9 years ago when Matt decided he wanted to marry me, I warned him, but he didn't listen! I told him--and my mother did, too--that he was willfully choosing to marry one of the clumsiest, most accident-prone women in the United States of America. He said it didn't matter to him. In sickness and in health, you know that whole bit...
Today he came right out and admitted that I am the most accident person he knows. Why?
Last Sunday, I went into the closet under our stairs to get some wrapping paper. When I came out, I discovered that Pepper had put his basket of toys in my path. I carefully stepped over the basket with my right foot. Then I stepped my left foot not quite over the basket. Unfortunately for me, that foot got caught in the basket handle, and down I went. I hit the ground so hard that Matt says the house shook. No one saw me fall, but I turned beet red anyway. I am quite certain that an hippo attempting ballet would be more graceful! I don't know what part of me hit the ground first...I think all of me hit the ground at the same time, right down to my face, which went mashing across the carpet. My right arm caught the edge of my lovely, iron/stone coffee table. I thought I had broken my wrist, but thankfully I didn't. THe next day my whole body was sore, and I had delightful bruises popping up all over. How did I manage to bruise my inner thight? I have not a clue, but I did!Dumb. That's all I have to say about that...D-U-M-B!
This morning I woke up finally feeling better. I wasn't hurting, and most of the bruises had faded away. I was all set up for a wonderful day of baking cookies. Every year I make a cookie sampler plate for each of my neighbors, all 20 houses on the cul-de-sac. I was so excited to get started that I didn't linger in bed, even though it is Saturday. I got the crust for my lemon bars in the oven. While it was baking, I began the dough for the Eggnog Thumbprints. While the butter and sugar were getting fluffy in the mixer, I answered the call of our crying kitty, who was locked out of the laundry room, and therefore was lacking access to her potty box.
Matt was very sweetly cleaning the kitchen floors for me. He pulled all the chairs out from the table, and got to work letting our iRobot sweep up. Matt had stacked our kitchen chairs in order to open up more space in the kitchen. As I walked past the chairs to open the laundry room door for Pixie, the chairs decided they no longer wished to remain stacked. I never realized until today that the top of our kitchen chairs come to a slight point. I realized it with complete clarity the second that one of the chairs speared the top of my bare foot.
By the time I managed to hobble across the kitchen and sit down at the dining room table, my foot had turned purple and my toes had gone numb. Matt removed the crust from the oven and put the mixer bowl in the fridge, and we headed for the ER. 3 hours later, I returned home, Motrin prescription in hand. Official diagnosis: Foot Contusion.
I don't think so. My foot is WHOA ugly tonight, and I can't feel my toes at all. And the pain? Let's just say if it's this bad with drugs in me, how much worse would it be without the meds! I think I'll be getting a second opinion on Monday. I think it's broke!
My friend Karon texted me tonight and said, "I'm going to have to start calling you Grace." I agree, because I am truly amazing...at getting hurt in the dumbest ways! And Matt? I told you so!
Showing posts with label Emily. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Emily. Show all posts
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Thursday, October 29, 2009
The Post for Which There Is No Title
When Matt and I were on our road trip to Colorado this summer, not having kids in the car allowed us to talk in great depth about a lot of things. All the way from Texas up through New Mexico and into Colorado, we talked about our Stories.
Every person has a story. Every person's Story is defined by different themes that weave throughout life. Matt's life has been defined by Choices and Doing the Right Thing. Time and again he has been faced with major decisions. The bad decisions have left their mark. But the good decisions have really defined who Matt is.
My Story carries three major themes: Adoption, Goodbyes, and Cancer. Being adopted has obviously impacted my life tremendously. For as long as I can remember, I have loved and respected my birthmom, Sherry. My adopted mom, Lotte, told me over and over throughout my growing up years that precious Sherry made a painful and courageous choice to give me a better life. She gave me up out of love. When I was 20, I was reunited with Sherry, with the full love and support of my parents. In the last 10 years, I have developed a very close relationship with the woman who gave me life--I call her Mama Sherry. Mama and Mommy became close friends quickly. She and my mom were both present at Snapper's birth. She came with me to visit my mom 2 days before my mom died. Our relationship has grown and deepened over the years, and she has been balm to my heart.
Here is a photo of Mama Sherry (on the left), and my mom (on the right). This photo was taken at my baby shower in 2002.
Goodbyes have punctuated my life. My best friend moved to Washington when I was 10. Another close friend moved when I was 12. Yet another close friend moved when I was 13. Much of Matt's and my relationship was long-distance, so there were lots of Goodbyes during our 3 1/2 years of courtship. I lost 4 grandparents between 1989 and 1999. More Goodbyes. My best friend from college moved away shortly after Snapper was born. In 2006 we said Goodbye to the town I was born and raised in, my whole family, and my best friend Noel. I'm facing the possibility of another set of Goodbyes to my Arkansas friends next summer. More on that later. I have said painful Goodbyes to 4 babies miscarried. The hardest Goodbye of all, though, was losing my mom to ovarian cancer in 2003.
That leads me into the final theme of my life: Cancer. My mom vs. ovarian cancer. My dear friend Beverly vs. leukemia. Both battles I have been intimately involved in. My mom's battle is over, and Beverly is still fighting hers. But those are not the only encounters with Cancer.
Today, enter a new antagonist. His name is Breast Cancer. His victim: My Mama Sherry.
Here's the question that keeps spinning around in my muddled brain: How does a girl manage to have 2 mothers and have them BOTH get Cancer?
Sherr'ys cancer is Stage 2. The prognosis is "good." But, the cancer is in her lymph nodes, which is really, really bad. Another surgery will come on the 5th. Then chemo and radiation begin on the 10th. It will be 6 treatments, 3 weeks apart. She will lose her hair. She will get very sick. And I live 1500 miles away.
Here is what I know.
1. I HATE Cancer. Have I mentioned that I HATE Cancer? Oh, in case you forgot, I HATE CANCER!
2. Life is hard, but God is good.
3. God's plans for me are for good, not to harm me.
4. God works ALL things (even Cancer) together for good. Did you hear that? All Things. For Good.
5. God will accomplish His good and perfect will through the cancer that has invaded my mother's body.
So, are you seeing another theme popping up here?
God.
IS.
Good.
Ah yes. God's Goodness is another major player in my Story.
Tonight I opened my cedar chest. It is where I keep all my treasures of my mom's. Her Bible (which I pulled out to start studying). Her journals. A few special pieces of clothing. Her folders and folders of writing about what God was teaching her during her illness.. Her daily planner, filled in up to the date she passed away. Perfume. Jewelry. An envelope of my baby teeth and notes to the Tooth Fairy. All little reminders of my mom. All the memories of my mom's 3 1/2 year Cancer battle came back to me, and I wept. Actually, I knelt on the bathroom floor, and puked and cried. And cried. And cried. My precious husband put together a playlist of songs to help me put my eyes in the right place: on Jesus. Then I prayed and prayed.
The next months are going to be difficult. I anticipate many trips to Phoenix to care for her after her chemo and radiation treatments. I'm not sure what's worse--the exhaustion that comes from the daily grind of caring for a cancer patient, or being 1500 miles away from the cancer patient you long to care for.
Ultimately,, though, I know God will work this out for my good, for my Mama Sherry's good, and for His own glory, no matter the outcome. Would you join me in praying for Sherry's salvation? More than anything, I want her to walk through this able to cling to the hope and peace that only Jesus Christ can give her.
Well, I think the writing has been what I needed. The tears have stopped, and I'm actually feeling sleepy. Thanks for your prayers, my bloggy friends.
I challenge you to take a look at your own life and your Story. What themes has God woven into your life? How has He used those themes to mold and shape you, and to cause you to grow in your relationship with Him? Blog about it. Consider yourself tagged. =)
Every person has a story. Every person's Story is defined by different themes that weave throughout life. Matt's life has been defined by Choices and Doing the Right Thing. Time and again he has been faced with major decisions. The bad decisions have left their mark. But the good decisions have really defined who Matt is.
My Story carries three major themes: Adoption, Goodbyes, and Cancer. Being adopted has obviously impacted my life tremendously. For as long as I can remember, I have loved and respected my birthmom, Sherry. My adopted mom, Lotte, told me over and over throughout my growing up years that precious Sherry made a painful and courageous choice to give me a better life. She gave me up out of love. When I was 20, I was reunited with Sherry, with the full love and support of my parents. In the last 10 years, I have developed a very close relationship with the woman who gave me life--I call her Mama Sherry. Mama and Mommy became close friends quickly. She and my mom were both present at Snapper's birth. She came with me to visit my mom 2 days before my mom died. Our relationship has grown and deepened over the years, and she has been balm to my heart.
Here is a photo of Mama Sherry (on the left), and my mom (on the right). This photo was taken at my baby shower in 2002.
Goodbyes have punctuated my life. My best friend moved to Washington when I was 10. Another close friend moved when I was 12. Yet another close friend moved when I was 13. Much of Matt's and my relationship was long-distance, so there were lots of Goodbyes during our 3 1/2 years of courtship. I lost 4 grandparents between 1989 and 1999. More Goodbyes. My best friend from college moved away shortly after Snapper was born. In 2006 we said Goodbye to the town I was born and raised in, my whole family, and my best friend Noel. I'm facing the possibility of another set of Goodbyes to my Arkansas friends next summer. More on that later. I have said painful Goodbyes to 4 babies miscarried. The hardest Goodbye of all, though, was losing my mom to ovarian cancer in 2003.
That leads me into the final theme of my life: Cancer. My mom vs. ovarian cancer. My dear friend Beverly vs. leukemia. Both battles I have been intimately involved in. My mom's battle is over, and Beverly is still fighting hers. But those are not the only encounters with Cancer.
Today, enter a new antagonist. His name is Breast Cancer. His victim: My Mama Sherry.
Here's the question that keeps spinning around in my muddled brain: How does a girl manage to have 2 mothers and have them BOTH get Cancer?
Sherr'ys cancer is Stage 2. The prognosis is "good." But, the cancer is in her lymph nodes, which is really, really bad. Another surgery will come on the 5th. Then chemo and radiation begin on the 10th. It will be 6 treatments, 3 weeks apart. She will lose her hair. She will get very sick. And I live 1500 miles away.
