New Etsy Shop Giveaway

My blogging friend Laughadaisy just announced the Grand Opening of her new shop!

Allyson is an awesome gal, and she's put together a shop full of handmade cards, bookmarks, and knitted items. And she's giving away a bunch of stuff right now!!


I'm sure you don't want to miss out. And I sure would love it if you supported her! Go on over and check it out!

Also, keep an eye out here on my blog in the next few days... I've been very very slow about it, but I have a few things I need to give away, also! Not to mention, if I have the time, I'll be posting a bunch of pictures from Colorado and everything. So keep your eyes peeled!

Back Home, For Now

Well, our Colorado vacation has come and gone.  It was a really fantastic 10 days.  Well, most of the time.  With three young children, there are definitely some unhappy moments that you can't escape even while you're on vacation.  But we enjoyed ourselves so much that we didn't want to come home.  I'll have plenty of pictures and stories to tell, when I have more time.

In the meantime, it's been a difficult transition to come back home.  Between switching timezones and having issues with sleep for ALL THREE kids, Alex getting a bit of pinkeye, then me getting a bad head cold (oh, how my entire head ached for a whole entire stinking long day!!), and trying to restock the fridge/cupboards, and deal with maintenance issues in the apartment, well... we hardly went out at all last week.  And everyone was crabby and constantly fighting.  It was not a happy time.  But I think we're getting back into the swing of things.  Maybe.  At least, Alex went to sleep at his usual time for the first time since coming home last Monday late night, and it didn't take TOO long for Melinda and Jacob to fall asleep tonight.  We helped Jacob go potty every single time the whole 10 days we were in Colorado, and he's still not willing to go by himself back at home yet.  That's immensely frustrating.  He's had a few accidents, thanks to that stubborn streak.

And then, of course, Jesse went back to work.  And then came home early on Friday, with news.

He's going to work next week to train people who might potentially be interested in buying the company, but the major company that was looking to buy them have now gone away.  They gave a couple offers that Jesse's company's CEO refused.  Jesse's opinion is that he's looking to make a buck in the transaction, since he certainly won't be keeping a job if someone else buys them.  But because of this, they're running out of money badly enough that they've asked everyone not to come back to work for 2 weeks.  Since Jesse is one of the few who are participating in the training, it's only 1 week for him. But at this meeting, where apparently no solid information was given, someone asked if they'd be coming back after the 2 weeks.  The answer was, "Well.... you'll be getting a call." 

Joy.

And when Jesse was given a ride home from work, Henry (not a boss, but not quite a co-worker either) pointed out that nobdoy gave anyone paperwork, and that was kind of a problem.  Yeah.  Great.

So, we don't really know at this point if Jesse has a job in a couple weeks or not.  We're not terribly surprised, based on how the company has been going for oh... the past year or so??  But it's still frustrating. 

Game plan for right now:  Jesse steps up the job hunting another notch, we cut back on our food budget and cancel the cable TV (the only regular bill we really have any control over).... and we'd be surprised if we stuck around in Maryland for longer than through the end of summer.  The apartment costs too much to rent if we're unemployed, and our lease only goes through October, anyway.  We'd really rather not have to uproot Melinda once she starts school, just because we have to up and move again.  Then again, if he somehow manages to keep his job, we'd probably go ahead and stick around while he keeps job hunting.  But my preference is to definitely be elsewhere by the time Melinda starts school.  (and ohhhh, it's so much sooner than I want it to be!!!)

Some of you out there are already aware of this job situation, and I just want to thank you for your concern and prayers.  We have faith that everything will work out for the best, and that Heavenly Father will take care of our family.  Jesse is an incredibly smart, hardworking guy, and I know he'll be able to find something else good for himself and our family.  But your prayers mean so much to us!!

Sometimes You Don't Get the Answer You Want

On Monday evening, I was taking dinner to a friend who just had a darling little baby girl.  Since we're down to one car, and it hasn't been the most reliable thing in the world, I said a quick little prayer before I went off on the drive:  "Heavenly Father," I asked, "Please bless this car to spare me from trouble today and that the drive will go smoothly."  And then off I went, while Jesse stayed home with the kids.

