We took advantage of the long weekend by taking a trip to Yellowstone. We had already considered it when my sister-in-law called and invited us to spend the weekend at their aunt and uncle's cabin in Island Park. We were excited because that meant we could take our little vacation and we had free lodging.
We drove up Friday after Dave got home from work. The car got great gas mileage all weekend as we drove all around the park, stopping to see bears (10 total), a moose, lots of elk and bison and a coyote.
We only paid for one meal the entire time we were there because Dave's aunt Teresa kept us full on home-cooking.
Sounds like a pretty cheap vacation so far, right?
But on the way out of the park for the last time, I glanced down and saw that the main diamond from my wedding set was gone. All gone.
So if you ever find a princess-cut diamond in Yellowstone (maybe near Old Faithful?), CALL ME.
ETA: I forgot to mention that Dave went back into the park and searched every place we had stopped that day. He knew it was a long shot, but he couldn't leave without trying. Sweet, huh?
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Patience, young grasshopper
I just saw the funniest conversation on Facebook, and I need to share. The originator is my second cousin, and I'm not sure how old she is, but apparently she hasn't graduated from the sixth grade yet.
(Cousin): wants a phone soooooooo bad!!!!!!! MOM PLEASSSSSSSSSSSSSSEEEEEEEEEEEE CAN I HAVE A PHONE??!!!!
(Friend 1) girl, i didnt get mine til the day after I graduated from 6th grade..patience, young grasshopper(:
(Friend 2) I didn't get mine until the day before 8th grade. I win. Btw, the longer the wait, possibly the better phone! :)
Friday, April 16, 2010
A great cat massage tutorial!
I found this (via the Glamour Shots carnival) on Keeping Up With Mom.
This is for all you cat lovers out there. Don't forget to use your right hand or your left hand or both hands.
This is for all you cat lovers out there. Don't forget to use your right hand or your left hand or both hands.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Glamour!
If you don't already know Kristina, it's about time you check out her blog. Right now she's hosting a Glamour Shots carnival, and I thought that would be a fun thing to participate in.
I don't have an official "Glamour" shot, but I do have this!
This was one of my senior pictures that all the grownups in my life loved, and I hated. It just didn't look like me to me. I would have never made that "come hither" face or posed like that, and certainly not in a hooded sweatshirt. But it was my parents' favorite, so it has been prominently displayed ever since.
However, now that I am 11 years removed from this photo shoot, I actually like this picture! Isn't that backwards? Aren't you supposed to love these when you first get them, and then be completely embarrassed by them in the years to come?
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Expert advice
I was thinking this morning about my blog post about chicken coops, and especially the part where I touted a belief in following my own instincts when it comes to parenting and running a household in general. I wrote about how I rarely consult the experts.
I realized that I had given myself a little (or maybe a lot) too much credit. There is one expert that I consult quite frequently.
This is my mom.
You may also call her Nurse Jacque or TechnoMom.
I rely on her a lot. She is always my first call when my son is running a fever and I need some guidance or just a little comfort.
She recognizes when I'm being silly about something and helps me be smart, without making me feel like I was being silly in the first place.
She's my official Weight Watchers buddy. (She's lost more than 35 pounds, and she's still going strong.)
She's really smart with computers and her Farkle score is unbeatable.
She's an expert seamstress and a wonderful cook.
She's genuine, and brave enough to reach out to people. She's a wonderful example of friendship and caring.
She has molded the way I feel about being a mother. She has always been a very tender mother and grandmother. She is very nurturing and empathetic.
And maybe that's the reason I don't feel the need to consult the other experts. If I can raise my children to know that they are loved and capable, the way that she and my dad did, I will be happy.
But I'm sure I'll have some more questions along the way.
I realized that I had given myself a little (or maybe a lot) too much credit. There is one expert that I consult quite frequently.
You may also call her Nurse Jacque or TechnoMom.
I rely on her a lot. She is always my first call when my son is running a fever and I need some guidance or just a little comfort.
