Day In The Life

I've been asked to portray a little more about life here in regards to my recent facebook status that has regarded our cows.
Between my father in law, DH's Brother, and Jeff they have @ 30 feeder cattle (these cows stay in the 'yards' and will be made fat and sent of to market) and then 37 pasture cows, which consists of cow and calves. The cow/calves are what is at our house now. They graze in pasture during the Spring/Summer/Fall and now are busy cleaning up any leftover corn that didn't get picked up when harvesting. The herd is generally moved from field to field and the last move was one that took us, and them, over 5 miles. We move them by foot and vehicle. The dogs will often help too if needed. Generally the moves go very smoothly. The older cows have made these moves many of times so they know the routine. The worst part of the move is the 1/4 mile we're on a busy hwy. It goes quick and most people are more then willing to wait for the 3-5 min that we are on the road. i think mainly they are in aww about the process since many people don't move them this way.

Many people move cows by trailer/truck. We find that to be very stressful to the animal. They are coraled and then forced to walk thru a ramp/shoot in to the trailer. Since they can only get thru the shoot 1 at a time they end up getting bucked, stepped on all b/c someone at the other end is busy beating them to get them to move faster.

The move can take any where from 1 1/2 -3 hours dependent on the weather. To warm (20-30's) and they move slowly getting hot. There can also be to much snow making it harder on them. There always seems to be a leader and a follower, as in the follower is at the way back of the move and often times has to be told to get going. Or as we say yeup...yup...not sure how to spell that.

During the process either DH or my BIL will follow on foot while the others, DH, myself and my FIL block off potential places where they could get in with our vehicles. Like open gates, broken fences, etc. Let me tell you if the leader of the herd gets off track forget it, the entire herd could escape in to a field causing lots of frustrations and yelling:) Once the first couple of cows go by you are good to move on to the next location. That involves often pushing your way thru the herd with your vehicle, honking your horn. Being very careful you don't cross a cow and he kicks your headlight out:) They will get over eventually allowing you to pass them.

So....now this past Sunday they moved them to our place. I wasn't able to help this time b/c the kids were napping. (that's fine by me.) As I type this they are probably about 600 ft from me. Its our deck, then yard and then the field begins. They take the exact same route at least once/hour. Either going to the creek for water, or coming back out to the field. Taking the same path time after time.

Now with them being over here, always comes some fun (haha) I can remember the times I'd walk out of our bedroom when we were downstairs, and literally cows would be staring at me in the window. Or just this past Sunday after they just got them here, I was sitting at the computer and the next thing i know they are right there. I was able to send the dogs out there and they promptly got them back in the field. Needless to say the hot wire fence was not working and they just walked right over it. You can always tell come Spring where the cows pooped b/c that grass is REALLY green:)

I decided to shoot a quick video b/c honestly that will probably put things in to perspective. Sorry for the mess. Remember we are getting our kitchen 'trimmed' out in the next month or two. A quick appearance of the cat 'sally belly' that's supposed to be outside but she's so darn good with the kids that they often play for hours together.

So there you have it. I'm curious what some of you think of this all.

When I get on our other computer I'll post some pictures. There is the most hilarious picture of a cow looking at me, peeing:) Yeah i know i have a weird sense of humor.

Perfume

Hmm what an interesting title for a post eh?? Those that know me my think why would she blog about perfume. That's right, i never wear it b/c my skin is just to sensitive. I also can have issues with others that wear it. But anyway, even if you aren't a perfume lover, I'm sure we can all think of smells that we like. I love the smell of lilacs for one. I could stand by a lilac bush for hours with my nose stuck in the beautiful flower.

I love the smell of the ocean. I can remember getting to the ocean, while growing up, and stepping out of the car and oh i knew I had arrived. It still smelled the same this past summer. There's a smell i can't smell all the time, outside. I'm not sure if it's just a 'earth' smell, maybe fertilizer, i really have no idea. I'll say to DH 'come here, there's that smell, smell it?'.


But with the smells i like there are more that i do not like. One is Vanilla. I literally would rather slam my hand in a door then catch a whiff of that.

DH is a cologne kind of guy. I love cologne for him. One of our favorites is Cool Water or Aqua Quorum. I have no idea if we can even get this Aqua b/c we got it on our honey moon to Jamaica. So it really has a lot of memories with that smell. Day to day DH where's Polo. I love to smell his clothes and even even they've been washed, i can still pick up the smell of his cologne.


