I have special powers... you can too!!!

I've decided that I have special powers.  Yep, super human style powers.  I have 'gut feelings'.  Yep.  Every vehicle that I have purchased has 'spoken' to me before I bought it. 

My house spoke to me from a short sentence in a newspaper.  I read the description (literally only about 15 words) and I knew without a doubt in my heart that it was my house.  When I drove into the drive way for the first time it was like I was coming home.  I KNEW that this was my home and that no matter what happen I would own it.  I was home. 

Jason read me a description of our current van.  I told him to go buy it.  We had been shopping for a new van for a few years and nothing had worked out.  We hadn't found the right one yet.  Within 2 seconds of hearing about this van I told him to go up, drive it, once he ascertained that it was mechanically sound to sign the papers.  Not only was it supposed to be our van because it works out perfectly but it also lowered our payment too. 

This happens whenever something is suppose to happen.  I've learned that God gives you what you need, when you need it.  If you listen to your gut you will realize that it's God telling you what you are supposed to do.  It is a giant waving flag that tells you, "DO IT!!!  THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE YOURS!!!"  It might be as simple as what shirt to buy, what to have for dinner, or what job to apply for.  He will direct you to the right path if you let him.  If it feels right, truly and absolutely right, then follow your instincts.  It will rarely ever lead you wrong. 

Word of advice, if you are under the influence of any mood altering drug, DO NOT trust this 'gut feeling'.  It is wrong.  God doesn't want you to cheat on your spouse because the hottest guy/girl you've ever seen wants to sleep with you. It is not a sign!  God doesn't want you to jump of a roof because it sounds like a really good idea.  "Yes, that couch will absorb your fall."  No it wont.  You will end up with broken bones.

So with this public service message, please stop and thank God for all that you have.  If you've listened to your gut instinct and it was the right thing for you, it wasn't your stellar instincts, it was God.  Thank Him.  He deserves it.

Well, the baptism went well.  The service was good.  Let me tell you what sitting in the front of the church is troubling for me.  I have 3 small kids.  They don't sit nicely and listen to the service.  Nope, they get the activity books and color, draw, fight, drive cars around the pews.  We are entertaining to watch when you aren't me.  I feel that when we are in the front of the church everyone is watching us instead of listening to the sermon. 

So the actual baptism went well.  Except for one little glitch.  They light a candle, the hand it to the sponsor.  Sponsor has to hold it for a few minutes while the pastor talks some more...  picture this now... Justin is standing there holding a lit candle for a few minutes.  What does wax do as it melts?  Drips.  Right onto Justin's hand.  Brave man that he is, he doesn't even flinch.  Not a single change in his facial expression.  What a brave, brave man.  I applaud him.  I would have flinched at the very least.

So we go back to our seats and Abby has to potty.  So Jason takes her to the bathroom, has to walk down the center aisle, in front of everyone.  3 steps into the processional she looses her shoe, Daddy doesn't realize this for 3 more steps.  Now church is laughing at us.  Not being mean, just laughing. 

5 minutes later, Abby now has to poop.  So I'm feeding Alex and so Jason can't get out of the pew... Grandma Sig takes her this time.  Again we are the entertainment in church.  I love hearing kids during the service because it shows the life and vitality of the church.  To me a church without young children and families feels like a dying church.  Who's going to keep coming when the older generation dies?  So a crying baby is a good thing for me.  I just prefer that if it's going to be my child doing the crying it is in the back of the church.

We came home and had a great lunch with the family.  Alex got some really cute gifts and the older kids had fun opening the presents.  All in all it was a great day. Now I have a few weeks left before going back to work with nothing to do but enjoy the remaining time left. 

Shelfari

Shelfari is a website that allows you to organize the books you've read, plan to read and are currently reading.  It shows you all the information regarding each book, you can choose editions and pretty much anything that you want to see.  I started using it 2 years ago and since then I have read almost 300 books and plan to read about 50 currently.  I find that it is very easy to add books to my to be read shelf and then not always get to them.  But if I ever get stumped when I want to read something new then I can always look at what I thought sounded good in the past.  It really helps me keep track of my reading.  I like to know what books I've read so that I don't try to read them again.  I have a tendency to forget that I read it and try to read it again.  Oops...

Tomorrow is Alex's baptism.  Today I'm supposed to be cleaning and cooking.  So far I'm putzing online because Jason is holding Alex and I CAN!  I have to go to Walmart to get the meat and cheese trays, the cake and a few of the last minute purchases.  I decided to let Walmart do the most of the work for me.  This way I only need to make a few salads.  And another cake.

For those of that don't know I idolize Paula Deen and her desserts.  I have yet to make anything from her recipes that isn't AMAZING!  So for tomorrow I plan to make German Chocolate Gooey Cake.  Yep, doesn't that sound amazing?  I also made Homemade Kit Kat Bars, yes, from Paula Deen too. 

