Bed

I just made my bed.

Growing up, I hated HATED making my bed. I couldn't understand what the point of all of it was. I mean, NO ONE would come into my room (well, hardly anyone) between the time I woke up and went to bed. So, what was the point of making my bed? Who cares? I thought it was yet again, another pointless chore that my mother would make me do.

Now.......I haven't had my kids make their beds hardly ever. But since we've been in this house (and I got a new quilt for my bed that actually fits and looks good and will look even better when we get our room organized) I have been trying to make my bed. I have a cal king bed. So I am walking back and forth about five times just to make the bed. When I change the sheets, I actually get out of breath because of all the work. (we also have a memory foam mattress. heavy.) I've helped the kids make their beds too. And they are even happy to do it! Well, most of the time. It is the one spot in their rooms, as well as mine, that looks good.

It's a hard thing to change, to go from not making them to making them, and I'm working on doing it. Hopefully it will help me to be motivated to make other small changes that can make a big difference. So far, I've managed to read my scriptures every morning for almost a year, have my dishes done every morning, sweep my floors regularly (thank you pretty broom), get my laundry on a schedule, and now make our beds. Next up: cleaning the bathrooms a lot more often. Using my yummy smelling cleaners is always a good motivator!! I almost LIKE cleaning the bathrooms.......almost.

It makes me want to sit down

I'm almost done with the boxes in my house. So far, I've been able to hold to one box a day. I don't have that many left.

On top of unpacking, of course now there are the regular, daily chores like dishes, sweeping, vacuuming, making dinner, laundry, bathrooms.......

The most difficult thing is their toys. It's as if they are taking over their bedrooms and the loft. They have so many toys. They do not need this many toys. Even when I do pick them up, or have them help me do it, they pull them all out. It feels so overwhelming to have to organize them, find all of them homes, keep all the puzzle pieces together, the blocks together......you get the idea. Time to feed the Goodwill box in the garage with toys. It's already been fed with my shoes, scooby doo sheets and comforter, Christmas place mats, curtains I haven't used since we left Germany......can't wait to add more.

And then there's our closet. Matt's clothes are overwhelming it! He's just been so busy at work, and gets home late.........hopefully this week he'll get to it. He did attack the garage today, thank goodness. That makes me feel better. Next step: shelves. Things piled in the corner bother me. Especially when he's gone and I'm trying to find the Halloween decorations, and I have to move half the stuff because I can't see the bin labeled "Halloween decorations". Yes. Shelves. Aren't shelves happy thoughts? :)

Next thing I want to do is hang things on the walls. But our rental company wants us to use these special monkey hook things that only leave these little tiny holes in the walls. Still need to find them.....meanwhile, everything is just leaning against the dining room walls......

Blech. I think it's just late and I'm tired of unpacking and organizing. So, rather than doing it, I would just rather sit down.

Small town life

This weekend is our little towns annual fair. It started yesterday with a parade, and the carnival rides will be at the park until tomorrow night.

This is the first time I've ever been to a parade that had tractors in it, with one even doing doughnuts on the parade route. And school children riding unicycles. Or the local Red Hat Society walking around dressed in purple with a giant red hat on the cab of a small pickup truck. What I thought was the funniest, were the people that had to follow all the animals pushing a wheelbarrow or carrying a big bucket. And the shovels. That, for some reason, just made me laugh. Or, one of the slogans of a local farming company: The Poop Starts Here.

On our walk home from the parade, we met a horse.
She (or he) really liked Andrew. And for some reason, being this close to a horse was so exciting that it eclipsed all the excitement of the parade. I'm sure we'll see this horse again.

Here is what my banner picture really looks like. Took this not long after we saw our horse friend. Enjoy.

