Picking up the Pieces

we are almost there...

2009-10-09T09:17:00.000-07:00

it's been while since my last blog entry. hopefully i still have at least a few readers out there :)

i wanted to give all of you in blog world an update on what's going on in the harder house.

over three months ago we made the decision to put our house up for sale. this past week we received and accepted an offer on our house. the paper work has been sent out and all seems to be flowing fairly well.

we are excited about what's ahead for us, while at the same time not knowing what's ahead of us. all we want to do is be obedient in what God is telling us and leading us to do. and all we ask is that you join with us in praying about this process.

specifics would include:

-God's will to be done

-we would have favor with the mortgage company

-the process of approval, negotiation, and closing would be smooth and quick

-we would have favor with finances and our debts would be forgiven

-we would have a home waiting for us when the time comes to move

-we would find rest throughout this process

we can't wait to move to the community we love and appreciate so much. it is truly our home.

ouch..

2009-01-15T20:22:00.000-08:00

jesus said, "these are the beginning of birth pains" as he was explaining the trials and tribulations that were to come before the end of the age.

being a mother of a biological child, i obviously got to experience the wonderful thing called labor. it sucked. it was painful, nauseating, and worrisome. it was full of anticipation, it took forever (at least that's what it seemed like), and it was really tiring. i had to endure all of the pain and suffering and sleeplessness that child birth had to offer me. however, the drugs were pretty darn good.

anyway, before i even went into labor, i endured either the horror stories or blissful experiences everyone and their grandma had experienced through their child birth. but the one thing that really got my attention was when people would say, it will hurt, but the pain you feel is drastically different than the pain you feel from an everyday wound. hmm... what?

the pain from an oven burn or even a broken arm doesn't feel good. it sucks. there is an obvious flesh wound present. something happened and the outcome is not good, if you catch my drift.

birth pains do hurt. there are a ton of different experiences women go through. but it's different. it does suck to some extent, but the outcome is good.

as jesus said, "these are the beginning of birth pains." although he was literally speaking about the end of times, this I believe applies to "healing." we will face crap in our lives, we will get crap unexpectedly thrown in our faces (not literally of course...at least i hope not), we will endure great suffering in some form or another, we will go through tough situations. it will suck. we will need jesus. and he will be there through these things with us. and he will heal us. and it will be good.

oh bother...

2009-01-09T19:14:00.000-08:00

my brain is on the fritz.

i'm not sure what day, time, or year it is.. is it 2009?

days seem like weeks and months seem like minutes.

have i brushed my teeth today or even changed from my pajamas?

i think i did, or maybe that was yesterday?

or was yesterday tomorrow and tomorrow is actually today?

what can i say?

my brain is on the fritz!

fact: the eyes are the groin of the head.

2008-12-20T20:51:00.000-08:00

i had a real life encounter with a real life wanna be dwight shrute.

so i am a selling champion on a well known selling site. im currently trying to sell an old f*x machine (looks kind of dirty when written like that). i no nothing about it since it wasn't mine in the first place, so, obviously i didn't put any detail. just the name, and function (it f*xes).

anyway, someone was potentially interested in it. here is the convo (one sided)...shortened in case of a potential search for this conversation, because you know that dwight would do that. :)

Regarding the above, what type of ink does it use /

require. If something other than one of those
'carbon'-type roll cartridges (which is not the kind
of f*x unit that i'm looking for), can you please
supply your machine's specific model number
so i can research its specs?

Thanks for your response. Web-search / due diligence

states that one of the predominant concerns with this
model is its eventual failure to consistently pick up
paper -- this is a common problem and the cost of a replacement pickup roller
can be just as expensive as your asking price,
so think that i'll take a pass on this model.

#3 - re: to another f*x of ours :)

Thx again for your quick reply. Web-reviews

are MUCH more favorable, i.e.,

better-than-average / 3-4 stars. Aside from the fact
that they all state that functionality completely
shuts down sans any warning once the ink tanks dry out
(has this been your experience? -- if so, no biggie as
i'll just be certain to keep an extra cartridge handy)
it appears that this will work for its intended
purpose. That being, solely as an infrequently-used

machine, sometimes copier, i.e., NOT hooked up to
a PC. So... if you don't mind my testing it out prior
to purchase, please reply with how to contact you,
where i can see this unit, what's a good time, etc.
My # is listed in my initial inquiry
thread.

