tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-67135196469217538752024-03-21T07:36:38.172-07:00My Crazy, Happy LifeUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger64125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6713519646921753875.post-53848446779963707002011-03-22T08:40:00.000-07:002011-03-22T08:51:00.138-07:00Where is Jillian Michaels when you need her?<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Of course, I can envision myself working out and plan on it, but when it comes down to it, I make every excuse in the book to not go. I want to look better, I do! I know the only way is to get off my rear end and DO IT!! I'm not sure what's going to motivate me... I sure hope I find it soon!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">My husband has already lost over 20 pounds and his physique is improving dramatically. He's been getting up at 4:30am every morning and doing the boot-camp style exercise. His motivation is that he's 46 years old and wants to be around for our 3 year old daughter. </span><br />
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<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The thing is, when I am active, I feel better and I have more energy. I know this! How do I turn this "couch potato" into an active woman? I have a gym membership with daycare provided... I have the Wii Fit... I have the time to go... No excuses! Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight!</span></div><div><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Sometimes I wish I were Jillian Michaels' sister, then I wouldn't get away with this!! She'd be brutal, but in the end it would be worth it, right? Where is my motivation, my mojo? It has to be here some where.</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6713519646921753875.post-10226095946403320662010-10-11T08:59:00.000-07:002011-03-22T08:54:00.098-07:00Just call me.... Suzie Homemaker?<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Since my hubby and I got married, I've struggled with what to do with myself. I've worked my entire life, from the age of 13, I started babysitting every day after school. </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Immediately after getting married, I quit my job to stay home with the kids. I love being at home, but I had this weird, guilty feeling that I needed to be earning money. I have sold Mary Kay, knock off handbags, Discovery Toys, and even worked in a Daycare for a while. But in the end, I am at home again. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">For a while, I studied to get my AA in Early Childhood Education. Although, I've only completed a quarter, I don't think that's the right fit for me anymore. After running a daycare in my home for about a year and a half, I have come to the realization that I really don't like other people's kids. LMAO So, going into a field where I'd have to teach other people's kids... um... may not work. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">By the end of October, my daycare will be closed. I'm wrapping my head around being a full fledged Homemaker. I don't know what I will do with myself yet. I used to enjoy sewing and knitting, so I'm going to try those again. Maddi will be enrolled in preschool and other classes. I need to find some hobbies!</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6713519646921753875.post-28628870958018248572010-10-06T13:52:00.000-07:002011-03-22T09:00:38.857-07:00Long time, no see...<span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">It has been just about a year since I've even viewed my blog, let alone write anything. We've had a pretty tough go of it since October, 2009. Our family is still in tact, we have our home, and we are all generally happy and healthy... we are very blessed.</span></span></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"></span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">My husband got a job, left it, and got another job... </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">LOL</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> He loves the company he's working for now. He is the CFO (I think that's his title... he's not much into titles) for Clean Crawls in </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Marysville</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">. I'm happy to see him in a job where he's so appreciated.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Kendra met Kevin, and now they are married. I believe they were married on June 3, 2010 in the Grand Caymans. They moved to Sacramento, CA and they both are figuring out what they want to do for careers. Kendra is very happy living in California. We did have a visit with them recently, when we finally gave them their Christmas gifts from last year!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Andrew joined the Army and is stationed in Hawaii. He is happier than I've ever seen him since I've known him. Andy is currently stationed in Iraq where he is taking beautiful pictures and sharing them on </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Facebook</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">. He calls to check in periodically.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Hannah graduated in 2009 from high school and is now attending Pacific Lutheran University. She's in their </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">pre</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">-med program and loves it there! She spent her entire summer working to save money for school. She is still dating John from Canada... I think they're going on about 1 1/2 years now.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Joshua is still living in Grand Cayman with his mother. We had an awesome visit with him this last summer. I can't believe how fast he's growing, and how smart he is. Josh has a dog, hamster, and now maybe a cat. Unfortunately, he's bored and lonely there.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Madelyn is your typical 3 year old, driving her mom crazy. She is in dance class for tap & ballet... she loves the tap best because of the "noisy" shoes. I'm hoping to get her into preschool January 2011.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I'm closing my daycare this month to focus on the family again. Maddi needs to be able to attend classes and preschool. Dale is tired of additional cleaning when he gets home from work. We both want our house and yard back. My intention is to get back to writing my blog again, studying (although I don't know what, since I'm not sure Early Childhood Education is right for me anymore), and meeting more people.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6713519646921753875.post-56391252450170292482009-10-25T11:11:00.001-07:002011-03-22T09:01:12.775-07:00Happy Birthday to my Wonderful Husband!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Today is my hubby's 45th Birthday... and we're just hanging out in our jammies. We'll be doing his Birthday celebration next weekend. My In-Laws will be over today with KFC for a small family party. The hardest part is keeping him on his chair and not DOING anything!</span></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I am so tired of the rain and gray weather already, and it's only just begun. It's so chilly, I just want to stay inside in my jammies all day, every day.