La Bella Vita

If Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend...

2009-12-03T15:47:00.001-08:00

...Then I have never had a best friend and I am starting to get lonely.

Well...not really...but kinda...here is the lowdown...

When Josh and I got engaged he used a cheapy ring from JC Penney to pop the question with...telling me that he wanted me to pick out my ring but he wanted the proposal to be a surprise. Therefore, we did not go shopping for rings before hand because he didn't want me to anticipate it. I was relieved when he told me that the ring he used was not the ring. I love Josh to death but he proposed with a ring that had a heart shaped diamond on it! It was fitting because he proposed on Valentine's day...but after that I was kind of embarrassed to show the ring to people. It reminded me of something a boy might give a girl in junior high. Oh...that just made me love Josh more!

Anyhow...so I shopped a little and knew what I liked back then...a whole 7 1/2 years ago...I liked this. I couldn't commit though.

I still think it is pretty but I am not in love with it.

Due to the fact that we were young, me being 19 and Josh 22 (that is practically babies!) and fresh out of high school and/or a mission, we did not have huge bank accounts. Josh had some money saved up from working in high school and I had a choice to make. We could use that money for one of two things. A.) our honeymoon or B.) my wedding ring.

I love to travel and having adventures has always ranked well above jewelry. So you know what I picked. And it was fantastic and I would make that same choice over and over again...no regrets there.

When we got married this looks like the ring he put on my finger

'cept mine did not have real diamonds...but I guess the gold was kinda real...however that works...I am not an expert. He got the ring in Trinidad when he went to serve the last month of his mission there with his parents. It was only 75.00 but I was perfectly content and happy with it. Until one of the diamonds fell out and my fingers grew to plump sausages when I got pregnant and it hasn't fit since.

Since then I have been wearing fakes. Like the 9.99 costume jewelry on the swivel racks. Some people can't tell and I gets lots of comments which immediately makes me feel like an impostor and I have to divulge that it is fake just in case they know it is fake but feel sorry for me because I think it is real.

Then last Christmas we were at a mall in Memphis and I lost Josh. I searched for him and when I spotted him in the jewelry store my heart fluttered. When he came out I questioned his intentions and he told me I deserve a real diamond. Now, I do not need a diamond to feel good about myself or feel like my husband really does love me...but it did make me swoon a little and I love that Josh can still make me feel like that 7 years later:)

So...after that very long explanation I just may get to the purpose of the post. It was to tell you that lately a ring on the commercials has caught my eye and I thought "this just might be the one!" Here it is...

It is the Everlon Knot Ring in 14 K White Gold...this one is 1/4ct. and only 599.99 which is cheap as far as wedding rings go. You can get higher carats but I have no clue what size I prefer until I get some on my finger. No too big but no too small either. I wouldn't go smaller than this.

Here are some other versions....

holy heck that just took me like 30 minutes to get those pictures on here...don't know if it is worth the effort...ha!

Anyhow...this is a really premature post because I have not seen the rings in person and my taste could totally change once I put it on. Also...I am wondering if in the future I might think this is ugly...so that is scary.

Anyhow...what do you think? If you think it is puke worthy do not be afraid to tell me...I want to know! If you do like it, which version do you like best?? Tell me the number of the ring...with #1 being the first knot I showed you. Thanks for indulging me!

It has only been FOREVER

2009-11-22T17:29:00.001-08:00

Hey Everybody!

After what has been an eternity I have updated over at Dollars for Diapers. I posted some ideas for getting out and giving this holiday season. If any of you have some fun traditions or experiences that you would like to share please visit me over there and leave it in the comments! and PLEASE DO SHARE!! I love to hear traditions and new ideas...so go! Yes...the post is long but is chalk full of ideas in case you need a little help or boost at what you and your family can do this year.

I have really been neglecting the blog for Dollars for Diapers but I have been working on it locally...so I have not abandoned it completely...just have not been good at updating. :)

And I did notice my button went all weird...I will work on getting that fixed. So thanks to all of you that have stuck with me and kept your buttons up and have supported me! It really means a lot. If any of you would like to donate there is a Pay Pal button on the blog and a 100% guarantee that your funds will go directly to a sweet little baby tushie;)

Sunny and Chic Give Away!

2009-11-20T17:58:00.000-08:00

click HERE to enter a fabulous giveaway! For those of you who do not know Lara...she makes fabulous headbands...I know...I bought one. It is super cute! So...go enter...eventhough I don't really want you to because I want to win this one...but I thought I would be kind and share;)

Memorable Moments 2009...#2

2009-11-12T19:46:00.000-08:00

Being with my sister as she went through labor and gave birth. I don't care what people say...yea or nay....it was amazing!

It was really tough to be there while she was in intense pain and there was nothing I could do...I tried rubbing her back because she told me to and then smacked me away...haha! I tried to offer a bit of assistance through my words...don't know exactly how much help I was. I am guessing none at all. It was a loooooong and a very exhausting day...even for just me watching!!!

BUT...when the end result came out (after HOURS of pushing) it was so thrilling and so amazing and it took my breath away! It was just so neat to be there to see Atrion enter the world. (yes, his name is different, most likely you have not heard it before, it worked perfect for them, so get over it;)

I am glad I was able to be there and have loved seeing Atrion grow and change. He is a sweet boy. It was definitely one of the highlights of my year!

The Many Faces of Carter...at the fair!

2009-11-03T22:34:00.001-08:00

In September we went to the Delta County Fair in Memphis! This was our 2nd year going and we always have lots of fun and sweat to death.
This year Carter was tall enough to ride ALL the kiddie rides ALONE...last year one of us had to ride with him. So, I was relieved that this year I didn't have to try and squeeze on all the rides. No joke...last year's pics at the fair are all of ME on kiddie rides because they make the adults sit on the outside. I eclipsed Carter. I could post those pics...and you could laugh your head off at my expense...but I'm not going to.

