Irons on the fire... updated

Hi Friends-- time for a mini update and some pics!

Awhile back I posted about "productivity coming in streaks."  So today I wanted to give a little update to remind you all, and myself, that life goes on... ... (today's comments are in red) ... comments from the original post are in black.

* Dekker's birthday party-- I was really stressed out about this but for no reason.  We had such a terrific weekend and in the blink of an eye it was over and my baby was a toddler.  Sweet thing.

* Hosting Easter Dinner for my folks and Dave's.  Again, timely and lovely.  I decided that since we're already driving to the bakery for the treats we might as well just buy the bread rolls she's been gushing about on facebook.  They were worth every penny.  We survived this, too, and had a special Easter moment with our boy.  We also had our first "by the tree" picture.  My mom took a picture of my brother and I every year at Easter until it became a family joke.

* I have decided that for some reason this year we MUST have the AC unit inspected.  This was done as well.  All clear, and we will have it done differently next time :) Live and learn.

* Decided this would be a good time for another round with the landscaping guy (part of my quest for simplicity).  The "throw money at it" is getting rather expensive now!  I just want an estimate on taking out some MORE of the shrubbery in our yard-- more lawn please, plus a spring clean up/cut back (this currently takes us almost two full weekends-- and I cuss out the former owners the entire 4 days), plus I want to know how much to totally remove the so-not-kid-friendly pond.  We'll see what he comes back with, tomorrow at 1:30.  Ug, there went my morning nap picking up dog poop. Well he came and we said yes and we are pond-less.  It is almost done.  The mulch looks fantastic and so does the old pond area-- will look better when it's totally done (look for the upcoming "Before and After" post).

Don't Mind Me...

First, an apology to the three of you who check this regularly.   I have been trying to post regularly on Tuesday and Thursday and I am back on the wagon next week, okay!  I have been struggling with MATERIAL this week.  But today I have a little time to "catch up."  Love to you all.

Don't Mind Me

Don't Mind Me... teachers of my neighbor boy.  I know I am texting him all day when he is in school.  But I need someone to take care of my dog, who I nearly forgot to arrange plans for, while I am gone Friday night.  Such a bad puppy parent.  Thankfully, he works super odd hours, so between him and his folks Josie will probably be more spoiled than when we're home!

Don't Mind Me... I'm just finally putting away the laundry I washed and folded last Friday.  Boy, these baskets look like they have been sifted through all week while a certain someone dug out just the clothes he needed for the day and left the rest in the basket.  Odd...

Don't Mind Me... unhelpful and rude lady at Mulhalls.  I could go another 28 years without you yelling out over your walkie talkie "I'm sending someone your way in a RED SWEAT SHIRT."  You don't have to talk about me like I'm not three feet from you!  And don't mind me, but directions like "Go down that way and then turn half way down" are not enough in a HUGE nursery.  If Hy-Vee walks me to the product and their aisles are numbered, surely you can do better.

Don't Mind Me... man who DID NOT meet me and my red sweat shirt near the house plants.

Don't Mind Me... man who gets the Mulhalls website e-mails who got a nasty gram from me today. (Oh heavens, update, I just got a message from Mr. Mulhalls himself.  He wants to talk about my experience and make it better...stay tuned)

Don't Mind Me... Yon, the lady who threads my eyebrows.  I'm not sure "You have really long eyebrows" is a compliment, but I'll take it.

Don't Mind Me... to the 1200 people who will listen to me preach on Sunday.  I just broke out in a sweat thinking about it.  I borrowed a sweater to wear, the manuscript is in, the program is done... so all that's left is... me.  (This, by the way, explains my non-posting this week.  Every last minute I had without daycare was spent on it!  I have been preaching to my closet doors all week.  Don't mind the crazy lady next door who talks to herself all day...)

Don't Mind Me... to the people who I have (basically) stole stuff from off Craigslist this week.  And to my neighbors, I know it seems funny that we keep coming home with the trailer loaded up with something... but we went on a poor man's shopping spree.  We love our new daybed, table and chairs, and weight set.

Don't Mind Me... to the landscaping company.  Our yard was suppose to be done by Easter.  I know it has been raining a lot.  And we're not in a big hurry.  Just communicate with us a little better next time, okay.  We still love you, and your super reasonable prices.

