**changes**

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.

**to finish off the week**

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**

peace.

**a very merry**

CHRISTMAS TO YOU!!














Bless you and your family.

peace.

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

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.

**everything except the tree**

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!

**happy thanksgiving**

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

have a wonderful day!

peace.

**sometimes it's too surreal**

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.