Just the Two of Us

Burn, Baby, Burn

2012-01-07T23:04:00.016-06:00

Geno and I ran to a couple of stores this afternoon, and (while I was googling a Sizzix Texture Boutique at Michael's) Geno got a call from a number he didn't recognize. He usually just lets it go to voicemail, but he just had a feeling he needed to answer. It was Mark. His car was on fire and he was on his phone with the 911 dispatcher. We left immediately. Mark sounded pretty shook up, so Geno wanted to get home for him, but then Mark texted us a photo and Geno hit the turnpike! As we pulled up, this is what we saw:

Not so bad, right? Well, until you walked around to this side:

Holy cow! My first question to Mark was if he was ok.

Apparently a neighbor saw the smoke and came running over (thank you, Becky!) and she said the flames were as high as the house. However, no smoke damage or any hint of fire to the house. Look how close that was to the Camaro in the garage!

This fireman told me that they were very careful to avoid any damage to the Camaro. I asked Mark if he told them to be careful, but he said it was just "man instinct." Lol

This is through the trunk looking into the driver's seat:

And, above is the driver's seat. How scary is that?

The fire investigator stayed until well after dark sifting through what was left of Mark's car.

What did he find? Mark's car wasn't even running when it caught fire. His keys were in the garage along with everything he had just taken out while cleaning the car--GPS, his phone, his wallet, a movie. He had spent almost 3 hours washing the car, shining the tires, cleaning the windows, and vacuuming it out. He had taken the floor mats into the garage to vacuum. When he opened the back door to put the mats in, he was hit with black smoke. He dropped the floor mats (you can see them melted together outside the door in front of the fireman) and ran to open the driver's door. He was met by flames! He ran into the house to get the fire extinguisher (which was right under the kitchen sink) but he couldn't find it. When he came back out, he called 911. Apparently, there was a short in the circuit board right under the radio that was the origin of the fire. Since nothing was on in the car, and it hadn't been running for over 2 hours, it could have been a spark from the light coming on when he opened a door to clean the window? In any case, it was going to happen at some point and we are very grateful that it wasn't while he was driving or when he had the grandkids in the car!

The best part:

While Mark was holding both phones trying to talk to Geno and 911 AND the neighbor had already come running over from the street behind us because she saw the smoke AND there were flames shooting out from the car...a sweet little old lady stops and asks Mark

"Is your car on fire?"

Nope! Just toasting some marshmallows.

Here's your sign.

Chinese Date Night

2012-01-06T23:26:00.004-06:00

Since my no-soda goal didn't go so well, I'm not sure I should tell you what any of my other goals for the year are! So, I am flawed. No big secret. I just need to succeed one more time than I fail, right? Geno and I were totally rockin' the Friday date nights for several months before he hurt his back in August 2010. We had been so overwhelmed with hospitals, doctors, and all things medical for so long that we got out of the habit. We started up again when we moved here to OKC, but it was pretty much dinner out and a movie-which can get REALLY expensive pretty quickly. One of my other goals is about finances (later post) and the idea of doing something within budget (even better if it is below!) is just as exciting to me as the actual event. I heard someone say, "It is called a budget because you set it and you don't budge." I love it!

So, in an attempt to have regular date nights, stay within a budget, AND get out of the dinner and movie rut we were in, I decided to start putting more effort into date night. Once I started doing some research online, I realized that there were some other very talented ladies who had already been doing the work for a few years now. All I needed to do was pick what worked for us right now and most of the work was done for me.

Since I waited until last night to really pick, my plans were somewhat limited. HOWEVER...there are ideas that you can do at the last minute, so don't give up on date nights! Just make sure to pick the ideas for next week and start on it RIGHT AFTER you enjoy this week's date night. I went with http://www.thedatingdivas.com/just-the-two-of-us/chinese-please/

The Dating Divas are awesome! I printed out the invitation for Geno, bought a Panda Express gift card, and set it out with a fortune cookie and chopsticks:

(My tablecloth is really wrinkled!)

I also printed Wok Tok game-like Mad Gab-from this same post and rented Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. My plan was to also pick up the take-out boxes and Chinese lanterns. I went to Dollar Tree, Hobby Lobby, Party Galaxy, Target, AND Walmart. NO LANTERNS. NO FANS. NO TAKE-OUT BOXES. NO PROBLEM! Geno was happy with the effort I had put forth for our first date. He said it was all right up my alley. Yes it is.

Panda Express was yummy. Wok Tok made us laugh. I won. Geno broke off part of the temporary crown he spent 3 hours in the dental chair getting today, so when the dentist called to check on him and then said to meet him at the office Geno said we tied. I'll take a tie. The movie was just not our cup of tea. The girl fight started out good until the ladies were kinda flying around. We did think that maybe Geno found a new hairstyle. Since he can't grow it on top, maybe he should try the front shaved and the back in a long braid.

The Sugar Bowl is on now. We had a good night!

Simple Pleasures

2012-01-05T23:08:00.002-06:00

Geno has some projects going on at work, so it was just Mark and me for dinner tonight. Several weeks ago, Mark made a list of meals he would like to have. Spaghetti was one of them. I love Ragu Garden Combination Chunky spaghetti sauce. I can't explain it. I just love it.

Geno. Not so much.

He will eat it, but he would rather try some other (translate: more expensive) brand.

It was wonderful! Nothing special. Just a blast from the past of comfort food.

I have been having trouble being creative since Christmas. That happens when I am stressed. It is very difficult for a mother to not worry about her children...even when you know they have to face the consequences of their actions and you have no control in the situation whatsoever. I am worried about the possible consequences they are facing. I have very little faith in the justice system lately and even less faith that integrity and honesty exist in certain groups of people. Two weeks...

Braylee turned TWO!

2012-01-04T23:25:00.001-06:00

Absence makes the heart grow fonder...

2012-01-03T22:27:00.005-06:00

and me more productive!

I got all of the Christmas down and packed into the boxes today. They are all stacked up in the garage waiting for Mark to help me get them in the attic. I am making notes to myself for when we start house-hunting next year. We won't always have someone around to do the heavy lifting, so we need to make sure we have enough storage space accessible to me. With Geno's back injury, it is all up to me when there is no one else around! I also realize that I better love it if I am going to have to tote it around myself ;o)

I was also able to upload 1 of the wedding photo discs to Shutterfly (so I can take advantage of the 101 free prints by tomorrow) and I will start the second disc before I head to bed. There were 500 photos on the first disc, so it took almost 5 hours. I just let it run while I cleaned and did other things. I did realize just how much I use my computer to look things up as I think of them during the day!

I thought I should photograph this wonderful nativity:This was given to me by a wonderful, caring lady from my church who came to visit me faithfully every month even when I didn't attend for a few years. I am reminded of her Christ-like love for me every year when I set it out.
If you look closely, you can see that Joseph's head is glued on. I apparently have some subconscious issue with Joseph, because I have managed to break the head off of every Joseph in every nativity we have owned! Well, except the Fisher Price Little People set, but even he went missing last year. I found him behind some DVDs on the shelf a few weeks after Christmas last year. I think he had gotten word and was trying to save himself :o)

One of the hottest topics in our house right now is the temperature. Geno gets cold and turns up the heat and the next thing I know I am sweating like crazy! For 14 years, the boys and I were walking around the house in sweatshirts and never sat to watch tv without a blanket. I have quite a collection of blankets from the years. Geno would always tell us that he was hot and we would just have to add layers. Now that the tables have turned, he doesn't seem to feel the same way. WHATEVER! I thought I am the one who is supposed to be having internal temperature control problems :o) I finally put my foot down and told him that he was going to have to adjust himself to the temperature and not keep changing the thermostat and making everyone else miserable. This is how you can find him most of the time now:
I know, right? This is crazy! He did go get some blood work done today to see if maybe something is not right internally that needs to be fixed. Well, if you ask me...

Five things:

1. I am grateful for my health. I do have some goals for a healthier me in 2012, but they are all things I can certainly fix with some work. With all that we have dealt with concerning Geno, I am in pretty great shape!

2. I am grateful for my new green tea kettle I got from Missie and Sarah for my birthday. I LOVE hot chocolate and some herbal teas. I can't wait to sit inside and enjoy a nice warm drink while the snow falls next week. And, it just makes me happy sitting there all green in my black/tan kitchen!

3. I am grateful for Thomas S. Monson, President of our church. Listening to him tell stories of his life and what an example he is to me is inspiring. His smile makes me smile, too.

4. I am grateful for that still, small voice that whispers to me and prompts me to do good things. I am reading One Simple Act by Debbie Macomber, and I am trying to focus more on generosity and listening to those promptings for opportunities to give service.

5. I am grateful for modern medicine. Without the experimental treatment Geno was able to receive, he wouldn't even be walking at this point! I have a few tests to be run in the next few weeks, but I am happy for that opportunity to find out about medical issues early and to know that there are treatment options for me :o)

Evidence that the grandkids were here...

2012-01-02T23:04:00.004-06:00

HA! You thought I wasn't going to make it, but I am now 2 for 2 :o)

We had to return the grankids today and we drove back to our home in OK. As I was walking through the living room, I had to laugh at this sight:

Look at those uneven baskets and books pushed back. My first thought was that little Hunter did it, but then I realized that Zachary may have pushed the books back to keep them from Hunter. This may not be something that matters to you, but it drives me crazy! What is funnier is that I have always given Geno a hard time about his OCD. We would all sit down to watch a movie together and 30 minutes later Geno was still playing with the set up to make sure it was perfect before we could start the movie. I hesitate to get another rug for the living room, because Geno would actually stop a movie and straighten the rug! The fewer things we have that need to be "just right" the better for Geno (and the rest of us)!

Growing up, I used to clean my room by putting everything in grocery bags in the closet. If I had just had rubbermaid tubs back then, I would have realized my future in organization!

So, before I could sit down and relax (after I had unpacked everything I took with me for the weekend and put away the suitcases, boxes, and bags)...

I had to straighten the books and baskets ;o)

One of my goals is to follow a declutter and organization plan for the year. I have gotten pretty good at getting rid of unwanted/unneeded/unloved stuff and helping it find a new owner, so I am looking forward to cutting down on "things" and focusing more on "the good stuff"

Let the decluttering/organizing begin :o)

Five things:

1. I am grateful for my grandchildren. I was so young when I had my boys, and I can certainly relate to some of the things they do. But I am older and wiser now and can see how important it is to cherish the time with them. Each one of them is SO. MUCH. FUN. They are so filled with love and curiosity and character (and just enough attitude to give their parents a taste of what they put us through!) I enjoy "my" time to get things done, and "our" time to grow as a couple, but I don't know that an hour goes by each day that we don't mention something about one of the little ones or the cute, new things they said when we saw them last.

2. I am SO grateful for Geno's job and how he provides for us. I have seen what can happen to a family when they lose jobs, homes, cars, and any means of supporting their families. Sometimes the situation comes from making bad decisions. Sometimes it starts off with "company cutbacks" and then the house is foreclosed on, the car is reposessed, there is no address to use for state assistance or to list on a job application. It is like a domino effect. It is a horrible thing to watch someone go through...especially when it involves children.

3. I am grateful for our home. I had always dreamed of growing up in the same hometown and staying close by family, but that isn't how life works out anymore. As we prepare for a career, we look around for opportunites, and these are not always right where we grew up. So, we have learned to look around for a place that feels like home for us and make the best of it. We are so lucky to have such a beautiful home with room for company to come stay with us. We aren't planning to buy this house, but it is one step closer to what we really are looking for. Oh, and it has a storm cellar! Can't be too safe in OKC.

4. I am so grateful for parents who have always been supportive of doing what you have to do to take care of your family...even when that means living 17 hours away! I have followed that same example with my kids. I love having them near me and being able to see the grandkids, but I believe that newlyweds should never live right by either sets of parents. It is important for them to learn to lean on each other and not use parents for sounding boards every time there is a small problem. Once they have solidified their relationship, moving close is ok. If you are a meddling parent or enabling parent, that just makes the process longer, so they may never move back! In the meantime, there are planes, trains, and automobiles to get you there ;o) Seriously, though, Geno and I have traveled so much and seen so many awesome things along the way, because we just took our time on the way to or from a class or visitation exchange. We would take a business loop and check out a smaller town. Life is always an adventure for us!!!

5. Today I have to say that I am grateful for Pinterest! You are thinking it, too! It is such a springboard of ideas to push me forward into my next little project. I have found so many great ideas. Now to just get them on the done list!

Healthy, Wealthy & Wise

2012-01-01T23:08:00.004-06:00

Since I decided I was going to start the new year soda-free and then ordered it with my pizza this afternoon (without even thinking), I thought maybe I could start off with a blog post and be 1 for 1 for the new year :o)

So, let me start by saying that yes, we did go out to eat on a Sunday. We are staying in NWA in a hotel and had to eat. It is also our 15th anniversary today. We originally planned to be back in OK today and celebrate at The Melting Pot tomorrow night. It just didn't feel right to me to wait until the day after, and we could postpone The Melting Pot to Valentine's Day and spend just about that same amount taking EVERYONE in our family out to Mad Pizza. I will almost always opt for the time with the entire family. So, here we are:

That is Ashley & Christopher, Derrick, Me & Geno, Brian & Desarae, and Mark.

Zoey & Jada (Ashley's girls), Hunter & Zachary (Chris' boys), and Little Miss Braylee Madyson (Brian & Desarae's little girl). I am assuming if you are reading this you already know us, but the 4 boys are ours :o)

I have decided that my theme for this next year will be "Healthy, Wealthy & Wise". SO MANY goals fall into these categories, so I am choosing just a few under each topic and working on those. More on that later, but of course "Early to bed and early to rise" is one of the top things. I have always been a much better morning person. I get so much done first thing in the morning and just start to fizzle out the later it gets. When Geno first hurt his back and I had to stay awake to make sure he got to bed fine, I slowly swapped from my early mornings to his late nights. Time to switch that back!

5 Things:

1. I am grateful for 15 years with Geno. We have had some twists and turns, but this roller coaster ride has been nothing less than exciting the entire time!

2. I am grateful for my family. During the first couple of weeks of this year, we may face some REALLY BIG changes, but I hope we can all come through this stronger and better people.

3. I am grateful for my faith. I have really learned A LOT over the past 2 years. My faith was tested and strengthened. It will be tested more, and I hope strengthened more.

4. I am grateful for my friends. Missie, Sarah, and Amy are absolutely AMAZING. I would be lost without their counsel, example, and generosity.

5. I am grateful for my talents. I want to focus more on my creativity and organization this next year and see where it takes me. Who knows?!

Happy New Year 2012!

My Birthday Week

2011-11-20T20:53:00.004-06:00

Things I have learned (or come to accept) on my birthday week:

1. I am HORRIBLE at blogging on a daily basis-or weekly for that matter. In the end, this really won't matter, so I can live with it!

2. It is a good thing I quit drinking over 10 years ago. When Geno told me he bought a new car, I am quite certain I would have hit the bottle! Seriously! He might have considered a roomier car, because we may have to live in it...it cost as much as a small house! Not really, but way more than I would ever pay for a car. I would rather go on trips and make memories. Whatever. It is done.

3. They don't make a watch that measures your heartbeat without either wearing a chest strap or having a touch screen. Geno says the touch screen isn't accurate enough. I thought for sure there was an inexpensive watch that would measure my heart rate from the wrist using the watchband. Nope. I should really invent that!

4. Vanilla Bean Noel lotion and body wash from B&BW is THE BOMB! Geno just took me shopping rather than buying me gifts and I walked through and smelled all of the scents they had to offer. I used to wear Warm Vanilla Sugar and finally just got tired of it. This new one is a little sweeter-not so heavy. When Geno was having his surgery, one of the nurses walking in the hall was saying that something smelled so good, like cotton candy. I finally realized it was me. It comes around only during the holidays. I used another $10 off $30 and bought 3 more lotions and got 3 more shower gels free ($26 for all 6!) I have more coupons, but I decided that I would use these and then wait for next season. It will give me something to look forward to, right?

5. I REALLY need to go get my glasses! I bought a Vanilla Bean Noel lip gloss at B&BW thinking it was $5. The tag clearly said $8. I pulled it out and asked Geno AFTER I had paid for it. I probably would not have paid the $8, but since it was already done...

6. Metal cannot be adhered to wood with glue dots OR hot glue. I made a sign for above our bed that says "g" loves "s". The metal letters were $1 each and I painted them blue. The frame was $.50 at a garage sale, and I had the scrapbook paper already. I woke up to no letters on the frame, so I hot glued them. Then the "g" fell off and almost knocked the shelf off the wall. Geno fixed the shelf. I used E6000 to fix the letters. Problem solved (I hope).

7. There is only 1-K and 2-Y's in a Scrabble game. If I want to make scrabble name ornaments for everyone in my family, I need 3 games! Since a game is only $9.98 at Walmart, I could make about 15 ornaments--only $2 each! I got one game at Goodwill for $3. Even better.

8. I can make my own laundry soap! I made a 5 gallon bucket, and it only calls for 1/2 cup per load. I think it cost me about $3.50 for the supplies. Awesome!

9. I am HORRIFIED to speak in front of others! I only had to talk for 5 minutes today, and I was shaking like a leaf. I almost cried when I first started...I think because I was so scared. I did finally calm down after looking into the smiling faces of those wonderful ladies.

10. Did you know Autobots have Cybertronian symbols? Me either. They each have a special power that is written (in Cybertronian) somewhere on them for other Autobots to recognize it. Geno told me. I am married to a nerd. Thankfully, he is also a computer genius who is incredibly handsome and drives around in a really nice car. I wonder what power he should have tatooed on himself in Cybertronian? (Awesome Christmas gift idea brewing here!)

11. I have no clue how to actually format my posts! This crazy thing will only let me change the color or size of the first 3 points and then it is done. I need to find a tutorial on this and see what my problem is. I know I could just ask Geno, but sometimes I just want to figure it out myself. I spent 2 hours on an issue that I knew Geno could fix in 2 seconds, but the point is that I fixed it and I know how to do it again :o)

I Am Thankful for Prayer and Chocolate!

2011-11-04T16:42:00.002-05:00

I don't actually mean together. I had a horrible headache last night and ended up trying so many different meds to try to figure out what was actually causing it that I fell asleep early and slept long! I tried sinus meds, muscle relaxer, migraine meds, and pain meds. Not all at the same time! That was over a period of several hours, but I am such a lightweight when it comes to meds that I was toast by 8pm. I was out by 9pm and slept-or at least stayed in bed until 9am today. I have a horrible hangover from it all today. I am going to grab a quick nap before my Hallmark Christmas movies start at 7pm tonight! But, I didn't take the time to post what I am thankful for yesterday...

I did not grow up in a house that prayed together. I am the only one from my family who attends church. Well, my half-brother did not grow up with us and he is a Baptist minister now, but he has disowned all of us. I have yet to understand how he can preach the Bible to a group of people and yet not practice the teachings himself. I guess that is a topic for a whole other post. There I go getting off topic again! I bet it is hard for you to believe that talking to me takes a lot of focus and keeping me on track :o)

I have been starting my days out with reading scriptures and praying. Geno and I pray together as a couple. We pray before our meals. It is so fun to pray for something and then see how the prayers are answered. This is especially so when we think the prayers will be answered in one way and we realize that it was answered in a completely different way that we did not expect at all. I am so grateful for prayer and I know that prayers are always heard and answered.

I am also thankful for chocolate...especially during certain times that seem to come along each month (sorry, guys!). It is just a fact of life! I am a dark chocolate kind of person. I try not to eat too much of it, but the leftover Halloween candy is calling my name for the past two days! I am not a biter, either. It always amazes me that Geno will take a piece and chew it. Chocolate is to be treasured, and it should be allowed to slowly melt in your mouth!

I Am Thankful For the Scriptures...

2011-11-02T20:16:00.002-05:00

I have been trying to get into the habit of reading scriptures every morning. I have read that it takes 30 days to form a habit. I am 4 days into this, so I will let you know how it goes. I cannot change the things that are happening around me and the choices that others I love are making in their lives, but I have noticed that there is a certain peace I feel lately. I have more focus and less stress in dealing with these situations. Rather than wasting energy stressing, I am using it to get stuff done and leaving it to God...

I Am Thankful For My Church...

2011-11-01T13:08:00.002-05:00

and the truths it teaches me.

Those of you who know me well know that I am not one to really talk about religion in detail. I thought I would take this month of gratitude to say how grateful I am for my religion. I am a Mormon. I joined when I was a junior in high school. I must be honest and say that I wasn't in the practice of prayer and reading scriptures and all of the other habits that would have been helpful in my life decisions. But I can say that my parents taught me about living a good life and being a good person. I was like most teenagers and thought I knew better than them, but I know now that they just wanted what was best for me.

Even during the years that I was not active in my church, Geno and I tried to attend a non-denominational church as a compromise. I just couldn't do it. It just didn't FEEL right. Geno didn't understand then, but he does now.

I know there are many who think we are a cult. Many churches that actually teach in their meetings that we are bad. But I invite you to come and see for yourself. I don't believe God would have any part of a church where they talk negatively about another religion as a whole. "By their fruits ye shall know them." I know so many good people who serve and do good and give of themselves every day. Please...if you have questions, ask a Mormon or come and see for yourself :o)

My Birthday is Coming!

2011-10-30T20:01:00.001-05:00

Okay, really I'm not all that excited about it. Not like Geno anyway. He starts counting down WAY early. I get more excited about the thought that maybe my kids will let me help with their kids' parties. I am hoping my oldest and his wife will allow me to plan Miss Braylee's 2nd birthday party with a Minnie Mouse theme. I understand if they want to do it themselves. It's not like I have put a lot of thought into the cupcakes with Oreo cookie ears and pink shimmer goodie bags and Minnie cake pops and marshmallows on a stick dipped in pink chocolate. And I haven't been scoping out every thrift store for glasses and plates with the perfect designs so they will look great when I spray paint them pink. And, I will be fine if I don't get to make lots of pink tissue poms to hang in a backdrop.

I will.

I will just have to convince my other son to let me do his son's 2nd birthday that is 2 weeks later. If they both turn me down, I WILL be out hunting some parent down to let me try some of these awesome ideas ;o)

But in the meantime, I will be having another birthday. Since it would really be strange to find Geno trying to make tissue paper poms or even come up with a theme, we will just go out to eat...The Melting Pot, here we come!

I find it funny that my children and friends think I am so hard to buy for.

Let me just clarify: I am not expecting any gifts, BUT if you were already going to buy something I will make it easier ;o)

Here is my current wish list:

*12x12 3-ring American Crafts fabric covered scrapbook albums $19.99 at Hobby Lobby (which is $10 when they are on sale and is the only time I buy them!)

*Tea kettle with a top that opens so I can clean it out. I am such an herbal tea and hot chocolate addict and the one I have had for too many years to remember is ready to be retired. I am totally in love with this Paula Deen one:

*Tan or Black dish towels. My orange Food Network ones from Kohl's are in desperate need of being replaced!

*Blue towels for my bathroom. I have redone my bedroom in brown/blue/light blue(set from Kohl's), so the master bathroom needs a makeover, too.

*The movie "Up" (my favorite) on bluray. Lol! Our 5 yo grandson always make sure to clarify that he wants us to buy a movie "on bluray" like he really understands the difference.

