeks ago I noticed that Isabel's bangs needed a trim and the rest of her hair was getting shaggy, so I took her in for a hair cut. While I was waiting for Isabel's name to be called, I looked at the length of her hair and was thinking of how short to get it cut. That's when I saw that her hair had grown out enough that I could now have it all one length (minus the bangs, of course). So that's what I did!

Look at my cute little girl with her stylish bob!!! Isn't she adorable?!

You Know When....

....your bathroom was beyond-dirty when you want to conduct tours to show off how fabulously clean it is when your finished.

Not that mine ever gets that dirty. I'm just sayin', is all.

It Made Me Smile Today

I ordered a new duvet cover from Ebay the other week. The day after the auction closed, the seller told me that my duvet was on back order with her supplier. Instead of the offered refund, I waited a few days to see if it would come into stock. It did! But then the holiday weekend plus winter storms on the East coast told me that I wouldn't get my new duvet until Saturday, at the earliest.

I was wrong!

So, without further ado, here is what my current duvet set looked like

And here is what the beloved UPS truck brought me!

You likey?? I was feeling that the solid red was darkening the room. I wanted something more airy, something with a modern flair. I think this new set will serve the room well. It feels more like Spring!

I Have It In Writing

Isabel continues to grow and learn new things all the time. It shouldn't amaze me, not really. But it does. She is my baby after all.

Just last month she wrote her name for the first time. Mae helped her by writing out Isabel's name a few times so Isabel could follow the example.

And because I feel like a kid myself, I took a picture so it would last longer!

Spikey Hair!

When Caleb just a little boy, 2 or 3 maybe, he would point out people who had funky hair styles. Namely, dudes with spikey hair. He would do this cute little laugh that actually sounded like a grunty giggle and as he pointed at the person he'd say "he has spikey hair!". It was pretty cute when he said it even though it sounded more like an insult when coupled with his grunty giggle.

Ever since Caleb was a baby I've been cutting his hair. I cut Ryan's hair too, and in fact they have the same style. For both of my guys I use a professional hair trimmer with a #2 attachment. It's soooo easy! But I've been waiting for the day when Caleb tells me that he no longer wants the hair style he's been sporting for the last 7 years. Well, the day has arrived.

A few weeks ago, one of Caleb's new school friend styled his own hair and showed up at a birthday party with a mohawk. The next weekend I was going to give Caleb a much-needed hair cut, when he told me that he wanted to grow it out and have a mohawk. Sadly, I put away my trimmers and told him "ok".

Well, he still needed a trim in the back and along the sides in the front, but I am no confident with giving layers or using scissors. Ryan gave it a try, figuring we could take him to a barber to fix it later if he wasn't successful. No worries, Ryan did a great job! And now Caleb runs through the house, after I used gel in hair, and yells......I have spikey hair!!!!

It's not long enough yet for his most-anticipated mohawk*, but it won't take too long until it is!

*Caleb pronounces it "mohog"....hee hee!

My Love

Happy Valentines Day, my love!

You were my first and only Valentine. Thanks for being my Valentine for 13 (+) years!

Old??

I think I should start feeling old. I have been married for over 13 years and have 3 children (really, that in itself should lend to my aging self!) one of which is almost 9 which is pretty dog gone close to the big 1-0! I also find myself thinking weird things, things like.....

when I was a kid.....

or

I remember that, it only happened 20 years ago!

and

It's been forever since I've done that!

But nothing makes me stop and think about where I am in life and where I fall on the spectrum of age like my children. Especially when they say things like this....

I was shopping with Isabel last night and I was picking out some new socks for myself. As we walked the sock isle she asked me about the socks she was seeing.

Isabel - These are socks?

Me - Yes. Socks for Mommy.

Isabel - These are Mom Socks.

Mom socks??!?! I hope that isn't anything like Mom Jeans! I don't think I'm ready to be that old!

Like Mother Like Daughter

There is a picture of me when I was about 2 years old that my mother took of me when I got stuck in the of a bottom dresser drawer. There I was, with my bottom stuck in the drawer and my little legs dangling out with tears streaming down face, and before my mother came to my rescue she had the nerve to take my picture!

The picture was the bane of my childhood existence. I think it was one of my earliest memories, I think I actually remember being stuck in that drawer and seeing my mother standing in the doorway of the room and not helping me. As I grew up I'd think about that time I couldn't understand why she'd just stand there (laughing??) and take my picture rather than help me.

Today I understand. Here's why.....

click on the picture to see Isabel's look of despair!

As I was in the house, Isabel was outside playing, and I heard her crying and calling for help. I looked outside and saw that she had climbed inside the giant pot in the backyard. And I couldn't help myself....I had to grab the camera on the way to her rescue.

Maybe one day she'll understand why I took her picture before helping her out.

Find The Studs, People!

When one attaches things to walls, things meant for supporting other things, I can't stress enough how important studs are.

Because if things aren't secured to these vastly important thingies called 'studs'......well, this can happen

In this instance, the shelf in the closet will not be able to support the storage items on top as well as the clothes hanging on the bar. When all these forces are put together it equals no hanging clothes or boxes on shelves....and a big mess when it comes time to clean up that shattered mirror door.

So find the studs, people, that's all I'm sayin'.

Be Careful, They Repeat What You Say!

Isabel and I had to take Edward (our new cat) to the vet today for a booster shot. Edward doesn't like the cat carrier or being in the truck (or probably the vet for that matter!), and he was being quite vocal in his protests. So Isabel and I were talking about Edward and how he was feeling about his journey, but then Isabel had something else to say....

Isabel - Edward is a booger.

Me - What???

Isabel - Edward is a booger. That's what Dad says 'cause Edward went in Caleb's room.

There you have it folks. Edward is a booger because that is what Isabel heard her Daddy say to Edward when he got into a part of the house that he wasn't suppose to be in.

