Amoretti: Giveaway!

Amoretti: Giveaway!

So, as it turns out...

We skipped an entire year of blogging. My oh my. But now, I have internet! So, I may just give this another go. Not that anybody's reading, and I may just post in secret for a little while. At any rate, hello, blogger! Good to see you! Oh, and also, I should probably post a recipe to my church's cooking blog soon. I have a request for my version of Shepherd's pie. A staple, I know, but I think all of us Farley girls have added our own twists and turns to the dish, which makes me happy. Anyway, here's to a new beginning!

Cutie Cute

Brrrrrrrrr

So, everyone just go to weather.com and type in 45431 to the zip code thing, then look at the 10 day forecast. Oh yes. It is that cold here.

Joining the Ranks

So guess what everybody? I'm...engaged! It's a white gold, 4 3/4 size (I know, that's tiny), marquise shaped, 1/3 carat ring. So now this blog can officially live up to its name. The engagement story involves Shawn's brother jumping out of a plane (which means we kinda just agreed to get a ring). We'll probably get married in December and get a place in Orlando and then have some sort of a wedding extravaganza in the spring. Which means that all of you have to come down to visit.

Alright, I think that covers all of the questions that haven't been asked but will be soon enough:) I expect this blog to have lots of comments.

Happy Anniversary!

So the anniversary of our blog isn't actually until next week, but I went back to the first posts to nostalgiaize and found this...

"Shannon- I am sorry to say that I will not be sharing this pregnancy with you. OK, that's a lie.... I'm not sorry about it at all."

Yes Adena, that was you. I know what your New Year's resolution needs to be.

Happy New Year! I now have the first post of the year!!

Chad

Chad is awesome. He fixed my brick slab disaster and insulated our water heater. And he makes cute babies.

That is all.

Lights

Ryan and I are trying to ready our house for this Farley Family Christmas, and we've run into a snag. We bought Christmas lights to hang on the front of our house, and now we can't figure out how to hang them. At its tallest, the house is roughly 30 feet tall, and our ladder goes to 17 feet. Every square inch of the roof is downwardly slanted at a dangerous angle to the point that Ryan got up on the only accessible portion of the roof via our ladder, and he almost couldn't get back down. We had to reposition the ladder and anchor it against a bush. Adena told us that Chad recommended using a chicken ladder (and that does appear to be the proper name for it), but if you looked long and hard at our roof you would understand why there's no way that's going to work. You can't even get up on the awning over the door and stand up enough to try to hook a 12-18 foot ladder over the closer of the two tall points, and nevermind trying to hook it over the taller of the two. I got home from picking up Lara today and looked across the street, and some guys were doing roofy things on the house across and down the street which is cookie-cuttered with the same cutter that ours is. They had a ladder that must have been 50 feet tall positioned from the ground at an angle all the way up past the top of the roof, and when they would climb up it, no one dared actually attempt to climb on the roof. They just hung onto the ladder and sprayed leaves out of the gutters with a long leaf blower, or whatever it was they were doing. There's no way to get from the accessible part of the roof to the top of it to anchor yourself. So unless we can find someone who has a 50-foot ladder or else come up with a new type of brainstorm, I'm afraid we may not be using our awesome lights. Sad day.

Why the Air Force Sucks.

So we're not moving to Boston. Again. Adam got new orders today, and we'll be staying in lovely Ohio for 2 1/2 to 3 more years. Apparently the organization that sponsored him to come to AFIT will be leaving Boston and coming here in a year, and since this is the org. that he owes a year and a half to, he can't just switch jobs and stay there. Needless to say, I am extremely bummed. The only upside is that we will probably buy a house while we are here and I will probably get a piano :)

Sadie has started sucking her thumb. It makes me a little apprehensive, but it's so dang cute I can't stop her. She tries so hard to get it in her mouth, then she sucks on it with her other fingers covering her face.