</span></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Yesterday, we went to our local clinic to get Maddi her H1N1 vaccine. It was so busy, they were directing traffic... I couldn't imagine having Maddi wait in that line, so we bagged it. I'm hoping we can get it from her doctor instead of waiting in line like that. So far, I've heard about a quite of few of my friend's kids getting it, but they're all 6 - 12 years old. My fingers are crossed that I get it for her in time, before she is exposed.</span></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Luckily, we have only experienced colds in our household... SO FAR! I'd like to keep it that way! With the daycare in our home, it may be tough... lots of disinfecting to do!</span></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6713519646921753875.post-40012205043807544222009-09-16T16:19:00.000-07:002011-03-22T09:01:47.832-07:00Two Years Ago, Today!<span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">My baby, well not so much baby, is 2 years old today! I can't believe how fast time goes by... it seems like she was just born yesterday! Madelyn Rae <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Gjerness</span> was born at 8:20pm on September 16, 2007.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Maddi is sitting on the potty, but has yet to actually go <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">peepee</span> in it yet. She likes to help bring dishes to the counter after a meal. It makes me smile when she says "please" and "thank you", especially "bless you". She loves to dance, particularly when High School Musical is on! She is already a shoe diva, which makes me wonder what the teen years will bring... ugh! Maddi got her first tooth on her First Birthday and is still getting them in today (this is obvious by her <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">whineyness</span>).</span></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I'm in aw of Maddi every single day... she makes me smile on regular basis. This little girl is really mine? I am completely and utterly in love with my daughter!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';"></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6713519646921753875.post-49548504763755746792009-09-09T08:12:00.000-07:002011-03-22T09:09:54.445-07:00I'm Baaaaaaaack!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">This has been one of the craziest / weirdest summers for our family!</span></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Starting with my hubby losing his job at the end of May... it's now beginning of September and he's just started working yesterday! Then helping Hannah out of her situation in Cayman. And of course, last but not least, Josh visiting for the summer (not nearly long enough).</span></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">So, things are calming down for us a bit... </span></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Hannah starts school on Thursday. She's torn about starting school again, but I think she'll get right back into the swing of things. It's her senior year! I can't believe it! When I first met her, she was 12 years old, and very timid. What a beautiful young woman she's turning into!</span></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I am starting an in-home daycare, Little Frogs and Pollywogs! Unfortunately, I can't pursue it too quickly because in our State, daycare's need to be licensed. And there is this orientation that I'm required to attend... but it's always full! I'm on waiting lists for October, but I'll definitely be able to do it in January. Unbelievable!</span></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">My little Maddi is growing up so fast! She's going to be two next week! Right now, she's sporting a fat lip from splitting it open last week. I hate looking at it... I can actually feel pain when I do! She's saying more words and phrases... sometimes it shocks me when she says something like "No, not at all" when asked if she likes something... um, do you hear the sarcasm at age two?</span></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6713519646921753875.post-81640656214225784712009-07-29T07:05:00.001-07:002010-10-07T14:56:33.805-07:00HOT, HOT, HOT<span><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Holy crow, it's HOT! I know, I know we do nothing but complain about the weather, here in Washington... it's too cold, too rainy, too snowy, too hot! Well, I think 101* is too hot for anyone! It's cooler in Texas, for goodness sake!</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /><span></span><br /><span>Now, I don't have a lot of room to complain about the heat because I have air conditioning in the house, so we're quite comfortable. </span><br /><span></span><br /><span>We are sharing it with our neighbors though... I think we're going to have a full house today. I'm not sure how we'll entertain all of the kids, but we'll manage! </span><br /><span></span><br /><span>MADDI SAID "I LOVE YOU" FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME THIS MORNING! I'm smiling inside and out... nothing can ruin that today!</span></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6713519646921753875.post-55247532549615841442009-07-23T19:18:00.000-07:002010-10-07T14:57:28.585-07:00Marshmallow Madness<span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; "><span class="Apple-style-span" >On Monday, we returned from a 6 day camping trip to Whidbey Island. I was ready to come home on Sunday, but it was great!<br /><br />I have a bunch of pictures that I still need to download from the camera... I should probably get those taken care of before I run out of space!<br /><br />After 3 days of crabbing and fishing, we had 5 crabs and 1 fish... I know, we suck, right? We made a huge seafood boil with churizo, kielbasa, potatoes, corn on the cob, shrimp and crab... It rocks! The fish ended up having worms of some sort in it, so needless to say, we didn't eat it... ick!<br /><br />We made s'mores every night, Gjerness style... marshmallows, kit-kats / peanut butter cups, and graham crackers. And each night, Josh made his marshmallows get as large as possible... it's unbelievable how big they actually get!<br /><br />One day, I was trying to occupy Maddi with a badminton racket and birdie. I was afraid the birdie would hurt her, so I swapped it for a marshmallow. Do you realize how far a marshmallow will go? LOL When everyone returned from crabbing, I showed them my new "invention". There were marshmallows all over the entire RV park... we did clean them up. Although, I'm sure we didn't get them all!<br /><br />Maddi found her shadow... at first she ran away from it, or at least, tried to. Then she was trying to grab it... LOL... very Peter Pan!</span></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6713519646921753875.post-84955681761941724072009-07-11T19:08:00.000-07:002009-07-11T19:57:57.105-07:00My Dream Car<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">In February of 2007, I ordered my dream car. I ORDERED it! The color I wanted, the options I wanted, everything I wanted... it is my dream car! This isn't a Mercedes or a Porsche, no, nothing like that. Like most people. My dream car is a Mazda CX-9 Grand Touring in Black Cherry. I got it on April 7, 2007!