Brief Blessing

Wow, I obviously blogged too soon. The air conditioning in the van that suddenly revived on Sunday? Yeah, it's done! Two days working in the 90 degree June weather maxed it out! Bummer.......

Brielle loves clothes. Maybe she learns it from Emma who HAS to choose her clothes each morning. I have witnessed Brielle throwing a tantrum over not getting to wear the outfit I put on (because it ends up being too big). As soon as she gets her dress on for church, she twirls around the room. This morning, Emma had helped her pick an outfit that I had bought on sale last summer. However, she would not let me put it on. She had to try it first which made me laugh because she knew that one big opening would go over her head and the other would fit her legs. Lucky for me, she got them backwards and created a great picture!

Our Unexpected Blessing

Well, we have had our van for almost exactly a year (June 28th--to be exact). I love our van. It has provided us with a lot more room to maneuver the kids, take people with us, haul stuff, or buy bigger things at Home Depot! I also love that the doors open/close by themselves. The one bad thing? A week or so after we had bought the van, we realized the air conditioning didn't work in the middle or back seats. So we decided we could finish the summer without it and hopefully save up to have it repaired this summer. Nick had just mentioned on Saturday that we should probably get a mechanic to look at it and give us a quote. I didn't want to think about it because I knew it would not be cheap. On Sunday night we were driving to my mom's house for a visit when all of a sudden we heard this whoosh sound in the back of the van. We both turned around to look and realized our air conditioning had just started working!! Out of nowhere! We had not even touched the dials that control the back end....it was unbelievable! I have had to pinch myself every time I drive it now because I just can't figure out why it would suddenly start working after a year! It is truly a blessing not to have a major car repair this summer and I know that heaven is watching over our family!

Sun+Sprinklers+Sand+Swings= SUMMER

Well, according the the calendar and the heat it is officially summer. Last night we had no obligations so we decided to stay home and relax. I took a walk around the block with the girls while Nick mowed the lawn. When we got back, Emma pushed Brielle in the swings and then they both headed for the sandbox. I love new sand. It is so soft and cold. I put my feet in and imagined that I was on a beach somewhere. Even though our backyard is on the west side, our trees have really started to shade the backyard. The sandbox kept the girls busy for awhile and I relished in the cool shade, soft sand, and smell of freshly-cut grass. We pulled out the Otter-pops for a treat later and just before we headed inside the sprinklers came on so the girls went and stuck their hands and feet in the water. Emma and Brielle looked like the perfect summer kids--sand all over their clothes, wet grass stains on their feet, sunscreen-smelling hair, Popsicle drips down to their elbows and a smile on their faces. This is what summer is all about!!!

Our New Camera

Well, we couldn't wait any longer...we bought a new camera. A Nikon Coolpix S550-- whatever that means! (I tried to post a picture of it, but I couldn't figure out how to do it). It's funny that this camera was cheaper than the camera we bought 4 years ago, but it has more functions. Technology is always moving so fast. I just hope it is easy to learn on this camera because I am not the most tech-savvy person! So, hopefully, I can get some more pictures on here soon.

Variety of thoughts

It seems I am a better blogger when I have pictures post. I feel like a crayon without a coloring book.....or a mom without a camera! Any camera would have come in handy today when I went to the basement to find Brielle covered in black marker (not washable)!! My first thought? Where is my camera when I need it? How can I prove to her that this actually happened if I don't have a picture? It would have been one great picture.
That is how my whole week has been.....like I am one step behind on everything that is going on. It hasn't helped that I have been staying up later than usual trying to finish "The Host"-- which is probably why I caught Nick's cold-- and that led me to collapse on the couch (after dinner at 8:00pm) on Monday and wonder why I feel like I am busy all the time, but still have things that I can never seem to be ready for. It's like I finish one job with not enough time to prepare for the next "thing". Where am I going wrong? I don't think I really waste time. The only downtime I have is when I read before bed or I am on the computer while the girls nap. And I feel like if I don't take these breaks I will go insane! So I am blogging all my thoughts for the week to see if it helps.
1. Why do I bother to try on swimsuits?
2. It really bugs me when people tell me what to do. It makes me want to do the opposite, even if I had planned on doing what they told me.
3. Am I selfish to want to always have a vehicle at home, even if I have nowhere to go?
4. Is there some way to avoid Walmart for the rest of my life?
5. I hate it when you have to buy 5 things for $5 instead of getting one thing for $1.
6. Will cleaning up a toddler ever get easier?
7. I love my Church calling; however, I feel like I am on the phone all the time.
8. Has the volume of mail doubled or am I just really behind?
9. I think it was last week I had complained about every day being windy and cold, and today it was almost too hot to stay outside for more than 30 minutes. We need to get our energy out!
10.I really need to exercise more. I think at one point I liked it.
11.My husband has not slept in our bed for over a week. I miss that. (He has been sleeping in the basement because he coughs so much when he lies down.) I know he just wants me to sleep well.
12.I am addicted to angel food cake. Since Mother's day we have always had one.
13.I hope my children are nice and polite when I am not around.
14.What should I make for dinner?
15.How often do you really have to dust?

