Just so you know

My blogging has been a little sporadic since about February when I started the Great American Postcard Swap.  But, I just thought I would let you know that I think my blogging will be even more sparse in the coming weeks.  I'm having a hard time really focusing on life lately and I need to buckle down.  There are just too many times during the day when I find myself mentally writing blog posts (that never get published anyway) when I should be thinking about other things.  I need to pay more attention. 

Thank you, thank you to those of you who do read my blog and leave those comments here and there.  I appreciate it very much! 

♥ Aimee

Three Times

My dreams are hardly ever repeated.  In fact, most nights I don't even remember dreaming at all.  But, the other night I had the same dream three times in a row. 

Next week I am flying to Minnesota for my brother's wedding.  Just me.  Mr. Wonderful and the kids are staying home.  That in itself is a little mind boggling to me.  And exciting too, I must admit.  But, back to the dream I had three times in a row.

I dreamt that I was at the airport all ready to go to Minnesota, but I had forgotten my driver's license and could not get on the plane.  I tried and tried to call Mr. Wonderful so that maybe, by some miracle, he could find it and bring it to me in time for me to make my flight.  He never answered the phone. 

Three times I had to dream this!  I woke up completely stressed.

That morning I started making lists of all the things I need to do before I go, and all the things I need to take with me.  "Remember Driver's License" is written at the very top of my list.  I still get nervous when I think about that dream.  But, for that very reason, I don't think I actually will forget to bring my driver's license.  I don't want to get overly confident though.  Then the dream might come true.  ~SHUDDER~  Let's hope not!

Have you ever had a dream like that?  

Getting to Know You part 26

Q:  What was the last movie you watched? 

A:  The Glenn Miller Story starring Jimmy Stewart.

Please leave a comment with your own answer to this question!

Morning Stories

The topic for today's Wordfull Wednesday is "Caring for your Family - How do you let them know you care about them? What do you do as parents to show your children they are loved?"  Visit Chocolate on my Cranium for more Wordfull Wednesday entries or to participate yourself. 

Back at Christmas time Miss Banana went through a kind of rough time.  Her very best friend moved away.  She really, REALLY, missed the structure and the keeping busy of school while we were on Christmas break.  And it was winter.  The sun didn't come up until 7:30am and then had set again by 4:00pm.  She was miserable.  The whole family was feeling the effects and I knew that we had to do something to help her, but I just couldn't figure out what that something might be.

I noticed that if her day started out good, things were always a little better.  By starting out good I mean what happened in the first 10 seconds of her being awake.  If she could have a good thought in those first moments, her day was happier.  But if in that short time any negativity was able to creep in, the day was lost. 

This sounds pretty dire, and really it was.  Mr. Wonderful and I prayed and prayed for Miss Banana and what we could possibly do to help her.  One night when I was at book club, I got one of a few answers we received.  A friend there mentioned, without knowing about our situation with Miss Banana, that when her girls were younger she would wake them up by reading to them.  A light bulb turned on in my head.  No, not just a single light bulb.  I was practically seeing fireworks!  I knew I had to give this a try!  I chose a book that night.  I had always wanted to read A Little Princess to my girls and I thought that this was the time to do it. 

So the next morning I went into the girls' room (they all three share a room) about 5 minutes before the normal wake up time.  I stood in the doorway so that I could use the hallway light to read by.  I gave a simple, "Good morning, Girls." and started reading. 

That was a beautiful morning!  Miss Banana was much happier, and so was everyone else.  Reading in the mornings did not take care of the whole problem, and we still had some rough mornings at times, but it did help.  

After getting a couple of chapters into it, I was suddenly afraid that when we got to the sadder parts of the book, all our happiness in reading in the mornings would be gone.  But that has not happened.  All three of the girls really enjoy the story and our morning reading time.  

Of course, it didn't take long for Kiddo to hear about what was going on in the girls' room.  He wanted to have a little morning reading time too!  Since I was keeping the time to 5 minutes or less, it wasn't hard to add another 5 minutes in the boys' room.  For them I chose How To Eat Fried Worms, by Thomas Rockwell.  When we were about a third of the way through the book, Kiddo stayed up one night and finished the whole book.  I had been trying to get him to read that book for a few months, so I was not too disappointed.  The next book I chose was Snow Treasure by Marie McSwigan. 

I can't say that I read every single morning.  But it is becoming a very nice tradition that I hope we will stick with for years to come. 

Sing

Today in church I was sitting next to Kiddo and was listening to his voice as we were singing one of the hymns.  I really enjoy the alto part of that hymn, so I switched.  As we started the second verse I could suddenly remember sitting next to my Mom in church and listening to her sing the alto part of that same hymn.  I always loved listening to her sing hymns in church. 

I loved listening to her sing anything.  When I was little, one of my favorites was "Sing" by the Carpenter's except that I didn't know that they sang it.  I only knew that my Mom sang it.  Years later when I heard the Carpenter's singing it on the radio, I was a little sad to find out that Mom hadn't actually written that song.