Here is what I know.
1. I HATE Cancer. Have I mentioned that I HATE Cancer? Oh, in case you forgot, I HATE CANCER!
2. Life is hard, but God is good.
3. God's plans for me are for good, not to harm me.
4. God works ALL things (even Cancer) together for good. Did you hear that? All Things. For Good.
5. God will accomplish His good and perfect will through the cancer that has invaded my mother's body.
So, are you seeing another theme popping up here?
God.
IS.
Good.
Ah yes. God's Goodness is another major player in my Story.
Tonight I opened my cedar chest. It is where I keep all my treasures of my mom's. Her Bible (which I pulled out to start studying). Her journals. A few special pieces of clothing. Her folders and folders of writing about what God was teaching her during her illness.. Her daily planner, filled in up to the date she passed away. Perfume. Jewelry. An envelope of my baby teeth and notes to the Tooth Fairy. All little reminders of my mom. All the memories of my mom's 3 1/2 year Cancer battle came back to me, and I wept. Actually, I knelt on the bathroom floor, and puked and cried. And cried. And cried. My precious husband put together a playlist of songs to help me put my eyes in the right place: on Jesus. Then I prayed and prayed.
The next months are going to be difficult. I anticipate many trips to Phoenix to care for her after her chemo and radiation treatments. I'm not sure what's worse--the exhaustion that comes from the daily grind of caring for a cancer patient, or being 1500 miles away from the cancer patient you long to care for.
Ultimately,, though, I know God will work this out for my good, for my Mama Sherry's good, and for His own glory, no matter the outcome. Would you join me in praying for Sherry's salvation? More than anything, I want her to walk through this able to cling to the hope and peace that only Jesus Christ can give her.
Well, I think the writing has been what I needed. The tears have stopped, and I'm actually feeling sleepy. Thanks for your prayers, my bloggy friends.
I challenge you to take a look at your own life and your Story. What themes has God woven into your life? How has He used those themes to mold and shape you, and to cause you to grow in your relationship with Him? Blog about it. Consider yourself tagged. =)
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
What I've Learned
Check out Musings of A Housewife for links to some really wonderful bloggers who are all participating in this week's What I've Learned carnival.
MUCH learning for me this week. MUCH learning!
1. It is easy to convert that pumpkin on your front porch into something delicious! I cut up one of our pumpkins, roasted it, pureed it, and made it into the most fabulous pumpkin bread I've ever tasted. I never plan to buy canned pumpkin again!
2. Beef stew made in the crock pot is so much better than beef stew made on the stovetop. Recipe coming soon!
3. 7-year-old girls are prone to panic and melt down when their goggles come off during a race at a swim meet. This tendency to come unglued is multiplied exponentially when the 7-year-od girl is coming down with a fever virus.
4. Adobe Photoshop Elements 8 is worth the investment, just for the ease of editing pictures, and the quality of the final product! I had saved up some giftcards, and was finally able to make my purchase! I love Photoshop!
5. I never fully realize how much I miss all my family in California until the holidays start drawing near. Then I miss them like crazy, and dread facing Thanksgiving and December and Christmas without all the beloved traditions and people of "back home." This will be our 4th round of holidays away from California, and I miss my family more than ever.
6. Not much else tops being told that your company is sending you on a business trip with your husband TO YOUR HOME TOWN...and that the business trip falls Thanksgiving week...and that airfares are low enough to allow you to take the kids, too! Oh, and some sweet friends will buy those kid tickets! Yes, that happened to us today!!!!! We're going Home for 10 days in November! I Can Not Wait!
7. Oh wait, something can top that! How about this:
We are missionaries. We are 100% funded by donations from individuals and churches who share our passion for seeing others reached for Christ. It has been normal that donations drop off in August-October, leaving us without full pay. On Wednesday I received notice that our paycheck for the 25th was going to be $850 short. That left us with a paycheck for less than the amount just of our bills. I resolutely looked back at how God has faithfully provided for us every time this has happened, and I chose to trust Him to provide again. I let it go, and was at peace all day, waiting expectantly to see what He would do. That very night at church, an anonymous church member left us a check for $550 and two $100 Walmart gift cards! The church treasurer was all grins when she gave us the envelope. I, of course, started bawling. Matt and I prayed and thanked God for His provision of $750. Two minutes later, another church member came to me and said, "Not a word from you now. God told me to give this to you." He gave me a hug and pressed a $100 bill into my hand. $850. The exact amount our paycheck was short. In our hands two days before the paycheck every hit our bank account!
This is not new to me, but I learned yet again that God is trustworthy. He says He will care for us. He is true to His Word, and I thank Him for it!
MUCH learning for me this week. MUCH learning!
1. It is easy to convert that pumpkin on your front porch into something delicious! I cut up one of our pumpkins, roasted it, pureed it, and made it into the most fabulous pumpkin bread I've ever tasted. I never plan to buy canned pumpkin again!
2. Beef stew made in the crock pot is so much better than beef stew made on the stovetop. Recipe coming soon!
3. 7-year-old girls are prone to panic and melt down when their goggles come off during a race at a swim meet. This tendency to come unglued is multiplied exponentially when the 7-year-od girl is coming down with a fever virus.
4. Adobe Photoshop Elements 8 is worth the investment, just for the ease of editing pictures, and the quality of the final product! I had saved up some giftcards, and was finally able to make my purchase! I love Photoshop!
5. I never fully realize how much I miss all my family in California until the holidays start drawing near. Then I miss them like crazy, and dread facing Thanksgiving and December and Christmas without all the beloved traditions and people of "back home." This will be our 4th round of holidays away from California, and I miss my family more than ever.
6. Not much else tops being told that your company is sending you on a business trip with your husband TO YOUR HOME TOWN...and that the business trip falls Thanksgiving week...and that airfares are low enough to allow you to take the kids, too! Oh, and some sweet friends will buy those kid tickets! Yes, that happened to us today!!!!! We're going Home for 10 days in November! I Can Not Wait!
7. Oh wait, something can top that! How about this:
We are missionaries. We are 100% funded by donations from individuals and churches who share our passion for seeing others reached for Christ. It has been normal that donations drop off in August-October, leaving us without full pay. On Wednesday I received notice that our paycheck for the 25th was going to be $850 short. That left us with a paycheck for less than the amount just of our bills. I resolutely looked back at how God has faithfully provided for us every time this has happened, and I chose to trust Him to provide again. I let it go, and was at peace all day, waiting expectantly to see what He would do. That very night at church, an anonymous church member left us a check for $550 and two $100 Walmart gift cards! The church treasurer was all grins when she gave us the envelope. I, of course, started bawling. Matt and I prayed and thanked God for His provision of $750. Two minutes later, another church member came to me and said, "Not a word from you now. God told me to give this to you." He gave me a hug and pressed a $100 bill into my hand. $850. The exact amount our paycheck was short. In our hands two days before the paycheck every hit our bank account!
This is not new to me, but I learned yet again that God is trustworthy. He says He will care for us. He is true to His Word, and I thank Him for it!
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Twenty Years
It was a balmy Tuesday evening, October 17, 1989. I was 10 years old and in 5th grade. My dad was on his way home from work in San Jose, California. My sister was at her friend's house in Felton. My mom and I, along with my friends Kara and Lisa, were in the car on the way to our house where we would eat a quick dinner before heading back out to Awana. Because we lived out in the country, the mailman wouldn't come all the way out to our house. We stopped to get the mail at the long row of mailboxes on our road. I clearly remember getting the mail, and slowly thumbing through it, hoping for a letter from my pen pal in Wyoming. My mom was in a hurry to get home, and kept trying to get me to give her the mail. I ignored her, and continued piecing through it.
I don't know what caused me to raise my head and look around, but I did. Goosebumps ran down my spine as I noticed the leaves quivering on the tree outside my car window. Then came a deep roar, and a sharp cracking noise as all hell broke loose and the ground began to violently shake. The shaking intensified, and the car began to bounce. My head hit the ceiling of the car several times because I had my seatbelt off to get the mail. I can remember feeling like I was in a disaster movie as the shale cliff just in front and to the right of our car cracked, and came pouring down across the road, a mere 15 feet from our car. Boulders crashed through the fence on the other side of the road, and the road was entirely buried in the landslide.
I didn't know at the time that I had just experienced the Loma Prieta earthquake, a 7.1 earthquake on the San Andreas fault on the central coast of California.
I was too scared to even cry, or talk, or move. It took a while for the dust to clear. My mom was finally able to maneuver the car up and over the rock slide. The rest of the road home up the hill was littered with rocks and debris. An occassional aftershock put me back into panic mode.
On arrival at our house, we were relieved to find it still standing. Our soaking wet cat met us in the driveway. Apparently he had been sleeping under the deck beneath our hot tub when the earthquake hit. Kara, Lisa, and I sat out in the middle of our horse pasture, safely away from power lines and structures, while my mom made a quick dash inside to grab a few things and survey the damage. Among the items she grabbed was my dad's Ham radio. We were all thankful at that time that my dad had taught me the basics of operating the Ham radio, and had set me up with emergency call letters. I turned on the radio and was able to get in contact with my Uncle Dave, a San Jose police officer. He assured me they were all fine over there. He was able to connect with my dad, who was also safe and sound.
As soon as Kara and Lisa's parents came to pick them up, my mom and I got back in the car and went to pick up my sister. We arrived home at the same time as my dad. Daddy had incredible stories of buckled pavement, giant landslides, and boulders the size of cars that he had witnessed on his treacherous commute over the mountain highway, Highway 17. We stood on our front deck and prayed together in the dusk, thanking God for protecting our family.
That night we had a candlelight dinner of lunch meat, cheese, and ice cream. We ate as much as we wanted, because we knew our power would be out for some days. After dinner, my sister and I cuddled together under the kitchen table with our dolls and flashlights while my parents scraped the kitchen floor. The entire kitchen floor was coated in a mix of Karo syrup, worcestershire sauce, and broken glass. At bedtime, I slept under my parents' bed, the only place I was convinced was safe. I slept there every night for the next month.
My sister, Jenny, and I played lots of Monopoly in the days following the quake.
