Random thoughts... and other stuff

Flying away

2010-05-14T10:42:00.002-04:00

Today Todd is flying to Ohio for the weekend. That's pretty cool. And weird -- weird because I'm strangely calm about it. Weird because he'll be flying 1000 miles away on his own. We leave for the airport in an hour. He is so excited to see Chelsey, to go to prom with her, and to see his Ohio friends and family (the Ladle's) again. He has been counting down the days. And now, here it is. Today. In an hour.

What an awesome day

2010-05-03T03:15:00.002-04:00

Picture this... beautiful, sunny, warm, slightly humid day in early May, kids laughing, great friends hanging out, eating good (albeit slightly burned) BBQ... that was my day today and it was fabulous!

2010-04-15T03:40:00.003-04:00

I got this email today and liked it...

Pick Your Own Personal Reason

When your friends can't explain why they voted for Democratic national politicians, give them this list. They can then pick a reason .

10. I voted Democrat because I believe oil companies' profits of 4% on a gallon of gas are obscene but the government taxing the same gallon of gas at 15% isn't.

9. I voted Democrat because I believe the government will do a better job of spending the money I earn than I would.

8. I voted Democrat because Freedom of speech is fine as long as nobody is offended by it.

7. I voted Democrat because I'm way too irresponsible to own a gun, and I know that my local police are all I need to protect me from murderers and thieves.

6. I voted Democrat because I believe that people who can't tell us if it will rain on Friday can tell us that the polar ice caps will melt away in ten years if I don't start driving a Prius.

5. I voted Democrat because I'm not concerned about the slaughter of millions of babies through abortion so long as we keep all death row inmates alive.

4. I voted Democrat because I think illegal aliens have a right to free health care, education, and Social Security benefits.

3. I voted Democrat because I believe that business should not be allowed to make profits for themselves. They need to break even and give the rest away to the government for redistribution as the democrats see fit.

2. I voted Democrat because I believe liberal judges need to rewrite the Constitution every few days to suit some fringe kooks who would never get their agendas past the voters.

1. I voted Democrat because my head is so firmly planted up my ass that it is unlikely that I'll ever have another point of view.

I'll keep my Freedom, my God and my Guns...
You keep the Change...

'The will of God will never take you where the Grace of God will not protect you.'

Get Out and vote November 2nd 2010.

Checking in...

2010-04-09T10:38:00.002-04:00

Hi, I'm just checking in to say hi, to let you know we are still here in lovely Texas, alive and well, and to apologize for not posting more often. I'll write a real update soon, but am just too busy with kids, work, and school to do much more than just "check in"...

Man, life happens!

2010-02-22T22:06:00.003-05:00

"Where does the time go?", "It seems like only yesterday...", "I remember when...", "there aren't enough hours in a day"... I used to roll my eyes and laugh when I heard these phrases, particularly if they were uttered by my "old" mom. (sorry mom, you weren't REALLY old -- I was just really young).

Now I AM my mom, I think, as I hurridly rush around trying to fit in as much as possible in a day only to fall into bed, lay awake for hours wishing my overactive mind would turn off so my exhausted body could sleep only to rise again a few hours later to start it all over again. Compound the overactive mind with a jacked up sleep schedule as I work night shift and have to readjust from nights to days every couple of days. A perfect recipe for insomnia if ever there was one.

And now I've decided to add college back into the mix of "things to do" because I'm not getting any younger and I have plans. First my BSN, then my Masters... then onto becoming a Licensed Nurse Practitioner. There's no time like the present. Might just as well get started, right? I got my acceptance at UT of Arlington today and have registered for my first class: English Composition II: Critical thinking.

I'll let you know how it all turns out. In the meantime, I have a daughter to tuck in, a house to clean, laundry to wash, and dishes to do. And then I'm going to go lay in bed and fall asleep just before the sun comes up.

Hello from Texas

2010-01-22T09:20:00.002-05:00

Talk about a whirlwind of craziness the past couple of months!

Our move went smoothly -- we had the best moving team EVER and had virtually no damage to our belongings which is a first. Another first was that we had the same team pack us up, load the truck then come and deliver / unload us. It was good.

So, we got to Texas, lived in a hotel for a week because we had some house stuff to do. Once we closed on the house, we ripped out floors in the entry, office, den, dining room and hallway and installed hardwoods... turned out nice. Glad it's done. That was the first project.

The second project was to get the ugly paint colors taken care of. The dining room was a lovely shade of blue, somewhere between royal blue and navy... U-G-L-Y!!! I knocked that out fairly quickly and it's now a subtle shade of silver grey with just the slightest hint of blue. That was the second project.

Marcia and Charlie moved in with us the day after we got into the house and stayed with us till they found a place in South Houston. The house seems too quiet and a bit empty since they've been gone. And we still don't see them enough despite being in the same city.

Project number three was Ken's office. I painted it, hated it, painted it a different color and still hated it. Scott installed custom wainscotting and we painted it white and the wall color I initially hated was much, much better... turned out it just needed to be broken up a little... too much of a good thing and all that.

Puttying walls, replacing light fixtures, changing out doorknobs, cabinet hardware... also little projects we've done along the way.

Project number four was replacing a rotted out back door and door frame. Scott again took this on and I've caulked the door... just need to paint it a couple of times, then apply a bit of silicone caulk and it'll be done.

Madi's room, project number five... painted two shades of lime green with multi-colored stripes. It turned out so cute, but the stripes took longer to do than the entire rest of the painting. We also installed a floor to ceiling mirror in her closet. It's great!

I'm gathering up momentum to get started in Todd's room. It's currently too much of a mess to venture into so once Todd gets it cleaned up (aka decontaminated) I'll start painting. Take a guess as to his color choice... yup, Longhorn orange. Awesome!

I started working at the beginning of December and work full time nights. Kendon is adjusting to work life with a new company and the jury is out on that one for now.
Add to all these projects and life changes a major holiday -- Christmas and New Year's Celebrations, which were great, by the way, and you can imagine life at the Richards.

Lots of stuff done, lots still left to do. But we're making this place our home and it is so great to be back in Texas. I'll have to post some pics in the near future. Until then, hope all is well. We're doing great!

Packing day

2009-11-11T11:04:00.002-05:00

Today the packers are here in record numbers... eight, at least! Wow... talk about a bit overwhelming at 0730am... at any rate, they are knocking this place out quickly! It's bittersweet to be doing this again... love that we're moving back to Texas, but sad to leave our new home and the great friends we have here in Ohio. And it's also just a bit unnerving to move only four months after our last move.

Anyway, this will be the last post for awhile -- it'll be a couple of weeks before I see my computer and have access to the internet. It's been fun!

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-31T22:40:00.003-04:00

I didn't see much of Todd tonight -- he was working his last shift at King's Island and Madi and I were gone to our "old neighborhood" to trick-or-treat with our old neighbor's and dear friends Connie Langlois and her daughter, Valerie.

And I didn't get any pics during the trick-or-treating festivities, but here are a couple of before and after's of Madison. We walked and walked and walked, just like pioneer children. Unlike pioneer children, though, we collected candy along the way! It was a slightly chilly but otherwise awesome evening and we had a great time.

Here are Todd's "Special" Pics...

2009-10-24T23:32:00.006-04:00

These pictures are Todd... they capture the very heart of who he is... jokester, funny, silly, thoughtful, infuriating Todd. Enjoy!

Todd's "Stephen Colbert" pose with Madi along for the ride

Todd's "Captain Morgan" pose

Todd's "The Thinker" pose

Todd's "Oh" pose (stated in girly falsetto)

My super cute kids and a really fun photo shoot

2009-10-24T23:17:00.002-04:00

I decided not to partake in the annual "School Photo Op Day" aka. "man-these-are-bad-pictures-and-I-KNOW-I'm-way-cuter-than-that" session offered by the local school. I find those pics are typically not that attractive and rarely do they capture the essence and "sparkle" that are Todd and Madi. So I took the kids to a cheap (aka. reasonably priced) local photographer, recommended by several different friends, and we had a photo shoot. We took TONS of pics and laughed (comedy provided by Todd) the entire time. Todd even had the photographer in stitches. We had a great time and captured the specialness that is my children in nearly every shot. Frankly, some of the pics are more "special" than others and by that I mean "eye rolling funny" Todd -- I will definately have to post his very "special pics". Although I am totally biased, I think these pics are way more fabulous than any school picture I've ever seen. Don't you agree?!

WE.ARE.MOVING.AGAIN!!!

2009-09-28T12:54:00.002-04:00

Can you EVEN believe it?

On one hand, it feels a bit overwhelming -- we're still tying up loose ends from our most recent move WAAAAAAAYYYY back in June 2009. We just got here -- back to the Cincinnati area; to a home, friends, and ward we love. The kids are settling into school and making friends. I feel badly for them.

Things changed with Kendon's company and so, we are being relocated. Back to Texas. WE LOVE TEXAS. A lot! So we'll suck it up and take the short term pain for long term gain.

We won't EVER have to deal with the snow, ice and cold because I'm never, ever, ever moving again. We can sell the snow thrower (by the way, anyone looking for a sweet snow thrower??)

We'll be back in a place we loved with people we love. Kinda like Cinci, only warmer. There are miles of bike trails, lots of golf courses, lakes, and awesome TexMex food. (Pappasito's here we come!)

Kendon will be back in the field working with "his people", which he LOVES... Corporate HQ is NOT his favorite thing. That reality hit with this most recent move. This is his second stint at Corporate HQ and frankly, the first time he didn't know any better. After four years at HQ, often working 16 - 20 hour days, he got transferred to a "field" position. We moved to Texas and he worked out of a home office. Even though he was working, he was home. Madi grew up having him around. When he wasn't travelling, he was home and she could walk by his office and wave at him, blow him a kiss, share a quick hug or tell him a story about her day. She has really missed that since we moved back to Cinci. It's been three months and she still asks "Where's dad?"

