Half-zheimers?

During the fall, my husband and I hit some of the sales and picked up some gifts for him at a bookstore. We tucked them away for his birthday and Christmas. Included in these gifts were four books in a series. We gave him two for his birthday, and two for Christmas.

When he opened the first book on his birthday, he had totally forgotten we had purchased it. I thought that would jog his memory of the second gift to unwrap, but no, he was equally surprised by the second book. I thought he would definitely remember he had two more to open for Christmas.

Uh,no. In fact, he could not remember what any of the gifts we'd purchased together were. He did, however, remember the one gift he did not buy--he stumbled onto it in Miss A's drawer in early December.

Next year, I will let him pick out all of his own gifts and he will be amazed at what I got him. Maybe this isn't such a bad thing after all!

Guess when we opened our presents??

Not counting the ones we opened early during our housebound insanity, what time did our family open Christmas presents on Christmas day? (Go to the comments to see the answer.)

Santa's real...right???

Merry Christmas Eve! We spent the day getting our kidneys bruised while driving over the ice ruts in the road in order to do a couple of returns before the return lines are a mile long. We came home with the intention of not going out again, but, alas, the jeans we bought for Miss A yesterday didn't fit so out we went again (see reason above). I feel like if I never see another store again, it will be OK. Everyone has been so cooped up with the storms and there is an extra dose of Christmas Eve frenzy in the air because of it. I am just thankful I've been done for weeks. I think I might have started having seizures with the dog if I had all my shopping still to do and was stuck at home for the last week and a half before Christmas.

Miss M did her best to send us into a Christmas tailspin, however. Earlier this year, she and Miss A figured out the "big secret" about Santa. Man, that has made my life easier. We paid tooth fairy money by raincheck without guilt. It was great. All fall, when the girls have seen something they really want and it was on sale, I'd just buy it with them there. It made Christmas shopping a lot easier. We did pick up a few surprises, but the pressure for the "Santa gift" was off.

This afternoon, Miss M was running around the house with ropes and other paraphenalia setting booby traps. She informed us that she is going to see once and for all if Santa is real...and it was obvious she has decided believing is cool again. Great...she never wrote Santa a letter, didn't want to sit on his lap at the mall, but she wants the gig.

Um...it's 5 pm on Christmas Eve...it's going to be tough to get anything, let alone her very specific list. We've got all the good gifts under the tree, too! This is worse than the year she decided she wanted a parakeet from Santa four days before Christmas.

We sat her down and told her she gets to fill the stockings, but that didn't phase her. She still expects Santa to come. I guess she'll get disappointed. Oh well, it's just one more thing she'll need therapy for when she gets older. =)

Oh what do you do on day 10 of snowfest 2008?

My husband felt the need to go into work today...he seemed to think it was a good idea to show his face before he takes the next week and a half off. I was left with a 2-wheel drive car with no chains = we're not going anywhere. Top it off with the epileptic dog, and I had a doozy of a day ahead of me.

I got my to do list done pretty early in the day, and was contemplating what to do when it hit me--I really wanted to rearrange our bedroom. Obviously, insanity had set in because what woman in her right mind says, "Hey, it's only a king size bed with headboard, footboard and rails...how hard can that be? Large armoire? Piece of cake! Dresser drawers? Child's play!"

I started with the dresser and moved it into the closet since that is where it would likely end up. Nevermind that our master bath is long hall across the back of our house...I emptied the drawers and shimmied it out of our room, through the bathroom and into the closet.

Next up: the bed. I'll spare the gruesome details, but somehow I moved a heavy pillowtop mattress off the bed and got it standing up. Then I enlisted Miss A to stand against it so it wouldn't fall over while I moved the box springs off and took apart the headboard/footboard/rails. I moved that part, got the box springs back on and somehow got the mattress back on. It wasn't until later that I discovered that although king mattresses may look square, they're not. I had to rotate that stupid, heavy, awkward mattress 90 degrees. It was amazing how much better everything fit once I turned it.

I was left with next to no room to move the armoire, but I muscled the 20" TV/VCR/DVD out and moved it over to another wall. About this time, I realized that the dresser just might fit back in the room, so I dragged it out of the closet back into the room. Oops...it didn't fit after all, so I dragged it back again (this is the third time I'd moved the stupid thing in a couple of hours). I looked at the closet and decided that since I have closed the door of it a few times in ten years that it was OK to take it off its hinges so that the dresser could fit on the big wall. Miss M thought that was the coolest thing ever, and spent the rest of the afternoon asking if she could use the screwdriver to take the other half of the hinges off the door frame. Uh, no!

About that time, my husband came home and pronounced me certifiably insane. I think I was, especially since the dog had a seizure in the middle of it. There's nothing like having your dog fall over and hit his head on your bed while you're trying to move furniture!

The room is almost put back together. I did decide to wait for my husband to move my hope chest upstairs and a side table downstairs. I guess I still have a shred of common sense left.

We're due for more snow tonight and tomorrow...could be another foot by the time we're done. Good thing my husband's not going to work until after the new year or else I might rearrange the entire house!

We made it to the vet...

We braved it out to our vet today (brave isn't too strong a word, trust me)...I called to make sure the vet was open, and when they heard Tucker's problem they encouraged us to come right in. The good news is that it looks like it's epilepsy, which is treated with a couple of small pills each day. We'll know if it the diagnosis is correct in a few days once the medication gets into his system.

We were thankful our vet isn't one to go crazy with tests. We were thrilled to get out the door around $200 for the exam, a complete blood panel and a month and a half of pills. Our little guy's heart murmur is stable and doesn't seem to be causing his problems. Except for the seizures, he is in generally good health...a couple of his blood tests were slightly high, but no cause for great concern.

We're not out of the woods yet, but I feel relieved that the vet felt it was epilepsy. I don't even want to talk brain tumor, but fortunately that is rare. We'll be happy to have an epileptic dog at this point.

OK, I am officially worried...

Tucker was fine after his seizure yesterday morning. He slept and lounged more than usual, but eventually he perked up and was his usual self. I breathed a sigh of relief--maybe it was just a fluke.

Last night, we let him outside to do his business. Miss M went to check on him and yelled, "He's having another seizure!" There our sweet little guy was, having a seizure in 8 inches of snow on our back step. Since his legs were already stiff, I grabbed both sets of legs and brought him in. I wrapped him up in a blanket to warm him up. He was wiped out again, and stayed really close to me when he started moving around again. I was so stressed I put a blanket on the floor next to my bed and he slept by me, outside of his crate, for the first time in six years.

I emailed our breeder last night about what was happening. Her words confirmed my worst fears..."Seizures just aren't good."

We're going to keep an eye on him and if he has any more, I guess we'll be heading in for a vet check...that won't be cheap.

(just as I was typing this, Miss M brought him up to me...he'd had another one)

At this point, I'm praying for epilepsy, not a brain tumor. It's not good when that is your prayer.

And it's so hard when you love a little guy so much.

