Welcome to Dana's blog!

I want a baby brudder...

Our 3yo found a robin's egg that had fallen out of it's nest.  She thinks her baby brudder is inside there.  She asked if we could put it in a nest so she can have a brudder.  My mother had given us some Land Before Time tapes and I didn't realize how quickly kids can be indoctrinated to different things.  Oh, ya, I know some of it, but this little one just gleans every bit of anything out of TV and I am having to watch her so much more closely than the other kids. 

For those that don't know... Land Before Time tapes are cute little dinosaurs that teach values.  However, it also teaches evolutionism (and yes the 3yo picked that up... so I am doing reverse training now on teaching creationism which was so natural to my other kids... but not to her, she just doesn't get the confused messages... yes she's three, but the others got it by this age... Jesus made the sunshine... Jesus made the green grass...etc.).  And, they personalize the little dinosaurs, in that, my little one thinks we lay eggs and put them in a nest and watch them hatch. 

While this is so cute... she went on and on about having a baby brudder.  She even sat down with a sad look with the egg in her hands waiting for it to hatch.  She went on for several days asking for her brudder... which Dh was just at ends with because as most of you know... Daddy's like to fulfill their daughter's requests and this was one he could do nothing about.  LOL.  (Trusting God, here!) The egg finally disappeared out of the house and she then was sad that someone took her brudder and threw him out.  Guess who she blamed???  Yup... MOM!  (I didn't take it, but  she still didn't believe me). 

Anyways, it was cute, but I learned a huge lesson, that I have been lax on the training of my 3yo... My other kids watched "Little Foot" (one of the dinosaurs) but it was when they were much older and already understood about creation and basic aspects of life... So, Mom got her hand slapped and is getting on with fixing her errors.  Yes, I know the issues with TV... I also know the issues my family has with NO TV.... especially Dh.  I also know that it isn't just our family, but our entire social circle at church and extended family that also are endeared to the TV.  So I won't get away from the TV as much as I'd like to... but I know that it can be combatted with a firm stand on what is OK and what isn't OK and limiting it at home as much as I am able.  I learned that with my other three kids.  But, I haven't been watching so closely with this little one.  I need to do better. 

Warmly, ~Melissa 

this might get long.....

first, please pray for the those in the earthquake in China. Being across the Straits from them, we get lots of news. It is heart breaking, really. We had an earthquake 24hours after that............in the middle of the night.........talk about freaky!!!

anyway, I am tired. i had a long day today and getting a headache. man, seems like the woes of pregnancy has hit me all at once! at 34week check up, dr said Anna Joy was still very breech. We go again on the 23rd and see. that will be about 36weeks.  anyway, we might have to have a c/section.................scheduled right now for June 12th. So, we'll see. I honestly am tired and exhausted with this pregnancy!!!

i haven't been doing alot cooking wise again.........getting lazy, just tired, really exhausted. I did plant flowers though:-) we are hoping to beautify the place, but then again, after baby comes, i won't keep up with it too much.

well, hope everyone is doing well.

Friday's To Do List

I have alot to get done Friday, and mostly this is my list to remind myself and make sure I am accountable to get it done.  But if you read it and get anything out of it, great.  If it inspires you, wonderful.  If you are as bored reading it, as I am writing it, I am so sorry! LOL

1.  Clean off dining room table (the free produce I picked up yesterday is here)

2.  Start taking care of veggies (Freezing summer squash and zucchini and making salsa or spaghetti sauce with roma tomatoes and onions)

3.  Wipe down dining room table, chairs and highchair (while veggies are cooking)

4.  Clean off living room tables

5.  Pick up Noah's toys and put things away

6.Reorganize stuff on book shelves

7.  Put dvds and vhs tapes away

8. Dust and Windex in DR and LR (the rooms are ajoined)

9.  Spray fabrics with febreeze

10. Vacuum stairs and DR and LR

11. Wipe down brown chair and ottoman

12. Go through all magazines and purge (I will take some old ones to the Thrift Shop, and some more recent ones, I will box and let friends go through them to read before taking to Thrift Shop)

13. Put supper in the crockpot

14.  Empty dishwasher and start again if needed

15.  Go to Alltel store for a new charger (I am not sure why, but mine stopped working after a year!!)

If I get all this done, which is probable if I don't have too many interuptions, I will start in Saturdays to do list and get a few things done ahead of time.

