I Went Public

Yesterday, I decided to post a comment on the "official" Friday's Feast blog. I figured that since I've been participating for a few weeks now, it might be a fun thing to do. I actually had two comments from other feasters... people that I don't know. Woohoo!! It seems that my readership may have just doubled in one day. Kinda cool.

Today looks like it is going to be gorgeous here. The sun is shining so brightly. As a matter of fact, it is shining in my face as I type. Gotta love it!! The kiddos have swimming lessons later this morning. I'm sure that plenty of outside playing will be in order after we get home from that. Amanda has been really funny lately. She is working on learning how to ride her bike again. She has been pretending that she rides through a tunnel and journeys to the Island of Sodor (from the Thomas series). This is similar to how the engines and a few select people can travel to the Island of Sodor on "Thomas and the Magic Railroad". She truly has quite the imagination...

James was a handful all day yesterday. I don't know if he picked up bad habits and attitudes from other kids at our 2 hours of "socialization" at Discovery Station the other day... or if it is just him progressing into another phase of terrible two's... or perhaps another phase of boyhood. He was just non-stop yesterday. Right now, he is still asleep... resting up for another day of excitement. While Amanda was riding her bike yesterday afternoon, James rediscovered that he can go down the slide on the playset by himself. Oh boy!

Doug got our taxes done last night. We are getting quite a hefty refund. Add that to the nice little stimulus rebate we are getting, and our savings account will get a nice boost. Yeah! Thanks, Uncle Sam.

It's Friday!!

Happy Friday!

Appetizer:
What does the color dark green make you think of? It makes me think of being in the middle of a nice, peaceful, lush forest. Oh, how I wish it were summer and we could be hiking and geocaching somewhere...

Soup:
How many cousins do you have? I have two cousins. My mom only has one brother... and my dad is an only child.

Salad:
On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being highest, how honest are you? Probably a 9. The only time that I am not honest is when I tell little white lies to not hurt someone's feelings. The rest of the time, honesty is the best policy. Like a previous co-worker used to say, bad news doesn't get any better with time.

Main Course:
Name something that is truly free. Love.

Dessert:
Using the letters in the word SPRING, write a sentence. Sally put Rover inside Ned's garage.

Well, on Sunday, Doug and I celebrate 12 years of wedded bliss. I cannot believe that it has been that long since we were married... Where does the time go? I can honestly say that I am SO happy with him. I can't imagine my life without him and our children. I'm not sure what I did to get such a great guy... I was about to give up hope when we found each other. Happy Anniversary, Doug!

Shasta had her spay surgery yesterday. Poor thing... She doesn't feel the best today, as can be expected. Hopefully, she will just kind of lay low and let herself heal up completely. The vet said that she was still a bit engorged in her female areas, even though her heat cycle was back in late January / early February. He said that perhaps one of her ovaries might have been "misfiring"... whatever that means.

Yesterday, with our "dog free day", the kids and I had a lot of fun. We went to the Discovery Station at Conner Prairie. We all had a blast! There were so many neat things for the kids to explore and play with there. I went ahead and purchased a membership, so we will be able to go back... and go to the outdoor museum as much as we want in the next year. Should be fun!! We also stopped by a local farm supply store to see the baby chicks and ducks... how sweet and fuzzy! I can't wait for our neighbors to get their new baby chicks!

Good Friday

I was trying to explain to Amanda today about Good Friday and Easter... while still trying to keep in terms that she could understand. I also didn't want to frighten her or cause too much focus on the death part. I instead focused on the hope that we have for eternal life with Jesus in heaven... and on the new life that is starting to emerge around us. Hope that I did ok.

I flunked big time at the doctor on Tuesday. I knew that I would, it was just a matter of how bad. My total cholesterol was 276... bad enough. But, my triglycerides were 397! Of course, that certainly has everything to do with how poorly I have been eating for the last... hmm... 5 years or so. Just this past Sunday, we went to Steak and Shake, and I calculated (post-doctor's appointment) how much my fat grams were in that meal alone - about 76 grams! Yikes!! My new goal, which I have accomplished each day so far, is under 40 grams of fat. Actually, that is pretty easy... so far. I also have to start an exercise program. I'm trying to figure out which activity will work the best for me... and my other responsibilities.

On a lighter note... here is today's Friday's Feast!

Appetizer:
Given the choice, would you prefer to live in the country or in the city? Without one ounce of hesitation - THE COUNTRY!!! I would be perfectly happy out in the middle of nowhere, in a house with my little family. I love the sights, smells and sounds of the country... and just the peace of knowing that all of the unnecessary hustle and bustle are far, far away.

Soup:
Who is the cutest kid you know? Well, of course this is obvious... and, it's a tie. My two little crazies!! They are cute in every facet of the word. They are so cute and precious to look at... say the cutest things... do the cutest things... What did I do before we had them?!? Of course, my beautiful little niece, Anzie, is a very close second!! I miss her! Did I mention that Mom and Dad are going to spend the whole weekend in Georgia with Anzie, Mendi and Dean...