She recognizes when I'm being silly about something and helps me be smart, without making me feel like I was being silly in the first place.
She's my official Weight Watchers buddy. (She's lost more than 35 pounds, and she's still going strong.)
She's really smart with computers and her Farkle score is unbeatable.
She's an expert seamstress and a wonderful cook.
She's genuine, and brave enough to reach out to people. She's a wonderful example of friendship and caring.
She has molded the way I feel about being a mother. She has always been a very tender mother and grandmother. She is very nurturing and empathetic.
And maybe that's the reason I don't feel the need to consult the other experts. If I can raise my children to know that they are loved and capable, the way that she and my dad did, I will be happy.
But I'm sure I'll have some more questions along the way.
Friday, April 2, 2010
Take me to your leader
I bet this dog's home planet is really stinky.
"Greetings, Earthlings!" from our Boston terrier, Panda Bear
aka Snorty McSnorkleson
aka Stink Bomb
aka Alien Being
Thursday, March 25, 2010
The Chicken Coop
A friend of mine posted a link on Facebook to a New York Times article about the recent trend of regular households keeping backyard chickens.
I found the article fascinating enough to read the whole thing aloud to my husband. I was particularly intrigued by the idea that backyard farming hearkens back to the industriousness that brought women into the workforce so many years ago. The writer also suggests that this is not necessarily old-fashioned, but actually a progressive, modern way to live that could become more common.
Apparently it is more common in some areas than others, such as the writer's home of Berkeley, Calif. And a friend of mine in Lawrence, Kan., where I spent a few lovely years of my life, says backyard farming is the newest way to "keep up with the Joneses." A couple months ago I read an article out of Provo, Utah, where the issue of "urban chickens" was brought to the city council, who eventually decided that Provo residents were permitted to keep up to 6 chickens.
In my own neighborhood, there are at least two families keeping chickens. One is the farm that used to own all the land our houses are built on, so they have probably had chickens for years. But just yesterday, when this topic was already on my mind, I looked out my back window and discovered a yard full of chickens in my neighbor's backyard.
I'm not compelled to go out and buy chicken wire, but it definitely makes me think about running a household in general. These families have assessed their own values and situations and they have decided to keep chickens, which is still fairly unusual, at least in my neck of the woods.
But do we allow ourselves to have our own "chicken coops" in our families, in other forms? Do you run your household the same way as all your friends and neighbors, or do you assess your own individual values and give yourself permission to do things your way?
Here's my example. My little secret that's not so secret. My 3-year-old son goes to bed late and sleeps in late. This allows my husband lots of time after work to spend time with his son, and we enjoy that time as a family. I know some people think we are crazy, and when bedtime starts to creep later and later sometimes we think we are crazy. But at our house, a perfect night would be for Charlie to be asleep by 9:30 or 10:00. That leaves enough time for these night owl parents to play a board game or catch up on "The Office" on Hulu. We know some people would disagree with the way we do it, but it's what works for our family. We enjoy that we can take Charlie out to dinner with us and not have to worry about a 7:30 bedtime. And because he's our only child, we can do that because we don't have a school schedule to adhere to (yet).
Perhaps some experts would look down on that, but I wouldn't know because I don't consult them. There is definitely room for improvement in our household, but we don't seek to fit anyone else's notion of the right way to do things. I believe strongly in following your instincts as a parent, and the experts all disagree anyway. I generally don't bother consulting the experts unless my own instincts come up empty on a certain subject*.
Chicken coops and late bedtimes don't seem to have anything to do with each other. But the rise of the chicken coop has made an impression on me. Like I said, I'm not about to raise chickens myself, but it's nice to see families doing things their way, even though it might be a little counterculture.
*In the interest of full disclosure, I will say that I have read one parenting book cover to cover. The Natural Child: Parenting from the Heart . It was a little extreme at times (for instance, she suggests that cribs should be banned), but I generally agreed with the author, and it has given me more confidence in the way I do things.