Plans for our 3rd anniversary

Hi all.  Matthew and I are still what most would call newlyweds (May 21st will be our 3rd anniversary), but we have been through more than most have been through in more than 10 years of marriage.  To just mention a few, we have had a baby (he just turned 2), buried both of my parents, buried both of Matthew's grandparents, bought a house and moved, and both of us have switched jobs (me twice before finally deciding to be a SAHM while pregnant with Noah), all within the first three years (most within the first 2 years).  We know each other better than most couples who have been married for decades (Matthew's mother says we probably knew each other better in the 9 weeks we dated before getting married than she knew her husband within the first 15-20 years. LOL), but at the same time, we are newlyweds and still getting used to communication and getting to know each other's likes and dislikes.

The weekend after our anniversary is a 4 day weekend for Matthew. He took Friday off, and Monday is one of his holidays, so we are taking a short trip to the city (Kansas City, Missouri, about a 100 mile trip for us) to celebrate.  I am so excited about going, but nervous to leave Noah behind.  I have a wonderful friend Jen who has volunteered to stay at our house with Noah while we are gone Friday and Saturday (then we will come home, and still have 2 days to spend with Noah before daddy has to go back to work), and take care of Noah.  It will be easier on Noah to go to bed in his own crib.  Of course, we will leave her with his car seat, keys to the house, etc.  I just hate leaving him is all.  I know she will take wonderful care of him though. 

I decided today to make a list of the things that need to get done before we leave (such as a HUGE list of things that need to be cleaned up on the house before leaving.  It is awful to let a guest inside your home and expect her to make any sense of it all, and I hate coming home to a messy cluttered home too!) and make a goal of getting them all done by next Friday when we will be leaving.  My list is so long, but hopefully I can get it all done and then focus on sewing curtains for the kitchen and laundry room before we leave.

While we are in the city, we will eat our our all time favorite resturant called Ghangis Khan (mongolian BBQ).  The place is awesome.  They have a bar of fresh veggies, meats, and all the sauces, etc you could possibly want for your meal.  You pur your choice of things in a bowl and take it to the front where guys cook it on a huge flat metal thing (you expect me to know what they call it?? LOL) and bat it around with large wooden sticks to make sure it cooks evenly.  It is a little expensive, so we normally save eating there for anniversaries and birthdays.  This year, we are only eating there for our anniversary only.

Also while in the city, we will be shopping for my bday present (mine was April 27th), and my Mother's Day present from Matthew.  We consider the trip itself our present to each other.  We are planning a trip to Sam's to stock up on some things, and I am in need of some new bras, so Matthew said I can buy 4 new ones.  ( I am so excited about that.  LOL)  We will be staying at a hotel, which tickles me pink for some silly reason. LOL  We are hoping to stay somewhere with an indoor pool!  (We had a hard time finding a place with any pool that was open while on our honeymoon 3 years ago because in May most pools are either not open yet for the season at a hotel, or they are closed for remodeling, but most places that have indoor pools have them opened all year round.) 

I guess I am rambling here, but I wanted to write down what my plans will be for myself as well as writing releases stresses about the out of town trip as well.

I'm SUNBURNED!

I managed to plant 3 rows of onions... 2.5 of red onions and a half row of white onions.  My skin started to hurt, so I hid for cover.    Tonight I can see that I am indeed sunburned on my arms. 

Today was a busy day.  But I feel good that something was accomplished.  Although, I was beginning to wonder, as my day seemed to get sidetracked every few minutes.  I decided not to get upset and that each step I made towards the goal, was a step closer than I was before I started. 

The biggest thing accomplished for me today was planting the 4 rose bushes that I bought last week.  I also planted a hydrangea bush by the driveway.  Dh smoothed out my old garden area (leveling it) and then put together a temporary campfire ring with some formed brick cement blocks.  I now have a pile of dirt to make my raised strawberry bed out of... someday. 

Second on my glad to get started list was the hauling of planting supplies to my garden, getting all the markers, string (for straight rows)... and actually getting some onions in the ground.  This process was interrupted by my 3yo who had lots of other things for mommy to do. 

We also found some baby killdeer birds flitting around the garden...and we caught one... and let it go.  Unfortunately, later on one of the cats or dogs caught one and killed it.  So sad!  I found it by the side of the house.  I was a bit upset.  Those little babies are so SOOOO cute.  We enjoy them each spring!  You can only catch them the first day or two... after that they are too quick for our clumsy bodies to catch them!   (And no, touching them has NEVER caused a momma or daddy bird to reject them). 

We set up one of our tents from farmer's market and put the sides on it for Paige to play in... she loved it... her own little house!  The wind caught it with all the sides on the tent and sent it rolling.  I'm glad she wasn't in it when the gust of wind blew it over.  I guess I will need to tie it down or put the weights on it, if we plan to use it with her again. 

Well, other than cooking and cleaning chores, that was my day. 

