Christmas Favorites

These are my favorite photos I took during our Christmas visit to OK. Admittedly, I only took about 40 photos and somehow managed to take none of my nieces and nephews (feeling totally bummed right now :-( ) I guess this is referred to as a lesson learned, right? But, here's the ones that I absolutely love and so I thought I'd share them with you.



Grandma's chickens love Seth. Or, is it that Seth loves to try and catch the chickens? Don't tell G-ma



Cousin John brought his 7 week old pomeranian and she took and instant liking to Seth.



His expression says it all :-) Will the hearts on this quilt show that I'm a loving guy - to the females. Next step, where are these females?



Mom loves plants and so of course she was thrilled to get a Texas mammoth elephant ear bulb (or whatever the name is for the largest elephant ear). This plant's ears will get so big that you can wrap yourself in it - several times.



Ah, yes - the knife. Cousin Carol happened to carry a gutting knife in her pocket. Which came in handy as we opened gifts that were taped shut. But, we should have expected this from someone who sends a Christmas card with a picture of a dead deer and her holding it's head up. It's showed quite the holiday spirit. You had to be their - we had lots of laughs!



It was hold me or hold Angel and guess who he chose? Those are fighting words, but who could stay mad. Angel is just 7 weeks old and who doesn't love puppies.



Last - a photo of Dry Gulch. A camp that host the Christmas Train and outreaches to the community (often through church camps and medical camps). The Christmas Train tells the true story of Christmas and was very entertaining. I look forward to going next time we visit OK for Christmas. Not to mention it was way cool to see all the workers dressed up.

waitlisted

I've been waitlisted. That's right. It's not negative, but not necessarily positive. I got "the letter" Wednesday from my PA program saying that I've been waitlisted. This actually could be good. Seth was waitlisted for his Ph.D. program and got in. I think I'm waitlisted because I'm taking a class this fall and they want to make sure I get at least a "B" in the course before they offer a seat to me. Even though the class is not a pre-req. for the program. But, whatever. I plan to get at least a B and hopefully an A in the course anyway (even though it's chemistry - yuck!).

If you pray - say one for me :-)

Bath time

Last week was bath time for our babies and I couldn't help but snap these pics of them. They are so adorable when they're all wet.


Buddy Guenther, aka Buddy or Baby Boy. Buddy constantly tries to escape during bath time and continuously yells. You'd think we were torturing the poor cat. I guess that's what he's thinking anyway.


Misty Guenther, aka Baby Girl. Misty is the best at taking baths, no fighting or yelling.


Twix Guenther, aka Littles or Little Girl. Littles is just cute during baths. She's so small and very easy to handle - there's no escaping for her.

dog and cat diary

Okay so I totally stole this from the Townleys blog, but I had too. Just read it. And since we haven't posted or uploaded photos in a while I really needed something. Thanks Rob & Danielle for such a great post!

**From a Dog's Diary****
8:00 am - Dog food! My favorite thing!****
9:30 am - A car ride! My favorite thing!***
9:40 am - A walk in the park! My favorite thing!****
10:30 am - Got rubbed and petted! My favorite thing!****
12:00 pm - Lunch! My favorite thing!****
1:00 pm - Played in the yard! My favorite thing!****
3:00 pm - Wagged my tail! My favorite thing!****
5:00 pm - Milk bones! My favorite thing!****
7:00 pm - Got to play ball! My favorite thing!****
8:00 pm - Wow! Watched TV with the people! My favorite thing!****
11:00 pm - Sleeping on the bed! My favorite thing!*
------------------------------------------------------------------------
* ****From a Cat's Daily Diary..***
Day 983 of my captivity.****
My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects.***
They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while the other inmates and I am fed hash or some sort of dry nuggets. Although I make my contempt for the rations perfectly clear, I nevertheless must eat something in order to keep up my strength.****

The only thing that keeps me going is my dream of escape. In an attempt to disgust them, I once again vomit on the carpet.****

