Blithe Remarks

WOOT!

2011-05-15T10:01:00.000-04:00

I am now officially a "Pattern Designer". I just published my first pattern. You can check it out at

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/monkey-toy-2

Hurray! Another New Years resolution crossed off!

So here is the thing....

2011-05-13T22:01:00.000-04:00

So here is the thing.... next time you find yourself biking downhill, on a dirt road, without a helmet and you hit a GIANT pot hole it isn't a good idea to try and break your fall with your knees.

I was almost to the end of my 10 mile bike ride when I found myself in this situation. There was a car on my left and a ditch on my right so I couldn't swerve. I was going too fast to brake. I knew I needed my brain if I was going to finish my anatomy class so I decided to plant my feet and hope for the best. I ended up getting my right leg twisted inside of my bike. Not so much fun.

I laid in the middle of the road for a few seconds, the oncoming car waiting patiently to see if I was alive. I untangled myself and made an assessment. My brain was safe. Thank you God. I could put weight on my knee even though it hurt. Thank you God. My jeans weren't ripped. Thank you God. My ipod didn't break. THANK YOU GOD!

As soon as the car realized I was for the most part in one piece, they zoomed pass. Thanks so much. I called my Dad and he came and picked me up. All in all not too bad. A couple of bruises, a moderate abrasion on the dorsal right arm, distal to the elbow (anatomy class remember!) and I think I might have hyper extended my knee. It is OK. I am going to keep it iced for the next couple of days and maybe get out the trusty crutches (Oh, how I hate them!). I am sure it will all work out.

Anyways don't break your fall with your knees. It hurts. Now you know!

Royal Wedding Party!

2011-05-08T18:24:00.001-04:00

Unfortunately Will and Kate forgot to send Emily and I our invitation to the wedding. It wasn't a big deal though because we decided to throw our own party! We knew that the Happy Couple had requested everyone wear hats to the big event so we made our own...

Mine featured the Royal Love Birds. The tag says "she was beautiful" because Emily and I still don't understand how Will got a hottie like that. I know he is a prince and rich, but he isn't THAT rich. Emily says "He doesn't look that bad when he is moving... Really fast...."

Emily's hat had a bunch of netting coming off of the back of a white, sparkly, tophat. A plastic Bride and Groom were attached to a spring and fastened to the front. The effect was quite breathtaking.

We woke up at 4 AM, so that we could watch the wedding live before I had to leave for work. We had made berries, cream and scones the night before which we ate for breakfast with tea. Well, I started off with tea, but when the full realization of waking up at 4 AM sunk in I switched to a giant mug of coffee!

But it was OK, even the Queen needs her coffee now and then....

WOOT!

Watching the wedding was really fun. Emily and I were overtired and hyped up on caffeine and sugar, so we put the TV on mute and made up conversations that the wedding guests were having.

Kate's gown was beautiful, Will had big ears, the Queen was old, and there were lots of British accents. Well worth waking up early for.

Except for commercials... I hate commercials....

Royal Wedding

2011-04-29T16:13:00.000-04:00

2 Corinthians 1:3-6

2011-03-26T22:13:00.000-04:00

Blessed be God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. Our hope for you is unshaken because we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort.

Hebrews 6:10-12

2011-03-24T22:37:00.001-04:00

God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.

We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure. We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through FAITH and PATIENCE inherit what has been promised.

Ecclesiastes 7:16-18

2011-03-18T14:58:00.000-04:00

Do not be overrighteous,
neither be overwise -
why destroy yourself?

Do not be overwicked,
and do not be a fool -
why die before your time?

It is good to grasp the one and not let go of the other.
The man who fears God will avoid all extremes.

Yum!

2011-03-07T21:51:00.001-05:00

So despite my lack of blogging Friday night dinners are going great! So far I can add to my repertoire:

Chicken Cordon Bleu with Brussel Sprouts

Chicken Pot Pie

Mustache shaped Meatloaf (Unfortunately there were no pictures taken. It was devoured far to quickly. I was lucky to get a bite!)

And this weeks yumminess Lasagna with Garlic Toast.

Cooking has been a lot of fun! Everybody is really supportive. Olivia offered to pay me two bucks to start cooking on Tuesdays as well and Andrea has started buying her family pizza for dinner on Friday's and then walking back to our house to eat with us!

Next weeks challenge.... Quiche Lorraine! Who's coming over for dinner?

Boy, Oh Boy!

2011-03-07T21:36:00.002-05:00

Meet Max....

He is my new nephew.

I am now an Aunt!

Having worked as a nanny for so long I have started to think of babies as sort of transitory things. You love them, and you take care of them for a little while, but they aren't permanent so don't get to attached. Things change. For a little while you spend all of your time with them and then you might never see them again.

I found myself holding onto little Max yesterday, falling in love, but thinking in the back of my mind "Don't get to attached.... don't get to attached..." Then I realized, that this baby was ours. We got to keep this one and I could love him and spoil him and hold him forever because he was MY nephew and it was wonderful!

He really is a very good and calm baby. He got passed around to so many giggling and chattering Aunties yesterday and never really made a peep. At one point in the night however someone was holding him and he started to make a little face like he was choking or gagging on something. Everyone instantly jumped and the girls started saying "Give him to Amy! Give him to Amy!". I remember thinking "Don't give him to Amy. She has only had a baby for like 10 hours. How is she supposed to know what to do.... Give him to Mom!" But it was so sweet! The instant Amy had her arms around him and started cooing sweet little whispers his whole body relaxed, he got a little smile on his face, and snuggled right up into her arms. I was like "Holy Cow! My sister's a Mommy!"

So welcome to the world little Max... We are so glad you are here.

Homeschooler!

2011-03-02T19:29:00.000-05:00

Katie and I wanted to do something. Anything. Stacy wanted to read her book. Katie and I DIDN'T want Stacy to read her book.

Next thing I know there is an all-out-yarn-throwing-battle. Balls of yarn were flying and bouncing everywhere. Pretty acrylic, wool and cotton streamers soared through the air and landed draped over picture frames and anatomy models. Thud... THUD... THUD... as balls of yarn bounced off of my sisters heads and backs and the sound of giggles and me shouting "NOT THE MALABRIGO!" echoed down the hall....

Ahhh... the late night excitements of homeschoolers!

MUST WIN!

2011-02-22T17:25:00.000-05:00

Check out how cute this is! My Aunt Keke made it as part of a give-a-way on her blog, Cherrykingdom.blogspot.com

The give-a-way is a 14 day extravaganza with more prizes added daily! The goal is to help my sister Olivia win scholarship money for college by having people vote for an essay that she wrote. All you have to do to win this beautiful prize pkg is visit Olivia's blog:

http://livinthemomentphotography.blogspot.com/

Read and follow the instructions in Olivia's 100th post. Which are:

Like Olivia's essay on facebook

Leave Olivia a comment on her 100th post telling her you voted for her.

Become a "Liv in the Moment" follower

Mention the give away on your blog.

That's it! Good luck, and keep checking cherrykingdom.blogspot.com everyday to see what new goodies have been added!

Phlebotomy

2011-02-18T08:03:00.001-05:00

Yesterday was my first venipuncture! Hurray!

I am currently in a program that will train and certify me to work as a phlebotomist. I thought this would be a good thing to do while I am waiting for my nursing program to start and while I am in the program. Next week is my last week of classes but I still have a little ways to go. I need to get 25 successful venipunctures(using my own volunteers), go on an internship and sit for my national licensing exam. I am feeling a little bit intimidated. 25 draws seems like a lot to complete, but the only way to get the ball rolling is to start.

My teacher surprised us by letting us draw on our classmates yesterday after lecture. I was feeling a little bit nervous, but for the most part OK. I put on my lab coat, said a quick prayer, then walked up and started "doing my thing". I avoided making simple errors, my voice was steady and my hands weren't shaking to bad. I needed my professor to check the vein I picked because my volunteer had really deep veins that were hard to locate. She approved of the vein I had picked and so I prepped my needle.

I was doing fine, the needle went in quite smoothly, and I hit the vein. Everything was going great. Then I realized that there was a needle in this woman's arm and I had just put it there. I didn't lose it but I looked down and my knees were shaking like crazy! My volunteer noticing the change started saying things like "You are doing great! It doesn't hurt at all. Nope doesn't hurt you are doing a wonderful job..." which helped immensely! I finished up my draw, thanked my volunteer, found a seat and took a DEEP breath.

My Professor came over later and told me that I should be very proud of myself. My technique was perfect, except I needed to steady my hands a bit, and she said that it was a very difficult vein even for an advanced phlebotomist and that I had done well. She also said that it was funny to watch because as soon as I put the needle in my knees started shaking so much that I looked like a baby duck trying to learn to swim!

Thinking of Megan

2011-02-16T16:53:00.000-05:00

Poptarts....

2011-02-13T17:23:00.000-05:00

If I ate nothing but Poptarts, uncooked Ramen noodles, Coke, and Sobe strawberry daiquiri drinks for the rest of my life I wouldn't be sad....

Friday Night Dinner:Chicken Cordon Bleu!

2011-02-11T19:21:00.001-05:00

I am learning to cook.

I have been wanting to learn how to cook for awhile now but after a few miserable attempts (Lets just say curdled mushroom soup that tasted like dirt.... YUCK! Poor Ryan still ate it =) ) I was feeling pretty discouraged. However as part of my New Years Resolution (more on that later) I am picking up my apron and trying again.

Friday nights are my cooking nights and this weeks recipe is Chicken Cordon Bleu from myrecipes.com, with brussel sprouts from "The Joy of Cooking" and mashed potatoes.

Emily and Stacy did all of the grocery shopping for me so that I could get started right when I got home from work. Thanks girls!

The recipe told me to pound the chicken with a rolling pin.... It sounded pretty scary but was actually REALLY fun. I might have over pounded it a bit....

Unfortunately my timing isn't the greatest so the mashed potatoes didn't make it but the chicken and brussel sprouts were done right on time!

Mmmmmm.... YUM!

Daddy said the brussel sprouts were the best he had ever tasted! The chicken was great and we even had some sparkling cider and chocolate cake pops for dessert! Yum!

So my first Friday night cooking attempt was a success! Hurray! I might be single this Valentines day, but with a recipe like this I don't think I will be for long!

"Gentttttttttttleman..."

Colorado....

2011-02-08T11:56:00.000-05:00

Here are some pictures from my trip to Colorado last week. I was originally only going to be able to stay for a short visit but thanks to a massive snowstorm back home I ended up being able to stay much longer! Hurray!

We had a great time visiting Estes Park, hanging out, playing wii, taking the kids to playclass, and visiting Toast...

I had so much fun sorting old baby clothes and "shootin' the shit" with Louise for a couple of hours. We talked and laughed and ooed and ahhed over all of our old favorite outfits. We were so loud that Ryan had thought we were playing wii in the basement!

I also enjoyed the surprise party that Ryan and I threw for Louise. We said we were going "shoe shopping" but really we went out and bought cake, balloons, flowers and presents. We came home hid all of the surprises, helped put the boys to bed and started cooking dinner.

I wasn't quite sure how we were going to set up the party in such a way as to surprise Louise but when a baby started crying Ryan saw his opportunity. "Hey Louise whay don't you go get that boy?" Ryan said. Louise was tired and asked if he would please do it, to which he firmly refused. Louise and I were both pretty surprised by his reaction. Then I realized what he was doing and quickly turned my back so Louise wouldn't see me hiding a giggle. Louise didn't pick up on anything and so upset, went upstairs to check on the boy. We sprang into action in her absence, got everything set and when Louise came down stairs she was so surprised! It was wonderful!

Boys are very cute and getting SO big. When they came and picked me up at the airport I greeted the boys with a "Hello Babies!" they smiled and giggled at me and stuck out their fingers for me to kiss them. I also love the way that they shout CAR! CAR! BEEP BEEP! Whenever they see something with wheels.

Ryan and Louise have such a wonderful family and are such great parents. I love them all so much and can't wait to come out for my next visit.

Cardioke!

2011-01-26T09:09:00.005-05:00

Oh yes! You read the post title correctly, I said Cardioke....

We have started up round three of the Game on diet and this time Emily is on my team. At first I wasn't sure if Emily was going to play seriously enough (muuust win..... MUST WIN!) but man, that kid is a slave driver!

