Random ramblings of randomness...

So I was in the shower today, the best place to think;)... and I got a lot of thinking done...
Of course it is all about blogging and what I should really record before it gets forgotten.
Merrill took his first shower since the whole cyst thing happened. He's been taking baths, which he says are disgusting because you are just sitting in a soup of your own filth, so pretty much pointless. He was so relieved to be washing his own hair and to shave his face. I miss the scruff already :(. I suggested a good make-out session to say goodbye to it, he was ready to have it gone.
So work on the deck, otherwise known as "that big hole off the back of my house", has somewhat resumed. I should re-gain my home instead of having "the New Yankee Workshop" in my living room and eating area. Nothing like dining with a chop saw...
We are getting prepared for kindergarten! We have been buying some cute tops (and ribbon to make the matching bows, thanks to Christie...) when we are out. I would have her school supplies all purchased if I could just remember to bring along her supply list! I swear, I've been out to Riverdale at least every other day for the past week and a half. Don't get me started on how much gas I've burned through.
We also briefly talked about moving, down the street but a different ward. LOVED the home... not so much the idea of a new ward, or the minimal yard (we want bigger for the girls), but mostly didn't love the higher monthlies. They wouldn't be awful, or impossible, but we don't want to go give up our comfort level, being able to do extra stuff. Plus, who knows how soon, but we will eventually have to get a new vehicle... can you say monthly payment? We haven't had one of those for years! But I still day dream about that house...
Ash will hopefully be going to pre-school for a couple of days out of the week. All the anxiety I felt about them growing up and being away form me, gone... Somehow, being home with them during the summer time has helped to lessen my feelings of wanting them to be near me ALL THE TIME... really near each other for any prolonged period of time. How is that drive to Bullfrog going to go?
The girls asked Mer to tell them a bedtime story last night. It was all about his cyst and the history of the cyst... they wanted to know about it, and asked that it be the topic of their bedtime story. They were quite intrigued. I had not a child wake me with nightmares of a cyst, or the ooze contained within, so I guess it was a winner of a bedtime story!
We stayed up kind of late talking. Those are always good times... we decided that Ashley is our Joe. We decided this after hearing her totally rip one in her sleep, and then laugh about it, in her sleep. She has also started this new thing of torturing Lynn. When they are in their room changing, she'll pull down her panties just enough that her butt crack is peeking out the top. She then turns it to Lynn and says, "Touch my butt Lynn!" And Lynn freaks out. So then it is funny to her, and Ash chases her around, running backwards with her butt pointing out, mind you, chanting, "Touch my butt! Touch my butt!" Great fun. She is our Joe. Such a teaser...
My scriptures were missing. In all of my house cleaning, which hasn't been done to my satisfaction the past couple of weeks, I found them. They were right in front of my face, but I guess it was that thing where you hypnotize yourself because you see it there so often, it's like it's not there...
I bought a new toy... a Swiffer Vac. I HATE trying to sweep my floors. I HATE EVEN MORE trying to vacuum them with my piece of crap vacuum and the attachment, being hunched-over like I am Quasimoto. It's also great fun to have the vacuum tip over on me from behind and either scratch up my ankle, or scare me to death with it whapping my behind. So, basically, I love my new little Swiffer Vac.
We also had FHE with Mer's family Monday. We all went to Lagoon and had a blast. Kaitlyn, MiKell, and I all rode the Sky Coaster. I'll post pics of that later.. it was SOOOO FUN! I wish Mer wouldn't be such a sissy and do it with me. He got panicky on top of the Rocket... I asked him last night if he was going to attempt wake boarding this year at Powell, he said he doesnt think his body can take it. I kind of amen-ed that one. I want to try so bad, but I worry about getting hurt and being out of commission. He said, "Yeah, I was scared that you were going to get messed up on the Sky Coaster and then I'd be solo." Glad he didn't give me that negativity when I was about to take the plunge!
Peyton is doing the cute eyes-squinted-gummy smile. I love it!
I am looking forward to having and enrichment night tonight and being nourished by the good word of Christie. She's awesome!
Now how was all that for random?

murphy's law...

so i said earlier tonight, that i was going to bed early... i could not take another late night... laundry can wait, the cleaning i wanted to do can wait, the playing i wanted to do... you get the idea, right?
so, why then, DID PEYTON JUST FALL ASLEEP?!
MURPHY'S LAW...
tomorrow, i'll show why life has been nuts... we've been working hard, and having fun!
all work and no play makes mindy a dull mom!

