The Prairie Bride

Follow Me

2009-03-14T23:16:00.005-05:00

I HAVE A NEW BLOG!!

Excuse me. I need to calm down a little.

*deep breath*

I have a new blog. It's called Punkyseed, and it's located at http://www.punkyseed.com/.

I hope that you will follow me to my new online home.

I'll no longer be updating The Prairie Bride, so please update your bookmarks & favorites! :)

Snowstorm Aftermath

2009-03-14T13:17:00.003-05:00

The snowstorm we had this week--that was super fun to dig out of. Wait...I can't take credit for that. I didn't do any of the digging.

Ahem. That snowstorm was super fun for hubby to dig out of.

What?!? I was doing my part. Somebody had to stay inside with Bub.

Here's our driveway and street:

Here's our patio door:

The snow on our deck was down to almost nothing before this storm, so that tells you we got a LOT of snow.

Bub's Highchair

2009-03-13T15:18:00.003-05:00

Remember Bub's highchair? Here's some pictures

to show how happy he is to have it!

A Loss

2009-03-12T08:57:00.004-05:00

Sven, my Dad's beloved fjord horse,

has had to be put down.I'm just heartbroken. As my brother said, everyone who met him, liked him. He was easygoing and sweet. And handsome.

Godspeed, Sven.

Bit of a Blizzard

2009-03-09T21:14:00.004-05:00

We're in another winter storm up here. Perhaps you are too? This was the view from my windshield this morning.

Now I'm just waiting to hear if maybe - maybe - I won't have to go in to work tomorrow. *fingers crossed* They called it off once earlier this winter.

Thrift Store Finds

2009-03-07T14:39:00.005-06:00

I've been completely inspired lately by Jennifer's blog. She does a lot of thrift store shopping, and she's inspired me to get back into it.

I used to shop at thrift stores in college,

but not much since then.

Today, hubby and Bub came with me to a couple of thrift stores, and I found:

A couple of pretty blue Ball canning jars:

I also found a children's book for future Christmas decorating:

Little Tents

2009-03-06T13:08:00.002-06:00

I saw this miniature tent display while shopping today. When I was little, I thought these were fascinating. I desperately wanted to have my Barbies go camping in them.

Night Waking

2009-03-06T09:21:00.002-06:00

Bub has decided that it's a great idea to wake at 12:30 a.m. and 3:30 a.m. to eat. I don't think that's such a great idea, of course. I've been fine with the night waking, because he's been sick for, oh, a month now. But now I'm seeing a pattern. Do you have any advice for how to break him of this habit? I'm not a fan of cry-it-out.

Note to Self

2009-03-04T21:14:00.002-06:00

The frosting for German chocolate cake does not

lend itself to easy cupcake frosting.

Coconut and pecans were all wanting to go

too many different directions at once. They aren't the most gorgeous cupcakes I've ever made.

But, mmmmm, they do taste good anyway.

Peanut Warning

2009-03-02T20:52:00.002-06:00

As the aunt of a severely peanut allergic child, I've become more aware of peanuts in public places. On Saturday, we went to Texas Roadhouse. Buckets of peanuts are available in the waiting area, and people throw their peanut shells on the floor. The people whose shoes are seen here even decided to start throwing peanut shells at each other. I've never understood what's so great about being able to throw your peanut shells on the floor in bars. Can anyone explain it to me?

Anyway, if you're allergic to peanuts, Texas Roadhouse is not a place you want to be.

Haircuts

2009-03-01T16:12:00.002-06:00

In October, I cut my hair very short. I am not afraid to experiment with my hair. Mostly because it's so fine and thin. It doesn't look nice long, so I don't mind it being short. Plus, it was so fast to blowdry, which I loved.
It was modeled after Kate from Jon & Kate Plus 8.

I thought it was okay. But now I'm over it. I'm going to go back to my all time favorite haircut, which is the Pob, a.k.a. an inverted bob (as seen below).

Drug Rash

2009-02-28T13:54:00.006-06:00

Here's what it looks like when your child

has a nice, big drug rash

(this is his reaction to amoxicillin, not his current antibiotic):

It looks terrible, but it didn't seem to bother him.

A Day in the Life

2009-02-26T21:42:00.003-06:00

As I've thought about what to write today, I'm struck by what a whirlwind today was. Yet much of it was just run-of-the-mill, what-happens-when-you're-a-mom stuff. Here's how it went:

2:30 a.m.: Bub wakes up. Up until 3:30 a.m.

4 a.m.: Bub wakes up again. Up until 4:45 a.m.

5 a.m.: I get up to shower.
Bub wakes up.
Hubby takes him to bed with him, but Bub is wide awake.

5:15 a.m.: Get Bub from hubby.

5:30 a.m.: Feed Bub.

6:30 a.m.: Pick up Bub from floor and realize he's had a blowout.
Take off Bub's clothes.
Manage to get poop on Bub's calf, shoulder and head. Yes, head.

6:40 a.m.: Give Bub a bath.