I didn't really want to exercise yesterday but Emily talked me into it, so we started surfing through OnDemand's free exercise programs. When I saw "Cardioke", "A funky approach to exercise that combines a full cardio work out with all the fun of karaoke!", I just had to give it a try. I mean come on... that sounds.... "funky".

It was really horrible. We danced to "hit" songs like "Lets get it started" and "Don't you wish your girlfriend was hot like me". There were plenty of old ladies and teenage boys with hair in their eyes exercising with us onscreen. The video concluded with the host's wife (who looked a lot like Michelle Obama) singing a song she wrote called "You're enough!". It was pretty awe inspiring.... I am sure you can imagine =)

Well we got our 20 minutes of exercise in and have well established that I no longer get to pick the exercise videos no matter how "funky" they are!

Oh look... I found it on youtube! Enjoy!

It is like a train wreck! So bad.... but I.... just can't.... look away!

Check me out!

2011-01-24T11:34:00.001-05:00

So what do you think of the new blog layout? I L-O-V-E IT!

I got a call this morning from Armenia. My big sister Katie is working there right now and called to ask if she could "do something" to my blog. I will admit to being a little hesitant but agreed. Five minutes later and BAM a brand-spankin-new blog layout and I am really excited. Thanks for the new layout Kate! I love you....

It's Raining Babies!

2011-01-13T12:26:00.000-05:00

There seems to be an abundance of babies being born lately and I LOVE IT! Here are some pictures from my oldest sister Mimi's shower last week.

We had it at our church and the theme was storks.

Here is Andrea's present to Amy. The baby heads are pictures of Mimi and Kevin when they were little. The result was very cute and just a tiny bit creepy.

We had a cupcake tower and a watermelon carriage.

We also had three different types of soup. The Italians in our front yard made a HUGE pot of Italian wedding ball soup. Four gallons actually. So if you want some soup let us know...

This is Francis, a 27" paper mache stork that Mommy made. It has been decided that Francis will be at each of our baby showers after which we can take him home and put him in our nursery until the next sister has a baby.

Here is Andrea cheating at one of the party games!

Playing hostess

These were our centerpieces. Storks cut out of card stock and surrounded by cake pop party favors!

Mimi received many lovely gifts.

At the end of the day we all came home and flopped on the sofa. Surrounded by half eaten cake pops, scraps of card stock, bits of wrapping paper and LOTS of pots of leftover soup, our one thought was "We have WONDERFUL friends!" So thank you to everyone who came and to those of you who couldn't make it, we LOVE you!

Born to create drama.

2011-01-12T16:20:00.001-05:00

This one goes out to all of the Drama Queens! You know who you are!

Summer...

2011-01-02T21:30:00.001-05:00

A 45 degree heat wave this week has left green grass and dreams of summer days. So here are some pictures I found from last 4th of July. Here is to warm weather and sunny days wherever you are....

This just about sums Gabe up...

Garrett + Johnny = best buds!

My Michigan Baby...

My Colorado Babies!

Two of my sissies...

Emily and I filling up water balloons

Katies avacodo-bean-curd-cake

My Mommy and Baby

My Bro, Uncle and Daddy....

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-25T14:14:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas...

From Our Family...

To Yours...

Dude...

2010-12-17T14:20:00.000-05:00

My Brother-in-law is Jayne Cobb...

Wedding Bells...

2010-12-13T19:15:00.000-05:00

Sam got married! Claire, Kathryn and I drove up to Barakel last weekend for Sam and Cody's wedding. It was absolutely lovely. I was interested to see what a wedding at Camp would look like and it was gorgeous. Sam put a lot of love and hard work into making her ceremony beautiful and not a single detail was over looked.

Claire and I bought a crock pot and recipe book as our wedding gift. We decided what gift we were going to buy in about two seconds but the wedding card was a little harder.

Why do they not make funny wedding cards? All of the cards are these long, sappy romance novels, with doves and swirly hearts all over the front. What would a funny wedding card even say? Maybe something along the lines of "Well I see you have finally settled. Its a good thing because nobody better was going to come along!" "Congrats, you finally met someone dumb enough to marry you!" "It's about time you old hag!" Hmm... maybe funny wedding cards aren't the best idea...

This was my first wedding for someone that wasn't a member of my family (Somebody didn't want any kids at their wedding!). I had such a good time! We played imaginary catchphrase with PG, I got to see GeG, and Melinda, and Kaytlyn, and I took a barefoot run. Across the baseball diamond. In the dark. With Claire. It was awesome. Also a tiny bit cold.

Here is a picture of Kaytlyn and I waiting under the mistletoe. Kaytlyn walked up to me in the middle of the reception and gesturing to the mistletoe said "If you were a boy I would totally kiss you right now!"

Speakin' of kissin' here is a picture of the Bride and Groom. Best of luck in Indiana, and wherever life takes you!

How to be an Old Person: Lesson 1

2010-12-02T20:19:00.000-05:00

Well, hello there youngster. Welcome to "How to be an Old Person"! Today's lesson is about napping....

I am not very good at napping in general. My head is always full of stories, new crochet patterns, and things to do. The one exception however is TV. Put a blanket on me, turn on a movie, and I am out like a light. If there is someone sitting next to me that I can curl up next to, it is even better!

Although this seems perfectly normal to the rest of you Old People out there, youngsters now-a-days just don't seem to get it. I have even had people poke me back awake! But don't worry, here is how you can appear to be like the other kiddos and enjoy a movie, while you actually enjoy nice, long, nap...

Get into a position where it is difficult for others to see if your eyes are shut. The best, and most comfortable, way to accomplish this is to lean against someones shoulder. That way if they get curious and lean over to see if you are awake, their movement will jerk you awake and you can pretend like you were watching the whole time!
Master the art of "Doze-ing" By far the most powerful tool in an Old Person's arsenal is doze-ing! Don't fall into a heavy sleep. Rather take short little cat naps, 3-5 during the course of a movie is usually best, so that you can catch short bits of the movie. Although for a beginner Old Person this can prove difficult, it is necessary to progress to step 3.
Interject Comments There may be some doubts as to whether or not you were awake for the movie. The bit of drool on the shirt sleeve you were leaning against, the subtle sound of snoring during the movie and frequent yawns may lead people to believe that you fell asleep. Use the information that you learned inbettween your cat naps to silence these kinds of accusations and suspicions. Comments like "Wow that battle scene was really loud it almost woke..... I mean... The battle was really impressive!" should generally be avoided as well as specific questions about characters and plot developments...

These steps don't always need to be followed. On rare occasions you will find similar old souls who happen to be better at staying awake then you. These make great movie watching companions because while you are sleeping they tuck you in, or bring a foot stool around and prop your feet up. After the movie is finished they don't ask any questions but rather play along with the deception that you were awake the whole time.

Thanks for reading this weeks lesson on "How to be an Old Person", and I hope you stop by for next weeks lesson entitled "Crocheting in Public..."

Happiness...

2010-11-10T10:57:00.002-05:00

I think the Larynx is beautiful. In fact I think it is my favorite structure in the human body.

I love the delicate curves of the hyoid bone, the interesting texture of the tracheal cartilage rings and don't even get me started on the thyroid cartilage! I love it. It is an impeccable architectural feat of form and function.

Maybe I am a nerd but I can't help it.... The larynx makes me happy!

ADVENTURE TIME!

2010-11-08T11:47:00.002-05:00

I have discovered a new love.... Adventure Time! At first I thought it was stupid. Oh how wrong I was! There is nothing better after a long day of studying than to sit down in front of the old boob tube and watch some of Finn and Jake's antics. This is one of my favorite clips and ever since I watched it I have been chasing Emily and Olivia around the house doing my "old man voice". It is pretty good if I do say so myself, but it does make me throat very sore. Somethings in life are worth the pain....

No need to say goodbye...

2010-11-02T20:25:00.001-04:00

So I had been delaying adding another blogpost because I was at a loss for words. The words I lost were about Colorado. How do you sum up one of the most poignant times in your life? How do you write a blogpost about discovering that you are an adult? How do you tie up the ends on an amazing year long adventure? How do you say goodbye.....

This weekend I flew out to Colorado for a visit. It was wonderful. Exactly like old times and exactly what I needed. In the words of Louise it felt like I had lived with them for two months and been gone for a year instead of the other way around.

I figured something out this weekend that is really important, I don't need to close the chapter on my life in Colorado because it isn't over. I love my babies and my babies love me. I have a big sister and a big brother who I love and who love me for exactly who I am, are always challenging me to try new things, and are always right there to help me. That doesn't change because I live far away instead of right down the stairs. We are a family.

I remember when I first moved in with Louise and she would tell me stories about when she used to live in Japan. Her house is filled with beautiful pieces of art that chronicle her life there. Japan was rich with memories for Louise and I didn't understand how a place that she had lived in for such a short time could hold so much meaning for her years later. How a short time could have shaped and changed her so much. Now I do. Colorado is my Japan.

Sometimes it is hard having two homes. The minute I am in one I am homesick for the other. I miss my parents and sisters, or I miss Ryan, Louise and my babies. It isn't fair, sometimes it makes me want to cry. But then I step back in amazement of my wonderful God who has blessed me with such an incredible experience and so many people that love me and I do cry. This world is full of change and goodbyes and heartbreak but God never leaves us nor forsakes us.

Someone asked me once if I regretted choosing to stay longer in Colorado. I can honestly say do not regret a single moment of my time there nor a single minute of my homesickness now. Things change.... but somethings don't..... sometimes there is no need to say goodbye.

Ryan's Birthday Weekend Extravaganza!

2010-06-07T11:45:00.002-04:00

This weekend was Ryan's birthday so Mimi and Papa came out for a surprise visit. I can't even tell you how many times Louise and I almost spilled the beans, but we held it together. When Ryan walked into the resturant where we were taking him for his birthday dinner and saw his parents he was so surprised! Other gifts came in the shape of a tree from Louise and a whole car full of balloons from me. Note to self, blowing up over 30 balloons at high altitude, not the best idea. I almost passed out! But it was worth it... =)

We did lots of other fun suff this weekend too. Like picking rhubarb.

There is a tiny farm down in Colorado Springs that lets you come and pick rhubarb. So we packed up the boys and a picnic lunch and spent the afternoon harvesting.

You know you have a lot of rhubarb when the people selling the rhubarb give you an astonished look and say "But what are you going to do with it!?!"

It really wasn't that much.... just 25 lbs. We are going to freeze it and turn it into a years worth of delicous pies, bars, and jams.... OOOOKAAAY!

A Peanut Bunny and his Daddy...

The boys also went swimming in our new giant purple elephant pool.

We finished the weekend with a gorgeous view from the top of Daniels Park. They have Buffalo there. Ryan and I are going to ride them... We all had a great weekend.

Happy Birthday Ryan!

Just the Five of Us...

2010-06-05T19:17:00.004-04:00

Clement...

2010-06-02T11:40:00.000-04:00

Danny likes fish so I made him one for his birthday...

His name is Clement....

Shake, Rattle and Roar!

2010-05-30T13:01:00.003-04:00

I made this adorable baby boy rattle for Mer's new baby!

Here are the presents for Toots and Baby ready to go in the mail!

Now I just hope Mer has a boy.. =/

Here Fishy... Fishy...

2010-05-28T17:45:00.017-04:00

Meet the newest addition to our family....Naquadria!

After Auntie G, Uncle Doug and Emily left yesterday Louise and I ran out to do some errands. We were both feeling a little bit lonley so we stopped by the pet store and picked up a new friend.

Naquadria is a tiny pink fish that lives in a pretty castle on our kitchen table. The boys like to watch her swim while they eat but she prefers to hide.

Now we have a pet that won't make Ryan sneeze and has evened the ammount of boys and girls...

Hurray for Fish!

Welcome to Moosejaw

2010-05-28T11:25:00.001-04:00

Last night we threw Danny and Vic a Moosejaw Birthday party.

In case you are unaware, Moosejaw, is a tiny little town, where Daniel is Sheriff and Victor works the trains. When the boys were just little preemies, a lot of time was spent feeding tiny babies who barely opened their eyes. One day as Auntie G was feeding Daniel, who was wearing itty-bitty jammies with sheriff stars on them, she looks down and says "Are you a sheriff, honey? Do you have a pony? Oh, his name is Chappie... and you live in Moosejaw!" and from there the story grew and grew...

