Wordless Wednesday--Unidentified flying widgets

Just for clarification...I have NO clue what this is or how it was taken, as my 15yo daughter took it with her digital camera while she was trying to get pictures of car lights passing from the passenger seat on the autobahn. SHE can't even figure out what it was. Guesses, anyone?

Tackle It Tuesday--Emotional Decluttering, Scheduling

My task for this Tuesday is twofold--I'm decluttering my heart, and "ordering my day". It's not just about the housework today.

I doubt but maybe a rare handful of people in cyberspace will understand this decluttering project of mine, but it just needs to be done. I have no idea whether the person I have in mind will read this or not; I have no way of knowing, actually, but since there is no other feasible way to do this without endangering my family, I'm doing it here in the offchance that she has stumbled upon my little corner of the 'net and is reading my ramblings. I've had a HARD time struggling with this for nearly two and a half years, and I've been trying desperately to reach a point where I could just let this go. It's time. I want my heart free of this; the weight of it is just too much to bear anymore, and it's done little more than remain a daily reminder of Satan's power. I don't want that reminder anymore. So, LG, you know who you are. You know why I'm saying this. And you know why it has been so hard for me to reach this point. I forgive you. I'm sorry I had any part in any of your pain, and I hope you either have or eventually will release that and me in forgiveness. I have nothing but pain left in my heart, but I pray daily that God will turn that pain to love. I want the best for you and your boys, and I hope and pray with all my heart that one day this very fractured and toxic relationship can be made perfect in Heaven. I plan on being there, I only hope bitter and selfish traps set by Satan don't keep you from meeting me there and reconciling in God's presence. It's very difficult for me to say this, but I do still love you.

**long, cleansing breath**

It's amazing how absolutely freeing that was.

**one more cleansing breath, and a second cup of coffee**

Moving on to more practical matters, I'm going to be spending the remainder of my day getting organized for school. I'm mostly ready in the curriculum/lesson plan department, with the exception of the biology and grammar books I'm STILL waiting on (I'm getting too many opportunities to practice that patience I've never prayed for...), but my scheduling and household management leaves a lot to be desired. I think I'm going to be 'enrolling' myself in Home Management Binder University over at Keeping the Home, and dedicating some concentrated time into getting myself together. I tried Teri Maxwell's Managers of Their Homes, but it was just SOOO overwhelming that I couldn't ever get it all arranged. I'd love to be able to use a schedule like she has, because it's simply amazing--but I get completely bogged down in all those little squares, and it's just too much for me. I need something simpler! Lessee.....goals......objectives......

• Pete wants a copy of our daily "plan" on the refrigerator so he can see what has and hasn't been accomplished--makes him feel a bit more connected to us and it really appeals to his "duty roster" nature!
• The girls need something they can feel organized with like the rest of us. Might help for them to grasp days of the week and a daily routine as well.
• Jon and Kelsey need to be able to see what is expected of them and when.
• I need some form of accountability, and I do tend to work well when I can see what I've got ahead of me so I don't get distracted in fifty different directions at once.
• We need continuity--a plan that shows us all what needs to get done so we actually accomplish things in a priority that serves our family without leaving all the necessities undone. We're all FAR too quick to jump ship on housekeeping chores when there's the possibility of doing something spontaneous.
• Lists are good. I may detest them, but hey, lists ARE good.

Time to go read. I've got a "class" to take! Hmm, I wonder if all of this is going to actually FIT in my 3-ring binder?

Hmm, while I'm at it, maybe I'll go ahead and write the Scriptures of the Day on our dry-erase board (since Pete forgot today in his haste to get to work way too early). What are they, you ask?

So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. Psalm 90:12

Let all things be done decently and in order. 1 Corinthians 14:40

Fun Monday--Why do I blog?

