What kind do you use?

Are you loyal to a specific brand of soap? Do you just find whatever is least expensive and run with it? Do you use the same kind as your spouse, or do you (like us) have a few different bars in the shower?

Well dear readers, Victorian Rose Soap Company is hosting an absolutely fabulous giveaway! They are giving away 3 bars of their simply divine goat's milk soap. I've not tried this specific company's soaps yet, but I do use goat's milk soap and it is wonderful, especially now that we are getting into the colder, dryer, harsher temperatures of late fall and winter.

Please go visit their website and look around...they have so many different scents, some of which might actually make you lick your lips (please don't eat the soap ;). Take a few extra seconds to enter the giveaway. They have all sort of different ways to get more entries, upping your chances of winning. And if you don't win, consider buying some of their product (fabulous Christmas gifts, even if it's for yourself!).

:) :(

THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY:

~getting our car fixed, by my brother (brilliant with cars), with a used (but guaranteed!) part (yay cheap!!)
~that in T minus 75 minutes, I'll be TGIFing with the best of 'em
~a retirement party on Sunday of a pharmacist from my old store, the guy who really got the wheels turning concerning being a tech
~coming home to the sounds of "MOMMY!!!" through the open windows
~perfect timing (more specifically, His perfect timing)

THINGS THAT MAKE ME SAD:

~losing things




An Apology

Yesterday was a really rough day at work. I was very down last night because of it. After writing yesterday's post, I felt absolutely lifted in prayer (and thank you for so many kind and encouraging emails!!). Today was still tough. I'm struggling at work, not necessarily fitting in, but keeping up. Tonight, I read an email from Proverbs 31 Devotions:

"In other words, seeking to obey God in the midst of whatever circumstance I’m facing will position me to work in the flow of God’s power. I’ll still have to navigate the realities of my situation but I won’t be doing it with my strength."

WHOAH.

Does God know EXACTLY what I need to hear, and when I need to hear it??? Why am I fighting His power?

Lord, forgive me for being stubborn, and continually trying to fight against Your plan for me. Open my heart to Your perfect will, which I may not understand. Thank you, Heavenly Father, for the blessings you've given me, even though I may not recognize them as blessings right away. Thank you for every single chance you give me to glorify your name and to speak of your grace and mercy. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Merry, Happy, and All That Jazz!

Okay, okay, you can berate and belittle me all ya want to...I'm a busy lady!! I've got limited time here on the computer in the library, so let me make a long story short, for anyone who was wondering:

My husband got a job! w00t!!! He's actually had it for awhile now, and I think that I may have already posted about this in a previous post, but I'll say it again - my husband got a job! w00t!!! That being said (and said again), he's been in Dallas since the beginning of November, and the kids and I moved in temporarily with my mom in Illinois. This ia great because, well, we get to have one last holiday with my family without the stress of travel, plus, we get to spend loads of time with my mom before we move away permanently.

Now this sucks because my children and I are apart from Papa Tango, which makes my heart shrink every little time I think about it, yet it makes it grow as well. The kids area greatly missing Daddy, but have gotten to see him every once in awhile due to flying standby (yay for working for an airline!!). This also bites because I have very little internet access at mom's house. When I say very little, I mean I can access email and facebook from my phone, but not really anything else - hence the serious lack of blog posts recently.

We are still looking for housing in the Dallas area. We'd better get a move on too, because I'm already on leave from work and the whole reason for taking it was to get the family moved and settled. We've got a couple places in mind, one in particular for which I'm waiting for some information to be mailed to me. Pray we can find something sooner rather than later so we can get this show on the road! In other news, I finally made it to the great state of Texas, and all I have to say about that is "YEEHAW!!". The traffic is in desperate need of some serious driving lessons, and some parts of Dallas are more than a little frightening. But the outlying areas are nicer and much less scary. This is a good thing.

So friends, be patient, please. I actually have my own library card now, so if I can sneak away during naps to post any updates, I will. If not, think good, moving thoughts for us and I'll be back in the saddle soon! I hope everyone had a very blessed Christmas, and if you're out and baout on New Years Eve, please be careful and responsible!

What am I doing??

You want the answer to that? You want the truth? You can't handle the truth!!

Okay, so the truth is, I'm not doing a thing. And I really haven't done a thing, all day long. Okay, earlier today I ran to the store because we were out of coffee creamer and milk, and Italian dressing for marinating the chicken my dear, sweet, grill-master husband is going to take for a ride on the Char-broil Express later today. And I watched a neighbor boy for a couple hours this morning while his parents ran an errand (you remember Jacob's friend Zachary from GinaGina's birthday party). But other than that, I've been a big lazy bum so far today.

I've also been busy (while GinaGina is napping) catching up on some email and blogs I follow. That being said, I have 2 complaints: 1) I really don't like it when I can't subscribe by email to a blog. I think the idea of following on google is good, but honestly, I hardly ever go to my google homepage. When I do, I have to sit for an inordinate amount of time reading all the blogs. That's not saying that I don't *want* to catch up on them! Some would say "Just pare down your blog roll, and that's that". I just can't do that. It's like going through your favorites on your computer. At least for me it is. And finally, 2) I also hate link loss. That's what I call it. I'm on a blog, see an interesting link, follow it, see another link, follow it, and before I know it, I'm 11 pages away from where I started, all filled with posts I want to continue reading, but I couldn't find them again if I tried! I try really hard to right click and open the link in a new tab, but sometimes I forget. I will say, however, that if these are the only 2 things I find myself complaining about today, I'm in excellent shape.

Anywho, back to my plans today. I will start laundry sometime, and I'd like to go to the library too. I stayed up entirely too late last night finishing the book I've been reading. I couldn't believe what time it was when I finally turned the last page of the book and checked the clock. I groaned, thinking that the kids simply wouldn't understand that mommy stayed up too late reading and would you please sleep in for just this once?? Although I was pleasantly surprised this morning when I woke at 8:30 with a start, listened for a few moments, heard nothing, and was able to drift back off to sleep for a little while longer.

