And today is the day. While I'm working on that, though, a fun little meme to occupy the space...
Type your name and the word "needs" into Google (ie: Julie needs). List the first 10 hits (clean...please!) that come up.
Julie needs:
1. Julie needs your help --- wait, isn't that what Google is for?
2. Julie needs high fiber content --- I wasn't going to mention it...but, well, I have been suffering a little in that region lately....
3. Julie needs boyfriend --- geesh, please don't tell Stanton
4. Julie needs paper pleasing ideas --- I am always looking for cool new card ideas....
5. Julie needs a new pair of shoes --- always.
6. Julie needs Facebook --- so true, it's creepy
7. Julie needs early start --- things do go better when I get up and showered before everyone comes crashing into the room...
8. Julie needs a(nother) new home --- not sure why the paren(thesis), but I'm pretty happy where I'm at.
9. Julie needs prayers and good vibes --- indeed.
10. Julie needs that hair, that voice, those kidneys --- wow, it's like Google can read my mind
Some other favorites from further down the page:
* Julie needs to work on her parenting --- well you don't have to go blabbing it to the universe, do ya?
* Julie needs a patient family --- yes, could someone ELSE exercise some patience sometimes...please?!
* Julie needs a life, apparently --- got one, thanks.
* Julie need sleepy --- yes, yes she do
* Julie needs to be deleted --- but please don't.
Julie also needs you to leave a comment with your results...
27 February 2009
24 February 2009
Ho Hum
It's 3:21 am. I went to bed at 8:00 and Cannon woke up at 2:30. The house was a mess when I woke up, so I decided to do a little tidy up before I went back to bed. Now guess where I am instead? My biggest vice: the computer. It's the reason things are a mess in the first place. You wouldn't know it by my blog, though. I have let myself get a bit behind and now I'm avoiding it like it's a disease. Getting caught up is the worst. But Chloe's birthday party must be recorded. I need to get my feelings about Brigham's appointment recorded. I have a post about how everything's changing that's been swimming in my brain for a month now. By the time I get it recorded, things will have changed again.
Where have I been spending all of my computer time? Pinching Your Pennies. I do love the couponing -- it's been so fun and rewarding...BUT I need to rein it in a bit -- you know...bring it back into balance with the rest of my responsibilities. It's hard, though, when you find yourself dreaming about the next big steal. Bless my sweet kids' hearts for being so good while I drag them to the store.
Speaking of which, this was the conversation as we headed to Kmart yesterday (double coupons and a few good deals -- mostly, though, everything was sold out):
Me: Okay, we're going to go to a store called Kmart this morning.
Lily: You mean Walmart?
Me: No, I mean Kmart.
Lily: Oh! Kmart is a fancy way of saying Walmart!
Fancy Nancy reference notwithstanding, I think she's right. And that's really not saying much.
G'night.
Where have I been spending all of my computer time? Pinching Your Pennies. I do love the couponing -- it's been so fun and rewarding...BUT I need to rein it in a bit -- you know...bring it back into balance with the rest of my responsibilities. It's hard, though, when you find yourself dreaming about the next big steal. Bless my sweet kids' hearts for being so good while I drag them to the store.
Speaking of which, this was the conversation as we headed to Kmart yesterday (double coupons and a few good deals -- mostly, though, everything was sold out):
Me: Okay, we're going to go to a store called Kmart this morning.
Lily: You mean Walmart?
Me: No, I mean Kmart.
Lily: Oh! Kmart is a fancy way of saying Walmart!
Fancy Nancy reference notwithstanding, I think she's right. And that's really not saying much.
G'night.
17 February 2009
Happy Birthday to My Big Girl!
We celebrated Chloe's big #5 today. Lots of fun...pictures to come...busy day tomorrow, though. We're taking Brig to the cardiologist, so Chloe's update will have to wait. Love you, though, darlin'! You make my life pretty incredible!
13 February 2009
Stalling....
