i'm just me

feeling it

been feeling crafty lately.  my space is an absolute mess though which is off putting to my creativity.  maybe this weekend the time to clean it up.  whenever i try, i get sidetracked.  have got to get focused.  the holidays are around the corner and i have a few projects to do - it would be nice to have the space to do them in.

i love hobby lobby.  besides the fact that it is mormon owned and thus not open on sundays - it is a great place to shop if you plan to go during the week or on saturday.  they have so much stuff - i love to just walk around - and of course i love to buy stuff too!  there is another reason now - a guy in the framing department was so nice to me recently.  i wanted to get 2 more frames like one i already purchased a couple months back.  they only had one, but i thought i'd get it anyway and figure out something different for the 3rd one.  they are the type of frames without glass, so i asked this guy who was working in the isles how much glass would be.  he let me know that the frames went on sale for 50% off on monday and that he could hold the one frame for me until then and i could also place a special order for the 3rd frame at the special price.  he said they would also put glass in the frames as well as my prints if i just brought them in when i place the order.  so, basically, they will do it all for me and i didn't even have to ask.  how sweet is that?  if everything works out - i will probably go out of my way to send a note to store management letting them know what a great employee they have.  many people are not so willingly helpful these days.  in the same store - i have purchased spray paint, which is kept locked up.  often, the person i've tracked down to open the case has not been the most pleasant.  then i feel guilty for bugging them.  customer service is so important and it is nice when people are good at it.  

i wasn't going to dress abby up for halloween since we had no plans and she is too young to take trick or treating.  however, after seeing pictures of a few other babies i know all dressed up, i decided to give it a go.  however, there is no finding a costume actually on halloween day.  so, lucky for me i have some cute stuff for abby that made her into a perfect little princess.  i bought the tutu before she was even born - it was just too cute to pass on.  and the socks are from a client of bryan.  not too bad for a last minute idea.  we took her to visit her grandma, great grandma and then to aunt lynn's.  of course, they all were pleasantly surprised to see her and thought she was just the cutest.

normal days

Normal day, let me be aware of the treasure you are.  Let me learn from you, love you, bless you before you depart.  Let me not pass you by in quest of some rare and perfect tomorrow.  Let me hold you while I may, for it may not always be so.  One day I shall dig my nails into the earth, or bury my face in the pillow, or stretch myself taut, or raise my hands to the sky and want, more than all the world, your return.    -Mary Jean Iron

for me, there is nothing better than consistency and peacefulness.  around here, we have a lot of both.  weekends consist of sleeping in a bit since b gets up with the babe.  playtime as a family.  chores perhaps.  maybe a little computer or craft time while abby sleeps on her daddy.  lunch for abby, then an outing with lunch for us, maybe errands.  home again for naps - both abby and me (yes, i am so lucky to have b).  more family play time.  dinner for abby.  dinner for us.  a walk in the park.  starbucks (iced caramel macchiato - mmmmmm, we are addicted).

the simple life is the happiest life.

what to say

i'm so at a loss for words these days, thus the long stretches between posts.  i suppose i am overcome with happiness due to my little girl, that i have forgotten how to think about (and write about) much else.  not such a bad thing i suppose.

so anyway, what's going on here?

the new season of so you think you can dance started.  i love that show.  it is so full of talent and they are all so passionate about dance.  it's just fun and makes me happy.

work is real busy and i just can't force myself to work to death - it's so not worth it anymore.  so, i'm trying to figure out a balance which allows me to feel like i'm not working too much, but not too little.  i am very lucky to have such a good job - especially right now with the economy as it is.

continuing to adjust to having b's mom as abby's babysitter during the week.  she's a loving and caring person, but we are so different that it is a big adjustment for me.  i'm certainly not used to someone else in my life and my goings-on every day.

