Insanity Is Life

Clearly working takes it's toll...

2011-05-15T14:52:00.000-06:00

I find it really hard to find time to do the things I want to do. This blog is a classic example. I miss my friends, I miss creating for myself or those I love, I miss my 3year old and all her milestones....I feel like I'm missing out on too much. I thought I had come to terms with having to work. But I'm finding it comes back in waves for me to deal with over and over again. My mind is always in work mode these days and I'm so exhausted from it.

I decided I need to go back to school, I'm technically not qualified for anything but retail, and I'm not as happy as I should be in a job. Atleast being happy in a job seems like a reasonable goal. I know my husband loved his job before the economy killed it. I really miss those days. We were still broke, but in a more secure way, knowing what we could handle or change. Working for me was more of an option to give us the extra to enjoy life, and I always worked at something. But it was my choice of when and where and who.

I am grateful I have a job, don't get me wrong...some income is better than none. I'm just worn out. I'm not used to the stress of being the sole provider and bill payer. I give my all to my work to be the best employee possible, to give the customers the best possible experience.

I'm tired.

My third ATC

2010-02-25T14:43:00.002-07:00

I filled in for someone who bummed out of a swap and this is what I created. I didn't have a large scallop punch so the scallop is made with 14 or so small pink eggs glued to the back of the circle. It was a lot of work but totally worth it! I LOVE how it all came together. I have to thank my good friend, you know who you are, who let me stamp off a bunch of this stamp (one day long ago)... she was perfect for this project. By the way friend, I'm going to need more of her. ;)

Never too old?

2010-02-22T20:28:00.003-07:00

CAUTION: May be boring, but I couldn't resist marking this ordinary event. She is my last and I have to treasure it while I can.

As far as dear A is concerned, she will never be too old to take baths in the sink. She barely fit in the sink and yes the other side was full of dirty dishes. We had bathed the guinea pig and the rabbit and A decided she had to have one too! I did my best to keep these photos clean. I just couldn't resist taking them... I have a decent size kitchen sink, but she is 2 and barely had room for even a little water in there. After being forced out, I sneakily removed the plug so it would drain, all she wanted the rest of the night was to get back in. It is moments like these, those ordinary wonderful moments, that I hope to remember.

Better late than never...

2010-01-28T01:40:00.005-07:00

These are some I designed for a friend. I had a great deal of fun doing them and would love to design things like this for a living some day.

Below is the digital postcard I designed to give out to friends and family for the 2009 holiday season. I printed as many as I could afford, to send with a holiday card by snail mail, and if you didn't get one, I'm so sorry...but I'm broke. Please enjoy it here instead. ;)

My very first ATC card!

2010-01-28T00:18:00.003-07:00

I know the picture is kind of dark, but you get the gist. For my very first attempt, I think I did pretty well. I could never do what Tim Holtz does, but for my next ATC card I plan to try some of his techniques. Please let me know what you think.

New Year, New Opportunities

2010-01-19T15:06:00.003-07:00

This is the year of taking advantage of opportunities that come our way to make our lives better. Where is this leading?

Mark is going to try to have his own company, and hopefully make money at it. He passed all his tests and should have his license to practice as an Architect around the middle of February.

Our teenagers will be going on a week long pioneer trek in August and need to train/conditon themselves for it. Therefore I will start the "couch potato to 5k" training program with them so we can all do a 5k in May and then continue to increase our distance and time up to their trek. They will need plenty of strength and stamina to get through 10 to 15 miles a day during that trek and we all need to get in better shape. Yes, round is a shape and I'm very round...but I have decided that it is time to try out a new shape. I'm hoping that after the trek we will continue to work together and find other things to train for. It is time for this family to get active and be healthier.

Waaaaay behind on everything these days.

2009-12-29T22:34:00.003-07:00

I got a part time job and now barely have time to keep up with anything. I haven't worked in a few years and forgot how exhausting it can be. Hubby is still unemployed, except when it snows ...then he shovels for a friend's company. I can not make myself pray for snow, I do not like enough,though.... hmmm, he does make more than me when he shovels. OK, I'm praying for tons of snow so I can quit my job and go back to just being a mom. ;) I do feel like I am missing a lot, though I'm not working a ton. I'm just far more exhausted when I am home and miss things even when I'm here. I hate that I can't get back on top of the day to day stuff so I can get more things organized around here. frustrating...

I am thankful for the work we do have and the little bit of money it brings in. I am also thankful that we have managed to keep up on our utilities, house and such so far. I am thankful my oldest son was able to visit us for the holiday break, it has been the best visit yet. Most of all, I am thankful that my husband finally passed all his tests and can get his license next year. That should help us in the employment area.

My newest cards

2009-11-02T09:40:00.002-07:00

Here are some cards I made recently for some card swaps. Thought you might like to see.

October 20, 2009

2009-10-20T16:43:00.007-06:00

37 years ago, I was born.

In thinking about my life so far, I realized I have done most things I set out to do. My life took a slightly different path than I imagined in high school, but heck what do you really know as a teenager. Life has been hard, but it has also had some great rewards. I'm thankful for my wonderful husband, who I love even more now than when I married him. I'm thankful for my children, though they may drive me crazy...they really are wonderful human beings. I'm also very thankful to all my friends and family past and present...each of you has brought something I have needed in my life and my life is so much richer because of you.

She's a little bit.....(and more)

2009-09-08T23:21:00.009-06:00

Big girl.....

and a little bit baby. Everytime I turn around, she's a little bit older, wiser, smarter. She cracks us up with the things she says, or picks up on and how much she truly understands. *Sigh* Where has the time gone?

For all the fun we having been having with our dear A...it has been a stressful time around here. We are still unemployed and the unemployment extension is drawing to an end. I felt so sure that something was going to come through for us by the end of the summer. It is getting harder and harder to have hope, to believe that we will have what we need to survive. Enough depressing stuff, well almost...

We got a guinea pig a little while back. My son had saved up some money and got a great deal on Craigslist. This was Bandit, yes was...she only lived about a week. We really loved her, she was very sweet.

Just a few days later, with some help from a wonderful aunt, we found another fabulous pig. This is Cocoa. He is very funny and vocal. He likes to talk to us, especially to me after the kids have gone to bed. It probably helps that I usually give him fresh veggies at night. LOL We hope to have many years with Cocoa.

A Sentimental journey...well maybe a very short walk.

2009-07-22T00:35:00.003-06:00

I'm still in awe of her.....over 18 months since she was born and I'm still in shock that I have her here. The other kids still fight over her, which I thought for sure would have passed by now. She blows us away everday with new words, new antics, showing us a new side of life. She is beautiful, daring, sweet, sassy, inquisitive, happy, full of laughter and love, and I don't know what I would do with out her in my life. A, I love you so much!

Retreat and more!

2009-06-11T17:33:00.007-06:00

I needed that retreat and I'm so grateful I was able to go. I managed to do about 40 scrapbook pages, and 24 cards...along with an awesome 20 minute massage, finding a deal on Little People toys at a tiny second hand store, tons of laughter, fabulous friends and incredible food.

Then we had the last day of school, glad it is over but I'm almost ready for school to start again...these kids are too darn grumpy.

Then my oldest ds came to visit the next weekend and managed to coax my baby dd into trying walking again...now she is all over the place! I knew she was holding out on us! Sorry they are sideways, I couldn't find a program to help me fix it.

Well, I best be off to fix us some dinner.

Less than 63 hours to go!

2009-05-26T23:08:00.006-06:00

In a little over 62 hours I will be...

...picked up by my friend Bob and adding my necessities

to a van full of other people's necessities.

...traveling to a little town in Idaho know as Hagerman.

...eating junk food and laughing my butt off

with some of the most wonderful women I have ever known.

...getting a wonderful, but too short, massage.

...getting my creative juices flowing.

...laughing so much it hurts.

Then after 48 hours of the best time ever with my friends,

I will be...

...wishing it could last just one more day.

...forcing myself to get back to the real world.

...looking forward to next time, and wishing it weren't so far away.

I LOVE GOING TO RETREATS...

IS IT FRIDAY YET?

Card swapping again...

2009-05-25T22:24:00.003-06:00

This is not the best picture of it, but it will have to do ... my scanner refuses to work these days. It is for a Get Well swap and the image is from a free coloring page I got online. My friend Bob came up with the great idea to use free coloring pages as digi stamps and it works great! She made a card with the same image, she has it on her site here. Now I just need to get my second set of swap cards done. I have to color the images and mount them on my cards (all my background stuff is on and ready), then I need to set a bunch of eyelets (challenge tied to the swap). I will get it uploaded asap for all to see.

Here it is...it was a pain and the color looks like crap, but in real life it is quite nice. She was another freebie image I found online, wish I could remember where. Her tiny details nearly did me in and the eyelets didn't like me very much, but in the end she was worth it. Hopefully the gals in the swap will like both of these, I've had fun making them.