Thank you, Mom, for singing to me.  I can't imagine what my life would be like if you hadn't. 

I LOVE it when my kids say...

...OKAY.  It is one of my favorite things to hear.

A Little Romance

Just wanted to share a couple of fun blogs I found recently all about dating your husband.  They have tons of ideas.  I don't think Mr. Wonderful would really go in for some of the crazier ideas, but he always likes to know he is loved.  I think there is something for everyone on these blogs.

The Dating Divas



Love, Actually


I'm looking forward to some fun dates.  Thanks ladies!

International Family Postcard Swap

Zoe of Playing by the Book is organizing the International Family Postcard Swap.  You can visit her blog to read about the details.  We are joining in and are so very excited to participate!  Thanks Zoe!!!

All Girls Outing to the Quilt Show

On Saturday I took my girls to a local quilt show.  It's a tradition I'm trying to instill.  They do think quilts are very pretty things and were way excited to go.  They even counted down the days!  . 

It was fun for me to see how each girl acted at the show. 

Miss Banana really wanted to study the quilts and take time to look at each one.  She had some definite favorites.   (sorry for the blurriness)

Miss Bear liked every quilt, but wouldn't look at one quilt for longer than 5 seconds.  I couldn't tell if she was bored or really excited.  I wasn't able to get a picture of her because she did not sit still even once.  I should have told her that I wanted to take her picture.  I think that might have stopped her for a minute.

Miss Monkey loved every quilt with any pink in it. She was mostly just happy to be out with the girls.  She did find a cute little monkey to adore.  And yes, she did dress herself and do her own hair.  She is 4, you know.

We didn't stay very long, but did enjoy our time together and we are all looking forward to next year.

Getting to Know You part 25

Q:  What happy exclamation do you use the most?

A: Sweet!  or sometimes  Super! 

Please leave a comment with your own answer to this question.

Overcoming The Invisible Mom

Kiddo is in the 4th grade and is in the process of deciding what is "cool" and what is not.  So far it's been quite the process, and I know we are just at the beginning.  I've always wanted to be a "cool" mom.  The kind of mom my kids won't be embarrassed by.  The kind of mom they will feel comfortable talking to.  And listening to.  I want to be that kind of mom. 

At the beginning of the year I signed up to help at the school every Wednesday.  At first this was just fine, but as the weeks went by, I could sense that my level of "coolness" was dropping.  At first Kiddo would come over and talk to me, then he would just wave, then by Christmas time he just quit looking at me altogether.  Like if he didn't see me I wasn't really there.  I was trying to be the "cool" mom, so I left him alone.  I didn't push it. 

But I was bothered.  I wasn't hurt by Kiddo's actions, I was worried about the kind of relationship we had and would have in the future.  I was afraid that maybe he didn't really know just how much I loved him.  I realized that I hardly ever hugged him, even at home.  I used to when he was little but had gotten out of the habit as he got older.  I used to give him great big hugs we called "shield hugs".  The normal bumps and rough spots of life weren't so bad when he was protected by my sheild of love.  How could I have forgotten?

So I've changed my mind about being cool.  Now, when I see him at school, I go to him and give him a big hug.  No matter who is watching.  I hug him and tell him that I love him.  At first I was afraid that he would be mad at me.  But he wasn't.  He hugged me right back!  Sometimes he will see me before I see him and he will sneak up behind me and surprise me with a hug!  It is so great! 

For more Wordfull Wednesday entries, or to participate yourself, visit Chocolate on My Cranium.

Pink Carnations

On Friday I bought a bunch of pink carnations at the grocery store.  There were so many that I could barely fit them all in my wide mouthed jar that I like to use as a vase.

This is all that was left by Saturday morning.  Miss Monkey liked them so much that she took most of them to bed with her Friday night.  Little Man picked the little purple flowers in the yard and brought them to me. 




 

Getting to Know You part 24

Q:  What is the busiest day of your week?

A:  Wednesday.  I am so glad today is Thursday! 

Yesterday we had dentist appointments for the 4 oldest kids, I helped at the school, had a meeting about Primary (the children's organization at church in which I am very blessed to serve) at my house, Kiddo had band after school and Miss Banana had piano lessons.  Mixed in with all of that was all the everyday stuff: naps, meals, laundry, homework, etc., etc., etc.  Thursday is a welcome sight! 

Please leave a comment and tell me about your busiest day of the week.

A Visit from the Stomach Bug

Considering the title, this might sound a little strange, but I had a really wonderful weekend.  I felt like it was some of the highest quality time we've had as a family in quite a while.  We spent Friday and Saturday nights at Mr. Wonderful's grandparents' home. It is always so good to visit them. 