I'll go back to work, too. And the kids will be back in familiar surroundings. Who knows, depending on where we find a home, we may even be in the same schools and ward as we were before. We're looking forward, anticipating our return to a place we love. We're ready.

House is on the market and it looks great! Anyone out there wanna buy it?

Top Chef Funny

2009-09-11T22:53:00.002-04:00

Our family likes to watch "Top Chef". It's features a cooking themed show filled with several talented chefs from all over the place -- one by one they are eliminated based on their culinary creativity (usually a lack therof) or food quality compared with the other chefs. At any rate, during each episode there is a "quick fire challenge" where the chefs have 30 minutes to prepare something, anything with assigned ingredients. They have to think fast, prepare gourmet type food and plate it in an esthetic way all in a very short time. Based on the results of the quick fire, one chef is given "immunity" which means he / she cannot be sent home that episode, no matter the outcome of the rest of the challenges.

I missed the last episode and asked the family to give me an update. Madison proudly explained that Jen had won "COMMUNITY" and would be safe for another episode.

Madison is STILL perfect

2009-09-07T18:55:00.005-04:00

Just wanted to throw that out there... it's been two days since her baptism and she is STILL perfect! How awesome that this is such a big deal to her. Mind you, we all (Madi included) realize she'll trip up sometime but that's what the Atonement is all about, right?

We had a nice turn out at her baptism. Our only family members present (besides Ken, Todd and me) were Marcia, Scott, and Charlie Johnson (my sister and her family). Madi was pretty sad that neither of her grandparents could make it, but she had several new friends from her primary class who came, and several local family friends. Our old neighbors and very close friends, Connie and Val Langlois also came. Why that is worth mentioning is because they do not share our religion but understood that this was a big deal to Madison so wanted to be there to share the special event with her.

I talked to Connie after the baptism and she thought it was awesome -- said she cried several different times she was so touched. She is a very spiritual person, thoroughly committed to her religion. We have always had frank open discussions about Mormonism vs. Catholicism. So afterwards, when I asked her what she thought, she told me. She didn't think it was weird. She didn't think we were strange. She thought it was a very spiritual and a thoroughly enjoyable experience. I love that we can talk openly about religion, despite the differences between the two.

Madison is getting baptized!

2009-09-05T00:31:00.003-04:00

Yup, it's true. And it's happening tomorrow evening at 6pm. She is so excited. She's been planning it for months -- she has the "perfect" pretty white dress, wants her hair in a french braid so it won't fly around her face and possibly out of the water. I think she's a bit nervous about "not doing it right the first time". But I have tried to reassure her that it doesn't matter if she has to be immersed more than once -- no big deal. To her it is and she is determined to do it "right".

She outlined her program in great detail, including who she wanted to give talks, what songs she wanted to sing, etc. And so, I have been working on programs, writing a talk, editing pics, making cookies and holding my breath just a little. Tomorrow is a big day. A milestone for Madison. I'm excited for her and just a tiny bit sad that she is growing up so fast.

A rather introspective look into the heart of a "top 10" photographer...

2009-08-19T23:41:00.006-04:00

It never fails to amaze me that we all struggle, no matter how much we have accomplished, no matter how many lives we have touched, no matter who we are or what we do. I "borrowed" this clip from a friends blog because it really made me think. Not just about photography, but about life and about the things that matter. Zack Arias is a "top 10" photographer located in Atlanta and his work is pretty darn A.M.A.Z.I.N.G!

A lot left to do

2009-08-07T17:14:00.005-04:00

It is summer, obviously. We have moved from one State to another and gotten mostly unpacked and organized (by "unpacked and organized" I mean that we've unpacked enough boxes to find enough of our stuff to function well enough to ignore the remaining boxes). I look around the house at the furniture that is sitting exactly where the movers put it and I shake my head knowing I still have a lot to do.

Add the "a lot left to do" items to the rest of my to do list and it's verges on overwhelming. I know I'm no different than anyone else -- we're all busy, but when I write it down, there really just aren't enough hours in the day. Here's a partial list: (I'm not going to write down the obvious -- get up, shower, brush teeth, make bed, etc. things but those are also being done)

1. I'm really trying to spend a lot of QUALITY time with the kids -- at the parks, the pool, walking, rollerblading, biking, playdates, etc. Quality time means not bossing, cussing, or yelling at said children... that's hard sometimes cause these awesome kids of mine just need to be yelled at and bossed around. And I have to cuss now and then so I can add money to the cuss jar -- Madi knows that is her ticket to Disney World...

2. Then we have grocery shopping (you know, the thing I hate nearly as much as ironing -- no Peapod Grocery delivery here!) Its bad enough doing this alone, but add two kids and our shopping experience sounds something like "hey mom, let's get this", "aw, mom, you never let us get...", "will you buy me _________ (insert anything and everything here", and I could go on but I digress.

3. Before I shop, I have to make my weekly menu. I have realized quite recently (this morning in the shower, actually) that I really need to include all three meals of the day to feel completely on top of the food experience in the Richards household. To date, I've only been including dinner. So I'll be tweaking the menu-writing task just a bit to include all three daily meals. This process involves flipping through recipes, balancing the food groups and organizing the "meals of the week" so we don't have chicken two days in a row. I actually like this part of the process. It helps me stay organized, helps me focus on what I need to get at the store since I only buy what I need to make the menu items each week, and it save me bucks since I'm cooking and not buying pre-packaged prepared food or other items we don't need.

4. Cleaning: bathrooms, floors, carpets, dishes, laundry, sticky finger marks off the walls, doors, light switches MADI (read *yell* since my sweet princess is the sticky fingered wall toucher in our home. Did I say that sticky messes really, REALLY get to me?)

5. Bill paying, letter writing, claims filing, etc -- all the fun and wonderful things we get to do just by virtue of the fact that we are adults who own a home. Add to the "normal" things, the other moving-related things I've been doing this past month and this takes it up a notch. The weeks following the move have been filled with service people installing this or fixing that. I'm still waiting for the plumber who is coming "today" (since it's 6pm on Friday, I've reconciled that he's not really coming today) to install the battery backup for the sump pump... don't want the basement to flood now, do we? And other fun service-related things like that.

Now I know there are many more things than these few that fill the day and frankly, I could go on writing and writing and writing.... but there's not time. I'm going to post this and get back to my "to do" list. Au revoir!

It's been a LONG time

2009-07-22T21:43:00.002-04:00

I just wanted to stop in, write a little update, then get back to all the fun stuff I've been doing the past few weeks: unpacking, organizing, cleaning, swimming, filing claims forms, updating work documents, job hunting, and doing all the other fun things associated with a move. I'm thrilled to be back in Ohio. The kids are doing well and having fun with old friends and new ones. Kendon is slowly getting used to life back in Corporate office (as opposed to life in a home office).

We're doing well. We're getting settled. And we're ready for company... well, maybe in a few weeks, we'll be ready for company.

MY father, the pineapple

2009-06-21T21:06:00.007-04:00

I want to give a shout out to my dad, one of the meanest, crustiest, but most loving guys I know. My dad is like a pineapple -- tough and a little prickly on the outside; soft, sweet, and "golden" on the inside. OK, now, no eye rolling here... I'm serious! Harlan = pineapple.

Think about it. He has kind of a tough, gruff exterior -- to some, he's unapproachable and kind of scary. But get to know him, and you'll see a very different kind of person. It's those who really know him, who get a glimpse of the "real" guy, who have no doubt that he's a softie -- not in a pushover kind of way or anything, but in a way that affirms that if you are in trouble or need something, he'll be there for you no matter what. He's got a heart of gold. His TRUE friends -- and they know who they are -- know the goodness and kindness of that man.

So I'm going to backtrack a little -- like back to high school. My dad was the crankiest, toughest, meanest dad around. He had a super-spy network comparable to none. He always knew where we were, who we were with, how many times we'd cruised main and with whom we cruised. He knew if we were holding hands with a boy or cutting class and tanning on the football field with friends. It was uncanny! And a little spooky. People (and by people, I mean my friends / boyfriends) feared him. I remember thinking on more than one occasion that he was just unhappy and out to make the rest of us equally so. But then I caught a glimpse of the "gold" one evening, one of many I was grounded, when dad spent the evening hanging out with me playing on the piano / organ and talking with me. Frankly, at the time, I'd have much rather been with my friends and didn't think hanging out with dad was a good alternative, but in hindsight, that time was a gift to me. He could have been doing anything, but he spent his evening with me. And then when a brother called to see if he could move the party to our house, dad agreed and told me I could join in on the fun.

I didn't really understand my dad when I lived at home but I was a teenager then and like many teenagers, I may have been a bit narcissistic (I said I MAY have been a BIT narcissistic, just a little, the other kids were WAAAAAYYY worse). I knew dad was tough -- when he said be home at 10pm, he meant it. I learned that lesson the hard way, more than once -- 5 minutes late meant "you are grounded young lady" and I just thought that was tough, tight, unfair, whatever. He said what he meant and he meant what he said -- we knew the rules and knew that breaking them had consequences. Now that I'm an adult with my own teen, I understand the need for structure and rules and I understand from where he was coming. It wasn't from a place of meanness or anger or "I'm out to ruin your life", but a place of love and concern and maybe even fear.

I knew he was a hard working man who felt it was important to provide for his family (extended and friends included). And I knew that babies and animals adored him (well, except for skunks and muskrats) and he adored them (again, not the skunks and muskrats). He was very passionate about his interests and wanted to get us involved in the things he enjoyed. He was always determined and driven with goals. He loved to tell jokes and had a quirky, quick sense of humor. Those things were obvious albeit not always appreciated or acknowledged. HELLO! I said I was a teenager at the time!

