::ten years ago::

Ten years ago today I got married.

In my back pasture.

I was a fool.

Immature for my 24 years.

A spoiled brat.

But I had some potential.

And thank the lord - I picked the right man.

 And the right dress and flowers.

I still have those shoes.

 

 Doesn't Josh look like he is 12?

He was 28.

 I have to say that I vividly remember this moment.

He had said something funny and cute.

He still says lots of things that are funny and cute.

 He can still pick me up like that, but he really shouldn't.

We are getting too old for that sort of craziness.

I loved my cake.  

I had bought that cake topper when I was around 14.

It was the perfect touch of Disney.

I hope Lily uses it. 

Josh and I often talk about how stinking lucky we are to have found each other.  We didn't even know or understand how perfect we were for each other when we got married.  I have no idea why Josh married me.  I was not someone that I am proud of now.  I was vain and spoiled and obsessed with the wrong things.  But ten years, another college degree, four pregnancy's, and 20+ pounds does a great deal to change a person.  I could stand to get rid of the extra poundage, but the rest of it has been a glorious ride.  I love this life we have created.  This next year stands to have many changes in it.  The sale of this farm, buying a new homestead, kids growing and developing.  But I am excited to see what the next ten years brings us.  We still have lots of potential to grow into :) 

Where would I like to be in ten years:

Still crazy in love with Josh.

Living on a farm in our new town, that is set up for kids and fun.

Working as a nurse and still loving it.

Debt free (minus a house payment)

A master gardener.

Going to lunch with Emma at Purdue

Getting Lily ready for college

Going to football games to watch Max play 

Still treating Q like a baby

I can't wait to see what happens next

 

::a farm walk with my camera::

 Some one got loose.

And by "got loose" I mean I took pity on the girls and let them out.

They look so bored.

And since my melon patch did not grow AT ALL, there really isn't anything that the girls can destroy. I think.

I don't mind sharing a few tomatoes with them. 

I started this spring with 7 chickens and am now down to two.

Our neighborhood fox had quads this year.  She deserved to steal a chicken dinner or five.

 But does this girl have to flaunt her freedom in my face?

 Watching her reminded me of a bad habit of mine...

When I weed my garden I just throw the weeds out of the garden.

The area around the garden often looks like this.

And why is that blue bucket on the fence?

This is a broccoli plant that never actually made broccoli.  

Odd.

 But look how pretty my front tomatoes are.

The zinnia's like to play with them.  

They are buddies.

 My bell peppers are going crazy.

Crazy.  No joke.

Now I have to deal with the fact that I don't really like peppers.  

What a bad farmer I am.

I am going to try some new pepper recipes this year.

I grow peppers just cause I think they are pretty.

See my few surviving watermelons?

The back patch is the one that didn't grow.  I got a few out of the front.

I just raked up the empty spots and put in some late peas, spinach, lettuce, and cilantro.  

What a perfect little sanctuary of color.

I love this garden.

But I am still looking forward to doing it all over again.

Not any bigger.  The size is just right, but better spacing.  

You'll see.

I already have a plan.

I didn't plant this zinnia.  It is from last year.  

I wish I knew what kind it was.  It is so luscious.  

 Here are the tomatoes in the back corner.

Notice they are falling over.

I have got to get some hard core no joke kick butt cages.

Or make some. 

Or get some really long T=posts and go back to doing the Floridia Weave.

Which sounds like a dance move, but it not.

Yet. 

 Here is the friend of the other broccoli I pulled out.  I left him.  He looks healthier.  

Maybe I will get some broccoli from him yet.

 A row of sunflowers fell over and took out the rainbow mailbox.

They were jealous of his fancy paint job.

I cut them out with hedge clippers.  

And put the mailbox right back up.

Don't mess with my rainbow mailbox or I will cut you.

 What about this beast?

I have about 100 million carrots ready.

I guess I better make baby food.

Or take them to work and let other people eat them.  

Seriously, we would turn orange if we ate this many carrots.

 Another random zinnia growing where they were not planted. 

I just love zinnias. 

 I started cleaning out my barn to get ready for the big move.

What a hot mess.  

I spent about two hours total and took at 8 bags of trash.

Mess.

 Look who likes the carrots best.

 And speaking of a hot mess.

A dirt lot just can't look great by its very nature.