The aftershocks continued for the next several days. We got so we could tell they were coming about 3 seconds before they actually hit. The crickets would stop chirping at that point. Those days following the quake were spent cleaning up messes, checking in with family and friends, and as soon as the power came back on (5 days later), watching news coverage on the tv. To that point we had listened to the news on a battery powered radio, or on the radio in the car.
That awful earthquake had devastating effects on our area.
* The quake killed 63 people
* injured over 3,700 people
* left about 12,000 people homeless
* the upper level of the Bay Bridge collapsed, causing cars to plummet to the lower level
* A two-level viaduct on the 880 freeway in West Oakland collapsed, killing 42 people
I was later to learn that the epicenter was just 5 miles from my home.
I will never forget that day. And I pray I never have to go through an earthquake like that again. That was enough earthquake to last me for a lifetime!
I don't know what caused me to raise my head and look around, but I did. Goosebumps ran down my spine as I noticed the leaves quivering on the tree outside my car window. Then came a deep roar, and a sharp cracking noise as all hell broke loose and the ground began to violently shake. The shaking intensified, and the car began to bounce. My head hit the ceiling of the car several times because I had my seatbelt off to get the mail. I can remember feeling like I was in a disaster movie as the shale cliff just in front and to the right of our car cracked, and came pouring down across the road, a mere 15 feet from our car. Boulders crashed through the fence on the other side of the road, and the road was entirely buried in the landslide.
I didn't know at the time that I had just experienced the Loma Prieta earthquake, a 7.1 earthquake on the San Andreas fault on the central coast of California.
I was too scared to even cry, or talk, or move. It took a while for the dust to clear. My mom was finally able to maneuver the car up and over the rock slide. The rest of the road home up the hill was littered with rocks and debris. An occassional aftershock put me back into panic mode.
On arrival at our house, we were relieved to find it still standing. Our soaking wet cat met us in the driveway. Apparently he had been sleeping under the deck beneath our hot tub when the earthquake hit. Kara, Lisa, and I sat out in the middle of our horse pasture, safely away from power lines and structures, while my mom made a quick dash inside to grab a few things and survey the damage. Among the items she grabbed was my dad's Ham radio. We were all thankful at that time that my dad had taught me the basics of operating the Ham radio, and had set me up with emergency call letters. I turned on the radio and was able to get in contact with my Uncle Dave, a San Jose police officer. He assured me they were all fine over there. He was able to connect with my dad, who was also safe and sound.
As soon as Kara and Lisa's parents came to pick them up, my mom and I got back in the car and went to pick up my sister. We arrived home at the same time as my dad. Daddy had incredible stories of buckled pavement, giant landslides, and boulders the size of cars that he had witnessed on his treacherous commute over the mountain highway, Highway 17. We stood on our front deck and prayed together in the dusk, thanking God for protecting our family.
That night we had a candlelight dinner of lunch meat, cheese, and ice cream. We ate as much as we wanted, because we knew our power would be out for some days. After dinner, my sister and I cuddled together under the kitchen table with our dolls and flashlights while my parents scraped the kitchen floor. The entire kitchen floor was coated in a mix of Karo syrup, worcestershire sauce, and broken glass. At bedtime, I slept under my parents' bed, the only place I was convinced was safe. I slept there every night for the next month.
My sister, Jenny, and I played lots of Monopoly in the days following the quake.
The aftershocks continued for the next several days. We got so we could tell they were coming about 3 seconds before they actually hit. The crickets would stop chirping at that point. Those days following the quake were spent cleaning up messes, checking in with family and friends, and as soon as the power came back on (5 days later), watching news coverage on the tv. To that point we had listened to the news on a battery powered radio, or on the radio in the car.
That awful earthquake had devastating effects on our area.
* The quake killed 63 people
* injured over 3,700 people
* left about 12,000 people homeless
* the upper level of the Bay Bridge collapsed, causing cars to plummet to the lower level
* A two-level viaduct on the 880 freeway in West Oakland collapsed, killing 42 people
I was later to learn that the epicenter was just 5 miles from my home.
I will never forget that day. And I pray I never have to go through an earthquake like that again. That was enough earthquake to last me for a lifetime!
Friday, October 16, 2009
It's The Little Things...
So you've probably read my melancholy posts the last few days. I have been in a funk, unable to snap myself out of it. This morning when I woke up, I sat there in my bed, hugging my pillow, and asking God to give me a boost today. It didn't have to be anything big, just a little something to brighten my day.
My God is a God who cares about little things like that. He is a God who delights in details. He is a God who answers the desperate prayers of a moderately depressed, sun-deprived, energy-deficient woman in Arkansas.
You may remember the frantic despair that slammed me a few months back when the ever-so-charming Geek Squad at Best Buy deleted photos off of my hard drive AND my backup drive. I resigned myself to accepting that I had lost all my photos from March-July of this year. I cried for a few days every time I thought about those precious pictures. Then I let it go. What is done is done.
This morning I decided to edit a few more of my childhood photos that I scanned on my California trip. I popped in my thumb drive and THERE WERE MY PICTURES!!! All the pictures I lost back in July!!! I jumped up and did the happy dance. Then I cried. Then I danced some more! Of course I updated my status on Facebook.
It never occurred to me to thank God for brightening my day by recovering those pictures for me. Until now.
It has been 2 hours since I found those pictures, and I just realized that I bought that thumb drive brand-new in August. It was purchased expressly for my California trip. Every single one of my lost pictures was lost off my backup drive in JULY. How did they end up on a thumb drive I bought AFTER the photos were lost? How did they end up on a thumb drive that I have only opened 3 times since I got home from California?
Thank you, God. I can't think of any other explanation for how those photos are on that drive! It has to be You. Wow!
I'm still trying to claw out of my funk. It is still gray outside, and I still have no energy. But my day is brighter because my amazing God clearly answered my prayer this morning.
And I got a really cute picture of Pepper this morning! Hafta share it with you.
My God is a God who cares about little things like that. He is a God who delights in details. He is a God who answers the desperate prayers of a moderately depressed, sun-deprived, energy-deficient woman in Arkansas.
You may remember the frantic despair that slammed me a few months back when the ever-so-charming Geek Squad at Best Buy deleted photos off of my hard drive AND my backup drive. I resigned myself to accepting that I had lost all my photos from March-July of this year. I cried for a few days every time I thought about those precious pictures. Then I let it go. What is done is done.
This morning I decided to edit a few more of my childhood photos that I scanned on my California trip. I popped in my thumb drive and THERE WERE MY PICTURES!!! All the pictures I lost back in July!!! I jumped up and did the happy dance. Then I cried. Then I danced some more! Of course I updated my status on Facebook.
It never occurred to me to thank God for brightening my day by recovering those pictures for me. Until now.
It has been 2 hours since I found those pictures, and I just realized that I bought that thumb drive brand-new in August. It was purchased expressly for my California trip. Every single one of my lost pictures was lost off my backup drive in JULY. How did they end up on a thumb drive I bought AFTER the photos were lost? How did they end up on a thumb drive that I have only opened 3 times since I got home from California?
Thank you, God. I can't think of any other explanation for how those photos are on that drive! It has to be You. Wow!
I'm still trying to claw out of my funk. It is still gray outside, and I still have no energy. But my day is brighter because my amazing God clearly answered my prayer this morning.
And I got a really cute picture of Pepper this morning! Hafta share it with you.
Rocking the Boat
Why is communication about important things so hard? I mean seriously, important things should be talked about. Important things like:
Finances
Hurts
Discipline
Heart emotions
Areas in your life and/or your spouse's life that need growth
The list goes on.
Yet when the time comes to talk about these things, my first instinct is to clam up and hide. Is it that I don't want to rock the boat? Is it that I just don't like being the one to create conflict? I really don't know. I just know that sometimes opening up and talking is the hardest thing to do. I have to force myself to do it.
Can anyone else relate?
I'd love to open a dialogue here, get some feedback. So here are two questions:
1. What issues are the most difficult for you to discuss with your spouse?
2. How have you grown in the area of keeping open lines of communication?
I love you, bloggy friends.
Finances
Hurts
Discipline
Heart emotions
Areas in your life and/or your spouse's life that need growth
The list goes on.
Yet when the time comes to talk about these things, my first instinct is to clam up and hide. Is it that I don't want to rock the boat? Is it that I just don't like being the one to create conflict? I really don't know. I just know that sometimes opening up and talking is the hardest thing to do. I have to force myself to do it.
Can anyone else relate?
I'd love to open a dialogue here, get some feedback. So here are two questions:
1. What issues are the most difficult for you to discuss with your spouse?
2. How have you grown in the area of keeping open lines of communication?
I love you, bloggy friends.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Gray
The last few weeks I have learend again never to take for granted:
1. My health
2. Sunshine
I have definitely been under the weather--circumstantially, physically, emotionally. I'm just a fat blob of gray sitting on a couch in Central Arkansas.
I think we have had 4 sunny days in the last month. I have long struggled with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), but have had it well under control, thanks to the glorious existence of Welbutrin! But I think it is time to talk to the doc and raise my dosage, because it isn't working! Sunshine is in the forecast for the next few days. Oh wow, am I ever looking forward to soaking up some rays!
Sickness has been tracking me like a bloodhound this last month, too. Laryngitis and bronchitis took me out in Round 1. There was never Round 2...just a complete knockout. I'm still not convinced I didn't have H1N1 in there...no official diagnosis, but my symptoms exactly follow descriptions of the virus. And here I am a week of fever-free, and still dragging all day. No energy. Zip. Nada. My family is lucky to have gotten to eat the last week!
All that plays on the emotions, too. Add a traveling husband, challenging circumstances at home, and the cancellation of a planned family trip, and I'm just kind of a mess. Oh. And financial woes, too. It's that time of year.
Sorry to host a little sob-fest here, but I journal the down times as well as the up times. Lay it all out there, because I'm far from perfect. No use being delusional, right?
Ha ha!
On the bright side, Snapper's swim team is going great! She swims in her first meet next weekend! Pepper is fully potty trained at night! Woot! I have bought my last package of Pull-Ups, at least for a time! The trees are changing colors! I have a beautiful maple tree that I enjoy all year. I purposely modify my travel route when driving to see my friend Karon, in order to drive by that spectacular tree! Be watching for pictures, coming soon. The tree needs another week or two before it will peak. Finally, I was healthy enough on Monday to go photograph my friend Jodie's new baby, Ashten. He is 3 weeks old, and a total cutie pie! Here's my favorite pics from the shoot.
