Wacky Weather

It is January 31st 2012, and it is 43 degrees with a high today of 54.  I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that is a bit odd for Ohio.  I'm all for warm weather and love Spring, but I really think it is a little early for this yet.  After all it is Ohio.  I'm sure Mother Nature is holding onto something big for us in the winter weather category.  I just hope that it comes and goes before April.  I also am not a fan of the possibility of a severe blizzard.  We can do without things like that.  As long as my family is safe at home though if weather hits, we'll deal with whatever she sends our way.  I can say though that I appreciate the sunshine this morning.  We haven't had a whole lot of that lately and it is a pleasant change of pace.  Maybe we'll bundle up and go out and play some today in the warmer temps.  Enjoy the day everyone!

Bittersweet

A lot has been going on in the Rowe house lately.  We've been finishing up some projects that we have neglected to do for some time, but that we wanted finished before we would sell the house.  This in turn makes the shoulders come up a little, because we have that off our list and off our "shoulder load".  The girls have also been doing a lot.  Mallory has been helping us paint, and clean.  She is such a good little helper (when she wants to be) :)  She has also been eating like a little horse.  I think she is coming into a growth spurt.  The little stinker seems to be hungry all the time lately.  Then there is little miss Jaclyn.  She is growing up so fast.  I don't have a little baby anymore that is for sure.  She has decided that she is old enough to stop nursing, and while I am okay with this I was hoping that she would hang on till she was a year old.  Her sister stopped at nine months too, so I'm used to it, but since we aren't going to be having another baby for a few more years I'm really going to miss that mommy baby time and connection.  She has also gotten to the point where she will be walking consistently in the next couple of days.   She successfully has taken between 3-5 steps by herself three or four times today.  This is truly bittersweet for both of us, but I see my baby growing so fast and am not sure where the last 9 months have gone.  I'm so proud of both of my girls and the things that they know how to do and that I see them learn to do each day.  They are smart little girls and happy too.  I don't want anyone thinking that I'm not also proud of my hubby, because I am so very proud of everything that he does and accomplishes for our family daily.  He is my rock and I wouldn't be able to do any of this without his support and comfort.  I love them all dearly and can't wait to see what our future holds!!!!

Bath Time!

I love bath time for the girls, on most days that is.  They both are little water bugs and LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, the tub.  They could sit and splash for hours.  Mallory enjoys "swimming" and being a fish.  She also likes pouring water over her head and face.  I am so thankful that she isn't afraid of water.  While that can bring on a whole slew of worries, I honestly feel it is better for her to like the water than to be terrified of it.  At least this way she will be willing to learn and pick up swimming very soon.  She was actually pretty close to figuring the movements out this past fall, so hopefully this summer she'll start to get the hang of it.  Jaclyn is loving the water I think a little more than her big sister did at this stage, so hopefully she'll enjoy it right along with her big sister.  Just a couple more things for us to do with these beautiful little girls we have. 

Birthdays coming up!

It's pretty early to be thinking about this and quite frankly it depresses me a little to think that my baby will be one, and her big sister will be 3 already!  But while it isn't fun to think that they are growing up so fast, it is going to be fun planning their parties!  I'm struggling a little with the themes this year.  Mallory enjoys so many things and won't really tell me one particular idea that she likes best, and Jaclyn it's just a matter of choosing one since she really won't remember it except in pictures anyhow.  I'm kind of thinking of maybe Care Bears for miss Jaclyn, or doing the baby zoo animals one.  Just can't decide for sure.  I guess it will probably come down to what type of cake I decide to do and that is what we'll go with.  Thank goodness I have a couple of months for the planning of this for both girls, but I know just like the last 9 months, 2 1/2 years have done, it will be here before we know it.  I love my little girls more than anything and love watching them grow up!  Stay tuned for Birthday Madness in the Rowe house!

Winter has come........

As I sit here this morning with my baby girl listening to the wind howling outside I can't believe how AWESOME Mother Nature is.  It really does make you realize that we are just little specks in the grand scheme of things.  For instance do you know anyone who can take temperatures from 40's-50's and drop them down to the teens in a matter of hours.  Plus add 40 mph winds and snow is just a humbling thought in my opinion.  It makes me think that all the people in my life who cause problems just to cause problems, or that bother me, are nothing more than wind blowing by.  Honestly that is what we all are.  We are merely borrowing Earth for the time we are alive, and that's it.  There are greater powers in life that humans will never replicate, or become (even though there are people that try).  I have huge respect for Mother Nature and all that she can do.  Between her and God (no matter if you believe in God, or some other higher power) they have final say in all that happens.  So when someone complains about snow, or all the rain, or it's too hot, I try to remember that she does what is best for Earth and herself and controls all.  How can you not have respect for something that creates some of the most amazing pictures and scenes we'll ever see.  Let's be thankful for our time here and with our friends and family, and try to enjoy the weather that we get.  Have a great day all, I'm sure many of you will be getting the day off if you're a part of school systems! 