What smells do you like? or dislike? If you could bottle any smell what would it be? take a look and see what others are saying about perfumes/colognes. Maybe you'd like suggestions on what to get hubby for V-day.
new perfume blog

I Could Spit Cotton

I'm so frustrated, mad, WHATEVER at my son right now. He has been such a turd the last 12 hours I'm thinking I'm going to run away!
Last night DH and I went to the city and decided to leave the kids home with our niece. Thank GOD for her, although she may be feeling differently towards us now. (read on) C'man decided he wanted to come with us, about 30 min after he told us he wanted to stay with niece. We ended up leaving without him.
Get home @ 9 PM. He's in bed but gets out. So by 930 he's back up in bed with no fuss. THEN this AM.
I don't even want to post this but I'm going to. He was in our closet taking his jammies off. I went in there to see what he was doing b/c he acted like he either just did something he wasn't supposed to, or was about to. Well i came back .2 seconds later and he had peed in the register on the floor. UN FREAKING BELIEVABLE! I flipped out. Luckily DH was still home and handled some of the discipline. When asked WHY?? He said b/c 'D did it'.

Ah D. He was over yesterday and when I went to the basement to check on them and someone had peed on the floor! D had done it!! Second time this has happened. Of course his mother handled it very well. I won't go in to detail but she was clearly embarrased and mad. So after our incedent with C'man this AM when I talked to friend i told her what happened. She said 'oh know, i'm SO sorry' she sincerely apologized.

I made C'man stay up in his room while I got my wits about myself and the day proceeded. Well it gets better, better not worse, well towards the end. We go and get groceries, no problem, come home start eating lunch and papa shows up to check fences (we are moving cattle to our place tomorrow). Thinking his pickup is like a snow plow, or something, he gets it stuck in the deepest snowbank within the entire field. Mind you 300 ft the other direction and he would have been fine. C'man says to me 'I think papa's truck is stuck' I look, ahhh yes son you are correct.

Papa and niece show up at my door. Papa freaking out b/c he has to be in town within 10 min before the lumber yard closes.He wants to use my van. My CLEAN van that not only did i get washed, but 10 min earlier had vacuumed. Dang it!!! I opt to load the kids up and say 'you're taking the kids with you and feel free to get them some lunch too'

They leave but not with more DRAMA. The stinken garage door will not shut. It starts off then stops. I must now figure out how to get it shut and fast b/c all the heat is escaping. Call DH he says 'push the button and hold it down' HELLO what the hell do you think I've been doing!! I end up having to pull this red cord which releases it from being automatic (or something like that) and am able to get it down.

20 min later niece comes back with my van covered in DIRT/mud/salt! They took it down the gravel roads. Oh man was i fuming. DH calls her as I'm getting the kids out (van is parked outside at this point) and must have asked her how it was going? Her response was the pick up is stuck, van was clean now it's not, kids are crabby and so is 'Rae'! No lie!! But as i walk in the house and see the pick up seating high center in the field, i can not help but chuckle. Truly this is how life is with my FIL:)

No hamburger for the kids so they are famish and gobbling down bowl after bowl of cereal.

NAP TIME!! A goes down no problems. I tell C'man he has to stay in his bed for a couple min. Hoping he'll fall asleep I head out to paint in the garage. C'man comes out and says something about 'papa going by'. He is back working on more fence. I decide to forgo the nap and send C'man out to hang with the 2, now 3 amigos.

Awhile later they drop him off and DH comes home. He takes C'man with him and off they go. Just A and I home now. DH comes home and I notice a cross look on his face, and C'man has a look of guilt on his face. Ends up that he thru this hard ball of some sort at nieces face and hits her right b/w the eyes! Oh man I'm on fire again WHY is my child acting this way?? DH says he's already disciplined him but then i hear that niece cried b/c it hurt so bad, as I'm sure it did! C'man was apparently being a 'wrecking ball'.

We ponder where this behavior is coming from. DH promptly says no more playing with D. I don't think that's all the problem. I think he's watching do much of the Discovery Channel. He likes to watch 'How It's Made' (that's ok) but when he starts watching 'Mythbusters' or some show where they blow up buildings, that's what it is!

