Post 300!

WOW! We've come a long, long way together, babe! :)

Sorry I've been out of touch. It's been...well, shall we say hectic? We've been scrambling to look at houses in the midst of the holidays, company, teething, etc. I'm so far past sleep deprived that I'm beginning to fall asleep sitting up. Conrey got 1 of his top teeth in yesterday (top left). We've got 1 more to go for the middle four. We've had family here...12 people living in 1 house for a week. I'll tell you what that equates to: chaos. We had a wonderful time throughout Christmas and a great time at Dopps Camp this past weekend. It just seems like the day is over before I even realize that it ever began.

We are making an offer on a house today. We're rather excited. We really like it and hope that it fits us well in the coming years. Once we find out if it all goes through, I'll post a picture of it.

Well, that's our life for now. I'll keep you updated as things progress! Hope you all had a Merry Christmas and that you have a very Happy New Year!

SOLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Need I say more?

Closing date: 1/23/2009

And Then...

So, if you haven't heard the word...we got an offer! We're in the negotiating process. It's not so fun. I have a question for you all. It is something that is really, really bothering me. We just asked our realtor to take a cut on her commission in order to meet the last $1000 between the buyer and us. I actually lucked out and got to do it via email because her phone went dead. I'm such a chicken. BUT, it makes Mark and I both feel disrespectful in a way and it was a very hard thing to do...even through email. Is it okay to do? Is it right, wrong, or indifferent? Is it good business or bad business? These are the questions plaguing us right now as we await her response. We have already lowered our asking price a staggering $20,000 from HER original list price. So, we feel that we absolutely cannot budge the remainder. We even suggested that perhaps she and the other realtor could split the difference to make this sale happen. Our contract expires 12/31. It is seeming like this might be her last opportunity and to me, taking a small hit is better than losing the whole thing. What do you all think?

Any comments out there?!?

Let's try this again...

OK, OK...I get your point. It was dumb. SHEESH!

Somewhat the same message only polictal. NOT cheesy, but rather clever, I thought. Not sure who wrote this, but I got it from my friend, Ray, on Facebook.

To All My Democrat Friends:Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit, my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low-stress, non-addictive, gender-neutral celebration of the winter solstice holiday festival season, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasion and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all. I also wish you a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2009, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make America great. Not to imply that America is necessarily greater than any other country nor the only America in the Western Hemisphere .Also, this wish is made without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith or sexual preference of the wishes.

To My Republican Friends:Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

A Video for CHRISTmas

Watch this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAckfn8yiAQ&NR=1

It is really cheesy and the editing is pretty horindus (yes, I know how to spell that...it was in reference to the video. You'll see what I mean...lots of grammar and spelling errors...not to mention poor color choice and such). :)

Anyway, it is a good message, though the cheese factor is high. Let's all remember the reason for Christmas...Christ...and not leave Him out of it. The entire reason Christmas even exists is because of Jesus. No, we don't know when He was born. However, it is nice to have a day set aside to specifically think about that and praise God for giving Jesus to the world. We should think about it daily, but we all fall short of this, I'm sure, so it's nice to have a day centered around such a great sacrifice of Jesus coming down from glory to live on the earth...to be tempted...to feel pain.

Hope you enjoy the message of the video.

Merry Christmas!

For those of you out there that celebrate different holidays, I hope you enjoy those times with family and friends, as well. Next to celebrating Jesus, time with family and friends is the most important thing about the holiday season.

Oh, and by the way...I don't get offended by "happy holidays" and I sometimes say it in light of the entire holiday season encompassing Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's.


If anyone has any questions or comments in support of OR contrary to what I've written, I would love to hear them. Seriously, if you don't agree, let me know instead of just reading this and thinking that I'm an idiot...

Kid Update

Conrey had his 6-month visit today. Hard to believe, neh? He weighed in at 20.8 lbs (though the nurse tried to tell us 28 lbs the 1st time around) and was 26 inches long. He is doing great and has been given the okay to go on to meats, mixed baby foods, etc. Big boy! He had to have 3 shots and the nurse (who was in training) took about 3 minutes to administer all 3. We had a VERY mad baby when it was all said and done. Poor guy! Just wanted to record it!

Video Attempt: Take 2

[EDIT] As you can see...it didn't work. Any suggestions?

SO, nobody commented on my last post. I guess everyone has given up on me. Either that, or nobody knows how to do videos, which I know is a LIE! :) :) :)

So, here's try #2 on my own.

VIDEO GOES HERE:

This is the fuzzy caterpiller song. At first, she is frustrated because she wants to watch herself singing it on the camera. It's our digital camera. I explain that she can't watch it until after she does it. The words will be below with the words SHE says in parentheses.

FUZZY CATERPILLER

Fuzzy caterpiller, he wiggled (crawled) up a tree. He wiggled long. He wiggled short. He wiggled right at me. I put him in a box. Don't go away (don't way ago) I said. But, when I opened up the box he was a butterfly instead.

I could never make one; even if I tried. Only God in heaven can make a butterfly (instead).

SO, if my video loads, you all will see it above. If not...well...too bad, I guess. It was cute! :)

Well, hello!

Why yes, I DO post on this blog. Hmmm...I almost forgot you all.


No! Not really. I couldn't forget you all.

Actually, I have thought time and again to post on here. I have planned several posts. All to no avail. Before I forget, I need help. I've tried to post some videos, but I can never get them to upload. Anyone wanna help me with that?

So, what have we been up to since we last spoke? Sickness, travelling, eating, randomness.

The week before Thanksgiving found Mark sick with a sinus infection. Thursday morning, Cassie woke up with dried puke in her hair. Thursday afternoon, I was nursing Conrey when she came up and said she needed to hold me. She then proceeded to puke all over Conrey and all over my lap. Over the weekend, Dani, my Aunt Cheryl, and my Uncle Jim all came to town. We bought Dani's wedding dress Saturday. Monday morning, Mark and Aunt Cheryl woke up sicker than sick. I have never seen the flu as bad as they had it. Dani, as it turns out, got sick Sunday night into Monday morning, as well. Mom got it Monday night into Tuesday. Everyone else escaped unscathed. Conrey is still teething through all of this, so I'm getting no sleep while nursing all of the sickies. Being their nurse...not nursing. Ew.

Wednesday night, we left for "home" to go back to Olathe. We spent a nice, laid-back Thanksgiving at Mark's parents' house complete with the Vickers Lighting Ceremony. Mark had wired up a switch for his parents' Christmas lights. His Dad was all excited saying it could be like the Plaza lighting. I was in the closet where the switch is and everyone else was outside. They did a count down and I flipped the switch waiting to hear the "AH's" over the phone. What they saw was the crescent moon window of the closet light up. I flipped the wrong switch. I quickly turned that off and turned the correct switch on, but the moment was spoiled. I'm never gonna live that one down!

We had a relaxing rest of the time there and came back Sunday. In the midst of all of the other stuff going on, I have continued to have sharp pains in my upper abdomen followed often by stomach sickness. Those of you who know me and/or know my story know that I have a weak stomach/intestines, so I've spent my share of time in the bathroom with all of this going on. I come home and it kind of peaks to the worst it's been. My dad now believes that I might have gallbladder issues going on. Fun. Then, yesterday, I wake up with tooth (which about 1/3 of it broke off over a year ago) hurting. Looks like a root canal is in my future! I've got those 2 issues going on currently. I'm TUI...typing under the influence, which should explain the lack of cohesive thought, grammar, and spelling. I'm taking some drugs for the tooth pain. Don't worry, they're okay for breastfeeding.

OK...now for some Cassie funnies. Last week, she picked up her baby and began to breastfeed her baby (she had a shirt on). She said, "Our babies are HUNGEE!" I chuckled and kind of passed it off. A few days later, as she is eating cereal, she all the sudden goes, *GASP* "LOOK MOMMY! I have milk now, too!" I am trying to hold back laughing. I look over at her and some of her cereal milk has dribbled down her chest. That girl! She was ready to go get her baby doll, I'll tell ya!

As for my fat buddy, Conrey...he's rolling over now...he's taking a paci now...he's laughing and talking and has become quite vocal. Yes, you read that correctly. He is suddenly a paci man. As many of you know, his tongue is tied pretty far forward underneath it. This has caused him to intake tons of air while nursing because he slips off. THAT, in turn, has caused monumental amounts of spitting up. Just in the last week or so, he has been nursing better and spitting up like 90% less than before. This is a HUGE relief to me. He was a mess with teething and being fussy one day last week. As a last resort, I went and got a paci. He fell in love instantly and has not been without it since! YAY!

He rolls over now, but is much better back to front. He HATES being on his tummy, so then he gets really mad and yells about it until he finally gets flipped back over or gets help. It's pretty funny to watch him roll. It's like he takes a running start or something and it happens super fast. Rollie Pollie.