Other than that, my day plans include watching college football with Patrick and the kids, grilled chicken, recipe copying and maybe some knitting. I know, I know - I lead a life of total excitement, but you know what? I love it. I wouldn't trade being here with my family for anything in the world.

It's been too long...

...not to let you know about a GIVEAWAY as one of my first posts back! Head on over to Catholic Icing for an awesome rosary giveaway! The Clay Rosary Girl is giving away one of her amazing handmade clay rosaries to one Catholic Icing reader! You get to choose any rosary!

Any.Rosary.You.Want.

Her stuff is just gorgeous, and she even shows you the process and the meanings to the beads as well!

So please, check out Catholic Icing and The Clay Rosary Girl today. Two incredible websites + one fantastic giveaway = lots of happy readers!

It's...ALIVE!!!!

Yes, I'm alive and kickin', ladies and gents. I promise you, I'll be back very soon and hopefully writing on a regular basis - at least checking in more often than, I don't know, once a year!

I fully admit to never posting here anymore (not that it takes a rocket scientist to figure that out, I guess). For anyone who is still on my mailing list or a fan of my page, I fully intend to start blogging again with some regularity. I can't promise that will start now, as life is in full swing at The Lodge. However, I had to come and post a link to a blog that's become dear to my heart in the recent past:

At The Well

The first post on the site from today is a give-away, which is not the reason I'm posting the link (I do love a good give-away though!). Continue scrolling; continue reading. I think God has always spoken words that need to be heard, whether it be a Bible verse you read during your morning Bible study, a song on the Christian radio station in your car, or a blog post arriving in your email inbox. You don't necessarily have to be on the look-out for it, but your heart definitely has to be open to receive it.

To all of you, have a safe, happy Halloween. If you don't have children, remember kids will be out that night, likely paying more attention to the candy in their pails than the traffic. Be careful; be safe.

Well well well.

I've got a confession to make:

I have 12 pages of email to go through. Yes, *twelve* pages. Some of these are pictures that I've taken from my phone, sent to my inbox with the date, and just not saved to my hard drive. But that's a far cry from 12 pages worth. Much of it is email that I know I want to read, but just don't have the time to open, or I start to read it and I hear a cry or a "Moooooooommmmmmmmmmmmmmyyyyyy" from upstairs, and have to stop.

Well, I've found a website that has some organizing checklists...one is daily and one is weekly. Of course, I only just found it, so I'm already behind for the month of August (let's leave going back to July alone for right now, shall we??). But one of the tasks on there that just stuck out at me like a sore thumb was to empty my inbox. What a daunting task!!

That leads me to my next confession:

I am *not* a reality tv junky. Not. One. Bit. I've never seen an episode of Survivor, not one minute of Big Brother (what are we up to now, BB 27?), nary a second of The Bachelor. However...

I *LOVE* America's Got Talent. Love it. Can't wait for the next episode. I dvr all of them so we can fast forward through the commercials. And this all happened by accident-I didn't go out seeking another show to watch...I've got enough Burn Notice episodes to choke a camel...but I saw a commercial for this season, which showed one of the best acts, of course (but not enough to actually see much of anything), and I had to tune in, you know, just to see that act.

But they suck you in. Seriously.

I've now got 2 favorites. I'd like to say that if both of these men get axed, I'll turn the channel and never watch the show again. But I also have one very unfavorite act, and I'm afraid I'll have to finish out the season just to make sure that act doesn't win.

So what do cleaning out my inbox and America's Got Talent have to do with the price of tea in China? I'll tell you. I found an email from 50's Housewife about Britain's Got Talent (uhm, which would be the British version of America's Got Talent...duh). Now I'd really never watched that before, but I'd seen little pieces of Susan Boyle, probably on America's Got Talent. Anyway, 50's posted links to Susan Boyle singing I Dreamed a Dream, and Paul Potts, singing Nessun Dorma (for some reason, my lame attempt at linking to Paul's performance wasn't working, so I'm going to make you go to youtube and search for Paul Potts, Nessun Dorma...watch the one that's NOT the BGT finals...it's much shorter, and it's worth it, I promise).

Oh. My. Goodness.

I watched, in tears with both performances. I'm afraid I might be a "Got Talent" lifer. Thank you, 50's Housewife for "forcing" me to watch the British version. If you've never gone to her website, check it out. And if you've never watched a Got Talent episode, force yourself to...the good acts make the really bad ones worth every minute...and even the bad ones get my applause for going, getting up there on stage, performing in front of a live audience and thousands of tv viewers, and giving their all.

Under Pressure

This blog was started as an outlet - someplace to come and write out the day-to-day happenings (the inner workings, if you will) of my life as a wife, mother, employee, believer, etc. How I could allow it to become a nuisance is beyond me. I don't like feeling pressured to post, and that's exactly how I felt. We took a short trip to Denver a few weeks ago, and I haven't posted since then because I wanted my first post to be the pictures and stories of that trip - now I'm 3 weeks behind because I've been stalling on *one* post! That's just not right.

So, I'm postponing the Denver post so I can continue on with other, less important yet still interesting, things. Rest assured, I will post our Denver Oddessy, Part II.

My garden has sprouted, as have the rabbits. They started after my corn, which I was unsure would germinate anyway (lack of space). Now they've taken to my cantaloupe leaves. So, I googled and found about 1,456,829 solutions to the rabbit problem. What I ended up trying was simple garlic powder sprinkled around the space (I have such an overabundance of garlic powder, it's not even funny). We shall see how the cantaloupe plants look tomorrow morning - the rabbits must be getting them either at night or *way* early in the morning, because I never catch them there during the day, and there's a difference in foliage when I do my morning garden check.

