Compromised...

Well it happened...

at some point our credit card was compromised by a vendor.  Apparently Discover card had been watching our account closely & someone finally decided to use it and blow some fast cash.

Where did the thief decide to do their business?

Naturally, QVC and Bath & Body Works!

Seriously, who steals a credit card number and thinks you know I really need some new lotion, and maybe I'll splurge on a wall flower too!

It cracks me up - you'd think they'd be at best buy blowing some fat cash, but no - Bath & Body Works is where it's at folks!  All the purchases were made online - how do you do a sniff test online for lotion?!?

And the good news - Discover card caught it the day it happened & we are responsible for zero charges - boom that's why I love you Discover card!!

Blog Breakdown

I just switched my blogger to the new mode they have and I'm loving it.  How did I miss this before - you all are probably saying what new mode & it's been there for 7 months and I was unaware...anyhoo....

Along with this new format (no Mom I'm not switching you over just yet) they have given me the ability to see my most popular blogs & also common search engine keywords that have led people to my blogs.

I was cracking up because this month & annually one of my top blogs has been this.  It also drew people in with search engine results for - wait for it - boxer briefs.  I didn't even remember blogging about boxer briefs, but apparently I did and it was a super hot topic.

Seriously people - get your minds out of the gutters & out of the pants I was sporting when I was pregnant.  Hilarious.  Simply hilarious.

I don't know when I'm going to stop cracking up over this one because I really, really, think it's humorous.

Opening the walls of communication...

It's been 6 years since this happened.

Jade read my blog & was dying of embarassment!  He demanded I post a follow up blog.

You see all those years ago, he didn't mean a math compass, he meant a hiking magnetic compass!

It makes a lot more sense, still stupid, but a heck of a lot more sense than a math compass!

Now he knows why I thought it was so ridiculous, and now I understand why he thought it was completely logical!  Who knew 6 years later that my blog would make us finally discuss our stupidity!!

Oh and he was completely embarassed that I posted that he dropped the F bomb toward me because our pastor sometimes reads my blog.  My disclaimer is this, he cusses, it's true.  Not often, and rarely ever the F bomb, but in a fit of rage he loses his cool.  That however is the one and only time the F bomb was directed at me - if it happened again I'd beat him, literally!

Freedom

This staying at home business is a sweet deal.

Thank you Jade Reid for being awesome.  I seriously love you!

For the first time since Freshman year of high school I have freedom.  I have free time, other than kind of watching 3 kids of course.  Ha just kidding I totally watch my kids!

This summer is almost over, I think it's partly because it started off with Ollie's open heart surgery & recovery & then it was mid-July.

(she's totally kissable - I know!  You should hear her giggle - if you think this photo is cute you haven't seen nothing - her giggle is like pure gold!)

Here is what we plan to do the rest of the summer...

I, for the first time seriously since I was 15, will have a tan!  Jade has forgotten that I used to be seriously tan.  In the past 13 years I have been just translucent.  When you work indoors, it's sad what happens.  You become pale & lose all your muscles.  I kind of feel bad for getting in the pool with the big kids a few hours a day when Ollie naps, but not really that bad!

I have time to work out.  That's right, no more fatty for me!  My baby is healthy, my kids are healthy, it's time for me to run without my booty chasing me, literally.  I have got to do something & Turbo Fire is working!

I am becoming a therapist & enjoying it!  I have learned techniques to help Miss O with her gross, fine motor, and oral skills.  For someone with an animal science (livestock) degree - this is a big change!  BUT I'm doing well with it.  We really are doing more play than anything & she's kicking butt and taking names.  She has Fox blood in her and obviously she's not going to wimp out on anything.  I am amazed at her progress thus far.  Still waiting to start therapy, but it's getting lined up!!

We are finally not recognized at the doctor's office.  Can I get a heck yeah?!  We are going less and less which is awesome.  We go the 3rd for an endocrine appointment & the 16th to the DS clinic, cardio, and opthamologist & I am hoping they say don't come back for 6 months which then Ollie will be 1.  Oh please oh please let us be that lucky!  We only see her pediatrician now for regular checkups - love!

I am looking forward to school starting so we are back to a routine.  Aubrie starts kindergarten very soon - shocking!  Everett goes back to preschool.  Ollie & I will have the mornings to ourselves to workout - both of us will be working out!  And to get our chores done.

I am looking forward to Dexter starting back up - yes I said it.  He is Jade and my favorite serial killer.

I am looking forward to baby Penelope's arrival - 3 weeks or less!  It won't be long until she matches Ollie's size & it appears that we have twins.

I am really looking forward to Maggie's house - lots of shopping for materials and planning that I hope to squeeze in on!

