Sick, Sick, and Sick Again

Caleb is sick. Again. I didn't even post about the last couple of times he was sick (he had some sort of stomach bug 3 weeks ago, then bronchitis 2 weeks ago) because it seems like all I do is write about how he's sick! I hope that this increase in illness is due to his first year in preschool, and that he'll get it all over with now and be healthier in the future.

One can hope.

He woke up in the middle of the night last night (of course--I have never known a child who got really sick during the day--it's always at night). Scott went in and checked on him, then came back to report a few minutes later that Caleb was "burning up." That's Mommy's signal to step in. I am the designated drug administer. I gave him some children's Tylenol and tried to get him to go back to bed, but he was coughing and couldn't sleep. So I ended up taking him to the living room and rocking him to sleep (something I haven't done in a long time!), then laying him on the couch and sleeping beside him on the floor.

Now, a couple of weeks ago we went into the doctor as a follow-up from his bronchitis, and the doctor was very concerned that his ear infection from March never really cleared up completely. She'd been keeping an eye on it and checking it every couple of weeks, and it still didn't look really good. So she referred us to an ENT (ear/nose/throat doctor). That appointment is scheduled for Friday.

So I really didn't want to take Caleb to his pediatrician today and then to the ENT tomorrow. I called his pedi and told her what was up, and she agreed that he should be okay until tomorrow. We'll see what happens. Caleb hasn't complained too much of ear pain with this illness--it's been more fever (102.2 was the highest I recorded), cough, runny nose, and headache. He laid on the floor today in the living room, mostly watching TV, from 8:00 until 5:30. Seriously. I finally got him to eat some pretzels and Annie's bunnies arond 4:00, and he didn't use the bathroom at all until 5:30. He went to sleep tonight at 7:00--about an hour early for him.

Let me just recap here, for my own sake and for the record, Caleb's illnesses over the last six months or so:

• 10/25/08--right ear infection
• 11/24/08--right ear infection
• 2/18/09--right ear infection
• 2/19/09--rotavirus
• 3/4/09--follow-up appointment from ear infection, right ear still doesn't look great
• 3/14/09--left ear drum burst (and outer ear infection), right ear still looks iffy
• 3/27/09--follow-up appointment from ear infection, right ear still looks "pulled back"
• 4/2/09--stomach bug
• 4/11/09--bronchitis
  
• 4/14/09--follow-up from bronchitis, right ear still looks pulled back, referred to ENT
• 4/30/09--Caleb complains of some left ear pain, headache, fever, chills, cough, runny nose

Phew.

On top of all of this, we had to take Caleb to a special kids' dentist because his normal dentist thought he might have cavities. He's been complaining that his upper molars hurt on both sides. Now I'm thinking that it's just pain from his sinuses, because the dentist gave him the all-clear yesterday. She did, however, say that he has an extreme overbite and will need some orthodontia in a few years. (As she told me this, I just visualized money flying out of my pockets. Better start another SmartyPig account for that!)

Pray with me that the ENT will be able to help my little boy tomorrow. I won't be surprised if Caleb has to have tubes in his ears or his adenoids removed. I hope the doc recommends some sort of allergy testing, too.

Beautiful Photography filled with Depth and Emotion!

Hi everyone, I'm passing along a website you might want to look at.

Simply put:

Beautiful Photography filled with Depth and Emotion!

Some will take your breath away, some cause you to reflect, some bring you back to a simpler time of honesty and hard work, most will make you smile,
and all are filled with depth and emotion.

Each photo tells its own story......

Enjoy!!!!!

www.saddlebackstudios.com

If you like something, go ahead and contact Lawrence, and make a purchase.

Tell him you heard about him here; from Nina P.

(It might not get you a discount, but it will get a smile!)

Thanks for looking and sending it on.

May your day be filled with reflection on the goodness in life and the fullness of the beauty of nature. May you see the world around you and find something that fills your heart and takes your breath away. And may your heart be touched by Love and Grace today and always.

Love and Light,
Nina P.

Happy Graduation

HAPPY GRADUATION

Graduation is here and it’s time to say
God Bless your future come what may.

The roads been hard but you’ve made it through
Since it’s done, now what to do?

The classes, the grind, and teachers comment
Stand in your mind no more to lament

The world’s your oyster, is what some say
What ever that means, just seize the day

Life is hard but you can win
Trust in the Lord and try not to sin

He said; “ask and you shall receive”
To do this, you must always believe

College or work, or whatever‘s your lead
Doing your best you’ll always succeed

You may be tempted by many things
Trust in the Lord and all that He brings

Through ups and downs, He is your guide
Stand strong in Faith and feel His Pride

Your life’s a canvas, a painting in part
God’s own masterpiece; you’re His Great Art

You don’t know what the painting will be
Walk with the Lord and you will see

All of your moments keep adding a stroke
The painting’s yours, no one can revoke

Dark lines are added not to give fright;
Instead they give depth to all that is bright

Your painting is crafted by His Almighty hand
To deepen our lives as is His command

So stay strong in Faith, Courage and Love
Know that His guidance comes from above

Graduation’s a time, a Journey to start
Have fun, enjoy and keep God in your heart.

Written with Faith/Hope and Love,
by Nina P.

United Way - A good cause

United Way

"Live United"

2009 fund raising campaign

United Way it’s time again
To give a little Hope
To show we care and want to help
Find ways for them to cope

Times are hard for all this year
We must dig a little deep
Find in your heart a way to care
Be a leader not a sheep

“My life’s hard too” Is what I hear
Sadly all to true
But find that place to give a little
There always things to do

Every dollar every cent
May mean a life to someone
So count your cans and save them up
Turn them in and you’ll be done

So Live United and help them out
By showing your compassion
That even in the toughest times
Giving is in fashion

Fill out your forms and hand them in
And give a little change
Send a check or volunteer
I know this all sounds strange

But helping’s what it’s all about
It gives the inner grin
Now start the clock the challenge is on
Ready, Set, Begin!!
By Nina P. 2009

Elegance SL Wrap Up!

