Pics as promised - My niece Chloe

Hangin' Around

I'm still in the blogosphere - But I've been doing a lot more reading than posting. Not that I haven't had anything to share. Heaven knows, that I always have something to say. Just ask my coworkers. : ) I'm glad that May 21st has come and gone... that crazy guy had me a little on the edge of my seat. I'm glad that some INTELLIGENT people were able to soothe my mind. Thanks Michelle. I can't say I believed it entirely - and when we went to church, our priest made fun of it - so I knew that I shouldn't believe it one bit. But this guy was somewhat convincing. I'm embarrassed to even say it. Nothing crazy has been going on in my life but hey there's always something to share.

- My sister went to Mexico for a wedding a couple of weekends ago. She loved it and sent me some pictures. Ugh! They were so inviting - I want to go where the water looks like that. Beautiful. She had a great time, but missed my niece a lot.

- She missed the awards event where she would have been presented her nursing award but I guess she couldn't help that it fell on the same day as the wedding. She was given a surprise party at work and they gave her the award there, along with a monetary award. She bought herself an iPhone. : ) She was going to save the money but I told her to just throw caution to the wind and buy herself something she really wanted. She totally deserved it - She worked hard for it. I'm very proud of her for receiving that prestigious award.

- We're still doing things at home - Working on projects and such. We want to tackle the basement next and get some sheet rock put up so we can build walls down there. It's almost finished as it is but the carpeting was pulled up before we bought the house because it took on water. Yuck. They never finished closing up the laundry room etc.. so it's all just open right now. My husband loves that he has a work shop though.. that's nearly closed off - it has a door etc. As with all home improvements, you do them as you get the moolah.

- I often think about adding another dog to the mix here because I feel like our doggie is lonely sometimes .. but with that comes more responsibility - More vet costs, meds, and since I just started paying back a student loan, I should just focus on that. They get ugly with that stuff.

- We went to a graduation party this past Saturday and it was a really nice time. I didn't know ANYONE (except our friends that invited us). These two really sweet women invited me over to sit with them because I was sitting alone. I was fine by myself but they insisted that I sit with them, saying they knew what it was like to not know anyone. They were so nice.. we had some really good conversation. The party was out in the "country" sort of. I'm not used to the quiet and the distance between houses, and no civilization for miles! Stores, etc.. : ) I'm a city girl. I need noise and traffic and stores on every corner.


- I've been steady looking for another job and haven't had any luck so far. I did get a call about one position but it was a per diem position. It was more of a vacation coverage deal. I have a full time job so I can't take something like that and lose hours as well as my medical benefits. I've always wanted to be in the medical field, in a clerical position, but it just hasn't happened yet. I don't HATE my current job... I just have a different career goal for myself. Even with the schooling I've recently completed to help me get into the field, I still haven't hit anything. I guess if it's meant to happen, it will. I know my resumé could use some polishing. I haven't told anyone at work that I'm planning to leave. I feel kind of bad about that but I know when it comes down to it, every one's just worried about Number 1. Who will have to do my work??

- Our friends just bought a travel trailer and I'm in love! They paid just about what we would for a used car and it's beautiful! Brand new and so nice inside. Made me think about getting one day, some day in the future. They have 3 children so they really like the idea of just packing up and heading out for a nice weekend of camping with the family. They even said they're going to venture to Disney this summer. Evidently, there's a Walmart close by and they let you set up camp in their parking lot, if you have a camper? How cool is that.. Free lodging! I've never been a camping fan - especially NOT in a tent but I could easily adapt to the trailer. Something we might consider in time. Or it could be one of those things, where it's a short lived fascination.

- My niece who was born in November is growing so quickly! I love her to pieces and wish I made more of an effort to visit. She is such a happy little girl - My sister and her husband have been blessed beyond words. I'll post a few pictures. Too cute not to share!

- At the graduation party, I got the old "So, Dawn, when are you having kids?"..
I wish people wouldn't ask that. I've never asked anyone but maybe it's because of the position I've ALWAYS been in. I just wish that people would realize it's a touchy subject and not broach it.

- I fret I may never get out bed today because I just turned on LMN and now I could be wrapped up in movies ALL DAY. No way, I have to clean the house. Open the windows, turn on some music and get this place in shape.

- I called in sick today - I've been having such issues with my stomach lately. I went to the doctor some time ago and had mentioned that I had a lot of reflux. Now it seems to be getting worse and really affecting me lately. I guess I have to go back and let her prescribe me something for it. I really don't like to take meds if I don't have to but it could lead to damage in my esophagus or something so I shouldn't take a chance. It's been wreaking havoc. Not fun.

I guess I should get started on housework -- I can't dilly dally all day. Or can I?
I've gotta catch up on my blog reading too. I like to stay on top of what everyone's doing. Hope everyone has a great week! The weather's going to be nice.

Good Friday - Deep Thoughts

Why is Good Friday referred to as “good”? What the Jewish authorities and Romans did to Jesus was definitely not good (see Matthew chapters 26-27). However, the results of Christ’s death are very good! Romans 5:8, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” First Peter 3:18 tells us, “For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit.”

Lent is almost over and I'm a bit disappointed in myself. While, I abstained from eating meat on Fridays, like we're taught.. I didn't give up ANYTHING for Lent. Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice for us and I couldn't pick one thing that I could sacrifice? I think there were MANY things I could have abstained from, but I was weak and chose not to even try. Wow. Pretty sad.

My husband and I were talking the other day about death and the fear everyone has of the world ending. I can tell you that one day, the thought of either just scared the crap out of me. Now that I've delved much deeper into my religion and have really come full circle with my Faith, I'm almost convinced that this life is just the "before". I guess this is what we refer to when we say that we've accepted Christ as our Savior. I trust Him with all of my decisions, I trust Him to guide me and lead me in this life. I'm content that He has a plan - whether something has turned out the way I wanted it to or has gone the total opposite direction.

I have a lot of contentment in my days because I start them with prayer and I conclude my days with prayer. It gives me peace. There was a time when I questioned "it all". I felt that there was no way that a God existed, because of things that were happening in my life and others' lives. At some point, I finally " got a clue" and realized that I left God - He never left me.
And so I did a complete 360. Started going back to church and confession and made my Confirmation. I felt that it gave me a much closer relationship with God. I'm not perfect by any means, and I'm a sinner. I'll NEVER claim not to be. As long as I'm on this Earth, I'll be a slave to sin. But I ask for forgiveness and all I can do is try better EVERY waking day to be a better Christian. I don't preach to people but I wanted to share my thoughts today. Thanks for "listening".

Hope you all have a Blessed Easter! (And the Easter Bunny brings you lots of yummy treats).

Today's post brought to you by the number 35!

Yikes! Can I really be 35? My goodness, I don't think it's possible. I was just graduating high school. No? : ) Well, I don't feel a day over 25. I wasn't going to, but I decided to take a personal day today and just relax. I have a few errands to run but mostly I'm just going to enjoy the day. My inlaws' gave me a really nice card and a gift card to Barnes & Noble, so I'm probably going to swing by there. I love Barnes & Noble! I also saw that The King's Speech came out on RedBox today, so I'm definitely going to rent it because I've wanted to see it. I heard it received great reviews and a couple of awards. Dinner's up in the air, not sure what I want to do about that yet. Stinks that every one's working, I can't go to lunch with anyone. That's ok, I'll have a great day. I hope the weather's nice today.

I was thinking yesterday of how happy I am in my life and the only thing that I would change is my career. I was doing some deep thinking on the way to work. And then, one of those mini tour buses pulled out of a parking lot and it had the word Aries in big black letters on the side of it. I thought that was crazy since I was thinking I wanted to make a change in my life and thinking about turning 35 etc.. and here's a bus with my Zodiac sign on it, right in front of me. Weird!
Well, guess I'm off to get my day started. I was up nice and early at 7 a.m. Wowsers! Not like me on my day off but I think I got enough sleep.

birthdays, holidays, LAZY days

Well, first of all, I tried to upload some of my wedding video and it was a huge FAIL on my part. I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong but I can't save it and/or just pull certain chapters out. So, it'll have to wait for another day. Maybe.