This was yummy

Last week, I tried a new chicken recipe. It was super super easy. I love to buy Real Simple magazine. I buy it every month, and now that I have an address for a while, I just might get me a subscription to it. Anyway, I got this recipe from the June issue. Go here to see it. I used chicken breasts, not a whole chicken. (I don't eat chicken off the bone. It just grosses me out.) and it was really good! Except it was a little dry because I left it in too long. And last night, I cut up the leftovers and used them for making chicken salads for dinner, and they were so good!!! I will be making this again, that's for sure. Enjoy!!!

This is a three minute walk from our house

We went into those fields and picked flowers the other day. I think next time we'll wear pants and socks and shoes.

Just a few things.......

First, I'm going to try and not get online again for the day. I know, sounds crazy, but I've got to get things done in this place.

Next, send some good thoughts or prayers for my friends sister as her four month old little girl A~ undergoes the same sort of surgery that Andrew had.

And, something that just made my day.......my friend runs an orphanage in Cameroon, and one of the girls there just added me as a friend on Facebook. To help her practice her English. (they speak french in Cameroon) I've wanted to help him for a while, but couldn't really think of anything that I could do. And we couldn't send much money wise...but now I feel helpful. I was SO tickled this morning when I found that request in my inbox. I'm hoping to find other ways to be helpful for him, and for some other things around here. Especially within our unit. And, speaking of, I contacted the FRG leader, and so I'm hoping I'll hear back from her soon. I'll give it until Monday, and then call again. I guess it is kind of selfish. I want the support from others just as much as I want to give it!

Now, off to tackle my kitchen, their toys (we really need to get rid of some, I think they are taking over my upstairs) and maybe even a little bit in my bedroom. Even though it's raining today, I took my vitamin D supplement (yay for activia chews!!!) so I'm hoping to not be a bump on a log today. Cloudy days and I just don't mix well.

I'm off!

My door mat.

It is just awesome. The only thing that could make it better, is if it were purple.

Mind Vomit

I cannot take credit for the phrase. I read it here, where this permablogger used it in one of her posts.

I feel like I need to get out this mind vomit. And, we all know, we all feel better after we do it, right? Here are some of the thoughts in my head as I am unpacking, being a mom, organizing, being a housekeeper....yeah, you get the point. Anyway, as I was saying, here is what is floating around in there:

~Mustard colored pants are awesome, especially when the cut and fit are perfect. And even more awesome when they were $80 at J.Crew and you got them for $16. Plus, what kind of a wardrobe would you have if you didn't have a pair of mustard colored pants? See!! My point. :) (I wore them yesterday, and they just feel so good!)

~Unpacking things that should have gone into the trash is just irritating. Even more so, when the movers carefully wrapped them in copious amounts of packing paper.

~I have done several loads of laundry today, and then just ran the dishwasher. Always a little worried that the septic tank alarm is going to go off because it got too full.

~Trying a new recipe for dinner tonight. If it's good, I'll share it.

~Everyday is one day closer to his deployment.

~I heard today from a friend in my ward, that this past Sunday they were going to split the ward. But. One key thing did not go through, so they had to put it off for a few weeks. Oh the joy!!! Hooray!!! The RS president and bishop must be relieved. Although, the last time I was in a ward that split, I was called as the new wards RS president. I think we're enough under the radar enough (ha! they barely know who we are!) that I won't get a calling like that again.

~My doormat to my front door says Yo. That's right. Yo. How awesome is that? Thank you Tuesday Morning. I'll have to take a picture of it soon and share. Every time I walk out the door, I just smile.:)

~Have any of you seen Nanny McPhee? The kids were watching it this afternoon, and I couldn't get over the blue walls and doors. And then there were some yellow doors. While I can't really see myself painting a house in those colors, I thought it looked awesome! And, I just really really like blue and yellow together. They are such happy colors.

~I really want to hang stuff on my walls. But I just don't even know where to begin.

OK. I feel much better now.

I just LOVE this woman

I read a blog of a fellow military wife. I have never ever met her in real life. (that's not to say I don't want to) I love her blog. She is able to articulate things in such a way that amazes me. I laugh out loud almost every time I read her blog.

