Looky Looky I'm alive.  *sniggers*

I did sneak on umm Friday for a few minutes.  And last night for quite awhile.  Just didn't blog.

I'm doing quite a bit better.   Still tired, but thats standard around here. 

The sun has continued to shine, so I'm soaking up as much of it as possible.  We are averaging about 3.5 hours a day at the lake.     Its just gonna be a short summer.  As a result all the things that would normally get done during that time are getting crammed in at the beginning and the ending of the day, and computer is falling into last place.

I'm also beginning to pack for our annual trip to the 'ils.   My kitchen counters and kitchen table are covered at the moment....

And I should be farther ahead, but my washing machine fritzed.  Actually we fritzed ROFL.  We took Rainee's car seat apart and washed it and adjusted it to the lowest water setting to wash JUST it.

Unfortunately we forgot to adjust it back to super load.

It explains why my clothes were coming out so funky...  *growls*

Soooooo rewashing a load and trying to get my laundry caught up.  Can't leave stinky laundry for 2 weeks. 

Still trying to figure out how we're gonna get to meet Munchkin Mommy.   She's heading west while we're headed east.  We suggested waving at each other somewhere on the freeway.  

Jeremiah got happy finally.  Has a horrrific cough, but is willing to entertain himself again.  And he shared his cold with me.

Had a long conversation with a friend who is concerning me greatly.   Praying for her muchly.

And had a hysterical giggle with Zvanzivou last night.  And I won't say about what...cause I finally figured out how to embarass her.   Didn't actually think that was possible.  *sniggers* 

And today...Zeria saw a teenager with his shirt off and yelled.  "BELLY BUTTON!"     Woo hoo I've corrupted her for life.

 

Just wiped

The boards are not loading for me.  Its the second night.   After five minutes I can get into the front page of a board.   If I wait another five I might get to the page I actually need to be to read.

Jeremiah has been sick since Saturday.   And its not a happy sick its a scream, push mommy away, kick kinda sick.   In between times he takes long naps...in my arms.  He won't go down any other way in the day time.   Add this to the fact that we've had *gasp* 5 days of summer and I just haven't been online.

I'm sorry.  I know I should be going to Catheska, and the Ball, and...

I just don't have the energy.

I'm wiped.   

Add to this the issues that I think the paxil has stopped working.    Because the day I don't want to get online...is the day I'm really struggling. 

Some of that was a issue I had to deal with, some of it is just exhaustion.   I should never make a decision about medication when I'm this tired.   So with Rob as my guide I'm waiting another week.   Jer should be healthy by then right?    I should get a bit more sleep, and then the issues will go away.

Or I'll go in next Wednesday and up my paxil, or try another med.  Either way...something will give.

I btw am highly sensitive to jokes about meds these days......A visiting pastor made a joke about them and I was NOT happy.    The choice to take medication for anxiety or depression should NOT be such a difficult one.  One should not feel like a failure because they choose to do it.  

Preaching to choir again....

I had posts that I NEEDED to write tonight...but apparently I didn't.   If someone who doesn't have crappy dial-up can get in...please forgive me for making you all wait. 

Maybe tomorrow Jer won't scream all day...or I'll take him to the doctor to find out why he is. 

 

Woo hoo Guess what happened Thursday???

Guess anyone?

Summer happened.

I'm very very very happy to seem summer.  Of course it disappeared again shortly thereafter.  ROFL. 

Friday was icky, Saturday started out icky...and then half way through it got nice and we've *gasp* had 2.5 days of sunshine.   Summer is a wonderful concept.

We're actually *HOT* today.  Of course the rest of you probably think of it as cool...I'm guessing its about 70 sumfin' and its only 10:30 in the morning.  *cheers*

Anyhow other then that today is Zeria's birthday and my dads.  We celebrated my dads 60th on Saturday, yesterday we had the "family" celebration for Zeria.  And today we head up to our friends "lake" to play with her nieces and sister that lives with my mom.   Here's the Princess in her new outfit.

She didn't get lots of little pressies, but thats because I managed to find her a cute little 3.1 pixel camera for her birthday.  It has a screen like the fancier cameras, video option, timer, etc.   And all for a reasonable price.  It even will use the SD card.  The catch?  There's always a catch ya know.  I can *NOT* get it to load on my computer.  I've tried, and tried.  And am quite done trying. 

