Hangin' In There

Tomorrow morning we are headed off to Disney World for a week. So, these few videos will have to do for the family until we get back.

I love how Sammy is so compliant, even when she's just trying to eat. She's trying to hang in there no matter how difficult it may be...humor her parents...whatever it takes.

Running in Circles

Wow, last night these girls had me quite literally running in circles!

House for Sale

Some friends of ours here in Spokane have recently been forced to move due to the economy and a job. Luckily they do have a job, but it puts them in a difficult situation. They bought a home here in Spokane and fixed it up with intentions of living here the rest of their lives. Little did they know that they'd have to leave this home and the $20,000 they put into the house. Just like many others, their home isn't selling. They have already moved and are just waiting for the house to sell, which they desperately need it to. I got a call from her tonight telling me that they have decided to drop the price, yet again. They bought the house for $117,000 and are now asking $119,900. The house is really cute. Their renovations look fabulous, and if Marcus and I had the money, I would definitely want to buy it -- even if it were only for rental property (especially since rental value has gone up).

For anyone in Spokane who is looking for a nice home, or anyone who is interested in rental property, check this house out. The old price is still up on the website, but after this weekend the new price should be posted. The house is close to the hospital, schools, church building (for LDS folks), public transportation, and the mall. It would be a perfect home to rent to all the Gonzaga law students or Eastern students who come up to Spokane. Check it out.

Cakes, Pizza, and Love

I made a cake on Saturday. I didn't want to. Well, I wanted to at first, but then, when it came down to it, I thought "Why did I volunteer to make a cake?" Does that ever happen to you? And the sad thing is, I really did want to do it at first. It was for a little 5 year old girl's birthday who didn't get to celebrate her birthday because birthdays don't happen in a family who is struggling financially. Of course I wanted to do it, but then the day came and it was terribly busy, and I thought "Jenny, why must you always volunteer?!" I decided it was going to be just a 9x13 cake with frosting on it. But then, I started, and I couldn't stop. I was loving it. And, this is what it turned out to be. Nothing fancy, but fun.

When I delivered the cake and saw the little girl's face, it made me so happy. It's true. When you serve, you are filled with love. It's just true. I wanted to go home and make another cake for her just so I could see her reaction again. But I didn't. That would be going a little overboard.

On another note, Callie really likes BBQ chicken pizza from Papa Murphy's.

Not So Itsy-Bitsy Spider?

Today, I went to the bathroom. People do this you know. They go to the bathroom as a part of their daily rituals. But what is NOT a part of my daily routine is seeing THIS!
That's right folks. I'm not kidding. I looked over and saw this beast in the bathtub. It was stuck in there. Each time it tried to crawl up with its eight disgustingly long legs, it slipped back down. I was still pretty afraid that it would find its way out. Marcus was gone. I didn't know what to do. There was noooo way I was going near that thing. After all, I'm 29 years old and I still have my dad kill the little spiders I find when I'm at home. I just don't like them. So, what did I do? I grabbed Sammy and Callie and we headed to the office. That's right. The apartment complex management office. I walked in, and after a big "Hello Jenny" from our managers, I sheepishly declared my plight.

We got Travis, one of men who work here -- who also happens to be afraid of spiders (not that he admitted to that at the moment) to come over. Melissa and Mike from the office also came to check it out. I told them there was no way I was touching that...I mean what if it was dangerous. Then Travis said, we have 2 of the deadliest spiders in WA. If it's black or brown, you need to be careful. Great. Yep, it's a HUGE BROWN gross spider! After looking at it, he reassured me it was just a wood spider and it wasn't dangerous...but it was sure ugly. I was redeemed from my girly wimpyness when Travis, Melissa, and Mike came out of the bathroom screaming because it was so big. Phew. I'm not the only wimp.

Possibly My New Best Friend

I realize this may be considered premature to say in such a new relationship, especially since we were just introduced this evening, but I think I have found my new best friend. Her name is Melatonin, and she's the most perfectly beautiful little white pill. Her powers and influence seem limitless. This isn't anything new...but Miss Little Sammy has sleeping issues. Lately, she has been having a hard time falling asleep -- crying for 30-45 minutes before she finally dozes off. She is also waking up too early for my liking. This is a problem because since she isn't falling asleep too quickly like she was getting accustomed to, the early waking up makes her really cranky during the day. And we all know that naps are a no-go for Sammy. Always have been, always will be. Our nuerologist suggested .5 mg of Melatonin. I ran out and bought some today. I couldn't find any smaller dose than 3 mg, so we had to cut the pill a few times with her pill splitter. Granted, Sammy was already tired tonight...but after only about 30 minutes of taking her little dose of Melatonin, she could barely keep her eyes open. After putting her down in her crib, I've heard no cries out, no yelling "ma ma," and I couldn't be happier. We'll see how the rest of the night goes -- well, it's the morning and the rest of tomorrow that I'm more interested in -- and we'll go from there. Melatonin, could you really be the happy pill? We shall see my new little friend, we shall see.

Callie's Moves

Well darnit all....Marcus got this cute clip of Callie, but for some reason he was holding the camera the wrong way. That's just too bad. But if you tilt your head to the left, you can perfectly see her moves.

And here's her swingin' arm -- at least until she notices we're paying attention and she gets embarrassed and covers her face. The girl's got quite a bit of potential here. I'm pretty sure she'll be famous one day.