What makes Fast Food Fast Food?

I found an article on WND yesterday on a study done in Canada which found that children who eat 2 meals or more per week of fast food negate the benefits of being breast fed for at least 12 weeks when it comes to developing childhood asthma. (phew! long sentence!)

This led me to think: What makes fast food fast food? Is it just hamburgers and chicken nuggets and french fries? What's the difference between hamburgers from a FF joint compared to hamburgers off our grill? Or nuggets compared to nuggets prepared at home? French fries to fried potatoes? Does Arby's classify as FF with their roast beef sandwiches? What about at Subway if you have chips w/ your sub? Does it always include any fried chicken sandwich? What about grilled?

I just kinda got all mixed up trying to distinguish between the food we eat out, and the food we eat at home. (yea, today, shopping-- walking across the store for a particular item, and I still can't remember what item it was supposed to be when I got there...) I know it has something to do with the way it's prepared, but lots of home prepared stuff has MSG too, ...and we use olive oil for everything, but microwaves are questionable.... Anyway, is your brain still thinking straight? Is it just me who gets wrapped up in knots?

Anyway, thoughts? What differentiates between healthy and fast food?

Edited: I guess this makes me sound kinda "food dumb," and I'm not. I know what to look for, what to avoid, stuff like that. It's just when they paste a huge label on something that has a fairly broad spectrum, I wonder what they really mean. You can make a super yummy, high fat meal at home that is very not good for you, but it's not classified as fast food. So why label one per se, and not the other?

Your Thoughts: Parenting others' children...

So, what do you think when you see a parent telling someone else's kid to stop what their doing (being aggressive) and stop scaring other children? Do you think they should get the child's guardians involved, or just handle the problem immediately? Imagine the situation like a playground, group setting.

I'll explain more after I hear your thoughts :-)

Update: We were at McDonald's (I mistakenly gave Melia the option of where to take Gma Debbie for lunch...), and a little boy had cornered Melia in the top of the staircase, "ribbiting" at her, and wouldn't let her down. She was crying, Kiera was getting me... He peeked out and I told him to make room so she could get down. Obviously he didn't, so prego me climbed up there and told him that he was scaring these girls and needed to stop. (By the time I reached the top, Kiera was crying too) I didn't really question my actions until later, and then thought - "Hey, that is a small enough area that most everyone probably knew what I was doing, heard me talking to him, heard my girls crying... and the two adults there with him never said a word." After that, I was bothered. I wouldn't want my kid bullying anybody, and certainly not making them cry. I wouldn't want other parents having to tell my kids to stop, but that's because I should be responsible, especially when I don't know anyone else there... but like they say... hindsight... I wasn't exactly thinking at the time, just reacting.

Defiance: My opinion :-)

PluggedIn Online Review Here

Gabe and I both thought this movie was definitely worth seeing. It is rated R- for war time violence and language. The violence was not as bad (read: gory) as many war movies I have seen- I was not terribly uncomfortable like I normally am. And the language was there, but often in a foreign tongue and subtitles-- and it wasn't every other word, so again, I wasn't uncomfortable like usual. (I don't like language, gory violence, or sex. That's what makes me squirm and dislike the movie. No thank you.)

That said, this is still an uncomfortable movie to watch. It's based on a true story- a band of Jews hiding and running, and surviving, in the forest for 3+ years during WWII - and the Holocaust is very far removed from being easy entertainment. There are scenes which are extremely difficult, but good to examine as "Well, what would I have done? How could this situation ever be handled properly? What is proper when you are fighting for survival?" I ask these questions because of what I mentioned in my previous post- that this movie was very thought provoking because of the future that we believe lies ahead of us.

Imagine having to survive on the run. Imagine surviving outdoors in winter. Here, it's below freezing all the time, day and night. And numbers adding to your provision daily....

As Christians in America, we believe it is foolish to think that we will forever avoid severe persecution. In much of the world, an individual will be killed for believing in Christ. We may think it won't happen here, but when examining the possiblities it should be considered. It is becoming more and more politically INcorrect to be a Bible believing Christian. Throughout history, various groups have been segregated and killed for negative circumstances, whether war, famine, poverty, economic decline, etc... not to mention their race or religion. And it is certainly not uncommon now. Numbers show that more Christians have been killed in the 20th century worldwide than in all previous centuries since the cross combined. It won't take much antagonism- look at how frightening the riots and protests were in CA after "same-sex marriage" was banned by voters. Tighten the cinch a bit, especially in more sensitive areas, and we'll see more drastic measures.

