IA Pilot Wife

Very Very Merry

2011-12-26T21:46:00.002-06:00

We had a wonderful Christmas, but somehow I feel a bit like this. I think Harry has the right idea. Maybe I will crawl under the tree and join him. Yeah, sounds good. I'll be back....

Perfect Pairings Psalms 100:5

2011-12-18T16:06:00.001-06:00

I couldn't find the "I saw grandma kissing Santa Claus" verse, so I"ll have to go with this one instead:

Psalm 100:5

⁵ For the LORD is good and his love endures forever
his faithfulness continues through all generations.

It's good to see the "generations" get together and Grandma got it all started with a little help from, well, not Santa (that's MY Santa). Just in case you were wondering.

Joining up with Baloney today.

I Heart Faces - King Harold

2011-12-13T14:22:00.000-06:00

I Heart Faces is having a "Furry Face" challenge this week. I have always been a fan of this website, but have never submitted a photo. I like this picture of King Harold the Great. I was just starting to understand a bit what was meant by the whole depth of field concept, and was excited when it sort of worked! I took this in February of 2010, aka the winter we had snow up to our eyeballs for four months straight. Anyway, here we go.

Everyday She's Hustlin'

2011-12-12T19:32:00.000-06:00

After much prodding and cajoling by the Captain and yours truly, we talked Marissa into going out for basketball this year. Yes, she is only in 6th grade, but thanks to IBL (Instructional Basketball League) they get 'em started young 'round these parts. Some of the girls she plays with have been doing this since 4th grade. She was a bit behind on the learning curve and quite honestly, in the first couple of games, it looked as though she had been gifted with her father's coordination and her mother's raw speed. Poor thing. In fact when one of the coaches told her she needed to hustle down the court to play defense, Marissa honestly replied that she did not like to hustle. She was not sold on this whole basketball thing.

Now, in defense of the Captain, give him a skateboard, bike or snowboard and he is golden. Ball and stick, as he likes to say, not so much. As for me, I played Iowa style half court 6-on-6 for my basketball years, so my contributions to this whole full court thing is worth,well, only two dribbles.

One of the things that made the Captain and I so persistent in getting Marissa to try basketball is the fact that the girl is tall, and she just keeps getting taller. I am 5'9" and she is looking me in the eyeballs. We share ginormous size 10 (sometimes 11) shoes. The Captain's dad and brother are well into the 6'4 range and my younger brother is 6'3" or so. So there is some height to be had. And she is only 11. As in eleven, people.

Anyhow, her team played in a tournament this weekend, and something seemed to click for Marissa. After a good few weeks of consistent practices, Marissa became a rebounding machine. Of course, it helps that she is a good half foot taller than most of her teammates. Granted, her shooting needs help, her game sense needs lots of work, her ball handling skills leave much to be desired, but the girl likes to REBOUND.

Coach Tony let her know she was doing a good job.

To which she responded with typical Marissa - like enthusiasm.

So, we are proud of her for sticking it out and hope she continues to learn and improve. She was more than ready to head to practice tonight and just a teeny bit excited about it. That's our girl!

Perfect Pairings Job 37:6

2011-12-04T08:59:00.001-06:00

We got our first snow here in Iowa. As much as I lament winter, which is especially true the older I get, this snow was also especially beautiful. The flakes were big, fluffy and picture perfect.

I think God uses the beauty of His creation to give us these tiny glimpses of how incredibly awesome, powerful and beautiful He is.

Job 37:6

New International Version (NIV)

He says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth,’

and to the rain shower, ‘Be a mighty downpour.’

Head on over to Baloney's, where all the pairings are perfect.

When Lizzie Comes to Play

2011-12-01T22:57:00.001-06:00

When Lizzie comes to play there's usually lots of silliness going on.

Toys and dress-up clothes get drug out that haven't been played with in months. There's usually lots of imagination happening too. Maren loves to have her around.

So does Harry. He has this weird little half yelp, half whine that he only does when Lizzie is around.

Lizzie likes Harry too. I always haul out the camera and take lots of pictures.

Sometimes she has to tell me to stop. Like in this picture.

But, I can't resist.

The subject matter is just too cute. At a time when Princess Maren seems to be growing up so fast, it does my heart good to see her act like a little girl again and who better to do it with. Play dress-up, play store, and watch Nemo.

See you next time Lizzy!

Thankful

2011-11-24T11:08:00.001-06:00

Our pastor likes to say if you were born in the United States, in the Midwest, during this century, you have pretty much won the lottery. I don't think he is saying this proudly or with any other intent than to say that wow, we are blessed with so much, with so much more than many others have and we haven't done one single thing to deserve that. Yet, we have the nerve to complain about the long pick up lines at school while we are sitting in our nice warm cars, picking up our healthy, well-fed children as we check the weather on our cell phones. And believe me, I am guilty as charged. I don't think I will ever have enough appreciation for the blessings I have or for the God that has given them too me. But, today I'm gonna try. Happy Thanksgiving!

I've Been Pinspired

2011-11-03T18:07:00.000-05:00

The Captain says I am addicted to Pinterest. That may well be. I argue, better Pinterest than Twitter, which he enjoys immensely. I'd rather be a pinner than a twit. Regardless, the internet is full of goodies and pinterest just sort of gathers them all up in one place for you. Then you can decide what you like and don't like. What you like, you can pin.

I liked this haircut, so I pinned it to my board and then sent it to my email to show my hairdresser and that turned out pretty well. I like her boots and her scarf too, but Rachel did not deliver on those. If only it were so easy.

There's a humor section too, just silly stuff that makes me giggle the hours away. Sometimes I guffaw and snort a little bit, it is that funny. Some of these I pin, and some of these I save in my download file to reference later. See, your "boards" get shared with others who are following you. I wonder if this is "appropriate", but it makes me giggle for some odd reason. And who knows, maybe I'll need it someday. A love note to the Captain or something.

Ok, so did you know that you can put warm chicken breasts into your mixer, use the paddle attachment, run it on 5 for a few seconds and get beautiful, juicy, restaurant style shredded chicken??? I KNOW! I did this the other night and it worked like a charm. The Captain asked me if he could lick the paddle. That made

me gag.

But mostly, I get inspired. There are oodles of pins about home decor, cute outfits, crafty little such and suches, and the list goes on. I even busted out the sewing machine. I had some sad, sorry, outdoor pillows that I had picked up for $2 at a flea market. They were just OK. We have used them for a good two years and they were just tired. Here's the before made even more gruesome with the orange shag carpet and dark brown paneling in the background.

Dreadful, right?

And here's the after, times two.

Side A

Side B

Bought me some reasonably priced fabric at Walmart, and got to stitching. I like. I pin.

So go on over and join in the fun. You do need an invite to start pinning, so leave me your email in a comment if you want and I'll send you one. Happy Pinning!

What Pumpkin Carving Requires

2011-11-01T19:25:00.000-05:00

Take note:

You need your Daddy to be home.

One missing front tooth is preferable.

Pumpkin carving also requires much concentration,

an occasional over-bite,

and a good tongue rolling. Go ahead, you try it. I'll wait.

It may require some unbridled Halloween excitement

and Ninja-like need to stab something.

Then, if you're lucky, it may turn out something like this.

Hope your Halloween was happy!

Mas Musica!

2011-10-19T22:32:00.001-05:00

I think the title means More Music! Just brushing off my Spanish II brain cells. Not that Spanish has anything whatsoever to do with this post. More Music! does though.

So my Dad has been in a nursing home for over a year now. As a family we have wrestled with this choice, and though we feel have made the right decision, I think we still think through the "what-ifs and "if-only's". It is not easy to have your Dad/Husband/Grandpa in a nursing home at age 73, but that doesn't mean the nursing home is a horrible place. I refuse to call it such. Parkinson's is a HORRIBLE disease, and that is where the problem lies, not in the nursing home. At least not Dad's nursing home.

I know we have it good here. Most nursing homes leave a lot to be desired. But here, we have pretty darn good nurses, a nice facility, good doctors, fresh popcorn most hours of the day, and a large basement where the grandkids can all get together and play hide-n-seek or sardines if they choose. Oh, and we also have Judy.

Judy. Judy. Judy. She can call a Bingo game like nobody's business. She dresses up like Mario for her grandson's birthday party ( I know this because I work with her daughter and have seen the photographic evidence). She also directs a pretty mean handbell choir and makes us cry like babies whenever she puts on a special program for the residents and their families. So this past Saturday she did both. My dad plays in the handbell choir and he does a great job. They all do. It amazes me how good they sound! They played some traditional hymns, and ended with "I Love You Lord." Not a dry eye in the place - let me tell you. I'm sure it was a sweet, sweet sound in His ear.

And so the nursing home provides me with an experience that I probably would have never had. I got to see and hear my Dad perform - to loud cheers and clapping no less! I am so proud of him! Maybe it is just the smallest opportunity for me to repay the countless hours of concerts, track meets, basketball games, and school plays both he and mom attended in the years we were growing up. They always let us know how proud they were of us too. Sometimes you find your blessings in the darnedest places.

Good Music, Good Light, Good Life

2011-10-13T22:13:00.003-05:00

Marissa had the chance to play in the NW Iowa Middle School Strings Concert the other day. As you can see, I took my camera along. As you can see, I could use a little zoom in my lens. But you get the gist. Really, why do you bring a camera to a music concert anyway? I should have brought a recorder of some sort because she, and the rest of the kids from our middle school, totally rocked the ~~house~~ church. My goodness. I seriously get teary-eyed when I hear them play. Even when they just warm up, it gets to me. I thought I was the only one, but the Captain said he had the same thing. We're weird that way.

So after a wonderful concert, and dinner out with some friends afterward, we forsook Best Buy, Target, and Lowe's and headed home. School night you know. Besides, that, the light was really pretty as only it can be on an autumn evening in rural Iowa.

Actually these pics were from the trip down to the concert. Love the different textures of the fields as they are harvested. And catching that telephone pole right in the middle of the photo as I was hanging out the car window at 67 miles per hour - well, that's raw talent I tell you.

I'd like to live on that hill. I'd put my horses out back.

Oh dear, I have become my husband. We can add this to his cloud picture collection. The Captain's a sucker for a good cloud formation.

We can add this one to the side-profile-of-the-Captain-as-he-is-driving-collection. Seems like we have a bunch of those shots too. But this one is special because here I am experimenting with creative sun flare. It looks like a golden sneeze. (HER-RUSSIA!! That's a joke only the girls and the Captain will appreciate.) And that large piece or radioactive green bokeh bursting forth from his right frontal temporal lobe, well, like I said. Raw talent.

Then we saw this little rainbow-ish thing. It was more like a rain-cylinder than a rainbow. But it was pretty cool looking. Turns out we were the lucky ones getting a nice little rain shower back in the OC.

Wish this one hadn't been so blurry 'cause the light was pretty neat-o keen. Like I said, 67 mph hanging out the window of your car never does much for the sharpness of your pictures. Your hair either, for that matter.

And here's what it's all about in NW Iowa this time of year. I still love the sight, smell, and sound of a good hard fought harvest being brought in. There's something very good and right about it. Like hearing your girl warm up for her orchestra concert. Ahhhh.

It's a good life.

Big Benny...

2011-10-06T18:50:00.000-05:00

Big Benny is turning one on October 8. How fast did that year fly by?

Why do we call him Big Benny? Well, it could be in reference to his rather large, rather blue eyes. They are big and blue, alright.

Or it could be in reference to his "big" personality. He definitely has one of those too.

But no, it really has a lot to do with the fact Big Benny has a rather large noggin. Truth.

Don and Michelle have decided to capitalize on this and plan to dress him up for Halloween as, well...guess...

When Don told me they were thinking about it, I think I laughed until I cried.

Oh Benny, we love you so much!!

When I Run...

2011-09-27T20:04:00.001-05:00

via pinterest

Just saying. Sad, but true, but still thinking I should get to running again. Need to go find my springy yellow jacket and my bubbles.

Happy Fall!

2011-09-23T23:01:00.001-05:00

So, I can work this two ways. I can look at the official change of the season - aka the autumnal equinox- as a slow degradation to winter, wrought with endless days of bone chilling cold. And snow, that for all its initial charm and beauty leaves much to be desired after month upon month of the falling stuff. Sigh.

Or I can soak up these last few days of perfect temps, beautiful evening light - truly the "golden hour", and the smell of a bountiful harvest being brought in. I think I'll follow Marissa's lead and "drink up"!

(Thanks Dennis for the pic!! I love it! It is all things Marissa!)

Back At It...

2011-09-15T22:55:00.001-05:00

Yup. Back at it. We have been back at school since the 25th of August. This means we have a 6th grader and a 2nd grader in the house. Oh my. Sweet Marissa is in middle school/jr high. Gulp. Besides missing the bus on the first day, things have been going well. In fact, she confessed to being "just a teeny tiny bit excited" to back to school on most Mondays. Hope this trend continues. I think she enjoys her freedom and her independence and maybe the fact she is actually "commuting" out of town three whole miles. Just a small glimpse of things to come - me thinks.

