Tuesday, November 16th was my birthday. I turned 24. I’m not much of a birthday person. Let’s have one small shin dig with family and close friends and be done with it. I’m not depressed about getting older I just don’t like the attention. It makes me feel very uncomfortable. But for some reason this whole week there has been some kind of birthday celebration.
It started last Friday when my inbox flooded with birthday notices from restaurants I subscribed to. If you sign up for eclubs these restaurants will give you free meals, free desserts, a percentage off the entire meal, etc. The specific ones I received were from Chilis, IHOP, McAlister’s, and Red Robin. When Scotty got home Friday night, he suggested that we use one! There weren’t any arguments on my end. So we chose IHOP because I LOVE LOVE LOVE breakfast. I could eat it for every meal. So that was my first celebration. Of course, the waitress there kept telling Scotty happy birthday and tried to guess his age. Lol. Better him than me! We never corrected her.
Saturday we were busy preparing for our bonfire with the teens so there wasn’t really a celebration of any kind, but the teens wished me a happy birthday, which was really sweet.
Sunday was a celebration day but not for me. It was my mother-in-laws birthday. We got her a small gift card to her favorite restaurant and spent some time with her. I think she enjoyed her day.
Monday I got to use some of my birthday money and bought some hair products...wild woman...I know. I also got a phone call from my good friend Megan!! It was nice talking to her since we hadn’t talked in for-ev-er. So that was a nice gift.
Tuesday (my actual birthday) I tried to sleep in but I was woken up my text messages and a lot of commotion downstairs. I started off the day normal, but I had a doctor’s appointment so I left for that. And this kind of ruined my day, to be honest. The dentist told me I needed to see a specialist about my gums. I put it off as long as I could, but my gums started bothering me so I made the appointment. The specialist said my gums on the bottom front 2 teeth are really thin and receding. Well, great. So I have to have surgery...again. I’ve had thousands of oral surgeries. So here goes another. It’s like doing a skin graft. The doctor will take the gum from my palate and place it over the problem area. It sounds worse than it will be. I’m more concerned about the cost. I cried all day. When I got to work I knew no one knew it was my birthday so I could get by without any embarrassment, but I was wrong. A good friend whose daughter I teach came in with a delicious cookie cake and sang to me. I was thoroughly embarrassed. But it was so sweet and I wasn’t expecting it. After work Scotty took me to Red Robin (free birthday burger) and to the AT&T store to fix my phone. He gave me a very pretty bracelet to!! After dinner we went to get our Harry Potter tickets for Saturday! Overall, it was a good day but I could have done without seeing the specialist.
On Wednesday my dad took me to Shoguns to get some yummy sushi! I love sushi (thanks to Daniel & Staci) but I don’t get to have it that often. Scotty is not a fan of oriental food so we don’t eat it much. I could eat it just as much as breakfast! It was a nice, delicious treat. I have a good dad. That evening we had bible study with the teens. A couple of other kids had November birthdays so a parent got us a cookie cake! The 2nd cookie cake of the week! It’s a good thing I like them better than regular cake.
On Thursday my good friend Andrea took me out to eat. It wasn't just for my birthday though. I’ve been borrowing the Harry Potter books from her to refresh my memory and I found a savings bond in book #5!! I guess she was using it as a bookmark and forgot about it. Lol. I got to looking at it and realized it was dated back to 1998!! We were 12 in 1998. HA! I dropped it by earlier in the week so she can take care of it and she told me she’ll take me out as a reward for finding it. So I had a wonderful evening with her celebrating a birthday and finding lost money. Lol.
Friday was a great day. I was waiting for months to be able to go get my hair cut! And with the birthday money I got I decided to go! I even went to a different lady. I’ve had the same hair lady for a long time and she’s always known me to have long hair. So when I tell her I want it short she never gets it short enough. I still love her though. This other lady did a GREAT job. I’m still trying to get used to it. Others say they really like, and I hope they’re not lying. Friday evening I celebrated my birthday with my family. My mother made a cookie cake for me (#3) and we ended the evening playing wii.
To top the whole week off me and Scotty went to see HARRY POTTER 7.1!!!!! It was amazing! I laughed, I cried, I wanted more. I’m beyond sad that there is only one more. I haven’t read book 7 yet so everything was a surprise! There is going to be a serious void in my life after the last one. Before we saw the movie Scotty took me to Red Lobster. It was so yummy.
It was a good week. Thanks to all my family and friends for making me feel very special and loved. This week I am very excited for Thanksgiving. I’m going to see family that I haven’t seen since my wedding. And this is Scotty’s 1st Treadway Thanksgiving! I hope everyone stays safe over the holidays and enjoys their time with family!!
Monday, November 22, 2010
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Where you at?
Hey, it is Scotty!
I don't normally post on here, I usually leave it up to Summer to post things, but she is hanging out with a friend tonight, and I am at home watching TV. You may have noticed a new addition to our blog recently, the map that tells where people are viewing our blog from.
There are some dots on our map that we can pretty easily guess who they belong to...there are others that take us by surprise. So I just wanted to ask everyone to check in...which dot on our map is you?
Click on the map that is to the right of this post, find where you are located, and then leave a comment letting us know who you are and where you are reading our blog from. We are shocked everytime that we get a new dot. Not only because we can see that there are people all over the world reading our blog...but also because you are reading our blog even when we have nothing exciting to say.
In summary...leave a comment to let us know WHO reads our blog and WHERE you are reading from.
Thanks!
I don't normally post on here, I usually leave it up to Summer to post things, but she is hanging out with a friend tonight, and I am at home watching TV. You may have noticed a new addition to our blog recently, the map that tells where people are viewing our blog from.
There are some dots on our map that we can pretty easily guess who they belong to...there are others that take us by surprise. So I just wanted to ask everyone to check in...which dot on our map is you?
Click on the map that is to the right of this post, find where you are located, and then leave a comment letting us know who you are and where you are reading our blog from. We are shocked everytime that we get a new dot. Not only because we can see that there are people all over the world reading our blog...but also because you are reading our blog even when we have nothing exciting to say.
In summary...leave a comment to let us know WHO reads our blog and WHERE you are reading from.
Thanks!
Sunday, October 10, 2010
525,600 Minutes
It official. We've been living with the Roller's for exacatly one year. It really doesn't feel like a year, that's for sure. It's gone by a lot faster than I've anticipated which is a blessing. A BIG blessing!
It's interesting to look back to this time last year. If I knew then what I know now....we wouldn't have moved in. And that sounds bad, yes, but there are a lot of factors to me saying that, that I don't need to get into. BUT we are very thankful that Scotty's parents have been so kind to let us live with them (without rent). That's kind of a big deal. Which leads me to the 1st thing I've learned while living here:
Never look a gift hourse in the mouth. There are times that I just want to complain about everything. I get so frustrated, but I have to stop and think...I could just as well be living on the streets. Scotty's parents so graciously invited us in. So I have to deal. I've gotten lots better, but I still have days.
I've also learned that I'm WAY more sensitive of a person than I thought I was. I knew I was sensitive...but honestly, it's ridiculous. I worried myself physically sick when we 1st moved in because of something someone had said to me (it was mean). I need to develop thicker skin and quit taking everything so seriously. I've done better at that too. Work in progress, really.
Another lesson I've learned, which has been the hardest, is there are just some people in this world that AREN'T going to like you...and you simply aren't going to like back. And it makes it worse when they're in your family. Oh boy, does it make it worse! At least with others, you can avoid them, but when they're in your family you can't. At one point we were even told we HAVE to get along with these people. And we tried...but some relationships are very poisonous, and we deemed that one of them. I had an anxiety attack one evening just from trying to muster up the courage to be in the same room with them! (Which goes back to the sensitive thing).
