Senior Pictures

Wow.  I can't believe it is September already.  Where did the summer go?!  I think I've been so busy that I completely missed the month of August.  Between work and family obligations, I feel like I've been running around like a chicken with my head cut off!  I was able to carve out a couple of hours to take some senior pictures of this pretty awesome young man.  If everyone was as easy to photograph as Bobby, I might actually do it a lot more! 

Stuffed Animal Zoo

Monkey has tons and tons of stuffed animals.  They take up way too much room in her bedroom, the living room and our bedroom.  It's like a toy store exploded in our house and I can't stand it.  I saw this one day on Pinterest...

I thought it was just about perfect for what we needed, but as I do with most things, a few tweaks were needed.  We set out to make it this weekend.  We decided to make something directly on the wall and utilize some space behind a door that you can't really put anything in.

Before

After

I think it turned out perfectly and now we don't have stuffed animals under out feet every two seconds!

Personal Accountability, Anyone?

Well it happened again.  I went to the local watering hole last night for a "few" adult beverages.  Next thing I know, my alarm clock is screeching at me and I'm fighting off a blazing headache and upset stomach.  Oh, why does this happen!?  The bartender is supposed to be my friend, he isn't supposed to get me so drunk that I wake up with a hangover. 

Wait, I shouldn't blame the bartender you say?  You're right.  You are absolutely right.  It's not the bartender's fault that I'm fighting a case of the brown bottle flu.  Let's lay the blame at the feet of the person responsible.... the manufacturer of Captain Morgan!  How dare they make and endorse a product that is known to cause people to get drunk and consequently have hangovers!?  And while we are at it, let's add Dr. Pepper to the list of people at fault.  If Captain Morgan and Dr. Pepper didn't taste so darned good together, I would never have drank so much. 

You don't agree with this logic?  Maybe I should have a little personal accountability and be responsible for my OWN actions?  Huh, what a novel idea.

But if that's the case then we can't blame Paula Deen for people that have type 2 Diabetes, now can we?   

Is Paula responsible for her own case of diabetes?  Absolutely.   And guess what, she's taken full responsibility for that.  She fully admits that she hasn't taken care of her body the way that she should.  In the manner of what she consumes and her lack of physical activity.  But is she forcing her sugar and butter-laden dishes down anyone's throats?  I don't think so. 

I'm a firm believer in "everything in moderation".  If you enjoy the kind of food Paula features on her shows, by all means, make some!  But don't think that you can have it for three meals a day and not have any repercussions.  There's absolutely nothing wrong with whipping up a batch of her bacon cheeseburger meatloaf or deep fried cheesecake on occasion.  Just remember that calories in have to equal your calories out.    

I really think Andy Vance said it best, "Quit blaming the food, and start looking at the bigger lifestyle picture."  

Angry and Embarrassed

I have a friend who is overweight and is on a mission to get herself into shape.  She's told me in the past how she doesn't like going to the local gyms here because she's not treated very nicely.  She feels this is because she is overweight and people don't take her working out seriously.  Now, I'll be honest... I really thought maybe it was the way she was perceiving it because of how she thinks of herself.  She can be pretty self conscious.  She'd just say, well maybe some of it, but you just don't get it. 

She was right, I didn't get it.  But after the first two weeks of the new year, I do now.  I've seen it for myself.  And let me tell you, I'm appalled.

First, I've had a few friends mention recently how they hate the "Resolutioners" that start coming to the gym at the beginning of every year.  Their perspective is that they are only doing it for a couple of weeks and then they'll quit anyway, so basically they should just not go at all.  For some reason, they feel they have ownership of the gym and anyone new is infringing on their space.  The welcoming wagons definitely aren't circling.      

