We Now Interrupt This Season . . .

Our Christmas season has been interrupted with illness.  And what horrible illness it has been!

If any of you are friends of mine on facebook, I am sure you have heard me complain plenty about this. 

Sorry, I am going to do (what I hope is) the last of my complaining.

I just can't believe the wave of sickness that has passed through this house.

I had the flu a couple of weeks ago, and I thought maybe that would be it.

Of course not!

Caden came down with ear infections last week, which is not that bad.  But then on Saturday, Ciara woke up with a fever.  An hour later she threw up all over. 

The puking lasted all day.

Sunday, I woke up with the same illness.

Fabulous!

For me, stomach illness is the worst kind of illness I can have.  I just HATE it.

I would much rather have a flu with headache, chills, cough, etc. 

But when you through in nausea, I want to die.

So Ciara and I got through that, but my throat began to hurt like it has never hurt before.

I started to spit instead of swallow because it hurt so much, and because it choked me.

I couldn't drink anything because I would choke as well.

Yesterday, I decided it was time to visit the Dr.

I had a feeling it was a virus, and they would send me home and tell me that it would just have to run its course.

Nope.

Strep.

I have not had strep since I was a kid. 

Seriously, at least not in the last 15 years.  I can't even remember the last time I had this horrible illness.

Then late last night Ciara woke up complaining about her ear.

Great, another trip to the Dr.

Since I had recently been diagnosed with strep, they wanted to test her as well, which is understandable.

Ciara did not think so.

The started screaming, clamped both hand over her mouth, and curled into a ball.

I had to pin her hands to her sides, tilt her head back, and then pinch her nose closed so she would have to open her mouth while the nurse stuck the long Q-Tip thing down her throat.

All that work did have a purpose, since the test was positive.

So now 3 of us are on antibiotics.

Plus, I have the biggest cold sores.  And I do mean the biggest. 

I would post pictures to prove it, but they look so bad, I really don't want anyone to see them.

They cover about 50% of my mouth, and they are all over the inside as well.  Canker sore all over my gums, inside of my cheeks, seems like everywhere.

I am really a mess.

Plus, I really hate how antibiotics make my pee smell.

It is just gross.

**And on a side note, our boiler broke while it was about 26 degrees outside.  But luckily I was able to get someone out here to fix it, and it did not cost an arm and a leg.

To Foster, or Not

I have mentally written about 5 posts since the last one, but none of them ever seem to make it onto the blog.  Not sure why that happens. 

We have had quite the December.  I went on a girl's day trip to NYC, Rocky started his new job (and new commute), I got sick, Caden got sick, and now Ciara is sick.  I went to a Secret Sister gift swap, 2 cookie exchanges, and have been frantically finishing some baby books I am making for friends and family. 

Lately, fostering has been on my mind.  We (my extended family included) are sponsoring some children from Christmas (by sponsoring, I mean buying presents, and food, and anything else they need). 

One of them is a 14 year old foster child.  On his wish list, he listed fruit.  He doesn't ask his foster parents for it because it is too expensive.  For some reason, that really struck a chord with me.  It almost made me cry.  (I get pretty emotional around the holidays.) 

I have a pretty strong feeling that our family is complete, in that we will not be having anymore children.  Although now that I have put it in writing, some miraculous surprise is probably going to happen.

Seeing how much these kids need, compared to how much we have, I feel like we could do some good.  I argue with myself about fostering in general.  You hear all sorts of horrible stories about how fostering can go terribly wrong, and I do have my own 2 kids to worry about. 

But what about the good stories?  Foster kids are not throw-away kids. 

Then I worry about the kind of influence that a foster child might have on my kids.

To that, I try to think of the influence my FAMILY might have on an otherwise forgotten child.

There are way to many arguments for and against this to write down.

I have discussed it with Rocky, and he is not enthusiastic, but he hasn't ruled it out.  I think he is very concerned about what it could mean for our current kids.  He will be much more willing when they get a little older, I believe. 

For now, I hope that our 7 year old boy and 14 year old boy will have a wonderful Christmas. 

We may not be able to purchase everything you have requested, but we are sure going to try!

Hoping and Hopping

I can't believe the Holiday season is already here!  

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving, with lots of family in town for the occasion.

We spent some time in Hershey, ate our way through Philadelphia (literally, it was a food tour of the city), and had lots of fun!

I decorated the house for Christmas (with the help of my sister and parents).

And now I need to get some presents under the tree.

And one other big change:

A new job for Rocky.

Yes, another one.  

I have to ask, "Seriously?"

I am tired of the job hopping.  I know that it is mainly economy based, since architects seem to be hit pretty hard during this time.  I am grateful that he has been able to maintain employment even though we seem to move a lot.  

I am not moving this time though.  At least, not yet.  

The job is in State College, which is over an hour away.  Neither of us are looking forward to the commute, but that should show how desperate he was to leave his current position.  