Selling property

So this is the first property that I have ever owned, and now we are in the process of trying to sell it so that we can build a house over by Tiffin on some of Dad's ground so that we can be closer to friends, the farm, and the way of life that we want our kids and us for that matter to have.  After being away from farming (other than during busy seasons) for the last 8 or 9 years I'm anxious to get over there to help Dad with the farm and be around our other friends who also farm for us to be able to help them when we can.  Our house has been up for sale for about three weeks now and we have gotten two calls now.  In my opinion I don't think this is really too bad considering it's winter, the holiday season, and the fact that we're doing it ourselves in a not the best market.  So having two calls is pretty good I feel.  I just keep praying that we'll find that person/family that wants this property for their own so that we can move on in our process.  We have the Statue of St. Joseph that is supposed to help in selling homes, but haven't gotten him in the ground yet.  I'm really hoping once we bury him things will really take off.   I'm actually very much looking forward to babysitting once we have the new house built and are settled in.  So to any of you that are looking to sell, or in the process of selling, or have sold in the past, if you have any tricks that seemed to help in your process we'll gladly listen to them and see if they work for us.  Wish us luck and pray for us if you would please.  Hopefully this is a fairly painless process, and we can get our family situated in our new place and keep moving along with life!!!

Is Christmas really over?

This is of course an easy answer for most of us.  Not so much for our 2 1/2 year old.  She is still walking around singing Christmas carols, and wanting to watch Frosty, and Rudolf on TV when she can.  It really doesn't bother me at all, I love that she is so into music and has great rhythm for as young as she is.  However I can honestly say that I am starting to get tired of the Christmas songs, however I am attempting to get her interested in learning to play the piano, and my parents got her a real guitar for Christmas so we are trying to learn how to play that as well.  I have found that the Christmas songs tend to be a bit easier to learn when trying to play an instrument.  The melodies are quite catchy and easy to hum along as you are playing and learning these techniques.  We just may have to take a break from the Holiday music for a time and then come back to them again when we get tired of the new songs.  So coming back to my original question is Christmas really over.  I suppose the date is over, the schedule is over, the big red man has gone home, but Christmas is never really over unless you want it to be.  It's with us always it just sometimes takes a 2 year old to remind us just how great that season is.  :)

Brrr......It's Cold out there!

Boy has the temperature dropped in the last 48 hours.  I'm one of those people that has been hoping and praying for the ground to freeze (mainly so we can finish up the corn harvest), but even though I've been wanting the colder air, it's still a shock to the system when it gets real cold for the first time of the season.  I had to go outside to talk with the tow truck driver that came to get the van today, and then again when I fed the dogs and it was very chilly out.  Definitely need to make sure I have my gloves and hat around for when I have to go out now.  I suppose a silver lining to December being so much warmer than normal, it did help with the heating bill.  But now we'll have to see what January and February have in store for us.  They are known to be rough sometimes.  I can say though that if it's going to be cold, it's okay with me for there to be snow......it's pretty.

2012

So just as quickly as 2011 made it's exit, 2012 started with an unforgettable day.  While attempting to save some money by fixing our ball joints on the truck ourselves, Derek was getting the garage around to put the truck in so he could work on it so he moved the van out.  When he was ready to put the truck in he forgot where he had parked the van and backed the truck into it.  Long story short we now have a claim on the insurance, the front end of the van is all jacked up, and the truck is torn apart right now.  So I'm attempting to remain semi-optomistic that this year's bad luck is all hitting at once and getting it's ugly face out of the way right away.  While all we can do is sit back and laugh at the situation it does bring some concern about how we're going to handle the extra bills right now.  I guess that is why we have a credit card, and we will work to get it paid off ASAP.  I feel bad for Derek as I know that it eats at him that he messed the van up (thank goodness the truck just got a small dent in the bumper), but while I feel for him and the fact he has to deal with the mistake, I am thankful that it wasn't me that parked the can there.  lol  So I hope that everyone is finding 2012 to be a good start so far.  Even though we've had some bad luck, we're still looking forward to the year ahead.  At least no one was hurt and that is all that really matters.  Money will come and go, and our insurance rates will raise and lower, but the four of us are healthy and happy and that is all that really matters!  Happy 2012!!!