It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Another Post

Finally.

Man, work sure gets in the way. :)

A lot of stuff has been going on since I last wrote. The divorce is still dragging on, which is apparently what they must do in order to be approved at all. "I'm sorry, you haven't suffered enough. Give it another42 days and call me in the morning. If you can barely drag yourself through my office doors and I can't siphon one more cent out of your pockets, only then will I consider granting your divorce."

Anyway, I've had my first appointment with the psychologist we hired out of Boise. He is an interesting man, but what else would you expect? He is a clinical and forensic psychologist. It's actually a little eerie being around a man who has seen some real psychos. Obviously, he should be perfect for our case. I talked with him for a while and then he set me up on a computer to take my first 2 personality tests -- over 800 true/false questions. After he gave me instructions, he told me he was leaving and asked if I would mind shutting the lights off when I left. I thought that was awesome. Hopefully it meant I looked trustworthy! During a short break I took between tests, I helped myself to a peach jolly rancher from a bowl on his desk. Loved it, until I realized it was the single-most expensive piece of candy I would probably ever eat. *Sigh* Should've chosen a bigger candy.

My next appointment is Jan. 5. Levi is also supposed to be arranging to meet with the doctor, but, of course, has not set anything up yet. In fact, he and his idiot lawyer lost the information. The blind leading the blind. They are 2 peas in a pod, which is horrifying and hilarious all at the same time.

Eric had his 5TH BIRTHDAY on Dec. 1! I will have to post pictures & report on that a little later. But he had a great day. Though, waiting for Mom to get home from work before he could open his presents was the WORST thing ever! He was so grateful to us for the things he got. I am so proud of him and blessed beyond words to have such an incredible, loving, forgiving, polite, hilarious noodle of a son. I'd tie him up with ribbon and stick him under the tree, just for me, if he'd let me! (But how in the world would he play video games if he was tied up?! Gasp!)

Anyway, in conclusion, we are doing wonderfully. Surrounded by people who LOVE the pants off us every single day, forgiven by a Savior who's birth we're celebrating, and never wanting for anything. Looking at those things, it seems kind of silly to be giving any other gifts... :)

"May the god of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."

Lexi

Some of you may know about a couple of sister Boxer pups I had a few years ago -- Lexi & Roxie.

Well, unfortunately Levi still has Roxie.

To make a really awful and long story short...

While Lexi was still a puppy, she was hurt and beat up so often and so badly by Levi that the last time I brought her to the vet (with a crushed pelvis), I knew it HAD to be the last time I did so. I finally broke down in front of our wonderful vet and told him what was going on and that if I continued to bring Lexi home, I knew she would eventually be killed.

My heart was/is not capable of bearing such a tragedy.

He discussed some options with me and I ended up signing over all rights to her, to the vet. They would rehabilitate her and find her a new home.

That had to be one of the hardest things I have ever had to do. She was my first baby girl; so beautiful and brilliantly smart. And trapped at my house.

Well, in an effort to collect more legal documentation on Levi, I was instructed to get vet records from all the vet clinics. So, I called the vet mentioned above. He remembered me...and Lexi. :)

And then he told me some incredible news: he is still Lexi's vet and she is doing fabulously. An older couple with grown children adopted her and treat her like one of their children. He said she is beautiful, healthy, and very smart. Just like I remember her.

That poor vet. Every time I have ever spoke with him, I've been crying. But this time it was tears of relief and joy and gratefulness. I still miss her, but she's being loved like she deserves to be. The Lord answered that prayer and I can't praise Him enough for that.

I'm not sure if I can do anything for Roxie. I have tried calling animal control and the Humane Society, but was told they can't/won't pick up a dog from their own owners. I was flabbergasted and frustrated. I flat-out told them what was going on. Apparently, someone at a DIFFERENT address needs to report it. I'm not sure how well that was thought through. >:[

Anyway, the vet also wrote a wonderful statement that should be helpful. I was also able to get another record from another vet today and am waiting on a 3rd on Monday. All of these should help! The Lord is good!