And on a lighter note, we've also learned that mice come in packs (read Feburary's post to get that story) and food is a special commodity. That's a story for another time, though.
I have had several moments when I think "I'm not going to make it another 2 years" "I can't handle this environment, I have to get out for my own health and well-being." But really, I can handle it, because God wouldn't have given us this opportunity if I couldn't. On those days I'm ready to move out, I just tell myself, I'm building character and growing as a person. God is clearly teaching me so much about myself and what I can handle. And this goes for Scotty too. I've learned a lot more, but I won't bore you with it all. I'm just anticipating what He has in store for me these next 2 years. I have a feeling there will still be lots of tears, and frustration but I know that it will all work out in the end.
It's interesting to look back to this time last year. If I knew then what I know now....we wouldn't have moved in. And that sounds bad, yes, but there are a lot of factors to me saying that, that I don't need to get into. BUT we are very thankful that Scotty's parents have been so kind to let us live with them (without rent). That's kind of a big deal. Which leads me to the 1st thing I've learned while living here:
Never look a gift hourse in the mouth. There are times that I just want to complain about everything. I get so frustrated, but I have to stop and think...I could just as well be living on the streets. Scotty's parents so graciously invited us in. So I have to deal. I've gotten lots better, but I still have days.
I've also learned that I'm WAY more sensitive of a person than I thought I was. I knew I was sensitive...but honestly, it's ridiculous. I worried myself physically sick when we 1st moved in because of something someone had said to me (it was mean). I need to develop thicker skin and quit taking everything so seriously. I've done better at that too. Work in progress, really.
Another lesson I've learned, which has been the hardest, is there are just some people in this world that AREN'T going to like you...and you simply aren't going to like back. And it makes it worse when they're in your family. Oh boy, does it make it worse! At least with others, you can avoid them, but when they're in your family you can't. At one point we were even told we HAVE to get along with these people. And we tried...but some relationships are very poisonous, and we deemed that one of them. I had an anxiety attack one evening just from trying to muster up the courage to be in the same room with them! (Which goes back to the sensitive thing).
And on a lighter note, we've also learned that mice come in packs (read Feburary's post to get that story) and food is a special commodity. That's a story for another time, though.
I have had several moments when I think "I'm not going to make it another 2 years" "I can't handle this environment, I have to get out for my own health and well-being." But really, I can handle it, because God wouldn't have given us this opportunity if I couldn't. On those days I'm ready to move out, I just tell myself, I'm building character and growing as a person. God is clearly teaching me so much about myself and what I can handle. And this goes for Scotty too. I've learned a lot more, but I won't bore you with it all. I'm just anticipating what He has in store for me these next 2 years. I have a feeling there will still be lots of tears, and frustration but I know that it will all work out in the end.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
"I love Jesus...But I Drink A Little"
Okay....nothing exciting has happened around here so I just thought I'd let you know what's on my mind and share a little laughter. For labor day we visited our VERY good friend, Megan, in OKC. We did lots of fun stuff but on Monday (actual labor day) we visited the OC campus since they don't celebrate labor day. It was SO NICE being back. All sorts of memories came flooding in. We didn't recognize many students, but we got to chit-chat with lots of former professors. Super fun. BUT ANY WAY! It got me thinking about how much I miss it there! But, recently, a few things have stuck out in my mind. First off, I miss all the friends I made there and I wish I spent more time with them than my books. Second, I rrrrrrrreeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaalllllllllllllllyyyyyy miss the independence we had. Our loans weren't in repayment yet, all we had were silly little bills, and more importantly, WE HAD OUR OWN PLACE! Oh, how I miss it. And finally, I miss one tv show. I know what you're thinking "tv show...really? Like you can't watch tv in Arkansas?" I can, BUT the show I always watched was Ellen. I never had an early morning class and Ellen came on at 9:00am. So of course, that's what I set my alarm to and I turned the tv on first thing. She is so funny and uplifting! Love her. Well, Ellen comes on tv at different times in every state. Just so happens it comes on at 3:00pm here in Arkansas. And it also just so happens that that's the exact time I work. Of all the luck. And to top it off, Arkansas doesn't even show new episodes. So if I were to ever get a chance to watch, it'd probably be an episode I already saw. Which, that's okay, I guess. So, to wrap this up, I'll leave you with one of my favorite Ellen moments.
Friday, September 10, 2010
Misophonia
People...this is HUGE!!!! All of my life I have been annoyed at the silliest things...mainly noises. I thought I was just easily annoyed. But it's becoming more and more of a problem as I get older. I don't know what prompted me to do this, but I looked it up. I simply typed "irritating noises" and I read blog after blog of people experiencing THE EXACT same thing I was. I was in shock. Turns out, I'm not easily irritated (I'm sure Scotty could argue that) but I have MISOPHONIA!!! Holy cow. There is actually a name for it!!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Misophonia
I know wiki isn't the most reliable source but it provides a good summary. It started when I was pretty young. I simply got super annoyed at my mom chewing/popping her gum. I constantly was nagging her about it and eventually she just wouldn't chew in front of me. As I've gotten older it has gotten worse. It's not just gum chewing, it's ANY noise made with your mouth, the "clicking" of a mouse, keyboard typing, clanking spoons/forks on plates and bowls, ceiling fans, etc. Those are the ones that really enrage me. But there's a lot more. This will help all my old college roommates. LOL (mainly Megan) The thing of it is, it's not just an annoyance, it's rage. I've never acted out in rage, but I've come close. I raised my voice at my dad once. TOTALLY made a fool of myself, but I was so mad I lost control of myself. I mean....pure rage. I have felt so guilty for saying things to my family that I will just leave the room till they are done eating or playing on the computer but that really cuts into my quality time. Some of you may be reading this and thinking "what a ding-bat" but I promise this is real!!! If you are around me and start making those noises, you will see an immediate characteristic change. I probably won't say anything to you because I don't want to be rude...but know, I'm picturing myself punching you in the face.
I'm still reading and doing a lot of research about it, but as far as I've seen, there isn't any treatment. Maybe someday, when I have money, I'll seek professional help (that's really funny to say). So in the mean time I'll invest in some really good ear plugs and just deal with it like I have been for 23 years. I am SO relieved that there is actually a name and there are others (very few) out there in the world who suffer from the same thing.
Special note: I haven't been diagnosed by a professional, I have definitely self-diagnosed. But there is NO DOUBT in my mind that this is what I suffer from...and I'm sure Scotty and my college roommates would agree.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Misophonia
I know wiki isn't the most reliable source but it provides a good summary. It started when I was pretty young. I simply got super annoyed at my mom chewing/popping her gum. I constantly was nagging her about it and eventually she just wouldn't chew in front of me. As I've gotten older it has gotten worse. It's not just gum chewing, it's ANY noise made with your mouth, the "clicking" of a mouse, keyboard typing, clanking spoons/forks on plates and bowls, ceiling fans, etc. Those are the ones that really enrage me. But there's a lot more. This will help all my old college roommates. LOL (mainly Megan) The thing of it is, it's not just an annoyance, it's rage. I've never acted out in rage, but I've come close. I raised my voice at my dad once. TOTALLY made a fool of myself, but I was so mad I lost control of myself. I mean....pure rage. I have felt so guilty for saying things to my family that I will just leave the room till they are done eating or playing on the computer but that really cuts into my quality time. Some of you may be reading this and thinking "what a ding-bat" but I promise this is real!!! If you are around me and start making those noises, you will see an immediate characteristic change. I probably won't say anything to you because I don't want to be rude...but know, I'm picturing myself punching you in the face.