*AMC movie theater gift cards. We are addicted! Our movie theater is so awesome. We paid for an AMC Stubs membership and you get $10 credit for every $100 spent on admission and at the concession stand. We just got it in July, and we have earned credits more than once already.

*A cheap watch that will do my heart rate and show the seconds. I don't like that I have to hold onto the treadmill constantly to monitor my heart rate if I choose the "fat burn" workout, and I need the seconds to measure my rest between sets on the circuit machines.

*Shower wash and lotion in matching scents. I was reading a book where the main character's indulgence was different scents of these two and she just chose whatever matched her mood for that day. I thought that sounded fun. I am normally a citrusy (cranberry, orange, mango, etc.) kinda girl, but I think some others might be fun.

*Bike. I am ready to get some exercise outside, and we have an amazing trail here just calling out for me!

*Shelly's Diner from Dept. 56 Snow Village collection. This is such a frivilous purchase and more than I really like to spend. I actually had it in my hand last year and then decided to put it back. It is probably best, because I would be tempted to leave it out all year round...because it is totally cool and has my name on it.

And, if you know me really well, you know that I am all about finding a good deal...sales, coupons, thrift stores, garage sales...so gift cards are totally awesome. Kohl's, Bath&Body Works, Hobby Lobby, AMC...they are all totally awesome.

Focus! Focus! Focus!

2011-09-06T22:03:00.003-05:00

I am hearing that in the voice of the magician from Frosty the Snowman. I don't really know why. But I am.

I have a horrible habit of "pollenating." I love that term from my friend, Missie. It sounds way better than "moving from one task to the next before finishing the one before and really COMPLETING nothing all day long." See, it does sound way better :o) I have had days where I started cleaning the kitchen and saw a jacket left on the back of a chair. I picked that up and went to the closet to hang it up and saw the vacuum. I started vacuuming in the living room and almost sucked up a toy the grandkids brought from outside. I stop and take that outside only to discover that the table still has bubbles on it and need to be cleaned up. I go into the laundry room to get a rag from the cabinet and realize I need to switch over the clothes in the washer. You get the idea.

There is a horribly wonderful new thing contributing to my bad habit of pollenating...

It is addicting! It is a virtual bulletin board where you can "pin" all of the amazing ideas you find on the internet. Not only that, but you can follow your friends' boards and look at other ideas people have pinned and save that time looking for ideas yourself! I created a "Things to Make" board, and it seems to keep growing. The problem is that I have so many amazing items I want to create, I get started on one and don't finish it before moving on to the next. So, tonight I am making a list, prioritizing, and getting some projects done!

FOCUS! FOCUS! FOCUS!

Allergies have hit me full force! I don't even know WHAT I am allergic to, but it sure is ruining this great weather for me. Geno has the windows open so we can enjoy this great weather, and I just want to sleep! The allergy meds just make me tired. So, here's to a better and productive day tomorrow! I have a few things I really want to get done before Missie comes on Friday, and a few Halloween items for the grandkids that need to be done before I leave to help Mom and Dad after their surgeries. And, I really want to keep up with my Project Life. I fell off the wagon with the move and decided to start with September 1st. It is only the 6th, and I already forgot to take a picture for today...

Welcome to Pops on Route 66

2011-09-02T19:56:00.003-05:00

Geno is so good about finding attractions on our area to go and check out. He discovered last Thursday that the famous Pops is less than 10 miles from our house. They have over 500 different types of soda! You can check them out at www.pops66.com.

You gotta try these at least once:

You can grab a 6 pack and fill it with your choices. As you can see, we didn't even make it home before Geno and Mark tried most of theirs! I didn't get any this time around, but I'm sure we will be stopping there with visitors many, many times :o)

Our Sweet Braylee!

2011-08-25T22:37:00.003-05:00

How cute is she?

It is such a blessing that we are closer to our family now! We were able to spend a couple of weeks with our granddaughter, Braylee. It was such a change from raising 4 boys and spending time with our 2 grandsons!

She talks A LOT. I got to fix her hair and put her in cute dresses. We got to shop in the baby doll section at the store. Instead of the heavy footsteps of her cousin, Hunter, she takes dainty little steps when she runs. We took walks around the block while she pushed her baby doll in her new Disney Princess pram. I had a blast.

Look at those beautiful eyelashes:

She certainly has a sweet personality.

She was done.

This sweet little face may be coming to your local store soon. Once the deal is done, I will post again :o)

I Believe...Honesty Really is the Best Policy

2011-04-26T08:34:00.000-05:00

This is a very slippery slope when it comes to the law. I have been on the witness stand MANY times in all of my legal battles with my ex-husband. He would bet his life that I have lied (and he is constantly telling everyone who will listen!). However, I am happy to say that I have a clean conscience...and that isn't because I have no conscience! I have always been honest, because it is just too much work to try to keep all of the lies in order, and I just don't have time to worry about that sort of thing.

Now I will admit that there were times when he asked me questions that may have had a negative impact on me in court, but he had this really bad habit of rambling when asking questions. He would ask, "Did A happen, and B happen?" There were a few times when A did happen! However, he was always trying to paint me in this horrible light and would add B to the question. Since B didn't happen, I could HONESTLY answer the question NO. If both A and B happened, I would answer honestly, even if it might hurt me in court. I just believe that always being honest is the best policy.

Geno and I have had discussions about honesty lately. When the boys were little, we would tell them that they should tell the truth about things even if it meant getting into trouble, because if they lied and we found out, the punishment would be twice as bad! Geno was in a situation where he was told "You don't have to tell her" by someone. He later confided in me that he realized this person was someone who was not honest and most likely was being dishonest in other areas of life and he wanted nothing to do with this person.

Along these same lines, it is important to be honest with yourself! We need to sit back and take inventory every once in a while. There are those who react emotionally and those who react rationally. I am not saying that either one is right or wrong. I do feel, though, that in seeing things as they truly are, there comes a time when you have to take the emotion out of the equation and just look at the facts as they are. Sometimes, because we love someone, we do things based on emotion that rationally are not helping the ones we love. Sometimes we have to step back and allow them to make their own mistakes and just wait until they are ready to turn things around again. I don't believe that makes a person bad. It makes them realistic. I like realistic.

I Believe...

2011-04-25T12:50:00.000-05:00

You should only have marital friends. This concept wasn't new to me, but I didn't have an actual term for it. "Marital Friends" can best be described as friends who, if you went to them with a problem, would only offer solutions that support your marriage. They wouldn't guide you in the direction of another person or tell you that you are better off without that person...at least not without encouraging you to go to some counseling or try to work it out first! They would only give you the advice to make sure that you are 100% sure that you do not love the person you are with and to end that relationship completely before moving on to another relationship. Marital friends don't take you out to the singles scene or encourage any behavior that would be anything but honorable to your spouse.

Happiness is where we make it. It is up to each one of us to make our own happiness. We should not depend on others to make us happy. We have friends and family to support us, but it is not their responsibility to make us happy. We should be on the lookout to do things for them to make them happy! And while some things make us feel happy, it is not the accumulation of things that will keep us happy. We should plan as much as possible to be around those who make us happy...friends and family. We should visit them as much as they visit us. We should make plans, traditions, and memories together :o)

It is important to make time for yourself. I think maybe this was more important when we had children at home. It is so important to make sure that you feel like you are an individual and not just always an extension of someone else...mom, wife, etc. Moms should take time to recharge. Wives should spend some time out with their girl friends. Husbands should spend time out with their guy friends. (Marital friends, of course!)

You should travel as much as possible. Geno and I have always loved the fact that we will make an awesome retired couple. When we would drop the boys off to spend visitation in Colorado, we would just pick a place to get a hotel and then head off to see what the town had to offer. When Geno travels for work and I am lucky enough to get to go along, I will drop him off at his class in the morning and set off on an adventure for the day. I try to go to Archiver's, IKEA, local scrapbook stores, and see the sights. I spend the day learning where places are and making note of the things I know Geno wouldn't want to miss. Then I pick him up from class and we spend the entire evening together seeing what there is to see and making the most of the time. When gas isn't so expensive, we just get in the car and choose a road we haven't been on and just drive. We stop at the little stands and shops along the way. We learn a lot from our travels about places, people, and each other.

I Believe...You Should Marry For Love

2011-04-24T13:45:00.001-05:00

You shouldn't marry for money or looks, because those things can be gone in a minute and then the reason to stay is gone. You shouldn't marry because you think you are protecting someone else, because that isn't fair to the person you are marrying. You shouldn't marry to get out of the situation you are in, because once you are away from that situation for a while you will realize that you can make it on your own. And, against popular counsel, I don't believe you should marry because a baby is on the way...unless you were already planning to marry. I don't think you should take one mistake and turn it into two.

You should marry for love, because when everything else is gone and there are challenges in your marriage, love is the glue that will hold it together. When Geno and I were married, the officiator told us to remember that moment and why we fell in love and to recall it when there were hard times in our marriage. I have never forgotten that advice. I have taken that advice several times in our marriage. Let's face it...with 4 young boys and an ex-husband from hell, we are going to have a lot of challenges. Sprinkle in there some issues with family, religion, and finances, and we are talking about a modern-day marriage ;o)

I guess someone reading this could take that as our marriage being horrible all the time, but it wasn't. There has not been one day since the day I met Geno that I didn't love him. There was a period of time when I thought that Geno would leave to marry someone younger who could give him the child he wanted. Even then, I never stopped loving him. I wasn't angry. I understood. I loved him so much I wanted him to be happy. It wasn't until this last year that I finally revealed that feeling to Geno. He was shocked. He said it wasn't just that he wanted a baby...he wanted a baby with me. Imagine what a difference that would have made had I talked to him about that years ago!

I Believe...

2011-04-09T20:06:00.002-05:00

I was thinking I might cut this whole project short, but then one of my friends told me she is enjoying reading it. Well, I will keep up with my list, but I am going to try to consolidate some of the ideas so I can end by an earlier date. I have something special planned for that final day!

I believe in love at first sight.

I took one look at Geno and that was it! Our story is posted on here in May 2010. It says it all!

I believe you should document memories.

This is a very strong opinion of mine for many reasons. I have talked recently about working on the boys' scrapbooks and how much fun I have been having looking back at the photos. When I got divorced, my ex-husband got some friends together and they pulled trucks up to the house and just went in and took pretty much everything. As I am going through photos, I will see something in the background that I completely forgot I ever had. Mostly, though, I think about how sweet those little guys in the photos are. I know everyone has seen "The Notebook", so you know how important that notebook of their life together is. My mom's mom passed away from Alzheimer's several years ago, and my dad's mom is in the advanced stages of it now. I want to have those photos/scrapbooks/journals to look at and recall things as long as I can. I also want to make sure that I have documented everything for my kids so they will have memories to recall.

I Believe...Girls who go after someone else's husband aren't "nice"

2011-04-06T08:29:00.000-05:00

When Geno and I were back visiting our children over the holidays, we had an interesting coversation with one of them. He and his girlfriend were talking about a situation with someone very close to us and a friend. After discussing the situation, the comment was made-"She's really nice. She just wants (name withheld)"

This "she" has actively pursued this person she wants, and he is MARRIED! His wife did finally move out and he is in the process of a divorce, but this girl played a part in their problems.

I don't even need to hear anything more about this person, and I can tell you some things about her. She is not trustworthy. She has no regard for committment. She doesn't care who she hurts to get what she wants. She feels a sense of entitlement. She is not nice!

When did we start looking at people who do this sort of thing and dismiss their actions while thinking they are nice? I would guess that if this same person were to start taking an interest in this son, his girlfriend would no longer think she is nice!

I Believe...Sometimes You Just Gotta Dance!

2011-04-05T23:38:00.002-05:00

Dancing can be almost healing. Geno laughs at the ladies on Gray's Anatomy when they turn up the music and just dance, but maybe it is a girl thing. I am actually kinda lost without Geno here this week, and I felt better after some music and moving. I used to go out to the clubs and just dance the night away. It feels so good to just let go! Dancing can be healing. Try it!

A couple of my most favorite moments from our marriage have been when Geno came into the kitchen and put his arms around me from behind. He kissed my neck and then turned me around and danced with me. The space of time that one song lasts can feel like an eternity in the arms of the person you love. Isn't that how long you want to be with the person you love?

I Believe...You Should Be Married to Your Best Friend

2011-04-04T21:23:00.000-05:00

Last year, Geno told me he wanted to be my best friend. Until then, I never realized that Geno has never had a best friend. There is no one from high school that he had kept in contact with until he found a few on facebook, and he told me that there is not one person from that time period who he ever considered to be his best friend. He has a few friends from his Air Force time, but not a best friend. He pointed out to me-if you have never HAD a best friend, then you don't really know how to BE a best friend, right?

When Geno and I married, the 4 boys were 3, 5, 8 and 10 years old, so we have always been so busy. In the beginning, we spent a lot of time together as a family and as a couple. But then the boys got older and they each started playing sports. Sometimes we would have to tag-team parent to get them to their games and practices! I went back to college full-time. I got a full-time job. We tried to have children. Life just kept happening and we forgot to slow down again and focus on us. We never stopped loving one another. We just stopped making each other a priority.

I am so grateful that over the past year Geno and I have become best friends. We not only made each other a priority, but we went beyond and really got to know each other! We talked about what a best friend is and what we each wanted in a best friend from the other one. What a man needs from a best friend is not the same as what a woman needs from a best friend, but what we each wanted was to be the one the other turns to FIRST in any situation. And we can do that. We have been doing that for the last year. And we will do that for the rest of our lives.

I am so grateful Geno is my best friend.

(Thanks for the advice, Missie!)

I Believe...Just because you start...

2011-04-03T13:59:00.002-05:00

Just because you start a sentence with "I don't mean to be rude, but..." doesn't make what you are about to say no longer rude! The beginning of the statement doesn't change the meaning of the rest of the sentence. And quite honestly, if you begin the sentence that way, you are already aware that what you are saying is rude! (You can exchange rude for mean, snotty, etc.)

I think people say that first to make themselves feel better. Obviously they aren't making the other person feel better, because they are still telling them what they know is most likely a hurtful statement!

Recently, Geno and I were watching an episode of Everybody Loves Raymond where his mother makes a comment about how she NEVER says anything in a mean or spiteful way. (I can't remember her exact words, but you get the idea.) I think she may even have said something about not intruding in others' lives. After she makes the statement, she looks at her DIL and says, "Right, Debra?" For anyone who watches that show, you know how many little things she says to Debra about her cooking, cleaning, parenting, etc.!

I believe that each of us has an opinion of what we see as right or wrong in others, and we basically want to do the right. We look at people like Raymond's mom and realize just how the things she says make Debra feel bad. We don't want to make people feel like that, so we make ourselves feel better by justifying to ourselves..."I never have bad intentions" or "I don't mean to be rude, but..."

Looking back, I have found myself saying, "I don't mean to stick my nose in where it doesn't belong, but..." HELLO! Of course I mean to stick my nose in where it doesn't belong, or I would just

NOT SAY ANYTHING AT ALL!

However, if you are asked for your opinion-BE HONEST. Rude or not ;o)

I Believe...You Gotta Have Good Friends

2011-04-02T01:02:00.003-05:00

Good friends are an important part of my life! I believe that everyone should have good friends who are a part of their lives. I have two girlfriends in particular who I can call and they will be there for me. No judgement. No lectures. Just support. Now, this doesn't mean that they always agree with me. And they aren't shy at all about telling me. But they do it with love. They listen with understanding.

I have some friends who have been through struggles in their marriages. Some have made it through. Some have not. Some work full-time jobs outside the home. Some stay home with their children. Some love to scrapbook. Some do not. Some are very domestic. Some are not. We are not competitive, though. We just celebrate those differences and are happy to share them rather than try to out-do each other. We don't feel the need to do the things the other ones do if we don't want to. And it is all okay.

My friends and I do not all share the same religion, but we are all Christians. I think what makes us work is that we all have the same basic beliefs. These are not even religious-based beliefs, although most religions would agree with them. They are pretty much just rules of common decency.

We accept the fact that everyone makes mistakes-including each of us! Since we realize that we aren't perfect, we don't look down on others who make mistakes. Don't get me wrong...there is a huge difference between making a mistake and fixing it AND just having a personality that does things we consider to not be okay! There is a HUGE difference between the person who does something when she is in an emotionally vulnerable state and admits to the wrong and does what she needs to in order to fix it AND the person who does the same thing just because she wants to and then tries to justify it.

We believe that honesty is the best policy. Call a spade a spade! We are all willing to admit to our faults.

We are each very aware of those around us and try to make sure that we don't hurt others by our actions. Sadly, I think this is lost on the younger generation.

Maybe we all get along so well because we want to be good people, so we hang out with those we think are good people. Not perfect. But good.

I have lived in many places since I graduated high school and married 26 years ago. There are some friendships that did not stand the test of time. There are some friendships that ended badly due to disagreements or personality conflicts. From those friendships, I have learned to appreciate what a true friend is...and how to be a true friend.

I am grateful for those friends in my life! I have good friends who live in many different places. Some I talk to weekly. Some I talk to once a year. Some I see every trip back to Arkansas...and soon more often when we live in OKC. Some I have seen once in the last 25 years. But, they are there. And I am grateful for each one of them.

But mostly, I am grateful that my best friend is my husband...

I Believe...

2011-04-01T11:08:00.002-05:00

I was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints 27 years ago this month. As I sat listening to the members bear their testimonies this past Sunday, it crossed my mind that there are so many things I believe that I don't ever really talk about...religious and not. I wanted to blog about some things before and worried that it might be offensive to some. However, I have learned to appreciate differences in opinions and I hope that everyone else has, too ;o) So, I sat down with a piece of paper with "I Believe" at the top and started making a list of my thoughts that finished the sentence. I am hoping to keep up with blogging one thought each day this month.

I believe God has a plan for us.

I have no doubt about this. I love that He knows what is best for us more than we do. I also love that we don't often know what that plan is until we have weathered a storm and finally see the rainbow! And that is all part of the plan ;o)

Geno and I have moved many times during our marriage. Each one of those moves was a necessary step to the plan of our lives together. On a couple of those moves, I almost didn't go. (Geno didn't know that until this past year when we had some serious heart to heart talks.) I had some strong feelings of dread about what might happen being in some of those locations, but I loved Geno and wanted to be with him. The wonderful thing is that I can look back at each place and see why it was important for us to be there. I can also look back and see how those places were good for the boys.

Where we live now has been the second toughest place I have ever lived. The place that ranks first was helped by the fact that I had the young boys to focus on. While I was so happy for Geno and supportive of moving for his job, I had no idea that I would be so lonely here! We had been in NWA for 11 years, and I have some amazing friends there. However, it became clear to me last year that I had begun to rely more on my friends than I had my husband. So, when the storms came, Geno and I were forced to rely on each other since that was all we had here.

WHAT A HUGE BLESSING THIS HAS BEEN!

Our marriage is (dare I say it?) perfect! REALLY! Now a perfect marriage does not mean that we never have any disagreements. Just in a perfect marriage we know how to work through any issues with love and respect. We have come to a whole new level in our marriage, and I have to say that I am sure it would never have happened if we had not lived here and been forced to rely on each other.

I also don't think that it is coincidence that we live just down the road from the Arachnoiditis Foundation. Geno was able to get the treatments for this disease just within the window for the greatest success, and so far it has been a complete success as far as we can tell. He has had to change his lifestyle, but he is not in pain. If you had seen him in January before the treatments, you would know that is a huge success.

I can list so many other things that have happened in my life as part of my plan (like two pregnancies while on birth control!), but it is just too much to write! I will just say that I am grateful for God's plan for me (us) :o)

So Much Negative-ity!

2011-03-25T09:31:00.003-05:00

I have many challenges when it comes to completing a project. I have this need to gather EVERYTHING together into one place, so I know exactly what I have to deal with. If I feel that something is missing, then I don't feel like I am able to accurately complete the project! And sometimes I just leave it unfinished. I really need to get over this stumbling block ;o)

Photo Freedom was the perfect book for me, because the first step was to gather EVERY photo in your house and then organize them. CHECK.

As I started on the pictures-now in chronological order-I found some from when my boys were little that I need one for each boys' page and only have one or that could be made into much better photos with the amazing photo software out there now. So, I got out the negatives to see what is on them:

What a mess! (That photo is actually taken after I sorted through them all)

It was fun to finally open my Merry Glo-Round light box that I won about 5 years ago and have never used!

I have APS film that is still in canisters:
I have this box FULL of 35mm negatives that I have organized by year:

I have all of these CDs (which is the ultimate goal), but there are also some of those old disc films, a few 110 negatives and the big white envelope is full of black and white 35mm from a class I took in the spring of 1998. I also have about 10- 3.5" diskettes that our computers are too new to be able to open any photos. I am about to cut my losses and just throw those out if I can't find anyone able to open them soon! If you have an old computer running Windows 98 or older that can open these diskettes for me and then save them to a CD, I will pay for all of the supplies and a nice dinner out for you!

I have been researching places online to help bring me into the digital age. It appears that the APS films will cost me $.39/frame ($90 total) and the disc film will cost me $.99/frame ($253 total). That is not in the budget right now, but I will eventually do it since those cover the time period from the birth of my first to the birth of my second.

I have 1,000s of 35mm negatives, though, so it is worth it for me to purchase a negative to digital scanner and spend my time scanning my own negatives. I almost bought one a few weeks back, but then decided to do some more research.

I HAVE FOUND THE ONE I WANT!!

I am getting the Canon CanoScan 9000F.

Geno asked if I got it yet, but I have always been slow on making bigger purchases for myself. I have over half of the money saved already from selling things and keeping my change, so I will probably do it soon.

In the meantime, the plan is to continue with the boys' scrapbooks with the photos I have. If I have one print, I am just scanning it and printing another. If I can make the print better by zooming in, I am scanning it, editing it, and printing another.

I AM NOT GOING TO OBSESS ABOUT WHAT PICTURES I MIGHT FIND ON THOSE NEGATIVES!

I better say that again...

I AM NOT GOING TO OBSESS ABOUT WHAT PICTURES I MIGHT FIND ON THOSE NEGATIVES!

(for now!)

Maybe I will allow myself to obsess when I start my personal history ;o)

OKC, here we come!

2011-03-20T21:38:00.004-05:00

It's official! We got the call Thursday. I am so excited! We will finish out our lease here, and then head off to our new home that is 3 1/2 hours from our children, grandchildren, and friends.

We had been talking about this transfer since his company decided to open an SE position there late last year. Geno let his team lead know that we were interested, but felt that if we didn't hear anything by the end of Febrary it just wasn't going to happen for us. When Geno had all of the issues with his back, we thought our chances had gone out the window. Thankfully, the treatment Geno had is working and he is fine as long as he follows doctors orders--no heavy lifting and no working out. The end of February came and went,so I had started hanging some things on the walls and preparing for another year in this townhouse. When his boss called on Monday to see if he was still interested, he told him of course. He then came in to talk to me and let me know that (for a personal reason) if I didn't want to move there then he would call back and we wouldn't go. Since the only reason I might even possibly have is so insignificant compared to the many reasons FOR moving there, I am absolutely ready to go! When Geno travels, I can either go along with him or travel back to see family and friends. We can meet 1/2 way in Tulsa with friends and family to enjoy a nice weekend. There is an NBA team there that we will definitely be getting some tickets to see. There is a temple there, so we can have dates there, volunteer time there and I will even watch children for a select few friends when they come to do sessions ;o)

Because I have 3 months to get everything packed up, I can slowly go through things and do some serious decluttering.

