A Whole Week!

Yesterday my inlaws took the 2 littles with them to WV. They are staying until Wednesday. Then my mom is going to get them and keep them until we arrive at her house Saturday.

I didn't know whether to jump for joy...cry...or vomit.

I SO need some "me time" after all this snow. Oh the scrapping I can do...

But I miss my littles.

Saying Goodbye

Yesterday while Cutie was in speech therapy, Wild Child and I took Little Ricky {Lucy and Desi's first baby} to the pet store. With the new baby {Pam} the cage was a little crowded.

The kids were fine with it...I, however, kept looking over at the container in the passenger seat. I felt like we were taking a family member and leaving him with strangers. I teared up...

Wild Child carried him inside. We talked to one employee and she acted like she had no clue why we were there with our guinea pig. Then another comes out and she was the one I had talked to on the phone. She took Little Ricky out of the container and said, "Of course he would be black." {They already had all black ones.} Then she hands me the container and walks away. Not even a "thank you."

How rude.

We watched for a few minutes. Little Ricky rubbed noses with all the other pigs and then checked out the 3 rabbits. He seemed very happy with all the room to run around. I think I even saw him kick up his little guinea pig heels.

I hope he gets a happy home.

Home...Let's Do it!

We had some rain the last couple days and it made fog come up from the snow. It was very pretty.

Today is sunny with pretty blue skies and fluffy white clouds! I feel good.

After playing around with the idea of buying a home in town we have finally decided what we are going to do...

We are going to do a remodel of our home on the farm!!! I am really excited about this now.

When we purchased the farm we knew that the house was not our dream home...the gorgeous land was a dream! We have been saving and planning and dreaming and almost giving up...then dreaming again...for the last few years.

Here are a few of our plans...

*Build 3 car garage

*Turn current 1 car garage into family room with stone fireplace

*Put wider doorway from kitchen to family room

*Turn current family room into a guest bedroom and entryway from front door {I've always wanted an entryway where I can have a pretty table and mirror and seasonal decorations that say "welcome to our home."}

*Finish full basement creating a 3rd bathroom...study or "man cave" for Dr. Hubby...fitness area...game room w/ pinball machine, pingpong table, air hockey table, DVD collection, and tv area with game systems.

*New porch posts on both porches

*Stone, brick, vinyl siding for our house and new garage

*landscaping

I am not sure how long all of this will take, but I would love to start ASAP after Vegas next month and finish in time for Manga Dork to have a big sleepover for her 15th birthday in September!

I look forward to sharing this journey with you through photos {and probably a couple posts venting frustration!}

I'm off to watch HGTV!

Are you going to do any remodeling this spring?

It's Fun To Dream!

Dr. Hubby and I love old homes. This is a mansion in the town where his office is located. It was built in the late 1800s and then redone in 1912. It even has a ghost story...or two. The third floor is a ball room. Underneath are tunnels to the courthouse and a couple other buildings, but most have caved in. This would be a dream home!

I would love to see the inside. Do you ever dream of the same location from time to time? A location that you have never been to? I dream of a home about 4-5 times a year for the last several years. The outside of the above home could be the one from my dreams. I spend most of my dream inside so that would really let me know if it was the same.

We are currently playing with the idea of buying a home in town. We could live there during the school year...and then stay on the farm in the summer! It's fun to dream....

What would be your dream home?

Getting Out! Hallelujah!

Yesterday we got out of the house! Woo Hoo! These 2 had not been off the farm for 2 whole weeks! Trust me...you could tell! We went to Cabela's and bought them both life jackets for Wild Child's pool party. They refused to take them off until we were at the register.

The kids enjoyed going around to see the "stuffed animals." I prefer them alive. And to prove how happy we were to get out of the house...I submit the following evidence...

What is making you SMILE this weekend?

You've Never Had It So Random...{Snowed In Edition}

*Today Manga Dork went to school! It was a 2 hour delay, but she went. However, we were both sad. We've been really enjoying our time together.

