The Thalmanators

The Thalmanator Name

2010-10-20T13:10:00.001-04:00

OK, I went through a bunch of old posts and noticed that my lovely wife never posted about the origin of our name for the blog. And since I am coming up on one anniversary since I posted last I figured I would break the curse and write a post.

It all started back in 2007 when we first got married and I built our own little network at home. Now why do I need to host an internal network at home? I think its an obsession with anything computers and if I can’t support my own network then how can a company justify me working for them supporting their networks? So we made a little trip to micro center and bought a wireless router and a firewall.

I was like a kid in a candy store with my new gadgets because previously I only had the opportunities to work on my dad’s home network and at any work networks where I was employed at previously. So I sat down and went to work.

When it came time to put a name for our SSID on the wireless router I had a stroke of genius, (it happens quite often really). Now I have never seen the terminator movies but I knew enough about the story to say that it was a big and bad name to use so I just modified it a little to give it some self identification. Hence the name Thalmanator was born. I then gave my firewall the same name.

It was in about June of 2007 when my wife decided to start blogging and she was looking for a name to call our family blog. And she thought it was so cute that she just had to name our blog after my ingenious naming convention which has extended to just about everything we own. It has even gone to the point of getting tee shirts from our siblings with the terminator sketched on the front with the Thalmanator name underneath it.

Nobody knows how far the name will go… epic I know.

And thus ends the story of the birth of the Thalmanator name. Now if only I knew that someone read this post.

Thanksgiving Recipes

2009-11-23T12:13:00.000-05:00

Click on over to The Mother's Lamentations for some great Thanksgiving Day recipes! Oh, yes...I am so very proud of myself!

Awesome Oatmeal Cookies

2009-10-09T09:20:00.003-04:00

Shhhh....don't tell Scotty I'm posting something on here. He thinks that it's his blog, but he's not taking very good care of it! So I'm going to share a super yummy recipe.

1/2 c. butter, softened
1/2 c. white sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar, packed
1 Tbs flax seed + 3 Tbs water (I guess you can use 1 egg if you want)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 c. flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 c. quick oats (I put them in the blender until they are the texture of flour)
1 c. butterscotch chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Cream together butter, white and brown sugar. Beat in the flax (or your egg). Stir in vanilla. Combine flour, soda, salt and cinnamon in a smaller bowl; stir into the creamed mixture. Mix in oats. Mix in chips. (Dough will be hard to mix!)

Grease cookie sheets. Roll dough into walnut sized balls and place on cookie sheets. Flatten with a fork. Bake for 8-10 minutes (I prefer only 8 minutes, because it keeps the cookies softer.)

Enjoy! By the way, this recipe is halved. It still makes 2 dozen cookies. I just don't need 4 dozen cookies in my house. That would be an unnecessary temptation. But, if you want extra cookies to share with friends or neighbors (or to eat yourself, I promise I won't tell anyone) this recipe is made to be doubled!

Also, if you haven't been reading The Mother's Lamentations for your family updates, I would recommend clicking over there. And if you think it is a great site, tell your friends! But, if you stubbornly refuse to read TML (which wouldn't make sense, because it is just yours truly), then I would suggest you get over that and read it anyway...because we all know this blog is scant on posts! But, all the same, we are doing great.

Daily Gems

2009-08-26T09:50:00.000-04:00

I have subscribed for daily emails from the LDS Church called Daily Gems. It is daily quote that gets emailed to you and every day is a different topic. There are also Church History Gems, Family Gems, Young Single Adult Gems, and Youth Gems. I have subscribed to get them all.

It is a great way to keep up with the spirit. All of these different gems are quotes from modern day prophets and leaders of the church. I found these gems on the church website:

http://lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?locale=0&vgnextoid=eeb8813d71189110VgnVCM1000003a94610aRCRD

Today’s gem comes from Elder David A. Bednar, “Pray Always” Ensign Nov. 2008, pg 42:

"Morning and evening prayers—and all of the prayers in between—are not unrelated, discrete events; rather, they are linked together each day and across days, weeks, months, and even years."

And no of course I can not think of anything else to say on the subject. Nothing beats words that come from modern day revelation.

You know you want to buy this stuff!!!

2009-08-24T19:42:00.001-04:00

This past Saturday I had a party for a wickless candle product called Scentsy (my parents sell this stuff). If you haven't heard of it before, it is really neat. There are warmers that use a light bulb and scented wax squares that melt at a cooler temperature than other candle warmers (plus, it doesn't have a wick, and it lasts longer than regular candles, too!). If you are interested, you can click here to visit the webpage and browse through the catalog. Just click on "Mallory's Home Party" and then "Shop for Event" to peruse the catalog. If you do buy something, there would be free shipping (basically, it comes to me, and I will deliver it personally to you...and if you live far away, I will ship it to you myself). And I promise you will not be disappointed!

I GUESS ITS TIME:

2009-08-18T14:19:00.001-04:00

I have decided that it’s about time for me to start blogging. I have been rather lazy about getting started with this mostly out of pure slothfulness.

Let‘s begin by a little introduction.

My name is Scotty Dean Thalman; I was born in Fussa Shi, Japan on May 29, 1985. I have lived in three countries and I have visited at least three others. I am married as you all know, to Mallory and we have one son named Benjamin.

I served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Buenos Aires, Argentina for two years and I still feel like I am a missionary today living a relatively normal life.

I currently work for Chiquita Brands LLC as a systems analyst and an IT expert. I enjoy reading, spending time with my family, electronics, and am trying to pick up the violin which is a very tedious process that is taking a long time. I just hope it is worth it.

For the rest of this post I would like to dedicate it to my wife by adding a spiritual gem “aka: quote” as we just celebrated our second anniversary as you probably already know because this use to be her blog and she posts stuff about us all the time out here in the realms of bits and bytes.

"I have spoken . . . of heavenly help, of angels dispatched to bless us in time of need. But when we speak of those who are instruments in the hand of God, we are reminded that not all angels are from the other side of the veil. Some of them we walk with and talk with—here, now, every day. Some of them reside in our own neighborhoods. Some of them gave birth to us, and in my case, one of them consented to marry me. Indeed heaven never seems closer than when we see the love of God manifested in the kindness and devotion of people so good and so pure that angelic is the only word that comes to mind."

Jeffrey R. Holland, "The Ministry of Angels," Ensign, Nov. 2008, 30"

For Cryin' Out Loud!

2009-07-29T14:44:00.004-04:00

I don't even know why I have this blog anymore. Seriously. There is nothing going on in my life that is more exciting that what I have already blogged about on The Mother's Lamentations. Do you want another recipe? No?

Ok....Maybe I will write a poem??? Actually, I don't have time to write a poem. For one, I am reading all the Harry Potter books...again. (I'm in the middle of book 6 now, so I can't just put them down for this silly blog!) And I am borrowing three more books from my mom to read after I finish up HP. They should be interesting. A new read usually is. Another reason that I don't have time to write a poem (other than the fact that I am a full time mom with dishes, laundry and vacuuming to do) is that I have another blog that is more important to me than this one. AND, incidentally, I have a HUGE whoop-de-doo coming up on that other blog from August 1st through the 7th. Oh, yes! World Breastfeeding Week starts this...(checking the calender)...SATURDAY! And I am going to be posting all kinds of wonderful stuff about breastfeeding over on TML. AND, incidentally, I am going to be writing a three page article all about breastfeeding for this whoop-de-doo, that will also be featured in an upcoming edition of the Christian Family newsletter "What's Up Turkeybutt?" So, you should totally clickity on over to TML on Saturday and see what's going on. And, check out that newsletter, too!

Calling all noses!

2009-07-07T10:01:00.003-04:00

My parents have recently become Scentsy Consultants and need your help to get their business going! If you know anything about Scentsy, or already have some of the products, I'm sure that you love it and want more (I know I do)! Anybody who hasn't heard of Scentsy, or doesn't have any products, what are you waiting for!?!?

Go visit Mike and Martha Newberry's Scentsy webpage and get some Scents! (and a warmer, too, since you need that to make it all work!)

**Please be patient with their website, it is continuously being improved**

Dear Thalmanators Blog,

2009-06-23T14:29:00.003-04:00

I'm sorry I haven't been very good at keeping you updated on the daily goings-on around here. Please don't take offense. Really. Because I haven't really be very good with writing on The Mother's Lamentations either. Some people say it's because it is summer. But, I really don't think I can use that as a good excuse, because summer is just like every other season around here. Then again, the heat may be sucking away my brain power.

However, I don't want to leave you completely alone to die.

Benji is getting big. He is running and twirling and prancing. Scotty is back in school. This quarter, he is taking two online classes. That makes me happy, because he won't have to be gone for classes. I have been enjoying my new library card. And adding to our home library with some great non-fiction books like this one, and this one, and this one (that, surprisingly, are more interesting for me to read now). I am loving my new church calling, as the CTR 8 teacher. Scotty probably loves it less, because he is stuck with Benj at church. It's pretty hard to sit through classes with a cranky toddler that needs a nap. But Scotty is enjoying his calling in the Cub Scouts. He taught his boys how to make cookies a couple weeks ago, and we now have the BEST cookie recipe ever. We all love our new home and our new ward. We continue to schedule ourselves to exhaustion...kind of. And we have recently been enjoying ourselves watching Mythbusters. It helps us feel smart, and nerdy, and cool.

So, please don't feel too bad if we go several more weeks without remembering you. We're just kind of busy with life!

Love,
The Thalmans

Nap Time

2009-05-29T09:02:00.005-04:00

First off...HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SCOTTY! Your family loves you!

And now, this is probably something that I would normally post on my other blog (The Mother's Lamentations) but I've decided to put it here instead. That is because I don't have a really great story to go with it, and I prefer the other blog to be mostly stories, with back up media (on occasion). Basically, Benji wasn't going down for a nap the easy way, so I nursed him really well and let him play. I figured he would let me know when he was ready for a nap (by crying, tantrum-ing and generally being a total pill). Instead, he let me know in a much more pleasant way. He climbed into his "book box" and apparently chose the most boring book to read.

(Please just ignore the snorting and giggling in the background. That would be me.)

Right after the video ends, I picked Benji up and laid him down in his bed. He had a sleep-drunk smile on his little face that showed how pleased he was with finally being able to lay down and relax. And then he slept for three hours!

Photography

2009-05-13T15:34:00.005-04:00

I have become very interested in photography. Especially since I started working with a free photo editing program called Paint.NET (which I actually also used to create my blog backgrounds). Oh, and after my dad took me to the Krohn Conservatory Butterfly Show and I edited a few of his pictures. I mostly like taking pictures of Benji. He is so hard to work with, because he rarely stays still. I have gotten a couple really good pictures, though. I also like working with flowers....because they are beautiful AND they hold completely still! I like to edit the pictures to make them really unique. I want people to look at them and see not just a picture, but a piece of art. Here are some of the pictures that I have recently been working with (click on the pictures to biggify):

Orange orchid (Krohn Conservatory) photo taken by my father, editing done by me.

Just as a note, in the last picture (of Benji with the red balloon) his eyes are the exact color as they are in the original picture.

If you are interested in me doing some editing to any of your photos, let me know (thisismallory at yahoo dot com). I'm having fun experimenting. If I get a lot of people who are interested in my photo editing talents, then I may be able to make some money off of it. But for now, I will edit up to 5 of any of your photos (as long as you hold the copyright for them) for free! (Just imagine how awesome some of these pictures would look printed out on canvas and hung up on a wall in your house...well, at least the flower ones...unless you happen to be Benji's grandma, then I'm sure you wouldn't mind a big picture of his pretty blue eyes above your fireplace!)

It's a special day!

2009-05-01T07:50:00.000-04:00

Happy 1st Birthday Benji!!!

That little stink! Oh, and lots of pictures...

2009-04-28T20:20:00.005-04:00

Scotty SAID he was going to take over the blog. He SAID he was going to make it awesome. He SAID he was going to change the background that I so lovingly designed. But, apparently, he lied. And here is my poor little blog, neglected. Starving. Dying for attention. I care. So here is a little TLC for the blog that was so cruelly rejected:

My dad took Benji and me to Krohn Conservatory for the Butterfly Show. It was a lot of fun. Benji was more interested in eating the plants/dirt/rocks than the butterflies, though!

Most of these photos were taken by my dad. He is so very talented. Imagine what he could do with a better camera!?!

Here's a little photo editing I did of the above picture. Beautiful, is it not?

And, this post wouldn't be complete without another picture of the cutest baby on earth!

PS-Dad, do you want me to send you the rest of the pictures? There really aren't too many more.

One quick thing, before I go...

2009-04-18T11:58:00.002-04:00

You guys have all been extremely patient, so I'll stop torturing you and go ahead and post the brownie recipe! This recipe is from The Complete Make-a-Mix Cookbook.