Their little ears hear what we say and have no regrets about repeating it. So speak your words carefully.

It Spilleth Over

We are now on storm #3 of the week. And they say that this one will be the biggest of the string of storms passing through this week. I'm not sure what the rain totals are, but I can tell you on thing....we are this close to have an infinity edge pool.



Just from looking at the pool now and knowing what the water level was before all this crazy rain, it would be safe to say that we have gotten a good five to six inches of rain since Sunday night. And the worst of today's storm has yet to hit.

There is only about an inch left before the water level in the pool reaches the top. And I think today is the day it will overflow.

At least we won't have to fill the pool anytime soon!

Quotes To Live By

Last night we took the kids to a late-night doctors appointment. I had scheduled the first round of H1N1 vaccines for them.

Unbeknownst to my children.

Really, it's a smart move all around. This way I don't have to hear whines, fusses and crying over impending shots for hours on end. And the kids are also not plauged with thoughts and fears of the forthcoming shots either. See? It's a win-win.

We went out to dinner, then made a quick run to Costco since we had time to spare before the appointment. It wasn't until we were about a minute away from the parking garage that I told them the news. No surprise, there was whining, fussing and crying despite my pleas for bravery.

As I walked with Mae through the parking lot, toward the office of doom, I explained to her that this small pain was worth it so that she wouldn't get really really sick later. Her response?

"I'd rather die."

I couldn't help myself, I laughed! Seriously, it couldn't be held in. Not one bit.

Later, after the shots were dispensed and we were walking back to the truck, Isabel was still crying and quite sad. That's when she said...

"I want to cry forever."

Unfortunately, Ryan told the kids that they'd be back in about 4 weeks for the second round. My thoughts on this slip of information????

"Great. There goes the element of surprise. Now I'll be hearing about it for the next month."

There will be no win-win next time. *sigh* However, they may know its coming.......but that doesn't mean I'll tell them exactly when. *wink wink*

Good Thing My Camera Was Handy!

California is getting some big storms this week. Yesterday our rain got started by mid afternoon. When it storms here, I like to pull the blinds up in the family room so we can see better. I'm glad I did because Mae spotted a HUGE full rainbow in the backyard!!! I didn't think it would turn out, but I grabbed the camera and took a few pictures. THEN, I decided to look out the window that faces the front yard and I saw a very cool sunset....so I took a picture of that too.

Here's the rainbow as seen from our backyard. I was right, the rainbow didn't turn out very well.


But the sunset pictured turned out (at least I think so). I think God was doing a little showing off....and I loved it!!!

Expensive Taste

While we were out on Saturday, just looking around at fun furniture stores, I sat in this....


It's called a Womb Chair. The one I saw was displayed in a retro, funky, orange color. And the chair itself looks a little strange too. But I thought 'why not sit it in?!', and so I did.

And fell in love.

It is a fabulously comfortable chair. They way supports and just holds you just right.....ahhhhh, I could sit in it for hours.

I could read. Or watch a movie. Or put my feet up on the just-the-right-size ottoman and take a nap.

Yep. I could do all that.

If I had about two thousand dollars to spare.

Reunion

When we were in Modesto for Christmas, I was able to meet up with a long-lost friend - Wendy!!! Wendy and I lived across the street from each other when we were young. She was my best friend and we did many childhood things. Things like roller-skating in our neighbors driveways, lived out stories in the almond trees in her backyard, put on trapeze shows on her backyard swing set, built forts in the firewood pile that was in her front yard, and spoke vast amounts of pig latin. Together we had quite the imagination and I can't recall a time that we lacked anything to do. Of course, the fact that Wendy had 6 other sisters helped too. There was always something to do at Wendy's house and always someone to play with.

My childhood would not have been the same without Wendy and her fun sisters. And my blog life would be non-existent if it weren't for her too. After I was married, I had tried off and on for years to find Wendy, and a few years ago I finally did! Turns out she had a blog, and after reading it I discovered that blogs were fun and that I wanted one too. And so began my illustrious blog-writing career.

So, after many a year (20??), I had the opportunity to see Wendy again. It's funny, Wendy is one of those people that doesn't seem to change. She looks just as I remember her.

Only with four kids.

And being nicely tanned from the Hawaiian sun.

It was great to get together with Wendy last month and to meet her children. I enjoyed catching up with our lives since we last saw each other, and to see our kids play together. If only we lived closer, I wonder if our kids would be close friends too??

A Big Day

Caleb had a big day yesterday.

#1 - He got to sit in the front seat of the truck for the first time. The law in California says that any child age 6 or older can sit in the front, but Caleb didn't know that (shhhhh, don't tell! *wink*), and so he finally got his view from the front seat at age 7!

#2 - He was signed up for his first soccer league. Caleb has not played any sport, ever!, and he finally gets the opportunity. The only bummer is that he now has to wait another 4 weeks before his first practice and game.

Can't you tell.....Caleb is super-excited about these major developments in his life!

Say "cheese!", or how about "front seat!", wait, I mean "soccer!". Oh never mind.

A Cone?....Seriously??!?

I got the kitties fixed this past week. I am amazed at how things have changed since I last had cats. For instance, the instructions for caring for Jane, post-op, was to have her wear a cone until her stitches come out. Back when I had kitties (was it really 25 years ago??! sheesh, I feel 'old'!) the vet sent us home with ointment to put on the incision that would make their mouth foam if the kitty licked it, this would teach them from doing that. Now, they must think the ointment as inhumane, for instead, they make the kitty wear a cone for 10 to 14 days. You tell me, which is worse....a little foam but the ability to keep oneself clean and 'normal'? -or- wear a cone and not be able to be and/or keep clean or be able to do anything normally???

Anyway, despite how pathetic and sad it is to see Jane with her 'cone of shame', it's also kind of funny. She walks weird as her head bobs from side to side and she thrusts out her front legs like a supermodel. hee hee.....I have a supermodel kitty!