Recently, she did this post about her current housing situation. And then today, she posted this. I don't think the base commander really knows what is going on. If my housing office was treating us the way they are treating them, I would have a fit. If you're military and have ever lived in military housing, you must go and read what she has to say. I have never experienced what she has. But. Seriously. That deserves a WTF????? Especially when you find out how much they pay for it. (which in all honesty, you never see as it goes directly to housing. But if they lived off base they could have a much nicer place to live. Yes, she could move. But the point is that people are being treated in this fashion.) Happy reading.:)

A new link on my sidebar

I know I mentioned this before, but it's been a really really long time. My friend Ryan has devoted the rest of his life to others, and started a 501(c)3 organization called Green Eyes in Africa. He takes care of orphans in Yaounde, Cameroon. He just stared a blog, and has been updating it. If anything, you will appreciate what we have. And then, your heart strings will be pulled on as he describes the people that live behind him. He was just here in the states for fundraising, and I wish I could have at least given him a hug! I just love this guy.

I don't need ANY of this. But.

When I see them I really really want them. I don't need any new dresses. Or tops. And, quite honestly, I can't afford to get them. BUT!!! I LOVE them. They are so pretty. Usually I just wait until they go on clearance.

It's this dress. And this top. And this dress too. Sigh. And this dress too. Oh. And this top. Although I like it better without the belt. And in red. All of it is so pretty!! And I would have just posted the pictures, but the way they websites have their pictures, it would not allow me to copy the URL, or even save to my computer.

Maybe by August, they'll be on sale. And maybe, I'll get one of them. Maybe.:)

Adventures on Post

Not long before lunchtime, Matt called and said that the barbecue that he thought wasn't for the families of the soldiers, was for the families, and for us to come. Hooray!!!! I hadn't been to post yet, and had really been wanting to go. So, quickly got ready, and made it there without a problem. I don't think a lot of the unit was there. But, I did meet a few people. I had been a little nervous on the way. Mostly because this would be the first time I would go to a unit activity being one of the officers wives. Matt is really new to the unit, so he didn't even know that many people to even introduce us to. Hopefully they have at least one more of these so that I can get to know a few more people. I did meet someone who is from So Cal, and we talked for a little bit. She told me who the FRG (family readiness group) leader was, and we exchanged numbers. Yay! Hopefully they will contact me soon.

So. While we were on post, I decided we would head to the PX. Oh, I have missed a good PX. While in So Cal, I went to the LA AFB BX, and boy was that a sad little BX. (PX post exchange, BX base exchange. PX army. BX air force.) But this one. Oh. It was wonderful. They had a TON of pottery, a fairly decent book section, a huge shoe section, and tons of clearance clothes. The kids got bored really fast. And I didn't buy any pottery, as I already have so much. But. I almost bought a clock they had. It was awesome. It felt nice to be in a PX again.

And while I'm talking about the military, have any of you seen the Colbert Report this week? He's been broadcasting from Baghdad. I love Stephen Colbert. And Jon Stewart. It is definitely worth watching this week. Well, and every week. Just go watch him.

And now I'm off to go and do something. Maybe have a root beer float. Or go fold the millionth load of laundry I've done since our stuff arrived.

What I do when I have no furniture

One thing I do is spend way too much time online. Another is cross stitch. And the last thing is that I read. And read and read and read. In the last month, I read three books. Well, it might have been more, but I only found three.

People of the Book This book was SO fascinating. I could not put it down. I know very little of Jewish history and wasn't even aware of the Sarajevo Haggadah. It is historical fiction, but the book actually does exist. The author, Geraldine Brooks, was also a newspaper reporter for The Wall Street Journal in Sarajevo to cover the Bosnian war. So, the woman does know what she is talking about. Would highly recommend this book. (shell read it too and LOVED it.)