</span><br /><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0vPTT5cQjEkLrhY831iIkLVeQTS3Qt8x9h4ZoLipcK_wOBBMYNgpJ4gaaeC_n26rB4tD1Oyqrd3z6ZnROfHGR8HE_bsp79HEWui7sjve5x0YZZsvXxYlwFeZsQWmwBwU_uYop3V2L7ec/s1600-h/pho_bui_cx9_ext_black_cherry_summary.gif"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 230px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 125px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357398200697457426" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0vPTT5cQjEkLrhY831iIkLVeQTS3Qt8x9h4ZoLipcK_wOBBMYNgpJ4gaaeC_n26rB4tD1Oyqrd3z6ZnROfHGR8HE_bsp79HEWui7sjve5x0YZZsvXxYlwFeZsQWmwBwU_uYop3V2L7ec/s320/pho_bui_cx9_ext_black_cherry_summary.gif" /></a></p><div align="center"><strong><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">I love, love, love my car!</span></strong></div><div align="center"><br /> </div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglYYAJ3jfjI4scygIHN83T_2ja8M-82-vIK8gx29tS4zLBFRYGAerGp6a_Du20IakKXw7DoWBNabHsA3Adx2GFthRNvtJ4ZAFyUkkKHl5nVTvTlh-u5WgzBLpEGEQw8EzR16GpJ-_VBYY/s1600-h/pho_bui_cx9_int_leather_sand_summary.gif"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 230px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 125px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357398197460330098" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglYYAJ3jfjI4scygIHN83T_2ja8M-82-vIK8gx29tS4zLBFRYGAerGp6a_Du20IakKXw7DoWBNabHsA3Adx2GFthRNvtJ4ZAFyUkkKHl5nVTvTlh-u5WgzBLpEGEQw8EzR16GpJ-_VBYY/s320/pho_bui_cx9_int_leather_sand_summary.gif" /></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">The problem is that the lease is up and I have to return it on August 7, which is less than a month away. With my hubby being unemployed, we can't buy it as we planned. I know, it's just a car, but it is heartbreaking. </span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Minivans, here we come! They are the most economical way to go, and we can fit everyone in them! Last night I test drove a 2006 Chrysler Town & Country, and it was a very nice ride. It had a DVD player, tons of storage, and stow n go... but it had 82,000 miles. This morning I test drove a 2005 Kia Sedona... it was okay and had 41,000 miles. And I drove a 2005 Mazda MPV, and it was almost like driving my CX-9... great features and only 33,000 miles. </span><br /><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">I'm leaning towards the Mazda... scratch that... my heart is set on the Mazda. So, we're waiting to see what they come back with for financing. With it being a Saturday, they couldn't talk to anyone... remember, Dale is unemployed, so they have some finessing to do.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">Meanwhile, I'm thinking positive thoughts and visualizing myself driving the Mazda off the lot. And, yes, a little prayer never hurt... although, I don't usually pray for material things. Hmmm, I'm not sure how I feel about that.</span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6713519646921753875.post-17683656308791937962009-07-06T18:32:00.000-07:002009-07-07T14:43:36.952-07:00"Vacation on a budget", seems like an oxymoron, doesn't it?<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">In 2005, Dale and I brought the kids to Disneyland for a week... for our honeymoon, actually. I know, sounds crazy, but it was fun... AND Disneyland is the happiest place on earth! I digress... this vacation cost us approximately $6000. We have not been on a vacation like that since! Having a family with four kids (at the time) makes for costly travel. Now we have five!</span> <span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">Now, with Dale out of work, we can't even contemplate a family vacation like that. </span><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">Our current financial situation got me thinking about ways to work our way out of it. Once Dale's working again, with careful planning, we CAN vacation like that again!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">After reading the Vacation Budgeting guide by a <a href="http://www.consolidatedcredit.org/booklets/VacationBudgeting.pdf">credit counseling </a>company, I found that if you get creative, you CAN have a spectacular vacation! We have an appointment on Friday with a credit counselor to help us work through the logistics of spending money appropriately and saving money... I know, I know, that is such a strange concept... to actually save money!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">Their Website offers reports showing how you spend your money and a debt to income ratio... might I say, I did not like what I saw! But then again, it was based off of Dale's unemployment income, which is about 1/4 of what he normally makes.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6713519646921753875.post-77010976516590572592009-07-05T13:43:00.000-07:002009-07-05T20:49:13.639-07:00What is wrong with this kid?<span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Yeah, that's actually a rhetorical question. I know what is wrong with JT... it's actually NOT him. It's the PEW. </span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">This kid has been coddled and babied his entire life. Not to mention, poisoned by PEW. Have you heard of something called parental alienation syndrome? I hadn't even heard of that syndrome until reading so many books on trying to co-parent with PEW. So, now that he's here with us, he's not the baby, cuz... um... yeah, the <em>baby</em> is the baby! </span></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">JT doesn't even seem to like Maddi, his own sister. I know it's not because he really doesn't like her. He's been trained to think of her as only his <em>half</em> sister and he's <em>told</em> he's not loved enough since he isn't the youngest here. So annoying!</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">So, yesterday, while all of the other kids are watching their parents light fireworks, JT is pouting because he can't light them. Now, this kid is a pyromaniac... seriously, no joke! He built a bomb with an air soft gun, fireworks and other such materials two days ago. After I was able to scrape my jaw off of the floor, I immediately confiscated it. Who's kid is this? </span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">This morning, I told him that on Wednesday we're going to the Imagine Children's Museum for their light splitting workshop. You know what he said?</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">"Yawn".</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">Literally, he said "Yawn".</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">I told him that he could just stay home with dad and do chores, because I certainly would not bring an ungrateful child to do anything that would be <em>too boring</em>. And proceeded to tell him that being rude and disrespectful will not be tolerated in this house.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">I know, I know... he was told by PEW that I am not his parent, so he doesn't have to listen to me. This poor child! What must be going through his mind?</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">Tonight, Dale and I will be discussing this issue. I know it's not entirely JT's fault, but that does not mean that I should have to endure his disrespect. And I will not.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6713519646921753875.post-53118383914665681802009-07-01T06:46:00.001-07:002009-07-03T21:54:35.984-07:00Wordless Wednesday<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg05M5_nPoUEwSQdneqNGpyau2UmdsVCujtiFJSAUv0UMWENXqdlHnvzda8Rqp-l_fsm7fe1_P6NFhfpS0xNVRnbAQqYJ9LinQIBHO8UJX_xQnvVMa5KUj0ApVbYdIZ3bzeUcRPpwSU2Wo/s1600-h/Camping+11.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353488000426084002" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg05M5_nPoUEwSQdneqNGpyau2UmdsVCujtiFJSAUv0UMWENXqdlHnvzda8Rqp-l_fsm7fe1_P6NFhfpS0xNVRnbAQqYJ9LinQIBHO8UJX_xQnvVMa5KUj0ApVbYdIZ3bzeUcRPpwSU2Wo/s400/Camping+11.jpg" /></a> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">This is the happiest dad in the Universe! His son is home for the summer!