isn't it interesting...
that you don't have to teach a child to "dance" or clap to music?
Thursday, October 26, 2006
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
dave ramsey would be proud...
ok, not really. we still use credit cards, thus dave would say we spend more than we should even though we pay them off every month. he has a point, but cash burns a hole in my pocket, and baby bear might eat it out of my wallet anyway, given the opportunity.... we really track our spending better this way. hubby even created a budget spreadsheet for himself.
i called the bank to get the payoff amount for our big vehicle. we decided it would be wise to just get rid of the payment, even though the % was pretty good. paying no interest is better than paying even just a little interest. our savings won't look very pretty, but we will be not have a $243 car payment anymore. happy halloween to us. not that halloween has anything to do with it, it just hppens to be the due date. that means the only debt left after this month will be our mortgage. i think i'm going to write this check, since the vehicle is actually financed with me listed first on the loan. it will make me feel rich to write a check that big... but then i'll feel broke again. at least the vehicle will be truly OURS!!!!!!
God has provided through some tighter times this year, we are so grateful.
ok, not really. we still use credit cards, thus dave would say we spend more than we should even though we pay them off every month. he has a point, but cash burns a hole in my pocket, and baby bear might eat it out of my wallet anyway, given the opportunity.... we really track our spending better this way. hubby even created a budget spreadsheet for himself.
i called the bank to get the payoff amount for our big vehicle. we decided it would be wise to just get rid of the payment, even though the % was pretty good. paying no interest is better than paying even just a little interest. our savings won't look very pretty, but we will be not have a $243 car payment anymore. happy halloween to us. not that halloween has anything to do with it, it just hppens to be the due date. that means the only debt left after this month will be our mortgage. i think i'm going to write this check, since the vehicle is actually financed with me listed first on the loan. it will make me feel rich to write a check that big... but then i'll feel broke again. at least the vehicle will be truly OURS!!!!!!
God has provided through some tighter times this year, we are so grateful.
Monday, October 23, 2006
more insomnia...
i've been waking up and unable to get back to sleep easily lately. i hate it. i like sleep. a lot.
so here i am, blogging because i've been tossing and turning for about an hour. i could continue working on baby bear's scrapbook but some things i want to use are in a cute little storage box in her closet. oh, they are safe, but to try to get the box out without disturbing sleeping beauty would be... stupid.
reflections on this weekend.... and this time last year...
we had grand intentions of getting a good head start on preparing for baby bear's 1st birthday party. there are many things i've said i would not do in my life. one was "throw a big birthday party for a 1 year old". boy, am i eating my words!!!!! it is true that she most likely will not remember the ordeal, except when she looks at pictures in her baby book and scrapbook. however, we have a lot to celebrate. a year ago, i was probably more anxious and excited than i have ever been in my life. baby bear's birth was scheduled. daddy bear's eminent 7 week "disappearance" loomed on the horizon as a cruel yet necessary reality of his chosen field of work. since he had already reported to his office a week earlier, we had experience a taste of what life would be like upon his return from training. evenings together, weekends together, church together. those things had been rare during the previous 3 years. his new job brought hope of something better than him patroling the streets of one of the worst areas of the city, then reporting to court for hours before finally returning home to nap before waking up for work again. i can't say that i miss his police officer schedule.
anyway, this time last year i would have scoffed at the idea of throwing a big party for a 1 year old. at first i said "just family" woul be invited. i didn't expect everyone to be able to make it. and since we have parents, siblings, & nieces, the # of attendees is naturally a big one. and i can't wait. so we've invited mostly family and a few close friends. we didn't even get to baby bear's baby friends this year. but since the party is for us anyway, we'll stick with family and friends.
this weekend was supposed to be full of cleaning house and party prep. ha. my red-headed neighbor who owns the new video shop up the road convinced me to join her for a scrapbooking lesson. i don't know why i alway feel the need to buy instruction on things. look how far it got me with breastfeeding. i need to learn to relax and just do "it". whatever "it" may be. anyway, a new scrap shop opened next to red-head's video store, and i found myself spending over 3 1/2 hours there on Saturday morning. thankfully, the money spent on the class and my early Christmas (the scrapbook itself) has resulted in a rediscovered motivation to record my daughter's life. so now our firstborn will have a fill-in calendar, a baby book, and a scrapbook. i already feel sorry for our future kids, who will be lucky to have just one of the above.