Vic grunted and groaned a lot as a baby so Auntie G thought he must have been shoveling coal on the train trip to Wyoming. The boys have a cook named Dinah who makes them pork chops and beans, three ponies, and a whole town full of stories, people and animals.

What does a Moosejaw party look like... Well... My Mom made these adorable bibs...

We made two banners for the boys that can be saved and hung in their bedrooms

And Emily and Auntie G helped me with all of the other decorations

Even Ryan's head got into the spirit of things!

Louise made yummy pork chops and beans, then we ate birthday cake...

Played with a little cowgirl..

Opened presents...(I even got one!)

And went to bed. It was a fun party and we look forward to seeing everyone in Moosejaw again really soon!

Cowboy Cuteness

2010-05-19T08:09:00.000-04:00

Going Home...

2010-05-18T18:04:00.000-04:00

Time for anouther trip home. Hurray! Auntie G and Uncle Doug arrived late last night to stay for the next few days while I am gone. I have an early flight out tomorrow (rather unusual as I generally take the red eye) so I needed to get all my packing done today. Which means getting all my laundry done today. And showing Auntie G the ropes. And cleaning my room. And taking care of three babies... whew!

But Auntie G and Uncle Doug are a huge help! So is Baby Megan... she helped me pack my bag while the boys are napping. Isn't she sweet!

So it is off for a whirlwind four days. We are going up to Camp Barakel for a girls retreat and I am very glad to be going back to camp, I can't wait! I also get to see Emily and Olivia's soccer games which is going to ROCK. I am going to try and see a few people on the one day I am actually home and then Emily is coming back to Colorado to spend a few days with me. I am very excited. It is going to be SO much fun!

Birthday Boys

2010-05-14T01:14:00.003-04:00

Happy Birthday To You...

Happy Birthday...

Daniel...

And Victor...

Happy Birthday To You!

Live a Little!

2010-05-12T09:48:00.001-04:00

I found it! The most beautiful place in the whole world!

Two weekends ago I decided to be spontaneous, packed a picnic and headed up to Red Rocks Amphitheater. I had a wonderful lunch, read my book and climbed the ridiculous amount of steps. It was nice. Then I decided to live a little....

At the top level of parking lot there was a little "trail". Actually I think it was a just a path made from water run off from the mountains. But it was beautiful. There was this little babbling brook and the sun was shining and it was gorgeous. I decided "Bodecia Arietty Zinglehamper! It is time for you to live a little!". So I kinda... jumped a fence.... and kinda... ignored a sign that said "Closed for Renovation.".... and kinda.... hopped across the brook.... trying unsuccessfully to not get my shoes wet... Kinda... heh heh...

The whole time I was walking I was terrified. Someone might see me... then they might call the Police... and they would catch me and throw me in jail... I can't go to JAIL! I don't even have the money to post bail! I guess I could try and out run them... I can't run very fast... Oh and of all days not to be wearing my ankle brace... I would probably slip and twist my ankle... and then I would need surgery... I can't afford that!

These thoughts were running through my head the whole time and just as I began to debate which was cheaper bail or surgery I saw it. The most beautiful place on earth. There was this beautiful aromatic tree that sheltered me from sight. The ground was covered with delicate yellow flowers and rich red earth. You could see giant fluffy clouds brooding over the towns and rock formations from above while birds hung suspended in the air. Last years leaves crinkled and complained about having to now sit in the dirt. I laid on my blanket the sun shining and watching the snow come down over Denver. Earth's perfect spot...

As laid there on my blanket I journaled, ate a snack, watched the clouds and twisted a wreath out of apple blossoms... It would have been worth the money for bail...

Sir Reginald Walter Tobias the Third!

2010-05-11T11:49:00.000-04:00

Sir Reginald Walter Tobias the Third, is his name. But he dosen't like it much. He thinks it sounds sort of pretentious so he just goes by Bob...

I found this pattern on Lion Brand Yarn's website and made a few slight adaptations including the bow tie. I wish I would have crocheted his body with a smaller hook so that it was a little tighter and firmer but I still think he turned out pretty nice.

It was going to be a present for Cousin Toots to send along with a present for the new baby, but I walked into the living room this morning and found...

A Peanut Bunny happily singing songs to his new friend.... Toots might be getting something else...

Happy Mothers Day

2010-05-11T11:03:00.001-04:00

For Mothers Day, I made a few of my favorite moms tins with their baby's face on them. Then I edged them with ribbon and filled them with sweet treats. Happy Mothers Day...

Monkey Princess

2010-05-10T09:29:00.004-04:00

This is a Monkey Princess.

This is also a Monkey Princess.

This Monkey Princess,

Was made for this Monkey Princess...

Alexandra asked me to make a Monkey Princess doll for Baby Megan and I am so pleased with the result! I think it might be one of the cutest things I have ever made. This like most of my projects is my own pattern and I think I got the proportions just right. I also really like the look of firmly stuffed, tight single crochet in cotton. It gives it a very smooth, round, look that I am in love with. The face is wool felt and the tiara is some sparkley thread. She has little pink socks that stay on her feet just like Baby Megan!

I have gotten sort of attached to this little monkey in the two days it took me to make her. It is going to be hard to send her away to Baby Megan... She will just have to bring her along when she comes to play at my house every week!

Mommy...

2010-05-09T11:07:00.005-04:00

Happy Mothers Day Mom!

I love you so much...

Ruth 2:11-12

2010-05-04T01:00:00.001-04:00

"I've been told all about what you have done --how you left your father and mother and your homeland and came to live with a people you did not know before. May the LORD repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge."

Stuff....

2010-04-22T11:39:00.008-04:00

Stuff that I wanted to do when I came out here last Fall:

Go to the Opera

Bake a Souflee

Eat Sushi

Go Hiking in the Mountains

See the Stargate

Go Horseback Riding in the Garden of the Gods

See a Concert at Red Rocks

Fun Stuff that I have done since I came out here last Fall:

Went to Santa Fe, New Mexico

Went Line Dancing at the Grizzly Rose

Visited Dinosaur Ridge

Have seen almost every Downtown Mueseum (Only one more to go!)

Protested at one of the largest Pro-life rallies in the country

Ate pizza at Bea Jos

Went Panning for Gold. I even found a piece!

Hung out with some Hippies

Learned how to do Wheel Pottery

Joined the Trail Patrol

Went to Tuscon, Arizona

Went to a Fall Festival and ate disgusting Banana flavored Cotton Candy

Made new Friends

Became part of a new Family

Have been able to watch, love, and play with two adorable baby boys as they grow up!

When did they get so big?

Bubble Boy

2010-04-19T15:26:00.005-04:00

Louise and I are currently in the process of baby-proofing the house. Today I was going through some boxes and found a container of bubbles! Boo and I decided to play with them

He really liked them. He got so excited he started waving his arms and screeching in typical Boo style.

Then he popped one in his face and the fun was over. Poor Boo.

TUCSON!

2010-04-08T16:27:00.060-04:00

I already told you about all of the cool plants we saw in Tucson, but there were a lot of other really cool things we did there too! Like the Desert Museum.

I think this might have been one of my favorite things we did. It is sort of like a big zoo of all the different animals that live in the dessert. We saw bobcats, frogs that if you lick them are hallucinogenic, tarantulas, rattlesnakes, scorpions, and lizards that squirt blood out of their eyes!

We got to see this really cool roadrunner. I had never seen one before and was very excited. Ryan said "If you listen really closley you can hear it say 'meep meep'" "REALLY!" I asked, "Er... No. I was teasing."

These are called javelina and they are giant furry pigs! I want one. I asked Ryan if I could have one and he said he would buy me one for my birthday. I am still waiting for that present. =(

And one of my favorites, quail! They have funny little hats that bob when they walk and they have a hillarious sounding sqwak. They are so cute!

Here are some more pictures from the Desert Mueseum.

Even with food on her face Louise is adorabe!

We also went to San Xavier Del Bach, which means "The White Dove of the Desert"

It was beautiful.

As you can see in this picture the building is currently under renovation. the left side has been restored and the right side is still under construction.

We got to take the babies for their first swim. Ryan's parents have a hot tub so we turned the temp. down, put the boys in swim trunks and took a dip. They loved it.

Look at those rolls!

Baaaaby shark do do dodedo...

Auntie G, Uncle Doug and I took off for the day and went to Old Tucson to see some "real" cowboys...

"Welcome to Old Tucson.... The Hollywood of the West!"

Old Tucson is a little town that they built to shoot a bunch of westerns in. Pretty much every Western ever filmed was at least partially shot here. Some of the most popular are "The Three Amigos" and pretty much anything with Clint Eastwood or John Wayne in it. =)

Me outside of Olsen's Mercantile. Some scenes from "Little House on the Praire" were shot here.

Now it is pretty much a tourist attraction with shootouts, rope spinning, and fudge shops. Auntie G says "This is more like the Frankenmuth of the West!"

Uncle Doug and I waiting for the shootout!

We did a lot of other fun things like going for a "hike" (our hike turned into us riding up and down on the tram while the babies took a nap =) ) in Sabino Canyon, went to a Rockies Spring training game and had a get together with Wayne and Danna's friends so they could meet the babies. My favorite part about the trip however was my birthday party!

On our last night in Tucson we were all sitting at the table talking and laughing, just finishing up dinner. Next thing I know the lights flick off and Ryan comes around the corner with a huge grin and a chocolate cake with candles! Everyone starts singing happy birthday. It was so nice! I was very surprised. Sometimes it is hard having two families, especially when they don't even know each other, and sometimes it is not. Sometimes things are just perfect, and everything is right...

This was one of those times...

I know this was a rather long post and congratulations on finishing it! I had a wonderful time in Tucson and can't wait for anouther trip!

Pucker Up!

2010-04-08T13:56:00.001-04:00

Victor started making this face the other day and we all thought it was so funny we laughed at him. Now, no matter how hard we try, we can't get him to make this face again. We got a picture though. Isn't he cute!

A Field Guide to the Plants of Tucscon.

2010-04-08T12:58:00.004-04:00

I love traveling! I love going places I have never been, I love seeing things I have never seen, and Tucson was definitely unlike anything I had ever seen before! We hoped off the plane and everything looked so strange. I had never been to the desert before and to be honest was a little surprised by the vast amount of plants (I pictured it something like the Sahara). There were so many different kinds of shrubs and bushes and REAL LIVE cacti growing right on the side of the road. Ryan is very cool and just as my eyes were starting to get big and I could feel hundreds of questions bubbling up inside of me, he spins around and says "What would you like to know about the flora and fauna Bodecia?"

So I asked him tons of questions, and he answered them, and then answered all of the questions that I hadn't even thought of yet. Ryan and Louise know a ridiculous amount about everything and I love it. Vacations with them are so fun because it is like traveling with a tour guide. Look out the window and point to a building or a plant and they will be able to tell you everything about it.

Being the good little home school girl that I am, I asked a lot of questions, listened closely and I learned a lot. So now I am going to share some of it with you.

The cool thing about Tucson is not only that the dirt, the rocks, the sky and the plants are different but the words themselves are different. For instance....

This is called an "arroyo" most people would look at it and think "that is a dried up riverbed" and it is. But that's not what it is called. It is called an "arroyo". Ryan said as a little kid one of the first things he learned about arroyos was never to play in them when it is raining, even if it is just a drizzle. You see Tucson is surrounded by mountains and a lot of times when it is raining in Tucson, it is pouring in the mountains. All of this water gets stored up, until the mountains can't hold it anymore, then it comes rushing down the arroyos in a massive flash flood, sweeping away whatever is in its path.

This is a "prickly-pear cactus" there are several varieties of prickly pears, but this one with the purple spines is my favorite. They grow all over the place and get fruit on top that people pick and turn into jellies and candies. Ryan says prickly-pear candy is for tourists but he still bought Louise and some to try. I thought it was really tasty. I also got a jar of prickly-pear honey for my birthday!

This is a "Barrel Cactus". It also grows fruit on top but unlike the prickly-pear, its fruit looks like tiny pineapples. I saw lots of half eaten ones all over the road and wanted to try one but Ryan said no, because there was a reason why they were only half eaten.

