IIII'MMMMM BAAAAAAAAAA-AAAAAAAAACK!

No we're not dead. Just ridiculously and insanely busy. Sunup to sundown is spent working our tails off on "projects". Well actually, it's more Russ that is doing the "project-ing" and it's me that's running interference with smaller creatures of our house, furry and skinned. And by running interference I really mean cleaning up buckets of urine between the house-training puppy, the weak bladdered Chippy, and the four-year-old who often replies "Just a yiddle" to the question "did you pee?" Some day urine will no longer rule my life.

Here are a few things you may have missed whilst we were gone (and I say this as if anyone actually reads my blog and I have followers who are waiting with bated breath for me to post something, anything that would interest them. Just give me my fantasy people):

• Most obvious: We have a new address. It's awesome, or will BE awesome when the freezing cold winter and construction projects are all over and it's painted and pretty and done. Which were pretty much banking on that being July of 2014. Everyone has to have a goal. If you want to see the progress, Check HERE periodically. I have stupid rural internet, so pictures are not something that upload nicely. You can also see some of the "before" pictures HERE. Side note: We moved in on a random Tuesday, so finding help to move was not really simple. My mom took the WEEK off to help us pack and move...THE WEEK! And my brother so graciously took the day off work, and my future-brother-in-law stayed an extra day to help move. I came home and both boys (I say boys cause I am sure that I outweigh them both) had COMPLETELY emptied one truck and were starting on the other which they COMPLETELY emptied before Russ got back with appliances. They used getting Russ's approval to my advantage;) Nice.
• Christmas happened. That lead to a new furry family member which I documented in a previous post. Honestly...hands down...best puppy ever. Were still dealing with a few "puppy" issues, but he's been pretty awesome. He gains about a pound a day...a POUND A DAYYYY! Yikes. You can see how big he is getting and how fast he is getting that way HERE. That would be the mobile uploads album on facebook for those of you who are not my friend. Periodically I will also upload funny pictures of sheer randomness.
  
• New Years happened. And when that New Year happened, I gained a new soon-to-be-brother-in-law. Yeah! He called me on New Years Eve (while I was building a wardrobe insert and hadn't showered in what seemed like 12 years) and asked on a whim if I would give him some advice on ring shopping. I finished building said crappy Menards wardrobe, jumped in the shower, and rushed to meet him. He picked an insanely gorgeous and sparkly ring, tied it around Millie's neck and popped the question at midnight. Super cute. There are pictures documenting it all and it is pretty special. If you don't know who Millie is, that is Diana's cat (ironically who's real name is "Millenium" since SHE came around New year 2000) who also seems to love ham sandwiches.
• Menards owns us. Jerks. Single-handedly I think we are keeping their employees employed.
• Still struggling with the dizziness, and it seems to be a tad worse. I just have to push through it as time is not something I have to go and make attempts at figuring it out. I've done a good job of masking it, most people don't even know it's bothering me when it is. I figure if I pass out while in conversation with someone, at least they'll know I wasn't just faking it. And I can sue those hookers at Carle for passing the buck.
  
• My Grandma is trying to kill me. Seriously. She keeps giving me donuts and coffee cakes and bread and all the sugary, carb loaded crap she can find. She "says" it's for the kids so I don't have to worry about breakfast in the morning and it's quick and easy. I basically have a freezer full of cake people. Cake. I might as well have a freezer full of crack or heroine. If you cut me, I would bleed powdered sugar right this instant. Between that and the People magazines, she's trying her best to turn me into one of those poor people who have to be fork-lifted out of their homes just to go to the doctor, where I will be surrounded by empty boxes of Entemans products and People magazines from 1998. Don't get me wrong, she means well. The poor woman just doesn't understand. I mean, she gets "texting" and "tweeting" mixed up. Here is a conversation we had just not that long ago.
  

Gramma: Misty, tweet your mom and ask if she is stopping by.
Misty: I'm not on Twitter gramma. Do you mean text?
Gramma: No...tweet her, you know, send her a message?
Misty: Yeah...that's texting. Tweeting has to do with Twitter, which is basically
like Facebook and another way for the internet to rule people's lives.
Gramma: Oh, well don't do that. You guys spend to much time on that
internet anyway. Just call her and ask her. Nobody picks up
the phone to call people anymore.
Misty: Ok...I think she's in a meeting still, but I'll call her and leave a message.
Gramma: Oh don't do that...just tweet her. She'll get it later.
Misty: Sigh.....ok.

• Still on my photography hiatus, but BURSTING with excitement about starting up again. I have a couple sessions scheduled in Feburary, but I will probably not jump in full time until March. This property in the Spring so promises to bring some amazing shoots, I just cannot wait. I'm waiting and praying about the direction that I need to take this year. Last year was a constant game of catch up. I am going to have to do things different this year. It is no longer a hobby...it's a job. It's a business. It's how I'm feeding my family, or paying for my car insurance and quite frankly that is going to have to come with a price increase. Nothing drastic, but I can't hide behind the "I'm just starting out and want to build my portfolio" excuse anymore. I think if I figured it up, last year what I made and the hours put into it, I basically made $.50/hour. Half of a dollar. Ridiculous.