<br /></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6713519646921753875.post-12492454583729248482009-06-29T19:20:00.000-07:002009-06-29T19:39:45.579-07:00The Big Girl Bed<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">I've been trying to figure out if it's time to put Maddi into her big girl bed for the last couple of months. We've had the twin size bed in her room since day one... made it easier to lay down with her without waking up the other spouse in the middle of the night. Lately, she's been waking up several times a night and extra early, making for rough days.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">It seems as though, you're either for the big girl bed as soon as possible or you're for keeping her in the crib as long as possible. A quick poll on <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Facebook</span> showed a pretty even split. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">So, during this past weekend, I rearranged Maddi's room. (The big girl bed was right next to the window and I didn't like that much). I put her crib right outside her bedroom, just in case. After I was done, I had her come up stairs to check it out. Here's her reaction...</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">"Wow!" "Wow!" "Wow!", in an almost whisper voice, with her arms out and her hands open.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">Once I finished laughing at her response... she climbed into her big girl bed. But the real test had not happened yet...</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">She took her nap there on Sunday... I was not home, so it was all dad. I happened to call him during her nap... he says "I'm laying down with Maddi to get her to sleep". To which I yelled... yes, I yelled, "Don't you dare do that! Do you have any idea what kind of monster you'll create?" Yes, I know, a little <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">over dramatic</span>, but I'm the one usually at home with her and I WILL NOT lay down with her every time she goes down! So, anyway... he had to put her back in her bed 12 times... <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">LOL</span>!</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">That night, I put her down, thinking that it would be Round 1 of 10 or so. Nope, she snuggled right in and went to sleep! And she slept all night until 7:30am! Ah, success!</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">Today, she snuggled right in for nap again! Dale just put her down about 10 minutes ago... cross your fingers!</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">So far, mommy is LOVING the big girl bed! The sad part is that she's not so much a baby anymore. <sigh></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6713519646921753875.post-54735978715508844182009-06-28T16:21:00.000-07:002009-06-28T16:49:56.921-07:00Introspective<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">I wonder if life presents us with tough times to humble us? I've never been an <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">extravagant</span> person, but since we're struggling so much right now, it reminds me of how blessed I've been... and still am. Even though it seems as though we are fighting for every scrap for the time being, we're very lucky in so many ways.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">Dale's family didn't have much when he was a kid, but he had a very loving home. My family didn't have much either, but I didn't come from a loving home. There is such a difference... <em>things</em> aren't as important... it's all about loved ones. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">I don't care about living in a big house, driving nice cars, brand-name clothing or big jewelry... all I care about is that we're together, as a family. So, even if we can't climb our way out of this mess and lose many of our material things, it doesn't matter. That's not what life is about. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">We have no cushion to help us out. None. Zip. Nada. Zero.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">We've lost about $20k on legal fees fighting my husbands PEW on various issues... usually, it's because she feels she is "entitled" to more money, and that won't end for 8 more years (another story for another time). Dale has been laid off from work 3 times since we've been married, but this is the first time that I'm really worried. This job market is so saturated! One call back in the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">hundreds</span>... yes, I said hundreds... of resumes he's sent out. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">So, now we're both looking for additional work to help make ends meet. Labor, consulting, graphic design, nannying... anything to bring extra money in! Even Hannah is pitching in with babysitting money <- of which, we'll pay back! </span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">Think good thoughts.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">Speak good words.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">Take good actions.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">Three steps that will bring more to you than you can ever imagine.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6713519646921753875.post-22548138770906358812009-06-26T07:44:00.000-07:002009-06-26T07:52:56.608-07:00Today is a good day!<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">I woke up this morning, feeling... good... actually good! I even smiled first thing in the morning, BEFORE having coffee! Now THAT is a good start to the day!</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">My house is almost entirely cleaned and organized... there is still stuff on the counters in the kitchen, like most people's homes (I think). You know, the mail stacks up... keys... camera... phones... ... etc... and I don't think there's a lot to do about that, but I'm going to try!</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">Yesterday, Hannah babysat for a neighbor... while doing so, she ran into another neighbor who is looking for a nanny for the summer! How great is that? She'd prefer to nanny over any other job, so she's super excited!</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">This morning, I got a response to my nanny posting on <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">craigslist</span>.org, which is also very exciting. We're all trying <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">everything</span> to earn extra money while my hubby is not working!</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">Today is just a feel-good day! No real good reason. The sun is shining! <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">Wahoo</span>!</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">I'm just going to keep smiling, thinking positive, and good things will come our way!</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6713519646921753875.post-27236486390857470702009-06-24T09:27:00.001-07:002009-06-24T09:29:27.160-07:00Wordless Wednesday<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi98a7fbmZbfEgdXWyt-ejeqTVdEalFM_z0KdyMbDHs-nb3N2uYK_ZEcQ-s7U_3rhvIR6WncpQEge5-Lvn5PfNpcbk74aYcNVYmUmy1MwwZkv4lmL0doA3qgLdbPOQbDBcVm-VqYcMDyKE/s1600-h/Camping+28.