Paula Deen Wannabe

2000 to 2009

2009-12-31T23:13:00.000-08:00

changes

2009-09-16T11:10:00.000-07:00

i guess it's inevitable but these changes are kind of freaking me out a bit. but on the other hand they are kind of nice at the same time. how does that make sense?

i still get up at 6am because i can't stand my kids getting up to a quiet, dark house in the morning. but this year it's a little different because i don't have to spend 10 minutes trying to get my son out of bed to make sure he doesn't miss the bus. when we bought him school supplies we also bought an alarm clock. if he is old enough to drive his butt to school he can get himself up and in the shower.

and that's another thing. he can drive himself to school, he can leave campus during lunch, and he can get himself to and from wrestling practices and meets. i feel sort of sad about that but bailey loves it since i usually had her go get him after practice. LOL

one of bailey's best friends moves to monmouth on sunday to settle into her dorm at western oregon state university. i think those 2 are really going to miss each other. i am so glad that her other best friend will be staying here and going to college with her. i do for see
the 2 of them moving to portland next year and attending college there.

i start school on the 28th. scared...to...death. i am so worried about failing. it's been a long time since i attended classes and had homework. omg, speaking of college. my tuition is $1155. my books are just over $915. it's a racket i tell you. one of my classes had a book bundle that is $198. one of them is a book that i have. the exact one...not a previous version. this book is shrink wrapped with another book that i have but is a 7th edition whereas the new book is a 9th edition. i am pretty sure they just ripped out a page and called it the 8th edition and then did the same frickin' thing for the 9th edition. i might try asking the instructor if what if have is sufficient since i could really use that $198. here's my schedule:

Monday 9-10 10-11 12-2 2-4:30
Tuesday 9-10 10-11:30 12-1
Wednesday 9-10 10-11 12-2 2-4:30
Thursday 9-10 10-11:30 LOVE Thursdays!
Friday 9-10 10-11 12-1
Medical Terminology & Body Systems
Editing Skills For Info Processing
Formatting
Typing Speed/Accuracy Development
Word Processing: MS Word
Business Orientation/Medical

please have my family forward my mail to the nearest mental hospital. oh, and come visit me at Christmas. LOL

around here we are getting excited for the holidays. bailey is dying for me to unpack the halloween decorations. that is her favorite holiday. cj's is thanksgiving since my mom is the best cook in the world. i think mine is christmas. i like the homey feel of it and how it isn't just one day. i got some rockin' christmas decorations last year in california. danea took me to a christmas store that was AMAZING. it's almost worth a plane ticket down just to see it this year. i should have take pics. maybe i can talk danea into going in there and taking some. ♥

i keep bringing up that Danea and her family need to come here for a visit. she agrees and then kind of moves the conversation on to a new subject. boo. i am going to keep trying. i miss that girl so much. have you ever just wanted to move to be by someone? if it wasn't for my mom i just might do it. there is no way that i could ever be away from her. ever.

i also think i could live by my good friend sara i think we would get along great but there i no way in hell i would move to arizona. she would have to move to PoDunk as she so lovingly calls it. i know she loves seattle so i think she would live in PoDunk just fine.

bailey and her friends got to go to the David Cook concert at the oregon state fair. she loved it and even converted one of her friends to become a fan. ahem..becky.

and we experienced Voo Doo Donuts for the first time. we first heard of it on the show Man vs. Food . bailey and her friends went to the zoo so while they were up there they brought donuts home. cj made sure she got him a glazed donut that was as big as his head. somebody told me that they sell day old donuts in a 5-gallon bucket for $5. score!

i guess that's what's going on here. i hope all is well with you.

peace.

*god bless

2009-09-11T10:36:00.000-07:00

and never forget those that were there that day and those that are still fighting.

chubby bunny

2009-09-01T11:15:00.000-07:00

wow, it's been a long time. i guess that means one of 2 things; i'm lazy or my life is terribly boring. is there an all of the above choice?

life is the same-same. bailey started working for mcdonald's at the beginning of the summer. i think she likes it OK. it will be flexible for her when school starts on sept. 28th and that is what she needs.

cj drives now and is totally loving it. (what 16yr. old doesn't) he is more than willing to run errands so that rocks! he doesn't quite grasp the concept that i am following the law and not letting him have a passenger until his 6 months are up. sometimes it is so hard to say no but you gotta' do what you gotta' do.

i am headed back to school again at the end of september. class every morning at 9am and taking 14 credits. cross your fingers and hold good thoughts please. i always liked school so if i just get my ass there every morning i will do just fine. don't forget...cross those fingers.

i'm getting anxious for fall. i don't know why considering the list of things that i always like to do to get ready:

dump flower pots and winterize flower beds
get carpets cleaned
dig out all the fall decorations
would love to get my windows washed
hose down the deck
take down the picnic table umbrella and bring in patio chairs
mow lawn very short and edge so it looks good until the spring

but, when it's all done it feels and looks great. do you winterize your flower beds? i think this year i might get some of the harvested mint mulch. it smells amazing, it a dark brown color which i love on flower beds, and really protects the perennials. there is a large pile of it just before you get to corvallis and every time i pass by there i roll all my windows down so i can smell it. yum. can you tell i grew up around mint fields? my grandpa and my dad had acres of it. loved it when they burned the crops but then i love the field burning around here. reminds me of childhood and fall. wow, where did this ramble start?? ha ha ha

i just want to put it out there that i feel extremely blessed to have friends that can understand me and give me the space to be me. you know who you are and i love you more than you will ever know. i'm also immensely proud of my kids. bailey is such a deep, strong person. she's brave, loyal, funny, and caring. christopher is very caring as well. his acceptance of people's diversities is so great. his humor is awesome. he cracks us up all the time. you know, school isn't for everyone and it isn't for christopher either. he loves to go because of the social aspect but obviously hates the work and struggles with it. he keeps at it and as long as i keep an eye on it (thank god for the new website where i can go look at all his classes and the assignments in each of them). he always makes it work in the end.

now, saying all that here is what they spend some of their time doing when hanging out with their friends...whom i adore as well. both kids have great friends. i pretty much have 4 extra kids and i wouldn't have it any other way.

how many marshmallows can you get in your mouth and still say "chubby bunny"?
becky

kelsie

bailey

austin
winner w/ 8

cj

oh, and bailey turned 18 a week ago. we started out w/ a tattoo. my birthday gift to her. it's on the back of her left should. it's beautiful.

then they came home, went to an adult store, came home and primped, drove to Eugene to an 18&older club and then just for fun stopped at a strip club on the way home. i guess you can get in at 18 since there is no alcohol served. who knew? of course the girls made sure Bailey got a lap dance. apparently bailey wanted to grow up all in one day. god help me.

peace.

stuck in the middle

2009-07-27T10:41:00.000-07:00

as if you haven't heard this before, i LOVE shauna glenn. i read her blog every day and have her as a friend on my facebook. IS IT 5 O'CLOCK YET?

this past weekend was BlogHer, a convention for female bloggers. apparently the keynote speaker had quite a story to tell. shauna thought it was extremely hilarious and posted a link to her blog. KNOTTY YARN
on said blog the author posted a video of that speech. i about died watching the video so i thought i would share. enjoy.

peace.

big butt

2009-07-15T08:52:00.000-07:00

i found this cartoon on my favorite blog is it 5 o'clock yet?

peace.

insane??

2009-07-13T08:19:00.000-07:00

I saw this on the Cosmo Cricket blog and it cracked me up so i thought i would share and maybe make you smile on a Monday morning.

Life is really about two questions.......

Should I get a dog?

Or, should I have children?

Or, if you're completely insane do both

peace.

kambria.....no.......

2009-07-10T15:22:00.000-07:00

it can't be. seriously? noooooo.....

...and high school themed? my worst nightmare! though i do like Kevin and Lydia. i can't wait to see if they align. oh, let's not forget bigtits,oh,imeanLaura. can't stand her.

i am thrilled to have some summer tv. and 3 times a week rocks!

peace.

Evian Roller Babies

2009-07-09T06:54:00.001-07:00

apparently they are test running this commercial to see if it would work on television. i say "hell ya!"

snagged this from Kam's blog

2009-07-01T09:52:00.001-07:00

thought more of us could use the help to have a good day. thanks Kam!

i have a sweet friend

2009-06-23T08:47:00.000-07:00

who isn't quite up to snuff. i am so sorry that she is having a little 'spin' of the sickies. take care mama'.

i started school yesterday. i think it went really well. both classes are pretty much a 'work at your own risk'. ha! jk. i was given a syllabus, had purchased a book, told what items needed to be handed in, and when the last day of class was. i have a little bit of a hard time staying on task in situations like these so that is why i opted to get my medical transcription certificate at the college and not in my previous home-study course. if i am thrown in front of the computer and told "go!" i do a lot better. so yesterday the guy yelled "go!" and off i went. i will say this: when did we go from this--

to this--??

boy do i need to get out more. it's quite the handy dandy little thing. learn something new everyday....

i returned home from danea's in one piece. i am too old for the baby stage. her two boys are the best...just loud. ha! i don't remember the middle-of-the-night feedings or the diapers. which btw i avoided the entire whole trip. i got skills baby. asa has got to be one of the most clever children i have ever met. he seems to really think things through and comes up with the best options. he's going to be a lot of fun to watch grow up. i feel really blessed to know asa and odin and be their auntie. i am really anxious to see odin's personality when he gets a little bigger and the interaction between the 2 boys. i experienced the sibling relationship through my own 2 kids, a boy and a girl, so theirs will be a lot different i am sure.

it was great to catch up with danea. i miss having a best friend around. i wish i didn't have to get on a plane to have that. hopefully once odin is a little bit older she can come visit me like she used to. until then we will have to adore each other from afar.

one afternoon on my trip we headed out to anthropologie so danea and i could pick up a couple things i have been coveting on their website. what a store. i think salem should get one....cuz' you know albany never will. danea purchased my birthday present while we were there. i have been wanting these measuring cups for ages.

i also have wanted these measuring spoons so i got them for myself.

anthropologie is located among other great shops all housed in this amazing outdoorish shopping center.

we did a little outdoor shopping for sunglasses. i now have a pair of sunglasses that aren't scratched beyond belief. danea was her silly-as-usual self, odin slept and asa was in love with the water fountain. it was a great afternoon.

i hope all of you are having a great summer so far.

peace.

what's up

2009-06-10T23:42:00.000-07:00

with me?? not too much. i am just hangin' out here in california at danea's house. and i am updating this blog on my laptop. which i hate. typing on one sucks. i am very glad that i have a keyboard that i plug in to it at home. and a wireless mouse. i don't know how people do it. blech.

why is it that almost as soon as i went to bed on the first night i was missing my kids terribly? i guess you just don't realize how much kids can effect every thing you do. oh, and what else am i missing? my dogs. what's up with that?! to hear my kids tell me, the dogs miss me as well. a little out of sorts. what cuties.

i felt bad leaving cj. he started getting a cold on friday night and it just continued to get worse over the weekend. when i woke him up monday morning to say goodbye he was in full-swing "i feel like shit" mode. his coughing was terrible and he sounded awful. i felt like a bad mom getting on the shuttle to the airport. he has had a couple bad days but sounded better when i talked to him tonite. his dad was at the store getting more nyquil. what sucks about it the most is it was finals week and there is no way he could stay home. he has been a trooper. i am glad tomorrow is the last day of school and it's only a half day.

bailey and her friend kelsie headed out this morning on their post-graduation road trip. their first alone. they are in newport living in my mom & dad's motorhome. mom & dad keep the motorhome parked in the park at the marina from may through august. it's all set up and ready to enjoy. that thing is amazing....better than the average hotel. the girls are going to have a great time. they have some stuff planned to go do while they are there. i love that they are getting away and be on their own. the girls will be home on friday night. she has been keeping me updated so i can worry a little less. lol

some random CA stuff:

i think it's hot. danea and jeff don't
asa has grown so much since i was here in december. he has been so cute.
odin is such a cutie. he is so alert and strong. when you hold his hands he pulls up.
danea is still getting meals from the mom's club so we haven't cooked monday or tonite. there is a meal coming on friday, too.
i made lemon blossoms today. i think i might try changing the lemon pudding that is in the cake part of them to raspberry. i will make danea dunk them in the glaze since that is what i hate the most.
danea helped me with my blog. we still have a couple things to change. i say we like i have anything to add to the process. lol

well, i guess i should head to bed.

peace.