So, the other day (you know...the LAUNDRY day...) I put Chloe down for a nap. She doesn't nap anymore, generally just quiet time, but she was complaining that she was tired, so I put her down in my bed. She stayed in there for about 20 minutes and came out proclaiming she'd had a "great nap!" Not so much, but whatever....she asked if she could help me fold laundry. While we were folding, she told me a joke:
Chloe: Why did the girl fold laundry?
Me: Why?
Chloe: Because she wanted to because she wasn't tired.
Listen, she may be totally manipulating her way out of a nap, but I'm totally getting help with the towels, so I think I'll chalk this one up to a win-win situation.
Chloe: Why did the girl fold laundry?
Me: Why?
Chloe: Because she wanted to because she wasn't tired.
Listen, she may be totally manipulating her way out of a nap, but I'm totally getting help with the towels, so I think I'll chalk this one up to a win-win situation.
12 February 2009
The New Abs Diet?
Lily is following me around trying to suck my bum through a straw. While I'm finding it hard not to be annoyed, I'm thinking if it works, I just might ask her to move to my stomach area....
Free Blog Design!
Do you remember back when my blog was a design ...well....dilemma? It was sky blue and all about Spring...even in Summer and Fall and Christmas and Winter? I did that design on my own back when I first started blogging and it served me well for a while. But then Janna...wonderful Janna came to my rescue and made a design that would work through all the seasons and really fit my personality. Can I just say it out loud? I LOVE my blog design. Love. It.
And guess what? Janna has set up a custom blog design website and to get ya'll excited about using her services she's (what else??!!) having a giveaway!!!!
One of the things you'll notice when you browse through her site is that she has a lot of variety. I like that each blog she has designed really fits the personality and style of the blogger. She's really fantastic.
Have fun browsing, shopping, and maybe even winning!
And guess what? Janna has set up a custom blog design website and to get ya'll excited about using her services she's (what else??!!) having a giveaway!!!!
One of the things you'll notice when you browse through her site is that she has a lot of variety. I like that each blog she has designed really fits the personality and style of the blogger. She's really fantastic.
Have fun browsing, shopping, and maybe even winning!
11 February 2009
Pay It Forward Update
There is still at least one slot open on the pay it forward post. The comment # looks deceiving, I know. If you'd like to play along, just leave a comment.
What's Wrong With This Picture??
What's wrong with this picture?
If you guessed this
You're right.
Now...a little multiple choice.
Is Brigham in ballerina jammies because:
a) he wants to be Mikhail Baryshnikov when he grows up
b) he longs to do everything his sisters do
c) his mother needs to do the laundry
"b" is debatable:
But the real answer is obvious:
If I (or Brig) don't resurface in the next few days, please notify the authorities.
Please.
If you guessed this
You're right.Now...a little multiple choice.
Is Brigham in ballerina jammies because:
a) he wants to be Mikhail Baryshnikov when he grows up
b) he longs to do everything his sisters do
c) his mother needs to do the laundry
"b" is debatable:
But the real answer is obvious:
If I (or Brig) don't resurface in the next few days, please notify the authorities. Please.
A Little Pay it Forward Ditty
My friend from forever, Camille, is having a fun little game on her blog. I'm playing along.
So this is how it works..... The first 3 people to leave a comment on this (my) post will receive a hand made gift from me during this year. When and what will be a surprise. There's a small catch...You knew there would be didn't you? Post this on your blog then come back and leave a comment, telling me you're in. Fun, huh? Remember, only the first 3 comments receive the gift.
So this is how it works..... The first 3 people to leave a comment on this (my) post will receive a hand made gift from me during this year. When and what will be a surprise. There's a small catch...You knew there would be didn't you? Post this on your blog then come back and leave a comment, telling me you're in. Fun, huh? Remember, only the first 3 comments receive the gift.
Lots of Thoughts...No Time
I have so many thoughts swimming around in my head -- things I need to record, thoughts about random items, etc. etc. But I am finding very little time to make it happen. Just caught up in the thick of things, ya know?
I will be posting at Scripture Sisters today, though, so check there today.
