Gearing up for Stella's 2nd Birthday!

I can't believe that in just 9 short days my little miss will be 2! Where has the time gone??

I remember just leaving the hospital with our little miracle and now she's already TWO?!

I am so blessed to have such a sweet, head strong, independent, and courageous little girl. God certainly threw away the mold after he made her. Her curiosity is endearing and her silly faces put me in stitches on a daily basis.

I don't know if she'll ever know just how much her momma loves her but it's more than my heart ever thought possible.

So, onto parties!

We're having an outdoor park/party theme.

Stella absolutely adores the park and whenever its time to leave, she throws a huge fit. We're talking fire breathing, screaming, holding her breath...

She's an angel. Haha!

So her party is going to be an outdoor soiree and other than that, I'm not sure what other theme we'll be going with.

Thank goodness I've found this site Filled Party Bags to help with the decorating. This site is pretty amazing considering they thought of everything that I need to plan my little one's party.

So, 9 days till countdown. Wish us luck!

Alive, just crazy busy!

This week last week was been extremely hectic!

Kade had his first full week of Catholic school and survived! I'm please to announce that he LOVES his new school. He's a bit iffy about Mass still, but it's a learning process. I'm so proud of him because his is actually his first time ever in a church.

Saturday, we all piled into the family minivan and headed down to the local Dodge dealership to pick out a truck for Hubs. Prior to the visit, I'd be in talks with one of the sales guy who SWORE he had exactly what we were looking for and in the price that we wanted.

Yeah, right... -sigh-

We went and the first thing we're told is that they do not have what we're looking for...

BUT

they do have a bunch of other trucks that are a heck of a lot more expensive!

Puh-lease.

I was so mad! I told the salesman he was insane and I did NOT appreciate being lied to for an entire week.

We walked out. :)

So, this next week we're going truck shopping AGAIN so we'll see how that goes...

ZNZ anyone?

Sorry I've been gone for a while but I just got reintroduced to Zip Nada Zilch (ZNZ).

ZNZ is a referral site that pays you to test out products and services in your home for a trial period. I started doing this back in 2010 when I first decided to be a stay at home mom. Over the past 2 years, life sorta creeped up on me and I got away from it.

Now I'm back.

On a good day, I can average about $60 in payouts. It's not millions rich but it is a great way to help pay for the extra goodies that I buy the kiddos. I feel like I'm kinda doing my part and still doing the whole mommy thing. :)

If anyone is interested in ZNZ or just has questions in general, please let me know and I'd be happy to answer them.

Creepy cable guys

I'm done opening the door to strange workmen that I do not know.

Tonight, I had an Insight guy come to our house wanting to know if we intended to pay our final bill and if I wanted to give him a post dated check or our bank account numbers.

Yeah, lemme think about it...

No.

Why would I give any account information out to a guy that just has an Insight badge with no other credentials? Do I look stupid?

We weren't late. We weren't holding equipment. There's an Insight building less than a mile from my house. Why did we get singled out from the creepy guy?

Our service has been transferred for almost 2 weeks now.

I called their customer service and gave the 'supervisor' a tidbit of what I thought. She was actually pretty understanding and agreed with me. Our bill was paid over the phone by an actual Insight rep.

Creepy man... I hope you stay away and find other people to bother.

Oh yeah, get a shirt that fits. Your muscles do NOT look more defined by wearing a shirt tailored for a 12 year old.

The Tegelers go Catholic!

Today was Kade's 2nd day of Catholic school... so far, so good.

I am loving the small class sizes and the close knit community in the school. Kade's 6th grade class only has a total of 22 kids. Total 6th grade class, seriously...

Hubs has been Catholic since birth and even attended Catholic schools up until high school. He has felt a calling back to the church since 2010 but we've been lazy and just not made the effort. Since enrolling Kade at St Joe, we've decided we're going to do this for our family and reclaim our relationship with God.

I have never stepped foot in a Catholic church. I was born and raised Methodist but I'm willing to convert for the comfort of the family. I think the Catholic and Methodist religion are similar enough that I can accept the minor adjustments that will need to be made.

If any of my Catholic buddies would like to chime in, please do so! I look forward to your comments and stories!!!

Car shopping is so similar to shoe shopping!

Since hubs has taken a better route and we have more income rolling in, we've re-evaluated our budget and decided now would be the right time to take on a car truck payment. Hubs has been wanting a truck since our Saturn Vue was totaled in 2010 but we decided to go the van route and he's been secretly pining away for one since.

We've just started the whole looking process and frankly, it's a lot like shoe shopping. There are so many to try on with hundreds of little and different features. They come in various colors and you always have to try them on before you buy.

