Jaime's Wedding

Last weekend was so great, tiring but great. I love the feeling of watching someone you love be so incredibly happy. I can't even begin to tell you how content and peaceful Jaime is when she is around Craig. I just love those 2 together.

The day, of course, started very early with all the girls getting ready... I must mention the boys were playing video games and relaxing while we were running between hair and makeup! Typical ~

The wedding was so beautiful... I teared up when Jaime walked down the aisle. I mean I saw her in her dress before but wow, when she was coming down the aisle... pure beauty!

The wedding went off without a hitch... and soon enough we were off to the reception. What a great time that was. Talking a chatting with everyone and then out to the dance floor... seriously, I don't remember dancing like that (well except for Jaime's bachelorette party ;~)

Now for a few pictures... I will try to keep it at a minimum ;~)


Such a beautitful couple ;~)


This is probably one of my favorite pictures of the evening. Such genuine smiles on each of their faces.


The Choy Sisters (aka Kara, Kelly and Kristen), Jaime and I


I just love this shot.... thanks to the hubby for getting on the floor and making it happen ;~)


Shout out the next couple to walk down the aisle... a mere 3 months away!!!


And my other favorite shot of the evening... Kelly you are so awesome and I am so glad to be friends with you!!!

Michele (Jaime's sister) read this at dinner the night of Jaime's bachelorette party... I was very struck and moved by this poem so I thought I would share... I hope you enjoy.

The Invitation by Oriah Mountain Dreamer

It doesn't interest me what you do for a living.
I want to know what you ache for
and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart's longing.

It doesn't interest me how old you are.
I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool
for love
for your dream
for the adventure of being alive.

It doesn't interest me what planets are squaring your moon...
I want to know if you have touched the centre of your own sorrow
if you have been opened by life's betrayals
or have beshriveledelled and closed
from fear of further pain.

I want to know if you can sit with pain
mine or your own
without moving to hide it
or fade it
or fix it.

I want to know if you can be with joy
mine or your own
if you can dance with wildness
and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes
without cautioning us to
be careful
be realistic
remember the limitations of being human.

It doesn't interest me if the story you are telling me is true.
I want to know if you can
disappoint another
to be true to yourself.
If you can bear the accusation of betrayal
and not betray your own soul.
If you can be faithless
and therefore trustworthy.

I want to know if you can see Beauty
even when it is not pretty
every day.
And if you can source your own life from its presence.

I want to know if you can live with failure
yours and mine
and still stand at the edge of the lake
and shout to the silver of the full moon,
"Yes".

It doesn't interest me
to know where you live or how much money you have.
I want to know if you can get up
after the night of grief and despair
weary and bruised to the bone
and do what needs to be done
to feed the children.

It doesn't interest me who you know
or how you came to be here.
I want to know if you will stand
in the centre of the fire
with me
and not shrink back.

It doesn't interest me where or what or with whom
you have studied.
I want to know what sustains you
from the inside
when all else falls away.

I want to know if you can be alone with yourself
and if you truly like the company you keep
in the empty moments.

Not in a great mood...

My Jeep was broken into last night. The faceplate of my stereo was taken, not the entire stereo... just the, completely useless without the rest of it, faceplate. Which renders my half of the stereo completely ineffective so some petty criminal and I have something in common. We both have part of MY stereo and each part is now a waste of space.

A couple of CD's were taken too... and probably some other stuff that I will only notice when I go to find it and remember, oh yeah, it used to be in my car.

Oddly enough, the $70 ipod to stereo converter (device which allows my ipod to play through my car stereo) was still there... which makes me believe that the aforementioned petty criminal is too young to drive... any youth that can drive and worth his salt would know what a gaccessoryesory that is. Don't get me wrong, I am not complaining that I still have it... just annoyed that some little punk wasn't smart enough to take something that would have made him money but instead takes something that will cost me a ton of money...

Before anyone asks, no I didn't lock the Jeep last night. I was so excited to get home before Adam... It was his birthday and we had a fun celebration planned (Adam, Danielle and I) and I wanted to clean up a little, get the groceries in and the cheese/crackers and dip set up... I ran in, chatting on the phone with Danielle about getting Sparkling Cider, and forgot all about the Jeep... yeah, that's what I get for having a good attitude.

Just when I think things are looking up, something comes along and knocks me over.

It's that day...

Happy Birthday ADAM !!!

My hubby turns 27 today!!!

Seriously, how could you not love this guy...

For those of you waiting (patiently) for me to post about Jaime's wedding... it is coming... I promise. Adam and I took many, many pictures so sorting through and getting them ready to send out and blog about is taking a while. Not to mention, I had to off load a couple thousand pictures to our external hard drive because my computer was full... shocker, I know! Sit tight... blogging and pictures are forthcoming!