Lexi (on the ground w/pink collar)
&
Roxie (on chair w/purple collar)

A Quickie

It's the evening of my last day off this weekend and I plan on spendin' it with a very sweet, handsome, blondie who loves me very much, so I'm gonna make this fast.

First, I apologize for taking so long between posts.

Now, kindly remove the angry-eyebrows and follow along.

My job is still going great. I'm getting the hang of things and have developed more independence, even allowing the gal I'm replacing a few days out of the office. People like me there, which must mean the initial shock must've worn off. Engineers are very "Type A". I'm "Type YB-". That was my attempt at a medical terminology joke that stands for "Why Be Negative". *sigh* Ok, ok, I promise...no more attempts. But I'm funny and independent and I KNOW it, so no one is safe. I don't care how quickly your brain can perform calculus equations, if you are socially awkward, I will find you.

A hearing for several divorce issues is scheduled for Oct. 26. Pray for that, k?

I got in to see a counselor and he...is...awesome. My attorney said it would be a good idea for me to get a professional involved before we are able to get the custody evaluator involved (it will be addressed on the 26th). Not-so-long story short -- the counselor told me there was a word for Levi.

I asked if it was longer than 4 letters.

Let's try "Sociopath" on for size. It was a little baggy on me but a (dangerously) perfect fit for Levi. Google that and then send me your condolences...or congratulations. Whichever you deem worthy. I'm meeting with the counselor again this coming Thursday and am excited for it. He is an ordained minister, which doesn't seem to deter him from the occasional swear word. And he is very good friends with our divorce judge. So I can't help but feeling that God's hand is in this...#$&@ or otherwise.

Eric is my incredible little man and dumps so much love in to me that even this big-mouthed, independent, working girl he calls his mom is in awe and consumed by it. During even the shortest absences, I miss him terribly. But he's doing terrific. He knows the routine very well -- 5 days of working, then 2 days of doing "something fun" together. And he counts the days down every week. I leave a note by his chair every morning before I leave and he looks for it when he wakes up. Sometimes he even tries to write one for me by copying the letters from my note.

Man. I'm blessed.

I still covet your prayers regarding every aspect of the divorce. Levi is very cunning, manipulative, and has no moral boundaries. The Lord is infinitely more powerful than anything Levi can do, but it is still very unnerving to know that there is nothing he won't do to get his way.

One of my favorite songs was just on, so I'm gonna end on a couple of my most-loved lines from it:
"And all of creation, sing with me now; lift up your voice and lay your burden down; And all of creation, sing with me now; fill up the heavens, let His glory resound."

SING WITH ME! :)

Can I Get a Hallelujah?!

Last week I submitted a renewal request for the protection order against Levi. I have had to fill out 3 so far: one at the very beginning with all the gorey details - approved for 2 weeks, then attend a hearing so both sides could be heard (Levi didn't show), had it extended for 90 days - approved = most incredible summer ever, 90 days are almost up, so I either let it expire or put in a renewal request for a YEAR.

You bet I did.

I was told that the judge handling these things had been setting them for hearing, so I would probably have to attend another one, and I was pretty darn sure Levi would attend that one.

Well, today I was able to break away from work (to meet with my dad & attorney), and then raced over to the courthouse to find out what the judge decided...

APPROVED FOR AN ENTIRE YEAR WITH NO HEARING.

I almost yanked the gal from behind the counter and bear-hugged her. And then I almost broke down in tears of relief. I think she could tell how relieved I was 'cause she just looked at me very kindly and chuckled and said, "Have a good day."

God is good.

(I thought this was pretty funny and fit with my "story" humorously. All joking aside, I AM praising the Lord!)

Hi Ho

Off to work I went! Today was my first day and it went really well. There is SO much information that I am learning and I have to keep reminding myself that it is unreasonable to expect myself to remember all of it immediately. Tanya, my supervisor who is training me, is absolutely wonderful and we spent most of the day laughing our way through our tasks. And almost everyone made a point to tell me they are ready to answer any questions I have and help me any way they can. How great is that? Oh, and they had a personalized welcome banner up on my side of the desk and my name placard already in place! After all that, there's definitely no going back!

