Brothers

-- Post From My iPhone

Need some organization in your life?

I'm not going to send Carter to knock on your door to try to convince you to buy this great organizer for his school fundraiser. However, if it were logistically possible, I would. Every day, many times a day, he can make a case for why he needs to do something, offer many different scenarios of how it could be accomplished, and even ends with a call to action / closing. It's impressive. It's scary. Trust me, he could sell you this organizer. Maybe 7 of them.

But, I'm just going to post the information on this blog and hope it works.

This is a fundraiser for Carter's school. I really like this fundraising idea. It's useful. No wrapping paper, candles, sausage, or cookies (although, I both rejoice and mourn the fact that I won't have 80 boxes of Girl Scout cookies in my living room.)

They are selling the Amy Knapp’s Family Organizer. I love stuff like this. In fact, I have a planner that is almost exactly like this and it's fabulous, but I paid well over $14.95, which is the price of these organizers. So, this is handy and it's a great deal. You need one, or seven.

Here is a screenshot of one of the calendar pages:

what you can't see above, is on the right side there is a menu planner - very cool!

There are four different types available (you can click on the links below to view more details on their website)

Family Organizer - Spiral Bound
Family Organizer - 7 hole punch

Christian Organizer - Spiral Bound
Christian Organizer - 7 hole punch

Amy Knapp’s Family Organizer is Parenting ™ Tested and Mom Approved. The easy to use format helps even the busiest of families gain control of their active lifestyle. The organizer contains:

• Weekly and Monthly calendar grids
• Weekly Grocery Lists – perforated to tear out and go!
• Weekly Menu Planning saves time and money.
• Weekly to do lists and inspirational quotes.
• Color Coded Stickers

The Christian Organizer has all of the above features, plus:

• Weekly Prayer and Praise Section
• Bible Verses and Spiritual Quotes

If you are interested, please either send me an email or leave a comment.

If you are not interested, be prepared for Carter to tell you why you should be interested. How if you don't need one, they would make a great gift for a friend, neighbor, new mom, old mom, tired mom, or super mom.

Operators are standing by:

What were we up to?

...this time of year back in '08?

What's fun about having this blog over a year now is going back to look at what was going on last year

...or last month.

I'm amazed at how much I still suffer from "pregnancy brain". Can I still play that card?

This time last year we were packing up to move. Finally finished with residency & fellowship. Finally on to a real job and paying back all those med school loans.

Reminds me (sort of) of the story of The City Mouse and The Country Mouse

We are enjoying our corn and potatoes in peace, but I sure do miss Super Target, Uncle Julios, Walgreens, La Madeline, Mexican Inn, Barnes and Noble, Central Market, the Zoo, ANY shopping mall...

really anything that was once within 5 minutes.

Now it takes 30-60 minutes to reach those places.

I would love to have so sugar and cheese right now (did you read the story?)

But, it's all ok. We are enjoying living in a town of 3,500 or so people. We are meeting many of those 3,500 folks...and they are GREAT people.

There is something great about living in a town so small. I do not have my brain wrapped around it well enough to articulate it right now.

I've been surprised at how friendly and welcoming everyone has been. I know in some smaller communities, not everyone is as welcoming to the newcomers.

I've learned to play Bunko and made some great friends.

I don't think I have ever eaten so much BBQ.

I thought it was a long drive to take Carter to swimming lessons that were 30 minutes away...now I drive over an hour.

I enjoy shopping a the old fashioned meat market here and stopping at vegetable stands along the highway. I never did that in the city...there wasn't a need and I wasn't that brave.

I love our property. Watching the water move, the sunset, deer graze, owls fly, Carter entertain himself with a stick and some dirt, and Ryan shoot big snakes eating huge frogs, finding big hunks of granite in our yard... things I just didn't appreciate or have living in the city.

The one who is enjoying it the most is our dog Murphy. Aside from the grass burs, he has 4.5 acres (more if you count the neighbor's yard) to roam. He has come face to shell with turtles, stumbled upon a doe, and from the smell of him one day, come a little too close to a skunk - although not a direct hit.

I once took Murphy to get groomed at The Grand Pet Resort. He enjoyed playcare, oatmeal baths, and the flat screen TVs.

Most recently I took him to get groomed at a very sweet lady's home...she groomed him in her bathroom, she was burning incense and her husband was at the kitchen table having an Alka Seltzer when I arrived.

Murphy looks great, though.

He loves it here too. Especially now that I've found a better groomer.


We all remember the tragic "schnauzer cut" incident back in October of '08 (and this if AFTER Ryan trimmed his beard)...grrr

It's hot

Time to bust out the slip and slide





Now they come with inflatable body boards. Kids won't be able to share the experimces of past generations who would slip and slide right over a rock.
-- Post From My iPhone

eek! and that is putting it mildly

I spotted this guy twice swimming boldly in our pond today. We've been on the lookout for snakes lately and Ryan has shot a few water snakes. This one was noticeably larger and swam with a confident swagger (if that's possible). Ryan ran outside and shot a few times, but missed must have had some sort of gun malfunction and wasn't able to hit him. He was big, at least three feet.

While mowing this evening, Ryan came upon the snake siting very still in the grass. Well, he was eating a huge frog (sorry squeamish folks).

Good news is, he's dead now.

Unfortunately, so is he frog...sorry frog but we are glad he was eating you otherwise he wouldn't have been so still.




Here is a picture of a Cottonmouth/Water Moccasin from the National Geographic website. I think it's a match - ugh!

Oh, and for all of you Water Moccasin fans out there, you can go to the National Geographic Website and download this snake as wallpaper for your desktop - who does that?!

Anxiously awaiting swim class

-- Post From My iPhone

More attempts at a family photo

Anyone with kids can agree that getting your kids to take a good photo together is a challenge. If you disagree, please share your secret. Here are my latest attempts of an impromptu photo session with my iPhone.



Cannon looks scared about all of this-






Very sweet. Carter, would you look at me please?!






Close enough Carter, but Cannon looks scared again.






Sweet smile Cannon. Carter LOOK AT YOUR MOM!





Ok a kiss will so. Thank you Carter. Now I'm wishing I had my real camera because the iPhone doesn't handle things in motion well...and Carter is ALWAYS in motion.





And now it's over...



Of course these are GOOD pictures. This is real life and life is good.


-- Post From My iPhone

Um, there is a duck on your head

-
Post From My iPhone

Cannon - 7 months old!

Cannon turned 7 months old on the 3rd and he has been busy!
He is still super laid back about most things. He has so many different sweet smiles, giggles hard, and hasn't tried food that he doesn't like.

Cannon is sitting up very well now. He loves looking at the world from this new position. He will sit up for half an hour, playing with toys, watching Carter or Murphy, and trying to find new and tasty things to put in his mouth. He will flop on his tummy and has started rocking back and forth on his hands and knees. He can move from one side of the quilt to the other, he's not crawling, but moves more like a caterpillar.


Food - he has solids, mush, or mechanical soft diet for all of you medical folks, 3 times a day, he doesn't want to miss a meal. He has also started eating cereal puffs and cheerios. They hold him over while mom and dad try to inhale their dinner and then feed Cannon his.

The bouncer is still a hit. Money well spent.
I move it all over the house. He loves to watch Carter play trains or me cook dinner.


He and Carter enjoy taking baths together. Carter will ask, "Can Cannon take a bath with me?" It is so sweet to watch Carter begin to really enjoy Cannon's company. In the picture below, he is reacting to his silly brother.