No news on the house. No surprise there.

SO, I have had a video loading for like 20 minutes now and it's still not loaded. Is that normal? If so, that's obnoxious. I'm gonna save this post and try to come back to it. Good night.

I came back to it this morning and it never loaded up. BUMMER! HELP!

I am alive and kickin. Sorry for the lack of updates. I WILL update when I can.

SO far behind

I'm WAY behind on my blogging. I'm WAY behind on reading my blogs. I'm WAY behind in general.

I was sick. Then, Cassie was sick. Now, Mark, Conrey, and my Auntie (who is here visiting) are sick. No fun.

SO, when I'm done taking care of sick people, I'll blog more.

No news on the house. No news on anything, really.

The End.

Thank You

I just thought that this was an amazing way to send some cheer to the soldiers during the holiday season. Xerox is a great company in my book for doing this (we'll ask my brother, Dustin, for his opinion of the company at a later date) for our brave men and women who are sacrificing much for our freedom. May God Bless them, their families, and our country!

If you go to this web site, www.LetsSayThanks.com you can pick out a thank you card and Xerox will print it and it will be sent to a soldier that is currently serving in Iraq . You can't pick out who gets it, but it will go to a member of the armed services. How AMAZING it would be if we could get everyone we know to send one!!! It is FREE and it only takes a second. Wouldn't it be wonderful if the soldiers received a bunch of these? Whether you are for or against the war, our soldiers over there need to know we are behind them. This takes just 10 seconds and it's a wonderful way to say thank you. Please take the time to do this and to pass this website on for others to do. We can never say enough thank you's. Thanks for taking to time to support our military!

Updates all around

Updates...where to start? Let's start with the house. No news is......good news or bad news? I'm not sure. We had a showing Thursday (the toilet people), a showing today, and a realtor preview today. I WILL update when I know anything.

Cassie: When last we left little Cassie, we were in the trenches...not having a ton of success with the potty training. Today, we find our little one going dry all day, even out in public at the mall and a bridal salon. We find her pottying and pee-peeing on the potty every time she needs to relieve herself. She's doing, well, splendidly.

Conrey: We now have TWO teeth. He got the first one on Nov. 7 on the way to Olathe and the second one on the 13th. Yes, it's been rough. They are the 2 bottom ones and it is pretty cute. We are now eating cereal and a jar of baby food 2 times a day. He has not slowed down on nursing at all...still every 2 hours. The food is between 2 nursings; 1 in the morning and 1 in the late afternoon or evening. He is over 20 lbs and we recently switched him to the next carseat (still facing backwards) because he was too heavy for the infant carrier. We haven't been to a restaurant yet and don't really know what we're going to do, as he cannot sit unsupported yet. We'll see.

I got my Christmas cards that I ordered from www.makemeanewcreation.com and I LOVE them! They are sooo cute and exactly what I wanted! YAHOO! If you haven't looked at their website yet, check it out. I was definitely not disappointed 1 bit!

Well, that's my update. Hope you all have a good day!

Shout out and Update

First and foremost, a very happy birthday shout out to my sister-in-law, Laura. Go check her out at http://thisthatandawholelotoffood.blogspot.com! Hope you have a GREAT birthday! I'll call you later!

I wanted to update you all on the house situation. First of all, thanks for the prayers. Secondly, the buyers really like our house and have only 1...only ONE issue with it...are you ready for this? Toilets. This couple is Asian and I guess in their culture, a toilet cannot have it's back to the front door of the home. They have an issue with the basement bathroom, as the back of the toilet is to the front door. WHAT? If anyone understands this, please explain. In my limited knowledge, I am thinking it might have something to do with Feng Shui (however you spell that) or something. So, we'll see if they can get past that or not. If they decide that it's workable, they want to look again and then make an offer...they like it THAT much.

Keep those prayers coming! :)

CALLING ALL PRAY-ERS!

OK, ladies! Here's the deal: We had a showing today. We have one scheduled for Saturday, as well. We hadn't had a showing in 4 weeks. It gets better, though...

The people that looked today really liked the house, asked for the Seller's Disclosure, and asked for a SECOND SHOWING! AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!

I need your prayers, people! Please, please, please pray for them to make a reasonable offer. Along with your prayers, however, please pray that if they don't, we'll be at peace knowing that God has plans in mind and that it will sell sometime in the near future if these aren't the ones. This is the FIRST request for Seller's Disclosure and 2nd showing after like 20 showings all saying, "Great home, the seller had nothing negative to say, etc. but it's not the one for them." Someone finally could picture themselves living there. We just pray that it all comes to fruition, as we're really ready to get our own place and be a single family again!

Thanks so much for your prayers, in advance. I'll keep you 'posted' on the situation! Pun intended.

ALPHABET SOUP M and N

I needed to be mindless today. I don't have anything brilliant or exciting to talk about, so I thought I would talk about the subject I know best...ME! :) So, here are the things I love for 'M' and 'N.' Notice that I'm even too lazy to go find my little icon. Yeah...it's that kind of day...

M:
MOMMY: I love to hear that word. There is nothing better than to hear Cassie say, "Mommy, I love you!"

MENUS: This might seem weird. I love menus at restaurants and I love making menus. I love sitting down at a restaurant with a plethora of options...do I want steak, chicken, salmon? Do I want broccoli, mashed potatoes, or fries? I can pick whatever suits my fancy. I love making a month-long menu, though this doesn't happen often. There is nothing like looking at your menu and saying, "Tonight I'm having _______. At the start of the month I got everything I needed, so I just have to go in and cook it." Fabulous!

MAKE UP: This might be a surprise, as I often wear little make-up. Other times, I wear more. I never wear foundation and very, very rarely powder. There is something VERY tempting, however, about eye shadows, blushes, bronzers, lip glosses, etc. I have to rush past the make up department when I'm in stores, because I'll inevitably find something that I "need."

MUSIC: Music has always been a huge part of my life. I have always performed (well, until I got married, that is...). I have always loved to sing. I have played at least 8 different instruments that I can think of off of the top of my head. I love music. You might find it interesting, however, that there is typically not music playing in my car. Unless I'm driving on a long trip by myself, the radio is off. If I'm driving long distance by myself, then I need the music to keep me going. By contrast, Mark turns the radio on first thing when he gets in my car. I don't mind his music playing...I just prefer to not have music playing when I'm driving in town and trying to concentrate.

MOON: I'm like a kid. There is something that thrills me and intrigues me about the moon. I love to find it in the night sky and I love to watch it change for night to night.

MORNINGS WITH MY KIDDOS: I am NOT a morning person. There are 2 little reasons that make my morning worth facing: Cassie and Conrey. There is nothing sweeter than a little one in the morning. They always want to cuddle and are so smiley. I LOVE it!

MANICOTTI: One of my favorite Italian dishes. I LOVE a good manicotti with the perfect ratio of pasta, cheeses, and sauce. YUM!

N:
NACHOS: I LOVE nachos! I love the kind you get at a circus, fair, ballgame, etc. I love just chips with shredded cheese that you melt (with garlic salt...yum!). I love nachos.

NICKELODEON: I grew up as a product of Nickelodeon. I loved all of the shows. I loved the fact that there was always a channel with shows for me to watch. I loved people getting slimed.

NECKLACES: I love wearing necklaces, though I rarely do any more. I have had too many broken in these early stages of motherhood that I have retired them for the time being. I just always feel like the right necklace completes an outfit and makes me feel finished.


Well, I have wracked my brain and cannot come up with any other 'Ns.' If I come up with any more, I'll add, but for now, that's my list. :)

8000 Words

[EDIT] I have uploaded this complete collection onto my facebook. If we're not facebook friends, you can shoot me an email at chesmnisteruy@hotmail.com and we'll become facebook friends, or you can search for me and add me!

If a picture is worth 1000 words, here are 8000 for you.

These are Conrey's 5-month pics

These are our Christmas pics

This, that, and a really long name!

I have been frequenting a fun blog with really, REALLY cute kids recently. Ok, ok...they're my neices and nephew. My sister-in-law, Laura, has recently started a blog that can be found at: http://thisthatandawholelotoffood.blogspot.com. It is primarily a culinary blog, as she shares my secret wish to be a professional chef. :) She does a great job of journaling her cooking process and end result, as well as critiques from a few honest critics...her 3 kids. If you like recipes, food, cooking, or cute kids, check her out!

Also, don't forget about this website: www.makemeanewcreation.com where you can get some really cute, fresh Christmas cards made! I found out something that REALLY excited me...I'm not sure if I've posted this yet or not, but they will address, stamp, and even lick the envelopes FOR YOU and then mail them out for a small additional charge per card.

