Pictures of Sara

I thought I'd drop in and share some pictures with ya'll. I don't have much time lately....but at least I am having FUN!!! Hope everyone is well and having fun too!



As much fun as all this horse stuff is, we have our work cut out for us. Sara is quite a bit underweight, and her mane and tail are almost completely matted up. You won't find a sweeter horse though. I think she knows in the few times we have been out to visit her that we are going to love her very, very much! Heck, I already do!

Flickr Friday

Once again, it's time for me to bore you with my pictures. Brace yourself! HAHA!


Introducing Man and Dog, Jax and Hubs. 2 totally spoiled men in my life. Good grief! This furry friend of hubs can snore louder than he can. I think sometimes they hold a contest just to annoy me. I get annoyed and then I see this picture and it's all better. They are cute together.

Oh- By the way- the Dog IS actually snoring in the picture. What a nerd!

We had no intention of adopting this dog. I think, well, he's just a lucky dog to have met me if I do say so myself. He had been bounced around in the neighborhood where we lived in military housing. He was timid and obviously feeling unloved. My neighbor who had taken him in didn't like him because he just hid out under her table. Boy- she was a winner. One morning in passing she mentioned that she was going to take him to be put to sleep. WHAT? She didn't want him, and everybody else had already had him. She must of seen the look in my eye when she said that because she quickly pounced on my emotions. I agreed to "foster" him until I found a family that would love him. Soon after that Jax adopted my husband.

You would think that that is where the story ends, however it is not. A few weeks had passed and yet another neighbor appeared to claim "their" dog. They brought the original owners to prove that they had left the dog in their care, and that they had "rights" to him. This neighbor went on and on about how this dog cheered her up while she was dealing with cancer (which later turned out to be fake cancer) and that she really needed him back. I gathered his things and broke hearts as I walked him back to her.

Yet, that is not the end of the story either. A few weeks later, that same neighbor came to my door asking if the dog could come back. She said she was too sick to take care of him and that she knew we loved him. Sure I said, I was ecstatic! We got him back with nothing we returned and immediately had to get him untraumatized yet again. This time around we immediately changed the name on his microchip and established him with our vet to prove that he was ours now, and forever. 2 days later, that same lady came home with a Weimaraner. I swear, some people..............

He's a good dog, we saved him, and he loves us. We love him too.

Oh- the lady with "cancer" her ruse was discovered about 2 or 3 months after that. Not quite sure what makes people fake terminal illnesses, I hope she got the help she needed. And I dont mean the cancer!

**NEW** Thursday Thirteen!!

Several of the newer blogs that I have found lately are doing Thursday Thirteen. From what I've read it can be about anything really. Todays inspiration comes from a fellow military wife. Check her out over at Chaotic Home. Tell her I said Hi too!

Here we go. Thursday Thirteen #1.

Random thoughts

1. I'm in a bit of a rut. Not sure why, just off in a ditch waiting for a tow.

2. My son is moving mountains in his speech therapy. I nearly cried on Tuesday while he was doing so well. I have even noticed some of his words are getting clearer!!! YAY!!

3. I am amazed at how many wives I know are in the same situation or feel the way I do. I know that I am not alone, or not the worst off!!

4. I got the go ahead from the Landlord to paint the walls! Thank goodness. Say bye bye to white walls!!!

5. Now I need to figure out colors and how to paint with a 2 year old running around.

6. Sara, (formerly
Faith) will be here on the 1st. I already love her.

7. It's 12:36 and I just brewed a pot of coffee, I'm a bit behind schedule.

8. I'm pretty darn proud of myself and my recovery from a shopping/ thrifting compulsion. I just met some ladies that are far worse, and farther in the hole.

9. I am very grateful to God for allowing us to be out of the hole, and providing the means to get there.

10. The material I have listed on Ebay is flying off the shelf. I have a new batch listed. And as always, if I know you from my blog and you win an auction, I'll mail it to you for free.

11. The 1 year mark of Cathey's death is fast approaching. It's still hard to believe she's gone!

12. I really, really want this scrapbooking vacation with Sis to work out!! (fingers crossed!)

13. This 13 thing is kinda fun, you should try it!

Ellen calls gladys! Hilarious

This is an absolute MUST SEE!! What a great laugh!!

To do's

Just a quick list of stuff to get done sooner rather than later.

1.Locate Hay, buy and store.

2. Purchase supplements, and tack needed for horse.

3.Get rid of this template on blogger

4. Laundry

5. Make a separate honey do list for before deployment

6. Jax to vet. Again.......

Humm, thats all I can think of right now. Wish me luck!

Only Maybe....

Don't go getting your hopes up. Mine are already up, but I am trying to be cautious. I am seeing both sides of this situation, and there is a whole lot of work to be done and perfect timing is a must.


Meet Faith (soon to be renamed)



Faith is a 20 year old Arabian Mare who is, possibly, coming to live with us next month. Her current owner has her pastured in a field of mud with no shelter and finally realized that she isn't doing her justice.

Therefore, we are, possibly, bringing her to the stable where the gal takes lessons. She can be our horse to shower all of our love and attention on, and the gal can ride her providing she is indeed a great beginner horse.

So that's what I have been up to. Trying to arrange Stables and budget costs plus attempt to plan for the unknown expense. I hope that the transition is smooth, both for us and Faith. She needs a good restart!

I mentioned above that her name will change and that is for several reasons. First is that there is already a horse at the barn named Faith, and frankly, I don't like the name at all. I like more old fashioned names like Rose or Betsy....something like that. Do you have any suggestions? Maybe I'll hold a poll once the adoption is official. How bout that? Winner can get some yarn and stuff as a gift.

To go along with Faiths story, I found out that Hubs ship (which he is not on yet) left yesterday and that it is officially part of the Surge to Iraq. What does that mean you ask? Word is that they will be deployed til the first part of next year. Please understand that I am not complaining. My hub will be in the middle of the ocean on a huge ship. I can not tell you how thankful I am not to be an Army or Marine wife. I respect them so much, I know that I could not do it. no way! But never the less he will be gone a good long time in a child's eye and this horse could prove to be a good distraction and maybe, fill in some holes. I know that I loved to just be in the barn when I was sad as a kid. Nothing like the feeling of a horse hug or the look in their eye like they understand. It's very therapeutic!

I'll let you know the moment it's official!

I told you I'd forget!

It seems I have forgotten Flickr Friday again. Gheesh.

Well, you're gonna have to wait. We have a busy day ahead of us. Hopefully we will be mid-calf deep in mud building a new pasture hide-away for the horses. That would be excellent. If not, than just poo poo duty will be fine. Anything to be there for a bit.

Also- I will be switching templates in the New Blogger. I am just having a heck of a time getting all the stuff to show up right. I don't prefer the plane Jane styles, my personality is anything but. I can start from fresh and see what I come up with though, and maybe, just maybe, it will work.

So nothing much today, chat more later!!

F A M O U S!!!

Check it out! My little gal made it into the new Camp K brochure !! How freakin' cool is that?!!??
She's the one next to the counselor in the second row!

YAY GIRL!!!!!

