Play ball

Have I mentioned lately that I'm about to graduate? Hmmm, well incase you missed it, I AM ABOUT TO GRADUATE. Yeah, I have been out of high school for 10 years, but who's counting? It still counts! I have one test left to take and this girl is DONE. {sigh} I told Jayda that mommy wouldn't have to do homework anymore every night, and she replied, "OHH I'm so excited!" Poor thing, hopefully she won't really remember all the time I had to spend away from her in the evenings. She was sleeping most of the time!

I think we got by pretty good these past three years, keeping somewhat of a normal pace to our lives, despite my schedule. I recently saw a want ad for a girls softball coach in Lemmon.....hmmm got me thinking...I'll let you know what I decide on that. Not sure if it would even be possible with my work schedule, but worth checking into I think.  I think it's the older girls team, but they do have t-ball also, that Jayda might be ready to start. Yikes!

I distinctively remember the very first t-ball practice I went to. Believe it or not, I hated it! They made me be the catcher, and I must have been extremely lazy, but I remember being so annoyed that I had to keep running after the ball. Hmmm, if you stop the ball, you don't have to run after it. What a concept. I think I quit after that practice. A few years later when softball was started in Hermosa, I found my niche. Although, they laughed hysterically at my pitching abilities. Even told me I'd never be a pitcher. Guess I proved them WRONG! Shortstop is eventually where I found my home. How I miss standing on that field. All the action, the smell of the grass and the cool summer air in the evening. So many memories, good friends, good times!

Prom

After a weekend of hair, makeup, dresses and shoes Jayda has now moved on from being obessed with finding a husband to marry so she can be a bride, to looking for a date to go to prom with. So, I either need to take her to more age appropriate functions, or start avoiding any event that involves dresses, shoes, and makeup. She's my girly girl though, so I'll probably just let her be, as long as she lets me keep smothering her in pink!

We had a great weekend, and the girls got some quality "Grandma and Grandpa" time. Paisley just starts getting used to everyone and it's time to go home again. I took her and Jayda grocery shopping and to the mall before we headed for home. I've decided I was crazy for ever calling Jayda the "easy" one. She may be more mobile, but Paisley is my shopping buddy, she's also a much cheaper date for the occasion.

We needed to stock up on the essentials so our cart was loaded to the max as usual. The checkout lady kept asking me, should we get another cart? I kept thinking, well we got it all in there once, surely we should be able to get it back in. After the third time asking if I wanted another cart, I gave in, mainly so she would stop asking. Then Jayda got to help push the second cart in 40 mph wind. Somehow we managed to avoid running into any other cars or have a runaway through the parking lot. Jayda also got to go to the bathroom twice by herself during this shopping experience, as I stood outside the bathroom with Paisley and our full cart. I've decided they need to have cart parking bathroom monitors. This would make me feel safer, leaving my cart outside the bathroom. Even though I haven't paid for anything in there, I have nightmares thinking about having to go back and get everything I needed, should some weirdo come and steal my cart. Now that I think about it, I'm not sure why I have such a hard time leaving my cart unattended. Maybe I was just too lazy to get Paisley out...yeah that's probably it. While we're at it, Wal-Mart should also have about 4 additional bathrooms throughout the store. Never fails we are furthest away from one when the urge strikes.

Somehow we made it home by 3pm. Record breakingly early. Too bad no one (Jed) was home. I now declare it a rule, that if I suffer through Wal-Mart trips with two kids, he can at least be home to pack it all inside and put it away. See, I like to share!

Pray whenever we want to

Another slow week in the blogging world, which means another busy week in the REAL world. Sometimes when something remotely interesting happens or Jayda says something funny, I think to myself, OH, I should write about that, or take pictures of that for my blog. Then my other self interupts and says, OH, I should just sit back and enjoy this moment, rather than remove myself from it, to write about it. I read something once that talked about how we've become so infatuated with blogging, facebook, twitter, texting and so on, that all we do is tell people about what's going on, rather than just live in the moment of what is going on. So true! I try to find a balance, and some nights I have to just shut the computer off, walk away and truely devote my attention to other things. Whether it's just a TV show, or folding laundry...I have to remind myself that multitasking is not required every moment of my day.