(I would have made Josh ride the rides but he gets motion sick faster than ...umm...trying to think of something clever...well fast...I was going to say faster than your aunt patty flaps her gums...but I don't know no aunt patty.)

The little girl above was so cute and instantly became Carter's buddy and took him on a few rides with her.
I wish I could do that now...just walk up to some random person...hook arms...and have the time of our lives without all the awkwardness and small talk that goes along with meeting someone new. Insta-Buddies...I am totally inventing this...so don't steal it...anyone who wants to participate will wear a button informing you that they are indeed up to being your instant best friend...no questions asked...just walk on up...take their hand...then go see that chic flick you have been wanting to go to, or take a trip to the spa together, and you can move right on to the juicy gossip and leave talk about the weather on the doorstep...brilliant I say...brilliant! oooh or you can redbox them...for only a dollar a night...I would ask my best friend to cook for me and then babysit while the hubby and I went out
...hmmmm...I guess it is not a buddy I am really looking for after all....oh my goodness it is late and I shouldn't "late type" it always gets me in trouble.

As you can gather from these pictures, it was hot outside. Case in point: Carter's rosy cheeks and sweat drenched hair. So we sought respite inside an air conditioned building we were sat...gone are the days of running from end to end of the fair from sun up to sundown...it is more like dragging ourselves from end to end...envying the people on motorized scooters and wishing the new mode of transportation for all people would be golf carts. What?

This moment of rest brought out Carter's many faces. Enjoy.

Isn't he great!

Memorable Moments 2009...#1

2009-11-02T20:53:00.000-08:00

Coming home to Mississippi (after being in Idaho for 3 weeks helping my sister) and finding out that Josh had completely potty trained Carter! Talk about the best present ever!!!! I was soooo happy that Carter finally decided it was time and that Josh did such a wonderful job facilitating the process. It took a long, loooong time for Carter to get on board and I was not looking forward to trying again. I am so happy with the choice not push Carter and "force" him to do it. Once he was ready he went straight to undies (no pull-ups, night time diapers, etc.) and he only has an occasional "wet the bed" accident here or there. So yay! Josh...here is the husband of the year award. If you never do another thing in your life it would be okay because you did this (I can say this because I know he won't read this).

Halloween..What Else?

2009-11-01T17:23:00.001-08:00

I thought I should jump in quickly and put a Halloween picture up before the moment passed me...with how far behind I am I did not want to be posting about this in February. This is a horrible cell phone picture that I am too lazy to try and edit because there isn't much hope. However, Carter was an awesome tiger! He had fun with his trick-er-treat buddies and kept up with the big kids all night. It was a perfect evening for candy collecting in Mississippi this night...Carter was too warm!

Earlier in the day Josh took Carter to Cedar Hill Farms to celebrate the day. They went through a corn maze, rode ponies, went to the big pumpkin patch, watched little piggies race, and played on the playground. Carter also got his face painted to match his Tiger costume...it was awesome, unfortunately only crappy cell phone pics once again...sniff.

I LOVE Halloween and Fall and cannot believe I have to wait another 364 days before I get to do this again:)

I Heart Faces: Halloween Dress-up

2009-10-26T14:50:00.001-07:00

I am entering the I Heart Faces Halloween Dress-up contest...just for fun;) There are amazing entries at I Heart Faces...so look around if you have time!

Speaking Words of Wisdom...Let it Be

2009-10-11T17:56:00.000-07:00

I just read this on my friend Amy's blog who read it on her friend's blog and thought many of you might need to hear this as well. I sure need it...and I will need it tomorrow...and the next day and the next. Carter is being particularly challenging lately and at times I start to pity myself and start apologizing to everyone about my son being 3 years old and acting like it. In the back of mind of course I know that Carter is my greatest blessing but I need to bring that to the forefront more often and start treating him like our Father would treat him. I need to stop saying things like..."when he is grown I will finally be able to do this"..."when he just starts school then things will get easier"...etc...why do I keep wishing my greatest blessing away? None of things I think I want to do "when he is grown" are anywhere near the importance of raising my son...nothing will be a greater accomplishment than enduring as a family...a happy one...a loving one...nothing. I do have to give myself some credit though and say that we do have amazing days and I love him more than life....but I need to work harder at turning those frowns upside down whenever they appear. So read on folks...read on!

How do you think of your children? On any given day, would you say your children are a blessing or a burden? Here is a challenge to you…How are you?”…“How is the baby?”…“How are your kids?”… We all hear these questions every day. Do you know a mom who always answers something like this: “Well, I haven’t killed my 2-year-old yet, so I guess that’s good.” Or, “I’m just exhausted,” or, “Things are absolutely crazy – I am so stressed out!”
Maybe that frazzled, haggard, bewildered mommy is someone you know. Maybe it’s you. I know I’ve been there. Here is my question to you today… are we bearing our blessings as burdens? Those babies that we dreamt of and prayed for, that we had so much fun choosing names for, that we counted the days to meet… are they burdens to us now? Those homes that we were ecstatic to move into… are they burdens now? That husband that we couldn’t live without, that we picked out the wedding dress for, that we cried and ached and waited by the phone for… is he a burden now? That job you needed, you wanted and prayed for, that provides food and clothing for your family… is it a burden now?Sometimes it seems to me like a mantle we as moms must carry. We must be tired, we must be stressed out; we must be harried and frazzled, we must be lucky just to make it through the day. Are we bearing our blessings as burdens? Are we tired? Absolutely.
As moms, we know about the 2 a.m. feedings, the nightmares, the wet beds, the midnight curfews. Do things get a little stressful between PTA meetings, dance class, the T-ball game, and dinner on the table at 6? Sure they do. Are husbands always a joy when they get home from work? No way. Is scrubbing the potty, doing the laundry, and cleaning the high chair tray the greatest thrill we’ve ever known? Of course not.
So how do we look past the burdens and see the blessings of our families and our homes? Do you know any women who would give anything to have a baby to nurse at 2 a.m.? Anyone who would love to have those clothes we are sick of washing, or that house we just can’t keep clean. Do you know any women whose husbands aren’t coming home?
I challenge you to joy, to smile, to persevere. I challenge you to bear your burdens as blessings and watch as they multiply. And the next time someone asks you how you are, throw off that identity of stressed out, frazzled mommy, find your smile and answer, “I am blessed!”

