Sing your life...

Last night, we attended Jared's Kindergarten end of year singing performance. I love Kindergartners! It was like watching a bunch of ants --thankfully the program was short because they were bursting at the seams with energy, singing their hearts out!! All of the pictures during the performance turned out awful. Bummer. They were so cute, though, and Jared looked rather handsome--don't tell him that! He was VERY upset that he had to dress up to school (I guess at our house, dressing up is only for church). However if I said his clothes were ugly and there were scuff marks on his shoes and a pen mark on his pants and his hair looked like a hurricane, then he was okay with dressing up. Kids.

Jared has surprised us this year at school. He was the youngest in his class and I always felt he was a little bit behind his peers, but I was WRONG. He has just shined and impressed us with each passing month! I love his individuality, his I don't care what you think attitude, his sensitivity, his "I don't care if I'm the best" look at life...He is unique and sweet, feisty and loving. And handsome to boot!

Jared (on the front row in the middle) and his classmatesJared with his teacher, Mrs. Stere

Martin and Jared (someone who has crazier hair then he does--maybe this is why they are buddies!)

Close your eyes, give me your hand, darling...

Day 4 (Monday)
We decided today that we should take it easy, so we went on a hike (did I say take it easy?). There is a random waterfall outside of Buffalo that is called "The Eternal Flame" because there is a natural gas leak that is lit behind the waterfall. The fun, though, was hiking down to the river, I knew we would not come back up dry! Tyler was first to take a slip. HE didn't drench himself, though. Then it was Evan--sad and soaked. Jared managed to stay "semi" dry until on the way back up when he fell backwards and slipped into the river--all in the name of saving his precious rock that he refused to let go of!After the hike, we really did take it easy...dinner, ice cream and frisbee by the river and then back to Buffalo to get the kids in bed. Tara and I headed to a yard sale, we made some hair bows and then we all played a game of Catan. Fun times.

Day 5 (Tuesday)
On the road again...the ride home is always the worst. Who wants to go home to housework and school? Blah! The trip back was okay. You could tell Anna was feeling better because she was a bit more vocal (and not in a pleasant way)! We managed to stop only once which made the trip back 8 hours total. Would we do it again?? Yes, but hopefully, Jeff and Tara will soon be moving closer and we won't have to!

We're all exhausted and will now need a few more days to recuperate!

Happy 100th Post to Me!

So, I hear that it is tradition to post 100 things about yourself when you reach that exciting 100th post...Well, that could take me awhile, but I'll give it a whirl...

1. My middle name is Jill.
2. I was born in Pennsylvania and grew up in Pennsylvania.
3. However, I also lived in California, Michigan, and Maryland.
4. I have a freckle on my foot, very random...at least my husband thinks so.
5. I love, love, love cereal (especially the chocolate kind).
6. I was a missionary.
7. That's why I lived in the Paris, France area.
8. I've never broken a bone.
9. But I've had stitches 3 times.
10. I can barely form a sentence in French--so sad!
11. My favorite time of day is when the kids are in bed.
12. My least favorite time of day is when I have to wake up.
13. I'm a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
14. I don't practice polygamy!
15. And neither does anyone else I know.
16. I am not opinionated.
17. I try to be fair and understanding.
18. I complain a lot.
19. I'm sarcastic.
20. I love blogging.
21. I've been held up with a knife, but I took her down...seriously (oh, I should have used that for 2 truths and a lie)!
22. I helped run a group home for teen aged girls (clue to #21).
23. I worked at McD's and LOVED it.
24. I attended college in Idaho and Utah.
25. I like(d) to dance--and not ballet or square or ballroom, not that kind of dancing.
26. I enjoy going to concerts, but I don't make the time anymore.
27. Music calms me down and helps me fall asleep.
28. I love and loathe exercise all at the same time.
29. I can actually say that I enjoy yoga--I was anti for so long.
30. I prefer small groups to large groups.
31. I like being at home.
32. I also love buying my children clothes.
33. And myself clothes, too.
34. I CANNOT wait until October!
35. My children and husband are my greatest blessings.
36. I love reading...magazines.
37. I'm pretty good at sudoku, but suck at crosswords.
38. Crap and sucks are 2 words I use too often.
39. I love making hair bows.
40. I enjoy teaching myself how to sew new things.
41. If I went back to school I'd want to study Family Law.
42. I always knew that I'd work in the social services field.
43. When I became a stay at home mom I missed working tremendously.
44. Now I wouldn't trade it in for the world--I love making my own schedule!
45. My favorite candy is sweetarts.
46. Citrus Blast is my favorite Rita's flavor (may it rest in peace).
47. Sometimes my faith waivers.
48. Yet I have a strong testimony of repentance and forgiveness.
49. I love my sisters and wish I could see them more.
50. I have the best sister-in-laws! They are truly my sisters.
51. I want to adopt (a child).
52. I have desires to do many great things...I'm just lazy.
53. I look forward to the future.
54. My husband is my best friend. My BFF.
    