So....that pretty well sums up life right now. We have amazing family and friends that have been INSTRUMENTAL in helping us get to where we are. Without you guys, we would still have the moving trucks parked in the barn full of crap:)

Final

We are putting everything in a box today. Packing it all up and dragging it to the garage to be moved into the truck bright and early tomorrow morning. I can't even tell you how much there IS to be done...Omigoodness it's overwhelming. But I guess it's a good thing I'm busy cause if I had a few minutes to really stop and think I would probably be sad and emotional and cry. I'm happy we are moving, I really am. I am not looking forward to not being settled and having us all share one tiny little bathroom until we refinish the tub in the other and build a whole new one for us. I am not looking forward to all the work my husband has planned for us during the whole Christmas holiday season. But I am excited to be somewhere we can stay forever. Cause if this process taught me anything...it's that I myself don't really enjoy change either. I guess Emmy gets that honest from me. I didn't have this reaction when we moved from Tolono. I was also pregnant and we had way outgrown that house and moving here was exciting because we never dreamed we would be able to have a house like this...let alone a BRAND NEW house. The kids were so little and I wonder if their age now is playing a part in my "sadness" because I know they are a little sad to leave the only house they've ever known.

So my mom and Russ are here and I need to give direction...actually....I need someone to give me direction:) My brain is fried and I just want to take a nap! I am hoping to not forget to get a picture of us all on the front porch before the night is over......

Sibling Rivalry

You can tell we are all on edge....here was the conversation that came from my girls bathroom this evening:

Faith: I miss Mae Mae!
Em: Eh...not so much.
Faith: Your mean! How dare you say that about our baby sister!
Em: Why? She's mean to me most of the time and drives me crazy!
Faith: Fine...you can't say no to this. Would you save her if she was falling off a cliff?
... Em: Um...
Faith: YOU PAUSED! You wouldn't save her?
Em: It's a ridiculous question. She's not ACTUALLY falling off a cliff. Plus we live in Illinois. There ARE no cliffs.
Me: Sigh.....

Week of Lasts

I can't believe it's already been almost a week since my last post...man time is flying! Tonight....even though there is only like 20 minutes left in the day, starts the week of lasts in this house. Even typing that I got a little teary eyed. It's not that I'm not happy and thankful for all that has happened in the last couple months, and it's not that I am not excited, but this is the only home my kids have really known. Faith was 2 1/2 when we moved here, and Emmy was 2 weeks old. We had the house built. We've been THE only people who have lived here. Faith is handling it well....just a little sadness for the loss of nostalgia, but Emmy...well...she doesn't enjoy change. If you ask her if she's excited about moving, she will look at you with her "face" (those of you that KNOW Emmyrson KNOW the face:) and will point blank tell you no. She's excited for the things to come, but she doesn't weather change well. She will probably be the one that stays with us and takes care of us when we are old and gray. I am pretty sure the family buying our house isn't in need of an 8-year-old girl, and given the fact that we would probably start missing her after a week or so, I guess were going to have to figure it out.

I thought it would be fun to throw out some of my favorite memories (since this is basically my journal to my kids when they are older) of our times here. All our pictures are packed, and everything else is backed up on a hard drive, so words will have to do.

• Shortly after moving, going "puddle jumping" with Faith when the streets flooded due to backed up storm drains (we suspect all the construction material from the houses being built). The water was up to Faith's waste and my thighs.
• Sitting in a chair in the middle of the kitchen and barking orders to everyone as to where I wanted things when we moved in. I had just had a baby and was bed ridden for two weeks after, so I could do nothing. But bark orders.
  
• Researching, hunting, and shopping to find THE perfect red color for the kitchen and dining room. We found it...and it only took 6 coats of paint to get it perfect.
  
• Camping in the backyard with the kids.
• Hunter....sigh....Awe HUNTER (I totally cried re-reading that post)
• Decorating this house for all the various seasons.
  
• All the various LOST PARTIES. Yes I know we are freaks. No I don't care;) (click on both links for double the party fun)
  
• Making my kids all kinds of fun cakes for their birthdays. Of course I don't do that anymore...I don't have time and Walmart has become my bakery of choice. But I used to have time. And SKILLS.
• Many many MANY many days like THIS
• Many day's like THIS too:)
• Bringing my last little monkey home from the hospital. I was much more relaxed with her than the other two.
  
• Sitting in my jacuzzi tub. Really gonna miss that. Didn't realize how much til the other night when I was sitting in my jacuzzi tub.
• Watching Esther jump off the back deck like a flying squirrel. I will have to tape this before we leave.
  