I will be posting at Scripture Sisters today, though, so check there today.
05 February 2009
02 February 2009
Weekend Update (Seth Meyers not included)
We had such a fun weekend celebrating the arrival of little Shelbi. But the fun really started on Thursday when Bret & Chalisa W. invited us to the Aggie b-ball game. It was super intense and deafeningly loud at some points, which is so fun to experience in person. We really appreciated the invitation and the fun, unexpected date night.
Friday we headed down to Ogden (Deyette from Stanton's office tended the kids for us) to go look for new couches at RC Willey. See, back in June we purchased new leather couches for our living room (and the 5 year leather care package, thank goodness). The cushions were sewn on to the back of the couch and (surprise surprise) our kids have climbed on the backs and put a lot of stress on the stitching. Back around Christmas we got a hole just above the seam and they took the couch back and fixed it. It got another hole last month (in the same spot) and when they came to look at it this time, they decided it was better just to replace the whole set. At first they wanted to just replace the couch, but since they no longer carry that set, I asked them to replace the whole group: couch, 2 chairs, and ottoman. They agreed to (I love RC Willey -- they've always been great with customer service) and so they just credited us back the entire purchase price of the set. SOOOOO, we went down on Friday to look for something new and found EXACTLY what I was looking for back in June. They didn't have it then, so I settled for what we have now. I was so thrilled. I felt like I got a total "do-over" after really botching my first purchase. The new set, which comes on Friday, has recliners on each side of the couch and the chairs recline, too, eliminating the need for an ottoman. The best part was that the new set cost $550 less than the first one, so we got to keep shopping! We looked at what felt like everything in the store before having a stroke of genius. I have been wanting to replace our two old chest freezers in the garage with an upright deep freeze. We found one there that is huge (yay! It will make organizing the garden harvest so much easier!) and an energy star model. It was just $80 more than what we had left to spend! That was probably the funnest furniture shopping trip we've ever taken -- who walks out of RC Willey with a new couch set and a deep freeze for 80 bucks? I know, I know, I really paid for all of it, but it felt free because we've already paid for the set we don't love and just expected we'd have to keep it forever.
Anyway....back to the weekend.
We had a fun evening with the kids and then Stanton went to teach a new member discussion in the evening. While he was gone, I got this great idea to complete Rachel's shower gift. I always get my great ideas at the most inconvenient times...always. I had to wait till he got home to run to the Walmart and pick up my supplies (they were, of course, having problems with the credit card machine, so by the time I got home, it was after 11 pm). I sewed until about 3 am (with Facebook breaks!) and finished up a darling bath apron for her. The tutorial can be found here.
I am so happy with how it turned out. It's meant to keep you dry while you give the bath and then you untie it and wrap the baby up in it (while it's still around your neck) when bathtime is finished. It's pretty genius. I love the colors and just think it turned out cute. It was also my first time making my own bias tape and I'm glad to have that new skill under my belt. It's time consuming, but you have so many more options available when you make your own.
I also cased this card from SplitCoastStampers. I was really happy with how it turned out. Perfect sentiment for the occassion and made with a tremendous amount of love and excitement.
The shower was a blast. So many friends and family (some even from out of state) came together to celebrate little Shelbi's arrival. We ended up staying and visiting for 6 hours, which is always so fun. The kids loved playing with their cousins and Chloe is DYING to hold Shelbi. We'll get her a little older and get past RSV season and then hopefully she'll be able to.
Sunday was great, I already posted about that. All in all, it was a good weekend.
Today I tried to focus on the kids more. It was nice. I played with them for a while, I got a project started for Chloe (& Brigham, although it was truly un-fun to keep him under control with the glue), and read to them. I also got several loads of laundry washed, folded, and put away (not done yet, though). After about 4 books, I got SO tired. I could hardly stay awake, so I put on a show (thank you, Noggin!!!) and fed Cannon laying down. Stanton had to walk in right then, didn't he? I was in exactly the same place he left me this morning -- asleep in the bed!!! Oops. It did feel good to get a little nap, though, even though it only ended up being about 15 minutes.