I was completely bitchy by the time I'd tried absolutely everything.   The software is there.   The USB port is being recognized because the puter yells at me each time I disconnect the camera the hard way.  But the computer is not identifying the cord and allowing me to download.

I reloaded and unloaded the software numerous times.  Rebooted numerous times.  Cried once or twice. (like that helped)  

I could take it back I suppose, but then I'm stuck trying to find a different camera. etc.  So the end result is the SD card *does* work.  So we'll just take it to Walmart and have her upload her picys there and get them developed there.

And yes I hate taking things back.  It really would be the thing that makes the most sense.   Do you know how big of a bummer it is that your childs ONLY birthday present from us doesn't work? 

Yeah.   Anyhow Zeria is eight years old.   And acting 13.  *snigger*  Here she is in her birthday clothes. 

                        

Does anybody have a Cous Cous Tomato Salad recipe they'd love to share with me?  I know I'm reaching...nobody around here even eats it, but Rob and I love it.   I usually make it from a mix, but wanted to try it on my own......

Gotta be always learning something new you know.  I found some online, but I always prefer a recipe somebody else has made.

TIA

Good afternoon

Been a intresting day somehow.

I came home after dropping my kids at VBS and got my mind wrapped around a few things.  I'm entirely too introspective and constantly loosing track of goals.    Last week my kitchen remodel made everything else go to pot.   And Sunday afternoon I just melted down.  Big  puddle of boiling over messy stuff. 

Poor family had to watch it.

Anyhow Rob helped me regain perspective.   And find priorities out of the midst of the chaos.  And things are back on track...for a few days at least.

Vacation is getting closer.  I'm sick and tired of reading about people who are hot.  We still haven't seen the sun.  I want some sun PLEEEEEEASE????   Only been to the lake twice this year, and neither of those were warm.  Usually I've been sitting up there for 2 weeks straight by now....

School stuff.  Its amazing how quickly I can change "my" goals and seek after someone elses ideals of school.  I've been downward spiraling that way for a bit now.  UGH and UGH

But I refocused once again and have a *plan*  hahahahaha

You've heard about these plans before haven't you?  *Snigger*

Will continue to refine and regrow.

God's still working on me.

Spent quite a bit of time praying for Munchkinmommy.   She had a lousy 24 hours preceded by a lousy 2 weeks.  One can only hope things get better. 

Jeremiah has become terror on four wheels.   He has reached the fine era of walker demolition.   He can get anywhere, and out of anywhere.  HE's fast He's furious...He's a ankle smasher.    I remember now why I usually retire walkers sooner then I should......

Other then that life moves on....fast, furious, and oh my word what a mess!  *giggles*

Good morning

Insanely busy day today.  Makes me rather want to grown.   And somewhere in there I have to find inspiration for a fishing post contest entry.   I'm NOT forgetting.  

VBS for my kids today.   I was thinking wooo VBS a break alas I don't think it will be as guilt is winning.  Apparently its a "family" VBS.  UGH  I don't want to go sit on those wretched pews for 5 days listening to sappy kid songs when I have a bazillion   Yes I have a bad bad attitude.  Its a long story.   In which I may do another blog later.     But first...my kitchen.  This is just as my mom is checking the wall out.

 

             

Note the fridge in the left hand corner.   Beside that was my little island that I sanded off awhile back.   There was space between it and the fridge for walking around.  And it was LITTLE.

Sam LOOVES destruction.  So my mom handed him a hammer and showed him how.  He was DELIGHTED.  I mean DELIGHTED.  NOtice the big goofy grin when he realized he could peak through. 

                

The wall destruction didn't take too long, but then we had to stand back and think about what to do with the wiring.  The process for that was much longer.   But the end result has been worth it.    And amazingly none of my kids got shocked.   Considering there love of exploring with their hands that was rather astounding.

And the finished product.

    

We are very very happy.  And thoroughly enjoying the new space...now if I could just figure out where I put the Baking Soda when I was moving stuff around....

Adds it to grocery list. 

 

Wooo been so busy recently.  And now it appears I actually have a few minutes in the day time to do nothing.  Rather a novelty considering this week.

Rob is at a SS teachers meeting, and my kids are outside exploring their new playhouse.  We converted our rather small shed into a playhouse for them.  All the stuff that was in the shed is now at the garage sale, in the dumpster, or sitting on my freezer to sort.    I can't sort it as JEremiah is sleeping less then 5 feet away from it in his bedroom.    Its not too much to sort anyhow.  