About An Eight

I read just a few blogs in my spare time-- spare time = nap times when I am not napping myself or finishing up some paperwork for work.  Why does that paperwork never do itself?  Anyway, one blog that I really enjoy is Debra's.  Awhile back she challenged her blog readers to answer some questions about themselves.  And with no creepy messages, funny walks, or baby drama to report on-- I am taking her up on the challenge.  If you are reading this, and blogging along, too-- I hope you will post the questions for yourself and let me know.  (Feel free to post your answers in the comments if you don't have a blog!)

When do you feel happiest?

When the entire family is around the dinner table.  I love sharing a meal on the deck with Dave.  I love sitting down to family meal with my folks, my brothers family (or all of us, heaven-- which I took for granted for too long), with Dave's parents and his sisters and their families.  Even when there are NINE grandkids together under the age of six at the Rowe family dinners-- I love it.  Well, I am not used to the noise to be honest.  But I am learning to love it-- I love the sound of cousins talking and playing and being healthy, active kids.  I can't wait until Dekker is old enough to run around with my brothers kids and Dave's sister's kids.   I consider my small group family, too.  So I love sharing a meal with them, too.

How do you take care of yourself?

I eat.  hahahaha.  And I walk.  And they honestly cancel one another out, which means that I walk a lot and can't lose a gosh darn pound.  I also love to talk on the phone.  When I was a Freshman in college, I had 40 cell phone minutes a MONTH + free nights and weekends after 8PM.  I had them all gone on the 1st.  Honestly.  One time my dad called, rightfully upset about the outrageous cell phone bill, and I told him to add up all the "overage" minutes (not nights and weekends) that I was talking to Mom and then I would pay the difference. He never called back :)  I am also pretty self-aware when I need a break and I'm pretty good about asking for help.

Are you internally (by yourself) or externally (by others) motivated?

Externally.  And I wish I could find a little more internal motivation for a few things.

What do you do for fun?

I read blogs, like Becky's and Kara's.  I also love to read books about various topics-- some Beth Moore stuff, some ridiculous stuff, Readers Digest, on-line material, books about kid stuff like sleep and food.  I love to spend time with my friends.  I like to shop, travel, and go to yoga where I am expected to be quiet for an hour.  And I love, love, love to eat out-- like the incredible sushi happy hour that keeps me up way too late.

What intimidates you?

Enough Said...

Ever since Pastor Mark asked me to offer the Mother's Day sermon I have not been able to sleep.  Frankly, it's awful.  So I had no clients today and I decided this would be the day I would get thoughts out of my mind and onto paper.  It has got to help.  And I still have three weeks.  I promised a copy to a few staffers at Stonebridge by the end of this week-- and the deadline is fantastic.  I am at the place where I need a break from it.  What better way to fill my time then post a few pictures for you all!



This is why I can't lose any weight.  Enough Said.



This is why I want to lose weight.  Enough said.



This is why nothing gets done around here.  Enough Said.



This is why I have a love/hate relationship with painting-- I hate cleaning the brushes.  Enough Said.



This is my drooling little boy.  He is getting his molars.  Enough Said!



This is the sweet boy up on the night of his birthday.  I am usually not this chipper at night.  Enough Said!

Happy Tuesday to you all.  See you again for Thursday's post!

On the journey,

Stef

Hello, Wednesday

Today is a good day.  After all, Psalm 118:24 reminds me that, "This is the day which the Lord has made; we will be full of joy and delight in it."  I am reminded today that (Psalm 30) joy comes in the morning, (Nehemiah 8:10) the joy of the Lord is my strength.  We've got joy, people!  And I have a few Wednesday ramblings for you.

Rambling #1: We sold the alligator off of Craigslist.  So long little buddy-- he was a pond accessory and water actually shot out of his mouth-- kinda cool (just kinda).  Aside from the cash and de-cluttering the back yard, one of my favorite things about Craigslist is the PEOPLE.  I love the type of people who buy off Craigslist.  I am one of them.  I just can not get enough of people-- they fascinate me.  Last night this super nice man from Council Bluffs drove all the way to our house to hand us $40 for this beast.  And then told us a rather lengthy story about his turtle collection (it's live) all while the sweet neighbor boys tried to talk to all of us through the fence.  Then, he called my son a girl and repeatedly referred to him as "her."  I tried to correct him passively, by saying things like, "Yep, HE'LL have more grass to play in..." but it didn't work.



