My "Bah-Humbugs"

I realize it's been 2 weeks since I posted last. I can't decide if I've been too busy or if our lives have been too boring. I think I'm going to go with boring today.
I think I have a case of the "bah-humbugs." It took all the motivation I have inside to finish my Christmas cards...which I finally mailed today, thank you very much. And I did make some yummy chocolate dipped pretzels for some friends. But I think I only managed to get that done because I wanted to eat some. They are very tasty. Actually, since I'm so bored, I'll tell you about them. I found big bars of Ghiridelli (spelling?? I'm too lazy to get up and look at the box.) melting chocolate at Sam's and some inexpensive pretzels at Aldi. Melt the chocolate and spend hours dipping little pretzels, and ta-dah! you have a delicious treat. They are very yummy. Even Maryn asks for them almost everyday...but she also eats boogies, so I guess that doesn't count for much.
Anyway, back to my "bah-humbugs." I really didn't want to put up the Christmas tree. But I did it for Maryn. She's loved it. She takes all the jingle bells off the tree and sings "Jingle Bells" for us. Occasionally I find them scattered around the house and put them back on the tree. I haven't even hung up our stockings. Partly because I'm not sure where to hang them.
And enter the line that Kade would say to me: "Bend over and I'll show ya." (Can't get enough of "Christmas Vacation.")
I'm tired of shopping and spending money on presents I'm not sure they will like and I can't stand the traffic. I dread that next week I'm going to have a bazillion more toys to trip over, and the thought of having to put all the Christmas decor away just might kill me. I even gave some of it away as white elephant gifts, just so I wouldn't have to deal with it.
So, how do I get rid of these "Bah-humbugs?" Anyone got an elf I could hire to deliver all my Christmas Candy and wrap all the presents still in the trunk of my car? Maybe they could clean my house while they are at it???? PLLLLLLEEEEEEAAAASSSSEEE???
Alright enough of the whining. I am kinda glad it's Christmas. We've had some fun parties and I'm very excited to see family. It is kinda cute to see Maryn sing "Jingle Bells," and I do have some very cute Christmas decorations that make me smile. I guess it's not all bad. So, to fight off these "Bah-Humbugs," I will say: "MERRY CHRISTMAS!"

We've Elved Ourselves

We found this little tidbit of fun on our friends, the Jansson's blog. So click on the link, sit back, and enjoy the show! We've been elved!

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1142642378

I'm it.

So, I guess there is this little game circling amongst bloggers these days, and I am apparently it. I was tagged by, not one, not two, not three...but four people. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, and Thank you. I think I am really, really, really, really it. Here goes:

Rules
1. The player lists 6 facts/habits about themselves - try to find 6 you haven't already posted about.
2. At the end of the post, the player tags 6 people and posts their names, and then goes to their blog and leaves them a comment, letting them know they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog for the rules.

Numero Uno: When I was a little girl, (and maybe a little bit older, too) I used to think my dolls and stuffed animals were alive. They wouldn't move when people were watching, but I was sure at night they walked and talked with each other. No doubt this idea came from a movie or something. Anywho...I was very certain of this, and I even went so far as to have an escape route to save them all should our house ever catch fire. Forget my family, save the dolls.

#2: I am about to share with the world my most embarrassing moment. Except for the witnesses (who have thankfully never mentioned it) and my sister, Jill, I have never told anyone, should I die from shame. Here goes...
Kade and I were living in Germany. At the time, we only knew a few people...mostly people from work and church, so we decided that we wanted more friends. Well, one day at work, Kade met a nice guy and invited him and his wife and baby over for dinner, as well as one of the single guys from work. They came and we ate and chatted, and had a nice evening. We thought for sure they were insta-friends. Well, the night grew late and it was time to leave, so we were all standing around talking. The husband had gone into the bathroom, so I was talking with the wife and Kade was standing with the single guy. Now, in my defense, I was in fact 8 months pregnant at the time. For those of you who have never been 8 months pregnant, those babies get really heavy and put a lot of pressure on your gut, and sometimes you can't control bodily functions, like pee, or in my case farts. So, I accidentally let one rip in front of everyone. New friends and all. And the worst part was, I tried to play it off like it wasn't me. Oh, the embarrassment!! Inside I wanted to die while everyone was looking at me, but my outside put on a face like, it wasn't me! It might have been my squeaky shoe.
They never called us again.