If this pony wasn't on a dirt lot he would founder to death.

But - that lot is so ugly.  

Like the chicken in the background?

 I did clean out the dog run and the small goat run.

They like it.

Lily and I are going to a goat show this weekend.  

We will be picking up one of our two bucks we are getting. 

I am excited.  

 Our hay for this year is sitting on the wagon ready to be unloaded.  

We are hoping Max gets old enough to do that chore ASAP.

 Look who I found on the front porch.  

Hiding from Max and enjoying nature.  

 And a random golf ball hidden in my rosemary and oregano patch.

 Still working on a plan, but there is a chance that this barn dog is not going to be able to move with us.  Our lab is old and crippled, she will be able to go with us, but this guy needs a farm to work. 

Anybody want him?  Poor Bruno.  

And here is all the laundry from the barn that needs to be done.

At the laundry mat.

Because its gross stuff.

Used to dry off wet horses, goats, and dogs. 

It smells wonderful.

::nail polish birthday invites::

 These invites were inspired by some that I saw on etsy.  Please link here to see the original inspiration.

Back in the olden days when I needed a template I would print off an inspiration picture and play with the sizing on a photocopier till I got just the right size.  Now days my job would walk me right out the door for that kind of stuff, so I had to figure out a new way to get a template.  I tried tracing an actual nail polish bottle and then tracing it bigger and bigger.  This was time consuming and didn't look right.

Then I had another idea -
I found a picture online of a bottle of OPI nail polish.  I enlarged it on my iPad till it was about the right size, and then put a regular piece of printer paper on top of my iPad screen.  It was easy to trace it onto that sheet.  I cut it out and traced in onto a piece of cardstock.  Template done.  Less than two mins of time invested.  Perfect.

 The rest was just getting all the pieces cut out.  I started with the nail polish bottle traced on glitter paper with velum label wrapped around the back so you can't see the adhesive holding it on.  Then a black lid cut out and the whole thing attached to another piece of card stock.  After that I cut out that bottom piece of cardstock to mirror the bottle and lid.  I loved how they turned out and they were not too time consuming.  I did not make the lid lift off like the inspiration invite, because I felt that was going to make them too complex for me to make myself quickly.  

One thing done on the party check off sheet.

       href="http://www.bystephanielynn.com/search/label/Link%20Parties"
                              target="_blank">                alt="UndertheTableandDreaming"                         
            
src="http://i693.photobucket.com/albums/vv298/theliebertfamily/party.png"
                              /> 

::unicorn::

Lily is a bit of a drama queen.  Maybe she comes by it honestly.  But it can get very extreme.  So when she is on a drama rant we have a new strategy to deal with it.  We came up with a code word that we would say that meant - this is your first warning and your chance to get it under control, next warning will have a punishment.  The word was decided on by Lily's Aunt Jamie - Unicorn.  

I would like to call a unicorn warning on myself for my last post.  It was over the top with the drama.  Things are still good.  We are together and in love and there are boys that laugh and girls that sing songs and dogs that waggle and goats that scamper.   We have some interesting new obstacles to over come.  But we are going to come out better for them.  Nothing bad has ever happened to us that didn't end up better in the end.  

We are listing this farm for sale in the next week or so. I am looking forward to cutting our stuff in half.  Going through it all is going to be a big task that I will start after Lily's party in two weeks.  This house could sell in a month or in a year.  We are in no big hurry to get out of here.  Once it sells we will see how the timing will work.  We may have to live in a rental for a little while.  A house rental in the country.  Or at least a little bit country.  (And a little bit rock and roll???)  We are not going to rush into buying our next place.  We might build or we might find the right place ready to buy.  We will have to see how that pans out, but I will not be trading my mud boots for high heels any time soon.  (But I do love heels - just not in the barn.)  Goats and chickens and craziness is going with us. 

Packing up a farm that I never intended to leave is really going to be something.  But it will be a rewarding chore to finish off.  And starting fresh on a new place is also going to be a really big adventure.  First thing to focus on is Lily's birthday party, then I will turn my attention to the packing and organizing of being ready to move. 

 ps- Just FYI - there used to be a male strip club in Indy called The Unicorn.  An excellent name for a male strip club.  Maybe I went there once  Maybe I didn't.  But I had forgotten it till after it became the warning word. 