The rest of this blog post may offend some of you and I appologize for that in advance. I just ask that you read with an open mind, and the realization that not everyone thinks alike, believes the same thing, or has the same opinions, and that is OK. We do not always have to agree.

I just feel bombarded sometimes by everyone elses opinions and viewpoints, that I find it necessary to take a moment to figure out my own thoughts. We seem so quick to jump on bandwagons of other's belief's, just because we know or like the person who is influencing our thoughts.

For example, take the whole Obama and the National Day of Prayer incident. Which actually has little to do with Obama, and he really isn't doing anything different than previous President's. But he is reigning over the country during this technology crisis, where everything he does ends up as a group to join on facebook.  Did you know that Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush each hosted special events for the day only once during their administrations, President Bill Clinton did not hold any such events during his time in office, George W. Bush held events on the National Day of Prayer in each year of his presidency, and President Barack Obama did not hold a formal event for the NDOP on May 7, 2009.

While I think hosting a formal event and awknowledging the Day was a great thing, for some reason I don't think any differently of the man for not having the event. Since when do Christians or any religion of people, need to be told to pray? Since when do we care if the rest of the world joins us? We praise God daily, hourly, and as often as we'd like to, because we believe he is our creator. Why do we feel the need to judge this one person, when it was actually the works of many others to remove the NDOP. And while we're being honest, until this controversy was in the media, I had never heard of the National Day of Prayer..had you?

The following is quoted from Judge Crabb:
It bears emphasizing that a conclusion that the establishment clause prohibits the government from endorsing a religious exercise is not a judgment on the value of prayer or the millions of Americans who  believe in its power. No one can doubt the important role that prayer plays in the spiritual life of a believer. In the best of times, people may pray as a way of expressing joy and thanks; during times of grief, many find that prayer provides comfort. Other may pray to give praise, seek forgiveness, ask for guidance or find the truth. "And perhaps it is not too much to say that since the beginning of the history of humans many people have devoutly believed that "more things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of." However, recognizing the importance of prayer to many people does not mean that the government may enact a statue in support of it, any more than the government may encourage citizens to fast during the month of Ramadan, attend a synagogue, purify themselves in a sweat lodge or practice rune magic. In fact, it is because the nature of prayer is so personal and can have such a powerful effect on a community that the government may not use its authority to try to influence an individual's decision whether and when to pray.

So I guess, I've almost forgotten the point I set out to make after typing all of that. And Lord knows those within the government need more than one day of prayer to receive his word. I just think for me personally, this event occuring does not effect me. I do not care what Obama did, or didn't do. I do not care what the government did or didn't do. I will not join the group on facebook, protesting Obama, mainly because I'm scared of viruses and also  because I'm sick to death of the gazillions of groups created on facebook, as if joining that group really means anything in the big picture.

While the President is our country's leader and the things he enacts can have an effect on our daily lives or the way the country operates. His role in our lives is minimal. God is our leader. We may pray for unity across the world, and work as his diciples to spread His word, and none of this has anything to do with our government or our President.

I must go now, facebook misses me. HA

A story and a recipe

I've been on a bit of a cooking spree lately, although last night I regressed. Jayda went to kids club and Jed was out riding until 7:30, so I whipped up some good ole tuna fish..in a hot dog bun. Yeah, thats how I roll. Actually Jed had ate all the bread, and hot dog buns were the only bread like substance I could find. One should really investigate these things before one makes tuna fish. Before my lapse and will to spend time in the kitchen occured yesterday, I had been doing really well. I had tried several new recipes and had a weird need to bake. I made mocha chocolate chip bars, creamy lemon bars, homemade macarroni and cheese {not a big hit}. I don't mind trying new things, as long as I know they will be good. I don't like trying new things that are a flop. Flops make me dislike cooking. I'm a bit of a perfectionist, can ya tell?

