Spring is here!!!

So, this is officially our second spring in this house.  Last year we didn't really do much to take care of our yard.  Mostly it was because I was preggers and Sean was either working his butt off doing 12 hour days, or was in school.  So...I am sure that our neighbors were extremely embarrassed to be living beside us.  They are the older, love to garden, type people.  In other words, the complete opposite of Sean and I.

Well, this year Sean and I have decided to no longer be an eye sore for our neighborhood.  So this last weekend Sean and I did a whole bunch of work in the yard.  I weeded and tilled the front flower beds, I weeded the side and corner beds, Sean and I raked all the leaves and we cleaned out the main flower bed.  I even pruned the rose bushes, and Sean got rid of all the hollyhocks.  So, now our yard looks great!  And then to top it all off, I mowed the lawn.  Yay for me!!!!  So, we have about 15 garbage bags of leaves and grass clippings.  I have started a compost heap in the back, but the dump has a giant heap and they don't charge you for bringing your compost.  So...away the bags are going!!!!  It is so nice that our whole yard is clean and so now all we have to do is keep it up...

Our Garden Gnome Balder

Now for the house.  I reorganized my living room again.  I was just tired of how it was, so I moved stuff around.  I am happy with it.  Today I did all the dishes, am running the dishwasher, doing laundry.  I am trying to get my house clean, but it just seems like as soon as I get a handle on one area of the house then another area becomes a complete disaster.  It is like I can't win!!!  And...my kid isn't even mobile yet.  She just sits in one place and plays with her toys.  What am I going to do when she starts roaring around the house like a hurricane????

On a completely different subject...I am a beaming big sister.  

My little brother Luke, is no longer a little boy.  I went home to visit my family over the last week and I got to spend some time with my younger brother and his (at that time) girlfriend Darilyn.  It was the weirdest thing...I was looking at him, and spending time with him and I realized that he was a man.  He lives in his own rental place with Darilyn and another one of my brothers, Steve.  He isn't living under someone else's roof, but he is the man of his own house.  And, yeah, his house is a bit of a dump, but he takes care of it the best that he can.  I feel a little sorry for Darilyn because the house does look like a bunch of boys live there, but when she gets a chance I am sure that she will put a bit of a feminine touch into the house.  But they take really good care of the yard which is nice.  So, then the day after I left Luke proposed to Darilyn.  They are getting married!!!  I am so happy for them!!!!  So, not only am I so proud of Luke and the man that he has become, but I am getting a new sister!!!!!!!  Yay!!!!!! 

Well, Jenni is getting 4 new teeth right now and it is not the most fun event ever, but it could be a whole lot worse.  
 
So, I bid my readers adieu.  Thanks for listening!!!!!

A New Chapter

This weekend was a very sad weekend.  One of my best friends here in Three Hills moved away.  She isn't really that far away, and I will still be able to talk to her on the phone and see her every 3 weeks or so...but she isn't here anymore.

It just makes things a little different.  See, before this was my go-to girl.  If I was having an issue, or just really needed parenting advise, or just needed a girlfriend to cry on...she was there, just down the block.  She is a true friend who loved me BECAUSE of who I am, not IN SPITE of who I am.  I know that we are still friends, and we will forever be friends, but it just is not the same.  I am not as heart broken as I thought I was going to be because I know she isn't that far away, but it is just different.  I have other friends in town too, but none of them are the same.  Obviously, because no one can be the same...but still.  See, of all my friends in town who love me because of who I am don't have kids.  It just makes the friendship that much stronger.

So, all that said.  I am going to miss you friend, but I know that the telephone will be great!!!!  Love you!!!!

When all is said and done

Well, Guys and Dolls is officially over.  We are done all of our shows, and it was a HUGE success.

...HOWEVER....

The amount of sickness that went around behind that stage was astronomical.  I am actually really happy that the show is over, and I can get my life back to normal...sort of.  I want Jenni to be healthy, me to be healthy, Sean to be healthy.

So, here's to a healthy life, and a successful surgery.

Oh, didn't I mention that??  I am having surgery on Thursday this week to get my gall bladder removed...Wahoo...?  Well, like I said...I just want to get my life back to normal....sort of...

Life as I know it!

This last few months have flown by so quickly.  So much has happened.