This is a "Saguaro Cactus". Tucson's desert is one of the only places they can grow because of its unique climate and elevation. I thought that meant they were rare and was excited that I saw one on the way out from the airport. Boy was I wrong! There are whole forests of them jutting out of the mountains and making them look as prickly as the cacti themselves. We were riding along in the car one day when Auntie G points out her window and says "Do you see that cactus leaning against the rock!?!" we look and see thousands of cacti ALL leaning against rocks and had a good laugh. They can live to be hundreds of years old. You can tell relatively how old a saguaro cactus is because they don't get their first arm until they are between eighty and hundred years old. The flower that grows on top of this cacti is the state flower and there are lots of different types of birds that live inside of them. They are very neat.

This is my favorite kind of cacti. Except I can never remember its name! It sounds something like "churro" but whenever I would say that people would laugh at me... Anyway's I like it because it looks sort of like a big fluffy teddy bear. I just wanted to give it a hug. But I was glad that I didn't because upon getting closer...

I realized that it was really more pokey than fluffy... =(

The big green curly sticks growing out of the ground in this picture are called "ocotillo". They ALSO are covered in spines =( You can't touch anything in Tucson without getting pricked! But they are very pretty and are actually despite their stick-like nature considered trees (HA, I am from Michigan and I mock your twiggy trees! HAHAHA!)

This plant looks more like a tree but is actually a type of agave plant. It grows a tall shoot that flowers just before it dies. And when I say tall I mean TALL. The white post next to it was 12 ft.

This isn't the best picture but next to the bridge you can see two green bushy plants. The lighter one is called "Pala Verde" which means green stick. It is a rather twiggy looking tree and it's bark is thin, smooth and green. Ryan says this is so that the tree can perform photosynthesis over its entire surface. "Mesquite Tree" is the name of the darker one and its wood is so hard and dense that it doesn't even float. It burns at a very high temperature which makes it good for burning in grills.

As you can tell I really liked seeing all of the different plants they have in Tucson. Actually on my first day there I went on a three hour walk just so that I could see all of the different plants and animals up close. I love it. There is a lot more that I could tell you about these plants, other kinds of plants and not to mention animals but I think I will save them for another post. I also want to give a HUGE thank you to Louise, Wayne and Danna, but especially to Ryan who showed me around, and answered all of my questions. You guys ROCK!

C is for Cookie that's good enough for me...

2010-04-07T14:38:00.001-04:00

Cookies! YUM! Louise found this really cool way of decorating cookies on the King Arthur Flour Blog. You frost a cookie with white icing and then pipe dots, stripes and lines of colored icing on top. Then you take a toothpick and depending on how you drag it through the icing, you get different patterns. They turned out very neat!

Of cource we had to make one with the TARDIS on it

We also made hearts

and Polka dots...

Ryan made this really cool tartan-ish one

and Louise made this pretty flower.

We ate a few but most of them we wrapped up and put into a cute bag for Alexandra, as a thank you present for driving us to the airport that weekend. I stitched one of my little chicken finger puppets to the top with a sweet message and it was ready to go.

We had a lot of fun decorating these Easter cookies and I hope you had fun doing similar things with your friends and family! Happy Easter....

Who is ready for some FOOOOTTTTTBAAAAAAALLLLL!!!!!!

2010-03-18T11:18:00.003-04:00

Louise, was given four tickets to a Thursday night Broncos game a couple of months back. Very fun. We decided that Ryan would stay home and watch the babies and Louise and I would go with Baby Megan's Mom. As it turns out Louise's friend wasn't able to make it to the game so Louise and Ryan not wanting to waste the two extra tickets, started asking around work to see if they could find anyone who would like to go.

Louise came home Thursday afternoon and said Ryan had found two ladies he works with who were interested and they were going to drop by later that evening so we could all drive together. I was very excited about going to my first NFL game and when it was about the right time I went downstairs and started getting ready. A little while later to let me know that Sam and Megan, Ryan's two co-workers had arrived, so I finished and went upstairs.

I was expecting to meet two middle-aged ladies, with mom jeans, flip hair styles and blazers but rather at the top of the stairs were two 19 year olds, in ripped jeans, glitter eye shadow and texting on their hot pink blackberries. I was very surprised to say the least. It turns out they were paralegals who acted even younger then they were.

It was pretty funny. I had expected the car ride to be filled with talk of bankruptcy law and the newest casserole recipe but instead we talked about tattoos, the cute guy who came into the office that day and how they couldn't believe we had left Ryan at home with the babies, to which we kindly pointed out that he was a 30 year old lawyer who was also their FATHER.

The game was a lot of fun. Actually it was also pretty funny. The girls were pretty fixated on a rather attractive air force cadet a few rows ahead and Louise, like a typical new Mom, would find a way to point every conversation back to her babies. The night went kind of like this: "Wow do you see that super cute cadet up there? Maybe we should ask for his phone number!" "You want to know what is really cute... Victor when he is eating his bottle!" "That pass was amazing" "Daniel is starting to get quite the little arm. We think he is going to grow up to be a baseball catcher someday!" It was great.

Louise and I weren't trying to be mean, but some of the stuff they said was pretty funny. Some of our favorite quotes were "I read this autobiography the other day and like, everything in it was like, 100% true!" and "I wanted to be a lawyer but then I started working at the law firm and decided I wanted to have a life. So now I want to be a personal trainer... or go into international business." Louise and I are now constantly saying things like "I want to be a princess but if that doesn't work out I want to be a marine biologist." "I want to be a preschool teacher, or maybe I will become the President."

It was a great night. Lots of laughs. Good company. Football. What could be better?

Just Hangin' with a Peanut Bunny...

2010-03-16T17:38:00.002-04:00

The Boy's New Trick!

2010-03-16T17:33:00.000-04:00

Thanks...

2010-03-15T12:54:00.000-04:00

I just wanted to say thanks to everyone who e-mailed and called last week to tell me how much the enjoyed my blog. It was very sweet and encouraging.

At first a freaked out a little when I found out my blog that was being read only by my Mom, my Aunt and my friends in Tennessee (Spitdoor shout out!), had jumped to 240 views! People that I hardly knew were coming up and saying things like "That post about the donuts was so funny" "I loved that picture of Vic and Baby Megan". I thought in a panic "Who are these people and why are they reading my blog!" I felt an overwhelming urge to go back and check the spelling and grammar on all of my 80+ posts! But I have really come to appreciate all of the kind comments, friendly e-mails and calls. It is nice to know that my friends know what I am up to (even if my grammar is horrible) and it is fun to be able to get such a great response to the pictures of two babies that I love so much.

So thank you. Thanks for pushing me out of my comfort zone and then being there to tell me what a great job I am doing. I love you guys!

It's GO time!

2010-03-15T12:43:00.002-04:00

So Louise and I are tired of complaining about our weight and decided to do something about it. We want to be even HOTTER than we are now... I know, I am not sure that is possible either =). Louise was talking to her good friend who mentioned that she was currently doing a new diet called "The Game On Diet". It sounded like fun (no it is not against the law to use the word "diet" and "fun" in the same sentence) so we thought we would give it a go.

Ryan, Louise and I will all be collecting points over the next two weeks for good choices and healthy habits. We receive 6 points for every meal that meets the diets criteria, 20 points for exercising for twenty minutes a day, 15 points for getting 7 hours of sleep, 10 points for drinking 3 liters of water each day, and 20 points for getting rid of one bad habit and starting a new good one. You get penalties for snacking and bonuses for losing weight. At the end of the two weeks the person with the most points wins a prize. For us it is going to be a "Saturday-Your-Way", meaning that the winner gets to do whatever they want for one Saturday and the losers have to accommodate. You can go where you want, eat what you want, do what you want and pick what you want to watch on TV. SO COOL! I think when I win I want to have waffles and strawberries for breakfast, and then have everyone go to the zoo, aquarium, or maybe on tour of Coors field!

This diet has alot of really cool aspects to it. For one it is a competition (very fun), there is a long term prize and a lot of short term rewards. The diet knows that you aren't going to be able to eat only fruits and veggies for the rest of your life, so every week you get one meal off and one day off. I think this is brilliant because I don't have to say goodbye to my one true love of special popcorn... and oreos... oh and chocolate bars....mmmm and slushies.... OK I need to get back on topic before I start drooling on the keyboard. There are no strict rules on exercising, just get up and be active for 20 minutes a day (Ryan likes this because he can play wii for his exercise.) I also like that the plan is structured more for good health than for weight loss. Yes you will lose weight on this plan, most people lose 10-20 lbs. but it is more about developing good habits and a healthy life style than anything else.

The bad thing is that we are having to make a lot of changes in the way we eat. No more mac and cheese, no more casseroles, no more special popcorn, no more ice cream.... except on our days off. But I am still really excited. One of the weeks we will be on vacation in Tucson so it should be interesting to see if we can stick with it. Hopefully if all goes well we will have another bigger game where we will compete against our friends and family, let me know if you want in on it. If you want to find out more about the diet, you can get the book "The Game On Diet" or visit the website, thegameondiet.com. Just be careful because although it is an excellent plan, the book has language in it that would make a sailor blush... Wish Ryan and Louise luck because I am going to kick their BUTTS!

Stacy...

2010-03-11T12:33:00.003-05:00

Stacy came out to visit a few weeks ago. We had so much fun! I took a ridiculous amount of photos on this trip and I am going to share a whole BUNCH with you. So go get a cup of tea, and settle in....

I am so excited that Stacy finally got a chnace to come out and visit me here in Colorado. I have been missing her bunches. We had a blast but there were a few ruff patches in the trip. The most significant has been named "Woocius Week". Yes it is just what it sounds like. We all came down with the stomach flu =P.

Louise got it first and was pretty sick for about a day and a half. Her Mom (my Auntie G), heard that she was sick and as a surprise bought a plane ticket and flew out with Stacy to take care of her. It was so cute! Louise was very surprised and pleased. Then Ryan got sick and threw up so much that he had to go to the emergency room and finally poor Stacy got sick. On vacation. It was very sad.

But that was the worst of it. After that things started looking up. We went to this crazy ballet of "The Beauty and the Beast" that was a little more "modern" than we had expected and were a little creeped out. We drove around and went on an adventure to find a Sonic resturant (a vacation tradition of ours). We drove up to Idaho Springs to eat pizza and socialize with hippies, and we went to Red Rocks where these pictures are from.

Later on in the week Auntie G watched the boys for the day so Stacy and I could go on a trip down to the Springs.

We went to the Manitou Cliff Dwelings which I was afraid was going to be lame but was actually very neat.

We saw this bossy sign and just couldn't resist....

Then we went and walked around Manitou Springs were it started snowing like crazy. We saw some hippies, went into a few shops, but then were so cold and wet we decided we should head for the hotel. That night we hung out in our nice hotel room and ate ice cream in bed, watched movies and went hot tubing. It was so wonderful.

The next morning we went to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. It was very neat. We were able to get up close and personal with some giraffes.

Ryan had told me a few days ago that giraffes have blue tongues but I didn't really believe him. Turns out he was right. He knows everything, and what he dosen't know he makes up. =)

There was a beautiful view from the top of the mountain.

We went to Garden of the Gods were we saw some really cool rock formations. It was pretty but not quite as cool as everyone had been telling me it was. I think it might be one of those things that is really cool if you are old, really young, or really, really like rocks.

And finally the BEST part of our entire trip to Colorado Springs....

THE STARGATE!

Stacy and I had so much fun on this trip (despite the puking) and I really hope she can come out again before it is time for me to go home.

A day in the life of a super nanny....

2010-03-11T11:22:00.001-05:00

One day a week Little Baby Megan comes over to play. I am really starting to get the swing of having three babies, and I rather enjoy those days. However they do get a little busy. My day goes something like this.

Feed a boy, change a boy's diaper, put him down for a nap.

Feed a girl, change a girl's diaper, put her down for a nap.

Breathe

Get a boy up, change a boy's diaper, feed him.

Get a girl up, change a girl's diaper, feed her.

Repeat...

But just look how cute they are! I love my job.

When I decided to take this position I promised myself that I wasn't going to let "Blithe Remarks" turn into a baby blog... mmmhmmm...