Consider the future. Consider your family. And be prepared, come what may.

My Plant Wish List

Plants:
Foxglove (variety)
A rhubarb plant (just one please!)
Lily tree (garden pleasure, white w/ red first choice, but love them all!~)
Gift of hours worked in our yard/garden :-)

Other Stuff:
table top ironing board
gift certs to Sleepy Hollow Nursery or SavMart
gift cards to Joanns/Craft Warehouse
Nice bible cover, chic, but not teenish (!)

Baby Stuff:
Changing table pad

And hey, while I'm at it, I would also love a nice, landscaped, garden area... by the current swing area and behind the house are open to brainstorming... :-) And an herby garden....

So after talking with Gabe...

We ordered from Gurneys too, so we could take advantage of both their buy $50/take $25 off specials. Normally I like the buy $25/$25 off, but since this was for seeds and such, we thought it was a good investment.

So, in addition to the previous list of goodies, we ordered spaghetti squash, black raspberries, cowpeas (are these the same as chickpeas? anyone?) pinto beans, kidney beans, lima beans, bush green beans, soy beans, an ornamental pepper, butterfly plants, rainbow tomato variety, and pole peas. Many of these we are planning on vaccum packing for long term storage as well.

And for those of you whom I was asking about ordering fruit trees, we discovered (through my mother-in-law's good advice!) that we can purchase asian pears and nectarines from Van Well's nursery here in town for bigger and cheaper than the catalogs, so we will be doing that.

I also now have a birthday list going of my "plant wish list!"

Random Miscellaneous from our House....

I put my order in at Henry Fields today :-) I am so excited, even though I am setting my sites high for having a new baby and expecting to yield garden blessings... Thankfully, Gabe appreciates my desire to grow at least some of our food, so he is very helpful! I ordered one huckleberry plant, two goji berries, and seeds for carrots, sugar snap peas, green pole beans, zucchini, and sweet bell peppers. I think that's mostly easy stuff to harvest and eat :-) I would have ordered more corn- I loved the seeds I had last year, and I still have some left, but I need to remember where I got them. They produced all season instead of in a bunch, plus the ears developed really well compared to my previous year!

Kiera is coming along really well with her potty training. I haven't mentioned it much because we are doing the "no-pressure" approach with her- just encouragement and "candies!" She is starting to be able to know when she needs to go, and catching herself to at least finish in the pot. She does the best after naps and in the morning. She is so proud, and Melia is great- "I'm so proud of you Kiera! Good job!"

Mom and Dad watched the kids for us last night so we could fit in a date- we went to see Defiance; we both wanted to see this one. I will do a review later... because of our views on our personal future as Christians and Americans, I found this movie to be intensely thought provoking.

And now, for your second question....

How do I win her over?

Mommy: Kiera, do you want to be a good girl?
Kiera: No.
Mommy: Kiera, do you want to be a bad girl?
Kiera: Yes.
Mommy: Kiera, you know bad girls get in trouble, right?
Kiera: Yes.
Mommy: Kiera, do you want to get in lots of trouble?
Kiera: No.
Mommy: Kiera, why don't you want to be a good girl?
Kiera: Cause I bad girl.

I feel like Charlie Brown: "Oh brother."

Ok, so now what?

Yesterday I was trying to catch up on some of my posts on KI (our online bible classes), and one of the questions really got me going. By the time I was done, I just felt that the Lord had walked me through that very personal answer and I was in tears.

The question was "What was Elijah's challenge to the people of Israel? What are some of the things in that challenge that you wrestle with?"
1Ki 18:21 And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD [be] God, follow him: but if Baal, [then] follow him. And the people answered him not a word.
My answer was making Him my Lord every single day, starting with a first-thing morning devotional time. I want to in my heart, but my heart is not what drags me out of bed in the morning. I need to simplify it- either I prioritize myself, or I put Him first. Gee, what should my answer be? So by the end, working through all my excuses, I was praying that He would encourage me to get up and get it done. Period.

