Dear...

... Mosquitos,

Thank you for you idea that my children would make a great buffet. Trevor and I have thought about it and have decided that no, our children are not going to become your food storage. Maybe there is something extra yummy about them because of their red hair however we don't like the MASSIVE red welts that grow every time you bite them. Abigail looks like a one eyed dinosaur, Elizabeth looks like she has leprosy and Sam ... some how I think 5 bites in a row across his forehead is over kill. We will now never leave to play outside without a layer of deet across our skin. As well the bug zapper will be hung back up ASAP to deter further feeding frenzies.

Ashley


.. Walmart

Although I really don't care anymore all I have to say is "good luck":).

When my Dad and Trevor came in to talk about our last encounter. And then 4 days later, right before the long weekend, you leave a message that "you have taken care of it" with no further info or a contact number you annoyed my Dad. I think he will eat you for lunch now. Stupidheads. Say you are sorry, even my kids know that.

Ashley



... Standard General

Please come remove your stuff from my front yard. Although I really appreciate that you lowered the curb on my driveway all the rain has turned my alley into a bog. My kids really enjoy puddle jumping. I would like to leave my house dry as well without the mad dash x 3 to get everyone in.

Ashley



... Rain.

You couldn't wait for me to plant my garden could you. :(

Verdict

So we met with the specialist today. With a 10-15% chance that Me, the Baby or both of us could die we have decided to stick with the c-section instead of trying the vbac. Just isn't worth the risk to me. So September 4th is still the big day, and the countdown is on.

Oh No

The worst thing ever has happened. I REALLY want a screamer and a chicky flick but I am trapped at home (Trevor is STILL in Grand Prairie) and my go to sitters are in Cardston(mumma), Edmonton (ethan) or at an activity (matt). No Matt wouldn't pass up baseball to sit on the couch and eat ice cream with me while watching a chick flick. Honestly I wonder where his priorities are (totally kidding).

I guess I will resign myself to cleaning (a.) my kitchen which i have been avoiding for almost 3 hours, (b.) my bathroom which I have been avoiding for 4 days and (c.) folding laundry which I have been avoiding for a week. PLEASE be something good on tv.

I guess my motivation should be that tomorrow I am going to Elnora to see my auntie and cousins. They have the house that childhood dreams are made of. Honestly, they have an indoor swimming pool and go carts. The kiddies and I are swimming all day with Julie and her Kiddies. (Julie is my almost sister who lived in my basement when I was in high school and we use to listen to music and eat crackers while I avoided homework and felt that she should be doing the same).

Hmmmm this avoiding thing seems to be a trend.

I love this picture because she had friends over to play when she decided to take a nap all on her own?!?!

And Rub a Dub Dub gotta love the tub

Hahahahaha. While I was waiting for pictures to load my cousin Ari called to see if some people could come over to play a new nintendo game we have that is absolutly ridiculous (Raving Rabbids) I told her if she brought me the Screamer she was more than welcome. Good company is always acceptable over a chick flick too.

Now to clean the kitchen before they get here.

So I was all ready to post pics and found out I have no idea what I am doing on the laptop. The laptop has internet through the wireless signal however the desktop still doesn't. My computer illiteracy becomes apparent. Today was a long day. Trevor passed his LLQP (insurance license exam) and started working for AIL (can't remember what that is short for). He headed down to Lethbridge for 5 days to train and start working. Why when you are on your own for church does everything seem to go wrong. bloody lips, massive spills, late start, had to pray in sacrament, I really don't like teaching even when they are only 4 years old (they scare me), Lizzy had a major meltdown and wanted her daddy. When I finally put her to bed she wanted to sleep in my bed so I let her do it and moved her later. I just didn't want to fight. I feel drained. I am going to go shower and cuddle up on the couch with my book (wicked), and plan on reading until I nearly pass out and have to drag my sorry self to bed. It sounds like a great plan to me better get at it.

In the house.

We are officially moved in and unpacked (except for the garage ughh). I don't have pics yet but they will be coming soon. Trevor has framed the basement, hooked up my in wall vacume, hung my pot rack, built a desk...and bookshelves and various other honeydoos. My Mom has also been the most INCRDIBLE help to me. She has packed and unpaked and cleaned and moved and babysat and driven. We have had lots of help from so many people. It is nice to be somewhat settled, once the basement is done the garage is next. I will post pictures soon.

Crisis Averted

Trevor met with the general on the house today and with the real estate agent. They are going to rearrange the cabinets so that the stove is closer to the wall, adding the extra space in between the drawer and the stove. They are going to have to redo the counter tops back splash and some painting. They are confident it will be finished by Thursday (whew). So we are still taking possession on Wednesday and moving this week.. They are also going to give us $1000.00 back (furniture fund). They have graded the front yard but haven't put the driveway in yet, it will be done later this month. The ground outside our house has dropped more than I thought possible.