First, you need to make the brownie mix (It makes a lot, but that's ok, because it is AWESOME!):
6 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
4 teaspoons salt
8 cups sugar
1-8oz. can unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups vegetable shortening
In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Add sugar and cocoa. Blend well. With a pastry blender or heavy-duty mixer, cut in shortening until mixture resembles cornmeal in texture. Put in a large airtight container. Label with date and contents. Store in a cool, dry place. Use within 10-12 weeks. Makes about 17 cups of brownie mix.

"Our Best Brownies"
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups brownie mix
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)
Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour an 8-inch square pan (I never flour it). In a medium bowl, combine eggs, vanilla and brownie mix. Beat until smooth. Stir in nuts. Pour into prepared pan. Bake 30-35 minutes, until edges separate from pan. Cool. Cut....Eat!

I tried putting hot fudge over top of the brownies last time I made them. They turned out very yummy! They are really good topped with anything sugary (and, of course, they are good plain, too!)

The recipe book actually has a lot of great stuff in it...I would recommend it to anyone!

On another note, Scotty has told me he is going to commandeer this blog. I'm sure I will still post every now and then. I'm actually kind of excited to see how the blog goes under Scotty's direction; so, no matter how sad you may be that I won't be the main contributor to this blog, stick around, 'cause it could get interesting! And don't forget, I will still be writing in all my glory over on The Mother's Lamentations.

Mexi-Pizza

2009-04-16T11:56:00.003-04:00

I know you guys are all STARVING for me to post another recipe. Starve no more, friends; for here is my latest recipe of deliciousness. (And, maybe I will post my brownie recipe sometime soon, too. You will be VERY pleased to have it when I do post it, because they are only the best brownies I have EVER had. Even better than the box mix. Seriously.)

Anyway, today I'm here to share my Mexi-Pizza. I made it last night as an experiment. Needless to say, it turned out great. I found the crust recipe on Allrecipes.com. The rest was just my pure genius! Enjoy!

Crust:
3 cups flour
2 1/2 (or 1-.25oz package) of active dry yeast
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 cup warm water
Combine flour, salt, sugar and yeast in a large bowl. Mix in oil and warm water. Spread out on a large pizza pan. Top it however you want. Bake at 375F for 20-25 minutes.
For a regular pizza, I add about a teaspoon each of garlic powder and oregano to the dry mix.

Add these toppings, as much or as little as you like, to make it a Mexi-Pizza:
Tomato sauce (I use regular spaghetti sauce)
7oz. can of chopped green chilies
green olives, sliced
1/2 can of black beans
pepperoni
cheddar cheese

So yummy!

Does this make scents?

2009-04-10T11:30:00.005-04:00

Ok, so I have a Scentsy candle warmer And I LOVE IT! I have about 11 different scents to go with it (after trading a couple of blocks with friends). My all-time favorite scent is Tuscan Garden, "Mediterranean floral bouquet, enhanced by cassis, apples, berries and rosemary". Oh, it is wonderful! It comes in this lovely sage green color:

Well, on Wednesday I had my Scentsy turned on, making wonderful smells in my apartment, combined with the smells of my CrockPot. I was creating another wonderfully delicious Italian smell, in the form of Chicken Cacciatore. Chicken Cacciatore is a tomato-based, spice-full topper to noodles or rice. (It tastes superb over capellini with garlic toast!) Anyway, my CrockPot was sitting less than a foot away from my Scentsy, like so:

I didn't notice anything until this morning, when I went to turn on the Scentsy. I guess I didn't turn it on yesterday? What I saw shocked me!!! That lovely green of the wax that should be in my warmer was not a lovely green, but an orange-y red:

What the heck happened here!?! I didn't think the CrockPot would affect my wax, but that is the only logical explanation I have for the circumstances (I'm 100% positive that nobody changed the wax to something else)! The smell is altered somewhat. It doesn't smell bad, but it doesn't smell like Tuscan Garden anymore. It smells more like Tuscan Cacciatore. Hmmm...so what do you think? Does this make Scents?

Home Sweet Home

2009-03-31T11:57:00.007-04:00

We are all moved into our new apartment! And I would say we are 90% unpacked. We mostly just have organizing and cleaning to do. Of course, as we all know, that is something that never ends! Let me give you a virtual tour of our new place. But, keep in mind, we are still cluttered and unorganized here...and I'm not very good at getting good pictures.

Here is the view as soon as you walk in our front door. You have a coat closet on the left, and a small hallway on the right. Straight ahead you see the door to the master bedroom. To the left of that is the dining room/kitchen area. To the right, the living room.

Here is the small hallway, looking into Benji's room. The bathroom is on the right.

This is Benji's room. The view is from the back right corner. Behind is the HUGE walk-in closet. There is a window to the left and the door and a dresser to the right. And cloth diapers all over the floor.Here is the bathroom. There is a very large mirror above the sink, with theater lights and also a mirror medicine cabinet.Once you get to the living room, you see our computer desk on the right. There is a wood burning fireplace in the corner and a back door that opens to a huge patio. This is another view of the back door/fireplace. As I said before, just ignore all the clutter and lack of organization. (Like the coffee table/laundry basket duo that is blocking your view of the fireplace.)Here is the view from our patio. I can't wait until there are leaves on the trees! It will be beautiful!!! We have all kinds of birds, including woodpeckers! To the left of the entry hallway, we have the kitchen and dining room. There is a little half wall that proves to be very convenient for all kinds of junk! This is the dining room. As you can see, we have a very nice vaulted ceiling! It makes the whole place look bigger. I love it!

This is a much better view of our kitchen. I have even started decorating, by putting vases on top of the cabinets. (And my magnet collection on the fridge!) The sink is on the left counter.

We have a small pantry on the left, across from the fridge. Then, there is a nice, big laundry room.The drainage pipe in my washer isn't long enough, that is why it is sideways. We are working on fixing that! But, to the right, I have some shelves for large appliances (i.e., CrockPot, rice cooker, tea pot, etc.) and also some food storage.
Through the living room and dining room, you get to the master bedroom. Hmmm...I guess I COULD have made the bed before taking this picture! The closet and master bathroom are to the left.This is another view, aka showing off my beautiful bookcases and more of my unmade bed.This is the master closet. It is HUGE. As you can see, we have our dresser in there. There are more shelves on the left, too. Oh, and this is the smaller closet. The one in Benji's room is actually a bit bigger. (Which is ok, because we also use it for storage.)

To the left of the master closet, you walk into the master bathroom. Directly in front of the door is the sink, big mirror, yadda yadda (like in the other bathroom). Then, to the right, we have the shower and toilet. It is very nice.

So, there you go. The tour of our new apartment. Maybe I will do a video tour, once we have the place cleaned up and looking very nice. We are so happy to be here! It is MILES above and beyond what our last place was. My dad can hardly find anything wrong with it (and if you know my dad, that's pretty impressive). It feels so much like a house. I can definitely survive living here for a couple of years while we build credit and save for our own home. AND, (this may be the most important part), this apartment has a "buzzy thingy" to let people in the main door. I always though those were so cool! And now I have one for myself. Actually, the most important thing is how much cleaner and newer and nicer it is here. (And, when I say clean, I don't mean tidy, I seriously mean CLEAN.) You should all be ~~jealous of us~~ happy for us!

Update here:

2009-03-21T08:19:00.002-04:00

So, we are moving. It's 100% official.

We are glad to finally be out of these apartments. If you remember, I hated this place so much that I even wrote a sonnet about it called "Awful Habitation"! Really, that's how bad it was.

We are, however, sad to be leaving Milford Ward. I feel like I didn't get to enjoy my new calling as Primary Chorister very long. But, I do think that in the few weeks that I did have the calling, it taught me to love Primary. And I definitely needed my relationship with Primary mended!!

Scotty and I are really excited to be going to the Eastgate Ward. We feel like we will be making our own names (because our parents aren't in the same ward). And we are excited to be in a nicer apartment. It feels good. It feels right. Sometimes decisions like this are really hard. And a lot of people are sad. But, I just want everyone to know: It is right! I KNOW it is right!

Well, we have ONE WEEK to pack up and move. So this week is going to be very busy! Expect not to hear from us in the blogworld for a while, as we pack, move and get our Internet up at the new place! Hope you don't miss us too much!

Wanna hear something ridiculous?

2009-03-19T13:28:00.003-04:00

OUR WATER IS OFF AGAIN!!!!!!! No, I am NOT kidding. This is the 11th time in 7 months (and the second time this week). I am blogging about it, just so I have some written documentation. Too bad I didn't blog EVERY time. (Of course, I know all of my readers want to hear about how crappy these apartments are, on a regular basis.) I do apologize for my non-awesome posts. But, "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a d---." I'm just too darn livid to even post something cool.

There is hope for us!

2009-03-17T16:50:00.002-04:00

Our water to our apartment was off........AGAIN.........this morning. Yes, yes, as you probably recall, this has happened before. THIS IS THE 10th TIME!!!!!!! IN 7 MONTHS!!!! I don't know about you, but I CANNOT live without water. It isn't fair to us to wake up in the morning and not know whether or not we are going to have water. Especially for me, as a stay-at-home mom.

So, we are moving! Today we have been apartment shopping, all day. We found one that we really like. Sadly, it will put us out of the Milford Ward. But, it feels good to us.

We'll update as soon as we have more information. But, for now, we would like boxes!

I finally have time...or not

2009-03-10T14:02:00.005-04:00

As everyone should know, Daylight Savings Time began on Sunday. Scotty and I were discussing the biannual Daylight Savings occurrences, probably with too much fun. We thought it would be great to have a party both when Daylight Savings Time begins and when it ends. Of course, when it begins in the Spring, you "spring forward" and lose an hour. During the Spring Party, we would stay up until midnight, and experience the absolute cool-ness of watching time disappear! In the Fall, when you "fall back", you gain an hour. We thought, by staying up until midnight this time, one could experience the truest form of deja vu! But, the only people who we would invite to our parties would be those who can handle staying up that late, and still make it to church the next day! No sissies allowed!

Ok, I know. We are total goofballs! And we aren't -really- planning parties for DST.

In other news, we gave Benji his first hair cut.

Here is a before shot:Here is an action picture:

And, here is the after shot:And, of course, you can check out The Mother's Lamentations for the full story HERE.

Busy Busy Busy

2009-03-03T07:50:00.002-05:00

Scotty's sister and her children have been in town this week. It has been awesome, and I'll be sad when they leave. But, it has also been BUSY!!! We have been over spending time with that side of the family practically every day. I must admit, my house is showing signs of neglect. And so is my blog. We should all be back to normal next week!

Ward Split

2009-02-23T11:54:00.003-05:00

So, I briefly mentioned in a previous post that the Milford ward split and created the Little Miami ward. Well, yesterday was our first Sunday in our new wards. It was pretty exciting. We are so small now! I mean, everyone can fit on the comfy pews, and we don't have to open up the back of the chapel and put up folding chairs in the gym! AMAZING! That also means that lots more people are going to have important callings (not saying some callings aren't important, but you know what I mean!). More people...like moi!

I got called to be the Milford ward Primary Chorister! It is a somewhat intimidating calling. I don't know why. I'm just going to be teaching songs to 30 something kiddos! I just want to be perfect at this calling! And, my mom is the new Primary President! I've got some great ladies to work with, that is for sure! I'm excited about it all! (Now I just have to re-learn all those primary songs!!!)

Wordless Wednesday

2009-02-18T14:59:00.002-05:00

Wonderful week...mostly

2009-02-16T17:02:00.003-05:00

This past week has actually been a pretty great one. I turned 21 last Wednesday. I finally have a cool, landscape style license now! And I'm a REAL adult...maybe. Or maybe not, because you still can't rent a car until you are 25. Whatever.

I also had a wonderful Valentine's Day with my honey. We were planning on going to PF Chang's, but we didn't have reservations, and we didn't want to wait an hour and a half to be seated. So, we went across the street to an Italian restaurant, called Bravo! But, wouldn't you know it, that place had an hour and a half wait, too! In the end, we went to Red Robin, and had some delicious burgers! The wait there was only 20 minutes. You can't beat that!

On Sunday, the Milford Ward split! We now have the Milford Ward, and the Little Miami Ward. It is pretty exciting stuff. I have an interview on Tuesday with someone from the Bishopric...we'll find out then what my new calling will be!!!

Alas, not everything can be just peachy, though. Benji has been acting like a totally spoiled brat! It is HORRIBLE!!! I don't know what his problem is right now. Maybe he is teething? Maybe he is just growing? Whatever it is, I feel like ripping my hair out!!!! But, I sure do love that kid, anyway!