Lisa's Chaos is hosting a Fun Monday that looks like fun (hence the title, maybe? DUH), so I'll give it a shot since I have a few extra minutes! It's my first Fun Monday, but I may have to go back for more! Here's this week's assignment:

I’d like to know more about you, what makes you tick. I’d like to know how you started blogging. Did you keep a diary under lock and key safely hidden as a child? Do you still? Do you share the same things on your blog that you would have, or do, in your diary? Why did you start blogging and why do you continue? May as well throw in any roadblocks you have run into while blogging. If you still have your old diaries we’d love to see them.

What makes me tick, eh? Well if you go by yesterday's personality profile results, it's obviously introspection that makes me tick, so blogging suits me VERY well, it would seem!

How did I start blogging? Honestly, I've had a couple of false starts. I have a problem following through on my grand plans (dagnabbit, that silly profile has me pegged perfectly!), so I actually have two blogs that never even got off the ground. Same for the journals and diaries of my youth (and recent years as well); I get them started, then get distracted and forget, so I've probably had fifty or sixty journals/diaries with three or four entries. I never bothered with the lock and key, as nobody around me was all that interested in hearing my innermost thoughts--seems I was a bit too free with those thoughts anyway, so there apparently wasn't much they thought was "secret" about me. I have only kept one journal, from probably the worst period of my life, and I am really wanting to get rid of it because I'm not sure I want to remember everything I was struggling with back then. I'd rather focus on the good that came of it than the awful internal battle that weighed me down.

This blog has managed to survive that "start it and forget it" phase, but I'm not really sure why! I think the first blog I actually sat down and read was this one, and what intrigued me was the outlet for all the mental ramblings. I needed that, and it actually surprised me when I was able to turn this into not just a journal-type outlet but also a creative outlet as well. It's been FUN! Besides, I type MUCH faster than I write, so I am able to get so much more done on a blog than on paper!

My purpose in blogging now is entirely selfish. I really have no other activity to fill my day with that is JUST for me, with no other motive. Scrapbooking comes close, but a lot of that is for my family as well. Crafting, sewing, almost all of that is for others, but my blog? It's for ME. And I've used it to reign in my thoughts pretty well, I think. I'm very easily discouraged, but blogging has almost forced me to focus on the positive in every situation because once I get it on a screen, I can see exactly where negativity may be dragging me down.

The only roadblock I've had, if you could really call it that, is this guilt trip I get from my older kids for "hogging" the computer on weekdays (won't happen when we start school, that much I guarantee) when they want to be online surfing and playing games. Deal with it, yung'uns, it's not your computer anyway!

High School Meme

Just who ARE those skinny people?

I've seen this at several blogs lately and with the public schools starting back today, it seemed kind of timely for me to give it a shot.

1. Who was your best friend? Going into high school, Stacy Pettinelli--but she quickly dumped me and my band geek ways for the glitz and glamour of the Chiefettes drill team members. After that, it was Pete.

2. Did you play any sports? Nope...no time!

3. What kind of car did you drive? I didn't drive. My parents let me try driving the T-bird once, then my mom freaked out and changed her mind. I didn't learn to drive till Pete and I bought our own car a year and a half after we were married.

4. It’s Friday night. Where were you? Marching on the football field during halftime, or sitting in the stands in a very hot and sticky polyester marching band uniform. Then there was that lovely, stinky bus ride home from away games...

5. Were you a party animal? Not even close.

6. Were you considered a flirt? Doubtful, unless you ask Colby Dyess. I don't want to know what he had to say...

7. Were you in the band, orchestra or choir? The band was my life. Marching band, concert band, band, band, band, band, BAND!
8. Were you a nerd? Yes. Good grades, glasses, AP classes, honor society. Oh yeah, and there's that BAND thing.

9. Were you ever suspended or expelled? Not even close. Look up "goody-two-shoes" in the dictionary and there was a picture of me. I was terrified of my own shadow, I didn't do ANYTHING to get in trouble in school.