55. I dislike strongly to fold the laundry.
    
56. I thrive off of projects.
57. I love exploring with my husband and kids outdoors.
58. Scrapbooking is a hobby of mine that I wish I spent more time on.
59. I like blue cheese.
60. I don't get nervous when I go to the doctor.
61. I only like hot dogs grilled and with mustard.
62. I never want a pet, I'd get too attached and sad if they died.
63. My favorite t.v. show right now is The Office.
64. My favorite color is red.
65. I feel naked if I don't have earrings in.
66. I have a scar on my knee from the hurtles
67. I was on the track team in high school.
68. High jump and triple jump is what I competed in.
69. I hate conforming to rules, yet I expect my children and husband to follow mine...
70. I've flown in a WWII plane (almost upside down).
71. I enjoy art--admiring it.
72. My favorite art median is pencil.
73. I want to grow my hair out longer, but I'm so impatient!
74. I don't mind getting older.
75. I can't wait for my new gym to open up (mid to end of June).
76. I love learning foreign languages. I just suck at it.
77. The word "hate" is not a favorite of mine.
78. I'm starting a collection of re-usable shopping bags.
79. I'm looking forward to this summer, a lot.
80. I could choose paint colors all day.
81. My Cabbage Patch Kids name was Davis Jordan.
82. Since being married I've lived 3 places in UT and 3 places in VA.
83. If I could live anywhere in the country it would be Colorado.
84. Cereal slurping causes me to leave a room.
85. I miss Jamba Juice.
86. My first concert was Depeche Mode.
87. My last concert was Morrisey.
88. I will always love George Michael and Bon Jovi.
89. Thinking of 100 things about me is hard!
90. My favorite reality show is a toss up between the Amazing Race and So You Think You Can Dance.
    
91. If I could travel anywhere I would go to Europe--Greece and Italy.
92. The sight of blood makes me light headed.
93. I have been to Niagara Falls 4 times in my life.
94. I don't like being late for things.
95. I enjoy going on dates with my husband.
96. I used to wear bowling shoes--as my everyday shoes.
97. I take too many pictures of my children (is that really possible).
98. I love scoring an awesome yard sale deal.
99. If I had just a bit more money, I'd spend it on decorating my house.
100. I can think of 100 things about myself!
     

Define vacation.

Day 3 (Sunday--the day of rest?)
Jared was feeling tons better. Anna was still coughing away at night and still had a fever. We decided to take her into the urgent care. Since it didn't open until 10 am, we headed off to see the Falls first. We have made this trek before so we didn't feed into the tourist traps this time. We just wanted a leisure few hours to stroll around and enjoy the view. Wow! Was it beautiful! Again, the weather was perfect, the kids were great and view was breathtaking!
We could have explored much longer, but Anna didn't look any better, so Rob dropped us off at the doctors. A few hours later we came back with a prognosis...pneumonia...and a pretty bad case of it. The poor girl. And what a trooper. For the rest of the day she just relaxed and rested in our arms or asleep in the car.

And then it was off to Letchworth State Park to watch a hot air balloon launch. Rob and I were expecting to see a large open field when we got there, but were pleasantly surprised to see a small field and the (mini-mini-mini) grand canyon of New York. About 25 balloons launched from the field and then dipped into the gorge and then back up into the air. Oh, the kids couldn't contain themselves! There was so much to see as the balloons filled up and took off. If you ever have the opportunity to see something like this, I highly recommend it!

And the waterfalls...we only explored one of them. I was thinking something small like you'd see in Shenandoah, but again, I was pleasantly surprised. This park is a must on our "visit again" list. If anyone is planning on attending the Hill Cumorah Pageant this summer, I hear it's only 45-60 minutes away from Palmyra (don't quote me on that). Jeff said there are two more waterfalls at the park, also. I can't wait to go back. Simply beautiful.