Today I decapitated a mouse and dropped its headless body at their feet. I had hoped this would strike fear into their hearts, since it clearly demonstrates what I am capable of. However, they merely made condescending comments about what a 'good little hunter' I am. Bastards.****

There was some sort of assembly of their accomplices tonight. I was placed in solitary confinement for the duration of the event. However, I could hear the noises and smell the food. I overheard that my confinement was due to the power of 'allergies.' I must learn what this means and how to use it to my advantage.****

Today I was almost successful in an attempt to assassinateOne of my tormentors by weaving around his feet as he was walking.I must try this again tomorrow -- but at the top of the stairs.****

I am convinced that the other prisoners here are flunkies and snitches. The dog receives special privileges. He is regularly released - and seems to be more than willing to return. He is obviously retarded.****

The bird has got to be an informant. I observe him communicating with the guards regularly. I am certain that he reports my every move. My captors have arranged protective custody for him in an elevated cell, so he is safe. For now................

Cat Yodeling

Many of you may know us as "that couple with all those cats." For those of you who could be characterized as technically-minded and who just don't understand cats, I present to you An Engineer's Guide to Cats. Hopefully this video will serve to enlighten you and convince you that you too can be a cat person.

- Seth

YALCP (Yet Another Life-Changing Post)

I imagine few will find this as hilarious as I did, but I was captivated by every second of this video by Weird Al Yankovic. 'And I say, "guess!" And she says, "WHAT!!!"'. Classic.

The Memory Keeper's Daughter

That's right, I recently finished my first book. Reading, that is. I can't recall the last time I read a book outside of school. It was a very good read that was recommended by a classmate. It's "The Memory Keeper's Daughter" by Kim Edwards. It begins on a winter night in 1964 when a blizzard forces a doctor to deliver his own twins. His son, born first, is perfectly healthy, but the doctor immediately recognizes that his daughter has Down syndrome. For motives he tells himself are good, he makes a split-second decision that will haunt all their lives forever. He asks his nurse, Caroline, to take the baby away to an institution. Instead, she disappears into another city to raise the child as her own. Compulsively readable and deeply moving, The Memory Keeper's Daughter is a brilliantly crafted story of parallel lives, familial secrets, and the redemptive power of love.

At times it was hard to read, but I pulled through and am glad I did. Now, I'm looking for my next book to read.

Does anyone have any suggestions??????

Finally...we saw DCL

We've finally seen Deep Creek Lake. We've been to the area several times now, but never really had a view of the lake or did things in the area. This Labor Day weekend a group of us rented a marvelous house with an excellent view! We went hiking, kayaking, played lots of games and even had time to lay out on the beach and chill. It was absolutely relaxing and we didn't want to leave. But, I wanted to share some of my favorite photos of the weekend. They are from the hike around DCL. I was playing with some of the ISO settings on my camera and took these amazing photos.

A first

Monday was the first day of class, my first treatment for laser hair removal, and my first official vehicle accident. That's right. I was rear-ended while I was on MD-2 just minutes from campus. The impact was enough that I hit the car in front of me. I'm okay and so are the others involved. My RAV is drivable, but will need some body work. We're looking at a new front and back bumper, a side bumper and a few other pieces I'm not sure what to call them. Today, on my day off, I get the joy of calling the insurance adjuster and going to the dealership for an estimate. Looks to be fun (jokingly sigh...) About 5 minutes after this accident happened, another fender bender happened on MD-2 going North (about 15 feet from us). Traffic and the people driving were crazy so be CAREFUL!


The way it used to look.


And, how it looks now.

Farmers' Market in Piney Orchard

I love this new site!!! Who knew there's a Farmers' Market in Piney Orchard I plan to visit this Wednesday.

A new, free online service from the University of Maryland allows consumers to buy the freshest food Maryland farms have to offer with just a click.

FoodTrader.org is a virtual farmer's market that lets small independent Maryland farms create an instantaneous listing of the fresh foods they have to sell, the price and the location.

