Doggie Troubles

We have an issue with Kinley (our 1 year old yorkie) that needs to be dealt with. I'm curious if any of you have any ideas. This is the deal:
If we put her in "her bedroom" a.k.a. the laundry room at night, she won't go potty on the floor and she sleeps in her crate with the door open. The problem is that she barks ALL. NIGHT. LONG. off and on. It is beyond FRUSTRATING. I can not sleep while she is barking. I've tried "white noise" such as the radio playing softly, a big box fan blowing loudly, the dryer running...and nothing blocks it out enough for me to sleep. The only solution is to get up out of bed and let her outside for about 5 minutes. The problem is...we have to do this every night...sometimes 5 or 6 times PER night! It is making me EXTREMELY cranky and I'm not getting any good, solid sleep. I keep saying we might as well hve another BABY for crying out loud if I'm gonna have to get up that many times a night!
On the other hand, if we leave her out in the house (to roam freely) throughout the night, she never makes a peep. I sleep wonderfully and all is good until we get up and find pile upon pile of doggie doo-doo and step in puddle after puddle of doggie pee-pee!
She is completely "potty trained" during the day and she NEVER goes potty in the laundry room (where we put here when we're not home) even if we're gone for 8-10 hours. So there is NO REASON she can't hold it while we sleep at night for 6-8 hours.

Last night we put her in her room and she did okay until about 4 am. I got up and let her out and then instead of putting her back in her room, I left her out in the house. When I got up at 6, there were TWELVE poo-poos to clean up. Little teensy tiny ones polka-dotting my dining room floor. How can an 8 pound dog make 12 poo's in 2 hours? And it's not like we feed them late at night. We feed them at 6 pm every night without fail. They always use the bathroom several times before we go to bed.

I am just at the end of my rope. At this point, the only option I can think of is to 1. Put her in her crate somewhere far, far away from my bedroom where I can't hear her bark--which probably means in the COLD garage or maybe even inside the van-inside the garage...??
Or 2. Buy a muzzle...?? That just sounds HORRIBLE-to have your mouth strapped shut...but I really don't know what to do.

I just KNOW I cannot go on like this. I either lose sleep all night letting her out, or else my house smells like a gas-station mens room from all the poo and pee spots on the floor.

Anyone have any ideas? I'm desperate!

What does my future hold?

Today I received an e-mail from my boss (the doctor I transcribe for) telling me that my last day will be Dec. 31. He is going to EMR (electronic medical records) and will no longer need my services.
---insert a 'just-got-punched-in-the-stomach' feeling right here---
Okay, well...that means that in exactly 37 days our income is going to decrease significantly.
A part of me wants to completely freak out at the idea of that. We are hardly making ends meet as it is right now, but this means we will have to live on about $700-$1,000 less than we are used to!
Oh. My. Gosh.

PRAISE THE LORD that my trust and my hope is in HIM and not in my circumstances. He is Jehovah Jirah, my provider! HE is my source and my very present help in time of need.

The question I guess I have right now is: Do I sit back and "have faith" and just see what God does in this situation as I pray and seek His will?? Or...do I start 'taking matters into my own hands' and looking for another job?

As most of you know, I've been pursuing fitness instructing recently and I've been very sure that it is God's way of preparing me for something else. Maybe this is "my time." Oh, I hope so! Anyway, I'm not posting this to get sympathy from anyone. I'm posting it because...well...for one, I'm pretty much an open book and there's not much I "hide"...but also because I would love for you all to agree with me in faith for an even better opportunity to come my way! You are all such wonderful friends! Thanks!

Oh and..HAPPY THANKSGIVING!! in case I don't get to post again before then! Remember how much you have to be thankful for!

silly little boy

Grant just said to me, "I'm having a staring contest with the deer, mom."
I said, "The deer that is hanging on our living room wall??"
"Yep" he said.
"Well, I hope you win!" I said.
"Aw man! I blunk!" he said.

That kid keeps a smile on my face and a giggle in my heart!