Elegance SL has concluded with a fantastic finale, with three gorgeous models chosen as the top three. I have to say it was a great pleasure to enter into and participate in this contest. All the models were just lovely and I had a ball. I loved how we had to style our own outfits and we really got a chance to show off our abilities at putting together a complete look. I was amazed at the looks some models put together, the detail and overall look of all the models was just outstanding! They really amazing at what they do, their creativity shone!

FIRST NIGHT:
The Best of Italian's Elegance SL Competition began with a great show with the theme of "Sex And The City," and with a theme like that you know it was totally hot! Elegance SL was all about the models sense of styling, their taste, their concept of "Elegance" and how they applied it in different circumstances. The 15 contestants for this round were...

Alexiaa Allen
Angel McMullen
Butterfli Sorbet
ByteDreams Slade
CandiO Contepomi
Chamonix Boudreaux
Elena Ewing
Emmerald Clarity
Gloria Gabe
Hillary Bloch
Jae90 Nizna
Jennaa Loire
Juliane Ames
Kat Msarko
Katime Vacano

At the end the 5 to move onto the finale were.

TOP 5 WERE:
Jennaa Loire
Butterfli Sorbet
Gloria Gabe
Elena Ewing
Katime Vacano


SECOND NIGHT:

The Best of Italian's Elegance SL Competition moved on with a second night of selections. The theme for this night was "La Dolce Vita." 15 contestants participated and showed SL how true elegance, fashion sense, and poise will counted heavily in this competition. The models selected for this night were..

Delilah Zimer
LaBella Forcella
Lileaka Magic
Linnda Scofield
Marian Rexen
Marienna Cortes
Mayumi Sugarplum
Melanie Sautereau
Memole Giha
Moira Goode
Monai Parkin
Nellie Choche
Nemi McCoy
Pat Young

After a tough competition the models selected to go through to the finale were.

TOP 5 WERE:
Nemi McCoy
LaBella Forcella
Lileaka Magic
Melanie Sautereau
Memole Giha

THIRD NIGHT:

When the Best of Italian's Elegance SL Competition got into it's third and final day of selections, I looked at the contestants for that day, I thought this was going to be tough. The theme for the third night was "Breakfast at Tiffany's,". 15 contestants walked the stage to blow the lid off and show SL what true elegance really is! The fantastic contestants for this night were...

Chamonix Boudreaux
Livia Mastroianni
Sabine Blackburn
SilviaX Johin
Sparkie Funizza
Sweetest Sands
Sweetsmiling Merlin
Tabata Jewell
Talia Lefavre
Tempest Rosca
Tiffany Dragonash
TK Waco
Toapz Saunders
Vanessa Knoller
Wenadrenia Soderstorm

TOP 5 WERE:
Tabata Jewell
Sabine Blackburn
Livia Mastroianni
Tk Waco
Toapz Saunders

FINALE:
So after the three first rounds we came to the finale, which some people may have thought was the easiest of all the themes, but I found it the most difficult. The finale took place on the 24th of April at 1:3-pm SLT. This time they didn't want us to follow a real suggestion, but we want to see all our own personality coming out from what we chose to wear. They really wanted us to show what "Elegant" was for us, both in an informal or a formal situation. So the theme was "YOU"!

The judges for this round was enough to make anyone nervous. The judges are some of the most recognized names in SL who have excelled in each of their various fields. We all wanted to do well and show why we had made it to the top 15. The judges were.

• Annemarie Perenti (Owner of Best of Italian Style and Piazza Italia)
  

• Dahlia Joubert (Model for Evane, NOCTURNE, Made in Italy Fashion, Elegance and Event Manager for Best of Italian Style)
  

• Rusch Raymaker (Owner of AVENUE INC which is the umbrella company for AVENUE Models, AVENUE Magazine, AVENUE Models Academy, AVENUE Studio, and Stylissimo)

• Frolic Mills (Owner of THE BEST OF SL MAGAZINE, THE BEST OF SL BOULEVARD, BOULEVARD MODEL AGENCY, MISS/MR VIRTUAL WORLD ORGANIZATION, and BOSL AWARDS)
  

• Cherie Parker (Owner of Exclusive Studios)
  

• Suzi Phlox (Co-owner of LeeZu Baxter Designs)
  

• Dousa Dragonash (MBC News TV Reporter)
  

• Queen Watanabe (Manager of Bogart's Dance Club and Shops)

• Elettra Gausman (Owner of ORAGE Creations)

After a fantastic display of some amazing creations and styling let alone some sensational walks from some very talanted models they called us all on stage to announce the winners. I was so thrilled when they called out their names. These incredible girls totally rocked it, not only walking but showing everyone how talanted they are at styling! Congratulations to these talanted models... and congratulations to everyone who entered. I had a blast doing this and can not wait to see what Best of Italian comes up with next!

1st Place:
Sabine Blackburn

(Photo taken by: Sabine Blackburn)
Sabine's flickr stream.

Sabine will be featured on the cover of the BeStyle magazine and in an article of the magazine.
She will also get a special feature on the BeStar blog. As well as 5,000$L cash and 5,000$L gift-card to be spent in the shops of the Best of Italian Sim.

Congratulations Sabine you were amazing!

2nd Place:
Tabata Jewell

Tabata was just mind blowing at this contest.. so congratulations. She has won 2nd place. The 2nd place winner will be featured on the back-cover of the BeStyle magazine. Special feature in the BeStyle magazine and in the BeStar blog. 3,000$L cash and 3,000L$ gift-card to be spent in the shops of the Best of Italian Sim.

Congratulations Tabata!

3rd Place:
Nemi McCoy

Congratulations Nemi, your outfits were just gorgeous! She has picked up a special feature in BeStyle Magazine and the BeStar blog. 1,000$L cash and 1,000L$ gift-card to be spent in the shops of the Best of Italian Sim.