Cha Cha Cha Changes

I know, I know. The horse background makes it hard to read posts. I'm working on it, just be patient. I'm a no- nothing when it comes to CSS code, so it's gonna be a day by day thing. Eventually it will be perfect. Just hang in there. Say a big thanks to Hubby for me for getting the background to work at all!! He's my overused computer know it all!! Love you babe!

Yesterday was a bummer. Mother Nature has PMS or something. It snowed theses little ice pellets all day and the roads were darn near impossible to drive on. Hubby watched 2 cars spin out right in front of him on the way home from work. He called and said there was no way we were going to get to the barn for the gals first horse lesson. What a bummer! I had to break the news, she cried and I almost did too! I was as excited as she was (maybe more). Although we missed the lesson we are going to try to make it out there today for some horse time. The gal wants to ride, but I don't think that will be possible.

I feel like I am on my way back to feeling fulfilled. Does that make any sense? I was happy before, but I was not leaving the house except for the grocery trips or family trips to the mall for the indoor playground. The last few weeks I have been out with the gal, slinging horse poo poo getting muddy and rained on, but coming home feeling great! It's just something about being around horses that makes me feel super great. Warm and fuzzy, ya know? It's especially neat that the gal shares this passion with me, and her dreams have really gotten me back involved in my dreams. It's funny how that worked out. I am so thankful for the opportunity to be out there, especially since we do not own a horse of our own (dare I say, yet). The gals are great about sharing the love and that is something I will repay ten fold someday.

As fun and exciting as all this is to us, I need to make sure that I balance it all just right. I need to make sure that the family as a unit knows that they are my numero uno. It's a delicate job to do. I am working on it, perfecting the multi tasking arena. I have researched some great crock pot meals for lesson days so that we can avoid the run through the drive through, and have made sure that I can get all the Mommy necessity stuff done during the day before the bus arrives home. Wish me luck.

Today I am tracking down all non necessity writing tools. The boy has turned the walls of his room into his art project, which I don't mind to terribly much. It is a problem however when he brings his art out into my kitchen and the new fridge. Wish me luck in finding all his hiding places for the stash of markers.

Okay- that's enough blab for today!!! Have a great one!!

I did it!

I switched. Wish me luck while I update all this stuff. If this doesn't work Lucy is in a bunch of trouble! :)

Stinky Blogger

I think that this is my 4th or 5th attempt to post today. Cross your fingers that it works, cause I'm getting annoyed.

Today's post is just some of this and some of that. You know, nothing special really.

1) Can you see the horse that is in between the posts? Is he walking? Let me know. Mom can't see it and that bothers me.

2)Thank you to whomever for keeping my Eastern WA family safe during their horrific wind storm the other day! Good grief! 120 MPH winds are not fun!

3) We are learning Baby Sign language. Our son loves it so far, and I can tell this will give him the ability to communicate with us. Hopefully it will take the place of all the screaming in frustration!! I'll post the link we are using when I can get it from Hubby. (it's on his laptop)

4) Horse lessons start tomorrow and I think that I am more excited than the gal!! I don't even get to ride!

5) If you are at all interested in some great quilting fabric you should check out my Ebay store.( The link won't post right, but you can look me up under kieandalsmom) Don't have a coronary Mom, yours is still set aside for you. As a bonus to all my wonderful Bloggerville friends, if you buy something and let me know you found me at Blogger, I'll mail it to you FREEEEEEEE!!!!!!!

What are you still doing here? Go buy something!! :)

Crochet break

I'll admit it, I am addicted to crochet. I need the yarn and hook therapy. I'm a nut.

After crocheting numerous dishcloths and also finishing the Hubs lap afghan, I burnt out. Well my mind did anyhow. My hands were begging to crochet something. It was crazy. I needed something to do in the evenings that I could easily pick up and put down. I decided to raid the stash of cross stitch projects that I have just inherited. I have never, ever, enjoyed those things, but this time I was surprised. Here is the first completed cross stitch project.


Next to the completed cross stitch is another project with a cowgirl. I couldn't get the finished one to show up when photographed alone. That's weird. Anyway---



It was actually fun and relaxing to do. Now I just need to frame it and find a spot for it. Any ideas?

Next on the list are some horse pillow cases I found today at the Craft Mart for the gal. They should be fun too, I hope (fingers crossed) I'll keep you up to date on my progress.

Good News and Flickr Friday

Geez peeps, I have been a cramp in your style lately haven't I? Sorry bout that. I will *try* to be more upbeat and entertaining for ya'll from now on. Okay? Thanks!

First morsel of good news for today is that the girl is officially enrolled in Horse lessons. We went out and visited a new barn, (old dairy farm) Where we knew one of the regulars. She is so nice and is really helping me help the girl realize her dream of horses. An Angel? Maybe. I'm grateful that she is willing to help us out on this journey. I'd be lost if she had not shown me the way to get involved.

Anyway- The gal starts lessons Wednesday so stand by for pictures! Oh and even cooler than that? I get to muck stalls in exchange for the lessons. Isn't that cool?? Maybe not for you, but I love it. 8 stalls=great workout!

On to Flickr Friday.

Here is one of the pictures that lives in my Flickr box on the right. If you have ever had little kids you know the significance of these little notes. It's enough to choke you up, and makes it impossible to have hurt feelings.




This note took place after this conversation with the gal.

"Hey Mom, did you know that I love Josie (her cat) more than I love you?"

"You what?"

"Well, it's true, I love her more than you"

"That really hurts my feelings, why would you say that?"

"She's my cat, your just my Mom"

"Go to your room........."

Shortly after that she came out crying with this note and gave me a big hug. That fixed everything! She's a pretty cool kid, even if I am just her Mom.

After 8 years....

I finally feel like I am somebody!





I have a nice, new to me, Side by Side refrigerator. With (hold on to your chairs) An Ice maker!!! Yep, that rocks. My hubby was playing with it all night.

So now that you think I am a geek. Here's the story.....

We moved into this house in October 2005. We rent, so nothing in here as far as appliances are ours. The fridge that was here worked, but that's all. I wish I had a before picture for you. If you open your fridge at home you usually use a handle to pull the door open. We had no handle on the outside. You'll also note on your refrigerators that on the inside of the door you have a place to store condiments like mayo and whatever else. We had a spot there but nothing to hold the items in place. We used Duct tape. Seriously! We did. The best part was that sometimes the duct would give away and you would open the door to an avalanche of stuff trying to attack you. It wasn't pretty.

So now I am someone. I have a nice refrigerator, and I feel whole.

Adjusting

I blogged a while back about my son being diagnosed with a speech delay. I told you I knew before the "official" word was used, and I also mentioned that I was willing to do anything to help.

Obviously, I am his mother and I love him 1000% no matter what the circumstances. Sometimes, especially lately, I am getting so frustrated with the situation that I can barely stand it. This past week he was sick, and we retreated back into some old habits that I thought we had broken him of.

When he was small, like brand new baby small, he HATED his Dad. Nobody could figure it out. He was a Mommas boy, and therefore I was in a prison consisting of the walls of my home. I could not leave with or without him. It was horrible. Dad was questioning himself a lot, and we were all stressed out beyond belief. Unimaginable stress!

About 1 year later all that passed and he decided that Dad was okay after all. I was able to get out of the house for a quick trip to the grocery store, or run and get a coffee. I thought all that was gone for good. Until last week.

