IT'S A WHAT?????

There was this one time, when my car was making a mysterious noise. I hadn't heard it consistently enough to say anything to Lee.

Once, I continued to hear it for about a week or so I decided to mention it to him. I insisted,

"It's weird. If I turn to the right, I can hear it rolling to the left. If I turn to the left, I can hear it rolling to the right. But the strange thing is: If I turn to the right, it will roll to the left. If I turn to the right again -- nothing happens. It's like a rock or can is rolling around, back and forth, in the trunk."

I don't know anything much about cars, but I know that's not normal. The funny thing is is that the car was driving perfectly fine. Nothing was happening any different. 

I am OCD about certain things. Specifically, I am more "O" than "C." By that I mean: clinically, OCD is obsessive thoughts with compulsive behavior. I don't have compulsive behaviors that often. However, I do have obsessive thoughts. Or as Lee so lovingly puts it -- I "fixate." Once, I have my mind set on something I obsessive about it. I think about it, easily, five to eight times an hour. I will think about it. I will question it. I will talk about it. And I will continue until it's settled. What's bad is, once it's settled, I usually will find something else to obsess about later. 

{Small example: The other night I went to bed with dishes in the sink. I do this often, but for some reason I couldn't stop thinking about it this time. The reason they stayed in the sink was because I didn't feel like unloading the dishwasher. Well, I dreamed about those dishes all night long. Then I woke up fifteen minutes before my alarm went off -- thinking about those blasted dishes. So I got up at 5:45 am to do dishes. Give me a break. Now back to my car...}

I obsessed about this noise for three weeks. Non-stop. Lee striped the trunk of my car. He took everything out, all the way down to the frame of the car. He did this four or five times. The noise was coming from the back of the car. We thought for sure we were just missing something. It had to be in the trunk.

Well, after about four weeks going on five I called someone to look at it. This is a man that I went to church with growing up. He used to be a mechanic before his current job. We took him my car on a Sunday afternoon. He wanted us to drive him around so he could hear it. We made our first right hand turn and he heard it. He made the strangest face and said "Wow. That is weird." I just remember thinking "Oh, great!! This isn't going to be good." 

We went back to his house. He, also, thought it was coming from the trunk. He and Lee dug in that car for an hour and a half. And nothing -- they, again, found nothing. 

I was inside the house, but Lee said after so long they had given up. As Dennis was closing the hatch he started shaking the door. Lee said that he was trying to see if maybe the noise was from the door and not necessarily in the car. But, of course, nothing. He closed the hatch. Then he started pushing/shaking the entire car. Lee said he looked up with a strange face. He reached on top of the car and there it was! Dennis pulled down a WALNUT! There was a WALNUT rolling around on the roof of my car. I have a rack on the top of my car. Apparently, the walnut had gotten stuck up there and couldn't roll completely off. 

I can't make this stuff up, people.

Thanksgiving 2012

Thanksgiving is such a busy time. People are traveling. People are cleaning and preparing houses for visitors. Someone(s) is cooking the meal. And the crazies are scoping out the sales ads for Black Friday.

For us, we do the same thing every year for the holidays. We spend Thanksgiving with my family. We will spend Christmas with Lee's family. This is just what works best for us because each of our families has a more consistent holiday than the other. 

This year, all of my side of the family was at my grandparents house. Of course we all pigged out. I remembered that this time last year Hadley was just five months old. I had made her sweet potatoes puree' to try for her first Thanksgiving. That is where she developed her love of sweet potatoes. This year Lee carried Hadley through the lunch line. He filled her plate with everything. Literally, everything. And she pigged out, too. She even had pumpkin pie for dessert. Well, actually, she took the pie off her plate and placed it on her tray. She opted to just eat Cool Whip... by itself. Go figure.

I, personally, am not a big fan of turkey. Luckily, my grandma fixes both turkey and ham. But my absolute favorite holiday food is homemade noodles. I, recently, learned that my grandma got this recipe from my great grandma {my grandpa's mother}.

After lunch my aunt mentioned that she wanted to take a family picture. Then I got the not so genius idea for all of us to go to the park and take pictures. I had my camera and my uncle Ricky had his even nicer camera too.  I have no idea why I suggested this. Well -- back up -- I suggested it because I also wanted some family pictures. But I cannot help my personality and I'm easily irritated in large groups. Naturally, it became a joke as to "hurry up before Heather gets any more mad!" ...At least they understand I'm crazy :) We ended up with a hand full of good shots of all families! It was worth it.

Granny Pope's Homemade Noodles

1 1/4 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 small or medium sized eggs

1 egg shell of water

NOTE: If you are using large eggs then use 1 1/2 cup flour instead

Mix the flour and salt in a bowl. While in the bowl make a well in the flour for the egg and water mixture to sit. Stir the egg mixture in with the flour until soft. Knead until the dough is formed. (It may not take all the flour). Roll out very thin on a well floured board. Let dry for several hours. Cut noodles very thin with a knife. These can be prepared and stored in the freezer until needed.

To cook the noodles use a large pot of boiling chicken broth. Drop the noodles in the boiling broth until the noodles are tender. Adjust your salt seasoning to taste.

NOTE: If you cook them frozen, it usually takes 40 minutes. Remember, there is no need to thaw them out before cooking. Just drop them in the pan!

Monday Madness.

It's 4:27 pm and:

• I just now remembered that Hadley possibly had a check up today at the doctor.

• I just now realized that I forgot to boil some chicken for dinner tonight.

•  I literally have not done a single thing today expect take pictures of Hadley outside.

• ...Oh yeah, and I watched the re-run of Food Network: Thanksgiving Live.

•  Now it's 4:30 pm. I need to do something with my life. 

HELLOOOOOOOOO MONDAY!! 

hello, world.

Hello, blog-o-sphere! It's me, Heather...Hadley's mom.

No, I have not forgot that I have a blog.
Yes, life is still going 'round and 'round. Ya know, the norm.
But unfortunately, I've felt like I have nothing to talk about.

I couldn't even do a "weekly wrap up" because it would literally consist of "went to work, came home, made dinner, went to bed." REPEAT. Every-single-day. Really....I'm not lying.

I'm a creature of habit :)

Anyway -- I realized a few days ago that I haven't posted an update about Hadley since she turned one. Hadley's little love letters faded away. I decided to update with pictures {and with words, if I chose} because she obviously didn't stop growing!

In July we: played at the Splash Pad for the first time!

In August we: started working in the Kids Club. Hadley has made lots a new friends and has learned how much self control it takes to sit at the table and eat lunch, without being strapped into a high chair.

In September we: experience our first time out. Hadley is still working on "listening and obeying the first time." I repeat this phrase to her frequently. So much so that when she is about to do something she knows she is not supposed to do, she will look at me and say "OBEY!"

It October we: went to the pumpkin patch! Hadley enjoyed the people watching more than the pumpkins. 

Thanksgiving is coming up. Hopefully I will post more pictures soon :)