"Blithe Remarks" has pretty much become posts about babies. Or crafts. Or if your really lucky a post about crafts for babies!

But I figure it is OK because alot of people blog about work and since I have pretty much the best job in the world (except for the occasional spit up or poop explosion) I don't mind that my blog has been taken over with baby photos. Besides I live at work and these are pretty much the cutest babies I have ever seen. But I am a little biased...

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood....

2010-03-11T11:07:00.000-05:00

We have been enjoying some fantastic early March weather here in Colorado. It has just been gorgeous. So I have been taking boys for lots of nice walks in the park by our house. We read stories, swing on swings, say hi to dogs, and Danny usually sings us some nice songs as we walk around the loop. Here are some pictures from our latest outing. Victor is in the blue hat and Daniel is in the khaki.

Cherry Kingdom Valentine Swap

2010-02-09T17:48:00.001-05:00

My sweet Aunt Keke, of CherryKingdom.blogspot.com, has decided to host a Valentines Day swap despite all of the craziness in her life. Actually I think it might be because of the craziness in her life. I think it is fair to say that art is a family trait with us and is always sure to cheer you up. There is nothing like a little beauty to make a day seem not quite so bleak.

The swap guidlines were for a medium sized matchbox. It was to be embellished and decorated and then filled with a vintage valentine, something sweet and as my Aunt would say some little "yumyums" or bits and bobs of pretty things.

My design was based off of this adorable Vintage Valentine I found, printed and reglittered.

The paper is part of a new Melody Ross design, sold at Archivers, that I am simply in love with. The paper, as if it wasn't pretty enough already, is also flocked.

I love birds. They remind me of Home and of my Momma and sweet spring days.

My piece still needs some yumyums, but I am hoping to get it in the mail, and off to my swap partner tomorrow. I am really happy with how it turned out and can't wait to see what I get in return.

Viewer Discretion Advised

2010-02-09T12:27:00.002-05:00

I feel that I need to caution you before you continue reading this post. This blog post deals with one of the darkest and most horrifying parts of my life here in Nannyville. It is twisted and disturbing and may haunt your dreams, it has mine for the past couple of weeks... If you want to continue that is up to you, but please brace yourself for the next photo because if you choose to scroll down, you are about to gaze on the face of pure evil....

AAAAAHHHH!!!! I WARNED YOU! OK so this little lion may appear innocent and friendly enough but don't be deceived. He hangs from the playmat waiting... waiting... always waiting. Brown eyes never blinking, he watches as you go about your day... waiting.

Then, without warning he strikes, playing one of his four, horribly metallic songs! Over and over again the same annoying tunes play, working their way into your brain. Oh how I despise you Evil Lion!

It is just horrible. You find yourself humming those songs in the shower and while you are doing the dishes. You hear them in your head while you drive in your car or as you lie in your bed waiting for sleep. There is no escape.

Sitting there on a nice quiet night with a cup of tea and a good book (The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury right now. Ryan picked it out for me and I am loving it!), the boys play nicely on their playmat. Everything is peaceful and then.... DO DO DODO, DO DO DODO, DEEDA DEE DO DUM DUM! Insufferable LION! I hate it so much....

You might ask "Why don't you just take it down Bodecia? Put it in a closet somewhere never to be seen again. Then you can have a nice home again." Here is why....

The boys love it... =(

The many faces of Victor...

2010-02-04T19:24:00.002-05:00

Victor was hamming it up for the camera yesterday and I just thought I would share some pics.

Male model pose...

(LLLLadies....)

Baby Megan....

2010-02-04T19:20:00.001-05:00

This is baby Megan... She has tiny toes and tiny little red polka dotted shoes that go on them. She has long honey colored hair and bright blue eyes. She is a princess and a little over dramatic. She looks just like her daddy, and she came over to play with us yesterday.

At first she was a little nervous. She cried for a little while because she wasn't quite sure of where she was. But Vic heard her crying and woke up from his nap to come cheer her up....

He started waving his arms, bouncing and laughing. He said "It's OK Baby Megan, just look how much fun you can have here! Megan stared at him for a few minutes... ... ... and then stopped crying. Ya!

She and the boys played games together and had lots of fun. I was a little worried about having three babies to take care of but I think Megan's Mommy was a little more nervous. She dropped Megan off and hung out for a little while going over everything.... twice. As soon as she left Megan started to cry. I looked at her and said "Ok Baby, we are going to have lots of fun, and take good naps, because you need to help me prove myself." It worked. She took a three hour long nap (very unusual since she dosen't usually sleep at all in new places.) and was happy and chipper when Mommy walked in. I was so pleased, Megan's Mommy was surprised, and Ryan called me the "Baby Whisperer" last night =).

Yes I am awesome! Victory is mine! Give me ten elementary kids and send me into the woods with nothing but hot dogs... I got it. Give me twelve highschool aged kids and ask me to lead them in an hour long Bible study, no problem. Give me two little boys who sent the last baby-sitter home crying, don't worry. Give me three infants I will put them all to sleep... because I am.... SUPER NANNY!

Yahoo =)

"LOST" CAKE BUILDING BAKE-OFF!

2010-02-03T16:56:00.005-05:00

"Lost" is a scifi drama about a group of people whose plane has crashed on a mysterious island. Over the course of five seasons we, along with the plane survivors, discover secrets and mysteries about the island as the group tries to redeem themselves from their pasts and escape. I don't care much for the show but Ryan and Louise really like it. I watched a couple of key episodes and Ryan and Louise got me all caught up on the rest because last night was the premiere of the final season. We were all very excited so we baked a cake. Or rather cakes.

Louise thought we should focus on a delicious tasting cake. So she made this AMAZING chocolate flourless cake that she then cut out a stencil of a logo from the show and dusted powdered sugar on top. I think it looked fantastic but it tasted even better. If you have never had flourless cake it is sort of like a fudge-brownie-pudding-thing-a-ma-jig. It is really hard to explain but with an entire pound of chocolate in this one little cake let me just say, you need to try some! There is only one picture of this cake because that is all Louise could get before Ryan and I devoured it.... yum.

I went for a more design oriented cake. I made a simple box cake and frosted it. Then I covered it in graham cracker crumbs, green coconut, pretzel and gummy trees, and sat it on top of a blue jello ocean. I also added paper cutouts of the main characters, and a crashed plane. I felt that the Swedish fish in the ocean were a very important part of this cake. Seriously, there is a ridiculous amount of fish in this show. Everyone is always either catching fish, eating fish, cleaning fish, cooking fish, even drying fish! I know they are on a island but do the fish really need so much screen time? I am surprised they don't have thier own spot in the credits.

Kate Austin- Evangeline Lilly

Jack Shephard- Matthew Fox

Fish- Fish

What are you doing out there!?!

2010-01-28T16:49:00.003-05:00

My Mom says "Bodecia, you aren't in school and there are still no new blog posts! What are you doing out there!?!"

The awnser... crocheting! Megan introduced me to a new website called Ravelry.com. It has all kinds of fun patterns and tools for knitters and crocheters and it has gotten me all excited about new projects. Here are some pictures....

Danny is a dinosaur baby because instead of cooing or giggling he shrieks and growls making all kinds of very nice dino noises. I figured every dino baby needs some friends so I made him these little guys as a Christmas present.

Louise and I started these blocks back in November. We were looking through a baby toy magazine and saw some similar blocks for around $35. I said "We can make these..." We went to Joanns and got some nice cotton and foam and took off. It took us a very long time to finish them but with the help of Megan they are finally done. We were going to make six, but decided on four when we stitched the first one up and realized how big it was. We wanted them to be a nice size for baby hands to grab, but they grew exponentially and are now bigger than the babies heads.... ooops....

Rocket Bear, is Victor's nickname. It was given to him after we bought him a pair of jammies covered in little rocketships. This was also a Christmas present and as you can tell by the photos he has already been well loved. So well loved in fact that I have already needed to stitch his legs back on =). The rocket ship has a tiny rattle inside and the bear's arms and legs are jointed.

This is the latest project. A stacking ring toy. It was inspired by a pattern found at Lionbrand.com, but we decided we could make it much cuter than that. So instead of a frog, a dragonfly, a ladybug and a bumblebee on a lillypad, we are making a bunny, a squirel, some bees buzzing in a berry patch, and a bear ontop of a rock. The second one will be a happy sun, a pig, some chicks, and a cow ontop of a farm. I will upload some more pictures when they are done.

Yes I am a tiny bit obsessed with babies right now, but look at these faces...

Wouldn't you be obsessed too?

Cowboy Up...

2010-01-12T22:30:00.002-05:00

I went to the RODEO! YA!

Yep it was pretty much the most awesome thing ever. Ryan, Louise, the boys, Ryan's little sister, and I got all packed up and went to the Stock show on Saturday. The stock show is a month long exhibition and stock sale that helps remind Coloradians that they are still cowboys (even if it is only for one month out of the year =) ). I was really excited that we all got to go, usually someone has to stay home with the boys and we had a blast.

There was a light show complete with lasers, fireworks and cowgirls in glow in the dark costumes. We were worried that the boys were going to freak out but they did really well. Actually a loud firework went off and I jumped more than Danny did!

There was calf roping, huge stage coaches, liberty style horse exhibitions, a llama and alpaca show and so much more. My favorite part however was the bull riding. I know I said a few months ago that I wanted to be an opera singer, but I changed my mind. I want to be a rodeo star! The fringe, the boots, the glory! The sound the buzzer makes when you have stayed on the back of a rampaging bull for 8 seconds without permenatly injuring yourself and the sweet yet tangy smell of fried twinkies mixed with horse manure! Does life get any better than this? Hey maybe I could be an opera singing, bull rider! That would really be perfect!

The boys also loved the rodeo. Danny didn't want to take a nap because he was so busy watching all of the horses. I guess this is only fitting as he is a little sherriff. His brother, who is a train conductor, also had a good time, but a had a little bit of a melt down towards the end of the night. We promised to go to the train mueseum next time. The highlight of my evening though was when we went and saw the llamas and alpacas. I have a tiny stuffed llama named Griffith that was given to me by some friends. It is the boys favorite toy. So imagine thier excitment when we wandered into the stable area and found a WHOLE ROOM filled with gigantic Griffiths! It was very exciting and very cute. We had a wonderful time and I hope to go back again before it is all over.

Life in Oz...

2010-01-01T11:19:00.002-05:00

My sweet Aunt Keke, who lives in California, always says she feels like she somehow got transported to Oz. California can be a kooky place sometimes! So I made my sweet little Dorthy a pair of Ruby slippers a few months back. It's my own basic slipper pattern and then I hand stitched over 500 "rubies" or red sequins all over them. I took some pictures but they got lost in the 100s of photos saved on my computer. I found them today and thought I would do a post. I LOVE YOU Aunt Keke...

First Comes Love, Then Comes Marriage....

2009-12-24T21:34:00.004-05:00

Last night I had the privilege of spending some time with my Michigan boys! I have been baby-sitting Gabe and Garrett since they were 3 and 5 and we always have so much fun together. Last night I was watching them and their new baby brother and eventually it came time for bed.

They tried every trick in the book to stay up later. "I am hungry..." "I am thirsty..." "Will you read a story?". Finally as I was just about to turn off the lights Gabe says "Are you married now?" "No" "Why not?" "Because I haven't found anyone nice enough yet." "When you do find someone nice enough, will you marry him?" "Probably...." I move towards the door and just as I put my hand on the light switch... "What do you do at a wedding?" "Well you promise God that you will love and take care of each other forever. Then you have a big party with your friends and family, with cake and food and presents. Goodnight." "But what kind of cake are you going to have!" They shouted urgently, as if I didn't tell them the world would end. "Chocolate I think, that's my favourite. It will have white frosting and flowers on top." "Hey! I know!" shouts Gabe sitting up in bed. "You could have a giant cake and hollow it out in the inside and then Garrett and I can put on tuxedos and wait inside and then at the party we could jump out of the cake and surprise everyone!"