Raymond - Sexy Mouse (3D animation, funny)

2009-06-05T14:22:00.001-07:00

and the storm passed

2009-06-05T07:58:00.000-07:00

of course, i knew it was going to happen. it is always crappy weather around my birthday. this was extremely crappy weather. scary even for some. we kept up with the news and had a few conversations with the high school as to whether or not they were going to cancel graduation and reschedule. the first time we called they said they didn't know for sure and to call back in 15 minutes. when we did they told us the district was going to wait out the storm and if worst came to worst they would head out to the stadium and tell us to go home. nice. so we went from this...

to this...

and we came home without being rained on, blown away, or struck by lightning. at least it was an eventful graduation.

graduation was amazing. the valedictorian's speeches were awesome, and i couldn't be more proud of my little girl.

and i am very proud of these 2 as well. congrats becky and kelsie.

one of the best parts of last night was the feeling i got seeing the pride that cj had of bailey. i could tell by the way he talked. some of his friends were there for grads they knew so cj texted them and they came over to sit by us. they stood up and cheered....you know the "guy yell"....loudly....for bailey. for becky and kelsie too. kelsie's family was on the opposite side and when she came down off the stage her counselor pointed in our direction and said "i think your family is on THIS side". gotta' love guy yells. matter of fact the lady in front of us turned around and jokingly asked cj if they could give her a heads up when they were going to cheer again. she jumped a foot when the did it the first time.

my mom told me this morning that when they found bailey in the crowd (we were still looking) she saw cj walk up and give her a huge hug....a really huge hug. i love those two. makes me a little jealous that i didn't have that sibling thing.

alright, proud momma will step down from her soap box. i am all set for tomorrow. the party should be great. the paper showed just clouds, no rain, for tomorrow. keep your fingers crossed. thanks.

have a great weekend!

peace.

marge out

2009-06-04T07:26:00.000-07:00

front row

2009-05-27T07:23:00.000-07:00

my good friend, sara, forwarded an email to me that had an awesome message in it. i thought i would share it with you since it has so much meaning. i see this with teenagers, people my age, and it even happens with people my mom's age. trust me, i've seen it. apparently we never outgrow it. so here it is....

Everyone Can't Be In Your Front Row

Life is a theater - invite your audience carefully.
Not everyone is spiritually healthy and mature enough
to have a front row seat in our lives.

There are some people in your life that need
to be loved from a distance.

It's amazing what you can accomplish when you LET GO,
or at least minimize your time with draining, negative, incompatible,
not-going-anywhere relationships/friendships/fellowships!

Observe the relationships around you.
Pay attention to:
Which ones lift and which ones lean?
Which ones encourage and which ones discourage?
Which ones are on a path of growth uphill,
and which ones are going downhill?

When you leave certain people, do you feel better or feel worse?
Which ones always have DRAMA or don't really understand,
know and appreciate you and the gift that lies within you?

The more you seek growth, peace of mind, love and truth,
the easier it will become for you to decide who gets to sit in the FRONT ROW
and who should be moved to the balcony of your life.

You cannot change the people around you...
but you can change the people you are around!

Ask God for godly wisdom and discernment
and choose wisely the people who sit in the front row of your life.

'Just because no one has shown up who can love you on your level,
doesn't mean you sink to theirs!'

we are on graduation countdown.....4 1/2 days!! i am so excited for my baby. i remember what these days felt like. i hope she remembers them forever. we have an awards dinner on Monday where she is being presented an award. the invitation doesn't say for what so i am on pins & needles to find out. i am so stinkin' proud of that girl, you can't even imagine. i am not sure what i did to deserve such awesome kids but i am glad i did it. btw, concerning bailey's graduation, she is having a grad party on saturday the 6th. it always rains on the 6th because it's my birthday. i don't think i have ever had a birthday with sunshine. could you please think good non-rain thoughts?? i really would like most of the people to be able to go outside rather than trying to find a place to stand inside. thanks.

can i just say that i miss American Idol being on? (pouting and stamping foot) i really liked watching the contestants sing a song that i know and comparing it to the original. what does that say about me? am i judgemental?? nah. but i do miss finding out what in the hell adam was going to wear, how much guy-liner he would have on, and what he did with his hair. silly.

did i tell you that i am taking a trip to california to see my best friend, danea, her 2 babies, and...and...and, oh yea! that's right...her hub. i am so excited to get on a plane and switch-up my schedule a little bit. it's going to be awesome to hang with baby odin and cutie-pa-tootie asa. i am taking him a harmonica. bring on the noise! i think sara sent him something that makes noise too, so we are going to be in music mode while i am there. (i think i just heard her say "holy crap!"...it was faint but i am pretty sure i heard it).

well, i am registered for summer school. i am getting a jump on a couple classes for the fall term. i finally realized that i don't have the 'priority gene' that is required for getting a degree at home. i decided that i needed to go to a brick-and-mortar school so studying get's put first during the day. i had previously enrolled in an on-line program for medical transcriptionist. it consisted of 2 courses. after taking me at least twice as long, i finished the first course. the second one, not so much. so i went to LBCC and enrolled in their medical transcription certification program. three terms. that's it. not too bad. a few of the classes will be repeat information since i did finish the first course at home. they are about the actual medical terminology and you can never have enough knowledge when it comes to the way the medical field talks about normal crap. i think there are like 3 medical terms for every simple word. so this summer i am taking a computer class and an advanced typing class to build speed and accuracy. not too bad, 2 hours a day, 3 days a week, and only 5 weeks. tuition isn't cheap though. $74 a credit. when i went there in 1989 it was around $36 a credit. crazyness. (oh crap, i sound like an old person..."when i was in school...")

just thought i would let you know that i now have a barn, can plant pumpkins, and have a ton of $$ to upgrade. jealous? i am playing a game on facebook where i farm. it is total geek-y-ness but i love it. a handful of my friends from high school play as well so i am not the only one. hmmm....what does that say about south albany high school?? jk, even though i am now officially a west albany high school-er.

(i snagged this picture from another blog, it is their farm. i have trees and a barn and a ton of animals!! so there!)
it is actually pretty fun. you plant crops, harvest them, sell the crops, make the money to buy seeds to replant. then you can expand. you can send gifts to your neighboring farmers and/or harvest other people's crop to earn extra money. sweet! ha ha ha.

well, i gotta' find my bib-overalls and get to the farm!

peace.

crop, paper, scissors

2009-05-24T10:47:00.000-07:00

i finally went out for an evening last night. anne and i went to a crop at a kick-butt scrapbook store in Independence called Runs with Scissors. we had the best time not only at the crop but on the ride over and back visiting. good friends are the best at that. they have the most amazing chairs and crop tables that were completely covered with cutting mats. they also had a Cricut Expressions die-cut machine with all the cartriges, that i would love to have. sadly, i didn't take the time to play with it last night so i will make sure i do it next time.

anne made us dinner....turkey with feta and cheddar cheese. it was heaven. we also took other GBS-friendly snacks. i now have a recipe for delicious almonds that i have to try. thanks mama!! ♥♥

i loved the american idol finale show. i was taping it on TIVO and waited to start it an hour after it began so i could fast forward through all the stuff that wasn't performed by adam or kris. but.....it got me and i watched the whole damn thing. want proof?.....Queen Latifa, you SO should not have worn that black body suit. gasp. but, my boy won. i wasn't as shocked as "it was rigged" and "total upset" screamers, i think he just got the danny votes. anyway, yay!

david cook came back and performed the song "permanet" that he wrote about his brother's suffering due to brain cancer. the song was written and released on his first album. his brother died about a month or so ago. i have no idea how he got up there and performed that song but i know that i was.....BAWLING. stories like that kill me. a long time ago he had agreed to attend a cancer walk. his brother died the day before and he went to the walk anyway. he spoke about how he could not 'not' attend and how important the research for cancer was. i thought that was pretty cool.

life has been a little frantic over here for me. i probably make it harder than it needs to be. i'm just sayin'. bailey is graduating on the 4th of june and i have been planning her party, her gift, and sending out announcements and invitations.

my good friend Sara made the invitations for the grad party. i emailed her a "general" version of it and then she did her 'thang'. she changed the colors to match the actual book, did all the adjustments to fit 2 on a page so i could print them on photo paper myself, and she even elongated the hair on the boy in the hot air balloon to make it look more like a girl. she then added all the altered information to match the event. i couldn't have asked for a better invitation. thanks Sara!! click on the invitation to enlarge it so you can read it.

in the last 11 months there have been a lot of changes in my home, my family, and me. i have finally made it to a place where i feel "clear". i don't know if that makes sense but it feels good to know who i am and what i want and be happy with that.

i ran across this song by Kelly Clarkson months ago and it fit how i have felt about myself. i don't know what this song is to her but there are parts of it that ring true for me. it's a great song and somehow speaks to me. it is not about a person but about me and a process and change.

