Blessings

Brad and I have been so very blessed in our lives with the people around us. We have some of the best family, friends, co-workers and neighbors you could ask for. Seriously. Not to mention the best daughter:) We have been super blessed in the last two weeks and I just wanted to document so I won't forget in the future. We needed a new wheel bearing on my car, and it was going to run us $300.00. Well, thankfully Brad's dad knew how to change this part, so he was able to direct Brad on what to do. Awesomeness! I'm so glad that between our dads and granddad's, we've been able to save so much money with our house and cars, plus learn life skills. Second blessing is our neighbor. I LOVE our house and location and size of our yard, but our yard's been out of control since before we move in. There was so much work to do in our house, that the yard was never a priority. Well now that Raelee is getting older, I want her to be able to play and not worry about the sticker bushes, snakes, etc. so I've been slowly chopping away at the crazy overgrown yard we have. Brad was able to chop down alot of the bushes and trees running along our front fence, but we still have a LONG ways to go. Our sweet neighbor started clearing away the bushes and woods between our two house to keep the power line clear, and he asked if we wanted him to clear some more. Um... YES!!! That side of the yard looks amazing now! He has done an awesome job!!! It's given me hope for the rest of the yard. I can't wait to get it all cleared and fenced(which I know is still quite a ways off, but at least I can picture it now).Pics to be posted soon.

Raelee update

     I was lucky and ended up with a week off from work. Raelee and I have been having a grand ol' time! Raelee's  been learning her letters and knows way more than I realized she did. We were putting her to bed the other night and she started pointing to letters on my sweatshirt and saying what they were. Like I said, it was way more letters than I realized she knew. She's been learning a new letter at Marquesas's every week, so I decided to really start working with her more on the days that she's home. Today we made flash cards through F(that's the letter at Quesas Care this week). Raelee knew A-F and which were "big"letters and which were "little"letters. She also knows pretty much all the colors. We're still working on the counting, She always starts with 2, can not get her to say 1 lol. We've made roads for her cars, played outside, played dress up, stickers, colored, and made a paper bag girl (Raelee named her Sally).  We've also been going and working out, not every day, but the days that I can. Raelee works out with me, has her own weights, she's stays and does the whole video with me. Kinda scary how observant she is, whenever the video comes on, or I mention working out, Raelee pulls her shirt up so that her tummy shows, because that's how the women on the video are dressed. Eeekkk! Not good! Oh and speaking of not good, was my decision to let Raelee watch Beauty and the Beast yesterday. She kept waking up all night saying she was scared from the monster. Haha, she calls it Belle and the Beast. And when she sees pictures of the Disney princesses, she calls Belle, "Jingle Belle" lol. Oh and Raelee loves to drum all the time now. We asked her who taught her how to drum and she said "Miles!" She's cute when you ask her who her friends are, "Stokes, Miles, Abby, and Quesas". Anyway, these were just some random thoughts I wanted to get down before I forgot them.

Baseball

     Today was Brads high school alumni baseball game. It's the first year since we started going that we've had AWESOME weather! I could'v stayed out there all day. They picked teams once everyone was there. They used to do Alumni vs the present team, but the alumni have won the past 3 or 4 years, so I guess they decided that wasn't good for morale for the present team lol. But to be fair, when Brad played in HS they did win state champs  in 2001, the only baseball state win for the high school ever. The finale score today was 5 - 6, Brad's team lost. BUT Brad played awesome, good base hits and base running, awesome slide at home, and great plays as catcher. I'm sure his legs will be nice and sore tomorrow. Brad's parents came and watched too, that was fun to be able to catch up with them and have help with Raelee. Rae had a blast playing with sticks and pinestraw, she and Jan made a stick house and were using pines cones as people, Raelee LOVED it. Then we came home and had a 2 1/2 hour nap session. Perfect day :)

