Don't get the wrong idea

Three posts have been about our new dog, which leaves me hoping you don't have the wrong idea. My blog will not turn into a blog devoted to our dog - I promise. For that matter, our lives will not be devoted to our dog, because, as much as I love our dog and as much as I laugh at some of the things he does, he is still our pet and will be treated thus. 

I have been reading How to be the Pack Leader by Cesar Milan. He talks about treating our dogs as dogs, not people. Our dogs are happier to be dogs, not people. And Hubs and I talked about it, too. Ransom is not our child, he is our dog. We love having him, but our life does not suddenly revolve around him. But man, he does bring some fun to our lives!

So I want to assure you that this blog will continue to be a rambling of my thoughts, the events of our life, and whatever else gets added in along the way. I'm sure some stories and pictures of Ransom will be included at times.

On that note, you will notice the poll on my blog is about to end. I hope you will vote if you haven't already, and even more, I hope you will be willing to share your thoughts tomorrow.

Handsome Ransom Strikes Again

At 4:30am this morning, I woke up to Ransom barking. Just as I did at 2:30am when he was barking, I turned over and ignored it. Then, I heard a loud THUD and I jumped out of bed to see what was the matter. I thought he might have knocked his crate over or something.

I walked into the living room and could see Ransom's crate right next to the sliding glass door. Odd, I thought. His crate was in the opposite corner when we put him there last night. As I got closer, I realized that Ransom's head and front legs were out of the crate. Ransom had chewed a hole in the plastic wall of his crate and got his head and front legs out, but was high-centered and completely stuck. In what must have been a very awkward and uncomfortable position, his tail still thumped hard when he saw me.

I sat down and calmed him down a bit and then decided to get the top of the crate off to see if I could help him get out. After doing that I realized there was no way. So, I woke up Hubs who was just as surprised as I was. There was nothing we could do but shake our heads and chuckle.

Hubs also assessed the situation and there was no way to force him through. Hubs went to get his hacksaw and Ransom struggled some more, almost cracking the plastic enough to free himself. It was then that I ran for my camera.

Hubs was able to free him by sawing through the plastic that held him there. Ransom had rubbed his belly raw, though, and seems to have a sore on the inside of one of his back legs.

We have no idea how he was able to put his head and front legs through this hole. The tag on the box says strong and durable and ideal for retrievers. Do they know retrievers reputation for chewing?

Anyways, Ransom didn't eat ALL that plastic. He left a nice pile for me to clean up.

Ransom slept in our room, on the floor, for the rest of the night and was as happy as could be. If we keep fighting this, we could burn through a lot of money on new crates. 

O Be Careful Little Ears...

...of Ransom's teeth.

Ransom has yet to get real excited about the toys we have bought for him. Every once in a while, he demonstrates the very slightest bit of excitement, but for the most part he likes to sleep. He seemed to like another dog's toys, so we even tried to bring her toys over to see if he would play. It worked for a few minutes and then he was back to his bone.

Last night, Hubs and I got him interested in his stuffed rabbit. He chased it around for a while, then he caught it and started chewing. In less than 20 seconds, Ransom had successfully de-eared the stuffed bunny.

The bunny never had a chance against those crazy sharp teeth.

On further examination of the ears, we noticed that Ransom teeth cut one ear off with the precision of scissors.

Those teeth are not to be messed with. Can you imagine if he got a hold of my shoes? It makes me cringe. When it come to people fingers, however, Ransom has a very soft mouth and never tries to bit us, even during the few times he's played. Keep your head up though, because he is known to give some very wet kisses.

This is only a small sampling of what those teeth can accomplish, as we would find out hours later as we were sound asleep...

Crazy, mixed-up day.

Remember graduation day and how tiring it was? The day after was also eventful.

