More pics

Here are a few more pics of the girl(s). I'm discovering how difficult it is to get a good one without one of thier heads being fuzzy. It seems that only one of them can sit still at a time. ;) Anyway, I like these that I got of Abby. Have I mentioned that I love my new 50mm lens?
http://s609.photobucket.com/albums/tt177/jennfeldkamp/Abby%20Christmas%2009/?albumview=slideshow

Santa

Well, I took the girls to a little Christmas Carnival in a nearby town. There were alot of fun crafts/activities to do, and I knew Santa would be there. I figured this might be my only opportunity to get pics of the girls this year, so I was hoping they'd do well. You saw my previous post, but here's one more of Anna:This was my favorite of Abby:This was the only one of the pic I took of them together where neither of their heads were blurry. Ah the joys of trying to take pictures of two squirmy girls in low light!
Not quite the Christmas card pic I was hoping for, but still cute. Click here to see some of my other pics from that night. Lots of fun, and we can't wait for Christmas now!

Why I love Photoshop...

Before
After Cool right? Just to be clear, the lighting in there was awful, so I'm blaming that instead of my inability to get my camera settings right.

I know you've all been wondering...

how the pies tasted. I know, I should have updated a while ago. If you were holding your breath in anticipation...well, you're probably not living anymore 'cause that's along time to hold your breath. Anyway, as I stated, I don't really like pumpkin pie, so I didn't have any. This was probably not smart on my part 'cause now I don't have my own opinion of how it tasted, but I couldn't help myself with all that yummy pecan pie and whipped cream. Anyway, everyone told me it was yummy, and my father-in-law made a point to tell me how good it was (and he loves pumpkin pie), so I'm feelin' pretty good about how I did. Ty ended up making the yams, so I don't have much of a comment about those other than I was more than happy to let him do it. I was a dork and left my camera at home during the main event, and couldn't quite get in the mood after that, so these pics of Anna and Ty being silly are pretty much it.

Overall, a pretty good holiday. Can't wait 'till Christmas! I'll definitely have a ton of pics to post after that!

The adventure of the pumpkin pie crust

As I said in an earlier post, I attempted my first ever pie crust for our Thanksgiving feast. Ironically it's for pumpkin pie which isn't really my favorite, but that's how the chips fell this year. Hopefully my sis-in-law will be bringing a yummy pecan pie I can devour! Mmm...pie...whipped cream...sorry! Back to the post- Almost as soon as I started I kinda wished I hadn't agreed to do it. I think part of my problem was the oratory I got from Ty on how rare a perfect pie crust is and how many pies he'd eaten and thought that the crust was just ok but could be so much better. I'm pretty sure his intention was to spare me from thinking I had to make the perfect crust, but really I was thinking, "If his Grammy can't perfect the pie crust, why am I even wasting my time?!" Truthfully, I only ended up calling him once to ask if he thought I was doing ok. -aside- These are very interesting conversations in which I try to describe what I'm doing/what something looks like and Ty tries to reassure me that it's fine while I'm sure rolling his eyes because he has no way of really knowing because he's on the phone. Anyway, I cut in stuff, and I patted, and I chilled, and I rolled, and this is what I got...

Not real pretty, but there they are. The filling seemed alot easier.I guess the real test will be when someone tastes it. Ty has told me he'll eat it no matter what (I love him for things like that).

Since this is a Thanksgiving related post, I thought I should say something I'm thankful for. My friend Taylor did a list of 25 things 'cause she's 25. I don't want to admit how close I am to 30, so I think I'll just say that I am thankful for friends and family who remind me of what is important in this life, and what is not. Here's a picture of the girls in their matching pjs for good measure:

Happy Thanksgiving!

Win a Gypsy!

A Cricut Gypsy...FREE!
I wanna win! Do you? Click here to enter!

Stay tuned for the results of my pie crust adventure.

New find!

Ok, so you know how I was talking about the screen printing idea I got at the Little Birdie Secrets blog? Well, I happened onto an infomercial (don't ask me why I watch these things) for a super cool machine for screen printing at home! It's called the Yudu, and it's SO neat. It's a much more involved process, but the awesome thing is you can create any image you want. With the Plaid stuff, you use pre-made templates to make your designs. With this Yudu, if you can draw it, write it, or print it from your computer you can screen print it. This opens up a whole new world of personalization possibilities! The other cool thing is it's made by the Cricut people, so they have detailed instructions about how you can use your cricut to help out w/ your Yudu projects. Check out the website if you want to see all the different kinds of projects you can do. It's not just t-shirts for sure! Of course, this system is much more expensive than the Plaid version. $300 for the machine itself plus inks and other stuff to make the screens is alot, but a mom of a couple of sports kids could make their little league shirts at a fraction of the cost of having them professionally done. If they did that kind of stuff every summer, you could see how the thing would pay for itself. Have I justified the purchase for myself yet? Maybe I'll add it to my Christmas list and see what happens.
*On the Thanksgiving front, you'll be happy/amused/bored silly to know that I am attempting to make my first ever version of "candied yams" and my first ever pumpkin pie(neither of which I'm going to eat). I'm making the crust and everything so I'm a little nervous. Will update with victory or disaster. What are you making/eating for the holiday?

Finally...

a post about the house! As you know, progress has been relatively slow. This was (I am told) one of the very busiest times of year, and now that things should be slowing down there should be more time for working on the house. I'm going to keep my fingers crossed, but I probably won't hold my breath (just in case). I've been doing what I can, and one of the things I can do is work on the floors. As I said earlier, there were some gorgeous hardwood floors underneath the hideous carpet that came with the house. The only problem was, it left behind this residue that is a bear to get up. I'm not sure if it's glue or just parts of the carpet pad that kinda melted to the floor or what. One thing I do know is that it's majorly stuck on there. Here's an example:The option that seems to work the best at getting it off is Goo Gone and some good old fashioned elbow grease. That's right folks, we're talking hands and knees stuff! I'll give you a moment to recover from your shock that I'm the one doing this, and then check out the finished product. Pretty good right? Next I'll take some pics of Ty's progress in our bedroom. Slowly but surely people!