Everything went downhill from there in spiraling arcs of hilarity. I knew it was past their bedtime, but I couldn't help but listen to their funny ideas. They decided that they are going to be my "Wedding Managers". Some of their great ideas were my groom and I getting married in a tree, so that way everyone can sing the "sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G" song. There are going to be fireworks for our kiss, I get shot out of a cannon instead of walking down the aisle, and all the boys at the wedding reception get a whoopee cushion on their seats (the girls don't because that isn't lady-like...)

It went on for awhile like that and then their parents got home. Dad came upstairs to tell them goodnight. "No! We can't go to sleep yet! We have so many more good ideas!" "Don't worry boys, I am not getting married anytime soon." I said, "You can marry ME" shouts Garrett as I tell them goodnight one last time and turn off the light.

DONE!

2009-12-11T13:14:00.000-05:00

Whew! What a whirlwind semester.... but it is finally done! I am FRRRRREEEEEEEEEE!

It was a very long and scary semester. Taking online classes this semester presented a new set of challenges. The worst part was missing out on all of the fun stories I get to tell about my crazy classmates like the lady last semester who sat behind me and made duck noises when she wrote in her notebook, or the guy who sat next to me and was training to be a matador (true story! The guy in my psych class last semester showed me pictures on his phone!).

The scariest part of the semester had to be when I almost failed my Chemistry class. I was checking my grades online and discovered that I currently had an F in my Chem class! I sort of freaked out.... I had never failed a class before! I was going to have to take it over again, and it was really expensive, and really boring and I was really mad at myself.

I talked (cried) to my Mom about it and she made me feel a lot better but I was still feeling pretty blue that night when I came up for dinner. Ryan and Louise asked me what was wrong and I said that I was failing my Chem class and almost started crying again. They were so sweet. Louise was like "Your stupid professor! How can this happen! Don't worry Bo, we are going to get a B! We can do this! I can come home early from work and help you study!" I explained that I had NO idea how we could go from a F to B with only a few weeks left of school. I also explained how if I didn't get a good grade then my GPA would go down, and then I wouldn't be able to get into the nursing program because they let the smartest people in first... Ryan interrupted me at that point and said "No they let the people with the best grades in first. There is a difference between getting good grades and being smart. I am one of the smartest people I know and I got horrible grades my whole life.... and just because you are getting a bad grade in this one class doesn't mean you aren't smart because you are, you are brilliant." They are both so sweet....

Anyway's we did it. I have no idea how, but somehow the three of us (Louise helping me with homework and Ryan bringing us snacks and doing everything else) managed to go from an F to a B in the last two weeks of the semester. Maybe this blog post is a little brag-ey but I can't help it I am just so excited. I have an amazing family that loves me in MI and I have a wonderful family that loves me in CO and I NEVER HAVE TO TAKE CHEMISTRY AGAIN! That is something worth celebrating if I say so myself.

Plus with the way that the nursing program is structured I have a whole next semester off of school, something I am very excited about. I have a whole stack of books that I have been waiting to get to but haven't had the time with my gypsy life this year and all of the school work. I can't wait for a little break!

"And what we know.... We don't know...."

2009-11-21T02:17:00.002-05:00

When I first arrived I didn't know Louise and Ryan at all.... So I started making a list of things that I could find out about them. Here are some silly things I learned about them in the first week....

She....
Used to work at a Russian Orphanage.
Loves chocolate cupcakes.
Plays the flute
Hates Broccoli
Has an adorable mother with an irrational fear of mustard

He....
Abhors fish.
Doesn't believe in recycling
Is obsessed with Wolverine
Is really into carpentry
Wears suspenders.... tehehe....

They...
Have been married since I was 13
Love tea
Watch Red Dwarf and Mythbusters
Are obsessed with Baseball and the Rockies, even though neither of them play
Are very sweet...

The Donut Saga...

2009-11-18T23:36:00.003-05:00

Louise has been ordering her groceries online through a very convenient service offered by a local grocery store. You can hop on their website, place an order, and they come to your house and deliver it the next day! It's wonderful! However sometimes they get things wrong. This just happened to be one of those times....

Louise loves pumpkin flavored donuts and the bakery has some really good ones. So when she was shopping online she added 12 pumpkin donuts to the list as a treat for the three of us and decided to keep it a surprise. The next day while she was at work, the delivery man came and dropped off the groceries. He was very nice and as he was carrying in the groceries he asked if we were having a party. I said no, and asked him why he would think that, "Oh no reason, it just seems like you have a lot of donuts.". Which we did. Three bags full of boxed donuts in fact! I was a little surprised but signed for the groceries. The man left and I had just shut the door and went into the kitchen to start putting things away when the door bell rang. "I found one more bag in the back" the delivery guy said and sheepishly handed me another bag of donuts!

Louise calls a little later from work to just check in and see how the day is going "Everything's going fine... we did get the groceries today though... and.... there were a lot of donuts." I said. "Oh yes," she replied "I thought we could freeze some for later" I didn't think anything of it. I figured Louise knew what she was doing and we would just be set on donuts for the next year.

Louise came home later that afternoon and walked in the door and moaned, "I was afraid of this! I wanted 12 donuts, not 12 dozen!" As it turns out they people at the grocery store got the quantity wrong and instead of 12 donuts they had sent us 144! The worst part of it though was that they ran out of the good pumpkin kind, and ended up sending us a bunch of dry cake donuts instead! So now it is sort of the running joke around here "What's for dinner?" "Donuts.". "I packed you a lunch Ryan, it's donuts" and tonight Ryan sat down in front of the TV with three donuts and simply said "Hey I am just doing my part!"

We called the store several times and they are avoiding our calls, so we have become resigned to the fact that we are now the proud owners of 144 donuts. Some of them have been eaten, but we are currently looking for more creative ways to use them up like, donut bread pudding, donut baby food, perhaps an addition to the house made out of donuts and covered in resin, donut sandwiches, donut pancakes, I even mentioned giving them names and poems and selling them as "Donut Babies". I am sure they will be the number one gift of the Holiday season! Anyways if YOU have any ideas on what to do with a 144 donuts, please leave a comment! We are getting a little desperate....

School of ROCK!!!!!

2009-11-18T00:47:00.004-05:00

So Ryan and Louise had both been in college for a few years by the time I turned ten. So there is a little bit of an age gap there. They like to talk about movies and songs and make witty pop culture references that I never get because at the time I was watching more "Barney" than "The Breakfast Club". I don't really mind though. It's actually pretty funny. Whenever I miss something and explain that it was before my time, Louise gets upset and starts moaning about how old she is and Ryan just asks if I want him to make me a PB and J sandwich and says he will turn on the new "Ice age" movie for me "only if you finsh all of your vegtables, young lady!". But yesterday when Ryan made a reference to "Savage Gardens" "The animal song" and I admitted I had no idea who they were, much less heard the song, Louise drew a line. "That's it!" she said "I am going downstairs and making you CD!" She came up a few minutes later with a CD entitled "School of Rock" that contained all of the most important rock songs from the 80s and 90s.

So I have been listening to it and some of it is pretty good.... some of its not.... I think some of it might be a "You had to be there" kind of thing. Anyways I have had Tom Petty's "Refugee" song along with "Don't fear the Reaper" by "Blue oyster cult" stuck in my head ALL DAY LONG! I was even humming it during my pottery class! It won't get out of my head! CURSE YOU CATCHY 90S ROCK MUSIC!!!

Show some respect for the elderly, ya youngster!

2009-11-17T00:15:00.007-05:00

So everyone here at the Wood household has to be up early for work in the mornings. So we usually hang out at night until around 9:30 - 10 PM and then everybody gets tired and goes to bed. Well, last Friday I decided it was time to shake up the routine and have a little fun. So I was talking with Louise while she was making dinner and I said "You know its Friday night. We should go a little crazy and have some fun! We are a bunch of young people. We should have a good time!" Louise agreed, so we decided we were going to stay up all night watching TV, eating junk food, maybe make a few cocktails and do everything our mothers told us not to do before bed! It was going to be awesome.

But I was wrong.... We are not young people. We are old people. This is how the night ended up going....

Louise and Ryan put the boys to bed and we were all ready to start our fun night. Ryan made us all tea as goes our night time tradition (I never really used to like tea, but now there is nothing better at the end of the day then a nice cup of steaming blueberry tea!), Louise and I picked up the baby blocks that we are crocheting for the boys, and we sat around and watched TV. We watched a few episodes of a funny TV show we have on DVD, but it wasn't long before we started nodding off. It must have been like 2 AM I was sure of it! I was so tired, it had to be really late. So I got up and checked the clock and it said 10:45....

Old people.

So there you have it. Our idea of a "crazy Friday night" is staying up past 10:30, drinking tea, crocheting, and watching TV sitcom re-runs.... So bad! Actually I think Ryan, Louise, and I have always had a propensity to being old people, but it is a quality that we simply amplify in one another.... Sure I could go out and go dancing, see a movie or go hang out at the mall, but there is just something so nice about sitting at home in your jimjams, working on a project and drinking tea....

This is Opera.... Now don't be scared.....

2009-11-08T19:19:00.005-05:00

Last night Louise and I went to the Ellie Caulkins Opera house, part of one of the largest performing arts centers in the country.... It was awesome.

We went to go see "The Tales of Hoffman..." which according to opera Colorado is "the fantasy of a poet obsessed with four remarkable women - and the four villains bent on his destruction." So Louise and I got all dressed up, in high heels, dresses and fake eyelashes ready for a night on the town. After about an hour we both emerged from our powder rooms, and were ready for dinner and to hit the road. Ryan made us sit down at the table for dinner and brought us our food and drinks, because he said we looked so nice he felt like he needed to wait on us... We didn't object... =). We finished eating, took some pictures, and hit the road.

When we arrived at the opera we discovered that it was half price ticket night, so we got really good seats and then went inside for the lecture before the show. We weren't sure if we wanted to go to the lecture but we ended up being very glad that we did because if we hadn't the show wouldn't have made any sense....

Hoffman was a contemporary of Jane Austen, but his works were very different from Austen' "Pride and Prejudice". His works were psychological, dark, surrealist tales that would later inspire the likes of Edgar Allen Poe. The show was very good. It had a golden muse that came to life and followed Hoffman around begging him to forget about women and go back to the poetry that was his true love. But instead of heeding the muse's words, Hoffman during the course of the opera fell in love with an absurd Robot that gets her head broken off, a poor girl who sings herself to death, and a crazy woman at the end who Louise and I didn't get. For some reason she was dressed as a seahorse and was supposed to be able to steal men's souls, but she just stood around on stage making out with some creepy puppet. I still don't really know what happened in that act. All Louise and I could think of was "Creepy puppet, creepy puppet, sea horse, creepy puppet, sea horse, sea horse...."

When we got home and started telling Ryan about it he thought we were making it all up "OK so he falls in love with a robot and there is a golden woman walking around on stage with a giant sea horse that's kissing a puppet... what happens next, they all start flying just before the zombies attack?"

I love the opera. I love getting all dressed up and seeing all the girls in pretty dresses and the guys in tuxedos. I love the sounds of the music and the costumes and the orchestra! When I grow up I want to be an opera singer. I told Louise that and she said that I was no where near fat enough. Maybe if we put the three of us together we could be an opera singer she said.

What do opera singers do when they are not singing opera? I mean I know they have regular lives too but what happens if someone doesn't know that they are an opera singer and like invites them to a Christmas caroling party? Do they go up front and belt out "Silent Night" in Italian? Or do the stand in the back and intentionally sing "Jingle Bells" badly so as not to make all the Joe Schmos feel bad? These are the thoughts running around my head for the whole opera.

It was an amazing night and I hope to go back soon...

Happy Halloween....

2009-11-08T18:43:00.009-05:00

So this post is a little late in coming but I thought it was worth it...

So I have finally found a new church that I really like. It is a cute little baptist church about two minutes from here. The people are friendly, and unlike most churches in the area are rather unassuming. They are just a group of people gathered together to praise and honor God, they don't need expensive stage lighting, fancy video announcements, or youth rooms with three large screen TVs complete with wii setup.

The church was going to have a Fall festival on Halloween as an outreach to the community, games, snacks, cotton candy, the whole shebang. They needed some help, so I volunteered a couple of weeks back to work the cotton candy machine.... OK so it was a little selfish of me, I planned on eating almost as much as I was going to be making... YUM!