We had a good drive (5.5 hours) to Grandma and Grandpa's house.  The kids got along great!  We all enjoyed a very nice day together on Saturday and happily went to bed that night.  I was peacefully sleeping when Mr. W woke me up very, very early on Sunday morning (about 1:30) saying "What was that?"  Kiddo was throwing up.  In the middle of Grandma's kitchen floor.  He had been sleeping on her carpeted livingroom floor so we heartily congratulated him for making it to the kitchen.  We got him and the floor all cleaned up, found an empty ice cream bucket, and sent him back to his sleeping bag after moving it away from the other kids.  We went back to bed hoping it was just something he ate.  I always hope that.

One hour later we heard more strange sounds.  This time it was Miss Monkey.  I won't go into all the details this time.  Let me just say that once again, Grandma's carpet was spared.  Such a relief!

After getting back in bed yet again, Mr. Wonderful and I had a hard time going to sleep.  We would both jump up at the slightest moan or sound of movement from the kids.  We were wide awake.  So we talked.  For almost two hours.  We talked about so many different things.  It was wonderful! 

The next day Miss Banana asked me why we have to get sick.  I told her that it's just part of life.  But, I've been thinking about that question and our weekend experience.  If the kids had not been sick, Mr. Wonderful and I would not have had the sweet, peaceful time to ourselves that we enjoyed so much.  We worked together and worried together.  And were brought closer together because of that. 

I'm starting to realize that quality time does not mean perfect time.  And really, why should it be?  Life is not perfect.  Why should I expect quality time to be so far out of my reach that it hardly ever happens?  It is not out of my reach at all.  It is right there in front of me and all I have to do is grab onto it.    

The stomach bug turned out to be pretty mild and only Kiddo, Miss Monkey, and Little Man ever got sick.  Another blessing.  Yes, I really did have a wonderful weekend.

A Fine Time at the Library

I love going to the library.  Unless I have a fine.  Or even think I might have a fine.  When I finally find the lost book that has caused the fine, I drop it in the outside return box instead of having to go inside and face that fine and the librarians who I assume are thinking the worst of me.  "You misplaced a library book?  For three weeks???  What kind of person are you?"  That's what I think they must be thinking.  So I avoid it.  Until my children manage to talk me into going to the library once again.  It takes all kinds of courage and feeding off of my children's excitement to get me up to that desk where I quietly say, "I have a fine I need to pay."  I'm afraid my face turns red every time.  It's rather prone to do that. 

Just yesterday we found one of those poor lost library books.  Thoughts of dread started filling my mind.  I kept pushing them out.  I know that it really is silly to dread the library and the librarians.  So, after taking Miss Bear to her afternoon Kindergarten class, Miss Monkey, Little Man and I went to the library.  I went right up to the desk and handed the book to the librarian who was smiling at me.  I told her the book had been missing and that I needed to pay the fine.  She said "OK" and kept smiling!  And I'm pretty sure my face did not turn red.  In less than a minute my fine was all gone and I was free of guilt.  I was excited to be in the library again!  The kids and I chose some new books and a couple of movies.  I talked to another librarian and asked if she could recommend any good books about the states for young children.  She couldn't think of anything but left a note for the reference librarian who would be in later.  Librarians are so neat! 

We checked out our books and dvd's, went home, and sat down to read.  It was great!  And this time I'm sure we won't lose any books.  I hope.

Getting to Know You part 23

I watched Napoleon Dynamite for the first time over the weekend.  I'm not quite sure what to think of the movie.  But high school has been on my brain since then, so.....

Q:  What was your high school mascot?

A:  I went to two different high schools.  First the Cougars and then the Wolverines.

Please leave a comment with your own answer to this question.

Postcards, etc.

The Great American Postcard Swap is off and running!  Hooray!  Group 1 is swapping, Group 2 is starting this week, and Group 3 will start two weeks from now. 

I've had a few questions as to what kind of postcard should be sent and what should we put on the back.  Good questions.  The postcards should be state themed, meaning they should have something to do with the state you live in.  We have received 4 postcards so far (so exciting!) and they are each great examples. 

On the back?  Tell us a little bit about your state.  And about yourself if you would like.  Or just list some fun facts about your state.  You can write it by hand, print it on paper and glue it on the card, or print it out on an address label and stick it on. 

What do you do when you receive the postcards in the mail?  My kids always check the mail.  As soon as they see a postcard, they start yelling, "Moooooooom!  Mom, mom, mom, MOM!  We got one, we got one!"  If it is a reading child they also yell out where it came from.  We get everyone together, read what the card says, then find it on the big U.S. map we have on our family room wall.  I printed out a smaller U.S. map for each of the kids as well.  Found them at Eduplace.com.  The kids locate the state on the smaller map and color it in.  The bigger kids learn the state capital as well.  Over the next couple of days we learn a little more about the state.  Things like state flower or state animal, farming or industries, when it became a state, and sometimes I slip in a big historical event or famous person.  We don't do much at once, just a little here and there.  I'm amazed at what even Miss Monkey is learning and remembering.  We write it down on regular lined paper and keep it in a binder we now call our "States Book" along with the kids' maps. 