Let's sound the death knoll...

This morning, our little Westie had a seizure which gave us all quite a scare. He's got a heart murmur several vets were convinced needed hundreds of dollars of evaluation, so we've always known he might not live quite as long as we had hoped. The good news is that he is fine this evening and seems to be doing well...he even asked for his dinner.

Miss M, not to miss an opportunity, started the search for a new dog in case this is the end of our little guy. She even printed out directions and a map to a Chihuahua breeder in our area. I guess she's written him off already.

We're not quite ready to. We love our little guy. He's six and a half, and we just passed our six year anniversary of getting him. We hope he's around for a long time.

(by the way...our next dog will probably be a Westie...they are the best little dogs on earth) :)

It's all our fault...

We were the lucky owners of the minivan model in the photo--ours was six years old with 57,000 miles on it. We replaced a couple of power window motors, a screw fell out of the rear wiper leaving it flopped below the window, and a power door sensor required service. Even after that, we were averaging below 13 mpg, the battery would die if we let it sit more than a couple of days, the steering made an awful noise, there were front struts that needed to be replaced because they were leaking oil, and there was a brake problem light on (but they had been replaced recently).

I took it in to be checked by our mechanic. The struts and steering needed to be replaced along with a couple of other things. The bill was at $1,000 and we hadn't even touched the brakes that would take advanced troubleshooting. Seeing the $2,000 level looming ever closer (1/4 of its current trade value) and knowing it would give us more problems in the future, we took the van and traded it on an an Asian made car.

It was not just a fluke. We have 3 other friends blessed with this series of Windstar and they all have had the same problems . . . electrical leaks, power steering problems, brakes, etc., etc., etc.

I know not all American made cars are so repair-prone. We just happened to own one that Consumer Reports recommended car shoppers not buy. However, it is an interesting exercise to look at Consumer Reports reliability ratings...Honda and Toyota consistently have few problems, and the American companies have problems much of the time. Is it any wonder why they are struggling to stay afloat?

What else should I put on my holiday favorites CD?

Since we've been snowed in, we've been playing a lot of games, eating all those holiday treats we should have taken to our friends and neighbors, and listening to a lot of Christmas music. Which got me thinking...what would I put on my all-time holiday favorites CD?

So far, I've come up with...

The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting) -- Nat King Cole
White Christmas -- Bing Crosby
The Littlest Angel -- Bing Crosby
O Holy Night -- Josh Groban
Believe -- Josh Groban
Grown-up Christmas List -- Amy Grant
O Tannenbaum -- Vince Guaraldi Trio (Charlie Brown)
Christmas Time Is Here -- Vince Guaraldi Trio
Were You There? -- Jon Schmidt
It Came Upon a Midnight Clear -- Jon Schmidt
North Pole Express -- Jon Schmidt
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas -- Kenny G
Carol of the Bells -- George Winston
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas -- Bing Crosby or Amy Grant
Still, Still, Still -- Mormon Tabernacle Choir
Where Are You Christmas -- Faith Hill
I'll Be Home for Christmas -- pretty much anybody
The Christmas Waltz -- Frank Sinatra
The Hat I Got for Christmas Is Too Beeg -- Mel Blanc (it's hysterical...so is Blue Christmas by Porky Pig...)
Alvin and the Chipmunks Christmas Song
The Forgotten Carols

I almost picked up a Harry Connick Christmas CD today...I'm thinking I should have gotten that, especially since I had a gift card!

Did I forget anything? What's your favorite Christmas song? What do I need to go find on Itunes? :)

The words every parent loves to hear...

The other night, the girls were upstairs taking showers and getting ready for bed. My husband and I were downstairs relaxing. Suddenly, we heard...








"OH MY GOSH! I AM IN SO MUCH TROUBLE!"

"OH MY GOSH! I AM IN SO MUCH TROUBLE!"

Footfalls down the hall, and tears.

Naturally, I decided to check it out. I went up to Miss M's room, expecting to see major wreckage or trauma. She was sobbing, hiding in her bed. I coaxed her out of the foxhole, and asked her what had happened. Apparently, she was sitting on the top of the toilet chatting with Miss A while she was in the shower. They were exchanging barfing stories, when Miss M stood up on the toilet to lean over towards the shower to demonstrate. When she stood up, she knocked a shadowbox full of seashells off the wall behind the toilet. The shadowbox hit the tank lid and cracked it. Miraculously, nary a sea shell had been bumped from its place in the box. The glass was unharmed. My husband put a little duct tape on the lid to keep the sharp edges from hurting anyone until we get it fixed.

It ended up being a little thing. How grateful I was! Of course, it also reminded me of a few times in my childhood when I felt like screaming...

"OH MY GOSH! I AM IN SO MUCH TROUBLE!"

Everybody's got to do this once...

It was hard to hide the candles from her before her birthday, but we did. She had no clue.

(It's a chocolate covered Oreo cake, by the way, and "It was good!" to quote my husband.)

New indulgence

Miss M wanted to go see Bolt for her birthday, but Miss A is getting a little old for animated flicks, at least for now. I was more than happy to take her out and save the movie ticket fees while my husband took Miss M to see Bolt.

Instead, Miss A and I went out for some cocoa and a visit. I ordered a peppermint hot chocolate and a slice of lemon loaf. My food was really good, but Miss A's was the yummiest thing ever. She ordered the caramel apple cider (amazing) and an even more amazing cranberry bar. I have never had anything like it. It was so good Miss A came home and hunted down the recipe so we can make it here.

It was a very relaxing afternoon with her, and we had a great visit. Afterwards, we went to our favorite local bookstore and wandered. Miss A found some rare editions of her favorite books that she picked up with some of her Christmas money. She also found a Peanuts scarf--it is piano keys with Schroeder embroidered on one end. It fit her personality perfectly. I laughed that she maintained some balance...she bought four Harry Potter volumes but she did balance it out with the Peanuts scarf. I guess she isn't completely, totally, utterly obsessed with Harry anymore...just mostly.

If you get new carpet...

Our house is 10.5 years old now, and although the builder put in good quality carpet, he put in carpet that is a very light grayish off-white. White carpet...I loved how light and airy it made the house when I walked in it. The honeymoon ended when my husband somehow splattered soy sauce all over the new white carpet (while in the middle of the kitchen) right after we moved in. Add three dogs and two kids and you know why I am dreaming of new carpet...until I priced it at Costco one day. I still dream, but mostly of having it cleaned again.