wishing i had time to take photos again and do some crafty things.  there is just so little time right now that when i do have a spare moment i'm on facebook (yeah, i'm a little addicted & kind of loving yoville), taking a shower or trying to sleep.  speaking of which, i am having shoulder/arm pain again which is impeding on my ability rest.  carrying my humungo baby around probably isn't helping either!  ok, so she's not abnormally big, but she has about tripled in size from when we brought her home, so that's big to me!  it's crazy how her legs and feet hang off the side of us now when she sleeps on us.  my little peanut baby is already growing up too fast.  the colic seems to finally be subsiding.  i say that with a little trepidation as any parent who has experienced colic will understand.

i wanted to get some photos of me and abby together for mother's day, and it didn't happen.  i did get some of her with b though - go figure.  i planned that so we could frame a pic of the two of them for his mom for mother's day.  maybe i'll get some of me and her for father's day...

i have to say that the best thing in the world right now is that my girl is happy to see me when i come home each day.  she grins really big and is on the verge of laughing.  she'll smile a little for b, but she really gets excited for me and it brings tears to my eyes every darn time.  i think grandma is a little jealous.  but i am the mom after all - i think i deserve the love!  she'll also be loving everyone else soon enough!

well, maybe i'll have some more to post over the weekend.  it would be nice to have some pics to post.

jeez, and i need to update my flickr account.  it's been almost a year since i posted photos there!

a mess, a car, and a smile

there's really no excuse for this.  other than that i've been very lazy for a few months.  or tired.  or giving birth.  or tired.  i need to do something about that.

with less ado than i thought there would be, i have my new car.  in this economy they just don't want to let someone with a credit score of 825 walk out the door... however we did decide to pay cash anyway.  it's a 2009 nissan armada - with all the bells and whistles.  who knew you could enter, drive and lock your car without getting your keys out of your purse?  and who knew there were back seats so roomy you could have picnic back there.  nevermind that i am now one of those people i've always complained about with their overly large vehicles...

now who wouldn't love this face greeting them in the morning?  she has started smiling at me each morning when she wakes up - it doesn't get any better than that.

how did i get so lucky as to have such a beautiful baby?  and yes, those eyes are blue - a gift from her grandma.

new, bigger, better

we ventured out this evening to best buy to get me a much needed new computer.  my laptop died weeks ago and i've been using my work laptop which i don't like to do (i like to keep work and personal stuff separate).  anyway, we were waiting to go shopping until b had time - ie for tax season to end.  so, we packed up abby and the stroller and took our first such outing with her.  considering the time of day was usually when she is most difficult, things went well.  she had a huge nap and a big bottle, so we took our chances knowing we could come home since we weren't going far.  things went pretty well.  we even went to wildflower for dinner - and that was so nice.  we had to hold her for most of the meal, but we are good about taking turns on that and she was quite happy to be held, so who can complain.

b is going to hook up my computer starting tonight and hopefully finishing tomorrow morning so i can be on-line again.  i got a 23" monitor which will be a big difference from my laptop.  it will be nice to have all my programs again and be back to normal, and even better.

and yes, i plan to get back to blogging like i used to and not have every post be just about abby.  she's cute and all, but she doesn't need that kind of pressure...

random

• i think:  i have been sad more often than happy
• i know:  i will survive
• i want:  to feel cozy
• i have:  a sweet doggie i adore
• i dislike:  temperatures over 90 degrees
• i miss:  san diego in the fall
• i fear:  that i'm not a very good person
• i love:  autumn
• i feel:  tired a lot
• i hear:  everything; it's all too loud
• i smell:  the change of seasons
• i crave:  affection
• i cry:  at sentimental stuff
• i usually:  eat all my dinner
• i search:  for happiness
• i wonder:  what my baby will be like
• i regret:  having lived in az so long
• i wish:  there was an outback steakhouse nearby
• i care:  too much about what people think
• i always:  get happy when it's the holiday season
• i worry:  about the small stuff
• i am not:  as talented as i appear
• i remember:  how scared i was as a child
• i believe:  i can be a good parent
• i sing:  out of tune
• i don't always:  say i'm sorry when i think it
• i argue:  about little things
• i write:  very little
• i win:  when it comes to making yummy cookies
• i lose:  at most games
• i listen:  to the noise of rain each night
• i can usually be found:  at home
• i need:  stability
• i forget:  very easily - i have a bad memory
• i am happy:  when it rains

thursday night stuff

a little project i'm working on tonight - anticipating the holiday season

absolutely love this stuff - i would drink a jar a day if i could

so tasty...