That means Princess Maren is in 2nd grade. Seems like just a few days ago she was going to "pretty school". She is student of the week this week which entails The Capain making his "so cool my dad is a pilot" visit to the class. Followed up by the "not quite as cool my mom is a nurse" visit. King Harold also made an appearance and outdid both of us. She used to blow me a kiss when she got out of the car as I dropped her off - a sweet little habit she picked up from her big sis. This morning I got the peace sign and a quick "peace out, dude." Times are a-changing.

Oh well, as much as mothers lament their children growing up and going forth, myself included, it's all good fun too. Love to see them grow up and become...well, whatever it is they wish to become. I will always love them to pieces or should I say "peaces".

Oh yes, and hope to be back at blogging a bit more too again. I've missed my little bloggity-blog-blog.

Perfect Pairings Phillipians 4:1

2011-05-15T18:02:00.000-05:00

Philippians 4:1 (The Message)

1 My dear, dear friends! I love you so much. I do want the very best for you. You make me feel such joy, fill me with such pride. Don't waver. Stay on track, steady in God.

Notice how Maren and Tyeson provide me with a good amount of Perfect Pairing fodder? They totally bring me joy. I know they will at some point probably hit that awkward boy/girl cousin phase, so I am saving what I can. Also, taking my cue from Annie this week and using The Message for the Bible verse. Sometimes that version just hits the nail right on the head.

Pair Up!

The Devilish DIY Details

2011-05-09T22:25:00.004-05:00

In spite of being knee deep at work, I have found some time to do some small DIY projects around the house. Emphasis on small. Yes, small, but very nagging. There is great satisfaction in getting these crossed off the list.

Our house is your typical 70's ranch. We were told it was professionally decorated. In the year 1974. Said professional decorator must have had a strong affinity for a strange pale yellowish, greenish hue that brought to mind a toned down version of bile. If you have seen or smelled bile you know it you will never make it as a paint chip color name. Anyway, the carpet, the drapes, the basement walls, and yes, even the woodwork were all varying shades of Puked-Up Bile (copyright protected - don't tell Sherwin Williams). Behold the before:

The picture doesn't really do it justice. This is the backside of our hall closet door that we have not painted, just so that every time we get a band aid, we can look back and see how far we've come. We did a minor redo of our kitchen awhile back and the only trim work that had not been touched was on the window over the kitchen sink and in the dining area. We had replaced our patio door this past fall, so that one had been conquered, and these two stuck out like a sore thumb. This trim work was actually a dark walnut stain. It took manymanymany coats to cover.

It has become my goal in life to someday own a house with warm, sexy, thick, wood stained, woodwork. I vow to never paint trim again, but I do like the finished product. AND I finally hung my shades too. I also vow never to have nicely scalloped trim work above my kitchen sink. I guess I was feeling lazy that day when I was antiquing the cabinets. Should have gotten rid of it then.

So why in the world did we buy this house? Well, it had good, albeit yellow, bones, and it had these big gorgeous corner windows in the living room. It was the windows that got me, I'll have to admit. I also admit they have been a challenge to "dress"? After I pulled down the thick lovely faux silk faux bile drapes about 10 seconds after we moved in, I experienced the quandary of how to address some style, a bit of privacy, and some insulation from both the heat and the cold, all on a somewhat limited budget.

I did have some pretty Pottery Barn sheer dummy panels up for awhile, but decided we needed something a little more substantial. I found these nicely lined 96 inch gold panels at Lowe's drastically marked down to $12 a piece. So I bought some rods, some clip hooks and thought I was good to go. The problem was I could never get them to hang just right, no matter how much I ironed, adjusted the clips, adjusted the rods, they still looked like cheapy $12 drapes from Lowe's. See what I mean?

It was bringing me down every time I looked out my pretty windows. My mom and brother had just hung some drapes with grommets in their homes, and I liked how they hung so much better. So, while scoping out fabric for another project one day, I found some snap on grommets and thought,"what the heck"? Here's the grommetized vs. the ungrommetized version.

So much better, don't you think? Never mind that they hung half finished like that for about a good two weeks. They have now been all successfully grommetized. I don't have an official after picture yet, but let's pretend it looks just like this.

Yeah...well one can dream, but I do think One Kings Lane stole my windows.

Mom's Day

2011-05-08T20:16:00.002-05:00

Long time. No post. I have been up to my pancreatic beta cells in diabetes education. It took me a good two weeks alone to figure out how to pronouce thiazolidinediones. (FYI: thī-ə-ˌzō-lə-ˌdēn-ˈdī-ˌōn) The learning curve is steep - but that's a whole other post entirely.

I have missed my little bloggity-blog-blog, so what better day than Mother's Day to do something I enjoy doing. It occurred to me this morning as the Happy Mother's Day announcement was made in church, that I still first think of myself as the daughter. I think of my Mom as the one to be honored and appreciated on Mother's Day. And even though I have been doing the mommy thing for almost eleven years, I still feel like a newbie. The learning curve on motherhood is rather steep also.

I had and continue to have a good teacher though. When I graduated from college, I moved off to another state to live on my own, knowing only one other person there, learning a job where I could potentially kill people. She and Dad let me go without too many tears (that I am aware of) lots of prayers (that I am aware of) and the hope that a tornado would not sweep me down the plains before I got back home again. I learned an awful lot in the big 'ol world of Tulsa, Oklahoma. I learned to pay bills on time, clean up my own messes, and that I still wanted and needed Jesus in my life. All good things. On the one hand, I want to give mom and dad a huge thank you for that. On the other hand I want to say, "ARE YOU FLIPPIN' CRAZY?!!?", cause our girls aren't going anywhere until they are at least thirty!!! Okay, okay, how about a nice middlin' 25? Funny, how your perception changes. I guess I have a good eight years or so to learn up on this.

I sometimes think being a mom has much to do with learning the fine art of letting go. Sometimes you hang on too tightly and your perceived concern for your child's well being seems to backfire. Sometimes it is hard walking that fine thin line between permissible and benficial and you have to back things up a bit. So with a little grace and mercy go I. I consider it a blessing and a privilege to be a mom. I love our sweet girls more than I ever imagined I could. If they end up feeling the same way about me as I do about my mom, I think we will have done pretty well. Love you, Mom!!

Getting My Pucker On...

2011-04-18T21:06:00.001-05:00

So. Really. These cheeks. Resistance is futile. I had to kiss them all weekend. Big Benny pretty much stole our hearts. Talk about some cheap entertainment.

We ooo'd and ahhh'd over every little expression. He is just the best little guy as long as his milk was warm, diaper dry, and Harry was in view. Who knew Harry could be such a good baby sitter?

The girls were really great help too. They love their sweet little cousin. I don't know how many times I heard them squeal "oh mom, he's so cute....". Even when we changed his diaper, Maren crooned "oh mom, even THAT is cute". We had to have a little anatomy refresher on THAT. And so it goes in a house with girls. But we'll take Big Benny back any old time. Kiss. Kiss.

Playing With the Boys

2011-04-14T21:37:00.000-05:00

The BOYZ have been in the hood. Hanging out with the GIRLZ. They play with the TOYZ. And pretend to leave FARTZ. Ok, enough with all that. Sorry.

We love it when the boys come over. Oddly enough, Jackson and Maren are in the same grade at school, but they are about a year apart in age. You would think those two would play together, and they used too. It's not that they don't like each other, but it seems like Marissa and Jackson usually pair off to get their Mario Kart on. The night the boys were over, Mason had a slumber party he had to go to, but he fits well into the Mario Kart mix also. Tyeson just turned five and he and Maren are big buds. I secretely think it has a lot to do with the fact that Maren just enjoys ~~bossing~~ leading and at this point, Tyeson is OK with the following.

I enjoy having my nephews around - fake (or not so fake) fart contests and all. They make me laugh and remind me of growing up with my two brothers. Living in the same small town, we see them often coming and going, busily rushing to the next event or whatever, so it was good to spend some time with them.

This weekend we get to watch Big Benny. I'm getting all puckered up to lay some kisses on those cheeks of his. And how.

So how many of you, after reading this post's title, thought of this?

Yeah, me too. If not, glad I could help with a little Top Gun eye candy.

Perfect Pairings Ecclesiastes 4:9

2011-03-27T13:07:00.000-05:00

Ecclesiastes 4:9

9 Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil.

Baloney has some more Perfect Pairings going on. Check them out!

Perfect Pairings Acts 14:17

2011-03-20T13:10:00.001-05:00

Acts 14:17

Yet he did not leave himself without witness, for he did good by giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.”

Spring is here! Well, according to the calendar, and we did have a nice little spring thunderstorm this morning at 5 AM, and look at this little bud. There is hope!! Finally!

Baloney has some more Sunday Perfect Pairings over in her neck of the woods. Feel free to add your own!

Out of Order

2011-03-04T20:35:00.000-06:00

Stay tuned...

Facing My Addictions

2011-02-21T16:40:00.001-06:00

It was an interesting weekend. Very odd. Not sure what to think of it. So, don't really expect any of this to make too much sense. I do know that a) I am not as young as I used to be, b) I love my books, laptop, and Dt. Dr Pepper a little bit more than I should sometimes, and c) I am not as young as I used to be.

First off, I have been off ~~crack~~ Dt. Dr. Pepper since last Wednesday. This is a monumental event. Since my days in college when I would have to be up early for nursing class or for early morning clinical, I would grab a diet soda to go with it. Even while I was pregnant, I would allow myself just one. Lately, I would have a 20 ounce Dt. Dr. Pepper on my way to work, on my way home from work, and if we happened to be going out to eat I would have a diet something or other then too. Just a bit too much aspartame and caffeine, ya think? So far I have been surviving with water. Granted, I've been buying bottled water, but thought that would make the whole bottle to mouth transition a little easier. Needless to say, I have been sleeping much better.

Except when I have books I NEED to read. I made the mistake of purchasing the last two books of The Hunger Games. I started Catching Fire late Friday evening. I did manage to control myself and went lights out at about 1 AM. I finished it the next evening and had to start Mockingjay - at least the first chapter or so I told myself. One chapter turned to two and so on and so forth until about four in the morning. By five in the morning we had "thunder ice" and Maren was crawling in bed with me. The thunder ice was kind of surreal. Lightning, thunder, rain, hail, ice pellets and a little dusting of snow. So strange for February. I felt like I was in the arena at the Hunger Games. But maybe I was just a little sleep deprived. Excellent books though.

We didn't make it to church Sunday because of the ice, or so I told myself. Actually I wanted to sleep since I had had so little of it the night before. I left my laptop on the little side table ~~by my recliner in front of the TV~~ in my office. I told Princess Maren mommy needed to take a little nap and like any good mother would, popped in Toy Story 3 to keep her occupied. Wasn't long before I heard a loud crash (Hunger Games arena again?) which happened to be my laptop hitting the floor. Maren had gotten her foot caught in the power cord and pulled it off the table. The screen had shattered, but it still turned on. I got the sickest feeling that all our pictures were gone for good, and why hadn't I down loaded them to a web site for safe keeping? So I hooked up my computer to our TV through the HDMI cable and everything else seems to be in working order. Now I have new office (in the living room with the big screen) and a HUGE monitor.

So, I learned a few things this weekend. Water really does taste pretty good. Lack of sleep makes for poor choices the next day. Books really can wait until tomorrow. Shattered laptop screens are not nearly as important as your girls shattered heart because she broke her momma's favorite toy. She felt so bad. Organizing and storing your photos probably shouldn't wait until tomorrow. I'm working on it in my brand spanking new office.

Unexpected

2011-02-15T22:45:00.001-06:00

182 stringed instruments. Some of them had only been played for a mere 6 weeks. My expectations were low. Sweet Marissa told me they sounded "AWESOME" at their rehearsal, but this coming from the mouth of an ever hyperbolic tween, I couldn't help but think of that saying "like cats in a roomful of rocking chairs." 182 of them in fact.

See, every three or four years our school system's wonderful strings instructor, the ever patient and long-suffering Mrs. Haverdink, takes on a feat of mammoth proportions. She teaches the elementary strings, middle school, all the way on up to high school, a selection which the kids perform in one mass orchestra event. This year they performed Orpheus in the Underworld - Finale by Jacques Offenbach, AKA "the Can-Can."

To answer your question, yes, they can do the can-can, and they did. It was wonderful. Beautiful. I got all teary-eyed. Unexpectedly. Maybe it was seeing our girl sitting next to those high school students and knowing that would be her in a few short years. Maybe it was Maren's visible "spine tingle" and look of amazement she got on that big crescendo. Maybe it was because the Captain was home. Maybe I'm just happy to be part of a school system that takes their music as seriously as their sports.