Salad:
Fill in the blank: I couldn’t believe it when I heard ___________. And, this is "hot off the press news", folks! I just found out on Monday. I could believe it when I heard that one of my sisters-in-law is pregnant with her ninth child! Yep, you read that right!! Baby #9 is due in late July. Whew! Say a prayer for her and the rest of the gang, would you?

Main Course:
If you could star in a commercial for one of your favorite products, which one would you want to advertise? Hmmm... gotta think on this one for a second. Ok. I would want to advertise the Python, a tool that helps us clean out our fish tanks. I have really become appreciative of how cool this product is since I've been doing the majority of the fish tank cleaning lately. I remember when I was a little girl, that my parents would have to use buckets to empty out the tanks and rinse the rocks... Ugh. The Python makes it SO much easier and quicker. I'm sure that the target audience for such a product would be pretty narrow... so, there probably wouldn't be any TV commercials... but, maybe some print ads in fish magazines or something.

Dessert:
What type(s) of vitamins and/or supplements do you take on a regular basis? Well, up until Tuesday, I was just taking a Pre-Natal vitamin... No, I'm not pregnant! I have just continued to take that particular vitamin after pregnancy while I was nursing. It's a good vitamin, and I've just continued taking it. On Tuesday, I started taking some BeneFiber (Heart Healthy version), to boost my fiber intake and hopefully help to lower those pesky cholesterol numbers. It's funny, because before Tuesday, I was making fun of Doug for taking his "poop medicine", as I was calling it. Now, I'm doing it, too.

Weekly Feast

Enjoy...

Appetizer:
On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 as highest), how much do you like your own handwriting? 10. I love my handwriting. I know that probably sounds conceited... but, I so. It is very legible and pleasing to the eye. It is kind of a cross between printing and cursive... my own personal creation.

Soup:
Do you prefer baths or showers? For relaxing, I prefer nice, long bubble baths. Unfortunately, I don't get the opportunity for quiet baths anymore. So, I usually go for the quick and efficient shower. If I had my choice, though, it would definitely be a bath.

Salad:
What was the last bad movie you watched? Oh wow... I haven't really even watched many movies for a long time. I am just really not that into them. The last movie that I watched was "Thomas and the Magic Railroad". It really wasn't too bad... I guess that if I find a movie is going to be bad, I cut my losses and turn it off...

Main Course:
Name something you are addicted to and describe how it affects your life. I think that I am addicted to the internet. I check my mail several times a day... and, if I have any amount of free time, I find myself planted right in front of the monitor. Sometimes I am actually trying to learn something or do something productive. However, most of the time, I'm just burning time. I'm sure that once the weather gets better and we are able to be outside more, I will be spending less time on the internet...

Dessert:
Which instrument is your favorite to listen to? I love to listen to the saxophone... particularly while playing smooth jazz. Some of my favorite artists are Euge Groove, Boney James, David Sanborn, and Mindi Abair. We had the opportunity to see Euge in concert last June and it was AWESOME! My dream is to someday be able to go on one of the Smooth Jazz cruises... maybe in 15 or 20 years. Hope that they're still doing them then.

Signs of Spring

Ok, as if I didn't already have Spring Fever... the last couple of days have really fueled it in a big way. Yesterday, the temperatures were in the mid-50s. Today, I think that they are in the low 60s. It is just beautiful... and, all of the snow is pretty much gone. There are a few piles of ice mainly that are hanging on until the bitter end.

We have noticed several sure signs of Spring in our neighborhood...
1. Robins have arrived.
2. We're able to open our windows and get lots of fresh air in the house.
3. Birds chirping and singing... which we are able to enjoy with the windows open.
4. Chives and Daffodils are popping through the ground.
and, the best sign that Spring is nearly here...
5. We were able to give the truck her Spring bath yesterday! Oh, it was great to get a bucket of suds and go to town. Amanda helped out a ton... James slept through it all.

We've also been getting a lot of outside playtime in. The kids have logged a lot of time swinging. We've been able to walk Shasta up and down our street several times... we even did a nighttime "family" walk last night to see the stars and the moon. James enjoyed my singing "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star". And, I was brave enough yesterday afternoon to load up everyone and go do a short walk on the Monon. It was great!

It's amazing how much the weather affects my mood...

Sleeping Beauties

I just went in to check on James and Amanda, and they are both still asleep. Their little bodies haven't yet adjusted to the recent time change. They are both sleeping so peacefully, like little angels... not a care in the world. The next time they are running, jumping, being loud, I will need to force myself to remember these little sleeping beauties... They really are precious.

I've been up since before dawn today. I had to go in and get some blood drawn at the doctor's office. I haven't had my cholesterol checked since before I was pregnant with Amanda. I go back in next week to get the results. That should be pleasant... not. Since I have a history of high cholesterol, I'm certain that I will get a failing report. I've not been eating well - at all. I think that I'm in some sort of denial about what I need to eat. I'll probably get a wake up call about it next Tuesday. Until then, perhaps I should enjoy it while I can... "it" being chocolate, red meat, eggs, cheese, Coke... you know.