I've kinda been struggling with feeling a little overwhelmed. Last week, I received an email from Levi accusing me of "hiring" some of his neighbors to spy on him with camcorders. I have no idea what's going on at or around his house, but he is even more furious with me for what he's imagining is going on. Then, this last Friday at 6:00 p.m., I received a voice message from him informing me that the insurance on my car was going to expire the next day (Saturday), he wasn't renewing it, and that I had better do something about it. So, I had to leave my car sit all weekend until my dad was kind enough to call his insurance company first thing this morning and add me. Then I also found out today that within the last couple days, Levi had my cell phone deactivated, so I'm not sure how long I've been missing calls, texts, and emails. I was a little alarmed (albeit frustrated) with not being able to even make a phone call if I needed to.

So anyway, the saga continues. God is good and will help me through the doors He has opened for me. I'm leaning on Him quite heavily these days. We have a couple of bigger decisions to make regarding the divorce, so please pray for GUIDANCE and WISDOM and that the eyes of the higher-ups will be opened to the severity of the situation that lies right below the surface of how the situation may appear at first glance.

You're Hired!

A couple hours after my second interview yesterday, I received a phone call offering me the position I applied for!


I am so thankful and excited! God opened this door for me and I'm going to trust that He's going to help me through it. I am still praying that He will help me trek my way through the changes that will take place now that I will be working full time. I have several J Designs jobs in production that I will have to find time to finish; my biggest concern is being able to work something out with the printer company (my previous employer) where I print a ton of my stuff. They close a 1/2 hour after I get off. Soooooo. . .we'll see what happens!

And I'm lucky enough to get to have my family watch Eric for me. Words cannot express what a relief that is. Thank you to everyone who has been keeping Eric and me in your prayers. I can't imagine going through all of this alone. I am so blessed to have family and friends who take the time to tell me how much I'm LOVED and then stand behind those words with actions. For a girl who loves words of affirmation, that is one of the most powerful things I can be told and shown.

I start training next Monday and am looking forward to working with the gal I'm replacing (she's moving up to keeping the books for the company). The county fair starts next week, too, and I also need to get the protection order against Levi updated next week, so PLEASE keep me/us in your prayers as all of this comes to pass!

Interview

I have an interview tomorrow for an administrative assistant position at an engineering firm! I have heard wonderful things about the company and am very excited to even be considered!

I will definitely report back!

Please pray for my heart to accept and be prepared for whatever decision and changes come from this. I know God knows what's best, but truly accepting that is another story!

27 Candles

August 9 was my birthday.

It was awesome.

There wasn't anything specifically spectacular about it. It was just stress-free. I had come to dread "special" days. But this one was so nice. And to top it off, my family got me a shirt that I had wanted to buy myself but talked myself out of and they didn't even know I wanted it! Aside from me emailing a picture of it to every one of them, there's really no way they could've known.

And about 10:00 that evening, I got an email from Levi, stating: "what now i have a warrant for my arrest the cops are here and i have not done anything wrong good bye i hope your happy".

I had no idea what was going on, but I did have to laugh to myself. Either he was really being arrested or simply trying to get an emotional response out of me. Regardless, I was very thankful that I didn't have to worry about it. And, ok, ok, I thought it was a pretty sweet birthday present, too. It turned out he actually did get arrested. He failed to appear at a court date he had for his last DUI. I sent the police station of Twin Falls a thank-you note.

And I got the interrogatories turned in last Thursday. That was a good feeling. I'm interested to see what the next step will be. I know at some point we will have to meet with a custodial evaluator. Hope I'm not as awful to live with as Levi lead me to believe. Teehee!

Breaking Up is...Time-Consuming!