Learning Table has been posting some great resources about each state, including a link to some nice notebooking pages to use as you learn about the states. 

Caroline of river-girl.com made this sweet envelope for storing her postcards. 

Havin' Fun Yet? is giving away a couple of educational DVD's about Arkansas that were produced by the Secretary of State's office!  Fun, Fun, Fun!

Patrizzia of iCreate and her daughter are quite busy as well!

Any more ideas to share?

Good Morning.  The sky is lighting up.  It's a beautiful color.  The birds are awake and making lovely sounds.  My favorite is the mourning dove.  I am awake too.  Everyone else in my house is still sleeping.  Peaceful quiet. 

Getting to Know You part 22

I wasn't sure what to ask today.  At breakfast this morning, Miss Bear asked a question that cracked me up and I decided to pass it along. 

Q:  Do you like muffins or pickles better?

A:  Almost everyone in my house chose muffins.  Kiddo chose pickles!

Please leave a comment with your own answer to this question!

Getting to Know You part 21

Q: How many brothers and sisters do you have and where do you "fit" in your family?

A: I have two brother and two sisters. All amazing I might add! I am the oldest.

Please leave a comment with your own answer to this question so that we can all get to know each other.

The 5 of us at our family camping trip last summer.

Love and Friendship

The topic for Wordfull Wednesday today is Nurturing Love and Friendship in Marriage. I already talked about this a little in a previous WW post. So I'll just add a little bit to those thoughts.


Mr. Wonderful and I love to laugh together. We all know that laughter is a very healthy thing, right? It is relaxing, it improves blood flow, releases endorphins, and even boosts our immune systems. As long as we are laughing together, laughter has some pretty wonderful effects on our marraige. We feel closer, we forgive easier, we enjoy each other more, and don't stress so much. Like I said, Mr. Wonderful and I love to laugh together. We laugh at funny things the kids do or say. We laugh at the corny jokes we tell each other but would be too embarrassed to say in front of anyone else. We love to laugh at Don Knotts. And Bob Hope. We love to laugh! And life is good.


These pictures really have nothing to do with marraige, but they are my favorite laughter pictures, so I'm going to share them anyway. For more Wordfull Wednesday entries visit Chocolate on my Cranium.

Alabama

Our first postcard has arrived! It was an exciting thing, let me tell you! My whole purpose in this postcard swap (besides getting fun mail) was to help my kids learn more about all 50 states. So, after receiving our Alabama postcard, we set out to see what we could learn about that great state. We found some wonderful resources online.

The Alabama Secretary of State has a neat Kids Page which includes Alabama history, symbols, fun facts, and even a couple of games. We learned that Alabama became the 22nd state in 1819, the state animal is the black bear, and that Alabama and our state, Idaho, share the same state insect, the Monarch Butterfly.

The Alabama Department of Archives and History also has a kids page which includes some nice printable activity sheets.

Kidskonnect has an Alabama page with lots of really neat links. We could spend lots and lots of time exploring there.

The Alabama Tourism Department has a Flickr photostream with over 600 photos. And on the actual Tourism Department website they have quite a few virtual tours of places all over the state. These were both great ways to "visit" Alabama.

Do you know of any other good Alabama resources? We would love to hear about them.

Great American Postcard Swap

How it works: 50 families (one from each state) will swap postcards over the next year. Each state will have their own week and will send out 49 postcards, one to each state, during that week. We will go in alphabetical order of the states. At the end of 50 weeks we will all have received a postcard from 49 other states!

To join: Check the lists below to see if there is an opening for your state, then send me an email me at adventuresandpursuits (at) gmail (dot) com.

Postcards: Please send state themed postcards and include 1 or 2 state facts in the message area. Postage to send 50 postcards is $14.

Swap Groups: There are three FOUR separate swap groups each needing 50 families.  The following lists show which states each group still needs. I will update these lists as spots are filled.

Group 1

North Dakota

Group 2

North Dakota

West Virginia

Wyoming

Group 3

Kentucky

North Dakota

South Dakota

West Virginia

Group 4

Montana
Nebraska
North Dakota
Vermont
Wyoming

Grab a button!

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GAPS Blogroll

I thought it would be fun to put together a list of the blogs of our GAPS families. So we can get to know each other a little better. Not everyone has a blog or would like to share it if they do, and that is just fine. We have such a huge variety of families! How exciting!!!