Hubs is a redneck man. God love him. :)

Here are 3 trucks that he's considering right now... Enjoy!

Big truck #1 is HUGE! It has a 6" lift kit and I swear that metal foot thingie comes up to my waist. Hopefully I will never have to drive or put the kids in this!!

Truck #2 isn't quite as big but please note the camo down the bottom. Yeah, he likes the camo. He's also already planning on a 4" lift.

 

Truck #3 My favorite! It looks sturdy, not too high, and there's no sign of a redneck driving it. :) I'm sure if he gets this one, he'll end up redneckin' it up a bit.

Overall, I'd like to say that I want him to get the truck that will make him happy but in the same time, I want it to be safe for me and the kids. I also do not want to run and jump to get in the damn thing!

If you're interested in a new or used vehicle, you might want check this site that helps you find your cars value. I found out that my van is still worth over $6k should I want to trade it in. Woohoo!!

Too bad if I traded in, I'd just end up with another minivan.

Why do I get sick every summer??

So it's time for my week long summer sickness.

I hate it.

Every.single.year. since I've been little, I've always gotten a really bad cold during the hottest time of the year. Of course, these colds never last like a day or two, they always manage to stick around for a week or sometimes two. It's insane. I hate it.

Nick's at work, I have a mountain of appointments this week, and I'm feeling like leftover spuds. I don't even want to get off this couch!

This was supposed to be my 'transform the dining room into a play room for the girls' week. So far I've managed to move the table into the kitchen and that's about it. I have no motivation. I consider everyone lucky that I even managed the dishes this morning. I just feel off.

So yeah, back to lie down. Send me feel good vibes please!

Getting ready for Back to School

I'm not even in school and I find it exhausting! This week has been crazy insane.

How they look is how my brain feels right now!

Kade's school implemented a new dress code and I've been searching like crazy for khaki flat front shorts and solid polos. I'm hoping the new Nikes he just got are going to be alright because honestly, my kid just can't rock the loafer look. He's way too cool for that!

And what's up with all these school supplies??? He's in 6th grade, not college! Why does a 6th grader need such sophisticated contraptions? When I was a kid, I need a simple calculator, pencils, notebooks, folders, and a backpack. Yeah, Kade needs a graphing calculator (hello $150 that he's going to lose halfway through the year) and about 35 gallons of Purell.

Whatever happened to eating dirt??? :)

I read yesterday that the average price for a child going back to school is almost $900! $900 for 9 months of schooling? Wow! That's doesn't include our $5000 tuition either. Cheese and rice guys!!

I was so excited when I received my email from Penneys stating that they're offering FREE haircuts to kids from grades K - 6th. Yes, we will be there at 2pm on August 9th to see Julia!

Sidenote: Our trip to the zoo a couple days ago took a sad turn. The 60 year old hippo was euthanized on Wednesday. She was just too old and was able to get around at all. I'm glad we were able to see her one last time.

Back to track, this year we're making Kade pick one or two after school activities. We want him to be more involved and not such a homebody. Hopefully this will help to break him out of his shell.

What after school actives do you guys recommend for kids that are 11? Just curious!

If you made it through all this random, Congratulations!!! I'd bake you a cake by my oven isn't working properly!

Kiddie pool adventures

Yesterday, I went in search of a kiddie pool. Because of our 'unique' situation, I couldn't get anything big or that would require an outside lawn. I wasn't looking for anything in particular, just something that could set on our front porch and that the kids could both fit in semi-comfortably.

Enter the kiddie pool...

(Pic removed because Lil' Miss only has a swimmer on.)

You would have thought I bought an Olympic sized pool! The kids had a blast playing in their porch pool till it was bathtime. Stella cried when I made her get out. Oh the joys of summertime and cheap kiddie pools.

Yesterday, we also visited our local Meskar Park Zoo here in town. The kids had an okay time. Most of the animals were in the shade, hiding, and pretty docile. I told the kids not to blame them because it was too hot and even this momma felt like she needed a nice shade tree or a hosing off.

Sidenote: Why do all zoos have 8000 up hill climbs?

So today we're relaxing on the front porch, playing in our porch pool, and watching the cars go by. We're also trying to avoid the drunks, methheads, and prostitutes...

Another social networking site...

And this one I actually like!

FreezeCrowd is a new social networking site open to those that have a genuine school email account. Users must be 17 years or older to sign up and you must sign up using said school email account. From what I gather, anything with .edu works!


FC is similiar to Facebook and Myspace except it prohibits 17 year old and under. Well, it doesn't exactly prohibit, you just MUST have a college email address in order to sign up for the site.

2 and 2 kinda tells you that anyone under 17 will more than likely not have an .edu email account.