Here is a question. When you move in the states, which we did 8 times, you go into the post office fill out the form drop it off at the desk and your mail is magically forwarded for you. Here they want to charge me $40. I really don't want to pay them to change my address when I have moved so many times without having to pay a dime. Do I really need to do it? I am thinking that I do, I don't think I would inform all the different government groups. I guess it is only $40 but it is the principle of the matter.

Kitchen Nightmares

Countdown till move: 3 days

Day problems discovered : Saturday

Solution:??????

Shane messed up the kitchen. The house has been finished for about a month. They had it finished early, but hadn't put the appliances in.

So on Saturday when we went to look our appliances were in HOORAY. Rush over to look at them, (getting even more excited because it means I am that much closer to my dishwasher.) Trevor comes over looking at the drawers and the stove with a funny look (never a good thing). He reaches to open it *clunk* close the drawer try to open it again *clunk* *clunk* *clunk* Yes our kitchen drawers no longer open because the stove is in the way. I didn't think it would be a problem because I thought the stove was going to be flush with the counter edge. Nope. Because it is Saturday nothing can be done till today about it. My dreams of my dishwasher are fading fast.

The options.
1-Tear out the kitchen and start it over (plumbing, tile, cabinets, countertops, everything).
2- Have them reorganize my kitchen so the drawers are somewhere else (not a bad but they better compensate me for messing everything up).
3- Extend the island out farther ( still have to move plumbing tile countertops etc. which you might as well tear it out and do it right)

*Weep*

I have had the vacume man and the fridge man call to confirm delivery today, I asked them if I could call them back later when I knew if we were still moving this week.

side problems
- I have no place to live at the end of the month good thing I said I wanted the extra two weeks instead of just the weekend.
- I had a trip planned to go to Washington for a week at the beginning of June with Ashton, what if I have to be moving instead. BOO

*sigh* so close and yet so far.

Ridiculous.

We were out looking at minivans today as there is no way 3 car seats will fit in the versa. I hate car shopping. I hate bartering, I hate test driving, I just ugh. Luckily Trevor takes care of all that stuff and I just say yes I like the trunk and the color (what else matters?) We were at one dealership and we found a red grand caravan. It was a 2007 and was in great condition. We went inside to work on numbers and all that to see if we could do it. After getting our names the agent said I will need a down payment right now as a sign of good faith that you are serious about it. He specified that $500.00 would be enough. EXCUSE ME?!?!? He was dead serious about a down payment on a van that we didn't even have a price or interest rate on. I told him there was no way I was doing that. We argued back and forward about how it was a sign of good faith and us telling him there is no way we am giving him any amount of money before we have a contract. He then said fine I will hold your credit card as collateral. I was sitting there thinking "He can't be serious, there is no way this man can be this dumb". I stood up at that point and said, I'm sorry I think we will go somewhere else. As I walked off to retrieve my children I hear him say to Trevor that he doesn't understand what the problem is. I beat Trevor out of there as he went back for Elizabeth's blanket and the sales manager stopped him. Trevor explained the problem and said that He would come out and ask me if I wanted to try again. Yeh like I would unload my children for a second time. We left. We laughed in unbelief all the way home about it.

I need your help

Here is the deal. I have a wedding coming up. The background is that when Trev and I got married are car was demolished, bird seed shot out of the vents for a year and we never did get all the bird seed out of the lights. I have been planning my revenge on all those involved (they all ratted each other out) the first of which is getting married at the end of april.

What have you had done/seen done/ heard of being done to peoples cars when they get married. This will be my first masterpiece and I can use all the juicy tidbits I can get. Don't hold back. If I don't get enough I will have to google it.

The follow up

So the next Monday we did find out why the bank had taken our money. I was so MAD.

They had linked my bank account to someone elses (eh?)
How did they do that? I don't know.
Why did they do that? I really don't know.

Anyways the good news is that I happened to know the person who got my money (what are the odds), the bad news the bank thought it was okay to take the money from my account and put into their account because it was overdrawn.

After a lot of yelling ( I had been doing so good but this was ridiculous, the lady wouldn't listen to me that this was WRONG and I was pretty sure it was ILLEGAL too. )

and threatening to call my lawyer (I love my Daddy)

and a visit with the other person (who was even more confused by it than I was, and was very suprised when they got the money).

The bank transferred the money back. They never apologized, they never called to say that they had done it, I found out it was back by checking my online banking. I think something is wrong with this. Honestly, when you steal someones money and give it to someone else shouldn't you call and say "I'm sorry we are idiots, we gave it back." Well it is all better and as soon as I get my tax return I am going to take the many hours it will take to switch my cctb and my uccb and my tax return deposits into my good bank account.