We ended the evening with Family Home Evening. We had some friends join us (we had a blast, Tracy!!) and it was a great time. The kids were wound up and exhausted by the time we got them to bed. Lily ended up getting out of bed a few times and didn't get to sleep until after 9 pm. That should be interesting tomorrow... all worth it, though, for a fun night.
This week should be a good one. I have to go send in my passport application tomorrow morning, and then Chloe's having a friend over for a play date. Friday night we're getting together with Angie & Rick and Saturday we're playing with Stacy & David. What a week! Admit you're a ridiculous homebody on a Facebook tag and voila!, you get plans up the wazoo. I'm totally stoked about it, though, as I really don't love this whole hibernation thing that happens in CV all winter.
And now I will end the longest post in a while with a few conversational tidbits heard around these parts lately:
Picking up Brigham from our neighbor's house last week:
Brigham: Go home, Mom.
At a recent outing (okay, it was December, but whatever...) to the most kid-friendly restaurant EVER -- The Golden Corral.
Biting off the crust of a fried shrimp:
Lily: “Dad, Look! There’s a shrimp in here!!”
Following me around the buffet:
Chloe: “Mom, I’m cruisin’ with you and Lily is cruisin’ with Dad.”
Out of nowhere:
Chloe: “I have an idea—we can build a real pirate ship with cardboard and sparkles and purple polka dots!”
For the umpteenth time:
Me: Girls, markers are NOT lipstick!
And finally (really, I promise) -- a few pictures of the boys. I just can't believe how big Cannon is getting. Seeing little Shelbi was a slap in the face reminder that this little guy is growing up faster than I can keep up with. I love seeing these two together -- they hardly look like brothers to me, but I just can't wait to see them start playing together.
A couple of Cannon things -- after just one night of crying it out, he's sleeping through the night (mostly). And I took him to the InstaCare last Sunday to check for an ear infection and get something for his conjunctivitis. No ear infection (yay!), eye drops (yay!), and the doc said he wanted to put him on an antibiotic for his acne. We've been told up till then that we should just let it go and it'll go away on its own. I wasn't too concerned about it, although I was somewhat concerned about scarring. I was glad this doc wanted to be a bit more aggressive and I have noticed a difference in his acne. He's 8 days into his 10 day course and it's not gone by any means, but it IS better. I think we're going to have to do another round, but I'm glad he's getting some relief. It's not a cute thing on a sweet little face like his, but thank goodness he has a smile that completely melts anyone he flashes it at. Honestly, that kid has a SMILE. His whole face lights up and his eyes just glisten. It's something else. He's something else -- still just completely melts my heart. I am so glad I have these two little gems. And my other two, too!
Friday we headed down to Ogden (Deyette from Stanton's office tended the kids for us) to go look for new couches at RC Willey. See, back in June we purchased new leather couches for our living room (and the 5 year leather care package, thank goodness). The cushions were sewn on to the back of the couch and (surprise surprise) our kids have climbed on the backs and put a lot of stress on the stitching. Back around Christmas we got a hole just above the seam and they took the couch back and fixed it. It got another hole last month (in the same spot) and when they came to look at it this time, they decided it was better just to replace the whole set. At first they wanted to just replace the couch, but since they no longer carry that set, I asked them to replace the whole group: couch, 2 chairs, and ottoman. They agreed to (I love RC Willey -- they've always been great with customer service) and so they just credited us back the entire purchase price of the set. SOOOOO, we went down on Friday to look for something new and found EXACTLY what I was looking for back in June. They didn't have it then, so I settled for what we have now. I was so thrilled. I felt like I got a total "do-over" after really botching my first purchase. The new set, which comes on Friday, has recliners on each side of the couch and the chairs recline, too, eliminating the need for an ottoman. The best part was that the new set cost $550 less than the first one, so we got to keep shopping! We looked at what felt like everything in the store before having a stroke of genius. I have been wanting to replace our two old chest freezers in the garage with an upright deep freeze. We found one there that is huge (yay! It will make organizing the garden harvest so much easier!) and an energy star model. It was just $80 more than what we had left to spend! That was probably the funnest furniture shopping trip we've ever taken -- who walks out of RC Willey with a new couch set and a deep freeze for 80 bucks? I know, I know, I really paid for all of it, but it felt free because we've already paid for the set we don't love and just expected we'd have to keep it forever.