Alrighty then, grumpfest is over. I'm going to make an apple cake and an egg casserole to feed my Bible study ladies for breakfast tomorrow. And I also need to pack Snapper's lunch. Then I am going to bed. Night night, bloggy friends! I am thankful for you.
1. My health
2. Sunshine
I have definitely been under the weather--circumstantially, physically, emotionally. I'm just a fat blob of gray sitting on a couch in Central Arkansas.
I think we have had 4 sunny days in the last month. I have long struggled with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), but have had it well under control, thanks to the glorious existence of Welbutrin! But I think it is time to talk to the doc and raise my dosage, because it isn't working! Sunshine is in the forecast for the next few days. Oh wow, am I ever looking forward to soaking up some rays!
Sickness has been tracking me like a bloodhound this last month, too. Laryngitis and bronchitis took me out in Round 1. There was never Round 2...just a complete knockout. I'm still not convinced I didn't have H1N1 in there...no official diagnosis, but my symptoms exactly follow descriptions of the virus. And here I am a week of fever-free, and still dragging all day. No energy. Zip. Nada. My family is lucky to have gotten to eat the last week!
All that plays on the emotions, too. Add a traveling husband, challenging circumstances at home, and the cancellation of a planned family trip, and I'm just kind of a mess. Oh. And financial woes, too. It's that time of year.
Sorry to host a little sob-fest here, but I journal the down times as well as the up times. Lay it all out there, because I'm far from perfect. No use being delusional, right?
Ha ha!
On the bright side, Snapper's swim team is going great! She swims in her first meet next weekend! Pepper is fully potty trained at night! Woot! I have bought my last package of Pull-Ups, at least for a time! The trees are changing colors! I have a beautiful maple tree that I enjoy all year. I purposely modify my travel route when driving to see my friend Karon, in order to drive by that spectacular tree! Be watching for pictures, coming soon. The tree needs another week or two before it will peak. Finally, I was healthy enough on Monday to go photograph my friend Jodie's new baby, Ashten. He is 3 weeks old, and a total cutie pie! Here's my favorite pics from the shoot.
Alrighty then, grumpfest is over. I'm going to make an apple cake and an egg casserole to feed my Bible study ladies for breakfast tomorrow. And I also need to pack Snapper's lunch. Then I am going to bed. Night night, bloggy friends! I am thankful for you.
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Tagged by Stefanie
So as I look back through the 270 posts over the last 18 months, I realize that very few are about my hubby, and even fewer are about us as a couple. I thought this tag would be fun to post! A little bit about Matt and me!
I tag Lori A, Amy H, and Christine.
♥ What are your middle names?
Susannah and David
♥How long have you been together?
We have known each other since I was born.
Dated almost 3 years
Engaged 8 months
Married 8 1/2 years
That means we have been "together" for almost 12 years!
♥ How long did you know each other before you started dating?
18 1/2 years...every day of my life!
♥ Who asked who out?
He did the asking.
♥ Who made the first move?
Our parents!
Our parents noticed the chemistry between us, discussed the situation together, and then talked to Matt about it. It made perfect sense to him because he had always wanted to marry someone he shared childhood history with (he did not believe in casual dating), so he called and asked me. And I fell over backward in my chair.
♥ How old are each of you?
me-30
him- 34
♥ Did you go to the same school?
Nope. We were in the same homeschool group for many years, though.
♥ Are you from the same home town?
We were both born and raised in the San Jose Bay Area.
♥ Who is the smartest?
I'd have to say we're both pretty smart. We're smart in different areas, though. He has amazing Bible knowledge, and I'm the math whiz.
♥ Who majored in what?
Me- Child and Adolescent Development
Him- Biblical Studies
♥ Who is the most sensitive?
Me. For sure. But having kids has definitely brought out the seinsitive side in him.
♥ Where do you eat out most as a couple?
We have a series of favorites that we rotate through.
♥ Where is the furthest you two have traveled together as a couple?
The Caribbean
♥ Who has the worst temper?
Neither one of us has a bad temper. If you had to choose, though, it would be me.
♥ How many children do you want?
3 or 4
♥ Who does the cooking?
Mostly me, though he is a great cook, too.
♥ Who is more social?
Definitely Matt! He is amazing with people.
♥ Who is the neat-freak?
We both are neat people. Recently I've been kind of freakish about it.
♥ Who is the most stubborn?
Me.
♥ Who wakes up earlier?
Matt for sure! He thinks 5 a.m. is a wonderful time of day. I think 5 a.m. is closely related to the devil.
♥ Where was your first date?
Sushi at Shogun in Spokane
♥ Who has the bigger family?
Immediate family? Matt! He has 6 sisters and a brother.
Extended family? Me! Let's just say that our wedding photographer has to stand halfway back up the aisle to take the family photo because my family is so huge! I think we sent out 50 invitations to family alone! That's 50 invitations, not 50 people!
♥ Do you get flowers often?
Several times a year because he knows I love fresh flowers.
♥ How do you spend the holidays?
Happily... together. We have lots of rich traditions.
♥ Who is more jealous?
Neither one of us is of a jealous nature.
♥ How long did it take to get serious?
2 months!
♥ Who eats more?
Matt! Because I'm a good cooker.
♥ What do you do for a living?
We're missionaries. He writes coaching emails for people who bring groups to our marriage conferences. He also travels to several conferences each year and works with the volunteers onsite. I am the blogging coordinator for our marketing and promotions department. I get to read and reply to blogs! First and foremost, though, I'm a domestic goddess/life artist. =)
♥ Who does the laundry?
Mostly me. It is my very favorite chore! (Except for putting it away!)
♥ Who’s better with the computer?
We're both experts at different things on the computer.
♥ Who drives when you are together?
Always him.
♥ What is "your" song?
You're Where I Belong (Trisha Yearwood)
Monday, September 28, 2009
Sick Carnival Ride
Do you ever go through periods of your life where nothing seems to go right? Where the world just kind of seems topsy-turvy?
Thus describes this mommy.
First it was the teeth incident a few weeks back. Yup, I gave myself a very expensive birthday present of 5 fillings in my front teeth. Going back for more in 2 weeks.
Then it was the temporary death of the garbage disposal, in which rested a...ripe...supply of rotten Chinese food. Matt's hands don't fit down the disposal. Mine do.
Next came a bad flare-up of my lower back pain, which has been off-and-on trouble for the last 5 years, due to multiple car accidents from 2000-2006. (None my fault!) Did you know that most insurance plans consider a chiropractor to be a specialist? This means paying the specialist co-pay every time I go, which has been 8 times in the last month.
Snapper's eyes were an extra shock to the system. A rather expensive shock. But mainly a sobering shock, due to the serious nature of the condition. Praise God, though, her glasses have helped tremendously!
Those glasses are a lull in the storm.
Then I got slammed with a cold. But not really a cold. Something settled in my voicebox, and I had no voice for a few days. Lots of coughing at night, and pure vocal misery by day. Never a fever, which was good, but coughing and not being able to speak are very draining. And being a mom is very difficult when you have no voice! I still cough at night, and I can't raise my voice at all, but at least I can talk!
Mix in some tension in some relationships in our home and with some of Matt's family members. Don't worry though, Matt and I are stronger than ever in our marriage.
Last night I dreamed all night. Not happy dreams of unicorns and rainbows and flowers, though. Not happy dreams of ice cream and pizza an funnel cakes, either. Nope, just a repeating nightmare, over and over, all night long. I've never been so glad to see the morning come. I attended my mom's deathbed 4 times last night. Was trapped in a room full of pictures of her 4 times last night. Spoke at her funeral 4 times last night. Realized I had printed my wrong eulogy notes 4 times last night. And broke down in front of all the mourners at the funeral 4 times, too. When the alarm finally buzzed at 6, my pillow was soaked with tears, and I have been dragging all day. Yet I'm avoiding going to sleep again.
Today we discovered that Matt's car needs a new starter, and my car may be needing a new alternator soon.
And first thing tomorrow morning, I'm taking our cats to the vet to have them spayed. And injected. And licensed. And microchipped. None of thse are optional at this point. Bye bye, $250! And it's only that cheap because FUR (Feline Urban Rescue) is sponsoring our kitties to help us with the cost.
My world is out of whack, big time. I feel like I'm spinning out of control on a money-eating, energy-devouring, sanity-testing carousel.
Can anyone relate?
Please let me off now...
Thus describes this mommy.
First it was the teeth incident a few weeks back. Yup, I gave myself a very expensive birthday present of 5 fillings in my front teeth. Going back for more in 2 weeks.
Then it was the temporary death of the garbage disposal, in which rested a...ripe...supply of rotten Chinese food. Matt's hands don't fit down the disposal. Mine do.
Next came a bad flare-up of my lower back pain, which has been off-and-on trouble for the last 5 years, due to multiple car accidents from 2000-2006. (None my fault!) Did you know that most insurance plans consider a chiropractor to be a specialist? This means paying the specialist co-pay every time I go, which has been 8 times in the last month.
Snapper's eyes were an extra shock to the system. A rather expensive shock. But mainly a sobering shock, due to the serious nature of the condition. Praise God, though, her glasses have helped tremendously!
Those glasses are a lull in the storm.
Then I got slammed with a cold. But not really a cold. Something settled in my voicebox, and I had no voice for a few days. Lots of coughing at night, and pure vocal misery by day. Never a fever, which was good, but coughing and not being able to speak are very draining. And being a mom is very difficult when you have no voice! I still cough at night, and I can't raise my voice at all, but at least I can talk!
Mix in some tension in some relationships in our home and with some of Matt's family members. Don't worry though, Matt and I are stronger than ever in our marriage.
Last night I dreamed all night. Not happy dreams of unicorns and rainbows and flowers, though. Not happy dreams of ice cream and pizza an funnel cakes, either. Nope, just a repeating nightmare, over and over, all night long. I've never been so glad to see the morning come. I attended my mom's deathbed 4 times last night. Was trapped in a room full of pictures of her 4 times last night. Spoke at her funeral 4 times last night. Realized I had printed my wrong eulogy notes 4 times last night. And broke down in front of all the mourners at the funeral 4 times, too. When the alarm finally buzzed at 6, my pillow was soaked with tears, and I have been dragging all day. Yet I'm avoiding going to sleep again.