And I Don't Know
This Could Break My Heart Or Save Me
Nothing's Real
Until You Let Go Completely
So Here I Go With All My Thoughts I've Been Saving
So Here I Go With All My Fears Weighing On Me

Three Months And I'm Still Sober
Picked All My Weeds But Kept The Flowers
But I Know It's Never Really Over

And I Don't Know
I Could Crash And Burn But Maybe
At The End Of This Road I Might Catch A Glimpse Of Me
So I Won't Worry About My Timing, I Want To Get It Right
No Comparing, Second Guessing, No Not This Time

Three Months And I'm Still Breathing

Been A Long Road Since Those Hands I Left My Tears In But I Know
It's Never Really Over, No

Wake Up

Three Months And I'm Still Standing Here
Three Months And I'm Getting Better Yeah
Three Months And I Still Am

Three Months And I'm Still Breathing
Three Months And I Still Remember It
Three Months And I Wake Up

Three Months And I'm Still Sober
Picked All My Weeds But Kept The Flowers

and on that happy note i will get out of here and back to trying to organize my thoughts for this party. i am so freaked that i might forget something. wish me luck.

peace.

Season Finale: Last 5 Minutes

2009-05-21T23:12:00.001-07:00

Want more American Idol videos? Click here.

woot woot

2009-05-14T09:46:00.000-07:00

is it just me??

2009-05-11T08:40:00.000-07:00

or does anyone else find these creepy?

this is SOAP!!!

have a good day...if you can now that you have seen these. blech.

you are all so special

2009-05-10T08:29:00.001-07:00

tagged

2009-05-06T08:55:00.000-07:00

It's the **8** Things post.

8 Things I Look Forward To:

Bailey's Graduation

CJ getting his license

Starting work as a Transcriptionist

Going to CA to visit Danea

Summer

Starting to Scrapbook again

Having the kids home on Summer Vacation

Cooking for my Mom's Party

8 Things I Did Yesterday:

Finished Printing Bailey's Grad Party Invited

Went to the Dollar Store and bought Grad Party Supplies

Went to Hallmark for Mom's Day card

Grocery shopping

Watched American Idol and Biggest Loser

Tended my Farm on Facebook

Took a nap

Set-Up a step to help my cat Raven jump up to her food table. She's fat and old.

8 Things I Wish I Could Do:

Tend a Garden without killing it

Learn to jog

Go spend a huge amount of Money on awesome Clothes

Paint the walls in my home to give it some Color

Take my kids on a Vacation

Learn how to take Great Photos

Visit Danea more Often

Go to Cooking School

8 Shows I Watch:

Bones

The Closer

Criminal Minds

Clean House

The Ghost Whisperer

Life

House

Intervention

Well, there you have it MISS ANNE. I finally did a tag! LOL ♥ The bloggers that I would tag were taken by Anne so I guess I will just leave you with my list.

peace.

determination

2009-04-24T07:53:00.000-07:00

this picture seems to have come to me at the right time. look how determined he is.

have a lovely weekend.

peace.

heart warming

2009-04-16T00:44:00.000-07:00

you know, there are a lot of people out there that say there are way too many reality shows out there. and they are right. some of them are ridiculous and should never be allowed to be on the air. but sometimes....just sometimes they can make a world of difference to someone. and that just might be worth putting up with all the other crap.

this woman just makes me smile. even before she sang. her life was sad in my opinion. never been kissed at the age of 47?? bless her ever loving heart. and her attitude and personality is wonderful. i bet she is a joy to be around. and like one of the judges said...everyone in the room was against her. the judges themselves were giggling and rolling their eyes. but she made them eat crow. good for her. this is the good that is found sometimes. and this warms my heart immensely. (sorry about the link. they have disabled all the embedding on all the videos i could find)

Susan Boyle

and i feel the same way about this sweet man. he competed last season this same show. i think me might have won, too. he ended up sing for the Queen. people...he was selling cell phones. what a life changing event. even after having watched this video at least a dozen times the chills and tears still come.

Paul Potts

i guess i just wanted to share some inspiration. some consideration before judgement. and some chills and tears from something so unexpected and amazing. ♥♥♥

peace.

**anne tagged me*

2009-04-15T10:34:00.000-07:00

apparently there is a tag out there to take a picture right at the moment you get the tag....no primping. so in all it's glory here is mine.

reasons it's horrible:

cell phone picture
6:00 am
yesterday's eye make-up
wife-beater tank
headband
self-portrait

and of course you will notice that anne's pic is right after she went out with a friend. hmmm.....make-up. whatever girlfriend!! let's see a post in the am when you get up. that takes guts!

i am supposed to tag others but i don't really think that works but here it is:

kambria
missy
kate
jessie
i won't do danea since she just had a baby.
sara

well, that's it for today. have a great wednesday!

peace.

announcing

2009-04-13T23:33:00.000-07:00

baby BURLESON

peace.

it's been awhile

2009-04-11T00:10:00.000-07:00

...since i saw you. how ya' been? i don't check in that often since there isn't much going on here at the ponce home. we tend to be a boring bunch. wrestling is over so cj is home a lot more which means we have more teenage boys around. that's always entertaining.

cj got a car. he will be taking his driving test in 2 months so he is driving his own car to practice on since that will be the one he will drive for the test. his car is a 2003 Dodge Neon. it's bottom basement for sure. manual windows and locks. i don't remember the last time i have been in a car where you had to 'roll' down the windows. it's very clean and no dent with pretty low mileage. i think all in all we got a good deal. he is thrilled so that is good.

bailey takes a "Health Occupations" class this semester. each student spends 2 days shadowing a medical professional at 3 different locations. she spent her first 2 days in the women's center where women give birth. the man she was following asked her if she had ever seen a live birth and she of course said no. she wasn't supposed to go into something like that but he pulled her into a room where a woman was just giving birth. she got to see the whole thing. what an amazing thing for her. when she got home and told me i asked her what she thought she said "i have a whole new level of respect for you". cracked me up. love that girl. her second 2 days were at a rehabilitation center and her last 2 at an urgent care center. i think it was a great experience for her.

we are getting her ready for her senior prom. she found an amazing dress and phenomenal shoes. they are half a size too small. boo. she is getting her hair done in an up-do by my friend Missy. her date, Derrick, is a really nice guy. he works a Safeway and we talk to him all of the time. i am anxious to see what he is wearing. i sure hope i get good pictures.

cj ended up having a rock concert to go to the same day as the prom. it was a struggle to find a way to get him there since there was no way i was going to miss getting her ready. plus, all of her friends are getting ready here as well. we worked out a ride for Cj and his friend Paul to get to Portland for the concert. whew.

as usual, i found some amazing pictures that i want to share with you. this man draws pictures of animals on his hands. they look amazing. what talent.

i thought i would post this picture in tribute to my best friend Danea. she is going to have her second baby boy on monday, april 13th. i know she is very uncomfortable at this stage of her pregnancy but this picture shows how amazing this late in the game it can be.

and since i love animals here are a few to make you smile.

well, that's all i got for now. have a very blessed and happy easter.

peace.

this just makes me happy

2009-04-05T11:55:00.000-07:00

every year for the past 40 years Mr. & Mrs. Volke from East Germany have taken the time and effort to create and display this in their garden....

just because.

one of the blogs i have been reading lately is em*il*ie

she is a very talented scrapper, artist, and mother who is very funny and warm. i am really loving her blog. i have to share part of her post from a few days ago. with bailey graduating and cj about to get his driver's license it was nice to be reminded of what it was like some days when they were little kids. here is an excerpt from that post:

Holy Embarrassment, Batman!

So, we live on the third floor and we have a small balcony.

Once in a while I let my kids play out there when I can watch them.
But it came to my attention yesterday that clearly, I don't watch them as closely as I should.

I received a formal letter from our apartment manager saying that they had had complaints from a few tenants that our kids had thrown some items off of the edge of the balcony. She said she was holding my items in the office and I should come and pick them up.

I was kind of steamed. I was thinking, "C'mon people! So my kids threw a straw or a small toy off the balcony. Let it go!" So I head to the office to give a fake apology and pick up the items she mentioned. And, oh man...my fake apology turned real.

Here are the items my children tossed from three stories up...

- four mis-matched shoes
- one African maraca
- one Napolean Dynamite DVD
- one empty vhs case
- one Disney Princess pillow
- two pieces from our Play-Doh fun factory
- one Halloween board book
- one toddler plate shaped like a Hippo
- one LDS Temple shaped cookie cutter
- one spool white thread

And all of this added up to one embarrassed Mommy....me.

things here at home are just fine. we finally got wireless internet which makes bailey happy because she can use her laptop in her room, makes cj happy because his iTouch is way much cooler now, and makes me extremely happy because i am now rid of the unsightly black patch cable that was running from the modem in our office down the hall to cj's room for his xbox 360 live. funny how i got the least out of it but feel like i got the most if you know what i mean. ooops...my ocd is showing.

it's so nice to have some sunshine. i hope we start having more sunny days than raining, overcast days now. that does mean that i get to start the post-winter clean up. yay.

well, i have to go check my facebook. which explains my reason for such neglect here. i guess i don't multi-task very well.

peace.

can you imagine??

2009-03-21T10:53:00.000-07:00

the first day of spring break. i remember what it felt like when i was in school. i wonder if it still feels that way? it's 11:00am and bailey has been up for about half an hour and i just heard cj walk from his room into the shower. i guess that's about right for teenagers. i hope they have a great week.

peace.

anne and jamie

2009-03-20T08:20:00.000-07:00

all because two people fell in love

tomorrow will be a very blessed day. the kids and i look forward to sharing it with them. congratulations dear friends.

thank goodness

2009-03-17T00:54:00.000-07:00

my computer problems are solved!

and, where is our sunshine? i am dying without it.

peace.

ha ha ha

2009-03-15T15:16:00.000-07:00

hey kambria

2009-03-09T08:17:00.000-07:00

lovin' the V-WARMER!!

peace.

they're back!!

2009-03-06T09:48:00.000-08:00

i always wanted one of these. i told cj i was going to buy one and he looked at me like i was crazy. i guess i probably am. don't tell me he wouldn't try it out though.

isn't he cute!?!

i was reading ali edward's blog and ran across this etsy site, lettergirl. her self-inking stamps are amazing. she has the best handwriting.

i just might get myself this one for my birthday.

i have been spending a lot of time on facebook and one of my facebook friends posted this on her profile. since not everyone can see it i thought i would post it here. i LOVE it. i remember so much of what he is talking about. funny how the times have changed.

hope you all have a great weekend.

peace.

most definately

2009-02-25T07:51:00.000-08:00

Life was so much easier
when clothes didn't match
and boys had cooties.

peace.

a little redneck

2009-02-24T08:19:00.000-08:00

i swiped this picture from my daughter's friend's blog. i love it! thanks becky!

my computer has been so tied up with viruses lately that i have just been wanting to throw it out the window! i have to shut it down and restart it every 20 minutes. i am so scared that i will lose all my pictures, recipes, and links to my favorite sites. so......i got a new PC!! woot woot! i just need to make sure the virus isn't somehow in my picture files and then get them transfered off this old one and onto the new one and i am good to go. yay!! wish me luck.

peace.

doesn't she have enough $$ ?

