May 28, 2010

Sunday.

Whoooooosh.

(exhale)

Just, this.


May 27, 2010

Saturday.

More of this.














More dogs.














More Race Party.

No more pictures.

May 26, 2010

Friday.

Today was the big day.

Catering for 40.

At my house.

Rain.

House guests. (Well, sort of. Mattlemon and family don't really count, I guess.)

Lots of dogs.

The recital.

The concert.

Dave was hot awesome.

Late night.

Made moneky bread before going to sleep. I am awesome stupid.

Pictures.



May 25, 2010

Thursday.

Thursday was easy. Exhausting, but easy.

I cleaned. Top to bottom. Over and under. Clean, clean, clean, clean, clean. The one thing I did not do was to put clothes away in my closet. I did massive amounts of laundry. I put Hal's clothes away, but I could not make myself put my own away. I just couldn't.

I was sore.

And tired.

And then we had Hallie's dress rehearsal for the big recital. It was the start of a looong, but awesome weekend.

Pictures from the rehearsal:

May 24, 2010

Math.

This














Plus this

















Multiplied by this

















Divided by this

Equals awesome. Break down tomorrow.

May 23, 2010

A Preview.

May 20, 2010

On the Agenda.

Cleaning List

Blue Room (aka - toy room): Straighten, dust, vacuum, lysol Sophie (just kidding. not really)

Hallie's Room: straighten, dust, vacuum.

My Room: straighten, dust, vacuum, put away clothes in closet.

Bathrooms: toilets, mop floors, clean mirrors, check toilet paper, clean hand towels, vacuum, dust.

Kitchen: wipe down cabinets, vacuum, dishes, spray clean floor, clean fridge, dust.

Upstairs: dust, straighten, make bed, vacuum. (dave did everything else last night!)

Basement: vacuum, dust, straighten, make bed, clean up sewing crap, clean up storage room. (I rock.)

Dining Room: vacuum, dust, clean table cloth, clean windows.

Living Room: vacuum, dust, clean mirrors, attempt to clean couch.

Outside: weed front landscaping, trim bushes, clean garage.

Cooking List


For tomorrow - one two potato casseroles and two corn casseroles, plus one angel food cake with a yummy lemon glaze.


Time to start prioritizing. Pray for me.

*updated 9:45am
**updated 11:26 - dusting done!
***updated 12:19 - vacuuming done!
****updated 1:03 - bathrooms done!
*****updated 1:25 - so close.
******updated 1:52 - I mean, so so close.
*******updated 2:23 - one thing to go and that will have to wait until this last load dries.

I consider myself done.

Whew.

May 19, 2010

The Party.

Once a year our "neighbors" throw a huge fundraiser for their Arca race team. It's huge. And fun. And last year it got funner. I mean, more fun.

Mason Sound (aka, my father-in-law) contacted his band buddies (aka, the Kentucky Head Hunters and Confederate Railroad) and asked them to play at the events. So they did.

(picture from last year - Dave playing drums with the Headhunters.)

Anyway, my house is the closest to the neighbors, which means it's the easiest place to serve lunch to the bands. Which means I have to clean.

(picture from last year - Hallie eating with Confederate Railroad)

Luckily, Mrs. Mason Sound (aka - my mother-in-law) is taking care of most of the cooking. I'm doing a few easy side dishes and a dessert, but mostly just cleaning.

It's a great excuse to finally scrub my neglected floors and clean my finger-printed windows. I've taken Thursday off to clean in peace and will spend Thursday night and Friday morning trying to maintain the cleanliness. That will be the hardest part.

We also have Hallie's dress rehearsal Thursday night, recital Friday night and another recital Saturday. It's going to be a jam-packed, fun-filled weekend!

May 18, 2010

Love.

I love google.

Let me tell you why.

An hour ago I hated my camera. I still don't love it, but I certainly am not mad at it anymore. You see, I had tried to turn it on and it told me I had a "zoom error." How rude.