We still are unsure what to do about playing with D. I can't possibly imagine my life without S in it. Generally speaking the boys do play fine. But it's the times like yesterday where it almost looses it for me. Tomorrow we are all going swimming but I'm wondering if we shouldn't go. But would c'man understand that the reason he can't go swimming is b/c he's been such a turd? Or is he overly exhausted causing him to turn in to this monster? Maybe I'd better take a look at what he's eating (no mac n cheese lately so not that) milk hasn't been an over abundance.

I'm clearly at a loss. Any suggestions? Have you been able to follow this entire post? Can ya tell I'm a little cross right now! It's @ 530 now and by 7 he will be up in bed no doubt. A will follow by 715, and then I'm making myself a cocktail (yeah right) and watching a movie. Did i mention we subscribed to NetFlix and I'm LOVING it!!

Oh Lets See....

I really don't have a specific subject to blog about. Do I ever?? I really like 'random' anyway. Deep thoughted blogs are hard for me to read, and do, with the kids running around. Take for instance, just right now C'man has brought me Thomas b/c his 'thing is stuck down there'. OK fix that. Now the two of them are playing peacefully for oh about....5 more minutes? So it's just virtually impossible for me to get to in depth on pretty much anything I do. Can any of you relate?

Both kids have been napping so that gives me about 1 1/2-2 hours to work on our garage. Oh that garage. Yes the one where the contractors billed us WAY more then it was supposed to, the garage that will be nicer then some peoples houses! Well it's getting a paint job. Right now I'm priming, the ceiling that is. I despise painting ceilings. When i am done, i am completely covered in paint. I'm sure I'm walking around with paint specs through out my hair. I get it off my face with no problems, thank goodness. That would be just lovely walking in public with paint on my face. (that's assuming I'm going somewhere). I am happy to report that DH got the automatic part of the garage doors working again. MAN what did we do before automatic garage door openers. It's been a long 2 months of getting out and opening that dang door. It's a heavy beast too.

I'm still working on finding out about the 'Cancer Sucks' T-shirts. It seems from reading little Armstrong's care page, that things aren't going very well. Follow the previous blog about him to read about him. As soon as I know something I will post it here.

Anyone going, or hosting, a super bowl party? Neither here. Oh and a shout out to Wendi. She's in labor!! I'm sure her blog will be updated. Never met Wendi but can relate to her story.

Have a great weekend everyone!

25 Random Things

So all over facebook are these 'notes' my friends are filling out about 25 random things about themselves. I've been 'tagged' by a couple and while I wanted to just skip it, I enjoy reading about others so i thought maybe I should try it. But like everything, I put almost to much thought in to it and some of them are rather serious, some are fun. And of course, nothing comes without a brief explanation. So here i go, and actually i got more then 25 but as my husband just said to me 'are you sure you want to put them out for everyone to see?' I asked him, 'What's on my list that is so bad?'.
OK:
1. I strive to be organized yet feel so disorganized. I have totes for everything, from cleaning supplies, to toy cars, baby doll stuff, trains, etc and if a toy car gets in the train 'tote' I panic.
2. I heart my vacuum. It is NEVER put away and i will vacuum at least once/day if not more.
3. I've started making a menu for the week. Using a different cookbook for every week. It's going quite well and I'm thrilled at not having to wonder what to have for supper every night.
4. Most days i wear sweats and sweatshirt. I simply brush my teeth, comb my hair put a head band on, and I'm going about my day. Quite a contrast to what i have been used to wearing for years and years!
5. I miss the intensity of my job but not the drama
6. I lay the kids clothes, and mine, out the night before. I'd lay DH's out too but he wanted nothing to do with it:)
7. I love reality TV (Hills, RW, Survivor) but could never be on any of them
8. I enjoy travel-but not camping, long car rides, etc. I like being outside but simply can not handle bugs buzzing around my head, the smell of fires burning, the dust, etc. Airplane travel and the stress that comes with it is more me.
9. I've been playing the piano since 2nd grade. Didn't love it all the time but simply think it was the best thing. I can play where ever there is a piano and can for years to come
10 I enjoy singing but wish i was awesome at it. I think being a singer would be a great career but simply not for me. I can't sing in front of people alone. Put me in a choir, duet and I'll be great but alone, no way.
11. I have anxiety (see #10) but not real bad. Test anxiety is the worst! i sweat like no other when I'm told it's time to take a test! (see blog entry about census)
12. I don't mind public speaking (i know crazy considering #10 and 11). I have recently started sharing our story of infertility, adoption and a surprise pregnancy, with others publicly.
13. I love to sell things. My dad always says I could sell ice to an Eskimo
14. I have lots of friends and love each one of them!!
15. I love meeting new people. If I like you, you'll be in my life probably forever
16. I really didn't like High School. I hated all the cliques and feeling in inadequate b/c i didn't measure up to whomever's thoughts. College was definitely more for me. People accepting you for you and being able to be who i am.
17. I'm a leader. (reference #16) I can definitely follow but if know one is leading, I will jump in. I actually was offered a job by someone observing me in a group.
18. I'm a conservative that happens to be a Republican. I'm worried, no frightened, by Obama and what will come of our country. I really think as a Christian we should all be very worried. My taxes should pay for abortions? Really??? I can't understand how a God fearing Christain can be a Democrat.
19. The years of infertility were the hardest years of our/my lives. The hurt, disappointment & physical exhaustion were almost to much to handle. But it's by the grace of God they are the years that have made me who I am.
20. I love listening to the kids run @ the house. There were times I'd wondered if I'd ever hear that.
21. I enjoy baking more then cooking but do both on an almost daily basis.
22. Not many days go by that I don't think of C'mans Birthmom
23. I'd would like to run for public office someday.
24.My favorite place is my friend Laura's, pool in New Jersey
25. I can tell pretty good stories about my life and all it's adventures