::been away loosing my mind::

I am over my limit.  Here is why ~ 

-After work on Monday we took Lily to the hospital for vomiting since Friday.  She ended up staying till this afternoon.  Five days in a hospital with a little kid that felt like crap and I felt like I spent the whole week arguing with them to do their jobs.  The good part is that Lily seemed to heal herself.  We don't have any real answers to what was wrong with her.  We might not ever.  I am blessed to have lots of medical friends and I turned facebook into my very own Lily chat room.  It was a wonderful resource.  Nothing like 100 nurses working on a problem.  Lily feels like a million bucks today and we are finally home.  Thank god.  I don't know how my NICU moms make it months having to deal with the hospital.  I would go insane.  I will go into more detail about Lily at a latter time, right now I am just glad to have her home. 

-Back in the real world I beyond overwhelmed.  Once my job realizes that I had to call in twice for being out with Lily I will be on probation.  Great.  It might take them a few months to see it or it could take two days, but eventually I will be getting called down to the principals office.  Obviously worth it, but not something I am excited about.

-For every one thing I cross of my list two heads grow back to replace it.  I just can not seem to find any peace.  I am constantly getting told about things I need to do from every side but no one helps me do them.  Then when I do get something done, I get a note from school or work or both about 2 more things that have to get done.  I am just over my head.  I have always had too much pride that I think I am super human in the amount of crap that I can get done but I am full.  Simply and purely full.  Overwhelmed.  Painted in a corner.  I am not talking about overwhelmed, like usual stuff - the laundry isn't done or the house is messy.  I mean overwhelmed like I don't even know where to start making my list from.  How about I try to make a start with the top five things that need to get done -

        1.  I need to get Max organized for school.  With Lily sick I haven't even met his teacher yet.  I need to make sure I mark down that he has to wear certain colors on certain days and all this other silliness that preschool teachers like to torture me with.  (Make a rocket ship out of toilet paper tubes tonight and bring in to class at 8am tomorrow. - JK - but you get the idea.)

     2.  Make sure Lily is organized for school.  Get the important dates in the calendar.  Start her on her back homework.  

    3.  Go get cash and pay the girl that house sat for me while we were gone on vacation.  Don't forget, its tacky and bad manners.  

    4.  Clean off the dinning room table of all the hospital stuff

     5.  Delete that stupid Gnome Town from the iPad.  It is taking up time and mental storage in my head that should go toward something else.  

Ok - maybe those aren't the top five, but they are at least a start.

Lastly - this is the big one.  Things at the Funny Farm have begun to come unraveled.  This is the super short story because I am bored to death about talking about it right now.  Josh and I have beat this topic into the ground.  Normally I love advice and opinions - but I have heard them all on this one and I can't take one more bit of advice.  Please just read it and send me hope for strength.   Part of our property got rezoned into a flood plain.  With that one letter in the mail be lost about 100K in value.  We think.  It is difficult to determine.  We have pursued MANY different option and have finally come to the impossible choice of selling this house.  Even if that means it ends up in a short sale.  Even if that means we end up in a rental till we can save enough to buy another homestead.  (Still a rural rental - don't push me too far.)  After digesting this situation for the last month or more I see lots of positives in it.  I see us getting a fresh start.  Getting rid of a bunch of useless clutter - literally and figuratively.  This gives us the chance to move closer to Josh's family and they dote all over our kids.  Dote - can I use that word?  My grandmother would love it.  Even though moving means switching Lily schools - which is something I said I would never do, I still think that it is the right choice for all of us.  I secretly dream about us selling this place and moving, getting a silly rental that is slightly humorous, buying a piece of land, and making it the dream place we have in mind.  Not with a big cold McMansion, but an efficient house with all the homesteading kind of stuff that we love.  Maybe a solar panel or two - the kind of nerd love stuff I adore. 

It's getting too late.  But I am sleeping terrible now days.  I can't get my brain to let go.  I will be going into more detail on all these topics soon.  Just the therapy of getting to write a little is taking some weight off my shoulders.   

Three happy things to end on a high note -

Quinn is delish.  Seriously delish.  Sitting up and showing off teeth. I am still breast feeding, which has been a challenge.  I am a little proud of that.  I was pumping away while Lily was in the hospital.  Three full time kiddos has been more of a challenge than I thought, but so was two full time kids.  I will figure it out, and thank goodness - Q is a saint of a baby. 