I'm still reading and doing a lot of research about it, but as far as I've seen, there isn't any treatment. Maybe someday, when I have money, I'll seek professional help (that's really funny to say). So in the mean time I'll invest in some really good ear plugs and just deal with it like I have been for 23 years. I am SO relieved that there is actually a name and there are others (very few) out there in the world who suffer from the same thing.
Special note: I haven't been diagnosed by a professional, I have definitely self-diagnosed. But there is NO DOUBT in my mind that this is what I suffer from...and I'm sure Scotty and my college roommates would agree.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
You Can't Buy Trust
Well...what can I say? We're boring. ...really boring...
I'm not sure what happened with the month of August. It came and went before I had a chance to realize it. I had 2 weeks off at some point, but filled it with babysitting. Scotty has been working his patooty off at Arvest and has been working with the teens. And that's our life.
Some drama happened 2 days ago with my brother, though. Not a lot of drama happens in the Treadway house so when the you-know-what hits the fan it makes for an interesting day. Justin has been looking into buying a house. He has been pre-approved and has already been out looking. The whole family--even Justin's girlfriend, Katie--HOLLA! was at my parents for lunch. Justin got on his online bank account to check things out. He's been at camp for the past 3 months and hasn't had the chance to look. Well, he started noticing some strange charges to his account. That's always scary. He did a little investigating and realized it was his roommate that made some charges. See, Justin lives with 3 other guys. He's known these guys for a long time and they're all friends. And they are all in charge of rent and certain utilities. One is in charge of gas the other electric, etc. Well, these charges were for utilities that Justin wasn't suppose to pay for. So clearly, one of his roomies did a no no. Justin immediately calls the roommate to confront him about it, no answer. While he was doing that Katie looked a little further and saw that this roommate had stolen a book of checks and wrote some checks to himself, forging Justin's name. You could see Justin's heart sink. This was his friend. And this friend committed a felony. ..Kind of a big deal... The roommate took about $1000 of Justin's money. And this happened while Justin was out at camp. Well, as you can imagine, Justin wanted to move out ASAP. So my parents, myself, and Katie (Scotty had to be with the teens) drove to his house and packed him up in about 2 hours. Eventually the roommate called back and they set up a meeting. Justin, being Justin just wanted the money back and then forget the whole thing. He has such a soft, kind heart he didn't want to do what he knew he HAD to do. Which was press charges. Monday, Justin ran around town talking to the bank, the utility company, the police, etc. and had the gut wrenching meeting with the roommate. Justin said his roommate was emotional and really felt guilty for betraying him. Rightfully so. Justin made him sign a contract saying how much was owed and when it needed to be paid back. Justin also explained that he had to press charges. That's an awkward and uncomfortable conversation to have. Well, as the day progressed Justin got a call from his roommate wanting to meet again. When they did meet, this roommate paid Justin back in full. He put his car down for collateral and sold all of his guitar gear (he's in a band). Justin is so relieved that he got his money but, honestly, there's not enough money in the world that can fix broken trust. The bank said since all the money was returned there wasn't a need to press charges. That's good, but at the same time, who's to say this roommate isn't going to do it to someone else or a place of business? I don't know that I'd be so forgiving. But in the mean time Justin is living with our parents till he finds a house.
And on a happier note....well, I'm going to brag a little bit. Me and Scotty are ALL about saving money (because we have none) and we made some super awesome purchases yesterday!! I say "purchases" but we really didn't spend any money at all. Academy sports just opened up in town and they had a $10 off coupon in the paper for shoes and another one for apparel. We checked it out last night and I found some cute Capri pants, which were only $5 with the coupon and Scotty found a pack of underwear FOR FREE! They were only $9 dollars to begin with and when you throw a $10 off coupon in...FREE! And then for dinner we ate some FREE pizza thanks to 101.1 KLRC. Scotty won a contest on the radio and they gave us a coupon for a free pizza. So we saved over $30 yesterday! That's what I call a good day!! Oh...and by the way....I did the math and come January of next year we will be half way done with our loans! Praise the Lord because I don't know how much sanity I have left!
I'm not sure what happened with the month of August. It came and went before I had a chance to realize it. I had 2 weeks off at some point, but filled it with babysitting. Scotty has been working his patooty off at Arvest and has been working with the teens. And that's our life.
Some drama happened 2 days ago with my brother, though. Not a lot of drama happens in the Treadway house so when the you-know-what hits the fan it makes for an interesting day. Justin has been looking into buying a house. He has been pre-approved and has already been out looking. The whole family--even Justin's girlfriend, Katie--HOLLA! was at my parents for lunch. Justin got on his online bank account to check things out. He's been at camp for the past 3 months and hasn't had the chance to look. Well, he started noticing some strange charges to his account. That's always scary. He did a little investigating and realized it was his roommate that made some charges. See, Justin lives with 3 other guys. He's known these guys for a long time and they're all friends. And they are all in charge of rent and certain utilities. One is in charge of gas the other electric, etc. Well, these charges were for utilities that Justin wasn't suppose to pay for. So clearly, one of his roomies did a no no. Justin immediately calls the roommate to confront him about it, no answer. While he was doing that Katie looked a little further and saw that this roommate had stolen a book of checks and wrote some checks to himself, forging Justin's name. You could see Justin's heart sink. This was his friend. And this friend committed a felony. ..Kind of a big deal... The roommate took about $1000 of Justin's money. And this happened while Justin was out at camp. Well, as you can imagine, Justin wanted to move out ASAP. So my parents, myself, and Katie (Scotty had to be with the teens) drove to his house and packed him up in about 2 hours. Eventually the roommate called back and they set up a meeting. Justin, being Justin just wanted the money back and then forget the whole thing. He has such a soft, kind heart he didn't want to do what he knew he HAD to do. Which was press charges. Monday, Justin ran around town talking to the bank, the utility company, the police, etc. and had the gut wrenching meeting with the roommate. Justin said his roommate was emotional and really felt guilty for betraying him. Rightfully so. Justin made him sign a contract saying how much was owed and when it needed to be paid back. Justin also explained that he had to press charges. That's an awkward and uncomfortable conversation to have. Well, as the day progressed Justin got a call from his roommate wanting to meet again. When they did meet, this roommate paid Justin back in full. He put his car down for collateral and sold all of his guitar gear (he's in a band). Justin is so relieved that he got his money but, honestly, there's not enough money in the world that can fix broken trust. The bank said since all the money was returned there wasn't a need to press charges. That's good, but at the same time, who's to say this roommate isn't going to do it to someone else or a place of business? I don't know that I'd be so forgiving. But in the mean time Justin is living with our parents till he finds a house.
And on a happier note....well, I'm going to brag a little bit. Me and Scotty are ALL about saving money (because we have none) and we made some super awesome purchases yesterday!! I say "purchases" but we really didn't spend any money at all. Academy sports just opened up in town and they had a $10 off coupon in the paper for shoes and another one for apparel. We checked it out last night and I found some cute Capri pants, which were only $5 with the coupon and Scotty found a pack of underwear FOR FREE! They were only $9 dollars to begin with and when you throw a $10 off coupon in...FREE! And then for dinner we ate some FREE pizza thanks to 101.1 KLRC. Scotty won a contest on the radio and they gave us a coupon for a free pizza. So we saved over $30 yesterday! That's what I call a good day!! Oh...and by the way....I did the math and come January of next year we will be half way done with our loans! Praise the Lord because I don't know how much sanity I have left!