Well, He did. Melia woke me up at 6am, and I sent her back to bed. (Why do they get up before it's light out? Why?) She went quietly, but then of course, I couldn't go back to sleep. And I laid there and argued with Him- couldn't He just reveal something to me in bed? Does praying count for devotional time? It's Sunday Lord, doesn't church count? Please God, IT's 6 AM! After a while, I got the drift, and got up. Made some coffee, and completed two days of bible study. Like I should have, but let's just say my heart wasn't exactly joyful about it. (I am NOT a morning person.)

And the rest of the story? I barely participated in Sunday school, I fell asleep in church... and I was a zombie at work. But- I did my morning devotional. I think this is something I should pray about. I know it's best to start the day devotionally, but when my brain doesn't turn on until at least 8 or 9, I'm just not quite convinced that this is going to work. And here you have me justifying what my head doesn't want to do, but my heart knows I should.

How do you force that worldly sleepyhead down and lift your soul up?

Finished!

I can't believe I finally got it done, especially after how I was feeling this afternoon- exhausted!

Just to update you, Melia picked out some legos and a motorcycle. Good enough? Happy five year old? She really wanted to buy him some horses, but I tried my best to steer her towards the "boy" aisle. She loves this little guy- he's her "way way nice friend." We're expecting the betrothal papers soon! ;-) lol

But after shopping (where I ended up at Albie's w/ $90 groceries for $.14! after $30 in catalinas...) I was completely drained, plus my patience was out the window. Thank the LORD Gabe was home to help with the girls, because Kiera was being a constant challenge. And after dinner and resting on the couch, I felt better. Better enough to ask him to move the final thing so I could finish the first coat, and put a quick second on to finalize it! I'm just so tired of the mess! Here's a pic of yesterday- you can see the couches pulled away and STUFF just piled on top!

I do love the color though- it looks so nice behind the couches and with the windows! Now, for putting everything back!

Question of the Day: BOY birthday- Yikes!

What do we buy for a five year old boy's birthday?

I've been told anything with guns and wheels will do the trick....

My Accountability Group

OK, hubby's off playing with friends, girls are down napping, and mommy is feeling surprisingly energetic... So, I am making a list to do this afternoon!

1. Finish Painting- at least as far as I have prepped (which means i can reach...)
2. Clean up last Christmas items (this means the deer will go back to normal)
3. Make bread
4. Sew on Melia's new Cubbies patch, and seam-rip the bag she was blessed with (I will try to take pics of this)
5. Clean off mini-frig ('cause we gotta stick it in the tub to defrost-after I figured out that putting it on the porch just won't do the job...;-)

Here I go! Cheer Me On! (this will be the first at-home afternoon in a while that I have not just laid down and crashed, so it's exciting for me!)

update: painting finished for today! 3 pm
update #2: misc Christmas stuff packed up, little child awake, parked in front of her "Bug Show" (great cartoon on TBN on Sat!) 3:25pm
update #3: Bread is rising for the final time, and Melia's vest and bag are ready to go! I had to do a little extra work on the bag, so it took longer, and now it's time to start dinner, so mark that last item off the list :-) But that's ok, I feel great about being so productive during what is normally my really bad drag down time! wooo hooo! I will clean off the fridge tonight- it's not difficult, just cleaning up my aerogarden and taking the stuff out (just apples and drinks)

Prego Brain

So, just another little example of my lack of brain power lately :-)

Monday night, at work. Time to count the safe. I grab my pen and pad, and spin around in my chair, ready to go.

Except..... I have a pad and scissors.... no pen.

Great CoffeeMate coupons..

If you haven't already seen this at Moneysavingmom..... go here for $1.50/1, then click down in the bottom left hand corner for a few more-- $1/1 and $1.50/2!

Edited: To actually include the link... Sorry!

Faith of a Child

This evening, Gabe had gone to work and I was working on my "Chocolate Cupcake" wall. (painting) The girls were playing together with Pinkie Pie (talking, singing, dancing My Little Pony).

Suddenly I hear a ferocious exchange, and Kiera start to cry. Long story short, Kiera had pushed a button, changing the program, and Melia was furious and pinched her cheeks- hard. This discussion had occurred earlier today- that if we fight over toys, the toys go away. So Pinkie Pie went away. Both of them were absolutely devastated.

Then, they walk into the dining room where I had sat my bowl of paint w/ the brush balancing on top. I follow them in, finding Melia playing with the brush (absent-mindedly, of course...) This conversation also had already occurred today- nobody touches the paint. Ever. So, we got swats on our hands. (I was starting to get a little worked up here....)

