Not Me Monday- Things

This past weekend, I did NOT have all the kids for the first time in a few MONTHS (it seems). We did NOT all fit at my kitchen table, obviously NOT an inspired purchase a few years back. I'd like to think I did NOT know I'd need a large table someday.

We did NOT decorate Christmas cookies, we did NOT set up a 'kids tree' and it does NOT look ridiculous with only lights and three candycanes on it. LOL. Whatever. I did decide to take the girls shopping, where I did NOT spend more money than I EVER have at Value Village. True story. Like, I do NOT hate shopping there to begin with, so to have spent ANY money, I am so NOT surprised.
Sarah (Will's not-so-nice Ex) has NOT started to read the blog again, although she said she'd stop. Let's NOT all act surprised all at once. I do NOT roll my eyes everytime my trackers show me.

I did NOT sing in church during Relief Society on Sunday with my two sisters, where the music director for our ward liked it so much that she did NOT ask us to sing in Sacrament Meeting. The same song. ??? yah. It was a bit wierd, but hey, whatever. We did NOT then sing AGAIN. I do NOT love love love singing with my sisters, whether it's with one or all 6. Then again, if Nelly sings I do NOT have no idea. But the others, for sure.

I did NOT then have Will make the yummy dinner he makes on Sundays. And we did all stuff ourselves silly until we had a nap, and then until we had to take the other kids back to Tawny's house. After, Will and I did NOT watch my mother's kick-butt cantata (music concert) which was so amazing. I am NOT totally impressed, even if she does amazing every year.

For the first time in my life, I was NOT hired to 'cater' for a work party. Well, that is exaggerating a bit. I was hired to cook some stuffed mushrooms for a work lunch meeting tomorrow, which is totally flattering. And totally NOT overrated. I'd take credit for it, but frankly, The Pampered Chef does NOT have SUPER awesome recipes.



I am NOT ready for Christmas as of tomorrow. YAY. :) Will and I are off to Calgary so he can see a dentist and so I can NOT shop and spend NOT enough money in stores that I do NOT love. *contented moan-- REAL SHOPPING * :) bliss. Oh, and I get to see two of my GV girls, Kare and Sin. I do NOT miss them so.

Six Word Saturday- eeeee!

The newlyweds are coming to town!


*and by newlyweds, I'm referring to their blog, "As Newlyweds See It". My lovely sister and brother-in-law arrived from Ontario last night, and I'll be seeing them later today! YAY!!! So exciting.



For more Six Word Saturday, visit Cate at Show My Face dot com.

Some Guys Have All The Luck

So, it's that time of year again.

You know, the time where you get all excited. Where you make a special trip to visit the jolly old man, take off all your clothes, and prepare for the ultimate in feeling exposed?!

You know. My yearly visit to the doctor. The routine 'maintenance and oil check, complete with dipsticks?!' I mean, although Santa may ALSO see me when I'm sleeping and awake (and showering?), I don't recall him donning latex gloves (fur covered or not) and going THAT far south.

I had my first physical/girl check-up with my new doctor. Funny, my new doctor is also my Stake President. And funnier yet, he also lives a block away. Funniest of all, I'd still prefer that doctor over my doctor from Calgary, whom I didn't particularly like AT. ALL.

So, wanna know the BEST part of this whole story? *evil laugh* hee hee hee

I also booked Will in for his first physical in years. MUAHAHAHA. WITHOUT HIS KNOWLEDGE! tee hee.

So, you'll have to find the humour when he tells me "I'm not looking forward to this, you know, some old dude putting things up my butt". HA!!!

"NO one looks FORWARD to it!", I reply, a bit of a dirty smile on my face. My heart bled for him. I've had some old dude sticking things up inside me for years. Boo hoo.

So, at the office, I did my thing. I'm laying there, in all my birthing glory, when the special light breaks. Um. awkward. While the doctor tries to fix it, I just... well.. lay there, stare at the ceiling, and, well, wait. Not like I can go anywhere. Make small talk? Somehow, "pretty cold out, eh" just seemed like a wrong thing to say at that moment. I giggle, thinking, maybe Will thought the same thing over in HIS appointment.

Now, although this whole POST is TMI, here's added info you didn't ask for: I have a difficult-to-locate cervix. Lucky me, right? So, use your imagination when I tell you that EVERY SINGLE YEAR I am not only duck-billed, but I'm VIOLATED as they poke and scoop and twist around that speculum trying to locate my inners. And, although I warned him that it was hard to find, I have to take their word for it when they tell me what it looks like; I didn't recall ASKING, but thanks for the late-breaking news flash.

So, finally, once I'm done for the year, and things that need to be tested will be tested, etc, I met up with Will, who's done his appointment right about when I am.

I, admittedly excitingly, ask him how it went 'in there'. he he he

"Was it everything you'd hoped for?" *sly smile*

He tells me that he didn't have to be man-violated.
WHAT?!





Lucky bum.

Let it Snow?