So I've managed to steam-roll my way through most of the interrogatories! Don't act like you're not impressed. To be honest, I was rather intimidated by the questions being yelled at me from the page (they were in ALL CAPS). But I whipped out my angry eyebrows and bulleted list and they piped down.

I've been making phone calls to various people and sources I would call as witnesses. I told my mom earlier today that doing that makes me nervous. I guess not so much nervous as embarrassed. "Hello, Marriage Counselor. Remember me...from that one time...like 3 years ago? Yeeeeeah. Um, would you mind playing a vital role in my reality tv show of a life? No, I'm not going to pay you. No, there is no chance your mom will see you on tv. No, you'll have to supply your own wardrobe. Will it help if I ask for your autograph? Sweet. Thanks. Bye."

But things are moving forward and that makes me very happy. The light at the end of the tunnel is slowly getting brighter. I think I can even make out the front of the train it's attached to. :) I just hope that train's fulla money, 'cause if it runs over me without killing me, I'm gonna have ER bills on top of attorney bills and I'd hate to see the fight over who gets which arm/leg.


But seriously, I have never felt better. I feel confident and blessed and I'm excited for every tomorrow. I did apply for a job at Costco which I think I'd really enjoy, so could you maybe send up a few prayers for me (in addition to everything else)? :)

I'm learning to (a.k.a. struggling with) waiting on the Lord. This experience is growing me in many ways which I might not have otherwise known. I'm trying to rely more fully on Him and trust that He wants the very best for me and I just need to wait for Him to show it to me. (Side note: if you know me AT ALL, you know that patience is not something that I was "blessed" with. I just figured it's sitting in a divine basket somewhere, right next to my full feminine figure.)

God is good and Eric and I are doing fantastic!

Have You Heard?

So, I kinda want to try something. I realize it may sound a little strange, and given the subject matter, it may even sound a little morbid.

I think I may want to write about the death of my marriage.

I guess it would be more specifically about the process than the actual death.

Most of you already know this has begun. And a lot of you have wondered why I stuck around this long!

Eric and I have been out of "the house" since May 30, 2010. And, figuratively speaking, neither of us has looked back. We've been enjoying a wonderful summer with my family. And I've been enjoying the built-in siblings for Eric without the pain of labor.

I officially filed for divorce June 24. Huh, that's exactly one month ago. The "announcement" was in the July 4th newspaper. Someone must've known it was worth celebrating.

*Please Note: I do not plan on curbing my sense of humor for the sake of the topic. It's as much a target as anything else. So deal with it, or you may show up in my next post.

For whatever {shady} reason, Levi's attorney's office did not present him with the papers until earlier this week -- like the 19th or 20th. So the weeks that had passed that contained my hope of a 20-day ruling, evaporated.

*looks upward* Must've been a reason for that, right??

I received Levi's "countercomplaint" yesterday (Friday). There were a lot of big words, even for me. If I understand correctly, he wants me to learn Italian and wants joint custody of the decorative star on the living room wall.

It included a set of interrogatories (was the word "questions" too understandable to qualify for legal terminology?) for me to answer. Mostly about possessions, debt, and possession of debt. Oh, and I also have to list any witnesses I plan on calling if this all goes to trial. I seriously hope I haven't burned any bridges with the local bartenders. . .

Sparks Were Flying

With all the "controversy" surrounding this year's 4th of July, I've gotta admit that it was nice to have 2 days to celebrate it. Made for a much more relaxed celebration.

Eric and I, along with my mom, Shelley and Michael, made it to the annual Sagebrush Days parade in Buhl Saturday morning. Mom and Shelley were actually in the parade, with Shelley's 4H Group - Paca Kids. We all went to a big BBQ with a bunch of people from our church.

And yesterday, I spent part of the afternoon making a dessert to take to the Jarvis's house, who are some of my closest friends. Tyler & Johanna (and their boys) are some of my dearest friends as well, came to celebrate with us! We had hamburgers and hotdogs with all the delicious extras, watched a little baseball, passed baby Korbin around, lit some fireworks and just enjoyed each other's company.

