The List

Things that have gone all wrong since May 16, 2008...

1. Mike lost his job.
2. The air conditioner broke. We had to buy a new one
3. Our older car broke down. The engine blew. We only have one car.
4. A kitchen window spontaneously broke. They only sent us the glass, not a sash. Who knows how to take a window apart to install glass in a sealed sash.
5. The smoker caught on fire. We had to throw it away.
6. The car one good car we have needed repaired. It cost a lot!
7. We argue weekly about what has gone wrong and who is at fault.
8. The hard drive of the computer with everything all important to life in general took a dive. It is still at the shop.
9. Today when we went to Mike's parents house... the driveway was icy.... we had to slam on the breaks.... a LOUD pop.... the transmission went out on our car... we think.
10.????? What could possibly be next??? Check back for updates. Never mind, we came up with 10. b The furnace broke, but Mike was able to fix it for $25. Could that be a positive too?
11. Also, Mike discovered a hole in the roof, but he and his dad were able to fix it for free.
12. There was also a two month period were Mike's dad called us everyday about things he found on Craig's list. We have be the go between for several of the questionably needed items. After some comments were made about a "problem" at a family get together this has slowed down!

Our car is sitting in their driveway. The only thing stopping it from crashing into their garage is the parking break and one of those cement geese.

Trying to give life a positive spin... good things that have happened...

1. We have spent a lot of quality time together as a family.
2. Mike put the swing set together.
3. We became members of a church, Mike was baptised, I was confirmed, and we attend regularly. A long time goal of ours.
4. I made dean's list for fall quarter.
5. Lib is doing very well in school.
6. We have not killed each other, yet.
7. We made it home safe in Mike's dad's truck in all of this horrible snow. I prayed a lot on the ride home.

For tonight I am going to pray that our car is still under warranty like we think it is. There must be a silver lining somewhere.

I am also go to pray for help in being a better wife. I really stink in this department these days. I know it and I do not like it. I am trying. A few bad months out of seven years of bad wifing (is that a word) is not that bad.

Tomorrow is a new day!

Halloween Pictures!

Mike's parents and the anniversary cake I made for them. We could not find a 40th anniversary topper so we improvised. The before are the parents from the Loving family dollhouse, and the now is Mr. and Mrs. Noah Little People. The cake is right on from their wedding pictures. Probably the best cake I have ever done for a decorating dabbler.


We are borrowing my dad's computer for a few days... our hard drive crashed. I will blame it on Mike, I blame everything on him these days, including the downturn of American economics. I digress, that is a post for another day.
Our SD drive was not working and I have been unable to post pictures. Maybe I will get caught up this weekend.

My pretty girl missing her two front teeth. This is at the Fairfield County fair. We look so forward to this each year. I am proud too, she does not eat "fair food" She will only eat chicken and noodles!

If you look in the archives you will find pictures that look just like this from 2006. She is almost 4 feet tall! I will miss these kinds of things if we move away....

My little Alice! She was so polite correcting those who called her a princess, or Cinderella.

Are we really these people?

Last night I was in bed reading. My bible. I was given a new one when I was confirmed two weeks ago. It is the nicest Bible I have ever owned. Not in looks, but in content. It is not the sayeth, thereth, youeth, type, but one that is full of side notes and more importantly real world context that can help you relate the ideas to your life. I am to the end of the story about Noah in Genesis, if you really wanted to know.

So Mike ventures upstairs, and I pause in my reading to tell him I am concerned about the amount of rampant crime going on in our town. "I think maybe we should load the gun." Yes, yes, we have a gun or home. Not a popular decision for most. After a home a block away was robbed a knife point I gave the okay. The sad thing is, that for the most part we live in a VERY safe community. I have no problem going for a walk at night. I think I just more aware of the crime that does occur. And before you get concerned, yes Libby does know about the gun. I strongly feel that if you are going to have firearms in your home that your children must know that people kill, not guns. She knows that it is not a toy, and should never be touched.

Needless to say I continued reading while Mike fiddled around with it for a while. Then the humor of the scenario took over. Wife in bed reading Bible, husband sitting on the end of the bed in his jammies loading gun. It was like a twisted Lifetime movie...

We decided not load the gun, not a good idea for right now. But if you had plans of breaking into my home I can have it load and ready to shoot through the floor in seconds! Beware...

Pictures from our trip...

Libby and I on Antelope Island

Baby Preston on his glow worm lights

Libby at the Golden Spike.

We have spent the last five days in Utah helping friends with their new baby boy Preston and doing a little sight seeing.

Utah is beautiful country. Mountains and crazy drivers! It is good to be with good friends.

On my knees.

