10 Things About Me

10 Things About Me

1. I love peanut butter. I think I could eat a whole jar. I love it on waffles or pancakes, in a sandwich, mixed with syrup, or just on a spoon. I just love the stuff!

2. I was engaged twice before I met my husband. Once was when I was a teenager, and it was truly out of stupidity. Second time I was truly in love, but he wanted different things out of life than I did--and he was older and ready to get on with life faster than I was!

3. Every month, I worry about how we're going to pay our bills. This time of year is the worst... it also seems to be when everything "blows up" at once! Ugh. There is only $4 in our savings account right now!

4. I do not hate people who are gay/lesbian. I simply do not agree with their lifestyle.

5. I like ketchup on my scrambled eggs.

6. I love brownies. I could eat a whole pan! This is why we rarely have brownies in our house.

7. I have always dreamed of having a big house. Thanks to God and my husband, that dream has come true! It's not gigantic by any means, but it's twice the size of the mobile home we lived in before we moved in!

8. I only have one sibling. My brother is 3 1/2 years younger than me. I have always wished I had a sister. I tell my little girls all the time how blessed they are to have each other!

9. In high school, I wore a size 7. I also wore Wranglers and boots almost every day. These days, I find myself thanking God for the inventor of stretchy pants. LOL

10. I am really frustrated with my husband's job. I think truck drivers often get the "short end of the stick", plus this time of year is really slow for cattle (he hauls cattle). If things don't pick up, I am going to scream. I love having him home, but he's not making a dime when he's snoring on the couch... I am thinking of trying to learn how to broker loads myself out of the house. That would keep me at home, and it would keep some money coming in... Plus he could do it when he's home because he would LOVE it. If we made enough money at it, he might quit driving & stay home with me... We've talked about buying more trucks, but we we can't afford the one we have at the moment--it's been in the shop too much lately!! (So... whoever may be reading this, please just send up a little prayer that our finances would improve very soon.)

Things kids say

Delaney received a scrapbook kit for Christmas from her aunt & uncle. She's been looking it over, trimming down the papers with her fancy-edge scissors... Today she came into the living room, where I was trying to pick up the remnants of Christmas, to ask me something... "Mom, sometime when you have clothes on, I need to take a picture of you to put in my scrapbook. And Daddy too, when he gets back home."

Hmmm... maybe I should reconsider my usual household attire of pajamas. Does she think that I never get dressed? LOL! It just cracked me up, so I wanted to share the laugh.

I'd drive all night (or all day, in our case!) Ugh!

My husband has driven me (or should I say that *I* have driven him) all around the country today... and he's tried to drive me crazy as well. lol

First we had to go to Big Cabin, OK (which is north of Pryor) to pick up our Peterbilt... It's been in the shop since Saturday, but it's finally fixed! Yea! Only $440 later, thank goodness--I was worried since it's been there so long!! Good thing Trace (our CAT certified mechanic) loves us so much. You know you've got it bad when you intentionally buy a truck with a CAT engine because you can't imagine going to a different mechanic!!

Next he decided we needed to go to Joplin Peterbilt to get a part for the sleeper. So I told him HE has to drive up there. I am now sorry because I thought I was going to wet my pants on the way. He drives like a maniac, and he has only driven the van once in the year since we bought it! Needless to say, I took over the driving as soon as he (finally!) stopped at the Peterbilt dealership in Joplin.
On the way there, Delaney informs us that we need to turn around because it's past her bedtime. It was only 6:15. "But it's already dark!" she says... Well, she managed to stay awake until we got about halfway home. And she jabbered constantly until she was asleep.

On the way home, we stopped for ice cream at Dairy Queen in Bella Vista... I haven't had DQ in a LONG time. It was heavenly... especially after a long day of driving, and using nearly an entire tank of gas in one day!

Whew! I think I'm ready for bed! (Too bad I'm not ready for Christmas!)

One more? or stop at two?

Well... Mike is home. He was gone for 3 weeks! He's been home since Saturday night, and it seems he can't stay awake unless he's behind the wheel of a big rig. Ugh. He's snoring on the couch as I type this entry.