Now, Melia is a pretty good fit thrower, mostly because she has a difficult time settling herself down. And she was getting worked up too, so I helped her to bed, and warned that if she started a fit, she would get a spanking. By this point, I was expecting to here thumps and bangs as she worked herself up.

Kiera and I returned to painting, and after only maybe 2 minutes, Melia came out quietly with a completely different attitude. She said that she had prayed that God would help her to be good and obey Mommy. I was slightly, well, dumbstruck. And guilty. On her own, she had prayed for help from her Father, and He had blessed her with quick assistance. And she knew it. Then, she proceeded to tell me that she had also prayed that she would be able to help her friends be nice to her sister, because sometimes they aren't. And some of them have bad attitudes. This was a blessing for me, because you know how sometimes you wonder if they are going to pick things up from different kids? Even if it's some kid they don't even know on the playground, I wonder. But Melia notices the naughty trends, and she knows that she doesn't want to be like that.

Lemme tell ya, for a 4 year old, she impresses me. Especially when she remembers to pray, and I don't....

I thought this was Amazing....

As usual, read VERY slowly and consider!

Thus speaketh Christ our Lord to us:

You call Me Master, and obey Me not.
You call Me Light, and see Me not.
You call Me Way, and walk Me not.
You call Me Life, and choose Me not.
You call Me Wise, and follow Me not.
You call Me Fair, and love Me not.

You call Me Rich, and ask Me not.
You call Me Eternal, and seek Me not.
You call Me Noble, and serve Me not.
You call Me Gracious, and trust Me not.
You call Me Might, and honor Me not.
You call Me Just, and fear Me not.
If I condemn you, blame Me not.
-- Inscription on a cathedral in Lubeck, Germany.

Four is a Great Age...

For us to be having another baby at. Melia is a crack-up!

Tonight, during dinner, she pipes up:
"Mom, I think brother can see that food going down."

Gabe laughed, and it took me a second to process what she had actually said. So clever!

(And then of course we had a little discussion about what he can see, light vs dark like when she closes her eyes and puts her hand over her eyes. She thought that was pretty neat. But still, he's in your tummy, and the food goes to your tummy...sooo? A different part of my tummy, honey....)

The next few months should be really interesting...!

Goji Berry Bush (or Tree? 8-10 ft!)

Here in the Henry Fields Catalog, I found they have Goji berry bushes for sale. This greatly intrigued me, as the "Red Juice," officially named Ningxia Red juice that I buy and swear by-- is made from wolfberries, aka goji berries. These berries are supposed to surpass any other fruit in antioxidant power.... and you can do just about anything with them. I would love to eat them raw, and dry them.... And the bush is only $12.95.

My concern is this, and I know it is "propaganda," but I wonder how valid it is, considering that some geographic areas are just made for growing power foods.... The claims of Ningxia Red are that the Ningxia province in China produces a "nutritional powerhouse.... the highest natural antioxidant levels, complete protein profile, and unique essential sugars, supported by remarkably high amounts of essential vitamins and minerals..."

My question: "Can I possibly grow a bush that produces this miracle fruit as well?" :-) Only if I market it as well as they do!

Prego Food- Another forgotten gem

Onions! The smell of grilling onions... OOOHHHHHHH yum!!!! Grilled red onions on pizza--- melt in my mouth delicioso!

And to think, not so many years ago I would not have touched one!

Preggers Update #2 for 22 Weeks: Stuff I forgot!

Heartburn. Lots and lots of heartburn. I will personally guarantee that this little fellow will share the boisterous head of hair that his sisters had.

And - how weird is this - Ziva (our doberman) is suddenly treating me like I'm the boss. This is COMPLETELY different from before, as Gabe's mom told us that she viewed Gabe as the boss, then her, then me- if she feels like listening. I asked Gabe if he thought it's because I'm visibly preggers (though I would have thought she'd have smelled some hormone difference before) and she recognizes me as the Alpha female? I don't know- I don't know dogs. Any ideas?

Melia, tonight as we were making brownies from scratch, says (because she thinks it's her turn to stir) "Mommy, I think baby brother is getting tired from helping you...."

