Catch-Up

We haven't had the Internet at our house for 2 weeks, so therefore I have not been able to blog. But now we do so here's a little blog I'd like to entitle "Catch Up".
We bought a new van (2005 T&C) and traded in Dad's. It's wonderful! My family has always named their vehicles, so while I sold "Snow White" to my niece, and inherited "Trusty Rusty", we traded him in for, hmmm "Great White?" Maybe. But when the license plates came in, they read GBK "Great Big Kar". Welcome to the family, Kar.

We celebrated David's birthday last week. We just did a little dinner of chicken monarae and ice cream cake to follow with Gary & Candy. David was a little under the weather, but tolerated our celebrating him well. :) Apparently David is a Saturday Baby, per Candy. Didn't know that. Gary build David a beautiful table for the front room. I believe it's oak (D's fav), with a cabinet down below, pull out shelf, and on the right side; two magazine racks (on D's side, of course). Very beautiful, crafty, and functional. As you can see, Elizabeth has already made herself comfortable with the new furniture.

Daddy & E love to read together. David also taught her how to make hats out of newspaper. This is what happens when Mommy is done with the paper Sunday nights.

Here's a pic of the Brooks/Maki/Schaefer kids at a family BBQ. "Cheese" (Not pictured baby Zane)Here's a pic of Grammy Koney & Elizabeth at Earl & Mom's family get-together. I didn't do well at taking pictures that day, but here's a great one of my two favorite girls.

And here's a pic of the Schaefers with new baby Zane Ryland Schaefer, 1 mo. old.

I'm sure there's stuff I've missed. Our gardens are doing well, however the deer ate David's sunflowers, but we'll have an abundance of potatoes to make up for it. We've picked plenty of tomatoes, strawberries, blueberries, peas & zucchini. The back bedroom is coming along with the new doors put in and framed and hopefully we'll get carpet in there this month. David is planning on putting up the 3 decks this and next month. Glad I had a chance to catch up on my journal. OH! And Elizabeth turned 9 months old on the 1st and got her 4th tooth! Her 1st top one to boot! Yeah, frozen pea cubes!

Minnesota Government Shutdown: Grandmas and Grandpas Speak Out

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_WdpRuIHrK0
What's at Stake in Minnesota
We are now 13 days into a state government shutdown, with the eyes of the nation and even the international community upon us. We are face to face with the structural deficit that budget analysts predicted more than two years ago. Even while services to seniors rank among the highest of priorities, we will not come away from this stand-off between the Legislature and the Governor without cuts. Still, we can shape the final outcome – our immediate goal is to secure about $20 million that would close the gap between the Governor’s and the Legislature’s budgets for the spectrum of senior care.

As the closed-door negotiations between Governor Dayton and legislative leaders continue, we must return to our core messages and remind policymakers of the $6.7 billion economic impact of older adult services on the state economy, the 142,000 jobs we generate, the demographic changes that are sweeping our state and the names and faces of those we serve and those we employ.

Thanks Father Ryan!

Our very dear Friend and Priest, Fr. Ryan is leaving our parish and moving on to another. He was only with us a few years, but surely touched a lot of lives in such a short amount of time. He is very gifted, talented, knowledgeable, and spiritual. He has such a zest for the Lord and is on fire for Him. I always kidded him, saying that he has the background and knowledge of a priest, but the enthusiasm of a protestant. I think he liked that. He did not say goodbye, only “thanks”. There wasn’t a dry eye in the congregation during his last homily, at least not amongst the women as we wiped away tears. Maybe someday he’ll come back. Until then, we’ll be praying for him and God’s Will and eternal blessings for him and all our priests. (Here pictured is Elizabeth pulling out his Roman collar.)

Boo Boo's First Sleep Over

Elizabeth had her first over night stay at Grandma Candy's and Grandpa Gary's house last Friday night. I cried since we have not ever been apart since conception :). She was a very good girl, besides choosing not to take a bath and even ate all her cereal & applesauce for them (this is new for her). Grandma said maybe next time she could stay the whole weekend. Maybe when Mommy is more ready! Here's a pic with her and her over night bag (Mr. Musical Seahorse made his first overnight visit too).