6:50 a.m.: Rock Bub to sleep (Bub is tired from waking up so early).

7:30 a.m.: Drop Bub off at daycare.

8:00 a.m.: Work. Work, work, work.

4 p.m.: Get report from hubby that Bub, who has bronchitis, has now started wheezing.

4:45 p.m.: Arrive home.

5:30 p.m.: Feed Bub.
Realize that, yes, he does have a nice wheeze.

6:15 p.m.: Take Bub in to Urgent Care.
Hold nebulizer for Bub.
Hold Bub's arms while his chest is being x-rayed.

7:40 p.m.: Wait at pharmacy for Bub's antibiotic.

8 p.m.: Arrive home.
Get Bub ready for bed.
Feed Bub.

8:30 p.m.: Hand Bub over to hubby.
Scrounge together a dinner of yogurt, cereal bar, and pudding cup.

9 p.m.: Brown hamburger and fry bacon in preparation for tomorrow's farewell potluck for 2 former coworkers.

9:50 p.m.: Bub wakes up.
Comfort him back to sleep.

10 p.m.: Blog.

10:15 p.m.: Fall into bed exhausted. Good night!

The Highchair Debacle of 2009

2009-02-24T21:06:00.002-06:00

I waited a long time to order a highchair for Bub. I waited a little too long, really. But I finally did it. And then it never came. I started to wonder where it was.

I checked my order online, and realized that it had been sent to my old apartment address. Target still had the old address in their system, and I hadn't noticed.

Cause I'm just good like that.

I realized I could track the order through UPS, and I found out that the highchair had been signed for by my old next door neighbor, an elderly woman.

I looked her up in the phone book, and gave her a call.

The conversation went something like this:

Me: Hello? Irene?

Irene: Hello?

.
Me: Hi! I used to live across the hall from you, and I recently accidentally sent a highchair to my old address and I think you signed for it...
.
Irene: *grumbling* I can't hear you.
.
Me: I SENT A HIGHCHAIR TO THE WRONG ADDRESS AND I THINK YOU SIGNED FOR IT?
.
Irene: What?
.
Me: DID YOU SIGN FOR A HIGHCHAIR?
.
Irene: Oh, yes. I signed for a highchair.
.
Me: DO YOU STILL HAVE IT?
.
Irene: No, I gave it to the man across the hall. It was a highchair.
..
Me: YES. IT WAS MY HIGHCHAIR. I SENT IT TO THE WRONG ADDRESS.
.
Irene: Well, I thought it was strange, since he's just a single guy. And he doesn't have a woman living there. He did look sort of puzzled when I gave it to him.
.
Me: DO YOU HAPPEN TO KNOW HIS LAST NAME?
.
Irene: No, I don't.
.
Me: Hmmm...
.
Irene: I could leave a note on his door for you. What should I write?
.
So that is what we did. My old neighbor very kindly left a note on the highchair holder's door. I left him my phone number and waited for a call.
.
But five days went by, and no one called. I fully expected to hear from him. I believe that most people would do the right thing and try to return the highchair to its rightful owner. But after five days, I was no longer believing in the goodness of other people. What did he want with the highchair, anyway? Did he know someone he wanted to give it to? Was he going to try to sell it? Did he throw it in the dumpster?
.
Keep in mind, Bub was still having to eat his meals in this:
.
Which is fine. For now. Except he's outgrowing it.
.
Anyway, five days later, I decided to try to track down the highchair. I loaded up Bub and we went to my old apartment building. We went to my old apartment and knocked. And knocked. And knocked.
.
No answer.
.
I left another note on the door.
.
I realized that in the entryway, the phone number of the resident manager was listed. At this point, I was desperate. I thought I was going to have to order another highchair.
.
I called the manager and tried to enlist her help. She said that the man who lives in that apartment works several jobs and isn't there much, but that she'd try to get the highchair so I could pick it up from her.
.
Finally, I made some headway!
.
But that was six days ago.
.
I finally got a call from the manager tonight that she has the highchair. I'm going to pick it up tomorrow. A full 20 days after it shipped!

Bathtime

2009-02-23T06:20:00.003-06:00

Here's what Bub looks like when he's waiting for me to get his bath ready. I just love this time of day. Even if he's been crabby, he perks up waiting for his bath. I think he knows it's coming. I just love the sight of a chubby baby in just a diaper.

Picture by Hubby

2009-02-22T20:27:00.002-06:00

Here's what kind of pictures get taken when Bub and Daddy are home alone,

and Mommy is working: Bub. On the couch. Watching television.

Bub's Favorite Things: The Exersaucer

2009-02-21T15:27:00.003-06:00

Here's Bub with one of his favorite toys: the exersaucer. It's highly convenient for times when I need to keep him occupied and contained, like when I'm making supper.

Playtime

2009-02-20T11:59:00.003-06:00

Bub gets playtime with Daddy:

What's that? . My house is messy? . *puts fingers in ears*

I can't hear you!! . I don't know what you're talking about.