Whatever it might have been, I know the elementary kids and their families were free to leave after the first number, but we didn't. We stayed and listened to the String Orchestra, the Full Orchestra and the Jazz Band ( who, by the way, just finished first in districts and are now on their way to state). It was an unexpected treat. Like a 44 degree day in NW Iowa in the middle of February - yup, got one of those too.

So, here's a little Offenbach for you. Just to get good and stuck in your head for the next few days or so. Marissa has been practicing since late fall. I know about these things. Enjoy!

My Funny Valentine

2011-02-09T18:14:00.001-06:00

Awhile back when we moved Marissa downstairs, we also moved the Captain and I into the front bedroom and Maren to to the back bedroom. The front bedroom shares a wall with our TV room and when the girls were in that room we could never stay up and watch a movie at an appreciable volume level without waking them up. The front bedroom also had a nicer walk-in closet. Bingo.

The problem with this closet was the way it was organized. It just had two small, short areas for hang-ups on either of the shorter side walls. The longer back wall had a shelf, but no place to hang things. Talk about wasted space. So finally this weekend, after about a year or so of cursing the mismanaged space, we remedied that situation. Well, I'll say the Captain mostly remedied that situation. I would walk in, cough, sneeze, drill a couple holes, look pathetic, cough and go back to sit in my recliner. Repeat. Looked something like this. Why I am taking pictures of my closet is a little beyond me. It's what we do here in Iowa in the depths of winter?

Anyway, here's the before: (forgot to take an actual before picture with everything still hanging in the closet, but I'll be darned if I was going to hang them back up again)

During:

And the after. Isn't it beautiful. And organized. And beautifully organized. Sometimes I go sit in there and shut the door and quietly talk myself in to thinking that the rest of my life is as such.

Here's the Captain's side. As seen by his little Captain's hat up on the top shelf. What a stud. But do you see that bright purple sleeve hanging there on the left?

Here it is again. Guess what that sleeve is attached too?

HIS BRIGHT PURPLE SNUGGIE.

That he bought for himself. Pretty sure that makes him undateable. He also occasionally wears socks with sandals (black socks even), has a pair of jorts (think I bought them for him), has a cell phone protector on his belt, wears shiny pointy black shoes to work, and owns a speedo (tells me he used to be a "swimmer"). Undateable, and then some.

But, that does make him mighty fine marriage material. Thanks for the closet, honey!! Thanks for taking care of things when I was/am sick! Have a good trip and see you soon!

Perfect Pairings x 3

2011-02-06T05:38:00.002-06:00

Well, here it is 4:15 AM, and no sleep in sight. I long for some uninterrupted sleep, but with this cough/cold /flu/nigh on to dying illness that I've have obtained, it just isn't happening. So, what are blogs for if not to pass the ~~insomnia~~ time away.

We have had our hands full lately. Between me trying to get my head around my new job position, the girls random pattern of school days and various snow days, and trying to keep Harry from licking his, well, you know, we have had some busy days. So, I'll get you up to date and try to add some perfect pairings along the way.

Snow days: I think all the world has had a snow day as of late, well at least here in the states. The girls informed me they have make up days scheduled into June. It's going to be a short summer. But, snow days make for good sledding days. Photo credit goes to the Captain - love this shot.

This was almost a good sledding day turned bad though. Remember a long time ago when I told you about the infamous hill with the creek at the bottom? Well, let's just say Marissa found the creek.

She was okay, thank goodness, but I think she has found new meaning to the word "BAIL".

Perfect Pairing:

Job 37:10

By the breath of God ice is given, and the broad waters are frozen fast.

And speaking of ice, tis the season for ice skating. The girls are doing their thing again with ice skating lessons. Surprisingly, they have been able to make it for all of their sessions without any weather cancellations at all. Seems it only snows on Mondays round these parts.

They always enjoy the lessons and have improved a lot. I am glad to see them out and moving this time of year when the winter duldrums set in.

Perfect Pairing:

Psalm 126:2

Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then they said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.”

And lest we forget, there is Harry. Always Harry. Harry got well, you know, neutered, this past week. He has had to wear the cone of shame so he doesn't lick his, well, you know, wound. If you think he was mad at me for the haircut, well ....

....actually, I think we have made up. I could only stand to see him knock his cone into things for so long, before I had to haul him on my lap and give in to those big brown eyes.

Pefect Pairing:

Isaiah 56:3

3 Let not the foreigner who has joined himself to the Lord say,

“The Lord will surely separate me from his people”;

and let not the eunuch say,

“Behold, I am a dry tree.”

Well, that's an interesting verse. Hmmm, but yes, Harry's "dry tree" has healed up rather nicely.

On a more somber note, my dad was admitted to the hospital again the other day. He has a little pneumonia, a urinary tract infection and a good old sinusitus. Praying that all these little things don't add up to a big long hospital stay again. We'll take as many prayers as you can give us.

Head on over to Baloney's for some more perfect pairing action!

Perfect Pairings Job 8:21

2011-01-23T09:26:00.001-06:00

Job 8:21

21 He will yet fill your mouth with laughter,

and your lips with shouting.

Had a good time bowling with the family on1/1/11. How can you miss with a few strikes, some spares, and Ms. Pac-Man?

Head on over to Baloney's to get some more perfect pairing action.

Perfect Pairings Jeremiah 33:6

2011-01-16T18:16:00.001-06:00

Jeremiah 33:6

6 Behold, I will bring to it health and healing, and I will heal them and reveal to them abundance of prosperity and security.

This one goes out to Baloney (the original Perfect Pairer) who is recovering from shoulder surgery. Hope to see you back in Perfect Pairing action real soon!

Guilt Trip

2011-01-13T20:49:00.000-06:00

The very same day we got Harry trimmed, was one of the colder ones on record this winter. This cold day was to be followed by many a colder one and about 8 inches of snow. I am not in King Harold's good graces. Here's the before:

And here's the After:

So cute right? His little orange preppy sweater just adds to the appeal. Thing is, it has been so cold he just shivers and quivers and lays in his kennel with his sweater and his extra sheepskin blanket . I've tried to make amends. Turned the heat up two degrees while I am work. Let him snuggle on my lap. Bought him some biscuits with a gravy coating on them. All for naught, 'cause you know what he did?

That's right. HE SHUT HIS EYES AT ME. Like I wasn't even there. Like I was dead to him. Like if he thought real hard about it with his eyes closed, maybe all his Harry hair would grow back.

And I thought, surely he didn't mean it. Whatever happened to that whole faithful companion thing? Woman's best friend? Puppy love? All he gave me was more of this.

I guess he really meant it. Sorry Harry, if you're trying to make me feel guilty, it's working.

Signing off from the doghouse,

Shannon

Resolutions...

2011-01-11T22:24:00.002-06:00

Yup, we're eleven days into the new year and I am now professing my resolutions - well one resolution in particular. I'll have to admit this resolution has been on my to-do list for many years. You got it - I need to lose some weight. Need to get me some healthy in my life. And how.

I have always enjoyed food. It's a family tradition. My grandmother ran a restaurant and worked in food service for most of her life and our family did likewise - my mom still does. My grandma's chocolate whipped cream roll is to absolutely die for as is my mother's banana cream pie. I have a weakness for baked goods and sweets and it shows. Alot. It mostly shows up in a large, roly-poly tire around my middle.

So like a pendulum (tire swing swinging back and forth?) I would go on a very strict diet, lose a good amount of weight, go off my very strict diet and gain it all back again just as fast as I lost it. Very frustrating. Humiliating. Depressing. Making me feel like a failure every single time.

Now, I am a cardiac rehab nurse, and more recently have become a diabetes education coordinator. I know what I should do. I tell people what they should do. I teach classes on the subject for heaven's sake. I know what all this extra weight can lead to. Somewhere there seems to be a ~~little~~ gigantour disconnect between my mind and my stomach. The stomach wants what the stomach wants - or so it thinks.

So, one night doing the leap-blogging thing, I found this site. I wasn't really looking for weight loss motivation, but her button caught my eye (taking the crap out of scrapbooking) on some other blog I was checking out, and, click, I was sucked into reading Cathy's own inspiring weight loss story which she had dubbed Move More, Eat Less. Now that I can do. (How crazy is that! How about giving moderation a try!) She has a nifty little journal you can purchase and download to track your progress. I also signed up for Weight Watchers online. Been there. Done that. Did lose. Have to admit to being a little impressed by the whole Jennifer Hudson story too. Does she look great or what?

I also read a WW success story in which a member said it only took her "x" many weeks to lose the weight, but 10 years to learn how to do it. I am chalking up those other "failures" to learning opportunites. I've read if you tell people your goals you are more likely to succeed. So might as well tell the whole darn internet and go from there. The deets:

1. Post my monthly MMEL results to my blog.
2. Run the Tulip Festival 5K - no walking this time.
3. Give up my *shudder* quiver* gnashing teeth* Dt. Dr. Pepper. I don't know when, where or how soon, but it needs to be done.

So there. Here's to healthy in 2011!!

The Greatest Generation...and then some

2011-01-05T21:12:00.003-06:00

I wish I had had a tape recorder (er, do they make tape recorders anymore?), or some sort of recording device going at work today. I have a fun group of patients getting their cardiac rehab on right now. Somedays I try to teach them a thing or two, and then somedays they teach me a thing or two.

I happened to have three war veterans in the room today swapping stories of their days in the service. Some stories were hilariously funny, some sweaty armpit scary, but all were pretty inspiring. I can't imagine doing what they did. I can't really fathom war to any extent that they experienced it. These days, it seems like we have so much more knowledge and technology at our fingertips - but I guess that makes the weapons that much more complex too.

I mentioned in an earlier post that I had recently read the book "Unbroken" by Laura Hillenbrand. She wrote "Seabiscuit" a few years back and I love loved that book, so when I saw "Unbroken" sitting there on the library shelf, even though not my typical read, I thought I would check it out. Literally. It was monumental - or some other inadequate adjective. The book follows Louis Zamperini's life, from an incoragible trouble-maker, to Olympian and WWII bombadier whose plane went down in the Pacific. He survived in a lifeboat for 47 days only to be captured by the Japanese and held as a POW until the end of the war. The recounting of these events illicits a physical response. It was definitely hard to read at times - almost making me sick.

The wonderful thing is the hope and forgiveness with which the book ends. One of my favorite photos in the book is a 81 year old Zamperini skateboarding. Who skateboards at 81? Louie Zamperini is still alive today at the spry old age of 93.

So I get a little awestruck when I hear the guys telling their stories. On one hand, I don't think they think anything of it. They just did what they were asked to do. They are national treasures, and we really owe them a lot. Much more than could ever be repaid, I suspect. I'm glad I get to hear their stories, and I'm glad they are here to tell it.

Walk Like a (sore) Egyptian...

2010-12-31T10:43:00.004-06:00

There is a reason there will be no pictures or video added to this post. We bought the Wii Just Dance 2 game with Christmas money from Craig's grandpa and grandma. Let's just say we have been bustin' moves that really shouldn't be busted. Therefore, no pictures or video. Ever. Are you reading this Honey?

It really is hilariously fun and a good workout to boot. Marissa and I have an on-going dance off with a forever stuck in my head Bollywood dance tune. She is in the lead right now, but today is my day. I can feel it in my ~~gluteus maximus~~ bones. I could do a pretty mean "running man" back in the day. Turns out, the Captain does a pretty mean James Brown himself. And should I be worried that Marissa used her Christmas itunes card to purchase "Walk Like an Egyptian"? It's a revival, let me tell you. OK, so I can't resist, here's the original version. You know you like it.

With a blizzard knocking on the door (2 inches and counting), the Captain most likely stuck on the east coast, and Maren recovering from the stomach flu, looks like our New Year's Eve celebration will be minimal. But we can still dance the night away....sorta.

Here's hoping your New Year will be happy!

Bad Harry Days

2010-12-28T16:09:00.002-06:00

Harry's hair has much to be desired these days. ~~His momma~~ Someone forgot his last haircut, and because of the holidays we had to wait until January 7th to reschedule. He looks pathetic. Just this little ball of fur running around with no eyes and a really bad straight down the middle 80's part.

Yes, there really is a dog under all that hair. Poor thing, sometimes when he is eating his food he jumps like he has been electrocuted or something, but I actually think his hair scares him when it's all hanging in his eyes like that. Reminds me a little bit of this dude.

I could laugh at these two all day. I have to chuckle at Harry and all his hair too. I chuckled right up to the point where he ate Marissa's ipod earbuds that she had just gotten for Christmas. Bad Harry, uh, hairy - oh never mind.

