Seismic WHAT!!!!

For a while...maybe 2 or 3 weeks...we have been hearing a "noise" in the house. We had no idea what it was. We knew ALOT about what it was not...it was not very often, it was not very loud, it was not an animal. It sounded like someone was hitting the side of the house with a board or something. A few times we went outside to see if the gate was open or maybe the neighborhood kids were playing on that side of the house. Nothing. We saw nothing!

Today I got home before MSH and was in the bathroom and the noise happened again, except this time it sounded like it was in the attic right above me. It scared me to death. I went and sat in the living room and it happen again and this time it was louder and sounded like it was in the attic right above me. Stuff hanging on the walls rattled it was so loud. I got a little upset and decide to open the back door to see if it sounded like it was outside. I waited 15 minutes and it never happened again. So I closed the door, turned off the AC and sat back down and waited. BAM..it happened again, it rattled the whole house. BAM...it happened about 5 minutes later. This time I got my phone, purse and keys and was headed for the truck. No way was I going to sit in a house that was getting ready to explode or something!! Before I made it outside, MSH came home. He immediately went crawling around in the attic and waited for the noise to happen again. Nothing...of course. He came back down and we turned on the AC (this is Houston and it is June, almost July...we can last for about 6 minutes without AC) anyway, MSH sits down on the couch to wait. BAM...it happen again. At least he heard it!! And it rattled the whole house again. Then it happened again. We could not imagine what in the world was going on with our house. I decided to go next door and ask SW is this noise was happening at her house. SHE SAID IT WAS! I almost hugged her, I was so happy! She said it had been going on all day and was getting louder each time. I was just so happy that it was not something wrong with our house. I called the police (non-emergency number) and they said it was someone doing some Seismic testing. How rude! The could have at least called us to warn us. The call for every other thing that happens in this two house town! I can sleep peacefully tonight knowing that my house is safe and the gas pipeline that runs behind my house is not going to blow up!

Have a great weekend!
Kim (also known as MDB and proud of it!!)

That's what friends are for!

WW stopped by Hobby Lobby this morning and our favorite yarn was on sale! She had her husband call me (he was with her) and ask if I wanted any yarn. She said the color that I did not get any of last time we raided Hobby Lobby together (in Shreveport) was on sale. I told her I wanted four of them. I am wondering something... if I went to Hobby Lobby and the yarn was on sale...would I have called her and ask if she wanted any? No way, I would have bought all of it for myself! Just kidding!

I really really really think that for us it's more how much yarn we have and how cheap we can get it for than actually making and finishing a project. I know that for myself it's also more important for me to read the directions and be able to following them than actually finishing a project. I love mastering the pattern. Once I have done that, then I get bored. My current goal is to start and finish projects. I have about five projects started right now and I am going to complete them. I love crocheting so much! Last night my arm was hurting so bad but I kept crocheting, I just could not stop!

Weekend

I am using a new Google feature called Google Docs. It has the possibilities of being awesome!

We had another great weekend. Friday I took off half the day from work and came home to hang out with MSH. We ran a few errands and then got home just in the nick of time before it started pouring outside. We pickled four jars of okra. I am looking forward to seeing how they come out in a few weeks. Once I was finally awake from my naps on Saturday, I got the stuff together to fry some fish. Then the power went out, so I fried the fish on the stove and in almost a dark kitchen! Our power was out for about 4 or 5 hours. MSH started up his generator and we had a fan moving some air around while I was cooking.

I did not sleep well Friday night, so I took a few naps on Saturday and then I did not sleep on Saturday night, so I slept in and also took a nap on Sunday. Last night I slept good from about midnight to 4am. I am grateful for that. That's the longest stretch I have slept in a long time. I feel better today because of the sleep. This virus is just about to get me down. My body has never hurt like it has these past few months. It's impossible to explain how bad it is, plus I get tired of trying to explain it.

I love the TV show Jon and Kate Plus 8. I could watch the episodes over and over...oh wait, I do watch them over and over. On occasion I have looked on the Internet at some different message boards or blogs and have seen some negative comments about J and K. I realize that sometimes they do not talk to each other in the most loving manner. I think that happens in the time of stress. I can't really comment on that because I have never had eight children to care for. I can comment on the mean things that people say about them. I think that people who make mean, negative, rude or hateful comments about someone who they don't even know suffer from low self esteem and have personality deficiencies. It's easier for them to make negative remarks about someone else than it is for them to look inside of themselves and try to figure why they are so screwed up and so unhappy. It must make them feel better about themselves...why else would they keep on and on and on? Sometimes I want to comment on those message boards and tell them to get a life. Try getting out in the world and helping others in a positive way. It just might make them feel better about themselves. But then again there are those who thrive on negative situations and love to keep tryiny to stir up the pot. Anyway the bottom line is...I still love to watch Jon and Kate. The new season starts June 30...I can't wait!

