Be Like Ree...

I have grown to understand that I have a slightly unhealthy obsession with Ree Drummond... aka the Pioneer Woman... blogger, writer, photographer, accidental country girl... i didn't come up with that.  That is what she clams on her cooking show every Saturday morning on the food network (9:30a EST 8:30a my time...i DVR it).  It's nothing we need to inform the police about, but I'm pretty sure we could be kin.  I almost said we could be the same person, but I can't photograph as well as her.  I tried and failed.

Here is a bulleted list of why I think we could be bestest friends ever...

• She likes making bulleted lists.
• She has cows... LOTS of cows.  I per say have cows...kinda.
• She has red hair. I have kinda red hair.
• She cooks ALOT and loves it!  I would cook more if I didnt have a job, but I cook more then most and LOVE it.  
• She has the garden I can only dream of.
• She lives on a ranch in Oklahoma with wild horses and cowboys.  I can't really compare...corn does not run and our boys wear john deere or DeKalb hats.
• We kind of look alike (see picture) except for the eyes, and her hairs a little darker, and, well maybe her nose a little... but for the most part.
• Her style is fabulous.  Clothing and house...It's country but contemporary.  Look at her daughters' room.  This was also featured in Country Living which i also subscribe to.  And the staircase! That was pretty awesome too.
•  From her blog and her show, I have concluded we have the SAME sense of humor.  And I secretly think that if she didnt have someone managing her websites, she would misspell just as much as me.
• She names her animals (even the cows) that get killed.  See it's not that odd.  
• We have amazing canine companions...Her basset hounds, Charlie & Walter, and my Thing 1, Moose, and Thing 2 Hummer.
• Her husband doesn't venture too far away from red meat, bread, and potatoes.  My husband consumes no green besides ice burg lettuce.  I believe Ladd aka Marlboro Man aka her hubby is way more adventurous..
• There are many, MANY more... scary really.

I will be like her when I have more grown children.  I'm sure of it.  When Tricia and I were driving to Dallas in July, I got so excited when we were driving through OK b/c I thought that we might be seeing Dummond cattle...just maybe.  And after looking at a map, i think that possibility is more like 60% because of their distance from I-44, but I got chills thinking she drove on the interstate we were on... do you see where I get unhealthy in this obsession...

I have her first cookbook and i have made all but one or two recipes out of it.  AND her website, Tasty Kitchen is one of my go-tos to see how other women sub stuff or cook stuff or find fast recipes   I aspire to blog like her, but I don't have nearly enough entertaining moments in my life or pictures to post...well...and i have a day job...that kinda hinders stuff.  Her day job IS her blog/writing/TV show/awesomeness.

So, Santa (aka anyone), here is what I want for Christmas... Lunch with Ree, Alex, and Paige (those are her daughters who are similarly awesome). And if you're elves can't do that, her second cook book would suffice.

On a slightly serious note though, it's pretty stinkin' awesome to see a woman who loves and is dedicated to her family who can still be quarky and do what she absolutely LOVES.  Did i mention she home-schools her kids, too?  I mean she's a rock star... a COUNTRY rock star!  Minus the vocals...man shoot..she's prob so good she can sing too.  Oh, and the men in her family BULL RIDE!  What?!?

Ree, if you ever read this... which truly may never happen, you dang well inspire me. Keep on keepin' on. I think you show other women that each one of us can each live our dreams on our own "homesteads."

I am Becoming a Royal Red Eaglebird...

Holy cow, do I feel like the world is flying by!  I have a 2 mo old AND a husband again (aka football is over on Monday). The Princes weren't so charming this year so I think Nathan's secretly glad to be done. But I guess I just gave his secret away... Ruthie's better than ever.  We're getting a few smiles out of her here and there.  Now over 6 lb, she looks like a normal baby...not a 2 mo old, but people aren't commenting on her size as much.  And for the record, she is a farting machine!  We have her on gas medicine to make it easier on her, but it makes her even more musical. She will appreciate me blogging about that later on in life. I just know it. (Picture was taken yesterday night...that's a 6 mo. onsie, but had to put it on for support and a picture:)


The house is just about the same. I could use a day or 2 to decorate and rearrange. I still have to finish the nursery...argh.  There's no excuse now though because she would have totally been here more than a week. I also have kids from a choir staying at the house next weekend, so hopefully that will motivate me to finish the guest room. WEEKEND PROJECT!  