Thanks Amy for sharing! I am Blessed! If any of you want to post this...post on folks...post on!

The Easter Bunny Came...like 6 months ago!

2009-10-09T21:23:00.000-07:00

So how late can one post possibly be? Since I am making a book I hate to leave out anything I have pictures of. So here ya go!

Looking snazzy in his new Easter suit. I wish I would have taken some good pics outside or something...oh well...he looked so sharp!

The Saturday preceding Easter Sunday, a local church sponsored a big egg hunt in the park...complete with face painting. Carter picked a baseball and was so proud of his new body art that he walked with his left cheek jutting out.

Here he is waiting for the whistle to sound so he could begin collecting eggs.It was not a "hunt" by any means...for his age group they threw a bunch of eggs out onto the tennis court. Carter was so sweet and would just pick up the eggs and hand them to other kids. The kids would look at him like he was crazy before snatching the egg out of his hands.

Even with his giving heart he still came away with a full basket! Check out his loot!

After the egg hunt there was a parade on the main drag. It was a celebratory send off for our local troops who were being deployed. It was very nice and patriotic. I am grateful for the soldiers who are serving our country.

Waving our flags to show support!

We had a great holiday weekend together with just our little family. We did get invited over to dinner on Sunday by some members from our ward...so I lucked out of cooking again! Happy Easter everyone! :)

Carter Turned 3!....4 months ago...

2009-10-04T15:51:00.001-07:00

I have a lot of catching up to do. I want to get all of my posts done that I need to in the next couple weeks...then make a book...and then be done blogging. I have been meaning to do this post for oh...4 months!

On June 6th Carter turned 3 years old! Now he is almost 3 1/2! How it got to be October already I will never know! Seriously...SLOW DOWN!

Carter's ultimate desire was to go to Chuck E. Cheese's for his birthday. He loves that place. I love it for that fact that it is practically deserted in the morning and Carter and I can have the place to ourselves. So, on Thursday June 4th, we celebrated Carter turning 3 by having a party of 3 at Chuck E. Cheese's. He was delighted.

I had planned to make Carter a really awesome cake this year. However, just before his birthday we moved...then moved again if you recall...into our office...with no stove. Baking was out. So...even better...I took Carter to Wal-Mart and let him look through their book of cakes and pick whichever one he wanted. As you can see he chose "Bolt". I just might do this every year. Easy...looks better than any cake I would make...and Carter was beyond thrilled to be able to select whichever cake his little heart desired. No stress. Perfect. (It actually tasted good too which surprised me...I had 0 expectations.)

I decorated the table with punching balloons and inflatable animals. You do not have to pay to just go in and use a table and they let you bring your own cake. We did order a pizza and tokens package. I think our total cost for the Chuck E. Cheese party was 50.00. Not bad.

We got him "Bolt" the movie to go along with his cake choice. Grandma DeAnn (Josh's mom) sent us money to get him a gift with which we purchases this scooter! Thank you Grandma DeAnn! My mom, Grandma Theresa, sent Carter 40.00 to go to Target and pick out whatever he wanted. He ended up getting a big Batman play set and I bought him extra action figures and vehicles to go with it. He loved it. We also got him an industrial size container of bubbles and bubble wands. The picture below is a set of tools that he asked for. I think they are all missing now.

This is Carter going crazy with 3 punching balloons.

Carter is a hoot. We love having him around and he makes us laugh daily. Here are some of my favorite things about Carter right now:

*He wakes up instantly happy in the morning. He needs no transition time. He usually pops up and says a funny phrase or makes a funny noise as soon as he opens his eyes.

*He is a snuggler in the morning.

*He is hilarious and says the funniest things. He makes goofy faces and gives funny nicknames. He just nicknamed Atrion (my sister's 3 month old) "Bobble Head".

*He has a tender heart and is very kind. He is always aware of how people are feeling and will ask them why they are feeling the way they are feeling. You better respond the first time to his inquiry because he will not stop asking until you oblige him.

*He is instantly your friend. Every kid on the playground has equal opportunity for friendship with Carter. If you don't want to play with him then too bad because he will play with you anyway.

*He is very bright. He learns very quickly. He speaks very well and will tell us stories always starting with "Once Upon Time"...he always has awesome sound effects in his stories as well.

We Love You Carter Bug and hope your 4th year holds so many magical adventures!

Seven

2009-08-30T17:46:00.000-07:00

I meant to do this post around the 9th...seeing as that was our 7 year anniversary. I did manage to put a lovey-dovey background up and an old picture of us. Our header is from 1999...Josh's senior prom. I was 16 and Josh was 18. 16??? That is crazy talk. That night was a really fun night. Josh had his van all decked out in my favorite colors (purple and yellow). Balloons and streamers and lights. Haha...I can't remember anything else...where did we go for dinner? Haha...I said it was really fun but I don't remember...but the fact that I was with Josh and Julie and Lance guarantees it. So we will just go with that.(Look at the awesome backdrop that the photographers came up with)

To celebrate our 7 years together we took a trip away from all of our babies (read:tenants). We drove the 6 hours to Eastern Tennessee to the great Smokey Mountains. We had a blast. The tri-city area of Sevierville, Pigeon Forge, and Gatlinburg is where we were. It is such a family oriented and fun place to visit. There are endless amounts of activities to do with Carter that we, as mature, sophisticated adults, could enjoy as well. I have lots of pictures that I will post soon and tell you more about what we did there.