Anyway, back to the story.

As I said, Bub gets playtime with Daddy when he gets home from work:

And playtime with Mommy:
.
And he hugs Mama...

.
...and leaves drool on my shirt. But I don't mind.
Cause I'm his mama.

Learning to Sit

2009-02-19T08:55:00.002-06:00

Bub is learning to sit. He does it pretty well.

But, sometimes, he ends up like this:
Mama? A little help, please?

Eating

2009-02-18T12:27:00.005-06:00

Bub didn't like solid food when he started eating it. Dinnertime often resulted in faces like this:

And sometimes involved blowing raspberries:

But now, he's a happy little eater.

And sometimes, he even does his dinnertime chair dance:

Well, usually it's more like back, forth, back, forth, back, forth...but this was all I could get him to do for the camera.

Bub

2009-02-18T12:26:00.001-06:00

FYI, Prairie Baby will hereafter be referred to as Bub. Bub = Baby. Baby = Bub.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2009-02-14T06:38:00.006-06:00

Today, I'm thinking about my sweet hubby, and how we went from dating... ...to married...

...to family.

Happy Valentine's day to my big and little Valentines.

You boys make my world go round.

Sudafed

2009-02-12T15:19:00.002-06:00

I always feel like a criminal when I buy Sudafed. It's so stupid of me. I'm sure I look exactly like someone who makes meth. Right. But somehow, when they ask me for my license, I feel like I'm doing something wrong. I feel like saying, Don't worry! I'm not going to make meth with this!!

Whats-his-name

2009-01-19T20:04:00.002-06:00

I'm a notorious sleep-talker. And sleepwalker. I once woke up opening my apartment door, back when I lived alone. On one vacation, hubby woke up to me standing on the bed, reaching for things that were floating up to the ceiling in my dream. When Baby was brand new, I was asleep and I guess I thought we had more than one baby. I asked hubby, "Where's the other baby?"

I get confused.

So last night, I was asleep. But apparently I woke up hubby and said:

Me: Did you check on him?

Hubby: Check on who? (He thought he'd egg me on.)

Me: What's-his-name! (I don't even know Baby's name?!?)

Hubby: No.

Me: Well, I gave him a sleep toy!! (What's a "sleep toy?!?")

Oh, geez. Well, apparently, I've done it again. I've embarrassed myself in my sleep.

Real Food

2009-01-09T16:57:00.003-06:00

Baby has started eating solid food. Below, he's enjoying his first taste of cereal. It's a messy process.
.
.

Yesterday, we tried vegetables--sweet potatoes, to be exact--for the first time. I put some on his lips, and he just looked disgusted. We tried it again this morning. Same thing.
He's just revolted.
.
Maybe tomorrow we'll try carrots.

Fall Weekend

2008-11-06T08:53:00.004-06:00

A couple of weekends ago, we went back to my parents' place. What a great fall weekend! Mom, hubby, and I went to the apple orchard for lunch. We left Baby with my sister.

A man named Ambrose Lewandowski (isn't that a fantastic name?) plays the accordian at the restaurant. That's him below. He smiled when I took his picture.

Here's some video (sorry it's sideways):

I'm sure the guy eating lunch in my video really appreciated me taping him.

When Ambrose took a break, he went around the dining room talking to people, including us. Turns out his wife died a few years ago, and he said it hasn't been so good since. He plays the accordian at the orchard restaurant to get out of the house and interact with people.

Here's my sister, picking apples at my parents' house.

My parents have laying hens and a rooster. Aren't they pretty? They lay delicious brown eggs.

It was a gorgeous fall weekend.

Menu Plan Monday

2008-11-02T08:31:00.005-06:00

The blog I'm an Organizing Junkie hosts Menu Plan Monday every week. I've followed it for a while now to get meal plan ideas, but this is my first contribution!

This week I planned my menu from Friday to Thursday.

Friday: Stromboli (see recipe below) and salad
(I’d never made this before, but it was good.)

Saturday: Honey mustard chicken (see recipe below) and peas
(Another new recipe. Very easy, and good.)

Sunday: Crockpot stew and rolls

(Wasn't so great.)

Monday: Spaghetti
( I work, so by the time I get home at 5 and then feed the baby, supper has to be easy.)

Tuesday: Hamburger helper and vegetable

(Another work day. Also election day, so we may not even have Hamburger Helper. We'll be lucky if we both get a chance to go vote.)

Wednesday: Barbeque chicken and vegetable

Thursday: Chili

Ham and Swiss Stromboli

1 can (11 ounces) refrigerated crusty French loaf6 oz thinly sliced deli ham6 green onions. sliced 8 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled 1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded Swiss cheese Unroll dough on a greased baking sheet. Place ham over dough to within 1/2 in. of edges: sprinkle evenly with onions, bacon and cheese. roll up jelly-roll style starting with a long side. Pinch seams to seal and tuck ends under. Place seam side down on baking sheet. With a sharp knife, cut several 1/4-in-deep slits on top of loaf. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool slightly before slicing. Serve warm.