So Halloween finally arrived. I had spent the day out with my Auntie G getting quilting supplies and we had arrived home about 5 minutes before I needed to leave for the festival. Ryan and Louise had taken the boys over to a friends house so they were out. Auntie G took Molly, her adorable dog (she is a very good dog) out for a walk, so I quickly jumped into my Marie Antoinette costume from last year, minus the wig, and headed out.

We had received a lot of snow that weekend, and Ryan being the good guy that he is, surprised me by digging out, cleaning off and parking my car in the drive way. I walked outside and sat down in the car, turned it on and started backing out of the driveway, when I heard squealing tires and smelled burning rubber. I looked down and saw my parking brake was still on! Suzie is a very good car, but she is also an old car, so things, like the parking brake, don't work very well. I pulled and pushed and grunted and groaned but couldn't get the brake off.

I am getting a little frantic now. I am about 20 minutes late for the festival, and there is no one home to help me. So what do you do in frantic and terrible situations like this? Yep, you call home to Mommy!

So I ran inside and got Louise and Ryan's phone, my cell phone was dead, and talked to Mom. She said not to worry just to call Daddy, but I didn't have Dad's phone number, because it was on my cell phone, which was dead. She said to just hold on and she would call him for me.

So I run back outside while I am waiting to try once again to fix the situation. Picture this if you can.... A girl, wearing an absurd gown, with one foot stuck out the door, holding it open, pieces of her dress falling off, smoking rubber on the driveway, and jerking the emergency break up and down while screaming "RYAN BROKE MY CAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRR!". All of the sudden a little boy walks up and says "Give me some candy!" ... I.... sort of... maybe.... lost it.... "BACK OFF!" I yelled..... The little boy stuck his tongue out at me and I hear his Dad, standing on the side walk say, "Ummmm.... I think we should try the next house Sammy..."

Ok so the above paragraph was met with some skepticism from some of my readers.... Oh alright so my Mom and sisters called and said "We don't think you actually said that!" and it's true. I didn't tell the little boy to back off, but I think I must have had it written all over my face because his Dad did call to him to skip to the next house, and anyways it is funnier this way...

Dad calls me back and says he doesn't know how to fix it, that I just need to push harder... Mom calls Auntie G and asks her to come back and drive me to the church, and I walk inside to wait, right when Ryan and Louise get home. Ryan walks in and says... "You look nice... Is everything OK?" "Oh fine... fine... EXCEPT MY CAR IS BROKEN MY DRESS IS COMING APART AND I AM 45 MINUTES LATE!" "ummm... I will fix that..." he says and goes outside. Louise is helping me fix my dress and get calmed down, when Ryan comes back in. He hands me the keys and with a cocky bow says "Your chariot awaits Madame..." I asked him what he did to fix it and he said you just had to pull it harder... you know by being big and strong and manly. I rolled my eyes, then thanked him and sped off.

I made it to the church, but they didn't really need my help anymore, so I ate a whole bunch of cotton candy and watched kids jump in the bounce house. It ended up being a very fun and funny night....

So what have we learned from this? Well Ryan learned not to put my emergency brake on. I learned to make sure your car is ready before you put an 18th century gown on, and the little boy named Sammy learned never to mess with a frantic Marie Antoinette....

June 9th

2009-08-19T10:17:00.004-04:00

We were able to go down the zipline tonight and I realy feel like it was a wonderful illustration of how I feel about starting my first week as a counselor, and the rest of my summer here at camp.

I had been trained on how to put on the zipline equipment. I had seen it being built, and I knew it was perfectly safe. It had been built by a Master Engineer and I was surrounded by people who loved me. However, when I stood at the top of that platform, my toes hanging off the edge, nothing could have untied the knots in my stomach! But no turning back, onwards and upwards. So I stepped off....

All of the sudden I was flying! With the wind in my face I couldn't help but laugh. I didn't want it to end. But I was pulled to the landing platform, helped down and met with a thounderous round of applause. Yet it was nothing I had done. Was it not the Master Engineer who had built the tower, the cable that supported me, the rope that connected me, and the harness that cradled me? All I had to do was step off of that platform and trust. All I had to do was hold on tight for the experince of a lifetime!

God help me to remember this illustration of your love for the rest of my life.

The Earth is Flat....

2009-08-18T19:17:00.005-04:00

but despite the lack of posts I have not yet fallen off the edge. Perhaps you are wondering where I have been for the past 3 months. Well let me tell you....

I have been in a place where a backpack is the perfect accessory for every outfit. Where instead of a wallet and a cell phone you bring a Bible and a wristband every where you go. A land of Egor buckets and flag belts, and a place where EVERYONE knows you. Modesty always trumps fashion and slushies are most definitely a major food group. You work 15 hour days without a paycheck and golf carts are the fastest mode of transportation. Prayer, reading, and time alone with God replace ipods, TV, and game systems. Cheagles exist, teachable moments abound, taxidermy is the decoration of choice, and a one-on-one is ALWAYS a private conversation in a public place.

I love this place. It goes by the name of Camp Barakel (a name found in the book of Job) and it means "where God has blessed". God most certainly blessed me there this summer and even more amazingly worked through me to bless the lives of the 80 some girls I had the joy of counseling.

The summer is now over and I am currently on a new adventure, but I feel that I first should chronicle my summer as a Camp Counselor. So please check back for fun stories, crazy situations and tales of Gods amazing love and grace.

aAAAaaarrrUUuuuggghhh...

2009-05-04T18:50:00.000-04:00

UUUUUAAAAaaaaaaRRRRRRrrrrrggghh.... Attack of the ZOMBIE BLOG! Yes I know that this blog has been dead for some time now, but it is about to come back TO LIFE! Now that school is done I will hopefully have more time for blogging (everyone all together now... "IN YOUR DREAMS BODECIA!". Ok so I will make more time for blogging), also with my leaving for quite possibly the next year, I thought this would be a wonderful way to keep in touch with friends and family! So check back later for more posts, comment when you can, I love reading your thoughts, and children and puppies run in horror for Blithe Remarks is back from the cyberspace dead.... Yes I had to go there =)....

HELP!

2009-01-29T09:16:00.003-05:00

Last night I dreamt I was being tortured by 100s of tiny ninja finger puppets.

At first selling over 50 finger puppets in one week sounded like great fun! And then I realized I had to make all of them. And that I had a 4 tests coming up. And that I had to go back to work. And then the stress set in!

It was been pretty insane. Trying to go to school full time, work two jobs, fight off a cold and still have time for a social life, can be pretty difficult. I think I will be able to do it though. I have a lot of help. Emily has been doing almost as much work on the puppets as I have. I think the fact that she gets paid and can sit on the sofa and watch "Little House on the Praire" because "I am helping Bodecia, Mom!" is to much for her to withstand.

Next week I have all of my first tests of the semester. That should be interesting. I think I should do fine though. Also that weekend I will be going up to Camp Barakel for my summer counceling interview. Please be in prayer for that.

Well Biology lab is waiting, I have got to run.

ACK!

2008-11-25T09:59:00.002-05:00

Sorry, I was going to add a new post today but evidentally it is rush hour here in the library! I am surrounded by people cramming to get onto the computers. They put the desks so close together, I am afraid if I do not get out now I will be stuck here forever! How awful would that be. Forced to surf the internet forver. No food, falling asleep in the computer chair. Eventually I would have to eat my keyboard. Then I wouldn't even be able to surf the internet. Maybe after several years I could figure out away to convert myself into binary code (I wouldn't eat the 1 and the 0 keys) and upload myself onto the world wide web, until I could finally retransmit myself into reality. Oooo the horror. I might catch a computer virus while I was in there. Or become privy to our nations deepest darkest secrets. I gotta get out of here! Oh the HORROR! Don't worry I will be back...

Check me out....

2008-11-20T20:40:00.004-05:00

Hey look! Have been feautred on anouther blog! "The Outfit" is a store in Long Beach California, and they are currently selling my finger puppets on a trial basis. The owner also featured them on her blog. Check it out...

I think I need to marry a Chinese man...

2008-11-08T21:54:00.001-05:00

I think I need to marry a Chinese man, because I am in love with asian food right now! I have been to Panda Express and Pei Wei so many times that the people there are starting to regognize me! I love the flavors, crab wontons, and the fun of trying to eatrice with chopsticks is just to much to pass up!

Who are you?

2008-10-30T10:56:00.006-04:00

Hello Faithful Blog Readers!

Today I am blogging in a way that I have never blogged before. I am sitting in the college library in a full 16th century costume complete with two foot high white wig. Yes I am dressed as Marie Antoinette. Yes the person sitting behind me cannot see over my wig and yes I have gotten A LOT of funny looks.

You might ask why I am sitting her in full period costume and I would say because it is fun. Also College is having a costume competition where the winning contestant wins a $100 GIFT CARD FOR BOOKS! Yes, you heard right, 100 BUCKS! I am really hoping to win. One of my older sisters pulled a couple of all nighters to finish my costume in a matter of days, resulting in a beautiful costume that I sure think is a winner!

It is a kind of funny costume to wear. I love the way it looks, and the way the full skirt swishes around my legs when I walk, but nobody knows who I am! After the puzzled look subsides from thier faces I have had people guess I was:

A Princess
A Granny
Dolly Parton
A 70s chick

and several others who just had no clue what so ever. But don't worry I get my revenge when people mistake my costume. I stand there and go through Marie Antoinette's entire history, and the detailed explanation of all the aspects of my dress.

"Maria Antonia Josepha Johanna von Habsburg-Lothringen (November 2, 17555 – October 16, 1793), known to history as Marie Antoinette, was born an Archduchess of Austria and later became Queen of France and Navarre. At fourteen, she was married to Louis-Auguste, Dauphin of France, the future Louis XVI. She was the mother of Louis XVII, who died in the Temple Tower at the age of ten during the French Revolution..." "...she was executed by guillotine at the height of the French Revolution in 1793 for the crime of treason although no evidence of such was proven....""...Meanwhile, the queen began to institute changes in the customs practiced at court, with the approval of the king. Some changes, such as the abolition of segregated dining spaces, had already been instituted for some time and had been met with disapproval from the older generation. More importantly was the abandonment of heavy make-up and the popular wide-hooped panniers for a more simple female look, typified first by the rustic robe à la polonaise and later by the simple muslin dress she wore in a 1783 Vigée-Le Brun portrait..."

And on... and on... and on.... MUAHAHAHAHAHAHA! A Homeschoolers revenge is sweet!

Loooove is in the Aiiir!

2008-10-28T10:09:00.007-04:00

Teeheehee! That title got your attention huh. No not me, just everyone else in my math class.

When we have a math test we are alowed to leave as soon as we are finished. Today like almost every other test day, when I went to leave class there was a whole little line up of boys standing in the hallway outside our class room. Why were they standing in the hallway? Because they are twitterpated thats why! Yes its true, almost every boy in my class has a crush on one of the girls. When I pull into the parking lot I can see all the guys in my class waiting in their cars for the object of thier affection to arrive. When she gets out of her car, they quickly jump out too and pretend that they only just got there so they can walk the 1/4 of a mile to class with them.

They sit by each other, go on "study dates" walk to and from their cars together, text each other during class. It makes me a little sick to my stomach in a sweet kinda way.

Your next question might be "Well, well, well, Bodecia, does anyone walk you to and from your car? *eyebrow wiggle*". The awnser to that question would be a resounding NO. I think I am uncrushable. I don't know why, my older sister is the same way. We like to think that it is because the boys all know we are WAAAAAY out of thier league. LOL Also I think it is because we know the rules of College flirtation.

1) If you like a girl introduce yourself and ask if you can be study partners. Exchange numbers "just in case something comes up and you can't make it to class". Then let your dog convinently die and skip class. This way you can call her to get the notes and you look like a senitive guy who is responsible and commited enough to have a dog.

2) Try and get in the same lab group, that way the girl can see how smart you are and you can get to know one anouther 4 hours a week for the next 16 weeks of the semester.

3) An easy conversation starter with someone you like is "So what degree are you going for?". This leads you down an open ended conversation with the possibilities to learn all kinds of things about her.

4) Walk the same way as she does to her classes even if it means going 45 minutes out of your way so that you can casually meet up and get to know each other.

5) And if you REEEEEAAAAALLLLY like a girl after you have completed rule 3 you can switch your major, so that you two can take the same classes together for the next 4 YEARS!

