So, since June 16th we have had no Cable or Satelite in our house to watch regular TV on. How do we like it?
We love it!
It was an adjustment and I have to admit I do miss watching Gordon Ramsey on BBC and the Food Network the most, but as for the TV shows, anything we want to watch we download. I have even seen the first episode of Season 7 to Greys Anatomy already. As far as other TV goes, I’m not missing anything that I just couldn’t do with out. I really would like to have PBS back for Arwen to watch Sesame Street occasionally, and if the cable company is going to charge us a NO CABLE FEE starting next month then we will probably go ahead and add the Broadcast Basic channels to our TV for $16.95 per month, vs. paying a no cable fee of $12.95 and then Arwen can watch Sesame Street again.
We want to up the speed of our Internet though I think so that we can download our shows we watch online a bit faster and Travis wants to build a mini computer of sorts to be attached directly to our TV and for the purpose of watching TV on it.
Of course Travis wants to build another computer, its his favorite thing next to me, the girls, and Chance I think!
I would highly recommend making the switch to NO TV though. Its really quite rewarding. We spend a lot more time with the girls in the playroom or reading or just doing random things. We have even managed to begin the painting in our living room. We decided on Sherwin Williams Latte color. Thanks Sonya for giving us our first gallon!
A few shots of random things recently…

This past Saturday I got stung by a yellow jacket bee 3 times while at Anya’s soccer game, but on the up side Anya got her first goal of the season! She’s enjoying soccer, but not an aggressive player. She’s pretty content just to be out there and run. Anya’s doing well in school though. She really seems to like it. She likes her teacher Mrs. Witcher and has made several friends it seems. I like what she’s been learning so far as well. She’s really starting to recognize words and likes math as well. She also adores her PE coach, Coach Flynt.
Arwen has been adjusting well to being at home without her sister. She’s had some really good days but the past two or three days she’s been a handful. She’s always a handful but yesterday and today she was a grumpy, whiney handful. I can’t blame her really though, she’s cutting another eye tooth so I’d be a bit grumpy too. I like having some one on one time with just her though. She’s a lot like Anya in that she loves books and Elmo, but that’s pretty much where their similarities end. Arwen is much more outgoing even though she’s smaller than Anya was and Arwen is much more vocal in terms of volume!
Lately, I’ve been tired. I’m doing as much as I can to help with BARC – Bring Animal Reform to Cullman and we are making progress. I’ve also felt like I’m still grieving Sharon, although I’m sure not at the depth her family is, I can’t seem to erase her text messages and I’ve called her phone hoping no one would answer just so I could hear her voice from the message she had on there. I still feel like every time I head to Birmingham I’m just going to see her at the hospital. I hope to never lose another friend so young. I guess I worry about that a lot lately too, I miss Serena a lot. I worry about my other friends…Sonya, Bethany, Kim…of course Serena. I guess I’m just still feeling the loss of Sharon, especially this week for some reason.
Travis is great though. He knows its still hard for me. He’s doing well teaching the class at Wallace though and he just got back from Washington DC. I was pretty excited about my Smithsonian t-shirt he brought back for me. He got Arwen an elephant and Anya a dinosaur book.
Speaking of Anya, she’s having a pretty big birthday party this year! A double birthday party with Acacia at the gymnastics facility with slides and inflatables so I hope a lot of people come for her.
Still doing well without TV although I am interested in what’s happening with the new TV shows coming on, but I can wait for them too. Started reading Suzanne Collins series “The Hunger Games” and “Catching Fire”, both which are really good. I have to get “Mockingjay” next and then I will finish the trilogy. If you liked the Twilight series you will like the Collins series, totally different storyline, but easy to read and interesting.
Arwen is now dancing to Vanessa Williams on an Elmo DVD…very cute!

I put my flag on my front porch this morning. Always remember this day. This was the first year we explained it to Anya as well.