So... this morning Mike says, "I think we should try one more time for a boy." I think it confused me. I thought we were finished. I have even considered having my tubes tied. I have gotten rid of a lot of things, thinking we were done. There is no way we can pay for another baby. We're still having a hard enough time making the payments on the hospital bill from when we had Jenna!!

Mike lost his sister as a young adult, and now he is the only child left. This thought enters my mind often... what if something happened to one of my girls? I could never replace them, but I would be left with only one child. Is it fair to my kids for them to each have only one sibling? Would one more be better? Would three be enough, or would we decide after the 3rd that we need an even number? We just bought a 3-bedroom house, and all 3 bedrooms are occupied!

I think I'm just confused! I thought I was finished having babies, and now I have all these thoughts floating in my head again. It hurts to think that my little baby is already 20 months old. She's still so small and sweet, but I can hear the terrible twos creeping in once in a while.

Delaney has even gone so far as to ask if, "next time" we could have a brother? Oh boy... I am not ready to have any kind of conversation with her about how babies get here, and she only knows that God put Jenna in my tummy! I worry that number three will put those same questions back out there again... and this time, I don't know how I would answer them. She's a bit older now, and she's so darn smart.

I'm thinking we could just do it and tell my parents it was an accident. Ha ha... I'm not sure they would get excited about another one. But they know our finances are pretty tight already.

And I know I don't want to work until my kids are in school, so that would push that date back a bit farther also. I have considered going back to work, but daycare for Jenna would eat up my paycheck pretty fast. She still needs her mommy, and she will probably go to preschool when she's 3 or 4.

But there is this thing going inside of me (like the wheels are turning in my brain)... if we do have another one, we should do it soon. Delaney & Jenna are 4 1/2 years apart. I would like them to be just a little closer together in age... And then, I am not getting any younger either! (Darn laugh lines!)

I feel a little better now... I really needed to vent!

Frustrated

Tonight I find myself frustrated. Several things have just stacked up through the day that have brought me to this point.

This morning I thought everything was going to be okay when Delaney decided to go without socks instead of wearing the ones that totally clashed with her outfit. Then she stepped on her skirt & it came down around her ankles. I tried REALLY hard not to laugh, but I could not contain myself! Poor kid. You know it's bad when your own mom laughs at you! I made her change to a different skirt.

I wento to 3 different places before I found a cake I thought to be suitable for the baby shower that my MM group is having tomorrow at my house. I suddenly remembered this fact around noon, and started to frantically pick up the clutter that has attacked my kitchen counters and table! It's mostly done. Now I just need to stay up til 3 am so that I can finish vacuuming and mopping and cleaning bathrooms...

Then I told Delaney she HAS to make her bed in the morning. She was not happy. Such is life, and seems to be normal around here these days. Delaney seems to be unhappy a lot lately. Nothing goes her way, and she is beginning to revert to temper tantrums. I've reverted back to my old ways of using my wooden spoon.

Delaney got a demerit at school today for talking out loud when it was supposed to be quiet. There goes her reward for the week.

Tomorrow night she is going to a birthday party for her friend Emily. It is a sleepover. I am becoming concerned for the safety and well-being (and possibly the sanity!) of this child's parents. ;) I'm sure they will have a great time, and she won't be too far from home in case I have to go and pick her up...

We went over to my parents' house to help my dad put lights on their tractor (it's a tradition--it's done every year at Christmas!). We got most of it done, then had pizza... My mom gave both girls a bath, which I though was nice--until she yelled at Delaney. Then Delaney started playing with their new puppy... Molly (puppy) bit Delaney's hand, and Delaney dropped her on the floor. My dad decided at that point that yelling at my child was a good idea. I decided that it was a very good time to get the heck outta there! Ugh. I am so frustrated with my dad. Stressed and tired or not, they should not be yelling at my children (that's my job! just kidding!)! I told my mom that while she was saying bye to the kids (they were in the car), and she acted like she had to hurry up and get back in the house. That's how my night has ended up--with me upset with my parents. Ugh. I hope someone will just read this and say a prayer for me.

