Just Me

Spring Card for TSG challenge

2010-04-14T15:54:00.006-07:00

Wow, its been 4 months since I last uploaded anything here!!! Soon to change, school will be out for me in about 3 weeks!!

So this weeks challenge over at TSG was to use pleats, flowers, and yellow. Here is what I came up with!

Looking at up on the blog, I think I should have left off the squirrel, a bit to busy with him on there.

So Im off to Play Go Away Monster with the baby but...

2009-12-18T11:46:00.005-07:00

I have two things to share, one is another mini-would-be-charm had I remembered to punch the hole on top befor finishing it ;). Or two of them, I colored the one on the left and 9 year old colored the one on the right...

And the second is a batch of Christmas card that I just LOVE how they turned out, I need to make a lot more over the next day, I dunno if Ill get them all done cause I want a variety of designs but I may not have the time, its quicker to make them all the same...

The Greeting Farm Charms

2009-12-17T18:41:00.004-07:00

So I didn't quite get the bracelet made, but I did get some charms done today!! They are not as good a quality as I was going for, I burned them just a bit. Ill be doing more soon, so keep your eyes peeled :D. Ive already had a request from someone who wants to order a set, Im not sure yet what to charge... fairly time consuming....

Ian and Anya charm bracelet

2009-12-15T17:33:00.004-07:00

Tomorrow, I am going to be sharing a super cute charm bracelet and necklace made with The Greeting Farm images Ian and Anya!!!! well ok maybe tomorrow, after baking and after homework, and after girl scouts ;), or maybe if not, the next day. I promise tho share them!!!

Some of my all time Favs...

2009-12-03T19:49:00.002-07:00

Teacher Gifts

2009-12-03T17:48:00.008-07:00

So Ive been busy busy,with kids, finals, and life, no time to post projects, though I have been making some. These two are the holiday decorations I made for my kids teachers. I love the way they turned out.

A Joy Banner

The banner flags,letters,Santa hat, and holly were all cut with the circut with colored card stock from papertreyink.com
The holly stamps called button bits, ink, buttons, and paper were all also from papertrey ink. Its so nice to have everything match so easily with their perfect match products.

Hanging Joy Letters

The hanging Joy letters were cut out of medium weight chipboard on the cricut using the zooballoo font. Next I cut matching letters from a k&C paper stack purchase at michaels and adhered them with spray adhesive. All embellishments (oops I forgot to take a pic after adding poinsettias and a jewel to the j) were also cut on the circut but from the winter wonderland cartridge. Both these joy letters and the above joy banner were aged with a file and ranger distressing ink.

Top Ten Rubber Stamps/Sites

2009-10-23T19:18:00.005-07:00

I LOVE LOVE LOVE rubber stamps. I have $100's and $100's of dollars in rubber stamps. Im obsessed with rubber stamps. If I could marry, ok not really, but you get the point. Here are my top ten favs...

1. The Greeting Farm
2. Papertrey Ink
3. Taylored Expressions
4. Kitchen Sink Stamps
5. Crafty Cling
6. Stamping Bella
7. Hanna Stamps
8. Gina K Designs
9. Verve Stamps
10. There She goes Stamps

I have also just recently found Peachy Keen Stamps, I can't yet say I love them, as I only have them on order, but Ill be sure to let yah know when they arrive...

Well maybe I should have made this tip 11, cause I forgot JustRiteStamps, can't stamp without them.

Superstar Awards

2009-10-22T22:35:00.004-07:00

So the kids' school is having a fall festival this coming weekend, and at the festival they are doing basket auctions. Each class gets assigned a category, my daughters class got teacher supply basket. Tonight I spent a few hours stamping, coloring, and cutting to come up with these super star awards for teachers to give their star students!! I think they turned out cute. I only wish I had more time to make more. There are a dozen in the bunch, 6 of each gender.

Half Way there :Baby Shower Invitations

2009-10-22T09:09:00.006-07:00

So Ive been working on some baby shower invites for a friend, her sister is having her first girl, after two boys. So per request they are all girly :D. After showing her a few samples she said "just make them all". So rather than making 10 carbon copies of one kind, I get to have fun playing around. Im half way there and thought I would share my progress, the first five...

Polka dot paper by papertrey ink, and colored paper brazzill, all cutouts done with the ciricut cartridge new arrival. Deckled nestabilities.

Polka dot paper by papertrey ink, and colored paper brazzill, all cutouts done with the ciricut cartridge new arrival.

Polka dot paper by papertrey ink, and colored paper brazzill, all cutouts done with the ciricut cartridge new arrival. Deckled nestabilities.

Simple little Onsie shaped invties, cut with template, embellished with pink buttons and the legs and neck opening decorated with a half circle made with the plain and scalloped nestabilities.

Anya Ink Challenge #2

2009-10-15T13:41:00.003-07:00

So this weeks challenge over at anya ink was a simple one, use a printed paper and of course my favorite stamps and Anya from TGF

This stamp is from a Miss Anya set, love her.

So I chose to use some printed paper from the pink patterns set at papertrey ink, along with some coredinations pink paper.

The ovals were done with my scalloped and plain nestabilities. I think Ive gone insane with these, I have 29 sets at this point, eek!!!

I embelished with a flower cut from the cricut cartridge called stretch your imagaination, along with mini flowers topped with itty bitty rhinestoes, and a few paper strips made with a punch I borrow from my mom :), its the kind that the handle attaches magnetically and you can put it anywhere on the paper, very handy!!

And of course I colored my Miss Anya with copic ciao markers, RV21, RV19, and RV23 for her clothing, and E000(a sketch marker), E51 and E53 for her skin. And her hair, which I am always looking for new ways to improve, was done with E000, E51, E53, E31, and E53. Outline done in C1.

I had alot of fun with this one, though it took a long time due to two sick kids, one who had to go to ER due to breathing issues, and my midterms, and now of course Im sick as well. :D BUT, papercrafting is a must even when all of this is going on...

More Pink and Brown

2009-10-08T19:07:00.004-07:00

So I guess this really doesn't qualify for the Anya Challenge since I didn't use an Anya stamp, though this is greeting farm paper ;). A birthday card I made for a friend today...

the bubble has heart confetti in it :)

A Hippie Anya Card

2009-10-07T14:33:00.006-07:00

So there is new challenge blog, called Anya Ink. This is my creation for this weeks pink and brown challenge :D

Im not thrilled with how her hair came out, I have been busy with midterm studies and have neglected my copic's, I need to keep up on the practice, I had gotten better on the hair, its time for a refresher on that....

So its been a while...

2009-08-06T12:10:00.014-07:00

But I was a busy little beaver all day yesterday, making paper stuff, fun paper stuff, REALLY fun paper stuff :D. I can see these are going to be some of my favorite things to create for a while...

First up, the cutest thing ever, an all paper picnic basket, which I downloaded the template for at http://www.papertreyink.com for $5

I printed the template onto the card stock on my printer, cut it out, scored it on my scor-pal, punched the decorative top flap with a border punch, and then used scor tape to adhere it together. Colored the greeting farms little red riding hood Anya stamp in with my copic markers and voila, here we have an adorable little picnic basket which I will be sending to my grandmother who just had surgery, if I can find the patience to lug my fit throwing 2 year old to the post office with me ;)

Next, a set of mini milk cartons and a cute matching carrier that I will probably use to send a teacher a gift on her birthday. Template also downloaded from papertreyink.com.

Template was again printed on cardstock, then it was cut out, scored, put together with scor tape and then decorated with my awesome new pink and black paper stack from the hobby lobby, which I got during the 50% off paper sale. Holes punched in top with crop-o-dile, ribbon weaved into holes, and corners of holder rounded with a crop-o-dile corner chomper.

And last but not least, my Jamie Fraser/Outlander inspired pocket calendar. Image also from the freeting farm. blank pocket calendar came from californiapapergoods.com

Ana's Anya Card

2009-06-25T21:03:00.003-07:00

So there is/was a contest for kids over at Anya land and this was my daughter beautiful entry. I reluctantly let her use my copic ciao's but she did a wonderful job and was very responsible with them, it thrilled her to no end that I let her use them too :D. I love how her card turned out!

Minnie Mouse

2009-06-21T23:32:00.003-07:00

So here is a little something I came up with on accident recently. I think they are super cute!! The middle swivels open on a brad and it has a clear plastic window in the middle. What do you think ,would they make good birthday invites?

Father's Day cards

2009-06-21T23:24:00.007-07:00

So I made a plethora of cards this year for father's day, but none of them really felt inspired, though oldest daughter's card was very sweet and heartfelt inside and really made her dad's day :).

Drive In

2009-06-20T10:29:00.010-07:00

Last night we went to the drive in with the kiddos, it was so wonderfully cool outside that we got a bit chilly by the end of the night, not something you can usually say the end of June in the Valley of the Sun. Usually its so hot, even at night, that you don't want to leave the house, much less spend 4 hours at the drive in.

