My Favorite Mr Bean Scene - yes that rhymes.

I still remember laughing my butt off the first time I saw this. Have a merry Christmas everyone! posted by Ben.

Meredith's Solo with the KC Chorale

Meal Plan

Here it is for this week. Let me know if anyone wants recipes and I'd be happy to deliver.

Italian style lentil soup
Asian orange beef, rice
pork chops, mashed potato casserole, roasted green beans and tomatoes
chili, cornbread
moroccan-style pot roast (slow cooker), cous cous

*special- Truman's ozark pudding

I'm On TV

My choir was on TV last night. It was live and while I knew the camera was rolling I was smiling hoping that Ben would see me on camera. I could just see myself on there... lifting one eyebrow so demurely... and wouldn't you know all you get to see me is from the back. I'm wearing a green shirt. Anyway...the lady that is interviewed sings next to me so that's pretty close to me being on TV. :) Click here to see it.

Gwen Snoring Like a Chainsaw

Need I say more? Posted by Ben

Preston's Fav Christmas Song

Can anybody say choir nerd? :) Check out that dude's mustache!

A Hair Raising Scenario

Just to start out, this is an educational post. I went to the dermatologist this morning. Over the years I've been to many and they've given me thousands (ok, maybe 20) different shampoos and ointments and samples. You see, I have psoriasis of the scalp. This isn't contagious, but it is hereditary and I think I got it from my dad. For some reason doctors can't figure out, my immune system thinks there is something wrong and produces more skin than it should in certain areas on my scalp. Instead of making new skin every 28-30 days it's like 5-6 days. It's like dandruff except worse. There is no cure. Even me talking about it gives me the creeps. It showed up for me in 4th grade. I hope it never shows up for Gwen.

During pregnancy everything was hunky dory and it went away. Now that she's out of my body it has come back... and with a vengeance. Today the doctor prescribed some oil that I'm supposed to put on my head and wear a shower cap for three hours afterwards. Now, isn't that lovely and convenient? He also said that he's seen it where it can become like an armor on someone's scalp and their hair falls out. I asked him if that would happen to me and he said "there's no way to tell." NO WAY TO TELL????? Then I started thinking.... what would I do if THAT happened?

I've decided I'd get a wig. This is the one I've chosen for myself if that happens and I don't care if I'm 95.

Meal Plan for Week

chicken Parmesan and steamed veg
cube steak, asparagus, acorn squash
turkey lettuce wraps, brown rice
turkey burgers, oven fries
tacos and southwestern slaw
beef stuffed zucchini, cucumbers

Haystacks and Buttcracks

Today we got together with some family and baked Christmas cookies. I brought home enough cookies to give them out to every house on my street plus several others. We made a total of 5 different kinds of cookies: andies candies cookies, butterscotch haystacks, snickerdoodles, peanut butter cookies and coffee bean cookies. I tried to get everyone to put flour on their face for this photo... but surprisingly people were not so open to the idea! :)

from the left is my Mother-in-law, Pam, me, Ben's Aunt Dee and her daughter Joanna.


Gwen was held by so many people. She loved it. Here she is with Grandma.


Uncle John helped soothe her by putting on a wig. We got a kick out of that. I said she probably thinks she's being held by Cher.


The coffee bean cookies are supposed to have a little indention down the center of them like a real coffee bean. We joked and said they look like little butt cracks. Hence the name of this post.


Gwen found playing with the aluminum foil most enjoyable.


Our little eskimo.

Things To Come

This first photo is just for cute factor. Look how big she's getting! She's changing dramatically this month I think. She's got two little teeth coming up at the same time right now. They are like two little pearls on the bottom of her mouth. If you touch one of those gems though, it's like a razorblade. It's causing her a bit of discomfort. In this photo it looks like she's giving a weak thumbs up. :)


This is my feeble attempt at getting a picture of her teeth. It's impossible!


Tonight my wonderful mother-in-law, Pam, came over and watched Gwen while Ben and I had some time for a dinner by ourselves. Afterwards we went and did a bit of shopping. We had a lot of fun! Neither one of us are shoppers really, so what did we come back with you ask? Well... we bought a Christmas pinata! We saw it in a party store and we looked at each other and we knew we had to get it. It will be so much fun! I mean, really, when's the last time you bashed up Frosty for Christmas?



Last but not least, Gwen is quickly gaining strength in order to crawl. I can just see it now... her sailing across the room before I can blink my eyes.

Just For Fun

What do a jack-knifed semi in Ohio, a guy getting a divorce in Alabama, and a tornado in Kansas have in common? They're all fixin' to lose a trailer.

On his first trip to Boston, the North Carolinian met a girl at a bar and asked her, "Do you go to Harvard?" The girl responded, "Yale." "Okay. DO YOU GO TO HARVARD?!"

How do you know you live in Georgia? When all directions start with "go down Peachtree..." and include the phrase "when you see the Waffle House..."

Ben's Fav Christmas Song

Christmas Photos

The other day we had Christmas pictures taken. Here are some of them.




I love the arm rolls.