Busy weekend...

My head is spinning when I think of all that is going on this weekend!

Tonight I am going straight to Annapolis from work to pick up my bridesmaids dress. I was having it altered and the wedding is Saturday so can everyone say a quick prayer that everything is fine with it ;~) Then I go straight from Annapolis to Cheverly for sign language class. After that, come home and pay all the bills because they are due within the next few days.

Then Friday... work half day, stop at Ann Taylor to see if I can find a dress for the rehearsal dinner. Go home, take care of the dog, get ready and head off to the rehearsal and rehearsl dinner for Jaime's wedding!!!

Then Saturday starts off with a mani/pedi (treating myself so I feel pretty ;~) and then getting my hair done with the rest of the girls. From hair we go back to Jaime's apartment and finish getting ready... then off to the church. I think the ceremony is at 4:30 so I am guessing that the reception goes until 9-10 ~ Don't get me wrong... I am so super excited to see Jaime get married... wild horses couldn't keep me from this event! I am just getting winded thinking about the business of it!!

Sunday is my day to work on the apartment... it's a slight bit out of control right now and I have dedicated Sunday as my day to catch up.

Anyway, that's my weekend... so if I don't post for awhile, you know why.

Oh and awesome shot of Jaime being 'arrested' at her Bachelorette Party last weekend... you couldn't have asked for a more awesome cop!!!




And a group shot... from left: me, Kara, Michele, Becky, Jaime (the bride to be!!), Denise, Kelly, Heather and Kristen... what a GREAT group of girls. Easily one of the best nights out in Baltimore ever!

Cute Overload

If you haven't checked out this wesbite, you really should! It brings a smile to my face each and every day! http://cuteoverload.com/

It just keeps coming...

So the Townley's ask to have some boxes that we have stored in our outside storage area... simple enough, right?

Wrong... open the storage and holy mildew it smells... and the boxes are damp... definitely not going to be of any use to the Townley's. Adam and I decide, sooner than later we have to get in there and get everything out. Our thought being, we could pull it out and store it somewhere else so it doesn't get destroyed... ahhh, young naive thought.

Thursday - Adam graciously agrees to clean it out while I am at class... thinking "half hour tops and then I am on the couch surfing the net" - again, young naive thought. Them moment he starts bringing stuff out it is very clear that there is substantial damage to whatever is in there.

About 2 hours later Adam emerges drenched with sweat, inhaling and smelling like toxic mold and covered in cobwebs... everything is out... lets asses the damage....

1. First and foremost - the boxes that are specifically designed to hold my mothers (now mine) Lladro... ruined. They either had ripe, teeming mold growing on it or it has the damp flimsy feel of sogginess. Every last one had the putrid smell of mold/mildew. Useless. My mother has had them for thirty years, moved from country to country, state to state, used and reused them... I get them and less than 2 years later, they are landfill bound.

2. Any and all extra packing boxes - Death.

3. Adams baseball bag/bats/gloves - bag = death; bats = outside, will try to save; gloves = inside, will try to save.

4. Microwave - God awful horrendous death. Up chuck reflexes in full swing when this is viewed.

5. 4 or 5 boxes/4 or 5 shopping bags of clothing and miscellaneous stuff; all was destined for Goodwill or the Salvation Army - Death... if it isn't covered in mold then it reeks of it. You can't wash that smell out... nevermind the likelihood that wearing that stuff probably isn't good for the wearer.

6. Cardboard box of Christmas ornaments/wrapping/trinkets - anything that is paper/cloth/cardboard = death. The ornaments are spared, thank goodness because they are VERY special. The paper towels they were wrapped in... death.

7. Plastic tub of various Christmas things - I opened it and gave it a whiff... sweet smell of plastic! It's been saved!

8. 2 Good pieces of luggage - Thank goodness someone had the forethought to wrap them in a trash bag - salvageable! The handles have a slight bit of mold (they were sticking out of the bag) but the rest is in good condition!!!

9. Set of good china left to me by my mother - china was ok but the box that it was in... not so much. Had to take out all the china, run it under steaming hot water for now and set aside for a more thorough bath later... then discard the moldewy boxes.

So when I get home from class all the Lladro boxes are spread out on the kitchen floor... my dear sweet husband knows what they mean to me and is desperately trying to save them... no such luck. They are gone. I suck it up, put aside any anxiety I feel for throwing them away and we bag them up. We go to open the door and find that it won't open.

Let me repeat that... the door, to our house, from the inside - WILL NOT OPEN. It turns but the latch... not budging. Hit it, jiggle it, credit card it... nothing. It isn't opening.

I actually have the thought that this is someone's elaborate way to kill us with mold.