We watched Night at the Museum and it left a lot to be desired if you ask me, and the second feature was not for kids, X-men, but they slept through it anyhow. It was fun just to go out together and is probably our last day/night of cool weather the rest of the season...

the cheese master, who had already enjoyed to much soda and candy, in case you can't see it all over her shirt.

people hitting the snack bar

and this is what happens when you take pictures in the dark and don't hold still ;)

and here is a picture of the sunset on the way to the drive in

I know its not halloween, but...

2009-06-19T12:44:00.003-07:00

This is my newest stamp purchase from taylored expressions and I can NOT WAIT to get them, these are going to be sooooo much fun to play with, so much fun!! So you'll probably be seeing some halloween stuff from me soon, even though its months away yet...

Ian is a Superstar

2009-06-14T22:26:00.006-07:00

For tonight's Ian and Anya star challenge from the greeting farm, this is what I created :)

Stamping, An Addiction

2009-06-10T22:24:00.006-07:00

A Pocket Calendar I made today, I will be giving a surprise-design pocket calendar away next Tuesday, to enter all you have to do is tell me (in the comment section) what your fav creation of mine is thus far... and then I will choose a winner with the random generator thing...

A card dd #1 one and I whiped out for a Really prego friend today. The inside says "patience is a virtue, stop answering the phone, it will help"

Anya black and white challenge

2009-06-09T05:39:00.003-07:00

Details to come later today, but for now here is the card I made last night, which clued me in to the fact that I need to buy vellum adhesive so you aren't able to see my glue under the vellum

Cupcake Box and Matching Card

2009-06-04T16:01:00.006-07:00

My neighbor had a birthday this week, I made her a breakfast muffin and used the tutorial here to create a cupcake box for it with the scor pal, I added a matching card and had a cute, affordable and appreciated gift!! The scalloped border and circle are cut with the nestabilities dies, the tip of the box has a piece of clear card stock to keep the muffin from drying out. The flowers are done with simple paddle punches and the buttons are attached through a button hole punch I made in the paper flower and tied on with scrapbookers floss. The stamped flowers are colored in with copic spica markers. The sentiment stamp and flower vase stamps from just rite stamps. The balloon and enjoy today stamp are from verve stamps.

A Graduation Card

2009-06-04T15:07:00.005-07:00

A Grad card for the daughter of an online friend. The hat and gown are popped out and the hat has 6 swarovski cyrstals, the diploma has the sides punched with edge punch, the flowers are punched, glued together and then have a swarovski crystal on top. The black background is embossed with the numbers cuddlebug embossing folder. The seal was made by hand cutting the edges of the round punch out and then colored with a gold paint pen. The honors cord is a some fiber I had bought in a bunch off of an etsy seller, and of course the Anya digi stamp was colored with my copic ciao markers, the hair was a challenge Im sitll perfecting my blending, and trying to match the graduates hair color was a challenge, I had to do it twice befor I was happy with it.

Little Red Riding Hood's Get Well Card

2009-06-04T02:09:00.007-07:00

If little Red Riding Hood had made her sick Gramma a get well card, this might of been it ;). I had so much fun making this one!! and I LOVE how it came out!!

and a third that I think you can see more paper detail in if you enlarge it

More Kiddos and cards

2009-04-28T00:36:00.006-07:00

Gage during his preschool show, playing, you guessed it, little jack horner ;)

Lex has a cookie at the preschool show.

Lex plain outside at near sunset, oh how I wish she was more in focus, if she was it would be a perfect picture!!

My kids, drowned and squash beetle bugs, what sweet kids :)

And lastly, two cards, one I made my little guy's preschool teacher, she often wears colors that match this card, and so I was inspired by her clothing choices to make this card for her

The baby card has no home as of yet, its just a card I was playing around with and I liked the way the "messy" chalking came out...

Summer Time Fun!!

2009-04-27T16:16:00.018-07:00

Lexie, sleeping outside our doggie Candy who we are glad is sitll living after a near death bout with valley fever.

Had a good Easter

2009-04-14T00:05:00.013-07:00

How bout you? WE had a great time visiting with the grandparents (my parents), a few pics to follow, and now that we are home again, I have, surprise surprise, a new card to share. I think I may actually give this one to someone, my SIL to be exact, its her bday in a few days!!

inside of card

stamped images on bird card by verve stamps and inkadinkado.

and I was playing around with the cupcake card again, what are your thoughts, is the original better or this new version

and a few pics of the kiddos and my nephew on Easter weekend :D

did you just see him hit me, did you!!

what is wrong with these cousins of mine, ugh...

the girl who just LOVES eggs!!

Cupcake Gril

2009-04-09T13:46:00.010-07:00

So I went to bed at a normal hour last night, and thus didn't have time to make a card, but I had to, I had two sickies yesterday who seem to be mostly better today, its a short lived tummy things I guess, but sick kids are exhausting and then there was bunko to play too :D...

But this morning my craft corner was calling me once again and so I carved out a few minutes to whip this out while the baby was napping and my little-big guy was at preschool, and while watching the most recent LOST, love that show. ANyhOw, this is what I came up with, the name of the stamp, which is made by Stamping Bella, is called "is that a cupcake on your head"!! Im just awaiting my sentiment stamps, in particular the one that says "its a cupcake thing" to finish this one off, should arrive next week!!

And as a bonus, here is one I made yesterday afternoon that I just can't seem to get a decent picture of. You see the card is a beautiful lavender color but no matter where I photograph it, it look an ugly shade of pinkishpurple that looks like it doesn't match the girls dress. However, I think its a cute design despite my photographic ineptitude, so Im sharing it... The stamp, which is actually NOT a stamp is a gingersnap digital download.

Punk Girl

2009-04-08T08:49:00.006-07:00

So I did end up making a card last night, REALLY late, even though I twittered that I wasn't ;), but rather making mickey die cuts for bunko tonight. Cant seem to keep from making cards, and inspiration seems to come in the late hours of the night most often...

Meet Punk Girl, BIG dd will LOVE this one.

Stamp is All Punked Up and can be found on Stamping Bella, paper and letters were found at walmart. And of course then I used round nestabilities.

Copic Marker's

2009-04-06T14:09:00.011-07:00

I LOVE my copic ciao's, they are far and above any marker Ive ever used, not that Im experienced, but to say Im thrilled with my purchase is an understatement. Thanks Stacy and Donna ;), though I don't think my husband shares my enthusiasm what with me being sequestered in my crafting nook far more often these days between my crafts, my copics, and my schoolwork (which is suffering to a degree also thanks to the copics, and the bazillion dollars in stamps Ive recently purchased).

Anyhow.... I just found a giveaway while I was googling and drooling over all the copic stamp creations I came upon, and I had to pass it along, Im entering for sure, who wouldn't want $300 in markers for free!! Thats some great blog candy there!! And I earned myself an extra entry by downloading and using these stamps.

Copic Marker Blog Candy

Here is my entry, which ultimately would have a second stamp that said S is for spring under the S, does anyone know where I might get such a stamp?

Its an obssession I think

2009-04-06T09:30:00.010-07:00

Crafting things, Ive never been big on it before really, no time to be, nor do I have the time now to be, but it seems to have taken over my thoughts, my time, my money...

I have two more to share today, though this first one I just can't seem to feel finished with, not matter what I do...

supplies: card stock, tape runner adhesive, flower embellishments found at my local Fry's/Kroger store, pearl accents from Michael's, pink chalk edge and papertrey ink 10 little toes stamp done with dew drops chalk ink, paisley embossing done with cuttlebug embossing folder, scalloped edges cut with nestabilities. Pink embossed flower also done with papertrey ink stamp.

and this second one I love in person, the simple beauty of it doesn't quite come across in pictures though, and maybe, just maybe Im a bit bias in this case anyhow, since I love sunflower stuff. It is just awaiting a stamp to finish it, Im not sure yet what Ill use, maybe a sentiment if I can find some that run up and down rather than side to side...

supplies: cardstock, leaf ribbon (I wish I could recall where I purchased this, LOVE it), adhesive, rectangular and sunflower nestabilities and cuttlebug, copic marker for sunflower dots.

Mini set of Love Notes

2009-04-05T14:22:00.002-07:00

Here is another cute thing Ive been working on, they measure 3x3 and have a heart shaped nestabilities cutout.

So Ive been busy busy learing to make cards

2009-04-04T12:20:00.010-07:00

Im having a lot of fun, and finding more and more supplies I "NEED" ;). To think Ive spent all this time clueless to just how fun this is...

This is one of my favs thus far.

supplies and tools used: Martha Stewart graduated color paper, black and white loose card stock from hobby lobby, cuttlebug embossing folder, acrylic heart stamps from Impression Obsession, acrylic sentiment stamp from Papertry Ink, white heart rivets from Michael's, and heart punches done with my daughter hyglo 6-in-1 punch, circle and rectangle plain and scallop nestabilities , light pink .50 cent ribbon from Michael's w/ part of a glue dot to adhere it.