Peas Please

Peas porridge hot, peas porridge cold, peas porridge in the pot nine days old.
Can't you just read her mind by the look on her face?
"Oh Mother!"

Hahahaha

Tuesdays with Morrie

I just finished a book on tape. I like these because I can still work in my garden, cook, or do whatever and still "read". :)
I just finished Tuesdays with Morrie, by Mitch Albom. It was truly fantastic. I love how Mr. Albom writes and how everything he seems to say ... just flows. His story jumps from the past to the present multiple times, and he always does well as bringing the reader in to the current tense. I've always wanted to read this book and it held up to the standards I was expecting. It is about the final interview of a professor in the last few months of his life. On one hand, he's dying (from Lou Gehrig's disease) and losing the capability to do things for himself. On the other hand, he's still living and sharing what he has learned. I cannot remember how Morrie quoted it, but it's like his life was a bridge between the current life and the after life. I highly recommend this book if you want a slightly sad, yet uplifting quick read.

"Don't hang on too long, but don't let go too soon." -Morrie

PS: Other good reads by Mitch Albom are One More Day and The Five People You Meet in Heaven

Just a Few Cute Pictures

Iz & Eliz at our house.

My Beautiful, Smiley 8 month old Baby.

Itty Bitty in her outdoor playpen, supervising Mommy's gardening.

Daily Devotional - Children

This is the prayer in my daily devotional for today. I thought it was nice and that I'd share it.
Father, thank you for children - Your special gift to my world. Thank you for their laughter, their innocence, and their unquestioning trust. Protect them from sickness, injuries, and sin. Make straight their paths and lead them into Your sunlight. Amen.

Third Tooth!

Elizabeth popped her 3rd tooth tonight. I would take a picture, but holding her mouth open and taking a picture are impossible, so I'll just say: congratulations Little Bits!

Grandma Koney Comes for the Week

Grandma Koney came to stay with us for the week while daycare was closed. Grammy & Elizabeth played, read, cooked, cleaned, napped, and even dyed daisies. Thanks for taking care of all three of us, Mom!

Summer Wedding

We went to a backyard wedding this weekend. (You always have to get pics together when you're all gussied up, right?)

Title X Cuts Cause Six Minnesota Planned Parenthood Clinics To Shut Down

"The Republicans are scoring yet another victory on their war on contraception, as Title X funding cuts cause multiple Planned Parenthood clinics in Minnesota to shut down. Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota has announced that they will be shutting down clinics in Thief River Falls, Brainerd, Red Wing, Owatonna, Albert Lea, and Fairmont while increasing staff in larger clinics in different cities in an attempt to consolidate manpower and costs."

An 11% budget cut was made and it affected 6 clinics. Of course they are increasing staff at the larger facilities since patients will have to go to other clinics, but at least they are still shutting down and if 11% cuts down 6 clinics, I say keep cutting!
While the news reports that none of these clinics that shut down performed abortions, they did provide the morning after pill. They may not consider that abortion, but the fact is: it is abortion.
(Happy Dance)

MIB - Book Review

I was disappointed by Men in Black. The story was engaging at first, but the characters are all so cynical and sarcastic. The reviews I read portrayed it as "funny, moving, poetic, and fast-paced". I don't agree at all. I was going to give up on it 1/2 way through, but I thought it may take a turn for the better. Nope. The ending of the book left me feeling unsatisfied and thinking "what the ...?". He constantly switches between the past and present without introduction. It was filled with crude language, cursing, adultery, lying and had hardly nothing to do with the Men in Black themselves. It mainly focused on the life of an author who wrote a fictional story about the MIB. Overall: disappointing.

Bry Graduates and Turns 18

Bryanna turned 18 and celebrated her highschool graduation. She will be going to college in the fall. Congratulations Bry, we're proud of you!