Today was a rather chilly day here but I still opened the windows while I cleaned the house and it felt good to have a breeze coming in like that. Airing the house out is so necessary! Actually, Dr. Oz said that somewhere. Love Dr. Oz - he's awesome. So I cleaned my tail off today - swiffered under the bed and the furniture and did all the hardwood floors. Lots of work but worth it when you see a nice clean house. I am always shocked at how much dog hair you can accumulate. Under the bed? Oh my word! It's like another animal living under there. I'm glad that Spring has come to visit - I hope it's not temporary. I actually put sunscreen on today, just to go pick up my mom at work. I just felt like the sun was pretty strong and sometimes when I get home, after driving a while, I have already gotten some sun. That's a big no no. For me, at least. I don't like to resemble Snow White, which I often do, but I am way afraid of skin cancer. I'm guessing pizza is on the menu tonight since we're still in Lent .. we can't eat meat. Easy for me, because that means I don't have to cook. I may try to bake a little later though. My mom got me some Tastefully Simple bread mixes - I have actually tasted the Beer Bread and it's so good! I can't wait to have some - I just have to find something to dip it in. Maybe I'll make some Pizza Dip to go with it. I'm glad you don't really have to use beer for it; the box says soda or carbonated juice works. Good, cause I don't have any beer hanging around. : ) I was actually able to catch a couple of good movies on LMN today - I rarely get a chance to actually sit down and watch TV - I choose to read or do something on the computer. But now and again, LMN gets me all caught up and I sit there like a couch potato, taking in all the drama that LMN is. My birthday is next Tuesday - Can anyone guess how old I'll be? I don't dread birthdays like most people do. I should've taken a vacation day and just spent the day doing nothing but I'll be at work instead. BLEH. Since it's during the week, we'll probably have some birthday cake with my family but nothing fancy. We always do cake. No matter who's birthday it is. This month is really moving along, I can't believe it. Easter is around the corner and I'm bummed about that as usual. I have to work. I really think Easter should be a holiday at work but they don't observe it as one so I get stuck working. When there were 2 of us in the office on Sundays, we would alternate the holidays and I actually made it to dinner a few Easters, but now that I have been by myself the past few years, I don't get to have dinner with the family. Shoot, last year, my husband didn't even bring me a plate! How dare he? Kidding. So I may ask if I can leave a couple hours early this year - I can't see that it'd be a problem because we have a fully staffed customer service department in our corporate office. They can take the phones etc for a couple hours, right? I'm a little nervous to ask but I guess I have nothing to lose. We'll see what I decide. Not sure what's on our agenda for the weekend - Last weekend we were so busy. We painted at the inlaws' new home, and we mulched and planted our front garden. It would great if we could just relax and do nothing, but we'll see what comes our way. Well, off to order some pizza and let the dogger out for some well deserved fresh air. Hope you all have a fantastic weekend!

One Year

(It was April 10th, but I've been a busy little bee)

I can't believe we already hit our ONE YEAR Anniversary! The time really does fly after you get married and we've had a wonderful first year continuing to build on our relationship, taking on new home improvement projects, learning the ins and outs of marriage... etc To celebrate US, we went to play mini golf and went to dinner at Texas Roadhouse.. We had a lot of fun and dinner was delicious!

When we first got married, I really did feel like something in our relationshp changed. I've felt so much closer to my husband (even after being together almost 10 years), I feel like we confide in each other more and we're learning to be ONE. We still have our independence but are more ONE than we are TWO. I was watching our wedding video of the ceremony and our pastor said that our relationship is no longer 50/50.... it should be 100/100. Meaning we both give as much of ourselves as the other does and we never give less than 100%. I feel like sometimes I can do better with that, and sometimes I feel that we BOTH can do better than we are. Further confirming that marriage will always take work and we'll have to make the effort to keep it strong and ALIVE. I think our Faith really helps with our relationship too - maybe more than anything else we can share. We both have strong convictions in our religion and much of them are the same. It really helps us to build on the lessons we take away from it. We try to live by the ideals that we've learned.

Our Wedding Day:

I can honestly say that our wedding day went off without a hitch. I wasn't nervous at all - up to the point we arrived at the church. Of course, I swore off the tears and did well until the doors opened and I started walking down the aisle. We got up early in the morning ( the girls and I) and we headed to our hair/makeup appointments. Arrived at home in time to get the flowers delivered and checked out, we finally got me in my gown and the girls in theirs. The photographer arrived, we did all of our shots at the house and headed to the church when the limo arrived. The stretch, Hummer limo! That was a total surprise- When it came down the street, I thought it was someone else's... It never hit me until he pulled in front of my house. Evidently, it was my sister's surprise gift to Jeff and me. I loved it! I had mentioned that it would be awesome to have for our wedding but knew it was way out of my budget, and I was fine with that. But wow - it was really NICE. Awesome sister, I have. When we arrived at the church, time really started to pass. We were a little out of sorts while there. I really didn't stay out of plain view like most brides do.. so I was seen by a few guests coming in the front door, but that was ok. I couldn't hide forever! : ) Our wedding party was super small; 2 girls, 2 guys and a flower girl, so that meant we would whip through the processional. And we did! We did a full mass with our ceremony so I know everyone was probably cringing, thinking it would take forever but it didn't. We got through it all in about 45 minutes and were off to the photos at our reception site. We had a cocktail hour so that guests could have some appetizers & beverages while we did our photos on the grounds. Lucky for us, it was all right there at the reception site, so we were spared the task of driving to another place for photos and missing out on any of the reception.

Reception:

We were able to save time by the photos being taken at the reception so the wedding party, Jeff and I all spent some time relaxing and taking the edge off in our bridal suite downstairs... It was so nicely arranged and chock full of yummy fruits, cheeses, beverages, etc. We then were called upstairs for the grand entrance as husband and wife. It was so much fun! We all waited in the hallway to be announced. My niece was so cute!! My sister and I often told her that we all had to dance our way into the ballroom when it came time to be announced and she really did boogie down when she was announced - It was priceless. I don't have video of that part but I sure wish I did.

We had our wedding party, including parents, walk out to Get the Party Started by Pink, and Jeff and I walked out to Down with the Sickness by Disturbed. (that may shock some of you who don't know me, but we HAD to have it). It was more the beat than anything and we knew a long time ago, that would be our entrance song. Kind of funny when you think that our actual wedding song we danced to was "My Baby You" by Marc Anthony. It was either that or a song by The Stylistics but we settled on our original song that was "ours". The rest of the reception was so wonderful. Lots of dancing, mingling, laughing. The food was excellent as was the cake that we waited months for! : ) Just like I remembered it at our tasting. By the end of the night I had such a bad headache and my legs were near falling off.. I guess I was tired but also hadn't really eaten anything except for dinner and sure could've used some coffee at some point. It was a wonderful day though - it went so quickly but I remember it so vividly. It does go so fast, as every new bride claims. I wouldn't change a thing about it. Ok, maybe I would realize that my gown still had straight pins in the bottom BEFORE the ceremony. Yes, they weren't realized until we were getting our photos at the reception. How funny! Oooops. No wonder my gown seemed to be a little "short". HA! I feel like I remember practically all of our wedding day but there are parts that I don't recall. I often worry that I didn't get to spend equal time with all our guests, but we tried. We kept our guest list to just under 80 people - so it was fairly small but perfect.
Our life together has just begun; it feels like each day is a new beginning. I love our life. It's not always sunshine and lollipops but we move forward. Marriage is a big deal and it's not about a beautiful gown, a big reception, or one day to shine. A lot of young girls are so engrossed in that lately and it's sad because it should be so much more than a material thing. It's a committment. A promise. A journey. I'm really enjoying it with my soul mate.

Recap #1

Hard to believe that just about this time last year, I was geting ready for our rehearsal dinner. The girls and I were headed to our mani/pedi appointments and getting the last minute beauty touches all done. We had 2 days before the BIG DAY.