Congratulations ladies, you were totally and utterly amazing!

Make sure you keep checking out the BeStar Blog to stay up to date with what they are doing, they are always doing something fantastic!

BeStar Blog:

Take care
Jennaa xoxo

Lillian thinks she is bigger than she is.......

The weather was decent enough yesterday for me to take the girls in the wagon and walk to the park. We got home from school, threw a pizza in the oven, ate, put sweatshirts on and off we went. The girls rode in the wagon so well, no hair pulling, scratching or hitting.

The park was full of kids. I suppose we weren't the only ones to see the 7 day forecast and seeing that this would be the nicest day of the week. We had to take advantage and be outside while we could. Alexa head straight for the swings, as always, and demanded an under-dog. Lillian head straight for the little slide, as always, and knowing she does so well with the stairs and going down the slide herself, I went and gave Alexa a push, reminding her to pump her legs because I had to pay attention to Lillian, too. It's hard being there by myself with Lillian at an age where I need to keep an eye on her at all times and Alexa still learning how to pump on the swings, still needing pushes every so often.

Well, last night proved different when Lillian decided she was ready for the big slides. I didn't want to take my eyes off her and stood right beside her making sure she didn't fall. All the while, Alexa is screaming at me for another push. I kept saying, "Just a minute Alexa, I'm watching your sister". She was quiet for awhile and when I glanced over at her, there was this very kind woman, who was pushing her daughter on the swings as well, taking turns pushing Alexa, too.
I could not thank her enough. She said, "Oh it's no problem, I heard her yelling for you and I saw that you had your hands full with your little one." Oh, if only there could be more kind people like her in this world.

When Alexa finally decided to venture away from the swings and try something else, like the monkey bars and slides, Lillian was right there following her. The little stinker thought she was big enough to keep up with her big sister. There is this web looking thing that you can crawl up to get to the stairs to go down the slide that Alexa was playing on and Lillian just couldn't figure out why I wouldn't let her play on it, too. I kept saying, "Lillian, it's way too high for you, you are too little, you're going to fall and get hurt." But, she wouldn't listen. She insisted on doing it herself and then threw a huge fit when I pulled her away. I tried distracting her with other things, but she just wasn't having it. So, I put a stop to everything and made them get in the wagon to go home.

We got home, gave the girls a tub, got jammies on, folded laundry, put laundry away, all just in time for Dancing with the Stars. Lillian nursed and fell asleep right away and after I put her in her crib for the night, I painted Alexa's fingers and toes in between commercials.
Adam thought I was crabby when he got home, which I'm not going to lie, I was a little. I think I tried to do too much in too little of time and realized how much of a mess my house had gotten over the last week or so.

I get overwhelmed very easy and usually take it out on him.
Sorry babe, I'll be happier tonight.

More News on the House...

Adam and I just heard from our realtor, Vic. He said things have moved on to the "final" stages of this long process we've been going through. The banks BPO was submitted and either came in at or less than the original BPO because they are not asking for more money, which is a VERY good thing.

It is now in the hands of the final and official decision maker and we're hoping and praying we have an answer this week. Vic said things start to move a bit quicker during these final stages, so we are holding on to that and continue to keep our fingers crossed that we'll have our answer by the end of the week.

It's been such a long journey waiting this process out, but we're still keeping optimistic that we'll be moving in to our new house, June 3rd.

However, we do have to stay realistic and know that things with this house could fall through. We're keeping our eyes open for other opportunities and may have to get back out there and start looking again this weekend.

A Few of My Favorite (Eco-Friendly) Things

I've been meaning to do this for awhile, but here is a list of some of my favorite eco-friendly things from around our house.

EcoGear Backpack
I get so many comments about this backpack! When Caleb started preschool, I looked high and low for a backpack that would be the right size for him and didn't have toxic materials in it. Seriously, most backpacks have tons of vinyl, which contains lead. I found this one online at EcoGear and it fit the bill perfectly. It is super cute, and it's made out of organic cotton canvas, non-toxic dyes, recycled plastic, and sustainable wood. How cool is that? And even cooler--they now sell these at Target. They have other designs--a pig, an elephant, and a panda. They are the perfect size for a 2-5 year-old to carry. Well worth the $29!

(You can see a picture of Caleb wearing this backpack on my left sidebar. He was 2.5 at the time.)

Bobux Shoes for Babies and Toddlers
Another thing people comment on a lot are Isaac's shoes. When he was smaller, he wore Bobux soft-soled shoes like the ones on the left here (his were a different style, but these are cute!). Bobux uses what they call "eco-leather", which you can read about here. I like knowing that Bobux shoes are safe for Isaac to put in his mouth (cuz, you know, that's what babies do)!

I must say that it is pretty hard to find eco-friendly shoes for toddlers. There are several options for babies and big kids (including the ones from Simple Shoes), but not as many for early walkers. I was happy when I found these at Bobux. They are from the i-walk collection.

Check for coupons at retailmenot.com before you buy. Usually you can find a 15% off coupon.

Shoes for Mom and Dad
While I'm reviewing shoes, I should throw my own shoes in the mix. I love my Simple Shoes! I've had them for almost a year now, I think, and they are holding up well. They are super comfy and stylish, too. The bottoms of the shoes are made from recycled car tires, the laces are old plastic bottles, and the inner is made from organic cotton and hemp. I hear Ellen wore them on her show on Earth Day!

You can buy these at simpleshoes.com or at amazon.com for about $55 or less. (Simple also has some incredibly cool boots that are on sale now but are still out of my price range. Maybe Mother's Day...?)


Non-Vinyl Lunchbox
Just like the backpack, I wanted a lunchbox that wasn't made of vinyl, either. After all, the kids at preschool actually eat out of their lunchboxes, and oftentimes food comes in contact with them. I wanted him to have one without lead!