To the GAPS families: If you do not see your blog listed here and would like it to be, just send me an email, adventuresandpursuits (at) gmail (dot) com.
Group 1

The Geeky Gimper - Alabama
In the Potters Hands - Arizona
Havin' Fun Yet? - Arkansas
Let's Explore - California
Livin' in a Boys World - Colorado
Mel's Box of Chocolates - Delaware
One Happy Mama - Florida
An Island Life - Hawaii
Adventures and Pursuits - Idaho
iCreate - Illinois
Houseful of Maidens - Iowa
KC Jayhawk - Kansas
Table Scraps - Michigan
Blah, Blah, Blah - Missouri
Barefoot by the Sea - New Hampshire
River Girl - New Jersey
Olivia Jean: Keepin' it Green - New Mexico
Knitology - New York
Thurman Family on Flickr - Ohio
Unforgettable Childhood - South Dakota
Kids Stuff World - Texas
Me and the Boys - Utah
Bird and Little Bird - Vermont
Clothesline Chronicles - Virginia
The Weaver Fam - Washington
The Cute Little Bainbridge Family - Wisconsin
The Mobsquad - Wyoming


Group 2

Serendipity Mama - Arizona
Itty Bitty Wittes - Colorado
An Organized Mess - Hawaii
The Crafty Monkey - Louisiana
Something To Do - Maine
The Berni Family - Minnesota
The Leggett Family - Mississippi
A Lifetime of Days - Missouri
Our Adventures - Nebraska
Trying Traditional - Ohio
Imagine Creative Name Here - Pennsylvania
Dancing in the Rain - Rhode Island
The Merediths - Tennessee
Blue Yonder Ranch - Texas


Group 3

Two Girls and a Boy - Arizona
Kiwi Adventures - Colorado
MonkeyBoy Adventures - Connecticut
RS Island Crafts - Florida
A Few Good Things - Idaho
Give It a Go - Illinois
Deco Dollop - Maine
Camie and Matt - Minnesota
Me and My Double B's - Mississippi
My Many Coloured Days - Montana
The Happenings - Nevada
Kimmarie's Korner - New Jersey
Home of the Budds - Oregon
The Fantastic Five - Tennessee
Pluto and Back - Texas
Sunshine Daydream - Virginia
Refined Metals Academy - Wisconsin

Group 4

Mrs. Marine and the Tiny Troops - Hawaii

Getting to Know You part 20

This might seem like a silly question......but here it is:

Q: Do you have a cell phone? If so, how long have you had it? And what color is it?

A: Nope.

I really wanted to ask this question because I wonder sometimes if there is anyone else who does not have a cell phone. Anyone? I am completely curious!

Please leave a comment with your own answer to this question.

House Stories

March is my month for the 1 Year 12 Quilts quilting bee. I love houses in quilts so I'm asking the ladies in the bee to make house blocks that represent them. They will all have the same blue sky, but the houses will be all different kinds of sizes, colors, and styles. I'm excited!

I've made two house blocks so far.

I'm planning to make one block for every house I have lived in. These two blocks were actually made with the same house in mind. The first real house Mr. Wonderful and I lived in after we got married. Before this house we had lived in apartments.

This is the actual house just a couple weeks before we moved into it.

It was small and old and in a not very nice neighborhood. There was an oil refinery just half a block south of us and a very large and busy railyard about two blocks north of us. We were quite literally on the wrong side of the tracks. But it had a nice big flat yard and two huge trees in front. We really did enjoy our time there.

But that house is no longer there. The city we lived in made plans to re-align and expand the street next to it and even put in a greenway running along the new street. Our house was in the way. I was pretty sad when I first heard about it. But it turned out to be a great thing. It came at just the right time for us. And we got a great deal!

I'm trying to decide now which house to sew next. Each house has it's own special stories and memories. I'm really looking forward to this quilt!

New Postcard Swap

Just a quick post to let you know that Tanya has started her own postcard swap! She is just getting started and needs lots of participants. Visit her blog, Tanya Peila, to find out more.

Getting to Know You part 19

Q: What food do you dislike the most?

A: cooked spinach......UGH! (yes, I think it is worse than cooked carrots.)

Please leave a comment with your own answer to this question.

Quick Update on GAPS

I've sent an email to the first group. We are still missing four states: Delaware, Louisiana, Rhode Island, and North Dakota, but I think we'll be ready to start swapping next week. Yay!!! So exciting!!!

Keep checking the other two groups. They are getting there!
Group 2
Group 3

I have quite a back up list. I haven't been able to send an email to all of you yet. I am working on it. I am hesitant to start more groups yet because some states seem harder to fill than others, and I don't want to start a group that I won't be able to complete.

I did receive an email from Debbie about a slightly different kind of postcard swap that she is organizing. Check it out on her blog: Children Grow, Children Explore, Children Learn.




Also, Tanya has started another postcard swap. Check her blog, Tanya Peila, for details.

I would normally have a Wordfull Wednesday post today, but that just didn't happen. If you would like to read some great WW posts today, head over to Chocolate on My Cranium.

Have a great day!!!

What I Saw in a Split Second

Every now and then someone will tell me that Miss Banana looks just like me. I always smile and say, "You think so?" but I never see it. Until the other day at the park. I looked at her and saw myself. I wanted to tell her to freeze or something.

I took this picture as quickly as I could, but didn't quite capture it. It was only there for a few seconds, but it was most definitely there. The look in her eyes, the shape of her face, even the way she walked. I saw and remembered my 7 year old self. The feelings, the energy, the awkward teeth. I was so surprised to see so much of myself in her. Surprised and excited. And grateful for the memory and understanding that came in those seconds.