#3: I get scared really really easily. I used to watch old sci-fi movies with my dad and have nightmares for weeks...or years...afterwards. The fear in my head that lasted the longest was that there was a vine growing underneath my bed and it was going to grow out and strangle me while I slept. I don't like scary movies and I will never again attend a haunted house that uses chain saws.

#4: Once I was playing baseball with some friends. I turned around to run and catch a ball, but ran into a tree instead. That is why I won't play sports near trees anymore.

#5: I love to sing. I know a song for just about everything. I especially love to sing really loud in the car and at home when I am alone. Maryn just ignores me. My favorite song to sing to is "Total Eclipse of the Heart."

#6: I truly believe that laughter is the best medicine. I love to laugh. Especially gut busters, which don't happen as often as they used to. Being with my family is very rejuvenating for me because I laugh a lot when I'm with them. Sometimes I think to myself, "Self, it's been a long time since you laughed hard." So, I conjure up a memory and start to laugh. My favorite one is when my mom stepped out of a canoe into about 3 feet of water. I was laughing too hard to even help her out.

Now, then. Those are my dirty little secrets. I'm sorry but according to the rules I have to tag 6 more people. Here they are: Ben and Krystal O., Julie B., Dani G., Ed and Shelly M., Karen S. (I don't know if she even blogs anymore), and Laura J. Don't hate me. I had to choose you because you were the only people left on my list of blogging friends that hadn't tagged me. Have fun!!

We've Spirit in Our Britches, Yes We Do!

This last weekend some friends of ours threw a Halloween party. Belated, yes. But why not extend the joy of Hallow's Eve into November??? I thought I would post a few pictures from the festivities.

I gotta say, they planned it right. Instead of telling everyone to wear a costume, so that lame-o's like us would show up not dressed up, they gave everyone assignments. And those assignments had a theme. Their theme was "High School," and WOW! some people really had it right on! I think I almost wet myself from laughing so hard! This picture of all of us, doesn't really do justice but it gives you an idea of what we had going. (Try clicking on it to make it bigger. The fine details in some of the costumes was impressive!) We had: the hunters, the nerds (holy flash backs to high school!), the thugs, white trash, the jocks, a hall monitor, the PDA's, some normal people, and of course, us...the spirit club!!

YEAH!! Go team!!

I decided to go with Saturday Night Live's "Spartan Cheerleaders" mostly because they were my all time favorite skit. I even forced Kade to watch several episodes of the Spartan's on YouTube, just so we could learn a few cheers. We did and we performed very well. I wouldn't be surprised if Lorne Michaels calls us soon.
We did our best to keep the spirit going during the games, which at one point required me to be really dizzy and shove a banana into Kade's mouth. Good times. Mostly, it was me jumping around and being obnoxious. I will have to help Kade work on his school spirit.

Taco....Burrito....What's that comin' out of your Speedo?

Smashing Pumpkins

Here are pictures of our carved pumpkins...smashing, aren't they? We decided Maryn wasn't old enough to use a knife, so we just let her paint her pumpkin. She probably wasn't old enough for paints either. Her first instinct when she got paint on her finger was to lick it off. Mmmmm. In her defense, she was sitting at the kitchen table...what else would you do at the kitchen table?? Maybe next year we'll let her carve.

Trying to Develope My Creative Side

For my birthday, I bought myself this great, cool, fancy, new sewing machine. Oh yeah, and it's neat, too. I bought a computerized one, well because, high-tech is better and I was feeling really old due to the fact that: A) I was buying a sewing machine, B) I just turned 27 (this was a particularly hard birthday for me) and C) lately I've noticed these huge bags under my eyes that no makeup in the world will ever cover up. The fact that it was "high-tech" made me not feel so old. My self esteem is worth the extra $50. (I got it on sale!!! Yeah for bargain hunters!!) Anywho, I did all my research, mostly online 'cause...we are living in a high-tech world, and I am a high-tech girl, and I decided that this was the one for me. So, I ordered it and it promptly shipped...thank goodness I don't have to wait 6 weeks for boxes anymore! I set it all up (took it out of the box) and got really excited at how pretty and white it was, but it turned out the only thing I needed to sew was a ripped seam on Maryn's blanket.

