A song about me :o)

So I never realized there was a song about Jennifer until I started playing around on You Tube and came across Jennifer Juniper. It's a little trippy but it could be a lot worse, at least it is happy. And thanks to Kandid Kiwi and a little patience on my part I can now post a video!

...on a sick day

Neither Andy nor I made it into work today. We both still have terrible colds. We spent all day Sunday on the couch watching movies. Today, I got up and got ready for work and crawled back into bed and slept until noon. And I am finally starting to feel better! I was able to get some Christmas decorating done and if you haven't noticed I got caught up on my blogging. Well Andy has returned with the Nyquil, so I will leave you with a few pictures.

Thanksgiving & the epidemic

We left DSM in the middle of a bad snowstorm to go to my Uncle Brian and Aunt Kristi's ranch near Phillipsburg, KS which I have always enjoyed visiting over the years. We brought their daughter with us who is currently attending FBBC here in Iowa. My parents and siblings came as well as another Aunt and Uncle and 5 of their kids. Yep that's right that means there were about 20 of us staying in one house! Married people got their own rooms:o) Also on this side of the family there are 10 granddaughters ranging from ages 16-25. I am the oldest by a few years. And a bonus we all get along great and love each other bunches.
While we were there we went 4 wheeling, had a wonderful Thanksgiving meal, and an annual bonfire the day after thanksgiving, hot dog roast, s'mores, a snow storm, snowball fight, and sickness.

The night we arrived we caught wind that the stomach bug had gone around with my cousin and his family that lived nearby. I try to keep this on the DL but I become a basket case whenever I hear this(heart racing, shortness of breath). Yup, everything was fine until Saturday morning. We found a few people not feeling well, I started secretly panicking. So I convinced my wonderful but sick with a cold husband and my cousin (who becomes a basket case like myself) to leave a day early. I am so glad for that decision, because the sickness spread. Andy and I escaped with only severe colds!!! I will take a cold any day over that other business! Here are some pictures of the good times from the trip. We didn't get any big group pics.

sleeping quarters

4 Wheeling with my hubby

Janae and my sister RachelSisters: Aunt Sara and my mom

hair party and lounging around

My brother Ryan shortly after he got his eyeball hit with a rubber band

The bonfire

Tessha and my sister Melissa at the bonfire

I've been tagged...

...and am slow in responding.
I was tagged in a lyric tag by Kandid Kiwi. This isn't necessarily my current favorite song. I can't presently think of one, but this song has been encouraging to me over the last year. I am also tagging Green and Purple Life, Garden Gnomes, and bcrist.




Mountain of God
by Third Day

Thought that I was all alone
Broken and afraid
But You were there with me
Yes, You were there with me

And I didn't even know
That I had lost my way
But You were there with me
Yes, You were there with me

'Til You opened up my eyes
I never knew
That I couldn't ever make it
Without You

Even though the journey's long
And I know the road is hard
Well, the One who's gone before me
He will help me carry on

After all that I've been through
Now I realize the truth
That I must go through the valley
To stand upon the mountain of God

As I travel on the road
That You have lead me down
You are here with me
Yes,You are here with me

I have need for nothing more
Oh, now that I have found
That You are here with me
Yes, You are here with me

I confess from time to time I lose my way
But You are always there
To bring me back again
Sometimes I think of where it is
I've come from
And the things I've left behind
But of all I've had, what I possessed
Nothing can quite compare
With what's in front of me
With what's in front of me

(After final Chorus)
I thought that I was all alone
Broken and afraid
But, You are here with me
Yes, You are here with me.

p.s. i cant figure out how to attach a you tube video. sorry.
p.s.s. and I figured it out thanks to Kelly!

The Mist

That explains the weather around here the past few days. We also went and saw a sneak preview of The Mist I am glad we didn't have to pay for the tickets. I would say don't bother with this one. It wasn't even scary because it came across as really cheesy.

This past weekend we were out at my Uncle's farm a few hours from here. They have an annual fall youth activity "Haymania" that we have helped with the past 3 or 4 years. Around 100+ kids from the area attend every year, have fun and hear God's word. A highlight is usually the 'hay maze' a human size maze made from somewhere around 300+ big round bales. Big enough to get lost in for a few minutes. Well I must go and finish my last day of work before the Thanksgiving holiday. Hooray for only a half day! Well here are some pictures of haymania and Magnum running across the top of the hay maze.


***side note: It appears I am doing yoga on top of a hay bale.

Gulf Winds

That is the color I painted our bedroom last weekend, tealish, green-blue, blue-green, sorta turquoise, gulf winds sums it up best. Pictures never quite capture the color or how it feels in a room, at least my pictures don't, but I will go ahead and post them. I still need to hang some things on the walls but you will be able to get the idea. I was looking at the calender and this weekend looks like it is going to be the last slow weekend until january. I plan to enjoy it to the fullest. The holidays seem to be creeping up fast. Here are the before and after pics:

The most amazing thing happened today....

Today was a blustery cold and windy day. We're talkin' 27 degree wind chill and I am not ready for this kind of weather. (I know it will only get worse) But, on the bright side it was so stinkin windy that all of the leaves mentioned in the previous post have left the yard, and I mean ALL of them!! It looks better than if we would have tried to rake it the honest way. And this is including most of those that were still left on the tree. Woohoo!! That means we don't have to rake anymore this year! Unless.... the wind changes directions. I hope not!

Fall is nice.

Summer has become my most favoritest seasons of all , but fall is pretty nice too. The colors are pretty and you get out some new sweaters but you don't have to wear a big coat over them to stay warm and I am so happy that it is November and I haven't had to bust out the winter coat yet!! Which is good since I am still looking for a new one. The only thing about fall that stinks is the leaves that fall in our yard. This pic is only the smallest fraction of what will fall in our yard this year.

Today I was at returning a few things to Southridge Mall. This mall is dieing out and they are trying desperately to revive it. It has been ghetto since we moved here a few years ago. So ghetto the only good stores are so few I can list: Bath & Body, Victoria Secret, Target, Yonkers, Maurices. There are quite a few cowboy stores and hispanic specialty stores. In the last week they have added a Steve and Barry's which was exciting! That brought in some more people, but it tends to be the typical people you would see at Walmart or the Fair. Anyway, I am walking into the mall today, and I hear some crappy rap music. There is this stage in the mall, from back when stages in the mall were cool, with 2 young guys attempting to put on a show. Kinda missing the beat maybe a little off pitch. Wierd. Then, as I am walking to Target I pass this guy in a bright blue costume walking around on 5 foot stilts. I couldn't help but laugh. What is going on with that place?! For anyone who reads this and aren't from DSM, there are better malls in the area :o)