It wasn't until I had my own kids that I really started to understand the parent who was my dad. He always loved me. He was my dad. He didn't have a choice -- he had to love me. But just how much, I couldn't even have guessed until I had my own kids. As a parent, I began to experience the weight of responsibility and fear associated with parenting all mixed together with immeasurable love and pride and happiness. It's a bit overwhelming at times, I must say.

You have this child and suddenly a piece of your heart is walking around. They're talking, growing up and all you want to do is provide, teach, shelter, protect and help that little person who is part of you grow up happy and successful. So much of life is out of my control. And it's scary, almost paralyzing sometimes, especially when you see that little person -- your little heart -- making silly choices or dangerous decisions.

My dad made it through life with six kids -- six TEENS! We all survived and so did my dad. He's a good man. He's a funny man. He's a loving, kind man. I've always considered myself a good judge of character and for what it's worth, I'll tell you, my dad is a pineapple through and through. I love you dad. Happy Father's Day!

Dear Government of the United States of America...

2009-06-17T21:52:00.003-04:00

**This letter was sent to Glenn Beck by an American woman from Arizona named Janet Contreras -- just a concerned Patriot like so many of us -- and he read it on the air yesterday, and will read it to the TV audience tonight. This woman has summed up my fears and concerns related to government in general. She rocks! And I'm planning on forwarding this letter to everyone I know, so get ready, it's coming your way.

Janet Says:

I'm a home grown American citizen, 53, registered Democrat all my life. Before the last presidential election I registered as a Republican because I no longer felt the Democratic Party represents my views or works to pursue issues important to me. Now I no longer feel the Republican Party represents my views or works to pursue issues important to me. The fact is I no longer feel any political party or representative in Washington represents my views or works to pursue the issues important to me. There must be someone. Please tell me who you are. Please stand up and tell me that you are there and that you're willing to fight for our Constitution as it was written. Please stand up now. You might ask yourself what my views and issues are that I would horribly feel so disenfranchised by both major political parties. What kind of nut job am I? Will you please tell me?

Well, these are briefly my views and issues for which I seek representation:

One, illegal immigration. I want you to stop coddling illegal immigrants and secure our borders. Close the underground tunnels. Stop the violence and the trafficking in drugs and people. No amnesty, not again. Been there, done that, no resolution. P.S., I'm not a racist. This isn't to be confused with legal immigration.

Two, the TARP bill, I want it repealed and I want no further funding supplied to it. We told you no, but you did it anyway. I want the remaining unfunded 95% repealed. Freeze, repeal.

Three: Czars, I want the circumvention of our checks and balances stopped immediately. Fire the czars. No more czars. Government officials answer to the process, not to the president. Stop trampling on our Constitution and honor it.

Four, cap and trade. The debate on global warming is not over. There is more to say.

Five, universal healthcare. I will not be rushed into another expensive decision. Don't you dare try to pass this in the middle of the night and then go on break. Slow down!

Six, growing government control. I want states rights and sovereignty fully restored. I want less government in my life, not more. Shrink it down. Mind your own business. You have enough to take care of with your real obligations. Why don't you start there.

Seven, ACORN. I do not want ACORN and its affiliates in charge of our 2010 census. I want them investigated. I also do not want mandatory escrow fees contributed to them every time on every real estate deal that closes. Stop the funding to ACORN and its affiliates pending impartial audits and investigations. I do not trust them with taking the census over with our taxpayer money. I don't trust them with our taxpayer money. Face up to the allegations against them and get it resolved before taxpayers get any more involved with them. If it walks like a duck and talks like a duck, hello. Stop protecting your political buddies. You work for us, the people. Investigate.

Eight, redistribution of wealth. No, no, no. I work for my money. It is mine. I have always worked for people with more money than I have because they gave me jobs. That is the only redistribution of wealth that I will support. I never got a job from a poor person. Why do you want me to hate my employers? Why? What do you have against shareholders making a profit?

Nine, charitable contributions. Although I never got a job from a poor person, I have helped many in need. Charity belongs in our local communities, where we know our needs best and can use our local talent and our local resources. Butt out, please. We want to do it ourselves.

Ten, corporate bailouts. Knock it off. Sink or swim like the rest of us. If there are hard times ahead, we'll be better off just getting into it and letting the strong survive. Quick and painful. Have you ever ripped off a Band-Aid? We will pull together. Great things happen in America under great hardship. Give us the chance to innovate. We cannot disappoint you more than you have disappointed us.

Eleven, transparency and accountability. How about it? No, really, how about it? Let's have it. Let's say we give the buzzwords a rest and have some straight honest talk. Please try. Please stop manipulating and trying to appease me with clever wording. I am not the idiot you obviously take me for. Stop sneaking around and meeting in back rooms making deals with your friends. It will only be a prelude to your criminal investigation. Stop hiding things from me.

Twelve, unprecedented quick spending. Stop it now.

Take a breath. Listen to the people. Let's just slow down and get some input from some nonpoliticians on the subject. Stop making everything an emergency. Stop speed reading our bills into law. I am not an activist. I am not a community organizer. Nor am I a terrorist, a militant or a violent person. I am a parent and a grandparent. I work. I'm busy. I'm busy. I am busy, and I am tired. I thought we elected competent people to take care of the business of government so that we could work, raise our families, pay our bills, have a little recreation, complain about taxes, endure our hardships, pursue our personal goals, cut our lawn, wash our cars on the weekends and be responsible contributing members of society and teach our children to be the same all while living in the home of the free and land of the brave.

I entrusted you with upholding the Constitution. I believed in the checks and balances to keep from getting far off course. What happened? You are very far off course. Do you really think I find humor in the hiring of a speed reader to unintelligently ramble all through a bill that you signed into law without knowing what it contained? I do not. It is a mockery of the responsibility I have entrusted to you. It is a slap in the face. I am not laughing at your arrogance. Why is it that I feel as if you would not trust me to make a single decision about my own life and how I would live it but you should expect that I should trust you with the debt that you have laid on all of us and our children. We did not want the TARP bill. We said no. We would repeal it if we could. I am sure that we still cannot. There is such urgency and recklessness in all of the recent spending.

From my perspective, it seems that all of you have gone insane. I also know that I am far from alone in these feelings. Do you honestly feel that your current pursuits have merit to patriotic Americans? We want it to stop. We want to put the brakes on everything that is being rushed by us and forced upon us. We want our voice back. You have forced us to put our lives on hold to straighten out the mess that you are making. We will have to give up our vacations, our time spent with our children, any relaxation time we may have had and money we cannot afford to spend on you to bring our concerns to Washington. Our president often knows all the right buzzword is unsustainable. Well, no kidding. How many tens of thousands of dollars did the focus group cost to come up with that word? We don't want your overpriced words. Stop treating us like we're morons.

We want all of you to stop focusing on your reelection and do the job we want done, not the job you want done or the job your party wants done. You work for us and at this rate I guarantee you not for long because we are coming. We will be heard and we will be represented. You think we're so busy with our lives that we will never come for you? We are the formerly silent majority, all of us who quietly work , pay taxes, obey the law, vote, save money, keep our noses to the grindstone and we are now looking up at you. You have awakened us, the patriotic spirit so strong and so powerful that it had been sleeping too long. You have pushed us too far. Our numbers are great. They may surprise you. For every one of us who will be there, there will be hundreds more that could not come. Unlike you, we have their trust. We will represent them honestly, rest assured. They will be at the polls on voting day to usher you out of office. We have cancelled vacations. We will use our last few dollars saved. We will find the representation among us and a grassroots campaign will flourish. We didn't ask for this fight. But the gloves are coming off. We do not come in violence, but we are angry. You will represent us or you will be replaced with someone who will. There are candidates among us when he will rise like a Phoenix from the ashes that you have made of our constitution.

Democrat, Republican, independent, libertarian. Understand this. We don't care. Political parties are meaningless to us. Patriotic Americans are willing to do right by us and our Constitution and that is all that matters to us now. We are going to fire all of you who abuse power and seek more. It is not your power. It is ours and we want it back. We entrusted you with it and you abused it. You are dishonorable. You are dishonest. As Americans we are ashamed of you. You have brought shame to us. If you are not representing the wants and needs of your constituency loudly and consistently, in spite of the objections of your party, you will be fired. Did you hear? We no longer care about your political parties. You need to be loyal to us, not to them. Because we will get you fired and they will not save you. If you do or can represent me, my issues, my views, please stand up. Make your identity known. You need to make some noise about it. Speak up. I need to know who you are. If you do not speak up, you will be herded out with the rest of the sheep and we will replace the whole damn congress if need be one by one. We are coming. Are we coming for you? Who do you represent? What do you represent? Listen. Because we are coming. We the people are coming.

Treasure the moments...

2009-06-06T21:04:00.004-04:00

Kendon and I were talking last night about our kids -- the challenges, the funny things... just stuff in general. And for whatever reason, I started thinking about how important it is to make time for the little moments... time is fleeting.

Madi asks every night for me to snuggle her when I kiss her goodnight. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. She loves me to snuggle beside her and tickle her face and sing her the songs I used to when she was a baby. I don't know why, but that's what she loves. And then she makes fun of my singing. And we laugh... a lot.

Todd still likes for me to tuck him in -- literally. He'll lay on his bed with the covers by his feet and wait for me to cover him, kiss him goodnight and sit on the end of his bed and talk with him. We have an easy, open communication and I find that bedtime is Todd's favorite time to talk, tell me a funny story, share concerns, whatever... stall tactic, maybe (more like definately). Good opportunity for bonding, teaching, sharing -- most definately.

Those moments mean a lot to Todd and Madi and they mean a lot to me. So I'm going to make more time to "snuggle". And I'm going to make more time to "tuck in". It may be stalling, but it helps me build a strong relationship with my kids. And those few moments spent before bed tell them without words that I love and treasure them. They won't always want me to "snuggle" or "tuck in" so I'm going to do it now, while I can and enjoy these fleeting treasured moments with my kids.

