Oh how I miss thee...

Last Christmas, a tragedy struck...I lost my laptop. Oh, I didn't misplace it; I knew exactly where it was. I left it on the floor overnight next to an almost empty beverage. Voices in my head told me not to leave it there (both the computer and the almost empty beverage). But, I did. I found my computer the next morning soaking in that beverage. Not good for lap tops. It needed repair--lots and lots of repair...and 7 months later, it still needs lots and lots of repair. Today, I dusted it off and opened it up just to remember what it was like when I could do that at any time I wanted to use it...

Just looking at it makes me long for it even more...

It's dark, lifeless screen saddens me...

Oh how I miss...

...the freedom of having my own computer, not having to be kicked off whenever Ray "needs" the computer

...having a convenient place to store, sort, and view my pictures

...scrapbooking on my computer

...being able to sit any where I want when using the computer

...browsing the Internet at leisure

...my Photoshop Elements 5

...actually typing out handouts and tests

I miss my computer sooooo much that I feel like I have lost someone, someone I truly treasured. I realize there is probably a lesson in this; that I probably put too much stock in "things," but this one "thing" (besides my "new" digital camera) means the world to me. Like my camera, Ray gave me this computer. He doesn't give me much so what he does give me I value.

And, it kind of infuriates me that I'm still waiting, like I haven't learned my lesson yet. I get it. I got the lesson. I solemnly swear to take better care of it from now on. I promise to always listen to the voices in my head (hee, hee). Please...I've been waiting a loooooonnnng tiiiimme for my computer to be repaired...not...sure...how...much...longer...I...can...wait...

Taking them out to the ballgame

Yesterday, we went downtown courtesy of GE to see the Reds get spanked by the Rockies.

First, we parked over in Newport and walked across the river. The girls enjoyed that since they have never really seen the Ohio River before. Emily seemed awed by the boats (especially since we are renting one during our trip to Norris Lake in a couple of weeks), and Hannah wanted to take in the sights on her camera...Ahh, a child after my own heart (please take note of hat on her head...that would be the same hat from previous post used to ward off bugs...)

Here is the stadium from the bridge as well as the US Bank Arena (if I could have overlapped these pictures, you would have gotten a panoramic view...but blogger won't let me)

Our first stop was at the Reds Hall of Fame Museum...lucky for us this was free. I definitely wouldn't recommend paying to visit this place with 2 young children in tow...

I'm not sure who this guy is...I forgot to look

Then we had a small buffet lunch. The nice thing about this lunch was that it stayed open until 3:00, so we could go back often for free drinks and popcorn and peanuts. Food seemed to be the only thing to keep the girls occupied while watching the game...

that and taking pictures with my camera (the Sony not the Rebel)

I think they took pretty good pictures (except I look old and tired....sigh....but it was quite warm and we had been there since 10 a.m. and the sun was pretty bright...oh, I'm just making excuses)

The walk back was not enjoyable; Emily whined and complained almost the whole way saying it was too hot (it was really only a tad bit hot) and too far to walk (my feet were starting to hurt), and Ray whined about how many pictures of the surroundings I was taking, but I guess it had been a long day for everyone.

I do enjoy days like these, though. Days where I feel I am giving the girls something they can remember, something they can chalk up to experience. They may not remember everything about the Reds game from this particular day, but imprinted in their hearts and in their little psyches will be the memory of family togetherness. That to me is worth the heat, the long walk, and the embarrassing performance by the Reds!

The Worry and the Wart

Ahh, she looks cute enough, but do you know why she is wearing that hat? It's not because she wants to keep the sun out of her eyes or because she thinks it looks cool, but because she is WORRIED about bugs getting into her hair when she goes outside to play. This child worries about EVERYTHING! She won't go into the treehouse regularly because she is afriad of daddy-long-legs. She won't sit down at a picnic table in the Nature Center because she is worried that there are bugs UNDER the table. Her bare foot touched the pavement in Kroger's parking lot and she thought she had to go to the HOSPITAL because she might have glass in her foot. She refuses to use scissors because she might CUT herself and have to go to the hosptial. I was once backing out of Jo Ann's driveway (it slopes a little on the side) and she thought the car was going to TIP OVER. She even said she had a bad feeling about it and had her hand over her heart. These are the worries from just two days! I could go on and on about the things this one worries about. I just don't understand where it comes from. She seems so carefree one moment

and then a BIG worrier the next...

And that brings us to the wart...

Yep, that would be a frog in that bottle. I just got out of the shower, and there she was with her hands behind her back. "Mom, guess what I have." Who knows...I was afraid to look. That's when she pulled the bottle out from behind her and low and behold, there was this little frog in there. I don't even know how she managed to get that frog to hop in...

And, did you check out the front of Emily's dress? Her clothes ALWAYS look like that...good thing I don't have anyone to pass the clothes on to!

So, there it is, the one who worries and the one who is bound to get a wart. With these two, I am in constant motion....but they sure do make life sweet!

little FASHIONISTA

So, I'm cleaning up the basement and the kids are outside playing (finally in the treehouse) with two of their friends when I hear little feet run across the floor. I go up and look, and I find no one. I go back down, and hear it again. Again, I go up and look. Finally, Hannah comes through the back door, and as I am standing in the kitchen talking to her, I hear the sliding glass door in the basement open and close. I didn't know anyone was down there...then...out the windows I see Emily running down the hill. Only, Emily isn't wearing the outfit she had on only minutes before. Instead, she decided to try something new...






