We're baaaack!

How to begin? We had an INCREDIBLY fun time in New York this past weekend. We took hundreds of pictures and we'll spare you the pain of seeing them ALL! However, we'll try not to miss a detail! I'll be making a slide show to send to family and friends with the best of the best!

Pre-day 1 (Thursday night)
We're all geared up and packed, ready to go. Jared wakes up around 11 pm and throws up. Great! Double great--the next morning is his Kindergarten field trip to the farm...

Day 1 (Friday)
I feel so bad for Jared... He feels so cruddy that he doesn't even care that he is missing his field trip. I'll do all the caring for him. He stopped throwing up and with medicine he seemed "okay". We pick Tyler up from school around noon and head up to Buffalo (7 1/2 hour drive--without stops).

I hate driving long distances. I used to love a good road trip, but now I'm the car sick queen! So, I was bored! However, the kids had a great time. They watched Star Wars (up to episode IV) the entire way up!

And sometimes the loud fighting would bother Evan! When Rob started falling asleep, I had to take over on the driving (he did NOT really fall asleep)!Anna exceeded all of our expectations! Barely a peep out of her (stay tuned and you'll find out why)! Here she is playing peek-a-boo with me!We arrived in Buffalo around 9pm (one detour and 3 rest stops later). We thought the trip up was so successful that we planned some future road trip excursions--can't wait!

Day 2 (Saturday)
The boys started the morning off watching their cousin Ethan's baseball game. I was worried they were going to come back asking to play on a team, but they didn't! Not that it's a bad thing--I just don't know how we'll fit it into our schedule right now.

During the afternoon, we went to a glorified fair--Martin's Fantasy Island! The weather was beautiful and the kids had great fun on all the rides. Anna was a trooper. She had gotten a fever during the night and was coughing a bunch. Tyler begrudgingly braved a big wooden roller coaster while Jared and Ethan were in tears because they could not go on it! Rob even recorded the ride while riding! Evan loved the bumper cars and the tilt-a-whirl! While he waited for his second go at the Whirl he biffed it and bruised up his eye pretty bad. By that time he was done for the day! I think we all were (especially the adults--check out Tara, now she was definitely done)! Here are only a few highlights in picture...Jared on the beanstalk. Now I went on this ride, too. And just because it was in the kiddie area does not mean it wasn't a stomach turner! I was impressed with all of the young(er) ones who went on this!
How scary!! A. Tyler driving and B. These boys cruising around when they're older--I can only imagine!I wish I could have trusted Evan to go down these slides on his own. He loved them anyways!We ended the evening with Buffalo wings from Duff's. Yummy! Great day...great sleep that night--I discovered the awesomeness of ear plugs!

Much, much more for Day 3! I bet you can't wait!

See ya!

Well, we're going on our trip (in our little rocket ship)...we'll be heading to Buffalo, NY for the weekend to visit my brother and his family. I'm a bit anxious about the LOOOOOONG car ride, but I'm expecting the worst and secretly hoping for the best, so I'm prepared! The boys are going to have a Star Wars marathon (and eat a massive amount of treats) and hopefully that will keep them happy and entertained.

Jared has his field trip to the farm tomorrow and then we'll be heading "up north". We're hoping for some fun hikes, a trip to Niagara Falls, yummy Buffalo wings and cheering on my brother in his half marathon (and hoping to get inspired along the way).

Hope you all enjoy your LOOOOONG weekend!

And just for fun...Some pictures of the boys and their friend at the Fathers and Sons campout. Obviously, mom was NOT around for the adventure!

Dirty.

All of the bushes are finally out of the front yard!

So now we are hoping that this...
...will soon look like this! One can dream, can't they! But before any yard can turn into a piece of art, it first needs dirt. How about a whole dump truck full of dirt!
Oh, how excited were the kids when they saw a dump truck backing up into their driveway??!! Who needs Disney when you have a mountain of dirt to frolic and play on!And what in the world does Jared have on his face?? This is how he came off the bus...I love his free spirit. He just doesn't care what others think of him. I hope he holds on to that. It will take him far!
Tyler and friends are hard at work. Hours of pure entertainment!
Evan took a nasty spill on the mountain. He was sliding down it on his belly and his head hit the ground. He must of fell on a tiny stone or a stick or something. I swear the cut was no bigger then a pencil point, but it bled like crazy! We thought he was okay, because after getting cleaned up, he went right back to playing in the dirt......but later that evening , he proclaimed, "Daddy, my head...it's broken!"All of the excitement must have worn him out because he went to bed without a peep!! First night since the pacifier went bye-bye!