Anyway, in honor of my white carpet and my future dreams, I found this on one of my blog-reading wanderings. My husband will be saying 'AMEN!' :)

"IF YOU BUY YOUR WIFE NEW CARPET"

If you buy your wife some carpet, she's going to ask for wood plantation shutters.
When you get her the plantation shutters she'll probably ask for wood flooring in the dining room.
When that's finished she'll ask for a new kitchen table and chairs,
then she'll want to look in the kitchen and make sure that doesn't look like crap.
When she looks in the kitchen she'll notice it does look crappy
She's going to need that redone.
she'll then notice she needs an attached garage off the kitchen.
So she'll probably ask for an attached garage.
When your finished with the attached garage she'll want a new car to go in the garage.
when that's done she'll want to take the new car on a ride.
you'll have to pack the kids and go over night somewhere.
when she's sitting at the nice hotel pool she'll remember she's had 4 kids and she'll need a tummy tuck and a front end alignment
After the body ramifications she'll need to shop for new clothes
While shopping she will also have to buy you new clothes
while putting her new clothes away she think she needs a bigger closet
After you build her a bigger closet she'll want a master bathroom
when she's in the master bathtub she'll need a nanny to watch the 4 kids
while the nanny is with the 4 kids she'll want to get a job.
when she gets home from the job and walks into the front room she'll see the carpet and remember that she needs new carpet.

Oops...I guess spell check didn't catch that one!

Miss A has been working on a writing assignment for a couple of weeks, and she typed up her final draft to turn in yesterday. She left it in the printer, and my husband picked it up and read through it. He was extremely impressed with her writing, up until the last line...which read (edited)...

"Humble and relaxed, she looks happy and joyful as sh*ts in a brown leather chair."

Some days I am really glad we home school.

True to form, we have all our Christmas decorations up right after Thanksgiving. It has gotten easier to put everything up since the girls have gotten older. In fact, I didn't put a single ornament on the tree...it was a trial of my perfectionist patience, but it looks good. Someday I might have my Martha Stewart tree, but for now I love our family tree.

Thanksgiving Day

We had a very relaxing Thanksgiving. Everyone was feeling better, but not before we had to cancel our plans to help at the hospital. Instead, we took it easy and played Mexican train dominoes. Then my husband and I pored over the ads and picked out a few things to get on Friday.

My husband took pictures of us before we ate, but thanks to the family blinking gene, he had to take about 15 to get one keeper. We could hardly see straight to eat after that! I think it's the camera's fault...but he insists it is me.

After dinner we played a marathon game of Settlers of Catan. It had to be the hardest layout I ever played. My husband was completely locked out for the first half of the game, but he came back and won...which was good since he lost in dominoes twice since Wednesday. :)

We went to bed close to midnight, but insanely got up for the 5 am sales. We hit the few stores we had plans for, got everything we went for, and came back home to sleep. Miss M was a trooper and tagged along, but Miss A preferred sleep over choosing her holiday socks. I think she was the smart one!

Happy Thanksgiving!

When I was a little girl, I spent nearly everything Thanksgiving sick with some malady. A particularly memorable one was when I had a vicious stomach virus and all Mom would let me eat was a little turkey, rolls and jello. I was very disappointed, because stuffing is my favorite part of Thanksgiving. I'd pass up just about anything else if I could have stuffing. To make the day worse, I also had to go in to my pediatrician's office to get a shot. That year was not fun.

Fast forward to 2008...I still get sick on some Thanksgivings, but not as much anymore. This year, my family tempted fate and signed up to serve dinner to the families, doctors and stronger patients at the VA ICU. It's Monday night, and Miss M's coughing, Miss A's waking up stuffy each morning, and my husband looks like he needs to spend a few days in bed. I'm holding up, but my throat is a bit sore tonight. I guess I should have remembered my track record before we signed up to help.

We raided the library for a big stack of movies for the holiday weekend, we have a turkey breast in the fridge, and I'm ready to have a simple Thanksgiving. It looks like we'll be home the whole day since we're sick. I only have one plan for Friday...to go grocery shopping. I may be the only one in the grocery store, but I'll be loving it!

We have so much to be thankful for, including you. Have a very happy Thanksgiving, and know we'll be thanking the Lord for you. :)

Night burglar

Our little dog is a creature of habit. Each night, around 9 pm, he goes outside for one final bit of business. He comes back in and sits on the entry mat, awaiting his evening treat as he goes to bed. He walks into his crate and we close the door. He stays there all night, oblivious to the world, and sometimes doesn't get up until noon the next day!

Last night, I put him away as usual, but I didn't get the crate door secured fully. My husband noticed it when he came home later, but he didn't want to fix it because then Tucker would want to come out and visit for a while and we'd do the whole evening routine again. We figured since he does not feel comfortable for the night until he is closed into his crate that it wouldn't be a big deal.

During the night, I thought I heard him moving around. Miss A said he went into her room, and after she scratched his head, he went under her bed, hitting his head on the support rails every step or so. Then he left, and we couldn't find him this morning.

It turns out he ended up on Miss M's bed, as oblivious to the world as he usually is in his crate. She had about five blankets tossed on the end of her bed, and he had settled into them.

I was amazed he hadn't come to find me. If I'm in bed, he comes in and barks and tugs on my blanket until I let him up. I guess he knew if he came to see us, we'd just take him back. Instead, he found a safe, warm bed and life was good.

Quiet night

I'm enjoying a bit of peace and quiet this evening. My husband is at the temple doing youth baptisms, and the girls just headed up to bed. I am enjoying the smells of the cherry pies and homemade bread I baked. The dog is watching me faithfully from nearby, and I am contemplating what music to turn on. Maybe nothing...it would be nice to enjoy this peace.

I've given up on listing something I'm grateful for daily; I don't have time to blog every day. I instead stuck a list of some things I am thankful for on the sidebar. I have many, many more things to be grateful for, but I didn't want to go crazy on the blog.

Miss M has started taking piano again. She quit about 10 months ago, and my husband and I had come to grips that only one of our children would play. She has expressed zero desire until a two weeks ago. I'm not sure if it was because Miss A got a lot of prizes at her lesson that day, or if she'd been thinking about it for a while, but she came home, pulled out all her old books and started playing. We'd just cut back on some other expenses, so we were hesitant to add piano back for Miss M, but she seemed to have an earnest desire.

Today, I saw an eagerness for piano I've never seen before from her. She was engaged in her lesson and really seemed to enjoy it. We have the world's best piano teacher who recognized that she needed to adjust how she teaches her so that Miss M doesn't get tired of it again. She is focusing on nurturing her interest and letting some of the more tedious parts like formal scales and theory go for now. She will learn a lot of that just through the music, and she always catch up later.

Well, I knew the quiet peace wouldn't last. The girls are laughing and talking vociferously upstairs. I guess it's time to leave my dreamland and go scrub the toilet. Isn't life great?? :)

I am grateful for...

my husband's job. It's been stable, has provided much-needed benefits, and makes our life possible.

I am thankful for...

indoor plumbing. Enough said. :)

Thankful

I am thankful that the elections are over. Regardless of who won, I hope our country can pull together and turn back to God to get through these troubled times. I am also thankful that all the gay marriage bans passed. I believe that marriage is from God and is supposed to be between a man and a woman. Others may have their relationships--it is their choice--but it will be a sad day for our country when we allow marriage by any definition. The family, although rarely perfect, is the foundation of our nation.