Adam resorts to taking apart the doorknob. First in a valiant attempt to fix it but as it becomes apparent that it refuses to be fixed, it becomes a grudge match between Adam and the door. The thought of being in a fire and not being able to get this door open was weighing heavily on my mind so with all his might, he pulls the latch out of the door and it pops open.

Now we have a gaping hole where our knob used to be (of which we put the knob back up without the locking mechanism so at least we weren't advertising that we had lock issues) ... and a deadbolt that uses a key on both the outside and the inside... Apparently this is because we have a window pane next to the deadbolt and any old burglar can smash and turn... whatever, all I can think is fire hazard!

Whatever, the outside is now accessible... we throw the trash out on the porch area... and boy to we look like some hillbilly, straw munching, cousin dating white trash. Our porch is covered... overflowing with trash.

Then we go through the fine china... rinse off the dishes and throw out the boxes (to our ever growing white trash pile)

Finally, at 11 we finish. No time for relaxing... straight to sleep.

Now, this would be the part of the story where an ending would be... oh no, not for this story! It continues... is anyone still reading this?

So we wake up this morning... get ready and we are walking out the door... and it starts to rain. I look at the pile of trash that is sitting there... cluttering up the porch which needs to be somewhat clear in the rain so there is somewhere for the water to collect. There is a drain but it gets overly worked and inevitably clogged so the water doesn't drain fast or sometimes at all. So, I realize that we have way too much stuff blocking the area... not to mention, if any of it gets caught in the downpour, it will be unwieldy to deal with later.

So, I call into work and tell them I will be an hour or so late... head to the grocery store to get trash bags, come home and get to work... I bag every last piece of box, trash and clothing.

I arrange everything so there is as little as possible on the ground and so it sits around the edges, leaving plenty of room for the G Lagoon to create.

I move the last bag into position and I hear a pop... then I see white liquid running out from underneath it...

YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME

So I get to work fixing this situation... pour water on it to make sure it doesn't stain our porch... comes up ok, I think we will be fine... put the trash bag in another bag..... still leaking.... put entire trash bag in recycling bin.... realize that the bin probably has holes for water to drain... push it over... it does, 4 to be exact.... realize I have to do the unthinkable (to me at least) and I open both trash bags exposing some sort of grossness I don't want to be privy to again.

I starting pulling out smaller trash bags and start a new 'non leaking' trash bag. It doesn't take me long to find the culprit... Floor Primer. Some of you are asking... what the heck are the G's doing with Floor Primer.... cut story for explanation.

Adam and I helped Danielle move out Wednesday night and we put a hefty bit of garbage out for pick up... some of which the garbage men didn't pick up... instead (and I don't know how) what was left was put into their recycling bin and pulled up to the steps of their house... I have no idea who or why. I see it, know that the tenants are moving in on Sunday and shouldn't have this to deal with (and the Townley's won't be back until Sunday night) so I pull it to the house and rebag it.... enter setting it down wrong and thus a steady stream of Floor Primer heading for the drain. Which I know, probably not a good thing.

So, back to the story. I now have the leaky bottle in my hands (leaky from the bottom of course) so I put it in a bag while I try to figure out what to do. I have white floor primer all over the porch now and I really don't want to know what all day in the sun will do to it, so I fill up a pot with water and wash it down the drain (this takes a few trips back and forth to the kitchen sink)... I set the floor primer (and the bag holding it) in a tupperware container (that will obviously not be used ever ever ever again ;~) Now, the trash is in its correct spot and the porch doesn't have primer on it anymore.... now I can dedicate time to the leakiness of the situation... I quickly figure out that if I tip it upside down and set it in the bowl and prop it up against something, it won't leak. Genuis, pure genius.

I shower (again) and head off to work. Never, in my life, have I been so glad to be at work.

Much love to you all and may your day but MUCH better ~

Local News in North Fayette, PA

When this happens, it is time to find different transportation... "The passengers were transported to another plane." - Not if I were on that plane... no thank you!

My Job

Have you ever had to work with someone who all they did was push back on you? You ask them to do something and they resist, ask a million questions, try to skirt the bigger issue and ultimately leave you with a headache? And they repeat this formula each time you have to deal with them?

I have such co-worker. I will not mention names... for reasons which I hope are obvious.

Nothing I do is ever right for this person. Each dreaded time I have to deal with them, it turns into an all out event. Now keep in mind I have plenty of other people that have the same issues and yet they respect me, praise me and try their best to get it done without having to push back on me. God Bless those people.

I mean honestly, my job is to protect the company contractually. I am trying to protect our best interests. I don't do or say these things for kicks... I have to.

I think that is the real crux of my issue. My job is to be pushy, day in and day out. I have to say no more times then I care to count. For the number of times that someone comes to me and I can straight up say "yes", there are 100 times that I have to answer "no and here is why"

Who really wants to be an obstacle everyday?