Great Grandma with her Great Grand Girls

Grandma and her Great Grandchildren -- 3 & 3 Boys and Girls

Grandma Brooks and her Big Grand Babies :)

Baby Schaefer #2 is Born

Derik, Kelly, & Ruby welcomed a baby boy into their lives 6/18/2011 @ 12:19 PM. 8# 3oz, 20.5" long. Welcome to the world Zane Rylan Schaefer. We got to meet you and kiss you and hug you! Congratulations Schaefers!

Elizabeth & Ady Mae

Auntie Jenny & Cousin Adelynne came to stay with us for a week while our daycare was closed. Elizabeth was surprisingly gentle with the baby. Adelynne would suck on Elizabeth's fingers until Elizabeth would pull her little sharp fingers back and Ady would cry. All in all the week went well with the two little ones in the house.

Electronic Nasal Aspirator

We love our electric booger sucker! It was $20 @ Walgreens, but definitely worth it. The manual bulb syringe is terrible and it is horrible getting Little Bits to hold still to perform multiple sucks from each nostril. This is wonderful, even plays music (if you want) as a distraction. Easy to clean. Efficient. Thorough. Gentle. Runs on (2) AA batteries. Highly recommended by this Mom. (And no, I'm not going to try it on myself. My husband offered to, though. Ewe! I'm not cleaning that one out!)

Recent Findings by This Blog's Author

Have you looked at the ingredients in coffee creamer (corn syrup solids, vegetable oils, dipotassium phosphate, etc)? Ick. Now look at dry milk. Milk & Vit D. This is what I now use in my coffee. I buy it the large box and keep some in Tupperware for my daily coffee. Much healthier than the other coffee creamer -- even though I am a sucker sometimes for the flavored, liquid ones. I will not be using the plain, powdered type anymore.

Where are the worst germs in your house? In the drain of your kitchen sink! Gross! So the next time you drop a grape down there...rewash it or toss it, don't just pop it (in your mouth).


And why do we dust with a wet rag vs. just using a feather duster? "There are three main components of dust: first, dead skin cells, second, the dried feces and dessicated corpses of dust mites lovely thought, eh? When people develop a house-dust allergy, this is usually the component they are reacting to), and the last component by volume is tiny fibers shed by clothing -- cotton is bad for this, and jeans are the worst. This is for ordinary house dust. (Incidentally, dust mites are not generally visible, except with a microscope; they are 200-300 microns long, they eat dead skin cells and live in bedding, carpets and soft furnishings.)"

OK, I'm getting off my soap box now...and going to clean with its contents. :)

Sing, Sing a Song, Sing Out Loud, Sing Out Strong!

Little Bits is trying out her singing voice. She's gotten to such high notes lately that I think only the dog hears them. It's so much fun watching her learn different things now. (We had to post something. Grammy wanted to see something new on the blog. Figured we'd do something extra cute.)

Trip to Urgent Care

Miss Elizabeth came down with her first ear infection today. She had a 103.8 fever so we took her to urgent care after trying a cool bath - which she hated. We had the choice of 10 days of an antibiotic or a shot. We chose the shot, even though she didn't like it. After a long nap, feeding, and acetaminophen, she's smiling, babbling, and playing on the floor. Thank God we brought her in to make sure the fever wasn't just a cold, flu or teething. To all parents out there: trust your instincts.

Isabella turns one!

Congratulations Baby Bella, our Littlest Lou Lou. A year ago you came into our family and forever changed it. Loves you, Princess!

Wet Cleaning Latex Gloves Remove Dog Hair

I have a lint remover brush to get rid on the dog hair on my couch and then I finish with one of the sticky-back lint removers. What I tried recently was wearing my latex cleaning gloves, wet, and wiping down the couch. Works wonders (but keep the bucket of water near so you can redunk and rewipe). Also works on carpets, hard floors, under furniture, and on my bathroom rugs to pick my own hair.

Lexie's Hair Cut

Miss Lexie got her first haircut the other day. Now she looks less like a pomeranian and more like a terrier/chihuahua, hahaha. But she likes it! Here's a few before and after pix.