The girls also got to see brother kick this afternoon- not sure what they thought, but at least Melia was smiling... ;-)

Prego Update: 22 Weeks

Hmm... What to put... Getting bigger. Officially made the transition to maternity clothes, and realizing for some reason I just don't have that many warm shirts...For sure a boy- I spotted it too ;-) Ultrasound measured 2 days ahead of schedule- safe there. Pretty active, but not too "bothersome" keeping me awake or anything. I have had some extremely sharp kicks to my pelvis area, which is different because Melia and Kiera were both head down most of the time. But he's still pretty little, so rolling around a lot I'm sure. (Babycenter says the size of a spagetti squash, but I don't know what that is.... although I have considered planting them next year! :-)

I was starting to have trouble sleeping when Gabe was home, but not so much when he was working... we figured out this week that that slight tilt to the mattress makes a big difference when I tilt on to my belly! Uncomfortable! So we put the mattress topper back on the bed and we'll see how that helps.

We've also started training the girls to let Mommy sleep more in the morning (unless preschool) to help them understand better when brother comes that Mommy will need to not be bothered when she's sleeping. (Thankfully, Gabe has totally stepped up and taken this on- I was harboring guilt over asking them to let me have some rest, but he has been MORE than supportive! How grateful I am for my husband!) He has also been really great in understanding my prego brain- lately in the afternoon, if I don't have a plan, nothing happens. If I mess up dinner, then I just can't think well enough to figure out something else to make (we ended up with PB&J...and then Subway...) I think I need to remember my Omega3s; baby is taking all my brain food! :-)

And how big am I? Depending on who you talk to: I am just starting to show, or I am nearly there. Take your pick. (Literally, a guy at work was counseling me to make sure if I feel weird or anything, let him know, he'll call the paramedics in a flash! And he'll hold my hand, but he won't deliver! Love the concern, but... it's a little early, dontcha think?) I feel like I'm bigger, but also that I'm growing differently. I also really think I am feeling hiccups. I remember them from before, a gentle rhythmic motion, but not this early! Do they get them this early or is it only later?

We'll Take Them...

Do any of the rest of you have those little "bath oil beads" that come in bath sets which dissolve in the bath? Specifically, ones you don't use, and won't use, and don't know what to do with?

I have your solution. Melia and Kiera love them, so I go through them pretty quick. My supply is running low. If you have some I can help you out with by taking them off your hands, I'd be happy to assist!

(Or, if you know where to buy giant packs on the cheap, then you'd be helping me!) :-)

Save this Junk Mail: Arbitron!

Gabe opened ours up, and there was $2 in there! Plus, if you finish a really easy survey, you get another $5!

Hey, it's seven dollars! That will pay for.... uh, umm. Gee... Pop and popcorn at the movies? Or a couple of Starbucks? Or another trip to Albies! Yea, that's it! More cereal ;-) Hee hee!

So Excited!

I tried a few months ago to start reading to the girls (or just Melia) from the Magician's Nephew (one of the books of Narnia, technically the one CS Lewis says is first...) but she really didn't get into it. I think we maybe did three chapters? Not much, so I didn't force it.

This last week, we started again into The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. Three times we have done two chapters in one sitting, and a couple other singles. She is seeming to enjoy it, asking questions and such. Kiera, well, she sits quiet with us, playing or snacking, which is plenty for me to ask at this point.

But the best part is that tonight, on the way home from Gramps' house, at almost 9 pm (late for them!) Melia requested that we read from our story tonight when we got home! I could not possibly refuse, but of course did only one chapter :-) I was just so thrilled that she remembered and wanted to read more!

Another plus is that I was hoping to be able to do this while nursing so the girls don't feel "ignored" or be frustrated that the baby gets more attention. Thank you Lord!

Hermeneutics

I've been pondering this post for a long time- It is difficult to put faith into words sometimes! After a request to more fully explain what to take literally and not, we enrolled in a Hermeneutics class. I gleaned a great deal from the class, but have been unsure of how to verbalize it. I think sharing notes is the easiest way to explain it? We'll see.

Hermeneutics refers to your method of interpreting the Bible.
I don't know what I'm classified as- when I read things about "literalist," they are terribly limiting by their own definitions and assumptions- This may just be the different authors or what, but I would say that their perspectives definitely skew their opinions!

However, I do agree with these statements regarding Bible study:
* God means what He says, and says what He means.
* The Bible is an integrated whole: Every detail is there by design.
* Nothing is trivial: All things are for our learning.
* God is His own interpreter. (Not such and such teacher, or translation, or denomination!)