Second, (and this is a bit lengthy so bare with me) yesterday was a cold, nasty, snow day.  I had a volleyball game and didn't want to waste gas driving all the way home, so I decided to hit up the gym for a bit to kill time before the game.  At the gym I go to they have a small 'theater' room with cardio equipment and then a large room with all sorts of weights and cardio.  The theater room is laid out with 6 ellipticals in the back row, 6 treadmills in the middle and then 6 bikes in the front.  I was trucking along on an elliptical watching Avatar on the big screen.  A young woman that was considerably overweight came in and got on the treadmill directly in front of me.  She was walking at a very slow pace, slower than my average warm-up/cool-down.  Maybe 10 minutes had passed and a guy came in looking for an open machine.  There was a bike open in the front row and an elliptical next to me, all the treadmills were being used though. 

I mentioned how it was such a cold crappy day, well you can imagine that a lot of people decided to skip their daily workout and stay home, so while the theater room was full, the big room was practically empty, there were TONS of open treadmills.  This guy apparently really wanted a treadmill in the theater room because after standing in the doorway a few minutes, he walked over to the girl in front of me and very rudely asked, "Are you done on there yet?"  It's quite dark in there so while I couldn't see her face turn red, I could see the complete look of astonishment and embarrassment on it.  She politely said no and kept on walking.  He stood behind her for a few more seconds and grumbled what sounded like, "Give me a break."  Even though she told him she wasn't done, he kept standing there, basically hovering over her, TRYING to make her feel uncomfortable so she'd get off. 

At this point, I was a little ticked off, who was he to think that he deserved that treadmill more than her?  I bit my tongue and held back what I really wanted to say and instead very nicely said to him, "Maybe you didn't hear her, she said she's not done.  And in fact, she just got on.  There are a lot of open treadmills in the other room if that is what you really want, if you aren't picky then your more than welcome to come join me on the ellipticals as this one is open right here."

For my putting my nose where it doesn't belong, I got a very nasty look from said guy, but he did turn and leave the room.  And the girl?  She gave me a very simple, grateful smile. 

Now, my point to this long, drawn out story.  It's no wonder those "Resolutioners" don't stay for more than a few weeks!  I'm sure it's not the most comfortable situation to go into a gym where you don't know anyone, you don't the atmosphere or how some pieces of equipment even work, but then to have someone basically heckle you?  It's not a welcoming situation.  Who cares what the motivation is behind them going to the gym, whether it's to lose weight or to just get fit, the important thing is that they are doing it.  Instead of sitting at home, watching TV and eating ice cream, they are taking the first steps and putting forth the effort to BETTER their health and their lives.  Why would anyone want to make them feel unwelcome and more uncomfortable than they already do?  It's rude.  And frankly, embarrassing.              




 

Ernest Thorp - American Hero

Well, I've had a busy couple of weeks at work and at home.  Things are FINALLY slowing down a little bit (until next month, when I have another big work obligation to take care of).  While I have a few minutes today though, I wanted to touch on the Guns Save Life meeting that I went to last week.  

The main speaker was a WWII hero that actually lives just a few miles from me.  Ernest Thorp had an amazing story to share with us about his time as an Air Force pilot, how his plane was shot down and he was rescued from the ocean to only be taken as a POW.  This 90 year old veteran is truely an inspiration.  He has a memoir that he kept while in the prison camp that I hope to read soon.  

Not only was I completely captivated by his stories, but it also turns out that he was friends with my grandpa!  It was really great to have him there, I think I want to plan a coffee shop date with him once a week now. 

Patio

We started on a project way back in May, and as it happens to do, life got in the way of getting it completed.  It started out with this great vision I had... I wanted to rip out the little brick retaining wall in the front of our house and pour a patio instead.  Here is what it looked like before...

We got the wall ripped out pretty quickly.  But then things came to a little stand still.

Fortunately, we have some pretty great friends and I'm so happy to say that we finally got it poured!

What do you think?  I'm very pleased with the way it turned out, and in my humble opinion, I think it was a pretty genious idea.

Welcome to the Smith's

We went over to a friends' lake house on Saturday, JC wasn't able to make it so my neighbor Ashley and I made the trip with Monkey and her little buddy D-Man.  