Anyway....back to the weekend.
We had a fun evening with the kids and then Stanton went to teach a new member discussion in the evening. While he was gone, I got this great idea to complete Rachel's shower gift. I always get my great ideas at the most inconvenient times...always. I had to wait till he got home to run to the Walmart and pick up my supplies (they were, of course, having problems with the credit card machine, so by the time I got home, it was after 11 pm). I sewed until about 3 am (with Facebook breaks!) and finished up a darling bath apron for her. The tutorial can be found here.
I am so happy with how it turned out. It's meant to keep you dry while you give the bath and then you untie it and wrap the baby up in it (while it's still around your neck) when bathtime is finished. It's pretty genius. I love the colors and just think it turned out cute. It was also my first time making my own bias tape and I'm glad to have that new skill under my belt. It's time consuming, but you have so many more options available when you make your own.
I also cased this card from SplitCoastStampers. I was really happy with how it turned out. Perfect sentiment for the occassion and made with a tremendous amount of love and excitement.
The shower was a blast. So many friends and family (some even from out of state) came together to celebrate little Shelbi's arrival. We ended up staying and visiting for 6 hours, which is always so fun. The kids loved playing with their cousins and Chloe is DYING to hold Shelbi. We'll get her a little older and get past RSV season and then hopefully she'll be able to.Sunday was great, I already posted about that. All in all, it was a good weekend.
Today I tried to focus on the kids more. It was nice. I played with them for a while, I got a project started for Chloe (& Brigham, although it was truly un-fun to keep him under control with the glue), and read to them. I also got several loads of laundry washed, folded, and put away (not done yet, though). After about 4 books, I got SO tired. I could hardly stay awake, so I put on a show (thank you, Noggin!!!) and fed Cannon laying down. Stanton had to walk in right then, didn't he? I was in exactly the same place he left me this morning -- asleep in the bed!!! Oops. It did feel good to get a little nap, though, even though it only ended up being about 15 minutes.
We ended the evening with Family Home Evening. We had some friends join us (we had a blast, Tracy!!) and it was a great time. The kids were wound up and exhausted by the time we got them to bed. Lily ended up getting out of bed a few times and didn't get to sleep until after 9 pm. That should be interesting tomorrow... all worth it, though, for a fun night.
This week should be a good one. I have to go send in my passport application tomorrow morning, and then Chloe's having a friend over for a play date. Friday night we're getting together with Angie & Rick and Saturday we're playing with Stacy & David. What a week! Admit you're a ridiculous homebody on a Facebook tag and voila!, you get plans up the wazoo. I'm totally stoked about it, though, as I really don't love this whole hibernation thing that happens in CV all winter.
And now I will end the longest post in a while with a few conversational tidbits heard around these parts lately:
Picking up Brigham from our neighbor's house last week:
Brigham: Go home, Mom.
At a recent outing (okay, it was December, but whatever...) to the most kid-friendly restaurant EVER -- The Golden Corral.
Biting off the crust of a fried shrimp:
Lily: “Dad, Look! There’s a shrimp in here!!”
Following me around the buffet:
Chloe: “Mom, I’m cruisin’ with you and Lily is cruisin’ with Dad.”
Out of nowhere:
Chloe: “I have an idea—we can build a real pirate ship with cardboard and sparkles and purple polka dots!”
For the umpteenth time:
Me: Girls, markers are NOT lipstick!
And finally (really, I promise) -- a few pictures of the boys. I just can't believe how big Cannon is getting. Seeing little Shelbi was a slap in the face reminder that this little guy is growing up faster than I can keep up with. I love seeing these two together -- they hardly look like brothers to me, but I just can't wait to see them start playing together.