As for my household, we are both still unemployed but hanging in there. I'm thrilled but dreading the end of school, only 8 more days of semi peace left. The only good part is that the older kids can help with baby dd all summer.

Best get to my other set of cards......Just one more image to color and glue on the card.....I can do this.....if my hands will hold out just a little longer. *Sigh* Gotta love carpal tunnel syndrome!

May 12, 2009

2009-05-12T10:35:00.003-06:00

My sister's visit was nice but not nearly long enough for all we wanted to do. I really do wish she lived closer. Hopefully we will be able to keep visiting each other every year or so.

As for me and my house, we are still unemployed and I think I might be getting used to the stress or atleast learning to live with it. LOL The kids have mentioned their worries to us...mainly asking if we are going to lose our house. I keep telling them, that would be a last resort, because that is the main thing we are committed to making sure gets paid every month. I can't promise we will have heat, power or even water...but we will have our home. I can tell they are still worried/stressed, it is showing in their lack of commitment to school but I don't know how to help. I have told them it will be ok, we are doing everything we can to keep things as close to normal for them but yet let them be involved with choosing some of the things we have to change.

In 16 hours...

2009-04-07T21:22:00.003-06:00

give or take...my sister (and her 2 kids) will be here to visit. I am so excited! She is 6 months pregnant with her third child (a girl) and I haven't seen her since August of 2007.

I hope we manage to do everything we have planned...and we have planned as much as possible in the few days she will be here. Sushi lunch, shopping, swimming with all the kids, shopping, playtime with the kids somewhere fun, shopping, scrapbooking, and more shopping (we have better shopping here in Boise than she does in her town).

We are also notorious for staying up until all hours of the night talking, sleep is never much of a priority. We figure we have to make the most of our time together, because we just don't get to be together very often and we know how precious our time together is... (2 of our sisters passed away several years ago).

I am so very excited I just had to share it...now to get back to all my cleaning and visitor prep...so much to do before they get here!

Tooth Fairy problem

2009-04-05T20:26:00.001-06:00

What is a tooth fairy to do if the child swallows his loose tooth while eating waffles for breakfast?

Darling daughter pictures

2009-04-05T09:58:00.006-06:00

...15 months old...

2 months...15 months

2009-04-05T00:14:00.002-06:00

We have now been unemployed for over 2 months and yesterday my baby turned 15 months old.

It is still amazing to me how quickly things can change. I have been home for all of my baby's small life and I'm floored by how much she has grown. I swear it was just last month that I brought her home from the hospital. She is such a light in our lives and I can not imagine what our home would be like without her in it. She delights me in some way every day. I feel so very lucky to have her.

Hubby has interviewed for a job and taken another of his tests (tests to become licensed). Back to the waiting game...I'm going nuts waiting. We should hopefully hear this next week about the job and who knows about the test results (they love to torture us by taking their sweet time).

I know, I know boooorrring. Well that is my life right now, stress, waiting, and normal life stuff. I'm looking forward to this week though.

My little sis is coming to visit me! I haven't seen her since August 2007 when I was preggy with my baby girl and my son and I went to her house to help out while she had some surgery. Now she is preggy with a baby girl and coming to see me...just for fun! I only wish we didn't have kids to deal with and could get some really good sister time in...well we are going to try to squeeze it in anyway.

Carp! (trying not to swear so much) I just remembered I forgot to take picts of baby girl yesterday/today (I haven't gone to bed yet so it is hard to call it yesterday). Oh well, hopefully I can remember tomorrow.

Can't sleep.......

2009-03-24T02:15:00.002-06:00

Here it is after 2am in the morning and I can not get to sleep, so I figure I haven't blogged in a long while.....lucky all of you! LOL

For some reason just as I was getting comfy, all I could think about was dying and wills and what would happen to my kids if hubby and I just up and died. well after an hour and a half, I couldn't take any more and had to get up. I read my email, checked a friend's blog to see if she had her baby yet (way behind on blog reading...she did and the baby is so cute!) and now you are caught up.

As I get older, death seems to be more of a real thing to me, yet we have never really talked about wills before. We don't have worldly possessions that would count for much, but when I really think about it, there are things I do want spelled out very clearly (concerning my children). I think it is time to see about getting some wills drawn up, for our children's protection.

As for things in our house...we are both still unemployed. Over seven weeks since that fateful day and hubby finally has a job interview this Wednesday. We have mixed feelings over it because we know he won't get offered wages even close to what he was making and their are so many in his field unemployed, that the competition is going to be fierce.

For me, I apply to places all the time and I'm even looking into possibly going back to school. It is frustrating though. What I really want most is to be home and enjoy my last baby while she is still a baby. I just have a hard time with all the guilt...guilt if I don't work and guilt if I do.

As for the kids, this week is Spring Break and we are trying to find fun and cheap things to do. They really wanted to go visit relatives or have their brother come here, but they have to suffer with good 'ol mom and dad this break. We are also dealing with major illness right now. There is this nasty cold/flu thing going around and a couple of us already have it and the others are starting to get it. My poor nose has never been so sore, I cry when I have to wipe my nose...I'm not exaggerating...it is really that bad.

I think I can try to sleep again...maybe another dose of meds will help too. Goodnight all, I hope.

Over 3 weeks and counting...

2009-02-27T11:31:00.002-07:00

It has been over 3 weeks since hubby was laid off. We are trying hard to make changes and get things in order so we can make it through another couple of months. So far not a single bite on a job for either of us, but we are pretty sure we can survive 2 more months...beyond that, who knows. We know in our hearts everything will be ok and it is comforting.

I'm certainly getting a glimpse of what retirement could be like...he has totally disrupted my schedule! I just hope I don't get used to a new schedule with him around, otherwise I will totally have to adjust yet again when job(s) come around.

So far we have given up our dog, cancelled our cell phones, prioritized our bills, divided up our tax return into categories of what to pay the next 2 months and hunted long and hard for affordable health insurance. The health ins hunt has been the most nerve-wracking. Cobra is beyond what we can even get from unemployment, and there are lots of scams out there saying they are health ins, when they really aren't. It has been so stressful to find something before our ins runs out, but we have...it isn't nearly as good as what we used to have, but it is better than nothing.

My self confidence is really tired of the stress acne, it just doesn't help me to feel confident...not good when you are trying to find work. My schedule has been way off (dang hubby...and we are busier than ever!) and my weight has creeped right back up. I'm determined to get back to my accountability on SparkPeople as of today...and stay with it. I know it works when I do it. I also need to get back into keeping up with friends...all of you are my link to sanity. I admit I have somewhat been in a hole for a couple of weeks and it is time to come out and re-join the world.

Another week over

2009-02-10T23:16:00.002-07:00

The shock has worn off, well mostly. I'm now in do something mode...do anything to make the situation better. I just have to convince hubby of it too. We have to cut waaay back and I think I am willing to make some drastic changes. Just yesterday I wasn't willing to cancel the cell phones, now I am...it can save us a lot and we can always get them back when we are financially able. One change at a time, we can do this.

As for the weight war, I was terrified to weigh in and was given the OK from some friends to skip wieghing in for a week, but well, I just couldn't. It is part of my accountability...I need to know where I am, no matter what is happening in my life. So I weighed in, not too bad...I'm up a half a pound, (could have been so much worse if I had given up tracking my food all together through SparkPeople.com), I'm so glad I didn't lose touch with SparkPeople.com, I just know that that is what lessened the impact on my rough week.

Having a rough week

2009-02-06T23:21:00.002-07:00

My week has gone downhill since hubby was laid off. With him home I'm all out of my routine and having a hard time getting anything done. It doesn't help that I have allergies or a nasty cold to deal with too...I don't know which it is because so far neither kind of meds are working.

I'm still tracking my food in SparkPeople, but I now officially know what I go to in cases of heavy stress...fatty stuff. My fat ratio has been way off, I'm trying but somewhat failing right now. I think I'm still trying to adjust to everything. Life as we knew it is gone, and not for the better right now. I believe my counselor is right, I'm grieving for what we lost...our security, our sense of normalcy, our income, etc.

I don't know how to get through this. I'm trying to focus on working a plan for our bills, but food-wise???... I'm finding it so much harder to deal with.

Acne

2009-02-02T19:25:00.002-07:00

Yep, you read right. I would like to introduce you to my 2 newest pimples...the biggest one is called No Income, and the very slightly smaller one is called No Insurance. When did this acne show up? With-in minutes of being told my husband was laid off today (and I subsequently started to melt down). I have stress acne all the time, but it has never shown up quite so fast before.

If any of you have great ideas on how to cut way back, or how to save money on everyday stuff...please let me know. We have a lot of debt to deal with...hey do you think our credit card companies would take pity on us and reduce our APR, even a little?

The Davids and more...