*March decorations have already made it into our home. Except for the new SPD Longaberger basket I ordered from my SIL. The first thing I have ordered from her since she started selling...and there is a chance I won't get it until March 23...AFTER St. Patrick's Day. She messed up and sent it to her mom's house. Her mom is bringing it the next time she visits the farm. Ummm...have they never heard of USPS?!

*I can't believe Vampire Diaries won't be new until late March AND the show V will be back then too.

*Yesterday Wild Child made snowcastles with her beach bucket. I have been planning our beach trip for July.

*Today's sun makes me happy. I even heard a bird singing!

*Annie Louise digging under the step to catch a mouse. She's such a weird little furbaby.

*Wild Child wants a pool party for her 5th birthday. A pool party in March! I found a local hotel that rents out their pool area...this will be fun!

Hope your day is sunny too!

Tell me something random!

You Might Be A Country Doc If...

Getting to work involves a tractor.

Crying For KFed?!

I've been in the house WAY too long. This snow is driving me nuts! I have been weepy all day. I noticed something was wrong when I started crying for KFed while watching Celebrity Fit Club. I just felt so bad for him. He is so defeated. That poor man!

See...I told you I needed to get OUT!

Vegas Vacation

Exactly one month from today we will be flying to VEGAS! Dr. Hubby has a conference there. We are taking Manga Dork with us and unfortunately Lil Sis can't join us this time...sniffle.

This will be our first trip to Vegas. Our hotel is the Venetian. I want to ride a gondola..and smooch while being serenaded. Ahhh...romance.

Other things we are thinking about...Garth Brooks concert...Cris Angell's Believe...Cirque de Soleil...pirates...day trip to the Grand Canyon...Vegas Stamp store...

Oh yeah! I just found out that David Spade will be performing at our hotel while we are there. VIP seats {$175} AND you get to meet him. I have great luck with comedians...first Joel McHale on Conan while I was in the audience...and now David Spade! Not sure I will go to the show...probably above a PG rating. Maybe I can catch him on the 4 acre pool deck! Think I can get him to sing "Fat Guy In A Little Coat?" I miss Chris Farley.

Any suggestions? {Remember we don't drink or gamble}

He Knows The Way Into My Heart

Does he know me?

Yep.

I was thrilled.

However, he was the one who said to pop in disc one. {grin}

I love him.

Grow Old With Me...The Best Is Yet To Be

Love is the thing that enables a woman to sing while she mops up the floor after her husband has walked across it in his barn boots.--H. Farmer

And the Lord God said, It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helpmate for him. -Gen. 2:18

You know when you have found your prince because you not only have a smile on your face but in your heart.

Happy Valentine's Day!

You Aren't Gonna Want To Hear This {Unless Your Name Is Kristina P}

Dear John,

Your movie took up 2 hours of my life that I can never get back. Yawn.

Scrappy Girl

NOT a Happy Camper

I was at my niece's birthday party last Friday and she opened a gift that was such a neat idea...a electric adding machine and yard sale labels...my niece loves the big yard sale and wants to give "receipts" and price her stuff. I say, "Neat! Who got you that?" My MIL immediately says, "That is from me and FIL, we still have to get Cutie her gift." {add nervous laughing here} Yep, that is right...she told me they could not afford to buy Cutie anything when it was her party {less than one week before niece's party}. AND later I was reading the card on a dozen gorgeous red roses with a balloon attached to them that had been delivered to niece's school...guess who's names were on the card?! From Daddy, Mommy, AND FIL and MIL!!!

I was talking to MIL on Tuesday and mentioned that the little ones needed a change of scenery. She said she would get them the next day after a dr. appt. for FIL. Well, she STILL has not let them come visit.


Last night she dropped something off at our home and whispered and sneaked away so they would not hear her...SHE HAS NOT SEEN THEM FOR A WHOLE WEEK!

She then called 5-6 times begging for Manga Dork to come spend the night...ummm...I don't think so.

AND the cherry on top. Dr. Hubby invited Manga Dork to join us for date night tonight. Boy does that make me feel special. His explanation, "But it's for Valentine's Day." Ummm...that is supposed to be MY argument.