A couple of Cannon things -- after just one night of crying it out, he's sleeping through the night (mostly). And I took him to the InstaCare last Sunday to check for an ear infection and get something for his conjunctivitis. No ear infection (yay!), eye drops (yay!), and the doc said he wanted to put him on an antibiotic for his acne. We've been told up till then that we should just let it go and it'll go away on its own. I wasn't too concerned about it, although I was somewhat concerned about scarring. I was glad this doc wanted to be a bit more aggressive and I have noticed a difference in his acne. He's 8 days into his 10 day course and it's not gone by any means, but it IS better. I think we're going to have to do another round, but I'm glad he's getting some relief. It's not a cute thing on a sweet little face like his, but thank goodness he has a smile that completely melts anyone he flashes it at. Honestly, that kid has a SMILE. His whole face lights up and his eyes just glisten. It's something else. He's something else -- still just completely melts my heart. I am so glad I have these two little gems. And my other two, too!
Almost!!!
I went over to check if I won the stroller. Imagine my delight when I saw the winner was Julie! I forgot, however, that I am one of about 4,752,394 Julies in this world. And I wasn't the Julie lucky enough to win.
Maybe my positive thinking is getting me a little closer, though-- another Julie this time, this Julie next time....
Maybe my positive thinking is getting me a little closer, though-- another Julie this time, this Julie next time....
01 February 2009
Super Sunday
We had a great day today. Church was fantastic. It was nice to fast and feel the spirit -- and we were still enjoying the afterglow of Jim & Rachel's incredible week.
Tonight, we let the kids stay up and we had a Super Bowl party. It was really super -- Triscuits, Easy Cheese, and Juice Boxes. The game was probably the best I've ever watched. Well, no, the best was OSU's championship game in 2003 (it was '03, right??). This one was one for the ages, though. Awesome!
The kids were so fun.
One of the things Stanton & I have been talking about is that we need to change our perspective with our kids. We tend to think of them as "the things that thwart our plans." We think about going bowling, for instance, and then think that won't be any fun. We need to change our perspective, though, and make the bowling trip about THEM, not US. Just go into it knowing that we're going to use the bumpers, etc. We're going to have to go s-l-o-w, and we probably won't be bowling ourselves. If we look at it from that perspective, it can be a really fun experience.
At home, I need to think about how I can make them the center of the day. Instead of being frustrated when they interrupt me (while on the computer, reading the paper, folding laundry, etc.), I need to celebrate the time they play on their own and then when they need me, I need to put them first. And if I change my perspective (they're first, not me), it will actually be fun.
So now I have the inspiration. How to actually follow through??? I think I need to do some planning for the day time. I need to plan activities to do with the kids. And Stanton and I need to plan activities to do with them, too. So, here's to actually doing it...
Tonight, we let the kids stay up and we had a Super Bowl party. It was really super -- Triscuits, Easy Cheese, and Juice Boxes. The game was probably the best I've ever watched. Well, no, the best was OSU's championship game in 2003 (it was '03, right??). This one was one for the ages, though. Awesome!
The kids were so fun.
One of the things Stanton & I have been talking about is that we need to change our perspective with our kids. We tend to think of them as "the things that thwart our plans." We think about going bowling, for instance, and then think that won't be any fun. We need to change our perspective, though, and make the bowling trip about THEM, not US. Just go into it knowing that we're going to use the bumpers, etc. We're going to have to go s-l-o-w, and we probably won't be bowling ourselves. If we look at it from that perspective, it can be a really fun experience.
At home, I need to think about how I can make them the center of the day. Instead of being frustrated when they interrupt me (while on the computer, reading the paper, folding laundry, etc.), I need to celebrate the time they play on their own and then when they need me, I need to put them first. And if I change my perspective (they're first, not me), it will actually be fun.
So now I have the inspiration. How to actually follow through??? I think I need to do some planning for the day time. I need to plan activities to do with the kids. And Stanton and I need to plan activities to do with them, too. So, here's to actually doing it...
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