I'm praying for your sister and her children. And for you too. This takes alot of courage - please, please tell her to make the break FINAL. Honestly, I was a social worker, and things rarely change with abusers. :grouphug: Veronica

Praying for you and Missy Moo! I hope the vet is there as I write this, and things will improve for your sweet kitty!

Yes, Dh's degree is in mechanical engineering, and he's a mechanical design engineer!

We have insurance (though it's separate from the medical) thru DH's job, so we all go usually twice a year. If we had to pay for it, we would go MAYBE once a year, maybe less often than that, depending on what we could afford. I think for most people, once a year is fine. Twice is a bit of a luxury to me!

I think 2 yrs is very young to leave a child for that long, unless it's for a VERY good reason. Personally, a cruise isn't a good reason, but you may feel differently. It's your call.

I was raised by my grandparents too, and they always involved me in conversation. When my aunts and uncles would come over, they expected me to go play with my cousins. The truth is, I really wanted to be in on the adult conversation - I already had opinions on world events and politics and such, as early as 6 or 7 yrs old. They didn't like it, though - but my granny didn't make me leave, unless I wanted to.

United Methodist fits - this is the denomination I chose after being raised as a Pentecostal, then losing all faith in Christianity. I think most of the churches, though, have communion only once a month, unless it's for a special time of year/holiday. What I like about UMC especially is that they are very much community-minded, and a big part of their beliefs center on helping others - and not just to "convert" them. I'd say also Episcopal/Anglican, Lutheran, Presbyeterian USA all fit what you are looking for.

Well, top picks would be England or Scotland. But I'd also like Sweden or Norway. My dream has always been to live in Great Britain/Europe!

Victoria Elise, or Victoria Annelise if you'd like it to be more German! (I love the name Annelise!) Alexander Jeremiah Caleb Anthony or Benjimin Anthony

Well, I have nothing to do with my kids' looks at all (they were adopted), but they are honestly all beautiful. My oldest is a striking beauty, always has been. People are constantly commenting on her and asking why she isn't modeling. My son is handsome, with really nice features. And my little one is a beauty too. She has always had a very mature looking face, and people have always commented on how she looks so much older. Even as a baby, people said she looked like a doll, because of her "older" features and head full of hair! It's extra difficult to say which one is "cuter" or better looking because they are each of a different race, so they each have a different kind of beauty. ODD is Guatemalan, DS is Korean, and YDD is African-American. But even my mother, who is TOTALLY about looks (I'm well-aware that I was a disappointment to her), thinks these 3 kiddos are the cutest kids ever. Each time we waiting to adopt, her comment is "oh, no, what if this one isn't as beautiful as ___? You're pushing your luck, you are sure to get one that's not attractive". Yes, she says this kind of thing :- ( She's relieved to hear that, according to the agency, the expectant mom of our next baby is "stunningly beautiful". I'm not really concerned, but I know SHE is!

Our wedding was in March 2000, and I still think it was the best ever! DH and I paid for almost all of it - ILs paid for rehearsal dinner (very casual), and the alcohol at the reception. Total came to about 8k, and for what we got, I feel like it was a bargain. We married at our beautiful, historic church, then had a late seated lunch reception at a small country club. We had 90 guests, and our bridal party consisted of 4 ladies, 4 gentlemen, 2 flower girls, and 1 ring bearer. I ordered silk flowers which were fantastic (I know some people are really against those, but oh well). We were able to rent the flowers that decorated the church. People couldn't stop talking about how beautiful they were. I made our centerpieces and favors. We splurged on our photographer, and have incredible photos and albums. The DJ was average cost for a professional, but a husband/wife team and they were wonderful. Everyone danced and had a great time, which is sometimes unusual for a daytime wedding. The meal was delicious. We chose to save money by only having one entree (roast beef), but we knew everyone would like that choice. We had 5 appetizers, and we had regular punch and rum punch, along with wine and bear, iced tea, lemonade, and coffee. The cake was truly delicious, and very pretty - 4 tiers, but only cost us about $125, since I had gotten a coupon from a bridal show. Anyway, people still talk about it as one of the nicest weddings they've ever been to. Oh, I forgot - I arrived in a white 1959 Bentley, chauffered by DH's boss, and he took us to the reception in it. That was his gift to us (he sold cars). THAT was quite a highlight of the day! We are still very happily married, and I'm glad that we keep a line on the costs - by shopping wisely, and doing a few things on our own or with friends' help, we were able to have a fantastic, formal wedding for what I consider a reasonable cost. Probably today it might be more like 10-12k, still not bad, though.

The Sane Woman's Guide to Raising a Large Family is another good book, available at amazon.com You can "meet" and ask questions to tons of mothers of many if you go to babycenter.com, and join the large family group. And of course, you can scroll thru to see previous questions or conversations. There are people on there who have as many as 16 kids!

Ahh, so many beautiful girls names! Here are some of my favs in no particular order: Miranda Olivia Sophie Lily/Lilyana Charlotte Rebekah Rachel Adelaide Diana Arabella Eva Fiona Analiese Natalie Vanessa Caroline Anabel

Girls, definitely. Teenage boys get into too much trouble (or can, if you don't watch them!). In my extended family of origin, it was the boys who were always making their parents crazy. My sisters and female cousins and I were all pretty easy. Of course, this is very subjective - I realize it's not this way in all families. But I must say that from the beginning, our son has been MUCH more challenging that either of our girls. Also, I agree with other posters that girls will usually remain close to their siblings and parents. And the bond between sisters is wonderful! "A son is a son, until he takes him a wife; a daughter's a daughter for all of her life" - My grandmother used to say this all the time - she had 4 daughters (plus me) and 1 son.

I noticed a HUGE price difference in dairy products when we moved from SC to MI. Here in Lansing, the milk is usually right at $2/gallon or under, and butter is about $2.50 lb. Cheese, eggs, and ice cream are also a lot less expensive. WooHoo!