Today is his last day, and I hope it goes well.  Apparently they are trying to get him to sign some document stating he cannot market to anyone within a 50 mile radius.  

Again, SERIOUSLY?  Why would he sign that?  Are they crazy?

I could have a whole other blog with stories from his boss.

We also have more guests coming out after Christmas, so I am preparing for the craziness to start again!

I will miss all the parties back home with everyone.

I have been contemplating having my own party here, but can't decide when to do it.  

I was thinking New Year's, but I don't want to host a party while I have a house full of guests.

Maybe another day, or another year!

Holy Halloween!

Last night was Trick-or-Treating here in Selinsgrove. 

For some reason, they assign a night and a time for this celebration. 

(Yes, I know it sounds strange, but I LOVED having a time limit, because we were done at 8pm, and had no one come after that.) 

This year, I decided to give out juice boxes (or Capri Sun pouches).  I had purchased 200 in preparation for this night.  I had been told by some people that the street we live on is THE place for trick-or-treaters, and I thought 200 was a good estimate. 

I was SO wrong.

Trick-or-Treating was scheduled to start at 6pm.  Right on the dot, the doorbell began to ring. 

 I saw lots of cute costumes, and people were THRILLED with the juice boxes, even the teenagers. 

I never had time to shut the door, the kids just kept coming. 

At 6:50, I was down to my last juice box. 

Yes, 200 kids in less than an hour.

SERIOUSLY??

I panicked for a bit, then remembered the candy the kids have been accumulating from previous Halloween parties.  I ran and grabbed a bucket full of their candy.

I started to hand out the candy one Tootsie Roll at a time.

It sucked to go from hearing exclaims of delight (Cool!  A juice box!  Thanks!) to a barely audible "thank you."

Even then, I ran out of candy at about 7:20.  Luckily, a friend of mine showed up in the nick of time with a car full of candy from a Trunk-or-Treat.  She immediately brought me some candy from her car which lasted until 7:45, at which time a turned off the light.  (It was scheduled to finish at 8, so I didn't feel too bad about shutting down 15 minutes early).

When Rocky got home, he told me that our street was by far the busiest.  There were hardly any people on the streets just one block up and down from us. 

We had a band on our street, and the police were our keeping an eye on everything and handing out glow sticks to all the kids.  It was quite the event.

I have a small gripe about some of the trick-or-treaters. 

If you are not old enough to hold your own bag, then you are not old enough to ask for candy.  I couldn't believe the amount of parents with babies that were getting candy for them.  I know the babies aren't going to be eating it.

Next year, I will be purchasing 300 juice boxes, and then turning off my light when they are gone.  I am pretty sure we saw over 400 kids, but I really don't want to have to buy 400 juice boxes (or even pieces of candy for that matter).  We will see how it goes!

I Know, I Know!

Yes, I have been HORRIBLE about posting lately.  Not sure where all the time goes, but it seems to be slipping by at an alarming rate! 

We are all enjoying our first BEAUTIFUL east coast fall.  The colors are just gorgeous, and the weather has been perfect. 

I have been keeping busy by being crafty.  I have taught myself how to crochet, and have been busy making scarves, and ear-warmer headband things with flowers on them.  I will have to post some pictures. 

I have also been reacquainted with my scrapbooking!  It has been so long, I was afraid I wouldn't be able to get back into it, but a friend of mine has asked me to make her a baby album, so I had to get going!  I have really been enjoying being creative again.  I will post pictures of the album once I get closer to being done.  Plus, having a Cricut makes me want to experiment some more!

My organizing business has still been on my mind.  I do need a name for it.  Any suggestions? 

Seriously?

What was your worst birthday? 

Mine was yesterday.  I have never had a bad birthday.  So I guess it was about time. 

But, seriously? 

That morning was pretty normal, waking up with the kids, getting ready for school. 

I have to admit, I was a little peeved that Rocky didn't volunteer to take care of it all since it was my birthday.

And then the obligatory phone call from the parents to wish me happy birthday. 

That's when it happens.

"Um, honey, we have some bad news."

My grandma died. 

She had a heart attack earlier in the week, so I knew this was a possibility, but to find out first thing on the morning of your birthday kind of puts a damper on the rest of the day.

I have lost both of my grandmothers in the last 6 months, and since we have moved so FREAKING far away, I have not been able to make it to either funeral. 

Now, besides mourning my grandmother, I also have to deal with the guilt of not attending the funeral. 

I know it is OK, my family all understand (at least they tell me they do) but I still feel guilty.

I should be there with my family. 

But I can't.

I was asked to send some stories of my grandma to my mom, and here are some of those:

She loved to tell people the story of when she watched my when my sister was born.  Apparently, I was horrible and hid under a booth at McDonald's and refused to come out.  Also, when she took me to the nursery to see my sister, I told her I didn't want that baby (she was way too red) and picked out an African American baby to take home instead.