On my mind

2009-06-02T21:53:00.004-04:00

So now that we're into June, and the move is drawing closer, I feel like life is one big loose end. For instance, there is the end of the school year coming closer: final exams, assignments, projects, teacher gifts, bus driver gifts, notifying both schools that we're moving and so forth.

We also have a sweet girl having a special birthday (yup, she's turning eight!) with a simple request for a party with her friends before we move (can't say no to that).

Then there's work for both Kendon and me (yes, I went back to work), keeping THIS house showhome ready for endless showings that materialize into just that -- showings (without results, they're just a tease), and changing addresses and making sure final utility readings take place when they need to and setting up new utilites in Ohio.

Then we have the after school sports programs and working out religiously at the gym so the old friends don't see just how well the past 8 years has treated me ;)and finalizing building details for the house in Ohio, blah, blah, blah, etc. and I'm feeling just a bit crazy.

At any given moment, I'm feeling like I have a case of ADHD (Attention Defecit Hyperactivity Disorder) because I don't finish THINKING a complete thought before moving on to the next, let alone EXPRESSING those thoughts. My family is patient and giving me a wide berth... what does that mean exactly? Am I being testy? A little impatient? Hmmmm.... just more to think about.

First Date and Prom

2009-05-15T22:37:00.003-04:00

Well, Todd has a few more "firsts" behind him. He had his first date tonight AND also went to his first Prom. Jacquie Smith, a friend of Todd's, asked him to go with her to Prom, he said yes, and here we are. Not really much to say except that I hope he is a gentleman, I hope he remembers his good manners, and I hope they have a great time. Fortunately, Jacquie and Todd weren't camera shy and I was able to get some cute pics of them beforehand.

Our new home

2009-05-12T22:45:00.000-04:00

Appropriate for mother's day!

2009-05-11T00:24:00.002-04:00

I don't watch Family Guy, but came across this video on a friends blog and had to share it. It made me laugh out loud!!! Hope you enjoy it too.

Happy Mother's Day

2009-05-10T23:25:00.007-04:00

I have been blessed with a great mom who is an amazing, talented woman and who can do anything she puts her mind to -- she can cook anything, she sings, she sews, does genealogy, she quilts, she is a tireless worker, she's funny but doesn't know she is and has a girl-like giggle when she laughs. And she has an unwavering testimony of the gospel and loves her Savior.

With six kids, now grown, our family get togethers are rowdy, obnoxious, and always hilarious and we cause mom a little stress as we ACTIVELY try to embarass her or relive stories from our "youth" -- leaking a few long-kept secrets as we relive them.

"Oops...you didn't know that? Huh. Imagine that."

We find it funny. She is often shocked and her facial expressions are priceless...

"You guys", she says as we get rowdier and raunchier -- mission accomplished.

She wears her emotions on her sleeve and you always know how my sweet mom is feeling by the look on her face. I love her face.

Anyway, now that I'm a mom, I find myself doing things or saying things that my mom did or said (things I vowed NEVER, EVER, EVER to do or say). It's funny, kind of, that I'm a little like her -- like I said, she is an awesome woman. So I'm blessed to be a little bit like her. I have her determination and will to do for myself. I zone out sometimes during card games and always fall asleep in the car, just like mom. If I hear a few notes of a song, it's stuck in my head the rest of the day.

And speaking of music, mom ruined a couple of church hymns for me (and I think the rest of the kids): "Let us Oft Speak Kind Words" and "Love at Home" because she would sing them to us whenever we fought or were being mean to each other -- so we really tired of them as they were WAY oversung at our house (kinda like the top 20). To this day, I cringe whenever I hear them.

At any rate, that's not the point. My point to this post is to let my mom know how much I love her, respect her, and want to be more like her. Mom, you are such a good person. There aren't words to let you know how much you matter to me. I love you. Happy Mother's day.

Todd's 16th

2009-05-10T22:49:00.004-04:00

Well, it's been more than a day since his 16th birthday, but we had a great celebration and I think Todd had a great day and now I'm getting around to posting some pics.

Kendon and Todd went to a Red Sox game at Fenway the day before Todd's birthday to kick off the "party week". They had a good time at the game and enjoyed being at Fenway.

We spent Todd's birthday day hanging out together -- opened gifts, played with gifts, hung out, etc. Then we went bowling and out for dinner at a Teppanyaki restaurant, which is something Todd had wanted to do for a long time. We enjoyed the day together and I'm getting used to the idea that my baby is growing up. Next, the first date, drivers license... look out!!

My baby boy is 16...

2009-04-20T02:28:00.004-04:00

It's hard to believe it. It's a huge milestone for him and it's excrutiating for me to realize he's more man than child... will be driving soon, dating, getting ready for a mission... it's a lot to take in.

I checked in on him tonight at 124am... that's the time he was born sixteen years ago. He was sleeping -- looked sweet and peaceful. Fortunately for both of us, he sleeps better now than he did as a baby.

Such a good kid. Such a good young man.

I'll post some pics tomorrow.

Then and Now

2009-04-14T19:39:00.002-04:00

I made bread yesterday and again today... an "object" to go with Kendon's Home Teaching message... Today I made another batch of bread so it would be fresh for the rest of his HT families tonight.

Anyway, when my kids got home and smelled the fresh bread, their mouths literally started to water and they headed right over to get a few slices. As they moaned and chewed and sighed, I had to laugh -- they were enjoying it SOOOOO much. I used to make bread all the time, but I haven't been very good about making it lately. My family really enjoys it when I do, though. In fact, they BEG me to make it.

Now onto the then and now part of the story... I remember as a kid, my mom made bread every week, without fail. And it was good. She is an awesome breadmaker. But I also remember begging her, on occasion, NOT to make bread but instead let us eat STORE BOUGHT bread... what a treat for us! Whenever we got to have "boughten bread" I'd take the crust off and eat it, then I'd either flatten out the rest and nibble it, or I'd squish it into a round ball and eat it. Either way, I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was a treat for me.

Fast forward several years into the present. I shared this memory with my kids as they were inhaling piece after piece of fresh bread and they told my I must have been crazy. It's funny to me how a homemade piece of bread can make my kids eyes roll back in their heads when as a kid, all I wanted was store bought bread. Perspective is certainly shaped by what we have / do not have and what we consider "normal" versus "special".

Check this out! Pretty funny

2009-04-04T14:40:00.000-04:00

Elder Moon, Man What Will You Do? (Show Me Your Virtue)

2009-04-04T14:17:00.003-04:00

Our Master bedroom... looks pretty good
but we usually keep it pretty clean

Madison's room... looks really good. She's
worked hard to get it looking like this

Todd's room looks awesome... it's NEVER
looked this good! And he worked hard to
get it looking this great.

The craziness before more craziness

2009-04-04T13:54:00.005-04:00

Well, this weekend is the last one before our house goes on the market. And I've been cleaning and organizing and purging like a maniac for weeks. But today, we got down to the surface stuff. Bedrooms, bathrooms, etc. My kids (and husband) are amazing.

Madi and I talked this morning about what she needed to do. Before I knew it, she had MADE A LIST, complete with tick boxes, and started in on her work. She is a girl after my own heart... a list, can you believe it??

And Todd...what can I say? He doesn't need a list. I told him what I needed him to do and he just went for it. I haven't seen his room so clean EVER!! And he dusted, vacuumed, cleaned his bathroom... then he and Kendon went outside for a little break where Todd thoroughly cleaned up on the BB court... the loser had to pick up dog poop. Suffice it to say, Todd was thrilled to see Kendon picking up after the dog.

Everyone has stepped up today and really taken on a lot of responsibility which has been so nice for me. I've been able to do what I need to do while they all do their chores. And the house is looking pretty dang good. By Monday, it'll look awesome... bring on the buyers!

People, WE are the People

2009-03-31T16:40:00.005-04:00

I just don't understand what the Obama attraction is. The Love Fest continues. The "Slobbering Media Love Affair" is sickening. This man may well be the President of the United States, but he is the devil. He is pushing BIG GOVERNMENT, BIG TAXES, WORLD GOVERNMENT, SOCIALISM -- PEOPLE, DON'T YOU GET IT??? More government involvement on every level and Big Brother's nose in every aspect of everything we do, say, choose (well, if we keep going in the direction we're headed, we won't have to choose -- our choices will be made for us by OBAMA.

First he's firing a CEO of a PRIVATE corporation (yes, I realize GM sold themselves to the "Obama Devil" when they accepted $$) -- didn't realize Obama wanted to control the car industry from the White House, but why not? He's in the back pocket of the Union... But come on, what's next? Is he going to push regulation to tell me what food to buy or from whom? Oops...too late. There's already regulation proposed to shut down small Farmers: goodbye little roadside farm vendors and UPick fruit orchards. Or maybe he'll decide we need one religion for all people... you know, we need to unite. Where's the harm in that? Stupid, stupid, stupid. We have to stand up and take back control. The government is supposed to work for the PEOPLE, not the other way around.

People, we are the people. We have a voice. We need to stand up and be heard and let our new dear, inexperienced, clueless President know that we don't want him destroying this great country.

OK, I'm done for now. Just had to get that off my chest.

Holy Cr*p... I really need to stop doing stuff like this...

2009-03-27T22:02:00.002-04:00

So I was stressing the other day with so much to do to get the house ready for the Home video tour taping (for listing it) and I decided I really needed a break just to chill for a few minutes. So, stupidly, I got on the computer and I got onto ebay and ubid and a few other auction sites, just to look. Now in the past, I have thrown a lowball bid in here and there never thinking I'd ever win the item -- whether or not I even wanted it wasn't important. It was the principle of the thing... winning something for a really low-ball bid is just kind of cool. And in the past, I've never won. Except for once. So I figured, hey, what the heck, I'm going to check out the laptops on ubid and see how cheap I might find one. MISTAKE #1...