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350931838437812050" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi98a7fbmZbfEgdXWyt-ejeqTVdEalFM_z0KdyMbDHs-nb3N2uYK_ZEcQ-s7U_3rhvIR6WncpQEge5-Lvn5PfNpcbk74aYcNVYmUmy1MwwZkv4lmL0doA3qgLdbPOQbDBcVm-VqYcMDyKE/s400/Camping+28.jpg" /></a> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Me and my baby girl having fun at the beach!</span><br /><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6713519646921753875.post-8470935192460517752009-06-23T08:33:00.000-07:002009-06-23T08:34:35.513-07:00iPOD and Sensei GIVEAWAY now!<a href="http://girlgetstrong.com/wordpress/2009/06/17/i-pod-giveaway-is-here-courtesy-of-sensei/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">iPOD and Sensei GIVEAWAY now!</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /><br />Enter to win an iPod Touch and 6 months of Sensei before June 26th!!</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6713519646921753875.post-84704145327369515932009-06-21T19:43:00.000-07:002009-06-21T20:22:09.408-07:00Rockstar Dad<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX3N2lCkH0BdW_83Otys67BkM8AdLomLVZlDoV6mIp6k4YzZchMWs_yfZWtvzCExq7O2w_FoKE7T7AzzWbqyL5kqgTq5jxCk0KA5fRS3S2KaXyKGJ7rlaeqI6lCUswzG9eeYgYQfXcP_8/s1600-h/Dale+and+Maddi.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 266px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349986588664620930" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX3N2lCkH0BdW_83Otys67BkM8AdLomLVZlDoV6mIp6k4YzZchMWs_yfZWtvzCExq7O2w_FoKE7T7AzzWbqyL5kqgTq5jxCk0KA5fRS3S2KaXyKGJ7rlaeqI6lCUswzG9eeYgYQfXcP_8/s400/Dale+and+Maddi.jpg" /></a><br /><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">One of the first things that attracted to me to my husband, was his good nature with his children. At the time, they were 6, 12, 14, and 16 years old... I know, quite a load of kids! That was my first thought too!</span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">Dale has the most patient, calm and mellow <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">mannerism</span> towards everyone he deals with... but, most importantly, his teenagers. Let me tell you, I don't know how he held his composure on <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">occasion</span>... anyone with teenagers can understand what I'm talking about. </span></div><div><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">When Dale gets home from work (well, right now, he's not working, but usually), he spends quality time with Maddi, playing and cuddling with her. When she hears the garage door open, she squeals with delight. It's their ritual to have him put her down to bed each night too. On Saturday mornings, she is so excited to see him home. It is going to be so tough when my hubby goes back to work! She's so used to having daddy around all the time.</span></div><div><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">Dale, I love you and I'm so proud to be your wife. I can't imagine any other man being my husband and the father of my daughter.</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6713519646921753875.post-21539301684975443852009-06-19T16:50:00.000-07:002009-06-19T18:11:31.247-07:00My very first award!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfDoOvTcBPNB_9iMjZmGGbhkLcxVDsb5dmfv43LR20-5ThuQ_Tq00cs9Q0RBMKd123Xbn-XarnJMl5bJRBGRnhzx_F5I8290A4jTdDMY6bOj8s5mTbdIRFZIsduPZSMROmRrLf_Xf1dNg/s1600-h/honestscrap.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 194px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349192096194371010" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfDoOvTcBPNB_9iMjZmGGbhkLcxVDsb5dmfv43LR20-5ThuQ_Tq00cs9Q0RBMKd123Xbn-XarnJMl5bJRBGRnhzx_F5I8290A4jTdDMY6bOj8s5mTbdIRFZIsduPZSMROmRrLf_Xf1dNg/s200/honestscrap.jpg" /></a> <div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Thank you to Ness from </span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.militarywifemayhem.com"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">A Military's Wife Mayhem</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> for This Honest Award! This is my very first one... I'm so excited and gitty... I sound like the father from "A Christmas Story" with his "prestigious award"... "it must be italian, it says FRAGILE"... LOL.</span></div><br /><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">So, my next step is to follow the rules and tell you 10 things about myself that are true and then pass this award on to 5 other bloggers. </span><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span></div><div><br /><p><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Okay, so 10 things about me:</span></p></div><ol><li><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">I am a self-proclaimed, Chapstick addict.</span></li><li><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">I am looking into becoming a Discovery Toys consultant.</span></li><li><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">My favorite food to make at home is Asian, spring rolls, pho, and curry dishes.</span></li><li><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">I secretly like Hannah Montana... shhhh, don't tell ANYONE!</span></li><li><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">I am working towards my Associates Degree in Early Childhood Education.</span></li><li><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">My fantasy vacation is to go some place tropical (Hawaii, Belize?), where I can swim with dolphins.</span></li><li><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">My husband was recently laid off from his job, so if you know of anyone looking for a CFO/Controller type of person... let me know!</span></li><li><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Needs a momcation... just a weekend is all I ask. </span></li><li><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">I have absolutely no patience, and I'm not exagerating!</span></li><li><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">I have the most amazing step-daughter ever in Hannah. <- She told me to write that one... not that it's not true, but still funny!</span></li></ol><div><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Whew! That should not have been that hard!</span></p></div><div><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">I'm passing this award on to the following bloggers:</span></p></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span></div><div><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Karla of </span><a href="http://karlajrsblog.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Confussion Never Stops</span></a></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Mister M of </span><a href="http://www.thepsychoexwife.com/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">The Psycho Ex-Wife</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Melanie, Sian and Susan of </span><a href="http://girlgetstrong.com/wordpress/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Girl, Get Strong!</span></a></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Redneck Mommy of <a href="http://theredneckmommy.com/">Attack of the Redneck Mommy</a></span></p></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Baby Rocas Mama of </span><a href="http://mylastshredsofsanity.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Last Shreds of Sanity</span></a></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></div><div><br /><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;"><strong>Again, thank you, Ness!