Tuesday Funnies ~ Kersten once again!

Well on Sunday, Kersten, Jess, Mommy and Mamie took Josh to camp. It was about an hour long drive and both the babies should have been tired and taken a nap, alas, they did not. So Kersten kept asking to sing songs, so we would sing for awhile and then be quiet. Sing some more, be quiet some more.
We got to camp and instead of the quick checkin we were hoping for, we were stuck there two hours! ARGH! Try entertaining a baby and a toddler for that long with no toys or swing set!
So on the way home, Kersten wanted to sing some more and she was insistent on singing the Zaccheus song. I sang it with her three times and told her we needed to switch to a different song. She didn't like that idea and started singing it herself "Zaccheus was a weak man, a weak man was he! He climbed up in a singing tree for the Lord he wanted to see!...........".
She did the rest of it pretty good, but oh goodness, Mommy and Mamie were just a cracking up! No matter how many times we annunciated the words and corrected her, it kept coming out that same way! Technically, she was right, Zaccheus was a weak man until Jesus came along!
What a lesson to get from a three year old?!

Happy Birthday to...........

my cousin Melannie!!!!She's the pretty one! =)

Can't believe you are going to be a momma!!

Happy Birthday kiddo!

Love ya!

PROOF!

So as you all know, I am in the Pain Rehab Clinic for a few weeks. Well yesterday, they had me do some psychological testing to get an idea of my mental ability and clarity.

Turns out, I am super smart! I have one of the best scores they have ever seen! They don't actually say you scored 100%, thats not the scale they used, nor it is an IQ test, but my abilities are far superior to most in my age group.

Can you believe it? I know I know alot of things, but having someone else tell you your brain is off the charts is something I never figured I'd hear.

The actual first question out of the doctor's mouth was "why are you a secretary?"
I know that its technically beneath me from an education standpoint, but its been a mostly decent job. And its not like I haven't tried for other jobs, noone ever gives me the opportunity however.

It will be interesting once I get out of here to see how my perspective has changed. I need to work on my self esteem a little. Perhaps with that piece under control, I can make that change out of the secretarial world.

I am still in awe of the doctor's assessment. I hope to get a copy upon discharge from the program and then perhaps I can better explain the results.

Signing off for now, hope everyone has a good weekend!

Favorite Foto Friday 07/25/08

Well, I am technically incommunicado, but have preset these to go out on their designated Friday so that it keeps the ball rolling.




This week, I am going to show you a photo of my cousin Melissa, her husband Shannan, and her little boy Jacx. Its from Christmas, so of course, he is bigger now.

Have a good weekend!!!

Olivia turns 1

I finally got some pictures of Olivia at her birthday party, so even though its not a Friday, I thought I'd post them since I didn't have them on her birthday.

First bite of sugar! Hmm, this is pretty good!I think I can get the hang of this............... Oooohhh, the licorice tastes awesome!How much more can I have?
All done! Do I have to take a bath?

Tuesday Funnies ~ Tyson

Well, I thought I'd share a funny story related to a girl I work with, Tracy. Her son Tyson has a musculoskeletal disorder that affects his movement and thus he cannot walk. Tracy has to take him to doctor's appointments all the time as they are always trying to find something new to help Tyson be mobile. So she took him to Shriner's up in the cities the other day for his appointments and apparently there is a receptionist there that he has made a connection with.
Prior to their arrival at Shriners, Tracy and her friend were having a conversation about the receptionist and her friend asked if she was cute, Tracy said yeah, so the friend asked if she was smokin' hot? Tracy said, you'd probably think so.
So, can you guess what Ty said to the receptionist upon arrival?

You guessed it!

Michelle, you are smokin' hot!

Michelle laughed, Tracy turned red, and Ty was proud of himself.
Can you believe at three he is the biggest flirt??
Watch out ladies! Ty is on the prowl!

Favorite Foto Friday 07/18/08

Well, I am technically incommunicado, but have preset these to go out on their designated Friday so that it keeps the ball rolling.

This week's favorite foto is of my nephew Austin. He is six months old now and just as cute as ever! He is difficult to catch smiling these days. He does this cute little scrunch face, but couldn't get it captured.

Enjoy the weekend!

Thin Mint Blizzard

Wasn't all it was cracked up to be.
I love blizzards, I love thin mints. You'd think combining them would be spectacular!
Well, I have to say, it was a total let down.