So there you have it. Some that are in the reserves are: I'm a secret blogger (LOL) if you're reading this you're privileged to know about it. Most of my closest friends are from college, My daughter acts like me more then I care to admit, I take way to much time doing things like this and i'd like a tatoo but to chicken to do it.

Now it's your turn, tell me your 25 Random things. Or do this on your blog and direct us to is by leaving a comment.

Online Shopping 'Coupons'

How many of you are coupon clippers? I must admit, I've tried and well I'm failing. I always forget them at home, or put them in my purse and they get all crumpled and ripped to shreds. But mostly i just forget to use them. I've give some thought to buying an organizer, not a coupon organizer, but like a binder of sorts. I don't know tho, I may just keep thinking about it.

But when it comes to shopping online, I find it way easier to find money saving coupons. Maybe it's free shipping, or buy 2 get 1 free, or 15% off my order. I recently found a website that has all sort of money saving coupons of sorts, for online purchases. http://www.ebates.com/ You can find money saving codes all the way from flowers to baby clothes to anything in between.

Take note men out there, you can even find discounts on flowers (as mentioned above) to jewelry! Think Valentines Day!


So check it out and share with us, if you would, what you coupon code you used. Or maybe you already have used ebates.com

Tax season is upon us and there is even a coupon for 12% back for tax filing help!

Changes

Obama's not the only one that can preach about change right?? My blog needs some too:) I think i can deliver on my changes tho!! I know I know, he hasn't even be in office for a full week but did anyone hear that stem cell research has gotten the go ahead for public funding versus the private funding they've been using. AND that with that private funding of over 10 billion (my friend Shannan thought that was the amount) STILL has not accomplished anything!

Killing embryo's for the stem cells that adult stem cells could do the same thing. Coming from someone that created embryos (ok we all do) and have seen first hand that an embryo is a baby, why oh why are we doing this??

Oh goodness, this was NOT the direction I was going with this post. Where I was going is, I was wondering if anyone could tell me how to make the font of my text bigger? I know I can do it while I'm typing a post, but i want it to be standard/set.

I see I have another follower!! When it gets to 10 followers, I'll do my give away:)

DH and I are actually going out tonight! Hmm another change. Work Christmas party that he said last night he didn't want to go. He's working today and after that needs to load beans out. BUT he called a little while go and said he wanted to go if we could find a sitter.

Well thankfully the lovely Rochelle (I have linked to her Pampered Chef website, specifically the outlet section!!! Feel free to shop) and her husband are going to watch the kids. They actually only live about 5 min from where we'll be. I hope Miss A goes for it. They spent the AM at their Godparents b/c i was at Rochelle's doing a purse party. What a nice friend i am, have a party and then i ask you to watch our kids:)

Anyway, I guess i started this post about change, got sidetracked, got back on track, and here I am talking about our plans for tonight. Don't you just love how my blog/thought process goes every direction?? Seriously it can happen in real life too. Isn't that called ADHD???