Drool Drool, Drool Drool, Drool Drool Drooll

2009-03-26T00:40:00.004-07:00

When I get my nestabilities, my sarah kay's and my bella's, this is what I will be making!! Watch out Card makers, here I come

I love this picture

2009-03-12T20:55:00.004-07:00

Nothing much to say today, except maybe I love Sushi, and I REALLY love this picture!! Isn't it sweet!

Oh and if I had a spare $300 laying around, Id so buy this dress for Lex!!

Can't Bellieve She is so Good at all the girly stuff already!!

2009-03-08T23:41:00.006-07:00

OUr 20 month old super model :). hair by mom :)

A young man's fifth Birthday

2009-03-08T23:32:00.007-07:00

Batman jumpy house/slide, birthday boy can be seen to the left in a striped shirrt

BIG sis

Blowin out candles

They are amazed when they keep relighting

Its a drug stash...

2009-03-05T22:00:00.002-07:00

And whats this? jelllyfish?

why am I posting these things you ask? You tell me, what do they have in common, and why were they in my kitchen last night? And what is in the those bags and that pot of purpleness?

It all invovled my chem lab, some boiled purple cabbage

and potato starch, epsome salt, baking and washing soda, not drugs, no jellyfish, just school ;)

Broccoli

2009-03-04T22:53:00.006-07:00

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So, have I ever told yah how much my kid LOVES broccoli, ADORES broccoli, INHALES broccoli, would marry it if she could?

Well lemme just say, my kid she loves broccoli...

Oh yah, you know what I like

Im a happy camper!!

Shove it in, shove it in, kinda like, plug it in plug it in ;)

Neener Neener, I ate it all, and boy did she, she ate 3 full bowls of the stuff!!

3rd Grader teeth

2009-02-23T10:56:00.002-07:00

Don't you just love it when those new big teeth come in a and dont yet fit the size of their mouth :D, goofy and endearing :), Love her smile

Shopaholic Checking in again

2009-02-20T23:30:00.005-07:00

so YES I have shopping issues. I LOVE LOVE LOVE shopping. This past week I bought myself a birthday gift or 7. The Cricut expression, which came with two cartridges, plus 5 more cartridges and the Cricut design studio and jukebox. What you say, I must have spent a fortune? Yah well, Im turning 35, its a big birthday, so I bought a big birthday gift :D, now to learn to scrapbook...

*plantin schoolbook
*doodlecharm
*walk in my garden
*paper doll dress up
*new arrival
*zooballoo
*accent essentials

Children's Museum

2009-02-17T00:02:00.016-07:00

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We had Soooo much fun today. The kids were well behaved, the day was fun filled, we got out of the house together on a non-school day, and the location- you can't beat it...

The Phoenix Children's Museum housed in the old Monroe School building.

Great reason to save CD's and DVD's, ART

First there was the sea of noodles which the kids LOVED, despite the fact that they got lost and bombarded with kid bodies in there, after the first trip though I refused to take Lex back in, though she love it, me not so much...

Next was art time, which Ana loved the most, though Lex, had I let her express herself fully, and by fully I mean-if I had let her paint all over herself rather than the paintable house, she would have had the MOST fun !!!

Then the goofballs all ate lunch :D and made funny faces, a lady commented that my children were so cute and well behaved :D, love it when that happens-yay props for mom for doing a good job, though I told her they were surely fooling here and were all actually really crazy monkeys

Next was ice cream time, Ana served

Then I sent the kids to class to learn window washing :D

and of course Ana goofed off :D

After that we tried some nice arty pictures on the steps out front but as you can see that went from bad to worse pretty quickly :D

Next up, grocery shopping

and pizza making!!

This last one is a close-up of a silverware sculpture that hangs from the ceiling in the pizza room

of course after eating pizza, toothbrushing is a must, or at least painting with toothbrushes, and Lex, she is coloring a rotten tooth since she refuses to brush these days

And the last I have to share tunnel time, if ever there is a picture of Gage that shows how sweet and cuddly he is, the last one of this bunch is it :)

My girl

2009-02-11T11:53:00.006-07:00

Yep, thats my girl. Last night she got up on stage for the 3rd grade music program. It was an All-American theme. She was picked for a solo speaking part, she did spectacular :). Last year, she was stiff and obviously nervous on stage even though she was in a large group. This year she couldn't wait to do her solo part in front of everyone, I found myself wondering if it was because she had a dance recital in front a huge auditorium of people last December, I wonder if it helped her get over her reserve on stage.

I loved watching her, and YAY she actually let me do her hair, she NEVER lets me do her hair.

Lets see if I can add the short video I have of her, though its not very good quality...

super Cute Hat giveaway

2009-02-10T13:57:00.004-07:00

Go, drool, leave a comment, win a super cute hat and then give it to me, out of thanks for the info, so I can put it on my ornery little premadonna :D

http://angelasaccessories.blogspot.com/

It was a weekend of excess

2009-02-02T10:34:00.022-07:00

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It was wild, it was fun, it was alcohol laden. There was to much food to choose from on the buffets, to much to drink with the open bars, and to much extra curricular activity ;) (ouchie), but not to much fun;). Everyone was there to have a good time, and it showed ;). I brought the perfect dress and showed up with the perfect attitude ;)

Here are just a few of the 453 pictures I took in 3 1/2 days!!

We arrived in the evening to a beautiful resort and a buffet dinner of beef tenderloin that was quite possibly the best Ive ever had, paired with delectable rice and wild mushroom ravioli, long stem steamed broccoli, and a mix of squash and zucchini. There were mini artisan cheese cakes and long stem chocolate covered strawberries for desert.

We spent the latter part of that first night, sipping drinks and sitting in the outdoor fire nook, it was cozy and warm and we had it all to ourselves...

After we kicked off the next day, which was full of boring meetings, I headed to the spa to get my hair done, it took and hour to get the entire updo on top of my head, I have ALOT of hair. I sure wish I would have had dh take a pic of all that work!!

Outside the entrance to the spa/salon was a koi pond, and inside was just beautiful and peaceful...

We had a marvelous cocktail hour in this beautiful courtyard at sunset

We had a many course meal, to many courses for me to recall all of them but they included- wine, soup, salad, main course, desert, coffee, and others.... There was s comedy show, hilarious awards that they call meatball awards which consist of a golden meatball on a golden fork- I informed dh he MUST win one someday-too funny not to have, and we roamed the resort talking and visiting with some of the over 500 company people there until 2 in the morning. Later I took something like 82 hair pins out of my hair...

TBC, kiddos are anxious to play with mom :)

Ok back to it

The next day I slept until 2:30

I was supposed to go bowling, but instead I slept and slept and slept, I only ate dinner with dh and took the group picture that was full of so many people that they had to take it from a lift, and then we skipped out on the evenings festivities which included "surfing", crab racing, and pineapple tossing- and we want back to bed :D because staying up till till 2 AM the night before kicks your butt, especially when you drink wine, and crown and coke, and more wine and more and on and on...

Saturday though, we got up early, ate breakfast and headed out for the day...

it was a tad chilly and breezy in the morning so I actually got to wear my new trench, YAY it wont go to waste!!

I just loved this fountain/reflecting pool

We headed to the beach where we saw a bird eating "something" red looking...

couldn't tell what it was so we had to get a closer look, dont look if your easily grossed out, its really gross

Yep, that a chicken HEAD your looking it, just the head though, no body in sight, blech, dh pointed out though that at least we didnt come upon a bag of head-LOL-men.

We spent the day walking the beach, the pier, PCH, and Main street. We walked 6 miles total, me in a 4 inch wedge flip flops, what was I thinking??!! I have bruises the shape of strap marks on my feet as a souvenir too.

We people watched from the pier, and we were amazed at all the bobbing surfers just waiting for a wave...

We bar hopped from 11 AM to about 9. We hit Sharkeez for shrimp tacos and pitchers of bloody Mary's first, GREAT TACOS and they just give you a pticher of vodka and then you hit the bloody mary bar and mix in what ever you want. We added peppers, asparagus, olive, celery, and some mix of course :D.

Then we did some walking-people watching-and knick-knack shopping for the kiddos for a while after that. We hit a bar for another drink of alcohol or water for pace ;) every time we needed a bathroom- cause lets face it, public bathrooms are few and far between on main street in HB. Later after walking back to the hotel to drop off the camera and knick-knacks we walked back again and we stumbled onto Crabby's for fun with some REALLY loud-mouthed local tattooed guys-they were hilarious and entertaining, it turns out we were there on people watching day in which locals heckle everyone who walks by but doesnt come in :D

http://www.crabbyshb.com/index.html

and then we had the MOST AMAZING sushi roll called a crouching tiger at a sushi bar called TUNA TOWN-if EVER you go to Huntington beach and you like sushi, don't pass this place up- though I'm now ruined for cheap sushi- I don't think Ill ever taint my mouth with sushi from a second rate place again- I could have died happy after that roll, OMG it was heavenly. I haven't quit obsessing about it since we walked out of the place. Im now on the search for the perfect sushi bar here in AZ.