daddy bear and i did do some work outside.... he did a LOT. i pulled up some dead annuals which had been annoying me for about 2 weeks. (baby bear took a good nap!!! woo hoo!!) then, we grabbed a bite at pizza hut and took baby bear shopping for her birthday gift. i figure since she liked what we picked in the store, she'll be excited to see her gifts again on saturday. and this is the only age we can actually pick her gifts out right in front of her. upon our return home, we bathed baby bear, put her to bed, and i began actually putting the scrapbook together while we watched a video. that's my kind of multitasking.
well, these are my insomniac ramblings for now. this week is sure to bring a little house cleaning (i'm not martha stewart-esque, but thankfully my family knows that and loves me anyway). wednesday will bring... the real birthday, which will probably be the calm before the party begins Friday night, with the arrival of baby bear's dear cousins. she will probably be sure to chase them up the stairs if we let her. and saturday will be the grand celebration of the first year of the sweetest addition to our family, with lots of loved ones. photographed by randot studio, of course. (forgive my assumption, but i think it's a safe one.)
i've been waking up and unable to get back to sleep easily lately. i hate it. i like sleep. a lot.
so here i am, blogging because i've been tossing and turning for about an hour. i could continue working on baby bear's scrapbook but some things i want to use are in a cute little storage box in her closet. oh, they are safe, but to try to get the box out without disturbing sleeping beauty would be... stupid.
reflections on this weekend.... and this time last year...
we had grand intentions of getting a good head start on preparing for baby bear's 1st birthday party. there are many things i've said i would not do in my life. one was "throw a big birthday party for a 1 year old". boy, am i eating my words!!!!! it is true that she most likely will not remember the ordeal, except when she looks at pictures in her baby book and scrapbook. however, we have a lot to celebrate. a year ago, i was probably more anxious and excited than i have ever been in my life. baby bear's birth was scheduled. daddy bear's eminent 7 week "disappearance" loomed on the horizon as a cruel yet necessary reality of his chosen field of work. since he had already reported to his office a week earlier, we had experience a taste of what life would be like upon his return from training. evenings together, weekends together, church together. those things had been rare during the previous 3 years. his new job brought hope of something better than him patroling the streets of one of the worst areas of the city, then reporting to court for hours before finally returning home to nap before waking up for work again. i can't say that i miss his police officer schedule.
anyway, this time last year i would have scoffed at the idea of throwing a big party for a 1 year old. at first i said "just family" woul be invited. i didn't expect everyone to be able to make it. and since we have parents, siblings, & nieces, the # of attendees is naturally a big one. and i can't wait. so we've invited mostly family and a few close friends. we didn't even get to baby bear's baby friends this year. but since the party is for us anyway, we'll stick with family and friends.
this weekend was supposed to be full of cleaning house and party prep. ha. my red-headed neighbor who owns the new video shop up the road convinced me to join her for a scrapbooking lesson. i don't know why i alway feel the need to buy instruction on things. look how far it got me with breastfeeding. i need to learn to relax and just do "it". whatever "it" may be. anyway, a new scrap shop opened next to red-head's video store, and i found myself spending over 3 1/2 hours there on Saturday morning. thankfully, the money spent on the class and my early Christmas (the scrapbook itself) has resulted in a rediscovered motivation to record my daughter's life. so now our firstborn will have a fill-in calendar, a baby book, and a scrapbook. i already feel sorry for our future kids, who will be lucky to have just one of the above.
daddy bear and i did do some work outside.... he did a LOT. i pulled up some dead annuals which had been annoying me for about 2 weeks. (baby bear took a good nap!!! woo hoo!!) then, we grabbed a bite at pizza hut and took baby bear shopping for her birthday gift. i figure since she liked what we picked in the store, she'll be excited to see her gifts again on saturday. and this is the only age we can actually pick her gifts out right in front of her. upon our return home, we bathed baby bear, put her to bed, and i began actually putting the scrapbook together while we watched a video. that's my kind of multitasking.
well, these are my insomniac ramblings for now. this week is sure to bring a little house cleaning (i'm not martha stewart-esque, but thankfully my family knows that and loves me anyway). wednesday will bring... the real birthday, which will probably be the calm before the party begins Friday night, with the arrival of baby bear's dear cousins. she will probably be sure to chase them up the stairs if we let her. and saturday will be the grand celebration of the first year of the sweetest addition to our family, with lots of loved ones. photographed by randot studio, of course. (forgive my assumption, but i think it's a safe one.)
Sunday, October 22, 2006
October is breastcancer awareness month!
This post is in honor of all the victims and survivors, as well as their friends and family. This includes my Uncle Gary's sister, Megan, who fought the battle for many years.