2009-02-22T08:55:00.000-08:00

So the dish on the Paris Hilton Creativity Collection…it’s a range of scrapbooking papers, paper accessory-making kits and clothing-blinging kits aimed at teenagers. Everything comes in kits, with a lovely cardboard likeness of Paris herself holding it all together as the hang tag. Sadly, if you expected the papers to have the look of designers that exist on Rodeo Drive or in Saks 5th Avenue, you will be sorely disappointed. It looks more like the kind of illustration that would be found at Spencer’s Gifts. Which begs me to ask what I asked as soon as I heard about the plans for a Paris scrapbooking line: Is this for real?

Truth be told, it may be real or it may not be real, depending on the number of orders placed at the show, as the line hasn’t been printed yet. Maybe it will show up in the American big box stores like Michael’s, if they think it will get more teenage customers in the door. But there’s some hefty competition for that market, as the big players are trying to bank on the teens too—American Crafts, Making Memories and others have teen lines that are aimed more at teens themselves scrapping rather than just the parents of teens. Plus there are licensed lines with Hannah Montana and High School Musical for the younger portion of that market. With all that in mind, it’s kinda hard to take the Creativity Collection seriously. It could have been a very smart business move—but not with the cartoony look that I’m not really sure will catch on with the teen market and I definitely don’t see it flying with the grown-ups.

But hey, I could be wrong. More power to Paris.

---picture and information come from SHIMELLE
which is a great site i found from my usual 'blog-hopping'. i think i remember her as a great scrapper and poster on the 2P's message boards a long time ago when i use to go there. now she has a website. wow, pretty cool. i blog-hopped from another scrapper that i remember from 2P's, KELLI CROWE.

peace.

to make Missy laugh out loud

2009-02-20T16:09:00.000-08:00

i sacrificed myself and my blog for you Missy so you better be laughing your ass off girlie!!

even at my age

2009-02-20T15:40:00.000-08:00

i joined a rock band. just because Miss M! told me to so it's her fault if we suck.

Here are the rules:

1 - Go to "wikipedia." Hit “random”or click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random The first random wikipedia article you get is the name of your band.

2 - Go to "Random quotations" by clicking: http://www.quotationspage.com/random.php3 The last four or five words of the very last quote of the page is the title of your first album.

3 - Go to flickr and click on “explore the last seven days”or click http://www.flickr.com/explore/interesting/7days Third picture, no matter what it is, will be your album cover.

Here is mine.

Canada Warbler
In Spite of Being Unacceptable

peace.

if you were a little girl

2009-02-19T15:59:00.000-08:00

I found this list on the blog of a friend of Karen Russell. I also found the 80's one below. They are amazing. I am going to highlight the ones that apply to me. Let me know if you can relate.

If you were a little girl in the 70's...

You had that Fisher Price Doctor's Kit with a stethoscope that actually worked.

You owned a bicycle with a banana seat and a plastic basket with flowers on it.

You learned to skate with actual skates (not roller blades) that had metal wheels.

You thought Gopher from Love Boat was cute (admit it!)

You had nightmares after watching Fantasy Island .

You had either a 'bowl cut' or 'pixie', not to mention the 'Dorothy Hamill'. People sometimes thought you were a boy.

You had rubber boots for rainy days and Moon boots for snowy days.

YEAH! You owned a 'Slip-n-Slide', on which you injured yourself on a sprinkler head more than once.

You owned 'Klick-Klacks' and smacked yourself in the face more than once!

Your Holly Hobbie sleeping bag was your most prized possession.

You wore a poncho, gauchos, and knickers.

You begged Santa for the electronic game, Simon.

You had the Donnie and Marie dolls with those pink and purple satiny shredded outfits, or the sunshine family

You spent hours in your backyard on your metal swing set with the trapeze. The swing set tipped over at least once.

You had homemade ribbon barrettes in every imaginable color. (Oh yeah!)

You had a pair of Doctor Scholl's sandals (the ones with hard sole & the buckle). You also had a pair of salt-water sandals.

You wanted to be Laura Ingalls Wilder really bad; you wore that Little House on the Prairie-inspired plaid, ruffle shirt with the high neck in at least one school picture; and you despised Nellie Oleson!

You wanted your first kiss to be at a roller rink! ---- yes it was!

PONG! ('video tennis' ) was the most remarkable futuristic game you've ever heard of !

Your hairstyle was described as having 'wings' or 'feathers' and you kept it 'pretty' with the comb you kept in your back pocket. When you walked, the 'wings' flapped up and down, looked like you were gonna 'take off' .

You know who Strawberry Shortcake is, as well as her friends, Blueberry Muffin and Huckleberry Pie.

You carried a Muppets lunch box to school and it was metal, not plastic. With the thermos inside some were glass inside and broke the first time you dropped them.

You and your girlfriends would fight over which of the Dukes of Hazzard was your boyfriend.

YOU had Star Wars action figures, too!

It was a big event in your household each year when the 'Wizard of Oz' would come on TV. Your mom would break out the popcorn and sleeping bags!

You often asked your Magic-8 ball the question: 'Who will I marry. Shaun Cassidy, Leif Garrett, or David Cassidy?'

You completely wore out your Grease, Saturday Night Fever, and Fame soundtrack record album.

You tried to do lots of arts and crafts, like yarn and Popsicle-stick God's eyes, decoupage, or those weird potholders made on a plastic loom.

You made Shrinky-Dinks and put iron-on kittens on your t-shirts!

You used to tape record songs off the radio by holding your portable tape player up to the speaker.

You had subscriptions to Dynamite and Tiger Beat.

You learned everything you needed to know about girl issues from Judy Blume books. (Are you there God, It's me, Margaret.)

You thought Olivia Newton John's song 'Physical' was about aerobics. (?? its not??)

You wore friendship pins on your tennis shoes, or shoelaces with heart or rainbowdesigns.

You wanted to be a Solid Gold dancer.

You drowned yourself in Love's Baby Soft - which was the first 'real' perfume you ever owned.

You glopped your lips in Strawberry Roll-on lip-gloss till it almost dripped off.

And in the 80's:

1. You've ever ended a sentence with the word SIKE.
2. You can sing the rap to the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and can do the Carlton.
3. You know that "WOAH" comes from Joey on Blossom.

4. If you ever watched "Fraggle Rock".
5. It was actually worth getting up early on a Saturday to watch cartoons.
6. You wore a ponytail on the side of your head.
7. You got super-excited when it was Oregon Trail day in computer class at school.
8. You made your mom buy one of those clips that would hold your shirt in a knot on the side.
9. You played the game "MASH"(Mansion, Apartment, Shelter, House).
10. You wore stonewashed Jordache jean jackets and were proud of it.
11. You know the profound meaning of " WAX ON , WAX OFF".

12. You wanted to be a Goonie.
13. You ever wore fluorescent clothing. (some of us...head-to-toe).
14. You can remember what Michael Jackson looked like before his nose fell off and his cheeks shifted.
15. You have ever pondered why Smurfette was the only female smurf.
16. You took lunch boxes to school...and traded Garbage Pail Kids in the schoolyard.
17. You remember the CRAZE, then the BANNING of slap bracelets.
18. You still get the urge to say "NOT" after every sentence.
19. You thought your childhood friends would never leave because you exchanged handmade friendship bracelets.
21. You ever owned a pair of Jelly-Shoes.

22. After you saw Pee-Wee's Big Adventure you kept saying "I know you are, but what am I?"
23. You remember "I've fallen and I can't get up"
24. You remember going to the skating rink before there were inline skates.
25. You have ever played with a Skip-It.
26. You remember boom boxes and walking around with one on your shoulder like you were all that.
27. You remember watching both Gremlins movies.
28. You thought Doogie Howser/Samantha Micelli was hot.
29. You remember Alf, the lil furry brown alien from Melmac.
30. You remember New Kids on the Block when they were cool...and don't even flinch when people refer to them as "NKOTB"
31. You knew all the characters names and their life stories on "Saved By The Bell," The ORIGINAL class.
32. You know all the words to Bon Jovi - SHOT THROUGH THE HEART.
33. You just sang those words to yourself.
34. You still sing "We are the World"
35. You tight rolled your jeans.
36. You owned a bannana clip.

37. You remember "Where's the Beef?"
38. You used to (and probably still do) say "What you talkin' 'boutWillis?"
39. You're still singing "shot through the heart" in your head, aren't you!

peace.

celebrity crush for kambria

2009-02-15T09:31:00.000-08:00

Matthew Gray Gubler

Biography

Matthew Gray Gubler can be seen in the upcoming feature films "How to be a Serial Killer," "The Great Buck Howard" and "Pornstar." His other film credits include "R.V." and "The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou."

As a model, Gubler has walked the runway for such fashion designers as Marc Jacobs, Burberry and Louis Vuitton. He was featured in Paper Magazine's 8th annual Beautiful People issue.

Born and raised in Las Vegas, he lives in Los Angeles. His birth date is March 9.

...and he plays a nerd on TV and i love that. and this other guy might be the second reason i watch Criminal Minds.

peace.

randomness

2009-02-12T08:05:00.000-08:00

how cute are these??

i saw them at PEDLARS

for those of you who are watching american idol, why, oh why, didn't they cut her?
MISS I-CAN'T-STAND-YOUR-LAUGH

i am in love with these. such a cute idea.

this is her etsy site:
LENAE MAY

some people are just too crafty. coffee filters? really?

she tells you how here.
PAM GARRISON

a couple mottos i need to refer to these days. actually all days probably.

the kids and i are doing well. it's valentine's weekend and i think cj might be going to the west dance with a girl from south. who knows with him. bailey and her friends have something cooked up. i just don't have all the details yet. hopefully ole' mom will know soon enough.

we had to keep bug off of all medications for her itching problems for 60 days. we couldn't even put anything topical on her. the most we could do was give her benedryl and i don't even know how well that worked. it was a nightmare. she was miserable and it was so hard for us to watch her and try to keep her from scratching as much as possible. after the 60 days we had her blood drawn (last week) and at that point we were able to have the vet give her a shot to curb the itching. it worked within 18 hours and is still working like a dream. the blood was sent off to a lab and had allergy testing done to determine what she is allergic to that is making her itch. once that is identified they can make a serum that we can give her to take care of that specific allergy and then no more itching! the vet called last night and the blood work came in and said that she was negative for all allergies. she is allergic to nothing!! WTF?? i just watched her go through hell for 60 days, spend $450 for the test, and now i know nothing? what now? they say take her off all meds and do the detox thing for 90 days this time and retest. again, WTF? why didn't we just keep her off for an additional 30 days at this point and then we would be 2/3 of the way for the second test. i am so frustrated.

oh, and jack goes to a eugene vet internist and has an upper-GI because he has...wait for it...acid reflux and has to be on...wait for it...Pepcid. they hope to find the cause of the reflux and fix it if they can. cost for just the test?? $1100. please stick needles in my eyes. per missy...SHITBALLS!!

cats from now on! i love my pugs but shit! this is expensive.

have a great weekend.

peace.

for my friend sara

2009-02-09T09:56:00.001-08:00

is this what your kitchen is like??

tmi

2009-02-09T08:41:00.000-08:00

Another survey that requires one word answers, found on Miss M!'s blog.