Anyone peed in your cheerios lately? Go ahead...vent...I won't tell!

Answers...It's About Time!

Tauna said...
What am I going to fix for dinner?

Ummm...I hope you figured that out on your own cause it took me several days to get these answered...lol.

Kristina P. said...
Why do you blog?

I started blogging as a distraction from going to the pantry. I am at home ALOT and I tend to eat when I am bored. I soon fell in love with blogging. Now almost 2 years later I blog because I love having a record of our life AND I cherish all the friends I have made in blog world. These friendships have filled a space that needed filling. I also love sharing my photographs.

JennyMac said...
what is your favorite craft?

I love love love scrapbooking. It makes me happy and relieves my stress. I can actually tell when I haven't scrapped for awhile...I am not a happy camper. I enjoy cardmaking, but scrapping my photos makes me happiest.

DesertHen said...
I have two questions for you......If you could have anyone (famous, not famous, etc) over for dinner, who would it be?

My birthparents...boy do I have some questions for them!

What country would you most like to visit?

Ireland.

Unknown Mami said...
The answer is probably already on your blog somewhere, but how did you meet Dr. Hubby?

It is somewhere on my blog...but I am being too lazy to look for it tonight...lol. Long story short...my grandparents took me to their church to meet him. He asked me out. We went out and have been inseperable ever since...well except for the time he broke up with me for one hour.

Creative Mish said...
Who is your favorite Scrapbook paper designer? I love K&Co. and DCWV
How many scrao pages do you average a year. I have never kept count, but I would guess between 75-100 last year. I am hoping to do more this year now that the schoolhouse is done.
How far away from your house is the little old school you use for creating? I live on a hill and it is at the bottom of the hill...probably 1/2 a mile.
How are the girls doing in school this year? Excellent. Very proud of them all.
How is your computer doing? Betting any better after the attack? It is still not completely well. I think Dr. Hubby is going to have to operate...lol. Thank God for Manga Dork's laptop!

Sondra said...
Did you love Vampire Diaries tonight? Poor Damon has quite a few enemies.

I love Vampire Diaries every night it is on! Edward who?

tammy said...
What do you think of The Housewives of the OC this season?

I am sick of all the arguing...Gretchen and Slade together make me want to barf...love that Vicki is treating Don like a human...Poor Lynne...and Alexis drives me nuts when she talks about how hard it is to be a SAHM and then hands her kid to one of her two nannies! I hear the reunion show is gonna be GOOD!

and...Did you have a different opinion of Mormons before you started blogging and met a ton?

Yes. I admire alot about the Mormons I have met online. I don't understand everything and I don't agree with everything, but I find Mormon blogs to be a safe place to visit. I know there won't be inapporpriate language or photos. I love the family oriented lifestyle of the religion. I also enjoy reading quotes from Hinckley and Gordon {I think that is the right names}...lots of wisdom. I joke with Dr. Hubby and say that 8 out of 10 of my bloggy buds are Mormon.

What have I been up to lately?

Friday evening we had a family of Dr. Hubby's cousins come for a visit.



We all attended niece's 11th birthday party. We gave her several small gifts including the book "Dork Diaries." It is written like the books "Diary of a Wimpy Kid." She finished all 283 {I think that is how many she said it had} pages in less than 24 hours.

God blessed us with a gorgeous snowy view from the farm. On Saturday morning we woke to about a foot of snow and no electricity. Luckily the electric came on after only a couple hours of being off.

On Sunday the kids finally ventured out to play....which made the teen look like this {nice hair...heehee} My 2 little ones are so weird when playing in the snow. They play games like...

Squash the dog {Poor Bandit}

Push the Snow With Your Tongue Races

Freeze Your Tongue To The Pole {Obviously she has never seen A Christmas Story}

We watched the Super Bowl on Sunday evening. I had no idea it was old folks night at the half time show...heehee. B.O.R.I.N.G. I was just praying there were no wardrobe malfunctions. Notice there are ZERO photos...I got so excited I forgot to take them. So I have special paper...and NO PHOTOS! Argh.