The first thing I can think of is school supplies! Since we don't have any more kids at home, I can get rid of all of those extra pencils, pens, spiral notebooks, markers, etc. I LOVE school supplies and I always buy extra when they are on sale at the beginning of the school year. I bought only one package of $.50 BIC pens for myself this year, but I did buy supplies for Mark that he didn't end up using. I am hoping to go through those over the next week and then donate to a local school that could really use them.

Secondly, all of those decorative items that I brought down here and are just "OK" and not loved will be going to Goodwill. I have been doing a lot of internet research of absolutely adorable ideas that I plan to use in our new home. I am so ready to get those guest rooms set up! We are getting a house this time around...hopefully with a storm cellar ;o)

Finally, I think that I might actually be able to lighten the load in my scrapbook room! I am working so hard on getting through the boys' albums, and then I can get rid of some supplies that I just won't be using. We will see...

Just couldn't resist taking this picture of Geno yesterday. He started not feeling well on Friday night during our date and then it just kept getting worse throughout the weekend. He couldn't sleep Saturday night and was so exhausted. Sunday morning I went out to the living room to watch tv and let him sleep, but he just can't stand to be alone! It is so nice to be needed :o) He came out to the living room and was out in no time. I snuck upstairs to work on my scrapbooks while he slept for about 3 hours. You would think the bed would be so much more comfortable than that chair!

Spring Forward!

2011-03-13T13:47:00.003-05:00

Hearing that reminds me of a trip we took with our friends, Sarah and Eric, a few years back. We went to a ballgame on Friday night in Springfield, MO and then to Silver Dollar City on Saturday. Neither Sarah, Derrick or Mark were roller coaster riders, so Geno, Eric and I went on one while they were standing to the side watching. After everyone is loaded, the cars are moved up onto a different track. This is where Sarah and the boys were standing on the side waiting. I was waving to them and smiling and laughing. I had never been on this coaster before, so I had no idea what it was like. After sitting for a few seconds, you SPRING FORWARD like you have been shot out of slingshot. It was so fast that I actually had windburn on my face! I can only imagine that the look on my face went from smiling to horrified!

So, it is now time for me to spring forward. We had a little delay in the process this weekend since neither one of us felt good Saturday afternoon into Sunday, but we are both in tip top condition again :o) Goals for this week:

1. Have a great FHE tonight with Geno. We haven't done this in a long time and we wanted to get it started again. My week to plan-food storage? budgets? who knows!

2. Deep clean the bathrooms. That is the zone this week!

3. Make a pillowcase dress for Braylee and mail it along with her St. Patrick's Day gift. I haven't sewn in FOREVER and have been wanting to make something for her. I called 4 places today to see about getting my sewing machine serviced and ready for some serious sewing. One was out of business, one isn't open due to a medical emergency, one doesn't offer machine servicing, and the other said to leave a message. Guess I will call back and leave a message since that was my only option.

4. Mail a St. Patrick's box to the grandsons.

5. Clean out the SUV! I haven't really had an opportunity since we took Zachary and Hunter back at Christmas. It is supposed to be 78 out there today and it is getting done.

6. Plan an amazing date night for us this week. My turn to plan and I have some ideas swirling around in my brain <3

7. Finish the last 3 layouts to complete the year 1988. I set a goal at the beginning of the year to finish 250 pages for my albums and get through the year 1990 in our albums. It is only March and I will be done with 1988-and only in 13 layouts! It seems that 250 pages may complete ALL of the albums!

New Scrapbook Goals:

March-finish 1988 @4 layouts

April-finish 1989 @20 layouts

May-finish 1990 @6 layouts

June-finsish 1991 @9 layouts

July-finish 1992 @24 layouts

August-finish 1993 @29 layouts

September-finish 1994 @15 layouts

October-finish 1995 @34 layouts

I am so very excited to start 1996, because this is the year I met Geno! It is going to be so fun to start working on an album for us. I have been focusing on everyone else for so long that I didn't even think about an album for us.

Progress!!!

2011-03-10T22:27:00.003-06:00

On 9/17/2009, I posted about Photo Freedom and my progress in organizing ALL of my photos. Now that the photos are all organized in chronological order, I am ready to work on the scrapbooks! The next step was to choose the scrapbooks and I am buying a couple each time they are 50% off at Hobby Lobby to make sure I have enough to finish the project. I took all of the pages I had already made out of their current albums and organized them by child. Then I sorted them out by year. It is actually much easier to sort by decade and then year as I get to that point. For example, I sorted out Brian by the 80's then 90's then 2000+. I am still working in the 80's, so the other decades are still in stacks.

I am so excited to report that I have completed the first of Brian's albums! It covers June 1986 to August 1988! 52 pages in all. I have a feeling that the other boys will be lucky to cover 5 years in their first album! Sad, I know, but Brian was the first. I had more time to take pictures and it was all so new. Once Christopher came along, I was so busy trying to juggle two kids that I didn't remember to take pictures. Here is part of his first album:
It is really fun to work on this project and reminisce about when the boys were little. However, this also means that I am finishing up pages with my ex-husband on them. I would never leave him out of their scrapbooks, because this is about their lives. But it is sometimes hard to resist doing funny things--like adding the pilgrim hat to him in the Thanksgiving layout about! In my defense, that layout was done about 10 years ago when he was being a constant pain in my life!

Now that I am up to August 1988, that means that Christopher will be born in 3 months. So, I got out another album and sorted out Christopher's pages, and I will be keeping track of the layouts and photos for 2 albums. That is 1988 and 1989 for each boy set out in front of their albums, and Brian's completed first album in front:

The 1990's will be sorted out by year once I get done with 1989. As I get to 1991, we will add another album and stack of layouts for Derrick and then 1993 will add another for Mark. I am saving the album for Geno and me to start after I finish all of the boys. I will also be making albums for the grandkids, but I will be finished with Brian in March 2006 and Zachary came along in August 2006. Luckily, I will only have 4 maximum going at one time.

Brian and Christopher's 1990's completed layouts:
Here are the completed layouts for Brian and Christopher for 2000+:
Yes Brian's stack on the right is way bigger than Christopher's, but I have an explanation for that! I focused on Brian before his graduation from high school hoping to get the albums done to display for his graduation. Obviously I didn't succeed, but that is way less work I will have to do for him when I get to those years in the photos :o)

When each album is completed, I add a tab on the side with the child's name and dates covered in the album and then 4 small photos on the front that are from that same time period. My plan was to then give the boys their albums when they are settled in their adult lives and appreciate all of the work that went into these, but I really like how they look on that big shelf in my living room. They may just have to wait until I die before they get them!

Best Friends

2011-03-08T11:55:00.000-06:00

This is my best friend, Amy. She lives in Denver, CO. She was always the bright spot when I had to go out to Colorado Springs for court on just about a yearly basis to deal with my ex for one thing or another. At least it meant that I got to spend some time with my best friend. When Geno and I were able to take the trip to Colorado Springs back in May, it was an awesome trip. We got to spend a week reminiscing about how we met and to visit the places we went to, and then I got to spend some time with Amy!

Amy is a single mother of two girls. That is quite an accomplishment in my book...I just was never meant to be the mother of daughters :o) She is going to graduate school and working a paying job as well as doing an internship for her degree. She is such an amazing person. She is smart and beautiful and such an amazing friend. Even though we don't see each other much, we can always pick up the phone and start from where we left off. I can always count on her to love me no matter what. She doesn't judge me ever. She will tell me when I am wrong. We can discuss everything about our lives and most of the time come up with solutions, and it is way cheaper than counseling with the same result! When I am having a hard time and need someone to talk to, she is there for me. She understands that I am almost always late with birthday cards and gifts. It doesn't bother her that the box of Christmas gifts for her and the girls is still sitting in my craft room waiting to be mailed!

We met in the Fall of 1996. It seems that was the season of my life where I would meet the people who would play the biggest roles in my life! A few months before, I met the man who would be my husband and best friend. Then I meet the lady who would become my best girlfriend. Both of these roles are very important in life, and I met them both around the same time and they have both been there for me ever since. I am blessed.

Arachnoiditis Treatment

2011-02-21T23:25:00.004-06:00

Day 1:

Geno was so excited to be getting the treatments within the time frame for optimal results. His first appointment wasn't until 4pm on Monday, so we were able to take it easy and pack up to leave around 1:30 for a 3pm check-in at the hotel. We were staying at the Drury across the street from the office. It was a very nice hotel, and they served a free hot breakfast and dinner that we took advantage of to save money.

When the treatment started, Geno's pain level was at an 8. While he was receiving the IV treatment, Dr. Aldrete would ask him to move his feet, knees, hips and then ask about his pain level. By the end of the first treatment, his pain level was down to a 2. His blood pressure was pretty high at the beginning of the treatment which was attributed to the amount of constant pain he had been in. The high doses of steroids caused some redness during the treatment. Before going home, they would have him sit up and test his blood pressure to see if he was ok to leave. He was having pain in his tailbone, which is something he realized after having the surgery. There were times when he would stand up or move a certain way that he would discribe as feeling like his tailbone was being ripped out of his skin. Day 2:

Geno had a hard time falling asleep the first night, but he seemed to feel rested and not too tired. His pain level had remained at a 2 since the first treatment. Dr. Aldrete changed the treatment based on the experience Geno had the first day. About 10 minutes into the treatment, Dr. Aldrete asked Geno to move his feet, knees, hips and he felt no pain! He had not been pain free for weeks, so this was wonderful! His blood pressure was still elevated from the steroids, but not as high as the day before. The pain in his tailbone was still there when he stood up. I took this picture during the treatment to show him how his eyelids were red during the treatment. Day 3:

Geno remained pain free (except for his tailbone) after the second treatment. He was not able to fall asleep again the second night. I tried to stay up and be supportive, but I just couldn't stay awake! He finally fell asleep at 5:30am, and this time the treatment was to start at 10am! Since Dr. Aldrete would change the meds according to Geno's reports, the treatment today had a little extra to help him sleep. Dr. Aldrete also told him that they can do some local injections in specific areas where there is pain to see if that will help. After doing a physical exam to try to pinpoint the spot of pain, Dr. Aldrete noticed a very distinct physical mark that shows Geno has spina bifida occulta! He pulled out his latest book on Arachnoiditis and showed me a photo of a lady with the same physical mark. For years, I have been telling Geno that he has the "cutest little triangle" mark and had no idea that it was actually a congenital defect! People who have spina bifida occulta should NEVER have back surgery as they ALWAYS have negative results. How both the spinal surgeon and neurosurgeon missed the obvious physical mark is beyond me! Geno got some local injections to try to help and we went back to the hotel after the treatment. About 30 minutes later, Geno was able to take a nap for a couple of hours. We treated ourselves out to a movie that night. Day 4:

Since Geno had had so much trouble sleeping, the cocktail on Thursday knocked him out cold within 10 minutes! He slept through the entire treatment (except when Dr. Aldrete would shake him to ask the normal questions). He had just enough energy to get up, dressed, back to the hotel, undressed and into the bed for a good 4 hour nap! It was nice that he finally got some sleep! He woke up in time to go to dinner at the hotel and then he was craving donuts (see previous post). It was a very relaxing day for both of us. I am so glad that I had the forethought to get a suite so he would be able to sleep in a seperate bedroom and I wouldn't bother him watching tv or doing whatever. Day 5:

Geno's face was pretty red during this treatment! He didn't fall asleep like the day before, and his blood pressure was actually the lowest it had been in quite some time. He still had the pain in his tailbone, so Dr. Aldrete did another set of local injections a little further down. After this treatment, we headed home. Geno was very happy with the overall results and felt that it was worth every penny. It was so nice to see him not in constant pain! He still winced every time he stood up or sat down or leaned his head forward (which he felt in his tailbone), but that was so much better than the constant pain.I just wanted to add a little note:

Geno has become involved with several message boards and online groups of people with arachnoiditis. Of course, everyone has their personal experiences and opinions, and I respect that. Some people have contacted Geno about his treatment and Dr. Aldrete. We had a very positive experience with Dr. Aldrete. He sat with Geno personally through every treatment and answered every question either of us had. On Thursday while Geno was sleeping, I asked more about the spina bifida occulta. Dr. Aldrete got back out all three of the MRIs and tried to see if there was an image showing it. Unfortunately, none of the three showed images low enough to see the deformity. We have Dr. Aldrete and his assistant's home, cell, and office numbers. Geno has emailed him with issues and updates and Dr. Aldrete ALWAYS answers the emails within a short amount of time and has even called twice to clarify the symptoms and made changes in the medications. He is very personally involved with his patients and is willing to chat with us about anything we are concerned about and any questions we have. I do realize that doctors who testify against other doctors get a bad name in the medical field, but isn't it nice that there is a doctor who is a patient advocate?

The Happiest Place on Earth

2011-02-21T22:55:00.002-06:00

Geno had a review class and a certification test in Orlando last week. Whenever possible, I tag along. This was one of those great opportunities. I had no doubt he would pass the test, so we went to Disney World for the evening to celebrate! I was worried about his back, but he was a trooper. I am happy to say that he has had less pain in his tailbone since the day after we went to Disney World! Maybe there was some healing power in that Buzz Lightyear ride (even though he lost miserably to me ;o)!

On the way down Geno saw a sign for a donut shop and took a quick turn into the parking lot. He got an apple fritter that was as big as his head (but I didn't take my camera out). The donuts were really good. If you are ever on your way down and pass Donut King, make sure to stop in. Geno couldn't wait to get another apple fritter on the way home, but when we stopped they were out! I had to take a picture of their ginormous donuts, though. Look how big the ones in the middle are compared to the normal size ones above:

I'd Do Anything For Him

2011-02-03T19:33:00.002-06:00

I just can't help but love this man!

There was ice on the car and the roads were a little slow-going, but he had been craving a donut since last night. We are in Birmingham this week for the Arachnoiditis treatments and he has had a rough time not being able to sleep. Dr. Aldrete adjusts his medications according to Geno's reports about how he feels and how his nights go, so today he got an extra dose of whatever makes him sleep (or a lesser dose of whatever is keeping him awake!). He was out and snoring within minutes of the IV getting started, and he barely made it back to the hotel and out of his clothes before he was out again. He slept until 4pm! We hung out until 5:30 when they serve the free dinner here at the hotel. He was groggy, but he still was craving that donut after eating his dinner. Of course, I agreed to take him! How can I resist?

We had to go just 6 miles down I-459 to exit 13B. Geno had already decided he would need 3 donuts, so we got 1/2 dozen. I was afraid to eat my hot glazed donut in the car with the weather as it is, so when I got back to the hotel and opened the box, this is what I found:
He said he had all of his gone by the time we hit exit 15 on the way back!!!!

Please Join Me

2011-01-29T23:13:00.004-06:00

The first Sunday of every month in our church is commonly known as Fast Sunday. On this day, members who are able go for 24 hours (two meals) without food and drink. (Some members do a "modified" fast for medical reasons...if they are pregnant, diabetic, on medications, etc. This means that they eat just enough to not jeopardize their health.) We take the money we would have spent on food and donate that to our church as a "fast offering." This money is used by our leaders to help those in need. In the scriptures, fasting is often paired with prayer. We can use this fast to seek out help in any area we stand in need of.

It is also common to fast at other times when someone is in need of special help. If you have been keeping up with my blog, you know that my husband is facing some pretty serious health challenges right now. We have been blessed with the opportunity to go to the Arachnoiditis Foundation this coming week where Geno will receive 5 treatments-3 hours each day Monday through Friday. This is not a cure (there is no cure for this disease), but it has been shown to significantly reverse the damage already caused-meaning to separate the nerves that have adhered to one another.

I have seen miracles happen through fasting and prayer, and I am praying for a miracle this week. I invite all, who would be willing to join me, to fast this Monday. I am inviting not just members of our church, but all of you who have been expressing your concern and prayers for Geno. I have every reason to believe that we will have great results from this treatment and that it will be a result of the prayers of each and every one of you.

I appreciate all of the support you have given so far. Those of you who know my husband already know what a good man he is. I am so thankful he chose me to spend his life with.

Braylee Madyson Church

2011-01-27T09:00:00.000-06:00

I just can't get over how cute this little girl is!

Panama City Beach, FL

2011-01-26T09:00:00.000-06:00

August 2010 we traveled down to Panama City Beach, FL for the Military World Softball Tournament. Since Geno supports the DOD at Gunter AFB, he was able to be on the team with a waiver. This was Geno's first time to actually go in the ocean, and I was glad to get to share that with him! Our hotel was right on the beach, so we checked in and headed right out. Several of the families were meeting for dinner, but we were enjoying just hanging out on the beach and listening to the sounds of the ocean. The sunset was so beautiful!

Geno's first game was actually a forfeit, so their first game was Saturday morning. It was so incredibly hot and humid! I felt a need to get some pictures of Geno this time...had no idea this would actually be his last summer to be able to play sports :o(
The view from our hotel room:
After a little dip in the ocean:
We did not have these smiles on our faces when we went back to the hotel room to shower for dinner! I took my bathing suit off and it looked like I was still wearing one-made of seaweed!! Gross!

Since his team didn't have much luck in the tournament, we spent the drizzly afternoon checking out the stores in Pier Park. Geno tested out the Birthday Cake ice cream at two local shops in his quest to find the perfect one.

I love to have my feet in the sand! Don't care for it anywhere else, though!

Right Choices Pumpkin Patch

2011-01-25T10:35:00.000-06:00

In October we traveled back to NW Arkansas to spend a few days with our family. We took the two newest grandchildren to Right Choices Pumpkin Patch for their first time. It is such a fun place for little kids...and big kids, too :o)

Here we are with Braylee. She was so excited to be with Gramma Gram and PaPa.

(or maybe her daddy was making her laugh, but I will go with the first choice!)

Everyone loves to ride the cow train! It takes you on a little trail through the corn maze. Zachary is riding along with my friend, Missie; Hunter is with Uncle Mark, and Braylee is with her mommmy, Desarae.
This is such a good picture of Missie and Chris! Missie and I met 9 years ago when we both worked at the Wal-Mart Home Office. She was walking by and saw some scrapbook stuff sitting on my desk. She started talking "scrapbook" and a couple of months later we were headed to our first convention together! We have been great friends ever since. Just being around her always brings a smile to my face, and she is such a great support for me. I have her bedroom ready at my house :o)
There is PaPa with his little pal, Zachary. Zachary doesn't look very excited to be there, does he? He was trying to patiently wait for the hay ride to start.
Our sweet little Hunter with his daddy, Christopher. He looks exactly like his daddy at this age-big round head and all. He has the prettiest big, blue eyes, and he is always happy.
Ashley is one of the sweetest little girls I know. I like this picture of the two of us!

Four Generations

2011-01-24T10:17:00.000-06:00

Just playing catch-up. This photo was taken in July 2010. There are actually 5 generations still living, but they weren't all available for a photo. This is our oldest son, Brian, who is 24, and his daughter, Braylee, who is 6 1/2 months old in the photo. No need to tell how old Mom and I are :o)

Just a little reminder: Take photos when you have the chance. Don't "plan" on another day when you are all planning to be together, because you never know what might happen and you miss the opportunity.

Ribbon Organization

2011-01-23T17:00:00.000-06:00

I love ribbon. I love pretty much any embellishments I can add to my scrapbook pages. I sometimes like to add some glitter and REALLY like all of the flower embellishments that are out there. The problem is that until 12/27/2009 I had to either make scrapbook pages with me and my girlfriends, make crafts that use ribbon, or come up with ways to incorporate "girly" accents into boy pages. I did find a few ways to accomplish that ;o)

Finally, I have a little granddaughter! Now I want to learn to make those cute hair bows that are sold at all of the craft shows...especially the curly ones!

When I needed a piece of ribbon for yesterday's photo block, I had to look through this:

And, when I finally found what I wanted to use, it was all wrinkled! I loved having all of my ribbon showing and how it added a splash of color to my scrapbook room, but I felt last night that it was time for a change! (Geno turned on the Arkansas basketball game, so that was my cue that I could head up to my scrapbook room for a bit and turn on a Lifetime movie.) Since I am working toward earning for Geno's treatment, I don't want to change anything right now that requires spending money. The Creating Keepsakes Blog was all about organization this past week, and there were some really great ideas. I decided on this:
All I needed were some 3" rings (check) and some place to hang them. I thought about a cute shelf with hooks, but that would require a purchase. Then I noticed that my organizer for punches which hangs over the closet door has 3 hooks at the bottom. It is for adding another punch organizer, but I won't be buying more punches since I own a Cricut! So, instead of taking up shelf space with jars of ribbon, I can hang them from those hooks and cover up plain old door space! This makes it so much easier to see what I actually have.

Besides, those canning jars should be filled with yummy things I make this summer :o)

And, I found plenty of grossgrain ribbon to make those curly bows for Braylee!

You can still see how some of the hanging ribbon is wrinkled from being crammed into the jars. No problem! I have this adorable little ribbon iron to take care of that:

A Crafty Saturday

2011-01-22T14:23:00.002-06:00

I LOVE a crafty day! I love it even more when I am finally finishing up the projects I started or giving a new life to items I already have by adding some paint, ribbon, or whatever is needed. I bought three of these photo block kits at our Super Saturday in November. Two are done (and in my defense I didn't get one of the photos because the instructor was one short and would get it to me later. I just remembered when I was ready to make it that I never got the photo!)

This is the LDS Temple in St. Louis, MO where Geno and I were sealed. The photo block now sits on the shelf above our bed.

This is a photo of the Sacred Grove. I used the green ribbon as I want it in my scrapbook room, but I decided to put it on my living room shelves for now.
I had a little hand towel stand sitting on our bathroom counter, but I wasn't pleased with it! First of all, it took up counter space, and I like to keep lots of empty space to have less clutter. Mostly, though, it was sized more for fingertip towels rather than hand towels. All of the hand towels seemed to hang down too far at the bottom and rest on the counter, and it bothered me! So, when I was shopping in the 10/$10 section at Michael's (which is way better than the $1 spot at Target!), I found these cute initial hooks. I had several thoughts of what to do with them, but I finally decided on this:

Our hand towels will hang from them in our bathroom!

If you are wondering what my other ideas were, I was thinking they would be cute with photo frames hanging from them with ribbon. I would have gotten the 3 initials for my grandchildren and done that, but it seems that Micheal's no longer makes a "Z" when they do letters. This would be cute in a little girls room with long ribbons attached to "O" rings for hanging hair ribbons. There are way too many things you can do with these! And now that I look at the picture, it seems that Geno's is rather plain. Should I do something to his?

I finally completed the second of my two stitch projects from about 5 years ago! I had thought about giving this for a gift at Christmas and never found the perfect recipient. I got this nice solid wood frame for $2 at the amazing thrift store in Alabaster on the way home from one of our Birmingham trips to the doctor. Just a light coat of red paint and it is ready to hang in my guest bedroom :o)

Yes, I realize that the loose black threads are showing from behind! I didn't want to take it out of the frame again...I was getting frustrated with one part when I was putting it back in! It will bother me, though, and I will take it back out and clip those threads before I have any guests! Now that I look at this, does it need a mat? Black maybe?

