It began as a great day. I have had a light week because two of my daycare kids have a mother who works for the school. Since the school is out for the week, she doesn't have to work. So, that leaves two others (only on Fridays--usually there are three extra). Turns out, they had other plans for today. So, I had the day "off." I decided to take my three kids to Walmart. WHY, OH WHY DO TORTURE MYSELF???

We are leaving for PA in the morning to visit my family. Three weeks ago, I had ordered photobooks from Shutterfly as Christmas gifts for my parents. Every day this week I have been running to the mailbox anxiously awaiting the package. Guess what? Shutterfly sent me an email , and turns out it will delivered tomorrow. Great. Wonderful. We are leaving at 5 am. So, that means the package I need will get here about the same time I get to PA. Is that my luck or what?

So, I figured I would take some super cute pics of the girls and run to Walmart to the Kodak picture maker , buy some cute frames and that would have to do as gifts for now. Took the pics, stood in line forever to use the picture maker, pics printed out blurry. ARGH. Waited in line forever to pay for my blurry pics that I can't use.

I really try to get through Walmart as quicky as possible before the baby gets fussy. The girls were very well-behaved and extremely patient which I was thankful for. My problem is that everyone wants to stop and talk about Avery's hair. No, I am not kidding. "Look at that red hair!" "Where did the red hair come from?" Now, I am as friendly as the next gal, but it gets old after a while. And, they also want to touch her. Like she is some kind of freak of nature or something. " If there is one thing I hate, it is people who I don't know touching my children. I mean, who knows where they have been? Totally sceeves me out. Then, I have to listen to my seven year old lecture me about how I should not talk to strangers. That little talk sure came back to bite me in the ass.

So, I came home, waited until 7 p.m. for the man to get home( so I could get out of here alone). Drove to CVS to use their picture maker. Walk in the door, see a big sign on the kiosk that says, "Out of Order, try again Monday." AAAAHHHHH! Are you *&^%%&*^ kidding me?

Hopefully, I can find a working, available kiosk somewhere along the four hour drive tomorrow. I will just have to wrap gifts in the parking lot. I am so on top of the game.

Just a little of this and that.

I have discovered the beauty of Freecycle! LOOOOVE it! I had heard that it was great, but originally thought that I was in too remote of an area to do it. I am wrong every once in a while. ;) I posted about two recliners we had that no one ever sat in. They just turned into catch alls for everyone's junk. That was yesterday. Guess what? Gone! Woohoo!! Love it. Now I just need to find a place for all the junk that was sitting in them. Maybe I will Freecycle that too, who knows.

Ever watch I Love the 80's on VH1? If not, do you remember the 80's? ;) After much thought (not really) I have decided that my two favorite things about that decade would have to be Hypercolor and Def Leppard. I had forgotten all about Hypercolor. Wow, can you even believe how cool that was? LOL I had a pink Hypercolor t-shirt. I thought I was just it. And Def Leppard. That goes without saying. They are still my all-time favorite band. Oh, and Swatch watches were cool too.

Off to de-clutter. Hope the beds are bolted down or I may freecycle them.

Till next time.

I think not. But, great for a laugh. :)

Ok, I think I fixed my template problem. Well, maybe not totally. But, it functions and I am ok with that. :)

We had a great weekend. Saturday, we made the two hour trek to the in-laws. We exchanged gifts and attended the candlelit service that evening. I have to admit, as conflicted as I am with my faith--it felt good to be there. I only had one un-Christianlike moment. That was when the three old ladies came out in their bathrobes and construction paper crowns to sing "We Three Kings." I am guessing the chuckle that I thought I had kept to myself came out because my husband promptly elbowed me in the side. Or maybe he just knows it was in there. Anyhow, it was a lovely evening. His parents were just tickled to show off their granddaughters and that warmed my heart.

The wrapping paper flew about 9 am on Christmas Day. Holy moly did the girls get tons of stuff. They are just on cloud nine still. I have no clue where to put everything. I will work on that today. The tree is coming down too. I just need to get order back into this house. We are going to my parents this weekend to exchange gifts and I want it done by then. We will be lucky if we fit everything they bought in the car.

I think I may be learning this blasted html stuff. :) The only thing is, can someone email me and tell me how to get my comments back? I can click on it, but it just brings me to another page with that particular post on it. No comments.

Have lots to blog about, but it will keep until tomorrow.

