"If we cannot live so as to be happy, let us at least live so as to deserve it."
~Immanuel Hermann Fichte

Friday, March 30, 2007

I heart Fridays!

I'm so happy it's Friday! It's been a slightly crazy week. I'm thinking we need to have a pizza night tonight. It looks like my kiddos agree. lol
We're planning on running an instance tonight with Brian & Brooks. Yay! Sounds like a fabulous way to end the week. :)

Well, Friday blogging isn't complete without a countdown, meme or something. Here's a "five things" one...

Five things

...on your desk
1. Children's Motrin
2. A glass of Caramel Cream Pepsi Jazz
3. My toothbrush & toothpaste (need to put those away)
4. The Elder Gods by David & Leigh Eddings
5. Clorox disinfecting wipes
...on your mind
1. Pizza. lol
2. My big sis. It's been forever.
3. Amy and her brand new daughter Hannah. Those first days are so precious.
4. Jody. Wurr you iz???
5. My dad. I hope he's feeling better. He was sick when I spoke with him the other day.
...in your closet
1. Boxes of outgrown kids clothes and maternity clothes.
2. Vern's camera. (The elan 7e. We should get some film and have him play soon. It's been sitting forever.)
3. A few things I never wear and should probably just give away.
4. A few things I hope to fit in again someday.
5. Vern's pile of stuff that needs to go to the dry cleaners.
...on your wish list
1. Does dental work count? I would really love to take care of the stuff my kiddos need done with their teeth.
2. A vacation. Somewhere warm & relaxing. Actually, 2 vacations - my relaxing one and a fun filled one with the kiddos.
3. A new camera. I worry about mine. It's getting old. :(
4. PSCS or whatever the newest version of Photoshop is. I'm still running 7. :p
5. A working scanner. I'd love to back up and clean up/save some of my old family pics.

Well, I'm off to have a nap with my babe. He was up crazy late last night & we're both dragging today.
Have a great day!

Thursday, March 29, 2007

2 for 1 (for me it's all about the bokeh)

Oh yeah, two posts in one day. Don't fall off your chairs or anything - it's just what happens when I spend some time playing in photoshop. We all know I love to tinker with photos. Earlier I shared some quick shots, but didn't close PS right away. lol That means trouble. :)

Looking at that top shot of my plum trees I decided that what I actually liked was the bokeh. (The background blur you get with a shallow depth of field - those pretty circles.) In particular, I liked this little background bud and the bokeh surrounding it. The whole shot from before I wouldn't frame. I probably wouldn't even print it. This I would frame and hang. It speaks to me. In a whole busy picture, it was one perfect little splash of pink just hanging around in the background. The prettiest part in my opinion. Look at the whole picture in the last post. Would you have cropped something different? Which part draws your attention, if anything?

Signs of Spring

I decided to step outside this morning and take some pictures of the pretty signs of Spring in my front yard. The tulips aren't quite ready yet, but our trees are starting to burst with pink blooms. All of the trees in the valley are budding amidst the fresh snow in the mountains. It's still a little chilly for my taste thanks to that crazy storm, but the Salt Lake valley is looking like Springtime anyhow.


I'm thinking about my friend Amy today, who was scheduled to have her baby girl this morning. Can't wait to hear the news!

Wednesday, March 28, 2007

crazy, windy, yumminess.

Easter candy is dangerous stuff. Vern brought me home a Cadbury Orange Cream egg last night. It was soooooo good. Oh my. The problem is I've wanted another one ever since. :p

AI tonight! I just wanna see Gwen perform. I'm tired of Sanjaya and his growing attitude. This was a consistent week - the better contestants did well, the so-so ones did a little better than some weeks and Sanjaya continued to be on his own little planet. Now to see who got votes. :p

This crazy winter storm that hit has me freezing today. And just as my plum trees were starting to show their pink! The wind yesterday was crazy. I went to lunch with Lauren and the gusts were keeping me off balance. I haven't been blown around by the wind since I was a 110 pound college student trying to make it between buildings on Yonge St. in Toronto. I literally got blown across the street one time. So scary.

Well, crazy weather or not I plan to have a great day. To those who find their way here, I hope you do too!

Monday, March 26, 2007

Quiet

Yeah, I've been slacking as a blogger again. Sometimes I just don't have anything to say. There's nothing wrong with being quiet, right?
So to catch up let's see...

Elijah has had a sinus cold and shared it with me as usual. We've been dealing with sore throats, stuffies & headaches for days now.