Followed shortly after by MISTAKE #2... I threw a bid out there for a decent laptop totally refurbished with a warranty, big enough to hold all my now computerized recipe files and several other things... remember, I don't win with low-ball bids. Well, this time I won. And I bought myself a laptop. Ken is going to be mad at me when I get the courage to tell him.

And that leads me to MISTAKE #3... I haven't told him yet. So if you're reading this, honey, take a few deep breaths and count to 10 before you come looking for me. If family is reading this, don't ask Ken anything about said laptop. I'll tell him... soon. I just thought I'd get it off my chest here first... dumb, dumb, dumb, but still a little exciting.

Time flies!

2009-03-18T14:44:00.002-04:00

Wow, it's been a long time since I've blogged. And there's been a lot going on in our world. Probably the biggest news is that we're moving to Ohio in June, once the kids are done school. We'll be listing the house the beginning of April and taking it from there. Not surprisingly, the kids took the move news well -- they're pretty flexible and willing to experience life's adventures along with us.

So I have a few weeks to get the house in tip-top shape -- the realtor will be having someone come in next Thursday to tape the video for the online video tour. And then they'll be doing the realtor luncheon the following week. I really don't have a lot of time and the kids are going to have to get and keep their rooms clean, beds made, etc. Then there's the cupboards to clean (inside and out), windows to wash, closets to declutter... holy cow! I have a lot to do so I'm going to go and get it done.

Just playing with digiscrappin...

2009-02-24T23:42:00.001-05:00

I make lists

2009-02-24T12:38:00.002-05:00

Ok, there it is. I am a list junkie. Using a list helps keep my organized. Making a list is just like making a plan or a blueprint. Lists make me happy. And crossing things off the list, well, that's better than therapy and THAT makes me happy too.

I'm not the kind of list maker who has to make a new list once the old one gets messy or has been marked up or with items crossed off. No way! I like to see my progress, whether it's household chores, a grocery list, or a list of errands to tackle. And if I don't have a list, you may notice a lost look on my face... I really NEED my "organizational tool".

So there you have it. My admission. I am not looking for a 12 step program, I just wanted to put it "on the table" that I LOVE lists!!

We made it at Lowe's

2009-02-15T22:14:00.005-05:00

I love this pic... Madi looks like a little bug... such a CUTE little bug, though. It was taken at Lowe's Hardware during a kids workshop.

We were at Lowe's earlier this week and Madi saw a flyer for the Saturday Kids Workshop. Please, please, please can we do it? Sure, why not. It was free. And it was something we could do together.

So we did. And it was a lot of fun.

Madi thought it was cool that she got her own apron and safety goggles and even cooler that she was able to use the hammer on her own. I read the instructions and she did the rest. And she was so pleased with the end result: her new jewelry box!

Truly Grateful

2009-02-14T15:21:00.003-05:00

Just a short little post today to let you know how grateful I am for my awesome husband, fabulous kids, and fantastic friends / family. I'm very blessed and truly grateful for the amazing people in my life who really make a difference every day.

January Sucks!

2009-02-03T22:35:00.003-05:00

I've been reflecting on January, thrilled that it has come and gone. I think of all the months of the year, January is the worst. It's gray and cold. I don't like gray. I don't like cold. And this January was worse than others before.

My sweet Grandma Cahoon died on January 13th. She was such a good woman and she was my absolute favorite. She was my "go-to G'ma". For as long as I can remember, she was always the one I shared my secrets with. She was the one I went to when I needed to unload about ANYTHING or when I wanted to share an experience or when I had a question about who-knows-what. She was there and she would listen, love me, feed me, and talk with me. She never flinched at my questions, never told me I was silly or foolish.

She listened when, as a teen, I ranted about the unfair rules of my parents. She laughed as I shared college stories and experiences. She hugged me as I cried about the most recent "break up" and she'd offer advice, solicited or not. She'd tell me what life was like for her when she was my age -- whatever age that was at the time. We shared. And I loved her.

Funny and cute -- inside and out. Clever and witty. Spiritual and unwavering. Straight shooter. Prim and proper. Card shark. Fashion lover. A walking contradiction.

I'm sad that she's gone. Sad that I won't be able to hear her voice again. But I'm glad that she's reunited with Grandpa in Heaven. I know that's where she is. She lived her life loving God, building her testimony of Jesus Christ and she never wavered from the course that would take her back to Him. I'll see her again, but I'll miss her until then.

We're having fish...

2009-01-21T20:28:00.001-05:00

The kids were excited to see me return from my quick trip to Canada. I sent them off to school this morning with hugs and kisses and all was well. After school, things were still peachy. We did the normal after school things -- emptying backpacks, looking through school papers, getting snacks, etc. I told Madison she could have a playdate if her friend was available. She was.

They played and had a fun time. There was a lot of peace, happiness, and NO WHINING in the Richards home. Then Madison's friend went home. And it started.

"What are we having for dinner?" Madison asked.
"You won't like it, but we're having fish. It has vegies and a yummy sauce on it and it's really good" (I'm not a fish lover myself, but I do like mild fish prepared with this recipe.)
"What? FISH? I'm not eating fish!" Madison complained.
"Well, actually, you are going to have a taste, then you can have leftovers" I said.
"No, I am NOT eating any fish," said my sweet, obedient daughter.

At this point in the conversation, it became "THE BATTLE OF WILLS" and I was determined not to let it go. I was going to win. And that is where I became the Wicked Witch, the worst mom, the control freak. I made an ultimatum: "You eat this tiny piece of fish (smaller than a dime) or you go to bed without eating".

She screamed, she cried. She screamed and cried. Surprisingly, (not) Madison is very stubborn. And once she makes up her mind about something she seldom changes it.

So guess what? She went to bed. At 7pm.

And apparently she is starving. Or so she says. Over and over and over again.

But I am mean and I am not giving in. She'll eat in the morning.

And it won't be fish.

A picture a day: the "365 Challenge"

2009-01-12T22:45:00.000-05:00

So I've taken on a challenge this year that I think is awesome. It involves a camera, which can only mean good things, and scrapbooking, which is also excellent. The challenge is to take a picture a day (of course you can take more than one, but you need to take at least one picture EVERY day) and make a WEEKLY scrapbooking layout that includes your pics and some journaling. At the end of the year, what you'll end up with is a fabulous scrapbook that captures the little every day moments; the moments often overlooked or missed when trying to get that "poser" shot. This is about spontaneity and looking at the little things, then taking the time to make a few comments about those shots you capture that are meaningful to you. I dare you to give it a try.

"All in"

2009-01-08T18:42:00.000-05:00

I don't know about you, but I've been of the opinion that a person doesn't need to go to church every Sunday to be a good Christian. Maybe that makes me a heathen, maybe not. Regardless of what you think of me, I do like to take a church break now and then; a "sick day" so to speak. "Moderation in all things" is something our church promotes and I freely apply it to most everything, including my church attendence. Taking a break keeps me sane. And I'm all for preserving my mental health as long as possible since I know, given my family history, that my mental health is a fleeting thing.

In mid-December I had a little guilt attack, realizing that my attitude about church attendence may start to impact my kids. I started giving some serious thought to how I felt about ALL things church related and realized that my attitude kinda sucked. And then I had this brilliant idea. The Richards needed a reality check. I decided that we should have a family vote: we would either quit going to church OR we would commit to be "all in".

The definition of "all in" was just that: we're in it, completely. We would commit to read our scriptures daily, have weekly FHE, say personal and family prayers, attend church weekly (or as often as possible given work schedules). Quite frankly, I really didn't care which way the vote went. On one hand, it'd be nice not to feel the pressure to go to church every week and experience guilt knowing there was so much more we could be doing to develop our spiritual selves. On the other hand, it'd be nice to have everyone's commitment and support to be "all in". We voted and it was unanimous... the result, "ALL IN".

It's been interesting to see and feel the changes that have been happening in our home over the past month. And it's been great to see the kids step up and remind Ken and me (mostly me) that we're "all in" and that it's time for prayers or scriptures. Though soooo very far from perfect, we have been doing really well with our commitment to be "all in" and are all taking baby steps towards doing the things that will help us build relationships with Heavenly Father and with each other. I think it's a good thing.

Not much to say...have to go play wii

2008-12-31T13:20:00.001-05:00

I just wanted to check in quickly, say hi, let you know that we had a great Christmas, other than one of us being sick (me) and are gearing up to welcome in the New Year tonight...

And with that said, I'm off to play Mario Kart on the Wii and see if I can open up another level of fun!!

Catch you in 2009.

Snowstorms and a lesson (learned the hard way) in Preparation

2008-12-21T17:53:00.000-05:00

OK, so we've had this fantastic snowstorm... in fact, it's still dumping buckets and buckets of beautiful cold fluffy snow all over New England. The roads are icy and nasty, so it's really better just to stay indoors watching TV, drinking hot chocolate and playing games... BUT, some of us have to work, celebrate anniversaries, finish Christmas shopping. That leads me to the lesson learned this week.

Kendon is a stickler for getting the snow off the driveway and NOT driving on it (can't be packing it onto the driveway now, can we?) So Saturday morning we went out to shovel the walk and use the snow blower on the driveway. We had stuff to do. Ever heard of shear bolts aka shear pins??? Anyone? Well, they are a necessary part to have in order to have a functioning snow blower. Without them, the auger won't turn, the machine won't blow snow which will result in having to MANUALLY REMOVE THE SNOW (aka shovel it yourself, buddy!) Suffice it to say our shear bolts were gone. And we didn't have any extras!!! DUMB MOVE, I tell you!!

Now remember that we can't drive on the driveway while the snow is on it... three hours later and several hundreds of pounds of snow, and thousands of shovel loads later, the driveway was sort of clear (understand, it hadn't stopped snowing). Kendon and I drove to Home Depot, got some shear bolts, headed out to run errands, celebrated our 19th anniversary by going out to dinner, and came home.