I recently called my mom for her deviled egg recipe. I know, I know..how hard can deviled eggs be? I knew the basic ingredients and relatively how much, I just wanted to be sure they turned out JUST like my MOM's deviled eggs. I didn't want them to taste like aunt Bertha's or Grandma Smith {no I don't have either}. There are just some things that you grow up aquiring a taste for, and no one elses will due. Things like potato salad, chocolate sheet cake, pork chops, BBQ chicken, green bean casserole {almost ALL the time ;-)}, basically any salad, and so on. These are things that only your momma can make, just how you like it. So if I'm going to attempt to recreate these, I want to know ingredient for ingredient what is required. It'd be shame to like your own version. Only problem with that is the whole, "salt to taste, or season to taste" phrase. I dislike that phrase, as much as I dislike, a little of this or a little of that, until it looks right or tastes right. I'm a exact measurement kind of gal. I need to know exactly how much of this or that will make it taste exactly like yours. So start measuring please?!

I remember going with my Dad and Tiff to help a friend work cows once. The woman doing the cooking was not your housewife, cooking type, mind you. To this day, I still do not know what type of green beans those were, but they left a deep scar on my green bean loving heart. They were cold, and firm and the worst thing I've ever let inside my mouth. Those, I won't need a recipe for. I'd like to forget about the moment they entered my mouth and I instantly wished I had an urge to use the bathroom for a reason other than to spit them out. I remember chewing and chewing and chewing, but being to scared to swallow. Fearful of the consequence. I remember looking at Tiff and her looking at me. Our eyes met and we both knew how very sorry we were to have allowed those green beans on our plates. We were polite little buggers though. Jayda would have spit them right back out and said, "Those are yucky!"  We, instead, somehow managed to allow them into our bellies..just that once. I don't think I've ever eaten green beans that someone outside of my immediate family has cooked. Too risky...much much too risky. I have another green bean story, but we're still trying to forget about it, so it'll have to wait until another time.

Meanwhile back at the ranch, here's the Creamy Lemon bar recipe..it's a keeper! Click on the link for step by step directions, or follow the directions below, if thats how YOU roll!

creamy lemon crumb squares

Ingredients
1-⅓ cup All-purpose Flour
½ teaspoons Salt
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1 stick (1/2 Cup) Butter, Slightly Softened
1 cup Brown Sugar (lightly Packed)
1 cup Oats
1 can (14 Ounce) Sweetened Condensed Milk
½ cups Lemon Juice
Zest Of 1 Lemon
Preparation Instructions
PREHEAT OVEN TO 350 DEGREES.
Mix butter and brown sugar until well combined.
Sift together flour, salt, and baking powder.
Add oats and flour to butter/sugar mixture and mix to combine.
Press half of crumb mixture into the bottom of an 8 x 11 inch pan.
Mix together condensed milk, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Spread onto the bottom layer of the crumb mixture. Top with the other half of the crumb mixture, but don’t press.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown.
Allow pan to sit on counter for 30 minutes after baking. Cut into squares and refrigerate for a couple of hours or until cool.
Serve cool.

Gotta Have Help

Yesterday I submitted my last hugely annoying and much too long, paper. Well..actually Jed got all the glory of submitting it, since I forgot to before I left for work, then experienced a moment of panick when I arrived to work and realized my paper I had finished EARLY, was due at 3pm, WHILE I was at work! At least now Jed can say he helped me with my homework at least once!