The boy was sick last week, fever, whiny etc. He wanted his momma and I understood that. What I didn't, and still don't understand is the fact that Dad is not an "approved" person anymore. It's back to me. All me. Sis, maybe. No Dad. Except when Dad asks permission to look at him and the boy agrees. (You think I am kidding or exaggerating, your wrong!)All of the stress of before has returned. Dad doesn't want to come home from work (Thank God he still does!)and he certainly doesn't feel any form of love or admiration from the boy.

As hard as you try to contain these feelings, they start to carry over to your marriage. I'm sure Dad wants to run away, and frankly, me too. I'll run.

All this stress, and then add that the boy can not communicate his feelings. Well he can in the form of a blood curdling, ear piercing scream. He also has taken to hitting himself in the head and banging his head on the floor or wall. I can't imagine not being able to communicate. Poor boy.

Speech Therapy starts next Monday. That's good. So far today, Dad is approved, that is good. They are playing as I am typing. Thank God for small minutes of peace!!!

A crochet doll

I got this story as an email from a good friend today. She must have had a premonition, cause I really needed it today! Thanks Steph!


A man and a woman had been married for more than 60 years. They had shared everything. They had kept no secrets from each other except that the little old woman had a shoe box in the top of her closet that she had cautioned her husband never to open or ask her about.

For all of these years, he had never thought about the box, but one day the little old woman got very sick and the doctor said she would not recover. In trying to sort out their affairs, the little old man took down the shoe box and took it to his wife's bedside.

She agreed that it was time that he should know what was in the box. When he opened it, he found two crocheted dolls and a stack of money totaling $95,000. He asked her about the contents.

"When we were to be married," she said, "my grandmother told me the secret of a happy marriage was to never argue. She told me that if I ever got angry with you, I should just keep quiet and crochet a doll."

The little old man was so moved; he had to fight back tears. Only two precious dolls were in the box. She had only been angry with him two times in all those years of living and loving. He almost burst with happiness.

"Honey," he said "that explains the doll, but what about all of this money? Where did it come from?"

"Oh, that?" she said. "That's the money I made from selling the dolls."

Happy 2007!

HAPPY
NEW
YEAR
PEEPS!!!

Thanks for all the great friendships and support!!
May you all be blessed in 2007!

So many things

So many things I have inherited,
So many half finished projects,
So many memories,
So few times with us together.

I want to complete these,
I want to honor her,
I want to finish the starts.
I want to do it for her.

I have no idea where to begin.
Which quilt?
Which x stitch?
Which scrapbook?
Do I finish her scrapbook?
I do not know.
I know I want to do something.
But where do I start?

I am so overwhelmed.

Got Bangs?

The little lady and I went out the day after Christmas to have some girl time. After lunch and sale shopping she mentioned she wanted to get her hair cut. Specifically, bangs. Isn't she cute? I can't believe that I almost didn't let her. I think they frame her face beautifully! She is in love with the mirror now, and is worried that her teacher won't remember her. LOL.

The Day After

Merry Day After Christmas Peeps!

I thought I'd drop by and share some new pics with you. We had a great Christmas this year. Santa picked out some super presents and we even managed to cook up a great ham! Here are the high lights of the gift giving.


First is Hubby and his new lap 'ghan. I was teasing him about the look on his face. He says it was just to early in the morning.



The huge hit this year was Santa's gift to the Boy. Geo Trax trains are pretty awesome! The family has been in a train trance since yesterday!


The little Lady was singing Santa's praises after she opened her Dora Cash Register. I do not have a picture to show you, but it's a hit too!

Here's the big hit for me. My very own Kitchen Aid Mixer. YAY!! Thank you baby!

101/1001 Update

Hi All. The list is updated. You should check it out!

Pictures, Finally!

I am finally able to share these pictures with you. Whew! We never did find that darn cord, but we did go by a card reader. That will do I guess. So without further ado here are the pictures.



Above is the tree that I made last week. I am so glad it is done, and I can say that I really stepped out of the box when I decided to give it a try. It is the first thing that was not a easy or beginner level project. I am pretty proud of myself, and I even got an unsolicited comment from the Hubby about it!
This is our humble tree this year. It was taken a few weeks ago. If you'd like to imagine what it looks like now add about 25 more gifts under or around the tree. Talk about Christmas over load!

Speaking of gifts. Here is one I made for Hubby. He knows it is his as I am horrible at keeping secrets. Here you go Baby~
So there you have it. I am caught up! Watch me find that dumb cord tomorrow! Argh! :)

101 Things in 1001 Days

The Mission:
Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.

The Criteria:
Tasks must be specific (ie. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (ie. represent some amount of work on your part).

Why 1001 Days?
Many people have created lists in the past - frequently simple goals such as new year's resolutions. The key to beating procrastination is to set a deadline that is realistic. 1001 Days (about 2.75 years) is a better period of time than a year, because it allows you several seasons to complete the tasks, which is better for organizing and timing some tasks such as overseas trips or outdoor activities.
** I'm not even close to 101 things. I'll update as I think of more.**

Things to Learn
-Take Beginning Spanish class.
-Take an algebra class, and stick with it.
-Learn to knit.
-Take a piano lesson.
-100 Baby ASL signs.

Things I'd Like to Do
-Scrapbooking vacation with Sis.
-Own a home
-Paint walls in my own home.
-Volunteer for a horse rescue with daughter.
-Scrapbook one page a day for 1 month or until caught up.
-Get Butterfly tattoo with kids names in the wings.
-Foster a Mom cat and kittens.
-Milk a cow.
-Keep fresh flowers in house for 2 months straight.
-Follow the issues and candidates in the 2008 Presidential election.
-Be in the Ellen Degeneres Show audience.
-Leave a 100% Tip.
-Send Flowers to Rick for helping Mom.

Things I Should Do
-Eat Healthier/ No fast food
-Wake up before the kids for some Mommy time.
- Remember all Birthdays and Anniversaries, send cards.
-Get piano tuned and refinished.
-Upload all photos onto CDs to preserve.
-Attend dog obedience with Jackson.
-Get home office organized.
-Get the boy potty trained.

Being Social
-Become an Ombudsman.
- Join a church/ be involved.
- Join a Mommy and me with my son.

Activities
-Play softball with Rob. (after getting back in shape)


Places to Visit.
-Winter vacation to cabin in Leavenworth WA.
-Vegas Baby!
-Take kids to Disneyland (2008)

Around the House
-Clear out all clutter.
-Have a huge yard sale.
-Put hair and make up crap away after each use.
-Keep a clean and empty kitchen sink.
-Eat all left overs before they go bad. Or one left over dinner night a week.

Work/School/Money
-Create and stick to firm budget, down to the penny (or nickel)
-Volunteer in daughters class.
-Reduce spending to 80% of monthly income.
-Save 20% of income per month. After paying down/off debt.
-Create college funds for kids, deposit monthly.
-Create plan to pay off old Debt in 1 year. No more than 18 months.
- Open Credit card account. Pay off every month.

Food, Cooking
-Make a revolving menu.
-Create a computer grocery list.
-Try a new recipe twice a month.
-Buy organic when possible.

