Sniffle, sniffle

So, I had an awesome weekend and took some great pics of the Bradley's. But since they're not on this computer ... I guess we'll move on.

So either my allergies decided to go beserk or I have a cold. Rabbit trail - I just discovered that blogger spell check is dumb. It told me that I spelled beserk wrong, but it didn't tell me how to fix it. That's just mean. Like a care enough to look it up in a dictionary. Feel free to comment with the correct spelling if you do care. It could be educational.

Yeah, so I'm having some sinus issues. It makes me a little suspicious of Ohio germs. You see, last fall I ended up very sick for about 2 weeks. I think it was strep throat, but since I didn't want to go to the doctor we just spent a small fortune on Kleenex. This came about the day after Nick and Krystal left. And this year, I started to feel yucky about 2 hours after they left. I'm not saying, I'm just saying. But even though I'm feeling sniffley, I am thankful that it's not like last fall.

Iqbal

I recently finished reading a book call Iqbal written by Francesco D'Adamo. It is not a long book, but I would highly recommend it. Iqbal is the fictionalized, but true story of a Pakistani boy, Iqbal Masih. He was sold into child bondage labor at a young age to work in a carpet factory.

I found the story fascinating. I thought that it was true in the sense of child labor in general, but it very closely follows his true story. It is also a narrative, so while it was very educational, it was pretty subtle.

I found this video online about Iqbal. He actually spoke in America in the 90's and this project was done by some kids who went to a school he visited. Check it out here. Oh, and when you read the book (because you know you want to) be sure to check out the English edition. It was originally published in another country.

Bye Bye Birdie

This is the kitchen window of our apartment.








This used to be a light, but the bulb broke out and a bird made its nest inside. As you can tell by the droppings coming out.


A momma bird.


As much as I enjoy spring coming on and stepping outside to the birds singing, it's not quite the same when they're inside your wall. And who new baby birds could be so shrill and loud! I almost went crazy. I would hear them as I was sitting in the quiet house eating my breakfast. I would hear them as I was on my computer (at the opposite side of the house). I would hear them as I fixed dinner. My cd player became my friend because it drowned them out. I wanted them gone, but I was pretty sure that anything we, or the landlady, could do to get them out would result in their death. I couldn't do it. So I waited for the day when they would grow up and fly away.

Gradually we did begin to hear less out of them. We were busy and out of the house a lot, but one day I realized that they really weren't screeching as usual. They're not really gone. The momma at least is still there. We hear an occasional chirping and scratching around. Josh said he heard her today pecking at our bedroom window. :) But I do feel that my sanity has returned. Now if you were to come visit me, you would not see me randomly go up to the wall and hit it. That's good news.

Song of the moment

Ahhh, Sara Groves. I will eventually buy your new cd. But for now I'll keep listening to your music that I do own. Like The Other Side of Something and my song of the moment.

Like a Skin
The butterfly can just look back
Flap those wings and say Oh, yeah
I never have to be a worm again

The snake gets tired of being him
He wriggles from that itchy skin
Leaves it lying where he’s been and moves on

Pre-chorus:
I’ve been longing for something tangible
Some kind of proof that there’s been change in me

Chorus:
Feels like I have been waking up
Only to fight with the same old stuff
Change is slow and it fills me with such doubt
Come on New Man where have you been
Help me wriggle from this Self I’m in
And leave it like a skin upon the ground

Introducing Mr & Mrs Snyder

May 17th is the new anniversary for Dusty and Emily Snyder. The wedding was wonderful. The bride, beyond gorgeous. We heart the Snyders!