Gas over Groceries

I discovered this morning that gas for our cars ($60 for the Jeep and $50 for the Honda) is more essential then eating.

When the hell did that choice come into play?

Adam and I talked about having tacos tonight (a family fave) and because we didn't have all the ingredients, we resolved to have something else. Nope, sorry, no food because both of us need to get gas today.

I feel physically ill.

PS - Please do not tell me to get rid of the gas guzzling Jeep... I would if I could but I can't.

Lord have mercy

So the evil empire where we used to live has decided to mess with us again...

This time, they deducted over $400 from our security deposit because, they say, they had to replace all the carpet because of urine.

Can you even believe that??? I mean certainly Adam and I are very apt at using the bathroom and as for our dog... once... the dog peed in a house (pasadena) once, many, many moons ago in the first house he ever lived in, on the day he was brought home from the pound (which was the day after a snip snip surgery) and since then NOTHING!

Best dog ever when it comes to that. He always barks or scratches at the door. Gives you the pleading eyes. Whatever it takes to get our lazy butts up and take him outside. For heavens sake, we probably spent more time outside with Riley on the leash then we did in the apartment!

Not to mention the fact that who the hell lives with a urine soaked carpet... the crazy lady down the street... certainly not me... princess of nothing gross (newly appointed title, you may not recognize it yet).

Anyway, I am so mad I could cuss up a storm right now but I am refraining (as much as possible)... Jesus in, Jessi out, Jesus in, Jessi out (Thanks Danielle!!!)

Just know that we are not taking that laying down. Absolutely not... more to come as things unfold.

Think fast survey

I am supposed to write the first thing that comes to mind...
1. My ex was... very sweet
2. I am listening to... keyboards clinking
3. Maybe I should...get lunch
4. I love... adam
5. My bestfriend(s)... is moving ;~(
6. I don't understand...why I am still at my job
7. I lost...my mom
8. People say... stupid stuff
9. The meaning of my display name is... a glimpse into me
10. Love seems like... a necessity
11. Somewhere, someone is... being nice to someone else, hopefully
12. I will always... miss my mom
13. Forever seems... like a long time
14. I never want to...parachute or bungee jump
15. My mobile phone... is ok
16. When I wake up in the morning... I want to go back to sleep
17. I get annoyed when..... ever I want to
18. Parties are... ehhh, I am a quite chill at home kinda girl
19. My pets are... SPOILED
20. Kisses are the best when...from my hubby
21. Today I... go to sign language class
22. Tomorrow I... have to help an awesome friend get packed to move ;~(
23. I really want... children

Repost if you want... no pressure ;~)

Dinner

So I discovered that a full bag of popcorn (movie theatre butter no less) and a code red mountain dew does NOT make a good dinner.

Just a little FYI for everyone out there.

Weekend Getaway...

Adam and I traveled to Saratoga Springs, NY last weekend. As it turns out, I do have family! Who knew. My grandfather was the oldest of 10 siblings and his youngest sibling (Terry) happened to be celebrating her 80th birthday... well it was a surprise party thrown by her daughters - Terri, Helen, Ret and Cheryl. All of my aunt Terry's siblings have passed away so having a few of us there to represent the "Lopes clan" was really special to her.
This is us right before hitting the road (yes, Danielle came out in her PJ's to take a picture of us!!! Thanks Danielle ;~)

I appreciate the effort but a sign (prolly cost the tax payers a pretty penny) over a highway as you are going 80mph past it? Is that really effective?

Lunch stop along the way... Here I am holding up the Cherry Hill Diner sign...

and Adam trying to crush the sign... yeah, we are SO grown up!

After we made it to NY we went out to eat at Bookmakers... we were seated outside (1 of 2 couples there) and had a fabu waiter and ate some darn good food! This is us waiting for dinner...

More to come!

New Shoes!

For Jaime's wedding! I am anxious to wear them! Now I just need to get the dress altered ;~)

Update on the tire

The whole tire blowout/tow thing worked out for the better... If I had gotten the spare put on (by divine intervention because I wasn't doing it) then I would have had to drive the money pit to the mechanic and then found a way back to work while it was getting new shoes.

The way it worked out was better... Karen was on her way in so she just swung over and picked me up... I got to work somewhat on time... and I didn't have to worry about another accident (this time I would have been on I-95). And honest to goodness, the price for the tow was perfectly fine with me... I don't know what everyone complains about... seemed absolutely reasonable and completely worth it to me ~

Besides, without Karen, I wouldn't have gotten my awesome pictures!!! And Danielle... yes, they are totally making it into the photo album! This is deserving of its own page ;~)

And the story ends happily... we got the Jeep, err money pit, back yesterday (yes New Life is that good!) and it's running great.... well, it's running and all the tires are on and in tact... really, that is all I can ask for.

