Disgusted

Disgusted would be the perfect description of my feelings towards Rowdy, our farm dog.

Folks, do not let the majestic looking dog in the photo above fool you. Up until hours ago, I would have told you that Rowdy was the most loyal and amazing dog that ever walked the face of this earth. I have story upon story to even back that up. Stories that would simply amaze you.

So, you see. When he went missing 4 days ago, I was a sad farmgirl. I spent hours a day looking for him. For the last 4 days, there has been an empty and desolate feel around Yonder Way Farm. A tone that was only broken by the whisper of words like,"I sure miss Rowdy." Or ,"If Rowdy was here, he'd be doing........"

Today, I was going to conquer my quest to find Rowdy. My ammo was none other than fliers made with the help of Microsoft Word. I did what all good dog owners who's dog goes missing does. I made a total of 75 fliers.

My mom graciously drove to Brenham to help me drive around and put them in the mailboxes of every home within a 5 mile radius.

We spent a couple of hours on our mailbox mission, when the last and final 15 fliers were left. We headed down the major highway that our property sits off. Up until this point, we stuck to the back roads. I thought I knew my dog and my dog would be on the back roads in woods.

This was simply not the case. We drove up to a less than curb appealing home with various non-working automobiles in their front yard. My mom reached over to place the flier in the mailbox and I glanced around in awe of the sheer volume of automobiles and automobile parts hanging on this particular houses shed.

As my eyes made their way around the property, they landed on the front porch of the house. The 70s printed couch initially caught my eye. It was loud......really loud. Like orange and yellow shagadelic flower loud.

But, what was laying on the couch, was the shocker of them all. My loyal Rowdy was shacked up with some three-legged Red Bloodhound mutt. It was almost as if I cold-busted my teenage son. Gross!

Now, the a key fact to being able to understand the rest of this story and how it turns out is that Rowdy was NOT NEUTERED. You must know this! We had big plans of finding him a bonafide Blue Heeler female and having beautiful puppies with her.

I got out of the car beaming from ear to ear. I was talking doggy-talk in a high pitched voice overcome by the joy one feels when they find their long lost dog.

"Rowdy! There you are! We found you! Come here boy," I shouted.

Rowdy perked his ears up and remained to lay on the couch. He wasn't as thrilled to see me as I was to see him.

"That's odd," I thought.

"Rowdy. Come here boy. Come here," I commanded and started to walk over towards him.

Rowdy's response was less than admirable. He got up off the couch with his lady friend and took off running in opposite direction.

I ran to the car and grabbed the girl's Nilla Wafers and started throwing them at him (this is all on the side of a major highway, by the way). Rowdy could have cared less about my girls sharing their snack with him. He took off under the house following his lady friend's every move. How ungrateful!

I sat there for a while and talked to him. I tried to talk him out from under the house with several sentences filled with "you are so not loyal" and "I'm so offended at you right now" and "Are you seriously kidding me?" The high pitched doggy talk was gone by this point. It was all business.

I finally got him to come out from under the house. He walked over to me and I began to pet him. This re-acquainting abruptly came to a screeching halt when he decided to snip at me followed by a growl.

"OH NO HE DIDN'T JUST SNIP AT ME!" I shouted. I wanted to snap my fingers in a circle and bob my head from side to side. I would have if I wouldn't have been on the side of the highway talking to a dog.

I was so mad at him I could have spit nails. I was fuming mad with some angry on the side.

At this point, I knew that it was a lost cause and this female was obviously in heat. Why else would my dog's brain have been kidnapped by an idiot?

My hope then quickly shifted to my fearless dog-friendly brother-in-law, David, arriving in just moments. My mom placed a flier in the mailbox and we left to re-group.

Moments before David and I left for attempt number two, we received a phone call. The fliers had an incentive of a $100 reward. He was worth every dime of that to us.....before all of this. The owner of the property that Rowdy was residing at called me to tell me that she had our dog. Little did she know, I had already found him. Except he wouldn't get in the car and come home like a good dog would do.

So, we talked and I told her we were coming to see if we could get him again. She had pork chops and sausage**** in the fridge (great!) and was going to see if she coerce him to her front porch so he would be there when we got there.

He was on the porch when we arrived, but quickly realized what was going down. He recognized David and had a brief normal Rowdy moment. He ran up to him. David tried to put the leash around his neck. Rowdy snipped at him and started growling like a deranged dog.

We spent a total of about 30 minutes chasing him around trying to get him to come up to us. But, went home empty handed........again. What does one do if they can't catch their own dog?