I finally broke down and bought some of those ugg-looking weird tan boots. Hate on it all you want, but my little Aldo shoes aren't keeping the snow from my toes. It has already snowed several times, and my hands are cracked and bleeding from the dry cold. Don't you guys want to visit?

Those are all of the thoughts I have. I came on here to rant about this new development, but I just don't have it in me anymore.

Sadie says hi!!

Why My Husband Rocks

Me: Is that MY Coke on the table?
Chad:Yes, and I'll go grab it while YOU (handing me the laptop which is opened up on a page full of awesome hats) search for a hat that you want to buy.
Me: *big grin*
(after some time of searching)
Me: Definitely this one.
(we discuss why my choice of hat is a good choice in hats)
Me: So... is the price OK?
Chad: Um, you just gave birth to our baby girl. I THINK I can stretch it just this once.

I'll take pictures once I get it.

Agony

So, it is now, in the wee hours of the morning of my official due date that I ask myself the usual questions; "Will it be today?" "Why does my stomach hurt and yet I'm not in actual labor?" "How LONG am I going to be in labor?" and, most importantly, "Will you PUH-LEEZ get your head out of my HIPS, child?!"

So, no, no baby yet. I have spent the last few days shopping my arse off for various things. For starters, we got a new couch, so, hooray for that. No more shlumpy futon! I also FINALLY found a pair of shoes that'll go over Orion's fat feet (besides Robeez). He is wearing a size 7!!! Can you believe that? It's the same size Sage is wearing. Crazy, no? He's going to be one giant-sized adult, or so it would seem. Not really a whole lot going on besides the waiting element. I really hope this happens within the next few days, though. I've hit that I'm-so-done-with-being-pregnant-right-now phase of pregnancy. So, everybody think baby thoughts for me today. I'm ready. Also, it's way late for me to be up if I'm planning on doing any burthin'. G'night!

Gift Ideas

Let's start fresh. Put your gift ideas here.

The Christmas List is here!

Okay, I have drawn names for the Christmas gift-giving extravaganza. Here is the list:

Caryn has Adam, Shannon has Anna, Adena has Ryan, Anna has Adena, Ryan has Chad, Adam has Caryn, Chad has Shannon.

It would be helpful if everyone put a wish list on the blog - for me and for each other. I always enjoy getting them anyway because of our particular sense of humor, so we can share it and have fun with it.

BRACES!!!!

That's ONE SEXY SMILE!!!!!!

Memories, Part 3

I was laughing out loud about this gem of a memory the other day, and had Chad laughing pretty hard about it too.

It all began with summer V.B.S. Somehow Shannon and I, being the ultimate Thespians that we are/were, got sucked into doing a video: a video about how to “save” a person: a video about how to save a person the right way, and how to do it the wrong way.

You know the one… but because the story is just so worth telling…

The scene starts out on a back porch. A very, very southern Shannon, decked out in jean overalls, and a very very southern man, (Ron Stoffel? Sp?) who I am guessing was supposed to be her brother, are having a discussion. If I recall correctly the talk was simply about needing to bring someone to Jesus, and soon!

Then I came along.

I must have been in the seventh grade. I don’t remember what I was wearing, but I came walking up with an empty basket, and proceeded to introduce myself. The dialogue went something like this;

Me: HI! Mah name’s Penelope and I just moved in down the street. Anywho, I was just tryin’ to bake me some pies and I ran outta eggs. Ya’ll got enny eggs I could borra?

(Shannon and Ron look excitedly at each other)

Shannon: Eggs? We got ourselves a COOOORNUCOPIA Uh EGGS!

This is the part where Shannon and Ron “hog-tied” me and shoved the Romans road in my face. I then proceeded to yell, in an act of desperation, “YES! I BUH-LEEVE! I AM A SINNER! I WANNA BE SAVED!” and so on.

