BRANDI CAME TO VISIT

Brandi and Carson came out last night after she got home from work. It was wonderful to talk to Brandi since I haven't seen her since before the baptism. Brandi also brought out pizza and soda so I didn't have to cook...THANKS BRANDI!!! They couldn't stay too very long but it was still great to see them all the same.

Brandi brought some paint swatches and samples of border for the back room of my house. I want to start fixing it up and get the girls both moved back there and then the room that Cassie has now I want to keep the toys in and then add a TV and a DVD/VHS player so that the kids have their own room to play in and watch their kiddie shows. I decided on this really nice soft purple color for the walls and this really nice multi-colored border that's hard to explain. My mom was kind enough to say that she would buy a gallon of paint for me to get things started which is nice of my mom. I am probably going to have to paint one wall at a time and then move the junk around the room as I go. The back room had been designated the "junk" room for the last 4 years and I am surprised that the door will even open. So to clean the room out may take a few days.

Brandi had been eyeing my fish tank for a while and she had talked about buying the extra entertainment center we have back there. I was talking to her some time ago about buying her XM system so we made an agreement to exchange the fish tank and entertainment system for her XM. This way I have something actually useful for the house/car and it also gets rid of some junk in the back room. Now I have to get back there and clean the entertainment center off before she sends her boyfriend out here to pick them up.

My mom called today to see how things were going. I am glad that she called. Jessie slept for about six hours when she went to sleep but the only problem is that she didn't go to bed until 2 am. I got a hold of MaryAnne and she said to take the medicine because, if anything, it would just make Jessie a little sleepy but wouldn't hurt her so I am going to start taking the medicine in the evening around 5 or 6, that way if Jessie does get sleepy from it, it may help get Jessie on a better sleeping schedule.

I have finished a few pages of Jessie's scrapbook. Some are started I just have to get stickers and different pictures to finish them. I may call my Creative Memories rep and have her take stickers to the hospital and then I can give my mom money for them when she gets home but I will have to check with my mom before I do that.

WHAT'S GOING ON

Not much has been happening lately. Cassie is definitely going through the terrible two's and doesn't like to listen to anyone and she really tries to push boundaries. I have given her so many time-outs that I am starting to get tired of them...but they do work. She has been drawing all over everything, the TV, my coffee table, her bedroom carpet, the walls in the kitchen. I am really close to taking away all her crayons and markers. Lately she has been throwing dirty cat litter all over the bathroom and she has been getting into the cat food bag and she throws the cat food all the way down the hall way trying to feed the cat (trying to feed the cat is what she gets most of her time-outs for). And instead of getting up at 8 like she normally does in the morning, she has been getting up at 6:30 and 7.

Jessie is still eating about every two and a half hours so I am very tired lately and extremely wore out. Otherwise things with Jessie are great. I am just hoping that she starts catching up with herself and starts to sleep better through the night. My little cousin that is only 11 days older than Jessie only gets up once during the night and has been doing that for a month now...I can only wish for those days.

Because of lack of sleep and time for myself, my temper has been getting pretty explosive. I am also worked up all the time over what Cassie is doing and what I have to get done around the house that I think anxiety is becoming an issue too along with a little depression. I did talk to the doctor about it when I took Jessie in on Wednesday and he prescribed me some medicine but after I read the pamphlet I haven't started to take it because it says if you notice mood changes, irritability, depression, anxiety and you are working with/have small children and if you are nursing you are not supposed to take it. Well.........everything that I have is listed. I am going to try and get a hold of MaryAnne Fetterly today and ask her about it since she is the one who told me I needed to see a doctor.

To help myself relax a little bit I have been working on Jessie's scrapbook. I don't have an album yet. I need to pick a color out. I don't have a lot of materials either but I am just doing pages with what I have and I will stop when I run out of stuff until I can afford to by more paper, stickers, adhesives, ect. I usually scrap when the girls are taking naps together. I really enjoy scrapbooking for the girls and I does sort of help with the terror that goes on through the rest of the day.

NEW ARRIVAL

Congradulations to my friend Susie and her husband Steve on the arrival of their new little girl. Bree Pederson was born at 7:18 am today. Bree was a very big girl weighing in at 10 bls and 3 oz.

CONGRATS!!!

Bree Michael Pederson 

A BUSY SUNDAY

Sunday we ran up to St John to my cousin Sherry's place. She had a baby swing that she said I could use if I needed it and it has come to the point where I REALLY need it. Jessie likes soft rocking/swaying movement and when she falls asleep the moment I lay her down she will be right back up again and as soon as we start rocking she falls back asleep. We did that until 1:30 Saturday night. I called my mom around 11:30, my dad was gone and she wasn't really doing anything so she said it was OK with her if we ran up to get it.