Its the strangest feeling to be staring at your beloved dog, except their body has been taken over by evil dog aliens. Rowdy didn't even act like himself. All he could do was follow this female mutt around. I'm not even going get into how many times he "got" her during the course of our attempt to capture him. It was ridiculous.

Farmer Jason isn't happy about his loyal farm dog betraying us. He was at the fire station today so that's why his name is missing from the story.

Hopefully, this story will end with Farmer Jason bringing our idiot dog home in the morning. If there is anyone that he should and would listen to, it would be Jason. The minute Rowdy is in our possession he is going straight to the snipper to get snipped so it will get rid of all the "idiot" that remains within him.

The moral of this story: take your dog to the snipper to get snipped or he WILL inevitably act like an idiot if given the chance. Even the most loyal of dogs like free shagadelic couches in a junkyard with a three-legged dog in heat on it. Gross! But, it's the truth.

Do you have any funny dog reuniting stories? Let's shift this story to happy thoughts, shall well? Because after he visits the snipper, bliss will then take over once again.

****Don't ever ever ever feed your dog pork. They will get all kinds of sick. I've seen it happen a million times. I use to work for a vet for 2 years. Its bad news on a dog's pancreas.

You must see this.......

***There's a post below that I need your help with!!!

This is not the video I showed in a previous post. Its an entirely new video with new quotes in it. Please take a few moments to watch the following. It isn't very long, but its very to the point.

Here is yet another video with Obama's extreme views on abortion. Again, this issue is one that is very close to my heart even in light of such a sketchy economy. I feel the abortion issue is being overlooked in the upcoming election thus Obama's radical views on this issue are being overlooked. 

Voters simply DO NOT realize how pivotal this election is on where our nation will stand in the upcoming months in its value towards human life. 

Here are some quotes from the video that are noteworthy. The last one is probably the most significant simply because Obama has stated what the first thing he will do as President of The United States of America.

"I've got two daughters- a 9 year old and a 6 year old. I'm going to teach them first about morals and values. But, if they make a mistake, I don't want them PUNISHED with a baby."

- Sen. Obama

"Roe vs. Wade hangs in the balance." 

-Sen Obama

"The FIRST thing I'd do as president is sign the Freedom of Choice Act."

- Sen Obama

In case you are wondering what the Freedom of Choice Act is it will remove all restrictions on abortion including partial birth abortion, parental notification, and informed consent.

I'm curious to know if these videos or what Obama has said in regards to abortion and infanticide have affected your decision in the upcoming election. If so, what was it that he said? 

If they haven't affected your view of him as the leader of our country, what keeps you supportive of him? 

Crockpot 911

Okay. I need your help out there.

I feel uninspired in the kitchen. 

I'm all over the place in the rest of the house. For some reason, nesting is already beginning. I'm trying to figure out where to put this baby when he/she makes their debut. So this has lead to every single closet and piece of furniture (we have an old house without closets) untouched and organized. The days of closing the doors and forgetting the chaos inside exists are over.

But, the kitchen........oh, the kitchen. Its the most untouched room of my life right now. And if you know me or have been reading this blog, you know this girl loves to cook and loves food.......a little too much at times. 

I don't want Jason to have to lose his baby weight after this pregnancy is over also by being an innocent bystander of my drive-thru addiction. After the dinner we had tonight, things aren't looking so hot. Thanks Dairy Queen!

- Hunger Buster with cheese and fries

- Large Coke (I'm a big fat caffeine sinner when I pregnant. But, remember, I'm not drinking coffee)

- Deluxe Nachos (Jason and I split these for an appetizer. Doesn't everyone get an appetizer when eating fast food????)

- Banana Split Blizzard (YOU MUST TRY THIS. THESE WILL BE ADDED TO "THE LIST OF FAVS")

So, here is where you come in. I successfully cooked supper a few nights ago in a crock pot. It re-ignited my love for them. I put supper in at 2pm when I was feeling great and girls were asleep. When I started feeling icky when 5pm rolled around, supper was done. Amazing. I love that little round pot with the knobby.

I'm a fan of crock pots. The only problem I have with them is that most of the crock pot recipes are really really bad for you. I might as well eat from a drive-thru. Believe me, I can cook me some chicken spaghetti in the crock pot with the best of them. But, Velveeta isn't exactly great for you. Sorry if I just made some of you cry out there!

I'm on a mission to find healthy slow cooker meals. I'd love to know if any of you have any recipes that you love and want to share with me! Jason (aka.....The Food Nazi) will appreciate it. Don't be scared. I know we each have different things we've omitted from our particular diets. No worries there. Submit away. 