Well, I couldn't buy this expensive machine, then let it collect dust. That would be wrong! I needed a good project to do, so the sewing maching could feel like it fulfilled it's purpose in life...then I could let it collect dust. Fortunately for me, I received my Martha Stewart magazine in the mail. I found this great idea and I did it. Yes, I know, they are goofy coasters. And some of you may know that I've done a "coaster project" before. So, now I just have many coasters. What can I say, I hate water rings on my coffee table--they don't go well with the huge gashes Maryn has inflicted with her toys. Just kidding. Here are some pictures of my fabulous handy work. Please, "Ooooh" and "Ahhhhh" over it.

Here are the three different fabrics I used. A 1/4 yard of fabric made 8 coasters. The red swirlies and the stripes I sent to my sister. Though I rarely....well, never....send out birthday presents, much to her misfortune it was her birthday, and I needed a reason to make them.

An up close shot of the details. It's almost too exciting!

And, an action shot(with my favorite mug). I have actually used them...and so has Maryn. They are fun to give rides to in her choo choo train.

Pumpkin Pickin'

Well, Halloween is just around the corner, folks, and you know what that means! Pumpkins!!! So this weekend our little Roundy Family drove up to Huber's Family Farm in beautiful Starlight, Indiana to find the perfect pumpkin. The weather was really nice, and after sucking down over-priced smoothies and oreo ice cream, we hopped on a trailer to go out to the pumpkin fields.

As we climbed off the trailer, the stench of rotten pumpkin flesh filled our noses, and straightway I turned over "the one" only to find my hand was now covered in pumpkin guts. Ewww. Pumkin leaves make OK napkins, but they would not make good toilet paper. Very prickly. We quickly moved on, scouring the fields for a nice round pumpkin. Actually, I scoured and Kade fiddled with our new video camera (my b-day present with Kade's name on it). Atlast, I finally found a pumpkin that was mostly round and not molding. It must have been someone else's reject because it had already been picked and was sitting there looking lonely and sad, like it needed a good home. So, after I decided I didn't want to walk any further and nothing better turned up, it became "THE PERFECT PUMPKIN!!!" (imagine that said over a loud speaker that echoes a little bit) Here I am with our pumpkin...cute, isn't he?

After we found "THE PERFECT PUMPKIN!!!" (again with the speaker) we decided to head back. Maryn was having serious meltdowns at that point (it was waaaaaay past nap time...watch the first two videos below) and I really wanted to wash my hands. So we got back on a trailer and rode back to the store to pay. Here is where I need to stand up on my soap box. I don't know how these people sleep at night. First, we buy their very expensive snacks. And, don't get me started on the "craft shop" (stuff made in China with a hefty price tag). But then, they make us walk through fields of muck and carry our own heavy, kinda warty, and maybe not so perfect pumpkin. By the time we make it back to the register, we are dirty, hungry, and tired...so they charge us $9 for "the experience." Are we suckers or what? Well, we showed them. After they took our money, we left. And, about a mile and a half down the road, we saw some people selling pumpkins in a wagon off to the side. We paid $3 for two very nice pumpkins. Take that, Joe Huber!!

Alright, alright. I won't complain. It was really fun, and Maryn liked the wagon ride. It was worth it. But I do think they should reconsider their business ethics.

That was our day at Huber's farm. Enjoy the videos below. For some reason, Maryn throwing tantrums is really funny on video...not so much in real time.

The Results are in!

Well, as you know, our poll closed this weekend and I thought I would announce the results. I think I should take this moment to say in our religion's defense: This was in no way endorsed by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. There, that's out of the way.
First of all, congratulations to those of you who guessed right with Elder Eyring being called as the Second Counselor in the First Presidency! To those six voters--you are either very inspired or you have a mole inside the First Presidency. (As if this whole thing wasn't sounding sacrilegious enough...) You may be asking yourselves: "What do I win??" Possibly an all expense paid vacation to Temple Square in beautiful Salt Lake City, Utah? (Hotel and transportation not included) Ooooo...how about free tickets to next April's General Conference? (Please see your bishop to claim some tickets) Well, I'm sorry to burst your bubble, but we didn't actually plan on having the right answers on our poll...so we didn't create a prize package for the winners. Sorry about your bad luck and your good guessing skills put to waste.
Now, for those of you who possibly really did think Kade had a chance at becoming an Apostle, let me take this moment to contemptuously deride you. HA HA HA HA...HA HA HA! OK, I'm done. We did have 5 voters vote for Kade to become a member of the Quorum of the Twelve. Upon seeing the results, Kade did, for a moment, get his hopes up that he was a possible candidate for the position, but much to his despair, Saturday arrived and he had not yet received a call. Maybe next time.
Well, we hope you all enjoyed our little game, and weren't too offended at our irreverence and making light of things. It was all just for kicks and giggles, and didn't involve gambling as originally intended (wouldn't have that been fun???). We certainly hope you will all play again!