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Sitting on Dogs
Where the heck has the summer gone? It'll be August in a couple of hours and I have yet to sit and relax!! The summer has been great so far. We started dog sitting in early June and haven't really stopped till now. We have only been home a week and a half for the whole summer. It's been AWESOME!!! We've made several trips with the teens from church...that's always fun. They definitely keep us on our toes. We counseled at camp for a week. GVBC never let's us down. And finally, our good friend from college came to visit us this weekend. We took her to Eureka Springs and had her chaperone a teen event today to Lambert's. I'm still digesting that food. When you stay this busy time really flies. It's nice, but not at the same time.
Since all of our dog sitting days are over (for the time being) we are going to be heading back to the place we have to call home. It'll be nice to sleep in our own bed, for sure, but we're going to lose a lot of the serenity...and maybe sanity. *sigh*
My brother turned 25 this year...crazy. And I just found out he's got a lady friend. A very cute one at that. Don't tell him, but I'm already planning a wedding in my head. :) My mom won't admit it, but I know she is too.
I have a vacation for 2 weeks till school starts but I'll still be sitting on kids to earn an extra buck. I'm currently also trying to get a part-time job in the elementary schools. So be praying about that.
Me and Scotty are exhausted from doing so much so hopefully the month of August will be slower. Who knows.
Since all of our dog sitting days are over (for the time being) we are going to be heading back to the place we have to call home. It'll be nice to sleep in our own bed, for sure, but we're going to lose a lot of the serenity...and maybe sanity. *sigh*
My brother turned 25 this year...crazy. And I just found out he's got a lady friend. A very cute one at that. Don't tell him, but I'm already planning a wedding in my head. :) My mom won't admit it, but I know she is too.
I have a vacation for 2 weeks till school starts but I'll still be sitting on kids to earn an extra buck. I'm currently also trying to get a part-time job in the elementary schools. So be praying about that.
Me and Scotty are exhausted from doing so much so hopefully the month of August will be slower. Who knows.
Friday, June 18, 2010
6 down 14 to go!
I heard that it's okay to sit on your pity potty every now and then, just be sure to flush when you're done. So I'm flushing that last post and posting a MUCH happier one. :) Things have been really busy lately! I don't know how that happened. I thought I'd have time to sit out by the pool and catch some rays (with my SPF 50 sunscreen, of course) and have plenty of time to clean but no. Not at all. Since June began I've only seen that house twice. CRAZY! But good.
We've been busy spending time with the teenagers at Flagstone, dog sitting, baby sitting, and our usual daily jobs. It's been a lot of fun! But that's not the best part. Three amazing things happened this month. First, we got another car! Second, we celebrated 2 years of marriage!! Third, my loans are PAID IN FULL!!!
Before I get into that I want to tell you about our sweet car. :) It's a 1999 Crown Victoria. That's right, don't be too jealous. It was owned by my grandparents. If you haven't driven one, they're a smooth ride but also very large. My grandfather is the one who usually drove, but since his passing last year my grandma drives it. Well, my uncles didn't want my sweet little grandmother driving it around so they bought her a smaller car. But she wouldn't drive it because she was used to the crown vic. So they decided to sell it. Just so happens that my father was visiting her when this conversation happened and he told them me and Scotty could use it! So we bought it from her! I don't know about Scotty, but I feel a little more free. It's a serious puzzle when you have so many things going on and only one car. One of us was bound to get stranded somewhere. Thank you to anyone who gave us a ride somewhere! We appreciate it!
In case you're wondering, Scotty is driving it around. He even bought some aviators to complete the look. People have to look twice to make sure he's not a cop. Lol.
Now, onto the other exciting part of the month....I AM DEBT FREE!!!!! We paid the last payment early this week. It feels so good! Scotty told me I need to pick what I want to do to celebrate...but I haven't a clue. I just want to keep paying hard on his! Then we can really celebrate!! I remember last summer we were making 5 different payments and now we are down to one! Of course, that one payment takes care of 14 different loans...but I don't even care...as long as it's one payment, I can deal. Thank you to everyone who has kept us in your prayers. Those prayers are definitely being answered. Me and Scotty are overwhelmed with your encouragement and love!! We truly feel blessed!
Needless to say, June has been a great month!
We've been busy spending time with the teenagers at Flagstone, dog sitting, baby sitting, and our usual daily jobs. It's been a lot of fun! But that's not the best part. Three amazing things happened this month. First, we got another car! Second, we celebrated 2 years of marriage!! Third, my loans are PAID IN FULL!!!
Before I get into that I want to tell you about our sweet car. :) It's a 1999 Crown Victoria. That's right, don't be too jealous. It was owned by my grandparents. If you haven't driven one, they're a smooth ride but also very large. My grandfather is the one who usually drove, but since his passing last year my grandma drives it. Well, my uncles didn't want my sweet little grandmother driving it around so they bought her a smaller car. But she wouldn't drive it because she was used to the crown vic. So they decided to sell it. Just so happens that my father was visiting her when this conversation happened and he told them me and Scotty could use it! So we bought it from her! I don't know about Scotty, but I feel a little more free. It's a serious puzzle when you have so many things going on and only one car. One of us was bound to get stranded somewhere. Thank you to anyone who gave us a ride somewhere! We appreciate it!
In case you're wondering, Scotty is driving it around. He even bought some aviators to complete the look. People have to look twice to make sure he's not a cop. Lol.
Now, onto the other exciting part of the month....I AM DEBT FREE!!!!! We paid the last payment early this week. It feels so good! Scotty told me I need to pick what I want to do to celebrate...but I haven't a clue. I just want to keep paying hard on his! Then we can really celebrate!! I remember last summer we were making 5 different payments and now we are down to one! Of course, that one payment takes care of 14 different loans...but I don't even care...as long as it's one payment, I can deal. Thank you to everyone who has kept us in your prayers. Those prayers are definitely being answered. Me and Scotty are overwhelmed with your encouragement and love!! We truly feel blessed!
Needless to say, June has been a great month!
Monday, May 10, 2010
Warning: Pure Frustration
If you don't want to hear me complain, then you DON'T want to read this. I have had just about all I can take...and we have 2 more years to go. I don't even know where to start...
My biggest issue I'm dealing with right now is our living situation. All me and Scotty want right now is our own place. We don't care if it's as small as a cardboard box, we just want something of our own. The number one response I get to that is "then, why don't you just move out?" Well, the reason we can't is because we pay 4 digits every month to get this over with as fast as we can. Scotty's minimum payment is already as big as a mortgage payment. Can you imagine trying to pay a mortgage payment ON TOP of another mortgage and bills AND trying to find something to put in savings? Some people can do it...but we can't. Financially, we can't. If we decided to just pay the minimum payment and move out we might not ever get these loans paid off, and I'm not willing to be in that kind of debt the rest of my life. His entire paycheck goes to these loans and mine goes to bills/savings. There is no extra spending money. If you see us at a restaraunt or out shopping it's because we have a gift card of some kind. It's never our own money. And we work more than just our daily jobs to earn an extra buck.
Now, when I say we don't like our living situation it's not because it's not our own...it's what goes on here that we don't like. I feel bad for Scotty because there are days when I feel like all I can do is complain to get things off my chest. I, sadly, am one of those people who fester on problems. I poke at it and poke at it until there's nothing left to poke. Thank goodness I married a patient man. Scotty is used to the way this house is ran because he grew up with it. He doesn't like it as much as me, but he's used to it. I, however, am not used to it and I don't want to get used to it. I try to hold my tongue most of the time but there are moments when I can't. I don't think I'm ever mean about what I say but I am very honest.
What I really need is a change in attitude. Scotty is such an amazing example when it comes to attitude. Things that would eat me from the inside-out would just roll right off Scotty's back. I wish I could do that. It's going to have to be a process. A long, long process. I guess I just need some serious prayers for my attitude and my sanity.