The increased incidence of breast cancer, as well as all other cancers in general, boggles my mine. I'm by now means a vegan or "granola mom". I probably should pay more attention to the health-conscious. But Barbara Curtis posted a link that captured my attention highlighting the correlation between steroid contraception and cancer. Read and think...
Here's another related link.
The increased incidence of breast cancer, as well as all other cancers in general, boggles my mine. I'm by now means a vegan or "granola mom". I probably should pay more attention to the health-conscious. But Barbara Curtis posted a link that captured my attention highlighting the correlation between steroid contraception and cancer. Read and think...
Here's another related link.
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
barbershop, anyone?
oops. i told tech mom that i would show her how to edit her links on her blog last night. well, a couple of weeks ago, i decided to try my voice in a sweet adeline's chorus. a neighbor is a part of the chorus, and they extended an invitation to the general public to join them for 3 songs during their upcoming holiday concert. so guess what? i'm singing the baritone part! i get to drive hubby nuts listening to the training cd's over and over again. j/k. i'll drive hannah nits before daddy gets home. still, the cd's are a pretty cool tool. the "master director" is also the choir director at a local private school. she reminds me of a younger version of mrs. bomeli from my school in michigan. maybe the reason i'm doing this is because i never had the guts to try out for the girls' barbershop chorus at gbhs and always wished i could. anyway, it will be fun, and it's a short-term commitment. to top it off, i think it's an honor because this particular chorus won the 2006 international harmony classic competition. last night the other guests and i were assigned a riser buddy and we jumped right into vocal warm-ups and learning the 3 songs we'll sing with metro nashville chorus
so, sorry tech-mom. but i was out exercising my vocal chords by saying something other than "no, hannah!
oops. i told tech mom that i would show her how to edit her links on her blog last night. well, a couple of weeks ago, i decided to try my voice in a sweet adeline's chorus. a neighbor is a part of the chorus, and they extended an invitation to the general public to join them for 3 songs during their upcoming holiday concert. so guess what? i'm singing the baritone part! i get to drive hubby nuts listening to the training cd's over and over again. j/k. i'll drive hannah nits before daddy gets home. still, the cd's are a pretty cool tool. the "master director" is also the choir director at a local private school. she reminds me of a younger version of mrs. bomeli from my school in michigan. maybe the reason i'm doing this is because i never had the guts to try out for the girls' barbershop chorus at gbhs and always wished i could. anyway, it will be fun, and it's a short-term commitment. to top it off, i think it's an honor because this particular chorus won the 2006 international harmony classic competition. last night the other guests and i were assigned a riser buddy and we jumped right into vocal warm-ups and learning the 3 songs we'll sing with metro nashville chorus
so, sorry tech-mom. but i was out exercising my vocal chords by saying something other than "no, hannah!
Monday, October 16, 2006
rainy day
it's been one of those rainy autumn days. the kind where you want to stay curled up under the covers with a good book or two all day. alas, that's no longer an option in our house. baby bear wakes up no later than 7:30 a.m., and we must wake up with her. our little one thinks mommy and daddy's bed is to climb on, not sleep in. she sleeps best in her crib, and it's been months since she fell asleep next to me for a nap, or since she fell asleep on me, for that matter. that makes me sad. i wonder if a rocking chair would help. i could handle rocking with my baby and a blanket, looking out the window at the rain.
we ventured to an office store and the post office today. baby bear looked so adorable in her silver hooded vest with white faux fur trim. she was even cuter as she fell asleep on the way back from the post office and stayed asleep while i transferred her to her crib. note to self- bring baby in last and see if she will sleep in my arms for a few minutes next time she falls asleep in the car.
i made homemade chicken soup. it was a disappointment.. maybe it will taste better tomorrow, after the flavors set longer. i used leftover costco rotisserie chicken instead of boneless skinless chicken breast, and i'm not sure that was the best choice. it couldn't have been too bad, though, because bb gobbled up her portion, well sort of... baby bear showed her preference for meat and carbs. she ate the noodles first, tried some of the tender chicken bits, and after she'd had her fill of carrots and celery, she proceeded to drop bits of the colorful veggies onto the floor. unfortunately for us, her "punishment" was more of a reward (bathtime). whoever said children are naturally innocent didn't have any. she knew exactly what she was doing when she slowly pinched those veggies and moved her arm into the open space before releasing her grasp. she looked back and forth between mommy and daddy to see if we would be united in our response or if one of us would laugh. tomorrow, mommy might just grind up the solids and feed her soup to her from a spoon.
i can't believe the wind has been blowing all day. it's so blustery, i hope baby bear sleeps ok. i'm ready for my head to hit my fresh, crisp pillowcase. clean sheets always help me sleep better for some reason.
