8 years ago...

we posed.. got the pictures over with before the ceremony.
one of the best decisions we ever made.

here's a picture of a photo of a reflection... with our sisters posing with us

my all-time favorite photo from our wedding day

(it was a candid shot, we did not have a dance at our reception.):

There, that's my tackle this Tuesday. Reminiscing. Giving thanks for a wonderful husband and friend, who is now a terrific daddy.

I could type a long elaborate post. I could post more pictures, too. But I won't. Believe it or not, I am a private person. (Don't let my 500 posts on this blog alone fool you.)

Happy Anniversary, Hubby. Te amo mas y mas...

ok.. my stream-of-consciousness-pity-party-posting is OVER.

(For now.)

I'll be back after I get over myself and get some stuff done.

Tackle It Tuesday????

Getting out of bed was a tackle for me today. The sore throat I got struck with late Saturday evolved into sinus issues, which have become accompanied by a cough. My usual bi-annual crud.
It's a good thing we celebrated our anniversary early on Friday night!

Bear's eyes glued to Sesame Street. In a few months, maybe we'll get cable, DirectTV or Dish network. I would love to have more variety in kids' shows. At least I haven't seen this episode before.

I am bitter. I know the not-so-fresh tasting salmon was not my fault, and the store gave me an apology and a refund when I brought in the receipt last night. But when you already feel like you've been hit by a truck and re-stuffed with cotton balls, the last thing you want is your hopes of a good meal crushed by inferior quality meat. Even if you live a great distance from an ocean and fresh seafood is an oxymoron.

I am also stumped. I wanted to cook a nice meal last night. Should I try again tonight, or demand we go out to eat on our anniversary? The thing is, since I am not a domestic diva, and hubby is pretty content and doesn't need a lot of gifts for our special occasions, attempting to make him a decent meal is sort of a gift in itself. So I enjoy serving him a good meal on our special occasions. And then when we visit homes that are perfectly manicured the guilt trip for NOT being a domestic diva, or just a good homemaker sets in. (That's what happened Saturday. I am my own worst enemy.)

Anyway, lots of possibilities loom around me for today's tackle. Toys and blocks are everywhere. I've unloaded the dishwasher once. The bathrooms need freshening. The kitchen floor needs scrubbing, as it will again 1 hour after I wash it. There's a pile of clutter next to my bed that has been haunting me for months now. The fridge needs a good "science project removal". There's laundry (that my beloved made sure got washed while I was sick on Sunday) strewn across the guest bed waiting to be put away. (He did fold our clothes, just threw the sheets and towels on the bed.)

Oh, and I can't forget to get or make my beloved his anniversary card.

I'm a wimp.

Just when I think about considering natural childbirth the next time around, I get a reality check. I AM A WIMP. I have a measley (well, not quite) cold, allergy attack, whatever it is. It's not bad enough to send me to the doctor, but it is bad enough that I'm being a real baby. We're out of kleenex, so I'm using TP. Either Angels aren't very soft or "Angel Soft" is a misnomer. No big deal when it's being used for the advertised purpose. Not so good for the nose area.

I had my contacts in... something got in my eye, so now I'm back in my glasses. That puts me in a foglike trance under normal circumstances. Take into account the fact that they are 4 years old, Baby Bear has bent them out of shape, and one screw has been replaced with a tiny little keyring to hold it together. My prescription hasn't changed much, but just the crooked factor messes with my vision. Oh, and we took our prescription in to get a cheap pair at the supercenter. The optician was not in, and the optometrist is not licensed to do whatever is needed to fit glasses. Something's wrong with that. Efficiency, please? So my script is stuck to the fridge, after floating around the whole downstairs. (DON'T tell me that's what I get for going to the supercenter. Costco's selection of frames was terrible (they did have the same design I purchased FOUR years ago, and I'm not about to pay full price for things that I only wear when necessary... just before bedtime or when my contacts are really bugging me.)

Well, I did buy that salmon and roast potatoes/squash/carrots/onion sound like a yummy treat, so let's see if I can get dinner going.