Fast Forward to Sunday morning... we'll just pop in the shear bolts, clear the snow off the driveway (sort of, still snowing folks) and be on our way. I wonder how much pressure it takes to get these shear bolts in... this leads me to my "lessons learned the hard way":

1. It's a good idea to know what shear bolts are, when they are missing, and how they should fit in the snow machine. This little bit of education can save you several hours of hammering, cussing, and frustration trying to get the jammed shear pin out of the appropriate place on the snowblower...

2. You shouldn't have to hammer in shear bolts. They may take a little tap, but if you have to apply more than just a little tap, you HAVE THE WRONG SIZE AND SHOULD STOP IMMEDIATELY!!!

3. Don't assume that the guy from Home Depot knows what the hell he is talking about... chances are, he doesn't have a clue and will tell you what you want to hear so he can move on to the next customer. Don't trust said HD guy, even when you provide appropriate model and serial number AND he uses the computer to look up the lot number for the parts. He's clueless.

4. When you finally get that shear pin out and replace it with the RIGHT ones, it's okay to celebrate, do a dance of joy, hug, kiss, and THEN go out and clear off the driveway.

And last but not least, in fact, the most important lesson learned...

5. It's probably a very good idea to check said snow machine BEFORE the worst snowfall of the season hits New England. Making sure said snow blower works properly will alleviate several hours of frustration, several trips to Home Depot, and hours of back breaking labor. Oh ya, and one last thing... always keep several extra shear pins on hand so you can replace immediately when needed.

Ice, Ice Baby!

2008-12-12T23:08:00.000-05:00

Talk about crazy ice storms... I woke up middle of the night with my bedroom lights blaring which was weird because I KNOW I turned them off when I went to bed. It was pouring rain, hitting the house so hard it sounded like little stones on the windows and roof. At the time it didn't register, but now I realize it was ICE rain (not hail or sleet really, but frozen rain -- don't know what else to call it) making all the racket. Kendon, of course, was out of town and I was a little unnerved, so of course, I got up, checked the kids, did a walk-through of the house and checked all the doors to make sure everything was secure. All was well and I turned off my bedroom light and went back to bed. This was somewhere in the 3am ballpark.

Fast forward to 5am... I woke to loud cracking sounds and again bedroom lights that were on. Thinking Madison must have gotten up and I didn't hear her over my obnoxious snoring, I got up and checked her and Todd... they were sleeping and didn't stir. It was still pouring ice and was REALLY LOUD. But there were other sounds I hadn't heard earlier. Creaks and cracks, moaning... kinda weird and scary. Then the phone rang... school cancelled in the morning because of the ice storm, power lines down and roads flooded all over the place. No sooner did I hang up the phone then the lights dimmed, flickered and went out.

NOT COOL! So what's a girl to do? I went back to bed.

When I woke a couple hours later, the house was still dark, ice pouring from the sky. I looked out the window and was amazed by the sights... trees down all over the place. Huge limbs broken from the weight of the ice. The trees were encased in ice -- and I don't mean a thin layer of ice, either. It was beautiful in a cold "I'm completely covered in ice" sort of way. I got ready for work in the dark -- Madi and Todd went to a friends house (thanks Lisle -- you are truly awesome). It was pretty wild driving. Some roads were impassable, trees down everywhere, power lines down, and flooding... quite a nasty combination.

Our power was out for about 12 hours which really wasn't too bad considering the possibilities. There are still families and friends around the area who are still without heat and light. Not good when it's 30 degrees outside. Northborough declared a state of emergency and the town set up a shelter in the middle school. We're blessed to be warm, dry and safe. The kids had their first "snow" day and will enjoy a long weekend. Kendon got home safely and all is well.

Comments...what to do?

2008-12-11T20:44:00.000-05:00

So I have a bit of a quandary (awesome word, eh?) that I thought I'd post about in case anyone reading wants to share their thoughts with me re: particular problem. This quandary is related to comments in response to my blog posts, which I LOVE to read, by the way -- comments make me feel HAPPY! I love to get em, love to read em -- they make me feel like someone cares! Silly, I know, but true just the same. Anyway, back to my quandary -- because the comments definitely aren't the problem, well at least not directly.

I'm still pretty green at this blogging stuff -- clueless, really. So much about blogging is new to me and I haven't come close to figuring out all the ins and outs... which, in a very round about way, leads me once again back to the quandary to which I keep referring. OK, here it comes... just about there... wait for it...

THE QUANDARY: when someone makes a comment on my blog, and I want to respond to that comment, do I respond back to them beneath their comment in my own blog? Or should I be sending an email? Or do I post something randomly on their blog? How does that work exactly? WHAT SHOULD I DO??? Because it seems to me that if I respond in my own blog beneath their comment they may never see said response.

I'm just thinking about me and my own brain and lack of retentive memory function (I blame the kids, of course), but if I comment on someone' blog post, first off, I don't always remember that I made a comment and second, I don't remember to recheck said post for a response to my comment.

I'm thinking I should send an email. But then it looks like I ignored the post all together. Is there Blog Etiquette? Is there a right way to manage this issue? Am I just being stupid? Nevermind, don't answer that last question. Just help me out with my little blog quandary...

Slowly going digital...

2008-12-09T23:02:00.000-05:00

So I'm slowly moving from paper scrapbooking to digital and it's really fun. I'm pretty retarded when it comes to using Photoshop, so I'm taking a class from Jessica Sprague (she has a website and offers several different classes). The first lesson starts with providing the most basic of basic info related to PS and the lessons progress gradually once a learning foundation has been established. There are lots of downloads and freebie kits to start my digi-stash. It's a fabulous class and I highly recommend it to anyone who is considering making the switch from paper to digi. Mind you, I've only done one layout. Here it is. No criticism, please. Eventually, I'll learn how to do drop shadows, make brushes, papers, etc. but right now, this is enough. And now I'm going back to play.

I LOVE CHRISTMAS!!!

2008-12-09T21:15:00.000-05:00

Just had to say it... I love the Christmas Season. I love the lights, the smells, the excitement, the games, the fun, the tree, the Nativity, the music, etc.. I don't know about your family, but we have a lot of fun this time of year. Todd is done with Football and so we actually see him. It's nice. Anyway, just wanted to give a little shout out to Christmas cause I LOVE IT!!

2008-12-05T15:57:00.000-05:00

I have recently discovered a little gem that promotes my personal sanity and peace of mind while also saving me TONS of time. It is something I never knew existed until I got a flyer in the mail which included a $20 coupon as incentive. The coupon advertised a grocery delivery service. I thought, what the heck? Why not try it. I abhor grocery shopping, nearly as much as I despise ironing -- it's always been one of those unpleasant "have to's" that I do as infrequently as possible. So this little coupon was a delivery of hope and I definately decided to give it a try.

What I am talking about is the Shop n Stop "Peapod" grocery delivery service. It totally rocks. I planned my meals for the next two weeks, shopped the website -- you can shop by aisle or product / brand -- set up my account and voila! C'est fini! It took me 15 minutes to put in my grocery order. Delivery costs were $6.95. I set up delivery between 4pm and 6pm for the next day and promptly at 4pm my doorbell rang. There was a grocery delivery person holding bags of my groceries. He brought them in and put them on the cupboard, went out for the second load -- isn't that awesome? He brought them right in to my kitchen! That's another part of grocery shopping I dislike -- hauling in the bags.

Anyway, I put the groceries away, checking my list as I went, making sure I got everything I needed. It was all there. No muss, no fuss. My produce was fresh, the bread wasn't squashed. Everything was as it should have been. In my opinion, this is a fantastic service... one that I will definately continue to use on a regular basis.

Oh ya, and another thing, I just checked my email and I'll have free grocery delivery for the next 60 days -- how cool is THAT? You ought to give it a try if grocery shopping is something you hate, or you have to drag the kids along and it is nearly as painful as dental work without Novocaine... try it, you'll like it!

So what about the blog?

2008-11-30T17:53:00.000-05:00

I've thought about the blog several times over the past couple of weeks but just haven't gotten around to posting anything. I've thought about the reasons I chose to join the realm of the bloggers and gave some consideration to why I think it's a good idea to continue to blog. Because I do think it's a good thing. And I will continue to blog. Even if I'm the only one who reads it. It's a great way to keep a written record of what's been going on in my family, a good way to remember important events, thoughts, or moments. And if anyone else decides to read my blog, they'll keep up to date with what's going on with us. I love reading my friends blogs, getting updated on what's going on in their worlds, watching their kids grow up via pics, etc. And I also love the blogs that share recipes or tidbits of wisdom.

So that brings me to the question "what do I want my blog to be?" I'm trying to avoid monotony and repetitiveness. I'm not out to teach anyone anything. I'm not a professional anything so won't share my expertise on any one thing. My blog is going to continue to focus on my family and all things, good and bad, that encompasses. It'll include pics, stories, quotes, recipes, etc.

So, here I go again. Back to blogging, after I go watch a movie with the family....

The funny things kids say...

2008-11-09T11:55:00.000-05:00

If you know me at all, you'll know that I love a good joke -- something to induce a big chuckle, or even better a gut-wrenching laughing fit. That said, I'm blessed to have funny people in my life. Todd is quick witted and often has me in tears (laughing, not crying) and Kendon...well, he's a witty one too. Madison loves to tell jokes that often aren't that funny to me, but to her they are HILARIOUS! Watching her laugh at herself makes me laugh.

She has said a couple of things this weekend that have made me chuckle. And whenever I think about them, they still make me chuckle... so here are a couple of conversations that had me laughing:

Scenario: Kendon getting ready for our "date night" and Madison being the fashion consultant:

Madison: "Oh Daddy, it doesn't matter what you wear because you are handsome in everything."
Kendon: "Thanks Madi, ok, what do you think about this?" (pulls out a sweater and jeans that I love).
Madison: "Mmmmm...no. You can definately do better. You look like Grandpa in that."

