Raining

It's raining, it's poring, the old man is snoring... Okay, he isn't snoring. He's sitting on the swing, talking on the phone, while my two year old plays in the rain.

To think we left her in his care and this is what I get...

A wet toddler.

Naps

Yesterday Kaitlyn was taking a really long nap. I finally decided I better go check on her (again). I walked in to find this...

She had found her colors, a coloring book and her burger from lunch. I asked, "Kaitlyn what are you doing?" She said, "I'm eating a burger." LOL... We had gone out to eat. When we returned the burger was in my purse. I took it out and laid it on the bed. I guess she did a little snooping.

Giveaway Update

The deadline is quickly approaching in the Sew Fun Quilt giveaway. So pop on over there and sign up before it's to late.

Today she added her baby quilt pattern to the bounty.

New Giveaways!

Sew Fun Quilts is having a giveaway that ends this Saturday. What might you win you may be wondering??? Well that's not completely known. Each day a new item is added to the stash. Today it was peach ribbon and yesterday it was cat fabric. Hurry on over to her blog and sign up before it's to late.

Kati Cupcake is having a giveaway of a lovely quilt pattern and the fabric to make it.

Wouldn't you love to win this?!!! I wish I could win it already put together, but I'll settle for the pattern and fabric. Just head on over to her site and see how to win.

Swimming

Kaitlyn loves the pool and enjoyed it even more the last time we went. She kept crawling in whenever it struck her fancy. Here's some pictures of her adventure.

Here she is climbing in for another dip.

She hated getting water in her ears.

Potty Time

Twice today Kaitlyn has gone poo on the potty. Yeaaaaaaaah! She did it yesterday morning too. She's been having a terrible on going diaper rash that doesn't stand a chance at clearing up before she poops again. The frustrating thing with rashes is she seems to poo more when she has one. I keep telling her, "If you poo poo on the potty you won't get a red hinny." That kind of works, but her newest thing is going "poo poo like Randi." For those scratching their heads Randi is my seven year old second cousin. Yesterday after going on the potty Kaitlyn kept saying she did it like Randi. Hey, whatever works!

Fun

Kaitlyn is having the best time playing with Robert and Randi today. She is chasing Robert around saying, "snake, snake, snake" while he pushes her grocery cart. What does a snake have to do with anything? I have no idea.

Artist Mommy

When preparing to be a mommy people give you all kinds of tips and tricks. They tell you what to watch out for and what to expect. Of course they always leave things out. No one told me that being a mommy means being an artist too. I didn't know I would be expected to draw cows, feet, flowers, Hermie, LazyTown (how do you draw that?) and so on. Kaitlyn will ask me to draw her hand. I tell her to do it and she comes back with, "No, mommy do it." So off I go to trace her hand.

Another talent mommies must have is the ability to sing. However you don't have to sing well. As a matter of fact it's better if you don't try to sing as though you are the next Carrie Underwood. Just run your words together like a child does. Your singing must be something she can copy. Kaitlyn loves singing. From time to time she will say, "Mommy, promise." Which means she wants me to sing I Am A Promise. When she was a baby I would sing it to her all the time.

Enter To Win One Of These Annies!!! Your Choice

Cyndi's Distinctive Creations is having a giveaway of these two hand painted and stitched Annies. To enter just click on the picture so you'll be sent to her blog and leave a comment on the Annie giveaway post. The drawing will be on July 4th so enter now!!!!

After doing the two Annie swaps recently I'm entering this giveaway for Kaitlyn. She knows the two Annies around here are Mommy's so maybe I can win one for her. I think she would like the one with the American flag on the apron, but she would be thrilled with either one.

National Anthem

Kaitlyn loves standing at the open hotel door when the National Anthem and Taps are played each weekday. Yesterday I filmed her during the Anthem. Normally she stands still while it plays and has her right hand on her heart. With me not kneeling beside her things were a bit wonky. Don't mind the chili on her face. We were eating Frito pies beforehand.

Sorry it's sideways. I totally didn't think about it. At the very end you see her lips moving; she's trying to sing the words to the song.

Here's she's telling you she just heard the National Anthem.

Top Five Ways To Cut Your Electric Bill

I saw this on AOL this morning and wanted to share it with you all.

By AnnaMaria Andriotis,Reporter, SmartMoney.com

Using an air conditioner will keep you cool as the mercury rises this summer, but that's about the only relief it will bring.Cooling costs can comprise a sizable chunk of your electricity bill -- and this summer those costs are going to be even higher than last year. In fact, electricity prices are expected to increase 4.3% this year, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA).

While there's nothing consumers can do to stop the utility companies from raising rates, there are ways to keep the electricity bill under control. Here are five ways to do so.

1. Program Your Thermostat Want to return to an air-conditioned home after a long day of work without leaving the A/C on full blast all day?By investing in a programmable thermostat, which costs anywhere from $35 to $115, you can program the air conditioner to turn off or raise the temperature while you're not at home and then kick in right before you return home. Doing so can help you save 10% on cooling and heating bills each year, says Ronnie Kweller, a spokeswoman with the Alliance to Save Energy. Another helpful hint: Close the blinds and shades to block the sun and keep it from heating up the room.