Finally, if you haven't joined the rage that is Counter(POP)Culture, be sure to visit: http://counterpopculture.blogspot.com to check that out.

Happy Blogging!

Where is "home?"

I'm so confused.

Cassie is too.

We are all currently asking the same question: "Where is 'home'?"

We've gone back and forth between here and our house in Olathe. We go "home" to our house, but we come "home" to Wichita.

The question becomes even more confusing when you add in "Home is where the heart is" and furthermore "For where your treasures are, there your heart will be also." As for our "treasures," our worldly treasures are at our house. Our family is all together, so that is what matters. We are all safe and healthy. However, I'm not sure where my heart is at the moment.

Is it where I feel I belong? Is it where I feel comfortable? Is it where I feel at peace? Is it where I feel settled? Is it where I feel like a stranger? Is it where I feel like an intruder? Is it where I feel uneasy?

Here is the problem with that list: I feel ALL of those things in both places. ALL of them. I feel that I belong in Olathe, yet I feel that THIS is where I belong. I feel comfortable living in MY home and surrounded by MY stuff, yet living in the home of my childhood certainly brings back the comfort that only that can provide. I feel like an intruder in both places. I have detached from our home where I feel like it no longer "fits." I feel like I'm in someone else's home as a house sitter or something. I feel like an intruder here because I don't have a place for my things...I don't have the freedom to do anything my way...I can't just be a family with my husband and my children.

*SIGH* It is SOOO hard right now. I wouldn't say that I'm depressed as much as confused...bewildered...overwhelmed. I cannot see any end in sight and I'm not sure where to go from here.

We are once again and forever waiting. The ONLY thing getting me through is that I know that I am waiting on God...on His perfect timing. I know that at the end of this waiting, if I am faithful, will be blessings beyond measure. My cup already overflows with His blessings. So, I will try to be patient and wait on the Lord faithfully...not for the promise of blessing, but because I rest in His hope and I know that His ways are above my ways and He sees the grand scheme and picture. I know that He has plans to lift me up, to prosper me...not to harm me. I know that in His infinite wisdom and love, He will hold us up, encourage us, strengthen us, and lead us to the perfect place He wants us to be at the perfect time that He has selected.

See...I knew the answers all along. I just need you all to read this and let me walk through it to find them, embrace them, and hold to them.

I have been doing a Bible study lately that has actually gotten me INTO the Bible. I don't want to be unfair or unkind, but it is an extremely frustrating study at times where I have trouble figuring the author out. However, it has me in the Word and that is what has been long missing from my relationship with God. That is what has tripped me up when I couldn't make it through. That is why now, the promises of the Bible roll off of my fingers like rain. They have been hidden in my heart, but they are now revived and free to once again shape my attitude, my mind, my heart.

I really can't tell you the last time I actually studied the Bible. I'm glad to be home to it.

There's my answer. I typed it without even realizing what was flowing from my fingertips. God...that's where my home is. Where He reigns and He is free and He is alive!

Fireproof

"Fireproof doesn't mean fires will never come...it just means that you will be able to withstand the fire."

I really am quite speechless. This movie is nothing short of amazing. Here's what I have to say to EVERY couple out there whether they are happily married, barely hanging on by a thread, or considering marriage...RUN...don't walk, but RUN to this movie. I promise you, you will not go away dissappointed. It was the absolute best movie I have ever seen.

Was it the best acting I've ever seen? No! In fact, some of the actors are kinda funny. They are primarily volunteers from the church(es) that backed this project. Was it the most entertaining movie I've ever seen? Not necessarily. It had some funny parts. It had some drama. It had some action. Was it the most thought-provoking movie I've ever seen? Absolutely! It was one of those movies where you just sit in your seat at the end...fully aware that the credits are flying by, but unable to move or speak because you have just been through an emotional battle with some very real, relatable (sp?) characters.

This wasn't one of those movies where Christians are goofy or dorky or whatever. It wasn't one of those movies where they shove religion down peoples' throats. It was so gently done that it is so touching.

I believe that this movie and the accompanying books at http://www.fireproofmymarriage.com/ can revolutionize ANY marriage...can save ANY marriage...can bring joy, love, peace, and contentment to ANY marriage.

Please go see this movie that was put on by a bunch of Christians that God used as His incredible tool to change lives and hearts. If we all show our support of this (which has been done over and over...it started out at I think #3 in the box office opening weekend), then hopefully God will allow other such productions to be made. It is time for us to have GOOD options for our entertainment that are pure, lovely, wholesome, and true!

We have already agreed that we are buying this movie and we're going to watch it every 6 months or so...it is THAT important and that life-changing if you'll let yourself be touched by this precious story.

I need to go now so that I can find a simple way to make this day a bit better for Mark. That's what marriage is all about...sharing the load, halving the grief, doubling the joy.

The Senator

While walking down the street one day a US senator is tragically hit by a truck and dies.His soul arrives in heaven and is met by St. Peter at the entrance.
'Welcome to heaven,' says St. Peter. 'Before you settle in, it seems there is a problem. We seldom see a high official around these parts, you see, so we're not sure what to do with you.'

'No problem, just let me in,' says the senator.
'Well, I'd like to, but I have orders from higher up. What we'll do is have you spend one day in hell and one in heaven. Then you can choose where to spend eternity.'

'Really, I've made up my mind. I want to be in heaven,' says the senator.

'I'm sorry, but we have our rules.'

And with that, St. Peter escorts him to the elevator and he goes down, down, down to hell. The doors open and he finds himself in the middle of a green golf course. In the distance is a clubhouse and standing in front of it are all his friends and other politicians who had worked with him.

Everyone is very happy and in evening dress. They run to greet him, shake his hand, and reminisce about the good times they had while getting rich at the expense of the people.

They play a friendly game of golf and then dine on lobster, caviar and champagne.
Also present is the devil, who really is a very friendly guy and who has a good time dancing and telling jokes. They are having such a good time that before he realizes it, it is time to go.

Everyone gives him a hearty farewell and waves while the elevator rises.
The elevator goes up, up, up and the door reopens on heaven where St. Peter is waiting for him.

'Now it's time to visit heaven.'
So, 24 hours pass with the senator joining a group of contented souls moving from cloud to cloud, playing the harp and singing. They have a good time and, before he realizes it, the 24 hours have gone by and St. Peter returns.
'Well, then, you've spent a day in hell and another in heaven. Now choose your eternity.'

The senator reflects for a minute, then answers: 'Well, I would never have said it before, I mean heaven has been delightful, but I think I would be better off in hell.'
So St. Peter escorts him to the elevator and he goes down, down, down to hell.

Now the doors of the elevator open and he's in the middle of a barren land covered with waste and garbage. He sees all his friends, dressed in rags, picking up the trash and putting it in black bags as more trash falls from above...
The devil comes over to him and puts his arm around his shoulder.

'I don't understand,' stammers the senator. 'Yesterday I was here and there was a golf course and clubhouse, and we ate lobster and caviar, drank champagne, and danced and had a great time. Now there's just a wasteland full of garbage and my friends look miserable. What happened?'
The devil looks at him, smiles and says.......

'Yesterday we were campaigning. Today you voted.'

Update on 2 precious baby girls

I have an update on the 2 baby girls that I asked you to pray for back in July. One baby girl is almost 3 months old, the other is still invitro.

First, news on baby Addison who will be 3 months old on Saturday. At exactly 80 days old, Addison was released from the hospital to go home with her mommy and daddy. She has done so much better than anyone could have hoped for and God really saw her through the long road from the incubator to her own home.

Now, for a much more somber update. It is an update about my cousin, Brooke, and her unborn baby girl. I can't say it better than my uncle, the baby girl's grandpa, said it in an email to my brother:

“You recall that Brooke's baby was diagnosed as having Spina Bifida open defect (without a covering membrane) with an Arnold-Chiari Type II malformation of the brain. The baby has excess fluid on the brain and the malformation causes the brain to be compressed into the spinal column.

On the 27th, Monday of next week, Brooke is to have her amniotic fluid tested. Assuming they find the lungs to be developed as expected, she is scheduled for a C-Section delivery at 1:30pm Wednesday, the 29th, at Baylor Hospital's main campus. Immediately following delivery, the baby is to be transported to Children's Hospital in Dallas. Within 24-48 hours of birth, the little girl is to have surgery on her back to close both the neural tube and the skin over the opening in her spinal column.…The truth is, we have learned a great deal about what her condition MIGHT be, but only God knows what it WILL be. So we try to prepare a best we can, and try not to worry about all the things that might be. As one of our doctors told us early in this odyssey, there is no way to know what her condition really is until after delivery.