Here is the bar we sat at there, complete with a pic of the jelly fish tank

We picked up the camera again later to do some pics of sunset, we missed the bight orange ball actually slipping into the water, despite running half a mile-me in 4 inch wedge flip flops-to try to make it in time-laughing all the while, but we did get some amazing shots anyway, and even got someone to do one of us together...

It was a wonderfully fun day that ended with dinner at Duke's right off the water, where I had the best fish Ive ever eaten, Im telling yah it was a weekend of spectacular food, drinks, and fun :). Im sorry its over, I very much enjoyed having Bryan to myself for 3 1/2 days, and oh those sheets and the down pillows and comforter are going to be missed- if only I could have fit them in my suitcase ;), but at the same time I'm glad to be home with the kiddies. I missed them all so much, but couldn't wait to get the baby in my arms, for some reasons its harder to leave my baby for consecutive days than it is the older kids. I was sorry to have to shuttle oldest DD off to school this morning and not be able to spend the day with her and my son and baby girl. I look forward to next weekend and relaxing with them all.

Wish I had some pics of the night we all dressed up to share, but unfortunately we forgot to pic up our pics before we left, maybe they will make their way to us eventually...

Here are a last few from the day we left, we had a HUG plate of cheese fries at lunch :D, way to big to eat all of it....

Why Not Wednesday

2008-10-29T09:15:00.001-07:00

Why not help me create an urban legend and see how far and how long we can circulate it around the internet :D. Something harmless and fun but catchy... Where to start...

He gave her a Kidney...

2008-10-26T21:32:00.004-07:00

Its what she loved, medicine. So why not a kidney I say.

What do you love or maybe what does your man know you love, what might he give you that says he loves you, he is sorry, other than boring old flowers. Im not a flower girl. Maybe my man might come home and tell me I could sleep in tomorrow and then go out and shop to my hearts content all day long, Man Im shallow, LOL...

A Yummy Recipe I made up

2008-10-24T21:11:00.002-07:00

So I had some left over sushi rice, I wanted a sushi flavor or rather California Roll since I rarely eat the raw kind of sushi, though I do like the raw tuna... Anyhow I had a bowl of left over sushi rice and so I combined in a bowl

1 C of warmed sushi rice
2 cut up sticks of imitation crab
shredded pepper jack cheese to taste
1 oz. cubed cream cheese

Stir together, heat till cheese and cream cheese are melty, stir again and eat, talk about YUMMY!!

Matching Cupcake Purses for my girls

2008-10-22T20:16:00.007-07:00

*

*
I am so excited, I just purchased my girls matching cupcake purses!! Aren't they too cute!! I can't wait to give them to them on Christmas morning.

And Lex, is getting this super cute doll purse/basket/bed, I so love cute unique things!! I dont even think the doll is that cute but the basket/bed is what did me in!!

Why Not Wednesday #2

2008-10-22T07:21:00.004-07:00

*
So today is one of those days, you know the ones where as soon as your eyes pop open the kids are demanding things. And as soon as the baby's feet hit the floor she is causing MASS destruction, throwing things chewing puppies, things like that.

But seriously, 5 minutes ago she was demanding to get out of her high chair, after I cleaned her up and began the tedious task of acid washing the high chair, she decided it was computer time. And whooohooo for her, mom forgot her FULL cup of coffee and a bowl of peanut butter bumpers at the computer desk....

So my day is hectic and Ive been up for less than an hour. I need to laugh, badly!

So why not tell me about a really stressful day in your life as a mother that you can laugh about now, but wasn't nearly so funny at the time, so I can laugh at your expense ;), in good fun of course, not maliciously ;).

Ill draw randomly from the stories to send a really good prize, since A.) dh started work on monday and B.) my financial aid check came last week, finally! and C.) I started Christmas shopping last friday and Im almost done already so Im really on a shopping role!!

Pig Tails and Snails

2008-10-17T14:10:00.003-07:00

Wow what a great give away, I hope I win or you do ;). What craftsmanship and design though. I wish I had the time and the inclination to do one myself

You can find info at the following addy and since I cant figure out how to make it show up as a link here I made the title of this post a clickable link to her site!!

http://pigtailsandsnails.blogspot.com

No Snag Hair do's, Trahs ties

2008-10-10T08:15:00.006-07:00

*

As Meredith would say, SERIOUSLY
These things freaking rock!!! Nothing holds my hair tightly enough, cause I have tons of really fine hair, nothing except a newspaper rubber band and who want to wear one of those. Until now, I bought these thinking Id use em for Lex but she does not have enough hair quite yet, so I tried them in my hair. OMGosh, I love them, I will NOT use rubber bands anymore, the trash ties work so well that they pull my hair if Im not careful, AND they are so easy to put in and take out!! They are a bit pricey but sooooooooo worth the cost!!

http://trashties.com/trash.html

Today was a good day :)

2008-10-08T21:13:00.003-07:00

It was really and truly a good day. I got lots done, dd got noticed being good at school and had her name put in a drawing, Gage got to be the phonics teacher and enjoyed it tremendously, Lex- well Lex is Lex, she was intense, wild and into everything, the house is clean and the GS meeting went wonderful!! And best of all, I felt really really great all day, no poor me pie :D

Those of you who liked the video editing from the zoo trip, you can download a free trial here

http://www.muvee.com/en/products/reveal/?utm_source=campaign&utm_medium=generic&utm_content=706&utm_campaign=CJ_Text_Link

Why Not Wednesday

2008-10-08T20:39:00.008-07:00

So, I thought Id follow suit, seems Wednesday is THE day for a theme, all the cool kids are doin it ;)!!

And I realize its almost not Wedneday anymore, but Ive had a long wonderful day, and Im just now getting time...

So Why not Wednesday, why not tell me about your craziest dream ever!! Ill start, and its a wacked out story lemme just say...

So I was at the tail end of 6 day meth high, we were staying in a hotel, we hadn't had a place to live in a few weeks, my parents had kicked us out of their rental since we hadn't paid our rent in quite some time. We were planning to head out of town to live with dh's dad in PA-I think we were planning to clean up, but we were tweaking out at the local casino for a few days first and we had managed to win enough to fund an 8 ball, that's 1/8 of an ounce and around $250 in case you were wondering, and pay for the hotel room for the week. So like I said I was coming down off a 6 day high when I started dreaming...

A man was after me in my hotel room, he was going to kill me, I jumped up and started running and screaming as loud as I could only no one could hear me cause I was all alone in the hotel. I get to the door and I try to get out to run, but the damn door wont open, Im going to die, Im screaming and then someone is shaking me, I look up its my boyfriend (now dh) and he is saying wake up wake up your only dreaming....

Im not sure I have ever been that afraid in my life, it was so real, I was so sure I was about to die. Turns out I was so tired that I couldn't wake up but I got up in my dream and started screaming at the top of my lungs and running away from dh. He was so freaked out, he had been asleep, woke up to all this, didn't know at first what my deal was and at the same time didn't know what to do, someone might hear me and come to help, I as yelling "get away from me get away from me" and there was 3 foot bong in the drawer and other various paraphernalia, not to mention just a bit of the ball left. Thankfully, at least I thought so then, no one heard me and I went back to sleep for the next 24 hours with no more waking dreams!!

One more....

When I was pregnant with dd #1 I was newly clean of drugs, had been about 3 months since I cleaned up when I got pregnant. But we lived in a small town and a lot of people around were using, it was nerve racking. I recall one time I sat up in bed, heart pounding, I had been dreaming that Id started to get high again and that my stomach collapsed all around the baby, she couldn't breath and was stretching out through my stomach like it was some sort of ultra stretchy plastic, I could see all of her features and I could see she was in agony. If I hadn't already know it by that point, and I really I knew the minute I realized I was pregnant, I knew at that moment I would never be tempted to use again. Its been 9 years since I quit :)

Who wants to be declared a Living Goddess

2008-10-07T13:33:00.004-07:00

Ill bet a lot of little girls would look at this pictures and think how neat it would be to dress up like this everyday, Ill bet that is what this little girl thinks right now too, but not later, poor kiddo, she is having the best years of her life stolen from her....

People have some screwed up ideas about what is ok, its as bad as the people here who make their kids living dolls!!

Hindu and Buddhist rituals herald appointment of 3-year-old living goddess in Nepal
Tuesday, October 7th, 2008 at 12:18pm
AP Photo/Binod Joshi
KATMANDU, Nepal

Hindu and Buddhist priests chanted sacred hymns and cascaded flowers and grains of rice over a 3-year-old girl who was appointed a living goddess in Nepal on Tuesday.

Wrapped in red silk and adorned with red flowers in her hair, Matani Shakya received approval from the priests and President Ram Baran Yadav in a centuries-old tradition with deep ties to Nepal's monarchy, which was abolished in May.