On a happier note, next month we will make our last payment for my loans. It's a relief. And there was serious divine intervention there. Maybe someday I'll tell you about it.
Keep me and Scotty in your prayers. We only have 966 days left to go (Lord willing). I'm sorry for giving you such a mean/depressing post. Everyone is allowed to have a moment.
My biggest issue I'm dealing with right now is our living situation. All me and Scotty want right now is our own place. We don't care if it's as small as a cardboard box, we just want something of our own. The number one response I get to that is "then, why don't you just move out?" Well, the reason we can't is because we pay 4 digits every month to get this over with as fast as we can. Scotty's minimum payment is already as big as a mortgage payment. Can you imagine trying to pay a mortgage payment ON TOP of another mortgage and bills AND trying to find something to put in savings? Some people can do it...but we can't. Financially, we can't. If we decided to just pay the minimum payment and move out we might not ever get these loans paid off, and I'm not willing to be in that kind of debt the rest of my life. His entire paycheck goes to these loans and mine goes to bills/savings. There is no extra spending money. If you see us at a restaraunt or out shopping it's because we have a gift card of some kind. It's never our own money. And we work more than just our daily jobs to earn an extra buck.
Now, when I say we don't like our living situation it's not because it's not our own...it's what goes on here that we don't like. I feel bad for Scotty because there are days when I feel like all I can do is complain to get things off my chest. I, sadly, am one of those people who fester on problems. I poke at it and poke at it until there's nothing left to poke. Thank goodness I married a patient man. Scotty is used to the way this house is ran because he grew up with it. He doesn't like it as much as me, but he's used to it. I, however, am not used to it and I don't want to get used to it. I try to hold my tongue most of the time but there are moments when I can't. I don't think I'm ever mean about what I say but I am very honest.
What I really need is a change in attitude. Scotty is such an amazing example when it comes to attitude. Things that would eat me from the inside-out would just roll right off Scotty's back. I wish I could do that. It's going to have to be a process. A long, long process. I guess I just need some serious prayers for my attitude and my sanity.
On a happier note, next month we will make our last payment for my loans. It's a relief. And there was serious divine intervention there. Maybe someday I'll tell you about it.
Keep me and Scotty in your prayers. We only have 966 days left to go (Lord willing). I'm sorry for giving you such a mean/depressing post. Everyone is allowed to have a moment.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Marathon...and other things.
Scotty, his former professor, Jody Jones, and Jody's son walked the half marathon Sunday. I am SO proud of them!! 13 miles!! That's a lot! Lisa (Jody's wife), their daughter and myself were their cheerleaders. It was a lot of fun and incredibly inspiring. My favorite part was getting to cheer my husband on as he went across the finish line. It was awesome! I am so proud!
Speaking of my husband...we had quite an adventure last night! Not one I would like to experience again. Scotty loves softball. Any chance he gets he'll play. Last night he had a game with his coworkers. Last week there was an incident where one of our players got creamed in the face with a softball. He was slightly conucssed and his eye swelled shut but he was back in the game last night. This week, it was Scotty's turn to get hurt. I didn't appreciate it. He was the first to bat. He hit a grounder out to the left field, ran to 1st and headed his way to 2nd. He slightly passed 2nd so he dove back to tag the base before the guy tagged him. Well, I guess the guy tagged him because the ump called him out but the guy also stepped on his hand. Scotty stood up to walk off, but he paused and grabbed his hand. Sometimes he does that just to be silly but it was different this time. My thought process was "is he joking?.....yeah....no...no he's not!" So I ran over to the dugout where I met him but he wasn't showing me his hand! I'm thinking something is broken. He had his back to me and showed a coworker...his coworkers face was priceless. "Uh..Scotty, I don't think your finger should bend that way." So I said WE'RE GOING TO THE ER NOW! He still wouldn't show me. Scotty was pretty calm, a little shaken because he's never seen his finger bend that way, but he was calm. As we were walking to the car a caught a glimpse of his hand and yes, his pinky finger was bent the wrong way. I picked up the pace and drove him to the ER. He was being his usual self the whole way there. I, of course, was in a panic. I knew it was just dislocated and that's an easy fix. But I didn't want MY husbands hand to look like that. I never want to see my family in any kind of discomfort or pain. He really only experienced pain when it immidiately happened which is what keeps flashing in my mind like a nightmare. At the ER he was just shootin' the breeze with all the nurses and doctors. Instead of asking him if he was okay they were asking me! So when they went to set it I stepped out of the room because I didn't want to see him in pain! But they numbed it so he didn't feel a thing. Praise the Lord! Today it's pretty swollen and he said it's sore. He asked the doctor if he could have just set it himself, and yes, he could, but something could have been broken. Thankfully, nothing was! I've decided that when we have kids, they are going to live in a bubble. It was just a dislocated finger, but I was a hot mess. Someone called me a sissy for not looking at and that irritated me. I've seen worse...but this was my husband. It's different. He was a good trooper and the x-ray tech gave him a spongebob sticker. Precious.
On another note, this Sunday is our family and friends day at Flagstone! If you're in NWA we'd love to have you there!! flagstonecoc.org
Speaking of my husband...we had quite an adventure last night! Not one I would like to experience again. Scotty loves softball. Any chance he gets he'll play. Last night he had a game with his coworkers. Last week there was an incident where one of our players got creamed in the face with a softball. He was slightly conucssed and his eye swelled shut but he was back in the game last night. This week, it was Scotty's turn to get hurt. I didn't appreciate it. He was the first to bat. He hit a grounder out to the left field, ran to 1st and headed his way to 2nd. He slightly passed 2nd so he dove back to tag the base before the guy tagged him. Well, I guess the guy tagged him because the ump called him out but the guy also stepped on his hand. Scotty stood up to walk off, but he paused and grabbed his hand. Sometimes he does that just to be silly but it was different this time. My thought process was "is he joking?.....yeah....no...no he's not!" So I ran over to the dugout where I met him but he wasn't showing me his hand! I'm thinking something is broken. He had his back to me and showed a coworker...his coworkers face was priceless. "Uh..Scotty, I don't think your finger should bend that way." So I said WE'RE GOING TO THE ER NOW! He still wouldn't show me. Scotty was pretty calm, a little shaken because he's never seen his finger bend that way, but he was calm. As we were walking to the car a caught a glimpse of his hand and yes, his pinky finger was bent the wrong way. I picked up the pace and drove him to the ER. He was being his usual self the whole way there. I, of course, was in a panic. I knew it was just dislocated and that's an easy fix. But I didn't want MY husbands hand to look like that. I never want to see my family in any kind of discomfort or pain. He really only experienced pain when it immidiately happened which is what keeps flashing in my mind like a nightmare. At the ER he was just shootin' the breeze with all the nurses and doctors. Instead of asking him if he was okay they were asking me! So when they went to set it I stepped out of the room because I didn't want to see him in pain! But they numbed it so he didn't feel a thing. Praise the Lord! Today it's pretty swollen and he said it's sore. He asked the doctor if he could have just set it himself, and yes, he could, but something could have been broken. Thankfully, nothing was! I've decided that when we have kids, they are going to live in a bubble. It was just a dislocated finger, but I was a hot mess. Someone called me a sissy for not looking at and that irritated me. I've seen worse...but this was my husband. It's different. He was a good trooper and the x-ray tech gave him a spongebob sticker. Precious.
On another note, this Sunday is our family and friends day at Flagstone! If you're in NWA we'd love to have you there!! flagstonecoc.org
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
It is time....
Hey there, Scotty here...I haven't posted in a long while.