John Adams I have read a lot of historical fiction about Europe, and also actual non-fiction books like Marie Antoinette the Journey, but I had never read much about American history. After being able to visit Washington DC twice last summer, it got wheels turning in my head. I read John Adams, and really truly enjoyed it. I learned so much about how things really happened. I loved reading the correspondence between John and Abagail. He became more human in my eyes. As well as Thomas Jefferson (who died $100,000 in debt), George Washington, and Alexander Hamilton. I've started reading 1776 by the same author. Really looking forward to learning more about how our country came to be. Love it. And Matt bought me the HBO miniseries of John Adams. Can't wait to watch it!

Secret Daughter I really enjoyed this book. The author was born the same year as my own parents, and it was fascinating to read about her experiences, and then think about what my parents experienced during that same time.

I love reading. Once I'm unpacked then I'll start up again.

Ch ch ch ch changes

Because of the harassing comments I have recently been getting on my blog, I have had to change the commenting settings on here. I will continue to post things like I normally do. If you do have a comment you want to share, you are welcome to email it to me, if you already have my email address. Otherwise, the comment will just have to wait.:) Thank you for your understanding.

Getting back to normal

Yesterday was a pretty good day. The reason? Well, things are coming together in our home. I MADE dinner last night. It wasn't a frozen meal, it wasn't anything that I had bought already done. I made it. It was so nice. And I made guacamole. My guacamole is just so yummy. It's like you can't stop eating it.

Yesterday I found some really pretty flowers at Walmart that were super cheap. It's just nice to have fresh flowers in your house. I would have taken a picture, but my camera is currently unavailable. (ok, it's really lost somewhere, but, I'm sure I'll find it once I get more things put away in here.)

Last week, an old missionary friend contacted me and said that he would be in the area, and of course I said he could come by. I haven't seen him since he came to my wedding reception or when I went to his sisters. He stayed for about two hours. We looked through my mission scrapbook, laughed about old stories, and caught up. I almost felt 9 years younger.:)

And, the big thing that happened yesterday, was that a neighbor came to our door with treats!!! This lady lives two doors down, and she saw us come home from church on Sunday. And, she is actually in our ward! I've never seen her at church, from what I can remember, but like I mentioned before, this ward is so so huge, you could live here for a year and not be able to get to know everyone. The really exciting thing is that she has a trampoline. Yay!!!! Andrew was so excited to be invited over to jump he could hardly stand it! So, today we're going to our neighbors house to jump. Andrew just asked if we could have lunch for breakfast so that we could go over to our friends house sooner.:) Sadly, it just doesn't work that way.

And, the sun was out yesterday. And a little bit warm. Having the sun out always does good things for me. Although it's killing our grass. It actually hasn't really rained for a few weeks. And I keep forgetting to buy a sprinkler. Sigh. Must get that done today. As a kid, my dad would spend hours outside watering our grass. I always wondered why. Well, one reason is that there was 8 of us in a very small house, and things got a little crazy in there sometimes. Another reason is that he just likes having a nice looking lawn. Which is what we're trying to accomplish, but we'll see how well that goes. Neither Matt or I are big on yard work. But we're trying!

I also started making Christmas presents last night. We'll see what the finished product looks like.

So, a pretty good day. And the sun is out this morning. It's looking like it'll be another good one. Yay!!

Soul Mate

This is for Sunday Scribblings

I don't think that a soul mate is the person that you hope you marry. I mean, it might be. But, it might not. I think of a soul mate to be what Anne of Green Gables calls a kindred spirit. Someone who gets you. Someone that can be either male or female. You might even have more than one. Some don't always marry their soul mate, yet some might.

But that doesn't take away from those others that we meet along the way. Those that happen to be there to help us get through a certain time, or a certain difficulty, or even someone that is there for all the good stuff. To everything there is a season. I love that.