Crocodile Creek was the answer for us. Isn't this firetruck lunchbox adorable? It's a great size for him and fits several reusable containers (because of course we don't use plastic bags!). It is phthalate and PVC-free. It's about $15 at amazon or Whole Foods.

Steamer Mop
We have quite a bit of tile flooring in our house, and I have NOT been happy with the job that my lousy Swiffer Wet Jet does in cleaning it. Not only does it not clean very well, it uses yucky chemicals and leaves them on my floor. I always feel like cleaning up my floor after I clean it up! I am just striving to have a house that is as non-toxic as possible (especially since I have a toddler who likes to eat everything that falls on the floor). To that end, I have had my eye on a steamer mop for several months. I finally broke down and bought one a couple of weeks ago. I LOVE IT!

I got the Eureka Enviro Steamer. It uses hot water to steam the floors. That's it! Just water--no chemicals. It's really quiet and easy to use, and I finally feel like my floors are clean. I bought mine from amazon for about $68. A little pricey, but in the long run it makes sense because I don't have to pay for any replacement pads or refills like I would with the Swiffer. The steamer uses cloth pads that you just stick in the washer and hang to dry. Yea!



That's all for now. Perhaps I'll have a volume 2 of this in the future!

Alexa's Curls

A Funfilled Weekend in Albert Lea..

We finally, and I say finally because it's really been awhile, took a trip down to Albert Lea to visit Adam's mom, Juan and Benny.

It's that time of year where traveling away from home and having to pack for this unpredictable weather is tough. I mean, one day last week was 90 degrees and then all weekend it was in the low 50's, windy and raining. I have to admit, I packed late Thursday night as the girls were trying to sleep and I didn't do the best of job. I brought sundresses for them to wear to church and only one set of warm clothes. Luckily, a trip to "New to You" allowed Alexa to wear her dress Sunday. We found a cute little white sweater for her to wear over the top.

Adam had warned his mom that we were on a "diet" beforehand, so she planned accordingly. I was very thankful she didn't make any bars or cakes or cookies or anything like that, and instead had a fridge full of fresh fruit and veggie salad. I'm talking the biggest strawberries I've ever seen.
We were however, welcomed with a grill filled with the most delicious rack of ribs. I was starving and definitley helped myself. I'm proud of both Adam and I though, we didn't over-do ourselves. He actually did better with his self dicipline than I did. We both ended up eating and icecream bar and a reese's peanut butter cup, tho. Shame on us. We remained active all weekend, tho.

Linda had gotten the girls some Easter baskets and lots of treats. Hair pretties, candy, color books and toys. Lillian got a huge blue ball that she enjoyed kicking around the house and garage. Alexa got some hair curlers that we tried last night. Pictures to come.

I didn't realize until I was putting the girls to bed that we didn't explain to Alexa that Auntie Ti-Ti wasn't going to be there. Alexa said to me, "Mommy, I've been waiting and waiting for Ti-Ti, when is she going to get here"? I had to tell her that Ti-Ti was at college and wouldn't be coming this time. She was ok with that, but I still feel bad for not explaining that to her right away. I can imagine in her little mind, she was just patiently waiting for Ti-Ti to walk through the door. I forget sometimes how old Alexa is, and how much she understands and observes.

The weekend was mostly rainy, windy and cold, so we spent most of our time out in the garage with the music blasting. We danced, rode bike and jumped rope. We had jump roping contests and regardless of what Adam tells you, I WON! I was determined to get to 100 jumps in a row and when I was getting close, Adam paniced at the thought of me doing something better than him and threw a ball at me to screw up my jumps. I made it to 89 and his highest was only 75.

It was Albert Lea's prom over the weekend as well, so we were able to take the girls to the mall to see all the pretty dresses at the Promanade. Alexa, Lil and I sat along the edge and Lillian just had to "touch" all the dresses that passed by. She would throw a hissy fit if she was unable to reach one, so Adam took her and walked her around the store until the show was over.

Lillian was "teething" all weekend, so she wasn't in the greatest of moods. She was quite fussy at times from the pain. She didn't eat much either, which made her tired and hungry. She tried hard to be a good girl in church, but they had a baptism that took a little longer. Twins! I had to take her out in the hall for a bit, which she didn't like, but at least she learned her lesson. When we walked back into church, she sat much better.

We head home mid-afternoon, right as the sun was starting to come out and get nice, of course. We got the girls home, bathed and fed, then ran to Walmart for some groceries.

For leather handbag users (part 1:snakeskin)

ni foto2 cara buat hand bag dr kulit ular, kasian bgt binatangnyaaa! biar ular nyeremin jga klo liat ud kasian ini mah. jangan pake tas kulit!!!

#58) Chewy Ginger Cookies

So the in-laws came to town yesterday :) I can't remember the last time I seen my fiance so excited - he gets to see his parents, and his brother and nephew :) In order to make him even happier I gave in to his constant beggings for "real" cookies - with butter and eggs LOL

I am confident these little treats were a good choice because between him and his dad the whole batch is pretty much gone! When they came out of the oven the outside had a great crunch to it while the inside was warm and chewy... As they cooled the outside lost the crunch and they are now a truly chewy cookie.

Ingredients

1/3 cup butter
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 egg
1/4 cup molasses
2 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

Steps

-Beat butter for 30 seconds.
-Add brown sugar, baking soda, ginger and cinnamon. Beat.
-Beat in egg and molasses.
-Beat in flour.
-Chill dough for 1 hour.
-Roll into tablespoon balls and roll in sugar and cinnamon mixture.
-Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes, until tops are cracked.

My second entry woow. I seem to spend more time looking at blogs and playing around with my settings on my own blog than making any cards.

My tilda stamps arrived this morning and they are sitting here next to me.....They are so cute. only 586 to collect now lol. im driving every one mad with them so much so my mum brought me these 2 to start my collection off...Thanks mum love u loads xxx.

Ive now managed to to add links to my blog well my brilliant son dan did. just going to have a look to see how to add a picture so i can can meet my new 2 tilda stamps.

catch you soon.