Since going live July 15th, listings from more than 20 farms have included specialty cuts of meat, all types of fruits and vegetables, flowers, honey, dairy products and even soap made from goat's milk.

One important aspect of the FoodTrader.org Website is that it includes a category for charities. Farmers can receive tax deductions for donations that they make to the Maryland Foodbank. Consumers can also make a food pantry donation and receive a deduction.

In addition to buying what farmers are offering to sell on FoodTrader.org, consumers can also make individual requests online for a particular item. All payment arrangements are made between farmer and consumer.

The silver begins

Aging is such an interesting thing. We change with each year and yet still remain ourselves. I only hope that we are growing into Christ' mold. A nice tight squeeze is what I want. With that said, earlier this week I found my first beautiful silver hair on my head. It was just off to the side of my face. I plucked it along with a black hair to make sure I wasn't seeing things. And yes, it was silver almost transparent looking compared to the dark black. My melanocytes are producing less pigmentation and more silver is what I should expect in the coming years. I say bring it on!

How is Babby Formed?

I think the most succinct definition of Yahoo! Answers can be found at Encyclopedia Dramatica. Having read that entry will help you to understand why someone took the following question and its answer from Yahoo! Answers and made a funny video out of it: How is babby formed?

- Seth

LAI III

Some music-related greatness:

The one and only Coke-Bottle Musician.

Also, if you've never heard of Vitas, you will no doubt be amazed by this video. It's in russian and it may seem whack, but try to stick around until at least 1:06. It's best if you watch it straight through for the sheer incongruity of it all.

And lastly and maybe leastly, this artistic interpretation (as opposed to the non-artistic variety) of Natalie Imbruglia's Torn.

-Seth

Life-Altering Information, Part the Second

Everyone reading this post should immediately go and enrich their lives by viewing, in its entirety, Dr Horrible's Sing-Along Blog. It has singing, dancing, blue humor, and Neil Patrick Harris in it. What more do you need?

- Seth

TGIF

Thanks goodness it's Friday and we have a blog. I didn't realize it, but it's quite the therapeutic thing to do. If that makes sense. So, thanks for being out there to read our nonsense. Today is a much better day and it looks to be nice outside :-)

I Never Thought This Day Would Come

The day that I actually post on a blog. *shudder* In any event, while I disdain blogging in general I have come to realize that via this blog I can and will maintain a series of posts wherein I disseminate important, life-altering information.

To wit, I invite all of you, if you haven't already, to familiarize yourself with the Internet by immersing yourself in the genius (some might say madness, some might say both) that is Charlie the Unicorn and its aptly-named sequel, Charlie the Unicorn 2.

Also, I know it's a rather old meme, but I can't think of any better way to describe the awesomeness of this picture other than thusly: OM NOM NOM NOM

- Seth

change your attitude ... I've been told

I recall when I was young I was told to change my attitude countless times by my parents, teachers and even friends. I usually didn't know what they were talking about as I would say "I don't have an attitude." Or, someone would always ask me "why are you mad." And, of course I wasn't mad at anything I just appeared to be (I'm not sure what they were talking about). Anyway, today brought back so many of these memories as my boss essentially told me to change my attitude. It hit me pretty hard. And, left me thinking about it all day. I came to the conclusion that I had an attitude because I felt threatened by another co-worker. This threat made me feel vulnerable in some way. I didn't get time to know the new co-worker and felt as though she was taking over some of my duties. And, she was because she has the same job duties as me. We are suppose to work together as a team. The whole office is a team, if you think about it.

So, after pondering what to do today I decided I should just change my attitude and get to know her. This really took some effort on my part because I'm not really a talker unless I know you. I made some effort today and tried really hard to be sweet and nice. I doubt anyone noticed, but I'll continue it till I believe it.