Scenario: Kristi getting ready for church, Madison taking her time in the shower:

Kristi: "C'mon, Madison, you have to hurry up. We're leaving in half an hour."
Madison: "Oh mom, you know I'm just like elastic."
Kristi: "Huh? What do you mean?"
Madison: "You know, that liquid stuff that moves really, really slow."
Then it dawned on me -- MOLASSES.

Even though not a winner...

2008-11-05T21:18:00.000-05:00

... John McCain is a class act. He is a patriot. And even though he did not win the election, he has made an impact on Americans.

With this election, history has been made! The American citizens have elected a man who promises CHANGE... He happens to be the first ever African American President. That is amazing. How far we've come since Martin Luther King Jr.

But Obama has his work cut out for him. And he has made a lot of promises to the American people. He has promised to turn this great country around. In his attempt to succeed and to fulfill his promises, it is my hope that this extreme Partisan, Liberal, Democratic President will not destroy everything this country stands for and upon which it was built.

In the words of McCain at his nomination speech:

Fight for what's right for our country.
Fight for the ideals and character of a free people.
Fight for our children's future.
Fight for justice and opportunity for all.
Stand up to defend our country from its enemies.
Stand up for each other; for beautiful, blessed, bountiful America.
Stand up, stand up, stand up and fight.
Nothing is inevitable here.
We're Americans, and we never give up.
We never quit.
We never hide from history.
We make history.

Mutsu, Empire, JonaGold, Macintosh...can you guess what we did?

2008-10-22T08:46:00.001-04:00

If you guessed Apple Picking, you're right!! This was so fun! And it was a first for Madison. I was a little surprised when I realized she'd never been apple picking, but when I thought back to the last time we went, it was when we lived in Ontario and long before she was born. Time flies. Apple picking was a favorite Fall activity of ours when Todd was small. And it was something we planned on doing every year. It seems though that as our schedules have gotten crazier and busier, we've let go of some of our fun traditions and replaced them with other things.

So we decided this past weekend would be a great time to renew our Fall tradition and go to a local orchard and see what we could do. Once there, we put our best apple picking skills to work and ended up with a 1/2 bushel of apples. Of course we had to taste each type of apple as we were picking them just to ensure we really wanted that particular brand. And so we ended up with a few apples of several different varieties. Each of us had a different favorite, so fortunately, that is what we went home with.

We enjoyed a wagon ride out to the orchard, then a hay ride back in from the orchard. Once we'd picked our fill of apples, we stopped in the kitchen for an apple slush and an apple donut before we went home.

The weather was great... nice and warm with just a little "crisp" in the air. And the leaves on the trees were fabulous with all their changing colors.

Happy Fall Y'all

2008-10-19T01:07:00.000-04:00

I wanted to post a couple of awesome Fall pics... One good thing I will say about New England is that it really knows how to kick off the Fall Season...

Sometimes it IS the big things...

2008-10-15T20:31:00.000-04:00

You know the old saying, "it's the little things that count"? Well, I had the opportunity this weekend to remind myself that really, it's about making the BIG THINGS count and overlooking the little things. Let me explain what I'm talking about.

I was annoyed with my family this past weekend -- I know, big surprise. Let me backtrack for a minute to mention a couple of things to help you understand MY state of mind: I went back to work last week; I have been getting up early every morning to exercise; I go to bed at night exhausted but CANNOT sleep even though I really, really want to; AND I have been carefully picking and choosing the food I eat (aka. starving).

So on to the cause of my annoyance... after a week away at work followed by evenings spent reading orientation materials or working on computer modules, the house was messy, definately neglected -- stuff dropped here and there, backpacks thrown on the kitchen floor, papers, textbooks, and assignments spread over the counters, water bottles in numerous rooms of the house, shoes everywhere, etc. I can handle a little clutter, but given the amount of stuff everywhere, it freaked me out! (Remember: tired, hungry, stressed Kristi) Anyway, I went off a little bit, definately feeling justified in my crankiness. And after I spewed anger and frustration over the Richards household, we started cleaning up.

I've mentioned before how I feel about cleaning... it's cathartic. I feel calmer when my surroundings are clean and organized. As I was cleaning, I found myself thinking about each of my kids... they are great kids.

Todd is funny, witty, usually in a good mood. He is the guy who gets up at 5am every morning to go to Seminary because he wants to get 100% attendance. If any of us should be stressed out and cranky, it is him. His day is endless. After Seminary, Todd goes to school, then football practice. He gets home sometime around 6pm to eat and then gets started on his homework. He usually rolls into bed after 10pm only to sleep for a few hours and start all over again. No downtime. And he handles it well. Todd is also the guy who loves his mom. He still hugs me and kisses me goodbye. He also tells me he loves me, even when he is IN FRONT OF HIS FRIENDS. Big things!

Madison is all things loving. She loves to be loved and she loves to make sure that each of us feels loved. She's our emotion barometer. And she is funny, silly, dramatic, such a good girl. She is smart, wants to do the right thing, and goes out of her way to make sure she applies the Golden Rule. She's my little night owl -- loves to stay up late -- but also our early bird. Go figure. These are the big things. And they are the things that matter.

So stressing about the house, fretting about whether there is toothpaste all over the vanity, or dirty dishes in the sink... LITTLE THINGS. And they really don't count much when stacked up against the big things. I realized that I really need to focus on the things that are important, the BIG THINGS.

Life back at work

2008-10-07T21:31:00.000-04:00

Well, I went back to work this week after several months of being a delinquent. Although I really enjoyed playing around this summer and travelling with my family, I must say, that it's really nice to be back at work. Mind you, it's only been a few days, but it's been good.

The work is different than anything I've done before... I'm working with the VNA (homecare) and will eventually have my own territory and clients. Our division takes on the more acute care cases, so most of our clients are short term. There are lots of opportunities to teach and support the clients and I think that is awesome. Oh, another cool thing... I get my own laptop!! THAT ROCKS!

Because my background has been pretty much hospital based to this point, this is a new adventure. A huge factor that pushed me to make the decision to leave the "glitz and glamour" of working in the hospital, besides the obvious things like shift work, unsafe work conditions, and unrealistic management expectations is the fact that I can have some flexibility in my work schedule with the VNA. I have the opportunity to get my kids off to school, work while they are gone, and be home to get Madi off the bus. I feel productive. I'm contributing. I'm preventing my brain from turning to mush as well as doing something I love. And the kids don't miss me like they did when I was working every single weekend. What's not to like about this? I'll let you know if anything comes up.

Anyway, have a good night. I'm off.

Florida pics

2008-10-02T13:10:00.001-04:00

Haven't been posting but I've been busy

2008-10-02T01:34:00.001-04:00

Well tonight I decided to tackle changing the look of my blog by tweaking the HTML code... not something I've done before and I have to say that I learned A LOT thanks to the very easy step by step instructions at www.SJHblogdesign.blogspot.com. I got a tip about this blog from a website I frequent all the time: twopeasinabucket and I decided that I really wanted to try to make my blog more individual and more "me". Although not perfect, I am liking the way my blog looks. I'm sure I'll tweak it a bit more, add more gadgets and stuff and who knows, now that I know what to look for I may even change the appearance from time to time.

Quick Update...

2008-09-29T19:43:00.000-04:00

Well, it's been awhile since I've blogged. And there have been a few things happen since you last heard from me.

1. Kendon and I went to Amelia Island, Florida for 4 days... fabulous mini-vacation complements of Procter & Gamble. We stayed in the Ritz Carlton... BEAUTIFUL place, right on the beach. Eventually, we would love to have a place right on the beach...

Marcia and Charlie came to stay with us for a couple of weeks and Marcia watched the kids while we were gone. I have to give major cudos to my sis. She's great. Amazing, actually. And Charlie... well, there are no words. He is just too wonderful and we all love him like crazy. Except for the fact that he's two, he's perfect.

2. I had my 39th birthday. Really. I'm 39 years old. Wow. It sounds so old when I say it, but it doesn't feel old. Anyway, we celebrated in Florida... and then with the kids when we got home. I got a new Canon point and shoot that I keep in my purse... it's a little easier to lug around than my bigger Canon d-slr (which I love, btw).

3. My family is healthy again. Yay! It's no fun being sick.

4. Kendon is back at work, the kids are working hard at school, and I'm gearing up to start a new job next week. I'll definately let you know how all that goes.

I guess that's it for now. I've got to download and edit some pics then I'll post a few.

Strapless bras and other stuff

2008-09-19T14:49:00.000-04:00

Aha... got your attention with the title, eh?

Let me first start out by saying I've been sick the past week -- sicker than I can ever remember. In fact, my poor sister, Marcia, is here visiting and I got sick the evening she arrived... started with a sore throat & headache then progressed within a day to include dizziness and vomiting whenever I raised my head off the pillow. Suffice it to say, I spent an entire 24 hour period in bed, sleeping, and frequently throwing up. Can't say that was a lot of fun, but it has given me a point of reference on which to base the rest of the week. Since my "sleep-in", I have definately gotten better, but I am not healthy... just on the mend. I hate being sick.

Needless to say, it hasn't exactly been an eventful visit for Marcia and Charlie as we've pretty much stayed pretty close to home. Fortunately, though, they have remained healthy. And so has Todd. Kendon and Madi have had some sinus congestion and a cough, but neither of them were as sick as me. I say that as a joke, sort of, even though it's REALLY true, since I've been telling Kendon all week that I'm whining because I'm way sicker than he is.

