One more time...

We went to Cook, NE yesterday to get a new truck. New. Haha. Anyway, we haven't found any problems yet. For its age, 1988, it's in pretty good condition. The outside desperately needs paint, but the upholstery is good, the tires are excellent, it has a bed liner and shell, and most all the lights and such work. The right turn signal won't stay on, but hey. Mallory said in a very shocked tone, "Is this your fourth truck?" Then Matthew follows up, "How long will this one last?" Teehee. My job here on earth is done. I have created my replacements. Actually, I never would have made these statements out loud. To him. Anyhoo...

We went to check progress on the drywall fixing project. The bedrooms are pretty good, but the rest needs help. I took off all next week to paint, now it looks like I won't be able to start until at least mid-week. grrrrr We're meeting with them tomorrow morning to point out the errors of their ways. I know it won't be perfect, but if they can match the job they did in the bedrooms, I'd be reasonable.

Ok, grabbing a movie and heading downstairs. Never lasts long before the boys find me in my favorite hiding spot. Ok, my only hiding spot, but everyone deserves one.

Good List

Since everyone likes a good list, I thought I'd post the one we got in Sunday morning Bible study last week. We're going through Tommy Nelson's Song of Solomon conference on video and it is just so much fun. Anyway, here's the list:

17 "Nevers" of communicating with your spouse
1. Never raise your voice in your home. (Easy enough... except when I need to yell)
2. Never publicly embarrass your mate. (Good one. Never do it)
3. Never argue in front of the children. (Understandable, but sometimes I need them for backup)
4. Never use the kids to win an argument. (Just shot #3)
5. Never talk about your spouse outside of your marriage. (Always support him, even behind his back. Learned that one in pre-marital counseling)
6. Never use sex to win. (Wouldn't do that. But he doesn't get any until I win)
7. Never touch in anger. (I love how this leaves room for throwing things)
8. Never call names. (Okay, that's childish, but sometimes necessary)
9. Never get historical and call into account a wrong suffered. (What's the point of a good memory?)
10. Never stomp out. (Get him to)
11. Never freeze your mate out. (Leave him a good coat)
12. Never use the in-laws. (Good advice. Especially when you're living with them)
13. Never reason in the face of pain. (Very good. Don't do it)
14. Never let the sun go down on your anger and give the devil an opportunity. (Make him stay up till you're done)
15. Never reverse an argument. (Very hard to do. This has squelched way too many arguments I would have like to have finished this week)
16. Never fail to listen to your mate. (Had that one. We're both good at that)
17. Never harden yourself toward your spouse. (That would be the end)

So we've been using those this week, and it's surprising how many times you find yourself in the middle of something you shouldn't do. And you can even see why, but then that blows the argument, and well, sometimes you figure out that you didn't need to be arguing about it in the first place. Oh, well.

If anyone has the opportunity to see the videos, take it. They are so worthwhile for everyone. While we are always told right and wrong, this really points out the rewards of doing things right. There is also a series for the unmarried, but this one covers that as well. I really hope to get to go through them again. An absolute gold mine of information for loving your spouse even more.

I knew I could!

Well, since everything I have been posting has been clashing with my blog layout, I've been trying to change it for the fall. Now that winter has just about hit, I'm getting this figured out! I'm glad this is a free service, because I could be spending a small fortune just on thier FAQ page! Anyway, feeling a little sick and dizzy today, so I'm hoping for a slow day of Sesame Street and video games. Not too much to ask, is it? I guess we'll see...

Happy Anniversary, Sweetie

Today is our 12th Anniversary. What are we doing? Hopefully, painting doors or something constructive like that. Progress continues slowly on the house. Sounds like a move in date in February. Really starting to knock the wind out of my sails. Janice really noticed it at the bakery yesterday. She says I usually do come in like it's my day off, but yesterday really had me down. We thought these drywallers were really going to fix all our problems, but then I find out they're smoking in the house and shoving cigarette butts in places I'll never get them out. That's when Janice said, "Wow, it really is one thing after another!"

But then I got going on a Thomas cake like I made Morgan, and later I got to make some new ones that we just got in. I had ordered some Curious George and Tinkerbell, and already had an order for George. It was in that awful Reddi-whip icing that just makes me cringe. I don't care how good that stuff tastes, it's not frosting! It doesn't spread like frosting and it doesn't decorate like frosting and the longer a cake stays decorated in it, the worse it looks. That stuff is gross. One huge, sticky mess. Hopefully my kids never hear it, but at the bakery I've always called it Crappy-Creme. I just think that even by the time someone picks up her cake, it's already ooozing together, colors bleeding, and drying out. And Buttercreme just looks so pretty. Always. And you can do so much with it. You can build it up, you can shape it, you can put black next to yellow and the yellow doesn't get upset. I'm about to stop taking Thomas orders in it. That's just disrespecting the Train. And he looks so good in the Buttercreme. Anyway... time to get moving toward church. Dad took Mom out for their 40th Anniversary last night and they came home with overalls for the boys. Just like Grandpa's. Mom said they have them on hangers in their room. I've never seen them hang up their Sunday clothes like that. Hmmmm.... I wonder if they think they're wearing them to church today... I think I really better get moving. I may have to hide some overalls before I get overruled!!