2009-01-27T23:52:00.009-07:00

The Davids are the only reason I watched Idol...and that was the only season I have ever watched. No one else has captured my attention like they did, while I was flipping channels to see what is on.

Love Song David

Rock-n-Roll David

His "softer side"...not bad, but I like him better doing his Rock-n-Roll.

I found this one too...I have never heard it before but I like it-it speaks to me.

Weigh-in day once again

2009-01-26T15:28:00.003-07:00

The results are in and after gaining 3 pounds last week, I'm down 4 this week. I'm thrilled I took off the 3 I gained plus 1. It is still hard to manage to make good choices with what I eat and making myself exercise. I don't know what I would do without SparkPeople.com. Their tools are so helpful and easy to use. They have fabulous articles and tons of good information to help you find what will work for you. They even have a recipe site, that I am using quite often. If you don't know where to start, go to SparkPeople.com, they have nearly everything you would ever need to get moving toward a healthier life.

Time for a change...

2009-01-16T22:46:00.001-07:00

As you can see I felt it was time to mix things up a bit. I love playing with my blog background but I haven't had time to design anything myself, so thanks to The Cutest Blog on the Block I found this one and am very happy with it. Enjoy!

Rest time...?

2009-01-15T10:17:00.004-07:00

I don't know what my little dd is thinking, but I would love to know. She will play for a little bit, then crawl into the dog's corner and lay down on his bed with him, then go play for a bit, then back to lay down...it cracks me up. It also suprises me because just last night she was nipped when she was headed for his food. This is the only time he has done this (scared the shit out of me, happened really fast) and she goes after his food all the time, she loves to eat it....it makes me shudder to even think about it, so gross. Yes I'm keeping an eagle eye on her and him today. She hasn't tried to get his food today, maybe she learned from the nip....interesting, very interesting. Well here is the picts, I thought they were too cute so I had to share.

Healthy Living

2009-01-12T12:43:00.002-07:00

One week ago I decided to take my life back. Now from past experiences I know that I don't do well with diets. Been there, done that too many times. This time I have decided to change my eating by being aware of everything that enters my mouth. Sparkpeople.com has a fabulous nutrition tracker to help me monitor just how much I'm eating. They can even help you set up an eating plan...all for free.

For me, I choose to eat anything I want, I just have to be accountable for it and know what it does to me. I'm finding this thought process is helping me to make better choices over all. I look at something and its calories and fat and such and make a decision based on if I think it is worth it or not. I'm not depriving myself of anything if I truly want it, but I am having much smaller portion sizes and filling my days with many more veggies and fruit and such. I have learned that I was probably eating atleast 4000-5000 calories and way too much fat before (gotta love depression and all that comes with it). Now I'm eating between 1750-2300 calories and I'm balancing my carbs, fat and protein better.

Just 10 months ago at my baby's blessing, I was down to 282...my lowest in a long time. Then post partum depression struck and my regular depression joined in to stay. (I miss that hormone high *sigh*) Last Monday I weighed in at 314 which is heavier than before I got pregnant. Today my good choices this past week have paid off...I weighed in at 308. I know I have a very long way to go, and I still need to work on motivation for exercising, but I'm feeling I have made the right choice for me.

My Long Term goals are:
1) become my friend's running partner by the end of this year
2) Be my best self: strong and healthy and active with my family

My Short Term goals are:
1) Make good eating choices
2) Work up to 30 minutes of exercise a day, 5 days a week
3) Get 7 to 8 hours of sleep a night
4) Drink 5 to 8 20 ounce bottles of water a day

I will share my journey in hopes that I can motivate someone else and some of you can motivate me as well.

My new color...a few days late.

2009-01-09T14:48:00.005-07:00

By nature, I'm a bit of a punk at heart. As a trained cosmetologist, I love to get crazy with my hair, it is such an instant gratification thing. This is the only time my hubby has said anything about it being extreme.

I'm thinking he isn't that thrilled with it, but he knows I will change it again in another few months anyway.

DD turns 14 today!

2009-01-08T13:10:00.003-07:00

About 8 months ago I was invited to a vinyl saying party. I was going to try not to buy anything but then I saw the saying above and it got me thinking about my teenage daughter. Every teen seems to have confidence issues of some sort and girls especially need positive reinforcement. She has always been a princess around here, and always will be. So I got the saying made, I re-designed the one in their catalog for more my taste, and then later found the crown through another company. The saying is on the inside of her door so she will see it everyday before she leaves her room and when she wakes up. The crown is above her mirror. I just applied them to her wall and door and love it, I hope she does too. Most of all I hope it reminds her of how awesome and wonderful she really is.

A Baby Year in Review

2009-01-04T19:47:00.005-07:00

1 yr old...sigh... Where has this year gone?

2009-01-04T16:36:00.013-07:00

Yep she is one...and it blows my mind. Where has this past year gone? I've enjoyed as much of it as I could, but it still passed way too fast. She has grown up and changed so much. Don't get me wrong, I'm loving that she is older and more fun to play with, she is much more entertaining now then one year ago. It's just that I know she is the last, the last chance to enjoy all the firsts of childhood. I'm a little sad for time gone, yet thrilled to see what she will bring next into our lives.

Fabulous Giveaway for Scrap paper Addicts

2008-12-16T13:53:00.002-07:00

You must check out this giveaway @ Lainey's Altered Ego. She is giving away a fun pack of goodies for those of us who love to play with paper and embellies. Good luck on wining it, but I hope I do.

Visiting with Santa

2008-12-13T22:51:00.005-07:00

We had a ward Christmas party tonight (can you say free meal? though not as good as past years), and of course after all the spiritual stuff (which was good for my soul at least) Santa came to visit. I like that they do this because then I can get picts with Santa without having to take my kids to the dreaded mall.

First, baby dd did fabulous! Most other kids around her age were crying, throwing fits, or just not willing to even get close. I think it helped that she was a little bit tired. Youngest ds...well I'm not so sure he believes anymore, which is kind of sad, but he was more than willing to hop on, tell Santa he wanted a laptop and receive his candy bag (which turned out to be only peanuts-they ran out of the good stuff).

I wasn't too shocked to discover my teens wanted in on the action. Middle ds played the part and asked for something (I can't remember), but older dd (back row on right) and her friends just wanted the photo op. I believe there is a part of them that just isn't willing to totally give up on Santa yet, and I'm good with that.

Then came the funny hubbys. This is my hubby on the right and his best bud on the left.

When these two get together, there is usually some kind of silly nonsense going down.

They both acted like little boys...telling Santa everything they wanted for Christmas.

Too bad they asked for such big boy toys, I know Santa can't afford those! LOL

We, the wives can't help it, we love these goofballs.

Christmas Tree Hunting

2008-12-13T21:26:00.005-07:00

Ok, we went last weekend, but I forgot to get the photos up. Here is a sampling of our trip into the wilds of the Idaho City area of Idaho. We went with some good friends and were very grateful it wasn't icky weather.

Baby girl and I hung out in the truck.

Both of our trees loaded.

Our tree ... at home ... at last.

I wasn't sure how to get the best picture of it lit (I used my fireworks setting), if any of you have any better suggestions, please leave me a comment - THANK YOU!

Husband disgruntled because wife found new hobby to spend money on!

2008-12-11T11:48:00.004-07:00

After a lesson with a good friend yesterday, and her generosity of letting me use her stuff...I made this bracelet for my youngest dd last night. I had to sneak in her room to measure her wrist, thankfully she didn't wake up, and then I got to work looking at possible combinations. So many possibilities! I like the final product with it's lavender and silver hues. I tried it on her today and it fit nicely...best of all she seemed to love it. She kept staring at it and gently touching it...it was so cute to watch.

Yes I wouldn't normally get an 11 month old jewelry, but she isn't receiving it until her first birthday and even if she doesn't wear it much, it will be a nice reminder of how little she was when she is older. Alright, alright! I'll admit it...it was more for me than her....I still love it.

I was going to make one for my older dd but nothing quite spoke to me. She is getting harder and harder to make things for (getting too picky). I gave up on her and now that I know what I'm doing, I'm thinking of making myself some matching earrings and a necklace. Thanks Dub for all your generous help...now I'm hooked on making jewelry! My hubby rolled his eyes at the thought of me getting a new hobby, he thinks I have too many already.

"Recycled" Gift

2008-12-10T21:54:00.004-07:00

I was getting ready to recycle these containers, but when the label was off, all I saw was snowmen. I used black buttons for the eyes and since I didn't have any carrot noses on hand (and no money to go buy any) I searched and searched and found these tiny leaves that work just fine. I love how they came together and I'm sure my son's teacher, bus driver, and bus monitor will enjoy them...and the treats inside!

11 Months Old....christmassy

2008-12-04T12:46:00.004-07:00

I love this outfit, but let me tell you...it is an 18 month size and I had to squeeze her into it! I'm a little sad she can't wear it for Christmas...she is so cute in it.