I turned it on and off, on and off. Everything looked good, but I'm getting this super annoying message and no ability to take pictures. Not good when I have a recital (for Hallie, not for me) coming up this weekend.

Plus the big party thing. More on that later.

So I turn to google to fix all of my problems. And it did. It lead me to a forum where this has happened to many fuji users. And they kept referring to the magic "Telephone Trick" and how it worked for them!

I kept scrolling and scrolling and finally found the description of the "Telephone Trick." This is what I found: beat your camera against your hand, a book or another hard object. Repeat.

So I beat my camera repeatedly against my desk and hand. It felt good.

And now it works.

Magic.

Hate.

I don't hate a lot.

But dang, I hate my camera.

May 13, 2010

As a Wife.

I believe we all have our primary roles. Mine is to be a mother and a wife. A helper and a nurturer. And I love both of those roles. I love being a mother, and after six years of marraige I am finally figuring out how to be a wife. Took a while, huh?

Poor Dave.

As a wife, I am a cheerleader. (See below).















When my husband has a terrible, no good, very bad day, it's up to me to make his day better (or die trying). If he's in a funk, I do my best to snap him out of it, and if he needs to cry he can cry to me. Okay, he never cries, but if he does - i'm ready for it. I would love to be cried on someday - does that make me weird? Yes.

As a woman, I am a nuturer. And I'm also a helper.

I, ahem, sometimes struggle with helping. Helping Dave sometimes means manual labor, of which I am not fond. I have non-calloused, delicate hands. I am not strong. I wilt in the sun and I....am a wuss, I guess. But I'm working on that. He needs a building partner - okay! A hand to lay some bricks - you bet! Haul branches to burn - okay! You need a helper, I will help. I certainly don't love doing it, but it gets easier the more I let go and just do it.

Most times though, he does not want help with manual labor. He just wants a partner. A companion. He wants me to sit outside while he cleans out his truck. Not my favorite activity. I have been known to whine - LOST is on! Anything is on! Do I have to??? But he doesn't need my help. He just wants company. Lots of italics there. Lots of emphasis!

So it's the same deal as above. The more I just give in, stop resisting, and do it, the more I enjoy it, helping.

I'm pretty proud it only took me six years to learn. Honestly. I'm slightly strong willed (hey - no snickering), and tried to demand equality - equal rights! Do it yourself! I do things myself! Heck - I can multitask!! But it wasn't working. I had to let go of that realize we all have roles. It was time to embrace my role as a woman - nuturer and helper.

So I did. And I am. And it's awesome.

May 11, 2010

Smothers Day.

My name is Keri and I love to add S's to the beginning of words to make them other words.

Anyway.

Blah, blah, Mother's Day, blah, blah blah. I am not so much into the whole Mother's Day as a holiday thing. I mean, it's great to celebrate mother's, but don't worry about the jewelry or breakfast in bed. I don't need it. It's just another day.

Another totally awesome, rad day, actually!

My yesterday was one of my favorite days ever. I wish I had pictures. It was one of those days full of nothing that meant everything. Hallie and I went to church and then stopped by the ole Home Depot for some hot pink geraniums. We came home to a sleepy Dave and had peanut butter and honey sandwiches/nachos. I planted my pink geranimums, petunias and rose tree while Hallie rode her bike in circles around me. I painted all of my pots bright yellow this year and I LOVE IT. They probably need another coat, but I just can't make myself do it.

Anyway.

We took a pre-nap, mile-long bike ride (Hallie rode, we walked) to Lucille's. There was not even a single wisp of a cloud in the sky, and the temperature was perfect. Hallie rode along with a huge smile on her face and stopped every so often to pick dandelions on the side of the road.

AND, get this: Dave held my hand. Without me begging asking.

Happy Mother's Day to ME!

Hallie put herself down for a nap when we got home. Let me repeat that. Hallie put herself down for a nap when we got home. I baked to my heart's content and then took a nap on the front porch swing.

And burned my nose. Yes, I'll guide your sleigh tonight.

We ended the evening with a dinner with the fam and an episode of Brothers & Sisters (which was totally lame, btw).