My messy kitchen...

I actually went to bed with a dirty kitchen. That is totally out of character for me. I hate lying in bed, thinking about all of the clean-up the next day entails. But last night, after our little party, I was way too tired to worry about all of the frosting bags and tips that needed to be thoroughly cleaned. So, I went to bed. Mer thinks that I am crazy to worry about such things when there are children going hungry, and gas prices where they are... yes, my kitchen should be the least of my worries...
But let me tell you just how messy it was...
3 vinyl frosting bags, partly filled with blue, yellow, and white frosting. I only have 3 now, so when I needed the white, I had to clean a bag, the one that had red in it... if I still had four, there would be one more bag to clean.
5 frosting tips, 4 couplers...
5 butter knives
2 angled spatulas
1 11x17 cake pan
a serrated knife
one giant frosting bowl, three smaller ones... guess the colors of frosting clinging to the sides... yup, red, yellow, white, and blue!
beaters, and rubber spatulas...
a cake rack...
powdered sugar strewn all about the counter tops and partially on the floor...
some greasy frosting glob residue because the girls were licking the beaters clean and of course, some falls on the floor, you wipe it, but there is still a greasy footprint, until I mop...
a "Best Western" logo printed from the computer, all cut up into smaller pieces, for art purposes...
and 4 spoons, white, red, yellow, and blue.
Oh, and chocolate cake crumbs, pretty much making my counter top polka-dotted.
Yes, my kitchen looks like a Best Western sign blew up in it.
It is clean now.
But it was all worth it to see Dixon's face...
The girls and I just enjoyed a piece of the "blue Best Western" cake.... only 550 more pieces to go!

It is official...

Our little hotel is a Best Western!!!

multiple personalities...

i have heard for the longest time, before kids and now after, how each child has their own little personality... it could not be displayed any better between lynn and ash.
while disciplining ash tonight for saying "potty words", she stops me in the middle of my lecture. i think that just maybe she has learned this time, and is going to apologize and turn a new leaf (this is after soap on the tongue mind you)... instead she says: "but mommy... you have such a cute shirt on today!"
and merrill invented a new word... jankety. it describes the present state of our deck...
on the doctor front: no more going to the doctor!!!! woo hoo!!! he packed it one last time today and wants me to take it out in a day or two. if i am concerned, then we should go back...
aahhh... i will not miss going to the instacare...

Happy 24th!!!

Woke up bright and early to save spots at the Pioneer Days parade in Ogden...I wanted this shot so badly at South Ogden Days... Got it today!!!
More celebrating to be had!

How I met the love of my life... (sigh...)

It all began 3 or more years before this picture was taken...We were 15... well, Merrill was 16. Joe (my brother) and Jackie (Merrill's sister), were dating. His family invited my family up for a barbecue and to swim. Jackie had mentioned a couple of times that she had a brother my age who was pretty cute. We should date when I turned 16. The night of the barbecue was the first time I ever saw him. After that, I couldn't stop thinking about him! I could even tell you what he was wearing... and I took extra time getting ready that day too. I did have a "boyfriend" at the time, and I still had Merrill on the brain.
We both dated, had relationships, but still kept tabs on the other. He would come over to my house occasionally with Joe to mess around... I would find a reason to go to Joe's room... wow.. he (Merrill, not Joe!) was (is) hot...
September 1996, Joe and Jackie got married. Here was our first real conversation. We took Kaitlyn and MiKell to McDonald's in the ZCMI center to get some fries while the endless photo shoot was going on. He really didn't talk much. I thought it was because he wasn't interested in me. He says he was shy, he really liked me. I didn't believe him until we watched home video of the wedding after we began dating, only to find him checking out my butt...
We still would ask about each other, and Joe and Jackie (but I think more Joe) began hinting to Merrill that he should break up my engagement, apparently, no body seemed to care for my doofy fiancee (including me). So Merrill said he'd do it.
August 1998, I was supposed to be getting married, but didn't want to (too long a story...) and Jackie knew I needed a break. She invited me to go to Lake Powell with her family. My payment: help to cook and to care for Kaitlyn and MiKell, going into 1st grade and Kindergarten (and now they are Lakette and Cheer captain? Where has time gone?!) I was game, and I left my engagement ring at home, I didn't want it to get lost...;)
Many prayers later... there was Merrill. We talked A LOT.
We hit it off. He was so sweet!
He kissed me.
We fell in love.
He rescued me. I broke off my engagement the day I got home.
Lake Powell is a sacred place to us.