Armstrong

It's time I do a post about little Armstrong. I know of this special little
boy thru 'Doc'. You
may have read some of his responses to some of my political posts. Little
Armstrong is Doc's grandson. This is taken from Armstrong's carepage:

Just before Thanksgiving I was diagnosed with a brain tumor.
It has been diagnosed as a high-grade malignant cancer.
I'm 3 (and a
half!) and I love Diego and Thomas the Train.
I'm a really special kid and
my Mom
and Dad are doing everything they can to keep me happy. They are
working very closely with my Neurosurgeon POOCH to find the best
treatment
for my tumor.
I had one surgery the Monday before thanksgiving to remove
my entire left front temperal lobe. (Don't worry I'm ok!). They sent that
sample to pathology and everyone was surprised by the results. My cancer
does not match ANY current brain cancer classifications.
My Mom and Dad and
Doctor sent that tissue sample to the top pathologist at John Hopkins University
(Dr. Burger...haha...I guess he would go good with my current French Fry
addiction..lol). He said it is the strangest looking Cancer he's ever seen.
It
has characteristics of 4 high-grade tumors (means hard to treat). But it
will probably get a new classification of it's own.
I had my second surgery
on December 10th. I just got down to MD Anderson in Houston right before
Christmas and we thought we would
be doing my radiation and chemo here. But
at the radiation run through
they realized my whole tumor had grown back and
some new tumor on my frontal lobe. So we returned to Omaha.
On January 5th I
had my 3rd craniotomy and tumor recestion. And on Thursday January 15th I
started chemo and
radiation. My tumor is so large they have to radiate my
entire left
hemisphere and I have to be put to sleep because it takes much
longer than traditional radiation. So Monday thru Friday I wake up and go to the
hospital for that. Every evening all week long I get a large dose of a chemo
drug named Temador at home.When that is done they will take a
look at me and
see what's next. The hope is that I won't have any
remaining cancer after I
go through all that. But the reality is I might
have to continue the process
of surgeries, chemo, and radiation.
My Mommy and Daddy are really sad, but
they don't show it to me. We play and have fun while we are at the hospital. And
I actually don't mind being here until someone starts poking me .... Then I'm
MAD!So that's me and my story. Thanks for visiting my page.

T-shirts have been made in honor of Army's thought of this cancer: Cancer Sucks! It says. They have had t-shirts made and i think it would just be such a tremendous show of support for
not only him, but his family, for those that can, to get one. I was going to copy and past one here but now when I get on his carepage I can't find them.

There are some pretty amazing pictures on his carepage. I just can't say enough how I encourage you all to get on the carepage. Get an account if you don't have one. Let's band together as blogger 'friends', family, etc and support this little boy and his family. We've all been touched by cancer, it sucks. It really does and when it hits people so little like Army or even young adults, like Faith's brother, it just really sucks.

Can You Help?

I want to change the background but I'll loose some of my widgets. Like my followers and blogs I follow. I really don't want to loose those. Can any of you help me??
I'd love suggestions on blog backgrounds too. Do you design any? I would gladly send some business your way as some of my friends have inquired about changing there backgrounds!!


*****Remember to become a 'follower' as I get ready for a giveaway! Plus it's fun to see who's reading. I have this stat counter thing that allows me to see where readers are, but it still would be fun to see more followers. With 10-25 hits/day I know you're out there:) Come out come out where ever you are:)*********

Please check out out Faith's blog as her family would appreciate prayers right now!

Wendy down in Florida is patiently waiting for baby #2. Follow there blog to read there amazing life!!!

Cakes is another blog I follow on a regular basis. I love there large family! Along with Faith's. Don't worry. I'm not getting any ideas:)

Emily is my lovely friend, although never met in person, that has jumped on the blog band wagon. Heck i just popped on her blog and she's been nominated for an award! Way to go! She also helped us with our upcoming Disney World trip. I'll let you know after our trip if I'll stay in touch with her LOL! She tells me there is alcohol served in many places!

Speaking of Disney, our trip is booked. It's a go. I told DH it wasn't to late to back out. We'd only paid for our airline tickets so we'd only be out that money. Needless to say he said nope we're going!

Over at Hyperparenting is a good post about how hard it is to put dishes in the dishwasher!? How can those who live with us, just set them on the counter which is above the dishwasher! Really? It would take a whoppin 2 sec more to just pop them in! I think we all could relate to her post in one way or another! My favorite response from DH is 'I thought they were clean?'.

And then my BFF. She's kind of behind on blogging:) But i still pop in to see if she has any updates! She's a busy mom, wife, teacher, daughter, you name it. I worry about her and her busy life. She needs to slow down! Love ya sweety!!

