a blended life

Here's a bit about our week-aside from the wonderful dishwasher event. We haven't really stopped moving, plus I have some nasty allergies from the horrible air quality that Logan gets every year at this time. I spend my time while I'm awake blowing my nose and rubbing goo out of my eyes, and while I'm sleeping I snore quite a bit (according to Brian). Leah fell asleep in the car, all wrapped up in her 'softie'. "Mom, I'm the sun," she said. There's a piece of tape on the blanket with her name on it because she took it for show and tell at school. This is Michele. She's 15 years old and moved here from the Dominican Republic a few months ago. She has been meeting with LDS missionaries and wanting to get baptized for months, and a few weeks ago her mother gave her permission. She was SO excited! I teach her in my Spanish Sunday School class, and now her mom is coming to the class. My allergies were raging right here and I spent the baptism wi...

If you've been a regular of my blog, you know about our recent dishwashing woes. So I'd like to introduce you to the newest member of our family: It cost $75, plus a few attachments and a smashing hot pink tape job from Andy. Tomorrow we will get the counter cut out so it will fit right into place. [an enormous sigh of relief to be inserted right here] I found it on Craig's list and it works really well. Thanks goodness we have this now-I used to joke that the dishwasher saved our marriage, but.....it's not really a joke. All marriages have sore spots and I'm really, really grateful that this isn't one of ours anymore! I will go to bed a happy mommy tonight.

Hannah was napping today, so I thought I'd try to lay down and rest while Leah watched a movie. She was having NONE of that-which was really irritating me. I decided to give up on the whole plan and play with her. She wanted to brush my hair (which was painful) and put makeup on us. Here's the result! Aren't we lovely? I'm glad I spent some time with her like this. She loved it and wasn't even offended when I told we had to take it off five minutes later.

A small synopsis of our week- We've seen either 3 mice or the same mouse three times in our living room. Poor little guy is probably freezing and trying to feed a large family of baby mice living in the furnace closet. He has plenty of food to choose from off the always dirty floor. Brian found out this week that he's afraid of mice, which I think is really funny. The girls were happily enjoying this meal the other night-I turned my back and one of the partners in crime decided to "pop the peas", so there will little green mushy spots over most of the table. I told them that if they did it again, they had to eat the squished ones. You know what happens next-they squish, I make them eat it, they love it. So much for natural consequences. This picture doesn't really do it justice. At least I feed them vegetables, right! Leah took some pictures of me and this one was really depressing-my thighs are huge! Ahh! So much for self esteem. I've been trying desperately...

By request, here's a little bit about my family of origin. Someday they will forgive me for posting these pictures of them. Jacob (26)-married to Karina, is going to school and living near my parents :). Needs to shave and get an attitude adjustment. Karina is like a sister to me and is working in a department store (Dillard's), which is probably not her favorite thing in the world but at least it's not Walmart. They are going to Brazil in March to visit Karina's family and hometown. I'm thinking about squeezing into a suitcase to tag along. Aly (33)-has two kids, Lydia ( 10) and Morrigan (8). Getting a BS in Pure Math from Western Washington. Lives with boyfriend Mick, who I've never met but I'm sure is a cool dude. Aly's very talented with music and math (duh) and has a super cute dog. Someday I will pet her... Jen, sister formerly known as Jenny (36)-Master's in Child and Family something or other...did I get that right? It happened while I was o...

I probably will only be posting once a week for the next few months, due to school overload. I hope that doesn't disappointment my faithful readers...surely some of you understand the stress of trying to finish a music degree with two busy girls. Anyone, anyone? Rather than bore the group with details of my long week, here's a few cute pictures of us. We have so many dress up clothes that we have two Snow Whites. I'm sending 10 dress ups to the second hand store this week, which will leave us with 11. (Why am I saying 'us'? I don't wear them.Usually.) Leah and Hannah have a love/hate relationship. This was taken on a love moment. Um, not the greatest picture of me but Leah took it, so I'll give her snaps for photographic effort. I think I was half dead at the time.

Today was the first day of school, and I'm so overwhelmed with way too much to do and no energy that I thought I would blog instead. Besides, I have a great story... Some important but broing background info-We are having a bit of a hard time figuring out how to shuttle everyone around on Mondays. Leah gets home from preschool while Hannah's sleeping, eats lunch, then Brian needs to be leaving for work at the same time that I'm getting out of class. The joys of having one car! We decided that he would drop the girls off at the Fine Arts building (where I was) and I would walk home with them in the jogging stroller. That way Brian would have the car for his long shift which ends at 11:00. I should mention that the road leading to our house is severely icy-a true skating rink. No one can walk on it, especialy little awkward munchkins. That's why we decided on the stroller over taking the bus. Anyway, we bundled up and started walking home- in the middle of a snow storm. L...

I decided to make public my goals for this year, just in case I get to February and forget why I'm doing the things I'm doing. 1)Get Van Slow back to being Van Go. Read: Fix transmission in 100 year old van so we can travel past 45 mph. 2)Graduate from stinking college with a stinking degree in stupid music. Oops! That was a little cranky...by the way, this will include a recital that will be done at some point this year(yet to be determined). 3)Make serious and tangible plans to move out of current undesirable abode. Then follow through with those plans. Ahhh, I already feel better now that I said that out loud. I'm very determined to have a better year, or at least a better attitude!

I haven't given up on blogging, I've just been away at my parents for the past few days. Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures!! I had a great time, but due to lots of tiredness from ringing in the new year I'm not going to get into it. I have a lot of hopes for this year and really want things to go a bit better...is that asking too much?