To good health

2009-02-07T16:12:00.002-05:00

I'm all about recipes this week, I guess. Well, that and colds. So, here is a fabulous recipe for a salt water gargle that will help sooth a sore throat. Trust me, I used it, and it felt great. Use it in combination with a hot, steamy shower for maximum snot reduction and relief. *Caution: Spicy, but worth it!

1/2 C. of warm water
1/2 tsp. salt
dash of cayenne pepper
Stir it all up, swish and gargle, spit. Repeat until all gone.

Sore throats are caused by swelling, which is caused by water retention. Salt attracts water, so by using a salt water gargle, you will draw water out of your throat and reduce the swelling...and therefore, the pain. It is important not to use too much salt though, because your throat does need some water! The cayenne pepper helps dull the leftover pain (because spicy stuff can do that!) but it also is anti-viral. Loads of sore throats are caused by viruses...so the pepper may help your body get rid of the cold for good! I hope everyone else is feeling in tip top health!

Colds are the worst...

2009-02-06T15:30:00.004-05:00

I have a cold. And Benji has a cold. And we are both miserable. Me, more so than Benji. But, if you want an entertaining post to read, then clickity on over to my latest post on The Mother's Lamentations. It will save me time from retyping all my woes on our family blog, and it may actually give you a little giggle, just seeing how I'm able to look through all the snot to the bright side! And leave a doggone comment, because I'm sure it will make my health improve!

Best Caramels Ever

2009-02-02T09:24:00.002-05:00

Thought you all might enjoy another recipe. This time it is something sweet. Yep, caramels! And my mother-in-law says that they are the best caramels she has ever had! (I love her!)

Mallory's Marvelous Caramels
1 C. dark brown sugar
1/2 C. Karo, light corn syrup
1/2 C. (1 stick) butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Combine all ingredients in a medium sized pot. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Pour into a greased cookie sheet. When cooled enough to touch, roll from one end until the roll is 1/2"-1" thick, then use kitchen scissors to cut away. Then cut the roll into 1/2"-1" pieces. Roll and cut until all the caramel has been made into bite sized pieces. Enjoy! (This recipe made about 4 dozen caramel pieces. I'm sure it can be doubled or halfed quite easily!)

Wordless Wednesday

2009-01-21T10:14:00.001-05:00

I'm a weird-o

2009-01-14T17:17:00.002-05:00

Yesterday and today (and probably tomorrow) I have been reading an online dissertation. It is over 300 pages long. It is scholarly and uses great vocabulary. And I have been reading it purely for my own personal enjoyment. I know...I'm a weird-o. Who on earth would sit down and spend several days reading a dissertation!?!? Well, it is a dissertation all about unassisted childbirth (Born Free: Unassisted Childbirth in North America by Dr. Rixa Freeze). It falls directly inline with my greatest passion. I'm loving every minute of it. I know that when I reach the end, I will be sad that there is no more to read. And that also, makes me a weird-o!

A lot of my friends/family/acquaintances know that I really wanted to have an unassisted childbirth with Benji. Unfortunately, that didn't happen. I have been seriously reevaluating my birth experience with him. Before, I was able to say it was a good birth. I'm not wrong in saying that, but it wasn't what I wanted. And I'm discovering that there are many disappointments that I'm having to get over in my mind.

Some people may wonder why I am posting this here on my family blog, rather than my parenting blog, The Mother's Lamentations. Well, I will tell you why. A lot of my friends/family/acquaintances were-to put it mildly-very worried about our desire to have an unassisted childbirth. There were some that were so worried, that they even went (in my opinion) too far in trying to get through to us how "dangerous" it could be. I won't go into detail about it all. However, there were tons of negative emotions. It bothered me, but I still knew what I felt was right. If any of these people who were worried read my blog, I would like them to go take a look at the dissertation. Even if they don't read the whole thing, I would love for them to look through it at least a little. I studied as much information about unassisted childbirth as I could get my hands on when I was pregnant. I don't think people understood how much I did study. This dissertation is a great resource of information, not only about unassisted childbirth, but also about why people choose it. And you better believe it...I'll be planning an unassisted childbirth for our next child.

A Newberry New York

2009-01-09T09:05:00.001-05:00

Because I know you all are dying to see our most recent music video, I am providing a link to watch it, in which you will NOT have to log into Facebook. Enjoy!

Welcome Home and Welcome 2009!

2009-01-05T10:22:00.008-05:00

We have made it back home from New York, and I have never been so happy to be back in this apartment! The vacation was wonderful fun. Well, except for the food poisoning that resulted in a week worth of puking and diarrhea for practically the whole family. And all the family tension that results from being in close quarters with those that you dearly love. Yeah, it was a pretty crazy week. I did enjoy being together with my whole family though. And New York is absolutely amazing. Here are some pictures (because no vacation post is complete without pictures!)

This hunk of junk was once a beautiful piece of art inside the World Trade Center. It really helps you understand the damage, all the while keeping a perspective of awe and hope. Knowing what it has been through, I almost believe it is probably more beautiful now than it was when it was first created.
Our Lady Liberty is much smaller in real life than she is depicted in movies. Honestly, I would have to say I wasn't all that impressed.

The really impressive stuff was found in Grand Central Station. They had a Kaleidoscope Light Show going on, and it was AWESOME! The building itself is pretty impressive. Here we have some stars on the ceiling that were part of the light show.

This is the Chrysler building. It is big, beautiful, and exactly what you wish the Empire State building looked like.
Unfortunately, THIS is the Empire State building. My dad put it best when he said, "Lame-O".

And, just to prove we were there (and that it was freezing cold) here we are, sans Benji bean (he was in the wrap with Megan), in front of the Rockefeller Christmas tree. When Scotty saw himself in this picture, he finally agreed with me that his hat is ugly. And so is his coat. All I have to say about that is, "Yes, they are both ugly. But you, my dear, look handsome when you are next to me!"
Of course, I have a lot more pictures. But if you really want to see how our trip was, then you must watch our traditional Newberry music video. I am sure you all remember the Bicycle video. We now have the New York video. You probably will need a Facebook account in order to view it. If and when it gets posted on YouTube, I will post a link for your viewing pleasure. It sure is great, so I would recommend checking it out if you can!

December is a busy month

2008-12-26T11:16:00.002-05:00

Christmas was great for our family this year. We were able to balance out our family activities a little more and keep ourselves from trying to run two different directions. On Christmas Day, we got to go to the hospital where my dad works and sing carols to the patients on his floor. That is one tradition that my family started a couple years ago that we really enjoy. I look forward to doing it next year! I won't brag about everything I got for Christmas, but I will brag about what Benji got! His grandma and grandpa T. got him some children's books that are written "en espanol"! I think I am more excited about them than he is though! He also got classic wooden blocks to play with from mom and dad, and a fun musical fishbowl from grandma and grandpa N. Let me tell you, he really made out this year...especially for a baby that is too young to care!

Tomorrow morning, bright and early, we will be leaving to go to New York to visit my sister and her husband. We are very excited...especially because they live in the Bronx, and so we will be able to visit tons of cool places in the city! I've never been to New York city before, so it should be a fun experience for me! We will be gone for a week. So, farewell for a week, and look forward to a fun, picture filled "vacation" post when we get back! HAPPY NEW YEAR!

My baby is funny...

2008-12-17T16:41:00.003-05:00

The other day, Benji crawled over to the toy crate, and was kneeling up by it, scoping out what toys he wanted to play with.First, he found his toy monkey (yes, that blue and pink this is a monkey). So, he got it out.

But, he wanted more toys, so he went back to rummaging the crate, and came back with his yarn pile.

But, of course, we know that two toys aren't enough. So he kept digging through the toys until he found ANOTHER toy. It's a little difficult to see, but he moved his yarn pile over, and added a toy giraffe. It was so hilarious! I just sat quietly by, laughing to myself, and hoping he wouldn't fall and hurt himself!

Benji also loves to carry stuff around in his mouth, like a little puppy dog. He especially loves my cloth nursing pads. Well, he really loves paper, but I always take that away from him, because it disintegrates in his mouth and he chokes on the small pieces.

A new side.

2008-12-15T09:50:00.002-05:00

Well my wife finally gave me access to the blog. So this is a new side to the Thalmanators blog... the husbands side.
So in the last week or so we have been looking for a new house. This has been both fun and frustrating. It has caused excitement and hope but at the same time it has caused discussions and annoyance. We want a nice house that is small "about 1500 sqr feet" but we want to get a repo because its like 50 times cheaper. These limitations are making things a little difficult. So if anyone sees a good deal out there feel free to wish us luck and send us phone #s and addresses.

Awful Habitation: a sonnet

2008-12-10T12:52:00.004-05:00

For those people who have been reading my blog since the near beginning, you know that we moved into this apartment, which was supposed to be marvelous! Unfortunately, it didn't take long for us to realize that it is NOT marvelous. A small sample of the craziness that has ensued since we've been here can be found here, here, and here. Ok, so not all of that has been the fault of the apartment complex, but even our couch breaking was a direct result of us moving! (Thank you, Dad, for saving us money by fixing our couch. I'm so glad I get to keep that horrendously ugly, yellow thing!! But, really, thanks for saving us money! And, if the previous owners of the couch read this blog, please don't be offended. We are forever grateful to you for supplying us with a couch, no matter how it looks!) Alright, enough rambling. I have written a sonnet in behalf of our lovely apartment. Please, enjoy:

Awful Habitation: a sonnet

The place I live has caused me such great woe.
Eight times our water has been turn'ed off!
A great annoyance you could ne'er, e'er know;
no water for me when I'm cursed with cough.

The warp'ed floor has also made me sad;
it cracks the door and lets in nasty smoke.
There's nothing I can do, it makes me mad!
To live here has been quite an awful joke.

I must say I have right to cry, complain.
The closet doors, the kitchen sink, and more...
one socket never work'ed, carpet stained,
to get the bathroom clean would be a chore!

I hate it, hate it, more than words can tell!
~~It makes me feel as if I live in...~~
A further evil place I ne'er could dwell.

ah...December

2008-12-05T10:06:00.002-05:00

I am so glad that it is the end of the year. It's amazing how fast time goes by! Benji is getting so big. He has two teeth, and just started crawling, too! I am planning on starting a yearly family newsletter this year. I didn't do it last year, because I'm cheap, and I don't want to mail it out to everyone. But, I'm feeling like I really should do one this year. Oh, how I love blogging! Anyway, look forward to it at the end of this month!

Also, just to vent some extreme excitement....I'M GOING TO NEW YORK CITY OVER NEW YEAR'S TO VISIT MY SISTER, MEGAN! AND HER HUBBY! AND MY MOM AND DAD AND SISTERS AND SON AND HUBBY ARE ALL GOING TOO! IT'S GOING TO BE AMAZING!!!!!!!!!

Mary Kay Christmas Sale!!!

2008-12-01T08:28:00.008-05:00

I wanted so badly to be able to sell Mary Kay®. I absolutely -LOVE- the products, and getting them at wholesale price was irresistible! But, my selling skills have been less than desirable! Of course, I didn't know how miserably I would fail at Mary Kay® until after I purchased the smallest sized inventory...which happened to be too big for me! Alas, 'tis the season for consumerism, and I have discovered the joy of blogging. So, I am having a Christmas/Going-out-of-business sale, via blog, to get rid of my Mary Kay® inventory.

All regular items are 25% off. I also have products which have already been opened, but not used. These come from my Mary Kay® Skin Care Class bag...but I never had any classes to use them! These will sell for 75% off the original price. When they are gone, they are gone. I have already factored in the sales tax (6.5%), so the prices you see listed here are exactly what you will be paying. I can only accept check or cash. Leave a comment with contact information if you are interested. (All comments will be kept private.)