I also have been long vexed by the arguments for the different translations, as they all have their pros/cons, but obviously, none is perfect. Some are better than others, *most* all can be used to bring someone to faith, but for study purposes, it's better to get as close to original as possible, right? The conclusion I believe I was given is that no matter what "translation" I am using, none of them are the direct word of God. The Words of Scripture are God's own- in the original languages. (That's why I look up what the Greek definition is, not Websters!)
This is why I find it so exciting that I do not have to know Hebrew or Greek to be able to find out what God was originally saying; we live in an age where research is open to all, and thanks to computers, I don't have to have a personal library to do it. (Not to say I shouldn't be building one, but you know...) Example: blueletterbible.com with just a click you can access lexicons, translations, concordances.... It's amazing!

A few other notes:

All Scripture is given by inspiration [Godbreathed]
of God, and is profitable for doctrine,
for reproof, for correction, for instruction
in righteousness. 2 Timothy 3:16
I like this expansion....
“All Scripture is . . . profitable” in four ways: for
doctrine—that’s what’s right; for reproof—that’s
what’s not right; for correction—that’s how to get
right; and for instruction in righteousness—that’s
how to stay right.

*What about figures of speech?
There are over 200 different types of figures of speech in Scripture- No, we don't take them literally, as they are not meant to be. But they are more than worthy of study and consideration; the deeper meanings are such a treasure! Often, they can be used to help interpret a different scripture because of the correlating figures of speech... it's a treasure hunt!

Pitfalls to be aware of regarding bible study:
1. Analysis Paralysis: Data lacking relevance- This is a spiritual study, not intellectual only.
2. Textual Doubts: Founded in "scholarship" or arrogant skepticism?
3. Relying on Church History: Set aside your traditional teaching and read the Word!
4. Not "Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth"
5. Distinguish between Israel and the Church: the Lord deals with Israel and the church mutually exclusively; their origin, mission, and destiny are each unique.
6. The Hazards of Presuppositions: Examine the texts for yourself- sometimes we are taught theories that are more simplistic than accurate. Line them up Biblically and make your own decision.
7. Lacking the Whole Counsel of God: the entire Word is the final test, don't let single contexts drag you down without comparing them to what the whole context says.

Preconditions to Study:
* Are you saved? Essential prerequisite.
* Prayer! Always! Be under the tutorship of the Author!
* Obedience. Be pre-commited and surrendered, not in a rebellious frame of mind.

A love of the Bible requires knowing your Bible; Knowing your Bible leads to a deeper love of Him.

Why would I say this method of interpretation is correct? I find freedom in making God responsible for what I believe because of what He has inspired instead of having myself be responsible to decide what in the Bible is truth and what isn't.

Why would I say I'm right in my understanding or learning? Other than the obvious written Truths, such as the Gospel, I wouldn't, not for sure. This is a lifelong journey! But you know those little bites of wonder that the Spirit shares with you? Those I will cling to with certainty, until the Spirit or the Word tells me differently. There is no greater high than having Him give me a treasure, and that alone will keep me on my journey. They may sometimes be far and few between, but the Word has lots to keep me busy! :-) It's probably a good thing, because some lessons take years to fully grasp and apply in obedience- that is definitely a personal experience! It's hard to "put off the old... and put on the new" but it is a blessing to obey!

And a further note: I don't agree with everything that one person teaches. Oftentimes I have this persistent thought to reconsider and examine something myself which makes me not immediately agree; than later as I research it, there is a deeper lesson or a different perspective that I need to consider, either for or against. The Word needs to be our prioritized reference, not man.

I hope this encourages most of you! I find that it helps me to be able to reiterate what I have learned, and this was certainly an exercise! And feel free to agree to disagree- with me! Not with Him! ;-) Your comments and questions are welcome, as there was tons of info and examples I did not include in the interests of brevity. (I know...what brevity?!!)

Our New Neighborhood Critter

For about two weeks, our cat food had been getting tipped over and spilled on our deck, every night. I assumed it was our completely annoying neighbor MinPin wanna-be, so Gabe was ready with his paintball gun to take him out- when and if we caught him.

But New Years Eve, we were up and heard a crash on the porch. We had placed our leaky cast iron teapot on top of the food bucket; this was the noise. Gabe jumped and grabbed his gun, only to open the door and shout, "IT'S a RACCOON!" I made it to the door in time to see "something" run around the corner of the house. Gabe said that he did definitely hit it, so he probably won't be back.

