Hurst Family News

One big happy family.  Well that's as close to a smile as we were going to get from Ian due to delayed nap-time. For not getting much sleep this past weekend Ian was very well behaved....mostly.  I was hoping to get a good family shot to blow up and put on our wall.  Maybe next photo opp.  As promised: Me in my wicked-sweet-great-deal of a dress.  Church hallways weren't exactly made for modeling but hey, you do what you can with what you have.  Notice my hot pink flats.  I would have liked to wear heels but this is what I had and my feet thanked me by the end of the night.  Awww. Cute. Check out Sean's tie.  That's right.  I made it.  It is pretty cool.  Thankyouverymuch. And the show stealers.  Ian didn't like it when I took Landon from him.  "Lalow- sit." So here they are watching "Bolt" together. Well this is acutally them cheesing for the camera. THIS: ...is Ian, Landon, Kaden and Sean all watchin...

I'm totally stoaked.  I don't use those words lightly my friends.  I have been told before that I know how to get a good deal.  It's true.  This is proof.  See this? I got this dress for a mere $15.  (No that is obviously not me in the picture) Mine is black (this one is brown) and I will be wearing it with a black shirt underneath to bring the modesty standards of the dress up to par and a hot pink ribbon with the sash for pizzaz.  Uber-cute.  I LOVE it. And I got a killer deal to boot! So excited! The dress is a Mori Lee by Madeline Garnder .  Now that may not mean much to you.  It didn't really mean a whole lot to me either but I googled it and found the site.  Love the style of most of the dresses on the site (all rather similar to this).  But after touching the fabric and seeing the dress I could tell it is A) well made B) high quality fabric (oh so yummy) and C) expensive--especially on a budget of next to nothing....

What's the difference between an idiot and a lunatic?  Basically a lunatic is a one time case of non compos mentis (latin term meaning not having command of one's mind) and an idiot is a lack of mental facilities- thus long term non compos mentis.  Somewhat like the phrase "Ignorance can be fixed- stupid is forever" Lunatic is just a phase- Idiot is forever.  Just in case you were wondering what the legal definitions were.  I'm no lawyer and I don't pretend to be- I was simply curious after reading a local municipal code explaining that people can still be considered attached to a crime if they told an idiot or lunatic to do it.  I didn't know those were acutal legal terms.  They are.  So the next time you call someone an idiot.  Think twice.  Chances are they are simply a lunatic that wants you to think they are an idiot so they can get away with more.  Note: the picture is the half-wit from 10th Kingdom... I did not find a legal def...

Flip Flop Flee- Everybody's Running to the Coconut Tree! Ian is enjoying learning letters. He loves Chicka Chicka Boom Boom and the Starfall website.  Cousin Nathan told us about it and Ian thinks it is AWESOME! I have to help him navigate the mouse and he gets a little click happy but he loves the site and learning about the letters.  If you have little ones or know little ones- check it out.

Layla Grayce Blanket Set GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!! Don't these blankees look super nummy soft??? Always in the mood for a little inspiration.

One down I don't know how many to go.  I finished making one gift today.  Now I can't tell you what it is except to say that I've been feeling a bit crafty.  While Christie was here we managed one project together and that kindled the crafty fire.  I have ideas but the time and means to do what I am envisioning is not readily accessible.  That's ok.  Necessity is the mother of invention right?  Maybe poverty is the mother of creative solutions.  Either way I'll work with what I have.  So I know we haven't had Thanksgiving yet but everyone is already thinking about Christmas so I might as well too.  (I have to have some of Christmas stuff done BEFORE Thanksgiving so really it's just me being practical).  I have mixed emotions every year about Christmas.  We are all expected to give gifts and the consumerism is off the charts this time of year.  I love finding gifts for others but I have a hard time with expectations....

Thank you all for your concern.  I've calmed down now and still feel the sting of injustice but I'm feeling better.  Yesterday was a bad day all around and I'm hoping today is better.  (The Medicaid office is closed on Fridays so I won't have to deal with any of that.)  I appreciate those of you who were concerned about our family (or my mental health :) )  Today is a new day.  There are a lot of things to do so let's hope I can get some of them accomplished.  Billy Joel here I come.  (Billy Joel helps me clean.)

The fire has died down a little and I'm not spitting mad- but just barely. I need to vent (how's that for a disclaimer) I am So SICK of the government runaround and bullying! I am an honest hard working person who gets things done when they are supposed to be done. So why does medicaid (read the powers that be) feel the need to bully me into doing stuff. I'm so tired of them sending me threat notes "If you don't get this all in by 6 pm we're closing your case"--So I make darn sure the paper gets faxed by 11 AM and what happens? I get a notice saying our case is closed. Missed the deadline. No I DID NOT! YOU missed my paperwork. They must be seriously understaffed if they can't get my paperwork processed on the day they declare I must have it in and then make we wait 45 minutes on the phone (using my cell phone minutes by the way) to talk to someone who doesn't know JACK about my case just to tell me that "looks like the case is open so ...

Did anybody see that movie called Sweet November?  I'm probably one of the ten people who saw it.  Keanu Reeves and Charlize Theron.  Sappy love story that made me cry.  That is the movie that made me love the name Abner.  He's the next door neighbor kid. Too cute.  Don't worry.  Sean would never agree to it for a name for one of our kids.  A character in a story I will someday write will have that name.  But that isn't really what I was going to post about.  I was just posting about November.  It has a soft place in my heart because it is my birth month.  (Doesn't everyone feel that way the whole month of their birthday?) But really I like the focus on gratitude and being thankful.  It seems that this time of year (especially for those in school) becomes crunch time.  Things are hurried.  Projects and papers and book reports (oh my!).  Everyone is feeling the pressure to perform and get the grades and the...