tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41253314005128620772023-11-16T09:21:01.884-05:00A Heart in ProgressRachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09296707982206006676noreply@blogger.comBlogger210125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4125331400512862077.post-11279933492283653132015-02-27T13:19:00.000-05:002015-02-27T13:19:20.917-05:00K is for...Keep praying!<br />
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I read this story (who knows if it's actually true or just a sweet way to convey a message) about an old, southern man who would always end his prayer with <b><u>"Lord, prop us up on our leaning side."</u></b> When asked what he meant by that, he relayed a tale about his barn at home that had stood strong for so many years...through heat, rain, and snow, storms of all kinds. The barn was always strong and served its purpose. One day though, the man noticed that his old barn had a lean to it. The man went and put some supports poles on it's leaning side to keep it up.<br />
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We're kind of like that old barn. We face so many 'storms' in this life. Think about your life for a minute, does something come to mind? I don't think we need a list of choices to pick from...I'm pretty sure you know what qualifies as a 'storm' in your own life. Does your 'storm' look different than mine? Sure, after all, it's yours. The point is, we all get to leaning at some point. We can put one foot in front of the other, take care of what needs to be done, be strong because we have to be, but maybe we're struggling (a little or a lot, it doesn't matter, it's still a struggle).<br />
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Keep praying. Pray that the Lord would prop you up on your leaning side.<br />
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How beautiful is this:<br />
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Child of My love, lean hard,<br />
And let Me feel the pressure of your care;<br />
I know your burden, child, I shaped it;<br />
Balanced it in Mine Own hand; made no proportion<br />
In its weight to your unaided strength,<br />
For even as I laid it on, I said,<br />
"I will be near, and while she leans on Me,<br />
This burden will be Mine, not hers;<br />
So I will keep My child within the circling arms<br />
Of My Own love." Here lay it down, nor fear<br />
To impose it on a shoulder that upholds<br />
The government of worlds. Yet closer come:<br />
You are not near enough. I would embrace your care;<br />
So I might feel My child reclining on My breast.<br />
You love Me, I know. So then do not doubt;<br />
But loving Me, lean hard.<br />
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Whew! I don't know about you, but I'm gonna keep praying that God would prop me up on my leaning side.<br />
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I originally read this in the book <u>Streams in the Desert </u>(updated edition)...love it!!Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09296707982206006676noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4125331400512862077.post-8391707826922689222014-11-16T22:49:00.001-05:002014-11-16T22:49:58.933-05:00Joy is Forever, Sadness is TemporaryThe other day, Jay asked me if I had had any "sledgehammer moments"...any moments of feeling suddenly overwhelmed by sadness. I said no, and he gave me a concerned head tilt as if the obvious answer should be 'yes'. I could have tried to explain, but sometimes words cannot get out of my head the way I want them to, so I'll start waving my hands and arms around as if I can magically stir the words into order. Rather than try, I just stayed silent.<br />
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The truth is, I cannot be knocked over by sadness because I'm already down. I'm surrounded by the sadness...Trey's book bag still sits in it's after school spot. His shoes are perfectly lined up next to the front door. His jacket is still hanging in the closet. His bed is empty. I can't escape the reminders that my baby is gone and I'm not ready to move his things anyway.<br />
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I carry this sadness around like a blanket. I was a mother years before Trey came along and I will continue to be a mother, but for the past 4 years, I was also a caretaker. I knew every appointment, every prescription and dose. I can convert kilograms to pounds in my head. I knew blood pressures and temperatures and beats per minute. I could get every kid to every activity all while carrying my six year old on my hip. I could drive to the hospital with my eyes closed (don't worry, I didn't). I spent more time with Trey's nurses than I did socializing with friends. I find myself now unmoored, floating around, not quite sure what to do with all this "free" time I suddenly have. I definitely have things to do, but I don't feel like doing them...at least not right now<br />
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But, and this is important...<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><u><b>If sadness is my burden that I carry, then JOY is my strength.</b></u> </span></div>
I can look at all our pictures (which is a lot!!) and be instantly transported to that moment, filled with happiness. There is no sense of sadness. We packed a lot of memories/activities/trips into Trey's 6 years! Joe and Bella amaze me with their strength and resilience! I am filled with mama pride! Jay and I support each other in every way! The love and support from our family and community is palpable...every card or gift or message is a treasure.<br />
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Why did God allow Trey to have cancer? Why did he survive so long with it when other kids do not? Why were we chosen to walk this journey? We may never fully know the answers on this side of heaven...and that's okay. It's not our job to know all these things...it would be too much for us to know. So I take comfort in knowing that God is in control and that He is good all the time.<br />
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In time, I will put down this blanket of sadness. But, the great news??? <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><u><b>The JOY will still be here! </b></u></span></div>
It is my JOY to be the mother to 3 amazing children! So, don't worry about me...my sorrow may last for the night, but JOY comes in the morning.<br />
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But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for <b>joy</b>. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you. ~Psalm 5:11<br />
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The precepts of the <span class="small-caps">Lord</span> are right, giving <b>joy</b> to the heart. ~Psalm 19:8<br />
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You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with <b>joy</b>, ~Psalm 30:11<br />
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Restore to me the <b>joy</b> of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. ~Psalm 51:12<br />
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When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me <b>joy</b>. ~Psalm 94:19<br />
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Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of <b>joy</b>.~Psalm 126:5<br />
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<br />Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09296707982206006676noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4125331400512862077.post-71976085023336534002014-07-27T22:26:00.000-04:002014-07-27T22:26:11.465-04:00I is for I Still Do!!!Fifteen years ago, I stood in front of more than 100 friends and family to commit to forever with the love of my life! Fifteen!! How can that be possible? Wasn't it just recently that I was getting shooed out of the mall for loitering? We <i>just</i> went to that Vanilla Ice concert! I still get carded...how can I be closer to 50 than I am to 21<i>??? </i>I can remember our wedding as if it were yesterday<i>...</i>the flowers, the singing, the babies (that are all grown up now!)<br />
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Fifteen years in and I still get little butterflies when I watch Jay coach volleyball. I still find comfort in the sound of his car pulling up outside. I look for him in crowded parties and always know when he's close by. I instinctively put my hand in the crook of his arm when we're walking. He has already anticipated my move and his arm is ready. It still feels new to introduce "My husband, Jay." With a look across a room, we can speak volumes. <br />
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We absolutely did not know what we were saying 'I do' to fifteen years ago. I did not think I would ever say things like, "No, you can't poop in your brother's pocket!". Or, who knew we were saying 'I do' to a lifetime of home improvements?? Never ending laundry? <br />
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Some things we've encountered would have torn apart a weaker bond. But, we have drawn even closer to each other through difficult times, and we're better for it...together. Jay loves to teach couples (and I love to encourage him to teach other couples) how to be stronger together. It's sounds so simple, but yet is so powerful. We meet each others emotional needs. Anyone can learn how to do it, too! It's made us better spouses, better parents, and better friends. <br />
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So, after all these years, I still do.<br />
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July 24, 1999</div>
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July 4, 2014</div>
Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09296707982206006676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4125331400512862077.post-48335577670092296222014-03-20T22:35:00.000-04:002014-03-20T22:35:21.039-04:00H is for HOLETo be more precise, H is for the gaping <u><b>hole</b></u> in the ceiling of our entryway for the past few years. Years, people!! A few years ago, during a rainy season, Jay and I heard a drip, drip, driiiipppp and discovered that the ceiling was leaking a tremendous amount of water. We had to tear down some seriously damaged chunks of the ceiling to assess the damage inside and let it dry out. Jay fixed the roof...except not really. After we did a poor patch job on the ceiling, it leaked...again!! Jay fixed the roof, again...but, fo reelz this time. But, to be safe, we left the hole there to really let it dry out and make sure it was done leaking.<br />
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Here's the funny part of the story...probably 9 out 10 people that came into our home never even saw the hole as they walked in. If we pointed it out, well then, how could you NOT see it...I mean, the insulation, the metal beam, crumbling drywall...gorgeous!!<br />