Honey mustard chicken

1 T oil
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
¼ c cream cheese spread
¼ c Zesty Italian dressing
2 T Grey Poupon
1 T honey
Heat oil on medium heat in large skillet. Add chicken and cook until cooked through. Mix other ingredients in small bowl and spoon over chicken. Heat through.

2008-10-31T08:53:00.004-05:00

Happy Halloween!!!

I'm not really sure why this pumpkin costume has black & white stripes on it. The artistic side of my brain keeps trying to reconcile this. If I'd made the costume, I would have make the rest of it green (to represent leaves or vines) or solid black (to fade into the background). I think about it every time I see the costume.

I've decided he's a convict dressed up as a pumpkin. :)

Happy Halloween from my little pumpkin (convict) to yours!!!

Baby smell

2008-08-30T11:25:00.002-05:00

I love the way Baby smells. His head, his milky breath, his neck... I could get drunk on the stuff. They should bottle that smell and sell it. I'd buy it someday when he's not a baby anymore.

My Favorite Things: The Minnesota State Fair

2008-08-30T11:17:00.004-05:00

I love the Minnesota State Fair! Mostly, I love the food. The cream puffs, Sweet Martha's cookies, cheese curds and lemonade, chocolate malts...and of course trying something new and different that you can't get anywhere else. Last year it was teriyaki ostrich. Yuck. I thought it was awful. But I always like to try something new there.

I also love walking through all the exhibits. Let's see, there's just so many...the crafts, the bee/honey display, the animal barns. Ooh! And I love to see the live radio and television broadcasts. And then there's Ye Olde Mill, and the dairy princesses' heads carved in butter...

Whenever I hear that the state fair is starting, I just ache to go. And whenever I do get to go, by the end of the day I'm sweaty and dirty and hot and tired, and I'm ready to go home again.

I won't get to go this year. :( Maybe next year.

Natural Childbirth

2008-08-22T21:12:00.004-05:00

I had a natural childbirth when I had Baby. I wasn't completely against medications during labor. Believe me, I signed the form for the epidural, just in case I needed it. I figured that I'd never been through this before, so how did I know whether or not I could handle it? But I wanted to try. Some people looked at me like I was nuts for wanting to have a natural childbirth. But I wanted to try to do it for several reasons: 1.) I figured I was capable of making it through the pain without meds. 2.) I didn't want Baby to come out all drugged up. 3.) I didn't like the idea of a needle in my back. 4.) I wanted to be able to get out of bed. 5.) I've had severe nausea with anesthesia before and didn't want that to happen again. 6.) I hate even having my mouth numbed while I'm at the dentist. Why would I want half my body numbed?

Even though I had plenty of reasons for not wanting an epidural, I hadn't ruled it out. And I've got to be honest: If I hadn't had hubby right there through the contractions, I wouldn't have been able to handle it. When a contraction would start, if he wasn't right next to me, I'd feel anxious and I'd call him to come over to me and hold my hand. He'd hold my hand and I'd close my eyes, and we breathed together--hee hee hoo--through it. I would have been overwhelmed and panicky without him. But he was right there with me, telling me I was doing great.

Even though I wasn't drugged up, I was out of it for much of my labor. At one point, the nurse came in and said, "Well, they're sending me home." And I thought she said they were sending ME home. In my head I was thinking, WHAT?!? I thought they were sending me home to labor for a while. It took me several minutes to comprehend that they were not, in fact, sending me (the woman in hard labor) home. Rather, they were sending her (the nurse) home, and I was getting a new nurse.

My sense of time during labor was nil. I couldn't tell you if 10 minutes or 2 hours had passed. The whole afternoon and evening were a blur. It felt like I pushed for 5 minutes (I actually pushed for 20). Suddenly, it was 8 p.m. and I had a perfect, sweet little baby in my arms.

The best part of having a natural childbirth was how normal I felt afterwards. I felt fantastic! I probably felt too fantastic, since I proceeded to not get any sleep that night. I was too excited about having a baby! Between my own excitement, and the nurses coming in every few hours to help me breastfeed, and getting moved to a new room at 4 am, I got about 40 minutes of sleep that first night. Not a great thing, considering many sleep-deprived nights were in my future!! If I had to do that again, I'd try to calm down and get some rest that first night. But my point is, I felt great. And I would do it again, as long as hubby is there to hold my hand.

Prairie Baby Has Arrived

2008-07-28T13:23:00.002-05:00

The Prairie Baby has arrived!!!

He's as sweet as can be.

Baby Room

2008-07-07T10:15:00.003-05:00

The baby's room is (pretty much) ready and just waiting for baby to arrive.

We've got the crib, and rocker, and changing table.

The green sheep on the wall are a vinyl stick-on that I ordered online. I thought about painting something on the wall, but I decided a stick-on (that I can remove) would be easier than having to repaint an entire wall when I no longer want it there.