My Kiddos...

My sweet and sassy girls...I was a little afraid when we found out that Lynn was going to be a girl... a little excited too... but afraid... now I have 3 of them!!! Merrill is afraid of paying for the weddings.
It is so fun to see each of their different personalities...
Lynn is coming into her mothering phase... she's "Honey Bear"...
Ashley is our comedian, always pretty hyper, but she has a shy bone in her too... she is "Ashley Bear"... yeah, we got real creative...
And here is the best baby in the whole wide world... she can put up with the other two... but she doesn't quite have a "Bear" name yet... but recent days has gone by "Peyton Pissy Pants"... we think it's teeth... or her sisters bugging her...
I wonder why I was so afraid to have a girl in the first place. I was even more afraid of having two. I grew up an only girl, and my relationship with my mother is a sacred thing, I was so concerned about having that kind of relationship with each of my girls... so far it is working out splendidly...

Just venting...

Here's your warning:
I am just venting... there are no intended bulls eyes... I am not flinging my words in any certain direction... I am not talking about YOU... I do not intend to hurt feelings... I am not looking for solutions... I am not seeking help... I am not trying to be "Debbie Downer"... This is just how life is right now, I am usually positive, but I just don't feel like being Pollyanna today... I am just venting! So if you don't like it... wait till I update later.
The stress of today actually began long ago. Sunday's are no longer the relaxing, "put all of your cares aside day" like they used to be. Primary is always changing. It would help if they would stop taking away people who like to be in primary, who the kids love... but it changes. It would also be helpful if the people who are called to serve in primary, would simply do what they were called to do, or did what they say they would do.
Yesterday: I find out that teachers will be gone.
Today: I find out that more people were gone with little or no notice. It's great to come to primary and some pretty key players aren't there. Not to mention that the list of names I submitted for callings, A MONTH AGO... still hasn't been dealt with completely. Or that names on said list are no longer available, even though they were once told they could be "mine".
They are also very stealthily trying to take Merrill away from me, like we don't talk?
He's freaked out about that, change... Oh, and after the doctor's appointment yesterday, where THE BEST DOCTOR, DR. CARDON... gave us more information in 3 minutes than we had gotten in one week!!! He told us that the little cyst, needs to be surgically removed... cha-ching$!$
Then I have a music leader who isn't teaching the required songs for the program but then goes on to be huffy when sharing time eats into her music time... they are songs that the kids have sung for x number of years... this is just a review of all those years plus the last 3 weeks. 5 minutes of singing time is not a big deal. I don't think I hid my annoyance very well... Christie heard it in my voice, and I cannot hide my feelings well in my facial expressions... Julie both saw and heard... I hope I got my point across, "You aren't teaching any new songs... these are the same songs from the past few weeks... it's just a review... five minutes will be okay, they are wrapping-up sharing time." She left right after music time in Junior Primary... like she regularly stays for sacrament meeting... and she's supposed to be teaching the kids the gospel in song? But she doesn't stay for the most vital meeting in the Sunday block? Yah.
So then I visit with the counselor over us... that's where I find out that close to nothing has been done, and the names that were once mine, aren't mine any more, apparently there is something much better out there for them than serving in the Primary. Yada yada yada... I zoned out, I couldn't take anymore bad news...
Let me just tie my own noose now...
Mer was in pain, so we stayed to take the sacrament and then go home to medicate, and vent... To only have Julie chasing me down the hall... "Look at this!" The program has the Primary children down to sing a medley of songs... Ummmmm.... we have no chorister (remember, she went home), not to mention nobody told me about this... I would later find out that it was a "select group of children" who were prepared, and they just worded it wrong, well, maybe not wrong, but not in the best, most clear way...
So here I am, half dreading the week ahead...
Everything continues to pile on up, and I am bugged...
This is all I can recollect at the moment, and what I can say politely...
So there ya go.
Did I mention we are thinking of moving?

Embarrass yourself...