This stated, i.e., no ink, will take a pass. i've
learned the hard way not to take any more chances on
buying used tech equipment w/o first testing the item.

phase II- Loo Loo's 1

2008-12-11T17:42:00.001-08:00

here is phase II. charlie brown and half of his friends loo looing it up in the living room of the harder house. i always wondered what it would be like to be serenaded by christmas carolers.

next is phase III.

will post more pics soon.

phase I - a woodstock christmas

2008-12-04T16:55:00.000-08:00

i finished phase I of my window painting project last night.

i'm pretty "stock"ed about it, hehe...bad joke. the only thing that i don't like is i can't see through our peep hole anymore. so, it's either peering through woodstock's perch or looking up from the bottom window. well, we will see which one works better when the time comes. :)

i'm off to concur phase II.

more pictures to come.

christmas time is here...

2008-11-29T21:30:00.000-08:00

i like christmas. i find a lot of joy in decorating the tree, making cookies and other delicious desserts, lighting cinnamon candles, and wrapping pictures on the wall.

i'm going to try something new this year. i'm going to attempt to paint a christmas display on the front windows of our home. i've never done window painting before (at least i can't remember right now :), but i'm pretty sure it will be awesome. hopefully this will be a tradition in the harder house.

i'll post pictures of the final product later. :)

Adventure at Apple Hill

2008-10-22T08:48:00.000-07:00

i didn't know what to expect at apple hill. i had been bugging the hubby to take me to this place for the last 3.5 years and he finally caved. heck yes! i guess that's what persistence does =o).

hailey stayed with the grandparents all day. this was nice in two ways. it was a chance to get away with the hubby and also because apple hill would have been insane with an infant (just my opinion).

we car pooled up with the age and sandra. i sat in the front seat of the car since i'm known to get motion sickness in anything that moves. i did pretty good. no reports of nausea.

the drive was about 1hr. 45min. from carson. not too shabby. i thought it was going to take alot longer than that! we arrived in camino, ca and started on our apple hill adventure. i learned that this place isn't one BIG festival, but many different sites that you drive around too. sweet.

our first stop was a quant little bake shop, called mill view ranch,# 23 on the map. we got a map there and some homemade apple doughnuts that were delish!

next stop was #20, plubell's family orchard. this place had alot of different activities for families. there was a clown, pumpkin patch, gift shop, craft booths, tire swing, face paint, and petting zoo. check out the duck with the awesome beauty shop hair-do. =o)

next was the famous jack russell brewery, #36. they had some pretty killer beer choices and bbq to boot. for about eight bucks, you could get 6 or 8 bottles of beer to take home with you (i can't really remember the exact amount. i was a little intoxicated.) there was also some live music from a local country singer-not really my choice of tunes, but that's okay, it was still really cool to check out a real local brewery. i know dave just dreams about having one of our own in the backyard. that would be pretty frickin sweet. p.s. there are some wineries at apple hill as well for those of you who prefer grapes over barley.

after driving around for awhile (we got lost) we ended up at stop #11, bavarian hills. i think it was supposed to be some type of german stop. it didn't really have that much to offer. a small dining area and some craft booths. we used their bathrooms.

next was boa vista cider mill, #3. this place was really cool. there was a huge farmers market that sold everything you see in the grocery store =o), but better looking and tasting. there were tons of craft booths and some places to eat. we got some apple butter that is awesome, apple cider, and an apple pie from this place. we have yet to try the pie. i can't wait for that day! by the way, i had no clue that brussels sprouts looked that way.

our last stop was a good one to be our final destination. it was #40-the fudge factory farm. the line to get there was insane! there were tons of craft booths, a farmers market, a fishing pond (with dead fish), pony rides, a wolf showing, the fudge shop, and more. definitely a place to take the fam-just don't let the kids go into the water =o).

our experience at apple hill was pretty good. fun times and good company. what could be better than that? =o)

apple hill

2008-10-16T08:34:00.000-07:00

we finally get to go to apple hill! i'm pretty excited because i've never been there. it's one of the things i've been deprived of as a child. i don't really know what to expect. i hear it's rather large and full of apples =o). we might leave hailey with the grandparents, which will be super nice to spend this time away with the hubby and some friends. but we will see. i can't wait!

harder*hands

2008-10-13T11:06:00.000-07:00

in 2006, harder*hands was born. during christmas '06, dave learned to crochet beanies and scarves. i soon followed in his footsteps. it's a pretty neat hobby. you sure do learn a lot of patience, that's for sure! some of our products can be seen on various people from time to time. anyway, over the years we've gotten a bit more creative with our creations and have expanded into other crafting areas.

shown below are a few samples of our other creations-wine glass jewelry, or

better known as "glass slippers," crafted by yours truly. enjoy!