FC reminds me a lot of CollegeClub. CollegeClub was basically a social networking site for college students and alums that wanted to keep in touch and share pics and events.

FreezeCrowd is a more streamlined and updated version of CC. Remember how CCs messenger always seemed to crash around 10pm on a Friday or Saturday night?

To connect with friends on FreezeCrowd, just upload a photo with your friends and connect by FreezeTagging and inviting your friends in the photos. I think this feature is awesome because it helps to cut down on the creepers.

You know who they are... the ones that send a friend request just for the unholy jest of hooking up. Yeah... yuck.

I'm still figuring out some of the features but I'm looking forward to introducing my friends to FreezeCrowd.

Picture dump

Went to the 4-H Fair today and it was so hot!

The kids had a great time and that helped to reinforce that Nick and I are doing the right thing by getting to the country. Stella absolutely adored the piglets and wanted to take a mini horse home with her. She loved it so much!

I think our oldest is coming around to the idea. He enjoyed the animals as well and was really impressed with all the tractors and 4-H projects. I think I'm going to look into 4-H for the kids next year.

So without further adieu...

Guilty and working on it (Need suggestions!)

I am was a smoker, up until 3 days ago.

Yes, if you remember correctly, I am 24 weeks pregnant. If you do the math, I have smoked this entire pregnancy since before I found out.

Two days ago I woke up and realized exactly what I am doing to baby Olivia. I feel awful. I broke down and cried, promising her that I wouldn't do it again.And I haven't.

It's a constant struggle. I always have to catch myself before I blurt out "I need a cigarette". I don't NEED one. I just want it and that's not enough anymore.

When I found out I was pregnant with Stella, I quit cold turkey. The second that pee hit the stick and lines lit up, I knew I was done. I didn't even have a second thought about it.

I don't know why it has been so hard this time around. My husband thinks it's because I don't care as much. I don't think that's the reason but I won't rule it out all together. It just feels different this time. Maybe it's because we planned for it but my heart wasn't fully into it.

We only tried for 2 weeks before I was pregnant. I know I shouldn't complain and there are thousands that are constantly struggling but I really wanted Stella to be a little older. I don't want to take away my love for my baby Stella and share it with another new baby...

Stella was an accident (birth control and antibiotics do not mix) but she was my first baby I ever carried past 12 weeks. She honestly is a miracle in itself. I remember feeling her first flutters and knowing exactly in my heart that she was going to be mine and I was hers. I can't even explain the feelings I felt. It was so much more than love.

When she was born, I cried. I was so happy over joyed. Here was my miracle baby with a headful of dark brown hair and these big brown eyes. How could I  not love her?

Year isn't right. She was born in 2010, oh and on 9/13, not 9/11.

Maybe I need to bury myself in baby things.

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to gear up for another little one?? 

Halloween band wagon

I just finished reading Jen's post at Crafty Misadventures, and it's really put me over the hump for Halloween.

Halloween has been my favorite holiday since I can remember. I love the horror, gross, silly, and BOO that comes with it. Since I was a youngster, I can only ever remember being a witch for Halloween. I was obsessed with witches (so much that I started to believe I was one around age 11-13).

Yeah, I was one of those kids. :)

I think I'm going to go ahead and start stick up Halloween decorations... you know, a small witch here, a little bat snow globe there... maybe I'll leave the window decals till September.

Speaking of decals, here are my 2 monsters from the past 2 Halloweens.

Halloween 2010 (Stella's first at 6 weeks old. Kade is 9 here.)

 

 

 

Halloween 2011. Our ninja and tigger.

We've already started working on the kids' Halloween costumes for this year. Kade wants to be Leatherface from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (so proud of him and his scary costume choices!) and Stella will probably end up being Dora or something princess-related.

Now I'm probably going to spend the next 20 minutes browsing Halloween costumes or cruising Pinterest.

I don't want to be pregnant anymore!

I'm due in 3 months and I feel like I couldn't possible get any bigger.

My feet and hands cannot possibly swell any more.

My appetite for everything in our house could not get any larger.

I'm not one of those cute, happy pregnant woman.

I don't glow. I sweat like a pig.

I don't look cute in maternity wear; I look like an over sized cow that's stuffed into a shirt with a empire waist.

I look and feel hideous. For.ALL.Nine.Months.

Please God let these next 3 months fly by. 

Fiverr

Last week, I saw something about a website called Fiverr.com It peaked my interest so I decided to check it out.

Fiverr is a pretty cool site. Basically, you tell the internet what you would do for $5 (they call it a gig) and if someone thinks it's a good idea and likes what you're about, they'll pay you $5 to do it.

I started small with one gig and yesterday, I received my first order.