Spooks and Cats

October 31... Halloween and Bugger-Man's birthday. He's not so fond of the kids or the camera, so when I sent them to get a birthday picture, I didn't have a whole lot of good shots to post. Anyway, he's 14 years old now and outlived the other two. We lost Haze two years ago spring, about six days before his birthday. I probably would have posted some memorial about him, but this spring I was dealing with Joey's bad heart. I lost him just three days before his birthday. So Bugger making it to 14 is kind of a big deal to me, but the kids and I still spent the day kind of missing Joey and Haze. They really were great cats. They were kids' cats. Joey would put up with anything. Matthew used to follow him around clutching his tail, and it never bothered him. He was also their nurse. If anyone was sick and lying on the couch, there he was holding the covers down. Hazey was my foot cat. No matter where my feet were, he covered them. I really miss those guys. And it's worse on the kids, because Bugger doesn't like them. He's the flighty kind of adult cat that really doesn't like fast-movers. Matthew's not really pleased about him being the only cat we have now. Poor guy.

Anyway, the trick-or-treating went well. The Bat-boys had their costumes from last year, but Mallory got a new one. Her Rapunzel was just not going to fit again. I expanded it as far as it would go for it to fit last year! But we only do two year costumes, so it didn't matter. We put together a really nice angel for her. She helped pick out the pattern and the fabrics and all the trimmings. I was pretty concerned about the wings, but she eventually found those, too! That was a relief!! I had no idea how I was going to do those!! But we had a really good time and went to several houses. The kids don't really know the knock, get your candy and leave routine. Anywhere we go, we go in and talk for a while. They play with any of the pets or toddlers that were left behind until Mom gets done talking! Michael was really surprised the first year we came back with that much candy after only going to about six houses. Around here, there aren't many trick-or-treaters, so you get loaded at the houses that are prepared! He also said that when he was a kid, he'd just go straight down the street whether he knew the people or not. I thought that was kinda boring. Well, anyway, it's all about the kids so we do what they like. I let them pick most of the houses. It's fun now that we can visit their friends now and not just mine!

Magical times

Yesterday was that appointment we all look forward to all year. That time when a girl and her doctor can really bond and get to know each other. She also reminded me that I'm closing in on that extraordinary age where a boob squishing will be part of the experience. Oh, joy...

Well, at least we get that over with first, then on to some major shopping. Things I never dreamed I needed. When three girls get together to tackle their lists in a city they don't visit very often, it can be a wild ride. Craft stores, Quilt stores, Bath and Body stores, and of course, Sam's and Wal-Mart, where you really can leave half your inheritance. We normally all take our Berninas up to be serviced, too, but this time it was only Janice's. I love hearing the lady in there say, "Oh, no, you can't have that back today! There are 10 machines ahead of yours!" Of course, we've already called Al for an appointment, so it's ready in a few hours.

So Janice took us to a quilt store that was beyond belief. Although the fabrics were all quilt based (i.e... no wedding fabrics, swimwear... only quilting fabrics), there were more fabrics than I could imagine. This place had more classes than a scrapbooking store and more quilts on display than any one woman could complete in a lifetime. It was also amazing how knowledgable each of the ladies was in quilting. It seems all too often that people in a fabric store know little to nothing about fabrics or sewing. This place was incredible. Janice and I got some fabric for a kitty cat Christmas throw. It's a rag quilt, which basically means you stitch it together and clip it so it ravels and looks ragged. I was hoping for it to be a fair project for Mallory, but she thinks that's probably too much for her. After the scarf clipping experience last year, Mom thinks she may be right. Well, Mom actually paid for everything, so for all I know, I may not be included in this project either!!

We also stopped at Kohl's. It's really no different than any other department store, except that about 90% of the stuff in there is on sale. And they know sales... 50 and 60% off. Not that the prices start at anything I'd pay, but half of that is fine! They also get serious about their clearances. I got about 6 shirts for the boys for spring at $2.50 each. Great stuff. I also got Mallory her favorite panties, but I really shouldn't talk about those. HA! I'm really not looking forward to shopping in the juniors department. They just don't make anything that covers a poor girl. I mean, really, why are we showing so much skin to begin with, let alone now in fall when a girl would like to stay warm?!? Almost makes me want to go back into fashion and fix those people! Almost...

Well, anyway... I think Michael's waiting for the computer. Probably a big Texas tourney coming up. And since I really didn't have anything worthy of reporting today, I could easily close this! Off to the bakery today. Have fun and maybe I'll see ya there!

The fun of fall

I really love to make the fall cakes. This one was for our Assistant Pastor who is leaving for his own church. He's going up north of Ames, where I went to college. We're so excited for him, but it is so hard. We love them so much and got to see both of their daughters married. It's only been about seven years, but seems like forever. They are such a part of us.


Work should have started back up on the house today. It's getting too cold to paint any doors, so I may have to live with the mess until spring. I've lived through worse! This whole mess is costing us a fortune, but hopefully Joe's Great Adventure is about to be behind us. We packed up a few boxes today, with hopes the house will be ready in the near future. There were many tears over that which was packed. Just can't get through that there just isn't room for all this stuff. I'm not sure the boys believe it's going to be returned. They're just too used to the "Confiscation Boxes" of things that were taken away, not to be returned until the new house. Now that it's been 16 months, they aren't sure anything's coming back! I've had those same fears over the furniture in the apple barn! I'm just sure it's all destroyed, or that I'll wish it was! We also started up some math today. I'm just really nervous that we'll never catch up. I know we will, but I need something to be happening. Things were pretty normal. Morgan was first and couldn't wait to see his new book. The minute we opened it, I saw Matthew fly past the window with his dog. Mallory just worked on her verses until it was her turn. She wasn't feeling all that well, so I gave her some medicine. She got a lot of her math done before she threw up. Poor girl. Then she wanted to come back and finish. I thought there were better things to do for the time. Matthew assumed that meant he was done, too! The boys got her settled in on the couch, trying to take care of her like she does for them. They put in all of their Marvel Comics movies, and I'm sure that was just the ticket. After they were done sitting for a while, she put her own movies in! Hope things improve for tomorrow. But at least we have this hope of the end of homelessness!!!