Halloween 2008

Miss A and Miss M split the pumpkin face and carved it themselves. We're convinced the poor pumpkin has Bell's palsy. :)



Miss M was our unicorn.


She's Hermione Granger from Harry Potter. (She is so obsessed with Harry Potter!)

Before and after...(or after and before)

Miss A finished round one of braces...doesn't she look great?
(She got them off in time for Halloween. Hooray!)

I am thankful for...

the internet. When I got on my computer this morning, the internet wasn't working and I always feel helpless without it. I am grateful I know how to reboot the network so that it works again. The internet saves me so much time and provides so many wonderful resources. I love staying connected to my friends and family through it.

Today I'm thankful for...

good doctors. I spent the bulk of my morning at the dermatologist's office. He is a fantastic doctor. Of course, I got a shave biopsy, six vials of blood taken and two new prescriptions, but he keeps me and my skin healthy.

Gratitude

Grace isn't a little prayer you chant before receiving a meal. It's a way to live. ~Jackie Windspear

I am trying to be a little more grateful every day this month. I do a good job of asking God for things, but I am not so good at thanking him for the many countless good things he does for me every day. I'd love to hear what you're grateful for, too.

Since I'm a day behind, I will double up today...

I am thankful for the gospel and it's amazing power. Today, a brother in our ward was confirmed. Because of his past, he'd had to wait 7 years before being baptized. I missed the baptism last night, but when I saw him today, I could hardly recognize him. His face was completely transformed with the light of the gospel. The gospel is truly a miracle in our lives.

I am thankful for my Savior. He has given me everything I could hope for. I only pray I will be worthy of his atoning sacrifice.

What are you thankful for?

Simplifying

Last week, we received a yummy plate of treats on our doorstep. Our friends tried to deliver them anonymously, but my husband caught them. The cookies came with instructions for our family to make 3 plates of treats, copy the ghost picture and instructions, and deliver them to 3 families who had not yet been "boo-ed." It's a familiar tradition in many wards.

I usually enjoy participating, but this year I felt like I had a full plate (pardon the pun). I had plans to make and decorate cookies with the kids, and I planned to make some for my visiting teaching sisters. I didn't have the desire to add three more plates on top of all that. So guess what I did? I didn't make treats to pass along in the boo tradition.

I feel so free letting that obligation go. I felt fulfilled because I did share, and not the least bit guilty that I broke the boo chain at our house. I may choose to do it at another time, but not now. And that feels good.

I wonder what else I could simplify in my life?

Interesting Counsel

Last night was our Stake Conference. Our Stake President only spoke Saturday night. He spoke a lot about trials and facing them, which was wonderful. Then, against his nature, he gave our stake specific counsel. He said he doesn't like to do that because he wants each one of us to go to the Lord for the counsel we need, but this time he had been prompted to share direction with us.

He admonished us to turn to the Lord is prayer, scripture and gospel study, and by attending the temple. He asked us to read a conference talk daily, and pour out our whole soul in prayer.

He asked us to be very obedient to the teachings of the brethren. He asked us to obey with exactness.

He asked us to set aside food storage, even if we never use it. He also strongly recommended that we take on no new debt.

The last request was that each of us consider what we would change if we lost our job on Monday morning. Then, taking that list, he asked us to make those changes on Monday morning.

I know that by following this counsel, we will be blessed as we weather these uncertain times. We'll be making a few changes come tomorrow. Thankfully, we had already done most of them through the summer.

I think these are good things to consider, whether you are in our stake or not.

Synchronized Swimming...LDS Style

This ward has quite some talent. Where were they when our ward talent show was on?

For Today...

Outside my Window...is a cool, fall evening. A gentle breeze is blowing, as the sun moves closer to the horizon casting everything in golden glow.

I am thinking...I love it when I have a quiet moment or two to myself.

From the learning rooms...We'll get back to that next week.

I am thankful for...the many colors of fall leaves, apple cider simmering on the stove, fresh bread in the oven, friends.

From the kitchen...hot dogs and baked beans. I was not in the mood to cook tonight.

I am wearing...my favorite yoga pants and t-shirt

I am reading...A Personal History by Katharine Graham, Better Homes and Gardens, Real Simple, Traditional Home...

I am hoping...to get back into my gym routine soon

I am creating...simpler environment for my family

I am hearing...Sabrina the Teenage Witch cartoons, the bird chirping, Miss A blowing her nose...this is real life, after all.

Around the house...are things waiting for their new homes from all my rearranging

One of my favorite things...opals.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week...finish rearranging the house, catch up on laundry and housework, make plans for school (lots of catching up) next week, make sure I don't have overdue books at the library, maybe take a trip to see the fall colors in the hills, bake Halloween cookies to decorate with the girls and a couple of thank you cherry pies

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you...

My husband took this last fall. Our trees are still mostly green outside right now. Given a couple more weeks, they will be beautifully red.

Simple Living

It is my dream to live a simple life. Some days I actually approach it, others not so much. Sometimes my efforts to lead a simple life actually complicate things...like the time I wanted to can tomatoes from my garden but it required a hunt to find a commercial hot plate (since I can't can on my ceramic top stove) and then I had to get a pressure cooker to fit the hot plate...and I still need to get the canning accessories to fit the pressure cooker, because it is smaller than the standard pots. Needless to say, the tomatoes never got canned, but I do have two nice pieces of kitchen ware.

I decided this week that I am only going to keep things I love in my home, so I went through my quarterly decluttering exercise. I thinned out some books, rearranged the shelves, and then looked at our family room. It was so full of furniture, there wasn't an empty space anywhere. I looked at the girls and we decided to rearrange the furniture. We shuffled items around, and at the end we had an extra couch and a secretary desk that we love but can't find a home for. We love having the extra space to breathe in our family room, and there is a great chair to relax in the piano room now instead of a huge couch.

All this leads me to wonder how much time, money and energy I waste on accumulating, caring for and moving around things I really don't need. How much simpler my life would be if I would only be content with what I have today and not look for more? This morning, I am enjoying time to write sitting in the chair in the piano room, listening to the wind chimes I got for my birthday play a gentle song in the breeze. I need more of these moments, and less of the hectic ones.

Future voters

My husband and I have followed this campaign fairly closely this year. We have spent many hours discussing the candidates, the issues, the ballot measures as we have tried to make the best decisions we can. We've watched the conventions and last night's debate, and listened to others. We read the paper daily and share what sticks out to us.

I had no idea of the effect this was having on our girls until yesterday. (I did know that Miss M is a firm Obama supporter because, in her own words, "He has a better education plan.") As the girls and I did school together, Miss A mentioned that she goes to her friends' homes and tries to discuss the candidates and find out who her friends favor in the election. She is often dismayed, because her friends haven't been following the election and formed opinions like she has. It makes me laugh to think my kids are trying to have political discussions this early in life.

Free time

We recently gained a lot of free time back. Well, maybe it's not free time...I don't know any family who has that, but at least it's time we've gained back as a family.