Steppin' it up

Life has been so busy here lately. Lots of house projects and running our tails off to and from Home Depot and Lowe's. Whew. We finished the bathroom finally ( as you saw) and last weekend we finished putting up our privacy fence. We already had it around the perimeter of the yard but we finished the gate and the other side of our house as well. It looks way different but I'll get used to it. It really gives us our privacy now. Not that we'd run around the yard naked or anything but our neighbors are used to being chummy and sharing yards etc. (with our home's previous owners) and we're not unfriendly BUT we don't get into that kind of neighborly socializing either. The little boy next door used to poke sticks through the fence at our dog and more recently we caught him in our driveway, creeping up on her through the gate and tantalizing her. So, in a way, the privacy fence has put a stop to the nonsense. You can't pick your neighbors, I guess. But we're civil.

Last Thursday, I got out with a girlfriend for some much needed "girl" time! We went and had some yummy food at a favorite pizza place of mine and we chatted for what seemed like FOREVER. We probably could have talked all night if we'd had the chance. But we didn't. ** sigh **
After we ate (way too much) we stopped in at Walmart to get some things. And we both forgot milk. How funny! So that was our long awaited Girls Night Out..... We put Girls Gone Wild to shame!

The weather has been screwy lately - We get a really nice day and then we get a really crappy day. I heard that this weekend may be really nice. In the 70's maybe? I can't wait to get the mulch all laid out and our flowers all planted.. I guess we don't really need to plant much but at least hope that what we planted last year, holds up again this year. I'm not looking forward to bees and wasps of course but I've been trying really hard to overcome my fear of both. It's hard but I'm making an effort. Not easy when we already have a couple of "mud" spots on our window on the front porch. We have a captain's window there and for some reason, that is where the bees/wasps set up camp each year. My dear husband usually gets to it early - He knows how crazy I am with it.

In other news, my inlaws bought a house and they go to settlement on Friday - Everyone's excited for them having a home of their own, again, after all these years. It just makes more sense to them considering what they've been paying in rent each month. They could be paying a mortgage and not have all the restrictions of the apartment complex. They can't barbeque or plant a garden; all things they really enjoy. So it'll be nice to have a place to really call and treat as their very own. Luckily they hired movers, so we really only have to help with painting etc. It should be fun.

My week is moving along quite nicely and I'm so looking forward to having another Sunday off. AWESOME.

Nice and refreshed

We made our trip to Weber's last night with a quick stop at Walmart on the way home, so I could get some cleaning supplies. It was a fun trip as always, even if we were the only other car there. I guess I didn't realize it was going to be so cold last night! It was yummy and I enjoyed the outing with my niece, my sister and my madré. When I came home, I made my mom's favorite Marshmallow fluff cake (pics below) and cleaned the bathroom. I was so tired by 9:30, that I turned in for the night and couldn't believe I woke up at 4 a.m.! Yes, and I was wide awake.. so I can only assume that my body had enough rest. Needless to say, I didn't get up, I forced myself back to sleep until just about 9 am. What would I have done at 4 am? So, we're off to the doctor at noon for my mom and I'm hoping for nothing serious. She looks really bad; when I saw her last night, she is so thin and hardly ate her sandwich. : ( I'm sure we'll spend some time together after the appt and will probably grab dinner somewhere in that time before she has to head to work. Hope you all have a great weekend! Fingers crossed for WARM weather. I couldn't find a picture....
Here's the recipe:

You need:
1 box of Devil's Food Cake (bake according to instructions, for a layer cake)
2 small jars of Fluff
1 bag of shredded coconut

Let the cake cool and ice it just as you would a layer cake; covering the center with the Fluff AND the coconut.
Ice the rest of the cake and cover with remaining coconut.

I really slathered on the flakes but held it over the sink and brushed off a lot of the excess.

Dreams

Do you ever have a dream and when you wake up, you realize how bizarre it was? I think that's the deal EVERY morning for me. Sometimes they're just plain crazy but yet it seemed to make sense while I was dreaming. Weird.

Anyhoo, I'm home today - Hoping to get into the doctor. My mom has been really sick and I'm worried about her. She's so stubborn and will never go to a doctor but I guess she's concerned now, because she finally made an appointment and is supposed to go tomorrow. I'm hoping they can get her in today but we'll see what they say. She's had fevers the past few days and that's what worries me most... but I'm hoping it's just a cold or bronchitis. Something MINOR. I'm not going to get too wordy on this subject - Please just say a prayer or two for her.

We'll see how the day plays out; we're supposed to have our official first outing of the season to Weber's Drive In. Just the girls! I'll update later with a more interesting post.

Before AND After of the bathroom remodel

Yes, you will agree that it was a major transformation! Whoa.

Lock Down

I unblocked my blog finally. I won't get into the details; it's kind of silly.
But I'm back and I'm PUBLIC. : ) So many things to catch up on. I could probably post about 3 new entries today but I'll run down the list of "new" with me.

- We finally finished the bathroom remodel and I love it! It could possibly be my favorite room in the house now. I will post the AFTER pictures very soon. Promise.

- My husband is one hard working man. Truly. He really gives 110% when he does something and I'm very grateful for his wisdom, strength and determinaton.

- I'm super thrilled that Spring has sprung but I'm not feeling the wearin' of the flip flops yet. I miss my flip flops. The higher, the better! I love the platformy type. Can I say "platformy"?

- My next project in the house is the kitchen. It's not nearly as scary as the bathroom was -- it just needs a little updating, circa 2009.

- I'm so DAMN proud of my sister who is an excellent pediatric nurse... So much so that she was nominated for AND selected for the Excellence in Nursing Award! So proud of her! I knew she was deserving of it - She was up against so many other hard working, excellent nurses and by way of recommendations from her colleagues: doctors, manangers and co-workers alike, she was selected as the recipient! What a nice accomplishment. She has definitely found her niche in life. I might go on and on here so I'll stop now. This is supposed to be a snippet!

- I have been on an emotional roller coaster lately - Lots of tears and 47 other emotions, but lucky for me, I'm a pro at hiding it from others. It's kind of a talent. I cry a lot in private so it's not like I'm holding it in. It's not that I cant't talk to my friends/family/husband but I've always been the one who struggles privately. A preference, I guess.

- I have a lot on my mind. Some of which I want to "talk" about. I may just do that, VERY soon.

- I'm mad that I forgot to stop at CVS on my way home for my RX and now I have to go back out. Ok, that is a silly thing to be annoyed about.. I know it could be worse. : )

- I just finished reading Water for Elephants. It was an excellent book and I'm anxious to see the movie now. And the upside? Reese Witherspoon and Robert Pattinson. Bound to be a great flick.

- I'm excited that the drive in is open for the season! My niece is so precious.. She knows that I love going so she won't go with just my sister. She said they have to wait for me. How cute. So we've planned an outing for this Thursday. Oh, and I don't mean a movie DRIVE IN... it's the root beer kind.

-I'm signing off now and headed back out to CVS. Hope you all have had some exciting, love filled days.

Temporary Fix

Well, first of all, I have to say that this Tsunami in China has got my stomach in knots. I fell asleep with the news on this morning and dreamt it happened to us. I managed to somehow stay safe and ended up pulling my sister and my niece out of a wave. Just thinking about it has me so scared. I woke up praying for all of those affected - I hope that the nightmare is over soon. How devastating.

On another note, I'm trying to make my blog private and I'm not sure how to do it!
Well, I can do it but then my followers can't see it! Ugh. What happened? Well, my dear friend shared a link to another gal's blog and I happened to be a follower on that blog. She posted the link on Facebook, of all places, and that means that EVERYONE who sees it can click on it and it could, if they click my photo, lead to MY blog. Yes, I realize it's the world wide web and people have had access to it a million times over. But I'm just not keen on the idea of half the people I went to high school with, reading my blog. Weird? Maybe. Sorry to sound like a wacko.

Rain Rain Go Away!