Inbox slacker

I have so many e-mails in my "inbox" that I need to respond to that I feel overwhelmed. It's not that I'm "so popular" that everyone sends me e-mails...it's that I don't like to write responses to e-mails unless I can really spend time and give it my undivided attention and since I NEVER hardly EVER have that opportunity...they just keep stacking up. Right now I have an important e-mail to answer from just about every single one of my good friends waiting for me in my inbox.
I feel like such a lousy friend for taking so long to write back.
So which is better? A quick, thoughtless response....or waiting a long time but sending a long, thought-out response?
hmmm......
Obviously (but just to be clear) I am not talking about every day e-mails like "what are you bringing to the luncheon on Friday?" I'm talking about deep-subject e-mails that you can't answer with a quick 'yes' or 'no'.

Anyway, if you're one of my friends who is thinking, "she's NEVER going to write me back"...I am so sorry! I promise I haven't forgotten you...I just am waiting for the right time when I can really give you my undivided attention! I love you all and I thank you SO MUCH for being my friends!!
XOXO!

Lying to your kids...is it really that bad?

So I just lied to my daughter. Right now-this very moment at 4:15 pm on Wednesday afternoon! But I didn't mean to...

She asked me a question that I was TOTALLY not prepared to answer and I said the first thing that came to my mind.

I wonder how bad this is???

It's like this: Matt took the kids to Walmart the other day to get me a card and a little gift. (MAJOR BROWNIE POINTS BABE!!!!) Apparently he picked out the card but he let the kids sign it too.

The front says "I love spooning with you." and then the inside says "And, well, the forking too."

Okay...so it's cute and corny...no big deal. Except Brooklyn wants to understand everything and I guess Matt wouldn't explain the card to her so this is what she wrote in it.

It says, "Hey mom, I don't get this at all but I love you. Love Brook."

Well today she decided she wants to know what spooning and forking is.

Here was my explanation:

Spooning is where you lay on your side with your knees bent and the other person lays in front of you the same way and you cuddle.

I was hoping that would be good enough...but no...then she wanted to know what forking was.

I said, "well, forking is the opposite. Where you lay on your side with your knees bent and the other person lays on their side facing the opposite direction with their back to you looking at the opposite wall as you are."

She bought it. I feel kinda bad....but golly...what was I supposed to say?

Also in that first picture is a GORGEOUS card that my good friend Amy sent me! She made it. She is such a sweetheart and it came on a day when I really needed a pick-me-up! Thanks Amy!

Age: It's only a number, right?

My dad turned 60 on Thursday. That's been about as hard for me to swallow as me turning 30. Sixty just seems so....elderly. My dad is NOT elderly. I'm not sure if I'm in denial about the fact that he is getting older, or if age truely is "JUST" a number and that he's as young and healthy and active as when he was 40 (when I was just a kid). To me, he's the same old dad....nothing has changed other than the color of his hair a little. But then sometimes, when I see him resting more in his recliner or when he's down with an injury (like right now) or when I look at these pictures from his party, I think...maybe I'm being naive? Maybe he is really as old as all the other 60-year-olds out there...!?! I just can't bear to think my years with him are numbered...

Nevertheless, a birthday deserves a party, especially the big "decade" years...so I threw him a party this past weekend and invited all our family and some friends. I had reserved a room for the party so we wouldn't have to cram everyone into my house-which was a great idea-except for the a/c went out that day in the place and it was about 85 degrees! It was HOT in there...and of all things...I had prepared a big chili dinner for everyone! (who'd have thought we'd be having temperatures near 90 in November!?!)

Anyway, the party actually went VERY great regardless of all the sweating we all did! Here are some pics:

This first one is of my mom and dad. Aren't they cute? I am blessed far beyond what words can explain to have had these 2 people as my parents! They (and God) have made me what I am today! I love you sooooo much mom and dad!Dad blowing out his "60" candles! I'm so proud that he wore the silly hat even though I'm sure he didn't want to mess his hair up! Thank you daddy!Me playing Uno with the kids. I never want to "graduate" from the kids table! It's where all the fun is!Me and my hunky hubby! My dad was first....but he holds the key to my heart now-and forever!