Today we discovered that Matt's car needs a new starter, and my car may be needing a new alternator soon.
And first thing tomorrow morning, I'm taking our cats to the vet to have them spayed. And injected. And licensed. And microchipped. None of thse are optional at this point. Bye bye, $250! And it's only that cheap because FUR (Feline Urban Rescue) is sponsoring our kitties to help us with the cost.
My world is out of whack, big time. I feel like I'm spinning out of control on a money-eating, energy-devouring, sanity-testing carousel.
Can anyone relate?
Please let me off now...
Friday, September 25, 2009
A Little Catching Up
Have I mentioned recently that I love my kids? They are so cute and so wonderful. A lot has been happening in their little lives recently. This post will be mainly for me, so I don't forget.
Snapper is not the world's most graceful or coordinated child. I think her large head and ginormous feet prevent her from excelling in dance and most sports. Seriously, she's a capital L standing there, with a melon for a head! Hee hee! I have often wondered what activities she would enjoy and have a chance to be good at. This summer we found the answer. When we enrolled Snapper in our community pool's swim team, we realized for the first time that swimming comes naturally to her. She's a fish...clumsy on land but brilliant in the water. FINALLY we found something that she absolutely loves and has natural ability for. Last week we took the plunge and Snapper tried out for the year-round, competitive swim team in our town. She made the team, and started swimming with the beginning level group on Tuesday! I'm excited to watch her grow in her ability, and gain some discipline and endurance.
On the way to swim team practice yesterday, I got a call from the opthamologist informing me that Snapper's glasses were in! The doctor put a rush on them, and we got them only one day after ordering them! After swimming, we went down to pick up the glasses. I caught myself holding my breath as Snapper put on the glasses for the first time. Her eyes about popped out of her head, and she started giggling. She just sat there and giggled for a good 3 minutes, until the tears were rolling down her cheeks! Once she gained control of herself, she said, "I NEVER want to take these glasses off EVER! I will wear them forever!" On the way home from school today, she told me how she never knew how beautiful the clouds were. She has never noticed that trees had individual leaves! And she was able to read the board at school, and see the pictures in the book her teacher read, all while sitting at her desk! This is one thankful mommy!
Pepper has become completely obssessed with Spiderman. Oops, pardon me, it's "Piderman." It definitely would not have been my first choice to show Spiderman to my 3-year-old, but Matt watched it with him when I was in California in August. And now Pepper lives and breathes Spiderman. Last week I caught him spraying Shout all over the kitchen with a fierce look on his face. When I asked him what he was doing he replied, "I'm throwing my webs!" They are very clean webs.
Today I went up to the office to take Matt to lunch. When I pulled into the parking lot, I called him to let him know we had arrived. When I hung up, Pepper said, "Who was that, Mommy?" I said, "It was your Daddy." He said, "No it wasn't my Daddy! It was your sweetheart!"
CUTE!
My birthmom visited us from Arizona last week. We had a wonderful week together. Her Christmas gift to her family is going to be family pictures of all of us together. We had planned on doing a photo shoot at one of the parks in town, but it rained all week. We ended up going down to church and using the portable puppet stage as a backdrop. Nice black curtains! I made a collage of all the favorite pictures for Nana to take home with her, and I also printed 8x10's of the family photo for the Christmas gifts. I have found Walmart to be the best quality photo lab around, and the prices are great. I uploaded the pics to Walmart's website and placed my order. A few hours later, I got a call from the general manager. He was refusing to print the pictures because they were professional studio portraits! Ha ha ha! I was so tickled! Seriously, it made my day! I explained that I was the photographer. He asked me for proof. I told him I could bring down the memory card with the whole session on it. When I arrived at the store, he met me there, and made me look him in the eye and tell him I was really the photographer. Then I had to sign a copyright release! So without further ado, here are my "professional studio portraits!" Ha ha ha!
Snapper is not the world's most graceful or coordinated child. I think her large head and ginormous feet prevent her from excelling in dance and most sports. Seriously, she's a capital L standing there, with a melon for a head! Hee hee! I have often wondered what activities she would enjoy and have a chance to be good at. This summer we found the answer. When we enrolled Snapper in our community pool's swim team, we realized for the first time that swimming comes naturally to her. She's a fish...clumsy on land but brilliant in the water. FINALLY we found something that she absolutely loves and has natural ability for. Last week we took the plunge and Snapper tried out for the year-round, competitive swim team in our town. She made the team, and started swimming with the beginning level group on Tuesday! I'm excited to watch her grow in her ability, and gain some discipline and endurance.
On the way to swim team practice yesterday, I got a call from the opthamologist informing me that Snapper's glasses were in! The doctor put a rush on them, and we got them only one day after ordering them! After swimming, we went down to pick up the glasses. I caught myself holding my breath as Snapper put on the glasses for the first time. Her eyes about popped out of her head, and she started giggling. She just sat there and giggled for a good 3 minutes, until the tears were rolling down her cheeks! Once she gained control of herself, she said, "I NEVER want to take these glasses off EVER! I will wear them forever!" On the way home from school today, she told me how she never knew how beautiful the clouds were. She has never noticed that trees had individual leaves! And she was able to read the board at school, and see the pictures in the book her teacher read, all while sitting at her desk! This is one thankful mommy!
Pepper has become completely obssessed with Spiderman. Oops, pardon me, it's "Piderman." It definitely would not have been my first choice to show Spiderman to my 3-year-old, but Matt watched it with him when I was in California in August. And now Pepper lives and breathes Spiderman. Last week I caught him spraying Shout all over the kitchen with a fierce look on his face. When I asked him what he was doing he replied, "I'm throwing my webs!" They are very clean webs.
Today I went up to the office to take Matt to lunch. When I pulled into the parking lot, I called him to let him know we had arrived. When I hung up, Pepper said, "Who was that, Mommy?" I said, "It was your Daddy." He said, "No it wasn't my Daddy! It was your sweetheart!"
CUTE!
My birthmom visited us from Arizona last week. We had a wonderful week together. Her Christmas gift to her family is going to be family pictures of all of us together. We had planned on doing a photo shoot at one of the parks in town, but it rained all week. We ended up going down to church and using the portable puppet stage as a backdrop. Nice black curtains! I made a collage of all the favorite pictures for Nana to take home with her, and I also printed 8x10's of the family photo for the Christmas gifts. I have found Walmart to be the best quality photo lab around, and the prices are great. I uploaded the pics to Walmart's website and placed my order. A few hours later, I got a call from the general manager. He was refusing to print the pictures because they were professional studio portraits! Ha ha ha! I was so tickled! Seriously, it made my day! I explained that I was the photographer. He asked me for proof. I told him I could bring down the memory card with the whole session on it. When I arrived at the store, he met me there, and made me look him in the eye and tell him I was really the photographer. Then I had to sign a copyright release! So without further ado, here are my "professional studio portraits!" Ha ha ha!
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Fall Is Here!!!
Today is the official first day of fall, which means it is the official first day of my favorite part of the year! If I didn't have a lovely fall cold, I would be jumping up and down with excitement. I think last year I posted a list of my favorite things about fall. Because today demands some sort of celebration, I think I'll post a new list of fall favorites, just for fun.
My Top Ten Favorite Things about Fall
10. Fall decor. As I drive around town, I'm starting to see fall decorations popping up in people's yards. Hobby Lobby has a great selection of cute scarecrows right now, too! It is time to pull out my fall wreath for my front door! This year a cheated a bit and started burning my cinnamon candles a few weeks early. Ummmm!
9. Cool mornings. Okay, so we're not there quite yet. But in a few weeks, the weather will turn cool enough so that the air is crisp when I leave to take Snapper to school. Love that!
8. Jeans and hoodies. A good pair of jeans and a fleece hoody is my attire of choice. I love that I can comfortably wear it now!
7. Early kiddo bedtimes. Because we have to be up at 6 to get ready for school, Snapper and Pepper are tucked into bed by 7:15 every night. I am thoroughly enjoying the quiet time with Matt in the evenings after kids are asleep.
6. The end of Daylight Savings Time. Yes, I really do love the dark starting earlier! Somehow it makes everything feel cozier. On the flip side, I am always ready for Daylight Savings to start again in the spring.
5. Outdoor activities. It gets too hot here in the summer to do much outside. Fall provides us great weather for taking walks, riding bikes, and just playing in the yard.
4. Casseroles and soups. I'm a comfort food kind of girl. Since I don't cook soup in the summer, adding it back into my meal plan will be a welcome change.
3. Fall colors. Central Arkansas can have gorgeous fall foliage if the weather is right for it. It has been a wet, cool summer, so we should have some fantastic color this year! I can hardly wait!
2. Fall family traditions. Pumpkin patch, harvest dinner with friends, taking pictures of the kids in the fall leaves, Trunk or Treat at church, Thanksgiving, and getting ready for Christmas are all on my to-do list for the next 3 months! I look forward to these events all year.
1. My number 1 favorite thing about fall is the predictability of our schedule. I am happiest when life runs in a well-ordered routine. My weekly calendar doesn't vary much over the next 10 weeks, and I like it like that!
How about you? What do you most look forward to at this time of year?
My Top Ten Favorite Things about Fall
10. Fall decor. As I drive around town, I'm starting to see fall decorations popping up in people's yards. Hobby Lobby has a great selection of cute scarecrows right now, too! It is time to pull out my fall wreath for my front door! This year a cheated a bit and started burning my cinnamon candles a few weeks early. Ummmm!
9. Cool mornings. Okay, so we're not there quite yet. But in a few weeks, the weather will turn cool enough so that the air is crisp when I leave to take Snapper to school. Love that!
8. Jeans and hoodies. A good pair of jeans and a fleece hoody is my attire of choice. I love that I can comfortably wear it now!
7. Early kiddo bedtimes. Because we have to be up at 6 to get ready for school, Snapper and Pepper are tucked into bed by 7:15 every night. I am thoroughly enjoying the quiet time with Matt in the evenings after kids are asleep.
6. The end of Daylight Savings Time. Yes, I really do love the dark starting earlier! Somehow it makes everything feel cozier. On the flip side, I am always ready for Daylight Savings to start again in the spring.