It's been one helluva year & it's getting better and better with my girl finally having her healthy heart!!  Pray that on the 16th we get awesome heart news & that all her other tests work out fine!!

Dang You Commercials, Dang You!

I DVR everything I watch.  Literally everything.  I never watch commercials.  I never know what movies are coming out.  I also never watch the news so I'm behind there as well.

However, my kids, they watch live TV & with it, the commercials.  I am constantly being called into the room so I can see what my kids are DYING to have - they can't live without these items.

Here is a list of things they would like:

Slushy Magic

Fushigi

Right Size Smoothies (Aubrie thinks maybe she should lose weight so I would pick her up more - interesting)

Bake Pops

Happy Nappers

Along with these that I can find links to, they want a face painting kit, multiple types of water guns, and a thousand other toys they will never ever play with.

Commercials you are ridiculous - really really ridiculous.

Woo what a weekend!

It's been a hot one!  We have been busy too!

Yesterday the boys officially started Maggie & Kylie's house.  I am dying to kick those freeloaders to the curb SO excited for them!

Jade ran the track hoe.  Yes, that's my husband!  He has a new girlfriend & unfortunately she's really a hoe named "Casey".

They have a beautiful spot right through the woods past our house.  The house plan is stunning & I told Maggie I am already so excited to help her shop for fixtures and what not.  Most of what she is buying is old & fabulous so she won't need too much new stuff, but I'm excited for any shopping we need to do!  I LOVE shopping for houses especially when we are not spending my money!

My cousin came to visit from Chicago - I adore her and rarely see her & I finally, finally got to meet her beautiful son.  He was born the month before Ollie and I never got the chance to meet him.  Pictures are to come.  Ollie looks like a tiny girl beside him, but she was excited to make her very first friend!

Then today we started our above ground pool.  My Dad is the best, you all know this.  This year he scored us a FREE above ground swimming pool!  The deal was we take it down & then we can have it.  So we did that right before Ollie's surgery & we are finally ready to set the bad boy up.  It was hot.  I wore a sweat bandana & probably have a sunburn to prove it above & below the bandana - that will be hot!

Anyway, we hope to really finish the pool tomorrow & I can share some pictures of that too.  I obviously need to blog daily & then I don't have to write you all a huge journal of the ins and outs of my day.

Oh and I left out, the kids found a new purpose for snorkels because really who uses snorkels in the mid-west?  If you fill them with blueberries you can treat them like a giant Pez and dispense droplets of blueberries into your mouth at any given time - brilliant - I should sell the idea yes!

PS - Ollie Faith if you would like to go back to sleeping through the night like you used to, Mommy would appreciate it.  This staying up until 11 PM to wake up 3 times & be up ready to go at 6 business is not working for Mommy.

An Unbelievable Truth...

OK I blogged about this briefly before, but I must devote an entire post to this topic because it's shocking...to say the least.

Ask my best friend.

Ask Monica who has applied fake nails in the past.

They know the truth.

I used to be a terrible, beyond words, nail biter.  It was no secret.  I was terrible about it.  My fingers were tiny little stubs.  I had hideous hands.  I'd get acrylics, keep them for sometime, and then I was back at it.  Gross me.

Somehow, Miss Ollie put things in perspective and I just quit biting my nails.  Blame it on having real stress in my life.  Perhaps it was all those prayers I made as a kid fearing no man would marry a nail biter like me - 16 years later the prayers were answered. 

This is the old nails.  Terrible...I know.  However, Aubrie was perfect!

If a picture was ever being taken where I was aware of my hand in the picture - I'd tuck my fingers under.  True story.  I can't find a picture to show you this, but it's true.

Here is my hand now.  My real nails with clear polish!!  My poor wedding ring won't fit over my man sized knuckle.  Why do my hands go from a size 5 1/2 to a 7 when I'm pregnant?  Seriously?  I'm ready for my petite hand to come back.  Oh and they are super red and dry because I wash wash wash wash wash all day long my hands.  Then...I sanitize...and they burn.  However they are uber clean.

Oh and yes...Jade mounted a hospital grade sanitizer on our wall.  That's how we roll.  Germ free is the way to be...with an Ollie girl.

 

Ice Days

Well we weren't slammed with snow here where we are in Illinois, but ice instead.  I swear it rained ice for a day and a half straight.  I don't know that I have ever seen anything like it before.  It's absolutely gorgeous outside, but a nightmare for the men.  All the cattle waterers were frozen - it took half of today to get them up and going.  Beyond that about 3400 in our county were without power & some still are.  It should be Hug A Lineman day in our county today!