In order to get paid the $5 ($4 actually, because Fiverr takes a buck for their troubles), all I had to do was post a link to a jewelry store and review what I saw of the product. Easy cake pie, right?

Today, I woke up to another order. This one was pretty cool because it was for a local(ish) band and turns out, I really like their music! If you're intersted, they're called SoulJunky. I'll definitely be giving them another listen soon.

So back to Fiverr... I haven't received any funds to my Paypal yet but I read that Fiverr holds the funds for 14 days before releasing them. I have a couple friends who have used this service for a few months and they've both been paid so I'm not gonna stress too much.

Just wanted to put this out there for anyone who has a lot of friends on Facebook OR free time on their hands!

Toodles!

Letting it out.

I need to vent.

My husband is a great man. He works long and very strenuous hours at his job. Just recently, he was moved off his routes (that he had been running for 6 months) and given a better set of routes that generate more commission.

He was given these routes because he's grown the ones he started with and his supervisor felt like it was time to throw him "a big bone". (Throwing him a bone as his supervisor's words, not mine.) The routes he's running were being ran by a guy who is currently out on FMLA. Tomorrow he comes back, but hubs has been told repeatedly that he will NOT be moved off these routes.

I need to vent here because if something happens and hubs is moved off these routes, he will walk out. He is sick and tired of being used (working 6 days, 14 hours a day for 6 weeks), lied to (was supposed to get better routes months ago), and basically tired of the BS.

I don't blame him one bit. If something like that happened to me, I'd probably walk out too. I have a very short fuse when it comes to bullshit and I have a hard time holding my tongue. (It just doesn't happen.)

I'm just so frustrated about this mess. Nick works so hard at his job and I know he really enjoys it (even working the long hours). His pay is finally starting to pick up and we're actually able to budget for more than just the bare necessities. If his supervisor could just see the drive behind him, maybe he would understand that this is something that Hubs was born to do and he needs to just let Nick  run with it.

FMLA dude has been out for about 6 weeks with a back injury but that hasn't stopped him from visiting the local bars 3-4 nights a week.

Seriously???

You're too hurt to work but you can drink like a fish and then wonder how you made it home?

Loser.

Hopefully, God will continue to come through for us and Nick will get to keep his new routes. Also, I'm praying that supervisor wises up and dumps FMLA dude out where he belongs.

More on my thoughts about living in the country

I know I said it yesterday, but I am absolutely disgusted with city life. I would just like one day where I can walk outside, sweep off my porch, and not be harassed by people looking for cigarettes, change, or a phone book.

Seriously people... You a 1/2 block away from a Police Station. Go ask for help there!!

My yard, regardless of how small it is, is not your trashcan and my steps are not a park bench. Pick it up and move it on!

I don't think I'm better than anyone. I really don't. I just don't like living in fear that one day the one person I say 'No' to decides that they will just do as they please and demand money or access into my home. I don't live in an awful neighborhood but we are smack on one of the busiest streets here in Evansville.

It just makes me nervous. Unless my husband is home, I rarely go outside unless it's to go somewhere and then we hop our happy behinds in the van and go. We don't hang out on the porch and we certainly don't leave the windows or doors unlocked. EVER.

This is what I dream of before I go to bed at night.

It actually reminds me of the house from the TV show The Walking Dead but I love how peculiar it is and the fact that it looks homey just sitting there. I could easily picture myself curled up with a book on that porch.

And how neat to have an octagon shaped house? I love it.

So I'll keep dreaming and maybe, just maybe, in 2015, we'll be ready to move and buy our house in the country.

Here's to dreaming!

I'm ready to move now please!

I have lived in small towns almost my entire life. I'm happier and feel a lot safer after the street lights come on.

Where we currently live is basically in the middle of downtown. We are considered "urban". I am one block east from a police station and 1 block west of two busy bars. I live on one of busiest roads in this city. It is a nightmare!

Every night before I go to sleep, I always pray to God to watch over my family and friends and then I include a special little thought that if God might help us to speed up the process of moving out to the country, I'd greatly appreciate it. So far, he's busy but I know he'll do it in his time. I don't push him too hard because my family is healthy and we're all happy together.

But man... wouldn't it be awesome to walk out on your front porch and see this?

Instead of this...

Well apparently my camera decided that you did NOT need to see that mess.

We live across the street from a ghetto laundromat. I've never stepped foot inside and never plan on it.

I just want my kids to be raised out in the country where the pace is slow and family time is all the time. I really enjoy being a stay at home mom and I think sometimes I take it for granted because we're always rushing with the traffic or hearing sirens every 3 minutes or worrying about taking the kids outside because of the neighborhood. We can't even let our kids play outside because we have high levels of lead and arsenic in our yard and our yard is only 3x12. Yes, it's a patch of nothingness.

