Scrapbook

I made a scrapbook of the kids for David to keep with him while he is in Afghanistan. I had it laminated and spiral bound. Here are the pages......I really like the way it turned out.

The Chicken Whisperer

So my landlord got some chickens. Check this out....

A girl and her power tools.....

....it's a beautiful thing.

So yesterday, I decided that I would trim my hedges. Usually, I just hire someone to do it. But I'm especially poor right now, so I decided to give it a hand myself. I think I did pretty well....but the proof's in the pudding, so to speak.

Dating

Well....it's been a month now, and it's official - Jon and I are dating!! I'll post more later....but here's a pic.

In case....

Just in case anyone actually reads this - I have another date with Jon on Saturday (well....today, technically....) at 6pm. I can't wait!

I HAD A DATE!!

Ok so this is what happened:

On Tuesday, I was in the break room and Jon came down from the other building (it's quite a trek for a 15 min break - they don't usually do that) to get something to eat from Atlanta Bread (they cater in on Tuesdays and Saturdays) so I said hi. So he stopped and talked to me for quite a while -- big deal, because it could make him late for his break. So I decided to be "brave" and emailed him - "Listen....would you like to go out for coffee or something sometime". Long story short - he changed the coffee into "proper vittles" and asked if I wanted to go to Ruby Tuesday. OF COURSE I did!!!

So I met him at RT yesterday at 6pm for supper. We were there until about 8ish, and the waitress was creeping on us so I said "Hey....wanna go downtown or something" and he said sure. so we did. So we went downtown and we talked and talked and talked (yes, we. I tried not to dominate the conversation). So in part of it, he was talking about how it makes him feel sad that all of his friends are getting married and having kids. So I agreed, and said something about how God's timing is right - or that's what my mother always says. Then I said something about how at least he's a guy and he can do the asking. So he said "Yeah...not all guys feel that way". So I said "I guess not....so far it's worked out for me!!" LOL -- ROFL!!!

What did we talk about, you ask? Oh....books, movies, books that were made in to movies, we dabbled in philosophy (well...he dabbled....I listened), college, work, pretty much a lot of different stuff. Finally, I realized that it was 11:30, and as I had to work today I said that as much as I didn't want to, I needed to head home.

So on the way home, I noticed that Mom had called me. So I said "Oh...I wonder what my mother will say when she finds out how late I was coming home. Oh - what will YOUR mother say?" SO he goes "She'll probably say 'good for you'". LOL!!! So I was like "Oh....do you keep all the girls out this late?" And he said no and laughed. So anyways we were talking on the way home and stuff. Then when we got home, before we got out of the car, he said that he wanted to let me know he had a really great time and he was really glad we went out. So, of course, I told him the same thing. Because I did -- I had an AMAZING time!! And I was like "OH....I have a present for you!" He said, "Really?!" Yes. I had taken cupcakes to work on Wednesday, so I saved him a couple. I was going to bring it to him at work today, but he was off today so I gave them to him last night. I think he was pleasantly surprised. And so I gave him them. So then, he said "I'm glad you emailed me. Because I wouldn't have said anything otherwise". Because he is SUPER SHY!! And he said that we needed to do something like that again really soon. So I told him that sounded good, and not to be one of those guys who waits for like two days to call or something, because I don't like that.

So seriously....a 6 hour date with a really shy guy? That is pretty impressive!! And it wasn't like it was a long, drawn out date. It went by SOOOOO fast!!! And I really like this guy - a lot!! He is super, SUPER nice!!! So I am trying not to get too excited about it - but I have a really good feelin. And I'm praying about it.

So that's it....the end. Or the beginning.....

--
*´¨)
¸.· ´¸.·*´¨) ¸.·*¨)
Melinda
(¸.·´ (¸.·"He Hath made all things beautiful
in his time" Ecc. 3:11

Some news

I have some news. I got cats. I have two cats.

Mocha is a Sealpoint Ragdoll, who is a little over a year old. When you pick a Ragdoll up, they go limp like a ragdoll...hence the name. Another breed trait is that they like their bellies to be rubbed, just like a dog. It's so funny....Mocha will come and lay by me and roll over on her belly so I can pet it. LOL

Chai is a Chocolate point Siamese, who is about 14 weeks right now. I really love Siamese kittens....they always just look like they've been playing in the soot!! Mom always had a Siamese cat when I was growing up, so I have decided to continue the tradition.

Welcome, Brendon

We welcomed my new nephew into the world. Here are the stats:

Brendon Archer McMillen

Arrived Saturday, 7-18-09 7:30 pm

8 lbs, 4 oz

19 3/4 inches

Isn't he handsome???