Okay!Let me just say, I had 3 brothers, NO sisters... this was how they did it, why would I think to do it any other way?
Yes, I am much more modest now...
... I am also just about that flat-chested too... minus empty skin-bags where boobs once lived.

A cyst-"ick" update..

No, this is not Merrill's cyst... some random guy, but it looks similar...
Just got back from the doctor. Thanks Kaitlyn for helping with the kiddies!!!
I hope for his sake, he never "googles" himself...
We talked about optional methods to treat this so we don't have to endure going in everyday for 10 days to have it re-packed, and come to find out, this is the way it is supposed to be done.
Surprise, surprise, Dr. Muse was wrong, AGAIN. He was the one who put the tube in. He was also our first primary care physician who told me that Lynn did indeed have eczema, but didn't need the prescription lotion, another doctor corrected that one. He also told me that the fluoride the girls take, didn't come in any other form than liquid... I inquired about that after they had stained many a pair of PJs with stray fluoride spittle. I later found out, fluoride comes in chew ables, when we got a new doctor. Dr. Muse was also the same doctor who told me that Ashley skin tag, right at the top of her butt crack would go away on it's own... later found out that it would go away, sure... IF IT WERE SURGICALLY REMOVED!!! So he has screwed us more than once. That's why I am not at all surprised to discover that this method of treatment was also, incorrect. Now why did we get a new doctor?
Because he got a promotion. With a record like this, why on earth would he be promoted??? Now lets hope that HE never "googles" himself too... for his own ego's sake of course...
So Doctor Hall did much better today.
We talked about MORE follow-ups, talked about our sucky insurance, talked about the billing, which we shouldn't get anything billed to us for these follow-ups, "If you get more bills, complain, you shouldn't have to pay for anything more than the InstaCare visit."
He took out the packing, more puss on it.
He squeezed out more "sebaceous cyst matter", which looks a lot like cottage cheese (sorry to all those cottage cheese lovers...)
And before he re-packed it, he gave Mer some lidocaine to help with the pain, and had a much more talkative personality, asking and answering many questions, with confidence mind you...
He was still so impressed with my bandaging job, on Tuesday, that he offered to send me home with the stuff to re-pack Mer's wound. I couldn't do it, it hurts him too much. He also asked if I wanted to clean out the gunk that was still left in Mer's pit.. "I have been thinking about how well you bandaged his arm the other day. I am so impressed!" And when all was done, he just needed to be bandaged up, he asked me if I would do it. He needed to get more tape. He sent the nurse in with the tape, and she asked me how to do it...
Mer went back to work, which speaks volumes...
He knows that we won't be back tomorrow. We are supposed to go in Saturday, if not then, then Sunday, and he wants to see Mer Monday for sure.
So we'll see how well he does tonight. Our lives are pretty boring. We are stuck at home during the day, and don't do anything as a family at night with the way he's been feeling... I need to infuse some excitement.
Peyton sure is... every night since Monday, she has been waking at 3 am-ish... how on earth does my baby who has been sleeping through the night for months now, wake in the middle of the night to eat? She is really throwing me for one. Never quite satisfied with anything, quite moody, isn't taking good naps, acts like she's still hungry, but won't eat like she is hungry when I try to give her something else. I hope it's just teeth.
I am a mother of 3, so how is it that I can't figure this out so I can get back to my easy-going life?

A Summertime Flashback...

July 1999...
Bear Lake...
*WARNING!!!*
The quality of these flashback pictures are Sucky with a capital "S"... they were taken back in 1999, with a 35mm camera, and scanned in today, July 17th, 2008... so don't knock 'em! They're all I have...
Now enjoy my memory, dangit!
Here's Merrill and Clint, when Clint was so little...
This was my first trip to Bear Lake with Merrill and his family. I had been many times with my own family and we would camp on the beach, the extent of our toys were beach balls, a raft, and scuba gear. Don't get me wrong, we had a blast... With Merrill's family, we stayed in a condo at a resort and brought many toys, jet skis, volleyball net, water trampoline... we had a lot of fun too.This is one of those toys... a "fungulator", aka, giant slingshot. In this pic, we were flinging water balloons quite a ways away at unknowing people who were playing miniature golf... tee-hee!Some fun had while playing volleyball occurred during a match, me and Mer, against Austin and Nathan. We were kicking butt the whole game, up until the very end (maybe they were hustling us...) and we were trying to keep our ground. It got down to game point, and we were going to win. We both went after the ball, both yelling: "MINE!!!" and we both got a piece of it, Merrill got a piece of my eye too. I got quite a shiner, Mer got teased relentlessly by his family about how he beats his girlfriend... he felt so bad! He babied me the rest of the trip. It was a few months after that, that he proposed. I guess I deserved it...(Not that great of a pic... refer to the warning at the beginning of the post...)