Tidbits Of Late

The other day I said to Ben "I'd like some time alone with you one of these days." He thought I said, "I'd like some tylenol with you one of these days."

Ben has gotten into the habit of saying "touché" all the time after I say something. I asked him to stop saying that... so now he catches himself about to say "touché" and he says "too true." I laugh and then he says "verily, verily I say unto you."

Time's Fun When Your Havin' Flies

Well... today we went out to the farm... to Grandma and Grandpa's house. Stuff just happens out there and it also feels like time stands still out there. I love the quiet and the wildlife. I was watching for turkeys, hawks, owls, blue herons, ect... but what I didn't think I would see was a deer right up against the glass of the window!! Of course, gullible me... I thought it was real for the first few seconds. It turns out Grandpa was having a little fun with us. It was the head of a deer he had shot during a hunt. (by the way, he butchers it all himself and they eat the meat)

Don't you just love this picture of Gwen and her Grandma? Grandma Pam went shopping today bright and early and bought Gwen a ton of clothes. Gwen's wearing one of the outfits in the picture. Beautiful!

Here's a video of Gwen eating this morning. I'm so proud of her progress in eating! She's learning. Next week it's going to be barley cereal...yum... :)

Ben's International Harvester Words

Just in case anyone is wondering "I wish I knew the words to International Harvester that Ben is singing".... here they are!
Ben


International Harvester
I’m the son of a 3rd generation farmer
I’ve been married fer years to a Walberg daughter
I’m a God fearin’ hard workin’ combine driver
Hoggin’ up the road on my p-p-p-p-plower
Chug a lug a luggin’ 5 miles an hour
On my International Harvester

Verse 1:
Three miles of trees on my tree farm.
Been mowing and trimming and come to no harm
There's Chinese Elms from across the street
That I used to hate, but sold anyway
To some poor sucker from out of state.

Verse 2:
One day we'll get a state paved road
Until that day I'll have dust in my throat.
But I can hunt and fish, and skin some deer
With Camouflage they don't see I'm here
I'll catcha a big ole' black snake
Even if it bites my hand
Cuz even if I'm bleedin to death
No snake is stayin here on my land.

Chorus:
Cuz I’m a son of a 3rd generation farmer
I’ve been married fer years to a Walberg daughter
I got 4 kids livin the Godly way
I’m a lifetime sponsor of the F.F.A.
Hay! That’s what I make
I make a lotta hay for a little pay
But I’m proud to say

I’m a God fearin’ hard workin’ combine driver
Hoggin’ up the road on my a p-p-p-plower
Chug a lug a lugin’ 5 miles an hour
On my International Harvester

Verse 3:
Well I built a green house for my wife
From plastic sheets and ole railroad ties
I didn't even spend a dime, savin' money for the farm
One day I might even sell the boats, takin' up space in my barn.

Meal Plan

Here it is for this week:

Mom's turkey meatloaf, zucchini parmesan crisps
southwestern slaw, tacos
lentil soup, rolls
makeover manicotti crepes, salad
Ellie Krieger's crispy chicken fingers, baked pot/ sweet pot

Thanksgiving 08

We have had a good day. God has been so good to us and I'm so thankful. Gwen was passed around like a football all day and didn't have a meltdown, we laughed a lot, ate a lot, and sang a lot. In my book that equals a fabulous time! Here are some videos that I took today during our talent show. (a Thanksgiving tradition started by Ben's grandparents)

This one is of Aunt Jo playing her accordion. She is playing "That's Amore."



This one is of my brother, Preston. I call the way he plays "slappy guitar." :) He's really talented.



and last but not least, my darling husband, Ben singing "International Harvester". He changed up the words to poke fun at his Grandpa. My favorite verse in the new version is "I'll catch a big ol' black snake even if it bites my hand, cause even if I'm bleedin' to death, no snake is stayin' here on my land."



a family photo. With Ben's turkey hat and my forced smile it's just great!


Ben's Grandpa reacting to Ben's song.

I have my Christmas tree up. It's beautiful. I have twinkling lights, meaning, they wink a little...but the only problem is that I have two strands of twinkling lights and one strand twinkles like a banshee while the other just twinkles slowly. Oh well...

A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words

He says he's going to wear it tomorrow to work. :)

Christmas Time Is (Almost) Here

Today my friend Sonia came over to help me decorate the Christmas tree. As she's from India, it was the first Christmas tree she's ever decorated. Since she's coming to Thanksgiving with us we decided to make some divinity today to bring along on Thursday. I've never made divinity...but something went wrong. This is what it's supposed to look like.

This was ours. :)

My mom gave me this tree and this will be the first Christmas that Ben and I have had a tree. Before, we just had a little decorative tree in our apartment with lights that stayed on it all year. When it came Christmas time I'd just plug it in. This tree requires effort. I couldn't figure out the complicated strands of lights and how they all hook up, so we got only a few strands actually to light. Something tells me Ben might be looking at the lights on the tree.

Sonia is expecting her first little one. I even "let" her change her first diaper today. (ain't I sweet ya'll?) Can you tell I've been watching that southern cook Paula Dean?

Here we are together. I took this shot with my arm extended.