The last time we were at the lake house it was about a year ago and the directions that were given to us were wrong.  So this time we were trying to be pretty diligent about taking the right roads.  It's an hour drive there and while the kids did really good on the trip, they were starting to get a little restless and were ready to get out and play.

We find the right road, but got a little confused as to which house it was.  We finally pull up to the house, get the kids out of the car, unload all of the groceries, diaper bags and what not.  D-Man was super ecstatic about the new sandpit they put in the front yard and Ashley and I were impressed with the new two-car garage.  

With our hands full of bags and kids we walk into the front door and into the hallway.... and then Ashley looks at me and I look at her and say, "I don't think this is the right house!" 

We of course laugh hysterically at how ridiculous we are and turn to go back to the car.  That was when we notice a BIG sign out front that says "Smith's, Est. 2005"... did I mention our friends' last name isn't Smith??  Whoopsie!

After finally getting to the correct house we had a lot of fun hanging out and the kids had a great time playing in the water, even with the rain that we got.  We are definately looking forward to the next trip over, and this time I think we'll get it right!

A Beautiful Mind

As I was driving through the small town where we take Monkey to daycare, I saw a couple of young boys on bicycles.  They were cruising up and down the sidewalks, sometimes veering into driveways and parking lots.  Sometimes, my mind starts with something as simple as seeing kids riding bikes and starts to wander, ending up thinking about life jackets.  Odd, right?  Well this is how it happens...

I wondered if kids ever put pop cans on their bike tires to get that dirt bike sound anymore. 

When we were kids we loved doing that.  I don't think I've seen (or heard) anyone do that in years. 

Or what about baseball cards?  Do kids still put those in the tire spokes to make the dirt bike sound?  Or for that matter, do they even still MAKE baseball cards?  I was never huge into collecting them, but I remember other kids trading them on the bus. 

And then my mind switched over to baseball.  We don't live in town so it's hard for me to say with complete conviction, but I can't recall the last time I saw kids just playing catch, either in their backyards or at the park.  Is it because they are too absorbed in their PS3, PSP, or Wii's?  Or could it be that they don't have time to just play anymore?  It seems if a kid is involved in any sporting activity, all their spare time goes to it.

I was talking to a friend the other day whose 10 year old son is wrestling.  He practices 3 days a week and has wrestling meets another 3 days a week.  That's right, he has ONE day off a week, which happens to be Sunday.  Now, he enjoys it and wants to do it, so I don't think it's necessarily wrong.  Actually I think it's good, it keeps him out of trouble and teaches him responsibility.  But it also kind of makes me sad that kids are so busy they can't just be kids.  They don't have the time in between school, sports, and family to play a pick-up game or run down to the nearest creek and look for crawdads.

Then of course, my mind switched over to the creek.  Memorial Day weekend for the past several years has been one spent down at the creek for us.  We, along with 15 or so friends, spend the weekend setting bank poles and trot lines and canoeing down the creek checking them for fish.  If the weather holds out, we are going to take Monkey with us for her first canoe ride and I'm so excited about it.  I hope she enjoys it just as much as her dad and I do.

We can't take her if her new life jacket isn't here yet.  I ordered one yesterday, a Super Soft Coast Guard approved life jacket.  She hated her life jacket last year, it was a bit bulky, so I'm hoping this one will be better.

And that's how you go from bicycles to life jackets all in less than five mintues.  I know, I'm an odd duck.  Huh, speaking of ducks, I wonder if our new puppies will be good bird dogs.... 