Tire Blowout

Ok, so Adam and I went away this weekend and had a GREAT time... and I will post about that soon... however, I have to post this first...

This happened on my drive in this morning...

That would be the front driver's side tire...

This is me pulled over in a shipyard/warehouse type place... at the exit ramp from I-95. Luckily I blew out on train tracks so I was moving slowly and I was not on the highway!


Karen (aka KMR, aka my hero) came to get me and take me to work... For anyone that knows me, you know I have a 'wall' of tow truck pictures (self-fulfilling, maybe). So far it has Jaime and Kelly from Spring Break 99 and Adam from Niagara Falls 03... now I can add Myself (portrait done by Karen)... Work 06!


Ahhh the money pit in all it's glory! Thanks to New Life Automotive, it won't be too much of a stretch on the wallet ;~) Love those guys!

I am so old...

it apparently takes a few hours for injuries to set in.

I played Ultimate Frisbee and volleyball this past Saturday. We got our you know what's handed to us in Ultimate Frisbee but won 2 out of 3 in volleyball... good times had by all. So Adam and I leave the field, rush home to get ready for a party... shower, change and jump in the car. We drive to Hagerstown (good hour and a half car ride) and stop at a grocery store to bring chips and dip. I step... err, attempt to step, out of the car. Yeah, not so much, I can barely put pressure on my left foot. At first I think that I just have to walk it off... be a man, shake it off...

Not so much again. I am basically limping my way through the grocery store. We pick up an Ace bandage (didn't you know I have my medical degree) and get back in the car. I wrap my foot and ankel (3 times cause I couldn't get it right...) and think, yeah, this will go away.

Meanwhile, we are heading to a house full of poeple that I haven't met and that Adam hasn't seen since graduation day (for the most part)... something of an inpromptu high school reunion brought on by myspace. Anyway, here comes hop-a-long Jessica... what an entrance to make! We make our introductions and I sit down, keeping my foot elevated (told you I have a degree in medical-ness).

The host, Pat, asks if I wanted some ice... nah, big strong Jessica can walk it off... (in reality I just didn't want to be 'that girl'... you know, all the attention must be on her even though this event is totally about Adam. Anyway, Pat (aka my hero) didn't take no for an answer... he brought me tylenol and ice and made me sit through the pain of the ice until my foot numbed.

Sweet relief! I still felt some pain but nothing like it had been (I was near tears and contemplating asking Adam if we could leave and swing by the emergency room on the way home). Pat, your my new best friend ;~)

The rest of the evening was great and everyone was a lot of fun. It was great to see Adam mixing it up with old friends ~ and to see how far he has come since his days in high school. I am pretty darn proud of that boy, err man ;~)

Perils of moving...

Some of you may remember when I asked around if anyone had seen the tray that goes with our end table. Last week I was unpacking yet more boxes and I opened the bottom of my China Cabinet and lo and behold, our tray was sitting neatly in the bottom. Not only that but so were several book shelves that we thought bit the dust in the move. Apparently I just have really good storage.

So all is well that ends well ~

And because I love pictures... here is the set back together again!

Thanks again to everyone that helped us move!

In a library with Amy...

in high school studying for a test, I copied this poem and through all my many moves I have kept it. It gets stuck in different boxes and different files but somehow I never lose track of it. It is by far one of my favorite poems and now I am going to share ~

Lament of a Normal Child by Phyllis McGinley

The school where I go is a modern school
    With numerous modern graces.
And there they cling to the modern rule
    Of "Cherish the Problem Cases!"
From nine to three
I develop Me.
    I dance when I'm feeling dancy,
Or everywhere lay on
With creaking crayon
    The colors that suit my fancy.
But when the commoner tasks are done,
    Deserted, ignored, I stand.
For the rest have complexes, everyone;
    Or a hyperactive gland.

Oh, how can I ever be reconciled
    To my hatefully normal station?
Why counldn't I be a Problem Child
    Endowed with a small fixation?
Why wasn't I trained for a Problem Child
    With an Interesting Fixation?

I dread the sound of the morning bell.
    The iron has entered my soul.
I'm a square little peg who fits too well
    In a square little normal hole.
For seven years
In Mortimer Sears
    Has the Oedipus angle fourished;
And Jessamine Gray,
She cheats at play
    Because she is undernourished.
The teachers beam on Frederick Knipe
    With scientific grattitude,
For Fred, they claim, is a perfect type
    Of the Antisocial Attitude.
And Cuthbert Jones has this temper riled
    In a way professors mention.
But I am a Perfectly Normal Child,
    So I don't get any attention.
I'm nothing at all but a Normal Child,
    So I don't get the least attention.