So, what I'm really getting at is HELP. This is an area I struggle with consistently in my life. I don't want to be the mean one or the controlling one. I just want people to see me as someone they can talk to openly. And, I'm not sure how to do that. I see myself as an open person and can usually talk about anything even to strangers (if they prompt the talking). How do I make the change? I've been me for so long. Any suggestions? Any scripture verses? And consistent prayers are very much appreciated!

Pergola ... oh pergola ... how beautiful though art

It's finished! The main focal point in our backyard. That's right, the pergola is complete. We finished it in mid June and just took pictures of it this weekend. The complete job took about 2 weeks of painstakingly cutting every notch with jigsaw and chisel (i.e. all the top boards sit on each other via notch - not just laid on). Not to mention I wanted all the support pieces to have an ark cut out of them (i.e. to make it look pretty). I also wanted 6x6 post instead of 4x4 post which is a big price difference and are quite heavier. Not to mention (yes again) all the top pieces also had to have the same ark cut out of them to match the support pieces. I guess I wanted a lot :-). Seth of course took to the challenge and did a beautiful job. Did I mention I'm proud of my husband and so madly in love with him. And the best part is, I said I wanted it and he built it. Now that's love ladies.....

Here's before, during and after pictures. We still need to put out our tiki torches and work on the flower bet, but you get the idea.

Before


"show me sexy"


and, complete! (with a few extra boards against the house and the saw horse out)

And we're back

We arrived safe from the whirl winds of Oklahoma and mentally ill drivers of the beltway on Tuesday. The funeral was really nice and while they expected to fill up their small church, they didn't expect to run out of room for seating or standing. We chose to sit outside the church door as others where standing nearby. Probably 30 of us were outside. And, the hospitality from Choctaw Nations was very nice. They supplied the dinner/snack for the wake and the lunch prior to the funeral service. Which they had so much food they invited everyone back after the funeral for dinner. I survived the weekend due to 2 factors: God and Seth. I know without a doubt that Grandpa was a believer and disciple of Christ. He lived his life that way everyday. I am very thankful that Seth came with me as I needed his hand to hold. I have to admit, it was kinda hard seeing my Grandpa (the only one I knew) in a casket. While I know he's in a better place, I feel sorrow for my grandma. But, she's a strong woman. Speaking of which, she is also very humorous (even if she doesn't know it). The short story...Seth was chasing her chickens (yes, she has chickens). And when he was talking about it at the dinner table my grandma said "don't be chasin' my chickens." It was too cute as her eyes squinted in and mouth gave a frown - old lady style of upset. On that note, I've attached the evidence.

Ooooooklahoma where the wind ....something something something

Well the time has finally come for us to make that special trip back home to make a very important announcement to the family. Yes, you guessed it we are finally not going to have children. That's right, finally huh. Truth be told we bought tickets tonight for a 6am flight to Oklahoma for my grandpa's funeral. It'll be a rough weekend, but hopefully we'll get to visit with some relatives we haven't seen in a while. And, who knows maybe we'll get good snap shots as well. But, if you get a chance could you pray for my mom and grandma this weekend. They are really going through it. My grandpa lived a good life, he lived as a christian should have. He was definitely the most humble man I know. V-out

7th Anniversary Fun

For our 7th anniversary this June we took a much needed long trip. We spent 10 days in Alaska. We spent lots of time catching up with my aunt, uncle and cousin Carol. We did everything from hiking and biking to deep sea fishing and glacier climbing. We even drove up to Denali to see Mt. McKinley. Seeing Mt. McKinley (even though we were very very far off) was well worth the 4 hour drive from Anchorage. Seth now has a new goal: to climb it. The average climb takes 21 days to complete. And, the mountain itself is actually taller than Everest (having a bigger bulk and rise). We are contemplating our return this coming February for the Northern Lights. Alaska is definitely a beautiful state and I can already see us returning. Hope you enjoy the pictures.

Our first blog

We'll here it is. Finally, yes we know. Our blog is open for business and hopefully we'll post enough to keep the monsters away. They always seem to come out when there's cheese.