Little Birdie Secrets: screenprint at home

Hey all my fellow crafters! I just found this really cool product at Little Birdie Secrets: screenprint at home for making your own screen printed stuff. Really cute idea, and it looks like you could do a whole project for around $25, and have some cute stencils that can be reused 20 times! I found some even easier ones here at the Plaid website. Super cute iron ons for less than $4 each! I may have just found my Xmas gift idea for a few peeps!

Pheasants Forever

So, many of you asked about the benefit dinner we went to tonight. I thought I'd recap the event for anyone who was interested. This was a benefit for Pheasants Forever. The group basically tries to educate farmers about keeping up the habitats for local wildlife (so they can be hunted w/out losing too much of the population) and getting youth involved in outdoorsy hunting/fishing activities. We expected it to be a smallish community thing where we could meet some people and hang out...WRONG! Let's all remember that this is opening weekend for hunting season (found this out today). So hunters from everywhere (I saw New Jersey tags) are here to get their hunt on, and were so kind to join us at the dinner. It was held at the Vesper Gym. Built prior to 1920, it's a quaint old building with a stage on one end that still has the beautiful ruby curtains with a huge golden V embroidered on them. Mostly it's used for old ladies to play bingo together, but tonight it was almost bursting with people of all ages, men and women; almost 350 in all! It was a sea of camo and blaze orange with dots of plaid here and there. I only counted 4 rifles and 5 knives in the building, but who can guess how many there were in all the trucks outside? There were raffles and games(a virtual shooting thing for the kids), and of course all of the prizes had pictures of a bird or dog on them with camo accents. In the middle of all this...me. I wasn't wearing pink (thank goodness), so maybe I blended in a little. One cool thing is, it's really fun to see people in small towns organize things and then have most of the community come out to support it. Whether you're into it or not, you just go because it's good for the community. That's really cool. Plus there was a pretty good bbq dinner, so what more could you really ask for? Come visit me sometime, and I'll take you to see the gym.
*Random Vesper fact of the day (maybe 5 miles from our town, was a bustling town and now just the gym and a few houses): The post office was established in 1873 out of a man's house, and they actually passed the duty around from house to house for several years until they were able to build a building for it. Can you imagine?

Old Pics

Well, I thought I'd finally get around to putting up some pictures from this adorable little Fall Festival we went to last month in Lincoln. There is a lady in the area who is super into preschool education, and runs a program called Parents as Teachers. She does a really great job putting together fun things for kids to do now and then. One of them is this Fall Festival. We went hoping to meet some fellow local parents (and have fun). We had lots of fun and met a few parents too. There was Halloween play dough, pumpkin decorating, snacks,fishing for apples, and a cool grain table that was basically like a sand box full of bird seed, and all different kinds of mini gourds. The kids had a blast digging through the grain with shovels and stuff. A really good time and a great service to the community!

Stories

Wow! It's been forever since I last posted, so I guess I'd better put something out there to keep people coming. So, here are a couple of stories about the girls...

Anna wrote her name for the first time all by herself yesterday. It amazes me how she seems to learn things in bursts. She's only really been interested in drawing circles and lines for a while. Then a couple of weeks ago, she started drawing As, and yesterday she wrote an M and was so proud of herself. I showed her how to make an N instead (which she knows is in her name), and before I knew it, she was writing her whole name! Can't believe how big she's getting!

Abby was eating her dinner tonight (yummy pureed sweet potatoes) when Anna walked by and said something that distracted be from spooning the goodness into sweet Abby's mouth. As I turned to answer Anna, I must have left the spoon just hanging there tantalizing the poor child. Unable to wait any longer, she reached up, grabbed the spoon and jammed it right into her mouth! Couldn't believe the coordination! I'm trying not to overlook these early times, but the more she learns the more I can't wait to see her grow. Soon enough I suppose.

I'm hoping to get some more house progress pics up soon. Things move kinda slowly out here (as you may have guessed).

Halloween Fairy

So I finally did a test run on Anna's costume, and I think it is looking pretty good. I may make a few adjustments, but overall, I'm kinda pleased. She really likes it too, and she's already excited about going "Trick or Treaking" as she's calling it. Here are some pics I took of her in her costume:and the back...

What do you think?

Halloween Chuckles

Well, since I haven't quite finished Anna's costume yet, and I don't have any pictures of it to post. I thought I'd just fill today's space with one of my favorite Halloween stories. It happened, I think, 2 years ago, and it goes a little something like this:
A little boy (maybe 4) and his Mom ring the bell. I answer to an oh so handsome smiling face, and after we chat about his costume for a bit, I reach into my bowl to get him some candy. Now I always try to have a mix of chocolate and non-chocolate 'cause I know different people like different stuff. Since this kid was so cute I decided to give him one of each, so I pulled out something chocolate and a "fun" size bag of skittles. I tossed them in his bucket, and he sort of just froze. His Mom whispers, "Say, 'Thank you'." He leans over to her and, in a whisper I'm sure he thought I couldn't hear, replies, "But Mom, I don't like Skittles!" His mom, of course, turned bright red, but I thought it was hilarious. I totally let him give back the Skittles and pick out what he wanted. He was so excited to get to pick, I got a genuine "thank you" that time.
I love Halloween! Don't you? Can't wait to see what good stories I get this year. I'm sure I'll get a few with Anna on the loose!

Getting ready

Here are some pics of Anna helping me get our pumpkins carved for Halloween. I love carving pumpkins, and I was so excited to start sharing this event with Anna. She actually did a really good job scooping out the yucky insides. She also "helped" me draw the face, and she was so excited to see them lit up.I did one too, and it was the first time I ever carved anything besides a face. I'm usually into the old school, no pattern faces, but I just decided to throw caution to the wind and do something different this year. I think they both turned out pretty well.
Once I get Anna's costume finished, I'll post one of that too. I think she's going to look really cute. Can't wait to go (er, I mean take Anna) trick-or-treating!

Belly laugh...

So here's one of those funny stories you get when you're a Mom:

Ty's been working on the house, and when he does he makes notations of measurements etc. Of course, Anna makes her "notations" too, and she loves to follow Daddy around with a pen and paper just notating away. Recently we had a little discussion about notations vs. annotations. Tonight I was making a list of some things, and Anna asked if she could make notes too. So I asked her if they were going to be notations or annotations. She says with a chuckle. "No, they're Mamatations!" Get it?

How cute is that?

Yum!