So I suggest that you go to her website and pick out one of her amazing desserts and make it!  Plan on using butter though, real butter too.  It's her favorite ingredient!

What to do...

I've got a To Do list about a mile long today.  It seems like as I get one thing done another one gets added.  We are having Alex baptised on Sunday so I need to clean my whole house (it's been a long time since it's been really cleaned)  I also need to go grocery shopping for the party, get groceries for us to eat until the party, sew Alex's 'fuzzy' blanket, sew a sling, buy baptism outfits for the girls, get shoes for baptism outfits, and the list goes on. 

I'm also having good friends, Candice and Brian over for dinner tomorrow night.  Thank the Lord that I'm just making a lasagna that I have in the freezer, don't worry it's still homemade, just not made tomorrow.  So between lasagna, garlic bread and salad we should be good to go and I don't have to do very much at all.  Thank goodness for pre-planning!  I love when something is as easy as putting it in the oven!  Set and forget!

Alex has a cold.  She is all snotty and coughing and doesn't feel very well at all.  I feel so bad for her.  She sounds awful and there isn't a thing that I can do for her!  I'm hoping that in a day or two she will be back to her normal self.  If not we'll be back to the doctor again!  I think my doctor jinxed us when she said she was sad that she wont get to see her again until her 2 month check up.  Now we will have to go in and visit just to keep healthy!

Abby has decided to get lippy...  not sure when she decided this but she is now talking back to us.  She was in trouble the other day and when I put her in a time out she informed me that I wasn't nice and needed to take a time out too.  Then the next day Jason yelled at her for something and she told him that she was going to take her hand and spank his but with it.  Nice, right!  (Let me assure you that we don't hit our children, she knows what spanking is though)  So we are starting into uncharted territory and I have no idea how to handle it!  It's going to be interesting.  Especially since the talking back wont end until she's about 25, so only 20 more years of it...  yuck...

With the lack of sleep that I've been getting it's no wonder that my blogging has suffered.  I don't even have a decent topic to talk about.  It's not that life is boring it's just boring to everyone else but us!  Who really wants to hear me talk more about grocery shopping or dirty diapers (which I change about 20 every stinking day).  Life is busy and chaotic but only for us.  I know that I get to go back to work soon and that will I'm sure provide many interesting topic to discuss.  Since I deal with the public all day every day it should provide for some good stories.

Well, at least I hope so!

Alex's Photo's are Here!

An old friend of mine decided that he loved taking photographs and decided that he wanted to start taking photos professionally.  Well, he is amazing!  I just got the photo's that he took of Alex and they are wonderful.  For dealing with a newborn that did not want her picture taken they turned out really well! He really captured her expressions and even though we are basically dealing with one pose for most of the pictures they all are unique.  So anyway, here is the link to my beautiful little girl's pictures...

http://www.andrewmichaelphoto.com/Portraits/alextempel/16057308

Take a look and be jealous that your kids aren't this beautiful!

If you want pictures done by this fine gentleman please contact Andrew Michael Photography at the above link as well!

Grocery Shopping is a vacation?

So I haven't blogged for awhile.  I have been just trying to keep my eyes open.  I forgot how exhausting it is to be up with a newborn at night.  The longest stretch of sleep that I have gotten since she was born is almost 6 hours.  Normally though it is between 2-3 hours.  I may be weird though.  I really actually like the alone time that I get with Alex.  The house is silent and we are simply cuddling while she nurses.  Some nights I can't keep my eyes open and we just cuddle while I hope that I don't drop her on the floor! 

Abby and Kate go to daycare on Tuesday and Thursday's at 10:30.  This gives me a few hours alone.  On Tuesday's I go grocery shopping.  This is my big expedition for the week.  I get to walk around Walmart by myself (Alex joins me now) for around an hour.  I get to look at all the same merchandise that is there every week but it is like a small vacation!  I look forward to it every week.  Sad?  Yes.  Do I accept it?  Yes.

I've been working on getting the rest of my maternity leave figured out and after a few conversations with the HR department I've got most of it figured out.  I had an audit done on my vacation time and sick time and apparently I have about 21 hours more than I thought I did.  Now I have to figure out how to use it before I loose it in April.  Apparently I have a few more conversations in my future.

I'm kind of nervous because I've been a designer with the Depot for years and they of course hired somebody to replace me while I was gone.  Well, that doesn't leave much opportunity for me to be a designer again.  So what does that leave for me?  I have no idea but hopefully it will all work out.  All that really matters is that I have a job and will continue to get a paycheck!

I'm going to try to keep up on my blogging.  No more excuses.  Sleep deprived or not, I WILL BLOG!!!