**********25% Off Items**********
TimeWise® Skin Care
3-In-1 Cleanser (normal/dry), 4.5 oz.-----------------------$14.67
3-In-1 Cleanser (combination/oily), 4.5 oz.------------------$14.67
Age-Fighting Moisturizer (normal/dry), 3.3 fl.oz.------------$17.93
Age-Fighting Moisturizer (combination/oily), 3.3 fl.oz.----$17.93
Miracle Set (Includes normal/dry 3-In-1 Cleanser,
Age-Fighting Moisturizer, Day Solution Sunscreen
SPF 25/Night Solution and your choice of Mary Kay®
Medium-Coverage Foundation, see below)------------------$84.76
Microdermabrasion Set-------------------------------------$47.58
Cellu-Shape™ Contouring System-----------------------------$47.58
Night Solution, 1 fl.oz.---------------------------------------$24.45
Firming Eye Cream, .5 oz.-----------------------------------$24.45
Targeted-Action™ Eye Revitalizer, .34 fl.oz.---------------$28.53
Targeted-Action™ Line Reducer, .13 fl.oz.---------------------$32.60

Foundations, Concealers and Powders
Medium-Coverage Foundation, 1 fl.oz
(Available in: Ivory 100, 104, 202, 204 and
Beige 300, 302, 304, 400, 402, 404)------------------------$11.41
Mary Kay® Mineral Powder Foundation and
Brush Set with limited-edition bag, .28 oz.
(Available in: Ivory 1, 2, Beige 1)----------------------------$22.82
Mary Kay® Signature Concealer, .5 oz. (Yellow)--------------$7.74

Mary Kay® Signature Products
Cheek Color, .2 oz. (Pink Sapphire)--------------------------$8.15
Ultimate Mascara™, .28 oz. (Black)----------------------------$12.23
Eye Color, .09 oz. (Rose Mist, Onyx)-------------------------$5.29
Lip Liner, .01 oz. (Dusty Pink)-------------------------------$8.15
Custom Compact, empty-------------------------------------$13.04

Lip Color Products
Creme Lipstick, .13 oz. (Berry Kiss)-------------------------$10.60
NouriShine™ Lip Gloss, .27 fl.oz.
(Sweet Raisin, Beach Bronze, Sugarberry, Coral Rose,
Pink Diamonds, Gold Rush, Cream & Sugar)----------------$10.60

Customized Skin and Body Care
Indulge Soothing Eye Gel, .4 oz.-----------------------------$12.23
Satin Lips® Set-----------------------------------------------$14.67
Satin Hands® Pampering Set---------------------------------$24.45

Women's Fragrance
Bella Belara™ Eau de Parfum Wand, .25 fl.oz.
Limited Edition----------------------------------------------$17.93

**********75% Off Items**********
Mary Kay® Medium-Coverage Foundation, 1 fl.oz.
(Available in: Ivory 104, 200, 204
Beige 300, 400, 404
Bronze 500, 607, 708)----------------------------------------$4.41
3-In-1 Cleanser (combination/oily), 4.5 oz.-------------------$5.67
Age-Fighting Moisturizer (combination/oily), 3.3 fl.oz.-----$6.93

Also...
Bag of Samples
(Includes 3 "Forever Classic" Mary Kay® Signature Look
cards, 3 "Classic Chic" Mary Kay® Signature Look cards
and 12 Satin Hands Pampering Set samples)------------------$15.00

Want to become a Mary Kay® Independent Beauty Consultant? I can give you all the information you need to get started!

Thankful Thursday: Thanksgiving Challenge

2008-11-27T08:46:00.004-05:00

Thanksgiving Challenge 2008
This Challenge is to list 365 things that I am thankful for. I have divided up all my items into categories. Each category lists the things I am thankful for, related specifically to the category heading. Things that seem to be re-listed, may just be me expressing my gratitude for the item in a different way. This list is in no way inclusive! The more I think about it, the more things I am grateful for...but I am only going to 365 things, here and now. I have added lots of links to lots of the interesting things I am thankful for. And, of course, the link to the one who started it all, The Mommy Bee:

Family
1. Husband, Scotty. He is my best friend, and I love him!
2. Son, Benjamin. He helps me appreciate everything about life.
3. Dad, Mike
4. Mom, Martha
5. Sister, Megan
6. Sister, Maycee
7. Sister, Myrah
8. Father-in-law, Bryan
9. Mother-in-law, Leilani
10. All of my in-law siblings (it would be too much to list them all!)
11. Grandpa Patton
12. Grandma Patton
13. Step-grandma Patton (my grandpa got remarried after my grandmother passed away)
14. Grandma Newberry
15. Grandpa Newberry
16. Aunts
17. Uncles
18. Cousins
19. Newborn babies
20. Hubby hugs
21. Date night
22. Family Home Evening

23. Family prayer
24. Holiday get-togethers
25. Family pictures
26. Living close to family
27. Family traditions
28. Built-in best friends (siblings)
29. Shoulders to cry on
30. Family History
31. Free babysitters
32. Massages from hubby

Talents
33. Singing
34. Sewing
35. Knitting
36. Crocheting
37. Writing
38. Typing
39. Cooking
40. Baking
41. Listening
42. Painting
43. Rubik’s cube
44. Blogging
45. Reading
46. Reading music
47. Humoring others
48. Driving
49. Driving a stick shift
50. Organizing
51. Studying
52. Researching
53. Giving service
54. Decorating
55. Playing with Benji
56. Showing passion in my interests
57. Dedication
58. Juggling
59. Being good at everything I try
60. Being compassionate
61. Loving others
62. Identifying wildflowers
63. Canvases
64. Voice books
65. Sewing machine
66. Wool yarn
67. “Just lookin’ downright hot” says hubby

Luxuries
68. Two computers
69. Nice printer
70. Fast Internet connection
71. Cell phones
72. Gaming system
73. Tons of movies
74. TV
75. DVD player
76. Tons of CD’s
77. Microwave oven
78. Toaster oven
79. Dishwasher
80. Washer/dryer in the apartment
81. Two bedroom apartment
82. Bumbo chair
83. Lots of toys for Benji
84. Lots of toys for hubby
85. Piano keyboard
86. Huge bed
87. Garbage disposal
88. Paper towels
89. Link sausage
90. Hand held vacuum “dust buster”
91. WiiFit
92. Bebe au Lait nursing cover
93. Getting to eat out
94. Glock 19
95. 600 thread count sheets
96. Cord-a-Roy kind sized beanbag chair/bed
97. 8 cookie sheets
98. Pfaltzgraff dishes
99. Fuzzy socks
100. Coffee table
101. Paper towel holder
102. Good water pressure
103. Slip on shoes
104. Memory foam pillow

Friends
105. Calling my hubby my best friend
106. Keeping in touch with friends via the Internet
107. Visiting at friends’ houses
108. Friends with young children
109. Relating to other young moms
110. My relationship with my sisters
111. Visiting Teachers
112. Home Teachers
113. New traditions
114. Sleepovers when I was younger
115. Contacts for learning new things
116. Contacts for sharing information
117. Hanging out
118. Freedom from boredom
119. Sharing interests
120. Hand-me-down clothes for Benji
121. Sharing beliefs
122. Babysitting resources
123. Enjoy pregnancy vicariously until I’m pregnant again
124. Learning new recipes
125. Not having to cook dinner every night
126. Borrowing toys
127. Getting out of my own house
128. Sharing movies
129. Inside jokes
130. Having a listening ear
131. Being able to help others
132. Giving advice
133. Receiving advice
134. Getting help when moving
135. Appreciation of talents

Food
136. Rice cooker (and rice)
137. Bran flakes cereal
138. Oatmeal
139. Cheddar cheese
140. 2% Milk
141. Eggs
142. Jungle Jim’s
143. Baking powder
144. Flour
145. Sugar
146. Wheat bread
147. Potatoes
148. Onions
149. Homemade tomato soup with grilled cheese
150. Eating out at Acapulco (our favorite Mexican Restaurant)
151. Eating out at China Town Buffet
152. Eating out at O’Charlies (best rolls EVER!)
153. Fresh pumpkin pie
154. Cooking nearly everything from scratch
155. Kroger brand Egg nog
156. Crock Pot meals
157. Ground beef
158. Frozen chicken
159. Allrecipes.com
160. Sunday breakfast made my hubby
161. Homemade chili
162. Cream of _____ soups
163. Candy treats
164. Three meals a day
165. Warm Jell-O
166. Milk chocolate
167. Baby spoons
168. Baby bibs
169. Chopsticks
170. Homemade fudge
171. Pocky

Parenting
172. Attachment parenting
173. Pregnancy
174. Childbirth
175. Baby smiles
176. Baby firsts
177. Co-sleeping
178. Breastfeeding
179. Baby wearing

180. Cloth diapers
181. Benji’s naps
182. My future children
183. Possibilities of adoption
184. Joy that parenting brings
185. Play time
186. Reading to Benji
187. Quality time
188. Growing teeth
189. Learning to crawl
190. Teaching opportunities
191. Cool toys
192. Baby laughs and noises
193. Bath time (or shower time, rather)
194. Feeling like an adult
195. Being able to love so much
196. To be called “mama”
197. To call hubby “papa”
198. Taking responsibility of child’s health
199. Better understanding of MY mother
200. Learning to listen to my own body
201. Finding new things to teach Benji
202. Wiggles
203. Benji flirting
204. When Benji wakes up happy
205. Nursing pads
206. Baby carriers
207. Unassisted Childbirth, even though I haven’t done it yet.

Technology
208. Computers
209. Internet
210. TV
211. Movies
212. DVD’s
213. CD’s
214. CD players
215. Air conditioners
216. Cinemas
217. Baby monitors
218. Projectors
219. Cars
220. Busing systems
221. Digital cameras
222. Phones
223. Cell phones
224. E-mail
225. Facebook
226. Blogs
227. Batteries
228. Wii
229. Video games
230. Microwaves
231. Electric heating
232. Elevators
233. Airplanes
234. Printers
235. Lights (especially LED)
236. Rechargeable batteries
237. DVD player
238. Remotes
239. Google.com

Education
240. PSEO
241. Talented and Gifted programs
242. Psychology
243. Biology
244. Associate’s Degree
245. High School Diploma
246. Almost having my Bachelor’s
247. Research experience
248. Scholarships
249. Simple math
250. Appreciation of reading
251. Introductions to Classic literature
252. Improved writing skills
253. Job opportunities
254. Language experience
255. Child development
256. CPR
257. First Aid
258. Self defense
259. Family structures
260. Text books to reference
261. Dictionaries
262. Wikipedia
263. “word-a-day” books
264. Southern State Community College
265. Miami University
266. Good professors
267. Public speaking opportunities
268. How to manage money
269. Hubby getting to go to the University of Cincinnati
270. Future homeschooling
271. Clipboards

Home
272. Counter top space
273. Couch
274. Bookshelves full of books
275. Computer
276. Internet access
277. Kitchen table
278. Chairs
279. Glider
280. California King sized bed
281. Shower
282. Bathtub
283. Toilet (and toilet paper!)
284. Sinks
285. Refrigerator
286. Microwave
287. Washer
288. Dryer
289. Dishwasher
290. Personal space
291. Independence
292. Freedom
293. Locks
294. Four seasons
295. Green trees
296. Lightening bugs
297. Cincinnati
298. Country roads
299. The Constitution of the Unites States of America
300. Colorful drinking cups
301. Water/Fire proof safe
302. Light switches
303. Headboard wide enough to hold a cup of water
304. Drawers that slide well

Health
305. Lactational amenorrhea
306. Lactation
307. Toothbrushes/toothpaste
308. Shampoo/Conditioner (even though I don’t use it regularly)
309. Face wash/moisturizer
310. Bar soap
311. Deodorant (mine AND Scotty’s)
312. Minimal doctor visits
313. No vaccines for Benji
314. Glasses
315. Nasal spray
316. Lotion
317. Clean clothes to wear
318. Petroleum Jelly (for my super dry skin)
319. Cleaning supplies
320. Doctors—when we need them
321. My ability to give birth
322. Puffs Plus lotion tissues

323. Baby wipes
324. Colloidal silver
325. Breast milk
326. Warm coats
327. Clean water
328. Plenty of food
329. Never had a broken bone
330. Nail clippers
331. Easy pregnancy with Benji
332. No major health problems
333. Kitchen gloves
334. Plants that are hard to kill

Religion (Learn More!)
335. God, my Heavenly Father
336. Jesus Christ
337. Holy Ghost
338. The Atonement
339. The Plan of Happiness

340. Forgiveness
341. Miracles
342. Personal revelation
343. The Priesthood

344. Prophets
345. Apostles
346. Bible
347. The Book of Mormon

348. Doctrine and Covenants
349. Pearl of Great Price
350. Church Magazines
351. Sacrament
352. Temples
353. Temple ordinances
354. Covenants
355. Prayer
356. Seminary/Institute
357. Relief Society

358. Service
359. Continued revelation
360. Priesthood blessings
361. Fellow shipping with Saints
362. Eternal families
363. Modesty
364. Hymns and Holiday music
365. My RM hubby

Delicious!

2008-11-26T09:00:00.002-05:00

Ever since I got married, and had to cook dinner all the time, I have gotten creative in the kitchen. Of course, I have my favorite 10 or so meals that I cook nearly all the time...when my creative juices are running a bit sluggish. But, every now and then, I pull out something really spectacular. Usually, I just throw stuff together and hope it turns out well. If it does turn out well, I always wish that I knew how to recreate whatever it was that I made. So, this last time I decided to write down exactly what I put into my dinner, so I will have a recipe of my very own. And it was a great hit! I've now decided that the hardest part about creating a recipe is figuring out what to name it. I asked Scotty to help me figure out a name (because he doesn't like the two suggestions I had), but he has yet to give me one. If someone doesn't give me a better name...I'm just going to keep one of my own ideas. Here is the recipe:

2 large chicken breasts, boneless/skinless (or 1lb of chicken, whichever is easier for you)
32 oz of plain yogurt
1/2 C. salsa
1/2 tsp. minced garlic (1 clove)
1/4 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. minced, dried onion
1 can corn, drained
1 can beans (I used kidney beans, because it was all that I had, but I want to use Great Northern beans next time...although they kidney beans were yummy.)