I don't like you, Rain. You are unwelcome here. Please leave. I heard that tomorrow is going to be close to 6o, so I hope the weather channel is accurate. I'm heading out with my mom tomorrow for lunch and then some odds and ends that I need to pick up. Jeff and I are headed to a St. Patty's social on Saturday and I never bought an Irish shirt! I kept putting it off and now I'm pretty sure there will be NONE left. So close to St. Patrick's Day? Chances are slim. We went to this same event last year and had a great time, dancing and mingling. They even had a chinese auction, which I love. I'm really looking forward to going. I even took the day off Sunday, so I don't have to make it an early night on Saturday. Ahh, a 3 day weekend! Nice. We haven't started the work on the bathroom yet; Jeff is home next week so he's all set to get down to business. We still have to get all of the stuff for it. We need flooring, a vanity, a toilet and of a mirror. We want to stick with a medicine cabinet though, because we do like keeping things in there. I'm fine with a medicine cabinet or just a nice mirror. So many options we have; hard to make a decision. When it comes to money, it's not hard to make a decision. I like to stick with a budget. We're thinking we may go with the ensemble below. Still on the fence, because the reviews weren't that great. Something about the color being off. Hmmm.. Guess we just really have to go to the store and look at things.
I can't believe that I'm ready for bed right now - Maybe it's the rain or the fact that I know I have an early day tomorrow. We were supposed to get our pooch to the vet for her yearly shots but the weather was so miserable, I rescheduled for Saturday. I don't like to rush around in the rain. People drive like idiots in the rain. Some do, at least. Last night we went to church since it was Ash Wednesday and it was a pretty long service beccause of the people who show up ONCE a year. It was standing room only, at one point. That's crazy.
Well, I'll head to bed soon - Here's the photos of what the bathroom MIGHT look like soon.

*whining* down

I'm such a slacker; I've been off of work for the past 4 days and I'm really bitching that I have to go to work tomorrow?! I had off Wednesday and Thursday because my sinuses were just RELENTLESS and have been wreaking havoc on my head. I wanted to stay in bed all day but I knew I'd be so unproductive so I forced myself up and made myself useful. It wasn't easy. I'm not sure what I got done in those 4days but Friday and today were productive days, I guess. We were up early today and headed to breakfast before lots of trips to Home Depot and Lowe's... to price vertical blinds and get all of our ideas down on paper for the bathroom remodeling. And can I say that the people at BOTH home improvement stores were LESS than useful? I couldn't believe how rude they were! We're first time home owners so give us a break, people. A little help or friendly "knowledge" would have been nice. We asked this one guy about installing a new toilet and he looked at us like we had 3 heads. SO condescending when he spoke. I was pretty annoyed. But we carried on and still were able to get some ideas on what vanities and mirrors that we might want. We took a trip to Bed Bath Beyond as well and were able to buy a new shower head - Jeff has wanted the dual kind for a while now so we were able to find a pretty nice one and I had a 20% coupon so that made our purchase even more fun! I think having a dual shower head is quite odd so far...Water coming from all directions - but I'll get used to it. I also finished my online course tonight - I took the final and my score was a 97% out of 100. I was a little disappointed that I got one wrong.. But that's just silly. I hope I can get to bed soon..I always seem to end up in bed LATE when I have to work the next day and yet will turn in at 9 when I'm off the next day. Weird.

Friday and it's raining? Really?

Well I'm still glad it's Friday because my weekend is officially here but I'm not glad that it's so gloomy out right now. I got up way later than I usually do on Friday and haven't started any of my cleaning. I always have it done by this time. Jeez, I need a big hot cup of motivation right now. Although, I did make a pot of coffee and accidentally made it way too strong, so a few more gulps of that should get me moving. Always does! Kind of looking forward to today even if it's miserable out; the husband is taking a half day at work so we can pick up his truck. Apparently, there were 3 recalls to his Titan, so we took it into the shop for a checkup. So, on the agenda is picking up the truck and running some errands together. We really want to take a trip to Blinds to Go so we can get prices on a vertical blind for our living room window.. we have a nice bow window and we've covered it since we moved in with these huge drapes I bought at Bed, Bath Beyond. It really takes away from it. So I'm kind of anxious to change it up. It's time to make it actually look like a bow window. Other than that, we're taking a trip to Home Depot so we can get some things for our bathroom. I think, this weekend, we're finally going to start on it! It really needs an overhaul. Did I tell you that it's yellow? Well, the paint and trim is hunter green, but the tub and toilet and vanity are yellow! We've lived with it thus far but had plans all along to re-do it .. so hopefully the project begins soon. I should post a picture of it. ok, I will. I just sat down before I posted, and paid bills. ** GASP ** Being a grown up sucks sometimes. : ) Where does it all go? Hope you are having a great Friday and have an even better weekend!


Here are the photos ( I usually have a matching hand towel - YIKES!)
See how old and country lookin' it is? Gahhh!! ( at least now I have some BEFORE shots)

I do love the skylight though..

Miracles?

** First, you have to push PLAY **

Miracle...

celine dion miracle songs | music videos | lyrics

On November 8, 2010, a true miracle came into this world. My sister gave birth to a beautiful, healthy, baby girl she named Chloe. She and her huband were so overjoyed by the birth of their baby girl; I don't think anything could ever come close to comparing with it. We say that Chloe is a miracle baby because, in all honesty, my sister "shouldn't" have been physically able to conceive in the first place. My sister has struggled with Crohn's disease for some years now; I can't count on one hand, the amount of drugs she has to take on a daily basis to keep it under control. It's pretty serious. She had emergency surgery some years back and the doctor told her then that she was lucky she'd come when she did because he wasn't sure she'd have "made" it much longer without that surgery. That was a scary time in her life .. as you can imagine. They basically told her that her insides were all "out of sorts" and her intestines were in bad shape. In layman's terms, I can only tell you that it was much like what happened to Marley in the movie Marley & Me. So they went in an fixed it the best they could. Having a child or conceiving was most likely not an option.. Coming off of the medicine would be too risky and her physical ability to get pregnant seemed unlikely as well. Then, in 2010, a miracle happened! My sister not only concieved, but carried to full term, a beautiful, healthy baby girl! Here's where I explain the rest of the miracle... When my sister went into labor, the baby was slow in coming. The doctors decided that she was going to be born via C-section because she was in some distress and it would be better for mom and baby. When they went in to perform the Cesarean, they accidentally cut my sister's bladder. I know that sounds like crazy malpractice stuff but they told my sister that her bladder was actually "not where it was supposed to be" .. They said that most of her organs were "misplaced" in some strange way.. I can only assume this was all a result of the Crohn's complications and the shape her intestines etc were in when they did that first surgery. In fact, the doctors agreed that there was humanly no way possible way for my sister to have gotten pregnant based on the "location" of her organs etc... They were so mystified as to how she was able to concieve based on what they'd seen. I mean, they never expected her bladder to be where it was, which is how they unintentionally ended up puncturing/cutting it. My sister said that the doctors even called her a "miracle". I don't know how much my sister prays or if she does but I would be willing to bet my next paycheck that God had a hand in this. Sometimes he sees fit for these things to happen and I guess it was time. He knows when a heart needs healing or when your life is ready to accomodate new beginnings or endings. I can't explain it any other way. I mean, if your body is not "equipped" to concieve and it does, how else would YOU explain it? Luck? I guess we all have our own theories but as long as I live, I'll consider my niece Chloe a miracle and I know my sister will too. I look at her pictures and I think of how blessed my sister and her husband are with a true gift from God. I find myself just thinking to still in disbelief sometimes. I'm not questioning it - I'm so very grateful; I just never expected it. No one did. I know that there are so many different "types" of love but the love that you have for a child must be SO different, when you hold her on your chest for the first time, you must wonder how you ever lived without her. It's the kind of love where you just know that you'd lay your life on the line for her and that you always want to protect her. I can only pray that one day I can feel that. God is always working & He clearly was in this case. He has bestowed a blessing upon us, that many people only dream of. Well, my sister did dream of it, but then it happened!
With no medical intervention. That is a true testament. To say that I'm happy for my sister is an understatement; I can't explain the depth of the joy in my heart. She is a mother now - I couldn't have wanted this more for her.