</strong></span></p></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6713519646921753875.post-25817284552926503102009-06-17T20:04:00.000-07:002009-06-17T20:06:44.863-07:00Wordless Wednesday<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeo3M4yl-TzJND5lToGkp5AiL-LkLis5nialeMDEaqW6-JTcew2ZJCHgmy4tNuLeRdjm3Ooy2YX0Ah5kPvOVHobQnXe12ZbVbAMZV7coaUOiVe-Lg8Q9v6mnwRY5JiWb24PPw8fvYwjo0/s1600-h/Camping+7.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 267px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348498462382018386" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeo3M4yl-TzJND5lToGkp5AiL-LkLis5nialeMDEaqW6-JTcew2ZJCHgmy4tNuLeRdjm3Ooy2YX0Ah5kPvOVHobQnXe12ZbVbAMZV7coaUOiVe-Lg8Q9v6mnwRY5JiWb24PPw8fvYwjo0/s400/Camping+7.jpg" /></a> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Sisters, together again...</span><br /><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6713519646921753875.post-33324147722902251222009-06-16T14:55:00.000-07:002009-06-16T15:11:36.449-07:00Nothing Special<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">We went camping through the weekend, so no online access. Ugh... What on earth did we do before the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">Internet</span>? My goodness, it's quite pathetic of me! I made it through and it was so relaxing, we ended up staying an extra night! I have to get our pictures uploaded and posted soon!</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">I had a feel-good appointment this morning, which set the tone for the day... being excellent! We didn't really get much <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">accomplished</span>, but Dale got 7 more resumes sent out! </span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">Last night was miserable... Maddi had a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">difficult</span> time sleeping, or lack there of. I decided to try to sleep with her in her big girl bed, but then I didn't get any sleep. The end result is that Maddi got to sleep and Mommy did not. I woke up with bags under my eyes, literally. Make-up didn't even do a good job of covering it! Yikes! No nap... couldn't sleep... too much on my mind. So, hopefully, tonight will be better!</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">Please excuse my zombie post!</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6713519646921753875.post-63980596762473948412009-06-11T12:35:00.000-07:002009-06-11T12:44:07.866-07:00100 things I'm grateful for...<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">On May 26th, I wrote about the "Secret Daily Teachings" and the teaching for that day was to write a list of 100 things I'm grateful for. With all of the drama since then, it's taken some extra time, BUT I DID IT!</span><br /><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><strong>100 THINGS I'M GRATEFUL FOR:</strong></span></div><p align="center"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Being a mom.<br />Maddi.<br />Dale.<br />Hannah.<br />Andrew.<br />Joshua.<br />Kendra. <br />My home.<br />Having the best Mother-In-Law in the world!<br />That I have the means and ability to further my education.<br />That I can stay at home with my daughter.<br />My dear friends, old and new.<br />My daughter’s curiosity.<br />To go on an annual vacation with my family.<br />Having such a strong marriage.<br />My pets… they make me laugh almost as much as Maddi.<br />That Andrew is doing so well in the Army.<br />Watching my daughter grow and change every day.<br />My gorgeous and fabulous neighborhood.<br />That my daughter will have a better childhood than me.<br />The way my husband looks at me.<br />My Chihuahua “blinking” at me.<br />The feeling of happiness that long alluded me.<br />My morning cup of coffee that my loving hubby makes for me!<br />Starbucks!<br />Chapstick!<br />Lessons learned.<br />For the health of my family.<br />To provide Hannah with the female, adult guidance she so desperately needs.<br />When my daughter blows a kiss at me to say “I love you”.<br />To help my friends who’ve helped me so much during my times of need.<br />Facebook… not just for the video games, but for the people I can now stay in touch with.<br />To have a relationship with my brother, Sean… finally!<br />His girlfriend, Julia… hopefully, I can call her sister-in-law some day!<br />To have not experience the loss of someone I love… yet.<br />Having a little more patience than I used to… still working on that!<br />Finding the right doctors and medications to help me through my PPD and anxiety issues.<br />Reduced Fat Oreo Cookies!<br />Losing 25 pounds so far… still a work in progress.<br />Waking up in the morning hearing the birds twittering.<br />My love for reading.<br />To have the wisdom to cool off before arguing with a loved one.<br />My daughter has such a wonderful and involved god-mother.<br />That my Oma and Opa are so good to Maddi.<br />To have so many moms in my life.<br />My mommy time every morning before Maddi wakes up.<br />My daughter’s laugh… most children’s laugh for that matter.<br />The uncooked tortillas from Costco.<br />That Dale is such a good father.<br />Wireless Internet.<br />To have Hannah home, safe and sound.<br />DVR.<br />The FREE hot tub we had delivered on Thursday.<br />Everything Bagels <- the best ever!<br />Pho.<br />When my daughter cuddles with me for no reason.<br />To everyone who worked so hard to get Hannah home.<br />My daughter's smile... missing teeth and all.<br />Captain Morgan and Diet Coke<br />Our beautiful flowers in the backyard.<br />When Diesel cuddles on my lap.<br />My husband's ability to provide for our family.<br />Our tent trailer.<br />All of our scheduled camping trips for the summer.<br />My new netbook, Dale gave me for my birthday.<br />That Maddi already says "thank you" at the appropriate times.<br />When my daughter "helps" with chores.<br />My wonderful mommy friends.<br />Safeway's chocolate cake... the moistest cake you'll ever have!<br />The "Secret"<br />The "Twilight" series and movies.<br />My daughter's love for the outdoors.<br />Waking up in the morning to sunshine.<br />Palm trees.<br />Flip-flops.<br />Coupons... saving money is always good!<br />When is snows enough to sled down our hill.<br />Dark chocolate.<br />Imagination Movers... they can entertain Maddi for 30 minutes!<br />Watching my daughter dance... although, it's usually "Poker Face" or "If U Seek Amy" playing!<br />The frogs we play with in the backyard.<br />Craigslist... we have found some amazing deals!<br />The smell of coconut, especially during the summer.<br />When my hubby gives me a mushy card out of the blue.<br />Finally going to college!<br />Tahiti Village.<br />Being so lucky.<br />Being free of glasses and contacts.<br />Hannah being Maddi's big sister.<br />Having Hannah here to babysit on date nights!<br />A well-deserved pedicure.<br />When my daughter "talks" on the phone.<br />My daughter being able to know her big sissy now.<br />Twitter.<br />Victoria's Secret undies.<br />Someone else making coffee in the morning.<br />My hubby always standing by my side.<br />When my daughter "sings" and does the hand motions.<br />Grey's Anatomy<br />My life.