Put all the ingredients into the CrockPot on LOW for approximately 5 hours. About an hour before serving, shred the chicken. Serve with tortilla chips and cheddar cheese. Makes about 6 servings.

Ok, so the names I have picked out for this recipe are "Mexican Yogurt Soup", or "Pink Chili". Any suggestions for new names?

New Background

2008-11-20T16:41:00.002-05:00

So, I had to change the background to my other blog, because I "exceeded the bandwidth" and my other background disappeared. I wanted to be able to put something in the background this time that wouldn't disappear, because that's pretty inconvenient, if you ask me. So, thanks to this site for instructions, this site for a free program download, this site to make it all work...and a little experimentation and creativity...I can now create my own blog templates! It's totally cool, and I love feeling the power of working with HTML! Of course, it is also a little scary, because I'm afraid that I am going to delete something important...like the whole blog. All the same, I like it so much, that I will probably be changing my blog background more frequently. I like similar color schemes, but I may branch out there too. Who knows!? The possibilities are now endless! Feel free to give it a try yourself!

*Note: if you are going to try this yourself, I would recommend making your "canvas size" 16x12, rather than the suggested 14.5x11. It's all trial and error, though, so good luck!

Can't wait 'til he's home...

2008-11-18T11:20:00.002-05:00

Scotty and I always seem to be going somewhere. We also have something to do. Sometimes it is great, because it gets me out of the house. Other times, it is just exhausting. Yesterday, Scotty took the day off of work (because he would be flying to Chicago in the afternoon). We went to the mall to walk around, and to buy me a new coat (a hooded wool/cashmere blend. Couldn't find a picture of it online, or else I would have added a link, but it's lovely! And it was 50% off!) We are getting really excited for Christmas. But, I have NO idea what to get for Scotty!

I dropped Scotty off at the Greater Cincinnati Airport yesterday afternoon, so he could fly to Chicago for work. I will pick him up on Thursday night. So, I have three days without him. It is already proving to be difficult. Last night was the very first night we have been apart since we got married. I am planning of filling the next couple of days with lots of stuff to do, so I will be distracted from the fact that my dear and beloved hubby is away from me.

Of course, I do still have Benji with me. He is getting cuter every day. He recently has decided that he can yell and make lots of noise, ALL THE TIME!!! He is crawling...backward. He hasn't found forward yet! And he has two bottom teeth!!! When people tell you that kids "grow up so fast"...they aren't kidding!

Also, I would like to add a casual reminder to start working on your Thanksgiving Challenge, if you are going to participate! 365 items could take some time to type, and you only have a week and two days!!! But, just to brag, I already have my list done, and I stopped at 365, although I could have added more! Once you learn how to identify what you are thankful for, it becomes easy! I think this is a GREAT challenge, and I would really, really, really, REALLY encourage everybody to try it!

Thankful Thursday Challenge...day late

2008-11-14T08:11:00.009-05:00

I'm not going to make this into a traditional Thankful Thursday post, but I want to extend the challenge to all of my readers to join together with The Mommy Bee and MANY other bloggers to do a Thanksgiving Challenge. Put together a list of as many things as you can think of that you are thankful for, and on Thanksgiving Day you can post your list with this pretty little button:

You can make your list as big or small as you like. The real challenge is to make a gratitude full list of 365 things, one for each day of the year. You can refer to the Thanksgiving Challenge link for a few ideas on the Challenge and how to organize your list. There is also a script for the button on Mommy Bee's blog, so you can add it to your post and we will all be linked together! Thanks Mommy Bee for this wonderful idea!!

Growin' up and more...

2008-11-10T15:27:00.003-05:00

I have finished one of my recent crochet projects, and I am SO proud of myself for it. I feel like I don't finish my projects often enough. I really should though, because it makes me feel great! I had some wool yarn left over that I was using for other projects. I decided that I could make some nice, warm socks for Benji. I knew I wasn't brave enough to do a sock with a heel, so I made tube socks. I thought it would also be nice to keep Benji's legs warm, too. Anybody who has young kids right now has probably heard about Baby Legs. They are ridiculously expensive. But they are also ridiculously cute. So, I made Benji tube sock/leg warmers. Amazingly, he can still kick them off of his feet. I admit, they are a bit big. But, they will last him all winter long, and they are cute as can be! (And as you can kind of tell from the photo, Benji is trying his absolute hardest to crawl. And from how well he is doing in his "practice" I predict it will be within a few short weeks!)

Benji is just growing up so fast! He turned 6 months old, so we have gone ahead and experimented with solids! We started with banana. We've become somewhat obsessed with them ever since Scotty got his job with Chiquita! Benji did fairly well!

Obviously he liked the bananas, because he just can't seem to get enough of them. And he isn't patient enough for mommy to peel and mash them for him!

And, after a year of not getting my hair cut professionally (and hardly at all), I finally was able to get a, slightly, new 'do. Really, I just got more layers and some long side bangs. But, I love how my hair feels right after a cut! And, it has been two years since I buzzed my hair to 1" long! People are amazed at how fast it has grown. I must admit, it was pretty amazing how fast my hair grew while I was pregnant. (Yeah mom, I stole your shirt! Hope you don't mind!)

Chiquita for President!

2008-11-05T17:10:00.002-05:00

So, I got to vote in a Presidential election for the first time yesterday. Sadly, it didn't go the way I wanted it to go. I can only hope and pray that Obama will not royally screw up everything! I guess you really have to hope that with whoever gets elected. I am just hoping even more with this one!

On another note, Scotty's work has a competition going on right now through Facebook. Chiquita has recently created the Eat A Chiquita application. (They also have the Eat A Chiquita website now.) On the Facebook application, you can collect points by adding friends, adding pictures to the group, and by sending/receiving stars. Everyone can get points, but Chiquita employees are having a competition to see who can get the most points. Whoever has the most points by the 24th of November will get a prize. If you are already on Facebook, and Scotty's friend, then you should add the application through his profile, then give him a star (through the application). If you aren't his friend on Facebook, you should be. Add him, then add the application and give him a star. If you aren't even on Facebook, sign up, add Scotty, add the application, and give him a star. (The prize, if ~~we win it~~ he wins it, will be my Christmas present. Oh, and it will give Scotty bragging rights at work.) You can help! And we appreciate it!

Picture Time!

2008-10-30T11:02:00.005-04:00

So, it has been a little while since my last post with pictures. I know a lot of people really like to see pictures in blogs. Thus, I am adding a picture filled post just for all of you! (And if you DON'T like pictures in blogs, sorry! But I have included words too!)

This picture was taken a while ago, and I had forgotten about it. But, when I was browsing through my pictures, I saw it and thought it should go up here on my blog! Benji thinks he is drinking from this cup, that silly boy!

I have recently taken up crocheting. I think it is so much fun. I already knew how to knit, but it always hurt my fingers (because I would push the point of the needle through while I was knitting.) I find that crocheting moves a lot faster too. Thanks to my brother-in-law, I have a very artistic shot of me working on my current project, a crocheted skirt!

This is at the Halloween party at church. I crocheted hats for all of us. You can't really tell very well, but Scotty's hat has green tendrils on it. He was supposed to be a carrot. Benji is our cute, little pepper. I am supposed to be corn. I must admit, my costume isn't as good as it should have been. We were going to draw kernels on my shirt, but we ran out of time. Also, there is a hole on the top of my hat that my hair is coming out through. It is supposed to be the corn silk. Unfortunately, my hair isn't quite the right color, so I mostly just looked dumb. But, that's Halloween for you!

The other day, I was feeling pretty down about myself. I hadn't showered all day, and I was feeling pretty ragged. I hardly ever take care of myself now that I have Benjamin to take care of instead. So, my wonderful husband took care of Benji for an hour so I could shower and make myself feel pretty. He also made peach cobbler for us! While he was in the kitchen making the cobbler, the opportunity for this picture arose. Scotty has titled this picture "Getting into Trouble". I think we should add the subtitle "And being doggone cute while doing it!"

Every now and then, I really get the craving to have a nice family picture taken. But, I feel like it would be an unnecessary waste of money. After all, we have a camera, we can take it ourselves. Plus, I am planning on having lots more kids, so any professional family pictures will have to be retaken every couple of years!!! But, we do have trouble getting a good one ourselves, it seems. Oh well! Once I've had more kids than I can handle, and we are broke beyond all belief, then I will start saving pennies to get a professional family picture taken!

Thankful Thursday

2008-10-23T12:58:00.002-04:00

I think it is time for another Thankful Thursday. So, without further ado...

1. Scotty. I could put his name on every Thankful Thursday list. He is my favorite blessing!
2. Crocheting. I just learned this nifty, little skill. I couldn't be more pleased with how easy it is, and how beautiful the outcome of everything I make is. It really makes me feel like I am talented!
3. Good food. I am so thankful when I get to eat a meal that makes me super happy. Really, I am thankful for all of my food. I have to admit I tend to take it for granted. But a really good meal is something I always love.
4. Heaters. The weather has started to turn cold here in the lovely state of Ohio. I love those chilly mornings where I get to wrap up in a nice sweater or blanket and don my fuzzy socks! But more than that, I love a nice warm heater.
5. The Bumbo chair. It is so nice to be able to put Benjamin in his Bumbo so he can sit and watch me with whatever I am doing. (I am a Bumbo rule breaker, and I put him on the counter, table, dryer, etc. But don't worry, I watch him the whole time, and if he looks like he is going to figure his way out of the chair, I won't do it anymore!)
6. Natural light. I think living in a dark apartment has made me realize how much I love natural lighting. I wish I had more of it here in my apartment.
7. Mothers. I am so thankful for mothers. My own, my in-law, grandmothers, other inspiring moms, and even myself. I am thankful for those people that take the time to have and raise children. It is an important role to fill, and I am thankful that there are those willing to do it.

Farewell, good couch

2008-10-21T15:46:00.003-04:00

Scotty and I were blessed enough to receive a couch before we got married. Some friends from church gave it to us--for free! So, we didn't care that it was used, and absolutely not our style. Don't get me wrong, it is was a nice couch. It would just be nicer if it wasn't...yellow. Oh well. To each their own, and if this wonderful family wanted a yellow couch, so be it. And, apparently when they realized that they really didn't want a yellow couch, they decided to help out a young couple in need. Thus, we ended up with a yellow couch.

Anyway, this couch has obviously been moved one too many times. I don't know if it was our last move, or some other time, but a couple of the couch's legs received a wee bit of damage to them. Too much wiggling around on the couch had the potential for major problems. So, when Scotty decided to pull the couch farther away from our baseboard heaters (which are now on, thanks to the chilly nights)...while I was still seated, the couch let us know it had had enough. Those damaged legs didn't hold up. I didn't notice a difference when Scotty moved the couch (which happened in the morning). But after returning home later that day from my parents' house, when I sat down on the couch, it was recognizably lower. I thought to myself, "This is weird. My parents' couch must be just so much taller that my couch seems extra low now." Then, I realized that something else must be wrong. Yes, our couch is missing legs. So, we removed the other legs that were still in place. We now have a yellow couch, that is sitting directly on the floor. And I have been browsing online for a new couch. Preferably a cheap one. And I'm thinking tan.

I Made Strides...

2008-10-14T14:11:00.002-04:00

A while ago I posted about the team my mom put together for Making Strides Against Breast Cancer and The American Cancer Society. Well, the Making Strides walk for Greater Cincinnati was this past Sunday. I went to walk with my mom, family, friends, and thousands of other people who came together for this good cause! It was a 5 mile walk around Cincinnati. It was awesome! There were so many people there! And a lot of pink! Panera Bread donated 5,000 bagels at the end, for everyone who walked. But there were so many people there that they ran out of bagels before we got to the end...and we weren't even at the end of the parade!!!

I really ended up walking about 7 miles, because we parked a mile away. That's a lot of walking in one morning! I ended up with very sore legs, and a dime-sized blister on the ball of my right foot. But I probably lost some weight! Benji even came too! I carried him in my wrap half way, and then my mom carried him in the wrap the other half. It was a lot of fun! And I am looking forward to the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk on the 25th of this month, with the Miami Athletic Club. Come and walk! And don't worry, this one is only 3 miles!

Mmmm...Pumpkin Pie!

