SO BIG

Loving the brussel sprouts and performing at the same time!

A note on the brussel sprouts: I tried them for the first time when I was at Prairie, and found that I love them! So I introduced them to Murray, and we're hooked. I never would have guessed that this would be such an enjoyable veggie.

Pumpkin Patch

Not so loving the pumpkins. . .

Craig and I had more fun at the pumpkin patch than Murray did, but you will see that he LOVED the animals, especially the goats (they're my favorite too; my family owned Fort Detroit outside of Detroit Lakes, MN and I always spent a ton of time with the goats). Murray was very grumpy after the "not so scary ride" through the haunted forest.

So angry, but really kind of cute.

This isn't the best video (goats and babies are very busy and hard to catch live), but still fun.
All in all, it was a great day (at least for Craig and I) and we're glad we went, especially since the next day was horrible weather wise. I really think that he will enjoy it more next year.

20 or 40?

I have some fun pictures from our outing at the pumpkin patch, but of course I forgot the camera at home, so I will have to post them this evening or tomorrow.

I'm working full time this week, which I'm not too sure about. It's good for my depression, in a way, but I miss my special mornings and afternoons with Murray. I loathe loading him in the car at 7:15 to get him to daycare. I hate not being able to give him breakfast. I don't like that we can't play in the afternoon before his nap. My time with him seems so much shorter. It makes me so sad. I realize that many moms work full time, and that's great. I just don't think it's for me. Maybe when he's in kindergarten, but that's a long way off, thankfully. I am going to hang in there this week and we'll see what happens. I'm grateful that I have options and can choose how many hours I want to work.

Stay tuned for pictures!

Ahh. . .it's Friday

I had a busy day today at work and am feeling really good about it. While my new position fell through (the person they hired to take my spot quit after one day), I am taking on extra responsibilties and loving every minute. Today my boss and I drove around town looking for prime billboard locations to decide where to place our client. I learned quite a bit (while I'm familiar with radio and tv, I'm learning about outdoor) and was pleased that he is still keeping his promise and eventually will be the executive assistant. He is so loyal and appreciative and in return, I offer the same.

Plans for the weekend? PJ day tomorrow, Sunday maybe the pumpkin patch if the weather holds. The forecast predicts rain, but it was completely incorrect today, so I'm banking on a beautiful day. Or maybe will just switch pj day with pumpkin patch day. Either way, I am so happy for a quiet weekend.

Have a great one!

To Dress or Not to Dress?

I know the farmers aren't happy with the rain, but I love it. It's a perfect day to cuddle up under a blanket with a hot beverage and read a book or take a nap. Which is exactly what I intend to do this afternoon. I have my first out-patient therapy appointment at 4, but until then, I am going to give myself a little break.

Speaking of therapy, I've been anxiously awaiting this first appointment. It's been 3 weeks since I've been discharged from Prairie, and that was way too long to go without therapy. The evil D has been seeping in again, which in turn causes panic attacks, so I'm really looking forward to meeting my new therapist. Next week I will see Dr. B., the psychiatrist who treats me, so things are really looking up. Is it sad that I'm so excited about therapy? Maybe for some, but I see it as a tool to heal. This process is taking much longer than anticipated, and I've realized that there isn't a magic cure or pill to help. A blogger friend of mine reminded me on Monday (when I blogged about having a "blue" day) to make a list of my blessings. What a fantastic idea. I took her advice and came up with a fairly long list. I felt so much better after, and in turn, remembered to use some of the skills I've acquired at Prairie. Thanks Roxane!


We've been struggling with whether or not to put Murray in a Halloween costume. I go back and forth. My emotional side wants those precious "first Halloween" pictures, but my practical side does not think it's necessary. This may sound cruel; I certainly don't mean it that way. I just don't see the point in dressing him up and hauling him around when he isn't going to remember it anyway. He has some orange pumpkin pj's, and the other day I found some cute baby Halloween hats, so maybe we'll just dress him in this little ensemble and take his picture. If anyone has suggestions of past or future "first Halloweens'", I'd be happy to hear them. By the way is "Halloween" supposed to be capitalized? Spell check says so, but I'm not so sure. . .

Enjoy the rain!

A Case of the Mondays

Ho hum. I have the Monday blues today. I'm feeling down and struggling to pull myself up. Murray cried when I dropped him off at daycare today (he usually doesn't); Mondays are tough on everyone.

We had a nice weekend, though a bit busier than planned. Craig hung the storm door in the back, and it looks so nice! The storm windows are up as well, just in time for the cold to set in. We spent some time with our good friend Troy, and of course, watched the Gopher's hockey game. Murray was able to spend some time with his Aunt Amy, and Sunday we just took it easy.

I am appalled at the audacity of certain realtors in this town. On Friday afternoon, someone knocked on our door, claiming that she had left a message that she was going to show the house. Now, this is bogus, because the listing instructs realtors to call our realtor, and only he has our cell numbers and home phone (it's unlisted). All we could really do is sit in the back yard while they looked around, and thankfully it didn't take very long. So, Saturday morning, we're all in our pajama's lounging around, having coffee, just generally enjoying being together. 10:15, the doorbell rings. Conversation as follows:

Realtor: "Did you get the message I left you that I was going to show your house today at 10:15?"

Me: "No, we don't have an answering machine and I just checked both of our cell phones; no messages."

Realtor (obviously backtracking): "Oh, well, I called your realtor and he said it was fine. Can we come in?"

Me: "Uh, sure, let me just pack up the baby, change our clothes, put the dogs out, etc."

Realtor: "Great, we'll be waiting in the driveway."