Dear God,

Please be with our family. Please help Mike find suitable employment before December 9th. Be with him as he continues this transition. Help me to be a supportive and understanding wife. Be with Libby and help this huge change not affect her.

Amen

A sad day in education.

While observing for one of my classes I overheard to junior girls discussing how they were going to make their children part of their video project for government.

I am sad that these babies have babies. I know how I struggle as an adult with parenthood and school. I can not imagine their lives. I have been praying for them and their children each day.

I think I have been living in a bubble.

Christmas Preview

True Confessions of a Christmas Shop a holic....

I absolutely love the idea of Christmas shopping, but when it comes down to it I hate the malls during the season. People are rude and pushy. It takes the real spirit of the holiday for me. Last year Mike and I went to Polaris during the bad ice storm and spent several hours looking for Hungry, Hungry, Hippos to finally find it at the last place we went.

The tradition. Libby gets three gifts from Santa because that is what baby Jesus got. I would love to take credit for this idea, but it is from a bulletin board I frequent. We started this on her second Christmas.

This year we are thinking (per her numbered list already on the fridge.)

The pink ipod shuffle. She really wants one of her own!

Legos: Some sort of larger set. She is really into legos right now.

Her last present from Santa will be something from American Girl. We are not sure yet. Grandpa and Grandma Garbrandt got her Samantha

She also would like to have Ivy (who is her Julie doll's best friend,) Nellie who is Samantha's best friend, and Julie's bed.

From Mommy and Daddy she is getting a new ornament, some clothes for her AG dolls, and an EYECLOPS.

I am trying to keep it small.

Happy Shopping!

Somewhere in between.

As I near the end of school, did I mention I have just ten classes left, I find myself stuck in the land near the middle.

I have spent the better portion of my working years with the preschool crowd. I have the patience and understanding to teach them. I have gained the knack to plan entire units that cover all areas of their education that meet several different learning styles. I am in the denim jumper female dominated world.

The transition to secondary education is not going to be an easy one for me. I love history and government. I have the passion to teach them. But, the world I am going to is testosterone dominated, crotch scratching, and every one's name is preceded by coach. In all seriousness I worry I will not get a job because I am not a man, and I am not the kind of girl who thinks that.

I wonder how it will all turn out?

The truth about being parents

Most people that I know are in the throws of raising small children. We hug and kiss, nurture and foster, all the things that good parents do. While in the midst of this it is easy to loose sight of the future. The truth. Our children are going to grow up and leave us someday.

We made it to church on time, for once, today. We sat in our usual pew towards the back, you know the one were we can make quick break for cover if our child is the one disrupting the service. In front of us sat a boy and his mother. Not just any boy and mother though. This was the grown son of mother, dressed in his Marine best, and his father is our pastor.

This boy, once their small child is now a man leaving for a war this week. He was blessed at the end of the service as was his armor. His father took off his robes at the end of the service to prepare to take his son to war. A powerful picture for a quaint Sunday morning in small town America.

I do not know Tristan Pursley, or his mother. We are acquainted with his father as our minister for nearly sixth months. What I do know is that these parents raised their son to be a good Christian, a kind person, and a brave man. All things as parents we can hope to do.

I cried silently through church this morning for the loss of these parents. All parents who raise good and just sons and daughters to serve our republic for what strong men see as the means to solve the worlds crisis. We do not question, but have faith. We believe and have faith. As parents this is all we can do.

Hold your children close. Raise them to see all the good things God has provided for us.

Pray for our minister, his wife, and their son as he leaves for Afghanistan.

Our babies will grow up. They do a little each day.

So you had a bad day

It started off okay. While I was ironing the pants I set out for work I noticed there was a hole by the pocket. Oh well. My shirt was long enough to cover it.

I arrive to work. The power is off. Dark, very dark. We navigate the hallway and Libby is safely delivered to kindergarten.

I find my lantern. I spend another five minutes looking for batteries. I find them. 4 D batteries produce a small led light. I notice a note on my desk. I need to see my boss.

I try to get the room ready. I am told I need to see my boss again. I go down. I am then reprimanded for not shutting one of my windows the day before. Several times, several ways.

I go back to my room. I can not find the letter B papers that we are to do for the day.

Kids come in. I notice one of shoes smell like cat pee. Nice, I have a hole in my pants and I smell like cat pee.

The kids are playing, no power still. We have a fire drill. We go to recess, they are hitting each other. I am the bad guy.

I turn in my sub folder. It is returned to me, bleeding with red ink. Mostly silly spelling corrections. I do not think the sub would mind, but now I have to do it again. Where/were.... jeez.

I get talked to about the window, again.

Today was just not my day. But, my window is shut!

Politics

My poor child has been indoctrinated....