A Baby Changes Everything

2010-12-23T22:44:00.002-06:00

Sometime before the holiday season really started ramping up, I remember asking God to let me feel His presence in a meaningful way this year. I didn't want to get so caught up (as I am apt to do) in the doing, the buying and the overall busyness that seems to accompany this season. There have been moments of craziness, and maybe I am speaking too soon, but it feels like we are settling in for a nice peaceful Christmas time. I have to say I've felt God's hand in many ways this holiday season; in a book, (Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand - whole 'nother blog post entirely and a must read) in a sermon (go figure) and strangely, even in the trials of various friends and family (their incredible faith comes shining through).

As things come back around, in a way that I feel only God can orchestrate, we had the privilege of hearing a former pastor from the small country church I grew up in, speak at the church we are attending now. I was curious to hear him speak simply because of that connection to Newkirk church. Even though I was rather young and not too interested in the whole sermon thing back then, I do remember him being an excellent speaker. He is a former football coach, so his delivery is a bit different than most preachers. He - no let me rephrase that - God, did not disappoint. He read from John 1 and spoke about darkness and how it is more something that is felt rather than actually seen. Our eyes may perceive darkness, but our souls feel it. He talked about conflict and power and reconciliation. He and his wife give tours of the Holy Land. They have had a first hand look at a seemingly endless conflict and what it can do - or undo. He made the point that in order for reconciliation to take place, two parties have to be on equal terms, or the one with the "power" needs to empty themselves in order to bring about peace.

Having heard the Christmas story any number of times in my life and even in the course of a Christmas season, it starts to just tinkle around in your head and sometimes never makes it to your heart. Yes, Jesus was born in a manger, there were shepherds, wisemen and angels. It all becomes a bit too rote. Why a baby?

Earlier in the same service a lovely woman in our church who has walked through the darkness of breast cancer, spoke about a time when her baby fell down the steps to their basement which they happened to be remodeling at the time. All she could do was scream for her husband, and watch her child tumble down each and every hard, un-carpeted step, head first, and land with a thud on the hard pavement below. He was okay, but what parent hasn't been there? Stood there helpless with the possibility or the reality of their child being harmed.

She went on to wonder if that was how God felt. Did his stomach and his heart lurch as He watched His beloved Son fall down the stairs of heaven to this dark earth to be hurt and even die? By His choice, God emptied himself in the form of a helpless babe, to be on equal footing with us, with whom He wishes to be reconciled. Not ridiculous or improbable. Of course, it had to be a baby.

God gave us the most incredible gift. It was not us seeking him. Crazy as it seems, He must have really taken a shine to those early morning walks in the garden with Adam and Eve and He wants us back. He loves us, He really does. I hope you feel that in a very real way this Christmas.

beginning to look a lot like....

2010-12-21T09:34:00.000-06:00

well, you know, CHRISTMAS!!

We have made GINGERBREAD HOUSES....

had a Christmas party, (where both SANTA and the police showed up).

We've had our CHRISTMAS PROGRAM,

(GREAT job girls.)

and FLOCKING the way nature intended.

We watched Lizzie while momma finished her Christmas shopping.

(We introduced her to the whole "SILLY FACES" shot Michelle - sorry. Word.

and finally, you know, the real mark of Christmas, PACKING PEANUTS...

on your stove top, because there was no room ~~in the Inn~~ on the table, or the bar or any flat sort of surface that did not contain some sort of Christmas frou-frou, besides the stove top in which to pack and ship gifts to our beloved but distant FAMILY member whose name we had drawn. PHEW!

Sing it with me now, "packing peanuts roasting on the smooth top stove....". Please tell me it gets a little hectic and crazy around your house this time of year. I am ready to sit back and enjoy. How about you? Come on over, I'll serve you up a nice cup of hot cocoa and a roasted packing peanut to go with it.

my favorite thing...

2010-12-16T09:19:00.000-06:00

Forgive me for being shallow. We had a knock-down, drag-out, how in the world did Laura Ingalls ever survive one good old Iowa blizzard here this past weekend. Granted, I can't complain too much. It has been relatively mild here all things considered. To have our first major snow in the middle of December is really a pretty good thing. We are that much closer to spring.

But along with the snow came lots of cold and since it has been fairly decent - this cold seems a little jarring to the system. I just haven't gotten used to it yet. And you do get used to it. We are talking single digits and below right now, but come early March, mid- thirties and forties will feel like a veritable heat wave.

This fall we got a new (read slighly used) car - a Chevy HHR. It's pretty fun to drive, better than the old mini-van, gets 31 miles to the gallon on road trips to OK, but the very best feature which I love more than I ever thought I could love a selling feature on a car is the REMOTE START. I can stand at the back door of the hospital, lock the doors, push the little start thingy on the key fob and ta-da! I chit-chat with the girls in RT for a couple minutes then walk out to my nice warm car. It's a beautiful thing. Now, if I can only buy a house with a remote cleaning option.

Perfect Pairings Proverbs 22:6

2010-12-05T19:58:00.000-06:00

Proverbs 22:6

Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.

Baby Bennet was baptized today - and what a wonderful day it was. We have been blessed!

On My Mind...

2010-12-02T21:41:00.001-06:00

I have lots of things on my mind lately. Lots. Like why is most nearly everything baked at 350 degrees. There must be some explanation for this. Why don't they give you a free broiler pan when you buy a new stove anymore. Or is this just some figment of my imagination? I could have sworn we got a nice big broiler pan with the second to last oven we bought. Not so this time. Had to spring for the Walmart version, but have to say those broiled pork chops we had for dinner the other night were worth every red cent.

I'm thinking about winter. It is cold here. Lots of cold. We had such a nice fall that this seems to be an abrupt change. For the worse. Winter means Christmas. I am totally unprepared for Christmas. We had a Christmas party at work today and it felt so odd. I could be in trouble.

I'm thinking about books. I read Malcolm Gladwell's "Outliers" this past week on our trip down to Oklahoma and Kansas over Thanksgiving. He never fails to provide a thought provoking read. He writes about airplane crashes and mitigated speech. An interesting chapter for the pilot wife. He writes about the Beatles and Bill Gates and their 10,000 hours. He writes about success in terms of alot more hard work and less raw talent. Add in a good measure of opportunity, timing and perhaps the year and maybe even the day you were born and by jove, you might have it. That elusive recipe for success. The ingredients will surprise you.

Also, my MIL slipped me a copy of "The Hunger Games". Not so much interested in apocalyptic sci-fi reads, or so I thought, but it has me hooked. I started reading it with Marissa, but think that better wait a couple years. Some graphic violent details come to light amidst a burgeoning love story. This is the first book in a trilogy. Glad to have a good read or two, but feel like this may be a highly distracted and sleep deprived Christmas season.

I'm thinking about diabetes. I have decided to add another hat to the ever-growing tower and have taken a position as a diabetic educator at the hospital where I work. A large percentage of the cardiac patients I work with also have diabetes, so it is not entirely foreign territory for me. Definitely need to buff up on my type I and gestational dibetes, along with some of the new meds and insulins they have going on. Hmmm, Diabetic Educator Journal or The Hunger Games?

I'm thinking about Bennet. Both of them. The little one is getting baptized this Sunday. The elder one firmly kicked my behind in three rounds of Bingo this Tuesday. He always was the lucky one. And how. He had blood work done the other day and his liver enzymes are the best they have been in years. His weight is back up. His color is good. I like having two Bennets in my world.

I'm also thinking I should go to bed. Have to teach ACLS tomorrow. Sell some dishcloths. Pack for a slumber party. Hope the snow stays north. And be very thakful for all the above.

Trains and not that Girlie stuff...

2010-11-22T23:44:00.003-06:00

Maren often gets the short end of the stick when it comes to having friends over. Marissa's best bud lives two blocks away and when they get bored at one house they traipse on over to the other's house to see what they can do about that. Maren often gets left in the dust, unfortunately. Luckily, Mr. ~~Eyelashes~~ Tyeson concedes to making a visit to girlie-land every now and then. He always lets us know quite adamantly,"I'm not gonna play with those Barbies".

So, that usually means we bust out the trains. Now when Marissa was Maren's age, she could play with trains all the live long day, and love every minute of it. Maren would rather stick with the girlie-girl stuff, which as previoulsy indicated, Mr. ~~Eyelashes~~ Tyeson, being from a family of three boys, will have nothing to do with. It makes for an interesting dialogue.

Maren: "Let's say that Lady had a baby train and they were going to go to school."

Tyeson: "OK", as he violently crashes two trains together on the drawbridge.

Maren: "And then let's say both of the parents died." (Do you ever notice how the parents are always dead in kids' stories, or um, is that just my kids? Yikes.)

Tyeson: "Hold that story. I have to go take a pee."

And he runs off to the bathroom and proceeds to accomplish this ( is Maren would indicate to me later) without even closing the door.

All gender stereotypes aside, they have a great time together. It was actually our first snow day (or should we call it ice day) here this winter. What a nice way to spend an afternoon. Someday I'll have to tell you their "china" story. Oh dear.

Oh Brother...

2010-11-15T23:17:00.000-06:00

This is me and my brother Don. It's Don's birthday today. We are five days shy of being exactly two years apart. Guess Mom and Dad really believed in "celebrating" Valentine's Day, back then. Wink. Wink. So yes, if you're doing the math, I just turned 40 so that makes him 42. You guys are sharp.

I'll have to say I think this is a pretty darn cute picture. It's one of my favorites of us. Pretty sure it made the Christmas card insert that year. When I look at that picture (once I get past the paneling and the linoleum) I can't help but think it sort of sums up our relationship in a lot of ways. We definitely fall into the whole birth order thing. Don is the first born - driven, determined, 4.0 student, who always had more discipline in his little finger than I have in my entire body. Of course he would hold the pig. I am forever the middle child - peace-maker, a little goofier, a little sillier, and not much of a competitor at all. I want to make peace with the pig and that may not include me holding it.

I think I would have always been a little more hesitant in life if I hadn't seen Don go there first. Don led. I followed. Obviously,this could have good or bad consequences. Not so good when he decided to light a fire under the county bridge down the gravel road from our farmplace. My parents were not so impressed with our resourcefulness. It was cold that day. We needed to ~~kill~~ keep ourselves and our cousins ~~dead~~ warm.

But, I did chose to go to a four year college and get my Bachelor's Degree in Nursing, and boy am I glad I did. Don went to college, so I did too. Ever the over acheiver, Don went to a four year private college, got his chemistry degree, and then went to the University of Iowa another three years to become a pharmacist. He was a RD, started up his own student care package delivery business, and probably had his schooling all paid for by the time he graduated, all while maintaining a 4.0 GPA. What's a girl to do?

I guess just be happy to have such a good example ever present in my life since the day I was born. He was my first playmate, my chauffer in our high school years, my guidance couselor when considering college and career paths. He threw me an excellent party when I turned 21. He drove cross country and killed his transmission to come visit me in Tulsa. He has been a wonderful uncle to our girls. As far as older brother go, I couldn't ask for better. Love you Donnie! Happy Birthday!!

If You Give a Girl a Birthday...

2010-11-12T20:27:00.003-06:00

...she may want some homemade pancakes lovingly, yet messily,(darn they were good!) prepared by her husband for her birthday breakfast...

....along with a nice dose of public embarassment to go with it.

If you give a girl a birthday...

...she might get some awesome birthday presents that might make her think turning 40 really isn't so bad after all.

She might want to hold her new nephew...

...or go out to a swanky restaurant with her swankier family.

She might even get a really cool hand-drawn card of her ride from her talented Father-in-law.

Not that I would know anything about any of this.

She might have had such a great 40th birthday that she thought it was all a wonderful dream....

until she saw this, and she understood it was all for real.

Even the BIG 4-0.

Perfect Pairings Ecclesiastes 3:1

2010-11-07T08:28:00.000-06:00

3:1 For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:

Halloweening 2010

2010-11-01T22:45:00.003-05:00

What a weekend. Busy. Good. Fun. Spoooky. All the above. Here's a re-cap.

Marissa and Her Pumpkin:

Marissa's 5th grade class had a pumpkin decorating contest and Marissa won one of the 10 or so prizes awarded. She was high on pumpkin love, let me tell you. I'd like to tell you we were creative enough to think this one up, but we did a Google image search. She looked for "cool" and I looked for easy. Have to say it worked for both of us.

Halloween costumes:

Were pretty stress free this year. Maren used the pumpkin costume I hand-labored over with blood, sweat, and tears for Marissa one year. Marissa was the "like 80's girl". Like totally. Like, I had no input whatsoever into the makings of that costume. You know you're old when your high school years are "retro" and become cool again.

A mighty fine time was had by all. The candy overfloweth. As did the sugar high and the giggling that accompanies such states. Lucky Sue and Dennis were around to keep things sane.

The Two Bennets:

One of the highlights of our trick-or-treating adventures was hitting the care facility where my Dad, Bennet, is living. One of the residents was even dressed as a witch and gave the girls a pretty good scare. We also got lucky and Baby Bennet was there too. Love this shot. What a perfect ending to a fun weekend. Hope yours was a good one too!