She also loved her cats just a little too much.  My mom got after her once because the cats were licking the butter on the table.  Grandma tried to explain that her cats were like her kids, and we share with our kids.  My mom didn't buy that and replied with, "Mom, my kids don't like their butts."

She loved her kids and grandkids a lot.  I always felt loved and special around her. 

She will be missed.

I hope this is the worst birthday I will ever have.

Business Idea

If you haven't met me, I should start this out by saying that I am kind of a neurotic cleaner and organizer.  I can't rest or relax if things are not put away and clean. 

 It is just how I am.  It is hereditary; my mom has it and so does my sister. 

 Growing up, I thought this was just how everyone was.  I thought everyone got grounded for leaving towels on the floor. 

Then as grew, I noticed that not everyone's house is that way. 

Most people are relatively neat, but not as crazy as my family.  As an adult, I know that my house is cleaner than most, but also accept the fact that I am the crazy one.  I don't care how other people keep their own house.  I just choose to keep mine a certain way.

These last couple weeks, I have had the opportunity to help my friend organize certain rooms of her house.  And the craziest part is that I REALLY enjoy doing it. 

During one of our sessions, she suggested that I create my own business to organize other people houses, or even businesses I guess.

That got me thinking.

Could I actually do that?

I get stuck on the logistics of it.  How do I tell people that I am qualified to do that?  If you know me, you might appreciate my anal qualities, but how do I explain that to strangers?

She suggested taking before and after pictures.  And then starting a website. 

Does anyone else have an opinion?  Could this actually work?  Are there enough people out there who would pay for my help?

Funk

So my last post sucked.  I just couldn't seem to find the words to describe how much fun we had.  And I know why.

I am in a funk.

There are several reasons for this funk:

1.  I recently had a house full of visitors and they are now all gone.  The house has felt empty.

2.  BOTH kids are now in school (not full time, but I have a couple of hours 3 days a week to myself) so the house is REALLY empty.

3.  I am missing my first girls trip.  I have gone on a girl's trip (Mom's Gone Wild) since it was started (4 years ago) and this weekend, they are all (minus me) in Sun Valley right now.

I have been looking forward to having some alone time, but now that I have it, I just don't know what to do with  myself.  Today, I decided to turn on the TV. 

What a Mistake!

I have been sucked into watching "A Baby Story."  NOT the show to be watching while missing your children who are now old enough to be in school.

Watching all these women give birth has made me a little emotional. 

(I guess another reason for the funk is just plain old PMS.)

I have been reminiscing about the births of both of my kids, and then I get all sad because they are so big now!

Where did the time go?

So here I sit, watching a "Baby Story" with tears streaming down my cheeks.  Am I a wreck or what?

Then the thought hits, "Hey, I could just have another baby!" 

Seems like the perfect solution, right?

Hmmmmmmm.

At first, this idea appealed to me.  I LOVE babies, and what better to have one around all the time!

Then I remember the sleepless nights, diapers, breast-feeding, and being pregnant.

Also, is being lonely the best reason for having a baby?  Probably not.

At least, not for me.

I am going to have to deal with an empty house at some point.  I can't avoid it forever. 

(And most days I really look forward to having alone time.)

Things to look forward to with my alone time:

1.  Getting the house finally decorated.  I need to paint, and soon.  I put it of all summer, and now is the time to get it done.

2.  SCRAPBOOKING!  I have not made any pages in months, years possibly.  Plus, I have 2 baby books to make for some friends that I HAVE to get done before the end of the year.

3.  Being able to help out in school.  I am really looking forward to becoming more involved in Ciara's (and eventually Caden's school.)

I will now focus on these last 2 items, and work on getting out of this funk.

(and some chocolate might help as well)

Pig Wrastling

Yes, I went to a pig wrestling event.  I have been informed by my sister that it should be pronounced "wrastling" since pigs are involved. 
I have some friends who decided to create a team.  The goal is to lift a 200 lb pig onto a platform in the middle of the disgusting mud and poop filled ring, and place a hat on its head.  The team with the shortest time wins.  Our team, consisting of 2 nurses, a professor, and a crew coach placed 3rd.  We were all very proud of them.  It was very funny to watch.  We will definitely be going back next year. 
Besides the pig wresting, they had a corn maze, and many other activities for the kids.  The kids just ran around with their friends, playing in the corn, going down the slide and watching the pigs. 
I have to say, at first I was astounded that I was going to a pig wrestling event, but I ended up having so much fun.  The things you do in the country to stay entertained!
(Also, since school has officially started, I am hoping to keep up with the blogging a bit more!)