One moment she is in her rhyming phase going through the house chanting "Obama is yo Momma" and the next moment she stating "we are republicans, and John McCain is a republican, so that is who we will vote for!"

Just to be clear none of this information was fed to her other than we are republicans, the rest she has came up with on her own.

And if anyone is worried, I do not know who I will vote for yet.

Mike, by the way... Happy Anniversary. We survived, 7 years and we are both still living! I love you.

She's only been is school for a month now...

Here are the pictures from Libby's first day of school. We have been having so much trouble with our computer I am about to throw it. The darn thing is only a year old and it gives us nothing but trouble.

On the porch before school

Showing off her Camp Rock lunch box.

In front of her school.

With her teacher Mrs. Raddatz.

At her desk.

We miss Mrs. Raddatz dearly. She was diagnosed with breast cancer shortly before the school year started. She had a mastectomy three weeks ago and is doing well healing at home. We have a nice sub, but you know it is just not the same :)

I will try to get some more up this week.

Inspired

I thought I would share a couple of my favorite recipies since everyone has been talking cooking lately.

This is a Paula Deen recipie that I have amended.

Pot Roast (and I am not a pot roast type of girl)

3 lb chuck roast

salt, pepper, and garlic powder

1/4 cup of veggie oil

3 bay leaves

1 onion sliced thinly

3-5 pressed or crushed cloves of garlic

1 or 2 beef boulin cubes (hers calls for more, it is way to salty)

I can cream of mushroom soup (I use the low fat cause we are a little chunky to begin with!)

1/2 cup chardonnay (I have used whatever white wine I have around)

Season roast with salt, pepper, and garlic powder and brown in the oil. Place in slow cooker. Put everything else on top. Cover with just enough water to cover all of it. Cook on low for 8 hours.

This makes a kick butt gravy to, and I am not big gravy fan either. I serve with roasted potatoes.

These are Mary E. and I's all time favorite cookie to make!

Jello cookies!

3 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 c. butter USE REAL BUTTER
1 c. sugar
1 (3 oz.) pkg. Jello, any flavor THE SUGAR FREE JELLO RESULTS IN A MORE INTENSE FLAVOR
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla AGAIN, TRY THE REAL, it makes a difference.

Mix flour with baking powder. Cream butter, gradually add sugar and gelatin, beating well. Beat in egg and vanilla. Gradually add flour mixture, mixing well. Force dough through cookie press onto ungreased baking sheet. Sprinkle with additional gelatin (same flavor). Decorate, if desired. Bake at 400 degrees about 8 minutes or until edges are golden brown.
If you do not have a cookie press roll into balls and flatten slightly with a fork. Green jellos brown more quickly than other colors.


Happy cooking!

Economics

Several words...

Adam Smith

An Inquiry Into The Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations.

Invisible hand, etc.. etc...

I could go on and on, but I will save my fingers the pain.

Mike and I may be the smartest people we know! We have no retirement to lose. Just the jar over our sink! To quote London Tipton "Yea Me" (assuming you watch The Suite Life)

What a great time to be unemployed and in college.

By the way to celebrate the despair and downfall of American economics we are having a cookout October 11. Mike will be smoking meat, I will make butt burners, and cheap beer will be available. If things are really bad by then be prepaired to discuss the hippy comune idea, and be burning all mortgage notes, car and student loans, et al.

Library time.

Libby and I walked to the library this afternoon to return and restock.

Last month I read Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult, and The Boleyn Inheritance by Phillipa Gregory. Both were very good. For this month I have two more Phillipa Gregory books, The Other Boleyn Girl, and The Constant Princess. (When I am not reading the heinous Sociology text that I should be.)

Libby has been into fiction a lot lately. Today we checked out Wind In the Willows, and the Tale of Peter Rabbit. She is reading on her own more now, mostly Dick and Jane, and the dreaded BOB books. She has also been reading a Scooby Doo phonics pack. My main complaint with the "character" themed reader packs is they often have huge words that are not appropriate for five and six year olds to sound out.

Apples, Apples, and more Apples

On Sunday we went to the Apple Orchard after church. One peck of apples was six dollars. We thought this was a good price. One peck is around 25 -30 apples. We have been making applesauce. This stuff is heavenly.

Crock pot Applesauce (borrowed from a fellow blogger)

10 apples peeled and sliced
1 cup of sugar
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/2 cup of water

Place all ingredients in the crock pot. Cook on low 8-10 hours, or on high 3-4 hours. Drain, I used our colander, put in bowl and mash. Place into containers refrigerate or freeze.

I used Cortland Apples, which the orchard guy referred to as utility apples. These proportions were right on for flavor. I would use less sugar for sweeter apples like McIntosh or Red Delicious and more sugar for Granny Smiths. Warning, it does turn brown, but it is the best applesauce we have ever had.