1. Where is your cell phone? desk

2. Your significant other? divorced

3. Your hair? short

4. Your mother? amazing

5. Your father? strong

6. Your favorite thing? motherhood

7. Your dream last night? none

8. Your favorite drink? dietpepsi

9. Your dream/goal? security

10. What room you are in? office

11. Your hobby? scrapbooking

12. Your fear? water

13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? happy

14. Where were you last night? store

16. Muffins? bran

17. Wish list item? computer

18. Where you grew up: albany

19. Last thing you did? facebook

20. What are you wearing? jammies

21. Your TV? tivo

22. Your pets? pugs

23. Friends? Good

24. Your life? different

25. Your mood? pissy

26. Missing some one? grandma

27. Car? 300

28. Something you're not wearing? earrings

29. Your favorite store? kitchen

30. Your favorite color? red

33. When is the last time you laughed? midnight

34. Last time you cried? yesterday

35. Who will repost this? dunno

36. One place that I go to over and over? Safeway

37. One person who emails me regularly? AllRecipes

38. My favorite place to eat? dunno

39. Why you participated in this survey? curious

40. What are you doing tonight? studying

peace.

have you...

2009-02-05T10:05:00.001-08:00

...purchased your Karen Russell kit?? She is reporting on her blog that there is an unusually high number of orders for this kit, A Year in the Making. Ali Edwards endorsed it so the sales went up.

this will be a lot of fun girls, so order your kit and come scrapbook!

peace.

because i know

2009-01-28T09:58:00.000-08:00

everything! no, just kiding. i know from experience of taking multiple classes from Karen Russell that she is amazing. her products are great and her passion for photography is way cool.

she is going to quit teaching for awhile (sad face) and therefore won't have class kits to sell on her blog. i have purchased kits from her this way and they are stuffed with cool products to finish the project (which includes great instuctions on a CD or PDF file) and have lots of fun stuff left over.

so why am i telling you this? i propose that we should all buy a kit and have a "class" together. pick a day, get together, have our kit and pictures ready, and complete our projects. what'cha think? here is the link to the class kit:

A YEAR IN THE MAKING

peace.

**can't stop laughing""

2009-01-27T08:23:00.000-08:00

found this web-site from a post on the Pioneer Woman's site. i can't wait to show it to the kids when they get home.

see more pwn and owned pictures

FAIL SITE

i'm so excited

2009-01-20T07:48:00.001-08:00

called out

2009-01-15T08:15:00.000-08:00

my friend sara wants me to share 5 items that i am addicted to. well i will say is that we should be neighbors because we share a few addictions.

without a doubt the internet is a staple in our house. it amazes me how we freak out when it is down. it's sad really.

i don't stop at scrapbook paper. no baby, i like ALL the scrap supplies! looking at them just makes me happy.

we have 2 tivos and both of them can record 2 shows at once. that's crazy! but the best ever!

i love kitchen knives. all sizes. i just recently got the best sharpener and i love it. nothing is worse than a dull knife.

old navy long rib-knit tanks. i love these for layering. i wear them year round. i wear them in the winter with a zip-front sweatshirt around the house. so comfy. throw on some flannel jammie bottoms and my slippers and i am set!

now i get to tag five:
kambria
missy
kate
jessie
danea-bo-banea

paging Kambria

2009-01-15T07:57:00.000-08:00

did you see this?

the farm chicks antique show

check the date. that's my birthday. how fun might that be??

here are pics from last year's show:

sweet addie vintage

possible road trip anyone?

i guess i am a cry baby

2009-01-12T00:54:00.000-08:00

but this really had my going. i love it.

peace.

the lady on the bench

2009-01-11T13:08:00.000-08:00

this post from a blog that i visit really had me cracking up this morning. i guess i woke up on the dorky side of the bed.

the junk drawer

peace.

god bless my friends

2009-01-10T01:08:00.000-08:00

peace.

to quote a few

2009-01-09T09:51:00.000-08:00

"i die"
check out this etsy seller! a girl's room would rock this!
madteaparty

i'm gathering that a dear friend might need this:

and because weight seems to be on everyone's mind:

peace.

shit i'm old

2009-01-04T11:51:00.000-08:00

found this on another blog (http://kasm.blogspot.com/).

Was MTV your Disney Channel?
Answer these questions to find out:

If a 3-D drawn hand beckoned to you from the comic book you were reading, would you follow it into the comic book?

Would you be amenable to a make-over by the ZZ Top girls?

Do you love, hate, or want to be Martha Quinn?

Who's more down home, John Cougar or Bruce Springsteen?

Who would win in a fight, John Cougar or Spandeau Ballet? (hahahahah, just joking.)

Who would you be more afraid to date in 1980, Michael Jackson or David Lee Roth? How about in 2008?

Who should teach your 6th grade Maturation program, Tawny Kitaen or Boy George? (Tawny would have more facts but Boy George would probably be more tactful).

What cautionary tale encourages chastity? Angel is the Centerfold, Billie Jean, or Jack and Diane?

Who wore high wasted pegged cargo pants better: Simon Le Bon or Sting?

Who is more suicidal: Robert Smith of The Cure or Morrisey?

Whose headbands are flashier: Olivia Newton John's or Clarence Clemons' of the E Street Band?

Who is more exquisite, Janet or Michael Jackson?

Which video best describes your academic experiences: Hot for Teacher or Don't Stand So Close to Me?

Who do you want on your team, Siouxsie or Sinead? (Trick question--the correct answer is Blondie.)

Who would you restore to their 80s prime: Whitney Houston or Michael Jackson?

reading some of these names sent me over to youTube to watch videos. we've come a long way for sure. does MTv show actual videos anymore?? here's a blast from the past. still one of my fave's.

to finish off the week

2009-01-04T09:39:00.000-08:00

this christmas turned out to be a quiet one for sure. definately an adjustment. i guess that was to be expected. it was nice though. cj got his itouch that he has been bugging me about for months. now i don't have to listen to that. bailey got one of the new ipods in a cool blue color. of course books, dvds, and itune cards rounded out the rest.

i got this:

and this:

dear sweet anne made me the most amazing painting. i can't express how special this is to me. it is one of THE most thoughtful gifts i have ever received.

the poem reads:
...in this home
we do second chances.
we disagree.
we do mistakes.
we do "i'm sorry's".
we do loud...really well.
we do hugs.
we do family.
we do
LOVE

i am going to have it framed in black and hang it in my living room. it's the perfect colors and the perfect fit for our family. it couldn't be said any better.

xmas at my mom's was nice.

i finally got all of my xmas decorations down, packed awesomely, and stored in the garage. i was kind of sad to see a few of them put away. silly.

we organized the garage to make room for the tables and chairs that i held onto from the shop. my dad had been storing them in his garage/workshop but he was needing the room so he brought them over. plus we are moving cj's weight bench to the garage from his room. he really doesn't have enough room for it in there and his grandma bought new furniture and gave him a great black leather recliner so he is going to put that in there. what a chair for gaming!

mom helped me get all of the new bedding on my bed since i switched from a king to a queen bed. it took a little bit since she insisted that the bedskirt needed to be ironed. why?? i would have just put it on there. hmmm. my brother-in-law came over and hung my tv on the wall in there and that cleared up some space on the top of my dresser. so now my room is finished.

bailey got new bedding for her room for christmas. we got all of that put on and it looks great. we took her room from young-teen to a little bit of an older look. i like it a lot better. it's very pretty and matches her paint colors so well.

we made a huge run to Goodwill. you should have seen the line of cars there making donations! apparently there must be a lot of people getting organized for the new year. it is a great feeling.

so it was definately a productive day yesterday and it kicked my ass but it's nice to have those things done. for the bazillionth time i will say that i still need to get my scraproom cleaned up. i have grand plans and they never get finished. it's so frustrating but i guess there is always tomorrow for that. =) hee hee

so to start the week out laughing here is some fun:

just a day late

2009-01-02T12:14:00.000-08:00

peace.

a very merry

2008-12-25T08:33:00.000-08:00

CHRISTMAS TO YOU!!

Bless you and your family.

peace.

love this song

2008-12-24T09:02:00.000-08:00

and could she be any cuter??

saw this on lindsay teague moreno's blog and had to share.

peace.

love it!!

2008-12-21T08:22:00.000-08:00

poor thing

2008-12-20T12:30:00.000-08:00

now that's what i'm talkin' about

2008-12-19T06:17:00.000-08:00

woot! woot!

meanwhile... in the kitchen i have been really busy preparing sweets for my goodie boxes that the kids and i are going to give as gifts.

i have since made chocolate crinkles, molasses snaps, peanut butter balls, and no-bake cookies. today i am going to tackle scotchies and a cake balls. i found the cutest christmas decorated chinese to-go boxes to put the goodies in. yum!

bailey was supposed to have her christmas choir concert on wednesday and thursday but it got postponed until january due to the weather. kind of a bummer since it is special because after at least 5 years of choir it is her last one. i am really anxious to see it. i definately have to get there early to get good seats so i can get good pictures. i always have to take pictures of all three of the girls so i have to have good angles. now that i know what settings on my camera to use for the crappy lighting in the gym i don't have to worry about that. =)

cj had his first wrestling meet last week in salem at McKay high school. there was one scheduled this week at McNary high school in salem but it was cancelled because of the weather. those meets are crazy! there are at least 8 schools there, 3 huge mats, and 2 matches going on each mat. the kids didn't stick to one mat either. they would go to whatever mat was open when their weight class was up. talk about chaos! i got a few good pictures of his matches.

i got the cutest dept. 56 xmas cats while i was in california visiting danea. we were at Lisa'a Tea Room and in the waiting area there is the neatest gift shop. i have only seen dept. 56 items online so i was thrilled to see them in person. these cats just screamed to come home with me and be displayed next to the funky arrangement that i made. what'cha think? aren't they the cutest?

danea also took me to an AMAZING christmas store. i have never seen so many xmas ornaments in one place. there were some high-end artificial trees there that i couldn't believe weren't real. each tree was done in a theme or a color combination. i purchased funky ornaments from the circus-themed tree. i shipped them home and next year i will get a small tree to put on my kitchen bistro-style table and use just those ornaments. i love them! this year i have THIS on that table:

i have to hand it to the nursery. they can grow some phenomenal poinsettias. this baby is huge. my mom got ones like this that are white, pink, and marbled. i was too late and got red only. but boy is it pretty.