OK my kids are now fighting and I must go!

Inauguration

Did you really think I wouldn't do a post about this??

I must first admit that during the morning hours of the Inauguration we were out sledding! Opps. History was being made and DH, myself, niece and the kids were out flying down a hill with snow flying in our faces praying we wouldn't land in the creek! Yup, sounds more fun then watching the depressing TV.

I couldn't believe the major channels were covering every little thing from when the family would leave there house, to the parade that never ended. I realize history was made. First African American President, that's great, really it is. I don't have a problem with that at all! Race is the least of my worries with this man.

Later in the afternoon I did start watching the coverage. It was interesting, but very depressing. The crowds of people hanging on to every word this man promised, crying like they were meeting the Lord, really!? Do they really think this man is going to fix all their problems? I think he's made a whole lot of promises and has a lot to deliver. He spoke about defending our lives, but yet he tells us change is coming. Hmmm....

And where did this man come from that delivered the benediction? When the yellow will mellow? The white will be right??? What the HECK? oh and the black will go back?

Back where?? Do we not remember it was the Republican party that fought for the rights of the black? and what was he saying 'when'. Do they think we're going to end up back where we all started with racial division? You want to talk racism. They mine as well had Rev Jeremiah Wright deliver the benediction!! I know, it was meant as a joke but seriously you think if a white person would have said this an uproar wouldn't be going on right now?

We are going to become a socialist nation thru liberalism and mark my words, in 20 years we are not going to know how we got here. Watch the next 2 years, it's going to be how we got there.

In closing, I'm willing to give President Obama a chance. I'm scared of what's going to come of the issues that motivate me (abortion, gay marriage, health care, etc) but I need to respect that he is our President. That's not going to change. But what will change is us Republicans have 2 years, less actually, to get our act together. What are we going to do to improve our recognition? What are we going to do so that the next election we don't get our hats handed to us?

Elated or deflated by yesterday, our President needs our prayers!

We Got Screwed

Remember back a couple weeks ago when we were getting our garage sheet rocked. Well we got the bill yesterday and while we expected it to be over the original bid, it was WAY over!!

I came home Saturday after a day of shopping, yes another one, with BFF-Shannan, and the contractor was here. He had sub-contracted the work out so he came to deliver the bill. I thought it was strange that he left so quickly as I got home. BUT then it was mass chaos in here. Kids, adults, cat, dogs, shopping bags, awful smell!? (thanks CAT now i know why i keep you outside). So he leaves and I take a look at the bill and there was an addt'l charge of $1600!!!!

Do you know what that was for?? 'Moving owners property'. Can you believe that?? OK so it's the middle of winter and we can't keep everything out in the elements. So there was things that needed to be moved but yeah, we told them come in the summer and will have it all out of here.

I guess they told DH it would cost a little bit more b/c of the 'junk' they had to work around but when he asked, well how much? they didn't say. I was fuming. I was so mad I called the guys cell phone and said you'd better do something or I'm going to stop payment on that check. I really couldn't even believe DH just wrote the check. He questioned it but yeah, felt like he had no say in it.

Needless to say when the guy got his v/mail he called and said he'd come right on over. We decided to split it. However, I'm still not happy with even $800. At $30/hour per guy, there is no way in hell (pardon the language) that they did that much moving of property. I said to him did they build an addition on to the garage that I haven't noticed?

We sent him on his way with $800 less. While we were at church the guy who actually worked on the garage, called. Obviously we weren't home but he eventually called back. I really didn't want to talk, well actually I did. I wanted to say 'Really Kevin. You feel justified in billing us $1600 EXTRA b/c you wanted to do the garage now and not wait? Why didn't you tell us you need this sh** out of here or we won't be back. After all we did in helping you around here, providing food, cleaning up after you, making your time here as best as we could, you are going to charge us this much. You don't feel just the least bit guilty in doing this??'

But DH talked to him and told him we took $800 off and he didn't respond one way or the other. The bad part is there are 3 'groups' involved here. The guy we hired 'Joe', Kevin and his sons, they actually did the work, and us. The guys bad mouth the other to us and we're stuck in the middle. Each said 'oh we're done working with Joe, or Kevin, etc after this job." DH and I just sit there thinking here we go again.