5. Outdoor activities. It gets too hot here in the summer to do much outside. Fall provides us great weather for taking walks, riding bikes, and just playing in the yard.
4. Casseroles and soups. I'm a comfort food kind of girl. Since I don't cook soup in the summer, adding it back into my meal plan will be a welcome change.
3. Fall colors. Central Arkansas can have gorgeous fall foliage if the weather is right for it. It has been a wet, cool summer, so we should have some fantastic color this year! I can hardly wait!
2. Fall family traditions. Pumpkin patch, harvest dinner with friends, taking pictures of the kids in the fall leaves, Trunk or Treat at church, Thanksgiving, and getting ready for Christmas are all on my to-do list for the next 3 months! I look forward to these events all year.
1. My number 1 favorite thing about fall is the predictability of our schedule. I am happiest when life runs in a well-ordered routine. My weekly calendar doesn't vary much over the next 10 weeks, and I like it like that!
How about you? What do you most look forward to at this time of year?
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Vroom Vroom!
So my 30th birthday was mostly not great on the day itself. But as a total event, it has to be the best birthday EVER! Why? Because way back in February, this redneck, NASCAR junkie bought herself a pair of tickets to the Labor Day NASCAR race in Atlanta. Seven months of anticipation reached a glittering, star-struck peak one week ago.
On Friday we picked up Snapper at school at lunch and drove to stay with out friends Brian and Carol in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. They moved there in January, and we haven't had any time with them since then. It was so great to see them! Snapper was elated to see S and V. Baby A has grown like a weed. We ate good food, played at 2 different parks, and spent quality time catching up.
Then came Sunday. How do I begin to describe Sunday? While we sat in traffic, I very carefully painted a big 48 on my cheek.
For those of you who don't already know, I am a fan of Jimmie Johnson, who drives the 48 Lowes car. Matt says I put the fan in fanatic...I wouldn't say I'm quite that bad, but I do love my Jimmie Johnson. I showed some restraint at the race. Even though I did my nails blue with a gold 48 on each thumb, even though I put blue, yellow, and white ribbons in my hair, even though I wore my Jimmie shirt and painted my face, I left the Jimmie Johnson lounge pants in my suitcase and wore jeans instead. Ha ha! When the race track came into sight after 3 hours in traffic, I was more than ready for the race!
We walked around checking out the driver merchandise trailers and the Sprint Fan Zone. I even won a cool hat, which I later saw for sale at the whopping price of $20!
As soon as we were able, we headed into the speedway and found our seats. Because I paid top dollar for the best seats I could get, we ended up sitting up high with a perfect view of the whole track. It also seemed that the expensive seats filter out a lot of the fans who use the race as an excuse to get drunk. We saw very little of that, and were surrounded by nice people.
I soaked up every minute of the pre-race festivities, watching the pit road action through my zoom lens on my camera.
Driver introductions were awesome, and I got a good close-up view of Jimmie! Dr. Dobson gave the invocation, and a country group sang the national anthem. I got all goosebumpy when the Air Force jets did their fly-over.
Then came the famous command: Gentlemen, start your engines! The cars roared to life. They circled the track following the pace car for a few laps, and then the green flag waved and my ear drums flapped all over the place in my head as all 43 cars hit the throttle at once and came screaming by. I swear, every hair on my body stood on end! The stands vibrated so hard that I almost lost my balance just standing there! That moment ranks in the top 5 most exhillerating moments of my life!
The rest of the race was fantastic. We rented scanners and headsets, and got to listen to the communications between the drivers and their crew chiefs. Much to Matt's disappointment, there were no big wrecks. To my almost devastation, Jimmie Johnson broke an axel and spent several laps in the garage getting it fixed. However, it was still a good race with a great finish. Kasey Kahne won. I can live with that, because he is a good driver and a great guy.
Did I enjoy every minute? Absolutely! Was it worth the $270 I spent on 2 tickets? Heck yes it was! Will I go again? Just as soon as I can save up enough money to buy more tickets!
Yesterday I watched this week's race on tv. No matter how loud I turned up my surround sound, I could not feel the vibration of those incredible cars. Nor could I soak up the intense energy and excitement of the other fans. I still love watching the race on tv, but I can hardly wait to go to the next race. Happy birthday to me! It was the best birthday present ever!
On Friday we picked up Snapper at school at lunch and drove to stay with out friends Brian and Carol in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. They moved there in January, and we haven't had any time with them since then. It was so great to see them! Snapper was elated to see S and V. Baby A has grown like a weed. We ate good food, played at 2 different parks, and spent quality time catching up.
Then came Sunday. How do I begin to describe Sunday? While we sat in traffic, I very carefully painted a big 48 on my cheek.
For those of you who don't already know, I am a fan of Jimmie Johnson, who drives the 48 Lowes car. Matt says I put the fan in fanatic...I wouldn't say I'm quite that bad, but I do love my Jimmie Johnson. I showed some restraint at the race. Even though I did my nails blue with a gold 48 on each thumb, even though I put blue, yellow, and white ribbons in my hair, even though I wore my Jimmie shirt and painted my face, I left the Jimmie Johnson lounge pants in my suitcase and wore jeans instead. Ha ha! When the race track came into sight after 3 hours in traffic, I was more than ready for the race!
We walked around checking out the driver merchandise trailers and the Sprint Fan Zone. I even won a cool hat, which I later saw for sale at the whopping price of $20!
As soon as we were able, we headed into the speedway and found our seats. Because I paid top dollar for the best seats I could get, we ended up sitting up high with a perfect view of the whole track. It also seemed that the expensive seats filter out a lot of the fans who use the race as an excuse to get drunk. We saw very little of that, and were surrounded by nice people.
I soaked up every minute of the pre-race festivities, watching the pit road action through my zoom lens on my camera.
Driver introductions were awesome, and I got a good close-up view of Jimmie! Dr. Dobson gave the invocation, and a country group sang the national anthem. I got all goosebumpy when the Air Force jets did their fly-over.
Then came the famous command: Gentlemen, start your engines! The cars roared to life. They circled the track following the pace car for a few laps, and then the green flag waved and my ear drums flapped all over the place in my head as all 43 cars hit the throttle at once and came screaming by. I swear, every hair on my body stood on end! The stands vibrated so hard that I almost lost my balance just standing there! That moment ranks in the top 5 most exhillerating moments of my life!
The rest of the race was fantastic. We rented scanners and headsets, and got to listen to the communications between the drivers and their crew chiefs. Much to Matt's disappointment, there were no big wrecks. To my almost devastation, Jimmie Johnson broke an axel and spent several laps in the garage getting it fixed. However, it was still a good race with a great finish. Kasey Kahne won. I can live with that, because he is a good driver and a great guy.
Did I enjoy every minute? Absolutely! Was it worth the $270 I spent on 2 tickets? Heck yes it was! Will I go again? Just as soon as I can save up enough money to buy more tickets!
Yesterday I watched this week's race on tv. No matter how loud I turned up my surround sound, I could not feel the vibration of those incredible cars. Nor could I soak up the intense energy and excitement of the other fans. I still love watching the race on tv, but I can hardly wait to go to the next race. Happy birthday to me! It was the best birthday present ever!
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Hippo Birdie 2 Emily!
Well, it has happened. I have had my 30th birthday. Everyone keeps telling me that the 30's are the best of all. I sure hope they're right!
Today has not been a very exciting birthday. I woke up feeling exhausted, and both kids were grumpy and tearful. Matt couldn't take lunchtime off. Pepper was feisty all day. Snapper chose today to be firmly set against being obedient or cooperative. Even our nice dinner out was almost disastrous, as Snapper ignored my buffet choices instructions and then loudly complained about the food, and Pepper scarfed down his Jell-O and fruit punch before eating anything healthy. He had to be promptly removed from the restaurant because all the red junk food in his belly threatened to reappear. I cried 3 times today for stupid reasons, which totally frustrated (and concerned) me. Then I remembered that I have not taken my regular meds in 5 days because I keep forgetting to refill my prescription. That, more than anything else I'm sure, put the biggest damper on my day. Guess what will be the first thing I do when the pharmacy opens in the morning! I have the bottle sitting on top of my cell phone so I won't forget.
All the junk aside though, there were some really special moments to my day. Once my brain chemicals re-balance, I'm sure I'll feel much more positive. Until then, I will list the special moments of my 30th birthday, and let that be my focus as I go to bed. Yes, 30 must be old because I'm going to bed before 9...
1. Waffles for breakfast on the red You Are Special Today plate.
2. A Happy Birthday serenade from my sweet friends Steve and Stephanie when I picked up their son to take him to school (my morning to drive the carpool).
3. Spending money for my Atlanta weekend from my sweet mother-in-law, and 100 roses from my daddy and step-mom!
4. A stop at my BFF Karon's house, where she had made me some nut-free banana bread, complete with a birthday candle! She sang happy birthday to me and we enjoyed banana bread together. I'm of the opinion that a good friend is the best gift of all. Oh, and she also gave me a die-cast Jimmie Johnson car!!! You rock, Karon, and I love you dearly!
5. A nice, satisfying visit to the chiropractor.
6. Lunch with one of my very favorite Awana kids.
7. Spending money for my Atlanta weekend from Steve and Stephanie...in a really awesome racecar birthday card that makes revving engine noises when I open it! Perfect? Yes!
8. 70 wonderful birthday notes posted to my Facebook wall from all my wonderful friends. It was so much fun reading all that love!
9. Several text messages, emails, and phone calls from my family members.
10. A wonderful, perfect birthday card from my very best friend/husband/soulmate/lover/etc. Matt.
Now my bed awaits me with freshly bleached sheets! Don't you love freshly bleached sheets? I sure do! I also love the cinnamon candles I bought at Hobby Lobby day before yesterday! Tomorrow we're off to Tennessee to spend a day with our BFFs Brian and Carol, and their 3 sweetie pie girls. (In case you're wondering how many BFFs I have, there are 3: Noel in California, Karon in Arkansas, and Carol in Tennessee). Snapper and Pepper will stay with Brian and Carol while Matt and I go to Atlanta for the race. If you are a race fan, watch for me on Sunday night! We'll be sitting in between the start/finish line and the beginning of turn 1. We're just a few rows back in the 2nd level. Have I mentioned that I'M SO EXCITED?!?!?!?!?!?!? Sunday can't come fast enough for me! Alrighty then, I'm off to bed. Too tired to function anymore tonight. I'll talk to y'all when I get home on Tuesday. This is the 30-year-old mama, signing out.
