The Shcnaggle family

A 4 week expedition into the deep woods of Tasmania has revealed a new species of animal. The collaborative effort of U.S. and Australian reasearchers was led by a Dr. Schnaggle. "I was astonished when I came upon these strange creatures, I have never seen such a animal" exclaimed the doctor. He named the newly discovered animals the schnaggle tooth family which included the schnaggle tooth llama and schnaggle tooth boxer. Although no one has ever seen any agression from this species, the local tribes are scared to even go out from their huts because of their razer-like teeth and tongues like sand paper. The doctor assured the tribes that it is safe to go out but don't carry any food because they have very small brains and think with their big mouths instead.

They must have migrated here in search of peanut butter and hay.

Reseachers believe they are descendents of the schnaggle tooth tiger family.

A fossil of the link was discovered lately and it looked to be part tiger and part llama. It had long legs and a big body. They named the fossil Tiglama. After much research and millions of dollars spent they realized it was just a big dog. Oops. Have a great day. Aaron

Our Sweet Little Visitor

We had a very special visitor this weekend. Aaron and I were trusted with a very special responsibility. Tierney came to spend the night with us on Saturday.

I have to honestly say, that I have never, ever, met a happier, more content little girl than this one. She did not cry even once the whole time she was here. You barely even have to look at her and she smiles, and if you talk to her, the smile only gets bigger! She was an absolute joy to have and I hope they'll let us watch her again sometime!

Unfortunately for Aaron, I think Curt and Brenda's evil plan worked and having Tierney around did kind of make me want my own. The only problem is, I don't think that my child will be anything like Tierney unless he/she is more like Aaron than me! Now I'm going to compare any baby to her! Oh - and did I mention she was this cheerful even though she's teething and had just gotten shots the day before?!?

This is her all snuggled up sleeping when she came to us. And even though she was rudely woken up early in a strange place, by a stranger (I don't know who could have been so impatient...) taking her out because she wanted to snuggle her, she just smiled away!

Here's a cute little grin. Look at those dimples!

Aaron must not have told her he was about to take the picture and she forgot to smile!

Here's her favorite new person. She would just smile and smile at Aaron - and even if I was holding her, she would be looking at Aaron and smiling - maybe it's because he's tall like her dad. And don't worry Curt and Brenda - Aaron wasn't under the influence of anything when we took this picture - it was just bad timing I guess!

Aaron was such a good helper and helped with feeding her - although he did refuse to change any diapers - yet... And Sofie tried to be a helper because she was certain that Tierney needed plenty of kisses, and couldn't understand why we wouldn't let her...

...especially since I was giving her so many kisses! But who could resist those adorable little cheeks!

So thanks again Curt and Brenda for letting us watch her - she is definitely welcome back any time. We love that sweet little girl!

The Things I Do For a Laugh...

I was going to save this post for Halloween, but Sofie just couldn't wait to show off her costume. I have to admit that I came very close to peeing my pants with this one because I was laughing so hard.

Are you ready????





Really ready???














Ta da! She's one fine lookin' lady, that's for sure. Although I'm not quite sure if the hot pink brings out her eyes or not. But how cute is the bobbed hairstyle on her?

And yes, as a "parent" I have already mastered the fine art of bribery.

And this trick was definitely worth a treat.

That wig was worth every cent of the three dollars I paid for it.

Have a safe and fun Halloween everyone!

Poor Floor

Hi this is Aaron (Laura's husband). I have stolen this blog, well actually nobody was using it so they didn't put up much of a fight. Anyway the carpet in our office was getting pretty old and dirty and we knew we had hardwood floors underneath so one day I decided I wanted to try to refinish them. So out came the carpet and padding. Next was the tack strips and staples. That all went well and the floor looked nice, straight, clean, and no stains. The only thing wrong was the finish was looking beat up and slight height variation. In all of my infinite wisdom I decided I didn't want to rent one of those huge floor sanders for my small room. So to EBAY we went and bought a 1/2 sheet vibrating sander (most people own 1/4 sheet sanders for finishing. I had figured twice as big would be twice as fast. Then I borrowed a belt sander for some of the bad spots.