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Over time, the patch-the-ceiling project moved down our list of things to do. After all, I think I was the only one bothered by it and we had more important things to tend to. A few people had volunteered to fix it on their time and dime, but life gets busy and it just didn't happen. We were really close to getting the job done with the last volunteer, but it just couldn't come together. But now I had a vision in my mind of having this job done. So, I decided I would do it myself. My brother-in-law lovingly told me that I couldn't do it myself...not in a condescending, you're a girl, kinda way. But, more like in a realistic, you've never hung dry wall before kinda way. He was right, of course, but telling me I can't do something is pretty much the same as telling me to run and do it immediately.<br />
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As with any project that I take on, I become like the pig in the story <u>If You Give a Pig a Pancake</u>...if I'm going to fix the ceiling, then I'm going to want a new light fixture. If I want a new fixture, I'm going to want to move it 2 feet to the left (or right depending on where you're standing). If I'm adding a new fixture, the walls should get a fresh coat of paint. If I paint the walls, I'm going to have to paint the baseboards and doors, too. While I'm painting the closet door, I should fix the latch that prevents it from closing the whole way...and so on....<br />
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With the helpful advice of my father-in-law, I finished the project!!! Hip hop hooray!!! I love it so much! It's like breathing new life into our home!!! And I learned a bunch of new skills...using a drywall bit, wiring, using a reciprocating saw!!! I love it all! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjYai6YRG20aXvBs9WuqkuYb9skd104TmDZuMQZ9AnUjdgkdbZ01Z3xx2GOrrPVV_oclOSbbhns7rz4bGFCtiidpNVn_kDbbsE5AcKsbwjPoURyyVrMeDkTtHmGY0t7TddnEEvVqxHyEpD/s1600/IMG_3561.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjYai6YRG20aXvBs9WuqkuYb9skd104TmDZuMQZ9AnUjdgkdbZ01Z3xx2GOrrPVV_oclOSbbhns7rz4bGFCtiidpNVn_kDbbsE5AcKsbwjPoURyyVrMeDkTtHmGY0t7TddnEEvVqxHyEpD/s1600/IMG_3561.JPG" height="400" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I added molding to cover the seam of the new dry wall.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">See how the closet door is a wee bit open? Made me crazy!!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDhlsmAHPE04nXzFxIVMRAdiVssA1lTE-21yKRzACiTd1xhL_2nW1ypM5hIdDw5DsyYbGeuqMITg48Bc1fQC4eEJjieDYQAVCEgi_8em9cWREGEIWuNiz6vzQ5Gl3MJgGh41dmYy3J2xwb/s1600/IMG_3551.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDhlsmAHPE04nXzFxIVMRAdiVssA1lTE-21yKRzACiTd1xhL_2nW1ypM5hIdDw5DsyYbGeuqMITg48Bc1fQC4eEJjieDYQAVCEgi_8em9cWREGEIWuNiz6vzQ5Gl3MJgGh41dmYy3J2xwb/s1600/IMG_3551.JPG" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I was laying on the floor looking up for this view point. The smaller hole is where the old light fixture hung.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLeh81I2TnF93bttbVlSLaszUDruRY5KiD-8xCVRjHbMiKksy53I8KfnvGFrQoFMIQPIe0pqpmKSEwnoxNK0VUUKC8ooLSf5uOEUM_HPgVord4SAey2vY8zfS2qeSEIaPyWtm5hkasWyKQ/s1600/IMG_3554.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLeh81I2TnF93bttbVlSLaszUDruRY5KiD-8xCVRjHbMiKksy53I8KfnvGFrQoFMIQPIe0pqpmKSEwnoxNK0VUUKC8ooLSf5uOEUM_HPgVord4SAey2vY8zfS2qeSEIaPyWtm5hkasWyKQ/s1600/IMG_3554.JPG" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's so clean...and the closet door shuts!!</td></tr>
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This project cost less than $50, by the way. All I had to purchase was a sheet of drywall and 3 8' lengths of molding. I had the light fixture, (and I pat myself on the back for knowing that it would hang lower than the original, Miami Vice looking, brass and beveled glass fixture that had been there and opening the front door would be problematic). I also had the joint compound, water putty, primer and paint. Done and done!! What's going to be my next project???<br />
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<br />Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09296707982206006676noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4125331400512862077.post-73641318165767439072014-03-08T22:53:00.000-05:002014-03-08T22:53:50.772-05:00G is for Gratitude!!!This past week has been quite a whirlwind in many ways, and the word that keeps coming to mind is GRATITUDE!! We are <u>grateful</u> to those who donated to our Trey's Trip to Disney fund. <u>Grateful</u> to those who shared the link. <u>Grateful</u> to those who read the link and said a quick prayer. It is amazing and humbling to be surrounded by such a supportive community (that spans the globe). I can't adequately put it to words, but it does this momma's heart good to experience the overwhelming good in this world. I thank you and am <u>grateful</u> for you.Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09296707982206006676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4125331400512862077.post-36550437349380507752013-10-30T14:33:00.001-04:002013-10-30T14:33:38.336-04:00"F" is for...Well, "F" could be for a lot of things... Feelings, Faith, Fall, (Kids! Avert your eyes, quick!!) F*&% Cancer. But, for today, I will use this "F" for <i>Flashback</i>.<br />
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Take a walk down memory lane with me since it is the season of all things pumpkin...<br />
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<a href="http://rachelmitlo.blogspot.com/2009/11/how-to-ruin-roasted-pumpkin-seedstwice.html">http://rachelmitlo.blogspot.com/2009/11/how-to-ruin-roasted-pumpkin-seedstwice.html</a>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09296707982206006676noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4125331400512862077.post-71865929755899283972013-08-14T22:46:00.000-04:002013-08-14T22:46:55.845-04:00"E" is for....<u>Exciting</u> news!!! Trey is going to school!!!<br />
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Remember<a href="http://rachelmitlo.blogspot.com/2012/06/preschool.html"><i> this</i></a> post I wrote last year? We had decided not to send Trey to preschool because we didn't know how the next <i>month</i> was going to pan out, let alone nine months for school. Well, lo and behold, Trey has flourished in the clinical trial he has been in. The medicine he gets weekly (through a medi-port in his chest) is supposed to prevent tumor growth, and so far, it has! Praise God! <br />
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All through the last school year, Trey and I would have a free form, casual, organic (i.e. I didn't know what I was doing so the lessons had no structure) homeschool lesson appropriate for his age. We had a calendar time, worksheet time, coloring or activity...or maybe we would bake cookies or go to the library or play outside (totally counts). <br />
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Right around the new year, it kinda dawned on me that Trey should be able to write at least his name if not all the letters. I wasn't looking for calligraphy, but this kid couldn't write <i>at all</i>. Yet, he knows every letter and sound, even sight words. Long story short, Trey goes once a week to see a physical and occupational therapist. Turns out, chemo can mess with your muscles...who knew? And all of his abdominal surgeries have made sit ups almost impossible, but he's working hard on that six pack!<br />
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Which brings us right up to now. Trey loves going to the kids' school to pick them up or for an event. And, he's become aware that <i>he</i> wants to do that, too. There was no way I was going to send him to full day kindergarten. I'm not ready for that and neither is Trey! So, we met with the preschool director where Joe and Bella attended. We love this preschool, the teachers, etc. They welcomed Trey with open arms for this school year. So, every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, Trey will be at school for 2 1/2 hours!! My baby! He will be the oldest in the class, but I don't care and he won't know.<br />
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We know that all this could change in the blink of an eye. Trey still has to have scans every 3 months (the next one is in October) and his cancer could grow at any time. We continue to stand on the edge of a cliff not knowing which way the wind will blow. But! <a href="http://jaymitlo.com/blog/">We have TODAY</a>! <br />
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We will rejoice TODAY! Trey is the healthiest sick kid around. He is not symptomatic. He is not bed ridden. He's a wild, 5 year old, excited to go to school and carry a big backpack!! If I were to keep Trey here with me (which is so very tempting) and prevent him from having this experience, it would be like telling God that what He has blessed us with is not enough. Trey needs to go out and show the world that God has kept him strong and this Momma needs to let him.<br />
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Do you think it would be okay if I just stood in the parking lot the whole time he's there? Just kidding! I'm going to take a nap! Ha! Gotcha again! I have some plans for the time all three kids will be in school...we'll see how that goes.Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09296707982206006676noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4125331400512862077.post-52880312173126012412013-08-01T22:48:00.000-04:002013-08-01T22:48:07.790-04:00"D" is for Delighted!Well, color me tickled...errrr, <u>delighted</u>!! (I'm totally twisting this to fit my alphabet list of blog posts)<br />
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My friend, <a href="http://katyranklev.com/blog/?p=2078">Katy</a>, has included lil' ol' me in her list of nominees for a Liebster award. What the what??? First of all, how Katy finds time to blog, let alone recognize <i>other</i> bloggers is impressive to me. Katy is a full time mom, wife and writer (and knitter, volunteer, friend...not in that particular order). Her blog is honest, raw, vulnerable and funny all at the same time. She'd be a perfect guest blogger for <a href="http://bowdenisms.blogspot.com/2013/02/show-your-real-big-idea.html">Courtney's Show Your Real series</a>. Katy has some real and is not afraid to show it.<br />
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Secondly, what's a Liebster?? Oh, it's a thing, people! A Liebster award is a way to give recognition to other small bloggers (200 or fewer followers).<br />
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So, thank you to Katy for the recognition! I wish I blogged more often, but it still feels good to have a friend give ya a pat on the back.<br />
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When you’re nominated for a Liebster, here’s what you do:<br />
1. Thank the Liebster Blog presenter who nominated you and link back to their blog.<br />
2. Nominate 11 blogs who you feel deserve to be noticed and leave a