Conversations at KFC

There is a KFC/Taco Bell restaurant located on the highway not too far from here.  I am a huge fan of Taco Bell, so I try to convince my family that we need to eat there more than they want to.  Last weekend, after coming home from a great day of pig wrestling (yes, another blog with pictures will have to follow this), we decided to stop off at this Taco Bell.  Now, what makes this Taco Bell so interesting (besides the fact that KFC is also there) is the fact that they have a KFC all you can eat buffet.  I have never eaten from this buffet, basically because the sight of it disgusts me.  There are, however, MANY others who frequent the buffet.  And they are all interesting.  Here is an example of some conversations I heard from the tables around us:
1.  "So my brother is having a kid.  Well, he thinks it's his.  Yeah, his girlfriend did it with him, and then a few hours later did it with some other guy."  All this was being said across the room at another table.
2.  This was a mother and daughter talking.  The daughter had a little baby girl with her.  "Where did you get $2000?"  "It was child support from when he went to prison.  I just saved it up while he was locked up."
From pig wrestling, to paternity tests, to prison.  What an interesting weekend!

Summer Trip

We recently returned from our first trip back to UT after moving out to PA.  What a fun and busy 2 weeks!  Here is a basic rundown of all the things we did:
Had pancakes or waffles almost every morning for breakfast.
Visited lots of family!
Hung out with lots of friends!
Toured a bakery (and ate yummy donuts)
Went to Cowabunga Bay (a water park)
Went to Incredible Pizza (a fun place with games, go-karts, mini-golf, etc.)
Swam at my old gym (I still miss it so much!)
Swam at a college friends house.
Ate at Joe's (Crab Shack).
Went to the movie theatre, and saw Ramona and Beezus, and Toy Story 3.
Went to a carnival, and set off some fireworks.
NORDSTROM!
I am sure I am forgetting things, we seemed to have stuff to do every day.  We had so much fun, but were still so happy to be home.  I miss our family and friends so much, but have really adjusted to life in PA.  I had forgotten about how awful the road construction can be, and how busy everything is.  I have decided that I actually like small town life (although if we could just get a good gym and a Nordstrom close by, my life would be as close to perfection as it could get).  I have almost recovered from our whirlwind adventure.  We are excited to have lots of visitors in the next few weeks, and even more excited for school to start!   I will hopefully be able to post more when school starts and actually have a few hours to myself during the week.

Opportunity Cost

For some reason, I thought it would be fun to browse back through some old yearbooks of mine.  It was fun, but it made me very nostalgic.  I had a blast in high school, and miss it a lot.  I am guessing a big reason that I miss it so much is because I went to high school in Colombia, and haven't been back since I graduated, nor do I have any immediate plans for a trip in that direction.  (And I LOVED Colombia.  If I could be Colombian, I would.)  Many of my friend are more nostalgic for college, but I prefer high school.  The main reason is that in high school, I could dream big.  By the time I was in college, I had to make decisions about my future, not just dream about it like I could before. 
In  my senior yearbook, each senior had a whole page to write wills or dedications.  Many of the people who mentioned me in theirs mentioned Physics or Chemistry (or Math).  I was quite good at those subjects.  I think most people who know me now would be surprised.  I also won a Calculus award my senior year.  Yes, I am apparently a math and science geek.  I was also going to be a doctor.  I wanted to be a pediatric oncologist.  Obviously, I didn't end up doing that! 
Now, I have no regrets.  I do enjoy my life, but sometimes I wonder.  In my Economics classes in college, I learned about opportunity cost.  That basically means that by choosing one thing, you are giving up many other options (those other options are the opportunity cost).  I have been thinking about my Opportunity Costs today.  What I had to give up to get here.  Many may think that I didn't have to give anything up, that I could have had it all.  But I disagree.  To be the kind of mother I wanted (and still want) to be, there is no way I could have done medical school, and held down a job after my kids were born.  There are some days when I feel like I need to be so much more, that my brain is atrophying away by spending hours upon hours relating to young kids.  Those are the days that I wish I had done more to have a career.  But then I comes back to my children, and how even imagining someone else taking care of them makes me hyperventilate.  In time, when both kids are in school full time, I do hope to go back to school to get some sort of medical degree (probably some kind of nurse) and I hope that I will make the time, and have the money to do just that. 
Does anyone else feel that there is a whole other person inside your "mom" exterior?  I am trying to find a way to bring these 2 people together, but so much of my day is "mom" that this other person (who I think is still in high school, because I don't feel a day over 17) gets ignored.  Any ideas on how to bring these 2 people together, or am I the only one who feels this way? 

Won't You Be My Neighbor?