I called Sherry and she said it was fine and that she would send her husband out to the shed to get it ready. Sherry also said that all her sister's and their children where home visiting and that excited me because I don't see the two younger cousins hardly ever.

When Mom, Cassie, Jessie, and I walked into Sherry's house it looked like a day care. Kids everywhere. There was Sherry, her husband, Sherry's two girls and her husbands son; Cousin Shelly and her three kids; Cousin Stacy and her daughter; Cousin Sharla, her husband, and their three girls; and then there was uncle Blair and his lady friend.

It was really nice to chat with everyone for a little bit. We couldn't stay long though.

On our way home we stopped at the Rolla Dairy Queen for ice cream. Mom was nice enough to stay in the Jeep with Jessie (Jessie was sleeping) while Cassie and I went into DQ to eat our ice cream. Half way through our ice cream my mom had to drive circles around the DQ because Jessie would cry if the car wasn't moving. When Cassie and I finished eating we bought a MooLatte for my mom and took it out to the car for her and then we came home.

We tried to get a hold of Mike since we were buzzing through Rolla but we couldn't get a hold of him. That's too bad. It would have been nice to see him too but maybe next time.

Jessie has a doctor's appointment today in Devils Lake. After her appointment I need to run to Wal-Mart and get a few things and then we will be coming home. My mom is going to come over to the house and watch Cassie for me so I don't have to take her outside.....my mom would have to come over anyway because I just left the carseats in her Jeep last night.

POOL PICS

Here are the only pics that I have of Cassie swimming during our trip to Bismarck three weeks ago. I should have posted these sooner as well but I was having a problem getting them saved to my computer and I finally worked out the problem today.

Here is Auntie Missy and Cassie at the pool in Bismarck. Check out the cool new Dora The Explorer swimsuit and matching aqua shoes that Cassie is wearing (thanks to Grandma Hanson and Missy) She has matching water wings too but refused to wear them. 

Here is Cassie right after she came down the frog slide with auntie Missy next to her. 

Cassie pretending to be a frog...you should have seen her hopping around in the pool. 

CASSIE'S NEW BOOTS

I have been taking Cassie outside the last couple of days at my mom's house so that Cassie can get out of the house a little bit since the weather is a little more decent. I was getting tired of Cassie always coming in with muddy shoes and her pants and socks would be all wet so today I called my mom and had her pick up some golashes (sp) at Wal-Mart.

Cassie could hardly wait for Nana to come home with them. She was sitting in Nana's window for her and when Nana pulled off the highway to come down her drive way Cassie freaked out and started screaming "NANA AND MY GOLASHES SHOES!!" over and over until Nana came into the house.

Nana got this really cute pair that are pink with lime green trim and they have raised flowers and a butterfly on them. I think they are really cool and Cassie had a wonderful time breaking them in. She fell a few times so her pants still got muddy but everything below the knees stayed dry.

The super cute "chore boots" that Nana got for Cassie. 

Cassie had to break them in right away in Nana's muddy driveway. 

Cassie splashing in a water puddle. 

Oh yeah, she is proud of them boots. 

JESSIE'S BAPTISM

First off, let me apologize about not posting of this sooner....


Jessie's baptism was Sunday, March 19th, after 10:30 am mass at the St. Vincent DePaul Catholic Church in Leeds. My brother, Mike, and Darren's sister, Missy, were chosen as Jessie's Godparents.

Those who showed for the baptism were my parents, Darren's parents, my sister, my brother, Darren's sister, Darren's aunt Jodie and her son Caleb, Darren's grand mother Rose, and my grand mother Donna.

I felt really bad because of all days both girls slept in until 9:30 and usually one of them is up by 8. There is no way possible you can feed two kids, get them dressed, pack a diaper bag, and get yourself together in an hour. So I had to call my mom's house and tell my sister at my moms and tell her to lay out the gown so I could find it and I would stop by and put Jessie in it and just meet everyone at the church because we were not going to make it before the mass started. Darren helped me by getting Cassie ready while I nursed Jessie, then Darren watched Jessie as I got myself dressed and packed the diaper bag. I jumped out the door at 10:45, rushed to my mom's, put Jessie in her gown really fast and I made it to the church just in time for communion. Thank God Darren's family was sitting in the back of the church so I handed Cassie off to Auntie Missy...I think Missy and Cassie were both happy with that...and then I went to sit with my mom and grandma who were sitting farther up ahead. My sister, brother, and father were singing up in the choir.