I'm going to make her an appointment tomorrow so that she can get her stitches out on Friday. At least that is my hope. The next step with these kitties is to introduce them to the out of doors, where they will live the rest of their lives, for the most part. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to do that?? Again, it's been a while since I've introduced a cat to the outside and I don't want them to run away. What a waste it would be to spend all this money and have them run away. So, if you have any tips or advice, I'm open to suggestions!

My Name Is Muerte!

We began thinking of cat names before we even got them. Of course, at first, the plan was to get only one cat, so we were only trying to come with one name. And we wanted the name to be fitting for a rat killer. We tossed names back in forth before landing the perfect one.

There were names like Spike, Axel and Rouge. But as we were discussing names Ryan threw out Death, then we just looked at each other, and at the same time, we said Muerte! If you've seen the movie Undercover Blues then you'll understand why this name is so perfect. (although I hope that our cats are more successful) Here's a few clips from the movie, featuring bits of just Muerte.....

The name would have been great, if we had only one cat. But as you know, we got two. And they came pre-named. Edward and Bella (very Twilight). We kinda liked the name Edward so we kept it, but we couldn't name the girl kitty Muerte, it just didn't seem to fit. So we changed it to Jane, after a kitty we had seen at the Humane Society. But we had to fit Muerte in there somewhere! So we gave the cats a family name - Los Gatos de Muerte (the cats of death)

Here Kitty, Kitty!

Where we live now is in between the main town and farmland. I call it Town and Country. This means that we don't have sidewalks and are not hooked up to city sewer. It also means that we have issues to deal with that we haven't had in the past. Things like rats.

These issues call for long-term problem solving techniques. We like to call this, Cats. Yes, yes, I know....we can use rat bait and traps, but we'd rather not have to deal with those things. It'd be easier to employ a live-in solution.

So last week, after an exhaustive search, we got not one, but two live-in solutions. Please say hello to Edward and Jane.

They are brother and sister and are the nicest cats ever! The lady I got them from told me that they are seven months old and part Siamese and part Calico. Edward, for sure, looks more Siamese with his dark ears and blue eyes. Jane seems less Siamese but her eyes are a pretty light blue. Regardless, I think they are beautiful!

It's been fun to watch the cats and see how the kids interact with them. My kids haven't really had a pet before so this is all new to them. Me, on the other hand, grew up with a couple cats and I find that I have not lost my touch with finding their favored scratching spots around the ears and under the chin. I think Edward likes me best. And to that I say Yes!

This past week has been quite eventful for these kitties. Not only have they been plucked from their home but just yesterday I took them to the vet to get 'fixed'. Poor Jane, she tore a hole in her cardboard cat carrier on the way to the vet. The next thing I hear is Isabel saying "Jane is out". Sure enough, there was Jane all wide-eyed and walking around the truck, looking through all the windows. Now, if you think texting while driving is dangerous, try driving with a cat walking on the dashboard!!!

After all we've put into these kitties (finding them and vet costs!), they'd better stick around when we let them out and keep the rat population down.

In Review, God Is Still Good

Last night we gathered with our home group to do a little after-Christmas celebration. Since it is now closer to New Years than Christmas, we each shared the things we've gone through this past year and what we've learned. It was amazing to recount our stories with each other and how we all seemed to come to the same conclusion - God is Good.

As I listened to my friends share their stories I was reviewing my own in my mind, preparing for my own time to share. It truly is amazing to think back over this past year and see how the Lord was not only with me during each trial and difficult time but also that he is an amazing orchestrator in how he brings those things together with his plan for my life and makes the ugly and hard things into something beautiful.

The first major difficulty of this year really began in the fall of 2008, when Ryan began to have some nasty sleep issues. The problem got worse as he began to take Ambien to help him sleep. As it did help him sleep it also gave him really bad side effects and he began to get severe anxiety to the point of paranoia and panic attacks, among other frightening physical side effects. Even in the midst of all this, when I prayed all I could pray and was at the end of myself in anything I could do to help my husband, the Lord was still with us. When at that scary point of complete dependance upon the Lord, He was there. He knew what was going on even when I didn't, and carried me through.

Somehow, through the Lord's guidance, Ryan did research on Ambien and found that he had become dependent on it, to the point of addiction (even though his doctor disagrees with him to this day). After doing research and much prayer, Ryan found a way to step down off the drug. Even during this time I was still in awe of how even though I was unaware of what is going on and was helpless to do anything about it, the Lord is still with us and guiding me though each day. I have learned, once again, to trust Him with my life and the lives of those I love.

The other major battle I've been through, again, didn't start with 2009. It began back when we moved here three years ago. Since moving into the rental house, I had a mindset of it being temporary, that we'd soon buy a house and move out. What should have been only one year turned into to three plus. Buying a house always seemed to be six months out, just out of reach. Many times I've had to learn to be content with where the Lord had us, and for that three years and three months it was in the rental house.

Again, I am amazed at how the Lord times things to perfection. I could never, in my own way of thinking and planning, ever come to the beautiful end to this story. I continue to learn that my ways are not His ways, and his way is much better than mine could ever be!

This home-owning journey has certainly been a roller coaster for me. One day I am depressed about it because I'm not where I want be. Then the next I'm giving it up and trusting the Lord for his timing and provision. Up and down, I tell ya! Then!, then!.....we finally get to the point of 'yes! we can buy!'. Then the emotional journey of letting go truly begins. How hard it is to see a house and get attached, and all before the offer is submitted. Only to get into a battle of offers with the bank and then to get passed over because, although our offer was 20k OVER asking, it wasn't high enough. In the end, we put offers on a total of four houses. Talk about letting go and trusting God!!!

I could go into more detail on both of these journeys of faith, but in the end the conclusion is the same - God can be trusted in all areas of my life, and He is good no matter the situation. As I look forward to yet another new year, I have no idea what is ahead but I take with me what I've learned and know that each day is an opportunity to trust Him, yet again.