If you're a reader of many Northern/Canadian blogs, ESPECIALLY southern Albertan ones, you'll not be entertained to see these photos of why it's been a few days of no-blogging. I mean, you'd THINK that when mother nature unleashed her PMS (Putrid Mounds of Snow) all over our Mo-town, and how we were snowed in, that I'd have lots of time to blog.

yah. Not so much. Snow days only means that the kids are fighting for computer time and the teenager is suffering sever Heliophobia. Snow days mean shovelling mounds and mounds of snow, only to have it blow back in your face because the wind down here is CRAZY!! And then, once you've sweated a pool inside your snowpants, you break a shovel. Big Guy was here for the night, and drove his new-to-him little car. Well, you'd be lucky if you had a 4x4 truck with MONSTER tires if you wanted to go ANYWHERE on Saturday. The snow was HIGHER than his car! We ended up getting him home, magically, on Sunday. But even then, church (which, in Mo-town, is only EVER a block away from ANYONE'S house) was cancelled.

Yah. It was that bad. Church is NEVER cancelled. Snow day Monday. And Will was out making his backyard skate rink. Love him, but after shovelling and shovelling, he then informs me we have two feet in the backyard of snow to shovel off. Who, in their right minds, shovels their backyards?!?! yep. That would be us. We're totally cool like that. Actually, we're totally FROZEN like that. I had snotsicles like you've never seen before! ew.

And, it ONLY got down to -50'C with the windchill. (-58'F) Yah. ONLY!

Actually, I'm excited to have the rink done. We're planning on making a firepit too, where we can drink hot chocolate and roast mallows with our skates on. The kids are all here for the first time in months this weekend, so maybe we'll get some skating/cookie eating/ gingerbread house making/ basement "Kid's Tree" decorating done.

It's been a bit snowy here. Pretty and lovely, but cold. Our old house creaks and groans with the cold wind, and our fireplaces are going and blankets are thrown on EVERY couch cushion. It's kinda fun, I'll admit.

Things We Do For Fun

Oh, welcome back to another tour of Mo-town. Mo-town isn't just ANY Mormon Town. Nope-- Mo-Town has a LOT to offer.

Like, free family skating. I don't even LIKE skating, and have found myself enjoying it more and more each time we go. Will loves skating, and, if I didn't know he was currently working right now, I'd expect him to be outside babying his backyard hockey rink. He's BORN for the ice. Me... not so much.

But, Bear is just like him. Heads outside in ANY weather, and wants to be JUST LIKE Will. Even cut his hair like him recently.

LL and Mimi don't skate as proficiently, but in just a few tries, Mimi will let go of his hand for a few minutes. To pick her nose, but whatever. I personally think she just would rather skate with Daddy Will because Mom-- well, Mom isn't that helpful! :)


And Em skates well. She's USUALLY with her friends who just so happen to MAGICALLY show up (by themselves during FAMILY skate time) and distract her. Not that I hate that.

But, either way you spell it, family skate time is one of those things that us Mo's enjoy here in Mo-Town. Not because it's pretty much the ONLY thing to do, but because we actually like it.

Being DONE

So, it really is becoming Christmas!

I'm stressing out. :)

This year has just been so tough for me to get 'into' it. I usually have my tree up by November 1st. And I usually have presents bought and stockings all but filled. I'm usually DONE.

This year, though, I'm not even started. I mean, I *DID* host my 9th annual cookie-exchange party last week. It was fun, and some of my dearest friends drove down from Calgary or Medicine Hat to be with me, while others were new friends who live right around the corner. There was yummy food, and yummy cookies, and it was the first moment in a while that I felt like Christmas was truly beginning. Not that I need the dang cookies hanging around. My butt is bigger than Santa's and it's only the first week of December! I have a trusty/dusty treadmill and no desire to make any further excuses for not using it.

And the house is decorated now. Thanks to Will, he went with a friend out to the mountains where he chopped down a REAL tree. And, it is beautiful! I loved that he did it FOR ME... knowing that it's been hard for me to feel settled here and that decorating the tree would bring back some of that happiness I've been searching for.

I will be done my shopping by next week. So help me. I will do all 7 kids' gifts and be DONE. I will do all the parents' gifts and be DONE. I will do Will. (haha, sorry, it was too easy) Because I refuse to spend the holidays worried about what I have and haven't done. I just want to watch the kids play and cuddle with Will in front of the fire on Uncle Kannie's LoveSac with Christmas music filling the air.

Oh, and I want to eat cookies. :)

When Reality Gets Checked

The Honeymoon is over.

Now, hold off on the "muahahaha's and "I told You So"s. Because you don't understand.

You see, first marriages, as I've mentioned before, are something completely opposite from a second or subsequent marriage. They aren't two entire families blending. They aren't two adults with "baggage" and previous expectations learning a whole new gamut of idiosyncrasies and habits that engrained in them from someone else's idiosyncrasies and habits.. First marriages are fresh, utopian, and slightly naive. I don't care how old you were/are when you first get married (hopefully, the ONLY time you get married), it's naive in ways that only a long-term married person understands.

And staying in that honeymoon phase for months or even years is highly attainable that first time. In fact, it's highly expected. With no children, and no 'baggage' of exes, it's downright bliss for a long time. Sure, getting married is tough no matter who you are or how in love you are. They have their OWN issues. ANY marriage has those. But first marriages have an abundance of cares-thrown-to-the-wind.

But WIll and I. We are past that feeling of frivoulous happiness. We are IN it. We are living it day to day. We are paying mortgages and raising 7 children and owning vehicles and paying bills. We are past the 'experimental' phase of not knowing what to expect or what marriage is like. We already know. Oh, don't get me wrong, we're learning more and more each day. We're growing and we have sooo much left to learn still. But we're THERE. We're not blindsighted by euphoric honeymooning phases that fade when reality hits hard.