Divide and Conquer

2010-10-27T16:58:00.000-05:00

The pumpkins were conquered once again this year. Think large saw and power tools. To be continued...

The Man of the House

2010-10-21T22:28:00.000-05:00

The Captain has been gone quite a bit. Harry knows this and has been secretly trying to usurp the Captain's positon as man of the house. He has an agenda. I can tell. We have two comfy chairs facing our fireplace. The recliner has been dubbed mine, and that is usually where you can find me winding down in the evenings over a game of Bejeweled Blitz. Harry also know this. While I am furiously cursing the Bejeweled Blitz man-voice who is being very stingy with his "specTACulars", Harry quickly jumps into the other chair. The arms on that chair are just high enough so that if he hides in the far corner, I can't even see him from my chair. By the time my minute is up, I may have forgotten I even have a dog. Very sneaky.

Now Harry has learned not to try this when the Captain is home. He understands the inherent risk of being drop kicked into Cowboy's front yard. He tries. He is my protector. Ever vigilant in the face of danger. A canine force of nature.

See?

Yeah, but then he gives me a look like this and I'm pretty much done. I do give him a fairly stern "wait 'til your Father gets home", to which Harry responds with this.

Yeah, that left a big impression. I can tell.

Dog for sale. Cheap.

Perfect Pairings James 1:17

2010-10-10T10:55:00.000-05:00

James 1:17

¹⁷Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

My older brother and his lovely wife Michelle added another
Bennet to the world last Friday making me an especially pround auntie. As far as God's gifts go, I can't think of anything more perfect than babies. Baby Bennet is pretty perfect in our book. Welcome to the world sweet boy!

Another World

2010-09-29T22:22:00.002-05:00

Princess Maren is reading. I love it. I love this stage of discovery when every painstakingly sounded out word is like how I imagine it would be for Columbus stepping out of the boat into a whole new world. The possibilities are endless. The adventures too numerous to count. She gives me a triumphant look, a smug little grin, and is off to the next continent. You go girl.

Project

2010-09-28T16:55:00.002-05:00

Do you ever look at words and think the spelling looks totally wrong? Is that how you spell project? It just looks wrong. Anyway, I finally completed a little DIY ~~project~~ endeavor.

Here's our sorry little water-stained, nail polished, too many hot pots left on it, cloroxed, had it since the year we married table top. Pitiful.

The thing was, I didn't mind the legs and the antiqued finish on the rest of the table and it's actually still very sturdy. It's a little wider than most tables, and I liked that too as far as having company and serving family style goes.

After a little trial and quite a bit of error in the form of Polyshades and going against the grain, (eh Captain?) we were redeemed by some custom mixed Old Masters gel stain and Cowboy's Momma (who happens to work for Old Masters AND live across the street). The result was worth it! I love my table top now more than I did when we first bought it. Seriously.

Now came my next quandry. What to do with the chair seats? Originally they were the same stain color as the table top. Minus the water stains and nail polish but plus some ground in strawberry jam, spaghetti sauce, and other unidentifiable remnants of past meals. Honestly, after what we had to go through to get the table top color, I knew there was no way I was gonna get close to matching that.

The thought came to mind to upholster them. I didn't want to spend a bunch of money on this though. The M's still have their share of spillage - OK - the Captain and I do, too. But, one day at Walmart I found these chair pads. Two bucks a piece. Already cut to fit. Sold. Figured I could find some cheap fabric on E-bay.

Then I went to Target a couple days later and found this. It was a duvet cover but I loved the fabric color and I liked the feel of it and it was serioulsly marked down. See that nice little red sticker in the corner? Love little red stickers.

Sold! I had more than enough fabric to cover six chairs and the backing of the duvet cover will make a nice coordinating table cloth.

I gave them a couple good coats of Scotchguard, but if they do get hopelessly yuck, I didn't spend enough to feel horribly bad about it. They aren't perfect, but in the words of my nephew Tyeson - I "wike" them.

For about $80 and a little joy and pain ( ooo, what a great 90's dance tune! - sunshine and rain) we got us a good looking dining room table again. I wike it. I wike it a-wot.

Bday x 3

2010-09-22T17:04:00.001-05:00

The Captain and his womb companions had a birthday last week. They have been out and about for 41 years now. An accomplishment of sorts, I would say. The Captain scored this year. He had three, count 'em, three, birthday celebrations this year.

PARTAY 1!

A mild celebration. We all gathered at the nursing home. For my Dad's sake, not the Captain's, just to make that clear. We celebrated the September birthdays on this side of the fam. Jackson turned 7. Kleyton turned 8 and the Captain turned 41. How fun is it to turn 41 with a Lego cake...

and a Hovaround!

My Grandma also turns 85 this month, but we spared her the Lego cake. Which was absolute deliciousness by the way.

PARTAY 2!!

The Captain got done with work last Friday and jetted out to Cali to meet up with his bro and sis. Pretty sure this was the party to remember. Or forget? Depending how much alcohol was consumed? I think they had a pretty darn good time. It had been awhile since the triplets had all been together since they are all sort of strewn across the western US of A and with busy lives and busy families, it makes getting togther that much harder. Glad he got to go! Happy Birthday to you too, Chris and Kim!

PARTAY 3!!!

It's always a party at our house when the Captain's truck hits the drive, but this time the girlies did a little more screamin', huggin', and kissin' to commemorate the event. They missed having Dad home on his birthday. We celebrated with salmon croquettes and homemade carrot cake - the Captain's birthday meal of choice. The girls were thumbs up on the salmon croquettes but our tastes veer more to the side of chocolate as far as cake goes.

So Happy Birthday Honey! We love your weird, a bit goofy, Office-loving self. Thanks for taking such good care of us!

NKOTB

2010-08-30T22:51:00.001-05:00

No, not that NKOTB.

That NKOTB must have been a little past my screaming teenage groupie years. I could never quite understand the appeal. But then again, I serioulsy loved Milli Vanilli, so my musical taste should be openly criticized and questioned.

We have a much cuter NKOTB. Meet Cowboy.

He is our neighbor's new little Chorkie (chihuahua- yorkie mix) and he is just about as rootin' tootin' cute as can be. The girls are utterly charmed.

Harry is too. They have already had their first play date. All the butt sniffin' you could ever imagine. My word.

Hope this block's big enough for the two of them.

The End of a Season

2010-08-29T22:43:00.003-05:00

It's been so long since I have blogged, that I don't even know where to begin again. I just know that I am feeling a little nostalgic, relieved, sad, happy, confused ( ya think?) about the fact that our Summer 2010, is coming to a close. Oh, we might still score a nice sun soaked day at the lake, weird Iowa weather permitting, but really, this summer is a done deal.

I will remember many things about this summer, some good and some bad. Seems like we were always busy, but yet feel like there was so much more that we wanted to do too. I only know that it just flew by. And that is both a literal and figurative interpretation for a pilot wife.

Marissa - what did Marissa do this summer? Well, most importantly she turned 10....10.10.10. Really? That time flew by faster than this summer. The pediatrician told us she grew 5 inches this past year. Yikes. The girl is growing up, in more ways than height. I am trying to keep up, but sometimes I just want to lock her up for a years and keep her all to myself. Alas, she took a liking to softball this summer, took her first big overnight (make that several overnights) trip to her Grandma's a lengthy 7 hours away, starred in a major supporting role, and along with slumber parties, pool parties and a burning desire for a cell phone, she would like more of all the above. Guess the whole locking her away thing ain't gonna work.

Maren. Maren and I got to spend lots of time together this summer. Mostly at night. In our bed. During thunderstorms. The thunderstorms have stopped , but unfortunately Maren has taken a liking to our bed and sleeping next to momma. Sigh. She's a first grader now you know. Big stuff. Until bedtime. Then she wants to cuddle in close. She's a hard one to resist. She's decided she doesn't really like t-ball or soccer, but loves to swim. This year she learned how to go off the board and down the slide on her own. She makes a good fish and a monkey. Now, if only she would stay in her own bed. We would all be in a much happier, less sleep deprived place.

One of the not so good things about this summer was admitting my Dad to a nursing home. We always knew this might be a possibility, but we really hoped we could avoid it. Mom was starting to develop some health problems of her own, and needed to go back to work this August. Dad was improving and seemed to be getting stronger, but not quite strong enough.

Another huge problem was the lack of nursing home beds here in our small town. We were number 10 on the list, so we were looking at a facility about 20 miles away. So, one day after work, I headed there to check it out. Nice staff. Private rooms. Just not home. I got back in the car and cried and prayed in frank desperation the whole way home. I just couldn't see us "leaving" Dad there. I didn't know what to say to mom. Turns out she had something to tell me. In the hour and half I was gone, the director of the nursing home in town called and told mom they had a room for dad. Miracle of miracles, all of the nine people ahead of us turned the room down!

If there is anything I have learned in dealing with dad's illness, it is that we are not in control. We have tried to stay ahead of things and imagine best and worst case scenarios and plan accordingly, but it has always worked out with some twist, that only God could provide for. And although I realize this and I am so grateful for these unexpected answers to prayer, it has been hard. There were days on weeks of waking up to this deep and profound sadness. Guilt, hopelessness, loss, and an eerie feeling when I would drive up mom and dad's driveway walk in the door, and not see him sitting in his chair. Maren says it too. "It just isn't the same without Grandpa there."

It is getting better. After some rough days, Dad is adjusting. I think we all are, to some extent. He is slowly getting used to the routine, has gotten to know the staff well enough to give them a little good natured grief, and I think he enjoys some of the programs and activities they have. He and my Grandma have a standing Friday afternoon bingo date. I feel a huge sense of relief in knowing that he is safe. That I won't have to walk into their house to check on him and find him hurt or worse has won out over the "what if we had tried harders". I hope too that Mom has a little more time to take care of herself and her health. It is all uncharted territory. You hear stories and read books and might even be a nurse, but its a whole new journey when it is your family involved. I hope I have finally learned to follow and not try to navigate.

So it is the end of one season and the beginning of another. New beginnings mean new hope. I hope for a good school year for the girls. I hope Mom and Dad adjust and find a different sort of happiness in this new chapter of their lives. I hope we and my brothers and thier families get to enjoy them both for a nice long time. And I hope for sleep. Better go work on that.

Perfect Pairings Job 9:27

2010-08-15T21:38:00.000-05:00

Job 9:27 (New International Version)

27 If I say, 'I will forget my complaint,

I will change my expression, and smile

Hope your week brings you lots of unexpected smiles!

Happy....and a Teensy Tiny Bit Sad

2010-08-06T16:02:00.002-05:00

Let me just begin by saying this post is long overdue. Sweet Marissa has been 10 years old for a good week and a half at least, and I am just getting too tell you all about it. That's right, you heard it hear first, my sweet baby girl turned 10 this year. How in the world does that happen so fast?

Marissa chose cinnamon rolls for her birthday breakfast.

We invited a few of her friends along to a local water park and had a super good time. The day was roasting hot, but this water park is tucked into the shore line of a small lake and it was nice a breezy and the view wasn't too bad either.

This is the fun thing about having a summer birthday, although sometimes I think Marissa would really like to celebrate her actual birthday with her classmates at school, and I am horrible at remember her half birthday.

So anyway it was a thumbs up sort of day as Lupita demonstrates so well.

Even the Captain and Princess Maren got in on the fun.

It was a perfect day. I hope Marissa remembers it as such too. The year she turned double digits. A full decade. All those crazy milestones that seem to have come too fast and furious for her Momma.

But it is so fun to watch her grow up and start to figure out who she is and how she is going to get there. She'll get by with a little help from her friends. And hopefully her Momma too.

But I miss her. She has been gone to visit the Captain's family down in Witchita the last couple days. I dropped her off, told her I loved her, and drove away in my car - dry eyed. A few blocks later, my nose twiched, and my eyes stung, and I had to swallow hard a few times. So much for being a brave Momma. When we were getting her packed, she asked if I was going to miss her. I said of course I would. And she smirked at me a bit and told me this would get me ready for when she leaves for college. GULP.

See you tomorrow Sweet Girl!

Good Hunting!

2010-07-29T23:02:00.003-05:00

We interrupt this regularly scheduled vacation (one more day to go) to present to you - The Jungle Book! Right after we got home from vacation, the Missoula Children's Theatre arrived in town. Marissa and Maren also started swimming lessons that morning at nine and the auditions were at ten. This is when I am thankful for small town living. We barely made the four minute commute - or so the Captain tells me. I had to be back at work myself.

About 60 kids tried out locally and they had parts for 40 or so. Although MCT had been here in summer's past, Maren wasn't old enough and Marissa just wasn't interested. So low and behold, we were pretty thrilled when Marissa got the part of part of Kaa ( the snake) and no that wasn't a typo. She was PART of Kaa as in 1 of 8 kids playing Kaa. But she was the neck of Kaa. The neck holds up the head of Kaa, so this was a major supporting role. ( Do snakes even have necks?) Maren got the part of a monkey. How fitting is that?