So now, my crafty friends...I wanted to put the Q-tips and cotton balls into jars on the bathroom counter so that Geno doesn't have to bend down every morning to get them from under the sink. I am trying to find little ways to help him out with his back issue. I finally decided on these two jars that are the smallest from a set of kitchen canisters I no longer use:

What do I do to them to make them look better????

The 4-1-1

2011-01-21T20:01:00.002-06:00

I thought it would be easier to post here and link to facebook. There is a lot of info, but I will do my best to be brief!

We met with Dr. Aldrete on Tuesday. He is the founder of the Arachnoiditis Foundation and the famous anesthesiologist who developed the Aldrete Score that is used in every hosptial across the nation when patients have surgery. He wrote a book about Arachnoiditis in 2000 where he pretty much talked about there being no cure for this horrible and painful disease. Since that time, he has done research and developed a treatment that does not completely cure the disease, but it has been proven to reverse some of the damage...the greatest results being in those patients who are within 4 months of the trauma that caused the disease.

Dr. Aldrete went through every one of the pictures of Geno's MRIs one by one and showed us exactly what has happened and where it all went wrong. Basically, Geno's MRI from September 2, 2010 showed a bulging disc and nothing more to him. (Now, he did say that he is not a neurosurgeon and another neurosurgeon may agree with the one who operated, but he showed where the nerve root had plenty of room. He said that he did not see where the nerve was being pinched and required surgery. However, that is another conversation!) What this MRI did show, though, was that all of the nerves in his back were flowing freely and independently of one another.

The next MRI was done 5 days post-op and showed that there was a LARGE pocket of spinal fluid mixed with blood and other tissue just under the incision and at the point of the laminectomy that was performed. In my previous post about the surgery, I did mention that Geno was lying on an ice pack in recovery because they were concerned about the swelling, but the surgeon made the decision NOT to put in a drainage tube. Also, the report from the radiologist does not mention the large pocket of fluid. He only mentions a small pocket of fluid and tissue that is consistent with what should be expected after this type of surgery. If you remember from my previous post, I mentioned that we were back in the ER 4 days post-op because Geno was having these horrible headaches that they thought were from spinal fluid leakage. That is why the second MRI was done. I don't know if the two neurosurgeons just read the radiologist's report and didn't actually look at the films themselves, but if that is the case, then they didn't see the large pocket of fluid and they didn't feel the need to open Geno back up and put in a drainage tube. What had already started to happen at this point, though, was that the pocket of spinal fluid mixed with the blood had reentered the dura. This blood-contaminated fluid then caused the nerves to start to adhere to one another!

If you think about the nerves flowing freely, independent of one another, then every time you move in a way that stretches your spine...and this is almost every movement...they are able to move freely with your movement. Now, consider what happens when they are attached to another nerve. They both have to move and the friction causes pain! By the time Geno went for his third MRI in the ER on January 7th when he could barely move, the nerves were so bundled that they appear to be bundled into 3 or 2 bunches. And as you move down the spine, they are in one bunch in some places! Now, the entire bunch of nerves is stretched with each movement. It is incredibly painful.

However, we feel very lucky that we have met with Dr. Aldrete and there is a treatment that can possibly help Geno. Of course, his days of softball, basketball, golf, and pretty much any sport are over, but if he has the chance of lessening his pain, we are going to try it!

The cost of the treatment is pretty expensive-$3500. The initial exam took a good portion of our savings, so we are doing what we can to earn the money in the next month since we will still be within the 4 month period where optimal results are produced. They have treated some patients 2 to 3 years out with some improvement, but not as much as the ones who got in earlier.

So...I had been trying to decide what I was going to be doing to help contribute to our income. Geno felt very strongly that I should not get a job outside the home so that we can have our grandchildren visit or I can go with him when he travels for work or I will be here since his hours away are so short. My sweet daughter-in-law told me that I should start a website and sell the crafty items I make. It was nice to hear that someone thinks my items are worthy of selling online :o) Well, now that I have a cause to work toward-and QUICKLY-I will be starting off with my card sets. I really enjoy coming up with them. So, if you are looking for some little gifts or if you are someone who likes to send out a lot of cards, please check back in a week or so and see if there is anything that interests you. Also, I enjoy coming up with new ideas, so if you have a certain color theme or occasion request, just let me know!!

In the meantime, prayers are requested :o)

More Photos and Ideas

2010-11-12T07:16:00.004-06:00

#23. I didn't take a picture of the page I did for Geno's grandpa, but I did one for my grandma that same year. This is a picture of her with all of her sisters taken probably around the late 30's/early 40's. The flowers are from that same K&Co book from Hobby Lobby. This is sitting at her house on a nice easel. (It will be returned to me when she passes.) There are also flower folding templates from http://www.paperwishes.com/ and http://www.orientaltradingcompany.com/ . I plan to buy some of those and make more pages and cards like this!

#27. These are the cards that I designed for Super Saturday this year. I have about 10 different sayings to go with the "u". I just cut out a bunch of "u's" with my Cricut and stamped or printed the other sayings. I don't even make my own card bases anymore. You can buy a set of 50 with envelopes for $6.99 at Hobby Lobby (that is $4.19 with my 40% off coupon) and I divide them into sets of 5. That is less than 50 cents per set!

#29. Sugar bowl candles. I found this idea in a magazine this year and can't wait to make these! We have an amazing thrift shop about 45 minutes away that I need to hit first. You just find beautiful china sugar bowls that have lost their creamer mates and been shipped off to the thrift shops and flea markets. Make sure they have their lids still. Then just pour your own scented candle creations inside to make a beautiful (and hopefully inexpensive) gift.

#30. Toaster oven with recipes. Just like the crock pot, I think that every home should have a toaster oven. We use ours ALL THE TIME. It is so nice when the boys want a hot after-school snack like Pizza Rolls, corn dogs, chicken nuggets, or even mini pizzas. We use it for reheating left-overs and toasting bread. It keeps you from having to heat up the house with the oven and you don't have to wait for it to preheat!

#11. Family Calendars. Just a litle note...I stopped spending so much time making homemade calendars last year and just bought the $1 ones from Michael's and wrote in all of the dates. They have so many designs and styles (mousepad, wall, pocket, 6x6), that I found something to work for everyone. I just happened to go this year when they were all 50cents, so I grabbed them then. I just need to add the dates and I am done for less than $5 for everyone and in less time than making just one handmade one would have taken!

Ok, I was supposed to be working on my Super Saturday projects. I am so proud that I am pretty much finished...and I even cut a lot out for the ladies so they don't have to! We are meeting at 9:30am to shop for the rest of the stuff and finish setting up, and I am sitting here in my pjs! Better get moving... I will post photos of my projects next week!

Gift Idea Photos

2010-11-10T10:28:00.011-06:00

26. These pendant necklaces are SO EASY and inexpensive to make! The clear jewels can be found in the floral department and you get about 70 of them for $2.99 at Hobby Lobby--even less if you use your 40% off coupon! You just use whatever paper scraps you have (I even used some stickers with paper) and apply it to the jewel with Mod Podge. Apply another coat over the paper and glue on a jump ring or whatever kind of hook you want. Pick some cute ribbon (think 50% off at HL again!). We are doing 50+ of these for Super Saturday this week.

#24. This is the picture block. We always meet to plan our Super Saturday projects and bring our ideas. Two of us had this idea with us. I LOVE THESE! This was our take on them, but you can find other ideas here:

***www.theideadoor.com go to crafts on the right and then find Temple Picture crafts. I really like it with the scrapbook paper behind it, too. If you choose the square photos, www.scrapbookpictures.com will print those sizes for you!
***www.poppyseedprojects.com has some REALLY cute block projects!

#27. How could I forget handmade notecards? I make them almost every year.

#10. These are the glitter ornaments I was talking about. It was so much fun having Zachary help me with them. He was so proud!

These are the supplies. We made 18 ornaments and it used about 1" of the wax (you can see the bottle is almost full and we were done!) and about the same of the glitter. The Martha Stewart glitter runs about $10 for a bottle at Michael's, so I use my 50% off coupons for that whenever I need some! The wax is from Wal-mart. Make sure to get this exact one. The plastic wrap is just to fold a piece and cover the hole when you swish around the wax and shake the glitter. If you shake the wax it will cause air bubbles. Just roll it around inside the bulb until you are sure that ALL of it is covered.

The final product! These were for my CTR class at church, so I had my friend cut me the vinyl CTR shields. It was pretty tricky to get the vinyl to go on the rounded surface without puckering. We are doing the flat round ones this time.

#23 This is a scrapbook page of our engagement picture I have in our bedroom. The "&" was originally done in red, but when we changed the color of our comforter, I just changed that out, too ;o) The frame is from Hobby Lobby. If you watch the 50% off sales, they are only $5!

This is a sample of #25. I made this one for Geno with my favorite pictures of him and Noodlebug. I have done them for family with "Memories" in the middle or "Find Joy in the Journey" with family photos. I can cut the inside saying for you and send it if you would like. This is also the Hobby Lobby frame.

28. File folder games. I am making these for the grandkids this year. If you go to http://www.finchfamilygames.com/ (Yes, another LDS site!) you can purchase their program for $4 and then download the files for $1 each! They have a lot of educational games that are not specific to our religion that are great for the kids. It costs me about $1 to get the folder laminated and I just laminate the smaller pieces with my laminator that does up to 8 1/2 x 11.

My husband sent me a text that he is on the way home! Yes, it is only 11:30am, but that is the life we live. We didn't see each other much yesterday, so I am in need of some cuddle time ;o)

Christmas Gift Ideas

2010-11-10T09:28:00.003-06:00

I recently had a friend ask if I had any good ideas for Christmas gifts. I actually keep a list in my "scrapbook" notebook in case I draw a blank when I need an idea! Some are really simple, but all have been appreciated by those I have given them to!

1. Gifts in a can-you can buy empty paint cans and decorate the outside to go with the theme of the items inside. I have a list of ideas for items to put inside to go along with any theme...but I don't know where I put that. If anyone is interested, I will look for it. Examples are tape measure, thread, chalk pencil, etc. for someone who likes to sew. You can also do marshmallows, graham crackers, and chocolates in a smaller can for s'mores.

2. Lighted glass block-the idea is a few years old, but with a nice vinyl design on the front, they make cute night lights for kids.

3. Tissue paper stamped candles-You can stamp onto white tissue paper and then "melt" it into the side of a candle. I have seen some where people printed sheet music, designs, and even family photos onto tissue paper and then put them on a candle. With some ribbon around the top and bottom (and maybe even a fancy thumb tack) these look great!

4. Mixes in a jar-these are an old idea, too, but still very appreciated by someone who needs a quick snack or soup. You can find these recipes anywhere now...and even labels to print to go with them. There are some cute ones at www.organizedChristmas.com

5. Story a Day 'til Christmas-I LOVE these! This is a great idea for families with small children. Some of the books even include a song to sing each day. I got mine from www.theideadoor.com. They have a couple of them. This is an LDS site, so a couple of the stories were LDS based. When I made them for the families that were not LDS, I just searched out other stories and changed out the ones I needed to. Besides, our family has many stories that are dear to us that weren't included, so I needed to add those to mine :o)

6. Journal jars and Journal-I gave these to several people a few years back! I got the journal slips at www.organizedChristmas.com and just printed them out. I decorated a blank journal and the outside of the jar with the same papers and these were a hit!

7. You can always make a CD of someones favorite music and design a special label for them. We have done this several times for helping out male friends for their wives on Valentine's Day.

8. One of my goals had been to make an "Ultimate Gift" calendar to give along with a copy of the movie. There are 12 "gifts" in the movie, so it would be perfect to dedicate each month to one of them. I haven't ever done this, but it is still an idea I would like to do. If you haven't seen "The Ultimate Gift", you need to watch it!

9. For kids' friends or those you just want to know that you are thinking about them, we have bought a bag of candy or a giant candy bar and made a custom label for it.

10. Homemade ornaments are a big thing for me! I have made gingerbread men with brown felt and then clothes for them, beaded felt ornaments and this year the glitter inside the clear bulb with a vinyl letter is the popular choice. You just use Johnson's floor wax (in the clear bottle with the blue lid) and swirl it around inside the ornament. I then turn it upside down on the bottle of wax to let all extra run off. Then pour some extra fine glitter (Martha Stewart works best) and shake it around. Dump out whatever extra back into the bottle and put the hanger back on. Zachary made these for me last year--he was 3! It is such a fun activity for the little ones. If you want to add an initial, the flat round ones are the best choice.

11. Family calendars are always a good idea. I add all of the birthdays and anniversaries for that side of the family and then leave the top layouts open for them to add their own family photos. I have done 6x6, 8 1/2x11, and 12x12.

12. I am planning to do painted pillowcases for the grandchildren this year...hopefully! You can take pretty much any design that you print off and trace it onto a pillow. If you don't have a light table to trace on, just tape the design to the window and trace it from there. I have a light table and I most often use the window anyway! You can just color it with paint markers.

13. You can take your digital pictures and make a DVD with music. We did this for my parents' retirement party and a memory one for my uncle. It takes a little bit of practice (I need Geno for it), but it is well worth the time! I pick the photos and songs and Geno messes with it to make sure that every frame fades in and out with perfect timing to the songs :o)

14. Your favorite recipes and a gift card to the local grocery store. Who can't use that??

15. A framed family photo with smaller photos on the mat around it. I have also seen where on top of the family photo is a favorite poem printed on vellum and the photo shows through behind. This is usually with a wedding photo.

16. Address labels-I made some for the kids last year and gave them a book of stamps and a set of notecards with it.

17. Book labels-for the kids who like to read and have a lot of books. You can find templates for "From the Library of" labels. Give this with a book. The Kohl's Cares for Kids books are only $5.00 for a hardback! You can give a nice gift and help a good cause.

18. A nice bread pan or pie pan with bread or a pie baked in it! If you give the bread, add a little jar of homemade jam. If you don't make jam, buy some from a special place in the area and throw that in.

19. Garden stepping stones made by the kids. They have kits at Hobby Lobby on sale all the time. If your parents have a nice garden, they will enjoy these.

20. Crock pot with a recipe box full of crock pot recipes! I believe EVERYONE should own a crockpot ;o)

21. Package of homemade gift tags. Save them from having to go buy some.

22. Scrapbooks. You can make a scrapbook for grandparents with pages featuring each grandchild. You can do one with a two-page spread that covers each month of the previous year. Just pick your favorite photos for each month of this past year and make them into layouts. I found a really easy idea where you follow the same layout for each month and there isn't much to the embellishing part!

23. Framed scrapbook pages-just do a favorite layout featuring the recipient and frame it for them. My favorite gift that I have given in the last few years was to take a wedding photo of Geno's grandfather and grandmother on their wedding day and print an 8x10. I bought a package of flower embellishments at Hobby Lobby made by K&Company that you punch out, fold and layer to make them 3-D. I added their names and the flowers to make a VERY NICE layout and put it in one of the scrapbook frames from Hobby Lobby that allows room for embellishments. I gave it to him the Christmas after she passed away.

24. Photo blocks-we are doing these for Super Saturday this week. You can go to Lowe's or Home Depot and get 2x6's cut into 9" (I think!) pieces. You just paint the block of wood and then use Mod Podge to put a 5x7 photo onto the wood set off to one side. Then Mod Podge again over the photo and block. Add a cute dotted ribbon on the side left empty. This is awesome for cute photos of the kids. You can see this idea at www.theideadoor.com, too!

25. One of my other favorites was to take 12-3x3 photos and put them around the outside of a 12x12 frame and then cut out the 6x6 space in the middle. I would add some saying here and the paint on the wall would show through. Of course, if you don't like the color of the wall, you can just back it with scrapbook paper. I think this idea is way back in one of my EARLIER posts!

I will try to post some photos over the next little bit so that you can get some ideas of what I am talking about...or at least get you the exact site addresses. If you are looking for inexpensive ideas, google "Super Saturday project ideas" and just go from there! You will get several LDS sites with LDS ideas, but you can certainly change things around. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. Also, if you have any ideas for gifts for those who can buy whatever they want and have everything they need but you still would like to give them something...let me know!!

Geno's Back

2010-10-26T22:02:00.009-05:00

On August 31st, Geno was leaving for work as usual. He bent down to put his lunch cooler in the Camaro and couldn't stand back up! We tried ice, heat, muscle relaxers, a massage, and everything else we could think of before finally heading to the ER the next day--under the orders of his co-workers from DC who were in town for a technology conference. They gave him shots, stronger muscle relaxers, anti-inflammatories, oxycodone and an appointment with a spinal surgeon the next morning. (The photo above is him waiting for the spinal surgeon to see us.) Even with the meds from the ER, Geno got out of bed and made it to the bathroom, but then he had to crawl back to the bed. After x-rays, an MRI, and a discogram, the spinal surgeon determined that Geno has dysplastic spondylolithesis (a congenital spinal defect where two vertebrae didn't fuse correctly). So, surgery was scheduled for the next week to fuse L-3,4,and 5. Oh, I forgot to mention that he also has some degeneration of discs L3-4 and L4-5. When he went for the discogram at the Center for Pain, he was prescribed a stronger dosage of Valium and Diladid. The drugs just kept getting stronger! They also scheduled him to come back the next day for an epidural to help control the pain until the surgery.

Before the epidural, they give you some anesthesia to help take the edge off. Geno has always been a lightweight when it comes to anesthesia! When they brought him out to the waiting area, he was too funny! He was slurring his words, didn't make a whole lot of sense, and trying really hard to act like he knew what he was doing. If you notice in the photo, he is reading TWO magazines. At one point, he lifted the magazine up close to his face and was moving his lips in an effort to read the article. That was when I couldn't resist pulling out the camera. I did miss the shot when he turned his head to the side listening to the tv...kinda like a dog. Sadly, after going through all of this, it didn't take care of the pain at all. But he sure does look happy here!

Then, the insurance company did not approve the surgery, so he was pretty down about not being able to get some relief. They wanted him to try some more conservative approaches first: physical therapy, epidurals, and medication. Well, he had already done the epidural and that wasn't going to work. Geno was born with only one kidney, so taking medication on a regular basis is too dangerous. Plus, he has a Top Secret Security Clearance for his job and can't take such strong pain killers on a regular basis. He did try the physical therapy, but it was making the pain worse. Finally, he got an appointment with a neurosurgeon for a second opinion and it was determined that he did not have dysplastic spondylolithesis. However, he did have joints in L-4 and L-5 that were pinching the nerves and causing the pain in his lower back and all the way down to his feet. The surgery was scheduled for Monday and the insurance company approved this one.

We went to St. Vincent's in Birmingham for the surgery. We had to arrive at 5:30am for pre-surgery. This place was awesome! All of the staff were wonderful and very attentive. After changing into his hospital gown he was cold, so they hooked up this awesome blow dryer type heater that filled his gown with hot air. How cool is that?

The surgery was a little over an hour and then he went to recovery. I was allowed to see him after an hour in recovery. The surgeon came out and spoke to me right after he finished and said that everything went well. He fixed the joints (I think think that means he shaved off the parts of the vertebrae that were pinching the nerves) and while he was in there he went ahead and checked the discs that the spinal surgeon said needed to be fused. He said that there was some degeneration, but they did not require surgery at this point. He did not mention, however, that Geno had had an allergic reaction to the antibiotic they gave him before the surgery and was scratching himself like crazy. They had to pump him full of benedryl but he was still scratching himself like crazy when I got into the recovery room! I'm so glad he cut his nails the night before, because he was doing the scratching while he was still out cold and he was leaving some serious welts. He must have really itched! Also, he had a lot of swelling at the top of his incision, so he was laying on ice in recovery. Apparently that happens, but it has to be watched closely. As soon as he got up to use the restroom, he wanted his own clothes back on.

Just to show how incredibly crazy he is (and how crazy I am for listening to him), we went to Whole Foods for lunch on the way home from the hospital! He could barely stand up since his feet were numb and he fell asleep if he sat still for more than a few seconds, but he assured me that he was good to go to Whole Foods for lunch! We come here for dates every once in a while because we love the good food. At least they had a wheel chair for me to push him around!

I was pretty shocked at how swollen it was when I first saw it. Since Geno couldn't see it, I took a photo to show him. You can judge how swollen by seeing the indentation of his backbone and then the big bump. It is still pretty swollen, but I can tell it has gone down since this photo.

I got him home and medicated and comfortable. We were watching tv and he was getting tired. He asked for the remote "just to hold onto it." It is too funny that the remote is his security blanket! This was passed on to our grandson when he was living with us. He just wanted to hold it!

Thank you to all of our friends who have emailed, called and texted to check on him. He is supposed to sit or lie for 30 minutes and then get up and move around-when he isn't sleeping. I am really impressed with how well he is moving around. It isn't like he is gone long when he is working, but I am enjoying having him here with me all day. He has never been one to stay at home, so we made a trip to Wal-Mart yesterday and will probably go to our church Halloween party tonight.

Zachary's 4th Birthday

2010-10-20T13:02:00.003-05:00

We traveled back to Arkansas in August to celebrate Zachary's 4th birthday. It was so fun to share this with him.

Geno and I got to spend the entire day with all three grandchildren. We were in heaven! Don't you just love that Braylee's little toenails are painted? Since Braylee and Hunter are only two weeks apart, many people thought they were twins (and that we were the parents).

I love that we get to see Jeremy whenever we travel back. I miss the banter between Geno and his "little" brother! They always keep me laughing when they are together. They are so competitive...and they both are sore losers!
Two pretty ladies...Braylee with her mama, Desarae.
This cracked me up...Derrick sitting by Chuck E. talking on the cell phone.
My favorite little memory from this night was when we were ready to go home and Zachary put his birthday crown back on. He noticed that all of the tokens were gone (he used them to play games), so when he walked by the display on the way out, he just casually got up on a chair, took a token out of the display hat, put it in one of the slots on his hat, shrugged his shoulders, put his hat back on and walked out. It was just so sweet.

2010-09-29T07:41:00.002-05:00

I love it that my husband thinks I should always have fresh flowers. I love it even more that he will stop at Publix and pick them out! When we were first married (and our income was considerably less than it is now), Geno would have flowers delivered to me from the local florist. They were beautiful, but SO EXPENSIVE! Back then we lived in Colorado Springs and there were people on the street corners selling 2 dozen carnations for $3, and that was certainly good enough for me! He has very good taste when it comes to flowers. He knows that roses are my very favorite to get from him, but I like mixed boquets, too. So, he picked this one out yesterday since it had a few roses in it, too. I love it when someone gives you something and can tell you why they picked it out with you in mind :o)

Speaking of gifts with the recipient in mind...Christmas is coming up! I have always enjoyed coming up with special gifts for people, but after a while that can become a challenge. Little ones are always pretty easy, but what about grandparents and parents who have everything thing need and just go out and buy anything they want? I am in need of ideas!

Kohl's will grand open today, so I will take a stroll over there and to Hobby Lobby to see if anything pops out at me! Did I mention that they are both just outside the entrance to our complex? How awesome is that!