2. Buy Energy-Efficient Appliances Household appliances can eat up a lot of juice. When shopping for new appliances look for the Energy Star label. Buying products that meet Energy Star's criteria can save consumers up to 30%, or $700 a year, according to the EPA. Refrigerators, especially, can hog a lot of energy. Maria Vargas, spokeswoman for Energy Star suggests replacing any refrigerator that's 15 years old or older. New units consume 50% less energy than ones made in 1990, according to Energy Star’s most recent data. Can't afford to replace the refrigerator? Clean the coils beneath and behind your refrigerator regularly so it runs more efficiently, says Kweller. Also, refer to the owner's manual to find out the unit's recommended temperature and keep it set at that amount, she says.

3. Replace Light Bulbs One quick way to lower your electric bills is to replace your energy-hungry incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs, or CFLs. The initial cost is higher -- basic CFLs costs $2 to $5 apiece compared to around $1 for an incandescent bulb -- but they're far more efficient. Consumers can save up to $50 per CFL because they use about a quarter of the energy that incandescent light bulbs use and they can last up to 10 times as long, says Kweller.

4. Turn Off and Unplug Gadgets Even when they're not in use, cellphone chargers and laptops can really add to your electricity bill if you leave them plugged in all day long.Standby energy use accounts for 5% to 8% of all home-energy consumption and costs the average household $60 to $100 a year, says Kweller. Plug items that you use frequently, such as your computer or television, into a power strip that can be switched off before you leave the house. Also, enable your computer's "sleep mode" rather than letting it go to a screen saver. That small gesture can save up to $75 a year, according to the EPA.

5. Take Advantage of Tax Incentives Making energy-efficient improvements to your home is one way to reduce your electric bill and receive a gift from Uncle Sam. Thanks to the stimulus bill, homeowners can qualify for tax credits of up to 30% of the cost of making energy-efficient improvements for a total maximum one-time credit of $1,500.Of course, installing new doors or replacing the roof are pricey endeavors, so you want to make sure you know which items qualify before doling out the cash. For new insulation to qualify, for example, it must meet the 2009 International Energy Conservation Code (check product labeling or call the manufacturer).

Craft Hope Update

I'm in the process of crocheting booties for the babies in India. So far I have three pairs finished. I finished the last three booties since Kaitlyn has been napping. If you want a quick and easy booties pattern to try hop on over to You Can Make This and check out Cara Scofield Designs. I'm using her Fanci-Flats: Crochet Slippers for Baby and Toddler pattern.

If you want to learn more about Craft Hope check out their website. If I can find where my camera went I will take some pictures of my pink booties.

Craft Hope

I just came across a great ministry that finds out needs of organizations then asks people to craft specific items that will be sent around the world. Their last project was handmade dolls going to orphanages in Nicaragua. Before that it was pillowcase dresses that went to Mexico. This time they are requesting everyone make booties, caps, and light weight blankets to keep newborns warm in India. Miracle Foundation will be taking all the handcrafted items with them on their trip to India.

If you want to know more about Craft Hope, would like to contribute or know someone who would you can check out their website.

I'm currently crocheting some booties to send in. BTW, booties are so quick to make, but with Kaitlyn and Neal around... it takes forever to make one. Last night I counted and recounted my stitches, but (grrrrr) if Neal didn't have to keep rattling off numbers over the phone. I finally gave up.

Small Victory

We have been "fighting" to stay in our hotel a bit longer for about a week now. When you initially move into TLF (Temporary Lodging Facility, or something like that) you are guaranteed 30 days of housing. To stay longer you must express your reason to the manager and BEG for a little more time. A little info for you... Most people have the chance to check out their new base before leaving their old. They have a little time to do a bit of house hunting then head back to their old base. Hopefully during their time at the new base they find a house and start working on buying it. When they officially arrive at their new base their house should be close to closing. People who are TDY (Temporary Duty; aka, Neal being at tech school) in route don't get the house hunting time before officially arriving. So here we are living in TLF waiting on our house to close, hoping we aren't shoved out in the street. When Neal gave the manager a letter the first time stating why we needed another month he was told they are booked. We were granted one day. Are you kidding me? One day?! We were told to call back to see if more days have opened. And so all week I have been calling back. For some reason the ladies who answer the phone have been giving me the run around. They won't even say if they have an opening, they just refer me to the manager who's never around. Today Neal went a round with them and they said they can fit us in until July 6th; this sure beats being out by the 29th. Now we just have to stay on them until we close at the end of next month. If we can't stay here then we will try to rent an actual hotel on base for Neal while Kaitlyn and I go back and stay with my parents.

On the house front we are hoping to close 30 days from today. Please pray this happens in record time so we can get our household goods back and stop fighting TLF. Can you imagine packing all your things up and not seeing it again for seven months?!!!! We have seen our things since Christmas. Please pray everything is okay. I keep picturing our poor waterbed, computer, and so forth in this high heat. Also, please pray for rain. We are having a serious drought here. What do I mean by serious??? The earth around the house we are buying has pulled away because it's so dry. Thankfully damage hasn't been done yet, but other homes are cracking because of this. We desperately need some good steady rain to moisten the ground. We are about to move to stage three on water conservation. The news said that will mean you can water your grass once every other week with a sprinkler. I have to question the point of watering if you can only do it every two weeks??? I mean really it will die anyway in the 100 degree heat we are having. On a random note when checking the weather on my Sprint phone it's starts the forecast off with "Awfully hot". Yes it is.