The other part of the video (that, by the way, was how NOT to save a person, just in case you didn’t catch it) was pretty lame in comparison. And I never really lived that one down for as long as I was a member of FBCME. ESPECIALLY by Tom, who loved to show the video every few years or so, just for me, I think.

At the premier of the video, I seem to remember Shannon hiding under some article of clothing, and me crying. And they were not happy tears, that’s fer darn sure.

Guess Who's Pregnant...

Nope, not me. :) My sister-in-law, Shanna, is 5-1/2 weeks pregnant and she just called to tell me that she had an ultrasound today and it's TWINS!! Can you believe it? Crazy insane. She's going to have 4 kids and need a minivan soon!! It took me a couple seconds for it to sink in. So I can't wait to see what their genders are to see if we can buy them matching outfits.

In other news, um... well nothing exciting. Lara is learning all kinds of nursery rhymes lately. She just picks up stuff like that. And Julian can say "ba-ba" and wave his hand bye-bye. And I SWEAR he said bath yesterday when I was stripping him for one, but I can't get him to do it again. He's not into impressing Mommy.

Cheers:)

Snot, Sadie, and Sesame Street

As in, Sesame Street is babysitting Asher right now. Asher is a giant ball of snot...it's so disgusting. I'm trying not to get sick myself, and also to keep Sadie from the evil germs. (I can't get that sentence to sound right, sorry) And Adam's parents are coming tomorrow...they don't know what they are getting themselves into. Actually, after 6 kids, they probably do.

Anyway, this was my morning (starting at 2am, if that can be considered morning). Sadie is such a good baby, she only cries when she needs something and is so good natured and wonderful. For the last week or so she's only been getting up once at night to eat. But she woke up screaming at 2 this morning, and since it's about a million degrees below zero in our room, I thought she was probably freezing as well as hungry. Then I realized that her nose was almost completely boogered shut, so I brought her downstairs for an intense session with the saline spray and bulb syringe (or, in Megan's vernacular, the booger snatcher). After I finally got all the snot out, I took her upstairs to feed her, and she was gulping down her formula when I heard a seal barking in the next room...really it was Asher and he sounded like he was dying. So when I didn't hear Adam get up to get him, I finished feeding Sadie, put her back to bed, and then went to check on Asher, who was sleeping peacefully (albeit snottily). Then I couldn't fall back to sleep, because I was afraid one of them was going to stop breathing, of course. Then Sadie woke up again at 6:45, and I made Adam go feed her (he never hears her wake up, even though she's feet from him). Then, she woke up at 8 or so, screaming again, and I looked and she was almost completely un-swaddled, because Adam hasn't mastered swaddling, and as I said before it was about a million degrees below zero so I figured she was freezing and I brought her into bed with me. She slept for about an hour, then woke up screaming to eat, so I brought her downstairs to feed her, and then I heard Asher crying in his room, for whatever reason. So I fed her for a little longer, then took a break to get him and change him and wipe the globs of snot off of his face (seriously, globs) and bring him downstairs, where I resumed feeding Sadie. Then Asher started crying for his "guk", which is milk to him, and I couldn't get it, so I just waited and let him cry for a bit. Oh, and the phone rang. I finished feeding her, got his guk, changed her diaper, and fed Asher. Then I got to pee.

So, all that to say that I still haven't mastered mornings. I'm doing fine with everything else, I've made several trips without Adam and been fine, I feel competent with everything else. But I just can't figure out how to do mornings. But I'm sure I'll get it someday...maybe by the time Asher's 10 or so.

Well, the delightful stench of poo is permeating the air, so I'd best go take care of that. Oh, and Sadie just started crying...right as Elmo's World started...coincidence? I think not. I just wanted to update you all on my fabulous life!!