Mission: Accomplished

Subject: M. Roundy, Height-36", Weight-28 lbs, Age-2 years. Subject is pre-disposed to sudden outbursts of tantrums, usually displayed at most embarassing places such as the local grocery store. Most used weapons are kicking, screaming and the defensive art known as "limp body."
Supplies Needed: Potty, many pairs of unders, even more disinfecting wipes, and candy. Most importantly, a tremendous amount of patience and a pillow to put over my face when I want to scream.
Time Allotment: 1 week
Mission: Potty train a defiant 2-year old.
Status: Complete (mostly).
So, this is what has consumed my life for the past week. It was really frustrating. I will be brutally honest...there were times when I wanted to flush Maryn down the toilet--but, she is neither dead or a fish, so I didn't.
We both worked through our problems, and now she is officially potty trained. Don't get too excited though. We still have our accidents. Usually when she is too busy playing to answer the call of nature (it interupts at the most in-opportune times).
First (above) we have a picture of Maryn saying goodbye to her byproducts as she flushes the toilet. (life is so entertaining at 2 years old.) Next Maryn strikes a pose for us. It is very seductive, I know, and for any perverts checking my 2-year old out, get off my website!!!!!
Life has become much more colorful (and the carpet, a little more stained) with a child. Children certainly add a new dimension to life, and I congratulate my parents for putting up with six of us. There are days when just the one feels like 3 and I'm about to go nutso. But, at the end of the day I still love the little miscreant and don't know how I would be entertained without her.

Bullseye!

So, check this out! This will for sure go down as a great day in history! Where is my journal??? I was practicing my dart game (not quite sure what I was practicing for...the big dart championship or something?) and I hit a bullseye!!! How awesome is that? In all my years of playing darts, and they are many years, I don't think I've ever made a bullseye. To all my fellow dart players out there, you'd better watch out, 'cause here I come!

Here's a close-up. I just barely got it inside, but inside it is!

Maryn's Pictures...finally

I thought I would share Maryn's latest pictures. We actually had them taken about a month ago, but it has taken me that long to figure out how to install our scanner software onto our new computer and actually make it work. Our very old scanner isn't very compatible with our very new computer. I had to go about it the long way, and I'll be honest, I probably won't be able to figure out how to do it again.
Anywho, here are the pictures. I thought they turned out nice. I mean, how could you go wrong with such a cute subject???

Mi Casa es su casa

For those of you who don't habla espanol, that means "my house is your house." We are such a giving, sharing family yes, I know. But, unfortunately we don't actually own this house, so it's not really yours either. We are both out of luck.
However, we will give you a virtual tour via my impressive photography skills. It took me hours to collect photographs that would really bring out the highlights of our new home. OK, not really. Actually, it took me hours to pick it up enough to want to take a picture and about 5 minutes to snap the pictures. So, if you are ready, we will begin our tour. I am your tour guide, Emily. If you have any questions please ask. Keep all hands and feet inside the ride at all times, and don't touch anything that doesn't belong to you. You break it, you bought it.

First, we have the front door, leading into the front room. I was very glad that the curtains from our old house actually fit over that huge window very nicely. It made me very nervous to have this huge window for everyone to stare into at night. Those were some of the first things to get put up. This room is our Piano room as well as our office and study. Because it is an area of high traffic volume, I spend several hours a week organizing the chaos that is Kade's desk. (Not shown here because I moved it all onto the kitchen table while I took the picture.) This is actually our favorite room. It is very cozy, and our big yellow chair is the perfect place to study or listen to music. Also, it is the only room that has curtains so far.