L-R: Eric, Suzanne, Sydney, Bentley (on top), Tyler, Johanna, & Jon

Eric, Suzanne & Sydney playing with the sparklers!

My incredible girlfriends -- Johanna & Suzanne
And our kiddos -- Bentley, Eric & Sydney
(Not pictured: sleeping baby Korbin)

Names Can Be Deceiving

I'm a loyal craigslist.com-checker, if such a thing exists. The allure of the incredible deal takes me to the site daily. So when I saw a listing for a spectacular furniture sale at a place called Hobo's Warehouse in Jerome, I had to see for myself.

I recruited my dad to accompany me after church this last Sunday so I would have another pair of scrutinizing eyes to size-up whether the deals were too good to be true. I was a bit apprehensive on the drive and as we walked up to the door because I had such high hopes and wasn't in the mood to see them crumble to pieces on the sidewalk.

I felt my hopes bump against the ceiling of the "warehouse" like a balloon that had just been released. It was everything I had hoped for and more. It wasn't an actual warehouse, just a small business suite in the middle of a tiny strip-mall, but the stuff that was stocked was gorgeous. And there were about 11 catalogs laying on a table of everything that could be ordered in!

I sat on every couch, opened every chest of drawers, and made about 6 laps through the store. I promised the owner that I would spread the word, and am thrilled to do so. I hope we can support her because we all like to have nice things, but if we can get them for a reasonable {or dare I say, cheap} price, it makes the difference between just owning the furniture and enjoying the furniture.

Reality {TV}? Check!

I find it humorous, seeing the look on Levi's face as he looks from me, to the TV, then back to me, while "my shows" are on.


Watching my favorite reality TV shows is the most masculine thing I think I've ever done. No, I'm not watching something on Spike and I'm not scratching. . .anything. I think that because when they're on, I don't want to talk and don't want to be talked to. I can {almost} tune everything else out. I don't want Levi to sit next to me with his arm around my shoulders; I need adequate space to physically respond to the show {lean forward in suspense, throw my hands up in disgust, cheer with delight, etc.}

"Why do you like this stuff?" Levi asks.

I look at him like he's got a third eye.

My very cool, very casual {very sarcastic} response is, "It makes me feel better about my own life."

He's expecting such a feminine remark and acknowledges it with an exaggerated eye-roll. I look back at him with a smirk that oozes, "You had it comin', buddy."

But it got me thinking -- why do I like these shows? There's no educational value. And when I try to describe what the shows are actually about, even I have a hard time finding enough words to validate them {and myself}.

There is no question that I am entertained. I love watching the dynamics of relationships, the different personalities, and how each member of the cast approaches obstacles and stressful situations.

And that's what I think it is. I am constantly comparing the decisions they make with the ones I think I would make. Especially in confrontational situations where heated verbal exchanges take place and both sides either feel passionately about what they're defending or are too prideful to back down.

As I've gotten older, I have developed a violent distaste for game-playing. The kind that sucks life out of a relationship, time out of a day, and days out of a life. So I can appreciate confrontation, when done appropriately. And because confrontation is the very life-blood of reality TV, the more dramatically and viciously it is done, the better the ratings.

I don't necessarily agree with the method, but I agree with the point of it, which is getting things out in the open, tackling them head on, and then moving on, not necessarily as "BFFs", but having stood up for what you believe in, holding another person accountable, and expressing your self-worth as a human-being.

So I like observing the confrontation to see who keeps their cool, who is devouring the person standing before them, who has a good point, who's side, if any, I am drawn to, and to compare the comments that come to my mind to the ones being verbalized.

Easter

It was that time of year again, when the Sunday School kiddos were practicing their songs in preparation for Palm Sunday. Eric and I would sing his songs in the car and he'd listen to them in his room. He knew all the words and promised me over and over that he was going to sing and I was going to love it {yes, he informed me of that}. I will admit that I did get my hopes up. Sadly, my handsome little man must've decided the congregation wasn't ready for such talent and maturely allowed the rest of the kids to do their best. ;)

Eric's on the far left, behind the girl in the pink.