11 Months Old...(part one)

2008-12-04T09:19:00.005-07:00

Here she was this morning...this was actually the second photo shoot, in an adorable outfit from "Bob". I love the "laughing" pict and the close up.

10 Months Old...

2008-12-04T09:04:00.004-07:00

I can't believe I forgot to put these up...here she is...in her jammies.....10 months old and she would NOT hold still for anything. She is becoming such a character.

Halloween

2008-11-04T21:23:00.003-07:00

We had a lot of fun. For the first time ever, I even dressed up. I forgot to have someone take a picture though. Our church did a trunk-or-treat and even though there were tons of kids, there was way more than enough candy for each child...in fact many of them made the rounds more than a couple of times. Below is what our trunk had in it, except I have no idea why the giant spider isn't there. I named him Fred and anyone 12 and over that wanted candy had to kiss him (Fred the giant hairy spider) in order to get any. I was really suprised how many wouldn't do it.

WIG FUN...

2008-11-04T21:00:00.002-07:00

We just couldn't help ourselves...when we opened the box of costumes to see what was there, we felt we had no choice but to have some fun.

Steve didn't seem to mind too much...he was a good sport.

No matter what she wears...she is still too cute!

Call the Fire Department!

2008-10-20T11:00:00.003-06:00

This is my birthday cake from last night (my birthday is officially today). Can you tell a man put the candles on? There are the right number, they are just clumped to form a towering inferno. It made me feel much older than I really am. LOL Ok, it really makes me laugh more than anything...I just had to have a picture! LOL

Another One Bites The Dust!

2008-10-12T20:51:00.003-06:00

Just a couple of months ago, we had three of them. Our most recently acquired one, kicked the bucket about 1 month ago and this evening, the one we have had since Aug. 1990, died. Now we are down to one lonely, tiny one that is too old to hook anything "extra" up to. How will we survive? In this day and age, it may be a matter of addiction counseling to get over the loss. Things will not be "normal" around here for a long time, 'cause it is just too pricey to buy a new one anytime soon.

I miss my TV that worked with my VCR and DVD players.

9 months old...

2008-10-05T23:26:00.004-06:00

I just can't get over how much she has grown up. 4 teeth with more on the way, constantly babbling dah-dah-bah-dah, and she is starting to test out getting on her knees. If everyone would quit holding her, I'm sure she would be crawling by now. We can't help it, we love to snuggle her.

She is looking older and older everyday. Time is just flying by...I hope I can truly cherish every moment I have with her. It is so different this time around, knowing she is the last. I really don't want her to grow up so fast. I'm really enjoying being her mom and seeing the world through her eyes.

(Beautiful dress given to us by a very good friend...I just LOVE it!)

Rabbits!

2008-09-26T20:37:00.003-06:00

Sasha and baby update: I went into one of our local stores, did what they said, and then the next day Sasha had mauled the baby and we had to get rid of it. My dd has had a hard time with this, she was really looking forward to raising a baby rabbit. I'm sure it is for the best, I just have never seen my dd so broken up.

A couple of weeks ago I was talked into getting a rabbit. Her name is Sasha and she is the only thing my oldest dd is getting for Christmas and her birthday...it is all she wants anyway. Well Sasha is adorable and has been getting used to us and her new surroundings pretty well.

Well anyhow, things have been a little strange with Sasha the past few days and we were about to take her to the vet. We discovered tonight what was wrong...she was pregnant. Sometime today, she had 2 bunnies. OY! (She had been kept in a cage with her 2 sisters and 1 brother before we got her) Who knew rabbits could get pregnant so young? NOT ME!

My dd was sent to her room to clean it (and spend time with Sasha like she always does in the evening) and all of a sudden started screaming at me to come downstairs at once! Well I took my sweet time, it is nice to bug her a little. There were 2 black things, bunnies of course, in her cage. Unfortunately, one was dead...but so far the other is alive and so tiny. I'm not sure Sasha knows how to take care of them, she is only about 7 months old herself, I know I don't! LOL I'm hoping her instinct will kick in, 'cause it was almost too much to have to deal with the dead one. I'm not ready to do it again.

The things we mom's have to put up with sometimes...it is enough to make me want to scream...cry...pull my hair...etc. CALGON take me away!!!

Fabulous idea!

2008-09-24T14:03:00.005-06:00

A friend sent me the link to a blog that has the best idea going on right now for any of you who are avid card makers. Heart to Heart Blog Candy is running a thank you card shower and giveaway. Please check it out at her blog. Here is my card and I'm going to get it sent off tomorrow. Good luck to all of you that choose to participate, but I really hope I win. ;) The stuff that was donated is truly incredible.

8 Months old and wiggly!

2008-09-08T10:51:00.002-06:00

This is the first time she hasn't held pretty still for her photos...she was all over the place! I managed to get these (below) from the 30 I took and they really show her personality, and that is all I really wanted from her. It was kind of funny that I had to use my sports mode to get any good picts...she was such a crack-up that day. I love that she makes me smile! If only she would quite drooling/puking long enough to get a photo with a clean and dry outfit on! LOL

7 months old...I know, I know, I'm late again

2008-08-26T14:36:00.003-06:00

They aren't very good pictures, but she is getting very wiggly these days and it's getting harder to get her to sit still. I also need to work on finding a better lighting solution. Nonetheless, she is still super adorable, atleast in my opinion.

She turned 7 months old while on our vacation, though these photos weren't taken until a week later. She loves to look at her new Yellowstone shirt whenever she is wearing it, it is pretty funny to see her pull it out and stare at it. Hopefully I will be on the ball and get her 8 month photos up in just 9 short days...I can always dream. LOL

Summer vacation comes to an end...

2008-08-18T11:38:00.024-06:00

I'm a little sad to see it end, all the while being thrilled too, yes I'm nutty. Even with all the financial stress, it has still been a good summer. I didnt' get everything done on my to do list, but we did a lot and manged to have fun too. My new background is just one of our pictures from Yellowstone Park. I have always loved looking at/taking pictures of clouds and my hubby thought I might like this one, he was right.

As for the last month or so, things have been busy around here. We have been cleaning out drawers and rooms and packing for our trip, then on the trip, then unpacking and recouperating.

Packing our camper trailer and ourselves for our trip took a week. We headed to Idaho Falls for a 50th Wedding anniversary party, then my hubby's family reunion in Swan Valley for a couple of days and then from there we were off to Yellowstone Park with my sis-in-law and one of our neices for another couple of days. We camped at Madison Campground, near the west entrance to Yellowstone. It was nicer than I expected and only lacked showers. We got in kind of late, so we set up camp, had sandwhiches for dinner and headed to bed. The next morning we hurried through breakfast, secured out campsite and then started exploring the park. Our first picture spot was just along the road on the Firehole River, between Madison and the Fountain Paint Pots. I LOVE this funky tree!

Our next stop was the Fountain Paint Pots. These are my favorite picts I took there.

After that little hike we climbed back in our truck and headed to Old Faithful. The only other two times I have seen Old Faithful were in August 1992 (when my oldest son was only 2 weeks old) and August 1995 (while on an insane motorcycle day trip). It was nice to bring all of my kids to see it. Here are some of our picts. We ate in the Yellowstone Lodge Cafeteria, pricey but not too pricey, 7 to 10 bucks per person. Then we let each of the kids spend $20 in the gift shop.

Our next stop was Yellowstone Lake along the West Thumb portion. We just had to stop, it was so beautiful there. I stayed in the truck while my hubby took these. He did a pretty good job.

Next we drove to Hayden Valley along the Yellowstone River. My hubby took control of the camera there too and got some nice shots. (I was in the truck with a sleeping baby.)

We saw a few Buffalo just before Hayden Valley, in Hayden Valley and on the way to Canyon Village. We thought for sure we would see more, but not many were out and about.

At Artist Point, one of the lookouts spots for Lower Falls, took some great shots. I LOVE waterfalls and I plan to blow some of these up for framing on my walls. The canyon it is in is pretty cool too, though I got a little woozy looking down into it.

Then we headed to Upper Falls View and got to see a couple more animals, up close and personal...they walked not 5 feet in front of us. The falls pictures are great too.

By this time, it had been sprinkling off and on for a while and right after we left the falls it started to pour off and on. It took us another hour or two to get back to camp and everything was too soaked (including our firewood) to deal with making dinner so we headed into West Yellowstone and found a little diner, it was good, but not cheap. I'm sure anywhere we went would have been the same, and at that point we were too tired and hungry to care. After we headed back to camp and went to bed...it poured most of the night, I should know...it leaked through the camper's roof onto me! The next morning we secured all the wettest stuff into the back of the truck and loaded all the drier stuff into my sis-in-law's car and the camper trailer.