I woke up with just enough time to put clothes on and drive to meet mom, dad, and my brother for breakfast at 9am. I was still tired exhausted. Hubs's truck was in the shop, so he went to pick it up only to find out it wasn't actually fixed yet. After a quick phone call, I got my brother to come pick me up for breakfast and gave Hubs my keys. 

After breakfast, mom and I went to run some errands while Jake and dad also ran some errands. While mom and I were out, we thought, Did Dad pay for breakfast? Another quick phone call confirmed that he did not and it was back to the restaurant to pay for our meal.

Dad and Mom took off for Kansas a little while later and Jake took me home. As I am getting out of his car, I pick up a cell phone. Is this yours? I ask. Nope, it is Dad's cell phone and they had left 30 minutes ago. We call mom; her phone is turned off. So, I had remembered that they wanted to stop by Menard's before they left town and we drove there to see if they were still there.

As we walk up to our parents, they are not at all surprised to see us. They just start talking to us like normal. Are you guys forgetting anything? I ask. No, I don't think so. Are we? Have you gotten any phone calls since you left? The light clicks on.

By now it is about 1pm and I am barely awake. We get back to the apartment. It was then that I realized I gave Hubs my keys so that he could use the car, but I didn't think to take off the key to the apartment. To make matters worse, my phone is about to die so I send off a quick text to Hubs: I am locked out. I have to pee. I am tired. Phone is dying. My phone shuts off. Not that there is really anything he can do. He usually has his phone off while golfing and I am not expecting him until between 2 and 2:30. 

I just happened to have some books I borrowed from a friend before Jake dropped me off, so I start reading under a tree. At 3:30pm, Hubs pulls up. By now, I am sick-to-my-stomach with exhaustion. I go upstairs and give Hubs strict orders to wake me up by 4pm because we have a wedding to attend at 6pm. When he woke me up at 4pm, I felt no better, but I struggled through getting ready. Hubs suggested that he just go alone. I said, Will you give me details about everything? 

Yeah, you better come with me, he responded. 

We got home at 11:30pm and I fell into bed, knowing tomorrow would go just as fast as we packed to leave for Hawai'i.

Meet Ransom.

This is Ransom, the newest member of our family. We adopted Ransom last night from the local animal shelter and he is so happy to be home with us.

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Last Sunday Hubs and I visited Ransom at the shelter and we were attached, but still a little unsure if we should adopt. We put in our application and waited for the call to say he could come home with us. When we went in to make our final decision, we immediately knew that he was meant for us.

So far, Ransom has been a great dog. He loves bones, treats, and loving; and, he has yet to jump up on us or bark at a stranger. He has a very laid-back personality. We are still trying to get him to play with toys, but he loves to chase the rabbits in our yard. 

Today we took Ransom to meet some of his new friends. He wasn't interested in playing with them or in the water like his friends were. He is a little timid, but probably just overwhelmed. Since he is new to the name ransom, we will have some work in getting him used to his name. 

Ransom also went to the vet today and checked out as a very healthy 1-2 year old Lab mix. He weighed in at 60 pounds and charmed the people working there. We are purposely trying to wear him out today so that he will, hopefully, sleep through the night.

We are so excited about our new pet. He loves us for saving him, and we love him for making our lives a little more fun! I will start posting dog-stories and hopefully I will actually take some pictures with our camera instead of my phone!

The big day.

Help: Since I have been blogging on my new mac, I cannot figure out why the pictures won't get bigger when you click on them. Any suggestions?

In my mind I had thought of this day often. I had it planned in my head as a simple day spent with those who had been close to us throughout the past four years. As I thought about it, I always shook my head, laughing because it was so far away and I had plenty of time to plan.

As May 8th, 2009 drew closer, time was flying by. As much as I wanted the minutes to slow down, it was here before I knew it. 

I thought about doing a play-by-play of the day, BORING. So, instead, you are getting pictures from the day.

Hubs had a lot of awards read after his name. He worked very hard for this day, and he made it to the end!

Hubs and I shared very few moments that day. This was one of them.

