this face

I am going to miss it tomorrow when I go back to work.

birthday happys

yesterday was the big day. thrity-schmirty. so far, so good.

here are a couple of ‘things’ that represent wonderful people in my life.


flowers from two people who ‘reappeared’ in my life about 2 years ago. I am so happy to call them friends now. funny, funny girls.

a *super cute* reusable bag from my old college friend. so glad we live near each other and get to see each other from time to time.

a new stone from my mother-in-law, with whom I share a birthday.

a cute scarf from my sister-in-law that I wore to church in the morning.

a few other blessings of this weekend:
a new nephew named Zeke
a chance to hang out with the ‘old and new’ friends (no picture. why do I do that?)
two naps
estate sale-ing
listening to an entire sermon (and processing it)
mexican coke
muddy’s cupcakes
kissing my husband
 
and A LOT of other little things.

looks like 30 isn’t going to be so bad after all.

sweet kisses

today. last night. and the beginning of this week.
they just haven’t been great. rough for us.

chloe hasn’t been napping ~ maybe thirty minutes at a time ~ maybe.
and her awake time has generally been a fussy time.

but i need to focus on happier things. like the way she is when she is on her changing table. she could lay there all day and play. we kiss and sing and just have sweet little conversations there.


i snapped this the other day when we were playing.

i’ll be glad to have this some day when i am chasing her down to give her kisses.
or just to look at on these rough days.

there is something to intentionally capturing the little moments in life. definitely.



linking up here

Today is

Today is Thursday, December 17, 2009.*


Today is the last day of the semester.
Today is cold.
Today is going to be a good day.
Today is going to be a long day.
Today is the day I give my kids their presents and stockings.
Today is the day my kids will get hyped up on cupcakes and candy.
Today is the day I will read “The Night Before Christmas.”

Today is one week from Christmas Eve.

What is today for you?

*We say this sentence about ten times a day at school between calendar math and the morning message alone.

Update on the JOB

As of this moment, the job I thought I had is no more and I have another interview in tomorrow morning. Oh well, so goes life.

The position I did have was 3rd -5th grade Reading Coach in an urban school. The grades I prefer and the subject I am best at. Needless to say, I was excited.

Tomorrow's interview is for a very inner city school teaching Kindergarten. And to practice what we talked about in Bible class this Sunday (Phil 4), I will think on the good things. Here goes: My best friend used to teach Kindergarten and she will be my saving grace. I know this area because it is in the neighborhood where I student taught. People are praying for me. God has a plan.

Okay, so the negative list is a little longer.

God is in control. I do know that.

Week in Review

First things first – I GOT A JOB! woooooo-hooooooo!
Our Bible class cheered yesterday when I announced this. Jacob cheered longer than anyone. Ha! I celebrated that day with a trip to Chick-fil-A to get a kids meal and trade my toy for ice cream – my favorite!


I guess I was feeling all confident and stuff. So, I bought a storage bench on Craigslist and recover it while I watched Practical Magic. That movie is a fall staple for me. I need to add legs to bench so it can become a coffee table/ottoman. Here’s the before.


Then, we went to visit some friends in Arkansas. Fun times. Good food. (Oh, the food.) Sydney and Darby even had a friend to play with too. Why did I not get any pictures of the friends?


Then, we spent some good time with family to celebrate Jacob’s grandmother’s birthday. Here is one of two pictures I have of Jacob and his grandmother. That’s is our nephew’s foot – not grandma’s. Ha!


Speaking of nephews……they LOVE their uncle. I think he loves them too.

Running a Temperature

No, my body temp is not higher than 98.6 degrees, but I do have a mild case of baby fever. It is okay, Jacob is helping me by staying away and not spreading this smallish disease.

Anyways, when we do get to have children, I hope they dance like this kid. LOVE IT!

Raccoons, and Tears, and S’mores, oh my!

What good would this weather be without a little camping trip? Chilly and crisp at night and just warm enough in the day to enjoy yourself. Absolutely perfect weather for camping. Absolutely perfect weather. Period.


We had originally planned to go with some friends, but it did not work out for them. We packed the car with the camping gear we got as wedding presents and headed over to Arkansas to enjoy a weekend getaway, just the two of us. We got there around 4pm on Friday afternoon and were greeted by a slew of Pickin & Grinnin Seniors. We were not aware we had chosen the mobile retirement home park of the south. We had.


We got all settled in – cooked, played rummy, yadda, yadda – you know, the usual. Except, I forgot to put the food basket in the car at the end of the night. So, what happens when you are nestled back in the woods away from the pickers and grinners and you leave your food out? (See below)


Notice anything missing from my s’mores pack? Yeah, the chocolate! What kind of raccoons take just the chocolate? Seriously? They must not have known who they were messing with. Seriously.

Also missing but not pictured: bread (all but two pieces), wheat thins, and the best chips in the world.


Jacob and I took inventory, cooked breakfast and then decided to explore a little. This park had some decent trails that we wanted to get in before lunch. Hence, the tears.