Did you catch the crocs???? I couldn't help but laugh as she flew like the wind hoping I wouldn't catch her. When I tracked her down a few minutes later (climbing up the ladder to the treehouse), I asked her why she changed. She said, "I was hot." I replied by saying, "So you put on tights?" (mind you, it was only 82 today with no humidity) "I didn't want people to see my panties." Makes sense, I guess. Put on a dress because you are hot; put on opaque tights so people can't see your undies...

Never a dull moment with this one...Like how just a few hours later after dressing so fashionably, I found her lying on her back on the table on the deck (which is like 8-10 feet high) twirling the umbrella...you know, the umbrella that opens up and covers the table and chairs on the deck...she was just having herself a good ole' time.

But, I guess this is what makes life worth living...having a spunky 6 year old kid to keep safe and to love.

#13

Wow. It's been 13 years since Ray and I tied the knot. I'll have to admit there have been many times when I didn't think I even wanted to make it another day, but I am so thankful (today, anyway ;-)) that I have.

We decided to celebrate by dining at The Olive Garden where we haven't eaten in a while. We enjoyed salad, bread, pasta, cheese pizza (Hannah) and chicken fingers with broccoli (Emily)--Yeah, broccoli. She looovvveees broccoli. (Go figure. Has to come from Ray's side ;-)). After dinner we enjoyed some desert.

I have to admit that I am not all that fond of the idea of spending my anniversary out with the girls, but I am glad we did. I mean, what better way to celebrate "us" than with "them" who make us an "us"?

Ray did better this year than in other years past (although, we went to a GREAT restaraunt last year SANS kids); I actually got a card PLUS I got flowers.

Not the best picture, but you get the point. And Ray, thanks to the kind-hearted indvidual that I am, received 2 Golf magazines--should help his game ;-).

So, all in all, today was great, and only time will tell if #13 is lucky or not.

Check out my Slide Show of Aaron's baptism!

Time spent in nature

Today we went to the Nature Center with Maggie (neihborhood friend of the girls) and her mom. We had a great, super-hot day. We first followed the turtle path and actually saw some turtles (imagine that!).

We were a bit jealous of how cool they probably were; although, we weren't exactly jealous of the green water they were swimming in (YUCK!). Maggie's mom was kind enough to bring KFC for lunch, so after visiting with the turtles, we grabbed a picnic table and scarffed it down. I haven't had KFC in forever! Next was the butterfly trail where we saw frogs on lilly pads,

and frogs in the mud,

but no butterflies.


I took lots of pictures of the flowers and trees, and I took some of the girls as they explored an old house from the early 1800's.






I really like these of Emily; they are much cuter printed out, though. I'm going to take them back on a less sunny day and take more shots of them. I like them in the window.

I bought Hannah, Emily, and Maggie disposable cameras to take their own pictures as we walked. I noticed they weren't taking many pictures, so I asked them why not. "There's nothing amazing" was the unanimous reply I got. Nothing amazing?! Here we were, right smack dab in the middle of the most amazing thing God created--nature in it's purest form--and they couldn't find anything amazing. So, I started pointing out things that were amazing: the way a tree grew, the streams that have carved their paths into the earth, a bee sitting on a flower stalk, a group of plants that grew in unison. I realized then how hard it is for us to see the amazing little details of our lives. That we get so busy with the day to day, that we put our blinders on and fail to see the real beauty that surrounds us. I made a decision today, while in the Nature Center, that I am going to help Hannah and Emily learn to see the little amazing details that surround them every day so that they don't reach old age and wonder where the time went.

Welcome to me! Welcome to you!

I've been reading the blogs of others, especially those who scrapbook, and I thought their blogs were really cool. So, after much thought (and finding out that setting one of these up is free), I thought I'd do it too. I realize some of my students will find this, and that's okay. They'll just get a little sneek peak into who I am and what I'm about. Plus, they won't find anything here that I probably haven't already shared with them (No nasty comments, by the way!) I also thought this might be a good way for Chris, Ray's brother who lives in Australia, to keep up with what's going on around our neck of the woods.

So, Welcome to my blog...

But why "'Just Peachy' ?" you might ask. It's because, if I am asked how things are going or how I am that day, I usually respond by saying "Just peachy" or "Fabulous," even if I don't really mean it. So, I thought this might be an appropriate title since life is "just peachy" for me.

You may also ask what I intend to post. Pictures and updates of my life with my kids (Hannah 71/2 and Emily 6) and my spouse of almost 13 years (and his family) and my 4 siblings and my mom and my various friends and my teaching. I also plan to post any scrapbooking I do. Why? Because I hope it motivates me to scrapbook and I hope that I end up like Elizabeth Kartchner one day (if you don't know who she is, you're not a dedicated Creating Keepsakes reader ;-)) I intend to post pictures as well. I also hope that this motivates me to upload my pictures more often rather than waiting until I have over 300! (like today)

So, again, Welcome to my new blog and Welcome to me as a novice blogger!