Other than that, I do have some surviving corn. I planted it rather late, so it's smaller than the corn I see in other gardens. Size aside, however, it looks alright so far. I have peas, which the rabbits also got. Every time I'd go out and see new sproutings on the ends of the vines, I'd come back later in the day to find the new shoots gone, bitten away. Ah well - hopefully the garlic will solve that as well. I have no more mini sunflowers, although I can't blame the rabbits. I only had one plant that grew, and I think it may have gotten pulled as a weed by helpful little hands. Honestly, I'd rather have the help than the lone sunflower.

We've got radishes galore, the two hopeful cantaloupe plants, tomatoes, pickling cucumbers, green peppers, and pumpkins. No pumpkins yet, but flowers out the wazoo. All in all, I'd say it's a pretty good fare so far. Everything got put into the ground late, and I didn't have near the room I'd planned (that tiller kicked my butt). At the end of this season, I'll be ready with the newspapers and mulch in order to gain more space - about three times what I've got now.

The kids are C.R.A.Z.Y. The boys have cabin fever...the heat and humidity here have been awful for the past couple weeks. Now it's beautiful out, so hopefully we'll be curing that soon. Gina got another tooth, top left, second from the middle. It may not be a vampire tooth, but she'll still look vampire-ish until those top middles come in. She's crawling, standing with support, and "cruising" against furniture like a madwoman.

This weekend marks the 3rd annual (?) trip to PawPaw's over the summer. I think it's the third, but technically it's the first time going to his house up north. We'll leave early Friday morning, and I'm going to stay for a couple days to get the lay of the land there. Then I'll come back with GinaGina, and head back to pick them up the following weekend. If this doesn't cure their cabin fever, then it's hopeless. After they get back, they'll be attending VBS at a friend's church for a week, which they're excited about.

So much going on, and so little time. Soon it'll be time to start buying school supplies again and sending them off during the day. So I'm trying to make this summer as fun as possible for them. I just can't believe how much they're changing, almost day to day.

Montana

Yes folks, that's right. Montana. You want to know why? Because I'm really bad at giving titles to blog posts. And Montana was the first thing I saw as I looked around my half of The Bunker...that's the kind of guitar I have sitting against the keyboard. Not that I play...guitar or keyboard. My husband has been trying to convince me to pick up the bass and learn, but it hasn't happened yet.

Not that I'm not musical...I'm very musical. I played clarinet from 4th grade all through high school. I was drum major my sophomore and junior years of high school, then head drum major my senior year. I sang in choir (alto, thankyouverymuch). If I'd played a stage band-ish sort of instrument, I would've played in stage band as well - since I didn't, I was stage band manager. I'm musical. But I'm also very impatient, and get very frustrated, very easily. I expect to be able to pick up an instrument and play it, at least semi-well, by ear. I expect this because that's how I work - most instruments I really *can* do just that. But guitar? Not so much. Bass? Really not so much.

Did I mention I frustrate easily? :)

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So. I haven't blogged in awhile, and the blogging gods (a.k.a. BlogHer ads) threatened to hang me by my toes if I didn't post. Well, really they just freeze your ads and politely remind you to post. But hanging by your toes sounds much more...threatening. I think I'm going to have to bow out of BlogHer for awhile. I keep telling myself that "As soon as this is over, I'll have more time and be able to post more". Or "As soon as this happens, I'll have more interesting things to write about than how much dish soap I used in my dishes this evening".

Well, guess what kids? The extra time never knocks on my door, and neither do the interesting stories. Sure, I've got spare minutes that I spend playing on the computer, but that's where the interesting fodder comes in, or rather, doesn't come in. As much as I enjoy trying different scents, no one wants to hear about my dish soap.

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So, I've started raising sod from the-lawn-that-will-soon-be-my-garden.

Good. Lord.

Lifting sod is some tough work!! I mean, I'm a wimp and all, but even if I weren't a wimp - it would still be tough! I didn't even get one row done before I had to stop. Then, it snowed. Yes, it snowed in the Midwest on April 1st. It didn't stick, of course, but it was certainly enough to get me out of the spring-digging mood for a few days. I have next week off though, so I'm mentally ready to complete the first row and start to finish the second. I'm making two rows, about 5 feet wide and maybe 12 feet long? I don't know exactly how long they are, but long enough. I also started half of my tomatoes a few days ago as well. I just got another packet of organic Roma tomatoes from Gardens Alive, so I will have to plant those soon too. Also inside my delivery envelope was a note saying my order for lady beetles would be shipped separately, so I'm eagerly awaiting those!

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So what else is happening? OH! I've added a new website into my favorites over on the left sidebar - A Number of Things. She's actually helped me decide to stop using "code names" on my blog. I'd been thinking about it for awhile, as the baby quickly became Gina Bean here at home (among other nicknames), so Beanpole just didn't seem right for Thomas anymore. So...we've got Julie, Thomas, Jacob, and Gina. I'm Kelly, and my wonderful husband is Patrick. Nice to meet you! (And go check out her blog - she has a 4 month old, she gardens, AND she sews...so she's a good egg!)

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Let's see. The Boys have First Communion coming up! They've both experienced their first confession, and are all prepared for the upcoming occasion. We have to take a trip to Michael's this weekend to pick up a kit for a name banner. They have some really cute ones there. And no, Thomas and Jacob are not twins. Jacob is going through the normal 2nd grade PSR class, and normal 2nd grade First Communion. Thomas, however, has been going through RCIC (Right of Christian Initiation for Children), similar to what I went through to become Catholic as an adult. I'm so very proud of both of them, and pray that Patrick and I can teach them to be fine young men of God.

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Ah yes, and our hours at work finally got cut. We'd been waiting for it, as store front hours got cut awhile ago (twice, actually). We figured we were good at least until cold and flu season was over with, and sure enough - 15 hours less starting a couple weeks from now. Luckily, between my seniority, my senior tech status, and my need for at least 30 hours in order to keep insurance, my hours were not affected. However, a couple others got cut, and are feeling the pinch (or at least the fear of the upcoming pinch) already.