In the meantime, I will be working on Super Saturday projects, the last few things for Sarah's baby shower, and Braylee's Halloween costume. Posts and photos for those to follow...PROMISE ;o)

"Would you like some...

2010-06-27T08:58:00.003-05:00

I know that three days have passed since this happened, but I have been trying to get passed the embarrassment and humiliation. I have no doubt that I have been mentioned on someone's facebook status or in someone's blog already. Or worse, someone as good as my friends who actually manage to get photos on their phone without the subject knowing was there capturing my humiliation for all of their friends to see. Geno would love to know where that is.

My visiting teachers wanted to meet at Chickfila Thursday for lunch and to let the kids play. I was already a little out of sorts with trying to juggle a purse, diaper bag, 5 month-old in his carseat and a 3 year-old. But I did get the food ordered and get us settled in while Zachary went to play. He came out for some food and then went back to play again as I started to visit with the ladies.

I had made it through half of my sandwich when I saw Zachary walking toward me again. There was no mistaking that walk...legs wide, slow steps. You know, trying to not let your pants touch your body! I wasn't prepared for this issue AT ALL. One of the ladies took the baby so I could focus completely on Zachary and get him into the bathroom as quickly as possible.

We begin the trek to the bathroom that meant walking through the dining area. Did I mention that our Chickfila is the most popular restaurant in town and we were there during the lunch rush? The place was PACKED! I am trying to take care of the issue as quickly as possible without being noticed when this GINORMOUS turd drops out of his underwear and splats right on the floor between two tables of very nicely dressed couples enjoying their lunch! I WAS HORRIFIED!! I had that look of disbelief on my face...eyes and mouth all wide open. At least if it had been solid and rolled under the table, I could have just pretended like I had no clue that it had happened and been out of there before someone realized there was a horrible smell coming from under their table! I just don't get lucky like that. So, all I could do was apologize profusely AND leave it there until I could go get some paper towels from the bathroom.

I ordered Zachary to stand in the stall and not move. Do you have any idea how long of a walk it is to go back and pick up a huge ball of crap off the floor in front of people who are eating their lunch? I really expected something like the pool scene from Caddyshack where everyone would be clearing out and I wouldn't have to face any of them...but they were ALL sitting there just the same. Still eating their lunch in spite of the GINORMOUS turd sitting on the floor right next to them. A normal person would be so grossed out that they would lose their appetite, so I can only assume that they were staying to watch the show! I couldn't disappoint, so I came back with paper towels in hand and apologized even more as I did my best to try to be dignified while carrying crap in my hand.

Of course, one trip wouldn't be enough to clean it all up! Did I mention that when it fell out of his underwear he got it on his other foot and then left a trail all the way to the bathroom? So, now I had to get more paper towels and come back out again. Two long walks in one day! The second time, the nicely dressed gentleman who was probably about my age said, "Don't worry! It happened to me last week!" I'm sure he thought it was funny, but I was having trouble finding the humor in the situation while holding crap. I also have to wonder if he just didn't believe that so much could come out of someone so small and that maybe it was really me! Then an older lady who was only sitting along the trail and sees me coming out cleaning up the floor, leans down and says, " You need to come to my house next." All I can think is, "Why? Do you have a trail of crap on your floor, too?"

In the meantime, Zachary has been obediently standing by the toilet as ordered and is pulling off pieces of toilet paper and filling the toilet. By now, one of the wonderful ladies with me realizes that my issue is bigger than just cleaning up Zachary so she comes to offer some help. At this point, I just want to do damage control and get out of that place as soon as possible! I work on getting Zachary cleaned up. It takes several paper towels for the obvious areas...bum, legs...and that is when I realize that he must have kicked it when it fell out of his underwear, because it is stuck all over and in between his toes of the foot opposite the leg it fell down! I just wanted to get him home and into the tub...preferably full of Lysol! The ladies all pulled together to get the baby in his seat, our food packed up and help me escape my humiliation as quickly as possible.

I made it home. Zachary got his bath. Hunter had a bottle and fell asleep. I sat on my chair and just stared into space hoping that it was just a nightmare and never happened. The boys' mom and then Geno got home just a short time later. When Geno asked me how my lunch at Chickfila went, and I didn't even get two sentences out before he was bent over with tears in his eyes from laughing so hard...I knew it was all real. I'm sure you will forgive me for not having a photo to go along with this post!

Where it all began...

2010-05-04T10:28:00.005-05:00

Geno and I are spending the week in Colorado Springs, CO. This is where we met. This is where we fell in love. This is where it all began...

We are both so grateful for Geno's job and the travel opportunities he has. We were even more grateful when we were able to schedule a training class for him in Colorado Springs and I could travel along with him. We spent our second night here going to all of the places that made up the first week of our lives together.

We met on Monday, June 10, 1996. I was making computer chips on the weekends and going to school full-time at the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs working on my Economics degree as a stepping stone to law school. Geno was stationed at Cheyenne Mountain as an orbital analyst with Air Force Space Command. This was the first day of the first summer that I would be away from my kids. Their dad was getting transferred to California which made it necessary to change the 50/50 custody agreement and give me primary custody with visitation in California. I didn't quite know what to do without the boys, so when I got home from classes I visited with my neighbors, Gary and Rettia Perrin. I had dated over the last couple of years, but never really found "the one." I had decided to make a list in my journal of the things that attracted me to certain people and then added some other things I would like to find in a man. I read it toRettia and she just laughed at me and said, "Honey, that man doesn't exist!" Gary played on a squadron softball team that played on Monday nights and they invited me along. They were discussing who they wanted to introduce me to that night. Gary was picking out the older, divorced men with kids. Rettia wanted to introduce me to Cory (but she said he was kinda short) or Geno. I was actually living with someone at the time, but I was planning to petition the courts to allow me to move to Kentucky after my ex had made his move to California (taking away that obstacle) and I knew that he wouldn't move with me. That was my plan for getting out of the relationship. Not that it was a bad relationship, but he wasn't really a "father figure" for my boys and they needed that. So, I went to the game and sat out on the bleachers when the rain would slow to a drizzle. My first glance at Geno and it was like he was the only one on the team! I couldn't stop looking, but I didn't want to make it too obvious! I caught him looking at me a few times, too. He hit at least 3 home runs in those games, and I was so impressed! After the games, the team all gathered around his truck where they had a few beers and chatted. The whole time I was checking things off my list! Dark hair-check. Blue eyes-check. Great smile-check. And then he spoke and that accent almost made my knees buckle! Southern gentleman-check. We were never really formally introduced, and I only got up the nerve to make one comment about Arkansas inbreeding when he said how small his hometown was and that most of them were relatives. Cory asked me to go out with him then, but I just told him that I came with Rettia and Gary and I was going home with Rettia and Gary. Of course, I was already smitten with Geno and my answer would have been different had he asked. But he didn't, so I got into the van with Rettia and Gary and said, "I'm going to marry him!" Gary just laughed and said, "Yeah, right!" Rettia just looked at me and smiled.

Tuesday, June 11, 1996. I went to my class and just kind of went about my daily business. At some point I found out from Gary just how old Geno was. TWENTY-ONE! That just would never work-I was 28 with four children! I still couldn't get him off my mind, but my hopes of anything for the two of us were completely gone. Little did I know that on that same day Geno was asking around at work trying to get Gary's number so he could find out more about me! Unfortunately, Gary didn't have a phone and used mine whenever they needed to.

Wednesday, June 12, 1996. I went to my classes again and had pretty much talked myself out of any chance with Geno. I went out that night with one of the guys from my class and he introduced me to Long Island Iced Tea. They are just like having a glass of tea...until the alcohol kicks in later. I had 3 very big ones before I started feeling it! We went out dancing and closed down the local clubs.

Thursday, June 13, 1996. I had a chemistry test this morning and kept falling asleep! Not to mention, I had the worst hangover ever. I came home from class, did some things around the house and took a nap. I woke up just about the time that Gary and Rettia were getting ready to leave for another softball game on another team that Geno played on with him. Gary told me I might as well go since I had nothing better to do! Thanks, Gary! So, I pulled my hair up into a ponytail and slipped on some overalls and grabbed a jacket. Geno was there and it was so nice to see him again! He kept looking over at me, too. He hit more homeruns and I was just as impressed as the first night ;o) After the game, the team would go to the bar that sponsored them, so along I went with Rettia and Gary. Geno and I actually talked this time. He sat at the table with me, poured me a beer and we played pool. Rettia and I were supposed to go out that night, but she was too tired and marched back into the bar to see if Geno would go with me instead. He was too shy to go with just me, so they made plans for a double date the next night! Wow! I was floating until I realized that Geno would be coming to meet us and I was living with someone! YIKES!

Friday, June 14, 1996. I could hardly contain my excitement this whole day, but how do I handle the situation with the guy who lived with me? Fortunately, he had taken on an extra shift at work that night, so he had to leave around the time that Geno would be arriving. Since I hadn't gone out with Rettia the night before, I was going out with her that night...I just didn't mention that Gary and Geno were going, too! We went to a movie first. We were discussing last night whether he held my hand or not. I remember that I really wanted him to, and I think that it took him quite a while to get up the courage. We went out dancing at Cowboy's night club and he even did the Macarena with me! He was such a gentleman and he was so handsome. I loved his smile and his laugh. The heart that was supposed to be moving to Kentucky at the end of the summer was planting itself firmly in Colorado Springs. When we got back to my place, we stood by my car and talked for a few minutes. I invited him to a Garth Brooks concert that I had tickets for and then leaned forward for just a quick peck before I ran into the house with his number in my hand! Actually, I went straight to Gary and Rettia's and gave them the number to hold for me and swore to never wash my lips again. In a matter of a few hours Geno had changed me from a 28 year-old mother of four to a 16 year-old school girl!

Saturday, June 15, 1996. I got up and went to work, but I couldn't get Geno off my mind. I also knew that I had to tell the guy I was living with. I waited for him to wake up and call me and I told him that he had to move out and that I was head-over-heels for this guy. He was pretty upset with me and I was worried that I might need to be home when he moved out, so I left work early. When I got home, he was gone and I fell asleep on the couch. He came home and woke me up and asked me to marry him! As sweet as that was, I told him that a ring on my finger would not change the way he felt about my kids. He cried, but he agreed and packed up what he could take in one trip and left. Of course, I was elated! I ran over to get Geno's phone number from Rettia and Gary. Gary had a good time teasing me and not letting me have it, but he did finally give in. I ran back to the house, grabbed the phone, got settled on the couch, took a deep breath and dialed. Geno answered right away. He had been sitting with the phone on his bed waiting for me to call! How sweet is that? We talked for a few hours about lots of things...except that I had four sons. When we got off the phone, I was walking on air. It took me a while to go to sleep.

Sunday, June 16, 1996. I had a horrible day at work, so I called Geno to see if he would like to go up into the mountains. He said he would be right over, but he apparently showered and did a few other things before he got there an hour later! In the meantime, I sat on Rettia's porch crying. I told her that I was so in love with this guy already that if he couldn't handle the fact that I had four children then it had to end now. I couldn't handle loving someone like that and know that it would eventually end because he couldn't love my kids. So, we drove up to Helen Hunt Falls and climbed up the trail. We stopped in a cool spot and sat on a rock together. I got really quiet, trying to get up the nerve to tell him. He turned to me and said, "A penny for your thoughts." I started out slowly, but finally just said it. HE DIDN'T EVEN BLINK! He didn't get that look of fear and try to find a way out! He was relieved and said that he was worried about how to tell me that he had been married! He started asking questions about the boys and was very excited to meet them. Number one on my list and the only thing not checked off: Someone who could love the boys like I do---CHECK! I gave my heart away in that moment, and it has been his ever since.

We went back to my apartment-that I couldn't invite him into before because I had photos of my boys hanging all over the walls. We sat outside on the porch and looked at the stars. We played Toy Story games on the computer. We watched 'Black Sheep' and laughed. He made some breakfast for us (after I cleaned the dishes since they were all dirty! He should have known then that my kitchen cleaning skills needed some help!) We stayed up talking and laughing until the sun came up and he had to get back to his dorm to shower and get ready for work. We hugged and kissed before he left and I asked if he was coming back that night. He asked if I wanted him to. YES!

Monday, June 17, 1996. After class I went grocery shopping and then with my friend to shop for her wedding dress. She came back to the apartment with me and we walked up to the pool. As we were headed back to the apartment, Geno came around the corner in his blue flight suit. Kelly caught her breath and said, "Wow!" He smiled at me, and as my heart jumped I whispered to her, "That's him." We walked her back to her car and then went to the apartment. When I told him that I wanted him to come back, he told me later that he wasn't going to give me the chance to change my mind...his packed bags were sitting by the door! He was there to stay...and I am so grateful.

"Try them and you may, I say."

2010-04-08T09:20:00.004-05:00

You do not like them.

So you say.

Try them! Try them!

And you may.

Try them and you may, I say.

(Green Eggs and Ham is one of Zachary's favorite books, and I couldn't help but think of that part when I decided it was time to post a blog.)

With so much going on in our lives over the last several years, Geno and I have spent so much time taking care of everyone else and just getting through the days that we haven't had time to focus on the two of us and really enjoy life. Our lives became routine and we moved from one event to the next without taking time for what was most important...US.

Since the passing of Geno's dad we have realized how precious time is and that we can either take control and use it to our advantage or just let it pass by and continue to control us. So, we have finally decided to make US a priority. We have made it a priority to spend EVERY Friday night together on a date. We have spent hours and hours talking and discussing what is most important to each of us, what we each need in our lives, recalling memories and planning for our future. It is amazing what communication can do for a relationship!

We have both commented that we feel like when we first met and were so in love with each other and couldn't get enough of one another--only now we are at the other end of parenthood and soon will have just the two of us to focus on! We have been through so much together and made it through still in love, and we can make it through anything TOGETHER.

What does this have to do with my chosen title you ask...well, Geno and I have always disagreed when it comes to one thing--CUDDLING. Either you are a cuddler or you are not. I don't think that there is any gray area here. Actually, I don't think that we have ALWAYS disagreed either. When we were first together, I always cuddled up to Geno at night. Geno had these horrible muscle reflexes and would jerk violently. One night he popped me right in the cheek bone and bruised it, and then didn't believe me when I told him that he did it. I tried a new position the next night and he popped me in the nose and bloodied it! I woke him up this time to show him. I still cuddled up to him, though, and just practiced defensive sleeping ;o) I still took the time and snuggled up to him while watching a movie or just when we were enjoying life together.

But, over time, I stopped cuddling. I didn't like how hot natured he is and complained that it was too warm. His chest grew larger with all of the working out and I complained that putting my head on his chest caused pain in my neck. I got so busy with the boys and all of the activities that I no longer sat down and cuddled because it was unproductive, and I don't do well with not being productive all the time. I guess I just got so used to not cuddling that I didn't even think about how nice it used to be.

So, in all of our talking lately, he reminded me how much he liked and needed that closeness from me, and something amazing happened...

I tried it and I liked it!

I can't go to sleep now without him right next to me, and some of my best nights of sleep have been the ones where we wake up in the exact same position we were in when we fell asleep! With a little talking and experimenting, we have found sleep positions where we are both comfortable and still have the closeness. Geno made his way out of his new recliner and now sits with me in my over-sized recliner where we both fit comfortably. I enjoy it so much that I think I might be needing it more than him now, but he isn't complaining. He is enjoying every minute of it. And with all of my complaining that Geno is freezing me out since he is so hot-natured, why didn't it just occur to me that I had a heater to cuddle up to this whole time? Who knew Geno was so smart? ;o)

It is amazing what a little communication can do for a marriage! We have promised one another not to let life keep getting in the way of us. What is most important has always been right in front of us, we just needed to make time for it. I love this picture we took on our last date night. We were having a picnic by the lake. I love to see the happiness in our faces. Life is good :o)

Blessings of Visiting Teaching

2009-10-03T08:00:00.000-05:00

Visiting Teaching is set up so that each sister has two other sisters to help her out in times of need and befriend her. I have always loved visiting teaching, but I have not always been faithful in getting it done every month. I decided that I would do my best to make that happen. When I talked to my friend, Karen Moreton, and told her where I was moving, she told me that her sister lives in this same city! I volunteered to be her visiting teacher so I could get to know her, too. She is very ill and has no immunity. I had been sick and had to wait until I was completely over it before I could go visit her, but I finally did on Wednesday (I know! Last day of the month, but not on purpose!) She is a wonderful lady who is very friendly. I enjoyed a visit with her and brought her some homemade thin mints. As I was leaving, she told me that she had something for me, too! Then she came out with this:

A brand new mini fluted stone from Pampered Chef! How awesome is that? I was reluctant to take such a nice gift, but she wouldn't take no for an answer. She used to sell it and earned a lot of free items through her sales. I see some lava cakes and pumpkin cakes in my future ;o)

This is the (town) house where Shelly lives!

2009-10-02T09:42:00.003-05:00

I have finally come to terms with the fact that this is going to be my home for the next three years AT LEAST. Neither Mark or Geno want to move again and I don't blame them. So, my new goal is to make this home and get used to the much smaller place. It will be so much easier to get used to after Monday when Hobby Lobby opens right next door!! A brand spankin' new store and those are my apartment buildings on the right. I can walk right over anytime I want-for the exercise, you know ;o)

This is the huge garden tub in the master bath that I was so excited about when we looked at these places. I have used it twice and then realized that it takes a ton of water to fill it up and that I actually have to get INTO the tub to clean it out! Not so thrilled about it anymore...

This is the very small kitchen that I can't seem to find enough room in. I am so used to cooking for 5-7 people every day, so I think that once I get used to only the three of us I will adjust. I am going to get two chairs for that bar once I start the real shopping and find just what I want.

This is the dining area-all set up for Halloween. The contents of that hutch are going to be completely changed out once I decide what color themes I am going to go with. Also, I think that wall will be a family photo wall. BTW, did I mention that I have a new friend here who has a degree in design and used to design for IKEA? She is going to help me with decorating the house and finding the right color scheme!

This is the beautiful screened in veranda that is just to the left of the dining area. This was definitely a bonus when we were looking for a place! We can sit outside and enjoy the weather without the bugs. Of course, right now we would have to sit on the wood floor, so that is another area that I need to furnish. I am looking forward to doing some serious bargain shopping and finding just what I am looking for to make this "HOME". Time to break out the sewing machine and save some money in the process!!

Still sorting photos...

2009-09-18T11:06:00.002-05:00

No picture for this one-just an update. I finished gathering all of the photos and sorting them into decades yesterday afternoon. I was watching the season premiere of Bones and started thinking that there just weren't as many as I thought of the portraits taken at studios and school. As soon as Bones was over I looked into the two huge tubs with the boys' school papers, certificates, ribbons, etc. and there they were-about 200-300 more photos to sort! Well, that is all done and I am now in the phase of taking a decade and putting it in order by year. I am all the way up to the 90's-which is a shoebox stacked completely full and leaning onto something about 12 inches high to keep it from falling over and then some on the floor, too. It seems like a lot, but not as much as the 2000's! That is TWO plastic bins completely full! It will be so worth it when it is done, though ;o)

Photo Freedom!!

2009-09-17T11:18:00.003-05:00

Last year for my birthday Geno bought me the book "Photo Freedom" by Stacy Julian.

(Ok, I bought the book and told Geno that it was his gift to me for my birthday!)

As all of my fellow scrapbooking friends know, I have organized my scrapbook stuff SO MANY times over the last few years, that I feel like I am an expert on how to organize and be able to find the right papers, ribbons, buttons, stickers, etc.

BUT...

I seem to keep placing orders for photos when there is a sale at scrapbookpictures.com and then finding out that I have already ordered the pictures from a certain event when I finally get around to making a layout! This seems to be the case mostly with Noodlebug (because he is so darn cute!) but it is such a waste of money if I'm going to end up eventually tossing it.

SO...

Here is my latest project:

The first step in the book is to gather ALL of the photos you have ANYWHERE IN THE HOUSE and bring them to one central location where you will move on to the next 5 steps and finally have all of your photos organized. Since I am one of those people who can't really focus on a project until everything is organized, I figured that I really better get this done so that I can get back to my true love-making scrapbook pages.

Of course, I will have to do some more organizing later when I finally get my MacBook Pro and have iPhoto to organize all of my digital images in, but that is one project I will gladly take on. Well, that and scanning all of my negatives to have them saved as digital images when I get my new negative/slide digital converter. I have these things on my Christmas list, so I'll keep my fingers crossed ;o)

Cadet Miller

2009-09-01T10:38:00.004-05:00

I know! I know! It has been a while since I have posted. Well, I am supposed to be studying right now-which means that I will find anything else to do ;o) I didn't want to wait too long to post this, though.

Meet Cadet Mark Miller

Doesn't he look sharp? Mark joined the JROTC here in Alabama and he is excelling! His grades are way better than they were last year and he is really enjoying the program. His goal right now is to go to basic training between his Junior and Senior years and then go right into the military after he graduates. We took him to see the housing at Maxwell AFB last week and see the difference in the officer and enlisted housing. He said maybe college would be a good idea. I think that eventually he will go, but maybe after some time in the military first! He has never really been all that interested in school, so maybe after a few years out in the real world.

I couldn't end this post without telling what he did this past week. Mark has always had a big heart and been a very giving and caring person. We have been trying to give him more responsibility and increased his allowance along with what he now has to pay for. He has been pretty good about saving it up and I asked him how much he had left. He said that he hadn't spent any of the money except $10 for a shirt for one of the kids in his JROTC class. This boy's mother is in the hospital and Mark said that he has never mentioned a father, so he isn't sure if he lives with them or not. Mark didn't want the boy to fail because he couldn't afford the t-shirt they have to wear every Thursday. Money well spent :o)

What'll ya have? What'll ya have?

2009-07-23T09:02:00.006-05:00

Ok, so I know that I have been MIA as far as blogging is concerned. Moving is crazy and I guess I just really wasn't up for the challenge this time. We were in 7 different states in the five days after we left Arkansas! I have lots of stories, but I will start out with a fresh one.

Geno finally got back from Germany on Friday, July 17. I picked him up at the airport in Atlanta, so I was able to make a quick run through IKEA with the extra time I had. I rushed to the airport so I would be there when he got off the plane, but didn't realize that customs would be an additional 2 hours of waiting on my part!

Of course, we are in the South and there is always some sort of entertainment to be found! When Geno told me that it would be a while, I managed to find a seat in the waiting area. I quickly realized why the previous occupant had abandoned the seat. In front of me was a group of 10-15 people who were apparently camped out there to stalk the WWE wrestlers who were arriving for a match that night. They were carrying WWE backpacks of WWE magazines, action figures, posters, trading cards, shirts...you name it-they had it! I got a perfect shot of the butt crack of the guy in charge of handing out the memorabilia to be signed every time one person would come running back to announce who they spotted in the crowd. They were so shameless as to announce whether the person was being rude about signing so that the children in the group would be sent for the autograph because "surely they won't be rude to a kid!" So, in an attempt to keep myself entertained, too, I started texting Missie about the events. We went back and forth a little bit and then I saw it! It was completely, undeniably staring me in the face. One of the guys doing the chasing (in fact, the one whose butt crack had become my regular view) had a big "Y" on his shirt. Now, most of you reading my blog already know where this is going. Certainly, it had to mean something else! When I got a side view of the sleeve instead of the back, it was totally confirmed. He was wearing a BYU t-shirt. This was a group of Mormons chasing the WWE wrestlers! Great. As if we don't already get a bad enough rap!