The girls and I couldn't be happier with their experience with the MCT. Have you heard of it? I guess they are a nationwide and even an international deal. They travel throughout the country in teams and give the small towns some exposure to the whole theatre experience. Dylan and Amy were great with the kids and the girls came home excited and giggling after each practice. Some of the kids practiced for 5 hours every day for a week. It was amazing what a great show they put on after that short amount of time. Make-up, sets, costumes, songs, and speaking parts - it was the real deal!

So here is Kaa. Even if Marissa hadn't been the neck of Kaa, Kaa would have been one of my favorite characters. They all came winding around and slithered across the stage. Noah (the head of Kaa which Marissa supported) would speak his line and the rest of Kaa's body would repeat it. Very effective and a little creepy. And just darn cute. ( Did I really just say that a snake was cute?)

Kaa taking a little nap...

Kaa listening to Baloo giving his sage advice..

Kaa hanging out with Bagheri...

Interestingly enough, Kaa and the Monkey people have sort of an adversarial relationship. Maybe that's why the girls got the parts they did. The monkeys made fun of Kaa and called him a "yellow nightcrawler" and many times we heard Kaa refer to the monkeys as "nasty creatures". Life has imitated art a few times in the past few days. When the girls aren't getting along they refer to each other with their stage insults. Have to say it is a refreshing change from "Dork" and "Brat."

So here is Maren as a monkey. I didn't get such good shots of her in the actual play since she was on the opposite side of the stage from where I was sitting. They provided some nice photo ops for us proud parents at the end of the show though. There were many proud parents I might add. All the kids did such a great job!

Such a cute little monkey! Anyway, what a fun thing to do for the week! Can't wait until next year... and neither can the girls!

MSP: Day 2

2010-07-23T17:45:00.000-05:00

Friday, we slept in and then went for breakfast at the Salty Tart. This is a story of hometown girl done good. Michelle was one year ahead of me in school. She was always pretty fun, creative and definitely unique. She could pull off all those crazy 80's fashion trends and somehow it would look just right for her - in a good way. Anyway, she became a pastry chef - big time. This past year she was nominated for a James Beard Foundation award, which is the foodie equivalent of an Oscar, pretty much.

I had read a bunch of her reviews (which were all raving , by the way) and I guess I am a bit of skeptic. Could it really be as good as everyone says? Oh My. Yes it was. I had a chocolate chunk scone. The Captain had some sort of raspberry butter tart. The girls had a passionfruit filled cupcake and chocolate chip cookies. And then we went back for more. We bought a baguette to take along to Como Park (our next stop) thinking we would eat it later in the day, but it was seriously gone before we even pulled up to the park. Everything was delish. In some ways it was simple everyday food, but the complex layers of texture and flavor were out of this world. I swear Michelle pulls little pieces of heaven from her ovens.

I am wiping the drool from my computer just thinking of it now. I would have taken more pics, but we ate everything too fast.

After snarfing down that baguette, we though we were energized to hit Como Park Zoo. The energy lasted about 2.2 seconds. It was so hot! I couldn't help but think those animals were just too heavily haired. And polar bears? In 90 plus degree heat? They had to missing their natural habitat. We didn't last too long at the zoo and we won't mention the Princess Maren's blister inducing shoes. Sigh.

So, back to the hotel to regroup. The Captain and Marissa were off to the Twins game and Maren and I were off to IKEA. It was a win win situation.

Speaking of winning, the Twins also won that night against the White Sox. The Captain treated Marissa to the whole experience. The took the train from the hotel to the game downtown. They came home with their souvenier caps. Marissa was pretty certain she had never seen so many people in one single location in her life. I think she was right.

The Captain says the new Target Field is a beautiful stadium. I remember going to pro games when I was groing up. Good memories to be sure. I know it will be a keeper for both the Captain and Sweet Marissa both. I have good memories of IKEA too. : )

MSP: Day 1

2010-07-21T22:40:00.002-05:00

Being a pilot wife I have to put up with airport codes and aviation abbreviation interpretation or AAI (made that up). The Captain leaves me his schedule tacked to the fridge and I have to figure out the code before I know where he is on overnight. I just wait for him to call that night and he lets me know where he ended up. I can't keep track. Then again I work in the medical field, where we too have our share of abbreviations. Conversations regarding our workdays can get somewhat muddled.

Anyway, what I was getting at was MSP is Minneapolis/St. Paul. And that is where we went on a little mini vacation this past week. The girls had a small taste of MOA (Mall of America) and NU (Nickolodean Universe) last year when we flew out of MSP to go to RSW (Fort Myers, FL) and on to Captiva Island. They have been begging to go back ever since. So being the endlessly accomodating parents that we seem to be these days, (slight note of sarcasm - but it is birthday month after all) and wanting to stay relatively close to home to help out with Dad if needed, we complied.

Honestly, I am not a big lover of theme parks. I can handle a mild roller coaster or two, but the circles and the up and down along with the circles give me the queasies real quick like. But, I have to give credit to whomever designed NU. They crammed a large amount of entertainment into relatively low square footage. It is indoors, air-conditioned, but has a glass ceiling so you don't feel all closed in and the lighting is great. See?

These were taken on the Ferris wheel, aka, EL CIRCULO DEL CIELO. I can handle el Circulo Del Cielo with Dora y Boots. Puke Factor: 0 (on a 0-5 scale. 0=no puke 5=highly likely and almost guaranteed)

This is JIMMY NUETRON'S ATOMIC COLLIDER. Puke Factor: 3.5 I did not ride this ride. EVER.

This is the SPLAT-O-SPHERE. Puke Factor 3. Princess Maren survived it. The funniest part was that every time it dropped M&M would scream at about the exact same decible level for about 3 seconds or so and then stop at the exact same time when the ride would go up again.

The sound your puke would make when hitting the MOA floor.

Your good old log ride. The girls hit this one three times in a row. Once with Dad and the the other two by themselves. Puke factor: about a 1. Puke factor after eating Qdoba rises to about a 3, so I passed.

If you think NU is just for the kiddos, think again and go find the Avatar Airbender and Sponge Bob's Rock Bottom Plunge. The puke factor is off the charts in my book. Only the Captain was brave enough to do the

Rock Bottom plunge. He is a pilot and it's required of him, but he screamed like a little girl the whole ride.

Sweet Marissa gave into her Daddy's pressure and rode the Airbender with him. It is this giant skateboard with two circular platforms that have four seats strapped to it so the platforms spin independently while this giant skateboard drops into a stationary halfpipe dug into the MOA floor. My puke factor rose just watching people get on it, let alone my firstborn and my daredevil hubby.

Sweet Marissa looked positively pale after getting off this ride. Bless her little NU lovin' heart.

Believe me, we rode a whole lot more rides, multiple times over. If you go after 5 pm the unlimited ride wrist band is $20.00. We happened to go on a weekday night and the lines were short and many times the girls could hop off the ride they were on and jump right back on again. If we needed a little break, Legoland and the American Girl store were right there for the perusing. It was great fun. Bet you can hardly wait for MSP Day 2.

Because I'm Not Brave Like Baloney...

2010-07-09T21:29:00.002-05:00

Maren wanted some sort of rodent like creature for her birthday. Or a fish. Like, the real things. We have a dog and I feel that is sufficient in meeting the domestic animal quota. I don't DO rodents. Fish? Well, fish are pretty harmless, but are they worth the effort? Then they die and then you flush.

Maybe I have been damaged in my youth. My mom did let us have hamsters, gerbils, and we did have a couple fish, one of which we believe was eaten alive by my cousin Randy. We also had any sort of abandoned animal on our farm place - little runt pigs and calves that needed to be bottle fed - cats, dogs, even a baby doe Dad rescued out of the field one spring. And then there were the lambs, Sparkle and Jewel, that mom brought home from the salebarn where she ran the lunch counter. Nobody wanted them and they were so pathetic - so we actually housed them in our basement for a month or so. Ewww. (or should I say ewe - HA)

Inevitably with all those animals - there were deaths. We had a two rows of honeysuckle bushes in the middle of which was our own little Pet Cemetary. Stephen King had nothing on us.

But mice, mice I can no longer tolerate, unlike Baloney who is truly a great mom. So we caved to the annoying kid-targeted marketing and bought Maren the start of the endless Zhu-Zhu Pet dynasty. Gotta admit they are sort of cute.

They are acutally a bit too life like at times. They scurry like mice. Especially on the hardwoods. And they make mice-like sounds. Except when it crows like a rooster. I have no idea why.

So I can do zhu-zhu. Although I have done my share of double takes as it scurries across our floor. Maren is quite pleased too. She has made a nice little home for her in her bedside table; ripped up paper towels, water bowl, pet rock, exercise wheel. Miss Zhu-Zhu's got it made.

What kills me is the shish kebab skewer locking the doors. That's my girl.

6 on the 4th!

2010-07-05T10:38:00.001-05:00

We had some serious celebrating to do yesterday. Our sparkly firecracker baby turned six. Yes. Yes. I know. I can hardly call her a baby anymore. But she's MY baby.

We brought a birthday lunch over to my folks. Slop-sloppy joes (or taverns as we call them here in IA), chips, fresh fruit, veggies and dip, cupcakes, brownies and great day in the morning - homemade ice cream. Love that homemade ice cream. Opened her gifts. ZHU-ZHU pet, LIV dolls, (plural) flip flops, (too big or not too big with a large discussion on the pros and cons of flip flops to follow) new sparkly markers (how apropos) and a journal, books, and cold hard cash from Grandma GiGi. Life is remarkably good at six. Here she is making her wish and checking it twice.

The birthday girl and her big sister spent the afternoon playing with the plural LIV dolls. Princess Maren was in heaven. Sometimes it takes a little cajoling, bargaining and frank manipulation to get her preteen sister Marissa to play with her these days. Yesterday was not one of those days. Who knows, maybe six year old birthday wishes do come true?

Then off on a family bike ride to Mr. Movies. We picked out Alice in Wonderland - the new version - with a little trepidation on my part. Tim Burton is just so out there. But the newly bonded LIV girls prevailed. And yes it was weird - very weird - but charmingly so. At one point in the movie I asked Maren if it was too scary and she said "Yes - but I love it!" and she snuggled in a little closer. A momma can't argue too much with that.

We hemmed and hawed about going up to the lakes for the fireworks, but since we can go local tonight, the drive and the crowds and the logistics just seemed too daunting. Have to say we enjoyed our low key day and Miss Maren confirmed that "it was the best birthday ever". Happy Birthday Maren!! Love you so!

Who Knew?

2010-06-24T22:12:00.000-05:00

This past May I took an online photography course with Angie Seaman. If any of you may recall, May was downright chaotic 'round these parts. So what do I do? Throw a photography course with homework assignments into the mix. Duh, me. I was worried that I would not be able to do it justice or get my money's worth since you sort of get out it what you put into it. As with most things.

So did I get my money's worth? You betcha! I had honestly made a valiant effort to read through the owner's manual when we got our camera. I got very little out of it. It read like Mandarin Chinese or something like that. ISO? White Balance? Exposure Compensation? What in the world? So I just left the camera in auto mode and prayed for some lucky shots with decent exposure.

But, I also wanted to get my money's worth out of our camera. I paid for some bells and whistles, by gump, so I needed to learn how to use them. ( this post has taken on a real Sara Palin-ish tone, eh?) After taking Angie's course I could actually decipher my manual and apply it to certain shooting situations. One thing that had me a bit confounded was setting a custom white balance to get the most out of a weird lighting situation. I read the tutorial. I read the manual. Multiple times - and just couldn't seem to figure it out. Then in the middle of our Olive Garden anniversary dinner with our children (should children be allowed at anniversary dinners? Whole other post entirely.) it came to me.

So here's the funky before. The Olive Garden had some strange orange light going on that night. The setting sun, the reflection of the marinara sauce, who knows? But no matter how much I changed my manual settings, the above picture of our children who should or should not have come along to our anniversary meal was about as good as I could get.

The tutorial said to take a picute of a napkin, kleenex, white card to get your custom settings. This happens to be the napkin that the numerous breadsticks we consumed were wrapped in. Lovely, right? I'll be sure to copyright it. I call it The Greasy Breadstick Napkin.

Then go to the menu on the camera, find custom white balance - select - and it politely asks do you want to use this picture to set your white balance and you say ~~you betcha~~ yes and then you're all ready to take your next shot. Which was this:

What a difference, huh? Now if you are going for mood and want to keep the marinara lighting effect - well not sure how that works. But look, it even works on MadFish.

MadFish Before.

MadFish After.

Who knew? Technology completely baffles me, but I sure like what it can do. If I can figure it out. I learned lots of other nifty things in Angie's class so if you are looking for something that you can work into your schedule - even such a schedule as my May was - I would highly recommend it.