cute flowers from b's mom

silly dinger and fluffy catching some rays from the morning sun

where ya been?

i've just had other stuff that i've had to focus on, so the blog has suffered.  creativity has also been pretty much non-existent.  and i've been lethargic because i really don't like summer - it is just so hot and miserable - so i am generally in a bad mood this time of year and don't have much energy or desire to do stuff.  most people who live here love the heat.  i do not.  i can be cold and it doesn't bother me.  but the heat, uggggh, i really don't like it.  i spend most of the summer holed up in the house wishing it would end.  i can't wait for fall.  people say i would feel differently if i lived in a cold climate.  i disagree.  i have been in cold weather and it does not make me angry like the heat does.

in 9 days we leave for colorado - where the temps are sure to be cooler (yay!).  check out the cutest wedding card i got nick and sandy.  it has glitter on the dress.  love it.  they are going to fiji for their honeymoon - lucky ducks.

the airfare to hawaii finally dropped to a reasonable level again.  so, we're thinking of booking an october trip to kauai.  it will be awhile before we can do something like this again and we had really wanted to go for b's birthday (but not for the $1,000 per person airfare it was at that time).  i just have to get it into my head to not feel guilty about leaving work.  this helps:

get out da funk

i've been in this funk for so long now i'm wondering if it will ever go away.

maybe i need to adopt kayley for a weekend.  spent dinner last night with her, her sister and mom and a friend of ours.  since b was not with us, i got all the love.  and boy was there love.  this little girl may be quite the sassy four year old often times, but when she is good, she is very, very good.  and last night she was the sweetest, kindest, most lovable girl.  i didn't want to let her go.  she is just what the doctor ordered.  now if i could only figure out how to get a regular dose.

then back to the funk...  i am hoping to spend some time being creative this weekend, i always feel better if i can immerse myself in creative stuff.  but, what will really help will be getting through some of the stressful things going on right now.  for the house purchase and kevin's move to be done.  for work to settle down.  work has been so crazy the last couple of months.  we had a reorganization from the top level down and the affect on the accounting department has been great.  good changes, just stressful right now.  then, right after the reorganizing was laid out, i had an incident with an employee and had to let them go.  they were in a significant position in my department and thus the loss has had its stresses on other staff and me.  but the problems involved with keeping that person around would have been too great.  finding a new person took a few weeks.  so far things are going well, but it takes quite some time to get up to speed in such a position.  i've also hired a jr accountant to help us out.

here's some fun stuff:

alysia got me these wonderful candles for my bday.  they are so pretty - but smell so yummy that i think i may have to burn them!

am addicted to jon and kate plus 8.  discovered this show not too long ago and it's been fun watching all the old episodes.  this is a truly amazing family.  even b loves the show.  we find ourselves missing seeing the kids since we used to watch re-runs most every day and now we've seen most of them.

so you think you can dance is so much fun.  when we starting watching this during its second season, we were immediately hooked.  it has what american idol has always been missing.  these people are so talented, the judges are so much more invested in the craft and the future of dance, the host (kat) is great and it's just a fun show to watch.  it takes real talent to be on this show, not just popularity.

and here's the cutest pup ever.

off again

so tomorrow we are headed out to visit kevin and zach in pocatello, idaho.  tomorrow also happens to be b's birthday.  we'll have a nice steak dinner tomorrow night to celebrate.

i have been so busy and stressed about stuff lately that i am still in somewhat of a funk and have not taken the time to do the things i like.  hopefully, this will pass soon.  i miss having fun with projects and blogging.

loving different artsy stuff.  and this is so cool.