Maybe we can have the "World's First Healthy Slow Cooker Recipes Cookbook" and get rich off it together. That's a really long title. We'll have to shorten it, now won't we?

How could I have forgotten these???

I can't believe I left these gems off my favs list below! I feel at peace with my craving for tots now. It may not be spinach or tomatoes, but you know what they say about having an apple a day. I must get extra bonus points because I eat two of these a day- one for breakfast and one before bed at night.

However, they aren't just any apples.

You see, my friends. They are none other than Honey Crisp Apples and are available only ONE time a year.......and its that time! Someone just got up from their computer, rushed to their car, and went to the grocery store to battle the crazed shoppers. I just know it.

Did I mention these can become an expensive addiction? These heavenly apples sell for 2.99 a pound!!!! Apparently the only size they grow them in are jumbo. Farmers, can you help a sister out here???? So one apple is pretty much an entire meal and cost a ridiculous amount. They are totally worth every dime and nook and cranny of your stomach. 

During previous seasons of the Honey Crisp, our family has had to ration by sharing the apple of the day. But, since I'm pregnant and I'm CRAVING these babies, I get unlimited amounts of them (insert evil laugh here). 

I LOVE THEM!

Some of my favorite ways to eat the best apples ever are....

sliced up with lime juice squeezed over the top.

sliced up and dipped in peanut butter (organic pb, of course!). You must try this!

sliced up with Redmond Sea Salt sprinkled over them.

Yum! At any rate, you must slice them up. It makes them last much longer. 

I was buying some at HEB on Tuesday. KK and I had a 10 minute long conversation with another woman and her children about these delicious apples. They, too, wait for them all year long and as soon as they make their debut into the store, they pounce on them. Rightly so.....they are simply awesome.

This conversation was the result of KK screaming "Honey Crisp Apples!!!!!!" as soon as we walked into HEB. The girl loves them as much as her momma. 

You can also read about these apples HERE and HERE on my sister-in-law's blog. They love them too!

Join the club and go get you some!!!! Proceed with caution because they will get you hooked.

A Tribute to Favs

Pregnancy is in full swing around here complete with nausea, weird quirks, and cravings.

In all honesty, I didn't have weird quirks with my other two pregnancies, but this time around its been a little different......okay A LOT different.

Here in no particular order are some favorites in my pregnant life right now.

#1. SONIC TATER TOTS!


I was confessing this addiction to some of my sweet friends at the library today. This is seriously all I crave all of the time. I LOVE them. They are the perfect snack.

Of course, I'd much rather crave something good that has some sort of nutritional value to it like spinach or granola or tomatoes, but all I want are these crunchy fried outside and soft formaldehyde dyed inside tots.

Must. Eat. With. Ketchup.

#2. SONIC POWERADE SLUSH!



Because you gotta have something to wash the tots down with. Yummy! Have you had one of these?

#3. LAVENDER!

I have re-vamped all of my cleaners and mop solutions with the scent of lavender. Its all I can clean with and not get nauseous. And actually lavender is a natural anti-nausea aromatherapy remedy. Its great!

Which leads me to……..

#4. DR. BRONNER’S MAGIC LOTION SCENTED IN LAVENDER AND COCONUT!


This lotion is heavenly. If I get to feeling slightly nauseous, I rub this stuff all over. It has worked pretty well!

#5. NAPS!

Praise the Lord who gives generously to His people even in the small form of rest for an ole’ pregnant gal. My girls are thankfully on the same nap schedule, which helps me get a nap in the afternoons with them during this first trimester when I’m feeling so tired all of the time.

#6. TAZO GREEN GINGER TEA!


I never thought I’d say this, but I can’t drink coffee in the mornings. The thought of it makes me sick! If you know me, you probably just gasped out loud.

But, because I was skipping the coffee, I wasn’t able to even move in the mornings. My love for coffee was/is so deep and was a daily part of my morning routine. But, without it I looked as though I was in a partial comma most of the morning until my nap (see #5).

So, I adopted being a tea drinker for this season in my life. I don’t think this will forever be the case, but for now, it gets me going in the mornings and soothes my stomach at the same time. Ginger is also an anti-nausea remedy. I’m all about things that create an anti-nausea environment.

#7. MY HUSBAND!!!

Last and most certainly not least, my husband is most definitely a fav of mine…….always really! He did the dishes yesterday and washed every disgusting pan in sight. It was pretty incredible and I’m so thankful for him putting up with my weird quirk that I had yesterday. I was having a hard time being near my kitchen. Maybe it was a combination of the dread and the smells all compiled into one big mess. It was pretty bad in there.