Warmly, ~Melissa

Homemade Salsa???

After getting boxes of roma tomatoes, summer squash, zucchini and some onions from the guy giving produce away (he was taking donations for his food pantry in the city and since I knew him as a former pastor in town, I gave him a good donation), I have been looking up recipes for salsa (good use for my onions and tomatoes and I can buy the peppers needed), and looking up web pages giving directions on how to freeze the summer squash and zucchini.  So guess what I will be doing tonight and tomorrow??  I am excited because as my friend Kitty said, it is amazing to see anyone giving away food at these times.  Plus I have never frozen those veggies, and can you believe I have never made salsa before either???

Almost have my girlfriend's laundry done and bagged for her.  LOL  I washed it, dried it, folded it for her and she brought me a 1 liter bottle of my favorite drink....MT. DEW!!!   And a package of Reece's Peanut butter cups (possibly the best food on earth. LOL) for doing her laundry.  How funny is that??? She is a peach I tell ya.

Hubby went to work today with cructches and came home carrying them in one hand and walking slowly today.  LOL  He said his ankle is doing better, but I can gurantee hi won't be on any roofs or towers any time soon!  He is still planning on staying home this weekend instead of working with his friend on electrical moonlighting jobs, so maybe we will get some painting and other household projects done that are on my "honey-do" list.

Hubby and I talked about using some of the money we have had coming in to stock up on some groceries and paper supplies for the home again.  We were having a tight month and decided not to buy groceries this month, so we were using up what was stocked in our pantry shelves.  We did have to buy toliet paper (don't want to run out of that!!!), and diapers, and I even broke down and bought Matthew his favorite breakfast cereal while it was on sale because he was about to have a nervous breakdown without his Peanut Butter Captain Crunch cereal. LOL  Since then we have had some money come in, and after talking with Matthew today, I think we are going to make a list of bulk items we would like to stock up on when they go on sale and hopefully before the food prices rise again.  We had quite a stash going until we had to use it the last 2 months.  We may be doing some shopping while in the city next weekend over our anniversary weekend and I am excited to be able to visit Sam's Club again!  I haven't been to one in well over a year and I used to accompany my mom about 1-2 times a month.

ok, I am skipping out of here for now.  Have a wonderful evening.

Bubba and Jeffie with pictures

It has been such a blessing having the grand-babies back down here.  They have been with us for a few days because Michelle ended up in the hospital er for very bad head aches and her head swelled.  But Jeffie has been with us most of the time because he doesn't want to leave here.  But they both left today until Saturday night or ??.

Jeffie has a favorite place to sit when he is here.  It is on Bubba's (my hubby, he is called Bubba because he is carring on the family tradition of male grandpa being called Bubba, I named my grandfather Bubba, my girls called my dad Bubba and the torch has been past on to my hubby)  shoulder  Jeffie will crawl up on his shoulder they will talk and watch fishing and hunting shows.

Here is a picture of Bubba and Jeffie hunting deer 2 nights ago:

They look so cute .

Here is my sleepy deer hunter :

Here is Bubba with Maddie:

Here is Bubba with Maddie and Jeffie who is hiding from his mom Michelle so he wont have to leave, it worked she let him stay:

Well that is all for today.

God Bless, mj

Thinking of starting a laundromat...........what are your thoughts???

My best friend is washing her clothes at my house today.  NO, I honestly do not care, but of course I am teasing her about paying me $2.00 a load to wash and another $2.00 to dry.  LOL  That is the going rate around here at the laundromats.  LOL  She had to run a quick errand, so she dumped her laundry in my lundry back porch area and left it with me to start and switch over. LOL  How funny is that??? I guess I am a true friend! LOL  

We went to a small store today and I ended up buying Noah and adorable table and four chairs.  He was sitting in the chair while were there looking about and then I noticed the table as well.  The gal who was there said the table usually goes for $69.00 (it was a sratch and dent Pottery Barn chair...had a tiny tiny dent on one corner) but she would sell me the table and four chairs (two blue and two green) for $29.99.  So I bought them all.  It is so adorable and I know Noah will love being able to sit at it and color, etc. 

We also splurged a little today and ate at Pizza Hut today.  Noah had a blast shaking the parmesan cheese onto his pizza and dipping breadsticks into the marinara sauce.  He was so cute with spaghetti sauce all over his face.  LOL Too bad I didn't have a camera with me.