I love, love, love the curtains. Yes, they're a little feminine. But the room needed a little softening. And if I have a baby boy, I don't think he'll notice the curtains. For a while.

I have this picture hanging above the changing table. I may regret that, when baby gets a little older and starts touching everything. Then it might have to go. But for now, it's pretty.

And here's the bookshelf, for toys and books.
.

But the best part is the bookends. I found them at a Christian bookstore, and I just love them. When I saw the little lambs, I had to have them.

.
And, finally, here's the bassinet, which is in our bedroom.

.

Now all we need is baby!

Aunt L.

2008-07-01T09:43:00.005-05:00

My aunt L. passed away on June 3rd, at age 45. I've put off writing this post because I felt like I just couldn't find the words. I still can't really believe she's gone.

My aunt had rheumatoid arthritis since the age of 3 or 4 years old. She was my dad's younger sister. She was always very involved in my life, and in all of her nieces' and nephew's lives. She had...what...40 nieces and nephews? I've lost count; someone will have to correct me. My point is, she had many, many nieces and nephews, and she never once forgot my birthday. I think it's safe to say that she didn't forget the birthdays of any of the other nieces and nephews either. But we weren't the only ones that she was interested in. There were also all of the spouses and children of her nieces and nephews, the people at church, the people at her apartment building (where she used to live), the young girl she mentored...I could go on, and I'm sure there are more that I don't even know about. She had a talent for making many people feel that they were individually special to her.

Aunt L. got married a few years ago. She was very happy, and it was easy to see what an effect her marriage had on her quality of life.

She was even a fan of this blog. She said it made her want to write one of her own. So it's only fitting for me to pay tribute to her on it.

She recently had a severe flare up of her arthritis. She'd had some medication changes, and was going to physical therapy. She ended up with severe infection, and passed away in the ICU.

Her funeral service was beautiful. I mean, really beautiful. I kept thinking about how she would've loved it.

I'm told another aunt (Aunt C.) has this picture of Aunt L. standing next to the sign for Finland, Minnesota, pointing up to it and smiling. And all Aunt C. can picture now is Aunt L. standing by the sign for Heaven, pointing up and saying, "I made it!!!"

And we all know she did, and is now pain-free. I love you, Aunt L., and I'll miss you forever.

Mini Baby Shower

2008-07-01T09:13:00.002-05:00

Part of my contract for the last year has been to spend one day a week teaching at the college. The women I worked with there were great, and on my last day they surprised me with a mini baby shower.

Did you notice the "1st Annual Cake-Off" sign? They also decided to have a little competition over who could make the best cake.

Chicago is My Kind of Town

2008-06-09T17:16:00.007-05:00

Well, hello again! What's that? Two months have gone by since I last posted? Oops. What can I say except that life's been really busy.

We went to Chicago in April. Hubby had gotten me tickets to Wicked for our wedding anniversary. So, off we went to Chicago. It was fantastic! Hubby had been there before, and told me how much he liked it. He told me how me how nice the people had been. I didn't really believe him. But he was right. Almost everyone we encountered was extremely polite and friendly. And there was so much to see and do.

Here's the famous Bean sculpture.

Here's the view from the Hancock Observatory. It's a lot like the Sears tower. The Hancock Observatory was recommended to us, and hubby had already been to the Sears tower, so we went to the Hancock. We weren't disappointed.

.
.

Here's hubby, at the observatory.

I had to go to the American Girl store. For my nieces, of course. Not for me.

Of course not.

At the American Girl store, instead of having a men's and a women's bathroom, they had two women's bathrooms! Hilarious! (Not so hilarious to hubby.) Also, they have doll holders in the bathroom stalls. I had to take a picture, because I'm sure I'll never see doll holders in a bathroom stall again.

We had deep dish pizza (twice).

.
.

The Cubs game was an easy subway ride from our hotel. I'm not really a baseball fan, but I can see why people get excited about outdoor baseball.

We had a great time!

Here's hubby with Ernie Banks.

We had great seats--about the seventh row up, right by third base.

Marissa Miller (the Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition cover model) was there to throw out the first pitch.

.
.

We went to Shedd's Aquarium, where we saw this komodo dragon. It was around seven feet long and didn't move a muscle.

A highlight of our trip was going to the Field Museum of Natural History. It was huge and it was great. I could have spent an entire day there.

.Did you ever see the movie The Ghost and the Darkness? These lions are the actual Man Eaters of Tsavo. Hubby is a fan of the book and the movie, so it was fun for him to see the actual lions (or, their hides, at least).

We had a great time in Chicago, and I would recommend it to anyone. I can't wait to go back!

This is April?!?

2008-04-10T21:41:00.004-05:00

This was our white-knuckled drive back home. In April! I thought spring was finally here. Guess not.

It actually doesn't look that bad in this picture. But it was bad. Really, really bad. That white you see there on the road is not just a dusting of snow. Oh no. It's about two inches of solid ice, occasionally with ruts in it that would threaten to throw you around. I should have taken pictures of the semis flipped over in the ditch, but I didn't want to be distracting hubby too much.