The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him,

and he delivers them.

Taste and see that the LORD is good;

blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.

Fear the LORD, you his saints,

for those who fear him lack nothing.

Psalm 34: 7-9

She Can't Be Trusted

The good thing about having the kids in school is that I can do some shopping without them around. It comes in really handy when getting Christmas or birthday gifts. And in our family we have both, due to Caleb's birthday being two days before Christmas.

This year we let Caleb have a birthday party, so I was super-focused on getting that together and forgot about getting him a gift until just the other day. Good thing I had a few days before we leave town to get him something! Ryan and I talked over a few ideas then I hit Costco to see what they had. Isabel was not in school at the time, so she joined me and I didn't think much of it until I picked up what would be Caleb's gift - a Bakugan set. I knelt down and talked to Isabel about this being Caleb's birthday present and that it was a secret. She assured me that she would keep the secret, though I had my doubts (but what else could I do as she knew what the gift was and understood it was for Caleb??).

Before picking up the MaeLeb, I swung home and stashed Caleb's gift away, then headed for school. After getting the kids, we weren't even in the truck but a few minutes when Isabel says "Caleb, you got Bakugan for your birthday!".

The rat! Little stinker!

Fortunately some things are difficult to understand when Isabel talks. It's not always clear what she is trying to say. In this case I stepped in and tried to save the moment. I said something like "yeah, Caleb got Bakugans at his party!". But Mae knew what Isabel was saying and tried to correct me, but I cut her off before she could spill it all. Caleb, I think, didn't pick up on what was going on. At least that is my hope.

But I think we need to work on our secret-keeping skills. Or go shopping after bedtime.

At Least I Can Stop Working On My Acceptance Speach

Yeah. So the story is that I won't be nominated for Mother Of the Year. And I was sooo close too.

The kids new school has one day a week that has an early release time. It lets out one hour earlier than normal. Thursday (today!) is that day. And me, being the front runner for Mother of the Year, forgot.

I have my new schedule down. I leave the house at 2:15 in order to get to the school in time to to score a good parking spot. But when I pulled into the should-have-been-full parking lot, it wasn't. In fact there were prime spots just sitting vacant. I began to think 'wow, this is weird. It's almost like school has already been released or something, but I'm a few minutes early. Everyone else must be running late (you know, 'those' moms who are not in contention). Yeah, that's me, a little slow in the comprehension of the situation. But then it hit me - 'School already IS out because today is the EARLY day!'.

After briskly walking by Mae and Caleb's classrooms and the playground, I headed to the office. That's where they were, waiting for me. I had told them a few weeks ago that if I was ever not there to pick them up that they should wait for me in the school office. Poor Caleb was crying as we walked to the truck. I don't blame him, I probably would have too. And Mae was quick to forgive her forgetful mother. I wonder if she'll nominate me for an Honorable Mention?

I Just Love It

One of our favorite shows is So You Think You Can Dance. It typically runs over the summer, but we have the treat to watch a rare season this fall. There are all kinds of dance displayed on the show. There's contemporary, ballroom, latin, jazz, and surprisingly, my favorite....hip hop. I don't know why it is, it just is.

The show airs twice a week and on the second night they usually have guest performers. The performers range from singers to different types of dancers/dance groups. Well, last week they featured a new dance company called The Legion of Extraordinary Dancers. And you guessed it, they are hip hop. But they are Ah. May. Zing. (and, yes, extraordinary!) Well, see for yourself....

I love how they move, their use of 'tricks', the use of strength with such fluidity, and how silent they seem to move. And....and....and.....*sigh* I just love it. It doesn't hurt that they were dancing to Coldplay either. Anyway, I hear that the group won't officially begin until next year, which is really only weeks away, but whenever they do start doing shows and touring, I hope they will perform in our area 'cause I'd love to go see them!

Old Age Comes Early

Today I heard that Modesto got snow! I'm not too surprised to hear it, although Modesto rarely sees snow. I was thinking this morning "It's snowed there before. I remember when I lived there when it snowed". It was a very exciting day! The snow didn't stick, but it was still fun to see it falling.

It was also quite a long time ago......

The winter of 1989 I was a freshman in high school and it snowed one afternoon during Christmas break. Wow...I was a freshman and it was 1989......that means it was *gasp!* 20 years ago!!! Holey mach-ah-moley.....20 years??!?!!

I'm starting to feel old.

They Do Exist!!!

Lo and behold.....look what I found at Old Navy!!!



Flip flops in winter!

Too bad they didn't have them in Caleb's size.

New Number

Dear ABC Plumbing,

I am at a loss as to why you are no longer in business. The calls that I am receiving on your behalf should have been enough to keep you afloat (no pun intended). Shall I give incoming calls a forwarding number???

Sincerely,

A Homeowner with a new number that happens to be your old one

Day 30 - whoops!!!

Did anyone realize that I missed a few days of giving thanks?? I had a feeling that would happen since we were traveling for Thanksgiving. It was my intention to do my postings while we were gone, but it just didn't happen. I wasn't about to stress over it, so I just sat back and enjoyed our families instead.

We left early on Thanksgiving morning for Modesto. And by 'early' I truly mean super-duper-pooper-scooper early! As in before-the-sun-was-up early! We were on the road by 4:00. See! Told you it was early. Anyway, since we were up before the sun, the kids got a wee tired while on the road. They don't usually sleep on these trips anymore, however, not only did they doze off, they fell asleep at the same time! It was cute so I had to take a snap to capture the moment.

Well, I didn't complete the 30 day challenge of posting every day, but I did find many things to be thankful for. While we were gone over Thanksgiving I found a few more. Here they are;

* coffee - makes super-early-morning-trips easier

* sleepy kids - makes road trips easier

* Thanksgiving meals with all the fixin's

* a boy named Jacob - my new nephew, and he's so stinkin' cute! ("stinkin'" in a good way) :)

* leftovers

* Mom's pumpkin pie (there's nothing better!)