Before we start, this is not going to be one of those gourmet recipes with a cute picture. This is some plain old goodness that I just had to share. I was making something with cream cheese in it the other day, and it reminded me of this awesome dip I had a while back. I know my Fort Worth friends love this kind of stuff, so I wanted to get it out there. It's actually courtesy of Kristen Turner, so thank her while you're eating it. For those of you that love Rotel/Velveeta dip, it's alot like that. Only this time use 2 - 8oz packages of cream cheese and a pound of sausage with your can of Rotel. Mix it all in the crock-pot like you would the other stuff, and break out the bag of tortilla chips. Mmm mmm! So rich and creamy, but totally different than what you're used to. Try it sometime and let me know what you think!

Halloween Do's and Don'ts

So I bought some Halloween candy today (What was I thinking? Now I have to try not to eat it!) and that really got me in the mood for Halloween to get here already. I really do love the holiday, though I don't always get the chance to go all out like I want to. Since KState's Homecoming is the weekend before Halloween, I get to be home this year. Plus, since our front bedroom is pretty much in shambles anyway, we're contemplating doing a mini haunted house in there which would be so fun! Anyway, I also got to thinking about some things that bug me about the holiday, so I thought I'd make a list to help people make Halloween better for everyone (namely me).
*Don't start trick or treating during dinner time. Seriously, it's not even dark yet. Let the kids stay up a little later that night, and let me finish my meal before you start ringing the bell.
*Don't go trick or treating if you are I'd say 15 or older. It's just lame to see almost grown men at my door begging for a little piece of candy. Sorry, but we all have to grow up sometime.
*Don't yell, "DID YOU SAY THANK YOU!?" to the kids from the street. It's great for kids to polite, but it's Halloween. The whole point is to demand candy or else you'll play a trick. Or at least stick to coaching them before you leave the house so you don't have to scream at the kids at each stop.
*Do go home when the kids get tired. I've seen so many kids dragging along behind their parents who weren't ready for the night to end. I actually heard a kid last year begging the adults she was with to go home, and they told her no because they hadn't collected enough candy yet. Really?
*Don't make super scary things with no thought towards the younger kids. Scary stuff is fun, but make sure you're watching out for when the little ones come through. I had a kid nearly jump out of his skin as I opened the door 'cause he'd just been scared silly at the house down the street. He was maybe 4, and looked like he wanted to cry on what's supposed to be a fun night.
*MOST IMPORTANTLY DO NOT cart your under 2 kids around in strollers or in your arms and stick out a bucket like the kid is going to eat all that candy. I cannot tell you how much this bugs me! I didn't spend my money on candy so adults could sneak there way in to eating it. Trust me; there will be plenty of candy your older kids won't eat. Every year my parents would say, "Oh sure. You guys can eat all of it," and every year they'd end up eating half of it because after a few days we knew there was no way we'd ever eat it all. Now if I see a little one along with his big brother, and he looks so cute that I want to give him something, that's another thing. But, if the kid can't walk and carry his/her own bucket, he/she should NOT be trick or treating!
I think that's pretty much it. Even if you are one of these offenders, I'll probably still give you some candy, 'cause I'm not brave enough to see what would happen if I don't. I am going to miss my "adult" Halloween fun this year. Too bad all the haunted house loving friends I know are still down in TX. Is there anything that bugs you about Halloween? What's your favorite part? I personally love carving Jack-o-lanterns. Not as much as Brandi (and I'm not near as talented) but I still love it. Only 2 more weeks, so Happy Haunting!

Sorry 'bout that

Ok. So sorry about my last post. I had no idea that people would actually try to look hard at the pics I posted in order to make their decision. I'm going to try and figure out a better method for this picture to blog thing. I have both a flikr and a photobucket account, but no idea what to do with them. If I figure it out soon, you'll see more pics. If not...

Picture post

Well, most of you know that I recently got a new nifty camera, and since that happy day I have been snapping pics wherever/whenever I can. This has been great, and I'd say my pictures have improved alot simply due to the abilities of the camera. The one thing I haven't mastered yet...Photoshop (duh, duh, duh). My sweet hubby got PS Elements for me for Xmas last year, and I was SO excited. While I love all the cool things it can do (of which I can actually do very little), but my beef is that it's not really easy to just play with it and figure things out as you go. Others may disagree, but I have had a hard time figuring things out on my own. Yay for online tutorials, but my brain only works well in short distances. So, I can watch one and follow the steps to get the effect, but unless I really understand the principle behind it, I won't even be able to replicate it the next day. Add on the fact that I have practically zero time to study up, and my photography "hobby" is holding on by a thread. I really like it though, so yesterday I took some "me time" and as a result I have poll for you. Which one do you like better?
#1 is the shot straight out of the camera - no edits
#2 I cropped out Abby (hope she forgives me, but she was a little fuzzy). I upped the saturation a bit and brightened her eyes.
#3 Here I actually stumbled upon the circle vignette I'd been searching for forever ago. I might have gone a little overboard with it, but I like the dreamy feel. I then sharpened her eyes, and I might have brightened them a little more (can't remember).

So what do ya think?

Part 2

Ok. Here's part 2 of my long post. This one will begin with what I think might be one of my best shots yet. Isn't she sweet?

My first food photography session. I made mini banana bread muffins. I know; I'm totally domestic now!
Anna playing with the "shoes" Natalie sent her.

Anna helping me unpack.

Ok, so there might be a part 3, 'cause I wanted to share pics from the cute little Fall Festival they had in a near by town. Maybe later. Mommy duty calls.

Super long post(s)

While I've got my computer and my pics with me (for the first time in along while 'cause Ty's been using it during the day) I thought I'd just post a bunch of them to show you what we've been doing. The first one will be the house, and the second one my latest photography conquests/pics of the girls (which is what I know you really want to see anyway).

The front of the house:

From the front doorThe kitchenWork on the floorsSome progress Aren't those floors gorgeous! Who would ever think of covering them up or ripping large holes in them? You can see the one we'll have to mend in the pic.

Well, that's a little bit of what's going on in the house. Progress is slow because Ty's so busy, and we're not to the projects I can really tackle on my own. We'll get there eventually, though. Stay tuned for more!

Happy Birthday to Me!

