Carsonism

Carson is notorious for making me come in the room to look at whatever toy might be on commercial. He says "mom, can I have that?" I say "yes" just to avoid a fight about it. Well this morning he was in his room and I was in mine. He says "mom, come here quick run" so Grace and I ran in there only to miss the commercial. Carson says to me "mom, their talking about credit card debt" Me "oh really?" Pointing at the ceiling very matter of factly "mom, this house is melting in credit card debt." I assured him that our house is just fine!

The House...not finished pics but almost

So here are some pictures of our home. However I cant figure out how to rotate my pics so you'll have to look sideways! Hope you all have a great weekend!

I havent gone away!

Not that anyone is reading anymore! But I am back! We are in our new house as of yesterday! I really am in love with our house! Dana worked so hard practically night and day! He has done a wonderful job! I will post pictures soon!

So what have we been up to? Not much other then working at the house! Carson is enjoying school...as far as I know anyway. He likes to pick and choose when he shares about school. He loves his new bedroom. Grace is running all over, she learned how to walk and now she just runs full bore all the time! She is talking up a storm. She is a very smart little girl and its so fun to get to watch her grow!

I had great intentions of blogging the whole house process. But then I was in the world of dial up internet! It was painful...thats all I'll say about dial up! So now we are in our house and I have high speed and wireless so I'm loving it!

I will talk to you all soon!

Happy Birday to my sweet little boy!!!

Five years ago today at 5:00am my sweet baby was pushing into my ribs so hard. I tried to switch sides in bed that didn't work, I went to the bathroom that didn't work. So I laid down and prayed, Dear Jesus if I'm in labor please just let my water break. And at that exact second, it did! Just enough for me to know that is what it was. My sister was asleep in the basement so I told her it was time to go. Then I called Dana in Kuwait to tell him the news. I said "I'm going to the hospital." He replied "Why" he must have forgotten we were about to have a baby! Sobbing I said "My water broke" Ever the supportive husband always putting me first he said to me "don't worry about me I'll be fine" Duh! I wasn't so worried about him that day! I had a wonderful labor and delivery! I was surrounded by pictures of Dana and had a lot of family there for support. I told my Dr. that I had to have the baby by 6:00 because Dana was leaving Kuwait and I wanted to be able to call him and tell him he was a daddy. We made it! at 5:20 Carson made his entrance into the world! I called his daddy and he was able to hear his first cries!

Fast forward to today,

"Mommy, do I sound different?"

"I think so, why do you think that is? maybe because you are 5?"

"Yeah, maybe now I sound like my dad!"

Carson really is such a sweet little guy. He challenges me, makes me laugh and wonder how he got so smart daily!

I love you baby boy! Happy Birthday! I can't believe you are already 5!

Monday, Monday....

What a great long weekend we had...although long weekends dont really mean anything other then I get company an extra day! But I really enjoy that.

We started our fun on Thursday with the Whopper feed in Gary. The kids played at the park for awhile then we were off to the tractor pull. Carson really seemed to enjoy it. Grace on the other hand got sick. She threw up for the first time in her life. So I thought it must be the heat or maybe the bumpy stroller ride we had just went on. But when it happened the second time I knew she must be sick. She acted fine and was happy but couldnt keep anything down.

Friday Dana and Carson went to the parade in Kransberg, with our good friends the Meyers and my sisters family. I stayed home with Grace and got things ready for the afternoons festivities. We had a lot of family out to the farm for a wonderful meal, fireworks, swimming and fellowship. In the evening we headed into Watertown for the fireworks show. It was great! Thanks again mom for watching Grace!

Saturday and Sunday we didn't do a whole lot just hung out as a family. We did go to our house and decide where we wanted all of our light switches and outlets. All of the interior walls are up now and the footings for the garage are poured. I think they will build the garage walls early this week and set raftors at the end of the week. We are getting closer every day!!

I hope you all had a safe and happy 4th of July!!

PS: Carsons roadrash is healing up nicely, he just got back on the 4wheeler this last weekend and seems to be using more caution....we'll see if it lasts!

New 4-Wheeler + Fearless 4 yr. old = Road Rash

Carsons daddy told him that when we moved to the farm he would buy him a 4wheeler of his own. So he did! On Monday night the boys were out riding their wheelers, having fun playing follow the leader. It was very cute to watch. Then Dana got a phone call, he stopped and Carson kept on playing. He was turning circles in the gravel which was ok. Well not really I'm always getting after him for doing it, but he was under his daddy's watch. So anyway, he got too close to the grass and it threw the wheeler over on Carson. So needless to say he has a pretty bad case of road rash on his left ankle. I've been trying to get it through his head that his helmet doesn't protect the rest of his body. I hope that he learned his lesson. Tuesday morning we took him the the clinic for some x-rays to be sure that nothing was broken, nothing was so now we just have to soak it 2 times a day and he is on an antibiotic so he doesn't get an infection.

On to other news, our house is coming along great!! Now that we have been having dry weather they have gotten a lot done! We now have a basement complete with floor trusses and a mail level floor! Today when I went by they had the West wall (our bedroom)up! I think they'll have the outer walls up by the end of the day! It is all so exciting!

Grace started walking on Fathers Day! What a great gift to her daddy walking across the living room floor to him. She is really getting it down now! She is very adventurous and love exploring with her new found freedom! Keeps us on our toes!

Where have I been?....

Not that anyone is dying to know why I haven't posted in a while...but I've been dog sitting without Internet. My parents are on vacation so we are staying at their house and watching their pooch Katie. While we've been at their house Carson attended VBS and loved it! They had a great program this year with very fun songs and dances. Carson developed a little crush on Katie one of the worship leaders/dancers. When I picked him up on Sunday night he wanted to go talk to her. Sheepishly he said hi! It was super cute then when we got to the car he said to me "I like miss Katie, she's the prettiest gurl there" later in the week I got comments like "I would never be naughty to miss Katie, I don't want her mad at me" By the end of the week he practically tackled her after VBS. So a lot of fun was had by all. This week we have been hanging out at home mostly. Carson was suppose to start Zoo School on Wednesday but due to the weather they postponed it. We have been getting a surplus of rain lately, I am so ready for it to stop and get some heat! We did get over 80 one day! I got burned! I laied in the sun in my new swimsuit! For the first time I have a swimsuit that I love! Dana says that I look hot in it. Never before has he said that about me in a swimsuit so I'm pretty pumped! I will actually be at the pool this summer! So my parents come home on Monday, I'm excited to hear all about their adventures! I've rambled on enough so I'll post again later!

The Cops are coming!...

Yesterday, we were driving in Sioux Falls. From the back seat Carson says "there's a police man."

Me: Yep

Carson: I'm glad he didn't have "wee u's"

Me: What?