Where Am I?

2010-06-23T23:28:00.002-05:00

For a minute - well, make that about 30 - last night, I thought I was back in Tulsa. We had one doozie of a storm. I have always said that storms up here in Iowa are different than what I had experienced in T-town (does that "t" maybe stand for "tornado town"?). They seem a little whimpier up here. A little less violent. Never quite had that intensity that one feels down South. Well, I take that back.

Typically, the weather yesterday was hot and humid and then some. The girls and I went for a bike ride (Hey! I got a new bike - more on that to follow) to the folks and came home just sopping wet with sweat. We're talking a measly 5 blocks here folks and it looked like we had just completed RAGBRAI or something. The evening news warned us about the bad weather to come and in retrospect, they had the time and place pretty much nailed.

So, about 10:30 or so the far off rumblings of thunder seemed to build. I brought Maren to the basement to sleep down there with Marissa. By 11:30 they had called the first tornado warning for our area, but it was east of here by a ways, so figured we were good on that one, but you could definitely feel the intensity of this storm. It was non-stop cloud to ground lightning followed by quick and noisy cracks of thunder in succession. I told the girls we could stay in Marissa's room unless the sirens went off or we heard the "train" coming. I added this last bit jokingly to lighten the mood for both them and myself. No sooner had those words been breathed from my lips than the sirens started. I think I may have scarred them for life - if you went by the looks on their faces.

Off to the bathroom with the brick enclosed shower we went. We sat on the floor with the lights flickering and our ears pitched for the train. We prayed. Fervently. Marissa actually suggested this. I had been praying in my head all evening, but this was a good reminder for me to not only pray for my children, but with them. I hate storms when the Captain is gone and tend to get a little uptight in time such as these. Not long after this the storm seemed to lose some of its oomph, but not before pouring out 5 inches of rain in those same thirty minutes I mentioned above. Today at the hospital I heard they had a funnel cloud spotted just west between here and the next small town over, making good time, aim, and effort to hit the OC.

I'd like to think it was our fervent prayers that changed the course of this storm. Some may say, maybe. Some, maybe not. Some may say well, it was just a little storm, but these things do happen. Just ask Mrs. E or the people of Parkersburg, Iowa.

Parkersburg, Iowa EF5 tornado 5-25-2008

To me, it was a remarkable lesson in His faithfulness, protection and care, both for me and the girls. I hope they remember that and not what a basketcase their momma was. So along with your flashlight, your battery powered radio, your bottled water or whatever you need for your tornado preparedness kit, add a little fervent prayer - preferably by a nine and five year old. It's a powerful thing.

Bittersweet

2010-06-21T00:04:00.002-05:00

I tried to write a Hallmark type of Father's Day post, but just wasn't feeling it. It seems a little bittersweet this year.

Here's the sweet. I am so grateful for a wonderful husband who also happens to be a wonderful Daddy too. Although he is gone a lot, the Captain does his best to make up for that when he gets home. The girls love their Daddy time and it's always fun to see the joy on their faces when his pickup hits the driveway.

Here's some more sweet. My older brother Don and his wife are expecting in October. This week, they found out they were having a BOY. And guess what? The plan is to name him Bennet James. Bennet for our Dad and James for Michelle's Dad. I can hardly type that without tearing up a little. It will be good to have another
Bennet in this world. Dad thinks so too. It has put a smile on my Dad's face and he has had some really good days this week. It's been fun watching my brothers become Dads themselves. They do a great job! I would post a picture of Nate, but he was dressing like a golf pro and wearing a white belt, so I couldn't bring myself to do it.

The bitter pill to swallow is seeing my Dad where he is at right now. If I made a circle with my thumbs and my middle fingers, this would easily encompass the circumference of his thigh - with room to spare. He tried so hard to be a part of the goings on of celebrating Father's Day but it all seemed to be way too much for him.

I do know that good fathering gets passed down. I see it in the Captain with our girls. And in watching my brothers with their kids, I see echoes of the Father dad was for us. When Nate tickles his boys to the point of bladder rupture, it reminds me of our Sundays after church, when it was an all star wrestling free for all. When Don gives Lizzie sloppy kisses in her neck that she pretends to hate, it is all too reminescent of what my Dad used to do to me. He has taught us all so much. For that and all the above, we will always be grateful. Happy Father's Day Dad!

Something for Nada(s)

2010-06-15T12:16:00.001-05:00

We got to see the Nadas here in the OC on Saturday. They have always had a reputation as a good local band - if you can call Des Moines local in respect to the OC. They were great. Entertaining. Funny. Maybe even cool. Love this song. I heard it once and it has stayed in my head for the past week or so. I think the Nadas might be on to something. They might be going places. Yay for them, but I think I might like to keep them to my little old Iowa self. Enjoy!

13!

2010-06-14T18:54:00.000-05:00

Do you know what today is?

FLAG DAY!

Do you know what else today is?

It is The Captain and I's 13th Anniversary! Happy Anniversary Baby, I've got you on my miiii-hind! ( name that that tune and the artist in five seconds) So he's on my mind, and that 's about it. He unfortunately had to work today. I am wondering if we can acutally count all 13 years since he has been on the road for about half of them. Oh well, it's the life of a pilot wife for sure.

He is always ready to pose for the camera and give me a silly grin. Always ready to be the horse that takes Miss Maren to the bathtub when he is home. Always ready to let Marissa kick his butt in Super Mario Brothers. Always ready to let me drive off to Walmart to clear my mind after a long week at home. Love you Honey! Wish you were here!

Mad Fish

2010-06-13T23:00:00.000-05:00

We have a tween in the house. Sweet Marissa is suspended in that awkward position of not being a child, but still not yet a teen. She will hit double digits this July so we have a few awkward years to go. It is at times perplexing, sometimes trying, and sometimes quite charming. As in the case of Mad Fish.

Sweet Marissa and Abby enjoy playing Barbies. Yet, I think they feel a little uncomfortable with that. Like they shouldn't like to play with them, you know, too cool for that. Or something. So instead of calling them Barbies (they hate the name Barbie) they call them "Mad Fish". I would ask Marissa what she did over at Abbie's that day and she would tell me they played "Mad Fish". Say what? Then she would would patiently explain that they played Barbies - like duh mom. Why Mad Fish?

Because if you squish their face like this

they look mad.

And if you squish their face like this

they look like a fish.

Mad Fish. Makes perfect sense to me. Makes just about as much sense as those weird pre-teen years (or the fact that I am taking pictures of Barbies and posting them on my blog). I am glad they are using their imaginations and mixing in a little humor to go along with it. Mad Fish. You heard it here first.

Sleep Interrupted

2010-06-05T22:14:00.003-05:00

Sweet Marissa has transitioned nicely into her new and improved basement bedroom. Princess Maren - not so much. Granted, I have probably been a little lenient on the sleeping situation when the Captain is gone. Who wants try to reason with a five year old in the wee hours of the morning? Five year olds with bed head dragging their bunny down the hallway and smelling of sleep can be hard to resist. So I give in. You would too. Trust me on this.

And granted, we have been having a few storms in the late evening hours - right about bedtime. Princess Maren does not like storms. She doesn't get this from a stranger. When I was her age (and much older I might add) I would be on the couch right outside the door of my parents room faster than you could say lightning. I take pity on her. If it is storming she may gladly sleep with me. I welcome the company, what can I say? We can whimper togther.

The thing is she is a cuddler. And she snores a little. And she has the nerve to insult me while sleeping in MY bed. "Mom - the hair on your legs is really sharp." Hmm, maybe I would have the inclination and motivation to shave them if I actually got a full nights sleep. Sigh. And so it goes, another nights sleep interrupted.

Then I remember a story my BSF leader told us about her husband and their daughter. Every night without fail, their daughter would come to their room and ask for a drink of water. And every night without fail her husband would get up out of bed and patiently get it for her. She suggested putting a glass at the bedside, giving their daughter a drink before bed, and so forth. Her husband wisely said he didn't mind because one day down the road she wouldn't need one anymore. And he was right.

So I'll just put up with the sleep deprivation, the snoring, the insults, waking up next to a bunny that has been drug across its share of dusty floors, because someday she will decide she is just fine on her own.

School is Out! Summer is In!

2010-05-28T22:40:00.000-05:00

The girls had their last day of school today and so were out a little early. They had a long hot afternoon and a longer hotter summer with endless possibilites streteched out in front of them. So what could be better than spending it under the sprinkler? Better watch out Summertime - here we come!

Now, do you think I could talk my boss into letting me have the next three months off? Sounds good to me!!

The Sunset Hour

2010-05-26T23:12:00.000-05:00

I can appreciate a good sunset. Is there such thing as a bad one? Granted, some days we don't see them as well as on others, but somewhere, sometime, someone in the world has to be enjoying a good sunset. We have our share of them here in Iowa. Not much to obstruct the view. It is relatively easy and rather tempting to think you could just keep on driving west until you fall right into it.

The thing I find utterly amazing about sunsets is that it is not a singular event. Just when you think it is the prettiest one you have ever seen, the colors change and tweak a bit in a matter of minutes. You change your mind, reconsider and think again, now, this has to be the best one ever. It's like God is letting you know that He will not be outdone and He's got much more where that came from.

We are more than likely experiencing the sunset hour of my Dad's life. There are beautiful moments. There are changeable moments. There are times when we dread the dark night to come. But in all this, I feel there is a gift - much like a sunset. We have had our chances to tell him we love him, to thank him for a job well done. I think we have come to a place where we are not rearranging deck chairs on a ship that is going down, but we have circled them up and decided to sit back and enjoy the view. What a beautiful sunset it is...

And in all this we know that God's love and provision for us in this matter will not be outdone. For Dad, and for us all, there is so much more where that came from.

Before You Know It...

2010-05-25T22:59:00.000-05:00

...a whole year of Kindergarten is complete.

...she no longer has breck-tuss and goes to "pretty school"...

...she knows how to both say them and spell them too...

...her teacher is her hero...

...twelve years will fly by....

...before you know it.

Stick a Fork in Me....

2010-05-17T23:34:00.005-05:00

...I'm done. Granted, this is a little saying borrowed from PW, but I cannot think of any other sentiment that would adequately describe my current state of being. And if you actually did stick said fork in me, I probably wouldn't bother to protest much. Maybe a small squeal, a slight quiver of the affected extremity and then I would again lie dormant in my doneness.

Oh, enough with the drama. Somewhere back in the early part of May, that feeling of having it all together that I somewhat tentatively grasp, began to unravel, and it has been rolling downhill ever since. I have had plenty to blog about, but just not the time or inclination to get it out there. I wanted to blog about my Mom's birthday (May 2), Mother's Day, Maren's soccer games, Marissa's viola recital, Marissa's fantabulous room redo, my 5K training (or lack thereof) and the Tulip Festival. And maybe on the down side, the fact that my dad was once again in the hospital. That journey has been harder than expected. Someday I will write about that again, but not today.

On a lighter note, I think I will just cover all the above in one fell swoop. So bear with me.

Mom's Birthday. Mom turned another year older on May 2. She spent a large portion of the day assaulted by the clamor and noise of her 8 grandchildren. She wouldn't have it any other way. All her grandchildren complain about her wet, sloppy kisses, but they always seem to come back for more. Even Jackson. Lizzie is too young to know better and therefore carries the brunt of mom's affections, as you can see here.

Lizzie doesn't really mind at all. Mom loves all her grandchildren full well. I think the feeling is mutual. Happy Birthday Mom!

Which brings me to Mother's Day. My heroes have always been Mothers. The Captain and I have been blessed to come from good mothering stock. I had a wonderful day myself. The Captain was gone, but he had coached the M's quite well. I asked Maren if she was going to feed me breakfast in bed, and she went and got me a Dt. Dr. Pepper. Good girl. I love being a mom. So does my sister-in-law Michelle. This pictures speaks Mother's Day to me.

Being a Mom means attending soccer games. Even in bitterly cold "Spring" weather. I almost wished for a Snuggie. Then I stopped. I will not give in to the Snuggie. I will prevail. Anyhoo, this was Princess Maren's first year of soccer. She seemed a little more interested in doing cartwheels on the sidelines or playing with her new soccer friend than actually chasing that silly soccer ball around. She actually scored a goal. Much to her surprise. What can I say, she loves being a princess.

Moms also go to recitals. Sweet Marissa had her first viola recital. And in the words she loves so well - she rocked! So proud of her!

Moms also have to step back and let their babies grow up a bit. Sweet Marissa recently decided that she needed her own room. Some privacy. A place to call her own. So we did some renovating in the basement guest room. Here's the before and what Marissa thought of it.

Here's our after:

And Marissa helped. Helped paint. Picked colors. Made a cute little bulletin board insert for the back of her bookcase. She did good.

Yes, she still tolerates a visit from the Princess Maren every now and then.