Why Having a Toddler is Like Being at a Frat Party

10. There are half-full, brightly-colored plastic cups on the floor in every room. Three are in the bathtub.

9. There’s always that one girl, bawling her eyes out in a corner.

8. It’s best not to assume that the person closest to you has any control over their digestive function.

7. You sneak off to the bathroom knowing that as soon as you sit down, someone’s going to start banging on the door.

6. Probably 80% of the stains on the furniture contain DNA.

5. You’ve got someone in your face at 3 a.m. looking for a drink.

4. There’s definitely going to be a fight.

3. You’re not sure whether anything you’re doing is right, you just hope it won’t get you arrested.

2. There are crumpled-up underpants everywhere.

1. You wake up wondering exactly how and when the person in bed with you got there.

Busy Bee

I love spring.  The newborn calves frolicking thru the pastures, the green grass, flowers popping up, leaves on trees... all signs of spring I love.

However, I don't love what comes with it.  The dreaded spring cleaning.  Yech.  I know a few very sick individuals who actually LIKE it, but for the most part I'd say my feelings on spring cleaning reflect most red-blooded Americans feelings. 

The one thing I do like about it is that I get to observe Monkey "help" her dad out.  She takes the job very seriously.

So serious, in fact, she insists that SHE use the big shovel and her dad must use the small one.

She also really focuses on her jobs, making sure she does it to the best of her ability.

No slacking off from this little worker bee!  Me on the other hand, I was sipping on a Mai Tai, reclined back in my lawn chair just taking in the sun. 

Oh, how I wish.

Signs of Spring

Every day I'm seeing more and more signs of spring.  These branches were bare just a few measly weeks ago and now this!

Three Warriorettes

When I was young tyke I loved playing outside. I loved going down to the creek and playing in the water and mud. I loved digging up dirt in the yard or fields surrounding the house. I loved rolling around in the grass with the dogs and various other pets we had at the time (goats, raccoons, deer, you name it, we had it). I just loved being outside and getting dirty. Everything about it was fun.

I also loved sports and being active. Volleyball, basketball, track, baseball, cycling, and football… well all of it, really. If it had rules or a ball, I was in. I was quite the active child. I guess I haven’t changed all that much. My time for said activities has decreased, but I still love getting out every Thursday and playing volleyball or even throwing a football around in the yard.

And as for the playing in the dirt part of it… well I guess I haven’t grown out of that either.

I saw the site for the Warrior Dash two years ago and KNEW that I had to be a part of it. The idea of not only running through obstacles, but running through mud has me so excited. Unfortunately, the dates of the races nearest me just never worked out. That is until this year. There is one in Indiana, only two hours away, on a weekend when I have NO plans!

When I found this out, I immediately called my husband to double check that we didn’t have any plans and that he would be okay with watching Monkey that weekend so I could go. He gave me the all clear! I am officially signed up for what will be the most awesome 5K I have ever experienced. And I thought it would be hard to top the Fat Ass 5K of last year (which by the way, I will be doing again this year)!

With mud, fire, old beat-up junk cars, rappelling, running through a river, and more, I think this one will take the cake. And the coolest part is that both of my sisters are going to do it with me!

Five Seconds of Fame Never Tasted So Good

Remember this awesome birthday cake? 

It's famous!  A friend emailed me yesterday because she was watching the Rachael Ray show and saw MY cake!  Check it out for yourself...

http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/show/segments/view/cake-wrecks-baking-gone-bad/

Spring Cleaning

The weather over the weekend was great!  We took advantage of it by doing a little yard work.  We have two trees that were almost dead so we cut those down and stocked up on firewood for next spring.

TIMBER....

Monkey had a great time overseeing Dad's work.  She's quite the little slave driver!

What is on your spring cleaning list? 

Sneak Peak

I know I've been MIA for a while now.  I'm sorry.  I've been out of the country and now I'm playing catch up at work.  I wanted to give those of you who actually missed me a sneak peak of what's to come this week though!

One Thing

Last week a friend's grandparent's house burnt to the ground.  Fortunately, everyone made it out alive, but her grandpa suffered some burns and has a long road of recovery ahead of him. 