it's been one of those rainy autumn days. the kind where you want to stay curled up under the covers with a good book or two all day. alas, that's no longer an option in our house. baby bear wakes up no later than 7:30 a.m., and we must wake up with her. our little one thinks mommy and daddy's bed is to climb on, not sleep in. she sleeps best in her crib, and it's been months since she fell asleep next to me for a nap, or since she fell asleep on me, for that matter. that makes me sad. i wonder if a rocking chair would help. i could handle rocking with my baby and a blanket, looking out the window at the rain.
we ventured to an office store and the post office today. baby bear looked so adorable in her silver hooded vest with white faux fur trim. she was even cuter as she fell asleep on the way back from the post office and stayed asleep while i transferred her to her crib. note to self- bring baby in last and see if she will sleep in my arms for a few minutes next time she falls asleep in the car.
i made homemade chicken soup. it was a disappointment.. maybe it will taste better tomorrow, after the flavors set longer. i used leftover costco rotisserie chicken instead of boneless skinless chicken breast, and i'm not sure that was the best choice. it couldn't have been too bad, though, because bb gobbled up her portion, well sort of... baby bear showed her preference for meat and carbs. she ate the noodles first, tried some of the tender chicken bits, and after she'd had her fill of carrots and celery, she proceeded to drop bits of the colorful veggies onto the floor. unfortunately for us, her "punishment" was more of a reward (bathtime). whoever said children are naturally innocent didn't have any. she knew exactly what she was doing when she slowly pinched those veggies and moved her arm into the open space before releasing her grasp. she looked back and forth between mommy and daddy to see if we would be united in our response or if one of us would laugh. tomorrow, mommy might just grind up the solids and feed her soup to her from a spoon.
i can't believe the wind has been blowing all day. it's so blustery, i hope baby bear sleeps ok. i'm ready for my head to hit my fresh, crisp pillowcase. clean sheets always help me sleep better for some reason.
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
drat. i tried to post directly from picasa, and it didn't let me choose which of my blogs i wanted to put the pictures on. so hannah's pictures came straight here instead of to her cave. go figure. so we may end up with some duplicates on her blog when i get around to it. if i complain about poor functionality, remind me this service is free.
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
I had my 2nd jewelry show in a week tonight. Small turnout, but good show. The home party/show business is a funny thing. One night you may have a large turnout and $1,000+ in orders. that's not my norm. Tonight, we had 2 guests plus my hostess and me. We played in my jewelry, flipped through the catalog, and they shopped for Christmas gifts for family members and themselves. Most importantly, I got to know 3 girls from my Sunday School class a little better. And even with the small turnout, my hostess gets $73 in free jewelry and 4 items at 1/2 price.
Historically (for me), my business has been more of a hobby. Sometimes it's been a source of frustration, but many times it has filled a void. Baby bear's "toss the taggie" ball was purchased immediately after a show while a dear friend and i walked through downtown clarksville. i also found 2 beautiful, unique skirts that i was able to pay for out of my money. ok, so my money is our money. But hubby has not hounded me for my earnings, he's always let me do what i want with my business earnings. It's a nice break from the "receipt nazi" i know and love.
We're at the point now where we need my hobby to be more of a business, and it's been nice to know I have that opportunity already within my reach. It's also nice to know that no matter how large or small one of my home shows is , the rewards go far beyond financial for me. I had so much fun chatting with the girls, and I LOVED telling my hostess how much jewelry she can choose thanks to the best hostess plan ever.
2 down, 23 to go in the next 120 days. anyone wanna get some free jewelry? i promised myself that i will only go to national rally (our business convention) if i have turned my hobby into a business and get to walk across the stage for something, so i'm trying to make the 25 home-show club. you can't reach a goal if you don't have one to begin with.
Historically (for me), my business has been more of a hobby. Sometimes it's been a source of frustration, but many times it has filled a void. Baby bear's "toss the taggie" ball was purchased immediately after a show while a dear friend and i walked through downtown clarksville. i also found 2 beautiful, unique skirts that i was able to pay for out of my money. ok, so my money is our money. But hubby has not hounded me for my earnings, he's always let me do what i want with my business earnings. It's a nice break from the "receipt nazi" i know and love.
We're at the point now where we need my hobby to be more of a business, and it's been nice to know I have that opportunity already within my reach. It's also nice to know that no matter how large or small one of my home shows is , the rewards go far beyond financial for me. I had so much fun chatting with the girls, and I LOVED telling my hostess how much jewelry she can choose thanks to the best hostess plan ever.