Next, we have the kitchen. I did do some minor remodeling in here. There was some ugly, very old wallpaper adorning the walls, so I took it down and painted that part yellow. The rest, I painted a different color of green to suit my taste. Do note the extensive collection of travel magnets on the fridge. We have don't actually have any room to put anything up on the fridge, because it is covered with tacky magnets from around Europe. I did manage to get a portion of the shelf that fell and broke my pottery in the right picture. (see previous posts) I put it back up with much better hangers.

Now, if you will follow me down these two steps, I will show you the family room. This also was remodeled, by myself. It took a REALLY long time, and it was a pain in the butt. It must have been some one's idea of a joke to put the wallpaper up with super glue. But it is finished now, and I am content. The colors I chose mirror the colors in the kitchen. I wanted it to flow from one room to the next. And also I didn't want to have to buy more paint. This room was really hard to arrange. There isn't tons of seating. Just enough to watch TV, cause what else is there in life? Our furnace/AC unit and laundry room are conveniently located behind the closet doors. We would hate to be able to hear the TV when those appliances are running. Oh well. The door under the "ROUNDY" sign leads out to the driveway and garage.

And don't you love how well our entertainment center blends so well with the wood panelling behind it. You would almost think I planned it all out.

If you will come with me now, out onto the patio, we will show you the fooseball table. Yep, that's pretty much it out here.Now to the feature presentation, the bathroom. Let everyone have to chance to see. Move along. We have a toilet and a shower, a sink and a mirror. Pretty exciting. And here is me waving to the camera.

I am a nerd. (and apparently jaundiced in this picture.)

Across the hall we have Maryn's very own room. Not very decorated at the moment, I haven't had time yet. I did paint her bed. It used to be black with wood paneling. Now it is white with yellow panelling. Much girlier. It took a lot of work, too. How did I get this all done? One thing to point out is Maryn's favorite Pixar character...Lightening McQueen, in pillow form on her bed. (Thank you Ben and Krystal!) Kachow! She LOVES cars. She has a purse, but she carries cars in it.

Next door we have the spare bedroom and my scrapbook room. You may recall from my previous blogs that this room was packed with all our extra junk. It took me several days to put it all away. Most of it is shoved under the futon and in the closet. Be careful when you open those doors!Ah, finally we have made it to the master suite. We have a bed, and some night stands. Oh, and apparently some Dutchmen have been walking on our walls. Doh! They must have been MEN, because they forgot to pick up their shoes. You know it's funny! So here is our room. Our dressers don't match, but beggars can't be choosers...really. And we do have a master suite sized bathroom attached. OK, OK, it's only a very small half bath. But some day!! Here it is, the final stop on our tour today....what the????

No, no that's not Kade on the toilet. It's just one of Maryn's stuffed animals. That kid always leaves her toys in my bathroom...and now they are starting to take over the place. Shoo shoo, monkey. OK, here is our private bathroom. Not too glamorous, but very functional, and that's what we're about, here in the Roundy household.

Well, folks. I certainly hope you enjoyed your tour of our humble abode. We like it. Especially now that it contains furniture. (boxes don't count as furniture) We hope that some day you will drop by to take the real tour! Bye-bye now. Watch your step. Don't forget to buy your postcards at our gift shop! Bye-bye!

A Day at the Splash Park

Since this has been the hottest summer in the history of summers, with temps raging up into the high 90's and even the 100's (and we wouldn't want to forget the humidity!!), we have spent many days at the Louisville Zoo's new splash park. I love that it's only a short ten minute walk to the zoo, and I get to count it as exercise, because I sweat a lot while I walk. The zoo has made some great improvements since I was there last...what was it?? 15 years ago! Wow, I'm old. It's a great zoo, and we have lots of fun! It's even better now that all the kids are in school. Last week Maryn and I got to feed the giraffes. Too bad I had forgotten my camera that day.

Finally, today, I remembered to take some pictures and video. And yes, I was feeling very brave to put a picture of myself in a swim suit. Maryn used to be such a hesitant little girl, but the very first day we went to the splash park, she let loose and had a blast. She loves the water now! I thought I'd share some video of her playing in the fountains. I don't know what got her talking about Cookie Monster, but she seems very excited about it.

HOORAY!!

I am pleased to announce that our household baggage arrived yesterday. And, I am even more pleased to announce that it seems to be in mostly good condition. I'm pretty surprised considering the very inefficient way it was packed...our packers weren't the best. But it's here, and I've only found a few broken things. Of course I haven't opened all of our boxes yet!