Countdown to GYSE!

Let the games begin! Final preparations have started for all of the great fun we will be having this weekend during The Great Yosemite Stamp Escape 2009. Yesterday, I picked up the remainder of the food for Friday's Welcome party at the store and today we will be sorting door prizes and stuffing the goodie bags.

The instructors (Michael Strong, Julie Ebersole, Karen Lockhart and Stephanie Sheetz) have been busy cutting and packing kits for 100 stampers who will start arriving later this week.

The store has been spruced up and stocked up with lots of great stuff to buy. We also have tons of merchandise that has been boxed up and ready to go for Saturday night shopping over at the Pines.

There are a few seats left for this great event, if you are interested you can e-mail Sharon for more info.

Have a great day!

TRUtH

A truth is the truth
No chit no chat
I think I always want the truth all the time
But in anytime, I can’t handle the truth

The truth is not as simple as it is
Sometimes, the truth can be so hurt
But, how bad the truth is
It is still better than lies

Lies is a carrion
Covered by a beautiful gift-wrapping paper
The truth is a jewel
But, sometimes it is wrapped by a carbon paper

The truth can hurt me
But it will give me an improved strength
Lies can amuse me
But it will destroy me slowly but sure

I’m not a saint
Who always tells the truth
I’m just an imperfect person
Who wants to make the truth as my friend

When the truth becomes my friend
I have reconciled with the truth
I don’t have to try telling the truth anymore
I live the truth



jak, April 28th 2009

Spots of Sunshine

I just love goldfinches! They have such cute squeaky voices and their bright yellow coloring can bring a spot of sunshine to even the most dreary day.

They travel in waves in the spring. It's not really like the flocks of geese or other birds you see in a bunch. They don't stick all together but they do travel in the same direction at the same time.


Today I found a feeder in the garage and put it out for the first time this year. Within 15 mins there was a line of finches waiting for a choice seat.

One year we had over two hundred goldfinches stop at our yard each day for about 14 days. There were three of these feeders out, plus a net bag. All the feeding spots were full with a bunch more birds waiting on the sidelines from dawn till dusk. I've never seen anything like that. It was intense.

For those two weeks, we went through 10 pounds of niger seed every 5 days. That's not an easy feat. Niger seed is smaller than a chocolate sprinkle on a cupcake or...
to mix metaphors...smaller than a mouse dropping. That's a lot of seed!

Good thing it only lasted two weeks or our yearly seed budget would have been blown in a month. :)
Can't wait for the hummingbirds and orioles!

Menu Plan, Week of April 27

Last week's menu worked out pretty well. The banana pecan waffles were incredible! I think that will become a new special treat around here. The recipe makes 12 waffles, and so I had plenty of leftovers to put in the freezer. They thaw and heat wonderfully by popping them in the toaster! (Note: I only use about half the butter called for, and I use whole wheat flour--they were still great!)

The macaroni and cheese was fabulous, too. What a great recipe! I've used Alton Brown's recipe from Good Eats for about a year now, and it's great, too, but according to Scott (the ultimate judge on all things food in our house), the new one from Pioneer Woman is better. (And she has beautiful step-by-step photos.)

Another big win was the chicken & black bean taco filling. I meant to make it into quesadillas, but I got lazy and just plopped it into some sprouted tortillas for yummy tacos. The recipe made plenty to freeze and reuse as an easy meal in the future.

Let's hope this week's menu goes as well! Most of my items are based on what's on sale at Sprouts this week. They have particularly good deals on chicken, chicken parmesan sausage, and pineapple which I'm going to use.

Monday: Tortellini and salad

Tuesday: Breakfast for dinner--Quiche with spinach, mushrooms, and chicken sausage

Wednesday: Leftovers (last night of Awana!)

Thursday: Teriyaki chicken stir-fry over brown rice (we were supposed to have this last week, but skipped it)

Friday: Homemade pineapple pizza

Saturday: Potluck dinner at the church for the Awana leaders

Sunday: Either eat out or fend for yourself! :)

Privacy

Privacy = ?

It is really a term that is hard to be explained….

Well, I think almost everyone knows what does it means…

And…

Everyone needs it….

We need it….!!

But, are we really protecting our privacy??

OR

We are disposing it?

Erm… need some time to digest and think ya…. Haha….

When there are actual border in life when we are living in a village, we will be thinking that we do not have any privacy as your neighbour or I probably should say is the whole village will know that you actually pee on your pants… haha...

You felt embarrassed and wanna kill the one who actually tell the facts to the third party and news spread like lighting….

When time comes to the digital world, we are all closed up in our room and we are protecting our privacy as we assumed…

But, we are uploading photos, thoughts (like what I am doing right now), diaries etc online…

The one around us, for instance our neighbour know nothing about us…

But, the one in the cyber world, mostly stranger know us better than them…

The one in the cyber world actually know us well and much better than the one in the real life….

So, are we protecting our privacy or exposing it in another way??

Do you feel better to tell others about yourself thru net and not in the real life???

Think about it… hehe....

;p

tepen: breeeeeet.

td bis agama, klompok gw latian erobik.trus pas ending gtu pd mau gaya2an. c tepen persis meluncur ke depan dgn mengangkang dan mengangkat tangan (foto menyusul)
alhasil clananya pun robek breeeet, kenceng bener suaranya, tp dy tetep senyum2 ajah. dan dgn santainya blg "duh, robek"
setelah itu pun ia tidak malu, malah dy kobel2 tuh bolongan
liat2 sgede apah robeknya, trus dy blg "gede juga"
stelah itu pun dy masih asik mengkobel2 bolongan
dan menerka brapa cm kah robeknya. cacat luw pen. wkwk.