10. Can you sing the fight song? I don't think I ever could sing it. Hum it, yes. All three trumpet parts and the drumline! Now, though...um, don't think so. It's one of those tunes I tried very hard to forget!

11. Who was your favorite teacher? Mr. Burdick, because I had a huge crush on him and he made my freshman English class less of a drudgery, but Mr. Fresco was a HOOT in AP World History--I didn't learn much about world history but I can still quote Monty Python!

12. What was your school mascot? the Chiefs

13. Did you go to the Prom? Nope.

14. If you could go back, would you? Not in a million years or for a million dollars.

15. What do you remember most about graduation? That the only one I went to was Pete's. I didn't graduate; I opted to get my GED during my junior year when the administration placed me in a teen parent program that took me out of my AP classes and put me in basic, remedial courses. It was mind-numbing, and I saw no point in continuing in what wasn't a real "education". During Pete's graduation a few months earlier, though, I remember clearly getting very choked up as Pete walked past the band (we, of course, were playing Pomp and Circumstance for the umpteenth time) and said "I'm outta here!"

16. Where were you on Senior Skip Day? Never happened, as I didn't have a senior year, but I seriously doubt I would have skipped had I gotten the chance--the idea of an unexcused absence on my record wasn't something I was looking forward to for any reason.

17. Did you have a job your senior year? Again, no senior year, but I wouldn't have been allowed to work during the school year anyway.

18. Where did you go most often for lunch? We didn't have an open campus; we "ate" at the cafeteria...YUCK.

19. Have you gained weight since then? I weighed 94 pounds my last day of high school. If I didn't gain weight, I'd have blown away by now.

20. What did you do after graduation? Again, no graduation ceremony for me. I got my diploma in the mail. Kind of a non-event!

21. What year did you graduate? 1990

22. Who was your Senior Prom Date? Didn’t go, our parents would have never allowed it, but I *would* have gone with Pete.

23. Are you going/did you go to your 10 year reunion? Nope. For starters, we were in Germany, but considering the last contact I had with anyone from high school was Phillip (Oakey) Mancusi telling me that I was ruining Pete's life by not getting an abortion and two of my "friends" saying that we'd never make it to see our first anniversary, I didn't really have much to go back for. Pete wants to go to his 20th, but we'll see.

Allow myself to introduce...myself.

I'm home from worship services today, sick with whatever this bug is that Morgan, Jamie, and I have been fighting for the last few days. On top of some online devotional reading, I chased a rabbit trail from Lisa's blog to Karen's blog to Robin's blog, and decided to try my hand at a personality profile, since I've got little physical energy for anything more and I'm not feeling particularly creative at the moment. Here's what I found out about me:



Kiersey calls my personality type the Healer Idealist. Yep, that sounds adequate. Here's what else he had to say about *me*:

Healer Idealists are abstract in thought and speech, cooperative in striving for their ends, and investigative and attentive in their interpersonal relations. Healer present a seemingly tranquil, and noticiably pleasant face to the world, and though to all appearances they might seem reserved, and even shy, on the inside they are anything but reserved, having a capacity for caring not always found in other types. (Everybody say it with me..."I'm not weird, I'm MISUNDERSTOOD!") They care deeply-indeed, passionately-about a few special persons or a favorite cause, and their fervent aim is to bring peace and integrity to their loved ones and the world. (Ding, ding, ding, ding, DING!)
Healers have a profound sense of idealism derived from a strong personal morality, and they conceive of the world as an ethical, honorable place. Indeed, to understand Healers, we must understand their idealism as almost boundless and selfless, inspiring them to make extraordinary sacrifices for someone or something they believe in. The Healer is the Prince or Princess of fairytale, the King's Champion or Defender of the Faith, like Sir Galahad or Joan of Arc. Healers are found in only 1 percent of the general population, although, at times, their idealism leaves them feeling even more isolated from the rest of humanity. (Huh...so THAT's why?)
Healers seek unity in their lives, unity of body and mind, emotions and intellect, perhaps because they are likely to have a sense of inner division threaded through their lives, which comes from their often unhappy childhood. Healers live a fantasy-filled childhood, which, unfortunately, is discouraged or even punished by many parents. In a practical-minded family, required by their parents to be sociable and industrious in concrete ways, and also given down-to-earth siblings who conform to these parental expectations, Healers come to see themselves as ugly ducklings. (So it wasn't just the feathers and webbed feet?) Other types usually shrug off parental expectations that do not fit them, but not the Healers. Wishing to please their parents and siblings, but not knowing quite how to do it, they try to hide their differences, believing they are bad to be so fanciful, so unlike their more solid brothers and sisters. (Ok, that was profound. No comment...just letting it sink in.) They wonder, some of them for the rest of their lives, whether they are OK. They are quite OK, just different from the rest of their family-swans reared in a family of ducks. Even so, to realize and really believe this is not easy for them. (Ya think???) Deeply committed to the positive and the good, yet taught to believe there is evil in them, Healers can come to develop a certain fascination with the problem of good and evil, sacred and profane. Healers are drawn toward purity, but can become engrossed with the profane, continuously on the lookout for the wickedness that lurks within them. Then, when Healers believe thay have yielded to an impure temptation, they may be given to acts of self-sacrifice in atonement. Others seldom detect this inner turmoil, however, for the struggle between good and evil is within the Healer, who does not feel compelled to make the issue public.

Woah. I need a moment to introspect.

Yep, that's me. To a 'T'. I read this about my type too, and found it amusing (from the Jung type descriptions):

INFP
creative, smart (AND humble...you forgot humble!), idealist, loner, attracted to sad things, disorganized (see previous blog entry!), avoidant, can be overwhelmed by unpleasant feelings, prone to quitting, prone to feelings of loneliness, ambivalent of the rules (don't tell me what I can't do!), solitary, daydreams about people to maintain a sense of closeness, focus on fantasies, acts without planning (or is that plans without acting?), low self confidence, emotionally moody, can feel defective, prone to lateness, likes esoteric things, wounded at the core, feels shame, frequently losing things, prone to sadness, prone to dreaming about a rescuer, disorderly, observer, easily distracted (ooh, look, shiny things!), does not like crowds, can act without thinking, private, can feel uncomfortable around others, familiar with the darkside (Luke, I am your father...), hermit (are you calling me crabby?), more likely to support marijuana legalization (NOT!!!!!!!!!!), can sabotage self, likes the rain, sometimes can't control fearful thoughts, prone to crying, prone to regret, attracted to the counter culture, can be submissive, prone to feeling discouraged, frequently second guesses self, not punctual, not always prepared, can feel victimized, prone to confusion, prone to irresponsibility, can be pessimistic

That list forgot something....hates run-on 'paragraphs' with a passion! Funny thing is, though, Pete would probably utter a hearty "AMEN" to roughly 99% of the descriptions in that list!

True to my 'type', I guess, now I'm wondering what on earth I DO with this knowledge????

All hail the Queen!

It has begun...

Dani figured out in a HURRY that her new standing and step-taking skills could be used toward her plans for world domination...one sandbox at a time!

Thankful Thursday

I'm tired again today, thanks to another near-sleepless night trying to fend off a little arm that flails about as Dani sleeps, honing in on eyeballs, lips, and hair as if she had a heat-seeking guidance system! One of these days she'll sleep through the night, but I'm not holding my breath. After all, every single one of my five children has detested sleep with a passion, and they have gone far out of their way to avoid it until well past their first birthdays! However, staring at those wide-open eyes at 2am and then again at 5am....and 6am, a sense of gratefulness overtook me that I haven't felt in a long time. Perhaps I've been too caught up in the daily battles with the way-beyond-normal teen rebellion to really take stock, or maybe Satan is just really working on me right now to overshadow the blessings God has showered me with. Whatever the reason, it's unfortunate that I haven't spent more time thanking God for what I have. Life might be lumpy, but it's wonderful!