Well, I'm a little bit older now. Not sure I feel any wiser. Monday was my bday, and looking back, it's been a really crazy year. Getting pregnant, Circle of Friends, having a baby, moving to Kansas...you could say it's been one of my more interesting years. Of course, there have been downs and ups, but I think there have been more ups, so that's good. This bday turned out to be a good one. My parents and sister came up to see me. They brought gifts and a cake (which Anna helped to frost oh so cutely). They helped me unpack some boxes and get things settled, and just hung out with us, which was great. I don't think it was the most relaxing vacation for them, but I was glad they came. Then I got a package on Monday from my super sweet friends at College Hill. It was full of cards and little gifts. It totally made my day! I put the kids down for naps and went through each one savoring memories about my friends and loving everything they sent. Then today, Ty's gift arrived. A POPCORN MACHINE!!! If you can't guess, or don't know, I LOVE popcorn. I really think I could eat it every day, and never get tired of it. I've always told Ty that I wanted my own machine someday, and today was that day. It's beautiful, and it made an absolutely delicious batch of popcorn. All in all, a pretty great celebration. Now here's to a year of growth and patience, with a lot of fun thrown in too.

Progress

Well, we slept in OUR house for the first time last night! Boxes are piled everywhere, and I have no idea where most of it is going to go. Still, I'm super excited! Abigail reacted by taking about 45 minutes of a nap today, but I'm thinking she'll get over that pretty quick when she wears herself out. I finally figured out how to get pics off my camera and on here, but it's going to take a while for me to sort through all the ones I've taken and get them up, so you'll have to wait just a little longer (or just come visit me :)). While you wait here's a slightly edited account of my lovely conversation with a customer service representative from a company called DishPronto. Enjoy or roll your eyes (or both). You must imagine the guy with a really thick middle eastern accent and me stuffed up and grouchy from being sick.
Guy: Hi my name is... How can I help you.
Me: Hi. I tried to order service last night online, but I didn't receive any confirmation that my info went through, so I'm not sure if it worked or not.
Guy: So are you calling because you don't have an account, or because you're not sure if you have an account? (1st red flag)
Me: Right. I'm not sure if what I did online went through or not.
(some more similar conversation)
Guy: Ok. What package were you looking at?
Me: I chose the one with the basic channels and local channels for $24.99 a month.
Guy: Ok...typing... Alright I've got you down for the "whatever" package, and that's going to be $49.99 a month for the first 12 months and $62.99 after that...
Me: Whoa! Wait a minute. I said $24.99 a month.
Guy: Right ma'am, but that's before we add on all the movie channels, HD channels, Etc., but they're free for the first 12 months.
Me: Ok. I don't want any of that. I just want the basic channels for $24.99/mo.
Guy: So you don't want "whatever" movie channels free for the first 12mo.?
Me: No.
Guy: No extra HD channels?
Me: No.
Guy: Ok....typing...That will be just $24.99/mo for the first 12 mo and then $39.99 after that...
Me: Whoa! Why is it going up so much after 12 mo.?
Guy: Well, ma'am, this is an introductory price...
Me: It didn't say anything about this online.
Guy: Well, it is, as I have told you, introductory, but it's ONLY $39.99.
Me: Yeah! That's way over $10 more a month! Forget it. I'll just go online myself again, and if I can't find it, I'll just go with someone else.
Guy: Well, ma'am, can I ask you a question? What is keeping you from committing today?
Me: Are you kidding? The price! I just said I don't want to pay more than the $24.99 a month!
Guy: Well, as I said that is introductory, but you could always order now, and then in 12 mo. you could call back and upgrade/downgrade your service for only a $5 fee.
Me: Oh now you want me to pay extra to keep from paying more? That's it! This is ridiculous! I'm just going to find someone else who can help me. Bye bye!

Seriously?!

40 Acres

So, I was on my way home tonight from a fun evening with friends (thanks Thad and Kristen), and I was listening to a Caedmon's Call cd. Good stuff all around, but the song "40 acres" came on, and it really spoke to me. I've been way to focused on the negative lately. I keep seeing everything here as the opposite of what I had, and loved, in TX. Instead, I am deciding to try and remember that out here I am surrounded by things that were actually made by the fingers of God. The grass, the trees, everything. I'm going to try and look at it as an opportunity to not be surrounded by things made by man and "of this world" and really see God every day. I know it won't be easy, but I'm going to try. I think remembering that, and knowing that my kids will grow up surrounded by these things will help me find a reason to be here. I know God has a good work in store for us here, and I hope I find it soon. In the mean time, I'm going to try and get back to looking for the blessings in life instead of the negatives. Wish me luck!
Out on these Texas plains you can see for a million lives
And there's a thousand exits between here and the state line
About the last time that I saw you
You said call me Pandora, call me a fool
And I'm thinking this view it could do you some good
So drop these scales and take a look
*There's 40 acres and redemption to be found
Just along down the way
There is a place where no plow blade has turned the ground
And you will turn it over, 'cause out here hope remains
'Cause out here hope remains...
Out here the Texas sky is as big as the sea
And you're alone in your room like an island floating free
Your spirit's hanging in a bottle out on a tree
You say that you're the black sheep, I say you're still family
So throw that bottle to the waves
They'll bring you in to me and from the shore you will see
*
Out here the Texas rain is the hardest I've ever seen
It'll wash your house away, but it'll also make you clean
Now these rocks they are crying too
And this whole land is calling out for you
*

Slow Motion

That's kinda what I'm feeling lately. Like everything is in slow motion. The days roll by, and I can't really distinguish anything between them. Progress on the house is slow. There has been so much to do on the "farm" that there hasn't been alot of time to work on it. We're getting really close, though, to at least moving in. Once we're there, there will be TONS more work to do. Of course, that makes me a little nervous because we (really just Ty) are so busy now, and I don't see that being improved by us living 10 minutes away. Hopefully we'll be able to carve out time to do things like put the floor back in what will be our bedroom. Sleeping in the living room should be at least a little motivation. We'll see. I can already tell that the main thing I'll be working on during my time here is patience. Thanks to my Mom, I really like to have things planned out. I can be spontaneous, but I just don't enjoy living day to day with no direction. Oddly enough, that seems to be exactly what farm life is. Everything is based on the weather or when so and so gets the seed/part/animal delivered instead of what works best for our schedule. Meanwhile I'm at home wondering if anyone will be home for dinner tonight. I don't remember praying for patience recently, but I guess I'm going to get a lesson on it anyway. I can't lie. I probably need it.