Carson: You know Wee u's

Me: Whats a wee u?

Carson: You know like this "wee u, wee u, wee u"

A boy and his boots...

So I got Carson a pair of cowboy boots. He absolutely loves them, he will not wear any other shoes. Yesterday, I have him a pair of athletic pants and a shirt to wear, I told him that he'd have to wear his tennis shoes. He would hear nothing of it. I decided it really doesn't matter what kind of shoes he wears, not worth the fight. He still looked pretty cute! I did go buy him new jeans because his others were getting a little short, it tennis shoes it would have OK for a little bit, but the boots have a heel. So he is sporting some new boots and jeans!

We now have a huge hole on our lot! On Monday they will really start building! It is very exciting!

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Dead Eye Gino...May he Rest in Peace...

Yesterday I was doing the dishes in the kitchen while Carson and Grace were playing in the living room. Suddenly Carson yelled "mommy come here, quick, one of the pinchers (yellow finch) flied into the window." Sure enough one of the yellow pinchers had flown into the window and died. It was a sad day at the Bindert farm. I tried to tell him that maybe he just knocked himself out and would get up....no such luck! Carson felt so bad for the little guy, I could hardly hold him back he wanted to go out and touch the lil guy. So as soon as grandma got home he ran out to show her his little friend that had died. Grandma wasnt scared to touch him so we let Carson put him on the dustpan and carry him around. Carson decided that we should give him a name...so Dead Eye Gino it is! After Dana got home they burried little Dead Eye. They also said a prayer for his little birdie friends, brothers and sisters that they wouldnt miss him too much. It was really sweet! My little guy that can be such a challenge sometimes also has such a tender little heart. Before he went to bed Carson said "I'm going to miss Dead Eye Gino mom are you?" and right away this morning he told me that he hopes he is ok and that he misses him. I really hope he doesnt try to dig him up!!

GROUND BREAKING NEWS!!!

Well it's really only exciting for us! Soon we will have a hole in the ground where our new house will be! We are very excited! On Monday we had Carson break the first ground, I will post pictures later!

Well life on the farm is kinda laid back....

Whoever came up with those lyrics was such a liar! I think it's anything but laid back, it's work, work, work then when your done there's more work to do! So needless to say I'm not getting bored! Actually, life is very good! We had a great weekend! My parents went to a dance recital so the kids and I stayed at their house to watch their dog. We had a great time hanging out with my sister and her family all weekend. We grilled out and had a bonfire. Dana has been working in the field with his dad all weekend and Monday and Tuesday. I think that he got all of the corn in finally! Two weeks ago they got 2.5 inches of rain and it was a real push to get the corn in with the wet ground. Carson is still loving it, helping daddy dig! Grace is adjusting well too! Finally! She slept all night last night!

Mothers Day!! just a little bit late

I think that by nature kids think their mom is at times the most wonderful women in the world and other times the most horrible! I think that Carson tells me daily that he hates me, it hurt my feelings at first but now I just say "thats fine, but you are going to listen to me."

It makes me wonder if I ever told my mom I hated her. If I did I'm sorry mom! So my point is that I think that we dont appreciate our moms until we grow up. Until we can see our moms with our children I don't think we really appreciate them. Until I became a mom, I couldn't understand why my mom would go without so that we could have something that we wanted.

So mom thank you so much for all of your sacrifices for your unconditional love and for being such a great mom and now grandma! I love you!

Back to reality...well whatever that is now!...

We are totally moved, not really settled but we are moved! We ended up moving on Friday due to the impending rain. The guys got everything loaded by 1pm so we headed North! On Saturday Dana and I headed back to get the rest of our stuff and clean up the house. I cried my way through the cleaning, as my house became more and more bare. I am happy about the move, but I am very sad to leave our home and our life in the little town of Worthing. So we are all in the in-laws basement, it actually works out pretty well, I think that we will all get along. As long as we keep in mind that it is only temporary.

Cinco de Mayo...

What do those 3 words mean to you? Maybe not much, maybe you go out and drink a lot of beer. To me it has significant meaning, it is the day that my husband should have died.

May 5, 2004 5AM my phone rings. Nothing out of the ordinary! Dana called me everyday at this time when he arrived in Kuwait. This particular morning was different though.
D "Are you sitting down?"

Confused "yes, whats up?" Expecting him to tell me of an extension or something.

D "I hit an IED today and I'm in a hospital"

I don't remember the conversation much after that. I remember being really calm and thinking I should be freaking out. After we hung up the phone I called our parents and my family support group leader. Then I think I just got ready for work like normal. Not that I was cold to the fact that my husband had almost just died, but I figured I had 2 choices sit at home and worry about it or go to work, have something to keep my mind off of it and have the support of my friends who had always been there for me.

Later on in the day a representitive for the Army came to Ford and told me what they figured had happened. In fact it was not an IED but a RPG that hit Dana's truck that day. A RPG (rocket propelled granade) is suppose to penetrate it's target and then explode. By the grace of God, the RPG that hit my husband did not do that it exploded on impact, causing the door of the truck to take most of the trauma.

Dana had a surgery in the CASH hospital in Bahgdad then he was transported to Germany, he underwent another surgery there. Then he was on his way back to Ft. Carson CO. I had decided that Dana's mom and I would be in Colorado when he got there no matter what, the following Monday morning there was a plane leaving at 7:30 and we would be on it. Remember how much I loved my job? This is an example of the wonderful people there. The owner of Sioux Falls Ford, is great. When he heard what had happened he came and told me to take all the time I needed then 2 weeks more then he gave me his personal credit card and told me to pay for our trip with it. I dont think he'll ever know what that meant to me! So the following Monday morning we were on the plane. It worked out perfect! Dana was just getting settled into the hospital as we landed.

So what do I do on Cinco de Mayo? I thank God that my husband is here with me, that he can still walk and he is going to watch our kids grow up with me. That we got to have little Grace! I mourn for those that weren't as lucky as I am.

Packing, Graduation and Carson's first Sleepover...

Well this week was full of accomplishments as far as moving goes. We packed,packed,packed and packed some more! We are very close to being done! But there is still a lot to do, you never know how much stuff you have until you try to put it all in boxes! So we will be living out of boxes for a couple weeks!

Carson graduated from Preschool today! I will post some pictures at a later date! He did so good singing and doing all of the actions to his songs. It was very fun to see! He is growing up way too fast! I cant believe he'll be 5 this summer. He had a wonderful teacher Mary, he really loves her and she loves the kids so much! On the 1st my sister and I brought May Day baskets to the class! About 10 minutes before class was out we set them by the door, knocked and ran away. We listened from around the corner so we could listen to the kids. It was really fun, they were so excited!