The new "kumari" or living goddess, was carried from her parents' home to an ancient palatial temple in the heart of the Nepali capital, Katmandu, where she will live until she reaches puberty and loses her divine status.

She will be worshipped by Hindus and Buddhists as an incarnation of the powerful Hindu deity Taleju.

A panel of judges conducted a series of ancient ceremonies to select the goddess from several 2- to 4-year-old girls who are all members of the impoverished Shakya goldsmith caste.

The judges read the candidates' horoscopes and check each one for physical imperfections. The living goddess must have perfect hair, eyes, teeth and skin with no scars, and should not be afraid of the dark.

As a final test, the living goddess must spend a night alone in a room among the heads of ritually slaughtered goats and buffaloes without showing fear.

Having passed all the tests, the child will stay in almost complete isolation at the temple, and will be allowed to return to her family only at the onset of menstruation when a new goddess will be named to replace her.

"I feel a bit sad, but since my child has become a living goddess I feel proud," said her father Pratap Man Shakya.

During her time as a goddess, she will always wear red, pin up her hair in topknots, and have a "third eye" painted on her forehead.

Devotees touch the girls' feet with their foreheads, the highest sign of respect among Hindus in Nepal. During religious festivals the goddesses are wheeled around on a chariot pulled by devotees.

Critics say the tradition violates both international and Nepalese laws on child rights. The girls often struggle to readjust to normal lives after they return home.

Nepalese folklore holds that men who marry a former kumari will die young, and so many girls remain unmarried and face a life of hardship.
« Back to Headlines

Crappy State of Mind

2008-10-07T09:18:00.008-07:00

What an inspired title even.... Its one of those days, I think its that I cant find any time to exercise, I am grumpy and pissed off. Watch out if you speak to me today, I might bite your head off. I feel fat and ugly and zitty and frumpy and mad. I can't seem to get back on track since surgery and my crappy convenience diet, combined with no time to exercise, is making me feel physically and now mentally awful. I feel like I hate the world today, mostly cause I hate myself today. Blah, can I get a big slice of feel sorry for myself pie...

I have a GS meeting at my house tomorrow, the leader is out of town so its all me, with another mom that I actually really like. She is such a great lady, not all wrapped up in all about me like some moms are. I guess I must be feeling judgmental toady too, probably because I judging myself so harshly.

Im actually glad to do the meeting at my house its the prep I abhor.... Im just so overwhelmed but want to do things with my kiddos....

So anyway, my house is a wreck, I have tons of studying to do cause I need to be done by friday now rather than saturday like usual, you see dh's grandfather passed away sunday evening/monday morning (dh's bday btw). I need to exercise, do laundry, wash my face, brush my teeth, shower, I have not time for any of it I have to study. The baby is destroying the house, my life is crazy, it goes on and on. And guess what on the 13th, dh leaves out of town for 6 weeks, maybe able to come home from saturday evening to sunday evening, how much more out of control do you supposed things will get when I have no help? So please, can I get a giant slice of Im helpless out of control pie too,? maybe the lady from the movie Waitress will make one up for me, she made up some great pies didn't she!! Bad baby pie, I got drunk and Earl got me pregnant pie, I loved those pies!!! Wish she'd make me a few.....

I know I signed up for all this, told myself I could handle it all, but news flash, guess what, I CANT!!

Love this Hat idea

2008-10-06T13:06:00.004-07:00

How great and simple is this, a hat made for a tiny babies head with a giant brim to cover up the breast while they are eating. I HATE HATE HATE nursing cover ups. Nursing makes me sweat like crazy, and covering up FORGET IT!!! But wow, this could work!!

http://www.moboleez.com/

Why oh why didn't I haven one when Lex was smaller, she would just rip it off now and plus I dont think it would fit her anymore darn it!!

Took the Kiddies to the Zoo

2008-10-06T12:23:00.003-07:00

It is DH's birthday today, we took the kids to the zoo with my parents to celebrate over the weekend. It was tons of fun :D. Lex just loved ALL the animals and Gage was amazed by the lion. Ana loved figuring out how to get freebees out of the animal food machines and feeding all the animals ;).

More on the government

2008-09-22T15:50:00.003-07:00

Im tellin yah, look at this, the government wants shares in the companies it helps....

http://queen-creek.mediacomtoday.com/community/news/story/index.php?source=Business&id=D93BVNEG0&pd=20080922

Here is a line from the article

The plan also would require that the government get shares in the troubled companies helped by the rescue.

Government Conspiracy Continued.

2008-09-19T08:30:00.006-07:00

*

So Ive said it before, Ill say it again, were being primed to accept the North American Union. Or whatever name they choose to couch it under later when we all beg to be bailed out of our mounting financial troubles. The panic has hit major financial players, some are folding, some are being bought out, maybe the government will own them all eventually. Bush is making some sort of plan to help as we speak, maybe its the first public step toward the union, who knows.

The panic has hit home too, my home to be exact. It certainly leaves you feeling ready to accept some sort of help from the government if its necessary. What else does a person do when home and family are increasingly being threatened.

As the situation gets worse and worse, as they keep throwing increasingly worthless money at the failing economy, they are paving the way to declare the dollar as worthless as the confederate kind once was. Paving the way for, you guess it, the Amero.

Our banks seems to be surviving this day so were pulling out what we can and requesting the rest in hopes we get it before the bank folds completely. Many others have done the same, were all making our modern day run on the bank, but it may be pointless soon. That money may have no value before long.

Seriously, the situation may not be that dire just yet. But I believe their conditioning us slowly but surely to accept that fate. And later globalization....2010 is said to be the year we accept Canada and Mexico as party of our consolidated country, that year is fast approaching.

Work in progress to be found here

2008-09-17T12:37:00.004-07:00

http://literarydisaster.blogspot.com/

Becoming Me, installment 2

2008-09-12T08:37:00.015-07:00

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I never have figured out just how it works, why I can just assume someone’s life and their personality as if I’ve had a lifelong symbiotic relationship with them. But they cease to exist I know, I checked once on my past self when I became someone new. She was missing, only her car was found in the parking lot where I had become this new person. I wonder, is it that their soul left before its time and I took over to fill the void, to fulfill the undone work in their lives? Is it just some fluke of nature, some birth defect I have that lets me bypass all the normal laws of universe? Do I have some special power or ability that lets me take over the lives of others? Was I predestined to this by some higher power? Or do I simply will it to happen out of desperation? I thought that was what had happened the first time, my will simply making it happen, but now I'm not so sure. Not with the dream.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Getting in the Armada it turns out, was the answer to my dreams, at least for now. I had escaped the bonds of housewifeyness and of motherhood. And although I was sorry that the children had lost their mother, I was easily just as happy that I was me; it was thrilling to be Gena. Gena had a high paying job, she was single and she was wild. Gena was beautiful and carefree and happy. Gena was me, I was Gena

It seems I was visiting my dying mother out there in the hot Sonoran desert, the last cord tethering me to the family I had never wanted anything to do with, the family that Gena had never wanted anything to do with. I was happy to be free of them all at last. The things I had endured as part of that family left me feeling so bitter that I rarely dared to let the memories creep into my conscious thoughts.

My trip back across the country gave me a lot of time to adjust to all the changes that would greet me once I made it to my apartment in New York City. While it was easy to just become someone else physically, dealing with the changes in my head took some time. I looked forward to all that this new life had to offer me, but at the same time I could not quite let go of the past. I found myself wondering if all mothers daydreamed of some other life they might have, or was it only me, the personality kleptomaniac. Did Suzy homemaker down the road entertain fantasies about being a singer in Vegas, or perhaps dream of being a high payed ad exec in a high rise building somewhere far from home. Did any of them ever think about escape to a more glamorous, less selfless life than that offered by motherhood? Was I just selfish and self serving or would they too choose a new life if they could?

Becoming Me, 1st installment

2008-09-10T09:47:00.020-07:00

Opening

I must have had the dream again last night, though I didn’t remember it invading my subconscious when I woke this morning, the dream is what always triggers the restlessness…

I was walking through the newly laid parking lot of the grocery store, with its dark black asphalt and bright orange lines, blinding in the morning sun. I'd been coming back from the bank, where I had just finished getting something notarized. In my boredom, I began contemplating this life of mine and the daydreams Id been having all morning about something different, something wild and exciting, something that would be a change from the housewife like state I’ve existed in for what suddenly seemed like an eternity.

When I spotted the silver Armada with the New York plates parked 2 rows down from me, it was like a doorway to my soul opened up. That’s when I knew I’d had the dream last night. I felt the urge to climb in even though my husband was waiting for me at home. I felt the urge even though I had long ago become the children’s mother in practice and most definably in my own heart. I felt the urge even though I loved the father I’d had since I became Shelly. The pull was irresistible, it always was. I lifted the handle that had grown warm to the point of blistering my hand in the blow dryer hot, desert sun, and I got in. In that instant I became someone else entirely…

So I like to Stumble Upon

2008-08-08T12:36:00.009-07:00

I have a new favorite computer program, its called Stumble Upon, I find all kinds of really cool stuff (like the above pic) that way, you can download it here

http://www.stumbleupon.com/

I use it with mozilla/firefox which is also really net. It has so many fun options to play around with!!!