I want to say Happy Anniversary to Josh, who never reads my blog! It really has been a great 7 years. He puts up with A LOT having me as a wife and I really appreciate him sticking by me. He is the epitome of hard work. He puts 145.76% into everything he does. It is a great sense of pride for me when I always have people coming up to me and telling me what a great guy Josh is. It happens quite often because that is how Josh is...always out helping and serving. He also is very active and HERE when he is home with us. He cleans, does laundry, reads stories, plays games, wrestles, makes breakfast, scrubs toilets, and does all the dirty work. Indeed I am rather spoiled...and quite lazy from the looks of this list...what do I do? I really appreciate him and need to work harder at letting him know. Thanks Sweetie! I love you forever!

Here is to year 8! Crazy how I swear I just wrote the post entitled "Six" last year...seriously!?!?! How many times can I ask...where does the time go???

Sardis Lake April 2009

2009-08-13T10:36:00.001-07:00

I am trying to catch up and get all of my photos posted so that I can start taking new ones. These pictures are from our very first camping trip since before Carter was born.

Why is my text underlined??

Anyhow...don't know how I completely missed taking a picture of the acutal camping site but here are some at the lake. It was still off season so no one else was there. There were some boats out there...but I imagine this place is a lot more hopping in the summer. We were actually pretty miserable during the night...it got pretty cold which we weren't expecting. We had planned on staying a couple nights but cut the trip short. We will have to try again soon...it doesn't get cold at night anymore. I also have a hard time thinking camping is fun with just the 3 of us...I feel like I need all my family and friends there to sit around and chat with. I will have to try to be more creative and create our own fun. Anyhow...enjoy the pictures.

Mind Dumping

2009-07-24T00:54:00.001-07:00

Have you ever found yourself sitting alone, quietly, in the dark and suddenly become so aware of yourself? Your thoughts becoming so loud you swear that if anyone was near you that they would totally pick up on the images and words swirling around in your head. That happens to me once in a while and if any of you tuned in now you might see that I am thinking of each of you...as I type my mind is running down my blog list and picturing each of you...like I am having my own little conversation with you. Unfortunately for us both I do not have anything of substance to say.

I thought I just might sit down and purge...just type...free flow. I haven't blogged for a while and really have been quite "over" the whole thing. Many times I have said I was going to make my blog private and use it strictly as Carter documentation, which I need to do more of badly. He is growing up so fast.

I am still in Poky. I have been taking the night shift for Casey and Cody. They go to bed when they are ready...somewhere between 10:00 and midnight. Then I stay up as long as I possibly can. I have loved doing this. I remember how much I needed sleep when Carter was first born...so this is something I have lenjoyed doing for them. So the past few weeks I have been getting to bed right around when most of you are waking up. This experience had made me think that if I had a nanny to take the night shift I would more than happily have a million kids.

I miss my boys dearly. Today I got a picture text on my phone of Carter swinging in the park with his friend, Ethan. He had a smile that stretched from ear to ear and he looked like he was having the time of his life. Tears immediately streamed down my cheeks and I had a few sobs here and there. I am glad I was in the car, alone, when I checked that message. I cried because I miss him immensely and cried more because he was so happy. Tears of relief, if you will. The only way I am able to be so far away from him is because I know he has an amazing daddy who is his hero and is taking him on great adventures while I am away. They are making some great memories together and that is totally cry worthy. I love you Josh. I don't know many husbands who would agree to the mom/wife being away for 3 weeks while you have to run the property and take care of Carter 24/7. I love you for letting me enjoy my time here and not having to worry that everything is okay back home. A few moms here and there have commented that they could never leave their kids for that long...my answer to you is...then don't.

I am also saying a prayer right now blessing whoever invented Skype.

On a similar note, it becomes glaringly obvious that when your oldest child turns 2 people start expecting an announcement any minute about when the next bundle of joy will be coming along. Well my one and only turned 3 and I have noticed some people are almost beside themselves wondering why I have not yet made a proclamation. Luckily, I am one that is not the least bit offended by this and find I am often curious about others as well. People have asked me and I am more than willing to share. Well...if it was up to me and my schedule then #2 would be somewhere around 3-9 months right now. However, I have come to terms that it is out of my control. Some women can get pregnant just thinking about it and others struggle with conceiving their entire lives. I think I fall somewhere in the middle. I have had the extreme pleasure of getting pregnant and having a baby. It took about 3 years of trying for that to happen. Because it took so long the first time, we have done nothing to prevent any future pregnancies but so far no such luck, obviously. So that is my answer...I definitely want #2 and if it was in my control it would have happened by now. However, do not feel sorry for me. I am very happy and very content. I am a firm believer that things happen for a reason. I feel strongly that I am known way better by my Father and trust that if I am supposed to have more kids then I will. Who knows...maybe down the road it will get to me and then I will be telling a different story. Right now, however, my story is one of loving the little family that I have and enjoying the one son I do have. My only bit of heartache happens when I think of Carter. I want him to have siblings. I can't imagine my life without my siblings and I want Carter to have the same blessings that my brothers and sister have been to me. I have not gotten into detailed tests or anything with doctors (though we have discussed it some) nor have I begun seeking out fertility treatments. Maybe someday I will, maybe I won't. That is not a decision I have made yet.

On another similar note I have listened to a lot and have read a lot about people who have had their feathers ruffled recently and seem to quite often.

My solution: how about everyone stop being so flipping offended by everything.