I hate it.

Now that I've got that off my chest, I think I'll check out the local realtor sites.

I wish I were joking!

So, I have this almost 2 year old and she thinks she's a tiger.

It all stems from an episode of Dora the Explorer in which Dora and Boots help rescue a baby fox and take it back to its momma. In this episode there is a baby tiger that follows Dora and Boots and helps them return the little fox home.

The show itself was cute but now that it's over, the charade should be as well. My daughter still thinks, after 2 months, that she is a baby tiger at times. She growls and purrs, crawls all over the floor, rubs herself against my leg while I'm doing dishes, and tries to claw at me.

She's 22 months so I know she doesn't fully get what she's doing but we've went over this time and time again.

"No Stella, stand up. You cannot be a tiger in the grocery store. The floor is filthy."

"Stella stop scratching Momma! That hurts!"

'Meow, meow'

"Stella what do you want baby-doll? Momma doesn't know what meow, meow means."

The lists go on but you catch the jest.

I'm sure this is a phase and I pray that she outgrows it. If she doesn't, just think how awkward it will be when she hits kindergarten and starts frolicking on all fours with the other children!

Terrible 2s early!

Stella has hit the terrible 2s early. Girl throws herself down on the floor and screams at random times during the day. It isn't because she can't have something or is tired or hungry... she just does it.

I've started ignoring it as long as she isn't flinging her head back too. Sometimes she stops and laughs because I guess she thinks it's funny. Other times she'll carry on like this for almost an hour. This has been going on for the past month. Her pedi says nothing is wrong with her and it's normal. She's just expressing herself.

Express a little quieter please. My eardrums are shot!

I've also read it's normal for kids to experience this but geez... 3-4 times a week?? For how long???

This momma is losing it! :)

Earning a little on the side (Part 1)

So I'm a stay at home mom and have been for the past 2 years. Hubs works long hours to provide the necessities for our family, so I'm happy to do my part and earn the little extras to make everyone in our house smile. :)
 
Since there are so many scams out there and I fell pray to them in the very beginning, I've decided to share my honest and brutal opinions on the ones that benefit me. This post will more than like come in 3 parts as I have to break it down in between naps.

First up, Swagbucks. Swagbucks pays you in "Swagbucks" just by using their search bar, shopping through their portals, filling out short surveys, and browsing the web. You can cash in your Swagbucks for giftcards to Amazon, Target, Paypal, Overstock, etc.

Swagbucks is actually what has paid for our Christmases since 2010, the first year I quit working. I try to budget $1500 for the entire Christmas (all 4 of us) and I pay for it with the Amazon giftcards I receive from Swagbucks. Broken down, I usually make about $125 (in giftcards) a month from Swagbucks but it does fluctuate about $25 here and there.

Every once in a while, Swagbucks will run a sale on the giftcards so I try to hold onto mine and cash them in when the gettin's good! 

That concludes this post for now. My lil' one is up and if I know her, she's probably in her crib pulling off her diaper right now.

Why are my children animals?

Today has NOT been a productive or good day.

I woke up to Stella screaming in her room. I go to check on her and she's completely naked. The PJs were on the floor and she had flung her diaper up on her dresser. Did I mention it was full?

The sheets and mattress were soaked and she was smelly.

After a quick scrub down, I redressed her and woke hubs up. Make coffee. Out of milk. SERIOUSLY?!?

We had a full gallon yesterday. I swear we have a milk monster that lurks in the fridge and drinks it while we're all sleeping.

So back to the day, Lil' Miss has decided she wants to be naked (again!) so the clothes are off. Her being naked doesn't bother me at all, it's natural. It's when she decides to use the facilities in the living room that gets to me.

After cleaning up that mess, I dress her once again and send her upstairs to jump on her brother's head wake him up. She's a pro at this. :)

Down stairs they come and now they're ready to eat. Did I mention we're out of milk? Everyone whines for milk (including hubs) so I tell everyone to basically suck it up and drink juice. Kids eat. We take hubs to work and head to the grocery store. (Yes, we're a one vehicle household. It isn't fun but we manage.)

At the store, both kids are fairly calm until we head down the fruit aisle. They both want bananas. Check. Both want apples. Check. Neither want grapes. Too bad, I'm the momma! This ensues with me threatening them both to go home and go straight to bed. The oldest simmers down but my youngest decides she's going to yell at the top of her lungs "NO NO NO NO!"

We continue shopping and actually survive to the check out. :)

So we're home and I've cleaned up messes at least 43 times now. Both kids are watching Madagascar now so I have a minute to myself.

Do you hear that? Yeah, me neither. :)

My princess, the gas machine.