Both of our families were at the church by 10:30 and here I didn't get there with the girls until the end of mass. Boy did I feel like an ass. But hey, at least we made it for the baptism!!

When Father D'Aco got us together for the baptism, it really didn't seem like he knew what he was doing. He kept forgetting his place, pausing, rearranging stuff....Definitely not quick and easy as it was with Father Matt at Cassie's baptism...but we all got through it and our little girl is now a baptised catholic.

My mom had lunch at her place. She served cheesy ham chowder and home made buns. We got a lot of pictures taken too which was really nice.

Thanks to all of you who came. To those of you that couldn't make it I have posted pictures. Enjoy!

Jessie's baptism 

A shot of all of us together with Father D'Aco after the baptism. Even Cassidy got in on the shot. 

The Godparents and Jessie. 

Auntie...and Godmother...Missy. 

Uncle....and Godfather....Mike. 

Nana and Grandpa Savaloja  

Grandma Hanson and Grandpa Dave. 

A family pic. 

Mom, Dad, a shy Cassidy, and Jessie. 

YORK IS GETTING A BIO DIESEL PLANT

Last night at the York Legion Hall there was a town meeting because one of the richer folks from town got the go-ahead to build a bio diesel plant and a bunch of people had questions about it.

Now at first, I thought this was going to be pretty cool. A new business promoting new jobs for people in the community and maybe even Darren could work there and then he would be home each evening. The farmers would benefit too because they use canola and crushed soy beans to make the diesel.

At the meeting though, they guy didn't give us a whole lot and seemed like he didn't want us to know a whole lot about it.

The guy is putting the plant on the east side of the hunting lodge on the south side of the rail road tracks. That's right across from my house. When people asked him where each building, the methanol tank, and the 10,000 gallon diesel tank were going to be place the guy said that he really didn't know for sure. Well, I think that's bogus because he told us he's breaking ground in May and if he is doing that in two months then he has got to have an idea where everything was going to be placed. The guy wouldn't even draw out a sketch guessing where things could be placed.

My concern was the methanol tank since it's flammable and it's heavier than air. If there was a leak and the methanol traveled through the air a simple spark, say from the trains or the red ash from someone burning, could set it off. The only thing he had to make sure of is that the tank is 15 feet from any building.....15 FEET!! And that tank is across the street from my house and my children. When I asked the guy about the safety of my family and the other families and children in town he was so sure that this this will be 100% safe he said that he wasn't concerned. When I asked him what would town procedure be if there was a fire or a spill to keep people safe he said that he wasn't concerned by it and wasn't going to worry about it. That made me a little mad because it's not IF something will happen, it's WHEN and how BAD and his plant could hurt someone. He didn't even have any safety plans in case of spills, leaks, fire.....nothing. Another thing is if he uses crushed soy beans he will have to make a place to have the soy crushed and there is an odor from crushed soy. He couldn't tell us how bad, or if, we would smell it.

The only paperwork the guy provided for us to look at during the meeting was his resume and a little pamphlet about how clean bio diesel is. Sorry, but the resume didn't prove anything for me. He said that this is still so new that there really isn't any laws he has to go by so he doesn't have to provide us with anything....he didn't even have to be at that meeting last night. He has called every office imaginable and has spoke to them, but he really wouldn't say what they told him or what he told them. He's been very quiet about the whole thing, maybe even a little misleading. He did say that he would be inspected by the EPA and a few others but he couldn't say how often he would be inspected and what the would be looking for specifically.

Now after the meeting, and how questionable the guy was on everything, I don't think I want it. I think it's all for himself not the community and he is going to do whatever it takes to get it in...even if we all oppose it.

As long as he can prove in black and white that he is going to keep the people safe and there is a safety plan I am all for it and I hope he makes millions but I don't understand why he can't do it outside of town instead of in town. I think this is going to get very interesting.

MISSING BRANDI

Now that Brandi got herself a job I have been pretty bored and lonely. I really miss going to Brandi's and letting Cassie and Carson play while we hung out and talked. It was fun to do things together like when we took the kids to the rodeo or when we would catch lunch.

I have been trying to find things to do to take up my time but you can only wash so many clothes and clean the house so many times. I am starting to go crazy because there isn't anything to do. It's too cold to hang outside right now and gas is too expensive to travel a distance.

It would be nice to hang out with Brandi on the weekends when she doesn't work but since I don't see my husband all week I feel guilty if I don't stay with him.....however, he's not going to be around all that much this weekend so maybe this is our weekend to get together.