Guaranteed that when comments are made to you that 99.9% of the time they are not said maliciously or in ill will. Granted many people say things without thinking. But if you stop and realize that the vast majority of people would never say something to another person if they thought it was offensive, then you would realize that the person meant no harm and that you just might be a little sensitive that day or took it the wrong way. I just think too much time is wasted in people getting all huffy and puffy and complaining about things people have done to them. Stop making yourself a victim of other people's misplaced words (and even a victim of some people's very heated, and very intentionally placed words) and just start realizing that your life is yours and you have control no matter what a person may or may not have said or done to you. No doubt it is tough when people are intentionally rude. Who are they anyway? And to further on in my notes of similarities...I do not always believe in turning the other cheek...gasp! If someone is going too far or really concerning you with what they are saying then just tell them already. Don't wallow in it for days or weeks or months and tell everyone you meet EXCEPT them...talk them and tell them how you feel and get on with it. Sometimes people don't realize they are being jerks and sometimes they do and are being allowed to get away with it. Being offended and being stomped on are two different things. If someone has an issue with me then I am totally open and prefer them to come to me face to face and talk about it. I hate to hear that I have offended someone but they never came and talked to me or gave me a chance to set things right...instead they tell everyone but me. Okay...enough said by me since I am obviously an expert:)

Is this long enough yet? Are you still with me? That is okay if you have fallen off to sleep. It is just relaxing for me to sit and blurb my thoughts out.

Before I move on to another project to keep me awake for at least another 3 hours (Atrion is an unbelievably good baby and is making my job all to easy) I must throw out here how much I dislike flying. I worked up the nerve to fly up here by myself. Getting onto my first flight, in one of the smallest planes known to man, I almost lost it. It was a 2-seater on each side and we all were just squished in there together. I started to freak out and have an anxiety attack. My mind and heart were going a million miles per hour and it was all I could do NOT to get up and run off the plane. I seriously had my hand on my bag and was ready to bolt. I somehow manged to talk myself into calming down(which is hard to do sometimes and is usually left up to Josh to do for me)It is not that I am scared to fly. I do not think we are going to crash or die or blow up or whatever (though it is a possibility) but my anxiety comes from lack of control over the situation. Being thousands of miles up in the air and not being able to get off the plane if I wanted to or needed too. Being so close to strangers and realizing all of them just happen to have a cough and don't know how to cover their mouths gets to me as well. The little planes are the worst. Great big planes I can handle, when you can get up and move around, take a little walk...but the little planes send me over the top. My point here? Well...realizing I only had a week left and would have to get back onto a plane to get home sent me in a round of mental fits again. I am even dreaming about the stinkin' planes people! I decided there is no way I can get back on the plane. I just can't, especially not without my security blanket (Josh). It is stressing me out so bad I fear I might die of a heart attack or stroke by the time I am 26 3/4. So I had to come up with another solution.

I decided to take the train. Some people have questioned how that can be even remotely better. All I can say is that when I made the decision to take the train that I felt five million times better and am actually really excited about the adventure home. Yes it is longer...much longer than flying. Flying gets me there in 5 hours and the train gets me there in 2 days. Do I wish I wasn't a nutcase and loved flying...yes I really do! How much easier life and traveling(something I LOVE to do) would be. Do I feel ridiculous? Yes, yes I do. However, I have decided to make the most of my trip and dress in full Harry Potter regalia complete with a wand and a caged owl and will be ordering chocolate frogs and butterbeer from the trolley. Anyone want to join me?

Genetic Mathematics

2009-07-21T16:14:00.000-07:00

I am in Pokey right now loving up on my new nephew. He is seriously the sweetest and cutest thing and I am loving every minute with him. It will be hard to leave next week. At the same time I miss my 2 boys at home terribly and can't wait to get back to them.

Congrats to Casey and Cody! Picture compliments of Shelby Adakai at FizzieLime photography...who also happens to be Cody's sister. I am envious of all the amazing baby pictures Casey will have to treasure...I have said this before and I will say it again...I need my own personal Shleby...she is amazing!

Land That I Love!

2009-07-03T15:33:00.000-07:00

Just a quick note to proclaim that I am proud to be an American! Despite many difficulties our nation is facing right now it is still clear to me that we are very blessed with the freedoms we enjoy! I wish you all a wonderful and safe 4th of July weekend! Oh and I posted my patriotic tunes as well if you in the mood for some holiday music:) How can you not love Ray Charles singing "America the Beautiful"! And if you didn't notice I also rekindled my love for the ever cheesy glitter graphics...it is hard not to plaster them all over my entire page:)

Meet Twisty People and Bouncy Family

2009-06-24T14:22:00.000-07:00

Excuse the horrible cell phone pics...but Carter and I wanted to show you what we made today!

Here is Twisty People. Carter named the first one "Carter" and he affectionately named the second one "Carter" as well. He can come up with other names...I think he is just a little egocentric.

Here is the Bouncy Family. Daddy Bouncy, Carter Bouncy, and Mama Bouncy.

You can play with them like little springs hopping along or you can use them as finger puppets.

I was walking by the dollar bins at Target the other day and saw the pipe cleaners and picked up some googly eyes and pom poms from the bins as well. 3 bucks is not too shabby for some good, creative fun. Super cheap and super easy for hours of fun and you can use and reuse them. Some of you probably have this stuff lying around anyhow. I was just super proud of my "moment of genius" because my creative moments are few and far between...I am sure some of you are guffawing at what I call "creative". BUT if any of you decide to try these out do post pictures for me to see! I want to see what little creatures you come up with!

A Quick Word...Or Is It?

2009-06-19T15:19:00.000-07:00

I thought I would just write a little update because I have been getting massive amounts of e-mails from my readers asking me to soothe their curiosity as to what is going on in the never ending adventure that is my life. So...