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Anything else? Oh yes! Gina now has two, count them, TWO teeth! Can't. Believe. It. Her second one just popped through sometime today, as it was not there this morning. They're both bottom middle teeth. This explains her chewing (again) recently. She's also discovered her tongue...again. She was "Tongue Baby" for awhile, when she first found out it was in her mouth. Now she knows that not only can she stick it out, but she can curl it too. It's too cute.

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Alright, I think that's it for now. I've got some new dish soap upstairs that I've been waiting to try! ;)

Spring is coming 'round.

At least this is what I hope. We had a breakthrough of warmer weather just a little while ago, but it gave way to nastiness and cold again. Today, the sun is shining bright in the sky; although it looks warm from my window, the breeze still has a bite to it. I hope that this is the last of it though, and that warmer winds will blow our way soon.

Spring break has arrived, and how quickly it came! The Boys are outside washing their bicycles down, getting them all purtied up. They've got cabin fever something fierce, and need to be outside!

Beanpole had a birthday...I now have a double-digits son!! *tear* He had friends over to the house to play the wii, and we had cake, ice cream and snacks. And after running out of gas on the main drag here in town, we also had pizza (ooops...apparently that low fuel light was burnt out!). Thanks to Andy for coming to pick me up, pizza and all!

Little Linebacker has also had a birthday, turning 8 years old. He did not have a party, which didn't seem to bother him in the least. Chances are, two months from now, he'll realize he never got a party, and pout about having one. That's how he rolls.

And just to my left lies a very sleepy Angel Cakes in her bouncy chair, which is decidedly *not* bouncing right now, because she's sleeping. We had a visit from my sister and nieces this morning, and Cakes' nap was way too short because of all the excitement. So I'm glad she's down now.

Big Boss Man also celebrated a birthday, same day as Little Linebacker's. One year older, adn I love him even more now than when we met.

We had a wonderful visit with my in-laws. I can honestly say, thankfully, that I have in-laws that I love dearly and actually enjoy spending time with. They came up from their home in a much more southern, much warmer state, to celebrate all the birthdays. BBM's brother was also able to visit for a couple days. It was wonderful having family near.

Oh oh oh!!! I also (drum roll please) finished my very first crocheted bag!!! Okay, so I asked Lisa about a pattern that I found online, which she has, not surprisingly, made before. Well, that's not the bag I made, ha!! Let me start at the beginning. My dear sweet mother taught me to crochet when I was younger, but taught me basic crochet...I never learned to read a pattern, and if I knew what a half double crochet was, I certainly didn't know I knew (ya follow me?). So, this bag isn't the first thing I've ever crocheted...but it is the first pattern I've ever followed. It turned out alright. I really don't like the yarn, but it was all I had on hand at the time, and I'm impatient and didn't want to wait for a trip to Michael's. And it was supposed to be a felted bag, but I didn't felt it because 1) I don't really like that look, and 2) that darned yarn again...wasn't the right type for felting. So, all in all it works for a crochet bag - it has room for a book of patterns, my travel-contact-lense--turned-crochet-supplies-bag, etc. The bag I'd originally asked Lisa about turned out to be, well, a little too complicated for my sort-of-beginner crochet brain, so I postponed it.

Now. I recently came across a website that sells incredible little hats...wait, I'm sorry, beanies and headbands for the little girls in your life. They are absolutely adorable! Well, they're having a grand opening give away (and when I went there today to copy and paste their web address, I saw a post that says they've gotten their store open as well!) So, go check out their Grand Opening Giveaway!! And take a gander at their store as well! (Plus they have a really good playlist on their website, lol! Normally those things freak me out, because I never know who's going to have them, and random music starts playing...but this one's good!)

Well the phone has been ringing off the hook, and I really should be upstairs painting, not down here playing. So until next time folks, have a sunny day!!

Right quick!!

Hurry! I know, I know, I'm being pushy. But desperate times call for desperate measures. I just found out about a great giveaway, but it's ending soon (like a coupla hours soon). And I haven't linked to a giveaway in SO long. But this one's worth it. Go check it out. And you know what? If you don't make it over to the site before the giveaway closes, check it out anyway. It's an excellent site, and it links to more excellent sites. I've created a link to her place on my sidebar, for easy access.

All Things Ribbon

Seriously folks (especially mom's of young lasses), get yer hineys over there and check her out.

What's in a month?

Seriously. What's a month in a lifetime full of them? Let's delve into exactly what a month brings at Whirlwind Lodge.

A month is me going back to work. This past Monday was my first official day back at work. I opened...on a Monday...which is scary. Thankfully, it didn't go badly at all. I even left on time, which is very unusual for a Monday. Also thankfully, BBM was off work, so I didn't have to think about Angel Cake being at the sitter's house all day. However, everyone and their brother (and uncle, and sister, and mother, dog, fish, etc.) wanted to talk about Cakes, or see her picture, or ask how her birth went (they may not be family, but these people have been customers for life, and went through this pregnancy with me). This means I had to think about Cakes ALL. DAY. LONG. And it means I talked about her ALL. DAY. LONG. And it means I cried A. LOT. Thankfully (I promise that's the last time I use that word), I got through it, and it's become easier throughout the week.

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A month is The Boys and Angel Cake being christened. This happened last Sunday. It was a wonderful day, as we had multitudes of family in town for the event. My father-in-law and aunt-in-law joined us for 9:30 mass, we came home for a quick bite to eat, and then joined back up with them and the rest of the family for the christening. There were 2 other babies being christened, so lots of family and friends. Angel Cake wore a family gown made by a family friend from the wedding dress of BBM's aunt (a different aunt than the one that was here). The Boys were treated to special outfits by my dad (who was also in town). I think they're growing up just a little too quickly for my tastes.


The Boys all decked out.


During the christening.


Not that I'm biased, but those are some adorable children.