So annoying...but not really!

I get annoyed listening to people complain about what they do and do not have. I know someone who from my view point has very good life full of many material possessions. Her husband has always had a really good job, so she has the luxury of not having to work. They live in a beautiful home. They have recreational vehicles. To hear this person talk about her life, she is not happy with anything that she has been blessed with. She wants a new house because she is not happy with the one she has...she is not happy with their RV...she is not happy with her car. Blah..Blah..Blah...you get the point...always complaining about her life. Why is no one satisfied with what they have? Why do people want more and more and bigger and better and a different color and a different size and a different brand. The list is endless of things people can complain about. Whew, I get exhausted just thinking about all the different ways people complain!

I am completely satisfied with everything that I have. I do not want bigger and better. My greatest desire is for a life with very few problems. Guess what...life is now and will always be full of problems. It’s how we react to our daily problems that’s important. I hope I have learned to react to life’s problems with calmness, grace and dignity.

The other thing that cracks me up more than it annoys me is the urge to buy what everyone else is buying. For example, why would someone want to buy a designer purse just like everyone else is buying? It does not take much of a brain to buy the same thing that everyone else is carrying. Where is the creativity in that? I would rather have something unique and different than everyone else. Why go with the herd, when you can be your own person? I want people to notice that what I have is different than what the masses are buying. That’s why I like to make my own jewelry and other accessories. I like to be creative.

Creativity - is a mental process involving the generation of new ideas or concepts, or new associations of the creative mind between existing ideas or concepts. Also another definition is: the quality or ability to create or invent something; originality.

Ha...I guess you do not have to use any kind of mental process to follow the herd!

Have a blessed day!

Life is Sweet!

Seriously, the IRS cracks me up. We have once again gotten notice that they have lowered the amount that MSH owes on his back taxes. Seriously people, we have gotten three notices in the last month telling us that they have lowered the amount. I don’t think they know what is going on with that bill, but we will take any deductions we can. It’s almost paid off! MSH is so good with our finances. He is so much better with money than I am. He pays all of the bills on time or even early and I think that is so great.

We are at such a great place in our lives. We have found this once-in-a-life-time relationship with each other and we feel so blessed. We have great jobs. We have a great church that we go to and as time allows us to try to be involved with. Our kids are grown and mostly on their own. At least they are all above the age where we have to make decisions for them. They all can make their own decisions and choices. They can make their own way and choose their own lifestyle. They are all accountable for their own actions. As parents that takes a lot of stress off of us. MSH and I have so much time to ourselves and to take care of each other. We love watching movies together or just sitting together in the evening and talking. We never get tired of talking to each other. MSH keeps me laughing all the time with his funny funny funny sense of humor. He can make a joke about almost anything. I can’t say it enough or find all the right words to say how awesome MSH is. And how we both knew from the first date that this was going to be something special. I love the pet name he has for me...MDB.(My Darling Bride). I had to come up with one for him and I came up with MSH..(My Sweet Husband). These are totally perfect names for each other!

We both comment on how sad it is to see married couples in real life or on TV that talk to each other so hatefully. Or are constantly bickering with each other. It’s sad for us to see that and to know that couples do not have to live like that. It’s not very healthy for a relationship. I would never ever talk to MSH ugly or hateful or yell at him or lie to him. That’s not showing respect for the other person. I can’t imagine even having a fight with MSH. We get along so well.

Just a few more days and MSH is off for the summer. He has lots of projects he plans on getting done this summer as money will allow. I think he will run out of money long before he runs out time. If that happens, I will gladly buy the paint for him to paint the inside of our house. I know he loves thinking about that!

We are looking forward to a nice long vacation. We will have seven days to spend together and relax away from home. I am really looking forward to it and to all the fun things we are going to do while on vacation. It’s going to be awesome! Since I am a planner, I have planned out most of the trip with the things we want to do.

We are once again helping out with the VBS carnival this year. We helped out last year and it was a lot of fun.

Life is sweet!

Awesome Weekend!!