Miss M has been playing soccer this year. However, a couple of weeks ago she was played a total of 3 minutes in the first half and wasn't being played the second half, either. My husband walked to the team sideline to say something to the coach, which set off a whole chain of unpleasant events. We were concerned that she no longer had a fair environment in which to play, especially since it was obvious her coaches thought it was more important to win than for 8 year-olds to learn to play and have fun.

We're not fond of quitting anything, but Miss M prayed about it (without us asking) and decided she was ready to quit. We are disappointed that this season didn't work out, but we are sure enjoying the 5 hours a week we just got back. (We're especially happy that she reached this decision before the team's doubleheader last Saturday.)

Our little Mozart...I mean Jon Schmidt :)

Miss A is our musical kid. She loves to play piano. She wanted a break from lessons this summer, but I think she played for an hour just about every day anyway. We are back into lessons and it is fun as she is progressing through the piano repertoire.

Tonight, we were at a church youth activity and one of the girls mentioned a talent like playing piano...and they all looked at Miss A at the same instant. She was so embarrassed, but I think she secretly enjoyed the attention. It's not like she can hide her talent, since she played a piece during church a few months ago.

We are very proud parents. If I can ever figure out how to add an audio file (and get one recorded), we'll share.

Spiders Return

We are entering into Miss M's favorite time of year -- spider season. In case you missed last year's antics, here are the links...

Life is never dull with Miss M

It's a party, not a funeral

Party and spider time

I caught an orb weaver for Miss M tonight (it was either that or risk bumping into it while I weeded a flower bed). However, she is way ahead of me. I found out this afternoon that she has "adopted" a spider outside. She catches crane flies and puts them on his web and watches him wrap them with webbing at eat them.

Yum.

The cell phone shuffle

A few months ago, our cell phone contract was about to end. Eager to use our freedom, we started shopping different plans. We liked our carrier's coverage, but we felt we could get more for our money elsewhere. Since we rarely use our minutes, going to a company with a cheaper plan made sense.

Company selected...next problem: which phone?

The iPhone was very tempting, but too expensive, especially when we wanted two. We contemplated it until we spoke with a salesman at the cell phone kiosk in our favorite warehouse store. If we signed up there, he explained, we could avoid the activation fees and get free accessories. He mentioned we could try Blackberry phones and if we didn't like them, we had 90 days to exchange them out for another (free) phone. We could then buy the iPhones from the cell carrier and still end up ahead.

Great idea. I got a Red Pearl and my husband got a Curve. I liked my phone and he liked his. However, he felt I would like the Curve better. Eventually, he persuaded me to exchange my Red Pearl for a Curve. Big mistake.

After I switched, I discovered my Curve was missing the regular browser function. It was nowhere to be found on my phone, but existed on his. It really bugged me, as I didn't like the carrier-specific browser. I went to the cell carrier store to see if they could help. The salesman was unable to fix it, and suggested I exchange my Curve for a new one. Of course, I couldn't do it at that store--I had to go to the warehouse kiosk.

Back to the kiosk and I got a new phone. Guess what? Same problem, and then some. We went to the kiosk to see if they could help, and after an hour of troubleshooting with the cell company's customer service, it was fixed. We left, and on the way to dinner, we discovered that wait,...the problem wasn't fixed after all. So we detoured to the cell carrier store...again...and worked with a great salesman who spent 45 minutes fixing my phone and pointed me to a free, alternative browser. While he was working on the phone, he mentioned how weird it was because they hardly ever see problems with the Curves. I laughed and informed him this was my second one with problems. Go figure.

A couple of days later, another blip happened, and I was so done. I wanted the Red Pearl back. We went to the kiosk to exchange my phone, but now they had no Red Pearls. They did have a Black Pearl, but I didn't like the look of it. However, I was so tired of Curves at that point I took what was available.

Shortly thereafter, my husband decided that the Pearl was a more useful phone for his situation and decided to switch. I was ready to go through the roof. I had changed phones 4 times in three weeks, thanks to him! I had learned that the Red Pearl was being phased out; so if I wanted one, I needed to find it fast.

I called all the warehouses in the area until I found a red one at a location across town (35 minutes away). With my luck, though, we went during rush hour and it took us more than an hour to get to the store. We did the phone swap (again!) and headed back home. This swap was a bit trickier because we traded my husband's Curve for a Red Pearl, then I gave my Black Pearl to him and I took the Red Pearl. Finally!

Unfortunately, after so many swaps these phones didn't know which way was up, and we had to stop by the cell carrier store one last time to have our favorite sales guy unravel the mess.

In the end, I had my Red Pearl, which was what I wanted. It only took 4 phones, several hours of troubleshooting, loads of frustration, lost calendar and phone book entries, and way too much gas and time. I should have just stuck with what I wanted in the first place!

Epilogue--I still have my Red Pearl and love it. My husband enjoys his Black Pearl, too.

Next time, I'm going to pick the phones!

First Day of (Home) School 2008

I almost forgot to take first day pictures, since we are at home! The girls couldn't wait to start and they love the challenge. (Although, Miss A just admitted she has issues as she re-worked the problems she missed on her math assignment!)

Starring Miss A....

Miss M's antics receive a lot of blog time, but that doesn't mean that Miss A isn't just as entertaining.

Her best friend recently turned 12. That made the long wait for turning twelve that much longer for poor Ashley. We often get asked if she is excited to turn 12. Instead of answering for her, we always ask Miss A to answer the magic question: "How long?".

72 days.....71 days....70 days....

Oh, wait, she just informed me that her birthday (and the much-anticipated youth group program) is a mere 64 days away.

Obviously, I had to honor her suffering until then by posting a counter on the blog!

However, we need not wait for her birthday for her to become skilled at playing us parents. On a recent Sunday, I was resting downstairs and my husband was resting upstairs. She knew he was awake enough to answer questions, so she asked if she could play on her computer and later if she could play her DS. We've all been there as parents...tired enough to not know fully what our children are asking, but awake enough to provide the desired answer (if the kids will just leave us be!). We do try to focus our activities away from screen time on Sundays, but she managed to get away with it thanks to tired parents.

We are going to have to keep our eyes...and subconscious fully aware of this girl! :)

Mommy/Daughter and Daddy/Daughter Day

Last month, we had to cancel a camping vacation because my husband was covering for his boss at work. Many people were planning on being gone the same week we had planned, leaving his area short-handed. He changed our plans in order to keep things calm in his department.

After a hectic summer, his boss returned along with many others. We could finally reschedule our vacation. However, the girls and I were about to start home school again, and I did not want to establish our schedule only to have it disrupted by a vacation. School also runs better when my husband works a regular schedule.

Following the example of a local charter school, I planned our school schedule around Monday through Thursday, with Friday off for field trips or other activities. I asked him if, instead of a week off, he could schedule Fridays off to coincide with our four-day school calendar. He loved the idea of a continuous string of three-day weekends, and I was happy knowing our regular routine would not be disrupted.