Pete called me within an hour of leaving the house this morning; he got to his yearly motorcycle safety course this morning to find that his license plate had fallen off somewhere between here and there. It's going to cost $30 to replace the tag...but we don't have to worry that $30 will break us financially like we used to. It still stings to have to pay that much, but that's because I'm cheap, not because we're broke! The Lord has provided for us well through Pete's career. We don't have to worry about having a roof over our heads; it's provided for us (even if it IS teeny and incredibly cramped as we squeeze a family of seven into 900 sq. ft.). We don't have to stress over medical care--when something is wrong, we just call or walk in. It may not be the BEST treatment in the world, but we don't have to choose to leave a condition untreated like countless numbers of people worldwide who can't afford or don't have access to medical treatment when they need it. Even through the worst of financial crises, we always have food on the table and gas in at least one vehicle. By most accounts, we're pretty "well off".

Five healthy children and a husband who is striving to improve himself for the betterment of his family. Ample access to all sorts of communication with wonderful people. The promise that this life, even with all its blessings, is nowhere NEAR the life that God is willing to grant to those who are faithful to Him. What an amazing thing.

Live is good. Thank you, Lord!

Decisions, decisions

Sometimes it seems almost silly that nearly eighteen years into Pete's military career, he and I still struggle with the stay in/get out decision every few years. Thankfully, he's *mostly* taken my thoughts and concerns into consideration when extending his military career, but this time just seems...I don't know, so FINAL. He's two years away from that twenty-year mark when everyone usually starts making plans to hang up the camouflage and move into a civilian life. Yet here we are, at another crossroads. It's crunch time for him to make a major decision that will affect not only his career, but the next seven or eight years of our family's life. Apply for Warrant Officer Candidate School, or just ride out the next few years and hang it all up?

When it's all said and done, if he's accepted for the Warrant Officer program, it will mean just an additional two and a half years tacked on to what he's already going to be serving. Both of us are admittedly weary of the high op-tempo and constant uncertainty. It seems like things never truly "slow down" for Pete, and it would be wonderful to have roots for once; we just don't feel like we have a "home". My parents have moved away from the only hometown I've ever known, his parents have divorced and moved to separate ends of the state, we've sold the only house we ever owned...life just feels so disjointed! But of course, this is the only life we've ever known since our family began almost eighteen years ago. Neither of us has a clue what spending more than three years in any one place feels like. How would we handle it? Will we need to pack up everything we own into a U-Haul van and drive it around the block every few years? Repaint and remodel? What does "home" even feel like?

Of course, the obvious question is why does all of this even "scare" us? We've always looked longingly toward Pete's military retirement. We've dreamed of settling down, building a house, and starting a "normal" life for years. God has blessed us richly and He will use the experiences we've had over the years for something wonderful, I'm sure...but are we "done"? Is that extra few hundred dollars a month (okay, close to a thousand) we'll get in his retirement check worth two and a half more years? Why does THAT scare us? After nearly twenty, what's two and a half more years?

I suppose God's answer would be pretty clear--if He doesn't want Pete to spend the extra time in the military, it just wouldn't happen. Talk about your leaps of faith!

Wordless Wednesday--How can she sleep like that??

Tackle It Tuesday--School Disaster Area

In three weeks (providing the last of that stack of books I'm waiting on EVER arrives), we will be on day two of our new school year. Yes, it's a little bit later than when public school starts, but there's that whole matter of MAIL...it takes a lifetime and a half to get books delivered, it would seem. But then again, we are also going to be on a five-day school week schedule, and starting off with a short week would be a little bit of a pain, so waiting an extra four days really won't be too big a deal...especially considering that our school year will be roughly four weeks shorter than the public school year. No biggie. But as far as biggies go, the school clutter problem is IT. Every year I make these grandiose plans to get our supplies and books organized, and this year I am actually DOING it! Yippee!!!!!