Changing Habits
-Make list of 5 good things I did each day.
-Stick to my commitments.
-Say yes to the kids more often.
-Wake up in a good mood.
-Take a deep breath instead of raising my voice as a first reaction.


Taking Care of Myself
-Work out at the gym at least 4 times per week.
-Stretch each day.
-Learn/Do/Attempt Yoga
-Drink 8 glasses of water a day.
-Create a daily/monthly chore schedule. Stick to it.
-Organize Mommy binder.

Marriage/Family
-Start a family movie night.
-Eat dinner at table, always!
-Have a weekly lunch date with Hubby.
-Camp at least once next summer with kids.
-Go on a Summer day hike.
-Beat Rob at cribbage without needing help.
-Watch Lord Of the Rings series with Rob, stay awake.
-Get family portraits taken.
-Take daughter to get her chicken pox vaccine. Poor thing.
-Find a way to earn extra income while staying at home.
-Renew wedding vows, have an actual ceremony. (June 2009, 10 years.)

Happy Birthday Grammy!

First order of business today is wishing my Grammy a Very Happy 79th Birthday!

We love you Grammy!!

**This is the only photo of her I could find in a timely manner this morning**

Next on the list for the day is a series of photos I came across in my old albums. Here I am preparing to play Mary in our church play.



And as you can see in the picture below I am not happy about it at all! I wonder what was going on?
Well, I guess you can't really see me that well. I am sitting there with my arms crossed and a incredibly grouchy look on my face. Can you see it?

On a side note-Jerr if you look close Theresa is an angel.

Third on the list is the fact that I am working on typing up my Life List to share with you. It's huge, so it will take me a few days. Some people call it a Life List, others are posting a variation such as
"101 Things to do in 1001 Days" (I have not read this persons list, it's just an example)
I'm not sure which I will create yet. Do you want to join me? It could be fun to watch each other cross things off our lists!

Procrastination

I have stuff to do, but instead I sit here thinking I am bored. I think that the problem is that I have so much to do that I feel overwhelmed by it all. Therefore, I sit here typing to you.

I thought I'd share this with you this am. We have a new printer/scanner/copier thing that is suppose to do it all. Regrettably, it doesn't have a spot for a memory card. Still can't get to those darn photos on the camera.

Anyway- Aren't I cute!

No Florida!

Peeps! It's official!!! I can barely type the good news. We are not moving to Florida after all, I repeat NOT moving to Florida! Isn't that great!!! I'm thrilled!

Then where are we going you ask? Oh, about 50 miles away, still in the Pacific Northwest. Bremerton, WA to be exact. This is super news because I hate hot weather, and I was not looking forward to driving across country again. More importantly though, the little lady is excelling in school here. She has a great teacher and lots of friends. The boy is just getting his feet wet in his speech therapy, and it would be difficult to reestablish that in a new state. (It's a state program.) Also the DIL could keep the same job. It would be a drive, but that is an option.

If you have been a reader for a bit, you know that originally Hub had received orders to the John F. Kennedy, an Aircraft Carrier stationed in Mayport Florida. Recently the Navy decided she'd seen better days and decided to decommission (retire) her. This left my Hubby in limbo, with no place to go.

He got the official call this am, saying that his orders were canceled. He asked what happened from that point as far as moving. After some conversation the detailer (In the Navy, a detailer is the person responsible for rotating people through Sea and Shore duty, and finding them job openings) said that he could stay in WA, specifically the USS John C.Stennis
If you'd like some info on the man behind the name, you can click here

Basically peeps, this is super news! What a great Christmas Surprise!

I'm still here

I am, I promise.

I'm still a bit miffed about not being able to find the USB cord thing for my camera. I have some cool pics to show you of my recent crochet creations. I am also in the late stages of crocheting this tree. It was going smoothly until I hit the last row, and all of a sudden it is going terribly s...l...o...w. I am so excited to get it done, it is the first thing that I have attempted that is not an easy or beginner pattern. Way to go Me!

In other news. There are 8 days til Christmas, and I am so excited. I love to watch my kiddos get the "best" gifts, and I love watching the Hubs eyes light up too. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't looking forward to my gifts either, but Christmas to me is not about the gifts.

My Mom will be here, weather and buses on schedule permitting. I sent my Dad a late invite but he's not able to come. As far as I am concerned the more the better. I love to cook up a nice big holiday dinner, and if I know you, you are invited.

As a great gift, and a huge surprise for me, my Dad has called me twice in 2 days. That never happens! He sounded lonely on one of the phone calls, so I invited him over for Christmas. He already has plans though. Oh well. Dad and I aren't close, and we go through phases of being in contact and not. I love the feeling that I get when he calls. But I also put up some walls as to not get hurt again when he doesn't. I am glad that as an adult I can see his ways as just being him, and not think that it's my fault that he's not around more often.

So- Happy Sunday to you all!! The JETS are playing right now so the Hubby is screaming at the TV like they can hear him. If you listen carefully, you might be able to hear me cheering for them too!

Christmas Meme

This looks fun, even though I can't share a pic with you right now since my cord is still MIA. Oh well. Still a fun meme!

Imagine a great pic of our tree here.


Attach a photo of one of your current holiday displays: See above.

1. Egg Nog, Mulled Cider, or Hot Chocolate? Hot Chocolate, or maybe even coffee.

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just set them under the tree? That depends on the gift. He's wrapping this year!

3. Do you decorate the outside of your home with lights? Any other displays? The stairs out front are decorated, and I have a snowman that I made hanging on the front door.

4. Poinsettias, Holly or Mistletoe? None.

5. When do you put up your decorations? The day after Thanksgiving! This year I could barely stand to wait that long!

6. Do you prefer to give or receive? Giving is great!

7. Cut tree, live tree, artificial tree, or Festivus pole? Artificial; I would LOVE a real tree again. I miss that smell throught the house!

8. Have you ever made a gingerbread house? Yes, and won't be doing that again til the kids are teens. What a mess! We usually make gingerbread cookies, but haven't yet this year.

9.Do you display a nativity scene? Yes, I found a great heavy set at Goodwill 2 years ago. It was cheap and I love to look at it up on the mantle!

10.When did you learn the truth about Santa? I don't remember exactly when. I do remember when I found out Sesame street was all puppets though. I cried and cried. I felt so betrayed!

11. Snow! Love it or dread it? Love it Love it LOVE it. I can't stand the thought of being in Florida around Christmas. It'll be 80 there, that's horrible!

12. Can you ice skate? Yes, providing I use a hockey stick to create a tripod. Don't laugh.

13. Do you open your gifts on Christmas Eve or Christmas Morning? Christmas Morning, of course! We have to wait for Santa! Actually, I think that is how I found out the truth. I think I remember Santa coming while we were at Church on Christmas Eve one year. All the adults had a hard time explaining that one.

14. What is the most important thing about the holidays for you? I love seeing my kids faces light up when they get the perfect gift! But, it is still a holiday about a birthday. That's important to me too.

15. What is your favorite holiday cookie? I like making gingerbread men, but I don't like to eat them. I guess sugar cookies!

16. What tops your tree? I have two toppers: One is St Nick, it's his turn this year. We also have a handmade doll from Hubs Grandma. We rotate.