This past Friday was our first long weekend. My husband and Miss M decided to go fishing. They traveled to a reservoir about an hour away, but the drive was worth it. Not only was there a large body of water to fish, but the park also had a small lake just for kids to fish. Miss M had great success, catching four trout all by herself. She and her dad had a great day.

Miss A and I also spent the day together. We made Capri Sun purses for her and Megan, then she endured my Weight Watchers meeting. She forgave me, though, since we went out to lunch afterward. She enjoyed having one-on-one time with me.

It was a great day for both girls, and we look forward to seven more three day weekends! (I think Miss M wants to go fishing for each of them...)

Quote of the week

I'd rather pray for a lot and get half of it than pray for a little and get all of it. And some people get all their prayers answered because they pray for nothing.

Joyce Meyer

My new favorite organizing product

While I was in the store the other day, I spotted this Real Simple Card Wheel. The price was a little high for me, but when I realized what it could do...it was a bargain!

How many loyalty/rewards cards do you carry? I usually link them to my phone number and toss them, but I also hate having to tell my phone number at the checkout. This little wheel solves that problem.

It has plastic sleeves for 10 cards...its described purpose is for business cards, but those loyalty cards fit perfectly in the sleeves. You can fan it out to find which one you want, and if you only have one per sleeve, you can still scan it at the store. My wallet is now emptied out and I can carry a smaller, simpler wallet for my license and ATM card. If you need to change the order of your cards, you just unscrew the bolt and shuffle them around.

It's been a while since I've found a product that makes me giddy. Check it out yourself.

Miss McPhee

Out of the 5 teeth Miss M has lost thus far, three were pulled by the dentist. She has had a top tooth loose, but it tightened back up as the permanent tooth came down. She said it was bothering her, so we dropped by the dentist one afternoon to schedule an extraction. When our dentist took a look at it, he said if we waited a couple of weeks, it would come out on its own. I made the appointment anyway, because Miss M said it was bothering her.

Because we have not met our dental deductible yet, this extraction would cost us over $50. We told Miss M if she could get the tooth out before her appointment, we'd pay her $20 (a bargain for us). She couldn't get it to wiggle very much. She tried the doorknob trick (which will only work if you can get the dental floss to stay tied around the tooth). In desperation, we even pulled out the pliers...but then decided that wasn't such a great idea. The night before her appointment, she told us she'd rather wait until it came out.

That was 5 weeks ago. That tooth stayed just as tight as before, and the permanent tooth is about halfway in place. The baby tooth stuck straight out like Nanny McPhee's funky tooth. Miss M loved to show us how it made a perfect impression on her skin when her mouth was closed.

This past week, the dog bumped into Miss M's mouth and knocked the tooth loose, but not enough for it to fall out. So today, during church, I told her if she could get it out by the end of church I'd buy her the complete series of her favorite books (the Warrior Series and New Prophecy...still cheaper than the extraction). She's had bribes for 5 weeks and hasn't gotten it out, so I figured it was a safe bet.

She started working on the tooth in earnest. My husband snapped a quick picture of Miss McPhee with his cell phone in case she finally succeeded in getting it out. She got it bleeding pretty well, to the disgust/amusement of our friends in the pew behind us. To my surprise, when I returned from singing with the choir, it was out. By that point, both our friends behind us and in the pew in front of us had lost it. So much for the reverent spirit when you sit around our family!

I am thrilled that we will not have to pay for an extraction when she goes in for her checkup next week. But I have to buy nine books instead....

It just goes to show...be careful when you bet a kid.

Did I hear you right?

Miss M came into my bathroom this morning as I was getting ready. She informed me she had already been outside to check our storage shed because she thought she heard a leak from the rain. As she and I talked, she spotted a large, sluggish housefly on the floor. She bent down to catch him, and after a couple of tries, had him by the wings. She asked, "Mom, what should I do with him?"

"You can flush him," I replied.

"That will work. I already have enough flies."

As she skipped down the stairs to release him into the wild (she could never flush one of God's creatures), I realized what she said.

I don't know where they are, or how many of them there are, but somewhere in my house are a stash of houseflies.

Lucky me.

A respite from being Mom...

A friend of mine invited our girls over for a sleepover with her girls, and I realized I was given a golden opportunity--a whole night for just me and my husband. It's not everyday you have someone offer to take your kids for a night!

I found the best bed and breakfast in the world in which to stay...the room was comfortably furnished, including a king size pillow-topped bed. The Egyptian cotton sheets, down comforter, and extra pillows just sealed the deal. It had a television with digital signal, and a great selection of DVDs. There were wonderful books and magazines from which to choose. The bathroom was clean and comfortable, with extra fluffy towels and plenty of hot water. We were able to schedule massages with the spa, and dine at our favorite restaurant.

Where were we?

Home!

I tried without success to find a hotel. Everything was either too expensive, too fancy, or too downtown. I decided we have a great, comfortable house, and I wouldn't want to stay anywhere else (as long as I didn't have to cook!). I loved not having to pack or find arrangements for our dog.

We went to our health club's spa for the massages and to our favorite seafood restaurant for dinner. The next morning, we had our favorite breakfast at home (light yogurt and Kashi cereal...one of my weight loss secrets!) and went to the gym. The massage must have been good because I ran 2 miles for the first time in years.

All of this didn't cost more than just the hotel room and taxes would have. I think we will be vacationing at home from now on!

This just isn't right!

I grew up in the desert. I am well acquainted with hot weather--I learned that anything over 105 is just plain hot. I rather enjoy the mildly warm summers here as a result. However, not this weekend. The weather here is doing its best to remind me of those miserable 105+ degree days. That just doesn't happen here!

The good news is that my husband has muscle spasms right now, so he isn't up to going to our ward campout--in fact, right now he is upstairs knocked out by a muscle relaxer. We get to stay at home where it is always a comfortable 76 degrees...as long as the power doesn't go out!

(I know, waah-waah...I could live in Phoenix!)


Proof from our TV forecast


Never did this in the desert...maybe I should try today!

Mind wanderings...

I spent the morning gardening while it was cool. As I worked, my mind reflected on lessons I can learn from my garden.

I found a weed wedged in between two landscaping rocks. I contemplated how hard it is to remove a weed there, much like it is more challenging to repent of something that has become wedged into my life. Similarly, it is simpler to remove a young weed than an established one...it is easier to change before something becomes a habit. And once one weed enters the garden, it is easier for others to come--when I justify one action, it is easier to justify others.

A few years ago, I removed a climbing rose from a corner of our yard because it didn't thrive. As I worked in that area today, I found a volunteer rose shoot growing from the same area. Sometimes, things of which we repent are removed from our lives, but we still face the consequences from time to time. I have to stay strong, even if I think I have changed.

We always have a few weeds that cross from our neighbor's side of the fence to ours. I realized how important it is to have good friends around me, so my life is filled with beauty instead of influences I don't like...those effects will come into my life no matter how hard I try.