I have been trying to catch Baby & I on Wednesdays each week but I have only gone to that 4 times since January because I can't find a sitter to watch Cassie for me from 11 to 3.

If it wasn't for my mom I don't know what I would do. At least she isn't too far away and I can gather the kids and we can go to her place in the evenings.

I can't wait for the weather to warm up. Then the girls and I can at least go outside.

GOOGLE

Check it out! I'm on Google.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=janelle+hanson

That's actually a little scary now that I think about it.

BODY FOUND IN BOTTINEAU ND

Darren's mom told us that last week a manager was showing an apartment to future tenants in Bottineau, ND. While inside the apartment the manager went to open a closet door to show the people how big the closets where and when the manager opened the door they found the dead body of an elderly lady. They are guessing that the poor woman had been dead for about a week.

I have some questions for the manager in Bottineau.

1.) If she was dead for a week, she must have stunk really bad so why didn't neighbors say anything about the odor?

2.) How come THEY didn't question any rank smell when they entered...or even got close...to the apartment?

3.) How did the dead woman get into the closet?

4.) How did the dead woman even end up in a empty, LOCKED apartment? Isn't the manager supposed to check the apartments after people are finished moving out??? I mean, that's how you know how much of your deposit you are getting back, right???

5.) How come the family of the woman didn't notice that she was missing for a week?

It sounds really fishy. My guess is that it's the manager, ex-tenant, or a family member. I don't think there was anything random about it but that's not my profession.

I Googled this but couldn't find anything on it but I did find this news article from 1903. I wonder if we are related to Carl Hanson.....

William R. Ross, Bottineau ND, ­ December 1903

Willie Ross was an expert on horses, a life-long horse trader and handler. He was also an accomplished horse thief. So, when he went to the Willow City area to steal a fine band of horses from Thomas Walsh, an elderly farmer, on July 5, 1902, he made off with the horses after shooting the sleeping Walsh to death through a screen door. Local authorities focused on Ross from the beginning and under questioning he soon admitted his guilt. Brought to trial at Bottineau in August, he was convicted and sentenced to hang on December 5th.

Events leading up to the execution at Bottineau were moving smoothly until the day before when Ross suddenly confessed to involvement in a second murder. In November 1901, Ross related, he and a young Minot man, Carl Hanson were working on a ranch near Delta (present-day Blaisdell) when they met Napoleon LeMay, camped overnight with several horses which they admired. When LeMay refused to trade the animals, Hanson ended the matter by simply shooting him in the back. The body was concealed in a nearby dry well.

This sensation was enough to stay Ross' execution for long enough to investigate. Hanson was located near Williston and though he denied complicity Ross' testimony was sufficient to obtain his conviction for murder. Ross' execution was rescheduled for early on March 6th, on an enclosed gallows set up alongside the Bottineau County courthouse. In his last days Ross converted to Catholicism and went to his death without a murmur.

CATBLOG FRIDAY

Hey, it's Friday and I remembered that it's Catblog day today. I can't take good pics of Scrappy like April can of Mr. Fuzzybutt but I did happen to get some okay pics of Scrappy on top of the air conditioner outside. We have a window air conditioner and for some stupid reason Scrappy will climb up the wood support legs, sit on top of the air conditioner, and look into the house waiting for someone to let her inside. What puzzles me is that the window on the inside of the house can't be removed so I don't know why she thinks she can get into the house this way. Normally I have to holler out the door for her for about 15 minutes before she figures out that she has to come down off the air conditioner and to the door.

Scrappy the tri-colored cat. 

This is how retarted our cat is. Scrappy will climb up the air conditioner outside and stare into the house from the window Waiting for you to let her in.....IDIOT! 

This is a bad pic but you can see scrappy really good on the other side of the window. Cassie is trying to climb the air conditioner to get to the cat. 

Jessie snoozing in her chair. 

A FAST TRIP TO MINOT

Today is off to a rough start. Jessie is still sore from her shots and Cassie has already thrown a dolly into the toilet and had scattered cat litter...yes, used litter from he cat box...all over the bathroom floor and is running around naked and screaming because she absolutely refuses to put her clothes back on after using to toilet.

I have a headache from hell, I am exhausted from being up with Jessie all night, and I am being stressed to the max by Cassie. I keep telling myself that things are going to get better soon. They have to because my mom and I are going to Minot today.