Tonight Carson is having his first sleepover! Emily and Maia used to live just 2 doors down from us but have since moved to Tea. We are still very close with their parents and Carson just adores the girls! They are so good with him! They are both older then Carson and they watch out for him and play so good with him! They are such sweet girls, we are really going to miss them when we move! Right now they are all laying on the floor watching a movie. It's pretty cute! Earlier Carson asked if they could all take a bath. I told him if they had their swimming suites they could but they don't so no bath! Emily is the oldest of the 3 and I could tell she really didn't want to but is too nice to tell him no! I love the complete innocence, he thought nothing of it, he just wanted to share his big bathtub and watch TV of course!

Those are the highlights of our week! I hope you all had a great week!

On the Agenda...

Well today I am getting packing hopefully...if I ever get my boxes! I got all of my calls made to the electric, gas, phone companies yesterday to shut off service. Funny thing when I called they had a switch date of May 30th. I told the employees no, the last day I own the house is the 15th so thats my last day! I dont know if the new owner is trying to pull a fast one or maybe she doesnt get it! Oh well, I got it switched!

We had a long night last night. First Grace woke up screaming, I couldnt get her back to sleep so I took her out of her crib and we cuddled and rocked. Then at about 3 Carson woke up with growing pains in his legs. I got him some Tylenol and we also rocked! I rubbed his little calves and sang "You Are My Sunshine" I thought I was helping him and all of a sudden he sweetly said to me "mommy will you please quit singing" I guess I'm not as good as I thought! LOL!

Hope you all have a good Tuesday!

Grace and her cake

This is my sweet baby girl with her birthday cake! We didn't have her party yet but we did have a cake at home for her thanks to her auntie! She loved it! She first just put her hands in it but then she just took a bite right out of the side!

Monday Monday....

Right now I'm on the computer while my kids are playing in the living room. Carson playing a 4-wheeling game and Grace with her toys! What a great feeling!

On the agenda today call and disconnect everything and get packing!

A Week in Review...

I never knew being unemployed (outside my home) would be so busy! We had a super busy week here at the Bindert household.

Saturday, Dana and I met my good friend Tresa and her husband Mike at Texas Roadhouse for supper. I called ahead and we actually got to sit down as soon as we walked in the door! We were super excited because we were prepared for a hour wait! Tresa was my boss at Sioux Falls Ford but now I can just call her my friend. Although I will probably still call her my boss! LOL! Tresa and I weren't friends at first, but I really grew to respect her and a friendship followed. It's a friendship I hope to keep after we move. I've learned a lot from her and have a lot of fun with her. After supper we met some other friends at The Gateway for drinks, it was a lot of fun!

On Sunday we were rather lazy and hung out at home. My sister Daina and her family was here visiting. Daina stayed here to help me get everything ready for the rummage. We were busy all week!! We worked on pricing, organizing and sorting. Rummage sales are a lot of work! In the future I'll be more organized when I put things into storage! The rummage was Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Well I was only really open on Thursday, Friday we had a crazy Spring storm here in Eastern SD. Dana got stranded at the (Summit exit) Coffee Cup truck stop. He was finally able to get back to Watertown this morning at about 11 or so. So he took a nap at a friends house and is on his way home now! I'm excited to see him!

The best part of the week was on the 24th, my sweet baby girl turned 1 year old!!

To my beautiful little girl:
We didn't know that you were coming, but we are so excited that God is a better planner then we are! You are such a little blessing to us and to your big brother. Carson is just smitten with you, he loves to play with you and protect you from things that you cant have. You are equally in love with him too! Your eyes light up when he is around and you smile from ear to ear! You are so in love with your daddy, when he gets home on the weekend you crawl to him as fast as you can, and he picks you up and you love on each other. It is so fun to watch! Your daddy and I love you so much! You have the sweetest little voice! You talk a lot but never really say anything, well anything we can understand but you know just what you are talking about! I love you baby girl! I love when you keep me company in the kitchen while I cook or clean up. I love the way you grab on to the back of my pants to pull yourself up, or when you play with the letters on the fridge and dance to the ABC's. You have such a sweet little personality. I am very grateful to be able to stay at home with you and know everything about you. To know how your day was without asking someone else. To teach you everything that a little girl needs to know. I will treasure our time together. But, if you could not grow up so fast I would really like that!
Love your mommy!

Now that brings us to today....I should be cleaning but I wanted to get caught up on every body's blogs and make a quick post! We are planning on a relaxing weekend! Then come Monday I will start packing up the house! Ive decided that I'm not taking anything that I don't need and I'm making a place for everything! I have a problem with putting things away where I wont forget them but I always manage to do just that! So I will do a lot of organizing, throwing away and packing next week! Talk to you all soon!

Finally Friday...

We got our appraisal back and we are good to go! I'm happy to announce that our house is officially SOLD! We will close on the 15th of May!

Today was to be my last day at work...well I work tomorrow for 4 hours but it's not the same, my girlfriends wont be there tomorrow. But I think my sweet baby girl has rotovirus. So I am home with the kids, we are going in later to have cake as a little goodbye. I am very sad today, I really wanted to work today. It's silly I know but I really love my job and all the people I work with.

Now the real work begins, next week I am getting ready for a rummage sale that I'm having on Thurs, Fri and Sat. In Sioux Falls we have what is called Kingswood Rummage Sales and it is huge! I know a lady that lives in that area and she is letting me have a sale at her house! My mother in law will be down on Wed. to help me with it! So it should be a fun busy week, then I'll start packing!

Till later!

Woo Hoo! We passed inspection!

Well last night the kids and I took off and went to Chuck E. Cheese's for 3 hours. Oh my goodness! that is a very long time at CEC, but we couldn't be at the house so what better place then the one that will keep Carson entertained for hours! Grace even got in on the action and went on a few rides! Actually the time flew by! A girl from work met us there and our boys played! Carson won 37 tickets, but when he saw what he could buy with his tickets he was very upset and wanted a foam dart gun. Well the gun was 200 tickets a far cry from our 37 but the girl behind the counter took pity on me and called it close enough! We loaded up and were on our way home! Carson was happily playing with his gun pretending to shoot it. I asked him how it worked and he really didn't know that you squeezed the handle. So he handed it to me and I showed him. (while driving) I shot the poor little guy right in the eye...there goes the mother of the year award! Darn it anyway! Good news is he shot me a few times and felt better. When I do something wrong or hurt his feelings he says to me "that's OK mommy, I still love you."

We got home and had to make cupcakes for a cake walk and for Carson's class. Carson is the star of the week at school and since he has a summer birthday and won't get to bring treats I decided this would be a good opportunity for him to bring treats. So we got the cupcakes made, sheet washed teeth brushed and we were off to bed. Well kinda....