Here is my latest page...notice the little hand covering my name tag in the lower left corner. LOL!

Have a great week...stay warm...play in the SNOW! I'm gonna ignore the housework...and scrapbook!

Real or Fake?

A fake fan?

Am I a fake Saints fan?

Several people have questioned my...ummmm...what would you call it...intentions?...loyalty? I don't know.

But I do know WHY I am a New Orleans Saints fan.

When we traveled to New Orleans I fell in love...

with the people...their spirit. They are some of the most genuine people I have ever met. They have been to hell and back. You can tell they love their city, but they will also admit that living there is not easy.

with the city...it is such an interesting place. I love the streetcars...the artists performing on the streets...the history...the architecture. Bourbon Street...not so much. I consider that the black eye on the face of a wonderful city to visit.

with the excitement on Saints game day. You should be in NOLA on game day. The people are excited...they have something to feel proud of...something to give them hope for their city. They were 5-0 when we were there. Manga Dork bought all her super fan souveniers...and all of a sudden our family had a new interest.

football.

Ummm...we are not a sports family. I organized the stuff on my cell phone during the Yankees game. B.O.R.I.N.G.

But I found that I LOVE football. So who should be "my team." At one point everyone had to pick "their team." What makes a team "acceptable" for you to pick it? Why is "your team" the one you picked to cheer on?

Did you pick the one from your state? {That's not gonna happen...I may be new but I know BAD when I see it}. Did you pick the one the rest of your family cheers for? Did you pick the team that is having the best season?

I am a Saints fan. I chose them for the energy surrounding them. I felt it while I was there.

I had no idea they would go this far...so you can't say I like them just because they were doing so well. What are the chances they would go from winning just 5 games to playing in their first ever Super Bowl.

I AM a Saints fan...a real one.

How To Throw A Purr-Fect Kitty Party

Saturday we gave Cutie a "Purr-Fect Kitty" party at our community center gym. We decorated with lots of kitties and pinks and purples. I ordered the paper supplies from Oriental Trading.


Cutie was so excited to walk through the door and see her decorations. Her shirt says "Daddy's Purr-Fect Girl" and there is a cat at the bottom of her jeans...I {heart} Gymboree...like you didn't already know that...lol.

Manga Dork REALLY got into the spirit...unfortunately the teen spirit took over and she kept forgetting she was supposed to be helping little kids make beaded "cat collars." I had to jerk a knot in her tail and get her back on track. After the kids made their "collar" we played musical chairs. Between activities the kids had plenty of balls to play with...bouncers...basketballs...volleyballs...etc.

We tried one of the cupcake cakes from Walmart. Dr. Hubby called it the roadkill cake cause the cat looks like it has been run over...what a comedian! We also served neopolitan ice cream and goldfish crackers.

After we filled the kids with sugar we figured it would be a great time to blindfold them and put a large stick in their hands...lol. How does a redneck hang a pinata? See above photo.

Each kid got a couple turns and then we let the bigger kids take a whack without the blindfold. That kitty was tough!

When it finally broke the kids scrambled with their bags for all the toys and candy.

Then it was present time. Cutie was SO funny. She would open a present...pretend to read the card {upside down}...then she would hand it to me and say "Another present." Her little thank you's were adorable too. She is just one of those kids that is so cute you could "eat" them...trust me...I didn't nickname her Cutie for nothing.

Someone cleverly added a package of M&Ms so she would like their present best. She said, "Yum...candy...I love candy."

Before each kid left they got to pick a kitty to adopt. They decided if it was a boy or girl {pink or blue ribbon} and I added a tag for the name.

They also got a marshmallow kitty.

It was a great party. My feet and back were killing me. I sprained my ankle on Thursday evening and limping did a number on my body. I think I am getting old...

Only 5 weeks til Wild Child turns 5! She wants a pool party...a pool party in March...she'd probably want to go skiing if her birthday was in July...she isn't nicknamed Wild Child for nothing.