Let's Chat...

I feel like I have been in and out of here... but without words it seems. I have many things to say and share... but as Mark has become so interactive and cute as a button it seems he has zapped and stunned and smiled all the sense and lively conversation right out of me. Really I am tired, and feel a bit out of touch with the verse and processes of every day normal conversation... its all just jibber jabber bouncing around in my head like Pooh and Tigger. So share with me your thoughts on some hypotheticals and other fine points... as I have found my most comfort in the company of my dear girlfriends and my mommy of late.

Please, oh please, play along.

If a movie was made about your life, which actress would you choose to play your part? Which actor would play your husband and/or family?
Elizabeth Bennett in Pride & Prejudice... though Keira Knightenly plays no resemblance to me. Paul would be played as a cross between Tom Hanks and Tim :The ToolMan: Taylor. Hannah would be similiar to Renee Zellweger's character of Beatrice Potter in the movie Mrs Potter. While Sara Kate is Shirley Temple to the :T:!

What is your favorite childhood memory?
Watching I Love Lucy with my mom on Sunday's while 'she' folded laundry... it never occured to me until now that I could have helped fold I am such a dingbat... a spoiled dingbat!.... There were a lot of little moments like this with my mom... and I realize now through our thicks and thins of life... that these little moments make the best of us...

What are your top two (3, 4...) favorite chapter books from your childhood or for children ages 6-12?
Baby Sitter's Club, The Secret Garden, Little Women

What is the best gift you have ever received?
A righteous husband... and then, his million ways of saying I Love You...

What is your favorite pick-me-up?
Lunch or dinner with girlfriends

How often do you eat chocolate?
Um... daily

When is the last time you cried?
A week ago... I had a bad dream...

Scrapbook pages and pictures to follow soon...

Okay NIX the roadtrip to Cali-

Okay okay... so this was premature thinking/planning/preparation. After Paul asked if I wanted to come out to Cali and stay for a couple of weeks (and me getting all revved up for it)... I have hit a brick wall and realized I cannot do this. Which I must say is very unlike me... I am not one to realize I cannot do something... or at least not this easily. I spent 8 hours yesterday getting us all packed. Plus a trip to WalMart to help prepare ourselves. EVERYTHING is packed and lined up to be put in the car and... I have officially stalled... I must say, there was some divine inspiration involved here. Also, I woke up this morning and realized, on top of this inspiration, that this is not the way to break in a baby, or to make Hannah take Daddy's place as a helper, at the age of 7. I am just glad I realized this before I was halfway gone... and then stuck in The Middle of Nowhere, USA.

So, then we are staying put... happily...

Decorating Mistakes... OUCH!!

Okay... there was some show on HGTV called 25 Decorating Mistakes. I didn't see it, but a few girlies in the blogger world have been commenting on the goods and bads mentioned on the list. The Blissfully Domestic blog and The Nesting Place blog both shared some thoughts on this... check em out if you get a chance. Here's my take...