I'm viewing this entry as blackmail for when my little girl.

Let me start by saying girl can pass some gas like a 40 year old trucker!! How can something so small make such a big stink? And be so proud of it??

I blame her father. Nick finds it to be the funniest thing in the world when Stella farts. She loves it when her daddy laughs at her gassy explosion.

Guess what ensues then?

Oh yes, girl goes on a gas-master spree!

She has taught herself to burp on command and now she's trying out the whole fart thing.

Daddy's lil' angel, I guess.

The native in her wild glory. She never wants to wear clothes and now that we're potty training, she doesn't want to wear a diaper or panties.

She's always naked. And burping. And farting.

It's almost like Nick never leaves! :)

21 week check up

Olivia Ann's heart rate was in the 160s and she was kicking up a storm. Every time Doc put the monitor on, she kicked at it. I'm guessing she didn't want to be bothered with something so trivial as having her heartbeat monitored?

She's a diva already. :)

In other news, I've started going through ALL of Stella's old clothing in hopes that we'll have some things for Olly to wear once she arrives. So far, so good! I guess that's one of the joys of having 2 girls, one being born in September and one due in November. Thank God for good timing!

In other, other news, I got a retweet from Jared off CMTs My Big Redneck Vacation. I think it's pretty cool that these folks take a minute to recognize the little people. Also, today is his birthday so Happy Birthday Jared!! (highly doubt he checks out this blog). No worries though, just sharing the birthday vibes! :)

I love MBRV!

I absolutely adore this show! (My big Redneck Vacation)

The entire cast makes me think of my family. It's kinda like one of those Wizard of Oz moments when Dorthy realizes that the tin man, scarecrow, and lion are really her family outside of Oz as well.

I look forward to sitting down every Saturday with the hubs. It's our adult time with our favorite redneck family.

I don't really have a cast favorite because I think they're all equally great but I identify with Wendy  more than the others. She isn't afraid to express her opinion and her dry wit leaves me grinning from ear to ear. Hubs has a man crush on Jared. Anytime he's on the screen, you can bet hubs is cracking up and saying "hey, I'd do that too!".

Since today's my birthday, I thought I'd share that! :)

30 years ago on this day...

I was born!

Way to go Mom and Dad!! :)

Today has been a pretty good day. Honestly, it hasn't been much different than any other day. 30 feels just like 29. I feel a little let down. Ha, just kidding.

I've been in a bit of nesting mood and I'm afraid I've taken on too many projects. I started deep cleaning the kitchen and reorganizing the cabinets, cleaning out the closets and totes, organizing the basement, and now I'm onto organizing picture albums and online storage.

It would be great if I accomplished all these tasks, but sadly, I just start one and move onto the next. I need to break the cycle.

I can't believe Miss Olivia Ann will be her in just 4 short months. Where has the time went? I feel like just yesterday I found out I was pregnant. I have a million and one worries.

-What is Stella hates having a sister?
-What if Stella doesn't feel as loved?
-What if Stella resents me because of Olivia?
-etc...

I know that Kade will adjust well because he did just fine with Stella. He's a great big brother so I have absolutely no worries.

I need to get back to these closets. They're not going to clean themselves!!

My heart is heavy today.

I'm getting to the point where I don't even want to watch or read the news today. I can't handle another story of a mother or father killing their children intentionally for revenge. If you suspect your spouse is cheating, you leave or get counseling. YOU DON'T KILL YOUR CHILDREN!!!

What a tragedy. If my husband ever did anything that I thought was unfaithful, I would first confront him. If it turned to be true, I would take the children and leave. I couldn't imagine another person's fidelity being more important than my children's lives.

I love my husband but I have a mindset that I was here on Earth for 27 years just fine without him. If he chose to do something that merited divorce, I could move on. I'm sure it would be hard but no spouse is worth killing yourself or children over.

Makes.me.sick.


I also can't stomach those that leave their children or pets in a hot car. In Indianapolis (hello, home state Indiana) a father left his his 2 children, 16 months and 4 months (if I recall correctly) in a car where the temp reached 114 degree.

I know I'm certainly not super mom, but I know when my children are in the car.

Now there's an app you can download that reminds you to get your kids out of the backseat.

If you have to be reminded that you have children in your car, please don't breed!!

I'm smashing my soapbox because my pregnant ass is too big to be standing on something so small.

I know there are a lot of great parents and I applaud you. Can't we just string up the bad ones???

Did our weekend just happen?

Wow!

I could have sworn it was Friday yesterday? I am so thankful that God dropped this job into Nick's lap but 14 hours a day, 5 or 6 days a week is really killing our family time. When Nick is off, it's a miracle to get him off the couch. He's a nap monster. I don't blame him for wanting to rest, I know that I could NEVER work out in this 100 plus degree heat. I don't even want to walk from the van to the house or store right now.