We are going to my mom's aunt's place because she has some news articles out of some papers around Minot about my dad's business (check it out at www.jackalopeconversions.com and www.terracarry.com) and I want to check out Gideon's Trumpet for the gifts that I couldn't find at LaMontt's in Devils Lake.

I am hoping that Cassie and Jessie do not holler during the trip. Well, I can understand Jessie for fusing because of her poor little legs but there is no excuse for Cassie if she does it.

My mom and I are going to keep the trip quick. I will check out the store while mom stays in the car with the kids when we get to Minot, then we will pick something up at a fast food place to eat, then we will head over to my aunts place and eat while we talk to her and then after we finish up eating we are going to come back home.

Now let's hope that it actually goes that easy.

JESSIE'S 2 MONTH SHOTS

Yesterday was shot day for Jessie. About an hour before her shots, I gave her a dose of infant tylenol so she would have some pain reliever on board. She didn't do too bad. She cried when the shots were given but then I was able to sit right down and let her nurse for a little bit which calmed her right down and then she fell back asleep.

After shots, I ran to LaMontt's (sp) to see Brandi and to see if they had some particular items that I wanted to give the Godparents this weekend at Jessie's baptism.

I got to my mom's place and Jessie had woke up and she was a little hungry so I nursed her some more and then gave her another dose of tylenol. However, around 5pm things started to get bad. Poor Jessie just fused and fused and fused from the shots.

It was a very long night. She spent the majority of the night nestled on my shoulder trying to get comfortable and sleep. I watched the clock and made sure to give her tylenol every four hours. Finally around 6 am she was relaxed enough to finally fall asleep.

Today hasn't been too bad. She only starts to cry every now and then and she doesn't cry very long at all, just long enough to let me know that her legs are still sore.

Tonight I am going to fill Jessie's tub up with warm water and let her kick around for a while. This should help the soreness some and then I can also pull off the bandaids too once they are nice and wet so they don't pull her skin too much.

BISMARCK TRIP

The Bismarck trip was fun, however I didn't get out of the hotel room a whole lot and I didn't talk to anyone from Darren's family except for his sister, mom, dad, and aunt Shirely.

When we got there Aunty Missy took Cassie swimming right away. Aunty Missy and Grandma Hanson went out to the mall earlier that day and bought Cassie a Dora the Explorer swimming suit (very cute), some aqua shoes, and water wings. Missy and Grandma said that Cassie had a ball in the pool. Cassie was hopping like a frog in the shallow water and was using the little children's slide all by herself and didn't want to get out. Cassie was shivering and her lips were purple before Missy could get her out. Missy was long frozen herself and probably would have gotten out sooner if it wasn't for Cassie demanding that Missy swim with her. I missed out on this because I had to nurse Jessie. Grandma Hanson got some really good pics though and I will post them soon.

After swimming we went out to eat at the China Star. It was really good. They had a Mongolian stirfry and a buffet all for one price. Missy and I stood in line for the Mongolian buffet for about twenty minutes...okay maybe it wasn't that long but it sure felt like it...and then when we got to the table to eat the food wasn't really all that good so we had some of the Chinese food off the buffet which was WAY better and most of the stuff from the buffet was really good. Jessie, however, was not happy to be there. Jessie cried and fused the whole time so the family took turns walking with her so that Darren and I could eat really fast and then get back to the hotel with her. Darren's aunt Shirley also ran to the Wal-Mart for us to get some infant Mylicon which worked wonders at the hotel.

When we got back from eating it was time for Cassie to get to bed. It took a while but she finally fell asleep around 10. I was hoping that Darren would come back to the room and let me go out and hang with the family in a conference room that they rented but he never did. Darren did come back to the room around 3:30 and it woke Cassie up. Darren was going to try and lay down with her but she got mad that dad was in her bed so Cassie came over into my bed and fell asleep with me.

The next day Grandma Hanson took Cassie swimming on last time while I packed our stuff and took a shower. When they got back, Darren jumped in the shower and I got Cassie out of her swimming suit into some warm dry clothes and started to nurse Jessie. Missy, Dave, and Deb came to our room and waited for Jessie to get done eating and then we headed over to Wendys for lunch and then came home.

The girls handled the car rides there and back very well. Cassie let us know when she had to go to the bathroom, we only had to stop twice, and she didn't have a single accident.

I hope we can do stuff like that more often. It was really nice to get out and away for a while.

Jessie just chillin' in her vibrating chair that we got from Brandi's mom when Cassie was born. 

"Hi over there." 

A cute pic of Jessie. 

This is my favorite picture of the two of them together so far. Cassie has this adorable lovingly look on her face and Jessie is trying to figure out what's going on.