comment on their blog letting them know they have been chosen.<br />
3. Answer the 11 questions you were asked and create 11 questions for
your nominees.<br />
4. Display the Liebster Award logo.<br />
5. No tag backs, meaning you can’t just re-nominate the person who nominated you.<br />
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<b>Here are the 11 questions I was given: </b><br />
1. <u>What sort of milk do you prefer to drink?</u> Ummmm, I do not drink any milk ever...not cow, coconut or almond kinds. If I <i>had to</i>, I would pick 2% for cereal purposes only...or baking. You use milk for baking, right?<br />
2. <u>Do you prefer baths or showers and why?</u> Showers, absolutely! I hate baths! I feel like I'm sitting in a pool of my own filth in a tub. Or worse, someone else's filth. Plus, I'd have to stand up, turn the shower on to wash my hair...I'm too lazy for all that.<br />
3. <u>What percentage cocoa do you prefer your chocolate to contain?</u> Ummm, I had to read this a few times to understand it. Never have I ever paid a lick of attention to percentage of chocolate. So, my answer is, however much is in a Caramello Bar.<br />
4. <u>What is your about-to-begin-the-workday ritual?</u> Since my job is a full time Momma and every day is different, coffee is really my only ritual. Oh yeah, and feeding children, getting them dressed etc. If we have to be somewhere, I'll use the time they are eating to get myself put together.<br />
5. <u>Describe your perfect lunch meal.</u> The perfect lunch is one that someone else has prepared.<br />
6. <u>What are your thoughts on flavored dental floss?</u> I'm not against flavored floss (I heart cinnamon), but someone that I live with, possibly married to, has <i>very</i> specific requirements for his floss. <strike>Jay</strike>...<strike>Mr. Mitlo</strike>...rats! That guy I'm married to cannot have any type that shreds or conflicts with other flavors or makes a noise. Since he's the more dedicated flosser, he gets to pick the brand.<br />
7. <u>What is the most important thing about a dwelling? (Bonus: does your dwelling succeed at this thing?)</u> The most important thing about a dwelling to me is that it feels safe. Not so much from a security stand point, though that's important, but I mean that someone could come into our home and feel free to be comfortable, share thoughts and feelings, feel like they have been cared for. Our children sleep in peace, without fear, talk openly with us, and we always look forward to coming home after having been gone. So, yes, I think our house succeeds in this.<br />
8. <u>Do you really untie your shoes before you remove them? Every time?</u> Never.<br />
9. <u>What is your goal in blogging?</u> I think my goal for blogging now is to get memories/thoughts/stories/snippets of time out of my head and somewhere permanent. At one time, I would have said my goal was to inspire and challenge (and maybe impress), but then <a href="http://rachelmitlo.blogspot.com/2010/12/being-thankful.html">real life came down hard</a> and I can't seem to find the right words ever to encompass all that. So, I'm fine with sharing anecdotes.<br />
10. <u>What part(s) of your current life is/are the way you imagined when you were in middle school?</u> Exactly zero parts. I was a bad kid, a bully really, and couldn't see past to the end of a day, let alone years ahead. My days were consumed with trying to figure out how to be a bad ass. (Hint: If you have to think about it, you're not) I guess if I look back and think real hard I maybe wanted to live in a big city and be a news anchor. Instead, I've lived in exactly 2 houses, both planted squarely in suburbs, and am a SAHM. It's a close call, really.<br />
11. <u>What would you say to your young self if you encountered her on her first day of college?</u> I would say, "Hang in there, kid. Things are going to unfold in ways that you can't imagine. Quit trying to control everything, for cryin' in a bucket! Remember, "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'" (Jeremiah 29:11)"<br />
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So, now for my nominees. This was interesting to me because I realized how few blogs I read regularly. Katy's being one of them and I can't tag her back! Almost all the blogs that I follow are written by real life friends. Some of them may have more than 200 followers. After all, some of them may have been featured in a <a href="http://bowdenisms.blogspot.com/2013/04/parents-magazine.html">major magazine</a>! Please take no offense to my nomination...just have fun with it!<br />
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1.<a href="http://bowdenisms.blogspot.com/">Bowdenisms</a><br />
2. <a href="http://christinacostain.blogspot.com/">She's a Crafty Pumpkin </a><br />
3. <a href="http://agentorangerecords.blogspot.com/">agentorange</a><br />
4. <a href="http://happyandcompany.blogspot.com/">Happy and Co.</a><br />
5. <a href="http://thejaglowskis.blogspot.com/">Just a Glimpse...</a><br />
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That's my list...I can add to it once other bloggers get blogging and update their blogs. Blog.<br />
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My 11 questions for my nominees are:<br />
1. In what type of car did you take your drivers test? (and, did you pass the first time?)<br />
2. Where would like to spend your retirement years? Hometown? Exotic location?<br />
3. What's your favorite vacation memory?<br />
4. Who was your favorite teacher (any level of education)?<br />
5. What's your least favorite household chore and why?<br />
6. If you could go back to high school, would you do things the same or vastly different?<br />
7. What sports did you play?<br />
8. What's your beverage of choice? Pop, tea, coffee?<br />
9. Music or talk radio?<br />
10. How many shows are saved on your DVR right now? (or Netflix queue or whatever space age contraption you use)<br />
11. What's one movie that you have to stop and watch if you see it while scrolling through?<br />
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<br />Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09296707982206006676noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4125331400512862077.post-48795200220364695082013-07-07T22:40:00.000-04:002013-07-07T22:40:17.914-04:00"C" is for....C is for cleaning, cabinet, change and celebration! <br />
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The kids recently finished a week of Vacation Bible School at our church (Hey! There's a "c"). Did you ever go to VBS as a kid? Did you like it? I never, ever went...didn't even really know it existed. But, that's beside the point. While the kids were singing, playing and praying their hearts out, I had 3 hours of kid-free time for 5 days! This is THE only time of year that this happens. So, of course, I took a long nap, painted my nails, watched any (non animated) movie made in the last 5 years...oh, wait! No, I didn't do any of those things!<br />
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Are you ready? I <u>cleaned</u> our windows! Maybe you're thinking to yourself <i>that that doesn't sound like such a big deal. Who cares? I wash my windows 3 times a week! </i> To which I would reply, <i>blah, blah, blah, pffffffttttt. </i>My nephews were doing some odd jobs around the outside of our house, so the ladders were out, the sun was shining and, <i>believe me</i>, the windows needed it. We've lived here for almost 15 years and I've cleaned the outside of the windows exactly zero times. How's that for "<a href="http://bowdenisms.blogspot.com/2013/02/show-your-real-big-idea.html">showing your real</a>"??? My 17 year old nephew had to show me how to take the screens out. What?!?! In my own weak, barely reasonable, defense, the screens were supposed to be able to be taken out from inside the house. But, whoever put them in, did it from the outside. Our neighbors pay a measly $25 to have their windows professionally cleaned, so we could have gone that route...but, we just never did. But, from now on, since I put the screens back in correctly, those windows will be sparkling clean year 'round. How often do you clean your windows? Or do you have a service? Or do you just like to think that it's always slightly cloudy?<br />
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I, also, used that precious VBS time to paint another <u>cabinet</u> for the dining room.<br />
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Somehow, between all the painting and cleaning, Trey ended up making some big <u>changes</u>. Maybe only big to this Mommy, but still...We switched Trey from a toddler bed to a twin sized bed (he went from looking like a giant to looking like a peanut), and put away all the baby gates. And, Trey upgraded from a 5 point harness car seat to a big kid booster seat! Lots of changes!!<br />
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We also sneaked in a few <u>celebrations</u>! Somebody (okay, me) had a birthday, there was the 4th of July, and we had a picnic here to celebrate over 20 years of friendship!!<br />
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What should I do for the letter "D"??? Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09296707982206006676noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4125331400512862077.post-3366299024017094622013-06-05T22:01:00.000-04:002013-06-05T22:01:16.336-04:00B is for Bella!!!I suppose I could have waited for the letter "I" to write about Isabella, but she just finished her first dance recital and I couldn't wait that long! I'll just have to blog about ice or igloos or itchy iguanas...<br />
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Bella has been taking a hip hop class every week since September and they started practicing their recital routine in earnest in January. Bella's dance history is not very long...a few summer classes, but that's it. She has been so excited for this recital since day one! Every detail made her happy..the practice, the costume, the rehearsal, everything! She definitely takes after her father when it comes to dance. All I can do is embarrass those standing around me with my "humpty leg" and "running man". If you're lucky enough to have been friends with me for the last 20 plus years, you've seen my own creation "the big rig". It's a classic.<br />
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Bella has already told me that (in addition to taking up the cello) she will be taking ballet, hip hop, tap and jazz. Ummmm, baby guuurl better get J.O.B. Those costumes are no joke. Though, I love her enthusiasm and excitement for dance. I never got to take any kind of class as a kid, so it feels good to be able to give that to Bella and watch her grow in it.<br />
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During the rehearsal and two performances, the audience cheered during the routine and Bella's face absolutely lit up. She loved the attention and it energized her. <br />
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Here's some pics I snapped...<br />