Instead, we've found the way to be THAT in love. But we are still living. With our eyes open. And honeymoon phases dwindle down to 'just being married' and the hum-drum of the monotonous life. And then, newlyweds get a rude awakening to what marriage really is. And they're let down. And THEN they realize that honeymooning is NOT the marriage.

Nope... Me and Will? We've got it figured out. We'll be this much in love once our 'honeymoon phase' ends, and then some. I'm past the honeymoon phase. I don't even WANT to be in the honeymoon phase. I'm into the heavenly phase. The phase where lust and naivety and NOW are replaced with love and comfort and forever.

December with Debbi

It's December first!! My first day off that I have a moment or four to spend blogging... FINALLY. I keep telling Will that I need to blog again-- it makes me happy to tell my ridiculous lies life story to random strangers, and I type way faster than I write on paper. So that paper journal I neglect? Yep. It still doesn't know that I got married. Or even engaged. Whatever. I seriously think I'm going to 'publish' the blog anyways and then I'll not have lost those past few months.

And I have no idea why, but I am soooo super tired lately. I am skipping prime nap-time right now for the sake of updating on a rather uneventful life lately. I mean, really, what's to say?

We're still married.
We're still totally adjusting to the blended family issues that arise nearly DAILY. Blending parenting styles or expectations or how we receive and give love... there are just THINGS that people learn with time, and we're on that path every day. I have to remember that Will all of a sudden has four kids in his home EVERY DAY-- something he hasn't had for a few years. And on top of it all, he has teenagers, so raising a three-year old is taking a whole new step back into parenting that he's long grown out of. Me, I have teenagers now. I have NO idea what I'm doing, and even my best attempts at faking-it sometimes seems like it's not working. With Em living here, it's a whole different set of rules and emotions and confusion-- and I'm talking about ME. Not to mention HER emotions. It really is true that you appreciate your parents a WHOLE LOT MORE once you have teens of your own.

Some common things people ask me about are the renovations on the house-- we're waiting until after Christmas to start on that. This year, we plan on having a blue Christmas. well, blue carpets. With green and gold decorations. :)

What's really to say? It's funny- I have so many 'things' I could gripe and complain about. Things about where I live, or my children, or my new husband, but really, it doesn't seem to be something I want or need to burden the blogosphere with. Do I want to complain and be THAT person All. The. time? not really. Because, when I step back and look at everything, I am so super blessed.

Six Word Saturday- Catching Up

I need shopping bags, not saddle!


I'm tired. And I have got NOTHING done-- as in, I have no Christmas decorations up-- which, if you know me, is REALLY crazy! I have no cookies baked. I have a big party in one week and no games ready. I have NOT ONE stocking stuffer purchased or made. I have NOT ONE Christmas gift taken care of. And, if you forget, I have 7 kids to do-- yikes.

Today I'm off to a family Christmas party. I am LUCKY I only had to make salad. I want to blog. I want to put up my Christmas lights. I want to decorate the tree. I want to go for a jog. I want to catch up on my PVR'd TV shows.

But no. Today I will be Mrs. McSpanky at Will's family party.

Control Freaks

In a new marriage, there are some things that suck change. Lots doesn't. But, some does.

For example, Will wakes up WAY before me, ALL. THE. TIME. And, I am TOTALLY a morning person, but I'm jealous shocked that he gets less sleep than me, and still functions better. What's up with that?

Because I used to start work WAY earlier than Chris ever had to, I kept the alarm beside me in bed. I am the type who doesn't push snooze-- I HATE SNOOZE. I just wake up, and get going on my day.

But Will.
Bless his heart.

He has control issues. Well, at least when it comes to the alarm! ;) He needs the alarm beside him. He needs to push snooze for 1/2 an hour. He needs to not only push the snooze a million times, but he needs to let the radio PLAY in between snoozes for HOWEVER LONG IT TAKES until he hears the full news-reel and weather. You know how, after 20 minutes the news repeats? yah. I know every. frikken. morning. about H1N1 and what Obama's up to next. Three times over.

But, being the conniving super awesome wife that I am, I am saving up to get my way for something better I let Will keep the alarm on his side. I am even getting used to the annoying fantastic news every morning.

Well, the past few days, I've been sleeping at my sister's house while she's away and I'm watching her children. Usually, Will calls my cellphone to wake me up. Last night was TV night (Survivor -- AWESOME!, and Flash Forward--LOVE IT!, and GREY'S--mmmmm) so I stayed home with Will until we had watched all the TV we could handle. It was about midnight when I got up to leave.

Turns out, the kids had locked me out of the house. So, instead, I crawled into my warm bed beside Will. He set the alarm, and we laid in each other's arms and fell to sleep.

The alarm went off.
Will woke me up.
I got out of bed, put on clothes, picked up the keys to the van, and started driving.
Got 1/2 way back to my sister's house, when I looked at the clock.

3:35.

?????

Yah.
I pulled a u-turn, and when I crawled back into bed, Will looked perplexedly at me.

What are you doing back now?
Will,...what time is it?
Huh?
....(checks clock)
Are you serious? What the heck??

Turns out that Em's phone (which was confiscated and in our room charging) rang because her friend texted her. At 3:30 in the morning.

Nice.

I soooo need to get my OWN alarm on MY side of the bed.