Nice Surprise

So, I didn't watch the VMAs, but I was bumming around the internet tonight and came across something quite interesting. I found a story about Kanye West barging in on Taylor Swift's acceptance speech. Apparently he was upset that Beyonce had not been recognized, and he wanted to make sure everyone new it. I found lots of people saying they didn't understand why people were so upset by it. Granted, these things are not really the "important things in life," but that's the whole point. Don't get up and ruin someone else's moment over something so silly that no one, I promise NO ONE, will even remember 10 years from now. Then I came across this. I was truly touched. I have never really been a fan of Beyonce. She seems like a nice enough person, but I just don't think she's all that talented. Now, though, I can really respect her. She totally gave up her spotlight to make things right for someone else. She didn't have to do it. No one would have thought less of her for just giving her speech. People would have glorified her if she'd just mentioned Taylor somewhere in there. But she did more. She stepped aside, for Taylor, and showed a level of class I think has been missing from Hollywood's "elite" for quite some time. So props to Beyonce for doing something good. If only I felt confident enough to wear that black leotard in front of millions of people. :)

Update

Well;

There's not really a lot to say here. Things are moving slowly with the house. Everyone but me has passed around a cold this past week. So, I've spent my time tending the sick and hoping I didn't get it. Since Ty's been under the weather too, not much progress has been made. We did go over last night and work on the floors a little, but there is at least a couple of hours worth of work left before we can feasibly get in. Even then, Ty and I will be sleeping in the living room while we work on the first bedroom, and we'll have to go room by room from there. Still, I'll welcome sleeping in my own bed again no matter where it is in the house. We've come right in the middle of what is apparently one of the busiest times of the year. This hasn't done alot to help me with the transition, but I guess Ty's getting right into the swing of things again. The girls are doing well. Anna will probably not want to leave after she realizes that all the snacks and ice cream she gets here won't be happening at our house. Oh well, things will get back to "normal" eventually I guess. I'm going to an estate auction this weekend to check out some stuff. I'm kind of excited to check things out and see if there is anything interesting. I'm seeing some good photo ops coming, but my battery is dead, and the charger is packed away somewhere. I'm going to have to make an effort to go look for it soon. Ty's grandmother came up from Wichita on Monday. It was her first time to see Abby, and they were so cute together. I got a pic before my battery died, but as always, I'm not able to post it yet. Maybe I'll figure that out soon too. Well, that's about it for now. Love you all!

Housing...

So...yesterday, we bought a house! I was super excited. We got a pretty cute little fixer-upper in town right across the street from Ty's brother. We knew it needed a little bit of foundation work, so we arranged to have that started today. We were thinking a couple of days of work should do it, but little did we know what we would find under the floor. In tearing out a little bit of the floor to work on jacking up on area of the house, we found joists literally sitting on the ground! Yeah! Wooden beams just sitting there on the dirt! No supports, nothing keeping moisture away, and some of them actually rotting away. What's worse is that someone before us had also found this, but instead of fixing it properly, they just nailed new 2x4s to the rotted ones and put the floor back down. So, we'll be doing some dirt work and actually replacing the joists that need replacing. Hopefully, this along with the supports the foundation guys are putting in, our foundation problems will be at an end. The real bummer is, that if they can't get the work all done tomorrow, the guys won't be able to come back 'till next week. Of course, the longer they take, the more time I have to wait before we move. So say a prayer for me and the foundation guys! I still can't post pics. Agh! Soon, though, I hope. There is so much to take pics of here, so I can't wait to get back to it.

Stories from the past week...

Well, I'm sure you're all wondering how things are going here. It's been not quite 2 weeks since I arrived, with my Mom and girls, to the state of Kansas to begin my adventure here. To be honest, I don't really feel at home yet. Of course, we're still living at Ty's parents' house, so that may have something to do with it. It is quiet and pretty darn beautiful out here, so there are at least 2 good things about it. It has been, and is, quite a transition for all of us. The girls actually did really REALLY well in the car. I was amazed. The first day was pretty good until it was time for Anna to go to sleep. She was terrified of the room we put her in for some reason, so we switched rooms. She was still scared in the new room, so I spent the night in there with her, and my Mom the next night. Finally, the 3rd night, she slept in there by herself. Of course, it wasn't until the next morning that I found out Ty had told her that if she layed down and went to sleep I would come in there when it was my bed time. Since I was unaware of this, I never went in. Oops! She didn't seem to mind the next morning, and she's done pretty well ever since. I had been really sad thinking that Anna might not remember all of the important people we are leaving in TX, but every night she continues to list off all of our friends and loved ones in her bed time prayers. It makes me smile every time, and I hope she keeps it up for a long time. I'm still not able to use my computer, so I can't upload any pics of our new house, but I will asap. The work that thing needs will be a chronicle in itself, but I'm excited for the challenge and for something to do. Now if only I could find something that would make us some money but let me be home with the girls, I'd be in hog (or should I say cow) heaven. Any ideas?

We're here, and I'm still alive...

Well;
We made it to Kansas safe and sound (well mostly). Have you ever noticed how a 2 year old's voice gets louder with every passing hour in a car? Actually, the girls were even better than I expected, and I made it all the way here without shedding a tear (perhaps I was all dried up after the couple of days before). I'll officially apologize to everyone for not responding to your emails, but Ty's parents have dial-up which means I can't view half of your blogs or anything on FB. I keep reading the comments to the photos, but I can't see them, and even though I read your emails and posts, I can't seem to be patient enough to wait for the reply window to pop up. So, don't even bother wanting to see any pics from up here for a little while. We are looking at a house "in town", though, so I may be officially back online soon! Until then, I'll leave you with a story from my adventures to KS. About 2 weeks before the move, Ty and I notice that my inspection sticker had expired (IN APRIL). We decided it was silly to pay for an inspection so soon before we left, so we just left it alone. It hadn't bothered be for 2 months, but now every time I saw a cop car go by, I'd hold my breath and my heart would race a little. I joked with Ty more than once that I'd get pulled over on my way out of Texas, and do you know what? IT HAPPENED! Just outside of Denton, my Mom and I passed a State Trooper who had just finished pulling over someone else. Somehow he saw my sticker, and with a flash of his lights, we were stopped. Can you believe it? I explained the situation, and he gave us a warning. My Mom was driving, and she said it was the first time she'd ever been pulled over. Sorry, Mom! Oh well, I knew it wouldn't be easy getting out of there. More fun stories to come, but that's all for now.