The others jeer as they pass my way.
    They titter without forbearance.
"He's Perfectly Normal," they shrilly say,
    "With Perfectly Normal parents."
I learn to read
With a normal speed.
    I answer when I'm commanded.
Infected antrums
Don't give me tantrums.
    I don't even write left-handed.
I build with blocks when they give me blocks,
    When it's busy hour, I labor.
And I seldom delight in landing socks
    On the ear of my little neighbor.

    I sit on the steps alone.
Why couldn't I be a Problem Child
    With a Case to call my own?
Why wasn't I born a Problem Child
    With a Complex of my own?

Happy Birthday Carrie!

Actually, I am a day late but in my defense, I was at her party last night! And now thanks to the modern world... all of my loyal readers can see the fun that was had!
Here is Scott (thrower of said party and husband of said birthday girl) and Carrie, the birthday girl!!

Carrie's mom surprised her by coming in from out of state to see her!

Trying to blow out the candles... they may have been trick candles ;~)

Random pics of the evening...


Hope you had a good day Carrie!!!

Adam got a FT job!!!

Adam has been offered a position at a law firm in Towson! Let's just say the fit is kinda like this...
I like to think that the job is a direct result of how well I dress him
but alas, I think it is due to his skill, determination and overall "Adamness"... a quality that many strive for and only few achieve.


He starts July 3rd which gives him a full week of relaxing
and enjoying time off, something like this...


Congrats Honey!!!! I am so proud of you!!!! I love you ~

A haircut for a worthy cause...

My friend Rose decided a while ago that she was going to grow her hair out to a substantial length and then donate it... Last night was the big event and I was on hand to document the whole thing... Since there are more than a couple, I thought I would keep them small ;~)


The "Before" picture.


Now that is a face of someone losing over 10 inches of hair!


Somewhat like a trophy, wouldn't you say?


Now comes the styling part...


Feeling free and lighter!


Back in her apartment modeling the latest and greatest in headwear! It's a little hard to see but she looks amazing! Trust me ;~)

Awesome job Rose! My mom would be proud and pleased ;~)

Sorry about the lack of posting...

it's been a busy week and it continued straight into the weekend! Adam and I went to Hagerstown Saturday and stayed overnight. Adam went to a few meetings at the AA convention and Sandy (mom-in-law) and I made anklets all evening long! What fun... we ended making 2 for ourselves and 1 for Rob and 1 for Danielle... it was only fair, they supplied us with the handmade glass beads.

What you say... Danielle and Rob have homemade glass beads! They do and they handed them over to have anklets made out of them. Actually Danielle, in her 'get rid of everything before we move' bequeathed the glass bead making kit to me.... so she came over Friday night and taught Adam and I how to make glass beads. It involves a blow torch and patience... yeah, awesome combo...

Oh and Paco... I swear, I was supposed to go to Hagerstown Friday night... it was a last minute decision to go Saturday morning... ask Danielle, she was peeved that I didn't go to the pool with her!

Anyway, here are a few pictures from the bead making extravaganza...


Adam working on his masterpiece.


Spinning the glass over the flame.


Danielle and I - always up for a photo op!

Anyway... Sandy and I made anklets out of hemp rope and homemade glass beads... it was a lot of fun! Then we hung out with Adam's dad Sunday morning, headed home, did a mad cleaning frenzy and had my dad and his girlfriend over for dinner. It was a great night and Adam made a fantastic meal! Lemon butter caper orange roughy, edamame, wheat pasta with tomatoes, garlic and lime and strawberry salad with poppy seed vinaigrette dressing! Good times... and I married a great man!

Oh and Paco - (lots of shout outs for you!) tell wifey that we had berries with balsamic vinaigrette over vanilla bean ice cream for dessert and it was fantabulous!!!!

Life is good ~

Comments

Just a note that I am not entertaining anonymous comments any longer. I will not be used for childish middle school games. If you don't identify yourself by your name or if I can't immediately identify who you are, then I will delete the comment.

Thanks

Survivor Harbor 7

Ok, it's my bragging time... Rob, Danielle and Adam ran the Survivor Harbor 7 this past weekend. Rob ran the 7 mile portion and Danielle and Adam ran the 3 mile portion.

I was supposed to run the 3 mile with Adam and Danielle but had to pull out about 2 weeks ago.... so I dropped Adam off at the 3 mile start and waited at the finish line...

Rob came in first out of the 3 of them. He then circled around and joined up with Danielle for her last mile... yeah, he ran 7 miles and then thought, I have more energy, I'll run another mile... Ahhh, to be that in shape.

Here is a pic of the 3 of them very shortly after they ran across the finish line...