Sometimes I feel so out of shape that I could cry, but the tears were not ours. We walked the longest preserved portion of the original Trail of Tears. It was amazing. We thoroughly enjoyed being surrounded by nature and checking out all of the cool little things the “woods” have to offer. Mostly this included mushrooms and spider webs. We are dorks. We do not care. We have fun being dorks together.
















After our excursion in the woods, we drove down into town to replace what the raccoons had taken or left contaminated. Lunch was nothing special, but dinner, oh my goodness. Let me just tell you, if you have never had wings marinated for a full day and cooked over an open fire, or a burger with onion soup mix in it cooked over an open fire, then go do it. Both are SO good!

Then, then, came the s’mores. Also known as the best s’mores I have ever eaten. Not sure what did it for me, but they really were the absolute best ones I have ever had the pleasure of savoring.

We topped the weekend together off by making it to church just in time and then relaxing on this rainy Sunday. Have I mentioned I love our little life?

What are the Chances?

Have you ever seen Homeward Bound? C'mon, yes you have. Well, there is a puppy in that movie whose voice is provided by Michael J Fox (love him). That pup's name is Chance. He is an American Bulldog and rips through everything and is a bit rowdy. That's putting it nicely.

Well, Chance (as he is better known) is our American Bulldog's great-great-great-great-great something. Okay, so we have no idea how the bloodline goes, but we do know that Chance is in the same bloodline as our 2 year old Darby.

We were given Darby by Jacob's brother and sister-in-law who once were registered breeders. She was the runt of the litter. Yes, we have a 95 pound runt.


Well, what happens when you have an unfixed 95lb runt American Bulldog running around the house the week you are actually inviting people who do not really know you over to your house for the first time? A dog that is in heat and apparently ate corn cobs out of the trash last week. Yep, she is bleeding and puking everywhere!

You wanted to know that, right?

Oh yeah, and it is raining a lot and really muddy outside. So, you know what that means.

What are the CHANCES this would happen this week?

Oh, and yes we just got the okay last weekend to have her fixed. We thought we should ask Jacob's brother in case he wanted to breed her. She will be going to the vet next week....to be ready for my next party.

Darby's new name is Chance. I just changed it.

Cheater, Cheater, Pumpkin Eater

So, I've been cheating this week - a lot. There were no tests but plenty of opportunities to cheat. I am confessing. Cleansing is good for the soul.

I cheated on my diet. I am not really on a diet, but I am trying to not gain more weight.

Chocolate chip cookies do not help. Did I mention they were still warm here?
To my benefit, that's Breyers half fat ice cream.


I bought a lamp at TJMaxx for $7 when I do not have any money
left in my August "Me" budget. I actually bought two lamps. This one didn't have a shade, so I bought a gaudy gold one for $10, switched the shade to this one, with intentions of returning the gaudy gold one with no shade.
Shady, I know! (pun completely intended)
I have decided to take back both lamps.

I didn't wash the dishes one night. Okay, two nights.
Okay, I do this often.
(Head bowing lower and lower)

There are canned goods holding up my picture frames. I yanked off that easel thing so I could hang the frame on the wall (just a few weeks ago). I refuse to pay money for some of those little picture easels. I guess this doesn't really constitute as cheating. Whatever.

Oh yeah, after cheating you have to eat pumpkin, right?
So I cooked up the pumpkin hubby's parents gave us and froze it.
Wish we had more. I could eat pumpkin stuff all fall long.

{insert devious little look}

Do you think I could cheat and eat it before fall?
Hmmmm.

Guess I will have to confess more cheating later!

So in Love

This man is incredible. He wants to make all of my dreams come true.

Here's how I know:

Example 1: When were dating (about 6 weeks into it), my roommate forced me to tell him that I loved cotton candy and wanted it at my wedding one day. I received my very own personal cotton candy maker for Christmas (about 4 weeks after I had told him.)

Example 2: I had always wanted to go to NYC. I knew it would be like one giant playground. He took me there and proposed with Brooklyn Bridge in the background. (He thought about doing it in the Toy-R-US and on top of the Empire State building, but that moment just felt right for him.) It was perfection!

Example 3: I am watching t.v. and he is on ebay. I nonchalantly mention that I want to go on a cruise. Within the minute, he has prices pulled up for a cruise. I cannot remember now what triggered the change in agenda, but he started looking up train tours. (oh yes, I mentioned that we could go on a cruise that leaves from New Orleans and ride the train from here down to there.) Anyway, when I was single I dreamed of going on kind-of-a original 13 Colonies train tour. I wanted to start down in Savannah and work my way up the east coast stopping in key cities rich with history. (I'll say it for you - I'm a DORK!) So, there was hubby last night going through the long task of piecing together the stops and route that would fulfill this dream.

The tickets alone came out to $508 for both of us. That does not account for any hotels, meals, and tours we would want to take. So, we probably will not be taking this trip any time soon.

(sigh)

BUT, we can stay at home and make each other happy just looking up the places and dreaming can't we? You can bet your bottom dollar.