The choice to use Sonlight this year, combining both kids' history and literature studies was probably the sanest decision I've made, because it's forcing me to be organized. In fact, that enormous Instructor Guide that came along with all those books was organizational insurance! I just look up the week and the day, and I've got the day's assignments. Easy peasy, and PERFECT for a wanna-do-it-all-in-no-particular-0rder ADD brain like mine! Problem is, it's a bittersweet blessing in that the literature-based study I've always wanted to use brought with it....well, a whole shelf full of new books!

No, Jon, there IS no such thing as too many books, I don't care HOW many times you fuss at me.

I don't know how many times we've been laughed at for having what amounts to a small library in our house. The bookshelf in the bathroom gets giggles every time someone new sees it. The fact that we abandoned bedroom furniture in favor of a floor-t0-ceiling bookshelf and filing cabinet were cause for concern to my mother when she visited a few months ago. Yes, I'm a die-hard book nut. I can't get rid of them. I read them in the bathtub and in bed. I read all the time. And now I've got yet another reason to get this book-clutter monster under control...Danica. She doesn't respect the sanctity of the "school shelf". Neither does Jamie, to be honest. She rather enjoys sitting amongst a stack of books for an hour or so before roughly piling them back onto the shelf she THINKS they came from. It was time to tackle it.

I'll spare cyberspace from the visual horrors that my family experienced in the thick of this organizational nightmare. We had stacks of books lining every wall in the dining room and hallway. Stacks of school supplies littered every horizontal surface. Pete simply diverted his eyes when he came home from work and asked in a longing way if we were EVER going to use the dining room table to eat on again. So I did it. Yesterday I finally got that brand-new Dry-Erase board hung (how many years have I been wanting one?) and it was just the push I needed to get the books and supplies put up for GOOD. Today, I hole-punched the last of my lesson plan forms and got them placed in their binders, I divided my Sonlight Instructor Guide into quarters and placed the first nine weeks' lesson plans, history and literature study guides, and notes into individual binders, and I got those school supplies wrangled up, sorted out, and put away into the kids' personalized drawers. The books? Check it out....

Oh, and notice that look of total shock on Jamie's face...that's the look that says "Mom, what does 'organized' mean????"

On top of the bookcase are all the books we'll be using every day--the Core books for Sonlight and Morgan's few preschool books that I don't want her to have all-the-time access to. The second shelf houses our history 'spines' (Joy Hakim's 'History of US') and assorted read-aloud books for the younger gals, plus the bucket 'o' colored pencils that doesn't fit anywhere else. The second shelf is home to the Dr. Seuss, Disney, and homeschool reference books in addition to the box of "extras" where I keep our packages of pencils, crayons, and index cards that aren't needed just yet. The bottom shelf is for bigger books like dictionaries, Bible reference books, and taller books that are too big to put on the other shelves (phooey on John Saxon for making his math books HUGE!). The stacking drawers next to the shelf are labeled for each child. They'll keep their individual folders, workbooks, and supplies in there. Believe it or not, even a two-year-old can understand that she has her OWN drawer and that she needs to leave everyone else's alone. Amazing how territorial little ones can be! Last but not least is the plastic bin on top of the stacked drawers for the puzzles and craft items that are for "just with Mom" times, and the CD rack on the other side of the shelf is perfect for the girls' little items that they use every day.

Ahh...a sense of order.....it may just be a little bit, but it feels great to know where everything goes!

Oh, and this is how you entertain three rambunctious little ones long enough to get this done...

Ten Months Old!

Ten months ago today, Danica Jill joined our family. What a little character she has become in such a short time!!! How can it be that this:

Has become this big, SO FAST??

As if she was telling us that she was NOT going to be outdone by her big sister Jamie who walked just after she turned ten months old, Dani celebrated by taking her first two steps today!