Choices

There comes a point in every ones life when they have to decide what kind of person they'll be...

Yesterday, Anna came to her first crossroads.

Will she be a pb&j kind of gal or a sushi roll kind of sister?

We are pleased to announce that she chose the California roll. You go girl!

Hurricane Rugrats

So, who thinks I let these Saturday rugrats pictured below get a buzz cut?Of course, I didn't! There's still a month of school left! Their hair is pretty short, though. I was loving the longer rascally hair--it suited them better!

It was actually Jared who chickened out with the buzz. There's always next time! But check out that hurricane on his head!

Day 2.

Wow. That's all I can say. This is going far better then I ever thought! I, however, will be needing the detox when it's all over. You'd think this was a contest to see who can drink the most Diet Coke! I don't even like the stuff that much, but whatever it takes to survive the day--it could be much worse!

Naps didn't really happen yesterday, so I thought they'd fall asleep last night pretty quickly. Anna didn't fuss and cry, but Evan's fussing and crying kept her up (but only until 8pm). I put Evan down at 7:30 and he fell asleep sans pacifier by 8:15! Again, he woke up a few times through out the night and was up earlier then I'd prefer. I feel like a walking zombie today and I'm sure Rob isn't feeling much better, but a few days lacking sleep will be all worth it in the long run!

And if we weren't crazy enough...

Evan is in full potty training mode. We made him a sticker chart last night. He gets to put a sticker on his calendar for each potty success. And for a complete dry day, he gets a Star Wars figurine at bedtime (we bought a pack with 2 Wookie Warriors, 2 Stormtrooper, and Darth Vader--and if we can get 5 dry days...amazing). I am so proud of him! He makes this mommy "super happy!" So far today, 5 stickers on his chart and still dry! Go Evan!Some news on the other kids...

Anna always has something smeared in her hair because she refuses to be fed by others! Yogurt, oatmeal and applesauce in hair is MESSY! But she sure cleans up well!Tyler insists on walking around the house wearing a hat and sunglasses (p.s. it's been raining for days here, haven't seen the sun in awhile)! He's 8...I can only smile. I love that his hair is a bit long, but I've held off long enough--he is excited to get it cut this weekend. So sad!Jared is crazy...still. Last night, he had me take pictures of him flying off the ottoman. I can't wait to get my PS Elements! So many fun things we can do with this picture! Jared wants a buzz cut, but he's got that crazy cowlick. Should I just let him get one? It is almost summer...

DETOX . Day 1.

We finally bit the bullet. Cold Turkey. The goal is to be pacifier-FREE by Tuesday. If you read this here, you will know how hard this is for me.

What brought on this change of heart, you ask (oh, you didn't ask?)...He had an evaluation for speech services yesterday. The speech and language pathologist did NOT say that this was cause for his delay. There are several things that could play into it. But I decided that it wouldn't hurt and it was time (my goodness, he IS three).

At nap time I snipped a teeny tiny hole in Evan's pacifier. My plan was to make the hole bigger everyday. On Tuesday, we would give Ms. Debbie the pacifier to pass onto a baby that needs one.

Well, the smallest of holes couldn't fool Evan, "My pacifier broken!" There was no tantrum. I told him I'd see if I could find his other one (which conveniently disappeared-nice). He didn't take a nap (not abnormal), but he didn't throw a fit either.

At bedtime, I decided that Anna was losing her pacifier, too. Why not get it done in one full swoop! She fussed a bit before falling asleep and that was it! Evan cried a bit, woke up a lot during the night, but did way better then the last time we tried. He was really cute, though, poking toys around his mouth while he slept (since a baby, he'd poke markers, crayons, our finger,...into the holes around his pacifier). He was rewarded today with an R2D2 toy that he can sleep with instead.

I think naps are going to be a struggle today, but I just have to keep in mind that it will only last a few days! And lucky for me, I can handle listening to a crying baby/child.

Check out this bad boy bling. You, too, can be like the Jolie/Pit crew, but at a very steep price!

POWERLESS??

Hardly! I am annoyed, though... I will vent first.