Fill-In-The-Blank "Challenge"

This is a challenge issued by a group I'm a member of! Feel free to copy & paste to your own blog if you wish! :-)

1. My current favorite song is:
I don't knw that I have ONE particular song that's my favorite, but I find myself listening to the Casting Crowns CD, LIFESONG a lot lately. There are several songs on that particular CD that really provoke thought... at least for me!
One of my favorite songs (on another Casting Crowns CD) is "Voice of Truth". It really made me stop and think about what voices I have been listening to in my life.

2. The last book I read was:
What makes you think *I* have time to read? I generally read The Poky Little Puppy or The Very Hungry Caterpillar for entertainment.

3. The last book I bought was:
My Spiritual Inheritance by Juanita Bynum--I'm currently in a Sunday School class at our church that is being taught on this book... not that I've even had the opportunity to open the book. I am very much looking forward to reading it though, especially after taking this class!!

4. The last cd I bought was:
Oh, dear. You're asking me to remember waaayyy back. I would say the last CD I bought was the Curious George Soundtrack. Gotta love that Jack Johnson!! :)

5. Another CD I wanted but didn't buy is:
The newest Mercy Me CD... or something Christmas-y.

6. Right now, I'm wearing:
PAJAMAS! It's nearly 10 pm, for pete's sake!! ;-)

7. The last gift I bought was:
A couple of toys for some kids we adopted for our Brownie troop. We adopted a boy and a girl from the public school system who aren't so fortunate this year. I actually feel honored that we're able to help someone out this year.

8. The last time I laughed heartily and loudly:
Yesterday. Jenna has started to DANCE! Any time there is music, she sort of gallops in a circle, clapping her hands & giggling. I just love being able to watch her grow and learn new things each day!

9. My favorite holiday ornament is:
There's the sparkly "Baby's First Christmas" stork on my Christmas tree that has a picture of Delaney as a baby.
There's the angel that Mike & I picked out our first year that we were married. She was cheap. We couldn't afford much. And her lights don't work anymore. But she symbolizes that first Christmas together. And for me, she symbolizes the host of angels that came to tell the shepherds that the new king had arrived on that very first Christmas.
And there's the silver teddy bear that symbolizes Jenna's first Christmas, just last year.
How could I ever choose just one?

10. My house smells like:
An apples & cinnamon candle!

11. The first thing on my to-do list tomorrow is:
Go to the tag office in Westville, OK... I have to go and file for a lost title on our van so that I can tag it in Arkansas. They won't do it without our title! The tag expires this month, so that means I'll have to forge my dear hubby's name on the title... since I probably won't see him until the week of Christmas.

12. If I could sit on Santa's lap and believe that he'd bring me whatever toy I wished for, I'd ask for:
Oh, honestly! Do we have to go over this again? I want a Nikon digital SLR camera. Period. I don't want snow (PLEASE! No snow!). Peace on Earth would be nice though. But just being together with my kids & my hubby on Christmas day--that's probably the best gift I could ask for!

13. If I could holiday shop in ONE store, all expenses paid, I'd shop at:
Bedford Camera and Video. The one on College in Fayetteville, preferably. (Again... did we really have to ask this question? LOL!)

14. If an angel alighted on my doorstep today and said, "I'm here to grant a Christmas wish," I'd wish for:
Wow. Only ONE wish?
I would love to see our church be able to complete the buiding project we're about to embark on.
I would like to see Jesus return very soon.
I would like to have my grandparents back, even if only for a little while. I missed so much because I was ignorant.
I would like to see my brother and sister-in-law reunited with the baby they lost 6 years ago.

15. When I see a bell ringer while out shopping, I:
Smile & tell them, "Merry Christmas!" If I have money, I try to drop a little in the bucket. I like to let Delaney do it though.

If I can't have it, then why do I want it so bad?

