1.31.2008

insight.

i love the sound of: good music. like good, old music. like lionel. love me some lionel.

i love the sight of: the sun and clear skies. even if it is a million degrees below bearable, the sun makes all the difference.

i love the taste of: little itsy lava cakes. thanks bek for the recipe. now you share it or i will.

i love the smell of: french kiss scentsy candle stuff thingys. it's the best "flavor" made.

i love the feel of: family. i adore my family and i love knowing that they love me, no matter what and being able to feel their love.

1.28.2008

my newest love.


my sister and her family welcomed the newest member of our family yesterday, january 27th. an adorable baby boy. welcome to the world baby logan. we can't wait to get to know you!

1.25.2008

my girls.

how sad.

this is one of the reasons that i think parenting in this day and age is way too much for me. it scares me and makes me a little sad. i think it is a tragedy that kids aren't experiencing life the way we did. and i am horrified by what is acceptable behavior, especially the part where the boy talks about not reading. seriously sad.

i think that everyone should watch this. it is so informative. take some time and inform yourself.



and for heaven's sake, don't put a computer in your kid's room.

1.24.2008

something might be wrong.

i am in love with reality television. i know, something might be wrong with me. it's a bold statement, but it is true. and my most favorite reality show is this show. and that's all i have to say about that.

1.20.2008

sunday scribblings.

prompt #94: fellow travelers.

so many people enter and exit our lives on a daily basis. i know that i have been influenced by people who have no idea who i am or that they have even influenced my life.

and maybe, just maybe, i have been that person for someone else.

i like to think that i will one day be able to thank all the people who influenced me and my life.

every experience is an opportunity to learn about the world around us and about ourselves and isn't it amazing that we have "fellow travelers" to help us and to share with us and to teach us and to influence us along the way? amazing, indeed.

1.19.2008

insight.

i love the sound of: friends, laughing and visiting and celebrating each other.

i love the sight of: my cute nephews enjoying the aggie basketball game.

i love the taste of: movie popcorn. (we went and saw juno. i can't even tell you how amazing this movie is, but i will try in a later post.)

i love the smell of: homemade treats and dinners at friends' houses.

i love the feel of: 20° versus 10°. you wouldn't think there would be that big of a difference, but oh, is there.

pretty kitty one.

for christmas, my friend rebbekah gave me the pretty kitty that i thought she had given up on. i can't even tell you how excited i was to see pretty kitty waiting for me on my bed that glorious day in december. and because i love rebbekah and want her to be a part of pretty kitty's life, i have been documenting the things that pretty kitty does. and for my entertainment (and maybe yours), i thought i would share them here. oh, this is going to be fun and funny.

this is pretty kitty, resting after a long day with malcolm and jesse. she really enjoys her new home.

ps. i'm not a fan of cats. i have no desire to own a real kitty or anything that has kitties on, in or around it. i repeat, i am not a fan of cats. but i am a fan of pretty kitties that rebbekah gives me. that's all.

1.18.2008

spt.

the challenge: is there a part of you, a part of your home, a part of your creativity that gets more attention from you than anything else? when you look at your reflection, do you automatically zoom in on a feature you love or you loathe? when you are in your creative space, is there one project that gets your attention before all the others? when you really zoom in on that thing, that feature, that idea, does it take on a whole new meaning for you?


i love my eyes. i am in love with the color of my eyes. so, when i look at pictures of myself or at myself in the mirror, i always zoom in on my eyes. there are plenty of things that i loathe about myself, but i always go back to my eyes.

she's leaving.

as you know, i live in a house with five boys and one other girl. well, now that girl is moving out and leaving me to survive the five boys. i think i will be alright, but i will miss having someone to complain to and freak out to about the boys.


i will also miss hearing her talk on the phone, non-stop, for hours.

and i will miss eating chocolate pumpkin cupcakes with orange cream cheese frosting while watching the biggest loser with her.



mel, it's been an adventure and i am going to miss you. i'm very happy for you and i wish you the best. and congratulations on the move. it's for a good reason, so i won't hold it against you.


good luck sister.

spt.

the challenge: stop for a minute and take a self-portrait, a snapshot of you in the here and now. what are your dreams and goals for 2008? what is your word? what are you thinking about right now as we plunge head-first into the new year?


this is my new year photo, taken on new year's eve, right before i fell asleep.

i have so many dreams and goals for 2008, too many to list here. but as i achieve them and realize them, i will be sure to let you know.

and i have yet to choose my word for 2008. i have it narrowed down, but i want to get it just right, so i am not going to be hasty in my decision.

it's gonna be a big year, and i am excited.

spt.

the challenge: what was your favorite spt from 2007? take a moment and revisit this spt journey you've been on. which was your favorite photo? your most creative? is there a post that sums up your year? a post that reminds you of something small and fun that you might otherwise forget about? will you continue to spt in the new year?

i don't think that i can pick just one spt post to be my favorite. i enjoy the challenges and "searching" for the one thing that will describe me for the week. but i really enjoyed this spt post because we had such a good time together as family. and in actuality, family is one word i would use to sum up my 2007.


gotta love family.