Moms occasionally try to end their lives prematurely by ~~running~~ participating in a 5K Run that they may or may not have adequately trained for. I got a little off track with my C25K training program with Dad in the hospital and a little brush with the start of pneumonia this late winter/early Spring. I had to do a little walking to get 'er done. But regardless, I did it! I am proud of me. Next goal: complete a 5Kwithout walking. Notice no pictures here. The IA Pilot Wife wogging just ain't pretty.

And at long last we come to the Tulip Festival. We were happy to have the Captain's fam come to visit all the way from Wichita, KS, again this year. Had a good time. Lots of laughs, lots of food, and maybe one too many parades. : )

The local yokels like to compare Tulip Festival battle scars. Goes something like this.

We did Ride Night, 4 parades (afternoon and evening), street scrubbing in authentic Dutch costumes, saw the Dutch Dozen, the Night Show, ran the 5K and hit the Pancake Fly-In Breakfast.

Well, we'll raise you 6 parades, Jr. Dutch Dance times 4, float riding, one trolley ride, the Quilt Show, worked the poffertje stand,watched fireworks and the Night show, did Vande Fear AND we even made it to the Community church service on Sunday morning.

Phew! Nothing speaks to our fine Dutch heritage like martyrdom.

So I will leave you with some shots of the Tulip Festival. I feel much better. I feel caught up. I feel like I can go on. To Kindergarten graduation, summer rec registration, last day of school.... ahhh guess I'm not quite done yet.

Ok. Now, I'm done.

Perfect Pairings Phillipians 1:6

2010-05-02T14:57:00.001-05:00

Philippians 1:6

6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

Baloney has some more Perfect Parings going on her ' hood. Go ahead and check them out and feel free to add your own!

Just a Swingin'

2010-04-30T23:01:00.000-05:00

It has been wonderful weather to be a girl on a swing. We are up to our eyeballs in Spring. The Captain has the lawn looking pretty spiffy. I found a cute little table at the thrift store that we can use to eat out on our deck. Sweet Marissa continues to do her own sort of swinging. Now I am fearing for my neighbors windows. She hit one across the street into their bushes the other day. Will our homeowners insurance cover that? I thoroughly love Spring. And what better way to spend some Spring than on a swing? Princess Maren's got the right idea.

Way to cut off her head, Mom. But I like her expression.

I've heard of bed head, but would this be called "swing head"?

It's hard to take a picture of a girl on swing.

She almost kicked me in the head on this one. She thought that was pretty funny.

It might be hard, but I think it is well worth any effort it might take. Happy Spring!

Phenorkie

2010-04-29T09:29:00.000-05:00

Caught Carol Burnett on the Bonnie Hunt show the other day at Dad's. They showed many outtakes and skits from The Carol Burnett Show. I have not laughed so hard in weeks. I think Carol Burnett is a pretty classy lady. Here is one of my favorite clips.

Don't know what is funnier, the whole phenorkie thing, the bulging eyeballs, Dick Van Dyke nearly peeing in his pants at the end of the couch or the fact that Vicki Lawrence had the last word. Enjoy!

Tiptoeing Through Tulips

2010-04-26T21:59:00.003-05:00

Just lookie what we have here! Our tulips came up! Princess Maren has been keeping a close eye on things since oh, early March. (or whenever it was that our two feet of snow melted) She was worried. It had been a mighty long time since we planted those tulips. It was an awfully long winter.

Then one day we saw this:

Great day in the morning! They were all peeking their little heads out of the dirt, just looking for their place in the sun. Maren and I did the dance right then and there. She did the "tulips are coming up dance" and I did the "I'm not a complete gardenening failure dance".

We checked on them daily (sometimes more than daily) and a few weeks later we had this.

They look pretty happy in that good old Iowa black dirt, don't they? We did another small dance. And now we have this:

Pretty maids all in a row.

Speaking of pretty maids, here's my little color coordinator now.

So, all should be well in good in our little tulip growing world. But it isn't. See here in NW Iowa, we have this small event known as the Tulip Festival the third week of May. Not only are our tulips beautifully blooming, so are every one else's in town. Locally, tulip growing and the timing of their full bloom is a serious business. Much thought, preparation, and planning go into the activity. Last year we were dead-on. This year not so much. I think we are well on our way to having a "Stem Festival".

Oh well! There's always next year! We're just going to enjoy them while we can!

Perfect Pairings - Luke 12:27-28

2010-04-25T03:58:00.000-05:00

Luke12:27-28

27 “Look at the lilies and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his
glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. 28 And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?

Thwack!

2010-04-21T23:36:00.000-05:00

Sweet Marissa has baseball (softball) fever. This is sort of a new development. She has played softball before. Last year she wanted nothing to do with it and tried her hand at tennis instead. Now we are full on softball mode. I think it must be the weather we are having. It begs for a ball to be thwacked. And loudly.

She is strong and if she makes that sweet spot connection, I start to fear for my windows. Is that covered by our homeowners insurance? Oh well. I think it is great that she has this current obsession. It is fun watching her. Wanna see?

Looks pretty happy right? We were at mom and dad's when this shot was taken. Note we have combined the sports of tennis and baseball. Bennis anyone?

She takes her hitting quite seriously.

Keep your eye on the ball, Honey!

That a girl! I personally think she has some unresolved anger issues. But what exactly does a nine year old have to be angry about?

Take THAT! Why does mom always make me clean the basement?

and THAT... Why does my dog smell like such a...such a.... dog?

and THAT! Why did I inherit my mom's pasty white leg gene!

Whatever it is, Maren ain't sticking around. She might be next on the list.

I might have to get out there and hit me some balls myself. Vent a little. Take out some frustration. But my legs are too pasty. I don't want to scare anyone and I am vastly entertained by all the above.

And it's outta here! And so am I... gonna go find me a bat.

Good People

2010-04-20T06:47:00.000-05:00

The Ladies over at the RHOK posed this question on their McLinky Monday. Where were you on April 19, 1995? Now I realize I am a day late and a dollar short (I am always a dollar short - so nothing new there) but it has been on my mind, and I can't seem to sleep anymore this morning, so thought I would play along.

I was actually in Oklahoma when the bombing took place. I had just started a new job as an ICU nurse at St. John's Medical Center in Tulsa, and we were in one of our orientation classes. We had been on break and when we reconvened, our instructor came in to the the room, visibly upset. Wide-eyed and hands shaking, she gave us the few dreadful details and told us class may be postponed if they needed volunteer medical personnel to head down to Oklahoma City. I don't remember much of the rest of that class, even though we did finish it. We would all head to the nearest TV on the rest of our breaks and were stunned and horrified by what we saw. We would only be more appalled in the coming days when the gory details unfolded as well.

Having moved to Tulsa from small town Iowa only two years prior, I just remember this overwhelming need to help. And so did everyone else in Oklahoma. It was amazing to see how Oklahomans would come together in the coming weeks, months and years and respond to this tragedy. They are a resilient and stubborn group (hey I can say that, I am married to one of them) in the best sense of the word. They are good people.

I am an Iowa farm girl at heart, but I will always think of Oklahoma as my second home. So many good things happened there in my life. I landed my first real honest to goodness nursing job. I met the boy I wanted to love forever. I had our first sweet baby at the "Pink Palace". I did a lot of growing up from age 22 to 30 where the winds come sweeping down the plains.

The evil that was Timothy McVeigh is hard to fathom. You can't predict it. Can't detect it on a radar. There are no warnings or sirens. After weathering the storm, you come out of the celler to the sun shining and start to pick up the pieces. With faith and hope, that is what Oklahoma has done so well.

Seventy Two

2010-04-18T21:27:00.000-05:00

It's my Dad's birthday today. Seventy-two. We are chalking this one up as an accomplishment of the best sort since there were many times this fall and winter when we just weren't sure he would be celebrating another one.

He has done remarkably well since being home. Thank goodness for $150 a day drugs like Zyvox. So far, he has not had any more bouts with the infection in and around his liver and gallbladder and we can only hope that this drug was and is strong enough to get it out of his system. All his liver enzymes and blood counts have been normal, if not better than they were when he was first hospitalized this fall. It really is amazing. Praise God!

Dad spends a lot of time in his wheelchair now. It seems like his sense of balance is way off, yet he is strong enough to transfer easily from wheelchair to lift chair or to bed or whatever. The wheelchair seems to be giving him back some of his independence in a weird way. He can get to the kitchen fairly easy and the other day I even caught him folding laundry. Better stop that Dad or I will parentnap you and take you over to my house.

My brothers, my aunts, some family friends and I have been taking turns helping Dad with his meals while mom is at work. So on Tuesdays and Thursdays, Dad and I have a "lunch date". We don't always have a lot to say. I usually read him a few snippets from the paper, we discuss the weather, and watch a little Family Feud. We watched all the hype during the week of the Masters until we were both up to our eyeballs in Tiger Woods. (Yay Phil!) Then we eat and clean up and usually he takes a nap in his room and I take a little snooze on the couch. Last Thursday I hung a new chandelier for mom in the dining room and he helped me get the ceiling fan down. It's a lot easier handing the parts to someone rather than having to climb up and down all by yourself. We felt like we actually got something accomplished that day, but it's good to be lazy too. I enjoy spending time with him and will always treasure these simple little things we do together.

I would like to tell you I would have taken the time to do this for my parents whether they needed me to or not. I'm not sure I would have. My intentions would have been good. My heart would be in the right place, all that stuff. It's not that I don't care about and love my parents, because I most definitely do. Seems like the busyness in our lives just gets in the way of the things that are most important. Like family. Like watching golf with your dad. Like celebrating seventy-second birthdays. Like seeing your kids snuggled into your Dad's lap. It's all good. Love you Dad. See you Tuesday.

Spring Break (sorta?)

2010-04-16T20:58:00.004-05:00

We had just a teeny tiny Spring Break this year, so looking at our teeny tiny bank account and our teeny tiny amount of free time in our schedule we decided to make a teeny tiny trip up to the teeny tiny Iowa Great Lakes.

My brother and his wife have a trailer at the lakes which are about a good hour's drive north and mostly east of here. Understand that the term "lake" is used loosely here. I am not even sure how the term "great" even applies if you are talking size. They are more like small water features in the grander scope of things. Now, if you are talking fun, well, that I can understand. Anyhow, Don and Michelle let us use the trailer for the weekend - bless their soon to be new parents again hearts - and great fun did ensue. Oh, and sorry we drank all your frozen margaritas and rum.

There were trails to navigate,

waters (might I add mighty cold waters) to wade,

leeches to kill,

and castles to build.

It really doesn't take much to entertain us. We played a little softball and tried to catch some fish too, but not too much luck with the latter. It was so nice to get away for a bit. No piles of laundry, no gutters to clean or windows to wash. And we got to hang out together as a family. This can be a rare occurence at our place so it always seems to be more special when it actually happens.

Speaking of entertainment, the Captain is entertained by trying to take pictures of me while I am not looking. I hate having my picture taken and he knows this, but he does it anyway. We'll name this one Honey, I Forgot my Sunglasses but not my Dt. Dr. Pepper.

We'll call this one Honey, I Still Forgot My Sunglasses and Now Would You Put Down that Camera.

Oh well, guess I have exploited him on this blog with some less than desirable shots of him in the past.

Whoa! Would you check out that luminous glow on my girls' legs? They put the pasty in white, let me tell you. That's what a long cold Iowa winter can do. Dreadful.

But Spring is coming. Give this shot a good month or two and it will be nothing but lush and green and full of enough ticks to suck you dry. Just saying.

There will be a boat in every slip and the dock will be too hot to walk on barefoot - nevermind the splinters. Can't wait! I am good and ready for some summer. How 'bout you?

Spring Randomness

2010-04-07T21:15:00.001-05:00

It's starting to feel a little bit like Spring around here. Finally. I LOVE it! Have had lots to do and lots to see over the past week or so.

By Jove, she's got it! After a little run-in with the church parking lot last summer, Princess Maren has been avidly avoiding the whole "no training wheels" thing, stating she would wait until she was six. I figured what's the use, this child has a will bigger than the ocean, so we might as well not push her. Daddy came home last Saturday and sweet talked her into it. So here she is...

Coming....

and going....

...and the crowd goes wild. Ahhhhhh!

Of course we had Easter this past weekend. An early Easter in Iowa is not always a good thing, but it turned out to be a beautiful day. We had some prep work to do though. The Captain was home for the dyeing of the eggs. Always a smashingly good time.

That's right, she's Daddy's girl in the sweetest way.

Christ IS risen. He is risen INDEED. How amazing and how grateful I am for that cross.

Makes me feel like doing this.

Love you Sweetie! And Happy Easter to you too!

Oh and by the way, my Dad is doing just great! Amazingly great! Here he is holding Lizzie.

Did you figure out what her shirt says? That's right! I am going to be an auntie again! I am about as blessed as a girl can stand! Hope you had a wonderful Easter with you and yours!