I don't have many pics of the bride and groom together because I was trying not to get in the photographers way. (I can't wait to see the fun pics she took.) I don't really have anything against Dusty. :)

All grown up

This weekend we brought home a "new" entertainment center. Our friends Jack and Lyndsay had it in their yard sale and they gave us a great price. They would have just given it to us I think, but the money from the yard sale goes to help bring their baby girl home from Ethiopia. :)
Here it is!I'm really excited about this addition because our living room is a bit mismatched. The tv stand we were using was almost smaller than the television, particle board, kind of cluttered looking. I feel like this helps pull everything together better. Plus I now have more space to decorate. I'm planning to get some framed photos for the top. The cool space to the side is supposed to hold cd's, but since we don't really need that (and I think it makes it look more cluttered) we decided to put the floral (?)/stick arrangement. It turned out a bit different than I anticipated, but I think I like it.

Our living room is supposed to have a travel kind of look to it. Up until now, that consisted of a book shelf. But we're getting there.

Now that's attractive

This weekend I hit the shops to get everything for my new uniform. Black pants, button-up shirt, black shoes, and of course the signature apron. I ended up having nothing that worked. The button-ups have to be a certain kind, so I had to shop in the boys section of Walmart. The black pants I thought I could wear are kind of hard to breathe in much less tuck a shirt into. And since I'm trying not to spend ALL of my first paycheck before I get it, I ended up getting some grandma pants with an elastic waist. So, now I have everything I need and boy is it ugly. I got dressed today to go to my job orientation and felt like a shapeless blob. :)

Now, to anyone who has been following the story of Cracker Barrel, you will not be surprised to hear that I did not end up having orientation tonight. The girl who is supposed to do it, said that she never got a final word on whether or not I was coming. She would have gone ahead and done it I think, but said that she didn't like the one-on-one as much. So tomorrow it is. Truthfully, I'm glad because I was scheduled for tonight and tomorrow night and she said she only needed one.

You know ...

Okay, these are not original (becuase I'm not a mom), but they did make me laugh. So in honor of Mother's Day:

You know you're a mom when ...

* You can't find your cordless phone, so you ask a friend to call you, and you run around the house madly, following the sound until you locate the phone downstairs in the laundry basket.

* Your favorite television show is a cartoon.

* You're willing to kiss your child's boo-boo, regardless of what body part it happens to be on.

* Your baby's pacifier falls on the floor and you give it back to her after you suck the dirt off of it because your too busy to wash it off.

* Your kids make jokes about farting, burping, pooping, etc., and you think it's funny.

* You're up each night until 10 PM vacuuming, dusting, wiping, washing, drying, loading, unloading, shopping, cooking, driving, flushing, ironing, sweeping, picking up, changing sheets, changing diapers, bathing, helping with homework, paying bills, budgeting, clipping coupons, folding clothes, putting to bed, dragging out of bed, brushing, chasing, buckling, feeding (them, Not you), You get up at 5:30 AM and you have no time to eat, sleep, drink or go to the bathroom, and yet ... you still managed to gain 10 pounds.

* You have time to shave only one leg at a time.

* You hide in the bathroom to be alone.

*you walk into another room in your house to get something and by the time you get there you forget what you were going to get.

*you combine your children's names..."hey, tyjessavbritt, Oh heck YOU...that one, come here!"

*your children answer to any/all of their siblings names

*when you’re away from home you find yourself frequently counting to keep track of your children

I love you Mom! Wish I could be there today.

a nugget

"My desire for God ebbs and flows, but his desire for me is constant."

"He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me." Psalm 18:19

Update

Wow, things have been going great lately, but we're staying busy. For those of you who are wanting to know the continuing job saga. Here's the story: I went in on Thursday for my interview with the retail manager. He ended up being in a meeting and couldn't be there, so I was told he would call me. Surprise, surprise. I was feeling pretty frustrated but he actually called me back that same day a few hours later. It worked out for me to have my interview that evening and he even let Josh and I have Cracker Barrel for dinner. :) (Free food is very exciting to me.)

I got the job! The interview went very well. The manager seems like a good guy and doesn't expect work to be everything in life like I have seen in some retail places. The even have a good starting wage. So now I will be a Cracker Barrel rising star, but not actually working with food. My job training is supposed to be this coming Saturday. With the track record going on I'll definitely call to confirm that. But I'm pretty excited.