1.14.2008

forced post.

i don't really have anything to blog about, but i was told by someone "when i get up in the morning there better be something new on your blog." and i just don't like to disappoint people, especially her.

i could tell you about all the action movies i have been watching lately. i think something might be wrong with me because i really want to watch many, many more. this weekend i watched 3:10 to yuma, war, and shoot 'em up. i almost got shattered, too. maybe it's a hormonal thing, but this is a lot of action movies for one weekend. one could argue that it is too many. but i'm not gonna lie, i liked them all. oh, and we watched pirates, too. yes, definitely crossed the threshold.

i could tell you about how much i hate the snow. still. i was just talking about this with my roommate tonight. the cold and snow is bearable in november/december because it makes for lovely holidays, but once the holidays are over with, the snow and cold is pointless. i mean, i guess if you are a skier, boarder, snowmobiler or a number of other winter activities fan, then snow is good. but what about the rest of us. mostly it is just january. january is a bit on the miserable side. at least for me. i guess i just have a bad attitude about it today. because it is cold. very cold.

i could also tell you how i cleaned the crap out of the kitchen. i just haven't wanted to do it since the dirty boys got back from break. but because they are back, it's needed cleaning very badly. today i sucked it up and i did it. and i felt good after i finished. it always happens that way, doesn't it.

and i think that is all i have for now. i hope this didn't disappoint. and i promise more later this week. seriously. promise.

1.06.2008

insight.

i love the sound of: silence in the morning after a good snowfall. this morning, when i woke up, i opened my blinds and revelled in the new snow and the peaceful sound it brought to my day.

i love the sight of: snow falling and covering the ground. as much as i hate shoveling snow and driving in snow, i love the way that it makes the earth glow.

i love the taste of: water when the thirst is almost unbearable. there is nothing that can quench a good thirst like cold, fresh water.

i love the smell of: the sheer freesia air freshener that i stole from my mom's stuff before they moved it. i hope she doesn't know it is gone. the reason i love it is because it smells like her and when i walk up the stairs and i get a whiff of it, i think of her. maybe she can forgive me for stealing it.

i love the feel of: new beginnings.

sunday scribblings.

prompt #92: new or new year.

this past week, i have been reading a lot about new year's resolutions and goal setting and all those things that go along with the first couple of weeks of january.

in my reading (typically known as blog-stalking) i found a post about bidding farewell to 2007 and moving into 2008 with a fresh start and nothing holding you back. i decided that is going to be my goal for 2008. i am going say goodbye to 2007 (and all the previous years i am holding on to) and i am going to embrace 2008 with my whole heart and mind.

i can set all kinds of goals and say that i am going to do this or do that, but i am just going to make 2008 my year. i am going to do the things i want to do with no timeline or deadline. i am going to do all the things that will make me happy. and i am going to be okay when things don't go just how i hoped they would go, or just how i had them planned in my mind.

there are many things that i hope to achieve this year, but instead of making a huge list of these things to cross off, i will make a list of the things i do or accomplish. at the end of the year, i hope to have a list of memories and accomplishments that bring me joy and happiness. and i will be thankful that i don't have a list of things i didn't accomplish.

so, i am embracing the new. and the new year.

and saying goodbye to 2007.

let's go 2008. my year.

and another.


this movie, stardust, was phenomenal. i originally had no desire to see it, but i watched it at a friend's house last night and i fell in love.

it's definitely a movie i would buy to watch again and again. loved it. almost more than waitress, but not quite.

man, it was a good movie weekend for me. that's all.