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I took over 350 pictures, so this truly is a small sampling! Now, is there a way we can make the recitals LESS than 3 1/2 hours long? Please?<br /><span id="goog_1027163990"></span><span id="goog_1027163991"></span><br />Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09296707982206006676noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4125331400512862077.post-75245142262190609662013-05-30T22:40:00.000-04:002013-05-30T22:40:04.549-04:00Art!!I felt a bit of blogging inspiration after reading another blog that is going through the ABC's. Cute, right? Start with A and work my way right on through...no time frame and I can think of whatever topic I want for each letter. I might be able to handle that. Maybe. At first, I got all hung up an the letter A. I can't take the pressure! Not a great start. But then I landed on "art".<br />
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What kind of art do you have hanging in your home? What's your style? Abstract? Modern? Photography? Kid art? In my mind, I love all hand made art pieces created by Pinterest ideas. In reality, though, I lean waaaaaayyyy towards traditionally framed art or things that I think are significant (maybe only to me, but still) <br />
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Since painting the dining room, I've had a heck of a time filling the empty wall space. Since my budget is somewhere between $0 - $10, I felt stuck. I've pinned a few ideas, but then chicken out when it comes to actually making something for fear that it would turn out badly. But, I pinned one idea that I thought would be perfect <i>if the kids made it</i>! Genius! That way, I'll get what I want and if it's not perfect, who's gonna say?? It's way more abstract than I would ever, ever pick...like Jackson Pollock kinda abstract. But, I love it, too!<br />
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Here's some pics of my more traditional pieces...<br />
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The paintings above hang over the sofa and the fireplace...the same place for15years. And, I'm pretty sure for the next 15 years,too. It takes a lot for me to change...<br />
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This piece hangs in our bedroom...for the past 15 years. Did I mention that I used to work for an art shop before getting married? I stocked up on framed art, my friends.<br />
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Each kid got a canvas and a variety of cups filled with food colored bubble liquid. They had at it and there's the results. I love that each kid has one, they are each different and special. I think they'll be hanging there for more than 15 years!<br /><br />Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09296707982206006676noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4125331400512862077.post-90062975277448892832013-04-25T23:29:00.000-04:002013-04-25T23:29:03.098-04:00New TerritoryHave you ever come across the blog,<a href="http://www.peopleiwanttopunchinthethroat.com/"> People I Want to Punch in the Throat</a>? That Jen is a card, I tell ya. I will also warn you that if you're easily offended by 'swears' (as my kids call them), coarse humor, or painful truths, don't click on the link. <br />
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This post has nothing to do with her blog. But I have found myself, recently, wanting to punch people in the throat. To keep repeating the phrase over and over, I thought deserved at least a shout out to her dedication to throat punching.<br />
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As our children (ages 10, 8, and 4 11/12) get older, I continually find myself in new parenting territory. Whatever I <i>think</i> I know about parenting gets pushed aside to make room for new realizations. My most recent realization is that kids are jerks. Ugh! Okay, fine! Not <i>all</i> kids. Certainly not <i>your</i> kids...never <i>my</i> kids. Ha! But, seriously! This school year has had me mentally throat punching people left and right. (Do I have to add that I would never actually punch a kid? Fine. I hereby declare that this post is satirical and should not be taken as a threat in any form.) Since Christmas, one kid in particular has taught Joe the "F" word. Joe didn't understand him the first time, so I got to tell him that FURK is <i>not</i> the mother of all swear words. Take that, kid! Except that he spoke more clearly the next day. He's taught Joe to look up words like vagina in the dictionary. (Joe already kinda knew this word, he just didn't know you were supposed to giggle when you said it.) And, I can't even fully explain what he taught Joe to make 2 Lego horses do to each other. So, this new territory...how much do we let 'boys be boys'? We can't exactly forbid Joe from talking to this kid...they're in school together. And as much as I hate it, Joe has to be out of my eyesight for those educating hours. And, if it wasn't this kid, it would be another. How long will it last that Joe openly tells me (or uses props to show me) what he's 'learned'? We continually tell Joe that we want the other kids to be like him. Not for him to be like the other kids while I'm mentally punching people in the throat. <br />
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Bella (the 8 year old going on 17) is taking her first real hip hop class at a local dance studio. The class is once a week for half an hour. The other girls in her class take other types of dance, too, and seem to have been taking classes together for years. Bella loves, loves, loves the class, the teacher, and the other girls. My sweet princess girl is oblivious that the other girls are shunning her. They turn their backs to her when she walks up to them or just walk away. The other night, she asked a girl what game she was playing on her phone. The girl could have dislocated something with how hard she rolled her eyes and said with a sneer "You've never heard of Minecraft???" Bella, thinking the girl was interested in her gaming history, said "No. How do you play?" The girl ignored her as another girl plopped down on her other side and started chatting. At that point, I called Bella over to me to hug her before class started. While Bella was in class, I watched a gaggle of other girls (not so) subtly mock a girl who was not part of their group. People were getting mentally throat punched all over the place. How do I make sure Bella preserves her innocence? How do I tell her she doesn't need to be friends with these girls without hurting her feelings? I did tell her that I thought the one girl wasn't very nice, to which, Bella defended her.<br />
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I fear that this new territory includes letting them step further away from us and navigate social situations themselves. It's painful to watch. Good thing we know that God is bigger than whatever a bunch of kids can throw at them. Is it okay, though, if I keep punching people in throat...mentally, of course. <br />
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<br />Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09296707982206006676noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4125331400512862077.post-15109396505648559632013-04-01T22:58:00.000-04:002013-04-01T22:58:25.262-04:00Overly Detailed Before & AfterChristina, over at <a href="http://christinacostain.blogspot.com/">She's a Crafty Pumpkin</a>, is constantly annoyed at me for not giving more detailed descriptions when I make or redo something. So, this post is mainly for her. <br />
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My brand spankin' new dining room needed a pop of color, so I took this... <br />
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To this...</div>
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Annnnnddddd, here's how that happened in great detail. To be honest, this 'dresser in the dining room' idea was my 'B' plan. Plan A looked much different in my head. But after several searches failed to meet my vision, including my beloved antique store, I had to come to grips that unless I was going to spend a ton of money it just wasn't going to become a reality. I'm for sure keeping Plan A in the back of my head and will ditch this dresser in a hot minute (or maybe just move it to another room), but for now, I love love love the color and the functionality.<br />
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After Bella's dance class on a Wednesday evening, we scooted on over to the local Goodwill Store. I'm gonna pop some tags...got twenty dollars in my pocket. This gem of a dresser was just sitting there waiting for us for the bargain price of $14.99. After convincing Bella to stop rubbing her face on the seat of an old couch or trying to get me to buy snow boots, we folded down the van seats and zipped on home.<br />
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While the kids did their homework on Thursday and Trey was otherwise occupied, I pried off that weird dental molding strip, all the hardware (which I broke in the process), and the top edge added on piece thing.<br />
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On Friday, I moved this project down to the basement so I could sand it. This is an important step even though I'm tempted to skip it every time. But, with this old kind of veneered shiny wood, if you skip sanding, the new paint will peel right off...kinda like when you were a kid (or last week) and would cover the palm of your hand with glue, wait for it to dry then peel it off. Fun when it's glue, sad when it's paint that you had to actually buy.<br />
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I employed the toughest sanders I live with and let them have at it. We used a heavy grit (50 & 80) to really give the finish some teeth.<br />
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After sanding, (don't forget to wipe off the dust!) I used my new favorite water putty to fill in flaws and a weird seam. While Jay played with the kids, I went to Home Depot to get the paint. When I found the color I wanted, the woman helping me suggested that I get the SAMPLE SIZE. This size only comes in a flat or egg shell finish (I chose egg shell), but is enough to do 2 coats on a piece like this. The sample size cost $3.15!!!<br />
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On Saturday, while Trey napped and the kids were playing, I sanded the dried water putty and put on a coat of primer (which I already had in the paint closet). Again, I love to skip steps for expediency's sake, but...I hate going back to fix things more. The primer guaranteed that the old, ugly black freckles on the wood wouldn't peek through. <br />
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After the kids went to bed, I did the first coat of paint. During Sunday's nap time, I did the second coat. My next problem was the hardware. I had broke every handle taking them off the dresser, plus they were dated....<br />