Dr Seuss can Fix Any Ailment!

The other day I had a "moment". This "moment" was a moment of sadness. A wallowing of sorts. Lonely and dejected.

I was having my own inner pity party, and I was also reflecting on some recent Facebook news that a friend from years back had committed suicide, leaving his wife and young son behind. I thought about how sad he must have been to have the beliefs that Mormon's have about life after death and suicide, and I thought about how selfish it seems to leave your wife and child to pick up such broken pieces. I thought about how he seemingly didn't 'reach out' for anyone-- carrying all his inner hurt with himself. I can't imagine what was that so terrible to commit such a desperate act.

So, I moped around my sister's home, trying to find something to do whist in my funk. And, hoping to be carried away in some Rinkle-Forn imaginary village, I picked up a Dr. Seuss book I had never read.

Maybe, like me, you haven't read this book before. So, although it's a bit longer than some of his regular classic stories, you can 'read it here". The pictures tell the story better than the words alone, but the main message is there!

Because, especially on this Remembrance Day, we sure need to remember that, as Canadians and Americans, British and Australians... we have been VERY fortunate to have the freedoms we possess. Because, I guarantee you, there is someone out there today who does not, and they are FAR worse off than any pity party we create for ourselves!

DID I EVER TELL YOU HOW LUCKY YOU ARE?
-by Dr. Seuss

When I was quite young
and quite small for my size,
I met an old man in the Desert of Drize.
And he sang me a song I will never forget.
At least, well, I haven't forgotten it yet.

He sat in a terribly, prickly place.
But he sang with a sunny sweet smile on his face:
When you think things are bad,
when you feel sour and blue,
when you start to get mad...
you should do what I do!

Just tell yourself, Duckie,
you're really quite lucky!
Some people are much more...
oh, ever so much more...
oh, muchly, much-much more
unlucky than you!

Be glad you don't work on the Bunglebung Bridge
that they're building across Boober Bay at Bumm Ridge.
It's a troublesome world. All the people who're in it
are troubled with troubles almost every minute.
You ought to be thankful, a whole heaping lot,
for the places and people you're lucky you're not!

Just suppose, for example,
you lived in Ga-Zayt
and got caught in that traffic
on Zayt Highway Eight!
Or suppose,
just for instance,
you lived in Ga-Zair
with your bedroom up here
and your bathroom up there!

Suppose, just suppose, you were poor Herbie Hart,
who has taken his Throm-dim-bu-lator apart!
He NEVER will get it together, I'm sure.
He never will know if the Gick or the Goor
fits into the Skrux or the Snux or the Snoor.
Yes, Duckie, you're lucky you're not Herbie Hart
who has taken his Throm-dim-bu-lator apart.

Think they work you too hard...?
Think of poor Ali Sard!
He has to mow grass in his uncle's back yard
and it's quick-growing grass
and it grows and he mows it.
The faster he mows it, the faster he grows it.
And all that his stingy old uncle will pay
for his shoving that mower around in that hay
is the piffulous pay of two Dooklas a day.
And Ali can't LIVE on such piffulous pay!
SO...

He has to paint flagpoles
on Sundays in Grooz.
How lucky you are
you don't live in HIS shoes!

And poor Mr. Bix!
Every morning at six,
poor Mr. Bix has his Borfin to fix!
It doesn't seem fair. It just doesn't seem right,
but his Borfin just seems to go shlump every night.
It shlumps in a heap, sadly needing repair.
Bix figures it's due to the local night air.

It takes him all day to un-shlump it.
And then...
the night air comes back
and it shlumps once again.

So don't YOU feel blue. Don't get down in the dumps.
You're lucky you don't have a Borfin that shlumps.

And, while we are at it, consider the Schlottz,
the Crumple-horn, Web-footed, Green-bearded Schlottz,
whose tail is entailed with un-solvable knots.
If HE isn't muchly
more worse off than y9u,
I'll eat my umbrella.
That's just what I'll do.

And you're lucky, indeed, you don't ride on a camel.
To ride on a camel, you sit on a wamel.
A wamel, you know, is a sort of a saddle
held on by a button that's known as a faddle.
And, boy! If your old wamel-faddle gets loose,
I'm telling you, Duckie, you're gone like a goose.

And poor Mr. Potter,
T-crosser,
I-dotter.
He has to cross t-s
and he has to dot i's
in an I-and-T factory
out in Van Nuys!

Oh, the jobs people work at!
Out west, near Hawtch-Hawtch,
there's a Hawtch-Hawtcher Bee-Watcher.
His job is to watch...
is to keep both his eyes on the lazy town bee.
A bee that is watched will work harder, you see.

Well...he watched and he watched.
But, in spite of his watch,
that bee didn't work any harder. Not mawtch.

So then somebody said,
"Our old bee-watching man
just isn't bee-watching as hard as he can.
He ought to be watched by ANOTHER Hawtch-Hawtcher!
The thing that we need
is a Bee-watcher-watcher!"
Well....

The Bee-Watcher-Watcher watched the Bee-Watcher.
He didn't watch well. So another Hawtch-Hawtcher
has to come in as a Watch-Watcher-Watcher!
And today all the Hawtchers who live in Hawtch-Hawtch
are watching on Watch-Watcher-Watchering-Watch,
Watch-Watching the Watcher who's watching that bee.
YOU'RE not a Hawtch-Watcher. you're lucky, you see!