Geno and I decided to stay in Atlanta overnight and spend some time together since we hadn't seen each other in two weeks. On Saturday, we ate at The Varsity. Now, if you haven't been there or managed to catch them on the Food Network or Travel channel, this place is amazing! They have something like 24 registers lined up across the front and they are always packed:

Even though we were pretty far back in the line, it moved very quickly and we were sitting down in less than 10 minutes with our yummy chili dogs, chili burgers, fries, rings, and yummy apple and peach pies. Even if this isn't your kind of food, you have to go just for the atmosphere! Oh, and the trademark service of the cashiers is that they are yelling out, "What'll ya have? What'll ya have?"

Graduation

2009-05-26T19:54:00.004-05:00

Derrick graduated Saturday morning! He completed all requirements for his STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Architecture, and Math) Learning Center, so he earned the red cord. He also was inducted into the National Technical Honor Society, but he wasn't allowed to wear the white tassel that came with that. We are so proud of him! He is off to the University of Arkansas this fall where he was one of ten freshmen accepted into the architecture program! It was quite an accomplishment for him considering his family:

Gotta love my sister! I think I could do an entire album of the goofy pictures she takes of me whenever we are together!!

you gotta have friends!

2009-05-17T11:38:00.003-05:00

Yesterday was quite possibly my last crop at SSD with my friends. I may be able to squeeze one more out of my time here since we are sending Geno on down to Alabama with a trailer and all of the things that he will need to get along for the summer in a small apartment. Mark and I will not be too far behind, I'm sure, but maybe long enough to get in one more crop ;o)

It was already starting off badly when Missie gave me a hug and Sarah almost began a hormone-induced sob! I can totally relate to her emotions lately-but at least she doesn't have a child that she will keep forgetting to pick up from activities! Poor Christopher. When I was doing the hormone shots as we were going through in vitro, I kept forgetting to pick him up from basketball and volleyball games. The principal said that if another member of the school staff had to wait with him again that he would get in-school susupension! I decided that he would be better off just not attending since I couldn't remember to pick him up. That is not one of my most proud parenting moments!

Back to last night...

The three of us have been going to SSD crops for the last few months and really enjoying them. When we were there last month, they had seen a layout about friends that they really wanted to purchase the kit. Missie bought me one last night! That is so awesome and my friends are just like that. I am really going to miss them. It will be a hard adjustment to being away from them since we have been so close for the last 6 years! At least I will have this layout to remember them by:

Geno's computer is packed for his trip, so no "enhance" button used on this one. The colors are so bright and we are going to have a photo shoot for the three of us in green, orange and pink. I am hoping to stretch out my stay long enough to be able to lose about 15 pounds before we do the session!!

Happy Mother's Day!

2009-05-10T16:27:00.004-05:00

I know that I won't always be able to have ALL of my children with me on Mother's Day, but it was nice to have 3 of the 4! Christopher did try to call me right after church, but I had put my phone on vibrate for the movie last night and didn't hear it when he called!

When I woke up this morning and went to get the milk for my raisin bran, I saw this in the fridge:

I had never gotten a corsage for Mother's Day, so I was very excited. It turned out to be two of the prettiest AND biggest roses ever, so it kept pulling my shirt down! Nancy finally fixed it for me at church so I could at least enjoy it for the day.

On Friday, these came in the mail:

The calligraphy one is from Geno and the Storybook one is from Christopher and his family. Brian is going to order me one, too. I just have to pick out which one. I have discovered www.cricutmachine.com. It has sales on cartridges all the time and you can get some of them for as little as $30 each! Now my collection looks like this:
Both Derrick and Mark were very thoughtful in their gifts, too. Derrick got me the corsage, a Make-A-Wish cookie from Zaxby's (where he works) and a new can opener since I am always getting mad at the old one we have! Mark got me a Sonic gift card. I come from a family of enablers! They certainly help to support my addiction to Sonic Rt. 44 Diet Cokes ;o)
We are topping off the day with Hawaiian Haystacks and Strawberry Shortcake.

Both Geno and I were able to talk to our mothers. I had mentioned before about my Uncle Jimmie. Mom has been down in Florida taking care of him. When I called, she was crying and asked for a minute to compose herself. We had talked yesterday and she told me that Jimmie had fallen and broken his nose. With his platelets so low, they couldn't stop the bleeding, so he had to go to the emergency room. They were giving him blood to try to help, but his nose is packed and he is having trouble breathing. She knew that it was a possibility that he could have a heart attack since his heart is working overtime to pump the oxygen through the blood. His heart was beating really fast and the medical staff was tending to him. After we talked a bit, I heard her ask if he was ok and she then said, Oh no!, started crying again and then said she needed to go. I know that his quality of life is really bad right now and that it would be a relief for him, but my heart goes out to my mom. Happy Mother's Day, Mom.

Dinner at Dave's

2009-05-10T10:50:00.004-05:00

I think that look totally says it all! We went out to Famous Dave's with Brian and Desarae last night before Geno and I went to see Star Trek. I couldn't resist ordering this dinner that comes on a garbage can lid! Too funny.

Answers to Prayers

2009-04-30T00:15:00.003-05:00

We got a call from Christopher tonight. He was on his way home from work and wanted me to put the phone on speaker so that he could tell Geno and I his latest news at the same time.

We will most likely be getting to spend more time with Noodlebug!!

No, he isn't coming to live with us again. As much as I would love that to happen, I feel like there are some things that Geno and I need to focus on without a little one in the house. However, Christopher just applied for Special Forces. He is about to begin a 9 week training period to prepare himself for the 21 day intensive period where they decide if you make it or not!

(I did tell Geno that I'm not that thrilled with knowing some of the things that Christopher will have to endure in order to be accepted into this elite group, but Geno assured me that there are thousands who have made it and they are all taken care of well.)

If he is accepted, they will move to Fort Bragg, North Carolina in September!! Now, I know that isn't the same as living in the same city with us, but remember that we, too, are moving more west and he will at least be where it won't take an expensive airplane ride to see him! Not only that, but once they finish all of their training the Army tries to station them near family for support and one of the choices is Fort Benning, Georgia. That is closer to our new home than a trip from here to Branson!! Heavenly Father is listening to us and answering our prayers.

Now, if He could just help us to sell this house and get moved so that we can take a trip to Hawaii while they are still out there ;o)

"i" LOVE

2009-04-28T09:00:00.000-05:00

Where has this "i" been all my life? I have heard about the iPhone (which causes Geno to steer quickly into any Apple store and for which he is patiently waiting for the one his work has promised will be coming). I have heard about an iPod and iTunes that you need to fill up your iPod with music and movies. I had not yet developed this "i" love until recently.

My Uncle Jimmie has been battling Leukemia for several years and is making some final plans now. My mom called to see if Geno and I could make a memorial DVD for his funeral service. Of course, we would be honored to do that! I was so happy that I had agreed to do it when the package of pictures arrived and there were several that were from my mother's childhood that I had never seen before. Now they are safely scanned in and saved on my computer.

For anyone who knows Geno, you know that he does not do anything halfway-except home improvement projects (and I am there to encourage (threaten) him to take the time to do it the right way)! So, after Mark scanned all of the photos and I had them divided out into the order that I wanted them to appear on the DVD, I sat down with Geno to get started. And so begins my "i" love! Geno never does anything with photos-except save the best ones I take of Zachary as his screen saver-so he really hadn't done anything with iPhoto on his Macbook Pro that is his work laptop. When he opened this program and started to play with the editing tools, I was in awe. "Enhance" is my favorite button in the whole world right now! I am hooked! Just by pushing that one button, the pictures were transformed into professional quality looks. Geno was able to repair tears and folds in old photos and it was amazingly easy! So, I was intrigued. I decided that Prom pictures were the place to start and I had a bunch of them to work with. I am always so amazed at the quality of photos others take, but now I have their secret! It is "i"! I am going to have "i" as soon as we sell this house and get settled in Alabama. Geno agrees that I need "i". It even loads the photos and lists them according to what date they were taken, so I wouldn't have to sit and wonder when anymore! I love "i"!!!

Derrick's Senior Prom

2009-04-27T09:00:00.000-05:00

Of course, you must arrive in style:

And you must have two dates instead of one:

Aren't they beautiful girls? They were both really sweet, too-even though I am partial to Celeste!

Who doesn't love those curls and sweet smile? And she makes the best cookies I have ever eaten! And she isn't into dating because she is too focused on college-I LOVE HER!!!

Our good friend, Nancy Davis, made the beautiful wrist corsages.

I am going to miss the ritual before Prom trip to Bogle Park for pictures. It is so crowded there, but it is so fun to see all of the beautiful dresses and all of the guys in their tuxes! It is probably good that I won't be here next year, because I decided that I need to go with some glue dots and help some of those girls out with keeping their dresses up ;o)

Race for the Cure

2009-04-26T21:13:00.004-05:00

One of my Project 101 goals was to walk in a Race for the Cure. My friend, Sarah, decided that she was going to walk and asked if I would like to join her. I signed up and then Geno decided that he would like to walk, too. Apparently, there are several men who participate:

I thought their team name was too funny not to take a picture!

However, they weren't nearly as funny as the Brides for the Cure. I saw several ladies with veils and wondered what that was about. I had no idea that I would see a man in a veil...and a dress!!

There were several different teams and it was fun to read their shirts. This was one of my favorites:

However, my most favorite moment of the entire walk was when we were about 2/3 of the way done and we came upon this elderly gentleman who looked to be about 80 years old. He was moving along-slowly but steadily wearing a sign on his back that read: "In Memory of my wife who lost her life to cancer."

I felt very strongly about participating, and now I know why!

I am so glad that Sarah is my friend and that she invited me to walk with her!

It was fun to share the morning with Geno and Mark, too-even though Mark decided to run and finished in less than half of the time that we did!!

Hey! What is the deal with those matching haircuts?

"Cars" for Zach's Room

2009-04-05T20:24:00.002-05:00

Ok, so here they are:

Zachary is returning to Hawaii with Christopher and Elizabeth on Tuesday morning and they have set up his new room in "Cars". I wanted to help them out with some things for the walls, so I bought the "Cars" Cricut cartridge and went to work. Mater and Lightening McQueen were made from SEVERAL pieces that are cut out for you and then you put them together like a puzzle. I broke out the chalks and made Mater look rusted and added some detailing to each character. In the end, I was pretty pleased with how they turned out! I also had a "G" cut out for his middle name is to be changed to "Gene" after his Papa, but they aren't sure when they will be able to afford the legal fees for that so I will send the "G" in celebration of that happening!

"Find Joy in the Journey"

2009-03-29T20:51:00.003-05:00

I got to spend 14 hours with my two good friends yesterday at SSD just scrapping and chatting. It is always so much fun to spend time with them and work on my hobby that I enjoy so much. For Christmas this past year, I wanted to do something for everyone in our families that focused on our General Conference messages from last October-even though Geno and I are the only members in our families. Since President Monson has been my favorite speaker since I joined the church (25 years ago next month!) I always read his talks over and over again. I felt inspired to do something based on his "Finding Joy in the Journey" talk. I sent envelopes to everyone asking for pictures and ended up only getting them back from the one brother whose children are already grown, so I put "memories" in the middle of his photos. I hadn't completed the one for Christopher and Elizabeth yet, but since they are here to pick up Zachary and take him back home, I thought I had better get this done and send it home with them. I love how this turned out!!!

This is an awesome Super Saturday project. It costs about $8 total and takes 20-30 minutes to complete.

The Laundry Room

2009-03-21T10:10:00.002-05:00

Here it is:

I still have to do the ceiling and the door, but it is such a small room that it won't take too long! I thought that I would be done Wednesday, but I forgot that things don't usually go as planned when you have a two year-old helping you ;o) Thanks, Melanie, for the paint. It looks great!

Don't you love the rub-on? I think that it totally adds to the room. Now, should I put some flowers in that white vase for showing, put a basket there, just leave it all empty, or something else? I am waiting for some great advice on this one, so all of you HGTV watchers out there-help me out!!

(By the way, the bathroom is pretty much done, too! We bought all new door hardware, so we are putting that on the doors and hanging them back up today. Brian hates the 1/2 white/ 1/2 blue wall, but I think that it helps to brighten up the room. I also found the perfect shower curtain for this room! Pictures to follow later today!!)

By Small Things...

2009-03-18T14:00:00.000-05:00

So this is where we are in the process:

The laundry room is getting a coat of green! It is funny to walk by it now, because it has been that same pinkish color that was all over the house since we moved in! It is growing on me quickly, though. I will have Geno move out the washer and dryer today and I am certain that I can have this done-trim and all by tonight. When we were staging the house last year and I had some ladies over to help me out, Emily suggested a darker color to make the cabinets "pop". She was right! I didn't even notice that until I took this photo. I am going to add a vinyl rub-on to that back wall when this all done and then I will take another picture of the finished product.

This is the downstairs bathroom (otherwise known as the boys' bathroom!). We had removed the ballerina wallpaper and painted it blue several years ago. We did not, however, understand the whole remodeling process since this was our first home! The wallpaper was put on the drywall, so we needed to texture the wall before painting. The white on this long wall is the primer over the texture. After a long talk with Meg about the trouble with beadboard, we are skipping the beadboard and painting the bottom 4 feet of that long wall white and putting trim up to "split" the blue top and white bottom. The other white spots are more primer over texture where I wanted to just touch up and make it look nice. I think that I can actually have this done by tonight, too!!
I enjoy doing home improvement projects, but they are certainly not on the top of Geno's "Things I Love To Do" list! I love how I feel in the rooms when it is all done. These projects used to be a lot of arguing, but now I just do as much work as possible and Geno just keeps asking, "What do you want me to do next?" That works out well for us ;o) Also, not having him paint is a good thing!!

Hello Friend!

2009-03-18T09:01:00.002-05:00

I just had to swing by Old Navy yesterday to pick up a St. Patrick's Day shirt for Noodle. I know it is crazy to spend $5 for a shirt to wear just that day, but he didn't have even one green shirt to wear yesterday. I didn't want my sweet little guy to get pinched!

It turned out to be a way better trip that I thought! Right in the front of the store were these manequins-just like the talking ones from the commercial. Zach was instantly drawn to them:

He was especially fond of this little girl:
He kept taking her hand and trying to get her to come and play with him. At first I was so caught up in trying to find him a shirt that I didn't even realize what was going on. Then I saw him talking to the little girl and realized that we have seen this commercial several times over the last couple of weeks. Too cute!!

It is patiently waiting for me...

2009-03-17T10:43:00.003-05:00

It came today!

I am finally the proud owner of my very own wheat grinder! I can't tell you how excited I am that I have actually been using some of the 850 pounds of wheat Geno and I stored about 8 years ago. I have been making pancakes and other goodies, but now it is time to make my own bread. I have a Kitchen Aid that I use for mixing, but it seems to get over-heated when I make a larger batch, so I need to find a recipe that works well for me and my family. I am even more excited about grinding up some popcorn kernels and making fresh ground cornmeal. We love cornbread in this house, so I know it will be a big hit! Now, I don't have to bother Nancy every time I want to grind wheat!!

BUT...

I have to wait until I have the house ready to start showing this week! That means that I can't open it until I have the laundry room painted, the boys' bathroom painted and one last good clean all through the house.

Sorry, Missie! That means that you won't be getting any homemade bread just yet!!

I have to tell you about my friends, Missie and Sarah! This weekend they were telling me about reading Meg's blog about grinding wheat and making wheat bread. Sarah said that she was thinking "I want to grind some wheat and make my own bread." Missie said, "Not me! I was thinking-I want Meg to make me some wheat bread!" They are too funny ;o)

I am shameless!

2009-02-22T09:38:00.001-06:00

I very shamelessly post the following link:

http://www.kktv.com/home/headlines/40030932.html

Yes, my name used to be Shelly Miller ;o)

Last Week

2009-02-22T08:54:00.005-06:00

I am up and at'em this morning trying to get things done and thought that I had better post since I took a few important pictures this week! However, since I am behind with posting I am going to follow my friend, Missie, and post one for this past week and one for next week and call it "DONE"!

These were our Valentine treats. I made the small bags of goodies for Zachary to hand out. They had lip gloss, suckers, valentine brownies, pencils and a Krispy Kreme coupon. The boys are on a health kick, so they got a 4 pack of Myoplex drinks and a protein bar. Geno got 14 days of Valentines again and the book "Diners, Drive-ins, & Dives", I got these pretty flowers and 2 boxes of candy. The candy was sweet, but nevermind that I announced to Geno on the Friday morning before that I had lost another pound!

This is a sight that makes me REALLY HAPPY:
We have two roomy closets downstairs that are perfect for food storage. This one is under the stairs and has shelves. I use it for our individually purchased canned goods. I will be ecstatic when it is filled with a one year supply of food, but for now this is great. I spend about $20 per week on items to fill up this closet. The other closet doesn't have shelves, so it is full of #10 cans filled with items like flour, oats, wheat, sugar, pastas, popcorn, etc.

The most important thing that happened this week, though, is that I went from this:

To this:

Christopher called me Friday morning and he had returned from his tour in Iraq and was safely at home in Hawaii. I am proud of his service to our country and am very grateful that he is home safe. This does mean that our time with Zachary will soon be over, but I am glad that we had it.

Valentine Fun

2009-02-14T07:37:00.002-06:00

It has been a somber week here in Northwest Arkansas this week with all of the layoffs at the Wal-Mart Home Office. Apparently, there are about 700 more coming this next week and everyone is walking on pins and needles worrying about whether their job will be cut next. I am more and more grateful for Geno's job every day (every minute!) I know how these people are feeling right now, because we went through this same situation two years ago.

For Christmas this year, I decided that I wanted to do something with Missie and Sarah each month before I move. Last month we saw "Bride Wars" together. I probably wouldn't have gone to see it otherwise and it was such a good movie and good time-probably the company ;o) My gift for February was pedicures-complete with red polish so we would be ready for our Valentine dates with our husbands.

Here we are enjoying the massage chairs after having our legs and feet massaged!

Missie insisted that I needed hearts, too!
All three of us done. ( I am pretty sure that those ladies thought we were crazy when we took our shoes off to take this picture!)

Geno had come with me and just played around with Zachary in the toy aisle at Wal-Mart while I got my pedicure. We had planned to do lunch at Jason's Deli and grab a movie while Zach was at his Nana's, but we never did connect to get him over there. We decided that we would just go to Jason's Deli for dinner last night and then stick around the Bentonville/Bella Vista area today. We were hoping to see "New In Town" but it looks like we will just rent "Nights in Rodanthe" on PPV today and watch "New In Town" when it comes out on PPV! We don't like to leave our little guy with just anyone and that is how we were with our boys, too! Besides, look at that cute little face:

Looking at that again reminds me how much he looks like his dad!!

I have turned Zach into a total camera hog! He wouldn't even look at me when he first came to live with us. The following is from about 5 attempts to get a good photo and then I finally said enough!!

22 Days Late and $39.95 Short!

2009-01-22T08:25:00.000-06:00

Where have I been and how did I miss Becky Higgins' Project 365?

Well, I'm sure that I was busy with getting all of those late Christmas gifts sent, but I am so bummed that I missed this! I guess that I didn't actually miss it, but I didn't see it in time to start on January 1st. I can actually start on another date, but that would probably bother me that it was something other than January 1st. Plus, the kits were sold out pretty much right away, so I will be one of those people making my own kit. That doesn't even bother me as much as not starting on January 1st-especially since Becky is offering a free download of the journaling cards and a couple of other pieces. I guess that I will just have to bite the bullet and pick a date to start-SOON!

Enough rambling! For those of you who are just as much in the dark as I was-this kit is designed so that you take one picture each day for a year and journal about it. It all fits neatly into the 12x12 sheets that hold 6-4x6 photos each. I think that I will enjoy the option of changing it up a little and making it how I would like, but I am already bummed about missing out on the first 3 1/2 weeks of this year. I have some pictures, but not enough for every day. Deep breath. Move forward. Start now ;o)

Good Morning, Sunshine!

2009-01-21T07:57:00.002-06:00

Hello! How are you? Gonna wake up the sunshine and share a day with you!

Ok, I'll stop now! Do you remember that song from Captain Kangaroo? Remember before you answer that you will be showing your age!

I used to sing this song to the boys every morning as I would come into their rooms and open the curtains wide to let in the sun. They were all incredibly annoyed (and not just by my horrible off-key singing), but because they are not happy morning people like me.

I think that we are a species all unto ourselves, really. I mean, I am happier in the morning and I LOVE MORNINGS! I get so much more done in the morning with a happier attitude AND I don't have to pay for electricity to see. I have really been struggling with this for the last couple of years, since Geno is not a morning person. (Just a warning to anyone reading this!) Geno is also a very cuddly, sit by me, "stay with me while I do what I do" kind of person. I AM NOT. None of those things fit me actually! Opposites attract ;o) I have a very large personal zone. I don't really enjoy just sitting, because I am too busy worrying about what all I need to be doing. I would rather watch a movie while I scrapbook or cut something out or work on some project. I guess that explains why I miss so much in a movie or tv show and have to go back and watch it again while I am doing another project to see if I can catch the rest of it!!

Anyway, I had to make a decision for me. I am a morning person and I get way more done in the morning. If I stay up with Geno at night and then get up in the morning, too, I am exhausted. So...I decided that I have to be in bed no later than 11pm, and then I can get up at 6am. So far today, I have made breakfast for Derrick (Sorry, Mark! I was thinking that he was going to track and I didn't think he eats before that!); cooked up 10 pounds of hamburger to freeze for quick meals like tacos, sloppy joes, etc.; cut up a pork loin into pork chops and pork roasts for later meals; cleaned my mess in the kitchen; rotated laundry; and done 30 minutes of yoga! Zachary should be waking up soon and I will make him breakfast and get him ready for the day, so that I can continue to be productive. I am all about productive ;o)

I did make some New Year's Resolutions, I guess. I have had some goals that I want to work on, but I decided to break them down into monthly (and even weekly goals). This week, my goals are:
1. I can have a Rt. 44 Diet Coke from Sonic every other day. Otherwise I get water. This is my attempt at cutting out the caffiene!
2. Brush up on water storage info and start saving some. I have a few 2 liter bottles from soda washed out and ready to use. This all would have been handy last year when the water main broke in front of our house!
3. Put together a food storage inventory plan. I am tired of not knowing what I have OR what we use most. I spend $20/week on food storage, but I need to know what I actually do have.
4. Do yoga 3 times this week. I know that it is a slow start, but I will increase over the next few weeks.
5. Work on having more meaning personal prayer.
6. No eating out! Well, this was broken on Monday when we stopped at McD's for lunch, but that is it so far. I have meals planned and we are doing great so far!!
7. Brush my teeth morning and night. I am great with morning, but I am horrible about just dropping into bed at night without doing it.
8. Complete one unit of Penn Foster. I am currently taking online classes for medical transcription. I feel the need to contribute to our family income and help us out of the debt that we incurred during the jobless situation. My progress was slowed quite a bit by having Zachary and I don't think that I will be able to work full-time for quite a while, but I still want to get it done!!