We were pretty frustrated to say the least. The house was in fair shape, so that wasn't a problem, it's just a pain to be interrupted when you least expect it. Our realtor always gives us notice, and he did not receive a call from either realtor, so they used the "popping in" tactic. I guess it's good that people are still interested, but it was pretty inconvenient. Let's just hope we get an offer after all of this.

Sorry about the long post today. I didn't think I had quite so much to vent about, but there it is. Hope everyone has super Monday.

Roxane Salonen Works and Misc. Items

I have no idea how, but many thanks to Roxane for makeing the link work. We're ready to go, and I hope you enjoy her writing as much as I do. Check out the link in my blog list to Peace Garden Mama.

This was so funny. We purchased this ball for him several months ago, but he's finally really enjoying it. Speaking of new skills, all of the sudden, Murray figured out how to sit up on his own, as well as pull himself up in his crib. I am terrified that he'll fall out, but suppose it will going to happen eventually (YIKES). Again, I wish we could put our kids in a bubble. We can't, so we just do the best we can.

Craig has been sick, but Murray and I have been fighting it off with Ningxia Red, and essential oils (if you click on the links, you will learn about it) which are awesome immune system supplements that have amazing results. It's working like a charm. This is a health pitch, not a sales pitch, because I do not sell the product, I just purchase it. :)

Tomorrow is supposed to be a fabulous fall weather day, and I'm so looking forward to just lounging around in the yard. I hope you all have a great weekend.

Yep

Yep, the direct link works, so I can't figure out why the heck my blog list won't accept it. I know nothing about Feed Burner or RSS or whatever, so I'm guessing that's the complication. Anyway, I really hope to get it sorted out soon, because she writes so beautifully.

New Blog To Read

I have been trying to post the link of a blogger Friend (actually, she's a professional author and columnist for the Forum; from Fargo), Roxane Salonen, but for some reason my blog won't connect to hers (Peace Garden Mama II). I finally at least am able to get to Area Voices, which, if you search for her, you will find her blog. I highly recommend it, and hope you will check it out. I hope as soon as Craig has time, he will be able to help me to make the link work directly.

I'll keep you posted. Try this link to see if it works here, instead of in my blog list.

http://www.roxanesalonen.blogspot.com/

Dock Day

It doesn't matter what day of the week, year, or month that we schedule dock day. It's guaranteed to rain, snow, blow, or sleet. This year was actually pretty nice; the guys had to take a couple of breaks due to lightning, but other than that, all went smoothly. It was absolutely beautiful; the trees were gorgeous and some of the flowers still in bloom, ironically. We had four, yes four, dogs "helping". Rudy dug his last rock out from the lake for the summer, and Nala was able to swim for the last time this season.

I decided to take some pictures, and while doing so, realized that my camera has much more potential than I have been taking advantage of. I really need to read the 5,000 page manual (exaggeration, but not by much), but I have no idea when I'll get to it. The shot above is looking from the lake to the big house, though you don't really see the house (it's out of the shot). It's my favorite place on earth, and always has been. I'd rather be here than any other place in the world, including Hawaii.

This picture is looking out to the road side of the house. The colors aren't nearly as sharp in the picture, but again, I'm hoping to learn more about my camera.

This is one of my favorite shots. It's peaceful, which is how the day was.

Last, but not least, a funny clip of my Grandma and Murray playing blocks. Murray's laugh is hysterical; he just loves her so much. I am so grateful that she and Grandpa are in our lives.

Here's to a great Monday morning.

BRRRRR

I was thinking today about how Murray is already almost 11 months old. It's cliche, I know, but they grow up way too fast. I LOVE watching him grow, but I miss the newborn stage. I guess we all grow and change; time is inevitable. I've learned that myself recently and realized how important it is not to take anything for granted, which is so much easier than done; I don't know that anyone ever perfects the ability to do so.

We're taking the docks and lifts out at the lake this weekend, which is always a fun day, but a sad one too. It marks the beginning of another season gone, though another to look forward to (I do not look forward to winter, as a friend of mine and I were discussing today). Craig finally has some waders (thanks to Grandpa Jack), so he shouldn't freeze this year. I get to help in the kitchen for the big meal to warm up the guys.

Though I appreciate the crisp weather, I'm cold and wishing it were warmer. It is kind of fun to cozy up with a good book and a warm blanket though; I'm finding the bright side of things. Besides, the trees are beautiful! As long as it's not snowing, I'm happy.

BUSTED!

I just have a quick minute to check in. I'm feeling better today than I have the last two, so I'm making progress. I was well aware that the adjustment from Prairie back to the "real" world would be difficult, so I'm not expecting to feel 100% immediately. It's not a quick fix, it's a process, and one that takes a lot of work. Good work, but hard work. To everyone who has sent comments, thoughts and kind words, thank you. I'm sorry I haven't responded properly, but I will as soon as things settle down a bit.

Our annual end of the year softball party was a success and fun was had by all. At least until the Moorhead PD came knocking and threatened a noise ordinance violation if we didn't break up the party immediately. I feel so embarrassed, no one there was under the age of 27 (and it wasn't that large of a party). Good thing we had several sober drivers, and everyone cooperated. The funniest part is that they had the whole house surrounded. Each fence gate, the front door, back door, etc. You would have thought we were running a drug ring. It will be one of those stories we don't tell Murray (who was at Craig's mom and dad's for the night).

It's billing week, so I'm swamped, but thought I'd update. Hope you all are having a great week.

Settling In

Been a while since my last post - I've been so busy trying to get settled into a new/old routine. It's only Tuesday and it feels like it should be at least Thursday. I will update more soon when I have the energy to post.