Lessons in Marriage

Hard to believe that I'm almost married for a whole year already! Not really until April but I've been thinking alot about it lately. Unfortunately, the reason I've been contemplating so much is because I have a few friends whose marriages are in discord right now. These are people who've been together for years and all of a sudden, something has changed and they're finding themselves on the verge of divorce. It scares the heck out of me that it could happen to me one day. I find myself going through crazy spurts of analyzing things in my own relationship. I've also realized that I haven't really been the best wife I could be, thus far. Sure, I'm "new at this" but I've been able to use some of the insight I've gained and 'change' some things about myself and my role as a wife. Part of my 'adjustment' was the big step I took this past weekend. I saw a little ditty on the news a couple weeks ago about Financial Infidelity and Jeff jokingly said that I was guilty of it. In reality, he was right though. We've been together for almost 10 years but only married just about 1 year and I've always kept my financial standings etc.. to myself. I've never really opened it up to him and it wasn't because I was hiding anything bad, but I just felt like it was MY personal information and not really something I wanted to share. One day, he expressed his feelings about it and said that he felt I 'hide' my finances from him. Like, what I owe in bills and how much I have in the bank. Honestly? He's right. I did do that and I realized that we're married now and we need to share these things with each other. Now, keep in mind that the "things" I've hidden from him are just my credit cards, and my student loan stuff... I told him a while back how much my salary is at work & even that was a big step for me. So I was at work last Sunday and was thinking about it LONG and HARD and I realized that I do in fact want to share these things with him. So I typed it all up on a sheet of paper and gave it to him when I came home. I can honestly say that I think it really turned our relationship in a good direction - he seemed so pleased that I was finally opening up to him about my financial health. I know it might seem silly but it meant a lot to him and I feel so much better about it now. I showed him that I have 3 credit cards, (which I don't use - I used them to biuld my credit)... and I gave him the total owed.. then I told him how much my student loan is for and I also made sure I told him that I'm behind on it because I am past due about $500 which I know is a big deal because they sent me a letter saying they can garnish your wages, take your tax refund etc.. So I called right away and arranged to make a payment very soon! As in this week. So yes, this was all a BIG step for me in the right direction and I feel so much better about it now. He wants me to think about a joint bank account eventually and I said that I'd consider it but first I want to get my student loan situated so they don't try to get me through my bank account. That would really suck and I'd feel really bad. I know I have married "blogger" friends.. (Amy, I almost called you one day for some wisdom) -- So, married friends, please let me know how you "make it all work".. because I'm quite clueless and a little nervous. I have so many questions.. Like how do I buy him a gift and not feel like I'm using HIS money, or how do I take money for shopping or something and not feel awkward? I feel like I'm losing some of my independence on one hand and on the other I feel like I'm supposed to be doing this. It was a hard pill for me to swallow when we went and filed our taxes JOINTLY..It wasn't the sharing part it was just the idea that it's JUST ME anymore. but, again, I realize that I'm not a single woman anymore.. I'm in a marriage, a union.. we're in this TOGETHER. See? I'm starting to catch on! ; )

Spring Preview!

I am thrilled that it's going to be in the high 60's today! I can't wait to open up the house and air it out - I love having a breeze running through while I clean. And clean is what I really need to do. I dust and clean every Friday (and more as needed) but I haven't really been around the house with the Swiffer lately. We have all hard wood floors in the house, so that means we have dog hair out the wazoo. I'm not kidding; I looked under the bed yesterday and thought we had another dog! So, I'll be swifferin' all over the house today and then shining up the wood floors. I can't wait to take in the beautiful weather. And my hubby texted me that he's taking a half day so that he can enjoy the sun too, that means I had better get a move on with my cleaning so I can free up the rest of the day to spend with him. It's going to be awesome! Hope you're all having nice weather no matter where you are - Hoping that the "S" word is a thing of the past! : )

Sunday blues

I don't know where the time goes. It seems I just get excited about my weekend being here and getting started and before I know it, it's just about over. I whine every Saturday night because I don't look forward to working on Sunday. It sucks. Everyone I know is hanging out on a Sunday and enjoying what's left of the weekend and I'm stuck in the office, by myself. I really don't think I'd mind so much if I had some company. I listen to music etc.. to keep myself occupied, or I should say, to liven the place up. I have a routine with the music too; Monday through Thursday I listen to whatever I have in my Media Player library (which ranges from country to freestyle to pop)... BUT on Sundays? Strictly, Classical. I don't know why other than the fact that I find it soothing. I have it set to my stations in the car too - it's my "de-stressing" music. If that's a word. : ) I can't complain entirely though - I had a really good weekend. I spent all of Friday afternoon with my two sisters and my 2 nieces - having some lunch (another story) and good laughs! Then my day continued on with my sister and I shopping a bit and stopping for some dinner at Red Lobster (2nd meal horror story of the day). I had such a great time with my sisters. We don't spend nearly enough time together. Today I picked up my mom from work (Saturday routine) and we had a quick breakfast, drove to the flea market, which ended up being CLOSED and then we ran some errands together and called it a day. So I guess I've been pretty busy this weekend and can't complain too much. I thought about taking this coming Thursday off, because the weather's supposed to be SO nice. Hmmmm......

Friday Fun

I was up early, made it to the store to get food for my dogger, stopped at McD's for a coffee (which turned out to be a cup of MILK).. Bleh... TOO MUCH CREAMER. Then came home, dusted and cleaned a little. Now I'm waiting to head out to my sister's to visit for a while. It's going to be so awesome. All 3 sisters and both of my nieces! Take a look at the little bundle I'll be holding half the afternoon.

Hot Diggity Thursday!

I got a chance to see my mom, my niece & my sister all at once tonight. What a nice treat! I even got to tuck in my niece at bedtime and spend some time chatting and laying in her bed. Her new BIG GIRL bed, I should add! When my sister first bought my niece's crib, she bought the kind that converts into 3 types. It went from crib to daybed and finally, to a full size bed, this week. I actually cried when I saw it all set up and decorated with all of her girly black and pink bedding (ala Justin Bieber). She's growing up so fast. It's a good idea to get that type of crib/bed, I guess, because it really lasts a long time & through many transitions. Although, she did have to buy a full mattress for it. Not so bad considering how much use she's been able to get out of it so far. I headed home fairly early because I was so tired! It's tough getting up early on Thursday morning and then trying to stay up late since I'm off on Fridays. Never quite works out that way for me. I'd rather get up early on Friday anyway so I can get my day and errands started. I'm going to my oldest sister's house for lunch so I'm thrilled about that. I get to spend some time with my other niece. She's getting so big and so darn cute! She's 3 months already! Wowsers! I'll have to post some pictures; I'm definitely taking my camera with me. My sister goes back to work next Monday so it'll be tough for her to leave her little angel. Poor girl. I wish I'd really been able to get over and visit the two of them more often while she was home on maternity leave, but I could only ever get there on a Friday really and always seemed to be doing something. I kind of regret it now. Well, I'm off to dreamland and looking forward to a great weekend! Hope you are too.

Lazy Bones

I'm just not finding the motivation to get a good blog post in tonight so here is what I'm thinking:

- O.M.G.. The Justin B movie comes out Friday; I'm hoping I can take my niece. It will probably be torture for ME but she's worth it.

- My new favorite juice is Juicy Juice Punch. I used to drink it all the time when I was a nanny and now I'm stuck on it again. It's one of the better juices out there. I have to get away from so much soda and iced tea.

- I am so glad tomorrow's Thursday and my weekend will start at 5 sharp! I have had a nutsy week and just want to relax and sleep in. I almost called out several times this week.

- I feel like crap and am not sure if my throat scratchiness is from my reflux or my cold. (did I spell that word right? Is scratchiness a word?"

- I never take anything medicinal -- But I bought some children's allergy and cold.

- My dog is asleep next to me on my husband's pillow. Seems like a fair trade; she doesn't snore NEARLY as loud as he does.

- I have lots of things I want to "talk" about but have refrained thus far. One day I will get my thoughts together and let it all out. Be prepared.