So there you go the 5 easy College flirtation rules that if followed correctly will almost always end in marriage... or a restraining order.

ETSY MANIA!!!!!!!

2008-10-23T10:29:00.003-04:00

I LOVE ETSY! I love buying things from etsy. There are so many cool people selling beautiful things and it is all available right at my finger tips. I could spend hours looking at Narwhal Paintings, or Mustache necklaces! It is amazing.

But what I love even more than buying things on etsy, is selling things on etsy! After years of my family and friends saying "You could sell that!", I decided to finally open a store on etsy and see what would happen. At first I only had a couple of items in my store. I didn't really do a lot with it. But as of about a month ago I started to really put the time into it. Getting a banner from my friend Fedora, filling in all the descriptions, putting my old items on sale, and uploading ten brand new ones. Last week I recieved my first purchase and since then have made almost $100 in crocheted goodies! I am so VERRRRRRRRRRY excited! I never thought I could ever actually sell anything on Etsy!

Now I am Etsy crazed. constantly checking in, making alchemy bids and crocheting like wild. If you would like to visit my Etsy store you can go to, www.bodecia.etsy.com

That's HOT

2008-10-21T11:36:00.002-04:00

All is going well here in the world of Bodecia Arietty Zinglehamper! But there have been a few changes...

My Dad took the week of work to install a new wood stove in our house. My Dad loves fire and low heating costs so it really was a win/win. I am really enjoying it too. It fills the house with the best woody-campfire smell, and there is nothing better than curling up in front of the fire. However there are some down sides.

Since the wood stove is located in our family room and needs to heat the entire house, you have to have a REALLY big fire going. The other night I was freezing when I came home from work but as soon as I stepped into the family room it was like entering an inferno, and not the fun disco kind! Also since we put the fire out when we go to bed, the heat generated slowly escapes during the night so by the time morning comes it is a bit of a shock when you crawl out from under your warm blankets.

But everything has its issues. I really am quite fond of our new wood stove. I also now have the disco inferno song stuck in my head.

....Disco, disco, burnin'.... IT'S A DISCO INFERNO!....

The next Stan Lee (except better looking... and a girl)

2008-09-24T15:44:00.006-04:00

I am currently enrolled in a math class. It is very boring. So I doodle. Right now I am working on a comic strip. So I am going to share it with you. Part One
Magic Bean

Honey I'm HOOOOMMMME!

2008-09-14T20:52:00.002-04:00

Hello, I am back. I am sure by now you probably think I have been abducted by aliens, won a million dollars and am now to important to blog or have moved to the moon. Certanly nothing less important could have caused me not to blog for an entire MONTH! Well I know it is going to sound incredibly lame, but I do have a life outside of my blog and it has been keeping my incredibly BUSY! Lots of things have been happening that I intend on blogging more thoroughly on a later date. Fo instance I have started college classes, am working at Old Navy and the Renassance Festival (which I am LOVING!), recieved a new (sort of ) car, and as you may have noticed, have picked up an affinity for using capitals to add EMPHASIS FAR TO OFTEN! So thats pretty much it for now. Just wanted to let you know... I AM HERE! teeheehee I like capitals...

William Shakespeare... With Syrup!

2008-08-12T22:54:00.003-04:00

Hey look! Stacy made pancakes this morning for breakfast. We asked her to make us our initials and she did. Then she decided to get really creative and make one that looked like William Shakespeare!
Olivia thinks it looks more like Ben Franklin but that didn't stop her from eating it!

Free-dom!

2008-08-02T10:26:00.004-04:00

Four score and seven years ago...

This is how one of our honored presidents began one of his most famous speeches. Now you can have a small plush doll of Abraham Lincoln complete with stove pipe hat and bow tie, for our very own! All you have to do is find 12 pictures of Abraham Lincoln hidden around this blog and be the first to send an e-mail telling where you found each photo to CowgirlJessi101@aol.com. Contest ends August 10th.
Here are the official rules...

Only posts with Abraham Lincoln pictures published before August 1st are eligible.

Each image counts only once.

E-mail must explain where all twelve photos were found in order to be eligible. Happy Hunting!

2008-08-01T14:59:00.008-04:00

So 4-h is over and it went really well. My mixed media piece entitled "Outrageous" didn't place for a ribbion (evidentaly the judges thought it was missing something too). My painting inspired by the superchic[k] song "Alive" won 4th place in my division. My Artist Trading Card collection won 2nd place in my division and 4th out of all of the collectibles. The piece that did the best was by far my crocheted dragon. I wrote the pattern for this little guy when Stacy asked me for a dragon for Christmas last year. It impressed the judges so much that I won 1st of all the crocheted projects, 1st of all the needlecrafts, a best in show trophy, and the gold ribbion award which is an invitation to go to State Fair. Now if only I could remember how I made him!

I already have plans in the work for next year. I want to do something really impressive this time... Like maybe a life sized replica of Mount Rushmore done in crochet!

Kiln House Sculpture

2008-08-01T13:08:00.004-04:00

I found this cool website today that creates masks and sculptures. It is called Kiln House Sculpture I had a lot of fun looking at thier artwork. Here are some of my favorites:

the untitled post

2008-07-31T00:22:00.002-04:00

I just wanted to share an excerpt from a book I am reading called "Your Captivating Heart" by Staci Eldredge.

"None of us gets a pain-free life. Not even the women whose life and appearance look so perfect... from a distance. To be alive means that we are and have been wounded. Longfellow said, 'If we could see into the secret lives of even our enemies we would find enough suffering and sorrow there to end all hostilities.' "

This really made me stop. To think that the person who cut you off in traffic today is suffering. That the cranky check out lady could be going through a divorce, that the woman who is always so annoyingly clingy is simply desperate for a friend, breaks my heart. All the times I have said things and jumped to conclusions. All the times I have been so quick to judge instead of help. Maybe that villain was really a damsel in distress.

"Love your neighbor as yourself. If you keep biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other." Galatians 5:14-15

Confidential... Read at your own risk!

2008-07-29T19:37:00.007-04:00

I am about to reveal some top secret information about a conspiracy to overthrow our government and take complete domination of the world. But before I do I just wanted to warn you that this information is disturbing, and will change the world and your perspective of sea mammals forever. Read at your own risk...

Who is behind this evil plan you might be wondering. It would have to be someone deeply disturbed and yet seemingly innocent. Someone you would never expect in a million years. Oh the sick creatures are all that and more! Gaze upon the face of EVIL!!!!!!!

Yes, I am talking about Dolphins (this is where I lost the NSA). Seriously though, think about it. According to wikkipedia.com Dolphins are second in intelligence only to humans. Now do you honestly believe that a creature capable of that kind of intelligence would be satisfied simply jumping through hoops at sea world for fish? I DON'T THINK SO!

Dolphins are evil I tell you! But I am not the only one who thinks so. Here is a portion of a very informative article by the ultimate guide to dolphins. It explains some of the dolphins, shall I say, devious behavior.

"So what have researchers learned about dolphin intelligence?
Dolphin researcher Pieter Arend Folkens tells this story: "Since trash can be dangerous to dolphins if ingested, some of the animals at Marine World Africa USA were trained to retrieve the trash and return it to the trainer for a reinforcement reward.
"A trainer would come out onto the floating stage and a dolphin would perform a tail stand with a piece of trash in its mouth. The trainer would then reward the dolphin with a bit of fish.
"One day the lead trainer went through the routine only to notice that the dolphin kept coming back with a piece of trash even though the tank appeared clean. The trainer asked a colleague to go below to the engineer's port to observe what the dolphin was doing when a trainer came out on the float. The trainer came out on the float and sure enough, the dolphin quickly showed up with a piece of trash and got his reward.
"The scam was revealed! This dolphin had established a savings account of sorts. He collected all the trash and stuffed it in a bag wedged in a corner of the tank near the intake of the filtering system. In there was paper, rope, and all sorts of trash. The amazing thing is that when he went to the bank he did not simply take a piece, rather he would tear a bit off to maximize the return.
"This behavior is particularly interesting because it shows that the dolphin had a sense of the future and delayed gratification. He had enough presence to realize that a big piece of trash got the same reward as a small piece, so why not deliver only small pieces to keep the extra food coming? He in effect had trained the humans."

If they can save up trash each day waiting for a reward, how much more likely are they to save up intelligence waiting for WORLD DOMINATION!

Now certain individuals have brought up the fact that it would be impossible for Dolphins to take complete control over the world seeing as they are limited to staying in bodies of water. I have two words for these individuals... GLOBAL WARMING! I don't know how they are doing it, but the are melting the polar ice caps so that they can flood the world. With this accomplished they will be able to go anywhere they want.

If you are still not convinced this clip from a national geographic special should do the trick. "The True Nature of Dolphins"

I hope you found this post informative and I also hope that it will help you to take more care when it comes to... DOLPHINS!

Griffith and Me!

2008-07-28T15:52:00.015-04:00

Everybody, I would like to introduce you to my new buddy Griffith! He is a small plush Llama, that some good friends brought back for me from the Cincinnati Zoo. He is incredibly soft, cuddly and really likes popcorn. He traveled around with me in my purse all week long and here is some stuff that we did together...

Monday

Monday was the last night the Ross' were here so we decided to go watch the new movie "Journey to the Center of the Earth". We really liked it but I had to cover Griffith's eyes for some parts.
While we were there we met the cast of "Highschool Musical". Zac and Griffith really hit it off.

Tuesday

Tuesday the Ross' left and I didn't have to work, so I spent most of the day in my PJ's (or rather Jimjamms as the Doctor calls them) watching "Doctor Who". Griffith and the Doctor also got along great. What can I say, Griffith is a people person... er... Llama. Do I see a potential new companion?

Wednesday

Wednesday I had to work. We had the VP coming in to inspect our store so everything had to be perfect. BACK AWAY FROM THAT DENIM LLAMA! It took me three hours to fold that!

Thursday

Thursday night we had a softball game that we... humiliatingly lost. But the good news is that afterwards we went to DQ for some ice cream. A vanilla cone, dipped in Butterscotch, with sprinkles is our favorite. If you are wondering why I look so surprised in this picture it is because Stacy tired to shove my face into my ice cream cone right as Olivia took the photo. That cheeky little rascal!

Friday Friday morning I spent cleaning my room. Griffith tried to help me fold laundry. He got a little lost. After that it was off to work and then to my sisters house to do art and watch Stargate Atlantis on her cable!

Saturday

Saturday I went baby-sitting for a lovely family with three little ones. The kept me and Griffith on our toes but after they went to bed we had a little bit of quiet time to fill out the rest of my open house thank you cards.

Sunday

Sunday morning I was on the worship team. It turns out that Llama's have very good singing voices.

We had loaned some friends our motor home and they brought it back on Sunday morning. Dad usually backs it on top of a small hill by our house. But Dad wasn't home and Mom thought she new a better way of parking it. Why not just pull straight up the hill? Here is why.

It was successfully stuck and after about two hours of my brother and neighbor trying to pull it out with a tractor and a lot of chain, and a good deal of pushing on Griffith's part, they decided to call a tow truck. I had to leave for work and while I was on my way I passed a GI-NORMOUS tow truck. "Whoa! Where is that going?" I asked Griffith and then I realized it was going to my house! Griffith and I had so much fun this week! Thanks so much my dear sweet friends for my fun new buddy!

IF: Canned

2008-07-26T12:44:00.001-04:00

Doctor Who?

2008-07-25T11:03:00.003-04:00

Here is a picture of one of my latest projects. I made this 10th Doctor doll for Stacy in exchange for a dress that she is going to make for me. I think he turned out... FANTASTIC! LOL. The jacket is removeable and I even made him a little sonic screwdriver out of a pipe cleaner and a bead. My favorite part though has to be the shoes.
Look at that face! Could it get any cuter? Wait... I think I have an idea... PERFECT!

You can find the pattern for this attractive little doll at Snuffykins Live Journal

and the jacket was found here

2008-07-19T15:33:00.000-04:00

Enough...

2008-07-19T13:36:00.002-04:00

This is my first painting for illustrationfriday.com I am so excited I finished it! Hopefully you will be seeing many more Illustration Friday uploads from me!