Here's our street when we got home.

I'm tired of winter and I'm ready for spring!!!

That's Quite a Belly You've Got There

2008-03-25T15:48:00.001-05:00

Cupcakes Take the Cake

2008-03-14T17:04:00.001-05:00

If you like to bake, check out this website: http://cupcakestakethecake.blogspot.com/. It's all about cupcakes, and it will inspire you. I promise.

2008-03-13T17:35:00.005-05:00

Here's something that struck me while reading Dooce's blog (http://www.dooce.com/). She is writing to her four year old daughter.

"Just yesterday I got a letter from a reader of my website who said she felt inspired to send me the story of her son who died when he was very young, how she feels that he had chosen her as a mother before he was born because she was the one best suited to take care of his specific needs before he died. I'm not a very spiritual or religious person, but her story was something I desperately needed to hear yesterday if only as a means to give me some perspective. And however asinine it sounds, it helped yesterday thinking that you were sent to me for very specific reasons, that something inside of me is supposed to be called upon in regard to who you are as a person. You are unlike any other kid I've known, more challenging, more stubborn, often more cantankerous. And maybe I'm the one who is supposed to be able to see through all that and realize it's because you're smarter, more intuitive, and often more sensitive. And not just because we are bound together by blood, but because certain situations and relationships in my life previous to you have prepared me for what you can throw. It's a comforting albeit fantastical thought that maybe you knew before I did that you'd really need me. So just in case, I want you to know that I'm honored you had so much faith that I was up to the task."

Ultrasound Today

2008-03-03T16:46:00.002-06:00

Here are baby's first pictures. I had my ultrasound today!

Here, the baby is looking at you.

This is just a picture of the baby's foot.

Here, the baby is looking at you again. Its right hand is up by its face.

And here is baby's profile. It really didn't want to give us this picture. It wanted to look at us the whole time. And it was very active. Are we going to have a hyper baby on our hands??

Love,

Prairie Bride

19 weeks

2008-02-24T17:49:00.001-06:00

Another baby bump photo:

Photobucket Game

2008-02-22T20:08:00.012-06:00

Just because Wilde Rose Knitting did it:

1. Go to www.photobucket.com (don't sign in)

2. For each question below type your answer in the "search" box and press ENTER

3. Use only the first page of hits that comes up and select a picture. If no matches are found to your search query you can revise your answer.

4. Copy the html for the photo you select and paste to your blog

What is your first name?

What is your favorite food?

Where did you go to school?

What is your relationship status?

What is your favorite color?

Who's your celebrity crush?

Favorite movie?

Favorite book?

Favorite Disney princess?

Favorite drink?

What is your dream vacation?

Favorite dessert?

What do you want to be when you grow up?

What do you love most in life?

One word to describe yourself:

Baby bedding

2008-02-17T14:04:00.002-06:00

I've been trying to find some crib bedding that I like. I knew I needed something neutral, since we're not finding out what we're having. But I didn't want Disney characters. I didn't want frogs. And I didn't want a jungle safari theme.

I finally found some that I like! And here it is:

Dirty Computer Screen?

2008-02-16T19:40:00.002-06:00

Click on this link if you think your computer screen is dirty:

https://emp.ucsd.edu/swf/screenclean.swf

Prairie Bride Expecting Prairie Baby

2008-01-20T09:50:00.001-06:00

That's right! We're expecting an addition to our family in July!

Hubby and I are very excited and happy.

One of My Favorite Christmas Movie Scenes

2007-12-16T15:33:00.000-06:00

Hey, Prairie Bride, Let's Go to Vegas

2007-12-16T11:07:00.000-06:00

My job sent me to a conference in Las Vegas.

The conference kept us busy (some days we'd start at 6 am and not be done until 8 pm).

But we did take a couple of evenings off to see the city. And we went to see Mamma Mia, which was great.

Below are the ornate ceilings at the Venetian, where our conference was held..

And here are the canals at the Venetian..

Here's the strip at night:.

And the famous dancing fountains at the Bellagio..

This is the hotel Paris..

The pictures below are actually inside. It's a painted sky. They must do that to keep you from realizing what time it is, so you'll keep on gambling.

Again, this is inside. It's very convincing in person, too.

Oh, and I met Whoopie Goldberg. As you can see, we're, like, BFFs forever.

Okay, I didn't really meet Whoopie. That's a wax statue outside Madame Tussaud's.

New Poll: First Anniversary Gifts

2007-11-19T21:53:00.001-06:00

It's been almost a year since I married my sweet hubby.
And he's the best thing that ever happened to me.
.
.
But now I need to decide what to get him for our first anniversary. The traditional gift is paper. We'll probably go the traditional route.
But what should I get him?
Tickets? To what?
Or....I don't know. I'm at a loss.
.
What did you get your spouse on your first anniversary???

The Trophy Room

2007-10-31T20:44:00.002-05:00

Remember hubby's brother, who was building a house?