Wow! We have had a really good weekend. Friday night I came home and MSH had dinner ready for us. How sweet is that! We did a few chores yesterday and then did something that I have wanted to do for a few months…we took our boat out on Clear Creek and then out to the bay from there. It was awesome. We took a picnic dinner and ate it on the boat. It was a lot of fun. We only stayed in the bay for a few minutes, it was really windy and the water was really choppy. No way we could eat our dinner in that water!

Today we went to church and then I took Dan out to eat for Father’s Day. I also got him a few gifts that I thought he would like…and he did!

As for made up holidays I agree that we do not need a special day to tell someone that we love and care for them. That is something that should be shown on a daily basis. Who knows how long we have here on this earth. Our time could be up today or tomorrow and it would be really sad to have not taken the time to tell someone that we love them. It makes me think of Tim Russert and his passing this week. He had just passed an echo-cardiogram and stress test with flying colors. He died of an apparent heart attack. He was always telling his family that he loved them. That is the greatest gift he could have given them especially to his son, who will always have those loving memories of his father.

Through my separation and divorce I have never talked bad about my ex to my kids. I would never do that. I want my kids to get along with their father. Our problems were not their problems and should not effect the relationship that they have together. It would be very self-centered for me to try and control anything about their relationship and that is not what my life is about. I am glad that they have a good relationship and that they also get along with his new wife. Well only CMS2 has met her and seems to get along with her just fine. As a mother that could not make me happier. I want my kids to have healthy relationships and I would do anything to help them achieve that. I would never try and manipulate my kids against anyone especially their father.

Have a blessed day!

Great Anniversary gifts...

Two dozen red roses and two pounds of See's candy. How AWESOME is that. MSH knows me so well.

MSH is so thoughtful!

More later about our wonderful weekend!

It's a wonderful life!!!

Wahoo....It’s our first anniversary! It has been a wonderful year filled with many happy and wonderful memories. I am going to try and write a post with some of the many thoughts I have had about this past year. What a year it has been! Since we are perfectly suited for each other, the past year has been wonderful. There have been zero fights and not a single unkind word has been spoken between us.

We only knew each other for 113 day before we got married. We both knew almost instantly that this was meant to be. We first met at Barnes and Noble/Starbucks for coffee. I got there early and so did Dan. I was walking around looking at books and he came up to me and ask if I was "Kim". I said "Yes". We went to Starbucks and ordered our coffee. We sat down and BAM three hours went by in a flash. We both had to get home so we said good night. We raced home to be the first to email the other one. We emailed back and forth and decided to go on a date a few nights later. We went to the movies and ate dinner at Chili's, both in Alvin. Again the time flew by as we sat and talked. We did not even hold hands that night!! We barely kissed goodnight! We were both so nervous. We exchanged more emails the next day and decided to meet for another date the day after that. We jumped into the relationship from that moment on. We saw each other almost everyday after that.

We have written over 1400 email to each other and I have saved all of them. I love to go back and read what we were saying to each other. From the start or at least by about the second week we both just knew that this was something special. We kid around now about how Dan ask me to marry him. He claims that he said "Will yo..." and I said "YES"! (in other words he was not able to even finish his sentence and I was saying YES!) At first we were going to have a family only wedding at my house. Then we decided to get married one day after work and then my friends would have a reception for us later in June. I am not a fan of big weddings, that's just not me. It was just my style to get married one day after work. We had a few people join us. We really looked forward to the reception when we would get to see all of our family and friends. It was a really special day for us.

We have blended our two lives together very nicely. Dan moved into my house since CDM2 still lives with us. His house would have been too small for the three of us. We are in the process of selling his house.

It’s weird that we had so many connections before we ever met. MSH was the Safety Officer at his plant. He actually came to my Hurricane Conference a few times when it was held in the Pasadena Convention Center. I was always working the table at the front door. I gave out the program and also the hurricane book that we do. Imagine that...we actually passed right by each other a few times and did not know what the future would hold.

MSH has a blog and has run a few religious chat rooms on the Internet. One of the people that he has talked to over the years goes to a church I used to go to and she knows my ex-sister in law. Weird...I know.

I have a coworker (in a different city, but still in Texas) who grew up in LP with MSH. Not only did this coworker know MSH but her sister also knew MSH from her job in LP. Now that is really freaky!

Recently I found another connection...a former co-worker married a lady who is best friends with a lady who's husband was a coach at MSH's school. We have been to their house two times for dinner.

Weird how close our lives were when we did not even know each other.

We could not ask for a better partner for each other. We both are so happy and just tickled pink that we get to spend this part of our lives together. Whatever we went through in the past has shaped who we are today. We know not to take any of this for granted and we want to cherish each moment we have with each other.