Rambling #2: My SON's hair may or may not need a cut.  Aside from nice-Craigslist-man, the nurse at our One Year well baby appointment told me today to "lay her right here."  I laughed.  I said, "He's a boy.  He might need a haircut."  She talked like a nervous person talked but finally did say that she should have known with a name like... Dekker.



Rambling #3: I love Chinese food.  My sweet husband took time off to go to the appointment with me today and then we went for lunch.  I love having lunch with Dave far more than Chinese food any day.  The server asked if we needed a highchair... "for him? her?"  Okay... I get it. 

Ode to Aunt God Love

... I can not get enough of posting today-- maybe it's the weather.  But I just had to get out of my head and onto this blog a few observations from my walk today.  I call this an ode to Aunt God Love because I had an Aunt Inez, who I never met but love her name, who apparently said "God Love" to everything.  So...

* God Love the grandma and her grandson who I see everyday as I walk past them in the park.  God love that we both go there at approximately 11:00AM.  Are you sneaking in the gorgeous weather in between morning nap and lunch, too?  God love that you park your Radio Flyer right in the sidewalk and I have to take my huge stroller and dog around it in the grass everyday.  We don't mind.  God love your matching track outfits today.  I think God really does love spandex pants or he wouldn't have made them...

* God love the 4 hills on my 4 mile route.  God love Dekker, who didn't cry until the last one.  It takes Mommy awhile to go 4 miles these days.

* God love Josie.  You are a hunting dog by nature.  You hunt anything, from squirrels to rabbits to weeds blowing in the distance.  I learn a lot from you and I love you.  God love you, that you are still my faithful companion even when I tug on your leash so hard that I secretly pray no one is filming it and turning it into the humane society.  God love you, you have heard more curse words out of my mouth than any other living thing.

* God love the creepy white van.  I'm sure you are simply trying to find an address as you creep down the street I am walking, but it's creepy.  I look you right in the eye like Oprah says so you know I can identify you.  God love all the traffic who hates you as you creep down the middle of the road.  These people only have 60 minutes for lunch, including commute time.  Try to pick a side.  They will gladly pass you.

* God love the grown son and elderly woman sitting on the porch.  Or maybe you are a repair man who stayed for lemonade.  I made up stories about you for a good mile.

And one more from a text I just got:
* God love my sister-in-law who just texted me a worry I forgot to add to my previous blog entry.  I am always worried that I am pregnant b/c I simply can not comprehend HOW the Nuva-Ring can possibly keep me from reproducing.

That's all for now.
God's love to you all!

Stef

PS I think I'll start counting points TOMORROW :)

Bargain Shopping

When Dave and I got married he was 21 and I was 23.  To say we had no money is an understatement.  We, thankfully (oh, so thankfully) stumbled onto a "Good Sense" Money Management class.  So we set up a Spending Plan (aka Budget) and were very diligent about sticking to it, which took some creativity and sacrifice.  We only took out student loans for tuition.  We never used a credit card.  And, we believed in "allowance" -- or basically having your "own" money to do with whatever you wanted without the other asking.  We got $6 each a WEEK.  Hey, that is nearly $50 a month, and for two part-time interns and full time students, that was A LOT of money.  So needless to say, we have somewhat prided ourselves with being bargain shoppers for some time now.

Thankfully, we did eventually graduate from school, get jobs and we continued with a budget.  Our budget really needs readjusted now that my income is variable and we have, um, a kid.  Anyway, we shop around, use lots of coupons and coupon codes, and very much take our time making any big purchase.  We beg, borrow and buy on Craigslist.  When we had Dekker, I poured over the pages of Baby Bargains.  And it was sometime then that it really struck me that you can get the SAME THING barely used for half the price, or never used and uber cheap if you are willing to do your research and a little extra leg-work.  For example, I bought a BOB Jogging Stroller for literally 1/3 the price.  The guy who sold it to us explained that it spent the last two years in his wife's trunk.  Incredible.  We use that thing almost everyday Spring-Fall and it would have been worth it full price, let alone at this price!  Wow.

Okay, well all of this is leading up to Tuesday's events this week.