I have a rhododendron that I have relocated several times. Each time I put it in a new place, it wasn't happy. Finally, I found the right location and it is thriving. There are seasons in my life when some activities will fit better than others. Right now, I am in a season of educating my children. It is not a good time to quilt, because so much of my energy is directed toward my girls. It is better to wait for the right season, when my talents will grow and thrive instead of doing many things halfway.

I am a sporadic gardener. I would have fit perfectly into the garden of Eden, where all Adam and Eve had to do was enjoy the garden. My life is full, so despite my best intentions, I am lucky to work in my garden once a week. The downside is that when I do work in my garden, there is a lot more work to do. If I just spent 15 minutes a day in the yard, it would be much easier to maintain. Likewise, if I pray and read my scriptures and work in my life's garden, my life will bring more joy than if I only do those cultivating activities once in a while.

These are a few things I pondered while I was in the garden this morning. I hope I won't forget these lessons as I come inside and forget to work in my garden for another couple of weeks. :)

I'm a happy girl!

This past weekend, I convinced my husband to do my long-awaited closet shelving. Since we have become homeschoolers, our books and supplies have multiplied (almost exponentially) and I had outgrown the bookshelf in the closet. He was kind enough to build shelves in my office closet, and to extend the upper shelves in our master bedroom closet. I was beside myself with glee. I picked up 24 feet of shelving in the office, and 12 feet more in our master closet. Plus, he cut thin masonite boards to top the wire shelving so that items won't slip through. I never knew closets could be so exciting!

Freezer woes

Yesterday, as I checked out blogs, I read the sad story of a family who bought locally butchered beef to freeze and headed out on vacation. While they were gone, the outlet their freezer was plugged into cut off, and they came home to smelly, unuseable meat. My heart just ached for the over $600 loss they faced. I was grateful that I have a reliable freezer that doesn't do such things to me.

However, after lunch Miss M informed me that the otter pops from the freezer were not frozen. I went out to check the state of our freezer, and things seemed to feel softer than normal. I tinkered with the freezer to get the compressor to kick on, which it finally did.

After dinner, we checked it, and things were still thawing. Of course, it's evening, so we won't be able to get a repairman out until at least tomorrow and by then it would be too late for our food. We made a couple of quick and desperate phone calls to friends and found a nearly empty freezer we could store our food in until our freezer was fixed.

We put everything we could into coolers for transport and headed over to our friends' house. We left a few items we didn't need to keep in our freezer to see if emptying it and adjusting the thermostat would help.

When we returned home, magically our freezer was working again. I am relieved we will not need to have a repair call, and am even more thankful for our friends' kindness to save our food. We have a lot of local salmon and halibut in our supplies as well as roasts, chicken, and pork. And we cannot forget the 13 bags of cherries from our tree this summer and our locally picked berries and jams.

Our story has a happier ending...I hope! (fingers crossed)

Flamingo attack

Last Sunday morning, as I was getting ready for church, Miss A came running down the hall to me.

"We have flamingoes all over our front yard!" she shouted.

I ran to the window and looked out. It was true. We had been invaded by a flock of pink flamingoes, courtesy of our friends. There were large flamingoes and baby ones, which my husband informed Miss M didn't emerge until our sprinklers came on early that morning.

There is a local high school student who, for a small donation, will plop a whole flock of flamingoes in your friend's yard. She is raising money for a youth trip next summer.

We met her when she came back to pick up the birds (I really wanted to keep them for a few days!). She is a very sweet girl and had some great stories to tell about her fundraising program. When their church youth group does this fundraiser, they actually sell "flamingo insurance." It will keep your yard flamingo-free, even if someone pays to have them in your yard. One of the funniest stories was about the wife who looked out the window, saw a flock of flamingoes and that it was snowing in April (that never happens...except this year!). She woke her husband in the middle of the night to tell him, and he thought his wife had lost it. The snow was gone by morning, but not the flamingoes. (I bet she was glad.)

Did we pass it on? Our lips are sealed!

Island Vacation

Our big trip this summer was camping for a week on an island. The weather was perfect, and the scenery was beautiful. We hiked the kids all over, including to the top of the mountain where you have a 360 degree view of the archipelago, including Victoria and Vancouver. You can also see mainland Washington and Mounts Ranier and Baker. The whole reason we went was to give Miss M a chance to see orcas in the wild, and we saw some on a whale watching charter.

We tried mountain biking, but the only suitable trail on the map was not suitable at all. After walking our bikes for a quarter mile up steep hills with sheer drop offs, we decided it wasn't going to get any better and turned around. We went back and hiked it, and in the whole 1.5 mile trail, there was maybe .5 mile suitable for riding. I guess they marked all the good mountain bike trails as "no bikes allowed," but marked the other ones OK for bikes because no one in their right mind would ride them!

We met people from all over where we camped. We met a couple from New York who come there every summer, and we became friends with a family from Israel.

I thought the scenery was beautiful, but I didn't find it absolutely amazing as some did...probably because I am from a similar area and we have beautiful forests and cool volcanoes around us every day. There were black-taildeer everywhere, some tame enough for Miss M to feed and pet. We saw foxgloves on our hike that were taller than my husband. They were in bloom all over. We saw seals, bald eagles, and cormorants. We even saw a whale on our ferry ride.

It was as close to perfect as a week camping can be. It is a place well worth the trip!

Under Construction

My apologies to any of you who visited me the past 24 hours. This blog has been a mess as I have worked on the makeover. I can only imagine what you might have seen had you come by.

I could have been smart and used any of the super-cute blog templates on thecutestblogontheblock.com. But not me! I chose to stay up until 4 am trying to figure out how to tinker with the blog html myself...and then kept working on it for 5 more hours today. (I need a time management seminar!)

The good news is I have figured out how to tinker with just about anything the average suburban housewife would want to tinker with a blog (and then some). I told my husband I have learned enough in the past 24 hours to start a business designing web pages.

If only I had the time to do it....?

Our dog

We love our dog. He is a West Highland White Terrier, also known as a Westie. For us, his breed makes the perfect family pet. He is small, weighing less than 20 pounds, but he is sturdy enough to be around children. He needs his "people," but is never an in your face dog. He just likes to touch part of you with his body. (Sometimes, while I am cooking, he will lay down and rest his head on my foot...He even lay down by the washer repairman while he was here.) When he gets dirty, the dirt will fall out of his fur in short order. (Perfect for beach trips...he's clean by the time we get home!) We just adore this little guy.

He does have his quirks, though. I have seen them in sharp relief this weekend, and I wanted to share just how bright our dog is.

1. If he is given a rawhide chew, but doesn't chew on it very much, he insists on a new one. And don't even think about sneaking the "old" one back into the bag and giving it back to him...he knows the difference.

2. In contrast, he recently got a new watering bowl, so his double bowl set has food on both sides now. He will completely eat one bowl, then start scraping at his dishes and barking, asking for more food. Nevermind that the other side is still completely full. My husband switched the bowls, and he ate his food. How can he not figure that out, but he knows it's a recycled chew....?

