Don't make me say it.

There are just some days that I want to fold up my house and shove it into the washing machine.

Especially when Ragan bounces down the stairs this morning and proclaims,

"This house smells like Pets Mart!!"

While on our recent family camping trip, there was a fireside discussion about whether or not we possessed any OCD's.

Upon my introspective evaluation, I concluded that my inability to eat trail mix all together (I have to sort and classify my trial mix) and my occasional tendency to count steps,

I didn't have any OCD's but, quirks, and I didn't have a thing to worry about.

After all, I don't think anything bad is going to happen
if I eat a peanut and a dried banana together....

it's simply my taste buds that protest.

( thank goodness for my canny ability to self-diagnose)

However, today I realized something.

I have an OCD regarding smell.

Bad smells.

I scrub, wash, scour and bleach in an effort to abate said smells.

Because BAD THINGS do happen when I smell a bad smell.

The bad thing is...

I make everyone aware of it.

Oh ya. I will call you out.

I have been known to stand in a doorway of a child's bedroom and demand to have the bad smell found and eradicated.

I will crawl on hands and knees, sniffing in an effort to find the where and the what of a bad smell.

And should anyone, and I mean anyone,

need to pass any sort of gaseous wind from their nether regions,

they had just better do it somewhere far away from me.

After all,  I am extending you the very same courtesy.

And before I forget...you should also know that I very much enjoy the smell of soap.

And I despise the the smell of "swass". (see definition below)

OK. Are we clear?

Let's move on....

We have 2 dogs and 2 cats that, in what sometimes seems to be in a deliberate and cunning way,

try to thwart my efforts of having a pleasant smelling home.

 I try to pretend they don't have an odor.

But they do.

Ragan said so. This morning.

In so many words.

Here's the rub....

I love my animals. I adore them. I would spend my last penny to save and/or heal them.

I would rather spend the day with them than most people.

True story.

BUT THEY STINK.

What's a girl with a bad smell OCD to do??

*sigh*

I guess I will keep doing what I have always done.

Light a candle. Turn on the Scentsy. Pretend like they smell like sunshine.

And, I would appreciate any visitors to also do the same.

Thank you.

But don't anybody crop dust me. Because I will say something.

Seriously.

Swass; noun, a combination of offensive smells regarding sweat and a$$. Can also be used as an adjective; as in; something smells "swassy".

Hello again!

I bid you a SPOOKY welcome! :) Don't you just love Halloween? I do! I used to love it a lot more when my kids were smaller and I dressed them in cute little costumes that I chose. I enjoyed that so much. Now they choose their own costumes and I am there onlyto facilitate payment of said costumes, but I still love the whole dressing up part. I enjoy love the soft glow of lit jack-0-lanterns, the fun songs we sing at preschool and all the decorations that we see everywhere. Here is a little mummy doll I made last year. I put one in my Etsy shop and it sold right away! I wanted one for myself so I made another. (I would have shared him long ago but we have had so much trouble with our computer. It stopped uploading photos and so we had to go buy an external card reader.....gosh, when do you just say "when" when it comes to your computer....there were days I wanted to chuck it out the window and just start over! But, thankfully, it looks like we are up and running again! YAY!) Remember this small quilt I found at the Goodwill store? Well, I wanted to hang it in the upstairs hallway so I asked Craig to whip up this peg board for me so I could!

What a great guy! The quilt was a little too bright for my liking so I sent it through a dye bath. It works wonders to prim something up a bit.

I found the metal stars while we were in Utah this summer at a craft store. They were 75% off because they were painted for the 4th of July. I think I got each one for about $2. I spray painted them black (don't you just think spray paint is the best invention?!). I also got the tin lunch pail and the wooden candle holder at the Goodwill store. The candle holder now sports some grubby tapers. And on another fun note--I would like to introduce you to a new friend. A few weeks ago, I heard some ruckus going on just outside the pet door. I went over to see what was going on and our sweet Maggie came through the pet door with something in her mouth. She very tenderly dropped this frog on the floor. Mr. Frog proceeded to hop frantically away, without a doubt thinking he just escaped certain death. Maggie followed, nudged it a little and then let it be. After a short pursuit, I was able to get this bowl over him so we could set him free. Ragan took this picture, all the while asking me if we could keep him. However, he was successfully released back into the wild.