We have thought it has been slightly odd that I have some weird things that I can’t stand right now. Like I said earlier, this is all new to me. Jason thought I was a pretty awesome pregnant lady before because I was so tough (although still very sick) and didn’t have weird quirks that most women have when they are pregnant- believe me I’ve heard a lot. However, I think I’ve decreased on the awesome scale this time around. Hopefully my weird dislikes will disappear eventually.

I used to love examining earwax on a q-tip mainly because I never get anything good out of my ears. I’m always left disappointed after a clean sweep. However, Jason gets really excited about showing me his latest find- we are a really close-knit family. I would clap with excitement and awe at the volume and color of the gooey mess. But, he tried this the other day with me and I almost threw up in my mouth. KK got a kick out of this and started chasing me around with my husband’s ear goo. Yuck!

I almost lost it yesterday when Jason started talking about his love for tuna nachos as we were eating fajita nachos. I made him zip it instantly.

I do have moments where I feel great. I’m sure I would look insane if you witnessed me during these moments since I look like I’m competing for the Olympics in the sport of Speed Cleaning. I try to work as fast and as hard as I can because I don’t know how soon I will start feeling bad again.

Well, there you have it. Me. Pregnant. 7 weeks. I will most certainly not post any belly shots until I'm absolutely sure that what you are seeing is indeed from the baby causing my tummy to protrude. I've been going back and forth on that one already. Baby? Me? Baby? Or me? Hmmm.

Even Jane Roe is Pro-Life

I encourage you to watch this video of Sen. Obama that was given months after he accepted the Democratic Presidential nomination. Its about 20 minutes long, but absolutely worth it.

Its been hard as a voter to gain understanding into Obama's views on abortion as a presidential candidate since he has a way with dancing around words. But, when given the opportunity to speak at this Planned Parenthood benefit, he held nothing back in his views of abortion, life, women, and same sex marriage.

Here are some direct quotes from Sen. Obama that I took from the video below.

“We know that a women’s right to make a decision about how many children to have and WHEN without government interference is one of the most fundamental freedoms we have in this country.” Sen. Obama

“I have worked on these issues for decades now. I put ROE (as in Roe v Wade) at the CENTER of my lesson plan on reproductive freedom when I taught constitutional law.” Sen. Obama

“There will always be people of goodwill who do not share my views on freedom of choice. BUT, I WILL NOT YIELD AND PLANNED PARENTHOOD WILL NOT YIELD.” Sen. Obama

Sen. Obama has been known for years by the pro-life movement to be one of the most pro-abortion politicians around. In 2002, as an Illinois legislator, Obama even voted against the Induced Infant Liability Act, which would have protected babies that survived late-term abortions. That same year a similar federal law, the Born Alive Infant Protection Act, was signed by President Bush. Only 15 members of the U.S. House opposed it, and it passed the Senate unanimously on a voice vote.

Both the Illinois and the federal bill sought equal treatment for babies who survived premature inducement for the purpose of abortion and wanted babies who were born prematurely and given live-saving medical attention. This is the very bill Obama voted against.

A quote from the article (Obama More Pro-Choice Than Naral 12/26/2006) states that

"Jill Stanek, a registered delivery-ward nurse who was the prime mover behind the legislation after she witnessed aborted babies’ being born alive and left to die, testified twice before Obama in support of the Induced Infant Liability Act bills. She also testified before the U.S. Congress in support of the Born Alive Infant Protection Act.

Stanek told me her testimony “did not faze” Obama.

In the second hearing, Stanek said, “I brought pictures in and presented them to the committee of very premature babies from my neonatal resuscitation book from the American Pediatric Association, trying to show them unwanted babies were being cast aside. Babies the same age were being treated if they were wanted!”

“And those pictures didn’t faze him [Obama] at all,” she said."



I worked in the pro-life ministry for about year before we had our first child. It has been one of the most challenging jobs that I've had thus far. If you don't think abortion is a problem in the small cities of Bryan & College Station, go stand out in front of Planned Parenthood on Saturday on East 29th St in Bryan, TX and witness roughly 20-30 women a week go in and choose to take the life of their unborn child simply because they feel that this is their only choice. They feel as though they are without hope.

The abortion issue is so complex. I can't even begin to get into the depth of pain that these women feel before, during, and after their 'choice' that is supposed to make life all better. Abortion hurts women. There isn't a person alive who can convince me otherwise. I've talked to countless women who are scarred from the effects of abortion- some physically and most mentally scarred.