1. I have found a new hobby/interest that I am excited about. I began to feel like maybe I had maxed out my interests in life and could no longer acquire new skills. Back in May I purchased some pots, potting soil, and plants and began to grow my first garden. I started small which has contributed to my success, I am sure. Every time I look out my window and see my bell peppers and tomatoes getting bigger it puts a smile on my face. I also have 2 flower boxes that are just fun. So...so far I have 3 bell peppers, a handful of tomatoes still on the vine and more to come, a cucumber plant that is blossoming, 2 flower boxes, and 4 other flower/shrub type plants that are all flourishing. I did not realize this was something that I liked to do but I really enjoy watering and tending to them. Maybe it is the side of mothering that is easy...feeding them, caring for them, but the plants don't cry and whine or run away from me at lightening speeds into oncoming traffic. Yes, that is it, plants don't give me daily heart attacks.

2. We are in housing limbo. Long story. After finding out we were going to be here for another year I decided it was time to move off-site and become less accessible to our tenants. That is my awesome customer service side coming out. I picked out an apartment and we moved our big items in. Josh had a bad feeling. I told him I would follow his lead. Somehow we were let out of our 14 month lease that we had just signed with no problems(phew!) but in the meantime we had rented our house out and had nowhere to go. So now we are squatting in our office. Our office that is the size of a hotel room. Our office that has no kitchen or laundry hook-ups. Our office that has...well never mind. So we are going over our options and trying to decide really what we want to do. However, as bad as it might sound living in such a small place...I am actually kind of enjoying it. I will have to post longer later on the logistics of the whole thing and how we are making it work...complete with pictures.

3. Carter turned 3!! I have lots of pictures that I need to post. We had a fun time celebrating with him and can't believe how big he is getting! Longer post on that later as well.

4. It is HOT down here!! Right now it is 95 degrees. With humidity it feels even hotter (eek almost had a heart attack as I looked out of the window and saw Carter picking one of my bell peppers...guess that makes what I said earlier obsolete.) So...we have to stay indoors most of the day as it is too hot to even walk to the car in most cases:)

5. Waiting for Atrion to enter the world so that I can go and be a nanny for a little bit and hold a newborn again!

6. Re-addicted ourselves to the TV show 24 after a good 5 year hiatus. We are in season 3 and look forward to watching an episode almost nightly before bed.

7. Getting ready for a summer/fall filled with travel. We have a few destinations on our list and few more in the works. Traveling and seeing stuff I have never seen before is also one of my hobbies. If I haven't discovered a new place (whether that be a new town, store, restaurant, theme park...what have you) in more than a couple of weeks I start to get jittery. Currently I am itching for some place tropical.

8. That's all folks. Not a lot of exciting stuff happens in our lives but we are happy and content and that is all I can ask for!

What Every Woman Needs

2009-06-04T23:02:00.000-07:00

I ordered myself one of these today....for those long, cold, lonely nights...for the nights I kick Josh out onto the couch (for the record I have never kicked Josh out onto the couch...I have tried but he has never gone) or simply to have a buddy to sit and watch a chick-flick with. And don't worry because the shirt is machine washable in case I happen to smear mascara all over it while crying on its shoulder or get lipstick on the collar (whoa! WHAT?!?!)
The stiff hand freaks me out...or the fact it is only 1/2 of 1/2 a body! What the?!? Click on the picture and read the description and some of the reviews. This simply could be one of the best things ever created!

A Fun Saturday

2009-05-17T16:17:00.000-07:00

Saturday was the annual "May Fair" in my quaint little town...it really is a nice little town. On this day they block off the streets to the town square and people set up booths all along the streets and sell their stuff. It was almost like walking through the Etsy website...only in person. There were a lot of booths that were very similar with the crafts and handmade items that are all the rage right now...such a pillowcase dresses, hair bows, magnetic boards, decorated tiles,tutus...and jewelry, jewelry, jewelry, etc. If I had a little girl I would have blown through money very quickly...luckily not many people make a lot of crafts geared towards little boys.

And what would the fair be without a Scentsy booth? I finally joined the rest of the world and got myself a warmer and some bars to try. I LOVE "red delicious"...mmmmmm!!! I have always been an "apple" scent fan and this one does not disappoint at all. I also got "Welcome Home" which is right up my alley as well (but did get a little too potent after a while) and I ordered "Autumn Sunset" which I will get in a week or so. The warmer I got is called "Boelyn"...I think. It is black and cream and goes perfect with our living room ensemble. So I want to know what your favorite Scentsy smells are...I pretty sure I am the last one to try it and know a lot of you are seasoned users...so let me know!

After enjoying the sunshine with a nice cool breeze and walking around the square we decided not to end the fun and head up to Southaven to the movies. We do not have a theater in our town...which I actually like :) When we got there Carter was asleep so we decided to tote him in and pick a movie WE wanted to see rather than cater to him...like always. We picked Star Trek...it was really good. I have never been a Star Trek fan and don't really know much about it...but I really enjoyed it...the parts I saw...because of course Carter didn't sleep through it and we had to take potty breaks and I missed quite a bit.

Afterwards I told Josh I wanted to stay and watch another movie since I was on babysitting duty through the first one...and he obliged... it was really funny though because we were standing out in the hallway trying to decide what we wanted to do and we asked Carter, "Do you want to stay and watch another movie or do you want to go home? Mommy is going to stay and watch another movie...do you want to stay or go home for a while?" Carter was listening intently and then shrugged his shoulders and lifted his hands and said, "Well I can't drive!!" I laughed so hard that in his cute little brain he thought we were asking him if he wanted to just go ahead and take the car home and come back and get us later...ahahaha...you had to be there and see his expression...it really was the comment of the year for me.