Iris Thank You

Happy Monday everyone! The card I am sharing today is one I made just for the heck of it. No particular challenge or class was in mind. All stamps/paper/cardstock used was from Gina K's Floral Frenzy Kit. I embossed the Iris's with Egyptian Gold EP on Canson 140# cold press watercolor paper and then used my Tombow markers to watercolor. I added a bit of Diamond stickles to the centers of the flowers for a little extra bling. If you have any questions, let me know.

hugs,

Hi 

wooow my fist blog entry. Not sure what im doing so bare with me it can only get better.(lol)

I just love reading every ones blogs there are so many cleaver people out there and as i an advancing with my card i would like to share them with you all and would so appriciate your comments on how i can could improve as i am learning.

Sophie

Jake my nephew wanted a card for his girlfriend to celebrate the anniversary of their 1st year together. He arrived about 9 one evening, he knew exactly what he wanted, went through my stash, picked the flowers, ribbon, colour, and wording etc everything. Gave me some photo's, he wanted one in a heart on the front, and he wanted pages inside like a book, showing the photo's of their 1st year. OK I said when you you need it for?..........

I'll pick it up in the morning on my way to work if that's OK.......my jaw dropped...I'm not that quick at making cards at the best of times, let alone print the photo's, size them, frame them and and make a book... at 10 o'clock in the evening to be ready by 8 the next morning. So I explained it would take me a bit longer than that, he said OK I'll pick it up the day after. Well I did my best, had just finished it when he arrived at 8 in the morning to pick it up before he went to work, only had seconds to take a photo of the front, as he was running late, so I can't show the inside. He was well pleased with it, said thanks, gave me a kiss and rushed off to work.

The big red heart was cut with Robo from a free template by Silene on UKS.

Wow, wow, wow, look what I won

Been so busy this week, haven't had a chance to show any cards, but have a few to post hopefully tomorrow, so please check back.

Well I turned on the PC this morning to have a quick peek and what a great surprise I had, LOOK WHAT I WON..

Isn't it fabulous....I was so excited I ran down to Tony, who was just finishing off building a brick wall at the time and said quick, you've got to come and see what I've won, (I think he thought I'd won the lottery by the way I was carrying on), then I told him I won some Candy, what's that he said, thinking why does she want to win sweets... I explained ...but he said he couldn't leave the cement in case it went hard, he did come up later though and said it was lovely and then went back to finish the wall. Doh....So I phoned my sister, and told her, as she is a crafter she understood why I was in ecstasy, great ..more goodies to share..

All I can say is thank you so much Debbie, for offering up this wonderful Candy, I am thrilled to bit that I won it. Please go and check out Debbie's wonderful blog Debbie's Place and take a while to browse her lovely designs.

I can't wait to get my hands on it all, he, he, he

#57) Hawaiian Drops

This, boys and girls, is my new baking reality - no dairy, no fat, no yolk.... BUT, please don't feel bad for me because these cookies were awesome!!! Jam-packed with pineapple and raisins, the texture was soft and chewy, and with combo of brown sugar, honey, and maple syrup, the flavour had many layers and left me wanting more every time I took a bite.... I have to say, these new restrictions don't seem to be too hard to deal with, my only issue is the change in the texture of my sweet treats, but I am sure I will get used to that... And better yet, now my treats are healthier so I can eat more of 'em, right? :)

Ingredients

1/4 cup flour
2 cups rolled oats
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 egg whites
1/4 cup applesauce
3 tbsp maple syrup
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup raisins
3/4 cup pineapple, crushed with juice

Steps

-Preheat oven to 350°F and grease or line a cookie sheet.
-Mix together dry ingredients. Set aside.
-Beat egg whites to stiff peaks. Add applesauce, syrup, and honey. Mix well.
-Stir in raisins and pineapple.
-Add wet mixture to dry ingredients and let sit for 10 minutes.
-Spoon onto sheet by tablespoonful and bake for 20 minutes.
-Let cool on wire rack.

Letter from a Animal Shelter Manager

Subject: Fwd: Letter from a Animal Shelter Manager (the sad truth!)
Get out your tissues before you read this.


Begin forwarded message:

Help spread the education by fowarding this!But be forewarned that this will be upsetting and sensitive to your hearts.Sincerely, Lisa aka Kat Education people, EDUCATION!! Let's pray that 2009spares more lives than the 11 million killed this year...(do not stop reading until you've reached the end)

A Letter from a Shelter Manager: I think our society needs a huge " Wake-up" call.As a shelter manager, I am going to share a little insight with you all. ..a view from the inside if you will.
First off, all of you breeders/sellers should be madeto work in the "back" of an animal shelter for justone day.

Maybe if you saw the life drain from a few sad, lost,confused eyes, you would change your mind about breeding and selling to people you don't even know. That puppy youjust sold will most likely end up in my shelter whenit's not a cute little puppy anymore.

So how would you feel if you knew that there's about a> 90% chance that dog will never walk out of the shelter it is going to be dumped at? Purebred or not! About 50% of all of the dogs that are "owner surrenders" or "strays" that come into my shelter are purebred dogs.

The most common excuses I hear are;

"We are moving and we can't take our dog (or cat)." Really? Where are you moving to that doesn't allow pets and why did you choose that place instead of a pet friendly home?
Or they say "The dog got bigger than we thought it would". How big did you think a German Shepherd would get?

"We don't have time for her". Really? I work a 10- 12 hour day and still have time for my 6 dogs!

"She' s tearing up our yard". How about making her a part of your family?

They always tell me: "We just don't want to have to stress about finding a place for her we know she'll get adopted, she's a good dog."

Odds are your pet won't get adopted & how stressfuldo you think being in a shelter is? Well, let me tell you,your pet has 72 hours to find a new family from the momentyou drop it off. Sometimes a little longer if the shelterisn't full and your dog manages to stay completelyhealthy. If it sniffles, it dies.

Your pet will be confined to a small run/kennel in a roomwith about 25 other barking or crying animals. It will haveto relieve itself where it eats and sleeps.

It will be depressed and it will cry constantly for thefamily that abandoned it.