The EvIL bank CIBC
(although my mom has been with them for at least 20 years and has NEVER had a problem with them. I guess I am just special)

House update

They have painted the first coat inside the house and the guy was finishing up the siding when we walked through today. I am SOOOO excited!!.

The day of MANY posts

Today my life was saved by Lays Wavy Original Potatochips. I usually don't even like them. I don't like dip so I don't see the point in eating them. I have lived in the bathroom today. I forgot my Diclectin last night and all day anytime I eat look or think of food I have ended up puking. I AM STARVING. I went to the Briar last night with my Mom (sooo much fun!!) and so my Dada and some other guys came over to play cards with Trevor. They left the chips. In an act of stavation and desperation I tried one small bit, and I finished the bag. This is after soda crackers upset my stomach. If I didn't have children I would have made a bed p in my bathroom and slept and read all day. My house is destroyed but my stomach is holding the chips down for now.

I watched this movie today. I would skip to minute six and watch the last three you will get the jist of it. SOOOOOO funny. Funnier from the beginning but kind of long. The poor man, I would have died.

Potty training I will give no comment, I haven't given up ... ... ... boo.

Sam can climb on kitchen chairs by himself and from the chair onto the table. He was mad at me today when I hauled him off of it because he walked off the edge twice. He didn't know what my problem was.

The two of them play together all the time now and they have so much fun. I love it. Lizzy has been so helpful with me being sick it is nice to know that they entertain each other. Even at the expense of my pantry and fridge. Hope veryone is having a good day!

I want this

I want this tummy thing I think it would be so handy. I have been looking at maternity clothes online before I go downstairs and find my box. Honestly who has the money to spend over $100.00 on somthing they will only fit in for 4 or 5 months at a time very 2 or 3 years. Maybe I am just cheap.

What happens...

when the bank mysteriously withdraws half the money in your bank account?

You spend half you day on the phone talking to person after person who "doesn't know why it was withdrawn you should call ..."

To finally be passed to upper management (you still have you cool at this point to which you are very proud)
and they say. "Well i don't know either, we will open an investigation and get back to you next week."
. . .
You respond "ummm I need that money"
upper management then responds " well I can't put it back in until we know why it was taken out why don't I just let you overdraw your account until then."
. . . .
to which you think ... because I don't want to overdraw my account I want MY MONEY!!!
You tell them no thank I will make due but please call me Monday and tell me what you have found out.

The good news
~ it is in the bank account you don't really use because you already HATE that bank.

The problem.
~ the awful feeling in your gut this isn't going to be a quick fix because you hate that bank and you know how stupid they are.

The solution
~ deal with it and write on your blog.

Sorry for all the rants lately

FUTURE SHOP = DEATH

I officially will NEVER shop at future shop again!!! The are a bunch of complete morons (oh the words I would rather use). We bought a microsoft office set for $150.00 bucks, which is quite a pretty penny. Turned out that my mom had a copy at her house and let us use it instead. So we go to return it but unfortunatly I had chucked the receipt. The product was still in its original packaging which is covered with futureshop propoganda stickers and pricetags etc. THEY WON'T TAKE IT BACK. They have a "no return policy" which of course they never said anything about, because I wouldn't have bought it befor I checked with my mom if I had known that. I am writing letters to managers managers, I am ranting to EVERYONE I KNOW and I am going to drive as much buisness away from their store as possible. I am out to destroy. So I am not saying that you don't have to buy there. I am just saying buyer beware never buy anything you don't know if you won't need. Best Buy was cheaper anyways but they didn't have the product in stock.

The House

We are building this house, in this community. I don't want to say which lot because I am afraid of strangers. We changed the kitchen dramaticly. It is more like a giant L shape than an island. I wanter more counter space. We have an AMAZING backyard. Our posession date which we found out yesterday is May 13th. They said they could move it all the way up to the end of April but I chose mid may so I had a couple of weeks to get moved so it wouldn't be so panicked. We aren't due until September so I have plenty of time to get settled. Trevor has BIG plans for the basement. Lets say lifesize hockey players. And if he has it his way it will be fully developed within a month. LIzzy and Sam will have to share a room until the baby is big enough to share. but I don't think they will mind. It should be interesting though.

Can I just say I HATE POTTY TRAINING!! I can't even count the accidents anymore, at least one a day. I threaten to put her back in diapers when she wets herself and she cries now when I do because I did it one day. She just gets to distracted. Ughhh. will this NEVER end?

I WON I WON!!

I can't believe it. I actually won a contest. I won a $100 credit for family photos from a photography blog that I follow. I LOVE her pictures! I always look through them and ooo and awww wishing and hoping. Here is her blog. You are all jealous I know it!