I love most anything that is chocolate and mint, but Dairy Queen's ice cream has a specific flavor to it and it totally came out above the minty taste. There weren't enough cookies in there to be considered a whole thin mint even. At least in my opinion.

My friend Wendi blogged about this too and she wasn't impressed either.

Anyone else have an opinion?

I am going to stick to my old standby, OREO!! YUM! McDonalds or Dairy Queen, doesn't matter, YUM!!!

Update on Lolo

Lolo was better by the time they got her to the hospital. They kept her for observation for a few hours and sent her home around 2.
Thanks for your faithfulness!

Prayer needed ~ Lolo

My friend Lolo is in the hospital this morning.

She was apparently feeling funny this morning and went to the doctor in St. Charles. They said she was having atrial fibrillation and transferred her to OMC Hospital by ambulance. She does not want to go to St Marys as that is where her mother passed away just over six months ago. She doesn't want to face that, can't say I blame her. However, OMC is not as good as Mayo for the more complex conditions, and I am not just being biased either. I know people who would tell you that.
So, she may end up here, on the same floor her mother was on. Hopefully not the same room as I think she would just lose it for sure.
Please pray that it resolves and she can just go home with no further complications.
Thanks!

Tuesday Funnies ~ 4th of July/Jess

I am grounded again. Mama said so.


Ok, lets back up the story a bit:
The weekend of 4th of July was spent with the Peaslee's. My parents couldn't make it up here for the holiday and none of the rest of the family was going to be at Grama's, so I decided to stick close to home and spent it with "my other family." So the whole weekend was mostly lazy, although we did some projects that kept us busy around the house.
Friday we had a big breakfast and then went school clothes shopping for Samantha and Cadi. In the afternoon, we worked on our food contributions and spent the evening at the Cranor's fellowshipping with about a third of the church! The Cranors just got into their new house and it was a good thing its big, there were a ton of people around. We had a good time.

Satuday again we had a big breakfast and then leftovers for lunch in preparation for a big ham dinner. I also made two batches of homemade ice cream. Have never done this before and learned a few things along the way. It tasted magnificent by the way! MMMMMM!! The ham dinner was awesome and complimented by cheesy potatoes, deviled eggs, green bean casserole and rolls. Laurie made lemonade from scratch as well.

Sunday our church was scheduled for an all church outdoor service, so since we didn't have life group responsibilities, we decided we'd go visit LifeChurch in Rochester. Our former associate pastor is the leader there and some of our families went with to build the ministry. IT WAS AWESOME to see how many people have joined already. The room was pretty full on Sunday, granted nine Peaslees, myself and the Bunke clan aren't regulars, but there was still a bunch of people there that weren't Winona transplants. It is awesome to see God blessing Pastor Doug and his outreach because it was definitely a faith thing. No building, no money, no congregants. God is awesome.

After church, we stopped by my house where the boys mowed my lawn. It had been at least three weeks and it was sort of Amazonish, so I am greatful they did that, and in the crazy humidity to boot! After that, Cody treated us all to lunch at Wendy's and then we headed for home. The plan was for the babies, the mommy and the Aimee to take a nap, well, I ended up not being tired, Kersten wasn't either and Jess screamed for nearly an hour, so I finally went and got him. Was trying to sneak out of the house quietly as mommy had a headache, but, she ended up awake anyway. We had tacos for dinner and just vegged in front of the TV the rest of the evening.


So to the funny part, Jess. Oh the kid is so adorable with his bright blue eyes and he can smile and melt your heart! And he is finally confident walking on his own now, so cute! Well, for this weekend, he decided I was his buddy more than mommy. He'd follow me all over the house and if I didn't stop and pick him up, he'd get mad and cry. On Sunday, he was tired about the time church started, but you know how kids fight. Well at one point he jumped from mommy's arms to mine and he snuggled in like for a hug and I was eating it up. He stayed in that position for awhile just rubbing my arm and then fell asleep. He slept on me for pretty much the rest of church. Mommy says he never snuggles with her, so I was grounded. Then that evening as I was preparing to go home he was my shadow as I was gathering all my stuff up. I picked him up and carried him to mommy and said goodbye. He started crying and trying to crawl down mommy and walked back into the kitchen as I was loading my arms up, so I carried him back to mommy again and he was not happy I was leaving.