Awesome.

May 10, 2010

'Snacho Birthday.

It's Bobs! And what do we do? Why, we celebrate with Birthday Nachos! Classy!

May 7, 2010

30 Before 30.

Yes, I know that some are a bit lofty. But it's my list and I will write what I want to. I've already gotten a few under my belt, but a ton to work on before I turn 30 on March 11, 2011.

My 30 Before 30

1. Successfully grow a garden (that one is going great!)
2. Purchase new drinking glasses (white polka dot from Target - love)
3. Sew a quilt
4. Print all past pictures since Hallie was born.
5. Put #4 into albums.
6. Learn to play "Dawn" (from Pride and Prejudice) on the piano.
7. Re-size my super-cute moo-moo.
8. Get (and stay) pregnant (no pressure, right?).
9. Take Hallie to the Shedd Aquarium.
10. Take a tour of Woodlawn Farm.
11. Give up soda.
12. Visit Kurt in Colorado.
13. Find and buy black and white striped cushions for porch swing/rockers.
14. Eat hibatchi with Dave.
15. Go on a job with Dave. In the semi.
16. Lose 10 pounds.
17. Organize under the kitchen sink.
18. Take a trip with Hallie and Dave.
19. Hang up plate wall in dining room.
20. Make cinnamon rolls from scratch.
21. Buy nightstands for the master bedroom.
22. Buy lamps for the master bedroom.
23. Make a headboard for the master bedroom.
24. Have new windows installed in the house. Blah.
25. Host an outdoor movie night.
26. Host a bonfire.
27. Sew curtains for the laundry room.
28. Pay off sound loan.
29. Pay off my car loan.
30. Host a fish fry.

May 6, 2010

Bowl.

It's fun.

















It's easy (with gutter gate things).
 













It's cheap.


















And the shoes are cute.

May 5, 2010

We Like Cows.

Rocks and cows.

Anyway.

We were finishing up supper or snack or something in the kitchen, when Hallie says, "I see a cow!" Keep in mind the cows have been back for about a week. Old news, blondie.

But we look to where she is pointing, and a cow is standing at the fence, staring directly at us through the window. I mean, staring. It was unnerving.

And because we have nothing else to do in the evenings, we went outside to investigate. And to try to pet the cow, of course.



Mission Failed.

May 4, 2010

Give Me Day.

Morning: 4:30am to 7:30am

Day: 7:31am to 9:00pm

Evening: 9:01pm to 4:29am

*The above information is crucial to this post.















I am not a morning person. Ask Dave.

I am not a night person. Ask Dave.

I am simply day. I enjoy being and feeling awake. And I don't feel awake when Dave starts rolling around in bed around 4:30am. And when 9:30pm rolls around, I'm usually exhausted and not in the mood to be teased, tickled or (playfully) stalked in the dark.

I'm trying to change though. I am trying not to snarl when Dave wants to snuggle in the morning or grouch when he wants to turn off all the lights and jump out at me when i'm trying to settle down for bed.

I'm working really, really hard. Starting tonight.

I already snarled this morning, so I'm starting fresh.

Suggestions welcome.


**I make Dave sound like a crazy person, which is not intentional. Most nights he does not try to give me a heart attack and yet I am still grouchy.

May 3, 2010

Convicted. On My Heart.

Do you know that I really don't like it when people say that they feel that God is "laying something on their heart," or that they are really convicted by something?

It sounds so cheesy.

By the way, lately I have felt very convincted that God is laying something on my heart. Seriously.

I read a blog post (here), and I just felt like I thought/felt/acted the same way, but couldn't put it into words as well as this writer could. (Her whole blog is wonderful. I'm busy clicking through the archives.)

And then I read blog posts here, here and here and it was like, hey check me out! I'm putting these directly into your path for a reason.

Time to listen!

Pay attention!


I guess I should tell you that my ultimate desire is to stay at home with my kiddos. I should also tell you that it would very difficult financially.

Now do you understand?