Go Steelheads!

In March, we made a trip to Boise with my family to catch an Idaho Steelheads hockey game! It was Eric's first time and we got great seats!

My dad used to play hockey and has always loved the game and I hadn't been in a long time, so it was a really fun experience for everyone!

And, of course, there were plenty of fights in this particular game, which made it even more fun!




During half-time, my sister LoriAnn, her husband Christian, and myself got to participate in a game on the ice! We were playing against another team of 3. We had to try to bounce rubber balls into a large trash can. No one made a single shot until the very end, when Lori won the game for us! We were given Steelheads t-shirts, rubber hockey pucks, and fun memories!

P is for Pinball & Pug

Eric decided to bring his mini pinball game into the living room and Gracie took immediate interest in it. She would watch the little metal ball rolling and bouncing around with such intensity until she just couldn't stand it anymore.


She would rear back and pounce onto the plastic. When she then realized the plastic was in her way, she would "dig" furiously at it. I was quite impressed with her speed {and a little concerned about the game}.

It was so hilarious to watch. We were all just cracking up! And I don't think Gracie would've stopped "playing" with Eric if I hadn't asked him to finally take it back to his room.

Home Improvement

The beginning of this year, we decided to make some long overdue updates to our house. The walls and carpet had been the same various shades of "white" since the first time I had stepped foot into the house. The carpet had been through a lot and the walls were more suited for a sterile, industrial building with the gray/blue/white color they had been painted.

I couldn't wait.

We ordered the new carpet, my mom and I ordered paint and when the {long, laborious, painstaking, totally worth it} process was complete, the aesthetics of the house went from:

to:

I have to be honest, though -- we're not completely finished yet. I need to finish painting the bathrooms and one small section of the hallway. Then we need to finish painting some of the trim (a lot of that has already been done; it's just labor-intensive and time-consuming). But I really love how everything has turned out.

Sit! Staaaaay...

Eric's Sunday School decided to create a pet board so everyone could see each other's pets and discuss loving and caring for them. Each child was asked to bring in a picture. Eric just looked so handsome one Sunday morning, I asked him to sit next to our pugs. Gracie and Gus were so curious about the camera, but they obeyed very well and I was able to get a wonderful picture of the 3 of them.

My little squirts

Ba-da-da-da-da-da...

BATMAN!

Once a superhero, always a superhero. Doesn't matter which one, either. But it's hard to beat a cape that actually flows and blows with the wind. Just like in the cartoon. Our neighbors must feel pretty safe knowing who lives at our house.

Dental Health

The beginning of this year, I managed to floss pieces of one of my teeth out. It didn't hurt, but I was alarmed. So I made an appointment and thought it'd be good to get Eric in for the first time. He went in the day after I did and did great! I asked for a cleaning and decided to do complete x-rays as well so we'd have good records to reference down the road.

The doctor said his teeth look great! I was so happy! And he did incredibly well while the technician cleaned his teeth. We go to Drs. Roberts & Hall and we love the entire staff!{Though, they all have gleaming white, perfectly straight teeth, which I am a bit jealous of. Teehee!} They won Eric over right away with their Treasure Chest of toys.

Wondering why his toothbrush doesn't make those noises.

I, unfortunately, had to have a temporary filling put in, make another appointment to have my tooth drilled out and have a crown molded and then make another appointment to have the crown put on. That last part happens this coming Wednesday, the 28th. I forgot what it was like to have half your mouth, jaw, tongue, etc. completely numb. Not a big fan.

Quick! Before I Forget!

Some verbal anecdotes...