A few weeks ago Brooke and Matt were able to escape for a few days to celebrate Brooke's 30th birthday. During that time they were able to clear their heads a bit and spend some time letting their trust and faith be renewed. They determined that they would trust God to heal her, as he sees fit. Since that time, the evaluations and reports they have received seem to have been getting better. We know God does reward faith.

Brooke and Matt's three boys, Caleb (7), Bradley (5), and Anderson (almost 2) have great concern for their sister and their Mommy. Certainly they don't comprehend how this might impact their lives. But the love and tenderness they have already shown foretells that they will be fabulous brothers for her.As Brooke and Matt look past the birth of the child they know there is a lot of uncertainty. Uncertainty calls for faith, strength, and perseverance. They have concerns how this birth may change the lives of their family, impact their futures, and create financial consequences that will be difficult to bear.

On Monday, October 27th, we will be having a special day of prayer and fasting for this baby and her family. It is a day we will set aside to ask for God's healing, God's help, God's wisdom, God's comfort, God's provision, and God's mercy. If you want to, and can, join in prayer and fasting on that day, we thank you. Prayers do make a difference. Hopefully, the descriptions in this email can help you understand and know what the concerns and opportunities are for this child.”
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This is a very heart-wrenching situation and my heart aches for my cousin. My sweet aunt, Naomi, sent out a very sweet card to all of us family members with 2 bracelets in it to remind us to pray for Baby Girl Cole. I proudly wear it on my arm and intend to pray ferverently for this family. Being a nursing mother, the fasting is not really possible for me, but I will be fasting in my heart on behalf of this baby girl and this whole family.

Thank you all so much for your prayers for these babies and their families. I ask that you lift up Brooke, Matt, their boys, and baby girl this Mon-Wed as they prepare mentally, physically, and emotionally for what is to come.

Thanks!

An update in dull land

Not too much to report around here...we're pretty much just living.

Before I get into US, though, let me pause in recognition of my mother's aunt, Kay, who passed away this week prompting a trip up to North Dakota for my mom and her sister. Her aunt had been battling cancer and lost the fight Monday night. She was my granddaddy's sister. She and my mom were really close when my mom was young, but they have since seen things very differently and that effected their relationship. I know that my mom is flooded with many memories from her childhood of times spent with Kay. We pray for comfort for the family as they deal with their loss. The funeral will be tomorrow.

We are just living normal life around here, really. Mark goes to work. I take care of the kids, do laundry, that sort of thing. Conrey is STILL trying to get his first little teeth in and it has been quite miserable for him. Poor little guy! Cassie is getting used to living here at Grannie and Grandpa's house and is enjoying the extra attention. We had a play date with her cousins, Jason and Jessica, this morning. That was fun. We are easing into church here and I'm trying to help Mark meet people and feel acclimated. It is really difficult for him, so I'm trying to be supportive and trying to really keep him in the forefront of my mind when we're at church to make sure that he's not lost in the shuffle. That happens with him because he is so quiet by nature and I really want him to feel comfortable here. I think that that is about it. I have started going to the Ladies' Bible Study on Tuesday mornings and really enjoy it. It is a nice break to get out and interact with women of all ages.

I think that that is about it with us. I want to be sure and direct you to the post below in case you didn't see it. I really want to try to publicize this business and help them out, so PLEASE take a look at their stuff and if like what you see and find them competitive with other companies, give them a shot. I am SURE you will not be disappointed!

Not much to post about things at the moment. If anything amazing, incredible, or unbelievable happens, I'll be sure and post it. For now, this will have to do. Also, don't forget about this website. It's worth checking into too!!!

For now, I'm out!

EXCITING NEW WEBSITE!!!

Hey, all! I just wanted to tell you all about a great new website where you can order holiday cards for THIS year! The website is: www.makemeanewcreation.com. It is a brand new company, so at the moment, they are focusing on holiday cards until after the season, but there are some really great cards to choose from and great personalizing options! AND, because you are a reader of my blog, you get a DISCOUNT!!! WOO-HOO! When you are checking out, just enter this code: 08ORDINARY10 to receive a 10% discount off of your order. Just to clarify, that is a zero at the beginning and end. Only readers of my blog get this particular discount, so be sure to send your friends and family here to read my blog and get this benefit! These cards are cute and different than ANY you will see in stores! SO, check 'em out!

As a disclaimer, I have to financial interest in this website, so don't think that I'm trying to use my blog for moolah. I don't get special discounts for sending people to them or anything like that. I just loved what I saw and want to help this company get off and running, because I believe that they have a bright future with what they have posted as of yet and what they have planned! I'm all for the small business in America!

That's all I have to say about that. Now, go support our economy! :)

Updating before I'm punched

OK! OK! I'm here! Sheesh! I'm updating! Things have been a bit...hectic shall we say? We're now in ta-town trying to get settled at my parents' house. It's a long process, let me tell ya! We WILL, however, be back in Olathe this weekend and will be at church.

Things are going alright here. My mom is being patient and trying not to go too crazy with us here. We're doing laundry and such today and will go to the grocery store when Conrey wakes up. It's just kind of normal life for us, but with an extra set of hands, which is really nice!

Mark is liking his job okay. It's always an adjustment starting at a new company. Being in a new city adds to the challenges as he has gotten lost a few times. He's taking it all in stride, though. We'll go to his parents' house Saturday night for our usual family time and I know he's looking forward to that.

The kids are adjusting well. Who WOULDN'T adjust well to being spoiled rotten?!? Cassie had trouble with nap time the first 2 days, but was much better yesterday, so I think she's adjusting and realizing that we have to go about normal life even here at Grannie and Grandpa's house.

Conrey is STILL trying to get some teeth. The poor guy is really in agony with it, but still being really good and not too fussy. He's decently close to sitting alone. He really wants to and can for 10-15 seconds before hunching over and complaining that he can no longer breathe because of his ginormous belly!

Me? I'm just trying to be helpful around here and trying to keep all of the kids messes confined to 1 room. It's a struggle, but we're managing. We'll do some fall baking next week and that should be fun.

Well, there's an update. Not too exciting, but an update nonetheless. The washer is done and I must go change over the laundry. Everyone take care and we'll "talk" soon!

Conversation with a 2-year-old

Cassie: I love you!
Me: I love YOU!
C: I love YOU!
Me: I love YOU!
C: I love YOU MORE!
Me: I love YOU more!
(Back and forth a few times)
PAUSE
C: I love you BEST!
Me: I love YOU best!
PAUSE
C w/ a huge grin and a mischieveous twinkle in her eye: I love you best with pink flags!

Whatever that means, she won. In her little mind, that trumps all.

Weird...me

I was tagged by Shalee for a meme. I am supposed to write 7 weird things about myself. Hmmm...it may be tough to come up with...me being so normal and all.

1. All I ever wanted to be in life was a mommy. Some of you may be disgusted at what I'm about to reveal. The only...ONLY reason I went to college at all was for an MRS degree and to find "Mr. Right." The joke was on me, though...he wasn't there!

2. I can type 80+ words per minute. When I'm working (as a medical transcriptionist) and actually practicing, I can type 90-100+.

3. I had shingles at the age of 12. Typically, shingles is a middle-aged person disease. Typically, it lasts for a few weeks and then resolves. I had them at age 12, which was bizarre and I had them for over 6 months, which was extremely bizarre. They are usually associated with stress. My doctor said that I was the youngest person he'd ever seen with shingles and I was the worst case of shingles he had ever seen.

4. I can spout of the jingle to almost any commercial you name. It's sad, really. If I see a commercial once, I can do a fair job with the entire thing. If I've seen a commercial more than once, be prepared for the entire commercial. I don't care if the spot was from 1989, I can do the commercial! "One day, one night! Saturday's alright! Online's just fine! Nighttime anytime! Get your degree! Set yourself free! National American University!" The same goes for theme songs. "Picture Pages! Pictures Pages! Time to get your Picture Pages! Time to get your crayons and your pencils! Open up your Picture Pages! Time to watch Bill Cosby do a Picture Page with you!" That's a little blast from the past courtesy of my childhood!

5. When I was 4 months old, I almost died and had major surgery. The doctor's handed my parents my booties and said that they couldn't save me. What I had was called intusseception. It typically affects children 2 and younger. I am always a nervous wreck with my kids until they turn 2 and the risk of intusseception decreases.

6. I was in a Bugles (you know, the crunchy, cone-shaped 'chips') commercial that was all in Japanese that aired only in Japan. It was western-themed, which is strange to me.

7. I have blogged this before, but I have a secret aspiration to be either a trained chef OR...this is the new one that nobody knows about...the owner of a cupcake bakery. Seriously, I am passionate about cupcakes!

OK...there are my 7 things. Not too weird, but that's all I got for 'ya! I tag these people:

1. Kelly
2. Meshellyn
3. B
4. Jill
5. AT
6. Bek Life
7. Bek

If you weren't tagged, but want to do this, please do the meme and let me know that you've done it! Thanks!