Having neighbors is an interesting thing.  It is almost like family: you really want to like them, but they are always there, and can be annoying, and very interesting.  Over the past few months, we have gotten to know some of our neighbors. 
When I say "know" I don't mean in a deeply personal way.  They all pretty much keep to themselves, but are very nice.  When the kids held a lemonade stand, so many neighbors came over to buy lemonade, it touched my heart.  But being that it is summer, and our windows are open a lot, we hear all sorts of stuff from the houses that surround us.  The other night, at the house across the street, the teenage son was fighting with his parents.  He called his mom a bitch, then said he was running away, only to apologize 2 minutes later and go back into his house.  But the people on the opposite corner from us are definitely the most interesting.  They have about a million kids (or is at least seems like that) and they like to shout at each other every evening.  Almost every night, we hear the mom or dad yell, "Get your asses inside this house right now."  And they also like to use the "F" word.  A lot!  They did, however, buy $2 worth of lemonade from my kids, so I try not to judge! 
Our next door neighbors are nice.  My kids love to peer through the fence and just stare at their kids.  I hope they don't think my kids are weird . . . .

Eat Your Veggies (and Cookies Too!)

Rocky think I am a little strange, but I am so proud of our garden!  I have to post pics of it for you to really appreciate it.

These plants were supposed to be bell pepper plants.  After they started producing peppers, I noticed that they are NOT bell peppers.  After some internet research, I decided they were banana peppers.  Then we ate some.  They are NOT banana peppers.  I have now decided that they are Hungarian yellow wax peppers.  They are spicy.  And I have six of these plants that are starting to produce peppers like crazy.  If you want some, let me know!

We also have TONS of tomatoes.  I, personally, hate tomatoes.  I am apparently going to be making lots of salsa this summer.  What else can I make with tomatoes to can?

Caden insisted on being in a picture.  Next to him is our gigantic zucchini plant.  This monster started out as a sickly looking leaf-looking thing.  I had no idea it was survive and get so big!  I have spotted 2 zucchini so far, with many other flowers budding. 

Our lovely broccoli plants are huge!  We have enjoyed eating our fresh broccoli.  I will be sad when they are finally done.

A sample of they broccoli we ate from the garden.

Caden really wanted to take a picture of his sunflower.  He grew this himself from a seed.  He is very excited to see it get taller than daddy.

With all the veggies starting to produce, I have been thinking of recipes and cooking a lot lately.  I have heard it said that you are either a baker (cakes, cookies, pastries, etc.) or a cooker (main courses, etc.).  I have decided that I am a baker.  I do enjoy cooking, but I do that because I have to.  Baking I do because I really enjoy it.  We would survive if I didn't bake, not so much if I didn't cook.  Rocky is complaining that I am making him fat with all the baking, but I can't help it!  There are 3 three-layer chocolate cake recipes that I am just dying to try my hand at, but I am waiting for autumn and cooler temps.  (I can't really bake in the summer, and I am missing my hobby!)  Does everyone identify themselves as a baker or a cooker?

Slacking

Yes, it has been so long since my last post.  I always think of great things to write about, but then when I finally get on the computer, I forget it all! 
I am enjoying being a homeowner again, however not enjoying all the money that needs to be spent on the house.  I had forgotten how expensive houses can get! 
Our garden is doing quite well.  Although the plants that were supposed to be bell peppers are producing some other kind of pepper.  At first I thought it was a banana pepper.  Then we ate some.  They are definitely NOT banana peppers.  They are WAY too spicy.  Now I am thinking they are Hungarian Wax Peppers.  Still don't know what to do with them all . . .
We have planned a Utah trip at the end of July!  I am very excited to see everyone!  The kids are excited too, and ask everyday if we get to go on the airplane today.  We have 27 days to go!
I have been reading a biography of Queen Victoria.  It is very interesting.  Unlike many royals, she did marry a man she loved, and mourned him for the rest of her life after he died.  But how strange to give birth to children and hand them off to other people to raise them!  Victoria was never a fan of pregnancy and birth, or babies for that matter, but still managed to have 9 of them.  After the first one, she was told the only way to prevent more babies was abstinence.  Apparently, they couldn't do that so they had many children! 
I also watched The Island last night.  It is about a world in which people pay to have clones made.  All these clones live together, but they don't know that they are clones.  One of the reasons people clone themselves is to have babies.   I understand pregnancy is not a piece of cake, but would anyone really clone themselves just to not have to give birth?  I couldn't imagine someone else (even if it were my own clone) giving birth to my children.  It was an interesting movie, a little creepy though. 

Single Mom

Lately, I have felt like a single mom.  Rocky has been working so much.  Here is what the past week has been like:
Last Saturday-work until around 5pm.
Sunday-at home.
Monday (Memorial Day)-work.
Tuesday-home for dinner, but back to work until 1am.
Wednesday-work until midnight.
Thursday-work until about 2am.
Friday-HOME!
Saturday-work (all day, until 7pm)
Sunday-HOME!
Monday-work until how knows when.
Tuesday-work again, probably until 2am.
I am glad there is work, because that means he has a job, but seriously??  I am afraid the kids won't recognize him anymore!  I am just really tired of this.  We never have any time together.  Yes, it can be nice to be able to do whatever I want after the kids are in bed, but usually what I want to do is spend time with my husband.  Believe it or not, after almost 10 years of marriage, I still love him and want to be with him!  Most of all, I want to just talk with him.  He is still my best friend, and I rely on him so much more since we have moved.  In short, I miss my husband.  I just needed to vent for a bit.