Thoughts

1. I'm super excited that Romney won Florida tonight!
2. I'm really nervous how this election is going to end.
3. I will NOT work the day of or the day after the general election this year. That was the worst day of my life EVER 4 years ago, how I was treated by some of my co-workers was shameful. Never been raciest, but the reverse racism that day almost put me there.
4. Worked out today! Whooop whoooop! Felt soooo good. Level 2 of the shred. Love it!
5. I can not wait for summer. I'm excited for Raelee to learn how to swim this year.
6. Brad's HS alumni game is Saturday. My one chance a year to see him in baseball pants :p
7. Raelee being sick is pretty much the saddest thing ever. Breaks my heart.
8. Cooked our super yummy and easy crock pot chicken mushroom soup dinner last night.  Pretty sure I could eat it every day!
9. I've got to figure out my hair. I want to chop it off so bad, but I know once I do, I'll want it long again.
10. Just can't seem to get into the Bachelor this season. Not a Ben fan.
11. Saw Sherlock Holmes 2 with the bestie's last week. LOVE Robert Downing Jr. Seriously gotta be one of my fave actors ever!
12. Only 1 more day off work, booo:(
13. So glad there's a library right down the road. Ordered in 13 new books, waiting to be able to pick them up.
14. So thankful that A) I know how to read. B.)Books are so easily accessible.
15.Need to order some new photos from Snapfish to put in frames.
16. Dang these parents of some of these girls trying out for American Idol need to buy their daughters some clothes that fit and cover whats supposed to be covered.
17. I'm kinda wanting to buy some Tom's. I used to think they were so ugly, but I'm really digging them now.
18. Hunger Games Movie comes out next month!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
19. The bestie mentioned IKEA today and now I want to go shopping there sooooo bad!
20. Hmmm...am I going to actually be in bed asleep before midnight? I don't think so!

28

Today was my birthday. Year 28. Yeessh! How'd that get here so fast? Since it was 70+ degrees today, this is what I decided to do. And it was BEAUTIFUL!!!

     I'm giving the zone cleaning thing a try this week. Monday was kitchen, dining room and hallway, complete cleans. Today is bathrooms(minus the shower, that's Brads job, lucky me). Tomorrow is living room, and Friday bedrooms. Oh and Saturday the dreaded laundry folding and putting away. All these years and laundry is still the bane of my existence! Ah well, what can a girl do. At least its someplace I can close the door and not see it now. Also last Saturday we planned all our meals for the week and we are NOT going back to the store until this Saturday.The final goal is once a month shopping, gotta start small though. We had gotten to the point that we were in Publix every day, some times multiple times a day. Not good for the budget.
     Oh and in case ya'll forgot, voting is starting soon. I'm casting my vote for Romney. My advice on who to vote for if you want Obama out? Whoever you think could beat him, in my opinion its Romney. Plus I really agree with his ideas and plans. And did you know that I met him once? Pretty cool guy. And he totally already looks like a president.

     So far 2012 has been off to a running start. The holidays were CRAZY busy, but they are every year. What else can be expected with TONS of family all living basically in the same town? I love it though, its so fun to see everyone for the holidays and see how they've decorated etc. And 3 days of Christmas is awesome! Raelee was just a little spoiled. We actually never even had her open our presents. Sad! We were just too busy and then sick on top of it. Sooooo, now we've decided to use her presents from us as incentives for potty training.
     I taught my first Relief Society lesson last Sunday. This was HUGE to me! I am not a public speaker person, never liked it, don't anticipate that I ever will. BUT the lesson went super well. Definitely spent a few weeks crazy stressing about it(not the lesson part, just the being in front of people part), but now that I'm past the first lesson, I'm excited for the rest of my lessons this year.
     My little brother Matthew came home from his mission last Sunday. It was a very stressful week before that knowing what he was going though and praying for him and my parents to know what the right decision was. He came home for medical reasons, I'm not going to tell his life on here, but I'm super glad he's back home. AND proud of him for the time that he was out serving the Lord. I KNOW that the Lord knows Matt's heart and what he was going through and that he will be blessed even though his time in the mission field was shorter than expected.
     Now off to put Raebug in bed. Brad's off watching the football game, and even though I am a little interested(I'm a Tebow fan), I have a stack of library books beckoning me. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE a good book!!!!! Night!