Not sure I should have tried to change the template. I am way too html challenged. It is a work in progress, though. Bear with me.

Happy birthday, sweet girl. I can't believe how fast time is flying.

Either that or I am just a fuddy duddy alone on my opinion about this. I refuse to buy anything Bratz-related. I just think these dolls are in such poor taste. I don't want my girls to think it is ok to walk around dressed like a prostitute with lips chock-full of collagen. I have managed to divert attention in stores and most everyone who buys for my children knows not to purchase Bratz stuff either. Jaycie got two dolls for her birthday. UGH. And, of course she was over the moon because "Mom is mean and won't buy me these." The one actually isn't too bad, but the other one..... fishnet stockings, halter top, etc. Just lovely. Last weekend my MIL was here. She told me that she bought Jaycie the Bratz car for Christmas. And, she brought gifts from my SIL. I have a sneaking suspicion that one of those cute little packages under the tree is also a Bratz doll. I guess I should just give up.

I may cry when I have to cut into it. LOL

I would love to call Sam Walton and tell him to bite me right now.

I had until 3 p.m. without extra kiddos today, so I took my two little ones and headed to Walmart. I needed to get the stuff for Jaycie's party and pick up a layaway. I figured it wouldn't be crazy busy there on a Thursday afternoon. Yeah, right. Our layaway needs to be picked up by tomorrow. Well, I have to work all day and we are supposed to get an ice storm tonight. So, today was the day. The line was unbelievable. I was told people had been waiting for over an hour. Well, had I been alone I wouldn't mind that (too much). However, with an impatient three year old and a fussy baby--no can do. So, I said screw it. I went around and just reshopped. The only problem was that the one thing I really wanted to get Mackenna was out of stock. And, there was only one pink leapster to be found. I grabbed it but realized (after I got home) that Jaycie's charger is for the triangular leapster and I had grabbed the rectangular one. UUGGHH!!! So, I spent what seemed like forever trying to hide what I was buying Kenna from her, holding a fussy baby and trying to maneuver the cart from behind through aisles filled with assholes who wouldn't move over at all and let me through--FOR NOTHING! I will still have to go exchange the stupid leapster, and I am out the $40 that I put down on the layaway in the first place. Bite me, Walmart.

I just finished the cake I made for one of my daycare kids. She is two today. What do you think? Now I just have to get through making Jaycie's tomorrow.

If you have ever read my blog, you already know that I really struggle with this topic. I am not even sure if I truly believe in God or if I just would like to believe that "he" exists. Yes, I know how incredibly blessed I am. I have three wonderful, healthy children, a great marriage, and so much more. I am not discounting that fact. I just wonder how people can maintain a strong sense of faith with such horrific things happening to good people around them.

My husband was raised in the church. So much so, that getting him to step foot in one now is alot like pulling teeth. Because, you see, he can "talk to God from his living room." Myself, I could probably count on both hands the times I have been in a church and the majority of those times have been funerals or weddings.

So, I struggle because I wonder if I am doing my children a disservice by not educating them on the bible and such. Not one of them has been baptised, confirmed or what-have-you, much to the dismay of several elder family members. I just honestly feel like maybe my husband and I, as parents should install the basic elements. Then, they can make the decision later if it is something they want to persue. At the beginning of the school year, Jaycie brought home a permission slip for a program they call "religious release." The kids who sign up walk a block to a nearby church one day a week for an hour and are schooled on the Bible. We went back and forth on whether or not to sign her up and ended up doing it. She really enjoys it, so I continue allowing her to participate. A couple months ago, she was telling her little sister about how three men were thrown in a furnace to burn to death because they wouldn't worship some material idol. But that they were saved because they followed "God's word." I kid you not, I know maybe three bible stories. And, no that isn't one that I had ever heard before. Ever fiber of my being wanted to rip her out of that program so fast it would make heads spin. Instead, I went to the bookstore in the mall and purchased a children's bible. I figured we could read a chapter every night before bed. It might be beneficial to me as well. Well, I only lasted about two chapters. Is it just me, or does there seem to be a constant theme in bible stories? Violence. I really don't want to read about murder, getting eaten by lions, etc. to my 6 year old before bed. Maybe I just picked the wrong book? Who knows. I guess I thought bible stories would have more content about good deeds and faith towards fellow man. *sigh*