We will see what transpires in the weeks to come. There are some cracks in the sheet rock that need to be fixed before they get there money. BUT i said I'd rather not even pay the $1600 and live with the cracks:) I don't think they'll say to much really. But I'm still bothered that we even paid them $800. DH thought that was 'fair'. I thought $200 was fair. Seriously.

I know now why 'Joe' raced out of here yesterday. He knew I'd have hair on my teeth and i can sure bet that when they come back to fix the cracks, they'd better hope I'm not here. I'm not mean about it. I very nicely will express my feelings. OK I might get a little bitchy. I'm used to dealing with this stuff. I dealt with it for 10 years at my job. When people didn't have phone service, like a business, they would get furious. Rightly so. So i learned real quickly how to talk the talk in getting what I needed done in a very efficient way. Nicely but forcefully.

Stay tuned I guess:)

Stroller Recommendations Needed

Those of you who have traveled with kids. What would you recommend of a light weight umbrella stroller? It would be used while @ Disney too.

Couple requirements:

DH and I are both 6'0

Storage underneath

reclining seat.

I truly see why people have like 3 strollers/kid! You almost need a different one for each child for each event/occasion:) My plan is to buy stroller connectors for when we need to push two strollers while the other is doing whatever.

So please if you have any ideas, ask other moms, friends, parents, whatever and please please let me know what they think. I'm hoping to keep it at under $60/stroller.

Thanks! OH and guess what?? I won my first contest!! Check out Faith's blog entry about me winning!! Personally I think she should keep the gift card and buy herself some coffee as she is one busy, but loving it, mommy!! She insisted and it'll be in the mail this week. I really can't wait. I love Mocha's!!!

We're Going On Vacation

To Disney World! That's the one in Florida right?? Let's see, let me back track.
DH has been wanting to go on vacation somewhere for some time. We celebrated 10 years of marital bliss (HAHA) in June and never made it any where. We, no DH, found great airfare for just under $100/person.
Now the fun part continues. Trying to find the best deal for Disney. My friend Emily is a travel agent for AAA so I have contacted her for assistance! She's been GREAT! Feel free to contact her, I'll share her!! BUT now DH is trying to find other 'deals'. I want to just book the dang thing and be done with it.
He's spent countless hours on the Internet, and now phone, trying to finalize everything. So here's where you all come in. How many of you have been there before? Whats your ONE piece of advice? Should we do the 'park hopper'? (reminder, we're taking a 2, 4, an over anxious father, and anxiety driven mother)
It's been years since I've been there. Like I was 7 or 8?? So I remember very little accept stupid things like how my brother cried and cried, exhaustion, and a couple rides, mainly because of the pictures taken.
Anyway tell me what you know.

Reminder, I'm getting ready for a give away and to get an additional 'entry' become a follower!!

I Love Give Aways

One of my fellow bloggers is having a give away! Check out the lovely mom Faith over at Absolutely Normal Chaos and you too could enter for her give away.

And guess what, I'm going to have one too!! But part of the process will be to become a 'follower' of my blog. Get that out of the way now, and you'll be one step closer to possibly winning a prize from me!!

C'man and I are watching American Idol and DH is supposed to be putting Miss A to bed. It takes him FOREVER!

Check Faith's blog out and then become a follower of my blog and stay tuned for a give away.

Blizzard Number ???

I don't even know what number this is, but it looks like we're in for another one. I'm trying to copy and paste the weather outlook but it's not working. Here's the text of it.....
A Clipper low pressure system brought us a quick hit of snow across Siouxland this morning. More snow is in the forecast this afternoon adding another inch or more to totals by this evening. What is of more concern is the windy conditions that will develop later this morning and this afternoon. Winds will gust to as much as 50 mph causing blowing and drifting of snow in some parts. Near whiteout conditions are expected this afternoon in the open country.
Temperatures also plummet with evening thermometer readings in the teens. Wind chill values are expected to drop to minus 20 to minus 30 by tonight. We'll hardly warm tomorrow as afternoon temperatures hover in the lower teens but luckily the wind will not be an issue.
More snow enters the forecast by Tuesday night as yet another Clipper system affects the area. The arctic invasion begins today and with a more serious shot coming by mid-week. There is good news however in the extended forecast with temperatures moderating big time by the end of the weekend.

Megan-We're coming to see you! Enough of this weather for a couple days:) Call or email me, better yet your uncle.

The kids are out playing now during the calm before the storm. I scooped as much snow as I can and waiting for DH to bring the tractor over. I'm SO glad i'm not working in the city anymore and have to contend with roads.