- I often get the urge to blog from work but I hold back because I'm afraid that my employer will see it. But honestly, I have never said anything derogatory about my employer so what am I worried about?

- I have been such a slacker with my online course that I'm taking. I've gotten behind in the lessons but have to make an effort to catch up tomorrow night.

- I downloaded OpenOffice on my laptop tonight - I hope it works. I really need a word application on my computer.

- I'm turning in for the night... Promise to post much better tomorrow.

30DS

I finally decided to check it out last week. The 30 Day Shred with Jillian Michaels. I kept seeing it when I went into the fitness programs on Comcast and I heard such good things about the results! So, last week, I finally turned it on and man, did I get a workout? I could hardly move the next day. I mean, I haven't used some of these muscles in Lord knows how long so it really was an eye opener to just how out of shape I am. The worst part for me was sitting down. I had to just "plop" down because my legs were not dealing well with the bending process. But even after the burn that I was feeling (which is a good sign that you're doing it right), I came home the second night and went right back to get started on Day 2. And it wasn't there!! It was GONE from Comcast! I was so pissed that I called Comcast and the lady told me that it had been deleted because of some expansion they were doing. Well that means nothing to me, I was not understanding it. It was supposed to be available until February 21st. Dude!! So anyway, I didn't let it stop me! I ran my sore butt to Wal*Mart and bought it for 9 bucks! What a deal! So I'm getting back to it this week and I hope I can stick it out for the full 30 days. It's tough but I'm really looking forward to the results.

Busy Bee

That's me in a nutshell for today. I have so much to do and I've not found the ooomph to do it yet. I was wide awake at 7 a.m. since I went to bed so early but I refused to get up simply because it was my day off. So I woke up - AGAIN - at 10 and now I feel like I slept too long. Don't you just hate it when that happens. There is such a thing as too much sleep, I guess. I definitely have to clean the house today & get to the post office. My sister is going to let me know if she wants to do lunch; she's been dealing with a nasty cold and hasn't been able to taste anything. Whenever I get like that, I don't want to eat. What's the sense? I always recommend hot and sour soup to anyone who has a cold like that. I'm telling you, it really clears you out. We had a full house last night! My sister came over so I could print up a resumé for her, so we had dinner and visited a bit and then shortly after she left, my brother came over with his girlfriend to have their taxes done. I've been doing them for a few years now. If they only knew how easy Turbotax is to use! It basically walks you through it. I'm a little nervous this time though. His girlfriend's refund jumped like $1200 when I entered her 1098-T form. (She's a full time college student) Does anyone have any experience with this? If you do, please advise. I went over it like 3 more times and it seemed ok so I pray that it is. I don't want her getting audited or owing money. It just seemed so drastic. Good for her if it's right though. This was the first year I didn't do my own taxes - I actually filed with my husband. That was a change for me - I wasn't used to doing that. Wow. Sucks that we got less as a couple than I usually did single. I think it may have had something to do with his unemployment from last year. But it's just as well.. your tax refunds are always something to look forward to. We had big plans for ours to re-do our bathroom but we'll just do it bit by bit. No rush, really. Guess I better get off the computer and start on my housework so I can shower and be ready JUST IN CASE my sister decides she wants to go to lunch. I can't go looking like this... Trust me. Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Slacker

What I should be doing:
Working on my Wednesday Lesson of my online course that I'm taking.
Folding the laundry that I'll no doubt tumble at least 2 more times.
Putting my clothes away that I did manage to fold.
Going over my bills for the month and entering them in my "to pay" calendar.
But, I'm here visiting instead. Catching up on all your blogs and trying to come up with something post-worthy. Sorry if any of you were on the receiving end of, yet again, MORE snow. My corporate office is in Chicago, so almost everyone was working from home today because their total accumulation was in the 30's. As in inches! I may be a little off but they were anticipating that much so they planned ahead and they set up 'shop' from home. I wouldn't have minded doing that - Sitting at home in my flannel pj's and my slippers? Oh, how I wish Spring would just come knock on my door and tell me it's finally here! I stole a couple hours away last night and went to dinner and a movie with my movie buddy. We saw The Rite w/Anthony Hopkins. It was a great movie; he's such a wonderful actor. I'd have to say this was one of his best roles yet; I sure hope he gets an award. I know the concept is a little controversial to some, but it really was a great story. And last but not least, I totally feel like I'm getting sick! I never (knock on wood) get sick. I am obsessed with washing my hands constantly, using my hand sanitizer like it's my job and just keeping my environment - GERM FREE. So now, I'm so annoyed that I may be coming down with something. I get this weird scratchy feeling in my throat - I know it all too well. YUCK. Someone at work was just out for a couple of days with Bronchitis.. But I thought Bronchitis wasn't contagious? So now, I wonder what it really was. I can't stand it when someone coughs or sneezes right out into the air that we all share/breathe. Grown people who don't cover their mouths? So, I hope I'm not posting in a day or two how I feel like crap. :(

February already?

I can't believe it's February already but I'm so happy because I love HEARTS! Anything cutesy and heartsy and Valentine's day related! The husband isn't into the girlie Valentine's décor so I haven't gotten too carried away with it. I love using our front window (bow windows display things so well) to put decorations in, so I just put two hanging hearts in it and the candles light it up nicely. I will add some more things to the house, when he's not looking. haha In other news, things have been status quo here. Not much new and exciting to report. I'm still cursing this nasty WHITE stuff that we have on our lawn and all over the streets & now I hear that we may be getting MORE? I hope not. YUCK. We did an overnight in A.C. for my sister's birthday and that was a great time. We had a light dinner with lots of laughs, some entertainment at the karaoke bar and finished up early with some dancing. It was a nice time away with just the girls. Then I had a great time last week with my niece. She slept over because my sister had to work overnight and I loved having her here. I always do! We watched some iCarly, played some educational games on PBSkids(dotcom) and then I tucked her in and read her Rapunzel and Sleeping Beauty. She loves the story of Rapunzel so she was thrilled that it was in the story book. She's already asked me to read it to her again when she comes over. My sister bought me the Grimm's Fairytales book about 7 years ago. She inscribed the inside cover and wrote that I could read it to her future nieces or nephews... Ironically, I'm reading it to my niece. I wouldn't have it any other way. Being an aunt is so rewarding and makes my heart so happy and very full. We had a great time together and I got her off to school in the morning. I would've preferred to spend the whole day with her but I wouldn't have been a very good aunt if we played hooky and I'd kept her home. She loves school too much anyway. I'm looking forward to the weekend and spending some time with friends that I haven't seen in a while. Game night always rocks & then Sunday we're off to a Super Bowl party. While I'm not a football fan, I still like to socialize and enjoy yummy snacks! Tomorrow night I've got plans for a dinner/movie date with my good friend Stephanie.. Not sure what we're seeing but I'm leaning towards Black Swan. I hope she concurs.

Karma

I'm sorry. I know there are mixed opinions on this one but give me a break. It's funny.. and truth is no one knew WHO it was until she made a stink about it. Today, reading about her shady past, I feel like karma just paid her a little visit. I'm glad she didn't get injured in any way.. To Laugh or not to laugh?

Down the tube

My day, thus far, has been anything but productive. NY & Co was a big fail. What happened to their clothes? Not to mention that they're not that cute anymore, but I looked at a top that caught my eye & it was $43. I'm a frugal shopper so that might be too pricey for me to begin with, but WOW. So I took the outfit back and was issued a store credit. Maybe I'll shop online with it; they're bound to have some cute accessories (although then I have to pay shipping). Whatever. So I did meet my sister at the mall and we had lunch and chatted about everything under the sun. We usually do! Guess that was the highlight of my day. I need to get my hair/bangs cut BADLY and I wanted to pick up some new makeup, but I came right home after I left the mall. I honestly feel like laying down and taking a nap. I guess I'm just in a funk now. My mom is really sick and won't go to the doctor - she's very stubborn. I have a lot of things going through my mind about it. She always seems to be sick (as in achy body, etc) and it scares the hell out of me that it's so frequent. Today I had a lot of guilt that I haven't pressed her to go to the doctor but I can't physically MAKE her. She'd be all over me if I thought I had something wrong and she would go to the doctor's WITH me but I think she's just afraid of what she might hear. I don't know what's wrong with her; I'm not a doctor. I just have some crazy notions in my head - and I want her to get checked out. She hasn't been to a doctor in years - maybe a wellness check is all she needs. Some vitamins? I know she's had high blood pressure in the past so that's a concern. My mom is literally about 5'2" and weighs probably just over 100 lbs. She is all bones and the smoking doesn't help. She could live on cigarettes and Pepsi. In fact, I feel like sometimes she does. I called the doctor today to see if I can get her in there on Monday but the answering service said their phones are forwarded for the day. Great. I could make her an appt with my own doctor but I know they're tough when it's a new patient. Sometimes they're accepting new ones and sometimes they want you to jump through hoops. She has to go no matter what. I just have to convince her somehow and I won't take no for an answer. Wish me luck.