Here is a picture in the closet that I had sanded for about 2 seconds and all the finish came right off. I had some vacation coming up so I thought I can have this room completely sanded and one coat of polyurethane on in one day. Boy was I wrong.

Here is a picture of the floor before. If you look by Sofia's front feet you can see some of the original finish where it had slight moisture damage.

This is a picture from the hallway looking into the office. The hallway was professionally finished about 2 years ago and looks great.

This picture is the floor completely sanded and ready for the polyurethane.

And this is the final product and it matches almost perfectly. That dark line in the doorway was from the carpet staples and they discolored the wood.

Now for the not so fun part. I started with the belt sander to take off the majority of the finish(so I thought). The second that belt sander touched the finish it gummed up instantly and I got no where. So I tried a different grit and got the same result. My theory then was to use the finishing sander to take off a majority of the finish and use the belt sander after that. This is a picture of the first round. This took around 2 hours.

Attempted belt sander again and got same results.

At this point I should have gotten the big ol' sander from the rental store but I told myself in the beginning that I wasn't going to. So instead I got out the 2 1/2" hand scraper and scraped the whole floor, which took hours and hours. The center of the picture is the scraped part. So I tried my belt sander again and same results in twice the time which still wasn't worth doing. Now I resort to the 1/4 sheet finishing sander to reach all the small spots that still had finish on them. Couple hours later I am able to use belt sander which worked very well.

This is me tired and hot from scraping.

Finally the sanding is all done!!

Here is the first coat of polyurethane. I used a lambs wool type of applicator wich is a furry mop sponge looking thing. When the room dryed I walk in and feel all kinds of imperfections on my feet and so I get down for an inspection and there is little furs that look just like the applicator furs stuck in the urethane. I resanded the whole floor to remove the high spots and furs and went for the second of four coats. This time I de-furred the applicator and still got the same results. I thought I would try a paint brush for the third coat. Still not great results. At this point I lose interest and just throw a fourth coat on with a applicator pad. The pads and brush were both Varathane products which is supposed to be a very good product?? Moral of the story: rent the sander from the store, and find a non-shedding applicator. Overall it looks decent and I will try it again in our bedroom.

Thanks for letting me visit blogland! - Aaron

Have You Ever?

