Today, I am thankful

Today, I am thankful for answered prayers and for a gracious and loving Father who has chosen ME to be HIS.

Today, I am thankful for my first born.

Today, I am thankful for my baby boy.

But most of all, today, I am thankful for this man.

I am very undeserving to have a family like this and am thankful in a new way today.

Ode to P-Dub

Oh P-Dub, my P-Dub,

Thanks so much for coming

to the great city of Memphis,

To you I came a'running.

Your the coolest gal

and an awesome senorita.

You said we were "fun girls".

You really should have joined us for some 'ritas!

My life is now complete

For you brought Marlboro Man too.

It was the greatest Friday night

And I owe it all to you!

Disclaimer: All contents of the above poem may or may not be true. I may or may not have actually came "a'running". Don't embarrass me with flattery of my poetic abilities. I know I missed my calling.

If we were neighbors....

I thought I would try out this post inspired by a friend's blog. It's a fun little writing assignment about a conversation that may take place if we were neighbors.

I'd hear a knock on the door eaaaarly in the morning.

We've been up since 6:00 and could use the company.

I'd secretly hope you were still in your pajamas because, Lord knows, I still am.

And probably will be until lunch.

It's that kind of day.

I'd greet you with a "howdy neighbor", trying my best to be funny.

You know I'm trying and give me a courtesy laugh.

I accept it.

I'd invite you in to my messy house but you don't even seem to notice.

Instead, you just push my pile of laundry aside and plop down on the couch.

I smile.

You ask what I've been up to.

I say that besides taking care of kids and the house, I've been trying to get back in shape.

And working my BUTT off.

I explain how I get discouraged sometimes because my body's just not the same as it was before kids.

You know I love the Beatles.

And, of course, think of the perfect song as encouragement.

We move on to talk about the weather and such.

About the snow.

The rain.

The earthquake.

Crazy. I'm glad we both agree.

I tell you we will be planting a vegetable and herb garden soon.

And tell you to stop by this summer anytime and pick some fresh veggies.

You tell me you have gardened before.

I'm ecstatic to have someone tell me how to do it.

I have NO idea what I'm doing.

You laugh and say, if I can do it ANYONE can.

I sure hope so.

I mentioned I got to meet Pioneer Woman this weekend.

She's my hero.

You say you love her too.

We talk about different recipes we've tried.

We go on to tell each other some light-hearted stories of funny things our kids have said.

Inappropriate ones.

Silly ones.

We laugh.

And laugh.

And laugh.

It's good for my soul.

You say you must go.

We plan to meet again soon.

I tell you thanks for stopping by and to feel free anytime.

LITERALLY.

We are at home every day and love the company.

Goodbye friend.

So long, farewell...

....and a mystery solved! This may be kind of gross, but I am just being honest. There has been a moldy, mildewy stench that have overtaken my kitchen/back hallway area for the last week, and it has been driving me insane! Smells bother me A LOT and I have not, for the life of me, been able to pinpoint where it has been coming from.

I smelled the drain and garbage disposal in the kitchen since it is likely food could have gotten stuck down there. Nope, smelled good to me.

I smelled the trash cans in the pantry. Again, another likely place for a rotten smell to come from. Nope, smells like regular old trash.

I could kind of smell it in the back hallway. So I walk down the hall and see the washer. Might as well smell there too. Nope, actually one place I have smelled so far that smells GOOD.

Then, I remember the fridge. Of course! I probably forgot to clean something out and it's starting to smell. I open the fridge and it is actually a miracle in and of itself. There is nothing rotten in the fridge! What the heck?!?

I go so far as to get down on my hands and knees and smell in cabinets and around the floor. Maybe, in my more-often-than-not cloudy brain I stuck a tomato in the tupperware cabinet and THAT's what's smelling! At least that would be a good explanation.

I've been asking M EVERY day if he smells the same thing, and of course he doesn't. While this can be a good since he can't tell if the house smells like lemons everyday, it also could smell like trash and he would have absolutely no idea (which it has for the past week). Side note/apology - if you have been to our house in the last week, I apologize for the stench. Yuck.

Ok, back to the mystery. M finally convinces me it was probably a mouse that died in the wall that is causing the awful odor. Let me tell you something about M. He is VERY convincing. And I am gullible. NOT a productive combination. I automatically believe it's a mouse. But then the more I think about it, the more I am certain that while this is a possibility (or is it, REALLY?!?.....how many people have ACTUALLY had a mouse die in their walls), I think it is just a scheme to keep me from going insane about this TERRIBLE smell that he has no idea exists in the first place.

I resume my search.....but to no avail.

Then, this morning, about a week after I smelled the AWFUL, TERRIBLE, GROSS odor, a light goes off. Oh yeah! I washed E's Mr. Bear last week after ANOTHER tragedy of gross, gross, gross proportions (that's for another time and another place) and it's been drying in the laundry room.

I make my way to the laundry room and take a whiff........and BINGO! Quickly followed by NASTY! NASTY! NASTY! Get that thing out of here and into the trash!

You see, Mr. Bear is a comfort bear and is filled with rice or beans or something that can be put in the microwave and warmed up to provide "comfort". We have never done this before, so the thought did not cross my mind when I placed him in the washer to get something else awful off of him (again, for another time and another place). Needless today, in something like this, you want to keep the rice or beans dry and NOT put it in water. My actions to get him clean actually caused him to rot from the inside, out.

So, sadly, Mr. Bear, E's bedtime and travel buddy, currently resides in our trash can where he awaits being transported to the big trash can outside and later, well, to be honest.....the dump.

E has NO idea...and I am currently trying to find Mr. Bear's clone online. Sad, sad day. But a glorious day since the mystery is solved!

So long, farewell Mr. Bear.