The infamous mens "Spades" game: Matt, dad, my brother Doug and my nephew Bobby.Me and my OLDER sister! I'm mad at her for this picture though...she looks younger than I do...and she's ten years older than me! ha ha...just kiddin' Stef!This is my brother Paul, my dad and my brother Doug. See what knuckle-heads I had to deal with all growing up? hee hee

The Gathering

I don't think I've ever talked about my Sunday School class on here...but we are one fun group of God-lovin' people! This past Friday night we got together at the youth building for some food & fellowship. They have pool tables and air hockey and ping pong and basketball courts, etc. It was so much fun! Here are a few pics:

Our Amazing Teachers: Geoff & Lisa

Me playing air hockey and getting beat baaaaad.

Matt and Josh playing pool, I think.

Me playing ping-pong and making good competition for the little kids!

Me and a friend chatting.

Me posing for the camera--had NO idea Matt was behind me until I saw the pic!

Brooklyn with her buddies Asia & Emily.

The most fun we had was during a mean game of basketball: guys vs. girls. There was only 1 of us girls in the whole group that knew ANYTHING about basketball...thanks Rachel for schooling the rest of us girls! We women may not have won...but we definitely gave the guys a good game and we certainly got some great exercise out of it! Plus, it was a BLAST!

The joys??? of country living...

WARNING!!!! If you have a weak stomach right now (Kate) DON'T scroll down and look at the 2nd picture!!!

So...the other day I was outside pitching baseballs to Grant so he could practice his hitting and I couldn't resist taking a picture of my front yard with all it's beautiful trees and leaves everywhere. This truely is a JOY of country living!

On the flip side, my sweet little tiny soft cuddly yorkie brought me another suprise this morning! One of the NOT-joy's of country living! (it's headless again, nonetheless!) UGH! GAG ME!

But....being the country girl that I am, I just picked the little (stiff) fella up and threw him over the fence. :o)

Lastly, so I don't leave you with that pukey-feeling in your stomach...here is a cute pic of my pups laying beside my computer while I work. This is where they camp out most of the time when I'm here at my desk. They are so loyal (to the one who feeds them lots of tablescraps!)

It seems a little late for this...

I couldn't believe my eyes when I peeked out the back door today and saw bright red "balls" in our garden! WHAT? I guess from all the sunshine we've been having lately, my tomato and pepper plants perked back up. I really thought they were dead and its been on my to-do list to go out there and yank'em all out and mow over it. Good thing I didn't! Look at what all I picked this morning...on the 4th of November! Crazy weather!

My handsome scholar...

I came into the dining room the other day to find Matt pouring over all these books, study guides and a concordance preparing for his "lesson" for Bible study later that day. He looked so scholarly, I had to snap a pic. How appropriate that his shirt says "Disciple". I am so blessed to be married to this handsome, thoughtful, witty, sweet man of God!!!

Halloween Pics

Happy Halloween!

Here's a couple of pics of the kids from Halloween. We went to the Hallelujah Party at our church.

My little pirate and my hula girl!

Brooklyn's friend Fallon posed for a pic with Brooklyn...and Grant just had to jump in. (Boys!)

Fallon & Brooklyn, buddies!

Jeans under my DRESS?

So...keeping with the topic we've been discussing lately---hip, modest fashion. What do you guys think of this look?

I wore jeans underneath this sweater dress today. I have always worn this as a dress but it's sorta short and I always feel self-concious about it. Today I stuck the jeans under it and I thought it looked cute....but.....a few times throughout the day I also felt really self-concious and weird like people were thinking I was very strange for wearing jeans under a dress....

I'm so not sure...

What do you say?

I'm SO done with holiday baking already!

So....if I ever say I'm gonna make such-and-such little treats for such-and-such little occasion again--SLAP ME and remind me of this!

I found this recipe for Pumpkin Pie Bites on one of my FAVORITE baking websites: Bakerella. She touted the recipe as "easy" so I printed it out and decided THIS is what I was going to make for Brooklyn's class for Halloween. Since I was making them anyway, might as well make an extra batch for Sunday School on Sunday since it's our day to bring food.