OK, now enough of my whining... on to more interesting topics like strapless bras. So, you might know that Kendon and I are heading to Florida for a little business trip. I found this cute dress that requires a certain type of undergarment which was not a part of my wardrobe. So we went shopping. For bras. Of the strapless variety. Only, here's the thing... strapless bras are not made for women with real boobs. There's no support. In fact, I've decided that if I was to compare wearing a strapless bra to wearing no bra at all, it feels about the same.

Just when I'd about given up, Marcia came upon this slick little bra with clear plastic straps. Guess what??? It's awesome! You get the support and you can't see the strap under the sheer dress... works for me. I'll let you know later how it all works out.

And the last thing, not to be diminished by any of the previous information, is that today I received my new washing machine... pristine and perfect. It is SWEET! Runs so quiet you can hardly tell it is on, and spins at 1200 rpm without a wobble. I can't believe how much I missed having a washing machine until mine broke. And I've been without it for over a month. It's been a LONG MONTH... but like everything else, things are getting better.

Hurricane Ike hit Galveston & Houston, TX Sept. 13th

2008-09-13T23:37:00.000-04:00

So, the hurricane hit Galveston dead on, then went on to Houston and up through Kingwood and Porter... fortunately for my friends in Kingwood, the "eye" of the storm went over them instead of to the West... they received heavy rain, wind, and loss of electric, but avoided being in the path of the resulting tornados and debris dump that is generally associated with being on the "dirty side" of the hurricane (the east side of the eye).

Although the power is out and will likely be out for a few weeks, I have heard that my friends are ok. What a huge relief. I've attached a couple of pics of the damage and flooding from Hurricane Ike so far. The water is still rising in the bayou's around the Houston area so there will likely be more destruction in the coming days. I'm just grateful that my "peeps" are safe.

Let's Not Forget

2008-09-11T17:36:00.000-04:00

September 11th, 2001 is a day that changed history. Let us not forget.

Bike Riding SUCKS!

2008-09-10T15:11:00.000-04:00

As part of an exercise regime, I have maintained that biking is not my thing. I like running. That is what feels good to me. I have a sister who doesn't "get" running, but she swears by biking... obviously, it is her thing. Let me clarify something, though. When I talk about biking, I'm not talking about a leisurely bike ride with the kids through the neighborhood. I like that kind of biking. That is fun. The kind of biking I am objecting to is biking for fitness -- riding hard, working hard, definately not for fun. Well, today I just wanted to get a quick workout in and I thought, hey, why not go for a little bike ride. In hindsight, that was a terrible idea, but at the time it sounded kind of fun.

So I started off by checking my bike making sure my tires weren't flat, and then I grabbed my sunglasses and bike helmet (better to be safe!) and off I went. All was good. I was on a downhill grade. Then I came to the hills. I don't know if you are familiar with the terrain around my area, but it is hilly. In fact, rolling hills would describe it perfectly. It is beautiful... so long as you are not riding a bike.

The first hill wasn't too bad. I was peddling fast and by the last third of the hill, I was standing up using my weight to propel me up the rest of the way. Woohoo, I made it! Pat myself on the back then carry on... not long after the first hill, I came to a stop sign and had to cross a busy street followed immediately by a fairly steep hill. I made it, barely. Next came a series of ups and downs -- you remember the kind of hills on the back roads that you flew over in the car? The ones that made your stomach clench? In a car, those are a fun adventure. On a bike, not so much. But I made it over the peaks and valleys and continued on my merry way.

As I followed the road, I have to admit, I enjoyed the scenery and the feeling of the wind on my face. I didn't even mind the potholes and barking dogs. But then I came to a neverending uphill grade and my enjoyment "flew out the window" so to speak. I huffed and puffed and I puffed and I huffed and I downshifted and I peddled my heart out. And I thought to myself, among other things, that if I was running, I'd take this hill without a second thought. Why was it so much harder on a bike? By the middle of the hill, I was dying. A little further, my legs were officially dead.

Have you ever tried walking up a hill pushing a bike while your legs are shaking, feeling like spaghetti that is going to collapse without warning? That was me. Add a little nausea, heavy breathing and you have a pretty good idea of how I was feeling. To say it wasn't pretty would be an understatement. I wanted to be done this stupid bike ride! There wasn't anything fun about it. But I was quite a long way from home and had no choice but to get back on the bike and ride. And after a few more riding / walking stints, I made it home. I parked my bike in the garage and walked away from it without a backwards glance. The bike was NOT my friend.

Now that I've had some time away from the bike, I still maintain that biking for exercise is not for me. I'd rather cover ground on my feet, thank you very much. I'm commited to running. I love running. It feels good to me and biking definately does not.

There's cleaning and then there's CLEANING

2008-09-09T13:23:00.000-04:00

I went to bed last night thinking about the things I really needed to do today... and when I woke up this morning, I was still thinking about those things... paying bills, unpacking my suitcase from my last trip, purging and cleaning out my office to name a few.

So I decided to start with the cleaning. I decided that I'd focus on my office space today. It's a disaster. And the cleaning that is needed for this space is more than routine cleaning. And it's likely going to take more than a day. So I cranked up the tunes, grabbed a diet Pepsi, and dug in. I have to tell you, I'm really enjoying the process of digging out, throwing away, and reorganizing.

Something you may not know about my office is that it is not just MY office. I share my space with my two kids. This 9'X12' room is crammed full of stuff. And Kendon laughs nearly every time he comes in because he thinks all my stuff is funny -- he supports me in my scrapping habit, just doesn't get it. Anyway, when the kids are home, if I'm in my office they are too. And that's great, except that it gets very crowded. And then there's the mess...

I use this space to be creative. I scrapbook, edit pics, sew, play on the computer and do a variety of other projects in my office. Todd usually just comes in to use the computer, to sync his ipod or upload new music. Madison, though, is following in my footsteps and LOVES to make crafts. She loves glue and she loves glitter. And though she loves to make her projects, she is not always very good about putting stuff away and cleaning up after herself. I spent nearly 2 hours going through her paper scraps, reorganizing her stuff and scraping glue off her desktop. And now it looks great! That is just one corner of the room.

I really enjoy this kind of cleaning. I find it energizing. It's not like "normal" housework. There's something about cleaning out the clutter and making a space more functional that is therapeutic. I'm having a great day. I'm excited to make my space make more sense and work better for the three of us who use it. So, now that I've taken a bit of a break, I'm going to get back at it. There's a lot more mess to take care of. Once I'm done, I'll post pics.

Can't leave out hubby

2008-09-09T00:50:00.001-04:00

And here is Kendon (fishing with Madison (left) and neice Clara (middle). I'm sure he'll appreciate my putting this pic of him in here. He's having fun and he looks great.

And here are my kids...

2008-09-09T00:39:00.000-04:00

Aren't they great?!

I think my kids are pretty awesome.

Todd is a funny, cool 15 year old. I know that sounds ironic, but he's a really super kid with a quirky, quick sense of humor.

And Madison is a 7 year old: very sweet and loving with just a touch of diva and drama queen thrown in for good measure.

My washing machine

2008-09-08T23:56:00.000-04:00

Why would I write about my washing machine, you wonder? Well, it's like this... Just before our family trip back to Canada in August, my old, reliable GE Washing machine died. It was 13 years old and had been slowly dying for the past couple of years. But the GE Repairman confirmed that it was officially dead and suggested we invest in something a little more modern.

So we did. We researched and shopped around and finally decided to buy a front loading Bosch. It is a little beauty and apparently, does a great job. I wouldn't know, though, since I'm still waiting for said machine to be delivered. It was a special order. It arrived last Friday. However, when they were loading it on the truck for delivery, it fell victim to the forklift. So, it had to be reordered and will likely take another couple of weeks. To say I'm not happy about that is an understatement... I'd really love to have a fully functioning washing machine in my home. I'd love to be able to do a load of laundry any time of the day or night. I'd love to wash my teenage son's football uniform EVERY SINGLE DAY!

Despite the setback with the washing machine, I'm trying to maintain a positive attitude. I have found that taking everything to the laundromat can be quite an adventure. Trying to find parking is a major feat. Occasionally, I find a space right next to the building. Today, though, I had to park down the road at the CVS and haul my overflowing baskets through the parking lot and across the street. That was fun. In addition to this character development, I am improving muscle tone as I haul the baskets of laundry from the house into the car, from the car into the laundromat, from the laundromat back to the car, and from the car into my home again. Good exercise. Then there's the opportunity to fill my time while I'm waiting for wash / dry cycles. I can simultaneously wash or dry 6 loads of laundry WHILE I CHECK MY EMAIL, READ A BOOK, WRITE A BOOK... WHATEVER! How cool is that? From start to finish, including folding, doing my laundry at the laundromat takes about 2 hours, give or take. So I come prepared with something to do to fill the time.

There is definately a downside, though. Whether or not my laundry is really clean, I don't know. Each batch I wash costs me $2.75 and I'm running out of quarters from the family fun jar. Add another couple of dollars for each batch in the dryer... the costs add up. I even found myself thinking once that it wouldn't be so bad to own and operate a laundromat... quite a money maker, I think. The last thing that comes to mind is that every time I go, I have to give myself a little pep talk to help me prepare for what might be lurking in the machines... hair, gunk, a stray pair of panties. I've seen all those things, but I'm sure I haven't seen it all... and I don't want to.

I'm really hoping that my new machine gets here soon. Undamaged.

Starting a blog

2008-09-08T23:05:00.001-04:00

I'm finally jumping on the blogger bandwagon... better late than never, right? And I'm doing it for a few different reasons. One is to keep in touch with family and friends who aren't nearby, so they can see pics of my family, read about what we're up to, and basically keep up to speed on the drama that seems to be our lives.

Another reason I've decided to start a blog is because I type much faster than I write so this blog will take the place of my written journals... if I actually had journals, that is. Since I haven't written in a journal for years, I really thought this would be a great way to document the things that happen in my life and in the lives of my children... kind of a mini-documentary complete with the occasional picture, craft project, or whatever.

So, here it goes...