Hubs and his parents after the ceremony.

After the ceremony, we had a wonderful time with family and friends. So many people came out to congratulate us and, some to say good-bye.

Me, with my mom and dad. I was exhausted by 7:30am, so by the time this picture was taken at 3:30pm, I was struggling. No worries, Dad got coffee pumping through my veins 30 minutes later. We had a party to host!

We had issues finding a cake. This one came all the way from Kansas City and it was yummy! 

I bought this toothbrush for Hubs 2 years ago and he didn't see it until that day. Now it is in his office at work, just in case little kids misbehave.

Remember these? Each chocolate sucker had our new address attached. Each person got to take one home with them.

These little creations were my favorite part of the day. They are white chocolate mint dentures!

It was a great day to have fun and celebrate with family and friends. 

Oh, there it is!

So, I called the non-emergency police. Although it was an emergency in my book, I figured 9-1-1 had more important calls to take. I told them my car was missing, that no, I had paid all my previous parking tickets, and no, I wasn't parked illegally. They checked my car make and model against their tow records and my car did not come up. A police officer was on his way.

Like any other nervous, stressed-out, emotionally-charged wife, I called Hubs and left a message on his phone: Hi Babe, it's me. Um, could you call me as soon as you get this? I think my car has been stolen. Bye.

It was 2 minutes later that I would learn my lesson about calling the Hubs before knowing the exact details. The police called me back. Sure enough, my car had been towed. My dear friend was gracious enough to wake up her daughter and drive me to the city impound lot. Not only did I get to pay the $53 to have my car back, but I also found a $20 ticket on my car for "obstructing a private drive."

What? I'm pretty sure if there was a driveway I would have noticed it and I would not have parked in front of it. As I look at the tow receipt I realize that my car was towed at 11:15am, just 20 minutes after I parked. I also remember hearing people inside of the house I parked in front of. Did they seriously call to have my car towed minutes after I parked there instead of just coming outside and politely asking me to move?

So, I went back to the place where I parked to investigate - ignoring the fact that I should be at home packing - and this is what I saw.

Above you see the sidewalk, then some random gravel, leading to a solid wooden fence. The picture doesn't quite give you the perspective, but the area is only about 10-feet long. Not really what I would call a "private drive." I actually thought it was probably once a driveway to a house, then they built a parking lot, put up this fence, and never tore out the old driveway to put in new grass. Like I said, not really the type of neighborhood with pristine lawn care.

My friend actually has a place to park behind her house, accessed by the alley. So, I drove around back to see if that was the case for this house. Sure enough, there were cars parked there.

Hubs and I went to the county attorney's office first thing the next morning to try and contest the ticket and the tow. We were told to file a case against the city and see if we could get our money back. 

Instead, we just paid the ticket. What a great way to say good-bye to the city.

Where did my car go?

It was the day before we were packing up the truck. Hubs and I were out running last-minute errands, separately. I was running to my friend's house to return the books I had borrowed, then to Target, then home to finish packing before supper at our in-laws (they were nice enough to feed us since I had dropped off all our remaining edible food on my college-aged brother).

My friend lives near the college, so a lot of student park in her neighborhood. I happened to find an empty spot big enough for even me to attempt to parallel park, and at 10:55am I was walking up her doorstep, proud that I had gotten in the spot in only one try.

We talked for a while and then I realized it was 12:10pm and must get going. When is time every going to slow down? I thought to myself as I walked back to my car. Then I realized something was very wrong. My car was gone.

Okay Feather, this isn't happening. Are you sure this was where you parked?

Yes, I remember this house, and that silver Grand Am, and that wooden fence.

Panic started to set in. Sweat started to drip. Where is my car? I tried to think. I looked at my empty spot and knew there was no reason for my car to be towed. I walked back to my friend's house and knocked on her door.

My car is gone.

My friend said, Are you sure? Are you sure that is where you parked?