UFO Sighting

2009-01-12T21:39:00.003-06:00

I was in my bedroom putting away some laundry last week when Geno yells for me to come outside quickly. Since I can tell the difference between his "total panic" voice and "come see this cool thing" voice, I wasn't moving as quickly as he wanted.
"Hurry up!" he says as I open the front door and see that he is headed out to the road. My heart starts to beat harder as I think that maybe our next door neighbor's dog has finally been hit by the garbage truck or UPS truck that it chases constantly. Even worse, our cat is out there!
He turns around to look over the house and, once again, tells me to hurry! run!
"See that thing above the tree line!"
"I don't see anything." I say this incredibly calmly now that I know it isn't a hurt animal.
"There above the house! Move over here!" He is so excited that he is moving almost like he has to pee.
"Look at how it is falling so quickly and catching the glare of the sun!"
Now, for the record, I should state that Geno used to be an orbital analyst in Cheyenne Mountain. You know the place-where Matthew Broderick was taken to in War Games because he accepted the computers challenge to a game of Global Thermonuclear War. Geno was amazing at this job as he is with pretty much any job he has. He tracked thousands of pieces of space debris and watched to make sure that if they were going to survive re-entry that the rest of the world didn't mistake them for a missile and start a war. He has all kinds of "space" knowledge and is always aware when you will be able to view the space station because its orbit will reflect the sun (which would explain his being so excited about the shiny object.)
"It is a balloon."
"That is too big for a balloon and look how it reflects the sun!"
"It is one of those shiny balloons." Ok, so I couldn't find the word "mylar" anywhere in my vocabulary! I won't forget it again.
"Hey! Don't we have some binoculars?"
"Yes" I reply as if I can't believe that he actually still thinks he needs them.
"Go get them! I will stay out here and keep an eye on it."
I start to walk toward the house and he yells, "RUN!" Like I am going to run! I did jog, though, and I must say that my surgery was successful!! I get them from behind the closet door and head outside-not hurrying by any means. Geno meets me half way across the yard and grabs them. He runs back out to the road as I return to the house to finish folding that laundry.
A minute later, I am walking through the living room to put something away in the laundry room as Geno opens the door.
"Ok, it is a kids balloon." He was so incredibly let down that you would have thought he was 5 and that was his lost balloon floating around up there.
"What? Did you look through the binoculars and see Scooby Doo looking back at you?" You know that I couldn't help but make fun of him at this point!
"No. It was yellow and purple. I think it was a Dora balloon."
So, I wanted to make sure to warn all of you that there has been a Dora sighting ;o)

It comes in "Three's"

2009-01-10T09:31:00.002-06:00

Yes, we are here. I got harassed from my bestest friends for "holding out on them" when they got my Christmas letter and found out things that way! Wow! I have really been out of touch!

As for my title...

I had always heard that bad things come in "three's", but we have been having such a tough two years that I hadn't really noticed the sets of "three's" because they must have just been running all together! Now that things are finally slowing down (yeah right!) I did see one set!

Monday, December 22, 2008- Our furnace had been doing some strange things over the weekend and Geno tried to mess with it. What eventually started to happen was that the upstairs heater fan would not turn off and would not heat, either. We eventually had COLD air blowing through all of the vents upstairs. It would be $125/hour for the guy to come out on Sunday to look at it, so we just closed the vents and made good use of all of those blankets I have collected so we could wait until Monday and pay only $75/hour. Well, Jim from Jim's Old-Fashioned Service came out and disconnected the heater completely. The great news-we needed to replace the 5 burners and it MIGHT fix it. That was $200+ dollars that Geno spent ordering the parts. He decided to order them himself to get a better deal. Well, he paid for 5 of them and we were so excited when the box came yesterday UNTIL he opened it and there was only ONE!! He called the place immediately and they are overnighting the other four, but Geno won't be here this week, so we have to wait until Friday to have them installed. I just don't feel comfortable with that stuff when he isn't here. Please send good vibes our way, because if it doesn't work...$1200+ for the part that we will have to replace!!

Tuesday, December 23, 2008- We go to the dentist for some fillings, getting a tooth pulled and Derrick needed some skin cut out from the top of his wisdom teeth. So, the boys are ready to kill me anyway for making an appointment at 8am when there is no school, but it is always so hard to find times when they can both go that works around the classes that they are willing to miss. We are sitting in the lobby and they call Derrick back. In the meantime, Mark is doing everything possible to focus on his MP3 player and not look at the girl from his class who is apparently annoying so he didn't want to make eye contact and then have to talk to her! The lady brings out the paperwork for me to sign giving them permission to do the work. I sign Derrick's as I look at the hilighted part that shows what they are doing and how much each thing is. I think nothing of it, really, as they have pretty good insurance and my part has always been fairly reasonable. I thought that maybe $200 would be the bill-which is still not what I want to spend right before Christmas. Then she hands me Mark's permission slip to sign and as she is taking it away I notice the "patient contribution" part written in. I stopped her and asked if I could look at both of those again! It went something like this:
"Is this how much it is going to cost?"
"Yes."
"You mean that this is my portion? This is what I have to pay?"
"Yes."
"I don't have that kind of money today!"
I could finish, but you get the jist! I have no heat and they wanted me to pay $710 for teeth! I guess that it boiled down to they only do white fillings and the insurance doesn't cover that, so $90 per filling and $309 for Derrick's skin removal (which they couldn't find where that was covered and so they were just charging me the full amount and I could have a credit if it was covered. NOT!) Do you know how long it takes to actually get a refund from them!

Anyway, I felt like a horrible mom walking away without getting the work done on their teeth, but I just didn't have the money that day. I'm not sure what kind of clients they usually have who can just drop $710 without even thinking about it-the day before Christmas Eve, but maybe this place is a little too uppity for me!

Wednesday, December 24, 2008 (yes, Christmas Eve!)- I had been talking to my ex-sister-in-law the day before and she told me that it comes in three's. I asked if maybe we could just take everything that was going on and lump that into #3. Apparently not! I drop Mark at wrestling practice and head home to work on some things. I get a call about 15 minutes after I get home and it is his cousin, Riley. "Hey, Aunt Shelly. Do you think that you can come and get Mark? He hurt his arm and he is really in pain!" I pick him up and we head to the doctor to find out that he has broken it. The same arm that he broke several years ago on Christmas Day. Mark will be encouraged for the next few years to do non-active things over the holidays like play video games and watch tv!

So that was three days of our holiday vacation. Overall it was a pretty great vacation, though. By the way, is it ok to have pink for our blog color since it is a joint blog?

Tagged!

2008-12-03T08:30:00.000-06:00

We are here and we are alive-BARELY! Well, at least last week that was the case for me. Not that I'm complaining. Those hospitals are awesome about giving you some great drugs when you have surgery and I wouldn't complain about a very small dose of that anesthetic each night to make me sleep like a baby. That stuff is amazing! "You will feel a little burning sensation and this stuff works really quick," says the man with the goods. I watched him inject it and that was all she wrote. The next thing I remember was waking up wanting "My Geno" and wanting to go home. Well, I was also upset that I thought I needed to go to the restroom, but that was compliments of the catheter that I had to wear home for one day that was being held in with an INFLATED BALLOON! What?! Good drugs...Good drugs...Good drugs

I don't have the energy to come up with a complete post this morning, so I will use one that I started over a month ago when I was tagged. I have so many quirks that I could do this forever!!

1. I LOVE COFFEE! I don't drink it anymore, but I still love it. I find myself following my best friend around and sniffing her coffee when I am visiting her. I slow down at the malls when I pass Gloria Jeans Coffee or when I am at Barnes & Noble with a Starbucks. I order my Godiva Hot Chocolate and snort every last lucisous bit of coffee in the air. I know! Not what you expected to hear from a Mormon, but I do keep the Word of Wisdom and I don't partake. I just have myself convinced that if I make it to the Celestial Kingdom that the coffee won't be bad for me there and I will be rewarded for my faith with a refrigerator full of yummy Carnation Chocolate Raspberry, Hazelnut, and French Vanilla creamers waiting for me as I wake up to the smell of coffee already waiting for me in my automatic coffee maker! (Not to mention working kidneys that didn't wear out due to my caffiene over-consumption!) I used to drink at least a pot a day. I was once in Anthropology trying to take notes when I realized that my hand was shaking so badly that I couldn't even write. I suddenly remembered that I had already had an entire pot of coffee before class and nothing to eat.

2. I HATE FEET! Let me clarify...I hate feet once they change from those cute little chubby feet that look more like toes on a pickle. I kiss and tickle Noodle's feet, but I'm sure that will soon be over. I can't stand to touch adult feet. Not to rub them. Not to put lotion on them. Not to tickle them. I don't even have a good explanation for it. I just don't like them!

3. I PROCRASTINATE, but not because I am lazy and don't want to do it. I procrastinate because I get overwhelmed and look at things like they are this huge project just waiting to take over my life and hanging over my head to consume me with guilt. About 99% of the time when I finally do finish the project I realize that I spent about 3 times as much time worrying about the project as it actually took me to complete it. Not only that, but I feel so much better about having the project done that I tell myself how crazy it was to stress over it and I won't get overwhelmed next time...but I do...EVERY TIME!!

4. I LOVE PROGRAMS WHERE THE LADY IS THE HERO! I love to watch Gilmore Girls, The Closer, and Bones, because the leading female character is the smartest one and always solves the case or is independent and can make it on her own. I guess that comes from having been divorced and struggling to make it on my own. Every woman should be prepared to take care of herself and possibly a family, because you just never know. Hmmm...where have I heard that before? Not only that, but I am the kind of person who can be on my game some days and then miss a few. The ones that I do miss I think about what I should have said a few days later and it just drives me nuts! This is why I sometimes write letters or emails or especially my motions to the court and leave them on my computer for a few days until I can tweek them to where they say just the right thing ;o)

5. I HATE NOT WEARING SHOES! This was a hard one for me when I was in Hawaii and I was only there for two days! It is rude to wear your shoes into a home there. I am always the first one to break the rule of not wearing your shoes on the freshly shampooed carpets. We pay good money to get them cleaned and say that no one is allowed to wear their shoes in the house to keep it that clean. I break the rule first-ALWAYS! I just can't stand for anything to stick to my feet-especially when I am walking around the house. The boys used to ask me where I was going when I would get dressed in the morning and put my shoes on, too. FLYLady backs me up-dressed to the shoes, baby!

6. I HAVE TWO DIFFERENT EARS. I know...now you aren't going to be able to avoid looking. It is like when someone mentions the lady with the huge rack and you do everything possible not to look at it. Trying to NOT look makes you look more ridiculous than if you just looked and got over the embarassment right away-you know! Anyway, they are different. One is closed at the top and the other one is open and rounded. Now, when I was about to have Brian, someone mentioned to me that most babies are born with their ears closed like that from pushing through such a small space. This nice person had me convinced that my mother didn't love me because she didn't take the time to roll my ears after I was born and before it was permanently folded that way. I was fanatical about making sure that my boys had two matching ears. After they were all cleaned up and they would bring them to me, I would sit in the bed with my sweet little guy laying on my lap and talk to him while I rolled the top of his ears in my fingers. Wow! That second part of the story in itself is enough to be another number!

Ok, that is all of the ammunition I am giving you on me for now! I hope all is well in your homes and that you had a very blessed Thanksgiving. You will be hearing from us again very soon!!

Cookies for my friends!

2008-10-21T11:00:00.002-05:00

I found this cute little idea at http://www.organizedchristmas.com/!

I decided to get into the holiday spirit using the pumpkin recipes some of my friends posted on another site-Sister Share. We had pumpkin pancakes for breakfast and then I made these pumpkin white chocolate macadamia cookies for my friends. This is the poem attached:

While baking you some cookies,there was knocking at the door.

As I jumped up to answer it, the pan fell to the floor.
I stood among the cookie crumbs and wondered what to do.

The day was late, the time was short, I had no gift for you.

I bent and swept the cookies up into a small dustpan.

A friend like you, I told myself, would surely understand.

The gifts that matter most in life are those the heart does send.

With that in mind, I give to you these cookies from a friend.

(Now, don't panic, Meg! I bought these dustpans and washed them with antibacterial dish soap before adding the cookies! And they never touched the floor!) I hope that I have delivered all of them by the time this posts. Have a great day, Meg, Missie, Sarah, and Rachelle!!!

HOME!

2008-10-07T10:02:00.003-05:00

The way Noodle says this word has given it a whole new meaning for me. I have pretty much always been very comfortable being home and having a set routine. Geno is the one who wants to go places all the time. I always have little projects that I am working on, so I have plenty to keep my busy. It is important to venture out every once in a while, too, I have learned since being married to him. We have been gone quite a bit lately since we are traveling together for his work. I play all day while he goes to class and then I pick him up and we play together for another few hours. We have been to Chicago and Baltimore/DC area for three weeks. We are headed to several more classes over the next year and I am very excited about that.

Our last trip was to the Baltimore/DC area for two weeks. I have decided that I don't like being away from home for more than one week at a time. At the beginning of this trip, though, I got a call that I needed to go to Hawaii to get my grandson. How this has changed our lifestyle, but it is too much fun having him here and I am already sad for when he does go back to Hawaii! When we did finally pull up to our house from our long trip, though, Noodle must have remembered and he he said, "HOOOME!" He draws out the word and says it with a sense of relief as in "There's no place like..."

Since Missie keeps telling me that she is tired of looking at my blog and seeing that same picture of Geno and Mark (who, by the way is back living with us-another blog!), I thought that I had better at least grab one and post it. This is a favorite of mine. Geno dropped Noodle and me off at the metro before he went to class and we rode it into DC. We went first to the Museum of Natural History and spent a couple of hours looking at animals, etc. Since we had the entire day to see the sights, we just started walking toward the Washington Monument toward the Lincoln Memorial. He fell asleep as we were passing the Washington Monument and his little head kept bobbing forward in the umbrella stroller. I found a nice little spot by the reflecting pool and pulled over to let him have a good nap. He scrunched right up into my most favorite position that babies sleep in with his little bum up in the air! That is the World War II Memorial right behind him.

Summer Vacation is Over

2008-08-19T08:00:00.000-05:00

This was the first time we had seen Mark since we took him out for summer visitation in June of 2007. It was fun to get to visit with him for a few weeks. At one point he had decided that he wanted to stay here with us because he had realized that our idea of family shows in our actions and isn't just a bunch of talk, but he didn't want to have to move to Alabama and we couldn't promise him that he wouldn't have to. (I guess that is a post that I started and didn't completely finish. I will make sure to explain that in a post this week!) I'm sure that there were other factors in his decision-he would have to get rid of the earrings and we don't allow our kids to have a cell phone until they can drive. That is only for our peace of mind and we don't add any texting or extras to that. Both Brian and Christopher managed to reinforce that for us by totaling a car and having to call us!! Anyway, he decided that he would go back, so he needed to get there for football practice beginning Monday, August 11th.

One thing is for certain-our food bill is going to decrease tremendously! I can't believe how much that boy eats! I made 32 jars of strawberry jelly this summer and he blew through 5 of them in a month. At least I think that it was just 5. Geno looked in the freezer the other day and said that he thought it was more. Shane thought that we should have checked Mark's luggage before he left, but sadly for Mark he would have arrived in Colorado Springs with strawberry syrup since it was freezer jam!

We took our time on the way back from Oklahoma City. I had originally planned for Mark to leave from Oklahoma City so that we would take the time to attend the LDS Temple there. Had I actually checked the website, I would have known that they were closed for cleaning that weekend! So, we just took Mark to the airport and went back to the hotel to sleep a little longer. We got up and showered and then visited scrapbook stores, malls, and other places on the way home. I was ready to just get back home, but Geno kept wanting to stop at more and more places. I knew that he had really wanted Mark to decide to stay and it seemed that he was avoiding going home without him.

Last First Day of School

2008-08-18T14:36:00.004-05:00

Well, it was a sad moment. I mean, isn't this the day that every parent looks forward to ALL SUMMER-or at least about 4 weeks into summer vacation-and today marked my last one. I told Geno last night that it was Derrick's last first day of school so I would actually get up and make him breakfast today.

When Derrick came upstairs after brushing his teeth and announced that this was his "last first day to put this thing on" (his backpack) I thought that was funny. I hadn't said that in front of him the night before. Of course, great minds think alike! I did point out that he will need his backpack for college, too, since he will have a lot of books, but he said it didn't count. That is higher education and isn't legally required.

The difference this year is that Derrick now owns his very own set of wheels. He paid for them in full last week from the money he earned this summer working for Aquacrete. This year he will be driving to school in style-on his 2008 scooter. Look out, Girls! I mean, who wouldn't want to ride on the back of that awesome bike? And if the bike alone doesn't attract them, maybe the guy with the financial sense to purchase transportation that costs $3.73 to fill up and will last for almost a week will do it ;o)

Have a great day at school, Derrick! I know that this is going to be a tough one. Derrick is taking all honors and AP courses this year and he HAS to get all A's to reach his goal of graduating with honors. I know that he can do it!

By the way, did anyone else notice that graduation is on a Sunday this year?

I've got the bestest friends!

2008-08-07T23:12:00.004-05:00

So, tonight was the first night of our new book club. Several ladies had mentioned that they read "The Host" by Stephenie Meyer and wanted to discuss it. I have been wanting to join a book club, but just haven't found one. I decided to just start my own. I made these adorable invitations on library cards tucked into library pockets. I didn't even keep one to take a picture, but trust me-they were cute! Well, none of the ladies who wanted to discuss the book even showed up! Alannah gets a free pass because her husband has that horrible bug that is going around and Emily gets way more than a free pass for her current situation and Meg is still out of town. I was thrilled, though, that Missie and Sarah were able to come, because I haven't seen them in FOREVER!

We have been working on the kitchen. We stripped wallpaper. We filled holes and plastered any imperfections. Geno sprayed texture on last night. Mark, Derrick and I primed this morning and then Geno joined us in painting. We decided to just go with the color from the livingroom and let it flow through the rest of the house. Well, once we got started we just kept going. Missie and Sarah and Katie (her husband works with Missie and she is an awesome addition to our little group!) were coming for dinner. I was making homemade crescent rolls and sausage broccoli skillet. Well, we got so tied up in painting that we were running late-AS USUAL! Our 6pm dinner turned into 7pm, but we just ate while we discussed. Carrie was able to join us, too, and it was so fun to get to know her better. She has 4 children and the youngest is now 3. She is just to the point where she feels like she can read "for fun." (I remember once being in a Sunday School class where this older lady would always bring up something that she had read and I was so jealous because I had little ones and no time to read!)

Since we had everything covered in plastic and taped for the texture and painting, we had run to Sonic for lunch where I bought my normal Route 44 Diet Coke-easy ice, please ;o) Well, I have the most thoughtful friends-makes me pale in comparison!-and Sarah showed up first with a large Diet Coke and then Missie and Katie weren't too far behind with a Route 44 Diet Coke! How awesome are they? Of course, I am going to be up all night either bouncing off the walls from all of the caffiene or using the restroom!!

Our next book is "The Shop on Blossom Street" by Debbie Macomber. It is an older one that I have already read, but it is a fun read and Emily needed something light right now. We are talking about reading "The Golden Compass" "Eragon" "Pride and Prejudice" "The Secret Life of Bees" "The Red Tent" and several others that are just for entertainment. Any suggestions from those of you who are readers??

Just Another Manic Monday

2008-07-28T11:41:00.002-05:00

Well, we are in the second week of getting the house ready to put on the market. The outside is looking pretty good. Geno bought some spray and took care of the siding, porch and deck on Friday and Saturday. Less than $40 and they are looking nice and clean! We also bought 8 bags of red mulch for the flower beds. The last thing to be done is painting the front door-and possibly the porch swing-a rust orange that is apparently the new trendy color according to the houses showcased in the Parade of Homes.

As soon as I am done writing, Brian and I will start stripping the wallpaper from the kitchen walls. I don't know how long that will end up taking us, but hopefully only a few hours tops.

After Geno gets back from DC tonight, we will move the washer and dryer out of the laundry room, clean it up and add a fresh coat of paint. I love how much better a room looks with a fresh coat of paint!

Well, that is our Monday in a nutshell.

And They're Off...

2008-07-17T18:23:00.003-05:00

Mark and Derrick met at the church this morning at 10am to go on a 3 day Pioneer Trek. They had to wear cotton pants and cotton long-sleeved button-up shirts for the entire time. They had cowboy-type Pioneer hats (sort of-They got what I found at Wal-Mart to make do!) They are not making their trek in the snow or going several miles each day, but they are going to be going on some pretty tough terrain and in this heat. They have handcarts that each family will be pushing along filled with their supplies for cooking, their water, and a 5 gallon bucket for each family member filled with their clothes and necessities for the next 3 days. Oh-except tents. They are sleeping out under the stars! It will be an adventure that they will talk about for years to come, I am sure.

Mark's Ma and Pa are Tanya and Randy Murray.

Derrick's family for the next three days is the Thompson family. I haven't met them before and Derrick was just really wanting me to get done taking the picture and leave him alone! Did they have sunglasses back then?

On a completely different note...

What do I do with this???

This is in my scrapbook room on the long wall behind my desk. Up above will be several words that I have painted black and Geno will be hanging up for me (DREAM, INSPIRE, CREATE). These boxes have been in this room since Derrick had it as a bedroom. Since we hung them up with anchors and I didn't want to have to patch the holes, I have painted them to match each decor. What should I do with these boxes? How should I decorate them? I know that there are some very talented decorators out there, so let me hear it! The mini lava lamp can go somewhere else, but I am definitely keeping it ;o)

Late Happy Birthday to Geno

2008-07-13T20:53:00.004-05:00

Geno turned 34 on Thursday!

Here he is blowing out the candles. He had a pretty normal day with work and all, but then we went out to eat at Doe's Eat Place. Now, I'm not much on red meat to begin with, so I thought I would just have chicken. No dice. No chicken is served at this place. I did enjoy the tamales for which they are world famous. Since the steaks there are sold by the pound and there is a 2 pound minimum on the one Geno wanted, we split the meal. I wanted him to have a good birthday meal, after all! After we paid the bill, we vowed that this was our one and only trip to this place-it was good, but not good enough to justify the price. We headed off to Sam's Club to pick out his cake or dessert or whatever he wanted. I had offered to make him a cake, but he just wanted to see what Sam's had to offer. I normally would have been insulted, but I had been running around all day! (I picked the blackberries in the morning. Drove around to SEVERAL places trying to find Geno a pair of size 13 Crocs. Picked up Popeye's for a lunch Geno had with a friend and the missionaries. Cleaned up the house and myself for dinner) Geno chose a white cake with buttercream frosting. We went to the Davis' for cake and gifts.

Nancy baked Geno some fresh bread and they gave that to him along with a bucket of whipped honey. They brought some along on our trip to Winter Quarters, NE last weekend (blog to come) and Geno LOVED it. This was the perfect gift for him.

I was only able to find a size 13 Croc in this blue color. I thought it probably wouldn't be a color that he would choose, but I wanted him to have something to open and then we could look around a little more for a new color. Turns out that for over two years now he has been telling people that he wants these and that I won't let him have them, but he really didn't want them! I didn't say that he couldn't have them, but a size 13 sort of does look like a big Bozo shoe. I guess that he wanted to bust my chops more than he really wanted a pair of these shoes, so we took them back on Friday.