Hold onto those soul mates that you find.

update: SS readers, I had to change the comment settings on my blog because of some harassing comments. Please keep reading me though! I will continue to write. thanks.:)

I found this on etsy

I logged onto Etsy just now and this was one of their listings they had on their front page. I love it. But instead of a pillow, I'd like it on something that I can hang on my door.

Oh man

First, before I go on, my last post was my 700th post. Amazing.

Yesterday evening, after we got back from our fabulous dinner of McDonalds (really, I hate the place, but I was exhausted and didn't want to cook anything and the kids love it because they get to go there about once a year) my friend came by to pick up her TV that they had let us borrow for a month waiting for our stuff. She had asked me questions about keyboards and what kind to get. We have a Casio Privia PX-500L that Matt bought back when we lived in Germany. It weighs lots less than a piano (which we had and it was torture to move), takes up less space, and has a volume button.:) Anyway, I wanted her to try mine to show her what it felt like so she would know what to look for when she was ready to get one. It was on for all of a minute and then wouldn't work again. We changed outlets. Flipped the switches just in case they were connected to the switches. Nothing. I tried it again today, and I am SO SO bummed. We can claim it and get some money back, but who knows if it will be enough to really replace it. I haven't been able to play the piano for over a month, and was really looking forward to sitting down and playing in my own home again. The movers also broke my vacuum. It still works, but the piece that keeps it standing upright broke off. So you have to prop it up next to wall or the couch or something. One of the movers tried to fix it, but he couldn't. This is the first time any of our stuff has actually been broken in a move. Even when we did it ourselves, and things weren't packed near as well as they had this time, our piano and everything else survived. Well, except a few of my pottery bowls, but that was because Matt dropped the box. Sigh. So far, these are the only things broken, although our bookcases each seem to have a gouge in the side. I'm not too worried about those though. I'm just worried about my piano. We'll have to see what they'll reimburse us for. Sigh. I hope we can afford to get a new one.

Set your DVR's

I almost forgot!!! Tomorrow Burn Notice is back again. It is my favorite show. I have cut back on a lot of our TV time, and I watched almost all of last season on the internet. But now I have our nice TV and our couch where I can watch it. Yay!!! And, speaking of TV, I'm kind of bummed that we have to wait until fall for Glee. I am loving the music, and am excited to hear what else they've got up their sleeve.

I'm trying to avoid unpacking, can you tell?

Monday our household goods came!!!! Yay!! The movers were great. They put everything together, would listen as I wondered out loud how I wanted something to be (but really, they could have cared less) and overall, it was good. Yesterday I spent unpacking a ton of boxes. I don't think I've ever been so productive in one day. I think I'm making up for it today, because I haven't done half of what I had done yesterday by this same time.

My shoe broke yesterday. My favorite Born flip flops that are leather, that I've only had a year. Sad. I think there is a shoe repair man around here, so I'll be hitting him up soon.

It is finally warm in this place! While I'm not quite hot enough to turn on the air, it is hot enough to use the fans during the day, and I think the thermostat said 84 last night. Awesome. I need the heat. It helps me. Now if we could just find an outside pool to enjoy the sun and the heat.

One of my brothers friends works for Air France. Luckily, he was not on that flight. I wish there was some way to avoid that kind of news. At least for us people who have near panic attacks when they get on airplanes.....I feel so much for their families.

Well our corn dog lunch is ready. Yay for unhealthy food when you don't feel like cooking.:)

Public Service Announcement

I know many of you that read my blog know that my life has been rather interesting lately. I've written about it here and there, and if you know me in real life, you already know what I'm talking about.

You might notice a new commenter, trying to be anonymous, but not really succeeding. I thought about deleting his comments, blocking him, or even making this blog private. But I know that all of you know me. You know who I am as a person, my character, and even some of my quirks that come out in my blog posts. So, rather than waste any more time on him, or perhaps others that would like to do the same as he, other than this blog post, I'm going to ignore him. And, this is my blog. You, my readers, can do as you like.

It has arrived!!!!!!!!!

Our stuff is here and we're excited!!!!