What I learned in a nutshell: EASY does NOT equal QUICK. I honestly took a little nap right on my countertop in the kitchen waiting for the last (of FOUR) batches to bake!

Whew! It took me 3 hours to make about 45 of these little babies and although they ARE delicious and absolutely adorable and they were VERY easy.....they were NOT quick. The "hard" or time consuming part of this was forming all the little tiny pie crusts with my fingers.

About 2 hours in, I decided that since I was doing all this work, I was going to do TRIPLE duty with this little recipe and take a batch of them to the doctor's office I work for also...

At about 11:47 pm when I finally finished last night...I had to enjoy one. Mmmmm....yum!

And by the way...those of you who know me very well know that the title of this post is totally untrue. I will be baking again in no time....probably as soon as the pumpkin pie bites are all eaten. :o)

Peace of Mind-Oct 29 only

I've done this same post before, but I can't resist doing it again today since Origins is running this amazing special again.
TODAY ONLY you get free shipping with ANY order (no matter what amount) AND you get 2 free travel items of your choice!
Now let me tell you WHAT to order!
This little bottle is pure magic! It's called Peace of Mind: On the spot relief and it really is just that.

I remember a couple of years ago when one of my girlfriends was trying to talk me into trying it while I had a bad tension headache. I'm such a non-believer of the whole nature-earthy-essential oils stuff...I was pretty sceptical. So she took me in the store (we were at the mall shopping at the time) and asked to use their tester. She put a tiny dab of this stuff at the base of my neck and watched the magic work. Within minutes I had a cold tingly sensation at that spot and I started feeling the tension melt away.

I also get a really tight "cramp" in my left shoulder sometimes after being on the computer for a long while. I just rub a dot of this into that muscle and WHA-LAH...gone!
I know it sounds ridiculous....but I PROMISE you, it works. You can also rub it on your temples.
Anyway, the best thing is that it only costs $10. It is a small bottle...but guess what? I am STILL using that bottle I bought that day almost 2 years ago! When you press down to get a "dab" only a teensy bit comes out--and that is ALL you need to do the trick.

So to recap, for today only, you can click on this link to go to the Origins website and order anything you want, get free shipping AND get 2 free travel-sized items of your choice. Not a bad deal for not even having to leave your computer chair!

reprimanded....

"Are you done with your work mom?" (says Grant)
"No" (says I)
"Then why are you looking at those pictures on your computer?" (says Grant)
"Ooops! I guess I'll get back to work!" (says I)

Geee...I can't get away with anything these days! :o)

17 again

Friday night Matt and I went to the Aaron Shust/Chris Sligh concert. I had went and gotten my hair (roots) colored earlier in the day and picked the kids up from school and took them to lunch, so I had thrown on something 'decent.' I decided it looked okay enough for the concert so I didn't change...but when I asked Matt if I looked alright, he replied, "yah, you look like you belong in highschool." I was like "really??" and he said, "yah, but that's how you always dress. Isn't that what you want?"
Hmmm.....

Yes, I want to look young and hip...but NO, I do not want to look like a 31 year old woman who is trying to come across as 17.

Then after church on Sunday we went to Khol's to try to find me some "grown up" church clothes. YUK! It was like--I could shop in the Juniors section (where I usually shop) and look like a high-schooler...OR...I could shop in the Women's section (where my mom shops) and look like a GRANDMA. Do people still wear pantyhose? If not, what do you wear with skirts in the winter? Surely not bare, white leg...???
I am having a hard time figuring out where the line is between cute and hip and too young.

Jean skirts?
Boots with the fur?
Skinny leg jeans?
Layered shirts?

What do ya'll think?
I've always thought that as long as my clothes are modest and cover everything...who CARES how young or old they look...but maybe I'm wrong.
I know I've seen older women that should DEFINITELY not be wearing short jean skirts with boots up to their knees and long straight hair. They have wrinkles and saggy skin and just look like they are in denial that they are in their 60's. I don't want to be one of them. I need a clothing consultant to take me shopping and show me how to dress fashionably and hip and not look like an American Eagle Ad.