But he was. Every night, like clockwork. One night, we arrived home especially late (after 11pm) in separate cars. Gabe pulled in first, as I had stopped to get the mail. When I pulled in and got out, he asked if I had seen it. Nope- I had missed him again. Bummer. I really wanted to see it!

I had my hopes up for Monday night, as when Gabe is working when I get off, I go get the girls and normally don't get home until at least after 10:30, more like 11. But, I picked up the mail, pulled in slowly, walked sneaky-like to the front porch, and....

didn't spook anything out of anywhere....

However, I finished doing my Genesis copy for the night, and peaked out the window as a last chance before heading to bed, and he had just arrived! I watched him pull the bucket over, move the pot out of the way, turn the bucket towards himself with one paw (we're talking five gal bucket here!) and start in on his nightly treat.... Then I thought, I wonder if I can get some pictures through the window.... grabbed (quietly) the camera, and shot. Total flashback from the window. And he saw me. He moved to the stairs, and we proceeded to have a little showdown- but he never left, and I took several pictures, flash off w/ manual focus. Now, I just don't have the mental capacity for remembering ISO and all that stuff... so be gracious, but here are two that I did get. First one is during our showdown through the window....

and second is after I left him alone to his meal. :-)

He came Tuesday night during the storm, and the next night the food was tipped over but not opened, and now he has not come for two nights. Maybe he only comes when there is lots of snow.... At least now Leo feels it is safe enough to come home...

Just Too Good Not to Share...Albies!

Ok, so I really wasn't going to take pictures of all this stuff I am buying, because it will probably look the same--- but I just finished my second trip, and it even suprised me at how little OOP we spent!

All this- a savings of $47 and pennies- Out of pocket $5.15! I only used coupons I printed online, plus the double coupon in-ad at Albies. What a blessing, especially for food that can still be here after baby comes, so provision for future needs! Thank you Lord!

Question for Fellow Couponers...

What is the best way that you have found to store and take with you your load of coupons? I am still using the envelope system- I have them basically sorted, but still end up spending quite a bit of time in-store sorting and finding the ones I want.

I am wondering if anyone has tried the baseball-card sorting, or anything similar. I especially would like to get them out of my purse, but easy/big enough that I won't lose them either.

Thanks!!!

Albertsons- Another $15/30 week

I have completely taken the holidays off from any large amount of bargain shopping, but over the last two days, with a little toddler help, we got my expired coupons expunged from the stash (Some from OCT!) and caught up with the clipping.

And this came in handy, as Albies started another pretty good deal for the "Get $15 off your next order when you spend $30 on selected items." Boy, they aren't kidding by selected items! Like "only the one in the picture!" selected! But I still have plenty of coupons to do several trips, and lots of decent items like Progresso soups, cereals, yogurt for good prices after coupons and 1/2 off in the way of $ back.

Also, pay attention in the ad: They have two "Double Manufacture Coupons x3" coupons- you can only use one per transaction, but this netted me an extra $3 off my total! Note: Albie's brand cheese, eggs, and butter are good deals with the in ad coupons.

Hope this helps some of you stretch His money He's entrusted to us! Happy Couponing!

What a Night!

Wow, if you have heard about the crazy weather we had last night in Wenatchee, you know it was pretty wild. I had no idea how wild until Gabe came home this morning and started rattling off stats to me... like "we hit a record high at 9pm last night of 60*, winds of 98 mph on Wenatchee Heights, and oh, yea, by the way, all the snow is gone..." Which really made my morning. I am one of those few people who enjoy the snow and appreciate it while it is here. (I say few because most of the conversations you hear in winter are from those who can't wait for the snow to go away, while I wish for more...) What I hate in the winter is mud and slush. And that's what we have this morning! Especially since our house is in a low spot, we get lots of standing water where we park our cars, and our walkway turns to slush-city.

Anyway, back to my night. Gabe calls a little after 8, I had the girls in bed and I was doing some Bible copying (which I am still LOVING, other than Genesis is REALLY long!), slowing down for bed. He warns me that some of the power in E. Wen. had gone down, and to call him on our cells (if they work) if we lose power and he will come home and set up batteries to run the pellet stove. (Alas, heat- still dependent upon power to work...) So I get a little nervous... set up some candles and lighters so I know exactly where everything is if it does go dark. (Flashlights? No idea...) Head to bed around 9:15.