A weekend of allergies

At least a few of us are up and enjoying the weekend, but today....I'm sneezing my head off and really not wanting to take anything for it. I'm NOT liking the idea of being nearly comatose during the first sermon Pete has given in....um.....two and a half years?

Shall we weigh the options? Sneezing fits in the nursery vs. pass out from antihistimine fog in the nursery?

Ugh...pass the Benadryl!

YAY! A writer in the making!!!

All of our kids have picked up on "big people" activities rather quickly, each of them choosing one activity that they learned early and did very well. For Jon, nor surprisingly, it was turning a wrench, at 12 months. Now, at 17, he's assisting his dad taking apart and reassembling all things mechanical in nature.



Sometimes, though....he regresses to toddlerhood....


Kelsey had a knack for makeup. She was "painting" my face at just fourteen months, and most of the time she got the stuff in the right place! Morgan was our little "reader". She could turn pages in a Bible (and those are some THIN pages) at just ten months, and she never tore a single one! Jamie observed everything electronic and much to Pete's amazement (and amusement), figured out how to properly use the computer mouse, turn on Windows Media Player, and yes, even open a page and send a blank email at just fifteen months of age.

Dani seems to be following in Mom's footsteps. I noticed not long ago that she was actually using the stylus on Morgan's Magna Doodle with pretty decent form, but then again, she'd watched the girls fight over that thing for weeks, she KNEW there was something amazing about that toy. What I never expected, though, was to be making a list and having my not-quite-ten-month-old steal the paper and pen right out of my hand and then attempt to write!!!!


It may be a BIT too soon, but I'm ready to go out and buy her a box of crayons!!! I can't wait to finally have another writer in the family!

Thursday Thirteen--What I'd Like to Have in OUR House Someday

Thirteen Things I'd Like to Have in OUR House SomedaySometimes it feels as though we just don't have a "home", moving so often and spending all these years in places that belong to someone else. Pete and I do a good deal of dreaming about what OUR house will look like--his ideas are pretty out-there, but mine are a tad more 'practical'. 1.A nice, wide front porch complete with several rockers and obligatory glasses of sweet tea on a table. 2.A kitchen that works--cabinets whose doors stay attached, drawers that don't fall out, and a stove that doesn't cut off halfway through making a pot of spaghetti. 3.Garbage disposal!!!! 4.A dining room big enough to hold a BIG table and have enough room to move everyone around it instead of squishing our amply-sized hineys between a wall and a chair as we try to get to the other side of the table we can't all sit at. 5.A master bathroom. We've had this ONCE, and it was heavenly. 6.Bedrooms that actually have enough space for real-life furniture. 7. COLOR on the walls! 8.A garage. Pete needs a place for his "stuff" desperately. 9.A room dedicated to computer/office/crafting stuff. I have grown increasingly weary of having the computer and all of my craft supplies in the main living space. I can't overcome clutter if we can't put things away!!! 10.Separate rooms for mingling with guests and watching TV. A living room AND a family room would be wonderful! 11.A grill area in the backyard with a sitting area for us adults. I REALLY miss that. 12.TREES (ok, maybe not IN the house, but you get the idea) 13.My own little space. We have never had enough room for me to have a little sitting area all my own for a nice comfy chair and a bookshelf. It's frivolous, it's selfish, and I would LOVE it! Links to other Thursday Thirteens! ~Robin~ ~Tink~ ~Jeremy~ ~Gabriella Hewitt~ ~Suprina~ ~qtpies7~ ~lady penguin~

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The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
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Upward and onward!

Pete finally brought the digital camera home last night (although I had to go to the office to remind him), and we got one last shot at getting a picture of Dani standing on her own before the "fun" begins. She actually took a step about two seconds after this picture was taken. She'll be ten months old in five days....think she'll walk before then? Look how proud she was--she was even patting her own belly in a one-handed "clap"...because let's face it, sometimes the pen just tastes too good to put down!


Then again, it may take a little more time to get those marshmallow thighs on the move!