Memorial Day Weekend

What a busy weekend!  We had some friends over for dinner Saturday, had the missionaries over on Sunday for dinner, and went to 2 picnics on Monday.  I am exhausted.  The weather here in PA has been way too hot and humid for me.  It really hasn't been that bad, but when we live in a house that is almost 100 years old that has NO air conditioning, it is just too hot. 
We have been feeding the missionaries and lot more lately, basically because the 1st time we had them over they told me horror stories of the places they have had to eat around here (2 week old asparagus, brown floaties in water).  I do feel bad for them.  We have a very small ward.  I counted in sacrament meeting one Sunday, and there were 45 people (including kids).  In relief society, there were 10 (including the presidency), and in primary there are about 9 kids (junior and senior combined).  There is 1 young woman (but she attends the other ward where there are more girls) and no young men.  It was a bit of a shock.  To be fair, we were warned about this when we decided to purchase this house.
On a different note, I watched Little Women last night on TV.  I do love that movie (and book).  I still cry when Beth gets sick, and then again when she dies.  But what a beautiful story of strong women, and the bond between sisters.
I am going to end this post with pictures of the newest member of our family, Tyzon.  Caden discovered him at PetsMart (where they have a spot for shelter animals).  He is the cutest little kitten, and I just love having him.  The kids are also thrilled.  Rocky, not so much.

Shoe Love

Since there is no Nordstrom around, I have been saving a lot of money.  However, I am still drawn to the online shoe department where they have thousands of shoes for me to browse.  Ahh, to dream that I would win the lottery and have a chance to purchase shoes until my heart is content.  As a substitute, I am going to show you pictures of my favorite shoes that I found on their site. 

First: the Fergie Rusher Wedge.  SO fun in green!  These are not too pricey, perhaps I can find a way to get theses . . .



Now the MICHAEL Michael Kors Sycamore Wedge.  I have a couple pairs of Michael Kors shoes, and do like how they fit.  These are a little pricier, so chances are I will not be wearing these any time soon.  But I can look, and picture myself wearing them around the house while vacuuming, or cooking. . .

Last, but certainly not least, I have discovered these gorgeous shoes that I will dream about for a few weeks.  This is the Sam Edelman Quinly Sandle.  I am totally in love.  I know it is wrong to love a "thing" so much, but I think these shoes are gorgeous.  And so practical!  I am sure they would look great while making the beds in the morning, or in front of my new washer and dryer . . . I think the red would really accent the color of these!   I am sure that these shoes would be equally at home in the park chasing my  kids around, or on the red carpet. 

Again, it is a good thing that the closest Nordstrom is about 3 hours away. 

Single Ladies Controversy

I know this has been on the news, and it popped up on my AOL news.  I just can't NOT comment.  Here is the video for those of you that haven't seen it:



These girls are INCREDIBLE dancers, I don't think you can dispute that.  But they are about the same age as my daughter.  There is NO WAY I would have allowed her to wear a costume like that.  Even some of the dance moves I found a little inappropriate for 7 year-olds.  Do we really need to teach them to bump and grind?  Won't they learn that for themselves at some college party when they are 12 years older?  Perhaps the dance moves wouldn't have seemed so provocative had they not been dressed like Lady Marmalade.   
Have I become ultra-conservative?  Would any of you be comfortable letting your 7 year old perform like this?

Too Far Away

This last week has been the first real demonstration of how far away we are.  My grandmother died on the 3rd.  This wasn't a surprise, she was old and not in the best health.  But I was not able to make it to the funeral.  I have felt just horrible about this.  I know that there isn't anything I can do, and it isn't like me being there changes anything.  But I still wish I were able to go, and it just reminds me that I don't live close to my family anymore, and I can't just be there. 
Since I couldn't go to the funeral, here is my small tribute to my Grandma Gilmore:
As a child, I didn't really look forward to going to her house.  Her and my grandpa smoked constantly, and all they wanted to do was sit and talk.  For a kid, that is really boring.  As I got older, I began to appreciate her more.  I still hated the smoke filled house, and how it would take days for the smell to come out of my hair.  But I began to enjoy her sharp wit and humor.  Her laugh was always the best!  It would sound like she was screaming.  I am sad that my kids, or even my husband, never really got to hear the full sound of her laugh.  I loved how she thought my dad was the best.  It was so funny to see how much she favored him.  He was the golden boy and we all knew it.  Even in her final days, she made sure the nurses knew that Ron was her best son.  She also always had candy out in little jars around the house.  As she got older, so did the candy, and in the last 10 years I stayed away from the candy because it was almost petrified.  We also loved how she pronounced certain words.  "Rouge" and "Garage" and "Charm" and "Whoopie" were some favorites.  She was a great story teller.  I will never forget her story of when she was younger and she thought that "a queer" (her word, not mine) was coming on to her.  She also told me about "pitching the woo" which apparently means making out.  Goodbye Grandma Gilmore.  You will be missed.