Last week the infamous "Guys & Dolls" opened.  We have had a GREAT first week run.  There were a few mix ups, and definitely some sickness that is passing through the cast, but all in all, things are going so well.  Apparently there was one couple that walked out on the show because they did not "approve" of the contents of the show, but...whatever.  People can shove it!!!  It is amazing how Paula, Jill, Floyd and Luke progressively get better and better...not to mention the hot box girls and Havana dancers.  It is just amazing.  Even the gamblers are getting into a good groove.  I am hoping that after a few nights of good sleep I will be able to be back on my game.  At least I haven't forgotten any of my lines.  :o)

Also, Jenni is growing leaps and bounds.  She is starting to do this cute little bum scoot to get around on the floor...at least when she is in the kitchen.  She can't really move on the carpet, but really...I am not complaining.  The longer she is stationary the happier I am.  I am not looking forward to having to make sure that every little thing is off the floor and all the plugs are blocked, and whatnot.  I mean, really, I am going to try to teach Jenni that there are certain things that you just don't touch, and certain places that you just don't go, but...there is a fine line between teaching obedience and putting your child's life in danger.  I hope that I can discover the line before it gets crossed by accident.

AND...Jenni has officially said her first word.  It was "Kitty".  We knew that it was intentional because she made a meowing sound (that sounds like the sounds that Simon and Sassafrass make).  It was so cute.  She also has started saying "blegah" on command.  It sounds silly to you I am sure, but to us it is sooo cute!  Sean started it, and she repeated it.  I think she may think it is a real word, but, whatever.

And, lastly, for me.  I have had a blast to the past for sure.  My friend Rachel (actually two of my friends, both named Rachel) have a bunch of Adventures in Odyssey on CD, and they have said that I could borrow them and put them on my ipod so that I can listen to them.  The kids that I babysit also LOVE to listen to the stories when we eat our lunch and our supper.  It is so cute.  "Tiffany, can we listen to a story?" with the word "story" coming out "st-owe-we" and "listen" coming out "wissen".  So cute!  Jenni even will listen to them.  So, I like to listen to the stories as I go to sleep...but, now Sean says I can only have 1 ear bud in because last night he needed my help and I couldn't hear him calling for me because of my headphones.  Oops!

So, that is what is happening in our life, or at least the short version of it.  I'll put some cute pictures of Jenni up for you to see.  She is wearing the new hats that my friend made for me from Vancouver Island.    

An Ode to Jenni

My little girl just turned 8 months old.
I can't believe that it has gone by so quickly!
She is sitting up and playing by herself
She even has two little chompers.
She can scoot backwards on the floor
and even tell me what for in her own little voice.

I can't believe that Jenni is so big
It seems like just yesterday she was just a little peanut.
She is wanting to do things on her own now
Even though she is not quite ready.

Jenni is my special little girl and I will love her forever!  I just can't believe how time flies by, and how much has happened in the last year.  Wow.

I love you my little precious Angel.

New Kitchen

So, being the person that I am, if I want something, I do my best to get it.  The second that Sean and I bought our house I told him that I NEEDED a new sink and countertop.  Well friends...that is exactly what happened this weekend.  WAHOO!!!!!  I am so happy.  It looks AWESOME!!!!  Here are some before and after pics, and I hope that you love it.

New Kitchen

Old Kitchen

Old Sink

New Sink

Jenni loves the new kitchen too!!!  :o)

Rough Start, Great Finish!

Ok, so this morning was a HORRIBLE morning!  I woke up, and I hadn't had enough sleep, I wasn't able to get ready in my own time, and I was just MAD.  Not really mad because of anything, I was just overwhelmingly ANGRY!  I was so mad that I started to cry.  There was no reason for my anger...I mean, Jenni was a little irritable this morning, and Sean was a little difficult, but nothing I haven't handled before. I finally came to the conclusion that I was under attack.  See, when I said, "You just go with Jenni and I'll stay home from Church."  I started to feel even more angry.  And then when I said, "Maybe we should just stay home." I started to feel even MORE angry.  Then I said, "NO.  Because then he has won.  We need to go to chuch."  The anger started to subside.  Then when we were at church the anger started to be just a lingering memory.  Then, by the time the service was over and I was mingling with some of my sisters in Christ, the anger was gone.  The sermon was a great one too.  Huge about how we need to have friends in Christ.  We can't just go along by ourselves, because two are better than one.  We need to reach out and hold peoples' hands through the tough stuff, and through the good stuff too.  Not just rely on God, but to really reach out and have a community, or a support group of people around us who love us too.

So, then we went to Sean's parent's house and had quesadillas for lunch.  Then we came home, and Stephanie and David came over for coffee.  We got to hang out with them.  Chillax, talk, laugh.  It was such a blessing.  Then, we got to go over to Samm and Luke's for dinner.  Samm is such a great cook.  I was so happy to just be hanging out with them.

So, needless to say, my day ended up being pretty awesome!  I even had to take Jenni to the doctor because I thought she might have an earache or ear infection, but she was good to go, and it only took us 15 mins at the hospital...I think it was a world record.  Then Samm came back here and we had a great time just chatting it up, just us girls!

Just goes to show that Satan has no power, and that God will always prevail!!!!