2008-10-10T16:55:00.000-07:00

it has almost been a week of healthly eating at the harder household. the hubby and i are getting into the swing of things. no real complaints about the food selection. let's keep up the good work, mr. harder.

@}-'--,---'---,----

it's snowing in carson pretty good right now. i guess it's time to take the swamp cooler out of the window, turn on the heater, and cuddle up with a warm blanket and some of dave's famous chai tea. mmm...

@}--'--,---'---,---

i've been selling things on craigslist like a champion. i'm pretty stoked about our sales. were haven't sold any big ticket items, but it's really nice to get all of the furniture and what not we aren't using out of the house.

@}---'---,-'---,---

i have the painting itch. i can't wait to put some new color on our walls! we have only changed 2.5 rooms since we bought the house 3.5 years ago. yikes. it's time for some change around here.

on the road to emmaus.. i mean healthy eating

2008-10-06T14:21:00.000-07:00

you thought i was going to break into song didn't you? haha

@}-'--,-'---,-'------

so the hubby and i are making a conscious decision to bring healthy food into our lives. not that we have never eaten healthy before, but i don't think pasta every day, afternoon, and night is really all that good for you. =o). menu planning and buying only what we need for the week(s) is our plan so far. i'm interested to see the economic effect it has on our budget whether it's good or bad.

@}'-,---'-,--'--,-----

i wrote in an earlier post about all the movies that i've been watching, both dvd and vhs. i've noticed in about 99% of the movies that have been watched in our home have a connection to another movie that has been watched in the last 2.5 weeks or so. similarities include but are not limited to main characters, supporting characters, one liners, songs, ect.

freaky.

ocd

2008-10-01T19:56:00.000-07:00

since not having cable, i've been watching shows that i normally wouldn't get anyway, on the handy dandy internet. internet tv is awesome (speaking like kevin from the office). i've been really getting into home decorating shows, like everyone other woman on the face of the e-arth. i've always liked them, but never could watch them. anyway, i like to be creative and see what i can do with next to nothing, and since watching these shows, my house is a wreck, my husband is going crazy, and i'm getting a killer work out moving everything, including the kitchen sink (not literally) in every different place imaginable. will i stop this insanity? probably not. what can i say? maybe i'm just ocd.

will it rain today?

2008-09-29T08:47:00.000-07:00

famous lyrics from dave matthews band.

it's cloudy in carson. rain cloudy. i hope it rains today.

a life with out cable

2008-09-25T17:54:00.001-07:00

we officially don't have cable anymore. well...if you don't count the staticy cbs and abc channels. it's different without t.v. life is sure less noisy, more creative, and still. i kind of like it.

i've been watching more movies lately, and have wiped off the dust of some vhs' as well.

the hubby and i made s'mores last night. mmm, those are good. i mentioned that it would be cool to sit in front of a fire. unfortunately, we don't have a fire place, plus it's still a bit too warm for one. anyway, i turned to technology to help me with this one. i watched a yule log fire on you tube while eating my s'mores. dave thought it was boring, but i enjoyed it. haha...

@}------------------------------

i actually sold something on craig's list. after many weeks of our stuff on there, someone finally said they wanted something. heck yes! i am proud.

today's

2008-09-22T08:27:00.000-07:00

fall is here. i'm pretty excited about it. this season is my favorite of all the seasons. the smells, the sights...it's awesome.

i can't wait for those gingerbread lattes. i think those come out at the end of fall. a good way to end the season =o).

..................................................

i'm more content with life. i know this is good. i know this is the start to moving forward for me and my family.

..................................................

we cancelled our cable last week, but we still get every channel that we got before (about 24.5 channels. that's 24 and one half, not 245 for those who read that quickly =o). hmm...maybe they forgot to turn it off, or turned someone else's off? that would be sweet if we didn't get a bill for it.

...................................................

i'm pretty tired of hearing about the latest economy news and election ads. by the way...i'm convinced those ads have some sort of subliminal message in them. they sure get hailey's full attention.