* Thanksgiving - a fabulous reason to get together with the families I love so much!

* fully charged portable dvd player - again, makes road trips easier (aka quieter)

* being home again - as it was great to get away and spend time with our families, it's always nice to be home again.

There, that should sufficiently make up for my lack of posting over the past few days. Don'tcha think?!

Flip Flops

Living in Southern California has it's advantages. Among them is the fabulous weather! I can pretty much wear the same shoes all year around. It's great! Especially when my daily shoes are a nice pair of comfy sandals. However, this fine weather is hard the kids shoes. They don't last quite as long. But I suppose that's more the kids fault than it is the weather's.

Since this past spring, Caleb has worn out of three pairs of flip flops. My son is a flip flop kind of boy. He was certainly born to live here, that's for sure! The only thing is that you can't always get flip flops whenever you want/need them. For example, Caleb's flip flops broke just the other week and I was at a loss to replace them. Poor guy, he's been wearing his tennis shoes instead!

I looked at Wal-Mart and thought maybe I had scored. But the only flip flops they had were WWF. Sorry, but there is no way I was buying my son World Wrestling Federation flip flops, even though all of that would be covered by his foot when wearing them. Nope, not gonna do it. Sorry kid.

Then a friend told me that they had seen some at Target. So to Target I went. They did have some, but only for girls.

So I had given up and consigned myself to wait for spring.

Until I went to the dollar store to get things for our recent house warming party. I wasn't even looking for flip flops but there they were! They not only had some, they were a nice gender-neutral green. So I snatched them up right quick!

I only wish I had grabbed more than one, for I know that one pair is not going to last the winter! Maybe I'll go back next week. But there's probably some relative law of something or other that will determine that there will be none left. Alas, I will be thankful for this one last pair of flip flops found out of season.

Day 24

This week the kids do not have school due to Thanksgiving. I don't remember having the entire week off when I was a kid. But alas, mine do. And in the spirit of giving thanks, I will choose to not complain about having the kids home 24/7. Instead I will focus on the good and fun things about it!

- I don't have to get up and take the kids to school.

- thus meaning I can sleep in (depending on how 'quiet' the kids are)

- and there is also no rush to go anywhere, unless I want to.

- which also means I can stay up later and watch a few more shows (instead of letting them fill up the DVR)

- we leave for Modesto early Thursday morning so we can spend it with family! (again, I choose to not focus on the fact that this requires me to get up too-early in the morning and drive for hours on end. nope, not gonna do it! we have a dvd player and that is very helpful on trips like this! - see??....I'm so thankful!)

Day 23

Today I am thankful for play dates.

Caleb has had a rough start to his new school. It's funny because he's not the one I was concerned about with the whole school change thing. I was spending more time with Mae and talking about her transition than I was with Caleb. See, Caleb is just an easy going kind of guy that has never had problems making friends. Mae, on the other hand, is more reserved in new situations where she doesn't know anyone. So I was quite surprised to hear from Caleb that his first day went so badly. It broke my heart.

Things got better for Caleb after that first day, but it was still difficult for him to get in the groove with new kids. Actually, I thought things were going well until last week when he told me at bedtime one night that one of his 'friends' wasn't being nice to him. Again, my heart broke for my sweet boy. There wasn't much I could say to help him feel better, so I told him about a play date that I had arranged for this week with a friend of his from his old school. It helped a little

Anyway, that day was today and Caleb had a great time with his 'old' friend and it was like they'd never been apart. And I'm glad that for one day I didn't have to wonder how my boy was doing.

Last Minute Scavenger Hunt

Yesterday we had an open house for our new home, and as this past week closed in on 'party day', I had a spur of the moment thought - I think I shall put together a scavenger hunt for the kids! The idea was to give the kids something to do while the adults are busy doing boring things, like, talk. Within a few hours of my most brilliant plan, I had a list of ideas compiled.

I thought of things for the kids to go out and find, some in the house but mostly all outside in the backyard. There were only six things on the list but I think it was enough to occupy them. I took close-up pictures of certain areas or objects and then paired the picture clue with the question. These were questions;

"how many steps are there?" - partial picture of the steps at the back of the property

"what kind of fruit is on this tree?" - picture of the lemon tree

"who sleeps here?" - partial picture of Mae's bunk

"how many orange ribbons are hidden in the backyard?" - picture of one stand of orange thread on a branch (seventeen in all, this kept them very occupied!)

"find the five hidden letters around the yard and unscramble the word"

"Find this object, look inside and take one." - picture of the giant terra cotta pot in the yard

The last clue led them to the giant pot, and inside I had put goodie bags for each kid. And may I just say how much I dearly love the dollar store??? It comes in so handy on occasions like this where I don't want to spend a whole lot but still would like to give something more than a solitary piece of candy. So, anyway, I think the scavenger hunt was a hit! The kids were pretty occupied with their search that they were well entertained and not getting into trouble or getting grumpy with wanting to leave a boring party.

I am thankful for last-minute-party-saving ideas!

Celebrating the Blessing

I was home all day today. And it was a gorgeous So Cal day, too! I was up and moving before 9:00, and that's unusual for me on a Saturday. Plus, I didn't sit down once between 9:30 to about 7:00. But it's all good......we had an open house today to celebrate our new home with our friends!

We've never had an open house for any of our other homes we bought. At first I felt a little funny about having an open house since it isn't our first home purchase, but the blessing of this house isn't the house itself, it's the journey that has brought us here. And that is what we celebrated today.

It was decided that we'd host the party from 1:00 to 4:00. Ryan designed the invite and I emailed them out (we're so 'up with the times', we are). Ryan made three different appetizers (which all got rave reviews from everyone!) and I made a fabulous apple crisp (if I do say so myself). Also, I got a wild idea two days ago to put together a scavenger hunt for the kids that would be here (as if I didn't have enough on my plate with getting the house clean and ready). I was rushing around as the first guests arrived, but as our wonderful friends are, they jumped in and helped us finished getting things ready.