And how fortunate YOU'RE not Professor de Breeze
who has spent the past thirty-two years, if you please,
trying to teach Irish ducks how to read Jivvanese.

And think of the
poor puffing Poogle-Horn Players,
who have to parade
down the Poogle-Horn Stairs
every morning to wake up
the Prince of Poo-Boken.
It's awful how often
their poogles get broken!

And, oh! Just suppose
you were poor Harry Haddow.
Try as he will.
he can't make any shadow!

He thinks that, perhaps, something's wrong with his Gizz.
And I think that, by golly, there probably is.

And the Brothers Ba-zoo.
The poor Brothers Ba-zoo!
Suppose YOUR hair grew
like THEIRS happened to do!
You think YOU'RE unlucky...?
I'm telling you, Duckie,
some people are muchly,
oh, ever so muchly,
muchly more-more-more unlucky than you!

And suppose that you lived in that forest in France,
where the average young person just hasn't a chance
to escape from the perilous pants-eating-plants!
But YOUR pants are safe! You're a fortunate guy.
And you ought to be shouting, "How lucky am I!"

And, speaking of plants,
you should be greatly glad-ish
you're not Farmer Falkenberg's
seventeenth radish.

And you're so, SO lucky
you're not Gucky Gown,
who lives by himself
ninety miles out of town,
in the Ruins of Ronk.
Ronk is rather run-down.

And you're so, so, SO lucky
you're not a left sock,
left behind by mistake
in the Kaverns of Krock!

Thank goodness for all of the things you are not!
Thank goodness you're not something someone forgot,
and left all alone in a some punkerish place
like a rusty tin coat hanger hanging in space.

That's why I say, "Duckie!
Don't grumble! Don't stew!
Some critters are much-much,
of, ever so-much-much,
so muchly much-much-more unlucky than you!"

Not Me Monday- Not Fair!

HAHAH.

So, I am NOT the biggest slacker EVER on the whole "I'm gonna keep up with the blog lately" vow from last week. Nope, NOT ME! I would also NOT like to say that I have NOT been preoccupied getting busy over my cold, working and doing regular stuff. I do NOT look forward to having some other excuse for not blogging.

It was NOT crappy to realize that I have lived in this Mo-Town for nearly 3 months now, and I do NOT have NOTHING to really show for it. I mean, my house is still NOT the same it was the day I moved in (other than that 1/2 wall), my social life is just NOT the most pathetic ever, and I am NOT getting fatter by the minisecond!

Oh wait. I did NOT get older. Not Lame.

ANYWHOOZLE, I do NOT have no excuse. This raising-a-teenage-daughter thing is so NOT all craptastic! I have NOT freaked out more than once when she didn't come home one day after school, only to find out she was NOT at her friend's house. Oh, and I will NOT mention that her friend is a HE. And I would NEVER mention that this HE is also older than her and in high school. NOPE, that would just NOT be soo cool, hey?! I will also NOT mention that after discussing it with her father and I that night, she did NOT proceed to do THE EXACT SAME THING the next day. Nope. She would NEVER be that much of a pain fun! I am not sure that children are meant to be dang cute when they're young, because USUALLY parents can remember that cuteness at moments like this. I, as you all know, did NOT totally skip that cute-childhood stage with Will's kids, and am NOT totally thinking I got a crappy deal out of it! ;S It's like I have to now NOT love them in spite of not having that to fall back on! Who's bleepitybleep idea was this teenage thing anyways?! ;) And I only have 14 more years of it to go. Whoooo.

Oh, and I do NOT like that she's failing some subjects in school because she's been too lazy to bring her homework home. No, that part is my FAVOURITE. I really enjoyed going to her school to be THAT Mom and finding all this out. Next week is NOT report cards, and Will and I have NOT been grounding her until her homework is up to date. I do NOT stress about this, because I love her, but also because I know that her mother will NOT be seeing said report card, and will NOT totally think I'm a deadbeat stepmother if I send home a report card with an F on it... especially since Em is an honours student. (when she does her homework)

I think I could NOT write a novel about the pains of raising a teenager even just from my OWN teenage experiences. That being said, I think my mother is totally NOT laughing her face off at this post! I do NOT think I was SOOOO due some seriously bad teenage antics based on the teenager I was. I do NOT think that Karma sucks too! ;) I am NOT so NOT cut out for this.

Is Nyquill Addictive?

So, I dick adain. I dont libe beeling so yucky, but at least I hab a bery cute boy to nurde me back to helb.

You wanna know one of my most annoying bet beebes lately? When beoble day dey hab da dwine Fwew. Mofe of da dime, dey don't. Dis Dwine Fwew id detting redidulous. De whoe down is dick, and der iz mass hysderia about detting da shot and washing hams and aboiding beobo ebrywhere I doe. Get dis-- eben treehouse has a fing on detting da shot right now doo! How dumb.

We hab a doctor in our ward, and he towed ebryone on sunday dat dis is dust da fwew! It is not as dangerous as some ubber dicknesses, and dat most beobo can aboid detting dwine fwew dwight easily. He daid it id not fun to hab, but dat most beobo will get ober it. He dowd us dat der is worb dings coming, and da dwine fwew is gonna be nofing combared do what is ahead.