With the bonnet on...{sigh}

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A month is dropping Angel Cake off at a sitter's for the first time. That happened this past Wednesday, and then again on Friday. She's only there for a little over an hour one day, and then about 7 hours on the other day. Luckily, our sitter lives just behind and down a ways from our house (within walking distance), so it's not like I'm driving all over creation before I get to see Angel Cake after work. The sitter also called me the very first day, at work, and said that BBM told her I was going to call her because, well, I'm me, and I don't like being away from Cakes. So she called to check in.


Beanpole holding Angel Cake.

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A month is winning a contest over at Lisa's blog!!! She had a giveaway for one of her awesome little notebooks, and I won!! I got a "You're a weiner!" email (oh wait, well, nevermind) that said the package would make its way to me in Misery just as soon as her little fingers could package it up. A few days later, I spy a large white envelope in our mailbox, and I know that my prize has arrived! Inside, I find these: (and you're just going to have to excuse my pictures. I live for blurriness...really, I do.)



TWO packages?!?! How do I rate?!?

Inside the littler package:



Seriously, how nifty is that? She even included a pink pen, since I'm all about the pink now! What a fantastic prize. Then, she *really* got me, however, with this other thing I found in the envelope:

***I have to preface this picture with a short story. Ever since I've "known" Lisa, I've also known about her etsy shop. She makes rockin' things like stuffed weiners with really neato names (c'mon...Balle-Weiner? Cup-Pooch-ino? You just can't get any better than that!), log carriers (don't worry gals, she's got 'em in pink too!), and reuseable produce bags, among other things. Well she'd had something for sale for quite awhile, and I wanted it. I wanted it baaaaaad. But I couldn't swing it in ye ole budget, and I selfishly continued to hope that no one else would buy it so eventually I could get my hot little hands on it.***

So, story being told, here's what was inside the bigger package:



But wait, there's more!



Of course, I cried when I opened it, but then I promptly tried on the apron.



One side has the tea towel.



And the other? A pocket. A pocket fit for...a *notebook*!!!!



And the bag? The bag is lined in green gingham. I LOVE gingham.



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A month is celebrating another year of being married to my soul mate. Big Boss Man and I reached 5 years of marriage on October 11th. We didn't go out...we didn't wrangle Mom into watching The Kids so we could invade some stuffy restaurant filled with candles...oh no. We ordered in...Steak Out, I believe. So while the celebrations weren't large, our love is, and continues to grow each and every day.


On our wedding day.

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So, while my hiatus from blogging didn't leave me with oodles of extra time in which to get the house all spic and span, or reach the bottom of DirtyClothes Mountain, or to finally finish Angel Cake's room, or to put down newspaper on the grass that we want gone for next year's hopeful flower garden...it did make way for other things. It was the last portion of the last maternity leave I'll ever take. I had precious time to spend with The Boys and Angel Cake. I think BBM and I even got to go out to dinner once.

But it's good to be back. Here's to many more months!!

67½ hours

In no more than 67½ hours, we will begin welcoming the 4th child into our family. Today, we finally went and got the carseat, a nice orangey model (BBM was right...the pink ones were just a tad too...P.I.N.K., even for me, and everything else was so boyish). With my $20 off coupon, we were able to get the extended warranty thingy, still spend less than the original cost of the carseat, and ended up with 97 cents left on a gift card!! W00T!! Now I have to admit, we bought a package of size 1 diapers as well (for convenience, since we were already there), and a box of baby wipes, and got those on the gift cards as well. Now I have a bunch of newborn diapers from a diaper cake made by a friend (she's awesome...it's her gift every time someone gets pregnant, and it's a wonderful gift...socks folded up like candles, all sorts of baby notions like thermometers, spoons, a cute little frog thing to test bathwater temps, and diapers, individually rolled & tied with ribbon...it's incredible). I also have a pack of size 2 diapers from the shower as well. We don't think LMJM will be fitting into NB diapers though (if she does, it certainly won't be for long), but I think size 2s would be a bit big. And obviously, I opened the wipes as soon as we got home, simply because now it smells baby fresh in the house!! (I know, I know...a coupla poops from LMJM, and that baby fresh thing will be long gone!).

So...I don't think it's too early to start counting down by hours, even if I don't know a specific time...they said no later than 2pm to start the induction. Of course, it could take hours after the pitocin starts dripping into my IV, but still...the whole process will have begun, and that's half the battle! The Boys are completely excited and overcome with anticipation. I had hoped to order them Big Brother and Bigger Brother t-shirts, but it just wasn't in the cards. Maybe I'll go to Michaels and get something to make them buttons or something...maybe a hat...t-shirts are outgrown anyway. I know they have big brother stuff at the gift shop in the hospital as well...I seem to remember hats there too, but I could be mistaken. Either way, they're just excited as all get out. Aww, and looking online at the hospital gift shop, they don't have clickable links to products or anything, but things can be purchased over the phone if you're not able to visit in person...how cool is that??? I really like this hospital.

So...carseat is installed, clothes and blankets have been washed and put away, bag is packed (complete with extra digital batteries), mommy is sufficiently sleep deprived already and has become accustomed to it...I think we've got everything (really everything this time) needed for LMJM to make her arrival.

So...although I've been doing better at posting more than 3 times a month, I'm going to warn everyone...if I'm not back on for a week or so, you'll know why!!! I'm sure as soon as we're home and semi-settled (hopefully just in time for kick-off of the first game of the season [the Skins vs. the Giants...BBM's team vs. one of my favorites, although not as much anymore now that Tiki's retired]) I'll be long overdue for a sit-down at my trusty computer to catch up on my own blog, plus catch up on my daily blogroll.

So...have a wonderful Labor Day, whatever your plans - be safe, be fun!!

A little surprising!

I know, I know...it's shock and awe, all the way around the board. I've now posted three times in the past few days! No more month-long hiatus between drive-by postings! You're amazed...I can feel it.