10 minutes later, just after I got onto the highway, the van seemed to be lacking in uumph.  Wasn't speeding up like I thought it should.  So I glanced suspiciously down at the RPM gauge, which often shows me when the van is acting up.  When it drops below the number 2 on the highway, it's usually during a hiccup.  When it drops below .5 at an idle, it dies.  So I glance at the RPM gauge, and it looks fine.  Huh, I thought.  Must have been my imagination....   And then, my eye notices the temperature guage.  Instead of hovering happily halfway between C and H, it is right up next to the H.  And seems to be moving even closer.  Uh-oh.  That's not normal.  Just after I notice that, I see the little thermometer light come on at the top of the dashboard.  Crap.

So I quickly dug out my cell phone and pressed the speed dial button for Jesse.  I usually avoid the cell phone while on the highway, but I wasn't sure what to do about this situation, since it hadn't ever actually happened to me before.  Luckily, Jesse answered his phone on the 2nd ring.  Sometimes he leaves it on vibrate, or forgets about it back in the bedroom, or whatever, and so he won't even answer his phone after 2 or 3 calls that go to voice mail.  When he answered, I said, "Uh, hi.  So, the temperature guage is all the way up next to hot, and now the light is on...."  Jesse immediately says, "Get off the road.  Pull over as soon as you can."  ...I continue, "And, uh, now the light is beeping at me and not stopping."

Long story short, by the time I had dialed his number, and figured out what to do, I was right near the next exit off the highway.  So I went ahead and pulled off there, and stopped the car in a striped-out zone right at the busy intersection, turned off the car, and turned on the hazards. 

Jesse then walked me through locating the radiator cap:
"It's a steel cap, sort of in the front frame area of the car...If you follow the tube from the reserve tank, you should be able to find it."  I wasn't finding it.  He started describing what a radiator looks like. 
"Is it sort of honeycomb-looking??" 
"YES!!  That's it!!" 
"Great, I found the cap, then!"  I open it up, and woooooo!  There was a ring of greenish liquid inside.  Score!! 

Jesse had somehow managed to stow no less than 3 large bottles of coolant in the van without me noticing.  Well, the van is typically pretty messy, so I guess it's not terribly unusual for me to not notice some of the contents.  But it took an entire bottle and then some to fill up the radiator, and then I used up the 2nd bottle and a portion of the 3rd to fill the reserve tank.  That radiator was basically bone dry.  And, as Jesse explained to me, if I hadn't managed to get the car stopped soon enough, it would have overheated to the point of  the engine seizing.  Our only car's engine.  That would NOT have been good.

So yeah... not exactly an ideal, smooth, flawless trip down to deliver a dinner to my friend.  BUT, I later realized, if Heavenly Father was going to answer my prayer with a no, He couldn't have picked a better time.  It has been so hot and humid these last few days.  Can you imagine if I had the kids with me?  They would have had to remain buckled in their seats without the benefit of the A/C.  It would have been unbearable.    Or what if it was while Jesse was at work, where he often doesn't get cell reception these days, and I hadn't reached him in time to figure out what I needed to do?  I'm not sure my instincts would have led me the right direction, to pull of the road immediately.  They obviously weren't kicking in yet when it happened, you know?  Or what if Jesse hadn't put the coolant in the car?  I would have had a fun little walking trip to find a gas station.  Or at night time, when I couldn't see what I was doing?  Or, or, or....   Truly, if my car was going to overheat, it chose the best possible time, when I was without the kids, Jesse was a phone call away, and I had everything I needed to fix the problem and move on. 

Oddly, I was sitting at a busy intersection, with my hazards on and the hood up, for about 10 minutes.  Cars were stopped next to me waiting for the light to change.  Many, many cars passed me.  Only one car stopped, and an older woman got out to see if I needed help.  She called me honey and said she stopped because it just as well could have been her and her family in that situation.  I was just about finished up at that point, so I thanked her and sent her on her way, but I was feeling pretty incredulous that nobody else stopped.  NOBODY.  When an obviously young woman was alone and probably needing help.  I mean, I'm glad I can take care of things myself, usually.  I can certainly change a tire, and now I can also fill the radiator, too.  ;)  But why on earth wouldn't people stop to check?  I know I would have, even if I was running late and had all three kids with me.  The only exception might be if it was a man alone... that might not feel safe to me.  But I might pull over and see if they need me to make a phone call or something, you know?