1. Fake flowers and plants (I confess, I have them. Now I try to update or add and subtract some each year. I HATE dusting them though... so I don't.)
2. Too many pillows, on the bed or sofa (How many is too many? I have three on each couch... but I have lost count on our bed... so what!)
3. Knick-knack overload (Okay, what is defined as knick knack?... This ain't no frilly doily house.)
4. Fear of color (Not my problem!)
5. Ignoring windows (Weeell... I like my oak wood trim though... I don't want to hide it... come on! Well the Nester at the Nesting Place blog is schooling me in this one.)
6. Pushed back furniture (Well I ain't gonna push it in the middle... good grief... it's like the Nazi decorators here!)
7. Tacky couch covers (I guess they were talking about clear plastic. My goodness, people still do that! Not an issue here, thank you very much.)
8. Frames too high (I guess the rule is at eye level... well at least that's the rule in my house.)
9. Improper lighting (We use the vintage chandeliers that were put in our house... uh... 75 years ago... but I do use lamps and uplights as well.)
10. Floating rugs (What the heck! Well we have carpet... and I for one don't think rugs belong on carpet... issue resolved!)
11. Too many colors/patterns (Oohhhh... I love colors though my palette is more guilty of number 14 below. Three colors... Red Miso, Latte, and the girls room is purple... Oh and no patterns thank you.)
12. Furniture that doesn’t fit (I think they mean oversized and too much in one room. Oh yeah! This is me... me all over! Have you seen my bed... our bed is the room)
13. Following fads (No thanks I make my own fades and trends... even if nobody follows!)
14. Everything matches (This seemed to be too much of one color in a room, everything being the same color... BINGO! BULLSEYE! CHECKMATE! Hello my name is... COORDINATED QUEEN! Sue me!)
15. Lack of traffic flow (That's a good one... especially when kids are running around... nothing like hitting the back of a chair... or the sofa table... every freakin' time!)
16. Uncomfortable dining room chairs (Uh... well I think they are comfortable... the seat is at least upholstered.)
17. Too formal (Uh... yep. Guilty. I can just see Lori... snickering over there...)
18. Keeping something you hate (Why would I?)
19. Lopsided furnishings (I may not be mentally balanced... or physically-I am pear shaped... But my home needs to be an area of some sort of Zen.)
20. Outdated accessories (I didn't realize they had expiration dates! Well I am good... within reason!)
21. Themes (I think this can flow over into outdated accessories as well. Sorry... I put the Precious Moments away... and the angels... and the lighthouses away... IN HIGH SCHOOL!)
22. Undressed cables (PUH-LEASE! Okay, girls these days prefer the undressed-barely clad look... and your telling me I need to dress/hide/disguise my cables? Next your gonna say my outlet covers ruin the mood of the room!)
23. Ignoring the foyer (Oh, I love my foyer & would never ignore it!)
24. Too many family photos (Not too many here. I would have more if I was skinnier though!)
25. Toilet rugs (Well I have them upstairs anyway. Wouldn't ya say my toilet is undressed then?) Now fess up… who has a toilet rug OR toilet seat cover?

Okay count your tally up and let me know the score... I'll be back... I may update while in Cali... well maybe! Toodles!

My girls... Part 2

Oh my girl has grown... my Hannah is such an amazing big sister. I never realized how having a little brother would make her personality bloom. I always find her popping her head over Mark to see if she can squeeze a grin out of him. He really loves his sisters!




This picture of Mark was taken by Hannah. Girl has skills already!

My girls... Part 1

Just had to share a few quick moments of Sara Kate. I know she is my daughter... but dang she is cute!! Anyhow... this is also a reminder to Paul to mow the grass... so puh-lease honey...


Dang girl... you didn't get that from your mama!! Well I always said Paul would look good as a girl... hee hee

Happy Anniversary to Us!

To celebrate our anniversary with you I thought I would put Paul on the spot and ask him some random questions. This idea came up after I read the Pioneer Woman's interview of her husband, Marlbaro Man, on her blog The Pioneer Woman. As well as, Hannah's portrait/sculpture/lego rendition of Paul and I... ain't we cute. Paul asked Hannah when she gave them to us, "Hey Hannah, where's my hair." She looked at him like he was plain silly. Then she said very obviously with a bit of maturity I haven't seen before, "You don't have hair Daddy." And I must say, he has never looked better! So here we are...

I’m going to ask you a few questions. If at any time during the interview, your afraid to respond… swallow hard and say it fast…
Big grin...

Okay, yes. Growing up, did you always want to be in business?
No.

Really? What did you want to be?
Doctor.

When did your dream become replaced by reality?
After I got married. change of priorities.

Uh whatdya mean honey…
My dear wife here pointed out it would have taken too long.

How old were you?
23

On a scale of one to ten, how much did you like me that first night we met?
8

Just an 8?
You were all sweaty and you had cornrows rolled in hair.

Why did you wait 4 months to call me?
It wasn’t a priority.

And how did you priorities change?
I got lonely…

How many times did you think of me during that four-month period?
None.

Puppy dog face… giggles from questionee…
Like I said it wasn’t a priority.

Fine.

What’s your favorite color?
Earth...

Uh that’s puzzling..okay honey...
Well I like blue but I wouldn't use it. I like to use taupes and tans.