Will id actully dick too. But he went do word today andyways. Because we need do eat. :S

LL id home today. Em was dick for a week, and Mimi had been dick for da pad few weeks doo, but she coughs on ebryone all da dime. It id probabwy why we all are dick now. Not berry imbressed.

Six Word Saturday- Sunday counts, right?

True Honeymoons Never Really End, Right?




(a few shots of Will and I on our trip to Vancouver last week. I'll post about that soon.)

*for more Six Word Saturday, visit Cate at www.showmyface.com. it's great fun!* And yes, I realize it's Sunday today, but whatever. I'm a bit late!

29, for real!

It's the final hour of my 29th birthday. Which, is actually my *30th* birth DAY, if you count the first one. But I'm not into getting all Confucius on everyone! So, happy birthday to me, #29.

(yesterday I dressed up as the Spider Witch for the Grade Three party I was in charge of at the school)

The biggest question I get on my birthday is what my plans are for the night.

Um.

If you didn't know... I was born on Hallowe'en.... so.. my plans? For the night? usually the same as they are on EVERY OTHER HALLOWE'EN NIGHT for EVERY OTHER PERSON!!!----- I plan on taking monkeys around door-to-door and making sure they say trick-or-treat and that they use their manners and say thank you and don't walk on people's grass and all that fun stuff.

(a photo of my family, circa 1985. I'm the one showing off her hot legs in the front, left corner)

It is a birthday tradition... or, a BOOrthday tradition!

So, Will and I took 7 kids out collecting swine flu candy. We then headed over to KJ's house (the new name of Tawny's sister and brother, who are in our ward and are very kind) who invited us out to dinner and games. While the older kids took off in groups to get full candy bags, Mimi and Bear stayed with the adults and watched scary TV while the Moms and Dads played games at the table. It was an easy night, albeit a late night, and so it was into baths and bed and change the clocks and wait for the teenagers to get home from their friends' houses...you know, again, regular day stuff.

And, for what it's worth, I miss blogging. I really need to get back into it-- things have gotten so busy lately and I feel like I've had nothing of note to say. But worse yet, I am so removed from my friends' lives too! :( So, I'm vowing to do better in November.

Friday Flightfest

Hey guys,
A few fractions of info for my friends.

I officially opened this blog to the public again. I decided that having a private blog that I don't write in very often is kinda pointless. And I miss Daisyhalos. ALMOST to the point of going back to it. So, instead, I'll just open this one unless I feel threatened again. That, and everyone keeps telling me that it doesn't show up on their feeds, so maybe this will work better?

I'm headed to Vancouver tonight. Back to my 'home'. Although it's totally not the same anymore. But Will's never been there, so although it's only for a few days, and we're vehicle-less, it'll be nice to show him around some of the good parts. We're volunteering in order to work at the Olympics! :)!!!! And, the best part is that we'll be childless, as the kids are staying here with my sister!

So, I'm off to pack everyone. But I thought I'd update for a brief sec.

My Decorating Style

So, one of the biggest excitement for me comes in decorating. Alright, I may not be GOOD at it, but I sure enjoy it. I like simple things like rearranging furniture, or buying a new piece of art for a wall, or simply making my bed like in the magazines. Yes, I'm that pathetic cool.

So, with the last three months left in oh-nine, there are so many ways to decorate the house!! :)

But, I live in Motown now, and there are SOME decorating styles that just won't be acceptable round these parts!

Like, these turkeys Em showed me. With the tagline "For ANY time of the month" Yes, these cuddly, super-absorbant turkeys are made with none other than my friends, O and B. *that's Tampons, for you who are wondering*

I thought, okay, so I can't make these turkeys. But cummon-- these ghosts are CUTE!! Still, I don't think people would be too impressed with me. Instead, I think Hallowe'en needs pumpkins and scarecrows.



No? Nobody else things that MAYBE Will won't approve? Hrm. Alright, let's try something else.

It's Christmas time soon-- let's just skip to the love and peace of Christmas decorating.

NO, not these. The tampon-deco is sooooo last paragraph!

Last year, if you remember, my house looked like this. *you can view the whole post HERE on the Daisyhalos blog*

I think this year, with the blue carpets and shag, I may have to resort to THIS!!


Ugggggg.

Instead, I'm just going to apply for the Home Depot Ugliest Kitchen in Canada contest. Maybe they'll take pity on us! RIGHT?!

Take Note, City Folk

There are so many things to figure out about living in this small-town.

1) going to the post office is a big to-do. Get dressed up. Do your hair and makeup. Expect to chat with the clerk for a while about your dead grandmother. Wave and nod at everyone when they enter the room. Grab your mail, then congregate at the 'station' where you sort your mail into piles and throw the junk away. Do NOT wear sweatpants, or a ponytail. Trust me on this one.

2) People wave. At EVERYONE. so, when someone waves at you, it's not because you necessarily know them, and they probably don't know you, but that's just what you do. Note to you newbies: There aren't ANY people around here who flip the bird, so if you see someone make a hand-gesture in your direction, be careful about what you gesture back! They probably wanted you to check out the eagle flying above your truck.