Makes you feel loved!! Mommy said I was grounded again cause her kid wanted to come home with me. I told her she would always win because she has what he really wants. The ability to nurse him! He is intent on not giving that up. It is down to bedtime only, but he won't give that up for nothing. Laurie is going to have to leave for a week or two for that to happen, cause if he knows she is around, he is not going to relent. He is a smart cookie!



Oh sweet baby boy! God I love this kid!

Rehab

I am going to rehab for three weeks. Sounds funny, doesn't it?
Well, don't get too excited, its not the kind of rehab you are probably thinking.
It is Pain Rehab and it is a Clinic I am going to attend daily for three weeks, 8-4:30. During the three weeks I will learn several things. There is a schedule of things to do daily and because there are several of us, for some activities we are split into two groups. A typical day will look like this:
8am Opening group meeting
8:30 Stretching exercises
9 Group Therapy(different topic everyday)
10 Skills Rehearsal(not really sure what this entails yet)
11 Physical Therapy
LUNCH
1 Group Therapy(different topic everyday)
2 Skills Rehearsal
3 Occupational Therapy/Biofeedback
4 Advanced Relaxation(not sure what this entails either)

So starting July 17th, I'll be off work. The first day is admissions/orientation and then starting July 18th through August 7th, I'll be doing the above mentioned schedule daily.
I am REALLY hoping that all the things they show us, teach us, convey to us are helpful on many levels. Being pain free is the ultimate goal, but headache free and being able to sleep normally would be nice too.

I probably won't post much, if at all, while out on my leave, however, I did schedule a few posts to go out while I am gone, so it'll keep you happy until I get back hopefully.

Speaking of restaurants...........

That should come to Rochester.
I just have to throw out there that I also want a Sonic, which Eau Claire is also getting this year.
RAR!

I also want a Texas Roadhouse Grill, which Eau Claire got last year!
RAR!

And I have been begging White Castle my whole life to bring one near where I live. There is one in South St. Paul that I frequent when I go that way, but having one nearby would just rock! Most people I know aren't familiar with White Castle and/or aren't too fond of it. I believe it is something that you don't necessarily fall in love with, I think it has to be part of your DNA and you have to be raised on it like I was. MMMMMM! Gut bombs! Not sure what they would do to my new "stomach", haven't been brave enough to try that yet, but maybe this next trip to Indiana I'll think about it.

I would love it if BJs Pizza and Brewery would come this far east and plant itself in our state, I'd be happy even if they came to the cities for the bigger market! PUHLEASE!!!

I also love Rocky Roccoco's pizza, and this is a Wisconsin thing, and I know all their locations, but I would totally love it if they step foot one hour into Minnesota and make life easier for me!

Rochester in general is severely lacking in restaurant choices. We are a town of over 100,000 people, not to mention all the outlier communities in a 60 mile radius that come HERE to get something more than hometown food, Subway or Dairy Queen. Rochester is booming and yet, we don't seem to be a hotspot for too many companies to look. I think this should change.

Any of the above mentioned companies who happen to read this, I have written most of you letters and emails. Please consider us once again!

That being said, I am very happy we have an Outback, one of my fave places of all time to eat. Can you say potato soup? MMMMM! And we have an Olive Garden. Can you say Zuppa Tuscana? MMMMMM! We also have a Buffalo Wild Wings and Noodles, very delicious! We do have some other chain restaurants, but it is slim pickings. Someone, please, consider coming to Rochester to give us more choices!

Red Robin

YUM!

Well, I got the surprise of the weekend while driving into Eau Claire Friday night.
They have a Red Robin!
I have been begging Red Robin to come to Rochester for I can't tell you how long, so imagine my surprise when a town half our size has one!
RAR!!!!!

Anyway, on Sunday evening, Al, Brenda, Austin and I got to go. I got to sample their delights for the first time in seven years and it was just as good as I remembered! My first Red Robin experience was in Seattle and I couldn't get over how good their food was. I have to say that they are somewhat pricey, but the food is awesome, so I guess once in awhile, its a nice treat.

Red Robin, if you are out there, reading this, R-O-C-H-E-S-T-E-R! That should be your next location!

As for now, I guess the 90 minute drive to see my nephew will have to include a visit to Red Robin from now on.