.......and it's still snowing.

peace.

bummer

2008-12-18T07:01:00.000-08:00

my kids (and me to tell the truth) are totally bummed that we didn't wake up to a view of nothing but white. but no, we got rain. usual oregon, no wait...JUST ALBANY, rain. WTF?? i guess our "snowed-in" was short lived.

keep your fingers crossed we will still get that winter storm that has been predicted for the last 4 days. a sea of white is what i'm lookin' for.

peace.

so true, so scary

2008-12-17T10:45:00.000-08:00

peace.

i was tagged

2008-12-11T09:09:00.000-08:00

it's nice to know you Carol. i just adore your daughter Jamie. anne and jamie are the best....and they make a beautiful couple.

I was tagged by CAROL at http://carolskitchentabletalk.blogspot.com/
Here are the rules:
1. Link to the person that tagged you.
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Share six non-important things/habits/quirks about yourself.
4. Tag six random people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs.
5. Let each random person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their website.
6. Let your tagger know when your entry is up.

i have to check on-line sites in order in the morning. msnbc, my email, my bank, my blog, pioneer woman's blog, and then the blogs on my blog-list.
for at least the past 5 years i have done at least 90% of my shopping on-line. i hate going to stores to shop. if i could shop for groceries on-line i would.
my house is almost always picked up and clean. but my office/scraproom is a nightmare. the area around my computer is terrible and i am amazed that i can sit here and be comfortable.
i hate to drive.
i always have to have noise in the background. a radio or the tv, even if i am in the other room or not watching it. i sleep with the tv on, too.
i find it hard to throw magazines out. i have piles of them in my office. i love to look at them but rarely read all the articles. i am a "picture-reader".

i seriously don't have anyone to tag that will do it or that hasn't been tagged a million times over. i hate to list them if it isn't going to go anywhere. i will give it a shot but don't expect much. lol

http://zeedoda.blogspot.com/

http://splendidmissm.blogspot.com/

http://creativekate.typepad.com/my_weblog/

that's all i got.

peace.

everything except the tree

2008-12-03T07:55:00.000-08:00

i finally finished decorating the house for xmas. except the tree. i am leaving for california at noon today and i don't trust that it will get watered while i am away so we are waiting until i get back. here's what i have so far.

i got the trees and the frames from Pottery Barn 5 years ago and i guard them with my life. i have a large 3-wick round white candle that goes with the set as well. these are in the same room as the tree.

these pillar candles are part of the set and are on the dining room table that is attached to the living room where the tree will be. the lights on the tree really pick up the crystals on these and make them really pretty.

same room

these next pictures are all from my family room

this one is my favorite decoration of all this year. it just makes me happy. the colors and the whimsy...plus, i made it. little 'ole me. had a vision and there it is.

i am off to finish packing (i know, last minute). i am so excited to spend a week with Captain Cripple!! (please don't send hate mail or shoot daggers from your eyes. she named herself that after an incident in the airport. we still laugh about it. matter of fact she made a layout of it and i had it hanging in the shop. i think i was Deputy Dumb-Down or something. we have a twisted sense of humor when we are together.)

and these two....i am going to miss like crazy!

absolutely

2008-11-28T22:54:00.000-08:00

Main Entry: bless·ed
Pronunciation: \'ble-sed\
Function: adjective
1 a: held in reverence b: honored in worship
2: of or enjoying happiness ; specifically : enjoying the bliss of heaven —used as a title for a beatified person
3: bringing pleasure, contentment, or good fortune
4—used as an intensive
— bless·ed·ly adverb
— bless·ed·ness noun

....to have 2 amazing best friends. my best friend who lives in california, Danea (i keep trying to get her to move here) and my best friend who lives right here with me, Anne. it's a great feeling to know i have such great hands to hold.

peace.

happy thanksgiving

2008-11-27T09:08:00.000-08:00

this year i am so very, very thankful for my kids, my family, my health, and my friends.

have a wonderful day!

peace.

one reason why

2008-11-18T08:10:00.000-08:00

this website is on "my favorites" list

dog needs a good home

she totally cracks me up.

peace.

becky, dear

2008-11-16T21:02:00.001-08:00

it's on!!

peace.

ahem, becky

2008-11-16T11:49:00.000-08:00

all MAN baby!!

'nuf said.

peace

yes, he can still hear

2008-11-12T07:39:00.000-08:00

well thank goodness that's over! cj has been waiting to go to the devil wears prada concert. his friend austin, austin's mom susan, cj, and me went to portland yesterday for the concert.

we had dinner at the cheescake factory. what a cool place. we all brought home a piece of cheescake (i brought a piece home for bailey, too). susan and i then took the boys to the roseland theater downtown and dropped them off for this:

i don't know how cj listens to this. he loves it and had a great time. even austin, who listens to rap, had fun. austin just went as a buddy with cj. what a guy!

cj and his dad are headed to seattle on december first for the metallica concert. they are going up via train and spending the night. they are going to have a great time. 2 concerts in 2 months...he is in heaven.

bailey, becky, and kelsie just went to a concert as well. it wasn't nearly as scary. =)

well, i am off to california to see my best friend, danea on december 3rd. her lovely husband cashed in their frequent flyer miles and got a ticket for me. i am sure i will have a few meals to cook, some dishes to do, and i know danea wants me to help her clean her scraproom (again!!). it's so worth it to get to spend time with them. i bet they will want a batch of these as well:

Ingredients

18 1/2 ounces yellow cake mix
3 1/2 ounces instant lemon pudding mix
4 large eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil

Glaze

4 cups confectioners' sugar
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1 lemon, zest of
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 tablespoons water

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Spray miniature muffin tins with vegetable oil cooking spray. Combine the cake mix, pudding mix, eggs and oil and blend well with an electric mixer until smooth, about 2 minutes. (The batter will be thick). Pour a small amount of batter, filling each muffin tin half way. (I found a small cookie scoop the perfect thing for making them a uniform size).
3. Bake for 12 minutes. (I baked 4 dozen at one time, so it took a little longer--be sure to reverse places in oven for even baking if you cook this many. Also, they come out of the tin better if you cook a little past the golden brown stage so the cake is more firm). Turn out onto a tea towel.
4. Make the glaze while the cakes are baking. Sift the sugar into a mixing bowl. Add the lemon juice, zest, oil, and 3 tablespoons water. Mix with a spoon until smooth.
5. With fingers, dip the cupcakes into the glaze while they're still warm, covering as much of the cake as possible, or spoon the glaze over the warm cupcakes, turning them to completely coat. Place on wire racks with waxed paper underneath to catch any drips.
6. Let the glaze set thoroughly, about 1 hour, before storing in containers with tight-fitting lids.

well, that's all i have for now.

peace.

sweetnees and sleepyheads

2008-11-06T08:31:00.000-08:00

look what i found! i absolutely love this kitchen!!

sweetness

why is it so hard to wake my son up in the morning? i stand at the foot of his bed and talk nicely..."cj, it's time to get up", "cj, you need to get in the shower" , "cj, you are going to be late". if i start to get pissy or get a "tone" to my voice he wigs and we start off the day in such a pleasant manner. i swear it takes me about 15 minutes to finally get that kid in the shower.

i use to wake bailey up as well but she was easy to get up. open the door, turn on the light, "bailey, it's time to get up", and that was it. i then got her an alarm clock because sometimes mom (that's me...bad mom) might over sleep a little (no, not mom) and then she would be late.

but cj? nope. i have to throw the dogs on him to irritate him, turn his light on, flick his toes, and push on the bed with my knees to move the mattress around to bug him. drives me nuts. if he would just get up when i go in there i could let him sleep for an additional 15 minutes.

here's to hoping it will be better next year when he drives and doesn't have to worry about missing the bus.....

welcome

2008-11-04T20:02:00.000-08:00

Welcome to our Country, Mr. President.

my wish

2008-11-04T01:36:00.001-08:00

“This is my wish for you: Comfort on difficult days, smiles when sadness intrudes, rainbows to follow the clouds, laughter to kiss your lips, sunsets to warm your heart, hugs when spirits sag, beauty for your eyes to see, friendships to brighten your being, faith so that you can believe, confidence for when you doubt, courage to know yourself, patience to accept the truth, Love to complete your life.”

peace.

len and susan suck

2008-11-03T23:55:00.000-08:00

i am sorry len, but you need to get with the times. try to accept something new. this was amazing!

could susan be anymore akward??

and again, len ruins the day. i thought cody did a great job!

i can't believe i watch this show. when it first came out i cracking up. i thought it was so stupid and that it wouldn't last. look at me now, posting youTube videos venting about len! LOL

oh, and dear sweet anne i went and searched out a few more songs from Missy Higgins since i liked the one you posted. i really like this one.

i get my hair cut on wednesday. i think i am going to tweak it a little around the face. one of these days i will get it right. staci is probably sick of me. i love getting my hair done. it always feels so good.

here are a few more of my favorite pics of my "kids". i love them all

(especially mine).

my girls

cj and his best buddy austin

cj and his other best buddy andy

ok crafters, i am going to take the bull by the horns and try to get this craft day scheduled. if we can do a weekday how about FRIDAY, NOV. 14th?? if not how about SATURDAY, NOV. 15th?? same deal the following week FRIDAY, NOV. 21st or SATURDAY, NOV. 22nd. thanksgiving isn't until the 27th so we are o.k. there.

peace.

flu blogging

2008-11-01T19:25:00.000-07:00

i got a flu shot. i now have the body aches and a slight fever. yay me. so, i have been doing some mindless blog-hopping. i found a few things i thought i would share.

this one goes out to kambria. when i laid eyes on it i was reminded of the picture of the room you posted a couple days ago. they don't necessarily go together in the same home (they would for me) but i love it. it doesn't quite have enough space for me but a kitchen that had that feel would rock.

i found this lovely kitchen on a blog i came across called Door Sixteen. i think i will bookmark this one and keep checking back to see how i like it.

and for my lovely, sweet anne...a chandelier

and a beautiful blue owl
blue owl

coming from a family of farmers i find these beautiful as well as a sweet memory from my childhood.

peace.

didn't get it all done

2008-11-01T12:54:00.001-07:00

Happy Belated Halloween!

peace.

sometimes it's too surreal

2008-10-30T08:31:00.000-07:00

i'm now the mom of a son with a permit who is relentless about taking him driving.
i'm now the mom who is having to order the cap, gown, and graduation announcments.
i'm now the mom who regulary talks to her daughter about college.
i'm now the mom relinquishing more & more control of my kids' lives to them.
i'm the mom who loves her kids more than ever.

last saturday the kids and i went to a friends' halloween party. anne came over and did my hair and make-up. she took some pictures for us before we left. she tried to get me to make some 'in character' faces for the camera but i think i just look like a dork.

i like the picture she took of me and my girl.

i thought the girls' costumes were great. now, i will admit that i didn't know who becky was supposed to be. she was 'miss scarlet in the library with a candlestick' from the game Clue. it's obvious that i have never played that game.

a picture of me and my sweet friend anne.

bailey and her friends are headed to a corn maze in salem and cj is going to the west game so guess who gets to play with the lil' trick-or-treaters?? me!! yay!

peace.

in this home

2008-10-26T09:31:00.000-07:00

saw this on a blog that i go to often.

in this home...
we do second chances.
we disagree.
we do mistakes.
we do "i'm sorry's".
we do loud...really well.
we do hugs.
we do family.
we do
LOVE.

she used it on a large 18x24 canvas and is hanging it in her living room. i think it is gorgeous and am going to try using it on a scrapbook page. it works well for the kids and i.

lindsayteague

love, love, love....