Yesterday, there was a house fire down the road from us.  It got me thinking, if I could only save one thing from our house (THING, not person) then what would it be?  I posed this question to my Twitter followers and here are a few of the answers:

@PNWrancher - cell phone to call friends for place to stay or computer w/ all my docs on it maybe.

@kernelle - scrapbooks, hands down

@McGuireJJ - An old worn, scratched, tootsie roll Remington 870.

@AndyFFSI - Great-grandmas silverware. When she bought it in the 1920s, it was the ultimate decadence for a poor farmwife.

It's really hard for me to pick the ONE thing I would save. Most things are just that, things.  Material objects that can be replaced.  A few items hold a pretty special place in my heart though: 

Pictures of course.  A lot of them we have backed up, but not all.  And I know in years to come I would miss having those pictures to conjur up memories.

An emerald ring my great-grandmother gave to me (I was born on Mother's Day, which also happened to fall on her birthday that year; this is who we named Monkey after).

My wedding ring.  Yes, we could replace it, but it would never be THE ring that JC put on my finger the day we wed.

A Curious George stuffed animal.  It was one of the first gifts given to me as a baby and I've held on to it for over 30 years.  I want to give it to Monkey when she's a little older and able to take care of it.    

I'm sure there are other things that I would be devastated to lose, but these really stick out to me.  It's amazing how the things that hold the most value to one person, have little to no value to another. 

What about you? What is the one thing that you would want to save if your house was on fire today? 

Happy Birthday to The Gipper!

February is National History Month and this Sunday, February 6th, marks the 100th Anniversary of the birth of Ronald Reagan, our 40th President, and a towering, visionary figure in the history of the Republican Party, the United States and the free world.

The Republican National Committee is celebrating this milestone with a special website devoted to President Reagan. The website will feature video tributes to The Gipper throughout the week from Republicans leading up to his birthday. You can join in the Centennial Celebration by signing a birthday card to President Reagan and joining the conversation about keeping his legacy alive using the Twitter hashtag #Reagan100 (you can find me on twitter @armsnfarms).

Today's video is featured here:

Something to be Proud Of

Saturday we attended a reunion of sorts. JC's Tae Kwon Do instructor, Mr. Brown, wanted to get all of his black belts together for a picture. Unfortunately not everyone was able to make it, but some people even came from states away to be there!

Before the picture was taken, a testing was held. This is for any student to try to move up to the next belt level. JC has gone to these before to judge, but I've never attended one with him. This time Monkey and I both went. It was a lot of fun to watch what JC has been a part of for so many years.

There was one little boy in particular that I was fascinated by. A chubby little guy, maybe 10 years old. He was testing for his green belt that day. He was doing well, messed up a couple of times, but doing well. When it came time to break his board, he wasn't able to do it in two tries. The next person was able to break theirs and you could see the little boy was upset and trying to hold back his tears. Mr. Brown yelled at him, saying that he has accomplished so much in his time there and that he should not shed any tears over an unbroken board. He proceeded to tell everyone about this boy...

He came to Mr. Brown last summer, EXTREMELY obese; morbidly obese in fact. Doctors were worried about him and he needed to lose weight. This little boy was so over weight that he couldn't see his feet, couldn't touch his toes, couldn't really do much of anything. Since his time with Mr. Brown he has lost nearly 60 lbs! He is still a chunky boy, but he is able to keep up with the rest of the class and do all his kicks and everything else.

After Mr. Brown told everyone about this boy, he asked him if he really wanted to break the board. The boy emphatically shouted, "YES SIR!" He said he would give him one last shot at it. The little boy dried his tears, went up to the front of the class and broke that board right in half!

I've never met that boy. I don't know his family. I don't know anything about him, except for what Mr. Brown said. Regardless of all of that, I was excited for him. I don't think I have ever been prouder of a complete stranger than on that day. I can't wait for when Monkey is old enough to join the ranks, I only hope that Mr. Brown is still teaching!

Women Changing the Face of Ag

Yesterday I shared an awesome opportunity offered by the NRA. Today I have one for the girls out there in Illinois that are looking at a career in agriculture.