Call me crazy, but I think he resembles a few of my old boyfriends! ;)

It's time to get a move on!

It really feels like "Little Johnny Rain Cloud" has been hanging out at our house the last few days. We have had a hard time missing our dear ol' doggy, Rudy. However, being sad for days has left me slow and tired. I have decided to do as Julie suggested and make a scrap book of all his photos. The girls and I sorted through a bunch over the weekend. I thought I would share a couple of pictures that we took in Utah. We took hundreds but most are on our other camera and for some reason, we can't get them to upload on our computer. So here are a few from Makenzies camera. This is Boston, one of Cameron and Crystal's dogs. He is a sweet heart. We were able to spend a lot of time with Cam and Crystal. GOSH! WE MISS THEM!!!! This is them with their other dog, Brody. He is also a big lovey dog! We went camping for a week in the Uinta Mountains and it was a very enjoyable trip...(except for all the mosquito dodging!) We were able to see a lot of our family and friends. Sadly, time ran out before we could see them all. We had to get back so Ragan could start school on the 24th. Well, I am off to get some work done....I will share more photos later! :) Happy Day!

The Saddest Day

Today was not a good day. We had to make the gut wrenching choice to put our sweet old doggie, Rudy, down. We got home from Utah and he was visably sick. We watched him for a while to see if he would snap out of it like had done so many times before, but this time we knew it was the end. We have all cried and cried. And then cried some more. We will miss him so much. He gave us 14 1/2 wonderful years. Hopefully, with time, the sting of his absence will lessen.

Whatcha Working on Wednesday

Here's a funny for you--Our old doggy Rudy fell asleep on our bed as he does most every morning. After preschool, he came trotting down the stairs wearing one of my sports bras! I put a load of laundry on the bed this morning and I guess he somehow got it on. Aside from it being on upside down, his arms were in the straps and everything!I had to snap a picture before I took it off...I laughed and laughed! :) Okay--On to Wednesday business -- I finally remembered to take a picture of my new table all gussied up. I like the table where it is because it is narrower than what was there before. It makes the walkway a little wider. I also have to show some of the great stuff I got while yard sale-ing on Saturday with two of my favorite friends. Cori G. and Joanne (yes, I have a friend with the same name..cool, huh?!?) went to a community yard sale here in town. There were lots of fun things to see. I got this jug and little chair. I put it on the stair landing. My little bunny didn't have a place to sit until I got this chair....at least that's what I told Craig! haha! Be sure to pop over to Leslie's @ My Country Home and see what she and everyone else is up to!

Where does the time go?

Wow. I have really been M.I.A. these past few weeks. I never intended to take a blogging break but I guess some things just have to give every now and then. Craig has been traveling. A.LOT. You would think that after 23 years of this I would be used to it. Most trips I am just fine, but lately, it's been hard. Now, I am not one to cry myself to sleep over things I can't control, but, I have shed a few tears this last week. Mainly because Ragan has been sick. And I mean sick for weeks now. Just when it seems she is feeling better, she comes down with something again. We had her in the doctor last Monday and got some medicine, so hopefully things will start to turn around. I guess it doesn't matter how old they get, you still worry. In addition to that, our old doggy, Rudy, had some sort of a seizure or something. He couldn't focus his eyes and he was stumbling around. It was really sad. Craig came home early from work and we seriously discussed taking him to the vet to be put down. Then all of a sudden, he seemed to do a little better. We decided to wait and watch. Every day for the past 4 days he has improved to the point that he is back to his normal self. We are calling it a miracle. We are also making sure that we are thankful for him everyday....seeing as he turned 14 this month, we do realize that his days are numbered. So, all of this has taken an emotional toll. I need a nice long nap. Maybe then I will feel like getting some things done! :) On a much happier and positive note, Mark has had his first baptism already. He was so excited. We are very proud of him! Craig will be returning home tonight and I am so glad. He promised me that he would build me something tomorrow. Boy, do I ever have a list for him! haha! Have a nice weekend~