(and everybody and their DOGS have trucks)

3) Living so near the Hudderite colonies is FANTASTIC! We had an extra deep-freeze that came with the house. One of those MASSIVE ones, 100+ years old, heavier than poop, and we were looking at selling it. One of the men came into the store I worked at and asked if we knew where he could find one-- and luckily for us, ours was ready to go. So, last night they came and took it away, and this morning they brought SEVEN boxes of food in exchange. SWEET deal! 6 chickens, huge roasts, pounds and pounds of frozen veggies, *3* boxes of potatoes, bags of onions, loaves of bread, canned pickles and pears and peaches, boxes of beets, and a bag of carrots the size of an 8 year old! Good trade, I say.

4) Random teenagers will shovel the snow on your walkway for you. Not because you asked, threatened, or bribed. But because they just do it, and so when you look out your window and see them doing it, your heart swells a little bit.

5) It may take years before I make friends. Well, that's what people keep saying. And that's NOT because I'm so annoying shy freckled awesome. But, small-town is apparently difficult to 'break into'. People have their families to play with, and they have the same friends they've had since they graduated kindergarten. Also, if you move out of the ward (the area your church congregation comes from) into another one, you will not see the friends from the OLD ward. Even if you only live down the street now.

6) Don't volunteer to be the parent-coordinator for your children's classrooms. It's a lot of work, and I have NO idea what I'm doing! I am sure LL's gonna fail grade three simply because her teacher will be so spiteful that I didn't get him the help he needed throughout the year! YIKES.

Breaking Up Is Hard To Do.

Dear Zucchini,
I think we need to take a break. You're smothering me. No, really. I dream of you, I wake and my first thoughts are of you, and it's got to stop! Zuke, I have thoroughly enjoyed you from time to time, but lately, you're EVERYWHERE. I know I said before that I couldn't get enough of you, but you've started taking over our relationship, and I'm done with you and I. Yes, it's done. I will always be thankful for the SALSA dance in the kitchen for the past two weeks.. it was really hot! And I will RELISH the memory of last night-- you're just so sweet. But you see, I have run out of patience with you. You've really changed these past few days and you seem to be rotting from the inside. You were quite large-- bigger than I've ever had before! And you tasted so good! But now, oh, ZuZu, all that's left of you is a tini 'cchini! Shrivelled, at best. To put it plainly, our love affair is making my family ill. So, Zuke, while I've enjoyed you filling my storage room (VL) I must say with a happy heart that we're done. I won't say I'll miss you, because I know it'll be a while before I've completely gotten you out of my life.

Sincerely,
The One Who Could Seriously Puke if She Sees Another Zuke!~



Dear friends,
remember me? I probably owe you an email, or a facebook message, or even a visit. I probably haven't seen you in a few weeks. Some I haven't seen since the wedding (and even then, it was so busy, I didn't "SEE" many of you). And some have patiently been waiting on me for MONTHS! I truly DO miss you. I think of you all the time. I'm here. Sulking. In Mo-town. Surrounded by snow.
Missing you,
ME!

Things I Learned This Week

• When making salsa, when it calls for jalapeno peppers, and you have ghost peppers instead, it is NOT 2/1 in favour of the ghost peppers. If you put a handful of those little, thumb-sized peppers in one batch of salsa, you will then have to make THREE MORE MASSIVE BATCHES to dilute the spicy-ness of the first batch. Ghost peppers are three TIMES more spicy than habanero peppers. Yah. We burned our bellies with the first batch!
  
  
• When the kids go away for the holidays with their other parents, it is very good for a marriage. I would venture to say that EVERYONE needs a divorce JUST for the every-other-weekend-off. But then again, it's not recommended. It sure is a nice way to guarantee that once the kids aren't in the house anymore, Will and I will still know how to be together without them. More marriages would stay together if they dated like we do, often.
  
  
• When the kids go away for the holidays with their other parents, I miss them dearly. Holidays are weird without kids. Will and I didn't have a Thanksgiving dinner. Instead, we started our OWN tradition and bought one of those 'ready' chickens, some stove-top stuffing and canned veggies. Oh, and a small yam. And, in 1/2 hour, we had our own LOVELY Thanksgiving dinner for two.. surprisingly, it tasted pretty darned good. Complete with that sparkling-apple juice stuff so we could feel 'fancy'. :) Nothing says fancy like stove-top and sparkling apple juice.
  
  
• There is nothing more fun than staying up until 4 am, watching PVR'd Survivors and Amazing Races. Will and I fell asleep on the Lovesac, cuddling and snuggling. Having NO clothes plans all weekend was a really nice change of pace.
  
  
• The blogosphere will not die without me here. To be perfectly honest, I didn't even miss it. Even Will wanted me to blog, and frankly, I didn't feel like it. I am practically museless right now too, as I find this post incredibly dull. Sorry.
  
  
• Wedding photos are in from V, our photographer. If you'd like to see them, check out this website. It's www.vrphotography.instaproofs.com You'll have to tell me which one is your favourite.
  
  
• When writing thank you cards for the wedding, don't lose where you put your invitation list for addresses. It's a pain to find them again! :S
  
  
• Still no house renovation news. I anticipate it will be a long time before I have 'after' photos to share. We have sooo much to do, and it's a bit overwhelming. And besides, for the next 73 sleeps/1734 hours, I'll be obsessed with thinking of Christmas stuff. Yes. I'm one of THOSE girls. My Christmas trees and parties and stockings hung with care are high on my 'things that make me happy' list. So, yes, we've gone from "wedding only" talk, to Christmas countdown. Two of my favourite days of this year. Yay. Nothing better! :)
  

Just a Bunch of Tidbits

Well, I was right.
After my last blog post, Sarah emailed me that night, admitting that she had gained access to this blog and was sorry for invading my privacy.  She also said she'd stop.  I'm gonna leave it at that.  Usually I write people back, but this time there isn't much I need to say. We'll see.