Here's a fun game that I "Stumbled " upon too

http://www.juliasneedledesigns.com/Air%20Force%20Test%20Game.htm

Bad Mommy Forgot First Day Pics sooo......

2008-08-05T09:25:00.006-07:00

Here is my 3rd graders second day of school :D, we were running late so no time for anything fancy, just a quick few pics!!

Here is little ornery before she woke up and became her ornery self

typical Lexie ;)

And here is Mr. Handsome, who I can NOT believe I will have to send off to kinder next year :(. I dont want him to go :(, he is so sensitive to leave alone at a big school where kids can be mean. Ana I know can take care of herself for the most part but Gage is my little sweetie pie. I wish I could keep him home with me forever I guess, but I know I cant.

Surgery

2008-07-29T19:17:00.009-07:00

So I had surgery last Thursday, all week mostly what I was thinking was, God, just let me live, I dont want my kids to grow up without a mom, God just please let me live, and he did :D!! Thank you God!!

So it was a Robotic Removal of Left Mediastinal Mass. Or rather an attempted total removal with an actual partial removal. Seems it is/was a mass of many cysts grown together around my vocal cords. They cut the top of it off and the side wall and compressed it. Im not even sure just what compressed it means. Its funny how they wanna tell you about your surgery right when you come out of it, I dont recall half of what they told me then, though I did discuss it a bit more with everyone later and I plan to discuss it in more detail at my follow up appointment on thrusday. I found a lovely picture of what it looks like when they insert ports? for them to insert the robotic instruments inside of you. Now this picture is obviously not of me since I dont have chest hair ;)

And here is a pic of the Da Vinci Robot in Use (again on someone other than me ;))

Its funny how you go into surgery, every one is all cheery and talking to you, showin you the robot their about to use on you, you look at the lights up above and think ohh cool, they look like flowers and then no one tells yah they are gonna put you under just yet but they do and then the next thing yah know, wham your awake and in major pain and its over....

When I first woke up from surgery I was in excruciating pain, I was jabbing the button on the hydromorophone alot more often than it would actually work ;), its a good thing you have to wait between doses to let it take effect (it takes 6 excruciating minutes to help ease the pain) cause I only actually needed two doses to feel better. And lemme tell yah at 10 times stronger than morophine, I was loving that stuff :D. When it (the pain) subsided due to self medication, I thought there was no way Id get to go home the next day as previously planned, but surprisingly robotic surgery pain subsided dramatically within 6 hours or so.

Over the next day I had to have help peeing once the decathed me :), fun to pee in portable toilet with people in the room waiting to measure your output, YUCK! I was also repeatedly checked out and prodded and annoyingly I was fed food with no sugar and no salt since I was in fact in a heart hospital with all these old people who were having serious life saving operations. I asked for salt once and they laughed and said I dont even think we have salt.

Eventually on friday afternoon they took my 3 IV's out- one in each arm and one in my neck, and lemme tell yah my wrists now look like dh and I are into some pretty kinky stuff ;). They removed my pain meds because I only needed them initally when I woke up and once more after, and eventually my blood pressure cuff and my drain. Any of you ever have a drain in your chest before? When they pull it out it feels like they are pulling a metal zip tie out of your body, very interesting feeling that, Ill never forget it I dont think.

Thank goodness I didn't wake up still intubated, though today is the first day I have all my vocal range back due to my very agrivated throat from the intubation. But after all that, I got to go home less than 24 hours after the end of my surgery :D. Im feeling better every day, though I can now feel odd "numb" areas around my left breast, the puncture channels feel almost like I have small tubes of foam inside of me, slightly swollen with some give yet some resistance. Odd to say the least.

And can you believe I have 4 puncture holes in me and NO stiches, they GLUED me shut :D.

A painful, strange and educational experience that I hope never to repeat again. Though they say it could regrow since some of its still in there wrapped around my vocal cords. If they had taken it all out its possible I would have never spoken again. I was looking forward to never having to worry about this again, its been nearly 18 months since I first found out and Im tired of thinking about it, glad to have the surgery out of the way. But it looks like Ill have to keep an eye on things, make sure its not growing, and if ever I start to have breathing issues or other "symptoms" Ill have to have surgery again. Let pray that isnt the case :)

So Gage says to me.....

2008-07-21T11:05:00.001-07:00

So Gage and I were talking just yesterday when Ana was off at her cousins house and DH was mowing the lawn and Lex was asleep. And he says to me, "Mom, when people die, they go to Kevin to live forever right?" I just grinned a really big grin and said "Yes Gage, when we die we go to Kevin to live forever" ;)

Your So Vain.....

2008-07-20T16:35:00.004-07:00

Vanity, its a powerful emotion. I find myself on this get healthy journey to feel better of course, and to be healthier but lets get real here, more than anything I want to look and feel thin and sexy again. I want my prebaby body back (Yah Right ;)). I dont want to look like the mom of 3 even though Im proud that I am. I want men in their 20's to give me a second look when I walk by even though Im not interested.

Exercising and eating better have helped me to feel better tremendously already and Im still losing and feeling really GREAT about that but it has its downside too. Im losing my boobs and its so unfair. Before I had Ana I was just an small A cup, after I had her I was a C until I quite nursing, then I was a B, I was ecstatic with that but not with the extra weight I was carrying around. When I had Gage I was full D when the milk arrived and by the time he was all but done nursing I was once again a C. I was a C until I started losing weight this time and Im headed for a B already, Im PO'ed about it to say the least. If only I could pick and choose where the weight would stay and where it would go.

Butt another positive side.... When I wash my behind in the shower now, it feels like Im washin some other persons back side ;), that Im happy to see go.....

Method Baby

2008-07-08T13:30:00.004-07:00

Wow to the new method baby products!!! I think Im in LOOOOVE.

I was pleasantly surprised to find an alternative to the california baby line of baby products at Target last week. They were considerably cheaper plus they had very fun and appealing packaging that made me WANT to buy it, how can a person not want to buy a product called Squeaky Green :D, too cute. I was even happier when I got home with my treasure trove of products, the bubble bath, body and hair wash and the baby lotion. The smell is AMAZING, totally amazing, Im hooked and if you like to use green products, I highly reccomend these. The kid body wash is apple and smells great too plus its so easy for little hand to squeeze the bottle, what a great design!!

Meeting Goals

2008-07-02T12:32:00.004-07:00

So I officially met my first set of get healthy goals today :). Ever since I had Ana and my thyroid went wacky on me Ive been at the same dang weight, 168, even when I would exercise and eat healthy I had a very hard time losing anything at all, rarley I would make it to 162 but it never lasted long even after a few months of lifestyle change that was all I could manage, it was very depressing and a big motivational killer.

But it seems I found some serious motivation latley, I might go so far as to call myself a tad exercise obsesses right now, plus Ive also found some things that work really well for me :). My ultimate goal is of course to feel and look better, I dont have a specific weight I want to be, maybe a range of say 115-125 sounds about right caues Im super short. But my first set of goals were to work at making sure there were fresh fruits and veggies in every single meal and snack that I eat because the enzymes in fresh fruits and veggies help you to digest your food more fully and quickly, letting your body use its resources to keep you healthy rather than having to produce more and more enzymes for you when you eat processed/canned/frozen foods. And to cut out the cycle of protein, veggie, starch meals. The starches are hard to give up but are real healthy lifestyle destroyer for me, Ive quite making rice and potatoes as sides and Ive stuck to it, so Im really happy about that, I treated myself to chips yesterday, thought just a few :). But more important to my motivation, I have been striving to get below that 160 mark, today I stepped on the scale and it said 159.8. Its just barley below but its thrilling to see it :D. Im proud of myself and my next goal will be 149, I think Ill pair that goal with doing situps at least 4 days a week, I HATE situps so much but Ill do it, I have to.

My girls "Share" a Sucker :D

2008-07-01T08:09:00.003-07:00

Its My Party and Ill Cry if I Want to

2008-06-29T16:59:00.026-07:00

Its My Party and Ill Cry if I want too ;). She was all dressed up and it was preparty naptime, I figured Id better get a picture before my little beauty messed up all my handywork.

Ah, snacktime, this is more like it, Good Party Food Mom

Me and My Birthday Girl

Why are you all staring at me and singing real loud for you crazy people!!

Lemme Try this stuff out.

Ohhhh, I think it might be good

Oh my gosh, I think Im in HEAVEN

Yumyum Good....

This is the life, me and a whole piece-a-cake.

Yah Presents!!!!!!!

This was by far Lex's favorite gift!!! Im so glad I got her this MP3 player!!

Gram brought me Minnie Mouse Outfit from Disneyland :D

Swimming Time, Look at the bathing beauty with her PaPa

Check me Out People

And a picture of all my cuties together in the 4th fo July shirts Gram brought them.