***I haven't linked to these blogs or let the bloggers know that I've tagged them yet, but I will! We're moving soon, people! Time is of the essence. Why did I even spend the time to do this?!? EEK!

ONE Minute!

I got this as an email forward and wanted to post it here. If you are a person that believes in prayer, PLEASE try to commit to this 1 minute of prayer each day specifically for our Nation's future!

ONE MINUTE A DAY!

This is the scariest election that we, as Christians, have ever faced! From the looks of the polls, the Christians aren't voting Christian values. We all need to be on our knees. Do you believe we can take God at His word? Call upon His name, then stand back and watch His wonders to behold. This scripture gives us, as Christians, ownership of this land and the ability to call upon God to heal it. I challenge you to do so. We have never been more desperate than now for God to heal our land.

This election is the scariest I remember in my lifetime. 2 Chronicles 7:14...'If my people, which are called by my name shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.'

During WWII, there was an advisor to Churchill who organized a group of people who dropped what they were doing every night at a prescribed hour for one minute to collectively pray for the safety of England, its people and peace. This had an amazing effect as bombing stopped. There is now a group of people organizing the same thing here in America.

The United States of America and our citizens need prayer more than ever! If you would like to participate: each evening at 9:00 P M Eastern Time; 8:00 PM Central; 7:00 PM Mountain; 6:00 PM Pacific; stop whatever you are doing and spend one minute praying for the safety of the United States, our troops, our citizens, for peace in the world, the upcoming election, that the Bible will remain the basis for the laws governing our land and that Christianity will grow in the U.S.

If you know anyone who would like to participate, please pass this along. Someone said if people really understood the full extent of the power we have available through prayer, we might be speechless. Our prayers are the most powerful asset we have.

Thank You. Please pass this on to anyone who you think will want to join us. Be sure to let your church prayer groups know and ask your pastors/priests to announce it at church. Can't we all afford ONE MINUTE with God for our country, and ourselves?

Again, these were not my words, but I thought they were well-spoken and that it is worth every second of that minute to pray on a united front for our country. Let's let God see that there ARE faithful among us, so that He might spare this great nation from His wrath!

CALLING ALL CRAFTERS!!!

So, for Dopps Camp this year (read below for "Dopps Camp" explanation), my mom, 2 sisters-in-law, and myself are in charge of a craft for the children and a craft for the ladies. We are off to a good start with ideas, but wanted to open it up for other ideas from the bloggy world at large. SO, if you have any great ideas, bring 'em! You can post them or email them to me at chesmnisteruy@hotmail.com. The explanation for my email address is a whole different blog post.

So, what does Dopps Camp entail? Well, let me start off with numbers. 100. Typically we plan for somewhere in the neighborhood of 100 people. This is JUST my dad's side of the family. This is JUST immediate family. 100. So, you figure for crafts, we'll need crafts for about 30-ish people. That's not only a wad of cash if you're not careful, but much planning, shopping (ick!), and preparation.

Because of the large family, we rent an entire camp for the holidays...one year Christmas, the next year Thanksgiving. We spend a weekend or several days there just all being together and lovin' every moment of it! We are a very close-knit family and all look forward to Dopps Camp every year.

SO...here are the guidlines for the craft...perhaps this should have been up above...

1. Cheap-ish
2. Easy-ish (we usually have a few hours in which to get all 30 kids/ladies through the craft)
3. Winter/Christmas themed
4. Cute/Neat/Trendy

So, bring 'em my way and I thank you kindly in advance! :)

Orson Scott Card

I'm not sure if I've ever talked about my love for the written word on my blog. I love reading. I don't get near enough time to read these days. To me, there is nothing better than a steaming hot bath and a great book. The bath is not so good for the book, but great for the soul!



There is one author, in particular, that I am most likely to pick up than any other when choosing a book...especially now that I don't get the opportunity very often. His name is Orson Scott Card. Not only is Mr. Card full of imagination and incredible stories, but his fiction makes you think, reevaluate life, and understand relationships. My favorite book is EASY to pick...it is not only my favorite book by OSC, it is my favorite book at large: Ender's Game. Now, if you google it, don't start thinking that I'm a sci-fi weirdo. I'm not. I think that it would be safe to say I hate most sci-fi. However, when you're reading Ender's Game, it doesn't feel like fantasy. It feels like it could be reality.



The story is of a boy...a young boy...a brilliant boy. When I read Ender's Game, I am not reading about a boy. I become the boy. I live his life. I feel his pain. I anticipate his actions, thoughts, strategies. I AM Ender. To me, that is the highest compliment I could ever give an author. When you become a part of the story, you become invested and you can't help but want more. Every time I read the last page of Ender's Game, I feel sad and somewhat depressed that it is over. I have read it in it's entirety 18 times. I have read excerpts numerous times. Am I obsessed or crazy? NO! It is just that amazing of a story. It is like revisiting a favorite memory. It feels like home to read EG.



I should back up a moment and mention something about Ender's Game. It was originally written to stand alone. It was written to be a single novel and it would have been an amazing story had it ended there. However, the story continued. Time passed between Ender's Game and the next book, Speaker for the Dead. It is a completely different type of story. Ender is an adult. He is a different person, yet the same. It is like reconnecting with your best friend from childhood that you haven't seen in years. There are 2 additional books in the series, Xenocide and Children of the Mind. They are all quality fiction, but I always come back to the beginning.



The most interesting thing about Ender's world is the parallel books of the "Ender's Shadow" series. It is a separate series that are from the point of view of one of the other characters from Ender's Game. Ender's Game and Ender's Shadow are much the same story, but from a different perspective. I do not know how Mr. Card was able to create such an incredible companion for such an incredible book, but ES keeps you involved while essentially retelling a tale. There is a large part of the story that does not coincide, but the parts that do feel new and fresh, even being the same story. There are, I believe, 4 additional books in the shadow series. My mouse is frozen at the moment, so I can't verify that and sadly I do not own all of the shadow books...there are either 3 or 4. Regardless, they are worth a read.



I've read numerous other non-Ender related fiction that has poured forth out of the amazing brain of Mr. Card and have never been disappointed. The Alvin Maker series is intriguing. Wyrms is incredibly imaginative. His fiction all captures me and involves me as sure as if I were walking beside the characters. To me, that is what makes good fiction great. When I leave my reality and become a part of the world that I'm reading.



Thank you, Mr. Card, for sharing your gift for words and your crazy imagination with the world!



Now you can say I'm obsessed. I'll accept that as a compliment! :)

A PERFECT DATE

We had the opportunity to go on a date last night. Date nights are few and far between once you have kids. FEW and FAR between! It was most enjoyable and a great opportunity to reconnect with each other and just enjoy being lovebirds. He even opened my car door! :)

As referenced in my TILT post, I love the New Theatre Restaurant. It is ALWAYS an enjoyable time with fabulous food, a great show, and amazing dessert. The food is 5 star. They have the BEST garlic mashed potatoes! I had 2 helpings. The show was The Last Romance and starred Marion Ross AKA Mrs. C on Happy Days and her significant other, Paul Michael. They have been doing plays together for like 20 years or something and are a fabulous duo. They have great chemistry and are pretty hilarious together. This is billed as a boy-meets-girl type comedy, but with senior citizens. It was just really good and really cute. The dessert...pretty much to die for every time. Mark had "Gone Bananas." It was a banana cake with banana cream cheese between the layers. It was completely encased in chocolate ganache. It was garnished with fresh whipped cream and fresh bananas that were sauteed in (and swimming in) an amaretto caramel sauce. He loved it! I had their signature dessert...chocolate cobbler. It is a gooey chocolate cake with chocolate sauce, vanilla ice cream, toasted almonds, and toffee bits. I as stuffed to the gills, but managed to destroy this confection!

Anyway, it was a fabulous night, though it was hard to leave the baby for the first time. No, I didn't cry, but it was difficult. :) We enjoyed talking without interruption...eating without interruption...watching the show without--you guessed it--interruption. Do you see a theme?

So, if you live in this area, you need to check it out. It's worth every penny!

Counter(POP)Culture

Here is an awesome new website that I've recently started frequenting. It is full of things to think about and talk about dealing with all facets of our current "pop culture". Check it out and let me know what you think!

http://counterpopculture.blogspot.com

THINGS I LOVE THURSDAY

My bloggity friend, Jill, is the host of "THINGS I LOVE THURSDAY," and I thought I would participate. However, even as I'm beginning this, I'm not sure what I love...hmmm...

I thought about writing about the NEW THEATRE RESTAURANT because of the date that my hubby and I are going on tonight. I do love it. However, I wanted it to be something universal that I might introduce to anyone reading this...not just people in my area.