The great news is that we passed inspection!!!! Our realtor said there are a few minor things they might ask for but no deal breakers. My feelings on the minor things is if they aren't affecting the safety of the house they can do it themselves! Maybe I'm just a bit crabby, but I feel like we have worked so hard on our house and really have worked with them as it is, I just don't want to give anymore. But I also want to sell the house. Hello rock and hard place, I'm Rachel not so nice to meet you!

5 Years Ago Today....

In the coming months you'll see a lot of posts like this. Bear with me!

Five years ago that was me! Six months pregnant and saying goodbye to my husband not knowing what the future held. Today marks the 5 year anniversary of the day that Dana left Sioux Falls for Ft.Carson, Colorado. Ft.Carson was his "duty station" that is where troops train prior to deploying overseas. My husband was in a transportation unit so they drove all their equipment to Colorado where it was loaded onto rail cars and then to a ship to make the journey to Kuwait where they picked it up. April 9, 2003 the family and friends of the 1742nd lined the roads leading to the interstate. We cheered them on as they drove past although we felt like we were dying inside. My girlfriends daughter was 5 at the time saying to her mommy "why does he have to go? I just want him to stay here" I thanked God that I was pregnant and not having to explain such a grown up thing to my little boy. I talk about the pain, because that is the first feeling I remember. Of all the emotions I felt during that time the heart breaking pain stands out the most. Not knowing when or if you'll see your husband, son or brother again literally feels like your heart is being ripped out. But on the flip side there is an overwhelming feeling of pride and commitment to your country and your loved one that carries you through. You live your life believing that no news is good news and it was! You lived for phone calls, emails and letters. I relied on my faith in God that he would bring my husband home to me, but I also accepted that God's plan may be different.

To all the men and women that went before Dana and all that continue to serve I say Thank you! To all of the spouses who held up the home front and are continuing to do so, Thank you! Thank you for your sacrifices that are so hard and scary at the time. To all of the men and women who have given their lives for our country, Thank you. To all the men and women that have sacrificed their bodies and will live forever with the physical reminder of the war, Thank you! We as a country are forever indebted to you!

Good News.....Hopefully!

Well yesterday we got a call from our realtor and we got an offer on our house! So now as long as the appraisal and inspection go off without a hitch we are good to go and we will close on May 15th! So please pray with us that we will have no glitches.

We are really trying not to count our chickens so to speak, but that is really hard to do!

Scary Stuff!!

I cant view this at work because the system filter wont allow it...it comes up under occult! Even my computer knows its not on the up and up!

Go here if you aren't up to date with Oprah's new age anti-doctrine.It will chill you.

Oprah and Friends.....

This post is not my writing, it comes from Amy at http://www.orangemomma.blogspot.com/ I agree with it 100% Amy was able to put into words what I have been trying to for weeks. Thank you Amy for this post, I hope that we can get the word out there so that people aren't sucked in, because of Oprah's influence on so many in our country. Enjoy the read and please do your own research!

I'm one of the many who are awed by Oprah's generosity & warmed by her giving. But I'm neither warmed nor awed by this latest blow to the very foundation my beliefs are built upon.
It seems Christ is being redefined & reinvented, (basically blasphemed). It's scary to me as I know how influential Oprah is, with millions (of watchers & dollars!).

I also realize how easy it is to buy into something like this. It's appealing. I mean, no sin? no satan? Wouldn't that be great?! An end to thinking that Jesus died for us for our sins? Who wouldn't like to live the rest of their lives ignoring the idea that someone did so much for us?!
I'm sure a lot of people will follow the idea that there are generally no rules. An intrinsic belief system of sorts. I mean I'm all for relying on your own convictions but belief in a system without the true foundation of Christ is complete false beliefs.

I also know that someone wanting to sneak into your house isn't going to knock the door down & yell & growl & scare you. They will come when you least expect, they will be quiet. They might even knock on your door & sweet talk you into letting them come into your living room.
And if you're wanting to convince someone of something, your best bet is to appear as if you have his or her best interest.

I don't let much get my feathers get ruffled when it comes to my faith. But when Jesus died for all of us...and then someone is wanting to use that, turn it upside down, and convince us to not build our basis on it, well, that kinda ticks me off.
Apparently this Helen Schucman heard voices back in the 60s (who didn't hear voices back in the 60s?!). She dubbed this voice as Jesus (I won't poke fun at that particular point, as I do believe Jesus speaks to some). Apparently Jesus 'spoke' to her & asked her to write down each things He said. At which point she created her book, Miracles.I got this info in an email but never believe everything I get in my inbox (otherwise I'd be posting about how I won THREE lotteries in ONE day! The Nigerian lottery & others!). So I did my own research.Here's my sources:http://www.crossroad.to/articles2/007/smith-oprah.htm
http://www.xmradio.com/oprah/index.jsphttp://www.snopes.com/politics/religion/newageoprah.asp
http://www.oprah.com/xm/mwilliamson/mwilliamson_about.jhtml?_loopback=1

Here's what a I read:
Oprah Winfrey, beginning January 1, 2008, on her daily radioProgram will offer a year-long course on the New Age Christ , in a Lesson a day and completely cover the 365 lessons from the Course in Miracles "Workbook."Listeners will be encouraged to buy A Course in Miracles for the year-long course, and an audio version, recited by Richard (John Boy Walton) Thomas will be available on compact disc.Those who finish the Course will have a wholly redefined Spiritual mindset-a New Age worldview that include the beliefs that There is no sin, no evil, no devil. A Course in Miracles teaches its Students to rethink everything they believe about God and life, and,Bluntly states:

"This is a course in mind training" and is dedicated to"thought reversal.

"The Course in Miracles -in reality-is the truth of the Bible Turned upside down.Oprah told her television audience that Williamson's book, Course in Miracles was one of her favorite books, and that she had already bought a thousand copies and would be handing them out to everyone in her studio audience.

Oprah's endorsement skyrocketed Williamson's book to the top of the New York Times bestseller list .A Course in Miracles is allegedly a "new revelation" from"Jesus" to help humanity work through these troubled times.

This"Jesus"-who bears no doctrinal resemblance to the Bible's JesusChrist-began delivering channeled teachings in 1965 to a Columbia University Professor of Medical Psychology, Helen Schucman.One day Schucman heard an "inner voice" stating, "This is aCourse in miracles. Please take notes." For seven years she diligently took spiritual dictation from this voice that described himself as"Jesus.