This is actually going to be a quickie, because I'm hoppin' and boppin' today. But I was looking through my early afternoon blogroll, and spotted this keeper by none other than Pioneer Woman (who I, quite honestly, took a short break from earlier...for no good reason other than I didn't like her new layout. Now that I'm used to it, I'm back to reading her as often as my other blogs. I'm sure she's pleased).

Anywho...this post isn't really by P-Dub herself...it's a guest blog by Pastor Ryan. I don't know the story behind him, if he's really a pastor or not. However, I know he has a tattoo on his right arm, and that makes him okay in my eyes. Plus he likes lasagna...he likes lots and lots of lasagna...and there's nothing wrong with that.

Delicious Mexican Lasagna

Now I've got to admit, I thought about renting my garments when I first saw the picture of this dish. But after asking BBM if it sounded good to him (Mr. Picky) and he said yes, I was forced to actually look at the ingredients. And to my amazement, it actually does sound good! It sounds really good. Maybe it would even get my kids to eat rice!

Hi, How are ya?

You know, some smart person once said "A watched pot never boils". I'm fairly certain that person wasn't talking about an actual pot of water on a cooktop...they were really talking about a pregnant friend, wife, relative, take-your-pick. The last month is a KILLER.

Well, today marks 36 weeks, 4 days. At my last OB check, I hadn't made any kind of progress one hopes for at this stage of the game, but since it's not mandatory that LMJM actually show up early, I'm okay with that. (Alright, I was disappointed, but not too much). He did inform me, however, that he'll be out of town this weekend, and I have a habit of going into labor when my OB takes vacation...so ya know. I'm just sayin'.

I'm off work today, sick call, due to some fairly excessive swelling in my feet and ankles...having a hard time getting around. But I'm still moving, because if I lay down for too awful long, my hips/pelvic bone feel like they might actually pop out of my skin and start walking around on their own. I'm digging the acetaminophen though...I think going so long without any pain reliever at all has made the simple stuff more effective. Now if I take 2 before bed, I can sleep through until about 2am, and that's only to get up to pee...after that, the meds have worn off, I don't want to take any more, and peeing at night when you're pregnant is kind of like peeing when you've been drinking. You're fine until the first time (c'mon, everyone knows about "breaking the seal")...after that first potty break, you're going about every 5 minutes. Yeah, being pregnant is no different...except the whole alcohol part.

I got a WONDERFUL present from my mother-in-law a couple days ago. Actually, LMJM got a present from her...she handmade two exquisite blankets for the baby, one in pink and one in white...they are soft as can be, and I'm having a hard time not sleeping with them myself! I took pictures of them, but now I can't find the cord to the camera. I promise though, I'll post pics as soon as I find it.

The basement room (which will lead to LMJM's room eventually) looks to be started this weekend/next week. I think we're going to go buy some of the needed supplies this weekend, and then get Greg and his crew here next week to start construction. I can't believe that's finally happening! Given the time frame he gave me, as long as everything goes peachy, he said no more than two weeks, and that's if we were able to do all 3 rooms (which we won't be able to, but that's what the original bid was for). So short of a 37 week appearance, we'll be golden for LMJM's arrival!

I think the only things left are the bassinet (which we're getting from my mom's house this weekend, hopefully), bassi sheets, towels/wash cloths (I know, babies can use the same towels and wash cloths adults use, but every baby's got to have one of those hooded things!!), and a pack 'n play that my big brother offered me if we needed it. Other than that, we're just waiting...and waiting...and waiting. I know, we're SO exciting! I did find out today, however, that the hospital I'm delivering at (which has rooms that resemble hotel rooms, by the way) allows laptops and cell phones in the rooms! Yippee!!

In other news, The Boys are having a fantastical time in 4th and 2nd grades. Little Linebacker is loving his class...he was scared of not being able to do things (But Mommy, what if I don't know how to do a math problem?" "But what if I still don't know how to do it, even if I ask her to show me again??"), but I've heard nothing of the sort since the first day. Beanpole is also getting into his classes. Notice I said "classes". They are doing "switches" for the first time this year. Different teachers had different specialty workshops over the summer, so instead of doing everything in one classroom, they're switching rooms for writing, science, and I can't remember the third one...reading maybe? I think it's wonderful to have a teacher that's just a little more specialized in one area, plus it gets them ready for all the moving around they'll do in middle school.

Well, I heard my washer stop, so I need to hobble on down there to flip that to the dryer. I can also feel my fingers swelling just a tad, so I'd better stop typing!!

Can I single someone out?

Let me tell you a story. It's about a woman who'd been badgered by her husband for a few months about starting a blog, because he had started one recently, and it was fun to be able to "publish" your own stuff...to get out there and be heard, whether it was regarding politics, family, your dog, music, religion...whatever. You were getting out there and making yourself heard.

The woman listened to her husband, probably shaking her head a couple times, hoping he'd stop with the convincing already - she didn't need someone pushing her into yet another thing she didn't have time for! She had a full-time job, a few kids and her husband to care for, an extended family to keep track of, and a household to run. She didn't even have time to go out and get a cup of coffee! People like her didn't have hobbies...even hobbies with a purpose!

She finally gave in, for no reason in particular. Maybe just to get him off her back ;) But she created this blog, and then she got almost passionate about making it "just so"...the right look, the right feel, the right sidebars, etc. She may not have an OCD diagnosis, but it rears its ugly head sometimes, and if she was going to do this, she was going to do it her way!!

The blog took off. Not famously, mind you - but she had a few subscribers, and while exploring the world of blogs, she found others who shared the same interests, others she admired because they were living a life she was unable to at that point, but dreamed of having some day, others who had passion for something and it showed in their writing. She even had a BlogRoll of her favorites. She visited them every day, looking for an update, a photo, a "Hi, I'm here!". She even befriended a couple other bloggers, and although they were separated by distance, they were kept close via email.

Time went on, things got busy, life happened, as it often does. But these friends never forgot about each other. If a blog didn't get updated in awhile, an email was sent to make sure all was well. Sometimes, just a funny comment was left on the last blog post.