GAPS 3

What is the Great American Postcard Swap (GAPS)???

Here's a quick recap: 50 families (one from each state) will swap postcards over the next year. Each state will have their own week and will send out 49 postcards, one to each state, during that week. We will go in alphabetical order of the states.

The first group is almost full!!!
The second group is not far behind!!!

Time for a THIRD list! How exciting!!! This group is already off to a great start!!! We still need a family from each of these states:

Alaska
Delaware
Hawaii
Kentucky
New Hampshire
North Dakota
South Dakota
West Virginia
Wyoming

I am really excited about these three groups and am going to focus on getting them filled and swapping. If you are interested please send me an email. adventuresandpursuits@gmail.com

Grab a button to put on your blog to help spread the word! Thanks!














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Getting to Know You part 18

Q: Are you right or left handed?

A: left handed

Please leave a comment with your own answer to this question.

GAPS 2

If you don't know about the Great American Postcard Swap, click HERE to get the details.

!!!Update!!! I have started a list for a THIRD swap group. It has 9 states already! Keep those emails coming!

If you want to join PLEASE send me an email. Even if you leave a comment, I still need an email so that I will be able to contact you. PLEASE SEND AN EMAIL TO adventuresandpursuits@gmail.com. THANK YOU!!!

As promised, here is the list of states we still need for the 2nd swap group. We have 14 states already!!! I will keep updating this list as I've been doing for the first group. Thank you to all who have joined us. This has been a lot of fun so far, and we haven't even started swapping yet! If you know of any families you think would enjoy this, please send them here!

Kentucky
North Dakota
West Virginia
Wyoming

Today we are...

...rearranging the furniture. And dancing. We even moved our gigantic piano thanks to the huge casters Mr. Wonderful put on it a few years ago.

We are also watching the bohemian waxwings that are filling up our trees.

And we are doing lots of cheering. We've added quite a few new families to the postcard swap today. Only eleven more to go!!! And the second swap is coming along too. I'll post a list of the states needed for that one tomorrow.

We are having a great President's Day! What are you doing today?

Getting to Know You part 17

Q: Do you live in the same state/province you were born in?

A: Yes, but I live in a completely different part of the state and have lived in two other states between times.

Please leave a comment with your own answer to this question!

Love Song

For Wordfull Wednesday this week, Cocoa asked us to share "our song" if we have one, or just our favorite sappy love song. Somehow, Mr. Wonderful and I have never had a song that's "ours". But I definitely do have a favorite love song. "Something That We Do" by Clint Black. It makes me cry every time I listen to it!

To enjoy more sappy love songs, head over to Chocolate on My Cranium.

Come Join Us!

I learned about a super awesome postcard swap last month but was too late to get in it, so I'm hosting my own!

How it works: 50 families (one from each state) will swap postcards over the next year. Each state will have their own week and will send out 49 postcards, one to each state, during that week. We will go in alphabetical order of the states. I would like to start the first week of March. At the end of 50 weeks we will all have received a postcard from 49 other states!

To join: email me at adventures and pursuits @ gmail dot com

If you are interested, but your state is not on the list of states we need, send me an email anyway. With enough interest I will put together a second (or more?) swap. I don't want anyone to miss out!

!!!UPDATE!!! I have a list started for the second swap! Seven families so far! Keep spreading the word!!! Tell your friends and family, send emails, and post it on your blogs!

And a big THANK YOU to those who have helped in promoting this swap. I could not have done this without you!!!

***NEW UPDATE*** The list for the second swap can be found HERE. Thanks!!!

ANOTHER NEW UPDATE --- We have a third group started. The list is HERE. WooHoo!!!
I decided to add a 4th group!  Check HERE!!!

States we need:

North Dakota


The Button: Grab the button and spread the word!!!

<center><a href="http://adventuresandpursuits.blogspot.com//"><img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4002/4330111017_5a24c74ae8_o.jpg" /></a></center>

Things to remember: This is a family swap, a great way for kids to learn about the states. Postcards should be state themed. You can buy them or just make them yourself if you'd like to. The cost to send 50 postcards is $14. Did I miss anything? Please send me an email if you have any questions.

Getting to Know You part 16

Q: What time is it?

A: 2:54 PM

Please leave a comment with your own answer to this question!

Getting to Know You part 15

Q: What do you use on your hair?

A: Head & Shoulders, Suave conditioner (wild cherry blossom), and a brush.

Please leave a comment with your own answer to this question.

Top 3 in Marriage

Cocoa's question for this week's Wordfull Wednesday is "What are the three most important things to you in marriage?"

I thought of my three real quick. Forgiveness, Kindness, and Friendship.