SO, I decided to write about an "oldy, but goody" that I love and have recently become reaquainted with...Puppy Chow!

You know, that melt-in-your-mouth, chocolaty, peanutbuttery, goodness? YUM! We went on a trip to Branson this past weekend and I indulged us in some crunchy yumminess for our travels. MAN have I missed that stuff! Jill...this might be a good one for your *ahem* moments. :)

So, if you've been living in a cave or did not grow up in my era and somehow missed it, here is the recipe for all things delish!

PUPPY CHOW (aka muddy buddies aka people chow)

*1 box Crispix cereal (the structure of Crispix holds better than Chex, but I've made it with both and they all taste delicious! Just make sure you use rice Chex)
*1 bag chocolate chips (I use milk chocolate)
*1-1/2 c. peanut butter
*1 stick (1/2 c) butter
*1 tsp vanilla
*Adequate powdered sugar to coat (I've seen recipes that call for anywhere from 1 c to 4 c)

Melt the butter, PB, and chocolate chips in the microwave. Put them all in a microwave safe bowl and micro for 1 min. Stir and micro for 30 sec. Repeat the 30-sec intervals until smooth. Add vanilla and stir well.

Pour ceral in a LARGE bowl. Pour chocolate mixture over, stirring as you go until it's all coated.

Pour 1/2 c or so of the pow. sugar into a gallon-sized ziplock baggie OR a clean, large, paper bag, but that's kinda gross to me. :) Pour 1/2 of the cereal/chocolate mixture into the baggie. Pour more pow sugar over that, then the rest of the cereal, then more powdered sugar. Seal the bag well and shake it like crazy until it's all coated and fabulous. If you need to, add more pow. sugar.

It can be stored in the fridge or on the counter...if it makes it long enough to need storing. I store it right in the baggie that I shook it in. It does taste pretty fabulous cold from the fridge.

THAT is what I love today...I think I'll go eat some! :)

Head on over to The Diaper Diaries to find out what other people are lovin'!

Pics

Here are a few pics of the kids. They are both getting so big!

Conrey and Cassie on the big recliner

Our little chub

Happy boy in the bouncer

We have a little thumb sucker!

Close up of the thumb sucking action

Quite flexible! She was too interested in Dora to worry about taking pictures!

Braids! Look how long her hair is getting!

We got our first "BIG GIRL" tennis shoes!

WFMW

The theme this week is kitchen organization. Mine isn't so much organization as obsession. I have had a little kitchen-y love for Penzey's spices. It has recently become somewhat of an obsession. They are...how do I put it? FABULOUS! I love Penzey's from BRADY STREET SPRINKLE to the SANDWICH SPRINKLE to the BOUQUET GARNI and everything in between! Their cinnamon is to die for. Their toasted onion powder is FABULOUS! I LOVE PENZEYS! When we move, I'm going to miss it. I don't go often, but whenever I'm back up here...I'll be going...for SURE! Here's what I love about Penzey's: Not sure what to cook for dinner? Get some chicken...add a little something from a Penzey's bottle, jar, or bag...VOILA! You've just made something fabulous and your husband thinks you've spent hours slaving away. What else do I love? The fact that once you've got the initial container, you can simply keep filling it with their bagged product...cheaper...bigger quantity...I love a good deal and this is! Probably the BEST thing about Penzey's is that they are very competitively priced...sometimes cheaper than the quality things found in the store and they are so much more fragrant, pungent (if I can use that in good terms), and flavorful. SO, find a Penzey's nearby or shop online! If you need suggestions about what is a must-have, give me a shout and I'll give you my list! :)

A NEW BEGINNING and ALPHABET SOUP K and L

A new beginning for my blog. I have caused some offense with a recent post of mine that was purely unintentional, but happened nonetheless. SO, I have erased some of my archive deemed unhelpful/unhealthy, etc. and have changed my outlook on blogging. Hope you enjoy my new format, my new and old features, and what is fresh on my mind! Without further adeux... (I don't know how to spell that...is it just 'ado'?)

When last I left you in the soup that was my favorites, I detailed the letter "J." That was May 15th or something like that. SHAME ON ME! I have been a bit busy what with the 2-y-o, newborn, moving, etc. I hold to that excuse. SO, here we have it, folks! ALPHABET SOUP for the letters "K" and "L"!

KIDS: Anyone that knows me knows that I have and always have had a passion for kids. I love talking to them, hearing what they have to say, learning how their little brains think things through. They are magical and amazing little people!

KISSES: The lip-smackin' sort. There is nothing that speaks to my heart more than a sweet kiss from my hubby or kids. And yes, Physical Touch IS my Love Language! :)

KIWI: There is something about this fruit that is just curious to me. Fuzzy on the outside, somewhat slimey on the inside, with teeny, tiny seeds on the inside that are fun to crunch. The texture on the inside is unique and you won't find a fruit that is similar!

KOOL-AID: Yes, I'm a kid at heart (see above about kids)! :) I love Kool-Aid. I especially love green Kool-Aid. It not only is yummy, but it brings back a certain bit of nostalgia from my childhood. It was the "special drink" for parties, birthdays, playgroups, etc.

That's all I can come up with for "K." Lame

LEMON-LIME: I love just about anything l-l flavored. Sprite, Kool-Aid (see above), candy, sno-cones, etc. It is just a tasty flavor! As a side note, I LOVE cherry limeades, strawberry limeades, regular limeades, lemonade, cherry lemonade, lemon bars. Pretty much if it is lemon, lime, or l-l, I love it! My favorite dessert EVER is Key Lime pie!

LUCKY CHARMS: Is a comment really necessary? Adult cereal and kiddie cereal all mixed in one!

LILAC: I can't figure out how to spell that in all caps...sorry. Something about all caps messes with my brain. Anyway, I love lilacs. I guess that spelling was right, wasn't it? I love the look of lilacs. I love the smell of lilacs. I want a lilac bush! Do they grow in Kansas? :)

LIGHT: I love light. I love a pure, white light if it is artificial lighting. I love sunlight. There is nothing better when I'm not feeling well than to take a nap in a shaft of sunlight streaming through the window.

LITTLE THINGS: I love all things miniature. If you take an ordinary object and shrink it down to miniaturize it, I love it. So far, Cassie shares my passion for all things tiny. I love doll houses that have intricate replicas. I love toys that are perfect imitations only on a smaller scale. I love tiny food. I love little things!

OK...now I'm even more lame with the "L's." Oh well. I have one thought to share with you in parting:

LITTLE LADIES LICK LOLLIPOPS

My cruel parents, upon discovering that I couldn't pronounce my "L's," had me repeat this often. They have it on tape. It goes a little something like this in my version:

Yiddle Yadies Yick Yawpops.

Cruel...

:)

Better house link

My realtor just sent me a better link to the house we like. Here it is: http://sckmls.fnismls.com/publink/default.aspx?GUID=15a16790-6ed1-4e65-91e7-4292a09d65f1&Report=Yes

We are trying to decide if this is over our heads or not...we need to carefully consider. Luckily, we have time.

The Hunt

In my defense, :) we have only looked at houses to see if we would be comfortable/happy living in the price range we could afford in Wichita. Then, when we lowered our price range rather dramatically, we decided that we'd best look again to see what THOSE houses were like. We ARE done now until we've got a contract on our house here in Olathe. Thanks for the advice, though, Kelly...we can all use a little "be smart so you don't get hurt..." advice. :) Where were you the LAST time I needed it?!? :) :) :)

***Because the typed word is so abiguous as far as tone and delivery are concerned, I felt it necessary to put a disclaimer that I was being sincere with the thanks and not sarcastic as someone might take it. I really was saying thank you and I hope that the Christain love/advice/friendship will continue as we make Wichita our home. :)

WFMW

This is my first ever WFMW. I thought I'd give it a whirl. This one is simple and a no-brainer, if you will, but I wanted to be sure the world knew about these simple cookies. They are called cake mix cookies and they are pretty fabulous. Here's what you need and what you do:

**1 cake mix of ANY flavor (my favorites are...well...I guess I can't pick a favorite...they are ALL fabulous. If I had to, I'd pick cherry chip or strawberry, but they are all fabulous!)
**1/3 cup oil
**2 eggs

Mix all ingredients together until well blended. I use my hands, as that is easiest in my opinion.

Roll into 1 or 2 inch balls and place on greased baking sheet. You can just drop them by the spoonful, as well, but they look prettier if you roll them.

Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes or until LIGHTLY brown. DO NOT OVERBAKE! If they don't look done at 10 minutes, still remove them, but leave on the baking sheet. These cookies will set up after sitting for a bit.

FUN IDEAS:

Make chocolate cookies and make ice cream sandwiches.