2 down, 23 to go in the next 120 days. anyone wanna get some free jewelry? i promised myself that i will only go to national rally (our business convention) if i have turned my hobby into a business and get to walk across the stage for something, so i'm trying to make the 25 home-show club. you can't reach a goal if you don't have one to begin with.
frail
there have been certain seasons of my life in which i've been more aware of our human frailty than other times. previous posts have reflected on fragile newborns and preemie's. my last post touched on our gramma's fall. while i was in memphis, hubby's dad observed how life consists of awakening and strengthening, and then falling back asleep and wearing out. sometime's that cycle involves a "normal" pattern. other times, God changes the order or timing, causing us to search our hearts to find what we truly believe.
gramma's fall is an example of what happens in the "normal" timeframe. we expect 80-somethings' bodies to show signs of age.
one of my closest friends is dealing with her father's diagnosis of stage iv lung cancer. the cancer is in his lung's, adrenal glands, and brain stem. she and her parents are believers, yet this sudden diagnosis as well as the rapid progression of symptoms bring emotional debris like a hurricane brings to the coast.
it's times like this that i want to tell my friend that everything will be ok. but i can't. sure, i could pull out any number of scriptures that apply, but she knows them just as well as i do (probably better). all i can do is pray. listen. (by phone or blog).
it's times like this that i don't understand how people survive without God.
there have been certain seasons of my life in which i've been more aware of our human frailty than other times. previous posts have reflected on fragile newborns and preemie's. my last post touched on our gramma's fall. while i was in memphis, hubby's dad observed how life consists of awakening and strengthening, and then falling back asleep and wearing out. sometime's that cycle involves a "normal" pattern. other times, God changes the order or timing, causing us to search our hearts to find what we truly believe.
gramma's fall is an example of what happens in the "normal" timeframe. we expect 80-somethings' bodies to show signs of age.
one of my closest friends is dealing with her father's diagnosis of stage iv lung cancer. the cancer is in his lung's, adrenal glands, and brain stem. she and her parents are believers, yet this sudden diagnosis as well as the rapid progression of symptoms bring emotional debris like a hurricane brings to the coast.
it's times like this that i want to tell my friend that everything will be ok. but i can't. sure, i could pull out any number of scriptures that apply, but she knows them just as well as i do (probably better). all i can do is pray. listen. (by phone or blog).
it's times like this that i don't understand how people survive without God.
Thursday, October 05, 2006
back to the blogosphere...
i've been in the country for a week (without a shower, nevermind the web... don't worry, i had a bathtub and used it)....
i should be asleep right now. it's hard to believe that i am typing this in the space that served as our kitchenette for the first 3 years of our married life. baby bear is soundly resting in caslon's old bedroom. hubby is home in our bed, and i can't wait to see him again. princess the kitty is recouping from being chased incessantly by the mini person who comes to visit, and is bigger and more mobile every time. serves her right for not retreating.
great-gramma is doing well. she had her 1st official PT session today and it hurt much less than she anticipated. yay for pain meds! gramma is an amazingly strong woman. i knew this, but was reminded again this past week as hubby's mom, baby bear and i were in wisconsin. she is a woman of her word, and at 86 most people her age can use memory as an excuse. not that hers is perfect, but it has to be pretty close. i think she has her whole phone book memorized. we had tears in our eyes as we walked down the hall away from her room in the rehab center yesterday. i am grateful i was able to accompany hubby's dear mom. baby bear added some greatly-needed joy to the journey, her great-gramma's face lit up every day when we arrived.
more reflections to come. good night for now.
i've been in the country for a week (without a shower, nevermind the web... don't worry, i had a bathtub and used it)....
i should be asleep right now. it's hard to believe that i am typing this in the space that served as our kitchenette for the first 3 years of our married life. baby bear is soundly resting in caslon's old bedroom. hubby is home in our bed, and i can't wait to see him again. princess the kitty is recouping from being chased incessantly by the mini person who comes to visit, and is bigger and more mobile every time. serves her right for not retreating.
great-gramma is doing well. she had her 1st official PT session today and it hurt much less than she anticipated. yay for pain meds! gramma is an amazingly strong woman. i knew this, but was reminded again this past week as hubby's mom, baby bear and i were in wisconsin. she is a woman of her word, and at 86 most people her age can use memory as an excuse. not that hers is perfect, but it has to be pretty close. i think she has her whole phone book memorized. we had tears in our eyes as we walked down the hall away from her room in the rehab center yesterday. i am grateful i was able to accompany hubby's dear mom. baby bear added some greatly-needed joy to the journey, her great-gramma's face lit up every day when we arrived.
more reflections to come. good night for now.
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