</span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6713519646921753875.post-59175066725074598992009-06-10T10:29:00.001-07:002009-06-10T10:29:55.944-07:00Wordless Wednesday<div style="width: 335px; height: 277px; line-height: 1px;"><embed src="http://widgets.youniverse.com/personality_landscape.swf" FlashVars="clickstream=6102fa8758bf10cfe1fe376f40ed6010" allowscriptaccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="242" width="330"></embed><a href="http://www.youniverse.com/personality/feedback/6102fa8758bf10cfe1fe376f40ed6010" style="padding: 0; margin: 0; float: left;"><img style="border: none !important; padding: 0; margin: 0;" border="0" src="http://widgets.youniverse.com/readMyProfileLink.gif" alt="Youniverse Personality Test" width="147" height="35" /></a><a href="http://www.youniverse.com/personality/" style="padding: 0; margin: 0; float: left;"><img border="0" style="border: none !important; padding: 0; margin: 0;" src="http://widgets.youniverse.com/youniverseLink.gif" alt="Youniverse Personality Test" width="183" height="35" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6713519646921753875.post-7177533021583999222009-06-09T16:12:00.002-07:002009-06-09T16:33:49.010-07:00Who moved my... EVERYTHING?<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Why is change so hard?</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Even good change... I am having a very hard time adjusting to Hannah and Dale being here during the day. Today is really only the 2<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">nd</span> day of this... how sad is that? Two days of having more people around and I want to just get back to the way it was.</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Don't get me wrong... I love Hannah and I'm VERY happy to have her here, and I love my hubby and I looked forward to him coming home each afternoon! </span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">I just have routines with Maddi that are disappearing rapidly. I'm used to having things "my" way during the day... I don't have to worry about anyone else, just me and Maddi. Yes, I am somewhat of a control freak. I didn't even consider this adjustment period. I don't like it. I don't like it at all.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">I'm sure Hannah is going through her own adjustment period too... she just went through a very tough time, and I know she was scared. Now, she's separated from her boyfriend... and I truly feel for her, I do. I hate seeing her just sitting on the couch with the laptop, hoping to chat with her boyfriend online. She's always there like a lump on a log... sometimes sleeping. I don't know how to help her... I REALLY hate that.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">Since Dale was laid off, he doesn't have much choice. His job search really started yesterday... we just didn't have any additional energy to get that going while trying to take care of Hannah, who was thousands of miles away. The good news is that he's getting good response to his resume... and he's been told by 2 recruiters that they've seen an upswing in job opportunities this month. Whew! Timing IS everything!</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">My hope is that we'll find counselors to help us all through this difficult transition... at least it's a transition we all wanted! Otherwise, it could be so much harder on all of us.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">Today, I'm just plain grumpy... I want to just hide in my room and not talk to anyone. It's not <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">any one's</span> fault. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">Everything</span> seems off... nothing is where it's supposed to be... and my sense of time is completely a-wall... Blah! </span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6713519646921753875.post-19500178121128853682009-06-05T19:43:00.000-07:002009-06-05T20:28:05.683-07:00the FUN part of dysFUNctional<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">So, our vacation <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">wasn't</span> all bad... we had a lot of fun too! Maddi made sure we had <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">plenty</span> of laughs during our <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">roller coaster</span> of a vacation. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;">The gorgeous palm trees by the pool.</span></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNJtcYLq7Urh_YWMYj_lQfbQgPy0CsJFOuVQQb9bEAU6LBTQIUjaJgpDU4Eyf0lzBbt2LgBx7M6HfIVh_o2si_4T_ufYBePp39Au4Y9zMde2or3HfGAGLfs1TCX9UK6wnSPsOmWfkeGww/s1600-h/Las+Vegas+30+0509.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 267px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344044366537447890" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNJtcYLq7Urh_YWMYj_lQfbQgPy0CsJFOuVQQb9bEAU6LBTQIUjaJgpDU4Eyf0lzBbt2LgBx7M6HfIVh_o2si_4T_ufYBePp39Au4Y9zMde2or3HfGAGLfs1TCX9UK6wnSPsOmWfkeGww/s400/Las+Vegas+30+0509.jpg" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span></span> </div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">The pool... the building is the one we stayed in.</span><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNIFcB_zQrcKnfh8-4uMidbfzyLPnNo6CgH6JE1nCDmKOTHVecBSR78o1gdcUHzt95KUhizYap0L5QzeGW9u1n4QUMwHNvspaGX-YwqD5u1qBmjYeVBLInUgTXfGGxnPyR5p2QnQdqNSc/s1600-h/Las+Vegas+80+0509.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 267px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344044358204093298" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNIFcB_zQrcKnfh8-4uMidbfzyLPnNo6CgH6JE1nCDmKOTHVecBSR78o1gdcUHzt95KUhizYap0L5QzeGW9u1n4QUMwHNvspaGX-YwqD5u1qBmjYeVBLInUgTXfGGxnPyR5p2QnQdqNSc/s400/Las+Vegas+80+0509.jpg" /></a></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;"></span> </div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;">The view from our room...</span></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimSQEJNAAFE9YOkiKCEVUaMmg9TaedldmPbhr2EBWTaBuX7wKSD71hDm454-0MBENgKZJ4p48llMH1kaG69DJkROdfSYrJPs-LavVYDB3F28703sO_XNHzbmJJ7nzJwmEMsg0n9AjyxiA/s1600-h/Las+Vegas+17+0509.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 266px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344044353315204450" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimSQEJNAAFE9YOkiKCEVUaMmg9TaedldmPbhr2EBWTaBuX7wKSD71hDm454-0MBENgKZJ4p48llMH1kaG69DJkROdfSYrJPs-LavVYDB3F28703sO_XNHzbmJJ7nzJwmEMsg0n9AjyxiA/s400/Las+Vegas+17+0509.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;">Maddi LOVED the pool!</span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC5_1kl1Gbwy68o0iO-HdXm7z0uSvIAEt_luoLndij3Mg1iiA2TvZqteDGBpo0WAc9wfJcY97odFpZwTB8iqGbxbk4m_I-R9VRzXNig1G9dHWOLjt90w1l_1HXIJu6vycI7zrtBt-1hp4/s1600-h/Las+Vegas+69+0509.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 267px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344043921521718018" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC5_1kl1Gbwy68o0iO-HdXm7z0uSvIAEt_luoLndij3Mg1iiA2TvZqteDGBpo0WAc9wfJcY97odFpZwTB8iqGbxbk4m_I-R9VRzXNig1G9dHWOLjt90w1l_1HXIJu6vycI7zrtBt-1hp4/s400/Las+Vegas+69+0509.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;">Maddi had so much fun flirting with every passerby...</span><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0a-HVg7u69KYSEtpEJcKhnLNstOIEWqzysk2_ay0OfwOErn3qsyAmS3fRtmpOT9S0f1BiQVN_Htbx8Zh2a4JBi9vV07OGv3d3qxFc6wTLTbzWYcXwgYtFQnJvuR19SzIEVXu8B0E4vak/s1600-h/Las+Vegas+41+0509.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 267px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344043917259196962" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0a-HVg7u69KYSEtpEJcKhnLNstOIEWqzysk2_ay0OfwOErn3qsyAmS3fRtmpOT9S0f1BiQVN_Htbx8Zh2a4JBi9vV07OGv3d3qxFc6wTLTbzWYcXwgYtFQnJvuR19SzIEVXu8B0E4vak/s400/Las+Vegas+41+0509.