1) Forgiveness - It has to be sincere and quick. And it needs to happen often. I call my husband Mr. Wonderful, but he is not perfect and neither am I. We both make mistakes, forget things, make messes, or do things that frustrate the other. Sometimes it is harder to forgive than at other times. When it is harder, I get on my knees and pray for help. And I get it. My anger goes away, I remember how dearly I love Mr. Wonderful, and I am able to forgive and forget. Quite often I end up loving him even more.

2) Kindness - This shows up in so many different ways. One way for us to show kindness is to have a good attitude about taking care of our family and fulfilling our responsibilities as a husband and wife. Another way is in the way we speak, the words we choose, our tone of voice, and even the thoughts we have. There are also many, many extra little ways to show kindness. I love it when Mr. Wonderful chooses to watch a movie that he doesn't particularly enjoy, but he knows that I really like. Or when he puts his warm feet on my freezing cold feet. Or when he tells the kids that he loves me and thinks I'm the most beautiful woman on earth. I know what he appreciates too. Chocolate chip cookies (made with real butter), extra long kisses, and quick phone calls or emails while he is at work, just to tell him I love him. None of these things take huge effort, but they add so much to our marriage.

3) Friendship - Again, this is something that takes effort sometimes, and has lots of different aspects to it. Mr. Wonderful and I don't really have a lot in common in terms of hobbies and activities that we enjoy. He loves the outdoors and engineering electronic devices. I love sewing and shopping at thrift stores. We do enjoy reading together, although it is hard to choose a book sometimes. And we love walking together. Every date we go on includes a walk, and has since long before we were married. The important thing is that we spend time together. Communication is a big part of our friendship as well. As we have worked at spending time together and really talking/listening to each other we enjoy each other more and more all the time.

I asked Mr. Wonderful what he thought are the three most important things in marriage. He said, "Forgiveness, service, and rosy cheeks and beautiful eyes." He sure is Wonderful!

Inspiration of Late

This post might seem a little random. It's just a few of the things I've enjoyed and found helpful lately.

I loved THIS POST and THIS POST from Simple Mom. Such super ideas!

I also really enjoyed THIS POST from Chocolate On My Cranium.

You Can't Rollerskate in a Buffalo Herd! This is such a great song by Roger Miller. We all love it. Thanks Jane and Jocie! I tried adding a youtube video of this song, but it kept popping up little ads and I don't want ads, so here are the words. I highly recommend listening to the song if you can find it.

Ya can't roller skate in a buffalo herd
Ya can't roller skate in a buffalo herd
Ya can't roller skate in a buffalo herd
But you can be happy if you've a mind to

Ya can't take a shower in a parakeet cage
Ya can't take a shower in a parakeet cage
Ya can't take a shower in a parakeet cage
But you can be happy if you've a mind to

All ya gotta do is put your mind to it
Knuckle down, buckle down, do it, do it, do it

Well, ya can't go a-swimmin' in a baseball pool
Ya can't go swimmin' in a baseball pool
Ya can't go swimmin' in a baseball pool
But you can be happy if you've a mind to

Ya can't change film with a kid on your back
Ya can't change film with a kid on your back
Ya can't change film with a kid on your back
But you can be happy if you've a mind to

Ya can't drive around with a tiger in your car
Ya can't drive around with a tiger in your car
Ya can't drive around with a tiger in your car
But you can be happy if you've a mind to

All ya gotta do is put your mind to it
Knuckle down, buckle down do it, do it, do it

Well, ya can't roller skate in a buffalo herd
Ya can't roller skate in a buffalo herd
Ya can't roller skate in a buffalo herd
But you can be happy if you've a mind to

Ya can't go fishin' in a watermelon patch
Ya can't go fishin' in a watermelon patch
Ya can't go fishin' in a watermelon patch
But you can be happy if you've a mind to

Ya can't roller skate in a buffalo herd
SPOKEN: "Ya can't roller skate in a buffalo herd"

I recently read "Yearning for the Living God" by F. Enzio Busche. It is wonderful! I get to go to Book Club tonight to discuss it. It is a compilation of experiences from Elder Bushe's life, beginning when he was born in Germany just 3 years before Hitler came into power. He grew up in Nazi Germany and was even drafted into the German Army just before the end of WWII. He has had quite a life and experienced amazing miracles and blessings. I really enjoyed reading this book!

Getting to Know You part 14

Q: How do you like your toast?

A: With a little homemade applesauce spread on top.

Please leave a comment with your own answer to this question.

Stretch

My friend Jen issued a challenge the other day to stretch ourselves and see what our minds are capable of. I thought it was a great idea, but then wondered what I should do to work my brain muscles. I really want to strengthen my memory and my ability to think logically.

I don't know how accurate this is, but I've heard that recalling and recording memories you do have will strengthen your memory and help you remember even more. I figure it's worth a try. So I've started writing about some of my childhood memories in my journal. I might even write about some of them here. Even if it doesn't help me remember anything else, I'll have recorded what I do remember and I'll always be glad to have that.

