Customer Service

I promise this blog will not become a place where I am constantly blowing off steam or ranting and raving about bad customer service. However, what I was told today by a Chase customer service agent bordered on hilarious. Here's the story. I have been paying my credit card payment online for several months. Well, due to our recent move I needed to change the bank account out of which I make that payment. I jumped through all their hoops to get that done but when I went to make the payment the new bank was not an option for making the payment out of. So I called customer service and was transferred about 4 times before I was told that I could not make that change online because I was not the primary card holder (my husband is). Now think about that. I finally said how do you know which one of us is sitting here at the computer? Talk about not wanting to admit that there was something wrong with their system or maybe it was that they couldn't answer my question. But to say that it wouldn't show me the new account online because I was not the primary card holder. I honestly started laughing. That didn't make her too happy. So......she transferred me to a number that was "no longer in service" and it hung up on me. I am 0 for 2 in customer service these days. I think I need a cookie.

Redneck Sack Race

Build-A-Bear

My poor deprived children had never been to Build-A-Bear. Not sure EC had ever even heard of it. But when we moved here some sweet friends gave us a gift card so off we went. Well, they LOVED it. Every bit of it. Picking out the animal, stuffing it (stepping on the pedal was big for Knox), picking its sound, clothes and name, and the box it goes home in. We had such fun. EC picked the rabbit and a ballerina outfit for it. She named it Flip-Floppy (a name she came up with). Knox made a b-line for the orange cat that meowed. I wasn't sure he would enjoy this little adventure but he LOVED it. He held on to that cat and has been loving on it ever since. We named it Aubie, of course. I honestly think he wanted it so he could squeeze it, kiss it, carry it by it's tail etc.... All the things he wishes he could do to our real cat, without getting scratched.

Antiques Roadshow

Raise your hand if you like to watch Antiques Roadshow on PBS. No really, I do. So Matt and I are driving around downtown one Saturday and we see all these people carrying pictures, trunks, boxes, typewriters, toys, chairs.... you name it. Then we see the trailer with Antiques Roadshow on the side and it all makes sense. Wouldn't you love to be that person who says "I paid $10 for it at a garage sale. I had no idea is was worth $100,000."
Becky - it's all you. I'll be waiting for that post.

I'm back.......again

OK this time it is for good. Honesty here.....we were using someone else's wireless signal. It worked great at first then it would disappear for a few weeks then come back for a few days then go away again. I can't live like that. So I broke down and signed us up for AT&T wireless internet. The lady at AT&T said they would send me my modem, I would set it up and on Thursday turn it on and go. So easy right......WRONG!!! Thursday came and went and I couldn't get it to work. Thursday night I was on the phone with AT&T. She said someone would call me in the morning. No one called. So I called again. I was put on hold for 20 minutes before I hung up. I mean, I've got 2 kids. I can't sit on hold all day. So I tried later - on hold for 30 minutes, hung up. Tried about 3 hours later - chewed out the first person, got a manager, threatened her within an inch of her life if she put me on hold, so she "transferred" me to a department that could help. They put me on hold for almost an hour, hung up. I give up. Matt calls and gets a helpful knowledgeable person (the only one there, I think). Today a nice man shows up at my house and fixes all my problems. YEAH!!!! Now if I could just get signed up for that anger management class.

Emma Caroline Quote of the day

Me - "Emma Caroline, what is a female?"
EC - "A person who delivers letters."

Love this weather

This may be a weird post but I feel that I must document this weather although many of you down in the deep South may not believe me. It is July 12 around 6:45 PM and it is 66 degrees outside. Did you read that???? 66 DEGREES!!!!! This Southern girl is freaking out!!!!! I don't have my AC on in the middle of the summer. If this is Global Warming give me some more.

CrockPot Falafel

This post is especially for my In-Laws and my brother, Stewart, who all share my love for Greek food......
Yes, you read that right falafel in the crockpot and it is so easy. The last time I made falafel I was newly married and it was so bad I think we ended up going out. This, on the other hand, is not. This is actually some of the best falafel I have ever had. I regularly read the blog of a lady who made a new years resolution to use her crock pot every day, or something crazy like that. Not only does she have some great recipes but she is very funny to read. So here is the link to her blog for this recipe. I actually got the taziki sauce recipe somewhere else so here it is:
1/2 cup plain yogurt
2 shallots, finely minced
2 Tbs fresh snipped dill (or 1 tsp dry dill seasoning, like Pampered Chef's)
1 tsp dijon mustard (didn't have dijon so I just used regular and it was good)
salt and pepper to taste