This story is about me. And while I've had the pleasure of meeting one of these people, Ness, there is another I have yet to meet. Her name is Lisa, and I know I've linked you to her blog on several different occassions. She grows the most amazing pink tomatoes, she sent me some seeds that she saved from her very own garden from last year, and she has an awesome Etsy shop (I'm in love with the Lemonade Coming Right Up set!!!).

Anyhoo...this special friend of mine has done something wonderful again, and this time it was completely unexpected!! She posted a few days back about a ginormous mulch pile in her yard, and how she dealt with that and then worked in her studio (she has a studio...how cool is that?!?!?). So she posted a couple pictures of the things she was working on, and I actually looked at one of them and thought "How cool! Those are LMJM's room colors!!".

Much to my surprise and delight, I walked into the house after work today, sat down at my desk to give my feet a rest, and noticed a package sitting in front of me, addressed to the baby!! Her very first piece of mail!! Miss Lisa sent LMJM something beautiful, handmade, and very special.



I realize the picture is a little blurry to do it justice. It's a gorgeous hand-crocheted sweater for our almost-here-newest-addition!! Isn't it gorgeous?!?! And it's a perfect size for this fall/winter, when LMJM will need the warmth against the Missouri weather. She also included a card, written to LMJM, which I promptly read aloud to her inside my belly. I'm glad I read the card before I opened the wrapping, because I teared up immediately, and for once I'm not going to blame the pregnancy hormones (okay, maybe a little, but not much).

So, this woman, someone I've never even met before, has not only given me the gift of friendship, but has given my unborn child a gift as well. I cannot wait to put this special something on LMJM and show it off!! Lisa is truly a blessing to have as a friend. Go visit her blog and read all about her life, and find the jewel of a friend that I've been lucky enough to find.

Lisa, I can't thank you enough...truly. Words don't even come to me.

As for Big Boss Man, I owe him a thank you too. Without him, I would've never created this blog, and consequently never "met" these women, whether or not I've met them in real life (yet!). I love you.

Is anyone here anymore?

Knock knock...who's there?

Slacker.

Slacker who?




No really, it's just me. Would anyone like an update? Is anyone still out there? Can anyone believe that July is almost OVER?!?!?! Where the heck is the time going?

July has definitely lived up to the title of my blog...it's been a whirlwind! Dad was in town in the beginning of July, and not only did he (and Big Boss Man, a little) tear down everything that needed torn down in the master bathroom, but now we have cement board, and actual subfloor that doesn't look like it would collapse if you threw a paperclip onto it, and a toilet!! Okay, so the toilet doesn't work...but it did for maybe, 3 days! I think the whole shebang inside the tank (you know...the guts of the toilet) is botched, and I just don't have the energy to deal with that right now. Maybe tomorrow I'll attempt that. Having a working toilet for those 3 days, however, was heavenly.

Beanpole and Little Linebacker are TOTALLY ready to go back to school. They start at almost the middle of next month, so it's not far off now! I'll be making a list tomorrow of school supplies that are on sale at work this week (it's supposed to be a good week for supply sales!), although we're holding off on new shoes until right before school starts. If we got them now, they'd be filthy by the time they went back. And everyone knows you've got to have new kicks when you're going into (gulp) the 4th and 2nd grades!

Little Miss Junior Mint is growing like a weed, apparently. At my 30 week appointment I was measuring big, so they had me schedule an ultrasound at week 32. Let me tell you, this is gonna be one CUTE baby (and no, I'm not biased at all).



Now, they only got a couple shots during this ultrasound...it was more for measurements and stuff for the OB. But the above picture is just precious. Someone said she looks like she's wearing a bonnet. I didn't see it until they said that, but they're right! She's weighing in at 5lbs, so they say, and I'm praying that she'll be one of those babies that they're completely WRONG about. I've had an almost 10 pound baby before, and although I know I could do it again, I was looking forward to NOT doing it again!

My baby shower from my coworkers is this Saturday evening, already! I finally registered at Babies R' Us, and I was astounded at the cost of everything (necessities AND frivilous items). I did put a few big ticket items on the list, however, simply because BRU gives a 10% "completion discount" on stuff leftover on the registry. They'll send out a certificate anywhere from 7 days before until 7 days after your due date. So that will be a blessing if there's anything I truly need. We picked out pink and chocolate brown for the room colors, and the bedding is very light pink with butterflies and ladybugs. Very cute, VERY girly. When I came home from registering (my mom had gone with me, God love her), I went online with the list BRU gives you of necessities (yeah right), and I was simply amazed at the amount of pink I'd actually scanned!! Apparently, living with only males for almost 10 years has taken its toll on me, and I'm now ready for girly girly stuff.

I worked my last full week of work last week, which means I have tomorrow off! I've taken my schedule down to 4 days a week - this allows me to keep my Senior Tech status and benefits, but not work myself to the bone. I was having some issues, and my OB said it's better to cut down than to be put on bedrest and completely cut off. I totally agree, since I need that time to be home after LMJM is born, not before. BBM will also get to take his vacation around my due date, and it will be wonderful to have him home, not only to help me out, but to just have him home. Life gets hectic often, and the family seems to be the first thing to suffer. At least The Boys have neighborhood friends to hang out with, although that makes me sad too.

We are awaiting a written bid from our contractor for finishing the room in the basement. This will allow us to move The Bunker downstairs, finally fix LMJM's room, and have a place to put all her stuff! I think I've gotten all the clothes that she has (so far) washed and folded. Now if only the other laundry would cooperate like that!!

Who on God's Green Earth?!?!?!