"Here are some quotes from the "Jesus" voice of A Course in Miracles :·

"There is no sin . . . "· A "slain Christ has no meaning."·

"The journey to the cross should be the last 'Useless journey."· "Do not make the pathetic error of 'clinging to the Old rugged cross.'"·

"The Name of Jesus Christ as such is but a symbol...It is a symbol that is safely used as a replacement for the many names of all the gods to which you pray."·

"The recognition of God is the recognition of yourself."· "The Atonement is the final lesson he [man] need learn, for it teaches him that, never having sinned, he has no need of Salvation.

"Popular author Wayne Dyer told his PBS television audience that the "brilliant writing" of A Course in Miracles would produce more peace in the world.

The Course in Miracles-based book, Forgiveness, continues to be sold in Robert Schuller's Crystal Cathedral bookstore as Schuller prepares to host a January 17-19, 2008, "Rethink Conference" at his Crystal Cathedral.It's interesting that our generation is catching a glimpse at the 'end times' (the last days).

Read 2 Timothy 3:

Godlessness in the Last Days1But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— 5having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.6They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over weak-willed women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, 7always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth

Things I've learned...

I've learned that I really do enjoy my treadmill and water. I hope that I continue to enjoy them. I've got 5 miles in so far this week. I went to sign Carson up for swimming lessons and learned that I'd have to be in the water with him at times....so it is time to work on the parts of my body that still look like I could have a baby on board!

I've learned that I am really sad to sell our house and move. I am so excited to be back home closer to our families. But to leave everything we have worked for over the past 10 years, all the friends we have made as a married couple and adults really is very bitter sweet for me.

I have learned that the world will keep turning once I leave my little post at work. Someone else will do my job and the place won't burn down, although sometimes I wish it would. Not really, but I hope you know what I mean! I have learned that once I am gone, I will not necessarily lose my friends at work but we will lose touch, I will be out of the loop. That makes me sad! As silly as it sounds, and I know it does I hope when my job is filled that my Salesmen don't like her as much as me, I hope that they don't think she can fill my shoes. I don't wish her ill will i really don't she is a very nice girl. I just want them to miss me. I know it's silly and obsessive, but I can't help it!

I've learned that if something is hurtful, confusing or upsetting, you should go to the source and make it right. It doesn't do anyone any good to let it fester.

So that was a very random post! On a very exciting note this morning Grace very clearly said "Brod her" (brother) She loves him so much! The feeling is mutual! Last night Carson was pushing her around the living room in the laundry basket. It was super cute!

(sorry the picture of the kids is so old, I'm at work without my pictures)

Two things my son got from me....

When Carson was born Dana was in Iraq. When he arrived he looked at me just like his daddy, he had the same wrinkles in his forehead that his daddy does. I was scared that with Dana being gone he wouldn't have his characteristics. Boy was I wrong....he is all boy! I used to joke that the only thing he got from me was drooling in his sleep. He has grown out of that...me not so much! But I've discovered one more thing!! He has dreams that he remembers! Last night he woke up at 1:30 for a bathroom break, he woke me up because he thought he lost his blankie. He said to me. "Mom, in my dream there was a bug on my finger and he was flapping his wings, and he pooped on me!" Not really knowing if he actually had a dream or was making up a story, this morning I asked him if he had any dreams. Sure enough he repeated the same dream! You gotta take the little things when nobody ever says your kids resemble you!

the picture is one of Carson and I in our twosome days! it's old I know!

Carson-isms

Fun conversations with Carson over the weekend....

While eating at Texas Roadhouse with my parents the song Cotton Eyed Joe came on and all the employees do a line dance.
Carson said to us "They're not gonna be able to order people if they're dancin"

Eating peanuts with grandma at Texas Roadhouse he'd crack the peanuts saying "it hatched" and when he got a particularly hard peanut "oh, that's a tough little guy"

Carson enjoys getting my birth control pill out of the packet, last night he thought this would be a great idea "When we get Gracie paid for maybe we could have a baby brother." (don't know where that came from!)

Carson loves to play On your marks, get set, go....he rides his bike down the driveway and slams on his breaks at the end leaving a black mark...On Saturday he tried it with his scooter too
"OK, Scooter it's up to me and you, my bike didn't win last time."

So we had a very good weekend! We had an open house and got 3 couples that came through! And we had a showing on Saturday evening! We are very excited to actually get some visitors to our house! My parents came on Saturday so they could see the kids. Grace has learned to pull herself up on anything that will sit still long enough! And with our current living situation we are staying in SF as much as possible so they have to come to us to see her new skills! After the house was in perfect condition, meeting my husbands strict guidelines we headed to town for a late lunch/early supper. We went to our favorite place to get a steak....the Texas Roadhouse. I highly recommend it, it is great food and pretty good prices! Plus they have the best fresh baked buns and yummy butter! It was great to get to spend some time with my parents. Carson thought he should go home with them just for a minute to see Katie (their dog) but I had to tell him no. I hope you are all enjoying the latest shot of snow! I'm not....but the moisture is great! And it'll be gone soon!

Running Away...

Last night Carson was upset with me that he couldnt go outside.

Carson: Well, I'm running away!

Mom: Ok, do you want me to help you pack a bag?

Carson: No

Mom:Well, where are you going?

Carson: Sioux Falls

Mom: Don't you need to take something with?

Carson: thinking...well, maybe my toothbrush!

At least he'll have clean teeth while living on the street! He did change his mind!

Oh how I love my snooze button....

Every morning I have the same fight with myself. I know I should just get up....but I have grown so attached to my snooze button! Seriously, I push snooze for at least a half hour maybe more. As I lay back down I'll make deals with myself.

me: Just get up, you'll feel better

me: I know, but just 9 more minutes, I promise I'll get up after the next one.

So I go back to sleep and have the funnest, strangest and most random dreams ever. These dreams often involve my boss showing up in odd places. I'm sure that it is my subconscious telling me I'm going to be late.

This morning I was back in Watertown at the arena, but the upper level was actually a forest filled with Eucalyptus trees. (in real life I don't even know if that's a tree) I don't know what was going on at the arena or why I was there, but I noticed a heavy-set women climbing to the very top of a flimsy tree to eat the best Eucalyptus, I was watching her thinking she was going to fall, and she did! I didn't go to help or even look to see what happened, I just sat there thinking wow she's dead. But a couple seconds later she reappeared and went back to her tree. Then 2 waiters in pink biker shorts come up and ask me how I'm doing. Giggling, I look down at his you know what and say "how are you doing." He got embarrassed and walked away.

I wake up again to the sound of my alarm. This time I actually got out of bed! So there's a peek into my crazy dream life! I love to have a good dream and I'm fortunate enough to remember them and laugh about them during the day. If only I knew what they meant!

(sorry about this silly pic, I couldn't figure out how to erase it)

Sweet Little Guy!

Last night I was busy making supper, Grace was playing at my feet and Carson was watching Pongebob Quarepants.