Actually he's helped me for six semesters and two summers, and everything in between..if there was really anything in between. I could not have done it without his support, his ability to suck it up right along with me, his completely capable way of caring for our children when my homework got in the way. His patience throughout the whole process, YES I just said HIS PATIENCE...weird I know. My fingers almost got confused while typing...anyway. Although he does not read this, he knows how grateful I am for having such an equal partner as we stumbled through our lives the past three years. Good ole Jeddy

Ha, ok so that probably wasn't very nice of me to post. But it made you laugh right? Ok, maybe wince in pain if you're his mother. Come on..the hat..how could you not giggle a little at the hat?

Alright, here's a nicer tribute to the person he is, enjoy

hey look, it's shiny

I have a very soft spot for jewelry, or maybe it's more of an addiction, I don't know. I simply love it, can't get enough of it. It makes me happy!
Pioneer Woman posted a link to this site, and I'm in love. Here's some of my fav's, but they are truely all beautful..hard to pick just one, or two, or three!

tweak boutique

click on tweak boutique above and check it out! You'll want some too!

Oh Mr. Schwany

I mistakingly discovered these today. I'll forever be fat, it's confirmed.

Bring on the sweatpants because these two, sooooo correctly named "Heavenly Creamy," are to die for. Out of this world good. So good it's hard to believe they are still sitting in my freezer. On second thought, I better go hide them. They are too good to share...ever.

I will no longer go all winter, wishing  the sugar shack in Lemmon would open up so I could get a Big Train. Please note, I strongly dislike coffee, but LOVE LOVE LOVE coffee flavored beverages. Incredibly weird, I know, but true. Give me a frappachino, iced coffee even, but do NOT give me a coffee. Yuck...can't stand the taste! Must be due to the fact that it just doesn't have enough calories. I like to pack em in, that's my style.

Count our blessings

I have to repost this, simply because its so gosh darn cute. If it doesn't make you want to snuggle her and kiss her silky soft skin, then something is wrong with you...very very wrong. Also I'm reposting because it so perfectly displays her personality, her temperment, her lovely little existence. So calm, so sweet, so agreeable. Just plain precious.

Sometimes we don't take the time to re-thank God for answering our prayers, or plea's, our sheer panicked moments when we beg for his grace. I thank Him every time I pick her up out of her crib, every time she smiles her flirty grin at me, every time I hear her sweet voice utter "ohh Mah Mah." I thank Him for answering our prayers when we asked to blessed with another healthy child, and she is who arrived safe and sound on August 10th. I thank Him for hearing my sobs every morning while I was in the shower, praying she wouldn't be born with down syndrome, or even worse Trisomy 18, which would have given her little chance of survival. I thank him for guiding me through those 4 weeks of wondering, before we knew she was perfect. For helping me cope with every moment that should have been joyous, when all I felt was worry. And finally, for taking away my fear.

And giving me this

When you have a moment

http://stakerzxposed.blogspot.com/2010_02_01_archive.html

I saw this story on Good Morning America a few weeks ago, and stumbled across her blog recently. It's an amazing story of God's true Miracle work. The link I posted is her first posting after the tragic accident. Feel free to navigate your way through her blog...just be sure to have tissues at hand, and probably a littly privacy!

Two chic-a-dee's

Sorry for the delay of anything new and exciting here for over a week. But I do have PICTURES!

I'm so cute, I don't need to smile!

Don't worry, you didn't miss out on me having a red haired baby, it's just raggety Ann. Her and Andy are Jayda's new best friends. She likes to tuck them in at night, complete with birp cloth and night light. Never know when you might barf, or need a little extra light, to wipe the barf off. That last sentence would be funnier...if it wasn't sooo true. We seem to have had a little extra barf in the Seim house this past week. Hoping we are now past that for a while. I'd go into more detail, but I'm still a little queasy, so I'll spare you. and mainly me.

Paisley is sitting up on her own! She loves the piano that Jayda barely touched when she was little. Thankfully its one of those toys that isn't extremely annoying AND the kid actually likes! Double bonus.

I had great plans for Easter photo's of the girls, matching dresses and all. But the barf's hit me before I could get any of that done, so we'll recreate the moment another time..matching dresses and all.