On the agenda

It must be Friday because I'm still running around the house in my pajamas and making a mental list of what I need to do today. As always, my Friday ritual definitely has cleaning on the list! I also need to get out and return an outfit that was a gift from Christmas. My sister bought me a cute outfit from New York & Co but they always run big there. The top is one size too big and of course, when I went there last, they didn't have the size I needed so now I'll either have to find another or just get store credit. No problem. I love going to the mall by myself; you have no one trailing behind you or pulling you in another direction. So nice that I can get right in and right out. Tomorrow the girls are headed to Atlantic City for my sister's birthday. We go every year (that's what she likes to do). We usually have a light dinner and some drinks at The Irish Pub and then just head out for dancing later.. and of course, we have to stop at the karaoke bar. That's always a blast! I've got to be honest though, every year, I'm so excited to go and can't wait .. but this year, I don't really feel like I want to go. Maybe since I'm married, I just want to stay at home. It just feels weird. I wouldn't have minded if we stayed local and just went out dancing etc. But I'm just going to suck it up and go. I know I'll have a good time. I also just started my online course this past Wednesday and it wasn't really what I thought it would be. I guess I thought that it was going to be somewhat interactive but it's not. I basically just log in to the "classroom" and read. There are quizzes, a discussion area and will ultimately be a final exam so it's not all that lame. : ) just looking forward to adding some education/skills to my résumé. I really want to get into the medical field in an administrative position. *Fingers crossed* Well, I'm off to get my Friday started & get all my errands done. Hopefully. Have a Great Weekend!

no words ...

I lied - I do have words for this one but none that I could repeat and even sound remotely like a "lady". Before anyone reading this, thinks it's about the "A" word; it's not (strictly) about that. Everyone has their opinions on THAT but the plain and simple fact here is that this "doctor" murdered babies. Real, LIVE, babies.
He is insane -- An example of the evil that lurks among us in this world-

Tuesday Blues

I felt so awful when I woke up this morning & I waited it out for a bit before calling off for the day. I don't like doing that and leaving my work for someone else to do but I guess we all pick up the slack for each other. I decided to lie down for a while (actually watched two really good movies) and now I'm feeling a bit better. I called my mom & asked her to go to lunch; so spur of the moment but I know she's up for it. I just hope that the roads aren't crazy. I heard there's tons of ice on the roads and that makes for a very treacherous drive. My awesome husband was up earlier than usual, shoveling and de-icing both of our cars. He's such a good man. I figured I'd utilize my time home today & make a really nice dinner for all of his hard work he does around here. I'm still thinking about what to make, and I'm scouring the net for ideas. I want something yummy but it has to be EASY and have FEW ingredients. I know, that sounds so boring but you'd be surprised how many great meals you can make in less than an hour and with only a few ingredients. Ok, maybe not a FEW, but at least under 10. I'm off to shower & get ready to head out. Hope you're all having a great week so far.

Another productive Friday!

I actually went to bed fairly early last night, even considering that I didn't have to work today. I was able to get up early enough to meet my sister for breakfast, at our favorite spot for the BEST deal on breakfast. Seriously, the diner that we go to has a GREAT breakfast deal, Monday through Friday. You have to get there before 10, so we're always rushing out the door, and just making it there! It was so funny, the first time we went, I thought our waitress gave us the wrong check. No lie - our check today: 2 coffee, 2 small OJ, 1 eggs/bacon/toast/homefries, 1 eggs/scrapple/toast/homefries for a grand total of - $8.51 I kid you not. Is that not a great deal for breakfast? I don't think I could go anywhere else and get that deal for even ONE person. So then after a quick breakfast, I made my run to the store for cleaning stuff, came home and cleaned, threw in a load of laundry and headed back out to register for an online course I'm taking through our community college. I can't wait! It's a non credit course, so that stinks but at least it's something I can add to my resumé - since it's an admin medical course.
Then my sister invited me to my niece's Family Involvement Day - so that was a nice treat! My niece had no idea I was coming so she was pretty surprised when I walked in! The theme was Winnie The Pooh - apparently it's his birthday so they had all these Pooh-themed activities. It was really cute. The kids were so happy that their moms and dads came. I always get so upset when I see a child who didn't have anyone show. My niece took my hand and led me around the room showing me her cubby and some of her works of art. She was very proud. : ) Finally, my sis and I ended up back at my house, ordered take out and relaxed a bit. Now I'm so tired and can't wait to just fall into my comfy bed and stay under the covers until my big blue eyes open tomorrow. But that really doesn't work because my husband's idea of sleeping in is until about 7 and I feel like a bum if I stay in bed.

Old school

I went back to an "old" Blogger template for now. At least until I'm able to sit down and edit a little more. Everyone has such cute blog backgrounds etc, I just haven't had the "ooomph" to sit and fiddle with all of the possibilities. I've been updating almost regularly though; that's a big step for me! I've been trying to catch up on my reading so I've not been spending as much time in front of the computer lately. So not like me. :) I guess the reading kind of tires me out which is good because I'd really LOVE to have one night of really GREAT sleep. For some reason, my sleep is always broken up. I have not slept through the night in ages. U-G-H. Not fun. But yay for Thursday!! My weekend has begun.

All discombobulated

* I took a stab at spelling that so I'm sure it's not quite right *

As you can clearly see, I've been trying to tweek my blog a bit. I needed a change; something new and jazzy. BUT evidently I need to "tweek my tweeking" because I done messed it all up. I just realized I am missing a whole handful of "stuff" on my blog. My archive links are all gone, my profile info and picture have disappeared.. etc. Dang it! I promise I'll get to fixing it TOMORROW. It's diffcult, being on the lap top, to get into all of the editing. Hope you're all having a fantastic week - Snow days all over!

My niece Chloe

My oldest sister, whom we all were sure wouldn't have children (due to her struggle w/Crohn's and some other past issues).. gave birth to a beautiful baby girl this past November! We're all so thrilled with her arrival and look forward to watching her grow and learn, but most of all, look forward to all of the happy memories.
Here are a few pictures - I've been greedy and haven't shared. I posted one of my beautiful sis too - in all her pregnant-glowing-glory. *in the last photo, Chloe looks as if she's "getting rid of something" but I think she was just leaning forward*

Early Weekend

Well I called in sick today - I have a sucky sinus headache and I really just wanted to lay in bed all the live long day. I finally roused around 9:30 or so and decided I should be doing something productive at home since I wasn't doing any such thing at work today. So I threw the bedding in the washer and I cleaned the kitchen a bit. Heavens to Betsy, my kitchen floor is linoleum and it's driving me crazy to see how it just doesn't come as clean as I'd like- so I decided today that I really need to scrub it on my hands and knees. Who does that anymore? Mr. Clean Magic Eraser works wonders on that kind of stuff so I guess I'll be off to the store and hopefully getting that floor all spic-n-span before the weekend's over. Other than that, my weekend plans include maybe having a sleepover with my niece & having my cousin and her husband over for dinner on Saturday. That should be nice. I love to entertain - so I hope they don't cancel. I was planning to go all out and make a nice big dinner but we have church at 4 so I may opt for pizza instead. Kind of cheap of me but it's much easier to visit and socialize when I'm not prepping and then cleaning up a messy kitchen. Right? Right. Guess I better get my butt off this computer chair and start tidying up the rest of the house now. Happy Thursday; it's almost Friday.