1) Eric and I were at Walmart when he found a toy he just had to have. I, on the other hand, was willing to help him survive without it, so I said no. We kept looking around the aisles and he kept holding on to the little action figure. It was on clearance, so I took him aside and told him that if he really wanted it, he was going to have to buy it with his own money. I discussed the pros and cons, save-now-buy-later option, etc. But he understood and was serious (and excited) about buying it himself.
As soon as we got home, he ran to his room to get his piggy bank (in the shape of a football helmet). He just started handing me any random coin he saw and then sat back and said, "There you go, Mom. Now you can buy a new shirt, or pants, or bra, or those [pads] you put in your underwear -- all with your own money!"
I about died.
*Please note: due to a lowered amount of privacy a woman once encounters when she becomes a mother, my son discovered the pantiliners under the counter while I was in the bathroom. I asked if he could do me a "big" favor and hand me one. Apparently, it stuck with him more than I thought.

2) We were riding in the car when suddenly Eric says, "I can spell 'seatbelt'! See? Watch! 'P' 'U' 'S' 'H'. Seeeeatbeeeeelt {said very drawn out and slowly}." I was laughing so hard and I almost didn't want to correct him because I could understand why he thought it said "seatbelt". He was looking at the straps and buttons on his carseat. Right next to the release button, it says "PUSH". It made sense to him! Everything in the books he's read has been labeled with it's own name, why wouldn't his carseat?

3) Eric came to me and stuck out his wrist. "See? I got a scratch." I asked him what happened and was told that he scratched it on his toy box (or one of the toys in it). He asked if he could have a band-aid. After examining it closely, for good measure, the prognosis was no band-aid needed. He would make a full recovery. I gave it a kiss and expected him to run along and play. Instead, he looked up and me and said, "Kisses don't help."
And all this time, I thought I had a set of miracle-workers on the front of my face. {sigh}

Easy-Bake Memories

I got my son an Easy-Bake Oven for Christmas.

Don't judge me.

It wasn't pink, which I think was a brilliant move on the manufacturer's part.

But Eric has loved to "cook" and "bake" and "take your order" ever since he figured out how to say the words. I remember the first time he saw a commercial for the EBO {Easy Bake Oven}. He was so quiet and so focused on what was going on. Then he turned to me and asked, "Mommy, is that real food? Can you eat it?" When I told him yes, he just couldn't believe it. And the usual stream of requests followed.

I grabbed one from Target while they were on sale, along with a few packages of gender-neutral snacks to bake {i.e. brownies, cookies, cake with white frosting, i.e. nothing pink}. He was so excited to try it and {once I managed to remember a light bulb} we finally set aside some time to "bake".



That little cowpie on the plate is his successful brownie! He is really laughing in this picture; he was so thrilled with the whole process! And after we ate dinner, he was able to enjoy all his "Easy" work.

Why Is the Stone Yellow?

The last time I visited Yellowstone Nat'l Park, I was young. Let's see, to be more specific, I was probably about 11.

And that was the only time.

At the time, it was only LoriAnn, Traci, and I. My folks had been invited up to go snowmobiling with some friends from church. Had they known that their friends were reckless maniacs, our plans might have changed. But, we found out the hard way. {The men were regular snowmobilers; my dad -- not so much. They flew through the snow at alarming speeds. And not only did my dad not want to do that in the first place, but he also had LoriAnn and I riding with him. My dad's cheeks got so cold, the skin turned white. And Lori and I just wanted to get off.}

Anyway, my point is that what I saw of Yellowstone was a literal blur. I had heard tales of close encounters of the buffalo kind, but didn't get to see if they were true. So, it randomly struck me the other day {some 15 years later} that it would be fun to go. We have some snowmobiles, and I know Eric would absolutely love the wildlife {which I plan on seeing this time}. And I've never seen the geyser!




And I keep hearing about this "so-called" place. . .what was it? Jackson Hole? :)

More Head Trauma

*WARNING: Pictures contain a bloody cut. Those with weak facilities may want to avoid this post.*

Sunday, the 10th, after the church service was over, Levi and I went to pick up Eric from his Sunday School class. I was signing him out as the teacher was telling me that he had been rocking his chair back and forth (which is a no-no) and managed to rock it too far, crashing backwards into a toy shelf.