Sheet Rock on the Garage Ceiling

Getting the sheetrock on the garage ceiling.

Iz & Eliz

11 mo. old Isabella has never really been one for a paci, but when the Makis came to visit, my little creeping niece went right up to her cousin in the bouncer and gave the paci a try. Elizabeth didn't mind sharing and Isabella didn't seem to mind that it was still attached to Elizabeth. What a couple of cuties if I do say so myself. And it's my blog, so I can, so there! :)

6 Month Appt

Height: 27.25" (88th %tile)
Weight: 18lbs, 2 oz (80th %tile)
Head: 17.5" (90th %tile)

Here's a pic of Little Bits sitting in her Bumbo whilst I get ready for work. I set my portable mirror up so I can see her behind me and she can see my face as I put it on, hehe.

A Royal Coincidence?

Modified Head Support

We still put Elizabeth in her infant carrier for travel purposes. I really liked the head supports we have for her, however she grew out of them so fast. So I modified them a little bit by cutting another loop parallel to the higher loops to let the harness through. I then sewed the edges w/ a zig zag stitch to prevent fraying and put dots of velcro to keep them closed around the harness. Now its higher and it supports her little noggin during travel.

Yeah! Clothesline

Here's a Mother's Day gift to myself: This is my favorite household task -- hanging laundry out to dry. I ended up getting rid of my old umbrella style and David was kind enough to hook up my new retractable 5-line clothesline to the house and it pulls out 30' to the new pole. I did some research on it and while some people love it and others dislike it because the brake can break if tightened too far. So far, I love it. I highly recommend it and it holds SO many clothes.

19 Minutes

...is the amount of sleep a woman loses if she has just one drink before bed. (Per Parenting magazine.) Hmmm, interesting.

Timber!!! Good-bye 5 Red Pines

We had 5 red pines in our front yard that were looking pretty sickly and made a mess with their long needles.

So Mr. Brooks hacked them down (with the assistance of his brother) and gave the wood to my brother. Good bye pines! Hello annoying stumps. How do you decompose stumps anyhow?

First Mother's Day

Here's a little something David & Elizabeth did for me. Apparently I just about ruined the surprise by walking in on the photo session, so they had to take the pictures quick and finish when Dave went to change her diaper. Hahaha. Thank you guys. You're so sweet.

To My Better Half....

This is an email I received today. Seems fitting for the occasion:
I know someone who grew up in the 40's/50's with practical parents.

A mother, God love her, who washed aluminum foil after she cooked in it, then reused it. She was the original recycle queen, before they had a name for it...

A father who was happier getting old shoes fixed than buying new ones.
Their marriage was good, their dreams focused.

I can see them now, Dad in trousers, tee shirt and a hat and Mom in a house dress -- lawn mower in one hand, and dishtowel in hers. It was the time for fixing things -- a curtain rod, the kitchen radio, screen door, the oven door, the hem in a dress --things we keep.

It was a way of life, and sometimes it made me crazy -- all that re-fixing, eating, renewing. I wanted just once to be wasteful. Waste meant affluence. Throwing things away meant you knew there'd always be more.

But then my father died, and on that clear spring morning, in that hospital room, I was struck with the pain of learning that sometimes there isn't any more.

Sometimes, what we care about most gets all used up and goes away...never to return. So, while we have it, it's best we love it and care for it and fix it when it's broken and heal it when it's sick.

This is true for marriage... And old cars... And children with bad report cards..... And dogs with bad hips.... And aging parents..... And grandparents.
We keep them because they are worth it, because we are worth it. Some things we keep.

There are just some things that make life important, like people we know who are special. And so, we keep them close.
Happy 4th Anniversary, Honey. Thank you for your love, support, and for bringing out the best in me. I'm keeping you.

OBL Killed -- Really?