MIA

Yes....I have been MIA for a while.   Why?  Because my house was broken into and someone stole my laptop.  Just the laptop, nothing else.  And I'm ok, thanks for asking :o) (yeah....I knew you were gonna.....).  So until the end of the month, I'm computerless.

In other news, things are going well.  Work is good.  My friends are good.  Life is good!   And GOD IS ALWAYS GOOD!!!

Molly Elyse Charity Smith

Join me in welcoming Molly to this side of the world!!

born 6:02pm March 16th
7pounds 13ounces
22inches

Another one bites the dust!

So just a little update:
I caught a mouse last night.
I caught another one while I was at work today.
That makes a total of three so far.
There wasn't any mysterious chewing going on behind the entertainment center tonight, like there has been the past three nights.
I -- the MIGHTY HUNTER-- am keeping my fingers crossed that they are all gone. And praying.

Rodent Recon

So I got home from work Friday and wha'd'ya know -- I found little brown somethings on my kitchen cabinet and in the drawers. So it's either mouse droppings or someone has been in the chocolate sprinkles.

So, we have decided to take evasive action. I found some mouse traps that someone had left here before (Actually - it was funny....there was crusty old cheese that had been tied on to the traps with twisty-ties. LOL) and baited them with peanut butter. But I couldn't set the traps....probably partly because I was afraid of them. I put the traps in plastic baggies and called the landlord and asked him to come set them for me....which he did.

While I was at work tonight, my friend Tiffany (She was over doing laundry) called me and said "one of the traps has a mouse in it. I felt sorry for it because it's a little mouse. And it didn't die right away....it made a horrible noise!!! So I thought you would like to know that there is a dead mouse in your house." Thanks for the heads up, Tiff. Oh -- and then she called me again to say that there was one behind the TV chewing on the cords. But she chasted it away from the TV and it went under the heater. Thanks again, Tiff.

But I decided that I'm NOT going to mess with traps and mice. So on the way home, I stopped at WM and picked up some stuff. I got some of those messless mousetraps -- you set them and they are all in a plastic container and you just throw the whole thing away. I also got some of those thingys you plug into the wall to make high pitched noises to scare the mice away. And, I got some poison packets to put around the house. By the time I got to the checkout line, I was all upset in the tummy-tum. I didn't want to go home and take the mouse out. This whole mouse thing is really making me quite anxious.

So I called Mom on the way home to WM (I was also talking to her while I was AT WM) to fortify myself for the taking out of the trap and the mouse. Ick! It was a horrible thing to do. Actually -- I also got some tongs so that I wouldn't have to touch the thing. Serious grossness!!! It took some doing to talk myself into actually doing the dirty deed. Good thing I had Mom on the phone for moral supoort. Oh wait. Mom was laughing so hard I think they're gonna have eggs for breakfast.

Ok -- so Maybe I'm being a little melodramatic. Or maybe I'm just being me. But GRODY!! I was actually kind of relieved that the other two traps haven't been sprung yet.

Now what? I put the poison packets out and plugged in the scare-the-mouse away dood-dads. And I took two Tylenol PM and I'm going to sleep. That way if I catch a mouse in the middle of the night, maybe the trap won't wake me up.

Happy Hunting.......yeah right!!!

PS
Yes, my house is very clean (aside from the clothes on my bedroom floor) but my house is out in the middle of the woods and fields, so I guess that's why there are the mice. That's what Mom says. And the landlord. But still. Gross!!!

New Bed

So I got this really pretty green comforter set when I moved here in January, but it didn't turn out to be quite what I thought it was. The inside lining (not sure if that is the right term, but you get the point) had a seam that was ripping apart. The fabric is made of a very loosely woven fabric, and it just started coming apart the more I used it. Sooo....I decided to get a new one. And I told Mom. Mom said "well, go get one at Kohl's. Happy Valentine's Day". So here are some pics of what I got. Thanks, Mom. Oh -- and it was on sale more than 50% off!!!

New Year's Resolutions

Yeah. I made on this year. I resolve to eat more salad. And I'm going to start out with grape salad. Here is the recipe.


Grape Salad

5 cups grapes (green are good, the redder are better)
8 oz. cream cheese
8 oz sour cream
1 cup sugar (i think)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans


Mix cream cheese, sour cream and sugar. Fold in grapes. Mix brown sugar and pecans. Put on top of grape mixture. Let set for about 24 hours.



See....aren't I healthy??? LOL

GUESS WHAT I GOT!!!

Can you guess? Can you huh??? I got a cast iron skillet for Christmas!! Yeah....the Parsons (that I stayed with while I was "homeless") got it for me. Isn't that nice. Mrs. P and I were shopping one day and talking about stuff and I saw those and was like "oh!! I've been wanting a cast iron skillet!". Lo and behold....that's what I got.....YESSS!!!