Dead tired and dying to take a shower we headed back to my other sis-in-law's house. Luckily she has a good hot water heater, we used a lot of hot water that afternoon. Then we cooked dinner for everyone, we made what we were going to make while camping, chicken cordon bleu. It was yummy! We all got a good night's rest and headed home last Saturday. I didn't get any pictures, but we did stop in Twin Falls to go on the tour of the LDS Temple there. It is beautiful and I highly recommend it to anyone.

I was very grateful to get home and it has taken all this last week to get things unpacked and sort of back to normal. I still have a bit of laundry, but that never ends anyway. The kids are ready for school, atleast as far as I know of, and I'm just hoping to enjoy my kids this last week before school starts.

Now if I can just find a job... ;)

Cutest giggles...

2008-07-20T22:34:00.006-06:00

I don't know how well you will be able to hear this...but I had to try.

Happy Independence Day everyone!

2008-07-04T22:26:00.006-06:00

I'm so thankful I live in this great country. I hope all of you are having as great of a day as I am. I got up about 8am and rushed to my friend's house to color her hair and it turned out fabulous if I do say so myself. Then after a much needed chat with her, I got back home to leftover ribs for lunch. They were the yummy ones my hubby makes.

We had 3 other couples over for dinner last night and were lucky to have any ribs left...they were just too yummy. Luckily everyone else's food was just as delicious and we filled up on everything.

During lunch I got to chat with another friend. I have felt very loved today by friends and family. Nothing big just little things they said or did.

Then I did something I would never usually try. I made something kind of gourmet for dinner. A few weeks ago we had a great coupon for Murphy's Seafood & Steakhouse on Broadway (in Boise, Idaho), so we ate out for a date. It was pretty yummy but very pricey. I had a Steak Oscar dish and my hubby had Prime Rib. While I was eating I kept thinking..."I wonder if I could make this?"...well I came home and did some online research and I made it for dinner tonight.

YES...I really did make this! 6 of them cost me less than just one at the restaurant and it was so easy! Now convincing the kids to try it was another story.

I first only made up two of them and then my hubby cut each child a piece to try and if they liked it, they got one of their own and if not, they got a sandwich. They all liked it! If you don't know what Steak Oscar is then I best explain it.

On the top you have barely boiled asparagus (about 5 minutes), crab meat sprinkled sparingly (ours was the cheap kind, lol), Bearnaise sauce (easy mix packet at the store), grilled steak (your favorite cut, just not too big of a piece), all on a bed of garlic mashed potatoes (mine were instant, easy)... so yummy!

I CHALLENGE ALL OF YOU TO TRY MAKING SOMETHING NEW (OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE, COMPLETELY DIFFERENT FROM ANYTHING YOU WOULD NORMALLY MAKE) THIS MONTH FOR DINNER and then share how it went. Good Luck!

6 Months Old Today...Captivating!

2008-07-04T22:13:00.004-06:00

Love this smile!
Just chillin' out.

Such a serious look...it always makes me wonder what she is thinking about.
We can't help it, we get lost in her eyes everytime we look into them. She has stolen our hearts with her smiles and cooing. We love her so much. I can't imagine life without her in it.

5 Months Old

2008-07-03T22:29:00.002-06:00

I'm way behind in things around here, so I'm going to play catch up a bit for a few days. Here is Little Princess looking way too cute as always. I found this outfit on clearance at Target and just couldn't resist, though i never thought she woud be wearing it so soon. It is a 12 month size and I hope it fits for a while, 'cause I love it.

ICE ICE Baby!

2008-05-28T00:45:00.002-06:00

The "ICE (Inspiration Celebration Experience) a Scrapbooker’s Escape" was a great time! My main goal was just to get tons done, but I got even better than that out of it.

Friday
7am-Up and getting everyone out the door
8:30-Dealing with baby and making my list of what needs to get packed
10:30-sent dog off with hubby to vet to see what is wrong
12:00pm-ate lunch with hubby and scrambled to get packed while baby sleeps for a few
2:40-picked up dd at Jr. High
3:40-boys are home and my ride to escape is here
4:00-got to hotel and unpacked in room and crop space
started scrapbooking!!!
5:20-went to Olive Garden for dinner

Saturday
4 to 6am-got super silly with my cohort Bob, did crazy LO and left fun notes all over the room
8:15am-haven't gone to bed yet, ate yummy provided breakfast
9:00-headed to other room to hear Melody Ross (Chatterbox) speak, got totally inspired, won some of the newest, not released yet product from her
10:00-headed back to scrappin', and shopping the vendors (great stuff, made my list of what I wanted and bought it later in the day after I narrowed my list to the "can't live with outs")
11:00 ish-showered off my no sleep stink
noon ish-Lunch from Taco Bell, then back to scrapping and shopping
6:00pm-Dinner at Joe's Crab Shack
7:30-the rowdy scrappers got the party going...still scrapping (totally in the journaling zone and everyone kept thinking I was getting sleepy...NOT!), still haven't slept...in fact wide awake!

Sunday
12:39am-got to a good stopping point in my scrapping and decided I should try to sleep, even though I was totally wide awake
1:00am or so- I have been awake 42 straight hours, time to try and sleep, boy did I zonk!
8:50am-We all get up, didn't plan to sleep that late, oh well. Packed up stuff in hotel room.
9:10am-bought hot chocolate to have with the banana and dry Fruit Loops I brought...back to scrappin'
3:00pm-Bob brought me to my house to get my car so I could stay later, then back to scrappin'
3:40-started packing up all my crap so I could go have delicious pulled pork sandwiches, coleslaw, watermelon, and chocolate chip cookies at the park with friends (a couple of the hubby's made it all and it was so good)
5:40 or so-back to my house and thankfully it wasn't nearly as bad as it could have been, they at least managed to get the dishes done and half the laundry washed, dried and folded...not bad for amateurs.
10pm-headed to bed

Monday
I did my best to get the final things ready for my hubby's pending suprise birthday party monday night...it was hard, I finally had to clue in the kids so that they would help me. They nearly spilled the beans 3 times. Finally with the house as clean as I could get it (without being too obvious that people were coming) and dinner started, I just had to wait until 6pm (ok, I was so busy all day that we only had to wait about 20 minutes, LOL). Our friends showed up and we had a good time, I think I managed to suprise him, though he said he knew something was up, he just didn't know what.

As soon as everyone left, I sat in the recliner around 9pm and don't remember much of anything until I woke up about 11:30pm and then headed to bed. I have never been so tired in all my life.

I slept until 7am Tuesday morning, dealt with getting everyone off their separate ways and as soon as Aila was settled down, I sat to watch a movie and crashed again. I didn't wake up until I heard her screaming. Now I'm wide awake from all that sleep and it is almost 1:30am on Wednesday morning...man my system is way screwed up! Well I best head to bed before I mess things up even more.

I had a great weekend and I will take some picts of what I got done and post them here sometime this week or so. We have lots of baseball and end of year things at schools to deal with, so it may not happen until the weekend, but I will try my best.

I'm never going to be ready!

2008-05-21T16:20:00.002-06:00

Someone wonderful bought me my way into ICE this weekend and I'm excited to go, but I have no time to pack! Aack! This week and the next couple are very busy with the end of school baseball (including tournament playoffs for my middle son, who's team is ranked #1 right now) and just life in general. I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed. I'm also feeling a bit guilty.

You see it is my hubby's 40th birthday on Saturday and there won't be anyone here to help him celebrate it, except a house full of kids. I was going to take him to his favorite restaurant and generally treat him like a king...never mind, he gets that almost everyday anyway! LOL, kidding...but even though he has told me it is no big deal to him, it is to me, I'm going to miss his birthday, his 40th birthday, that only comes once and I feel bad about missing it.

Dang, baby is up, must go...well at least I had 4 minutes to myself.

Please Welcome Our New Addition!

2008-05-10T07:57:00.004-06:00

I can't help it, I love my husband and he has been buggin me for another. I find it hard to say no to him sometimes...he just has the pleading puppy dog look down pat. So just what do you do? You give in, or atleast I finally did. The object of all this pleading was "free", but so far is costing us plenty. He has an appointment this next week for everything from shots to microchipping and even neutering. Of course once we met him, we couldn't resist him.

Please welcome Steve, our friendly, new (to us) Boxer.

4 Months Old and even more beautiful!

2008-05-09T14:43:00.004-06:00

It took me a little bit to figure out how to get her to smile...
...but I finally did...
...I just had to sing "The Itsy-Bitsy Spider"!
Her smiles just melt me...
and her eyes hold a glint of mischief, she's irresistible!