OK, so unless you've fallen off the face of the earth, you've heard that Osama Bin Ladin, founder of the jihadist organization al-Qaeda, responsible for the September 11 attacks on the United States and numerous other mass-casualty attacks against civilian and military targets, was shot and killed. (1) It's suspicious how he was shot and buried at sea right away (I'm not thoroughly convinced that it was him). (2) Obama is taking credit, when he was in fact determined to pull troops back and stop searching for him. (3) It was wrong to kill him. He should have been captured, not killed. (4) The TV has been nothing but rejoicing and bragging, Americans boasting that he was killed. That's asking for trouble -- might as well paint a target on our heads. The cocky, prideful attitudes that they're showing on TV is disgusting. No one should rejoice over someone else's death.
Yes, he was a terrorist. Yes he was bad. But you know what? We have no right to kill anyone. It is not our place to judge when it is someone's time to die. We as humans have no right to take anyone else's life. That's God's job, not ours. Be it Hitler, Hussein, or Bin Ladin, it is not our duty to play God. Why? Because this takes away the person's right to reconcile with God. Someone at work today said "oh, he'd never reconcile for his sins." You don't know that. And especially now, he'll never get that chance. I don't believe in the death penalty. Not only do you have to take into account the killed, but the killer. The person who pulled the trigger, flipped that switch, or injected that poison has committed a mortal sin. May God have mercy on their souls.
And I still think it all sounds very staged and suspicious. But, hail our government, right? Arg!

6 Months Old Today

Elizabeth is now 6 months old. Having her has been so wonderful. It amazes me how she takes the simplest things and analyzes them. She tries to grab pictures in a book, not yet realizing that they are just flat drawings. She also tries to grab the water when I pour it from a cup. Isn't it amazing in the process of teaching your child how many things you realize they are just seeing for the first time?
She can now sit by herself (with pillows around her) for a few minutes at independent play. Her favorite song is the alphabet. And she just finished her first bowl of rice tonight. It's amazing how 6 months can absolutely flip your world upside down. Just when you think you have it good, God can be so generous and give you a baby. Happy 1/2 birthday, Little Bits. We love you.

Family Get-Together

Cute Pictures:

Prince William & Princess Catherine

Elizabeth & I watched the Royal Wedding this morning. I love weddings and always get teary-eyed, especially at the vows.
I loved what the Honerable Richard said. Today is the Feast of St. Catherine of Ciena. Regarding weddings: Marriage is intended to be a way in which man and woman help each other to become what God wanted for one another. Beautiful.

A visit to see Grammy & Grandpa Ely :)

Trading a Bounce for a Smile

Hahaha, it's almost like she pauses for me to "take the picture". My smiley girl.

Happy 64th Birthday, Dad

"Someday you might know what I'm going through,
When a miracle smiles up at you.
I loved her first."
I think Dad & Elizabeth have already met in heaven. Happy birthday, Dad. We miss you.

Christ's Chore List

After doing some research, making an initial template, and trying it for a few months, I've finally temporarily finalized (yea, I said that) my weekly chore list. It's really helped me to not be overwhelmed on Saturdays and when I would try to do it all with the hopes of being able to relax and enjoy my family on the weekends.
I debated whether or not to blog this, but I looked at numerous other blogs, so I figure...why not post what worked for me? And actually, Elizabeth and I get most of our chores done in the morning before work so we can focus on dinner and walks w/ puppy after work.
Sunday:
Cut coupons
Make weekly menu
Empty compost buckets

Monday:
Shake out rugs
Mirrors & windows
Microwave
Groom Dog

Tuesday:
Garbages
Kitchen drain
Water Plants

Wednesday:
Dusting
Ironing

Thursday:
Stove top
Fridge – inside & outside

Friday:
Sweep & mop kitchen
Bathroom: sinks, toilets, floors
Water Plants

Saturday:
Laundry
Vacuum crevices of house
Scrub tubs & shower

Monthly:
Bathe dog
Wash dog's linens
Fridge drawers & door shelves

(I never dusted pictures before until I saw someone else post it. I then went to my pictures and saw what they were talking about -- ewww! Who knew picture frames needed to be dusted...I do, now.)