The Raney Fort...

Recently my friend Tam issued a challenge, the second annual fort challenge.
Why? well, because it's ridiculously fun! and who doesn't love stepping back into the shoes & mindset of a younger you? as soon as i read the challenge, i accepted! then realized i needed to get my husband on board as well...and let me tell you that was just plan difficult--NOT!
unfortunately i'm not so awesome as most of my twitter friends and i don't own a mac...or a flip cam...so i did my best with still shots & a short camera shot video of our fort building & completion.
And now, as many of you have requested....(insert drum roll) The Raney Fort! Start to finish:

we collected all the blankets we could find. thanks to my mom's knitting & crocheting we had TONS to work with!

We knew we'd need light...so that's where our fort started: 

Then, the hubs got right to work stringing up...well, string!

We did a little rearranging of our living room furniture...even got my old crutches put to use:

Of course we put ourselves to good use as clothes pin holders:

Employed our pets to help us out when needed:

The start...you can see we're watching Foodnetwork's "The Best Thing I Ever Ate":

Progress! We've now incorporated the tv!:

One of our guard animals:

The Raney Fort in all it's SEVENTEEN blanket glory!!:

Guard cat #1 checking to make sure the hubs was an authorized visitor:

Welcome inside the Raney Fort (note the tv & our "table"):

A better view, the tv, computer, & our wet bar...what DIDN'T make it into this photo was our mini-blender (aka the bullet) for our mixed drinks of course!:

Closer look at our drink selection, shaker, & ice/beer chest:

The first frozen mixed drink of the Raney Fort

2.5 oz Pineapple Vodka

3 large frozen strawberries

4 frozen chunks of pineapple

Top glass off with pineapple juice

Blend

Voiola:

Dinner in the Raney Fort...and yes, we're watching "Wipeout" World Cup edition!!!

And of course, if you build a fort you need a place to sleep & well...have conversations:

Our view from the bed...we had to add a little ventilation after our first night in the fort when we realized working BOTH air vents into the fort was very cozy at night...but left the rest of the room quite stifling!:

the backside of our fort (you know the way to the "in-house"):

our first day of leaving the fort up we got vandalized...our guard cat was very angry upon being duped:

The Hubs as he was rebuilding the fort that evening:

Figaro helped...since he *was* the jerk that sabotaged the fort that very day:

And our very poor quality video footage of the Raney Fort:

I'd be remiss if i didn't add the photo's of the mini fort i made with my favorite sister-in-law,  Emily's son aka: my precious nephew!

Where he loved to have Nan read him stories:

So, camping...

Every year the hubs & i make sure to commemorate our wedding anniversary. 

 Our honeymoon (destination was a surprise to me, completely planned by the hubs) was to the Poconos, with side trips to Scranton & New York!

Our one year anniversary was to Disney World, can you believe my husband had never been?!? (well, he *went* but was only like 6mos old so it totally doesn't count!) And other than getting our car broken into I'd say that was an awesomely successful trip!

Last year, to celebrate our two year anniversary, we tried to incorporate some good friends! We decided on a trip to Colorado during Christmas time...but the friends we were going with ended up getting pregnant & their due date loomed around our trip time (turned out to be one precious baby!). Then we were going to hit up North Georgia (again around Christmas time) with the BIL & SIL...they were in the middle of an adoption process that moved quicker than anticipated. As you can probably guess, their first trip to visit my precious nephew was right around our vacation time. Sooo, the hubs & I decided it was high time to visit a good friend of ours up north & hit up DC while we were there!

This year, we're lucky enough to be celebrating three years! i know that to many of you that is nothing more than a drop in the bucket but we're pretty excited! (Only two years till Italy, right babe? ) Anyway...we're a bit shorter on funds this year than we have been in the past & we were tossing ideas around as to where we could go, what we could do...and we decided to do a wilderness trip this year! We're going to go camping! Hopefully with a side of hiking, kayaking, canoeing, or even white water rafting!

We're looking at the following places:

Nanthala Outdoor Center / Nanthala National Forest

The AT (aka Appalachian Trial)

Tybee Island/St. Simons Island/Cumberland Island

Montana (might be *too* cold for the time considering)

Oregon (again...we'll have to check on weather & stuff)

We'd *LOVE* to have friends join us on this trip! Whether for part of the time or the whole time! We're all about that old adage "the more the merrier!" We're pretty excited! we've got a good start on our camping gear but are always looking to improve the goods! So if you, or anyone you know is looking to get rid of some gear, PLEASE let us know!