And here I am being very proud of my man!!! (complete with Starbucks coffee mug attached to my purse ;~)


To Adam, Rob and Danielle... I couldn't be more proud! You guys were awesome!

I apparently will never outgrow high school

My friend Jaime's bridal shower was yesterday and I spent a solid hour fretting about what to wear. Seriously… I was going back and forth trying to decide what the 'popular girls' would wear. Keep in mind, I have been friends with Jaime for years and I am in her wedding... she could careless about what I wear... regardless....

A little background... In middle/high school I wasn’t what you call popular… I was a wallflower, of the grandest proportions. Admittedly I spread my wings a little more when I went to a smaller Christian school my last 2 years, but from fifth grade to tenth grade, my greatest goal was to be invisible. And for the most part I succeeded.

Flash forward to present day and I am much more comfortable with myself. More confident so I take greater risks… certainly risks that I wouldn’t have taken in school. I wear what makes me comfortable and what have you... or so I thought.

Back to yesterday when I worried about what to wear. Brown pants, hippie tank top, black guachos, gray 'rebel' shirt, flowery skirt, pink shirt.... as it turns out, pink was the color of the day ;~)

Looks like school be damned... I am popular.

That is Kelly, Heather, Jaime and I looking fabulous!

Kelly - if you read this post and don't leave me a comment, you're in big trouble! I know where you sit and I can hold your contracts hostage ~ j/k ;~) Love ya!

Ok, Ok... I get it... ;~)

I wanted to respond to everyone's comments but putting all of this in a comment seemed a tad excessive so....

Kathi - I couldn't delete you if I wanted to ;~) Thanks for the kind words... and the reminder of the difference between sad and disappointed. That was an excellent point ~

Dad - Thanks for everything... not just this comment but everything, I don't know what I would do without you. God definitely had a plan there ~

Tom - Anytime you want! I am always ready to talk about that boat ;~) You actually gave me a good idea for a project (and eventual blog)... and my dad is pretty awesome ;~)

Johnnie - Thanks for the insight. I try to remember that, I swear I do!

Leesa - I have had that thought too, like maybe there is a bigger reason why I am here... haven't figured out what it is but I have had the thought. I stay because of the $$ and the benefits... I know $$ isn't everything but it is a factor right now. While my husband can command WAY more money then I will ever make and does bring home good money, right now I am the one with the steady income and I am the one who provides the benefits... I do like your idea of finding someone that does what I want to do ;~)

Thanks to everyone for the comments. I do appreciate them. I know in my heart of hearts that my mom was (and would be if she was here) proud of me. I just get a little stuck in my head sometimes and can't seem to shake the funk.

I do wish that I had taken more cues from her... listened a little more... given her ideas more credence... done more with her... asked her more questions...

It's just one of those things that death takes from you. I am realizing that I knew very little about the woman that raised me. Now, at the age I am, is when I was supposed to be asking questions about her life. (I only recently figured out that my mom had a life before me, who knew ;~)

I do have journals, pictures, documents and memorabilia to go through, when the time is right ;~)

Thanks again to everyone ~

One of those days...

I can't seem to shake this blah feeling. I have been having this re-occuring thought process and it's troubling me. I know my mom wanted me to be happy and satisfied in my career. I know, every parent wishes that for their kids but she gave me advice and nudged me as I was deciding. She always stressed that it was important and I should work hard to do something that I love. That urging was born out of a lifetime of working just to provide for me... I know she never really liked any of her jobs. She did them to put food on the table and I think she wanted more for me.

So where am I now? In a job that I fell bass ackwards into, doing something that is completely contradictory to my degree and lifestyle, wishing that I was somewhere else.

Please don't anyone write in and say 'most people feel that way' and/or 'hardly anyone uses their degree for the intended purpose' - You run the risk of your comment being deleted.

I digress... the thought process is this... I think of all the times my mom helped and encouraged me to find a career... then I think about all the opportunity that I had to make something out of my life... then I think about the wasted opportunity that I didn't grab onto... then I look around and see where I am professionally and I can't help but think that she would be so dissapointed in me. (Not me as a person, just me as a professional... I am smarter than that!)

It hurts to think that I have let my mom down.

Please know that I am not looking to be fixed... only to throw what is on my mind out into the universe. Sometimes just saying it outloud makes me feel better.

Oh and earlier this morning, I tried to eat my body weight in fruit roll-ups. Not a feat I would recommend.

For your weekly smile... my dog sleepy on daddy's lap laying across daddy's laptop computer. I love this house.

We have a visitor...

...the ever lovable Jack Jack! We are dogsitting for Joy while she is away with her family this weekend.

