The Hair

I'd love to do this again.   I love waking up with my hair already "done".  Just wish it didn't take 13 hours and a hundred bucks for those 5 months of bliss.   Any suggestions??

A Day to Remember

We get a call last night from one of the cutest little girls we know... our niece.  I actually never got to talk to her, but that's beside the point.  She was calling her uncle Danny to wish him a happy anniversary.  

Danny says, "What?!?! Today, really???"

Yep, that's right he had no idea... can you believe it!

So after that he comes over to me and says, "hey guess what... Happy Anniversary!"

Me: "What?!?! really... Today???"

This was around 5:30 in the afternoon, after a very, very long day for both of us.  So we pretty much just went about the rest of the day as normal, and went to bed early. When we talked about it later we decided that we're not like most couples and, as it turns out, the date just doesn't matter that much to us.

So... it's been 4 happy years, and the time has flown by!   We're totally perfect for each other :o)  I love you Danny!!

Our Little Hippie Girl

Peeved (part 2)

Don't worry, I'm not going to give you any more of my lip about what makes me unhappy.  I just got to thinking...

I'm pretty sure that I drive people more crazy than they do me.  Here are some things that I do that I KNOW drive some people crazy (most of them have to do with parenting, because that's when I hear their opinions more often):

• I put Sati on a sleep schedule her second day out of the womb (and on her tummy to boot).
  
• I don't vote.
• I drink Dr. Pepper even when I'm pregnant or nursing.
• I let Sati put just about anything in her mouth (unless it could seriously hurt her). 
• I'm not the least bit patriotic.
• I let Sati cry for as long as she wants.
• I guess I never dress Sati warm enough.
• I'm either too organic, or not organic enough (depending on the crowd)... humm.
• I liked living in another country and would do it again... and take my kids!
• I hate school.
• I don't care what's happening on the news.
• I want to put my kids in public school (even in another country).

I know there are more, but this is all I can think of right now.  

Peeved

So, the other day my friend Kyle posted about his pet peeves.  That got me thinking, and I realized I have a lot of them.  I think they multiply in intensity when I'm pregnant too (I'm not very nice for those nine months).  

Well... I've decided to share my big pet peeves with you (just keep in mind that I might not feel quite the same in June... haha).

• The biggest thing that drives me absolutely bonkers is how patriotic most christian churches are.  It really doesn't bother me that individuals. themselves, are patriotic because I know that God gives us all different convictions and passions and whatnot.  I just don't like that a church would support the singing of patriotic songs,  flag salutes, and their political views from the pulpit and in front of the congregation. 
• Drives me crazy when people over react to Sati falling down or getting hurt.  It's really sweet of you, but it makes my job sooooo much harder.
• I don't like it when people overly freak out about germs... germs are good people! 
• The "I'm better or worse than you" mindset just throws me off, where does somebody even get an idea like that???
• Last but not least is the victim.  A person who always thinks of themselves as the victim, and looks for opportunities to be the victim in every situation makes me want to avoid contact... at all costs!

So now I want to hear about your pet peeves... 

Update... I just thought of one more thing that really bugs me.  That is... Missionaries that write way too long and boring news letters.  I still read them, but I fear others are going to miss out because it is so uninteresting.  

Under Worked

As I'm sure some of you have been experiencing, there is very little work to be had out there (especially in construction we are hearing).  

Danny's work has been more off than on lately, but we're keeping our head above water.  Mostly because we are super thrifty and cheap (by nature) and saved a lot when the work was good and money was plentiful.  Of coarse we were saving for something cool, not for bills.  I just got word, though, that Danny's work is picking up, so we will have at least a couple months of good steady income... wha who!

I truly feel for those of you that have been laid off, or just simply can not find work, and those of you that have no savings, or have debts to pay.  I really don't know what's going to happen with the economy, and who knows how bad it's going to get before it gets better.  But the thought in my mind that keeps me from feeling sorry for us Americans is this: 

We, even the broke ones of us, are hundreds of times richer than the rest of the world.  We have all the conveniences of indoor plumbing, electricity, heating and cooling, washing machines (even if they're at a laundry mat... I don't know anybody in America that washes all of their clothes by hand), and pretty much anything you could ever NEED.  We really lack for nothing.  I don't know anyone that is starving, or without some kind of shelter.  So all and all I would say we're doing really well (I guess it's always relative).

What do you think?  How are you guys surviving with this economy?  

Every little thing she does is magic...

I'm told, if I don't write this stuff down, I'll forget it.  So here are some cute/funny things that our Sati has been saying, signing or doing at around 14 months. 

• First off, it is obvious to me that our little one is left brained.  She MUST listen to dad's music anytime we go for a walk or just any old time she catches him with his MP3 player and headphones.  If we have music on in the house she goes straight for the speakers and either lays down or dances in front of them.  Also, if you mention colors she lights up with anticipation (of coarse she also thinks of them as a food source...) she loves to draw or do pretty much anything creative.  Maybe she is my child after all.
  
• She is picking up some funny sayings from all of us.  (1) My mom says "Oooo Dogs" when she's exhausted or over exerted (don't ask me why).  Well our little mimic has picked up on this... so when she does something that was really hard she lets out a big "oooo dogs!".   (2) Sati has taken up talking on the phone (her play phones) She says "Hello" and that's about it, until a couple days ago.  Me: "Sati, who is it?" Sati (with a questioned look on her face) "who is this".   (3) We've been taking Sati into church on Sunday mornings so that she can listen to the music before going into the nursery.  The problem is that she doesn't like to pray.  As soon as everything is silent she thinks it's her turn to talk so i've been "shhh" -ing her.  As of this week she puts her finger up to her lip and says "shhhh" and then laughs hysterically. (4) She has two songs that she sings almost constantly... "Manamana" from sesame street (she knows the words manamana and she sings that over and over), and "Poor Sati", a song that my mom made up for when Sati is tired, sad, or experiencing an injustice. The only words to the song are poor and Sati.  Sati sings it over and over... It's her favorite!
• Sati also "frees" the bunny from his cage every morning and, feeds him fruit and crackers (which the bunny LOVES).  She's always petting and loving on him.  They're best friends.
• She is loving potty training and doing quite well I might add.  Mostly because she gets all kinds of praise and approval... and she's quite addicted to the stuff.
• We think that Sati knows just about as much spanish as we do.  She responds better to commands given in spanish (than ones given in sign or english), but is obviously hearing and picking up more English (sad).  She knows more and more signs and uses them well, but is such a hearing child, that I'm unsure if it will continue when she's able to communicate orally (also sad).
• She is now walking all over, and is just starting to prefer it to crawling.