She said he had bonked his head and cried a little bit when she picked him up and hugged him. But that he ended up just sitting shyly on his chair for the last few minutes of class. She didn't page me because she knew I'd be there in just a few minutes.

As soon as he came out of the room, I grabbed him in a big hug and he started to cry again. I asked him if he bonked his head and I cupped the back of his head with my hand. Then Levi told me there was blood. I looked at my hand and sure enough! The teacher hadn't seen it either and felt just awful that she didn't notice it.


So, I walked him into the bathroom so we could clean it up. I wasn't overly concerned because, as Levi has demonstrated, head wounds always bleed very readily. Well, the more I gently cleaned it, the better I could see what we were dealing with. Eric had a perfectly straight split on the back of his head. I called Levi into the women's bathroom and he said, "Yeah, he needs stitches." I was fine, just bummed out that we were going to have to take my baby to the doctor for another relatively serious reason. {The last time he was at the doctor's was to have his cast taken off his leg and that involved a very noisy saw.}


Eric started crying really hard when we told him that we were going to have a doctor help make it better. He was just really nervous. But as soon as we got there, he was fine! Even when he was told to lay down on his side, got the numbing shots and even when the staples* were being put in. Eric just played with Levi's cell phone, taking pictures of us and laying really still when he needed to. I was so proud of him!


And of course, we met up with my family for lunch afterwards and he was in the spotlight and loving every minute of it!


*They did 5 staples instead of stitches because it was in Eric's hair. We were told that removing stitches can hurt if the hair has been sew into them at all.

Sliced & Diced

If you know my husband at all, you know how accident-prone he is {though some was call it karma, justice, you reap what you sow, etc.} :o)

Well, to add another tally-mark to his list of tragedies, please see Exhibit A: The Scalp:


Levi was working down in the salvage yard one frozen evening. He had his head under the mangled hood of a wrecked vehicle. The windshield had been busted out of it in the accident and was somehow thrown over the hood. I'm not completely sure of all the details because I heard about it in between phone calls of "I think I need to go to the hospital." and "There's blood everywhere." So, bear with me.

Anyway, the cracked windshield managed to collapse onto his head. It broke far more easily than normal because of the low temperature. And it made about 2 dozen perfectly straight cuts right on the top of his head.

I wasn't home at the time; I was about 15-20 miles away when this happened. I started getting a steady stream of phone calls from Levi. This, I expected, because he is prone to get a little dramatic in stressful situations. But, to his credit, he also couldn't see the top of his head and evaluate how badly he was cut. I told him to try and relax because head wounds always bleed like there's no tomorrow, but to try not to fall asleep.

When I got home, I found him sitting on the couch holding a bloody towel against his head. To be honest, one of my first thoughts was "You better not be getting any blood on that couch, mister!" But I quickly recovered with asking him to come into the kitchen {away from the couch} so I could examine his head. The bleeding had stopped, so I asked him if I could gently put some Neosporin with pain relief onto his head to help fight any possible bacteria. I didn't think rubbing some soap into a lather on his head was the best idea when the cuts were so fresh. :o)

Anyway, his head healed beautifully and there is not one trace of injury anywhere! I couldn't believe it!

More "Christmas" Than "Performance"

December 6, 2009 was Eric's first Christmas performance with his Sunday School class. We had been practicing and practicing the songs every time we rode in the car. And as the day drew closer, he even told me he was excited about going up on the stage and singing in church.

Well, the day came, and the excitement evaporated! He made his way onto the stage, let the leaders place him wherever, then stuck his hands in his pockets and called it a day! I was in the front desperately trying to get a crack of a smile out of him for memory's sake, but 'twas all in vain.

One of the leaders came up to me afterward and said, "At least he knows how to look cool!" And he did; he looked so handsome. In the end, I was just glad he did look cute and was thankful for how tall he is -- makes it much easier to spot him and take pictures.

His "you're gonna pay for this" face.

As close as he came to smiling.

The whole crew.