1.05.2008

waitress.

while i am posting about what i am watching, i can't skip sharing this movie with you, waitress. i absolutely loved it. it was funny and real and, in the end, very heart-warming.

i acknowledge that it doesn't portray the best of behavior and i don't condone any of the behaviors portrayed--so, with that being said, i do recommend this movie. but if you are going to freak out at me because it may be inappropriate, don't watch it.

ps. even the music in this movie is amazing. so, on top of just loving the movie, i was enthralled by the music. it's a "two-thumbs-up" movie, no question. that's all.

clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose.

being the self-professed tv junkie that i am, i enjoy many, many tv shows. but i decided last night that there is no show that i look forward to watching more than i look forward to fnl (friday night lights).

and just when i thought that there was no way it could get any better, it goes and gets better. i love love love this show. that's all.

1.04.2008

video highlights.

here are some fun videos of my nephew, malcolm. he is a spaz and i love it and so i had to capture it on video and now i will post it for the world to see. enjoy.




the best part of this video is jesse in the background, playing with his gum. busted.




the best part of this video is when malcolm realizes that the camera is on him, but he pretends not to and he starts smiling. the kid is a crack up.

1.02.2008

more holiday highlights and photos.

i rang in the new year with my sister and her family. and man, did we have a good time. mostly because we made and ate some delicious food.

i wasn't sure what my plans for the holiday were going to be and since it is a holiday that--without fail, regardless of the amount of planning--never goes as planned, i didn't want to make any "real" plans.

sunday night i was surprised by some very good friends who were visiting from out of state. they invited me to stop by and visit them at their hotel. it was so fun to see them and to visit with them and spend time with them. they have the most adorable children and i was seriously entertained and so delighted to spend time with them. i love getting together with friends and "catching up," so it was the perfect way to kick-off my new year holiday.

monday, we got the kiddies ready and went grocery shopping. i commented to my sister during this grocery shopping extravaganza, that i still don't know how moms do it. how do you go shopping with kids in tow? seriously, it's a good thing i'm not a mom because i would kill them. okay, not literally, but i would be a bit of a crazy woman. or i would definitely not ever take the kids shopping. moms amaze me. hats off to you ladies. you are amazing.

so, when we got back from the store, we started stirring up all kinds of concoctions in the kitchen (more info on the delicious food to follow). then we ate the concoctions and then we all promptly fell asleep. and we were all awakened after the ball had dropped. we are losers, but at least we had good food.

our delicious food.

new year's day, i slept in...way in. i was tired and i really just wanted to sleep. i told my sister that i wanted a vacation day. hahaha. again, a good thing i don't have kids...i need my "vacation" days.

yes, that is me sleeping...and yes, i do have my glasses on. don't ask.

after i woke up and got ready, i played with the kids and then kristen and i went shopping, without the kids. we hit ikea, the mall and target. it was a good time. and my only complaint--the mall closed at 7:00 pm. since when does the mall close early on new year's day? it was so weird and annoying. oh well.

after shopping, we went home and again cooked up so yummy goodness. and then we fell asleep, again.

on the 2nd, kristen and the kids drove me back to logan. i had a pedicure and nail fill appointment that i couldn't miss. and luckily, sara had a cancellation so kristen got her hair cut. and then they left me.

malcolm and jesse watching lilo and stitch on the way to logan.

it was a very good few days. but back to the grind. hahaha. like my life/job is hard or something.

and now it is a new year and it is time to set some goals. i am thinking about the goals i want to set and how i am going to achieve them. when i have a plan of action ready, i will let you know what they are. they should be good.

and that was my new year's, again, in a nutshell.
and just for fun, here are some of my favorite pictures from days at kristen's.

i like that malcolm thinks he is joe-cool. he cracks me up.

jesse and lillie. he is such a sweet big brother.

kristen was laughing at me on new year's eve because i was taking pictures of myself making faces. i wanted to see what they looked like. like i said, we are losers.

see, we all fell asleep after we ate, including lillie.

if lillie only knew what a spaz malcolm was. i love them.

1.01.2008

holiday highlights through photos.

i drove down to my sister's house on the 23rd to spend christmas eve with her and her family.

on the way, i stopped at my other sister's house to see little lucie and my jakie-jake.

then onto kristen's where i hung out with jesse...

...dave and malcolm...

...kristen...

...and lillie.

on christmas eve, we had a special dinner, on the fancy dishes...it was supposed to be for adults only...

...but since dave is just a big kid...

...the little kids joined us, too...

...and they showed off the yummy food.

and then i had to leave. i spent christmas morning at work with the juvies. we made them learn christmas carols and then we made them go caroling in the building.
man, how i love christmas (and my job).

and that was my christmas, in a photo nutshell.