We also had a lot of fun on the jet skis. Anybody who has been to Bear Lake knows that the water isn't as warm as other places... in other words, cold... my comparison, Lake Powell (aaahhhh...) So it was quite an evening when Mer and I went out jet skiing in some of the biggest waves I've ever seen at Bear Lake. We were trying so hard to stay on, usually falling off and crashing, getting all wet is the funnest part of jet skiing... not that night. We were freezing and drenched by the time that ride was over. Thank heavens for warm Spaghetti O's Darlene had made for us!
We also had rented a wave runner while we were there. I asked Mer if it would dump people like on the jet skis. His answer, "It would be really hard." We went out for a ride, me, hanging on behind him while he drove. In the middle of the Lake, he stopped and we switched places. I dumped him :)...

quick blurb...

today was slightly better...
got a shower :)
got some housecleaning done...
now to figure out why Pey is being so pissy...

Favorite Summertime treat...

Let's say that the way Grandma would:
fav-o-rite....
my most fav-o-rite:
A warm tomato fresh from the garden, sliced, complete with salt and pepper...
But since I am a sweet -toothed girl... and I can only pick one... I thought long and hard...
What can I really get only in the summer time, and tastes soooo good in the summertime...A cherry Icee... sure I can get them at Target any time of the year, but they taste better in the summer, and they taste even better in the exciting atmosphere of Lagoon...

Another day of "the cyst"drama...

Soooo... yesterday, Dixon took Merrill to InstaCare after work to get "the cyst" drained... he insisted on taking him, too bad he's not paying for it too. I do feel bad that Mer was in so much pain, but he even said, "It's gonna burst any minute." So, Dixon took Mer, and I stayed with the girls.
An antibiotic and pain prescription were given, Dixon took those in to get filled, but didn't get back in time to pick them up /:!... I said I could go and get them, so it kind of made me ornery. He said he'd get them this morning, needless to say, I picked them up this afternoon, after a follow-up appointment.
He saw Dr. Hall, "the kernel" doctor, who I really don't care for, zero confidence. Despite the fact that this is the third time this has happened, he wanted to do everything like it was the first, cultures and biopsies... the first time the doc just put in a drainage tube, and left it in, it fell out on it's own when all the goo was gone. This goofball, wants us to come in EVERYDAY to have him re-pack it. After seeing what kind of pain that puts Merrill through, I think we'll not do that everyday.
I just hate how every doctor has a different idea how to treat one thing, and this time, it just so happens to be my least favorite way.
So that goofball doc was who we got to go see for the follow-up today. The girl at the receptionist desk thought she was pretty straight forward with her assertive tone and all about what we were there for, then she brought up the co-pay... oh, no she di-n't!!! She doesn't know me or about all of my pent-up rage... I let her have it, a nicely as I could. "This is a "follow-up"... we already paid a co-pay..." She tried to argue it, but she gave up quickly. We got to endure the lovely wait, sarcastic... and once we got into a room, Merrill says it's all "off record"... "You're not going to blog about this..."
I'll just say, I have never seen him in so much pain. He took the rest of the day off to be drugged-up and loopy.
So here I am, a single mother, pretty much... the littlest things that he would help me with, getting the girls ready for bed, holding Peyton so I can free my hands for a sec when she is being "Peyton-Pissy-Pants", dressing himself... all gone. He is the "one-armed" man now.
Thanks MiKell for watching the girls so I could go with Mer today!!!
Now I stress about the bill that will one day come, even though I don't with other bills that come... and our deck.. oh, our deck that is half a deck... and not even stained...
It's supposed to rain... so now I have a half deck, covered with a tarp, and a one-armed husband.

Favorite thing about summertime...

'Tis a tie!!!
Fireworks AND thunderstorms...



