2008-10-25T10:52:00.000-07:00

having teenagers and not having this!!

MADNESS

i was starting to feel anxious and stressed just reading this. i am so glad i am past this stage. granted, i never went through this kind of torture but i had my own personal "moments". kids are hard no matter what.

i ran across this layout this morning while i was blog-hopping and it toally made me want to scrap. anyone interested in having a day crop at my house? i can kick the kids out and i practically have a store in my scraproom so you can get inspired here. for those of you who don't scrap you could maybe make xmas cards??

anyone up for it?? we should get going on it before the holiday crunch. hey kambria, you could make tags for gifts since you do cool things like that. brat.

peace.

i love you kam

2008-10-24T19:00:00.000-07:00

GO BULLDOGS!!!

peace.

welcome, Sawyer

2008-10-19T10:15:00.000-07:00

my friend sara and her husband brad were blessed with a beautiful baby boy yesterday. you can check out pics and a youTube of him at her blog. she is listed in my blog list to the right as Miss M!

congrats!!

peace.

(per Kam) i die

2008-10-17T17:57:00.000-07:00

Fudge Puddles a.k.a "Puddles of Yum"

For the "crust" of the cookie:
1/2 c. butter, softened
1/2 c. creamy peanut butter
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 t. vanilla extract
1-1/4 c. all-purpose flour
3/4 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt

In a large mixer bowl, combine butter, peanut butter, and both sugars. Beat in egg and vanilla:

Next, in a seperate bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add flour mix. to the creamy mixture:

Chill in the fridge for at least one hour (or if you're impatient like me, in the freezer for about 15 minutes).

Remove from fridge and form into 1" balls. I use a small melon baller scoop to make mine a uniform size. Grease a mini-muffin pan and add 1 ball to each muffin cup:

Bake in a 325 degree oven for about 15 minutes or until very lightly browned. Remove from oven and make an indentation in the center of each ball:

Filling:
1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 c. butterscotch chips (if you don't like butterscotch, just use milk chocolate chips)
1-14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1 t. vanilla
chopped nuts or sprinkles(optional)

In a microwave safe bowl or saucepan, combine all of the ingredients except the nuts/sprinkles. Microwave for 1 minutes. Stir well.

If there are still unmelted chips, continue to melt in microwave for 15 second increments until all smooth:

Immediately start filling the cookie cups with the filling. It will start to harden just a bit as you do it, so make sure to give it a good stir once in awhile. Sprinkle with the nuts or just leave plain. Let set for an hour or so.

peace.

and just a pinch of chaos

2008-10-15T06:46:00.000-07:00

life is really good, with just a pinch of chaos thrown in for good measure. keeps me on my toes i guess. that's a good thing, right? with all that is going on in my life right now i have had to take a big girl pill and start doing everything on my own. seems strange but good at the same time. how odd.

cj got his permit to drive yesterday. gasp!! the thought of him driving scares me more than bailey but teaching him is way easier. i had to turn over the teaching to roberto for bailey because i just couldn't handle it. cj is a different story. at least he doesn't have to learn on the big ford expedition that i had.

i learned that you can't just 'remove' a person from a loan. the loan needs to be paid off or one person needs to refinance it. well, we happened to be upside down in the expedition due to the SUV market/value taking a nose dive because of the gas prices. so, the only way i could have a car in my own name was to trade the expedition in on a new car that had enough dealer discounts to hide the amount of the 'upside-down-ness' so the bank would still approve a loan for the car. so, i now have a rockin' new car for the exact same price per month as the last one. i do owe for more years but, um, i will always have a car payment because, well, that's how i roll. so, here is my car:

cj is thrilled to be able to drive it and personally i am more at ease having to teach him on this rather than the other.

so, while i am still working out the way i like to style it and it is definitely a work-in-progress between me and my hairdresser i did say i would post a picture of my short haircut. here it is:

i had danea fix the picture up a little bit because i currently don't have my photoshop program loaded on my computer. she teased me and said "As for your picture, I did my best. So you weren't skilled enough to just place your finger on the shutter button AND look forward? LOL" ha ha very funny. brat.

with all of the changes in my life right now i have put my last course of school off until the first of the year. i have GOT to get my scraproom/office cleaned up and organized before then. i have decided to purge my cardstock. i have waaaaaayyyy too much (i know, big frickin' shocker there) and i tend to only use a few basic colors anyway. once i do that i won't need the paper tower that i have and i think i might have enough room there to put a small work table. i do mean small but it could work. we'll see.

i took some really cool pictures of bailey and her 2 best friends. the 3 of them are always together. it's so cool. apparently you can purchase a spot in the back of the yearbook to add a picture or a message or something. the girls want to add a picture of the 3 of them so they had me take some 'fun' pictures of them. now mind you, i am NO, and i mean NO, seriously, NO angela or danea but i took the girls over to my mom's and we took pictures in her yard. we got some really cute ones out of about 50 or so shots. i don't know which one they picked but i really liked these two and asked danea if she would work her magic and spruce them up for me. she's the best.

becky is the blonde and kelsie is the brunette. they are the sweetest girls. bailey is very lucky to have such awesome friends. and i am lucky, too, that my daughter is blessed with great friends. i couldn't have asked for better ones.

i have been invited to a halloween costume party next weekend. i am going to go. i am going to dress up. way out of my element. i wasn't able to find the costume that i had in my head and since i don't sew i had to pick a different one. so, i am going with this:

i didn't go with the wig so i am going to have to figure out what to do with my hair and i am sure i have a pair of appropriate black shoes. i did buy the ripped up tights because they are just too cool. putting on that much black eye make-up will be a challenge. anne, are you up for a challenge??

i think i will leave you with a couple funnies.

peace.

fun stuff that i love

2008-10-01T09:13:00.000-07:00

these rock! i see a lot of companies have them now but the ones from Pier One are the best. this scent, Amber, is one of my favorites. my front bathroom is decorated in taupe and burnt orange so it matches so well.

one of the sales ladies at Bath & Body Works told me that these, which i have quite a few of, are being replaced....

....by these. i purchased one starter set to test them and they rock! i think they are better than the other ones. they had the starter sets and the refill sets on sale a few weeks ago so i got a few more in the yummy fall scents and now my house smells awesome. i don't like to burn candles so these are just perfect.

peace.

the cab ride

2008-09-30T07:03:00.000-07:00

one of my favorite sites is DOOCE and i read it every day. today she linked to a sweet story that really got to me. i wanted to share it so here it is.

The Cab Ride I'll Never Forget
by Kent Nerburn

Twenty years ago, I drove a cab for a living. One time I arrived in the middle of the night for a pick up at a building that was dark except for a single light in a ground floor window. Under these circumstances, many drivers would just honk once or twice, wait a minute, then drive away. But I had seen too many impoverished people who depended on taxis as their only means of transportation. Unless a situation smelled of danger, I always went to the door. This passenger might be someone who needs my assistance, I reasoned to myself.

So I walked to the door and knocked. "Just a minute," answered a frail, elderly voice. I could hear something being dragged across the floor. After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her 80's stood before me. She was wearing a print dress and a pillbox hat with a veil pinned on it, like somebody out of a 1940s movie. By her side was a small nylon suitcase. The apartment looked as if no one had lived in it for years. All the furniture was covered with sheets. There were no clocks on the walls, no knickknacks or utensils on the counters. In the corner was a cardboard box filled with photos and glassware.

"Would you carry my bag out to the car?" she said. I took the suitcase to the cab, then returned to assist the woman. She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the curb. She kept thanking me for my kindness.

"It's nothing," I told her. "I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother treated."

"Oh, you're such a good boy," she said. When we got in the cab, she gave me an address, then asked, "Could you drive through downtown?"

"It's not the shortest way," I answered quickly.

"Oh, I don't mind," she said. "I'm in no hurry. I'm on my way to a hospice."

I looked in the rear view mirror. Her eyes were glistening.

"I don't have any family left," she continued. "The doctor says I don't have very long."

I quietly reached over and shut off the meter. "What route would you like me to take?" I asked.

For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked as an elevator operator. We drove through the neighborhood where she and her husband had lived when they were newlyweds. She had me pull up in front of a furniture warehouse that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl. Sometimes she'd ask me to slow in front of a particular building or corner and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing.

As the first hint of sun was creasing the horizon, she suddenly said, "I'm tired. Let's go now."

We drove in silence to the address she had given me. It was a low building, like a small convalescent home, with a driveway that passed under a portico. Two orderlies came out to the cab as soon as we pulled up. They were solicitous and intent, watching her every move. They must have been expecting her. I opened the trunk and took the small suitcase to the door. The woman was already seated in a wheelchair.

"How much do I owe you?" she asked, reaching into her purse.

"Nothing," I said.

"You have to make a living," she answered.

"There are other passengers."

Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug. She held onto me tightly.

"You gave an old woman a little moment of joy," she said. "Thank you."

I squeezed her hand, then walked into the dim morning light. Behind me, a door shut. It was the sound of the closing of a life.

I didn't pick up any more passengers that shift. I drove aimlessly, lost in thought. For the rest of that day, I could hardly talk. What if that woman had gotten an angry driver, or one who was impatient to end his shift? What if I had refused to take the run, or had honked once, then driven away?

On a quick review, I don't think that I have done anything more important in my life. We're conditioned to think that our lives revolve around great moments. But great moments often catch us unaware—beautifully wrapped in what others may consider a small one.

peace.

well crap

2008-09-25T08:14:00.000-07:00

i've been tagged. thanks Anne. way to make me update my blog.

...and off we go...

i count the towels as i put them in the washer. usually 7 or 8.
it drives my nuts if my car isn't parked perfectly straight in the driveway.
messes/disorganization in my house drives me crazy but my computer area/scraproom is a nightmare and it doesn't really bug me.
i love math. i did really well at it in high school and took calculus for the term that i was at OSU.
i don't consider a movie worth seeing if i have or will have missed the trailers. those are the best part.
i tend to get caught in ruts. for example right now i am addicted to crime shows such as Criminal Minds, Bones, The Closer, and Without a Trace. thank goodness for TIVO.
i am deathly afraid of bats. (there is a long story behind it) now that i think of it i had bat issues when i was a kid at my grandma's house so maybe i have always had this fear. hmmm...