Death to Digital

I am so sad....yesterday morning Emma was taking pictures with our digital camera (I think I have blogged that she does this a lot). No big deal.....until she dropped it on our kitchen floor! My first reaction was "Emma! Be careful!" And then I watched her pick it up and try to turn it on. Wouldn't go....It would make the sound but the lens would not go in. I could not believe it! In the meantime, Nick came down and looked at it and then scolded Emma as well. She was crying by then because I knew she felt bad about it. We tried taking the battery out. Nothing. I thought that if we didn't bother it the rest of the day, it might come back. hmmmm....like it would get it's energy back? Nothing. I tried again this morning. Nothing. I hoped that we could get it fixed at Inkleys--where we bought it. They said the price to fix it would be just as much as buying a new one. I think Nick jinxed us. Just the other day he was saying how much digital camera's had gone down in price since we had purchased ours (approx. 4 yrs ago). I look around at everything that goes with it--the memory cards, the case, the charger! aghhhhh. It isn't only about buying a new camera, it is about buying everything that goes with the camera, too. And it isn't like we have extra money to purchase another one. But, I can't go a whole summer with no pictures of my kids playing outside, swimming, going to the park, etc. And we just sold our film camera 5 days ago at our yard sale! How ironic! I guess I could win one! yeah, what are the chances of that? So, I guess while we mourn our loss, we will be in search of a "cheaper" replacement. ugghh

Tag!

I decided to do this tag if I could copy and paste it into my blog (because I was too lazy to type it out!) So it look like it worked! Here you go, Sue!

1. What time did you get up today?6:01 a.m.
2. Diamonds or pearls?diamonds
3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema?Indiana Jones (it wasn't my favorite...but then again, I have never seen a whole Indiana Jones movie!)
4. What is your favorite TV show?I never remember what time shows are on...I don't watch a lot of TV. But I was a big fan of Friends!
5.What do you usually have for breakfast?I switch between oatmeal and cereal. On Sundays we splurge with Betty Crocker muffins!
6. What is your middle name?I don't have one.
7. What food do you dislike?red meat
8. What is your favorite CD at the moment? I have all my CD's on my IPOD with other newer songs. I like variety rather than listening to one CD.
9. What kind of car do you drive?2003 Honda Odyssey
10. What characteristics do you despise?dishonesty and selfishness
11. Favorite item of clothing?denim jeans
12. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you go?on a tropical cruise
13. What color is your bathroom? white
14. Where would you retire to?Nick and I would love to buy an RV and take road trips around the country (I love navigating maps)
15. What was your most memorable birthday?17th. At the time I was in a Health Occupation class and I wanted to be a pediatrician, so I received a stethoscope and a blood pressure cuff
16. Favorite Sport to watch? basketball
17. Favorite saying: Live your life with arms wide open (it's from a song)
18. When is your birthday?September 10
19. Early Bird or Night Owl?Night Owl
20. What is your shoe size? 8
21. Pets?A fish named "Store Lady"
22. What did you want to be when you were little?refer to #15 and a mom.
23. How are you today? a little sleepy
24. What is your favorite candy?Lemon heads
25. What is your favorite flower? white rose
26. What is a day on the calendar you are looking forward to?July 4th weekend (I love fireworks and it is also our anniversary that weekend)
27. What is your full name?Rachael Morrell Parrish
28. What are you listening to right now?total quiet
29. What was the last thing you ate? leftover onion ring casserole
30. Do you wish on stars?sure, why not?
31. If you were a crayon, what color would you be?depends on the day
32. How is the weather right now?cold for June
33. Favorite soft drink?root beer
34. Favorite Restaurant?Rooster's or Pasta Factory
35. Hair Color?Blonde and Brown is what gets colored in!
36. Siblings?3 younger brothers
37. Favorite day of the year?My birthday
38. What was your favorite toy as a child?my stuffed animals and dolls
39. Summer or Winter?Summer
40. Hugs or Kisses?Kisses
41. Coffee or tea?neither
42. Chocolate or Vanilla?Chocolate
43. What is under your bed?down comforter, violin stand
44. Who is your longest friend?Noni, Kass, Melanie
45. What did you do last night?went to a church meeting
46. What are you afraid of?losing a child
47. Salty or Sweet?sweet
48. How many keys on your key ring?two?
49. How many years at your current job?8 years (medical assistant)
50. Favorite day of the week?Sunday
51. How many towns have you lived in?six
52. Do you make friends easily?In a small group, yes. In a large group, no
Did you make it through my list? Way to stick it out!