...................................................

hailey is almost crawling and pulling her self up. babies grow up really fast.

oh, to be a child again.

to do list

2008-09-09T16:55:00.001-07:00

i was going through the blogs a few days ago, and i was reading noel's post on dream jobs. that got me thinking what some of my dream jobs are. some would be: working at a quaint little book store, esthetician, parody song writer, hair model, barista, painter, nurse, and councilor to name a few.that got me thinking more and more about why people wait so long to do things they desire to do, whether it be a dream job, or maybe a new hairstyle, or traveling to a far off land. it's probably fear, lack of money/time/education and other fill in the blanks.

i want to be someone who isn't afraid of new things. i

want to explore the unknown in life and take on adventures with great joy. and i will.

what kinds of things stop you from doing what you want to do?

here are some things i hope to do.

-move to reno and live in a sweet house

-take a vacation!

-travel to hawaii, spain, italy

-see a live taping of my girl, rachael ray

-get my web store up and running

-make my own curtains/clothes/and other things - but first get a sewing machine =o)

-dye my hair a crazy color

-own a cabin in the woods

-get my nose pierced

-get a tattoo

p.s. for all those barista wanna-be's: maybe we should start our own coffee company!

majide!

2008-07-09T12:21:00.000-07:00

on tuesday nights, mr. h and i like to watch the new abc shows, wipeout and i survived a japanese game show. these shows are okay... they don't compare to the actual japanese game shows that's for sure. but anyway, i noticed that during these games, people get really pissed off or really sad if they don't win. maybe it's because competition and money are the main focus, instead of having fun and enjoying what you're doing. i don't know... but when i watch the actual japanese games shows, most of the time everyone is enjoying the game and having fun...even if they don't win.

reno or bust

2008-07-01T19:13:00.000-07:00

one day we will be there...

sigh.

ode to friends

2008-04-24T18:08:00.000-07:00

i have been thinking about friendship lately. more specifically, i have been thinking about how thankful i am for all of our friends. so, i would like to let you know how thankful both dave and i are for all of you.

to our friends-

thank you for your friendship.

thank you for being there for us when we need someone to talk to. thank you for being there when we need someone to hug. thank you for letting us into your lives and your homes and your families. thank you for your trust. thank you for accepting us for who we are as individuals and as a couple. thank you for sticking by us. thank you for helping us grow in many ways. thank you for your encouragement in good times and in bad times. thank you for your conversations. thank you for your honesty. thank you for your humor. thank you for your selflessness. thank you for your commitment to us.

there are so many other things that we are thankful for... but most importantly, thank you for loving us.

we are so proud to call you our friends, and we love and appreciate each and every one of you.

it's a girl!

2008-02-02T15:34:00.000-08:00

she's finally here! her name is hailey sarai and she's awesome. we can't wait to show her off to the world.

these shoes were made for...what?

2008-01-23T13:23:00.000-08:00

after every new year, there seems to be this huge wave of eating right guides, exercise how to's, and whatever else you can think of to get yourself in shape. anyway, during my usual morning television programs, martha stewart happened to be doing a segment on new technological gadget that would be beneficial to the everyday average joe. i found the following pretty interesting...

"GPS-Enabled Sneakers -
Isaac Daniel Group's new GPS-enabled sneakers connect its wearers by the touch of a button to an emergency-response service near them. The shoes provide peace of mind to those caring for a person with Alzheimer's disease or a memory impairment. They'll be available at isaacdaniel.com and meridianhealth.com for men and women in June and for children in the fall. They cost $379 per pair, plus $19 a month for the GPS tracking system. Special thanks to Meridian Health for providing our audience with GPS-enabled sneakers designed by Isaac Daniel."

now, these so called shoes aren't even available to the public yet. what really got my attention was that every member of the studio audience received a free pair of these "tracking shoes" and a free 1 year connection to the GPS system.
yikes! can we say lab rats?

waiting

2007-12-12T18:41:00.000-08:00

it seems like that's the theme of my life. i am always waiting. it's no surprise, actually. i've known this for quite some time and it's been re-confirmed to me on several occasions. as most of you know, dave and i are going to have a baby in late january. it's pretty exciting and nerve racking and crazy! all at the same time. we have been wanting to find out the sex

of the baby since we had the chance. well, we've had two chances, and it's still a mystery. i think God superglued it's legs together. ha..ha.. He sure has a sense of humor. i have been wanting to know most of all, i think...i'm pretty neurotic when it comes to being organized. i have been dying to get everything in line before the baby pops out. but.. i guess i'll just have to wait. on the brighter side, it's healthy and content and pretty much awesome, so i really have nothing to complain about. we'll sure find out eventually, right? i hope so! =o)

change is like...