After I assured her that I wasn't going crazy, she said, Feather, this isn't a great neighborhood. I mean there are drug deals and gun shots frequently.

To be continued...

Our move - Part 3

We are very thankful for our new home. God provided the perfect place for us right now. So, when I saw it for the first time it was better than I even expected.

We had an amazing amount of help to unpack and organize. 

Before I knew what was happening, the kitchen was unpacked.

Some people started on the office, while others worked on getting the laundry room set up. Everyone was great and we had the majority of things done before the day was over.

Now that everything is put away, let me give you a quick tour:

This is our living room. The sliding glass doors lead into a sunroom, which is empty right now. We are still working on deciding how to use that room.

When you think of me blogging, picture me here. Hubs and I share this office. It is big and spacious and I spend a lot of time here.

This is our bedroom. It is nice to have a room big enough for our king bed AND other pieces of furniture.

And, this is the kitchen. Not much to say about that.

And this is my favorite room because this is where you will stay when you come to visit. Keep that in mind.

Our move - Part 2

Three weeks ago today, we moved to Kansas and yesterday we took the final step to make it official.

Somehow having new license plates on your car gives more finality to the move. My little neon felt very comfortable in her new plate, since she was born in with Kansas plates.

The Dakota will take a little longer to get used to the change. However, I think his new license plate looks very nice. I didn't realize that you get a new title when you change your license plates. I knew I got a Nebraska title when I moved there, but I thought it was just because I added Hubs. 

Anyways, back to the moving story...

I woke with plenty of time to get ready for our caravan drive to our new home. It takes Hubs and I exactly four hours (with no stops), but I knew that it would take longer today. My family was at our new home waiting for us to arrive. They had graciously planned to be there and clean the house so that we could move right in as well as have lunch ready for us (very important). Little did I know what a blessing this would be. At 7:50am, my bag was waiting outside to be re-packed in the truck and for us to be on our way. 

I was the leader of the caravan in my neon, packed to the brim with stuff. Hubs's mom followed in Hubs's truck, also packed fully. Behind her was Hubs in the U-haul, who was followed by Hubs's dad in his truck, which was also packed full. Pulling up the rear was Hubs's sister and brother-in-law. 

We left shortly after 8am and headed on our way. Our first task was to maneuver through 45 miles of I-80 traffic with all of us staying together, going 75 mph. Now that I think back, it really wasn't imperative for us to all stay together since we were meeting up at a gas station, but we ended up together much to all other travellers' chagrin. 

We weren't 15 minutes into the trip when I notice a turn signal behind me telling me to get off on the next exit. Apparently, our grill lid was about to fly away. This was stop #1.

Stop #2 was less than 30 more minutes later. Potty & coffee break.

Stop #3 was less than 30 more minutes later. Needed gas.

I was bound and determine that Stop #4 would be our final destination and it was. As we neared our new little home, I started shaking a little. I was excited and I couldn't ask Hubs if he was as well. We turned the corner and I saw it - a house with a garage! 

To be continued...

Our move - Part 1

Three weeks ago today was our last day living in this state:

We woke up early and took care of some business at the County attorney's office (oh, have I not told you that story yet?) and then picked up the U-haul. 

When my brother showed up around noon, we began the grueling task of taking all the boxes and furniture from our 3rd floor apartment and loading them onto the 17-foot-long U-haul. 

It was hot, but we were very thankful for the elevator. As more wonderful helpers arrived, our apartment became more bare and my mother-in-law and I began cleaning, a task I am never thrilled about.

Soon, I heard rumors that the U-haul was full and there was still more stuff. Where had it all be hiding? I have no clue. We filled up another car and two more trucks. 

As quickly as we had begun, the task was over. Our friends had left and I was alone in our very first apartment. Our home for the past 3 years was completely empty, yet so many memories flooded my thoughts. I don't know if it was the heat, the exhaustion, or the yucky smell from the self-cleaning oven that I had just remembered to turn on, but the tears came and they weren't to be stopped. I sat in the corner of our bedroom and cried.