17. What is your favorite Christmas song? Anything on Anne Murray's Christmas album but if I had to choose, I'd say her version of Winter Wonderland. I am SOOO Glad to hear of someone who likes her other than Mom and I!!!! (You have good taste Sue!) I also enjoy the Mormon Tabernacle. (sp?)

18. What is your favorite Christmas movie or story? It's a Wonderful Life

19. Candy Canes! Yuck or Yum? Yuck

20. Do you send Christmas cards? If yes, do you enclose a letter or picture? Yes, and we usually include a letter. Not this year though. Cards, and a personal hand written letter this time around.
21. What kind of lights do you decorate your Christmas tree with? Multi colored small lights. Hub and I debate each year whether to have them blink or be solid. This year they are solid. (I WIN!)

22. Favorite Christmas memory as a child? A few. I remember when my Gramps gave Grammy a nice winter coat one year, he made a big deal of her trying it on even though she didn't want to. Then he said "How do the pockets fit?" She put her hands in and came out with a pearl necklace. I also remember getting letters from Santa on the tree. I thought that was really cool!

23. Best present that you have received? Hum, I'm not sure. There are a lot I really enjoyed at the time, but can't remember now. I remember one year I got everything I asked Santa for. That was a major miracle in my house!!!

24.Turkey, Ham, Seafood, or Soup for your holiday dinner? Turkey Usually, this year Hub requested Ham. Who eats Seafood for Christmas???

25.Describe your favorite Christmas ornament. We have a picture ornament that we got our first Christmas together, we put it on first every year!

Whew, that was long~~

It's bedtime!

Hide and Seek

Alright. Which one of you took (stole) my USB cord for my camera?? Hum? Cat got your tongue?

Fess up! I have many super cool pics to show you, but no way to upload. Therefore you see nothing







See right up there? There should be a picture there of Hubs lap 'ghan that is finished. But no.......






Right here there would be a picture of all the dishcloths I'm whipin out for Grammy for her gift.




A whole lot of nothin is what you get to see til I find my cord. humm.....If I were a cord, where would I be hiding?

4's, a Meme

I got tagged again, and thank goodness cause I have nothin nice to say right now. Don't ask.


Four jobs I have had in my life:
1. Medic USAF
2. Chiropractic Assistant
3. Wife
4. Mom

Four movies I would and or do watch over and over again:
1. Erin Brockovich (sp?)
2. In her Shoes
3. Elmo/Cookie Monster
4. Band of Brothers

Four places I have lived:
1. East Wenatchee, WA
2. San Antonio, TX
3. Jacksonville, AR
4. Virginia Beach , VA

Four t.v. shows I love to watch:
1. Amazing Race
2. LOST
3. Prison Break
4. The Unit

Four places I have been on vacation:
1. Disney Land
2. Cocoa Beach, FL
3. Burbank, CA
4. Camping in Leavenworth, WA

Four of my favorite foods (meals):
1. Chinese noodles from Safeway
2. Burger King
3. Thanksgiving meal
4. Mexican (anywhere)

Four of my favorite books:
1. Wynonnas book
2. Anything written by Debbie MacComber
3. Hmm...
4. Does a Sudoku book count?

Four people to tag:
1. You
2. Them
3. Those guys
4. All lurkers! ( I see you!!)

Moving On

Yep, I'm back! Most of you read the tale of my adventure over at Good Yarns For those of you who did not, go check it out. I could blog about it, but that seems silly when Sue did such a great job describing it herself.

I will say that the trip and the experience was everything I was hoping for and more! I had such a fantastic time with Sue, and being part of the Ellen Degeneres Show was priceless too. It was a much needed, once in a life time experience that I will not soon forget. My Feet, back, knees and ears will not forget either!! HA. All the pain was definitely worth the gain!

During this trip I was able to cross off a couple things from my Life List. First was the reason for the trip, to be in the Ellen audience. I also was able to cross off leaving a 100% tip at a restraunt, and meeting an internet friend. I had tried to fly first class on one leg of the trip, but that didn't pan out. Apparently I didn't dress the part, as the man at the ticket counter laughed at me when I asked about upgrading. Oh well.

Most astonishing to me was the fact that although we got little sleep and we were sore as all h**l, I came home rejuvenated. It was definitely 2 days well spent!

Arriving home early Wednesday morning, I got 4 hours of sleep before full Mommy Duty kicked in again. My son had a scheduled home visit from a speech therapist in the afternoon, so I spent the day preparing myself for the news that I knew was coming.

For some reason, and I'm not sure why, "official" news changes the way you think about something. Even if you knew it "unofficially" it still makes it feel permanent. I knew what his diagnosis would be and I thought I was prepared. It really is the strangest thing, I know that my sons speech delay is not my fault but the feelings of guilt quickly consumed me. I'm over it now and I am looking forward to the adventures ahead with group speech therapy and individualized therapy which will also be a family learning experience. Bring it on.

I knew this before, but I know it for sure now. When you are a parent you love your children unconditionally. You love them no matter what. You love them when you are scrubbing crayon off the wall, and you love them when in order to get their attention you have to scream louder then they are screaming. At times you fear the outcomes of life, but the tough times make your love grow. I know that it's all gonna be alright. It will be alright because he's my son, and I've got his back through it all.

Now I must excuse myself to find a tissue.

Out of Town

OUT OF TOWN!!!

Something spectacular is happening tomorrow! I'll provide a full recap for all of you on Wednesday. Til then, do a little happy dance for me!

If you'd like a clue, go see Sue.

Hummm.....

Flickr Friday #2

Round two! Whoooo Hoooo!



Okay, I cheated. This one is not in my Fickr Badge yet. I still have quite a few photos to upload. Quite a few means way to many, as in 50ish.. maybe closer to 75. Who knows? I don't. I'm scared to know how far I am behind. The more pictures I take the farther behind I get in scrapbooking, and that is another post for another day. I have so many things to do.

I'm rambling, sorry.


Flickr Friday.

Clearly it's to small. I had to steal it from the actual online ordering over at Clark Color. (They do good work by the way- you should check em out) This picture is my current favorite of my son. As I have said before he is always on the go, and most of the pictures that I snap come out with a big blur instead of a cute pose like this one.

On this day it was abnormally warm outside, perfect for a sneak trip to the park. Sneak trip because even though his Sis was in school, we are not allowed to do anything that she is not included in. (Stand by for the One eyed Green monster post) So- Where was I?

Ah yes, at the park on a sunny day with camera in hand. Perfect. This boy LOVES the park! He has no fears of anything park related. He interacts with all the children there, which is amazing. Lets just say that he HATES strangers. He has a super stranger scream too, thats a good thing. I've referred to this problem before when I've tried to get his photos professionally taken. It's a mess.

Good golly, stay on the subject Christy.

Lets just leave it at the fact that this was a great day at the park, and I have a great picture to show for it. Now that it's too cold, it will have to tide me over til Spring and the park thaws back out!

Figures.......

I have a *huge* day planned for Monday and I look like Rudolph the Red nosed Reindeer. Gotta love hormones, huh?

Snowed in!!!

** I realize that some of you get snow every year. If you do, you will find this story silly. We maybe see an inch every year, so this is a HUGE storm to us!**




I love this! I LOVE Snow! Even being snowed in with no power doesn't really bother me. It bothers the rest of the family horribly, but not me.