Tonight, my friend came to pick up her daughter and was telling me the latest saga of her life. This friend is Catholic. Now, I know several catholics and they are very lovely people. So, this post is in no means intended to be derrogatory toward them or their faith. That being said, this friend happens to be pro-choice, is currently seperated from her husband and seeking a divorce. She is living with her current boyfriend. He (isn't very religious) wants to get married but doesn't want to go through the whole process of being confirmed, yadda yadda. She, on the other hand, plain refuses to marry anywhere other than the catholic church because "her faith is a big part of who she is and she just won't compromise." Ok, this is where my problem lies. See, with me it has to be all or nothing. I don't attend church because I am not sure what or how I believe. She, is Catholic, but is divorcing, is pro-choice, using birth control, and having pre marital sex. How is this possible? Does it have to be all or nothing for you to truly be of that faith? Is she a hypocrite? I don't know. See, if I were to choose a denomination, it for sure would not be Catholicism because I am also pro-choice. I believe in birth control. I think many couples are too quick to divorce, but it surely is warranted in some instances. I am so lost when it comes to this. I hope someone can give me some insight. So, what are your thoughts?

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This is Mokie, my husband's pride and joy. I think he actually loves this dog more than he loves me at times. :) He is a red merle Australian Shepherd. We got him as a puppy in March of 2003 because my husband wanted a cow dog. We picked the best, I think. They are herders by nature and he is really great with the cows. And, he is very protective of the girls. He won't let the cows near them. It makes Jaycie so mad when she wants to pet a cow and he nips at the cow's nose to scare them off. Another thing he does that I think is so cute is that if we leave the house, he will lie at the end of the driveway until we get home. Rain, snow, whatever. We went to PA for a whole weekend and were told when we got home that he only left that spot briefly a few times the whole weekend. Needless to say, we all adore him. I have to admit, though that I never thought I would make it through his puppy stage. He was so hyper. I think the breed is high strung in general, but I swear this dog bounced off our walls for a year at least. Ay yi yi. He is still pretty wound, but much more tolerable than he was.

Now to my point. Since Mokie is a farm dog, he pretty much roams free (As does the boss's dog). Our dogs (We also have a black lab. I got her before I met C.K. and I adore her.) are never tied up. They sleep in the laundry room at night and are outside most of the day. They have yet to venture away from home, I think the farm is big enough that they don't feel the need. Everyone who lives on the farm works here except for the guy closest to us. Well, his female dog got loose not so long ago( I am sure you know where I am going with this) and she and Mokie must have gone off and had a party for two somewhere around here. This is what happened.


There are actually four,not sure where the other one was when I took this. Now, we could try to deny that Mokie was the culprit, but I doubt we would get very far. You would never know that these dogs aren't all Aussie. They look just like him, don't they? So cute. Now, before you lecture me about being an irresponsible pet owner and not getting him neutered, C.K. wanted to get a female Aussie to breed them. And, yes, I have some issues with that as well, with as many perfectly nice orphan dogs as there are roaming around. Like I said, this is C.K.'s dog. My lab has been spayed since she was a pup. No throwing tomatoes, ok?

No really, I am getting to the point. My dilemma is this: The owner of the mother is the biggest waste. He is an awful pet owner. The mother has been chained in the backyard in this poor excuse of a shack forever. I have actually fed her when he is not home, and I have called the SPCA about him before (SHHH). These puppies are to the age now where they are roaming everywhere, and getting into EVERYTHING. I have been feeding them because I, of course feel somewhat responsible (He doesn't know this). I have asked the guy if he has found homes for them yet and he said yes, that they were all spoken for. Well, they are still here and no one has come to claim them. I am afraid they are going to get hurt. And, I can't afford to feed six dogs quite frankly. Do I take this into my own hands? I hate to see them go to a shelter. And, I don't really want to cause trouble with my neighbor either. Any suggestions?

I couldn't resist. Doesn't everyone who has a child have a picture similar to this? I think I have one of all my kids as babies wearing ridiculous sunglasses.

Christmas cards.

I was watching Today, GMA , or one of the other morning shows (I can't remember which), and an "expert" on holiday preparation was saying "Trim the fat!." Meaning, if there is something that you always do to get ready for the holidays that isn't completely necessary that totally stresses you out--just don't do it. Enjoy your holiday season, don't stress about it. The family will get through the season if you boycott the gingerbread house you usually make every year.