Funny story. We took the neighbors kids to a Hitmen game because their mom got sick. It was so much fun. We ate pocketdogs and chocolate malts. anyways we were rushing back to our car after because it was FREEZING and came around the corner and there was a woman there relieving her bladder. She starts pulling up her pants and screaming. Shocked that she would be caught in her act in the middle of the parking lot after a hockey game at the saddle dome. What I want to know is if you have to go bad enough that you would go in the middle of a parking lot in -20 without toilet paper, why didn't she stop inside?!?!

Anyways I am excited about my win and can't wait to show you all the pictures, even though I am hoping she won't mind waiting until the new baby comes so I can have amazing pictures of all 3 of my babies.

The recession.

So I don't watch the news or read the paper. I don't really pay attention to outside world events. I guess I figure if they are that important someone will tell me about them.

I didn't hear about the crazy 8 baby lady until after she had the babies.

I do hear about the recession, but in the quiet bubble of my life I hadn't really noticed it. We spend the same as we would anyways. We still bought a house, and we are still planning on buying a second car in the next 6 months. It hit me the other day how hard it is getting for people out there.

Trevor has been stressed out at work recently because they have been doing firing. LOTS of firing. We are talking at least 20 guys a day for a couple of weeks. They have cut their workforce almost in half. I hadn't really thought about it until the other day when trevor told me this story.

He was going back to his work area after lunch and they had called a whole bunch of guys into the trailer where they do the big let down. Trevs foreman says hey Smith your suppose to be in there (Trevor curses under his breath) and heads on over to the trailer. When he gets there though the man doing the firing tells him to get out of there, (trevor curses the man who playing the prank). Then he said the thing that hit me. As he looked around that small room before he left he saw the scared look on all those mens faces.

That is what got to me. Those poor men. Those men who have to go home to their wives and children and explain that they no longer have a job. Those men with their mortgages and car ayments, food bills and field trip notices. Those poor men that are now out of work without notice and have to fight against not only all the other men who have been fired from this company, but also with all the men who have been sent home from the oil sands and other areas around the province for a few coveted postitions. Thinking of the stress that those men and their familyies now haave to face really hit me hard.

I am grateful for a husband who knows how to work hard and make a good impact on an employer. I am thankful for a husband that even if he was let go I know would find a job and a way to take care of us.

I hope this all ends soon.

A clean rug, is a happy rug.

I listened to a lot of John Bytheway growing up. On one of his tapes he talks about helping your parents or something and he says to just vacuum the rug, and when your mom asks what you are doing reply "A clean rug is a happy rug".

Before I found out I was pregnant and thought I had the flu I fell off the cleaning wagon. Laundry has sat for weeks in various stages, unwashed, unfolded, in the basket folded but not put away. Vacuuming was scarce and only in select location. Instead of washing my floor regularly it had turned into spot washing spills. The house was a minor war zone. Today was the day of reckoning for the continually growing disaster. As I cleaned for nearly 10 hours I realized how excited I was to get my life back. I also decided that

a clean house is a happy wife
a happy wife is a happy spouse
happy parents mean happy kids
happy kids means a better life.

I am so glad that the war zone seems more like a distant nightmare now.


Over the past year I have become great friend with Ashton. She is Trevor's cousins daughter. Trevor has one cousin who actually has lived in the same stake as me for my whole life and she has a daughter who is about our age. Ashton. Ashton and her husband have 2 kids also who are right about my age. We swap babysitting, and have lots of play dates. Cookouts and family dinners. I feel relaxed around them as you should around family. I was suppose to go over there to play today and I called her this morning to announce my need for cleaning. She completely understood, and even came to pick Elizabeth up and took her to her house for most of the day. It was so nice to know that Lizzy was having a good day instead of sitting on the couch watching TV and otherwise being neglected. I am so grateful for her help.

The dilemma

Here is my conflict as of late.

A member of the relief society presidentcy has asked me to plan a play group for the young kids in the ward. I tried to say no but the guilt got to me and I agreed (groan). There was a sisiter in Sundance Ward who was asked to do it and I felt so bad for her and was VERY grateful that it wasn't me. Here are my problems.

-I wasn't planning on going to the play group anyways, I don't like being around and talking to people I don't know. It takes a lot out of me and stresses me out.

-I don't have a car to even get to the activities that I plan, so I would have to find a ride from one of these strangers, remember to get the car seats out of my car that morning, put them in there car load up and go and then undo it all later. It really isn't all that hard, but I have to do it for visiting teaching and I feel like such a dork.

-I can't seem to force myself to even call the women to talk to them about it.


Now it would be good for my kids to get out with other kids more often, but when we do go out it is to a cousins house.

I am feeling bad because I said I would do it, but...... yeh.

I don't know if I should just suck it up and suffer through or if I should call her back and tell her I just don't want to. (Both ideas kill me) .

What would you do?