Who wants to come clean up for me? There might even be enough leftovers to share.

It's menu-plan-monday in the blogosphere, thanks to OrgJunkie. Not here, though. I got dizzy & worn out just running to the grocery store to pick up pre-seasoned salmon to bake for tonight. I haven't planned the rest of the meals for this week, though I imagine we'll be eating a lot of squash, carrots & celery. And probably some chicken, pork chops, and hamburger. There's my outline... just gotta fill in the details.

I thought I'd just post a link to this site which has a lot of potential to be useful. I believe Steph at Olive Tree mentioned it a couple of weeks ago.

Free weekly dinner menus from Menus4Moms.com

i'm about 0 for 20 on my contest entries, but i'm not going to stop entering them yet!

Steph at Adventures in Baby Wearing and Jenn from All Natural Mommies
are going to give away a Podunbutai baby carrier.

After reading books such as Babywise and Secrets of the Baby Whisperer, I started out motherhood with a fear of anything remotely related to AP. Both books implied that baby-wearing would result in a clingy, needy child with issues. They did have some helpful points in them, but I should have read more from "the other point of view" and relaxed a bit.

Well, my child will probably have issues anyway. I have issues, and anybody who is human has issues. You don't? Well, then, you're in denial and that's an issue all by itself! Right now one of my irking issues is how to get things done with a toddler hanging off me. EVERY time I try to sweep or Mop, someone wants to help. The problem is, the dirt and junk doesn't get picked up when she "helps." Watering the garden? Toddler gets soaked so she needs a change of clothes at best, and if she's covered in mud, a bath. I can't corral her and hold a hose. Normally, I just don't bother trying (to get things done). This results in a less than sparkling kitchen floor. There are times I want to give the whole baby-wearing thing a try. I keep telling myself it won't be long before Baby Bear will not want to be held so much... as she clings to my leg with a death grip. Anyway, if I win this contest, I will have to get hubby to take pics of me looking ridiculous trying to figure out how to get bear into a carrier. And if the experiment fails, and Baby Bear does't go for the confinement thing... I'll either have a tool to try with my next baby or a great baby gift to pass on to someone else!

So cross your fingers for me... or go enter the contest for yourself!

my garden last week...



this rosebush cost 3.22 at walmart. it's had a couple of pretty blooms. i'd say it was worth the $$$. plus, it looks great in the urn.

verbena

black eyed susans wait to peek through

hosta

cherry tomatoes-
bear ate the first ripe one this afternoon!

So, I am home because my throat feels like sandpaper and I didn't sleep well last night. this link to a plethora of links. I found I highly suspect I may not agree with every site theologically, however, it looks like there's some interesting info.

just when i start thinking my body is "above" being affected by allergies...
they rear their ugly head.

Last-minute Date Night

Our anniversary is coming up, and we decided to splurge on dinner and a movie. We don't go to the theater very often, and we rarely go out to eat without our toddler in tow. Well, we had hoped to go out on the lake today, but the more we thought about it, the more we decided that would be a bad idea with Bear. I can't see her handling a life jacket very well. So we spent the morning relaxing, and my parents came over this afternoon to babysit. She smiled as they walked up the sidewalk. I love how she recognizes her family members.

So hubby and I went down to a matinee showing of Transformers (loved it- very nostalgic, and well done. I didn't really expect it to have a plot, but it did. Good special effects.... not for young kids, violence justifies the pg-13 rating; they couldn't have done the effects this well back when the cartoons came out), and we even got popcorn and cokes, which almost never happens. After dinner at Red Lobster, we decided to stop by Kohl's, as we knew Baby Bear was in good hands with Granwendy and Grandaddy. I found a beach towel/blanket & flip flops for our upcoming trip- no luck in the swimsuit area. Hubby found some shirts. Why is it that he finds clothes easier than I? Again, it was soooo nice to not have to worry about our little one while we were out.

So, happy early anniversary to us. Of course, you know you are an old married couple when you are home and on the couch by 9 p.m.