In OTHER, moving-on news, things are good.  I'm still waiting for life to 'slow down' so I can get moved in.  The house is a complete STY, with furniture and boxes and clutter EVERYWHERE.  It would be so nice just to have it all DONE, but we haven't really even STARTED the renovations yet,  (other than that wall Will wore down) so I know I'm in it for the long haul.  No matter... it'll get done eventually.  And it's not like I need a renovated house to get into heaven.  ;)   Still, I know once the house is 'done' (is a house ever DONE?), I may feel more at home in this town.  It is still feeling foreign to me, in spite of the million friendly people who've brought over dinners and 'taken me in'.  I still feel like a wanderer in a strange land, but I know everything will come in time. 
I do miss my girlfriends, my neighbours, my ward back in Calgary.  Some things you can't ever 'replace'.  But I'm with Will, and I know that's where I want to be.  Cheesy or not, it's a whole new way of loving and I realize I missed out on that once before.

Speaking of Will I am excited to have a weekend alone with him.  After having every other weekend off for over a year now, I've gotten somewhat accustomed to it.  I know, poor me, hey?!   It's been one of the FIRST weekends we've had alone since getting married, aside from that one where we had to go to the all-day funeral services for his aunt.  So, this one will be MUCH appreciated, AND it's a long weekend because of the Canadian Thanksgiving Holiday Monday.  (Chris is taking the little three to his family's home, and Will's kids are with Tawny.) 

And yes, I realize that most of you now KNOW Will's real name, since most of you are people who know us personally.  Not that it matters if I wrote his name anyways.  But it's funny-- I get into a 'blog mind' and calling him by his first name seems wrong when I blog.  Same as the kids and anyone else.  So, we'll probably stick with it.  Besides, I kinda like having my little Willy..  (haha, sorry, I couldn't resist that one. ) 

Changing a last name TOTALLY bites.  I remember doing it when I married Chris, and I hated it then too.  But NOW-- blah.  I remember it even WORSE!  It's like giving birth-- you remember it being HORRIBLE, but when you actually are in that labour room again, and a baby's on its way, it's when you REALLY remember it.  Not fun in the mental remembering any more than it's fun in the physical one.  And every form has to be filled out before the other one, and yada yada yada, fill this out first, that out last, but you forgot the one before that.  And wait for this one to come in before proceeding.... grrrrr.

I KNOW I'm gonna regret it, but I'll be canning salsa all day tomorrow.  Not that having a storage-room full of salsa is something to regret, but I know once I start canning and preserving things, I'll get that bug and I'll end up wanting to do more and more.  And then I'll never stop!  It's so addictive, and if you've never 'jarred' anything, you won't understand.  I also want to do pickled garlic (don't knock it, it tastes NOTHING like garlic and is actually very tasty) and asparagus and this year I'm even trying zucchini salsa.  I'll take pictures.  I've been slacking in the photo department lately. 

Why I don't Blog often

Kay,
remember how this is my blog?

Yah.  let's be totally honest here.  Cuz that's just how I roll.

I stopped Daisyhalos for the reasons I gave, and started this one with one motive:  To become a better person.  I didn't like that "Will's" ex, Sarah, was reading multiple times each day, in spite of me asking her to stop.  And it was making me into a person I didn't like being.

Why did I care?

Well, she said she read because she wanted to check on the kids, which didn't make sense because she was friends with them on Facebook.  And REALLY didn't make sense because she would click on photos of Will and I, on the wedding ring, on my kids-- and I felt violated.   She also said that she liked reading because it made her laugh because of "Will's Lies".  I don't need someone that bitter and vindictive knowing ANYTHING about my life.  We don't ask drug addicts to pick up our prescriptions, and we don't ask malicious people to know every happy detail about our lives.

Well, it's a new life.  And I don't need a constant reminder of someone who is intentionally cruel and someone who negatively affected so many people I truly love.  It got to the point that I didn't want to write things because I didn't want her to know about my life now.  For her to care baffled me anyways, but it was becoming obsessive on my part, and honestly, I couldn't be that person.   I am not bitter or angry at the way she has treated me-- I'm a big girl and anyone who knows me knows that I forgive fairly easily and quickly.  But I get angry and hurt when I have to deal with the repercussions of what she managed to ruin in the short time she had to influence people I know. 

So, I started this blog.

Now, I've accepted a bunch of people I know, and a few I don't.
And, according to my site-trackers,  she is still reading.  Therefore, she is someone I don't know, a 'follower' or something.  Or else, she is a friend I know who lives in the same area.

So, if anyone ELSE lives in Yelm, Washington (or thereabouts) and I've confused you with her, let me know.  Until I figure it out, I will not blog.  And I will have to start eliminating people I don't know personally, which I don't want to do AT ALL.

But I will not appologize for wanting privacy.  I have more privacy from the parents of my 7 children *Chris (my ex) and Tawny, (Will's first wife)* than I do from a blip in the timeline of Will's life, and quite frankly, I have eliminated negative people from my life and this is the final step.

Call me petty and rediculous.  Maybe I am.  But I need peace, and this is my way to get it.