Carson: Mom I was crying a little bit when Pongebob and Mr. Crabs were singing about how they needed eachudder.

Me: Oh, did it tug at your heartstrings a little?

Carson:(with tears welling up) Yeah, it made my heart hurt! (crying, he came to mom for a hug)

I can make you thin....Part 2

I have to be honest...I didn't watch last night! I was getting ready for bed about to eat a Swiss Cake Roll and remembered that I forgot. oops! So anyway, I went to bed and was flipping channels and thought I'd see if it were being reran. Low and behold it was! I tried my hardest to stay awake so I could post a full report. But it was 11:00 and that just wasn't happening! I can tell you however that it was about controlling emotional eating. From what I gathered, when you want to eat because of your emotions you should close your eyes and tap next to your nose with your index finger. I wish I could tell you why but I can't...I think that maybe you'll feel so silly tapping your face that you'll forget what emotion triggered your urge to eat. I think that I am the opposite of an emotional eater...I would consider myself an emotional starver. I don't think you'll see me tapping my face!

The weekend was good! We celebrated Easter with good friends and good food. Carson had a blast figuring our his Easter Egg hunt riddles. OK so they weren't so much riddles as "go to the basement...where do you play games?" So he knew to go to the computer and found his next egg. It was so much fun to watch, we all followed Carson around the house and daddy read the clues.

So today Dana and Carson are hanging out, Carson is out of school today and Dana is off of work. They are going to go to the VA and run some errands for the new house.

I hope you all had a great Easter celebration! Here's to another week!

5 Years In Iraq....

I know that a lot of people are upset that we are still in Iraq and that so much money is being spent there. I ask them what is your freedom worth? What amount of money is to much to ensure that the war stays out of our backyard? I get very frustrated with the news media and what they forget to tell the viewing public. About the schools that are reopening, about the water and electricity being restored. About all of the good things. The families of the soldiers that collect school supplies, soccer and sports equipment to send to the children of Iraq. The soldiers that give up their MRE's to Iraqi's so they have something to eat. I am probably solely responsible for some rotten teeth in Iraq. (I sent so much gum and candy to Dana and he handed it out...OK not a great thing to rot teeth...but it brought joy to kids if only for a moment) Those stories aren't good news...I think they are but the media wouldn't get the ratings they are looking for. It isn't cool to support your president these days so they all bash him, the war and those fighting. Ironically, it's always been the president and soldiers that have kept their freedom of speech alive. They instead give news time to those protesting the war, to the crazy people from Missouri that protest at soldiers funerals, to the Cindy Sheehan's of the world (Cindy Sheehan...I'm sure your son would be ashamed of you and your actions, you took your sons death, a very honorable death, and you told the world he died in vain. You capitalized on his death for your time in the spotlight. Where were you when he signed up for the military? Were you as vocal then? Why couldn't you support his cause?) OK I know that she'll never read this but that is what I would love to say to her if given the chance. So I'm getting off track. I just want people to know that progress is being made, slow progress but it's there. Trouble is that the people there to tell the story can only tell the bad parts and the other people there are fighting for you and me!

When do babies learn to lie?...

The other night Sweet Baby Grace was playing on the floor. So angelic, I notice something is in her mouth. I say to her Grace, do you have something in your mouth? She stops chewing on it and smiles shaking her head "No" I pick her up to find a piece of carpet that shes been chewing on. I say "Gracie, no,no you cant chew on carpet." her response "ha da" followed with clapping! Who could be mad at that!

I can make you thin....

I anxiously waited for this show to come on TLC last night. A British doctor who claims that he can make me thin through the television set. I got Grace to bed and Carson was helping daddy with something, I settled in with my pen and paper eager to learn the trick that would help me lose weight. Sitting on the edge of my chair....what that's it? I could have told you that! Here are the 4 rules according to this doctor.

1. When you are hungry EAT!
a. make sure you are physically hungry, this hunger comes on slowly
b. emotional hunger comes on fast

2. Eat what you want!
a. he suggests that you throw out all the food that you don't like

3. Eat Consciously!
a. take a bite, put your knife and fork down
b. do not eat while watching T.V., listing to the radio or reading
c. concentrate on what you are putting in your mouth and chew at least 20 times a bite

4.When you are full....STOP!
a. If you follow rule #3 you'll be able to know when you are full!

I've heard all of that before, I actually do that to a degree. I am the slowest eater I know, well next to my 4 year old son. I've always been a super slow eater and I've never had a problem throwing food away. What I wanted to learn is how to get these last 10-15lbs of baby weight off that seem to have attached themselves to my hips, butt and thighs! I'm sure I know the answer to that question too....get on the treadmill! The truth is I am lazy when it comes to working out! I go through periods where I do great, I'm on that thing faithfully every night then the littlest thing happens and there's my out, and I take it! I'm not making a resolution to do it that is a sure sign that I'll fail. I'm just going to say I'm going to make a conscious effort to work out at least 3 times a week. And hopefully this summer I'll feel comfortable enough to take my kids to the pool!

The show is on for another 5 Sundays, I'm sure I'll watch it not with the same enthusiasm of this week...but I'll let you know if there is anything earth shattering!

On a sad note...we had zero lookers at our open house:( Someone has to look sometime right?

Basketball, Dancing Girls and Humpty Dumpty

My parents arrived yesterday to help out with the kids today. The State "B" boys basketball tournament is in Sioux Falls so I have no daycare today, she is attending the games. We had a really great night, it was over 50 so when we got home all of us went out for a walk even papa. Carson rode his bike and Grace was in her stroller. As an added bonus the ethanol planes were out practicing so we got to see them do loops and rolls it was pretty neat.

We ate supper then turned on the tourney game, Lennox (our school dist.) Vs. Madison. It was a very good game practically tied the whole time. Madison came out on top with no time to spare I think you could call it a Hail Mary play. So I was disappointed to see Lennox lose, but it was a good game so nobody can really feel bad. During half time there were some dancing girls from a neighboring "B" school. I know that a lot has changed in the 10 years that I've been out of school. But I was actually disgusted by their costumes, choice of music and the dance itself.
First for their costumes, I'm sure they could have been worse but it was super short/tight shorts with a super tight tank top. I'm not sure of the name of the song they used, but it was a hip/hop number made a number of sexual innuendos. If you like the beat girls great take the words out! The actual dance routine went right along with the words of the song, when reference was made to the female bottom they did what I call the "butt clapper" a move that is in no way appropriate for the high school dance team level. I'm sure these girls worked very hard for this performance and they did have some neat stunts. But where was the coach when this routine was made up? If I were the parent of one of these girls I would be embarrassed that my daughter was dancing that way and I would have had a little talk with that coach. The second games half time was also dancing girls doing a more traditional dance in, yes a more boring costume but so much more appropriate! Enough of that rant on to Humpty Dumpty! When it was bed time my mom and I went into my room and were watching TV while my dad and Carson were in the living room chatting away. Naturally we muted our TV to hear the conversation between the boys!