I talked to my dad the other day. He'll be 70 next week. Holy cow he's getting old. I've been thinking lots about my family lately. I don't have a phone number or address for my mom since she moved. I hope she's doing well. Aaron too. I haven't had contact info for my little bro in years, but I think about him lots. Oh, and my sister's birthday is in April. For once I'd like to actually catch her on the 29th and not do the belated thing I seem to always end up doing. Wish me luck.

There are four days left in this quarter for B. He's gotta talk to his Math teacher about a marked absence on a day he was there (and on time) that has him showing a no-grade in powerschool. (I'm so glad he checks his grades in PS regularly - nobody at the school had said anything with little time left to fix it.) I hope they can resolve it today - a grumpy Brandon is no fun. Failing a class that was a consistent A- is a decent reason for the grumpies, but still.

Warning - WoW talk. Feel free to skip or let your eyes glaze over if you don't play...
The guild Vern's mage is in has been trying to recruit my 70 priest. They're nice people and I really enjoy running with them, but tempted as I may be I'm torn about where to go.
A couple of friends of ours have talked about wanting to start a raiding guild and we don't know what's going on with that. I've been waiting to see if that's going to happen. We've been getting mixed signals there and the plan seems to change often.
Plus, one of my best friends asks periodically if I'd join the guild he's in, and although I'd follow him almost anywhere I'm not sure that'd work.
Having played a bit with both existing guilds I know I'd fit in Vern's guild better. I know more people there and their playstyle is a great fit. The only real pull to the other guild is that my friend is there. It's a happy pull though.
Really, I'm waiting on some sort of final word/plan from those friends about the possible new guild. I wish I knew what was going on there. I don't really have a way of knowing what I'm going to do until I know what they're doing.
The whole thing has me a little stressed out. Time to go play a lowbie. lol
Arinne can remain guild-less for now and I'll play just to play like I always have. I've just smiled lots and kept my mouth shut when people do the recruit thing. It's worked so far. :p

Time to go take some cold meds, grab my blanket and enjoy this quiet day. :)

Wednesday, March 21, 2007

First

In celebration of the first day of Spring here's a list of firsts...

The first thing you heard this morning:
...was little Vern trying to open a bag of cereal.
Your first thought this morning:
...was of Jody. It's been awhile - miss him.
The first thing you ate today:
lol This is a bad day for this question. I had a 4 cheese pizza lean pocket and some diet Pepsi. :p
The first thing you said today:
"Go away" to whoever it was that rang the doorbell before I was fully awake. I mumbled it, but it worked - they went away.
The first person you saw today:
Elijahboo! BTW he's got a cold again. Poor kiddo. :(
The first place you visited on the web today:
The squirrely boards of course.
The first thing you'd do if you won a million dollars:
Besides smile/dance or whatever? Take my family out for a celebratory dinner and start planning the trip to T.O. :oD
Your first love was:
Yummy. I mean Corey.
Your first kiss was:
...okay I guess. Not horrible or great. Oh, and it was timed! lol Aaron & Andy (our little brothers) sat across from us on the Wonderland bus and counted out loud. Lovely, huh? Anthony was cute and a great friend though. I'm glad it was him.
A recent first:
Um, this isn't my first - but it's a first, and a big one for Jill and Josh. They just had their first baby on the 15th! My newest nephew Isaac is absolutley adorable. We haven't made it up to visit them yet, but they did e-mail out some pictures. I can't wait to hold this tiny little guy! Congratulations you two!

Tuesday, March 20, 2007

Spring!

Tomorrow is the official first day of Spring!
This thought has me inspired to get outside & spend some time enjoying the fresh air, my kiddos & this beautiful area I'm lucky enough to call home.

I'm off to enjoy my day! I hope that those who read this little blog of mine have the opportunity to do the same. :)

Monday, March 19, 2007

Kindness

Thanks Sophia for the fun blog challenge for the week!

One of the kindest words ever spoken to you: With all of Vern's married brothers and sisters having babies this past year there has been a lot of talk about the raising of kiddos and such. At Jill's shower Nina hugged me and thanked me for being such a great mom to her grandkids and a good example to her kids. She was really sweet & sincere. It meant a lot to me.

The last kind word spoken to you: Headed to Vern's parents house for cake & ice cream for LV and Elijah yesterday - we were running late & I had just gotten out of the shower. I told my family to get ready to walk out the door, that I just needed 5 minutes to put some makeup on. Brandon walked into my room and looked at me "You don't need it mom, I promise." He made my day.