Anyway, it all worked out.  No lasting trouble- we just have a slow leak in the radiator that we've forgotten to check on for a good while, so it was our fault, I guess.  I'm glad we had things on hand.  I'm glad Heavenly Father said no to my prayer, so that things would work out at the best time.  And I'm also glad for an awesome husband who knows his way around a car well enough to walk me through it.

And by the time I'm through with this stupid hunk of a van, I'll probably qualify as a mechanic.  When the time comes, if I could kick it into a junk yard, I would.

Just sayin'. 

Facebook Friday

Ooooh, boy. It's been a while since the last one, hasn't it?
Don't give up on me yet. I *will* somehow get back into blogging. I promise!

Things of note:

• Tomorrow is my birthday! 29 years. Last time before I hit the big 3-0. We don't have any really major plans - I already got my expensive birthday present early (an iPod Touch - LOVE IT!!), but I'm making Jesse get me donuts for breakfast, we'll be getting some free Coldstone ice cream with my birthday coupon, and probably go out to eat at Outback.
• We're going to Colorado next week! All of Jesse's siblings are heading back home for a little reunion. It's been almost 2 years since we last saw everyone, and I'm *so* excited to head out there. We all are! We get to stay for almost a week and a half. And I doubt I'll post anything here during that time.

Anyway, on with the Facebook Friday! If I'm not going to make blog posts about every little thing we do, I can at least give you little mini-rundowns. :)

Picking up from where I last posted...
Sunday, May 17th
2:51pm
Becky is happy, relieved, and grateful that her lesson today went so well. ♥
(I was referring to my first lesson in Relief Society on Sunday. It really did go so well! I am *so* grateful for such a positive experience... And I totally can't take all the credit. The Lord helped me so much, and the Sisters all shared such wonderful thoughts.)

4:01pm
Becky doesn't often wish for hard wood floors... but Alex spilling bright red sweet & sour sauce all over the light carpet is definitely worth an exception. Can't quite get the stain out with the stain removers and steam cleaner we have on hand.

Monday, May 18th
10:52am
Becky woke up with absolutely zero motivation. Blah.

12:53pm
Becky had her clean ceramic crock pot sitting on the counter waiting to be put away. Knocked off a glass jar from the top of the fridge while I was putting away extra napkins. Glass jar fell on crock pot. Guess which one broke?? It *wasn't* the glass jar-- It was the expensive-to-replace crock pot!! WHAT?!? WHY?!?! (At least now I can rationalize the desire to purchase a Hamilton brand with a lid clip....right?)

6:13pm
Becky was just asked by her 3yo at dinnertime, "Mommy, can you drink more water? That way you're dying." Melinda had just asked why you "fall asleep" in the desert, and then we had explained a few minutes later how you need water to stay alive. Guess Jacob wanted me to be on the safe side, LOL. ;)
(That's his new thing now - if he's the least bit thirsty, he suddenly exclaims "I'm going to DIE!!! I need WATER!!" It's hilarious!)

Tuesday, May 19th
9:46am
Becky is getting the kids ready for a morning out with friends at the playground.

4:05pm
Becky is listening to Melinda clumsily carrying on her first friend-to-friend phone conversation. The amount of "WHAT?!? I didn't understand you!"s from both ends is amusing.

Wednesday, May 20th
12:07pm
Becky needs to take the tent down and out of the playroom so the kids can actually play...

3:02pm
Becky is trying to finalize airfare to Colorado for mid-June.

8:48pm
Becky totally negated any physical benefit from her evening walk by grabbing an Oreo McFlurry for the way back home. Emotional benefit from both the walk and the treat, however, reigns supreme!