In other news I got a new job!  It's bittersweet really.  I had no real desire to leave my current job, but I just couldn't pass up the offer.  I will be that admin assistant to the athletic director at Dunlap high school.  I applied because it was a little better pay and I got full benefits for the family.  But, when D. Joseph heard, they matched it...yet another reason making it hard to leave.  It was one of the hardest decisions of my life, but the main reasons I switched with because of the benefits and vacation days and holidays.  It will help us save tons of money in the long run by not having to pay for childcare in the summers.  And come on!  Who doesn't want a summer break. I mean really!  This will also make it possible for Nathan and I to go on family mission trip every year. And that's something that we both decided is going to be priority in our family.  

So I'm pretty excited but I have a lot of work in store for me.  The director hasn't had an assistant yet since he took the position a year ago July and the previous person had the position for over 20 years with a pretty extensive paper system. We've got to make that athletic department computerized!  Not to mention the massive amounts of sports Dunlap has...football, volleyball, girl's track, boy's track, girl's tennis, boy's tennis, softball, baseball, girl's soccer, boy's soccer, swimming, diving, and I'm sure I missing something...ohh cross country. I think that's it.  So, I guess this makes me a Royal Red Eaglebird.  i.e. I hold true to my Metamora Redbird roots, I married a Prince, and my daughter will be a Princeville Lady Prince (why not a Princess, no one knows...), and now I am an Eagle.  I'm picturing an all red eagle with a crown on it's head...it's in the same animal kingdom as Napolian Dynamite's liger...pretty much my favorite animal, ever!  

I am pretty excited to be working at Dunlap though.  For those of you not from Ptown, Dunlap is the closest city to Peoria that isn't apart of the Peoria school district, which is currently less than desirable   And most of the families that go there just happened to be loaded!  I'm not knocking them at all! I've had many friends from Dunlap. But it's encouraging to know that the district is doing well and will continue to do well.  There are lots of teachers on my mom's side of the family, and I decided that if I were to ever be a teacher I'd always want to be a high school teacher.  I feel like you could have way more fun with the kids.  And the passion of a teenager is just immeasurable. Even if they say they don't care.  They just have to focus their passion off of parties and booze and each other... yet another reason why I'm pretty pumped about working at the high school.  This is the long term now. I thought last time was a long term but it wasn't. Now that I have a kid, this job is perfect. Well, I'll let all ya'll know a week from now how things are going with a new job and a new niece.  It's crazy how much life changes soooo quickly...Blows my mind sometimes.  

Brittany is days away from baby #2.  Layla Anne Marie almost came today, but the doctor wanted to give her a little bit more time. I think she'll definitely be here by Wednesday. She's going to be a pretty large and in charge baby.  This is going to be interesting. Bella's 13.5 months and a very jealous little girl.  She does love Ruthie though. She reaches out and pets her head as if she were petting Jack the cat...soft and sweet and she whispers so she "doesn't wake the baby" Brittany says. She whispers gibberish, but still very quietly.  Andy was holding Ruthie once and not paying attention to Bella, and that wasn't to pretty.  Only time will tell really.  

Happy 0th Birthday, Ruthie!

So today is a special day...or should I say would have been a special day.  Today is Ruthie's due date...

It's CRAZY to think about!  She is almost 6 lb now.  I can't fathom just meeting her now!  I am so glad she came when she did!  I was getting anxious.  Brittany had her sonogram last week.  My sis's scheduled C-section with Layla (such a cute name...Layla Ann Marie) is Oct 29.  Layla is well over 6 lb now in the womb.  CRAZY...

Now, If you were around me at all the week before I had here, or even saw me in the hospital, can you imagine what I would be like right now?!  A BEACHED WHALE!  For sure!  I am going to go where most women NEVER go, but I just want to put it in perspective.  I started my pregnancy at about 155lb.  That's the biggest I've ever been and I had been working on getting that weight off running and weight lifting.  About 12 weeks into the pregnancy, because of morning sickness, I was down to about 140lb.  The day I went to the doc and he sent me to the hospital, Aug 8, I was 176lb! and the day I had her I was in the 180s!  BEACHED WHALE I tell you!  At the rate I was going 200 lb would not be out of the question.  BLAH!  (For the record, I'm not that big still...I'm back down in the 140s.  Just sayin')
 
My maternity leave would have started probably at the beginning of this week, and currently it's my second day back at work.  Very hard for me...I'm anxious.  So what if she sleeps all the time.  I still like to be there while she's sleeping.

The perks of being born ahead of schedule... she got to go to her daddy's football games and she got to go to Joy's wedding.  She will be 11 months younger than her cousin, Bella, and two months older than her cousin, Layla.  We have the option of sending her to school early or holding her a year.  She's strong!  She's as healthy as a mini ox!

So happy 0th Birthday, Sweet Ruthie!  I'm so glad you're already here!  My body and Nathan thank you!