I found the article fascinating enough to read the whole thing aloud to my husband. I was particularly intrigued by the idea that backyard farming hearkens back to the industriousness that brought women into the workforce so many years ago. The writer also suggests that this is not necessarily old-fashioned, but actually a progressive, modern way to live that could become more common.
Apparently it is more common in some areas than others, such as the writer's home of Berkeley, Calif. And a friend of mine in Lawrence, Kan., where I spent a few lovely years of my life, says backyard farming is the newest way to "keep up with the Joneses." A couple months ago I read an article out of Provo, Utah, where the issue of "urban chickens" was brought to the city council, who eventually decided that Provo residents were permitted to keep up to 6 chickens.
In my own neighborhood, there are at least two families keeping chickens. One is the farm that used to own all the land our houses are built on, so they have probably had chickens for years. But just yesterday, when this topic was already on my mind, I looked out my back window and discovered a yard full of chickens in my neighbor's backyard.
I'm not compelled to go out and buy chicken wire, but it definitely makes me think about running a household in general. These families have assessed their own values and situations and they have decided to keep chickens, which is still fairly unusual, at least in my neck of the woods.
But do we allow ourselves to have our own "chicken coops" in our families, in other forms? Do you run your household the same way as all your friends and neighbors, or do you assess your own individual values and give yourself permission to do things your way?
Here's my example. My little secret that's not so secret. My 3-year-old son goes to bed late and sleeps in late. This allows my husband lots of time after work to spend time with his son, and we enjoy that time as a family. I know some people think we are crazy, and when bedtime starts to creep later and later sometimes we think we are crazy. But at our house, a perfect night would be for Charlie to be asleep by 9:30 or 10:00. That leaves enough time for these night owl parents to play a board game or catch up on "The Office" on Hulu. We know some people would disagree with the way we do it, but it's what works for our family. We enjoy that we can take Charlie out to dinner with us and not have to worry about a 7:30 bedtime. And because he's our only child, we can do that because we don't have a school schedule to adhere to (yet).
Perhaps some experts would look down on that, but I wouldn't know because I don't consult them. There is definitely room for improvement in our household, but we don't seek to fit anyone else's notion of the right way to do things. I believe strongly in following your instincts as a parent, and the experts all disagree anyway. I generally don't bother consulting the experts unless my own instincts come up empty on a certain subject*.
Chicken coops and late bedtimes don't seem to have anything to do with each other. But the rise of the chicken coop has made an impression on me. Like I said, I'm not about to raise chickens myself, but it's nice to see families doing things their way, even though it might be a little counterculture.
*In the interest of full disclosure, I will say that I have read one parenting book cover to cover. The Natural Child: Parenting from the Heart . It was a little extreme at times (for instance, she suggests that cribs should be banned), but I generally agreed with the author, and it has given me more confidence in the way I do things.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Service Soapbox and a Baby Shower
Several bloggers that I read have posted about a new service organization they have created. The first event will be a baby shower to supply baby items for those who need a little help.
Go here for more information. For me it will be a fun way to meet some of the gals I have been getting to know online, and obviously a good opportunity to provide some needed assistance.
I'm feeling shy, but I think I'll go.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Forever giveaway
Follow Good Frau Personalized Paper Products to enter to win a free custom invitation or announcement. Each time I get 20 new followers, I will randomly choose one person to receive a free personalized design. You can choose from those posted to the site, or tell me what you have in mind, and I'll make you something fresh and brand new!
If you're chosen and you don't have anything to use it for, you can either save it for when you do, or pass it on to a friend.
If you're chosen and you don't have anything to use it for, you can either save it for when you do, or pass it on to a friend.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Good Frau Personalized Paper Products
Ever since I worked for a couple newspapers a few years ago and learned Photoshop, I have loved to create invitations and announcements for my friends. So I decided to try my hand at selling some.
I just got this shop up and running today (it's not an Etsy shop). So go take a look, and spread the word!
Good Frau Personalized Paper Products
I just got this shop up and running today (it's not an Etsy shop). So go take a look, and spread the word!
Good Frau Personalized Paper Products
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