This Sunday morning...EARLY morning...I will embark on my first ever 1/2 marathon. Above is a map of the route that I will running/walking/crawling/be dragged this Sunday. Pray for me...it will be a long 13.1 miles.
This Sunday morning...EARLY morning...I will embark on my first ever 1/2 marathon. Above is a map of the route that I will running/walking/crawling/be dragged this Sunday. Pray for me...it will be a long 13.1 miles.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Duck Season or Rabbit Season..
I'm not sure if it's duck or rabbit season right now but I do know it's allergy season! And it hit with a vengeance this year!! I think I skipped all the usual symptoms and just went straight to a sinus infection. Awesome... Thankfully, I'm recovering after a week of feeling ill. From what I understand because we had that snow in late March it caused some things to bloom later than usual, so now everything is blooming all at once. I don't know if anyone has noticed their cars having a yellow tint to them...but that's pollen. Ick. I've never seen it so bad before.
We're trying to clean our deck off and seal so we can enjoy it this summer but we can't be outside for too long without sneezing our brains out. So needless to say, it's a slow process. But it's looking good. I'll post before and after pictures.
I think the worst part about having allergies besides the constant sniffling, sneezing, itchy, watery eyes, and pressure that makes your head want to explode is the fact that I'm stuck inside!! Since the weather has been so beautiful all I want to do is be outside! Or if I'm inside I want to open the windows...but that can't happen. I have tried just about every at home remedy you can. I know I'm exaggerating a bit, but I have still tried a lot. I did the Nettie pot for a while but that never worked for me. My sinus cavities are so swollen that the water won't go through. My grandmother told me to snort salt water instead. It cleans out your sinuses but won't reduce swelling. I did that for a while and it really does help! I have also tried drinking apple cider vinegar mixed with water. That surprisingly helps too...but it's not something I could do everyday. I want to gag with every sip I take. I have gone to bed with a warm wash cloth...I drink hot things throughout the day...I let hot water hit my face in the shower...I've used nose sprays...I take Zyrtec everyday...I inhale steam...I eat spicy foods...etc. etc. etc. There's some I forgot, I'm sure. As you can see I've tried a lot. Some work great, some work okay. I think I just want a cure, and as far as I know, there's not one. Hopefully once everything is done blooming it'll get a little better. If you are a fellow sufferer of allergies, I'm sorry. You're not alone!
We're trying to clean our deck off and seal so we can enjoy it this summer but we can't be outside for too long without sneezing our brains out. So needless to say, it's a slow process. But it's looking good. I'll post before and after pictures.
I think the worst part about having allergies besides the constant sniffling, sneezing, itchy, watery eyes, and pressure that makes your head want to explode is the fact that I'm stuck inside!! Since the weather has been so beautiful all I want to do is be outside! Or if I'm inside I want to open the windows...but that can't happen. I have tried just about every at home remedy you can. I know I'm exaggerating a bit, but I have still tried a lot. I did the Nettie pot for a while but that never worked for me. My sinus cavities are so swollen that the water won't go through. My grandmother told me to snort salt water instead. It cleans out your sinuses but won't reduce swelling. I did that for a while and it really does help! I have also tried drinking apple cider vinegar mixed with water. That surprisingly helps too...but it's not something I could do everyday. I want to gag with every sip I take. I have gone to bed with a warm wash cloth...I drink hot things throughout the day...I let hot water hit my face in the shower...I've used nose sprays...I take Zyrtec everyday...I inhale steam...I eat spicy foods...etc. etc. etc. There's some I forgot, I'm sure. As you can see I've tried a lot. Some work great, some work okay. I think I just want a cure, and as far as I know, there's not one. Hopefully once everything is done blooming it'll get a little better. If you are a fellow sufferer of allergies, I'm sorry. You're not alone!
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Express 101
I've been getting some questions about the mouse situation so I figured I should give an update! Since our last blog last month we haven't had any more mice. We still have 3 snap traps set up just in case though. I keep telling Scotty we need to take them down because one day I will forget they're there and step on one. But I just have a feeling that as soon as we put them away another stinky mouse will show up. But, no, we haven't had any more mice!
I have even better news than that though! Early this month me and Scotty paid off 3 more loans!! AHHHH!!! It's getting very exciting. We still have 15 more to go, though. But whenever we pay off a loan (big or small) we like to celebrate! It helps to keep us motivated. Since we paid off 3 at once we decided to celebrate a little bigger than usual. Typically we just go out to eat where ever we have a coupon...which is usually Red Robin (YUM...). We had planned on going to the movies because we hardly ever go. We are both huge Disney fans and Alice in Wonderland just so happened to come out this month so that's the movie we chose. Part of the reason we chose to go to a movie is because we had movie passes. We're cheap...not poor. So any ways... We went to see Alice in Wonderland and it was awesome. That Johnny Depp never disappoints! After the movie we had some lunch and walked around the Promenade. It was really nice. Then that evening we went out with our super good friends Sarah and Mikey. When we go out with them we always go to Taco Bell then Chuckey Cheese. I guess we were feeling a little crazy because after Taco Bell we ended up going to Target instead. Sarah had informed me of some awesome sales going on so I wanted to check it out. Scotty and Mikey ran off to do their guy thing and me and Sarah shopped till we dropped! It was so much fun! My favorite purchase was pair of shoes. I am a shoe fanatic! I used to buy them all the time and Scotty picks on me for having so many. BUT I haven't bought any for over a year now...that's a record. I made a deal with Scotty that if I buy a pair I will get rid of a pair. But what made this pair so awesome is that they were slightly damaged. And when I say "slightly" I mean it. They were just my size and cheap but Sarah told me to ask someone if I can get a discount because they are damaged. So I did...and I got them dirt cheap!! It was awesome. But there was one more exciting purchase that Scotty made and that's the GT Express 101! If you don't know what it is, look it up. It's amazing. It was marked down also because there is a newer version out. You just HAVE to look it up. We made our first meal on it, and it is EXACTLY like the info-mercial. Amazing!
So that was our big day of celebration! We have set out a time-line to see when we will be done and it looks like we'll be done in April of 2013! And that's with paying a TON extra each month. However, we have an expert goal of December 2012. And just a side note, but we are 7-8 months AHEAD of schedule! If we were to pay the minimum amount we wouldn't be done till 2025. LOL! That's a joke. So we're still slaves to Sallie Mae, but not too much longer. Thank you, to everyone for being supportive and understanding. It really makes a difference to us and keeps us going!
I have even better news than that though! Early this month me and Scotty paid off 3 more loans!! AHHHH!!! It's getting very exciting. We still have 15 more to go, though. But whenever we pay off a loan (big or small) we like to celebrate! It helps to keep us motivated. Since we paid off 3 at once we decided to celebrate a little bigger than usual. Typically we just go out to eat where ever we have a coupon...which is usually Red Robin (YUM...). We had planned on going to the movies because we hardly ever go. We are both huge Disney fans and Alice in Wonderland just so happened to come out this month so that's the movie we chose. Part of the reason we chose to go to a movie is because we had movie passes. We're cheap...not poor. So any ways... We went to see Alice in Wonderland and it was awesome. That Johnny Depp never disappoints! After the movie we had some lunch and walked around the Promenade. It was really nice. Then that evening we went out with our super good friends Sarah and Mikey. When we go out with them we always go to Taco Bell then Chuckey Cheese. I guess we were feeling a little crazy because after Taco Bell we ended up going to Target instead. Sarah had informed me of some awesome sales going on so I wanted to check it out. Scotty and Mikey ran off to do their guy thing and me and Sarah shopped till we dropped! It was so much fun! My favorite purchase was pair of shoes. I am a shoe fanatic! I used to buy them all the time and Scotty picks on me for having so many. BUT I haven't bought any for over a year now...that's a record. I made a deal with Scotty that if I buy a pair I will get rid of a pair. But what made this pair so awesome is that they were slightly damaged. And when I say "slightly" I mean it. They were just my size and cheap but Sarah told me to ask someone if I can get a discount because they are damaged. So I did...and I got them dirt cheap!! It was awesome. But there was one more exciting purchase that Scotty made and that's the GT Express 101! If you don't know what it is, look it up. It's amazing. It was marked down also because there is a newer version out. You just HAVE to look it up. We made our first meal on it, and it is EXACTLY like the info-mercial. Amazing!