Pity Post

I can't believe it's been like 6 days since I last posted. You can tell how crazy things have been since I haven't had the time/energy to post the last few days. So, even though there's not much to tell, here's an update on everything to kinda fill in the gap. Packing is going slow. I know I only have a week left, but I'm just not ready to have a house full of boxes that are full of stuff that I can't get to or use. Pretty soon, we'll be sitting on the floor, eating off paper plates, and just staring at each other in the evenings. Ah well, it has to happen some time, or my stuff will have to endure Ty's packing method (cram things in the nearest box and chuck it wherever it'll go). Then our buyer's real estate agent started calling and saying, "Well, she might want to bring a friend over to see the house, or she might just want to poke her head in some time this week." I'm thinking, "really"? Can she not wait 7 more days? After that she'll have all the time in the world to show every friend she's got, but right now my house is full of partially packed boxes and the stuff that needs to go in them. She'll have to look behind the mountains of boxes to see anything and just try to stay in the little path we've made between the stuff. On top of everything, Abby's got the sniffles. I'm really hoping it's just a cold, 'cause I do NOT want my first order of business in KS to be finding a doctor to take her to the first day we get there 'cause she's still sick! Oh the up side, I'm having tons of fun hanging out with everyone with all my "goodbye" parties, lunches, playdates, etc. It's great to be reminded of just how many great friends God has blessed us with during our time here. On Friday, I'm taking Anna to the circus for the first time with some of those very same friends. Can't wait to see what she thinks of it. (I'll be sure and post pics!) Ty's keeping Abby, so I'll be able to really enjoy the experience without having to worry about her (or feed her in the middle of everything ;)). Well, that's all for now. Hope you feel caught up. Until next time...

Date Night = Blessing

Today's blessing is...my husband's sweet thoughtfulness. Really, this should be yesterday's blessing, but it was WAY too late to post last night, so here we are. Ty and I hadn't had a date night in... well, I can't remember our last date night, so that tells you how long. Anyway, all he told me was that I needed to dress up. Yay! I love dressing up, and it just so happens that I'd saved a nice dress when packing up my seldom used clothes for the move. Of course, I was crossing my fingers, hoping it would fit since not much else of mine does. Luckily, I squeezed into it, and felt great about it. So we get in the car to take the kids to our good friends, the Neely's, to watch them for our surprise date. When we get there, they're all dressed up too! Stacey's Mom (who is one of the bravest women I know) kept all 4 kids while we went out on the town. I was so surprised and delighted to have our friends come along! We hopped in the car and went downtown to Mi Cosina for dinner (yum), and then to the Bass Hall for a show. While I can't all together recommend the show we saw, I love going to the theater and haven't been in FOREVER, so I'm not complaining. The night ended way too soon (it was a Tuesday after all), but I'm so thankful that my husband knew I'd been dying to do something like this for a long time. We'll have very few chances for things like this pretty soon, so it was so sweet of him (and our friends) to work it into our busy schedule. What a blessing!
P.S. I know I probably broke the photographers' code, but I just couldn't see myself with my camera around my neck, so I didn't get any pics. Stacey's mom took one, so if it's good, I'll post if when I get it.

Sunday Hodge Podge

Well, it was another great day to worship the Lord and be with friends. Friends who encourage, support, laugh, and learn with you. When you have kids, it's even better when you can see that they love your kids like they were their own, and you feel the same way about their kids. Today I watched Carter wear a stocking cap in 90 degree weather, Anna and Payton eat olives off their fingers, and Morgan and Spencer make my sweet baby smile over and over. They seem like silly everyday things, but they are memories I will keep in my heart forever.

On a completely separate note, here are some things I found while bumming around on the net today:
http://products.polaroid.com/product/part_number=PG009/1848.0.61264.61265.0.0.0
You know those great old Polaroid cameras? Well here's a digital one! I know someone at church was talking about this a while ago. I finally checked it out, and I think it's so cool! I totally remember almost every bday party I had, my Mom would take pics of me with each of my party guests. I loved it! At $150 it doesn't even seem too expensive. The sheets you print on aren't cheap, but not too much more than a digital print. Don't know if I'll ever get one, but I think it's a really neat idea.
http://thelovelyladybaker.blogspot.com/2009/08/rice-krispie-cake-for-unwanted-birthday.html
This is my friend Christina's blog. She made the cutest cake basically out of giant rice krispie treats. What a fun idea! Everybody loves 'em, and it's a great twist on the traditional bday cake. After I make Brandi's peanut butter brownies, I think I'll try it.

Fall Fashion

So I was just talking with some friends about the never ending cycle of fashion trends. We were remarking that things seem to just go around and around, but then laughed that there were some things that would probably just stay lost in the pages of history (i.e. many of the ridiculous fashions of the 80's). Don't get me wrong. I loved my neon socks, biker shorts, side ponytails, and all that, but with styles SO distinctive, you think it'd be hard to bring some of that stuff back. Not to worry friends! Here it is in all it's crazy shoulder pad glory:
www.style.com/trendsshopping/trendreport/072709/partylikeits1983/
Other style trends on tap for the Fall:
Biker jackets, 40s glamour, and seemingly plaid judging from the sheer amount of it I'm seeing everywhere

*On a more personal note, I went to the doctor yesterday, and when they weighed me I was disgusted to find that I weighed exactly the same as I did at my 6 week checkup post baby! Of course, Ty pointed out that I haven't really done much since then in the way of changing that, so I guess it's time I started. Now that I've announced it to the world, I kinda have to right? Do any of you have weight loss goals? (Hopefully not Brandi ;)) Maybe we can get there together.

Back to the blessings

Wow! I'm not sure how off I am on the days of blessings, and I have to admit that I haven't taken very mane pics in the last week or so. I am rectifying that now, though, with a lovely picture of my girls...