Hubs soon came to find me and we got ready to leave and spend the night at his parent's home. We were planning to leave at 8am sharp the next morning and we were both mentally and physically weary. 

We fell into bed that night and slept soundly until the alarm went off. I woke up with renewed excitement and energy. Today I would see our new home. Today would start a new journey of our lives. 

My New Dentist

I went to my new dentist today for a basic cleaning and check-up. My new dentist is pretty cute. I think he kinda likes me.

The waiting room was packed when I got there because it was the first appointment slot of the day. Thankfully, no one recognized me in the picture on the wall. One of the real benefits of going to the dentist is that there is cable TV in every room. So, I watched HGTV the entire time.

It was a good visit, but my dentist is making me come back in later this month for some sealants and a few small fillings. Cute as he is, I could find other ways that I prefer to spend time with him. 

I'm looking forward to seeing my dentist again. Boy am I glad I don't have to wait until my next appointment to see him.

Shave Ice, I miss you!

This morning after Hubs left for work, I headed off for my morning run. I had these high hopes of running every morning after Hubs leaves. This morning, I realized there might be a flaw in my plan.

It was about 7:30am and before I even started my run, my shirt was damp. Why? Because it was already over 80 degrees outside. Considering it only June and the temperature will continue to rise over the next 2 months, I will need to run at midnight so that I do not overheat when working out. Membership to the Y, here I come!

If only we had some shave ice to cool down with. Shave ice, not to be confused with shaved ice, is a local Hawaiian treat. You can get it plain, or our personal favorite, with ice cream on the bottom. And there are so many flavors to choose from...not just lime, grape, and cherry. Flavors like pineapple, mango, papaya, and lilikoi.

The best shave ice is sold in small, local grocery stores along the North Shore. And our favorite store was Aoki's. It's about $2.25 for a shave ice with ice cream on the bottom. An expensive little treat to cool you down and hit the spot. I'm telling you, there just isn't anything quite like it on the mainland.

At Aoki's they have flavor combinations to choose from, or you can make up your own. Hubs got the mainland special. The plastic cup is $.25 extra, but oh so worth it. Otherwise, you only get a flimsy paper cone.

My choice was The Volcano, which consists of Lilikoi (passion fruit), Banana, and and bit of Strawberry over the top. It was awesome.

I've successfully made myself desperate for a cool treat. There is a shaved ice stand in town. Meet you there in 10 minutes!

Milkshake - DENIED

There's a place in town that is locally known for their shakes. I hear they have great hamburgers too, but my eyes are only tuned into the board with over 100 flavors of shakes when I am there. 

I constantly find many reasons to celebrate anything and everything with a Bogey's shake. We've lived here 17 days? We better go get a shake. The lawn is mowed? That deserves a Bogeys. We got the Internet? Let's celebrate with a shake!

Naturally, I knew that the Hubs first day at the office should be celebrated with a shake. So, all day I anticipated it. I stayed away from the snacks in the cupboard, even after I knew Hubs would be home late, filling in for a golf league. I even ate a smaller portion at dinner, saving plenty of room for my raspberry chocolate chip shake. Or, would I get a blueberry chocolate chip this time. All this was on my mind when the sirens sounded.

At that time I was loudly reminded that we live in Kansas and that it is storm season. Wasn't it bright and sunny this afternoon? We went to inspect the weather for ourselves, of course. It looked dark, with a yellowish hue. The wind was picking up each moment.

You probably would expect people to seek the comfort of the basement, right? If we had one, we might have. Instead, we hopped in the truck that does not actually fit in the garage and headed over to Hubs's office where there is both protection for the truck under a carport, protection for us in a basement, and lots of TVs, with cable. It's so fun to drive around while everyone on the radio screams that the last place to be is on the road in your car. 