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;">Maddi and her "<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">ba</span>-<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">ba</span>"...</span><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0khAAgRE-zn6NTrOfyGO6m0EuF1PMrn2cmn8yb4Gj2KRVx506FVfXXUB_QVQsnkv442tI60NkIk6RRVZRJQhIBkShm7CLHTtN2cDtBQuisnpof-IuUKs5dSJoUasWrq44kUUr-e7KKBg/s1600-h/Las+Vegas+28+0509.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 266px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344043912327156146" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0khAAgRE-zn6NTrOfyGO6m0EuF1PMrn2cmn8yb4Gj2KRVx506FVfXXUB_QVQsnkv442tI60NkIk6RRVZRJQhIBkShm7CLHTtN2cDtBQuisnpof-IuUKs5dSJoUasWrq44kUUr-e7KKBg/s400/Las+Vegas+28+0509.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;">I'm quite proud to say that I took this pic...<br /></span><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEMoTqwSUun4M72NOsT2PXwWSENxMtzYjopyLBkmaewC9T38Tg1s00Dmy7m6raQxkzZzbwIa4ot7l1_drLuClbl5uZGIp1FApD-PUQSnmmxeFlJdtYbGPDHP9MqulTIvTNpWeYMyTafwI/s1600-h/Las+Vegas+82+0509.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 266px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344043908426887218" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEMoTqwSUun4M72NOsT2PXwWSENxMtzYjopyLBkmaewC9T38Tg1s00Dmy7m6raQxkzZzbwIa4ot7l1_drLuClbl5uZGIp1FApD-PUQSnmmxeFlJdtYbGPDHP9MqulTIvTNpWeYMyTafwI/s400/Las+Vegas+82+0509.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;">Maddi having more fun in the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">kiddy</span> pool...</span><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivcmbnvfyMoACA9ruv1cWxmiyRxB4fM70KsyD0PupzbSV-LTiGHB1NFEA5jTT35kYCe4l9JDeln6zW131rBfRASNtYlxNcEnBZLpycmYmsXxxOKzkJDTy7Fa5pOW8T9qnpJu8tLnXxxEg/s1600-h/Las+Vegas+83+0509.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 267px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344043901721007026" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivcmbnvfyMoACA9ruv1cWxmiyRxB4fM70KsyD0PupzbSV-LTiGHB1NFEA5jTT35kYCe4l9JDeln6zW131rBfRASNtYlxNcEnBZLpycmYmsXxxOKzkJDTy7Fa5pOW8T9qnpJu8tLnXxxEg/s400/Las+Vegas+83+0509.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;">This was so funny... this grasshopper hitched a ride on Maddi's hat, taking 4 laps with her...<br /></span><div align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSC3r_kctq9Bh9HNo4Td9NByhy0xM6-P371vvH7zT_ZnIm-Egds1TezRewk5QnxgruKtIozo9vXobMOG3myMGdkwXsKneAWHXi2yI8_zO1bsmzW9zY-GTxJmqvWiz3qfetN27u22uIDp8/s1600-h/Las+Vegas+36+0509.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 268px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344043198654179522" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSC3r_kctq9Bh9HNo4Td9NByhy0xM6-P371vvH7zT_ZnIm-Egds1TezRewk5QnxgruKtIozo9vXobMOG3myMGdkwXsKneAWHXi2yI8_zO1bsmzW9zY-GTxJmqvWiz3qfetN27u22uIDp8/s400/Las+Vegas+36+0509.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Friday morning, Maddi got her very first pedicure! It was so funny to watch her walking around looking at her toes... we would just comment on her "pretty toes" and she'd get so <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-error">gitty</span>. </span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">I'm ready mommy...</span><br /></span></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYoE8ZONsw6lRwZUOWOrRRZ2lcnRVIlRzD1rLXUlqu_m7mi9qx11vbqVwXQydTzgk_JxHXtatIDR0CLkTtGOIx2DzDNJ2jZ1zQTiS7PaX9mwE3YiqtndWwFBuGNQsud46fNDiZrNyvalo/s1600-h/Las+Vegas+16+0509.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 267px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344043068706040898" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYoE8ZONsw6lRwZUOWOrRRZ2lcnRVIlRzD1rLXUlqu_m7mi9qx11vbqVwXQydTzgk_JxHXtatIDR0CLkTtGOIx2DzDNJ2jZ1zQTiS7PaX9mwE3YiqtndWwFBuGNQsud46fNDiZrNyvalo/s400/Las+Vegas+16+0509.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;">Pretty toes...<br /></span><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJA6qZB0u5yq_T8wcj7deCOKpL2xQ1DfVIMkTe57kJixhuTCGrU32tMbfyK8CUWtaXK8Wr2LVJ0Oys5avOKaInt3Sv8HvYI40OkHLl2dPoik-RHqsZ7LZkyhnmQak2N8RK1zoDI3PzCN0/s1600-h/Las+Vegas+45+0509.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 267px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344042852631556642" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJA6qZB0u5yq_T8wcj7deCOKpL2xQ1DfVIMkTe57kJixhuTCGrU32tMbfyK8CUWtaXK8Wr2LVJ0Oys5avOKaInt3Sv8HvYI40OkHLl2dPoik-RHqsZ7LZkyhnmQak2N8RK1zoDI3PzCN0/s400/Las+Vegas+45+0509.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;">Look mommy!<br /></span><div align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS-w9ddM9tRaRUgnrf98j88qhR7nN1ncpkh-_bFk-oK9-J54wL4Pk-LQKxLTTcb1iMnTqATqf5UHXr-8-qmPHImIEIjhuOaUoObUUGU5huK0g_4tWzeU2cf_JQI60aKtWnT8ALHCgqe-0/s1600-h/Las+Vegas+15+0509.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 267px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344042855418354434" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS-w9ddM9tRaRUgnrf98j88qhR7nN1ncpkh-_bFk-oK9-J54wL4Pk-LQKxLTTcb1iMnTqATqf5UHXr-8-qmPHImIEIjhuOaUoObUUGU5huK0g_4tWzeU2cf_JQI60aKtWnT8ALHCgqe-0/s400/Las+Vegas+15+0509.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Maddi enjoyed her very first Oreo Cookies... <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-error">mmm</span>, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-error">mmm</span>, Mommy's favorite! It was definitely not a clean experience, but it was tons of fun to watch!</span><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx7mNpTdFwKFc-7eUvBGxK0XGCB2zQtqwKxKGwQ5jSZaLbIr3JOOYpC_zMaHxujIcqOiM-fknXUlP02u7wY9KgPotwxIzEN0LNBSkrICr5pDjwpkbE8U8W3svDhTZ1t35rySFj-m2szR8/s1600-h/Las+Vegas+21+0509.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 267px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344042518085828498" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx7mNpTdFwKFc-7eUvBGxK0XGCB2zQtqwKxKGwQ5jSZaLbIr3JOOYpC_zMaHxujIcqOiM-fknXUlP02u7wY9KgPotwxIzEN0LNBSkrICr5pDjwpkbE8U8W3svDhTZ1t35rySFj-m2szR8/s400/Las+Vegas+21+0509.jpg" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwD0iDBasNVjYWT5nVqseghneM8mW5pc-VQXHwQJ2YFXfoGBN0-1cdk8bf1JbocRkk3zkqIPTNFrS8WW9B1fRqbdjTtQv8NFwmyTc58x7p1BehQ8HmU-9tpux-mDWk_jfPaF67Lk6aTvQ/s1600-h/Las+Vegas+24+0509.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 267px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344042515037608530" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwD0iDBasNVjYWT5nVqseghneM8mW5pc-VQXHwQJ2YFXfoGBN0-1cdk8bf1JbocRkk3zkqIPTNFrS8WW9B1fRqbdjTtQv8NFwmyTc58x7p1BehQ8HmU-9tpux-mDWk_jfPaF67Lk6aTvQ/s400/Las+Vegas+24+0509.jpg" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX7QcDMLv6D14sRoNg7CBGBCkkcvU0HfKxtcPGP106qH7gKhm63BeTBuerTzzzlpiC07rGr4hoWFpW7hevUa4RB4iNdwbOFV4-dsuVWlRZHhdZVQeny2enUl2Iqx5QICsqWcSx5wW5Vc0/s1600-h/Las+Vegas+26+0509.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 266px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344042512206594754" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX7QcDMLv6D14sRoNg7CBGBCkkcvU0HfKxtcPGP106qH7gKhm63BeTBuerTzzzlpiC07rGr4hoWFpW7hevUa4RB4iNdwbOFV4-dsuVWlRZHhdZVQeny2enUl2Iqx5QICsqWcSx5wW5Vc0/s400/Las+Vegas+26+0509.jpg" /></a><br /><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Maddi is finally at a fun age, when you can enjoy watching her experience new things. While we were gone, she got to have many firsts... I'm glad I got to capture them on camera! Looking forward to taking her to Disneyland some day... she's such a ham!</span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1