Cute right? It's a little fuzzy for some reason, but I don't think you can tell when it's this small. This next one is the blessing pic. I took it a couple days ago after the countertop fiasco. The blessing is... things that make you feel better when you're down. I was so upset, and then watching my sweet baby girl learning to roll over and look up at me with her beautiful blue eyes just took the pain away. Have you ever noticed how joy is so much stronger than anger or sadness? Force a little bit of joy into your life (or have someone else force it like I did), and it's amazing how quickly it will drive out the bad stuff. Thank you God for blessings!
*Random Sylvan Grove fact of the day: (courtesy of Brandi) The Yesterday House museum in Sylvan has the largest barbed wire collection in the region.

Specifics

It seems from the questions I've been getting from my last post, I may not have been specific enough about where we are moving. When I said we're moving to Kansas, I didn't mean Wichita or KC kinds of Kansas. I meant "middle of nowhere" Kansas. Ty grew up in the "wilderness " outside of Sylvan Grove, KS. We are going back there so he can fulfill is dream of continuing the family legacy of their ranch/farm. Here's what I'm in for: If we decide to live "in town" I'm talking less that 300 people (less than my graduating class). No stop light. No stop SIGN. K-12 in one building. That type of thing. People asked me, "Well, at least they have a Sonic, right?" At this point I burst into laughter and then tears. No Sonic! NO CHICK-FIL-A! What am I going to do? More than likely we won't end up in town, which means we'll be surrounded for miles by nothing but land. There is a Pizza Hut about 30 min. away, so I'll have that when I'm really desperate. There are some things that I'm looking forward to. Letting the kids play outside without any fear of what might happen to them. The kind of community where people really get involved in their neighbors' lives (in a good way). Ty having a job that is basically "working from home" that will allow us to really parent together every day. I don't think that's something most kids get. Am I scared? You betcha, but I have faith that God would not have put this dream in my sweet hubby's heart if we were not meant to experience it together. I fear I will always be the "Crazy Texan" who doesn't quite belong, but that's ok. I'll wear my animal print and big hair proudly!

Drum Roll Please!

Well, Ty has officially released me from my silence. I am free to make the announcement that by now is probably painfully obvious to most of you...we're moving TO KANSAS! I know, quite a shocker. Things are in motion. Ty should be giving his notice later on this week, we're working on finishing up the house, and getting packed. I've got a whirlwind of emotions going on - excitement, fear, and sadness to name a few. We've been slowly saying goodbye to the people we love, and it's heartbreaking. Judging by the name of my blog, you can imagine that this will be an entirely new experience for me. I'm sure there will be many interesting and awkward moments for me, and lucky for you, you get to read about them right here! Here's a little sample of just how "uncountrified" I am: We were sitting around with Ty's family shortly after we got married, and someone starts telling stories about when Ty's parents were first married. They start cracking up about how Ty's mom couldn't even make gravy when she first married his dad! I refrained from commenting that I had no idea how to make gravy. I actually tried once, but most of the time when I bring it up Ty just says, "Let me just show you," and he ends up doing it. You know, there are some things that just don't change, and I don't think the city/Texan in me will ever die. Right here and now, I vow never to say "pop" instead of "coke", or "crick" instead of "creek," and I will never lose my love for all things urban or let my girls grow up afraid of all "the city" has to offer. Actually, I'm really hoping that they'll get the best of both worlds (Payton would be so proud of my Hannah Montana reference) and learn to appreciate the blessings that come from both kinds of living. Well, here's to all the crazy times ahead. Stay tuned for updates on the move and all that jazz.

Don't try this at home, kids!

Well, I'm feeling totally awful, and it's because I did one of the dumbest things known to man today. I lit a candle when we got home from church this morning, and when we left for church tonight, I (oh so stupidly) forgot to blow it out! So yeah, when we get home there is this cloud of smoke hanging in the kitchen and a softball sized black spot on our countertops where the candle was sitting! Seriously!? How could I have missed that? I guess we caught it just in time, 'cause the smoke alarms hadn't gone off yet, and nothing was on fire. I still got one of those horrible gut wrenching feelings when I thought about how close we came to losing everything we own. Thankfully, it's on a small patch that "should" be easily replaceable, and there is no smoke damage to the house. Also, I'm thankful for my sweet husband who hugged me and told me it would be alright as I fought off the urge to throw up. Grrrr! I hate when I do stupid things! Why did I feel the need to confess my stupid deed? I don't know. For some reason, getting it off my chest makes me feel better, and you all (y'all for the Texans) can learn from my example. "Never ever leave a burning candle unattended!" If I can sleep tonight, it'll be a miracle.

Whew!

One word...VBS! Ok it's not really a word, but man am I tired! We're doing a Roman theme this year and focusing on Paul and the Underground Church. The kids get a first hand look at what it would have been like to live and be a Christian in Rome in Bible times. They visit a Marketplace where they "buy" Roman food and make crafts. They play Roman games, and they visit Paul to hear stories about his time in Rome and learn lessons from the Bible. It is so much work, but it really is worth it when you see the kiddos loving it and really getting what we're trying to teach them. Last night Marcus asked what the "Bible Point" for the night was, and Payton(almost 5) yells out, "God's love changes us!" She was totally right! I was so glad to see that what we were doing was making a difference and that the kids were really getting it. Tonight felt a little more like work, but that's ok, 'cause stuff got done! I'm going to go ahead a make all the people that have directly helped me during VBS my blessings of these 4 days. Lisa, Amber are Laura just a few. It's so uplifting to look around and see people you know you can count on. So, if you've got kids with nothing to do for the next 2 days, bring 'em to Rome, and I'll show them around!
P.S. No pics, I barely have time to breath much less worry about my camera!

Day 10

Wow! So many blessings, so little time. I honestly thought it would be hard to think of a different blessing every day, but surprisingly it's really been easy. Even though I'm sure many of them will seem kinda similar, there are blessings all around us if we'll just see them. Today, I'm even having trouble deciding what to pick! We had a wonderful time hosting some friends for a cookout. It's so great to be surrounded by people you love and who love you back. So, I think I'm going to go with friendship. What a wonderful gift from God! Isn't it fun how He made us to be friends with one another? He knew we'd need people in our lives to help us, support us, and encourage us, so he made us with the desire to have friends. And when you find those friends, you can truly see how God intended this life to be. So...my pic doesn't really have anything to do with friendship, 'cause I let MY friends do most of that. So instead, here's my favorite pic of the 17 or so I took. (P.S. they were all of the flowers and Anna).
Ooo! As I'm typing this, I'm realizing that I can take a pic of the blanket Brandi and Nick gave us! So sweet, and we will cherish it forever!