We made it and watch lots of debris fly around outside. We got comfortable and watched the weather channels until it was safe to go home. Now, we can just drive by Bogeys on our way home, I thought, and got excited again.

Due to some power outages and trees down, we took the long way. There were clean-up crews out trying to make street maneuverable.  Then, I realized the sad truth. Bogeys was without power; actually the whole block was without power and they weren't even letting people through.

No shake to celebrate Hubs' first day as Dr. Hubs. Instead, I went home and ate a bowl of vanilla ice cream with sprinkles. 

The lesson of free goggles

While on the beach, we saw some very skilled swimmers. Hubs has gotten into swimming for exercise and wished he had brought along a pair of goggles so he could go out and experience some open water swimming. Swimming without goggles in moving water would be less than fun.

As these swimmers finished and were walking past us, they stopped to chat about the books we were reading and let us know that a book festival was going on. Hubs took the opportunity to ask how far they had swam.

Swimmer (think of an island way of speaking): Aw, just down to the pipeline and back, man. Going out was great, but coming back was tough.

Hubs: How far is that?

Swimmer: A mile there. A mile back. Ya know.

Hubs: Wow. Hey, do you know where in town I could buy a pair of goggles? I forgot to pack mine.

Swimmer: Here. Take mine.

Hubs: What? Really?

Swimmer: Oh yeah, just take these. Actually, come with me. I'll getcha a different pair.

Hubs followed the swimmer to his car and found out that he was a swim coach. They talked a while and then he offered Hubs his nicer pair and told him to have fun and "hang loose."

He probably had no idea what an impact those free goggles made on us. They will constantly be a reminder that our stuff is to be used for reaching out to others. The mindset that we want to use all of our stuff that God has given us for his purpose. Whether it is giving it away or sharing it. Those goggles will continue to remind us to not grasp our things but to hold them out with an open palm. 

Later, we drove into the surfing town looking for some lunch. We saw that swimmer again and he yelled out, "Go Big Red" as a greeting and then helped us find the best restaurant for lunch. It takes so little effort to be nice to others and help them feel welcome...yet, how often do we remain in our shells and our comfort zones? 

Buzzed

For the past 3 years, each time Hubs needs a haircut, he always says, I should just buzz my hair. Think how easy that would be! 

There are many pros and cons. You have no idea what sort of weird bumps may be on your skull that your hair was neatly covering up. You have no idea if you will look older or younger. But you are sure that 1) it will be low-maintenance and 2) it feels really cool.

I have been encouraging him to do it just so he knew what it would be like. And, on Saturday, he finally did it.

Before:

Most of the process was done outside where clean up is much easier. 

We went inside to trim around the neck and ears. And here's the final result.

I had no idea what to expect. I was prepared for anything, and it turned out well! No odd bumps or anything and I don't think he looks all that younger. It is a cheap haircut. It is a simple, quick process. And, the best part: Hubs loves it!! 

Sand in my hair, and everywhere else for that matter.

Hubs and I love the North Shore of O'ahu. It is calm and peaceful in the summer months. The water is clear and the ocean floor is soft sand. It was for this reason that we went to the North Shore on our last day in Hawai'i.

Waimea Bay has some of the largest waves in the winter months. We had only seen it calm and peaceful, though. So calm, that we were able to do some rock jumping on our previous trip. Planning to enjoy the crystal clear water, we knew it would be a great way to say "good-bye" to the beautiful island.

When we got there, the waves were like this:

Signs were being posted around the beach alerting us that there was a short shore-break and being in the water was pretty dangerous. People still ventured on in, though, and soon we did too. 

I preferred being out past where the waves were breaking. It was safer and I still got a thrill floating up and down with the rocking of the sea. But, it was getting back to shore that was the hard part. As hard as you swam back, the ocean kept pulling you back further. It took a long time and so we decided to stay closer to the shore where you could dive through the waves as they broke. 