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On Monday, I went to The Construction Junction and found the perfect hardware for a total of $5.89. *Construction Junction accepts donated household goods and sells them for practically nothing! However, the hardware was a shiny brass, which was not what I wanted. A can of black spray paint would solve that problem.<br />
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I attached the new (old) hardware to a piece of cardboard and waited for the kids to go to bed. I have to say, spray painting is an art. An art that I am not proficient in...even less proficient at night...outside...in the dark...in 30* weather. Somehow, I always miss spots and get a little high every time. It's not my best work, but got the job done!<br />
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So, for a total of $25.00, I got my nice pop of color!<br />
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Whew! If you read this whole thing, God bless ya! <br />
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<br />Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09296707982206006676noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4125331400512862077.post-89200724310474724132013-03-18T22:42:00.000-04:002013-03-18T22:42:01.995-04:00What I made!!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I've been wanting to give our dining room a makeover for awhile now. I loved our dining room the way it was, but it definitely needed to be freshened up. A good friend asked me why I would re-do the dining room since it had only been a few years since I did the <i>first</i> makeover...uhhh, that was 12 or 13 YEARS ago!!! Originally, January was going to be THE month that I tackled the make over. But, then someone decided to empty our bank account for us, so it wasn't possible. (Have no fear, the problem has since been fixed and funds returned!) Then I scheduled a Super Bowl/ baby shower party at our house, so I just didn't have the time. (Such a mature decision for me! In years past, I would have tried to frantically finish the project forgoing sleep and sanity.) <br />
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I didn't take any 'before' pictures. I know!!! For shame!! But, to be honest, one day after dinner, Jay ripped a piece of chair rail off the wall to see what would happen and so the project began. And by began, I mean that the glue from the chair rail ripped off chunks of plaster leaving a strip of disaster in its wake on our very unevenly textured walls. Uh-oh. Once I fixed that problem with a bucket of joint compound, children's paint brushes, and an electric sander, it was on to the painting. Of course I wanted to paint horizontal stripes on an uneven wall. Our house has to be the most crooked house ever...if you ever drop a blueberry or bouncy ball, I know just where to look! (under the china cabinet!) The stripes turned out beautifully! BUT!!! The most exciting part of the project was my window boxes/valances/cornices...whatever you call them, these were my 'piece de resistance'!!!<br />
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You guys! Pretty much everyone thought I was crazy to tackle this project by myself without any real woodworking experience. I promise you, the guy at Home Depot tried mightily to talk me out of this project with a smile and condescending tone. He may have even given me a grandfatherly wink at one point. Since I don't take kindly to be being told that I cannot do something, I went ahead and bought all the wood and trim and headed home.<br />
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I have a whole 'nother blog post about how great my father-in-law is. He's a great resource of tools and fix-it wisdom. He came over and helped me measure correctly (as to hit the studs when hanging the box) and miter the corners at the correct angle. Plus, he bought me a whole container of water putty, which is my new favorite putty!!<br />
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Again, I didn't take pictures of the process because I had set my expectations pretty low. I knew I could <i>do </i>the project, I just doubted how well they would turn out. I didn't want any evidence of wasted time, wood and money (I feel like there's a joke in there somewhere). However!!! They turned out way better than I expected!<br />
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Since we were hosting a huge birthday bash this past weekend, I didn't have any time to hang stuff on the walls, but here are some pics....<br />
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Here's sort of a 'before' picture...the room was yellow above the chair rail, dark blue below the rail. I like the blue because we did vertical stripes of the blue in satin and egg shell finishes. Thank you Trading Spaces! Please excuse the child with no pants on...<br />
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My helpers!! They really did a good job!</div>
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The taping of the stripes!!! Yikes! Do you like my "x's" to remind my feeble brain to NOT paint in that space?<br />
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I love these so much sometimes I just stand in the dining room and look at them.</div>
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I have some ideas for art projects and a new cabinet/shelf...I promise that I'll try to remember to take pictures!Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09296707982206006676noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4125331400512862077.post-15029415729635428332013-02-19T11:06:00.000-05:002013-02-19T11:06:13.651-05:00Show Your Real!You guys! Jump on over to <a href="http://bowdenisms.blogspot.com/">Courtney (and Dustin's) blog</a> to check out my very first guest post! We're showing our real! While you're over there, check out their other posts, too...it's a little bit about lots of different things. Though, I must warn you, you may be inclined to run out and purchase boots after reading some of her fashion posts! Thanks to Courtney for giving me the opportunity to invade her little corner of the web.Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09296707982206006676noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4125331400512862077.post-87614952920396760212013-01-24T21:51:00.000-05:002013-01-24T21:51:20.029-05:00How Not To React to A Wedding ProposalI love hearing stories of how couples got engaged! As I sit (Ha! Sit? What's that?) here whining and fretting about having nothing to blog about, I realized that I never recorded the story of our engagement. So, sit back, relax and if you're anticipating your special someone popping the question, don't do what I did.<br />
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It was April, 1998 (yes, I know how long ago that was) and we had been dating for about a year and a half. Jay and I had<i> talked</i> about getting engaged and married...we just knew, ya know? I may or may not have hounded him to tell me when he was going to propose and he would sigh heavily, tell me to be patient (uh, I don't even know what that means) and maybe, just maybe, when we were at the beach that summer all my wishes would come true. But, the summer was so faaa---aaa---rrrr awaaaaa---yyyy. I knew it wasn't going to happen any time soon because we hadn't even gone to any jewelery stores to pick out any styles. I had just told Jay very specifically what I <i>didn't</i> want. He wasn't even sneaking around trying to measure my finger when I wasn't looking or having covert convo's with the besties. How am I supposed to be surprised if I'm not suspicious?<br />
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On Friday, Jay called me at work to talk about our evening plans. He had a gift certificate to Monterey Bay Fish Grotto on the top of Mount Washington. Very fancy and very fishy. I don't eat fish. But, I'm always up for fancy, so I left on my purple pants suit and off we went! We had a table right next to the window over looking our beautiful city! After we ordered, that's when things changed...<br />
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We have a favorite song that we would listen to and get all googly eyed over by Bebo Norman called A Page Has Turned. It's about a little boy and a little girl who grow up and find each other because that's the way it's supposed to be. We had talked about having it be the song we danced to at our wedding...someday. "High upon the mountain, he asked her for her hand." As we were looking out over the city, pointing out different sights, Jay quoted a line from song when the boy proposes to the girl. Me, being clueless and hungry, didn't pick up on the subtle nuance. Here's the conversation...<br />
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Jay: We're high up on a mountain...huh, honey? (If he'd been next to me he would have been jabbing his elbow into my ribs)<br />
Me: Uhhhh, yeah, I guess.<br />
Jay: Honey, can I have your hand?<br />
Me: No! I do <i>not</i> want your gum! This is a fancy place. Find a napkin or a piece of paper!<br />
Jay, a little more forcefully: Honey! Give me your hand.<br />
Me: No! Seriously! Do NOT give me your gum...swallow it if you have to!<br />
Jay, through gritted teeth: Honey! Give. Me. Your. Hand!<br />
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I turned my head, closed my eyes and stuck my hand out across the table so Jay could put his gum in my palm. Whatever he put in my hand was not gum...not slimy enough. When I peeked, it was ring box with a beautiful ring in it!<br />
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Me: WHAT?? ( I tend to have volume problems when I get excited)<br />
Jay: Will you marry me?<br />
Me: ARE YOU SERIOUS? (people we're looking now...Jay didn't get down on one knee because he didn't want me to be embarrassed by all the attention. I went ahead and solved that problem.)<br />
Jay: Well, if this was a joke, it's not a very funny one.<br />
I can only assume that I said "Yes!" as that very ring is still on my hand 14 years later. <br />
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Jay was able to relax and eat all the food in the restaurant. I, on the other hand, had to take my entire dinner home because I simply couldn't eat...I just kept staring at the ring! Other diners stopped at our table to give us well wishes <span style="font-size: xx-small;">after somehow hearing about the proposal</span> and a priest even blessed the ring! <br />
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So, ladies, if you're seriously dating someone, anticipating that moment, and your mate asks for your hand during a romantic dinner, DO NOT start yelling about gum.<br />
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Any other fun engagement stories out there? I think <a href="http://christinacostain.blogspot.com/">Crafty P</a> should share <i>her </i>engagement story...it's a good one!<br />