College may be the best time or your lives, but let us not forget the weight of your entire life resting on your shoulders during those years. High school and college students have tough decisions to make, life-altering decisions, and they hardly get a break from those during a few weeks in the winter.

Fortunately, the Illinois Agri-Women have one solution to all that worry and stress. Women Changing the Face of Agriculture will be held on March 4, 2010 at the Bone Student Center at Illinois State University. Early registration deadline is January 15, (that’s tomorrow!) so be sure your high school or college daughter, granddaughter, or cousin are signed up.

The inaugural Women Changing the Face of Ag (WCFA) event was held last year and it was a huge success. More than 100 students from Illinois high schools and colleges attended the event, learning about agricultural careers first-hand from women in various agricultural fields. I should know, I was there. Myself and another colleague spent the day at the WCFA event sharing our stories of how we chose a college, career path, internship opportunities and what we are doing now in the field of ag.

Maybe you have a senior thinking about ag communications? We’ve got women talking agriculture from several different companies with careers ranging from social media to news writing to marketing. Does your sister enjoy politics? Come visit with some of our female ag lobbyists to find out how they got where they are within their companies. Maybe her teachers have indicated that she has real talent in chemistry or biology. We have women who are soil scientists, plant breeders, and chemical reps that may help you along in your journey.

This event isn’t exactly a job fair, although she is sure to meet some really great women and make some wonderful connections. It’s more of an opportunity for dialogue and mentoring. The event will help her understand how the women leading agriculture today got where they are and how they would advise her to accomplish her goals in the agricultural field. For Illinois Agri-Women, it is an investment in the future of our industry and in the well-being of our daughters.

Attendees can register online at http://www.womenchangingthefaceofagriculture.com/ and can also look up the Illinois Agri-Women on Facebook. Students are urged to talk to their ag teachers about bringing all the females in the ag program. Teachers are urged to contact Illinois Agri-Women to find out how we can help get your women to Bloomington for this event.

An Experience of a Lifetime

In my current job, I work with a lot of college students.  Interviewing, hiring and overseeing them as interns.  I've developed some great relationships with a few of them and like to keep up with their progress after their internships are over.  I know college can be a daunting time in life, especially with the pressure of deciding what path you want to pursue for the rest of your life.  I'm also fully aware of what an amazingly fun time college can be as well and maybe you don't always have the career goals at the front and center of your brain.  I want them all to succeed in life so I've found myself sending them information about other internships, scholarships and job opportunities that I think would fit them well.

I recently saw that the National Rifle Association is taking applications for their National Youth Education Summit (Y.E.S.).  This won't benefit any of the college kids that I work with as it's aimed towards high school students, but I thought maybe one of my readers would know someone that it could benefit so I wanted to pass it along. 

If you aren't familiar with the Y.E.S. Summit, it began in 1996 as an effort to encourage America's youth to become active and knowledgeable citizens. The Summit is a seven-day, expense-paid leadership week in Washington, D.C. Each year, the NRA selects the best and the brightest students to visit the nation's capital where participants learn the significance of the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights while developing an understanding of federal government and the importance of active participation. Students tour the U.S. Capitol, the National Archives Museum, the Pentagon, the NRA National Firearms Museum, and many of the memorials and monuments in Washington, D.C.

Students also have the opportunity to compete for up to $10,000 in college scholarships, awarded to those who excel during the week’s activities, including individual speeches and debates. Students also compete for a $20,000 scholarship after they attend Y.E.S. Each participant has eight months to develop a portfolio describing how he or she promoted NRA programs, such as the Eddie Eagle GunSafe® program, in the participant’s community.

Current high school sophomores and juniors with a minimum of a 3.0 GPA (on a 4.0 scale) are eligible to apply. 

It sounds like an amazing experience that any high school student could benefit from.  I wish I would've known about it when I was in school! 

For an application just click here!