2008-10-09T13:08:00.001-04:00

Now that the season for pumpkins has come around, I have decided to do some experimenting! I looked on All Recipes until I found the pumpkin pie recipe that looked the easiest for me to make (which means I had to buy the least amount of stuff to make it). Oh, yeah, I also looked for one that had good reviews, because no matter how easy it is to make, it has to taste good! I finally decided to go with Cindy's Pumpkin Pie. I used a real pumpkin, too! It was my first time cooking with real pumpkin. I was a little bit nervous, because the last time I ate something made with fresh pumpkin...I wasn't that impressed. But, I am happy to report, that my 100% homemade pie (including the crust :D!) turned out absolutely DIVINE! Note: In the picture, you can see my pan of pumpkin seeds. I tried roasting them, but they really didn't turn out to taste very good. But I have the pie, so it's ok!

The recipe makes enough filling for two pies. However, I only have one pie pan! So, I made mini pies in my muffin tin! They turned out great too!

I must say, I will be making pumpkin pie every year now...with fresh pumpkin! It is wonderful. Although Cindy's recipe is really good, I think I will tweak it just a little bit next time I make pie. Maybe I will add a little bit more pumpkin, and a little less sugar. Not that I mind it too sweet, but if you look at the recipe, you will understand that is has plenty! Or maybe I will use Butter Pecan ice cream?

A-Z Tagged

2008-10-08T09:46:00.000-04:00

Ok, I swear I will get a real blog post up here soon! I am attempting to make a 100% homemade pumpkin pie today, so I will definitely have something to blog about tomorrow. In the meantime, I was tagged by Trisha, so here we go...

A- Attached Or Single: Attached
B- Best Friend: Scotty
C- Cake Or Pie: Cake...as long as it's chocolate and moist!
D- Day Of Choice: Saturday, because I get to spend more time with my hubby!
E- Essential Item: probably a hair tie
F- Favorite Color: Green
G- Greatest Accomplishment: My temple marriage, followed closely by starting my family with baby #1
H- Hometown: I guess I would have to say Sardinia, OH because that I where I lived the longest
I- Indulgences: anything with sugar (I am eating cherry cordial Kisses right now!)
J- January Or July: July
K- Kids: Have one boy, want many more!
L- Life is Incomplete without: The Atonement of our Savior
M- Marriage Date: August 10, 2007
N- Number of Siblings: 3 sisters
O- Oranges or Apples: Oranges...apples make me sick!
P-Phobias or Fears: calling people
Q-Quotes: Ones I say? Or ones I like?? I do have a quote book of all the funny things that people around me have said! One of those quotes is from my little sister when she was very young, she would say "I'm not even afraid of a blue whale!"
R- Reason to Smile: When Benji does his bashful, cute smile! I can't help but smile back!
S- Season: Fall
T- Tag five friends: Martha, Megan, Sarah H, Veronica, Karena
U-Unknown Fact about Me: I pierced my belly button with a thumb tack when I was 13 years old (and obviously very stupid). It lasted less than a week, and I have since repented...but I do have a little scar to remind me of my past stupidity!
V- Very favorite store: right now, probably Jo-Ann Fabric
W- Worst Habit: procrastination
X- X-ray or Ultra sound: Ultra Sound
Y-Your Favorite Food: Do I have to have a specific favorite?? I love Mexican and Chinese food the best. But I also recently enjoyed the Chicken and Gnocchi from Olive Garden, and it was EXCELLENT! Oh yeah, and I really love Yaki Soba and Gyoza. Ha, I just love food!
Z- Your Zodiac sign: Aquarius

100 Things

2008-10-06T13:09:00.000-04:00

Once again, I feel like I have nothing to blog about, but the strong desire to post! Here we have 100 things about me! Enjoy!

1. I am a total blog stalker!
2. I check my email at least twice a day.
3. I check my Facebook at least twice a day too!
4. I spend way too much time on the Diaper Swappers forums.
5. I am trying not to be obsessed with cloth diapering, but I really think I love it.
6. I am a crunchy mom.
7. I plan to breastfeed Benji until he weans himself.
8. I hope Benji weans before he turns three.
9. I think breastfeeding is the best immunization you can get.
10. I don’t vaccinate Benji.
11. I won’t vaccinate my other kids either.
12. I already want to have another baby.
13. I am praying that my next baby will be born at home.
14. If our next baby is born at home, I know I will get better sleep than I did in the hospital!
15. That is not the only reason I want a home birth though!
16. Benjamin sleeps in the bed with me.
17. My bed is a California King size bed.
18. All of my sheets are King sized.
19. Last year I got green sheets to put on my red bed, so the room would look festive for Christmas.
20. I wish I could decorate better.
21. I hate nick-knacks.
22. But I love the Willow Tree figurines.
23. I wish I could carve beautiful wood sculptures.
24. I wish I could paint half as good as other artists I know.
25. I call myself an abstract artist.
26. I have sold one of my painting before.
27. It was really sold in a fund raiser art auction, so I didn’t make any money.
28. I wish I could buy everything I think looks cool.
29. I really hate shopping though.
30. I wear Benjamin in a baby carrier when I go shopping.
31. I get bummed that only old women comment on the baby carrier.
32. I have Mamatoto cards to hand out to people to promote baby wearing, but I feel like I can’t hand them out to the old women that ask about my baby carrier.
33. I can’t wait until I’m old.
34. I want to see my kids all grown.
35. Although, I do love Benji now as a baby!
36. I wish he could walk though.
37. Even if I have to chase him everywhere.
38. Maybe I will finally get down to my preferred weight.
39. I exercise on our Wii Fit.
40. But not often enough.
41. I think I am just lazy.
42. I am supposed to be learning Spanish.
43. I would rather sit and work on my crochet/knitting skills.
44. I just taught myself how to crochet.
45. I think I like it better than knitting.
46. Knitting hurts my fingers.
47. Spanish hurts my brain.
48. Once I learn Spanish, I can CLEP out of the classes.
49. Then I can FINALLY graduate with my Bachelor’s Degree.
50. I was taking Italian.
51. I took it for two years.
52. I got really good grades in the first 3 semesters.
53. Then I failed the last semester.
54. I blame my pregnancy and taking the final when Benji was only 6 days old.
55. I have over 177 credits.
56. But I still can’t graduate until I pass the 202 level of a language.
57. I think that is stupid!
58. Because my degree is in PSYCHOLOGY!
59. I switched to Spanish because Scotty knows Spanish.
60. And so do a lot of other people.
61. So I should be able to learn it faster.
62. And I have forgotten most of my Italian already.
63. I took Italian in the first place because my dad knows it.
64. He rarely tried to speak it with me.
65. I also liked Italian because I love music.
66. I really love to sing.
67. I especially love to listen to Josh Groban.
68. I wish I could write music.
69. I love writing short stories and poems.
70. I love reading.
71. I am a diehard Harry Potter fan!
72. I cried when I read the last book.
73. I cried when I read it a second time too.
74. I generally don’t cry over that kind of stuff.
75. When I was pregnant, I cried almost every night.
76. A lot of those crying moment were because I was “just so happy”.
77. My poor husband is so patient.
78. He puts up with a lot around me.
79. I think I am always right.
80. I am stubborn and opinionated.
81. I usually keep my opinions fairly quiet.
82. But I will silently judge people who don’t agree with my opinions.
83. I don’t like it when people try to tell me how to do things.
84. I would rather figure it out on my own.
85. I can passionately hate something, until I am forced to try it, and then I will think it is the best thing under the sun.
86. This is how I learned to love driving a stick.
87. I really hate driving though.
88. I make Scotty drive practically everywhere.
89. Scotty’s driving sometimes scares me.
90. But not as much as my mom’s driving scares me.
91. My mom drives like my grandpa.
92. I lived with my grandpa for two years.
93. I think it prepared me to be married to Scotty.
94. They both have engineer minds.
95. I am super abstract.
96. I feel a pull toward earthy, free living, hippy ideas.
97. I love when people think I am weird.
98. I really want to have at least 6 kids.
99. People think I’m weird for that.
100. But my hubby doesn’t!

I love to laugh...hahahaha!

2008-09-30T09:19:00.000-04:00

We were over at Scotty's parents' house yesterday night to celebrate Kent's (Scotty's younger brother) birthday. We were getting ready to leave and Kent was trying to jump up high enough to touch the ceiling. He was missing the ceiling by just half an inch! Of course, being the older brother, Scotty had to show off by showing Kent that HE could jump up and touch the ceiling. Right after Scotty touched the ceiling, Benjamin (who was being held by Grandma Thalman) started laughing away! Scotty jumped again. And Benjamin laughed again. It was so cute, and absolutely hilarious. The really funny thing was that Benji didn't laugh when Kent was jumping, only when his daddy jumped! Luckily, I had brough our camera with us, so I was able to capture the moment.

Baby Bruise Update

2008-09-24T15:46:00.000-04:00

Ok, so it is one day later, and I think this picture shows a little bit better the black eye that my little guy got!

But, doesn't he have beautiful blue eyes!?!?

8 Ball and a little more...

2008-09-23T15:46:00.000-04:00

Because I am a blog stalker, I come across lots of interesting things to post about. Most of them I ignore, but when I'm feeling particularly bored or clueless as to what I should post (but still really wanting to post SOMETHING) I will go ahead and copy what someone else has done. I am giving this post the title 8 Ball, because it is a series of 8 things about you...that explains it poorly, but you'll see. And, maybe we can get the ball rolling, and other people can post their 8's.

8 Things I'm passionate about
1. Natural pregnancy, birth, etc. (I'm a crunchy momma!)
2. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
3. My super, awesome, wonderful, amazing, handsome hubby!
4. My cute, little, smart, growing, baby boy!
5. Baby wearing (I'm looking at a pattern to make my own Mei Tai! yay!)
6. Breastfeeding
7. Singing
8. Parenting

8 Words or Phrases I say Often
1. Wow
2. Insane
3. Como se dice _____ en espanol? (to Scotty)
4. Do you need a diaper change? (to Benji)
5. What's the matter? (to Benji)
6. You're OK! (to Benji)
7. Good job! (to Benji....can you tell who I talk to the most?!)
8. I love you (to Scotty...and Benji)

8 Things I want to do Before I Die
1. Swim with sharks (I must be crazy!)
2. Visit Europe
3. Learn to speak Spanish fluently (I'm giving myself until I die...isn't that nice?)
4. Have more kids (at least 5 more)
5. Have grandkids (each of my kids better have offspring!!!)
6. Write and publish a book/hymn(s) or both!
7. Live in a house (my very own, preferably my own design, too)
8. Be 100% out of debt (including school loans)

8 Things I Currently Want or Need
1. More cloth diapers and covers (I need to experiment more with this!)
2. A day where Benj doesn't cry once (hey, I can want it!)
3. To lose at least 20 lbs
4. My Bachelor's Degree (grumble...I should have it anyway!)
5. A house
6. To be pregnant again (I know, I must be really crazy!)
7. My own personal gourmet chef (no more cooking dinner, YAY!)
8. To learn Spanish (this is very important, can you tell!?!?)

So, there are my 8's. And Benji fell asleep while I was typing, so it was worth it, whether my readers enjoyed this or not!

And I promised a little more...I have officially experienced feeling like a HORRIBLE mom today. Which is major, because I didn't even feel like a horrible mom when Children's Protective Services showed up at my door (long story there)! I was holding Benjamin on my lap while sitting at the computer, and he was bouncing up and down. Then, he leaned forward...very quickly. I wasn't able to catch him quite in time, so he whacked his little face into the edge of the desk and acquired his first black eye. It's really just below his eye, and it doesn't look TOO bad. But, way to go me, right!?! Here is a picture, it is just below his right eye:

The picture really doesn't do justice to the pretty bruise. Isn't that sad, I'm trying to tell you it's worse than what it looks!!! But, Benji was such a trooper, he cried for just a minute...while I was frantically getting myself prepared to nurse him back into a happy state of bliss. After nursing, he was just fine! Breast milk is magic!

Thankful Thursday

2008-09-18T08:53:00.000-04:00

Well, I am definitely not doing so great at the whole "Thankful Thursday" posts. Note that this is only my second TT...I promise, I DO have lots to be thankful for! I'm just that bad at remembering to do a TT post...and I especially seem to be bad at posting on Thursdays anyway! I'm not sure why. Anyway, I suppose that because my Thankful Thursdays are so far and few between, they will be a special treat to all of my readers! I do hope you all enjoy, and remember the things in your own life that you are thankful for.