He is DEAD :(

2008-05-03T21:28:00.002-06:00

About a month ago, we aquired a second beta fish (Silky) and an african frog (Seaweed) to our one lonely beta (Sushi). It has been kind of fun to have three pretty living things, in three pretty bowls, on my dining room table. Well I cleaned out their bowls yesterday and now today we found the frog dead, sprawled out on top of his little plant, stiffer than a board. I was suprised my son didn't cry, he is so soft-hearted. They gave him a farewell flush and we cleaned out the bowl once more. I guess it is off to the pet store Monday after school. I'm just sad that I never got a picture and I refused to let them take one of him dead. I also wonder if it may be my fault, though I just cleaned the bowl as usual. I guess we will never know, I just hope it wasn't me.

I'm way behind in my blogging, as if you can't tell...lol. LP is growing and growing. We see the Dr on Monday and she gets another round of shots. I really hate that part, the screaming is horrific...and that is just what you hear from other rooms. When your own child is the one being painfully poked it is much worse in my opinion. Can you tell I'm really looking forward to it?

We have had the flu bug making its way around our house since Friday. Today was my day, I'm still beat and out of it a bit, you would think I hadn't eaten in weeks with how weak I feel. I'm just glad it was over the weekend when I had people here to help with LP. Well I have to get hubby ready to go to the store. Have a great night friends.

Nature Trail

2008-04-16T18:09:00.002-06:00

This is where I went today with my friend Bob and her girls...it was a lot of fun. It is somewhere way out by Melba, Idaho or so.
This is the crazy swan who just wanted to attack everyone.
These are our beautiful dd's that were with us.
They had tons of great statues, I will upload more later, but this one was one of my very favorites.
The whole place is along the river and on a hillside...very pretty setting and I'm sure even prettier when everything is in bloom.

Change......as if you can't tell.

2008-04-11T15:29:00.002-06:00

I was in the mood for a change, I didn't know what kind, but thought I would kill a few minutes on my 'puter and came across a site through someone else's blog. I should have been eating lunch before LP (little princess) woke up, but nothing in this house sounds even sort of good.

Anyway, I went to Pyzam and started looking around. Can I just say ...WOW... they have tons to choose from. I did discover that I couldn't just cut and paste the whole code like they said (kept getting an error code), but I did figure out how to make it all work. I'm probably going to mix things up on my blog way more often now.

When I had money and wanted a change I would go get my hair or nails done, this is so much cheaper! Now I just have to fix a few more things to my liking and I will be happy with my blog once more. Now if only I could find a cheap way to be happy with my hair again........

3 Months Old

2008-04-11T14:45:00.005-06:00

I managed to remember, barely, to take little princess' 3 month pictures.

I love the detail on the jeans she is wearing.

We forced her to wear her 0 to 3 month size clothes so long that she couldn't stretch her legs out all the way. We have had to resign to the fact that she is now wearing up to 6 month old sizes (she can still wear a couple 3 month things, not many). I had forgotten how different (bigger/smaller) the same size can be in a different brand...stupid.

Teenagers, Spring Break, and 17 years

2008-03-31T09:18:00.003-06:00

I just don't know what to do with my teenagers sometimes. My oldest son lives with my in-laws and is starting to give them the same exact crap that he was giving us. He didn't want to do his chores so he ran away ..... he really has it in his head that this is the answer to everything. After a few hours, with myself and others trying to get him to think about what he was doing, my sis-in-law got him to say where he was so she could pick him up. Two days later we brought him home for Spring Break and a big part of me wishes we hadn't. His attitude made our house a horrible place to be. Just once I want to have him here and actually enjoy the time with him. We had a couple of hours that were nice, but it was overshadowed by the hell he raised. I can't handle having to fight him to do anything/everything ..... it is so overwhelming, I did a lot of emotional eating last week. I love my son, truly I do, I just can't stand to be around his attitude.

Spring Break was rough and I have never been so glad to have the kids back in school. I managed to take my kids to lunch and a movie and my hubby took them miniature golfing one night while I was at a crop. Other than that (and even some during it) it was all fighting and yelling, no matter how hard I tried ..... so much stress.

I wish I could just totally chill today but alas I have a dentist appointment this afternoon that promises to leave me miserable. I have been putting off these cavities for over 7 months because I was pregnant and miserable enough. Thankfully I have a friend who is going to come help me with little princess and make sure I get there and back OK.

As for 17 years ..... my hubby and I celebrated our 17th Anniversary yesterday. I would have loved to have my hubby alone in a hotel with some nice food and fun for many, many hours but once again it was not to be. One of these years I will make it happen but for now I'm happy to report it was still a decent day. I have still been sick (nasty sinus crap) but with meds I'm hanging in there. We had dinner last night with friends (yummy black fin tuna, orange salad, Caesar salad, deviled eggs, potatoes) and we brought dessert (congo bars, chocolate chip bars, and heavenly oreo truffles). Our friends are very good to us and it made our day a bit more special. Hubby got me a knife sharpener for my new knives (yes, I'm happy with this), now I just need to learn how to use it correctly.

Well little princess is calling so I best go. I will try to get caught up on all your blogs asap.

*@##!**!@#!!

2008-03-11T19:20:00.002-06:00

As if my toes weren't hideous enough! At 4:20am this morning, my vacuum thought it would be a good idea to suprise me, and now I'm pretty darn sure I have broken my dang toe! Calgon....take me away!

Big Princess has gone PUNK!

2008-03-10T22:20:00.005-06:00

BEFORE

AFTER

I still can't believe she wanted to chop it all off...it took her so long to grow it out! She insisted, so I cut it tonight and showed her one way to style it. She has never been so daring, it is kind of fun to witness, but best of all ..... I think she actually likes it! We are going to color it sometime this week too, I'll have to post another picture after that.

Perfection

2008-03-03T00:11:00.008-07:00

My dd was blessed yesterday and my SIL captured this perfect picture of her...so sweet, so innocent...it makes me fall in love with her all over again.

Here is one of all of us. I was really thankful that my in-laws were able to come over and bring my son with them. I like this photo of us, except for the backdrop, but it was the best we could do. At this time of the year, there just isn't much outside that is pretty.

Here is a couple more that were just so cute, I couldn't help myself.

For any Crock pot fans

2008-02-28T12:36:00.002-07:00

http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/

Check out this site...she has tons of recipes for your crock pot. I always want to use my crock pot, but never know what to do in it. She has some great ideas for everyday type stuff and even out of the ordinary things. Most are main dishes, but there are even breakfast things and desserts. I'm determined to try some of these.

Frazzled Catch Up

2008-02-25T11:39:00.000-07:00

Valentine's Day was pretty good. I surprised my hubby by leaving him a card and treat on his desk at work, while he was in a meeting. He was so inspired that he left work early that day and went to Costco to buy me a dozen roses and a GARBAGE DISPOSAL. Yes you read that right. Isn't my hubby just the most romantic hubby ever? I admit, I have wanted one and we had discussed it coming out of our tax return, but as a gift for Valentine's day? LOL I do prefer practical gifts, but this was a little too much for me. I was hoping for the computer program I wanted, or a new CD writer for my 'puter. Frankly I was thrilled to get to buy a new vacuum, so even no gift would have been good. OK, I will stop raving, at least he thought of me and I know he truly loves me and will always be there for me. My husband truly is the best one for me.
(PS It wouldn't be so bad, but it still isn't installed! If it is going to take up space in my small house then I at least want to be able to use it! LOL)

He will probably kill me for posting this picture, but for me this shows who he really is...he is my big strong hero...he has a great sense of humor and is able to help me keep things in perspective. I love him more than I could ever express...and on the rare occasion you can get him to have a real smile in a picture, it is like glimpsing a piece of heaven. Cheesy I know, but for me it really is that way.

The only other thing I have been up to is dealing with day to day life. Sleep is a rare thing for me still, every time I think it is getting better, my dd decides to sleep less. On top of that, I have 30+ people coming this weekend for her blessing and we have to figure out how to feed all of them at my house after church. Thankfully they are all staying in hotels, my house is too small for that many guests, though I have offered to bunk us up more if someone wanted to stay here. I do have a sleeper sofa, queen air mattress and some floor space that can be used in a pinch.

The issue is that we replaced a bunch of our carpet and I still haven't gotten things back how they need to be/want them to be. I have boxes everywhere and even though I'm working on it, the unpacking, cleaning and organizing are going very slow. There just aren't enough hours in a day for me to do it all. Somehow, I know I will get it done good enough by Saturday...'cause I have to...I just can't guarantee I will still be sane. LOL

Back to the grind, have a great week everyone!

I'm Famous! Sort of...lol

2008-02-25T10:07:00.000-07:00

I just got an email from a good friend of mine (she is also my sushi buddy) that had this link in it...she wrote about a stamping technique I taught her years ago. I admit, it made me cry a little.

Kim has become such a famous person in her own right. Her stamping has been published for a few years now in many different magazines. I have been so proud of her.

My life has truly been richer since she has been in it. Thank you Kim!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2008-02-14T08:46:00.001-07:00

My baby has given me the best gift of all. She went 7 hours between feedings last night (10pm to 5am) and is still asleep right now. I actually feel rested, I'm dressed (with my hair curled) and eating breakfast with no interuptions so far.