Let me just save you all some time and money and tell you not to go see "Ghosts of Girlfriends Past". I know...I should have known from the title. During the show I was imaginging myself spray painting "Worst Movie Ever" across the screen in red paint. Ugh...I hated Matthew McConaughey's character...actually none of the characters were with getting to know. So don't waste your time. And if you have seen it and loved it...as I heard a group of girls exclaiming as they were walking out of the theater...then don't take it personal. I am not one of those people who get offended when someone doesn't like the same books or movies as I do...so I speak my opinion clearly. I also don't judge people much for their choice in movies...but I might ask you "Really? You have got to be kidding!!"...which was my silent spoken response to the girls coming out of the theater. Ugh UGH!...luckily I didn't have to pay for that movie. Once you pay for one ticket you are back in the hallways with all the theaters...and since I never exited they don't check for tickets...so I just went in to another movie...if this is wrong don't tell me. :)

Well that is all...I just felt like writing about our easy going, fun Saturday. I am trying to do better writing simple memories like this for when I make this thing into a book. It may seem so ordinary but I know I will love reading back over these times in the future. Hope you are all well...tell me about your fav. scents and also if you have seen any good movies lately.

One Year to Execution

2009-05-13T13:51:00.000-07:00

Josh turns 30 in July of 2010 (weird aren't there supposed to be hover cars by now?) After reading the blog of another very loving wife of a man who just turned 30 this year and saw they are taking a fabulous cruise to celebrate...the wheels in my head started turning (a dangerous past time I know)

I realized over the past 7 years Josh's birthdays have been rather low key. He always claims that it is no big deal and never has any special requests...what a bum huh! I guess he lets me be the drama queen on my birthday.

So...I have decided to do something fantastic for Josh's 30th birthday. I want it to be a total surprise...so why am I telling all of you then? Well...because I want you to stick me to it. I don't want laziness or time or money or anxiety...or whatever it maybe to let me off the hook from doing it. Had I kept this all to myself I could easily along the way just decide cake and ice cream is fine and no one would know the difference...but nope...I want to do something exciting and totally unexpected.

Josh does NOT read my blog...ever...so I am not worried about him finding out with his own eyes...however...it is up to all of you to keep it a secret as well. I know this is not even remotely exciting to many of you and you are forgetting even as you read...so that is good...so just don't mention it...I am speaking mostly to FAMILY.

Now...what do I have planned?? Well a few things have been floating around...when I thought of doing something exciting...EUROPE immediately popped into my head. Josh always talks about the amazing places he has been and how much he wants to go back. The other day we were watching a movie and a scene was shot in Greece and Josh turned to me and said, "Let's go...let's do it!"....I kinda laughed and thought...yeah one day we will....but why not sooner than later!?!

So...I want to surprise Josh by taking him to Europe. I don't want him to have a clue where we are going until we get to the airport. Now I am deciding how exactly we want to see Europe. I think a Cruise would be a good way to see it with me being a first timer and not knowing anything about anything over there. I also think economically it is the best choice because lodging, food, entertainment, etc is all in one place for one price...minus the excursions...but they give you guidance on those as well. To me it seems less stressful to do it that way rather than try and plan out the entirety of the trip from where to stay, how to get there, where to eat...and so forth. So what do you think??? Has anyone reading this been to Europe? I know some of you have. I am not sure what region to choose yet. I think Italy or Greece would be my top picks. Luckily cruises take you to many different destinations. Has anyone done a European Cruise?

My 2nd thought in case Europe sinks into the ocean by then would be Barbados. Josh served the very last part of his mission there while his parents were mission presidents in the West Indies. He said he has never been on more beautiful beaches. He said the water is just pristine. Now that sounds lovely doesn't it! It would also be cheaper than Europe.

My 3rd thought is Africa. I am keeping it way in the back of my head because Africa scares me for some reason. I think it is the most foreign of the choices and while I think it would be amazing to see...I have many reservations. I know Josh would love to go back to Mali or Cameroon or Egypt...I just don't know if I want to go with him. I know...some of you would jump at the chance...but it wouldn't be my top pick. It would also be the most expensive. BUT...I could send him there alone seeing as how his dad once again lives there.

So there are a few things I have in mind. Maybe along the way I will come up with something even better...maybe I will find something he would like more. But I really am hoping I can pull of something so fun and surprising for him.

I am also trying not to be counterproductive...I know what is the most pleasing to Josh is to not spend any money. He is the kind of guy who can have his mood spoiled if he knows it is costing money. I am totally opposite...so I guess we balance each other out? maybe. So I have been thinking that to make this surprise even sweeter I would have to do it without spending any money out of our regular earnings. This would mean I would need to seek out new employment for myself with the paychecks going into a separate account specifically for this. I have already mentioned to Josh a couple of times that I might want to find a small job outside of the managing properties that we do together...I think a small part time job that doesn't cut into too much away time would be perfect...and if I did it over the course of the year I should be able to save plenty of money to use for the surprise and not have to dip into our savings or regular earnings. So McDonald's...here I come...haha just kidding...maybe Arby's.

So that was a really long outpouring of my plans but I really want to do it! What do you think? Does anyone have any tips or advice? Maybe you have an even greater idea or plan or have heard of something amazing someone else has done. Anyone? Anyone?

I'm Such a Tease

2009-05-08T15:24:00.001-07:00

Hey ya'll...yep I live in Mississippi now and that is how I say "hey you guys"...actually I don't say "ya'll" ever and actually feel like I stamp a sign on my forehead that reads "NOT FROM HERE" when I do say things like "how are you guys today" or "do you guys need any help?"...so to fit in I might sometimes try and put a "hey ya'll" out there just to show everyone I can "hang" down here...but it ends up sounded more like "hey yuhUHuhall"...as I stumble across the word because I immediately feel like an impostor when saying it...so for now I am going to stick with my "Your not from here, are you?" vocabulary until I can pull off speaking Southern...it is a real dialect...believe you me.