Well, it's finished now. And one of the rooms is "The Trophy Room,"

as seen below.

.
.
.
What are all those animals? They look like funky deer.
.
I don't know. Hubby's brother shot some of them in Africa.
.
.
Does hubby hunt?
.
Not really. He has in the past, but not lately.
.
.
Do you hunt?
.
No.
.
.
Are you morally against hunting?
.
No.
.
.
Is that a baboon in that picture???
.
Yes.

Prairie Bride Gets a New Ride

2007-10-08T19:52:00.000-05:00

That's right!

I've finally gotten my first NEW car!!

Here I am, saying goodbye to my old car, Betty.

Goodbye, Betty. You were a good car to me. I'll miss you.

I know you're going to a good home.

.
Hellooooooooooooooo, beautiful.

What does six years of near-poverty while going to school do to a girl?

This.

State Softball 2007

2007-09-18T18:30:00.001-05:00

Every year, hubby's softball team goes to the state tournament.

Hubby usually plays 3rd base.

He always manages to end up in the dirt.

Thank goodness one of us has some athletic talent. At least our children have a chance of being coordinated. They're not going to get it from me!

K's Wedding

2007-08-23T17:49:00.000-05:00

My friend K married her sweetie a couple of weeks ago.

I was a bridesmaid, and I sang in the wedding.

Here's all the bridesmaids, after hair and before makeup.

Here's our clique from school. It was great to see them!

The lovely bride K. and her groom C. Don't you love it when you go to the weddings of people who are both great, and are great for each other too? That's these two.

My friends L. and L.

The crew from school. Let's get together again soon, okay?

Congratulations, K. & C.!!!

Visitors

2007-08-21T21:37:00.000-05:00

We had some visitors this summer--my aunt L and her husband J.

It was so nice to have family come and visit!!

Dad's Horses

2007-08-08T09:06:00.000-05:00

My dad has two horses, Sven and Bonnie.

Here comes Bonnie, after I called for her at the fence.

She may look like a regular horse, but the only thing full-sized about Bonnie is her attitude.

.
See, here she is next to Sven. She's a mini!

Sven is a Norwegian fjord horse. Here he is, sizing me up. Do I pass?

.

These two are buddies.

And, not to be left out, there's Maggie, their dog.

I love when dogs reach middle age. Maggie's finally past the manic stage of puppyhood. She's a sweetheart now. She loves to be petted, and she gets full-on hugs from my nieces and nephew.

Why I Love My Garden, By Prairie Bride, Age 30

2007-07-26T15:47:00.000-05:00

Despite our lack of rain and HOT weather, my flowers are surviving. Tough little buggers. I can't take any credit for them. I usually forget to go water them in the evenings,

and it's been weeks since it rained.

This is why I love my garden:
.

1.) All of the plants are perennials, except for the

climbing vine, God bless 'em.

Perennials rule.

They come up every year, with very little maintenance once they're established.

2.) The previous owner, who planted the garden, had the foresight to plant flowers that bloom at different times.
I almost always have something in bloom, all summer long.

These magenta and yellow ones are my favorites.

. .

I even tried to get an artsy shot with a bee hovering near one of the plants.
.

But then the bee started hovering around me and my brightly colored shirt,

which is when I spastically waved my hands in the air

and said to the bee (out loud, not realizing I was within earshot of the neighbors),

I am not a flower!!

I'm so cool.

Sissy's house

2007-07-11T15:48:00.000-05:00

My big sis and her hubby are building a house outside of our hometown.

..
.

This is the back of the house, and the walkout basement.

Kuchen

2007-07-04T11:32:00.002-05:00

I have discovered this dessert, kuchen (pronounced "koo-gen") since living here.

I first had it at our niece's baptism a few months ago. It was made by one of the relatives.

Oh, what is that? I asked. That's kuchen. Duh. they replied.

Okay, they didn't really say Duh. They're much nicer than that.

I tried it, and it was good. It's shaped like a pie, and has a cakey crust, and a custard middle. And it sometimes has fruit in it, like the apricot version above.

Apparently it's German.

As I was walking through the grocery store this week, there it was:

Grandma's Kuchen. In the freezer section.

This is one tradition I may have to adopt as my own.

Oh, Canada

2007-06-30T15:48:00.002-05:00

Hubby and I went to Winnipeg, Manitoba for a little mini-vacation.

It was a good trip!

The locals were really, really nice.

We went to the Assiniboine Zoo, which was much bigger than we expected.

We saw elk...

...and cheetahs...

...and camels...

...and prairie dogs...

...and many other animals, too.

We saw a sculpture garden...

...and the Esplanade Riel, which is a walkway across the river, with a restaurant in the middle.

But there was one thing we really couldn't get used to.

Apparently, in Winnipeg, you can drive in the parking lane, unless there's a car parked there.

We'd be driving, and then, we'd have to move over because there was a car parked there. Or the people in that lane would suddenly need to pull over.It was so strange!

Other than that, we had a really nice time in Winnipeg.