I knew we were moving into a much smaller house than the one we left, but I didn't realize just how much smaller until we tried to move in all our stuff. There may be as much stuff stored in our attic and garage as there is in our house. I will miss my big kitchen table, but for two years in a good place, it is worth it. Besides, the more stuff we can sell at garage sales here, the less stuff we have to move and unpack next time!! (I'm such an optimist)

Unpacking has been a big job. My Corey genes kick in and I have to try and get it all done before I go to bed. Kade had to remind me several times last night that it can wait until tomorrow. I suppose it's all been in boxes for the past 2 months, it won't mind another day. I was very fortunate to have my friend Pam come and help me yesterday. Between dealing with my crazy schizophrenia yesterday and her 16 month old, she unpacked my whole kitchen! After the movers left, we sat down for a breather, and a bite of chocolate, then got back to work. I had previously bought and painted a cute shelf to put up in my kitchen. I had placed it extra high (about the height of the tops of the cabinets) to keep it out of the way. I needed a place to display my antiques and pottery. So, trying to clear some of the clutter from the kitchen, I placed my beloved antique jugs and my pottery from the Alsace region of France, up on that high, high shelf. 15 minutes later, we heard a tremendous crash in the kitchen. Yes, the worst happened. Two of my jugs and my pottery fell 7 feet to their death on my kitchen floor. They were survived only by the smaller 2 jugs, who sustained minor injuries, and that cursed shelf, with the lame hanger on it. Please, let us have a moment of silence for the fallen.

Ok, that's good. It is just stuff, and I am sad, 'cause I really liked it, but now it's just one less thing I have to dust. Oh well.

Welp, the rest of my week is pretty much just unpacking boxes and trying to fit everything into our house. Oh, and if anyone has any suggestions of how to tackle this room...

Please, feel free to leave those suggestions on the blog. And throwing it all away isn't a good suggestion.

You Are 68% A Child of the 80s

Not only did you experience the 80s... you are practically an expert. You should be totally stoked!

Are You a Child of an 80s?

Four

4 Jobs I've held:
1.Little Ceasars Pizza Slinger
2.Schlotzky's Deli...Funny name, serious sandwich
3.Dental Assistant
4.Dental Hygienist

4 Movies I can watch over and over again:
1.Return To Me
2.Sense and Sensibility
3.Mansfield Park
4.Napolean Dynamite

4 TV Shows I currently watch
1. The Office...I LOVE it!!
2. Lost
3. We don't actually have a TV at this time

4 Favorite Pictures:
1. Very heart wariming...I know. This was such beautiful day. I took this picture as we walked between the Linderhof and the Neuschwanstein Castles.

2.I love how happy Maryn is in this picture. 3. I love this one because it reminds me of how much fun I had when Jill came to visit us in Europe. I wanted to put one up of Marybeth, but our computer crashed and we haven't had a chance to recover those pictures yet. 4. Maryn and Cousin Emma at Thanksgiving. This picture is even better when you look at it after the sequence of pictures before it. I love that are both like: "Who the heck are you?"
4 Places I have Vacationed:
1. Europe for the past 3 years.
2. The Grand Canyon and Zion's National park before we moved to Germany
3. Disneyland when I was young and in college
4. New York City and Washington D.C. in high school

4 Favorite Foods (just four?):
1. Real Italian food...as in from Italy
2. Most anything from PF Changs
3. Garden fresh stir fry
4. Crazy bread from Little Caesars...I still love it!

4 Favorite Desserts:
1. Gelato...it's only good in Germany and Italy
2. Chocolate Cheese Pie
3. Any desert that has cream cheese in it
4. Snicker Doodles

4 Household items you cannot live without:
1. A shower curtain
2. A Microwave...we get ours tomorrow. I'm SO sick of sandwiches
3. Washer and Dryer
4. A refrigerator

4 things that make you laugh lately:
1. Anytime Maryn wants something she says, "Hey, Em!"
2. Hearing stories about Jill's kids
3. Reviewing episodes of "The Office" in my head
4. When Maryn doesn't want to eat something on her plate, she takes it and hands it to me, then says, "So nice to share." She really knows how to work the system

4 People I tag:
1. Krystal
2. Heather
3. Those are the only other people who actually blog with me!
4.

We've moved...