Thursday, May 21st
10:26am
Becky woke up feeling yucky with a cold this morning- sore throat, sinuses hurt. At least today is Jesse's day off this week. Also, finally turned in our (ex-)2nd car's license plates yesterday, and canceled insurance on it this morning. Now we're *officially* a one-car family again.
(It's working out okay- Jesse can often get a ride to work, and hey... our insurance is less now, right?? Having only one car isn't the end of the world it felt like it could be when the possibility first crept up. We're really really hoping that job things work out soon, though, because the van isn't doing so hot. All sorts of random problems keep creeping up, and Jesse talked to a reputable mechanic about the random-dying thing it still does, and the mechanic said trying to fix it would largely be one giant guessing game. If his company gets purchased and/or he gets a new job soon, we'll be running out to buy a newer van pretty quickly, we think.)

11:32am
Becky has tickets to Colorado for the family... yay!!

4:37pm
Becky was forced (FORCED, I tell you!) to buy some Dibs ice cream in order to have enough exact cash to pay for pool passes. ...... Yes, I know it won't help my cold. That giant uphill probably didn't help, either, though. Whatev'.

10:24pm
Becky is trying to move her music files from Windows Media Player to iTunes. I'm about ready to throw the whole idea of an iPod out the window, thanks to this supremely frustrating task. Why on earth does it insist on separating albums by artists (like in soundtracks) when it converts from .wma?!? And pick the wrong album art and then refuse to change it?!?
Follow -up: 10:45pm
Oh thank heaven for Yahoo answers. Jesse was getting just as frustrated as I was, but he tracked down the answers we needed. Onward and upward!

Friday, May 22nd
4:03pm
Becky guesses that spending over 4hrs at the zoo probably didn't help her cold, either. But then again, the kids had so much fun. And that's great!
(We had a little preschool trip to the zoo, thanks to one mom and her family membership pass. I went along to help watch the kids. It was fun to see Melinda hanging out at the zoo with her friends. But, having a cold, I was really having a hard time, pushing around a heavy stroller instead of getting the rest that would have really helped me.)

10:15pm
Becky attended a perfectly lovely baby shower... and then picked up a couple more packages of Celestial Seasoning's Echinacea Complete Care tea on the way home.
(And, just like I predicted to Emily, the momma of honor, I felt immensely better the next morning. Go figure.)

Saturday, May 23rd
8:40pm
Becky is hoping everything is going well for her little sister Megan, whose water broke early this morning. Waiting eagerly for news - hopefully soon!

8:55pm
Becky realizes she just posted a status a few seconds ago... BUT... ... I have MAN FEET!! *despair* Jesse's new shoes fit my feet like a glove. Why oh why?!? Curse you, size 10!!!

10:52pm
Becky has a new niece! Aubrey Elizabeth was born to my sister Megan just after 6pm Pacific tonight!! ♥ ♥
Aubrey Elizabeth
Born: Saturday May 23rd 2009 @ 6:16 pm
7 lbs 5 oz 20 1/4 inches





Sunday, May 24th
7:29pm
Becky's one-year-old can make sound effects for fighting games..... and does so often.

Monday, May 25th
10:20am
Becky is heading out with the family to a church Memorial Day picnic. Fun and good food!!
(It really was fun, too! Except for trying to keep Alex from running willy-nilly while it was time to sit and eat. He just wanted to go and play! The games this year were a big hit, especially the tug-of-rope. I was just a little sad they didn't have a competition for the women... but it didn't stop me from taking on a bunch of little kids! I also had the honor of getting a tick on my leg. One of the itty-bitty ticks I found on Melinda last year. All from simply sitting in the grass at our church field!!)

8:03pm
Becky took the plunge and ordered a bunch of shoes from zappos.com, with the intent of only keeping 2 pairs. Which will hopefully fit, because I *still* need new shoes, very much.

11:09pm
Ok. I forgive iTunes for the horrible process that I went to in order to change over from Windows Media Player. I am now completely in love with and addicted to the Genius feature, and the easy-access podcasts.

Tuesday, May 26th
4:07pm
Becky needs to remind herself that there's a reason she doesn't usually go to the mall with three kids.