We were able to get outside and play yesterday. It was awesome for so many reasons. It was great to get outside and get fresh air... wonderful to hear the birds singing, even the pesky blue jay that was squawking as loudly as he could... great to let the kiddos and the dog burn off some energy... and great to see the beautiful blue sky without having to look through a window. I noticed that my chives are starting to send green shoots of life up from the ground... as are the daffodils (which Shasta is trying to unearth - ugh). We will certainly log more "outdoor" time today.

I have started painting the kitchen cabinets. This is a huge project, but it is going to be SO worth it!! I've got the game cabinet done, and it looks fantastic. Finally....

Oh, and Doug heard back from his interview. It didn't work out. I'm proud of him for going through the interviewing process and giving it a shot. It just wasn't meant to be this time. On a related note, he's been able to leave work by 5:30 for the past week and a half! Yahoo!!

TGIF! Time to Feast!

Well, we've made it through another week. Doug has been home in the evenings more throughout this week. I am very thankful for that. It is just so nice to have him here... not just to "help with the kids" as he says, but just to have our family all together. Thanks, Doug!

Shasta was supposed to go in for her spay surgery today, but that got canceled. The guy at the Pyr Rescue that was going to take her decided to call it off because of the weather forecast. The vet is down south, and he didn't want to have to brave more snow to get her there and back. I guess that we'll try again in a week or so. I just hope that she doesn't come back into heat again before we get this taken care of...

This morning, we had a beautiful red-bellied woodpecker in our tree outside of the family room window. Up until the time that I looked for an image of this little guy, I thought he was called a red-headed woodpecker... but, he's not. We also had cardinals and a couple of other little birds. I do enjoy watching them at the suet feeders. Here is the red-bellied guy...


I am still looking into the "car history" entry. I might have to pull images off of the web, as I am still waiting for a good photo-editing software...

Ok, time to feast...

Appetizer:
If you could be any current celebrity for one whole week, who would you want to be? This one's easy... Angelina Jolie. Why? Well, jet-setting around the world to better lives for others... and getting to sleep every night with Brad Pitt. Need I say more?

Soup:
On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 being highest), how much do you enjoy talking on the phone? I guess that it depends who I am talking to... If it is a customer service rep or health insurance person, I would say 1. If it is a good friend or family member, I would say 10. Overall, I guess my average would be 7. I don't mind talking on the phone, but I would much rather be talking to the person face to face.

Salad:
Name a charitable organization to which you have donated (or would like to). I just recently donated some baby stuff to our local Teen MOPS group. I think that this is a great group... providing Christian support for teenage mothers.

Main Course:
What is a food you like so much you could eat it every single day for a month? Actually, there are a few foods that I like so much I could eat every day for a whole month... The first would have to be pizza... pretty much any kind. I really love Pizza King and Ale Emporium pizzas, but I would have no problem eating Pizza Hut, Domino's, Papa Johns... or even a frozen Tombstone. I also love Mexican food... Oh, and that reminds me of another dish - this homemade corn/black bean/onion/lime juice/olive oil concoction that Doug and I discovered over the winter. I could literally eat a whole bowl of it in one sitting! I also love Chinese... When I used to work, the lunch crew actually went to our favorite Chinese restaurant four days in a row (we would have done five, but they were closed on Mondays). Geesh. Can you tell the way to my heart? Food!

Dessert:
Have you or anyone in your family had the flu this year? Oh, yes. We've all had it (see the post from last Friday). We are all SO ready for Spring... open up the windows and let all of the fresh air in!!!!

Hot Eats, Cool Treats... and a Surprise

The kids did great at their check-ups yesterday (more on that later), so Doug said that we could go out for ice cream to celebrate. He let Amanda select our destination... she decided to go to Dairy Queen. We had just settled in for a nutritional meal of hot dogs, chips, nachos and bbq, when my long-lost work buddy and his family came in! What a great surprise!! We have been talking about getting everyone together for years (literally)... but, it is so hard to do with work, family and the other day-to-day stuff that life likes to throw at you.

Well, anyway it was quite a nice treat to be able to see Dave, Jenny and their kids. It's so funny how you can go years without really getting to visit with someone... and, yet when you finally get to, it's like you just saw them yesterday. I guess that is a sign of true friendship. Thanks for a fun evening, guys :)

Now, back to the doctor's report... Amanda and James both checked out great. They are both healthy and in excellent shape. Amanda weighs a whopping 34 pounds and is 43 inches tall. James is 28 pounds and 3 feet tall. They obviously have inherited Daddy's genes... tall (at least compared to me) and skinny! Amanda had to get three shots and was very brave during the whole ordeal. James lucked out and didn't have to get any. On the way home, one of them really was stinging her. After trying just about everything to get it to stop, a good old nap cured it.

I just found out that Mom and Dad are heading to Augusta for the Easter weekend. I'm jealous.

I read a blog earlier this morning that had a very cool entry. The author listed and had pictures of every car he had ever owned. That was pretty cool... Perhaps I can work on that. It would be fun to document the cars in my history... I'll see what I can come up with...