OH, and we were headed to Pizza Hut, we saw a guy with a truckload FULL of boxed vegetables and a for FREE sign on it.  We drove by and he said he was giving these away for a donation of any amount.  Isn't that awesome?? So we got a box of tomatoes, a box of yellow squash, and a box of zucchini as well as about 5-6 large onions.  My friend and I are hoping to possibly make some salsa out of some of it and I will cut up some and freeze.  I called Matthew at work and told him to call his friend Dan (the one we have been trying to help out with groceries because he only gets $10 in foodstamps a month) and tell him where the truck was.

Noah is down for a nap and I have several things that need to get done today, so I am off.  I think I might go start the new dish washer again, and check on my friend's laundry that needs to be switched to the dryer.  Then I will clean off the dining room table, and oh yeah....I should figure out what is on the menu for supper tonight as well. LOL

Hope you are all having a wonderful Thursday.  The weather is perfect here today and I am hoping to get outside for some sun after Noah wakes up from his nap.

Preschool Activity

a new dishwasher, a trip to the ER and other stuff..........

OK, first of all....the new dishwasher is GORGEOUS!!!  I am in love with it.  It is white, and has a beautiful wooden top, and buttons.........oh how I love buttons on kitchen gadgets. LOL   Silly huh??  But seriously, this might be one of the top 3 days of my life (1. when I married my husband 2. the day Noah was born, and 3. getting the new dishwasher)  It is portable, and I have never had a portable one before, so after hubby found out how to use it he showed me, and guess what?? THIS THING IS SO EASY TO USE!!!  I am super excited! 

Now, about the trip to the ER.  My husband is awesome first of all.  He works for the city in the internet department.  I will often find out (after he arrives home safe and sound) that he was on top of a roof or worse, a really high tower installing an internet dish for a customer or business.  He has never fallen (Thank you Lord for keeping my husband safe) off a tower or a roof!!!  Monday, while working on a small 2 foot ladder running some cable for a new internet dish (moonlighting after hours on his own), he fell off the ladder, twisting his ankle and cutting up his arms.  He came home complaining about how badly it hurt  (I love him, but you just don't even know how big of a baby this man can be when he is sick or hurt.  LOL And believe me, he milks it for all he can too. LOL)  I told him last night I have had many twisted ankles and once when they thought I had even broken it and never whined that much. LOL (I have weak ankles and used to twist mine at least once a week when I was growing up!!! )  He went to the ER this morning by himself (calling the ER when he parked and asking them to please bring him a wheel chair.  LOL  He walked from the house to the car, but then thought he needed a wheelchair to get inside the hospital.  He is so funny sometimes.  Oh, BTW, don't think I am being too disrespectful by not going and holding his hand.  He wouldn't let me because the dishwasher was supposed to be delivered and he was also so excited about it that he wouldn't let me leave the house to accompany him to the ER! LOL) and after xrays the Doctor told him it was a really bad sprain and he should not bear weight on it for a week.  He called his boss to tell her and she said ok, then you can come answer phones for the rest of the week!    (No offense, but thank you Lord for taking him back to work tomorrow.  LOL  He is driving me crazy with all the, can you get my fuzzy socks, my feet are cold , then waiting until I am sitting down again and asking if I could get him a drink, waiting until I sit down again and saying, it is too cold in here, can you turn off the air, waiting until I sit down and *Deep Breath here*................ok, you get the idea right??? It got so bad that he kicked me out of the house this afternoon.  LOL  We were driving each other crazy and he couldn't leave easily, so I went for a drive and ran some errands.  LOL  Aren't we funny??)

And the other stuff is, I have found the perfect sewing table.  It is big enough for the sewing machine adn a few little things and has baskets underneath that can hold all the fabric I have (at least I think most of the fabric I have in my collection) in.  It is really pretty.  I am still trying to talk Matthew into letting me spend the money on it though. He was planning on buying my birthday present for me while we are gone next weekend in the city for our anniversary, but I am trying to talk him into letting me pick out my own present.  He thinks it is more important to buy me a gift that is from the heart (even if I don't like it....yes he actually said that), instead of buying something I have specificially picked out myself and know I will like ahead of time.  LOL  Isn't that a little backwards??? Dont' you hear most of the time about girls who want their husband's to buy them something from the heart instead of a vaccum cleaner or blender???  LOL  I used to be like that I suppose.  I have changed over the years!

Anyway.  I have had a busy day babying Matthew and his swollen ankle (it was the prettiest shade of black purple earlier when I checked on it and rewrapped it) and running after Noah who now thinks instead of being two that he is an adult who can do anything that we do, and shopping for a few items, running some errands, trying to be counselor to a girlfriend who is having some problems, being the Avon lady when Jen stopped by to pick up her order, and then going to see my chriopractor and counselor tonight.  I have had a busy day and as I am writing this last sentence, my eyes are getting droopy! LOL  Talk to you all soon.