At 10:30 I am absolutely fuming- our house numbers aren't screwed down all the way, and they just happen to be "swinging in the rain," making lovely loud dinging noises everytime they hit the house, keeping me awake. I am ready to call Gabe and ask him to come home and screw those in, because I am sure that I can't reach them to finish screwing them in or yank them off if I did try. But, controlling myself, I get up, get dressed, find a screwdriver (electric even!) and head outside. Thank goodness I could reach them, and with enough frustration and force, screwed them in enough that they at least didn't swing. Funny thing is that Gabe was suprised I was able to when I told him this morning! (That's what emotionally angry prego people are capable of!)

But after experiencing just what was going on outside, when I came back into bed, I spent probably 20 minutes praying because I was so anxious about the storm and what I would be able to accomplish at home- alone, overnight, powerless, and pregnant. However -His peace passes all understanding. I did have to take a melatonin to get to sleep (too much going on, too much noise), but slept good all night. I knew that it rained all night, and that we always had power when I woke up, but it was a good night's sleep compared to normal.

And this morning? Guess what I saw outside? A rainbow. Like God's special reminder to me that He is my Protector, and I need not worry. I am in His hand always. He is sooo good and His special blessings are precious. Amen.

This Morning's Sound Bite

Mommy: Melia, do you think baby brother will look like daddy?
Melia: Hmmmhmmm.
Mommy: Do you think baby brother will have whiskers?
Melia: (giggling) No!
Mommy: Do you think baby brother will have brown hair?
Melia: mmmmmm.....
Mommy: Will brother have hair like you and Kiera?
Melia: NO! Only girls have hair like that!

How Un-Musical am I???

Remember how I love Christmas music on KLove? And how I mentioned Trans-Siberian Orchestra?

Well, I heard this song on KLOVE in the weeks leading up to Christmas, and LOVED it from the first time- Christmas Canon Rock. And I thought- literally, this was my thought-- "Hey! I didn't know that the wedding song was a Christmas song! How cool is that!"

And then..... two days ago, Gabe showed me this funny video, Pachelbel Bedtime. Then I learned that... well, whatever. You know. I don't. And he called me a dork. I won't deny it.

I don't know music. I did take a classical music section of Humanities in college. But apparently Pachelbel wasn't in there. I remember Bach though, and a few others. Woohoo.

But I do know what I like. I like music that gives me goosebumps!

Busy New Year- Or Quiet? Both?

I feel like I'm all messed up with days and weeks, and dates. I think just the rush around of Christmas and New Years in the same week does that to me, then plus I didn't work on my normal days, and Gabe being on and off on different days, and I've got one scrambled calendar.

But we did have a grand New Years gathering at our house, last minute style :-)

Our friends Dan and Lindsey came over with their 3, and Tasha with her daughter and niece, and Mark and Annie. So total, 7 children, +3 in utero, plus us "grown-ups!" I know I just had a nice time, visiting and socializing and sharing our time together. The kids were in bed at a decent hour :-) and Mark and Annie kept me up to celebrate the New Year. (I wasn't planning on staying up, but with good company it's much easier!) We also made a fascinating discovery that I hope to catch pictures of and share with you later.... There's a new critter in the neighborhood....

On New Year's day, we played together out in the snow, tried to make a snowman, ending up with a little one on the porch. Gabe worked in the shop trying to organize to make room for his newest acquisition, a waste oil burner (heater for the shop). I got started painting with my latest color, Chocolate cupcake, for the front interior wall of the family room. I must say, I was quite in the mood for chocolate cake when I was done, but I'm not sure if it had anything to do with the paint :-) After I get the main corner put back together, I will share pictures so you can ooohh and ahhhh and yuck over my weird choices. But I think I will like it alot- it adds another dimension to a supposed-to-be more "formal" gathering room, which is not formal at all. It's more like our dumping ground!

In the midst of all this, I'm trying to become an expert at losing at Memory to a 2 year old. It is not easy. She thinks they all should match- but it's building my patience! And at Bingo, Kiera almost always beats Melia- just the luck of the draw, as we play four-in-a-row followed by blackout, but it is pretty funny. I think maybe I should get some more games for them, because we play several games of just these two each day- which I find exhausting :-) And for Animal Scramble? Kiera is a little too rough- she breaks the little animals off their stands when she tags them w/ the giraffe, so we get about one game, then I have to hot glue some little guy back on for the next day's abuse.... Fun stuff :-)