We got a family picture done right before Lily got hospitalized.  She actually puked during it.  But we got it.  And my friend and professional photographer really GOT the picture.  I can't wait to show you.  We haven't got family pictures done since Max was a newborn - and they were so lame.  The new pictures are stunning.  LOVE THEM.

I am getting excited about Lily's party.  I will be posting LOTS about that.  Tomorrow I am going to work on her invites.  For at least one hour.  I will set the timer and make it happen. 

So - now my rambling is done.  Deep breath

Time to go try to sleep. 

::spa party - beginning plans::

Lily's 9th birthday is rolling up and it is time to get serious.  I have been gathering ideas for her Spa Party for awhile, but browsing Pintrest is only a start.  I need to get a real plan.

Invitations-  Previously the school policy has been that I can only pass out invites at school if I invite the entire class - boys and girls.  I begged, and Lily's new third grade teacher is letting me invite only the girls.  Here is the inspiration I am going to use to make the invites. 

link to pintrest for photo credits

Food Table
This will be a white table cloth with rainbow streamers making up the table skirt, I wanted to do a ribbon table skirt but that is way too expensive.  Streamers will have to do.
Cake will be the classic rainbow cake with white icing.  She wants something fancier, and I might give in, but I really want to get back to making the kids cakes.
Treats will be fun stuff like chocolate covered Oreo's, chocolate covered rainbow marshmallows, fruit and candy.  We will have the popcorn machine going and I might rent a snow cone maker.  The kids really do love snow cones.  I have wanted to do this for a few years but I always chicken out and get cheap.  Soda, juice, and water in bottles in metal tub with ice.  Cute Etsy paper straws.

Link to my pintrest for photo credits

Kids Table
This will be two doors (because hollow doors are cheap and lite) paid into a square with legs figured out by Josh.  Kids will sit on hay bales wrapped in sheets of various colors.  I am loaded with place setting ideas right now but can't narrow it down to one.  I just know that we will use this area for into crafts, mani/pedi's, and eating so it needs to be flexible.

Activities
Arrival craft - use sharpies to decorate single use spa flip flops and toe polish separators.
Set body glitter tattoo area
Hire Emma's friends to paint finger nails and toes
     Have bowls for them to soak feet in with rose petals
Do a chocolate facial with cucumber eye covers
Yard twister
Waiting to be picked up is - make your own body scrub and take home in jars

::just got home::

We went on a little vacation.  With the entire Schaefer crew.  Good times were had by all.  We drove down to Gaitlinburg, TN.  We took three cars.  We only had the baby and one other kid in our car for the drive.  We learned that our little dream about driving to Disney to save money is a NO FREAKING WAY.  Love those kids.  Don't like them so much in the car. Except of coarse for Emma and her interpretative dances.  Nothing has made me laugh so hard in a long time as watching that kid break it down.  She is also the best photo bomber to ever walk the earth.  See if you don't agree, after you scroll through our pics.  Lily and I worked out a new code - every time she is taking the drama too far we send her a code word to bring it down a notch.  Aunt Jamie came up with the word - unicorn.  Uncle Ryan told Lily she is starting turd grade, instead of third grade.  That really tickles Lily's funny bone.  Max enjoyed his usual pass times of trying to get lost and breaking everything.  He also peed in the hot tub, luckily on the last night.  As far as we know.  Quinn slept in a pack and play in our room.  He liked the fact that I am a light sleeper and would rather feed him than let him fuss.  He is currently sleeping off the fact that at home we sleep - all night.  Tough luck Jr.  Emma and I made Quinn hug us constantly - because when in doubt hug it out.  Quinny also ate lots of twislers and pretzels on this trip.  There is nothing a Schaefer loves more than giving a baby candy.  Good thing Jamie and I are both up to date on CPR.  

hot tub prior to Max peeing in it

Well candied

Josh's dream come true

my favorite picture of all time

uncle jake and mr Q

these kids hit many a jackpot

begging for forgiveness

emma pretending to fall

water baby

Max looking for bear out the window

we did actually see a bear, but we were too slow to take a picture - this had to do

can you tell that Josh really loves snakes?

bomb

more bomb

Jamie bomb

emma took this picture

and this one

another bomb

knives fudge swimwear and leather - perfect