Today has not been a very exciting birthday. I woke up feeling exhausted, and both kids were grumpy and tearful. Matt couldn't take lunchtime off. Pepper was feisty all day. Snapper chose today to be firmly set against being obedient or cooperative. Even our nice dinner out was almost disastrous, as Snapper ignored my buffet choices instructions and then loudly complained about the food, and Pepper scarfed down his Jell-O and fruit punch before eating anything healthy. He had to be promptly removed from the restaurant because all the red junk food in his belly threatened to reappear. I cried 3 times today for stupid reasons, which totally frustrated (and concerned) me. Then I remembered that I have not taken my regular meds in 5 days because I keep forgetting to refill my prescription. That, more than anything else I'm sure, put the biggest damper on my day. Guess what will be the first thing I do when the pharmacy opens in the morning! I have the bottle sitting on top of my cell phone so I won't forget.
All the junk aside though, there were some really special moments to my day. Once my brain chemicals re-balance, I'm sure I'll feel much more positive. Until then, I will list the special moments of my 30th birthday, and let that be my focus as I go to bed. Yes, 30 must be old because I'm going to bed before 9...
1. Waffles for breakfast on the red You Are Special Today plate.
2. A Happy Birthday serenade from my sweet friends Steve and Stephanie when I picked up their son to take him to school (my morning to drive the carpool).
3. Spending money for my Atlanta weekend from my sweet mother-in-law, and 100 roses from my daddy and step-mom!
4. A stop at my BFF Karon's house, where she had made me some nut-free banana bread, complete with a birthday candle! She sang happy birthday to me and we enjoyed banana bread together. I'm of the opinion that a good friend is the best gift of all. Oh, and she also gave me a die-cast Jimmie Johnson car!!! You rock, Karon, and I love you dearly!
5. A nice, satisfying visit to the chiropractor.
6. Lunch with one of my very favorite Awana kids.
7. Spending money for my Atlanta weekend from Steve and Stephanie...in a really awesome racecar birthday card that makes revving engine noises when I open it! Perfect? Yes!
8. 70 wonderful birthday notes posted to my Facebook wall from all my wonderful friends. It was so much fun reading all that love!
9. Several text messages, emails, and phone calls from my family members.
10. A wonderful, perfect birthday card from my very best friend/husband/soulmate/lover/etc. Matt.
Now my bed awaits me with freshly bleached sheets! Don't you love freshly bleached sheets? I sure do! I also love the cinnamon candles I bought at Hobby Lobby day before yesterday! Tomorrow we're off to Tennessee to spend a day with our BFFs Brian and Carol, and their 3 sweetie pie girls. (In case you're wondering how many BFFs I have, there are 3: Noel in California, Karon in Arkansas, and Carol in Tennessee). Snapper and Pepper will stay with Brian and Carol while Matt and I go to Atlanta for the race. If you are a race fan, watch for me on Sunday night! We'll be sitting in between the start/finish line and the beginning of turn 1. We're just a few rows back in the 2nd level. Have I mentioned that I'M SO EXCITED?!?!?!?!?!?!? Sunday can't come fast enough for me! Alrighty then, I'm off to bed. Too tired to function anymore tonight. I'll talk to y'all when I get home on Tuesday. This is the 30-year-old mama, signing out.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Happy Birthday-Eve to Me!
Today was my last day of being 20-something. Yup, tomorrow I will enter my 30's. Weird? Yes. I can remember being a little kid and thinking about Old. At what age does a person officially become elderly? To my 6-year-old mind, Old began at age 30. Now that I am almost that magic age, I know better. Old begins when you decide not to be young anymore. That in mind, I decided to have fun on my last day of 29. I had it all planned out--after I picked Pepper up from school, I was going to take him out for a pizza lunch, do some birthday shopping for Snapper, take Pepper's bike to the park and work with him on riding it, and go to the library for book time before Snapper got home from school. It was going to be a wonderful day, full of fun for my little boy and me.
We got to have our pizza lunch together. He ate 4 slices of pizza, making it very worth the investment! Then we headed over to Barnes and Noble so Pepper could buy books to give Sis for her birthday. As I sat at the red light getting ready to turn into the parking lot, I had a sudden, strange sensation in my mouth. And then I felt something hard on my tongue. I reached in and removed what I thought was a piece of my lunch, only to find a chunk of tooth. And then the pain hit. Feeling the back of my teeth with my tongue confirmed that a large piece of the small tooth next to one of my front teeth had indeed chunked out. I am currently between dentists. So I got a couple of recommendations from friends, and made a few calls to find a dentist who would take a right-away emergency case. Matt came and picked up Pepper from me, and I drove 20 minutes to my new dentist's office.
I left the office 3 hours after I arrived. Turns out I had 4 moderate cavities and 1 major cavity in my front teeth. Yes people, in my front teeth. The piece that broke off was not even related to a cavity. So while my smile is sparkling and white once again (those teeth had gotten kinda tired-looking), my pockets and the front of my face are sore. All I can say is thank God for nitrous oxide and motrin! And thank God for grandparents whose hard work and generosity to me over the years paid my very...hefty...dental bill today.
Okay you moms, I can't stress this enough: Brush your children's teeth every morning and every night. Post a list of their favorite songs by the bathroom sink, and let them pick a song for you to sing to them while you brush their teeth for them. It has to be a substantial song like Jesus Loves Me (3 verses), or Old MacDonald (3 animals). Or recite 5 Little Monkeys for them while you brush. Get some of those handy, pre-strung flossers and floss their teeth, too. Get them started in a good pattern of oral hygiene while they are very young. Their teeth (and your bank account) are worth it.
To set the record straight, I don't neglect my teeth. In fact, I am ridiculously anal about taking good care of them. I think it is disgusting that regardless of brushing 2-3 times a day, flossing every day, and using mouthwash, I have these issues, while my husband, who brushes once a day and never flosses, never has any problems with his teeth. Ugh!
So happy birthday eve to me! I sure hope Matt already bought my birthday present, because my miscellaneous/gift budget is gone until February!
We got to have our pizza lunch together. He ate 4 slices of pizza, making it very worth the investment! Then we headed over to Barnes and Noble so Pepper could buy books to give Sis for her birthday. As I sat at the red light getting ready to turn into the parking lot, I had a sudden, strange sensation in my mouth. And then I felt something hard on my tongue. I reached in and removed what I thought was a piece of my lunch, only to find a chunk of tooth. And then the pain hit. Feeling the back of my teeth with my tongue confirmed that a large piece of the small tooth next to one of my front teeth had indeed chunked out. I am currently between dentists. So I got a couple of recommendations from friends, and made a few calls to find a dentist who would take a right-away emergency case. Matt came and picked up Pepper from me, and I drove 20 minutes to my new dentist's office.
I left the office 3 hours after I arrived. Turns out I had 4 moderate cavities and 1 major cavity in my front teeth. Yes people, in my front teeth. The piece that broke off was not even related to a cavity. So while my smile is sparkling and white once again (those teeth had gotten kinda tired-looking), my pockets and the front of my face are sore. All I can say is thank God for nitrous oxide and motrin! And thank God for grandparents whose hard work and generosity to me over the years paid my very...hefty...dental bill today.
Okay you moms, I can't stress this enough: Brush your children's teeth every morning and every night. Post a list of their favorite songs by the bathroom sink, and let them pick a song for you to sing to them while you brush their teeth for them. It has to be a substantial song like Jesus Loves Me (3 verses), or Old MacDonald (3 animals). Or recite 5 Little Monkeys for them while you brush. Get some of those handy, pre-strung flossers and floss their teeth, too. Get them started in a good pattern of oral hygiene while they are very young. Their teeth (and your bank account) are worth it.
To set the record straight, I don't neglect my teeth. In fact, I am ridiculously anal about taking good care of them. I think it is disgusting that regardless of brushing 2-3 times a day, flossing every day, and using mouthwash, I have these issues, while my husband, who brushes once a day and never flosses, never has any problems with his teeth. Ugh!
So happy birthday eve to me! I sure hope Matt already bought my birthday present, because my miscellaneous/gift budget is gone until February!
Saturday, August 22, 2009
It Came to Me in the Shower...
For the past few days I've had blog on the brain. Ever since deciding to revamp my blog, I've been trying to think of a new name to go along with the new focus. My poor contest was seriously under-attended. Thanks so much, Lori and Sarah, for your entries! They were all great ideas, and I had even selected one of them as my winner...until I did a google search for that name. Unfortunately, there are other brilliant thinkers out there who already snatched up your ideas. Not a single one of the names submitted was available! Other mommy bloggers had already taken them. So it was back to square one for me.
Last night I was out way too late--until around like 1:30ish--scrapbooking with my friends at church. When my charming husband and son woke me up at 7:45 this morning, my brain was a worthless mess of cobwebs. I took a long, hot shower in an attempt to clear the fluff between my ears. Apparently it worked, because as I was combing the conditioner through my hair, it came to me!
A Mother's Masterpiece
For a brief moment I was very excited. And then my brain called it quits. At 9:30 Matt walked me upstairs and put me back to bed, where I recharged my system until 1:30. What a good man! Tonight I've been thinking hard about a tagline. I went back to the most defining written moment of my life for inspiration. That did the trick, along with a little bit of help from Lori's tagline ideas.
So here's the big reveal.....
A Mother's Masterpiece
Delightful details on the canvas of everyday life
So Lori, because your tagline was important in helping me develop mine, you are the winner! I'll get that book in the mail to you this week.
I'd love feedback from my friends. What do you think?
Last night I was out way too late--until around like 1:30ish--scrapbooking with my friends at church. When my charming husband and son woke me up at 7:45 this morning, my brain was a worthless mess of cobwebs. I took a long, hot shower in an attempt to clear the fluff between my ears. Apparently it worked, because as I was combing the conditioner through my hair, it came to me!