Other than Ryan burning his hand early on in the game, the open house was a success! Good food was had by all and we enjoyed sharing our home with our friends as a bunch of kids ran around looking for clues! I kinda like having an open house, they're fun. It's a lot of work, but totally worth it!

Hamburger

Isabel still says certain words in her own way. We love it! And in most cases we don't correct her. At. All. We like to hear these sweet mispronounced words as long as possible. It's our way of holding onto our baby as long as we can.

Lately she makes us laugh when she says 'hamburger'. Just yesterday, as Isabel and I were driving around town, she spotted a McDonalds and said something to the effect that Mickey-D's has hamburgers. But that's not what she said exactly (hee hee) so I asked her again and again and again! We were having fun saying the silly mispronounced word, and she said it many different ways but never the right way. I was just eating it up (so to speak).

Here are a few ways that she tried to say hamburger, I think she may be related to Steve Martin's Pink Panther!

bigger

ham-bigger

ham-beh-bigger (this one is most often said, and my favorite!)

Day 19

Today I am thankful for the store that is practically down the street from me. This store has a gas station attached to it and if you have a membership with this store (which I do!) then you pay three cents less per gallon. Aside from the three cent per gallon savings, it is still a good ten to fifteen cents cheaper than other gas stations around town.

Today this is what I paid (and yes, that does include my three cent savings!)

Day 18

Today I am thankful for my crock pot.

It's so nice to cook up some ground beef, italian sausage, onion and green pepper, then throw it in the good ol' crock pot along with some canned goods and a few spices. I like how I can relax through the rest of the afternoon and as 5:00 rolls around I don't have to scramble to get dinner started.

I love crock pot days!

**want the recipe?? click here, then come back and share with me one of your favorite crock pot recipes!

Day 17

Today I am thankful for:

* preschool

* bible study with God's women

* Starbucks gift cards

* visiting with a friend while all kids are at school

* driving in the truck by myself (did I just have an uninterrupted thought??)

* cooler temps that let me wear socks around the house

Ahead of Time

Last night we didn't go out on a free date as we normally do on Awana nights. But that's ok. Ryan had work to do so when it came time to take the kids to Awana I decided to go grocery shopping during my 'free time'. I know, strange huh? Well, I'm not going to have time to go today while MaeLeb are in school and we all know how important it is to eat so I had to go last night. Besides, going to the store by myself is a joy in itself (any mother knows that!).

So, today I am thankful that I took the time to think ahead and take care of that little nuisance of a chore (grocery shopping) so I could have time to play as a friend and I are going to Ikea! The extra bonus, as I've mentioned before, is that we plan to take full advantage of Ikea's free childcare.

I'm thankful for Ikea today, too.

To Do Lists

Now that we are all moved in, our To Do list is quite different. It no longer includes getting boxes, or filling them, or arranging the timing of getting them to their new destination. Nope, done with all that silliness. But now the list includes household projects. Things like (but not limited to) changing the locks, organize the garage, take boxes away (get 'em outta here!), changing the hinge direction on the fridge and washer/dryer doors, get a pool vacuum, and so on.

Friday night Ryan and made a list of things that needed to get done. The hope was that we'd get to most of them this weekend. And I'm here to say that Ryan is my hero! He completed one of the projects that I've been wanting completed since we moved in.....he moved around the fridge doors!!!! I just love my man so so much!

Our kitchen is on the small side and might be considered galley style. When the fridge door opens you have to stand in the laundry room to do so. I would feel like I was on an episode of House Hunters and displaying the inefficiency or awkwardness of the current home (I know, I watch too much HGTV!). It would make more sense if the door opened in the other direction. And so on the list it went.

But now Ryan has knocked off one big item off the list! It's a more cost efficient solution than remolding the kitchen or buying a new house to solve our issue. Don't you think?! And if you know me, I'm all for frugalness. So today I am thankful for a no-cost solution, as well as for my husband who completed the project for me.

Giving Thanks

Today is Saturday, thus the weekend.

And for that, I am thankful.

I'll Thank Myself Later

I had a fabulous idea this week. I'm sure you've never heard of it, so brace yourself for my brilliance. Are you ready?

As I made two dinners this past week, I made extra, on purpose!, and put them in the freezer for a later date!!!

*cricket*

*cricket*

Well, yes, I know what you're thinking. You're thinking to yourself "Hello Deanne, that's not a new idea. In fact they even have cookbooks for that sort of thing". I know that too, but my point is that I've never purposefully done it before. I even accounted for it when putting my weekly menu and shopping list together. And so I'm proud of myself. And I know I'll thank myself even more when I have one of those days when I feel the need to not cook and I can reach in my freezer for a finished homemade meal.