Customer Service II

I already have a post titled "Customer Service" so I decided to make this #2.  I have made some large purchases lately, and am frustrated with the lack of service some places provide. 
1.  Our realtor.  As many of you know, we recently purchased a house.  Our first realtor was very nice, however not proactive.  He was happy to take us to the houses I found online myself, but never found one on his own.  Wait, I take that back.  He was very happy to show us houses he found that were NOT in our price range.  So we found another realtor, who found us the house we are in now.  SHE found it, not me on the internet.  Anyways, when realtor #1 was told we had purchased a house with a different realtor, he became snippy.  And he is an elderly man, so snippy looks really bad on him.  He would not call us back, and made it a frustrating experience to try to get our deposit back on the house we had been temporarily renting.  Luckily, we got the deposit back, and are now down dealing with him.  But for the record, I do NOT recommend Jim H. with Villager Realty.
2.  IKEA.  We purchased the kids all new furniture and decided the best place to go for them was IKEA.  The biggest problem is the fact that the closest IKEA is about 3 hours away.  We planned the trip, and even borrowed a trailer to haul all the furniture back with us.  I had checked online beforehand to make sure they had all the items I wanted in stock, which they did.  We got there and found everything except for Caden's dresser.  I found a salesperson, and asked if they had more.  I was told they did have more, but they store them way up high, and cannot get to them while the store is open, and that I would just have to come back tomorrow.  I explained that I couldn't do that since we live so far away.  They just looked at me like, "So?" and walked away.  After we went home, I decided to see if I could order one online.  I found that I could, but when I went to check out, the shipping charges came out to be $299.00.  Assuming this was a mistake, I called their 800 number to talk to someone.  I told him the situation, and he assured me that $299.00 is the correct amount for shipping.  SERIOUSLY????  The dresser only cost $120.  Who would pay that much for shipping?  In the end, Rocky was in Philly for some training, and was able to stop by IKEA and get the dresser. 
3.  Best Buy.  Last week I purchased a new washer and dryer.  I was so excited, this was the first new washer and dryer I have every purchased.  I was getting a front load, which I have been dreaming about for a couple of years now.  We went to Best Buy, Sears and Lowes.  I had a coupon for Best Buy and for Lowes.  I found the ones I liked at Sears, and they were on sale.  Best Buy had a sale of buy one pedestal and get the 2nd free.  I called Best Buy to see if they would price match, and they said they would.  I also asked to make sure I would still get the pedestal deal as well, which they told me I would.  So we went to the store to purchase them.  When we got there, they explained that they could price match, but I wouldn't get the pedestal deal.  WHAT??  I was told on the phone that they would.  Their response:  "Well, they made a mistake.  Let me talk to the manager and see what I can do."  When did purchasing appliances become buying a car?  They come back with a different deal, which is crap.  So we left and ended up at Sears.  They got us the best deal, and also gave us a free pedestal.  Thank you Sears!  Best Buy: you suck!

New Blog!

I have started a new blog about my kids.  This blog is private, so if you want to be able to see it, send me your email address and I can get you added! 

Pictures as Promised

Here is the entryway to our house. We will be painting and doing other things to decorate. Below is the backyard. We are going to add a swing set and a vegetable garden. And here is the front of the house. The big tree covers most of it, but I think the tree is beautiful.

Finally!!

We are finally moved in and finally have Internet, TV and a phone. And we bought a house! It is a great old house that I fell in love with, and was lucky enough to get to purchase. In this economy, you would think that we would be able to buy any house without the worry of other people wanting the same house. I found the one house here that everyone wants. We looked at it before it was listed, and thought we would let it sit on the market for a while. This plan did not work since 2 days after they listed it there was an offer in on the house. So we had to put in our offer pretty quickly. After our offer came in, a 3rd offer was also presented. Needless to say, we thought our chances of getting this house were pretty slim. Our offer was rejected, and we began to look at other options. A few days later we got a call back from the realtor, and they had changed their mind and decided to accept our offer! I don't know how that happened, or why it happened, but I am pretty grateful right now that we are moved in. I think the house is beautiful, and the street seems very nice, with plenty of kids. There are, of course, some trashy neighbors, but that happens everywhere. Here are some things that I have noticed about the country: 1. It smells. Our rental house was surrounded by farms. When the weather got warm, there was this awful smell in the air. I am familiar with the cow smell, but this was different. It reminded me of blue cheese mixed with Parmesan. It was a horrible, pungent smell. I finally asked a friend of mine what it was, she said it was fertilizer. It was the worst smell. Luckily, the new house is located in town (or in the borough) and I don't notice the smell. I thought country air was supposed to smell good, but I would rather smell exhaust than that funky smell. 2. Speed limit means nothing. People drive as fast as they want, limit be damned. We never see cops anywhere, although I know the exist. 3. Shopping is very difficult. I miss the convenience of driving down the street to Nordstrom. I am however, saving a lot of money. This post is getting rather long, so I will save my IKEA story for another time.