My mom had this on her blog and I thought I'd give it a try. There are 200 things on the list and the things that are in large font are the things I have done (because for some reason my blogger wanted to keep bolding everything. Give it a try if you want!
Have you ever:
1. Touched an iceberg
2. Slept under the stars
3. Been a part of a hockey fight
4. Changed a baby's diaper
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Swam with wild dolphins
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a tarantula
10. Said "I love you" and meant it
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Stayed up all night long and watched the sun rise
15. Seen the Northern Lights
16. Gone to a huge sports game
17. Walked the stairs to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
19. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
20. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Bet on a winning horse
23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Taken an ice cold bath
28. Had a meaningful conversation with a beggar
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Ridden a roller coaster
31. Hit a home run
32. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
33. Adopted an accent for fun (does Pirate-Speak count?)
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Felt very happy about your life, even for just a moment
36. Loved your job 90% of the time
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Watched wild whales
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Gone on a midnight walk on the beach
41. Gone sky diving
42. Visited Ireland
43. Ever bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited India
45. Bench-pressed your own weight
46. Milked a cow
47. Alphabetized your personal files
48. Ever worn a superhero costume
49. Sung karaoke
50. Lounged around in bed all day
51. Gone scuba diving
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Done something you should regret, but don't
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Been in a movie
60. Gone without food for 3 days
61. Made cookies from scratch
62. Won first prize in a costume contest
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Been in a combat zone
65. Spoken more than one language fluently
66. Gotten into a fight while attempting to defend someone - verbal not physical
67. Bounced a check
68. Read - and understood - your credit report
69. Recently bought and played with a favorite childhood toy
70. Found out something significant that your ancestors did
71. Called or written your Congress person
72. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
73. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
74. Helped an animal give birth
75. Been fired or laid off from a job
76. Won money
77. Broken a bone
78. Ridden a motorcycle
79. Driven any land vehicle at a speed of greater than 100 mph
80. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
81. Slept through an entire flight: takeoff, flight, and landing
82. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
83. Eaten sushi
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read The Bible cover to cover
86. Changed someones mind about something you care deeply about
87. Gotten someone fired for their actions
88. Gone back to school
89. Changed your name
90. Caught a fly in the air with your bare hands
91. Eaten fried green tomatoes
92. Read The Iliad
93. Taught yourself an art from scratch
94. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
95. Apologized to someone years after inflicting the hurt
96. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
97. Been elected to public office
98. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream
99. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
100. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you
101. Had a booth at a street fair
102. Dyed your hair
103. Been a DJ
104. Rocked a baby to sleep
105. Ever dropped a cat from a high place to see if it really lands on all four
106. Raked your carpet
107. Brought out the best in people
108. Brought out the worst in people
109. Worn a mood ring
110. Ridden a horse
111. Carved an animal from a piece of wood or bar of soap
112. Cooked a dish where four people asked for the recipe.
113. Buried a child
114. Gone to a Broadway (or equivalent to your country) play
115. Been inside the pyramids
116. Shot a basketball into a basket
117. Danced at a disco
118. Played in a band
119. Shot a bird
120. Gone to an arboretum
121. Tutored someone
122. Ridden a train
123. Brought an old fad back into style
124. Eaten caviar
125. Let a salesman talk you into something you didn’t need
126. Ridden a giraffe or elephant
127. Published a book
128. Pieced a quilt- (a very small one!)
129. Lived in a historic place
130. Acted in a play or performed on a stage
131. Asked for a raise
132. Made a hole-in-one
133. Gone deep sea fishing
134. Gone roller skating (this goes along with number 77)
135. Ran a marathon
136. Learned to surf
137. Invented something
138. Flown first class
139. Spent the night in a 5-star luxury suite
140. Flown in a helicopter
141. Visited Africa
142. Sang a solo
143. Gone spelunking
144. Learned how to take a compliment
145. Written a love-story
146. Seen Michelangelo’s David
147. Had your portrait painted
148. Written a fan letter
149. Spent the night in something haunted
150. Owned a St. Bernard or Great Dane
151. Ran away
152. Learned to juggle
153. Been a boss
154. Sat on a jury
155. Lied about your weight
156. Gone on a diet
157. Found an arrowhead or a gold nugget
158. Written a poem
159. Carried your lunch in a lunch box
160. Gotten food poisoning
161. Gone on a service, humanitarian or religious mission
162. Hiked the Grand Canyon
163. Sat on a park bench and fed the ducks
164. Gone to the opera
165. Gotten a letter from someone famous
166. Worn knickers
167. Ridden in a limousine
168. Attended the Olympics
169. Can hula or waltz
170. Read a half dozen Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys books
171. Been stuck in an elevator
172. Had a revelatory dream
173. Thought you might crash in an airplane
174. Had a song dedicated to you on the radio or at a concert
175. Saved someone’s life
176. Eaten raw whale
177. Know how to tat, smock or do needlepoint
178. Laughed till your side hurt
179. Straddled the equator
180. Taken a photograph of something other than people that is worth framing
181. Gone to a Shakespeare Festival
182. Sent a message in a bottle
183. Spent the night in a hostel
184. Been a cashier
185. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
186. Joined a union
187. Donated blood or plasma
188. Built a camp fire
189. Kept a blog
190. Had hives
191. Worn custom made shoes or boots
192. Made a PowerPoint presentation
193. Taken a Hunter’s Safety Course
194. Served at a soup kitchen
195. Conquered the Rubik’s cube
196. Know CPR
197. Ridden in or owned a convertible
198. Found a long lost friend
199. Helped solve a crime
200. Responded to a NJP newsletter

Hope you all enjoyed that! Now go try it yourself!