I've been remembering what the house looked like that I first lived in. My parents live in it now, but it has been expanded and remodeled quite a bit and doesn't look much like it did when I was little. I also wrote everything I remember about my youngest sister being born. She is almost 11 years younger than I am, so I remember quite a bit. It was a lot of fun to remember all of that, especially since she is now expecting her first baby.

Since I'm not sure that writing down my memories is much of a stretch for me, I decided to take a class through BYU Independent Studies. They offer quite a few classes for free. I don't have to finish by a certain date, and I'm not graded or worrying about credit. All I have to worry about is learning the content. I'm excited about that. I'm taking the Basic Arithmetic course. I know I have learned all of this and more, but it has been a long time since I had to do much math and I'd like to freshen up a bit before getting in too deep.

Besides BYU there are lots and LOTS of free online courses available from some great colleges and universities.

The Master List of Free Online College Courses
The Master List of Free Language Learning Resources
University of Texas at Austin
Yale
Utah State University
MIT

That's only a few. My brain is tired just thinking of all you could learn. I'm remembering, though, that I'm a tortoise...not a hare. I'll get there!

Fresh Air

Cough. Cough, cough, cough, ............. cough. That's what's been going on at our house. Since before Christmas, in fact. Everyone was coughing and no one was getting better and no one was sleeping, either.

(Isn't cough a funny looking word?)

This last weekend was especially rough. Monday came and the sun peaked out and the temperature got up to about 40 degrees Fahrenheit. It was beautiful! So I opened the windows. Every one. And the fresh air came pouring into our germ infested house. It was glorious! We all went around wearing sweaters and jackets and smiles. The clean air helped our bodies and our minds.

That night we slept. We slept well. I even had a couple of dreams.

We still have the occasional cough, but the worst is far behind us. I am so grateful for fresh air.

Getting to Know You part 13

Q: What is something you have and use regularly that you did without either as a child or an adult?

A: A shower. Until I was almost 16 I lived in houses that only had bathtubs. I didn't mind at all at the time, but I sure do love showers now. It would be hard for me to give that up.

Please leave a comment with your own answer to this question.

My Family

Wordfull Wednesday is back! Check out Chocolate on My Cranium for more Wordfull Wednesday entries. All of the topics for this year will focus on families. For today we are asked to tell about our families and what makes us unique. I like using nicknames for my family members to maintain a little privacy. I know my blog isn't read by very many people, but I like to stay on the safe side.

This is my family.


Miss Banana, Miss Bear, Mr. Wonderful, Little Man, me, Miss Monkey, and Kiddo.

Our family started, of course, when Mr. Wonderful and I were married in the Denver LDS Temple just over 10 years ago. We really are best friends and it is so very nice.

Our first child was born one month before we celebrated our 1st anniversary. All of our kids are approximately 2 years apart. Definite stair-steps.

We live in Northern Idaho, far from any of our extended family and we miss them all terribly. We go to church every Sunday. We are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We enjoy homemade pizza, ice fishing (I have never been, it's always just Mr. Wonderful and the kids.), amateur radio (Mr. W and I are both licensed and Kiddo is working on it.), camping, having friends over, going for walks, chocolate chip cookies, the Andy Griffith Show, reading, and monopoly. Nothing too extraordinary, but still a pretty special family, I think.

January Fabric

The Quilting Bee has started! Hooray! January is Donna's month. I got her fabric and pattern in the mail last week. I haven't had any sewing time since it came, but I'm anxious to get started on it. I'm definitely going to practice a few times before making the actual block to send to Donna. Check out the 1 Year 12 Quilts blog or Flickr group to see what her block will look like and how it's all coming together. It is a very pretty block. I can't wait to see how all the blocks look together!

2010

Somehow the number 2010 always seemed very far away to me. It's rather strange that it is actually here. Maybe that's a good thing. I'm so surprised by it that I can't get it out of my mind and I haven't accidentally written 2009 on anything yet! I think that's a first for me.

I am excited for this new year. I want to write more. Hopefully that won't bore anyone to tears. I would also like to take more pictures. They won't necessarily go with what I write though. I think I just need to get into the habit of keeping my camera with me and making sure I have fresh batteries when I need them. Oh! I'm going to make a really awesome battery pouch like my friend Cathie did. One side holds fresh batteries and the other side holds dead batteries. Check it out HERE. It's so cool!

I'm not really making any resolutions for the new year. I'd just like to keep going in the right direction.

Going. That's pretty important. But at what speed?

If I go too slow, I'm never going to get anywhere. If I go too fast, I'm going to burn out and still won't get anywhere. I've been thinking a lot about a scripture in Mosiah (found in the Book of Mormon).

Mosiah 4:27 And see that all these things are done in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength. And again, it is expedient that he should be diligent, that thereby he might win the prize; therefore, all things must be done in order.

This scripture reminds me of the Tortoise and the Hare fable. That's what I want for this year. To be a tortoise. Not the most remarkable or accomplished, but one that keeps going and getting a little farther all the time.