I should be making lunch, or baking bread as I have a craving for it, but figured first I should update.    I have pictures of my kitchen, but I'll wait until Monday to put them up when there's actually people online.  *snicker*

The kids are soooo unhappy with me because *gasp* I'm asking them to play outside.  (Isn't that meeeeeean?) 

Had a lovely date night last night and went and watched Fantastic Four.  IT was sooooo funny, and very good.  Extremely clean.  No sex, no swearing.  The closest was one *d*.   I actually wish we had a teensy bit more money cause I'd have Rob take Samuel to it.  Samuel would LOVE it.    But vacation is in less then a month, so we're squirreling money there.

And *ugh* our fridge is dying.   Rob cashed out his comp time so we can get a new one.  Its cool cause he had over a $1000 in comp time just stored there.   Major answer to prayer, as fridges are rather necessitys.  So I went and priced them last night and MOnday when the check comes in I'll go buy one.  The extra money we hope to save for vacation.  

I'm very ready for vacation, I want to see some sun.  So ready for sun.  Its just been nasty this summer.  EWWW nasty.  Rain, Rain, Rain.  

So I'm putting in a order for South eastern Idaho to have LOTS of sun.  And for Cascade Lake above Boisie to have even more.  *grin*  

Other then that life moves on.

and....

Rather suprised how few comments there were on my SIR about England.

Myself it felt like 9/11 over again.

I turned on my internet long enough to see that Silverthorn was on aim.  I didn't say hi...just wanted to make sure she was far far away from where it had happened.  

And then back off.  Just numb.

Lots of prayers, and lots of shaking head.    And some political muckety stuff running through my head that I'll spare you all.

And then I saw Flute's blog...and forgot Helen was in England.  Definitely...thinking of everybody.    Such nastiness.

Definitely praying.  

*waves*

The remodel project continues to umm grow.  *Snigger*

So no finished picture yet as its not.  But my kitchen is just looking wow.  *grin*

My mom went to Waste not Want not a Construction reuse store and found a lovely gold counter top to make a delightful bar with.  We placed it on top of my cherry island and doubled the counter space there.  *grin*

I got the little bracket things I needed and have my kitchen cupboards ultra organized...and have lots of empty spaces.  Empty...is amazing.  *grin*

My laundry room.

Well I folded and emptied out all the laundry baskets.  But I still have some organizing to do in it.  The stuff we're rescuing from the shed is going in the laundry room.  So I have to rearrange a bit.  But this is good.  It gives me time to go through boxes and say,  "Now why did I keep this?"  *snigger*

I did this just before Jeremiah was born...but stuff just grows.  And each time you re go through stuff you discover *guess what*  I didn't need that crap after all. 

Stuff.

And I think I figured out where some of my energy had gone.   I had let my Dew addiction run rampid again.  And had gotten up to entirely too many in a day.   I believe the caffeine had started working as a downer instead of a upper.  So with a bunch of water to drown the addiction I'm back to 2 a day.  *grin*  And I have energy again.

Of course...Jeremiah is back to sleeping 3 hour lump sums this also increases my energy.  Sleep is an amazing gift.

Tomorrow.  Woo nother insane day.  My helper is coming so I will run-away in the morning.   My kiddos have been invited to a bday party in the afternoon so I will come back for that.  

I think I will leave Leann with a list of house holdstuffs to do for her remaining time.   Its kind of funny because I've done a ton of them thanks to the kitchen remodel. 

But a floor mopping would be wonderful.  Its been a LONG LONG time since it was mopped.   So since I've done the normal cleaning she can do some deep cleaning.  It will feel nice to have a clean house. 

"Finally brothers whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are right, whatever things are pure, whatever things are admirable, whatever things are lovely, if there is anything excellent or praiseworthy think on these things."  Phil 4:8

and no I wasn't online today.  I was frantically doing real-life stuff allllllllll day.

And I'm tired.

I may not be on tomorrow.  In a bit of a spring cleaning mood...even if it is June.  *snigger*

The good news is my kitchen is clean.

Thats cause.

Drum roll please it got remodeled today.  Major sniggers.

My mother...is a woman to be reckoned with.   My father has come home on at least 4 different occasions to a wall missing in his house.  My husband is about to experience this phenomenon.  He has NOOOO idea. 