But I realized I all of the sudden had a surge in visitors to my blog since yesterday and I didn't understand why....then I realized that I had posted a button for my friend Desi's Etsy shop and wrote a little blurb...but after the button didn't work I immediately deleted the blog...so I thought I should at least say "Hey Yaaaaaaa'll" to those who stopped by and apologize for you just seeing the same old too close up, too big picture of my face below:)

Hope all is well! ( I don't think spellcheck speaks Southern either)

I Heart Faces Photo Blog

2009-04-20T16:02:00.000-07:00

I saw on my photographer friend Shelby's blog...remember her at FizzieLime? She is pretty much awesome.

I don't call myself a "photographer" because that would imply I know what I am doing...but I do love to take pictures and see what kind of creations and memories I get out of a single press of the button. I thought it would be fun to try some of the challenges on I heart Faces....just to see if I can learn anything or get a little better. I really do need Photoshop, I think, if I am really going to compete at all with the pros...and maybe a nice camera...but for now I am content with my cheapo schmepo...so the challenge goes like this....

Take a picture of yourself (ME)...I have to be holding the camera and cannot use anything to support the camera like a tripod, table, etc.

I did this really fast...took like 10 shots and then just picked one...they were all very underwhelming and I don't really want to share...but to enter I have to post it here...so now you all get to look...and then my family all voted this one (even though I really don't like it) so you have seen it already...so how anti-climatic was that???

And then we are supposed to take one with a child in the picture with us...again holding the camera....there are some really awesome and really creative shots from different people on the site...I did not have the time to try stuff like that...and not like Carter would cooperate even if I did have the time...so we did a quick shot and off he went...so his eyes are almost closed...but I still like it alright.

And this is the one I really wanted to post because this really is the essence of me. Quirky and reptilian like ;)

20 Firsts

2009-04-08T08:11:00.000-07:00

Copied from Ashley because I am still blog lazy these days and don't want to think too much.

1.Who was your FIRST dance date? Josh..Sweetheart Ball 1999. I did get asked to the Winter Ball the December before this dance...so it would have been Steven Brown...but I wasn't 16 yet...but I still loved that he asked me...even if I didn't go...thanks Steve!(pretty sure he does not read my blog but oh well)

2. Do you still talk to your first love? yeah...pretty much married to him...he doesn't read my blog either.

3. FIRST time you got stitches? Never...however I did get some lovely staples this past January if you recall.

4. What was your FIRST job? I was forced into child labor most of my life working on my grandpa's farm. My first "official" job was as a receptionist at Precision Vinyl the summer after 9th grade.

5.FIRST car? Mitsubishi Galant-tan....don't recall the year. I liked it...it was old though and eventually gave up the ghost...not too long after I started driving it. :(sniff

6.Who was the FIRST person to text you today? No texts...I have the capability(in fact I believe unlimited texting...the company pays for it) but I am not a texter...by the time I type out the message I could have called the person 10 times and told them the same thing over and over. I am old.

7. Who was the FIRST person you thought about this morning? hhhmmmm.....tough to say. First voice I heard was Josh...so it must have been him.

8.FIRST grade teacher? Miss Fox out at Hollister Elementary

9.Where did you go on your FIRST airplane ride? Can't remember if it was from Idaho to Mississippi or Mississippi to Idaho....but it was one of the two...I was pretty little.

10.Who was your FIRST best friend and do you still talk? Megan Hill...we met when we were 3 and were fast friends...it is weird to think back and realize how young I was but still had a best friend I did lots of stuff with. I haven't talked to her in many years....:( I tried to find her on Facebook but I don't know her married name.

11. Where was your FIRST sleepover? That would be Megan's...or grandparents.

12. Who was the FIRST person you talked to today? Josh...I think I told him to leave me alone. I am so nice in the morning.

13.Whose wedding were you in for the FIRST time? My own!

14. What was the FIRST thing you did this morning? called Carter in to snuggle with me and he got the little hand held game "20 questions" and pretended like he knew how to play it. He asked me "does it have a tail" "does it have wings"...he cracked me up.

15. What was the FIRST concert you ever went to? I went to some at the fair...but I think the first concert was Dixie Chicks with Carrie and Julie in SLC...it was so much fun!

16. FIRST trip to the hospital? hmmmm....I flew forward off my bike and basically landed on my forehead...got a slight concussion...luckily it didn't knock me out completely....but I still don't think that was the hospital...just the children's clinic??...if that is case then my 1st visit was when I gave birth.

17. FIRST piercing? I think I was 6 years old when I got my ears pierced. I remember it very clearly and boy did I float through the mall after that wishing everyone would look at my ears and be in awe;)

18. FIRST foreign country you have been to? my grandparent's house. I have never been outside the good ol' U.S. of A.

19. When was your FIRST detention? In 7th grade the teachers thought that if they locked their classroom doors after the bell rang that students would stop being tardy. Anyone locked out had to go the lunchroom and sit there until the next period...well that sounded fantastic to me...needless to say I was locked out of math and couldn't have been happier. hahaha...pretty soon more students were in the lunchroom than in their classrooms....that policy didn't last more than a week! So...my first detention was self-induced.

Posts O'Plenty

2009-04-03T14:01:00.001-07:00

Okay...I just did 3-4 posts if you are interested. Lots of pics! I had to get my pics uploaded and blogged about because now we are headed to Sardis Lake for some camping and I am sure I will load up my camera with more shots! I am excited...the sun is shining, it is not too hot and not too cold...perfect! We have a nice big tent, air mattress, and new sleeping bags! I have not been camping since before I got pregnant with Carter...so I am really looking forward to this! woohoo! Hope you all have a great weekend too!