Fun With Magazines

2008-06-29T14:00:00.002-07:00

Create Fake Magazine Covers with your own picture at MagMyPic.com

Breast Pads, NOT just for breasts

2008-06-21T18:06:00.003-07:00

So today I was getting dressed to do my 4 miles on the treadmill. I put on stretchy shorts, exercise bra tank, and an exercise shirt to cover up the fact that my bra tank wont stay down over my 3 baby gut. Then I went on to my shoes, I have bloody raw heels where I once had blisters so I thought I better start with some band-aids, then on with the socks and shoes.....

So Im doing my thing, listenin to my new upbeat ipod exercise music, walking, sweating and them my bandaid come off my left heal dang it, Im dying, Im already bleeding I can tell. I scan the room. I see an old sock of Gage's on the dresser next to me and in an effort not to loose my momentum to much I straddle the treadmill, take off my shoe part way, stuff the sock in my sock and retie my shoe. Voila, all fixed, for two minutes, that is until the right bandaid comes off darn it. I scan the room again, no socks to be seen, darn it, what will I do, what will I do?..... I open my underware drawer, no idea why, Im NOT putting underware in my shoes. I bypass old bras that no longer fit my three baby boobs, I consider ripping up a pair of undies, and then I see a old breast pad, you know the washable cotton kind. I grab it, staddle the treamill again and shove it in, tie up shoe and hit the treadmill again. And wow, this is even better than the sock!!! Im gonna do this every day!!!!

So now I have a REAL reason for not getting rid of that huge bag of breast pads even though you never need them past the 6 month mark. Breast pads/ankle savers :D. I should patent them, I know I cant be the only one who gets raw heals every time they walk!

My new fav blog

2008-06-21T17:51:00.000-07:00

Putting the Mental in environmental. I LOVE this blog. Im so peeing on my squash from now on. Forget the toilet and wasting water. Im just gonna go cop a squat on the zucchini ;).... Dont eat dinner at my house, LOL. Seriously though, I like this blog

http://crunchychicken.blogspot.com/

Yah its hot here but.......

2008-06-21T16:38:00.002-07:00

It may be hot but its profitable!!

$14 is all it cost and all I had to do was go 2 miles up to a park down the road in rural QC thanks to a coop

Of course this is all now unimpotant since my garden started producing useable produce, but still, Im glad the resource is there

So This is Disneyland

2008-06-04T23:51:00.000-07:00

So this is Disneyland Says Lex, I kinda like it here mom!! And this chipmunk guy, he is too cute

I think Ana kinda likes him too :D

And lets not forget Gage

Lex and her PaPa sitting in front of Boo's door

Watch out for Pirates Matey

2008-06-04T22:59:00.009-07:00

So the pirates lair over at the old Tom Sawyers Island is really neat, its a shame we all got rained out over there that day, I would have loved to explore more than we were able. We will have to hit it on a better day next time. The kids loves roaming around.

Mini Mouse is one of Gage's favorites, last time we went he was so bashful with her, this time not as much but he sure liked her alot :D.

Kiddos and a Cup and Saucer

We just love having my parents along, the kids enjoy it, we get to do alot of easy rider swaping so everyone gets fun and time with the baby without feeling left out at all. Plus Ana got to do nearly every ride 2 times in a row.

Kids have an amazing ammounts of energy, even after being in the park nearly all day this day, they still ran around in tarzans tree house and climbed the ropes

The O's have it

And so now were home

2008-06-04T22:18:00.003-07:00

Well ok we have actually been home for almost two weeks now but Ive been to buy to share our pictures and video. The first day home was exhausting, and the kids thougt it was pile on mom time :D

And of course there was lots of shopping, this is my new matching Tink tote and wallet, I LOVE this bag Im so glad I bought it!! I kept eyeing up the cherry bag that had mickey's head made of cherries, Im so glad I held out till later when I found this set!!

My super HUGE new coffee cup, its a tradition Ive started, get a new cup each year on our trip to Dland!!

And of course the kids all got hats :D

Mother's Day Flowers

2008-05-12T13:31:00.002-07:00

For mother's day, my kids woke me up with two dozen roses :) and a sweet card, they fed me donuts, and gave me flower pens they had both made at school :). They were sweet and the morning was nice :). Dh made me fry bread tacos for dinner and cleaned the house :). It was a lazy family day that we enjoyed together.

Bad Mommy....

2008-05-10T16:06:00.003-07:00

So I must be a bad mommy, for mothers day, what I really want is to be left alone, totally and completley alone. Im exhausted, Im fed up, Im tired of being the mommy. The baby is ALWAYS either destroying or screaming because IM not letting her destroy. She wont nurse, she wont drink so basically all she does is eat and poop, barely even pees. She wont stop long enought do anything but cram food in so she can spit half of it out into her hands and smear it all over her hair, body, the table and what ever else she can reach.

My sweet little boy has decided to threaten and hit people, mainly his big sis, who is a big bully to him most of the time these days anyway. He tells me no, he screams at me, where this came from Ive no idea, he use to be my sweet perfect child.

Ana, well she is Ana, if you knew her no other explanation would be necessary. She has tried me since she was 3 days old non-stop. You'd think Id of been prepared for a second girl after her. But no, the baby, she is whiney and destructive.

Today at walmart I seriously considered running down the isle and ditching them in hopes someone else would take them home, or putting them in a cardboard box out front with a sign that said free puppies, please take one!!

Its a good thing I love them and that tomorrow is a different day or I might run away.

Playin With Movie Software

2008-05-09T16:27:00.002-07:00

THought this one turned out cute :D

More Preparation

2008-05-08T07:32:00.004-07:00

So in my/our ongoing quest to be ready in case the recession gets people going nuts, or some other possibility I am taking a free class in solar oven cooking tonight. Im excited about it. The LDS people around here have some awesome resources to be sure.

And I think dh and I have decided on a pair of 9 mm's and plenty of ammo. I want a cute little pink pocket hand gun too, I know its silly but I supopse Im just a tad girly sometimes :D, do girly and guns go together?

Anyhow, I guess I probably sound a little paranoid but with talk of gas reaching $8 a gallon and food going up and up and up, Im glad I have my garden. I still haven't gotten the chickens but I really think we should and the guns and solar cooking ability should help in case Im not paranoid.

GS Trip Pics

2008-05-06T10:31:00.009-07:00

Ana and a the leaders daughter.

Hiking, duh right ;)

Group Craft Time, you can see Ana with the brownie Euro-sac on her back

Typical Ana, always the messy one ;)

Look at my sassy girl :D. This is a group pic from her gs camping trip last this past weekend, a shame its not safe to share everyones faces.

A mothers Love

2008-05-04T23:59:00.006-07:00

Today my Girl Scout came home.....

On friday I checked my dd out of school early. I took her home and we gathered her things, she changed her clothes and off we went back to her school. You see, we were meeting her GS troupe there. They were headed off to camp and trying to miss rush hour traffic.

I never imagined it would be so hard to see her go, she stays days and days with her grandparents and Im always more thankful than anything for the peace and quite that follows her leaving with them than I am concerned about the leaving. But it seems sending your first born off with someone you dont trust as much as your own parents is harder. I never imagined I would fret as much as I did. I found myself unable to sleep that night, and when I did doze off I would wake up thinking of car accidents of varied sorts. I never imgained I would count the minutes until she arrived home, but that is just what I did. DH felt the same :).

She came home today, dirty and tired and telling us she felt as if she had been to Disneyland already :D. The trip went better than planned even for the leaders, they got to hike and eat smores, trade swaps and learn new skills. And while she was there, miss idenpendant woke in the night with a bad dream, wishing for her mom. :) I smile not for the bad dream that she had, but that my super confident first born still wishes for her mom. I smile because next year I get to be a coleader for her troupe, I smile because though she had a great adventure without me, next year I get to join in :D.

Today my girl scout came home....

Pimento Jar

2008-05-03T00:10:00.007-07:00

So while I was growing up my mother had this pimento jar, empty pimento jar mind you, that sat on our window seal above the kitchen sink. I didn't know why it was always there next to the Princess House crystal glass holding white sand from White Sands New Mexico, but there it was day in and day out, empty.... We didn't have a working dish washer when I was a child because ours had broken years before and so I often saw the pimento jar as I washed a dish or got a drink, cause God Forbid, people actually drank tap water back then. The jar was small and clear and it had a blue lid with an orange stripe....

Some things never change I guess. I have NEVER cooked anything with pimentos in it before last week, and in fact I didnt even buy the pimentos for the recipe I made, my wonderful husband did. But wouldn't yah know it, the jar he brought home was small and clear and had an, you guessed it, orange stripe. For some reason I couldn't throw it away, weird yes, nutty maybe, but none the less there it sits on the ledge above my kitchen sink....

Today, we used it as a jar for cleaning paint brushes, later who knows, but I think Ill just keep it a while cause I seem to want it for some reason....