Frost them with homemade or canned frosting. The cherry frosting is a favorite of mine.

Make strawberry, lemon, and chocolate and arrange all on a platter together...very pretty!

Use a white cake mix and use food coloring for different occasions!

Add in nuts, chocolate chips, sprinkles, dried fruit, etc. for variations!

Head on over to Rocks in my Dryer for more WFMW!

OCTOBER 13

That's the day Mark starts his new job...IN WICHITA! WOOT! WE ARE SO EXCITED, but desperately need this house to sell now. PLEASE pray that someone just loves it as much as we love the house in Wichita! Thanks and more updates to come!

WHAT A WEEKEND!

Oh me, oh my!

We went to Wichita this weekend for 4 things:
My Dad's surprise 60th birthday.
My brother's 34th birthday.
To look at houses.
An interview for Mark.

What a weekend it was!

We get there partway through my dad's party. He was SHOCKED by the party and SHOCKED when we showed up! There were a ton of people and I was really glad that we finally pulled one over on my dad! We did a MADLib that I wrote about him...it was just a random story. At one point it said: Rob came home to his (adjective) wife and they had a(n) (adjective) evening. What I had in my mind when writing that sentence was lovely and relaxing. It turned out like this: "Rob came home to his sweaty wife and they had a dirty evening." EWWWW!!! Too funny!

Yesterday, we went and looked at houses in the morning. Yeah, we pretty much fell in love...with a house. I don't have any inside pics of it, but if you click here, you'll see the outside. Remember the house that I was so sad was gone? I love this one WAY more. It's new...it's gorgeous...it's functional. It's...well...fabulous!

After looking at houses, we went to Red Lobster for my brother's birthday. It was yummy. That's about all I can say about that. Mark left from there to go to his interview. It went really well...really, really well. He has a job in Wichita should he choose to accept it...which I think he will. WHAT?!? That's right. We've got the job! He is supposed to call the guy today to talk about it. He is thinking he might accept it starting Oct 15. Obviously, we will not be moved by then, since we don't have a contract on our house yet, so we would be living with my parents. Not ideal, but maybe necessary. I have seen a few events leading up to mom and I being able to live in peace in the same house...namely a confrontation or 2 that we've had lately that have really revolutionized our relationship. We'll see what God has in store for us, but that's what I'm thinking is on the horizon. Oh, my!

I've been avoiding the excitement feelings about moving back home for some time now at the risk of complete and utter disappointment. They are starting to creep in. I've got that excited feeling in my belly. This could really happen!!!

So, that's my story. I'll let you know what comes of it all. Please, please, please pray that our house will sell...SOON! We really want this all to work out, but cannot do it all if our house won't sell. *sigh* I know full well that God has a plan and I really feel (for a number of reasons) that this job is a part of His plan. I just need patience and peace until it all comes to fruition. Thanks everyone!

Do you hear the bells???

I hear them...sound like wedding bells to me!

If you've followed my blog over the past year or so, you just might know what I'm talking about...WEDDING BELLS! My BABY sister is now an engaged woman at the ripe 'ol age of 18!!!

Let me back up to catch people up with our story in case you're not familiar with my family. In fact, let's back up about 19-20 years ago and really do this story justice. Then, we'll get to the engagement details...

Our family had decided that we were not whole. I was 8. I had always wanted a baby sister and as we sat around the kitchen table with my parents asking if we'd ever want to have another baby in the family, I saw all of my dreams coming true before my eyes. Fast forward past the whole adoption process to adopt a 2-3-y-o from Mexico through an adoption in town that fell through to a baby that was due ONE WEEK FROM THE DAY WE GOT THE PHONE CALL ABOUT HER! I was almost 10 by this point...we hadn't had a baby in the house for that long. This baby was due in 1 week! Basically, the case worker had randomly stuck our homestudy in with 100 others and had put the parents in separate locations to review them. Both of them chose our's as their top pick. There was a catch, though. The birth dad wanted his baby to grow up in the church of Christ. The solution to that catch? US again! My mom grew up in the C of C and my dad went to it from adolescence on. A God thing? I think so.

She (which we did not know the gender at this point) ended up giving us 1-1/2 weeks to prepare. The day that the birth mother was in labor was the loooongest of my life, I do believe. It was a girl and we immediately started calling her "Danielle (Dani for short) Lanae," the name we had chosen. Two days later, we all walked into a hospital room to meet that little baby girl for the first time. There was not a dry eye in the room and we were all head-over-heels in love with her!

So, I'm 10 years older than her pretty much. I was her second mommy. I sometimes got up with her in the night. She slept on my tummy every night from age 2 until she was too heavy to do so. We were inseparable and are still the best of friends to this day.

Last year in July, my parents went on a trip and I was sent to "take care" of Dani while they were away. There was a guy that she thought she might be interested in that was a few years older than her. I wasn't crazy about the age difference with her in high school and all, but thought that the whole thing was sorta cute. At the end of our time together, she went to Teen Camp with our church. Things took a completely different turn on that trip and she started falling for none other than Mr. David Herrington. Remember that age thing? HA! He's not a few years older than she...he's SIX years older. They started dating in August of last year and, as of last night, are now engaged with a wedding set for June/July of 2009.

Now, the age thing is definitely crazy to me. If they were 28 and 34...not such a big deal. She is fresh...FRESH out of high school. There is only 1 thing that makes it okay for me...David. I'm pretty sure he is someone that I might pick for her. He loves her, treats her so well, and is definitely a man of high integrity. If ever there was a couple with God as their foundation, it was this one. I think what stole her heart initially was when they would study the Bible together until late at night; reading, discussing, and learning.

We knew something was up soon. It was just obvious. Besides, now that she's at a Christian college where the joke motto is "Ring by Spring or your money back," we knew that he'd be wanting to get a "taken" sign on her just as soon as he could. :)

Last night, they went and picked up sushi to take and eat. He then made her put on a blindfold. They ended up riding an elevator to the 25th floor at which point it opened up to my cousin's apartment, which is the entire top floor of what used to be a Holiday Inn. From what I understand, it and the view are both breathtaking! There were a dozen roses worth of petals strewn all over and soft music playing...a playlist including all of the songs significant to them. After watching a sunset and eating, they watched a slideshow that David had prepared detailing their romance in pictures along with the first song that he ever sang to her (though the name escapes me). When the pictures ended, the song continued as he retrieved his guitar and sang and played along. When the song ended, he kept playing and singing it to her telling her how important she was to him. This ended with a hug and I'm sure a few smooches. As they went to set back down on the couch, he suddenly dropped to 1 knee and proposed to which she gave a huge yes. After enjoying the moment of realization, they went out to the balcony where they threw handfuls of rose petals over the balcony (which I'm sure is less than legal). All in all, she thought that the night, the ring, and the memory were all pretty amazing and pretty perfect.

So, there you have it. My sister is now engaged. Now, I have to look stinkin' good in a tight-fitting, strapless bridesmaid dress in June or July. OH MYLANTA!

More info to come as it unfolds! :)

A brief update before the silence

I'm going to have a brief computer outage, so I will be back to posting next week. I thought I'd update before then so I don't get nasty messages that say I need to update like I leave all of you!

Potty training is going super-de-duper, as Barney would say. Yes, we are a Barney household. She is doing really great. She is ready for full-time panty wearing, but we aren't going to start that until Monday. She is still pottying great on her potty and is very motivated by 2 things: keeping the flowers on her Pull-Ups (they disappear when they get wet) and candy corn. I think she might do just about anything for candy corn. The bonus? They are CHEAP!

I don't know if I mentioned this last time or not, but Mr. Chunk AKA Conrey is now over 18 lbs. Seriously...he's huge! He is so incredibly fun right now and we are really enjoying his "talking" and smiling. His smiles seem to never end!

Well, that's all for now, I suppose. I will catch up with you all when able. If you haven't been following the musings of my brothers, I'll remind you of the site at which they are both posting now: http://tacodave.blogspot.com. Check 'em out!

Two stories about the potty

My site is still messed up. The most recent post that shows up on my blog for me is "A Challenge For Us All," which is from August 25th or something. DUMB! Don't know what the deal is. I've even tried coming to it without signing in...same. I think I need to reboot my comp. Anyway, here are 2 stories about our potty training adventures that I thought I'd share with you all.

First of all, I just got pottied on...on my leg. She tried SO hard to make it to the potty...ran upstairs in the middle of her show and everything...it just wasn't quite soon enough. She was already pottying when I yanked her pull up down. That's how she pee-peed on me.