Enjoy!

11 years

Mike and I met 11 years ago in Athens on September 13. We walked along the Hocking River and went out to dinner at Bob Evans. I was 17 and he was 20. Thinking back to how young we were I am amazed at how we have grown up together. It was not love at first site, but a great friendship that grew into love, and has lasted now for all of these years. We have been together longer than some people that have already married and divorced.

We were talking the other night about our 7th anniversary in a couple of weeks and the "7 year itch". Is it from 6-7 that things are supposed to be bad or from 7-8? I hope it is 6-7 for us because this has been one heck of a year. All things relative it could always get worse but lets hope it does not.

Mike, I know you read this.... first let me thank you for putting up with my spoiled selfish ways, always encouraging me, and being my best friend, closest confidant, and my love. Thank you for always being yourself, being kind to others, and being the man that I love. We have seen how the loss of your love takes a toll on a life. I hope that we have many more years to grow, and grow older together. It may not always be that butterflies in the stomach kind of love, but love none the less. Always know that my heart belongs to you.

Busy, busy, times

I check my blog, and everyone elses daily, but I am just now finding the time to write. I would love to post some pictures as Libby is now without her two front teeth, but alas the computer is on the fritz and anything I try to plug into it rejects for various reasons.

Teaching is now in full swing. I have 11 students in my M/W class, and 17 in my T/Th class. On a whole M/W is a little more quiet easier to handle than the other, but that may change over time. I do have one student who is allergic to all nuts, eggs, and dairy, and my main concern is him not coming in contact with any thing he should not. I am able to check things, but since most things have one of those ingredients I have to be extra careful at snack time. We had applesauce and raisins today. SAFE.

I started school on Monday. It is a busy schedule. I am gone three nights a week. While I am sad that this latest job offer Mike received is not going to work for our family for a large number of reasons, I am glad that he is home with Libby on those nights. If he would have accepted she would have been with a sitter three nights a week. That is not how we work, and not what any of us would have wanted.

Some funny things I realized today. People with really long toe nails gross me out. There was a lady in front of at the Student Services desk today, and her toenails were longer than my finger nails, and pointy. It gave me the creeps. You must understand that I come from a ugly feet family. We called my mom eagle toes, but they were never that long, and that pointy. They were also pink. I was compelled to offer a stranger nail clippers.

Also, why is that smokers must run outside and light up for three minutes on class breaks. Granted I am not a smoker and I fully admit extreme bias, but seriously, can you not wait until class is over. Two times today I suffered sitting in close contact with people who smelled like a chimney.

Hope all is well with my blogging friends!

I think it is me.

After looking inward I have came to the conclusion that I expect to much from others.

My own husband has often accused me in the past of putting others first. Not intentionally, but many times when it has come down to former dance students, or classroom activities I will go above and beyond to satisfy the needs of others.

I try to live my life by treating others in the same way that you would want to be treated. In our world many people no longer live in this manner. We have shifted to "get ahead, at all costs" mode not caring who we throw under the train in our way.

This week I hope to always try to put others before myself. I want to set the example for my daughter, and for others. I may continue to get hurt in the process, but I am still fighting the good fight.

Fireflies and moonlit summer nights.

We have been very busy this summer doing not much of anything, the way a summer should be in my opinion.

We spent the 4th of July by watching the parade from the steps of St. John's in a light drizzle. The 4th in Lancaster is always a wonderful day, rain or not. We came home from the parade, took a mid afternoon nap, and the skies cleared for an explosive finish to the evening. We sat in are usual spot with good friends and took in the celebration. We do think often enough of how we got to this point in our history, and many Americans have forgot their eighth grade history lessons. Imagine the feelings of our framers on that first day of Independence.

We spent the next two weeks at the pool for swim lessons. Libby learned the American crawl, dolphin kick, basic diving, and the back stroke. As usual we did not see much progress during lessons, but now that it is the end of July she is doing very well mastering her skills.

We have participated in the Lancaster Festival. We started by doing some Italian Street Painting, we went to the Art Walk with some good friends, volunteered at Festival Fair Day, saw Circus Boy, Pirates, and a master yo-yo'er (is that how you spell that), Zoso-The Ultimate Led Zeppelin experience, and we rounded out the ten days with a Kenny Loggins concert underneath a beautiful sky last night.

God created magic in the clouds in the distance showing the awe of lighting through huge cumulonimbus clouds. Nature is full of surprises and beauty but it was breathtaking to watch the clouds light up.

Not to much else to report for the family. We continue to pray that suitable employment will become available for Mike soon.

Summer is over half way over... catch some fireflies, swing high with your eyes closed, and play after dark.