Old pics from Mississippi

OK these pictures go back over a month while we were still in Mississippi. But they had been taken with Matt's new iphone and so I didn't have them on my computer until recently. Can I just say it is a tad frustrating that my husband's phone takes better pictures than my digital camera.... This one was taken out front of a doctor's office down in Jackson. Knox came down with the croup one weekend and scared us all to death. Our options were ER in Greenwood or drive to Jackson. We opted for Jackson and recieved the best care from Dr. Hopper. What a blessing. While I was inside with Knox, Matt was trying to entertain EC outside so they were stopping to smell the petunias (which I don't think have a smell but who cares when you get a picture like this).
Right before we left Greenwood, an ice cream parlor opened and one night we took the kids. This was just a classic of Knox, who couldn't get enough of the fire hydrant and the ice cream.

This is just us having one of our last picnics in our beautiful big back yard that we miss so much.

4th of July

We spent our first 4th of July here in Wichita with the Dunn Family. Does it get any better than hamburgers, hotdogs, brats (a midwest thing for you Southerners reading), kids playing in the water and fun friends? A good time was had by all. The kids played in the water and had a blast!!!

Hot dogs and chips in your bathing suit outside. Brings back memories of good times for me at my cousins lakehouse on the 4th growing up. Now my kids are enjoying the simple pleasures of life. The adults on the deck enjoying the amazing weather.

Me and my Honey (awwwe)

But the story doesn't end there. We left the Dunns and brought the kids home and put them to bed. Then Matt and I sat in lawn chairs in the middle of our front yard and watched all the firework shows going on all around us. This place is fireworks crazy. I kid you not when I say it looked like a show you would see downtown going on all around us. I didn't even know you could buy those kinds of fireworks for your own backyard. I have to say it also sounded like we were in a war zone with all the explosions. It was a new experience for us but a lot of fun. Did I mention how nice it was outside? I didn't sweat one time. CRAZY!!

Metro East

So we are now in Wichita and getting adjusted to all of our new surroundings (Daddy, I promise to post more pictures of those surroundings soon). One thing that is not the least bit hard to get use to is our worship service. Every week I have to keep myself from jumping up and down during worship. The music is great and the preaching.... oh the preaching.... That is another post entirely. Lets just say it is AWESOME. A few weeks ago a man, with an amazing tenor voice sang "God with us" by Mercy Me. The band played and our new friend Byron wore those drums out. Next time you hear this song crank it up and for goodness sakes forget where you are and raise your hands and sing at the top of your voice:

Who are we--- that You would be mindful of us?
What do You see--- that's worth looking our way?
We are free--- in ways that we never should be.
Sweet release--- from the grip of these chains.

Like hinges straining from the weight,
My heart no longer can keep from singing.

All that is within me cries
For You alone be glorified:
Emmanuel, God with us.

My heart sings a brand new song.
The debt is paid, these chains are gone.
Emmanuel, God with us.

Lord, You know--- our hearts don't deserve Your glory;
Still You show--- a love we cannot afford.

Like hinges straining from the weight,
My heart no longer can keep from singing.

All that is within me cries
For You alone be glorified:
Emmanuel, God with us.

My heart sings a brand new song.
The debt is paid, these chains are gone.
Emmanuel, God with us.

Such a tiny offering
Compared to Calvary;
Nevertheless,We lay it at Your feet.

All that is within me cries
For You alone be glorified:
Emmanuel, God with us.
My heart sings a brand new song.
My debt is paid, these chains are gone.
Emmanuel, God with us.

I'm Back / EC Swim Lessons

For the grandparents and a few other friends who check my blog on a regular basis.....I have not fallen off the face of the earth. We lost internet access for almost 3 weeks. I thought I would lose my mind (how sad that I have to have the internet now. I can remember back in college when I sent my first email and had no clue what the internet was. ANYWHO...). But I am back online now - YEAH!!!
So a little catchup in our life is due so I will slowly begin to do some posts to cover the last few weeks.
EC has been taking swim lessons every Monday through Thursday for the last 2 weeks and will actually finish her class tomorrow. She has had so much fun. I'm not sure that she will be swimming all around by herself tomorrow but we are so much closer than we were. It was so funny to see her teacher just pull her into the water and even push her head under a few times and EC comes out saying "when can I go back?" If I had done that she wouldn't forgive me for a month. So here she is in all her goggle glory.