Papa: Carson if you keep eating donuts your gonna end up looking like Papa. (my dad has a big belly)

Carson:Like Humpty Dumpty, but I've got big muscles, feel my muscles Papa.

Papa: Oh yeah!

Carson: I have bones too, I can feel my bones, I can feel your bones too!

Papa: Yep

Carson: Maybe that's a big bone in your belly!

They chatted for a long time while my mom and I laughed till we cried. It was lots of fun!

Open House Anyone....

Well we have a slight glitch in our house building plans. We can't secure the construction loan until we sell our existing home. We do have a couple options, but I am married to Mr. Impatient so it is really throwing him for a loop! I keep telling him that it will all work out! He was home the past two days and decided that a TV by our whirlpool tub would definitely sell the house. So that was his project. I was against it but do have to admit it looks pretty cool. I had a little shopping to do after work and when I got home Carson was in the tub watching cartoons and eating Cheetos. He informed me it was OK because the bowl floats. I decided it wasn't hurting anything, there were no Cheetos in the tub so I didn't argue. Saturday from 1-3 we are having an open house. I am praying that we at least get some lookers and maybe one could see themselves watching TV in the bathtub!

How I Met Your Father...

How did you meet your husband?

I was working at McDonalds in the grill area one night. This guy came through the drive thru, the manager on duty took his order. When she asked him if she could get him anything else he said "how about your phone number." Silly boy he didn't know what he was getting himself into! I just had to go see who the dork was asking for the phone number was. Low and behold I knew who that dork was and now I lovingly refer to him as my husband! I gave him my phone number that night and the rest is history, we were inseparable from our first date till now! (other then that year when the military separated us) I have a wonderful husband and don't give him the credit that is due him. So here's to you lover (that's what I call him, cheesy I know) Thanks for being the dork that you are, for asking for my number and for actually calling! I can't imagine what my life would be like without you!

Side note: He actually likes it when I call him a dork. He loves to call me at work and say Hi Rachel in disguise so it takes me some time to figure out who it is. Then when I figure out who it is I say "oh you big dork" and we both laugh. Silly I know but it's fun!

Monday, Monday....

I'm very excited to tell you all that we were approved for our mortgage! So now the real work begins! More for Dana then me I guess! He has been so busy figuring how much everything is going to cost, where we can save money what work he will do on his own and so on. Give that man a calculator and he is happy as a clam. He even made it so that he can get to his calculator by pressing one key on his cell phone. How funny is that! His second favorite "tool" would have to be his tape measure. He LOVES to measure things, so as you can see when building a new house both of these things will really come in handy! He is in hog heaven! So I'm just going to let him go for it! There are a lot of things that I just don't care about, is that bad? Yes, I care about the cosmetic aspect, paint, cupboards and such. But how big this room is or what kind of trim we have just doesn't matter to me. My only requirements were 3 bedrooms on the main floor.

We had a good weekend together, plus we got to spend time with both sets of grandparents so that was nice too. Dana has a couple appointments at the VA this week so he'll be home on Tues and Wed. night! Woo Hoo! My parents are coming on Thursday to help with the kids on Friday our daycare is closed. I'm excited to have other adults in the house this week!

I better get some work done! Talk to you later!

It made me laugh!

A man took his wife to the rodeo and one of the first exhibits they stopped at was the breeding bulls. They went up to the first pen and there was a sign attached that said, 'THIS BULL MATED 50 TIMES LAST YEAR'
The wife playfully nudged her husband in the ribs and said, 'He mated 50 times last year.'They walked to the second pen which had a sign attached that said, ''THIS BULL MATED 150 TIMES LAST YEAR'
The wife gave her husband a healthy jab and said, 'That's more than twice a week! You could learn a lot from him.'They walked to the third pen and it had a sign attached that said, in capital letters, 'THIS BULL MATED 365 TIMES LAST YEAR'
The wife, so excited that her elbow nearly broke her husband's ribs, said,'That's once a day.You could REALLY learn something from this one.The husband looked at her and said, 'Go over and ask him if it was with the same old cow.'


The husband's condition has been upgraded from critical to stable and he should eventually make a full recovery.

Finally Friday!

What a long week it has been! Actually when you put all of the day's together it went pretty fast but I think that the days themselves were long! The kids and I are headed North to see our daddy and grandparents for the weekend. I've got the truck all packed up and ready to go although I have to go back to Worthing to get the kids and fuel up before the trip. I am so ready to have Carson play with his dad. There is something about how a daddy plays with his son that a mom just can't replicate. So I can't wait and either can boys I'm sure. Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Three Little Pigs

My parents were in town yesterday for an appointment and came to our house for supper afterwards. Carson and Grandma were playing The Three Little Pigs after supper.

scene 1: Carson is in the bathroom which is the little pigs house. Grandma is outside the door knocking.

Grandma: Little Pig, Little Pig let me in!

Carson: No, never, blow on it!

Scene 2: Carson is again in the bathroom with grandma knocking on the door.

Grandma: Little Pig, Little Pig let me in!

Carson: No, not by the whisker on my itchy chin!

The End

Whacky Wednesday

Do not talk to my Parrot!!!Wanda's dishwasher quit working so she called a repairman. Since she had to go to work the next day, she told the repairman, "I'll leave the key under the mat. Fix the dishwasher, leave the bill on the counter, and I'll mail you a check .""Oh, by the way don't worry about my dog Spike. He won't bother you. But, whatever you do, do NOT, under ANY circumstances, talk to my parrot!" "I REPEAT; DO NOT TALK TO MY PARROT!!!"When the repairman arrived at Wanda's apartment the following day, he discovered the biggest, meanest looking Dog he has ever seen. But, just as she had said, the dog just lay there on the carpet watching the repairman go about his work.The parrot, however, drove him nuts the whole time with his incessant yelling, cursing and name calling. Finally the repairman couldn't Contain himself any longer and yelled, "Shut up, you stupid, ugly bird!" To which the parrot replied, "Get him, Spike!"
See Men just don't listen!

We did it....

Well we made some major steps in making our move. This weekend we filled out a Mortgage Application and listed our house with a Realtor. So now it is official! I can hardly believe it! I'm super nervous both about the mortgage and selling our house. On a positive note our realtor told us that our house was much nicer then the others for sale in the area. So maybe someone has been looking in the area and just not liked the houses and will like ours. But who knows we could sit on it for awhile too. So please pray that everything works out. I've always said that everything will just fall into place, I don't want to try to force it at all. So that's my big news for the day!