Quick way to make your house smell FABULOUS

Give your 5-year-old son a bottle of cologne and let him spill it ALL over the carpet. Man it smells like a YUMMY MAN in my house! :o)

Creepy Crawlies

If you haven't discovered the Bakerella website, you have been missing out!! It is an endless wealth of outstanding baked goodies. I can say with 100% honesty that EVERY SINGLE THING I have ever made from this site was exceptionally good and exactly as easy as it sounds! (there are other cooking sites that I've used that make things look easy/sound good--that are really way complicated and not really all that tasty). Anyway, looking for something to take to Grant's class for snack day today, I came across these little spider cookies. I quickly printed out the ingredients and ran off to the store. Turns out I couldn't find the cookie mix she used and the Trix that they are selling at the stores right now are "Swirls" meaning that there aren't any solid orange or green ones. So....I substituted brownies for the cookies and make them in a cupcake pan so they'd be round. Then I used m&m's instead of the Trix. I think mine turned out every bit as cute as hers and it was SUPER DOOPER easy!

I did a batch for Grant's class with 2 spiders per cupcake.

I did a batch for Brooklyn's class with 1 spider per cupcake. Either way, they are adorable! (and yummy!!) Click HERE for the recipe.

The wisdom of a 5 year old!

This morning while I was washing the breakfast dishes, Grant asked me, "Mommy, what would you do if I died?" His question caught me off guard a bit but I answered, "I would cry and cry and cry and then do a whole bunch of praying."
He replied, "You would be sad but one thing you should be happy about--I'll get to be with Jesus!"
Such wisdom in that. While I NEVER want to think of what life would be like with one of my children gone, there are plenty of parents out there who ARE dealing with that. How do they get through it? By knowing Heaven is the Face!

Many of you, if not all, heard the horrendous story of Steven Curtis Chapman's daughter being run over by his own son's car in their driveway last year. (Click here to read story) It broke my heart in so many ways. I even had a time of questioning God...."HOW could this have happened? Especially to a Christian?" Thankfully God is showing me (in his Word) the answer to that and many other questions.
Anyway, yesterday for the first time I heard Steven Curtis Chapman's newest song called "Heaven is the Face" and wow! Wow! THAT is how a person goes on after losing a child. I encourage you to take a minute (grab a tissue) and listen to this song. It's good to have our hearts break for the things that matter...for the things that also break God's heart!
Click HERE to listen!

Can't leave Matt out...

I know, I'm totally a NUT for thinking like this...but I can't help it. I looked back over all the many posts and pictures I put up yesterday and I realized that I didn't put a single picture of Matt on here. So...in honor of my absoultely hunky hubby who I adore more and more every day that I'm married to him, here are some pics of him from the past month!
(ha ha...the only pictures I could find were the ones from when he took Grant hunting (that are already posted) and these from work outs).

Just turn your back on it!

What can I say?---if you're not sportin' guns that look like this, you really should treat yourself to 90 days of P90X and let me coach you!

FLEX

I'm just speechless....I can't believe how much muscle he has put on over the past year! Makes my heart go pitter-patter!

What a lucky girl I am!

Matt during a P90X work out!

Fall Trick or TREATS

I whipped these together this afternoon for the kids to give to their teachers. It took about 5 minutes. So cute, so easy and sooooo yummy! Ingredients: Candy Corn, Peanuts, frosting baggie, ribbon, tag.

Circus Time

Very Cool: The Carson & Barnes Circus came to our little town!

I've lost track of time...but sometime in the past month we went to the circus with some friends. Here are a couple of pics of the kids. We got to sit on the FRONT row! It was VERY cool. The acts were just AMAZING. The kids got to ride an elephant at half-time but the pictures didn't turn out very clear.

I couldn't resist snapping a shot of this booty. Lord help me if mine ever starts to resemble this one! ha ha