Yep, I'm brilliant. And I'm so thankful.

~~~~~

in case your curious, or just want a new recipe, I made (and froze!) enchiladas and chicken lasagna. now you have to share a recipe with me! (and I'll thank you for it!)

Granite Countertops

When buying a house that is not new, you don't get the option of choosing features. Things like flooring, cabinets and countertops are part of the package and not easily changed. It's just something that I have to learn to live with wether I like them or not. Now, I know that granite is all the rage but I don't think I'd necessarily pick it if I had the choice. But, I must admit that I like the countertops in my kitchen.

I like the gray and black combination. And I know I'm gonna like it when it comes time to roll out my pie crust. The other thing I like about my granite countertops is that it covers/hides a multitude of mess. The counters don't add stress to my life as I look around me to see what needs to be cleaned and picked up after. And after a quick wipe down, any clean-up stress I may have had is now gone.

I love my countertops!!

Sour Skittles

Last night I took Mae and Caleb to the fabric store with me as I had to pick up a few skeins of yarn. As always, the kids start looking around and pulling things off the shelves and asking if they can have it, or if I would buy it then they'll pay me back when we get home. I spouted off a half dozen of the typical motherly response - no. However, I was almost to the cashier when we passed by the last-chance-purchase isle (also known as; come-on-sucka-buy-me-I'm-only-a-buck-section). This little isle is a kid magnet! It's not filled with important don't-forget-this-you'll-need-it-for-your-project type stuff. Oh, no, no! There's little colorful note pads, daily calenders, half-dried up markers, and flimsy wooden cut outs that you can paint. But mostly it has candy. And lots of it.

My resistance was weakened and I succumbed to the pleading and allowed Mae to get a cute little notepad with a teeny little pen. Well, I couldn't let Mae pick something out and not Caleb. So I let him get one thing of candy. At first he wanted some bubble tape, but then he changed his mind at the last second and chose a small bag of Skittles, the sour ones. I thought that was an interesting choice considering he doesn't like spicy things. Maybe candy is the exception to that rule.

I had one more stop before going home and along the way I asked if Caleb would share his candy with me, and he did. Of course I couldn't have just one and Mae wanted some too. Again he obliged us (more willingly after I promised to buy him another package at the store). We had fun making funny faces and sounds as we ate the sour candy. At first we'd eat just one and say whether it was really sour or not. It was determined that the green ones were the most sour. But then we upped the sour level by eating two different ones at a time! Again green won out when paired with red.

It's amazing what one package of candy can do. I enjoyed have fun with my kids, which is something I feel rarely happens, and for a small window of time I think they had fun with me too. My tounge feels a bit raw and food may not have much flavor over the next day or so, but it was totally worth it and I am thankful for that one little bag of sour Skittles.

When Your Computer And Printer Need Marital Counseling....You Know Your In Trouble!

Yep, gotta love technology. Ever since the big wiping and cleaning of our computer a few months ago, I have been without a way to print. I've had to email things to Ryan at work asking him to print it for me (please?!) and bring it home. And I must confess that I've hated it immensely!

I like to print things. Things like maps to go places, or a coloring page for one (or all) of the kids, or samples of Isabel's name so she can trace it and learn to write her own name, and regular ol' pictures from our camera. Or silly things like documents needed to purchase a house. You know, trivial things like that. I kinda like the ability to print.

But I've been without this luxury for way too long. I have tried to not complain or whine about it. Really, I have.

At the beginning of this fiasco, I was told by my resident computer techie guy something like this....."blah blah blah computer blah blah printer blah blah blah software update blah blah several months, not sure blah blah Windows 7 blah blah blah....". But whatever all that meant, I'm here to tell you that as of last night I CAN PRINT WHENEVER I WANT!!!! Yay, the computer is now on speaking terms with the printer! And today I am thankful for the harmonious relationship they now share!!!

Doing Laundry

I know, I know.....you're thinking I'm crazy for being thankful for doing laundry. You are, aren't you?! Well, let me put your fears to rest. I only say that I like doing laundry because of the fabulous washer and dryer that came with the house. You see, the washer and dryer is the Kenmore version of the Duet. This means that what used to take me two to three loads of wash now fits into one. ONE I tell ya!!!!!

Now couple that superb bit of information with water and energy efficiency and you've got one happy housewife. Well, as happy as a housewife can be about doing laundry. We housewives do have our limits when it comes to pairing joy and chores.

Sunday Nights

Many thanks to our church and the Awana program, Ryan and I have Sunday nights alone. It's almost like a free date night once a week. It's awesome!!!

We drop the kids off around 5:45 then we pick them up at 7:30. That's a good hour and a half of free time! On these Sunday nights we have gone shopping, perused bookstores, grabbed a cup of coffee or just plain lazed around the quiet house together.

It's a win-win for all of us. The kids get spiritual nourishment and fun time with friends outside of the house. And Ryan and I get some kid-free time together. I love Sunday night Awana!

However, Isabel is not well and she won't be attending her beloved Awana tonight (shhh, she doesn't know this yet). So Ryan and I will not have a kid-free night tonight. But that's ok, whatever we do we can go out and pretend that we only have one kid!

Day 7

New nephew - Ryan's sister had her baby today!! This makes me an auntie again! And I love the name they chose, Jacob Ryan. I am thankful that mom and baby came through birth without any problems or complications. Too bad we have to wait two and a half weeks to see the little (10 pound!!) guy.

Feety pajamas - I just love babies in feety pajamas! And I've got one super-cutie tonight as Isabel wears a pair of hand-me-down jammies from Mae. She may be four but she's still my baby!

Good kids - A friend of mine took some pictures of our family today and the kids did great! I wasn't sure how it was going to go as I ironed shirts, bathed kids and did up girly hair. One child (who shall remain nameless) was in a poopy mood today and was not happy about the outfit that was to be worn. This child was a basic all-around grump, complete with frowns and whining. But all the kids were great when it came time to smile and look like a nice happy family. I have high hopes for the proofs!

No rats - nope, no rats in the pool today!!! We are thinking that it may be a good idea to get a cat. A good mouser kind of cat, or better yet....a rat killer. We've heard a critter in the walls since moving in so getting a good cat that will keep the critter population down would be a good investment. I'm already thinking of names. We'd want a good solid name for a rat killer, a cat named Fluffy just won't do. How about Rouge, Spike, or Axel? Or Ryan's favorite so far, Exterminator?

Long-Handled Nets