Favorite Foto Friday 07/11/08

This week, I just had to post another picture of my blog friend Doni's daughter Tori. Doni is not a professional photographer, but she has a sweet camera and loves experimenting. She then bought an awesome editing program, and she could be a pro! She is really honing her skill and I think someday when Tori isn't keeping her so busy, perhaps she'll have a business in this area, but for now, she focuses on her family, that of her siblings and friends, and she is creating some very nice artwork!


So, another picture of Tori, this is from a 4th of July photo shoot she did and Doni captured Tori with a grin that says it all!



Happy Friday!

Update on Greg 07/10/08

Greg ended up having his leg amputated just below the knee. It was the best place for him so he could eventually have a prosthetic attached. In August, they will start that process.
He is home from the hospital now, he is not allowed to do much but hang out and relax, which is really hard for him as he is a gogogo type of person.
He and his family are thankful his life was spared and are giving God the glory despite the situation.
Please keep them in your prayers as he is on the road to healing and recovery.
Thanks!

Tuesday Funnies ~ more Kersten

Well, a couple of weeks ago Fred was putting Kersten down for the night. He tucked her in and said her prayers with her. He finished with Amen as usual and Kersten pipes up "Daddy, I want a baby sister!". Fred looks at her and tells her that it is up to God if we have a baby sister. So then he asks her if she knows who God is and she says "Jesus!" and Fred says she is close, but who is Jesus' dad and she says "God!". So she gets it. So they amend their prayer and add to it "Dear Lord, please send me a baby sister, Amen." Two seconds later Kersten says "Daddy, I think He heard me!".
Is she not the cutest!!!
So the next night, Mommy is putting her down for the night and Kersten tells mommy she is going to say the prayer. She of course includes the request for a baby sister. Again, after they are doing praying she says "Mommy, He heard me!".
Out of the mouthes of babes!
Oh to have faith like a child!
She continues to add this to her prayers every night.

Dear Lord, if it is your will for the Peaslee clan to have a baby sister, please bless then appropriately. If not, we are thankful for the blessings you have already given them. Amen!

Happy Birthday to...........

my niece Olivia Rae!!

I can't believe she is a year already!
I don't have a picture scanned, but I will after this weekend.
Her party is Saturday at the beach by Great Grama's.

She is so cute and smart. Really looking forward to seeing both her and Dominick. Hopefully Autumn will be around too.

Love you sweetie pie!!

Favorite Foto Friday 07/04/08

This week, its about Old Glory!

Enjoy the 4th of July!

Celebrate your freedom!

Support the troops(even if you don't support the war)!

Have a good weekend!

Random Wishes

I want these things, in no particular order:

1. I want to take a shower one time without the water running cold. I live alone, meaning all the hot water belongs to me. Why oh why can't I take a hot shower then?

2. I want all the "yidiots" to move to the right-hand lane. It's like they have a meeting every day and make the decision to drive in front of me, blocking both lanes at ten miles under the speed limit. I am a busy girl. If you continue to torment me, I will stop taking my meds, hunt you down and kill you and then plead temporary insanity and get away with it and do you know why? Because the Judge was late for my hearing due to some "yidiot" driving slow in the left-hand lane!

3. I want gas prices to have to be the same no matter what side of town you live on. If I drive to Walmart for groceries, the gas station on that end of town is at least three cents cheaper than the one by my house. Why is that? Same chain! Same town! Makes no freaking sense!

4. I want child rapists to rot in the electric chair instead of being "rehabilitated" and set free again. What on earth could the judge possibly be thinking? He did it once, he sure as heck is going to do it again, don't you think??? I have never heard of a rehabilitated sex offender.

5. I want people to get off whatever political bandwagon they are on and do some real research! SEARCH OUT THE TRUTH, don't just be a follower! Seriously! Figure out where you stand and then go check out the candidates. When you have some facts, then you have my permission to open your big mouth!

Ok, thats my rant session for the week............I don't do this regularly, but some things have been on my mind lately. Forgive me!

Cody makes his first adult mistake

Cody got a tattoo.

He is 18, legal age, but we all thought we had portrayed the fact that it was not a good idea, but he obviously had some other influences.
On top of getting a tattoo, he didn't just get an itty bitty one, he got a monster sized one, and of a dragon.
He knows his parent's thoughts on dragons and yet he did it anyway.
And on top of that, he lied to his mother about the cost, he told her it was $100, it was $500.
Mom is NOT happy.