We lost our power last night and it finally is now back on (hopefully...it seems as if it can't make up it's mind). We made it through the awful rain storms without any flooding. We're just a bit cold and cranky (Cranky? Who me? Never!). Today, Evan and I started our first fire EVER in this home!

I tried to stay out of the freezing house as much as possible, so I filled our day with the "oh, so fun" errands. One of those errands being a trip to see the pediatrician for Evan's 3 year well child check. Yes, I'm going to vent about my pediatrician again. All I can say is that this was the last straw. The only reason I was staying with this practice was because of the Dr. we saw today. Not any more! Sayonara!

This was Evan's first visit since being diagnosed with Hypo. Maybe my expectations were too high. Maybe I assumed that the Dr. would have read up on dwarfism. So, pretty much, she told me that Evan was fat, yes, I said, "fat." Those who know Evan, I don't think would ever classify him as over weight. Stocky, but not fat. Being stocky is part of his dwarfism. It's one of the main physical characteristics. I asked, "well, I think his weight (on the AH growth chart) is related to his short stature, right? Less body to put the weight on to?" I was pretty much told that it wasn't. Evan needs to eat less and exercise more! Hello! This child is running all day. Should I wake him up at night now and have him work out to keep the weight off?? GRRRRR...Anyways, point being that the Dr. had no clue about anything. She's never worked with a child with dwarfism and didn't seem too willing to learn the facts. So, Pudge (I say this in the most affectionate way) and I are now in search of a new Doc! I know there are some out there in the area who are familiar with dwarfism--I just need to find them.

"I've got the power...it's gettin', it's gettin', it's gettin' kinda hectic".

On a happier note!!!

5 reasons why my Mother's Day rocked!

1. I literally woke up laughing. I was dreaming about something that was making me giggle out loud. When I opened my eyes, Rob was staring at me. "What the...?"
2. My kids gave me the option to have breakfast in bed or to eat with them. How could I say, "no, I'd prefer to eat by myself." Eggs, sausage, pancakes and juice. Yummy!
3. got some rain stompin' boots (the striped ones!!). And boy have I gotten some use out of them these past few days! After church, the boys and I stomped in puddles and got ourselves drenched. (Oh, and I got a new shovel...hmmm...is Rob saying "get to work, lady" or "I forgive you for taking your frustrations out on my shovel.")
4. At church Evan ran up to this little, old, Cambodian man, "Yoda! Yoda!". He grabbed his hand and started walking with him down the hallway. The man didn't know what Evan was saying, but I think he felt Evan's sincere love and respect for him!
5. I went in to say good night to Tyler and Jared and they were lying there looking at all of the glow in the dark stars and floating planets. "I love our new room. I feel like I'm floating in space." What a great ending to a great day!

Wonder

Last night I was doing a Google search on dwarfism and came across Tonya's blog. Since then, I have been getting a few more visits from others searching about dwarfism. So, check out my page links and other blog links on the side bar, if you don't feel like reading through all my nonsense.

Not knowing Tonya, yet having read some of her blog, she seems to be a living info base on all things dwarfism--but not in a boring way, at all! There really is not a lot of info out there on Evan's condition. Achondroplasia seems to be the closest, so I'm finding a wealth of info!! Thanks to all who document their journey--I learn from you.

Anyways, Tonya posted some lyrics on her blog by Natalie Merchant. Those who know me well, know that Natalie Merchant/10,000 Maniacs are up on my list of all time favorite artists (hence the name of my blog...These Are Days to Remember). My poor roommates at BYU had to listen to her every night because that is how I fell asleep.

So, I'm borrowing from Tonya in sharing the lyrics with you, today, as I wish you all a very Happy Mother's Day. Enjoy your "wonders".

“Wonder”

Doctors have come from distant cities
Just to see me
Stand over my bed
Disbelieving what they’re seeing

They say I must be one of the wonders
Of god’s own creation
And as far as they can see they can offer
No explanation

Newspapers ask intimate questions
Want confessions
They reach into my head
To steal the glory of my story

They say I must be one of the wonders
Of god’s own creation
And as far as they can see they can offer
No explanation

O, I believe
Fate smiled and destiny
Laughed as she came to my cradle
Know this child will be able
Laughed as my body she lifted
Know this child will be gifted
With love, with patience and with faith
She’ll make her way

People see me
I’m a challenge to your balance
I’m over your heads
How I confound you and astound you
To know I must be one of the wonders
Of god’s own creation
And as far as you can see you can offer me
No explanation

O, I believe
Fate smiled and destiny
Laughed as she came to my cradle
Know this child will be able
Laughed as she came to my mother
Know this child will not suffer
Laughed as my body she lifted
Know this child will be gifted
With love, with patience and with faith
She’ll make her way

While the boys are away, the girls will...