2007-02-27T09:24:00.000-08:00

change is like a dirty diaper. it's stinky, overwhelming, sometimes nauseating, and downright intrusive. i haven't changed many diapers in my life, maybe one or two, but i distinctly remember every detail about them, which is disturbing if i do say so myself... =o) but there is something about change that is rather cleansing (like putting on a new diaper, not that i wear them still...anyway.) my husband and i are facing change. it's uncomfortable, but i think that that is expected. i don't know about you, but once something happens in my life, i am pretty content with staying there for a long long while. i like being nestled up in that tight little comfort zone i have, and once i step out of that, it's cold... and awkward. this change that is occurring in our lives right now is just that, cold and awkward. that's certainly not a bad thing to face, it just uncomfortable.
God has been speaking to me a lot lately about life decisions and changes that are taking place. i have always been a "what if" thinker, and these what ifs have been popping up more than usual these days. it can make a girl go crazy i tell you. i am trying to not let those what ifs get in the way of God's peace and hope that he is constantly giving me. what could be more comfortable than to know that i am going to be taken care of, and i don't have to what if it all the time? nothing...
i have obviously been through change before and have experienced some of what i am experiencing now. i always know that in the end of this changing cycle everything works out so well, it's just that transitioning point that i don't like very much. but, like a dirty diaper, life needs to be a changed at times and given a new layer.
ahh.. now that's refreshing. =o)

"the secret"

2007-02-12T19:54:00.000-08:00

so there's a new fad in town. it's called "the secret." i haven't watched the dvd, but i have heard alot about it. it's everywhere. on the internet, on popular secular television programs, like oprah and ellen (not too surprising actually), at my work, in the lives of my extended family, and in my dreams. it's like i am being totally exposed to this secret. hmm...some secret. i guess it's this thought that if you constantly think it, it will happen, no matter if it's bad or good. so why hasn't anyone flown, or ruled the world with such great power and authority, besides satan? i know it's a crock, but it's insane how so many people believe it. why would you want to depend on yourself for every single thing, and be responsible for everything that happens or doesn't happen to you? how stressful it would be to think it would be your fault. your life depends on your thoughts. think positive and your dreams will come true. that sounds like a big headache to me. i guess it's pretty easy to fall into this mind set. we're humans. we're down right selfish and satan knows that he can totally mess with that. whatever it takes to get your mind off of what really matters, which is Jesus, he will. he has with people that i know. i guess i should look at this as an opportunity. there is definitely some significance to this circumstance, and i am truely ready for it.

life as they know it

2007-01-23T10:39:00.000-08:00

life. everyone's is different. well...to some extent. over the past month or so, life has been knocking at my front door. not life as in breathing, but as in who i am, my future, careers, my hopes and dreams. i feel like i am having a midlife crisis, at the age of 21. is this normal?! all these options and decisions are rather confusing. And... i say that with some irritation attached, to make things a little bit more confusing, people that i have come in contact with lately, people who don't even really know who i am, share their expectations that they have for me, and they all seem to be the exact same thing...hmm, interesting. maybe this has been around since the beginning of time and i am just noticing it, but the way people live their lives and pursue things, are from what others tell them they need to do. for example, children go to school for 13 years or so, and then graduate. this is surely an accomplishment to be celebrated. after 13 years of education, it's exciting to finally be free and do what ever you want...right? well, not really. college is the next step. it's pretty much expected from your parents, your siblings, friends, coworkers. so you can't possibly not go or drop out because everyone is expecting you to be a success in that area. oh, and by the way, you better know your major by the time you set foot into the door of the college your parents influenced you to go to, because they themselves went there. since college is so important, you can't get married until you finish school, because if you get married before hand, you will drop out and that would make you a failure. this, of course, would be damaging to those around you, because you have not lived up to their expectations. when you graduate from college, get a high paying job. money is the key in life, at least that's what everyone says. making alot of money will make you happy and secure, then with your wealth of security, you can have kids. but when you have kids, make sure you put them in a day care, so you can work and make more money. this, ladies and gentlemen, is reality for a majority of people in the world! maybe i am exaggerating a little, but it seems to me that life is supposed to be written out for you in this order and you must follow it, or you will be considered a failure. why are people so hung up on expectations? i have been struggling with that for a long time, and now i am realizing that the only thing that matters is what Jesus wants for me. What is he calling me to be? i don't want all of these expectations on my shoulders. what will it get me? maybe money, maybe success, and that's great, but it will also get me stressed, unhappy, and wanting more. but with what God wants, i will surely be happy, relieved, and content, and that would be worth more to me than what this world can provide. this is simple. this is good. this is the way my life needs to be.