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Here's a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxxFGRLDFX0">linky loo to "our" song...</a>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09296707982206006676noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4125331400512862077.post-8902114287525421102013-01-04T22:43:00.000-05:002013-01-04T22:43:26.503-05:00Say Goodbye to Stewart!Remember my <a href="http://rachelmitlo.blogspot.com/2012/12/say-hi-to-stewart.html">Stewart</a> idea? He was my <a href="http://rachelmitlo.blogspot.com/2012/11/should-we-or-shouldnt-we.html">"Elf on the Shelf"</a> AKA "kids don't want to be creeped out" replacement. In my effort to keep December simple and not frighten the children, I created something that caused me a lot of work and creative thinking. Dang, my kids are smart whipper-snappers! Overall, I really like the idea of Stewart...In a nut shell, Stewart would hide his special box somewhere in the living room/dining room/kitchen for the kids to find in the morning. Inside the box was a scripture verse that they had to look up and read, then they had to write down gift ideas, put them in the box and put the box back where they found it. Easy, right? Hmmmm....sort of. The hiding was the easiest part. Stewart had no tolerance for tomfoolery, so the box was always hidden in plain site. In the morning, Jay and I could hear Joe and Bella looking for the box (Trey was typically knee deep in one of our phones watching YouTube videos and couldn't be bothered). We would hear a triumphant "I found it!!!" <br />
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On day 2, our curious and not easily satisfied Bella started asking questions of Stewart. She wanted to know what he looked like, how old he was, were he and Santa close friends. Then wise, old Joe jumped into the fray and wanted to know about all the other elves and why they have pointed ears. Oh! For crying in a bucket! So, I had to have Stewart answer them by including a letter in with the scripture. Then, to divert their need for honesty and straight forward answers, Stewart began asking <i>them </i>questions...What was their favorite Christmas movie, song, joke?<br />
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Stewart, however, did not stay all the way up to Christmas. Once we got a solid idea of what the kids wanted and we had the opportunity, we went shopping! We actually finished pretty early for us this year. My fear was that if I let the kids keep writing down ideas <i>after</i> we went shopping, one of them would come up with "the only thing I really, really, really want" and then be disappointed when he/she didn't get it. (How do you shop for your kids and keep it even/fair/responsible should be a whole 'nother post, right?)<br />
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I wish that I had researched and printed scripture verses all at once or at least a few at a time. There were a few nights that we were headed up to bed and I'd remember Stewart!! Drats!<br />
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But, you guys! My kids read their Bible every day! Bella underlined every verse we read in her new Bible ("to be like Mommy" she said! I swoon!) We talked about what words like integrity and humility mean. They were reminded how much they are loved by God and are covered in grace and mercy...and what that looks like to show that kind of love to other people. How great is that? If they remember <i>any</i> part of something we read, I'll consider the project a success!<br />
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The jury is still out on if I'll do it again next year. Maybe I'll come up with something even better! Here's my challenge to you! I'm going to list all the scripture verses we read...why don't you look them up and see what you think?<br />
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John 3:16, Philippians 4:4-8, 1 John 4:7-10, Ephesians 2:8-9, Proverbs 17:22, Psalm 139:13-14, 2 Corinthians 8:9, John 15:9-14, Proverbs 10:9, Hebrews 13:16, James 1:19-20, Colossians 3:12-14, Luke 2:8-14, 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, Isaiah 26:4, Luke 6:37-38, Philippians 4:8-9, Hebrews 12:15, Ephesians 6:1-2, 1John 3:1, John 14:6<br />
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Why didn't the skeleton cross the road? He didn't have the guts! (that was Bella's joke for Stewart! I love it!)Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09296707982206006676noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4125331400512862077.post-54660214080175789742012-12-22T22:29:00.000-05:002012-12-22T22:29:59.895-05:00Oh, Pinterest, You Got Me!I was in search of a teacher's gift for Joe and Bella's teachers. I needed 3 (simple, inexpensive, yet thoughtful, something they could use in real life) gifts. I found this cute idea on everyone's favorite social media network idea pin board bookmarking place site, Pinterest.<br />
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Super cute, right? Just switch it up a tad for Christmas, throw in a Giant Eagle gift card, and BOOM! Done! I gathered all the items...though, I couldn't find the exact cup as in the picture. But, cups, pencils, gift cards. I started to assemble the items together at about 10:00 pm Wednesday night for a Thursday delivery. You guys! THIS happened...<br />
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Uhhhh.....crap! Now what? I'm not good on the fly! How can the pencils NOT fit in the cup??? Do I ditch the pencils? But, then, what am I going to do with 80 pencils??? Oh the shame! I came up with a solution, though! It's not perfect, but it worked.<br />
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I blame myself, really, for not checking that the pencils would actually fit in the cup...but, I somehow want to put the responsibility on Pinterest for making me have to think late at night. And, yes, get out my camera and document it all instead of just focusing on the problem. All Pinterest's fault.<br /><br />
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<br />Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09296707982206006676noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4125331400512862077.post-76285189738275803582012-12-12T12:47:00.001-05:002012-12-12T12:47:56.241-05:00Please Check!!!Two years ago today, little Tiggy lost his life when a huge, heavy dresser fell on him. I simply cannot fathom the horror, sadness, grief that his family has had to trudge through. I remember reading about the accident back then and springing into action. I <i>know </i>we anchored most of the furniture once we had kids, but I may have rearranged some things and not bothered to secure pieces to the walls. <br />
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Twice in our house, little boys have tried to climb the dresser drawers like steps to reach something on the top. Both times, the anchors caught the furniture before anyone got hurt. The drawers, I remember, still slid out, everything on top of the dresser fell off and my heart stopped beating briefly, but still. It takes seriously a few minutes to install the safety kits, plus they're not expensive. I'll install them for you if you need help!<br />
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Dana, Tiggy's mom, is an amazing writer! Hop over <a href="http://roscommonacres.com/">HERE</a> to read about how she and her family are turning a tragedy into positive action...right after you go check your furniture. Please and thank you.Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09296707982206006676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4125331400512862077.post-182290677412925982012-12-02T00:21:00.002-05:002012-12-02T00:21:40.280-05:00Say Hi to Stewart!When I approached Joe and Bella (Trey didn't really have an opinion either way) about getting the <a href="http://rachelmitlo.blogspot.com/2012/11/should-we-or-shouldnt-we.html">Elf on the Shelf</a>, they made it perfectly clear that they did NOT want the elf showing up at our house! I thought they would think he was funny and cute. I could not have been more wrong. Joe has been plagued throughout his 9 years with a few irrational fears, and I think the elf fit into one of those categories. That there <i>might</i> be a touch of realness to the magic is too much for Joe. He doesn't want to be watched by a "creepy doll" and maybe, just maybe, not get anything for Christmas because he said something "sucks" one too many times. Bella just didn't want the elf to "mess up any of MY stuff!". Bella has a great sense of limited humor. <br />
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Jay and I discussed it and thought that maybe we should just get the elf anyway to show the kids that it's silly fun and they would ultimately still get gifts under the tree. Teach them that we don't give gifts based on behavior, but because of grace. Well, when I told Jay how much the elf cost, he pooped a brick. No way are we going to spend that much money to scare our kids and add another thing to remember to do at night! Jay's alternative idea included a stuffed animal that left poop all over the house. There really wasn't a link to Christmas, we just thought it would be funny. The idea didn't pan out, though.<br />
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All that to say!!! Here's what we ended up putting together. The kids got a letter in the mail from Stewart. Stewart works for Santa but is so shy he doesn't want to be seen. He's not here to check on behavior, but rather make sure the kids know why we really celebrate Christmas and to take a gift list back to Santa. Everyday, the kids have to find Stewart's box. In the box is a scripture verse, the kids have to look up the verse, read and discuss it. Once they're done, they each write down something that they want for Christmas and put them in the box. <br />
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The scripture verses will be random, chosen by.....ummmm, me. We already have an Advent calendar that tells the story of Jesus' birth and a Jesse Tree that tells the story of the Bible beginning to end (ish). I thought it was a good way to get the kids reading and asking questions. Plus, I'll have a very precise list of what they want for Christmas. Stewart told them they could write the same thing down more than one time to show that they <i>really</i> wanted that item.<br />
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Bella is convinced that Stewart is an elf, but we will never know...I have been forbidden from trying to sneak a picture of Stewart.</div>
<br />Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09296707982206006676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4125331400512862077.post-90825486283254301982012-11-23T22:20:00.000-05:002012-11-23T22:20:22.232-05:00The Paleo Results!It's over! The 9 week challenge that I took part in is over! Since I put all my business out on <a href="http://rachelmitlo.blogspot.com/2012/09/i-eat-to-live.html">front street</a> 9 weeks ago, I think I owe you a follow up.<br />