Day 9

Today's blessing is clouds. What an amazing difference a few clouds can make on the temperature outside! We've gone from down right oppressive 100+ degree temps to very livable (and I would even say pleasant) ones in just a day. Of course, I still wouldn't want to be one of those dedicated individuals who works outside for a living, but it makes sitting by the pool even more enjoyable than usual. Come to think of it though, today is the first day I've gotten sunburned while at the pool, which is odd considering it was the first time we haven't had the sun blazing down on us. Hmmm. Well, anyway, I can still marvel at how God made the weather to work just right so that moisture and air makes clouds, and they travel across the country and the world giving rain to the earth. It all works in complete harmony. Who else but God could have come up with something so exactly perfect? By chance you say? I think not! What a blessing!

Day 7? Anyway, it's another blessing!

Today's blessing...funny faces! I really have no idea what is going through Anna's head at this moment, but I cannot stop laughing at this picture! Mostly because this was toward the end of an entire day of me cracking up at my daughter. She is getting so expressive with her face (obviously), and she's trying to use "big people" phrases and words. It's funny to think about how she perceives what I say and hear her version of what I said. She's taken to telling me to be quiet when someone is on the phone (even the silly 8 year old on his cell phone at the playground), telling me to "stay right there" while looking down at me over the top of her nose (just like I do), and saying, "can't" instead of "don't want to" for everything. "I can't take a nap right now." "No, I can't want it." I can't like it." So silly, but that's what I love about her. We were talking about whether or not Abby has a chance of NOT being silly, and we decided it was either that, or she'll be the aloof one who always sits in the corner, acting like she doesn't know us. I really hope it's the former. What a blessing to have 2 sweet little girls who make me smile every day!

Blessing?

Ok - so I just realized that my camera is in still in the baby's room, and since she's finally fallen asleep after fussing for 10-15 min. I'm not about to risk waking her up to go in and get it. Plus, I wasn't too happy with any of my pics today anyway. So, I think I'll pick something that wouldn't really make a great photo. Wanna guess? It's not in your house, but you use it all the time. In winter you'd forget about it, but in summer it's your best friend. Got it? It's the AC!!! That's right the good old air conditioner. Keepin' things cool. Man oh man, it's hot out there! Can you imagine being someone who can't afford/flat out doesn't have an AC unit right now? This is the 16th day of 100+ temps this year in DFW! Even though I complain about Ty freezing me out all the time (I'm wearing a sweater right now), I feel so blessed to be protected from the heat and so nice and cool! So what about you? Can you name a blessing in your life? Share it!

Day 6

Today's blessing...Sprinklers!

Today's blessing came fairly early. We were having to test the sprinklers to make sure they were all working. Anna was outside with me, and immediately ran over and stuck her arm in the water! Well, she was already pretty wet, so I let her run around some more. She loved it! She would tell me, "all done," and then when I'd go to turn them off, I'd turn around and see her running in them again. Finally, after the grass had gotten a pretty good soak, we had to call it a day. She had so much fun, thought, it was sad to turn them off. If the stranger man who was testing them wasn't there, I might have jumped in too. As it was I'd already gotten sprayed when I was walking across the lawn to see if the zone on the side of the house was on when the guy turned them on right where I was standing. I don't think he meant to, and it took me a little by surprise too (especially since I was holding my camera)! What a blessing to be reminded that it is the simple things in life that can bring you the most joy!

Day 4 (I think...I'm already off!)

Today's blessing...the best Doctor in the whole wide world...Dr. Baker! Ok, this is a picture of a picture, and probably not the best one I'll ever take, but I thought it might be a little creepy of me to take my camera to our appt. and ask if I could take a picture of her. Am I right here? None the less, she is SO my blessing of the day. Her clinic was built about a block away from my house only a few months before Anna was born. I was randomly paired with her because she was new, and boy was I lucky! At a time when I was feeling totally unprepared and lost, she listened and talked with me patiently, held my hand every step of the way, and gave me some very needed encouragement. It might sound silly that she would say, "You're doing a good job," but I really needed to hear it. Hopefully, someday she'll read this and know what a joy she has been in my life. Yay for God putting the right people in your life at the right time! What a blessing!

Blessing...

Today's blessing is...my hydrangea plant!

Ok, I know that I've already used a plant, and technically I didn't take this picture today. But it's a different plant, and it's still a blessing so there! This plant has more endurance that most people I know. It has almost died at least 2 times. At least 2 times, I've told Ty, "Just forget about it!" 3 times now, it has come back, and it's one of the more beautiful plants in our landscape. This thing just won't give up! It has survived being totally scorched, almost scorched, and dug up/replanted all 3 times, and now look at it. It reminds me that as a soldier of Christ, wearing His full armor, I can endure all of the trials this life has to offer. When I'm finally done with the fight, I'll get to go to a place where I am free to bloom in complete harmony with God! Isn't it great how God can use a little thing to teach you a big lesson? Ok, for those of you who are the technical types and might chide me for using an old picture, here is one I actually took today. I would have used it, but I've already said "cuteness," and I'd like to reserve using each of my children for days when I really can't think of anything else. ;) Well, that's all for now. Have a blessed week!

Day 3

Today's Blessing...cuteness!

Today's cuteness is courtesy of my good friend Kristeen who got this adorable cow towel for Abby. It came with matching slippers which were just a "little" to big. Anna has snatched those up, which is fine with me 'cause now she can stop wanting to wear mine all the time. Today was kind of a rough day (Abby was very fussy), but seeing her looking so cute after her bath really helped smooth things over. Thanks Kristeen!

Day 2

Today's blessing:

Friends you can have fun with. I am having so much fun with these gals (and guy, Carter)! I wish all my friends could not work and go swimming with us, but we have such a blast playing in the water. What a blessing to have friends you can kick back, hang with, and know that you are loved by no matter what. I am so thankful for these girls and all my precious friends! My favorite shot of the day is this one of my sweet friend Amber swimming with Anna. She was so sweet to let Anna splash her over and over with the water. Isn't it great that God designed us to seek out and bestow friendship upon each other?!