Getting out of the water was hard and when I was finally ready to chill on the beach, I started the process. The under current was very strong and it pulls back all the sand and water it can from the shore to build up behind the wave and then turns over and crashes on the ocean floor like in the picture above. Timing is everything. And, unfortunately, I decided to get out at the wrong time.

I was pulled back with the water and sand and waited a second to long to dive through the building wave. Instead, I was pulled up into the wave and thrown back against the hard sand floor. Head spinning, and back aching, I struggled to try and crawl to get away. I searched for Hubs and it was too late. I was being pulled into another wave and I surrendered to its power, praying that I would not get too disoriented in the toss and that I would not land on my neck. 

Once I could breathe again, I rushed to be free from the punishment. I could feel my hair was everywhere, but I was shaky uncontrollably. I saw Hubs tackling the waves to try and get to me. I was pretty sure I wasn't hurt, just shaken.

As Hubs came up, he evaluated the situation and noticed that not only my hair was a mangled mess, but my swimsuit as well. In fact, the entire beach was getting to witness more of me than I normally would allow. As he adjusted for me, I calmed down and heard the lifeguard come over the loud speaker with an announcement: 

Good morning folks. Welcome to Waimea Bay. As you can see, we have a very short shore break today and so it is pretty dangerous to be in the water, especially for little people. If you have any doubts, please stay out of the water as you could get serious neck and back injuries. And remember folks, this is NOT a nude beach.

Okay, that last part was just in my imagination as I was completely horrified at this point. Sand was everywhere - in my hair, my swimsuit, my ears. I was a disaster and everyone on the beach knew it. 

So, our last day on the beach wasn't the calm, peaceful experience we hoped for. But, it was an experience we both will remember; and one I hope the rest of the beach-goers have forgotten!

Dear Reader

Hello to the blogging world. You can call me Feather. I am very glad you have stopped by.

For the past year 14 months I have been blogging on the random events of our life. Recently, I have been mia and am happy to re-start my blog by providing an introduction to what the feather files are all about.

I am a 25 year old wife of almost three years. I write all of my own posts. After a few weeks of reading other blogs, I knew this was a hobby that I would get hooked on. I communicate better through written words and I have too many thoughts in my head for one person.

Hubs is my best friend and (surprise) my husband of 3 years. He works hard and loves the Lord just as I do. He is more rational than I, and we even each other out in so many ways He will be a vital part of this blog because he is a vital part of my life.

Hubs just graduated from dental school and so we ended one adventure to start a new one, in a new town. We live in the midwest with huge skies, flat prairies and lots of wheat, but at heart I prefer tall trees, rolling hills and cool lakes. 

I can't promise much about what you will find on my blog. It may be funny at times, rarely it will be serious. There will be detailed stories and personal opinions. I can promise you a random selection of topics, pictures, and posts.

Whether you are a family/friend checking to see what is going on in our life or you are a new person just browsing through, I would love to hear from you - from a simple hello to the beginnings of a discussion, please comment!

Welcome to the feather files!

My new computer

is ordered!

And I am so excited.

We ordered a new iMAC and I am so excited for multiple reasons.

A. It is pretty dang cool. The guy at the apple store showed me some of the cool stuff it does and to top it off he told me I could order the extended keyboard for no additional price, which sold it for me. As a former and devote PC user, I was a littler nervous at first. Not only do I love my PC, but I am an anti-mouse user. I navigate mostly with key commands and was very worried about whether my efficiency would decline by switching to a MAC. But, I could not deny how much better a MAC computer is in the long run over a PC and am sure that I am a quick enough learner that I will succeed on a MAC and I will love it! I already do and I don't even have it yet!

B. I will be able to blog again. I have really missed you guys.

C. School is in sight for me and I will be taking my classes online. This computer lets me do that.

D. Antenna TV goes buh-bye in a few days and this will be my one and only connection to news, sports, and weather.

See you soon - next time on my new computer!