Here are some pics of the events in the Pacific Northwest! YAY! I LOVE Snow!



Here is Hub decorating the railing for Christmas. It's about 5:30 or 6:00 pm.
Here is the same railing at 7pm. Lots of Snow!!!
This morning the kiddos got out to have some fun! Little gal and her Dad had a snow ball fight, while little man had fun trying to shovel snow.
We got power back after a cold night without. To be honest, no tv or computers on is perfect! Means we actually have to talk to each other. Hub just said "I think that 19 hours with no power sucks!"

What a weenie! LOL

Gobble Gobble

The little gal came home on Friday with a project. As a family we were to cut out this Turkey and decorate it for the holiday. The directions made it clear that this was a Family project, which was pretty exciting for me.
We cut out the Turkey and then headed out to the craft store for some decorations. Little gal wanted the "coolest" Turkey in her class, (That starts this early?) so we spent quite some time in the store picking out the "coolest" decorations.
We ended up with some pastel colored feathers, sparkling orange sticky paper for the beak and feet. Some plaid paper for the pants and some googly-eyes.

We rigged up the shirt to open and display what the squirt is thankful for this year. What a tear jerker! Here is what she wrote on her own:

Horses, Toys, Grandma in Heaven, Oma, turkey, my cat and dog, my cousin Katie, and family.

The grandma in Heaven part really threw me for a loop. It's hard to know that this is our first official holiday with out her here!


Here is the finished project. I love how it turned out!

As an added bonus - She returned home from school Monday exclaiming that she had the COOLEST turkey!!! YAY!

A meme

I found this blog randomly this morning. Her site is beautiful so I stole her Meme. (That's how I compliment boggers!)Check her out, and then do this Meme.

RED
1. Closest red thing to you: This years Christmas Cards
2. Last thing to make you angry: Nasty so called friends
3. Do you have a temper: Um, I have red hair
4. Are you a fan of romance: Not really. I've found it can get corny.

ORANGE
1. Closest orange thing to you: The "Publish Post" right under where I am typing this.
2. Do you like to burn things:What? No.
3. Dress up for Halloween: Nope, hard enough to get the kiddos ready.
4. Are you usually a warm-hearted person:Yes, and I always get walked on.
5. Do you have anything against redheaded people: HAHA. no
6. Are you usually full of energy: Sometimes. Usually after coffee.

YELLOW
1.Closest yellow thing: Yellow on Sons shirt.
2. The happiest time[s] of your life: The farm on*my* horse, Gramps watching me out the window. USAF graduation ceremony!
3. Favorite holiday: Christmas Christmas Christmas
4. Are you a coward: Piss me off and find out.
5. Do you burn or tan: Burn first, then tan the rest of the summer.

GREEN
1. Closest green thing to you?: My wallet
2. Do you care about the environment: Yes, although I don't understand all the issues.
3. Are you jealous of anyone right now: no
4. Are you a lucky person: In some ways yes.
5. Do you always want what you cant have: No, but I have some things in mind for goals.
6. Do you like being outdoors: YES
7. Are you Irish: One would think, but no. (am I mom?) LOL

BLUE
1. Closest blue thing to you: Navy Mouse pad.
2. Are you good at calming people down: Depends on the situation.
3. Do you like the sea: I like 'looking' at the sea yes
4. What was the last thing that made you cry: The onion for the Manicotti last night.
5. Are you a logical thinker: I'm a thinker, not so sure about logical
6. Can you sleep easily: I love sleeping, it doesn't always come easily.

PURPLE
1. Last purple thing you saw: HAHA, my undies.
2. Like being treated to expensive things: Maybe, it depends.
3. Do you like mysterious things: Nope, be cut and dry please.
4. Favorite type of chocolate: The kind that makes you fat.
5. Ever met anyone in royalty: Nope.
6. Are you creative: yes

PINK
1. Closest pink thing to you: A receipt
2. Do you like sweet things: I love sweet things
3. Like play-fighting: with hubby, but he always puts his *junk* in the way. Then he cries. :)
4. Are you sensitive: apparently not because I just called my husband a big baby
5. Do you like music: love it

WHITE
1. Closest white thing to you: Lots of papers
2. Would you say youÂ’re innocent: HAHA, no.
3. Good at keeping the peace: Depends what we are talking about
4. Do you like to play in the snow: Definitely
5. Are you afraid of going to the doctors or dentist: HATE the dentist, but I get drugs so it's okay.

BLACK
1. Closest black thing to you: This thing I'm typing on.
2. Ever enjoy hurting people: never. Some people do???
3. Are you sophisticated or silly: Silly for sure
4. Would you like to go to space: Nope that's not on my list
5. Do you have a lot of secrets: Maybe
6. What is your favorite color: Brown, green, purple depends on my mood
7. Does the color you wear affect your mood: No, I don't think so.

Are you still here? WOW! Thanks! Now it's your turn!

Flickr Friday

Inroducing Flickr Friday!!

From now on (until I forget) I will attempt to write something interesting about 1 picture that I have on my Flickr Badge to the right. It will be random, as I will use the one that happens to be showcased at the very moment I glance over at it.

This could be interesting!

Flickr Friday #1
WOW! That was Lucky!

In this photo the kiddos are on their perch in the kitchen. This spot on the counter is the favorite spot for them both as they get a birds eye view of all the yummy stuff being created!

On this day I was busy making Little ladies Birthday cake, and they were busy licking the beaters. Did you all ever get to do that? I remember getting to lick the spoon all the time when I was small. I am truly glad that my children show interest in cooking/baking! I never cared, and have been paying catch up nearly all my married life! :) *enter wink to hubs here*

This perch also happens to be the only spot I can get my son to sit still long enough for a quality picture. They say that Little Boys are always on the move, and that is certainly true of this one. If he sees the camera, you have already lost the battle. He's a sneak approach only kid.

So there you have it!

I'd love to learn more about the photos on your Flickr Badge!

Something H*U*G*E

Boy- do I have some super-fantastic news to share with you today!!

This news is better than super-fantastic! It's once in a life time H*U*G*E!!!

Not one H*U*G*E thing, but 2!!! TWO!!!

Possibly the best entertainment experience EVER for me!

Sorry, can't share what it is. I don't want to jinx it! But I'm doin' the happy dance!!



I'm so excited!

WIP Wednesday

Ahh, good 'ole Wednesday! Work in Progress Wednesday to be exact.

This week I have one 1/3 finished ripple afghan as a gift for Hubs. Most likely I will still have it next week too! But hey, progress is progress even if it's slow. I started a nearly identical 'ghan in cotton way back when. Cotton? What in the blue moon was I thinking???

Here is the version the right way. I like it a lot better!

I can't seem to get a good pic. Just know that it looks good. K? Trust me! I don't toot my own horn often!

Ouch!

Get all your giggles out now folks, this is a true and painful story.

Most of you know that I had my Gall Bladder out 2 weeks ago. Some of you know of the unusual pain I was in afterwards. None of you know the result of such pain. Until now.