What we've got:

we're hoping to find a tent along these lines a 3-man backpacking tent:

and of course some other things...hoping to be able to borrow a pack or two from my dad...of course we'll need a compass, etc! As i mentioned we're willing to take on hand-me-downs!
Also, we're looking for volunteers to join us or recommendations as to *where* to go! :)

Birthday Season!

i love BIRTHDAYS!!! Especially mine...but any will do!

or

 

i realize cd cases are "outdated" but i LOVE my cd's they give me so much variety & i've out grown the two cases i have in my car right now!

 

i think gift cards are obvious! amazon will go towards books/my DSLR, the bux...well duh!, iTunes is always acceptable especially since i have $400 wish list going on!

 

i'm running out of paints! any colors would work...but variations of primary colors are the safest bet ;)

 

i *always* have a "craving" to watch Lion King and it's one of the Disney movies i don't own...and well Harry Potter speaks for itself...i have all the other ones

 

this just looks like my kinda game!

 

i *love* playing this game! hours of fun!

 

yet another game that provides hours of fun & education!

i mean, really?! how cool would it be to say you own "shot glass" game, really?!?

 

this is the dream item i'm saving up for now...well this and the iPhone4 :)

My Life As A Nomad...

Hello friends! You may have noticed i've been absent from my blogging lately...but for those of you twitter/facebook friends, you know it's simply because i haven't been home for WEEKS! i'm most certainly working on post that will catch you up on all my adventures over the last few weeks. Since the majority of places i've been "visiting" haven't had internet or available computers i'v just been post-less ;)
this weekend is my leetle brudder's graduation weekend so i'm pretty much obligated to shower all my attention on him! ha ha ha! expect a catch up post later this week! and many more for this section of the Raney family is booked solid through the first weekend of July!! Thanks for the understanding!

OH! and just a reminder...THIRTEEN days till my birthday!! Get excited!

Nothing to Fear but Tears Themselves...

one thing i've always hated is crying. i learned at a young age that tears wreaked of weakness. it gave others power...and well, i hate when others have power over me. i realize that's not exactly a christian mindset, but it's the truth. and i hate them...i hate breaking down, and i hate the feelings it brings crashing back.

I. Hate. Crying.

and yet i've been fighting off this feeling...an almost impending urge to cry. i don't know why. i couldn't begin to tell you what it is. i'm not sad, at least i don't think i am. but it pricks at my nose & my eyes begin to water and i fight it. i fight every second of it. refusing to let the tears build more than they have. refusing to give in, refusing to transfer control. and i'll continue to do it. to fight. to not cry...

have you ever...

Have you ever had a time in your life that you felt, just useless? a time that you're not quite sure what God is up to, why He has you where He has you. and well, you just feel like poop. i'm there. i'm struggling to find where i fit. i've struggled with that alot here...but even MORE so lately. i feel inadequate, a failure, a fake. i've been jobless for almost six months now...and while i'd be lying to say i haven't enjoyed everyday of it. guilt consumes me when i know my husband is just as unhappy with his job as i was with mine...and he longs for the "fun" days i've had the benefit of enjoying. i feel guilty at the fun, i feel guilty spending money i'm not currently bringing in.
it's this time, the late hours that are the worst for my fragile soul. all the insecurities come screaming out! i'll be the first to admit that i don't harbor too many insecurities...but the ones i do possess bear such a tight gripe i don't know if i'll ever shake them...and of course that only leads to more fears.
what if i'm really not good enough? i realize that most people think there needs to be more to that question...good enough for what, or for who. But that's part of my problem. i don't really know what i fear not being good enough for...it's an evolving fear. what if i'm not a good enough daughter? what if i'm not good enough as a student? what if i'm not good enough as a wife? what if i'm NOT. GOOD. ENOUGH? when i lose my gripe on restraining these insecurities these questions berate me, and torment me.

what if people don't really like me? what if i'm a filler for something better? i realize this is crazy. i mean who wouldn't like me, right? but it creeps in slowly. slowly & painfully. it just chips away at my confidence & i become this bumbling mess. it's a tough place to be, a scary place. and there are only a handful of people in this world i can turn to in those times...and even knowing that it's hard, difficult to even turn to them when i know i need it. sometimes it's just convincing myself i need it.

i'm just there right now, blah. feeling worthless & forgettable. disposable...the most terrifying thing to me.