I know this won't last long so I just wanted to get on and wish everyone a day filled with love and happiness. I'm thrilled mine is off to a great start and hope it only gets better.

My Valentine Fleet

2008-02-09T17:00:00.000-07:00

I'm a sucker for punishment.

I saw these online and fondly remembered making them when I was a child and decided to do them for my youngest son's class (all my other kids are too old or too young) for valentines day. Yes, I know they aren't the traditional colors of the holiday, but that doesn't bother me...unlike not being able to find the right kind of rubber bands.

You see, they are suppossed to use only one piece of gum for the wings, not an entire pack. However due to the fact that these were the only rubber bands I could find, I didn't have much choice. One and even 2 pieces of gum bent wierd 'cause the band is too strong.

So, now I have to go back to the store and buy a whole bunch of gum...sigh...the things we do for our kids (ok sort of for me, dang happy memory! LOL).

My baby is ONE MONTH OLD!

2008-02-07T10:18:00.001-07:00

Isn't she cute? She is a booger (showing a stubborn streak already) but I still like her most of the time. LOL I forgot to take her 1 month pict on the fourth, but I wasn't too too late...this one was taken on the fifth. Unfortunately my camera or SD card went nuts and a good 10 picts were lost, so this is about all I have from our photo shoot. Sometimes I really hate technology.

No more secrets...

2008-02-03T13:43:00.000-07:00

I have a dear friend who recently blew the lid off her food secret. And this is what I wrote in response:

...and we love you. I'm bawling because your secret hits close to home. I know too many "fat chicks" with eating issues/disorders and most of it ties in with other things (alcoholism, abuse, food issues our parents helped to create)...for me, I have an addictive personality that swings to extremes (complicated by some of those other issues). I can't seem to find the middle ground on anything. We can do this together...all of us, if we just keep talking about it and helping each other through it.

Love you W and thank you for putting it out there; you may help someone else realize something about them selves before it is too late.

You see I have a bit of a food secret too. I love food, but yet hate it too. I am a sugar and fatty food addict and when I get stressed out/depressed, I do one of these things…eat way too much of it (in public or in secret), eat too much then puke from the guilt(I don't force it, it always just happens) or not eat at all. I don't fit neatly into one classification of eating disorders…I’m a nasty combination of them all, depending on my mental state and stress load.

I’m embarrassed, but I think these are some of the issues we as woman need to talk about to each other and help each other through. We have to find ways to help ourselves, our children and their children to NOT be this way, especially our daughters. I know many of us struggle with food and body image stuff and I’m standing up to say…

Hi, I am jenalih. I am an addict. I have an eating disorder and I want to deal with it responsibly. I want to have a better, healthier life and I can find ways to overcome my eating issues, I know I can. I just have to.

They grow up so fast!

2008-01-31T23:29:00.000-07:00

Ok, not really, but I have noticed she has started to change a little.

She just looks older, sort of...different in a way...

but still way adorable!

We are both doing ok so far, though I have had some really difficult moments with her...I had forgotten just how hard it is to have a new baby. Hard for my body and mind. I know we will get through, I just can't help longing for feeling good again...and having a "normal" life/schedule...where everyone gets the sleep they need. I miss sleep.

Bundle of Joy

2008-01-24T14:00:00.000-07:00

This is my beautiful new little bundle.

We think she is a doll, but we are a bit biased.

This is all five of mine...

I still can't believe I'm starting all over again! LOL

Well this about all I can do for today...the doll calls!

Just a quick update

2008-01-23T14:32:00.000-07:00

I will have more time another day to post more, but just to let everyone know, I had my beautiful baby girl. I will get pictures up hopefully by the end of the week. It has been a rough couple of weeks, but we are managing.

2007-12-24T12:21:00.000-07:00

Things are starting to get crazy around here and I didn't want to forget, so here is my wish for all of you. I hope your holidays are filled with love, happiness and sweet memories!

Isn't this incredible?

2007-12-23T12:28:00.000-07:00

Whether this is real or photoshop altered, I think it is one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. It is like a glorious half snowflake. I just had to share this here for any of you that haven't seen it yet.

Need dd help

2007-12-21T23:15:00.000-07:00

I saw the Dr today and things are OK, but I still must rest, rest, rest. He said at least 3 or 4 times that he wants me to make it to my scheduled c-section in January. I'm beginning to think I may not make it no matter how good I am, I am having way too many contractions, way too often, and some are way too painful...and I am being as good as I can be (without going insane).

My dd is getting resentful of my resting (I have had her helping more with easy dinners and doing only slightly more in other areas than she normally would...barely more). But how do I get through this if my kids can't help pick up some slack? My boys and hubby are helping more too, but my dd thinks I'm only picking on her...she was pissed tonight over it. I asked her if she would like to be the mom for a day to see that that job is hard too. She said, "Sure, I would love to rest all day!"(very snottily) I told her if she was mom for a day it would be doing everything I used to be able to do and that she has to "earn" this kind of resting with 8 months of illness and so much more. I just don't know how to get through to her. I need her help so much and I thank her for it all the time...just what else can I do? It is really stressing me out that she has come to think this way. I have tried really hard to not give her too much because she already has so much going on. Any ideas?

My oldest comes home tomorrow for the holidays. I really hope he will be willing to step in and help out a bit too. We have so much going on right now and I just want this "family team" to buck up and help each other get through it. I'm so grateful that I have had some friends who have been able to help out...it has been a true blessing to be able to get so much done so far. I don't know how I could ever thank them enough.

Well, this is all my body can handle so I best sign off and get back to resting....oh how I miss my dish network!

Will I Ever Learn?

2007-12-16T00:06:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I thought the few things I had planned for today would be fine. My body decided it was too much and I'm embarrassed to admit that I actually had to call a friend to bail me out. I was stuck in the shoe department of Wally's, I was so light headed I was afraid to move. I had already started to lose my sight and balance and decided to sit to wait it out. After 20 minutes, I was still not good, so I called a friend (thank you H) to come rescue me. She got me home (had a few contractions on the way) and I went straight to bed. The contractions finally ended after about 40 minutes and then I chilled out with my kids serving me my dinner and getting them to bed from the recliner. My body must have thought I was still doing too much, I have had a few more contractions again.

Obviously, I am stupid and think I know more about my body than my Dr., well no more, I'm putting myself on (slightly modified) bed rest as of now. I'm only going to allow myself to watch TV, read, and have a small amount of computer time each day. Today really scared me...I guess that is what it takes to get through my thick skull.

Wish me luck with not going insane, I'm going to need it.

Doctor's Orders

2007-12-15T12:01:00.000-07:00

OK, I'm not happy. I really have been trying to be good, it has been hard but I really am doing my best. I have been getting lots of rest (it helps that I haven't felt well and have wanted to sleep) but life still goes on too. We have commitments. My kids are busy with all kinds of things (choir concerts, church stuff, basketball, etc.) and hubby and I have had to head in opposite directions to help them fulfill their obligations. Hubby has been great, taking on as much as he can, he could only do more if he had a clone. I've been really uncomfortable (this baby is getting big, can't help that) and sleep hasn't exactly been here for me, but not much going on with contractions.

Yet, what did the doc say?

He thinks I'm still doing too much and he is concerned about me making it to my c-section on Jan. 4th (I have only had a couple of contractions this whole week, nothing like how it was when I was still working). He has kibosh-ed shopping, any kind...but...but...I love to shop this time of year! I can not NOT go shopping. I'm willing to embarrass myself by driving a motor cart around the store if need be, but I'm sorry, I can not give up this fun kind of shopping. He also said no activities, no chores...I'm not bed bound, but I'm supposed to be house bound. I don't think I can do this. I have been going a little crazy as it is and now he is trying to take everything else away from me. I have paper piles and files to go through, living room shelves to clean off, misc. mending, some scrapping I was planning and I LIKE to fold laundry.

Most of the madness (running around here, there and everywhere) is over, this next week is looking pretty calm. Is it horrible for me to just do a little fun Christmas shopping (in a motored cart so I'm not over working myself) and try even harder to not do too much out of and around my house? I am the one that ultimately knows what my body is doing, right?

OK, so I'm feeling a little guilty for not wanting to miss out on things...but who does? I just want to enjoy the season...is that too much to ask?

Sick...again!

2007-12-14T09:08:00.000-07:00

Man the flu this year is killing me. I was super sick all week last week and then yesterday. I got up yesterday feeling just fine and craving spaghetti, so I had some for breakfast. I was sick the rest of the day...I suppose there could be something wrong with my spaghetti, but I doubt it because it hasn't made anyone else ill. Frankly I don't even know if it was the flu...I'm positive my lack of sleep isn't helping things. Today my son is the one puking, so he is home. He is 11 so I'm sure he will be OK while I go see my doctor and run some errands today. I'm just glad that I am feeling much better.