Prairie Bride Takes on Guest Bathroom...and Loses

2007-06-21T23:47:00.001-05:00

Today I took my law test. And then afterwards, I was all revved up because--sweet!--I don't have to study anymore! I decided I needed to do some home improvement projects.

I installed a toilet paper holder in the guest bathroom. Hubby has lived here for three years, and I've lived here for a year, and we still hadn't put in a toilet paper holder.

Yeah. We're overachievers.

So I got out the drill, and I installed the holder, no problem.

At this point, I'm feeling pretty proud of myself. So I decide I need to install a towel bar in the guest bathroom too, since this is another item that this bathroom is lacking.
Look, I've got all my tools and I'm raring to go.

I follow the directions, and I make a hole with the drill, and then pound in the plastic anchors. But when I try to screw in the screws, the entire plastic anchor goes into the wall.

I decide my drilled hole must have been too big, so I drill smaller holes, and pound the plastic anchors in. When I try to screw in the screws, the anchors just fall out of the wall.

Then I throw all caution to the wind, and try to skip the plastic anchor step. I screw the screws directly into the wall, no anchors.

The towel bar immediately falls out of the wall.

And that, my friends, is how I ended up with six holes in my bathroom wall.

THAT'S not the look I was going for.

Prairie Bride Passes

2007-06-20T15:20:00.000-05:00

I passed my national boards! Woohoo!

Now I only have the law exam left.

More gardening

2007-06-17T18:10:00.001-05:00

My daylilies are finally blooming!

And check out the Sweet Williams now!

Have a heart

2007-06-17T18:06:00.001-05:00

Hubby came in from working outside with this on his shirt.

He's wearing his heart on his...stomach?

Scrubs

2007-06-13T16:44:00.000-05:00

Today I got my scrubs for my new job. Oh, how I love them! Look, ma, I'm a professional now! I still have a couple more weeks of freedom, though.

And that minor detail called boards.

Aunt J.

2007-06-12T11:37:00.000-05:00

My Aunt J. has passed away. She fought with cancer for a long time. She was my mom's oldest sister; she was almost 20 years old when my mom was born. She was a nurse. She made beautiful cross-stitch. She and my Uncle T. often welcomed us to their lake cabin.

She came to my wedding, even though she was going through chemo at the time and there was a winter storm coming in.

I'm going to miss her dearly.

On the Market

2007-06-10T12:50:00.000-05:00

My sister and her husband are building a house on land that they bought from our parents. They put their current house on the market yesterday. I know it was a long haul getting it ready, but you're finally there, Sis! Congrats!!

Freecycle

2007-06-07T21:16:00.000-05:00

Today I gave away my old air conditioner through www.freecycle.org. It's a website to connect with people in your area that need something that you're giving away. I've used this site in the past to give away things that I no longer need, but are in perfectly good shape. I've given away a futon, this air conditioner, and a microwave this way. It's been especially good for things I can't transport myself, like the futon, or things that the thrift store won't take, like the microwave and the air conditioner. I do try to be cautious, since using the site involves meeting a stranger to give away your item. I don't give personal information beyond my email address to anyone except the person who's picking up the item. And even then, I don't give them my whole name. And it may be wise to meet the person at a neutral location, not your home. I've had a lot of success with Freecycle. Try it sometime! Keep things out of our landfills!

Softball

2007-06-05T22:24:00.002-05:00

Hubby plays softball every Tuesday night.

Tonight his team won both games.

Wives, girlfriends, kids, and dogs come out to watch the guys play.

Even the littlest fans come to the game. She looks like she's about to swear. But she's not.

Hubby took a softball to the eye when it bounced off his glove. Ouch!

Wicked

2007-06-05T11:29:00.001-05:00

I have a new obsession. I think I'm in love.

Golfing

2007-06-03T22:45:00.002-05:00

Hubby and his buddies go on a golf trip every summer.

Look at the scenery when you golf here!

Hello, boys!

Gardening

2007-05-28T12:37:00.000-05:00

My daylilies show no sign of blooming this year.

But the Sweet Williams have started blooming!

The slugs eat my hostas. Stupid slugs.

Visiting the Campers

2007-05-27T22:03:00.003-05:00

We went to visit hubby's sister and her family, who were camping nearby.

This is hubby's niece. She was playing ladder golf against hubby.

She won.

This is his other niece.

She is full of smiles these days.

Hubby's sister holds her daughter.

Old House, New House

2007-05-27T21:44:00.001-05:00

Hubby's brother is building a house on the site of their parents' old house.

This is the front of the house.

This is the back of the house.

This is where their parents' house once stood. It's strange that there's so little sign that it ever stood there.

Amazing video

2007-05-26T00:52:00.000-05:00

Check out this video on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LU8DDYz68kM. It's lions vs. cape buffalo vs. crocodiles in Africa. It's six minutes long, but it's worth it! Amazing!

I'm Elizabeth Bennet

2007-05-26T00:27:00.000-05:00

Take the Quiz here!