I love the smell of them both and the atmosphere that both create... I also love that both seem to gather my family to one common place... they also make awesome pics!
Peyton is 5 months old today...
Isn't she so stinkin' cute! I got this one on the FIRST shot! She is so fun... she loved the fireworks tonight and didn't cry, unlike Lynn's first time.
Church was okay today... it was "correlation Sunday..." that means lots of fun for the family no matter how prepared I am. Sharing time went especially well today, both Junior and Senior Primary were interested. It was about "obedience and faithfulness". I have many experiences in those departments...
Only a fraction of calls were extended based on my list, yes, a list. We'll just have to exercise more patience and that faithfulness! Poor Mer-Bear... in more ways than one... his arm, the cyst still hasn't drained, and he hurts. It's not a common thing for him to give up his Sunday's with Peyton in the nursery with him, but he just hurt too bad. Poor guy. We'll have to see about the "other thing"... later this week...
It was so funny thing tonight going to WSU for the concert and fireworks. No phone calls were made to meet, everyone just showed up. Well, Clint did call trying to find us, but everyone knows, where we are there. We have sat in the same spot on the soccer field since the first year we were married. Good times, fun memories.

What to do with all of this...

Believe it or not, I curled more...
I said I had plans, and a bunch of outfits lined-up to coordinate with...See, they turned out cute! And I have a stash of curled ribbon already cut to make more!

Flashback Friday...

This is the best and least disgusting pic I can get of Merrill's armpit... even though it's really his other one...
Yes, this is my flashback.
Each time, before the birth of Lynn and Ash, Merrill got a cyst in his armpit. The first time, a month before Lynn was born, we had no idea what it was and was pretty scared, a lump in his armpit? We went to the doctor (must have been a big deal to get him in there...) and he took a look at it. He was pretty sure it was a cyst, but would have to open it up and take a sample to biopsy (Merrill didn't want to have any needles or scalpels, I enjoyed watching...). He opened it up and drained it, took a biopsy, gave us a script for antibiotic, and told us he'd let us know. He was confused because he typically only sees these in females and they get them from the motion and rubbing of under-arm hair removal. Yeah, Merrill doesn't do that... he was quite tender for a couple of weeks. We didn't dare say anything to anyone until we knew everything was okay.
The results came back, and everything was fine.
Fast forward just about two years... I am prego with Ash, and he gets it again! This time we go to insta-care, we know what it is. This time, the most wonderful Dr. Cardon (our favorite, too bad he doesn't have a general practitioner thing going on..) said, "I don't need to open it up. Here's an antibiotic, take it till it's gone and do warm moist compresses on it twice a day till it pops, like a zit." I know, gross... but it's cool to me.
So now here we are...
I honestly thought that it would happen again when I was expecting Pey, you know, the whole pregnancy correlation thing... but he came to me yesterday, telling me it was coming back. He asked if I could make him an appointment. I said, "Nope... that's why we got Cipro in Mexico... we know what to do."
So now, he's just waiting till it explodes... (sorry for the grosseties...)
On with the rest of my day...
Went to Target... need I say more? My checking account is smaller.
I found many cute things for the girls, even though I said they had enough for the summer, I broke down and got them some tank tops, it's been warm, too warm... and I got them some cute dresses. I found me some crop pants! They even passed Merrill's "cute test"... Yeah!!! I only wish they had them in denim :(.
Got more ribbon from JoAnn's.
Got fabric to make me a skirt.
Got more ice cream from Sam's. ;)
Didn't get to the mall... a lot I wished to look for there...
Mer's idea to go to Mc-e-Dee's for din-din and let the kids play. So that was a nice, different break.
And Peyton-Pissy-Pants... she was so grumpy! I couldn't even help Mer with the deck tonight. I gave her Tylenol, she's been gumming everything, even things that do not hold still... and I also fed her cereal for the first time... she quite enjoyed herself.
Then she was happy. Now I am worried that maybe she needs more than what I can give her... but I am telling myself it was really the Tylenol that she needed.

My finger is numb...