I found a blog where I can reminisce my childhood summer vacations... and learn more about the Cape, I'm sure.

I'd sure like to be there right now. It's too hot here in the South.

Argh...

-another business opportunity presents itself. Dear Lord give me discernment & grace through this whole process of listening to the excited person's pitch. Have I mentioned that I am burnt out on network marketing? They are not all schemes or pyramids, but they are NOT for me. And I pray that my loved one doesn't get shafted in the process... (It does sound like the people behind it are decent people, but I can't help but be a skeptic, even if the product is pretty cool and shows potential.)

-another friend is having a very tough week. I wish I could be there to give her a great big hug, cry with her and pray with her in person. I can't share the details, but please pray. In a weird way, I am grateful to be able to say that I have been in a similar situation, because I know how much it helped me heal to hear that I was not alone.

-my house does not self-clean. I want an in-floor vacuum unit someday. That would probably require a crawl space or basement. I also want self-cleaning toilets, self-folding laundry and an irrigation system. While we're at it, something to keep the birds and bugs from eating my cherry tomatoes as they ripen would be nice.

-my yard has mole tunnels. lots of them. i hope i don't actually see one of the pests live. seeing the mulch move from one near the flowers i watered was creepy enough.

-gas was 11 cents higher less than 15 miles away today. what a ripoff. i only put $5 in the tank since I didn't want hubby to have to come rescue me, and i hope it doesn't go up before we fill up here. The oil companies are tyrants.

Yesterday was a very good day. So was today. I'm just tired, and now I "get" to go trim hubby's hair. I did get to go "gamble" at bunko tonight. I love a good girls' night out, and the fellowship is well worth the $5 lost in the bunko pot. Congrats to my lurker and neighbor, gina. :-) Oh, and the neighbor whose wife hosted is a sales rep for Russ, and he gave me some cool stuff for Baby Bear.

Argh....

Our Sunday School teacher has posted a very fitting prayer for today on his blog.

Two Memorials...

The first, a celebration of Mrs. Y's life, took place last night. It was a Memorial Service filled with love, laughter, tears, celebration and hope. The life of a woman who served her Heavenly Father and loved His people well was celebrated, Jesus' gift of eternal life for those who repent and trust in Him alone was celebrated, and the Holy Spirit's peace was present. While Mrs. Y was undoubtedly involved in her family reunion in Heaven, some of us who knew her here on earth had a little "family reunion" of our own. It was a blessing to see friends whom I hadn't seen in years... several years, almost a decade for some of them. After the Memorial Service, we fellowshipped together as Mrs. Y would have wanted.

The Second, today. Independence Day. My nation's birthday. I bought my own little cheesy T-shirt with a hint of the stars and stripes on it, and dressed Baby Bear in her red,white and blue outfit. Her Grandparents came over to see her, and she entertained them well. She displayed her own growing independence on many occasion both last night and today. We grilled out and ate inside. I am grateful for the many freedoms we have. I wish the entire globe shared the same freedom. But alas, I am a realist, and I know that such a dream is impossible until the Redeemer come to restore all things to Himself.

Happy Independence Day!

Time to Tackle...

the usual. (housework.) bathrooms. kitchen floor/counter/clean out fridge. laundry...
once again, i am grounding myself from the computer until i accomplish something.

i thought i might claim my scrapbook pages from the weekend as my tackle for the week, but i will not.

tech mom and dad are coming to get their grandbaby fix over the holiday, i have a memorial service to attend tonight, and my house is... a cluttered, dirty house. baby bear didn't help by dumping fruity cheerios all over the swept floor.

...see you after i've tackled it this tuesday.


******
updates:

• guest bath cleaned, most toys moved out of the tub (the bathroom process included digging a whole roll of tp out of the toilet. apparently baby bear knows it goes there. it least she doesn't have the flushing thing down yet so we didn't have an overflow disaster.)
  
• guest bed made, with extra blanket so my in laws don't freeze in their son's igloo. the guest room is the coldest in our house. hubby likes the temp at 69.
  