A Mother's Masterpiece
For a brief moment I was very excited. And then my brain called it quits. At 9:30 Matt walked me upstairs and put me back to bed, where I recharged my system until 1:30. What a good man! Tonight I've been thinking hard about a tagline. I went back to the most defining written moment of my life for inspiration. That did the trick, along with a little bit of help from Lori's tagline ideas.
So here's the big reveal.....
A Mother's Masterpiece
Delightful details on the canvas of everyday life
So Lori, because your tagline was important in helping me develop mine, you are the winner! I'll get that book in the mail to you this week.
I'd love feedback from my friends. What do you think?
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Of Butterflies and Rodents
I began my phone call to Matt yesterday with this question: "Which do you want first--the good news or the bad news?" Like me, he always prefers to hear bad news first, then chase it with the good news. But not yesterday. Yesterday I gave him the good news first. Here is what I said.
The good news is that our annual termite inspection turned up no evidence of termites.
The bad news is that the termite inspector found a really bad rat infestation in the crawl space under our house. There was evidence of possums there, too.
The good news is that we don't have to pay Terminix $1200 to clean out the crawl space, and that it will only cost us $30.
The bad news is that to get the $30 rate, you will have to clean it out yourself.
The good news is that insulation is easy to remove.
The bad news is that the insulation is so full of rat urine and crap that you'll need to wear a protective body suit, gloves, mask, and goggles in order to clean it all out. Thus, the $30.
The good news is that once the crawl space is cleaned out, we should all be much healthier.
The bad news is that all the respiratory illnesses we've had in our family in the last few months have been caused by bacteria from the rat-crapped crawl space seeping into our air system. It could even be the main, contributing factor in Pepper's chronic croup. (at this point commence the gagging...)
I finished my announcement with a piece of good news: "Guess what Honey? There's nothing on our calendar for this weekend so you can clean out the crawl space tomorrow!" Oh goodie...
When we woke up this morning, we were not yet ready to tackle the rat room. We figured the likelihood of encountering rats was higher during the morning, so we opted to wait for afternoon. Instead, we headed out to the Little Rock Farmer's Market for one more summer morning before school starts. I love the colors, smells, and sounds of the Farmer's Market. I didn't buy anything today because frankly, my spending money has grown wings and flown away. But my camera ate up the fresh produce and flowers just fine for free. We also paid a visit to the park by the Farmer's Market, which has a wonderful fountain for kids to play in. Snapper and Pepper love this park. It was one last splash of summer before school starts on Wednesday. Here are a few pictures from my morning.
This afternoon Matt and I tackled the rat toilet. Lucky Matt got to wear the protective gear and go under the house to rip out the offending insulation. He's my own, personal superhero...Rat Matt to the rescue!
I tied a bandana around my face, wore the oldest clothes I could find, and pulled all the insulation into a pile in the yard as Matt shoved it out from under the house. I can't even begin to describe how GROSS, YUCKY, DISGUSTING, REVOLTING, HORRID, NASTY, and EWWWWWWWW that job was! When all the insulation was out, it made a pile 15 feet long, 8 feet wide, and 6 feet high. It then took us an hour to stuff all that insulation into black trash bags...17 of them, to be exact. I can't tell you the last time my shower was so inviting and wonderful!
The next step will be to put ammonia under the house to drive out any remaining rats. Then we'll seal the pipe they're using as a door, and hope none have stayed behind to die under the house. If that happens, Terminix will come and remove the dead rat. Thank God for Terminix!
Because this post has been so nasty, I'd better leave you with something lovely to dwell on, something that won't give you the heebie-jeebies, but will fill your mind with visions of rainbows, flowers, and butterflies. Here's my favorite photo of the weekend, taken in my neighbor's zinnia bed. It might even be my favorite nature photo I have ever taken! Have I mentioned I love my camera?
The good news is that our annual termite inspection turned up no evidence of termites.
The bad news is that the termite inspector found a really bad rat infestation in the crawl space under our house. There was evidence of possums there, too.
The good news is that we don't have to pay Terminix $1200 to clean out the crawl space, and that it will only cost us $30.
The bad news is that to get the $30 rate, you will have to clean it out yourself.
The good news is that insulation is easy to remove.
The bad news is that the insulation is so full of rat urine and crap that you'll need to wear a protective body suit, gloves, mask, and goggles in order to clean it all out. Thus, the $30.
The good news is that once the crawl space is cleaned out, we should all be much healthier.
The bad news is that all the respiratory illnesses we've had in our family in the last few months have been caused by bacteria from the rat-crapped crawl space seeping into our air system. It could even be the main, contributing factor in Pepper's chronic croup. (at this point commence the gagging...)
I finished my announcement with a piece of good news: "Guess what Honey? There's nothing on our calendar for this weekend so you can clean out the crawl space tomorrow!" Oh goodie...
When we woke up this morning, we were not yet ready to tackle the rat room. We figured the likelihood of encountering rats was higher during the morning, so we opted to wait for afternoon. Instead, we headed out to the Little Rock Farmer's Market for one more summer morning before school starts. I love the colors, smells, and sounds of the Farmer's Market. I didn't buy anything today because frankly, my spending money has grown wings and flown away. But my camera ate up the fresh produce and flowers just fine for free. We also paid a visit to the park by the Farmer's Market, which has a wonderful fountain for kids to play in. Snapper and Pepper love this park. It was one last splash of summer before school starts on Wednesday. Here are a few pictures from my morning.
This afternoon Matt and I tackled the rat toilet. Lucky Matt got to wear the protective gear and go under the house to rip out the offending insulation. He's my own, personal superhero...Rat Matt to the rescue!
I tied a bandana around my face, wore the oldest clothes I could find, and pulled all the insulation into a pile in the yard as Matt shoved it out from under the house. I can't even begin to describe how GROSS, YUCKY, DISGUSTING, REVOLTING, HORRID, NASTY, and EWWWWWWWW that job was! When all the insulation was out, it made a pile 15 feet long, 8 feet wide, and 6 feet high. It then took us an hour to stuff all that insulation into black trash bags...17 of them, to be exact. I can't tell you the last time my shower was so inviting and wonderful!
The next step will be to put ammonia under the house to drive out any remaining rats. Then we'll seal the pipe they're using as a door, and hope none have stayed behind to die under the house. If that happens, Terminix will come and remove the dead rat. Thank God for Terminix!
Because this post has been so nasty, I'd better leave you with something lovely to dwell on, something that won't give you the heebie-jeebies, but will fill your mind with visions of rainbows, flowers, and butterflies. Here's my favorite photo of the weekend, taken in my neighbor's zinnia bed. It might even be my favorite nature photo I have ever taken! Have I mentioned I love my camera?
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
The Many Travels
Well hello there, strangers! That's how I feel. It has been so long since I had the time to sit down and write. There has been much going on and many miles covered. Thanks to those of you who emailed to check on me. Yes, I am fine. All is well now that I'm sleeping in my own bed again.
In the last two weeks Matt and I covered a lot of miles in our trusty, teal minivan. I'll let this photo collage I made give you an idea of how many miles!
Every other year our sending agency holds a staff conference in Colorado. We gathered for 9 days with the many other U.S. staff for a wonderful schedule of speakers, worship, prayer, and seminars on practical topics. Matt and I had many quiet hours together. We took advantage of the kid-free time to re-evaluate where we are as a married couple, as parents, and in our ministry. We did a lot of laughing, plenty of crying, and even more dreaming. We asked God to show up and reveal His plan for our family, and He did just that. I have some exciting things to tell you, but that will have to wait for another week or two. I don't have the time to do justice to what I want to say. Anyway, the conference was absolutely fantastic. We have come home refreshed in every way, and ready to tackle life again. The kids had a great time at home with the friend who stayed with them. They did lots of fun things together, and didn't even want to talk to us on the phone until the last few days of our trip!
Two weeks ago I blogged about all the food we ate along the road, and I promised some pictures. Here are a few.
Chicken fried steak in Oklahoma
Steak in Texas
Waffle...obviously in Texas!
Sushi with friends Gary and Michelle in Colorado
Every Christmas I make a photo calendar for the people who support us. In the past it has all been Arkansas scenery. This year it will include some photos from our travels. Here are a few favorites, a sneak peek for those who will get that calendar!
Wyoming
Wyoming
Nebraska
Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas
Well, that pretty much sums it up for now. I leave on Thursday for California. I'm going to spend 6 days there with my sister going through photo albums and scanning pictures of my childhood. I'm looking forward to some time with my dad and step-mom, and my auntie, uncle, and cousins, too! Matt and the kids are staying home this time. I'll try to blog from CA, but I doubt I'll get to it. So until I return, adios!
In the last two weeks Matt and I covered a lot of miles in our trusty, teal minivan. I'll let this photo collage I made give you an idea of how many miles!
Every other year our sending agency holds a staff conference in Colorado. We gathered for 9 days with the many other U.S. staff for a wonderful schedule of speakers, worship, prayer, and seminars on practical topics. Matt and I had many quiet hours together. We took advantage of the kid-free time to re-evaluate where we are as a married couple, as parents, and in our ministry. We did a lot of laughing, plenty of crying, and even more dreaming. We asked God to show up and reveal His plan for our family, and He did just that. I have some exciting things to tell you, but that will have to wait for another week or two. I don't have the time to do justice to what I want to say. Anyway, the conference was absolutely fantastic. We have come home refreshed in every way, and ready to tackle life again. The kids had a great time at home with the friend who stayed with them. They did lots of fun things together, and didn't even want to talk to us on the phone until the last few days of our trip!
Two weeks ago I blogged about all the food we ate along the road, and I promised some pictures. Here are a few.
Chicken fried steak in Oklahoma
Steak in Texas
Waffle...obviously in Texas!
Sushi with friends Gary and Michelle in Colorado
Every Christmas I make a photo calendar for the people who support us. In the past it has all been Arkansas scenery. This year it will include some photos from our travels. Here are a few favorites, a sneak peek for those who will get that calendar!
Wyoming
Wyoming
Nebraska
Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas
Well, that pretty much sums it up for now. I leave on Thursday for California. I'm going to spend 6 days there with my sister going through photo albums and scanning pictures of my childhood. I'm looking forward to some time with my dad and step-mom, and my auntie, uncle, and cousins, too! Matt and the kids are staying home this time. I'll try to blog from CA, but I doubt I'll get to it. So until I return, adios!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)