School Pics

No need to re-take this year; I love the girls' school pictures! Actually, Alaina's blouse is way too dark - it's really plum but looks black - the lighting in these varies from year to year and I'm sure from photo to photo - but my girls look adorable.

Be There Quilt Blocks

Here are blocks #1-#4 of my "Be There, Get Your Sqaure" quilting class at Pine Needles. It's pretty awesome and I"m sold on it - you pay $5 for the first block (which includes pattern & fabric), then next class you bring your block back finished, then the next pattern and block are free, and so on. If you miss a class or don't get the block done, you pay $5 for that block, then can get right back on the free track.

#3 was a major pain (bottom right) and I kept taking seams out to re-do which I don't usually have to do much of anymore. THEN I realized that I was going back to old habits and pinning right at the point instead of before and after the point. Miraculously - and it amazes me every time - it worked like a charm.

Ticket

I got a speeding ticket Friday morning after I dropped Bryn off at preschool at 8:50 and I was hurrying to get to Target, buy cupcakes and napkins for Claire's birthday, and drop them off at Westfield at or before 9:30 when they have their snack.

I was very very good to the policeman.

"I pulled you over because of your speed. Do you have any idea how fast you were going?"

"Right about 40."

"Do you have any idea what the speed limit is here?"

"No, I don't."

"It's 25."

"Oh, my goodness, I had no idea."

"I had you going at 43. That's 18 over."

"Whoa, I really didn't know."

"Do you have your license and registration?"

So I didn't play any games with him (ie not answer how fast I was going, ask what he clocked me at) and I really didn't know it was 25.

My route to preschool is:

Main Street - starts at 35 then goes to 45

E Robins Rd - 45

29th Ave Marion - evidentally 25

Linn-Mar high school street - 35

So sneaky to put a 25 mph street right after a 45.

Oh yeah. I gave him my license and it expired THAT DAY!!! Actually it expired 2 months ago on my birthday, 7-19, and he pulled me over on 9-19. Thank goodness at least I had 60 days to renew.

"I'm going to write your ticket for 10 over instead of 18 over, the 18 over ticket would have been $108, this one is $76."

"Thank you."

"Get your license renewed today."

"Yes, I will."

So he gave me a break, thanked me for being cooperative, and I went on my (very slow) way. I was five minutes late with the cupcakes.

So Kevin was working from home on Friday and so I had to tell him about it right away. He was not happy. It has been about 8 years since my last speeding ticket, but Kevin tells me a lot that I drive too fast. Kevin does not. Kevin cannot be hurried. Ever. It is frustrating. I can be 10 minutes late to a very important event that I am in charge of where I am saying the opening prayer and then singing a song then showing a video then doing cartwheels, and he will not speed. He also knew that I was in a 25 mph zone. "It's residential! Of course it's 25!" He paid the ticket online right away then ordered me to get my license taken care of. I did and for the DMV at lunchtime, it was rather quick and painless. I thought I might have to take the written test but I did not.

Here's to more than another 8 years ticket-free.

Dodged a $15,000 Bullet

It has been a tense 24 hours around here. Thursday in the mail we received a letter from a bankruptcy attorney for the man who sold us our current house and bought our last house. It said, in scary-sounding legaleze, that according to testimony provided by this man, we may owe him $15,000. Um, what?!? Kevin immediately called the number provided and left a message something like "We owe nothing, what do you need from me?" and we started thinking the worst. Do we have to hire an attorney ourselves? How long will this drag out? Do we need to cancel our Disneyworld reservations in case this doesn't get resolved immediately? Gulp.

Kevin searched through our records of our house sale & purchase. Thankfully we had everything we needed, including the piece of paper the attorney was referring to, and subsequent papers and our own personal financial records, all proving we were in the clear. Kevin sent a FABulously written email to the attorney succinctly detailing how messed up this transaction was, and the fallout and cleanup we had to deal with after this man disappeared in the middle of it. (After I raved to Kevin about his writing skills, he says that at work he constantly has to deal with Compliance so he's picked up a few things.) So the email was sent and Kevin followed up with a phone call 5 minutes later specifically asking when we can consider this matter closed. The attorney said, Well, there's no guarantees in life, but you won't be hearing from me again. Whew.

So Disneyland is still on, we didn't have to hire an attorney, and next time we buy a house it won't be from a crook.

Funny Photos & Sweet Photos

Kevin thought this was funny:

What's so funny about watching a new (to me) episode of Monk on a baby chair 2" away from the screen? Nothing, I think. But this is funny:

Kevin said he was soothing his sore throat.

Michael & Melody & kids came to CR to shop and see us. (From what I know, they were successful in purchasing a double stroller, tons of clothes, and shoes for each of the kids.) Alaina & Claire were so excited to see Elizabeth after so many years, plus meet Amanda & Bryson, and all the girls had fun playing together. Preston played a Star Wars demo (Star Wars Force Unelashed) on the PS3 he said he would spend $50 to buy just the demo the game was so good. Pretending to be a Sith Lord evidentally is a huge event in the life of Middle School-aged boy. We had a yummy dinner over here with my trusty chicken kabob marinade (the sesame oil one) I got ages ago from Deborah. This is the first time I used leftover marinade on the mushrooms, and everyone was fighting over the last morsels. Delish!

I didn't get any pictures of the other family members, this one got so much more attention. Claire has said all day today that she misses Bryson, Alaina has begun asking (again!) for a brother.

Marinade for Kebabs
3 T vegetable oil
1 T Asian sesame oil
3 med garlic cloves, minced
3/4 t salt
1/2 t ground black pepper
1-1/2 t minced fresh ginger
2 T soy sauce
1 t sugar
1/2 t red chile flakes
2 minced scallions
Coat meat evenly with marinade. Cover and refrigerate until fully seasoned, 1-24 hours.
**I didn't use the red chile flakes or the scallions. Was still great.

Hey, my own blog

I wanted my own blog so I could journal like crazy. Even if no one reads it (if you do, I'd love a comment!) I feel like this can help me be accountable for things I want to change in my life right now - eating habits, daily scripture reading habits, exercise habits, which I am going to sporadically refer to. Might help. Hope it will help.

Also I feel like if I do too much of this on my family blog they will start to hate me.

Today I went to Old Navy ot PLEAD with them to exchange 4 pairs of jeans. During back to school shopping, Kevin & I DRUG Alaina & Claire to try on jeans, which they both needed, adn they both hate trying on clothes and shopping in general. Old Navy was having 2/$25 sale which is great. So after some drama in the changing room, deciphering what Alaina doesn't like about each pair she tried on, sending Kevin back & forth multiple times for different sizes and different styles, we finally found a pair to fit each girl. We tried and tried to buy more than 1 pair per, but they were out. So that is what we got. A few days later, armed with label and style numbers written down on a pad of paper, I went back to Old Navy by myself to buy more. They were re-stocked on sizes, so buy I did. ONLY---today when the girls tried them on, 2 weeks later, they were too small! I paid in cash, didn't have the receipt anymore, and the tags were cut off!! I was just sick with the thought of $50 lost. They all fit like slim jeans which I know I didn't get! So I went ready to plead. The lady was great and let me exhange them!! Hooray!!

Today was picture day at school. I hope they smiled well. Out of 3 pictures, I have made Alaina re-take 2 because I didn't like her smile. Is that bad?