FYI - Vicki (Joy's mom, standing at the van) is a very good friend of mine who I have known since my childhood... when I was 9 she would babysit me during the day when my mom was working and then eventually I started babysitting her kids. I also spent quite a few summers at her house as a mother's helper. In fact, I spent a good chunk of my childhood with her and her family and and I loved every minute of it ~ Hard to believe I used to hold Joy as a newborn and now she is gaining on me in height! Amazing! Anyway, I digress... all this to say that I love this family a lot!!!

Back to the show....



Here are Joy and I introducing the dogs. A little sniff and we are good to go.



Seriously, is that not a grin to melt your heart ;~)

Adam and I have noticed a little 'competition' from Jack Jack and Riley... If Adam or I pet one, the other races over. Or if we are sitting somewhere and one comes to snuggle, the other is right behind trying to snuggle more... Ahhh sibling (sort of) rivalry.

They are getting along well though so it is a happy household. Moments of chasing each other around the apartment followed by Riley needed to take a break (he is almost 9 ;~)... All in all, it's going to be a fun weekend!!!



Oh and random shot of my husband wearing my pink trucker hat... and looking VERY hardcore ~ being married is fun ;~)

Heavy on the videos...

Sorry I have been so heavy on the videos lately but this one is totally worth it! Too awesome... oh and I stole it from Laura! Thanks chick!

The Crazy craze...

Getting to know me

I got this from Kathi's, be sure to check hers out too.

I AM: trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up
I WANT: to be able to stay home with my babies (you know, when I have them)
I WISH: that there was a cure for cancer
I HATE: that my mom was taken before she got to meet her grandchildren
I MISS: my mom every single day (right there with you Kathi)
I FEAR: instability
I HEAR: sounds of the office
I WONDER: how old I will be when I die
I REGRET: there are lots of things I would like to change if I could but I heard it said once that regret for the past is a waste of spirit and I believe that.
I AM NOT: an optimist ~ I am trying, but I am not one by nature
I DANCE: occasionally... with the right amount of liquid courage
I SING: even though I stink ;~)
I CRY: when I think about a certain conversation with my mom
I AM NOT ALWAYS: happy when I should be
I MAKE WITH MY HANDS: I wish I could write language here but maybe someday :)
I WRITE: whatever I think is important or relevant at the time
I CONFUSE: my husband on a daily basis (sorry sweetie, I love you ;~)
I NEED: forgiveness daily (amen Kathi!)
I SHOULD: trust God more
I START: a lot of books and a lot of projects
I FINISH: amost nothing... I am one of those people
I TAG: everyone who reads this! Well, you don't have to but would love to read it if you do!

The Great Migration to Crofton is Complete

I have to say that I have the coolest friends! People started showing up to our EC apartment around 9:15 and by 10 we were loading the truck with our belongings. With the boys doing some brute force lifting, some girls doing some last minute packing, other girls carrying boxes and the incomparable Pat working the puzzle that was our moving truck and our belongings... we were on our way within an hour and a half.

We got to Crofton around noon and by 1 the truck was unloaded and Adam and Rob were driving it back to be dropped off!

Here is a shoutout to everyone that helped... Craig, Ali, Zach, Tiny, Pat, Kristen, Sandy, Becky, Carrie, Scott, Seth, Victoria, Rob and Danielle ! I think that is everyone... 14 people... no wonder it went so smoothly! Thank you guys so much... Adam and I have a wonderful group of friends!

Once the hubbub died down, Seth ran home to get DDR (Dance Dance Revolution for those of you not in the know!) and Seth, Victoria, Rob, Danielle, Adam and I danced our hearts out for awhile.

Then we took Scout and Riley to the dog park. After Adam and I walked the perimeter to make sure there were no prison break openings, some tears from mom (I kid you not) and some adamant 'I am not taking Riley off this leash' discussions... Adam freed Riley. He took off running (alongside Adam) and seemed to be enjoying himself. Although after his initial run, he gave us a look like... "hmmmm, what now... I am off my leash but still surrounded by fence...not sure what I am supposed to do". Regardless he got to explore and see a whole new world sans his leash. I have to admit, I am a believer in the dog park now. I only wish my mom could have seen that! She always wanted to see Riley without a leash on (you know without it being a matter of his life and death ;~)

After we tired out the dogs (and some of the humans...) we all gathered at S and V's for dinner and games. Delicious wheat pasta (who knew it would taste good ;~)... perfectly seasoned chicken... some great red wine... and yummy ice cream for dessert, it made for a great meal. And Apples to Apples finished off the evening with S coming back for an amazing win!

Good times! I love where we live!

Oh by the way... for all those that helped us move... has anyone see the tray pictured on the bottom of the smaller table?

It is removable and we seemed to have lost it along the way and I thought maybe it was in the back of someone's car or maybe someone remembers seeing it...

Thanks!