Well, here we are! Back in Kentucky. It is great to be back on American soil. It's great to speak English everywhere, it's great to be able to go to Walmart and buy cheap stuff, and it's great to have stores that are open all day. It's great to have gas stations where I can pay at the pump and not fill out a million gas coupons, it's great to only carry one currency, and it's great to not be a foreigner anymore. The list could go on and on, but I'll stop there. I think you get the general idea. By some miracle, we managed to get movers scheduled to pack up our stuff before Kade had to be back in the states. I'm very anxious to see what is broken...they weren't the most careful packers. Our flight back was pretty uneventful. Thankfully Maryn slept most of the time.

We were fortunate enough to have good friends here in Louisville who helped us get settled. The Cotton's were excellent hosts who made us feel right at home. They even helped us find the house we are renting here. It's a cute little 3 bedroom home with a garage (with an automatic garage door opener...we're moving up in the world) and a nice big yard to play in. You can't beat the location. It's only a 10 minute drive to UofL and Maryn and I can walk to the zoo anytime. A Walmart grocery store is 2 minutes away, as is DQ and Qdoba's. And, no more driving 30 minutes to church!!! It's only 5 minutes. Life cannot get better...unless we get our furniture soon. We're...I mean I...am doing a little bit of redecorating inside. It's been a HUGE job. If I'd known what I was getting into, I may not have done it. But now that the end is in sight, I'm pretty happy with it. I've been taking down mauve and teal wall paper...hello 1992!! It's been replaced with yellow and green painted walls. It's not a perfect job, but considering the old walls I had to work with, I think it's an improvement. I just don't know what to do with the wall of wood paneling. Ugh. Oh well, it's only for 2 years!

I think it will be a great house. Our landlords have been patient with us. (In the first couple of weeks we had a leaky fridge, got locked out of the house, and broke the dishwasher. I'm just glad I don't have to fix it!) But, I think that any landlord is an improvement on the last...

Oh, and my favorite feature is the screened in porch. It has been a lifesaver!! As you may know, KY summers get a little warm. So it's nice that I can sent Maryn out into the shaded porch to play while I paint. The little swing out there has been my temporary couch. I found these cute outdoor pillows and now it's a great place to set. Pretty much it's the only place to sit besides camp chairs (which we are still very grateful for!).

Thing are becoming more settled everyday. Hopefully our stuff will arrive soon. I've tried my best to make do with what we have. A few weeks after we moved in, I asked Kade if it was starting to feel like home. He told me, "No, there's no TV." He was on my bad list for a while with that response.

We hope to see lots of friends and family out our way. We have an extra bedroom and anyone is welcome!

Maryn's Birthday

I can't believe how fast two years has gone by! This week was Maryn's 2nd Birthday and what a party it has been. Hello, terrible twos and goodbye, my sweet little baby! I used to think it was all a myth, but in fact, it is true...two years old is not as pleasant as the first few years. I'm sure, hidden underneath that facade of the little girl who likes to do exactly the opposite of what I tell her, or just ignore me all together, is that sweet little girl, who was so terrified of her mother's scorn. Some day, I hope to see that obedient little girl again. But as they say, not all dreams were meant to come true.

Well, enough of my troubles and on to news of the party. It was small and simple, since we've been crazy busy trying to get ready for the movers on Monday. We invited our friends, the Browns (seen here), over to help us celebrate, and as a chance to say goodbye. It's always a special treat to have friends over, but Maryn just wasn't used to being the center of attention and was acting pretty shy. Either that, or she was scared of her Cookie Monster Cake. Or, it may have been a combination of the two.

We did our best to take pictures of the birthday girl, but she refused to look at the camera and insisted upon pushing Cookie Monster away from her. These are pretty much the only pictures we have where she was looking at Kade and smiling. Then, we sang, blew out the candles with a little help, ate cake (which Maryn refused to touch...I do think she was scared of it. She has never passed up chocolate before.) and of course opened presents. She seems to have gotten the hang of that. She loved all of her new presents and often says she wants to "play wif new toys." It's too bad that they all get packed up on Monday, and won't be seen for 2 months. All in all it was a very fun and boisterous party and Maryn was able to successfully turn two. We are so blessed to have Maryn and even on the bad days we're very thankful to have her in our family.