The Surgeon who operated was nice enough. We chatted and laughed at the first apt. He was personable and down to earth. Over all nice guy. The day of surgery we chatted. He said things like "Nothin' to it" and "You'll bounce right back" but nothing to the effect of "Your rib will bruise and you will not be able to wear a bra" I needed to know that fact prior to surgery!

I didn't know that. My boobs are very aware of the bruised rib, and they are holding a grudge. They will not allow me to wear a necessary item in my view. I need to wear a bra, especially when leaving the comfort of my own home. Heck, with the DIL (Dad in law) here I feel the need to keep one on at home too.

I can't comfortably wear a bra and it is driving me nuts!!!

It doesn't matter if there is an under-wire or not, it makes no difference. I've even tried a sports bra. No Luck.

What do they say when men don't.... Ahem "Strap themselves in?"

Free balling?

That being said. I suppose I am stuck with "Free titing it" until said rib feels better. JOY!!

Business

Just dropping in for a minute here.

Has anyone switched to the new Beta? Do you like it? What are the differences?

Also - New pics are in the Flickr badge on the right. Mostly of the kiddos. Aren't they cute!!

What do you think of the Christmas decorations on the page? I couldn't wait, but I hope it's not an eye sore. I didn't want to make it to busy. ya'know?

Okay- that's all for now peeps. I might be back at little mans nap time. We'll see how it goes.

peace

A good Friday!

I couldn't resist sharing a new pic of the girl and her cat!

3 day weekends really mess me up, it feels like it should be Sunday. It's so nice to have 1 more day to look forward to before the hub-bub of the work week begins.

Yesterday the Fam and I went to the mall to pay a visit to the cool playground and to have lunch. We entered in the food court which we normally don't do. I am so glad that we did though, or we would have never decided to try something new. Right inside the door was a eat in place called Ruby's Diner. You actually enter and get seated instead of just returning to the center where everyone else is.

Ruby's was decorated like a 50s Diner, with the waitresses in short one piece numbers with a old- school headband. The best part were the 2 large trains circling over head. Why the best part you ask? It kept the boy occupied, and thank goodness it did, because we all got to eat in peace for a change!! It was heaven. The food was great too!!

After the good eats we headed to the play ground for some way-to-crowded fun. We didn't last long, but the kiddies had fun. That's what counts. We stopped at Toys R Us on the way out for the little big Girl to spend her bday money, and that was that. We made it outta there just in time to hit rush hour on the way back, which provided a nice nap for those not driving!!

Crafts accomplished....

A Hat.

Thanks to the Hub for modeling!

Enough bad news

How 'bout some good news for a change? I could sure use it.

First on the list. Hub and I are once again better. Not cured, but on the high road again. I can't possibly put into words what Joy that brings to my soul! Thanks for al the well wishes.

Secondly. I have been being crafty, as one would hope due to the title of this space. I promise. I will no longer bore you with how I am doing. I will just bore you with what I am doing! ha!

So for starters. I have nearly all of the ornaments completed for the swap that I am in over at CAL Pals. (I truly hope that they still remember me, I haven't been over there in forever.) I need to figure out how to tag them with my name. Something not to involved would be perfect. I hope everyone enjoys them as much as I do!

Here is a pic of the pinata that was such a pain. It turned out good, but as I said before; I can't wait to never make another one!!

I also have many Christmas gifts in the works right now. One for Hub, one for both Grammy's, several for my Mom. (She seems to be default, if I make something she gets it) I need to think of something homemade for the Dad in Law. He's a hard one. hummm.

So- I can make a difference in my own stress level. I CAN and I will. The slate is clean, time to create a more positive outlook. Thanks for hangin' through the sludge. You rock peeps!

A small glimmer

YAY for good news!!!


Don't let the door hit ya on the way out......well on second thought, it might knock some humanity into you........maybe not.


Sia effin nara

(get it?)

OH MY GOD

Seriously peeps, I can't take one more thing going wrong. I just can't. Call me in a space at the Mental ward if I do. It is totally inhumane to be dealing with this many and amount of stress at any given point in Life. The kick in the gut? Right when I think that it can not possibly get any worse- I receive another kick in the gut. To top it all off, I can't even have a good cry. This bruised rib kicks my ass when I start.


Don't worry. I don't believe in ending the game myself. Nothing to fear there. I will be here til God decides otherwise, but their might not be much of me left in here. Seriously. Someone take me on vacation.

Sorry about al these downers peeps. I just need a space to vent.

A bit of Sunshine

It's been rough here emotionally and physically lately.

I had my Gall bladder taken out on Wednesday, and had an over night hospital stay with that. I'm pretty sure that they bruised a rib while they were in there, it hurts like the dickens! It is getting better (thank gosh) and now I don't have any surprise gall stone attacks to fret about. That is great!!

Anyway- with all the drama, I needed a bit of sunlight in my world. This pattern was perfect for a little pick me up!!

Cute huh! And....It's crochet in rounds!! YAY!!

My Cowgirl

You don't have to tell me how freakin' cute she is. I already know.


Giddy-up!!

Happy Halloween

Return of the In-Law

You all know that Hubby and I have seen better days. It got really bad and a few hours away from filing for a divorce, and then we woke up. We realized that we both had lost ourselves individually and we were not happy with ourselves. How could we be happy with eachother??? So we are on the mend. We are doing well. We have really great moments, and moments when I'm sure we both think that it's not going so great. The good out weights the bad, and we're working on it.

Yesterday we got a panic call from Hubs Dad. He's being evicted. Yep. All the way in AZ, and no where to go. Instead of calling for help when it was manageable, he waited til it was too late. I don't want to sound to down about it. I am glad that we can help him out. I just worry about Hub and I. I told him yesterday that it was either gonna make us or break us. But you can't have your Dad living in his truck either. Ya know?

So, today I have been cleaning out our rec room. My kids have so many toys that I hope they don't miss the ones on the "Must go" List. I listed several things on Craigs List this morning, and the outdoor toys have already been paid for and taken. YAY! I still have some kids kitchen stuff (which while I was typing, some one called to come look!) YAY again! I usually just donate stuff, but with an extra mouth to feed and all........

The story behind the return of the in-law encase you were wondering....... Both Robs parents lived with us when his Mom was battling cancer. They moved back to Tucson the first part of 2006 and she passed away in Feb. He has been by himself in an apartment, with no family close. So- Here he comes. The Grandkids will be excited!

It's someone else's turn to deal with non stop stress for awhile. I've had enough!

On the Mend

Okay- so I snuck in here to post. I'm allowed, and frankly I can't stay away.

All the morning chores are done, the boy is down for a nap and the daughter is about to be home. If I'm gonna sneak in here and give you an update, I'd better do it fast!!

Firstly. We are on the mend. Mending is not a fast process. No more sweeping under the rug and staying on the same pattern. No more going through the motions. That's actually a relief, even though it is hard!

We had a really honest talk the other morning, like 1amish. It was nice to just chat, and be able to be honest. We have had two good days in a row. So keep the prayers coming!

Secondly, I am working on a 'ghan that I started on the visit to Grammy's. Crochet is so relaxing!

I have also promised myself to never make another pinata. That project is so time consuming! It's the girls Birthday party this weekend, and it's a Halloween theme. The Pinata is a Bat, and I can't wait to never make another one.