MSH is so wonderful. Not much bothers him. He lets most things roll off his back. He can see everything so clearly. When I am confused about something, I can ask him and he understands it immediately. He knows everything! Seriously. He knows a lot about human nature and why people do what they do. I love listening to him talk. He makes me laugh all the time. He has a great sense of humor and is always cracking a joke or two. He is so stinking funny! He has never gotten mad at me or criticize anything I do or say.

The perfect way to end this post is to say that I am blessed to be Dan's wife. God certainly knew what he was doing when he brought the two of us together.

Way too much..

I have way too much to post. We had an awesome anniversary. I got two wonderful gifts delivered to me at work...two dozen red roses and See's chocolate. I pointed out to the guys at work that this is what a good husband does. They looked at me with blank stares! I will post more later about our anniversary and my awesome husband.

We have been watching Lexie since Thursday. She is a hoot. She was really good in church and small groups. She was really awesome yesterday when we went out to eat for our anniversary. She kept everyone entertained.

The Nelson's are moving to Cleburne. How awesome is that? At least it's awesome for them not us! We will really miss then, but it will give us a chance to travel.

I gave Cherryl her really belated birthday gift. I guess I never finished putting the final touches on it because I gave her a blank card...inside and out. I did not even put her name on the envelope. I guess the best part is that she can "Re-card" it.

My mind must be fading!

More Rambling...

News Flash...Our anniversary is in four days! I am in the process of writing a post on how MSH stole my heart from the first time we met. He really did do that! I think we both knew from the very first time we met that it was one of "those" moments...where you just know this was the person that God has picked out for you. More later (I hope!!).

Other news is that we are going to have to have a garage sale. We have too much junk and too many "DOUBLES" of things. That's what happens when you combine two houses into one. We have more stuff that we have room for and we are going to have to unload some of it very soon. Nothing like a good old garage sale in the middle of summer to look forward to. Yuck! I think we should just put everything out on the driveway and go fishing for the day! If there is anything left when we get home we will just put it at the curb! I have given so much stuff to CDM1 in the last few years I am sure he does not want or need another thing from us.

Speaking of CDM1 he is San Fran this week. I hope the weather is cool there and that he gets out and see some of the town.

More ramblings later!

MDB (My Darling Bride) Loves MSH (My Sweet Husband)!

Crazy...Crazy...Crazy...that's my opinion and I am sticking to it!

How can a mother be so self centered (and self loathing) that she controls not only her children but her husband? What does she think will happen to these precious kids when they have to get out in the real world? Will they be able to think for themselves and make the right decisions? Or will they go wild and get caught up in worldly things? How can a MAN be so scared of his wife? Where is the love in THAT relationship? My guess is that there is no love in the entire house and it will crumble OR maybe it already has.

I feel sorry for people who live in constant turmoil and stress. Why would someone pick that kind of life when they could have a peaceful life? Hummm.....maybe it's the attention they get. You know it's just like kids when they are little, they don't care what kind of attention you give them, they just want attention. It's pathetic when adults have to cause the world around them to be constantly upset, just so they can get some attention.

Moving on to happier things...it's totally awesome to look over and see MSH. I love watching him watch TV or play on his laptop or do the dishes or cook or work in the yard. I simply love watching MSH do anything. Our first anniversary is just a few days away. I can hardly wait!! I have a surprise or two up my sleeve for MSH. Too bad I have to work that day. Oh well, we can go out to dinner on Saturday night. It does not matter as long as we are together. We will be babysitting Lexie, so we will have a blast no matter what we do. I have taken a few days off next week so we can have some really good "down" time together. We might go on a day trip one day and maybe fishing on another day. Then we dive right back into our work schedule until the end of the month. Then it's time for our vacation and I can hardly wait for that. It's going to be so awesome and I am really looking forward to it. Seven days of total peace and quiet and togetherness. We are going to have the best time at one of our favorite places. I love staying at a Bed and Breakfast especially the one we are staying at this summer. Life is sweet!

This post has really been rambling. Then again, so is my mind!!

Jealousy Part One

Jealousy is simply and clearly the fear that you do not have value. Jealousy scans for evidence to prove the point - that others will be preferred and rewarded more than you. There is only one alternative - self-value. If you cannot love yourself, you will not believe that you are loved. You will always think it's a mistake or luck. Take your eyes off others and turn the scanner within. Find the seeds of your jealousy, clear the old voices and experiences. Put all the energy into building your personal and emotional security. Then you will be the one others envy, and you can remember the pain and reach out to them. ~Jennifer James