To care for our pool I need to brush it down every day. It gets the dirt off the sides of the pool and keeps leaves and dirt from settling in and causing stains. To do this requires me to use a great big ol' pool brush. And if I see leaves that have settled at the bottom then I can use the long-handled net to reach down and get them out. It's quite handy.

Today I was out doing my daily pool duty and I noticed that there were some leaves at the bottom. In fact, not only did I see a few leaves here and there, I also saw a small branch with a cluster of leaves too. I thought to myself "I'll brush down the pool and use the net when I'm done to get the leaves out". I'm so proactive.

As I was finishing my last brush strokes I had another thought...."I'm just going to use the brush to capture the branch and then drag it up to the top, then I'll just reach in, grab it, and take it out.". The branch was just big enough for me to do that, so that's what I did. Until the branch got a little closer to the surface and I saw that it wasnt' really a branch at all. It was a dead rat.

Ewe!!!!

This calls for the net! There's no way I'm stickin' my hand in there and pulling out, let alone touch!, a dead anything! Nope. I'm sooo using the net. So I grabbed the long handled net, captured the dead rat and put it in the garbage.

I'm grateful for long-handled nets. I'd be even more grateful for a husband with a long-handled net or even a pool guy with a long-handled net! But I'll just be thankful for what I've got and that I'm not too squeemish and could take care of the situation without freaking out. That, and I now have something to blog about today. See?....now I'm doubly thankful*!

Wanna come over for a swim?

*can this count for two days worth of posting??

Finding Things

I don't like it when I can't find something. It makes me crazy! I consider myself to be a pretty organized person and I can usually find things quickly. But being in a new place makes finding things more difficult when it comes to figuring out how things work and how they are connected.

There is a ceiling fan on our back patio. It's going to be great next summer when I have friends over on hot days. I can see it now.....I'll be able to sit outside, under the cooling fan, and relax with friends as our kids are chillin' in the pool. The only thing is that we don't know how to turn it on, we can't find the switch!

I thought that it had been turned on at one point by one of the kids but none of them fessed up to doing the deed. And course we never did find the switch. The fan wasn't turning very fast so in my mind I chalked it up to the wind moving the blades. Then this morning I happened to look out the back window and see that the fan was spinning at full speed! There was no mistaking that it was on, wind or no wind, it was ON! Now we just had to find the switch for it had obviously been flipped recently.

Last night I had sent Mae outside, through the garage, to put some stuff in the garbage. It was dark and she had come back in asking how to turn on the outside light. I told her it was a motion light and to just throw the stuff away and the light would come one. However, there is a switch right by that door, and one of the two switches works the front lamppost and sidewalk lights. The other switch???.....turns out it works the patio fan and light. Mae had flipped the switch while trying to turn on an outside light.

Mystery solved!

Now, why is the switch for the patio fan not on the patio? Why is it not in any adjoining room like the family room or kitchen? Why is the switch not only in the garage but as far away from the fan as it possibly can be? Who knows. But......

I am so thankful! This means that Ryan won't have to crawl up in the attic and follow the electrical conduit to its end. I'm thinking Ryan is thankful too.

Ability and Strength

Over the past month, as I was packing boxes, moving furniture and cleaning the hard to reach places, a verse often came to my mind.

She sets about her work vigorously;

her arms are strong for her tasks. ~ Proverbs 31:17

When that last part ran through my thoughts, I was thankful to the Lord for my health and strength. I was glad that I was able to do the things that needed to be done.

I'm typically in good health and there has rarely been a time when I was not able to do what I had set out to do. However, I do remember an exception to that statement. When I was in the last few months of pregnancy with Isabel, I found myself unable to lift certain things and there were several little projects that I wanted to do but knew that I was unable to do them. That was a first for me and it was frustrating, if not a bit annoying. It made me rely more on Ryan to get those projects done for me. But it has also made me more aware of my ability and strength when I am healthy and able.

So today I am thankful to the Lord for His blessing of good health and strength for the tasks I have before me.

Day 3

It is day number 3 of my trying to post daily the things I'm thankful for. It was my plan to go to my dental appointment and come back with good news and therefore sharing my thanks for the day. But things didn't go the way I had planned. In fact, I left the dentists office with an extra appointment. *sigh* I can't say I'm thankful for that, it would be a lie.

However, I am thankful that I remained calm during the entire visit. That is something to be thankful for! For me that is a big deal, it really really is.

The Day I Get A New Number

Yep, today's my birthday. But I'm not gonna tell you how old I am. Nope. Not gonna do it. You'll just have to use your skills of perception and whatnot and figure it out. But I will say that I am not 21 (even if I do still look it! - ha!)

I had a very fine weekend. My parents came to visit and see our new house. It was great! They got here just as Mae and Caleb got out of school on Friday. That night we went to a local church and the kids dressed up for Halloween and played games and got lots of candy.

Saturday we had an easy morning then got busy organizing the garage so Ryan and I could get both vehicles parked inside. Mission accomplished! Then later Ryan and I were able to get away and see a movie and get some dinner while Mom and Dad watched the kids. I love it when grandparents get to watch the kids!

Yesterday, we went to church then went out to lunch and had some fabulous fish tacos! Later Mom and I peeled a bunch of apples from our tree and made some apple crisp. Mmmmmm......apple crisp is one of my favs and it did not disappoint! The only downside is that I had to make myself stop eating it. But the upside to that is that there is leftovers for me to enjoy today, my birthday!

Today I am thankful for my family, that my parents made the trip and spent the weekend with us. I enjoy having visitors and sharing the home that Lord has blessed us with.

NaBloPoMo 2009

It's that time of year again! Yep, it's National Blog Posting Month!!!

I participated last year, and even though it was daunting I did succeed is posting something every day. Given my current track record I'm not sure if I can manage it again this year, but I'm gonna try! I will certainly be taking advantage of the handy dandy auto posting feature, but you'll never know the difference. Trust me.

There is no given theme for NaBloPoMo this year, but I was thinking of trying to post about things I'm thankful for. You know, 'cause November is the month of Thanksgiving and all. I may slip in some things that just plain make me smile, and smiling is something to be thankful for, right? Ok, so I may need to stretch it a bit, but that's ok with you, right? I thought so. Thank you for being so understanding. See?....I'm feeling the attitude of gratitude already!

So let the daily posting begin!