Funny Photo Friday (it's kinda scary though)

Family on holiday in Australia for a week and a half when husband, wife and their 15 year old son decided to go scuba diving. The husband is in the navy and has had some scuba experience. His son wanted a picture of his mum and dad in all their gear so he got the under water camera ready to go. When it came to taking the picture the dad realized that the son looked like he was panicking as he took it and gave the 'OK' hand sign to see if he was all right. The son took the picture and swam to the surface and back to the boat as quick as he could so the mum and dad followed to see if he was OK. When they got back to him he was scrambling onto the boat and absolutely panicking. When the parents asked why he said 'there was a shark behind you. The dad thought he was joking but the skipper of the boat said it was true but they wouldn't believe him. As soon as they got back to the hotel they loaded the picture onto the laptop and this is what they saw.

THEETHING BITES!!

I read that on a onesie once and sure wish I had it for my sweet baby girl! Just kidding I don't think I would actually put it on her, but she and I both feel that way! She is cutting all 4 top teeth at once and the poor girl is MISERABLE! So she slept on my chest all night last night the second I put her down she would cry and cry. So I figured we'd get more sleep if I let her have her way! Plus she isn't a cuddly baby, when she is tired she wants to lay in her bed so I take the chance to cuddle her whenever I can get it!

Bedtime

Last night my little boy that insists on watching Hannah Montana at 10:30 was sound asleep at 8:00! He came home from playing with his cousins, ate a bowl of cereal, drank some milk, asked me to turn out the light and went to sleep! He didn't wake up at all until I woke him up at 6:30! Success! for one anyway...Sweet little G wasn't having any of that! She wanted to play, play, play. So we were up later, but I can't say no to her she is just so sweet! At 3am however I said no all the way till 4. She's such a stinker! Oh well, I can sleep tonight! hopefully!

Question: How do you get your kids to go to bed?

Robert MacMurchy

I was asked to post a memory about Robert MacMurchy. He was my youth pastor way back when I was a youth! He passed away 3 years ago today. Robert was a wonderful, caring man. He was fun and often kinda crazy! I want to share a memory about him... We were headed to Camp Pomme de Terre in Missouri, (as most of you that read this will know every summer we took the longest van trips to go to camp) it was late at night. At least I think it was late...at any rate it was pitch black outside, we were on a rather curvy road as I remember. Robert decided to give us a little scare and turned off the lights. We all freaked out and thought for sure we were going to die! I'm sure we were in no danger. But that was just Robert being fun and crazy! I don't think we appreciated that at the time. But when I look back now it makes me laugh! Another quick memory, we went to Mexico on a mission trip. I was feeling homesick and told the head pastor of our church. He told me "your too old to be homesick." With my feelings hurt I told Robert. He told me that no matter how old I was, I could be homesick. I'm sure he gave me a hug and prayed for me, and I felt better. That's how I remember Rog! He was Fun, he always kept it interesting and he loved us kids!

What do you call them?....

At our house I like to refer to private parts in their proper terms, bottom, breasts and so on. So you can imagine the panic I felt when I had the following conversation this morning with C while he was getting in the tub.

C: (scratching his back) Mom, I have itchy balls

Mom: What?

C: I have itchy balls like on Dr.Goose (Dr.Seuss)

Mom: Carson what are you talking about?

C: You know itchy itchy bald

Mom: Oh, Itchy Ichabod! Whew

I was starting to get scared! Carson's new favorite movie is a Dr. Seuss movie about the alphabet. For the letter "I" they talk about Itchy Ichabod, so he was itchy like Ichabod.

Rain to Snow....three words I hate!

Today in the wonderful city of Sioux Falls we are experiencing rain turning to snow...ugh! Truth is I don't mind rain and I don't mind snow but mix the two and I get a little annoyed! I drive 10 miles to and from work, not a long distance until you factor in the white knuckles! Well anyway, the drive to work wasn't so bad other then the two rocks that got me. I hope the drive home is good too but thats when the snow will come into play:(

We had a wonderful weekend! D was home and we attended the State "B" wrestling tournment. D was an accomplished wrestler in high school and we really want C to follow in his footsteps, so we thought it would be a good chance to spark a little interest. We sat with the fans from Deuel and had a wonderful time getting to know some of the wrestling families. C and G were so good for the 5 hours we were there. I think they really enjoyed themselves too! On Sunday we took our weekly trip to Wal-Mart and dropped a boat load of money, but I think we are good for at least 2 weeks. I think that I actually save money doing it all at once, well I know I do since I can't get out of that store for less then $50 at a time! D took off for Watertown last night, he has to work early all week and with the bad weather we didnt want to take any chances!

We decided to list our house with a realtor. We have been trying to sell it on our own but to no avail! She is coming on Sunday to get things going. I am very excited to move, although we've lived here for almost 10 years it just hasn't felt like home. We havent been as involved in the community as I would like, and we've never ventured out to find a church that fits us. At times I feel lost like I don't know where or how to sign C up for tee ball or things like that. I'm eager to move back so that we can have that community involvement and find a church home. I am also very excited to be close to our families! We are building on D's parents land about 2 miles from them. It's in the country we'll have 7 acres... I cant wait! And my parents will be a 30 minute drive instead of a hour and a half!

Enough of me going on and on! Happy Monday Everyone!

That darn daddy!

The other night while rocking and whistling with C I was trying to explain to him that it was mommy and daddy's job to teach him right from wrong. We had a very bad morning that day and I thought I'd communicate better with him once we both calmed down. So I was going on about how when we tell him what to do or when to do it that we aren't trying to be mean. We are just trying to teach him how to make the right choices and be a good little boy. He pondered what I had been talking about and got a puzzled look on his face and said "but daddy teaches me naughty things." Worried about what his answer would be I cautiously asked "like what?" Without missing a beat he says to me "you know like, to lick the frosting on the cake when your not post to"

giving it a try

For months I've been lurking in blog world. Peeking into the lives of people I don't really know and some I know a little. I decide what the heck! I'll give it a try! So I guess I'll will use my first post to introduce myself! I am Rachel from SD, currently I am in the working world outside the home but we are making a move in May and I hope to stay home with my 2 beautiful children. So if any of you have any ideas of how to legally make money at home I am very open to suggestions! So about my family~ I have been married to D for 7 years! loving almost every minute of it! D is a Iraq War Vet. Our son C was born during his deployment in 2003. In 2004 D's deployment was cut a month short when his truck was hit by a RPG. By the grace of God D is still alive, home and getting along well. In 2006, we were very surprised to find out that we were expecting a second child! G was born in April of 2007. She is such a sweet baby girl! Mastering the art of crawling and exploring! So that's the low down on me! Talk to you all soon!