Friday night, we had an electricity surge (or something?) and since then, our oven, bathroom lights, and one outlet in the kitchen isn't working. I've called our property manager but who knows how long it will take for them to send someone out. (We're still waiting on a leak in our dining room that I've been calling about since February.)

So the past two nights, I've taken showers in the dark. I'm trying the whole "Be thankful for what you have" this year SO at least I had water and a clean dry towel. :) I hate wet towels!

The kids were both pretty good all weekend. I'm still in shock over that. Kade has been trying to teach Stella how to wrestle... you know, like the WWE (WWF?) wrestling. Yeah, I'm thrilled...

She did a move on Kade Sunday night and pretty much landed her foot in his mouth. Blood was everywhere!

I didn't want to include a bloody shot so I opted for a sweet Saturday morning cartoon pic.

Olivia Ann has been trying out for the Olympics. She is so much more active than Stella ever thought to be. I've been feeling Olly Ann (her nickname already) move since the 15th week. She really seems to enjoy flipping around when I'm trying to sleep or when one of the kids is curled up next to me.

I'm so ready for November 16th!  

Survey site

Web answers and making money online.

A friend of mine directed me to Web Answers. Actually she asked me if I'd ever heard about it and if it was a legit way of making money. I'd never heard of it so I thought I'd check it out and see.

Turns out, Web Answers is pretty interesting. Basically, you just answer anyone and everyone's questions and the best answer gets chosen as the lead answer. You earn pennies on the dollar through Adsense for your answer being display. It's pretty easy and I already made .16 cent. Whoop whoop! Who's getting rich quick?? Oh yeah, that's right!

Web Answer is actually pretty addicting. I enjoy giving advice to those who so desperately need it. I also enjoy reading everyone's reaction to the initial question. If you wanna make a couple cents a day, you should check it out. It could buy a cup of coffee in a week or so (depending on if you drink a tall or venti).

Let me know what you think if you're currently working Web Answers or if you're considering it!

Can your kids reach locks??

Yesterday in the paper, a 2 year old had gotten out of their house and wandered down to the CVS. The little guy was okay, just a bump on his forehead, but the parents were beside themselves (completely understandable!). He had unlocked the door with a chair and just took off. CVS employees notified the PD and CPS took the child to the hospital where he was later released back to the parents.

Those little ones are so sneaky! Lil' Miss can't reach our locks (yet!) but rest assured we are going to be installing dead bolts higher than a chair can reach. I just can't imagine what I'd do without her. She's a heathen, but I love her to pieces.

Get your free Gerber safety kit HERE

 I did this for Stella and Kade when Stella was still a baby and I'm so thankful I did.  If something horrible should ever happen, I know I've taken the first step. I pray this never does happen but you can certainly never be too sure!

The Gerber safety kits come with finger printing, a complete detailed info kit about your child, and also include hair samples and an updated photo. I am going to request these every year that they offer it because I know that they could very possibly come in handy.

I'm going to hope it never happens but will be preparing for the worst. It's really the only thing that make sense when it comes to my kiddos.

I love lazy days

Today was one of those days where I just didn't feel like doing anything... so I didn't. :)

We took the kids to the new Firehouse Subs restaurant and it was amazing! I'm not a fan of subs but these were excellent. The bread was soft and delicious and the meat was tender and juicy. It was definitely 10 steps above Subway. Also, at Firehouse Subs, you can purchase things and 100% of your proceeds will go to your local firehouse! How awesome is that?? Here in the Midwest, it's so dry out that our guys are battling 3-4 fires a day. It made me feel good to know that our small purchases help add up!

After eating, we drove through the country. I really miss the small town life style... Miss it alot. I'm ready for these next few years to roll on by so hopefully we'll be able to buy some land in the middle of nowhere. I want our kids to grow up not being afraid of the outdoors and not sheltered from the elements. I'm just sick of the city.

Hmm... now there's a blank. I had something else to say but now I forgot. Oh well, maybe next time!

Today is just not my day.

I hate getting mail! It seems like every time I go collect the mail, there's always something in there that I don't want or need. Today it was bills.

Why does it cost over $1000 to be hooked up to a heart monitor for 15 minutes?? Is there something magical inside that machine that I should know about? I highly doubt it. I'm all for paying our bills and getting things taken care of in a timely manner but you can bet your ass, we'll be sending in payments for this $1000 and I'll be calling about this so-called bill first!!

I'm so irritated right now. Ugh.

In other news, my MIL made me a homemade birthday cake yesterday. It was chocolate with cream cheese frosting. It was delicious... and SWEET! So sweet that it made my teeth ache for a couple minutes afterwards. Y'ouch! It was really good though.