The last kind word you spoke to someone else: Hmmmm... Maybe reassuring little Vern and telling him how great he was doing working on writing his numbers this morning. He drew me a picture too. It was of us playing at the park. So awesome. :)

Someone who always makes you feel special because they always have a kind word to say: Can it be more than one person? I hope so. My squirrely friends have known me for years and been there through so much. Our online chatting is a daily source of smiles, comfort, laughter - you name it. Every one of them have come through for me at one time or another I think. Becky in particular has always been someone I could talk to about anything. (Sometimes into the wee hours of morning when the loopiness begins and we have way too much fun.) She's awesome.
Yeah, I love my squirrely friends.

Someone (don’t name them because they may secretly read your blog, but tell about them) who needs a kind word but probably hasn’t had one in a while: I'll say his name. Vern. He works too hard and worries too much, and really doesn't get shown the appreciation he deserves. At least from me. He's home sick today. Perfect opportunity for me to show some kindness.

Someone you commit to speak a kind word to before the day is over: Well, should I say Vern considering the above answer? Really, I come into contact with so very few people on the average day that I could honestly say something kind to each and every one of them without much effort. Now there's a worthy goal. Special emphasis on the sickly hubby, of course. :)

Friday, March 16, 2007

Elijah's 2 today?! No way!

This afternoon Kirsten said to me "Mom, I can't believe that my baby brother is 2 today!" You know what? I've been saying that same thing all day long. Even though I've been enjoying watching him grow up, somehow now that today kind of makes it official I'm in disbelief. My babe is 2!? He's not a baby anymore. Wow.

The poor little guy has not been feeling great lately either. I'm afraid it's been a rather boring birthday. We've been trying to figure out what's wrong with him. I mentioned the other day that he was clingy and sad, right? Well this is day 3 of the same sort of thing. He hasn't been sleeping well, and since yesterday morning his top lip has been swollen. It isn't a fat lip, and there's no sign of any injury - just the swelling. The right side has gone down a bit, leaving him looking lopsided.
I took these pictures of him today, and if you know his little face you can sort of see the swelling - but according to my other kiddos you almost can't tell in these. It's definately more prominent in real life.
We were thinking that maybe it was an allergic reaction - but it isn't going down like I hoped it would with benadryl. He's had reactions before, but never swelling like this and benadryl usually does the trick. At this point I'm stumped and watching him closely. I'd rather not take him to the dr. on his birthday.
And no, that's not a black eye - it's a nice sign of the lack of sleep. I'm sure that we both look like that at this point. :p

Well, this wouldn't be an Elijah birthday post without lots of pictures, right? lol
I took a bunch when we went to the park on Tuesday for LV's birthday. I'll share 3. The first one is the typical Elijah shot - how we all see him every day, the second one is my black & white closeup of his sweet little face (just for me - where he still looks the most like a baby) and then a snapshot of him in action, showing just how big he really is.
Sigh. I hope it's okay for me to cling to my sweet little close up. He is, after all my baby.

Happy birthday monkeyboo! Love you so much. :)

Wednesday, March 14, 2007

A Simple Plan kind of day.

Elijah woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning. Not that he really ever woke up - I literally held him from 7am until Brandon came home from school, at which point I begged for mercy.
He'd cried, fussed and tried to sleep in my arms all day. Some Motrin and a pb&j sandwich had him a little happier and more awake this afternoon.
Needless to say, after dealing with him being clingy and grumpy all day while attempting to play WoW (I got Ellesia to 37 - go me!) I was not in a good mood. (Too much time alone in STV is not exactly a positive mood enhancer - but hey, I did enjoy the fighting part. Rawr!)
Brandon came to the rescue - he watched the kiddos and oversaw the after-school chores so that I could go for a walk. He even lent me his cd player and Simple Plan cd . Oh my, I'm so glad I requested Simple Plan. It was the perfect music for the mood I was in.
I even got to go to the park and throw a football as hard as I possibly could and grabbed my rollerblades to round out a perfect stretch of release time. Heavenly.

I've been posting the videos for songs that have been stuck in my head on the sidebar lately. I'll switch it up this time and put this one in my post. This is one of the songs that helped me change my frame of mind for the better this evening. Music is amazing that way, and in my opinion there's nothing like some good old Simple Plan on a day like today. :)

My recommendation for changing your mood on a less than stellar day? Sunshine, exercise & whatever music you connect with when you need to let off some steam.