Oh...and I also got a vacuum cleaner for Christmas from my mom. LOL Talk about practical

My New Place

So here are some pics of my new place. Enjoy!!

More Adventures

Well, it's been about a week and a half. Things are going well in the house. I've had a couple of snags, but for the most part things are going well. The living room, kitchen and bathroom are officially done. I still need to do some work in my room, but it's coming along. There are some other things that have taken priority. For example, there is the adventure I had last night with sealing the windows.

Since the house is older, the windows are drafty. So, to fix it I got this plastic stuff. IT has a sticky strip that you stick to the window frame and then this plastic stuff that goes on top. So then you take the hairdryer (yes!!) and the plastic stuff shrink-wraps, so you have a nice, tight seal. SO I was working away last night and all of a sudden the hairdryer stopped working and the light went out. Yeah. I blew a fuse. Nice! But no worries....I fixed it and got the windows sealed. My bedroom isn't drafty anymore, and the living room is much cozier, too. Yay!!!

In other news, I'm still having fights with the fireplace. I'm still not very good at starting fires, but I'm getting better at it. The one I started this morning was much faster than some of the other ones I've done. Yay!!! But that firewood....it goes much faster than I was hoping. Plus, I loose a lot of heat up the chimney. ...it's better than not having any heat, though.

And speaking of which, I finally got the guaranteer form for the gas in the mail today....so now the people just have to mail it in and then I'll get gas. Yay!!! Who knew I'd be so happy to have gas???

I also got a couple of boxes this week. My friend Silvia made me a BEAUTIFUL picture to go on my wall. You can check out her blog, and the pics, HERE. And my friend Kathy sent a HUGE box of Christmas decorations....all kinds of stuff. I put some of it on the tree an I acutally made a wreath with some of it....turned out really pretty!!

As soon as I find my batteries, I am going to take some pictures to put up. Maybe I will work on that tonight.

The Case of the Noisy Neighbors

So I was all comfy cozy in my bed last night and I heard all of this noise. I was like "what in the world??" Well, aparently, the people who live in the basement of my house were having a fight or something. I could hear them loud and clear....a little too muffled to really understand what they were saying, but it kept me awake for quite some time. It was like 11:30pm. Sheesh!! I hope they don't keep that up. I thought about stomping on the floor or something, but I figured that would probably make them even madder. Sheesh!! I hope this doesn't keep up.


But in other news, the house is coming together quite nicely. We put up the Christmas tree this week, and it's really pretty. My bedroom still looks like the moving truck threw up in there, but I plan to rectify that this weekend. :o)

Monday

Nothing much to report for Monday. Ben and Tiffany came over for supper. Tiffany and I put the garland and lights on the Christmas tree. Elena and I are going to decorate it tonight. My bedroom is still a wreck. I'm going to work on it tonight. I hope. The cable guy is coming on Saturday and then I will have internet.....and I will post some pictures then. You will like my house. It's super cute!

Da Move, and such adventures are are related thereunto

Well, I have all of my junk moved into the new house. I say moved in because I'm not all settled in YET. The kitchen, living room and bathroom are (for the most part) pretty much put together. My bedroom, on the other hand, looks like a moving truck threw up in there. But let me go back.

When the previous tenants moved out, they didn't really clean anything. And the landlord didn't really have a chance to do any cleaning yet....so it's up to me. I'm ok with that, though, because he's not making me pay the deposit. So, Thursday night I went in and cleaned the carpets. Friday, Elena (my roomie for about 6 months or so) and I moved our stuff in and slept there. Now there was a small-ish problem with this. There was a bathroom adventure. Yeah -- the toilet wouldn't flush right. I have a plunger, but it was in storage at the moment. So I made an emergency trip to Wal-Mart and got one. Fortunately, now the toilet works. The gas heat hasn't been turned on yet.....so there was no heat in the house. There is a fireplace, but we didn't have any wood yet. Elena had a space heater, so she was fine. Melinda was NOT fine. Melinda was freeeeezing cold! Yeah. I had on two pairs of flannel pants, a flannel shirt, hoodie (I slept with the hood up b/c you know heat escapes mostly through your head), four fleece blankets, flannel sheets, big fuzzy socks, my comfortor and I put a heating pad at my feet. And I put the covers over my head. Brrrr.....It was ccc-oooo-llll-ddd in my room that night!! What an adventure!! But I survived.