JUST 21 DAYS TO GO! Yep, 3 weeks from today I will be holding my new little one in my arms. I know it isn't far from now, but man, it still feels ages away. If I were sleeping better at night, or even able to get comfy for a nap each day, than it probably wouldn't seem so bad. BUT the thought of not sleeping for the next 3 weeks, makes it seem like a lifetime. Make sense?

Well, I have to get ready to go. I get the pleasure of seeing the doc, waiting in line at the PO to mail a pkg, dealing with crowds to get some minor shopping done, and traffic, traffic, traffic. Thank goodness it isn't snowing, that would be too much stress on me today. Have a great day everyone!

Resting, yet Nesting

2007-12-11T09:33:00.000-07:00

I'm trying hard to be good, honest...but it is hard to rest when you aren't comfy in any one position for more than a half hour or so. To top it off, I'm in nesting mode bad and have to force myself to not do too much. I'm trying to be good and accomplish just a couple of things a day (yesterday was dishes, putting up tree, and making a nice dinner) and trying to read and such the rest of the time. Time seems to be moving slower than ever...when I was still working, time flew a bit faster, I kind of miss that part (do not miss getting up in the freezing cold). Man will this pregnancy ever end? Obviously yes, it just feels like it won't. Ok, pity session over.

I need to finish some cleaning and organizing (this desk is such a mess) so I can get some sewing and scrapbooking done. Hmmm, maybe I will just skip to the sewing and scrapbooking.

"Funny" of the day

2007-12-08T21:26:00.000-07:00

New Wall

2007-12-04T00:21:00.000-07:00

When I came home from the TSO concert, I walked into my house and was floored by a new wall, yep a new wall. We have lived here for 6 and a half years with a very annoying railing. We live in a 70's split level and the railing was one "wall" of our livingroom and the hand rail for the stairs going up to the living room. It woobled a lot and was useless for our baby gate when we first moved in (our youngest was only 8 months old and hadn't been around stairs before, we had to teach him quickly). Well now that we are faced with another baby on the way and we had already been talking about it anyway, I wanted to get going on getting the wall up so we have two sturdy walls to put a gate between.

A good friend of ours gave it to us for Christmas. He bought the stuff, built it in another friend's garage and had my hubby help him install it while I was gone. I know it is corny, but I just about cried. If I hadn't been so flabergasted, I think I would have bawled. I am thankful for this little bit of thoughtfulness. I can't wait to get it mudded up and textured so we can paint, install new flooring, re-do the kitchen, re-do the bath.....

Ok, so I can dream a little can't I? LOL The painting and flooring is in our plans hopefully before spring, but the rest I will have to continue to dream about for a few years. I can live with that...for now.

Trans-Siberian Orchestra

2007-11-29T08:03:00.000-07:00

If you have never seen them perform, you need to...they are incredible! You can check them out here. I look forward to this concert every year, it is what gets me into the Christmas spirit. Thier music is a cross between rock and roll and classical, rather classical jazzed up with a bit of rock and roll. Last night was my fourth year seeing them perform here in Boise (Ok, so technically in Nampa at the Idaho Center). Their music is a feast for the soul, and their light show, complete with pyrotechnics, is a feast for the eyes. The only thing that kind of bummed me out about it was that my favorite singer from past years, was no longer there and for the life of me I can not remember his name.

I'm going to spend some time trying to find him on the 'net today...he is so talented and his voice makes me melt. I found him!

His name is Guy LeMonnier and his voice is so incredible. You can go hear him at his site, he has some samplings of his work on there, they aren't the best quality, but you will get the idea. The new guy they had was OK, but I prefer Guy's voice...it is just richer (and it gives me wonderful shivers all over). LOL

It's over, yet just begun

2007-11-26T19:34:00.000-07:00

I had a nice long weekend full of rest, so I figured I was nicely refreshed to head back to work today. From the moment I got up, I just felt off. After being at work for about an hour, I started having contractions. I knew right then that this would be my last day, my last shift. My Dr warned me that if they changed in frequency, pain level or anything (I have been having contractions on and off for 3 weeks or so, usually only after a long day)...that I would have to start my leave of absence early.

I got into my Jr High and said goodbye to my wonderful group of kids. I could have dropped a pin and heard it, they were the most silent they have ever been. I got a few hugs and "best wishes", "hope you feel better", "will miss you", and even several "thank you" comments. I was bawling, I really am going to miss these kids. We had our days, but for the most part, they were the very best kids at that school. Humor and kindness can go a long way when dealing with teens, at least that is what I have learned from them. (My friend at work that also drives out of that school, called me and said that one of my kids brought her something to give me, I can't wait to see it.)

I decided to finish my morning route and then went straight to the boss and told him what was up. My friends at work helped me get home safely and then I rested a good chunk of the day. I'm glad I did, those dang contractions (even though they weren't regular) lasted several hours.

My awesome "evil" friend surprised me with seasons 2-5 of the Gilmore Girls and I'm looking forward to watching them. I am so thankful for good friends. Many have been through this type of thing and have given lots of good advice on how to stay sane. I figure as long as I take it easy, my Dr won't have reason to put me on mandatory bed rest. I figured I better quit before it gets to that point, I've been pushing myself too hard for too long anyway. Can you tell I like to be in control? LOL Gotta take it where I can get it!

It will all work out, somehow. I know I have enough to pay the bills next month, it is just the pesky things like food, gas and Christmas that will require a miracle. In my heart I know...Miracles happen every day.

Evil Friend

2007-11-24T16:31:00.000-07:00

I have a really great friend. She brought me a bunch of videos and DVDs to help me pass the time while resting. I am now officially hooked on the Gilmore Girls series! I just spent the last day or so watching the complete first season. Unfortunately, my friend's neighbor has seasons two and three so now I'm going to have to go crazy waiting to find out what happens next! I told you she was evil!

Seriously, I would have gone insane without all these things to watch. I hate that we had to give up our dish network, but we had to prioritize our expenses (still are working on it too) so that we can afford for me to be out of work for a while. Gotta love having a budget.

Well I'm trying to get just a few things done around here...easy things. I just had to feel at least a little productive. I'm going to go see if there is something else easy I can do, wish me luck!

Thankful

2007-11-23T09:25:00.000-07:00

I forgot I was going to post what I'm thankful for, not just because it was Thanksgiving day, but because I need to remind myself of all the great things I do have in my life. I need to do this atleast once a week, it really does help put everything into perspective.

I am thankful for:

My family who loves me despite my flaws.

My friends who are such a support to me when my family and life are driving me nuts.

Our jobs and our good health.

The beautiful sunrises I get to enjoy every morning while driving Jr High kids to school. (Sometimes even they notice them.) A beautiful sunrise can make getting up at 4:20am worth it.

I truly am thankful for these things. It wasn't all that long ago that things were much worse for us and I need to remember that we have come a long way, even when it doesn't feel like it. There is so much more I could write, but I have to save something for next time right? LOL

Have a great Black Friday everyone, and I hope you find the deals you are looking for!

Time to myself

2007-11-22T11:02:00.000-07:00

Who knew it could be so hard to have all the time I want to just relax? My Dr "grounded" me yesterday. I can't travel outside of this area anymore, so my hubby and kids went without me to Idaho Falls for Thanksgiving and the blessing of a new little cousin. My sister in law finally got to bring home the little boy she adopted from Guatemala. He is such a doll.

I don't miss the hectic household full of hubby's family, it is always too much of a sensory overload for me. Between the TV remote issue (my kids lost it the other day) and a house full of things that need to be done, I'm finding it harder than I thought to relax. Maybe sorting through baby clothes would cheer me up. I have several boxes to go through, that wouldn't be too strenuous, would it?

I'll figure things out, I so plan to try and enjoy the peace a bit...but I think I may have to go out and rent some movies or something too. I can only sleep so much and I'm too used to always being busy. Wish me luck!

I just posted this and then realized that I didn't explain why I'm "grounded". My busy stressful life is giving me contractions and my hips are not dealing with this pregnancy too well. My Dr is afraid I'm headed into an earlier than he would like delivery. I don't want a delivery this soon either. I'm trying really hard to be good, really I am, but I need to work as long as possible. My checking account is looking sad and empty for December, but I know we will make it through.

Enough of that...have a Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

2007-11-21T23:03:00.000-07:00

This is the first digi LO I ever did. It is clean and simple and I love how it looks.

I finally did it!

2007-11-21T22:16:00.000-07:00

I have been debating over and over as to whether I should leave my old blog behind and begin anew. Heck everyone I know is already here, so I figure I might as well. I miss blogging (I haven't wanted to post anything new on the old one until I decided) so I'm glad to be set up here and hope to have lots of fun with it. I can't wait to learn how to personalize this space, to really make it my own. Any tips would be greatly appreciated.