Hey that's my line...
And it's a good one.

What’s your favorite food?
Chicken in any form… preferably hot

What’s your favorite thing I cook?
Chicken enchiladas

Do you want to have more children? With me, of course.
What, we are still getting over the last one.

Would you describe yourself as still in love with your wife?
DUH-yeah! DUH!

Your good at this ain’t ya.

What’s your favorite thing about me?
Ability to take center stage…

Give an example of 'center stage'?

When we are out you know how to talk…

I know how to talk?
Ya know, like break the ice.

Do you wish I took the stage more often?
No your perfect.

Good answer honey. Cause I hate getting up there in heels.

What’s the hardest thing you’ve ever gone through?
Being accused falsely.

How do you think that changed you?
Don’t trust 'em as far as you can throw 'em.

What makes you feel successful?
Recognition…

Expound on this recognition?
My mommy and daddy recognized me a lot (interviewer paraphrased response… I do that to him a lot.)

What’s your favorite kind of cookie?
Cookies my grandma made with a thumbprint in the middle and goop in it.

Now, if you could go anywhere for a two-week vacation, where would you go?
Back to family.

What if we’d never met?
I would have convinced a Brazilian from my mission to come to the states and marry me, cause I would have been lonely. More of a knee jerk reaction really… but hey, it worked for other guys.

Whats your favorite memory of us?

There are so many of them… there’s Batman, the Hulk… questioner feeling confused now…

Uh honey I said memory, not movie…

Long pause… oh. I remember… it was a long period after you started feeling normal while being pregnant… and we went out to look at Xmas trees. It was like a two day period where you were normal.

Do you have to repeat that? Eh go ahead…
Yeah... so there were all these Charlie trees so we didn’t get one… but man we were in my truck and it was all right again.

Sorry for that… can I make up for the rest…
WHAT?! Its already made up…

Okay were good now then?

(In the meantime, the kids running up and down the hall and little man Mark is cooing, well really he needs him diaper changed...)

Paul: So is it my turn to put you on the spot? (Questionee...feeling a little more interested now.)
Uh... how about we put the kids to bed and... (Interview ends abruptly... ;))

I must say, distraction is like nine-tenths of the law around here... otherwise I would get in a lot of trouble.

Hey thanks for stopping by to visit...

PS All joking aside, it has been the best time of my life to share these last eight years with Paul. As a part of our faith, we believe that couples are sealed together for eternity when they are married in the temple. We believe that this serves to restore God's children and family to him after this life's test is over. Marriage does require love, but more importantly faith and sacrifice for each other. Never has sacrifice been a portion of life I wanted to partake... if you know me you would understand (I am an only child). I am learning though to take my part and give my part... Paul has been an amazing example to me. Truly, Paul has made this sacrifice sweet, and God has blessed me, us and our family beyond our dreams. May we prove faithful and joyful not just the end... but unto eternity. I love you honey... sweet dreams.

Reminiscing of Cali...

There are few things I miss of Cali... actually just one... that's the hardest to live without... our family. So our family vacay in May of 2007 was therefore... unforgetable. I did this layout this weekend to recap the sites and scenes of our two week visit there. This layout was as much a venture as our drive to and from Cali... some sewn seams, dressed up buttons, and journaling to get me through my next ten pages... see I am not a big journal writer... well not counting the blogging... hee hee... have fun!

Get Sketchy...

Okay, so I haven't washed my hair or brushed my teeth. Ah, who am I kidding... heck I haven't bathed. I haven't eaten in four days... I can survive on Diet Coke, can't you? And I have been staring at this sewing machine for days. My dear girlie friend Teresa came over for some girl time... and she got me revved up to us the machine... uh, meaning she threaded it and explained the necessaries. Then we played with the TONS of crazy stitches it spits out! You should have seen us.... So I gotta say, thanks Teresa, I was needing that!!
So here to share with you my FIRST stitches from my GOT SKETCH layout from Val and Janna's exclusive Got Sketch 102 class (go to Got Sketch? to sign up)... here it is...

Wish you could see me now Mom!! You wanna see more?...

Thanks for stopping by...