I've heard former abortionists speak about their life changing experience of a tiny baby from within the womb that they were performing an abortion in, grab their finger with their tiny hand. You can't convince me that this is about a women's choice.

Planned Parenthood has an agenda and its not to put women first. Its agenda is all about abortion.

Planned Parenthood is the largest abortion operation in America. In the last reported year, Planned Parenthood reported doing 264,943 abortions. In the same year, they saw only 12,548 prenatal clients.¹ That means they did 21 abortions for every 1 prenatal visit. According to their own numbers Planned Parenthood performed 180 abortions for every 1 adoption referral in 2004.² While the national abortion numbers continue to decline, Planned Parenthood’s abortion numbers have steadily increased over the last 6 years. Looking at the facts, Planned Parenthood is about abortion, not choice.

Locally, Planned Parenthood has done over 3,000 abortions in Bryan/College Station since they started in 1999. Planned Parenthood’s abortion facility in Houston does over 6,000 per year, averaging 20 abortions every single day.

I find it so interesting that proponents of abortion, such as Sen. Obama, speak of Jane Roe and Roe v. Wade often, without ever making mention that she, Norma McCorvey (aka Jane Roe), is now currently pro-life and has stated that abortion is "killing" and its "wrong".

Here are some direct quotes from various Planned Parenthood leaders:

“The most merciful thing that a large family does to one of its infant members is to kill it.” ~Margaret Sanger, founder of Planned Parenthood, Women and the New Race (New York: Brentanos, 1922)

"[W]e have deluded ourselves into believing that people don't know that abortion is killing. So any pretense that abortion is not killing is a signal of our ambivalence, a signal that we cannot say 'yes, it kills a fetus, but it is the woman's body, and therefore…her choice." ~ Faye Wattleton, PPFA president, Ms, May/June 1977

"We have yet to beat our public health drums for birth control in the way we beat them for polio vaccine; we are still unable to put babies in the class of dangerous epidemics, even though that is the exact truth."~Mary S. Calderone, M.D., Medical Director, Planned Parenthood Federation of America in the Medical Morals newsletter, February-March 1968.

I'm sorry this isn't the fluffy post you usually find here on this blog. The things mentioned are hard to comprehend. And frankly, I have tried to pretend that there aren't people like this out in the world.

I am a little tired of people accusing voters who are pro-life for being "one-issue" voters. For me personally, its ALWAYS the deciding factor in who gets my vote. The abortion issue is too major for me to lump in with fiscal policy, foreign policy, and health care. You might call that shallow and narrow-minded. But, a person who does not respect life at its earliest stages and most vulnerable place, will not get my vote.

The weeks ahead will decide where this country is headed as a nation. This election is HUGE. I'm not here to guilt anyone in voting one way or the other. But, I beg you to look at what's been said by a man who wants to be the leader of this country and ask yourself if that's one that you want to follow.

1. Planned Parenthood Federation of America Annual Report, 2005-2006
2. Planned Parenthood Federation of America Annual Report, 2004-2005

Laney Rae has an announcement to make!

(see shirt.....sorry, this is as close and as still as this 18 month old would allow)

There is another baby Kramer on the way! We are so excited! I think that KK has practically told everyone in sight- even perfect strangers. She is really hoping for a boy (and we secretly are too). But, the Lord has already handpicked the next Kramer to come along so we trust that He knows best.

I'm currently 6 weeks and my estimated due date is May 30th. So far, I've been feeling good. I have really nauseous pregnancies throughout the entire time so I'm hoping to try some new natural remedies that I've been looking into. I'll let you know how that goes.

Sorry its been awfully quiet around the blog lately. We've been letting the news sink in.

I'll leave you with the cutest blue jean booty in Washington County!

Just in case you're wondering.........

God's last name is Lord.

Ha! 

Jason, the girls, and I were driving to a farmer's market yesterday in Houston. 

Out of the blue KK says,"Hey. Do you know that God's last name is Lord?"

"Ummmm. No. No we didn't."

And then Jason and I snickered at each other and had a we-have-some-cute-adorable-smart-girls moment. It was the best. 

I'm working on some posts for this here blog. Farm marketing is in full swing and has taken up lots of my day. Its super fun and networking is right up my alley. So it's all good.

Posts coming up in the not-so-distant future:

- Natural Health Necessities; Easy & Simple

- Creative idea for a picky eater.......and I'm not referring to Laney Rae here.