1. Electricity. Courtesy of Hurricane Ike, nearly the whole of Cincinnati lost power (and lots of large trees) from the 75mph or so winds that blew threw on Sunday. We lost power for about 24 hours. It wasn't as bad as some others had (or may still have) it, which I am very grateful for. I always took electricity for granted when I was a kid. I LOVED when the power went out! I still love it, in small doses. But I never had to worry, until now, about all the food that was going to spoil!
2. Scotty. I am sure that I can't say it enough!!! He is my whole world. I am truly blessed to have a husband like Scotty. He does everything for me. I love him so much!
3. UPS. Yes, UPS...as in "What can Brown do for you?". I am just always happy to get a package from UPS (sorry, FedEx, I am generalizing here, but I'm grateful for you, too). They make me happy, and I should be full of thanks for those things that make me happy!
4. Fall. Oh, how I love the fall. I can feel it coming. The cool and comfortable nights. The crisp, clean air that is sharper than Spring and Summer, but not biting like Winter. The turning trees, painted by God, Himself. It is my all time favorite season.
5. Ohio. I realized that I can't have the Fall that I love without Ohio!! I'm sure other places have many similarities to the season here in the Heart of it All, but it can never be quite the same. I love Ohio for all of the weather, and because I have a sentimental, nostalgic tie to growing up here.
6. Wii Fit. My Wii Fit has been the only thing that can get me to exercise regularly in my adult life...except when the power goes out! I feel so much better when I get some exercise. I think the only thing that would be better would be a treadmill that I could put right in front of the TV, so I could walk while I watched a movie or something. But I may not even really like that...the Wii has so much variety. Regardless, I have lost about 3 lbs. from my solid week of Wii-ing last week.
7. Blogs. I have gotten really bad at keeping a journal, I think because I hate having to hand write everything. Typing is so much easier for me. I can use my blog as a journal of sorts. And, I get to keep up with my creative writing. I have missed writing so much! I felt like I had lost my creativity in writing, until I started blogging. Now I can feel my creative juices flowing again...maybe a bit sluggishly, but I'm sure they will pick up in time!

My attempts at good health

2008-09-10T13:14:00.000-04:00

So, my mom has been losing weight, and is looking absolutely WONDERFUL. I am so proud of her, and she has definitely inspired me to get back into shape. I still have some of that baby fat that I could work off. And, because I have a fun way to exercise (my Wii Fit) I really have no excuse! I am proud of myself for making it to three consecutive days of working out for at least 30 minutes!! Hopefully I'll keep it up longer! Let me tell you what, though, my legs are killing me. I don't know if it is the Wii hula hooping, or the Wii "advanced step" or maybe some of the whacked out Wii yoga I've been trying out! Yikes! But, all the same, I feel great. Physically, and mentally. It's so great that exercising the body makes the mind feel better too!

The next part of Operation Good Health is eating better. This has proven to be a much more difficult thing to master than even exercising! I am a fan of over sized portions! Even when I was in my last trimester of pregnancy (when "normally" you don't have room to take more than a few bites of your dinner) I was able to pack it away. It's almost embarrassing! But, I have Scotty's word that he will help me make better diet decisions. Of course, he is the one who bought me a super sized box of Hot Tamales just the other day. And then, miraculously, I ended up with a frosted cake in my house. I have cookies 'n' cream ice cream in my freezer. And I was the lucky winner of a chocolate chip cheesecake at our ward's Relief Society service auction. It's amazing how my sweet tooth, and the rest of the world, can make things sooooo hard!

The men in my household don't have to worry about anything nearly as much. For one reason, they are guys, and guys just don't have the same talent of packing on the weight in all the wrong places. Scotty's goal weight is, of course, higher than what he weighs now. That means he gets to eat lots of meat and all that delicious stuff! Sure, he has to be healthy too...but there is something that seems slightly unfair about a health plan that doesn't involve weight loss! Benji, on the other hand, doesn't have to worry about ANYTHING! He is soooo lucky. He gets to eat to his little heart's content (and supposedly that is supposed to help me lose weight more easily...fat chance!) And the best part about Benji's diet, is that it is sweet and delicious! And he's trying to gain even more weight than Scotty!

I keep telling myself: I will exercise more...unless I'm too tired. I will cut back on sweets....as soon as that cheesecake is gone!

Last Swim of '08 and More

2008-09-04T10:28:00.000-04:00

Our apartment complex has a pool, which we have only used about 3 times since we've been here. I guess that's ok, though, because it's only been a month. But, as Labor Day has come and gone, we no longer get to use the pool. Until next year, that is! Benji has loved swimming, and Scotty and I have loved trying to turn Benj into a water baby!

Benji was so cute in the water. He would splash with his hands, and get water on his face, and it surprised him every time! It was adorable! This is a picture of him looking down into the water at the camera.
Scotty and I also got to have a little fun ourselves. And when I say "a little fun" that means the fun lasted long enough for us to take a couple pictures and then get out!

But, apparently now summer is over...even though the weather has been in the 90's this whole week!!!

Benjamin is just as cute as ever, and getting cuter every day! The other day he was laying on his play mat and I heard a noise like someone was sucking on fabric. I looked down at Benj, and he was sucking away on the trunk of his little toy (and girlfriend), "Ella". I had to take a picture. Doesn't this picture just say "Excuse me, but I would rather you DIDN'T take a picture of me while I'm kissing my girlfriend"!

Benji has also started "talking" a lot. I got a little video recording of one of our conversation, although I couldn't get a word in edgewise! (Other than me yelling "what?" at the end of the video...you can ignore that part! I had just accidentally chain-locked Scotty out of the apartment, and he was calling my name to let him in! lol) The video is really dark, but it's not something that you really have to see, you just have to hear.

That was Benji talking nicely, he has recently started growling too. He must think he's a little animal!

Making Strides Against Breast Cancer

2008-08-29T09:10:00.000-04:00

My mom has organized a team, in conjunction with her employer, for this year's Making Strides Against Breast Cancer, by the American Cancer Society. Please take the time to view the web page, join her team, and/or make a donation: http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR?team_id=333507&fr_id=11727&pg=team

Or visit her personal blog for more information: http://thenewberrypatch.blogspot.com/2008/08/making-strides-against-breast-cancer.html

Curse of the New Apartment

2008-08-29T08:31:00.000-04:00

So, I have already shared my recent water issues with my readers, but let me fill you in on the rest of the curse. I must say, a strangely large number of mishaps have been occurring just since we've moved:
1. Three, yes, 3 water main breaks within one week. Actually, they were just a couple days apart. And, they were so close to our apartments, that our road has been sufficiently mangled and insufficiently repaired. Our water is still...questionable.
2. This must be the year for psychotic bugs, because after the cicadas (which I would much prefer over the new crazy happening) we now have an issue with Oak Leaf Itch Mites in the Cincy region. These microscopic mites feed on bug larvae on Oak leaves. When the larvae run out, the mites go airborne, and attempt to feed on whatever they land on...which happens to be a large number of poor, unsuspecting people. I, lucky me, have had at least two bites so far. The most recent one has manifest itself in a red welt the size of a silver dollar above and behind my right knee. Oh, and they itch like crazy! This means no open windows until we're through October.
3. Speaking of bugs, I have become highly suspicious of fleas in our apartment. I have dealt with fleas before, and I know how allusive they can be, but I think I have spotted two. This is rather frustrating, because I don't know how to treat them in an apartment building AND because we don't have pets!!!! Why would we have fleas!?!?!
4. My son, bless his little hands that have caused me trouble, managed to dump half a cup of -black cherry- warm jello onto the carpet. Due to my quick acting (imagine a jolt of electricity pushing you into action) I was able to get it cleaned up with no more than a possible pink haze on the carpet. You might as well just blame your bad eyes and say the carpet is perfectly clean.
5. I have also managed to shatter, yet another, of our drinking glasses. This last incident wasn't quite as bad as when I shattered our glass pitcher. At least our vacuum cleaner is working this time, and I haven't received any shards in my feet. But, I think we are down to only 6 more glasses....we started with 16. Needless to say, we have purchased plastic to replace the broken ones. Scotty is learning that I can be quite the klutz!
6. Our Internet mysteriously stopped working the other day. And, with a call to Time Warner, being on hold for what seemed like forever, and speaking to at least two techs...it still wasn't working. Just last night, Scotty was able to get hold of our "local, level 3 technical support" and they were able to fix it for us. The reason behind the problem...our move. When we got our Internet up and working at the new address, the guy didn't fully do his job, and our equipment was still assigned to our old address, even though our billing was coming to our new address. So, they shut off the equipment (attached to the old address) which shut it off at our new address.

I must say, I do love my apartment. No one can say they hate an apartment that has a dishwasher and w/d hookups, when they were without those luxuries for a year before! I will just blame Satan...he is trying to bring my family down, because we are doing so well. Listen here, Satan! Get thee hence! My God and righteousness will prevail!

WATER

2008-08-25T14:11:00.000-04:00

Ok, so this past week has been absolutely ridiculous! We have now had THREE water main breaks. You don't realize how much you use water until it's gone. The first break was on Thursday, Scotty and I noticed that we had no water, and then we heard that it should be back on within the hour. To pass the time, we went swimming (and had tons of fun with Benji in the pool...another post to come once we get the pictures up on the computer). When we came back into our apartment, our water was back on, but it was NASTY and full of mud. So, we turned on the cold water and let it run until it was clear.

The second break happened before I was able to finish my post-swimming shower, that same Thursday. That meant I had conditioner in my hair when our water turned off again, and I didn't get to wash the chlorine off of Benj. Lovely, eh!? Luckily, we have family close and I was able to rinse my hair out and wash Benji at my in-law's house. Our water was back on when we got home, but still looking cloudy. The next morning we noticed that the cloudiness was really just little water bubbles.

The third break happened today, before I was able to get in the shower, of course. I was so frustrated! I have never had to deal with this before, but I know that it isn't fair to be out of good, reliable water so often. I called the water district and was told the water would be back on in an hour or two. I then asked how long I should expect to have to boil our water and was told "We don't do boil alerts." What!?!?! I wish I could have argued about that, but Benjamin was in need of my attention. Our water did come back on fairly quickly, but I still have my own questions about how clean it really is. And, I'm wondering what my rights are...I mean, I am paying for water, but I'm not getting reliable water (is it clean? is it even on!?!?) Ugh, I try not to be in the "lawsuit" mentality of our world today, but seriously!?!?! One thing is for sure, it's a good thing I'm breastfeeding.

One Proud Momma!

2008-08-20T10:17:00.000-04:00

"Look what I can do!" would be the words out of his mouth, if he could speak! Benjamin has found that he can stand, and so he loves to stand all the time now! And, he can even do it by himself (with mom right there to catch when he loses his balance). I get him to stand next to his little play gym and put his hands on the arches so he can support himself, and then -voila!- he can stand! I have to hold onto the other side of the gym though, because Benj weighs enough that he will pull it over...of course, the gym doesn't weigh hardly anything, so that's not hard to do! In the picture, I am holding onto his hand just because he kept letting go on that side. Silly guy!

Also, I finally finished Breaking Dawn, which means I am up for discussion on the whole Twilight Series. I, honestly, don't know how I feel about Breaking Dawn...it was very weird to me. But, at the same time, it was one of those magnet books that I just couldn't seem to put down very easily.

Thankful Thursday

2008-08-14T14:27:00.000-04:00

So, thanks to Scotty's cousin, Veronica, I am now going to do a "Thankful Thursday" blog post. I think it is a wonderful idea to show all those things I am thankful for. However, because I am thankful for SO many things, I am going to limit my list to 7 things (one for each day of the week, to last until the next Thankful Thursday). We'll see how well I am able to keep this up! And a big thanks to Veronica for letting me steal her great idea!

1. Washer/Dryer. I love having a washer and dryer in my home now. It means I can spend my Saturdays with Scotty, doing what I love, rather than trying to get laundry done.
2. Benji smiles. If Benji never smiled, I would probably cry a lot more than normal. Even when he is being fussy and impossible to deal with...and I get frustrated beyond reason...as soon as he breaks out a tiny smile, everything is A-OK!
3. Anniversaries. I was able to celebrate my one year anniversary this past Sat./Sun. by going out to a nice restaurant, spending some quality time with my AMAZING hubby, attending the church that I love, and spending time with friends. It was great, and I can't wait for the next 50+ years!!!
4. Baby wraps. I love being the "crunchy" person I am, and I love that I can wrap Benji up while I walk through the grocery store, or do whatever errand is needed. And, to top it all off, he usually falls asleep, which is always a relief!
5. Close Friends. Scotty and I have developed a great friendship with a family that just moved into our church. It is sooo nice to have another young couple around, and to have so much in common with them. I have missed having my other friends being far away, now I finally have some close too! (Of course, I have lots of friends at church...but sometimes some people are just more like friends than others! :D)
6. The Rubik's Cube. Scotty taught me how to solve this wonderful little puzzle, and it brings me such a sense of accomplishment! It helps me feel like I am special and smart...and nerdy...which, believe it or not, I enjoy!
7. Chiquita Brands. I am thankful for Chiquita for a lot of reasons. The catchy song, the yummy bananas (that are free to us every Tuesday), the paycheck.