Tuesday, March 13, 2007

Birthday Boy

March 13 2001 was an amazing day. It was the day I first laid eyes on little Vern. He was born 9 lbs, 7 oz. and was just the sweetest little chunk.
He's my funny one - always making people laugh, especially Kirsten and Elijah. He's a self-proclaimed Jedi and a little expert gamer.
Little Vern is so smart and such a loving little guy. I wish I had a better recent picture of him on hand. He has the most amazing chocolate brown eyes.
I hope that his "one whole hand plus one finger" birthday is his best yet. I love him so much. He brightens every day with his smile and laughter.

Happy birthday babe! I love you bunches!

Friday, March 09, 2007

Four on Friday

1. Fill in the blank: Today was a _____ kind of day.
Today was a sunny kind of day. My kiddos loved running around outside. :)
2. What had the biggest impact on your day?
Actually, this headache. It has rendered me almost useless all evening. I'm getting worried about the frequency and intensity of my headaches lately. Ick-o-rama. I wonder if I need my eyes checked or something.
3. Who did you last speak with, and what did you say to them last?
Elijah. "Sorry sweetie, no more cookies tonight." :p
4. Describe the sights and sounds in your home at this moment.
Elijah and little Vern are cuddling on the floor watching Flushed Away (again :p) ~ Brandon's at the kid's computer next to me tanking in the Black Morass ~ Vern is at his computer behind me pvping in Halaa ~ Kirsten just got home from a play and is getting ready for bed. It's pretty quiet and the lights are low because this grumpy mama is still working on her headache. I'm betting that by the time I publish this my three youngest kiddos will be asleep. (Hooray!)

Have a great weekend!

Thursday, March 08, 2007

Rain rain go away

...that is all I have to say.

:p

Tuesday, March 06, 2007

Someone please tell these kids to slow down.

With little Vern's birthday a week away and Elijah's just days after that I've been thinking a lot about how much my kiddos are growing & changing.
My babe is really not a baby anymore. He's growing up. *gasp* He's a toddler. (Well, I call him a monkey - same thing. :p) Brandon shops in the men's department, will be starting drivers ed soon & can lift me up. He'd like to convince me that there's not a cute girl in the entire high school, but I'm thinking that he's just not talking. lol I don't blame him - we've teased him in the past. Little Vern is getting taller and smarter every day. He amazes me. He's such a kind and gentle soul. Oh, and he's got the best laugh ever. Ask anyone.Look at this girl. Isn't she beautiful? Kirsten is almost 10. She beat a boy at basketball during recess yesterday. (lol She faked him out just like Brandon taught her. The kid told her she's really good. She is.) She's a great student. She's amazing with Elijah. She can be really grumpy sometimes. (Let's go ahead and blame Vern for her moody genes :p)
I can't help but love her to pieces. She's my girl.

Monday, March 05, 2007

Monday

I'm on a mission to get some more recent pictures of my kiddos. I'd be especially happy to catch one of my babe smiling. This isn't exactly a happy face, but it's better than yesterday. Hooray for progress!
It's sunny out today - I think me and my kiddos are going to go for a walk and enjoy it. Maybe we'll even go for slurpees. Mmmmmm...

Have a great day!

Sunday, March 04, 2007

Sad Puppy

Poor Elijah. After playing with his cousins for a chunk of the day, he came home wanting to run around some more. Of course, with bare feet and a snow covered backyard we had to tell him no. He was such a sad puppy. :( It didn't cheer him up any when I asked B to take this picture of us either. He really was not wanting to sit still.
It makes me happy though, to have a picture of me and my babe for my desktop. Even if that's the saddest little puppy face ever & I look a little dorky. It's us - that's all that counts. =o)

Saturday, March 03, 2007

Hooray!

My flowers are back. That does make me happy. :)
It may be 20 degrees outside, but I have my Spring right here.

Thursday, March 01, 2007

Hodgepodge

I think I'm about ready to put my flower banner back up on here. Today's high is supposed to be 32, and I could use that dose of Spring right about now. Brrrrr...

So last night's AI. The girls did okay. Antonella needs to go home. Ick-o-rama. There were a couple of girls I liked but I forget their names. I'm still not all that excited about this season. Here's hoping some of these folks can step it up next week. :p

Kirsten and I spent last night putting her display together for the science fair. I'm kicking myself that I didn't take a picture of it before she took it in today. Been thinking about her today since she'll be doing her presentation. I'm sure she'll do awesome.

I've been thinking about my sister too. Where are you Robin? How are you, Ken and the world's cutest nephews doing? I haven't heard from you in forever! Check in soon please. :p Miss you!

Well, I need to go spend some quality time on my treadmill. Vern commented the other day that maybe I need a belt - my jeans looked like they were falling off. Hooray for loose jeans - forget the belt - I'll just get some new jeans soon. :)