• laundry in process. 1 load put away, 2 dumped on master bed ready to be folded, 1 each in washer and dryer
• hot pocket and brownie eaten for my lunch
• kitchen floor swept & mopped
• pork chops, diced tomatoes, & onion in crock pot for supper... squash to be added soon.
• living room floor cleared of toys (temporarily)
  
• living room, hall, bedrooms vacuumed
• sweet tea brewing
• 1 produce drawer cleaned out and washed
  

Boy, am I thankful that my in-laws are coming to see their Grandbaby and not a house. The clutter in other areas is still out of control. But after all this hard work, I do believe I deserve a break. Took a break and went to the scrapbook store to buy more papers (I had a coupon for 2 free sheets of cardstock with the purchase of 5 sheets of patterned paper. I couldn't resist. Yes, I do believe the shop is dangerously close. Even if it doesn't cost much in gas to get there...)
lauren

It's STILL contest time!

These are the drawings I'm entering, but there are also others!

Krups Ice Cream maker & bowls for dishing up the treat!!
Lands End Custom Swimsuit
Momager Calling Cards
a Mommy resort getaway!
Metrowrap
Living the Dream T-Shirt
Designing Diva Handmade Jewelry
Personalized Placemats
Lil Sugarplum Hairclips
Days-Ago Digital Counter
Patriotic Toddler T-Shirt

2 more days left until the giveaways... I hope I win something!

Cancer takes another beloved woman home.

After my family moved South, God led us to a very special church. It was a church that felt like home. It met in the local community college, then the high school, and finally we built a multipurpose building. Oh, and wasn't perfect by any means. In fact, while I was in college, my parents made the tough decision to stop attending there. However, the church was so special that til this day my Mom has some very dear friends she met there, and so do I. (3 of whom are now some of my blogging buddies.)
Every so often, some of the ladies get together for a luncheon. Some of them came to Baby Bear's bridal shower.

One of the women has been battling breast cancer for 3-4 years. Mrs. Y is what I will call her here. She was a remarkable woman, one who loved others well. My most vivid memory of her is from a youth retreat to the beach. She came along as a chaperone, and she was a prayer warrior. I'd had a lingering cough, which is quite common during allergy season. My Dad's health was acting up again, and I was worried about Him. Mrs. Y had a gift of knowing how to comfort and her prayers for me provided comfort. My cough did not go away completely, but God gave me peace.

I haven't seen Mrs. Y very much in the past 10 years. But whenever I have, she seemed like her same old self- at peace. Even in the midst of her battle with Breast Cancer. Last week, her kidneys failed. She was in her earthly home when her soul left her body, and now she is in her eternal home worshiping her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Healed.

Please keep the Y family in your prayers as they celebrate her life and mourn their loss.

My scrapbooking observations in progress...

1) artistic, 1 photo pages have their place but are not fiscally responsible... or possible for every page.
2) journaling is of utmost importance. i want my daughter to be able to show these pages to her daughter and not wonder, "who, what, when, or where?" answering "why?" or "how" may be appropriate, too.
3) saving digital pictures in folders by date taken is a LIFE SAVER when my camera loses the date due to death of battery. i'm uploading pics daily these days.
4) even simple color blocking can be very pretty and costs less than using the best papers for every single page.
5) a corner rounder can really add a simple, clean look to a page without overdoing it.
6) the making memories circle cutter that has a center mount thing which the blade swivels around is hard to get perfectly round circles as you increase the diameter. hiding flaws behind photos makes this not-so significant. but if you are shopping for a circle cutter, as much as i like the cutting mat it came with, i don't know if i would recommend this.
7) if you have buttons out, your 20-month old daughter is sure to want to play with them. occupying her with large buttons is better than letting her play with scissors or a paper trimmer.

9 scrapbook pages done....

...tons more to go! But 5 pages in 3 days' time is a huge improvement over the 6 months it took me to move past the first 2!

2 more pages done...

... and I'm ready to go to sleep.