Yeah, who pointed out that I had double digits to go until Little Miss Junior Mint was born? Lisa, was that you? Look, I'm already bitter because not only do you have freshly shelled peas, but strawberry goodness and fresh baked bread?? And since you reminded me, ever so excitedly, that I have less than 100 days to go before my precious little package arrives, time has slipped away and I'm now down to 87 days. Thanks. A whole bunch. Really. :P

That being said, do I really need to explain to you all why I haven't posted for {GASP} two whole weeks??? I mean, I will if I must. But I don't think it's required. I think your imaginations will do just fine. I will tell you this though: there are no signs of a slow-down anytime in the near future. In fact, if anything, I will busier than a one-armed paper hanger between now and the time that LMJM arrives, gift wrapped in a soft pink blanket.

So...I have news. Actually, Big Boss Man has news. But I'm not allowed to say anything yet (okay, so my family knows, but I'm not allowed to say anything to the general public yet). Folks, don't worry, it will be soon...like probably mid-next week soon. Aside from the usual falling in love, getting married, having babies sort of news, this looks to be one of the best things that has ever happened to us as a family. It will also be one of the most stressful, but people go through it all the time in one capacity or another, so we will fare just fine.

Is your interest peaked yet?!?!?

Well, I still can't tell you. How's that for a cliffhanger???

*********************************************************

So the IRS website finally has a mail date for our stimulus check. Granted, we haven't gotten The Letter that says how much we're getting, but still, it's a start (we know how much we're getting, but we haven't gotten The Letter). Depending on what happens, we might not have to use that money for LMJM's room switcheroo, but we'll have to wait and see. Either way, the money is spent already (isn't it always), and will go to good use.

Our closest local "farm" shut down a couple days ago. Now don't get weepy, I don't mean the actual farm itself shut down. But the parking lot they take over with all their plants and flowers and such every year had it's closing sale on Tuesday. The flowers were dirt cheap, but I resisted and only bought one (and that was for my mom for her birthday...happy Birthday Mom!!). They had a whole table of 50 cents each plants, and they were all so sad-looking that I wanted to buy them all. Their tomato plants were pathetic, dried out and falling over. It made me sad to see that they hadn't been bought by anyone. I should've asked what they did with them when they closed...if they just threw them out, I could've rescued a few of them and tried to get them going again. They have another stand that's a little further out, in the other direction from our home...maybe I should drive by there and see if they're still around.

The weather here has been INCREDIBLE. And I don't mean that in a good way. Hot, humid, and more hot and humid. I know that people have had this weather for awhile in other parts of the country, but still...it was so nice for so long, I'd even take the rain back if it meant the humidity would go away. Oh wait, I think it is supposed to rain later on today. Luckily, BBM is off work, so I get the van to drive tonight. Whew! And somehow, the male end of our hose got bent, so it won't attach to the spigot on the back of the house. I will have to replace that before long so The Boys can continue with their sprinkler play. We have been planning a barbecue this weekend for a few of our friends, and I just don't know how we're going to survive it without melting! That, plus the fact that our A/C has been acting up. The condenser line freezes completely, and we have to turn the "cool" off and just leave the "fan" on to defrost it, all the while, sweating ourselves to oblivion. We think the A/C just needs recharged, but God help us if we get someone in here and they say they won't recharge it because it has a leak somewhere. I just want to turn on the A/C...I don't want to know where it's coming from! (a nod to one of my favorite movies, Baby Boom...if you haven't seen it, get it...it's cute).

Well. I think I'm off to do another load of dishes, and maybe a couple loads of laundry will find their way to the washing machine before I head off to work. Have a wonderful Thursday, everyone!!

How is this possible???

We've been back at home now for a total of 24 hours. I'm as fed up with stuff now as I was before we ever even left!! We had an EXCELLENT time, but sometimes it's just so hard to come home and go back to the way things were...things that will never change. Never.

I'm moody, can ya tell?

That being said, I've found some great blogs since I've been home, and although I've saved most of the trip pictures to my hard drive, I still haven't uploaded them to photobucket to post. I've also taken a picture of my desk (gasp!!!)...it's awful. It's a catch-all, and I hate it...it makes me unable to think when I'm sitting here (ahhh, so that's why her posts are so scatterbrained!). It's my first major project. The second will be the van and truck (and no, I'm not copying you, 50's Housewife, I promise!). An excellent point has been made, that many of our vehicles are, sadly, our second homes. Cluttered homes mean cluttered minds, cluttered minds mean cluttered hearts. And I can't live like that. So, Biblical Womanhood is hosting a Clear Out the Clutter Challenge, and although I'm frightened, I feel the need to participate.

Now...kudos to a great friend, Diana. She's not a blogger so I can't link her, but I work with her at The Greens. She cat-sit Dexter for us while we were away. Not only did she come over daily to feed, water, and pet Dexter, but she Spoiled. Him. Rotten. And I didn't think he could get any more spoiled. We came home to cat toys scattered in all the important places in our home, and one whiney "Where-the-H/E/DoubleHockeySticks-did-you-all-go-and-why-did-you-leave-me-here?" cat...but he was happy. AND. AND this woman did my dishes. I couldn't believe it. I'd had so much stuff to get done before we left, and the dishes ended up being last on the list. She also cleaned my kitchen floor. She's an angel, and I'm proud and lucky to call her friend.

We're having a barbecue this Friday...which seems odd to me, since I have to work, but I guess I'll join in the festivities whenever I get home. This means that we (read: I) will have to put the new barbecue grill together sometime before then. I have no idea when that's going to happen, but I guess tomorrow after work is about my only choice. Not only that, but I'm starting to realize that we don't have a patio, or a back porch, or a patio set, or, I don't know, extra chairs for people to sit in. And we've got 4, 8, 12 people coming, I think? This is wonderful.

Now I am off to bed, since tomorrow is my early day. I'm dead tired, which makes no sense, since I've just had a week off. But my dogs are barking...I got too used to not being on my feet for 8 hours a day. I promise you all that not only will I post trip pictures, but I'll post before and afters of the desk (and maybe, just maybe, the van and truck too...but don't hold me to that). Perhaps my mood will improve dramatically, but Thursdays at work usually bite the big one, so I won't promise that.