Feel free to start your own TT, because it feels so great to list the things that you are thankful for (and it really gets you thinking about even little things that you normally don't think about)!

The Mother's Lamentations

2008-08-08T11:38:00.000-04:00

Hello all mothers: I have started another blog. It is a collection of my creative writing all about my personal experiences as a mother. Feel free to check it out and leave a comment. http://motherslamentations.blogspot.com You can also find the link on the side under "Sites we like". I will be updating it frequently...probably even more frequently than this blog, so check back often for new funny stories and other laments!

Wii are Fit and Cute Kicks

2008-08-04T15:10:00.000-04:00

I am constantly finding myself using my blog to brag. That's what they are for, right!? Anyway, we have been lucky enough to purchase a WiiFit, and let me tell you, it is the most fun I have EVER had playing a "video game" in my life! I would recommend the Wii (specifically for the WiiFit) to everyone!

And now, I would like to present a short video clip of my adorable son, who is already 3 months old, and his most favorite exercise--kicking! (includes a free bonus of a Benji sneeze!)

Benji kicks like this nearly all the time. It can get a lot more animated, too! He likes to move his arms along with all the kicks, and add some vocals, as well! I swear he is going to be an early crawler/walker because he moves his legs so much. He has really been getting into it right before bed this past week. It is adorable! I can't wait until I'm chasing him all over the place! Other mothers tell me to not wish for the time to pass and to enjoy it all while it lasts. Trust me, I am enjoying everything for just as long as it lasts, but I do get very excited for everything to come! Being a mom is the best job in the world, and I can't wait to be promoted to a mom of more than just one!

We moved!

2008-08-01T09:01:00.000-04:00

We have moved into our new apartment! Let me just tell you of some of the improvements from our prior apartment. We have a dishwasher, washer/dryer, garbage disposal, two bedrooms, a bathtub that I won't mind getting in for a bath, lots of parking space, a swimming pool, and probably a lot more that I just can't express. Of course, it's not a house, but it is still wonderful! Everything went very smoothly with the move. It only took us one day (benefit of only moving 5 minutes away!) By the end of the day, we were practically all the way unpacked! Here is a sample picture of the messy move:

Scotty has also just started going to school at the University of Cincinnati. That means that he is gone all day long two days out of the week, but that is a small sacrifice to pay for him getting his education.

Things are just wonderful for us, and we know that we are truly blessed. Speaking of Godly things, Scotty and I have made a major decision concerning our entertainment. Not to brag about our righteousness, but we have decided that we will no longer watch PG-13 movies in theaters. We are allowing ourselves to view selected PG-13 movies after they are out on DVD (so we can watch them in the comfort of our own home, and not be afraid to turn it off, if we feel that is necessary). We felt that this was an important new rule to enforce after we watched the new Batman movie in the theater. It gave us both an icky feeling and totally drove the Spirit away. It really helped us realize that we need to be more aware of the good and the bad in our entertainment. (But, I am getting really excited for the new Harry Potter movie, and I am a tinsy bit sad that I have to wait longer for it to come out on DVD first.)

Now, I would like to be an advertisement for colloidal silver...and I would like to issue a warning to all those who ride motorcycles. My little sister, Maycee, recently had a stupid adventure attempting to ride a motorcycle. And, as you would expect in such a stupid adventure, she was wearing shorts. You can imagine the inevitable burn that resulted. I have taken the responsibility of documenting the burn:

Pretty nasty. It is a shame you can't really get the true sense of how big this burn really is. I would say just slightly smaller than a 3x5 index card. So, I let her use some of my colloidal silver to put on the burn, along with all the other dressings she was putting on it (under the instructions of Dad, RN). I am not exactly sure of the timing, but somewhere around four weeks later, this is the burn:

As you can see, or maybe not, the burn is almost completely healed. And, Maycee's skin looks absolutely beautiful, it doesn't look like a burn wound. Let me just say, Maycee is someone who is truly blessed!

Now, to end this post on an even happier note, we bought Benji a Bumbo chair! It was ridiculously expensive for a tiny, foam chair, but I'm still glad we got it! He isn't sure that he actually likes it or not yet, but he'll enjoy it more and more as he gets older. He is starting to suck on his fists. And he is grabbing things, too! I just can't believe how fast he is growing. He doesn't even look like the same baby as when he was born! He just keeps getting cuter! Last night, he was so awake, even though Mommy and Daddy were ready to sleep. He was just kicking his legs and waving his arms and cooing away. It was hilarious, and soooo adorable. I wish we had videotaped it. It's really a shame that I can't seem to capture the truly adorable moments. Just know that the cute-ness that you see in the pictures I do post are only a fraction of the reality!

Vacation 2008

2008-07-09T15:16:00.000-04:00

We were able to go on vacation this summer and enjoyed the opportunity to go out to Utah to visit Scotty's family. Luckily, we went with grandma and grandpa Thalman and Kent, which kept things very interesting and helped out with entertaining Benji. Benjamin did a great job on the airplane, the only rough part was our descent into Salt Lake. We got to do lots of things while we were in Utah. Our first full day we spent moving Scotty's grandparent's into their new house. It was not on our agenda, and nothing was packed, but we did it anyway. Apparently, out in the good ole West, you can hire some Mexicans off the street corner for $5/hour to help with whatever you need....and that helped the moving go along pretty quickly. I'm not completely sure, but I think that is legal. We got to go to Jamba Juice several times. I LOVE Jamba Juice, and have even emailed them requesting a Cincy based store, so that was a wonderful treat! We also got to spend a day with our good friends, the Eggett's. On Independence Day, instead of fireworks that Benji may not have appreciated, we went to Uncle Jay and Aunt Vicky's house. They have a very, very, very lovely home. And they were house sitting for a neighbor that has a pool, so we went swimming. It is a salt water pool, which is much better and less harsh than a chlorinated pool. I even took Benji into the water. He loved it until he got hit in the head with a soaked water ball. All in all, it was fun, but the dry, dusty air in Utah did horrible things to our sinuses. Scotty and I suffered with congested noses and itchy throats. And Benji even got a slightly bloody nose...boy, are we glad to be back in the humidity of Ohio!!! I do, however, feel that is was worth it!

We were able to get a complete Thalman family picture, complete with all the new additions as of 2008. Quite a beautiful family!!!

We also got a picture with four generations of Thalman men! Of course, a little family picture was something we had to do as well...
Scotty's sister, Pamla, had a baby boy just 17 hours before Benji was born! Chase was born on April 30th, and Benji was born on May 1st. Here are the two cousins, already getting along at their young age. (Although the first time we had them next to each other, Benji was talking up a storm and Chase plopped his little fist right into Benji's mouth...as if to say "Please, just shut up already!")
I absolutely adore this picture of my little son. He is getting more and more personality every day (and he is smiling a lot more too!)
Yeah, precious.

Bicycle Race Music Video

2008-06-17T08:32:00.000-04:00

So, our music video is done and up on the internet (how embarrassing)!!! I can't figure out how to get the video up here on this post, but here is the link to the video on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1pUD6swfiM

We rode our bike's at the Loveland bike trail, Union Terminal, the Great American Ballpark, Fountain Square (you aren't allowed to ride bike's here, by the way), the Serpentine Wall, and all over other Cincinnati places. I hope you enjoy it!

Weekend with Meg and Chet

2008-06-16T10:54:00.000-04:00

This weekend was a long and exciting one for my family. My sister, Megan, and her husband, Chet, were able to visit for a couple of days. They are a very adventurous couple, and so we were busy having all kinds of fun while they were here.

Our big project of craziness involved making a music video. We picked the song "Bicycle Race" by Queen. And, what would you do to make a music video for that particular song?? Why, ride bicycles of course! ALL OVER CINCINNATI!!! And, so that is what we did. I wasn't really able to ride a bike, with Benjamin, but I was pushing a stroller all over. (I did get to ride a bike a couple of times for the video though.) The video is supposed to be funny, and I think we did a pretty darn good job at making it hilarious! I don't have the completed video yet, but once it is done I will post a link (if I can't get the actual video up in a post) and explain all about it. Needless to say, I pretty excited to see how it turns out in the end!

The next big, excited thing to happen this weekend was the blessing of our Benji boy! My mother-in-law made his blessing outfit (complete with a bow tie) and he looked absolutely adorable! After church, all the family that came for the blessing went to my parents' house for lunch and socializing. It was exhausting to be around so many people and so much noise. Poor Benji was passed around from person to person. He does such a good job with everything though. Much better than mom, that's for sure...because I was plum tuckered out by the end of the day! After my parents' party, we went to Scotty's parents' house for dinner and to celebrate Father's day with them. Luckily, we were able to leave early and come to our nice, quiet apartment!

A busy weekend, but a fun one!

Hormonal paintings

2008-06-11T14:38:00.000-04:00

I am not sure how many people know, but I am an abstract painter. I don't expect to have too much time to keep up with my talent now that I'm a mom though. However, I have done three paintings since I first found out I was pregnant. The first painting was to express my excitement about being pregnant. For those who don't see what it is, it is an embryo in the womb being touched by the Spirit (portrayed by a butterfly), or receiving life. I don't exactly remember what I titled it (and I'm too lazy to go check, because it's stashed away in my closet right now), but it is something like "Life Within".
This next painting I did when I went into prodromal labor and had tons of time to contemplate birth. So, of course, this painting is called "Birth". Although I hadn't experienced birth before doing this painting, I feel that it is a perfect painting for it! It shows the intimacy and passion between a husband and wife, joined together as a family, and eagerly anticipating their new addition.

And last, I just finished this painting today. It is called "Nursing Feet". It may seem funny, but when I nurse, I have my feet up and I stare at them and the pretty shapes that I can make with them (or I guess I just show appreciation for my lovely arches!) The painting has three variations of pointing toes/stretching feet, and a nursing mother.

Of course, these are all abstract paintings, and I know a lot of people don't appreciate them as much as others do. I hope everyone, especially other moms, can find the excitement, wonder and humor in these paintings!

Heat, Fevers, Cicadas and a Wii

2008-06-10T08:20:00.000-04:00

It is just barely into June and the heat is already insane! It has been in the 90's, and our little air conditioner can't get the whole apartment cool. And, of course, the AC is in the living room (where it should be). BUT, that means that the bedroom is wicked hot, and it is sooo hard to sleep in that! And it gets even harder to sleep with a little baby, as you so often hear from seasoned parents. I have found that no matter what time of the day I get a shower, in just a couple of hours I am sweaty again...and covered in milk (thank you very much, Benji!) Which reminds me, nursing in the heat is pretty terrible. Probably just as terrible as it would be wonderful if our apartment was freezing! To top it all off, I have been dealing with miniature cases of mastitis, which cause me to have a 24hour fever and killer headache. As you could imagine, the fever in the heat, while nursing, makes me feel like I live in the center of the earth. I am, however, grateful that it only lasts 24hrs...if only it wouldn't keep reoccurring!!
Enough complaining though, I do love my days spent at home. I get bored, but I would be complaining if I had too much to do, too! (My goodness, I am realizing that I complain about everything, whether good or bad! Please forgive me.) The cicadas are here for the east side of Cincy. And, holy cow, are they here! The parking lot for our apartments is covered in them, both dead and alive. They also cling to the tires of the car. I have never seen so many cicadas in my life, that I can remember! (Seventeen years ago, for one, I lived much further east of Cincinnati and perhaps the cicadas didn't go that far, and for another, I was only 3 so I probably wouldn't remember a hoard of cicadas!) I am actually enjoying the swarm, believe it or not. I am taking pride in being part of this amazing phenomenon that occurs in my beautiful Ohio. Plus, no matter how loud and shrill the cicadas are, I find it somewhat magical. It also reminds me of my childhood summers, just hearing the cicadas.
One more bit of news to include in this post is that Scotty and I are now the proud owners of a brand spankin' new Wii! Scotty thinks it's cool, because it is the first ever gaming system he has ever owned. We plan on getting Wii Fit, and using our Wii as our exercise coach. Until then, we will just have to get sore playing the games of Wii Sports. (And my mother can attest to how sore the boxing can make you!) We are very excited about it, and we can't wait until Benjamin is old enough to enjoy it with us!

The Thalman Family Blog

2008-06-06T15:59:00.000-04:00

I have decided, with my long, boring days at home with Benji, that I would start a blog to keep the world updated on our cute little family. This blog is for my whole family, but I (Mallory) will be the one keeping it updated, so get used to reading the posts from my point of view! I will be posting on many different topics. My favorite topics are pregnancy/natural childbirth, attachment parenting, Benjamin and Scotty, extended family members, church, art, education, etc. I may even get political once in a while...but that would be a rare occasion! Hopefully, I will get really talented at blogging; and even more hopefully, everyone who reads my posts will find them enjoyable!