Saturday morning, my church people helped me get stuff moved in. I bribed them with donuts. LOL There were about 5 guys -- and all comedians. We were packing the stuff up and Stacey (he's the main dude at my church) was like "ok this truck is full. Let's fill the empty spaces up with incidentals." I was like "Seriously none of these things are INCIDENTAL. I need them all to live. I love my stuff. I even visited them a couple of times (note: my junk was living in the basement of some people from church's house) ." So then Stacey said "Let's fill up these holes with some of the valuable things Melinda has". It was realy quite amusing. Anyways, the comedians got my stuff loaded up in the trucks and we carovaned it over to the new place and unloaded everything. Then, they were rewarded with the afore-mentioned donut bribe. Unfortuantely, all of my furniture wouldn't fit in the living room. I was going to put the table in the kitchen, but it's too big....and Elena and I wanted the table in the living room anyways, since the kitchen is kinda small-ish with the table there too. So I made an executive decision and had the guys haul one of the couches (I had two...both hand-me-downs, but one was pretty delapidated) out to the road so someone could come and take it away.

So, I spent all of Saturday morning and most of the afternoon (until about 4pm or so) cleaning the kitchen and bathroom and generally trying to get things arranged. SO I had a CD playing and all of a sudden I hear this noise. And I looked out the back door and Andrew (someone from church, who sells firewood) and his brother (who I don't remember the name of, but it might be Peter or something) were there with --you guessed it-- my firewood. Yesss!! So they dumped it all of and I started my very-first-ever fire in my fireplace. That was kinda fun. And if you were wondering, I am loving the fireplace so far. I took a lunch break about 1pm and went to Sonic (yessss!!). While I was there, Will and Sara (a couple from church, and they have THE CUTEST little boy who is about 10 months old, Liam) called me and asked if they could come help. So they got there maybe around 3 or so. Will and I stacked the firewood on the porch and Sara washed some pots and pans that had been packed up.

Elena got home around 4:30 or so and we went out on a shopping excursion. First, we stopped at the Parsons and picked up the Christmas tree we are borrowing from them, and a few things that I had to leave there overnight. Then we went to Aldi, Sam's Club, the Dollar Store, Target and Wal-Mart. Holy Shopping Trip, Batman!! -- we had the car PACKED FULL of stuff! When I brought the groceries in (yeah it was close to 10 before we got home!!) the stuff almost covered the kitchen floor. I took pictures. I got some Christmas decorations at Target, and they are sooo pretty!! My colors are silver, bronze, green, red, fuschia (kind of), and turquoise/teal. The garland is white and I got white twinkle lights. And there is tinsle, of course. OH- and we got stockings for our fireplace. They are red with some embossed Christmas trees and fuzzy white tops with silver cording on it. Very pretty, and hey -- they were only $1 each!! SO we got everything unpacked and the groceries put away and went to bed. Saturday was a long, busy day!!!

Sunday morning was an adventure. There are people who live in the basement apartment, and one of them took a REEEEALY LONG shower. Elena didn't have any hot water for her shower. And when she got done, the bathtub wouldn't drain. Eeek! I tried plunging it, but to no avail. Hmm...maybe I should have tried the OTHER plunger. LOL Anyways, I was kickin' it old style and took a bird bath and washed my hair in the sink. Fun stuff. After lunch (I went with everyone to BJU and had yummy Sunday chicken!!) I went home and vacuumed. Talked to the landlord - he ended up coming over and trying a pipe snake, but the bathtub still won't drain. So he said we can shower at his house (he lives right up the hill...takes about 1 minute to get there). After night church, I went home and got my stuff out of the front porch. I was gonna leave it there because I didn't want a big mess in the house, but I think it's supposed to rain today. The porch is screened in and there is a big overhang on it, but still..... Anyways, that is why my bedroom looks like a moving truck threw up in it, but it was actually the front porch and not a truck that threw up in my bedrom. LOL

When Elena got home, she brought Gregory (her man-friend) with her and they invited Greg (a friend of theirs whom I had never met before) too. I made a yummy salad and some crescent rolls for supper. Elena and I got a spring green salad mix at Sam's Club. I put chicken, mandrin oranges, Feta cheese, and pecans with it. Tastyfull!! The guys helped us put up the Christmas tree, but it was late when we got done with that so it didn't get decorated last night....but soon...probably tonight we will do it. Yay!!!

And so this morning, I got up and went to the landlord's house to shower. LOL -- kinda funny. Hopefully the plumber will come today. I made eggs in a basket for breakfast, since I got up INSANELY early -- I wasn't sure how long it would take me to go "next door" and shower.

SO there you have it. I'm at work now....I had to come to WORK to get some rest. But I still have about a million things to do at home. Oh well....c'est la vie.......