I don't know if it's because of all the pins I pushed today, or because of my carelessness with hot tools, but my finger is numb.
How I wish I had a camera with a charged battery!!! We had a "Presidency Meeting", which came about because some of us had "needs", you know, the stuff you need your girlfriends for. There was some discussion about primary though... we got some cute hair stuff made. Christie "The Hair Accessory Making Genius" Jefferies, showed us the best little headband that enables me to TRIPLE the use of my bows and hair clips... it's awesome. So I spent a major part of my day making all sorts of bows that I can get more use out of. I also had to make another holder for the back of my bathroom door... pictures to come soon, I promise! So, have you ever had a "disconnect" with your hubby? Some point in time where you need to get back on the same track? Mer and I had one of those. It's been piling up, it doesn't help that the business is so busy this time of the year, and all free time is with the whole fam., not just the two of us.. so we had a breaking point that occurred on our camping trip, in front of my WHOLE FAMILY... I am still a little embarrassed that I lost it so... but we are better! Well, at least working at it! Things are good.
I've been getting "love notes" left on my desktop:Peyton has a new "fun thing" she likes to do now, you know, to get our attention, maybe she's bored (I totally know she doesn't do this on purpose... don't leave me comments like I am dumb...) She rolls around in her crib and gets all crazy flailing about until one of her appendages gets stuck in her crib slats. And then she cries or at least yells at us. This makes ANY NOCTURNAL ACTIVITIES (i.e. anything you would do while other children are sleeping) impossible! (I did say we are reconnecting ;)...) You think you have her asleep and all comfy, just a while later, give her ten or more, she's awake and very stuck!
Needless to say, we were tired this morning.

Embrace...

I finished reading "The Host"... that woman is one addictive author...
My project for the day...Thanks to Christie for teaching us how to make curly bows a couple of weeks ago!
Thanks for the cute butterflies and princesses too!Sleeping Beauty and Belle...
And I needed more magnets to hold up all the fun stuff I anticipate scrapping with soon...

My baby's a growin'...
Look how she jumps!
The girls drive me crazy not keeping their hands, feet and various other appendages off of the jumper... Brooke loaned it to us and I do not want to replace it... but to see how much fun she has in the dang thing makes it worth all of my nagging.
She is doing so much fun stuff now, reaching for her toys, holding them and playing with them. She'll reach for me most of the time when I hold my hands out to her. She recognizes the girls in pictures, she had a blast watching home videos today(which was kinda bittersweet seeing Lynn and Ash so small too...), she talked right back to the TV. She will grab the animals on the jumper and they will make their noise and she squawks back at them. She stares at us until she gets us to look at her and then gives us a grin. So many fun things.
Time is going by so fast!
She will be 5 months old on Sunday... this got me thinking...
EMBRACE...
Word for the year.
See what I made...

This and That...

Peyton's first 4th... well, this really was the 5th...Apparently, Ash thought that the "Build A Bear" dress was entirely appropriate attire for herself...I have been playing catch-up and clean-up ever since Saturday. Yesterday I spent the day cleaning and doing laundry. I got to my millionth and one load yesterday, and shhh!!! I have been doing laundry since Saturday... yes, that includes Sunday... DON"T TELL MOM!!!
My house was in need of a good scrubbing. I did not take a picture of the state of my kitchen sink at the risk of ruining many people's keyboards with the expulsion of their own vomit.. it was bad.
The only thing that could possibly meet the nastiness of my sink, was this yeasty smell emanating from my refrigerator area... I could smell it every time I shut the door. So I investigated... nothing in there that would possibly be that old... shut the door. I can still smell it. So I resembled a bloodhound, for just a minute or two, sniffing around the outside of my fridge. Did something spill underneath it? I sniff some more, only to find there is liquid underneath the little tray in my water and ice dispenser area. Some sweet child who must have assumed that there was also a drain connected to the bottom of that area, poured their left over milk (?) from breakfast in there. With it being so warm, and not house cleaning day, it sat, and grew, and stunk. It was insanely gross. It took a Lysol bath overnight.
I have to say what incredible friends and family I have!!! I have received so much help, support, and encouragement, even when I didn't think I needed it.
Thanks to all, and thanks to Christie for teaching me new fun things, making my girls some way cute clips (I'll post pics later...) AND cinnamon rolls... I love ya! Thanks to our "other Grandma"or "Mama", Kathy, Brooke's mom... she made Peyton this precious hooded towel and a dress, smocked, and an identical one on a doll... so sweet!
THANK YOU ALL!!!
Now I am off to finish laundry, last 2 loads... and get groceries done...