Ok, lets back the story up a bit. A couple of weeks ago, the babies would wake up in the middle of the night having had a bad dream/nightmare or in Jess' case, screaming and inconsolable. This went on for over a week, we couldn't figure out what on earth was going on. They both sleep through the night just fine unless they are sick. Jess is teething, so we thought maybe that was it. The real reason revealed itself about ten days into the no sleep for mommy fest.
Cody had bought these mystical magic dragon cards and brought them home. One day he brought them upstairs with him and Laurie noticed them and asked him what they were. The minute she saw them, she had this feeling that this was the cause for the babies not sleeping. She told Cody to get those things out of her house now or he could leave. She told me that I'd probably think she was crazy for thinking that, but the minute she told me, I knew she wasn't crazy. That very night, the babies slept, and every night since.

The babies are having nightmares and waking up a couple times a night again.

Thanks Cody. Your baby brother and sister that you love so much are being tormented AGAIN because of you.

I sure hope you grow up soon. Mom is going to force it on you pretty quick!

And the reason I don't think Mom(Laurie) is crazy, because she was thinking like my Mom that day. My Mom has been very adament about what is allowed in her house from cartoons to movies to video games. My Mom is also a prayer warrior and has prayed over her children from day one to be able to resist the temptations and not be caught in the spells of the evil world we live in. My Mom would have known instantly that those cards were a problem and like Laurie, would have denounced them immediately.

Parents, those of you reading this, PLEASE be careful of what you allow in your homes. I used to think my Mom was crazy, but I now see the wisdom in her decisions. YOU are the one that can control what your children do in your own home and you have to hope and trust that it will carry with them when you aren't around.

Dear Lord~
Please be a beacon to all parents to realize what is going on in their homes and be able to make the changes necessary. Help them realize that You are the center of the home and You are in control. Please protect baby Jess and baby Kersten from these bad dreams and nightmares, help them be able to sleep peacefully, wrapped up in You. Please help Cody realize the errors he has made and learn from them.
Thank you Jesus!

Meet Josiah

Jose & Elizabeth ~ engagement photo

My best friend from childhood, Beth, recently had a much anticipated baby. He is adorable and the apple of everyone's eye. I think even though he has more of Jose's coloring, he has a tint of Beth's red in his hair too.
Enjoy the pictures!

Josiah Franklin

June 19th, 2008

8.5 pounds, 19.5 inches

Josiah with MommyJosiah with Daddy in the classic pose
Josiah with Grampa JesseJosiah with Uncle Jimmy(Beth's brother)

Girls Night Out Updated

So, things went as planned. Lolo actually got into town earlier than we had thought and picked me up from work and off to Olive Garden we went. I love their all you can eat soup/salad/breadsticks and even though it is twice as much at dinner, it is still worth it! I ordered my usual pasta e fagioli for the soup, but Laurie ordered the Zuppa Toscana and it looked good. It has sausage and potatoes for the main ingredient and we all know I love potatoes! It is now my favorite! I like it better than pasta e fagioli! YUM!
So after a very nice dinner that wasn't interrupted by children arguing or something being spilled, we headed to Northwest Nails for the pedicure treatment. Lolo also got a manicure. So all four of us were in chairs side by side getting our feet worked on. Now if you don't know Lolo or Laurie, they are not very fond about people, anyone, touching their feet. I wish I had the picture Lolo took with her cell phone, but the minute the lady touched the bottoms of Laurie's feet to do work on her callus', she was acting like she was having a seizure and laughing uncontrollably. Which in turn, made the rest of us laugh. You know those good, deep down belly laughs, those kind! Oh I wish I had my camera with me. Next time, I will for sure! It was hillarious. Lolo was a little more tolerant than Laurie about it, but all in all, we had a good time.
After that, we decided we needed some Cold Stone, so we went to the mall. Kam wanted to check out a sale at one of the stores, but it was across from Cold Stone, so it was on the way. We each got a treat and then headed back towards home.
I got home around 9:30 and settled into my nightly routine. It was a fun evening, just the girls, hanging out. We plan to make this a regular occurence and hopefully the rest of the posse can join us in the future.