Blog Challenger - Post #7 - How you came across Blogger...

and how it changed your life.

Hmmm.. I'm wondering if it has really changed my life in any way. I guess in a way, it has. Blogger is the best thing since sliced bread. How cliché of me? Since I started blogging, 5 years ago, (holy cow!), Blogger has been a way of me journaling the good, the bad, and the ugly of my life. And sometimes other peoples'. Oops.
But, all joking aside, Blogger is just an awesome way to make friends (even virtually), and to keep friends etc up to date on what's happening in my life, what's bothering me, what's making me happy or sad. I love reading everyone's posts/stories and seeing pictures that you all share. It's like I have all these friends that only exist in the blogosphere but I love it! Sometimes, my friends aren't always there to lend an ear and as long as I have my blog, I always have someoene who cares about what I have to say. We often share the same trials and tribulations and it's so awesome being able to relate to someone on so many levels.
My husband does not "get" the blogging thing AT ALL. He thinks I log on and just start telling everyone about my life etc... complete strangers. *GASP* Strangers??? Bite your tongue. These are my friends! ** corny clip art below **

Year in review

What a year it has been! Hard to believe we're saying goodbye to 2010 already and will bring in 2011 in just about an hour. So many wonderful things have happened this year!

* Jeff and I got married (after 9ish years together)
* We celebrated our first year in our first home
* My oldest sister, truly by a miracle, delivered a beautiful baby girl!
* My father-in-law beat prostate cancer. (thank the Lord for the early detection)

There are so many other things that I could list but those are the ones that stuck out right now. I'm praying for a fantastic new year in 2011. I'm trying not to make any resolutions because I don't want to let myself (or anyone else) down. My biggest resolution (if I was making one).. as always, is to get healthy & lose some weight. But we'll see how that goes. I hope that 2011 is the start of a great new year full of wonderful new memories!

My latest read

Have you read this Beth Moore book yet? I saw a short review on it some time ago and immediately decided that it was something I wanted to read. I decided to put it on my Christmas list and Santa Hubby brought it! I can't wait to start reading it. If you've already read it, be sure to let me know what you thought of it.

Christmas has come and gone so fast!

All the planning & crazy shopping for weeks - even months - and it's all over that quickly? Wow. Christmas was a wonderful day as always for me. It's never about the gifts for me; it's always about the time we get to spend with family. It's what I really treasure the most about it. On Christmas morning, my sisters and I usually go to my dad's (with our spouses/significant others) and we exchange gifts with my dad and stepmom and then enjoy a nice home cooked breakfast. Then Jeff and I go to his parent's home for a late lunch/early dinner and spend time with his family there. Finally, Jeff and I come back home and spend the rest of the night with my mom and usually my brother when we exchange gifts and have some light fare. My sisters will usually stop by before calling it a night too. It's always a busy day full of great times spent with family. I had to work the day after Christmas this year, which I haven't done in a long time. It really sucked to have to get up early in the morning and trudge to work. I should've planned my vacation time better and I could've saved a day or two to use this month. But oh well.
One of my favorite parts of Christmas day is when we go to church. I always like going to church but on Christmas, it just seems so different. It's a feeling that I can't quite explain. My only gripe is all the people who don't step foot near the church all year and then decide to make their once-a-year visit on Christmas. It's always been something that annoyed me. I couldn't believe how many people were there! The church was filled to capacity, so much so that people had to start lining the walls and standing. Craziness. But I guess I can't fault them entirely, at least they went, right? Ok, rant over. Sorry. I hope you all had a fantastic holiday with your families, whether it was Christmas or Hannukah, Kwanzaa.

TGIF - Amen!

Lots of errands to run today. Ok, not lots but enough. First I have to pay the sewer bill that I seemed to have forgotten about & then I'm off to Wegman's to drop off a picture for my niece's birthday cake. Guess what it's a picture of? Justin "Beaver". That's what she calls him; so funny. Yes, that's what kind of cake she wanted. My sister, I think, is worried that she's all into a boy but I think it's totally harmless. She's almost 5 - it's cute. So her party is at the skating rink tomorrow and initially I wanted to partake and skate but now I'm rethinking it. I haven't skated in years so I should just watch and help chaperone, right? :) It should be a lot of fun. It was planned at the same place last year but then we got all that awful "S" word and the rink closed. My sister never had a chance to reschedule either. That stinks. I'll post some pictures from the party.. hopefully none will be off me on my butt!

Post #6 - Blog Challenge - YOUR FAVORITE SEASON

My favorite season, hands down, is SPRING! I love it because it's not cold and not too hot - it's the in between. Summer can get too hot and winter, well, you know I hate the cold and the "S" word. Spring is beautiful - I can't get enough of beautiful blooming flowers!

I said Hey, What's going on!

I really want to sit here and blog until my fingers ache because I have so many things to say but seems I forgot one minor thing when I was at the store just now. Uh -- dog food. Seems it's quite vital to a certain furry-someone's continued thriving so I must take off my comfy slippers and stretchy pants and head back out in that crippling cold BUT not before I at least leave you with a quick update - of sorts. Here are some things off the top of my head:

♥ I found the Beth Moore book "So long Insecurity" at Walmart for a great price but didn't buy it for myself because I was sort of Christmas shopping. I may get it for Christmas though. It's on my list. (I don't really have a list)

♥ I have tickets to this Friday's taping of the Dr. Oz show - I was stoked when I finally got through on the phone a month or two ago and COULD NOT wait to go! But now, I don't think I will be going. For starters, I couldn't find anyone to go with me and I don't think I really have the extra duckets for the bus up there. I'm a little disappointed. I love the Dr. Oz show.. I think he's pretty awesome. If you click on the Pay*Pal link on the sidebar, please feel free to donate to Dawn's Dr. Oz Show Bus Fund".

♥ Someone posted the following on her Facebook status this week: "I realy need a job. Does anyone know of any place that's highering" Oh. My. Word.

♥ My niece made a placemat in pre-school for Thanksgiving and on it there were leaves to write names in. Names of those whom you're thankful for - and yes, I made the cut! I was so touched. My sister sent me a picture of it. She even wrote my name herself. Well, she doesn't call me by my real name.. which is even cuter.

♥ My niece also just was awarded Student of the Month. My sister had a serious case of Proud Mama! And I, of course, was one PROUD aunt.

♥ We have all our lights and tree finally up BUT my OCD is coming out and I'm having a hard time dealing with the rearrangement of the living room and how certain pieces of furniture are where they just don't belong or LOOK like they belong.

♥ I had my heart set on a job that I was pretty hopeful for..But I called 4 days after I applied and they'd already filled the position. Not nice. I prayed on it so I know that I didn't get it because it just wasn't right.

♥ I finally got out with a great friend of mine last week - It was so nice to sit and talk and catch up. We don't get to do it too often but it's awesome when we do. We always laugh and have great conversation. We went to Moe's SouthWest Grill & it wasn't too bad.

♥ I played a prank on above mentioned friend today. She had left a private message for me on Facebook about how she was sorry they couldn't make game night but it turns out she's started a new medicine and it has her constipated pretty badly. So I called her today and told her that she didn't send me a private message, that she in fact, posted that on my WALL for everyone to see. Well, after she gasped louder than I've ever heard and said "OH NO!" I just busted out laughing. Is it bad that I waited all day to call her and do that? She knows me though, so she wasn't upset.. she thought it was funny in fact. I should have at least let her run to the computer! haha

-- Ok, I've written too long and I don't want to get up early to make eggs and bacon for my pooch, so I'll conclude here and head back out to the store. Bleh!

Post #5 - Blog Challenge

Tell us your 3 favorite colors: Hmmm, I had to think about that one. Although I'm pretty consistent with my favs. They are: (insert drumroll here)... Black, Brown, Burgundy. Yep that's it. At least currently. Boring, right?