Can you say HUGE?

2008-07-10T16:46:00.004-05:00

Geno was wandering around outside of his work to take a break last week and found some blackberry bushes just full of ripe fruit waiting to be picked. I called Nancy and we spent about an hour there picking today. These were HUGE! Nancy said that she had never seen such big berries. I don't have much experience in this area, so I will take her word for it. This is a picture of a blackberry that is about the average size you see on the bushes and then the one on the right is one from these bushes!

Now I drive up the roads noticing these bushes. I put a bucket, gloves, and a long-sleeved shirt in my car and I am going to pick up some rubber boots tonight. I can't let all of these berries go to waste!

Keeping it together...

2008-07-01T14:14:00.004-05:00

It has been a while since my last post. I have been trying to deal with a call I got from Christopher two weeks ago tomorrow:

"Mom, I haven't been able to call because our vehicle drove over an IED and got blown up."

Now, I think that I handled it pretty well. Of course, I have always tried to be the strong one in situations like this. When the boys were little and had to leave for visitation with Alvin, I would never let them see me cry. I was always worried that it would make it harder for them, so I would smile and tell them what a great time they would have. As soon as I would send them off to the other car, I would cry. I hadn't even realized that Mark had never seen me cry until he was about 7 years old!

So, for those of you who hear about it on the news and think that it only happens to other people and not anyone you know-it doesn't!

I didn't want Christopher to hear me break down, so I just asked all of the obvious questions-Are you ok? Was anyone hurt? How did it happen? When did it happen?

It was clear that he was only allowed to give certain answers. Like when I asked if anyone was hurt, he replied "Everyone will recover." Now, I'm not the smartest person around, but I do realize that even if you lose an arm or a leg you can still recover! I did find out later that one person did end up losing 2 fingers and they were able to save the rest.

Geno walked in when I was talking to Christopher, so he was able to tell him himself. Geno mentioned something about having to go over there and take care of some people himself. When he got off the phone, I could see the tears in his eyes and I tried to be the strong one again. I told him that it won't do us any good to worry all the time and that Christopher would be fine. We talked to Christopher a few more times and got more information, so here is the entire story as far as I have put it together from several conversations and some pictures, too.

Christopher and two other soldiers were in the hatch of the Stryker. They drove over the IED, but only on one side so that when it exploded it made the vehicle flip onto its side rather than be completely destroyed. Had they been over the top of it, they most likely all would have been killed. The three soldiers in the hatch were all blown into the air about 5 meters and scattered about 35-50 feet from the vehicle. It blew a hole in the ground about 12ft. x 12ft. and 4 1/2 feet deep. Christopher landed and something hit him on the head. As he was shaking off what just happened he heard someone yelling-"Get him out of the canal!" Christopher ended up running over to his squadron leader and reaching for his arm to pull him out. (I am assuming that there was water in the canal and they were afraid he would drown.) When he grabbed his arm and pulled it up, some fingers were missing. Christopher is having a hard time getting this image out of his head. The squadron leader and the other soldier were flown to get medical help. The driver got stitches from below to above his elbow. The first photo is of the gash in Christopher's leg. Now, I am fully aware that there is an artery in that same area that if cut will cause you to bleed to death in 5 minutes! I am trying not to think about those things! Christopher was treated, given pain medication, and was back out on another mission in 4 hours. He has earned his combat ribbon and has been put in for a Purple Heart. Here are some photos:

I really thought that I was doing better with all of this, but it seems that they are doing a lot of exercises with our local guard unit and their convoys go along Hwy 71 almost daily. I lost it last Tuesday when I passed one of them! I finally cried and let out what I had been feeling the entire time. It felt good to stop trying to be so brave.

Support Your LSS

2008-06-19T22:00:00.003-05:00

That is Local Scrapbook Store for you non-scrapbookers! I found it interesting that Creating Keepsakes' weekly newsletter included an article about supporting your LSS, since I had heard recently that the store in Russellville, AR was closing. I got on the blog for that store and it has already closed! It was a really nice store and Melissa Blair priced her products lower than the actual suggested retail price, but she still didn't make it. She is also an amazing scrapbooker who is published all the time in major magazines, so her classes were always well worth the money. When I was working as a sales rep for scrapbook products, it amazed me how few stores can actually make it! There are only a handful of larger stores that have been around for the 10 years that I have lived in Arkansas-Paper Moon in Jonesboro, Scrapbook Corner in Little Rock, Signed*Sealed*Delivered in Bentonville, Scrapbook Patch in White Hall and Scrapbook Attic in Searcy. There are many, many others that have come and gone just in the time that I have lived here.

I love a bargain just as much as the next person, but part of the "hometown" appeal to any city is the local "mom&pop" stores mixed in with the big chain stores like Hobby Lobby! I am just as guilty of using my 40% off coupon each time one comes out, but I also make sure to support my local store, too. Signed*Sealed*Delivered offers crops and sales and newer product that you just can't get at Hobby Lobby-and they know me by name. They know that we have planned to move to Washington DC twice. They know what kind of products I like. I have warned them when the price of flour was about to go up so that they could stock up. I don't quite get the same welcome that Norm does when he walks into Cheers, but they say Hi to me every time.

I remember when I first moved here and their scrapbook section was just a few racks with paper and a couple of embellishments that was a part of their gifts/floral/invitation business. After seeing the large demand for scrapbooking, they eventually set up an entire room with product. When the store next to them went out of business, they added an entry to a crop room with paper racks all the way around the room. Now they are in their own building and going strong! I would like to keep them around, so I guess that I must do my duty and spend some money there every couple of weeks ;o)

Going Green Isn't Easy!

2008-06-18T20:00:00.001-05:00

I just wanted to post an update on the "going green" thing. I have FINALLY picked the shade that I would like to use. It isn't even one of the choices from the paint chips I took the picture of! I ended up using a piece of scrapbook paper that I really like and having Lowe's color match it. I have spent the last week with little areas on three of the walls painted in the three different colors I chose. I sit in there at night with the blinds closed, during the day with only the sunlight lighting the room and then during the day with the lights on. It is amazing how each of the colors look different in each of those lighting situations. I actually chose a different one as my favorite for each of the different lights, but it has to be only one. (I had forgotten just how much time I actually spend in that room, so I need to make a choice and get busy! I use it when I am working on my Primary lessons. I write thank you notes in there. I sew in there-and I need to get busy on Mark and Derrick's clothes for their Pioneer Handcart Trek in July. I work on my weekly menu. I get my weekly schedule together. Plus, I need to get it done so that I can work on my kitchen next!) My personal favorite is the brightest color, but I have to consider the "flow" from one room to another and also how it would be perceived by a potential buyer. All in all, I am pleased with the color I have chosen and it will be lightened by the black that I am going to use for accents. I have been buying nice wooden picture frames to paint black from Helping Hands for 25 cents and 50 cents each! I am going to do 2 walls at a time and move things over so that I don't have to pull EVERYTHING out and make a mess in the living room, too! Today I am filling holes. Tomorrow I start to paint. Well, off to buy my new paint!!

Two Things...

2008-06-17T23:00:00.003-05:00

How cute is she? Gracie turned 2 on Friday, June 13th. We had a little party for her on Saturday. She came upstairs sporting these adorable curls and ready to celebrate.

Nancy made her a butterfly cake. It could have been anything and Gracie would have been happy with it as long as it was hers!
And...

I picked blueberries on Monday! It was so much fun! I am loving that we have these opportunities around here to go and pick our own fruit and can/freeze it. I only got one gallon this time, because I rode with Nancy and she had to get to her doctor's appointment, but I am planning to go back on Saturday. You can see that there were lots of ripe ones, but there were as many that need a little more time before they are ready.
Just a little evidence that I was there. I hardly had to move to fill my bucket since there were so many! I kept trying to pick more since there was supposed to be a storm later that day and I didn't want the good ones to get blown off by the wind! (Photo by Wyatt)

Project 101

2008-06-14T08:00:00.000-05:00

I got this idea from my next-door neighbor, Melanie Merkling. It is called Project 101. You set 101 goals that you would like to accomplish in the next 1,001 days! Well, here is mine-FINALLY! I tried to get Geno and the boys involved, too, but they weren't as enthusiastic about it as I was. 101 goals is really a lot, but I am sure that I can do it. Be sure to check up on me! I have until March 11, 2011. I am going to add a countdown to my blog as soon as I can figure out how to do that!

1. Be debt free (except house & student loan, but be working on those!)
2. Prepare a Financial Peace budget and FOLLOW IT!!
3. Have a one year supply of food storage
4. Have at least 3 months of expenses for emergency fund (work on 6!)
5. Have complete 72 hour kits for each person in home
6. Have 72 hour kits in cars
7. Read and study Book of Mormon
8. Read and study Old Testament.
9. Read and study New Testament
10. Read and study Doctrine & Covenants and Pearl of Great Price
11. Do my visiting teaching every month
12. Complete 4 generations of genealogy
13. Complete temple work for all 4 generations
14. Start a Heritage Album with genealogy in it
15. Memorize 25 uplifting songs or hymns
16. Get an iPod (a pink one!) and fill it with good music
17. Learn more about each of our Church Presidents
18. Have FHE every week for 3 months
19. Have a family culture night every 3 months for a different country
20. Write in my journal 3 times a week for 6 months
21. Memorize 13 Articles of Faith
22. Attend the temple at least 4 times per year
23. Be a full-tithe payer
24. Memorize seminary scripture mastery
25. Make a gratitude journal and write every day for 6 months
26. Make myself a new temple dress
27. Go to Nauvoo and do church history tour
28. Go to Independence, MO and Liberty Jail
29. Attend General Conference in person
30. Attend Pioneer Handcart Trek
31. Attend City of Joseph Pageant
32. Attend Hill Cumorah Pageant
33. Go to Hawaii
34. Take Noodlebug to Disney World
35. Go to OKC Memorial
36. Go to San Antonio River Walk
37. Hike Half Dome
38. Go to Boston
39. Go to Hershey, PA
40. Go to Washington DC
41. Go to New York City
42. Lose 19 pounds
43. Lose 17 more pounds
44. Lose about 10 more pounds
45. Maintain my weight and health
46. Participate in a Memory Walk to benefit Alzheimers
47. Participate in a Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure
48. Participate in a bike ride for Heart Disease or Diabetes
49. Do YOGA twice a week for 6 months
50. Go without TV for 7 days
51. Go without TV for 14 days
52. Go without TV for 30 days
53. Not go out to eat dinner for 60 days
54. Not go out to eat at all for 30 days
55. Take Ballroom Dancing Lessons
56. Take Salsa Dance Lessons
57. Learn to knit or crochet
58. Learn basic car maintenance
59. Learn to make balloons animals, flowers, etc.
60. Take a photography class
61. Try one new recipe each week
62. Organize my recipes into one box with tabs
63. Have guests to dinner twice a month
64. Find the perfect homemade wheat bread recipe that I can make
65. Learn to make Mom’s homemade chicken and noodles
66. Take a class on cooking Asian food
67. Plan and host a big family Christmas
68. Make matching Christmas pajamas for entire family
69. Have a family vacation in the mountains
70. Visit a senior center once a month for 12 months
71. Do one RAK each week
72. Play a good game of Monopoly with Derrick
73. Host a murder mystery night
74. Go on a date with my husband every week for 6 months
75. Babysit for another couple once a month so they can go out
76. Become a medical transcriptionist
77. Make myself a beautiful formal gown
78. Go to a formal event in my new formal gown
79. Write an article for a magazine
80. Complete 1001 scrapbook pages
81. Join a book group and participate for 12 months
82. Have an “old movie night” every other month
83. Organize my scrapbook room for last time!
84. Wear a dress every day for 30 days
85. Read Anne of Green Gables and watch movie
86. Read Little House series
87. Read Narnia series
88. Enter 10 scrapbook contests
89. Plant daffodil and tulip bulbs in the fall
90. Plant 5 rose bushes
91. Plant a flower garden
92. Pick fruit and can, freeze or juice it
93. Plant a vegetable garden and put it up for the winter
94. Complete FLYLady journal and follow until becomes routine
95. Make home remodel plan
96. Do monthly home remodel projects with Geno (and stay within budget!)
97. Learn to tile and do one project in my house
98. Completely de-clutter my house, have garage sale, and donate the rest!
99. Make a quilt for each one of my children, grandchildren and Geno
100.Get all boys’ scrapbooks in order and in uniform albums
101. Post to my blog at least 3 times each week

Lovin' the Fed-Ex Man!

2008-06-13T10:00:00.000-05:00

I am pretty certain that any man with low self-esteem should just become a UPS or Fed-Ex man rather than go to therapy. That is one way to have more women excited to see you than you could ever get through a change in self-image from therapy! Just admit it...you love to see that big truck stop in front of your house as much as I do. I mean, it isn't like the mail man. He may deliver some fun things, too, but he also brings bills, credit card offers, and bunch of junk mail that I would rather have seen left as trees! The UPS and Fed-Ex man only bring packages. Ok, I have gotten envelopes through Fed-Ex before with employment paperwork, but at least those were good things.

Well, on Wednesday this is what the Fed-Ex man brought me:

This is the Becky Higgins School Album KOTM that I had pre-ordered several months ago. It came out last year and sold out almost immediately. They decided to offer it another time on pre-order and I managed to get two. I am pretty much done with the boys' school pages, so my first two grandchildren are going to have awesome pages! Then I was reading Becky Higgins' blog yesterday and the KOTM for July is a supplemental kit to this one! How awesome is that? I can't wait to see it. I only wish that I hadn't told Geno I wouldn't order anymore! I might have to butter him up in the next couple of weeks, but I doubt that it will be difficult. He is a softy for anything that is for his little Noodlebug ;o)

This is my goal...

2008-06-11T15:30:00.001-05:00

I got this photo from Ali Edwards' website. I am a frequent blurker on her blog. She is not necessarily my style of scrapbooking, but she does have some great ideas that I pick up every once in a while. Recently she began a project to get all of her pages in chronological order. Eventually they all ended up in the albums as shown above. You can check out her process here: http://aliedwards.typepad.com/_a_/2008/05/q-a-albums.html

I already have the spot picked out for all of my albums, so I guess it is time to plan my work and work my plan!

We be jammin'!

2008-06-10T21:17:00.002-05:00

Today we went to McGarrah Farms in Pea Ridge and picked strawberries. My good friend, Nancy Davis, had already gone three times and forgot that I had asked her to show me where it is and teach me how to make jam. Today was the last day to pick. So...being the wonderful person she is who is ALWAYS helping others, she dragged her almost 7-months pregnant body out of bed along with her 3 preschool-aged children and picked up Derrick and me after dropping off her 2 school-aged children at the bus. Oh yes, you read that right-she is pregnant with number 6 and she looks great.

Isn't that a great picture? I was having so much fun picking that I gave my camera to 5 year-old Wyatt and sent him off. What did we do before digital? We paid to get a lot of bad pictures developed! I knew I could delete anything that didn't turn out or that I didn't want (I did hear 4 year-old Carson say, "Hey, Wyatt! Take a picture of my armpit!") so I didn't worry about what might happen. All but the last picture here is by Wyatt. He did an amazing job! He will turn 6 on June 28th and I am thinking that one of those digital cameras that are made for kids would be the perfect gift for him!

Even Derrick got in on the action this time. He said that he really enjoyed picking the strawberries and he is already planning to go with us on Saturday to pick blueberries.
These are our three little helpers: Carson is in the back in the striped shirt. Wyatt, our photographer, is in the green shirt. Gracie, who will be 2 on June 13th, is in the front. (I guess that I lied about all of the photos except the last one being taken by Wyatt. I took this first one and then gave the camera to him and then I took the last one, too.)
Doesn't Wyatt have quite the eye for the good photos? Look at the color here!
After spending only about an hour picking two flats, Nancy came home with me and showed me how to make freezer jam. I also froze 7 quarts of whole berries to use in milkshakes, smoothies, and desserts. This was the first batch of jam:
I put some into the jelly jars so that I can make some fresh loaves of bread at Christmas-time and give them out with a jar of jelly. The ones for our family are just in plastic containers. There were 32 total! This was a very fun day, and I am very excited about how it all turned out. I can't wait to do blueberries this weekend!

I'm Going Green!

2008-06-04T12:14:00.003-05:00

With our change in plans and decision to stay in our house, I have decided to try to make it more "guest-friendly" with some extra beds to make others feel welcome. I also have never really liked the idea of fixing up the house to sell. Why make it nicer for someone else to buy it rather than just making it nice for us to live in? It just never made sense to me. My family is more important to me than some stranger who might buy my house! So...

My scrapbook room was the most logical place to start! It is the one room in the house that no one actually sleeps in, but it certainly has room if I just get myself organized in there. Why move things around to organize now and then again later to paint? I'm going to just do it all at once. It is amazing how much difference a fresh coat of paint can make in a room. It is the cheapest makeover tool I have found. I have done some research on colors and the emotions they evoke, so green it is! The walls will be green and the accents will be black and yellow. It is going to be perfect!! Now I just have to discipline myself and do a good job of making room by getting rid of items that I will just never use in my scrapbooks. Wish me luck!

**I know that I have been MIA lately. I started a post last week about what we were doing the week before and never posted it. I am one of those people who does well writing several posts at one time and then forgetting for a while. I had several posts saved, but then when I decided to post them, they all came up as a post on the day I originally wrote them and seemed to get lost in the mix. I promise to post more now that I have discovered the "schedule" button that will allow me to write all in one day and post on different days!!

I Should Have Known Better!

2008-05-15T08:41:00.003-05:00

I have an entire list of topics from the last few weeks to blog about-and then some random topics that I thought would be fun-and the list just keeps getting longer and I haven't blogged. Well, I will do my best to knock out that list over the next week.

What do you think about this rain? We have missed the real damage by only a few feet (a tree fell on our neighbor's house!) but we have benefited greatly from the rain. It is absolutely beautiful and green outside! Geno bought me this miniature rose bush 3 years ago for Valentine's Day, and it is so pretty. I love it! I just don't know anything about plants, so do I need to cut the roses and put them in a vase and the bush will continue to thrive?? This is about the only color that we have outside our house right now. Geno has killed every plant that I have put out-until this year. He has been banned from the Round-up! If you think that I am kidding, you just need to ask our good friends, Shane and Nancy. He has good intentions every year of killing the weeds, and he takes my freshly planted flower beds with them EVERY YEAR!!

Hanging planters were always a safe bet for me (no weeds for Geno to try to kill!) and we used to hang out 3 on our front porch. Every year we would have at least 3 mama birds come and build nests in each of the planters (so we would have 9 sets of babies!) It was always so much fun to watch them build their nests and to watch the babies grow and leave the nests-until Isaac came along. Isaac is a 5 year-old cat who showed up at our house 3 years ago in the middle of winter. Well, I couldn't just send him away, so we ended up making a home for him. He is so loving and friendly, but he is quite the hunter. The baskets were like a Birdie Buffet for the little guy! I just couldn't take watching him kill another one, so we stopped hanging out the baskets. (By the way, if anyone needs to get rid of some pests, Isaac is the cat for you. He comes with his own little house, carrier, and we will even throw in some food! Free delivery included. He is such a great hunter that he even goes right into the squirrel nests in the trees and gets the babies. Some prefer that, but I am too much of an animal lover!)

This is Emily:

Emily is my favorite cat. I picked her out when she was only 8 weeks old. She has attitude and I love it. She used to not want to be bothered, but when we made her an outside cat, she became incredibly loving!! She is kind of a hunter, but why put out the effort when we bring her all the hard cat food she can eat and then soft food at night! Right?

Well, Emily had been sitting outside watching the nesting box we have on our back deck(another "pre-Isaac" purchase.) We have had bees and dirt dobbers build in there, but never any birds. I didn't even think anything about it until Geno and the boys left to do Mother' s Day shopping last Wednesday and I was cleaning the kitchen. I always dump the food over our deck for the critters. When I went outside, Emily was sitting there looking down and feathers were flying everywhere! It always makes me sad. However, I do understand the circle of life and I just prefer that they eat whatever they have SOMEWHERE ELSE-especially someplace where I can't see or hear it! Then it occured to me...check the nesting box. This is what I found:

Four little eggs. Four little eggs with no mama bird right before Mother's Day! How sad is that! I hope that your Mother's Day was better than theirs!

Well, I need to get a shower and start on my list for today which includes paying a car payment, writing our love story for the contest Melanie Merkling is having (check out the link above), clean the kitchen, upload photos to scrapbookpictures.com and start my order (4x6 photos are 12 cents each right now), finish my second unit for school and take the exam, take Brian to work, pick up Derrick from school, and make homemade crescent rolls and sausage broccoli skillet for dinner tonight for the Davis family and our family to celebrate the season finale of Smallville!

It's a Boy!!

2008-05-12T16:20:00.003-05:00

I couldn't let today pass without introducing

Brian Grant Church

son of Geno and Shelly Church

It was made official today by a wonderful judge in Benton County!!

Serving Our Country

2008-04-30T10:29:00.006-05:00

Christopher has been on my mind a lot lately. He has been gone to Iraq for about a month now. The support given to the troops to allow them to call home and keep in contact over the internet is wonderful. I can't even imagine what life was like during the World Wars when mothers could only hope to get a letter from their soldiers to hear that they were ok. We pray for him each day and know that there are others who are praying for him also. I did finally hear from him today and he said that they have been going out on a lot of missions lately. I told him that I was considering putting his address on my blog for those who read it, and he said to go ahead and tell them to send him lots of stuff ;o) He has always been very social and loves to hear from people. Please take the time to drop him a line or send him a box. (The post office has started providing Priority Flat Rate Military boxes for $10.95) We are sending one out today and we will continue to send them every couple of weeks. If you would like to add to it, just let me know!

PV2 Miller, Christopher J

C Co 1-21IN #43007

APO AE 09344-3005

(The address must be written exactly as above, because there are a couple of other Christopher Millers in his group!)

I had to add this picture that I took of Christopher and Zachary on December 13, 2007-the day that he graduated from Army Infantry Training. This is definitely a "My Daddy. My Hero." scrapbook page if I ever saw one!!

Prom

2008-04-28T06:56:00.003-05:00

Prom was this past Saturday. Here is Derrick with his date, Brighton. We went to Bogle's Garden City to try to get some pictures, because Derrick didn't want to deal with the crowd at Bogle Park. There was a wedding going on, so we ended up convincing him to go to Bogle Park.

For those of you from out of town, Bogle Park is owned by the same people who own Garden City nursery. They fill this park with flowers, flowering bushes and other beautiful greenery just for the purpose of Prom and other special ocassions for people to go and take pictures. We have gone there a few times to do family pictures around Mother's Day and Easter. It is a wonderful thing that they do for this area! Well, it was definitely busy! There were parents EVERYWHERE just to get a few shots of their children and dates. We did end up getting some good shots and the great thing was that since EVERYBODY was there, we were able to get some group shots that we wouldn't have otherwise gotten.
Derrick is posing here with Brighton on the left and Christina, a foreign exchange student, on the right.
Paul, Derrick and Michael. These are two of his very best friends. He is most often with one of them or the other!