...now i have to tick off 7 other bloggers (sorry guys)...
Danea
Sara
Kati
Kambria

i'm lame. that's all i have that are close enough for me to do this tagging stuff to. i might offend everyone else.

peace.

as i live and breathe

2008-09-19T07:01:00.000-07:00

she posts!! i know, i know it's a miracle. life has been strange lately and this has seemed like a chore so it kind of got put to the side for a while.

back to school got kicked off on a positive note. both kids were totally ready to head back. cj is a social fanatic and he totally missed all of his friends (read girls here). he also missed the weight room and has decided to wrestle this year. he met with all of the coaches and was thrilled to learn that he doesn't have to cut his hair....he just has to wear a funny hat-thing under the other funny hat-thing that wrestlers wear. it's going to be strange going to a sporting event rather than a choir concert. talk about opposite ends of the spectrum.

bailey was excited to go back because this is her senior year and that in and of itself is just way too cool. plus she is kind of a nerd (like me) and likes school. btw, she is taking HealthOc and one of the things that they get to do is go to the hospital and see a cadaver. i had her ask her teacher if i could tag along and she said yes. i am so excited. based on the schooling that i am doing and the fact that i have always wanted to be a nurse this is right up my alley. i can't wait!

angela took bailey's senior pictures last week. they turned out great. towards the end of the session i added cj to a few of the pictures and then had her 2 best friends in for a couple pictures as well. as soon as i get the final prints i will post some pics. angela is amazing and she was so fun to spend the time with.

i know this is kind of nerdy but the kids and i have been doing jigsaw puzzles at the dining room table. we get the 1000 piece eye-spy ones and they are a lot of fun. it's kind of "our thing" and i think that's really important right now. it's so funny to see the kids' friends jump on in when they are over...needless to say we get them put together at a pretty good rate with all the help.

speaking of the kids' friends, my house has officially become the house. a lot of the time i have 5 teenagers here making a lot of noise. but you know what? i love it. cj and his friends are playing "halo live" and the girls do what girls do. sometimes they get in the car and make a dutch bros. run...i wish starbucks was open later because i am not a dutch bros fan. all i can say it thank goodness for the little caesar's $5 pizzas. they are a lifesaver. the $5 footlongs from subway aren't too bad either.

well, i cut my hair. short. did i say short? if not i will say it. short. here is a pic of my inspiration. we are still tweaking it a bit and i go in next week for a color and touch-up cut.

this is vicki boutin. she is a great scrapbooker and i read her blog regularly. as far as i can tell she lives in canada which is a bummer because she teaches scrapbooking classes. i would really like to take a class from her. here's a link to her blog. check out her scrap room. it's too cute. vicki boutin i did copy her in the vinyl wall art of the owl on the wall and the birds above the door. they are so cute.

did i mention that i have a fat dog with acid reflux?? yeah, ummm how weird is that? jack apparently is about 4 pounds too heavy. dr. reid says you should be able to his ribs. yikes! he put jack on an extremely bland dog food and i give him a 10mg Pepcid in the morning and one in the evening. bug is queen of the "i am going to itch my face off" so we have her on some kind of cortizone/prednizone mix. pugs are a pain in the ass. seriously. if it wasn't for this....

i am really missing this girl right now. funny how a plane ticket is all that separates us from the laughter and long talks over coffe and tea. bummer.

well, the divorce is coming along. i didn't realize all that is involved in separating items. when both of your names are on everything it takes a lot of time to change all of that. the power bill, the gas bill, the phone bill, the cable bill, and the list goes on. i am doing just fine. it's an adjustment but it's the right adjustment.

Some think it's holding on that makes one strong; sometimes it's letting go. --Sylvia Robinson

peace.

lovin' me some Big Brother

2008-08-22T10:44:00.000-07:00

Which Big Brother Houseguest Are You?

Created by BuddyTV

happy, happy, happy

2008-08-21T07:24:00.000-07:00

17th birthday my sweet girl. i love you to the moon and back.

this is Bailey at the top of the Eiffel Tower this July on her trip to Europe. she is so brave...i would never had climbed that thing.

and this is Bailey in Monet's Garden. she said his house is the most amazing home....and she loved his yellow kitchen.

i hope you have an amazing year!

peace.

why are we ALWAYS portrayed this way?!

2008-08-19T18:18:00.000-07:00

click the following link and scroll down through the pictures WITHOUT reading any text. can you pick out the oregonians??

total stereotyping

do i look anything like that? i don't know ONE person that looks like that. they are frickin' bee keepers for goodness sakes!! sure,people like that are out there but i think every state might have people like that. there isn't anything wrong with looking/living like that but oregon is always shown that way. chaps my ass!!

now, mind you, i will watch the show just to see if they will edit out the times when these 2 are smokin' some good ole' oregon-grown weed! and so will everyone else i am sure.

peace.

cannot wait for this one

2008-08-15T19:57:00.001-07:00

i love meg ryan and debra messing. what a cast!

i am so in the middle of this right now!!

2008-08-15T19:50:00.001-07:00

my name is susanne and

2008-07-19T11:35:00.000-07:00

i am addicted to following blog links.

basic grey fabric
ice cream scoop
mixed tape
makes me wanna have a party
would go perfect in my kitchen
been into owls lately & love these
mad scrappin' skills that make me want to scrap
everyone needs one of these in their town

and other times i find on blogs things that hit me to my core. as i go through my divorce this really speaks to me and lets me be OK with it all.

i eat.
i sleep.
i scrap.
i love.
i refresh.
i drink.
i watch.
i waste.
i make.
i destroy.
i find.
i lose.
i seek.
i search.
i try.
i fail.
i am.
what i am.

peace.

mexican proverb

2008-07-13T20:45:00.000-07:00

the house alone does not rest upon the ground; but upon a woman.

a passport and 1000 tears

2008-07-13T20:36:00.000-07:00

i thought i was going to be able to be strong but the tears just came. at one point she told me to quit crying. right now she is 3 hours into a 14 hour flight from St. Paul MN to Europe. be safe baby. love mom.

spoiled much??

2008-07-08T11:15:00.001-07:00

my mom took pity on me and got the kids a working computer. i guess she got sick of me freaking out that the kids were going to break my computer with all my pictures on it. now they have a rockin' computer that's better than mine. do you think they would notice if i switched them out during the night?

my baby is leaving for Europe on sunday. i can't believe i am going to pack her up and put her on an international flight to another country. i am so scared. speaking of packing...i kill myself every time i travel to keep my ONE bag under 50 pounds. for international flights your checked bag AND your carry-on together cannot weigh more than 44 pounds. that girl is gonna' have to wear the same frickin' clothes every day. LOL

i finally got my "library" so to speak of medical books that i need to help with the actual transcribing of doctor's notes. it was like the first day of college when you go buy your books. it was so cool! i was/am one of those geeks that loved the first day of school, school supplies, and buying the stacks of books that you needed when you registered for college. my favorite line in any movie is in you've got mail when tom hanks says to meg ryan in his email "i would send you a bouquet of newly sharpend pencils if i knew your name and address." go ahead, call me a geek and laugh. i'll wait.

anyway, here are the books i got:

Medical Abbreviations & EPONYMS

Davis's Drug Guide for Nurses

Taber's Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary

The AAMT Book of Style for Medical Transcription

a really good regular dictionary

swoon....

the weather has been gorgeous lately. it really helps my mood. i have been fussing over my planters and they are so awesome. except one that i think i burned a little but with too much fertilizer. oops. my dad came over on sunday with his super edger and made the front lawn look great. at least the edges look great. the color is awful. if i have to kill and reseed that bad boy i am going to stick needles in my eyes!

see the progress on one of my planters? i am so proud of this baby! i just look at it and smile! i think the big pink geranium in the middle is my favorite.

peace.

happy 4th of july

2008-07-04T10:34:00.000-07:00

they grow up so fast

2008-07-04T10:20:00.001-07:00

photo courtesy of caitlin rice
engrish.com

Paula Deen Wannabe

2000 to 2009

**changes**

***god bless**

chubby bunny

**stuck in the middle**

**big butt**

**insane??**

**kambria.....no.......**

Evian Roller Babies

**snagged this from Kam's blog**

**i have a sweet friend**

**what's up**

Raymond - Sexy Mouse (3D animation, funny)

**and the storm passed**

**marge out**

**front row**

**crop, paper, scissors**

Season Finale: Last 5 Minutes

**woot woot**

**is it just me??**

**you are all so special**

**tagged**

**determination**

**heart warming**

**anne tagged me*

**announcing**

**it's been awhile**

**this just makes me happy**

**can you imagine??**

**anne and jamie**

**thank goodness**

**ha ha ha**

**hey kambria**

**they're back!!**

**most definately**

**a little redneck**

**doesn't she have enough $$ ?**

**to make Missy laugh out loud**

**even at my age**

**if you were a little girl**

**celebrity crush for kambria**

**randomness**

**for my friend sara**

**tmi**

**have you...**

**because i know**

**can't stop laughing""

**i'm so excited**

**called out**

**paging Kambria**

**i guess i am a cry baby**

**the lady on the bench**

**god bless my friends**

**to quote a few**

**shit i'm old**

**to finish off the week**

**just a day late**

**a very merry**

**love this song**

**love it!!**

**poor thing**

**now that's what i'm talkin' about**

**bummer**

**so true, so scary**

**i was tagged**

**everything except the tree**

**absolutely**

**happy thanksgiving**

**one reason why**

**becky, dear**

**ahem, becky**

**yes, he can still hear**

**sweetnees and sleepyheads**

**welcome**

**my wish**

**len and susan suck**

**flu blogging**

**didn't get it all done**

**sometimes it's too surreal**

changes

*god bless

stuck in the middle

big butt

insane??

kambria.....no.......

snagged this from Kam's blog

i have a sweet friend

what's up

and the storm passed

marge out

front row

crop, paper, scissors

woot woot

is it just me??

you are all so special

tagged

determination

heart warming

announcing

it's been awhile

this just makes me happy

can you imagine??

anne and jamie

thank goodness

ha ha ha

hey kambria

they're back!!

most definately

a little redneck

doesn't she have enough $$ ?

to make Missy laugh out loud

even at my age

if you were a little girl

celebrity crush for kambria

randomness

for my friend sara

tmi

have you...

because i know

i'm so excited

called out

paging Kambria

i guess i am a cry baby

the lady on the bench

god bless my friends

to quote a few

shit i'm old

to finish off the week

just a day late

a very merry

love this song

love it!!

poor thing

now that's what i'm talkin' about

bummer

so true, so scary

i was tagged

everything except the tree

absolutely

happy thanksgiving

one reason why

becky, dear

ahem, becky

yes, he can still hear

sweetnees and sleepyheads

welcome

my wish

len and susan suck

flu blogging

didn't get it all done

sometimes it's too surreal

in this home

love, love, love....

i love you kam

welcome, Sawyer

(per Kam) i die

and just a pinch of chaos

fun stuff that i love

the cab ride