So that was our big day of celebration! We have set out a time-line to see when we will be done and it looks like we'll be done in April of 2013! And that's with paying a TON extra each month. However, we have an expert goal of December 2012. And just a side note, but we are 7-8 months AHEAD of schedule! If we were to pay the minimum amount we wouldn't be done till 2025. LOL! That's a joke. So we're still slaves to Sallie Mae, but not too much longer. Thank you, to everyone for being supportive and understanding. It really makes a difference to us and keeps us going!
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Hickory Dickory Dock....
For those of you who are friends with me or Scotty on facebook you may know that we are currently dealing with a little mouse problem. This is a common problem in this house because we're out in the country. Just about every winter we have mice. However, most of those mice hang out on the 1st floor in the kitchen. For some reason the mice found their way upstairs.
We first noticed the mice when Scotty was home on a sick day. He was laying on the floor when he saw something out of the corner of eye. At first he thought it was just a bug, but he knew it was a little too big. So he watched the floor closely to try and see it again. And in the blink of an eye the little creature zoomed past him on the floor and then he knew.....it was a mouse. If you are on facebook you probably saw Scotty's facebook status that said "I don't like mice." Scotty hates mice. I don't blame him. Since Scotty was on the floor he didn't want to be down there with a mouse. So he decided to sit on the couch and not touch the floor at all. The next thing he knows, he is playing games on his computer when he looked over and there was the mouse...ON THE COUCH....watching him play games. As you can imagine, that is terrifying. So Scotty ran downstairs and didn't come back up till I got home.
Because there are mice just about every year Scotty's parents have a ton of traps. We only set one and put it on the floor where we saw him run before. We put a little peanut butter on it because apparently mice love peanut butter. We went to bed that night hoping that when we woke up there would be a dead mouse. As soon as I got up I checked the trap and there was no mouse....but he did eat the peanut butter. That jerk.... So then I realized this isn't his first rodeo. So we had to get smarter. The next day we reset the trap and left for the day hoping that when we come back it'll be dead. And it worked!
After that, we figured our mouse worries were over...but I thought wrong. I did a little research on the web to get more info on mice. I found out that mice are nocturnal, they can hardly see, and they can squeeze through spaces smaller than the diameter of a dime. That is small. Worst of all, I discovered that if you have one mouse you have SEVERAL!! Seriously? That's just great. We reset the trap just in case we had more and for a couple of days we seemed mouse free. Until one night when I was upstairs relaxing I saw another one. The trap was still set and the mouse ran right over to it! I watched him at first but when he started to eat the peanut butter I quit watching because I didn't want to see him get caught. I held my breath, closed my eyes and waited for the trap to go off. And I waited...and waited....then I finally looked and the mouse was sitting ON TOP of the trap just casually eating the peanut butter. I ran down stairs to get Scotty and tell him what I saw. He set more traps hoping that at least one would get him. He went back downstairs b/c he didn't want to see it happen so I stayed upstairs to make sure he would be dead. But no....he just kept eating all the peanut butter, like it was some kind of buffet! That jerk. Me and Scotty finally came to the conclusion that the traps were just too old and not sensitive enough. The next day Scotty bought new traps. They were more updated and A LOT more sensitive. Scotty's dad also bought us some sticky traps. For those who don't know a sticky trap is pretty much a piece of cardboard with extremely sticky glue on it. It's to catch mice or insects. I read on the internet that they are very effective and more humane than the traditional traps. Well, I could care less about being humane. Mice carry bacteria and diseases and they will eat just about anything and I wanted it OUT OF MY HOUSE! So we set 4 new traps and the sticky trap. The next day I was home alone, getting ready to go to work. I was putting on my make-up when I saw the mouse in the bathroom. He ran behind Scotty's dresser. I saw his little head peak around the corner to make sure all was clear but I moved and scared him. So then he peaked his head around the other corner, I moved and scared him. I played this game with him for a good 10 minutes. I couldn't get away long enough to grab something to get him. He finally braved up and just ran for it and that's when I found out how they were getting in. The mouse ran under Scotty's sink. The hole is very small, but he fit through. When Scotty got home we did further investigating and found lots of mouse poop under the drawers in the vanity.
What we have assumed has happened is that these mice made a home in the attic. The attic is attached to the upstairs. When we were getting christmas decor we put floor down and completely reorganized, probably interfering with their homes. So, of course, they wanted to make a home in our bathroom. We strategically put the traps where we knew they would go. We went downstairs to wait. An hour later we GOT HIM!! We were so excited. I came upstairs to check out the damage and I saw ANOTHER mouse. For Pete's sake!!! I'm not running a mouse farm here... The mouse ran behind Scotty's dresser again and the game started over. But this time I wasn't home alone so Scotty got in on the fun. We put a trap at either end of the dresser. He was really trapped. After a minute or two the mouse got tired of this so he made a run for it. He took a large leap of faith and WHAM!! The trap went off. I screamed and ran, Scotty ran after me. Scotty yelled "WE GOT HIM, WE GOT HIM!!....wait....I didn't see if it really got him.." So I run back upstairs and the trap was somewhat under our laundry basket. I pick up the basket and the trap started moving!!! I screamed again and ran for it. The trap got his back leg and the mouse was trying to get away. Me and Scotty are wimps so we made Scotty's dad come empty it. The mouse was still alive so Darrell took him out back and killed him. What a brave man.
So we were hoping that was it. No more mice...please! We put all the traps back up though just in case. We are about to go to bed, laughing, still about what just happened and we hear SNAP! Oh my goodness....yes....we just got another mouse. I go back to the bathroom to check it out and it got the mouse right across the body. His legs couldn't move but the rest of his body was still eating the peanut butter like nothing happened. Darrell had already gone to bed so we couldn't get him. Scotty got a box, scooped him up and threw him outside so the cats will eat it.
Unbelievable. 3 mice. Gross. Finally, we hop in bed. We both had a feeling like this just isn't over yet. Scotty had fallen asleep and I was almost asleep when I heard some shuffling around across the room. I sit up to see what's going on and then I hear "squeak squeak." GROSS!!! Another mouse got caught but this time in the sticky trap. It took me forever to go to sleep because of that. Humane my foot. That mouse suffered a lot more than the others who died quickly. EWE!!
Our traps are still set but it's been a good, solid week and no mice. Well, actually we saw a mouse but it ran downstairs. We saw it trying to get back up but it couldn't. We closed off all the holes we found in the bathroom with steal wool. Mice hate steal wool. That's why that mouse ran downstairs....we locked him out of his house. :) We are mouse killing machines and we don't feel bad about it.
We first noticed the mice when Scotty was home on a sick day. He was laying on the floor when he saw something out of the corner of eye. At first he thought it was just a bug, but he knew it was a little too big. So he watched the floor closely to try and see it again. And in the blink of an eye the little creature zoomed past him on the floor and then he knew.....it was a mouse. If you are on facebook you probably saw Scotty's facebook status that said "I don't like mice." Scotty hates mice. I don't blame him. Since Scotty was on the floor he didn't want to be down there with a mouse. So he decided to sit on the couch and not touch the floor at all. The next thing he knows, he is playing games on his computer when he looked over and there was the mouse...ON THE COUCH....watching him play games. As you can imagine, that is terrifying. So Scotty ran downstairs and didn't come back up till I got home.