Last night, though, is a whole different story all together. She poopied on the potty 2 times yesterday. I was so proud, even though cleaning out the potty is so nasty! Anyway, after the 2nd time, she and I were playing in her room. All of the sudden she got a horrified look on her face and said, "GET IT MOMMA!" I asked her what she meant and she said, "YOU NEED TO CLEAN MY POO-POO!" Still confused, I thought perhaps I didn't clean it good enough after she poopied and maybe it was itchy. I turned her around and to my horror, saw a pretty big loggie that she had pooed while standing there, but it was still attached. EW!!! I had to get a BIG wad of TP to extract it and get it into the potty. Then, I had to once again clean her up. ICK! As far as poopy is concerned, I prefer the 'ol diapers...at least right now. However, I'm so proud that she's taken the initiative to poopy-train herself, so I'm being hugely encouraging and told her it was good for her to tell mommy, etc., etc. ICK ICK ICK!

Hope you enjoyed this installment of "Potty Tales." I'm gonna be MIA tomorrow and Monday, so I'll shoot you a post some time after that. OUT!

Presidential Comparisons

2008 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE COMPARISON TALKING POINTS

JOHN McCAIN
BARAK OBAMA

Favors new drilling offshore US
JM Yes
BO No

Will appoint judges who interpret the law not make it
Yes
No


Served in the US Armed Forces
Yes
No

Amount of time served in the US Senate
22 YEARS
173 DAYS

Will institute a socialized national health care plan
No
Yes

Supports abortion throughout the pregnancy
No
Yes

Would pull troops out of Iraq immediately
No
Yes

Supports gun ownership rights
Yes
No

Supports homosexual marriage
No
Yes

Proposed programs will mean a huge tax increase
No
Yes

Voted against making English the official language
No
Yes

Voted to give Social Security benefits to illegals
No
Yes

CAPITAL GAINS TAX

MCCAIN
0% on home sales up to $500,000 per home (couples). McCain does not propose any change in existing home sales income tax.

OBAMA
28% on profit from ALL home sales. (How does this affect you? If you sell your home and make a profit, you will pay 28% of your gain on taxes. If you are heading toward retirement and would like to down-size your home or move into a retirement community, 28% of the money you make from your home will go to taxes. This proposal will adversely affect the elderly who are counting on the income from their homes as part of their retirement income.)

DIVIDEND TAX

MCCAIN
15% (no change)

OBAMA
39.6% - (How will this affect you? If you have any money invested in stock market, IRA, mutual funds, college funds, life insurance, retirement accounts, or anything that pays or reinvests dividends, you will now be paying nearly 40% of the money earned on taxes if Obama becomes president. The experts predict that 'Higher tax rates on dividends and capital gains would crash the stock market, yet do absolutely nothing to cut the deficit.')

INCOME TAX

MCCAIN

(no changes)
Single making 30K - tax $4,500
Single making 50K - tax $12,500
Single making 75K - tax $18,750
Married making 60K- tax $9,000
Married making 75K - tax $18,750
Married making 125K - tax $31,250

OBAMA (reversion to pre-Bush tax cuts)
Single making 30K - tax $8,400
Single making 50K - tax $14,000
Single making 75K - tax $23,250
Married making 60K - tax $16,800
Married making 75K - tax $21,000
Married making 125K - tax $38,750
Under Obama, your taxes could almost double!

INHERITANCE TAX

MCCAIN
- 0% (No change, Bush repealed this tax)

OBAMA
Restore the inheritance tax

Many families have lost businesses, farms, ranches, and homes that have been in their families for generations because they could not afford the inheritance tax. Those willing their assets to loved ones will only lose them to these taxes.

NEW TAXES PROPOSED BY OBAMA

New government taxes proposed on homes that are more than 2400 square feet. New gasoline taxes (as if gas weren't high enough already) New taxes on natural resources consumption (heating gas, water, electricity) New taxes on retirement accounts, and last but not least....New taxes to pay for socialized medicine so we can receive the same level of medical care as other third-world countries!!!

You can verify the above at the following web sites:


http://money.cnn.com/news/specials/election/2008/index.html

http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/issues/issues.taxes.html

http://elections.foxnews..com/?s=proposed+taxes

http://bulletin.aarp.org/yourworld/politics/articles/mccain_obama_offer_different_visions_on_taxes.html

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/fact-checker/candidates/barack_obama/

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/fact-checker/candidates/john_mccain/

I don't care what party you're a part of...this stuff makes me a bit frightened for my financial future!!! With Obama as our next president, our money will NOT be our own!

POSTS?

So, my posts are not showing up when I look at my blog? Did you all see the one about saving the country money and the update one with the recipe??? Someone please let me know! Thanks!

Updates and a yummy recipe

So, I haven't updated on things going on here in awhile other than the house stuff. Let's see...where to begin? Here's my list so I'll include everything:
Our house
Jobs
Cassie
Conrey
Me
Recipe

First, our house: No bites yet. We've only had positive feedback, though, so that's good. We have an open house at our home on Sunday, so hopefully that will be fruitful.

The job that we felt was an almost-sure-thing 5 weeks ago has flopped out. They called 2 hours after Mark's 4.5-hour interview to proceed with the next step. That was 5 weeks ago. After 5-7 phone calls that were either not returned or returned after several days of silence, Mark would talk to the lady and she would tell him this or that sounding like everything was still on. Then, we went through that process again. This time, she tells him very sheepishly that they are wanting someone with more experience than he has. WHAT??? So, basically, we wasted 5 weeks on this whole thing when we could have been looking elsewhere. Man, oh man. It obviously was not the job for him, but it's still irritating that they strung him along only to say that they wanted more experience. HELLO?!? They had his resume for 4 weeks BEFORE the 4.5-hour interview! Whatever, NEXT!

Cassie is doing SUPER with potty training. Yesterday, she was dry all day long. We're still wearing pull-ups because Mommy has been getting ready for aforementioned open house and can't stalk her and doesn't quite trust her. She's proven me wrong again and again and I'm thankful for it! She is quite the ham these days. This morning when I sloshed some juice, she said very supportively, "Don't worry, Mommy...accidents happen sometimes." She gave me a sympathy smile and went about her business. I was rather amused by this exchange.

Mr. Conrey...what do I say about this hulk. He is almost 12 weeks. He weighs over 16 lbs. He is beginning to be very interactive and smiley. He chews on anything he can. He loves his big sister and she loves him. He's currently upstairs screaming his little head off. He's in his bed and doesn't want to go to sleep on his own today. Sorry, buddy...you're gonna have to get back in the swing of that. He's always gone to sleep on his own. Today, he just wants to be held. Hmmm... He's a very good-natured baby and smiles more than Cassie did and we thought she was a very smiley baby. I know he's only almost-3-months, but we've certainly been blessed thus far with 2 good babies.

I'm still dizzy, though not constantly so. It is back to the every so often twang of dizziness that makes me pause momentarily. Maybe that's what this is all about...learning to pause and take a deep breath every so often. :) Other than that, I'm just trying to get this house ready for the open house.

NOW, for an ultra yummy recipe. It is for balsamic chicken and it is sooo yummy. I'm making it tonight. Below it, I'll describe another addition to our dinner...the almost-gauranteed-way to make anyone like cauliflower.

Balsamic Chicken Breasts (MAY WANT TO DOUBLE THE EVOO, VINEGAR, BROTH, GARLIC, and BUTTER--I used this amount for just 2 chicken breasts)

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast
4 teaspoons lemon-pepper seasoning
2-3 teaspoons EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
2/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup chicken broth
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
8 teaspoons butter

Directions
1 Pound chicken breasts to 1/4-inch thickness
2 Press lemon-pepper seasoning evenly on both sides of chicken.
3 In a large skillet heat EVOO to medium temperature.
4 Cook chicken breasts 3-4 minutes per side or until fork can be inserted in chicken with ease and it is cooked through (not pink and juices are clear).
5 Remove chicken and keep warm.
6 Add vinegar, broth, and garlic to frying pan. Cook over medium-high heat (scraping up brown meat bits) about 2-4 minutes or until mixture is reduced and syrupy (it took mine longer to reduce and get syrupy).
7 Add butter; stir to melt.

Serve over chicken and enjoy! :)

AWESOME Cauliflower
*Cut fresh cauliflower into florets...kind of the size you'd do on a veggie tray.
*Put them evenly into a casserole dish. They can fill the dish or can be in a single layer...it doesn't really matter.
*Drizzle EVOO over the cauliflower making 2-3 passes back and forth. You don't have to hit every piece.
*Sprinkle coarse salt (sea salt or kosher) over all similar to the way you did the EVOO
*Bake at 400 for 30-45 minutes depending on the size of your pieces. You want them to be browned and tender. Some will get dark brown...that's okay. Those are actually my favorite pieces. :) It is soooo yummy and even if you don't like cauliflower, I would STRONGLY suggest you try it and give it a chance. I'm pretty sure you'll be surprised! :)

Well, that's my ultra long post for the day. Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!