If your pet is lucky, I will have enough volunteers in thatday to take him/her for a walk. If I don't, your petwon't get any attention besides having a bowl of foodslid under the kennel door and the waste sprayed out of itspen with a high-powered hose.

If your dog is big, black or any of the "Bully"breeds (pit bull, rottie, mastiff, etc) it was pretty muchdead when you walked it through the front door. Those dogsjust don't get adopted.

It doesn't matter how 'sweet' or 'well behaved' they are. If your dog doesn't get adopted within its 72 hours and the shelter is full, it will be destroyed.

If the shelter isn't full and your dog is good enough,and of a desirable enough breed it may get a stay ofexecution, but not for long.

Most dogs get very kennel protective after about a week and are destroyed for showing aggression. Even the sweetest dogs will turn in this environment.

If your pet makes it over all of those hurdles chances areit will get kennel cough or an upper respiratory infectionand will be destroyed because shelters just don't havethe funds to pay for even a $100 treatment. Here's a little euthanasia 101 for those of you thathave never witnessed a perfectly healthy, scared animalbeing "put-down"....

First, your pet will be taken from its kennel on a leash.They always look like they think they are going for a walk -happy, wagging their tails.

Until, they get to "The Room", every one of themfreak out and put the brakes on when we get to the door. Itmust smell like death or they can feel the sad souls thatare left in there, it's strange, but it happens withevery one of them.

Your dog or cat will be restrained, held down by 1 or 2 vettechs depending on the size and how freaked out they are.

Then a euthanasia tech or a vet will start the process.They will find a vein in the front leg and inject a lethaldose of the "pink stuff".

Hopefully your pet doesn't panic from being restrainedand jerk. I've seen the needles tear out of a leg andbeen covered with the resulting blood and been deafened bythe yelps and screams.

They all don't just "go to sleep", sometimesthey spasm for a while, gasp for air and defecate onthemselves.

When it all ends, your pet's corpse will be stackedlike firewood in a large freezer in the back with all of theother animals that were killed waiting to be picked up likegarbage.

What happens next? Cremated? Taken to the dump? Renderedinto pet food? You'll never know and it probablywon't even cross your mind. It was just an animal andyou can always buy another one, right?

I hope that those of you that have read this are bawlingyour eyes out and can't get the pictures out of yourhead I deal with everyday on the way home from work.

I hate my job, I hate that it exists & I hate that itwill always be there unless you people make some changes andrealize that the lives you are affecting go much furtherthan the pets you dump at a shelter.

Between 9 and 11 MILLION animals die every year in sheltersand only you can stop it. I do my best to save every life Ican but rescues are always full, and there are more animalscoming in everyday than there are homes.

My point to all of this: DON'T BREED OR BUY WHILESHELTER PETS DIE!

Hate me if you want to. The truth hurts and reality is whatit is.

I just hope I maybe changed one person's mind aboutbreeding their dog, taking their loving pet to a shelter, orbuying a dog.

I hope that someone will walk into my shelter and say"I saw this and it made me want to adopt." THATWOULD MAKE IT WORTH IT!

PLEASE FORWARD, CROSS POST, CIRCULATE TO YOUR FRIENDS.FAMILY, & CONTACTS!!!!

Polygamy

Polygamy can be exist when a male married more than one female as his wife or a female married more than one male as her husband or a mixture of both conditions….

Do you agree with polygamy?

I think most of us do not want to see this happening but, can we control all these?

As what most of them saying, love is uncontrollable…

We cannot control our feelings and we do not want to throw our first spouse away…

Anyways, in the context of polygamy, there are more male marrying more than one female compared to female marrying more than one husband….

Why is this situation appeared?

Is it because there are more female in the society in nature?

OR

Is it because the men want to show their masculinity?

OR

Is it the men want to show how much their savings are that they can actually sustain 2, 3, 4 or 5 families?

Why are all these happening?

Can we stop all these?

You might want to tell me that we can actually stop it but, polygamy has an ancient history and it is not that if I would like to have one to one policy then it can be worked…

However, polygamy is sometimes an excuse for those who want to have more than one partner…

Either to a female or male…

It is a kind of selfish acts when s/he wants to have another partner and do not want to dump the previous one….

There are lots of human kinds in the earth.. I should better name it as the world….

As long as you are willing to stay on the polygamy society and environment, you are willing to be the first or the second or the third mistress or mister…

I don’t think anyone of us have to right to stop you as this is what you wish and we can only stay aside and watch what will happen on next….


At the end here…

Good luck to those who are living in the polygamy environment and to those who wants to step into this conflict, do think twice and I think there is always someone who will support you somewhere….

Choose on what you wish and do not feel regret when time comes… be responsible on your own decision….

All the best…

Cheers... (:

Thinking of You

My father-in-law in fighting lymphoma. Since he likes my cards, I try to make him cards every so often to let him know we're thinking of him & praying for him. This past Monday (April 20) was his first chemo treatment. I can only imagine the thoughts & emotions that he and my mother-in-law are feeling right now. I mailed this simple card to let them know they were especially in my prayers on that day.

You'll recognize some of the papers as the ones I used on Tim's card last weekend. I think they're great for masculine cards. Since the card was to both of my in-laws, I figured the flower would be OK. :)


Supplies: Paper - Bazzill & Scribble Scrabble (Betty's Collection), Ink - Colorbox Fluid Chalk (Maroon), Stamp - Michael's (Just for You), Brads & Flower are from my stash. I used the Fluid Chalk ink to add color to the flower.

important for twilight fans

the title is linked to stepheniemeyer.com
gw ud edit articlenya kpanjangan. hhe.gosip midnight sun gx kluar basi, taunya jd keluar. ayo baca.
Midnight Sun: Edward's Version of Twilight

As some of you may have heard, my partial draft of Midnight Sun was illegally posted on the Internet and has since been virally distributed without my knowledge or permission or the knowledge or permission of my publisher.
I have a good idea of how the leak happened as there were very few copies of Midnight Sun that left my possession and each was unique. The manuscript that was illegally distributed on the Internet was given to trusted individuals for a good purpose.
I did not want my readers to experience Midnight Sun before it was completed, edited and published.  No matter how this is done, it is still dishonest. This has been a very upsetting experience for me, but I hope it will at least leave my fans with a better understanding of copyright and the importance of artistic control.