Because there are mice just about every year Scotty's parents have a ton of traps. We only set one and put it on the floor where we saw him run before. We put a little peanut butter on it because apparently mice love peanut butter. We went to bed that night hoping that when we woke up there would be a dead mouse. As soon as I got up I checked the trap and there was no mouse....but he did eat the peanut butter. That jerk.... So then I realized this isn't his first rodeo. So we had to get smarter. The next day we reset the trap and left for the day hoping that when we come back it'll be dead. And it worked!
After that, we figured our mouse worries were over...but I thought wrong. I did a little research on the web to get more info on mice. I found out that mice are nocturnal, they can hardly see, and they can squeeze through spaces smaller than the diameter of a dime. That is small. Worst of all, I discovered that if you have one mouse you have SEVERAL!! Seriously? That's just great. We reset the trap just in case we had more and for a couple of days we seemed mouse free. Until one night when I was upstairs relaxing I saw another one. The trap was still set and the mouse ran right over to it! I watched him at first but when he started to eat the peanut butter I quit watching because I didn't want to see him get caught. I held my breath, closed my eyes and waited for the trap to go off. And I waited...and waited....then I finally looked and the mouse was sitting ON TOP of the trap just casually eating the peanut butter. I ran down stairs to get Scotty and tell him what I saw. He set more traps hoping that at least one would get him. He went back downstairs b/c he didn't want to see it happen so I stayed upstairs to make sure he would be dead. But no....he just kept eating all the peanut butter, like it was some kind of buffet! That jerk. Me and Scotty finally came to the conclusion that the traps were just too old and not sensitive enough. The next day Scotty bought new traps. They were more updated and A LOT more sensitive. Scotty's dad also bought us some sticky traps. For those who don't know a sticky trap is pretty much a piece of cardboard with extremely sticky glue on it. It's to catch mice or insects. I read on the internet that they are very effective and more humane than the traditional traps. Well, I could care less about being humane. Mice carry bacteria and diseases and they will eat just about anything and I wanted it OUT OF MY HOUSE! So we set 4 new traps and the sticky trap. The next day I was home alone, getting ready to go to work. I was putting on my make-up when I saw the mouse in the bathroom. He ran behind Scotty's dresser. I saw his little head peak around the corner to make sure all was clear but I moved and scared him. So then he peaked his head around the other corner, I moved and scared him. I played this game with him for a good 10 minutes. I couldn't get away long enough to grab something to get him. He finally braved up and just ran for it and that's when I found out how they were getting in. The mouse ran under Scotty's sink. The hole is very small, but he fit through. When Scotty got home we did further investigating and found lots of mouse poop under the drawers in the vanity.
What we have assumed has happened is that these mice made a home in the attic. The attic is attached to the upstairs. When we were getting christmas decor we put floor down and completely reorganized, probably interfering with their homes. So, of course, they wanted to make a home in our bathroom. We strategically put the traps where we knew they would go. We went downstairs to wait. An hour later we GOT HIM!! We were so excited. I came upstairs to check out the damage and I saw ANOTHER mouse. For Pete's sake!!! I'm not running a mouse farm here... The mouse ran behind Scotty's dresser again and the game started over. But this time I wasn't home alone so Scotty got in on the fun. We put a trap at either end of the dresser. He was really trapped. After a minute or two the mouse got tired of this so he made a run for it. He took a large leap of faith and WHAM!! The trap went off. I screamed and ran, Scotty ran after me. Scotty yelled "WE GOT HIM, WE GOT HIM!!....wait....I didn't see if it really got him.." So I run back upstairs and the trap was somewhat under our laundry basket. I pick up the basket and the trap started moving!!! I screamed again and ran for it. The trap got his back leg and the mouse was trying to get away. Me and Scotty are wimps so we made Scotty's dad come empty it. The mouse was still alive so Darrell took him out back and killed him. What a brave man.
So we were hoping that was it. No more mice...please! We put all the traps back up though just in case. We are about to go to bed, laughing, still about what just happened and we hear SNAP! Oh my goodness....yes....we just got another mouse. I go back to the bathroom to check it out and it got the mouse right across the body. His legs couldn't move but the rest of his body was still eating the peanut butter like nothing happened. Darrell had already gone to bed so we couldn't get him. Scotty got a box, scooped him up and threw him outside so the cats will eat it.
Unbelievable. 3 mice. Gross. Finally, we hop in bed. We both had a feeling like this just isn't over yet. Scotty had fallen asleep and I was almost asleep when I heard some shuffling around across the room. I sit up to see what's going on and then I hear "squeak squeak." GROSS!!! Another mouse got caught but this time in the sticky trap. It took me forever to go to sleep because of that. Humane my foot. That mouse suffered a lot more than the others who died quickly. EWE!!
Our traps are still set but it's been a good, solid week and no mice. Well, actually we saw a mouse but it ran downstairs. We saw it trying to get back up but it couldn't. We closed off all the holes we found in the bathroom with steal wool. Mice hate steal wool. That's why that mouse ran downstairs....we locked him out of his house. :) We are mouse killing machines and we don't feel bad about it.
Monday, January 18, 2010
2 down 18 to go...
We did it!! We got another loan paid off!!! SOOOOO exciting!!! We still have a lot more to go, but we have 2 less to worry about. It feels really good. The day we paid it off we celebrated by going to Red Robin and eating a free burger and eating all their fries. YUM... I think we then went to my parents and played their wii! Which reminds me that one of my students last week told me the Wii is only for old people..."only old people like to play that..." Really kid? I made him take it back. :)
Another very exciting thing that is going on is the church plant! We had our 1st meeting w/ the future congregation yesterday. It was SO encouraging! We had LOTS of questions to ask b/c, as far as I know, it's still in the early stages. Most people were concerned a/b the money issue, the children's ministry, the youth group, the future name, location, etc. So I'm sending out a prayer request! We have a building in mind that is in a part of town that is growing a lot! There are hardly any churches out that way AND it's close to the airport so a lot of people from out of town (especially those wal-mart folks) will see us. We have such an opportunity to reach out to A LOT of people! I don't know details about this location but we were told that it is the best option for us. And I think it's in the negotiation stages. So pray hard that we are able to get it...and if we don't get it pray that we can find something else! Also pray for funds. Obviously, that's kind of a big deal. For now, all our questions were answered and we were reminded that God is able to do anything. I don't know a/b you, but sometimes I forget, so it was nice to be reminded. So if you could, pray hard that everything works out so we can save more souls!
Another very exciting thing that is going on is the church plant! We had our 1st meeting w/ the future congregation yesterday. It was SO encouraging! We had LOTS of questions to ask b/c, as far as I know, it's still in the early stages. Most people were concerned a/b the money issue, the children's ministry, the youth group, the future name, location, etc. So I'm sending out a prayer request! We have a building in mind that is in a part of town that is growing a lot! There are hardly any churches out that way AND it's close to the airport so a lot of people from out of town (especially those wal-mart folks) will see us. We have such an opportunity to reach out to A LOT of people! I don't know details about this location but we were told that it is the best option for us. And I think it's in the negotiation stages. So pray hard that we are able to get it...and if we don't get it pray that we can find something else! Also pray for funds. Obviously, that's kind of a big deal. For now, all our questions were answered and we were reminded that God is able to do anything. I don't know a/b you, but sometimes I forget, so it was nice to be reminded. So if you could, pray hard that everything works out so we can save more souls!
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