Life In the Cool-de-Sac

So, I feel overwhelmingly sad about a puppy that doesn’t belong to me. It all started about three days ago when I realized that my across-the-street neighbor had left her puppy chained to the porch with NO FOOD OR WATER for two days. I was heartbroken for the little thing. So, I went over and checked him out. He was absolutely covered with fleas, his coat was coarse, and he was pretty thin (besides the puffy puppy belly). So, I gave him some food and water and decided that if she didn’t come back the next day, I’d just take him in until she came back home.

Here’s the thing about this woman. She is a single mom, expecting her second baby, and she gets her daughter on the weekends from her mother, who primarily raises her. I am pretty sure she brought the dog home for her daughter. I am also fairly certain she’s just not very sharp and has no clue how to take care of an animal (they just recently had a cat run away from them.) So, when I did end up taking the dog home the next day, I decided to give her the benefit of the doubt and simply suspect that something awful had happened to her and she just didn’t think to get someone to care for the dog. I gave him a flea bath, picked some fleas off, gave him ANOTHER flea bath, put flea medication on him, fed him, gave him water, and for the last THREE days started house training him. It was apparent she had done nothing in that direction. STILL, I kept telling myself that there had to be some sort of reasonable explanation for that kind of neglect. I left a note on her door letting her know where he was and that she could come get him when she got home and that I hoped she was alright.

Today, Chad treated me to a facial and massage at a really nice spa, and it was fan-tas-tic. I also went out, did a little shopping and bought the boys some new Robeez (did I mention I am obsessed with those shoes? Well, I am). When I came home, the puppy was gone. Naturally, I assumed she had finally come home and I was anxious to find out what had happened. First of all, according to Chad, the puppy wouldn’t go to her. Chad had to physically hand him over. Then, they talked for a few minutes, and it went something like this (there was another woman there who had given her a ride home);

Chad: So, is everything OK?
Woman: Oh yeah, my ex [read: Baby Daddy] was harassing me and I just had to get away so I’ve been staying at my mom’s the last five days
Chad: Well, we took him in, and got all his fleas off, and gave him flea medicine… and, you know, he didn’t have any food… or water…
Woman: *Total blank stare*

After that, Chad did everything (else) he could to hint that what she had done is typically considered neglect. It all went over her head. Her friend seemed to think that it wasn’t a big deal either. It was like neither of them considered that food and water were necessity for any other beings than themselves. She also seemed to have NO consideration for the fact that we were providing for her dog. Now, of course we don’t need any kind of compensation for a little food and dog stuff that we had lying around anyway. It was mostly a matter of consideration. If she had asked us to watch the thing for a few days, I wouldn’t have minded… but there was just… nothing. I am still baffled by all of this. Chad said that he’s going to be a little more straightforward with her. He simply wasn’t interested in getting her friend involved. So, now the dog is back with its rightful owner and I feel sick about it. At least I know he’ll be flea free for a month. *sigh* I just hope some kind of good comes out of this. I haven’t seen the puppy chained up outside since she’s been home, so I guess that’s a good sign. Ugh. Me and my crazy neighbors.

STOP! Baby Time...

Well, I guess it’s time we talk about the BIG news around here, so...

YAY FOR BABY SADIE!! Born September 12, weighing a hearty 8lbs 2oz and CUTE. AS. A. BUTTON!! Yes, we’re very happy to welcome this little squishy baby into the family brigade. Oh, and early congratulations to mom for getting 7 (come November, anyhow) grandkids in an astonishing 3 years!! You’ve handled it well. :)

Not much going on here. I am just getting pregnanter and envying Shannon’s no longer pregnant status. Sage and Orion are doing well. Sage likes to lift up my shirt slightly, say “Baby?” and give my belly a little kiss. Orion likes to pat my belly and giggle at himself about it. Anyhow, I will leave this post short and direct all attention on our beloved sister. I will hopefully be able to post more soon. But until then, I will just keep batting at these mosquitos who are letting me know- quite rudely buzzing in my ears- that they are unhappy with my decision to put on bug spray. Yay for using the laptop on the front porch.