Lil' Miss is stirring so that's my cue to hop off here.

Kitchen Chairs are the devil.

Last night was horrible! After dinner, Stella and I were sitting at the kitchen table having cookies. Our kitchen table is like a pub table with stools and the stools each weigh about 8lbs a piece. Stella climbed off her stool and proceeded to push it forward like she usually does. No biggie right?

Wrong!

The stool tilted and ended up landing right on my big toe. Ouch! Momma cried and cursed like a sailor while jumping around the kitchen like a beached whale. I scared Lil' Miss and she started bawling and crying 'Momma hurt'. I felt awful! I tried consoling her but I couldn't stop shaking or crying.

The big toe really isn't THAT big so why does it hurt so much when you stub it or drop something on it????

Today my nail is an ugly mess and my toe is swollen twice its normal size. Wonderful! :/

Today is a great day! Thank God for small favors!

Today, I got a call from hubs and he was moved to a different route system. What exactly does this mean for us? It means hubs is getting big paydays now. I'm so excited!

The routes hubs was running were averaging about $1000 take home every 2 weeks. These new routes will bring home about $2500! Who's excited? Me, me!!

Last year was so rough on us, hubs was drawing unemployment and we were struggling. We didn't know how we were going to make it day to day, let alone month to month. It was an awful struggle and really tested our new marriage. The tears that fell from uncertainty and doubt were almost too much.

We found our strength in each other and tried to push ourselves along as best we could. We had a 10 year old and few month old depending on us. Nick did little odd jobs when he could find them and I started free trading and selling everything we could live without. (We found out we could live without A LOT!) We even pawned our wedding rings that had been in Nick's family for 3 generations.

It was a struggle.

Then, this year (2012), hubs got a call for an interview and was hired. For the last 6 months, Nick has worked 5-6 days a week, 14 hour days and now it is starting to pay off. When he called today, I could actually hear the excitement and relief in his voice. It made me tear up. :)

We are still living month to month but I'm proud of what we've accomplished and how we've fought through what I never thought we were going to.  I'm glad we stuck this journey out together. I look forward to more years with my hubs. He's definitely the one for me.

Another record breaking day!

Today the temp in our city broke the highest temp recorded since 1933.

This is just something that I am NOT impressed with. It is so miserable outside. We ventured out for lunch at Hacienda and nearly melted. Our A/C in the van was just not up to par. Poor lil' miss' cheeks were red the entire ride.

My husband's occupation is that of a food delivery driver. He is a door to door route driver and frequently services farmers and many that live in the country. Yesterday he had a talk with one of the local farmers and because of the lack of rain, this farmer and his family have lost all their income for this year as well as $250K which was spent on planting his 120 acres.

It breaks my heart to know this.

My small town up bringing often causes me trouble here in town. More times than not, I am too trusting and not aware enough. The mannerisms of myself and my husband are night and day. I remember when he first started his route driver business, he was very wary of stepping into anyone's home and was seriously disturbed when they invited him in.I am happy to report he has since changed his country outlook attitude and we are trying to save and pay off debt so we can move to the country. (Although, he still gives me the stink eye when I say hello to complete stranger walking down our sidewalk.)

Right now, everyone in the house is napping, including hubs. This hot weather just drained us!

Welcome to my life.

So here starts my journey into the world of blogging.

Before I sat down, I had thousands of thoughts swirling in my head as to what I would write about. Now that I'm parked, I'm blank.

I'll guess the best thing to do is just to start by introducing myself.

I'm Jennifer. I'm almost 30 and I live in a big 'ole city in Southern Indiana. I hate the city life. I'm from a small town and I firmly believe that small towns are where its at.

I'm married and have been for 2 years. My husband is my best friend and also my biggest pain in the ass at times. I love him and wouldn't change a thing. My husband is addicted to trading card collecting. We have hundreds of thousands in white boxes in our living room. (No Joke!) His passion is collecting and he dreams of one day opening up his own card shop. I hope he never gives up that dream because it sounds pretty cool. :)

Nick and I have 2 kiddos.

Our oldest is 11 (going on 35). He is an extremely opinionated and charasmatically little man. Little man thinks he's a teenager now and is already expressing his individualism and attitude.

Lil' Miss will be 2 towards the end of this year and she is a spitfire! Her favorite word is "No". She loves Dora and Boots and anything with puppies. She looks like her momma and acts like her daddy. (True story.) It's amazing just watching her grow and learn.

Nick and I are also expecting our 3rd. Lil' Miss #2 is due in November and is growing right as scheduled.

So, in a nutshell, that's our family. Thanks for visiting!