Wednesday, May 27th
11:08am
Becky can't believe it's time to pay the bills again, already. Where did the month of May go???

12:18pm
Becky got the bills done, and has now learned that pregnant sister #2, Melissa, is in labor. Yaaaay, another niece soon!! If only I didn't live so far away from them all. le sigh.

5:21pm
Tessa Jo is here - 8lbs even, 21.5 inches, born 1:24pm (Mountain). Congratulations to my sister Melissa!! ♥ ♥ ♥ I have two new nieces, squeeeee!!







Thursday, May 28th
2:40pm
Becky is trying to figure out why Melinda is uncharacteristically grumpy this afternoon. Might she *actually* need a nap? Or was watching me spray paint from across the porch really enough to give her a headache and change her mood?
Update- 5:31pm
She did take a nap, amazingly. And then woke up with a fever, poor girl. And on swim class day!! It's so tragic. :(

8:38pm
Becky got $400 worth of shoes in the mail today, and is sending back all but one pair. YES, I *finally* found a shoe that will work for me!! Happy dance!!

Friday, May 29th
8:38am
Becky is not sure she slept much at all last night. Melinda's fever turned into vomiting and sleeping hallucinations (I suppose you could call them fever dreams??). And she kept waking up Alex, too. *yawn* Had to cancel our turn to host preschool today, as well. So sad... it was to be the last lesson before summer, and I had a little gift for all the kids. :(

Saturday, May 30th
2:46pm
Becky went to a baby shower, hung out with friends afterward, and tried to be home in time for the usual late-afternoon Saturday mail. We got home just after 2pm, and we MISSED IT!!! NOOOoooo!! We have to wait until *MONDAY* now for our iPods!!! :*(

7:06pm
Becky is the proud owner of a new iPod Touch. Weeeee! (Thanks Post Office lady, who happily gave me my package at 5pm and totally made my day!!) Also proud owner of one sick Jacob. Got lethargic this afternoon, and he's now parked on the couch with a fever. Good news: Melinda was totally better this morning, so Jacob should be fine after about a day.

Sunday, May 31st
2:35pm
Becky didn't make it to church today, but we did take advantage of the beautiful weather and went for a long, leisurely stroll once everyone seemed rested enough.

Monday, June 1st
12:16pm
Becky felt a bit ambitious and took the kids in the stroller, Melinda walking, a good mile to the grocery store for a few things. It was a lovely morning... but WHY OH WHY do people not build ramps in the stupid sidewalks!?!? Plain TORTURE with a stroller!! And would it be too much to ask for a level sidewalk, too? Nothing like the whole stroller constantly trying to tip into the busy street.

1:08pm
Becky is cleaning up applesauce off of the dining room wall furthest from Alex's high chair.

3:00pm
Becky was just asked by an impatient Melinda, after telling her I'd play with her in just a little bit: "What hour or minute or second are you going to play with me?"

3:34pm
This article totally made me cry. My little girl is going off into the big world by herself this fall, and my heart totally relates to everything the author wrote.
http://www.5minutesforparenting.com/398/summer-song/

9:39pm
Becky is loving the new iPod touch. If you have one, or an iPhone, will you tell me what your favorite apps are? So far I have a lot of toddlerish games, and only a few "useful" apps.

Tuesday, June 2nd
3:10pm
Becky thinks mango chutney might be mandatory on all future sandwich wraps. Absolutely heavenly!!

Wednesday, June 3rd
9:38pm
Becky thinks this morning would have been just as productive if she had stayed in bed until 10am and ignored the world.

Thursday, June 4th
3:03pm
Becky should make a habit of checking the weather more regularly. Totally wasn't expecting the cooler temps and rain today, and dressed everyone for the day based on my indoor temperature, which was making everyone hot and sticky. Needless to say, we were all a bit chilly as we were out and about... Strange, for June in Maryland.

Friday, June 5th
10:19am
Becky *wanted* to stay in bed and ignore the world, after Alex screamed for an hour at 2am (WHY???).... but the big kids just couldn't seem to take care of themselves this morning. :(