Lexie

2008-04-25T08:51:00.004-07:00

Flip Video

2008-04-23T15:05:00.002-07:00

In case anyone is interested in a review, I really like the flip video camera. I know that the quality on the youtube videos looks horrible but that is because its so compressed by youtube. The picture quality is pretty good for a $130 digital video camera, the color of somethings leaves a bit to be desired and the mic is only good within about 12 feet. The editing is super easy and upload even easier. It was well worth the price IMO

The kids swing, giggle, etc

2008-04-23T15:02:00.000-07:00

Meet Ana as the Evil Queen/Hannah Montana singing Rock Star :D

2008-04-23T14:58:00.002-07:00

The Evil Queen because she has on some super dark eye makup and lipstick, she had been playing the evil queen part in a play she and her friends put on earlier in the day. She is mad at me for not redoing this since you can hear the swings squeeking int he background, maybe later well do it again.

Meet Gage, Kung Foo Panda

2008-04-21T19:11:00.001-07:00

Entitlement

2008-04-19T16:38:00.003-07:00

Entitlement has been on my mind lately, people always think they are entitled to this and entitled to that, even my kids or maybe especially my kids. Just today I was reading about how a group of ladies thought they were entitled to ane explanation, and well Im just not sure why they feel entitled and yet at the same time they feel people on the other side of the issue are not entitled to their feelings or humaness or to an explanation of their own. Entitlement is a funny thing though, ususally only the owner of the feelings of entitlement sees it that way.

Ill say this though, its been for research, years of research. You see Im writing a book.....

Digital Video- Flip Video Ultra

2008-04-19T13:28:00.002-07:00

I am so psyched. Last week I ordered The Pink Flip Video Ultra and it should arrive on Monday. Mostly I want it for our upcoming Dland trip but Im betting it will get alot of use since it is so small and compact. I cant wait to play around with it though, and since its supposedly really easy to upload directly to Utube, I can torture my online friends with videos of my kids soon :D. Next weeks blogs should be full of video for your viewing pleasure :D.

Again with David Cook

2008-04-17T09:39:00.003-07:00

I am unendingly impressed with this guy, he is so talented. It matters little who wins Idol at this point really, he is by far the best in my book. Though I think Kristy Lee Cook could make some great country albums and Carly could sell alot of albums with the right songs and even Brook if she would do something that fits her, alot of what she had done on Idol does not fit her

Getting Chickens, Yah....

2008-04-15T11:41:00.005-07:00

Yah, were most likely going to get some chickens!!! Gonna keep em in my garden to eat bugs and lay eggs for us :D, actually maybe not in my garden, dont chickens eat everything. Im trying more and more to rely less and and less on the grocery store!. If only I had room for a dairy cow for milk and a cow to raise for beef. Also planning to get an apple tree and some grape vines and a replacement clementine and nectarine tree, the dog ate the first ones we got, rotten dog :D

Ok so maybe a strange reason to get excited but I am :D

98 degrees, EEK!!!, DH is Dead-Meat and Nim's Island

2008-04-14T08:29:00.005-07:00

That is our projected high for today, Im so cleaning the pool and going to costco to get Lexie a floaty boat, I hope they have those floaty boats for babies this year!! I am not ready for 98 degrees, but I know its really time, today at 7:30 I walked dd to school and I was wearing shorts and a spaghetti strap tank top and I was good and warm cause it was already over 70.

So I was playing guitar hero last night with the kids and I turn around and dh is video taping me, I am so embaressed, I really get into it when I play :D. I must come up with an evil plan to get back at him :D. Im open for suggestions....

So we saw Nim's Island Sunday with the kiddos. What a great movie, so family friendly and so imaginative. Im glad we chose it. DD was sure she wouldn't like it, but only cause she wanted to see Horton Hear a Who more. She was happily surprised to love what we watched ;).

We are all excited for Speed Racer and Journey to the Center of the Earth too. Gage is always running around doing the speed racer sound, and is dying for the helmet they have at Target, I wonder if he will still like it by Christmas, I was thinking of getting it and putting it back till then. That and the Wii game, it comes out next month.

Dancing Cactus

2008-04-14T08:13:00.002-07:00

So on the way home from taking dd to school this morning my son looks at me in all seriousness and says "hey mawm, remember when we were camping and there were dancing cactuses up there."

I drew a blank for a minute and so he goes on to elaborate for me.....

"You know, the ones dad said are electricity and they jump and were electricity and we jump"

Sure its crystal clear now right :D. But out of this I got what he really meant. He was talking about cholla of course and yah, you sure dont want to go near that stuff, it will certainly bite yah ;). You could swear they really do jump at you and dh told ds that he thought it was a static electricity attraction that did it, that was where the electricity came in :D.

Eating, Hazardous to your health

2008-04-13T07:05:00.006-07:00

Im a research fanatic, I LOVE to read, learn, research. And what good is learning about something if you dont use it to better things right? So this morning while I had a bit of quiet time I was researchign neurotoxins. A topic that has been on my mind as of late. Just yesterday dh and I were eating chinese and discussing soy sauce as a neurtoxin due to msg that is processed into it. I came across an informative article and am just newley digusted at how many foods you cant even enjoy without ingesting some fairly common neurotoxins.

http://www.evenbetternow.com/als-diet.asp

I mean milk and cheese and cottage cheese for gods sake. I can do no milk now, Ive gotten use to it for Lexie's sake but I LOVE cheese and cottage cheese. And the most sickening of all, the fact that baby formula has msg in it. Isnt that lovely, I knew this of course but it bothers me still, each time I read about it.

http://www.truthinlabeling.org/formulacopy.html

And another fun tidbit, crop sprays that contain glutamic acid, which is pretty much msg (and yes I realize that glutamic acid is an amino acid that is one of the necessary things for building proteins but when you have to much and in odd forms that its processed into it becomes toxic) are in use around the US, so basically you cant even eat fresh veggies from the grocery store without getting msg in your diet. Disgusting, totally disgusting. Just do a google search for msg crop spray.

http://www.truthinlabeling.org/IVhistoryOfUse.html

The more I read about foods, diet and the bad things in them, the more I think I have found my calling in dietetics :). I am pleased with that, seems the third time is the charm. From computer networking, to english lit, to dietetics :D. I think to Ill specialize in children's dietary needs, it will more closley match my ultimate goal of becoming a lactation consultant. Ill have a pediatric sort of dietetic practice :D

Princess Destructo

2008-04-10T10:00:00.004-07:00

Thats the nickname Miss LeX has earned herself. We all call her that, but in particular her brother does, one can hardly blame him though, she can eat light sabers and legos pretty fast. She is like some crazy tornado doing the army crawl. A mini whirlwind on hand and knees, an Arizona dust devil picking up and tossing around everything in her path. She can destry a room in less than a minute and she cant even walk yet!! She went from barely able to sit herself upright unassisted-to crawling-to standing and now-to cruising in less than 2 weeks. Im sure walking is very shortly to follow.

Yesterday I found a screw hole cover/plug in her mouth, I cant even dig these things out on purpose because they are flush with the door, HOW she got it out Ill never know. I find her in the pantry chewing onions and potatoes if I turn around for two seconds when Ive been in there. I cant leave anything in her playpen cause she trys to climb out already by piling things up, at 9 MONTHS OLD. And now to top it all off, she is a biter. Ive never had a biter before, I mean yah I had to teach Gage not to bite while nursing, Ana too, but Lexie bites any appendages she can get in her mouth and somehow that includes shoulders, OUCH!!

Children of Men

2008-04-08T22:13:00.004-07:00

So, they are talking TV series for this movie. I LoVEd the movie in the sense that it was VERY thought provoking in all that it did not say, all that it left to the imagination, all that it didn't have time to address. Such as WHy weren't the people of the world able to conceive and birth children anymore? Why did main man and sort of main woman lose their baby (forgive me for forgetting their names, its been several months since I saw it and being a nursing mom, well, I can only remember from hour to hour ;), it sucks your brain dry you know ;). Where did they, main man and birthing woman go later, after the child came. How is this like when Jesus was born as various people have sited other than maybe it gave people hope? How extensive is the network of helpers and how corrupt is it? Is pots smoking helper man dead, even though we probably think he is, and whats up with his wife anyway?

This was a great movie with so many thought provoking starts of story lines, it was a sort of smorgasbord of possible literary discussions, unless you name is Anjelica and you dont like that drawn out stuff, but hey whatever ;), you might be busy learning to be a nurse or some other important shit.

But seriously, I could get alot from a tv show about this and Id love to see it play out. Though Im concered the tv people wont be up for all the violence involved. And like Journeyman, Im concerned it will go the way of all cult favs, canceled prematurely.

If you not hip to this great movie, you can be by following this link, well worth the trip, I can assure you ;), plus you can see some of the answers to the questions Ive already posed if you not to lazy to read....

http://www.christianitytoday.com/movies/reviews/2006/childrenofmen.html