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You guys! It wasn't as bad/difficult/gut wrenching as I thought it would be! As for the diet aspect, I kept it simple...the wildest recipe I tried was making breaded chicken with almond meal instead of bread crumbs. For breakfast, I absolutely ate the same thing almost every day. For the rest of the day...there was a lot of grilled chicken, steamed veggies, sweet potatoes, eggs, bacon, tuna, fruit and almonds.<br />
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I never craved anything...though at one point after Halloween, I was cleaning the kitchen and picked up a chunk of a Hershey bar! Oh my stars! I covered my mouth with one hand and threw the chocolate at the garbage can! Get behind me, satan! <br />
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I'm sure I could go on and on about the diet, but I'll just hit the high points. I exceeded my weight loss goal! I lost several inches! This sounds weird, but my fingernails are the strongest they have ever been! My belly feels good all the time, which wasn't always the case previously. Someday, I'll tell you what happens when I eat the turkey sandwich at Eat N' Park...The only time I felt hungry is when I didn't or couldn't plan ahead. *There were a few hospital days with Trey when I just could not eat in front of him* My skin is clear(er)! Though, as a life long picker, this makes me sad. Maybe I should include it under 'low points'. But, truly, even Jay has complimented my skin several times...and this is the same husband that (years ago) didn't notice that I had taken out my nose ring for 3 weeks. My times for each of the benchmark workouts improved!<br />
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As for low points, not too many. However, we went to a wedding and let me tell you...I love, love, love weddings! I knew that this day would be a "cheat" in my entries and I was okay with that. I was eying up that wedding cake! Seriously? I DIDN'T like the cake! It was too sweet! (I know, I know! Wah! And my diamond shoes were too tight!) But, really! I was looking forward to that cake! Bummer. Another time, I went to dinner with friends. Knowing that I wasn't going to use a "cheat", I looked up the menu ahead of time to find something Paleo friendly. What did I end up with??? A stinkin' chicken salad with all the good stuff (cheese!) taken off. I could've had that at home and not had to tip anyone!<br />
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Now that the challenge is over, I plan on sticking with the Paleo, though not as strictly as per the challenge. And maybe on the weekend, I'll enjoy a "free" meal. Since we rarely go out to restaurants (I mean, come on! I went to ONE in nine weeks!), I will choose freely from the menu. <br />
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But now, I know you've all been waiting for them...The after pictures!!!! Let me refresh your memories with the before pics, too...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimJ1O_byNJyVgalG-U7TD1SaVXx14xmJQJ7KEoMbYnFX0ZOMpCXetOp5DFb3eOfGf5ZyS6CkOLYxz8Ahf-LpYByWKKv3zE9K523b9YR3oThuNTC71ObCWISfTxWkHujCyCnrdeQunJeg8q/s1600/IMG_6525.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimJ1O_byNJyVgalG-U7TD1SaVXx14xmJQJ7KEoMbYnFX0ZOMpCXetOp5DFb3eOfGf5ZyS6CkOLYxz8Ahf-LpYByWKKv3zE9K523b9YR3oThuNTC71ObCWISfTxWkHujCyCnrdeQunJeg8q/s320/IMG_6525.JPG" width="138" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">before</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSMxaMsDt2tj1UC5tTdefiPaOL3STYARD-Oir5QbTKkKgowYuZr46LxCxqR8Caz8b3xxm8QMYbQXhELXFr_TDqYgoSclEd17pyMbaNTBhDaXyRHPntvdv-AEAG1u9L4GFIYctJdjeeM3uJ/s1600/IMG_6526.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSMxaMsDt2tj1UC5tTdefiPaOL3STYARD-Oir5QbTKkKgowYuZr46LxCxqR8Caz8b3xxm8QMYbQXhELXFr_TDqYgoSclEd17pyMbaNTBhDaXyRHPntvdv-AEAG1u9L4GFIYctJdjeeM3uJ/s320/IMG_6526.JPG" width="179" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">before</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIqtsTGMtBF9knbuQ23rRmBoljzb-brrij_sjI38o3eFiIbaMGMcUeshL6B1NvIW1QQ1n-hlfcsn5zO0L3SorcRfeFqQ-V8TxKwAmB6DASZ-IpLQAFVDgStf3cUlKi5zwm2Nexe_II2WNv/s1600/IMG_6941.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIqtsTGMtBF9knbuQ23rRmBoljzb-brrij_sjI38o3eFiIbaMGMcUeshL6B1NvIW1QQ1n-hlfcsn5zO0L3SorcRfeFqQ-V8TxKwAmB6DASZ-IpLQAFVDgStf3cUlKi5zwm2Nexe_II2WNv/s320/IMG_6941.JPG" width="127" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">after!</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwAfIPUAwUy1FZMSxIBDxv6YlsJbd3K4vaXxq9ZxhuXm1_Ve27S34de1ftvOUC4hI98BtDa9fj-sBvsU6bt5xeeSn_g2zn4MBbPyLmq2gIUsDQ0aZPTYG1cxTagKSIK1Ab60WabGEYnbdB/s1600/IMG_6942.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwAfIPUAwUy1FZMSxIBDxv6YlsJbd3K4vaXxq9ZxhuXm1_Ve27S34de1ftvOUC4hI98BtDa9fj-sBvsU6bt5xeeSn_g2zn4MBbPyLmq2gIUsDQ0aZPTYG1cxTagKSIK1Ab60WabGEYnbdB/s320/IMG_6942.JPG" width="133" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">after!</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td></tr>
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Hooray! Can you tell by the pictures that I hate, hate, hate having my picture taken? Ugh! Anywho...look into Paleo if you're thinking of changing things up. It's a challenge, but isn't anything that's worth it?Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09296707982206006676noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4125331400512862077.post-18496777575074479412012-11-05T22:27:00.003-05:002012-11-05T22:27:56.473-05:00Should We or Shouldn't We????<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlyGbS71r-f8g3Gt_Zl_GJu1-TCqLKemUgPhQDmE01rKnrPPXuP4LI3up0dhTsF65FEzscU5h4y_qMq1NJwTOrR-R5Es6ewe7lx_f96fJvD7FpxlibNNu064T4DhKU9GgPTVWY_p5M2Eec/s1600/elf-shelf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlyGbS71r-f8g3Gt_Zl_GJu1-TCqLKemUgPhQDmE01rKnrPPXuP4LI3up0dhTsF65FEzscU5h4y_qMq1NJwTOrR-R5Es6ewe7lx_f96fJvD7FpxlibNNu064T4DhKU9GgPTVWY_p5M2Eec/s320/elf-shelf.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Of course I'm talking about The Elf on the Shelf. I mean, what else could it have been? It's kinda embarrassing to think of how much mental turmoil I create for myself over a decision like this. Do you love him or hate him? Do you even know who he is? This little (sometimes mischievous) Elf plants himself in your house for the Christmas season, watches the children and reports back to the big guy (Santa...not THE Big Guy). I actually have a pro and con list for this "Christmas Tradition"...Please help me to decide!<br />
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Pros:<br />
He's so cute!<br />
I love to think of the kids' faces as they search the house looking for the elf every morning.<br />
What a fun tradition! Aren't I <i>always</i> rambling on and on about not having enough <i>traditions</i>?<br />
I could stretch my creative muscles to think of new and funny ways to hide him. <br />
If I hide him well enough, maybe the kids won't find him for a few days but they would use all their free time searching instead of fighting with each other. <br />
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Cons:<br />
So, you're telling me that in addition to making lunches, redding up, Christmas shopping, planning and decorating, that I have to REMEMBER to hide this guy EVERY night for a month?<br />
I fear the wrath if this elf gets "hidden" in the same spot more than once. My kids are old enough to call that BS out.<br />
Some people have gotten sooooo creative with their elf that there are blogs dedicated to this tomfoolery...Pinterest boards, websites (sometimes inappropriate...get him outta your liquor cabinet and the Barbie bin, for Pete's sake)! That bar is set pretty high, my friends. Not that my kids would judge me, but I would. I would. <br />
I would be setting myself up for every year to come. As much as I long for traditions, I'm kind of a commitment phobe. Can you do Elf on the Shelf just one time? Or is that opening a 15 year long door?<br />
Don't get me started on the whole "There's an elf watching me, so I better be good" concept!<br />
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See what I mean about torturing myself? Clearly, I'm making too big of a thing out of this. Can't I just plop him on the mantle? Do you wish you would've started something like this years ago? Do you regret starting this? Do you have a similar tradition that you like better? The clock is ticking, people...Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09296707982206006676noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4125331400512862077.post-25659405794806580072012-10-24T21:14:00.000-04:002012-10-24T21:14:12.388-04:00A Giant LeapThis past weekend I joined the ranks of the "smart" phone users! I'm still learning how to use it...I may have inadvertently called some people from my contact list that I haven't talked to in years. Oooops! To say that I took a step up into this technology would be a horrific understatement. It's more like a GIANT LEAP into this era of 4G's and wi-fi. <br />
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I went into the store with this:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT7-VxmbEabqnNGowluVNvUJkvUiasUXyT-9oVyh9NYXavBWDHF5-EMtrGvMIBVy-rerxE5Ok5q-5w-O7c-Nih2lzDX0tJ_A_rwLH_EKtIizYclJIKaxJg1Miof7gr4vuqB1W-Iyu5bNrD/s1600/IMG_6667.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT7-VxmbEabqnNGowluVNvUJkvUiasUXyT-9oVyh9NYXavBWDHF5-EMtrGvMIBVy-rerxE5Ok5q-5w-O7c-Nih2lzDX0tJ_A_rwLH_EKtIizYclJIKaxJg1Miof7gr4vuqB1W-Iyu5bNrD/s320/IMG_6667.JPG" width="276" /></a></div>
My beloved Strawberry Chocolate! She was really cutting edge (I swear!) when I first got her years ago.<br />
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I came out of the store a painful 3 hours later with this:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFyy6Ks1k0KKvEI1zKsdwy3p68jvb0whZUz3KO2eu0zm5aoFcW3y3YvGckSQBhspZ131Xac24jhuGsprevOr242humNGKEbgYG-0bE8ybbgo7uCcs5FNDLLuMJhGRcYmLSJI3qna-BrZFv/s1600/IMG_6669.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFyy6Ks1k0KKvEI1zKsdwy3p68jvb0whZUz3KO2eu0zm5aoFcW3y3YvGckSQBhspZ131Xac24jhuGsprevOr242humNGKEbgYG-0bE8ybbgo7uCcs5FNDLLuMJhGRcYmLSJI3qna-BrZFv/s320/IMG_6669.JPG" width="293" /></a></div>
Ain't she a beaut?? I think my hesitation to jump on all this fast paced, touch screen, swiping bandwagon may be due in part to growing up (in the 1980's & '90's, thank you very much!) with THIS bad boy:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinnzZgPFrtllY1lNcr0C9rMoi0_OQJVyZGuHu-2tD7ovEPa6EMeRsy_YgtJtiNlmJxXeDj7PFsSJqjVf1gjUVP375Uqf-tJIbhv6bCq-gCb-OYXVRzLUGGYuDVWijlx69d2CWhmzrDyX6s/s1600/IMG_6672.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinnzZgPFrtllY1lNcr0C9rMoi0_OQJVyZGuHu-2tD7ovEPa6EMeRsy_YgtJtiNlmJxXeDj7PFsSJqjVf1gjUVP375Uqf-tJIbhv6bCq-gCb-OYXVRzLUGGYuDVWijlx69d2CWhmzrDyX6s/s320/IMG_6672.JPG" width="207" /></a></div>
Yeah, that's right. Who <i>didn't</i> have a candle stick phone circa 1920 in their front hallway? All the cool kids had to push that lever to use call waiting. And the rotary? Pshhhhhh. Try not to be so jealous. <br />
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Did you have anything "unconventional" in your house growing up?<br />