I want a new camera so bad I can almost feel it in my hands. I can see the beautiful photos I would take. I can taste the money it could bring in. Ahhh... maybe that's it. I want so much to start my own business that I can hardly stand it. The problem is that we can't afford a new camera. It would set us back at least $600, just for the camera that I want!! The Nikon D50 digital SLR. It's actually one of the cheaper digitals that Nikon makes, but it's good for what I need it for.

I have a film camera that's fine, but it's not what I want. After using a digital, I feel that film is wasteful! You can't see your pictures until they come back from development... and then if they're all bad, you've just wasted your time and $6 to develop them. See? I really do need this camera. I've convinced myself of that.

So here again I must say, "Get thee behind me Satan!" I do not NEED that camera--it is a want, a desire... I am once again pushing my own wants to the back burner. After all, it's Christmas. It's the slow time of the year for Mike's work, and we can barely pay our bills as it is. And my kids are both constantly outgrowing their clothes. Mom's wishes and desires are put last on the list again! But isn't that what it's about? Sacrifice? Ahhh... the joys of motherhood. Too bad I can't capture them with that new camera.

I do believe that the Lord wants to give me the desires of my heart... but I also believe the He has more perfect timing than I. If I'm meant to have that camera, I'll get it in time. Or maybe something even better 'cause that's how my God works!

I have a problem with gravel trucks who don't tarp their loads going down the highway. I was a couple of cars behind one a couple of months ago, when a big rock flew up & hit my windshield. It left a small ding on my hood on its way up (on my NEW VAN! Grrr...). There was a big chip, and it decided to start cracking yesterday. It was about 10 inches long!! But today really takes it. This morning, I was on my way back from taking Delaney to school, when the crack started to grow... it now goes almost the full width of my windshield! UGH!

So... all you gravel truck drivers out there, listen up! Tarp your load, please! That sign on the back of your trailer about staying back 100 feet isn't doing any good 'cause rocks BOUNCE off of pavement!

The worst part is that I have no idea how much it will cost to replace the windshield. We have a $250 deductible on our insurance, but I don't think it will be quite that much... And this time of year, the cattle aren't moving much... so the pay isn't great this time of year. But try telling that to the mortgage company, Chrysler credit and Peterbilt of Joplin. I've tried to explain why all our payments are late this month, but they just don't seem to be that understanding. Ugh. Where's the Christmas spirit, anyhow?

Boy... I needed that vent!! (So, thanks for reading!)

But if anyone happens to see money falling from the sky... could you please give me a call? ;) I'd really appreciate it!

Well... we've been in our house just over 2 months now! Yea! I know this because I am about to make our 2nd morgtage payment. Geez, that thing is huge! But still not as big as the payment on the Peterbilt... Too bad the house won't be paid for in just a few years like the truck. lol!

My children are so much fun these days.... Miss Delaney is busy at the moment trying to pull out all her hair with a hairbrush, and she refuses to let me help. She's had a cough & runny nose for about a week, and I've been having to nearly force medicine in her. She actually got out of bed without 15 minutes of whining this morning, which is a miracle when you consider that it's only 9 degrees outside. I'm so thankful that we have a furnace!

Guess I should go wake up Jenna so that we can get Delaney to school on time!

We finally found a house that Mike and I both love. It's over 2000 square feet, so it's nearly twice as big as any house we've lived in... There are 3 bedrooms, which means each of the girls will get their own rooms! Yea! Delaney chose a light blue for her room, and Jenna's room is pink... Our bedroom is a light sage green. They all look nice, and they're almost finished.

This week I'm supposed to get the carpet cleaned, per my dear husband's request... ;-) Hopefully we can get everything finished so that we can move our furniture in next weekend!! Yippee!! It will be so wonderful to sleep under the roof of our VERY OWN HOME!

Our back yard is fairly small, and I'm trying to get Mike to give away our Australian Shepherd, Rusty. I would love to have that back yard for the girls to play in, and I don't want them playing in dog doo... I don't think Mikey quite understands that. I have threatened to give the dog away before. None of us are attached to him... but Mike refuses to give him away! I just don't get it.