..play??? Or work our tails off.

I have been a craphead of a mother this past week (truly, I have been--this is no ploy to get sympathy votes--just reality. Next week will be better). If the boys didn't even acknowledge Mother's Day, I'd be okay. They haven't really done anything wrong, yet they've had to deal with the Wrath of Mom all week--"You're going too slow." "Hurry up." "You call this clean?" "Nag, nag, nag." Etc. Etc. Etc.

I was really looking forward to the weekend, though, because it was the almighty Fathers and Sons camp out (Can any one say "YES!"?). However, Anna and I decided not to "party it up" with the girls. I decided to make-over Tyler and Jared's bedroom instead. My goal was to have it finished by the time they came home this afternoon, but the cruddy weather brought them back sooner then I'd hoped. Oh well! The re-do was finished by 2:30 today and it was one BIG project to accomplish in under 24 hours...

Once they left, I prepped and taped (the worst part about painting, BLAH). There was a lot of taping to do because I decided to add some stripes! I tried taping around the ceiling. I wanted that perfectly straight line, but bumpy ceilings don't tape well--note to self--I'd have to free hand it (ceiling edger tools don't work too well against bumpy ceilings, either).

The boys have been talking paint colors for some time now and their choices were all over the board. The only way, I'd be able to get them all would be to paint a rainbow. Not gonna happen. Black, blue, orange and green were their favorites. Hmmm...how do I make that work?

After getting a first coat on, Anna and I went out for dinner and to look for some curtain fabric. I was trying to avoid "theme" fabric. What I was looking for was something retro to tie in the colors. No such luck. I ended up at Wal-Mart and found some CHEAP space fabric. It screamed out the boys names. {Aaaargh...I don't want it to be too theme-y...but it's not my room. It's so cheap. They'd be easy to replace.} (me thinking out loud) We went with the theme!

After I laid Anna down (8pm--late night for the girls ;0), I plugged at the room until 2:30 am. I was so wound up! Couldn't even sleep when I tried to lay down. Up at 8 am (that's sleeping in for me--oh happy day) and like I said, finished at 2:30 pm. Later during the day, I passed out on Jared's bed!

The boys were so excited for the big reveal--I'd kept them away this whole time. And needless to say, they were thrilled when they saw the finished room. "I don't even recognize it." "I feel like I'm in a new house."...

I've ordered some vinyl lettering (A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away) to go in the space puzzle box and I forgot about making their light saber hangers to go under the puzzle box.

Now, this was not an attempt to buy my children's love (really, it wasn't), but hopefully they'll forget about that crab mom of yesterday! Hopefully.

And seeing their joy, makes it a Happy Mother's Day for me!

Welcome to Galactic City!

A long time ago,...in a galaxy far, far away.

Stripey Stripes

Space Savvy

Sleep well, boys! I love you!

How do you "deal"?

We all have our own way of handling frustration...

Tyler is a slammer and a stomper.

Jared is our crier.

Evan huffs and puffs (literally).

Anna lays on her back and screams.

Rob goes into quiet mode.

I do all of the above (Drama Queen!), plus some.

Yesterday, I got to work and took my frustrations out on my front yard. First, I made a quick run to McD's for the largest size Diet Coke they had. This started the energy flowing. Then I dug out the ugly brick border. Anna and Evan played around at my feet. Luckily when they started getting bored a neighbor girl came over and played with them, just for fun! So, I was able to pull out some of the overgrown (and ugly) bushes. However, my frustration got the best of me--or should I say, it got the best of our shovel.The broken handle obviously put an end to my day of yard work. So, I have yet, another unfinished project laying around. Which, ironically, is pretty much the reason why I was frustrated in the first place! Love it.

A girl can only dream...

It all seemed so real...the van pulled up in front of my house, loaded with people. They piled out, one at a time, maybe there were four women, all carrying bags of "supplies". One of them opened the trunk and took out three vacuum cleaners, several brooms and mops. My mind was swirling. Were they really at my house? No, it can't be! Reality--nope, it can't be. They were here to see my neighbor's home, not mine. But for that brief moment, I let my mind run wild. How exciting. Sigh.