Because of the weather I was sent home from work Monday at 2, and Tuesday at 2.  Wednesday I just stayed home.  The days I did go to work - Jade escorted me so no freaking out about me driving around because I haven't been!  Now I just have a short week to wrap up and one more short week left!

The kids had a hay day with all our time at home!  We got out the clay.  I sculpted animals and they copied them...well Everett smushed them!

We played I SPY the DVD game.  It's interactive and shockingly hard at times.  They absolutely love it, I don't personally like it, but I don't get a vote!  We beat the game though so they were thrilled!  Everett now "lobes" the skeleton man on the game.  He's odd I know.

We baked cookies.  I left the cookies to cool to write a blog, Everett ate 6 cookies and Aubrie 3...geez!  I won't share how many I ate.  Excuse the dirty mouths, we were enjoying cookies!

Aubrie proclaimed that Everett is now her "Service Man".  What does this mean you ask yourself?  Well apparently she asks him for whatever it is she wants...he obeys her...and when she is done...he throws it in the garbage.  Talk about service!

Clay Pizza - who knew?!

We have been fortunate with all the ice to keep power most of the time.  However, we were out of power Tuesday night into the morning for about 9 hours off and on. 

Jade & I had originally abandoned the kids in our bed & we headed to their combined 2 twin beds make a King.  It was a great idea!  We woke up to Everett screaming "The powers out the powers out in a panic mode" at 4ish something.  Then this morning the power was back on around 9:30 - at 10:30 he ran in yelling "Mom Mom the lights are on!!"  He had been watching TV about an hour.  Jade & I decided he won't be a lineman or an electrician!

Around 6:30 this morning Aubrie threw up in OUR bed of all places!!  I was the smart one and stayed in the kids bed, while Jade slept with the kids...so he took the brunt of the mess!  Ick!  Without power, without water, throw up duty is the pits!  I had pitchers of water handy and enough water to give her a sponge bath and wash her hair in the sink.  The bedding had to wait to be washed.  Ugh - I hope that never happens again!   

A lightning bug

I'm hoping Aubrie is on the mend now.  She has a bad cough, but antibiotics that will hopefully fight this bug she's been working on before Miss Ollie comes.  Now, Maggie & Mom are also sick.  They MUST get better because 8 days and Ollie is here!  Plus, Maggie is incubating Pinto bean & needs to stay healthy!  I pray pray pray we have power tonight...and no contractions...the nights of endless not doing anything contractions are freaking this mother out...especially with the roads how they are!



Ice & Snow - OH NO!

Oh the joys of Illinois weather.

This evening we are expecting lots of freezing rain.  All day tomorrow we are set to receive even more freezing rain - a day of freezing rain - joyous.  Then bless our hearts, Wednesday we get snow and winds.  Then, we'll end the week with freezing temperatures so nothing melts off.  Right now, it's to the point they haven't even attempted estimates in our area.  The weathermen seriously this time have no clue what we will actually get - not that they are ever right, but I'd like an educated guess!

I normally don't mind the snow and ice that we have.  I hate it for my Dad that works cattle in this weather.  He deals with freezing waterers & feeding cattle in this mess.  I also hate it for my husband that works in the middle of interstates and highways performing surveys, and then has to have enough firewood ready to heat our home.  Men who work outside in this type of weather are amazing dedicated men!  I'm luckily inside and it's pretty out the window so I can deal.  I'm used to driving in it and handle it just fine for the most part.  However, being very pregnant with a baby that must be delivered 2 hours from home - I am not excited about this storm.

So dear weatherman.  I know Northern Illinois is set to get 18-24 inches of snow, but can you send them our ice too?  I'll take some snow off their plate if you can spare us the ice!  Sorry in advance Northerners, but I must pray that you get the brunt of this storm!

Chicken Legs...Not So Much

My mom is ridiculous.

If you read this post...you probably agree...and you know where I get it.

This post left my sisters and I reeling - what in the world is Mom talking about.  We've known her our entire life - daytime vs. nighttime underwear - what?!?

She enlightened us.  I seriously never knew she did this.  I don't think she always did.  I think it's a new trend in her life (mid-life crisis) started by easy access to the Jockey outlet in Tuscola.  She now can pour over undergarments never before seen in these parts. 

So I decided recently, mainly because all my underwear are shrinking which is weird - why would they all just shrink like that...that I'd try on this idea.  However, I took it a step farther.  I got into Jade's drawer & whipped out his boxer briefs.  That's right ladies, my skinny legged, tiny butt of a husband's boxer briefs.  You know what?!?  They fit like a glove & are uber - that's right uber - comfortable.  I think I may have to buy my own so I don't have to share with him!  I may have to try on his A shirts tonight to see if the combination is even better!