So, guess what? I love you all, and hope beyond hope that you all have a wonderful, joyous holiday. But, I am just not sending Christmas cards out this year. I have been stressing about this for days. I quite literally would have about 200 to send between family, friends, and can't forget the June mommies. I don't want to debate on who to leave out. Quite frankly, I don't have the time or energy to address 200 Christmas cards. Not to mention the $74 in postage that could be better utitlized on other things.

I really hope this doesn't make me a Scrooge.

A great friend has inspired me to blog about something other than my children. ;)

Will someone please explain to me the purpose of Blogshares? I honestly don't get it.

There is a funny little game going around the blog universe. It goes like this: You type your first name and the word "wants" into your search engine and post the first ten or so phrases that pop up. Clearly, Heather must be a more common porn star name than most. I have absolutely nothing decent to post and feel like I should take a shower after reading my results. YIKES!

A couple we know were bragging to us the other day about how they stopped eating anything with high fructose corn syrup or trans fats. Yeah, I guess that is commendable. They also mentioned that they spent well over $100 on two organic turkeys for Thanksgiving (Is that crazy, or is it just me?) . My husband spoke right up with " I could have walked out behind my house and shot you two turkeys for free. You can't get much more organic than that!" No, I am not kidding, he really said that. Isn't he a prize?

I just realized that I have become one of *those* people. When I was first introduced to message boards, blogs, and such, I couldn't figure out all those secret codes. You know, LOL, ROFL, ROFLMAO, etc., etc. And to be honest, when I did realize what all of that meant, I thought it to be very strange . Now, I find myself typing in the funny internet language all the time. *GASP* I have gone over to the dark side. I still think it is weird when other people do it. LOL (wink)

Well, sort of. We had Avery with us. Also, the husband says if there is no "nookie" afterwards, it isn't considered a whole (married) date. ;) It was the annual holstein meeting and C.K. is one of the directors, so we couldn't really get out of it. It was held at my favorite restaurant too, so I was excited that I got to eat a great meal, not have all three kids hanging on me, and dress up a bit. I wore my black pants that make me feel skinny, so all was well. The only thing I cannot stand about those meetings are the guest speakers. *YAWN* Last night the topic was the advantages of "sexed semen." For those of you who have no idea what I am talking about, dairy farmers with registered herds (and I am sure other farmers as well) deal with alot of artificial insemination. They are beginning to come up with ways to "spin" the semen when it is fresh to determine if the chromosomes are "y" or "x" chromosome. Of course the goal is to get heifer calves instead of bulls. Heifers are worth money. So, the speech was just about whether or not it is worth it or not to spend the money to sex the semen. Whoopee. I say don't mess with mother nature, but that is just my take on it. LOL I guess you have to be born and bred into farming to get excited about topics like that. I warned everyone sitting at our table that I may need an elbow in the ribs to keep me alive during that presentation. Avery was a big hit though. She was such a doll, never even fussed. Everyone just went nuts over her hair, as usual. I had tons of offers for people to hold her while I was at the salad bar and eating my meal. We never even left the restaraunt until 11, so by the time we got back into town to pick up the two big girls it was 11:30 and midnight before we were in bed. *Yawn again* That is a super late night for this chica who is usually dying to get in her jammies by 7:30 p.m.

So, that was my big night. We really live the party life here in cow land, don't we?

that NYC is "AWESOME!" Apparently, "there are big towers, alot of people, and a cool lady who sells chocolate covered fruit by the subway." So, there you have it. I know all I need to know now. She had such a great time. Even spent $4.00 on a frilly pink scarf in Macy's. She has worn it constantly. So cute.

I am fooling people. Everyone around here seems to think I am completely on the ball. Guess what? I am soooo not. I am just good at keeping up appearances, I guess. My house, my kids, and myself are all clean. I manage to get through each day somehow being responsible for 7 children. However, I screwed up something and I am so mad at myself. Mackenna has an evaluation with a speech pathologist tomorrow morning. It has been scheduled for two weeks. I completely forgot about it when I agreed to keep another two month old for the day. No way can I take her to her evaluation and bring along a two year old, and two babies. This little boy is just a day older than Avery. What a dope, I am. So, I am just hoping C.K. can take her. I am not getting my hopes up. If I have to reschedule it, it will take at least three weeks to get her back in. Wish me luck.

I am done Christmas shopping. Jaycie has decided she cannot live without the ballet Bella Dancerella. Guess what? Sold out everywhere I have looked. So, I sucked it up and got it on ebay. Of course I paid more for it, but it is just one of those things that *has* to be under the tree. *sigh*