Well we did get "tenative" blessing Saturday.  ROFL.

Anyhow a wall is gone.  BYE-BYE  (waves to it)

When I was single and fancy free we had put up a 8 foot pony wall so that when you walked into the house you didn't walk straight into the kitchen.

It made the corner of the kitchen a tich awkward, but that was okay you couldn't see my dirty dishes.  And that was back in the day where my philosophy about washing was...you did them when EVERY single dish in the house was dirty.  And I do mean EVERY one.  ROFL

But now...the house is bursting at the seams and is a house of eight.     And I DESPERATELY needed more counter/cabinet space in my kitchen.  BAD.

So my mom who loves to remodel was scheming.  *snigger*  This is normal.  She likes to scheme.   She has a house planning program on her computer.  Saturday she wanted to show me what she'd designed.  It was a $15,000 remodel, and I didn't even like it.  LOL  Actually we almost came to blows over it.   So her and my sister started tearing my house apart and putting it back together while my sil and I cowered over in a corner.   We are so not into their designing. 

After 20 minutes of them designing and redesigning mom said  "What about taking this pony wall partially out?"   My eyes lit up, because it was a EASY fix.  We'd put the stupid thing there to begin with.  I said,  "If I had my way it would come out today...why didn't I think of that."  (Oh yeah thats because its my moms forte to chain-saw walls out.   She be a loggers-wife...I'm just a mild manner nurses wife.  *giggles*

"I'll come over and do it."  My mom says.  "Is that okay Rob?"  She asks with a laugh in her voice.   "As long as I don't have any part of it."  He mutters hiding in a corner.    So that was Saturday,  Sunday we were at church,  Monday was the Fourth of July.

Today...she came over.

Of course it wasn't as simple as taking a wall out.  (never is).    We rather forgot there was a four man switch there.  (isn't now)   So the wiring slowed the hour job down to a three hour job.    The walls out, and we moved the fridge into that corner which is a much better place for it.

Well then we had this nice empty corner where the fridge was leading out to where the island was.  IN mom's "dream" plan she'd wanted to put cupboards there.  "So, hows your budget?"  she asked when she walked in the door.

I got a gleam in my eye and led her to my lean-to.

About three years ago her and I had made a three hour run to pick up four cupboards for my laundry room.  I thought I would use them.  Instead I was greatly inspired by Clean Sweep and ditched so much stuff they were essentially empty.   And virtually new.

We slid them into the corner...and I have doubled my storage.

Free.

And now you know why my mother intimidates me a bit.   I just..don't have that gift.  *sniggers*

And this is my mother whose still raising kids.  She has an eleven year old at home as her youngest, and me as her oldest.  

It was a long day, as I tried to help/get in the way.  And take care of six kids coming down off of the fourth of the July.  But wow my lovely kitchen.

Of course...teensy snag.   We both forgot one of the switches we rerouted was a three-way switch, and couldn't figure out how to re-wire it.  So my moms trusted handy-dandy-handy man will have to come out and do that for me.    My mom is designing a bar for me for the back of the Island I made.  And the remodel is done.

And my parents own a saw-mill with which my dad cuts the wood that nobody wants to buy, so as to not waste timber.  So the wood for that is free too.

Free is very good.  *grin*

Yes, I have pictures.  LOL   But I haven't loaded them.   I wanted to take a picture in the day-light as it took me awhile to get things cleaned up and put in there new places.  (understatement there) 

So tomorrow I'll do that.  Such fun.  I like fixes like this.

Now...oy my laundry room.  BOMB and TORNADO hit it.  

Tomorrow.....I will have to stare at that and decide what I want there instead of the four cabinets that were working as a laundry table.......

And Friday our church is having a Garage Sale, and I have some stuffys that I want to haul out of our nasty little shed and give to them.  We are going to be down-sizing the tools & stuff in there, and storing it in the lean-to (our laundry room)   And giving the shed to the kids as a rather nifty play-house.     

So if I'm scarce the rest of the week...I'm doing spring cleaning.

In July.  

Besides...I'm being led to take a wee internet break.  I'm just...something. 

I'm extremely concerned about someone, and I don't know just need some prayer time.  And some house maintenance time.  Ever since my extreme back pain I haven't been able to do much, and I'm finally back on the right side of health and everything I didn't do needs to be done....And I have the energy mental and physical to do it.   So I shall.

One teensy baby step at a time.