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<br />Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09296707982206006676noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4125331400512862077.post-71887006746809259302012-10-14T21:30:00.000-04:002012-10-14T21:30:13.620-04:00Before and After<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRg05TeyQBRe1h9VTG7CDUbJDy_eU_3lC46yKhGqWYcaAziwbnyEs97Vu9xXv8vPg6xTX5nSrNF9uWgsMjJTW5Z8Lt8YAM99CvLmmxX45A3B3gGsuIdJQXmfUHOH1RxOa5-rNDMp3bM7mS/s1600/IMG_6614.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRg05TeyQBRe1h9VTG7CDUbJDy_eU_3lC46yKhGqWYcaAziwbnyEs97Vu9xXv8vPg6xTX5nSrNF9uWgsMjJTW5Z8Lt8YAM99CvLmmxX45A3B3gGsuIdJQXmfUHOH1RxOa5-rNDMp3bM7mS/s320/IMG_6614.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCDS4hvrzBAnXX_5EufFIKbVWyTHyvMGCsOwoQsaMthDoMyFl7PwL39m69OBPmfvaetiZTIi9p5wntDPteiJ8YcXpAZ-q-DMFCq8_ZKe_Ea13-wDegw0eA5BTJMyCq_k9xR1xJaii4Iyz8/s1600/IMG_6622.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCDS4hvrzBAnXX_5EufFIKbVWyTHyvMGCsOwoQsaMthDoMyFl7PwL39m69OBPmfvaetiZTIi9p5wntDPteiJ8YcXpAZ-q-DMFCq8_ZKe_Ea13-wDegw0eA5BTJMyCq_k9xR1xJaii4Iyz8/s320/IMG_6622.JPG" width="176" /></a></div>
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How fun is a huge chalkboard??? Hooray for weekend projects!</div>
<br />Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09296707982206006676noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4125331400512862077.post-20507665690556497172012-10-04T21:08:00.000-04:002012-10-04T21:08:29.657-04:00What we did today....Since Trey does not go to preschool, I have been giving him lessons here at home. It has been WONDERFUL! He surprises me every time with things that he knows (that I didn't know he knew) and his ability to retain information. But, today was too nice to stay inside! Who knows how many more nice weather days like today we're going to get, so I wrote down some things on a list that Trey could look for outside.....<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRk0eywY3ExsAYK9qBV8BO5u8h4RqpkrYXami4sAmRHmP43Ez6g6UE1F-APgxANH5L-hn0ERxheaZ63MCOkIGAXldu4YWb3HESK9okIWhK_VBYkGBK_EHkaNea88KITTgwORKqfPm22n8U/s1600/IMG_6528.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRk0eywY3ExsAYK9qBV8BO5u8h4RqpkrYXami4sAmRHmP43Ez6g6UE1F-APgxANH5L-hn0ERxheaZ63MCOkIGAXldu4YWb3HESK9okIWhK_VBYkGBK_EHkaNea88KITTgwORKqfPm22n8U/s200/IMG_6528.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Something green, or "Duh, Mom"</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjALjNB6h8IaFwxekxlH0IYE2nKyHhAsFt6CCddghb9odItH3t_6okqHueKoZCrdL8M1DrkdQQtPbnqLGla4sXUZdSvF0nr1Q4kH2By_A2LwGox8hL5A0KUV0UayuEdZ0uSDjQdsAxPODD7/s1600/IMG_6530.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjALjNB6h8IaFwxekxlH0IYE2nKyHhAsFt6CCddghb9odItH3t_6okqHueKoZCrdL8M1DrkdQQtPbnqLGla4sXUZdSvF0nr1Q4kH2By_A2LwGox8hL5A0KUV0UayuEdZ0uSDjQdsAxPODD7/s200/IMG_6530.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">two different leaves</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPnO908H9RbA-EtpU6Y-204NuFs4GtdGU5hhtScnq2OUJqh_zIWZShchXVlQDkr0ts7qFlvipxvgRhzOc89vxKxDZFQrwSb8CkgkZicR9OurmZ1wnU6KJeoiN3p8Xm2xuK60DDOqHDtgYH/s1600/IMG_6531.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPnO908H9RbA-EtpU6Y-204NuFs4GtdGU5hhtScnq2OUJqh_zIWZShchXVlQDkr0ts7qFlvipxvgRhzOc89vxKxDZFQrwSb8CkgkZicR9OurmZ1wnU6KJeoiN3p8Xm2xuK60DDOqHDtgYH/s200/IMG_6531.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">something straight</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSyjEgPPr_sxem62A3NQ47YTod8jUJqdYrCtDrNtpL6kUwRz75-W2rlnKrNO2Nhd3lHhWFVaiDgLUkXYKoAawa5yW9Ayk8Y4J5O7SSFD4j9rStjMRR1KSBH4iFXQb_TOnj6_a3kKz78Y0l/s1600/IMG_6532.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSyjEgPPr_sxem62A3NQ47YTod8jUJqdYrCtDrNtpL6kUwRz75-W2rlnKrNO2Nhd3lHhWFVaiDgLUkXYKoAawa5yW9Ayk8Y4J5O7SSFD4j9rStjMRR1KSBH4iFXQb_TOnj6_a3kKz78Y0l/s200/IMG_6532.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">something beautiful</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6yj7pPkN_hILyNnlTfM0rLSEJ_VSlq5ZSOlzA4ZaonW8vlEqNsFnm8c4xbTcKols17XmjLq6fCpLVoi1V-LjqrV3Hp_7ZjaGf3SMfJDMfpbCutQUYC1KoA5YZC-Poyxz1KgwBUtJVD_fZ/s1600/IMG_6538.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6yj7pPkN_hILyNnlTfM0rLSEJ_VSlq5ZSOlzA4ZaonW8vlEqNsFnm8c4xbTcKols17XmjLq6fCpLVoi1V-LjqrV3Hp_7ZjaGf3SMfJDMfpbCutQUYC1KoA5YZC-Poyxz1KgwBUtJVD_fZ/s200/IMG_6538.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Something that makes noise. See the car?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVCcCAJUXA1yZuGt_81UNQORiFDZMp3tcM4muYQDE9G0IlO7zyuwRApAntvGQuH4BT35eWulKEF6hFXpv6xpBG6b0ookoiKNvELghjz-zInAZPqU-llKCsyEEQkpCTQ-HUB1dk62-3WDZE/s1600/IMG_6536.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVCcCAJUXA1yZuGt_81UNQORiFDZMp3tcM4muYQDE9G0IlO7zyuwRApAntvGQuH4BT35eWulKEF6hFXpv6xpBG6b0ookoiKNvELghjz-zInAZPqU-llKCsyEEQkpCTQ-HUB1dk62-3WDZE/s200/IMG_6536.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">a stick. Love his face!</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwzrtkGLVmXqyuuHVBe0Uro5HQEe6-GNpa4YdcFyPM-X5r4YgLpvEMJIyzP_gDHfGQLwTZRToXpjgjVCPJzsa76xzT0mezUPlksmfwTiI9muF1CT_q1vB5aG5kH9Kf44a2VPjo9LB4cKEY/s1600/IMG_6541.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwzrtkGLVmXqyuuHVBe0Uro5HQEe6-GNpa4YdcFyPM-X5r4YgLpvEMJIyzP_gDHfGQLwTZRToXpjgjVCPJzsa76xzT0mezUPlksmfwTiI9muF1CT_q1vB5aG5kH9Kf44a2VPjo9LB4cKEY/s200/IMG_6541.JPG" width="133" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">something round</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfoFkjDKfLgqH5wlMo6QZ501zjV1cuk-RdIAs_pRwBaPJ2iLXUFcbHDlufM6z6jQ8g8IZ0VtcnEaTvnXqbF06AFN3xB_PR2h8fdpLeqVXd6SSvPBoyD1L68QFjMP6ujio0UauNrCV2axoG/s1600/IMG_6539.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfoFkjDKfLgqH5wlMo6QZ501zjV1cuk-RdIAs_pRwBaPJ2iLXUFcbHDlufM6z6jQ8g8IZ0VtcnEaTvnXqbF06AFN3xB_PR2h8fdpLeqVXd6SSvPBoyD1L68QFjMP6ujio0UauNrCV2axoG/s200/IMG_6539.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I just like our street in the fall...</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis8BtYnIIWVjyFrG8K6nXD2NM53y3k8hSuOuY3QKWC9WhEq7YnAhMuS9DfRVnh2hWXmjxAhlzqTYTJzJ1Oz2QxuvQzWcmALv5niFlPC82ECx3Byw54VwgTY8wk3HHyahpR4exQy07zzh0A/s1600/IMG_6543.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis8BtYnIIWVjyFrG8K6nXD2NM53y3k8hSuOuY3QKWC9WhEq7YnAhMuS9DfRVnh2hWXmjxAhlzqTYTJzJ1Oz2QxuvQzWcmALv5niFlPC82ECx3Byw54VwgTY8wk3HHyahpR4exQy07zzh0A/s200/IMG_6543.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not part of the hunt...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgioIIMkI2uA6mPCn_CQJeWCrg5Xl-hW9AmJ6G8nIfwYoHHh1seRpJMyrxv5434h1ZKwUGoo7Xt7rJqoGjBsKSMuTpFZ2fVCaKjtTdDqE10Dq5Cbl8Aauge0ltBd7CX3p5f_SVWEpidN2GA/s1600/IMG_6544.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgioIIMkI2uA6mPCn_CQJeWCrg5Xl-hW9AmJ6G8nIfwYoHHh1seRpJMyrxv5434h1ZKwUGoo7Xt7rJqoGjBsKSMuTpFZ2fVCaKjtTdDqE10Dq5Cbl8Aauge0ltBd7CX3p5f_SVWEpidN2GA/s200/IMG_6544.JPG" width="133" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">but, Trey took the sign anyway.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5SDXpphPeOVSqSFCFEmfKbQCddbufOfgJCBG28wmcbB-DOLa5IKRRJ1azVUPfhXK0EXdEWy-S0OFwfBh_5xb-pfmK2GzPblzAxeZFgvoCvqoH33pccuksJEUhT8mvOlMdbaJIfDUPFilL/s1600/IMG_6545.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5SDXpphPeOVSqSFCFEmfKbQCddbufOfgJCBG28wmcbB-DOLa5IKRRJ1azVUPfhXK0EXdEWy-S0OFwfBh_5xb-pfmK2GzPblzAxeZFgvoCvqoH33pccuksJEUhT8mvOlMdbaJIfDUPFilL/s320/IMG_6545.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">something fuzzy</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-_iexytYNX3CuZQm_PWkioJ2gM5Bd7sXSBgt5cbk5MtKf16U6XAANhyphenhyphen5fCEfrZIj0tEYHzGXibmUOReivBVk8tLVmsau1rO9StR77bNAV_VkfmZyzV7Ca_4J5zfY2pLJmtCdVaJRqyZx6/s1600/IMG_6547.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-_iexytYNX3CuZQm_PWkioJ2gM5Bd7sXSBgt5cbk5MtKf16U6XAANhyphenhyphen5fCEfrZIj0tEYHzGXibmUOReivBVk8tLVmsau1rO9StR77bNAV_VkfmZyzV7Ca_4J5zfY2pLJmtCdVaJRqyZx6/s320/IMG_6547.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Whatcha thinkin' about, Trey?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfJtT9noh03C38Zc6IyAw5sdjqS8zSEPksrWe9L-ZgAlKMe-mkUO4DsPdPEVj1CBwIGhKcmwUxlnnWJTB8_rvu5_JCNy8WWkTcFF2EStzk-d3p5Vz48jOzwZ6aEjaT-XaM36JPYbG7OVY7/s1600/IMG_6562.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfJtT9noh03C38Zc6IyAw5sdjqS8zSEPksrWe9L-ZgAlKMe-mkUO4DsPdPEVj1CBwIGhKcmwUxlnnWJTB8_rvu5_JCNy8WWkTcFF2EStzk-d3p5Vz48jOzwZ6aEjaT-XaM36JPYbG7OVY7/s200/IMG_6562.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bella in on the fun! A piece of litter.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW-gVYAY1HHdw83Hfb_ZE9grTkVwQITdyHnszQhGsamx3GW5tuRawCgRksiWt4A_KmJfD7oMq4X1-b2sxxYpD3eVJgC_hOvipZtqEewcnvH3Bm6eNSdL9wTEsaobN_LtTji76-7JTbbAp2/s1600/IMG_6563.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW-gVYAY1HHdw83Hfb_ZE9grTkVwQITdyHnszQhGsamx3GW5tuRawCgRksiWt4A_KmJfD7oMq4X1-b2sxxYpD3eVJgC_hOvipZtqEewcnvH3Bm6eNSdL9wTEsaobN_LtTji76-7JTbbAp2/s200/IMG_6563.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">a chewed leaf</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV1kDfr8IvAkBc2vNCASPURn4PgG5xc0hRL7-oPH-P24CjZ05U3cU0tMTeiSRHqxi2i6itEDYbrTPW9iU7Fgl3e2UCI8YOvztF-xJHRtiwvqLvDEc9HokdRgBeqQ7-6CrvDzGe-PoW7gzV/s1600/IMG_6569.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV1kDfr8IvAkBc2vNCASPURn4PgG5xc0hRL7-oPH-P24CjZ05U3cU0tMTeiSRHqxi2i6itEDYbrTPW9iU7Fgl3e2UCI8YOvztF-xJHRtiwvqLvDEc9HokdRgBeqQ7-6CrvDzGe-PoW7gzV/s200/IMG_6569.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bella's something beautiful</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwPxpICQ6XcgvHDZQ-vNUgrPuPfYgxE5uThws_BcbEax9wu9tFDZhNius_tG08xXEwS8m7liu0gPoPM-0M6-ZMxNGKiA39jol3B9kq8BFFhAg298jRe820tp07gtDWsmPiN0wsbr3Pv48r/s1600/IMG_6570.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwPxpICQ6XcgvHDZQ-vNUgrPuPfYgxE5uThws_BcbEax9wu9tFDZhNius_tG08xXEwS8m7liu0gPoPM-0M6-ZMxNGKiA39jol3B9kq8BFFhAg298jRe820tp07gtDWsmPiN0wsbr3Pv48r/s200/IMG_6570.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">something smooth</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs3-BBNIMuz2K9xOv3Pmaykz8tceUDzsptlwEr5GoTJCRzBjG-2-pIwEB6pUc4netlF_GUomQejmvO85yZRXu_Z4t5EKUZtnhO1FQ7J26APpf4YPGCqzwDpyOYpmX0oObj-s4gPk0GXEZQ/s1600/IMG_6574.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs3-BBNIMuz2K9xOv3Pmaykz8tceUDzsptlwEr5GoTJCRzBjG-2-pIwEB6pUc4netlF_GUomQejmvO85yZRXu_Z4t5EKUZtnhO1FQ7J26APpf4YPGCqzwDpyOYpmX0oObj-s4gPk0GXEZQ/s200/IMG_6574.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">pinecone</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizCdqQIK6AGLKs_I1J8FnUQ8xfe1nkzYBoAzXXjjbGo-CfX26B_TMX_UqACFj_xF8HAqTsQyk38p4RziOJpv0ed2hXWtWLVZW18LRLXx67ft2D0l5pLnJ95Fk8hgTniaeSTmonc4XMipVb/s1600/IMG_6578.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizCdqQIK6AGLKs_I1J8FnUQ8xfe1nkzYBoAzXXjjbGo-CfX26B_TMX_UqACFj_xF8HAqTsQyk38p4RziOJpv0ed2hXWtWLVZW18LRLXx67ft2D0l5pLnJ95Fk8hgTniaeSTmonc4XMipVb/s200/IMG_6578.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bella's 'treasure', a cool leaf imprint</td></tr>
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<br />Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09296707982206006676noreply@blogger.com0