So there you have it. Progress. Good Progress at that.

The end

This is not a fun post to type. I must though, as much as it sucks.

It seems that you can only pretend to be happy in a relationship so long before you can no longer pretend. Shit hit the fan, and I must reorganise priorities and *try* get make this work. So far I am the only willing party in this area, hopefully the other 50% of us will be willing soon.

I must leave this dear blog to focus all attentions on the home front. I don't want to leave you hanging, but maybe it will help. Who knows? I am willing to try anything.

If you pray, that is appreciated. If you don't pray just think positive thoughts. I need this to work, I want to be old and grey with him someday, playing with grandkids. He is my dream......

So through tears, I say ta ta for now.

Thanks for all the friendships, and support!!

Dear Santa

Dear Santa,

I have tried, really tried, to be good this year. I have not been arrested or drunk in public, I have not sucker punched anyone or knocked anyone's teeth out. (Please consider the knee to hubbies privates an accident, truly I didn't mean to laugh after that, I slipped, what can I say?) I also have not been taken to Judge Judy, and have not appeared on Jerry Springer (yet?). I don't spew nasty words to the crappy neighbor, nor did I tackle her and knock her teeth out when I was tempted. For the icing on the cake, I have also turned down romantic advances from one Mr Kenny Chesney, Mr Dane Cook, and the super uber-handsome Rock.

After all of this, I am exhausted. I have no time in my day to mess with 2 computers that refuse to work at any given time. Without a properly working computer I turn into the above mentioned person. I would be forced to be naughty.......

With all due respect Santa, I need a working computer. Like this one for instance. Isn't it pretty? It wants me, and I want it. I deserve it. Please?

If you are feeling generous you could throw in a nice printer. That would be super.


Thanks so much for your time Rob, I mean Santa.

With much Love,

Your wife

Updates and thoughts

I seem to be all jumbled up in my head right now. Maybe that is a result of waking up as the bus was leaving without my daughter who was still asleep next to me. Not a good thing. I was rather impressed with myself though, the old me would have said screw it and rolled over. The new improved version said "Holy sh*t, get up, get dressed, lets go"

10 minutes later we were in the van on the way to school. Late, but as the saying goes, Better Late than Never. She made it and the boy and I went through the drive through at McD's. I bet that that fact will really impress my new personal ass kicker, I mean trainer. Speaking of that......

I had mis understood the nice, nice woman on the phone the other day. The apt I was dreading had nothing to do with working out, it was all paperwork. I was all worked up for nothin! Figures. Now I am waiting for a personal trainer to call and set up my first apt to start my journey. I did go in on Friday and ride the bike, that was actually easy......It's not supposed to be easy right? I was a bit sore the next day, but I felt nothing while there. Well I felt the sweat....Eewww.

So- other news. The boy and I have been having great fun together during the day. I seem to have turned over a new Stay at Home Mom leaf. We go to the park, we read stories, we paint. I think that I have always been a good Mom, but lately I am keeping us busier, which equals more entertained, which equals happy, healthy Mom and Boy. Good for me, yes?

Oh! Something else- I am having surgery! Me, having surgery, means being a patient at a hospital, which I hate. Something I hate worse is gall stones. Especially the ones that are 10 mm and will not pass without trying to kill me. I soulda listened to my beloved doc when they started back when I was pregnant. Oh well, lesson learned. My doc, whom I love, called and had remembered that I did not want surgery before, he thought he was in for a challenge by talking me into this. He was really surprised when I said "Sign me up" he actually laughed and asked if I was serious. LOL, then he reminded me this was his recommendation 2 years ago......yea yea...Better late than never....or in this case, dead. By the way, Gall stones HURT!

So there ya have it, a whole lotta nothin for you to read today. I'll try to do better tomorrow.

One more thing- I have learned that I hate embroidery. Who wants a pillow case with pretty flowers to finish?

I'm in for a Whipin'!

Oh Lord, what have I done?

I seems have spoken on the phone to one of those "fitness" people. She sounds nice, but I know what she's hiding behind the phone. She lured me in with discounts, free yoga, and childcare. Now I must go. I made an appointment. I confirmed the appt this morning. I'm in for a world of hurt. I hurt thinking about all the sweat and watching all those pretty bodies looking at my not so pretty self.

Just cross your fingers that the little one does okay in their childcare area. He is very stranger phobic, which can be good, but today, especially today, he needs to have fun. PLEASE let him have fun........

Wish me luck, and pray that she's not the exercise devil in disguise

A Wednesday Funny

I told Mom is would post these stories. One or more are quite hilarious. I think it's funnier if you can imagine my daughter saying it but ohwell....


We all know kids say the darndest things. Here are a few that my daughter has said lately.

Several months ago we were eating out at our favorite Chinese restaurant. I was up at the Buffet, hubby was at the table with the kids. Our waitress, who didn't speak English well, started trying to talk to our son. She wasn't getting the hint that our son is very anti social and kept trying. As she turned her attention to my daughter she got the hint and walked away. My daughter said "Whew, thank God that is over!!"

More recently we were eating at BK. The kids were playing in their play ground with a few very loud and rowdy boys who seemed to be unsupervised. After about a 10 minute play session we called them to the table to eat.
My daughter sat down very politely and took a drink and said

"I'm so glad I wasn't born with a penis!"

LOL, she cracks me up!!

Grammy time

I am very pleased to report that I had a great visit with my Grammy this week! I was nervous, because her care sounded really intence, and really involved. There also seems to be a high probability for "issues".

I learned the ropes from Mom when I got there. All the drops and meds were planned out, so that was a relief. Nothing needed tweaked which was another worry off my mind. All was well and that set the stage for a very relaxed 4 day crochet and gab a thon.

I don't know if I explained that she had eye surgery. After an accident several years ago she lost one eye, which has no sight now. Her "good" eye was getting so bad that she could barely see at all. She found a doctor that thought he could help and replace part of her cornea. Sounds fairly easy right? No, not at all. I think that we were all under the impression that it was going to be easy and a very little recovery time. Boy we were wrong. Lots of complications and "retries" and high blood pressure probs......

All is getting better now. Her B/P is normalish, and she is doing her own meds and drops. She can feel her way around the kitchen but has been told not to use the stove. She makes her own sandwiches and finds her way around almost everything. I'm pretty proud of her.

While I was there I started on a brownish afghan for someone as a Christmas gift. I got quite a bit done as we sat in living room and chatted. She has some amazing stories of way back when.....I'll have to decompress them and share them with you later.

Most of my life I have felt like I was not trusted by some of my family. I am proud to have proved them wrong, and let them know that I too, can handle difficult situations. I am also happy to report that she made a lot of progress while I was there.

It was a great visit.

How was your week?

I'm off

Hi all!
Just a quick note to let you know that I am heading over to the Eastern side of WA to care for my Grammy for most of the week. She doesn't have internet, so I'll be AWOL til I return which is tentatively scheduled for Wednesday evening.

Wish me luck taking care of her. I can't recall the last time that we had alone time just her and I. She has many eye drops and medicines to balance. That should be a test if the nursing career I want so badly is a right fit. Anyway-I should be able to do some serious crocheting. Thats a good thing!

So off I go, have a super week!!!!