Three Weeks

Yes, we only have 3 weeks to go before we get to move into the house. I cannot wait to decorate. I have been dreaming of painting for days now. I mentally redecorate and move in about every hour or so. And we will finally have INTERNET! Thank goodness. I will also be able to post pictures. Luckily the weather is gorgeous now, so we have been spending a LOT of time at the park. Rocky is still really busy at work, which is good, but bad since he isn't around much. But they are rewarding us with a trip to Harrisburg this weekend with a family pass to the IMAX to see Alice in Wonderland. The kids are very excited, as am I. We are also making a Costco run. I guess that is all for now. I do miss everyone, and hopefully we be much better and being in contact once we have internet (and once we are in an area where I get cell reception in the house).

Nothing New

I am trying to keep up on my blogging, but I really don't have anything new to report. I am still just waiting to move into the new house (well, old house, but new to us!). Six weeks to go. The snow just doesn't go away. I was told before we moved here that it didn't snow all that often. But this year, it has. I guess it followed me. Great. Ciara is still enjoying school, as is Caden. We are planning a trip to the King of Prussia this weekend, as long as the snow stops. I get a kick out of the names in this state. King of Prussia, Wilkes-Barre, Jim Thorpe, Intercourse are all names of towns/cities. The reason for the trip to the KofP is for shopping. According to my internet sources, the mall in KofP is meant to the one of the best, 2nd to the Mall of America. I am quite excited to see it. I guess that is all for now. One day I might have more interesting posts. Hopefully.

Bored Beyond Belief

Yes, I am bored. PA is nice, and I think I will be very happy here, but for now I am bored. I have no friends, and that is why I am bored. I have no house, which also contributes to the boredom. OK, we technically are living in a house, but it is a rental, and not one that we are planning on living in for too much longer. I have to TV, and no internet, so besides being bored, I feel completely cut off from civilization. I may go crazy. I spend tons of time at the library sucking up all the free internet that I can handle. I miss my friends and family. I need some entertainment. Please email me or call me. I am SO BORED. On the positive side, it has definitely made us more connected as a family. We pretty much just have each other to depend on, which is nice in some ways. But I still need friends. I know it takes time to make them, but couldn't I just run into someone and have them say, "Would you be my friend?" It worked that way in elementary school, why not now? We also now have a pet. We got a guinea pig. She is black and white and 5 months old and called Daisy. The kids are in love with her, but she is still quite shy. She hides most of the day, but we are working on getting her used to us.

Here in PA

Yes, we made it. Everything is going well, I just don't have access to the internet. We have talked about getting is set up, but we are most likely moving again in April to a more permanent house. This new house is in a different borough (I am working on getting the lingo down) and I can't find any internet providers that service both areas. You would think this wouldn't be too difficult since the 2 places are only about 10 miles apart, but apparently this makes a big difference. I don't know if I can last for another 2 months without the internet in the house, but I may not have a choice. Ciara LOVES her school. After her first day there she told me that she doesn't want to go back to Utah. I am loving it too. I LOVE full day kindergarten. I LOVE the smaller class size. She seems to be much happier at this school. Caden is definitely bored without his sister. I have started him in preschool, but he is still with me most of the day, and we do boring stuff like run errands, and explore different areas. I get a little thrill every time I am at Target and the Amish come in to do their shopping. I am not sure why, but I am fascinated by it all. I am also confused as to the different kinds of Amish and Mennonite. I see some in cars, some texting, some all in black, some in buggies, but they all have skirts and scarves on their heads (or bonnets). I find it simply fascinating. I do miss all my Utah friends and family. I am really quite bored here. I know it will get better once we get settled. I can't wait to unpack everything and decorate. If I can just hold out until April . . .

Adios!

It is my last night living in Utah, for now at least. I guess we could move back again someday. But for now, we are leaving. In a few days, we will be residents of Lewisburg, PA. What a way to start the new year. 2010 had better be great!

I know that I will still keep in contact with everyone, what with facebook and blogging. I was going to write some goodbyes on here, but I can't seem to do it now. I will totally break down and sob, and I really don't want to do that right now. I am trying to maintain my cool, and keep a positive attitude.

I do need to change some things about my blog. I will no longer be the "Utah" Mormon. I will also be starting a new blog that will be just about the kids, more of the day to day stuff with lots of pictures for family. I will let you know when I get that up and running, but that one will be private, and you will need to contact me if you want to see it.

So for now, I will sing off and write again from PA!