So where does this leave Midnight Sun? My first feeling was that there was no way to continue.  If I tried to write Midnight Sun now, in my current frame of mind, James would probably win and all the Cullens would die, which wouldn't dovetail too well with the original story. In any case, I feel too sad about what has happened to continue working on Midnight Sun, and so it is on hold indefinitely.
I'd rather my fans not read this version of Midnight Sun. It was only an incomplete draft; the writing is messy and flawed and full of mistakes. But to end the confusion, I've decided to make the draft available here (at the end of this post). This way, my readers don't have to feel they have to make a sacrifice to stay honest.
After this incredibly busy year, I am now focusing on spending more time with my family and working on some other writing projects.
--Stephenie


Midnight Sun Partial Draft (if you are having problems viewing it, please click here.) This material is copyrighted by Stephenie Meyer. Any retranscription or reproduction is illegal.

 ____________________________________________________

 IMPORTANT NOTE:
Update: In response to the outrageous number of emails that I have received with questions concerning Midnight Sun, I talked to Stephenie this weekend and she asked me to let everyone know that Midnight Sun is her next project. She has not yet finished writing it (and there is no timeline set up, so we all need to put a lot of effort into being patient for a while longer), but she is definitely still planning on having it published. And, after Breaking Dawn comes out, Stephenie has much more time to focus on writing Midnight Sun. 

legaaaa. hha. download draftnya d sini ajah, di web illegal lain lbi parah, ni ud bagus kan official, tpi sm2 blom selesai c. hhe.
 

New Moon

Lillian'd 18 Month Check Up

Lillian Cruz had her 18 month check up with Dr. Joshi this morning. As we all knew already, she is perfect.

She is 23 lbs which is in the 40th percentile for other kids her age and in the 70th percentile for her height. She will be a tall little Mexicana. Dr. Joshi went through her regular routine of checking Lillian's eyes, ears, chest and throat. She examined her stomach and all her other body parts. Everything was perfect.

With me having had strep and Lillian getting a cold this week, I had Dr. Joshi do a strep test on Lillian, just to be sure. Dr. Joshi said that kids under the age of 2 don't typically get strep throat, but since I, as her parent had it, she did the test anyways. Luckily it came back negative and all is well. I'm guessing Lillian's cold/cough is from her teething. She has been chewing on her fingers a lot latley.

Lillian was a great cooperator and showed Dr. Joshi where her tummy, head, hair, eyes, nose, mouth, teeth, fingers and toes were. She pointed to and said "Dora" in the book she had and showed her how to sign "please" and "more" in sign language. Overall, Dr. Joshi was very impressed and after her 2nd Hepetitis B shot she was sent home with only a couple tears, a red sucker and an Elmo sticker.

I can't believe my baby is already 18 months!

Optical Illusions (Part II)

Tolongin dun, gw dr dulu ud nyari2 tulisan 'liar' di gbr ni.. mank ada? yg bisa liat comment dun..

Useless Things (Part II)

Males bawa botol minum

for coloring PUBIC hair.. haizzz..

ribet bener

Kelly sembuh gr2 doa

Gw pernah liat di jendela kamar gw ada bayangan putih gitu lewat, tp y gw coba mikir selogis mgkn lah, mgkn gw gx pake softlens mata gw error?
Wktu itu juga gw pernah lgi telponan sm krisna pake HP di kamar, ada suara cewe tinggi bgt ngetawain gw. ya tapi pengen mikir logis juga dun? anggep aj gw budek.

Nyokap gw juga crita wktu dy doa, srg ada suara anak kecil ketawa terus2an.. ya gitu d, mank byk yg aneh2 di rumah gw. pas pertama x liat, gw bener2 nunjukkin klo gw takut, soalnya gw langsung ngibrit ngadu ma bokap nyokap gw. yauda d, abis itu trus aj gw dikerjain.

kmrn ada doa di rumah gw, bwt doain c kelly. Taunya yg doain tuh bisa liat gtu, ktanya di rumah gw mank ada arwah, gr2 diceritain gtu gx bsa tidur gw! Gw ma dd gw akirnya tidur d kamar nyokap, rame2 sekeluarga, pindah2in kasur dll lah.. hha. tpi tetep aj gw kpikiran trus. makanya ni hari rontok bgt ni. Ul kim td juga gx konsen gw, ngantuk abis. hhu. tapi y ud diusir c skr.. smoga gx ada lagi. amin!

Btw org yg mimpin doa blg, "mgkin kmu gx bisa liat ada yesus disini, tp Dy bener2 hadir, berdiri di sini"
trus gw sm yg lain disuru nutup mata, dd gw juga, kan billy juga sakit, jadi y didoain juga. Gw bener2 ngerasain ada Yesus di depan gw, biar gw gx bisa liat tapi gw percaya. Gw doa, trus tiba2 bener2 krasa angeeeet bgt. Merinding smua gtu tapi. hha. trus scara aneh tb2 gw nangis heboh diiringi rasa bersalah sm smua yg udah gw lakuin.

C billy sm kelly krasa diurapin gtu kepalanya, ktanya tangannya lembuuut bgt. C kelly paru2nya kerasa anget juga, trus dy serasa didorong ke blakang, klo di katolik namanya resting, jd tba2 jatoh gtu masuk ke alam bawah sadar. C kelly ud dibilangin klo maw jatoh jng ditahan, eh, masih dtahan juga payah. hha. tpi dy bener2 ud mendingan abis didoain, batuknya tb2 ilang. ni skr lg ke dokter bwt ngecek. hhe.

i DO believe in Jesus! Yayyy.. hhe.

nice manipulation (part II)