He however was shocked by this new trend.  He came into the bedroom and since they are shorts that are relatively long on me since I'm a short gal, I feel like I can walk around in them openly (until Kylie is in the basement - if it was just Maggie she'd get the treat of this).  Jade's jaw hit the ground & he just started laughing - laughing hard.  Then he proclaimed - that I - 37 weeks pregnant Annie - look like a Muay Tai fighter.  I said thank you!  I think it's a compliment Muay Tai fighters have muscular legs.  Apparently, that made him laugh harder, he didn't describe the junk in my trunk as muscular.

I found this picture here & thought oh my gosh it looks like me...with a goatee!  His belly is SO comparable right now!

Men should have to be pregnant at least once to understand...that would treat 'em right!  He's lucky I think he's funny too & love him despite his ridiculousness.

6 Celebrity Crushes

Miss Flower Patch Farmgirl has challenged me.  She doesn't know it, but her post about her 6 Celebrity Crushes has inspired me to figure out my own for fun.  I need all the fun I can find.  I have quickly realized that I like my men extremely "man pretty" but still really manly.  This list would be a problem because they are all far prettier than me, but we all know I'm a married woman so they can't steal me a way from my Jade!

Hence my man pretty ways, I married this guy.  He's man pretty, but can also hold a hammer, a gun, or a baby - all important things to be "manly".

(Don't tell Jade I posted this picture - he'll KILL me!  Plus, he's squinting.  He's known to all my family as "man pretty" and he is.  Maggie's husband is "European Model Pretty" which is hilarious!)

So here is my list...

1.  Andy Whitfield:

Since I'm a man in my TV habits he's the star of the hit show Starz, Spartacus:  Blood and Sand.  It's a total man show, bloody, sandy - hence the title, and super manly.  And since I love you all so much, this is what he looks like in pretty much every single episode.  Thank you Jade for also loving this show!!

 2.  Ryan Reynolds:

I have loved him since 3 Guys, A Girl, & A Pizza Place when I was too young to love him.  Cute & funny in one package.  Oh and again, you are welcome...

Here is is manly - see he can be manly.

3.  Channing Tatum:

Can I say I was highly disappointed in Dear John.  Seriously.  Seriously.  Why wouldn't she pick him?  I didn't read the book & heard it's different, but still movie people...ugh.  He used to also model underwear - google it if you need a pick me up in your day.

4.  Paul Walker:

I have loved him since High School.  So really that's almost as long as I've loved Jade. 

5.  Jake Gyllenhaal:

I like him a bit more manly though like in Prince of Persia.  He is almost too pretty!  I liked his long hair here, which is weird because long hair usually grosses me out in a big way.

6.  Jason Statham:

This is an odd add to my list.  He's really about too old for me, but every movie he's in I love him.  I don't know why - probably the accent - and the fact that he is BA.

Honorably Mention

Jason Mraz - I think he likes men so he will never truly fall in love with me, just in a best friend takes me shopping kind of way.  I just really want him to follow me around all day everywhere I go and sing lyrical sweetness to me.  I think he'd be happy to do that.

So that is my list.  Shannan AKA Flower Patch had her husband join in this fun so I may have to quiz Jade to see what women he's secretly in love with.  He'll probably say just me - ha right!

Grown Women Are...

hilarious

unpredictable

known to laugh until they cry

known to laugh until they pee their pants

unexpected when they show up at the party with football lines of mascara on their faces

totally unexpected when said women decide to go all out with mascara - mustaches, beards, eyebrows and enter Wal-Mart to do some shopping.

Last night some of my favorite people loaded up in the swagger wagon.  We rode illegal - without seats through our tiny town.  We went to Walmart, and then we were seen at McDonalds.  We may have been spotted running through the dark & falling into ditches.

We laughed until we cried & had one of the best nights we've all probably had this fall.

We may or may not have participated in some good hearted pranks on those we love in town. 

Maggie rocks a fine unibrow.

My best friend Melissa looks great with some thick chops and a tiny goat.

I went all out and opted for the full on goatee.

Abbie kept us all perplexed as we wondered what she was really thinking!

We had to take our standard best friend shot.

As did Abbie & Maggie.

 Mom rocked a tiny Hitler stash, but mainly resembled a cat.  My cousin Ellen closely resembled one of my other cousins & it was ha-larious and really an inside joke!

Jamie & my Aunt Jamie also had on some fine paint.  Jamie had the handle bar stache & Aunt Jamie - well she needed more.

She could have passed as a man here, but...

The eyebrows really gave her the scary man look.  We laughed so hard here we were wheezing.

Thank you to the women in my life for being so stinking funny without even trying.  You made a night out on the town a belly laughing good time!!