I know I'm missing a gazillion things...I might add more as I think of them. It's now well past midnight, and I probably should try and get some sleep. There is just so much to do, I don't even know which end is up! Tomorrow (or today I should say) we go to the new house to clean and get everything good and sparkly and ready for us to move right on in. First thing on the agenda (after getting all the boxes in of course) is to go and buy a Christmas tree and get it put up. Second thing on the agenda is this:
Meet Moses....but SSHSHHHHHHH! He's a secret. He's part of the kids Christmas present. We will pick him up the weekend after we move. He's a mastiff....and he will be HUGE. What's a puppy on top of moving? Eh...we got it;) We made two promises when we told them we were moving. #1 was a puppy (we knew we needed a larger dog being out in the country than a 7-pound Chihuahua) and #2 is a kitten. The kitten may wait til Spring.

So....off to bed. I pray sleep will come to me easily.

........What?.........

Pretty much. That's life these days. Always changing, always surprising....it's utter chaos.

Biggest news? Were moving. Yep.....when was my last blog entry? Sigh....Yeah. It's crazy. At this point I am not even sure I can muster up the energy to BE excited, but I should be. Because the only reason it all even came about is God, and it's really a pretty cool story. On a random comment by my husband like "hey...this houses price dropped, lets go check it out" on October 6 to signing final offer acceptances on November 4, we were bought and sold in 4 weeks. Our house sold in 3. Three week. Three. We were on the market for almost a year last year, with not even a hint of an offer, and in the end, we ended up having two offers (one was ridiculous, but still) on the house. When it's God, it's God. Were moving to the country people! If you want to see some pictures I posted on Facebook, check the out HERE. That should be a public link for you to see them and sort of see what I commented in order to know how it's all gonna be laid out. Is it my dream house? Definitely not right now. It is a well-built, super solid, upgraded house on a GORGEOUS 3.5 acres with a BARN...yep...a barn:) We can live there the rest of our days on Earth comfortably, and that was the most important thing to me. We can decorate and change things up course, and I will add some fabulousness to it:) There's room in the basement for an eventual indoor studio....theres a TON of room for some amazing outdoor photography, my husband's gonna grow me some wheat and wildflowers for more outdoor photog stuff, and I have about a billion apple, cherry, and pear trees for me to make some great home-ade goodness. It's gonna be awesome....sigh.....

So...off to get some sleep. I'm tired. It's well past midnight, and I only have a billion things to do in the next 13 days. Yeah...13 days. well...now it's technically 12. Oh my.....

Mae's Random Prayer

ug...I'm behind again. What's new. So much has happened too that I need to document and blog about but who the heck has the time? The house is back on the market. We made an offer on another. Haven't heard back on our offer as of yet...but we're being patient. Well....Russ is being patient...I am trying to not explode out of my skin. Speaking of exploding, I've been editing so much that I literally feel like the back of my brain is going to explode from shooting pains due to staring at my computer screen every spare minute of the day. I need a break soooooooooo bad! I simply cannot wait til December! Can't get here soon enough for me!

Anyway, back to the title of this little post. Maebree is THE most random prayer on the whole Earth. I have tried taping her, but she just looks at the camera and then acts all silly and doesn't do the norm. Tonight, I decided to memorize her prayer, and it was perfectly random. Went a little something like this:

"Dear Jesus,

Dank you for dis day. Dank you for yetting us have Faifies best macaroni for dinner and for all the popcorn. Danks for yetting mom tell her dat she is not my mudder and dat she doesn't get to boss me all da time. Danks dat tomorrow is just gonna be mom and me all the day and maybe dad can come too. Danks dat we are going to the hotel tomorrow too and dat we will move into the new house and dat we will get a new cat dat doesn't eat all the carpet and a new dog that is yike a horse so I can ride on him. Oh! And dank-you dat we will only have good dreams ever day and not bad dreams cause dey are scarwy and so mom won't have to get woke up from us being scared and won't be grouchy all day. *peeks at me with one eye and witnesses me stifling laughter* Um....Help mom to remember dat we are suppose to CYOSE our eyes when we pray so Jesus doesn't get mad! Help dad have a good night at work and me to not pee da bed so Emmy won't get mad and grouchy at me tomorrow. In Jesus name, Amen."

I have no idea why she thinks were going to a hotel tomorrow. We are not. And if you haven't figured it out, she substitutes y's for l's and d's for th's and I'm totally fine with that. Someday someone's gonna teach her the right way to speak, but it sure as heck ain't gonna be me right now.

Happy Half Birthday to Mater!

Since I'm too busy taking pictures of everyone else's kids, I haven't had a chance to take my own kids annual pictures. They have reminded me of this fact every time I go out for a shoot. Why is that?

I needed to get a Christmas promotion out and needed a model, I took the opportunity to use my own kid;) What was meant to be a couple cute shots turned into her bossing me telling me how and where she wanted her picture done;) I haven't really had a chance to work on them (as I am currently working on 6 shoots that need edited!) but I wanted to at least get the post up for her half birthday...which was two days ago...again, parent of the year award right here. Better late then never right?









See the rest as I get a chance HERE.