::sigh:: it'll pass i'm sure, it always does.

Scratch My Back, I'll Scratch Yours...

So this week I developed an allergy. To what? One might ask. To which I would have to respond, GOOD QUESTION! I broke out in this rather large whelp-ish rash on my right side. A very ITCHY whelp-ish rash. I immediately began a regimen of applying cortisone anti-itch cream at the slightest sign of an itch so as not to re-live the days following the infamous days post the clean up of Abbah's yard!
So anyway, cortisone seemed to be working...the whelp-ish-ness was contained...for a few days that is! All of a sudden, the whelp started to spread & the itch became even more intolerable!
I called my mom to rehash what could possibly be happening! We went through the list have you change:
Shampoo? No
Body Wash? No
Laundry Detergent? No
Dryer Sheets? No
Deodorant? No
Eaten any strange foods? No
So on, and so on...but we haven't changed ANYTHING! I haven't been outside in any leaves or brush or anything! So after a weekend of endless itching...the Hubs finally drew the line & told me I would be going to the doctor come Monday. :(

The Whelp-ish-ness

So I hit up the doctor & got an appointment for 1:45pm...of course they can't pin point an allergy when you DON'T. KNOW. WHAT. YOU'VE. BEEN. EXPOSED. TO! Ughgh! So of course there's the steroid shot to get the swelling & itching to go down, a steroid dose pack, and an anti-itch cream. 

Did I mention it's about 2:30 / 3:00ish by this time...and I, the self diagnosed insomniac is getting a steroid shot?

Needless to say I was WIRED, although the itching did subside a bit! Yay! Came home, made dinner, ate, the hubs went to bed...and I watched tv as is our normal routine. However, I NEVER GOT TIRED! And while that's not completely unusual but I usually get an inkling of tiredness! So I forced myself to go to bed around 11:45...and I laid there. And I tossed. And I turned. And I stared off into the darkness. I twiddled on my phone. Toss. Turn. Repeat. For FOUR AND A HALF HOURS!

That's when the Hubs alarm started, yes, started, to go off...and I began to Twitter the morning:

2:00 AM 

That steroid shot the doc gave me is making it IMPOSSIBLE to sleep! :-/

4:15 AM

In fifteen minutes @real61's alarm clock is going to go off & I haven't slept *yet* ...this stinks! :(

4:30 AM

His alarm went off for six minutes without him even STIRRING! I can't wait to introduce @real61 to the Sleep Cycle App :)

4:37 AM

Three minutes this time...oi, @real61!

4:44 AM

Impressive, @real61! Not even a full minute that time!

4:49 AM

@real61's alarm started going off at 4:30 It's been off&on for almost a 1/2hr now..wondering what time this boy actually gets out of bed?

4:51 AM

Slacking again @real61 this time it took 2 minutes & some prodding before you hit snooze!

5:02 AM

@real61 it's 5:02 and you're still snoozing...I think that's not supposed to be happening :-/

5:07 AM

Just tried to wake @real61 he told me "it's only 5:09 by my clock, I got this, it should go off again in a minute"...& it did...wow

5:10 AM

Up and at 'em ol' boy! That's quite an impressive routine you got there @real61! Makes me thankful I'm usually sound asleep during all that!

5:13 AM

For some reason I've now got the Malcolm in the Middle theme song in my head ::sings:: "can you repeat the question?"

5:15 AM

I think @real61 was shocked to see me awake & chipper during *his* morning! May b the FIRST time I've uttered 'Goodmornin' w/out grouchiness

5:30 AM

Who knew @real61 used my hairdryer in the mornings?!? {8-o}

5:37 AM

@real61 *claims* that if I'd let him know just how awake I was @ 4:30 he might have altered his morning routine..ha!Good thing I knew better

5:59 AM

I think I might be getting a tad bit tired now!!! @real61 could you make sure I'm awake by at least nine?            

Around six-ish I FINALLY fell asleep, and my amazing dear Husband did indeed make sure I was awake by 9:00 AM...so I'm trucking on around three hours of sleep & no coffee (Lent)...but it really hasn't been all that bad! But a warning...if you need a steroid shot, GET IT EARLY in the day!!!