3. That new water bowl? He wouldn't drink from it the first day. It is a self-filling bowl with a small watercooler-type jug attached. The noise of the jug scared him. I had to stand right by him the entire time he took his first drink because he was so scared. I never thought I'd have to hold my dog's hand, figuratively speaking, to get a drink of water!!!

4. Speaking of scaredy dog, last night we took him on a walk. There is a large, loudly barking dog behind a fence on part of our route. He whined while we walked by because he wants to go meet the dog...but then he hid behind me when the dog started barking at us. Later, a large but friendly dog came up to sniff him. Our brave boy sniffed at the dog's nose, then ran behind us.

5. It doesn't just have to be a dog, either. Our neighbors used to have a large tree truck set in their yard. He was always afraid to walk by that, too.

Needless to say, we will never count on this little guy for protection, but we still think he's the world's best companion.

Oh, Miss M!

Miss M informed us of three very important facts last night...

1. If bees or yellow jackets are kept underwater for a long time, they will still survive.

2. A yellow jacket sting hurts more than a bee sting.

3. Yellow jacket sting pain goes away more quickly than bee sting pain.

We thought for a minute that she got these from her National Geographic Kids magazine. Then we realized that she had been attempting to drown yellow jackets and bees. Then, we realized that she had been stung by a yellow jacket.

And finally, we realized that she had been stung by a bee, too.

This was the first I had ever heard of her being stung!

She is one TOUGH kid.

Things back in perspective

I got impatient waiting around for Tuesday to come, so I went to a different DMV office that was open on Mondays and got a new license. About an hour or two after getting home, I found my license (of course!). I now have two licenses, am $25.50 poorer, wasted gas and time, and learned I need to be patient. I was pretty embarassed and annoyed, but it was a little thing after all.

It all got put in perspective last night. We passed an obviously serious car accident near our home while out running errands. When I checked the news website when I got home, we found out a former neighbor of ours was killed in that wreck. She has several children, including two left at home (one is Miss A's age). Her husband died suddenly a few years ago, and now the children have lost both parents. I am so sad for this family. Please keep them in your prayers.

I am reminded how small my troubles really are. I am grateful to be alive and well, with my little family. Whether my house is clean or not, and whether I get everything on my to do list done or not, doesn't matter. What truly matters is having each other and the gospel to see us through whatever comes.

OK, I spoke too soon!

After I wrote that post and got ready for my day, I decided to get our passports and take them back to the safe deposit box. In the process, I realized that my driver's license never made it back into my wallet from a transaction on Friday. I have searched everywhere, and can't find it.

The good news is that I will need my passport to prove my identity, so at least it is out of the safe box.

The bad news? I got all my docs together, drove across town to the DMV office, and walked about 1/4 mile from my car to the office (for some exercise). When I got to the office, it said it was closed Mondays.

I am hoping this is a blessing that I will find my license before tomorrow. If not, I am just plain annoyed.

Monday Morning Musing

I am thankful for little blessings in our lives. It is so easy to miss them as we go throughout our days, or think they came because of our own abilities or luck or whatever. We miss the greatest blessing of all when we are too busy to see God's tender mercies in our lives.

After the low point of my week on Friday, things improved. The problems at work resolved so that my husband didn't have to call in on Saturday or Sunday. I got caught up in my housework, the jam turned out well, the washing machine and dryer work great now (and everything was covered under the extended warranty...hooray!), my lesson on Sunday went well, and I can face this week with hope for better things.

It reminds me of a quote my mom clipped out of Reader's Digest for me years ago. It was the story of a man who met a flower lady on the street--picture Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady--shabbily dressed, dirty, making a meager living selling flowers. Yet she surprised this man with her cheerful attitude. He asked her how she could be so happy in what would appear to be less-than-desirable conditions. She told him that her rule was to wait three days when troubles hit. He asked her to explain. She said that when Jesus died, that was the lowest point in the history of the world. It didn't seem that things could get any worse. However, three days later came Easter and hope returned to the world. She said that when she remembers that during her troubles and she waits three days, things are almost always better.

It's true in my life, too. It's been three days, and things are better. I am grateful.

It's 11:25 pm. . .

My husband had as rough a day as me. He's got to work Saturday and Sunday morning.

We had some dinner, and got on with life.

Good news to report:

Jam's done, just have some blueberries left to freeze.

I am about to bake some homemade bread so we can eat aforesaid jam.

I finally discovered how to beat Quicken and everything is up to date again. A bit of a pain to do it, but it works.

Miss A's at a sleepover, and should be much more chipper now.

I bought bananas to fulfill the smoothie promise.

I might just make it through today, and survive tomorrow. (thirty five minutes and counting...)

I just have a little cleaning left and the lesson to prepare and to practice songs to play in RS on Sunday, too.

I hope you had a better day!

I am not enjoying the journey...

I am feeling contrary to my title today. I am swamped. Our washer broke right before our trip last week, so we had to baby it along to do laundry before we left and when we got home. The repair guy came and fixed the washer, but broke the dryer latch while trying to fix that. He was supposed to come the next day, but had a medical emergency that delayed his arrival by two more days. Everything is fixed and honky-dory now, but my washing area has been in limbo, and since that is in the upstairs hallway, the whole upstairs hallway has been a mess.

I must not forget to mention our eventful drive home, when our overstuffed roof-top box flew open and spilled its contents on the interstate just as we were getting into a metro area. My husband and I stupidly ran across 5 lanes of freeway to rescue a mangled sleeping pad and a pillow that had a pillowcase made by my late mother. We happened to miss the 3 odd shoes that flew out as well, so now he has an incomplete pair of hiking shoes, Miss A only has one Keen sandal, and Miss M has one sneaker. I know we will laugh someday....

Today, trying to clean up my office so I could get the upstairs cleaned up from the laundry/trip mess, I thought I would make sure all the receipts were entered and bills payed. That normally takes 30 minutes, tops. It has taken ALL DAY because stupid Quicken 2008 which we just had to buy a few months ago because Quicken 2005 would no longer download transactions won't work and I am having to balance my checkbook manually. Of course, Quicken won't let you call tech support, so I have tried every fix they mention online--except half the files I need to do the fixes won't download to my computer! Aaaaargh!

Miss A's in tears because she didn't eat lunch before her ortho appointment and now she is hungry, but she can't eat because her teeth are sore...I mentioned making her a smoothie yesterday after berry picking, and she has been asking all day...I'd be happy to, if I could make this stupid Quicken work....oh, wait! I don't have everything I need to make a smoothie because I threw out the frozen bananas when I cleaned out the freezer on Tuesday.

That reminds me, I have berries all over the fridge and counters waiting to be made into jam...and berries can't wait.....and I have to prepare a Gospel Doctrine lesson for Sunday since I am substituting.

CALGON, TAKE ME AWAY!